《The Record of Unusual Creature》


 Another Trip to the North Pole - Another Trip to the North Pole

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    As the first light of dawn shone into the hall, Zhao Xi woke up from the unfamiliar sofa. She shook her head and felt like she had gone through a very long nightmare. It was only after a good while that she started to recollect what had actually happened, and it took her a good minute to remember everything.


    Hao Ren was already seated opposite the sofa. As he saw the demon hunter waking up, he greeted her, ¡°Yo, you¡¯re awake?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ thank you.¡± Zhao Xi thanked Hao Ren sincerely as she adjusted her clothes. She had just slept with whatever she wore the other night and needed to pat her clothes down now. She looked around and saw Liu Sheng was up even earlier than her. And the latter now was busy playing chess with Y¡¯zaks at the corner of the living room.


    ¡°I never thought that¡­ I would be staying in this place.¡± Zhao Xi rubbed her temple. She was still in a daze after receiving treatment last night and fell asleep very quickly with her senses muddled. This time around she had recovered and was very thankful after what she had been through. ¡°Our first meeting wasn¡¯t all that pleasant.¡±


    ¡°The past is the past. Well, now you have the head honcho and second in command of the demon hunters in my place, technically we are already allies.¡± Hao Ren waved off, his generosity apparent. ¡°So how do you feel?¡±


    By that time, everyone in the house realized that Zhao Xi was awake and started converging in the living room. Liu Sheng too stopped the game to check on his underling¡¯s situation. After confirming that his charge had indeed fully recovered, Liu Sheng appeared rather emotional. ¡°That¡¯s good¡­ that¡¯s good¡­ we really cannot afford to lose anyone now¡­¡±


    Zhao Xi smiled awkwardly, probably at the sight of her superior who was both a teacher and a friend to her making such an expression. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡±


    Liu Sheng seemed to be stunned for a little bit as if something was not right. After a good while, only did he realize. ¡°Oh, Zhao Xi, that facial paralysis of yours have been cured?¡±


    The smile on Zhao Xi¡¯s face suddenly stiffened, and Lily who was beside her decided to join in the fun. ¡°Eh, Mr. Landlord! Look! Her facial paralysis is cured! She did smile earlier, right? Come, come, let me see more! I¡¯m your former lor¡ª¡±


    Before the dumb husky could finish, Vivian pulled her tail back. As she went Vivian nagged, ¡°Can¡¯t you be quiet in the morning? Why must you get involved in everything?¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the stiff expression on Zhao Xi¡¯s face and explained with a straight face. ¡°Perhaps that medical pod had cured your facial paralysis along the way.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Vivian threw Hao Ren an eye roll from afar, and with a dry cough, he switched the matter at hand. ¡°Ahem, that is secondary, we are focusing on the wrong thing. Actually, I have something to ask you two. You know anyone else amongst the demon hunters that had the same symptoms as Zhao Xi?


    ¡°Similar symptoms as Zhao Xi?¡± Liu Sheng¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°You mean to say¡­¡±


    ¡°You probably don¡¯t know much about the ¡®goddess¡¯,¡± Vivian sat beside Hao Ren as she looked at Liu Sheng in the eyes and nodded gently. ¡°I can only give you a brief explanation. Coldpath, where the demon hunters live is a ruin left behind by a very powerful goddess. This goddess is not like those false gods from the ancient times, but a real, veritable, world-changing god. You¡¯ve met one before, so you know what I mean. And now when that goddess finally fell she did not totally disappear, part of her will remained in Coldpath, and this will could easily affect mortal minds. Zhao Xi was probably afflicted by this power, and we are worried that she might not be the only one.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s concern was not a spur of the moment thing, but it was something that occurred to her when she discussed the matter with Hao Ren yesterday. The will left behind by the goddess of creation in Zhao Xi¡¯s spirit only contained a sentence, and while it bore a very important meaning, it was still a fragment. And for a massive realm like Coldpath, there are probably more of such powers still lay hidden. If there are more of her will still remain, that means the danger the demon hunters faced is still not over yet.


    Liu Sheng and Zhao Xi had no idea about the whole ¡®goddess¡¯ situation, and they ranked only somewhat in the middle of the hierarchy, if not for Hao Ren and the rest living in their jurisdiction, they probably would not have the authorization to know of Vivian and Lily¡¯s real identities. And thus, they naturally have no clue about the truth of the other world. But after the civil war at Coldpath, they had somewhat heard of the great powers that were hidden within the demon hunter¡¯s holy sanctuary. So Vivian¡¯s explanation was not hard to digest. Liu Sheng was stiff. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of anyone having symptoms similar to Zhao Xi, as I took a while to convalesce, and Zhao Xi was in that state, so we left Coldpath rather late. By the time we left, aside from Zhao Xi, all who suffered the soul detachment had fully recovered, and there is probably no other ¡®hosts¡¯. But your concern is indeed well-placed; not discounting the fact that there is a possibility such powers still remains in Coldpath, and it could be hidden in any corner¡­ more so¡­ us demon hunters have no way to resist it.¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian looked at each other before turning to Liu Sheng with a nod. ¡°Alright, we know what to do.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll be leaving as well,¡± Liu Sheng said as he pulled Zhao Xi up. He knew a demon hunter of his level could only provide Hao Ren so much information, and the rest would probably need the ancients¡¯ deliberation. With a well-trained movement, he bowed. ¡°Words can¡¯t begin to describe my gratitude, we are ever in your debt for the help you have Zhao Xi. If there is anything that we can help in the future, just say the word, we will come to your aid even if we must go through hell.¡±


    It was clear that as professional demon hunters, Liu Sheng and Zhao Xi were taciturn folks. In face of the big help, Hao Ren had given them, the two did not go around showering him in thanks, and went straight to pledging their aid.


    If based on a normal plot flow, Hao Ren as the leader of his house would probably rise up, with his hands held in the Chinese greeting posture, and spouting platitudes like ¡°We shall meet again¡±, or ¡°It is an honor to help,¡± or ¡°We shall once again draw swords together¡­¡± or something to that effect, but going by Hao Ren¡¯s style, things would always go the other way. Before Liu Sheng could even finish saying his farewells Hao Ren cut him off mid-sentence. ¡°Ah, don¡¯t fret, don¡¯t fret. Leave after you have a meal. The salted eggs Vivian had made earlier is ready, you¡¯ve got to give it a try¡­¡±


    And thus Liu Sheng and Zhao Xi bade their farewells after stuffing their face full of salted eggs¡­


    After the demon hunters had left, Lily immediately darted to Hao Ren¡¯s side. ¡°Mr. Landlord, Mr. Landlord! I heard Rollie said that you were playing with a sword? Why did you call me for something this fun?¡±


    ¡°Why do you need to get involved in everything?¡± Hao Ren pushed the dumb husky who was almost at licking distance away with all his might. ¡°We were conducting serious business last night. What¡¯s the fun in that?¡±


    Lily wagged her tail expectantly. ¡°Something like that, something like that! Say, you managed to actually speak with the Godslayer¡¯s spirit? What¡¯s it like?¡±


    ¡°Go talk to it yourself.¡±


    As Hao Ren said that he pulled the Godslayer out, and after establishing a mental link, the Godslayer activated its cogitative module and greeted the rest. ¡°Hello everyone, I¡¯m the Godslayer, my other name is the Echo Wall, and my nickname is Smallsword, you guys can call me McStabby too¡­¡±


    Hao Ren had only intended to let the sword greet everyone, but he never thought the latter would start blurting out a whole lot of weird names. That sent Hao Ren into a confusion. ¡°Hey, wait a minute. Who thought you all that?¡±


    The Godslayer said with an ever honest tone, ¡°The MDT? That Data Terminal.¡±


    ¡°¡­MDBrick! Some explanation is in order!¡±


    The MDT darted out from god knows which corner of the house. ¡°Uh, calm down pardner. I was just testing if a mental link between my AI and the Godslayer would activate its cogitative abilities since I am also an intelligent being¡­¡±


    Hao Ren gritted his teeth. ¡°So what¡¯re the results?¡±


    ¡°Quite a success I might say. Look how fast he¡¯s learned!¡±


    Hao Ren immediately grabbed the MDT and threw it into Lil Pea¡¯s fish tank. ¡°Do your worst!¡±


    At that very moment, Lily¡¯s attention was fully fixated on the Godslayer. The husky was surprised by the Godslayer¡¯s personality. ¡°You¡¯re the Godslayer? You sound so honest, I thought you were some evil monstrosity.¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°The fault lies with the person, not the weapon. Its just a sword, how evil can it be?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Just that reason.¡± Vivian nodded.


    ¡°So now you¡¯ve met the sword, we need to talk about something else,¡± Hao Ren said as he kept the sword again. ¡°I need to make a trip to the demon hunter¡¯s HQ again.¡±

 Chapter 1

    Hao Ren[1], being true to his name, was a good man.


    Living in an unimportant town north outside of Beijing, his house was so far-off that it could hardly be counted as a part of the capital city. He was twenty-something, a little macho with a big square face, the type of common face that would not leave a very strong impression on those that passed him by. His ultimate goal in life was to be a good man.


    Summer had just begun; the sun during the day was so scorching hot that even the town¡¯s high altitude didn¡¯t help to ease the unbearable heat. There was little wonder that only a handful of pedestrians were seen traversing on the walkways along the streets that were packed with moving vehicles. Hao Ren, in his grey pants and white t-shirt, was walking down the street under the shades of the trees and buildings with a few pieces of paper in his hands. He was sweating profusely. The annoying horn blares from the passing vehicles and the high pitch buzz of the cicadas on the trees on that summer¡¯s morning did not help either.. Despite the unforgiving situation, he kept moving and glanced occasionally at the papers in his hand¡ªtwo sheets on job advertisements and a flyer which he picked up from a school girl in the square. Printed on the flyer were photos of a sweet-smiling girl with a row of words underneath, reading: Jing Rong Obstetric and Gynaeocology Specialist Hospital, specialising in¡­


    He felt that it was unprofessional for the school girl who passed him the flyer; he wouldn¡¯t have passed out flyer to anyone seemingly penniless like him. That being said, the hard paper flyer did make an excellent paper fan.


    ¡°Last two interviews. If these still don¡¯t work out, I¡¯ll call it a day.¡± Hao Ren mumbled with the job flyers still in his hands. He figured he could complete those two ¡®missions¡¯ relatively quickly as the two locations were just around the corner. One of them was just a stone¡¯s throw away across the street; it was an advertising agency with an unassuming (same meaning with fa?ade) facade, but its name was in ¨C the ¨C face: Galaxy Media Pan-Cultural Development Co., any business with such a name was destined to fail in half a year. But what motivated Hao Ren was not the job interview itself but the curiosity to find out what kind of a person the owner who came out with such a grandiloquent name was.


    He strode a few hundred meters down the pedestrian walkway with full enthusiasm. Enduring the scorching sun, he maneuvered around the road barrier and came up to the front of the grandiloquently-named advertising agency only to find that it was shuttered! A notice pasted on the glass door entrance indicating that the agency had closed down two days ago. But the job advertisement was dated only four days ago¡­ What a dramatic change! Was the agency looking for some kind of scapegoat before it went under?


    Hao Ren crumpled the job flyer in his hand before discarding it into the refuse bin on the side of the walkway. He lowered his gaze and looked at the second job flyer before binning in the same refuse bin. He couldn¡¯t wrap his head around the fact that he had gone for job interviews that were totally at odd with who he was; an office job in a public transport company, someone who has to be hardworking, possessing computer knowledge and working experience and has to be a lady of 25-40 years old!


    There was nothing sillier than coming all the way to town for a job interview only to find himself standing in front of a company that had closed down two days ago!


    Hao Ren, , 25 years of age, was a man with no noteworthy bad habits, not particularly choosy about what to eat, still a bachelor who had a few friends or relatives, living alone in a house he inherited from his parents in the old section south of town. He was a typical youngster of those days, aiming for a 5-figure income at the age of 25, marrying a pretty wife and owning a car (if that was at all possible). He did not have the chance to show his filial piety as his parents were dead. But by living decently, he at least salvaged his family¡¯s name and had achieved one third of his goals.


    His life was a sad story.


    He came looking for a job in town. But there was nothing necessitating him to do so as he owned an old house passed down by his parents¡ªit was a two storeys building that had been converted into an apartment.


    For years, Hao Ren was living off the rental of the apartment. It had enabled him to live somewhat comfortably, it didn¡¯t make him rich. The apartment was in the middle of nowhere and it seems unlikely that the government will resume the local development in the near foreseeable future.


    Frankly, there was not, in the slightest, the need for Hao Ren to find a job for the time being. But perhaps he was in his comfort zone for far too long, he felt he needed some challenges and exploration. Besides, there was another important reason¡ªhis apartment was in a far-flung corner of the countryside where it was literally cut off from any civilization. Since the last farmer couples moved out half a year ago, the apartment had not harbor any new tenant. There was an uneasiness which he found hard to ignore: unless development was forthcoming, it would not be long before he had to look for a job.


    After spending three days at home immersing himself in doing some urban planning research, Hao Ren came to the inevitable conclusion that the probability of his area being turned into a commercial zone was slim, not in a month of Sundays. Which meant, he had to plan ahead and begin to find a job.


    He used to work part-time to pay for college, so he figured it wouldn¡¯t be at all that difficult to going out there and getting a job wasn¡¯t at all that difficult.


    But fate played cruel tricks on him, leaving him empty-handed on the first day.


    He stretched and decided to call it a day. He found a bench under a tree in a park nearby where he could wait out the sweltering afternoon before heading to a restaurant to grab a bite and go home. Amid the sprawling developments going on around the town, it still preserve a little oasis as such for people to find some serenity.


    He wiped the bench clean before lying lazily on his back for a nap. He covered his face with the flyer from the pretty girl to block out the sun rays leaking through the leaves overhead. Of course he was still alert as incidents of pickpocketing were on the rise. It didn¡¯t matter the fact that he was penniless, being pickpocketed was the last thing he needed; all he wanted was just to take a brief nap to refresh himself.


    Before he could doze off, he sensed a shadow over him¡ª it could be someone right beside him. He removed the flyer from his face and was shocked to find that the sun had almost set. And there, a person was standing right next to him at just the right angle to cast a shadow over him. He could barely see the person¡¯s face. But judging from the slender body and facial contour, he could tell it was a girl with short hair.


    ¡°Hey, are you awake?¡±


    As the girl spoke, she kept waving to him as if they knew each other. Hao Ren bounced up and feeling a little drowsy, he did a reality check by examining his surroundings to make sure he wasn¡¯t dreaming¡ªit was indeed sunset. He then looked up to the girl in front. The girl realized she was in the backlight, so she moved a little to the side so that she could be seen more clearly.


    Hao Ren got a first proper look at the girl and his first impression of the girl was that she was as beautiful as a goddess.


    The girl was simply dressed¡ªa white slim fit top with a childish puppy ornament on the collar matched with a dark color shorts and a pair of casual shoes¡ªvery much like a college student who was skipping classes; her hair was shoulder length and her skin was wheat, a typical sporty and sunshine girl. She was pretty, especially her lustrous eyes, which were the most beautiful Hao Ren had ever seen.


    Behind her was a huge luggage.


    She looked at Hao Ren who appeared a little loopy. She smiled like a Cheshire cat (maybe the description was a little far off, but that was what Hao Ren thought of her). These days it is hard to find that kind of innocent smile among girls of her age. She tucked her hand inside her little bag, purportedly searching for something. It took her a while before she found a crumpled piece of paper and handed it to him. ¡°Could you please tell me where this place is?¡± she asked.


    Hao Ren patted himself on the face, attempting to rid himself of the grogginess. He took a look at the flyer and saw the address written on the paper¡­ Uaah! Isn¡¯t that my house?!


    Translator Note


    [1] ºÂÈÊ (H¨£o r¨¦n) ¨C Has the same pinyin and pronunciation as ºÃÈË (H¨£o r¨¦n) lit. good person.

 Chapter 2

    Looking at the address, Hao Ren was stupefied¡ªthe all too familiar address was none other than his home!


    ¡°Why is it that you are looking for this place?¡± Hao Ren had no idea as to why the stranger was having his address. He was a little flurried because of her, but was also pretty sure that he would never get lucky with women, except that time during his primary year three when he was seated next to a female classmate. He stared at her, feeling a little perplexed.


    He began to size her up; she had a pretty face and a slender body to complement it. Though her height was quite a letdown, her cheerful personality pretty much made up for that.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for a place to stay!¡± said the girl. ¡°I have been searching high and low for it the entire day. Despite that no one could tell me where it is.¡±


    Hao Ren felt the girl was overwhelmingly amiable but there was one particular thing that caught his attention: I¡¯m looking for a place to stay! He finally came out of his drowsiness: ¡°Oh, I almost forget that I am a landlord myself. The classified ad for my apartment I placed in a local newspaper two days ago¡ªwas that the reason this girl is here?¡±


    It appeared that he finally found his tenant!


    Hao Ren folded the paper and gave it back to the girl, ¡°Of course I know where it is. Follow me.¡± he said.


    The girl was elated. She shoved the paper back into her bag and said, ¡°Thank you so much! It has been a long day¡­¡±


    Hao Ren got up and did a little stretch. Just as he was about to leave, he sensed something was off. ¡°Wait a minute! Did you just say that you were looking for this address in town the whole day?!¡±


    ¡°Yep, I was! It was a pretty hard to find place.¡± She said candidly as she nodded her head.


    ¡°No wonder!¡± Hao Ren thought she was either fooling around or just plainly dumb, ¡°Can¡¯t you see the address¡¯ ¡®southern suburb¡¯? And yet you were here looking in the downtown area?¡±


    ¡°But it also clearly states ¡®Whitestone Building¡¯ there.¡± said the girl as she was pointing to the direction of the downtown, ¡°Isn¡¯t Whitestone Building in the town?¡± Hao Ren knew immediately what she meant.


    He was dumbfounded. ¡°No! It¡¯s not Whitestone Building but Whitestone Road!¡±


    As he was about to point out that she did not read the address properly; she overlooked the word ¡®Road¡¯ after Whitestone and assumed it was ¡®Building¡¯¡­


    ¡°Aaah!¡± She quickly realized her mistake, ¡°My bad. I am always a little absentminded. So do you know where Whitestone Road is? Get me there.¡±


    Hao Ren sensed that something was amiss about the girl. But being a landlord for the last couple of years, he had gotten used to being apathetic to his tenants, so he did not give it another thought. He pointed to the park entrance, ¡°We need to take the bus. Our destination is in the southern suburb so it would be nightfall by the time we get there. Oh, and by the way, about the address, it¡¯s actually my house. I am your landlord.¡±


    The girl was startled. She looked at him wide-eyed, ¡°Ah, is that so?¡±


    Before Hao Ren could nod his head, the girl was jumping with joy, ¡°Ahh! What a coincidence! Could it be destiny?!¡±


    Hao Ren had felt that the girl was tripping over words from the moment they met. He could no longer mince his words, ¡°What if I am bad guy? Aren¡¯t you afraid of being kidnapped?¡±


    That was his best effort to politely tell her that she was naive, really naive! How could she trust a stranger and follow him to the middle of nowhere? Girls nowadays had no sense of danger whatsoever. It must have been a miracle that she had not fall into the hands of human traffickers all these years.


    As he was thinking of that, the simple girl (quite appropriately) looked at him suspiciously, ¡°Human trafficker? Are you going to kidnap me?¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡± but he felt he should now keep a distance from her; if not for sake of the rent, he wouldn¡¯t have talked to her for so long!


    She was relieved, ¡°Okay then. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Hao Ren sighed. As he was about to leave the park, he felt his steps became heavy all of a sudden.


    They boarded a bus from the downtown which was heading for the countryside; it was an ear-bending journey; Hao Ren had discovered that not only was this new tenant amiable, tripping over words and naive, but also extremely chatty. She was too enthusiastic, babbling on about everything from B-list celebrity gossip¡ªdomestic or foreign¡ªto house prices in second-tier cities. Hao Ren could not recall when she started rambling nor did he know when she would stop, the girl would just ramble on as long as he nodded his head occasionally pretending as if he was listening. That was not a problem for him as he took it as an oppotunity to learn more about his new tenant, to gauge her character.


    The naive girl was Liu, Lily Liu. She told Hao Ren to call her by her first name, Lily. She claimed to be a wanderer, veterinarian and a casual prose writer (though she was not really sure what a prose writer¡¯s job was) who had just arrived from another city and planned to settle down here. Also she did not mind what kind of a place she will be staying in as long as there was a roof over her head¡ªher works were quite flexible anyway.


    Based on the information, Hao Ren concluded that his new tenant was spirited, had no stable job currently but would not give him any trouble. He was happy with it. In fact, such a little girl would not cause much trouble at all. Although she seemed a little naive¡­ but that was also her personal problem, he just had to play his part as the landlord, he thought.


    Just as he predicted, the sun had set by the time they arrived at the bus stop in the southern suburb.


    Hao Ren disembarked, with Lily following closely behind. Before Hao Ren could catch his breath, Lily yelled, ¡°Is this Whitestone Road?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Southern Suburb Stop according to the road sign! Whitestone Road is an old street, we have to walk through the alley to get there. Have you ever seen a bus travelling through an alley?¡±


    ¡°Oops! Haha. Do excuse my ignorance,¡± she tittered and continued maundering. ¡°It is quiet here.¡± She frowned as she was examining the surrounding.


    The rickety bus stop was sitting on the shoulder of a disrepair road which was covered in potholes. The nearby buildings were old and run-down, with most of the shops closed. The 5-storey apartments behind the shops were equally ramshackle. This desolate place was the ¡®downtown¡¯ of the southern suburb. Sometimes, Hao Ren wondered whether this place was a castaway and forgotten by the modern society. But he would always remind and comfort himself at the end of every month that this place was not forgotten but very much remembered¡ªby the water company, the electric utility, the gas supplier, and even the telephone and insurance companies.


    ¡°Hurry up,¡± said Hao Ren, ¡°though this place is pretty safe, you don¡¯t want to bump into some drunkards at night. Let¡¯s head back to my place. And don¡¯t be wandering around outside at night, I am not about to get into trouble because of you. Just a reminder.¡±


    By right, as a landlord, he shouldn¡¯t be that blunt lest the tenants were scared away. But Hao Ren was just trying to be frank; he despised dishonesty and took no advantage of others. This was the reason behind his failure to get keep tenants sticking around his apartment lately because prospective tenants were literally scared away.


    However, Lily was totally at ease, ¡°No worries, Mr. Landlord, I have learned a thing or two about fighting.¡±


    Hao Ren felt as if he was talking to a weird fellow, ¡°I am not saying that¡­ Let me make myself clear: Aren¡¯t you afraid of nasty fellers?¡±


    He had only met her for less than a day, he knew he should not be a busybody. But she was the weirdest girl¡ªwho was gullible and yet amiable to the point of being naive¡ªhe had ever met. So he was prepared to go the extra mile.


    Lily was unfeigned, ¡°Landlord, you are such a good man! But I am not afraid at all. I think I am strong enough. I had fought bad guys off on my own before.¡±


    ¡°You surely have met bad guys before, but lowering your guard just because you have fought them off before is just¡­¡± Hao Ren murmured.


    Lily did not respond. She looked at Hao Ren with a smile while lugging the massive suitcase behind her. Suddenly they heard two clunking noise¡ªthe luggage wheels had come off and rolled away.


    ¡°Hahaha, maybe the suitcase is too heavy.¡± Lily scratched her head in embarrassment.


    ¡°No, it was the potholes¡­¡± Hao Ren looked at the pothole-filled road and took a long sigh. As a man, he felt he needed play the gentleman, ¡°Let me take your luggage¡­I¡¯m wondering what¡¯s in there.¡±


    He grabbed the luggage from Lily. But immediately he felt like he was hauling a concrete block¡ªthe suitcase was so heavy that he could barely lift it off the ground.


    Lily did not notice Hao Ren¡¯s weird expression. She chuckled as she lifted the suitcase with one hand onto her shoulder as if it was empty.


    Hao Ren was left slack-jawed as Lily carried the suitcase on her shoulder and went ahead. He froze as he couldn¡¯t believe what he just encountered. Then he heard Lily yelled at him to hurry up. She murmured ¡°That¡¯s ok. I am just born with strong arms. You do see such thing on TV shows sometimes¡­¡±


    As Lily kept rambling on while Hao Ren¡¯s head was packed with unanswered questions, they veered off the main road into a pitch-dark alley. At the end of the alley was Whitestone Road where Hao Ren¡¯s house was situated.


    Along the alley were two street lamps, one already went out. The dilapidated old houses nearby amplified the spooky ambience. Hao Ren would have freaked out if not for the faint moonlight illuminating the road ahead, enhancing the visibility of the alley. He looked at Lily, who was following him closely. She appeared to be in a pleasant mood.


    It was a dark night; not a soul could be seen on the road; a foreign place; and stranger¡ªany one of these factors would have caused one to be more cautious. But Lily was not at all nervous. Was she just oblivious or was she really that capable of keeping herself safe?


    ¡°Flop, flop, flop¡­¡±


    As Hao Ren was still worried for the girl, he heard the creepy sound of flapping wings right above them.


    He was startled. Immediately, he looked up and vaguely saw a shadow gliding across the night sky above the high walls of the alley.


    The shadow looked like a bat, but its size wasn¡¯t so.


    ¡°Whoa, what was that thing?¡± Hao Ren shouted, trying to keep his composure as he did not want to lose face, especially in front of Lily. He turned around, expecting Lily to be as scared as a soaked monkey, but¡­


    What he saw was a pair of ears like those of a wolf, popping up from her head!

 Chapter 3

    Hao Ren froze. As Lily walked past him, he rubbed his eyes trying to clear his vision. He took a second look at her, but she was completely normal.


    He was certain of what he just saw¡ªa pair of triangular ears which were covered in beautiful silver hair! He was very certain of his eyesight and short-term memory, but he definitely couldn¡¯t explain what he had just seen,


    He slapped himself and muttered, ¡°Maybe I was hallucinating. I am just too tired today.¡±


    ¡°Landlord, what did you just say?¡± Lily turned her head around, her big beautiful eyes were glowing in the dark. ¡°Hallucinating about what?¡±


    She heard his murmur. Hao Ren was awed by her sharp hearing ability. With a flick of his hand, he dismissed it while saying, ¡°It¡¯s nothing! I am alright. Let¡¯s hurry up so that we can settle in for the night.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Lily carried the massive suitcase on her shoulder and kept rambling, ¡°Landlord, I¡¯m starving! Is there any place close to your house where I can grab a bite? Or can I eat at your house? I will pay for it. Hey, why are you walking behind me? Please lead the way, I am not familiar with the place¡­¡±


    Hao Ren sped up and took the lead. Though Lily was loquacious and naive, Hao Ren was impressed by her forthrightness. ¡°No problem, I¡¯ll be the host tonight. I am alone anyway.¡±


    Just as he finished talking, the ¡®floop¡¯ sound occurred again!


    Hao Ren¡¯s reflexes were faster this time. He looked up immediately and caught sight of the silhouette of a bat the size of an eagle swooping across the night sky!


    Naturally, it did not actually occur to him that it was a bat, but rather, a large bird foraging at night. Outside the town was a vast piece of wasteland. For there to be wild birds in the skies of the town was not something uncommon. Instead, he was more worried about Lily as he did not want her to get a bad first impression of his place, so he made up a story. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! That might just be a wild bird from the nearby wasteland.¡±


    Suddenly, Lily approached him, puffing. ¡°Mr. Landlord, I have something I need to do here. I suggest you keep going, I¡­ I¡¯ll catch up later¡±


    Hao Ren was perplexed. ¡°No, I¡¯m not going to leave you here. It is like a maze in this alley, even locals would get lost at times¡­ Why are you standing so close?¡±


    As Hao Ren turned around, their eyes met ¡ª Lily was just inches from him¡ªshe stared straight at him. Hao Ren was taken aback and stepped back half a meter from her, ¡°Look! I am a gentleman!¡±


    He would turn abrasive when he was nervous.


    Hao Ren was not sure if it was an illusion¡ªhe noticed there was a sense of hurriedness in her. Lily looked up the night sky and sniffed. ¡°Landlord, please go. I can catch up later as I can remember your smell¡­ So stop being shilly-shallied. I really have something on!¡± pleaded Lily.


    ¡°No!¡± Hao Ren was agitated. He did not seem to be bothered by her ¡®remember your smell¡¯ remark and replied with a straight face, ¡°What if something happens to you? I just can¡¯t bear to leave you here alone. What is it with you being so secretive?¡±


    As mentioned before, Hao Ren was a good man; despite the fact that she was strong, he felt that he had a duty to ensure her safety.


    Besides, he could not also think of any reason why a girl from another city had any business here at this time of night.


    Lily became even more nervous; she dropped her suitcase and continuously scanned her surroundings. On both sides of the alley were dilapidated three-storey houses which were once a symbol of wealth for the local residents during the town¡¯s glorious days. As good times waned, they were left in disrepair with the walls of unequal height at both sides of the alley covered in thick moss. The sky was the only thing visible between the walls.


    Lily¡¯s eyes were busy monitoring the gaps between the walls while she sniffed as if searching for traces of smell in the air. Upon seeing this, Hao Ren realised something was amiss. Since moment ago, Lily had been reacting strangely to the creepy flapping sounds above. She might have discovered something, so he asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on, Lily Liew?¡±


    ¡°Call me Lily,¡± she quipped and turned to Hao Ren. ¡°Why are you still here?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what I said?¡± replied Hao Ren as he stuck close to Lily. His voice was calm but he was clenched his fists tightly. There was nothing unsual in the surroundings, but the atmosphere was creepy as he smelled a hint of blood in the air carried by the chilly wind. This smell was not supposed to be prevalent during this time of the year, when the wind blew in every direction. His legs started trembling.


    Hao Ren was brave¡ªthat was what he thought of himself¡ªbut he was visibly terrified by the events unfolding around him.


    He was clueless about what was happening. He had heard many creepy urban legends and ghost stories, including tales of innocent souls of the dead in the alley and haunting road junctions, but he had brushed them off as mere gossip.


    He dismissed his initial spontaeneous reactions as being overly nervous and influenced by Lily¡¯s strange behaviors. But the air reeked of blood and it was only growing stronger and stronger, to the point where he could almost taste it in his mouth. He could not explain this phenomena logic. He suddenly recalled when Lily was hurriedly asking him to leave a moment ago; she was aware of her surroundings when things were still normal and was not as dumb as he thought her to be. She knew what was coming!


    ¡°Damn it! How on earth did I get dragged into this?¡± Hao Ren carefully scanned his surroudings. His thoughts were bogged down because of the foul blood odor, and the creepy, frosty wind.


    ¡°Mr. Landlord, I¡¯m sorry for dragging you into this. The ¡®thing¡¯ is likely to be after me,¡± Lily said with a coarse voice, ¡°You are a good man, better than everyone else I¡¯ve ever met. I¡¯ll promise you this, I¡¯ll get you out of this alive!¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, stop playing nice¡­¡± Hao Ren scoffed at her while his teeth were chattering. When he turned around to face Lily, his jaw dropped.


    Hao Ren could not recognize the girl close by at all. She was extremely beautiful with her silver waist-length hair. Her eyes were out of this world¡ªthe retinas were gold in color and glowed in the dark. She had a pair of wolf-like ears protruding, flapping under the wind, and tilting in different directions listening to the surroundings.


    A silver tail could be seen emerging from behind, wagging under her clothes.


    She was a werewolf¡­ or a kemonomimi1 in today¡¯s popular culture!


    Hao Ren could not fathom why he found this amusing but he knew that his life would never be the same again¡­ if he could keep his life today.


    Translator Notes:


    1 kemonomimi (ª•¶ú) is the combination of two words of Japanese origin, kemono and mimi. Kemono refers to human-like beasts (also known as furries), which are animal characters in human-like settings. They dress, feast, and move around like humans do. On the other hand, kemonomimi refers to characters that are predominantly human, but with an animal¡¯s ears and/or tail. Mimi means ear in Japanese.

 Chapter 4

    Hao Ren¡¯s eyes were fixed on the silver-haired girl. Her golden eyes gleamed in the dark and her long, silver hair blew in the wind. Her pointy ears especially attracted his attention. If it were not for her face which was still the same, he would not have recognized her as the very same Lily Liu whom he had brought from town.


    It was her¡ªhe could tell from her face and attire.


    The wind, moon, his clothes and even his breath felt chilly¡ªHao Ren felt like he was being frozen in place. The smell of the air reminded him of a slaughterhouse but the chill kept him awake. He needed to be alert as he tried hard to clear his befuddled mind to make sense of all the crazy stuff that had transpired.


    He stopped chatting Lily up; the spooky atmosphere probably dampened his mood. It was either that or he was at a lost for words due to Lily¡¯s strange look. In any case, Hao Ren was awed by the beauty of Lily, who was now a werewolf. Yet, he was also worried about the possibility of her being aggressive. He could see the beastly nature in her eyes which made him nervous. At the same time, he couldn¡¯t help but also relate Lily with some of the comical characters in ACG (Anime, Comic and Games).


    The acrid smell of blood in the air became even more unbearable and black ice started to form on the road¡¯s surface; the once bright moon had turned a faint red. Hao Ren was shivering in the cold wind as he was only wearing a thin layer of clothes. Lily however, did not seem to be affected. Tilting her ears, she stuck her nose out in the air and sniffed as though she was looking for something. ¡°The cunning bat is using the smell of blood as a camouflage¡­Mr. Landlord, please stay with me. These flying creatures are notoriously active at night. They always prey on the unsuspected.¡±


    The voice of the ¡®transformed¡¯ Lily sounded cold but he took a little comfort in the fact that she was not aggressive. So, he plucked up his courage and asked, ¡°Lily, what¡¯s going on? You¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a werewolf.¡± Lily¡¯s ears stood erect as she proudly proclaimed, ¡°All the while, I¡¯ve been hiding my werewolf identity. This is the first time it¡¯s been seen by a human¡­ Beware! Nothing good will come out whenever you see these flying creatures.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s understanding of the world had been thrown upside down. Before he could utter another word, Lily shouted in a muffled voice, ¡°There it comes!¡±


    A shadowy figure swooped down from the night sky.


    He could vaguely see its silhouette under the faint moonlight. It did not look like a bat but more like someone with a cloak on. He did not have time to analyze everything as things unfolded too quickly.


    Knowing that he was the prey, every muscle and nerve in his body contracted and burst into action. He moved aside swiftly; the attacker swooped past him and barely brushed his hair.


    Lily seized the opportunity as the black shadow was diving towards the ground. A sound akin to a sonic boom followed as her leg swept through the air striking the enemy. It was straightforward but brutal. She quickly faded into a silver, shadowy figure as she engaged the black shadow in a hand-to-hand battle. Hao Ren could see the vortexes of air created by their quick movements. Not long after, the black shadow was bested; it then transformed into a bat and flitted to the air.


    Before Lily could deliver the final blow, the bat was already up in the air above the walls. She was furious. She started to howl and Hao Ren recognized the howling sound. It was the same sound he had heard countless of times during his childhood near the woods.


    It was the sound of a howling wolf!


    However there was no time to be in awe as he was in deep shit¡ªa life and death situation. The bat did not flee instead, it circled in the air like a vulture. It seemed like it was laughing at the werewolf for not being able to fly or rather, it was waiting for the right moment to pounce on its prey.


    Hao Ren knew that as long as the bat was still in the air, he was not safe. He worked out in his mind that although the werewolf girl was good in hand-to-hand combat, she could not fly or perform long range attacks. Moreover, she was dim-witted! If the bat were to have attacked him again, she probably would not have been able to stop it or react in time to save him.


    The werewolf girl raised her thin lips and growled furiously while the hair on her pointy ears stood up. She threw her head back, pointed her nose in the moon¡¯s direction and let out a loud, piercing howl.


    Right at that same time, the bat dived at an incredible speed towards Lily. Hao Ren was starting to panic.


    ¡°The werewolf girl is putting herself in danger posing pointlessly like that. The timing especially is inappropriate!¡±


    Hao Ren saw an object in Lily¡¯s hand but before he could tell what it was, Lily had already hurled the object towards the bat. The bat was hit directly in its course before it could come close. The bat was yelped in pain; it quickly turned around and fled up into the air. Hao Ren could then see the object in Lily¡¯s hand¡ªrectangular and red¡ªit was a brick!


    ¡°Come, if you dare!¡± The werewolf girl shouted at the bat provocatively. ¡°Don¡¯t think that I can¡¯t get you! Ever since I realized I was a werewolf, I¡¯ve been waiting for the day I can beat the hell out of flying bastards like you. Five years of Shooting Brick practice just for this moment!¡±


    Hao Ren was stumped ¡ªher trump card was only brick-throwing? Seriously?


    The bat¡¯s movement was wobbly. Apparently, it was hit hard by Lily¡¯s Shooting Brick. The pungent smell of blood began to subside as the bat started to lose its magic power. The standoff continued on for a few minutes during which Lily reloaded her ¡®ammunition¡¯ by picking up another brick on the ground. The bat realized it was not going to be able to take advantage of her. It circled in the air once more and flew away into the darkness.


    However, Lily was not quite ready to let the bat go just yet. She raised her arms and hurled the remaining bricks towards the fleeing bat. Hao Ren could not see the projectiles but the bat was visibly alarmed as it fled the scene. At least one of the bricks could have hit its target.


    Yet Hao Ren was worried about something else; he was concerned about where the bricks would land. The projectiles were traveling at speeds no slower than a bullet. He could only pray that no one was in the vicinity of the desolate town as the bricks were landing.


    The attacker was finally gone and the surroundings were tranquil again. There was no more trace of blood in the air. Hao Ren rubbed his nose and sneezed as he was sensitive to the sudden changes in the air temperature. The chilly air slowly subsided and was displaced by the summer heat wave.


    He looked up; Lily was slowly transforming back to human form¡ªslow enough that he could observe the transformation process itself. Her waist-length, silver hair turned black and retracted to shoulder length while the pointy wolf ears disappeared from her head. He smacked his lips and was at a lost for words due to what he had witnessed.


    Lily sensed the awkwardness but she had expected it. She smiled at Hao Ren awkwardly and proceeded to carry the oversized suitcase on her shoulder. As she was about to leave, she turned around and said, ¡°Oh ya! Landlord, I¡¯ve decided not to rent your apartment¡­ And please, don¡¯t tell anyone about the things that happened today or else I¡¯ll be in trouble.¡±


    Then, she left.


    ¡°Wait a second!¡± Hao Ren called out to Lily after abruptly recovering from his daze. ¡°Where could you possibly go in the middle of the night? You can come to my place and stay for the night¡­¡±


    Lily was startled for a moment before she turned around. Her big eyes gleamed with doubts and she said, ¡°Why? Ain¡¯t you afraid that the flying creature will return? It¡¯s most probably after me, I¡¯m a werewolf¡ªits archenemy.¡±


    ¡°Not at all because, I¡¯m a good person!¡± Hao Ren replied whimsically.

 Chapter 5

    Hao Ren had a lot on his mind.


    The virtue of gratitude; revolutionaries who dedicated their life to their cause and the truth; his first, brave attempt to fight back against the bully who took his chocolate during his primary school years and whatnot. However at that moment, there was only one thing he was interested in. That girl, Lily was mystical; of something unusual. She was anything but human yet she was not bad as she just saved his life. Hao Ren knew it. He was the primary target when the half-human, half-bat creature attacked him.


    He was just another ordinary man but he took pride in his sharp instincts and his ability to remain calm in all kinds of situations thanks to his upbringing. He was known as a bad boy during his childhood and he laughed in the face of danger. This honed and sharpened his instincts as he grew up.


    Lily on the other hand, did not notice this subtlety. It was probably because her mind was set; she thought that the bat was coming after her all along. It might also have been due to the fact that she was a little dumb.


    No matter what he thought of her as a person, the werewolf girl had indeed saved his life. Moreover, it was dark at night and she had nowhere to go. He couldn¡¯t leave her alone at that desolate place. He wouldn¡¯t.


    Of course, he was also being pragmatic: the bat could have returned at anytime. So, he figured that it would be safer if Lily stuck with him¡ªher flaky Shooting Brick was a better weapon than his rolling pin in the kitchen at the very least.


    That might have been a little self-deprecating but he was fully aware of his ability, or lack thereof. Lily was the best option.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s getting late.¡± Hao Ren rubbed his legs as they were still numb from the chill earlier. He then went ahead of Lily. ¡°I will get you something to eat once we are home. Are you okay with a vegetarian meal?¡±


    However, he immediately realized that it was a silly question¡ªLily was a werewolf!


    ¡°Anything is fine!¡± Lily nodded happily as she carried her 100-pound suitcase, walking beside him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared? Have you seen ¡®the other kind¡¯ before? I have seen it in movies, those people are afraid of us. But fret not! I¡¯m not going to hurt you.¡±


    She was at it again¡ªoverly amiable, naive, dumb and being too chatty. He had a headache; he couldn¡¯t answer her questions. He sighed and said to her, ¡°Frankly, I¡¯m still feeling a little dizzy right now. I need a nicotine fix to soothe my mind before I can answer your questions. Shall we talk about that later when we get home?¡±


    Lily was unexpectedly compliant. She kept her mouth shut. They did not utter a word as they passed through the alley and arrived at Whitestone Road.


    Hao Ren¡¯s house was right at the end of the street with concrete pavement. Beyond that was an endless wasteland. The location of his house was one where civilization met the wilderness¡ªa cool description Hao Ren had always used when referring to his dwelling to portray his young state of mind despite his age. On both sides of Whitestone Road were rows of motley, old residential buildings of two or even three stories. However, most of them were vacant. They felt haunted especially at night. Developments had not come by and more people moved out than in. His apartment was one of the few which still had occupants in the sleepy town.


    ¡°It would feel spooky around here if not for the still-functioning street lamps,¡± Hao Ren mumbled.


    ¡°Huh? Spooky?¡± Lily had sharp hearing, true to her canid origin.


    Hao Ren waved his hand, gesturing that he was just talking nonsense. Lily did not give it much thought. She was staring at the house with satisfaction, ¡°This will make a good hideout. Quiet; deserted. You know, it¡¯s tough to live within the human society. You have to constantly worry about being exposed and sent for biopsies. Not only that, the human world has too many conmen. It¡¯s tiring.¡±


    ¡°Would you look at that! A fearsome werewolf is afraid of a biopsy blade!¡± quipped Hao Ren as he took out his keys to open the doors.


    He was amused by the antilogy.


    Lily nodded aggressively. ¡°I saw it in the movies. The human species is inherently exclusive and resents other species. In America, extraterrestrials that are caught always end up on a biopsy table. Whereas in China, they always end up on a plate!¡±


    It sounded like a load of crap to Hao Ren so, he decided to keep his mouth shut.


    The entrance had two layers of structure¡ªa security door on the outside and a paneled door on the inside. The doors¡¯ locks were decrepit and difficult to open. Hao Ren had spent a considerable effort to open them one by one before he was able to get in and switch on the hall lights to usher Lily in.


    Once they were inside, Hao Ren locked the doors. He proceeded to show Lily around the house. ¡°My dad was the house¡¯s chief designer,¡± he began to explain. ¡°His idea was actually quite ¡®novel¡¯ if you know what I mean. This is the living room; there are bedrooms on both sides of which one is for you and the other is for me. The door on the north side of the living room is a passage way to the kitchen as well as the washroom. There are four bedrooms upstairs but they are all vacant at the moment. Let me show you your bedroom¡ªdo you have your own bedding? Well, most girls are quite particular about that. Anyway, the rooms are quite clean and tidy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine as long as there¡¯s a place to sleep!¡± Lily was energetic as she tapped her suitcase and said, ¡°I don¡¯t a have personal bedding set. It wouldn¡¯t fit in my suitcase.¡±


    Hao Ren was impressed. He felt that Lily was not your typical girl; she was of the ebullient type.


    Lily hauled her heavy luggage into her room. She didn¡¯t ask for help. It could have been out of her own shyness or nervousness. She hastened him into the kitchen while repeating that she would pay for dinner.


    There was not much left in the kitchen. He took out some dried noodles and other ingredients from the refrigerator. He hummed his favorite song as he turned on the gas stove. After that night¡¯s episode, he needed a nicotine fix to clear his mind. He took out a cigarette and tapped it a couple of times before putting it in his mouth.


    However, he quickly realized the stupidity in his action. He turned off the gas stove lest it be the last cigarette he smoked.


    He heard Lily busily unpacking her suitcase and he wondered what kind of luggage she had. As he was cooking, he tried to reorganize his thoughts and make sense of everything that had happened: he was looking for a job but ended up napping in the park; then he woke up with an amiable girl who presently had become his new tenant; he bumped into some bizarre creatures¡ªthe werewolf was one of them; he had a supernatural and near-death experience¡ªall of which defied his understanding of the world.


    ¡°What could the half-human, half-bat creature be? Also, that scent of blood and chill?¡±


    He figured that it could have been a legendary vampire¡ªthe archenemy of the werewolf. After all, the werewolf was already real.


    However, the werewolf he had encountered was anything but legendary¡ª there was no green-eyed monster, there were no long fangs and none of the scary features. She was just sort of cute, dumb and almost comical.


    The harder he tried to think, the more perplexed he became. He decided to leave his thoughts on the back burner. He figured it was wiser to ask the werewolf girl to explain herself.


    The noodles were ready. He served it in a bowl and brought it to the living room as Lily waited eagerly at the table. Her nostrils flared like a puppy as she smelled the delicious scent in the air. Hao Ren was amused.


    Lily grabbed a pair of chopsticks and started stuffing the food into her mouth. Suddenly, Hao Ren headed to the stairs and yelled, ¡°Rollie, it¡¯s dinner time!¡±


    Lily was curious. An obscure black and white creature suddenly ran down from the stairs. As it approached Hao Ren¡¯s leg, it rubbed its head against his shoe¡ªit was a black and white cat.


    Lily almost jumped out of her skin upon seeing the cat. She leaped out of her chair and fled to the back of a nearby sofa. Why on earth was a fearsome werewolf scared of a cat?


    This sudden turn of events left Hao Ren dumbstruck.

 Chapter 6

    Lily had already transformed into her werewolf form before scurrying behind the sofa.


    Kneeling behind the sofa, Lily cautiously peeked out revealing half of her head. Her long, silver hair was cascading to the ground whilst her silver-white ears constantly twitched, seemingly being very much aware of her surroundings. She also seemed prepared for battle. Hao Ren felt that this mysterious being with half a strand of noodle and some vegetables in its mouth did not resemble anything majestic at all. Moreover, what Lily did next further convinced Hao Ren. She grabbed a pair of chopsticks while trembling and pointed to the black and white cat at his feet, and with a quavering voice,she cried, ¡°Cat¡­ Cat!¡±


    ¡°Meow?¡± The black and white cat tilted its head, curious about the uninvited guest present in its home. This made Lily tremble. Being a cat, it completely disregarded Lily moments later, not bothering to even spare a glance towards her. Witnessing this, Hao Ren was dumbstruck. After some careful thought, he looked at Lily as if she was confronted by a mortal enemy and unbelievingly asked, ¡°You¡­ are afraid of cats?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not afraid of cats!¡± said Lily obstinately, as if she was a proud pitbull. ¡°I was just being apprehensive!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same thing!¡± said Hao Ren, who was unable to comprehend why a werewolf would be afraid of a cat. Without caring that the other party was a werewolf, moreover a newly acquainted one, he shouted, ¡°For crying out loud! You are a werewolf!¡±


    ¡°I am a werewolf!¡± Lily finally was conscious that her actions were somewhat embarrassing. Also, irritated by Hao Ren¡¯s gaze and speech, she put up a brave front and came out from behind the sofa. Pretending to go back to the side of the dining table, Lily tiptoed around the living room wall to the other end of the living room. ¡°Are you sure that this cat is safe?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s not safe about this cat?¡± saying this, Hao Ren conveniently scooped up the black and white cat. ¡°I¡¯ve never met a cat that¡¯s so tame. Do you agree with me, Rollie1?


    Immediately, the black and white cat meowed softly, looking very tame. Upon seeing this, Hao Ren happily took the cat¡¯s feeding bowl, filled it to the brim, and placed it next to the dining table (This was the cat¡¯s usual feeding place). At the same time, Hao Ren pointed to Lily to introduce the cat to her and said, ¡°This is Lily, and she¡¯s a werewolf¡­ Erm, this might not be of any importance to you, but in any case, just know that she is a guest in our home. From now on, your food will depend on how much rent she can provide, so be nice to the one that pays for your food okay?¡±


    As if it understood human language, the black and white cat raised its head and nodded at Lily, indicating its approval, before it continued eating.


    At this, Lily only felt that the cat was harmless. She carefully trotted back to the dining table, with the bowl of noodles in her hands, choosing a safe spot which was furthest away from the cat. Suddenly, as if she recalled something, she enquired, ¡°What did you call the cat just now?¡±


    ¡°Rollie¡±, Hao Ren looked down to his only ¡®family member¡¯. ¡°His name is Rollie.¡±


    Lily¡¯s silver hair and wolf ears slowly retracted as she calmed down. In all honesty, Hao Ren was still feeling quite guilty. With a look of amazement on Lily¡¯s face, she asked, ¡°Why does it have such a weird name?¡±


    ¡°This cat came to my house last year,¡± Hao Ren answered with a chuckle, elaborating on the background of his cat. ¡°I had no idea what breed it was. This is a remote place, with many wild cats and dogs and to have one or two entering your house unnoticed is pretty common. But somehow, this cat did not leave after it came, I¡¯ve tried driving it out away a few times but to no avail¡­¡±


    ¡°So you name it ¡®Rollie¡¯? Hoping that it will roll2 away?¡± Lily asked with glaring eyes.


    ¡°No, it likes to jump onto the bed when I¡¯m watching TV and I used to shout ¡®roll off¡¯ to shoo it away. It was effective at first, but as time passed by, whenever I shout ¡®roll off¡¯ it¡¯ll come towards me instead. This cat thinks that its name is ¡®roll off¡¯, so its name is really Rollie now.


    After hearing this, Lily ate her food silently and moments later said, ¡°Feels like this is a weird place.¡±


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes, thinking: There¡¯s nothing in this house that¡¯s weirder than you. This werewolf had her common sense turned upside down!


    It was already nine in the evening after they finished their meal. It was Rollie¡¯s time of the day to be active. It ran to the first floor to patrol its territory. On the other hand, Hao Ren left his cutleries in the kitchen sink, letting them soak overnight so that he can wash them the following day. After that, he lit a cigarette, sat in the living room, and stared blankly into space, continuing to sort out the day¡¯s events in his mind and sighed as he felt that he had great difficulty in accepting what had happened.


    Also full of energy, the werewolf was running up and down the stairs, trying to familiarize with her new home. Lily sniffed around every new place she passed, as if trying to memorize all the scents.


    Although Lily was in her human form now, Hao Ren could¡¯t help but imagine that she still had pointy ears and a swishy tail. In normal circumstances, Hao Ren would have shared what was in his mind when a guest was being too comfortable in his home. However, with Lily, he had nothing left to say.


    He thought to himself, ¡°It is normal for wolves to mark their territories. Now, I just hope that this particular wolf is aware that this is not her home and that she¡¯s just a tenant.¡± Considering Lily¡¯s current actions, this would not be a problem.


    Anyway, no matter what the circumstances were, Hao Ren was sure that he was not a worthy opponent for the werewolf.


    Was it a mistake to invite a non-human with such high fighting capacity into his home in such a manner?


    After regaining his composure, Hao Ren couldn¡¯t help but think it through. But after much consideration, he felt that he made the right choice and in fact¡­ looked forward to seeing how things would develop in the future.


    This was actually him asking for trouble as a normal person should learn to avoid danger, and not approach a mysterious being that was capable of taking his life, out of curiosity. However, Hao Ren was tired of his mundane daily life.


    He loved reading novels, watching television as well as reading different weird sci-fi stories. This was the monotonous and empty state of life that every single adolescent who did not have to worry about money would choose to live in. Hao Ren was not that childish and was still not that sick of his meaningless life. His first reaction when faced with random pop-ups online would be to close them. But this did not seem to dampen Hao Ren¡¯s curiosity when faced with ¡°new excitements¡±. This was due to the psychology of seeking novelty. Once the psychology of seeking novelty is satisfied, some would have stepped back, whilst some¡­


    Would have reacted the same way as Hao Ren.


    No matter what, he needed to be aware of the weird but dangerous bat. Although unclear on why he was a target for the bat, Hao Ren accepted this fact. He was not the kind who ran away from reality but would keenly search for ways to increase his chances of survival. For example, taking in a werewolf who seemingly possessed such high fighting capabilities yet was still quite friendly and negotiable.


    ¡°Landlord! Here is your rent!¡± Lily was scurrying around the house (there were outcries whenever she bumped into Rollie during this frenzy) and finally came to her senses about her current form. She happily trotted to the house to get her purse, calculated her rent and stuffed it into Hao Ren¡¯s hands saying, ¡°According to the advertisement you put up, this is 3 months¡¯ rent in advance, how much is the additional cost for food?¡±


    Apart from being negotiable, this was a werewolf who willingly paid her rent. No one could ever find this scenario in a book.


    ¡°Food will be free!¡± Hao Ren realized Lily frowned as soon as she smelled the cigarette smoke (such keen sense of smell!) and he consciously put out his cigarette. ¡°An extra mouth to feed will not cost much. Plus, don¡¯t keep calling me landlord, I have a name. Just call me Hao Ren.¡±


    ¡°OK, landlord.¡±


    ¡°Call me Hao Ren¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes landlord.¡±


    ¡°¡­ forget about it. I¡¯m going to bed, so make yourself at home. Do not simply enter the rooms that are locked, but other rooms should be fine.¡± Hao Ren sighed and went into his room. As Lily was about to leave, a new topic came to her mind. ¡°Oh landlord, you wouldn¡¯t attack me in the middle of the night right? It¡¯s just you and me in this house and it¡¯s my first time renting a room from a bachelor¡­¡±


    Upon hearing this, Hao Ren nearly fell to the ground. He angrily turned around, stared at the werewolf and said, ¡°For my own personal safety, I would never ever attack you at night. So there¡¯s nothing for you to worry about!¡±


    Translator Notes


    1 Rollie (¹ö, G¨³n) The meaning of this word is ¡®roll¡¯. However, the author uses ¹ö as a short for ¹ö¿ª, which means to buzz off. Since the meaning of the RAW would be lost in translation, I decided to explain the reason for the choice of name and how that scenario actually flowed smoothly in the original RAW.


    2 Similarly, the roll away here meant to buzz off. I had it translated as roll away to retain the reason for Hao Ren naming his cat Rollie.

 Chapter 7

    How did it feel to have a werewolf living at home?


    There¡¯s not much to it. There was no werewolf transformation since it was not a night with a full moon, hence there were no blood-thirsty werewolf massacres, nor was there a squad of 200 knights led by a demon hunter charging into the house to exterminate a werewolf. Hao Ren felt that this night was peaceful since nothing had happened. The werewolf was affable, willingly pays rent and was not ferocious even after transformation. The only thing remotely bothersome about her was her fear of cats as well as being a slight bit long-winded. And of course, she was slightly annoying. Apart from these, there she had no other shortcomings. Werewolf form or not, she was quite cute.


    The next dawn, Hao Ren woke up in shock when his face was slobbered. The first thing he noticed was a face of black and white, with two golden pupils staring straight into his eyes. This meant only one thing: breakfast!


    ¡°Good morning, Rollie!¡± Hao Ren tried his best not to fall back to sleep. After a few yawns, his limbs seemed to awaken, and he waved his arms to chase the cat off. Still feeling groggy, he pulled himself out of bed to get dressed.


    Suddenly, he recalled that he had a guest in his house.


    Also, this new guest was a so-called werewolf.


    This fact was the cause for his insomnia last night. Awaking from slumber, he ruffled his hair and asked himself, ¡°Was it all a dream?¡±


    Very quickly, he realized that it was indeed not a dream: There were the sound of footsteps approaching from the direction of the living room, followed by a somewhat familiar voice, ¡°Landlord! Why isn¡¯t there signal for the television? It was stated in the ad that there was television!¡±


    Hao Ren let out a sigh, finally accepting the fact that his life had indeed changed. He knew that he was not fully prepared ¨C in all honesty, unless he was still na?ve with a brain was full of hallucinations, who could have been prepared for this kind of situation?!


    He was completely clueless on how he would live under the same roof with a werewolf, and never knowing what could happen at any point in time. Looking at the current situation, he might as well catch the bull by its horns when the need arises.


    Exiting his bedroom, Hao Ren saw Lily sitting in the living room. This werewolf teenager had already changed into a tank top and denim shorts. Radiating youth and energy along with her wheat coloured skin and outfit, Lily looked like someone who had just completed an entire course of a fitness program.


    Noticing that Hao Ren had exited his room, Lily happily waved to him and said, ¡°Good morning landlord! Can you please check why the TV has no signal?¡±


    Right after she said that, she saw the black and white cat lying on Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder and she immediately scurried to the back of the sofa. Timidly, she stuck half of her head out and stared at it with eyes which had turned pale, and in a stuttering voice said, ¡°Rollie¡­ Good¡­ morning¡­¡±


    ¡°As a werewolf, please live with some dignity¡± Hao Ren gave Lily a glance. He felt that his senses toward the dangers that lay undiscovered was slowly diminishing with each conversation he had with Lily.


    ¡°This sort of scenario is kind of distracting and relaxing to be honest,¡± Hao Ren thought to himself. He walked across the living room to the LED TV which he had purchased 2-3 years ago. The display was completely blue, and the incessant static noise was annoying. ¡°Is something wrong with the TV? Can¡¯t you get any signal from your room?¡±


    This simple looking rented apartment was in fact a lavish one. Each room had its own TV. This idea came to Hao Ren when ¡°business¡± was good a couple of years ago. The televisions were on sale back then and allowing him to acquire them without spending a fortune. Today, possessing a TV in each room was a major selling point when it came to renting the rooms out.


    Lily nodded and carefully crawled out from behind the sofa on all fours. Treading slowly, she said, ¡°There¡¯s no signal in the room. I need to watch some documentaries in the morning.¡±


    ¡°You like watching documentaries?¡± Hao Ren asked while chekcking the back of the TV to see if the problem stemmed from a loose cable. ¡°No. It¡¯s just that there have been some films about wolves in the wild lately. I have to be aware of what my kind¡­¡± answered Lily.


    ¡°You¡¯re from South Africa?¡± Hao Ren turned his head, curious. Thinking that he was able to discuss such topics with a werewolf, he could not help but feel curious.


    Lily shook her head. ¡°No. I do not know where I come from. I probably came from a snowy region. The memories I had before my slumber are blurry and I cannot recall anything, but I feel that no matter where a wolf comes from, we still belong to the same family. You humans classify yourselves by race and religion, but you¡¯re still humans on earth. I feel that the reason why we mutants are segregated into the lowest class by humans are because we¡¯re not united¡­¡±


    Lili rambled on and on. Hao Ren felt that he could no longer keep up with her topic. My goodness, how can someone keep up with this conversation? To talk about evolution or problems in each species with a canine from a snowy region?


    ¡°There seem to be no problems with the cable as well as the TV. Since you can¡¯t get any signal in your room, it is most probably due to the technical hiccups by the broadcast station,¡± said Hao Ren in a professional manner. In fact, he could not identify the root cause of the problem. He said those words because he felt that he should not embarrass himself any further in front of a silly werewolf who was very much afraid of cats. ¡°Watching TV programs here is mostly dependent on the TV¡¯s signal instead of pre-recorded ones¡±


    ¡°Ok¡± answered Lily, there was a trace of disappointment in her face but it was gone in a few seconds. Hao Ren filled Rollie¡¯s food bowl and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. However, there was a knock on the door before he even managed to reach the kitchen.


    Not knowing whether it was just his imagination, Hao Ren felt a familiar chill seconds before someone knocked on the door. However, this feeling was dissipated quickly, leading Hao Ren to think that it might be because he had been too stressed out lately.


    Lily frowned and scrunched her nose, but she did not pursue the matter. She pointed at the front door and said, ¡°Landlord, you have guests!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know.¡± Hao Ren jogged to the door, wondering who it was that could have visited him in this god forsaken place. Based on this person¡¯s time of arrival, it should most likely not be a hound from the electric or water suppliers. Whilst opening the door, he said, ¡°Hi, who are you looking for?!¡±


    A female stranger stood at his doorstep.


    She was lanky at around 1.7 meters tall, with hair that fell to her waist. She wore a plain black dress and a pair of worn out sneakers. Although she had no accessories on, her dull attire could not mask her beauty. She looked to be of noble birth.


    She did not have large eyes but when she smiled, they looked elegant. She had a small, hooked nose as well as thin lips. There was no makeup on her pretty face, yet her lips were a radiant red. Her features indicated that she was Eurasian, giving off the vibe that she blessed with the beauty of mixed heritage. The most eye catching thing about her, however, was her flawless complexion! Her smooth and soft skin looked like it could tear from a gust of wind. Her skin was also exceptionally fair, which resulted in her looking slightly pale.


    Hao Ren was not a lecher. Although he frequently hooked up with girls, he was still able to restrain himself. Even after he saw a teenager as beautiful as Lily dancing and skipping around yesterday, he was only taken aback momentarily. The primary reason why he was so startled now was because the girl in front of him was really that much more astonishing.


    The stranger at the door had her arms raised, shielding herself from the sunlight, as if she disliked the intense sun. As soon as she saw Hao Ren opening the door, she lose her composure and blurted, ¡°You were the one who¡­ last night. You¡¯re not dead?¡±


    ¡°How can you say such things?!¡± Hao Ren immediately understood the context of her question and was alerted to her possible identity. ¡°Yesterday night¡­ my goodness! Lily, transform quickly!¡±


    Apart from Lily, Hao Ren encountered only one other ¡°person¡± last night.


    Moreover, he was now certain that the sudden chill he felt moments ago was not his imagination. That was actually his mysterious sixth sense which he developed since he was young but it was proven that having the sixth sense alone was useless when one had let his guard down. He had already opened the door and his attacker from last night was just less than two meters away from him!


    The last thought that came to Hao Ren¡¯s mind in this chapter was, I cannot believe that it was such a beautiful girl¡­

 Chapter 8

    ¡°Lily, transform quickly!¡±


    It was the one and only solution Hao Ren could think of at that moment. The familiar aura of bloodlust and chillness reemerged. He knew that he was no match for the human-like ¡®mutant¡¯ in front of him. He was just a normal human being after all. However, even after shouting out for Lily, he did not have high hopes. He was less than two meters away from this ¡®girl¡¯!


    Hao Ren felt a gust of wind behind him and knew that it was Lily, who had transformed into a werewolf. She was coming to his rescue. At the same time, Hao Ren was prepared to leap aside to let the werewolf and what seemed like a vampire come face to face. It meant that he would be out of harm¡¯s way!


    Unfortunately, Hao Ren had either overestimated his reflexes or underestimated the opponent¡¯s fighting capacity. Just as the thought to dodge crossed his mind, the girl with long, straight hair had already stretched out her hand. She had reflexes which were beyond human. She grabbed Hao Ren by the arm and with great strength which could have possibly broken his arm, she flung Hao Ren behind her. With a melodious voice, she cried, ¡°Be careful!¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned when he was flung across.


    ¡°It seemed like the dangerous mutant in front of me just told me to be careful.¡±


    Lily rushed to the door but she was slow by half a beat. Upon looking at her, Hao Ren was disappointed as the silly girl did not even transform yet or held any weapons. She was still in her cozy home attire. Her hair was not white and her ears were not out. She happily trotted to the door. ¡°Landlord oh Landlord, here I come! Is it the delivery man?¡±


    Deep down, Hao Ren was both sad and furious. He screamed to himself in disbelief.


    ¡°Oh this stupid girl! There is completely no tacit understanding between us at all!!!¡±


    Lily¡¯s actions made Hao Ren completely give up on his attempts to escape from the vampire¡¯s grasp. Lily saw the black-haired stranger before her and came to her senses immediately. She transformed into a werewolf within a second and grabbed two bricks near the front door ready for battle but even so, Hao Ren still felt it was hopeless.


    ¡°I should not have trusted this stupid werewolf from the start! Hanging a ring of garlic around my neck by myself would be even more reliable than Lily!¡±


    Of course, he would find out later on that garlic was useless when it came to a certain vampire.


    Seeing that her landlord was taken by the enemy, Lily became upset. She grasped the bricks in her hand tightly and from her throat came a low growling voice, displaying her strength. ¡°Vampire¡­ it¡¯s daytime now! You¡¯re no match for me during the night, what more during the daytime! Let my landlord go and I¡¯ll spare your life!¡±


    The vampire had no fear. Being in the middle of Hao Ren and Lily, her right arm was put up in a defensive stance. Her sharp nails grew longer and chilling sense of bloodlust surrounded her body. She quietly moved her left arm to her back and swayed her hands a couple of times in front of a baffled Hao Ren. It appeared like¡­ she was urging Hao Ren to leave at once?


    ¡°Werewolf, when did beasts start putting up an act and tried blending in within a human city!¡± The vampire¡¯s voice was cold and disdainful. Although there was a sense of debility, her tone was beyond contempt (she was struck a couple of times by the werewolf using a brick). ¡°Isn¡¯t your actual duty hunting rabbits in the wild?¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Lily answered furiously, ¡°You stupid vampire, you must not have known that I am unable to catch rabbits!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Hao Ren thought that he might as well be dead. Then he would not have to trouble the silly werewolf; She was such a stupid, stupid, stupid werewolf!


    Even the vampire who was normally calm could not help but be taken aback by the werewolf¡¯s reply, which did not make much sense. Nearly laughing out, she swayed her left hand towards Hao Ren again. Simultaneously, Hao Ren heard a voice in his ears, ¡°Human, run first. I¡¯ll hold this werewolf back¡­ It should be no problem for me to hold her back although it¡¯s daytime now!¡±


    ¡°¡­ What?¡±


    For once, Lily was smart enough to realize that the vampire was off guard. She immediately let out a deep growl and charged towards the vampire with the brick in her hand. She did not throw the brick at the vampire as she was worried that it might hit her landlord.


    ¡°Die, you winged rat!¡±


    The vampire fearlessly welcomed Lily, who was charging towards her. Waving her hands, a pale, blood red streak coagulated mid-air. Her sharp fingernails grew to more than 10 centimeters in length and like a dagger, attempted to stab Lily¡¯s chest. ¡°Go to hell! You beast, who only knows how to catch rabbits!¡±


    ¡°You stupid vampire! I¡¯ve already told you that I do not know how to catch rabbits!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t hope that you can distract me using this method. You can¡¯t use the same trick twice on a vampire!¡±


    While Hao Ren was still in a stunned state, both mutants were already locked in combat. Like a silver streak, Lily was going from left to right attempting to reach Hao Ren. Although it was daytime, the vampire was no less powerful than Lily. The vampire transformed into a black shadow, dancing around in a red streak with sharp claws. She was able to block every advance from the werewolf. It seemed like the howls from Lily and cries from the vampire came from multiple locations at once. Their movements could not be caught by human eyes and ears!


    As Hao Ren started to regain his senses, he realized that he had to stop the two from battling each other no matter what. It was not due to any particular reason¡­ He was just worried that others might appear and witness the weird scene!


    Although it was a deserted place, there were still people living there! The inhabitants would have come out anytime as it was already daylight. There would have been trouble if someone saw the commotion caused by Lily and the vampire. Lily could have been captured by the Science Academy, sliced and served in a canteen! Hao Ren was sure of the ¡®food junkie¡¯ culture in China!


    Hao Ren was desperate when he noticed that someone was coming out of their house at the end of the alley. He shouted at the top of his voice, ¡°Stop! That¡¯s enough!¡±


    His roar shook the ground. Hao Ren could already imagine his neighbors going around the next few days, asking whether he was a victim of domestic violence after hearing his scream. However, it was somehow effective: The storm formed by Lily and the vampire during the battle instantly stopped. They turned to Hao Ren with confused faces and immediately glowered at each other.


    Lily still looked high-spirited, as if she had just warmed up from the battle. On the other hand, the vampire looked a bit tired. She was breathing heavily and her face was unusually red. After all, it was not easy battling a werewolf in broad daylight. Nonetheless, they had something in common; they did not break a sweat even though they went through such a tough fight.


    The icy aura that radiated from the teenage vampire had a bone-chilling effect.


    ¡°There might be some misunderstandings between the both of you!¡± Hao Ren said Seeing the both of them glaring at one another, he knew that a fight could break out at any moment. He wedged himself between them (although he was leaning more towards Lily¡¯s side of course) and said, ¡°Firstly, I have to confirm something. You, vam¡­ vampire, you actually have no intentions on killing me right?¡± Hao Ren felt awkward as the words left his mouth. However, he had no time to think things through because he knew that there had to be a great misunderstanding between the werewolf and the vampire.


    Immediately, the vampire¡¯s eyes widened. She threw Lily a cautious glance whilst taking a glimpse of Hao Ren. ¡°I want to save you!¡±


    Before Hao Ren could open his mouth, Lily leapt out and said, ¡°Who are you bluffing?! You just want to suck on the landlord¡¯s blood! I¡¯ve watched TV before and you vampires never have good intentions!¡±


    Suddenly, Hao Ren realized something. Why did most of the werewolf¡¯s knowledge come from watching TV? Was it her first time meeting a vampire?


    ¡°You were the one who kidnapped this human in the first place!¡± The vampire narrowed her eyes, revealing a murderous look. ¡°Kidnapping humans, forcing them to help you hide your identity so that you can integrate yourselves in the human city¡­ You wolves aren¡¯t that bright. You¡¯ve been using this tactic for decades yet there¡¯s still no change until now. No wonder you¡¯re on the brink of extinction.¡±


    They continued to throw deadly stares at each other. However, they were starting to lose their stamina.


    After hearing bits and pieces of the conversation, a thought crossed Hao Ren¡¯s mind. ¡°Sigh¡­What is all this about¡­ Stop fighting first! Let¡¯s talk back at home!¡±

 Chapter 9

    After making a hot pot of tea, Hao Ren went back to the living room. He looked at the two unusual creatures sitting there and staring at each other.


    A wary vampire and a furious Lily sat at opposite ends of the tea table, both ready to pick a fight at any moment. The atmosphere was cold and filled with raw energy as they threw deadly glances at each other. Hao Ren could almost see the greenish-grey cloud on the tea table revolving non-stop with his naked eye. Tea was served and both beautiful girls had no intention on setting aside their differences. During such an intense moment, Hao Ren could only shrug. It was the only way his fragile human body could cope with the immense pressure from both the werewolf and vampire. He was trying his best to figure out a way to make both of them believe what the other had to say.


    Lily firmly believed that the vampire had the intention of sucking her landlord¡¯s blood and everything the vampire said were just excuses for not being able to win the fight (she also wondered why the vampire was so self confident). Apart from that, Lily was certain that Hao Ren was already under the vampire¡¯s spell and what came out of his mouth was nonsense. On the other hand, the vampire was adamant that Lily wanted to live under cover among the humans and everything Hao Ren said was due to the werewolf¡¯s intimidation¡­


    It was a deadlock. Both did not trust one another as well as the third party, who was Hao Ren! To make matters worse, there was no one else there¡­


    In actual fact however, there was another party present. It was the black and white cat eating not far away. Oblivious to the chill in the room, the mysterious creature named Rollie was protecting its bowl of food as if protecting its own life. Hao Ren was quite convinced that the naive cat was an ¡®oddball¡¯ of its kind.


    ¡°You¡­¡± It was Hao Ren who finally broke the silence. He turned towards the vampire, where all the misunderstandings stemmed from. ¡°Miss vampire, this meant that last night¡­¡±


    ¡°Please do not address me using the word ¡®vampire¡¯,¡± said the plainly clad but still elegant girl with long, black hair as she frowned slightly. ¡°Vampires are only common slaves with an uncontrollable desire to suck on blood. We, the ones who can restrain ourselves from the lust of blood are of royal blood in the Blood Clan. There are deep misunderstandings that humans have towards us hence, the confusion. You can call me Vivian; I can¡¯t give you my full name for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Hao Ren nodded. Hao Ren did not know the differences between a normal-blooded slave and a royal-blooded clan member. Even so, he knew that the girl with long, black hair in front of him was actually quite easy going. ¡°Vivian. So, you¡¯re saying that you weren¡¯t attacking us last night? Instead, you were trying to help?¡±


    ¡°I saw a human walking with a werewolf. I did not know whether you were being deceived or threatened,¡± Vivian said as she nodded in agreement. ¡°I intended to snatch you away from the werewolf. No matter what spell she cast on you, it can easily be overcome as a werewolf¡¯s magic is amateur. However, I was not at my best yesterday since¡­. since I was hurt by her concealed weapon. Beasts will be beasts. They will go to any lengths during battle. There is no aesthetics at all.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being unreasonable,¡± Lily snorted. ¡°Why find so many excuses. The fact is you just can¡¯t beat me. Tell me, how did I threaten Landlord? He could have ran and jumped away anytime. I was not holding his neck.¡±


    The chill around Vivian grew stronger. ¡°Werewolves¡¯ claws are cursed. Do you think I am that stupid to not know such common knowledge?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lily immediately looked down at her own hands in astonishment saying, ¡°Oh my goodness, am I that powerful?¡±


    Hao Ren decided not to pay any attention to the two silly creatures. He turned to Vivian and with a sincere expression on his face said, ¡°Look, I was not threatened at all! I swear to God that Lily did not put me under her spell!¡±


    Vivian nodded her head upon hearing Hao Ren¡¯s explanation. Just as Hao Ren was beginning to feel glad that the vamp¡­ teenage girl from the Blood Clan had finally acknowledged the facts, Vivian¡¯s facial expression turned serious. She then said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know that you¡¯re still not telling the truth. You¡¯re still bound to the werewolf¡¯s curse and unconfident in my ability. I¡¯ll show you once I¡¯ve fully recovered. This wild canine, who only knows how to throw bricks will be no match for a high-order member of the Blood Clan!¡±


    Lily slammed her fist on the tea table after hearing this, leaving a big crack in the shape of a turtle shell on the table. ¡°Who are you calling a wild canine?! You winged rat!¡±


    Without suppressing her anger, Vivian also stood up. The tea table and sofa were covered in a layer of frost in a blink of an eye. ¡°You think you¡¯re that powerful? Let¡¯s have a rematch! It¡¯s because of folks like you who cannot control their instincts that made the world what it is today.¡±


    The murderous tension, which was initially confined to the tea table started to pervade the entire atmosphere. All the shouting followed by roaring which sent chills down one¡¯s spine as well as indistinctive howling finally alerted Rollie to the situation. Rollie quickly wolfed down a couple more mouthfuls of food and darted to the first floor. Hao Ren was left to stare at his own furniture.


    ¡°My tea table¡­¡±


    How he was able to withstand the murderous tension was a mystery.


    ¡°Landlord, do not worry. I¡¯ll pay for the damage.¡± Lily was a kind person at heart. After realizing her mistake, she pushed her boiling fury aside and immediately apologized to Hao Ren.


    Hao Ren managed to make sense of the whole situation; the werewolf was a silly one whereas the one from the Blood Clan was just insane! Although Vivian had a normal appearance, she was neither smarter nor saner than Lily. Would it have hurt to have someone who had both brains and brawn at the same time?


    As Lily and Vivian prepared to have another go at each other in the living room, Hao Ren finally lost his patience. He slammed his fist on the tea table and with an authoritative voice, he shouted, ¡°That¡¯s enough! This is my house!!!¡±


    The yelling and fist slamming were actions rarely seen from someone who was good-natured and slow like Hao Ren. Both vampire and werewolf were finally aware that they were in someone¡¯s house. Moreover, one of them realized she owed the landlord money for the broken tea table. Thus, both halted and turned their eyes to Hao Ren.


    ¡°Why are the two of you looking at me?¡± Hao Ren frightened himself when he yelled at the two ¡®mutants¡¯. He did not expect himself to have the audacity to shout at two magnificent creatures that could easily take his life (yet his roar alone managed to stop the two from fighting). In doing so, he felt a sense of maturity thus, he was brave enough to say, ¡°Look at yourselves. One is an idiot and the other is as stubborn as a mule! I am involved in this, okay! Can both of you not jump to conclusions and ignore what I have to say?! And also¡­. just think for a moment whether your actions suit your identity. When did werewolves and vampires start protecting humans with their lives? Let me, the person who¡¯s most confused about this situation figure this out first. Then, we will sort out the misunderstandings between the both of you. Okay?¡±


    The last question was actually on Hao Ren¡¯s mind the whole time. In a digitally advanced era where information can be easily exchanged, everyone knew the story between vampires and werewolves. One could easily find that at least 2 out of 10 science fiction movies involved these two creatures. Based on Hao Ren¡¯s perception, blood-hungry and irrational werewolves as well as sinister and grim vampires were both creatures as sharp as a tack. So¡­ what was wrong with these two in front of him?


    Surprisingly, both Lily and Vivian shouted at the same, ¡°I am different from that wild animal!¡±


    Both looked at each other with an air of surprise and immediately looked away, each believing themselves to be telling the truth.


    ¡°I have no idea about the others who pick fights with the humans as though they can¡¯t survive without doing so. As far as I am aware of, I have been mingling with humans since, forever,¡± Vivian said whilst hugging herself. ¡°Also, I inherently¡­ hate others of the Blood Clan. Don¡¯t ask me why. I have no idea myself. I¡¯ve been like this since I was young and I¡¯m not used to seeing other ¡®mutants¡¯ fighting humans. They¡¯re just too stupid. So that¡¯s that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never met other ¡®mutants¡¯.¡± Lily sniffed the air like she was not fond of Vivian¡¯s scent. ¡°I woke up in a freezing place. Might have been a snowy region. I was in human form when I woke up. I was brought up by an old lady and I also lived with humans for several decades after that. I¡¯ll only move when they start having doubts about me not aging. I like humans and I am used to them. Is there a problem with this?¡±


    Hao Ren surveyed the two unusual creatures and decided to believe them.


    Well, whether he believed them or not, there was actually no difference. He was still no match for either one.

 Chapter 10

    Frosty air and low pressure still lingered in the living room but fortunately, the two culprits seemed to have given up on the idea of starting a fight.


    Hao Ren sighed and started to pick up the frozen blocks of tea cups (they also cracked due to the freezing temperatures). He looked at the tea table, which was destroyed and thought to himself.


    ¡°In life, 8 or 9 out of 10 people end up being unlucky. The remaining ones though, are actually even more unlucky¡­¡±


    However, both Vivian and Lily were starting to believe what each other had to say. Well, maybe not completely but at least they had promised not to continue fighting. As long as the other party did not let the cat out of the bag, they would at least maintain a neutral stance.


    This was the result of intense persuasion from Hao Ren which comprised of an hour long of facts, reasoning as well as appealing to one¡¯s sense of justice. Hao Ren took up all the courage he had as the owner of the property and forced the two to patiently hear what each other had to say. Additionally, he tried to prove that what he said was the truth. Lily gave evidence that she did not threaten Hao Ren by calling Rollie out as a witness. She also showed Vivian that there were no trails of blood on her hands thus, Hao Ren was not cursed. Seeing that Lily was a bit silly, Vivian decided to trust her. To prove that she was able to curb her blood sucking tendencies, Vivian asked Hao Ren to take out a piece of blood tofu made from duck¡¯s blood¡­


    To be honest, Hao Ren felt that the way Vivian proved herself was not very convincing at all. Yet astonishingly, Lily believed Vivian after witnessing her display¡­ Would you have believed something a silly person chose to believe?


    In that temporary moment of peace, Hao Ren finally had the opportunity to ask what Vivian¡¯s intention was for coming by in the morning. It was obvious that Vivian was shocked when she first saw him so it did not seem like she was looking for someone in the first place.


    Vivian nodded and fished out a piece of colorful paper from her bag. ¡°Well, I followed the address written on this paper. I¡¯m looking for a room to rent.¡±


    Sitting beside her, Lily was staring at the damaged tea table with a penitent look on her face. She immediately transformed into her werewolf form and her ears were upright, aware of her surroundings. A sense of foreboding flooded her!


    Hao Ren was also stunned. Taking the piece of paper from Vivian, he realized it was cut out of a newspaper. It was the ad he posted up a couple of days ago! He had not been putting up the ad for the last six months but once he did business came knocking on his door!


    However, why were all his potential tenants abnormal?!


    ¡°Erm¡­. This is the correct address.¡± Hao Ren had a weird expression on his face. He had no idea what went wrong in his life. He looked at Vivian from head to toe and surveyed her. ¡°You came here to rent a room?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡± Vivian answered whilst continuously nodding her head.


    Hao Ren asked impetuously, ¡°Of all places¡­ why did you come to my place¡­¡±


    Hao Ren actually meant why bizarre and abnormal things kept happening to him but Vivian misunderstood his point. She answered innocently, ¡°It¡¯s because your place is cheap and I have no money. I found out I could only afford the rent here after searching everywhere. I really don¡¯t want to live in the deserted outskirts or cemeteries like I had in the past.¡±


    Hao Ren had his mouth open, shocked at hearing about the vampire¡¯s lifestyle.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t vampires supposed to be dark lords of the night? Why is this vampire in front of me so different?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the rent here is definitely cheap. If you don¡¯t mind the location being secluded, you can stay here,¡± Hao Ren nodded and answered. Unable to cry or laugh, living under the same roof with a vampire would make no difference as he already had a werewolf living there. He could not foresee the days ahead being average or normal. He let it be and allowed the vampire to stay. At least his life would be full of surprises. ¡°However, I have to say something upfront. Both of you must stay out of trouble¡­ Of course, I will not tell anyone about your true identities. I¡¯m more afraid of you killing the eyewitnesses.¡±


    Committing murder however was the least of Hao Ren¡¯s worries. Both ladies in front of him were significantly different from what he had learned from stories. Ignoring the fact that they were the odd ones among their own race, the girls looked quite harmless.


    As Hao Ren and Vivian were about to reach an agreement, Lily suddenly slammed the desk and stood up saying, ¡°Wait! This winged rat will also be living here? Under the same roof?¡± The slowness of her reactions had no bounds¡­


    BANG! Unable to withstand the pressure anymore, the cracked tea table finally gave way and collapsed onto the floor.


    ¡°You think I¡¯m willing to live under the same roof with a beast?!¡± Vivian retaliated. She was also hot-tempered. However, remembering her promise to agree to a truce, she did not emanate any cold air. ¡°If I wasn¡¯t broke, I would have never come here!¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly felt that rejecting Vivian might have been the right thing to do. He was definitely looking for trouble letting these two stay in the same house. It did not seem like they would be able to proceed with the truce with such tempers! Also, Hao Ren was not that desperate for income from the rent¡­


    However, he had already agreed to it and changing his mind then would be inappropriate. He could only try comforting a sulking Lily. ¡°It¡¯s going to be alright. Vivian does not look like a bad person. And I¡¯ve already agreed¡­.. Let her stay here for the time being¡­ Argh¡­ No! I am the owner of this house, this is my home! Why am I even discussing this with you?!¡±


    Hao Ren finally remembered that it was his territory. When did those two girls become the owner?


    He was starting to get confused due to the tension between the two ladies as well as the string of events that happened earlier.


    Lily smiled bashfully, This was all different from the legends. The curious and easy going werewolf shrugged and bobbed her head. ¡°The decision is yours to make. But I still dislike this winged beast.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡± Hao Ren nodded, hugging himself. He was planning in his mind how he was going to let his two abnormal tenants live under the same roof in harmony¡­ Living in harmony was out of the question¡­ preventing them from bringing the house down was more like it. He was already dreading a life full of chaos. If it was possible he would have liked to have the two of them out of his house. However, there were two problems. Firstly, although both girls seemed to be easy going, it was not a smart move to offend them. Asking them to leave without any valid reason could have caused problems and Hao Ren was not ready to risk it. Also, he knew that he was no match for either one of the two girls with superhuman powers. If his words failed him, he would have been completely lost and it would have been hard for him to back down.


    Due to these two reasons, he concluded that it was impossible for a normal human being to bargain with two beasts!!


    No matter how complicated things were, Hao Ren was determined. With his meager strength, he tried to think of a way to protect his somewhat ¡®normal¡¯ life, which was about to end. While he was in deep thought, there was a loud cry beside him.


    ¡°Oh, my purse!¡±


    Vivian jumped up from the sofa; the elegance she carried majority of the time completely vanished. She had lost her purse.


    ¡°It must have happened last night¡­ last night when I was knocked out by this bastard. I have no idea where my purse is!¡± Vivian rummaged through her bag. Finally, she glared at Lily and said, ¡°You dumb mutt! That was all the living expenses I had left! Pay me back!¡±


    Although slightly embarrassed, Lily turned away. ¡°Do not put the blame on others for your own mistakes. It¡¯s good that you can¡¯t afford rent now. I won¡¯t have to look at that dumb face of yours.¡±


    Moments later however, she turned her head towards Vivian. ¡°Maybe try having a look at the front door and the streets nearby? Perhaps you dropped it on the road.¡±


    This proved that the silly werewolf was in fact kind.


    ¡°I flew a vast distance last night, in search for a place with bright moonlight to recover,¡± Vivian sobbed. ¡°How would I know where I dropped it¡­ my remaining living expenses. I¡¯ve been saving for a long time¡­ I¡¯ve already lost my money four times this month¡­ and that was the last of it!¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyebrow twitched.


    ¡°How could this vampire be so unlucky?! What¡¯s happened to this so called dark lord of the night?¡±


    Nevertheless, it did not take long for Hao Ren to realize that it was actually a good thing. He did not need to worry about epic battles happening between the werewolf and the vampire in the future. He had a good and valid reason for Vivian to leave.


    Maintaining peace was the way to go!

 Chapter 11

    The previous plan was quite good but in the end, Hao Ren still could not find it in him to just chase Vivian away.


    As mentioned before, he was a good guy. He never meddled in matters he could not help with. However, if he was able to help, he would not turn people away. If he had chased Vivian away, what would have happened to her? The vampire girl appeared to have lived a tough life. She would have either had to stay overnight on the streets or go to the wild or the graveyard like she said without any food, water, home and job. If she had gone to a train station, she would have alerted the police and be facing force adoption or worse, forced deportation. It was quite pitiful.


    Looking at the pretty girl trapped in such a situation, any normal person would not have been able to see her suffer.


    Even though Hao Ren felt that a vampire had capabilities and would likely not face such dilemmas, he could not be sure. As the vampire he met was not a conventional one. If one was to refer to all the novels and movies available, there would be no reference of a vampire being that naive. She was poor, different and so fond of human beings.


    In spite of that, he did not ask Vivian to stay without paying. There had to be a limit to his generosity and he was not a saint. He also had to take into account Lily¡¯s feelings as she paid her rental as usual. He could only allow Vivian to owe him the rental. He decided to wait until she found her purse, though very unlikely. Another option was for her to find a job and earn money, which was more likely. Only then, would he ask her to pay him back.


    ¡°Could this really work?¡± Vivian was not convinced that she had any good luck. She stared at Hao Ren unbelievably. ¡°It might take me a really long time to pay you back. My financial luck has not been any good¡­¡±


    Hao Ren raised his eyebrows and observed the vampire girl¡¯s facial expression as he listened to her defeated speech.


    ¡°How bad had her life been?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to overthink it. Just stay here.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand. He noticed Lily discontented expression and said, ¡°The decision has been made! This is my home. I can at least make a call on the rental.¡±


    He then turned to Vivian, ¡°An empty room is available upstairs. Let me show you the room. But, where is your luggage?¡±


    He should have asked the question earlier. When Lily moved from the other city, she brought over huge boxes of belongings. He wondered if the vampire girl was so poor that she only had a set of clothing with her.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s outside!¡± Vivian remembered her luggage and rushed outdoors. She then brought in her old rugged luggage case. Fortunately, her lack of luck with money did not affect her belongings. Although the huge case was left outdoors for so long, it was not lost.


    When Hao Ren noticed Vivian¡¯s luggage, he could not help but sigh. He vaguely remembered his late father who used to carry a case of similar style for work. It was then passed down by his grandfather¡­


    He swore that he would never watch movies about vampires in his lifetime anymore.


    Right when he decided to go upstairs to help Vivian tidy her room, he heard a strange sound nearby. Lily embarrassingly caressed her stomach, stood up and said, ¡°Landlord, shall we have some food?¡±


    Hao Ren turned to the clock in the living room and the hands pointed to 10 in the morning. There was so much hassle that morning, he almost forgot about breakfast. The only one at home with a full stomach was Rollie!


    ¡°Damn! Our lives are worse than a cat¡¯s these days.¡± He mocked himself and Vivian exclaimed in surprise, ¡°Ah, do you offer breakfast? Do I need to pay extra?¡±


    The vampire girl was delighted but Hao Ren really wanted to tell her that truthfully they did not cook for tenants. Though they were on special terms, he saw her look of contentment and did not want to disappoint her. He thought the vampire had been through a pretty pitiful life.


    Breakfast was already delayed so they might as well had lunch. Hao Ren decided to make his best dish, noodles. Lily was an omnivorous werewolf who was not picky and Vivian was already so poor so he was quite sure that she would not care about the food that much. A simple meal would do. When he went into the kitchen, he turned around and asked the vampire girl a question, ¡°Vivian, do you eat normal human dishes? I heard vampires can only drink blood and can¡¯t digest normal food.¡±


    He felt a cold breeze around his neck right after he said that.


    ¡°I belong to the Blood Clan. I¡¯m not some low-level vampire,¡± Vivian corrected the statement but she embarrassingly covered her face. ¡°Other Blood Clan members can only digest blood but I can eat normal food. It can¡¯t be helped because nowadays, whether it¡¯s human or animal, they are all infected with all sorts of strange diseases. If I drink unclean blood, I might suffer from stomachache for a few days. I have to check if the subject has a health certificate before I drink its blood. But sometimes, even the health certificate can be falsified. I can¡¯t bear that risk so, I haven¡¯t been drinking blood for quite some years.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    When he was about to enter the kitchen, the cell phone on his sofa rang. Lily rushed over and peeped. She handed the old Nokia phone over to Hao Ren and said, ¡± Landlord! The phone! The call¡¯s coming from a strange set of numbers!¡±


    Hao Ren walked over to pick up the call. He wondered what kind of phone number could be strange. He was stunned when he saw the set of numbers on his phone screen; 00000012345!


    ¡°Is there anyone in the world using such a number?¡±


    The monotonous sound of the ringing phone kept urging him to answer. The screen displayed the creepy set of numbers clearly and Hao Ren could not help but pinch his face to make sure he was not imagining things. He was not sure if it was an illusion. The ringing seemed to grow louder as if it came from every direction. He felt heat emanating from the phone and the ringing becoming faster and faster¡­ The sixth sense he had developed since he was young was activated. His intuition told him that the call would be extraordinary.


    As though he was possessed, he pressed the button to pick up the call and placed the phone to his ear. ¡°Hello?¡±


    A sweet voice was heard through the phone, ¡°Hello? Hello? Is this Hao Ren?¡±


    ¡°Er, yes, this is.¡± Hao Ren tried to recall if he ever disclosed his mobile number or met a woman with such a voice. However, he could not. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that,¡± the stranger claimed. Judging from the background sounds, the call seemed to be made from a rather noisy place. Some odd whistling could vaguely be heard. It could have been some construction site. ¡°I am at¡­ Oh, an import and export company. A few days ago, you sent out your resume. You were looking for a job right? I would like to inform you that an interview will take place this afternoon.¡±


    ¡°An import and export company?¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned. He then remembered his decision to look for a job and the time he sent out his resume. He was just trying his luck as he did not have any working experience and was not a professional graduate from any reputable school. He faced obstacles looking for jobs on-site and did have high hopes for the resume he sent out. He did not expect to be invited for an interview. It sounded like a good company; it was some sort of import and export company.


    He thought that he just got lucky.


    However, he looked at the two new tenants in his living room. He initially thought that he would not be able to rent out the apartment when he was first looking for a job. A that time, he lacked cash flow from the rental but since then, he had already obtained tenants¡­


    The tenants were not reliable though. One was a dumb werewolf while the other was a poor, starved and naive vampire. He would be surprised if both of them could pay their rental on time so, he figured that he should not fully rely on his rental business.


    The woman started to sound impatient over the phone. ¡°Hey, are you still listening? I am telling you to come over in the afternoon for an interview!¡±


    Hao Ren reconsidered and he nodded. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll be there in the afternoon.¡±


    The stranger gave him an address which was not too far from his place. Then she hung up.


    Hao Ren was taken aback again when he looked at the phone screen. It showed, ¡°Calling time: 0 minutes 0 seconds.¡± When he opened the log, there was nothing. It was like the number, 00000012345 had never appeared.

 Chapter 12

    Hao Ren put the phone down, his expression was just as blank as his mind.


    In the past, he would have considered a phone call from an unknown number as another misdial, brushed the whole thing off and continued on with his day. Yet at that moment he was in a very delicate situation.


    Staring cautiously at his two uninvited guests secretly getting at each other whilst waiting for food in the living room, it dawned on him that his normal life was long gone. What used to be grandmothers¡¯ stories and urban legends could be true. What used to be myths and imaginations could be true. What was previously thought to exist only in movies¡­ could very well be true.


    Hao Ren was already on edge, so much so that he would jump at Rollie the cat¡¯s incessant purr, perceiving it as some sort of ill omen. The thought of that strange phone call he received just a moment ago sent chills down his spine, and most importantly¡ªit just occurred to him that he had never submit his resume to import-and-export trading companies!


    True, he had sent out tons of resumes to all kinds companies for all sorts of positions, including one for a male host and another for a pet psychiatrist (whatever that means!). Hao Ren was all too aware of his academic background and miscellaneous skills. He was the kind of oddball who had to use a calculator even when purchasing a celery! How would he have the gall to try out for a trading company? Was he just selling himself short?


    As far as he was concerned, trading companies were more or less similar to the Hu Tong mini-market, at least that was how he sees it.


    ¡°Landlord? Landlord, sir, what¡¯s gotten into you?¡± He could hear Lily¡¯s tone of concern right next to him, and it was then that his soul snapped back to reality. He nodded at the two strange creatures, ¡°Oh, a human resource unit scheduled an interview with me in the afternoon¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you worry, landlord! I¡¯ll take care of the house for you!¡± Lily raised her claws up high and shook it in excitement, as though she was met with an opportune moment. ¡°That¡¯s what I do best! I guarantee you won¡¯t lose a thing!¡±


    ¡°A dog could do better,¡± Vivian would never let go of an opportunity to drop a sarcastic comment, and each one so far had been a direct hit. But Hao Ren couldn¡¯t help but think: Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. You¡¯re homeless, and penniless, and you¡¯re still keeping up with that attitude? Have you no shame in your bloodline!?


    Lily glared at Vivian, and later decided to shake it off. Her stomach was growling again and this was the ground for the quick dispersion of her anger along with the gradual weakening of her fighting spirit. She motioned to Hao Ren as she helplessly laid on the table, ¡°Landlord, please can you make us something to eat? After that I¡¯ll definitely help you guard the house!¡±


    Hao Ren was taken aback by how casual these two were with him. Did he just find himself two tenants, or were they actually two of his many ancestors? He had been a landlord for many years and yet this was the first time his tenants responded in the way long lost friends would!


    Still, very swiftly, Hao Ren managed a smile, attributing all of the above to mere cultural differences between species and/or subspecies. If anything, he was definitely no match for these two outsiders. So, for the sake of his future livelihood, it would be wisest to maintain, if not improve, his two female guests¡¯ appreciation for him. At least then if ever Lily and Vivian get on each other¡¯s nerves again, he could confidently bark at them¡­ the way a master would to his pets!


    It took some effort for him to satisfy the two girls¡¯ hunger, during which he made sure Vivian was really feeding on normal human food, and only then he finally felt relieved. After everything was done, it was already eleven. Obviously, he could do away with lunch and what¡¯s left would be providing the vampire and werewolf with allowances to last until nightfall. Having considered that Vivian was unlucky enough to not have a penny to her name, and that Lily would certainly not offer up her share (canines are especially protective of their food), he had deliberately stocked up on biscuits for Vivian, leaving the latter so moved that tears were rolling in the corners of her eyes.


    Due to the vampire¡¯s habit, Vivian slept through most of the day. Not long after her meal, she went upstairs to wash up and prepared to rest. Lily, on the other hand, was extremely energetic when the sun¡¯s out. She would be standing guard on the ground floor. The two of them managed to stay away from each other due to the differences in their lifestyle, and Hao Ren for the time being didn¡¯t have to worry that they would bring the house down when he wasn¡¯t around. He could go in peace to the venue the mysterious woman arranged.


    That¡¯s right, despite all the suspicions, Hao Ren eventually decided to go have a look. There¡¯s no point running away from the inescapable. If somehow that woman was related to these ¡°strange¡± creatures he had come across recently, then he had to get to the bottom of it. Vivian¡¯s and Lily¡¯s fighting abilities were evident¡ªthis was not the territory for the average Joe. He wasn¡¯t even sure if he could make this work.


    Of course, he contemplated taking Lily along. All things considered, she could come in handy. Eventually, he digressed. First off, they had only known each other for two days and as far as he could tell, the werewolf girl seemed quite innocent. Or rather, ¡°na?ve¡± would be a word more accurate, but that still wasn¡¯t ground to take advantage of her. So, to simply use her as a shield on his adventures based on what little trust they had would most probably be regrettable (that one time she had to stay home to guard against the vampire was an entirely different matter). Secondly, Hao Ren himself was seven feet tall to say the least. For a man of his height and stature to go out with a female bodyguard just for an interview¡­ what would people say? How could he live with himself?


    So, he decided to check out the place on his own.


    While waiting at the bus stop, he couldn¡¯t stop thinking about Vivian¡¯s and Lily¡¯s abnormalities, and kept muttering to himself whether leaving them at home was a good idea.


    Honestly, his career as a landlord (if it could be considered a career at all) had been going on for several years, and he had seen just about every kind of tenants. Even strays and gangsters and those with questionable backgrounds had lived under his roof. The most crucial skill a landlord would need was the ability to differentiate the ¡®good¡¯ tenants from the ¡®bad¡¯ ones, whether they be dangerous criminals or mere thieves and conmen¡ªexamples of landlords being robbed blind were more than he could count. Hao Ren wasn¡¯t worried that his two guests belonged in the latter group, because he knew¡­ these two girls with these mind-boggling skills were hundred times more dangerous than the common crooks!


    Was it a mistake to leave them at home just like that? Would he come home to a wreckage? Would he find a SWAT team armed with two hundred explosives and grenades? Would vehicles and representatives from the Scientific Institute seal off the roads in Nan Xiao? Would he see two American men in black suits and sunglasses flashing neutralyzers at him?


    All these unrealistic flights of fantasies haunted him as he got on the bus and began his journey from this remote place in Nan Xiao¡­ to another not far away.


    The address given by the mysterious lady on the phone was a place Hao Ren had heard of but never been to. It was really far, beyond the city¡¯s radiation range, a village right outside the outskirt of the city. There wasn¡¯t any public transportation in the city that could reach that place, and even from the most desolate region of Nan Xiao, only one lousy bus was available at the moment.


    Such a place was queer indeed. Even its name was just as strange. Who would have figured it was called Bastard Barrio?


    Hao Ren sat wobbling in the lousy bus for a good half an hour. He could feel the wind in his face as though the walls weren¡¯t there. From what he could tell, it might only take a slightly wider ditch to take apart the bus for good. Along the journey, the number of passengers on board never exceeded three. He even suspected whether the driver, looking somewhat cynical was trying to match the annoying bus ride, but in the end he was delivered to his destination in one piece, in the middle of a barren land, no different than the ones he saw along the way.


    The bus clunked off with a 4/4 beat of rickety clanging sound, which was pretty much mirroring Hao Ren¡¯s thoughts and feelings at that moment: surging endlessly as he rolled his eyes upwards and sighed deeply¡ªhe was definitely tricked! The woman on the phone didn¡¯t even need a script, did she!?


    Once he got off the main road, all he had to do was follow the narrow trail and Bastard Barrio would be within walking distance. He could clearly see the village as he stood on the mound next to the road. It was primitive, with few residents and even fewer mud houses, and more than half of the mud houses were just a disaster away from crumbling. The village in the whole was built with poor architecture, with a landscape dating back to several decades ago. The largest building was a little brick tower at the centre, the size of which was comparable to Hao Ren¡¯s house.


    The woman on the phone had invited him here in the name of a ¡®trading company¡¯.


    No sane person would have believed that!


    And yet, he came.

 Chapter 13

    Hao Ren stood on a mound of earth by the side of the road, looking down at the near-deserted village. He began to doubt his intellect and whether or not it was beyond saving¡ªhow could anyone be so easily fooled to come here, of all places!?


    He had been living in the city for more than twenty years, so naturally he was astounded to find that a rundown place like this existed just beyond the outskirt of the city. A place so primitive and desolate. True, it was certainly pretty far away from the city, but in Hao Ren¡¯s opinion such a place should be found hidden in the ravines deep in the mountains; the kind of place disconnected from civilisation, with steep cliffs and dangerous slopes blocking off every means of transportation. Only then would it be possible to find a community in such a poor state, but that village is not even close to fulfilling these criteria. There was even a highway within reach! That¡¯s why the state of the village left him dumbfounded.


    What was more surprising was that, as he recalled, the woman on the phone invited him here in the name of an import and export trading company. This was where made his stand. You could insult one¡¯s personality, but it was a step too far to insult one¡¯s intellect! Although he still couldn¡¯t differentiate between trading companies and supermarkets, at least he could tell that finding even a grocery store in that village would be an impossible feat!


    Under the blazing sun, Hao Ren remained by the road, staring at the direction in which the rusty old bus had previously disappeared. If he kept waiting here, it would take another hour for the next bus to come. This thought alone almost made him give up on life. It was then he even began to miss the good-for-nothing, lazy bum, freeloader of a vampire for a guest at home¡ªhe missed Vivian and the frigid coldness around her. Technically there was always the scent of blood in the air, but at least it¡¯s chilly! Where he was then, not a single sprout could be seen in a radius of a few hundred metres, and the largest shade within his range of sight was a telephone pole a hundred metres away, the shade of which could barely shelter his shoulders from the heat¡­ He could not stay here much longer!


    As for the village which seemed to be a fair ten minutes¡¯ walk away, there was no way he would go there, not even if the interview turned out to be a genuine invitation. Who in their right mind would come here just for a job?


    No matter how he looked at it, it was obviously a joke. The woman on the phone had played a cruel joke on him.


    Right then he was just curious about one thing. Why did he still come here after he answered the call? When he heard ¡®Bastard Barrio on the phone, why didn¡¯t he sense anything strange? Why was it only after he alighted the bus did he felt like an idiot? These were the three questions he did not thought about prior to making the trip, and now that it registered in his mind, he felt like an total idiot.


    That¡¯s right. He remembered the moment he got that strange call he certainly did deliberated for quite a while, hesitated a moment, and decided to come and take a look only after much ¡°careful¡± consideration, during which he felt that everything was normal. Those few minutes of contemplation were indeed proof that he came here wilfully, but looking back¡­ this whole deal was nothing but irrational!


    Moreover, he should have raised an eyebrow when the words ¡°Bastard Barrio¡± and ¡°import and export trading company¡± were used in conjunction!


    Subconsciously, Hao Ren reached to rub his head, as if making sure that this thing perching on his neck still belonged to him.


    A few seconds later, Hao Ren shuffled towards the direction from which he came. Of course he knew it was unrealistic to walk all the way back home, given such horrid weather, but he felt he had to at least keep a little distance between himself and this ghost town to be safe. He could wait for the bus as he walked along the road. Since that rusty bucket of a bus didn¡¯t have fixed stops anyway, he could pull it over wherever he was.


    It was a strange phone call, a strange contact number, and a strangely mysterious woman. She managed to persuade him to come over with an obviously flawed invitation, so Hao Ren reckoned that sometime in the past his brain had gone ballistic. He had to leave this place as fast as he could, and return to his home, to his two strange life forms. Maybe Vivian or Lily could help him¡ªat least from what he knew, the vampire practised some magic. She mentioned it before.


    He had barely walked a few steps when the phone in his pocket suddenly rang as though suddenly coming to life.


    Hao Ren was so startled that he almost peed himself. The familiar ringtone was ten times clearer than it had ever been, blaring so loudly that his eardrums almost pop, as though his rage and frustration was being channelled through the phone. Hao Ren frantically reached for the device, and right there across the screen was the freaky number he had been dreading all this while: 00000012345.


    He just stared at it, and instinctively removed the batteries. Luckily for him he didn¡¯t buy an iPhone. iPhone users, under such regrettably unusual circumstances, would have to resolve to smashing their phones to bits by now.


    And very quickly he realised he would just have to do exactly that. The ringing didn¡¯t stop even after he took out the batteries! It was like a scene straight out of a horror film. His phone did not go silent even without the batteries, the row of numbers on the screen together with the eerie ringtone persistently demanded his attention. If previously Hao Ren was not sure how he felt about creepy occurrences, he definitely was more than certain at the moment that he was being targeted by the paranormal!


    To make things worse, he did not have anything with him that could be used in defence. He didn¡¯t even had the chance to ask Lily and Vivian how the paranormal world was like before carelessly walking out into the unknown.


    When the ringtone bleated for the third time, Hao Ren made up his mind. He held his phone, raised it in the air, and forcefully smashed it on the ground with as much force as he could muster.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you could utter another sound¡ªOh, god, no!¡±


    Nokia surely lived up to its name. Hao Ren helplessly stared, eyes wide, as he thrust his old trusty phone on the ground, it brushed against the surface¡­ and rolled itself in the mud, beeping in victory!


    Hao Ren admitted that he had never had much strength in him, but whatever just happened in front of him could only have of one explanation: the caller on the other side was telling him that attempts of escape were futile, and that there are some things that would just defy any reason, logic, and common sense¡ªit would be just as useless to strap the phone on a missile and blast it off to the other side of the world!


    With trembling hands, he slowly reached down to grab his apparently undamaged phone and brought it to his ear. His heart was thumping like mad but still he steadied himself (for he was a man of pride, one who valued dignity over death) before saying, ¡°Hey! What¡¯s the big deal?¡±


    ¡°What else? The interview!¡± said the sweet but shrewd female voice from the other end. Not knowing exactly why, upon hearing it, Hao Ren breathed a sigh of relief. Could it be that she was speaking like a normal human therefore he felt somewhat safer? Or was it because the mysterious woman was still talking about the interview despite the things that had happened, which led him to feel somehow consoled.


    He had gotten so far, and with all the strange occurrences before this, if the other person really meant him harm, then this was the perfect moment to strike him. Since the woman did not use her supernatural abilities and shoot him to the afterlife with a bolt of lightning, Hao Ren concluded that he should be safe for now.


    As for why a lightning bolt amongst all other things, that was where Hao Ren couldn¡¯t go any further with his limited imagination. He couldn¡¯t think of anything else that belonged to a higher power. The duel between Lily and Vivian the night before seemed like a Hollywood blockbuster movie to him.


    ¡°Interview¡­¡± Hao Ren calmed himself, pretending that he was not in the slightest bit afraid,


    even his tone was convincingly steady. ¡°Let¡¯s not beat around the bush. I¡¯m already here, so are you still going with that whatever trading company cover story? Can¡¯t you just lay it out in the open?¡±


    ¡°Oh, our superiors have orders, we don¡¯t reveal it if it¡¯s neither the right time nor the right person,¡± the woman on the other side didn¡¯t seem so creepy and gloomy. He did not sense any evil intentions from her as it turns out to be a seemingly normal conversation, Hao Ren got really curious about it. ¡°Now, if you would just follow my directions, you would reach the workplace of our unit¡­¡±


    ¡°Hold it!¡± Hao Ren bellowed, interrupting her. He was not going to play follow-the-leader any longer. ¡°I wanna be clear about this. What do you really want? A person of honesty keeps no secrets. Just stop using the interview as a guise, okay?¡±


    The woman on the phone got impatient, ¡°Why do you have to ask so many questions? I¡¯ve said it¡¯s an interview, so it¡¯s an interview! If you really want to know our rules, you have to come here first! Now listen, see that telephone pole up ahead? Get over there, place your hand on the ad about some ancient Chinese medicine, and face North¡­ Don¡¯t know which way that is? Up is North, down is South, left is West, right is East. So, raise your head and look up!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Hao Ren was speechless. He thought he was speaking to a lunatic.


    When he did turned to face the sky, he was flabbergasted.


    A large towering building was hanging upside down right above his head!

 Chapter 14

    The moment Hao Ren looked up, his jaw dropped. He saw a vision in the sky. If only he could see the look on his face, he would surely feel so retarded.


    A huge building was seemingly floating in the sky, upside down!


    It was a huge mansion with the shape of a cross, with long annexes on both side, white walls and blue roof tiles. It was a fusion of a Neo-European castle and a manor, exuding a style of elegance and simplicity. Behind the mansion was a streamlined towering structure of complex designs which was in complete contradiction with the style of the main building. Overall, the entire building complex gave him a sense of wonder and seemed to be shrouded in mystery. There were green meadows all around the blossoming garden, with rows of small fountains on both sides of the gardens and a massive fountain at the open area in front of the mansion.


    The floating inverted mansion was defying the Newton¡¯s Law of Universal Gravitation.


    Hao Ren had never seen a mansion as big as this one, much less one with the wrong side up. What if the whole thing fell out of the sky? He trembled slightly at the thought.


    Despite of the massive mansion in the sky, strangely, there was no shadow on the ground. He could still feel the sun beating down on him. He was sweating profusely¡ªbut not because of the heat from the sun. Everything was beyond his comprehension. While he was in a daze, his phone rang.


    ¡°Hello, Hao Ren! Did you see the big mansion in the sky?¡±


    Hao Ren held his phone near to his ear, sighing after a long pause, ¡°Ooooh fuck¡­¡±


    ¡°Employee Rule No. One: never cuss before your superior does. But since you¡¯re not officially one of us yet, you can get away with it.¡± The woman on the other end sounded casual. ¡°Now, get your hands off the bill and keep your eyes on the square; you don¡¯t want to get flung around.¡±


    Hao Ren was in cold sweat upon hearing what she just said, his legs felt as wobbly as jelly. He held on to the telephone pole as if his life depended on it.


    He couldn¡¯t run away. All he could do was wait for whatever that might come.


    Before he knew it, he felt as if he had been flung a few hundred metres up into the air, he didn¡¯t know where he was; he felt zero gravity and was spatially disorientated. He was spun several times more in all directions, almost throwing up before things started to calm down. He then was surprised to find himself still standing on solid ground, but not where he was a moment earlier. There was a huge fountain before him, he could feel the pleasantly cool mist from the fountain as a breeze blew the droplets on his face. On both side of the fountain were gardens of grassy meadows and flowers. He was standing on a pavement of white stones¡ªhe wasn¡¯t sure if it was made of stone, but from the fine texture of the surface he could tell it wasn¡¯t concrete; it was some sort of fusion between plastic and metal which he had never seen before.


    Slowly, Hao Ren turned around and he saw the big white mansion.


    At that moment, the eventual realization befell him; he realised he had just landed on the inverted estate he was marveling at a while ago.


    Hao Ren was thrilled. He looked up expecting to see the place where he originally stood but it wasn¡¯t there. Instead it was a clear blue sky with a beautiful aurora dancing behind the few white clouds. He didn¡¯t see the sun but he could feel a warm light shining across the sky from the horizon. There was nothing surrounding the mansion, only a road going through the gardens straight into a seemingly impenetrable fog¡ªthere was fog everywhere. It seemed that the only existence there were the white mansion and him.


    It felt like an island in the middle of nowhere¡ªhe was terrified, feeling abandoned.


    Just then, he heard a squeak behind him. He quickly turned around and saw that the mansion¡¯s door was opened, someone emerged but was shrouded in fog, emanating a soft warm glow.


    But that ¡®someone¡¯ was actually something Hao Ren had never seen before. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was in fact a human at all. He could neither tell if it was male nor female as he could barely see the face of the creature. It had the figure of a human but the skeleton was formed of plasma.


    He noticed that that ¡®someone¡¯ wasn¡¯t actually wearing any clothes.


    He had so many strange encounters lately, so much so that what¡¯s strange didn¡¯t felt as strange anymore. He kept his composure and maintained a calm facade as the ¡®blue foggy figure¡¯ nodded and gestured him to enter.


    Hao Ren plucked up the courage and followed it from behind.


    He found that the interior of the mansion was just as grand and elegant as the exterior; behind the entrance was a magnificently lit lobby, after which there was a long hallway paved with red carpet.


    Hao Ren carefully observed every inch of the hallway as they walked through it. There wasn¡¯t a single light source in the hallway and yet it was as bright as day. There were murals on the walls on both sides; some depicted castles and towers which towered into the clouds, some were artworks of planetary objects and space, while some displayed battleships and tech-advanced armies in battlefields, still some depicted sorcerers¡ªeverything was so random, without a central theme and story.


    As he reached the end of the hallway, he saw a piece of mural which was the most dumbfounding of all¡ªa childish graffiti of little assholes.


    He was then led to a dark brown heavy wooden door. The ¡®blue foggy figure¡¯ pointed to the door before vanishing into thin air.


    Hao Ren shrugged and held his breath before knocking on the door.


    He heard a very pleasant female voice behind the door, it was the woman who had talked to him on the phone earlier. ¡°Come in. The door¡¯s not locked.¡¯


    Hao Ren had to push with all he¡¯d got to open the heavy door.


    Inside was a semicircle room with a heavy, dark color desk in the center of it. The floor wasn¡¯t layered with carpet as the hallway was but was finished with a welcoming, warm-colored tiles instead. On the curved wall was a semicircle rack stuffed with strange playthings¡ªsome looked like models, some were fine crystals which gleamed in the light and also there was a half-eaten fruity pancake left in the cubicle.


    Only God knew why would a fruity pancake be there in the first place!


    A woman with long silver hair was sitting behind the desk.


    She looked very young, probably even younger than Hao Ren. She was gorgeous.


    Her brown eyes, silver long hair, prominent nose and thin lips made her look unapproachable and cold at times (of course that might be a biased perception of Hao Ren; after all, she was a doomsday demon to him). Her attire too, was strange; she wore a black gown which looked like a modified wind coat but it suited her perfectly¡ªit accentuated the air of mystery about her.


    While Hao Ren was still fascinated by her appearance, the woman smiled. Her smile had helped break the ice somewhat as she made a friendly nod and gestured Hao Ren to be seated next to her. ¡°You can call me Raven 12345. I¡¯m your superior.¡±


    Hao Ren wasn¡¯t really listening as he was still lost in utmost admiration and asked knee-jerkingly, ¡°What is this place?¡±


    ¡°Here? Space Administration. ¡°She proclaimed proudly, ¡°Bastard Barrio office, Node EN35 of the Space Administration. Isn¡¯t that cool?¡±


    Hao Ren, ¡°¡­..¡±

 Chapter 15

    He stared dumbstruck, eyes wide opened (this seemed to happen quite a lot lately) upon hearing a statement that would make anybody choke on hearing it. At that moment, he could barely believe what that big-eyed chief just said, ¡°What¡­ was that¡­ you said?¡±


    ¡°Space Administration,¡± the silver-haired lady smirked as she repeated. She had a frosty demeanour about her when she was silent; but as she opened up to speak, while pulling a smirk off, all the icy coldness melted away and she actually seemed quite amiable.


    Hao Ren asked impetuously, ¡°No, not that. I mean, the latter part?¡±


    ¡°Oh, the Bastard Barrio Branch Office,¡± the silver-haired lady happily nodded her head, delighted to acknowledge that fact.


    Hao Ren really wanted to slam his head against something, anything¡­ but he figured he should do it outside. Everything on display here seemed so posh and pricey that if broken he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to pay for the compensation, but surely he definitely wanted to bang his head on something! How could ¡°Space Administration¡± and ¡°Bastard Barrio Branch Office¡±, two terms which were already out of this world, be placed in the same sentence? And judging by the way this white-haired lady phrased it, she didn¡¯t seem , in the slightest way, disturbed by that peculiarity, her expression was as though this was how it had always been. Hao Ren¡¯s bewilderment upon hearing those words were comparable to that upon hearing these: Old man Wang has three sons. The eldest is called Da Ming, the second is called Er Ming, the third is called Eisenbuliq William Haniba¡­


    But what the silver-haired lady spoke of somehow made sense that Hao Ren was left with no rebuttal: This really was a bastardly barrio.


    ¡°He¡­ hehe,¡± with his face hardened, Hao Ren snickered and slightly readjusted his body on the cotton seat to a more stable position. He was worried that if he hears any more gobsmacking statements, he would fall off onto the ground. ¡°Space Administration you say¡­ Oh and what was that you called yourself just now?¡±


    He just recalled that the person to whom he was talking had also introduced herself a moment ago, but he didn¡¯t catch her name as he was busy calming his nerves.


    The silver-haired lady didn¡¯t seem to be bothered. She was far more good-tempered than he had expected, ¡°I am Raven 12345. You have to remember that. It¡¯s important.¡±


    ¡°Including the numbers?¡±


    ¡°Including the numbers. Actually the numbers are the important ones,¡± said the woman who called herself Raven 12345 as she firmly nodded. ¡°To prevent confusion with other Ravens. Any more questions?¡±


    Immediately Hao Ren¡¯s mind was filled with fantastical settings of man-made humans, clones, dark forces, evil armies, and the likes, plotting world domination, along with a two-hundred-thousand-words script and a web of love-hate relationships and romantic feuds among dozens of characters¡ªnot implying that he had a wild imaginative mind, but rather confirming that he had watched tonnes of movies. He was clever to not ask about the whereabouts of the other Ravens (experience tells him that this is a taboo, and in later days he would come to find out how explicably wrong he was), so he rubbed his chin and said, ¡°Raven 12345. Quite a creative name, hehe. So, what do you want from me?¡±


    The silver-haired lady smiled, ¡°You took in a strange creature into your home, am I right? If calculations are correct it was a werewolf.¡±


    Hearing that, Hao Ren became nervous, every muscle on his body couldn¡¯t help but twitched. All along, he thought he had managed to keep Lily¡¯s identity a secret, it was the only way for him to be able to keep is familiar everyday life. Who would have known that the lady before him had discovered everything! Quickly he calmed himself down as he knew this lady was another ¡®strange being¡¯, it wasn¡¯t in his control that she knew some things. It was clear how little he knew about a certain mystical realm, so he shouldn¡¯t act too surprised as doing so would only put him at a disadvantage.


    Raven 12345 did not mention Vivian, which to him meant her intel was a little incomplete, and so naturally he should not actively pursue that.


    ¡°True,¡± he nodded, ¡°but surely this is not against any taboo, right? Your Space¡­ Administration, is it in charge of stuff like this too? ¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not a taboo. I just want to remind you that from now onwards you¡¯ll play host to many more strange creatures. This is going to be your job,¡± Raven 12345 glossed over that startling statement she just made. ¡°The organisation graciously wishes you¡­¡±


    ¡°Hold up!¡± Hao Ren couldn¡¯t bear it anymore and blurted out, ¡°This was your arrangement!?¡±


    ¡°Of course not, but after today it is,¡± Raven 12345 shrugged. ¡°You had gotten in touch with that werewolf called Lily anyway, and it just so happens that I require a helper. You¡¯re quite suitable for the job.¡±


    ¡°What kind of business is it that you guys are running here?¡± Hao Ren frowned. He felt that Raven 12345 was quite incoherent with her words, always muttering the strangest things at the strangest moments as she kept beating around the bush¡­ You should just come clean and explain what the hell it is that the Space Administration really does!


    ¡°¡®You guys¡¯? You mean ¡®we¡¯? Well, ¡®we¡¯ are quite a large group,¡± Raven 12345 touched her nose. ¡°The Empire of Xi Ling spans a vast territory, ruling over countless universes, owning numerous departments. Division of Labor? Complicated. You could generally refer to us as Gods. This would make it easier to explain¡ªby the way I should tell you that it is only recently that we made the overall transition to become Gods. The organization is still young, but youth brings with it opportunities. As for the Space Administration, it¡¯s a department under the Empire tasked to manage each and every universe, take charge of communications, direct and control the flow of cross-overs between universes, increase worldwide cohesion¡­ all that good stuff. At least that¡¯s what was stated in the superior¡¯s most recent documents anyway. We¡¯ll see if there will be any changes. I am in the Junior Committee of the Space Administration, and here I take charge of all affairs in this universe¡ªlike preventing particular races from committing world annihilation, or planning the evolution of the celestial bodies¡­ things of that sort. Technically this isn¡¯t my job, but due to special circumstances, I¡¯m taking over for now. As for you, you¡¯re here because I need a helper¡ªI have to manage everything on the surface of this universe, and some areas require an agent, so I leave those to you. Don¡¯t you feel lucky?¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s head was spinning as he listened to that elaborate tale. However, he managed to calmly stand up and said, ¡°Thank you for your hospitality, my dear host. You¡¯re a good person, and your programme was really interesting. May I ask where the exit is?¡±


    Raven 12345¡¯s face showed no signs of surprise, as though she had faced this same situation millions of times before. She waited for Hao Ren to finish and then casually lifted a finger, ¡°According to the job entry requirements, new interns are required to sit for some psychological tests for quite a long period of time, so now we¡¯ll take you through the basics¡­¡±


    Before Hao Ren could utter a word, his body felt intensely light, and his surroundings abruptly changed!


    The extravagant building that he was in was no more. Surrounded by thick darkness, he realised he was standing in the midst of nothingness, and within it was a spot of light which suddenly sparked and beamed and brightened up the whole area!


    What emerged first was an indescribable ball of heat, its structure unrecognisable, and its form unstable. This ball of light bore down on him as it got charged up, and instantly expanded into the endless distance beyond. Hao Ren could barely blink while this ball of light swelled up to a size he could no longer comprehend.


    And as the light faded, its extraordinarily high levels of energy quickly dissipated, downsized. Primitive particles were created as the space cooled. The aftermath of that first boom of light kicked start the universe and everything in it, the creation. The earliest primitive nebula was born, and it would go on to be the prototype for other galaxy clusters and giant celestial bodies to come.


    As the dust begin to settle and cooldown, ancient planets began to rise from the thick maelstroms of the primitive nebulae, while those primitive nebulae split themselves and each became an independent cluster of galaxies. Partial core reaction replaced the explosive energy of the Big Bang, and the world welcomed a milder era of order¡ªfollowing the constant cooling, primitive stars swiftly ran out of fuel as they continued to burn. With one explosion after another they projected heavy elements long accumulated within them. These heavy elements were the first highly stable material to appear after ¡°the first ray of light¡±. They followed the path constructed by the remnants of those stars and flew, clashed and fused with one another, and soon took the form of newly born, young stars.


    And so, the first stellar system was created.


    As materials began to thin out, the restless galaxies slowly stabilised after emitting tremendous amount of energy and consuming immeasurable amount of material. The complexity of the universe began to increase, clumps of stars evolved, and life multiplied. Hao Ren felt that his sights were now far beyond human interpretation. He was observing the universe from an all-knowing point of view, and very quickly he found the target he had been restlessly searching for: right there, close to a young star, a blue planet, covered with greenery¡­..


    And then everything came to a halt, paused, and a line of words floated before his eyes: Professional Documentation of Genesis, Trial Version. If you wish to continue, please recharge.


    The surrounding scenes faded away as receding tides. Hao Ren realised he was still sitting on the couch in the middle of the classy room, his clothes drenched in his own sweat. Raven 12345 smiled at him and said, ¡°This is the recordings of the evolution of your universe from the beginning of time. Of course, some sections were tweaked to adjust the timeline for the convenience of your viewing. This was not recorded by me; the snapshots were taken directly from the information in the depths of the universe. So, in short, it¡¯s like you have you have personally experienced Genesis yourself. How does it feel?¡±

 Chapter 16

    Hao Ren sat on the chair, as still as a feather, hands firmly placed on his knees, and a serious look hanging on his face¡ªhe realised he had just gotten himself into a situation that far exceeded any logic, and if he had any desire to enjoy what¡¯s left of his life, the wisest choice would be to contain his floppy behaviour and usual childish antics and listen attentively to what the lady, who claimed to be a Goddess, had to say.


    ¡°So how does it feels to personally experience Genesis?¡± smirked Raven 12345.


    Hao Ren observed her expressions and confirmed that this woman was indeed capable of working something out, only then did he managed a grin, ¡°If I was to ask you whether this is an illusion, will you conveniently sentence me to death?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not. A lot of people have asked me this, I¡¯m not surprised at all,¡± Raven 12345 shrugged, ¡°I can show you anything and everything, whatever it takes for you to understand and believe all I have told you, but now¡¯s not the time. For now, you¡¯ll just have to take me for my words, and we¡¯ll talk about work.¡±


    Hao Ren raised his hand, gesturing her to slow down, for he needed some time to go through what just happened.


    He thought what he had just experienced was a rather weird occurrence on Earth, but this woman before him actually mentioned that she came from¡­ another universe? Not Earth, not an alien planet, not an alien galaxy, but an entirely different universe! She claimed that she came from an empire in charge of ruling many universes, and that she worked at a unit called Space Administration, specifically managing the order of this universe, and now this self-proclaimed Goddess said she needed an agent to help with some trivial affairs on selected areas on Earth, and so she set her eyes on none other than him, Hao Ren¡­


    In a nutshell, that was how things went down since he met them. Linguistically the instructions were clear, only that this whole offer challenged all three of his fundamental views: the view of the world, the view of life, and the view of morality.


    Hao Ren stole a peek at Raven 12345, who was aware of it but did not indicate anything. Seizing this opportunity, Hao Ren compared this silver-haired lady with the images of gods and goddesses and other immortal beings, imagining a pair of wings extending from behind her back or a halo floating magically above her head¡­ but after much struggle he gave up. He knew it was just a waste of time: from the moment he got to know the ailurophobic werewolf, he should have discarded all myths and legends he knew.


    ¡°Are there really other universes?¡± Hao Ren stammered. ¡°I¡¯ve read about them in books, parallel universes and life, but isn¡¯t that just a theory?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s much more complicated than that. The real structure of the world is much more complicated than what humans imagined,¡± Raven 12345 curled her lips, as though lazy to explain. ¡°For the moment you won¡¯t have access to the other worlds. That would be after your formal evaluation or after special duties. All that you have to focus on now is dealing with your designated areas.¡±


    ¡°Why me?¡± Hao Ren couldn¡¯t help but interrupt. He felt he had to assert himself slightly in this conversation, even if he couldn¡¯t claim victory in this battle he should try to speak with a little more confidence. ¡°You haven¡¯t sought my agreement, have you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that reminds me,¡± Raven 12345 gave herself a face palm, which prompted Hao Ren¡¯s first drop of cold sweat. ¡°The Principle of Voluntary Work, there is such a thing¡­ I have been assuming that you have consented. Does this mean you don¡¯t?¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned, he never expected such loose conditions. Her communicative ability did not match up to his initial impression of her godly power: he thought he would meet his doom if he refused the offer. But it was after Raven 12345 stated the conditions that he began to contemplate: What should he do? Should he really refuse? But it would be such a pity¡­ as his new strange life would come to an end even before it begun.


    ¡°What will happen if I don¡¯t agree?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be rid of your memories of these past couple of days, and I¡¯ll relief you of the werewolf. Don¡¯t worry, no harm will come to either of you, just that you¡¯ll no longer have anything to do with these issues anymore. Common folks have common lives. For an ordinary fellow to handle extraordinary business, history tells that they usually meet with dreadful ends,¡± Raven 12345 explained unemotionally. ¡°I¡¯ll look for other agents, after all there¡¯re so many people on Earth, and if worst comes to worst I can always apply for an intern to help me.¡±


    Hao Ren felt a pull at his heartstrings and was consumed by an unexplainable feeling, then he shook his head, ¡°And what if I agreed? What do you want me to do? I¡¯ll say first that I won¡¯t be doing anything against my morals. I¡¯m a good person.¡±


    Raven 12345¡¯s smiled again at that. ¡°Don¡¯t be so nervous, you¡¯re working for God. In other dimensions this position is called ¡®the Holy One¡¯ or ¡®the Messenger¡¯. It¡¯s just that we work under a different system so we don¡¯t call it that. What are you worried about? We¡¯re not asking you to do anything evil. Your job consists only of two main tasks: The first is to receive guests, like you have always been doing so far. The difference is that these guests are¡­ quite special, and they¡¯ll need assistance, a place to stay, someone to guide them¡ªyou have to take care of them, so that they won¡¯t go out and cause destruction to mankind. The second is to help me with other work.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless. He honestly suspected that the second task far outweighed the first one!


    ¡°When you say ¡®guests¡¯, do you mean the ones like Lily?¡± Hao Ren wanted to know more, although he might not get it his way, but at least he wouldn¡¯t be exploited. ¡°Strange creatures? May I ask why are you doing this? Just so that they won¡¯t disrupt mankind?¡±


    ¡°Actually the reasons are quite complicated,¡± Raven 12345 was very patient, ¡°Any civilisation, unless faced with imminent catastrophe or other disastrous ordeals that require Gods to intervene, has the right to proceed and grow naturally, undisturbed. I know the myths and legends of the human world, but the real gods are not quite the same with the ones in those stories¡ªwe create the world, we manage the world, and we can destroy the world, but all of the above are governed by strict rules and regulations. No one can simply disturb and destroy worlds. Before we switched professions and became Gods we had made quite a few mistakes, so this is now a serious problem. Your world is the same¡ªit should evolve naturally without the intervention of external forces. It¡¯s expected that your kind will face challenges along to way, but if a third power wields the potential to twist the process of evolution, it becomes our responsibility to stop it. As for your job, it is to clean up the ¡®aftermath¡¯.¡±


    Hao Ren went to great lengths to make sense of what Raven 12345 just said, and thought he had grasped the gist of it. ¡°You said there¡¯s¡­ what? A ¡®third party¡¯ with the power to disrupt our progress? Lily¡­ and those I have to receive in the future, are all related to this?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. That¡¯s ancient history now. The largest threat to humanity was resolved by me. You humans are safe now, as long as they don¡¯t ask for death they¡¯ll live a full life,¡± Raven 12345 looked into Hao Ren¡¯s eyes, ¡°As for the guests you¡¯ll be receiving¡­ it¡¯s true that they¡¯re connected to one of the bigger cases, but it¡¯s still considered confidential information to you, so it¡¯s best not to ask. How is it, do you accept this job? Although it¡¯s just to clean up some mess left behind by the Space Administration, it is considered to be the career of a lifetime in a lot of worlds, more or less it¡¯s considered a privilege for temporary workers in the entrepreneurial sectors¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, putting it that way makes me more reluctant to agree alright!¡± Hao Ren responded.


    Raven 12345 scoffed, not even one bit bothered.


    Hao Ren looked down, seriously contemplating this offer which could change his entire course of life.


    He still didn¡¯t dare to believe everything this woman just said, and could not understand what was the deal with this talk of the universes, gods, worlds and the rest. It¡¯s just like what Raven 12345 said, for now he could only trust that everything is as she said, and start considering what he should do next.


    If he nodded his head now, he would be straying onto a path completely different from his past, in Raven 12345¡¯s words it meant he would be working for ¡®God¡¯. Regardless of whether what she said was true or false, no matter if it was a trap or not, and not knowing whether his future will be bright or bleak, he would be facing an entirely new and extraordinary life. His fate would change, for the better or worse.


    If he shook his head now, he would lose nothing but his memories of the past two days, forgetting matters an ordinary person shouldn¡¯t know in the first place, and then return to his honest and simple life as a little landlord, or find a real job just like everyone else, or a wife maybe, who may not be a perfect match but works out just fine in the end, and maybe live together for the remainder of their lives.


    There really was nothing to choose from.

 Chapter 17

    Hao Ren had a dreamHe hoped of becoming a warrior. Having superhuman powers, he would travel the world, upholding justice and protecting all four corners of the world without fearing.


    Hao Qiang. He would be loved by all the people and become a hero in due time.


    Oh, that was when Hao Ren was nine ¨C it was ages ago. Also, his perception of the ¡®four corners of the world¡¯ then was limited to the radius of Nan Jiao Elementary School and a couple of streets nearby. Also, Hao Qiang was his class teacher.


    In the past couple of years, similar to most of the people then, Hao Ren¡¯s noble ambitions had dwindled to things more realistic: having a higher than average salary, getting married to a above than average woman, having one or two children that are better than the average kids; buying a decent house (which is not much of a worry as he already had one. Those where the things he thought would make up his life ¨C up till this moment.


    The turning point of his life was inching closer, Hao Ren could literally feel as if an entirely different future was laid out right in front of him. Looking to the self-proclaimed, but seemingly queer Goddess in front of his eyes, he nodded. ¡°Alright, I promise.¡±


    There was not a shade of surprise on Raven 12345¡¯s face, it seemed that she had gotten quite used to this kind of situation. Also, she already knew what Hao Ren¡¯s answer would be before he even say it and she just nodded her head. ¡°Yes. From now on you will be on probation as a junior examiner in the Space Administration. The welfare that you¡¯ll be receiving will be similar to part-time trainees outside the administration¡­..¡±


    Hao Ren replied, ¡°¡­ Please don¡¯t go into the details. I¡¯ve had a hard time picking up the courage to do this!¡±


    Raven 12345 seemed to smile upon seeing the worried and lost Hao Ren. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re not evil, we maintain universal peace. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a very noble job? If I were to look for an assistant in another galaxy, I would have people queuing up the mountains and sea. It¡¯s just that planet earth is at such a state of godlessness, that¡¯s why I did not get myself involve all this while. And since I had to look for an assistant now, I can only keep a low profile while doing it. So don¡¯t be embarrassed of your job because of this¡­¡±


    Hao Ren muttered. ¡°Why do I feel that you do not sound like a God? Gods behave this way?¡±


    ¡°Sigh¡­. It¡¯s not just you, even I myself am not used to this title.¡± answered Raven 12345 with a carefree tone which surprised Hao Ren as she swung her hands. ¡°We¡¯ve only changed our title in these recent years, we were not called Gods prior to this. I you prefer, you can address us as Xi Ling disciples. That was our clan name, and being God is actually our job.¡±


    ¡°Xi Ling disciples?¡± Hao Ren asked as he tried to take in this new bizarre term. ¡°It still does not sound right¡­. What should I normally address you? Royal Goddess??¡±


    Hao Ren was lost for words: if this woman was a self-proclaimed God, he should address her as a Royal Goddess, but that did not seemed right at all. From their conversation so far, Raven 12345 reminded him of an elderly sister, having a casual chat with him in the supermarket. So this was how Goddesses supposed to be like?


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not saying that you have to have a halo behind you but at least do not fiddle your fingers whilst talking?!?!¡±


    Raven 12345 took no notice of this matter and continued fiddling away with her fingers whilst nodding her head at Hao Ren. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not used to this title. Just call me by my name, or call me 12345.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­..that is worse¡­ that is not a human name at all¡­.¡± Hao Ren was speechless.


    After that, Raven 12345 went into the details of Hao Ren¡¯s future ¡®career¡¯. There was actually not much to it, it was just about how he should continue to welcome bizarre guests into his home. Since he already had a werewolf and a vampire in his house, Hao Ren thought to himself that a few extra abnormal creatures would not be a problem ¨C well, as long as the new guests wereas easy going as the current two.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Raven 12345 reassured Hao Ren while thumping on her chest. ¡°We¡¯re quite concerned about our worker¡¯s welfare, so we will not endanger you in any way. The ones sent to you would have already passed some ¡®tests¡¯. This is your current mission and for now, leave the other matters to those concerned. About some other situations that you may face¡­ we¡¯ll only discuss those when you¡¯ve come to face them. Are there any more questions?¡±


    Reluctantly, Hao Ren finally blurted out what was troubling him the most. ¡°Then¡­. What about Lily? You did not arrange that?¡±


    ¡°No. As I¡¯ve already mentioned, only the new guests coming from today onwards are arranged by the administration. The werewolf¡­. take it as your fate since she was the one who found you. Also, you seemed to be getting used to this pretty well, that¡¯s why I chose you. Normal people cannot accept this, hence I was looking for someone who can cope with these challenges and bizarre events to be my assistant.¡±


    ¡°I just have to take good care of the welfare of these ¡®guests¡¯ right? So, where do we draw the line on ¡®taking good care¡¯ of their welfare? Worship them like my ancestors?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s unnecessary. All you have to do is to prevent them from causing trouble. The main goal for all missions are to let human civilization develop and grow the way it¡¯s supposed to. Humans do not need to come in contact with things that have a different direction to their civilization¡¯s development. These things can cause humans to have misconceptions regarding their own cosmic laws. As humans have short lifespan, misconceptions in one or two generations can lead to the destruction of the development and civilization attained for the past hundreds of years, and of course this will also greatly affect the future ¨C judging by your expression I guess you¡¯re already confused with all these things, I¡¯ll just briefly explain the rest.¡± As Raven 12345 was talking to Hao Ren, she took a stack of papers out from the drawer.


    ¡°In a nutshell you¡¯re a junior employee as well as a temporary one. You do not need to know about the complicated things and even if you do know about them, you would not be able to handle them. When the time comes I¡¯ll tell you more. Please do not worry, I have no bad intentions. Let¡¯s sign the contract¡­..¡±


    Hao Ren felt that the other party was still hiding a lot of things from him. However, he had no choice as Raven 12345 seemed to be a woman of discipline although she was easy going. She would not reveal something that she¡¯s not supposed to. Also, Hao Ren knew that there was no need to rush things, it is better to be more careful when he was still unclear about the situation.


    Hao Ren sensed that he was being tricked but he did not have the courage to escape- he was sure he was no match for any of the creatures in this place, the fog-like creature included.


    He was shocked looking at the contract in front of him. The words can be easily understood, but the contents did not make sense: ¡°Appointment Letter for Trainee Examiner ¨C Space Administration of Xi Ling Kingdom¡± was the title followed by the subheading ¡°Xi Ling Celestial Family Alliance Agreement¡± and another subheading ¡°Related Documents for Temporary Employees Working at the Civil Division¡± below it. In addition, a line of tiny words were written below: 106th Edition, Re-edition, Revised edition, Final Edition, the ¡®absolutely won¡¯t be revised¡¯ Edition. Apparently, even the queen herself will not be able to revise this contract easily- it was hand-written by the kingdom¡¯s head of state himself, each department was very careful with their work.


    The main body of the contract was written below, the job scope and attendance system can be easily understood. It was also stated that the newly joined employees¡¯ rank was similar to that of the bishops, hallowed scions and agents. It was noted that this was in accordance to the degree of civilization of the employee¡¯s work place and this was to ease the new employee to orientate oneself into one¡¯s community.


    What was written after that shocked Hao Ren: The highest order of the Xi Ling Celestial Family clearly stated that, the newly appointed examiner in charge of those wanting to convert (in other civilizations they are referred to as prophets, the first chosen one to have an epiphany) shall enjoy a worker¡¯s welfare which includes: receiving staples during festivities and gifts during Spring festival as well as monthly reimbursements. According to where one is at, the welfare given shall be arranged by the local God responsible.


    Upon seeing the contract, Hao Ren¡¯s eyes were filled with tears. He found the contract somewhat familiar, very much familiar in fact¡­.


    ¡°How¡¯s it? The welfare offered is quite good right?¡± Raven 12345 asked. ¡°I know you weren¡¯t interested in the welfare just now. After my many encounters with all kinds of lifeforms, most of them would feel weird reading this contract as they felt that they should be volunteering when it comes to working for God. However, the administration doesn¡¯t work this way. A few experienced bosses came up with this contract, saying that humans are more used to this contract. Sign it if you do not have any other suggestions.¡±


    Hao Ren could only remain speechless¡­


    He decided to not believe in TV programs and novels anymore for the rest of his life!!!

 Chapter 18

    Walking back to his home, Hao Ren was holding a stack of poor quality prints, his emotions welling inside him.


    His face was covered in tears.


    From that moment forth, he was a civilized, trans-universal employee. He was a human who could communicate with celestial beings directly. He was someone from the Space Administration (hearing about this titan in his background would definitely cause a commotion). In his possession was a contract with God himself and his employee identification number can be found on the heaven¡¯s attendance sheet. If he lived in a world where God was paramount, he would be able to proudly proclaim that he was a candidate for sainthood; as long as he passed the tests for his internship. He would be promoted from a contracted saint to a permanent one.


    Who would not be overwhelmed with emotions and covered in tears after finding out about all these?


    Why are these godly things and issues so different from the ones seen on TV and novels?!


    No matter the circumstances, Hao Ren was appointed to a position in an extraordinary place. Disregarding how weird Raven 12345 is, the Space Administration as well as the whole Xi Ling Kingdom definitely exceeded Hao Ren¡¯s knowledge and imagination by far.


    Looking at the contract in his hands, Raven 12345¡¯s words flashed in his mind. ¡°Henceforth, you shall be a trainee examiner. Your one and only mission is to take good care of your house guests. The Xi Ling Celestial Family is not used to employing religious means to manage its affiliated organizations as other religions do. Thus, employees will be graded by their attendance as well as performance. It¡¯s best if you do not blindly follow the religious lore and booklets found on Earth say. I¡¯ve seen this type of silly children in other worlds¡­ anyway, do not worry about it that much and just perform well.¡±


    Letting out a sigh, Hao Ren had a feeling once again that he had been hoodwinked. He folded the stack of paper and planned to lock it in a secure location at home so as to prevent Rollie from eating it. In fact, Hao Ren could not believe what he had just been through. He had his doubts on Raven 12345, especially when she held that stack of paper in her hands (have you ever seen God¡¯s contract printed on paper? Also, there were spelling errors on it!) However, Hao Ren was aware of his current situation. No matter who Raven 12345 was, her abilities greatly differed from his. Based on her spelling errors, her habit of playing with her fingers, her fondness for Chinese pancakes as well as her gibberish speech¡­ ordinary human beings would just be unable to handle her quirks.


    Thus, in order to guarantee a peaceful life, Hao Ren had no choice but to play along.


    Walking under the scorching sun, Hao Ren checked the time on his phone. He was at a deserted road and there was no one to be found. He thought to himself. Working for God is not a reliable job after all. Even transportation can still be an issue. Even though I¡¯m a prophet in the celestial society, I still have to take the bus after the inauguration. Also, I¡¯ve been waiting for such a long time for the bus!


    He could not help but think of earthly myths and legends. He was trying very hard to recall how saints and prophets go back to their homes after they had a revelation. Did they enter a crowded carriage to return home? However, after giving much thought into this, Hao Ren still had no idea. Which holy book would actually take note of this?!


    While his thoughts were jumbled, he heard a ring. Looking at his phone, he realized he did not recognize the number. Thank God! It¡¯s not 00000012345!


    ¡°Hello, who¡¯re you looking for?¡± asked Hao Ren politely as he picked up the call- from that moment he was someone with an identity, it was time for him to be cautious of his speech and actions. Although the goddess above him was not a reliable one, he was determined to showcase himself as a dependable person.


    Lily¡¯s voice could be heard and she was speaking in a worried tone, ¡°Landlord! It¡¯s me! I¡¯m Lily!¡±


    ¡°Sill¡­ Lily?¡± Hao Ren managed to stop himself from saying ¡®silly werewolf¡¯. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I have just recalled that your number is on the newspaper ad. I was searching for the place yesterday and I should¡¯ve just called you¡­¡±


    Sweat was rolling off Hao Ren¡¯s head. ¡°¡­ You called me just for this?¡±


    Lily¡¯s immediately became excited. ¡°Oh, no! Something¡¯s not right with Vivian. She flew out from the window in broad daylight! I¡¯ve tried chasing after her but I lost her!¡±


    Hao Ren wanted to roar at Lily stating that this was supposed to be the main point for her call! Why did she talk about so much irrelevant rubbish in the first place?


    ¡°Vivian flew away? She transformed into a bat and flew?¡± Hao Ren did not know why he was still curious with the details even during times like this. It was probably because he was a bit confused at that time. A few minutes ago, a self-proclaimed God was just reassuring him that the creatures staying in his home will not cause any trouble. Well, he was just out moments ago and now something¡¯s happening back home!


    ¡°She transformed into a huge bat before flying away,¡± Lily corrected Hao Ren in a serious manner before continuing. ¡°Before flying away, she mentioned that this place was not safe¡­ I do not know who to look for and that¡¯s why I called you.¡±


    ¡°Stay right where you are at home and do not go anywhere. I¡¯ll be back shortly,¡± Hao Ren answered hurriedly as he caught sight of an old and battered bus from the corner of his eyes. Whilst trying to flag down the bus, he was reassuring Lily. After he slammed his phone down, he squeezed inside the crowded bus and thought to himself¡­ What¡¯s wrong with Vivian?


    Although Hao Ren¡¯s knowledge on mutants were limited and the only things he knew about them stemmed from unreliable sources such as the television and novels (it was already proven that these sources were in fact unreliable), he was at least certain that vampires were not comfortable out in daylight. In addition to that, Vivian had confirmed this fact personally. Thus, he was certain that a vampire transforming into a colony of bats to fly away was primarily due to an emergency and not because she just happened to wake up and decided to go out for a stroll! And what did Vivian mean when she said that ¡®this place is not safe¡¯? Was she referring to his house?


    Hao Ren knew that apart from the vampire, the silly werewolf was the other powerful being at home. Vivian looked down upon Lily, so the scene of ¡®the vampire being chased away by the werewolf¡¯s bad breath¡¯ was certainly impossible. So, why was his house unsafe?


    Suddenly, Hao Ren felt that the mission that Raven 12345 handed to him¡­ was in fact a trap.


    It was half an hour later when Hao Ren arrived at the old city of the Southern Suburbs. A few people clothed in work attire was walking towards him when he exited the bus. His heart stopped, thinking to himself, ¡°We¡¯ve been exposed so quickly? Who are these people? Scientists from the Science Academy? Are they setting up traps for the vampire? Was any surveillance system installed? Maybe they¡¯re Special Forces disguised as telecommunication workers?¡±


    He was relieved once they got nearer to him. They were indeed repairmen¡­


    Hao Ren could barely make out their conversation when they briskly walked past him.


    ¡°¡­ this is a first in my career, how did that piece of brick manage to get up there?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea. I can only say it¡¯s not done by a human. Who has that kind of arm strength to throw a brick up this high on top of the TV station? But this is so bizarre, that piece of brick snapped three steel rods¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, this is so bizarre. I was just wondering what the problem was when I got a call about people not getting any TV signals in Southern Suburbs. Witnessing half a brick smashed into the broadcasting tower, I wonder what are we going to write in our work report now?¡±


    As the repairmen slowly disappeared from Hao Ren¡¯s sight, Hao Ren was clear of two matters:


    First, he finally obtained the reason asss to why there was no TV signal in his house.


    And of course, now he knew where the brick Lily flung at Vivian during the fight the previous night ended up at¡­


    What¡¯s the point of knowing this?!


    Hao Ren carefully went up to his front door. After making sure there were no traces of Special Forces or mysterious men in black suits hiding nearby, he took out his key. However, before he could insert the key into the keyhole, the door opened.


    Vivian was standing in front of him, smiling. ¡°Landlord, you¡¯re home!¡±


    After catching his breath (as a matter of fact, it took him awhile), Hao Ren looked at this vampire who apparently ¡®flew away¡¯ and with uncertainty, asked, ¡°Vivian, you¡­ didn¡¯t you not fly away?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Something was up and I went out. But I¡¯m back now!¡± said Vivian as she chuckled.


    Hao Ren could only remain speechless.


    I can¡¯t imagine what the future holds!

 Chapter 19

    Hao Ren did not know what to feel when he was invited into his own home by Vivian. Sitting on the sofa in the middle of the living room, two unusual creatures stood before him like children who did something wrong. Vivian looked embarrassed whereas Lily was both embarrassed and awkward. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Landlord. I was quite surprised when this winged-fellow came back out all of a sudden. And that¡¯s why I forgot to give you a call¡­¡± said Lily sheepishly.


    Rollie was rubbing against Hao Ren¡¯s leg. He was the most at ease among them, oblivious to the events that had happened hours ago. All he knew was to rub against his owner¡¯s legs while he purred wholeheartedly.


    Hao Ren waved his hands and the two girls with super human powers sat before him. He could not help but feel proud.


    ¡°Although my life is generally a mess, my brain is mostly confused and my future is uncertain¡­ both the legendary werewolf and vampire still show respect towards me.. Ain¡¯t this a sight¡­¡±


    Although he took a little pride in it, he knew that Lily and Vivian were just being polite plus, both were also feeling a bit apologetic. It was just that both of their identities blew Hao Ren¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Why did you fly away all of a sudden?¡± Hao Ren thought of his newly acquired ¡®job¡¯, feeling that it was his responsibility to be aware of the two girls¡¯ whereabouts; in the case of any event, it would then be easier for him to report to Raven 12345.


    Hao Ren was completely aware of his limits as a normal human being. He knew that he would not be able to control a werewolf and a vampire by himself in the long run. As he was looking for a solution, a self-proclaimed Goddess announced, ¡°Gods shall be responsible for world peace¡±. Hao Ren of course had to take the opportunity to let this Goddess be his patron.


    He knew that Vivian may not trust a newly acquainted human she just got to know a few days ago. Thus, he continued, ¡°Please don¡¯t mind me. I¡¯m just curious and no matter what, I¡¯m still the landlord. Also, you know you¡¯re different¡­.. At least I have to know where you¡¯ve gone to when I can¡¯t find you right? It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to tell me.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s actually nothing.¡± Lily bit her lip, looking determined to tell Hao Ren. ¡°It was just a misunderstanding. I thought some obnoxious fellows were tailing me and I wanted to deal with them somewhere further away. Then I realized I was just being oversensitive.¡±


    ¡°Obnoxious fellow?¡± Hao Ren glanced at Lily. ¡°Some other werewolf?¡±


    He could guess what Vivian meant by ¡°the place not being safe¡±. It seemed that the vampire had other foes, enemies that held grudges against her from way back in time.


    ¡°Not werewolves,¡± Vivian answered as she threw Lily a dirty look. ¡°We¡¯ve been battling against werewolves for thousands of years and they¡¯ve never had the advantage. Yes, they are a headache but they are still not considered a serious threat.¡±


    ¡°Stick to your own story! Don¡¯t involve me in this!¡± Lily let out a threatening growl from the back of her throat as she licked her nails. ¡°If you¡¯re looking for a fight, let¡¯s have another 300 rounds somewhere with plenty of bricks¡­.¡±


    ¡°Can you please stop mentioning that brick throwing skill of yours?? Please reserve some dignity for the werewolves!¡± Hao Ren shouted.


    Not paying any attention to Lily, Vivian explained with a straight face, ¡°It¡¯s the demon hunters. Some call them exorcists.¡±


    A blockbuster came to Hao Ren¡¯s mind. Getting excited, he asked, ¡°You mean people like Van Helsing?¡±


    ¡°Stop fooling around. That¡¯s a movie.¡± Vivian was not in the mood for jokes. She looked deeply troubled. ¡°I¡¯m talking about real demon hunters¨Dfellows who are half human; they are monsters in the eyes of humans and us, ¡®mutants. The battle between us and the demon hunters is never ending. We have never been able to completely vanquish the opponent. They worked on their own during earlier times but now, they work through many different religious organizations as well as normal humans¡­. And this is a problem.¡±


    Hao Ren automatically felt the few sheets of paper in his pocket. A thought then came to his mind. Didn¡¯t Raven 12345 and the Xi Ling Empire give him the task to take care of the ¡®mutants staying in his home? On the other hand, it sounded like these demon hunters wanted to protect the human race¡­ It was so horrifying thinking about what was behind all of this and how they were connected !


    ¡°Landlord? What are you thinking about, Landlord?¡± Lily¡¯s voice shook Hao Ren out of his thoughts. ¡°So, these demon hunters are that powerful? Should we be terrified?¡±


    Hao Ren was determined to understand the situation the next time he saw Raven 12345 because he realized that he was treading on shallow waters, very shallow waters in fact. Looking at Lily¡¯s curious expression, he asked, ¡°So, you have no idea about these demon hunters?¡±


    ¡°I have no clue,¡± answered Lily as she was playing with her hair. ¡°I¡¯ve never met one in person but I¡¯ve seen them in movies.¡±


    Vivian snorted. ¡°I¡¯ve no idea how she was raised. We¡¯ve talked briefly and she does not even have a clue about common facts. She has no idea what demon hunters are, what the different classes of the Blood Clan are and more surprising, she doesn¡¯t have a clue about the different werewolf classes! She does not know about the history between humans and mutants¡­ She¡¯s like a blank piece of canvas. It¡¯s pure luck that she managed to survive this long.¡±


    Lily glared at Vivian furiously but she did not mutter a word, proving what Vivian said was indeed correct.


    ¡°It¡¯s true that I don¡¯t know about these things but you can¡¯t blame me for it,¡± Lily muttered. ¡°Since I was born, I¡¯ve been living with humans. I¡¯ve grown up with humans and what I know about werewolves have been from the humans¡­ I¡¯ve never met another mutant in person apart from myself. I¡¯ve also been looking for other mutants since young but to no avail. I thought I was the only werewolf left. As a matter of fact, all I found were mutant-related clues. Meeting this winged fellow is considered my first encounter.¡±


    Both Hao Ren and Vivian could only stare at Lily. A while later, the vampire muttered to herself, ¡°Such a pitiful person. I¡¯ll try my best not to make fun of you.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Lily curiously and asked, ¡°So you¡¯ve never met other ¡®mutants before? Then you should have nothing against Vivian. Why did both of you get into a fight right after you just met?¡±


    ¡°Well, the TV always shows werewolves and vampires as mortal enemies! I had to make my kind proud!¡± Lily answered boldly.


    Hao Ren and Vivian were speechless.


    ¡°Now I am extremely regretful that I took her seriously.¡± Vivian could no longer hide her thoughts. ¡°I¡¯ve seen a lot of brainless werewolves but it¡¯s a first for me to meet one like you.¡±


    ¡°Hehehe, Lily just had a peculiar life experience. Let¡¯s not dwell on this subject,¡± Hao Ren answered, trying to ease the situation. He was also getting worried about the demon hunters mentioned by Vivian. ¡°So, you found traces of demon hunters this evening? Was it just a false alarm?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been dealing with them for many years, at least a few hundred years I would say. So I instinctively know about their presence when the demon hunters are nearby,¡± said Lily with her eyes closed. ¡°I thought that I had caught their scent nearby in the evening¡­ But when I caught up I found nothing, not even a trace. Hence, I¡¯m sure it was a mistake. I¡¯ve made a similar mistake before. It¡¯s just instincts, it can go wrong sometimes.¡±


    Looking at Hao Ren¡¯s expression upon hearing the above, she gave him an understanding nod. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if there are indeed demon hunters around¡­ I¡¯ll take this silly werewolf along and leave. We will not give you any trouble. Although demon hunters proclaim that they protect the human race, there are still some extremists and sometimes innocent ones get involved. Although it¡¯s uncommon in this 100 plus years, you can¡¯t change that rabid canine nature of theirs.¡±


    Lily¡¯s ears immediately stood at attention. ¡°That rabid canine you mentioned¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business,¡± answered Vivian while glaring at the werewolf. ¡°You¡¯re so sensitive to irrelevant stuff.¡±


    All Hao Ren wanted to say was, ¡°It¡¯s easy for Vivian to say all that!¡± If they had really left, it would have been likely that the crazy, five-digit Goddess paid him a visit!

 Chapter 20

    The demon hunters seemed to have an immense pressure on Vivian. Although she tried to appear calm, even someone who was as slow as Hao Ren could see that she was actually deeply troubled.


    Vivian¡¯s offer to leave if demon hunters showed up in the city to protect the innocent touched Hao Ren. Although legends portrayed vampires as both cunning and cold-blooded, Vivian seemed to be different. Hao Ren did not know about other vampires but at least, the one he knew was not bad.


    Of course, being touched was one thing but facing the consequences was another. He could not allow Vivian to leave just like that. He even had a three page contract with a Goddess in his pocket! How would he explain to Raven 12345 if the two unusual creatures were to really leave his house? ¡°Don¡¯t stress about it and just stay here. There¡¯s no need to worry even if the demon hunters are around, I¡¯ll find a way¡­¡±


    ¡°Where do you get this confidence from?¡± Vivian looked at Hao Ren, curious about the reason why this person who was scared of trouble just this morning, suddenly had a sense of accountability. ¡°If you¡¯re saying all this just to comfort me, I don¡¯t need it. Just don¡¯t think too highly of those demon hunters as they¡¯re not fully humans. They are not very considerate when it comes to fights.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ something was up this afternoon and I think both of you can¡¯t just leave as you please.¡± After some consideration, Hao Ren concluded that there was nothing to hide. Fishing out the contract from his pocket, he showed and explained the afternoon¡¯s events with Raven 12345 to the two magical creatures in front of him.


    Lily was confused as usual thus, useless whereas Vivian read through Hao Ren¡¯s entire contract seriously. She was in deep thought as she listened to Hao Ren recall his experience and she was aghast. ¡°Everything¡­ you said is true?¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°Of course it¡¯s true. I have nothing to gain from lying to you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of this multiverse concept from you humans.¡± Vivian said while waving the sheets of paper in her hand. ¡°I can¡¯t help but say that this ¡®science¡¯ things of yours is quite interesting. So, this means that you met advanced beings who claimed to be rulers of the multiverse. They have a specialized organization that manages each and every universe called ¡®Space Administration¡¯. Then, there¡¯s a self-proclaimed Goddess called Raven 12345 and she found you to ask you to be her assistant. To sum everything up, you¡¯re now¡­¡± Vivian looked at the contract, reading it word by word., ¡°An agent of Bastard Barrio at EN35 in the Space Administration of the Xi Ling Empire, a part-time staff outside the administration awaiting confirmation¡­¡±


    Cold sweat broke out on Hao Ren¡¯s forehead. This coming out from someone else¡¯s mouth sounded more impressive than reading it by himself.


    ¡°Landlord, I know that you¡¯re under a lot pressure right now¡­¡± said Vivian in a grave and earnest tone after some deliberation.


    ¡°I¡¯m dead serious,¡± Hao Ren answered with a bitter smile on his face. ¡°I¡¯ve had to use several hours to take all of this in, imagine you. But no matter what the overall condition of the Space Administration is, Raven 12345 is not someone we can easily mess with. I¡¯ll let you meet her if you don¡¯t believe me. This shouldn¡¯t be breaking the rules and regulations.¡±


    Vivian knew that Hao Ren was serious and not fooling around from his expression; she frowned and thought carefully. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard about this organization before and I¡¯ve lived for¡­ Oh, I¡¯ve lost count. But I¡¯ve never heard about a Space Administration since the Bronze Age. However, I¡¯ve heard a lot about Gods but most of it was just humans using it to frighten other humans. Also, the Raven 12345 that you mentioned does not sound like a Goddess to me¡­¡­ This is weird. Where did they come from?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded his head. ¡°I¡¯ve asked her about this. Raven 12345 said she did not take notice of the things on earth as humans were developing at an alright pace on their own. She even had no clue about atheism and would just hire an assistant to take care of minor matters on earth. That¡¯s why humans don¡¯t know about the celestials. Oh, she often uses the word ¡®celestials¡¯ to represent the Gods and I find this a weird thing.¡±


    ¡°Try not to think about this first. So in a nutshell, this Raven 12345 is the one who asked you to take care of the mutants staying here right?¡± Vivian asked as she handed the papers back to Hao Ren. ¡°This shows that she¡¯s not an ally of the demon hunters and its good news to me. It would be best if she could help when the demon hunters show up.¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°I think this is quite unlikely. According to her, the empire rarely interfere with the workings on earth. They will not interfere unless us humans decide to destroy all of our descendants. However, I¡¯m sure that she¡¯ll contact me in the future. Let¡¯s ask her only when the time comes. I was in a rush this evening and I did not have the chance to ask a lot of questions.¡±


    Hao Ren let out a hollow laugh and mocked himself, ¡°Well, you know me. My brain is a mess like glue.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Vivian answered and pointed to a dazed Lily. ¡°That mind of hers is confused every day and she¡¯s still here with us. You have to try to be optimistic to live a better life¡­¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lily growled and jumped onto the table. ¡°Try repeating what you said again!!!¡±


    Ignoring the werewolf, Vivian seemed to have her mind set on something and nodded towards Hao Ren. ¡°We need to find a way to see Raven 12345¡­The way she showed up seems dodgy and it looks as if she understands the relationship between mutants and humans well. I need to ask her about this.¡± Then, Vivian was a bit embarrassed. ¡°Actually it¡¯s hard for us to live in this world as the demon hunters are getting increasingly active and humans are getting harder to deal with. From the top of the food chain, we¡¯ve now dwindled to the bottom. We don¡¯t even pass down our history to the next generation and moreover, we¡¯re divided amongst our own kind. This is also why, many things we know about ourselves are found in records written by humans. Take this werewolf for example, throughout her life she¡¯s never met her kind and all she knows about werewolves were told by humans. I do not want to be as ignorant as her.¡±


    Hao Ren knew that Vivian wanted to know more about her own kind by asking Raven 12345; he sensed that the chances of Vivian succeeding were low knowing Raven 12345¡¯s ability of beating around the bush and keeping her lips sealed. However, Hao Ren did not say a word.


    In that moment, Lily finally began to snap out of her daydream. The first thing that came through her mind was, ¡°Oh Landlord, what¡¯re we having for dinner?¡±


    Hao Ren could only remain speechless.


    He was suddenly jealous of the crude, simple as well as ridiculously innocent thoughts of this canine.


    After throwing a scornful look at Lily, Vivian stood up with a smile of her face. ¡°Let me prepare dinner since I do not have to pay for it. I¡¯ll be responsible for the cooking and cleaning until I get a job to pay my debts off. Is this arrangement okay?¡±


    Hao Ren waved his hands in order to show his generosity. ¡°There¡¯s no need for this. You¡¯re being too kind¡­¡±


    ¡°I should uphold my pride as a member of the Blood Clan. I can¡¯t stay and eat here for free without doing anything in return!¡± Vivian answered seriously.


    Being straightforward, Lily joined the conversation. ¡°You¡¯re already broke, please stop being so proud of yourself. So by pride of the Blood Clan, you mean become someone¡¯s maid in exchange for food?¡±


    Hao Ren immediately grabbed a piece of biscuit and stuffed it into Lily¡¯s hand to distract her, stopping her from continuing. ¡°What a silly and stubborn werewolf! She says whatever that comes up at the top of her head! She shouldn¡¯t have said that even if she wanted to pour salt on someone¡¯s wounds!¡±


    Hao Ren couldn¡¯t help but be proud of himself as he saw a vampire preparing dinner for him in the kitchen and a werewolf guarding his house in the living room. Ever since Rollie came into his life, Hao Ren was the one doing the chores and it¡¯s been a while that he felt so relaxed. Brushing off his worries, Hao Ren made himself a pot of tea and read the newspaper while he enjoyed the air conditioning; he imagined himself as someone who was all powerful, eating. On the other hand, Lily was hitting the TV (canines really knew how to make themselves at home) as she happily shouted, ¡°Landlord! There¡¯s TV signal now!¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s heart sank as he recalled the brick half that went through the TV station. He realized that he was actually just a high-class nanny, a nanny with very low fighting abilities.


    Hao Ren¡¯s life would take another turn once Vivian served dinner.

 Chapter 21

    Vivian preparing dinner in the kitchen was a shock to Hao Ren as she was 100% vampire. Look at the life of a vampire shown in TV shows: dressed in a black gown and red cape, living in a 20,000 square meter castle by the sea with plenty of slaves and treasure, a vampire sleeps from 6.00 a.m. to 8.00 p.m. A vampire drinks a bottle of 1982 vintage blood once awake and invites other creatures to party in the castle till midnight (this was called a ball); standing on the porch with a glass of red wine, the vampire will enjoy the sight of the moon until its time for bed. This is supposed to be the life of a vampire¨Dexciting and grand but low profile. Apparently, broke Vivian was not part of that list: not only did she not need to drink fresh blood to survive, she could eat the noodles crudely made by Hao Ren. Plus, she was cooking using a stove¡­


    Just thinking about all this was enough to make a person¡¯s jaw drop.


    As Vivian served the dishes that she prepared, Hao Ren realized that there were more surprises ahead!


    Vivian¡¯s cooking was not bad in general. However, the menu was peculiar: it consisted of stir-fried eggplant with garlic, green beans with minced garlic and noodles tossed with garlic paste¨Dall prepared with the perfect combination of color, aroma and taste. The entire living room was filled with the pungent smell of garlic that Hao Ren felt like he was swimming in a sea of garlic. The so-called vampire was at a corner of the dining table, eating cloves of raw garlic¡­ Even normal humans could not have coped with so much garlic!


    Seeing this, Hao Ren and Lily were stunned. Both looked at Vivian from head to toe and simultaneously asked, ¡°Are you really a vampire?¡±


    Vivian¡¯s expression immediately turned serious. ¡°Please refer to me as a member of the Blood Clan. This is a very serious issue¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop being contentious!¡± Hao Ren shouted, unable to take in what he just saw. ¡°So vamp¡­.. the Blood Clan is not afraid of garlic? You¡¯re eating garlic like rice!¡±


    Looking at the dishes, Vivian came to understand the situation. ¡°Oh, you meant this? Normal Blood Clan members are not fond of this and lowly vampires can get ill just by the scent of garlic. I¡¯ve no idea why I¡¯m like this¡­ I just know that I¡¯m unafraid of garlic. When life was hard, even getting a meal was an issue. Who would still be picky about the taste of their food?¡±


    Hao Ren was tongue tied; touching his nose he asked, ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to ask you this. Since you¡¯re a vamp¡­. Blood Clan member, why are you so broke?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve no idea. Ever since I can remember, I haven¡¯t been lucky with money. When currency did not exist I lost things, when shells were used as currency I would lose the shells, when coins were used I¡¯ll would lose the coins. Now, I always lose cash¡­ It¡¯s difficult looking for a job now or run a business. I was determined to rob someone last year but in the end, I took pity on her and gave her six British pounds of my own money instead¡­¡± Vivian threw her arms up as if accepting her bad luck which followed her from the past millennium. Whilst talking, a sense of delight flashed across Vivian¡¯s face. Upon searching herself, she found a silver armlet. ¡°I still have some valuable things with me. Look at this armlet. I didn¡¯t have the heart to exchange it for money even when I was at my poorest. I found this armlet, which was made from pure silver in a village in Egypt a few hundred years ago. It even protects one from evil spirits.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Hao Ren was speechless.


    Vivian then continued, taking out a necklace from her collar; a cross was dangling from the chain. ¡°I got this near the Vatican when I was living in Europe for some time. I had my purse stolen, I lost my job and the place that I was living in caught fire. I could only work odd jobs in a church as I was penniless. The church priest gave me this as a gift since I was hardworking. He even said he blessed this necklace himself. It can also ward off evil spirits!¡±


    ¡°Then there¡¯s this piece of wood I found near Mount Wutai. It was a gift from an old Taoist priest. It can also ward off evil spirits!¡±


    ¡°Also, I got this amulet from the Vikings a few hundred years ago after I did them a favor. It really works! It wards off evil spirits!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve concluded that there¡¯s a pattern: I¡¯ll lose the money that¡¯s with me. However, ever since humans used paper and coins as currency, I¡¯ve never lost any of my other possessions¡­¡±


    Hao Ren quietly put down his cutlery and pinched himself as hard as possible. Once he confirmed that he was not in a dream, he stared at Vivian and asked, ¡°Please tell me again, are you really a vampire?!¡±


    ¡°How many times do I need to say this, call me a member of the Blood Clan instead of a vamp¡­ Fine, forget it. You humans always get confused with this. Why are you concerned about this?¡±


    Looking at the ¡®vampire¡¯ in front of him who was wearing a large number of amulets and protective accessories (she was just wearing a plain black dress so, how did she manage to carry a vast amount of accessories under her clothes?), Hao Ren felt like he would have a heart attack soon. ¡°You need protection from evil spirits?!You¡¯re considered one yourself! Those things you¡¯re wearing alone could kill hundreds of vampires!¡±


    ¡°I have no clue,¡± Vivian answered indignantly. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not afraid of these things! And maybe they can help ward off my bad luck. Even if they don¡¯t do that, they make me braver.¡±


    Lily only raised her head once she finished the food in her bowl. ¡°As a vampire, you should feel embarrassed if you need to wear a cross to feel brave.¡±


    The silly werewolf was not stunned from Vivian¡¯s abnormal ways at all. Her focal point was indeed peculiar¡­


    They finished dinner in a weird mood and Hao Ren felt that he got to know a new Vivian. Not only was this vampire a broke one, she was not afraid of garlic, silver and the cross itself. She was not even afraid of those objects that warded off evil spirits. She had at least a few pounds worth of these items on her to help ward off her bad luck¨Da few pounds!


    This peculiar group welcomed its first peaceful and normal day as everyone went about their own business after dinner. There was a human landlord (also a worker of the Space Administration), a silly werewolf, a broke vampire and last but not least a black and white cat named Rollie. Hao Ren could not help but feel that it was a miracle for the lot of them to be able to live under the same roof.


    Lily was squatting in the living room watching TV. Yes, squatting. She was squatting like a dog and Rollie was beside her. Both looked like siblings. Lily was finally getting used to Rollie. Although still fidgety and would jump aside if she was in Rollie¡¯s way, at least she was not hiding at the back of the sofa anymore.


    Feeling energetic, Vivian went out for a stroll. As a nocturnal creature, Vivian¡¯s biological clock was most active after sunset. She decided that she would fly back to the city, hoping to find a job¡­ Hao Ren had a rough idea why the vampire was broke and had difficulty in her job hunt. Was it that hard to adjust her biological clock? Who¡¯s that crazy to look for a job at three in the morning?


    As Vivian transformed into a bat and disappeared into the dark night, Hao Ren took out a deck chair. He then proceeded to sit at an empty area outside his house. It was a secluded area and along with it was an exceptionally quiet environment. In front of the apartment was a large vacant lot that no one used. Thus, it had become Hao Ren¡¯s property over the years. It was a habit of Hao Ren¡¯s to sit there and feel the cool breeze while in deep thought. This natural environment was healthier than sitting in the house with air conditioning.


    Of course, his main intention was actually to avoid spending time with Lily alone for fear that his intelligence may be affected¡­ The silly werewolf was watching dog feed commercials on TV! Hao Ren felt that even if he hid himself in his bedroom and was segregated by a wall, he would still lose a third of his intelligence!


    Summer nights in the north were cooler than the south. Reclining on the deck chair in his usual spot and listening to the indistinctive sounds of insects at night, Hao Ren started to feel sleepy.


    In his semiconscious, state, Hao Ren felt an unfamiliar blow of wind on his cheek.


    The gust of wind was refreshing yet slightly cold. It was not the type of wind that came from the hustle and bustle of humans in a modern city. This gust of wind woke Hao Ren up completely. He jumped to his feet and folded the deck chair.


    However, he already had a look of his strange surroundings.

 Chapter 22

    Hao Ren got up using both his hands and feet, all the while holding onto his thigh as he mumbled to himself, ¡°Shit, is it even possible to continue my life as a happy earthling¡­¡±


    He was 100% sure that he was still relaxing and enjoying the shade outside his house, surrounded by old streets as well as lanes familiar to him for the past 20 years. The dilapidated house, potholes and cement roads were vividly within his visual field. He had only squinted slightly when the surrounding environment has changed completely.


    Hao Ren found himself standing atop a vast prairie.


    Overlooking the endless expanse, was only green grass as tall as his calf. The grass spread out, swayed and danced beneath his feet as the night breeze cooler than that of the city¡¯s hit him. Hao Ren tilted his head and looked towards the sky. What he saw was something he had never seen in the city: a clear and pristine sky filled with stars so bright that the concentrated light made it possible for him to view the scene on the prairie clearly.


    In the distant horizon, two silvery lights of different sizes slowly rose to the sky. A silvery halo could be seen on the edge of the bigger one ¨C two moons!


    ¡°I knew I shouldn¡¯t have read that many novels.¡± Hao Ren stared at the two moons which slowly rose up into the sky. The night was covered with stars he did not recognize (Though, he did not know many stars back on earth either). He finally jumped to his feet and exclaimed, ¡°Did I just motherfucking travel through space?¡±


    It was not the first time Hao Ren pinched his thigh with so much strength, he could barely walk in order to determine that he was not dreaming. What in the world was in front of him? Could you actually get thrown into a different world while cooling off by the curb? My God, not to mention, he still had two monsters at home waiting to fed!


    Hao Ren¡¯s mind was in a mess, running through countless simulations like a revolving lantern. He could think of several classic cases of inter-world travel. He then thought of the two problems back at home as well as his recently acquired identity as an agent of the Space Administration. Yet, in the end, all his thoughts and ideas just turned into a long sigh. He realized that he could not sit still and wait because he suddenly heard the howling of wolves¡­


    Hao Ren bid a final farewell to his recliner chair and walked towards the direction of the two bright moons. He could vaguely see the silhouette of buildings in that direction. At least, it was a target he could move towards. Of course, he knew that wandering around like a headless chicken in an unfamiliar environment was not the smartest move. He was either aimlessly wasting strength or he waiting to meet with larger threats. Most importantly however, factor was the feeling that he had teleported! The process of reaching the place was unusual in itself. Waiting for someone to save him on site was practically impossible so, he thought he may as well take a look at his surroundings and decide on what to do later.


    ¡°The landing point isn¡¯t even reliable, throwing me onto a prairie as big as this without a tree in sight. How am I supposed to survive?¡±


    The cold night on the prairie was pressing. Hao Ren could only hold onto his arm as he walked and muttered, ¡°Am I destined to eat grass? If I encounter poisonous grass, I¡¯ll be dead meat. It¡¯d be great if there was a forest. I¡¯d be able to chop a tree and create a workbench. Then maybe, I¡¯d be able to survive¡­¡± (Minecraft joke)


    Obviously, Hao Ren was not a qualified inter-dimension traveler. A few minutes upon his arrival at an unfamiliar environment, his brain had already run wild. These were not at all the qualities displayed by a qualified inter-world traveler upon entering unfamiliar territory. One should be calm and collected as well as wise and decisive. However, he just could not control his thoughts from running amok. That would at the very least, disperse and reduce the tension plus uneasy feeling that cut right into his bone. He was just a normal person, an obscure citizen muddling through everyday life. Just three days ago, his biggest life crisis was not being able to rent out his house. Just a simple citizen, how could you expect him to calm down, become decisive and smart in such a situation?


    The faint howling of wolves could be heard from a distance but then again, it could have simply been illusions caused by the great tension he felt. Hao Ren could not help but think of the werewolf with the tiny brain problem back at home. Lily could also howl like that and it definitely sounded much better. It would have been wonderful if that werewolf was there¡­ Although her mental capacity was quite limited, it should have been enough to deal with wild wolves, right? Anyway, he did not even know whether she would be able to get along with Vivian if he did not manage to return. Both of them would have surely demolished the house. He was going to let them demolish it then, since it would no longer be related to him anyway.


    So, it was with such a chaotic state of mind that Hao Ren walked on a seemingly endless prairie. His surrounding was so vast that he felt as if the scenery around him had not changed at all despite after walking for so long. If not for the reclining chair that had disappeared behind him and the guidance provided by the two bright moons ahead, he might have believed that he was just going in circles around the same spot.


    The surrounding temperature gradually lowered as a windy night on a broad prairie was not something a T-shirt could hold off. At first, Hao Ren felt that the air was fresh and crisp. Yet, as time went by he had begun to miss the slightly hot and polluted air on Earth which surrounded him half an hour ago.


    At that precise moment, another howl could be heard. This time, it was much closer and as clear as day. It was definitely not an illusion.


    Hao Ren felt the hair on his back stand. The sixth sense that he had been harboring for the past 25 years instantly kick-started. He realized that he had unknowingly walk into a tall grass area, with grass tall enough to cover his knee. In all directions, glowing green eyes gradually appeared, like they were floating out from the darkness.


    Shadows of wolves similar to ghosts gradually appeared from within the grass. Hao Ren had no idea how they were able to close the distance that much without him noticing. To be honest, he was completely petrified at that moment. He had seen this scenario before!


    Lucky enough, despite being a simple and normal citizen, Hao Ren also had a calm and dependable side. He restrained his impulse to run away and scream loudly as he knew that it would only accelerate his death. Hao Ren confronted the wolf pack, thinking hard to find a way out of the situation. His mind was filled with emotions of hopelessness. He had nowhere to vent. ¡°Can I get any unluckier? To die in this ridiculous situation, what¡¯s up with that!?¡±


    If only he had on him a weapon of defense. Although he knew with certainty that even if he was holding onto the Dragon Yan Yue Spear, it would still be impossible to defeat the 20 to 30 wolves in front of him. However, at least having a weapon would aid in his courage. Unfortunately, after cautiously groping all over his body for a long time, he only found a traditional Nokia¡­ Okay, so this thing is, in a sense, a superweapon. If tied with a stick, it could even possibly become a war hammer. That aside, this was a life and death situation so, we should stop with the jokes!


    The wolves of course, did not grant Hao Ren the chance to be lost in his fantasies and conjectures. As soon as he became distracted, the wolf closest to him rushed towards him without a sound. Hao Ren only saw a dark shadow hurling towards him. Its shape seemed to be different from the wolves of earth. All he could do was subconsciously block it with his arm¡­


    ¡°Landlord! Landlord!¡± An urging call came by his ear.


    Hao Ren felt a sharp pain coming from his brain. The whole world suddenly became fuzzy and turned upside down. In a semi-conscious state, he opened his eyes. He saw the familiar street, old house and misty, city night sky that had close to zero stars as well as Lily¡¯s stupid face.


    Hao Ren breathed in hard. He did not manage to do this as he was rushed by the wolf. After that, he looked around drowsily. ¡°So, does this mean I¡¯ve returned?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by return?¡± Lily exclaimed, poking Hao Ren¡¯s arm before pulling him up. ¡°Landlord, you haven¡¯t returned to the house in half a day. The one with the wings asked me to come get you, and then I saw you lying on the floor. Oh yes, and moaning in a weird manner.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s arm was almost dislocated as he was pulled up by the mighty yet silly werewolf. Whatever the outcome, he was wide awake at that moment. He noticed that his body was fine and as he turned his head around, saw that the recliner had at some point, fallen on the floor. With that, he concluded that the unbelievably realistic ¡®inter-dimensional travel¡¯ experience was only a dream. He was not sure if wanted to cry or laugh.


    However, wasn¡¯t that dream a little too real?


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, I just had a dream.¡± Hao Ren waved at Lily, slightly touched that he still had two troublemakers at home who cared about him. If only they would stop fighting each other, that would have been so much better. Just as Hao Ren waved his hand, he noticed something sticking out from the gaps of his tightly clenched fist, an aftereffect of his nightmare¡ªa handful of black, wolf fur.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Hao Ren jumped up and threw the wolf fur away as if they were burning coal.


    ¡°What the hell!?¡±

 Chapter 23

    Under the street lights, Hao Ren picked up the wolf fur which he found on the ground. Despite being drenched in cold sweat, he managed to regain his composure quickly thanks to the ¡®training¡¯ he had in numerous past encounters . He first wanted to make sure that there were no other suspicious signs within the vicinity¡ªa lesson he learned while spending the previous two days with Lily and Vivian. The presence of ¡®the other kind¡¯ could usually be detected simply by identifying the characteristic signs and phenomena. For example, the breath and beastly smell of a werewolf or the blood-tinged chill of a vampire. He felt that the dream had to somehow be related to ¡®the other kind¡¯ (after all, he had bumped into many of them during the last couple of days) although, his sixth sense detected no trace of any anomalies.


    ¡°Landlord?¡± Lily looked at him, her eyes appeared unusually bright and spooky in the dark. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Did you find anything amiss?¡± Hao Ren knew that the wolf was a highly vigilant creature. He could still vividly remember the moment of the wolf¡¯s attack in his dream.


    Lily got down on the floor and sniffed around carefully. After that, she got up and shook her head. ¡°None that I could find. Everything is as usual. You saw something unusual?¡±


    ¡°Never mind, let¡¯s head back.¡± Hao Ren took the wolf fur in his hand as he headed back home. Lily carried the deckchair and followed cluelessly from behind.


    Back in the living room, Hao Ren sat on the sofa looking solemn and quiet. Sitting across him were Lily and Vivian who did not have a clue what was brewing in his mind. An old coffee table had been placed in the middle by Hao Ren as the previous one was wrecked by Lily and Vivian earlier on. Placing the wolf fur on the table, Hao Ren confessed to Vivian, ¡°I saw something strange.¡±


    He talked about the strange dream he had in great detail. He told them especially about the vast grassland and two silver moons, hanging in the sky. ¡°I got this when I woke up from the dream. I may have taken a shortcut to the other side or mastered reality warping superpowers,¡± he joshed, pointing at the wolf fur.


    Vivian did not find it amusing. She raised her eyebrows while picking up some of fur from the table. ¡°It has the smell of an animal, not of black magic. This is definitely animal hair. Hey, big dog! Can you please confirm this?¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Lily took the wolf fur. ¡°It smells very different from what I know. It has a different scent¡­ the smell of another city¡ªa mixture of soil and grass in it. This subtle variance can only be picked up by werewolves.¡± Then suddenly, it hit her. She banged the table as she lashed out at Vivian, ¡°Wait a minute, who did you just call a big dog?!¡±


    ¡°Oh c¡¯mon, be gentle!¡± Hao Ren pleaded. The old table could have met with the same fate as the tea table if Lily was in a transformed state instead. He turned to Vivian, ¡°So, what do you think? Was it some kind of magic?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty simple to explain if it¡¯s just a dream; sorcery and hypnotism could have achieved the same thing.¡± Vivian¡¯s eyebrows were still raised. ¡°I could build a dream world big enough for hundreds to dream in without them realizing it was a dream. If one was creative enough, the person would believe he had made it to the other side. But I still can¡¯t explain the object you brought out from the dream. As far as I know at least, there isn¡¯t any magic which could have done that. It couldn¡¯t possibly be magic. The dark side is a much more complicated world than I had imagined.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, it could be this¡­¡± Lily eagerly interjected. ¡°First, he was induced into a premeditated dream by way of sorcery or hypnosis, and the wolf fur could have been planted in his hand while he was asleep¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh please, can you say something more constructive?¡± Vivian chimed in before Lily could finish her sentence.


    However, Hao Ren found that what Lily said was completely plausible. Her simple mind aside, her theory was a perfect explanation for what could have been an unsolvable mystery. Sometimes complex questions had simple answers.


    Nonetheless, Lily had already ruled out the involvement of ¡®the other kind¡¯ so, her argument that it was a premeditated act did not hold up.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that what I got into was of something unusual; as sure as I am that God made little, green apples.¡± Hao Ren sighed. ¡°That¡¯s just fate. Whatever comes, let it come but before that, I need to take a break!¡±


    Both Lily and Vivian had learned that Hao Ren was conned into signing a fishy employment agreement with the self-proclaimed Goddess. Vivian was a smart girl¡ªway smarter than Lily. She could see in Hao Ren the quality of extraordinary adaptability and guts as well as the ability to think on his feet despite his humble background as a sluggish youth, who wanted no trouble. Yet, Vivian did not know any ways to make him a superhuman overnight.


    ¡°Did Raven 12345 leave you any cheat codes or something?¡± Lily asked as she laid her face on the table. ¡°I read from human novels that if you work for a God, the God will provide you with some kind of personal protective gears?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, she may have forgotten. I didn¡¯t ask either,¡± he said as it just crossed his mind. ¡°I¡¯ll ask when I see her. Anyway, I tried to call but I couldn¡¯t reach her cellphone. I guess another trip to that place is necessary. I have a goddamn feeling that the Space Administration is a broken reed.¡±


    ¡°You already had your first, strange dream. You need to fix the problem right at the source. I think it¡¯s a day late and a dollar short now. As per sorcery norms, you¡¯ll continue to experience the same dream again unless, you¡¯re a bullfrog that doesn¡¯t sleep.¡± As Vivian talked, she slowly shapeshifted into a vampire. ¡°I¡¯ll give you an amulet. It will protect you from whatever sorcery or black magic.¡±


    The many talismans she wore caught Hao Ren¡¯s eyes. ¡°Do those things even work?¡± he asked cheekily.


    ¡°Who said that I was going to give you that?¡± Vivian¡¯s eyebrows were raised. ¡°What I mean is the power of the Blood Clan!¡±


    Without hesitation, Vivian bit her finger and a drop of golden red blood was seen coming out from her fingertip. ¡°Come over, I¡¯m going to rub it on the back of your hand. It¡¯s powerful enough to stop the worst sorcerous dream.¡±


    Hao Ren hesitantly reached out and looked on as Vivian rubbed the blood onto his hand. ¡°Legend has it that vampire blood can help turn humans into vampires. So, am I being turned right now?¡±


    ¡°Not in a million years,¡± she sneered. ¡°Humans believed that a vampire bite is the vampire¡¯s way to reproduce. If that¡¯s true, we wouldn¡¯t have to endure the persecution from the monster hunters and the church. We would have taken over the world since the bronze age.¡±


    While relating the history of human¡¯s brutal persecution of the vampires, Vivian as a vampire herself, did not show signs of hostility towards Hao Ren.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡±


    Vivian yelled as she was shocked to see the drop of blood had disappeared the moment it made contact with Hao Ren¡¯s hand.


    The blood was completely absorbed.

 Chapter 24

    Vivian was persistent. She squeezed out another drop of flesh blood and applied it onto the back of Hao Ren¡¯s hand. Lily joined them curiously as they fixed their eyes on the drop of blood expectantly.


    The blood emanated a golden red halo as it wriggled on the surface of the skin for a few seconds before collapsing quickly on its own and disappearing before their eyes.


    ¡°It looks like its being absorbed.¡± Hao Ren flinched and scratched the back of his hand. He was shocked as the blood on his hand had come to life. He managed not to shake it off, knowing that Vivian, the vampire would not harm him. ¡°I felt nothing¡ªjust a little itchy and cool sensation in the beginning.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s normal because the body temperature of one from the Blood Clan is a few degrees lower than a human¡¯s.¡± Vivian looked at her finger. The tiny bite wound had already healed itself. She was hesitant for a moment after which, she took another bite and squeezed out another drop of blood. ¡°Let¡¯s try this once last time then, I¡¯ll need to conserve my precious life fluid.¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, it¡¯s just a teeny-tiny drop of blood,¡± Lily, as mischievous as ever, seized the opportunity to mock her.


    ¡°A drop of blood is still blood!¡± Vivian hit back. ¡°Back in the days when I was not yet adapted to human food, I fed on fresh blood. I was always being watched by monster hunters while I was out for blood. I was so broke and couldn¡¯t even afford to keep a blood slave¡ªI even had to save my vital fluid during that time of the month just to make ends meet. You have no idea how the seamy side of life is unless you¡¯ve lived it¡­¡±


    Hao Ren could not take it anymore. He butt in before things got out of hand. ¡°Alright, alright, we can picture it in our brains. Stop wailing about your miserable past so openly. You might expose my weaknesses¡­¡±


    ¡°Landlord, how about waiving a month¡¯s rental for me?¡± Lily jested.


    ¡°¡­I was talking to Vivian, mind you.¡±


    Amid the brouhaha, Vivian tested her blood on Hao Ren again, murmuring some ancient incantations. Hao Ren felt the chill and stink of blood again. The blood wriggled for a moment on his skin before disappearing just like before.


    ¡°The connection¡¯s lost.¡± Vivian frowned. ¡°This has never happened before. The Blood Clan have have a live link with their blood, sort of like a communication link. The link stays connected as long as the blood isn¡¯t actively cast away.¡±


    ¡°Then what?¡± Hao Ren scratched his face. ¡°Can I still count on you?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Maybe we should try Lily¡¯s blood?¡± Vivian¡¯s eyebrows waggled as she turned her eyes on Lily. ¡°Her blood may work.¡±


    ¡°A werewolf¡¯s blood?¡± Lily was surprised by the suggestion. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that my blood could be of use.¡±


    ¡°No, I mean haven¡¯t you heard the Chinese saying, ¡®A black dog¡¯s blood can break the power of evil spells¡¯?¡±


    The two super girls were at it again, fighting like cats and dogs. Meanwhile, Hao Ren looked on with no intention to break up the fight. He only said, ¡°You break it, you pay for it.¡± He was referring to the things in the house and his old table.


    Those six words did wonders; the ruckus stopped.


    Hao Ren looked at his hands¡ªthey were no different from any other hands. He was curious as to how the vampire¡¯s blood could be absorbed by his skin. The outcome was unlike any magical power depicted in the vampire movies. It seemed like it could not even be compared to human blood. Of course, movies were not the right places to dig if one wanted the truth but, as far as the Blood Clan was concerned, the magical power was as real as it got. At the very least, human blood would normally never come to life and wriggle on its own.


    ¡°The Blood Clan¡¯s mark is not working in this case.¡± Vivian looked at Hao Ren as if she had more tricks up her sleeve. ¡°You¡¯ve got to trust me this time. Be ready for the magic of Blood Clan¡ª without blood as a medium!¡±


    ¡°Show me what you¡¯ve got.¡± Hao Ren giggled.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite a nice guy,¡± Vivian flipped her hand open as she rattled on. ¡°Most humans were not as compliant as you are unless they were simpletons. When I was in Europe 300 years ago, people over there would rather die than give in to my blood magic. They were such pig-heads!¡±


    Hao Ren muttered as he wondered whether Vivian had forgotten how vampires terrorized humans with their magic.


    Vivian signaled Hao Ren to sit still while she drew something in the air with her finger. Hao Ren gaped because for the first time ever, he was about to witness true magic. He was amazed at the sight of her finger moving swiftly and forming a bloody-red trail of light. She wrote row after row of strange, illegible words; she would wipe off what she had written before continuing on to the next row. As she was doing that, Hao Ren suddenly became skeptical. He found that her so-called magic of the Blood Clan was nothing more than a text memorizing gimmick. He did not feel any magical power apart from the eye-catching special effects.


    Her finger moved faster as she wrote. She kept wiping off the sentence before starting the next one, again and again, it went on. Hao Ren was cheesed off and could not hold back. ¡°Are you done yet?¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute, that one isn¡¯t right. I have to rewrite it¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    Only then, it began to sink in. The reason behind her repetitive writing and wiping was simply because she was making mistakes!


    ¡°That¡¯s not right either,¡± Vivian had not noticed that Hao Ren was already annoyed. She kept on writing for a while before shaking her head. Then she said, ¡°It couldn¡¯t possibly be a mistake. I have revised the sentence three times in three different structures¡­ Landlord, do you feel drowsy, peaceful or relaxed?¡±


    ¡°There is a peaceful feeling in my heart but, I guess your magic has got nothing to do with it.¡±


    ¡°You, the big dog over there¡­¡± Vivian turned to Lily. ¡°Freeze.¡±


    Vivian waved her hand and the bloody-red trails of words were transformed into a cloud of fog. Lily fell, snoring on the table as the fog engulfed her.


    ¡°¡­That was intense. Her defense is rather weak,¡± Vivian frowned again as she spoke to Hao Ren. ¡°I have no idea why my blood magic doesn¡¯t work on you.¡±


    Hao Ren was wide-eyed. He stared at his own hands in disbelief. ¡°Am I something I don¡¯t know? Am I immune against magic by default?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess so because your nerves are damaged and you¡¯re a slowpoke.¡±


    ¡°Hey, mind you, you still owe me some money.¡±


    ¡°Jokes aside, immunity against magic isn¡¯t possible as far as I know. I¡¯m sensitive to all living things and I can sense that you¡¯re definitely just a normal human being. You weren¡¯t even immune against the chill I created! You may get your answer from Raven 12345 when you see her. Anyway, as far as your agreement with her goes, I sense that there is something fishy going on. There could be changes by the time you return. Until then, you shall use my amulet.¡±


    After all the commotion, things were back to square one as blood magic was nothing more than a juggling act. All he had was a piece of amulet¡ªthe Eight Trigrams, which was a mystic tablet Vivian claimed to have originated from Mount Wutai¡­


    Vivian gave the Eight Trigrams to Hao Ren; it was one of the amulets in her vast collection of mystic items. Her concern for him had touched his heart.


    However, did the Eight Trigrams work?

 Chapter 25

    For three consecutive nights, Hao Ren did not have a bad dream and he firmly believed that the Eight Trigrams Vivian gave him had nothing to do with it.


    First of all, he knew for a fact that the tablet of Eight Trigrams was not an amulet but a tool to map Feng Shui energy. Second of all, he found a small print at the edge of the trigrams. It was the name of the manufacturer, which appeared to be from the Sichuan province.


    However, he kept mum about it.


    Although he was relieved by the absence of bad dreams, the mystery of the wolf fur still hung over his head. He had a feeling that unusual creatures could be watching him in the dark. Nevertheless, he was an optimist and decided to meet Raven 12345 again to talk it over. Until then, he resolved to let nothing bother him.


    In fact, he had attempted to look for Raven 12345 a couple of days ago but he did not manage to see the weird Goddess.


    Hao Ren followed the same route¡ªhe took a bus to Bastard Barrio and reached the telephone pole with the Chinese medicine bill on it. He was then teleported to the inverted mansion somewhere in another dimension. So, he figured that since he could come back to the mansion the same way he did the first time, it was not a dream. However, he did not manage to see Raven 12345. There were only a few blue, foggy figures patrolling the property. It was obvious that they were slaves working for Raven 12345. The blue, foggy figures seemed to be highly intelligent creatures but they spoke no human language. Naturally, there was no communication between them.


    One of the blue, foggy figures then handed Hao Ren a note. It was from Raven 12345. She said that she went on a business trip to the Centaurus constellation for a few days. If she found the trip enjoyable it might be a few years before she would be coming back.


    Right after that, Hao Ren was ushered out of the mansion.


    ¡°She¡¯s being absurd.¡±


    He browsed some magazines in the living room with the air-conditioning on full blow. His mind was still on his last trip to the Bastard Barrio office of the Space Administration. The trip left a bad taste in his mouth. He could not wait to see Raven 12345 to clear all his doubts. He felt like he was being engulfed by a thick fog. He had lost all direction, and just did not know where to start. Raven 12345, the nutty Goddess, was the only person who could help clear his head.


    Her obsessive compulsive disorder would have driven him crazy if not for his good emotional intelligence.


    While Vivian and Lily were around, he had the opportunity to learn a thing or two about them and ¡®the other kind¡¯.


    ¡®The other kind¡¯ was a term Hao Ren randomly chose to refer to Vivian and Lily the day he met them. They both seemed to be comfortable with it.


    It was not possible to trace back the origin of ¡®the other kind¡¯. They existed alongside human civilization and there were various records as well as legends about them. They were brutally persecuted by the church during medieval times as well as by the Chinese dynasties. Their stories were then incorporated into literature and folklore. For people living in this modern age, creatures like vampires, werewolves, monsters and spirits of the dead are merely fictitious characters in horror stories and thrillers .However, they appeared in the flesh and were seen by various eye-witnesses during the earlier periods.


    ¡®The other kind¡¯ were treated as a threat to humanity. Though there was no account of the earliest conflict, the war between ¡®the other kind¡¯ and humans began long before recorded history. In spite of that, stories of friendship did exist. During the Caveman era, they were depicted in the drawings of monsters, Gods or half-beast, half-human creatures on the cave walls. Some of them were results of creative exaggeration and humans with structural birth defects due marrying their cousins. The rest were truly ¡®the other kind¡¯.


    They were a part of early human history; their role was that of the antagonists.


    Vivian was from that early era but, her memory was messed up probably because she was a bit long in the tooth. Nevertheless, she still recalled bits and pieces; one bit which Hao Ren heard about was that of Zeus¡ªGod of the skies and thunder.


    During the early ages, ¡®the other kind¡¯ had many unfair advantages over human kind; they had super perception, longevity, nine lives and were also highly intelligent. The rise of human kind¡¯s absolute rule however, had driven ¡®the other kind¡¯ into becoming monsters of terror. Despite that, there were exceptions. The exact cause of their fall was not clear but there were three possible reasons: firstly, as human kind became more civilized and developed, they started developing various tools as well as weaponry, becoming more united and powerful. The widely scattered creatures were no match for humans on their own. In the end, they were defeated one by one. Secondly, their downfall was due to some mysterious entity and thirdly, the emergence of monster hunters.


    The third factor was also the most impactful.


    Monster hunters had a partial human lineage but no one could accurately tell their exact origin. Their emergence saw a worldwide hunt for ¡®the other kind¡¯. The term ¡®monster hunter¡¯ did exactly exist in the beginning. It was only coined by the European Council during the medieval period and popularized thereafter. The European continent was the last place on earth still ravaged by ¡®the other kind¡¯ then. Most of them had already been wiped out from the rest of the world by the human-monster hunter alliance. Terms for various species which constituted ¡®the other kind¡¯ and the term, ¡®monster hunter¡¯ were finalized during that time in Europe.


    From being kings of the world to fugitives, ¡®the other kind¡¯ were edged out from the world¡¯s history.


    This alternate history completely destroyed Hao Ren¡¯s worldviews.


    He then started to show more interest in the two super girls in his house.


    Lily was a relatively young werewolf¡ªdozens of years at most. She was all brawn and no brains She did not have much stories of werewolves to tell. Vivian on the other hand, was on the opposite end of the spectrum; she was from the prestigious Blood Clan who had lived as long as the existence of human civilization. Oddly, she barely remembered her own stories except bits and pieces of them. Also, she slept anywhere she felt like. She was unlike her kind which were hell-bent on terrorizing humans. She spent most of her time battling her own bad days. Suffice to say, as far as vampires went, she was the black sheep of the Blood Clan.


    To human kind however, she was a human-friendly girl.


    All in all, she fell between two stools.

 Chapter 26

    For a moment, Hao Ren imagined his everyday life would be undone by the arrival of his two special guests; his idyllic and simple life, gone with the wind. Images of him fighting off combat police or superheroes replayed in his mind again and again.


    However, after a few days, things remained the same. Nothing seemed to have changed.


    The arrival of the two ladies did zilch in changing his routine.


    Lily¡¯s daily routine mainly consisted of sleeping, eating, more eating, even more eating, getting into a brawl with Vivian, and writing stuff¡ªthe lass was quite an accomplished columnist after all. Basically, her life was simple yet colorful and she seemed to be enjoying it up to that point.


    As for Vivian, well, she had a more exciting tale compared to Lily. Sleeping, eating, fighting with Lily, job hunting, getting fired, job hunting again and getting fired again¡­ad infinitum. To be frank, Hao Ren could only sigh at her streak of bad luck. Three new jobs in the span of three days, imagine that.


    Yet, Hao Ren could not help but be amazed by her resourcefulness. Getting a job that quickly in such an unfamiliar place was no easy feat. That said, the longest she managed to hold a job thus far was about three hours.


    It was a shame that Hao Ren did not have the chance to witness her bad luck unfold. Only towards the end of the day, when she came home looking worse than a sack of potatoes that he knew she screwed up somewhere. He thought he could maybe peek in at her workplace sometime, just to see how she would end up getting fired.


    Living with the two ladies up until that point was about as normal as one could get. Sure, they had their quirks but they were not outrageous enough to rattle Hao Ren.


    One would think that a vampire like Vivian would be out bloodletting every now and then, or a werewolf like Lily would be howling at the moon and be out chasing rabbits. Yet, neither of this actually happened. Quite the opposite, they actually went on about their lives as how you would expect normal human would. It seemed to be their way of life since they were young.


    In a sense, Hao Ren was both disappointed and grateful. At least he did not have to contend with any combat police or superheroes.


    Although the effects of the weird dream had somewhat dissipated, it still left Hao Ren with goosebumps whenever he recalled it. There was nothing much he could do but wait for the return of the weird Goddess. At the same time, he also slowly got used to the routines of his new guests at home.


    Lily was already up and about in the morning. She was busy choosing her outfit of the day. This lass may have seemed a little dumb at times but she was pretty much what you would expect of a usual girl. Maybe except when Rollie decided to pounce on her. She would end up on all fours in a fright.


    ¡°Going out?¡± Hao Ren asked out of curiosity as he saw her milling about.


    ¡°Yep! I got a patient to see today,¡± Lily replied as she tidied her dress. ¡°Things seem to be going on pretty nicely in this town. I¡¯ve been doin¡¯ good in my writings, rental¡¯s easy peasy and I got my first patient too¡­¡±


    Vivian who was tidying up the guest hall, perked up when she heard Lily. ¡°You? A doctor?!¡±


    Hao Ren realized that Vivian did not know that Lily was actually working. She was not around when Lily first introduced herself. Aside from butting heads every now and then, both of them never actually took the time to know each other. Hao Ren thought it was a good time to clarify things. ¡°Lily¡¯s a freelance veterinarian.¡±


    Lily suddenly turned towards Vivian. She stuck her chest out and with gusto said, ¡°I¡¯m a certified professional ya know?¡± She grinned. ¡°Been so for about 10 years now. I¡¯m also a bona fide columnist. I¡¯ve been writtin¡¯ from the time of the Republic*. You know Zhou Shuren? I¡¯m a good friend of his! Heheh!¡±


    Hao Ren was slouching on his chair and reading some magazines at that time. The shock he received from Lily¡¯s proclamation made him topple with a stunned look. ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a professional?¡± Lily blinked at the sight of his reaction. ¡°When I was living in the midst of human society, writing was my rice bowl¡­ I only became a vet some years back. I have actually done some treatment before ya know?¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about that!¡± Hao Ren said. All this while, he thought Lily was not the sharpest tool in the shed and did not pay her much attention. ¡°You said, from the time of the Republic¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yep, I did write a lot then. Did the people of the Republic not read?¡± Lily titled her head. ¡°I¡¯ve been alive for¡­ quite some time already. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve forgotten all about that?¡±


    Hao Ren was stuck in a stupor. He only came to realize how different these special beings were compared to humans. Even for the dumb werewolf¡­ her past was quite a revelation!


    True, he actually heard Lily and Vivian talk about their past before but he never paid much attention to them as their stories sounded more like fairy tales more often than not. It was only then, did he actually realize the vast gap between their generations.


    Seeing how stunned Hao Ren was at Lily¡¯s past, Vivian, a very much older being was naturally unhappy about it. She forcefully dragged Lily to the side and sneered, ¡°Listen now, you furball. Have you actually fought with Acherus* before, or kicked Woday* and Kaiser* into a moat? Have you kicked the Flame Emperor into¡­ wait, I haven¡¯t done that yet. And oh! The Yellow Emperor, what a man!¡±


    Hao Ren sighed deeply. The conversation between the two supernatural beings was clearly much more engaging than any book in the world.


    Lily did not even blink when she heard Vivian¡¯s achievements. ¡°So what? Did fighting with Acherus earn you money? Did kicking Woday and Kaiser into the moat fill your pockets?¡±


    ¡°Why not?! I charged for that!¡±


    ¡°Then where¡¯s your sack of gold?¡±


    ¡°¡­. lets talk about something else.¡±


    Hao Ren was now having cold feet. The conversation that took place that day clearly could not be disclosed anywhere else. The world would be in a riot at such a revelation. Vivian may have acted like a potato sack but she was definitely no slouch during her heyday. If the tales of their past were true, what else had the history of human civilization been neglecting?


    Vivian¡¯s Achilles heel was clearly her luck with money or anything related to it. Even Lily, the idiot picked up on it and quite happily reveled in the schadenfreude. Vivian knew she had no second word when it came to that so, she just quietly went about cleaning the house.


    Hao Ren was actually surprised that Vivian actually asked him for that. At least she was aware of her bad luck and did the housework to shave off part of the food and rental expenses.


    Her attitude was another pleasant surprise for Hao Ren. He did have his doubts about letting her do such menial jobs but Vivian was adamant. Well, it was not cheap to have a live-in maid let alone, such a pretty one. Thus, it was a win-win situation for Hao Ren.


    Lily was by then, out and about. Hao Ren did not even have the chance to ask her how she got a veterinarian gig in a place foreign to her. However, he could pretty much picture Lily squatting by the local strays and chatting with them, almost kin-like. With such talents, it was no wonder why she was such a spectacular vet.


    After all was said and done, Hao Ren proceeded to get back to reading his crumpled magazine when his mobile phone rang.


    Hao Ren felt that something was evidently off. When he grabbed the device, the only thing that appeared on screen was a series of numbers.


    ¡°00000012345.¡±


    The loony Goddess finally decided to show up again.

 Chapter 27

    Clutching the buzzing mobile phone, Hao Ren was very much agitated. His thoughts jumbled, heck, even his hands felt like a wobbly mess. All this while, the old Nokia was vibrating furiously in his hand.


    A normal phone call wouldn¡¯t have elicited such a reaction, but god knows how Raven12345 did it, the buzzing of the phone was akin to a boombox. Much of it was to make sure Hao Ren did not miss her call, but the buzzing could even be heard a few blocks away.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Hao Ren took the call, weary of any pranks Raven12345 would pull to scare the daylight out of him.


    ¡°Yo! Hao Ren, still alive? Did ya take good care of the new guests?¡± Raven12345 spoke chirpily. It seems like she was still her usual self. ¡°I messed up the other time. It seems that you are not the only one to have a furball of a werewolf at your place. I think you have someone from the Blood Clan as well, is she there? How¡¯s things going? Nothin¡¯ wrong I hope? Was out doing stuff earlier, oh, let me tell you about the Blue Horn Nebula¡­.¡±


    Hao Ren was pretty much floored by the pace Raven12345 went about blabbering. Thankfully he still held on to his wits and interrupted the loony Goddess ¡°Hold on, hold on, I need to see you about something!¡±


    ¡°Something? Wazzit?¡± Raven12345 sounded puzzled. ¡°Oh, you mean your salary? I haven¡¯t actually thought about that¡­ Oh wait, or is it about your benefits? It¡¯s not even the end of the month yet¡­.¡¯


    ¡®Can you please let me speak?!¡¯ Hao Ren finally snapped and yelled at the phone. He regained his train of thoughts not long after and quickly cowered. He had just raised his voice at the loony Goddess. Some random thunderbolt would probably be striking him down any time now.


    Lucky for Hao Ren, the sky was clear. At least he won¡¯t be zapped by a thunderbolt this time around. Raven12345 demurred for a moment and chirpily went ¡°Oh, sorry bout¡¯ that, got all excited from that trip. Go on, hehehehe.¡±


    Hao Ren wiped off his cold sweat, thanking lady luck for Raven12345¡¯s apparent good mood. ¡°Right¡­ I still can¡¯t make heads of tails after you left so suddenly. I ran into something really weird, and there¡¯s that dream too¡­¡±


    Raven12345 was silent, for once, when Hao Ren told her about the reality-altering dream that he had. Well, until Hao Ren finished talking at least.


    ¡°Oh¡­slurrrrppp¡­. You had a dream like that huh? Slrrruppp¡­ That complicates things a bisssslurrrpp¡­ Why not you drop by my plaissslurpppp¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on over there?¡± Hao Ren wondered at the distorted speech.


    ¡°Huh? Slurrrrppppp, oh I¡¯m having cup noodles!¡¯ Raven12345 continued eating ¡°I forgot about breakfast earlier.¡±


    Good lord above, did she just went to prepare her cup noodle when he was talking about the dream?!


    Hao Ren recollected his thoughts, and after confirming with Raven12345 the meeting spot, he went out after changing into a more proper attire. Vivian was preparing some light snacks for Rollie and saw Hao Ren getting ready. ¡°Heading out to see her?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded went on ¡°Oh yea, I might be late. If Lily¡¯s back by then, just grab your meals outside, or you can have food delivery. The number¡¯s on the calendar, that¡¯s the only shop that delivers up to here.¡±


    Vivian heard Lily¡¯s name and frowned, before she could speak Hao Ren went ¡°Oh don¡¯t give me that. Your food is being paid for by Lily. You¡¯re already piss poor as it is.¡±


    Vivian was silent. The vampire who had lived for ages, the one who fought with Acherus had a surprisingly mild temper. Hao Ren felt that he understands her better now and the sense of awe and fear he had for her before have pretty much faded away.


    After reminding Vivian to feed Rollie lunch, Hao Ren left home and was headed for the Space Administration office at Bastard Barrio.


    The imposing white villa was the same as a few days before. The servants in the house kept the building spick-and-span while the owner was away. Hao Ren was running all the way under the hot sun, and gave a sigh of relief when he was teleported to the fountain in front of the villa. As the building was in a different dimension, it was neither hot nor cold, and the air was surprisingly fresh, Hao Ren did entertained some thoughts about staying longer.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here!¡± Raven12345 appeared behind him.


    Hao Ren quickly turned about and saw the silver-haired lady holding an odd-looking giant blade walking out from the garden. Her clothing was stained with mud and grass.


    ¡°I was trimming the hedgerows¡± Raven12345 said with an accomplished grin while lifting the two meter long silver blade. Hao Ren was fixated at it and she chuckled ¡°It¡¯s awesome yeah? This blade is a momento you know. There¡¯s nothing like it amongst the Ravens.¡± She turned around and waved at Hao Ren to head in into the house ¡°Let¡¯s head in and talk about the stuffs you had ran into.


    Hao Ren nodded and quickly followed behind. Both of them walked into Raven12345¡¯s office. It was pretty much the same, except for the pile of empty noodle cups piling up by her desk. Hao Ren really wondered if he should be taking Raven12345 seriously at this point, for such a godly being, she sure ain¡¯t eating like one.


    Raven noticed Hao Ren¡¯s gaze and brushed it aside ¡°Well, I¡¯m done eating those~¡±


    Hao Ren sighed and went to sit on the sofa facing Raven12345 and pulled out a small case that contained a ball of black fur.


    ¡°This was what I told you about. It had just appeared in my hand when I woke up from that nightmare. Lily took a good sniff at it and was sure it wasn¡¯t something from the human world.¡¯


    Raven12345 took the ball of fur and snapped her fingers. A series of bright blue lines appeared out of nowhere and quickly assembled themselves into a container. The black fur floated within the container and slowly let out a puff of grey smoke.


    Hao Ren was taken aback by the scene. ¡°Well, I guess she ain¡¯t all bluster¡± he thought to himself. What he just saw clearly looks way stronger than Vivian¡¯s blood arts, at least when it comes to the magic circle formation.


    ¡°Ah¡­ so it came from that world¡­.¡± Raven12345 mumbled as she looked at the last of the fur being disintegrated.


    ¡°From where you say?¡± Hao Ren interjected.


    ¡°The Dream World. But it doesn¡¯t concern you now, at the very least. You won¡¯t be able to deal with this sort of matter anyway, not at your level.¡± Raven12345 shook her head, looking serious. ¡°I¡¯ll pass this on to those at the Shadow City HQ. This world is nothing but trouble and the guys over at the Administration had been keeping a watchful eye on it for a long long time¡¯


    She saw Hao Ren¡¯s perplexed look and pulled out a silver hexagonal item and pushed it towards him. ¡°You clearly don¡¯t know much. Take it, it¡¯s an investigator¡¯s Mobile Data Terminal, M.D.T. Just got it for you earlier. It¡¯s pretty much like Wikipedia. You can find out more about the SOPs, the dimensional navigation map and table¡­ and oh, your access level. Hmmm¡­ You¡¯re still under probation, so I guess much of it is still beyond you. But it¡¯s good to read up in advance.¡±


    Hao Ren snapped out of his stupor when he saw the silvery item flying his way and caught it just in time. After digesting what Raven12345 just said, he realized, ¡°Well, at least I¡¯ve got my monthly pay this time.¡±

 Chapter 28

    Hao Ren toyed around with the silver device in his hand. He was both excited and yet worried.


    The device was about palm-sized and had a silver glow to it. Yet, it did not feel metallic when held. It was warm, probably not a metal from this world. It had a very fine hexagonal edge, and was barely a few millimeters thick. Hao Ren could see some light pulsing within the device, as it it was a living, breathing being. He gave the surface of the device a rub and it activated with a sudden bright flash. A holographic menu popped out of the ether and took Hao Ren by surprise.


    It was to Hao Ren¡¯s credit that he did not just toss the device instinctively. He held it tightly and stared at the hologram. There was a blue cross-shaped sigil revolving slowly in the middle of the hologram. Beneath the icon was a line of words: Space Administration-EN35 Node ¨C World AZ655 ¨C General-Use of MDT. Access verified. Standing by.


    ¡°Full Mandarin interface, idiot-proof navigation, even a dummy can master this.¡± Raven12345 pointed towards the MDT, drawing Hao Ren¡¯s attention. ¡°This device here contains all you need to know about your work. Oh, and there¡¯s the introduction about the Imperial Space Administration, plus some basic information about the Empire. Also, there¡¯s more information about worlds, space lanes, world codes, authority levels, material distribution list, support application and more that you¡¯ll need to learn. It¡¯s a bit too much of a hassle to explain all of it to you, go read it up¡± Raven12345 snickered ¡°Well, digesting all of this¡­. hurm¡­ you should be done with module one of the tutorial by now, and on to the second module¡­¡±


    All Hao Ren saw was despair. He just managed to scrape through school, and now he¡¯s back to it again?


    ¡°What is this though?¡± Hao Ren, trying to distract himself from the amount of studying he needed to do, pointed towards the floating blue cross-shaped sigil. He did not know what it symbolized, but was pretty sure it was a pretty big deal. He saw the same shapes within Raven12345¡¯s villa and on the magical servants as well. Hao Ren then poked at the hologram and his fingers went through the image. Well, guess it is not manipulated by touch.


    Raven12345¡¯s expression became serious all of a sudden and Hao Ren took a step back. He never thought that such a whimsical Goddess could swing from one end of a spectrum of gravity to the other. Raven12345 stared deeply at Hao Ren, as though wanting to drill her thoughts directly into his skull.


    ¡°This is the insignia of the Xi Ling Legion, the Empire¡¯s emblem, the mark of the Xi Ling civilization. It represents the Xi Ling Empire. Well, you¡¯re new, so you might not grasp the significance of the insignia. Just know that it is a very important symbol, that throughout the ether, countless of races are under her protection, and her unnumbered legions fighting for her glory.¡±


    Hao Ren could only nod at what Raven12345 just told him. Sensing the mood had gotten severe she tapped her forehead and went ¡°Ah, what am I doing drowning you in this so early in the morning. Remember, no matter what sort of perils you are facing, or what sort of troubles you find yourself in, as long as you see this insignia, know that you are with family. Understand?¡¯


    Hao Ren responded with a quick nod. ¡°Uh¡­ how do I use this again?¡±


    ¡°Just put your hand on one of the edges, and control it mentally. It will automatically act on your directive without fail.¡± Raven12345 said as she guided Hao Ren on how to use the device. ¡°Of course, you might need some time to get used to it. Its reaction time is very fast, and the A.I within is as potent as a human¡¯s mind, so it will automatically help you out when you¡¯ve messed up. It¡¯s nothing really. Oh, try activating the system, and say ¡°I¡¯m a noob¡±.¡±


    Hao Ren blinked at the device, the only thought that swirled in his head was ¡°My god, this is some high tech stuff!¡¯¡±


    ¡®I thought the Xi Ling apostles are Gods, why would you need such high tech stuff?¡¯ Hao Ren asked while trying to communicate with the device. Raven12345 looked at him curiously ¡°How is science and magic any different? The Xi Ling Gods went on both paths, and use what was useful, after all, this are just tools to control reality. Throw that gadget you have right now to a bunch of cavemen and they¡¯ll take it as a gift from the gods. That being said, I don¡¯t fancy all this high tech stuff, I still prefer my magical items. It¡¯s a pity that you won¡¯t be able to use them¡±


    Hao Ren did not pay much attention to Raven12345 at that point, as he had managed to activate the device!


    A series of holographic images refreshed at a very fast pace but Hao Ren was not overwhelmed by it. The way the images were formed and refreshed matched his mental agility, as if the device was capable of scanning his brain and determine how it could best absorb new information. Hao Ren¡¯s eyes quickly scanned through the data screens that was centered around him. He appreciated the fact that when he needs new information, it will be automatically brought to him in the most efficient manner.


    Hao Ren thought he would not be able to manipulate such an advanced device, he quickly realized something: for such an expansive, multiversal civilization, to create an easy-to-use device was as easy as 1, 2, 3. He concluded that the ease of usage only meant that the inner workings of this device is very much complicated. If he were to pry the device open, god knows who would be able to put it back together.


    ¡°What does this ¡°Request Support¡± button do?¡± Hao Ren asked as he saw it while browsing through the database. The holographic screen stopped at the menu and displayed a huge list of pictures and the corresponding information. It looked like a lot of them are weapons or troop lists, but most of them were grayed out.


    ¡°You really thought that the Inspectors are lone wolves? Or that taking care of a few special creatures at home constitutes the whole of the job scope?¡± Raven12345 snickered. ¡°Just wait till you go official, being an Inspector is no easy job. What if I were to send you out to pacify a rebellion at Centauri? Or to mediate a military ceasefire in the Scorpio Stars? At this point, you¡¯d be begging for combat support. When you¡¯re about to get killed, by all means use it. Of course, such a request would need the necessary authorization, and authorization can only be gained by a strict assessment. Of course we would not be giving access to lethal arms to fresh bloods. Well¡­lethal arms it may be, it¡¯s still just child¡¯s play to us. Hurmm¡­ let¡¯s say if one of this were to land on earth, you¡¯ll be looking at centuries long nuclear winter.


    Hao Ren gulped as he heard what Raven12345 had just said. This job would be the death of him!


    ¡°I¡­.¡±, he stuttered.


    ¡°No quitting¡± Raven12345 grinned. ¡°Even if you were to die, your spirit will be within my grasp. I just need to get you a new body and you¡¯re as good as new! It took me so much effort to get a new employee, you think I¡¯d let you go?¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s face soured at the thought.


    ¡°Oh don¡¯t give me that¡±, Raven12345 teleported to his side and scared the living daylight out of Hao Ren. ¡°It¡¯s not my nature to sugarcoat the reality. You¡¯ll find out soon enough that this is an opportunity that most would kill for. As long as you don¡¯t screw up, you¡¯ll live for¡­ erm¡­ quite long. Inspectors are not military personnel. We won¡¯t be sending you out to fight wars.¡¯


    Hao Ren wanted to speak but was totally overwhelmed by her presence. He slid the MDT into his pocket. There will be much reading and researching to do later.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the nightmare¡± he said as he dropped resignedly back on the sofa. ¡°I felt as if you are hiding things from me. I may be naive, but please don¡¯t take me for a fool. At least let me know the things I need to know.¡±


    Raven12345 took a glance at Hao Ren, and sighed ¡°Alright, alright, since you are this insistent. I¡¯ll let you in on a bit more.¡±

 Chapter 29

    Hao Ren was sitting upright facing Raven 12345, awaiting her explanation. In fact, he did not, at all, expect her to readily tell him everything from the get-go. He had a strong impression that Raven 12345 was egocentric and uncompromising since the day she forced him to board the boat. However, this woman did not seem so unkind now.


    ¡°The world is more complicated than you think,¡± said Raven 12345 while she sat right on the desk, ignoring her image, making her looked like a ** boss. ¡°We are looking at a realm where an unknown race, unknown society, or even another unknown space co-exist with our world. While most people are oblivious of it, a tiny minority of the uniquely gifted people, which are rare, are able to get there, The Plane of Dreams.¡±


    Hao Ren swallowed hard subconsciously. Raven 12345¡¯s serious demeanor had really stressed him out.


    ¡°Of course, I was the one who decided to call it The Plane of Dreams just recently. Before this I used to call it the Illusory Space, and then I changed it to The Mirror World, and then The Phantom Universe¡­ Hmm, it used to be called The Second World as well,¡± said Raven 12345 while scratching her head. The rare seriousness on her face was all gone now. ¡°Anyway, it is a unique phenomenon in the universe, you can call it whatever you like but let¡¯s call it The Plane of Dreams at the moment. It can be altered again if I got a better idea later.¡±


    Hao Ren had gradually got used to this strange all-over-the-place woman. He held back the urge to tease her and asked, ¡°What the heck is The Plane of Dreams? Is it a parallel universe? I know that theory¡­¡±


    ¡°Nope, it¡¯s a little more complicated than that,¡± Raven 12345 shook her head and continued explaining, ¡°The Plane of Dreams is a special information structure in the universe. It¡¯s a little similar to the parallel space; however, The Plane of Dreams is more illusory and unstable. It overlays the universe. The latter is realistic, stable and regular while The Plane of Dreams is illusory, changeable and irregular. When the actual world operates normally according to the regulations of the universe, The Plane of Dreams, however, was just like a dream which changes constantly along with the real world. However, their reflection of each other is very confusing. Therefore, its variation is basically untraceable. Ok, don¡¯t mind the theory. Most people can¡¯t understand it. Anyway, you just need to know that The Plane of Dreams is a space overlaid on top of the real world. It is very unstable but almost never intersects with the real world. There are also mountains, rivers, plants, trees and animals in The Plane of Dreams, probably even intelligent lifeforms. However, all of these are very intricate. Therefore, before you have enough experience, you¡¯d better not wander into that realm.¡±


    ¡°Who would like to go near that kind of place!?¡± Hao Ren made a wry smile and continued, ¡°I could be attacked by a big group of wolves which size is twice of those from earth if I ever wander into that kinda place! Didn¡¯t you say that The Plane of Dreams will not intersect with our world? What then happened to me back then?¡±


    ¡°As I had mentioned before, those who are uniquely gifted will be able to get into that space,¡± said Raven 12345 and pointed at Hao Ren¡¯s head, ¡°via a dream. The world and all that is in it is made up of information, be it hot, cold, big or small. All these information put themselves together to make things perceivable and describable. This is how everything on earth comes into being. This is the simplest explanation of the theory of information unification system. Oh, this theory is actually more complicated than The Plane of Dreams. So, I think that¡¯s quite enough for you. You just have to understand, due to the information unification system, anything inside The Plane of Dreams can be led into the real world, and the medium is via a dream. That is also why I named it The Plane of Dreams recently. In human history, most of those who are able to connect to The Plane of Dreams died young. They would be accidentally killed by the malformed illusory creatures from The Plane of Dreams. However, their short lives also bring endless troubles to the world. Take for instance, the plague, flood etc. Hmm¡­ it¡¯s very troublesome indeed as those who died in The Plane of Dreams will more often than not cause the those creatures, which are mostly harmful, to intrude this world.¡±


    Hao Ren was sweating. He had never thought of the existence of another strange world occupying space with the world he is so familiar with. He still remember a few days back when he was grumbling about this boring world and how his life was uninteresting. And now, he can no longer hold on to his former perspective of this world anymore as things had just took an exciting turn.


    ¡°So does this imply that I¡¯m gifted?¡± asked Hao Ren, unknowingly pointing at his nose as he wasn¡¯t sure how to respond. ¡°You make The Plane of Dreams sounds crazy and unbelievable. It seems like people can get killed easily in that realm. You have to do something about it!¡±


    ¡°Gifted? No, you aren¡¯t,¡± said Raven 12345 with a grin. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. You¡¯re just an ordinary man, affected by the force of information disturbance after you came into contact with me, and this force can change you gradually, making you different from most people. It will be easier for you to encounter these unusual things, making your task in more convenient in the long run. However, you don¡¯t have to worry too much. Those unlucky ones who died in The Plane of Dreams were those who didn¡¯t have strong backups. So far, based on records, none of them were our employees. Without our backup, how long would they last in there? But you¡¯re different. You have credentials from us. You being there in The Plane of Dreams is what we called a crossover by order. I¡¯ll do my best to drag you out of that realm every time you¡¯re in mortal danger.¡±


    Sweat was dripping from Hao Ren¡¯s forehead as he was left speechless.


    ¡°Now you comprehend the situation in The Plane of Dreams. However, I do wonder how much you really grasped by just my rough explanation. You definitely need frequent contacts with those abstract beings in order to understand this realm better. You¡¯ll have all the opportunity to learn more about that place in due time.¡± Raven 12345 jumped down from her desk and patted Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder comfortingly but it almost throw him off his the sofa. ¡°Talking about those nightmare, you have stopped having them, right? It means the balance between you and The Plane of Dreams has been restored. A person in the real world doesn¡¯t simply slip into nightmares under usual circumstances,¡± said Raven.


    Hao Ren gritted his teeth while rubbing his shoulder. Suddenly, he remembered the question he wanted to ask earlier. ¡°By the way, you know something about the demon hunter, right?¡±


    Hao Ren had learned from Vivian about the ageless conflict between demon hunters and the minority as well as the history of what went down between the minority and humans. He came to know about humans, weak but numerous; the minority few but strong; and the demon hunters whose origins were unclear and whose ground was somewhere in between humans and the minority. All three used to play equally active roles in the civilization of the world. However, the humans have now taken control of this planet while the minority was being marginalized to the extent where nobody remembers them anymore. At the same time, the demon hunters are also lying low among men. Compared to the ages of blood wars in times past between the three races, the age of human civilization was definitely more calm and peaceful. However, Hao Ren knew it was just calm superficially. It¡¯s the demon hunters and the minority who had tactfully maintained the peace in the world.


    The demon hunters, strong human-like warriors, were still roaming the world, hunting the minority to this day. And unfortunately for Hao Ren, there are two treaks among those freaks living under his roof. He was eager to know Raven 12345, the self-proclaimed Goddess¡¯s take on this matter, more accurately, he wanted find out whether the three races were treated differently by the Xi Ling Celestials and the Space Administration and if they take any sides?


    Thoughts were racing in Hao Ren¡¯s mind. However, Raven 12345 just waved her hand indifferently and said, ¡°I knew it, but I¡¯m just too lazy to care. After all they have yet to find you. We¡¯ll talk about it when they do get on your trail.¡±


    Hao Ren knew that he was no match for the white hair succubus in front of him. Therefore, he sat back in his sofa quietly; arms folded across his chest and asked sincerely, ¡°One last question, I¡¯m just a fragile human being and yet you let me deal with these creatures. Now, Vivian and Lily¡¯s temper was still manageable, what if I come across those who are really bad tempered¡­ You should ensure that I am capable of protecting myself, right? How about transferring 200 years¡¯ worth of power to me?¡±


    Hao Ren was just simply making a remark. Beyond his expectation, Raven 12345 actually nodded without hesitation and handed to him The Buddha Palm Technique.


    Suddenly, Raven 12345 slapped her forehead and exclaimed, ¡°Gosh! I almost forgot, the intensification of new employee. I was wondering what¡¯s missing. Luckily for you I remembered this before dispatching you onto the battlefield!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Hao Ren was speechless.


    If one day, he meets his death, this brain-sick crazy superior would be the one to blame!

 Chapter 30

    Hao Ren wondered if Raven 12345 was the only freak in the Space Administration of the Xi Ling Empire. He couldn¡¯t believe that such a super-civilization was made up of such unreliable fellows anyway. Unfortunately, he had yet to get a chance to meet the other members of the Space Administration and the senior executives from the Xi Ling Empire. Raven 12345 did mention earlier that the administrative level of this deserted place was not high enough. However, it is not impossible that they could have visitors from the Space Administration.


    Despite that, Hao Ren no longer suspects the identity of Raven 12345 and the existence of the Xi Ling Empire. This otherworldly mansion, the state of the art, extravagant and elegant facilities in it were definitely not created by humans. To confirm that, the room they were in at that moment was called the New Employee Bioenhancement Centre which looked as if it was ripped right out of a science fiction.


    Raven walked Hao Ren around the mansion. Along the way they walked pass many strange rooms full of crystals and bizarre devices. Hao Ren was awestruck by everything he saw along the way that his jaw literally dropped. Just as he was wondering if there is an end to this mansion, Raven led him into a hall which just looked quite out of place. It was very modern and advanced, even compared to the rest of the building. The hall was a perfect hexagon. Each of its walls was plated with chrome and glossed over with silver. Streams of light in hues of blue and white was pulsing slowly on the walls, like blood vessels. The hall had a high ceiling and was ornamented with numerous crystals floating and shimmering in the air, saturating the hall in baby blue. Along those walls, Hao Ren noticed that there were lots of peculiar devices unknown to him. He thought they looked like some kind of operating board but there was no button or operating lever on them. There were holograms floating above each of those ¡®operating boards¡¯. The only discernable and probable control unit was a hexagonal crystal board which was vastly different from any of the machinery on earth.


    ¡°This is a Bioenhancement Centre, the smaller version,¡± Raven 12345 pointed proudly at the devices in the hall. ¡°In the earlier days, agents have to stay in the capital of the Empire and undergo the Unified Bioenhancement and assessment in the City of Shadows. During that time, the Space Administration was relatively small and nothing much was happening in the Macro World so it¡¯s easier to govern. But now that is no longer viable. Therefore, all assessments, elementary training as well as intensification of new agents were transferred to Nodes and even to the Basic Worlds. This place is relatively remote and recently we took a few leaps to connect with the void node. So I simply applied for a facility like this in my dwelling. At first, I thought of applying for a magical facility as I¡¯m really confused by those technologically advanced devices. However, I made a mistake in the application ¡­¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s head was spinning while listening to Raven 12345. She had this problem where she would just keep on talking regardless of whether her audience could or could not understand her. Hao Ren had zero knowledge of the Space Administration. How then, could he understand what the white haired succubus had been babbling on about!


    ¡°What the heck is the bioenhancement thingy you mentioned?¡± Hao Ren had managed to keep his sanity even after all the information bombardment. The atmosphere of this place reminded him of some scientific research centers conducting non-stop experiments and dissections. In his mind, the Xi Ling Empire was still ¡°the aliens¡±. (He had been an atheist for more than 20 years after all. To him, the idea of ¡°Gods¡± was far harder to grasp than that of ¡°aliens¡±.) Let¡¯s think about it, a human falling into the hands of aliens to undergo bioenhancement. If this had been in the hands of the Hollywood directors, it would be a waste if it wasn¡¯t all bloody and gory!


    In fiction, those who got very excited and overjoyed when the aliens were about to enhance them were definitely not as deliberative as Hao Ren. Well, one might say that Hao Ren was actually terrified.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s just a simple physical readjustment. It will not be uncomfortable or do you harm.¡± Raven 12345 pushed Hao Ren to the center of the hall while explaining, ¡°Everyday there are hundreds of new agents receiving bioenhancement and we¡¯ve never had one accident, so don¡¯t worry. We always follow the humanized standards¡­ Stand still! I¡¯m going to bring the Bioenhancement and Reconfiguration Chamber up.¡±


    Hao Ren stood there, trembling. Raven proceed to hit the invisible buttons, the floor shook slightly and the chamber rose slowly from the rectangular hole on the floor.


    The silvery white metal pod was rectangular in shape, approximately two meters long, with one end bigger than the other. It was very exquisite, covered by a lid embellished with a crystal cross.


    The lid of the metal pod slid open slowly. Hao Ren was confused and asked, ¡°Why do I feel like I¡¯ve seen it somewhere else?¡±


    Raven 12345 was shocked as said, ¡°How could it be? This is the latest model of the Universal Bioenhancement and Reconfiguration Chamber. I unboxed it just two days ago. Where have you seen it before?¡±


    After thinking for a while, Hao Ren slapped his head, exclaiming, ¡°Now I remember! It¡¯s a f*cking coffin!¡±


    Raven 12345 slapped Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Don¡¯t you remember the employee code of conduct? Never cuss in front of your superior! If you had to do it, do it after your superior has finished her words!¡±


    Hao Ren tilted his shoulder and stepped backward quickly. ¡°You want me to get in there? I have to tell you that I am a man of principle. Just the shape of this thing is enough to scare the hell out of me¡­ Hey! Don¡¯t be pushing me! I will never get in! It is still a coffin even if you plate it with silver! There¡¯s even a cross on it¡­¡±


    Raven 12345 lifted Hao Ren single-handedly and threw him into the ¡®coffin¡¯. ¡°Be a man and just get in!¡±


    Hao Ren was helplessly unable to fight against the crazy white hair succubae. After being spun around for a moment he found himself lying inside the box. At that moment, a layer of transparent protective screen extended from the four sides of the metal pod, completely trapping him inside.


    Hao Ren could only give in. However, nothing happened after a while. He turned his head to the side and found Raven 12345 holding up a data terminal, looking enthralled. He hit the two sides of the pod and shouted, ¡°Then, what¡¯s next!?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t shout! I¡¯m looking for the user manual. Why the heck is this so complicated! Where¡¯s the switch?¡± said Raven 12345 without looking up.


    At that Hao Ren shouted, ¡°Fxxx! I resign! I break the contract! I quit! You can¡¯t be trusted at all!¡±


    ¡°Oh! Found it!¡± Raven 12345 then slapped on something on one of the sides of the ¡°coffin¡± and Hao Ren¡¯s drastic protest stopped at once. The last thing he saw was a dazzling white light penetrating into his retina.


    Darkness, frost, silence and endless chaos. It was as if time had lost its meaning. At that moment, it felt like his soul had left his body, floating in an intangible and indescribable dimension. He tried his best to retrieve any bits the five familiar senses, but to no avail. There was no sound, no light, no heat and no touch. The spirit of man, confined in a small bottle, floating alone¡­


    After about 10 seconds, Hao Ren heard a loud noise. ¡°Bang!¡± The next thing he knew was somebody grabbing him by his arms and pulling him up and he gradually regained his sight.


    Rays of light within his sight came together and consolidated into a figure. It¡¯s Raven 12345¡¯s beautiful cheeks and her signature silver hair. She patted Hao Ren on the shoulder and seemed satisfied. ¡°Okay. It¡¯s done!¡±


    Hao Ren sprang up and realized that he was still standing in the coffin-shaped metal pod. Had he not kept his footing he might just tumble out of it. He balanced his body and jumped out of the pod carefully. ¡°So, that¡¯s it? Why do I feel like it had only been a short while?¡±


    ¡°Yes, twelve seconds,¡± said Raven 12345 while waving the data terminal in her hand. ¡°Exactly the same as what¡¯s written on the manual. Just press the switch, choose an automated mode and wait for about twelve seconds. Wait for the sound ¡®ding¡¯, the red light to come on and the chamber lid will then open automatically expelling the subject out of the pod. But you yourself jumped out of the chamber.¡±


    ¡°Is that a microwave oven!?¡±


    Raven 12345 shrugged her shoulders and replied, ¡°Anyway, the methods of operation of all devices are more or less the same. Isn¡¯t that the standard of procedure for most of the automated devices?¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned by her calmness. His only comfort was that at least nothing unfortunate had happened and all parts of his body were still intact.


    He then clenched his fist to see if the alien bioenhancement technology really worked. He wondered if he was on the same path as those masters in those stories. He was so surprised to discover that ¡ª to be revealed in the upcoming chapter.

 Chapter 31

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel any changes.¡± Hao Ren doubted as he pinched his upper arm.It did not become brawnier or resistant to pain. He could not summon the magic thunder ball too; he felt he was still a mortal. What about the ability of enhanced regeneration? As much as he wanted that, he could never build up the courage to slash himself¡­


    ¡°What more do you want?¡± Raven 12345 flipped through the operating manual for instructions to recalibrate the Bioenhancement and Reconfiguration Chamber. At the same time, she asked, ¡°How about the magical ability to conjure up three fire balls?¡±


    ¡°I thought you meant combat strength?¡± Hao Ren felt he was being shortchanged. ¡°You assigned a bunch of monsters to me. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s absolutely necessary to give me some equivalent ability to match? What have you done to me exactly?¡±


    ¡°I administered some hormonal treatment to remove the scars on your elbow while I treated your white hair,¡± said Raven 12345 with a straight face. ¡°At least, for now.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    ¡°You look hilarious!¡± Raven 12345 could not hold her laughter anymore seeing Hao Ren mugging. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much, dude! I know what you¡¯re thinking. I have had more recruits than I can remember. They unequivocally had the same thing on their mind¡ªinstant, superhuman gratification. Guess what would happen if you were given the ability to perform 20-meter vertical jumps overnight?¡±


    Hoa Ren was unsure. ¡°No more freaking out when the elevator breaks down? Become Spiderman¡¯s double?¡±


    Raven 12345 stared at him, unblinking. ¡°You remind me of someone. By the way, your answers are a little far-fetched. If you suddenly acquired such an ability, you would instantly crash into walls or shoot through the roof as a result. Bioenhancement is a step-by-step process.¡± she patted him on his shoulder as she continued, ¡°You¡¯ve got what it takes. The ability is only being capped by a ¡®mind lock¡¯. The ¡®mind lock¡¯ is there to ensure that you never go too fast. For the time being, get your feet wet first and over time you¡¯ll adapt to your new found ability.¡±


    Hao Ren then realized that he was not exactly shortchanged. The deal just worked in installments. Raven 12345 was right; the safety lock is an absolute necessity considering his mortal body was only configured for the earth¡¯s gravitational environment. He could get himself killed if he was unable to control his new found ability.


    He was pretty self-aware though; he was calm and cool for the majority. However, curiosity would overcome him sometimes. It was too tempting not to try out his superhuman ability just to see what it was like.


    ¡°What kind of bioenhancement am I getting?¡± Hao Ren asked expectantly. ¡°I suppose asking a question isn¡¯t against the rules. At least I get to know what I¡¯m getting into.¡±


    Raven 12345 sounded serious, ¡°Swift muscle reflex, super strength, regeneration, reactive evolution and resistance to radiation, toxins, extreme temperatures, caustic substances as well as any other nasty stuff you can think of. But, all these are basically still in the process of being built upon your mortal body. Other aspects of bioenhancement will follow suit once you pass the test, which is extremely stringent. You¡¯re not allowed to abuse your abilities and you need to show that you¡¯re in control of yourself.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded as if he understood. He was pretty confident that he would pass the test but as Raven 12345 had mentioned, it all depended on the outcome of the examination. Nevertheless, he was now officially an employee of the Space Administration albeit one of the lowest rung on the ladder.


    ¡°Protective gear¡ªchecked. Bioenhancement¡ªchecked. Help yourself to the rest of the employee¡¯s codes of conduct. The most important thing of all is, never ever tell anyone about the Space Administration except your tenants.¡± Raven stared straight into Hao Ren¡¯s eyes. ¡°You may tell them why you¡¯re doing this¡ªwhich is to protect them but just that, no more. They¡¯re chosen but they¡¯re not part of the Space Administration yet. I think you understand the difference, right?¡±


    Hao Ren looked a little surprised. ¡°Talk about confidentiality, huh? Space Administration, God¡¯s organization. I do wonder though, doesn¡¯t God like to spell it out loud when it comes to His great plans¡ªglobal worship, evangelical outreach?¡±


    ¡°Publicity is only necessary when the need arises.¡± Raven 12345 shook her head. ¡°In the case of the Space Administration, there¡¯s no need for that. Just remember, the administration has its own local civilization where its history follows its natural course. It¡¯s totally independent. God wouldn¡¯t mess with history. It would spell disaster for the human race if they learn that there are higher beings out there who are controlling their fate and their world. Of course telling them about the Space Administration isn¡¯t going to cause an end-of-the-world scenario. Most people won¡¯t even believe it. However, that doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re allowed to do so. It¡¯s a matter of principle.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded in response and seemed like he had understood it. ¡°Okay. So essentially, the Space Administration is in a way, a secret society¡ªwe keep people in the dark while we¡¯re in it?¡±


    ¡°Not really. The Macro World isn¡¯t constant in itself.¡± Raven 12345 continued again as she shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s a massive system built by the emperor; an ever expanding virtual web of the empire while the Space Administration is sort of its central nervous system. Naturally, we would encounter all kinds of situations.Sometimes, a civilization or a community expands to become large enough, or a major disaster strikes. In such cases, the Space Administration can no longer keep itself a secret. It would then be forced to intervene. When it does, the affected community would then be accepted into the empire, with prior approval of course. But you don¡¯t have to worry about all this, just mind your own business. Anyway, the examining officers are rather lenient nowadays. During the early days of the Space Administration when the empire was in turbulence, the rule of confidentiality was enforced heavy-handedly. Anyone in the civil departments who defied the rule would be executed under the martial law. Capital punishment still exists today but as long as you stay in line you¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Hao Ren was in cold sweat as he had only begun to comprehend how serious the monstrous organization was.


    Yet at the same time, there seemed to be a silver lining: despite only having a vague understanding of the web and Space Administration, he was part of the system now. However, he wondered¡ªwas the earth, the solar system, or the entire of space just a speck in the Macro World?


    The more he pondered, the more motivated he was.


    By then, the room was cleaned and tidied up. Raven 12345 led him outside. ¡°Stop thinking too much. We¡¯re done with the orientation. Now, I have a mission for you.¡±


    Hao Ren was excited that the organization needed his service.


    ¡°In two days, you¡¯ll be going to Europe,¡± Raven 12345 remarked. ¡°Your mission is to bring a tenant back. I¡¯ve spent considerable effort to bring him in but that dumbass disembarked to a place with an entire eight hour time difference instead. It¡¯s time to show your worth.¡±

 Chapter 32

    ¡°Mission? Europe?¡± Hao Ren stared at Raven 12345, blinking. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that there¡¯s a foreigner in my list of tenants.¡±


    Raven 12345 looked at him up and down in derision. ¡°You don¡¯t learn, do you? We¡¯re talking about the-other-kind here. What do you think the nationality of that vampire girl is, huh?¡±


    As the penny dropped, Hao Ren felt embarrassed at his own ignorance; his thinking had become so rigid as he had been living his entire life in the human world. ¡°Target? Rendezvous? Time? And most important of all¡ªon whose dime?¡±


    ¡°Oh c¡¯mon, get over it!¡± Raven squinted at him. ¡°Of course it¡¯ll be on the administration¡¯s dime. We do have a teleportation machine laying around but you¡¯ll gain more field experience by doing things the traditional way. So, you¡¯re gonna take the plane. As for your tenant, frankly, I don¡¯t know how it¡¯ll look like since, it must have disguised itself as somebody else. But rest assured, it will find you once you¡¯re there as it¡¯ll be able to pick up your MDT¡¯s signal. And I¡¯ve got you a passport, made to order. Do remember to pick it up while you¡¯re on your way out.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded in acknowledgment. ¡°What about the two ladies at my house? They fight like cats and dogs every other day. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to just leave the two of them at my place.¡±


    It was hard to tell what would transpire as Vivian and Lily had been locking horns with each other all the while. He broke out in cold sweat just by imagining the collateral damage they would cause. So, he wanted it resolved at the soonest possible time lest his house be wrecked in no time.


    ¡°Bring them along, they may be of help. I¡¯ll get them documentations.¡± Raven 12345 waved as she continued, ¡°After all, the vampire is well-traveled. She¡¯ll make a good guide and a bodyguard. No worries. They¡¯re going to join the party, I bet my last penny on it. At the end of they day, they¡¯ve been redundant for quite some time. So, take the trip as an opportunity to smooth out the rough edges.¡±


    The words ¡®of help¡¯ and ¡®smooth out the rough edges¡¯ unnerved Hao Ren. He smelled trouble ahead but could not tell what it was exactly. He also did not bother to ask. He had known from experience that Raven 12345 would not want to talk about anything beyond the present.


    ¡°Now, move your ass!¡± Raven 12345 patted him on his back. ¡°Check your bank card, the money is in. I¡¯ll send the details of the rendezvous point to your MDT. It¡¯s just a simple mission every rookie does. So, have fun!¡±


    Before Hao Ren could say anything, the world started spinning around him. He soon woke up on the road in Bastard Barrio with time on his shoulders and a bag in his hand. He knew it wasn¡¯t a dream but after every trip to the mansion, he would have this unexplainable, surreal feeling. He figured that it may have been caused by the crazy teleportation experience.


    Hao Ren had no clue how Raven 12345 knew his bank card number. He was also flabbergasted at how ¡®unsophisticated¡¯ the way things worked in the Space Administration. It was nothing like the description in the novels he had read.


    ¡°Oh dear, I forgot that I had to ask Raven about the vampire¡¯s failed blood magic!¡±


    He remembered Vivian¡¯s attempt to fix his nightmare condition; neither magic nor vampire¡¯s blood worked. He could not make sense of it. The question had been hanging over his head for quite some time but he forgot about it when he was meeting Raven 12345.


    He looked up at the bright, blue sky as though he could see that Raven was busy in the mansion. He shook his head and left the scene, leaving the question for another time.


    As he got back to Whitestone Road in the Southern Suburbs, he breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that his old house was still standing¡ªno smoke billowed out and no explosion was heard¡ªthe two girls may have reached a truce while he was away or it was just because Lily had been out. As Hao Ren took out his key and reached for the door, he exclaimed, ¡°I¡¯m back!¡±


    There was no response from the inside. So, he went in and closed the door. The air-conditioning was off; the house was as quiet as a grave. He sneaked around for while only to find Rollie trailing out of the kitchen, greeting him.


    ¡°Oh shucks! Could they be fighting outside?¡±


    Though he was not a pessimist, he could not ignore the probable, inconvenient reality that he would have to get accustomed to the scene of the ¡®Tibetan Mastiff vs Siberian Wolf¡¯ conflict and that the worst would happen when he was away.


    The heat of the midday sun was so bad that it seared his skin while he walked home from the bus stop. He picked up the remote controller, wanting to switch the air-conditioner on. However, it did not respond to the command. There was no power in the house. An unexplained feeling of unease started to bother him.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Ever since I received my first assignment, everything seems to have gone haywire.¡± He became superstitious.


    But then, he heard two familiar voices; Vivian and Lily were at the door, they were back. It seemed like they were not in a fight.


    ¡°Wow, Landlord, you¡¯re back!¡± Lily was the first to burst in, looking surprised. ¡°It¡¯s midday. Why don¡¯t we have lunch together?¡±


    Her brain seemed to comprise of food and food only!


    ¡°Where have you been?¡± He asked Vivian as he wiped away the sweat on his forehead. He did not even bother to talk to Lily, who had obviously become unresponsive to anything other than food. ¡°I thought you guys had a fight.¡±


    ¡°The power went dead so, I thought it was time to pay the bill.¡± Vivian smiled and jeered, ¡°Then I found this big dog out there so, I brought her along.¡±


    Lily did not respond to her mockery at all.


    ¡°Two people to run a simple errand?¡± He looked curiously at Vivian but he quickly realized her condition. ¡°Oh, I almost forgot, you can¡¯t touch money.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s expression hardened because it touched her sore spot but, she shrugged it off as though she did not mind it. ¡°The transformer at the substation is down. It¡¯s going to take another half a day before the thing can get back to normal again.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Hao Ren responded briefly as he waved a magazine back-and-forth rigorously to cool himself. ¡°The weather is freaking hot and the power outage is not helping either. Lily, are you okay?¡±


    He saw Lily squatting on the sofa with her tongue sticking out, panting. ¡°I ran a little too hard on the way back.¡±


    Vivian and Hao Ren looked at her, bewildered. It was not at all an exaggeration to say that Lily was a big dog when she was panting like one.


    Although Lily had her own quirks and cuteness, they were not things Hao Ren could stomach. ¡°Is it really necessary to stick your tongue out while you squat?¡±


    Lily wiped her sweat away as she looked up. Her mind went blank before she became aware of her immodesty. ¡°Excuse me, old habits die hard.¡± She chuckled.


    Hao Ren gave her a wry smile. He did not know what ought to be said. During that awkward moment, a chill suddenly filled the air.


    He turned around and was surprised to see that Vivian had transformed. She was emanating a layer of red fog much like a blood mist. She was waving two, foldable hand fans back-and-forth in quick motion, sending the chill to every corner of the house¡­


    ¡°Mr. Landlord, what do you think?¡±


    Hao Ren was astonished. ¡°I swear I¡¯ve never seen anything like this!¡±


    Lily had moved closer to enjoy the cool air but at the same time, she did not want to waste the opportunity to mock Vivian. ¡°Hey,you, wingy thing! Isn¡¯t that chill you release supposed to be smelly as well?¡±


    Vivian raised her eyebrow. ¡°In case you haven¡¯t already known, the scent is only reserved for combat use. I¡¯d like to keep it fresh whenever I need some chill air.¡±


    It was an eye-opener. Hao Ren cracked up and joked, ¡°Now, that¡¯s proper usage of vampire magic! From now on, we can save on the monthly bill!¡±


    And then, something came to his mind. ¡°By the way, I¡¯ll be going on a mission trip to Europe in two days. Would you two like to join me?¡±

 Chapter 33

    ¡°I¡¯m going on a mission to Europe.¡± Hao Ren tried to impress by imagining himself in a black suit and a pair of sunglasses. Additionally, he spoke in a low voice. He wanted to project himself as a glamorous agent.


    ¡°Nice, I¡¯m in!¡± Lily agreed excitedly, just as Raven had predicted.


    However, Vivian¡¯s thought process was a little lagging. ¡°Paying rental with my cool air, good idea¡­¡±


    Her strayed mind annoyed Hao Ren.


    ¡°Can you emanate warm air too?¡± Lily gave a sideways look as she tried to stump Vivian. ¡°It¡¯d be more than enough to pay a whole month¡¯s rental.¡±


    ¡°Being ectotherms, the Blood Clan has no difficulty emanating chill but when it comes to warm air, errr¡­¡±


    ¡°Ahem¡­ We¡¯re talking about a more serious topic here.¡± Hao Ren was even more annoyed as their conversation went off course. ¡°Lily¡¯s in. How about you, Vivian? Please join us if you can make it. After all, Europe is an unfamiliar territory.¡±


    Hao Ren was being honest. Apart from the Southern Suburbs, Third Ring Road was the farthest place he had ever gone. He was now being offered the opportunity to go to places he had never thought of before. Moreover, everything was being paid for by the administration. To say that he was excited was an understatement.


    ¡°At least it¡¯s a public service, albeit a foreign one.¡± Hao Ren thought.


    ¡°Me? I¡¯m okay.¡± Vivian lowered her head and awkwardly said, ¡°I just lost my job a couple of days ago. I¡¯m officially jobless now. Hey, why don¡¯t I work as your tour guide and offset half-a-month¡¯s rental in return?¡±


    So much for being a vampire and nobility of the night; Vivian had just thrown her status and pride out of the window.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not bother with the rent.¡± Hao Ren looked up to the sky and let out a long, long sigh. ¡°I already have an agreement with Raven 12345 and all of you are gonna stay here with me. Anyway, I don¡¯t mind if you help me out with some of the house chores. Didn¡¯t you work in McDonald¡¯s and a few other places a while back? I heard that they¡¯ve all gone bankrupt thanks to you.¡±


    ¡°Ahem¡­Ahem¡­I¡¯ve got nothing to do with that!¡± Vivian exclaimed.


    Lily was still immersed in the excitement of going abroad. ¡°Landlord, when do we depart? Where to? For how long? Is there a time frame? Can I pack my luggage now? When are we going to have our lunch?¡±


    Hao Ren raised his hand and warded Lily off. ¡°Let¡¯s just slow down. I haven¡¯t even booked our flight yet. Besides, I¡¯m still waiting for the mission details from Raven 12345. Oh yeah, I have something fun for all of you to see; it¡¯s kind of high-tech! It¡¯s Space Administration standard equipment¡­darn, where did I keep it¡±?


    He tucked his hands inside his pockets searching frantically. He remembered he had the awesome MDT in his pants¡¯ pocket but he only found a few loose threads hanging in it. He was sweating like a pig.


    ¡°I¡¯m dead, man!¡± Hao Ren could not bear to think of the consequences if the gadget fell into the wrong hands. He ran through many scenarios in his mind and there was nothing more terrifying than certain death should Raven 12345 find out he was negligent as an agent.


    Just when he was about to rush out to search for the misplaced device, a buzzing sound was heard right next to him. A swirling hole opened up mid air and he saw the hexagonal MDT emerge from it. As he reached out, the device dropped right into his hand while a holographic message was displayed. The message warned, ¡°Dear user: Please refrain from leaving your device in the car as the device has limited capabilities in finding its owner. You shall not misuse its functions; if you do, the device will automatically alert your superior accordingly.¡±


    Hao Ren was astonished at what he saw. There had not been a computer that could talk back until then. He started to get what Raven 12345 meant by ¡°no less intelligent than you¡±¡ªit was an MDT with AI, artificial intelligence.


    Lily¡¯s eyes gleamed with curiosity as the little gadget attracted her interest. She rushed over. ¡°Landlord, can I have a look at that thingy?¡±


    Hao Ren was careful not to break the rules in the employee handbook. He made sure it was okay before passing the device to Lily, saying, ¡°Be careful. Although the device is solidly built according to Raven 12345, there¡¯s no way to fix it once it¡¯s broken.¡±


    Lily took the MDT from Hao Ren. She played with it for some time but it seemed like it was not responding until a holographic message popped up: ¡°Right of access required. Please save yourself the trouble from trying again.¡±


    They were lost for words at how cheeky the AI was.


    Unlike Lily, Vivian had more control over her own curiosity. She smiled at Lily mockingly before prancing into the kitchen. ¡°Have fun, big dog! I¡¯m cooking.¡±


    Lily shove the MDT back to Hao Ren before following Vivian into the kitchen. ¡°Wait! I¡¯m going with you.¡±


    ¡°Do you even cook at all? I thought all you know is eating?¡±


    ¡°I need an air-conditioner.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Left alone, Hao Ren took the opportunity to familiarize himself with the MDT. He also wanted to know what the Space Administration was all about but the more he read the handbook the more terrified he was.


    The beginning chapters of the employee handbook were about standard protocols however, the chapters towards the end of the handbook were bizarre:


    The Observations and Guiding Process of the Turk-III Civilization


    The Registration Methods for the End of the Sixth New World


    A Guide to the Reporting Process of Regional War Containment


    The Intervention of Examining Officers in Planetary Wars


    The Basics of Extermination Law and the Roles of an Examining Officer in Related


    Processes


    Hao Ren thought he could possibly find out more from the AI MDT, which was capable of interacting with humans. He started to inquire in his mind, ¡°What do all these mean?¡±


    ¡°Literally¡ª,¡± the MDT emanated a holographic reply. ¡°¡­these are for examining officers only, they do not concern you for now. Examining officers are regional agents of the empire. They are akin to living saints or living sons in religion. Are you having problems with your work?¡±


    Hao Ren quickly denied it. He needed some time to clear his mind.


    Late in the afternoon, he received the details of his mission from Raven 12345. He set aside the weird handbook and focused on the upcoming important trip.


    The destination was England but the location was in a little-known, remote countryside where his new tenant would be waiting for him.

 Chapter 34

    The five-digit, white haired succubus may have looked a tad bit unreliable. However, she never went back on her promises. Hao Ren was teary eyed when he saw the amount of money in his bank account. It was just too awesome; it contained a string of zeroes. He signed the contract without as much as a second thought.


    Hao Ren realized that from then on, he would be leaving behind his idyllic, carefree life and things would have to be seen from the roost of the Space Administration. For the monstrous organization, human currency was very much just part of the tools of the trade and seemed to come in unlimited numbers. A part of him wanted to have Raven 12345 wire another million bucks into his account but, his better judgment decided against it.


    That said, he did not have to worry about his living expenses for the time being. Vivian¡¯s free-loading expenses were also covered for a year or two at the very least. Ever since the hopeless vampire moved in, she free-loaded off Hao Ren¡¯s expenses. While he did mention the prospect of her being a live-in maid to offset the rental, it was more of a joke than anything. Hao Ren was a common man; he obviously could not afford such a life. It was pretty much an excuse to put Vivian at ease with her free-loading. Well, that was no longer a problem too. The witch gave him enough money for three to go around the world, just to pick someone up from England.


    During the ride to the international airport, Vivian constantly bugged Hao Ren. ¡°Hey, is that Space Administration thing still hiring? I could go there to operate the air conditioning!¡±


    She was still going on about it when they got on the plane. Hao Ren got a bit irritated and went, ¡°Forget about it. This requires talent you know? I¡¯m at the very least a reserve civil servant and a back-up successor. You think it¡¯s that easy? Aside from that, the witch¡¯s place is pretty much fluid all the time. She¡¯s a Goddess; air-conditioning is probably the least of her concerns¡­¡±


    Vivian fussed with the air-conditioning at home to save cost and all of them saw her as no different than the air conditioner¡¯s remote.


    The vampire pouted and faced towards the window. She curiously stared at the ground staff running about their duties. ¡°Is Rollie going to be fine?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him. He¡¯s much more capable than you think.¡± Hao Ren was not worried about that devil of a cat at all. Obviously, one could not bring a cat into the aircraft and international shipping was not a realistic option. Thus, Hao Ren just left him at home and asked for the help of his neighbor to look after him.


    Hao Ren was pretty sure that by day two, Rollie would slip out of the house to do whatever it wanted. ¡°Rollie does have a glorious history behind him. He was the dominant alpha of the street with just a few pounds of meat on him a few years back. His survival instincts are much better than mine. When I took him in two years ago, I was dead worried when I had to leave the house. After a while though, I realized it was really for nothing. Once, I was away for a month and he came back half a kilo heavier.¡±


    ¡°Hao Ren, what is England like? I¡¯ve never been there before.¡± Lily was seated right opposite of Hao Ren. As she stared outside curiously, Hao Ren saw that she was seated like a cat: on all fours.


    With the allowance that he had received, Hao Ren went ahead and booked them on First Class. And boy, it was very spacious. The distance between the seats were pretty wide as well. Hyperactive Lily was already squirming about before the flight took off. Granted, while traveling in style was partly due to the generous allowance, Hao Ren wanted the privacy more than anything. With two supernaturals in tow, he did not want to take any chances lest their identities be revealed to other passengers. It also made talking about sensitive topics a little easier.


    ¡°How would I know? Never been there myself.¡± Hao Ren shrugged and looked at Vivian. ¡°Right, just to reconfirm, you¡¯re sure you¡¯ve been to England before? You¡¯ll be our guide over there now since you said you could speak English¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, who do you think I am? A mere charlatan?¡± Vivian sneered. ¡°I¡¯ve already been around the world before; knew the earth was round when you humans were still chomping on raw game. In fact I¡¯ve been to the Vatic¡ª¡±


    Hao Ren quickly feigned a cough. ¡°AHEM, let¡¯s leave what you did at the monastery aside. Who knows what your kind would think of that¡­¡±


    ¡°Them? Haven¡¯t seen them in centuries. Most of them are stubborn idiots. The few smarter ones are even better at hiding than me.¡± Vivian shrugged. ¡°Our kind are very individualistic. Even during our golden years, unity was fragile at best. How else did you think we ended up in such a fringed position during the present? Ah, forget about it¡­ It¡¯s depressing talk. How did I ended up like this?¡±


    Hao Ren grinned, ¡°Oh, so you DO realize how silly you are. That¡¯s that. Well, as long as you can speak English and guide us around, it¡¯ll be fine. Saves us the trouble of getting a guide. Our job can¡¯t involve anyone else. Raven even said that as part of the training, she¡¯s not even giving me a map¡­¡±


    Vivian patted her chest, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, even Arthur Mordred could not best me in an argument. I lived in England for a good 130 years you know. English is like my mother tongue.¡±


    Hao Ren raised his eyebrows in suspicion. It felt like Vivian was gloating more than anything but, he decided to pay it no heed.


    After a while, Hao Ren noticed that Lily was still squirming in her seat and sought to distract her with a question. ¡°Oh yeah, I have been wanting to ask you this. How do you get your identities in the human world? Especially you, Lily. How do you do it?¡±


    This question actually did plague Hao Ren for a while. Vivian did look and played the part of a human. Lily the idiot, was another matter altogether. She said she was around during the time of the Republic and registered herself as a famous artist. God knows how many identity cards she had changed throughout the years. It was very surprising to see Lily blending in with the humans so nonchalantly. Lily finally settled down, squatting on her seat. She shook her head as if a pair of ears were there. ¡°Wasn¡¯t that hard, ya know? I saw how human civilization was built. So, living as a human was not difficult at all.¡±


    At that point, Lily suddenly perked up. Her slowpoke of a brain finally had a spark of brilliance. ¡°And what do you mean, especially me? You taking me for an idiot?¡±


    Hao Ren quickly shook his head in denial while Vivian turned away to ignore the commotion. Lily pointed her finger at them. ¡°I know that you two think I¡¯m dumb. I¡¯m pretty quick with my senses ya know. Just can¡¯t be bothered to get serious with you guys. I¡¯m telling you Hao Ren, don¡¯t think just because I look dumb most of the time¡­ I¡¯m very capable, ya know? I know a lot of people, like¡­ uh¡­ most of them are dead now¡­ It is what it is but I¡¯m capable, okay?¡±


    Hao Ren wiped his cold sweat off. His instincts told him that Lily was just about to parade a list of historical greats before him. Thank goodness she kept it short. Ever since the two supernaturals came into his life, Hao Ren was constantly surprised at how they spoke of historical figures like they were close friends, much to his disbelief.


    With the pre-flight preparations completed, the lead stewardess made an announcement for the passengers to push up their seats and buckle-up. Lily finally stopped squirming and sat down quietly as she put on her seat belts deftly. Then, Lily and Hao Ren saw something that stunned the both of them¡­ Vivian was struggling with the seat belt.


    The vampire may have looked the part of a high class aristocrat but when the flight take off announcement was made, Vivian was fumbling about with the seat belt. Hao Ren helped her to buckle up but could not help taking a piss at her, ¡°You¡¯re afraid of airplanes? You can grow wings to fly, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never sat on one of these before¡­¡± Vivian said meekly.


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyes widened. This vampire, who was around during the construction of the pyramids and other great wonders; whose knowledge of the world was akin to verbal diarrhea, never actually sat on a plane before?


    Vivian looked like she was about to cry.


    ¡°I¡­couldn¡¯t afford the tickets¡­¡±


    Hao Ren had nothing to retort.

 Chapter 35

    As their flight took off, Vivian and Lily pretty much swapped personalities.


    Normally, Lily was the lively one at home. She was always up and about, so driven by curiosity that she would stare at something for hours on end to learn about it. Chances are that she might just chew on pebbles to test their hardness if no one was around.


    Vivian on the other hand, was the mature, collected one. Though she was stricken by a streak of misfortune, she still maintain a certain dignity characteristic of the vampire nobles. At least in comparison to Lily.


    But now, the roles seemed to be reversed. Lily was lounging about waiting for meal services while looking up the inflight entertainment for something interesting. Vivian however, was having a ball! She was looking out the window in excitement, gaping as she saw the clouds passing her by. ¡°Wow, it really does fly¡­ and at such heights!¡± Vivian exclaimed.


    It was Hao Ren¡¯s first time flying as well, and he could understand Vivian¡¯s excitement to a certain extent, but he couldn¡¯t help but wonder aloud ¡°I thought you could fly? What¡¯s the surprise?¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s so different compared to when I¡¯m flying myself¡± Vivian sneered. ¡°Also, I don¡¯t usually fly this high, too easy a target for stray thunderbolts. Besides, at such high altitude, the cold is no joke. There was once when I wanted to see the stars and flew a wee bit too high, I literally fell from the sky as a block of ice and almost got caught by the demon hunters. Rarely fly that high ever since.¡±


    Hao Ren raised his eyebrows ¡°Then¡­ you were flying low when you were travelling around the world last time? Weren¡¯t you afraid of getting shot down by bows and whatnots?¡±


    ¡°When I was travelling the world? I flew and walked since I¡¯m much stronger than humans, and time was not an issue. It wouldn¡¯t be a problem for me to walk from Europe to Asia and back again.¡± Vivian said with a giggle. ¡°Though at times I would still fly high, especially when hiding from those pesky hunters. They can¡¯t do much when I¡¯m that high up.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of bows, those are child¡¯s play, nothing to be afraid of. Even those Welsh longbowmen can¡¯t reach me. How far do you think arrows can fly anyway? That said¡­ I did get shot down by an anti-aircraft gun once during World War Two¡­¡±


    Hao Ren gawked at the revelation. Vivian sheepishly said ¡°You humans are sure good at building this sort of murderous contraptions. Not too long ago your lots were fighting each other with rocks and sticks and were praying to gods to cure headaches. Didn¡¯t took you guys long to be shooting tonnes of steel up into the air. At that time I thought it was a new fancy catapult and almost took a shell right in the face. Luckily I managed to disperse with my bat form, otherwise I¡¯d probably be the vampire who died the most hilarious death.¡±


    The experience of flying in a plane might have gotten the penniless Vivian a tad bit more excited than usual that she was revealing her embarrassing past one after another. At first, he was rather engaged by the conversation but half way through, he was gawking at Vivian¡¯s tales. Some of it was so outlandish that Hao Ren wasn¡¯t sure how to react.


    When Vivian came to the part where some old chap she knew in North America got killed by a meteorite, Hao Ren decided it was time to change topic and turned to Lily. ¡°You seem like a seasoned flyer.¡±


    Lily looked up lazily and grinned ¡°I had only been on those early Stinson models.¡±


    Hao Ren looked puzzled. ¡°What are those?¡±


    Vivian was readjusting herself on her seat when she heard, ¡°That was during the era of the republic¡­ How rich were you back then?¡±


    ¡°Those days I couldn¡¯t afford air tickets as well.¡± Lily waved her hand ¡°But I would sneak into aircrafts, hiding in the cargo hold, or just hanging outside the aircraft. Back then, security systems weren¡¯t as advanced as they are now, and there were lots of place that were not checked. With my agility, avoiding a normal human¡¯s sight is very easy. The only difficulty was landing, I did try jumping off once, it wasn¡¯t fatal but it was pretty scary.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately retorted ¡°Nonsense, most people would be dead trying to pull that stunt of yours¡±


    Lily stuck her tongue out in defiance, ¡°Well, at least I learned and adapted from experience. That¡¯s why I said, that that bat is too stiff. Plus, she is not at as smart as me at times. She just don¡¯t know how to properly utilise her body.¡±


    Vivian shrugged ¡°I don¡¯t think hanging outside an airplane to avoid paying fare is something to be proud off.¡±


    That said, Vivian couldn¡¯t help but to talk more about it with Lily. Their chatter mainly revolved around how one could safely hang oneself outside human transportations. Lily was going on about how one could hide in a cargo hold while Vivian gave pointers on how to dodge anti-aircraft missiles. It was pretty much hogwash to Hao Ren, but at least this talk gave these two who are always at loggerheads a common ground: They share interest in pulling off outlandish stunts.


    Looking at Lily¡¯s cheerful face, Hao Ren was sure that this werewolf is much more competent than she looks. Being able to hang outside an aircraft half-way across China wasn¡¯t very surprising for a werewolf. What was impressive was her resourcefulness despite her usual derpiness. He could only imagine her untold tales and escapades, but immediately decided against it.


    After that, it was a quiet eleven hours flight for the trio. Before long, they landed at their destination, Heathrow Airport.


    As they stepped out of the plane, Hao Ren had to drag along Lily, who was half-asleep while Vivian walked out looking fresh. He took the opportunity to breathe in the air deeply and found it no different than that back at home.


    Vivian looked up. As it was still early dawn, the skies were still dark. There was a veil of mist that shrouded the air, making the sky much darker than it was. Being in a foreign land, beset by cold winds and gloomy skies, it¡¯s usually not something tourists look forward to, but this was much to Vivian¡¯s taste.


    ¡°This illuminance is just nice for my skin. The past two days was hell! Have you ever see a vampire sunbathe in broad daylight?¡±


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes. ¡°Have you ever see a vampire out and about hunting for jobs?¡±


    Vivian turned away in embarrassment. Trying to change the topic of the conversation, she said, ¡°Hmm¡­. this place looks very different from the England I remember¡­.¡±


    A very groggy Lily still managed to stab at Vivian. ¡°You couldn¡¯t even afford air tickets the last time, what makes you think you remember how the airport even looked like?¡¯


    Dread befell Hao Ren. Vivian quickly interposed and said, ¡°That¡¯s not it, last I remember, this area was supposed to be an empty plot of land, or a rocky beachhead¡­ if my vampiric memories are correct.¡±


    Something suddenly dawned upon Hao Ren, the tingling unease when they departed earlier came to a head. ¡°When was the last time you came to England?¡±


    Vivian took some time to ponder and slowly lowered her head ¡°I remember then there was this king called Lionheart fighting a war¡­.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s jaw fell and he exclaimed, ¡°That¡¯s freaking 1190!¡± Well, at least he knew his history well.


    ¡°How then you be so unsure?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but to look at Vivian in astonishment. He never thought that one could be this forgetful, like Lily.


    ¡°I¡¯ve lived for so long, can¡¯t I have the liberty of remembering something wrongly?¡¯ Vivian tried to defend herself defiantly, but then relented. ¡°And you do know that my memory is not that strong¡­¡±


    ¡°Now what?¡± Hao Ren scratched his head. He was not an experienced traveller and was ill-prepared for this trip. Vivian, who was supposed to be his guide and translator was about as clueless as he is concerning the lay of the land. Not to mention their mission was to locate a client with an unknown name and looks in a small, nameless, and uncharted village. His first mission did not turn out to be the cakewalk he initially thought it would be.


    ¡°At least I have a better command in English compared to you, right?¡± Vivian shrugged.


    Hao Ren had his doubts, but he could say nothing and just nodded.

 Chapter 36

    It¡¯s a known fact that if a person questionable credibility tells you to leave everything to him or her, you shouldn¡¯t expect much of the outcome, it was already a bit too late when Hao Ren learnt this. He was stunned and realized how unprepared he was for this trip when Vivian started speaking in the ancient Anglo-Saxon English.


    A dizzy landlord, a gullible werewolf who was asleep as if half-dead, and a seemingly dependable vampire who turned out to be quite useless, found themselves lost in a foreign land with no means of communication. As they had not thought of the possibility of encountering a language barrier, they didn¡¯t care to look up the directions on the web. Had he foreseen this, he would have asked the airport staffs for assistance. The least they could do, even with the language barrier, was point him to the nearest embassy. Unfortunately, this matter had not cross the minds of this trio.


    Vivian, with her ancient accent was trying to communicate with an old local chap. Hao Ren, confused by her accent, could only look on with pity as the old man, a native English speaker, struggled to converse with her as she bombarded him with series of ¡°What?¡±.


    ¡°Give him a break, Vivian¡± Hao Ren gave Vivian a nudge. ¡°The English that you are speaking is a very ancient form of the language. Do you know that it is totally different from the English we converse in these days?¡±


    Vivian looked distraught ¡°How could the language change so much? I was just using the older form of the language. Now, even the pronunciation had changed so drastically?¡±


    Hao Ren took a long sigh ¡°When you were born, humans were still living in caves and grunting in their conversations. How silly can you be, seriously?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not that OLD alright?¡± Vivian glared at Hao Ren. ¡°Those people were part of the Jurassic era!¡±


    Upon seeing them arguing, the aged gentleman stepped in to stop the squabble. He maintained his composure even after all the trouble Vivian put him through, a real gentleman. He grabbed Hao Ren¡¯s arm and went. ¡°Chinese? Are you Chinese?¡±


    Hao Ren blinked and thanked the heavens that he still remembered some of the English from his school days and quickly nodded.


    The old gentleman smiled and pointed towards a young lad in uniform. Hao Ren and Vivian instantly understood his intention.


    Hao Ren and Vivian sheepishly looked at each other and thanked the old gentleman and quickly dragged along Lily, who was still asleep standing, to the service counter. The staff was a good lad dressed in a smart uniform. The moment Vivian got to him, she started going. ¡°%£¤@@%£¤#£¤#%£¤@?¡±


    Hao Ren quickly pushed Vivian aside and smiled at the young man and spoke in mandarin, ¡°Uhh, sorry my man, do you know about¡­.¡± He stopped half way through as realized that the young man might not be able to catch what he was saying with his native slang and switched to a more standard form of Mandarin. ¡°Good day, I can¡¯t speak English. I need to go somewhere. May I know who can I seek help from?¡±


    As he listened to Hao Ren, the boy frowned a little as he tried to construct a sentence in Mandarin in his mind. He then quickly smiled as he reverted back to his professional facade and pointed towards the car park. ¡°There¡­ there are a few Chinese among those taxi drivers¡­ go¡­ go ask if they can help you.¡± Said the boy as he struggled to pronounce the last few words of the sentence with a weird intonation.


    Hao Ren happily thanked him and headed quickly for the car park. He never thought that the vampire who could outargue Arthur Pendragon was pretty much useless when she was needed the most. Her crowning accomplishment was to puzzle a poor old Briton and in the end it was Hao Ren who had to ask for directions in Madarin¡­


    Life was definitely much more interesting compared to novels as it is not reasonable at all for most of the time!


    ¡°You can continue sleeping once we get to the hotel, hang in there.¡± Hao Ren said as he tapped Lily on the shoulder. All he heard was a light snore. This dumb werewolf really didn¡¯t let her surroundings disrupt her biological clock. The wee hours in London was about the same time as Lily¡¯s naptime back at home. She was so sleepy that she couldn¡¯t even open her eyes. At that point, she was pretty much following Hao Ren around with her eyes closed while putting her acute sense of smell to good use as she stayed right behind him, much to his surprise.


    Not before long the trio arrived at the carpark looking for the Chinese taxi drivers. While they sure look the part, most of them were actually British born Chinese, and spoke only a little Mandarin. They were clueless when they saw the address that Hao Ren wrote in Mandarin.


    Lucky for him, one of them can converse in Mandarin at a decent level. He was exhausted from all the inconveniences of being in a foreign country. The glee of suckering Raven 12345 into giving him a huge sum of money for the trip had faded by now. He quickly realized that this is one hell of a mission, one that would drain the life out of you. It seems that Raven was dead serious when she said she would put her employee¡¯s capability to the test!


    It won¡¯t be surprising if Raven12345 had actually thought of the part where Hao Ren, after getting that huge sum of money, would lose his head and go travelling without much planning.


    There was another possibility that Raven12345 thought it would be a good time for Hao Ren to get used to the two bungling numbskulls by his side.


    Though they were rather ill-prepared for the trip, Hao Ren still remembered to book a hotel beforehand. As he was given huge sum for this trip, he booked a suite at this rather high class hotel which, on their homepage, advertised their multilingual staffs who are supposedly proficient in Mandarin, ensuring the quality of service even to Chinese tourists. At this point, Hao Ren no longer give a toss about the quality of service, he just hoped that the staff could show him to his room without much hassle. After which he would contact Raven12345 for any pointers for the mission.


    After an hour plus ride in the taxi with the taxi driver with a decent command in Mandarin, the trio finally arrived at the hotel in Central London. After they got out of the cab and paid the fare (Hao Ren wasn¡¯t sure if he got ripped off or not, he couldn¡¯t care less at this point.) Vivian looked up to the bright sky and went, ¡°So many years had passed huh, back then there weren¡¯t that many houses around.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that humans were still living on trees when you first came to Europe?¡± Hao Ren spat at Vivian as he held Lily who could barely stand straight. ¡°You¡¯ve lived so long. How did you missed the difference between the lifespan of a vampire and that of a human? We are in so much trouble today because I put too much hope in you.¡±


    Vivian frowned sternly. ¡°I have a good temper, but I still have the pride and dignity of a vampire noble, your constant mockery towards my nobility is¡­¡±


    ¡°Pay up next month¡¯s rent then.¡±


    ¡°¡­ You can say whatever you want, as a noble I won¡¯t be calculative with you.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    It was his first encounter with a noble who was pushed to desperation by her monthly rentals.


    ¡°As planned, let¡¯s rest a day or two, to get rid of the jetlag, reorganize and collate information we have. After that I¡¯ll be reporting in to Raven12345. Hao Ren took a deep breath and sighed, ¡°Based on the address provided by Raven 12345, finding it will not be a walk in the park.¡±


    Walking towards the hotel entrance, the trio was unaware of the brief, yet intent gaze of a shadowy figure at one of the windows on the sixth floor of the hotel as it quickly drew the curtains back, just as quickly as he pulled them back for a peek.

 Chapter 37

    Thanks to the five-digit white-haired succubus, the over sufficient fund she provided allowed Hao Ren to enjoy living like a rich man in this foreign country. Though not comparable with the super-rich, to Hao Ren, being able to reserve such a suite of two rooms with attached bathrooms and a living room in a luxurious hotel, is already considered as rich. After a bumpy check-in, three of them were led by a hotel attendant to the suite they reserved two days ago. Upon reaching the room, Lily already was too tired to behave like a human anymore. She was literally crawling her way into the room.


    Hao Ren could only explain to the stunned attendant. ¡°She¡¯s just sleepwalking, sleepwalking¡­¡±


    The expression of the attendant was quizzical. He probably never seen such a level of sleepwalking. However, the attendant handled it professionally and didn¡¯t pursue. After briefing them about the facilities of the suite and the hotel services in comprehensible mandarin, he left the room.


    ¡°The hotel¡¯s advertisement wasn¡¯t exaggerated at all. The attendant¡¯s proficiency in Mandarin is better than that of your English.¡± said Hao Ren as he turned his head to teased Vivian while dragging Lily into the living room. ¡°Check the doors and rooms with your five extraordinary senses. Make sure that there aren¡¯t any hidden cameras. I don¡¯t want to alert the scientists.¡±


    Vivian was unhappy. After checking the door, she mumbled something and wrote some invisible glyphs on the door and turned to say, ¡°It¡¯s done. I will know right away when somebody is approaching.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and threw the still sleeping Lily onto the sofa. He then looked around the room and thought, to be honest, this was the classiest hotel room he had ever stayed in. The living room was covered with thick light yellow carpet. The warm luminance of the lamps fell on the wall, giving warmth to the ambience and somehow reassuring. There was a LCD TV and a mini bar at one side of the living room. The other side was decorated with a sofa, a coffee table and seats for guests. There were two bedrooms at the north and south end of the suite, each attached with a bathroom. This was necessary as Hao Ren knew that he shouldn¡¯t be sharing the same room with the girls. Yet, he dare not let these two unreliable girls out of sight. Therefore, the best solution was to reserve this suite with two bedrooms for them.


    As a matter of fact, this was not the best solution as Lily and Vivian might end up fighting each other. However, he couldn¡¯t get a more suitable suite with three rooms when he was booking. He could only take what¡¯s available at the moment. Anyhow, before departing, Vivian and Lily had sworn that they would get along well. Of course, it¡¯s still too early to tell.


    Hao Ren looked around the extravagant suite like a bumpkin (even though it¡¯s considered quite basic to the super-rich) and was satisfied. Suddenly, Lily opened her eyes and sat up straight right beside him. She stretched herself deeply and yelled, ¡°Landlord, have we reached the place yet?¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the energetic Lily oddly. The bright and beautiful morning sun was slanting through the French windows and fell right on her face. It was 6.30am in local time. The naptime inherent to Lily¡¯s biological clock was just over and this werewolf girl amazingly woke up just on time.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a feeling that we might fail the task,¡± said Hao Ren and sighed. He took out the MDT from his pocket, activated it and searched for the details of the task that Raven 12345 assigned to him. ¡°We will depart two days later. It will take one day to reach our destination from this place and we are taking the highway which is the shortest route. So the main task for tomorrow is to figure out the map and where the heck is this ¡°Yorkford¡±. Raven 12345 said she wanted to put us newbies to the test¡­ I wonder what kind of a test this is, not providing us a more accurate map!¡±


    ¡°Yorkford¡­ I can¡¯t find it on the map,¡± Lily was wide awake. She was lying beside Hao Ren, looking curiously at the projected image from the MDT. ¡°Hey landlord, we haven¡¯t had lunch, have we?¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the bright window and said, ¡°It should be breakfast¡­ before or after breakfast. We will eat later. Also, don¡¯t call me landlord when we are out. It sounds weird. You can just call me by my name.¡±


    ¡°Okay, landlord. I got it, landlord.¡±


    Hao Ren, ¡°¡­¡±


    Vivian walked around each room in the suite happily. She even went to have a look at the bathroom before returning to the living room, seemingly impressed. She glanced at the hologram floating before her and reminded Hao Ren. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to report to Raven? Try to ask for more details while you are at it.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, I almost forgot about it,¡± Hao Ren slapped his head. He pinched the edge of the MDT like how he did before and was searching hard in his head for Raven 12345¡¯s contact channel. ¡°I hope she goes to work today. She is not too reliable.¡±


    This time Raven 12345 didn¡¯t disappoint Hao Ren. The holographic projection above the MDT flickered and the beautiful woman with beautiful silver hair appeared before Hao Ren. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve reached UK,¡± Hao Ren looked curious as he realized that the background behind Raven 12345 looked somewhat like outer space. ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°UK? What are you doing there? Oh yes I remembered it. I asked you to pick someone up. How¡¯s it?¡± asked Raven 12345.


    ¡°Nothing much.¡± Hao Ren have no time to figure out why was there a huge flame of explosion behind Raven 12345, ¡°Vivian made a mistake and Lily was sleeping like a dead dog few minutes ago. And the ¡®Yorkford¡¯ you told me about does not even exist on the map. Also¡­ none of us can speak English. You don¡¯t supposed we can simply find any local chap to be our translator right, given the secrecy of this mission? What if they find out about the unusual creatures?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t speak English? It¡¯s just a minor problem.¡± Raven 12345¡¯s lips didn¡¯t move as she spoke. Yet the voice was still coming from the projection. Apparently she was using another method to communicate with Hao Ren when in outer space. Just then a bright explosion flashed in the background of the holographic projection. Rave12345 turned around and simply threw a dazzling bluish white ball of light at it. She then turned back and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to study your MDT, why don¡¯t you listen to me? Just enter the app list and look for the translation program.¡±


    Hao Ren was watching Raven 12345 throwing balls of lightning in space. He was getting more and more curious as to what she was doing out there but still stick to the question and tried to explain it to her. ¡°I tried to use the translation app, however, it was all about the languages of XX planet and the general dictionary of XX universe. I guess it must be useful when travelling to the other planet but there¡¯s nothing I can use on earth¡­¡±


    Raven 12345 paused for a moment and slapped her head, ¡°Opps! I installed the wrong app. You know how I always find these technological devices confusing. I will instruct the technician to transfer the right translation program to you later. Meanwhile, let me settle this mess over here first. Just a moment.¡±


    After she was done talking, Raven 12345 turned to around again and threw out a bright blue electric arc. Hao Ren couldn¡¯t estimate how huge that electric arc was through the holographic projection. All he could see was the arc almost took out the whole screen instantly. He was astonished and asked, ¡°What are you really doing? Why does it look so busy over there?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m just cleaning up the room,¡± said Raven without thinking. ¡°A gang of self-pity lunatics are gearing up to destroy the world. They even created mathematical rates weapons. I have to get rid of them before the damage is done¡­¡±


    While Raven 12345 was speaking, Hao Ren noticed that there was a peculiar wreckage as huge as massif in the background. The wreckage was surrounded by blue blaze. It was disintegrating as it slowly glide across the space. Numerous small spaceship-like objects emerged from the wreckage but were almost instantly shot into oblivion by blue beams coming out of nowhere.


    Hao Ren knew at once that he should stop asking about it. What Raven 12345 was doing was apparently nothing peaceful¡­


    ¡°Ok, where were we just now?¡± Raven 12345¡¯s voice woke Hao Ren up from blanked state his mind was in. ¡°Oh, I need to upload a new translation program. Well, you bunch of unofficial guys are really troublesome. After you become an official employee, these programs will be installed into your head directly and you will have a built-in interpretation system wherever you go.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±

 Chapter 38

    ¡°Now I finally understand what Raven 12345 meant when she said she was ¡®too busy to deal with the trifles of earth¡¯.¡± said Hao Ren after disconnecting from the call. ¡°Her daily job is way too crazy, it¡¯s exactly like a scene taken out of a blockbuster movie.¡±


    ¡°Does she hold grudges?¡± Vivian, who also saw the space battle, got a little scared of Raven. Although she had no idea about space wars and mathematical rates weapons, she couldn¡¯t help but feel that Raven 12345 is the kind of boss you wouldn¡¯t want to cross. ¡°Are you sure that you have never offended her before?¡±


    ¡°Well there are times where I called her the white haired succuba silently inside my head. Does that count?¡± asked Hao Ren after contemplating for a while.


    ¡°¡­¡± Vivian was speechless.


    While Hao Ren was still chatting with Vivian, his MDT suddenly flashed and a message came in directly into his head: ¡°The interpretation program had been sent to you.¡±


    Hao Ren switched on the MDT and found the interpretation program quickly. In fact, he didn¡¯t have to search for it. He just simply gave a command in his mind and the MDT carried out the intended function, bringing up the interpretation program immediately. As he was reading the program manual, Hao Ren licked his lips subconsciously, saying, ¡°The heck! Another high-end product. If I had had this product back then, I wouldn¡¯t have to retake the CET-4 three times¡­¡±


    ¡°How is it?¡± Lily scratched her head while looking at the MDT with much interest. ¡°Does it explain how to use the program?¡±


    Hao Ren pointed at the holographic image. It was clearly stated here:


    The script for the usage of the Universal Adaptive Interpretation app.


    ? Accessibility clearance level: F


    ? Accessible to basic level agents or equivalent positions


    ? Connects directly to user¡¯s mind upon activation


    ? Simultaneous interpretation inside the mind. Users will not experience lapses in the interpretation process and supports language auxiliary function at the same time


    ? Able to take charge of part of user¡¯s language ability and enabling users to engage in barrier-free communication in different languages.


    Though the above script contained multiple terminology, Hao Ren was able to grasp the general operation of the program just by picking out the few words that he understood from the script. He had to admit that the program was pretty amazing. It was similar to the MDT as both linked directly with the user¡¯s mind. As a matter of fact, all of the auxiliary programs in the MDT could do the same. At first he thought the interpretation app was just a text translation program with voice recognition (It can¡¯t be helped, the last he checked, that¡¯s the best earth¡¯s technology has to offer isn¡¯t it?), but he never expected it to be able to link with and work in his mind with any language. There was even a ¡°language auxiliary function¡± which could actually take charge of some parts of the user¡¯s language ability?


    Hao Ren thought at this rate, he could pretend to be a local and actually pull off a flawless London accent.


    ¡°By the way, we can give it a go now!¡± Hao Ren suggested as he noticed a side note stating that there¡¯s a built-in language library encompassing the languages of the worlds under the jurisdiction of the empire. Even aboriginal languages and those long-lost from uncivilized worlds were included in it. He was curious and wanted to test it immediately. He activated the program immediately and confirmed in his mind that the mental port was ready. He then turned to Vivian and said, ¡°You can speak to me in Anglo-Saxon English now, let¡¯s see if it works. According to the user¡¯s guide, any spoken language on earth can be translated.¡±


    Vivian blinked and said, ¡°Is it really so amazing?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s give it a go!¡± said Hao Ren excitedly. ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Vivian paused for a moment and said, ¡°I spoked to you in Old English just now, and you replied in Old English as well.¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned while looking at the MDT. A few moments later, he talked to himself, ¡°Well it really worked. I don¡¯t feel the lapse with the process of interpretation. It even imitates your accent.¡±


    Lily sat on one side with her arms wrapped around her knees, watching them. She could no longer hide her curiosity and smiled as she walked towards Hao Ren. ¡°Landlord, landlord, can I give it a try please?¡±


    But as soon as Lily takes the MDT over from Hao Ren¡¯s hands, the interpretation program stopped.


    ¡°Even though this device is a low accessibility clearance model, there are still rules to follow!¡± Read the line of words appearing on the MDT. ¡°You do not meet the functional module¡¯s accessibility clearance level, identification failed. Proceeding with this session is against the law. If you really wish to continue, feel free purchase the lock-free downgraded civil model in the City of Shadows.¡±


    Lily stared at it and asked, ¡°Why then can I access the music player without any problem?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a lock-free function. According to the regulation, you can freely access it.¡± Another line of words appeared. ¡°However, please respect the original setting of this devise. Its main function is to execute tasks, not to play music! You can insult the traditional looks of this device but don¡¯t you dare insult the speakers. It¡¯s a serious provocation to this device to play in your mind the Little Apple in a loop using the sixteen channel mode!


    Hao Ren looked quizzically at her. Embarrassed, Lily returned the MDT to him. ¡°I was just bored. The other day you left it on the coffee table before going off to prepare lunch for Bats. So I took it and used it for a short while.¡±


    Hao Ren quietly took the MDT back and kept it away. However, he couldn¡¯t bear the disappointment on Lily¡¯s face. Therefore, he tried to divert her attention. ¡°How about this, Vivian and I have tested the function just now. You can give it a go I you want. Just simply pick any foreign language or dialect. Let¡¯s see if it can be translated as well.¡±


    The idea brightened her up. After Hao Ren was ready, she cleared her throat and said tentatively, ¡°Woof?¡±


    Hao Ren, ¡°¡­¡±


    Vivian, ¡°¡­¡±


    MDT, ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Erm¡­ this device isn¡¯t pre-loaded with the corresponding glossary,¡± a line of words appeared again on the MDT.


    ¡°However, according the scenario analysis and the condition your body is in, could what you¡¯ve just said be ¡®food¡¯?¡±


    Lily hugged her knees and pout, ¡°It was just guessing around, that doesn¡¯t count. It¡¯s not funny at all. I want to go down to get some something to eat.¡±


    After Lily left the room, Vivian turned to Hao Ren and smirked, ¡°You see, she won¡¯t usually admit that she is just a big doggie but once she opens that mouth of hers, she exposes her true identity.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t say that,¡± Hao Ren stuck up a tiny bit for the stupid werewolf of a sister who had always cheered him up. ¡°I told her to speak in some foreign language. Probably barking is a foreign language to werewolves¡­ at the very least it could be a dialect.¡±


    Hao Ren was amazed by the new function of the MDT. He felt that he could be an expert in any language in no time without any problem. Had he not been lazy, he would have probably disguise himself as the top student in every college of linguistics with the help of this device. However, little did he know that that function was actually the most basic function in the most basic equipment in the Space Administration and it¡¯s considered outdated. The language barrier was a common problem faced by basic level officers as they inspect each and every space. They were different from the Xi Ling disciples in that they couldn¡¯t directly access all the knowledge via the mental network. The ordinary basic level officers (which also includes agents, ¡®hallowed scions, ¡®bishops¡¯ and the likes) usually rely on a variety of equipment to solve the difficulties they faced in their tasks. Now the Space Administration was in the process of improving this situation. The solution was to directly integrate some of the functions in the MDT into the Bioenhancement and Reconfiguration Program. The first project was to install the interpretation program directly into the brain which enable these agents to communicate with any race in any language without any barrier and without the help of any device. It was a pity that Hao Ren didn¡¯t join at the right time. He had to get back into that ¡®coffin¡¯ for the second time after the next two days.


    Let¡¯s not talk about the things that are yet to come. Hao Ren and Vivian went into the room. What were you thinking?! They were just trying to discover the other functions of the MDT. Hao Ren realized at that moment how unreliable Raven 12345 was. That White Haired Succuba didn¡¯t even know the inner workings of a basic equipment of the Space Administration. It¡¯s euphemistic to call her a tech illiterate. Hao Ren wondered if the woman was actually only an exception in the Space Administration. Anyway, in order to avoid similar problems in the future, Hao Ren must find out if there were any other problems with this equipment in his hands. My, oh, my, did he found another one! It was an app called ¡°The Encyclopedia of Antenatal Care for 37 Races¡± was preinstalled in the Date Repository in the ¡°Weaponry¡± folder.


    This was literally Hao Ren¡¯s expression: O_o!!


    ¡°Can the five-digit crazy Goddess still carry out her duties reliably? Imagine one day I am on the brink of death on the battlefield, requesting for backup and all I¡¯ve got is two prams descending from the sky? And for whom I wonder¡­¡±

 Chapter 39

    After nearly an hour, Hao Ren finally sussed it out. There were no major problems with the MDT but somehow, it was marred with glitches. A tech noob himself, Hao Ren was nonetheless quick to notice the anomaly. There were many functions which he could not make head or tail of. Plus, information about them was just next to nothing. He had tried his luck with the MDT¡¯s AI but, the AI knew no better than him; after all, the AI would not question Raven 12345¡¯s order.


    The problem was, the programs ordered by Raven 12345 were not native to the MDT. Every MDT distributed at the grassroots level went through a process of initialization first. So by right, every MDT should have came out identical right out of the box. However, local management was given the discretion to install locale-specific programs. Such examples were the localized biological encyclopedia, localized interstellar navigation map, antenatal care guide for female agents and the like. The central information vault of the Xi Ling Empire was a master record of everything¡ªno matter how bizarre or small, one could find it there. Due to this, there was an endless list of programs which could be downloaded into the MDT. Clearly, this was the source of the problem. Raven 12345, Hao Ren¡¯s regional chief was one fry short of a happy meal and technologically speaking, she was a dummy. However, she had given orders to download a hell of a lot of programs and had also meddled with the MDT before it was passed on to Hao Ren.


    Hao Ren and Vivian were staring at a huge PT-385 Encyclopedia of the Universe in the MDT¡ª a compilation of 2,000 volumes to be exact. They were flabbergasted. Deletion of anything from the MDT required access of higher authorization.


    ¡°I suggest you make do with it.¡± The holographic message read. ¡°All functions of the MDT are intact and working fine. You only have to control your compulsion and ignore the spams. And a replacement will be no better as Raven 12345 would certainly toy with the replacement unit again before you get your hands on it. A check with the local network message board has confirmed such incidents and complaints related to this MDT issue have gone through the roof. She¡¯s one hell of a woman.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I give up. As long as you get me what I want, I¡¯ll just turn a blind eye to all the nonsense. Ignorance is bliss, right?¡±


    ¡°Dear user, don¡¯t worry. You will be in good hands with me. I am as powerful as you can imagine.¡± The AI was narcissistic.


    Hao Ren would someday come to the realization that ignoring it was the best decision he had ever made.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go downstairs and grab some bites.¡± Hao Ren tucked the MDT into his pocket before checking out the antique clock standing at the corner. ¡°Lily¡¯s been gone for an hour, is she lost?¡±


    ¡°The hotel serves breakfast, and that big dog¡¯s a gourmand. She must be gorging on the food as we speak. She¡¯s a loser,¡± Vivian quipped.


    Hao Ren shrugged without a word and led Vivian out of the room. They entered a restaurant at the first floor of the hotel.


    England was a slow-paced country where people lived a laid-back lifestyle. Typical English folk would start their day at nine in the morning and have their first meal of the day. Such a lifestyle was alien to Hao Ren. Plus, he was still plagued by jet lag. There were a few guests at the breakfast buffet section. There was no mistaking that Lily was sitting right there, alone at her table in the middle of the restaurant. Vivian was spot-on about Lily being a gourmand. Lily was seen cleaning up plate after plate of food and there was no sign of her slowing down.


    Hao Ren blinked. ¡°It seems the rumor that spices aren¡¯t available in England isn¡¯t true at all considering how much food Lily has gobbled up.¡±


    Vivian looked on with disdain. ¡°She¡¯s just an omnivore.¡±


    Holding a plate in his hand, Hao Ren proceeded to the long buffet line. He ambled around and noticed that not all English food was unpalatable. At least, he had no difficulty in filling his plate with ¡®edible¡¯ items from the choices available. He then lumbered over to Lily and sat next to her, inquiring curiously, ¡°Are you done yet?¡±


    ¡°Ermm, yup!¡± Lily tried to speak with her mouth full. ¡°The salad isn¡¯t bad, same goes for the fruits. But I¡¯m not really fond of the BBQ meat. They don¡¯t taste like the ones back home¡­¡±


    Hao Ren stared into her eyes and muttered, ¡°As a werewolf, don¡¯t you feel ashamed of your choice of food?¡±


    It seemed like Lily did not get the message. She exclaimed, ¡°They don¡¯t sell ribs over here!¡±


    Hao Ren felt they were not really on the same wavelength.


    He turned over to Vivian and was confounded. ¡°Now, that¡¯s like a pot calling the kettle black.¡±


    Vivian almost overfilled her plate and it looked like a small hill. As if it began raining after a long drought, she could not care less about table manners and etiquette. She just wanted to fulfill her long-deprived desire or rather appetite, after living on a budget for so long.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never had a life like this!¡± The vampire girl babbled with her mouth full. ¡°I¡¯d like to enjoy as much as I can while it lasts!¡±


    Hao Ren was relieved at the fact that the English started their day late and also, there were only a handful of waitresses on duty at that time. Otherwise, the scene of the two gobblers trying to out-eat each other would have been too embarrassing to be witnessed.


    As they were going at it, a man holding a plate in his hand approached. Hao Ren heard him utter in a soft voice, ¡°Is this seat taken?¡±


    Hao Ren looked up; the stranger was slender, he had short hair and he wore a white top with black pants. He was not particularly handsome by any standard but exuded an air of trustworthiness and aptness in him. The man had an unmistakably oriental face which Hao Ren could almost tell was Chinese.


    ¡°Please have a seat, it¡¯s not taken.¡± Hao Ren invited the man to take the vacant seat across the table. He was a little puzzled though; most tables in the restaurant were empty at that time. Why did this stranger choose to sit with them? He heightened his guard and sized the man up carefully.


    He was mindful of his so-called covert mission and became alert.


    Vivian had also come to notice the presence of the man. As she became self-conscious, she slowed down her pace. Her mannerisms switched to Duchess-of-Cambridge mode¡ªelegant and graceful, save for the oil stain on the corner of her mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of rare to see someone from my home country here.¡± The man was cordial and friendly despite his appearance implying otherwise. ¡°Are you here for holiday?¡±


    ¡°Home country?¡± Hao Ren did not expect to be so damn right. The translation program had prevented him from recognizing the man¡¯s accent outright until the man divulged his origin. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re from China too?¡±


    ¡°Yup, I¡¯m a native Chinese but I spend most my time globe-trotting.¡± The tall man guffawed. ¡°I¡¯m happy to see my fellow countrymen here. If it¡¯s not too much trouble, do you mind if I join you guys?¡±


    ¡°Not at all!¡± Hao Ren waved his hands.


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± The man nodded and unexpectedly uttered, ¡°Are you searching for a place called Yorkford?¡±

 Chapter 40

    ¡°Are you looking for a place called Yorkford?¡±


    The stranger man¡¯s inadvertent question threw Hao Ren and Vivian off guard. With hundreds of years as a veteran vampire under her belt, Vivian managed to hide her surprise but Hao Ren had it written all over his face. ¡°How did you know that?¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s muscles tensed up; his fists clenched tightly as if he was about to draw his sword out from its scabbard¡ªof course he had no sword. He was ready to improvise by picking up a chair or something he could grab within his reach as a weapon. In reality, there were no threats in the slightest. He was only paranoid because he had drawn himself too deep into his own imagination of a James Bond scenario. Coming from a humble, peasant background and going on his first ever ¡®covert¡¯ mission, Hao Ren was nervous as well as paranoid. Anyone walking on two legs in a 200 meter radius was an imaginary threat.


    The tall and slender man smiled after which, he pointed at Lily. ¡°I overheard what the lady said earlier as she was asking around about Yorkford. Although she was speaking in Chinese, the waitresses and I could understand it. So, I was just curious. Why are you looking for that place?¡±


    Hao Ren gave Lily a sideways stare but she was so obsessed with her meal, she did not even notice. For all intents and purposes, she could not be justifiably blamed for her conspicuous recon method. They knew that Yorkford did not exist on modern maps. They could only take an educated guess of the location and its distance from London based on the bits and pieces supplied by Raven 12345. Other than that, not much could have been done except asking around.


    Lily had assumed that the MDT was simultaneously interpreting her words. She did not realize that the simultaneous interpreter did not work for her and she was only heard speaking in Chinese.


    ¡°We¡¯re here on holiday,¡± Vivian took a break from her meal but had maintained her graceful manners. She chimed in trying to save Hao Ren from botching their cover. ¡°Well actually, we aren¡¯t fond of the usual tourist places but we¡¯re more interested in little-known spots in the remote countryside for a little exploration. We came to read about a place called Yorkford a while back so, we thought it might be a good idea to explore the place a bit while we¡¯re here in England. But it seems that it is unknown even to the locals.¡±


    Hao Ren secretly gave Vivian a thumbs-up. He thought, ¡°At least that inept blood-sucking creature is finally being useful. And clearly, she is a good liar too!¡±


    Under the guise of the table, Vivian reciprocated a victory sign. She had learned the fine art of lying ever since the invention of Cuneiform script and had been good at it too.


    The man looked at them but was not suspicious of anything. He continued, ¡°Oh, I see. Obviously, that place has somehow become famous lately. However, you won¡¯t find that place¡ªat least, not by the name of Yorkford.¡±


    ¡°You mean, you do know the place?¡± Lily chimed in eagerly. Her ears stood erect as she jolted her head upwards. The sauce on the salad jutting out from her mouth almost splattered onto the man¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯re going too?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess we can travel together.¡± The man smiled. ¡°A few hundred years ago, Yorkford was an estate where members of the nobility lived. Somehow, it was left deserted and it fell into ruin in the course of a few hundred years. Since then, no one has ever remembered or mentioned it. It was forgotten, save for entries in a few professional, geographic publications. So how you got to know about the name is beyond me. Nevertheless Brewshire, a small town which was built at the South, is the closest point to the ruins.¡±


    ¡°F*ck me¡­¡± Hao Ren was appalled. ¡°How stupid could the white-haired succubus get? It¡¯s the name of a hundred-year-old decaying estate!¡±


    Vivian echoed, ¡°Ya, damn right. The information is so outdated.¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at her, chiding, ¡°Shut up, you Old English!¡±


    Vivian lowered her head awkwardly but Lily overheard the chide. She looked up and asked curiously, ¡°Old English? What Old English?¡± Lily had no clue; she was still in a somnambulistic state when Vivian slipped up.


    ¡°Freeze your teeth and give your tongue a sleigh ride!¡± Hao Ren pushed Lily¡¯s head back down and turned to face the man with a surprise look. ¡°What a coincidence! I was worried about how we would ever get there until I met you. You¡¯re going there for business or leisure?¡±


    Hao Ren could not deny the fact that he was pleasantly surprised. He was prepared to spend the entire of the following day scouting for anything about Yorkford. The appearance of this man who claimed to know about Yorkford had actually made things easier for him. Yet at the same time, he had his doubts. It was too much of a coincidence.


    According to the man, Yorkford was an estate owned by some members of nobility during the medieval kingdom period. However, it had been deserted, forgotten, and had almost disappeared from the surface of the earth a long time ago. Even if there was a settlement built near the original ruins later on, there were no indications of any historical or cultural connections between the two. Considering all these things, gathering of information would have been extremely difficult and time-consuming. So, that leaves the question: Was the man being genuine?


    Hao Ren¡¯s feeling had turned from a pleasant surprise to outright skepticism but he had concealed this switch rather well this time. Hao Ren appeared passionate and the man did not suspect a thing. ¡°For business. My job requires me to travel frequently, especially to places of historical interest¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a tomb raider?¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly felt a sharp pain on his feet. Vivian had stamped his foot.


    ¡°About my job¡­¡± The man suddenly sounded reluctant before steering away from the topic of conversation. ¡°Have you heard news about Yorkford?¡±


    ¡°What news?¡± Hao Ren quickly realized something. Irrespective of what news came out from the place, his mission was going to tank. He was supposed to meet an unusual creature in Yorkford. Drawing people¡¯s attention to it was an absolute no-no.


    ¡°There is a castle in Yorkford, abandoned and in ruin,¡± The man said in a mystic tone of voice. ¡°It¡¯s not a tourist attraction and it¡¯s supposed to stay that way. However, news of paranormal activities have broke out recently; there were claims of sightings of mysterious lights, fire burning at the top the ruins and knights in full battle armor lurking around in the evening. According to the locals, it could be the haunted spirits of the noblemen, noblewomen and knights who once lived there. The place has now become somewhat ¡®famous¡¯ because of that.¡±


    The man narrated the story in such vivid details. The story exuded a strong, spooky air between each punctuation, sending chills down everyone¡¯s spine. But thanks to the werewolf and the vampire, Hao Ren was kind of immune to it. At that moment, he had only one thing on his mind: Could the paranormal phenomena have something to do with his new tenant?


    Hao Ren pondered. If the paranormal events were true as claimed, then his tenant could very well be a¡­ What the f*ck? Could the white-haired succubus not send him some ¡®normal¡¯ tenants?


    Then again, any human in his right mind would never stay in his house for obvious reasons.


    ¡°That¡¯s your job? Hao Ren gave the man a curious glance. He had a goddamn feeling that the paranormal story had something to do with the man¡¯s appearance before them.


    The man smiled shyly. ¡°It may sound absurd but actually, I¡¯m a demon hunter¡­¡±

 Chapter 41

    The man smiled shyly. ¡°It may sound absurd but actually, I¡¯m a demon hunter¡­¡±


    Demon hunter!


    Hao Ren heard a sudden noise in his ears. He turned around and saw that Lily had stopped eating. Whereas, the vampire maiden was wiping away the sauce stain on her face before saying in a quivering voice, ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    ¡°I knew it. Exactly the response I had expected.¡± There was a sense of helplessness in the man. ¡°Your reaction isn¡¯t a surprise to me. I had it worse when I told people about myself previously. I mean it when I say I¡¯m a demon hunter. Have you ever watched the movie Van Helsing? What I do is more or less the same as depicted in the movie. Just that, we hunt demons in a totally different way.¡±


    The tall man sounded dead serious as he talked about himself. Hao Ren slid his butt backwards on his chair to try to keep a distance from the man. He had too many questions in his mind. ¡°The man¡¯s a demon hunter? Is he real or just some charlatan?¡±


    People would have laughed if off but not Hao Ren; he had deeper thoughts than them. He knew demon hunters existed.


    At the same time, he did not take the man¡¯s word at face value as the man could have been joking. He figured no demon hunter in their right mind would advertise their presence like this dude did.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re not going to believe me, are you?¡± The man helplessly spread his hands out. ¡°I can¡¯t blame you though. Look, being a Chinese, it would have been more convincing if I claimed to be a lay monk from Mount Wutai. But I¡¯m not claiming to be anything more than I am. Also, the term ¡®demon hunter¡¯ may sound westernized but in reality, it¡¯s extra-cultural. We¡¯ve been in existence since the emergence of the four great, ancient civilizations¡­¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian looked at each other. They both felt that there was some truth in the man¡¯s words. Demon hunters were thought to be from the west. People did not know that they had been roaming the surface of the earth since time immemorial. In ancient China, they were known as Taoists; in other parts of the world, they were called sorcerers or priests. However, true demon hunters would never identify themselves as such. Yet, what this man said was very close to the truth¡ªa truth that most would not acknowledge.


    ¡°Mr. Demon hunter?¡± Lily had finally turned her focus away from her plate. She had never seen a real demon hunter but had heard a lot of horrific stories about them so, she was nervous. ¡°Demon hunters are real?¡±


    At last, Lily wised-up. She was slick with her tongue.


    ¡°People in general regard demon hunters as an urban legend or character from horror stories.¡± The man smiled slyly. ¡°But they are as real as they get. And there are still many people who believe in the existence of paranormal entities hence, the practice of exorcism in some places. Rightly, my job is to drive out demons. That explains my presence here. I¡¯m here to investigate the paranormal events in Yorkford.¡±


    ¡°In that sense, your job is supposed to be confidential. I can¡¯t fathom, how could you be so conspicuous in your approach?¡± Vivian posed her question in a composed manner. She had suspected there was something behind this man¡¯s haste in revealing his identity.


    It did not matter whether the man was genuine or not. The fact was, his high-profile presence had already defied all logic. People of such profession would have preferred to lay low. Announcing one¡¯s self in such a conspicuously was never the way normal demon hunters behaved. Had he become jobless just like her and had to advertise himself to get hired?


    Hao Ren did share her thoughts in a way. When did demon hunters become so high-profile? Did all superheros not wear some kind of mask to keep things clandestine? Look at Hao Ren, he never went around announcing to the world that he was a glamorous agent from heaven. Of course, he had a protocol to follow, which he did not mention.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing secretive about it,¡± the man said in a matter-of-fact manner. ¡°My job isn¡¯t something despicable. Even fortune tellers have their own websites. So why can¡¯t we demon hunters talk about our work openly?¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian looked at each other, trying to synchronize their reactions and stay under the radar. Within seconds, they locked their eyes in a shared understanding. They pretended to be a naive audience who had found the story interesting but unbelievable. Vivian, in her thoughtful smile and distant manner asked, ¡°So, you¡¯re going to slay all those ghosts in the castle, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    The man¡¯s zeal was somewhat dampened but he still smiled. ¡°I need to assess the situation there before taking any action. I know you¡¯re not going to believe me. And I don¡¯t expect you to. But, we could travel together anyway. I could be your tour guide. Why don¡¯t we catch a train tomorrow morning? We¡¯ll be there by evening, before you know it.¡±


    Hao Ren was hesitant. He felt like he needed a day or two to recover from the jet lag. However before he could spell it out, Vivian had already taken the liberty of accepting the invitation on his behalf. ¡°That¡¯s great. It¡¯s very nice of you to be our guide since we aren¡¯t familiar with the route. By the way, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Nangong. That¡¯s my last name.¡± The man rose to his feet and said, ¡°Errr¡­ for some reason, I can¡¯t tell you my first name now. Anyway, do call me Nangong. I¡¯ll see you guys at 6.30 tomorrow morning in this restaurant. And then we shall depart. I¡¯ll only wait for 15 minutes tops¡ªthe train doesn¡¯t wait.¡±


    Just as Hao Ren was about to tell the man that he possibly could not make it that early, Vivian jumped the gun again, nodding. ¡°Okay, Mr. Nangong. See you at 6.30 tomorrow morning. Oh yeah, please allow me to introduce myself; I¡¯m Vivian, this is¡ª¡±


    Hao Ren stared blankly at Vivian, she was talking to the demon hunter as if it did not concern her one bit. After Nangong left them, Hao Ren managed to ask, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of the demon hunter?¡±


    ¡°No, he doesn¡¯t look like one.¡± Vivian sat back down as Nangong walked out of the restaurant. She took a short breath and said, ¡°Frankly, we need a guide. He¡¯s going to Yorkford, just like us. So, it would be way better if we follow him there, figure out his motive, and then make up some excuse to part with him rather than going on our own and bumping into him in Yorkford. It¡¯d be kind of awkward. Of course, this would be the case if he were a demon hunter. However, if he¡¯s only a charlatan, things will be a lot easier since he won¡¯t be a threat. We¡¯ll just get him to lead us there and then we¡¯ll be done with him.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s analysis of the situation was very much on point and Hao Ren also could not deny the fact that she was more farsighted than he was. Nonetheless, he was not done with his questions yet. He asked, ¡°Vivian, could you tell whether someone¡¯s a demon hunter or not? If Nangong¡¯s a real demon hunter, there has to be something distinct and recognizable. Apart from his ¡®look¡¯, could you tell by any other means?¡±


    Vivian frowned as she stared into the distance. ¡°It¡¯s kind of hard to tell. Demon hunters are like predators. They¡¯re sly and good at concealing themselves. And that was exactly how my clan was wiped out when a demon hunter infiltrated us by posing as one of our slaves. As a first-class Blood Clan member myself, I have the ability to differentiate a demon hunter¡¯s blood from others. But first, you need to get his blood, which I think isn¡¯t an easy task.¡±


    There was a pause. She felt that as difficult as it was, she also had her pride to think about. So she continued, albeit unsure. ¡°Well, now that we¡¯re on it, I did feel something amiss about him. During the last battle between the Blood Clan and the demon hunters, I hurt my right hand. Since then, I sort of acquired some mystic ability. My hand would get hot whenever a demon hunter is present¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, really? I think your hand¡¯s just dipping into the hot soup now.¡±


    ¡°Ouch!¡±

 Chapter 42

    Whether Mr. Nangong was a real demon hunter, a very experienced swindler or a delusional crackpot (chances of him being that were not that high), neither Hao Ren nor Vivian could come to a conclusion after hours of discussion.


    Vivian said she had an instinctual reaction to demon hunters, owing it to her hand injury. However, she concurred that her instincts may or may not have been right. As such, it could not be used as concrete evidence against him. As for Lily, he may as well just forget about it. She had never even met a demon hunter before. Lily was like a baby in Vivian¡¯s eyes and if they were assaulted by a demon hunter, she doubted Lily would be able to react in an effective manner at all.


    According to Vivian¡¯s explanation, demon hunters were quite literally part human part monsters. They were able to unleash supernatural abilities during combat and even mutate depending on the situation. Not forgetting, their ability to blend into the crowd like normal humans without giving away any aura or scent, which could have exposed them. That ability was a trump card demon hunters had against the supernaturals.


    How Nangong carried himself felt wrong to Vivian.It was unlike a demon hunter. The way he boasted about his job so openly differed a lot from the demon hunters who plagued her in the past. Nevertheless, she could not totally discount the fact that he was the real deal given that she had never met one in ages. Even the ones she had met comprised just a small group among a vast group of hunters. She did not know them particularly well and her memory was no different than a senile old woman. Not to mention her streak of bad luck¡­ Hao Ren really hoped that her bad luck did not rub off on him for them to meet a real demon hunter on the first day of the mission.


    This left Hao Ren pretty nervous.


    The three of them were pretty listless in England, given their unfamiliarity with the place. While they had solved the issue regarding the language barrier, the journey itself had taken a toll of them and even Lily was too lazy to move about. So, they went back to the hotel after lunch. Lily was now slouched on the lounge sofa fiddling with the TV remote. She seemed to be enjoying herself despite not being able to understand a single word. Vivian on the other hand, was doing something surprisingly useful: She had taken out the cash stock Hao Ren had prepared for the trip. She was counting them over and over again.


    Hao Ren looked at Vivian alarmingly and and sat as close to her as possible. He stared at Vivian¡¯s thin, pale hands without blinking. He was afraid that if he moved his attention away, the pile of cash would just disappear into thin air due to her bad luck. Hao Ren had realized the gravity of Vivian¡¯s bad luck with money and ¡®bad luck¡¯ was a serious understatement when describing the facts of the matter. It was almost like the will of the universe or an effect of the laws of nature. Allowing Vivian to touch money would trigger an adverse psychological reaction in him.


    Vivian was eagerly counting the stack of cash. Then, she sighed. ¡°Haihhh¡­ It¡¯s really a rare moment to be able to be spendthrift¡­ So, this is how counting money feels like¡­ Following Mr. Landlord was the right choice¡­ Uh¡­ Can you stop being so fidgety, Mr. Landlord?¡±


    ¡°I told you that you can just call me Hao Ren when we¡¯re outside.¡± Hao Ren gave Vivian a frozen smile. ¡°Sides, I have my reasons for being nervous. By the Gods, if I looked away for one moment, you could somehow lose all of our spending money. Can you do something more productive? At first, I was wondering why you emptied my wallet. You¡¯re just gonna sit here and count money?¡±


    ¡°Could you possibly even understand the feeling of someone who¡¯s been broke for millennia?¡± Vivian took a long, deep sigh. ¡°The last time I had the chance to count money like this was during the Republic era. I was carrying a gunny sack to buy rice and I actually stood by the doorway to count the silver notes¡­ but¡­ it doesn¡¯t feel as good as now. Paper then was as good as waste paper. They don¡¯t hold water to how this British pound feels. Humph! I¡¯m done counting this stack. Let me count it again¡­ Oh come on Hao Ren, just let me count it one more time, please!¡±


    Hao Ren adamantly decided to put the cash back into his wallet and into his pocket. He went, ¡°My dear Ms. Vampire, if you really want to count money, we¡¯ll go to Zimbabwe someday so that you can count your heart out. As of now¡­ please do something useful for once¡­ Say, about that demon hunter stuff, why are you no longer nervous about it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already been through so much for so long so, why should I keep worrying about small matters like this? ¡°Vivian looked at Hao Ren¡¯s wallet forlornly as it bulged in his pocket. She then quickly shifted her gaze elsewhere as she went, ¡°By the way, do you know how a real demon hunter looks like?¡±


    Hao Ren perked up with interest in the topic, ¡°How do they look like actually?¡±


    ¡°Based on what I¡¯ve seen thus far, they prefer black garbs when they are out hunting. Earlier they had a hunter getup and later on, some tight-fitting, western style clothes¡­ Those from the east wore something out of the kung fu flicks¡­ They looked about as drab as one could be. Otherwise, they look and dress pretty much like normal people do. That aside, they are also usually rather shady and reserved, consciously hiding their identities to avoid detection. Don¡¯t even start about divulging their identities. Some will even kill innocents if they suspect that their identity has been compromised. Additionally, the hunters are very very good at blending in, at being ¡®normal¡¯. They are somehow able to assimilate into the crowd, regardless of time and age. When people were burning witches, they joined in. When Napoleon was at his prime, they sang praises about him and so on¡­ As you can see, they are masters at hiding their identities. How the people look like on the streets, that¡¯s how they¡¯ll look like with layers and layers of false impressions as well as identities. Hence, I really don¡¯t think that Mr. Nangong is of any real threat. No self-respecting demon hunter would boast about their trade, even in the harshest of times. It¡¯s almost a taboo in their creed.¡±


    Vivian nodded as she finish explaining. ¡°So¡­ I think we are just being overly nervous now¡­ I¡¯m nervous about the hunters and you are nervous about your first mission¡­ I think we just got scared silly by a swindler of an exorcist¡­


    Hao Ren nodded in agreement. ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s true¡­ but should we really just take it easy now?¡±


    ¡°Precautions are still a must.¡± Vivian shook her head. ¡°While the guy certainly doesn¡¯t look like a real demon hunter, I think he may have met a real one before since, he did know about their origins. The ¡®work¡¯ that he talked of seems legitimate as well. I¡¯m guessing he could be the pawn of a real demon hunter. Those sly bastards will pull this trick at times. So, let¡¯s just be careful not to let that Mr. Nangong detect anything unusual. Otherwise, I don¡¯t think he poses much of a threat. We are here to look for someone not fight after all.¡±


    Hao Ren concurred and the whole discussion on Nangong ended there.


    At this point, Lily had gone through all of the channels and could not understand what was on TV. Looking bored, she threw the remote control aside and clambered towards Hao Ren¡¯s back. ¡°Hey, Mr. Landlord, can you talk Raven 12345 into giving each of us an MDT? You¡¯ll never know if you will meet a new person in the near future. If that person ends up being a foreigner, it would be very embarrassing if you don¡¯t understand him.¡±


    Hao Ren sniggered. The dumb werewolf had finally thought of something actually useful. Well, it was more for understanding the TV program she was watching however, it was a pretty convincing argument. While he was getting ready to explain about the team system, something on the TV caught his attention. ¡°¡­The Yorkford Castle near Brewshire has been attracting a good number of supernatural enthusiasts as of late¡­¡±


    Hao Ren quickly turned to look at the TV program and saw that an interview was going on. A blonde, blue-eyed Caucasian woman was standing by the broadcast van with a microphone. Behind her, was a rock littered plain with a complex of ruins near the far end. Beside her was a short, stocky old man in a white T-shirt. He obviously did not look like a TV crew member. The man sported a full face beard and was slightly bald. His shirt looked a little worn. He seemed like a local farmer in the midst of being interviewed.


    ¡°¡­Now, we are looking at Yorkford Castle. It very much fell into ruin so, we can¡¯t actually see the actual structure. As there are no roads leading up to the ruins, the broadcast van can only stop here. I will be going into the castle ruins in a moment to let those of you at home have a close up view of the building. The female interviewer explained the current scenario and gestured to a stocky, old man. ¡°Mr. Angus here, was the first person who sighted supernatural happenings in the castle¡­¡±

 Chapter 43

    The stocky bloke on TV looked about forty to fifty odd, Hao Ren guessed. He was a proprietor of a small inn, living on the edge of Brewshire. The local, named Angus, had encountered supernatural happenings in the ruins and had spread the news to attract visitors. His decent and honest guise was a perfect cover, seeing that he was a business-minded man.


    Hao Ren was so engrossed with the interview that he did not noticed Lily who was scratching him with her claws. The werewolf couldn¡¯t understand a single word and was close to throwing a tantrum.


    ¡°¡­.I was clearing the room on the second floor that night,¡± Mr Angus¡¯ face was flushed as red as a tomato on camera. His excitement was apparent as he narrated his supernatural encounters. The popularity of his inn has grown following the supernatural ruckus. To him, this is nothing but good news. ¡°My inn is just on the edge of the town, ¡®Angus¡¯ Lodge¡¯ is the first building you¡¯ll see if you are coming in from the highway. There are windows at the back of the inn directly facing the castle ruins. It is still a mighty distance away, so you can¡¯t really see the rocks. But that night, I saw a pillar of flame in the general direction of the ruins. There¡¯s nothing there, no trees nor houses, just a pile of rocks. Since I did not know what was it that actually caught fire, I gave 999 a dial¡­¡±


    ¡°Did many saw the pillar of flame?¡± The interviewer interrupted to refocus on the topic at hand. The man was very eager to stay on camera and would have gone on had she not stopped him.


    ¡°Oh yes, yes. The part of the town facing the ruins was lit up.¡± Mr Angus nodded. ¡°I even checked with the others around when it happened again the day after. It lit up for a good ten minutes or so and before vanishing, as though it was never there. The Fire Service had went through the area and found only barren rocks in that vicinity. I¡¯m very sure I did not make a prank call. I¡¯m an honest business man you see, ¡®Angus¡¯ Lodge¡¯ is a long and proud product of honest¡­¡±


    ¡°I heard that you drove up to check the place out?¡± The lady interviewer interjected.


    ¡°Yes, I sure did, many times, even during the nights.¡± Fear crept on his face. ¡°During which I ran into some ghastly incidents. There was once this soldier in full steel armour marched in front of my car, screaming in a very strange voice. Other times the engine died for no reason, the radio played some very strange noise¡­ They¡¯re the most horrifying encounters.¡±


    The interviewer turned back towards the camera with her microphone. ¡°The supernatural tales of Brewshire had since spread far and wide, attracting many adventurers and supernatural enthusiasts to this town even catching the attention and interest of a few electromagnetic and geological researchers¡­¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s interest in the show had faded by then. It¡¯s pretty much a show that exhort the curiosity of science and one that myth of the supernatural realm. He switched off the TV and sat in a stupor.


    Lily had pretty much lost her patience and was throwing a tantrum. She jumped onto the sofa and violently nudged Hao Ren¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Mr Landlord, Mr Landlord, what was she talking about!?¡±


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m afraid our ¡®new friend¡¯¡­ is probably a ghost¡± Hao Ren said heavily. ¡°Remember the disturbance in a castle ruins that Mr Nangong was talking about? It was the same as the one on the television show. If this is not something the locals cooked up to bring in tourists, it¡¯s definitely something connected to the ¡®new guy¡¯ Raven12345 talked about. My god, why does it have to be someone so troublesome..¡±


    Vivian did not understand what¡¯s being said on TV, but she caught glimpses of what was on the screen and surmised. ¡°Wait a minute¡­, that means that the Yorkford castle ruins will be swarming with people, most of which are looking for ghosts?¡±


    ¡°Yeap, that just complicates things¡­¡± Hao Ren sighed. ¡°If I could help it I would love to do without the unnecessary attention. Who knows if this new guy will play nice, like the both of you. Good grieves¡­ if this guy turns out to be a bloody brat, it will surely get messy.¡±


    Lily was squatting on the sofa for a good while now and with a loud clap, declared ¡°I¡¯m sleepy. Gonna go take a nap now.¡±


    With that, she casually strolled towards her room as Hao Ren and Vivian looked on in disbelief. They only snapped back to their senses after hearing the door slammed behind her. Lily, that idiot, had still not gotten over her jetlag. It¡¯s bright daylight out there, but her biological clock was screaming ¡°BEDTIME!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sleepy myself¡± Hao Ren yawned as he was finally overwhelmed by the long travel. It was partly due to seeing Lily go to bed. ¡°I¡¯m gonna catch a short nap too, you¡¯re not sleepy?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, my routine is not the same as the both of you.¡± Vivian shrugged. ¡°Sides¡¯, my biological clock is totally out of whack trying to match both your routines in these past few day. Anyway, I¡¯m not sleepy at the moment.¡±


    ¡°Fine then. I¡¯m gonna catch a snooze. Wake me up if I¡¯m not up by night-time. We¡¯ll go out for dinner. As for Lily, I think she¡¯ll be dead asleep. We¡¯ll have to bring something back for her.¡± said Hao Ren as he dragged himself into his bedroom.


    Vivian was the only person left in the lounge. She forlornly stared at the room that Lily had went into. She, a noble vampire will have to share the bed with that shaggy dog, Lily for the night.


    Hao Ren slept all the way till it was almost nine at night. Vivian said she was hesitant to wake him up, seeing that he was sleeping so soundly. Lily, much the same, was about as dead as a log. She don¡¯t seem to have any intentions of getting over the jetlag. Lily didn¡¯t even move, not even when Vivian was pacing around in circles around her.


    As they have things to attend to early in the morning, Hao Ren and Vivian went down to the hotel¡¯s dining hall to have a quick meal. Lily was still drooling in her sleep when they got back to the room. She was probably not feeling hungry at all. Hao Ren then left the food that he had gotten for her on the table and went back to his room for more rest. He wanted to get over the jetlag by sleeping as much as possible that night.


    Vivian, being a vampire, had a rather different routine compared to humans and werewolves. She even got it messed up when staying at Hao Ren¡¯s place. Over here in England, she only started feeling sleepy close to midnight. By now, the smarter ones among you might have guessed it. Yep. Lily was awake.


    A human with normal physiology, a werewolf who didn¡¯t seem to have the slightest intentions of dealing with her jet lags, and a disorganized vampire who had fixed her biological clock, this trio¡¯s circadian cycles were in utter disharmony in a foreign land with an eight hours¡¯ time difference from China. When Hao Ren and Vivian were awake, Lily was asleep. When Vivian was sleepy, Lily was hopping about like a bunny. When Hao Ren was two-thirds into his sleep cycle, Vivian was awake and fresh. So when both Vivian and Lily were awake, Hao Ren was still asleep. Don¡¯t even bother trying to determine the times that all three of them are awake as all three of them were equally confused! Technically, only two thirds of the team were awake most of the time, when one was asleep, there will be one scurrying about the room like a ghost¡­


    Early the next morning, Hao Ren woke up with a crow¡¯s nest of a hair on his head. He ran into Vivian by the door way, whose eyes were bloodshot. She immediately protested when she saw him. ¡°Hao Ren! I will not sleep in the same room with that big dog anymore! She woke up in the wee hours complaining of being hungry and spent the next two hours scurrying about in the dark in front of my bed!¡±


    Hao Ren guessed that he was probably the only one who got the most out of his sleep, at least ten hours by his estimation. As he groggily looked at Vivian, he said, ¡°The room was unusually cold last night. Did you feel it? I tried turning off the air-con, it didn¡¯t help much. Have any idea what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Vivian said with a blush, ¡°Erm¡­ I couldn¡¯t sleep before midnight, so I was doing some aerobic exercises in the lounge. Didn¡¯t notice anything strange though¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was suddenly stricken by a chill down his spine. He gave a thought to Vivian¡¯s recollection and found it unnerving: A vampire quietly doing aerobics in the hall, and a werewolf stalking by the bed in the dark.


    The only component lacking here is a filming crew and this would be the perfect ghost story!

 Chapter 44

    It was six in the morning.


    Hao Ren hastily washed his face with the cold tap water, to rid him of the grogginess from the ten-hour sleep. After washing up, he went down to the dining hall on the first floor, accompanied by a rather grumpy Vivian. On their tail, was a zombified Lily who had been wide awake since midnight. Now as her naptime draws near, drowsiness overtook her again


    Xxxxxxxxxxxx


    ¡°Mr Landlord, I¡¯m sleeeeeeeeppyyyy¡­. and hungry too¡­. I need lunch¡­. and I need somewhere place to lay my head down¡­.¡± Lily mumbled, her voice was bereft of any strength. In her current state, she resembled a tired pet dog who refused to leave her master¡¯s side. Though feeling a strong urge to do it, Vivian could not muster the courage to take a jab at Lily. Lily still has her pride, even in such a pathetic state. She would still bite if you likened her to that of a pet dog. Even a metal cuirass would not save you from her jaws.


    It should be breakfast, not lunch.¡± said Hao Ren as he looked out through the window into the gloomy dawn. Though London had had left her smoggy industrial past, she still retained much of the foggy morns, the heavy clouds, and the unpredictable weather. The weather that morning was not looking good. Though the sun was already up by now, it was still rather gloomy outside. There should still be a thick veil of fog or overcast for the next few hours to come.


    ¡°Look, over there.¡± Vivian pulled on Hao Ren¡¯s sleeve out of the blue. She pointed towards a table outside the restaurant. ¡°This Mr Nangong seems to be very punctual. A rare quality amongst those who had dealings with demon hunters. Hmph.¡±


    Vivian had nurtured a dislike for Mr Nangong as he seemed to have some ties with a demon hunter (or have one percent chance of actually being one). While she was not outright hostile towards him, she would find it hard faking a smile for him.


    ¡°After watching the news yesterday, I don¡¯t think we need the company of such a dangerous person. ¡± Hao Ren hesitated. ¡°Yorkford Castle will be swarming with people looking for ghosts, so there shouldn¡¯t be a need for a guide right?¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Vivian rolled her eyes. ¡°How then are you going from London to Brewshire?¡±


    Hao Ren was taken aback for a moment. He had totally forgotten about that.


    By then, Mr Nangong had also noticed the trio and rose to greet them with a friendly smile. Hao Ren realizing that his opportunity to turn tail had passed, reluctantly led Vivian and Lily to greet him.


    ¡°Good morning.¡±


    ¡°Good morning, you guys are early.¡± Mr Nangong quipped with a smile. Just then, his attention was diverted to Lily, who was still following them from behind half asleep. ¡°Uh¡­ what¡¯s wrong with her?¡±


    ¡°Still suffering from the jet lag, she¡¯s supposed to be having her afternoon nap.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°So, are we leaving now, or should we have something first before we leave?¡±


    Mr Nangong gestured that it was still early and the train was not arriving any time soon. At that, Hao Ren decided to eat up since the hotel provides free breakfast buffet for its customers. Hao Ren why waste the hospitality, so he decided to eat his money¡¯s worth before checking out. During breakfast, Lily was close to falling asleep. Her eyes were almost shut already. Surprisingly, even in a state as such, she still managed to eat.


    Seeing that she could barely move, Hao Ren went to get a plate of food for Lily. She somehow finished breakfast with her eyes closed, putting her formidable sense of smell to good use. By the time she¡¯s done, the plate was squeaky clean.


    Nangong could only look on in amazement while Hao Ren and Vivian were shaking in their shoes. They were so afraid that the ¡®demon hunter¡¯ would find out about Lily¡¯s true identity. But it seemed he was either a fake or an inexperienced newbie as he only gasped in amazement at Lily¡¯s feat, not even suspecting that a ¡®demon¡¯ was seated right next to him.


    After having their breakfast, Hao Ren went to the reception to complete the check-out procedure and they left lugging their bags. Though they did not have much luggage, it was still the man¡¯s job to lug it. Vivian however, tied them onto Lily¡¯s back without batting an eyelid: the latter did not even flinch when the weight of the bags was suddenly added on her back. She was undoubtedly still asleep! While she was snoozing. And so, the party departed with Lily as their coolie, tailing them in her slumber.


    ¡°The only good thing about her is her ungodly strength, it would be a waste to not make her our porter.¡± Vivian waved her hand as Hao Ren gave her a quizzical look. ¡°Oh don¡¯t you worry, she¡¯s volunteering. Though she¡¯s sleeping now.¡±


    Hao Ren didn¡¯t feel right as he saw Lily lumbering about with their luggage in her sleep. He always had a soft spot for Lily, so he took the luggage instead. ¡°Forget it, I¡¯ll be carrying it. Stop bullying her.¡±


    Lily, in her slumber, was actually still quite aware. ¡°Dann¡­ gyuuu¡­ Mr Landloord¡­ I¡­ am okay¡­¡±


    Vivian wrinkled her nose in disdain, ¡°Oh you men and your manliness, you lot never changed.¡±


    Hao Ren let out a dry laugh and took a glance at Mr Nangong. The self-proclaimed demon hunter was slender in build and his luggage looked much heavier than those of all three of them combined. It was even bigger than the luggage Lily was carrying when she first met Hao Ren. The rattling sound its wheels made as they rolled on the cement road was deafening. God knows what¡¯s in there!


    ¡°What¡¯s in there?¡± Vivian, being the sly old fox that she is (don¡¯t let her hear you calling her old), quickly put on the charm of a curious young girl as she put forth a seemingly innocent question.


    ¡°¡¯Work¡¯ related,¡± Nangong said as he dragged the luggage along. He somehow looked dignified in his clean white shirt and black slacks. One wouldn¡¯t be faulted for mistaking him for one of those successful entrepreneurs. ¡°I use them to fight evil. All the stuffs in there had taken down at least a hundred foul beasts.¡±


    ¡°A real demon hunter wouldn¡¯t have needed so many tools.¡± Vivian whispered as she returned to Hao Ren¡¯s side. ¡°They ARE the weapon. Looks like we can relax for a bit.¡±


    Hao Ren preoccupied with another thought, was perplexed. They both were men, but how did Nangong resemble a businessman on a business trip while he himself looked like a total hobo¡­


    With that, both parties, each with schemes of their own, journeyed towards Brewshire. Having someone who knew his way around was indeed a lifesaver. With Nangong¡¯s help, the trios never did not get lost within the labyrinth of streets in London and got on the train heading for Brewshire without much hassle.


    The four were silent throughout the journey.


    As there were many strangers around them, Hao Ren and Vivian could not discuss anything sensitive and the journey was as dull as it could get. The only thing worth noting was that Lily finally woke up from her ¡®nap¡¯ halfway through the ride and squirmed about for a good half of the journey. By the time the train pulled in at Brewshire, she was already sleepy again.


    So much for being the most excited one before the trip. Since their arrival in London, she was either sleeping or doing nothing. As expected, she spent the rest of her waking hours strolling around the carriage.


    By the time they arrived at Brewshire it was close to late evening. There were not many people at the station, guess not everyone was interested in a ghost hunt in this remote countryside. The announcement over the PA speakers sounded familiar, much like the ones he heard back at home. Hao Ren realized that the station was more remote that he thought it would be.


    The train station was rather small with only two train tracks running through it. One of it was even abandoned. The meagre station was bereft of almost everything except the barren plains surrounding it and the few wild scorched vegetation swaying in the wind. Not far from the station was a small town, Brewshire. Its buildings looked so worn and aged that it looked more like a village than a town.


    Hao Ren had no idea how the town came to be, or why was it built in the middle of nowhere. This place reminded him of another place, somewhere familiar¡­ oh right, it was Raven12345¡¯s office at Bastard Barrio.


    Nangong sniffed the air with a look of mischief on his face. ¡°I smell them.¡±

 Chapter 45

    Nangong was standing on the platform of a countryside train station as a light breeze was blowing in his face. He took a deep breath and thought the air smelled like dried dirt. A hint of happiness could be seen on his elegant features, though they weren¡¯t altogether handsome. ¡°Can¡¯t you feel it? There¡¯s certain smell lingering in the air.¡±


    His look gave Hao Ren the creeps as he felt that Nangong could be a time bomb: This demon hunter is really keen. He could sense the chill coming from the castle the moment he got off the train.


    ¡°I can¡¯t smell anything.¡± Vivian sniffed. ¡°And the Yorkford Castle is still quite far from here, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°¡®Their¡¯ scent can spread across a long distance,¡± Nangong replied as his fixed his messy hair, looking rather happy. ¡°As a demon hunter, I excel in catching their scent. Of course you can¡¯t detect it. It takes lots of practice. Alright, craps aside, we really need to find a place to rest as the sun is already setting.¡±


    Nangong picked up his luggage and walked towards the slope at the end of the station. After he had walked for about 10 meters ahead of them, Lily suddenly opened her eyes and shouted nonsensically, ¡°What smell are you talking about? Let me do the job, my nose is very sensitive!¡±


    ¡°You can just go back to sleep,¡± jeered Vivian while slapping Lily on the back. ¡°Oh,¡± replied Lily who did not take offense at it. She slumbered into a sleepwalk in seconds as the jetlag catch up to her.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t smell anything.¡± said Vivian while shaking her head from side to side as Hao Ren looked at her. ¡°The Blood Clan has superb sensitivity to the scents of spirits. Yet I don¡¯t detect any odd scent at all. Plus, the Yorkford Castle is just too far away and it isn¡¯t after-dark yet. Our hour of prime has yet to come. That self-acclaimed demons hunter¡­ Does he really have the ability in sensing unusual creatures? He wasn¡¯t even aware of our identities.


    Hao Ren rubbed his chin as he gave thought to what Vivian just said and finally surmised. ¡°He is probably just boasting.¡±


    ¡°¡­ It could be!¡± said Vivian.


    The station was located right on the outskirts of Brewshire. The both were connected by a narrow country road. Unfortunately for this company of four, there was no bus in sight so they hitched a ride into town. It was almost dark when they entered the town. The last scarlet ray of setting sun was fading over the horizon. The streetlights in town lit up one after another. Nostalgia struck Hao Ren as he was gazing down the street in a foreign land. He was not really an outgoing person and thus rarely stays overnight outside, let alone going abroad. He had never thought that one day he would be standing here in a foreign land, 8-hours behind time, dealing with unfamiliar surroundings, people, lifestyle, and language. Though the last was easily solved with the help of the MDT, the rest remained as challenges. He folded his arms and sighed, missing his cozy home and his black little pet cat. He wondered how was ¡®Rollie¡¯ doing. It was probably out on the streets by now, mingling with stray dogs and cats.


    While Hao Ren was having a hard time adapting to the foreign land, Vivian had no problem with it at all. The vampire had gotten used to travelling around the world. She was enthralled by the scenery along the way from London to the Brewshire. As if finally figuring it out, she blurted, ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to be as serious as it was in the news. There are not many outsiders here there for it could be that the situation was just exaggerated in the news or that the paranormal enthusiasts aren¡¯t here yet.¡±


    After making sure that Nangong was far ahead and out of earshot, he whispered, ¡°How can you tell?¡±


    ¡°Just by listening to their heartbeats and smelling their blood. It¡¯s my strength.¡± Vivian shrugged her shoulders and answered. ¡°The heartbeat exposes one¡¯s emotion and the taste of blood reveals one¡¯s family ties and ancestry. Every creature native to a land has similar component in their blood. It can¡¯t be altered within a short period of time. Thus, I can vaguely sense how many among them are outlanders and the number of those whose hearts are restless. By combining these two sets of figures, I can estimate the number of people who came for the haunted castle. These are the absolutely necessary skills the Blood Clan must possess in order to hunt down their preys. Though I don¡¯t prey on humans, I still possess the natural gifts of the vampires.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s words set off ripples of goosebumps under Hao Ren¡¯s skin. One could almost see the blood red glow in her eyes: Though speaking in her usual tone, the content of this vampiress¡¯ speech really creeped the daylight out of you. This useless vampiress had finally gave us a glimpse of her true prowess as one belonging to the aristocrat of the dark night. Though this helped her much in scouting and making sense of the current situation in town, she was still pretty much useless.


    Hao Ren turned to look at Lily who was tailing them in her sleepwalk. This time, it¡¯s the stupid werewolf¡¯s turn to fall short of his expectations. This numbskull kept going on and on about the keenness of all her senses, especially her sense of smell, which was superb. Disappointingly, of all the times, she had to be sleeping now, and the best her sense of smell can do at the moment was to keep her from losing her way.


    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s a good that we don¡¯t have that many outsiders here at the moment.¡± Hao Ren nodded and said, ¡°Raven 12345 instructed us to go to the Yorkford Castle. She also said that both the ¡®client¡¯ and we will be able to sense each other when we arrive at a certain place. However, she wasn¡¯t sure about the current state of the ¡®client¡¯. Therefore, it¡¯s better to have no irrelevant personnel on scene.¡±


    ¡°Are we departing at night?¡± Vivian frowned. ¡°I have the advantage in combat at night. The big dog will also be more alert after midnight. She would be a force to be reckoned with, more or less.¡±


    Hao Ren curled his lip and thought. ¡°This is utter nonsense. I could knock the shit out of this piece of Blood Clan nobility with the simple toss of a brick. Isn¡¯t that something to be reckoned with?¡±


    ¡°It depends. Let¡¯s observe the movements of the paranormal enthusiasts. We have to get into action before tomorrow night. The more we delay, the more will the number of people gathering here be.¡± said Hao Ren.


    ¡°The growing crowd could work to our advantage.¡± Vivian muttered. ¡°We can mingle with the crowd, telling them that we are here for the ghost hunt as well. Sometimes, the best guise is to be act openly, as if we have nothing to hide.¡±


    ¡°What if, in plain sight, a headless knight jumps out from the castle, holds on to me and starts calling out, ¡°landlord!¡±? What if a hologram pop up into the air from my pocket saying, ¡°Matching Successful? What if the new tenant we are about to meet is a looney, a troublemaker? I have to take into consideration my rotten luck and the unreliable Raven 12345 who claimed that backup will be always ready. If anything of these sort occurs, you will have to figure out a way to get me out of the MI5¡­ Are you confident enough to help me jailbreak in England?¡±


    Vivian nodded earnestly and said, ¡°I did it before. However, the prisons in England then had wooden fence and I so I managed to sneak in via an underground tunnel. After knocking out about 10 knights, I rescued my sister from her cell. She was captured by a demon hunter ¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not mention what happened back in the 1190s.¡±


    Vivian was speechless.


    Suddenly, their conversation was interrupted. ¡°Let¡¯s stay here tonight! It¡¯s getting late. We probably won¡¯t find any hotel further down the road.¡± Nangong interjected.


    The last Hao Ren remember, the three of them were way behind Nangong. He looked up and saw that they had reached an inn. The inn was a three-storey building. It wasn¡¯t big but it looked clean, new, and beautiful with those white walls and blue tiles. Above the door, a line of words was flashed on a neon light signboard. With the help of the translation system, Hao Ren read it out as if he was reading in his mother tongue, ¡°Angus¡¯ Lodge¡­ Hey, what a small world!¡±


    This was the same inn they heard about on the news yesterday. The boss of the inn should be the man who appeared on the news.


    Three of them followed Nangong and entered the inn. There were two people behind the ground floor counter. One of them was a young lady who seemed to be the cashier while the other man was a chunky middle-aged man who looked decent and honest. He was the man they saw on the news.


    ¡°Yo, welcome to Angus¡¯ Lodge!¡± The man greeted them warmly and turned to look at the lady as he said proudly, ¡°Look, another group of foreigners. Now we don¡¯t have to worry about business no more.¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned and thought: ¡°Even the British looks down foreigners as gullible tourists?

 Chapter 46

    It seemed that Vivian was right. Though the haunting of Yorkford Castle had attracted unnumbered paranormal enthusiasts from other places, the town was not too crowded yet. There were still three unoccupied rooms left, the last three available at Angus¡¯ Lodge.


    The ideal arrangement would be four rooms for each of them respectively so that they could have their own rooms and not interfere with each other. Since there were only three rooms left, Vivian and Lily had no choice but to share a room. Needless to say, the vampiress was very much annoyed by the arrangement. She saw that Lily was still standing there, snoring. Therefore, she expected her to wake up in the middle of the night and repeat what she did last night, messing around while others need to sleep. She already gave up the notion that she would be able to have a good sleep as the girl who couldn¡¯t deal with the jet lag was around.


    After they got the key, Nangong, seeing that the boss wasn¡¯t busy with his customers, leaned against the counter to have a little chat with him. ¡°Hi, I have seen you on the news. You must be Mr. Angus, right? Is it true that there is a haunted castle nearby?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you are quite fluent in English, at least better than that Indian monk over there.¡± The boss seemed cheerful. As the owner of the inn, he was very easy to get along with and could strike up a conversation with anyone. ¡°Are you guys here for the castle as well? It has been a big happening in town recently. It was an ancient castle, almost forgotten. The same could be said of Brewshire too if not for the recent haunting of the castle. In truth, it is a symbolic historical relic. Now, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s going to become a popular tourist spot after this.¡±


    ¡°Truth be told, I¡¯m an expert in this matter,¡± Nangong said solemnly while straightening his collar. ¡°. I¡¯m a professional demon hunter from China and I¡¯m here to eradicate the evil spirits in the castle.¡±


    Hao Ren couldn¡¯t help but whispered in Vivian¡¯s ear, ¡°This guy is really high profile, going around telling everybody about his job.¡±


    The vampire girl snorted, without any comment. Seeing that the groggy Lily was about to crawl on the floor, she went over and held her by the shoulders, saying, ¡°I will send her to the room first. Come meet me after you talked to them, we have something to discuss.¡± Vivian then helped Lily to their room.


    The lodgekeeper was amazed at Nangong¡¯s statement. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re from the mysterious land of China? If I¡¯m not mistaken, the ghost hunters over there were called ¡­ What¡¯s it again? Dao Shi?¡±


    To be honest, he was probably quite familiar with China as he pronounced the word ¡°Dao Shi¡± accurately in Mandarin.


    This time, Nangong didn¡¯t spend time to explain his job as a demon hunter. He just smiled, nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯m not a Dao Shi, though I do know how to perform exorcism. I wonder if you have some time to spare to tell us about the story of the Yorkford Castle. It sounds very interesting.¡±


    The lodgekeeper was overexcited. He got his stumpy body out from behind the small counter effortlessly and led the two to a long table at the side which served as a resting corner for weary customers. ¡°Of course I have. Take a seat and let¡¯s take our time. I had been telling the story of the castle for the past two days. Now, where should I start?¡±


    ¡°Err, let¡¯s start from the history of the castle.¡± Said how Hao Ren as he was amused by the overexcitement on the face of the lodgekeeper. It almost felt as if this chap would not give up the chance to share his story. ¡°I know nothing of that castle. I did¡¯t even know its exact location prior to this.¡±


    The lodgekeep was surprised. ¡°Oh, your English is much better than mine¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Eh-hem, let¡¯s focus on the story,¡± said Hao Ren.


    After Hao Ren¡¯s gentle prompt, the attention-deficit lodgekeeper started telling the story with much passison. It all started hundreds of years ago when an English nobleman established the settlement here in Brewshire. He then took more than ten minutes explaining the history of the noble family. It was a tale full of love and hatred, ups and downs. The lord of the castle was likened to a knight of the Round Table. According to him, the nobleman and his family lived in the ancient Yorford Castle for less than 200 years. Within the 200 years, the family went through a lot of highs and troughs, the feud with palace, the rebellion from within Brewshire and wars without. In the end, the whole family collapsed under as a result of the rivalry between the three heirs. The eldest was killed on the throne of Yorkford Castle; the second died while battling the rebellion; and the youngest had gone missing. The family left countless of legends and tales behind. And the once flourishing Yorkford Castle had now become the biggest pending demolition project in the town.


    ¡°Yorkford was once prosperous. However, it was ruined by an insurrection. Numerous knights and soldiers were killed in that battle both outside and inside the castle. Their recovered remains were buried but some remained unfound. Many of these soldiers were trapped alive by the rebels in secret tunnels and cellars under the castle. After the family had passed on, nobody remembered the hidden rooms under the castle. Therefore, the soldiers who were trapped in the cellars and secret tunnels remained there.¡± The lodgekeeper smacked his lips and continued in an eerie tone. ¡°It is said that those soldiers died down there and now they had come back to haunt the castle. There they were unable to lend their aid when the rebel army killed their lord. Thus, their souls were filled with hatred ¡­¡±


    Looking at Angus¡¯s expressive chubby face, Hao Ren thought that this bloke must have been a tour guide in his past life.


    ¡°There were secret tunnels and cellars under the castle? Was it like a huge labyrinth?¡± Hao Ren asked curiously. Nangong interjected before Angus could speak. ¡°It¡¯s quite common actually. In those days, the castles weren¡¯t just places for nobles to stay. They¡¯re also the last fortress during times of war. There were usually be huge cellars and secret tunnels extending in all directions under the castles. Some of the castles would even have tunnels which extended to the borders of the territory to allow their lords to escape as far away as possible in emergencies.¡±


    Angus nodded in agreement with Nangong and added, ¡°Most of the tunnels had collapsed. People have also forgotten about the existence of Yorkford Castle. Nobody is interested in it enough to explore it and therefore, nobody knows the secrets buried under the castle.¡±


    ¡°Have you really seen the ghosts?¡± Hao Ren couldn¡¯t help his curiosity as he looked at the ruddy complexion of the lodgekeeper. He didn¡¯t look as if he had seen ghosts. Who in the world would look so cheerful after bumping into ghosts?


    ¡°Of course I did!¡± said Angus as he raised his voice in reply. ¡°You are not the first to doubt it. I swear, it is the real deal. I saw the souls of the knights and mysterious flames around the castle¡­ It was a dreadful night. However, it also brought me lots of customers. So maybe it¡¯s not that bad after all.¡±


    Hao Ren quickly reassured him that he trusted him when he saw that Angus was getting agitated. They continued to talk about the recent happenings in the vicinity of the castle. After a while, Hao Ren left them and went upstairs.


    His room was at the west end of third floor, right opposite of the girls¡¯ room while Nangong¡¯s room was at other end of the corridor, far from theirs. When Hao Ren reached his room, Vivian was already waiting there.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk in your room,¡± Vivian said while pointing at her room, ¡°The big dog is dreaming now. She was gnawing on the table leg so be prepared to pay for the damage tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Why didn¡¯t you stop her!¡±


    Vivian showed him the bite mark on her arm and said, ¡°Hehe.¡±


    Hao Ren had nothing to say.


    The condition of the lodge at the countryside was so bad compared to the luxurious hotel in Central London. Each room was furnished with just a bed, a desk and a chair. However, a room like this did more in helping him unwind and relax. Vivian and Hao Ren sat on the bed. He roughly told Vivian about the story he heard just now and was quite worried about it. ¡°I heard that a lot of people are gathering around the castle. Many of which are crazy enough to bring their own tents or drive there in their motor homes. They don¡¯t stay in the town but instead, encamp outside the castle, waiting to catch sight of the ghosts. It¡¯s no longer viable if we want to search for the client discreetly.¡±


    ¡°That means to say that regardless whether we act tonight or tomorrow, there will be not much difference?¡± Vivian blinked. ¡°I was scouting that area just now and found something interesting.¡±


    ¡°?¡± asked Hao Ren.

 Chapter 47

    ¡°I¡¯ve found something.¡± Vivian snapped her fingers and a thin layer of fog started to form at a corner of the room. The fog quickly converged and transformed into bats, flying above and over Vivian¡¯s shoulders.


    For all the time spent with the two superwomen, Hao Ren had seen enough of their supernatural tricks; especially Lily¡¯s doggy tail and Vivian¡¯s pet bats. He played with one of the little bats, studying it and looking for differences from wild bats. ¡°What did you find?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°Leave the bats alone. They¡¯re duplicates of me. They share my senses,¡± Vivian warned Hao Ren as she smacked away his hand. ¡°I sent the bats out to the castle ruins. Something is in there¡ªthe aura of wraiths, of hundreds of years¡­ and lots of them too.¡±


    A chill rushed down Hao Ren¡¯s spine. Although he had been expecting his tenant to be a wraith, he could not help but shiver at the mention of the spooky thing. ¡°Really? Lots of them? Raven 12345 told me there was only one tenant. Now what? Pick one?¡±


    ¡°Hold your horse, Hao Ren. The wraiths¡¯ aura isn¡¯t the same as the usual stuff we know of.¡± Vivian shook her head. ¡°These ones are buried underground and were discovered only when the bats went into a caved-in underground tunnel. I found no entrance or specific source of the aura but, I¡¯m sure the wraiths are still contained in a completely intact environment. So, we can deduce from here that there should be no spirits roaming freely on the surface.


    Hao Ren quickly collected his thoughts and came to a conclusion. ¡°If the ghosts were already contained and buried underground, there shouldn¡¯t have been any movement in the castle. So, the sightings of paranormal activities¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s another possibility. If the wraiths¡¯ power is strong enough, their aura could have been felt and seen by ordinary folks on the surface, causing hallucinations or even memory distortions. However, it¡¯s been donkey¡¯s years since such strong phenomenon last happened. I think the demon hunters would have cleaned up the place a long time ago.¡±


    Hao Ren spread his hands in a self-deprecating gesture. ¡°Why am I being dragged into this?¡±


    But he noticed that the expression on Vivian¡¯s face changed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Nangong is moving.¡± Vivivan frowned. ¡°I have a bat hanging outside his window. I can see him prepping his gears¡­ he¡¯s gone out!¡±


    ¡°At this time of the night?¡± Hao Ren was slightly surprised. ¡°This guy¡¯s an eager beaver. He just got here! I think this demon hunter is really something.¡±


    All the while, Hao Ren had not really taken Nangong seriously. Even if Nangong knew a thing or two about demon hunters, he could not have been anywhere near a pro (judging from his high-profile conduct). So, Hao Ren did not expect the guy to be so commited,. It was not a quality a charlatan would normally possess.


    Vivian ran toward the windows without saying a word. She gestured Hao Ren to come over. ¡°See? He¡¯s coming out of the door. I wonder how he¡¯s going to the castle. The castle is at least dozens of kilometers away; this dude isn¡¯t a local and certainly doesn¡¯t have a car. Moreover, no cab would ever want to go to that place at this time of the night. Does he know some kind of magic?¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian rested their hands on the ledge as they peeked out from behind the window. Nangong arrived and stood stiffly at the entrance of the lodge. Instead of a huge suitcase, Nangong was carrying a smaller one¨Dblack in color. He was in his customary white top and black pants, which the standard description of a salesperson. As Vivian had analyzed before, Nangong was not a local and he did not drive. How was he going to reach the castle dozens of kilometers away at that hour of the night?


    ¡°Demon hunters can move at a speed in excess of 100km/h and some can even perform short-distance flight as well as near-field teleportation.¡± Vivian frowned as she continued, ¡°He¡¯s making some weird hand gestures now. Does he really possess the power of magic?¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s mind was running wild as he imagined the kind of tricks Nangong was going to pull off¡ªWindwalking, Warg Possession, Ancestral Spirits and whatnot. He would not have been surprised at all if a magic circle had popped up out of nowhere. However, his jaw-dropped when a car pulled out from the garage behind the lodge. Angus, the fat owner of Angus¡¯ Lodge was behind the wheel. As the car pulled up in front of the entrance, Nangong nodded at Angus. At the same time, an Indian guy in a full monk¡¯s robe and a burly European in a Batman suit had walked out from the lodge, tailing Nangong into the car. Hao Ren could clearly see that they were chipping in for the fare¡­


    Vivian said sheepishly, ¡°Car-pooling¡­ it seems like the lodge¡¯s owner is branching out into the transportation business.¡±


    ¡°¡­I guess I¡¯m just thinking too much.¡± Hao Ren thought.


    It seemed that the ruins attracted strange people from all over the world. It was not clear why these international paranormal enthusiasts came out in flocks. Probably because they had been waiting for such a moment for a long time.


    After Angus and the other demon hunters went on their way, Vivian nudged Hao Ren and said, ¡°We¡¯ll set off too. Tonight.¡±


    Hao Ren was baffled. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that we had to stay away from demon hunters, especially Nangong?¡±


    ¡°I just changed my mind. I¡¯m afraid that if any of them find the new tenant before we do, we¡¯ll be in trouble. I¡¯m sure there will be more people like them coming. So, we can¡¯t afford to wait for the rush to subside. It could take days or even months. And things will get even more unpredictable by then.¡±


    Hao Ren thought Vivian had a point yet, he was a bit worried as he glanced at the bedroom door. ¡°I¡¯ve had enough sleep myself but Lily¡­she won¡¯t rise from her sweet dream any time sooner than midnight. Are we still taking her along or not?¡±


    Vivian checked her watch and said, ¡°No worries, she¡¯ll be awake in a while. She has a weird talent; she can run while still remaining asleep. She¡¯ll be totally awake by the time we reach the castle.¡±


    Hao Ren had no further concerns. He quickly followed Vivian into the room. Lily was tossing and turning in bed but she was still in her day clothes. Apparently, she was taken to bed by Vivian while she was asleep and Vivian did not care to help her change into her nightgown. Nevertheless. it saved Hao Ren the trouble.


    Truth be told, Hao Ren was actually eagerly expecting to see the werewolf maiden donning a thin nightgown. But obviously, his wish was not granted.


    ¡°Look, the table leg.¡± Vivian pointed at the bedside table. Hao Ren immediately noticed something. One of the table legs had been gnawed in the middle. What was left behind was in the shape of a gourd. Chunks of wooden chips littered her bed and the floor beneath it. There was still a small piece jutting out the corner of Lily¡¯s mouth.


    Needless to say, Lily had had a dream about a bone feast.


    ¡°Hey, wake up big dog!¡± Vivian violently shook Lily out of her bed. She was jolted awake by the abrupt fall before hitting the floor. She opened her eyes and vaguely saw Hao Ren there. She asked, ¡°Landlord, is it breakfast time?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s medicine time!¡± Vivian hauled Lily up. ¡°Get ready. We¡¯re going to the castle. Just follow us. We¡¯ll explain everything when we get there.¡±


    Still in her hypnagogic state, Lily mumbled in acknowledgment and fell into autopilot mode before uttering, ¡°Landlord, I dreamed that you cooked some stewed ribs for me. It was finger-lickin¡¯ good¡­¡±


    Hao Ren remained silent.


    Three of them left the lodge unnoticed under the guise of Vivian¡¯s black fog. The lodge sat on the edge of the small town. Before long, they had already left the the town and entered the vast wilderness. Suddenly, something came to Hao Ren¡¯s mind. ¡°They have a car but what about us?¡±


    All of a sudden, a huge pair of bat wings stretched open from Vivian¡¯s and she took off with Hao Ren into the night sky. A broad smile was seen on her face. ¡°We¡¯ll take a flight. Let the big dog run!¡±

 Chapter 48

    The moon was a ghostly, silver disc, hanging in the lonely sky. The desolate wilderness was devoid of any human signs. The only sound heard was the flapping of Vivian¡¯s wings. The bat-winged vampire maiden swept through the air in the night sky. As the moonlight shone on Vivian, she turned into a moving, blurry shadow. Her vampire aura was completely hidden under the guise of the moonlight. As she was not sure whether the paranormal events in the castle had attracted real demon hunters, she had to remain on high alert and she used the power of the moonlight to camouflage.


    Hanging under Vivian¡¯s body, Hao Ren was agitated. ¡°Actually I wanted to say no to flying. At least give me some time¨D¡±


    ¡°Be sensible,¡± Vivian was heard saying from above.


    ¡°¡­ to work up to it. I¡¯m acrophobic. My heart can¡¯t take it!¡±


    ¡°Well, you just have to overcome it!¡± Vivian lowered her head to take a look at Hao Ren. Unapologetically, she said, ¡°Enjoy the ride. Not everyone has the privilege to fly with the Blood Clan. You know, humans are simply heavy and troublesome.¡±


    Hao Ren felt awkward being carried like that by the maiden. But on the bright side, no one saw it and it was a new experience for him, he thought. Initially, he was nervous. He was unsure whether the vampire maiden could handle his weight or not. If she lost her grip on him, he doubted the bioenhancement given by Raven 12345 earlier could help him land in one piece. However, Vivian was no mortal. In terms of brute force, she was not comparable to Lily but, she could carry an adult and fly for dozens of kilometers at the same time. No sweat.


    They were flying high up in the night sky but Hao Ren could clearly see the terrain under the moonlight. A tiny, silvery shadow was moving fast on the ground. It was Lily. She had transformed into a werewolf. Her silver, long hair and canine tail could be clearly seen. She was running on her four limbs to keep up with their pace.


    Amazingly, the werewolf maiden was running while sleeping. As if she was in autopilot mode, she could track the vampire¡¯s flight path solely based on her olfactory senses. Even Vivian could not hold back her admiration for the werewolf¡¯s unusual ability. Lily could have very well become one of the top brass in the werewolf world solely based on this special talent if not for her happy-go-lucky attitude.


    The trio arrived at Yorkford Castle in their unusual way. They mostly avoided the main road. Vivian even sent a bat to trail Angus¡¯ car. Nangong and the like had no idea they were being followed¡ªhe did not even bother to peek out from behind the car¡¯s window.


    ¡°There it is, the Yorkford Castle,¡± Vivian broke the silence from above after a long flight. Hao Ren looked ahead and saw what was left of the castle. It was a pile of ruins but judging from the size of it, he could tell the castle had its glory days. ¡°We¡¯ll land there.¡±


    Vivian landed right where she intended. Hao Ren could not wait to stretch to lessen the numbness in his arms. Although it was still summer, the cold, night wind at a high altitude was not very forgiving. He could have been frozen to death if he had stayed up there a little longer. As he gave himself a little massage on his arms, a white shadow flitted past with great speed, kicking up a cloud of dust in his face.


    The shadow stopped only after it crashed into a large rock, which was a few meters high several hundred meters ahead¡­


    A loud bang ensued. The rock was crushed into thousands of pieces instantly and someone was heard moaning in pain. Hao Ren ran towards the voice and found Lily, the werewolf maiden lying there. She was completely covered in dust from head to toe. She finally awakened, albeit not naturally.


    Vivian was dumbfounded. ¡°Now, that pighead could moonlight as a jackhammer in a quarry!¡±


    As Lily got up from the ground, one of her ears drooped lifelessly, possibly due to the impact. She shook off the dust and stone chips from her head and body. She seemed to be okay. She grabbed and swung Hao Ren¡¯s arm while she boasted, ¡°Look Landlord, didn¡¯t I keep up with you guys? The winged-vampire isn¡¯t that fast after all!¡±


    Vivian tossed her hair and said, ¡°Yeah, get real! The last time I checked, I was carrying a man. Why don¡¯t you do the same and we¡¯ll see who goes faster next time?¡±


    ¡°Shh, that¡¯s enough,¡± Hao Ren chided and put the argument to rest. There was a moving light coming towards them but it was still far away at the bottom of a hill. Without haste, he hurried Vivian and Lily. ¡°We have to move now. We just attracted attention thanks to you, Lily¡ªyour great impact.¡±


    The trio left the messy ¡®landing site¡¯ and moved behind a mound. The mound, which was closer to the castle offered a better view of the ruins.


    The Yorkford Castle was situated on high ground but its location was not exactly strategic for a defensive position. The surrounding terrain was almost flat. The castle itself had mostly collapsed, leaving behind a large pile of grey stones. It appeared to be sitting on a rectangular-shaped foundation but other than that, the castle was mostly unrecognizable and lifeless.


    There was a small group of lights nearby. A few tents and large vehicles could clearly be seen under the moonlight. The shadows of humans flashed around as they passed in front of the lights. Those people were most likely paranormal enthusiasts.


    There were more than a handful of them but not as many as Hao Ren had thought. Ghost enthusiasts who went to great lengths like camping out in the wild at night to seek paranormal entities were still of the minority.


    Obviously, he was confusing ghostbusting and a temple fair.


    ¡°Nangong has arrived,¡± Vivian pointed to a distant moving pair of lights. It became clearer as it came nearer. It was the off-road vehicle of Angus, the lodge¡¯s owner. Nangong was sitting in the rear and he was seriously looking like a ghostbuster.


    ¡°Oh, wait.¡± Hao Ren sensed that something was not right. He rubbed his eyes before casting his sight over to the distant darkness. ¡°Vivian, how¡¯s your eyesight at night?¡±


    ¡°Pretty good for a typical nocturnal creature.¡± Vivian nodded.


    ¡°Can you see that there are three dead trees in that direction? And under one of them is one¡­ Errr¡­ two large rocks.¡±


    ¡°Yup, as clear as day,¡± Vivian replied impetuously but quickly came to a realization after what Hao Ren had said. ¡°Wait a minute, you mean you can actually see that?¡±


    Hao Ren rubbed his eyes again. He did not realize he was having an unusual vision throughout the journey. Despite the darkness and the not-so-helpful moonlight, he could still see things as clear as day. The dead trees he had seen were at least two or three kilometers away yet, he could see each and every branch on them.


    ¡°This is¡­this is what Raven 12345 was talking about?¡± Hao Ren suddenly understood what Raven 12345 told him before he departed. ¡°Bioenhancement will be activated under the right circumstances. Is this what she was talking about?¡±


    Hao Ren was in seventh heaven. Luck was not on his side up to that point and he finally felt he had something to cheer about.

 Chapter 49

    Hao Ren was busy studying the changes his body was experiencing. He believed his super vision was part of what Raven 12345 had promised him when he went through the bioenhancement¡ªhe had no doubt about it. A normal human being could not have possibly seen things as far as two or three kilometers away, not even in the brightest daylight.


    He was engrossed in his newfound ability and totally forgot about his purpose of being there. The ability was not an inconvenience and his normal vision was not affected. His night vision was only activated by consciously focusing his eyes. It was like having inbuilt night vision goggles, which he could easily switch between modes to suit his needs.


    ¡°Raven was right.¡± He was elated and he rubbed his temples. ¡°The bioenhancement is gradually being activated as my body begins to adapt. There are no side effects and the transition is pretty smooth too.¡±


    ¡°Well, well,well¡­ That¡¯s just a little night vision improvement,¡± Vivian jeered. ¡°You¡¯re still just as normal in every other aspect.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget, I¡¯m a normal human being to begin with. So, a little more than normal is a huge step for me.¡± Hao Ren said solemnly. ¡°Just imagine, if you never had more than 200 bucks in your pocket for all of your life and suddenly, you were given 1000 bucks to spend all the time. How would you feel?¡±


    The simile struck Vivian. Her eyes started to glow.


    ¡°See? Now you get it.¡±


    Lily had cleaned off the grass and dust from herself. Glancing at the castle, she asked, ¡°When do we go in there? Landlord, any signal from your MDT?¡±


    ¡°The tenant¡¯s supposed to be here now.¡± Hao Ren realized he had a job to do. He scratched his head before flashing out his MDT. He then asked, ¡°Hey, did you get anything?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. There is still no sign of the target. Please stay where you are and wait.¡±


    After that, the MDT went back to standby mode. Hao Ren knocked the MDT, trying to wake it up again. ¡°The device is pondering about life at the moment. Please do not disturb.¡± It flashed a line of holographic message before falling back into silence.


    ¡°Bad manners.¡± Hao Ren stared helplessly at the MDT before turning his eyes to the nearby camps. ¡°I wonder why those demon hunters just stay put at the camp site and not go into the ruins. Aren¡¯t they here for the ghosts?¡±


    ¡°Maybe they¡¯re reluctant for some reason. Who wouldn¡¯t think twice about venturing into such ruins?¡± Vivian looked up at the moon. ¡°The clouds are blocking the moonlight right now. If there are any wraiths in there, we¡¯ll find out now.¡±


    Hao Ren became tensed instantly but it seemed like the demon hunters at the camp site were ignorant of the changing atmosphere. Equipped with various strange instruments as well as dressed in weird robes, these ghost fans gathered in groups of two or three in front of their tents and vehicles. Hao Ren could hear their faint chatter and laughter. Some of them even spread out picnic blankets and started an outdoor feast. None of them were ready to hit the sack even though it was already midnight. They truly were a bunch of nocturnal creatures. It was more like a masquerade than a ghostbusting operation. Even the burly European man who traveled in one car with Nangong joined the booze party.


    Angus, the lodge¡¯s owner however, was not eager to join them. He had a little talk with Nangong before getting back into his vehicle. He proceeded to head back to town. So, it appeared that Nangong had no plans of going back that night.


    Amid the hoo-ha, Nangong and the Indian monk stood out from the rest. They did not mingle with the others or carry any strange instruments with them. Some demon hunters, who were donned like alchemists called out and invited the both of them for a drink. However, the duo did not give a damn about the boozers. They moved away, found a serene spot and began to inspect their instruments respectively.


    Nangong opened his black suitcase and took out a small but strange-looking crossbow. The little crossbow was more like a work of art than a weapon. Its size was so small that its actual usefulness was doubtful. Nangong carefully kept the crossbow close to his body. He then took out a strip of fabric with many small arrows attached to it and tied it around his waist. From the pocket of his suitcase, he flung out a monocle¡ªlike a prop on a movie set¡ª and put it on. Presumably, these were all part of his preparation.


    Meanwhile, the Indian monk fished out a jar of spices from his colorful robe. He spread the spices on his own body and his surroundings while he muttered some incantations. Unlike the other frivolous paranormal enthusiasts, the tall, skinny Indian monk was totally solemn, composed in his conduct and was more like a demon hunter than even Nangong. Hao Ren¡¯s eyes were fixed on the monk. He felt the monk had the temperament of a great master.


    However, not everyone could see that. The group of European men saw the spices. They bought a pack from the monk and used it to marinate their barbecue meat¡­


    Hao Ren had lost his faith in the demon hunters.


    Were they seeking out their own doom?


    ¡°Look.¡± Hao Ren pointed at Nangong and the monk. His upgraded vision had enabled him to see every minute detail of their movement. ¡°These two guys really mean business. They¡¯re totally unlike the other jokers.¡±


    ¡°It looks like they have something up their sleeves.¡± Vivian frowned. ¡°Nangong seems to know the tricks of the trade. I thought he was just another charlatan. Look at his arrows¡ªthey¡¯re made of silver and contain anti-demon properties. The arrowhead are producing a bluish glow under the moonlight. However, the Indian monk¡¯s spices really make me uncomfortable despite the distance.


    Hao Ren was shocked. Vivian, the living fossil of the first-class Blood Clan was wary of spices?


    ¡°The Indian monk¡¯s a real expert?¡±


    ¡°I dislike curry,¡± Vivian said as she frowned. ¡°I was in India a couple of years back. And after having their curry, I had bad diarrhea.¡±


    Hao Ren had nothing to say.


    Suddenly, their surroundings became darker. Hao Ren looked up and saw that a thick layer of clouds in the night sky had completely blocked out the moonlight.


    At that very moment, Hao Ren faintly heard a soft whimper in the air.


    ¡°Movement in the castle.¡± Lily¡¯s tail was in a puffed state and her golden eyes were glowing. ¡°There¡¯s light.¡±


    Of course, Hao Ren had also noticed the movement in the castle. It happened just when the moonlight was being completely blocked. There were several beams of light in the castle ruins and they appeared for only a few seconds before going dark and reappearing in another part of the ruins. At that moment, a mysterious wind swept towards them from the ruins¡ªthere was no wind in their surroundings though.


    Hao Ren swallowed nervously. ¡°Holy moly¡­ ghosts are real!¡±

 Chapter 50

    The mysterious happenings in the castle ruins finally caught the attention of the ghostbusters encamped in the area. When the wind went howling through the cracks of the fallen pile of masonry and boulders, the camp became alive.


    A whole group of funny looking ¡®experts¡¯ were stumbling about with their equipment. One was fiddling with an odd-looking radio device, some where lugging cameras which looked 50 years out of date, some were swinging about holding curved brass instruments and some just looked almost like jedis right out of Star Wars. The whole group of rushed in a horde towards the source of the sound in the ruins. Well, let us not talk about their actual combat abilities but it seemed like the whole lot, with their funny outfits may have spooked the ethereal residents there instead¡­


    Of course, Hao Ren had the impulse to rush head first into the fray as well. However, as he saw the horde of ghostbusters surging towards the castle, the first thing that came to his mind was, ¡°F*ck me, this won¡¯t be easy!¡±


    Hao Ren was torn. On one hand, there was a chance his new tenant would be brutalized by the ghostbusters. On the other, there was also a chance of the new guy murdering everyone there. Things would not have been pretty either way and the thought of Raven 12345 crucifying him alive sent chills down his spine.


    Just as he was about to rush in, Vivian pulled his collar. ¡°Calm down, look at Nangong and that Indian monk.¡±


    Hao Ren took a good look and found that the two supposedly most excited duo (at least for Nangong, with what was in the ruins) stood still. Nangong was staring coldly at the bunch of supernatural enthusiasts blundering their way towards the ruins. He made a curt expression at the old monk about the whole bunch of amateurs while the monk¡¯s expression was that of a serene calm. Whether that was his normal air or his way of being unapproachable, he glanced at Nangong and went back to tending his incense.


    Hao Ren was puzzled at the disinterest that the two had shown towards the brouhaha in the castle ruins. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with them?¡±


    ¡°The spirits beneath the castle are quiet.¡± Vivian frowned. ¡°As for this, I¡¯m not sure what is causing the ruckus but it certainly doesn¡¯t feel supernatural. Those two probably have their ways of identifying a real spirit. Let¡¯s not talk about that skinny, old coot of a monk. Nangong is the real deal, at least in terms of equipment. That monocle of his looks very familiar¡­ doesn¡¯t seem like your average one.¡±


    The light within the ruins had faded by then but the howling was incessant across the highland. Along with it, was a clarion call and sounds of cantering horses, just as Angus had described. The crowd by then had already reached the boulders and were scouring about with their various ghost hunting gadgets. Those without any tools just simply sat down and started to chant prayers as well as sutras. Thankfully, no one had actually gone deep into the rock formations. Even as enthusiasts, these people probably still had the presence of mind to stay safe, especially since they believed the area to be truly haunted.


    While all that was going on, Nangong and the old Indian monk had finished warming up. They started to walk slowly towards the ruins. Vivian, seeing this, tapped Hao Ren¡¯s shoulders and gestured him forward. ¡°Lets go.¡±


    ¡°So, have the evil spirits been awakened?¡± Hao Ren asked, sounding really edgy.


    ¡°Not yet, but something is definitely going on.¡± The red glow from Vivian¡¯s eyes faded. She turned around and smacked Lily on the head. ¡°You stupid dog, stash those ears and tail of yours. Do you want to be exposed?¡±


    Only then did Lily realize she was in her feral form and quickly hid her otherworldly appendages. She quickly asked, ¡°What should we do if we run into Nangong?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s try to avoid that. We¡¯ll go around the place.¡± Hao Ren pointed towards the other side of the ruins, where a huge crack ran through the wall. ¡°Let¡¯s not get entangled with the crowd. We¡¯ll try to get to the target as sneakily as possible. If we really run into someone, just hoodwink them into thinking we¡¯re ghost hunters like the rest. The same goes for Nangong as well. We aren¡¯t friends or anything so, we don¡¯t have to go into the details.¡±


    Hao Ren knew what he said was a best case scenario. If Nangong or the old monk were to sniff out what was going on, things would get nasty. They seemed to have genuine abilities to detect spirits and Hao Ren was very sure that his new tenant was one of the spirits there. Running into Nangong or the monk after collecting the ¡®package¡¯ was nothing but trouble. So, he thought the best way to avoid all of that was to avoid everybody.


    It was by a stroke of good luck that Nangong and the monk were cooped together with the horde of ghostbusters on high ground. Hao Ren and the gang then managed to sneak in from the other side through the crack. The ruins itself was a big place and even if there were people brave enough to go in, Hao Ren believed that he would not run into anyone for a while. That is, if he was careful and the other two managed to not muck up one way or another.


    ¡°Wow¡­this place really got messed up,¡± Hao Ren said as he slipped through the crack on the wall. What he saw was an empty space littered with rubble. It appeared to be part of the castle¡¯s long hall but with part of the masonry collapsed and the wooden structure rotten, it was no different than an empty plaza now. The only telltale signs of its original use were the surviving structures around it.


    Vivian looked around with a tinge of melancholy. ¡°Time really does change everything. I used to dream of having a castle of my own. People those days thought that vampires really did own castles. But¡­ I couldn¡¯t even afford a small parcel of land¡­¡±


    Hao Ren patted Vivian¡¯s shoulder to comfort her. ¡°Let¡¯s not reminisce about your sad past. You can¡¯t even afford it now.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Can you not?¡±


    Standing within the castle ruins, the howling sounded even clearer. However, it was due to the fact that there were plenty of rocks and wall structures which echoed the sound. It was pretty difficult to pinpoint the source of the howling and Lily took a good while to even get a bead on its general direction. ¡°I think it¡¯s coming from there,¡± Lily said as she pointed. ¡°I¡¯m using my human ear so, I can¡¯t hear it clearly.¡±


    Hao Ren looked towards the direction Lily was pointing at and found a rare structure that was still intact. It was rectangular in shape, almost like an independent structure by itself. Maybe because of that, it had survived the collapse of the castle.


    ¡°Seems like a small chapel,¡± Vivian surmised. ¡°I¡¯ve seen the layout of castles like this. This stone building is definitely a chapel. A haunted chapel? This sounds just like those horror flicks.¡±


    Hao Ren thought Vivian had hinted at something else and asked, ¡°Did you find anything?¡±


    ¡°Nothing of importance. Did you manage to detect the person?¡±


    ¡°Nope, nothing yet.¡± Hao Ren was puzzled as well. He pulled out the MDT. ¡°Hey, have you detected anything?¡±


    ¡°How would I know?¡± The MDT retorted defiantly. ¡°That¡¯s your problem to solve. Lady 12345 said that if the new tenant is within a certain range from you, the sensors will trigger. If there¡¯s nothing, that means you are not at the right place. Go look around. Based on the information¡­ hmm¡­ it should be close by.¡±


    Hao Ren had half a mind to smash the MDT on the rocks. The other half was deathly afraid that he would have no way to fix it later. All he could do was muster a violent stare at the super, high tech device and carefully stow it back into his pouch.


    At the same time, on the other side of the ruins, the group of ghostbusters had started doing their stuff. One was carrying a big radio, wired to a boatload of antennas protruding skywards with a giant spare battery pack. With his headphones clamped tightly onto his ears and his fingers carefully manipulating the dials of his improvised ¡®Spirit Listening Device¡¯, the man suddenly screamed. ¡°I hear it! I can hear it! The spirit went into me through the antenna! I can feel it within me!¡±


    Another man, dressed like an old detective with an old monochrome camera stared angrily at the man. ¡°Please be quite. I¡¯m trying to capture the spirit¡¯s picture¡­ And oh, your headphone seems to be broken. I saw sparks earlier.¡±


    ¡°Spirits! I see spirits floating above the castle!¡± A middle aged lady clad in purple screamed as she sat still on a rock. Her eyes turned white as she chanted. An even older witch beside her was even more outrageous with her chanting. She was foaming in her mouth¡­


    Nangong, with his monocle on, stood amongst the delirious crowd. He only shook his head in amusement. Behind him was the Indian monk and both of them lowered their sights.


    They did not seem to be staring at the ground but through it, at whatever that was hiding underneath.

 Chapter 51

    Hao Ren did not know what the enthusiasts were up to but with the gear that was on them, he could roughly figure it out. Vivian on the other hand, was brutal in her assessment. ¡°Those clowns there, a bunch of swindlers they are. Only Nangong and that monk seem somewhat legitimate.¡±


    Lily went about sniffing the floor. After a while she lifted her head and went, ¡°Someone was here.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ there have been a whole lot of visitors coming to the ruins. That¡¯s not really surprising.¡± Hao Ren shrugged and he slowly made his way towards the chapel as cautiously as he could. ¡°This sounds really scary, you sure everything is okay?¡±


    ¡°No problem. The spirits are still entombed underground.¡± Vivian looked around as she activated her magical sight. Her eyes were a flash of crimson in the dark. ¡°Listen, the howling has weakened.¡±


    Hao Ren gulped as he noticed that the howling from the castle had indeed weakened. Instead of reassuring him, it increased his uneasiness. While he could not feel or see the dead, the place was royally haunted to him.


    The wooden door had already rotted away but the entrance was barred by some fallen masonry. Hao Ren slowly closed in towards the structure and found a slit amid the boulders. He took a peek through it and saw only darkness on the other side. There were little traces of wind alongside the cries of men and sound of horses coming from the building. As the structure was riddled with holes everywhere, it seemed like the weird noise within the building was not impeded and therefore, audible throughout the castle grounds.


    Hao Ren licked his index finger and placed it into the crack. He solemnly nodded. ¡°Yes, there¡¯s no wind.¡±


    ¡°Of course, if there was, you would have been covered in dust and debris when you were peeking.¡± Vivian pushed Hao Ren aside and waved towards Lily. ¡°Over here, doggie. Move this out of the way.¡±


    Hao Ren was a little queasy. ¡°Wait a minute, won¡¯t this disturb the dead?¡±


    ¡°What dead? I¡¯ve fought real mummies before. Heck, I¡¯ve even faced off with the pharaoh¡¯s guard as well. Go, doggie!¡±


    ¡°I dare you to say that again! I¡¯ll give you a big chomp if that¡¯s the last thing I do!¡± Lily was getting increasingly infuriated by Vivian¡¯s obvious disrespect towards her and protested menacingly. That said, it was a job well-suited for Lily, who was all brawn so, she went about moving the boulders.


    As Lily tossed the first boulder aside, the noise from the chapel ceased.


    ¡°It stopped!¡± Hao Ren exclaimed. ¡°I think I heard something in there. Did you guys hear it?¡±


    Vivian slightly nudged her head towards the chapel, trying to catch the noise Hao Ren heard. At the same time, she gestured towards Lily. ¡°Pay no heed, keep moving.¡±


    ¡°Huurrrrummphhh!¡± Lily grunted as she lifted a boulder which looked like it weighed a tonne. She lifted it with ease and tossed it a good few meters aside as though the boulder was nothing. Hao Ren wisely stood a few meters away from Lily, fearing that the dumb werewolf would accidentally kill him with a stray toss. Nonetheless, he was still amazed by her feat of strength. ¡°If only I had such strength¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s all brawn only.¡± Vivian twitched as she looked at Lily moving the boulders. She was smiling curtly. ¡°The true source of strength is knowledge. Strength alone is no match for my blood magic. Just a curse alone will fell¨D¡±


    ¡°Go on¡­¡± Lily said as she turned around with a boulder lifted over her head.


    Hao Ren who was beside Vivian quickly scrambled aside. ¡°STOOPPP!!! I¡¯m just a normal person you know? I¡¯ll die if that lands of me! If you two want to duke it out, let¡¯s go somewhere with no one around later¡±


    Lily hissed bitterly and turned back to continue her labor. It was not long before the boulders were cleared from the entrance, with the last one being kicked away. The entrance of the chapel now stood open for them.


    ¡°Mr. Landlord, my shoe¡¯s torn¡­¡± Lily pointed towards her foot. Hao Ren took a glance and found that her white sport shoe had been torn open and her toes stuck out gloriously. Remember, she kicked that last boulder earlier? Other books do not even dwell on minute details like this¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ll get you a new one once we¡¯re back home. I suppose this counts as work expenditure.¡± Hao Ren wiped the cold sweat of his head, ruing his fortune thus far. He carefully made his way into the chapel, curious to know what was actually inside.


    Nonetheless, the sense of unease had not left Hao Ren. Even the bravest of men would not have rushed head first into an enclosed stone room, which was the source of an eerie howl. With Vivian, who was ever proficient in sensing the dead, reassuring him that it was safe and Lily being a world class bodyguard, Hao Ren steeled himself for the ride. After all, he still had his pride as a man and feared that he would lose face in front of the two ladies if he backed down.


    Although the entrance was previously sealed by the caved in boulders, the chapel itself was not in perfect condition. A crack here and a wreck there, it was pretty well ventilated. Hao Ren could not tell anything was rotting in there until Lily jumped in and kicked up a cloud of dust. Vivian frowned at the impetuous werewolf and a slight breeze formed. It blew away the dust around them as Vivian directed her spell with the usual grace of a vampire. Lily spat at her, ¡°Oh¡­ a little bit of dust and dirt¡¯s not befitting your stature, eh?¡±


    The chapel itself was empty. The pews and pedestals were long gone. All that was left were fallen bricks scattered on the floor. The design of the chapel had a medieval feeling to it with tall, narrow windows flanking each side of the wall. The glass windows were also long gone and the pale glow of the moonlight seeped through the narrow window slits, making the place look even more eerie.


    ¡°The moon¡¯s out¡­.¡± Lily stared at the windows. ¡°Mr. Landlord¡­ I feel like letting out a howl or two¡­¡±


    Hao Ren had nothing to retort.


    What kind of bloody habit was that?


    Using his obtained special ability, Hao Ren could clearly see what was in the chapel. There was nothing out of the ordinary. No will o¡¯ wisps floating about, no hollowed knights cantering about on their skeletal steeds and no magical grimoires scattered on the floor. It seemed like everything had ended even before he stepped in. The chapel was but an ordinary chapel.


    Lily got on all fours and started sniffing. ¡°Mr. Landlord¡­ there was someone here, I caught a scent of a living person¡­¡±


    Vivian walked towards a corner of the chapel and waved towards a stone panel. A gust of crimson mist rushed towards the panel and a sizzling crackle rang as the mist ate through the panel violently. It was not long before the panel was nothing but ash, revealing a small entrance into a burrow. ¡°Whoever the person was, he ran through here.¡±


    ¡°A person? You mean whoever pulled that stunt was a living person? How did you know?¡± Hao Ren looked at Vivian in shock. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us earlier?¡±


    ¡°I did sense a living being hiding in here and I wanted to see what he was up to. Never thought that he was the one playing pranks.¡± Vivian shrugged. ¡°He ran away after Lily tossed the first boulder aside. So much for having acute senses. A human slipped away under your nose.¡±


    ¡°I was busy lifting boulders! I wasn¡¯t paying attention!¡± Lily angrily retorted.


    Hao Ren ignored the bickering duo and went towards the entrance of the burrow. ¡°Should we go in there?¡±


    ¡°You can wait up here if you want to.¡± Vivian took a look at the burrow¡¯s entrance, clearly unfazed by it. ¡°Although I¡¯m pretty sure that it¡¯s just a normal person, we still don¡¯t know what¡¯s underneath so, there could be danger.¡±


    What Vivian said rubbed Hao Ren the wrong way. He was destined to be the king of babysitters, with so many oddball tenants coming his way. Surely, a man playing ghost in a castle¡¯s ruins could not so much as faze him!?


    ¡°Get out of my way. I¡¯m a vanguard,¡± Hao Ren said as he pushed the ladies aside. Without anymore thought, he leapt into the burrow. ¡°Fuuuuuuc¨D!¡±

 Chapter 52

    Hao Ren was sure he had taken a good look. He had gauged that he was manageable distance away from solid ground before taking that leap of faith. It did not take long for the glorious ¡°Fuuuuuuc¨D¡± to echo throughout the place. His brash action caught both Vivian and Lily by surprise. Lily quickly stuck her head through the entrance and yelled, ¡°Mr. Landlord, Mr. Landlord, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ fine! It¡¯s a giant cavern down here!¡±


    Hao Ren yelled back as he squinted to adjust his vision. His voice was overcome with amazement.


    It was pitch black down there, way darker than it was outside. Except for the faint moonlight that came through the entrance, there was no other source of light in the cavern. It was difficult for Hao Ren to make out the place even with his night vision ability. Only by fully concentrating was he able to see with any form of clarity.


    It seemed that his night vision ability was still bound to normal optical limitations and he had a long way to go before he could visually scan the area using just his mind. Well, that in itself was a long shot. He was not even sure if his current ability would evolve with time or mastery.


    Hao Ren landed on a ledge after he leapt. It was probably made so that whoever needed to use the passageway had an easier way to get back to the surface. Ahead of the ledge was a slight slope leading into something which amazed Hao Ren; tunnels, giant tunnels.


    The castle was built upon solid ground and the vast cavern was more than proof enough of the fact. In fact, it was so vast that Hao Ren could only gawk in awe. It was much much bigger than the usual underground structure one would see in normal castles. Hao Ren stood in front of a tunnel fork, with each of the three tunnels leading into another equally vast area. The tunnels appeared to have been built using giant boulders and pillars made out of unknown material. It was even more surprising that they actually stood the test of time.


    As an amateur in construction engineering, Hao Ren was awed. Each tunnel could have easily fit a car in it. Their ceilings were about three meters high from the ground, with the tunnels converging into a T-junction in front of him. Needless to say, there were probably grander and larger areas further in.


    It looked like the chapel was a convergence point where many tunnels crossed each other.


    Hao Ren was still staring at the tunnel structure when Vivian and Lily came up behind him. They had taken his lead and followed him using the same slope to his location.


    ¡°Wow¡­ the Lord of Yorkford was definitely something¡­ This underground structure is beyond normal.¡± Vivian knew from experience that the scale of the tunnels did not match the structure above ground at all. ¡°Could it be that this castle was under a long siege before? And the amount of refugees wereso great that he needed such a big space? There¡¯s even a junction¡­¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Vivian quizzically. ¡°I thought you¡¯ve never been to England after 1190? How do you know about the architecture of English castles built after that? I¡¯ve been wanting to ask you this since just now¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, I wasn¡¯t in England for a while but, I was around continental Europe¡­¡± Vivian gave Hao Ren a bitter look. ¡°Yes, I was poor but it wasn¡¯t because I couldn¡¯t afford the toll that I didn¡¯t visit England for almost a millennium¡­ I was visiting somewhere else! The castle structure and layout in this region is almost the same anyway. The only difference is probably the scale but still it¡¯s not that foreign to me.¡±


    By then, Lily had already circled the area, sniffing for clues. She suddenly sprinted towards one of the tunnels as she caught the scent of human. She eagerly called for the two, ¡°Over here, there¡¯s someone¡¯s scent here!¡±


    Hao Ren felt that he was no different than a K-9 officer with Lily as his sniffer dog.


    The three of them followed the trail of the scent in what could be called an underground castle (the scale of it was simply huge). Hao Ren was worried that the air would thin out the deeper they got into the tunnel but, the air was surprisingly fresh and a slight breeze could be felt from time to time. It did seem like there were pockets of air tunnels leading to the surface that were still open. This added to the mystique and awe Hao Ren had towards the lord¡¯s effort in creating the underground fortress.


    Vivian was busy analyzing the place. ¡± I thought the castle lord was just your run of the mill noble but it does appear like he wasn¡¯t someone to be trifled with. The building of this underground structure would have taken an enormous amount of resources. However, this area is located on a flat plain and it¡¯s not a strategic military location. It really boggles me as to why the Lord of Yorkford would painstakingly build this¡­¡±


    ¡°Was it because of a betrayal that the castle had to be abandoned?¡± Hao Ren mused. ¡°Or because of a series of civil wars that led him to build a fortress like this?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you ignoramus¡­¡± Vivian glared at Hao Ren. ¡°You think it¡¯s easy building something like this a few hundred years ago? It would have taken generations for it to get to this scale. I think the Lords of Yorkford had been expanding and reinforcing this place for at least 200 years. Besides, this is England not China, where peasants could be mobilized in the millions to build a wall. A lord of a normal English holding would have had very limited manpower at his disposal¡­ How did he do it? Hmm¡­¡±


    Vivian quickened her step as she took lead. By then, the darkness around them was absolute and Hao Ren¡¯s night vision was totally rendered useless. He dug his pouch for the MDT and used the screen as a makeshift torch. The area around them was lit up instantly by the bright screen. Curiously, a red line ran across the screen of the MDT as the device protested ¡± Usage error¡­ Usage error¡­ I would suggest that you look for a more conventional approach¡­¡±


    Hao Ren ignored the MDT and moved forward.


    After a few minutes, Hao Ren felt that they were slowly descending, as though the path they were on was leading into a deeper part of the labyrinth. He had totally forgotten about Nangong and the bunch of supernatural enthusiasts above ground. Somehow, the total darkness underground was a good thing. He was far away from the crowd and if he ran into the target there, it would make things much simpler.


    ¡°So¡­ is it true that this place is haunted? Lily uncharacteristically approached Vivian to ease her boredom. ¡°I wonder who it could be? Is it true that there are ghosts underground?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ the one trying to spook us is definitely human. I can¡¯t quite fathom why he would want to do this though.¡± Vivian shrugged nonchalantly. ¡°As for ghosts¡­ eh. Why are you shivering, Mr. Landlord?¡±


    Hao Ren could not help but cry, ¡°You guys just f*cking reminded me about the ghosts down here! I was trying to keep them out of my mind but now¡­ gosh!¡±


    Vivian cynically patted him. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you worry. Meeting one will be part and parcel of your job.¡±


    Lily, who was now taking point started sniffing again. ¡°Just ahead, there¡¯s someone near us! He seems to have stopped moving.¡±


    The straight stretch that they had been moving in finally came to a bend and a faint glimmer of light could be seen around the corner. Hao Ren wanted to go in head first but was restrained by Vivian. ¡°Wait up, I think it¡¯s better if we put on a cloak of invisibility. Better to hide our identities if we run into a commoner.¡±


    A swirl of mist rose around Vivian as she spoke. Since Hao Ren had a weird immunity to magic, she was unable to cast her illusion spell on him and had to rely on an area-of-effect spell to hide themselves. Hao Ren looked at the swirling black mist around them and really felt like they were the ones best suited to haunt the place.


    Vivian softly reminded the two. ¡°Stay within the mist. And you, doggie, stop wrinkling your nose. This mist is actually minty, you know! I also got rid of the blood scent just to shut you up so, no complaints!¡±


    Under the cover of the illusionary mist, they slowly approached the bend and caught a glimpse of someone¡¯s back.


    It was a short, stocky man with a mining lamp over his hard hat. He was lugging a strange box and milling about in front of a stone wall.


    It was Angus, the lodge owner.

 Chapter 53

    ¡°Angus?¡± Hao Ren recognized the man ahead from his back. His dumpy figure and the slightly bald patch on the back of his head had left a deep impression on Hao Ren. ¡°He¡¯s the one creating all this mess?¡±


    Angus had yet to notice what was behind him. His attention was fully focused on the dark, stone wall in front of him. The towering stone wall blocked the tunnel, turning it into a dead end. Angus was anxiously leaning on the stone wall, groping for any hidden buttons or exits but it all seemed like a waste of effort. It was unclear how long he had been struggling there.


    Angus was wearing a headlamp and carrying a strange black box on his back, which looked like a self-powered stereo. He was obviously not there by accident. He was in fact, entering the place for a purpose. Angus was the first person who reported the incident of the strange sound coming from the chapel. It was so obvious that Hao Ren immediately associated him with the incident. He walked two steps forward without covering up his footsteps and finally got Angus¡¯s attention. The tubby boss shivered furiously when he heard the movement behind his back and froze like he was just shocked by electricity. The three of them waited patiently for a few seconds. Angus finally turned around like a stiff puppet, still trembling.


    When the beam of his headlamp swept across the dark tunnel, the owner saw a dark cloud of undulating fog swarming before him. He was shocked and let out a piercing shriek. ¡°Ahh!¡± This was definitely not a scene a normal man could take.


    The sudden screams of the lodge owner frightened Hao Ren. Now, both of them were frightened by each other. Vivian waved him quiet with her hand. She then cleared her throat, speaking in a sharp and weird tone, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Hao Ren threw Vivian a weird look and thought, ¡± Such a crafty vampire. You even got an audio mixer in you.¡±


    Angus was shivering even more when he heard the scary sound coming from the dark fog. He forgot to answer Vivian¡¯s question but kept making the sign of the cross. He was sweating heavily while saying, ¡°God, protect me. God, please save me¡­ I didn¡¯t do anything bad¡­ I did nothing bad¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m asking you. What are you jabbering about?¡± Vivian spoke with her devilish voice in an uncouth manner. ¡°Hey, can you please stop trembling? I will release the dog if you don¡¯t cooperate!¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a few seconds and pulled Vivian¡¯s sleeve as he whispered, ¡°¡­You can¡¯t communicate with anyone here with that level of English.¡±


    Vivian was silent.


    ¡°Let me ask him.¡± Hao Ren could not help but push the silly vampire aside. He knew that it was better to disguise his voice as well. Therefore, he communicated with the Mobile Data Terminal (MDT) in his head and asked, ¡°Can you alter my voice? Like Vivian did hers.¡±


    ¡°Alter your voice? R-CH-365B plug-in installed. Now, nobody can recognize your voice.¡±


    Hao Ren felt the air in front of him was condensed in a strange way. He quietly thanked the advanced technology of aliens and said, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± His voice echoed through the tunnel like a dull thunder.


    After finishing his sentence, Vivian poked his back and said, ¡°Hey, do you have to exaggerate so much? You sound like a villain.¡±


    Hao Ren helplessly expressed that he could not control the alien digital assistant. None of its functions actually worked well!


    Even though the fake voice created by the MDT was a little too much, the coercive evil voice successfully frightened the lodge owner. Angus was pulled out of his incoherent praying right away. He sat on the floor and begged, ¡°O honorable souls of the knights, I¡¯m just a small businessman living nearby. I didn¡¯t mean to disturb you¡­ I live near Yorkford. Yes, I¡¯m from Yorkford, under your reign. Can you please let me go by virtue of The Knight¡¯s Code?¡±


    Evidently, Angus took the dark fog in front of him and the horrible voices coming from it for the real ghosts. Though he was the man behind the scenes, he did not look daring at all. He lost his head easily when faced with an unusual situation.


    Hao Ren thought it was all just a misunderstanding at that moment. Therefore, he did not expose himself and continued asking, ¡°Are you playing tricks in the castle everyday? Were you the one responsible for the mess in the castle during these past two days?¡±


    Angus was surprised that the dark fog could talk to him. Although he was still trembling, he became calmer when he found that the ¡®evil ghost¡¯ could possibly communicate with him. ¡°It was¡­ It was me but I did it inside the castle. I didn¡¯t mean to alarm the souls beneath¡­¡±


    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡±


    Angus wondered why the ¡®ghost knight¡¯ in the dark fog was curious about what he was doing. However, he dared not ask too much. He just answered whatever questions that were thrown at him. ¡°My lodge was going out of business so I wanted to create some kind of hype¡­ but I didn¡¯t expect it to become so famous!¡±


    The truth had come to light.


    The uproarious case of Yorkford¡¯s haunted castle was just a fraud. It was fake news created by a bleak business owner in order to attract tourists. Perhaps Angus did not expect things to go so far. Apparently, he underestimated the power of idle media and the strong execution of the ghost hunters. It was beyond his expectation that a small case of a haunted castle would be magnified on TV and developed to such an extent..


    Hao Ren took advantage of the lodge owner¡¯s cooperativeness and grabbed the chance to get more details on the night¡¯s happenings. The details of his tricks were getting clearer little by little. The will-o¡¯-the-wisp which appeared in the castle was just a light set up in the crack of a rock earlier. And the howling of the wind echoing through the castle was simply coming from the big speaker box on his back. Everything was just so ridiculous.


    Angus was an old resident in the town of Brewshire. He had been living there since he was little. He was mischievous and he used to run around the town when he was a teenager. During that time, he used to explore the castle frequently. That was when he discovered the crypt under the castle which somehow had not collapsed. This was a secret that nobody knew.


    The remote town rarely attracted visitors. Though the situation was not too bad many years ago, things were going downhill in recent years. It was difficult to maintain the business. When the lodge almost went out of business, Angus finally drew his attention to the old castle.


    Brewshire was not a business hub or near the thoroughfare. It did not have any special products as well. The only possible way to attract visitors was the old castle. If the castle became a tourist spot, the business problem could then be easily solved.


    Hence, Angus got this daring idea: the haunted castle. All that mattered was to make it famous.


    The tricks were carried out according to his plans during the past few days. He was familiar with the structure of the castle and knew where to hide the props. Also, he was cautious of its surroundings. He could always pack his things up and leave the spot before the daring ghost hunters entered the ruins. The secret tunnels and doors under the castle were another advantage for him. Even when people suddenly popped up in the castle, he could always leave the spot or hide himself via the secret doors hidden in the castle. No one was aware of the secret doors or tunnels in the castle at all.


    Through Angus¡¯s hard work, every curious tourist who visited the castle would get him free publicity. As such, the rumor of Yorkford¡¯s haunted castle was spread fast. Of course, another reason that allowed the rumor to continue developing was people¡¯s boredom in general. People did not mind visiting fake haunted houses in the park, not to mention a ¡®real¡¯ haunted castle.


    Now, there was one bizarre incident left unsolved. When Angus reported the hauntings to the police, he mentioned a case where, ¡°¡­many had seen the blaze coming from the castle.¡± It was not one of his fabrications and he was so confident about witnessing the big fire even when facing Hao Ren. The bizarre fire was in fact, the inspiration for the idea of a haunted castle.


    What happened to the fire then?


    The castle was dozens of kilometers away from Brewshire. Even if there were only plains and nothing blocking the castle along the way, it was almost impossible to see a fire on the castle from the town. How big was the fire on the castle that people from town could see it from such a distance? The fire would have probably set the entire hill ablaze.


    However, there was no way of knowing the details. Angus had no idea as well. They could then confirm that other than the fire, the rest was fake and Angus was the man behind them.


    People were nosy. If someone claimed to see a UFO, the people around would automatically follow each others¡¯ gazes and agree with it. Angus did not expect to have no one debunking the fraud. This allowed the story to keep going on.


    Angus had no way of backing down and just kept the ball rolling.


    However, was it really all just a fraud?

 Chapter 54

    Angus¡¯s tricks had failed for the first time. He did not expect anybody to break into the chapel, which had been blocked by huge rocks. Usually, nobody could move those heavy rocks away without the help of a crane. Angus¡¯s plan was totally disrupted by the monstrous wolf who appeared out of the blue. He was in too much of a panic to clearly see who actually opened the door of the chapel. In order not to expose himself, he did not turn on his headlamp to look at the door. He was alarmed and quickly moved underground via a secret tunnel the moment Lily moved the first rock. After considering that the secret tunnel could have been discovered as well, he did not stay there but moved towards the exit following a route he memorized.


    However, the previously unobstructed tunnel was now blocked by a stone wall.


    ¡°You mean this tunnel was unobstructed earlier?¡± Hao Ren was slightly surprised after listening to Angus¡¯s explanation. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re remembering it correctly?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been using this tunnel for quite some time, it can¡¯t be wrong.¡± Angus was too frightened to think straight a moment ago. However, after talking to the ¡®ghost¡¯ in the dark fog, he slowly came to his senses. He felt something was off and asked, ¡°Eh, aren¡¯t you the ghost of this castle? How is it that you aren¡¯t clear of the situation underneath?¡±


    ¡°This has nothing to do with you. Just think of me as a visitor from the nearby graveyard, just stopping by this place. Can¡¯t a ghost have some privacy?¡± Hao Ren simply created an excuse and continued asking, ¡°So, does this mean the castle isn¡¯t haunted at all? You¡¯ve been playing tricks all along?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ Yes,¡± answered Angus and he peeped at the swarming dark fog under the beam of his headlamp. It was the first time he ever saw a ¡®real¡¯ ghost in his life. He thought it was quite different from what he had previously imagined and continued to explain, ¡°I really didn¡¯t want to disturb the honored souls underneath. I just borrowed the top part of the ruins. I really meant no harm. People often do this in today¡¯s age. It isn¡¯t wrong to make money from cultural relics. If we think about it from another angle, there could be an opportunity for the castle to be repaired and renovated¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really good at creating stories.¡± Hao Ren thought that the lodge owner had quick wits. He could create big news out of nothing. Hao Ren then turned to Vivian and whispered, ¡°Now what? What to do with this tubby man?¡±


    ¡°So, are you done asking?¡± After confirming with Hao Ren, Vivian lifted her finger and pointed at Angus. ¡°That¡¯s it.¡±


    A faint, red light split from the dark fog and faded into Angus¡¯s body in a flash. He fell onto the ground without a sound and remained motionless.


    Hao Ren immediately jumped and said, ¡°Hey, I was just asking you how to get rid of him not kill¡ª¡±


    ¡°I just stunned him temporarily.¡± Vivian gave Hao Ren an odd look and said, ¡°What are you thinking about? Did you watch a vampire movie again last night? I told you not to watch those kind of movies too much. They are misleading.¡±


    Hao Ren had nothing to say. He glanced at the chubby owner on the ground and felt it was not suitable to leave him here. He then signaled Lily to come over and said, ¡°Send him up there and put him at a safe place. And keep an eye on those ghost hunters by the way.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Lily nodded. She picked Angus up lightly and ran out swiftly.


    Hao Ren shook his head as he watched Lily run out. He found the whole situation annoying yet funny. ¡°So, this is it? The lodge owner was actually quite creative.¡±


    Although Angus had bamboozled everybody, Hao Ren did not really blame him. It was not a serious crime after all. Additionally, there were other marketing gimmicks from various tourist spots and theme parks. Angus¡¯s idea could not possibly compete with them at all. However, the whole case really left him speechless. The uproarious haunted castle was merely a simple idea created by a lodge owner to attract more customers. Nobody found out about the mystery within. It really shows that life is just a joke.


    Of course, Angus¡¯s plan would not have lasted. More and more paranormal enthusiasts came and gathered around the castle. There would have probably been some kind of expert or retired expert and scholar from the TV program ¡°Approach to Science¡± among them. Sooner or later the lodge owner¡¯s tricks would stop working for them. Hao Ren could tell that the Angus did not plan to stop at all. The haunted castle brought him non-stop customers. On top of that, the trick was not going to be exposed at that particular moment. The TV program kept adding fuel to the flame in order to increase audience¡¯s ratings. How could the lodge owner stop? He just repeated the hauntings every few days.


    Anyway, it would have been exposed sooner or later. You see, wasn¡¯t it finally exposed?


    ¡°A trick?¡± Vivian turned around discreetly and curiously examined the stone wall in front of her. ¡°The unusual scenes people have been seeing may be some kind of deceptive trick. However, there really is something under the castle.¡±


    Hao Ren remembered his task at once. The stone wall in front of them was also still a mystery. ¡°The dumpy boss man probably wasn¡¯t lying. The stone wall appeared out of the blue but where did it come from?¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t fall from the top.¡± Vivian pointed at the marks on the stone wall and continued to elaborate, ¡°Look at the scratches. It probably slid down from the top corner not long ago. This is a well designed structure. It enables the stone wall to slide down and block the tunnel when needed.¡±


    Just when Hao Ren was about to say something, he heard footsteps coming from behind. He turned and saw Lily running towards them. Lily saw Hao Ren and reported immediately. ¡°I¡¯ve sent the lodge owner up there. And those ghost hunters have already departed as well.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve gone?¡± Vivian was surprised. However, she quickly realized something and said, ¡°Of course, the ¡®paranormal phenomenon¡¯ has ended. They probably couldn¡¯t find anything suspicious after roaming around the castle. After all, they aren¡¯t professional demon hunters. They are just a group of amateurs.¡±


    ¡°Did you just dump the tubby owner in the middle of the wilderness?¡± asked Hao Ren while he looked at the silly, werewolf girl. ¡°There aren¡¯t any wild animals out there, are there?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He was about to wake up when I left him. I saw an old man taking down his tent so, I threw him into the back of the old man¡¯s car. He should be on his way back to town along with the tent,¡± answered Lily. She had turned back into a werewolf. She was wagging her tail vigorously. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Landlord. Nobody saw me. I¡¯m as speedy as the wind. But the bat¡¯s spell didn¡¯t really work. The boss man just slept for a few minutes.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better than how you swing bricks. Also, I purposely suppressed my magic so that wouldn¡¯t sleep too long. If not, he could easily sleep forever. Do you know how difficult it is to control magic precisely?¡± defended Vivian.


    Hao Ren looked at Lily¡¯s tail and was not sure if she was really as speedy as the wind. However, her tail did cause the dust to swirl in the air.


    ¡°Will Angus spread any nonsense after going back?¡± muttered Hao Ren worriedly. Vivian derided him while she examined the stone wall. She said, ¡°Stop fussing. Whatever he says has nothing to do with us. The worst thing he could do is create another rumor of a haunting. Plus, he didn¡¯t see our faces¡­ Erm, I found something.¡±


    Hao Ren stopped thinking about the lodge owner at once. He moved closer to Vivian and asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Here.¡± Vivian pointed at the upper half of the stone wall and said, ¡°Do you see the letters and symbols?¡±


    Hao Ren squinted for a while and said, ¡°So, those are letters? I can hardly see their edges. Eh no, how come they don¡¯t look like English? They look a little like Egyptian¡­¡±


    ¡°They are neither Egyptian nor English. They are not from a human language.¡± Vivian narrowed her eyes. Red lights were glittering her eyes. ¡°These are Letta Runes used previously by demon hunters and the Church. It came from an ancient family of demon hunters in the early days. It later became a crucial means for the secret forces in the Church to fight against the unusual clan. An important feature of the Letta Runes was that common people were able use them. However, as humans got stronger day by day, the runes lost their importance as well. I haven¡¯t seen Letta Runes for more than 200 years.¡±


    Hao Ren swallowed nervously and asked, ¡°This¡­ what¡¯s it for?¡±


    Hao Ren was aware of the castle¡¯s eeriness. He also knew that there were real ghosts underneath. Therefore, he was sure that the runes and stone wall did not suddenly appear for decoration purposes. They had to be something significant.


    ¡°It¡¯s used to repress demons, evil beings, ghosts and indestructible ¡®evil objects¡¯ with unholy power.¡± Vivian pointed at a few lines of runes which had already been corroded by time. She then read, ¡°This door obstructs the root of all evil. It stops evil forces from penetrating. The moment the door drops, all guards will move out.¡±

 Chapter 55

    ¡°The moment the door drops, all guards will move out,¡± Vivian read as pointed at the last line of the runes. ¡°This sentence is also written in runes. That¡¯s weird.¡±


    It was the first time Hao Ren was involved in such an ancient and puzzling scenario. He was stunned, feeling like he was in a Hollywood blockbuster. ¡°Is it anything unusual? Perhaps the person who wrote this had obsessive-compulsive disorder. He felt uncomfortable forcing himself to insert a line in English under the runes. Besides, you wouldn¡¯t understand the English sentence even if it was written there,¡± said Hao Ren.


    Vivian rolled her eyes and said, ¡°Do you think the utility bill notice stuck on people¡¯s doors would be written in ancient Latin? Who the heck would be able to read them? The Letta Runes are complicated and ever-changing. The runes can even have a certain impact on the learner¡¯s mind in the process of learning. Average people are unable to handle it. Only demon hunters and ascetic monks with rock-hard minds are able to endure the impact. It is said that the Letta Runes are texts written for the spirits of heaven and earth as well as deities of a different dimension. Therefore, under normal circumstances, it won¡¯t be used for humans let alone used to write a common message.¡±


    ¡°Could it be the guards weren¡¯t common people?¡± Lily chipped in suddenly.


    Vivian looked at the werewolf girl in surprise and praised her. ¡°You¡¯re quite smart, big dog!¡±


    What Lily said sent a chill down his spine and he quickly looked around nervously. He swallowed hard and asked, ¡°They used demon hunters as guards? Is it possible that this place was actually the demon hunters¡¯ headquarters back then?¡±


    ¡°Demon hunters don¡¯t have headquarters. They spread out freely across the world. Information on internal contact between branches of demon hunters is still a myth. However, the Lord of Yorkford must have gathered a large number of demon hunters here,¡± said Vivian as she floated lightly in the air, examining the runes and drawings on the stone wall more closely. ¡°Look at these lines. They were carved in an extremely precise and complicated way which allowed three groups of runes to take effect at the same time. This was done through the writing order and arrangement of runes. It¡¯s a brilliant technique. The Lord of Yorkford was definitely not an ordinary nobleman. He was most probably a demon hunter who had already blended with the human species. I¡¯ve seen things like this.¡±


    Although Lily was also an ¡®alien¡¯, she was as confused as Hao Ren. Her mind was full of question marks at this point. She stepped forward and scratched the hard, stone wall. ¡± Hey old lady, can you stop showing off old stuff? Just tell us directly what the heck it¡¯s for,¡± said Lily impatiently.


    Vivian raised her voice instantaneously as she closed in to attack. It became chilly and the atmosphere was filled with a metallic smell of blood. ¡°Who¡¯s an old lady?!¡±


    Hao Ren hurriedly dragged aside the wolf girl, who never thought things through before speaking. Then, he said, ¡°Just ignore her. You¡¯re the forever-17, beautiful girl from the Blood Clan, okay? Let¡¯s focus on our business.¡±


    ¡°You keep protecting her.¡± Vivian exclaimed scornfully and gently landed beside Hao Ren. ¡°The sentence patterns found in the runes are solely for the purpose of repression. It¡¯s nothing aggressive, just a simple defense layer. And the third line of runes state that this is a crypt, which is repressing the ¡®root of all evil¡¯. It has been sealed forever. The stone wall can¡¯t be opened without the power of the blood of Yorkford. Otherwise, one will be cursed by the demon in the crypt and¡ª¡±


    Before Vivian could finish speaking, a deep rumbling suddenly came out of nowhere and echoed through the crypt. Soon after, the ground started shaking violently; it got stronger and stronger. The walls around them created a horrible grinding noise. Dust and crushed stones kept falling from the top. The quake was only getting worse. Hao Ren lost his balance and immediately thought it was an earthquake! They were going to die in the ramshackle crypt.


    The unknown, rumbling noise was becoming louder. It quickly reached an unbearable degree in a matter of a few seconds. It was like thunder. The moment Hao Ren closed his eyes and prepared to have his life flash by, it stopped abruptly.


    The ¡®earthquake¡¯ had stopped and so did the weird sound. Only dust and gravel which occasionally fell from the top indicated that it was all not an illusion. Vivian floated up into the air the moment the quake started. She remained poised and unhurt. Lily protected herself in her own canine way immediately after the quake started. She laid down on the ground and protected her head with her hands. She was trembling fiercely from her head to her tail. When the quake stopped, Lily stood up sheepishly and giggled. ¡°Was that an earthquake just now?¡±


    Hao Ren was still in shock. With an odd expression on her face, Vivian said, ¡°No¡­ it wasn¡¯t an earthquake! It was the thing under the castle!¡±


    ¡°And Angus said this route was clear before!¡± Hao Ren was not a fool and reacted at once. ¡°The stone wall just appeared!¡±


    ¡°Most probably the seal in the crypt became loose and triggered the stone wall to fall!¡± Vivian took Hao Ren¡¯s hand and ran towards the exit and said, ¡°Run! This¡­ huh?¡±


    The passageway behind them was no longer there. It was blocked off by another massive stone wall, which looked even more solid than the stone wall with runes!


    ¡°When did this happen?¡± Hao Ren was astounded. He ran to the stone wall and knocked it to make sure it was not an illusion. He then said, ¡°How were we not aware of this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a demon hunter¡¯s trick. They¡¯re the best at setting this kind of freaking trap!¡± Vivian¡¯s eyes were covered in red light and her tone was full of anger. She swung her hands forward and two red shock waves in the shape of crosses hit the massive, dark stone wall hard. However, the red shock waves which could have crushed any metal and stone just left a scratch on the dark, stone wall. It was totally not powerful enough to destroy the entire stone wall. ¡°Bastard! Even this wall¡¯s protected by a spell¡­ We¡¯re trapped!¡±


    This time, Lily took the initiative to step forward and tried to break the stone wall. However, after trying everything she could, the stone wall still stood there firmly. The werewolf girl immediately dropped to the ground and sobbed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to die yet¡­ I¡¯ve never even been in love yet¡­ I¡¯m still a cub¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was already drenched in cold sweat. However, looking at Lily¡¯s reaction, he could not care about himself. He could not bear to watch the wolf girl cry. Hao Ren helped her up and encouraged her. At the same time, he looked around and said, ¡°Calm down, don¡¯t panic. Let¡¯s find another exit.¡±


    At this point, there came another strange noise. The eerie noise, which sounded like armor colliding came from behind both sides of the walls. There seemed to be some space around the tunnel. Vivian tried to break the walls on both sides of the tunnel. However, she quickly drew her hands back and asked, ¡°Both of those walls aren¡¯t protected by spells. Do you dare to get out from there?¡±


    The noise of the colliding armor was getting closer. Hao Ren could clearly hear the sound of hard objects scraping the rock wall closest to him. ¡®Something¡¯ had sensed the three intruders in the tunnel and was trying to get in there!


    They were blocked at the back by the indestructible rock and both walls to their side signaled a gruesome checkmate, just from listening to the noise. Hao Ren finally turned his attention to the stone wall with runes and asked, ¡°Can we open it?¡±


    Vivian rushed to that stone wall. She knocked it, then stuck her ear on it and listened. ¡°This one isn¡¯t very thick and seems to have nothing behind it. But are you sure you want to break open this wall? It may be the last layer of seal in the crypt.¡±


    Upon hearing what Vivian just said, Hao Ren hesitated. He really did not want to die. However, he had yet to lose his head during this critical moment. Also, most stories taught him that it was silly to destroy the seal in an ancient site used to repress the devil. How many movie sequels and dramas start shooting the moment an idiotic person destroys the seal¡­


    ¡°I suggest that you break that wall.¡± The voice of the MDT suddenly appeared in his head as he hesitated. ¡°According to radar scanning, there is another exit behind this wall. The entire crypt isn¡¯t completely closed. Don¡¯t worry about how breaking the seal will lead to a catastrophe. The castle has never been rebuilt for several hundreds of years. Other sealed doors are long gone. This is the only passageway successfully closed off. You are so unlucky, I¡¯m deeply sorry¡ª¡±

 Chapter 56

    Hao Ren took the MDT out from his pocket, wanting to smash it on the ground. Its complicated interface aside, the gadget had been a pain in the ass. He had never seen anything as out of control as this.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Vivian was bewildered. ¡°Taking your frustration out on it is useless.¡±


    ¡°Open the stone wall,¡± he said as he shoved the MDT back into his pocket. ¡°The seal of the crypt is broken. Those things in there will escape to the outside world through some other opening. We must be jinxed to be trapped in here at this dead end!¡±


    Vivian glimpsed at Hao Ren. She did not bother to figure out how the hell he knew all this. She turned to tackle the rune wall. However almost immediately, she said despairingly, ¡°Just as expected, it won¡¯t open.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that thing¡¯s thin?¡±


    ¡°Yes, no doubt the wall itself is very thin but, the Letta runes are sort of like an armor, reinforcing it like a city wall. Plus, the Letta runes are suppressing my powers. Lily, don¡¯t think of using your brute strength to open it. It simply won¡¯t work.¡±


    The werewolf maiden was trying to dig a hole under the rune wall using her bare hands. ¡°I¡¯m trying to dig a passage underneath it!¡±


    Vivian rolled her eyes at her. ¡°Good try. However, considering the kind of power the runes possess, you got to dig at least half a kilometer straight down before you can even think of circumventing it.¡±


    Lily stopped dead in her tracks. Her tail and ears drooped. With a dejected look in her eyes, she turned to Hao Ren. ¡°Landlord, what are we going to do now?¡±


    ¡°Why am I having such bad luck?¡± He was left twisting in the wind. As a mortal, there was not much he could do. The fact that he could still remain calm was already something really incredible in itself. In desperation, he hit the rune wall with his fist.


    Almost immediately, the sound of something dislodging came from above the wall.


    Hao Ren stood closest to the wall and looked up. The Letta runes were glowing red as if the light was being squeezed out from them and they slowly came off the wall.


    ¡°Vivian, what did you do?¡± Hao Ren looked at the vampire maiden in shock but Vivian was as bewildered as him. ¡°Nope¡­ I think you did. The symbols just came off right after you hit the wall.¡±


    Hao Ren paused for a second before a thought struck him. ¡°According to the runes, only the descendants of Yorkford could open the crypt. Could I be a lost heir of the aristocrat? If that¡¯s true, that means the castle and the 200 acres of land surrounding the castle are mine?¡±


    Vivian¡¯s face changed from shocked to deadpanned. ¡°Looks like someone¡¯s more optimistic than the big dog here¡­ Let¡¯s cut the crap and get out of here! Go, big dog!¡±


    Before Vivian could finish her last sentence, Lily had already rushed forward and struck the wall with her fist. A great, loud boom ensued and the wall was left with a large opening. The disappearance of the runes made the wall as good as any normal rock and it was definitely much easier to handle than the charmed black rock behind them.


    Behind the stone wall¡­ or rather the stone door, was a huge underground chamber, which appeared right before their eyes.


    The chamber was far bigger than the intersection area of tunnels beneath the chapel. It was of a perfect square. At the northern side of the hall was a passageway, leading to somewhere. The trio covered their noses and raced across the dust-filled chamber towards the passageway. The moment they exited the passageway, it suddenly crumbled to the ground with a loud bang.


    ¡°Holy moly¡­ we just cheated death.¡± Hao Ren looked back and saw that the spot where they just stood seconds ago had vanished into a pile of rocks. He broke out in cold sweat and his heart pounded uncontrollably.


    ¡°That was probably the security mechanism of the crypt and the Letta runes were the key. If they were hacked, the passage would collapse on its own to block off the entrance.¡± Vivian did perceive a surge of magic power right before the passage came down. The security of the crypt made her anxious. ¡°A rune-sealed door, charmed rock and self-collapsing passageway; what kind of thing down here needs such tight protection?¡±


    The sound of stones grinding suddenly erupted. Hao Ren¡¯s eyes quickly glanced around the chamber. What he saw made him tremble in fear. ¡°I know what¡¯s buried down here¡­ it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s the wraiths.¡±


    The trio did not pay much attention to the chamber itself as they entered in a hurry. Only then did they notice the chamber was not actually empty¡ªthe chamber floor was paved with countless stone slabs. Each slab was raised no more than one inch above the ground. They were arranged in such a way that they looked like floor tiles at first glance. As the slabs on the ground opened, hands in full armor emerged!


    The chamber was a graveyard. Beneath the floor were tombs covered by the stone slabs.


    As the stone slabs were removed, countless wraith knights in full metal body armor crawled out from beneath. They looked like dummy knights exhibited at the museum which just came to live. The jingling and rattling sounds of the heavy plated armor could clearly be heard. Astonishingly, even after hundreds of years, the metal body armors still looked shining and new as though they just rolled out from the armor factory. With his ability of enhanced vision, Hao Ren could clearly see the texture and tribal emblem on the metal plates.


    The wraith knights had weapons in their hands. Some wielded long swords and war hammers while some carried short swords, and shields. The tombs were carefully arranged in a way that when the wraith knights rose up, they would immediately fall into formation.


    The wraith knights outside the tunnels were supposedly of the same type¡ªexcept they were buried and trapped under tons of rubble.


    Hao Ren had never seen anything like it. His mind went blank but he managed to keep cool thanks to years of reinforcement from absentmindedness and carelessness. He tapped Lily¡¯s shoulder as he spotted an exit at the other end of the hall. ¡°Head to the exit!¡±


    The wraith knights were not fully awake. They did not notice the trio as they rose from their tombs. Taking advantage of this window period, Lily kicked a wraith knight out of her way before hustling towards the exit.


    Unfortunately, Lily had kicked over a beehive. The hobbling knights suddenly became alert. Countless blood-red eyes came to life under the head armor, illuminating the crypt in a terrifying shade of red.


    ¡°Get out of my way!¡± Lily was getting nervous. She grabbed the wraith knight that was charging towards her and swung it like a war hammer. The 180cm tall wraith knight was totally helpless against her brute strength and random combat tactics. It was flung around like a war hammer and a large group of wraith knights were smashed. They flew everywhere in chaos.


    ¡°The big dog truly has something up her sleeve.¡± Vivian looked on with satisfaction as a whirlwind of extreme cold fog formed around her. The cold mist was blood-red, expanding outwards in all directions. Nearby wraith knights were instantly frozen in a thick layer of frost. ¡°Big dog, pull back! The crypt¡¯s their territory. Let¡¯s go to the surface!¡±


    The murky underground of the palace was the home turf of the wraith knights. Such confined space had crippled Vivian¡¯s and Lily¡¯s ability to fight at their best. Vivian was a high-flying vampire whereas Lily was a terrifying werewolf with brute strength. Thus, an open space under the moon would make them feel more at home.


    Lily brandished her improvised ¡®war hammer¡¯ to fight her way out like a ravaging tornado while Vivian emanated a freezing chill and shock wave the likes of a Bloody Mary, to ward off the heavily-armored wraith knights. Being a mortal was not going to be the right excuse at that time; Hao Ren had to to fight with all his might in order to stay alive¡ªhe was not sure whether it was just an illusion or real or simply adrenaline rush¡ªhis strength had become so unusually powerful that he could send a beefy wraith knight flying five meters away!


    And so, they made it. They were finally outside the crypt.


    However, there were more plated armor sounds ahead.

 Chapter 57

    The sound made by the plated armors resonated through the tunnels of the crypt. There was no way Hao Ren could figure out the enemy¡¯s position and number. The trio retreated as they fought. They had been trapped in the crypt tunnels for dozens of minutes and still could not find the exit to the surface. Hao Ren relied on the MDT to navigate though the complex tunnel system. Without the device, he would have been as good as blind.


    Humans are strange creatures; so weak yet, so strong at the same time. People often display extraordinary strength in the face of challenges and Hao Ren was one of them. However, he felt that his strength was a little ludicrous. He was already gasping for air after some intense fighting. Nevertheless, he showed bravery and strength despite the onslaught of a legion of fearsome wraiths. While the wraiths were armed, they were clumsy and had seemingly forgotten how to use their weapons. They were clearly not fully awake. Making use of his agility, Hao Ren managed to knock down some wraiths that came his way. He only experienced minor pain in his leg and stomach.


    He was in high spirits and felt strong but he paled in comparison to the two maidens. His power was just child¡¯s play. Lily swung her ¡®war hammer¡¯ with sheer strength to clear the way ahead. The wraith had a bad day as it was grabbed and swung like a hammer from one tomb to another. The armored wraith ended up like a pile of scrap and it had stopped making any sound for a long time. Life had seemingly left the wraith¡¯s body..


    ¡°How far to go?¡± Vivian was the most elegant of them and without much stress, the first-class vampire unleashed her specialty¡ªblood magic¡ªon the wraiths. She flew close to the ceiling and used her cold shock wave and Bloody-Mary blade to kill wraiths from meters away. (Farther away, the power would not have been easy to control as there was a risk of the tunnel caving in). Bodies of armor were strewn along the path. Some were slain into pieces while some were simply frozen and turned into ashes. The walls of the crypt were left with countless battle marks. But Vivian was worried just like Hao Ren. She could not reach her full potential in the confined space. ¡°Does your radar work? I can only fly a meter high. This place cramps my style¡­ Ouch, I hit my head again!¡±


    So far, her injuries were only of her own making because she flew too high and hit the ceiling.


    ¡°We¡¯re only halfway through!¡± Hao Ren was exasperated. ¡°We overshot the exit earlier. Now, we¡¯ve got to go through another crypt. Lily, I¡¯m talking to you! Watch where you¡¯re heading!¡±


    All Hao Ren heard was only a muffled roar from Lily. After battling for so long, Lily had probably gone bonkers, he thought.


    ¡°Has she gone crazy?¡± Seeing Lily behave strangely, Hao Ren was worried. ¡°Looks like werewolf¡¯s are prone to be crazy.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She¡¯s okay. I just saw her taking out a piece of bread from her pocket. She ate it as she ran.¡±


    They came to the end of the passage yet, another crypt was awaiting them. Hao Ren was praying that it was not another graveyard. He could not withstand anymore onslaught from wraith knights. His prayer was answered when he saw that the crypt before them was empty. There were no wraith knights, no tomb covers on the floor, nothing.


    A shield knight approached from behind. Hao Ren was too exhausted to confront it head on. He leapt forward and rolled his body into the empty crypt. He then shouted to Vivian, ¡°Seal the passage!¡±


    As the three of them escaped into the crypt, the vampire maiden immediately transformed into thousands of bats. The bats split and formed two swirls in the air. The tips of the cone-shaped swirls pointed towards the passage entrance and a blinding blue light formed in front of the swirls. Seconds later, the swirling bats charged at the passage entrance all at once. Half of the passage collapsed with a boom under the extreme impact.


    The sound of falling stones and objects resonated in the crypt as the passage caved in. Even things were falling from the ceiling in the crypt. Hao Ren had to cover his head and he screamed, ¡°Is this place collapsing?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I got it under control.¡± Vivian¡¯s voice seemed to be omnipresent.


    As the bats regrouped, they transformed back into Vivian. Then she descended from the air with a smirk. ¡°At last, the space is large enough for me to exert my power. What do you think? After a little chat with Faraday, my Lightning Strike move can now produce a twin arc¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    Although the passage behind them had been cut off, they were not out of danger yet. There were a few sword knights that managed to skip through before the passage collapsed. These sword knights, which became more agile and clever after some warming up took cover at the corners when the passage crumbled. They staggered to their feet and raised their swords to attack the intruders.


    ¡°How many people are actually buried here?¡± Hao Ren was breathing heavily. ¡°Did the last Yorkford owner bury his entire army down here? Like The Terracotta Army¡ªthe English version?¡±


    ¡°Do you know why after so long, their numbers are still so many?¡± Vivian had noticed something. She pointed at the sword knight which had been struck by Lily. ¡°That won¡¯t kill them.¡±


    The sword knight hit the wall and broke into pieces¡ªarms, limbs, breast plate, helmet and whatnot strewn all over the floor. However seconds later, the pieces came together and assembled themselves back into an armored knight.


    ¡°It seem like those things are hollow inside.¡± During the battle, Hao Ren did not observe the armored wraiths carefully enough. Nonetheless, he could finally see through the gaps of the armor. ¡°Did we just fight with a bunch of empty metal-plated armor?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s spirit-possessed armor. Nice!¡± Vivian emanated a fierce storm, freezing the ¡®empty-shelled knights¡¯ until they crumbled into a pile of ashes. ¡°Unless they are turned into ashes or beaten into pieces, they¡¯ll resurrect in no time.¡±


    By this time, Lily had snapped out of her violent werewolf state. The ¡®war hammer¡¯ she held was clearly dead. All that was left was a limb. She turned the limb upside down. ¡°See, it¡¯s really hollow inside. I should have beaten them harder.¡±


    ¡°Is this the demon hunter¡¯s magic?¡± Hao Ren drew close to Lily, poking the hollow limb. He asked, ¡°Is there a spirit inside?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s gone. Once the armor turns into ashes, the spirit will also be destroyed,¡± Vivian said in a tone of voice which was full of disdain. ¡°These things were fanatics. They were ready and willing to be sacrificed; to be placed into the armor. People called them ¡®Hero Souls¡¯. Essentially, they were a bunch of avenging spirits. Their obsessive behavior has little difference from that of avenging spirits if you noticed. Don¡¯t be surprised, there will be more to come.¡±


    Hao Ren just smiled at her. He noticed that their surroundings were unusually quiet. ¡°That¡¯s weird. Is the hostile party gone?¡±


    The crypt was so silent you could hear a pin drop. There was no more sound of grinding plated armor.

 Chapter 58

    ¡°So¡­ we¡¯re safe?¡±


    Hao Ren took a long moment to calm his breathing as he stared at the silent, stone crypt in disbelief. The tunnel behind them had been completely sealed off after the Lightning Strike explosion. Their pursuers were blocked off by the collapsed tunnel. Even if the wraith knights were physically strong, they were made of metal; metal had a finite strength. So, the wraith knights could not have possibly dug through the sealed tunnel¡ªat least for the time being.


    It was time for a break to collect his thoughts.


    ¡°Maybe¡­ not.¡± Vivian closed her eyes and felt the energy flow from the crypts. ¡°The aura of the wraiths are everywhere but I can¡¯t explain the spooky silence. The wraiths behind us are just a small group of the army¡­¡±


    ¡°Holy moly, a small group?¡± Hao Ren exclaimed in shock. ¡°What was the castle owner thinking of?¡±


    Lily had gone on the ground to check out the fragments of plated armor. Equipped with the natural instinct of a canine, she searched through the fragments as though something had attracted her interest. Then she found something¡ªa twisted piece of chest armor. ¡°Hey Battie, take a look! What¡¯s this? Are these Letta runes?¡±


    Doggie and Battie. It looked like they would not be calling each other by their actual names for a long while.


    Vivian kicked Lily¡¯s leg in protest before bending over to pick up the armor fragment. Sure enough, the silver metal plate had some squiggly patterns on it. Unfortunately, the plate was broken and the runes were not completely legible. ¡°Let¡¯s see whether there are other fragments. We might be able to find something readable.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help.¡± Hao Ren came up and joined Lily. They searched high and low for fragments. Most of the plated armor were frozen and they shattered under sub-zero temperatures. Literally none were in one piece. After some laborious searching, Hao Ren established that almost all wraith knights had runes on their armor.


    The runes were inscribed on the same piece found on all of the armor. Their size and pattern were also identical. It appeared that the armor were the result of a mass production.


    ¡°Found it!¡± Lily was the first to find a whole piece of armor. She handed the one-square-foot metal plate to Vivian, who immediately deciphered it. ¡°¡­The warden, watcher, sleepless warrior of the demonic chamber¡­ under the order to defend the power of the demon, to drive out intruders¡­ are not allowed to enter the demonic chamber¡­ a covenant imbued and effected within the runes.¡±


    Hao Ren could not make sense of it. ¡°What does it mean?¡±


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯ve got one thing wrong,¡± There was a subtle change in Vivian¡¯s expression. ¡°We initially assumed that the wraiths were the objects of the sealing mechanism and the avenging wraith knights were being confined down here. But little do we know that the knights are actually part of the crypt¡¯s defense mechanism. They¡¯re the guards here. There¡¯s something else being held down here.¡±


    Hao Ren looked thoughtfully at the metal fragment in his hand. He had guessed it from the beginning; the buried army was a thoughtful arrangement. Full-corps, well-equipped; no matter how one looked at it, these knights were not the prisoners. Instead, it made more sense to say that they were the guards of the crypt.


    ¡°Demon?¡± The word struck Hao Ren as Vivian deciphered the runes. ¡°This¡­this isn¡¯t funny! Don¡¯t tell me that the one being held down here is a demon. How on earth can demons exist at all in this world?¡±


    ¡°If the Blood Clan like me and errr¡­ werewolf like Lily exist, why not a demon?¡± Vivian threw the armor fragment on the floor before corroding it with her caustic blood flog. Then she spoke in a grave manner, ¡°Humans made tons of errors in their records of mythology. A lot of the violent, foreign creatures have been summarized and categorized as demons. I¡¯m not sure whether the ¡®demon¡¯ described in the runes is a demon or something else. It better not be the real thing or else, it¡¯s going to spell big trouble.¡±


    Vivian paused for a few seconds before continuing, ¡°Judging from the standard of the runes on the stone wall, the crypt was supposedly designed by the demon hunters. Demon hunters are experts who wouldn¡¯t make such a silly mistake in the categorization of unusual creatures. Most likely, the one being held down here is an actual demon.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s face twitched. ¡°It¡¯d be better if you didn¡¯t say that last sentence!¡±


    Vivian did not take notice of Hao Ren¡¯s denial. She carefully surveyed the floor for armor fragments with runes in the hope that she would find out exactly what kind of demon was being held down there. On the other hand, Lily was anxious. ¡°Did we just take out the knights tasked to guard the demon? Did we just commit a Himalayan blunder by letting the demon out!¡±


    The world would be better place if all werewolves were as kindhearted as the werewolf maiden. Hao Ren patted her on her back and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the MDT said the crypt¡¯s seal had long passed its expiry date. The armored knights would not have been able to hold the demon back by themselves. We¡¯re just an accidental accomplice, at most.¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily. The runes say it¡¯s a Demon Stone,¡± Vivian explained as she picked up another armor fragment. ¡°There¡¯s a place called the ¡®Demonic Chamber¡¯ as described in the runes on this cuisse. This secret chamber holds the Demon Stone, not the Demon itself. So, it isn¡¯t as bad as you think.¡±


    That sounded like a Double Dutch to Hao Ren. ¡°What Demon Stone?¡±


    ¡°The Demon is an apt manipulator of power in the dimensions of space. Demon Stone is like a position tracker in their travel between spaces. It¡¯s also a remote medium which they use to corrupt the human world, much like their double. The Demon Stone is made of very special material, not the kind of stuff that demon hunters can destroy. So, the standard treatment would be to confine it¡ªas long as a few hundred years. Basically, it¡¯s pretty secure.¡±


    ¡°I see. So, the Demon Stone will exhaust its power after a few hundred years?¡± Hao Ren said assumingly.


    ¡°Not really. Usually, the demon will replace it with another Demon Stone when they lose contact. Pretty much like what you¡¯d do when you lose your phone.¡±


    Hao Ren was quiet. The explanation sounded reasonable but he still found something amiss.


    ¡°That means the Demon Stone is still in the crypt and it¡¯s still working.¡± Lily was naive but not dumb. She gulped and said, ¡°Let¡¯s hope that the demon behind the stone has changed its ¡®number¡¯. The disturbance in the crypt seems to have excited the Demon Stone¡­¡±


    Vivian thought for a while before continuing, ¡°Most likely the demon will come back to check the stone out just like what you¡¯d do if you get a message from your lost phone. It would recognize the signal coming from the lost stone.¡±


    Hao Ren fingered his temples and said, ¡°What¡¯s most important is, are you guys able to take on the demon?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not sure.¡± Vivian looked a little awkward. ¡°Theoretically speaking, we¡¯re neck and neck but there are also less powerful demons out there. However as you know, I¡¯m a peaceful person who despises conflicts. During the war between the Greeks and the people of Troy, I joined the army only out of necessity because I was broke. Even then, I fought for both sides. Each side for five years respectively¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless once again. He did not care to pick at Vivian about her monumentally black history.


    Lily gained some quick wit and something suddenly crossed her mind. ¡°Oh yeah Battie, what do the runes mean by ¡®guards are not allowed to enter the demonic chamber¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Although the wraith knights are kind of an effective weapon, their power comes from the demon. As such, they¡¯re only useful in guarding the Demon Stone from afar or around the crypt; not too close to the secret chamber.¡±


    ¡°Have you noticed that this crypt is empty¡­ Not a single wraith knight¡¯s here?¡±


    A thick silence ensued and filled the crypt.


    The trio had felt a stream of cold air blowing from all directions. Hao Ren carefully scanned the stone crypt and woefully asked, ¡°Vivian, how does the Demon Stone look like?¡±


    The vampire maiden started to recall. ¡°Basically it¡¯s a long and thin crystallite, half a meter to a meter in length, irregular-shaped and black like smoked glass. The tips are slightly red in color¡­¡±


    Hao Ren almost cried out in fear. ¡°¡­What¡¯s that thing dangling on the ceiling?¡±

 Chapter 59

    Four gigantic chains hung forebodingly from the rock ceiling of the big chamber. Where the obsidian, black chains met, a claw-shaped metal structure that formed a twisted iron cage was mounted. Within it, a black crystal was held.


    What they saw was just as Vivian had described; a meter odd in length with jagged edges protruding out from the main body. The crystal itself had the hue of blackened glass, almost obsidian-like with a tinge of blood red visible along the edges.


    All three of them did not pay attention to the structure hanging on the ceiling when they first stepped into the room. Lily at first thought it was just a weird ornamental decoration, not being the sharpest tool in the shed. However both Hao Ren and Lily began to realize the gravity of the situation. It was the Demon Stone.


    Hao Ren felt a faint vibration from the MDT and a deadpan voice echoed in his head. ¡°I¡¯m feelin¡¯ really sa¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hush it, shut up.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­¡± Lily fell down, seated on her butt. ¡°I¡¯m still a wolf cub¡­ I haven¡¯t even met my mate yet¡­¡±


    ¡°Quiet!¡± Hao Ren hushed Lily as he smacked her head. ¡°It¡¯s a rock. We are not sure if it will¡ª¡±


    Vivian immediately interrupted him with a deadpan tone, ¡°What do you think triggered the defensive mechanisms in the crypt or had those metal tin cans waking up?¡±


    Hao Ren gulped. It was pretty obvious. Something resonated with the demonic rock.


    ¡°Say¡­ would this be considered a critical situation beyond the ability of a mere human?¡± Hao Ren sheepishly activated the MDT and looked for the combat support function. ¡°Is it okay if I call for reinforcements now?¡±


    ¡°Nope¡­ not even close. You haven¡¯t even seen the foe yet and you¡¯re already calling for reinforcements? Do you have any sense of shame?¡± The MDT spat back viciously.


    Hao Ren really lost it and screamed. ¡°What the actual f*ck?! Do I really need to get myself almost killed before I can call for reinforcements?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how we, at the Space Administration roll, buddy.¡±


    Hao Ren almost burst a vein and got himself an aneurysm. A sudden violent shake within the crypt pulled him back from the brink. He realized that he was in a deeper pool of crap and fainting was not an option.


    Dust and debris from the ceiling rained over the entire chamber. While the quaking was still ongoing, a spine chilling crack thundered from amongst the rocks. The hanging chains rattled violently and the claws, which held the Demon Stone shook too. From the outset, it looked like the claws would withstand the quake but after a few stir ups, the claws started to loosen their grip bit by bit¡­


    Hao Ren wanted to leg it instinctively the moment the floor shook, hoping to find something to hide behind. But, as he caught sight of what was happening to the suspended cage, he forgot about it. The trio could only lock their sights on the hanging Demon Stone, as if enchanted by the magical crystal. With every shake, their hearts skipped a beat. Even Vivian did not have the guts to grab the thing out of the air. They could only stare at the iron claw¡¯s loosening grip. Soon, one of the chains finally gave way.


    The heavy metal chain swooshed through the air and headed towards the wall at the far end of the chamber. Nary a moment later, a deafening crash rumbled throughout the room.


    As the grip of the metal claws finally gave way and the chains broke apart one-by-one, the black crystal fell, crashing on to the ground in a crimson gleam. It flashed as it came into contact with the surface.


    Hao Ren had plenty to say at that point of time. What the f*ck was with the Gothic aesthetic of that design. Could the bloody fools not have made a proper, solid cage to hold the Demon Stone in place? And which f*cker was it who insisted on the claw design?!


    ¡°Run!!!¡± Lily screamed as she ran towards the nearest tunnel passage. The fur on her ears and tail rose in a hackle, the moment the Demon Stone crashed on the floor. As she lifted her feet, a crimson nova blasted out from the Demon Stone. Hao Ren saw a series of runic wards appearing on the walls of the chamber. Not long after, they faded in quick succession and a shattering blast no different than that of a broken window echoed throughout the chamber.


    My god! The runic wards did not even last a second!


    As the wards faded away, Hao Ren heard something very familiar¡­ Klank! Klank!


    Aside from that one tunnel that had collapsed, there were three other tunnel ways leading into the chamber and the clanking of armor was clearly audible from all sides. Lily managed to get a few meters in front and she quickly turned tail as she saw a sea of red glow floating in the dark. With it, an even more terrifying number of armored wraiths marched in rows into the chamber!


    Since the wards failed, the wraiths could now enter the chamber.


    The armored wraiths that appeared this time were different; grey mists swirled about their armor and a blood red glow shone from the eye slits of the helmets. The unholy energy from the Demon Stone had clearly taken hold of the crypt guards. As Vivian said, while the armored wraiths were protectors of sacred grounds, they were still spirits driven by unfulfilled desires. Their creation made use of techniques that were taken from a demonicon. They were useful when the crypt was sealed but, under the sway of the demonic rock, they turned into living nightmares.


    ¡°Bloody demon hunters!¡± Vivian let out a frustrated roar. Out of nowhere, another loud blast rocked the chamber from above.


    Dust and debris rained across the chamber again as a giant slab of the ceiling collapsed right on top of Lily. She did not even have time to look up and leap as far as she instinctively could to avoid being turned into fine paste. While she escaped mostly unscathed, her tail was caught underneath the rocks. Hao Ren could only hear the pitiful whine of a dog having its tail stamped on.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on up there?!¡± Hao Ren felt that the subsequent quakes were unnatural, more akin to explosions. ¡°Why am I hearing explosio¡ª¡±


    As he spoke, the center of the roof came crashing down. Moonlight shone through the gap as the dust settled. Someone had blown a hole right through the crypt.


    The armored wraiths simply stopped moving as the roof collapsed, perhaps confused by the sudden ray of moonlight. Hao Ren and the rest could only look towards the gaping hole in the ceiling. What was the deal with that? And the roof was directly underground?


    ¡°Can we go up through there?¡± Lily asked as she leapt to Hao Ren¡¯s side; her tail wagging as she stared at the hole, her golden eyes filled to the brim with curiosity.


    ¡°Hold on, something¡¯s not right¡­¡± Vivian signaled them to stop moving as she blew the dust off her face. Hao Ren saw a rope being lowered into the chamber through the hole.


    Hao Ren cursed in his heart as he saw the figure coming down the hole.


    It was that bloody demon hunter, Nangong.

 Chapter 60

    Someone somehow had blown a hole through the chamber¡¯s ceiling, which led straight to the surface. Hao Ren and the girls were still confused and dazed by the explosion that rocked the chamber earlier. They then caught sight of a rope being lowered into the chamber and someone very familiar appearing before them.


    A tall, lanky, well dressed and well groomed man. Who else could it be but Nangong? He was still lugging that black luggage of his and a well-crafted crossbow dangled from his belt as he slid down the rope using his free hand.


    Hao Ren immediately realized that the source of explosions earlier was this¡­ self-professed demon hunter! He almost had a sudden urge to brick Nangong in the face if not for the timing of things.


    Vivian and Lily reverted to their humanoid form as Nangong made his appearance. Despite being surrounded by armored wraiths, Hao Ren was confident that even in their human form they could hold their ground without much of a problem. The problem now was Nangong, as none of them could discern his intentions. It was very evident that he stayed behind after the crowd left.


    By then, Nangong had reached the ground. He leapt lithely around the rubble for a flat spot and finally had the time to look around. The first thing that caught his eye was the three familiar faces with their gawking mouths staring at him. He recoiled in surprise at the scene. ¡°Eh? You three? What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Lily retorted at the same time.


    ¡°My job.¡± Nangong looked puzzled. ¡°I was trapped in the tunnels above and wanted to blast my way back to the surface. Never thought that I¡¯d blow the floor apart as well. I saw that there were flat surfaces through the hole and came down to have a look¡­¡±


    Bugger. How much explosives did he actually use for this? Was this demon hunter wannabe in a hurry to kill himself in the most explosive way possible?


    ¡°Wait, now¡¯s not the time!¡± Hao Ren exclaimed as the armored wraiths regained their senses and began to converge towards the chamber in droves. It seemed like the runic inscriptions on the armor was still holding out against the demonic influence. Their movement was sluggish and indecisive but, the red glow in their eyes became even brighter. It appeared like the demonic influence was overwhelming the wraiths, almost to the point of losing control.


    Nangong finally realized the gravity of the situation he was in as he saw a flood of armored wraiths with their glowing red ¡®eyes¡¯ heading towards him. ¡°Wraith knights?! And what¡¯s with their size?!¡±


    Hao Ren was still thinking about how he was going explain three normal people wandering around in a crypt to Nangong. However, Nangong had already gone on the offensive. He deftly pulled the crossbow from his belt and threw his luggage down to open it. Nangong quickly grabbed a vial from the box and threw it as hard as he could at the armored wraith that was closest to him. At the same time, he aimed the crossbow towards another direction and pulled the trigger. A silver bolt whistled onwards with murderous intent.


    As the vial broke against the armor, it released a cloud of silvery dust, seemingly infused with magic. It did not dissipate as it was released into the air. Rather, it quickly covered the armor and dug its way through the gaps in the armor. The silver bolt fired from Nangong¡¯s crossbow landed on the faceguard of the wraith. The bolt shattered upon impact and released a silver light lancing straight into the helmet.


    ¡°Quickly, hide behind the rocks!¡± Nangong yelled as he reloaded his crossbow, aiming at his next target. ¡°I¡¯ll hold them back! These things are slow. Find a chance to run and don¡¯t worry about me!¡±


    Hao Ren had wanted to brick Nangong so hard when the demon hunter appeared but he was having second thoughts. While he was far from competent as a demon hunter, he seemed to be a decent guy at the very least. He acted nothing like the callous bastards Vivian described them to be.


    Nangong fired his crossbow repeatedly at the wraiths as he slowly stepped backwards, approaching one of the boulders lying on the ground. Thanks to him blowing a hole through the roof of the chamber, the fallen boulders became a somewhat effective makeshift defense work. Hao Ren and the rest hid behind the rocks as ordered by Nangong.


    With the chamber no longer a death trap, the sluggish wraiths would have not stood a chance against a flying vampire or a wall-climbing werewolf. That said, the girls had no intention of revealing their true forms in front of Nangong. They were still wary that Nangong could be the real deal as his gadgets seemed to be authentic at the very least.


    Hao Ren decided to wait and observe. If things changed for the worst, he would let Vivian and Lily loose. Exposing their identities sounded like a way better an option than being killed after all. If Nangong could take care of the matter, it would be a bigger plus.


    Nangong was panting after several sequences of shooting and reloading his crossbow. He quickly pulled out a piece of paper with words scribbled on it in red ink. Hao Ren took a glance and realized that the scribbles were Letta runes.


    Although Letta runes could be used by common people, it was still a demanding task. One would need enormous spiritual strength to ward off the effects of using the runes. Who is this Nangong actually?


    ¡°Keep your heads down! They will attack anything that moves.¡± Nangong took a glance at Hao Ren¡¯s position and said, ¡°Leave them to me. Fret not, I¡¯m a bona fide exorcist. Evil, begone!¡±


    As Nangong yelled the incantation, the charm lit up on its own. Nangong however seemed to be holding the charm the other way around. He was holding on to the part that lit up.


    ¡°Ouch! Hot, hot, hot!¡± Nangong jumped as his fingers were scorched by the flames. The charm fell limply on the ground and the flames died. He quickly picked it up and blew the dust off. He then shouted, ¡°Evil, begone! Evil, begone! Evil¡­ oh the fire charm has already burnt out¡­¡±


    Hao Ren had wanted to see the demon hunter go all out against the wraiths but to his disappointment, he only saw Nangong rummaging through his pockets for a lighter. He lit the charm up again and threw the charm towards the wraiths. ¡°This will work!¡±


    A blinding, red light followed the explosion and then¡­ nothing.


    Vivian simply could not take it anymore and went, ¡°Uh¡­ Mr. Demon Hunter, are you forgetting something else?¡±


    Nangong looked up and saw the armored wraiths that fell earlier had come back into being. It seemed that the silver powder and bolts only stunned the tin cans for a moment.


    Hao Ren wiped off the cold sweat on his forehead. The demon hunter came in guns (crossbow) blazing, displaying his magical and martial prowess but in the end, it was his explosive entrance that seemed to have some significance.


    ¡°How could this be?¡± Nangong said as he leapt backwards. ¡°This shouldn¡¯t have happened. This stuff should have been effective¡­ No worries, I still have my trump card!¡±


    Nangong quickly pulled out an assortment of gadgets and with trained hands, quickly assembled them into an arbalest. The tip of the arbalest gleamed a beautiful silver under the moonlight. Hao Ren finally stopped twitching his eyes as Nangong seemed to have gotten his sh*t together.


    ¡°Hmph! This is not child¡¯s play!¡± Nangong said as he took aim. ¡°Feel the wrath of a demon hunter¡¯s silver explo¡­ f*ck me, I forgot my bolts!¡±


    Vivian could only facepalm at that sight. ¡°Doggie, get ready. That man is a hopeless.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Hao Ren restrained the two as they were about to morph. He glanced at Nangong, who was fiddling with his gadgets. He felt that the man was nothing but trouble. Even as a half-boiled demon hunter, he was still trouble.


    Hao Ren wanted to get rid of the trouble. At the very least, to ease his worries of a real demon hunter coming up behind them.


    He quickly looked around for something solid but, the rocks on the ground were either too fine or too big. As his hand swept pass his pocket, he felt something solid and smiled menacingly.


    Hao Ren quietly made his way towards Nangong with the solid object in hand. He swung it as hard as he could to the back of Nangong¡¯s head.


    At the same time, a screech echoed in his head. ¡°You definitely haven¡¯t read the user manual! There is definitely something wrong with your way of doing things!¡±

 Chapter 61

    As well-equipped as he was, Nangong was only human. It was obvious from the fighting that he was no miracle worker. He reacted like any normal human would. This gave Hao Ren much relief and emboldened him enough to brick Nangong on the back of his head¡­


    ¡­With his MDT.


    ¡°This thingamajig finally has some use!¡± Hao Ren yelped as he looked at Nangong lying stiffly on the ground. He turned the hexagonal device around as he took a good look at it, recalling the various unhappy experiences with the device. At last, he found a use for the device and it could not stop him. The MDT thought otherwise and it threw a tantrum inside his head for a good five minutes. Hao Ren felt he should have asked about a mute function before smacking Nangong on the head.


    ¡°Well, trouble¡¯s taken care of. Go wild!¡± Hao Ren commanded the two with swagger. Vivian and Lily immediately morphed into their true forms and charged towards the armored wraiths with murderous intent. It did not take long for them to clear off the front ranks of incoming wraiths. Just as things were going according to plan, Hao Ren saw something that ticked him off. Another rope was lowered into the room!


    The gaunt-looking Indian monk had also stayed behind. He was coming down the same way Nangong did.


    Hao Ren glimpsed the two supernatural beings rampaging across the ranks of the wraiths and he looked at Nangong. He was determined to do something useful as the only man in the group. While the monk was still adjusting his sight to the light levels in the chamber, Hao Ren snuck up behind him and pulled the MDT out from his pocket. Just as he did so, the MDT screamed in his head. ¡°Cease at once! Usage err¡ª¡±


    A loud crack echoed as the MDT hit against the back of the monk¡¯s head.


    It appeared that the monk was equally human as Nangong and fell as he got bricked. The unlucky sod did not even manage to touch the ground before Hao Ren took him out.


    He quickly dragged the unconscious monk aside. He threw an apologetic glance at the old man in funny robes. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry! The situation demanded it. It would be even more dangerous if you were awake¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s rich.¡± Vivian sneered as she spread her bat wings.


    ¡°He¡¯s still an elder. Shouldn¡¯t I be apologizing after bricking him in the head?¡±


    Vivian shrugged and bitterly responded, ¡°¡­ Never saw you pay much reverence to me though¡­¡±


    Hao Ren could not muster a response.


    With no further outside interference, Vivian and Lily could use the wide, illuminated area to their advantage. One mangled everything in sight with brutal strength while another whipped up a destructive, cyclonic spell. It was not log before hundreds of the walking tin cans were scattered all over the place. As effective as their attacks against the wraiths were, the opponents were immortal spirits. They would come back to life at a frightening pace if not reduced to dust. It did not take long for the scattered armor parts to reform. The sight and clanking sounds would send chills down anyone¡¯s spine. Hao Ren thankfully, was used to it and surmised that a drawn out battle against seemingly immortal enemies was a battle they would lose.


    Even Vivian¡¯s cyclones waned after some time. The cold air from her spell had already lowered the temperature in the room significantly. Hao Ren was indeed worried that he would freeze to death way before the armored were encased in ice. Either that or Nangong or the old monk would turn into ice-cubes first.


    They needed to bring the field of battle somewhere with even more space. If not, they could just leg it.


    ¡°We need to figure this out fast¡­¡± Hao Ren took a look at the hole on the ceiling. ¡°You know what¡­ let¡¯s get up there and rethink our plans. We don¡¯t know how many of those tin cans are there. Fighting them all is just a waste of strength.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Lily ran towards Hao Ren the moment she heard him, dragging one of the armored wraiths along with her. She had enough of the dark and dreary atmosphere. After swatting scores of wraiths with the one in her hand, she got herself ready to breakout of the place. At the same time, Hao Ren dragged the unconscious Nangong and monk together. ¡°We still need to get them out as well.¡±


    ¡°Two of them, plus you¡­ This won¡¯t be easy¡­¡± Vivian frowned. She saw the ropes that they used to descend into the chamber and deftly slashed a long strand off. She passed the ropes to Hao Ren. ¡°Tie the two together. I¡¯ll drag them up. You and Doggie hold on for a bit¡­ Eh Doggie, can you come up by yourself?


    Lily looked up and nodded confidently. ¡°Just need a good leap!¡±


    Hao Ren stared in awe at the athleticism Lily professed to have. After that, he quickly went about tying Nangong and the old monk together. Vivian lifted them out of the chamber not long after.


    Vivian flew back into the room seconds later. ¡°Well, that¡¯s that. I left them on the campsite. You really didn¡¯t hold back did you. They won¡¯t be waking up any time soon.¡±


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s make our exit as well¡­¡± Hao Ren nodded. He was suddenly reminded of the Demon Stone, which laid not too far from them. ¡°How do we deal with¡­ this?¡±


    The cause of all the trouble was still lying in the middle of the chamber, buried in rubble. Surprisingly enough, there was nary a scratch on its surface. Hao Ren was pretty sure that the stone had already ¡®awakened¡¯ as a red glow had been emanating from it ever since it fell from the cage. And because of it, the wards protecting the chamber failed and the wraiths went berserk.


    That said, after the initial disturbance, the Demon Stone laid there in silence. No demons popped out from the void and it was forgotten as the combat went on.


    However at that moment, they could not just leave it as it is. The stone glowed red again, signaling that it would not deign to stay there indefinitely. Plus, seeing how it affected the spirits within the chamber, leaving it behind was not an option.


    Hao Ren thought to at least move it somewhere away from the spirits, given that the wards had already failed. Leaving it in the demonic chamber would have made no sense.


    Vivian had no idea what to make of the Demonic Stone but, she also knew that leaving it behind was a bad idea. She then turned towards Lily. ¡°Doggie, grab that rock and bring it up. I¡¯ll carry Mr. Landlord back to the surface.¡±


    Lily recoiled. ¡°Why me¡­? Oh, you bloody twat!¡±


    Before Lily could finish her sentence, Vivian had already grabbed Hao Ren by the nape and flew out of the chamber.


    ¡°God, fresh air does feel good¡­¡± Hao Ren took a deep breath as he reached the surface and fell on his behind. He had done his part of the job but, he was merely human and his physical enhancement was the most basic of sorts. He still felt pain and soreness after all of that. He did not have enough strength left to even stand up¡­ ¡°Let me catch a break¡­ God, that was a hell of a mess¡­¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Doggie?¡± Vivian asked after a moment as Lily was no where to be seen. ¡°Did she run into trouble?¡±


    Just as she finished her sentence, Vivian and Hao Ren heard Lily grunting as she jumped out of the hole vertically like a silver cannonball. With her, was the Demon Stone. She managed to leap a good few meters into the air and gleefully said, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you just a good leap will do!¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian looked on as she fell back into the hole in the same trajectory¡­


    Lily was jumping in and out of the hole¡­ ¡°Can someone¡ª¡±


    ¡°Give me a boost from behind¡ª¡±


    ¡°Or else I can¡¯t land on the ground!¡±


    It took her three tries to finish her sentence.


    Vivian flew towards her and gave her a good kick. ¡°You bloody idiot! Can¡¯t you leap in a parabolic angle?

 Chapter 62

?

 Chapter 63

    When the oppressive and horrible sound started coming from above, the air around Hao Ren suddenly felt like it was burning.


    The blood mist that Vivian released had already covered the Demon Stone completely. However, a shock wave erupted from the stone out of nowhere and shattered the mist in seconds. Even Vivian was forced a few steps back by the shock wave. Watching the power of her blood slowly disappear, she could not believe it and said, ¡°This¡­ is a waste. I could have eaten that!¡±


    Hao Ren instantly detached himself from the present situation. The vampire tried to smooth things over and she gave her best but atmosphere was really ruined.


    At that time, Lily was holding a giant stone pillar which was several meters long. She kept smashing the armored wraiths. The impact was so strong that the whole castle seemed to be experiencing an earthquake. However, the horrible sound in the sky made her stop immediately. The werewolf girl looked up in shock and saw that the sky was covered with dark clouds.


    The stars and moon had vanished. A large mass of filthy, dark clouds were gathering from all directions. The clouds were thick like some kind of substance. They tumbled through the sky like a swamp hanging upside down. It looked horrible and disgusting. As the clouds gathered, a dark red blaze began to spread behind them. It was as though there were miles of flames spanning from the black clouds. In the brightest part of the fire, an opening in the shape of a vortex was slowly forming. Immense pressure and an unbearable heat wave were coming right from the opening.


    The blaze was not an illusion. It was actually loaded with a sea of fire; an endless roaring flame coming from the demon dimension.


    ¡°It¡¯s hot, it¡¯s so hot!¡± yelled Lily as she continued to wipe out their enemies desperately. She swung the huge, stone pillar and smashed the big crowd of armored wraiths into irretrievable scrap. However, the giant stone pillar was already weathered so, it was unable to withstand Lily¡¯s rough handling. It finally broke after a few waves of wraith attacks. Lily was stunned for a moment but surrounded by the crazy armored wraiths, it was no time for her to stop. She could only throw away the pillar and pick up other ¡®bricks¡¯ of the same length around her. She threw them everywhere and shouted, ¡°F*ck off! Are you guys done here?! Landlord, I don¡¯t want to play anymore. I want to go home¡­¡±


    While the clouds in the sky continued to gather together, the armored wraiths in the castle seemed to go crazy in response. The Letta runes on their bodies were red and shining as if they were just seared onto the armor. Lily was wiping out the wraiths alone. Although she could still handle it, she was obviously frightened by the upheaval. Hao Ren knew that Lily was almost in tears from her voice. The werewolf was just a ¡®little cub¡¯; she was still too young.


    However, Hao Ren was not that old as well. He was not even married yet.


    Vivian spread her wings and flew to Hao Ren. The cold air surrounding the vampire managed to slightly disperse the unbearable heat. Hao Ren regained his senses in the cold air and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know.¡± Vivian still could not believe what just happened. She could not understand exactly what was wrong with and tried to explain. ¡°It was smooth in the beginning. I also sensed that the strength of the Demon Stone¡¯s owner should be the same as mine. As long as it¡¯s sealed carefully, the problem can be solved perfectly with the help of moonlight¡­ but I don¡¯t know what happened. I just lost control! This rock works in a whole different way than the Demon Stone I know, it¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay. I don¡¯t get it anyway,¡± said Hao Ren. He then held onto Vivian¡¯s shoulder. He could hear noises echoing in his head and they made it hard for him to concentrate. ¡°Why is my head full of noises?¡±


    ¡°Demonic power will affect the minds of ordinary people!¡± Vivian said loudly. She knew that her blood magic to banish mental pollution was not going to work on Hao Ren. Since being anxious would not have helped either, she got ready to fight instead. The vampire maiden flew up into the air and a pair of giant bat wings opened up on her back. Countless blood red streams of light emerged from the air and condensed into a complex pattern behind her. Hao Ren felt a strong pressure spreading from Vivian¡¯s body. It was nothing like he had ever seen before and was far more powerful than her usual performance. Vivian stared at the spiral door in the sky. There was already a huge foot which looked like the hoof of a beast, stepping out from the vortex. She had to completely unleash her power before the entire demon got out of the vortex.


    It had been thousands of years since Vivian last used such power. She was unsure if she could fully control it.


    A clear flash of light suddenly pierced the thick, dark clouds in the sky and they seemed to be torn apart by force. An unusually bright, silver moon emerged from the rift. Hao Ren¡¯s attention was immediately drawn to the extraordinary sight. He thought it was the previously obscured moon. However, he soon realized that it was not the right time. The moon should not have been in that position. Then, he noticed that the silver moon in the sky was much larger than usual. Additionally, the texture of the moon was clearly visible but h he had never seen anything like it before.


    Before he could observe it further, the surface of the moon was covered with a layer of blood-like redness. The entire moon almost turned into a completely red sphere. At that moment, the red, ominous light in the sky even covered the sea of flames behind the clouds. The demon¡¯s power was suppressed in an instant. Of course, it could have been an illusion. After all, Hao Ren did not know anything about power sensing and psionic scanning. He just thought that the strange moon Vivian summoned was brighter than the flames amid the clouds¡­


    The surrounding armored wraiths lost their purpose under the glow of the blood moon and began to wander in a daze. Lily looked up and stared blankly at the eerie moonlight. The fur on her ears and tail were slowly standing up one by one. ¡°¡­ I feel¡­ a little sick¡­¡± she said.


    A loud bang broke the short stalemate. The flames in the sky surged uncontrollably and the vortex was completely opened. Then, a giant demon crashed down to the ground. For a moment, the earth trembled and the mountains shook; throwing sand and stones in all directions.


    Hao Ren and Lily stepped back instinctively.


    A figure burning in raging flames slowly rose within the dusty haze. After the dust had dispersed, the demon¡¯s figure was revealed. It was a five-meter-tall humanoid creature with crooked legs akin to a goat¡¯s hoofs and stout, strong arms. Its skin was dark as iron and each bulging muscle was filled with traces of flames as well as lava. The raging flames formed the demon¡¯s armor and molten iron dripped slowly from the cracks on its skin. The demon¡¯s entire body was like an erupting volcano and its body was of an extremely high temperature. The flames and the lava were as real as they could be.


    Hao Ren had to straighten his neck in order to see the demon¡¯s face clearly. What he saw was a grim face as if carved from obsidian. The demon had facial features but there were flames pouring out of every hole on its face. It seemed as though the face existed only to make the demon look more ferocious. The demon¡¯s head had a pair of curved, long horns. They looked like the horns of a black goat just as the legends had described.


    Hao Ren noticed that one of the demon¡¯s horns was chipped. About one-third of the horn had broken off at the tip.


    Vivian was stunned when she saw the demon. She hesitated to attack it because she found that¡­ this demon was quite different from the breed she knew of.


    While the demon had the similar powerful presence and appearance, it was not the kind of breed she had seen before. She did not know if it was a good idea to rashly attack an opponent when its clan, strength and fighting style were all unclear.


    The demon however, did not seem to care about Vivian, who was glaring at it fiercely from the side. It just peered below and searched around until it found a petrified Hao Ren. A roar, which sounded like muffled thunder came from the demon¡¯s mouth. ¡°#@£¤#!£¤%@%£¤##@?¡± asked the demon.


    ¡°What?¡± Hao Ren could not understand it.


    ¡°#@£¤#%#, #@#%#?¡±


    Hao Ren was surprised when he realized that the demon was talking to him. But, who the heck would understand demon language!


    The demon appeared to suddenly realize the problem (Hao Ren guessed it from its expression. It was quite difficult to see the demon¡¯s expression in the middle of the flames). The demon then did a scratching motion in the air and took a metal plate out of nowhere. It was a metal plate the size of a desktop. However, it was just like a tablet in the demon¡¯s hand. The demon scratched the metal plate for quite some time and laid face down on the ground, trying to keep his eyes parallel to Hao Ren¡¯s.


    ¡°Err, you me lendlot?¡±


    Vivian had been holding herself up for quite some time. At that moment, she lost strength and finally dropped to the ground.

 Chapter 64

    The moment Vivian dropped to the ground, the blood moon in the sky disappeared. Without the scarlet light suppressing them, the wraiths started moving again. And so, the clatter of armors could be heard once more. Lily quickly lifted more giant bricks up, ready to fight. However, the first to act was the scary demon. When the horrible, five-meter-tall creature raised its hand and scratched the air, the sea of fire as well as the thick clouds vanished in the blink of an eye. At the same time, Vivian also sensed that the demon¡¯s power around them was weakening rapidly. Eventually, even the energy response from the Demon Stone slowly faded.


    The armored wraiths in the crypt were originally awakened by the Demon Stone, which led them to the attack. Now that the root cause was interrupted, their will to attack dissipated. The Letta runes on the armored wraiths were extremely burnt due to the demon¡¯s immense power. As such, they were mostly damaged. Since the demon¡¯s power had faded, the armored wraiths too completely lost motivation. The armor of each wraith trembled at the same time and then fell flat on the ground; motionless.


    The difficult problem of armored wraiths was solved.


    The huge demon nodded and seemed satisfied with its performance. Shortly after, it laid on the ground again and tried to keep its eyes parallel to Hao Ren¡¯s (but it was almost impossible due to the huge disparity in height). It looked at the metal plate on its hand, which seemed to be engraved with phonetic symbols and asked, ¡°Err¡­ ya¡­ er ya my lend¡­lend lot?¡±


    After it finished the sentence, the demon started to look at Hao Ren expectantly. Hao Ren was still confused. He almost lost his ability to think having to face the bizarre situation in front of him. He did not respond until he felt something burning on his head. Sparks had spurted from the demon¡¯s mouth when it was talking. It lit Hao Ren¡¯s hair up!


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s hot¡­¡± Hao Ren kept slapping his head. Fortunately, he put out the fire before his hair really got burnt. He jumped a few steps to the side before the demon spoke again. ¡°Wait a minute. I can¡¯t understand your language.¡±


    Then, he took the MDT out of his pocket with his trembling hand and asked, ¡°Discus, what the heck is going on here?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not respecting this device enough. Especially when you give me a very insulting nickname.¡± The MDT preferred to answer Hao Ren telepathically. It did not even type out any subtitles. ¡°But I¡¯d love to tell you, everything is going according to plan.¡±


    Hao Ren looked up at the terrible creature that was burning in flames and lava. He gulped and asked, ¡°Do you have a demon language translation program?¡±


    ¡°You finally remember the correct way to use this device? Do you remember the time you hit someone with this device?¡± mumbled the Mobile Data Terminal.


    Hao Ren weighed the MDT and said, ¡°If you keep talking nonsense, I¡¯ll tie you to a stick and turn you into a hammer.¡±


    The MDT kept silent.


    Hao Ren received help to translate the demon¡¯s language. He was finally able to communicate smoothly with the huge creature in front of him (although it seemed like the demon had been learning Chinese for quite some time). ¡°Then¡­ are you the new tenant I¡¯m looking for?¡± asked Hao Ren.


    The demon looked surprised. A stream of lava erupted from its biceps. ¡°How do you know demon lang¡­ oh, right, you¡¯re an agent. That¡¯s no surprise. So you¡¯re my landlord? Why are you so late?¡±


    Hao Ren was completely lost. Not only did he not expect Raven¡¯s arrangement of the new tenant to be such a shocking one, he never thought that they would be talking in such a situation! Of course, he was now more curious about why the demon was summoned by the Demon Stone. It was sealed hundreds of years ago. Did Raven 12345 not say that the new tenant just arrived?


    ¡°When did you get here?¡± As Hao Ren asked the question, he watched the demon¡¯s response carefully. Even if the demon looked friendly, he had to remain on high alert. After all, it was described as a vicious creature in many stories. Even the werewolf and vampire could not compare with the demon¡¯s position. It topped the Ultimate Boss Chart of mankind¡¯s cultural system. Then again, why di Raven 12345, the woman who claimed to be a Goddess arranged for him to meet a demon?!


    ¡°Me? I¡¯ve been here for half a month. I¡¯ve been asleep most of the time. I just sensed that something was happening outside,¡± replied the demon as he continued spurting little sparks. Hao Ren jumped around while he listened to the demon to prevent himself from being lit up by the sparks. However, the demon was very polite. It insisted on looking at Hao Ren in the eye when it was speaking. Hao Ren felt like he was talking to a steel-making furnace.


    ¡°Half a month?¡± Hao Ren was surprised. He pointed at the Demon Stone not far away and asked, ¡°The stone has been sealed in the castle for centuries! You¡¯ve just been here for half a month? Isn¡¯t this stone yours?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡± The demon shook its head and a large flame ignited. It continued to explain, ¡°I don¡¯t know whose stone it is. I¡¯ve never seen anything like it before. But I found it fit as a power medium so, I connected my strength with the stone. I was sleeping in another dimension, I needed a doorbell.¡±


    Hao Ren thought about the big battle the three of them went through, how much fuss they created in the crypt and how much impact the Demon Stone received to finally summon the demon. ¡°Your doorbell is not sensitive. It just started ringing after the house collapsed,¡± muttered Hao Ren.


    The demon looked massive and its hearing was surprisingly sharp. It grinned and explained, ¡°This stone works. It¡¯s just that I was sleeping soundly. Actually, it already activated when you got close and it took more than an hour to wake me up.¡±


    Hao Ren instinctively stepped back to escape the flames coming from the demon. He appeared interested and asked, ¡°The stone isn¡¯t yours? Then its original owner¡­¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have an owner. I saw it first so, it belongs to me.¡± The demon¡¯s rumbling voice silenced the second half of his sentence. Then the giant creature looked around and asked, ¡°This place is badly damaged. It wasn¡¯t me right?¡±


    Hao Ren weakly waved his hands and said, ¡°Wait, I have to figure everything out.¡±


    Hao Ren just sat down on the ground and started to ponder, not caring about the boss-level creature beside him. The things they went through were enough for a few movie sequels .


    There was no doubt about the demon¡¯s identity. The MDT would not have lied. The demon did not have to cheat him as well. To be frank, nobody would have came to disrupt the unusual mission arranged by Raven 12345 (Hao Ren admitted that he was not worth the trouble of being plotted against). So, it looked like the demon was going to be his new tenant.


    The Demon Stone, sealed hundreds of years ago in the Yorkford Castle crypt was real. However, the owner of the Demon Stone had nothing to do with the whole thing. The unlucky guy who lost the Demon Stone shall then be thrown into the garbage heap of history. Let us just forget about him.


    The demon came to the Yorkford Castle half a month ago. It went to the wrong place and did not seem to be familiar with this place. Due to this, it created a hidden space straightaway, stayed there and borrowed the Demon Stone in the crypt. It then used the stone as a doorbell. Hao Ren guessed that the function of the ¡®doorbell¡¯ was to sense the agent who was supposed to meet it.


    Then it meant that¡­ the activation of the crypt¡¯s defense system, awakening of armored wraiths, blocking of Angus¡¯ pathway by the wall full of runes and etc all happened because of him!


    It was the stone that sensed his presence nearby and activated the demonic power left in it, which then triggered a series of problems later.


    There were a lot of questions left unanswered in the whole process but, it was roughly going the way it should have been.


    ¡°What the heck is this¡­¡± Hao Ren was coming to terms with the situation. He suddenly had the urge to cry. He then remembered one crucial question that had not been answered yet and asked, ¡°Wait! Raven 12345 said that when I meet the new tenant, there would be some sort of mutual initiation between us. What about the initiation?¡±


    ¡°Yes, there is.¡± The MDT finally spoke and explained. ¡°Didn¡¯t you feel it the moment you met this big guy?¡±


    ¡°Feel what?¡±


    ¡°That little ¡®bang¡¯ in your head.¡±


    Hao Ren gaped and said, ¡°That¡¯s it? That¡¯s the initiation?!¡±


    ¡°What else do you want?¡± replied the MDT arrogantly. ¡°I¡¯ve considered your condition. Your mind is slow. I was afraid that during the critical moment, the general voice prompt and vibration mode would not draw your attention. That¡¯s why I specially made you the most noticeable reminder¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ Couldn¡¯t you just explain it to me earlier?!¡± said Hao Ren

 Chapter 65

    The night was still long but the castle was calm and peaceful¡ªit seemed so, at least.


    One would have remained calm only if one did not see the spectacle in the castle.


    The five-meter tall demon sat with its legs crossed and still looked overly gigantic. Flame and lava spattered out constantly from it, turning the area within its ten-meter radius a glistening red. The stone under its butt had melted into lava; it was like sitting on a lake of magma. The demon and Hao Ren had verified each other¡¯s identity. Hao Ren even reconfirmed the result with the MDT. With that, the goal of their thrilling mission was finally accomplished.


    However, Hao Ren felt that the ordeal was rather surreal.


    ¡°My name is Y¡¯zaks,¡± The demon lowered its body as it spoke. It was a polite gesture on its part but Hao Ren had to bounce about to avoid being burned and splattered with the demon¡¯s super hot lava. The demon¡¯s thunderous voice was constantly intertwined with sounds of bursting lava. Its language sounded like a mouthful. It seemed complicated. If not for the powerful interpreting brain of the MDT, Hao Ren would have given up talking to the giant. The demon was heard speaking Chinese in a Japanese-English kind of accent. ¡°The first time we meet, it¡¯s important to be talkative¡ªit¡¯s said that this is the way to greet someone you meet for the first time here.¡±


    Hao Ren was sweating profusely because the temperature around the demon was f*cking hot. It was not known how Raven found the strange creature. Nonetheless, he gasped at the demon¡¯s ability to converse in a civil manner. He politely nodded towards the demon which called itself Y¡¯zaks. ¡°Nice to meet you too. Just call me Hao Ren. Did Raven 12345 brief you about us?¡±


    The demon replied with a wry smile, ¡°Yes, I have been informed. I know what¡¯s going on. Please don¡¯t be afraid, I won¡¯t hurt people. I know demons aren¡¯t exactly welcomed creatures in most worlds but there¡¯s no need for overreacting. You¡¯re an agent.¡±


    ¡°Looks like you know about the word ¡®agent¡¯ more than I do. In fact, I just signed up for the job.¡± Hao Ren glanced at the demon curiously. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not afraid. It¡¯s just that you¡¯re too hot to be around¡­¡±


    The demon guffawed. ¡°Ahh ha ha, that¡¯s interesting. In fact, I¡¯ve made contact with the Xi Ling Celestials and ended up owing them a favor in the process. So I¡¯m totally aware of you. By the way, let the two maidens come. No need to be always on your guard. I¡¯m not dangerous at all. All I ask is to live in peace and have a roof over my head.¡±


    Hao Ren stared wide-eyed at the demon. Under the skin of its obsidian-like, rugged face seemed to lie a less grim personality, he thought¡ªbut it was terrifyingly ghastly at first sight. The demon sounded depressed though; if the favor he owed the Xi Ling Celestials was anything to go by, something might have happened to it. However, Hao Ren did not care at that moment. He turned around to speak with Vivian and Lily. ¡°Okay. You two, please step forward. Vivian, could you please tuck your bats away. And Lily, please put down that damn rock; it¡¯s not your usual brick. It¡¯s a stone wall and it¡¯s over a meter long, mind you!¡±


    Lily tossed the huge, one-ton stone on the floor with a big thud before cautiously pulling closer to Vivian. The two maidens spoke no demon language but they roughly grasped the meaning as Hao Ren and the demon spoke. Vivian stared marvelously at the huge burning lump. ¡°Please tell me this thing isn¡¯t our new housemate.¡±


    ¡°Bingo! His name¡¯s Y¡¯zaks. It speaks no human language. So, I¡¯ll ask Raven if she can provide translation machines for you guys as well when I¡¯m back there. By then, you guys will be able to communicate with ease.¡±


    The demon had taken note of the introduction. It gave Vivian and Lily a million-watt smile. Lily¡¯s tail instantly puffed up.


    ¡°¡­Is it speaking in demon language?¡± Vivian glanced at Y¡¯zaks with a weird look on her face. ¡°I¡¯ve had numerous encounters with demons but none spoke this way. It¡¯s speaking like a tape that¡¯s playing backwards¡ªtotally illegible.¡±


    Speaking of which, Hao Ren also felt how bizarre its language was. Compounded with the accident that happened when Vivian tried to seal the Demon Stone, his curiosity for Y¡¯zaks was piqued.


    ¡°I come from another world,¡± Y¡¯zaks spoke matter-of-factly. ¡°A world not of another planet but of a different universe. My world shares the same physical constants as yours yet, it is very far from here. The planet where I lived is a little bigger than Earth so its gravitational force is a tiny bit stronger. But that¡¯s okay. It doesn¡¯t affect me much.¡±


    Hao Ren was keeping mum. So the demon added, ¡°I was supposed to be assigned to another settlement which was roughly two billion light years from Earth. However, I wasn¡¯t fond of the high-oxygen atmosphere there. Hence, I was reassigned to your planet.¡±


    For over 10 seconds, Hao Ren stared at Y¡¯zaks with his mouth agape before being perturbed by the demon¡¯s discorded way of speech. He said with an odd look on his face, ¡°Well¡­ I get what you mean but why did you describe it in such a way? I mean, you should have said that you came from another dimension or space; that you were summoned to this world by Raven with her mystic magic or something; that the force of the elements from both worlds are almost the same¡­ I just think this should be the natural way a demon speaks. Aren¡¯t you a demon, the legendary creature¡­¡±


    Y¡¯zaks scratched its head in bewilderment. ¡°Why should I? It sounds weird. Plus, it isn¡¯t at all scrupulous; like the conversations found in popular, heroic novels of humans in my world 1000 years ago.¡±


    ¡°¡­It feels out of place when a demon speaks in terms of planets and light years,¡± Hao Ren said.


    Y¡¯zaks shrugged. ¡°But we already found out that we lived in a spherical planet 1000 years ago.¡±


    Hao Ren was even more speechless.


    It seemed there was no point in carrying on such a conversation. Hao Ren thought that he had to resign to the Xi Ling Celestials¡¯ crazy settings for everything!


    Hao Ren turned to Vivian to explain the origins of Y¡¯zaks. The vampire maiden was wide-eyed with astonishment as she listened. The idea of extraterrestrial life was something new to her. So much more, an alien from outer space in real life. Her perspective was broadened like never before. Lily on the other hand was unfazed¡ªshe was completely clueless.


    Hao Ren was in fact, as amazed as Vivian. Although an employee of the Space Administration, he never made it to the other side of an alternate reality. In spite of this, Hao Ren forced himself to act calm as he wanted to be seen as a professional or cool person. He was not plain anymore, he had become an agent of the Space Administration, he thought.


    ¡°I think this isn¡¯t the best place to chit chat.¡± Hao Ren rose to his feet and said. Although he would have liked to carry on with the conversation, he realized they had lost track of time. He saw the light of dawn appearing across the horizon. They would risk being exposed and draw unwanted attention.


    He was particularly concerned that they were being watched. After all, they caused a racket with the arrival of Y¡¯zaks and Vivian¡¯s exaggerated actions. However, he did not have the time to think over the trivialities. He needed to get Y¡¯zaks out and back home fast!


    Hao Ren looked up. His heart sank when he saw that Y¡¯zaks was already taller than a house even in a sitting position. He looked at the two maidens with a crying face. ¡°How do I get you back home?¡±


    Raven 12345 did not tip him about the fact that the new tenant was a five-meter tall volcano! He was not sure if he could buy his way home with a little help from the international smuggler. Provided of course, if he could pack the giant in a jumbo shipping container and ship it across the seven seas. Even if he could have pulled that off, considering the ground under Y¡¯zaks¡¯ butt had already melted into a pool of lava, what kind of special container was heatproof enough to carry it?


    Y¡¯zaks was cool and he just smiled. ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡±


    As Y¡¯zaks spoke, it¡¯s body swiftly shrank and the burning flames as well as hot lava drew in and died down. Right on the spot, Y¡¯zaks had shrunk and transformed itself into a two-meter burly man.


    ¡°Now, how about this?¡±


    ¡°¡­You didn¡¯t say you could shapeshift!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you didn¡¯t ask either.¡±


    Hao Ren was again speechless.

 Chapter 66

    The two-meter tall and brawny chap stood before the trio. He was dark and taut; his strong muscles seemed ready to burst out from his skin. He was wearing a black T-shirt but it looked too small to hide his muscular upper body. His rough face, big eyes and bushy eyebrows could not help but give off a villainous impression. Frankly, he looked as badass as one could ever look on this planet.


    Y¡¯zaks was eye-catching in its human form. However, Hao Ren found an inconvenient truth: he still had to look up when talking with Y¡¯zaks. It was stressful enough just thinking about bringing the demon home¡ªin a best-case scenario, the bald and burly fellow would cause a whole police department to scramble for backup just by standing in front of a police station¡­


    On the bright side, this looked miles better than the volcano form.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s move.¡± Hao Ren sighed. He still had a lot to ask him but it was not the best time and place. The light show upon the demon¡¯s arrival could have already attracted eyeballs from the town. The fire department too could have possibly arrived too by then. ¡°Wait till we get home. There are a lot more things I need to ask¡­ Oh, something just crossed my mind!¡±


    Hao Ren smacked his forehead as he suddenly recalled the time Angus admitted to his deception. The sighting of fire in the castle did not make sense. The fire which occurred at the very beginning of the haunting incident was not the doing of Angus.


    ¡°Was that your doing?¡± Hao Ren related the haunting incident once again. ¡°So, you arrived at that time?¡± he asked Y¡¯zaks.


    ¡°Yes, it was me. I¡¯m sorry for that.¡± Y¡¯zaks apologized as he staggered out from the lava pool and stamped his feet to shake off the slag. His smile was as scary as ever no matter how anyone described it. ¡°I was riding the Space Administration¡¯s immigration space vessel towards this planet. I flew myself during entry into the atmosphere but I got lost. I was supposed to land at a designated landing zone which would attract less attention. Instead, I landed here. And the landing itself was quite a scene. However, instead of making a fuss out of it, the local residents appeared to be happy. So I didn¡¯t come out to apologize as I was told not to blow my cover.¡±


    Hao Ren had been in a cold sweat but at least, he finally figured out the truth about the ¡®giant fireball¡¯ Angus mentioned. With the sea of fire in the sky, Y¡¯zaks¡¯ moment of arrival was indeed as grand as the eye could see. It was visible dozens of kilometers away.


    Hao Ren took the lead as they were leaving. However, just as they were about to leave, something came to Vivian¡¯s mind. ¡°Wait a second. Don¡¯t you think we need to clean up the scene?¡±


    Vivian spoke while she pointed at a pile of rubble on the hill. The castle ruins became a complete mess after Lily dug out most of the stones from the wall and smashed the rest. Not only that, Y¡¯zaks¡¯ landing site was strewn with slowly, cooling lava. Soon, larsenite would form everywhere. When Nangong woke up, he would have definitely blown a huge hole, straight down to the crypt. Plus, there were tunnel exits everywhere, which had been left open by the wraith guards. Hundreds of ancient armor laid beneath the rubble; the Letta runes on the wraith guards were already defaced by the demon¡¯s power so, theoretically they would not have been walking anymore. Yet, there was no guarantee that the knights would not be alive and kicking. Obviously, leaving the mess to common people was not a good idea.


    Hao Ren wanted to wash his hands of the matter but in an argument between his brain and heart, the idea of cleaning up the mess won him over.


    ¡°How do we go about this? Call for air support and blow the hell out of it?¡± Hao Ren shrugged and said, ¡°I think we¡¯ve got few options. How do we clean up this pile of mess with our bare hands in a short time? And mind you, I just saw some vehicles coming our way from afar. They¡¯re most likely from the town coming for the party.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks looked on but could not understand Vivian and Hao Ren¡¯s conversation. Nevertheless, he had a rough guess. Y¡¯zaks guffawed as he scratched his shining, bald head. He then said, ¡°Leave it to me. You guys may want to take cover somewhere.¡±


    Sensing the demon¡¯s intention, Hao Ren could not wait to hurry Lily and Vivian up. They scrambled to a nearby hummock, leaving Y¡¯zaks behind in the castle ruins. Before they could set their feet on the hummock, a thunderous was heard coming from the castle. ¡°Keep going! The farther the better!¡±


    Hao Ren was in terror. ¡°What¡¯s he going to do? Is he planning to level the whole damn place?¡±


    He nudged Lily. ¡°Hurry up! That dude¡¯s going to make headlines. Oh ya, Vivian, please get Nangong and the old monk. I think they should be awake by now.¡±


    Hao Ren estimated that the ghostbusters¡¯ camp site where Nangong and the Indian monk were, was within striking distance. So he sent Vivian to get the two poor guys. Fortunately for them, Hao Ren was more thorough-minded than the two inattentive ladies¡ªthey would have been killed if left at the camp site.


    They moved swiftly to a hummock farther away. At the same time, Vivian found Nangong and the Indian monk still unconscious. Hao Ren¡¯s blow on them seemed really hard.


    Of course, the MDT¡¯s build was unquestionably hard.


    Just after Hao Ren set his foot on another hummock, he waited for action to occur in the castle. A flash of red light then illuminated the sky.


    The trio spontaneously looked up and saw the object. It was a meteorite!


    A freaking real meteorite!


    The massive meteorite was burning, leaving a long trail of fire as it entered the atmosphere. It was falling towards the castle with the accuracy of a guided missile. Hao Ren had only seen such a scene on TV or in video games like the ¡®Magic of Meteorite¡¯. However, this was the first time he witnessed such ¡®special effects¡¯ in person.


    Lily was in awe and expressed a long ¡°wooooooow.¡± Before she could finished wowing, the burning meteorite struck the castle with pinpoint accuracy!


    A loud bang accompanied the impact. The force was so powerful that Hao Ren could feel his skull quaking. Seconds later, a mushroom cloud of dust rose from the site of the . They could feel the earth trembling beneath their feet even though they were far from the impact point. A shock wave expanded outwards and towards them, carrying a strong smell of sulfur and dust. Things could have been terrible, much like the end of the world if they were nearer to the landing site.


    A real meteorite was so much more fun than the one in video games, Hao Ren thought.


    When everything settled down and went back to normal, the sky appeared to be torn in half. The shock wave had blown a clear opening in the sky¡ªthe clouds were cleared away. When the first ray of the morning sun shone across the land, the castle was completely gone.


    The rock, the hill and the crypt; everything that stood there a moment ago had vanished. A burning crater had taken their place. Surrounding the crater were cracked lines in the earth created by the impact.


    While Hao Ren stood still in awe, a little whirlwind appeared and Y¡¯zaks emerged from it right beside him. The demon then spoke with an awkward expression on his face, ¡°Was it a little too loud? The meteorite, I brought it from the Kuiper belt. You know, I didn¡¯t have time to find a smaller one. I thought this one would be just fine not knowing that it contained manganese nodules. I thought it was an ice rock. An ice rock would have been less powerful. By the way, your Solar System is one hell of a place, a perfect place for meteorite fireworks.¡±


    Hao Ren remained silent.


    Hao Ren shook his head helplessly. ¡°The can of worms is gone. We¡¯ll leave the meteorite to the English astrophysicists to explain. Let¡¯s go guys, hurry up!¡±


    By then, Nangong, who was lying on the ground had finally woken up¡ªpossibly awakened by the meteorite¡¯s impact. The half-baked demon-hunter rose to his feet before reaching for the back of his head with his hand and uttered, ¡°O-o-oy.¡± He then sensed a burning smell in the air. ¡°*cough*, what happened to me?¡±


    The abbreviated piece of nothing could not have woken up at a better moment!

 Chapter 67

    Nangong woke up and discovered himself lying on a hummock in the middle of nowhere. He rubbed the back of his head as he got on his feet. The sky was gradually turning bright. The spooky moment in the crypt was like a bad dream.


    He frowned as the pain in the back of his head as well as the unbearable burning smell in the atmosphere made him sick. He continued to cough and mumbled, ¡°What happened to me?¡±


    Hao Ren signaled Vivian, Lily and Y¡¯zaks to keep quiet as he smacked Nangong on the shoulder. He said, ¡°Awake? Let¡¯s see the headline.¡±


    ¡°Hao Ren?¡± Nangong was surprised to see the three of them as well as the stranger who looked like an imposing villain. ¡°Are you guys alright? Did the evil wraiths hurt you? Who is this gentleman¡­ Holy moly, what¡¯s that?¡±


    Nangong finally saw the crater, which was spewing smoke and ashes. He also saw a couple of stones left near the crater. Judging from the landscape in his surroundings, he could tell it was the Yorkford Castle. However, a pit and a puddle of ever so slowly cooling lava were all that was left of the old castle after just one night. Nangong was totally dumbfounded at what had transpired.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe what just happened. A meteorite fell from the sky and hit the castle. It¡¯s gone just like that.¡± Hao Ren spoke with straight face.


    Nangong listened with awe as he rubbed the back of his head again. ¡°Wait a second. I was fighting the evil wraiths in the crypt. There were wraith knights everywhere and you guys were right behind me¡­ And then I felt a pain in the back of my head. That¡¯s the last thing remember.¡±


    Hao Ren acted even more sincere this time as he spoke with a trembling voice, ¡°Speaking of which, I¡¯m still shaking like a leaf. It was a miracle that we got out of that damn place alive. While you fought fearlessly in the crypt, the roof collapsed on you. You passed out and I was rooted to the spot, waiting for my final moments. Suddenly, all the wraith knights dropped down like bowling pins, lying motionless on the floor. We broke our backs trying to get you¡­ and this old man out of that hellhole. We thought of waiting for daybreak so that we could hitch a ride back home. But, this place is too creepy to stay even a second longer so, we kept running. That decision saved us all as a meteorite fell from the sky 10 minutes ago and the rest is history.¡±


    Hao Ren had been pretending to be like clueless, common folk. He did not try to explain why the armored wraiths fell and lied down on the floor motionless; he did not bother to explain how on earth a meteorite could have struck the castle into a pit with surgical precision. He simply used a bizarre story to explain it, leaving Nangong to fill in the blanks.


    Hao Ren was being crooked: I¡¯m just a clueless guy. Bite me¡ª


    Nangong simply could not wrap his head around it but he did not question Hao Ren. He did not suspect that the common man and two innocent maidens had anything to do with all of it. This ¡®expert¡¯ was using his logic to make a conjecture: ¡°Maybe the wraiths were controlled by something larger in the crypt. Such things happened all the time in places with hundreds of years of history¡­ That has to be the case. After all, I¡¯m an expert.¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian spontaneously rolled their eyes in secret. Such a thick-skinned fellow!


    Staring regrettably at the pit of Armageddon, Nangong knew there were secrets down there¡ªsecrets which would explain why the wraiths suddenly dropped to the ground and how he was saved by these three common folks. However, there was nothing left to see let alone investigate now.


    Hao Ren gave Y¡¯zaks a grateful glance. The meteorite was seriously a Swiss Army knife. Normally during a meteorite strike, as long as the magic was not performed in plain view, you did not have to worry about the narrative. No one on this planet would ever believe that there was someone capable of bringing a rock back from the Kuiper Belt. The only ones who would delve into it were astrophysicists¡ªand this half-baked ghostbuster.


    Soon after, crowds of spectators from Brewshire started to pour in.


    A few jeeps pulled up near the spot where the castle formerly stood, only to be held back by the thick smoke and strong heat of the molten space rock. In fact, people from the small town had seen the fire during Y¡¯zaks¡¯ landing. The spectators and paranormal enthusiasts prepped their gears and departed at once from the town. However, there was no access road from the town to Yorkford Castle. Vehicles could only tread along the rocky terrain. Not even the best jeeps could go much faster than that. That meant the folks had only spotted the tip of the iceberg: the moment the fireball fell from the sky.


    Even the bravest person would not dare to head straight towards a falling meteorite. They only arrived after they waited the shock wave and explosion out. They surrounded the spot of the vanished castle and discussed among themselves. One was sending tweets out with his smartphone, one was taking a selfie in front of the crater, one was holding a ghost detector with a sad look, one was sitting on the ground and behaving hysterically while one was proclaiming to be the Lord of Yorkford. He appeared to have something to say¡ªthis one was still energetic after a restless night.


    Most of the folks were shocked. These people did not have the reasoning ability of a professional. They felt like they could brag about these major events, which happened one after another near their small town.


    Hao Ren and the rest were ready to drop after the restless night so, they hitched a ride heading back to town. In the meantime, Nangong and the Indian monk, who was still half-conscious¡ªthe old man was indeed less fit as he took a considerably longer time to recover¡ªwere on foot. The half-baked demon hunter kept babbling, ¡°How could it be? How could it be?¡±


    All evidence had been vaporized, not even Sherlock Holmes could have traced it back to the demon, which descended from heaven.


    The company arrived back in town. They could have in fact headed back to London straightaway, but Vivian had another idea; she wanted to go check out the lodge owner to make sure there would be no trouble in the future. Hao Ren and Lily had no objection to that, of course. On the other hand, Y¡¯zaks had been silent ever since they left Yorkford Castle as though something was weighing on his mind. He only responded by nodding his head.


    Hao Ren did not bother with him as this was only the first time they had met. They did not know each other well enough to poke their nose into each other¡¯s business.


    Four of them finally arrived at the little lodge at the edge of the town. Just as they had expected, the lodge owner, Angus was not at his usual spot greeting his guests at the reception area.


    ¡°Boss was sent back last night. He looked ill. I haven¡¯t seen him since then.¡±


    The young lady behind the cashier counter (not from the day before) told the guests frankly.


    Hao Ren breathed a sigh of relief after coming out from the lodge and said, ¡°Looks like he didn¡¯t go around telling everybody. Furthermore, he doesn¡¯t even know our true identities.¡±


    However, Vivian knew better. She had dispatched her little bat to scout for him. Angus was found lying in bed with a blank stare on his face somewhere in the lodge. It seemed like the fat owner had been scared out of his wits the night before. He was probably going to be fine after some time. About the truth down there¡­


    No one was going to know about it.


    They eventually headed back to London. Unlike the last time, they did not book some fancy high-end hotel but checked in to whatever hotel they could find. After all, they just needed a day of rest before leaving. Plus, Y¡¯zaks was waiting for his travel documents to be processed.


    While hanging around the hotel, Hao Ren got in contact with Raven 12345.

 Chapter 68

    Well, that was one heck of a mission and Hao Ren was thoroughly spent. He never thought that he would be an intergalactic hero after living as a normal civilian for twenty-odd years. Yet at his current rate¡­ he could nary be a foot soldier, much less a hero.


    He managed to get a hold of Raven 12345 through the MDT. The crazy Goddess had just finished gardening and was cleaning up. Hao Ren saw that she was still lugging the same giant blade she used the last time she was gardening via the holographic projection. She looked comical like someone who just returned from a cosplay convention.


    Hao Ren¡¯s gaunt look was evident when he tiredly recounted the events of the past two days. He looked at Raven 12345 anticipatingly when he finished. ¡°Reckon I did well in my job eh?¡±


    Raven 12345 nodded. ¡°You did pretty well.¡±


    Hao Ren looked on in silence. He never thought Raven 12345 would give him a word of praise.


    ¡°What? You want to me to write you a commendation?¡± Raven 12345 quickly picked up the awkward stare that Hao Ren gave her. ¡°You think crossing the globe to pick up a new tenant¡¯s a monumental task?¡±


    ¡°Sure. Just think of what I went through,¡± Hao Ren grumbled. ¡°I even fought against a few hundred wraiths and ran into a wannabe demon hunter. That itself is too much of a thrill ride.¡±


    Raven 12345 hesitated for a while and nodded in ascent. ¡°Hmm.. well, this could indeed count as exceeding expectations. Based on your stats, you¡¯re probably still a novice. Your combat strength is no more than five and well, your ability to hold your own despite not having much combat experience did surprise me. Hmm¡­ you know what, I¡¯ll give you something when you¡¯re back¡­ and you just barely passed for a commendation by the way. While you were indeed out on civilian work, it is still taken into account under the Space Administration¡¯s merit system.


    Hao Ren suddenly perked up with interest and wanted to ask Raven about the commendation. However, she did not seem particularly interested in the matter so Hao Ren moved on to his next question. ¡°Well, now that we have Y¡¯zaks¡­ how do I get him back? I just realized something¡­ While you have given us more than enough money to spend¡­ Y¡¯zaks does not have a travel visa! He¡¯s only holding onto the stuff that was given to him, a Chinese identification card¡­¡±


    Raven 12345 smacked her forehead. ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s what it was! No wonder I felt something was missing! I only made arrangements for the three of you!¡±


    Hao Ren felt vindicated in not placing much faith in Raven 12345.


    ¡°Just hang on a bit¡­ Y¡¯zaks visa isn¡¯t it?¡± Raven 12345 did not look embarrassed at all. ¡°The paperwork stuff is usually done by my underlings but let me do it for you this time. Give me a moment, I¡¯m gonna start on it now¡­ one, two, three¡­ aaaanddd, done!¡±


    Hao Ren was just about to turn the MDT off when he heard that Raven was going to settle the paperwork. He thought he probably would have needed to wait a day or so for it to be done. Never did he expect Raven 12345 would complete the needed procedures in a matter of seconds. She gleefully gestured for Hao Ren to put his hands out. ¡°Stretch it out long and nice¡­ Yep, just like that!¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly felt his arms becoming heavy and he saw a big sack of documents lying on his outstretched arms.


    ¡°F*ck me¡­¡± Hao Ren gawked in amazement at the speed that Raven took to complete the paperwork. ¡°Bloody hell.. is this just the baseline of what she can do? Instantaneous processing plus delivery via teleportation¡­¡±


    Raven 12345 heard Hao Ren mumbling to himself and asked curiously, ¡± What you saying?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ nothing, I was saying that you work fast. Heh, very fast¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m a Goddess after all. Well, that¡¯s that. Now that your documents are all in place, get your butts back here as soon as you can. You¡¯ve already made quite a ruckus out there. Staying too long will just spell trouble.¡±


    After leaving the message, Raven 12345 cut off the communication link.She sounded vaguely concerned.


    It was smooth sailing after that. Hao Ren and the rest thought of staying in London for another day or two to recuperate. At the very least, to rid themselves of the fatigue from the previous battle. Raven 12345¡¯s advice for them to make haste put rest to the plan. She had even bought tickets for them to depart the next day. So off they went back to China.


    Arriving back on home soil really did wonders for Hao Ren as he looked at the scenery of the Southern Suburbs. Taking a deep breath, the adventures he had in England seemed like a dream. Only the two- meter tall bloke beside him reminded him of the fact that it was not a dream.


    Hao Ren could not help but be reminded of the sorry demon hunter. They never had a chance to say hello or goodbye properly. Nangong was a special person and having fought together¡­. (more like a bond of hitting Nangong¡¯s head with a brick), Nangong left quite an impression on him with his reckless fighting spirit. It was a pity he did not have the chance to bid farewell as Vivian did not want to have anything to do with the man any longer than she had to, given his identity.


    The only cause for concern was Nangong¡¯s true identity. Whether he was a bona fide demon hunter or not and whether he would be a source of trouble in the future, no one knew. Granted, Hao Ren and the rest managed to hide their true identities from him. They did not have much cause to believe that he knew of the matter. The meteorite had also put a stop to his investigations. He did however worry if Nangong would one day find out that he was the one who had rendered him unconscious.


    Anyway, as of then, things were fine as they were. Even if the heavens were to collapse, there was a tall guy right beside him ready to play the role of Atlas.


    Hao Ren felt much relief after thinking things through. In front of him was a familiar structure, his house. He quickly raised his chest and patted Y¡¯zaks on the shoulder. ¡°Look, this is my house!¡± He introduced the new tenant to his new living place.


    Y¡¯zaks looked on impassively, showing neither surprise nor disdain. He just calmly nodded. ¡°Hmm, peace and quiet. As long as it¡¯s peaceful and quiet it¡¯s fine.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Y¡¯zaks in a funny way. ¡°Hey big guy, what¡¯s with the dour mood? You looked bored throughout the journey. You spoke at times and remained completely silent at times.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks gave Hao Ren a wry smile. Even with a smile, his facial expression was still rather intimidating. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I lived long enough and troubles are certain to follow with time. But all¡¯s good now. I¡¯m tired of fighting as it is and I don¡¯t need any more trouble. I just want a place where I can be left alone to live my life in peace and quiet. The Space Administration promised me such a place until I get tired of it¡­ That said, are you okay with this?¡±


    Hao Ren expressed his objection. ¡°Damn those pen pushers in the administration, doing as they please.¡± Then, he thought of the contract he had signed with them. Shrugging it off, he said, ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m just the landlord. Whoever wishes to stay can stay.¡±


    While this was indeed true, Hao Ren left something out. He never thought that he would be hosting a group of non-humans!


    The house was the way they left it. Just that dust had built up from the time they were away. It was great that Vivian had the foresight to cover most of the important furniture and electronics with sheets of cloth. It made cleaning up easy. Looking at Vivian darting about cleaning the place, Y¡¯zaks finally had a curious frown on his face. ¡°So¡­ that¡¯s her job here?¡±


    The demon thought that he would also be required to do house chores.


    ¡°Vivian¡¯s a special case.¡± Hao Ren laughed. ¡°She can¡¯t afford the rent so, she does housework in place¡­ willingly. Anyway, Raven 12345 did say that you guys could claim your expenses from her.


    Y¡¯zaks blinked. ¡°Looks like I still have a lot to get used to¡­¡±


    Hao Ren smiled dryly. He thought to himself as he caught sight of Rollie returning to the place: ¡°Oh, you do have a lot to get used to, big guy.¡± Y¡¯zaks would have a long and hard time understanding why a house cat was second in command of the house.

 Chapter 69

    It did not take long for Rollie to show up after Hao Ren and the gang reached home.


    No one knew how this black cat, which was barely a meter long had a radar-like sensory system. Not long after Hao Ren took a seat on the sofa, he heard a series of light knocks on the window facing the main road. He looked up and saw Rollie bashing the window pane with his tail.


    Y¡¯zaks was watching a television series on the research of humanity when he also noticed the cat. A faint look of surprise appeared on his face. ¡°Your cat?¡±


    Hao Ren quickly rose to open the window for Rollie and answered without turning back. ¡°Ah, the name¡¯s Rollie. Don¡¯t pay too much attention to the name. Just call it that.¡±


    Rollie seemed to look much rounder even though he was supposed to be out and about with no one to care for him. No one knew how he survived the mean streets of the Southern Suburbs too. He jumped onto Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder without much effort and started brushing against Hao Ren¡¯s neck. He then noticed that there was a stranger in the hall and looked at Y¡¯zaks curiously.


    It was not the first time Rollie had met strangers. He just never saw anyone that tall before. Surely everyone has seen a dog but when someone runs into a giant foxhound like Charlie, their expression would have been the same.


    A nostalgic frown appeared on Y¡¯zaks face. ¡°A pet¡­ I also had a kitten a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you had a cat?¡±


    A mental image of a five-meter tall, fire demon hugging a small kitten appeared in Hao Ren¡¯s mind. The kitten was a roasted one¡­


    Y¡¯zaks smiled. ¡°No, there are no cats in the Demonic Abyss. I just called it Kitten. It was a hell hound. Even when lying down it¡¯s about two heads taller than you. It has since passed on. It could have came here with me but it refused, so¡­¡±


    Hao Ren could not help but snicker inwards about Y¡¯zaks calling his dog, Kitten.


    By then, Lily had finished unpacking and skipped out of her room like a hyperactive bunny into the hall. The moment she saw Rollie on Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder, she quickly stopped and greeted Rollie with a respectful tone. She then introduced the cat to Y¡¯zaks.


    ¡°Hey big guy! Let me introduce you to Rollie, the number two of this place. I¡¯m number three, you¡¯re number four¡­ that telly set is number five and Battie is last¡­¡±


    Lily was rambling endlessly and was clearly happy that she was home after being away for so long. Like an excited puppy, she ran around the place and even managed to crack a joke with Y¡¯zaks nonchalantly (Lily had a dislike towards demonkind). A pity the joke flew past Y¡¯zaks head and he looked at Hao Ren blankly. ¡°What¡¯s she saying?¡±


    ¡°Just ignore her lunatic ramblings.¡± Hao Ren laughed. ¡°Let¡¯s find Raven 12345 tomorrow. Let her fix the language issue. Oh right, are you hungry? Wanna eat?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks just shook his head. ¡°No thanks, just tell me where my room is. I want to take a nap. Will let you know once I¡¯m awake.¡±


    Hao Ren remembered Y¡¯zaks saying that he slept most of the time since he came to Earth. And to sleep again made Hao Ren think along the lines of a familiar novel plot line. ¡°Oh I get it, you¡¯ve spent too much energy traveling through dimensions and you¡¯re resting to restore your lost energy?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks gave Hao Ren an odd look. ¡°Why do you assume too much? It¡¯s the jet lag¡­¡±


    Hao Ren had no answer. ¡°¡­Come, there¡¯s an empty room upstairs.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks nodded and followed Hao Ren towards the stairway. Vivian suddenly shouted from the kitchen. ¡°Mr. Landlord, are you arranging a room for the big guy? I have something to discuss with you.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Vivian curiously, noticing that her face was twitching slightly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°You can just give the big guy my room.¡± Vivian requested. She was jittery as she thought her request would be causing trouble. ¡°I want to move to the basement.¡±


    Hao Ren stared at Vivian because he misunderstood her. He quickly put on a concerned look. ¡°Look, is Lily taunting you about your rent again? Just ignore her. I¡¯m not even bothered by it so, why should you. I can¡¯t just chase you off to the basement just because you can¡¯t pay rent¡­¡±


    Vivian put her hand up. ¡°No, no¡­ I don¡¯t mean that¡­ I really want to move to the basement¡­¡±


    The vampire pointed towards the bright sun as she went on. ¡°I¡¯ve already been weakened by daylight and I need a dark, shady place to rest. While those of us who are high-born do not fear sunlight, we still prefer to avoid it if possible. I know that you gave me the room out of kindness but at this rate my endocrine production wouldn¡¯t just go out of whack, it may even dissipate altogether¡­¡±


    Hao Ren thought Vivian was just making things up but she did go to the extend of listing her vampiric nature with a serious look on her face. He then knew that she really did want to move to the basement and did not question her further. He however, had a tinge of awkwardness in his voice. ¡°The basement is spacious, I give you that. I rented out that room before so it has water and electrical supplies. It¡¯s just that there¡¯s a whole load of junk in there and it needs a good cleaning.¡±


    ¡°No worries! I can do that!¡± Vivian looked somewhat proud. ¡°I¡¯m just that good at making a place for myself despite the circumstances. Almost a pro at it.¡±


    Hearing that and looking at Vivian¡¯s anticipation, Hao Ren felt bad for the unlucky vampire, wondering how she survived in the past.


    Vivian ran up and down the house cleaning, with Hao Ren lending her a hand. It did not take long before the house was spick and span again. Y¡¯zaks did not carry any luggage with him and used magic to solve all his needs. He pulled whatever he needed from the void. As such, Hao Ren just needed to give him an empty room. As for Vivian, her request was even simpler. A place away from the sun; she did not even need air conditioning (she could chill the air around her easily) and that was that.


    The basement was about the size of the house and Hao Ren had previously rented it out. In the glory days of his business venture, he had renovated the basement. He divided the place into two separate rooms, one as a storeroom and the other as a small, fully furnished suite. Excluding the lack of windows, it was similar to the other rooms in the house.


    As there were no tenants for the past two years, Hao Ren had inadvertently stuffed the room with some junk. Thankfully, it was not difficult to clean the place and after a while Hao Ren had gathered all the junk and prepared to move them to the storeroom next door.


    Vivian by then had came down to her new room with her small luggage. She saw Hao Ren squatting by a wooden crate and asked out of curiosity, ¡°Mr. Landlord, moving the stuff over to the storeroom?¡±


    ¡°Yep, will do that in a bit. Truthfully, none of these things have any use now but I just can¡¯t bear to throw them away. These are stuff from my childhood.¡± Hao Ren looked nostalgically at the items in the wooden box. ¡°Those were pretty rad stuff when I was a kid. Even fought with the neighbor¡¯s son for them. Look how worn out they¡¯ve become¡­¡±


    Vivian scratched her head. ¡°They look new to me¡­¡±


    Hao Ren almost choked himself. Recounting nostalgia with an old hag, who used an old antique as an amulet of protection was just asking for his pride to be wounded.


    Vivian saw the awkward look on Hao Ren¡¯s face and quickly changed the topic, pointing towards the items in the box for their stories.


    ¡°¡­This is the lunchbox I used when I was in junior high. This is the game console from when I was a kid. It used cartridges like this. I kept breaking the outer cover apart and just jammed the circuit board into the machine. God, it felt high tech back then. And this is the schoolwork from the guy who sat next to me in class¡­ Wait, the f*ck is this thing doing here? And oh, half of a one-dollar note. I had always wondered when I would pick up the other half when I first saw this note¡­¡± Hao Ren regaled the tales of his childhood items to Vivian. Each item seemed like a treasure to him. He even managed to surprise himself at times.


    Vivian listened on intently. The two, who had a gap of at least hundreds of generations were talking about Hao Ren¡¯s childhood items excitedly. That was until Hao Ren pulled out a metal object from the box. It was in the shape of a diamond. Vivian¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°This¡­ I don¡¯t even know where it came from.¡± Hao Ren totally missed the change in Vivian¡¯s expression and played with the object in his hand. ¡°It looks like a handicraft from somewhere. No one knows what the inscription means¡­¡±

 Chapter 70

    Hao Ren was fiddling with the metallic object in his hand like a normal toy. There was nothing particularly special about it.


    It was a diamond-shaped metal piece, the size of a palm. It looked like a metal wedge on a rusty old farming tool. It was black with a tinge of grey and the surface was wrought with marks of wear and tear. One part of it was particularly smooth, with wavy lines arrayed across the surface. They looked almost identical to the character that represents ¡®elephants¡¯ in old Chinese script. Hao Ren was pretty sure it was just another piece of metal. He tried to use a magnet on the thing.


    ¡°Let me have a look.¡± Vivian grabbed the object. Her voice had a tinge of concern in it. She played around with the object, trying to discern its origins. Looking at her actions, Hao Ren asked curiously, ¡°You¡¯ve seen this before?¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not very sure but, it does look familiar¡­¡± Vivian frowned. ¡°Not exactly the same object but, I¡¯ve seen the markings on the surface before. Where did you get it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Hao Ren ruffled his hair. ¡°I do remember having this when I was very young, around four or five. Back then, I was a brat. I could remember it being missing from my toy box. I remember clearly that I picked it up somewhere and I treated it like treasure. Just couldn¡¯t bear to throw it out.¡±


    Vivian clearly looked unsatisfied with Hao Ren¡¯s response. She held the metal piece tightly and brushed her finger against the marking. It took her a good couple of minutes before she recalled something. ¡°I remember seeing this symbol. It¡¯s been a very, very long time ago¡­ At least 1000 years ago, give or take? I don¡¯t remember the details though. You know how it is with me and my memory. I can¡¯t recall anything too far back.¡±


    Hao Ren gulped. He totally missed what Vivian said except the part about ¡®1000 years¡¯. He yelped excitedly. ¡°You mean, this is a piece of antique? A thousand-year old antique?¡±


    Vivian rolled her eyes. ¡°Well, you could try selling it at the antique fare.¡±


    Hao Ren laughed awkwardly. He knew his old habits had emerged again and they left the subject at that. He stored the metal piece back in the box carefully. Valuable or not, it did not really matter when it gave an old hag like Vivian a scare. That itself was golden.


    The both of them continued cleaning the basement. There was not much junk to begin with and Hao Ren cleaned the place rather frequently,.So, it only took a moment before they were done with it and all the junk was moved to the storeroom next door. They also took the chance to clean out whatever useless junk that should have been discarded years ago.


    Within a few moments, the basement had turned into a clean, new bedroom. It came furnished with the necessary furniture, it even had an internet port and best of all, it was devoid of the sunlight, which Vivian hated. There was only a small window in the western part of the wall, half buried in the house¡¯s layer of foundation. Only by dusk did rays of light permeate through the window port. It suited Vivian perfectly.


    Hao Ren still felt bad about letting a pretty lass like Vivian (please remember that vampires are eternally 17) stay in the basement. However, seeing that the room had become spick and span, he did not feel as guilty as before. Most importantly, Vivian looked extremely pleased. She even dusted off the dirt that had gathered on Hao Ren¡¯s shirt during the course of the cleaning. ¡°Mr. Landlord, you¡¯re too kind. No one has treated me this nicely before. That other time¡­¡±


    Well, it would have been centuries before Vivian would finish recounting her sob stories. All we need to know is, Lily finally felt like she had found paradise after living in hardship and poverty for about 1000 years. Surprisingly, Vivian was easily satisfied and that was a plus point. It made her an easy person to support.


    Y¡¯zaks on the other hand, took a few days to get used to his new life. So did Vivian, who was the home chef. She had to contend with two big eaters at home. (The first one being Lily who could wolf down three bowls of noodles in one go). Hao Ren noticed that new tenant seemed to be getting along well with the rest. The demon was a content creature and had a surprisingly good temper as opposed to the stereotype. This at least, reassured Hao Ren that his life would not become even more haywire than it already was. Heaven knows with Vivian and Lily around, another tenant with a grumpy mood would have probably sent Hao Ren sleeping on the streets.


    With everything in the household settled for the moment, Hao Ren moved on to the most pertinent matter at hand: Meeting Raven 12345. They had not met for a good few days and Hao Ren had even more questions to ask now.


    Hao Ren took off to Bastard Barrio the next morning in the usual rickety bus. After a while, he got off near the grand looking place: Heaven¡¯s Office on Earth or HoE for short.


    Raven 12345¡¯s luxurious mansion looked the same as it always had, perpetually stuck in a pocket of space and time where it was eternally a misty dawn. Around the perimeter, a cloud of seemingly impenetrable mist swirled about. At times, Hao Ren wanted to see what was beyond the mist. Perhaps he could have seen what ¡®heaven¡¯ looked like. It never actually happened though and Hao Ren did not have the guts to even bring it up to Raven 12345. Who knows, the crazy Goddess may not have taken too kindly to his curiosity and proceeded to off him right on the spot.


    A cerulean elemental slave led Hao Ren to Raven 12345¡¯s office. Upon opening the door, he saw the Goddess focusing on a holographic image floating above her desk. A frown appeared from time to time, followed by a look of deep thought. Hao Ren was surprised. He never thought Raven 12345 would have a serious moment while working.


    By then, Raven 12345 sensed that someone had entered her office. She looked up and greeted Hao Ren loudly, ¡°Yo, Hao Ren! Haven¡¯t seen you for a while. Looking fine there I see. Got rid of your jet lag already?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m okay.¡± Hao Ren just could not take the Goddess seriously enough to treat her with reverence. As time passed, his attitude towards her had transformed into something like running into a superior in office. ¡°I¡¯m here to¨D¡±


    ¡°Hold your horses! I need you to give me a full AAR of the mission.¡± Raven 12345 waved her hands ¡°The stuff you told me the other day was too brief. I can¡¯t write a report with that.¡±


    Oh, that was just bloody rich. A Goddess needing to submit a report¡­


    Hao Ren cleared his throat and recounted what happened in England two days ago. He also made mention of the wraiths beneath Yorkford Castle and Nangong, the demon hunter. He felt that they were the biggest surprises of the mission and thought they were worth the mention. Raven 12345 hesitated for a moment after listening to Hao Ren¡¯s account of the events. She asked, ¡°What do you think was the biggest obstacle during the mission?¡±


    Hao Ren looked down thoughtfully and finally spoke, ¡°My mortal body. I seriously can¡¯t deal with this god forsaken job. I mean¡­ I need some sort of combat or survival ability. I almost died trying to keep up with Lily in the crypt. Most of the time, I wasn¡¯t even fighting the creeps. It was more like me trying not to get beaten up by them. I could have seriously died from that! The strengthening of the body did work but it¡¯s not sufficient to keep me alive. Maybe try not to give me such a doomed mission?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ that was one of the easiest missions around. The other¡¯s to negotiate a peace treaty in Mintaka. You¡¯re up for that?¡± Raven 12345 rolled her eyes. ¡°But it¡¯s true that you do need to strengthen your body. Conditioning will only give you the basics but combat prowess requires training. How about this¡­ I¡¯ll give you¨D¡±


    Hao Ren quickly interjected before Raven 12345 could finish her sentence. ¡°You¡¯re giving me a Secret Skill Compendium isn¡¯t it? There¡¯s actually something like that?!¡±


    ¡°Hehehe¡­¡± Raven 12345 glanced at Hao Ren. ¡°You¡¯ve been reading too many fantasy novels. Do you think that you¡¯ll be invincible with just the Skill Compendium? Even that takes time to master. Most people take months to even get the spell casting sequence of a fireball right. A high level spell would require an even more complex mathematical algorithm. Do you think this is a game? Double clicking a skill book is gonna allow you to shoot frost bolts from your hands? Hah, good luck with that. You think that someone who moans at a simple mathematical equation can survive studying a tome of forbidden spells? The first chapter itself would probably put you to tears. So¡­ do you still want the Secret Skill Compendium?¡±


    Hao Ren could only look on in silence.

 Chapter 71

    Ever since Hao Ren knew Raven 12345, there was never any good news from the woman. Somehow, she just had a negative vibe to her. Whenever something exciting happened, Raven 12345 would definitely discourage him, including the leakage about the Secret Skill Compendium.


    Hao Ren did not say a word. Raven 12345 thought the heavy blow on Hao Ren was not hurtful enough and kept on nagging, ¡°No pain, no gain. You need to learn, to keep practicing it in order to master it. There is no skill on earth that you can master easily in a day or two. There is no fast track. It all takes time to learn and practice. You can¡¯t even memorize a simple mathematical formula, how do you expect yourself to memorize more than 20 lines of runes in the Otherworld? Do you think you¡¯ll have the strength to lift a Dragon Sword if you can¡¯t even handle a 200-meter run? You can¡¯t handle simple and easy things on Earth. Even if you travel to a magical land, you¡¯ll still just be a poor student there. I knew a fool before. He kept lamenting about the injustice in his life. The main reason he thought he was an unsuccessful laborer was that he lived in a dull world. He didn¡¯t get the chance to encounter a story-like adventure. I was holding a ¡®Great Bargain of Wishes¡¯ that time. So, I fulfilled his wish and turned him back into a six-year old.I sent him to the best magic school in Bantooine Land. The guy was still a poor student in the Otherworld and today he¡¯s still a laborer. Therefore, don¡¯t be impatient. Take one step at a time. I¡¯ll arrange a training program for you. It¡¯s tough but you won¡¯t die. You can slowly grow accustomed to your body changes and temper your mental. You see, you¡¯ve taken a shortcut compared to other people. You just need to train your mind. I can directly improve your physical and special abilities via physical enhancement. My only request is that you train your mind to be able to control your own power.¡±


    ¡°Think about those unlucky kids who have to run 5000 meters, do 50 push-ups and swim 2 kilometers everyday. They even have to count their calorie intake for every meal. And look at the good physique you have. You could beat the boxers in illegal, underground matches now. You should be happy,¡± she added.


    Raven 12345¡¯s words silenced him. He suddenly realized that the unreliable Goddess probably had a conscientious side after all. Though she was always careless, undignified, sloppy and had stains of last week¡¯s instant noodle soup on her desk, she was still a good Goddess.


    At least she would not just improve people¡¯s strength and leave them. She would support them from behind carefully and think everything through for her inexperienced, new employees. To be frank, Hao Ren was a little moved.


    That was until Raven 12345 grabbed a little pill out of nowhere.


    ¡°Come on, eat this. I knew you would keep talking about your combat strength when you came back. I¡¯ve already prepared this for you,¡± Raven whispered softly and smiled. Hao Ren remembered how his mother tricked him into taking medicine the same way.


    ¡°What is it!?¡± Hao Ren jumped back right away and lowered his body a little to defend himself.


    ¡°This little pill lets you see the real world¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be funny. The punchline from The Matrix is already out of date okay. Nobody remembers it now.¡±


    Raven 12345 moved and appeared right before Hao Ren in a flash. She held his mouth open and threw the little pill in. ¡°Just eat it like a man. This is an armament issued by the Space Administration, specially prepared for newbies who pass the initial task.¡±


    Hao Ren lowered his guard after he heard the last sentence. He then chewed the pill and swallowed it. ¡°It tastes sour. What the heck is this for?¡±


    ¡°Sour?¡± Raven 12345 was stunned for a few seconds. Then she patted her head and took another pill from her pocket. ¡°Oh, I got the wrong one. This is the pill for you. Don¡¯t worry. You can¡¯t die from taking the wrong pill. This pill can leave an imprint in your mind and reinforce your mental state through brain symbiosis. This is the Ministry of Military¡¯s latest invention. Previously it was only for the army but recently, they started giving it to agents as well. The pill will take effect soon. Although you can¡¯t feel it, it will effectively prevent you from going brain dead as a result of all sorts of accidents as well as help you fight against mental shock. The human species is too weak. If you don¡¯t strengthen your mental power, you can¡¯t even use our common gear. How do you feel by the way?¡±


    Hao Ren refused to talk about the wrong pill and shuddered as he took the second pill. His forehead started to sweat and he asked, ¡°Brain symbiosis?! Why does it sound scary¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, some species show resistance when confronted with this device, especially the standard Type III human.¡± Raven 12345 was not surprised at Hao Ren¡¯s response and continued explaining, ¡°You¡¯re instinctively afraid of something that sounds like a parasite. However, this isn¡¯t a parasite. It¡¯s a reinforcing piece. It¡¯s a lifeless mini device. Just like soldiers who wear external armor, this mini device is the armor of your mind. It provides you with double reinforcement from body to soul. It¡¯s not unpleasant when you think of it this way, right?¡±


    Hao Ren accepted her explanation and ignored the vague sense of discomfort that loomed deep down in his heart as usual. He would discover the value of the little pill he just ate, in the future.


    Raven 12345 looked at Hao Ren with satisfaction. She seemed optimistic about his composure. Shortly after, she went back to her desk. She adjusted her posture to appear serious and said, ¡°The new employment insurance has been sent to you. Now let¡¯s discuss the questions regarding your intensive training. Things like the Secret Skill Compendium don¡¯t really work. However, I know of a good training ground, the only one of its kind in this world. It¡¯s not easy to find a place like this anywhere else.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s ears perked up and he asked, ¡°Where is it?¡±


    ¡°Go home and have a dream. Train in The Plane of Dreams.¡± Raven 12345 smirked and said, ¡°You can live alone in the wild or find a place where people gather. Use your brain to find ways to survive. The former helps you learn to face danger, the latter helps you learn to adapt to an unfamiliar environment with strangers. These two skills are a must as an agent.


    Hao Ren was immediately reminded of the giant wolf in his nightmare a few nights ago. While he had the experience of dealing with armored wraiths in the crypt, he could not forget the choking feeling in his neck. His breathing slowed down immediately and he asked, ¡°The Plane of Dreams? Didn¡¯t you tell me not to touch that stuff!? You said it¡¯s dangerous there¡­¡±


    Raven 12345 rolled her eyes and said, ¡°Because that time you were just a dumb newbie. Now, you¡¯re a newbie. So, you can go and train in The Plane of Dreams now. It¡¯s just a twisted place that¡¯s linked to the real world. The physical parameters are the same as the Superficial World. It¡¯s not going to kill you. Thus, it¡¯ll be a good fit for you. Of course, if you don¡¯t want to, I can arrange another place for you. There¡¯s a new recruit training ground in the Grand Trine Galaxy. You¡¯ll be teaming up with more than 200 men to kill 30,000 beasts¡­¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly stood up. With a determined look on his face, he said, ¡°The Plane of Dreams, is it? For the sake of world peace, I¡¯ll do it!¡±


    ¡°Stop trembling when you say it then if you really dare to go.¡±


    Hao Ren was quiet.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t die,¡± Raven said as she smiled. ¡°Why did I give you the little pill just now? The pill¡¯s most important function is to protect your brain and your soul, to prevent them from dying. As long as you¡¯re not physically inside The Plane of Dreams, you won¡¯t die in that place. The worst thing that will happen to you is waking up from the nightmare and peeing yourself¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was sweating. ¡°As a Goddess, can¡¯t you talk a little more gracefully?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re gonna drown in bed and wake up from all the fear.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    Just as Hao Ren was about to touch on the ¡®graceful¡¯ issue again and ask Raven how he could consciously enter The Plane of Dreams, someone suddenly pushed the door open.


    A blue elemental servant bowed respectfully at the door and uttered a muffled, deep sound that no one could understand.


    Raven 12345 got up immediately and replied, ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll be back. I have something for you. Wait here.¡±


    As soon as she finished, the Goddess disappeared in a flash and left Hao Ren there, completely confused.


    Hao ren did not know what was happening but he was too afraid to leave as well. After wandering around the room, he found something that made him curious.


    Raven 12345 was examining something similar to the MDT on her desk earlier on. The device was still on and a holographic projection floated above it.


    Hao Ren slowly wandered over and thought, ¡°Just a peak. It should be fine, right?¡±

 Chapter 72

    ¡°Just a little peak should be okay¡­¡±


    Hao Ren kept looking around like a thief. It was as though the room was full of cameras. He muttered to himself as he walked towards Raven 12345¡¯s desk. He wondered what was above the Goddess¡¯s MDT. Curiosity was part of his human nature. Though he felt like it was something boring, he could not help himself.


    When he saw the projection, he found that it looked like a forum page. The text on the page was not in human language. However, with the MDT¡¯s seamless translation, the text could be fully understood. ¡°City of Shadows Community Chat Room¡± was written on the top of the page. He remembered City of Shadows being the capital of Xi Ling Empire. Mortals also perceived it as the ¡°Supreme Realm of the Gods¡±. Hao Ren could feel a solemn vibe the moment he read the title. He was then shocked by the topic of the first thread, which was posted at the top of the page.


    ¡°I was transferred to a primitive universe to be a God recently. How do I pretend to be an experienced God?¡± Waiting on the line urgently ¨C Raven 12345, via the Magic Type Data Terminal, posted 30 minutes ago.


    The post of Hao Ren¡¯s unreliable female boss had gathered more than 230 likes. It was pinned at the top of the forum¡­


    Hao Ren silently walked away and sat back on his seat. He buried his head in his hands and wondered what would happen if Raven 12345 found out he had read the post. Would the crazy Goddess get angry and kill him in seconds?


    Anyway, Hao Ren¡¯s unrealistic view of the Space Administration collapsed at this point. Although he knew that the Space Administration was a terrible behemoth, it was even more horrible that a cadre of deputy-leveled officers could destroy the entire Milky Way in seconds. However, he also knew that the big bosses who had the power to destroy the galaxy were basically not free to harm humans. He knew this from Raven 12345. Just look at what the psycho does everyday.


    While Hao Ren¡¯s imagination was running wild, a glowing blue vortex suddenly appeared in the room. Raven 12345 was back. It startled Hao Ren. However, she did not seem to realize that Hao Ren had just peeked at her data terminal. Raven 12345 was holding a crystal chip about the size of a matchbox in her hand. She passed it to Hao Ren and said, ¡°Take it. Keep it well. It¡¯ll be useful in the future.¡±


    ¡°What is this?¡± Hao Ren was a little immune to the variety of strange and high-tech gadgets issued by the Space Administration. He just asked out of curiosity and was not easily amazed or impressed by the high-tech devices like before.


    ¡°The key to the spacecraft and also your training card as a trainee pilot,¡± replied Raven 12345. The tone of her voice sounded like she was lending someone half an eraser.


    Hao Ren took the crystal chip. After he heard what she had said, he began to tremble like he was holding on to burning iron. He nearly dropped the seemingly fragile crystal to the ground. He could not help but be astounded by the chip on his hand and asked, ¡°What did you say?! Spaceship?! ¡±


    ¡°Yes, spaceship.¡± Raven 12345 nodded as she spoke. ¡°Why are you so surprised? There are countless universes under the Space Administration and the world I manage covers a range of 30 billion light-years. As the only certified God throughout 30 billion light-years, do you think that I would choose a spokesperson just to see him struggle on the earth? Do you think every God ¡®s a miniaturist? ¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s brain tingled as he held the crystal chip. He gulped and asked, ¡°Let me figure it out ¡­ You mean, I have to learn to pilot a spaceship? That¡¯s too big a task for me!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You still can¡¯t learn it for the time being. Your spaceship has not been approved yet. I just applied for an anti-theft lock¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless once again.


    How did the her mind work? Was it a complete mess?


    Hao Ren confirmed several times with Raven 12345 and finally felt ensured that he did not have to think about problems concerning the spaceship or outer space yet. The crazy Goddess had really just applied for a spaceship core lock. This was completely meaningless. It felt like ordering a security door before buying a house. What was the point? Was he supposed to poke the key into the keyhole every day to fulfill a psychological sense of accomplishment? According to Raven 12345, even the spaceship¡¯s core lock had not been sent over from the factory. She got the key directly from the workshop and did not know the purpose of giving it to Hao Ren this early¡­


    Hao Ren totally could not communicate with this confusing and psychotic woman.


    ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Raven 12345 did not care about how her strange logic had confused others. She patted Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder like nothing ever happened and said,¡± If there¡¯s nothing else, I will continue my work. My post got so many likes for the first time in my life¡­¡±


    Hao Ren instinctively nodded and left the room. Luckily, he remembered the questions he wanted to ask before he stepped out of the door and said, ¡°Wait! There¡¯s one last thing!¡±


    Raven 12345 looked at Hao Ren curiously and he quickly seized the opportunity to ask the questions he almost forgot about. ¡°I found something. The magic didn¡¯t work for me. The blood magic Vivian used to remove the curse didn¡¯t work on me. It was the same for her blood. And The Letta runes in England were¡­¡±


    Hao Ren told her all about the unusual situations he encountered. He did not think that this immunity against the spells was also one of the Space Administration¡¯s welfare programs. If there was a benefit, Raven 12345 would have told him in advance. Although the Goddess was a psycho, it was unlikely of her to make a mistake on this issue. More importantly, the phenomenon first appeared before Hao Ren was physically enhanced. At that time he was still a thoroughly ordinary person. Therefore, the ability to be immune to spells must have been something strange.


    After listening to Hao Ren¡¯s description, a rare expression of seriousness appeared on her face. She looked at Hao Ren up and down until it gave him the creeps. ¡°Immune to the vampire¡¯s blood magic and blood perfusion? Immune to the influence of Letta runes? Your body can also directly cancel out the effect of Letta runes? Anything else?¡± asked Raven 12345.


    Hao Ren tensed up when he saw Raven 12345¡¯s expression. He guessed that his situation was unusual. He did not expect his situation to make the careless Goddess look grim. He thought it over, firmly shook his head and said, ¡°That¡¯s it. And I¡¯ve never been in contact with any other sort of magic. Anyway, I¡¯m immune to these types of magic. Do you think I was born immune to all kinds of magic? This isn¡¯t natural¡­¡±


    Raven 12345 dropped a bunch of sparks on Hao Ren. ¡°You think too much,¡± she said.


    Half a minute later, Hao Ren recovered from a temporary state of paralysis. His face was full of resentment. ¡°How can you just do whatever you like to me¡­ So, I¡¯m not immune to magic, huh?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly, you will be immune to certain parts of the magic but, I¡¯m not sure specifically which part¡­ I need to investigate it,¡± said Raven 12345 as she frowned. ¡°This may also be a hereditary problem but, don¡¯t you worry. At least, it¡¯s harmless.¡±


    ¡°Can you tell me more?¡± Hao Ren guessed that Raven 12345 knew something about it. He immediately moved close to her and said, ¡°After all, this happened to me. At least I have the right to know.¡±


    ¡°The problem is I¡¯m not sure and now, I can only roughly guess that it could be related to the Plane of Dreams.¡± Raven 12345 gazed into Hao Ren¡¯s eyes. She did not look like she was lying. ¡°Certain changes normally happen to people who have entered the Plane of Dreams. However, most of them are dangerous mutations and those affected usually die within a few days. You on the other hand, are immune to certain magic after waking up from it¡­ It¡¯s a special case. I have to investigate further before coming to a conclusion.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s related to the Plane of Dreams again?¡± Hao Ren was finally interested in that mysterious and dangerous place. ¡°What the heck, how¡­?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just go and have a look at it?¡± said Raven 12345. She smiled mysteriously. ¡°You¡¯ve only been there once so you¡¯re still far from knowing the truth of that space. I won¡¯t tell you too much. Just go and figure it out by yourself.¡±


    ¡°Again, you¡¯re just telling me half of the story,¡± Hao Ren muttered. ¡°This is the only part of you that¡¯s similar to the deities in the fairy tales¡­ Oh yes, there¡¯s one last thing! ¡±


    Hao Ren almost forgot the most important question and quickly blurted, ¡°Can you solve my tenants¡¯ language problem? Vivian and Lily are unable to communicate with people in England. Y¡¯zaks doesn¡¯t even speak human language. The big demon is now holding the primary one language book and learning pronunciation all day. The werewolf, vampire and demon rely on sign language and hieroglyphs to communicate with each other. If they keep going on like this, I really don¡¯t know how to face Hollywood and Qidian¡­


    Raven 12345 immediately gave him a brilliant smile and said, ¡°That¡¯s simple. I¡¯ve discussed your special situation with my superior. I can provide your tenants with limited civilian device support. You can bring them over in two days. I¡¯ll use the Bioenhancement and Reconfiguration Chamber to install the language directly into their mind. You also need to install it, by the way. Then you won¡¯t have to go through the data terminal every time you need a translation.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment and finally realized something was wrong. He then said, ¡°Wait! You mean I have to lie in that coffin again? ¡±


    A smile blossomed on her face and she said, ¡°Yes!¡±

 Chapter 73

    Hao Ren spent most of the day at Raven 12345¡¯s office. It was almost evening when he returned home. Just as he turned around the corner of the street, he saw Lily waiting there. She was standing on her toes at the door, looking towards Hao Ren¡¯s direction. She looked like a puppy that was left alone at home by its owner. Hao Ren had already gotten used to this scene.


    When Lily saw Hao Ren, she quickly ran up to him excitedly and asked, ¡°Landlord, landlord, you¡¯re finally back. What are we eating tonight?¡±


    ¡°Will you have some dignity as a werewolf, please?¡± Hao Ren sighed and passed a bag of food to Lily. ¡°It¡¯s the big ribs you love. We need to cook them in a stew first tonight. Then you¡¯ll have rib noodles by noon tomorrow.¡±


    After half a month of getting along, Hao Ren had completely mastered Lily¡¯s temperament. The werewolf¡¯s preference was easy to guess. She was happy as long as she got to eat delicious food. Two of her favorite dishes were stewed ribs made by Vivian and noodles made by Hao Ren. Well, it was easy to understand why she loved ribs. They are meat but, noodles? Do werewolves even eat noodles?


    No one could figure out how Lily turned into an omnivore. It was a good thing anyway. It was easier to keep omnivorous animals. If Lily needed to eat 20 kilograms of fresh meat every day like normal werewolves, the butcher would have probably not been able to cope even if Hao Ren could have afforded it¡­


    Lily carried the ribs and happily ran back to the house to look for Vivian. Lily would only say something nice to Vivian for food. Where was her pride as a werewolf?


    Hao Ren was speechless as he watched Lily follow Vivian into the kitchen. After locking the door, he turned around and saw a huge man sitting in the middle of the living room. The giant, Y¡¯zaks was too obvious to ignore. With his height of 2.15 meters, he would have definitely attracted many unwanted attention no matter where he went. Not to mention that anti-social and demonic look of his. It was a big problem taking him out. Hao Ren went to market to buy some food with Y¡¯zaks two days ago. However, not long after they left the house, an old lady had already called the police¡­ So, you see¡­


    Y¡¯zaks did not notice that Hao Ren was back. He was sitting on the sofa, studying a Chinese dictionary attentively. The dictionary looked like a booklet in his hands. He could only pinch it with a few fingers to keep it in his hands. Looking at the serious look on his big and fierce face, Hao Ren found it really funny. Why was a good-tempered man born with such a fierce face?


    ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡± Hao Ren was curious. He moved closer to Y¡¯zaks and took a look at what he was holding. Hao Ren found that the demon actually jotted down some crooked symbols in the dictionary, which looked like demon text. Hao Ren was moved by the demon¡¯s hardworking spirit but, also a little embarrassed at himself. The dictionary had been abandoned in his home for more than four years. He could not compare with Y¡¯zaks in terms of hard work¡­


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re back,¡± Y¡¯zaks looked at Hao Ren as he spoke in a low, muffled voice. Demon language sounded like a tape being played backwards. It had strange pronunciation and a vague tone. It was hard to discern and came up just behind Japanese English. Vivian and Lily did not learn a word during the past two days so, Hao Ren became the only one in the family who could communicate normally with Y¡¯zaks. The giant demon knew that was the case too hence, he was happy to see Hao Ren. ¡°Finally, I can chat with someone. Is everything okay? ¡±


    ¡°Things are pretty good. Raven 12345 explained and cleared the confusion. How¡¯s your learning progress been these two days? ¡±


    ¡°Chinese is so difficult.¡± Y¡¯zaks lost his spirit and threw the dictionary away. The giant demon could not seem to handle it. ¡°I think it¡¯s more difficult than Elvish. I can¡¯t figure out these four words: pits, holes, caves and tiny holes even after learning them for two days. How exactly did you learn this language?¡±


    This made Hao Ren sweat. ¡°These four words are difficult enough to stop 80% of students from coming to China. Forget about them. I wanted to tell you that Raven 12345 has applied for something new from her superiors. It¡¯ll be able to help you solve your language problem. I¡¯ll bring you to meet her along with Vivian and Lily in two days. All of you need to do is undergo a ¡®small surgery¡¯, and then you¡¯ll have a translation package in your head.¡±


    Hao Ren observed Y¡¯zaks¡¯ expression and wanted to see how the giant demon reacted to the ¡®small surgery¡¯. He had impression that not many boss-leveled creatures were willing to let others touch them. However, Hao Ren was disappointed to see nothing from Y¡¯zaks¡¯ face. He just nodded and said, ¡°Oh yes, I should meet the Goddess to say hello too.¡±


    ¡°Then, you have to be mentally prepared,¡± Hao Ren kindly reminded. ¡°Don¡¯t get angry when she wants you to lie down inside strange things¡­¡±


    ¡°I know what you mean.¡± Y¡¯zaks had a scary grin. ¡°Something that looks like a coffin right?¡± Most of the coffins in the world look the same and most equipment made by the Xi Ling Celestials look like coffins as well. I¡¯ve tried it before¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was lost for words.


    ¡°Dinner¡¯s ready!¡±


    As Hao Ren and Y¡¯zaks were discussing the inspiration behind the coffin-like equipment in the Xi Ling Empire, Vivian¡¯s voice suddenly rang from the kitchen, pulling the two of men out of their gossip session.


    Vivian carried an electric cooker and walked to the living room, followed by Lily who was wagging her tail happily. They were also followed by an arrogant-looking Rollie. The three of them looked proud of themselves. Before Hao Ren and Y¡¯zaks sat down, Vivian pointed towards the direction of the kitchen and commanded, ¡°Wash your hands!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks could not understand what Vivian said but he got the meaning from her hand gestures and direction of her finger. So, the big demon stood up and obediently ran to the kitchen to wash his hands, leaving Hao Ren amazed in the back.


    Vivian would have a domineering vibe right after she finished the housework. She was not scared of the demon and dared to shout at him. Hao Ren thought that the vampire had probably figured out how to be a housewife. Well, it was good.


    The evening meal was light and simple. It included rice, porridge, steamed bread and two vegetable dishes. This was quite enough for them and the portion was big enough to fill Lily and Y¡¯zaks¡¯ big appetite. Vivian¡¯s cooking skills were unquestionable. As an ancient creature who had been wandering the world for centuries, she was familiar with all kinds of cooking methods on the planet. She even knew how to roast a saber-toothed tiger. If not because of its extinction, Hao Ren believed his daily meals would have be abundantly unprecedented.


    Lily inserted her chopsticks into two steamed buns and chewed them quickly like eating candied haws on a stick. She scrunched up her nose and looked towards the kitchen. As she gnawed on the buns, she said, ¡°I want to eat the ribs¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still cooking.¡± Vivian was probably still in housewife mode. She spoke to Lily in a relaxed tone. ¡°It has to cook in the stew for at least three hours. I have my own principles when it comes to rib stew.¡±


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes and thought, ¡°Can she apply principles in the right place?¡±


    Everyone was busy eating. While Hao Ren was about to look for the remote control to turn on the TV, a sudden crack broke the calm atmosphere in the living room.


    It was Lily. She was holding a small plate in her hands. She had wanted to take more food but, the small plate was squeezed into pieces and the ceramic scattered all over the table.


    Hao Ren was stunned whereas Vivian shouted at her. ¡°Doggie, can¡¯t you have a little patience? You just had to wait and eat the meat tomorrow. Was it necessary to get angry over it? It¡¯s Landlord¡¯s bowl! ¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to!¡± Lily was frightened as well. She quickly cleaned up the broken dish on the table as she nervously glanced at Hao Ren. ¡°Landlord, I didn¡¯t mean it. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with me. I can¡¯t control myself all of a sudden¡­¡±


    Then, there was another crack.


    Before Lily could finish her sentence, she crushed a bowl in her hand again.


    Just as Vivian was about to scold Lily, Hao Ren realized that Lily was not behaving normally. He quickly waved his hand to stop Vivian and said, ¡°Something isn¡¯t right. Look at Lily¡¯s eyes.¡±


    Lily was in her werewolf. She was usually in human form when at home. For no reason she had transformed into a werewolf and her golden eyes appeared brighter than usual. Her eyes were so bright that they were slightly glowing!


    ¡°Lily¡­ your hands seem to be shaking.¡± Hao Ren finally saw Lily¡¯s hands. He sensed that something bad was about to happen.¡±

 Chapter 74

    Lily¡¯s hands trembled but she did not realize it until the others pointed it out. Meanwhile, the ceramics in her hands had turned into powder. She seemed to have lost control.


    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening¡­¡± Lily waved her hands nervously. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it¡­¡±


    So many questions were on his mind but when he saw how nervous Lily was, he calmed himself down. ¡°Just stay calm. Don¡¯t move¡ª Vivian, you know what¡¯s going on, dont¡¯ you?¡±


    Vivian noticed something¡ªLily¡¯s eyes were unusually bright. ¡°She seemed to have entered into a state of excitement¡­ Did you eat something you were not supposed to? An analeptic perhaps?¡±


    Lily was almost in tears. ¡°No. Just a bun in the afternoon. I was so run down just now because of hunger¡­¡±


    Hao Ren had to stop eating midway. Not only were Lily¡¯s hands shaking, her body was quivering as if she had lost control of her muscles. Hao Ren stepped forward and held the werewolf maiden in his arms. ¡°Let¡¯s move over to the sofa.. just relax.¡±


    As Hao Ren helped Lily over to the sofa, he noticed something once again¡ªher muscles were stiff. He felt like he was holding a heavy, steel bar. Lily heard him but she shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t relax. If I do I¡¯ll lose control. Landlord, please stay away. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll inadvertently fling you away¡­ Oops! See what I mean!¡±


    With just the slightest movement of her arm, Hao Ren was flung away like he was hit by a speeding lorry. His body flew and crashed into Vivian, who was standing nearby. It brought them both to the floor. Lily was terrified seeing what had just happened. She wanted to give them a hand but she was trembling uncontrollably. She stood where she was and slowly leaned herself on the sofa. While she placed her hand on the sofa¡¯s armrest to support herself, she accidentally punctured a large hole in it.


    Hao Ren and Vivian got up from the floor awkwardly. Hao Ren¡¯s bio-enhanced body saved himself from a two-week vacation in the hospital. The duo carefully approached the werewolf maiden. Lily huddled herself on one end of the sofa. ,She lay still, afraid that even the slightest exhale from her nostrils would blow the house away.


    ¡°A sudden loss of control and mild hysteria. She¡¯s conscious though¡­¡± As the only one there who understood werewolves, Vivian offered her half-baked, medical expertise. She made sure Lily did not move a muscle before she went up-close to check on her eyes. ¡°There is slight bleeding under the conjunctiva. Please open your mouth so that I can see your tongue¡­ Are you sure you didn¡¯t eat anything weird?¡±


    Lily shook her head crying out, ¡°No, I swear. I don¡¯t know anything!¡±


    The werewolf maiden became desperate. She had never been under the weather. In fact, she never even had bruises. She was a virgin in terms of sickness. Plus, her timid nature did not prepare her well. She was scared out of her wits. Hao Ren could only stand by. It was Vivian¡¯s show now. ¡°Do you know how to treat a werewolf?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°Not a clue.¡± Vivian shook her head in complete honesty.


    ¡°¡­But you checked her eyes and tongue like a pro.¡±


    Vivian looked away. ¡°I realized that I don¡¯t know how to treat her after my attempt to diagnose!¡±


    ¡°Then, what should we do now?¡± Hao Ren spread out his hands. ¡°Send her to the hospital?¡±


    Vivian pointed her finger at Lily¡¯s ears and tail. ¡°In your opinion, what kind of hospital should we send her to? What kind of doctor will be able to treat her?¡±


    Hao Ren pondered for a long while before he felt a real need to send Lily to a veterinarian.


    ¡°Yes, a veterinarian!¡± Hao Ren smacked his head. ¡°How could I not think of it! Aren¡¯t you a veterinarian yourself, Lily?¡±


    The werewolf maiden slammed her hand on the sofa¡¯s backrest and said, ¡°Yes, but I¡¯ve only treated dogs. I¡¯m a werewolf, mind you! I can¡¯t treat myself¡­ Oops! I¡¯m sorry, the sofa¡­¡±


    Hao Ren took a quick glance at the broken backrest but, he had no time to be angry. He turned his hopeful eyes to the last person in the house. ¡°Y¡¯zaks, any idea?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks just shook his head. ¡°There is no such creature as the ¡®werewolf¡¯ in the demonic abyss. And I¡¯m not a doctor.¡±


    Hao Ren told Lily what Y¡¯zaks had said. She instantly became dejected. ¡°What am I supposed to do now? Could this be an incurable disease? Battie, do you know what werewolves do when they¡¯re sick? You¡¯ve seen enough werewolves to be able to tell, right?¡±


    ¡°Erm¡­¡± Vivian had an odd expression on her face. ¡°When werewolves are sick they¡¯ll normally have a feast.¡±


    Everyone was speechless.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk like it doesn¡¯t concern you!¡± Lily exploded in anger and her tail puffed up. ¡°This is all your fault! Ever since you yanked that red moon out, I¡¯ve been having a bad feeling. Today¨D¡±


    ¡°Wait a second!¡± Hao Ren chimed in all of a sudden. ¡°Did you just say red moon? What red moon?¡±


    ¡°It happened the day we first met the giant, ¡°Lily said as she compressed her lips. ¡°Since Battie conjured up that strangely huge, red moon, I¡¯ve been feeling awful for days. It¡¯s all Battie¡¯s fault.¡±


    By then, Hao Ren had also recalled it in his memory; he could never forget the majestic scene where the demonic sea of fire and blood-red moon faced off in the sky. However, he did not give it much thought then. He only felt that being as low-key as she was, Vivian had pulled off something worthwhile during her confrontation with Y¡¯zaks, the demon. As for the red moon¡­ he had no idea what to make of it.


    Lily however, reacted to the red moon.


    ¡°Does it really have something to do with the moon?¡± Hao Ren looked at Vivian, expecting her to retort. Instead, she nodded hesitantly. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it seems so¡­ The blood moon has influence over many creatures. I used it once a long time ago and the blood moon almost caused the entire werewolf tribe to go crazy. That night, I had used restraint. Doggie should only be experiencing some discomfort at the most and there shouldn¡¯t be any aftereffect. She seemed just fine the last couple of days. The effects should have been gone as soon as the blood moon disappeared.¡±


    ¡°Hey, we could got to Raven 12345 for answers!¡± Just when every body was at a loss of what to do, the idea of outside help crossed Hao Ren¡¯s mind. ¡°She¡¯s the one who asked me to look after all of you. So it¡¯s only natural that I should refer to her about what¡¯s happening here. Vivian, I need your help. We¡¯ll take Lily to Raven now¡­¡±


    ¡°No, not now. Not until daybreak.¡± Vivian stopped Hao Ren as she pointed her finger towards the window. ¡°Four days to go before full moon. I¡¯m afraid if we take her out under the moon, her condition would worsen. Or, she could go on a rampage because the moon still affects her.¡±


    ¡°So, the problem now is how do we make it through the night.¡± Hao Ren nodded as his eyes rested on Lily again. Her shivers had stopped but her hands were still shaking severely. A golden glow emanated from Lily¡¯s muddy eyes. The glow made everyone nervous. ¡°Lily, are you awake?¡±


    The werewolf maiden nodded lightly. ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡±


    Nonetheless, Hao Ren was still worried. So he asked, ¡°One thousand nine hundred and ninety nine plus one hundred equals¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Two thousand.¡±


    ¡°Not good¡­ Her mind¡¯s still blurry!¡±


    Vivian smacked Hao Ren on the shoulder. ¡°Bullshit! She gets it wrong all the time. That¡¯s just how she is!¡±


    Despite their best efforts, Vivian and Hao Ren arrived at nothing. At last, Y¡¯zaks broke the silence and came up with an idea. ¡°I think first of all, we need to stop her from moving. She¡¯s lost control of herself. Her destructive movements could injure others. Maybe, we can tie her up with a rope or chain?¡±


    ¡°Save your trouble.¡± Hao Ren sighed. ¡°She can snap a chain the size of a bowl with one hand. She has no special skills. Her only advantage is her incredible, brute strength.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks spread his arms. ¡°Then, knock her out.¡±


    ¡°Not even a 10-ton rock could scratch her one bit.¡± Hao Ren looked at Y¡¯zaks. ¡°Maybe you could.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks waved his hands vehemently. ¡°No, I¡¯m not doing it. It¡¯s a matter of principle.¡±


    Hao Ren almost jumped on him. ¡°Is that necessary? I mean you¡¯re a demon. You have no moral obligation.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself¡­¡± Lily glanced at them with a miserable look on her face as Hao Ren told her what Y¡¯zaks had suggested. She wanted to do the ¡®honors¡¯ herself but when she raised her hand above her head, she hesitated. ¡°Will I die if I hit myself?¡±


    ¡°If you can¡¯t do it, I will.¡± Vivian gestured with her hands. ¡°But I guess it¡¯s going to take a while before you pass out¡­¡±


    Before Vivian finished her sentence, she heard a thud¡ªLily had hit herself on the head and passed out.


    Hao Ren stared at the werewolf maiden in astonishment. ¡°Actually, I wanted to say¡­ the MDT mentioned it has an idea on how to keep Lily¡¯s condition under control.¡±


    Vivian laughed out loud. ¡°¡­Wow, haha. Let¡¯s finish out dinner¡­¡±

 Chapter 75

    Hao Ren woke up early the next morning, before the sun had even rose. He bumped into Vivian, who did not sleep the night before and the early riser, Y¡¯zaks. The three of them spoke spontaneously, ¡°Let¡¯s check on Lily (Doggie)!¡±


    After hitting herself unconscious since the previous night, Lily was not in any danger. By staying unconscious, she did not lose control and go on a rampage. In fact, Hao Ren and Vivian helped Lily back to her room that night. Hao Ren anticipated that Lily was going to wake up soon. He pushed the door open with Vivian but, what they saw shocked them.


    Lily was still in her werewolf form¡ªand awake. She crouched on the bed and her wolf tail stood erect like a feather duster. Her back was facing them so they could not see her face. But Hao Ren could vividly feel a suppressed energy, which was gradually being released around her¡ªhe felt like he was confronting a beast.


    Vivian inched a step forward and Lily¡¯s ears stood up as she growled. Seconds later, Hao Ren saw a dazzling light. Lily had faded into a silver, lightning-like shadow. She flitted across the room, along the walls and ceiling before charging towards Vivian with her snarling fangs!


    ¡°Lily!¡± Hao Ren shouted at her. Meanwhile, Vivian had already shapeshifted into a colony of bats which flew away in the air. The werewolf maiden missed her target. She stopped in bewilderment and began to sniff the floor.


    Hao Ren spotted that the werewolf was only going after Vivian and was not interested in him. He plucked up his courage and inched forward. ¡°Lily¡­ can you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Heh-heh-heh¡­Tsssss¡­¡± All he heard was a series of indiscernible sounds coming out from her throat. She obediently raised her head. When she saw Hao Ren, she smiled. ¡°Landlord? ¡­Dinner¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless¡ªhe began to doubt the possibility of saving such a hungry creature.


    Nevertheless, Lily still recognized faces that were familiar to her. However, Hao Ren noticed something¡ªa layer of murkiness began to obscure her golden eyes, erasing the contrast between the pupil and the sclera. That was not all, her breathing was irregular too as with her facial expression which changed erratically when she spoke. It showed how screwed up her state of mind was.


    Witnessing her condition, Hao Ren slapped his forehead¡ªhe should not have waited until the next day. Lily¡¯s condition had deteriorated so quickly that it was only proper to send her to Raven the night before.


    Vivian was back in her human form. She edged cautiously round the back of Hao Ren and maintained a five-meter distance from Lily. ¡°Hey Doggie, are you going to bite me again? Would you?¡±


    ¡°Not any¡­more.¡± Lily crouched on the floor, raising her foot to scratch her face. She could barely speak and it sounded clumsy. ¡°My eyesight¡¯s a little¡­blurry. Just woke up, not entirely awake. Better now. Landlord, are you taking¡­ me to the doctor?¡±


    ¡°Yes, right away.¡± It ached Hao Ren to see that she could not even speak properly. He held the werewolf maiden by her hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s good to see you awake. Let me handle the rest.¡±


    ¡°Landlord, don¡¯t¡­ touch me.¡± Lily shook Hao Ren¡¯s hand off. ¡°I could fling you¡­ Look, there you go flying again!¡±


    Hao Ren got up from behind the sofa, staring in dismay at how muddled her head was. ¡°Can you tuck your ears and tail away? You can¡¯t board a bus like that!¡±


    ¡°What? Are you asking her to take the bus?¡± Vivian jumped to her feet protesting. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious! How can you let her out in public when she can kill someone with just her sneeze?!¡±


    ¡°Then what?¡± Hao Ren had his hands spread out. ¡°Should have taken her out last night. It¡¯s daylight but she¡¯s not getting any better!¡±


    ¡°Fret not, I¡¯m prepping a portal,¡± Y¡¯zaks suddenly chimed in. ¡°I made a trip to Bastard Barrio last night. I¡¯ve marked the location. The portal will be ready in a few minutes.¡±


    Hao Ren took a long sigh of relief. ¡°I almost forgot, demons are apt dimensional travelers. But I still can¡¯t believe that you could open up a portal in an unfamiliar space.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks proudly replied, ¡°The physical constants of this world are somewhat different from ours. Yes, I had problems with establishing the connection initially. But like I said, it¡¯s the tricks of the trade¡ªI tweaked the formula a little and ta-da, it worked. By the way, do you still have soy sauce?¡±


    ¡°Did you just say soy sauce?¡± The idea of calling up a portal in his living room was indeed a pleasant surprise. Hao Ren could now take pride in the fact that there was a more decent tenant in the house. The demonic portal sounded cool but he could not believe what he had just heard. He strode over to Y¡¯zaks only to find the demon squatting and drawing a circular diagram in the middle of his living room. It was about of two to three meters in diameter. He drew it while held a dish in his hand. In the dish was some black liquid and it smelled like¡­ soy sauce.


    ¡°WTF?¡±


    ¡°Why not? When you¡¯re at the level of a master, you can draw diagrams with basically anything¡ªeven water; all things hold demonic power. I once knew an awesome demon master, who calmly drew a line of hell fire with his pee in the face of 20,000 strong, beastmen.He managed to hold it until help arrived. However, the old pretender later denied he had ever used the pee trick. Instead, he claimed to have performed a blood-smear formation¡­ Any more soy sauce?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, soy sauce right away! Screw it, I¡¯m not gonna be pretentious anymore. I should have known¡ªI¡¯m never ever going to cross paths with anything that¡¯s state of the art! Vivian, please give the gentleman some soy sauce¡­¡±


    After splashing a whole bag of soy sauce, Y¡¯zaks finally completed the teleportation diagram. The drawing medium notwithstanding, the diagram looked like it meant business with its complicated and exotic demonic runes. They were stacked into rings of three. Rows of unintelligible incantations floated around in the center of the diagram like a living object. Just as Y¡¯zaks exerted his energy into the runes, the diagram emanated a red and green yet cloudy glow. The gateway was finally online!


    The only fly in the ointment was the smell of the soy sauce.


    And that thought kept ringing in Hao Ren¡¯s mind. Could things get any less magical than this?


    Anyway, it was the only way even if it was not magical, Lily¡¯s state of mind was deteriorating fast. She crouched on the floor without making a sound. Her pose and behavior had become characteristically wild (and dog-like). Hao Ren had also witnessed her gnawing on the table leg during the few minutes that Y¡¯zaks was drawing his diagram; the total loss of his table was prevented only because the wood was too unpalatable.


    Y¡¯zaks got to his feet and pointed at his creation. ¡°Everyone, move inside the circle and I¡¯ll start the teleportation. Beware, this will work only once. So, we better go at once.¡±


    ¡°Is it because soy sauce has a limited capacity of demonic power?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡± Y¡¯zaks shook his head as he pointed his finger at Rollie, the cat on the sofa. ¡°Judging from its edacious eyes, I can tell he¡¯ll lick the soy sauce clean once we¡¯re gone, thus spoiling the runes¡­¡±


    Hao Ren jumped inside the circle at once. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go. If we keep this conversation up a minute longer, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to convince myself that I¡¯m going to be involved in more magic.¡±


    Fortunately, the soy sauce portal worked without a hitch. Everyone on board arrived at the destination in one piece.


    Bastard Barrio appeared as it always was¡ªdeserted. No more than a few cars passed by in the day and the camouflage provided by the portal made their emergence less of a problem.


    Feeling nauseated, Hao Ren clung to a telephone pole. ¡°That was one hell of a flaky, soy sauce portal¡ª¡±


    Y¡¯zaks had an ingenious smile as he said, ¡°It¡¯s typically demonic¡ªcrude and simple yet, practical. Try getting used to it.¡±


    Still crouching like a wolf on the ground, Lily¡¯s head drooped from left to right. With extreme caution, Hao Ren poked her shoulder and said, ¡°Lily, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°So far so good.¡± Lily raised her head. There was no more reflection in her cloudy eyes but, her sanity remained. ¡°Where¡¯s the floating mansion?¡±


    Hao Ren gave her an assuring smile as he found the familiar telephone pole with the old Chinese medicine sticker. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, we¡¯re about to witness a moment of wonder!¡±

 Chapter 76

    ¡°So, you guys decided to bring her here?¡± Raven 12345 looked sideways at the werewolf maiden who was crouched on the floor. She growled menacingly. ¡°Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you. All my furniture¡¯s made of super alloy. If she breaks any of her teeth, that¡¯s not my problem.¡±


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t this bad before we arrived but after teleporting, she can¡¯t utter a word. On the bright side, she doesn¡¯t bite.¡± Hao Ren explained awkwardly as he continuously pulled Lily¡¯s tail, trying to keep her away from Raven¡¯s office table.


    They were already in Raven 12345¡¯s office and Lily¡¯s condition had worsened since that morning. She was unable to walk upright on two legs. She could only lie down indifferently beside Raven¡¯s table. Occasionally she would let out a few beastly growls. She bit everything in sight, including the table and door frame. She even bit a passing arcane servant but as a result, a shock wave blew up in her face¡ªshe could no longer speak because of that.


    Hao Ren knew Lily was mentally sound. The gnawing was just a distraction¡ªto keep herself occupied with everything else except aggression. Biting the arcane servant was just an accident; the arcane servant did not even look human, Lily had probably mistaken it for a jelly.


    Even Vivian, who always locked horns with Lily looked worried. Deep down, the vampire maiden was a kindhearted person. She looked at Lily, feeling sorry. ¡°Should we find her some steel rods to gnaw?¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± Raven 12345 waved as she signaled Hao Ren to step aside. Raven got down in front of Lily. She pulled Lily¡¯s head back so that Lily would raise her head. ¡°Hey little pup, look into my eyes.¡±


    Interestingly, Lily was calm upon hearing Raven¡¯s voice. It was astounding contrast to her crazed state of mind earlier. Her breathing became smoother as she stared attentively at Raven 12345 before muttering, ¡°Doc¡­tor?¡±


    ¡°Yup. I¡¯m your doctor. Look into my eyes. Tell me, what did you see?¡± Raven 12345 spoke in a pleasant tone of voice, which was so soothing Hao Ren could not help but bang his head into the wall. This was supposed to be how the psychotic goddess talked, he thought.


    A light of clarity flashed across Lily¡¯s eyes. She pondered for a long time before nodding. ¡°There¡¯s a leftover noodle at the corner of your mouth¡­¡±


    Raven 12345 smacked Lily¡¯s forehead. ¡°I¡¯m asking you to look into my eyes, not my mouth you idiot!¡±


    Hao Ren heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank God, she¡¯s still the psychotic b*tch who talks with just the right dose of bitchiness.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks stood by with his head lowered in reverence. He nudged Hao Ren in the arm and said, ¡°Is this how the goddess is supposed to be over here?¡±


    ¡°Ya, have you seen any difference in the other world?¡± Hao Ren asked briefly.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Y¡¯zaks mumbled. ¡°Seven out of the ten Xi Ling Celestials have facioplegia¡­ How did you run up against this one?¡±


    Hao Ren was silent.


    Raven 12345 was trying to awaken something inside Lily. She held Lily¡¯s head sturdy as her own eyes emitted a bluish, white glow. Her voice was soft as well as magical. ¡°No matter what you see, don¡¯t be worried. It¡¯s just an illusion, you¡¯re in a safe place. Tell me little maiden, what do you see?¡±


    ¡°¡­Moon, a big moon¡­¡± Lily was still crouching on the floor but her muscles were beginning to relax slowly. ¡°It¡¯s red. There¡¯s something seething on the moon like ocean waves¡­ and there¡¯s really a noodle at the corner of your mouth, I swear.¡±


    ¡°¡­Be serious! Focus on my eyes!¡± Raven 12345 wiped the noodle away. ¡°Apart from that, what else? Recall everything that happened that night. Besides what you saw, what appeared in your mind?¡±


    ¡°People on the moon¡­ I couldn¡¯t see their faces but I knew there were many of them¡ªthey were melting away and becoming part of the ocean¡­ There were people on the ground too. Everyone was melting away, I was scared¡­ I wished I could be stronger and escape from being melted, then¡­ You didn¡¯t clean it enough, there¡¯s still some of the noodle left on your mouth.¡±


    Raven 12345 then smiled. ¡°¡­Maiden, wield your weapon, you and me¡ªonly one will be left standing today.¡±


    Hao Ren swiftly stepped in to intervene. He did not know why a solemn moment had turned sour but, he knew he had to be the peacemaker. ¡°Whoa, whoa, she¡¯s always rash and impulsive. Furthermore, she¡¯s left with only her brain stem now. By the way, what¡¯s wrong with Lily?¡±


    ¡°You have a well-known vampire in your house.¡± Raven 12345 got to her feet and gave Vivian an intense glance. ¡°She has great ability but I¡¯m afraid she doesn¡¯t know how to control it. The pup¡¯s doing fine. Her subconscious has been invaded by hallucinations of some disaster which she has no idea of herself. She has been bugged by nightmares which have caused her to lose control of her power. That explains her deteriorating condition: she is plagued by her own nightmare.¡±


    Raven 12345 bent down and patted Lily on her head. ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve some good news to break¨D¡±


    Not waiting for Raven 12345 to finish, Hao Ren chimed in, ¡°Is she pregnant?¡±


    The entire house became as quiet as a grave. Only the sound of Lily gnawing at the table could be heard. Vivian looked at Hao Ren with a weird expression. ¡°Landlord, what are you thinking about in that head of yours?¡±


    Hao Ren tried frantically to explain. ¡°Isn¡¯t it always the case on TV? People always break the news of their pregnancy this way.¡±


    Raven 12345 conveniently shot a tiny plasma ball, hitting Hao Ren on the head. ¡°Your brain¡¯s screwed up. It must be doing well in the City of Shadows. Considering the amount of scoundrels over there, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve found your own kind. Talk about birds of a feather flock together. But, I was going to say¡ªthe pup¡¯s about to evolve.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Lily stopped gnawing at the table leg. Her ears stood up and she listened expectantly¡ªapparently she had not gone mad.


    ¡°Evolve?¡± Hao Ren felt it was rather magical. ¡°She¡¯s a digital babe?¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll send you for treatment after the pup. Delaying treatment isn¡¯t a good idea.¡± Raven 12345 led out a long sigh as she shook her head. ¡°You guys didn¡¯t even know that this little girl¡¯s a minor?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s an adult,¡± Vivian stepped up and exclaimed. ¡°Look at her. Does she look like a minor?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just her shell.¡± Raven 12345 twisted her mouth and said, ¡°Maybe she¡¯s ripe physically but as a werewolf, apparently her ability isn¡¯t up to par. Didn¡¯t Hao Ren mention that Lily doesn¡¯t possess any special abilities except brute strength?¡±


    ¡°Good olfactory receptors too,¡± Hao Ren busily added. ¡°Besides, she has a tail.¡¯


    ¡°That isn¡¯t a f*cking special ability!¡± Raven 12345 waved as she gave orders to an arcane servant. She then pointed at Hao Ren with an upset look on her face. ¡°Feed this gentleman some medicine, just enough to shut him up!¡±


    Hao Ren dared not utter a word. On the other hand, Vivian nodded her head as though she was thinking about something. ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering; although werewolves don¡¯t usually possess magical abilities, they at least have some natural skills like Active Violence, Shadow Steps, Moonlight Masking and the like. Doggie however, doesn¡¯t have any of that aside from great physical strength and incredible health. However what¡¯s most amusing is that, she thought her brick-throwing, which she trained for five years was her greatest trick. For that matter, I wonder if werewolves even evolve at all? As far as I know, their special abilities come naturally as they grow up. Doggie¡¯s going to experience an explosive evolution?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it. Each one of you is weirder than the next,¡± Raven 12345 said it in such a way that like it carried some deep meaning. ¡°Ordinary wolves evolve gradually but due to the stimulation from your moonlight, this maiden¡¯s going to experience super evolution. Well, that¡¯s not a bad thing actually; she will evolve anyhow. Now, you¡¯ve just saved five years worth of cleaning up damaged furniture. One thing you should know though¡ªa werewolf¡¯s natural growth period is five years and hyperactivity happens during their power awakening!¡±


    Hao Ren wiped off the cold sweat from his forehead; there was nothing more comforting than the knowledge that Lily was safe. She was just going through her natural physiological evolution, albeit it being a little of out control.


    Having known that, it was time to think of ways to help the idiot sail through her evolutionary process¡ªsafely.

 Chapter 77

    Lily was placed into the Bioenhancement and Reconfiguration Chamber as everyone else looked on. As the chamber doors slowly shut, Hao Ren¡¯s heart sank.


    ¡°Will this work?¡± He looked at Raven 12345 wearily as the latter was glued to the machine¡¯s user manual, trying to figure out the workings. Seeing how unreliable Raven 12345 was most of the time, Hao Ren could not help but worry. ¡°Speaking of which, do you even know how to operate this thing?¡±


    ¡°Oh, goodness aren¡¯t you an annoying one! As clueless as I am, I¡¯m still better than you. Using the MDT as a blunt force weapon; it¡¯s a wonder you still have the audacity to criticize me.¡± Raven 12345 leered at Hao Ren. She quickly set her sights on Lily, who was lying in the chamber pod. ¡°Relax, it¡¯s fully automatic. I¡¯m just confirming the command code in the manual.¡±


    ¡°Will this actually prevent her from going berserk again?¡± Vivian asked as she stared at the mixed-alloy equipment. She was awed by the high-tech toy before her. ¡°She just needs to lie in it for while and she¡¯ll be cured?¡±


    Raven 12345 shrugged. ¡°This is just a temporary measure. The device can forcefully pacify her. After a few days, she will reach the peak of her evolution. When that time comes, just let her run free; somewhere spacious enough. Don¡¯t worry. With this reconfiguration, even if she goes berserk again, she¡¯ll still retain her thoughts. At most she¡¯ll be in her wolfen form but she¡¯ll be harmless. That, I guarantee you.¡±


    This was the ¡®treatment¡¯ that Raven 12345 prescribed for Lily. In her words, Lily¡¯s growth was a normal process; one she would have to go through eventually and only fools would have prevented it. All she needed to do was let Lily past through this volatile period smoothly, with some tweaks here and there to her physical as well as psychological profile. The facilities available to them should do the job.


    Using the Reconfiguration Chamber, Lily¡¯s mental state was pacified and suppressed to its usual state, allowing her to regain control of her body. Her growth was progressing normally and the reconfiguration allowed her to safely go through the period of volatility. It would have counted as a blessing if she had undergone her evolution in one single, explosive transformation.


    Of course, letting her loose meant finding a suitable location. According to Raven 12345¡¯s estimates, a pup like Lily, who was undergoing such an explosive burst of power for the first time would not be able to hold their form. They could turn into full, beast mode or go feral altogether. Having such a transformation take place in the living room would be a disaster waiting to happen.


    Hao Ren had that figured out. A barren place like the Southern Suburbs had no lack of wide, running plains. Beyond the backdoor of his house was a stretch of empty land reaching towards the hills. The area had no known inhabitants, not even a dirt path. Even if he allowed Lily to go wild all night long over there, he would not have to worry about disturbing the locals.


    ¡°Then again, werewolves are really one of a kind aren¡¯t they?¡± Hao Ren looked at the Reconfiguration Chamber, which reminded him of a casket. He had nothing noteworthy to say about Lily being in the pod and tried to change the topic awkwardly. ¡°Can she really turn into an actual wolf? She¡¯s adorably dimwitted most of the time, I can¡¯t quite imagine her going all feral.¡±


    ¡°Blessed be the ignorant¡­¡± Vivian scratched her head as she looked at Hao Ren. The latter¡¯s face was brimming with curiosity. ¡°When a werewolf goes feral, it will succumb to madness. What? Do you think it¡¯ll be like a lazy dog sprawled on the floor, playing dead? I was there when Fenrir ripped Odin in half. Oh, all that blood spurt. It was a bloody sight. Even most highborn vampires won¡¯t risk taking on a feral werewolf. Who cares if she¡¯s an idiot, that won¡¯t matter when she turns feral.¡±


    Hao Ren decided to ignore the details about Fenrir ripping Odin to shreds. He knew that it was part of Vivian¡¯s foreboding past. He could only pat his chest to calm himself down. ¡°Well.. Raven 12345¡¯s guaranteed that if she transforms, she¡¯ll still keep her sanity¡­ I¡¯ll just believe her this once. Aren¡¯t you interested to see how she¡¯ll turn out to be? Do you have any idea just how cute this contrast of character is?


    Vivian gave Hao Ren a very odd look. ¡°What does that even mean? I turned into a bat to clean the house plenty of times. Never saw you noticing that.¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned. ¡°Uh¡­ yeah? Why didn¡¯t I?¡±


    As Hao Ren and Vivian¡¯s topic of conversation was getting way out of hand, Raven 12345 interjected. ¡°Right, are you guys done with your nonsense? If so, get into the pods as well. I¡¯ll be installing the translation module.¡±


    Hao Ren almost forgot about that and was grimly reminded by Raven 12345 that he still had a date with the casket-shaped device. His looked forlornly at her. ¡°Eh? I thought you said that was not due for another two days¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, stop your whining. Let¡¯s get it done already since you¡¯re here.¡± Raven 12345 snapped her fingers and the floor not far from them split apart. Three new Bioenhacement and Reconfiguration Chambers slowly rose from the ground. ¡°Anyhow, just get into the pod. Using the MDT as a translation tool is all fine and dandy but impractical at times. I¡¯ll install a translation module into your psyche and this will allow you to speak with all races of the Empire without impediment. Which is more convenient, you¡¯ll see in good time. Oh right, Y¡¯zaks, go into the one on the right most. It¡¯s a special variant which has a spatial regulator that can adjust itself to the shape of the user. It may look dainty but it¡¯ll fit.¡±


    Vivian was the first to nod and seemed totally unfazed by the prospect of going into the coffin looking machine. ¡°We just lie down in there, right? Me first!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a bloody casket!¡± Hao Ren reminded her but all he got was an unapologetic smile from Vivian. ¡°So, what¡¯s wrong if it¡®s a casket? Not that I¡¯ve never slept in one, mind you. There was a time where sleeping in caskets was a fad in the vampiric world. It had to do with one¡¯s status. I even saved up for one made out of walnut wood with a decorative cross to boot. Too bad I lost it during the wars in Europe.¡±


    Vivian slowly approached the device as she spoke. She gently touched the alloy surface of the machine, a nostalgic look appearing on her face. ¡°This shape¡­ this style¡­ how I miss it. I loved sleeping in caskets shaped like this.¡±


    A chill went down Hao Ren¡¯s spine as he heard what Vivian said. Additionally, a cold sweat started to form on his forehead. He was even more adamant about not going into the machine.


    However his protests were of no avail. By the time he realized it, Vivian and Y¡¯zaks had already gone into their respective ¡®caskets¡¯, leaving Hao Ren alone in the room and Raven 12345 eyeing him dangerously.


    That dangerous look was not merely a psychological reaction¡­


    ¡°Do you want to go in yourself or do I have to haul your ass into it?¡± Raven 12345 pointed towards the Reconfiguration Chamber. ¡°If you really need me to¡­¡±


    Before Raven 12345 could finish her sentence, Hao Ren leapt into the casket with utmost agility.


    As the Reconfiguration Chamber sealed itself, Hao Ren quickly lost his consciousness.


    In a semi-lucid state, Hao Ren started dreaming.


    He saw himself standing on the surface of a body of water. It was indeed illogical but, he stood on it like it was firm ground. He looked around and saw familiar scenes on the shore: old-style houses, a noisy morning market and rolling hills as well as rivers he had never seen before. Yet, they were familiar.


    The phantasmagoria by the shore was ever changing and ever moving. Hao Ren was surprised by the sight. He clearly knew he was dreaming but this did not happen the last time he was in the machine.


    He suddenly felt a shudder underneath him. As he peered down, a dark, foreboding shadow slowly surfaced.


    An unknown fear suddenly smothered Hao Ren. He felt that something particularly devilish was coming up from the deep abyss beneath him. The shadow in the water threatened to devour everything on the surface and beyond but foremost, Hao Ren.


    ¡°Boooommmm!!!¡±


    A loud bang rang inside Hao Ren¡¯s head and he realized that the phantasmagoria around him had disappeared. He was now floating in a dark void. It was a familiar feeling. He knew it from when he first underwent the reconfiguration process.


    The short dream sequence earlier had seemingly disappeared without a trace.


    From a distance, Raven 12345¡¯s voice could be heard, ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I didn¡¯t hit the wrong button but why is the red light lit?¡±


    Hao Ren could not muster a response in that state.


    He was pretty sure the only reason he had not been killed by that lunatic of a goddess was his luck!

 Chapter 78

    The chamber¡¯s door opened without as much as a whisper and the sudden burst of light dazed Hao Ren. It took him a good while to get up. He gave his head a good shake and realized that there were no major changes on his body. It was very similar to the first time he underwent a reconfiguration or enhancement. It only took a few moments to complete.


    However, the living nightmare was so harrowing that just thinking about it sent chills down Hao Ren¡¯s spine.


    Raven 12345 mucked around a crystalline interface which floated mid air. It looked like the central command console of the Bioenhacement and Reconfiguration Chambers. She had a thick manual laying by her side. Looking at the usually unreliable goddess who was pretty much operating the device on a trial and error basis, Hao Ren shuddered. He glanced at the other three chambers and asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s taking them so long?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m doing some physical checks,¡± Raven 12345 answered without looking up. ¡°The lil¡¯ wolf pup is still growing, Y¡¯zaks just came from a different world and Vivian has some issues controlling her strength¡­ Problem children, all of them. This is a good chance for me to give them a good check. No worries, their signatures look normal. And oh, how are you feeling?¡±


    Raven 12345 only looked up after finishing her sentence and she measured Hao Ren carefully. ¡°Hmm¡­ you look pretty good.¡±


    ¡°I had a nightmare.¡± Hao Ren could not even get mad at Raven 12345¡¯s demeanor anymore and simply recounted his dream to her. ¡°At the end, I saw something coming up to the surface and got violently woken up after that.¡±


    Raven 12345¡¯s hand suddenly stopped. She stared at Hao Ren silently. ¡°I believe you should take every chance you have to train your mental fortitude in The Plane of Dreams. Your current mental strength is just too low and your psyche is problematic. You won¡¯t survive future encounters if you are to stay like this.¡±


    ¡°What was that nightmare all about?¡± Hao Ren felt that Raven 12345 had this habit of not fully conveying what she actually meant. He had to press on with his questions, ¡°I can see from your expression¡­ that there¡¯s more to it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the effect of The Plane of Dreams.¡± Raven 12345 casually looked at Hao Ren. ¡°It will remember you after the first encounter and it will keep reappearing inside your head. It can be a dream or a mere illusion. What you see is the silhouette of the dream plane and reality reflecting off each other. Many who have entered The Plane of Dreams and survived, eventually succumb to the constant mental assault. Hence, you best work on training your mental fortitude while I¡¯m still around. At least I can pull the breaks if anything goes wrong. Wait till you have a certain level of fortitude and The Plane of Dreams will be nothing but child¡¯s play.¡±


    Hao Ren violently slapped his forehead. Why did this Goddess have to go and ruin the nicety of what she had said earlier¡­


    Raven 12345 continued to bury her face in the manual and she slowly manipulated the control panels of the Reconfiguration Chambers. Hao Ren was quite literally bored to death and went to sit in a corner of the room. He stared at the advanced thingamajigs which looked like they came out of a sci-fi flick. Seeing the rate at which Raven 12345 was working at, Hao Ren felt that he was probably going to be stuck there for a while. He then pulled out the MDT from his pocket to surf the net.


    As lazy as Hao Ren was, he did not spend his past few days doing nothing. He still took improving himself rather seriously and realized that the MDT was one of his survival tools for future missions. Despite the system being way beyond his league, the data vault a mess, the abundance of bloatware, and an AI which saw him as a nuisance, the MDT was still a valuable tool. Hao Ren was still learning how to properly utilize the high tech toy fromXi Ling Empire. There was some progress after a few days; Hao Ren finally found that the device had access to around a dozen different internet networks.


    Hao Ren felt like he should have known; the MDT¡¯s most important function was to connect to the aetherweb. It was a given that an item of such an advanced civilization would not come with just a single setting. The only issue was the liberty Raven 12345 took in filling the MDT up with a boatload of apps. This really cluttered up it¡¯s browser and made it hard to navigate. The MDT¡¯s AI had to reboot and recalibrate itself for the web module to function in tip-top shape. The list of networks that appeared on the screen stunned Hao Ren:


    Local Settings Chain ¨C Local Web Network ¨C Local Galaxy Network ¨C Local Celestial Group Network ¨C Local Universe Network ¨C Macroworld Civilian Network, Macroworld Military Channel ¨C Specialized Channel Network ¨C Centralized Military Channel Network¡­.


    Hao Ren suddenly realized that he was sitting on a treasure trove without knowing it. The array of networks and channels available on the MDT made him understand the true meaning of the phrase, ¡®You¡¯re not alone.¡¯ Thus, he eagerly fiddled with the listed networks.


    Most of the networks were not available to him as he had expected. He was just a newbie; fresh of the boat with only a single mission under his belt. Such encrypted channels were clearly off limits to him. He could only access the Local Universe Network at will. That was the only channel he had full clearance to. The next one was the Macroworld Civilian Network. Civilians probably used it but it was directly monitored by the Space Administration. With smatterings of sensitive military information floating about in that channel, an agent with Hao Ren¡¯s level could only access a limited amount of information.


    The ones he could read were open information from the top brass. He could not connect to the network directly.


    Despite that, what he had was more that sufficient. He found that trying to comprehend things in the Local Galaxy Network was enough of a struggle. Plus, he was so bedazzled by the amount of stuff that was going on there to even bother with the other networks or channels.


    As the MDT connected to the web, Hao Ren first saw an ¡°Activity Report¡± window and he could see what was going on in the far corners of this galaxy.


    ¡°Unencrypted Report ¨C Local Galaxy Network. Starting Point: Kerdula III. Repeating Broadcast towards Dan-Dwyn. The invasion of the Kerdulan main planet by the Kaer-Roms has ended. The Kerdulans won with their own martial might. The war did not exceed the observer¡¯s cordon as deemed by the local agent. No intervention required. PS: Please retract the application for intervention. Report Over.¡±


    ¡°Unencrypted Report ¨C Local Galaxy Network. Starting Point: Chattar. Non-specific Broadcast. The Chattarian Star is dying. Estimated date of destruction is 326 Imperial days from whence this report was sent. Medium alert event with the potential extinction of a civilization. Local agent gauged that intervention is required. Sending aid signal. The first available team to receive this report, please respond. Report Over.¡±


    ¡°Unencrypted Report ¨C Local Galaxy Network. Starting Point: Dan-Dwyn. From Satelite Base: Suharr to Chattar. Local Agent has idle shipping resources. Please advise if mass migration is required. The local system has no habitable colonies. Please apply for the creation of a new planet. The local Administrative area is able to provide verification and also the documents required for the creation of a new planet. If needed, please use the dedicated channel. Report Over.¡±


    ¡°Unencrypted Report ¨C Local Galaxy Network. Starting Point: Saint Sur IV. Non-specific Broadcast. Report Over.¡±


    ¡°Unencrypted Report ¨C Local Galaxy Network. Starting Point: Suharr Satelite Base. Direct broadcast towards Saint Sur IV. Did you forget the body of the report? Report Over.¡±


    ¡°Unencrypted Report ¨C Local Galaxy Network. Starting Point: Saint Sur IV. Non-specific Broadcast. That was my cat. Report Over.¡±


    A flood of messages like these poured through the activity window as Hao Ren turned on the MDT. The volume of messages really did wonders in pulling Hao Ren out of his myopic world view. Even though the messages were shortened bulletins, they still smacked Hao Ren right in the face. They showed the true scale of hustle and bustle that occurred throughout the entire universe.


    It was only days ago when they appeared before him and Hao Ren¡¯s surprise was simply natural.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even understand smack¡­but, it does feel awesome.¡± Hao Ren muttered as he swiped through the messages in the channel. He did not know how he could interject. Frankly speaking, at his level, he did not even need to go to the upper channels. Just being able to access it at all gave him a sense of accomplishment. ¡°I may not be able to chat but, I still have a presence in this channel.¡±


    ¡°Looks awesome right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Wanna join in?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re not even sure if what you did is worth mentioning, right?¡±


    ¡°Er¡­eh? Are you done?¡±


    Hao Ren slowly realized that the voice belonged yo Raven 12345. He quickly turned off the MDT and stood up to greet her. Raven 12345 just waved him off. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be so tense. Just treat it like you¡¯re chatting through the instant messenger at work. I¡¯m not too bothered about it. Sides, it¡¯s good if you expose yourself to these things, broaden your perspective. It would be negligent of you to still remain a country bumpkin while being an agent. Just make sure you stay grounded and don¡¯t let these toys fool you into believing that you¡¯ll be godlike in a day. Oh, the wolf girl is the first to wake. Go have a look at her.¡±


    Hao Ren turned to look at one of the chamber pods and saw the doors opening with Lily clumsily climbing out of it.


    She had reverted to her humanoid form.

 Chapter 79

    Lily, who finally regained her human form swayed about by the Reconfiguration Chamber. It was almost like she was sleep walking. She was testing her balance. Hao Ren was the same when he got out of the chamber pod. He feared that the alien technology had inadvertently screwed him over, giving him some odd new quirks; a typical response froma country bumpkin.


    Hao Ren walked up to her and enquired, ¡°Feeling better?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, pretty good!¡± Lily seemed to have returned to her usual jovial state and smiled brightly. She jumped on the same spot to prove that she had full control of her motor functions. ¡°You see! I¡¯m not shaking anymore. And I can hide my ears and tail again!¡±


    By then, the other two pods had opened up. Vivian and Y¡¯zaks were waking up from them. It looked exactly like one of the scenes from Biohazard. Hao Ren shook his head to rid himself of the nonsensical thought and greeted Y¡¯zaks first. ¡°Yo, do you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡±


    He was using Mandarin. It took a while for Y¡¯zaks to muster a response because he realized that his language issue had been resolved. He gasped. ¡°This thing sure is convenient! I finally don¡¯t have to struggle with a dictionary anymore.¡±


    ¡°Oh Doggie, you¡¯re back to normal?¡± Vivian lithely leapt off the chamber pod. She still kept her distance from Lily at that moment. She only got close after confirming that the latter would not bite her. ¡°Still remember what you almost did the other time? You went straight for my jugular!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t really bite you did I¡­¡± Lily shifted awkwardly. ¡°I was a patient then. Can¡¯t you just let it slide?¡±


    Hao Ren quickly interjected to play the peacemaker. ¡°Alright, stop being a powder keg. You just met again. Lily, you too,. When you were down, Vivian was worried you know. Sides, the food that you eat at home is prepared by Vivian most of the time. Can¡¯t you two just play nice for once?¡±


    Raven 12345 glanced at the four who were busy greeting each other after getting out of the pods. She did not deign to interrupt the lot. She casually fiddled with the controls and as the pods were retracted back into the ground, a holographic image appeared in front of her. On it were pictures of Vivian, Lily and Y¡¯zaks along with the reports of their scan. She stared at Vivian¡¯s report for a some time before moving on. Lily¡¯s report on the other hand, left her with a dumbfounded look. However, no one saw her reactions.


    It took a long while for Hao Ren to calm the two walking powder kegs down. Not long after that, he caught Raven 12345 signaling them to leave. He took a glance at the hologram and asked, ¡°Is this the report for their health check-up? ¡­I don¡¯t understand a single thing and it doesn¡¯t look like a health report as well¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course you wouldn¡¯t understand. This is for experts,¡± said Raven 12345 as she turned off the holographic projector. She then gestured Hao Ren to keep his distance. ¡°Alright, lets go back to my office. I still have things to tell you guys.¡±


    ¡°Eh, wait up, Lily and Vivian¡¯s portraits are labeled number ¡®1¡¯ and Y¡¯zaks is marked as number ¡®2¡¯. Does that mean¡­¡± Hao Ren quickened his pace to question Raven 12345 but that lunatic of was already out of earshot. He could only shake his head in resignation and followed.


    As they entered Raven 12345¡¯s office, Lily was the center of attention.


    ¡°Your status is currently stable and you will be evolving in the next few days. I reckon that the process will take about two to three hours. You¡¯ll be conscious during the process but you will not have control over your transformation, aura and special abilities. So, you¡¯ll need a place without any inhabitants nearby. Raven 12345 explained with a disclaimer. ¡°Provided that I did¡¯t press the wrong button or misread the manual.¡±


    Hao Ren instinctively ignored Raven 12345¡¯s last sentence. He quickly went for the most pertinent question on everyone¡¯s mind. ¡°When will that be?¡±


    ¡°Theoretically it should be during a full moon.¡± Raven 12345 appeared unsure. ¡°You know, like in the story books where werewolves transform under a full moon? And this lass here is affected by moonlight¡­ so a full moon it is.¡±


    Vivian nudged Hao Ren in the arm and whispered, ¡°¡­Is she reliable?¡±


    ¡°Nope¡­ but we don¡¯t have anyone else.¡± Hao Ren responded with a resigned look.


    ¡°I can hear you the both of you, you know¡­ Don¡¯t think just because you¡¯re whispering that what you say can escape my ears¡­ Forget about it, you¡¯re not the first to say that anyway. Hao Ren, I suggest that you pay The Plane of Dreams a visit again. The plane has been active as of late. May be somewhat easier to communicate. Just stick to what I thought you, it¡¯s guaranteed safe.¡±


    Hao Ren filtered out the last two words and nodded in ascent to her suggestion.


    They had concluded their business there and figured that the goddess who ate cup noodles would not be preparing dinner for them. Hence, they left the place right after they reconfirmed the details of Lily¡¯s impending transformation. For once, Raven 12345 played nice and sent them off.


    Lily and Vivian were the first ones to step into the teleportation gateway. As Hao Ren and Y¡¯zaks prepared to leave, Raven 12345 suddenly popped a question. ¡°So, you plan to live out your days like this? You¡¯re sure about not going back at all?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Y¡¯zaks turned around and gave his signature, scary smile. His voice however, was earnest. ¡°I¡¯ve tried and failed. It can only mean that my methods were ineffective. I¡¯ll let them choose their own path. Time will tell anyway.


    Hao Ren knew that it was wrong to eavesdrop on private matters but, he was curious to know about the demon¡¯s past. He could not help but ask, ¡°Say¡­ what¡¯s Y¡¯zaks¡¯ story anyway? He seems to have people after his head.¡±


    ¡°Him? I guess you could call it a failed career.¡± Raven 12345 shrugged. ¡°He was a big boss back in his own world, with money and influence. However, his methods of doing business differed from the rest. As he got a foothold in the market, others pretty much ganged up on him. He pretty much lost everything including his life to his rivals. He was getting beaten to a pulp when an administration observer passed by. I think this left a black mark on him, a BIIIGGG one.¡±


    Hao Ren was lost for words.


    ¡°Sorry, you know how I am.¡± Raven 12345 smacked herself on the head. ¡°Just leave it at that.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks did not speak or prevent Raven 12345 from telling his story. He only protested slightly at the end. ¡°The part where I got beaten to a pulp could¡¯ve been left out¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh right, you were actually strung up and beaten.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks was speechless.


    Hao Ren could not bare to listen anymore and indicated that he understood as much as he needed to about the demon¡¯s past. Both of them then leapt into the gateway.


    As Raven 12345 gazed upon the closing gateway, she was deep in thought. Finally, she muttered to herself, ¡°Can we really rely on this bunch of ragtags?¡±


    Of course, the group could not have heard what the goddess thought of them. They were on the sole, rickety bus back to the Southern Suburbs.


    The first thing they were going to do upon arriving was to clean the floor.


    Y¡¯zaks had used two packets of soy sauce to make a roughly three-meter wide teleportation circle. The smell was overwhelming to say the least. A good scrub was in order. This was something you would not see often: a group of protagonists scrubbing the floor upon reaching home¡­


    After they finished cleaning up, Lily¡¯s stomach growled in hunger. Her ¡®consultation¡¯ with Raven 12345 had already taken up a good half of the day and the goddess did not even offer them water. It was already late noon and Hao Ren would have doubted the treatment if Lily was still not hungry by then.


    Seeing that the wolf pup had recovered and returned to her usual lifestyle of eating, sleeping and playing, Hao Ren could finally relax.


    The rest of the day went by with nothing out of the ordinary. Soon., night arrived and it was time to pay The Plane of Dreams a visit.

 Chapter 80

    It was getting late and Hao Ren was making the final preparations for his journey to The Plane of Dreams.


    Well, to be honest¡­ it did not really need any preparation! Hao Ren would enter The Plane of Dreams by lying on the bed and falling asleep. Any other preparation outside the dream was not going to help inside the dream!


    Lily had been quite exhausted from the past two days. She needed to be well-prepared for her evolution during the full moon in the next few days. As such, she went to bed before nine o¡¯clock that night. Vivian and Y¡¯zaks were in the living room prepping for Hao Ren. Vivian had extracted a pot of medicinal herbs for Hao Ren to boost his energy. She supervised Hao Ren as he drank two big bowls of medication. She then looked at him with a concerned face and asked, ¡°How is it? Do you feel better?¡±


    Hao Ren smacked his lips; the strange taste of medicinal herbs numbed his tongue. However, when he looked at Vivian¡¯s concerned expression, he felt bad saying no. He just nodded and said, ¡°Well, it works. Now I feel quite energetic like I just woke up¡­¡±


    ¡°One more then!¡± Vivian was very happy when Hao Ren said so. She grabbed the bowl from Hao Ren and filled it with black, greasy gruel. ¡°I tell you, no one knows about herbs in medicine these days. Not even veteran doctors. This prescription was created by Li Shizhen back when he passed by a small village. It helps to refresh and calm your mind. Entering The Plane of Dreams is actually a nightmare. As long as you keep your mind strong and clear, then there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡±


    Hao Ren hurriedly refused the offer and let her take the bowl away. ¡°That¡¯s enough. If I keep drinking, I¡¯m not going to be able to sleep anymore. Don¡¯t be so nervous, all right? I¡¯m just taking a nap¡­¡±


    ¡°How can we not be nervous!¡± Vivian put the m


    edication on the table and said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about The Plane of Dreams. That place is not just an ordinary dream world. Many people have actually died in it. Raven 12345 just promised that you wouldn¡¯t die in it because half-dead is not considered dead!¡±


    Even Vivian said so thus, one could imagine the wide spread of Raven 12345¡¯s bad character.


    ¡°If only my blood magic works for you.¡± Vivian suddenly sighed. ¡°Lots of the spells within the Blood Clan are devoted to the mind, which is definitely better than letting you drink this medication. Why doesn¡¯t the blood magic work on you?¡±


    Even Raven 12345 could not explain it, let alone Hao Ren. He just gave her a halfhearted smile. Y¡¯zaks took the opportunity to ask, ¡°Or maybe I could try creating a protection for you using our magic?¡±


    Hao Ren waved his hands and said, ¡°Don¡¯t bother. My body is immune to magic. I can¡¯t even use the buff given by my teammates. This unfortunate physique¡­¡±


    ¡°How will you know if you don¡¯t try it?¡± Y¡¯zaks was stubborn. Whatever that was on his mind, he had to give it a try. He did not care what Hao Ren said. Right away, he wrote a dark green rune in the air and patted Hao Ren on the back. ¡°¡­ Is it working?¡± he asked.


    Hao Ren was totally stunned. When he realized that the big demon¡¯s magic had worked in an instant, his mind was refreshed. His consciousness of his surroundings was elevated to a state he had never experienced before. He did not know what mental force it was. However, he was sure that the rune on his body had absolutely stimulated his mental strength!


    ¡°Aren¡¯t I immune to magic¡­¡± Hao Ren was particularly puzzled by his momentary elevation of mind. However, what was even more surprising was his susceptibility to Y¡¯zaks¡¯s runes. A few seconds later, he remembered what Raven 12345 said. ¡°Partial immunization¡­ I remember the psycho telling me that I was only immune to certain kinds of magic!¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re not immune to demonic power?¡± Vivian looked at Hao Ren with surprise. Suddenly, she frowned and said, ¡°Then you better be careful next time. Don¡¯t think you are really immune to all kinds magic anymore. Don¡¯t let other demons hurt you. Not every demon is as friendly as this big guy.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. After which he stood up and said, ¡°This is it. I feel like I¡¯m in a really good state. I¡¯m going to sleep now. Vivian, you sleep late at night, right? Please help me to keep guard around here. Raven 12345 said that when I¡¯m connecting to The Plane of Dreams, something strange may occur. Help me observe and record any unusual scenarios. I¡¯ll report to Raven 12345 later.¡±


    Vivian promised Hao Ren repeatedly. Y¡¯zaks also scratched his bald head. He then laughed and said, ¡°Let me help you as well. I¡¯m quite interested in The Plane of Dreams in your world. It¡¯s a pity that I can¡¯t get in. I can only watch from the side.¡±


    Hao Ren thought finally, he was a big shot. He had a vampire and demon as his bodyguards when he walked back to his room. How powerful did one have to be in order to have such privilege? Yet, when he reached the door looking all manly, something just did not feel right. He then turned round, not really sure if he wanted laugh or cry at what he saw. ¡°I¡¯m just going to sleep. Do you the two of you have to look so solemn¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Vivian and Y¡¯zaks replied. They silently bowed their heads with a solemn expression. Suddenly, the atmosphere of the living room felt like a funeral home.


    Hao Ren was left speechless.


    Hao Ren knew there was no way to communicate with the two of them. He could only shake his head and walk into the room. He lay in bed and did as Raven 12345 said. He adjusted his mindset and quietly underwent self hypnosis. He put the Mobile Data Terminal next to him and waited silently to enter The Plane of Dreams.


    Half an hour later, the door opened. Hao Ren walked out in his pyjamas, swinging his arms. Vivian and Y¡¯zaks looked at him in surprised and asked, ¡°Landlord, it¡¯s over?!¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his face awkwardly and said, ¡°¡­I need to go to the bathroom. The two bowls of soup are too powerful.¡±


    Vivian had nothing to say.


    After using the bathroom, Hao Ren went back to his bedroom and continued to stay in bed. Half an hour later, he finally realized something was really not right. Vivian¡¯s medicinal diet and Y¡¯zaks¡¯ magic had indeed fortified his mental strength. However, these two things had one common effect¡­ Both of them helped to refresh his brain!


    What rotten luck! He was having insomnia!


    ¡°I should¡¯ve known that they couldn¡¯t be trusted. I shouldn¡¯t have let them help me!¡± Hao Ren quickly got up but in the end, he lay down again. ¡°What¡¯s the use of running out now? Should I let Vivian hit and stun me? Or let Y¡¯zaks hypnotize me with magic? Doesn¡¯t matter whether they work or not, no one can enter The Plane of Dreams by force¡­¡± he thought.


    Hao Ren was tossing and turning in bed. He could not fall asleep. In the end, he had no choice but to touch the MDT beside his pillow and said, ¡°Connect Raven 12345.¡±


    It is impossible to dial the phone number, 00000012345 and reach the psychopath using regular mobile phones. The line could only be connected via internal devices like the MDT. Luckily, Raven 12345 was on duty this time and she did not seem to rest at night. Soon, her jarring voice rang in Hao Ren¡¯s mind. ¡°Yo, Hao Ren. You¡¯ve already strolled around The Plane of Dreams? So fast?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. I encountered some problems and I can¡¯t go in now¡­¡±


    Raven 12345 was surprised and asked, ¡°Can¡¯t get in? Haven¡¯t I already told you how to adjust your mind and self-talk? The Mobile Data Terminal can also guide you.¡±


    ¡°No. That¡¯s not the problem. I have insomnia.¡±


    ¡°¡­ The heck?! Can you be a little more reliable?¡± said Raven 12345.


    Hao Ren really did not want to be judged by a psychopath. However, in reality he could only fake a smile and explain what had just happened. Raven 12345 was speechless after hearing Hao Ren¡¯s explanation. Finally, she said, ¡°What kind of people are you surrounded by¡­ What kind of people have I found¡­¡±


    ¡°So ¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll find a way,¡± Raven 12345 said with great vehemence. Hao Ren¡¯s spirit was immediately lifted. He thought she was finally using the power of a goddess to do something right. Unfortunately, she continued to say, ¡°Let me sing you a lullaby¡­¡±


    Hao Ren could not recollect the events after that. He could only remember that everything went black the moment Raven 12345 started singing.


    When he opened his eyes again, all he could see was a prairie.


    There was a small moon and a big moon hanging in the sky. A cool breeze was blowing in the prairie under the sky while a blanket of brilliant yet unfamiliar stars covered the sky. The scenery was familiar. Hao Ren realized that he had successfully entered The Plane of Dreams. And¡­ he appeared at the same place as last time.


    A distant howl of wolves came out of nowhere.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Hao Ren was aghast. ¡°Damn, is the dream also divided into part one and part two?! Does it continue from where it last left off?¡±

 Chapter 81

    Fortunately, the nightmare was not a series. It did not divide into part one and part two. Hao Ren just happened to appear at the same place where he left the last time. The wolf pack that attacked him previously was not there anymore. This unfortunate kid did not have to go through the same unfortunate incident where he was attacked by a pack of wolves when he entered the dream last time.


    However, the howling of the wolves still came from all directions. Although the wolves did not sound like they were nearby, it was enough to frighten the green hand. Hao Ren was deeply aware that he was in a land without any rule of law. The animal protection organization and rangers were in another world. Therefore, neither the wolf nor Hao Ren were protected here. And frankly speaking, that was the wolf¡¯s territory while he was an outsider.


    As the only outsider on the prairie where wolves were entrenched, Hao Ren tightened his clothes around him to ward off the chill. The chill crept from his body to his heart. He walked forward, wondering whether his brain had degenerated because he spent too much time with Lily. Why did he put on his pajamas just now?


    Based on the previous experience, one¡¯s physical condition in The Plane of Dreams was exactly the same as in the reality. It included the clothes on the body and physical state of fitness. However, Hao Ren had forgotten about it. Vivian, Y¡¯zaks and Hao Ren messed up preparations in the living room. As a result, he almost had insomnia and was unable to get into the dream plane. To add, he was wearing pyjamas!


    Hao Ren walked across the prairie with uneven footsteps. He looked at his feet and sighed. ¡°Damn, I actually forgot to wear shoes¡­ The psycho will most probably laugh at me if she finds out.¡±


    A voice suddenly echoed from the side. ¡°She¡¯ll have a good laugh at you and then post it on the message board of the Local Universe Channel. But, I can¡¯t tell how many likes she¡¯ll get in the end. She is a well-known, spamming monster in the universe. She has to repeatedly post oracles for her followers because nobody reads her posts.¡±


    Hao Ren was startled by the sudden sound. He looked around carefully and found a small piece of metal, the size of a hand. It was floating beside him and had been silently following him. He was surprised and asked, ¡°Terminal?! What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I come in?¡± The MDT said lazily. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what Raven 12345 said? I need to guide you when you can¡¯t get into The Plane of Dreams. If I can guide you into the dream, why can¡¯t I come in then?¡±


    ¡°But don¡¯t you need to dream to come in here¡­¡± Hao Ren looked at the superb, little device in astonishment and asked, ¡°Have AIs become so advanced to the extent that they can even dream?¡±


    ¡°Dreaming is a boring and inefficient way to maintain the system. I don¡¯t need it,¡± the MDT replied loftily. ¡°Who told you one had dream in order to enter The Plane of Dreams? It¡¯s just you who has to dream to come in here. When your control over your mental power reaches a certain level, you will have access to The Plane of Dreams. However, it¡¯s still too early for you to think about it.¡±


    Hao Ren knew that this device would find a way to quarrel with him whenever it started talking. So, the smartest way to deal with it was to ignore it. He glanced at the vast prairie and felt it was good to have a companion to talk with.He thought perhaps the device would play an unexpected role. ¡°Can you conjure up a set of clothes?¡± he asked tentatively.


    The MDT paused and asked, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a virtual world? Aren¡¯t you a supercomputer? In science fiction movies, people in the virtual world use data to organize a¨D¡±


    Before Hao Ren could finish his sentence, the MDT rudely interrupted. ¡°Who gave you such false insight? The Plane of Dreams is a virtual world? Then why can you take something out of here and why do people actually die in this place?¡±


    Hao Ren opened his mouth but could not find the right word to say. He admitted that he had carelessly made assumptions about this unknown field again. In fact, Raven 12345 had briefed him on the ¡°authenticity¡± of The Plane of Dreams before. Nevertheless, Hao Ren just had a very limited understanding of it at the time. He never fully understood the problem. Now¡­ well, he still did not really understand it but he had learned to ignore it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even have shoes¡­¡± Hao Ren walked along and sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t keep on walking without shoes. Is there anything that can act as replacement?¡±


    ¡°There is,¡± the MDT said calmly. Just as Hao Ren¡¯s spirit was lifted, the MDT slowly uttered the latter part of its sentence, ¡°¡­tenacious spirit.¡±


    ¡°¡­LOL¡±


    A man and a device (isn¡¯t this combination strange?) were walking under the dim light of night. Hao Ren did not want to stop randomly. Even if his physical state was not good at that moment, he decided to go on. After all, the purpose of entering The Plane of Dreams was to temper himself. If he just stayed there until he woke up naturally, the trip would have been meaningless. Anyway, he would force his way out (thanks to the little pill Raven 12345 gave him) whenever he was caught in a deadly threat. Besides, he was not worried about really dying in that place. He was just curious about what kind of place it was.


    Hao Ren set his sights far ahead. The last time he left, he saw something like a house in the distance. This time, it was still there. This meant it was not an illusion. Therefore, he aimed for that ¡®house¡¯.


    A man and a device (isn¡¯t this combination strange?) traveled under the dim light of night silently. When Hao Ren was feeling a little bored, the MDT suddenly spoke, ¡°I need to remind you of three things.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± replied Hao Ren.


    ¡°First, totally abandon the idea that this place is a ¡®virtual space¡¯. Although The Plane of Dreams isn¡¯t the real world, it has great influence on the real world. If you die here, it also means you die in the real world. Also, you can take things out of here. But you have to figure out the specific mechanism of ¡®taking out¡¯ by yourself. Of course, you should¡¯ve known.¡±


    ¡°Second, whatever you see here, don¡¯t be surprised. Just accept it. Wait until you return to the real world and you can take your time to analyze the situation. Your intense confusion here will weaken your connection with The Plane of Dreams rapidly. It¡¯s not a good thing to finish the journey ahead of time.¡±


    ¡°Third, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s stupid to let your Mobile Data Terminal float beside you? I¡¯ve seen people walking their cats and dogs but never a PDA! Keep me in your pocket now, do you hear me!?¡±


    Hao Ren was once again speechless.


    ¡°Hey, wait! Don¡¯t go! I¡¯m talking to you. Do you hear me! Hurry up and put me in your pocket. I¡¯m a mobile device but I¡¯m not a self-moving device. Do you know what a mobile device means¡­ Don¡¯t go! At least, tie me to a rope and drag me along. The floating function is for emergency use only, not for casual use¡­¡±


    Hao Ren totally ignored the MDT which was a little neurotic like Raven 12345. He just kept his head down and continued walking. The annoying noise from the MDT went on for half an hour in his ear. Hao Ren found that the physical strengthening of his body was highly effective. He did not even gasp for breath after walking for so long in the wilderness without shoes. Also, the soles of his feet were much brawnier than usual. After walking for a long time, the cottages in the distance looked closer. However, just before he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, something frightening happened.


    He clearly heard a rustling sound coming from some nearby bushes and then he smelled a faint odour of blood in the air. It was the smell of the beasts.


    They were wolves and they were unique, incredibly gigantic black wolves which only existed in The Plane of Dreams!


    The wolves had not come near yet but they had obviously smelled their prey. The beasts were carefully laying siege to Hao Ren and preparing to make him a hearty meal with their usual ambushing tactics. However this time, Hao Ren was aware of the danger in advanced. The last time he was aware of the wolves, he was already completely surrounded by them and there were faint gazes within the bushes. This time, he already sensed it when the wolves just started to make their move.


    Hao Ren deeply admired the Bioenhancement and Reconfiguration Chamber. He silently wondered what the use of this little progress was. He was already surrounded by the wolves when he reacted!


    ¡°I recommend you don¡¯t run.¡± The MDT¡¯s voice appeared in Hao Ren¡¯s mind. The device also knew that they needed to hide immediately. ¡°You can¡¯t outrun the wolves. You can only get rid of part of the siege with your current level of bio-enhancement but you can¡¯t rush out of it.¡±


    ¡°Fighting head-on?¡± Hao Ren tried to calm his heartbeat. He knew that the wolves did not realize that he already knew they were approaching. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    ¡°Were you confident when hundreds of armored wraiths ran after you in the palace?¡± mumbled the MDT. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will pull you out when you start dying. Now¡­ Get ready!¡±

 Chapter 82

    ¡°Get ready?¡± Hao Ren could not keep his feet still when the MDT told him to get ready to fight. ¡°Ready for what? Do I really have to fight with the wolves?¡±


    Hao Ren looked at what he was wearing. He was unarmed. He was wearing pyjamas and no shoes! He roughly remembered that every black wolf on the prairie was taller and bigger than him! The MDT had actually told him confidently to ¡°get ready¡± under such circumstances. He had the sudden urge to tie the piece of junk to a rope and turn it into a bolas. It was the only armed method he could think of in his position.


    The MDT pretended to be unaware of the dissatisfaction in Hao Ren¡¯s tone. It swung into Hao Ren¡¯s pocket and inexplicably said, ¡°You¡¯ve got your pay but, how much you can take out this time depends on you.¡±


    As Hao Ren was about to ask the MDT what it meant, an audible rustle suddenly came from the nearby bushes. The wolves had seemingly noticed that they had alerted their ¡°prey¡± and quickly shrank the blockade.


    Like the MDT mentioned, it was not realistic to try getting out of the siege by force. Hao Ren could only stay focused and prepared to face his first challenge in The Plane of Dreams.


    He recalled the scene in which he faced hundreds of armored wraiths in the crypt. Honestly, there was little reference value in that battle. He was accompanied by two super women with strong combat powers. Also, the armored wraiths just woke up so they were slow and clumsy. They had no advantage other than their tenacious vitality. Therefore, it was easy to handle the armored wraith. All he did was calm down and then kick them hard. However, dealing with the wolves in The Otherworld was a whole different story. Perhaps these wolves were ¡°lower¡± than the armored wraiths in Vivian¡¯s eyes. However, as a man with little combat experience, the threat of predators was obviously higher.


    Hao Ren suddenly found it a little ridiculous. He ran into The Plane of Dreams without a second thought and sought trouble for himself just to improve his strength. Did it really make sense?


    A light in the darkness interrupted his thoughts. The wolves were getting closer. The smell of wolves wafted through the air and dark shadows appeared in sight. The wolves smelled so close he could touch them. Hao Ren did not know what to do should the beasts leap at him. Nonetheless, he guessed that the pack would probably send one or two first to test the water. That was how Animal World portrayed the wolves¡¯ behavior. He did not know how big the difference was between wolves in The Plane of Dreams and wolves in the real world¡­


    The confrontation between them did not last long. After the wolves found that the ambush had failed, one of them could not restrain itself any longer and leapt at Hao Ren.


    Hao Ren saw a huge shadow enlarging rapidly in front of him. He was extremely focused at that moment. His muscles were so tight, they almost burst open. All of a sudden, he dodged. Before he dodged, he fantasized that he would punch the black wolf right in the chest and got his first shot perfectly. But in fact, he did not have the courage to do it. When facing the danger of a fast attack, dodging was a man¡¯s first instinct.


    At least, he dodged well. The strange, giant black wolf was distinctly more fierce and agile than any wolf on earth yet, Hao Ren was still able to dodge it. While he dodged the attack, Hao Ren instinctively brandished his right hand. He vaguely felt like he had hit something but he was not sure how powerful the punch was.


    The black wolf turned quickly after falling to the ground. It kept a certain distance and confronted Hao Ren. Moonlight scattered across the prairie; Hao Ren¡¯s enhanced vision allowed him to see the beast¡¯s looks vividly.


    They were roughly the same as the wolves on earth, but they were two times larger than normal wolves and they were all black. There were many plate-like, black protuberances on their heads and waists which seemed to be some kind of keratose. This was simply not the same species as the wolves on earth.


    There was no disturbance among the surrounding wolves. They just slightly adjusted their formation and kept the encirclement tighter. Hao Ren saw hostility in countless pairs of eyes. He was stunned. These stares were real. The wolves around him were observing the current situation with a keen look.


    The first black wolf growled at Hao Ren threateningly and sounded irritated. One of the protrusions on its waist was broken. It seemed that Hao Ren had hit it at random.


    The beast pounced on Hao Ren again in the blink of an eye.


    However, Hao Ren was in a much better state at the moment. He was surprised to find that his reflexes could keep up with the strange wolf¡¯s extreme hits and this boosted his confidence. After making sure that the wolves around him did not intend to join the fight, he felt more reassured. Each time the wolf pounced on him, he repeated his actions. He fixed his eyes on the wolf and observed its movements. Then he dodged and punched it.


    During the fight, he found that he could see every inch of the wolf¡¯s hair even at such a fast pace. In the moment of of his punch, he could even slightly adjust the angle of his attack. This was the kind of feeling he could not experience when he was dealing with the sluggish, armored wraiths using brute force in the crypt.


    Hao Ren punched the strange wolf in its belly. He did his best to not just hit the keratose armor. Therefore, the second punch was obviously much more powerful. The wolf whimpered, failed to grab Hao Ren¡¯s shirt and fell. However, Hao Ren soon felt a searing pain on his face. When he touched his face, he found that his hands were full of blood.


    He could have fallen to the ground because it meant that his head was almost bitten off by the wolf earlier on. But he had no time to quiver in fear. The wolf turned and rushed at him again as soon as it fell. At this point, Hao Ren reacted slower than the wolf. He watched the wolf¡¯s mouth as it approached him but his body could not keep up with his mind. He could only watch the jaws bite his arm.


    ¡°Damn¡­¡± Hao Ren spontaneously shouted. However, before he could recall what had just happened, he realized something. ¡°Eh, why doesn¡¯t it hurt?¡±


    The wolf hung heavily on his arm and it was really weighing down on him. Yet, when Hao Ren looked carefully, he found his arm covered with a thin layer of translucent membrane. The light membrane was thin but indestructible. The wolf lost lots of its fangs when it bit on the membrane.


    The wolf reacted slowly. After chewing his hand for a few seconds, it realized something was not right. The wolf howled in pain and quickly retreated. It ran around in circles a few meters away with a mouthful of blood.


    Hao Ren was still confused. The MDT explained, ¡°The two punches were quite good. You barely passed the mentality adjustment. This shows that you can keep up the fighting mentality in the case of ineffective assistive tools. The conditions are judged to be fulfilled. As the agent, your basic abilities have reached the target. Now, you get a Rigid Shield. Though it¡¯s not as good as the Psionic Shield, it has no radiation and it¡¯s good enough for you.¡±


    Hao Ren was ecstatic to hear it. Finally Raven 12345 did not cheat him this time!


    ¡°But I have to warn you, the Rigid Shield is limited in capacity. The ¡°gadget¡± that you use to activate the shield in your body is symbiotic with your body. It¡¯s just for protecting the agent to keep him alive. Don¡¯t think of it as invincible. Of course, it¡¯s more than enough to deal with these wolves.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good enough!¡± Hao Ren waved excitedly. When he found that he finally had something to call a ¡°skill¡±, he could not wait to try it. So, he pounced on the other wolf closest to him.


    The wolves finally stopped watching. They were in an uproar. Four wolves pounced on Hao Ren at the same time from two different directions. He did not dodge and let them bite him as he was protected by the shield. After the wolf lost some of its teeth it finally attacked Hao Ren¡¯s body. The brute force and agility of the wolf were real. Two of them were fighting one on one.


    The battle was massive and astonishing. In fact, it was not so chaotic but it would appear to be more powerful this way. Anyway, Hao Ren felt the way he fought was quite intense, and neglected the MDT when it said, ¡°You¡¯re fighting like an animal¡±. In the end, a reckless man was afraid of a rude man while a rude man was afraid of a fearless man. Hao Ren was as strong as the black wolves and was protected by the shield. After a while the wolf was beaten. The other wolves were also hesitant to come forward after realizing that this weirdo could not be hurt. But the wolf was still fierce and tough. The wounded giant wolf still straightened its neck and roared, ¡°Do you dare to spare my life?¡±


    How could Hao Ren possibly let go. ¡°No way! Who attacked me first just now?¡±


    ¡°I was just watching. The first one to attack you is another one!¡± The wolf roared, looked around and yelled, ¡°Don¡¯t just watching you cowards, come and help me!¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter how many of you, I¡¯m going to grab just you¡­ the heck you can talk?!¡±


    ¡°The heck you react so slowly?¡±

 Chapter 83

    It was midnight on The Plane of Dreams. Standing on the steppe under the cool night breeze, Hao Ren and the giant black wolf were gazing at each other; the wolf was as tall as a human being. Both were equally shocked. Actually, it was more like an aftershock.


    A moment ago, what was thought to be a wild, black wolf had started talking. Plus it¡¯s grammar and syntax were good. It spoke with a slight Beijing accent¡ªthis last inference was made possible thanks to the intelligent translation system, of course. Hao Ren was dead set that as strange as The Plane of Dreams was, there could not possibly be a black wolf capable of speaking like a Beijinger. One thing for sure he thought, was when the wolf said, ¡°tuo tuo¡±, (a slang in Northern China which means ¡®yabsolutely¡¯) it was not a misinterpretation by the translation system. It was not the roar of a beast but authentic human language. This had been tried and tested true when the system failed to translate ¡®woof¡¯¨D a sound Lily made earlier. It was only capable of recognizing highly-structured sounds.


    Hao Ren was in his pyjamas as he sat on the grass with his legs crossed. He was still covered in a thin layer of glimmer. He did not dare to remove his Steel Membrane Shield because a pack of wolves still lurked around with their glaring eyes. He glanced at the big black wolf which was directly opposite him before he curiously asked, ¡°You speak, don¡¯t you? Wolves around here can talk?¡±


    ¡°That depends on the wolf pack.¡± The big black wolf eyed Hao Ren¡¯s translucent shield cautiously; the blow on its head from Hao Ren¡¯s fist covered in translucent shield felt like being hit by a steel rod. It had barely recovered from the wooziness but obliged to Hao Ren¡¯s questioning. ¡°In some parts of the steppe, wolves with lamellar bones like us talk¡ªwe¡¯re the top breed. Unlike those retarded ones who can only howl at the moon, we¡¯re a lot more intelligent! Where are you from? You don¡¯t even know wolves could talk? We¡¯re the most well-known pack in the steppe!¡±


    Like a lost ball in high weeds, Hao Ren did not have a single idea about The Plane of Dreams. He had to put his faith in the MDT and Raven 12345¡¯s suggestion¡ªto act naturally and refrain from being overly surprised. Judging from the way the black wolf talked, Hao Ren figured it was a highly intelligent creature, probably as intelligent as a human. Abandoning his cocky manner, he tried to show sincerity by nodding his head. ¡°It¡¯s kind of hard to tell where I come from. I¡¯m just a passerby. You could just treat me like a traveler.¡±


    ¡°Traveler? In this steppe?¡± The black wolf looked at Hao Ren with its suspicious eyes before it wondered. ¡°Few humans have come. This place isn¡¯t attractive to them. You can¡¯t grow food here. There¡¯s no specialty, no minerals, nothing. There used to be a few nomads here but they left recently; there are too many wolves here for them to raise livestock.¡±


    The black wolf crept closer under Hao Ren¡¯s watchful eyes and started to sniff him out from head to toe. ¡°You don¡¯t smell like a traveler. Travelers hardly take a bath and they stink like poop. Anyway, it¡¯s none of our business, we¡¯re just wolves.¡±


    Wiping the cold sweat off his forehead, Hao Ren wondered where on earth were wolves as intelligent as this?


    ¡°Then, why did you attack me?¡± Hao Ren asked awkwardly. He felt like a fool speaking to a group of wild beasts but he could not help it. These wolves spoke even better than humans!


    ¡°Why not?¡± The black wolf sounded as if it was more surprised. ¡°We need meat. You aren¡¯t meaty enough but we don¡¯t eat much. You would be more than enough to feed the pups. And we had thought you were an easy prey¡ªno hard clothes on, no weapon in hand. But, you beat them black and blue. I¡¯m not very happy about that.¡±


    The wolf however had something most humans lacked¡ªfrankness. Still, being categorized as a dish on the menu left Hao Ren speechless. Yet, he could not blame them as far as the species was concerned. He let out a dry laugh. ¡°Do you still want to eat meat now?¡±


    ¡°Forget about it.¡± The black wolf shook its head. ¡°You¡¯re unpalatable and even stiffer than those people in stiff cloths. Plus, I¡¯m no match for you. It seems like a bad idea to pick a fight with humans. They tend to have many strange things dangling on their bodies. No, it¡¯s simply too dangerous.¡±


    At that juncture, a lesser black wolf of smaller build chimed in, ¡°Sir, didn¡¯t you say you wanted to eat this guy?¡±


    Hao Ren marveled¡ªhow he had struck the jackpot in picking the alpha out of the wolf pack.


    ¡°This is all your fault.¡± The alpha wolf roared at the lesser one. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you crying out for food every night, I wouldn¡¯t have had my tooth smashed!


    ¡°You just lost one, sir! Look at the poor kids over there. They lost almost all of their teeth!¡± The lesser one pointed with its nose at a few wolves outside the perimeter. These were the hapless ones Hao Ren had beaten the hell out of. They scrambled in droves to attack him and bit his Steel Membrane Shield earlier on. Those who were fortunate enough had only bicuspids left. Each of their mouths looked very much like the mouth of a newborn baby.


    These wolves were still bleeding in their mouths. They were licking and comforting each other pitifully.


    The alpha wolf sighed. ¡°What a bad day! Human, can we leave now?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded his head, signaling his consent. Just when the pack of wolves were about to leave in droves, a thought flashed across his mind and he called out, ¡°Wait a second, there¡¯s something else!¡±


    The alpha wolf stalled. It turned around, straightened its head and scowled at Hao Ren. ¡°Don¡¯t go too far! I too have my own pride to think about! You suffered no losses, what more do you want from me?¡±


    Hao Ren almost choked up: what pride the alpha wolf had mustered when it was still begging for its life just a moment ago? However. he just shrugged it off by shaking his head. He then pointed towards the direction of the horizon. ¡°I¡¯m going in that direction. Could you give me a lift?¡±


    The silhouette of a few supposedly man-made buildings were seen far on the horizon. Hao Ren thought getting there on foot was not the brightest idea as it would be sunrise before he could reach the place. Time was a scarce commodity in The Plane of Dreams.


    ¡°Go there?¡± The alpha wolf glanced at the horizon by raising its head. ¡°Haven¡¯t I told you, the nomads are gone? What¡¯s left are just some mud shacks.¡±


    Apparently, it was the nomadic settlement. Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m going to check it out.¡±


    His interest was in the trail of human activity, not the nomads themselves. He was highly curious about The Plane of Dreams.


    The alpha wolf mumbled before it turned around and said, ¡°Ride on my back. I¡¯ll get you there.¡±


    For a while, Hao Ren was indeed surprised. He never thought the alpha wolf would voluntarily give him a ride. He did not expect it. Hao Ren babbled as he got on the back of the alpha wolf, ¡°Whoa, you¡¯re such a gentleman, wolf. Didn¡¯t you say for the sake of your pride and bla-bla-bla, you would never allow yourself to be ridden?¡±


    ¡°Pride? What¡¯s it for?¡± The alpha wolf was puzzled. ¡°I just can¡¯t fathom it¡ª human likes to harp on the abstract even though it doesn¡¯t fill your stomach. The reason we don¡¯t like being ridden is simply because it¡¯s too cumbersome. It has absolutely nothing to do with so-called ¡®pride¡¯¡­ Umm, I¡¯d appreciate if you could move your butt a couple of inches because you¡¯re sitting on my waist. You¡¯ll only slow me down my that way.¡±


    Hao Ren perspired in embarrassment as he adjusted his sitting position: human¡¯s perception of the world was askew. Be it in novels, movies or real life, people always judged others by their own yardsticks¡ªwolves hated being ridden because of self-pride was one case. The same misguided perception was invariably ascribed to wild horses, unicorns, etc.¡ªwhich perhaps was utter nonsense.


    The truth was, they disliked being ridden as it was cumbersome and no one loves to carry useless weight. Speaking of which, even Lily would only carry luggage, which Vivian had put on her back when she was sleepwalking.


    Hao Ren was tempted to think, if one could talk with a unicorn, it might allow itself to be ridden in exchange for two cookies. For animals, ¡®pride¡¯ was simply not part of their dictionary.


    ¡°Ready?¡± The alpha wolf asked before it set off, interrupting Hao Ren¡¯s train of thought. ¡°Sit tight!¡±

 Chapter 84

    A wondrous life with a wondrous journey. Hao Ren felt his encounters with all kinds of wonders from the real world to The Plane of Dreams, had never followed a normal narrative.


    He was riding a giant black wolf, which was as tall as a human, racing across the mysterious grassland. They were under the night sky of two brightly lit moons and an unfamiliar, beautiful galaxy, heading towards a horizon not of Earth. The night breeze blew into his face just as fast as he moved and the open landscape, which was covered in exotic vegetation blurred below him. Sandwiched between the strange sky and the exotic landscape, was a traveler from another world, riding a wolf in style. He had never felt so awesome until that very moment.


    It would have be even more awesome if he was not in his pyjamas¡­


    The night wind was freezing cold. Hao Ren would have been frozen to death if not for his enhanced body. He was not Superman but the low temperature was not a big deal. He grabbed his pyjamas close to his skin with one hand and held onto the tough guard hair on the back of the wolf with another. He then called aloud, ¡°How big is the steppe?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s big, very big!¡± The voice of the alpha wolf was equally loud and sonorous. ¡°I don¡¯t how humans measure distance but the pack and I once ran across it for seven days and seven nights. Yet, we did not reach the edge! I heard there are humans beyond the steppe but they hardly come here.¡±


    ¡°This world¡­ I mean, what have you learned about the human world?¡± The mention of ¡®human world¡¯ struck a chord with Hao Ren. The idea that human civilization existed on The Plane of Dreams was incredible. He was eager to find out what these humans were like. ¡°Have you ever been there? Do you know the way?¡±


    ¡°Nope, it¡¯s too dangerous to go there.¡± The alpha wolf slowed down, presumably to ease conversation. ¡°Humans are cunning. They kill and eat everything. Even an earthworm is not spared. Going there is suicide. Speaking of which, why are you asking about that? Aren¡¯t you a human yourself?¡±


    ¡°Well, I came from the other side,¡± Hao Ren made a story up. ¡°The world¡¯s a big place!¡±


    The alpha wolf did not utter a word. It seemed like it had taken Hao Ren¡¯s word as it was. on the other hand, Han Ren was emotional: as intelligent as these beasts were, they lacked the craftiness of humans. Conspiracy and deception had never crossed the alpha¡¯s mind. It was not cautious enough of Hao Ren, the one who walked on two legs; where he came from; and where he was going to sort out things. If he had to describe it, ¡®a hungry belly has no ears, questions asked are meant to be forgotten¡¯ would be an apt description.


    These strange beasts were forthright and spontaneous; after recognizing the fact that they were no match for Hao Ren and he was not going to be their dinner, they quickly buried the hatchet. They even allowed themselves to be ridden. Though the alpha wolf did not look particularly pleased and was possibly fearful of Hao Ren¡¯s iron fist, it was pragmatic¡ª¡®stay clear of trouble¡¯ and ¡®if you can¡¯t beat them, join them¡¯ were its tenets.


    While it sounded cowardly, none was more disgraceful than Lily, the werewolf maiden. So, Hao Ren was cool with how the alpha was. He even felt that it was cute, in a sense.


    As they were just a few minutes away from the houses, something crossed Hao Ren¡¯s mind. ¡°Sometime back, I ran into a pack of wolves here. I wonder if they were your wolves?¡±


    ¡°You were here?¡± The alpha wolf was surprised. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you. Alhough we live nearby, you¡¯re the only human we¡¯ve ever seen for the last 35 days and nights.¡±


    The wolves had a vague concept of time. They had a rough idea of how humans kept track of time which was to break it down into years, months and so on. However, they felt it was a difficult concept to grasp. Hence, they resorted to the day-and-night method to keep track of time. Since there was no practice of agriculture or concept of history, as long as they could anticipate the coming of winter, their crude method of time-keeping was good enough for their needs.


    ¡°You guys have never seen me?¡± As the wolves were very forthright, Hao Ren believed that they would not lie to him. ¡°So, there were others?¡±


    ¡°There are a few wolf packs going around. Their territories are bordering ours. Some borders are rather ambiguous so some kids may inevitably wander cross the line.¡± The alpha wolf was displeased. ¡°Those morons are incapable of talking, much less thinking. That¡¯s the reason they¡¯re weaker and only fit to be our vassal packs¡ªalbeit insubordinate.¡±


    The alpha wolf shook its head as it said, ¡°Those morons would trespass and find food in our territory when they¡¯re hungry. Growling is the only means to communicate with them. It¡¯s weird that although we¡¯re both wolves yet, they¡¯re so stupid.¡±


    Hao Ren listened quietly as he kept everything he had heard to himself.


    There were still many unsolved mysteries in The Plane of Dreams but at least for now, he knew the existence of two types of wolves¡ªone that talked and was as intelligent as humans while the other was essentially a wild wolf¡ªthey were identical in appearance.


    But why? Hao Ren found that it was not the result of normal evolution. Then again, this was The Plane of Dreams, a strange space, where things probably did not exist as per the normal sense of the world.


    Furthermore, traces of human activities were found in the steppe and a large human world allegedly existed beyond the horizon (the alpha wolf called them as ¡®human packs¡¯). How many more mysteries were out there?


    As promised, the alpha wolf delivered Hao Ren to the man-made shacks.


    ¡°You¡¯ve arrived. Now, I shall leave with my pack.¡± Once Hao Ren got off its back, the alpha wolf stretched its body and said, ¡°This was my first time carrying such a heavy load. I¡¯d make you carry me the same distance if only I had defeated you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the ride.¡± Hao Ren rubbed his hair as he found the alpha wolf interesting. ¡°I¡¯ll be hanging around here for a while. We may meet again. If you need anything, I¡¯ll be happy to help.¡±


    The alpha wolf was a real opportunist; it nodded and immediately pointed at the poor kids which were still bleeding in their mouths. ¡°My men have lost their teeth. They won¡¯t be able to eat and will starve to death. But as the leader of the pack, I won¡¯t abandon them. Instead, I¡¯ll send a few wolves out to look for something which they can eat. Can you please help us on this?¡±


    Hao Ren did not expect to witness it go straight to the point so quickly. His forehead broke out in sweat as he reached for the MDT. ¡°Hey buddy. Fix their broken teeth, would you?¡±


    ¡°Sorry buddy, I am just a PDA, not Doraemon!¡±


    ¡°I know a veterinary¡­¡± Hao Ren turned to the alpha wolf as he wiped away the cold sweat from his forehead. ¡°¡­who would be more than willing to attend to your problem. If only I could bring her in¡­ I mean bring her over here. I¡¯ll make sure she fixes the broken teeth of your wolves.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take your word for it, human.¡± The alpha wolf nodded. ¡°But humans aren¡¯t known for keeping their word so, I have no high hopes for you. Goodbye, I hope we won¡¯t have to lock horns with each other the next time we meet.¡±


    The alpha and its pack left right after it finished its last sentence. They ran quickly and disappeared into the grassland.


    ¡°Open enemies are better than false friends. I think I¡¯ve met one at last,¡± Hao Ren mumbled to himself.


    The MDT was surprised. ¡°Whoa, I didn¡¯t know you could be so philosophical?¡±


    Hao Ren yanked the MDT out and hung it from his pocket to dry in the wind. Ignoring its statement, he walked straight towards the little house.


    It was the place where the nomads once lived but, it puzzled Hao Ren. As far as he knew, nomads did not usually build permanent structures. They followed the water as well as grass and only built tents. It seemed that the nomads in the plane had a different way of living. They had their unique ways of dealing with their day-to-day problems.


    Just as Hao Ren placed his hand on the door, all of a sudden, a strong gust of wind blew throughout the steppe.

 Chapter 85

    The little houses in the steppe were not what Hao Ren had imagined. However, they still had nomadic characteristics¡ªthe pillars were of solid wood and arranged in a circular layout, the walls were constructed from flexible straw mat and some unknown filler materials, the thatched roofs was secured down by placing heavy stones on top while their foundations were reinforced with baked clay; overall the whole structure of each house was primitive yet solid. The dozens of circular houses, which looked identical and measured approximately less than 10 meters in diameter, were scattered inside a fenced perimeter, forming a ¡®village¡¯.


    Hao Ren did not pay attention to the surrounding environment as he was too eager to get into the house to find out how the human civilization in The Plane of Dreams was like. He pushed the door of the nearest house open. Instead of swinging open, the rattan and straw door fell down inwards.


    ¡°It appears that the nomads have left for a long time¡­¡± Hao Ren glanced in astonishment at the rotten door frame. The door was attached by hinges fashioned from rope. The door hinges had rotten so much that they completely gave way when Hao Ren pushed against the door. Apparently, the wolves¡¯ perception of time was somewhat inaccurate.


    ¡°I hope this shaky structure will not give way all of a sudden,¡± murmured Hao Ren as he entered the nomadic house. A dim light emanated from the MDT and allowed him to see in the pitch-dark interior.


    As expected, the house was empty, which implied that the owner left the house in an orderly manner. The floor under Hao Ren¡¯s feet was unpaved. He also noticed some fabric lying at the corners of the house. It suggested that the floor was once carpeted. On each of the wooden pillars was a metal hook which could have served as a hanger for weapons or tools. The floor in the middle of the house was visibly lower than the floor around it. A pit with a burnt mark in its center could have been a stove or fire place.


    Other than that, there was not much left.


    Hao Ren was kind of disappointed. He did not find anything valuable¡ªnot even a small piece of sheepskin.


    However, the fact that these tiny little houses existed was significant. They showed that: human civilization existed in The Planes of Dreams and they could have been highly civilized with developed technologies¡ªmetallurgy (the metal hooks on the wall), construction, and survival skills in a grassland or prairie full of roaming wolves. Despite Raven 12345¡¯s briefing that The Plane of Dreams was not just a strange world with beasts and monsters, witnessing everything with his own eyes was much more real and profound.


    ¡°Do you know anything about The Plane of Dreams?¡± asked Hao Ren as he looked at the MDT dangling from his pocket. ¡°Please keep your light steady.¡±


    ¡°I suggest you read the operation manual! You have been using the device wrongly! The device is a high-tech personal assistant, not a torchlight, not a meteor hammer and much less your pet!¡± Nevertheless, the MDT still responded to Hao Ren¡¯s question after lashing out at him. ¡°There are some limited pre-loaded information. This is a specialized gadget for inspectors installed only with the necessary modules. The device will search the local universe channels for more information¡­ Search completed. The features of The Plane of Dreams are: reality, size, linear development, self-consistent, capable of influencing the real world. Do you need further explanations?¡±


    ¡°That would be very much appreciated,¡± said Hao Ren as he sauntered around the house looking for possibly valuable clues.


    ¡°Reality¡ª The existence of The Plane of Dreams is real; it has an effective and analyzable set of law; although it is a warped reality, it has its own set of logic and everything in this space is not an illusion. Size¡ª Due to various reasons, study of The Plane of Dreams has never been carried out but, judging from the few spatial induction results, the size of The Plane of Dreams is roughly equal the size of the real world. Thus, it is something to behold. If the goddess of the Space Administration was to launch an exploration program for The Plane of Dreams, inspectors would be as busy as a cat on a hot tin roof. Linear development¡ª The Plane of Dreams is a space of constant change and development. While it is a strange place, everything develops linearly in its evolving history and each moment of its history is the result of its linear causation. As such, everything happens for a reason and there is nothing that cannot be explained¡ªthis is a new point, the authenticity of which has yet to be proven. Self-consistent¡ª Everything in The Plane of Dreams is self-consistent. They are an embodiment of its reality. Capable of influencing the real world¡ª this is an utterly redundant point, of which explanation is unnecessary.¡±


    Blinded by Science, Hao Ren grasped only what he could understand. Suddenly, a flash of light at the corner of the house caught his attention.


    He dashed towards it and found that a little piece of metal protruded from the ground.


    His heart pounded as he looked at the metal piece; a sense of familiarity riddled him. When he finally dug the metal out of the ground, he froze.


    It was a diamond-shaped metal plate roughly the size of his palm. The surface was partly rusted which meant that it was made of iron. However, one thing caught his eye and it was the hieroglyphs on the metal sheet. He stared intensely at it for some time before realization struck him¡ªit was the very same metal sheet he and Vivian found in his own basement!


    ¡°WTF?¡± Hao Ren murmured to himself in shock, ¡°Why is this thing in my house¡­¡±


    Before he could finish murmuring to himself, a strange whistling sound from outside the house interrupted him.


    Alternating sounds of rumbling and whistling wind were heard from all directions followed by the rattling of the house. Hao Ren looked up instinctively. All of a sudden, the roof launched itself into the air and was blown away!


    The thatched roof secured down by heavy stones was completed gone and the dark interior was suddenly filled with light¡ªstarlight and moonlight. The wall started shaking violently and before he knew it, the house was completely uprooted from its foundation.


    The word ¡®typhoon¡¯ came to mind but it was too late. Before he could react to it, Hao Ren along with the wall were carried by the strong wind and blown up in the air!


    Although bioenhancement had made Hao Ren as strong as an ox and as fit as a fiddle, it did not endow him with the stability of a mountain. The typhoon carried and tossed him around like a leaf. He was pulled into the typhoon and bumped into thousands of flying debris. He became disoriented and totally hapless. However, he quickly realized that the debris he smashed into the most was not of the house but a piece of glowing, metal object the size of his palm. He burst out, ¡°MDT! Is this revenge?!¡±


    The MDT pleaded sincerely as it swung around and hit Hao Ren¡¯s head countless times, ¡°The device is unable to control itself. It is such a horrible typhoon¡­¡±


    ¡°Horrible what? You¡¯ve hit me on my face no less than four¡­five times, now!¡± Hao Ren was furious but he didn¡¯t lose his mind. ¡°What¡¯s going on? A typhoon in clear weather?¡±


    ¡°God knows! The early warning system for disasters was not working since Raven 12345 meddled with the device! And the extreme weather radar program just passed its trial period last night. File your complaint to the higher-ups if you have the guts!¡±


    ¡°You son of a b¡­¡± Before he could lash out, he blacked out.


    A sense of weightlessness engulfed him before he he felt like he was thrown violently onto solid ground. When he opened his eyes, he found himself lying in his bed in the comfort of his home; a warm ray of sunshine shone on him.


    It was time to wake up¡ªthe timing was pre-set before he entered The Plane of Dreams.


    The sensation of being tossed around by the typhoon still terrorized him. Going into The Plane of Dreams was indeed a test of the strength of one¡¯s heart. It took him quite a while before his heartbeat slowed down to a normal rate. But, he felt something sharp pressing against his thigh.


    He reached for his thigh and there it was¡ªthe diamond-shaped metal plate.

 Chapter 86

    The door creaked as Hao Ren pushed it. The supernatural trio, who were lounging in the living room watching television, all turned their heads in unison. Lily who caught sight of the metal toy in Hao Ren¡¯s hand bounced towards him screaming, ¡°Big discovery! Big discovery!¡±


    Lily was the most agile of the lot and she had the best reaction time among them. Before Hao Ren could even say anything, she was right in front of him in a flash, bouncing about for the metal toy. It took her a while to realize that she was reacting similarly to a pet dog and she bashfully went back to watching the telly with her tail wagging.


    Hao Ren glanced nervously at Lily. ¡°Why are you in werewolf form? Losing control again?¡±


    Lily¡¯s ears stiffen at the mention of ¡®losing control¡¯ as she was rather sensitive towards those words. She quickly brushed it aside. ¡°Nah, just giving the tail a breather.¡±


    ¡°So, how was it?¡± Vivian stood up after Lily was done with her antics. ¡°I suppose the trip to The Plane of Dreams was smooth?¡±


    ¡°Yeah it was pretty smooth. I fought like seven dozen of feral wolves and got thrown up into the sky by a vortex. I woke up after that,¡± Hao Ren gingerly described his experience. ¡°But the key point is, I brought something back from there and it¡¯s something you¡¯re familiar with too!¡±


    Vivian was just about to take a jab at Hao Ren until she saw the object in his hand. Her eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Wasn¡¯t¡­ this the thing we found in the basement a few days back?¡±


    ¡°Yep, that¡¯s the one.¡± Hao Ren grabbed Vivian by the wrist and pulled her towards the stairway to the basement. ¡°I suppose you remember where we shelved that thing? Let¡¯s look for it again. The resemblance is just uncanny!¡±


    After Hao Ren and Vivian went down the staircase, Y¡¯zaks looked at Lily with a confused face. ¡°What¡¯s with the two of them? I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going on¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, they must be having an affair,¡± Lily just blurted out without much thought. ¡°The people on the TV said so.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks simply nodded. After contemplating for a moment, he asked, ¡°So¡­ when are they getting married?¡±


    The next 10 or so minutes was then spent talking about the rites of marriage on Earth. They are not pertinent and can be ignored for now.


    Hao Ren and Vivian found the wooden box where they placed the metal toy in no time. All his tattered childhood toys in the box seemed to have worn out much further. The diamond-shaped metal object looked like a loose component in a pile of old junk. Hao Ren lifted the entire box of stuff and placed it on the study table in Vivian¡¯s room. Both of them quickly went about investigating the two metal objects. Well, not like there was much to even begin with. The objects looked identical at first glance.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure you brought it out from The Plane of Dreams?¡± Vivian slowly stroked the pattern on the object. The one Hao Ren brought back appeared newer and the layer of rust on it was not as bad as the first one. ¡°The pattern is the same and so is the material.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Hao Ren nodded earnestly. He followed with a recap of his experience in the plane the night before; including his acquisition of the Steel Membrane Shield, but he quickly went back to the metal object. ¡°I found it in a nomad¡¯s hut in the plains. Didn¡¯t see anything else around though, it was sitting all pretty on the ground. Oh, the hut also looked like it had been deserted for a long time.¡±


    ¡°What is The Plane of Dreams like?¡± Vivian had curiosity written all over her face. ¡°Does it have mountains and rivers and other humans? Like what we see in the real world?¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t met a living person, I¡¯m afraid. But the rest is pretty much the same as the normal world but even the talking wolves there would form a pack,¡± Hao Ren described what he saw in detail. He made mention of the weird pack of wolves, an endless grassland, starry skies, the small hut and of course, the most important of all, the twin moons which appeared in the The Plane of Dreams. ¡°There were two moons there. One was bigger than the other. The small one was about the size of a fingernail while the bigger one was many times bigger than the one we have rotating around Earth! It looked really amazing at night¡­ If only I could bring all of you there. You think Lily will go stark raving mad when she sees the twin moons? One on Earth was enough to have her waggling about.¡±


    ¡°Two moons¡­¡± As a vampire, Vivian was also sensitive towards moonlight and upon hearing his story, a faint glow appeared in her eyes. ¡°I do want to see it. Please bring me there someday! Oh yeah, I also dreamt about seeing two moons a long time ago. It¡¯¡¯s still fresh in my memory like it was just yesterday. Under the protection of the moon I finally got rid of my ill luck and I was filthy rich¡­ only to be woken up by the landlady, screaming for rent money¡­¡±


    Hao Ren as usual, had no response to Vivian¡¯s past, which was worthy of a soap opera.


    Vivian regaled Hao Ren with her dream of being filthy rich and it took her a good while to snap back to reality. She quickly wiped her saliva off the side of her mouth and became serious again. She fiddled with the two metal objects. ¡°It seems like both of these objects were brought out from The Plane of Dreams. It¡¯s quite impossible for someone in the real world to create something so similar to something from The Plane of Dreams. Furthermore, it looks like useless junk. You mentioned that you got this when you were young¡­ Do you remember anything about it?¡±


    ¡°Nope, not a clue.¡± Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°Like I said, it just somehow appeared without me noticing it.¡±


    ¡°Then, there are two possibilities. Someone went into The Plane of Dreams before and brought the first one out. After that, it ended up in your hands, somehow. Raven 12345 did mention that many people had entered the plane and brought something out. You¡¯re not the first and you won¡¯t be the last.¡± Vivian wiggled her fingers as she continued, ¡°The second possibility is that you went there when you were still a kid and the metal object was brought out by you. Which sounds more plausible to you?¡±


    Hao Ren took both the metal objects from Vivian and looked at them. After contemplating for a moment, he shook his head. ¡°Neither sounds plausible at all. Too much coincidence for the first. Based on what that crazy goddess said, it takes a few centuries for someone to communicate with The Plane of Dreams and come out alive, much less bring something out from it. And for that item to end up with me after all this time. Nope, don¡¯t think so. For the second one, I was about five? With men-eating wolves running about or strong gales enough to topple buildings; with both my entries into the plane almost being fatal. If not for the body strengthening hack that I have¡­ The possibility of me entering and coming out of The Plane of Dreams at that age is nil. That said, I don¡¯t even remember anything like this.¡±


    ¡°However, the chances of the second possibility happening is a bit higher.¡± Vivian tapped Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You just need to be super lucky. Sides, most children don¡¯t remember things well and they tend to avoid bad memories naturally. So, there is a possibility that just simply forgot about it. Don¡¯t you see me forgetting things most of the time?


    Hao Ren glanced at her but, did not dare to retort. ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re a bloody grandma for god¡¯s sake¡­¡± He wisely kept his thoughts to himself.


    ¡°What do you think this does?¡± Hao Ren quickly diverted the topic to avoid verbalizing his thoughts.


    ¡°Seems like an accessory¡­¡± Vivian guessed. ¡°A small metal object like this; no sharp edges on it and not particularly sturdy. It doesn¡¯t look like a weapon or a tool either. I think it¡¯s a bit like an heraldic accessory, something you see engraved on walls and what not.¡±


    ¡°A nomad practicing heraldry?¡±


    ¡°Well, who can be sure of what¡¯s going on there?¡±


    Hao Ren pondered, and thought that there was some truth to that. The place had wolves speaking like Beijing Opera actors (granted, he was using the translation function of the MDT) so, who¡¯s to say what¡¯s real and what¡¯s not.


    The origin of the metal object still remained a mystery to them and Hao Ren had no recollection of obtaining the item in the first place. Nonetheless he could now be sure that the item originated from The Plane of Dreams. Raven 12345 said that the plane was a web that connected to the real world. Based on the evidence they had at the moment, Hao Ren and Vivian had a slightly better understanding on the matter.


    There were the two metal objects and a ball of wolf fur that he brought out earlier. Hao Ren decided to store them in a sturdy metal box. He thought that he would probably come across even more interesting items from The Plane of Dreams and decided to start collecting them.


    A few days passed without much happenings but soon, there was going to be a full moon. It was time for Lily to undergo her evolution.

 Chapter 87

    It was the night of a full moon; the night Raven 12345 reckoned that Lily would go through with her transformation. Hao Ren and his tenants had been busy making preparations for the event since the break of dawn.


    Although truthfully, no one knew exactly what to prepare for. Lily was a vagabond who had never met her kind before. She only knew that her kind were called werewolves from TV. Y¡¯zaks too had never seen a werewolf in his world while Hao Ren¡¯s knowledge of the lycanthrope came from movies. The only person who had any inkling (however little) of the ritual was Vivian. Yes, the vampire who was a bitter enemy of the wolfen.


    Vivian had taken leave the previous night to look for herbs and other peculiar ingredients. She knew of some remedies from times long past, which were used by the werewolves during special rituals. Most of the remedies revolved around pacification and mental control, given that they were a race that went berserk very easily. Training their mental fortitude was a big challenge in all their rituals. Given this particular need for their kind, the werewolves were rather proficient in making herbal poultices for the mind. Vivian had a long and difficult relationship with the werewolves. Through that, she managed to get hold of some of their secrets. As a precaution against Lily losing control at the height of her evolution (to be honest, it was more like they could not and would not trust Raven 12345¡¯s words), Vivian labored the entire day to prepare the poultices.


    As for Lily, she was the most carefree of the lot. By Hao Ren¡¯s instructions, she was to sit at home and relax. She was even forbidden to go out and play with the dogs in the streets. She was supposed to rest up so that she would be able to withstand the strain of her evolution. Furthermore, to appease the hyperactive pup, Hao Ren prepared a giant pot of roasted pork ribs for her and the pup was now glued to the television munching on the ribs.


    Hao Ren supposed that it was for the best.


    As he and Y¡¯zaks had zero idea on how to deal with a werewolf, they went to town to get some essentials for the night.


    Lily¡¯s transformation was expected to take a few hours at least. The prevailing theory was from moonrise to sunrise and she cannot be left alone during the evolution. Hence, Hao Ren, Vivian and Y¡¯zaks had to be present. Having to stand watch under the stars guarding a rampaging werewolf was not something to scoff at and the necessary preparations were needed.


    No one was sure how or what Hao Ren had looked up on the internet but, he somehow managed to cobble together a ¡®to-buy¡¯ list. The list included a cheap and sturdy mat, a disposable tent, a camping lamp, a huge bundle of rope and a box of snacks. When he first showed the list to Vivian, it gave her a shock. At first, the vampire thought Hao Ren was going to perform a field delivery for Lily and run off with her. She was finally convinced by Hao Ren that he was merely preparing some survival tools


    .


    While the Southern Suburbs was a small locale, the supermarkets there had pretty much all the items Hao Ren had indicated in the list, except for the tent. It was a given since it was not something you would normally use. Accompanied by Y¡¯zaks as he went about shopping, both of them quickly ticked off the shopping list, except for the tent.


    Y¡¯zaks was lugging two big shopping bags as they stepped out of the supermarket. The bags were stuffed to the brim with the items they just bought. Since they could submit a claim to Raven 12345 later, Hao Ren did not not spare any expense.


    ¡°Mr. Landlord, why are those people staring at us?¡± Y¡¯zaks felt uncomfortable at the looks the crowd was giving him. Hao Ren supposed that the great demon had still not fully recovered from the traumatizing experience in his own world. Moreover, Y¡¯zaks had pretty much been cooped up at home for the past two days. The moment he went out with Hao Ren, a sense of discomfort threatened to overwhelm him. ¡°Besides, why did the cashier hold her hands in the air the moment I stepped into the store?¡±


    Hao Ren could only look at the seven-feet giant of a man who had a vicious look eternally plastered on his face. As for the vibe he gave out? Much like a murderous devil who had been under lockdown for years. Hao Ren muttered to himself, ¡°It¡¯s not ¡®us¡¯, it¡¯s you and that face of yours.¡± Y¡¯zaks could consider himself lucky for not getting locked in the slammer by the local police.


    Moreover, the way the demon carried himself was extremely direct. The moment they stepped into the supermarket, Y¡¯zaks, without as much as a word, slammed the shopping list onto the counter and commanded at the top of his voice, ¡°You lot, get me the items on this list here!¡±


    The poor cashier girl broke into tears the moment Y¡¯zaks pulled that stunt. Her hands were shaking as she pulled out the cash tray from the register and handed it over to Y¡¯zaks. She then left the counter with her hands held in the air. Hao Ren sensed that something was amiss and darted out to check on what went wrong. The first thing he saw was an old liberation army man hiding by the cabbage rack, dialing 110¡­ Thankfully, he reacted quickly.


    Also, thank goodness he purchased a boat load of items so, the manager did not ask for any compensation for the anguish caused.


    Having recalled that scene, Hao Ren shook his head and sighed. Y¡¯zaks clearly had very little idea on how society functioned there and he started to explain in detail. He did brief Y¡¯zaks on the matter of supermarkets and the process of purchasing items. However, because it was short and coupled with Y¡¯zaks misunderstanding, things were a mess. He knew that deep down, the demon had a kind heart and was a very affable per.. demon. He simply wanted to help but this was a time where the face mattered and by the looks of things, Y¡¯zaks scared everyone away with just a glance. Such is the society nowadays.


    Y¡¯zaks frowned at Hao Ren¡¯s attempt to explain. ¡°Superficial¡­ superficial indeed the way your society sees things. In my world, the most respected are the most hideous to look at. Demons, humans, even those pompous elves knew the value and honor a battle scarred look brings. The sense of beauty in this world is way off,. People should not be wearing justice and conscience on their sleeves.


    Hao Ren almost snickered at the notion of a demon talking to him about justice and conscience. What a revelation indeed. He knew Y¡¯zaks was different from most demons but, this was a difference on a whole new level. It even surpassed the insane goddess. Y¡¯zaks face glowed with a saintly halo when he spoke of ¡®justice¡¯ and ¡®conscience¡¯. Hao Ren simply could not figure out how to react to that.


    ¡°This is a societal issue. Pay no heed to it.¡± Hao Ren laughed wrily and patted Y¡¯zaks on the shoulder. ¡°That said, are you clear about the process of purchasing stuff? A supermarket is different from your sundry shops and control your volume when you speak¡­¡±


    ¡°I know. There are merchant stalls in my world and I know money is a good thing.¡± Y¡¯zaks shrugged. ¡°I may be a demon but I have also wandered within the human society as well. The men there are as sly as your kind here. They could even sell oil mixed with rice gruel to the gnomes. Hell knows where they got that idea from.¡±


    Hao Ren was curious about the world which Y¡¯zaks hailed from. It sounded like the typical fantasy world you would see in a fantasy novel. However, he knew that Y¡¯zaks was rather sensitive about the topics of his home world and Hao Ren just left it at that.


    As the two were walking towards a crossroad, they heard a song in a distance.


    Hao Ren looked around and saw that a young lass was performing in front of a shop, the melodious tune coming from her guitar.


    Buskers were a common sight in the main towns or train stations but, for a place like the Southern Suburbs, it was a rare sight indeed and Hao Ren stopped to have a better look.


    The girl was petite. She was clad in a loose grey sweater and a pair of dusty-looking jeans. She had slightly dark skin, fair as well as supple features and a pony tail, which dangled from the back of her head. She was not exactly a beauty but, she had a quiet and cute charm about her, especially when she pursed her lips.


    While Hao Ren was mesmerized for a few seconds, the girl started singing again. The song played from her portable sound box.


    ¡°She sings pretty well,¡± Hao Ren muttered to himself. ¡°But, what language is that?¡±

 Chapter 88

    The busker by the road had managed to catch Hao Ren¡¯s attention as well as the crowd in the area. Perhaps, it was due to the fact that busking was a rare sight in town. She immediately became the focus of the crowd.


    There are three types of street performers in this age; one is the poor musician who dons a pair of sunglasses and plays the erhu, playing nameless melancholic tunes; then, there is the one who is blind to his or her lack of talent but plays anyway for the sake of making a point; the last type is what Hao Ren would call a true ¡®street performer¡¯, one with real talent. The young lass across the road may have looked like an amateur but Hao Ren thought that she belonged to the third type.


    Her clothes appeared a little worn but her appearance was well kept. A cheerful glow radiated from her youthful face and at the very least, she seemed to have more money than that pauper of a vampire at home. Her music had the ability to make one stop and listen. However, the melody was foreign to Hao Ren, perhaps a self-composed tune. It did not sound anything like the popular music on radio but it gave off a forlorn feeling, making one think of the vast plains and gentle breeze. Hao Ren was usually skeptical about the whole notion of ¡®music lifting one¡¯s soul¡¯ but, this changed his mind.


    As the girl started to sing her nameless song, Hao Ren had never heard of the language before. It was as if she was just humming at will. There was no meaning to the lyrics of the song and the tune could have just been made up on the go. Even Y¡¯zaks had to stop and listen. After a while, he frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t understand it. Is the translation module malfunctioning?¡±


    ¡°Yo, MDT.¡± Hao Ren poked the device in his pocket, which was in sleep mode. ¡°Listen and tell me what language is that? Our translation database doesn¡¯t seem to have any information on it.¡±


    A short background music played, signaling that the MDT was starting up and after a few seconds, it said, ¡°No structure, no logic and undecipherable intonation. The system concludes that these sounds have no need for translation. They are just meaningless sounds.¡±


    Hao Ren pondered for a while and came up with a simple explanation. ¡°So, you mean that the lady has forgotten the lyrics and she¡¯s just making things up?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you read the atmosphere when you speak?¡± The MDT vibrated in his pocket. ¡°It¡¯s such a melodious song. Can¡¯t you just say that she¡¯s singing from her soul than forgetting the lyrics. That said, I do think that she forgot the lyrics.¡±


    The girl across the road had also seemed to take notice of them. Perhaps she noticed Y¡¯zaks first, given that the demon was a good seven feet tall. She looked at Hao Ren and greeted him with a sweet smile.


    Hao Ren of course, did not know who the lady was and he returned a courteous smile. He then left with Y¡¯zaks. He still had things to prepare for Lily¡¯s transformation that night and could not waste his precious time.


    As they were about to step into the house, the MDT sounded again. ¡°Say¡­ the lass did greet you right? Shouldn¡¯t you at least have given her a tip or two? I have checked that this is a norm on Earth.¡±


    Hao Ren thought of the matter for a while, and his face exhibited an expression of a man attaining peace. ¡°You heard the song, right? Such a carefree melody. I don¡¯t think this can be measured by money. Sure, she was busking but, I think giving her a smile is worth more than a few bucks.¡±


    ¡°But as you left, the lady did roll her eyes and muttered something about you.¡±


    Hao Ren had no response to the MDT¡¯s jibes. Could the talkative device not give him a peace of mind?


    Vivian was home by the time the two got back.


    The vampire was out and about since the last night. She did not return until past noon. It seemed like she flew somewhere real far to collect her ingredients. Hao Ren saw the vampire busy pounding herbs in the mortar. She seemed to be preparing some herbal remedies. Vivian looked up and saw the gigantic bag in Y¡¯zaks¡¯ hand and asked, ¡°Whoa, that much?¡±


    ¡°Just in case Lily gets hungry after transforming. I read that werewolves get a very voracious appetite after transforming so, I got her 20 packets of spicy strips and 10 packets of bread. This can at least ensure that she won¡¯t run into town hungry and end up hurting innocents.¡±


    Lily cheered at the mention of snacks and pounced on Hao Ren from the sofa. Grabbing a packet of spicy strip, she went back to the sofa and started munching on it. Vivian looked at Hao Ren in horror. ¡°Twenty packets of that? What were you thinking?¡±


    ¡°Well, she likes it.¡± Hao Ren gave Lily a look similar to one who was spoiling a pet. ¡°Besides, the spicy strip is rather filling. I heard from Raven 12345 that spicy stuff helps with her evolution¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of that before¡­¡± Vivian pouted. ¡°You better prepare some 10 bottles of drinking water then. There may come a time when Lily needs to dip in cold water. My goodness, that thinking of yours, why is it more and more like that goddess?¡±


    Raven 12345¡¯s status as a goddess usually commanded awe and respect while Hao Ren would casually diss her. Vivian retained that sense of awe and dared not call the goddess a crazy witch. Clearly, the vampire took the matter of religion rather seriously.


    Hao Ren then helped Y¡¯zaks place the bags on the dining table and he shifted towards Vivian as she continued to pound the herbs. ¡°What are you doing? That looks¡­ disgusting¡­ F*ck! That smell!¡±


    Vivian had placed old newspapers over the table and on them were an array of herbs that looked no different that your typical weed. However, it was clear that Vivian took a lot of effort in finding the ingredients. Some of them still had the scent of soil. Vivian had cleaned some of the herbs and carefully placed them aside. Next to the herbs was a collection of soil, wood chips, moss and pebbles that had been separated from the herbs. At first glance, one would have thought that they were plucked up from a garbage can.


    Vivian on the other hand, was carefully preparing the herbal solution, pounding some and mixing the others.


    ¡°This one here is made out of three different dried herbs. After mixing with rabbit blood and water, it will serve as a strong stabilizing agent. Normal people will probably go into a coma drinking it but, it will have a calming effect on a werewolf,¡± Vivian explained the various herbs that she was preparing. ¡°This ash-like powder is incense. I¡¯ll need to mix it with wormwood extract and mold it into a cookie-like shape. Will need to light it up when Lily transforms and it will suppress her desire to attack anything. It¡¯s a common item found in the werewolves¡¯ coming of age rituals. I¡¯m sure I got the mixture right. The moss there, I got it from the cemetery. Took me a while to find the proper one. It will be able to focus spiritual energies. Werewolves are a race that have more brawn than brains and they lack the necessary spiritual strength thus, things like these are required¡­¡±


    Vivian had yet to finish her lecture when Hao Ren showed signs of wanting to vomit. Surely, no one could have be able to withstand the stench of those things. But, they were important ingredients for the herbal concoction needed for Lily¡¯s transformation that night. Hao Ren¡¯s stomach turned at the very thought of consuming the concoction. He glanced at Vivian and felt that something was up from the vampire¡¯s eyes. ¡°Tell me, honestly, this is revenge against Lily, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Vivian smiled. ¡°Mr. Landlord, look me in the eye and you¡¯ll find out¡­¡±


    Hao Ren sighed. It was revenge indeed.


    Lily however, did not detect anything amiss and she was still munching on the spicy strips. She was watching her favorite soap opera, totally not paying any attention to the items on the table. Hao Ren took the chance to tease her. ¡°Lily, look at Vivian preparing these for you¡­ You¡¯ll need to eat them later tonight¡­¡±


    Lily turned around and sniffed. ¡°Oh, okay! I¡¯ll eat anything!¡±


    Hao Ren did not know how to respond to that.


    This omnivore of a werewolf was beyond saving!

 Chapter 89

    The bright moon and little stars were hanging in the cloudless sky. It was a good day to do something important like howling at the moon, for instance.


    Under the moon light, four silhouettes were sneaking out of the back door of Hao Ren¡¯s big house. They were like a thieves carrying a few bags and rushing straight into the wilderness.


    ¡°Why do I feel like we¡¯re about to do something bad?¡± Vivian turned into a vampire and floated in the air leisurely, half a meter above the ground ahead of them. She was the most graceful and relaxed one among them. She looked back at the dim lights far behind her, slightly sighed and said, ¡°The humans are such a wonderful race. They are so small and weak but they can manage a city and home so well¡­ As someone from the Blood Clan, I feel like I can¡¯t really leave a beautiful place like this.¡±


    ¡°So, I am right. You are poor and sentimental.¡± Lily strode along beside Hao Ren, lively and cheerful like a little rabbit. She did not forget to seize the opportunity to make fun of Vivian and said, ¡°I, as a senior literary and artistic young woman, am not as sentimental as you.¡±


    ¡°Can you two please not quarrel at this critical moment?¡± Hao Ren was the only one who was a little nervous. As he kept a watchful eye on Lily, he explained to Vivian, ¡°We must act quietly. Although this area is considered remote, places like this aren¡¯t lacking in bold and bored old men as well as women. Uncle Zhao from the east side of the street has a hobby of catching rabbits with his dog at night. Sometimes he doesn¡¯t go home until 12 o¡¯clock at midnight. Let¡¯s be careful not to bump into them. We¡¯ll be fine when we get a little farther.¡±


    The closer Lily got to the wild, the happier she was. She leapt forward as she walked. She circled around him happily and chattered loudly, ¡°Ah ha, Landlord is this what you¡¯re worrying about? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve talked to Huang. It¡¯s pretending to be sick and won¡¯t be coming out to catch rabbits tonight. And I¡¯ve greeted the other dogs on the street. None of them are going out tonight. If their owners want to go out, they¡¯ll pretend to be sick right away. Anyway, nobody will go to the heath¡­¡±


    Hao Ren stumbled. Vivian and him looked at Lily in surprise and thought: The innate skills of an animal could also be used in such a way? Lily had been busy on the street the past two days not to greet the neighbors, but to build a good relationship with the local dogs!


    Four of them were not ordinary people. Hao Ren could now pat his chest and claim to be part super human. They walked swiftly and very soon they had moved away from the last gleam of light in the Southern Suburbs. They finally reached a rather open heath. As the last man-made light disappeared behind them and the starlight in addition to the moonlight dominated the sky, everyone was under the illusion that they were far from human civilization. However, the place was not as pristine as the prairie in The Plane of Dreams. Hao Ren was very impressed by the brilliant Milky Way and two bright moons there. He felt that there was no sky as pure and clean on Earth.


    ¡°Let¡¯s settle down here?¡± Y¡¯zaks carried two of the biggest packs of stuff and walked behind them. The honest and genuine, big demon volunteered to be the porter. He put the things on the ground and then, ran to a large stone nearby. He stood on it and looked around. ¡°Well, it¡¯s nice here; view of the road and flat terrain. Even if Lily loses control later, Vivian and I will have enough space to cast the spells.¡±


    ¡°Why are all of you waiting for me to lose control?¡± Lily blinked and sounded a little unhappy. ¡°You guys have been talking about what to do if I get out of control since we left the house. Don¡¯t you guys trust me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you, I don¡¯t trust that psycho.¡± Hao Ren bent over to dig out the plastic sheeting in the big bag they prepared earlier. He spread the sheeting on the ground, shook his head and sighed. ¡°Do you know, that woman is a mechanical idiot. There is only one main button on the Bioenhancement and Reconfiguration Chamber and she still pressed the wrong one. Can you believe it? There¡¯s a big chance of things going wrong whenever she handles¨D¡±


    Before Hao Ren could finish his sentence, a loud thunder suddenly struck from the clear sky. A blinding flash of lightning slashed across the cloudless sky from the southeast. Hao Ren was frightened and he stopped talking.


    The rest of them were also startled. Nobody knew why there was thunder in such a nice weather until the MDT slowly said, ¡°Be careful, she is a goddess after all. The fundamental law of the world revolves around her. Scolding her behind her back, you better watch out for lightning.¡±


    ¡°So petty?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s neck was covered in cold sweat but, he still stubbornly muttered, ¡°Can¡¯t even say anything behind her back?¡±


    ¡°She isn¡¯t petty at all. She doesn¡¯t mind even if you call her a psycho in front of her face. She just doesn¡¯t care.¡± The MDT sounded a little cocky and continued, ¡°But the world cares. ¡®God¡¯s Punishment¡¯ is an automatic program and it¡¯s ideal for supervising employees¡¯ behaviors.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Eh-hem, let¡¯s get down to business,¡± said Hao Ren.


    Lily had already emptied the bags and piled the snacks up on the ground. A few large sheets of plastic and blankets that Hao Ren bought, came in handy. Hao Ren spread them on the ground and they became a place where Lily rolled happily. Vivian then fixed a few disposable stands on the ground and put a cool lamp on it for lighting. Y¡¯zaks sorted the snacks and drinks that had one-third of their portion consumed by Lily at home. There was still a lot left.


    Lily jumped merrily into the pile of snacks. After the bursting sounds of tearing wrappers, she held several packs of snacks in both hands and started eating. Hao Ren looked at the scene in front of him and got a little confused. ¡°Why does this look like we¡¯re having a picnic¡­¡±


    Vivian looked up at the gradually rising moon. She could not help but poke Lily in the arm and said, ¡°Stop eating. Do it now.¡±


    Lily¡¯s mouth was stuffed with spicy strips and replied in a slurred voice, ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I mean shapeshifting, you idiot!¡± Vivian was so impatient that the pitch of her voice changed. ¡°All of us skipped sleep for you. We are not here to just watch you eat the spicy bar! The prime time of the full moon will last just a few hours. You better do it now!¡±


    Lily reacted after a few seconds and quickly swallowed the snack in her mouth. She held her breath for a moment and then exhaled. ¡°Haaa¡±.


    Shortly after, a pair of pointy, wolf ears appeared on Lily¡¯s head, a tail appeared in the back of her body, and her hair turned into silvery, waist-length locks. Other than that, nothing else changed.


    ¡°And?¡± Hao Ren looked at Lily hopefully. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to evolve?¡±


    Lily was also looking curiously at her wagging tail. She also touched her ears to confirm its position and size. She looked puzzled and said, ¡°Nothing else I guess. I don¡¯t feel the urge to evolve into something else.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s not time yet.¡± Vivian found a reasonable excuse and explained, ¡°I feel that the power of the moonlight hasn¡¯t peaked yet. Lily will probably start to evolve right at the moment of the full moon.¡±


    They had to wait. Y¡¯zaks handed the drinks and snacks to them at once. He then conjured up a fiery red Demon Stone out of the air and placed it on the open ground nearby. He said, ¡°Anything you guys want to heat up? I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    Hao Ren quickly waved his hand and said, ¡°Take your stone a little farther. Be careful, don¡¯t burn the blanket.¡±


    They used rare Demon¡¯s Fire just to keep warm and barbecue but Hao Ren loathed it. He was probably the only person in the world who would loathe the Demon¡¯s Fire.


    Four of them started to eat and drink under the brilliant moonlight. As time went on, the full moon soon rose above their heads. Hao Ren felt something amiss. ¡°Why hasn¡¯t anything happened yet?¡±


    Vivian also frowned and said, ¡°The power of the moonlight has indeed reached its peak. I can feel it¡­ Why isn¡¯t Doggie reacting?¡±


    Lily was eating delightfully. She did not notice them talking about her. She was surrounded by a stack of snack bags and even smeared grease on her forehead. The silly girl completely indulged herself that night. However, Hao Ren was getting more and more worried. He was afraid that the five-digit goddess had pushed the wrong button when she ¡®treated¡¯ Lily. Therefore, a few minutes later, he picked up the MDT and said, ¡°Please call Raven 12345.¡±


    Raven 12345 answered half a minute later. ¡°Hello? Hao Ren¡­ What¡¯s the matter?¡± Her voice sounded a little languid.


    Hao Ren told her about the situation and asked anxiously, ¡°Lily¡¯s still the same. The moon is going to disappear soon. You see¡­ Is there something wrong?¡±


    Raven 12345 was unusually silent. This silence immediately made Hao Ren tense. Then he heard Raven 12345 speaking in a low tone.


    ¡°Have you ever heard of the phrase ¡®The moon turns perfectly round the day after mid-autumn day¡¯?¡±


    This was the only moment in Hao Ren¡¯s life that he could not resist the urge to punch someone in the face.

 Chapter 90

    ¡°Have you ever heard of the phrase, ¡®The moon turns perfectly round on the day after mid-autumn day¡¯?¡± Raven 12345¡¯s tone was low and slow, which sounded rather serious at first. However, Hao Ren saw through her right away: She was actually trying to sound serious to hide her guilt!


    ¡°Do you know what¡¯s on my mind?¡± said Hao Ren in a harsh tone as he grinded his teeth.


    Raven 12345 was not afraid of him. Her voice sounded free and easy. ¡°I know it. You want to die with me. Let me tell you, there are lots of people who want to die with me in this universe. You have to line up to the end of the world¡­¡±


    Hao Ren threw the MDT aside. He had no way to deal with the neurotic, thoughtless and shameless goddess. The MDT protested loudly at the moment it was thrown away. ¡°Can you please treasure your own device! Even if you have problems with your boss, you can¡¯t release your anger on me¡­¡±


    ¡°Everyone throws their cell phones when they lose a fight. You have no choice,¡± Hao spoke as he squinted at it. He then waved at them and said, ¡°Get up everybody. Let¡¯s go back. There¡¯s nothing we can be do today.¡±


    Hao Ren and Raven 12345 communicated telepathically and the rest of them did not hear the conversation. Y¡¯zaks stood up in confusion. He asked curiously while he packed, ¡°What did the goddess say to you?¡±


    ¡°She said, the moon turns perfectly round on the day after mid-autumn day and I was planning how to die with her¡­¡±


    The rest of them were speechless.


    ¡°Why did we meet such a boss!¡± Even the usually gentle and polite Vivian could not help but lose her temper. After looking blank for a moment, she started packing the stuff and continued nagging. Lily was still squatting on the blanket with a mouthful of spicy strips and mineral water. Vivian became even angrier when she saw Lily looking like a loser and she said, ¡°Doggie, can you please do something! You look like this has nothing to do with you¡­ Get up, I¡¯m packing stuff. Go home and eat¡­ Doggie? Doggie, why aren¡¯t you talking?¡±


    Vivian called Lily a few times but she did not seem to hear it. Her head was slowly drooping as if she was sleeping while eating. A few seconds later, her shoulders began to tremble and a strange voice emerged from her throat. From the previous experience, Hao Ren sensed that something was wrong instantly. He stepped forward, patted Lily on the shoulder and asked, ¡°Lily, what¡¯s wrong with you? Do you feel sick?¡±


    Lily trembled violently for a moment. Then, she looked up in a daze. Her golden eyes were unusually bright in the moonlight, which rippled with a glimmering halo. Her cheeks were covered in an unusual flush and her pupils were erratic. She looked like she was feeling excited after getting drunk. ¡°Landlord¡­ Ha¡­ I feel a little bit¡­ numb. Hands and feet are a bit¡­ itchy¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s going to transform!¡± Hao Ren immediately remembered when he spoke to Raven 12345 two days earlier. She told him about the characteristics of Lily¡¯s evolution. He jumped back more than a meter instinctively. Vivian and Y¡¯zaks stopped what they were doing after hearing what he said. The big demon and vampire went up to her. Vivian carefully observed Lily¡¯s eyes. She then waved everybody back and said, ¡°It has begun, everybody retreat. She may be more dangerous than we can imagine after she evolves¡­ It¡¯s different from what I¡¯ve seen in other wolves.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the moon, puzzled. ¡°Didn¡¯t she say ,¡®The moon turns perfectly round on the day after mid-autumn day¡¯¡­ I really can¡¯t trust what that crazy woman says.¡±


    Vivian attentively observed Lily¡¯s situation. Finally, her gaze fell on the last half packet of snacks in Lily¡¯s hand. It surprised her. ¡°This is probably the first werewolf I¡¯ve ever seen that evolved not because of the moonlight but, because of eating too many spicy strips¡­¡±


    Even Y¡¯zaks could not help but stagger. He packed up their things as he said, ¡°Ever since I met you guys, I feel like the first half of my life was wasted¡­ What I¡¯ve experienced these past few days have been so much more than that in the first half of my life.¡±


    All of them were busy except Lily, who was almost out of control. Vivian packed up their stuff too while Y¡¯zaks ran to an open area about a hundred meters away. He sketched something on the ground and summoned some green runes. Hao Ren remembered the instruction given by Raven 12345. He set the MDT to reconnaissance mode, circled it around Lily a couple of times and began to gather information of the energy field nearby. This was one of the reports he needed to hand in to Raven 12345.


    At this point in time, Lily¡¯s body had just experienced little changes but, she was sober (at least that moment, it seemed like Raven¡¯s ¡®treatment¡¯ had not gone wrong yet). Watching everybody being busy, she did not want to just sit there, doing nothing. ¡°Landlord, what should I do?¡±


    ¡°You just need to sit here quietly. If you have any discomfort, remember to tell us immediately.¡± Hao Ren gestured Lily to sit down and then he threw the MDT on the ground nearby and said, ¡°You just stay there as a detector.¡±


    The MDT shouted immediately, ¡°Hey, wait! What if she loses control after turning into a beast and eats me?¡±


    Hao Ren agreed. It was said that werewolves would have a strong appetite after transforming and they would eat whatever they could get. Thus, he ran to Vivian to get a few pieces of stomach medication and gave them to Lily. ¡°Take them. Eat two pieces when you have indigestion. They absolutely work.¡±


    The MDT could only say, ¡°¡­ Damn you¡­¡±


    Everything was quickly tidied up. Vivian packed up and brought them to the defense area, which Y¡¯zaks sketched out with the demonic runes. There was only one blanket left at Lily¡¯s feet. At that moment, the unusual phenomena around the werewolf maiden had become apparent to ordinary people. A passive cyclone swirled around her. The abnormal radiance of green light glowed in the rapidly growing whirlwind. Hao Ren could feel a burst of alternating hot and cold air while he stood 20 meters away from Lily. They could not go any farther. The green whirlwind was as sharp as a blade and the gravel on the ground would have been broken into half just from touching the cyclone. The blanket at Lily¡¯s feet had been cut like a mosquito coil. Hao Ren was not yet ready to compare the hardness of his Steel Membrane Shield with Lily¡¯s sharp whirlwind¡­


    The werewolf girl, who was the key person, stood in the middle of the unusual phenomenon. A small area beside her was extremely calm which was as safe as the eye of a typhoon. Lily was certainly not afraid of the peculiar phenomenon she had caused and she curiously observed the cyclone around her. When she found that she could slightly control it, she immediately cheered up and said, ¡°Landlord! I can unleash magic too! Battie can¡¯t say I¡¯m stupid anymore!¡±


    The remark showed that her mind was still restrained¡­


    Hao Ren made a gesture of encouragement to Lily and ran to the safe zone a hundred meters away. The so-called ¡®safe zone¡¯ was a prototype space covered with green demonic runes. Y¡¯zaks used the runes to conjure up a layer of protection from the air. The runes floated in the air a few centimeters off the ground and kept moving as if they were alive. Although it looked a little scary, there was no need to worry about the protection.


    ¡°The momentum is very strong. The werewolf of your world is really an interesting creature. It will even go through such an explosive growth. Y¡¯zaks stood in the middle of the runes, holding his arms up and watching Lily¡¯s condition with great interest. ¡°Hmm¡­ something¡¯s changing¡­¡±


    Pretty much just as Y¡¯zaks finished speaking, the cyclone around Lily burst out all of a sudden!


    The scene was like heavy bullets crashing onto the ground. The originally ¡®gentle¡¯, green whirlwind unexpectedly exploded in all directions after an abrupt contraction. Countless green shock waves spread out from the center, where Lily was. The shock waves were massive and threw sand as well as stones everywhere. An entire layer of the ground was abruptly cut down in a fraction of one second. The demonic array where the three of them stood in suddenly burst into an intense beam. All the runes rose up into the air. A layer of green shield blocked the shock waves that rushed at them just in time. However, the situation outside the shield was completely obscured.


    The distance of 100 meters seemed a little too close to Lily. Y ¡®zaks¡¯s judgment of Lily¡¯s power was wrong. The three of them were basically in the radius of the blast¡­


    ¡°Awwooooooooooo¡­¡±


    Suddenly, they heard a distant howling coming from the clouds and the surrounding shock waves instantly subsided. Y¡¯zaks removed the shields and Vivian blew away all the haze with her gale. Then, an astonishing scene materialized before them.


    The flat ground had become unrecognizable. In front of Hao Ren was a flat concave ground with the radius of 100 meters. The green shock waves had cut the area abruptly into a bowl-shaped pit and he was standing at the edge of the pit.


    A giant beast stood tall and upright in the middle of the pit.


    The beast was seven or eight meters tall. Despite standing on all fours, she looked as strong and powerful as Y¡¯zaks in his demon form. Her hair was as white as snow with some black markings on her face and shoulders. This was the completely evolved Lily.


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyes first fell on her ears and tail. The upright triangular ears and snow-white wagging tail were exactly the same as the ones Lily had in human form. It was simply the same Lily who had been magnified many times.


    ¡°Why do I feel that¡­she looks a little bit different from a wolf?¡± Vivian could not help but mutter after she tilted her head and looked at Lily for a long time.


    Lily was still immersed in the excitement of her complete evolution. She looked up at the round moon. Again, she howled loudly and powerfully, ¡°Awwooooooooooo¡­ Woof!¡±


    Vivian finally clapped her hands and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a husky?!¡±

 Chapter 91

    Lily¡¯s evolutionary process was more rapid than expected. It took a few minutes from the appearance of the unusual phenomenon to the completion of her transformation. However, the process was still intense. A large area within a 100-meter radius turned into a bowl-shaped pit because of the wind pressure during her transformation. The soil and rocks within the range were gone. After the most violent shock wave ended, Lily had turned into a giant beast of seven or eight meters in length and about three meters in height. That was bigger than Charlie. Her height alone already implied that she was as powerful and fierce as Y¡¯zaks when he appeared in front of them for the first time. However, it seemed that only her body size made her look rather powerful and fierce.


    Vivian stretched her neck and kept looking at Lily for quite some time. When she heard another ¡°Awoooo¡­ woof¡±, she finally confirmed it and said, ¡°That¡¯s really a husky.¡±


    ¡°Stop joking. We¡¯re getting down to business.¡± Of course, Hao Ren did not believe it at first. He did not take Vivian¡¯s words seriously. He felt that she just wanted to seize the opportunity to make fun of the dumb werewolf. And to be fair, he believed that the giant canine in the pit was indeed a wolf. From the body size to the powerful vibe, they all belonged to a wolf. Although the contours on her face were slightly softer¡­ However, based on the murderous eyes, triangular upright ears and sharp teeth¡­she looked just like a wolf from all angles.


    It was just the ¡°woof¡± that puzzled him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not joking.¡± Vivian glanced at Hao Ren and said, ¡°Although huskies and wolves look alike, you can still tell the difference if you look closely. I¡¯ve dealt with werewolves for thousands of years and I¡¯ve seen how some wolves evolved into different kinds of dogs. Do you think I can¡¯t tell?¡±


    Hao Ren was instantly stunned. He noticed that Vivian did not look like she was joking at all. The vampire maiden looked totally serious as though she was simply stating the truth. He could not seem to believe it and asked, ¡°¡­You¡¯re saying¡­This is a husky?!¡±


    Vivian nodded vigorously.


    Hao Ren was flabbergasted. He slowly turned around and looked at Lily. The huge ¡®wolf¡¯ was still looking up at the moon and behaving in an insane manner. She kept howling and barking at it. Looking at the scene, Hao Ren felt that the amount of information his brain could process had reached its limit. He could not think properly. He held his head, slowly crouching down as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t speak, let me figure it out¡­¡±


    However, no matter how hard he tried to figure out what had just happened, the fact was already there. He had to face the truth that came crashing in: Lily revealed her true identity after her complete evolution. She was a husky¡­ and this demolished his entire understanding of the world.


    She was a husky, my fellow audience and friends, young and old men, brothers and sisters! She was a husky! Not even the author could believe his own keyboard. How could Hao Ren believe it?


    But whether Hao Ren believed it or not, Lily was quite satisfied anyway. The dumbass felt a long-lost sense of comfort after she transformed. Her repressed power and instincts were all released. She chattered to the moon for several minutes. Then, she noticed her three little companions standing on the edge of the pit and she trotted happily towards them. Can you imagine what a husky with the body length of seven or eight meters looks like trotting merrily? Hao Ren returned to earth due to a mild earthquake. When he looked up, he saw an unprecedentedly large pointed mouth with sharp teeth leaning down towards him. He broke out in cold sweat and shouted, ¡°¡­Wait a minute! Lily, what are you doing? You promised me you would keep your head all the way¡­¡±


    ¡°She just wants to lick you.¡± said Vivian, who breezed to the side and spoke uncaringly. Y¡¯zaks ran even faster. The big demon directly teleported hundreds of meters away when he realized something had went wrong.


    ¡°Lick me¨D¡± Before Hao Ren could finish, a warm tongue descended from the sky onto his body. He felt like he had been hit head-on by a speeding car. If his body had not been strengthened, the lick could have broken half of his ribs. Lily¡¯s licking even activated Hao Ren¡¯s Steel Membrane Shield and he found the translucent membrane shining all over his body. The membrane protected his body from being accidentally ripped off by Lily but failed to protect his new clothes.


    When the two heartless guys came to the rescue, Hao Ren looked like he had just been bombed in the Middle East. Three-fifths of his clothing was inside Lily¡¯s belly¡­


    ¡°Are you completely covered in saliva?¡± Vivian seemed to be asking with concern. However, she soon found that there was a layer of isolated, translucent light membrane covering Hao Ren and blocking Lily¡¯s saliva attack. She was very interested in it and asked, ¡°Eh, is that the Steel Membrane Shield you were talking about? Can you let me try?¡±


    ¡°Can you get me a coat first?¡± Hao Ren looked down at the rags on his body, on the verge of tears. ¡°Who else can communicate with Lily? She can only howl and bark now¡­¡±


    How could Vivian get him clothes? Finally, Y¡¯zaks took off his coat and put it on Hao Ren. It looked like a jacket on Y¡¯zaks but looked like a cloak on Hao Ren. Lily was still in a state of excitement and she could not calm down. She had no idea how much trouble she had brought upon her tiny, little companions down there. She just tilted her head and looked at Vivian flying around her head. She twisted her neck like a restless puppy¡­ no, big dog. She would occasionally crane her neck and try to lick Hao Ren again. But Hao Ren was much smarter this time. He ran away immediately without hesitation. After all, it was not his coat.


    Vivian flew around Lily¡¯s head for some time. After she confirmed that the big dog was not aggressive, she moved closer to the big dog and shouted, ¡°Doggie, can you hear me?!¡±


    Lily¡¯s ear twitched slightly. She nimbly turned towards Vivian¡¯s direction and nodded vigorously. She kept panting while nodding. Additionally, her wagging tail almost threw sand and stones in all directions. Watching this, Hao Ren could only accept it even though he was not willing to believe it. He kept this girl as a wolf for one month but she turned out to be a husky¡­


    How could a real wolf wag its tail like that!


    Hao Ren confirmed that Lily could understand their words and was slightly relieved.


    Then he yelled, ¡°Can you speak?¡±


    Lily opened her mouth and replied, ¡°Aw¡­ woo?¡±


    ¡°She can understand words but can¡¯t speak. Such a dumbass¡­ She¡¯s gotten more useless after the evolution.¡± Vivian flapped her wings and descended gracefully. She found it both funny and annoying. ¡°I¡¯ve been nervous for a whole three days, worrying that she would get stronger after her evolution¡­¡±


    ¡°I think she¡¯s really become more powerful than before,¡± said Y¡¯zaks. There were no huskies in the big demon¡¯s world. He was the only one who did not understand why Hao Ren and Vivian overreacted.


    ¡°¡­This has nothing to do with combat power.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s tone sounded strange as he explained, ¡°Huskies are the benchmark of¡­ the Dumbass World.¡±


    A blue light was darting swiftly from the distance. The MDT, which was dumped near Lily as a detector (also called a lightning device?) was heading back to Hao Ren. The hapless PDA could not resist the shock wave and ended up buried several meters under the ground. But as a result, it did not have a single scar on it. It really was a high-tech product from the Xi Ling Celestials. The MDT did not have time at that moment to complain. It circled rapidly around Hao Ren and asked, ¡°What happened? Isn¡¯t the werewolf turning back into a wolf? How did it turn out to be a giant husky?¡±


    Even the MDT said the same thing. Lily¡¯s real identity was confirmed. The PDA had a biometric function.


    After Lily¡¯s transformation, it seemed that even her attention span had transformed into that of a husky¡¯s level. She was so close to three of them but she did not pay any attention to what they were saying. The dumb girl¡¯s attention soon averted elsewhere and she began to wander around the grounds. She ran around, picked up a ¡®small stone¡¯ (the size of a nether millstone) and played fetch alone. The next minute, she looked for a suitable place and dug a big hole with her front paws really quickly for no reason. Most of the time, she just trotted everywhere aimlessly. You can imagine what it was like when a behemoth was running around. However, the most obvious scene was the wagging of her tail as she ran¡­


    It was simply unbearable to look straight at Lily¡¯s innocent and naive appearance. Hao Ren thought that he would not be able to watch movies and dramas the same way again. He would not even be able to face the dictionary for the rest of his life¡­

 Chapter 92

    Hao Ren has had an imagination about what would happen to Lily after she transformed. He even pictured the process as if it was a Hollywood blockbuster movie. Not only that, he even visioned the ways of what they should do when Lily got out of control, and how Vivian would deal with the fury Lily. Hao Ren also imagined that Y¡¯zaks would turn into demons to fight against the ferocious beast, with scenes of which he calmly gives command to save critical conditions from behind. In short, he assumed that this evening would be a bloody sleepless night for him. After all, a werewolf was about to evolve, as there were barely any professionals around who knew how to control and repress the situation, thus, ¡°losing control¡± seems inevitable.


    As a result, it turned out to be a sleepless night, but there was no bloodshed to be seen. Lily seemed busy gamboling and digging around. Despite of her body size, Lily was somehow radiating a harmless vibe, from her head to the tip of her tail. All the steps they had formed earlier were not needed here¡­


    To be honest, it was pretty boring to watch a seven or eight-metered-long husky running and gamboling around. However, Vivian dare not even place a foot forward to stop the ludicrous dog as it seemed utterly dangerous. Lily was now in a heavy tank situation, even if she turned out to be a husky; it could not manage to cover up her fighting powers at that moment, so perhaps the power of the werewolf had been awakened in the past, therefore, while she was running, her feet were surrounded by a turquoise whirlwind all this time. The wind pressure was so strong that it could slit the gold and break the stones, as easily as cutting tofu. With Lily running at full speed, the turquoise whirlwind could even make her entire body shrouded in a wall of blurred wind, the power was unimaginable. Hao Ren watched as Lily ran to a small mound as soon as that area was only left with a trench. No one would doubt the werewolf girl¡¯s fighting power in this form, her power was now deadly.


    Just like what Raven 12345 had mentioned, Lily was still conscious of her surroundings, but at the same time she was remarkably energetic. The werewolf girl (for the time being) must splurge on her excessive energy. Otherwise there will be no other way for her to return to her actual form. The exact principles are unknown, most likely related to the full moon¡­ well, the power of hot strips. In short, in this case, Hao Ren and the other two tenants must have been here to watch a husky rolling and playing in a cute way. Well, this animal was undeniably rolling and playing adorably in Hao Ren¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°When will she calm down?¡± Vivian yawned and asked as she was a nocturnal creature. However, in order to prepare Lily for all the things she needed to evolve, she clearly had not gotten enough rest within these two days. She was a little sleepy at this moment.


    ¡°I just looked at the life habits of a Husky,¡± Hao Ren pulled a long face while taking out the Mobile Data Terminal. The information was shown via a holographic projection. ¡°Husky, lively and active, energetic, and has strong curiosity. When it starts playing, it usually does not obey the orders of the owner or anyone else. A healthy adult husky can play up to three or four hours or even a longer period. Well, it did not mention what will happen when a husky evolves, however I just recalled Lily¡¯s typical behavior, I believe her actions matches everything in this description.¡±


    Vivian knelt down in dismay. She rummaged from the bag and said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t I think of it before¡­ Just look at her usual behavior. I should have guessed that this girl faces problems. You see, I have prepared so much incense for her, and now it¡¯s useless.¡±


    Hao Ren was waiting boringly for Lily to transform back to her usual self after she eventually felt tired. At that instant, he got an idea and said, ¡°Wait! This might work!¡±


    ¡°These?¡± Vivian weighed a few pieces of incense up and down in her hand, which emanated a strong aroma. ¡°They¡¯re made for werewolves, but they don¡¯t work on huskies.¡±


    ¡°How would you know if you didn¡¯t try?¡± Hao Ren reached out and grabbed several pieces of ¡®herbal cake¡¯. ¡°Now we have to calm Lily down as soon as possible. She¡¯s too loud. Even if this place is essentially remote, it¡¯s unlikely to guarantee that no one will be attracted here. How do we apply this anyway?¡±


    ¡°You want to attempt to it?¡± Vivian pulled the corners of her mouth and said. ¡°It¡¯s simple. Just heat it. Light the bottom with charcoal and the incense will burn slowly. But we have to let the big dog stay quietly at one corner first. The range of incense is limited after all.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that easy?¡± Hao Ren looked up at Lily and said, ¡°She¡¯s just gamboling, she is still capable of understanding our words. It should be alright to let her calm down for a few minutes. You two, whoever is able to quiet her down?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks and Vivian glanced at each other. At the end, the big demon sighed and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go, I have thick skin.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks ran to Lily and tried to persuade her while Hao Ren immediately started setting up the ¡°rite scene¡± along with Vivian. They prepared and placed the metal box in advance, setting it up in a large open space, while burning the tangy herbal cakes with charcoal. Soon, the place was filled with a drowsy scent. Vivian¡¯s special incense was really treasure. Nevertheless, it still worked even in this sort of open environment. Hao Ren has began starting to feel a little drowsy even after his body was enhanced.


    Hao Ren hoped that Lily did not have strong resistance to the scent. If she followed the standard playing time of a Husky and kept on playing, the sun will rise soon¡­


    The communication between Y¡¯zaks and Lily was quite smooth. The big demon was not scratched by Lily as well. Although the werewolf girl was particularly excited, she did not lose her senses and could still recognize her housemates. When she saw acquaintances approaching her, she would calm herself down naturally.


    However, it did not last longer than expected. Lily was completely unable to stay calm and sit still. Basically, she could only maintain her concentration for approximately one minute and that is why she would start running and playing around again before Vivian could finish her words previously.


    Y¡¯zaks quickly led Lily into a range of incense along with the precious one minute period when Lily was able to calm down. Next, the three of them will find ways together to allow Lily to sit amidst the incense.


    The giant husky was finally calmed. She sat properly for more than 10 meters ahead of Hao Ren. Her head, still twitching from left to right curiously, observing her surroundings with a new height. Her tail was wagging in a briskly way which helped to diffuse the incense thoroughly. Perhaps Lily was just playing a little too hard just now, therefore, she felt a little hot this instance. She put her tongue out and continuously panting herself out. This seemed to be a good in a sense that Lily nearly inhaled most of the aroma around her and this even suffocated Hao Ren as he stepped two steps forward¡­ The big dog¡¯s lung capacity was huge.


    Vivian looked at Lily nervously. Soon she realised that the giant husky began to slowly doze off, and the forceful beast in the air was also dispersing little by little. The incense worked!


    ¡°This is prepared specifically for werewolves ¡­¡± Vivian was surprised and continued, ¡°It works on huskies as well?¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged and said, ¡°Wolves and and huskies are close relatives after all.¡±


    ¡°¡­Werewolf, wolf, husky, husky-turns-human, they are basically four species alright,¡± said Vivian in a serious manner. ¡°There may have some blood relationship between huskies and wolves, but the other two¡­ What the heck is this?¡±


    Yes, what the heck is this? Probably this was about to be an unsolved mystery for a long period of time and the current major issue was that the incense actually worked.


    The two-story-tall giant figure was smoked for several minutes within the haze. She barely could resist the drowsiness, wobbled and fell like a mountain. ¡°Bang!¡± Even the ground was shaking thoroughly. Hao Ren saw the huge figure of Lily which began to shrink rapidly in the haze. She was finally turning back into human form.


    However, before Hao Ren could see what was going on exactly, Y¡¯zaks and himself were chased away by Vivian. The vampire lady ordered them with power like a master of the house, ¡°You two, step aside, turn your back and don¡¯t peek! My little bats are watching you. Whoever peep shall have nothing to eat tomorrow!¡±


    Hao Ren could roughly guessed what was happening. He quickly dragged Y¡¯zaks and ran off to an area far away from that hideous place and waited. The big demon asked while squatting at his spot, ¡°What happen?¡±


    ¡°Just don¡¯t look there,¡± Hao Ren said. But then he thought of the big demon¡¯s race and with his instinctive curiosity, he shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s difficult for you to understand. Our aesthetic standards are different.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks, ¡°?¡±


    The two of them loitered around for a bit when all of a sudden, fluttering of a bat¡¯s wings was heard and approached them from close by.


    Sure enough, this was Lily¡¯s first encounter with such a thorough transformation. Therefore, the relevant professional skills are not thoroughly skilled. Her clothes were scrapped. Fortunately, they had an attentive vampire back home. Vivian even remembered to prepare a replacement dress for Lily. Although the two of them were constantly having conflicts, however Vivian¡¯s kindness was shown at this critical moment.


    ¡°Landlord landlord!¡± Lily had recovered soon enough after she was free from the incenses¡¯ range. She jumped out of Vivian¡¯s arms and onto the ground happily, grasped upon Hao Ren¡¯s arm, shook it vigorously and asked, ¡°How was it? I¡¯m very formidable right!¡±


    At this instance, Hao Ren suddenly realised a highly difficult problem. Lily had been so excited that she began gamboling around and had no idea what she had become.


    Now, as Lily¡¯s temporary guardian, he must find a way to explain the truth to this unfortunate girl¡­


    ¡°Now, I would rather find that crazy woman to perish together!¡±

 Chapter 93

    Although her origins seemed a little peculiar, as a ¡®werewolf¡¯, Lily had good physical quality. Even after she was forced to transform back to her human form, perhaps due to the strong effects of the incense, she stood energetic as before. Right after she had turned back into human, she started chasing after Hao Ren and Vivian to gather more details about her transformation. Well, the basic idea was: I¡¯m very powerful, right?


    To be honest, looking from another perspective¡­ That¡¯s pretty powerful.


    Of course Vivian would seize the opportunity to dampen the spirit of Lily. ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited. You have to figure out a solution for clothing issues. You¡¯ll ruin the clothes that you¡¯re wearing every single time you transform into another being. I¡¯m not your nanny. I won¡¯t mingle with you all day just to bring you new clothes.¡±


    Lily was calmer now. Looking upon the new clothes she was wearing, prepared by Vivian, she was grateful to the vampire whom she had always had a little prejudice of. In a very rare occasion, the werewolf girl thanked Vivian. ¡°Thank you, I wasn¡¯t expecting this to happen¡­ But how do you usually solve this problem? It¡¯s amazing that you often transform into a swarm of bats easily¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m using magic,¡± Vivian shrugged and did not assume it was a big deal. ¡°It¡¯s a very simple trick for me, but I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s difficult for you. But then again, it seems that there are no other options to solve this problem with magic. Other high order blood clans are directly using enchanted fabric to manufacture clothes to resolve this issue. Those types of clothing can be integrated with all forms of the body after being recharged, and it won¡¯t cause damages at all. As far as I know, I am the only one who has created the technique of wearing ordinary clothes without damaging the cloth while transforming. I¡¯m such a genius.¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at Vivian strangely and asked, ¡°Do you think you have lived long enough to feel free about yourself? Why did you pursue this?¡±


    Vivian looked very serious and replied, ¡°Because I¡¯m poor.¡±


    Hao Ren paused for a moment. A moment later, he then realised what Vivian meant when she responded. Vivian could not afford to wear the common enchanted clothes of a vampire¡­


    Well, this was a vampire who was so poor that she could not afford the clothes of her own clan and that she could only dig into all sorts of unorthodox ways to save money. What a dumb werehusky whom she thought she was a werewolf for decades. Both of them were actually birds of the same feather, how could they have possibly despise each other?


    Hao Ren waved to Lily and said, ¡°Lily, there is one thing I have to tell you¡­ I hope you¡¯re mentally prepared.¡±


    Lily jumped to Hao Ren happily at once and said, ¡°Just say it, my mental ability is constantly fit! Is the rent increasing next month?¡±


    What a nice girl she is. She had not realised that she was the only tenant in the house who paid the rent on time. Trustworthy girls like this were really hard to find these days. Looking at the pure smile on Lily¡¯s face, Hao Ren could not bare his heart to tell her the truth, nevertheless he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Lily, are you familiar with huskies?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the dumbass Husky,¡± said Lily while smiling. ¡°Merely stupid but entertaining enough. Landlord, do you want to keep one? No problem, I¡¯ll have a look out for you. I promise to find you a good one¡­¡±


    Hao Ren slapped himself on the forehead and said, ¡°Damn, I can¡¯t do it.¡±


    Vivian looked even more reluctant than Hao Ren. She sighed, looked up to see the sinking moon, and threw the huge pouch between her feet to the Y¡¯zaks and said, ¡°If you can¡¯t mention it now, then tell her after we have returned. Let¡¯s pack up and go home. We¡¯ve been out long enough. ¡±


    Lily looked at Vivian and Hao Ren with confusion. She could not figure out why both of them seemed hesitated. Fortunately, she stopped focusing on the problem in a wink of time, then started running around merrily and helped the others pack up their stuff. After all, she was a Husky.


    Hao Ren seemed troubled after having a glimpse at the messy spots and asked, ¡°What are we going to do here? This place looks like a bombed scene and 100-metered-radius sinkhole is placed over there. I¡¯m afraid trouble will approach soon if we don¡¯t tidy up.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks immediately knew that it was his turn to do something. He yelled, and with sparks gushing out from his mouth, ¡°All of you step back¡­¡±


    Hao Ren slapped against the Y¡¯zaks back (the force was so hard that it numbed his hand) and asked, ¡°Could you please avoid using meteorites at all?¡±


    ¡°Forget it, just leave it there,¡± said Vivian. ¡°Just some big pits. There are no supernatural substances left, people can¡¯t figure out any way from this. Or it will affect locals who stole the loess to be fined again. Hurry up! I am not willing to stand here any longer. The incense makes me dizzy¡­ The incense seems a little too strong.¡±


    So with ¡°Lily¡¯s Hyper-evolution¡±, which left Hao Ren speechless, has ended satisfactorily. Four of them carried the bags and left the unrecognisable land, leaving only the pungent incense which can vanish itself in the morning, along with the gullies and big pits on the ground. This is sure to become another hot topic of the old folks who live around the southern suburbs in the next few days, however, it does not have nothing to do with Hao Ren.


    The full moon was gradually sinking, starlight began fading gently, and the wilderness has silenced , everything seemed to have settled here. Soon, a cloud of dark smoke suddenly appeared from nowhere, and compiled into an unusual tall figure by the edge of the big pit which was caused by Lily.


    The tall, muscular figure remain shrouded in a shadow. The details of the figure¡¯s face were then blurred. Judging from his stature, that he was a rather strong man. This unknown figure was standing beside the pit within hundred meters, sniffing to distinguish a certain scent that lingered in the air. The man spit and said, ¡°Tsk, such a half-baked, they even used the wrong incense in the ritual.¡±


    Right after the man stopped speaking, another cloud of dark mist drifted from nowhere, and condensed into a somewhat smaller figure. This man¡¯s face was hidden in the shadows. He stooped over to pick up a piece of residual spice and shoved it into his mouth and said, ¡°The formula is right, but it¡¯s not meant for the coming-of-age ritual. The younger generations has become rather disappointing. Can you verify which family¡¯s descendant is this?¡±


    ¡± I don¡¯t think anyone cares about family backgrounds these days,¡± the tall man answered and laughed. ¡°You can¡¯t pick information up from those old-school folks. The world is getting drastically difficult than ever. It¡¯s not easy to survive, not to mention the kid who just became an adult. Whatever family it belongs to, we have to seek upon different ways to get in contact with it. In my opinion, the scenes of the ritual¡­ the arrangement was rather confusing and it didn¡¯t follow the actual rules. That one person who conducted the coming-of-age ritual here is probably an orphan. If there was a ¡®parent¡¯ whom is able to guide it from aside, it couldn¡¯t have used the wrong incense.¡±


    The shorter man spitted out the incense dreg from his mouth. He waved his hand just before he proceeded and said, ¡°Begin analyzing the situation first. I¡¯m gonna throw up.¡±


    The tall man waited for his companion to return, pointing towards the direction of the town and said, ¡°The smell of residual incense here is too heavy, I can roughly judge that they are heading towards that direction, we¡¯ll head straight for them and will start the search separately tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we hunt for them now? They may not have gone far¡­¡±


    ¡°It is said that one or two demon hunters have been appearing in this area recently. Without an doubt, they¡¯re surely attracted by the half-baked youths. Taking action at night will cause us to be easily targeted by them. Remember, we have to behave like humans, and in this way we are able to live longer.¡±


    ¡°The Demon Hunter¡­¡± The short man sighed and looked up at the sinking moon, he then turned into a puff of dark mist and dissipated into mid air.


    ¡°The Demon Hunter¡­¡±


    Along with a sigh, another puff of dark mist faded away too.


    They have returned and knew nothing about what has happened in the wilderness. And now they¡¯re about to face another tricky problem.


    Lily was sitting on the sofa in the centre of the living room with looks of despair. She wanted to reconfirm with the three of them and asked, ¡°Do all of you clearly see that¡­ it¡¯s a husky?¡±


    ¡°You are a veterinarian, and you specialise in dogs,¡± said Hao Ren while pulling out the Mobile Data Terminal from his pocket and continued, ¡°This is the video we took after you¡¯ve evolved. Watch it and examine it. Our words won¡¯t count, you¡¯ll have to see for yourself.¡±


    The Mobile Data Terminal activated a shield to protect itself in case Lily got angry and bit it to pieces, and then it turned on the holographic projection cautiously, showing the footage recorded two hours ago.


    A mighty, domineering, powerful, handsome and lovely¡­ husky was galloping in the wilderness where pits were seen everywhere on the ground. She was gamboling, rolling, digging, and running around with a stone in her mouth. The husky was exceptionally good with the four basic skills.


    Lily¡¯s tears were rolling down her cheeks on the spot. ¡°Am I really a husky¡­¡±

 Chapter 94

    Ever since yesterday, Lily had been isolating in her room. She hadn¡¯t responded to anyone.


    Vivian made breakfast ready; in fact it was more like lunch than a breakfast since Lily only woke up at ten. Realizing Lily wasn¡¯t at the table, she glanced at the bedroom door and asked, ¡°Is Doggie OK?¡±


    ¡°After going through such emotional shock, she needed sometime alone.¡± said Hao Ren as he filled up his bowl with rice. ¡°I¡¯ll send in her breakfast. I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯re the last person she would want to see at the moment. It¡¯s just too embarrassing.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡± Vivian hadn¡¯t gotten the message.


    Hao Ren spread his hands as he said, ¡°The vampire is still a vampire, but the werewolf that she have always been proud of turned out to be a husky. Her self-esteem must have hit rock bottom. She¡¯s too embarrassed.¡±


    ¡°Feeling less important? I don¡¯t think she would have thought of that deeply in mind,¡± Vivian sat beside Hao Ren as she tossed a ham to Rollie. ¡°What¡¯s more, our relationship isn¡¯t as tense as you¡¯ve imagined. No doubt we have had quarrels but we aren¡¯t sworn enemies, there isn¡¯t enough reason for her to not face me. Those are my thoughts.¡±


    No one knows what goes on within Lily¡¯s mind except herself. But considering how sensitive she is as a person, it was kind of hard to tell what was in her mind; Hao Ren thought as he took a long sigh. After being a day of cold-eyed bystander, all of a sudden, Y¡¯zaks chimed in. ¡°Although I don¡¯t know what the heck ¡®Husky¡¯ is, but that little girl¡¯s really sad?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to explain what it feels like when a werewolf discovers it isn¡¯t a werewolf at all, but a husky.¡± Hao Ren was being honest. But Y¡¯zaks was dismissive, ¡°It isn¡¯t hard to understand. I knew a demon team leader whom thought to himself that all this while he was the offspring of a fallen angel, but I hadn¡¯t had the courage to tell him that his wings was in fact a deformity caused by dystopia¡­¡±


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­.. I¡¯ll send Lily her breakfast.¡±


    He took the meal, came to her doorstep, and knocked twice. There wasn¡¯t any response.


    ¡°Hey, Lily, it¡¯s me.¡± Hao Ren knocked a little harder this time. ¡°I brought you breakfast, could you please open the door? We can talk over it after you have your breakfast¡­¡±


    Before his voice trailed off, the door swung open. Lily was standing there, yawning. ¡°Landlord, meal time isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°¡­ just woke up?¡± asked Hao Ren.


    ¡°Yep!¡±


    ¡°We were knocking on your door¡­¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear it.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Not a slight bit of sadness was written on her sleepy face. He didn¡¯t know what to make out of it, as they¡¯ve been worried for nothing since last night and till this morning. Lily had been sleeping like a log.


    Hao Ren had wanted to ask but he didn¡¯t: was the dumb husky in such a hurry to show off its natural instinct after knowing her real identity last night?


    Lily didn¡¯t have a clue about the dramatic expression written on Hao Ren¡¯s face. She took her breakfast over to the table and started gobbling until she was completely stuffed. ¡°Burrrp! I¡¯m done!¡±


    ¡°Have your brains been short-circuited?¡± Vivian stared at Lily in amazement before patting her head. She said, ¡°Doggie, do you remember what happened last night?¡±


    Lily¡¯s facial expression changed after hearing that, and that was a good sign¡ªit proved that she hadn¡¯t gone insane. Her eyes took a quick sweep of her surroundings before glacing upon Hao Ren. ¡°Landlord¡­ am I really a husky?¡±


    ¡°Nothing is as truthful than this, don¡¯t run away from it, Lily.¡± Vivian answered on behalf of Hao Ren. ¡°Think about it, wolves and huskies are close relatives, so do werewolves and werehuskies. Think of yourself as a minority within the werewolf race.¡±


    ¡°The only werehusky in the werewolf race?¡± Lily gave out an astonished face while counting her fingers. ¡°Why am I the only husky¡­?¡±


    ¡°Who knows, there could be a husky branch in the werewolf race?¡± Vivian tried to comfort her. ¡°Look, huskies evolved from wolves, as they came from the same family a few hundred years ago. So a werehusky spin-off from werewolves is entirely possible.¡±


    ¡°Well, that sounds a little out of this world.¡± Hao Ren whispered to Y¡¯zaks.


    ¡°But I think she¡¯s got a point.¡± said Y¡¯zaks as he nodded.


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­..¡±


    Lily hasn¡¯t gotten used to think about such complex situations, she had completely lost the thread. In the end, she shrugged it off and said, ¡°Forget it, I¡¯m happy with my life, after all it has got nothing to do with food and sleep.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Lily in amazement: she¡¯s more husky than a husky when it comes to thinking, and as naive as one could ever get.


    ¡°I¡¯ve go an idea, I know how to verify your identity in the most accurate way.¡± As a vampire, Vivian had been color-blind species-wise. She reached out and held Lily by her hand to offer her help. ¡°Appearance can be deceiving while the MDT could have messed things up, but I¡¯ve got a reliable way to do that.¡±


    Lily¡¯s ears stood up as she listened. ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Allow me to suck your blood.¡±


    Lily shook off Vivian¡¯s hand and hid behind Hao Ren. ¡°Battie, mind what you say! I thought I could treat you as a friend?¡±


    ¡°Look how tense you¡¯ve become,¡± Vivian gave Lily an oblique glance. ¡°It¡¯s just like getting a blood test done in the hospital, I¡¯d only take a sip for testing purposes. I¡¯m not saying I feast on it. Look, if you decline my offer, you won¡¯t find similar services elsewhere, and that will leave you no choice but to visit a vet. Where on earth could you find a vet who would do a werewolf and werehusky verification?¡±


    Something told Hao Ren that MDT analysis was way better than Vivian¡¯s homemade formula. But after pondering for some time, Lily chose to buy upon Vivian¡¯s idea. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s make it upfront, just one bite, or else I¡¯ll bite back. You know my teeth is sharper than yours.¡±


    A teeth fight between a husky and a vampire¡ª how cute could the maiden get?


    Vivian was all smiles as she slowly walked up to Lily. Lily¡¯s tail straightened as she instinctively curled herself up on the couch. ¡°Where¡­ are you going to bite?¡±


    ¡°As per our clan¡¯s custom¡ªthe neck. Of course I¡¯d bite the arm if you¡¯re scared.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of? Here¡¯s my neck¡­ Oh, wait a second, have you brushed your teeth yet?¡±


    ¡°The teeth of the esteemed Blood Clan are sterile. No worries, in fact they¡¯re cleaner than a clean room.¡±


    ¡°¡­rinse your mouth first, at least.¡±


    ¡°Stop the bullsh*t! Here you go, close your eyes!¡±


    ¡°Awww!¡±


    Before Lily could finish her trashy talk, Vivian had sunk her fangs into Lily¡¯s neck, and the werewolf girl could only force out a short cry of surprise. Hao Ren stood by aside and watched throughout as the two beautiful lasses were entangled together on the couch, which led out an imagination of the blooming lilies¡¯ scene¡­ what a waste.


    Anyway, Vivian kept her word as she had only sucked a small amount of blood out of Lily¡¯s neck. It took less than a few seconds before Vivian got to her feet. She smacked her mouth appreciating the after-taste. A strange hot flush appeared on Lily¡¯s face as she looked at Vivian quizzically. ¡°How¡¯s that?¡±


    Vivian¡¯s expression slowly changed from calm to frowning. Lily tensed up when she saw the odd expression on Vivian¡¯s face. ¡°Please don¡¯t scare me¡­ how was it?¡±


    ¡°I think my understanding of the world is still very limited,¡± said Vivian as she quietly distanced herself away from Lily. ¡°There¡¯re two things, neither which I know is good news nor bad news. First, you¡¯re definitely a husky, I swear by the name of Blood Clan. I¡¯ve never made a mistake when it comes to blood identification.¡±


    Lily had prepared herself mentally, so she hadn¡¯t got a problem with the first news. ¡°What about the second?¡±


    ¡°¡­I had also identified a one-sixteenth Pekingese bloodline.¡±

 Chapter 95

    There were several advantages to Lily¡¯s husky lineage, it granted her a strong and sturdy nerve with an open-minded attitude. Hao Ren sensed that the maiden had become so open-minded that she wouldn¡¯t have minded if someone threatened to exterminate her family. Thanks to this open-minded perspective of hers, Lily didn¡¯t pass out when Vivian broke the news of her one-sixteenth Pekingese bloodline.


    But it was Hao Ren who had collapsed and fallen to the floor.


    Hao Ren¡¯s reaction had been more intense. When he got up from the floor, he scurried over and asked Vivian, ¡°What did you just say? What does this Pekingese bloodline mean?¡±


    Vivian had been calmer all this while, after all, she had been through a lot in life. ¡°Even a werehusky could become a werewolf, what¡¯s there to be surprise about the Pekingese bloodline? Who knows, besides the husky breed, there¡¯s a Pekingese sub-breed within the werewolf race?¡±


    ¡°What has gotten into werewolves in today¡¯s world?¡± asked Hao Ren.


    ¡°Get over it. It isn¡¯t just you, I¡¯m equally surprised.¡± Vivian gave a pat on Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Frankly, I¡¯ve never seen a ¡®werewolf¡¯ like her in me entire life¡­ but the truth has written on your face, other than that we could only guess.¡±


    ¡°I think Lily isn¡¯t a werewolf after all,¡± clearing his trashy thoughts. Hao Ren began to speak with a clear state of mind, ¡°werehusky is of enough b*llsh*t. Now what? Pekingese? I wouldn¡¯t buy that sub-breed crap.¡±


    Lily curiously glanced at Hao Ren and then Vivian. ¡°Then who am I?¡±


    Hao Ren held Lily¡¯s hand tightly and said, ¡°You¡¯re a real husky¡­ Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore, shall we?¡±


    ¡°OK.¡± Lily thought about it but she couldn¡¯t come up with an explanation to this unexpected situation. The take-the-easy-way-out got the best of her, she nodded as if she had accepted her fate. ¡°Then, what should I do from now on?¡±


    ¡°Just live however you like.¡± said Vivian. ¡°You¡¯ve been living your life as you¡¯ve always been, with or without husky bloodlines. Moreover at our current stage where the-other-beings are on the sideline, even the aristocrats of the Blood Clan are near extinction; given at such circumstances, would anyone still talk about bloodlines? It¡¯s not that a pure bloodline could feed your stomach though. Living in peace is the best thing anyone could do for now.¡±


    Vivian had always been looking on the bright side of things. As a pauper herself, her ultimate life goal was to have a warm meal a day and she was contented with it¡ªsuch perception on life was what Lily needed right now.


    Nothing had worried the werewolf maiden like this time around. May the force of the husky bloodline be with her. While Lily was sitting on the couch, while engrossing herself thinking about life, Hao Ren took the opportunity to chave a chat with Vivian. ¡°How did you figure out the one-sixteenth Pekingese bloodline? Granted vampire has the talent¡­ you would still have to understand what Pekingese bloodline is all about in the first place.¡±


    Vivian gave a slight smile. ¡°I had tasted Pekingese¡¯s blood before. I¡¯ve no problem identifying the different hereditary characteristics of felines and canines.¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned. ¡°You drank the blood of dogs and cats? Why?¡±


    ¡°Because of poverty.¡±


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­..¡±


    It was hard to imagine how many times Vivian was left to starve in the past, the only reason she could still survive to this day was because of the rich biodiversity on Earth.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about something more pleasant, Doggie.¡± said Vivian. She quickly steered the topic away as she felt that her humble past wasn¡¯t something to be proud of. ¡°Do you feel any changes? Besides atavism, have you gained any new abilities after the evolution?¡±


    Hearing that, Lily was overjoyed and wagged her tail. ¡°Ta-da, look at his¡­¡±


    The werewolf maiden raised her hands up in the air, mimicking a claw posture. And, this astounding thing happened:


    A strange glow of light wreathed upon her hands. It slowly transformed into something substantial. In one hand, the glow was cold and icy blue while in the other it was hot and blazing red. The glows slowly extended out from each of her hands and stopped when it reached half-a-metre long where they began to gradually ¡®condense¡¯ into a solid state and formed into claws which looked like a weapon.


    The claw on the left was cold and icy blue, while the right one was so hot that people could feel it from as far as two meters away. Apart from the contrasting colors, both claws were identical in shapes and sizes, it looked similarly to a customized weapon in the shape of wolf claws.


    ¡°This is it!¡± said Lily happily. ¡°I had dreamed about myself getting these claws last night, didn¡¯t expect it was true! Isn¡¯t it beautiful?¡±


    Vivian: ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Hao Ren noticed that the vampire maiden had fallen into an unusual silence.


    ¡°It¡¯s beyond comprehension!¡± Vivian¡¯s facial expression seemed bizarre from what she saw, it was beyond description. She looked at Lily as though she was a monster. ¡°These claws are all you¡¯ve got after all the troubles of evolving? They don¡¯t seem to be the result of your transformation last night! I thought you would¡¯ve gained some special abilities, like what every other werewolf did when they become an adult. But you¡­ you have gotten only two claws?!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Poking her face with her claw, Lily was somewhat worried. ¡°Werewolves get a pair of new claws too as they grow up, don¡¯t they? If not, does it mean my evolution process has gone wrong?¡±


    Hao Ren quickly chimed in. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with you. You¡¯re a husky. It¡¯s not fair to compare with them¡­¡±


    Lily: ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°Let it be.¡± Vivian waved as if she gave up. ¡°Even a husky could be this epic, there¡¯s nothing that couldn¡¯t be done. For now, two things are assured¡ª one, you could either transform into a giant fighter husky just by eating a truck load of spicy strip; or two, you could reinforce your claws as a werewolf. Right?¡±


    Lily nodded proudly in agreement. ¡°Yes, awesome!¡±


    Now Vivian felt that she couldn¡¯t possibly involve Doggie in the normal sense, so she danced to her tune instead as she waved to Lily. ¡°Okay, let me take a look at your claws, I might find out whether there are traces of science or magic in there.¡±


    ¡°OK.¡± Lily nodded happily as she took down the claws. ¡°Have a look, but be careful. The red one is hot. Although I didn¡¯t feel a thing, you might get hurt.¡±


    After a night of hoo-ha, it seemed that Lily and Vivian were finally starting to compromise and show acts of concern for each other. This wasn¡¯t the focus of the story, however. It was the moment when Lily detached her claws, the whole house turned eerily quiet.


    ¡°This¡­ this thing is detachable?!¡± Vivian¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of her head. ¡°You could remove them?¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless. He had again found himself light years away before his worldview could be rebuilt¡ªit might take a lifetime if he kept hanging around with his strange tenants.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s detachable.¡± Lily nodded as a matter of fact. ¡°They don¡¯t grow on my arm¡ªthey¡¯re hand-held.¡±


    ¡°How the heck is that possible at all? I¡¯ve never seen such things in my life¡­¡± Vivian¡¯s mouth somewhat cringed to aside. She mumbled as she reached out for the strange husky claws. However, the moment her hands touched the claws, her hands immediately backed off as if she got an electric shock. ¡°Whoa¡­ it¡¯s hot!¡±


    The claws itself weren¡¯t harmful to Lily. The discharge of coldness and heat weren¡¯t an illusion. Both of them, especially the red hot claw, weren¡¯t something one¡ªnot even Vivian¡ªcould handle.


    Vivian pulled her hands back while Lily loosen her grips of the divined weapon, Hao Ren called out in panic, ¡°My¡­.¡±


    One of the claws fell onto the table, a thin layer of frost instantly formed and covered the entire surface; the other claw fell directly and got stuck within the table too, but it burned a hole through the table as if it was sticking a red-hot knife into a butter.


    ¡°¡­table¡­¡± At last, Hao Ren shouted out the remaining words.

 Chapter 96

    If Hao Ren¡¯s memory was accurate, this was the third time that Lily and Vivian¡¯s scuffle had ended up with broken furniture. It has been fine and dandy that Lily was paying her rent promptly and Vivian being a rather decent cook, nevertheless Hao Ren would go broke at this rate buying new furniture to replace.


    Retracting her claws, Lily folded herself into a ball of fur awkwardly on the sofa. Vivian let out a deep sigh, ¡°You¡¯ll be paying for this. I don¡¯t have the money.¡±


    Lily¡¯s response was surprisingly fast, ¡°So much for the pride of a vampire.¡±


    Vivian shrugged her off, ¡°Oh, I do have my pride as a vampire, just that I¡¯m broke.¡±


    Hao Ren looked forlornly at the broken table that he had just bought two days ago. Upon hearing Vivian¡¯s nonchalant declaration of ¡®No Money¡¯, he too let out a sigh. ¡°Forget about it. I¡¯ll send a report to Raven12345. If we are lucky, we might be able to make a claim.¡±


    The two instantly lit up with a cheer. Vivian had given up asking Lily about her claws and went about doing her house chores. Lily on the other hand was fiddling with her new army knife.


    A few ordinary days had passed after that.


    Lily had recovered almost too fast from the devastating revelation of being a werehusky. She didn¡¯t seem too disturbed by the fact and by day two, Lily was out and about looking for something to munch on. That itself gave Hao Ren a considerable measure of relief, that cheerful yet na?ve of an idiot is back to herself.


    After that experience, Hao Ren and the others concluded that Lily was not the kind of person that you¡¯ll need to fret about. Just look at how well she is able to weather a revelation that would normally dampen someone out. So what¡¯s there to worry about? Blessed be the fool for she knows no sorrow. Having to worry so much about a husky just made Hao Ren laughed.


    With him confirming that Lily was in a good condition, everyone in the house returned to their normal routines. Hao Ren was mucking about as per normal, and was now in charge of grocery shopping. Y¡¯zaks was busy studying the various cultures of the earthlings, hopefully being able to assimilate into crowds (with that face of his though¡­ tough luck), Lily had a rather regimented routine, she was busy writing on odd days, and out playing veterinarian on even days. Vivian, aside from being in charge of the household chores, was currently guiding Lily on how to control and mold her new profound powers. Nevertheless, figuring out a way to prevent clothes from being ripped off during her transformation¡­


    Hao Ren¡¯s view on the routine was, let live and let be; as long as they don¡¯t tear the house down.


    Thus came the third day of Lily¡¯s post-transformation. Hao Ren was out shopping. The weather was getting colder by the day, with overcast and rain forecasted. General temperature of the area are also falling fast, Hao Ren realized that he needed to stock up on necessities.


    This time around, he left Y¡¯zaks at home, even though the demon was eager to help. Hao Ren thought that it would be better to let the people around his place to familiarize with that horrifying face of Y¡¯zaks before taking him out again to town. Chances are people would mistake that giant of a man for a fugitive and Hao Ren as his hostage¡­


    As he was about to cross a road, Hao Ren saw another huge hunk of a foreigners walking towards him.


    Standing at a pleasant 190cm tall, the man was muscular. He donned a long windbreaker with curly locks. Hao Ren couldn¡¯t tell exactly which country he was from (granted, a country bumpkin like Hao Ren barely knew any foreigners, with English as an exception) but the ash-blue eyes left an impression on Hao Ren. As he walked towards the man, Hao Ren took a few glimpse.


    A foreigner in the Southern Suburbs is almost as rare as a wild panda. Hao Ren even doubted that the town had any foreign visitors previously. Well, he was one of the rare whom had non-human guests at home, which had made acquaintances with aliens, therefore he did not pay too much attention. He gotten on his foot as soon as he caught a few good glances of the man. As he was about to step away, the man spoke. ¡°Please hold on.¡±


    With a rather off pronunciation, it can be clearly identified as Mandarin.


    ¡°Oh? Do you need directions?¡± Hao Ren curiously looked at the foreigner who could speak Mandarin.


    ¡°I¡¯m Casar Ebben.¡± The stranger introduced himself in a friendly manner as he held his hand out for a handshake. ¡°I¡¯m a small time businessman in town for a work trade . Can you direct me to the registration office for foreigners report themselves?¡±


    Hao Ren shook the proffered hand, muttering to himself based on the size of the man¡¯s palm. He thought for a while, ¡°You might wanna go to the local police station¡­ Walk to the end of the street and turn left, you¡¯ll find the place towards the ending of the street. But I¡¯m not sure if they are able to help you with that, might need to visit the city for it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, got it. Thanks, buddy!¡± Casar smiled, but he held Hao Ren¡¯s hand tight. Hao Ren noticed that he was sniffing from time to time, perhaps out of habit, but he felt like the man was trying to get a whiff of his scent. Sensing a chill going down his spine, Hao Ren shook his hand free, ¡°Ah.. you¡¯re welcome. Hahaha¡­¡±


    Casar nodded with a smile and walked towards the opposite direction. As he walk past Hao Ren, took a deep breath, and left a rather ominous, ¡°Good Luck.¡±


    Hao Ren held his breath until the man was out of sight before releasing a loud sigh, he felt goosebumps were all over him. His rather good mood had been utterly ruined by the thought that he could have ran into a homosexual.


    The encounter in the morning had Hao Ren in twists, he quickly completed his shopping and headed home. As he stepped into the house compound, he saw Lily and Vivian practicing Lily¡¯s new ability. The table had mounds of raw lamb meat and Lily was using her ice claws to freeze the meat and shatter it into small tiny bits. She then used her flame claw to roast the meat, with Vivian doing the seasoning by the side¡­.


    It was obvious that Lily had trouble controlling her new-found abilities, and there were plentiful chunks of charred, or frozen solid meat scattered about. Vivian however, was enthusiastically cheering her on. ¡°You can do it! Once you have gotten used to this, you¡¯ll be quicker than those stalls selling lamb skewers down town. When the time comes, I¡¯ll set up a stall to sell these yummy treats while you grill them at home¡­ I¡¯ll be rich in no time¡­ OH? You¡¯re back, Mr Landlord?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Can¡¯t you two do something more worthy of your kind?¡± Hao Ren stepped up and stroked Lily¡¯s head. ¡°¡­ Lily is one thing, but surely you have your vampiric pride to think of no?¡±


    Lily didn¡¯t dodge off when Hao Ren started stroking her head. For once, she actually stood sides with Vivian, ¡°I think Battie¡¯s idea is pretty neat. She is annoying, but she¡¯s smart too¡­ Say¡­ why had you been constantly stroking my head for the past two days?¡±


    Hao Ren quickly lifted his hand. After hiding out Lily¡¯s real identity, he couldn¡¯t help himself with the odd habits he¡¯s picking up.


    ¡°Sigh, what an awful day.¡± Hao Ren felt that there was something fishy behind Vivian¡¯s gaze and quickly changed the topic. ¡°I ran into bear-like foreigner who seemed to be a gay¡­¡±


    Lily¡¯s ears perked up as she heard that, ¡°OH? Mr Landlord, is it a start of a new life for you?¡±


    Hao Ren shuddered as he caught Lily¡¯s gaze, it was full of ominous anticipation. He decided it was best to put a full stop to this and said, ¡°What¡¯s with that look. I¡¯m straight as a ruler¡­¡±


    Lily sighed deeply, ¡°Man¡­ I thought I had new writing materials just right beside me.¡±


    Thank goodness that Vivian did not follow Lily¡¯s lead in straying the conversation into an uncomfortable topic. She curiously said, ¡°Let¡¯s hear about it. It¡¯s very rare to see a foreigner here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it is¡­¡± Hao Ren recounted the incident earlier that morning. He too felt something was off, ¡°That guy spoke in a rather decent Mandarin. He should have been living here for some time then. It¡¯s a surprise that he doesn¡¯t know where to register himself¡­¡±


    ¡°Casar Ebben, you say?¡± Vivian took interest in the name as she frowned. She quickly shook her head, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just a coincidence¡­¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Vivian curiously, ¡°You know of that name?¡±


    ¡°I do know of an Ebben family.¡± Vivian shrugged. ¡°But the last I heard of them was about a hundred odd years back. They were a bunch of werewolves scheming to revive the fortunes of their kind. Not a pleasant bunch I must say¡­ but their area of operation was in Europe and the Americas. You won¡¯t be able to find that many werewolves in Asia. They won¡¯t be bothering us.¡±


    While Vivian seemed to be unconcerned about it, Hao Ren quickly felt something unpleasant coming his way. This was common for him ever since he met Raven12345.

 Chapter 97

    Vivian¡¯s get-rich-quick scheme of selling lamb skewers with Lily, fell apart the next day. It was not due to the improbability of the plan but, due to Lily and her gluttonous appetite. The idiot literally gobbled up anything meaty in front of her, including those that were burnt. This habit was beyond correction and Vivian figured that she could no longer do business, at least in the F&B sector with the werehusky.


    Speaking of Lily, the dumb werehusky was rather pleased with her newfound abilities. While no one could clearly explain how she came to obtain her pair of detachable elemental claws, Lily herself did not pay too much attention to that part. She only knew that the claws of unknown properties were very nifty to have and busily practiced everyday. With that said though, to onlookers, it looked more like she was just jumping around and slashing at air.


    Hao Ren could understand why Lily was so excited. The idiot previously had nothing but brute strength, quite literally all brawn and no brains. According to Vivian, most werewolves would have developed a skill or two, such as Poisoncraft or Shadow stalking and the likes¡ªsome sort of minor magic. Lily had no inkling or skill in that discipline. As she did not encounter any other supernaturals previously, she did not feel like she lost out on anything. However, after being told about her race by Vivian, it was natural that she felt incomplete, compounded with the revelation that came with her evolution. At the very least, she managed to obtain some form of special ability now. Who could blame her for being giddy about it?


    The next morning, Hao Ren was out to town, going about his routine. He bought some pork ribs and spicy sticks, which Lily loved. He also got some new kitchenware and fresh vegetables for Vivian. He felt more and more like a babysitter for the two supernatural ladies instead of a normal landlord. But he was not complaining; all the expenses incurred by the two could be claimed from Raven 12345. His main duty was to keep his tenants happy. A job that did not need him to crack his head all too often was very appealing.


    When he got home, he noticed Y¡¯zaks was missing.


    ¡°Where did he go?¡±


    The great demon was usually glued to the television at this hour, studying about the norms of humanity. It seemed so routine that his absence was the first thing that caught Hao Ren¡¯s attention when he got home.


    ¡°The big one went out,¡± Vivian said as she vacuumed the hall. ¡°Said something about looking for things to do and that he was bored to death at home.¡±


    Hao Ren was just about to nod when something clicked, ¡°Huh, wait, what? He went out? Why didn¡¯t you stop him?¡±


    ¡°Why would I?¡± Vivian raised an eyebrow at Hao Ren. ¡°It¡¯s not like this place is a prison.¡±


    Hao Ren found himself tongue-tied and was hard pressed to describe the commotion one like Y¡¯zaks could bring. Furthermore, Vivian was right. This was not a prison and its tenants were free to go out. He should not be restricting Y¡¯zaks movements just because of his looks. Frankly speaking, Y¡¯zaks had already done a good job changing from a five-meter tall, great demon into a two-meter tall man. While his facial features left much to be desired, you could not fault the man for not trying.


    Hao Ren finally relented and shrugged. ¡°I just hope he doesn¡¯t run into trouble with the police. If I¡¯m around, at the very least I can try to talk him out of trouble¡­ Oh right, did he say when he would be coming back?¡±


    At that same instance, Lily came out of her room, lugging a small box. Having overheard the conversation, she quipped, ¡°He said he wanted to see the city center. He was sleeping in an alternate dimension when he was in England so he didn¡¯t manage to see anything. He¡¯ll be back by noon at the earliest, evening the latest. He also said he wanted to try eating outside, to get used to human society.


    Hao Ren felt something was off and asked, ¡°Does he have any money?¡±


    Lily nodded, ¡°Yep, I lent him 200 bucks.¡±


    That gave Hao Ren some measure of relief but, he really hoped that Y¡¯zaks did not get himself into trouble or else he would probably have to bail him out from the lock-up.


    For someone who could cause a ruckus akin to a robbery at the supermarket, imagine the attention he would attract, walking down the streets. Plus, he opted to go to the city center for his first visit¡­ Heh heh heh¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re going out as well?¡± Hao Ren only then realised that Lily was lugging a box and dressed to go out. So, he decided to ask.


    Lily nodded. ¡°Yep, made an appointment with Green Bean. Gonna meet him later at 9.30 for a check-up.


    Hao Ren looked confused for a while before he realised that Green Bean was a stray dog that lived nearby. Most of the strays in the area did not have names but, after Lily, the kind veterinarian arrived, all of them had names now. Green Bean was a pastoral hound with an issue with its hind legs. The name came about as Lily saw it biting on a green bean popsicle. It was a regularly in Lily¡¯s care.


    Every time Lily mentioned about the strays in the Southern Suburbs, Hao Ren needed some time to process the information. In the idiot¡¯s eyes, there was no differences between man and dogs. Hence, every time she talked about her patients, she sounded like she was talking about a person. The other time when Lily was having dinner with Hao Ren, she told him King Lionheart, that lived nearby, mentioned him frequently. Hao Ren was stunned for a good few moments until it dawned on him that King Lionheart was the Chow Chow from the Zhang family living behind. He almost thought that he was actually related to someone from the House of Plantagenet in Europe.


    Vivian set the vacuum cleaner down and pointed towards the pork ribs on the table. ¡°Coming back by noon?¡±


    Lily swallowed her saliva and nodded excitedly. ¡°Yes! Yes! Battie don¡¯t you go eating my ribs!¡±


    ¡°Why would I eat dog food in the first place?¡± Vivian said as she left for the kitchen. ¡°If you¡¯re coming back by noon, then I¡¯ll be putting the meat to stew. It should be ready by noon.¡±


    Hao Ren was pleasantly surprised by the cordial conversation the two were having and quipped, ¡°You two sure are getting along well!¡±


    As expected, the two ladies screeched in unison. ¡°Who¡¯s getting along with that Doggie/Battie?!¡±


    Hao Ren laughed out loud and after some coaxing, managed to get Lily out of the house for her appointment with Green Bean. After that, he lay on the sofa and turned on the MDT, checking if Raven 12345 had replied to his report.


    He had completed the report the day after Lily completed her transformation. The report was rather literal in its description of a werewolf transforming into a husky. While Raven 12345 was unpredictable at the best of times, he expected her to have some sort of reaction to the report. He was grossly mistaken on that account as the report was just marked as ¡®read¡¯ without any further comments.


    He then tried to contact Raven 12345 but, was greeted by an automated message that sounded divine at first but was quite literally bullsh*t. ¡°The Celestial that you are looking for is not at home. Please leave a message after the beep. For believers who require immediate assistance, please use the self-help prayer system. For military personnel requiring immediate assistance, please use the self-help reinforcement terminal. For inspectors requiring immediate assistance, please contact the closest combat group for assistance. If Hao Ren requires immediate assistance, please use your inner strength and faith to deal with it.¡±


    Hao Ren was dumbstruck.


    ¡°I have a suggestion,¡± The MDT suddenly spoke. ¡°You can take a knife to Madam 12345¡¯s office and challenge her magical servant to a duel. Then you destroy everything from the office to the information vault and then everything from the information vault to the generator room. After that, leave a message on the local channel calling her a lunatic.¡±


    ¡°And that will let her see my ability and worth?¡±


    ¡°No, at least your death would be much more spectacular with your name appearing on the local channel¡¯s headlines.¡±


    Hao Ren demurred for a moment and passed the MDT to Vivian. ¡°Put it in a pot and boil it for half an hour. Don¡¯t hold back on the parsley and coriander.¡±


    ¡°I dare you to do it. Just you see, I¡¯ll drill a hole in your pot!¡±


    The whole morning was a scene of Hao Ren and the MDT going back and forth. It was soon noon but there was no sight of Lily coming home.

 Chapter 98

    Hao Ren and Vivian waited for Lily until 12 o¡¯clock in the afternoon but she still did not return.


    Lily had a strong sense of time, at least, when it came to meal time. As a husky, she would not give anyone the opportunity to rob her of food. So usually, she would have reached home an hour before lunch time. This should have been the case, especially on that day. She told them earlier that she would reach home before noon. Therefore, this left Hao Ren puzzled.


    ¡°She¡¯s late for lunch for the first time.¡± Vivian put the dishes on the table, looked at the gate oddly and said, ¡°Has something happened?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give her a call.¡± Hao Ren took his cell phone out and dialed Lily¡¯s number. After a long while, he shook his head and said, ¡°No one¡¯s answering the phone.¡±


    Vivian and Hao Ren looked at each other for a while. Finally, Vivian spoke first, ¡°Does she have any other friends or places to go here?¡±


    ¡°No. Like you, she came here alone and she¡¯s not really familiar with this place.¡± Hao Ren stood up slowly. He was getting more and more worried about Lily. He then said, ¡°And usually she won¡¯t hide anything from us. If anything happens, she would call back to inform us at once. Is she in trouble now?¡±


    ¡°What could have happened to her? Her combat power isn¡¯t just for display,¡± said Vivian. ¡°You worry too much.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. She¡¯s a werewolf after all¡­ at least she¡¯s a powerful dog.¡±


    Although Hao Ren said so, the feeling of uneasiness still lingered inside him and he did not know why he felt this way. Lily had only been out for a few hours and they just could not reach her for the time being/ It should not have tensed him up. However, deep inside, Hao Ren¡¯s sixth sense was telling him something was not right. His highly accurate sixth sense stirred inside him again. He was a little irritable but unsure of what to do.


    ¡°I¡¯ll release a few bats out and search the streets nearby.¡± Watching Hao Ren feeling all fidgety, Vivian stood up, conjured a few black bats and said, ¡°I kinda know the places she usually goes. If the bats can¡¯t find her, we will go out and look for her.¡±


    When Hao Ren was just about to nod, the phone sitting on the sofa¡¯s armrest suddenly rang. He quickly picked the phone up and found that the phone screen showed Lily¡¯s face, a white husky. Hao Ren changed Lily¡¯s picture for no reason the night before. The picture was a screenshot from the video of Lily¡¯s evolution two days ago.


    ¡°Hello, Lily?¡± Hao Ren waved to Vivian, signalling that Lily called. ¡°Where are you? Why didn¡¯t you come back?¡±


    ¡°Landlord, Landlord, I met two psychos.¡± Lily lowered her voice and spoke in a hushed tone, ¡°Two foreigners. They said they¡¯re my ¡®parents¡¯ and want to take me home. I don¡¯t know where I am now.¡±


    Hao Ren was on alert at once and looked serious. Vivian also immediately leaned in and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Hao Ren signaled her not to speak and hurriedly asked, ¡°Where are you now? What do the two foreigners look like? What did they tell you? Are you safe now?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where this place is.¡± Lily¡¯s voice sounded as usual. It appeared that she was not hurt but confused about what had happened to her. ¡°They¡¯re so secretive. I can¡¯t understand what they¡¯re talking about. By the way, one of them is very tall, about 1.9 meters in height, strong like a bear and the other man is about the same size as you, with a hooked nose and a sickly look¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was confused by Lily and could not understand what she was talking about. He could only tell that Lily had been abducted. He suddenly got a little exasperated and spluttered, ¡°Why are you so dumb? So easily abducted by strangers!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to go with them!¡± Lily¡¯s sounded very angry. ¡°I was taken away by some black smoke! The big guy knew magic and brought me over with using Dark Fog. I found myself in a room after the black smoke dispersed. Usually I would have beaten off guys like these but these two men seemed pretty strong. I didn¡¯t know if I could beat them so, I dared not fight with them¡­ Landlord, come and rescue me!¡±


    ¡°Vivian and I will go out now. Try to tell me what you see so I¡¯ll know where you are. Also, what about the foreigners who kidnapped you? Will they find out that you¡¯re calling me?¡±


    ¡°They went out to buy me some food but, one of them did not go far. I can still smell him. However, he¡¯s quite a distance from here and there¡¯s a wall between us so, he can¡¯t hear me.¡± Lily dropped her voice to a whisper and Hao Ren could barely hear her. It seemed that thd husky was not so dumb after all. ¡°I¡¯m in a shabby room. The walls are grimy with peeling paint. It looks like an abandoned house. The big man sealed the door and windows with Dark Fog so I can¡¯t go out or see the situation outside. But, just now, when they opened the door, I took a quick glance. It looks like a warehouse outside.¡±


    Hao Ren paused for a moment. What could he find out from such little information? There were lots of abandoned warehouses in the entire city and there were more than hundreds of possible warehouses¡­


    ¡°Look around the room to see if there¡¯s any sign.¡± Hao Ren found that he could not find any valuable information from the clues provided by Lily and quickly thought of other ways. ¡°If the warehouse was in use, people might have left signs or waste there. Go and look for any of them.¡±


    ¡°Sign¡­¡± A rustling sound came from the phone. ¡°Although it¡¯s shabby here, it seems that the two crazy men have cleaned this place. So, it¡¯s clean and there¡¯s nothing much in the room. Ah, I found it! Here¡¯s a scrap metal board. The words on it are so blurred, I can only read the words ¡®Hao Yun¡¯¡­ Is that useful?¡±


    ¡°Hao Yun?¡± Hao Ren immediately searched the words in his head desperately, trying to recall any old warehouses which were related to ¡®Hao Yun¡¯ in the city. Suddenly, he heard the faint crash of an iron door coming from the phone. It sounded like the gate of the warehouse was pushed open. ¡°They¡¯ve come back. I¡¯ll hang up first,¡± said Lily.


    ¡°Be careful!¡± Hao Ren spoke quickly before Lily hung up, ¡°Try not to fight with them. They know magic!¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Lily quickly replied and hung up.


    ¡°How is she?¡± Vivian leaned in and asked. Although the both of them had conflicts on a daily basis, she was also quite worried of Lily at that moment.


    ¡°That stupid girl¡¯s been kidnapped¡­ It sounds like a kidnapping.¡± Hao Ren had calmed down but, he could not suppress the worries in his heart. ¡°She¡¯s so powerful yet she still got kidnapped¡­ The world is really dangerous.¡±


    Hao Ren then roughly explained to Vivian what had just happened. When Hao Ren finished talking, Vivian breathed a sigh of relief and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the Doggie will be fine.¡±


    Hao Ren gave Vivian a strange look and Vivian reminded him. ¡°Still remember that Casar Ebben guy you met?¡±


    Hao Ren immediately felt the goose bumps on his back. ¡°That muscular gay?¡±


    ¡°Why is it that you only remember the word, ¡®gay¡¯?¡± Vivian stared at Hao Ren. ¡°If I¡¯m right, Lily was taken away by Casar Ebben. She¡¯s been discovered by her own ¡®kin¡¯.¡±


    ¡°The same species?¡± Hao Ren reacted at once and asked, ¡°You mean that gay dude¡¯s a werewolf?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the Ebben Family. If I¡¯m not mistaken, it should be them.¡± Vivian sighed and looked upset.


    ¡°Tsk, I really shouldn¡¯t be so careless. It seems that being too comfortable for more than 100 years has made me become less vigilant. I should¡¯ve thought of them when I heard the word ¡®Ebben¡¯.¡±


    Hao Ren blinked and asked, ¡°Since they¡¯re also werewolves, what did they kidnap Lily for?¡±


    ¡°What else could they have done? They¡¯ll bring her back of course.¡± Vivian shrugged. ¡°The Ebben Family is one of the few heterogeneous families that¡¯s still fantasising about reviving the Mythological Era and the only native clan who heeds the concept of clans. They have been searching for lost compatriots all over the world. At the very beginning, they just gathered their family members or their kin. But then, in the recent 200 years they have enlarged their scope to the entire werewolf population. As long as they¡¯re werewolves, they¡¯ll be courted. Lily¡­ unless they see it with their own eyes, who would think that she¡¯s actually a husky?¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    Apparently, the two hapless werewolves, who kidnapped Lily had been fooled.

 Chapter 99

    If what Vivian said was true, Lily should not have been in any danger¡ªof course, it was unlikely that she had any personal freedom.


    In fact, the werewolf was a solitary creature. Most werewolves would leave the pack once they were grown up. This was the reason why werewolves were the fastest and most scattered foreign race post Mythological Era. As for the Ebben Family, they were an exception: this was a werewolf pack with family concept in mind. They still maintained a close relationship within their pack long after the Mythological Era and amid the dominance of the human race as well as demon hunters. They were the sole remaining werewolf pack in the present days.


    No one knew the leadership hierarchy of the Ebben Family. Vivian only had a sketchy understanding of them based on their activities in the outside world, where they were constantly trying to regroup their scattered pack members. Europe and Latin America were their customary hideouts where they still remained up till 100 years ago.


    ¡°They are a bunch of weird fellows. They¡¯re slightly brainier than ordinary werewolves but that¡¯s it.¡± While Vivian gave an introduction on the Ebben Family, she was also generous with her own comments. ¡°Although they understood the importance of unity, they were equally naive to believe that they could single-handedly bring the world back to the Mythological Era. Tsk, tsk. Even Fenrir, the monstrous wolf¡¯s been turned into stew by demon hunters yet, they still don¡¯t show restraint.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going to happen to Lily?¡± That was Hao Ren¡¯s chief concern at the moment.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be forced to join them.¡± Vivian pouted as she said, ¡°That¡¯s the level of a werewolf¡¯s intelligence. They lack tact; even their own family members are frequently strong-armed. I¡¯m afraid that the Ebben Family is trying to rope in all the scattered werewolves out there. Since they have the numbers, they would definitely strong-arm their way into getting submission. Doggie however, will be safe for now as they still treat her as their own. But, things may go awry once they find that she¡¯s non-compliant. With her childlike tendencies, I reckon she¡¯ll have the daylights beaten out of her.¡±


    Hao Ren was breaking out in cold sweat like a Coke bottle at an August barbecue. He immediately sunk his head into the city map, searching for any lead. It did not matter how little it was.


    Experience taught Vivian that the werewolves used their house specialty¡ªDark Fog¡ª as a means of cover in order to kidnap Lily. They would not have ran far with this type of fog. Lily was likely still in the city area. That was going to be the focus of the search. Hao Ren switched the MDT on, projected the map of the city and started searching by the keyword ¡®Hao Yun¡¯¡ªmore than 100 potential targets were found, of which more than 10 were warehouses, factories and large facilities.


    What a common name it was. But fortunately, Lily was not held in Guang Ming XX Factory¡ªthat name was simply as common as dirt.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have the capability of tracking cell phones?¡± As Hao Ren analyzed each and every possible target, he knocked on the MDT¡¯s case. ¡°You should have traced the signal when Lily called in just now.¡±


    The MDT protested, ¡°The device was on sleep mode. You didn¡¯t think of what to do then and now you¡¯re blaming others? The device is just a tool, you are the user. You should have switched the alarm on yourself instead of blaming the device.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless and subsequently continued his work. He had thought of sending an SOS to Raven 12345. This was an emergency after all. However the thought just flashed through his mind for a second before he binned it; he was Lily¡¯s guardian, he was responsible for her safety. Sending out an SOS would only mean he was inept, unable to sort things out by himself and that was an embarrassment too much to bear.


    ¡°In the city and the districts around it, targets with the name ¡®Hao Yun¡¯ are plenty: an electrical appliance factory, two transportation companies, two warehouses and six or seven unlikely targets. The place Lily described sounds more like an abandoned warehouse; a warehouse built in a factory or simply an empty warehouse. The electrical appliance factory is still in business which means it isn¡¯t an abandoned building. That can be ruled out together with another transportation company. So, that leaves us three targets to investigate.¡±


    The three targets¡ªall were abandoned years ago and would not appear in online search results. Fortunately, the MDT managed to pull up information about their whereabouts from the dark web. Their three locations fit the abandoned, old warehouse description nicely but, further information was not possible to obtain.


    ¡°Let¡¯s check them out.¡± Vivian took a gander at the map and discovered that the three places were far from each other; one was located in the old section of the city, the other one was stood somewhere in the Northern Suburbs while the last one was hidden in a small town dozens of kilometers away. Each of them was a typical ¡®abandoned child¡¯ of development which no-one cared for or remembered. ¡°This fits a movie plot nicely¡ªtucking people away in such places would guarantee no-one could ever find them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of distance to cover.¡± Hao Ren stared sullenly at the map. ¡°I should have bought a car¡­ I¡¯m working for God but I¡¯m not given a ¡®company¡¯ car¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send my bats.¡± Vivian waved as she called out three little bats. Then she gazed out from the window and saw the scorching sun. She did not look particularly pleased. ¡°Jeez¡­ the weather forecast is crap. I¡¯m afraid the little bats will be baked half-dead before they reach their destinations. That dolt¡¯s going to owe me one.¡±


    The bats hovered around Vivian before they flew towards and out of the window heroically, ready to embrace the bright sunshine. A thought suddenly hit Hao Ren. ¡°Wait a minute, I¡¯ve got an idea!¡± He darted into Lily¡¯s room and seconds later, he came out with a bottle of sunscreen in hand.


    ¡°That girl bought this a couple of days ago out of impulse. She¡¯s never used it. So, I guess it would be useful.¡± Hao Ren happily opened the bottle up and waved to Vivian¡¯s tiny bats, signalling them to land and rest on the table. The vampire maiden looked on with her jaw dropped to the floor. ¡°You¡¯re so resourceful¡­ Ahh, that¡¯s so cooling!¡±


    The bats and Vivian shared their bodily senses. As Hao Ren rubbed the sunscreen on the bats, Vivian felt it instantly and gave out a slight moan. Hao Ren picked up on her reaction, his hand jolted and he almost dropped the bottle. ¡°Mind your reaction, please¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never used such an expensive thing in all my life,¡± Vivian spoke with a protesting face. ¡°How ironic, first time using sunscreen not on myself but the bats¡­ Don¡¯t apply too much, it will weigh them down!¡±


    Everything was up and running after a moment. The three tiny bats flitted out the windows like arrows toward three different directions. Their speed exceeded that of normal bats. Even the slowest one flew no less than 90km/h based on visual estimates. Staring at the three fast-disappearing, black dots, he could not help but say, ¡°Well, I think I¡¯m a little over-imaginative.¡±


    Vivian did not say a word as she was immersed into the shared senses of her bats. Her entire attention was focused on the visual and radar signals received by the bats. A three-dimensional visual of the city started to form in her mind. Before long, the first bat arrived at its destination. It was the abandoned warehouse in the city, left behind by a transportation company.


    Inside and outside the warehouse, there was not a single movement¡ªthe first target was ruled out.


    The remaining two bats continued their journeys to the satellite town dozens of kilometers away and the Northern Suburbs respectively.


    Vivian suddenly screamed in surprise. Hao Ren quickly pulled up and asked, ¡°Got it?¡±


    ¡°One bat¡¯s down.¡± Vivian was clueless about what had happened. ¡°Before I realised anything, one of the bat went silent. The one that was en-route to the North disappeared right above the city.¡±


    ¡°Could it be the werewolves?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Werewolves can¡¯t fly. They couldn¡¯t have possibly gotten to my bat,¡± Vivian frowned as she spoke.


    ¡°It may have hit a transformer or something and got electrocuted¡ªsuch accidents may happen during high-speed flight. All these man-made structures are a real nuisance. I¡¯ve collided into them many times myself. Any more sunscreen? I¡¯ll dispatch another one.¡±


    Hao Ren passed the sunscreen. ¡°Do it yourself. You looked weird when I was rubbing the sunscreen on the bat earlier.¡±


    Vivian looked at him angrily before lowering her head and rubbing the bat with sunscreen. Soon after, the fourth recon bat departed.


    ¡°Got it, the Northern Suburbs!¡± Finally, Vivian got a lead. ¡°Doggie¡¯s trace has been found.¡±

 Chapter 100

    Finding Lily¡¯s whereabouts was not as difficult as imagined. Perhaps you could say that the kidnappers did not count on a highborn vampire to go all out to save a werehusky. They stowed her in an abandoned warehouse somewhere in the Northern Suburbs but, they could not contain the aura of a werehus¡­an idiot.


    Perhaps, it was beyond Casar Ebben¡¯s ability to even do that. Vivian did mention that werewolves were rarely competent in high-level magic and based on their nature, the study of force field enchantments were far in the back of their heads. The Dark Fog used by the Ebbens were considered the pinnacle of werewolf sorcery. They knew how to use it to hide themselves in darkness but, they had little inkling on how to do same on others.


    However, another problem lay before Hao Ren: the Northern Suburbs was a considerable distance away. He would need to cross a good part of the city and then the suburban area to reach there. This was not helped by both areas being on the opposite end of each other! Vivian could technically fly there without much of a fuss but, for Hao Ren to get there via normal means would mean that he could be arriving too late. Not to mention that Lily, the idiot may have already started a fight herself by then.


    ¡°I can fly with you in tow,¡± Vivian said as she stretched her arms to prepare for flight with Hao Ren hanging on to her. ¡°I can hide our trace using magic. Normal people won¡¯t be able to sense us. But, the high-speed flying part¡­ may be a bit taxing on you.¡±


    Hao Ren sighed. ¡°What other options do we have? If Lily starts fighting, it¡¯ll be too late to even do anything.¡±


    Vivian hunched as a pair of wings spread out from her back. She held her hand out to Hao Ren. ¡°Let¡¯s get moving then.¡±


    ¡°Wait a sec, I¡¯ll leave Y¡¯zaks a note.¡± Hao Ren held his hand up and ran back into the house to scribble a note for the great demon, explaining the situation with Lily. It was then that he realised that he left out a lot of details: Like Lily only having a mobile phone to keep in touch with, him not having any means to locate his tenant immediately or do having any proper means of transportation¡­ As you can see, a myriad of issues came forth at the very last moment but, there was no time to fret over them now. Hao Ren resolved to meet Raven 12345 on the matter once things were settled.


    After leaving his note, Hao Ren and Vivian started making their way to the Northen Suburbs hastily.


    Flying up in the sky at high speeds, with cold winds buffeting him, the flight was a miserable one for Hao Ren. Even though he was in the embrace of a beautiful vampire, other things were a lot less desirable (warm embraces are not a specialty of the vampires). He just felt weird being carried by a girl and said, ¡°I need to get some new abilities from Raven 12345 soon. At least, the ability to fly¡­ Makes things easier¡­¡±


    Most people would have simply passed out, being dragged through the air at high altitudes and speed but, Hao Ren with his enhanced vitality could still hold on. Nonetheless, as the winds and condensed moisture hit him in the face, Hao Ren could not help but yelp. And the aftertaste of that scream was rather unpleasant.


    Vivian could tell that Hao Ren was slightly embarrassed by his tone. She smiled gently and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine carrying you around. I haven¡¯t had many chances to do this, being alone all these years. Having someone to carry about while flying is a refreshing experience.¡±


    Hao Ren had to response to that. He found the way Vivian put it was a little bit odd but, he left it at that.


    At the speed Vivian was moving, it did not take long for them to cross the entire city and come towards a part of a town that looked similar to the Southern Suburbs.


    It was the Northern Suburbs, a mainly industrial zone of the city. It used to be bustling with factories, warehouses and logistical companies. As the industry would have generated much pollution, it was built far away from the residential areas. With recent redevelopment of a few areas near the city, most of the original tenants had moved on to greener pastures and the Northern Suburbs industrial area fell into a decline. Only a few factories remained, either too polluting to be near the city area or too costly to move. Most of the buildings were now abandoned. Hao Ren heard that the city hall had plans to redevelop the area but that would take a few years at least, for it to even take off.


    The Northern Suburbs Industrial Zone was now a mostly deserted shell of its former self.


    Hao Ren and Vivian landed on the roof of a metal factory and the vampire removed the rather taxing invisibility spell. She pointed towards a big building. ¡°That way, my bat is currently hanging on the roof top. Doggie¡¯s aura is coming from that area¡­ Dark Fog is surrounding the immediate area and my bat can¡¯t get in. Those Ebbens¡­ pfft, still a nuisance like last time.¡±


    Hao Ren took a peek and commented, ¡°Things still seem to be quiet.¡±


    ¡°You got a plan?¡± Vivian looked at Hao Ren. ¡°Wanna rush in headfirst or what?¡±


    Hao Ren looked rather troubled. He did think about facing the kidnappers head on but things did not seem so easy. The two werewolves strictly speaking, did not actually kidnap Lil but, Hao Ren had no idea what concerns they had, which prevented them from telling Lily that they were looking for their kin. At least from how they acted, they had no intentions of harming her.


    However, Hao Ren was also under no illusion that he could talk his way out of things. Lily was an oddball amongst werewolves and if the stories about them were true, most werewolves would be hostile. To show his face would mean inviting a fight.


    He recalled the experience he had, fighting the giant wolves in The Plane of Dreams and tried to act out what novels said about getting pumped before going into a fight. He pointed towards the fog and asked, ¡°Do you know the rough location Lily¡¯s at?¡±


    ¡°I do have a rough idea.¡± Vivian pointed at the west side of the warehouse. ¡°There¡¯s a row of windows covered by the fog. Looks like an office of sorts. Lily¡¯s in one of them.¡±


    ¡°Can we try to lure the werewolves away and then rush in to grab Lily?¡± Hao Ren said hesitantly. ¡°If we need to fight after that, at least, we don¡¯t have to worry about a hostage.¡±


    Vivian nodded and whispered an incantation. A swirl of red mist appeared out of nowhere and quickly formed into a humanoid shape resembling Vivian.


    The Blood Mist did not totally hide its presence and the moment it approached the area, the Dark Fog stirred. The werewolves were clearly alerted to its presence.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Vivian pulled Hao Ren¡¯s arm as they leapt off the roof and ran straight towards the windows of the warehouse.


    The area was filled to the brim with leftover construction materials and was perfect at hiding what was going on there. Vivian even neglected to hide her wings and glided through the air. She arrived at the corner of the warehouse in the blink of an eye. Hao Ren could only rely on his legs but, he thankfully managed to keep up.


    As they positioned themselves by the western wall of the warehouse, they could hear bestial roars nearby. It was clear that Vivian¡¯s Blood Mist Avatar had made contact with the werewolves.


    ¡°My Blood Mist can corrode glass and porcelain into nothing. An evil grin appeared across her face. ¡°There was a time when werewolves were innumerable. Hopefully, the Ebbens sent someone with brains.¡±


    Hao Ren looked up towards the row of windows. He guessed from the height that the building was at least two-stories high and Lily was possibly being held in one of the offices on the second floor. As Vivian mentioned, black fog swirled menacingly outside the windows.


    He reached into his pocket and a voice suddenly appeared in his head. ¡°I¡¯m warning you. Don¡¯t you dare use me as a projectile¡­¡±


    ¡°Why would I even?¡± Hao Ren was flustered at the rather sensitive MDT. ¡°I¡¯m trying to get my phone to give Lily a call. To see if she could fight her¡ª¡±


    Before Hao Ren could finish his sentence, a violent shout rang out nearby. ¡°F*ckers! I knew it was you, blood suckers!¡±

 Chapter 101

    A loud scream was coming from somewhere nearby. At that time, Hao Ren knew that there was trouble yet again.


    However, he was not too surprised by it. As a human, he was slowly getting used to such incidents.


    Hao Ren looked towards the direction of the loud scream. A tall, muscular man was standing at the corner of the warehouse. It was Casar Ebben, whom Hao Ren had met once before. However, unlike the last time, the man now appeared in front of Hao Ren with a furious and vicious look on his face.


    It was obvious from the look on the man¡¯s face; a fierce battle was about to break out between both parties and he would not listen to anything.


    Vivian was ready to fight and never let her guard down from the start. Although she was a little surprised that the Blood Mist did not work on him, she was still able to react the moment Casar Ebben appeared. Her giant bat wings were spread wide open instantly and the air was filled with a bloody chill. Vivian snapped her body up, flapped her wings and launched an attack on the enemy. Hao Ren just saw a flash of light and countless scarlet shadows, racing from all sides of his vision. They pounced on the enemy dozens of meters away. The damage caused by the scarlet shadows was shocking. Green smoke arose from the cement floor and outer walls of the warehouse. The iron foil on the walls quickly corroded into slag. This was followed by layers of ice which spread rapidly. The power that Vivian released was like a violent storm sweeping through the range.


    While the attacks of the senior Blood Clan member were powerful, Casar Ebben was not a weak opponent as well. He transformed into a wolf without hesitation the moment he found Vivian¡¯s strength to be above his expectations. He took her attacks head-on and resisted the blood shock which could have melted bones as well as corroded flesh.


    It was over in a flash. The scene outside the warehouse turned upside down instantaneously. Cold wind, which smelled like blood whirred and emanated from the Vivian in all directions. Everything was covered with a layer of frost after severe corrosion. Casar Ebben was not really affected by the cold wind. He was surrounded by an unknown shadow, completely isolated from the cold and his appearance began to change gradually. His hair was growing rapidly and his body was becoming burlier than before. His sturdy muscles were bulging at a rate visible to the unaided eye. The bulge soon became visible under his clothes as well. His hands became bony, his joints swelled as well as became stout and his finger-tips turned into formidable claws. Thick black hair was grown quickly from his chin to his cheek. At the same time, a pair of wolf ears appeared on his head. This was the first time that Hao Ren witnessed the real transformation of a werewolf.


    ¡°So ugly¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, this is how a male werewolf looks like.¡± Red lights flashed across Vivian¡¯s eyes and a swarm of shadowy bats formed behind her. ¡°You¡¯re indeed a mad dog from the Ebben Family. I haven¡¯t seen the Dark Fog in ages.¡±


    A weird smirk surfaced on Casar Ebben¡¯s twisted face. ¡°You do not seem to be cut off from the world, blood sucker. I thought there aren¡¯t many vampires who know about the Ebben Family these days!¡±


    ¡°Of course! When I fought the first, Dark Fog Werewolf, he didn¡¯t even know how to write the word ¡®Ebben¡¯ yet!¡± Vivian tried to divert his attention using provoking words. At the same time, she continued attacking. A big swarm of bats rushed towards the werewolf at the far end like a whirlwind. Anything that crossed paths with the bats looked like it was destroyed by a metal storm; even steel and cement were instantly turned into ashes. ¡°I¡¯ve beaten your ancestors!¡±


    Hao Ren was sweating. He thought: age was indeed a woman¡¯s best weapon though, the way Vivian made use of it was rather odd¡­


    Casar Ebben was slightly struck by what Vivian just said. It probably reminded him of stories told in the family. However, he was not distracted by her words. The werewolf roared and slashed at the bat swarm with his paws. It created a piercing sound which tore the air. The cloud-like bat swarm was split in half by sheer pressure of the wind. Casar¡¯s strong body which was already inflated like a beast, swooped out of the torn bat cloud and pounced on Vivian in the middle of the air. He then shouted, ¡°What do you mean?!¡±


    Vivian did not dodge at all. She just gave him a sardonic smile and turned into countless bats, which dispersed in all directions just as Casar¡¯s paw almost caught her hair.


    ¡°Just a trick!¡± The werewolf growled angrily. Suddenly, his body was surrounded by a strong and thick, black fog. The Dark Fog moved out towards the swarm of bats. The speed it was spreading was no less than the speed of the flying bats. Almost 80% or 90% of bats were shrouded in fog within seconds. The bats struggled in the smoke and finally freed themselves from the entanglement before the smoke covered them completely. Vivian reformed her body a hundred meters away. She looked at Casar Ebben with a slight surprise. She did not expect this ¡°kid¡± to be quite hard to deal with.


    Werewolves were poor in magic. However, as a supplement, they had innate skills to make up for their shortcomings such as curses, obscurities, shadows and the like. The Ebben Family was a very famous group of wolves. Their natural ability was this strange and unpredictable Dark Fog. The Dark Fog did not have much effect in terms of attack but, it had troublesome spatial attributes, which were useful either in the transfer of objects or blockade of certain areas. Although Vivian claimed to have beaten the ancestors of the Ebben Family, she honestly did not really want to get tangled up in the pesky Dark Fog. What she liked was to bully the werewolves who often had a silly, crude and careless side. It was easier to deal with a mage warrior; however, it was a headache to fight with a dark knight.


    ¡°You were able to get out¡­¡± Casar Ebben¡¯s body was filled with Dark Fog. Coupled with his sinister appearance, he looked like a demon. ¡°You are not an ordinary vampire. Tell me your name, let¡¯s have a fair fight.¡±


    ¡°Who still cares about that these days?!¡± A scarlet pike materialised in Vivian¡¯s hand and she threw it with all her strength towards Casar Ebben. ¡°Go to hell!¡±


    The expression on Casar Ebben¡¯s face changed as soon as the scarlet pike appeared. He could take on all of Vivian¡¯s attacks head-on but this time, he turned into a big cloud of dark smoke, dispersed and escaped in all directions. The scarlet pike seemed to have life. The moment the enemy escaped, it turned to the direction of black smoke in the air and ripped. It stabbed into the nearest cloud of smoke.


    A whiff of burnt fur came from the smoke. Then, the pike and smoke vanished at the same time.


    The rest of the smoke cloud quickly gathered in another place. Casar Ebben regained his physical form but he looked a lot more compromised than he did earlier. The fur on his face was charred and his coat was ragged. A wisp of blood flowed from his forehead, suffused with an abnormal, red light.


    ¡°You are the countess who can summon the red moon, Vivian Ancestor¡­¡± Ebben forcibly wiped the blood off his face. The wolf¡¯s body expanded again which seemed to fully catalyze the werewolf¡¯s potential in order to deal with the enemy. ¡°You¡¯re still alive?!¡±


    With her hands on her chest, Vivian descended slowly and asked, ¡°Oh, I even had a name like that back then?¡±


    The battle between them was vigorous. Vivian had the upper hand and did not seem to need Hao Ren¡¯s help. So, he simply found a place at the side, stayed there and watched the show. He was ready to release a black pike whenever there was a chance or sneak into the warehouse to look for Lily when Casar Ebben was not paying attention. However, their conversation during the fight had peaked his curiosity. He almost fell onto the ground when he heard Vivian¡¯s words. He thought: Vampire lady, can you please not descend from the sky in such a graceful posture before saying such a thing?


    The look on Casar Ebben¡¯s face was quite strange but still better than Hao Ren¡¯s. He remained vigilant while he slowly distanced himself from Vivian. ¡°So, it¡¯s you¡­ Can¡¯t remember your own name, roamed the world¡­ Even the vampire family didn¡¯t know which side you belonged to so, they simply named you a countess¡­ same as the record in the family.¡±


    Vivian looked interested and said, ¡°Let¡¯s stop fighting. Tell me more about how I¡¯m recorded in your family. I really can¡¯t remember what happened back then.¡±


    Is now a good time to chat? Of course, not. No matter what Vivian thought, Casar Ebben was certainly not going to talk nonsense with the enemy, especially when the vampire in front him was the infamous, odd and tough countess. He remembered the warnings for the younger generation in his family records. As such, he lowered his head, black smoke covering his entire body and directly stormed upwards!


    Vivian flapped her giant wings and flew back into the air. She then said, ¡°Tsk¡­ then I¡¯ll ask for more details after I¡¯ve knocked you down. I¡¯m in an excellent state today!¡±

 Chapter 102

    ¡°Bang! Fwoosh!¡±


    A violent crash was followed by a piercing whoosh. The battle between werewolf and vampire continued. Hao Ren had no way to intervene, let alone look for a chance to attack the werewolf with his black pike.


    Vivian was still holding the upper hand. She was flapping her wings and floating mid air, relying on her swarm of bats as well as terrible, blood mist to suppress Casar Ebben. She used the combination flight and remoteness of the location to her advantage in order to make her invincible. While Casar Ebben was the underdog in the battle, it did not look like he would be defeated easily. The werewolf¡¯s Dark Fog was able to withstand Vivian¡¯s blood mist. He could recover in the blink of an eye even if he was accidentally injured. The strong physical strength and resilience of that werewolf seemed to have no end. The both of them fell into a tug of war.


    However, as the battle continued, the confusion in Casar Ebben¡¯s heart got more and more unbearable. Vivian seemed to be much weaker than he had imagined. She was not as strong as mentioned in his family records.


    The Ebben family encountered Vivian before a long time ago. When the long-living vampire was still running around the world, she basically had something to do with all the famous unusual creatures on the planet. Although most of the unusual families had become extinct in the present, the rest of them still kept a record of Vivian. Casar Ebben learned about the weird title, ¡°Countess of the Crimson Moon¡± from his family records and knew that she was the vampire whom his ancestors were quite afraid of. If she could make a great family of werewolves in their heyday afraid of her and deliberately leave a record about her, it meant she was not an ordinary vampire. Casar Ebben was even prepared to die heroically as he fought with Vivian.


    Yet, when he found that a young werewolf who was less than 300 years old like him could be a match for the vampire countess who had lived thousands of years, he immediately had doubts. Was it really the old monster that lived for countless years?


    However, the hesitation in his mind did not distract him during the battle. He clearly knew that even if the countess in front of him was different from the one recorded in history, she was definitely stronger than him.


    Hao Ren knew nothing about Vivian¡¯s glorious past and had no way to intervene in the battle of the two super creatures. He observed the situation. After confirming that Casar Ebben was entangled by the vampire maiden and had no time for him, he acted on his own.


    He looked up at the warehouse¡¯ outer wall beside him. There was a row of windows covered with Dark Fog, eight or nine meters above the ground. Logically speaking, the battle was definitely creating loud noise in the area. No matter how obtuse Lily was, she should have known that they had come for her. But Lily had not burst out of the warehouse. It meant that there was something off about the Dark Fog. Lily was unable to escape with her current skill.


    Hao Ren could not reach Lily via phone. He decided to try climbing into the room to see the situation inside.


    He decided to climb the wall directly instead of entering the warehouse via the front door or back door for a reason¡ªanother werewolf did not appear yet, perhaps he was waiting at one of the doorways for the ¡®vampire¡¯s accomplice¡¯ to walk into a trap. Therefore, he felt that it may have been safer to climb through the window. Plus, Vivian was watching on this side of the building. Even if there was an accident, he would be able to get support. It was likely for him to meet another werewolf on the other side and fight it alone. To be frank, Hao Ren, who did not have much combat experience was not confident about it all.


    The outer wall of the warehouse was smooth. There was nowhere he could grip and the bottom half was frozen with a thick layer of ice. However, these did not stop him. Hao Ren warmed up his hands and feet. He then knocked on the wall twice to confirm its hardness, clenched his teeth and stamped his foot, trying to imagine himself as a martial arts master. ¡°Hah!¡± He abruptly thrust his fingers into the reinforced concrete wall like his hand was a knife!


    The pain was unbearable.


    Unexpectedly, it worked. His fingers stuck deep into the concrete wall, like poking tofu. It seemed that his fingers were not broken or bleeding. Apart from the pain in his hand, there was no difference from the martial arts masters on TV. Hao Ren believed that the aches and pains were caused by an imbalance in his body enhancement (sensory and limb strength did not match). Therefore, he was determined to bite the bullet and abandon any distracting thoughts. He climbed up to the row of windows step by step and soon reached the half point. He heard a roar coming from Casar Ebben¡¯s direction. Apparently, the werewolf had noticed Hao Ren¡¯s movements. However, Vivian did not give him any chance to get away so all he could do was just keep roaring.


    The other werewolf did not appear yet. Hao Ren wondered what the guy was doing. Nonetheless, the most important thing at that moment was to figure out the Dark Fog that hung over the windows. He moved, huffing and puffing along the wall. The pain caused by the constant stabbing of his fingers into the cement wall had gradually numbed and he soon reached the first window. The Mobile Data Terminal floated out of his pocket. As it circled around the Dark Fog, it asked seriously, ¡°Idiot, doesn¡¯t your hand hurt? Don¡¯t you remember that you have a Steel Membrane Shield?¡±


    Hao Ren was silent.


    If not for his fingers being stuck in the wall and not falling out easily, he would have fallen down right on the spot!


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier!¡±


    ¡°Who knew you were so stupid?¡±


    Hao Ren felt that he had to be the first person in the world to quarrel with his PDA all day. On top of that, he had never won the argument¡­ It was a sad thing to remember whenever he thought of it.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. How would a normal person from Earth have this kind of high-tech gadget?¡± Hao Ren activated the Steel Membrane Shield as he comforted himself. ¡°I¡¯m just not used to it yet. You¡¯ll see when I get used to it. I¡¯ll activate the shield even when I¡¯m digging my nose!¡±


    The MDT snapped, dropped itself on the windowsill and stopped talking. It was probably ashamed of talking with Hao Ren.


    ¡°Lily!¡± Hao Ren was hanging on the wall like Spiderman and shouting at the window, ¡°Where are you?!¡±


    Of course, he did not receive any response at all.


    ¡°What the hell is this Dark Fog?¡± Hao Ren had made his way to the window and the ink black smoke hovered in front of him. The Dark Fog not only sealed the windows completely, it seemed to even permeate to the outer walls of the warehouse. If one looked closer, one could see very tiny bits of smoke seeping through the cement cracks in the outer wall of the warehouse. It was possible that the entire second floor of the warehouse was probably blocked by the Dark Fog. Due to this, Lily was trapped and unable to escape.


    After all, with the dumb werewolf¡¯s brute force, it would not have been difficult for her to knock the cement wall down. Even Hao Ren could dig open the reinforced concrete with his bare hands. There was no reason for Lily to not be able to do it.


    However, Hao Ren soon noticed something. Although the warehouse¡¯s entire second floor was cordoned off by the Dark Fog, his fingers could still easily pierce into the cement wall.


    ¡°Tut¡­ Is this ¡®magical immunity¡¯ again?¡± Hao Ren looked curiously at the concrete wall which was covered in a thin layer of smoke. He stretched out his fingers, scratched the wall and a few concrete blocks easily broke off.


    It looked as if the Dark Fog did not exist at all.


    It reminded him of the Letta Runes that he saw in Yorkford Castle. It was just like those runes. The werewolf¡¯s Dark Fog did not work on Hao Ren.


    ¡°Just do it.¡± Hao Ren looked at the window covered in Dark Fog, held his breath, shut his eyes and rushed inside.


    ¡°Krashhh!¡± The window shattered.


    ¡°The heck, this window is closed!¡±


    The shattering glass also alerted Casar Ebben who was fighting with Vivian. He was astonished to see that the weird man had gone straight through the blockade of his Dark Fog and had already crept into the warehouse!


    The werewolf exclaimed at once, ¡°How could¡­¡±


    Casar Ebben had noticed Hao Ren, who appeared together with Vivian. However, Hao Ren did not participate in the battle and did not look like much of a threat. Plus, the enormous pressure coming from Vivian did not allow him to lose focus hence, he did not take Hao Ren seriously. Even when he saw Hao Ren climb up the warehouse to the second floor, he did not worry too much about it as the entire second floor was protected by Dark Fog. However, the scene which unfolded before Casar Ebben left him in a state of disbelief.


    If his Dark Fog blockade was broken by brute force or skill, it would have still been convincing, but¡­ Hao Ren went straight through the Dark Fog easily like it did not exist! What the hell was going on?

 Chapter 103

    Let¡¯s forget Casar Ebben for the moment. Hao Ren had successfully gotten into the warehouse where he found an empty room before him.


    ¡°This is unbelievable.¡± Hao Ren was in disbelief at how easy it was for him to sneak in as he shook off the shards of glass on his body. As the Dark Fog hovered on the second floor, he thought it would have required some beating to get inside. Little did he know, the fog trick was under his magic immunity¡¯s field of influence. He regretted not storming in right away earlier. He felt silly for telling himself to man up with all the crap talk.


    The MDT had also sneaked in like a ghost, wobbling like a drunkard beside him. A little message read, ¡°Radar scan shows the target is not in here.¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at the empty place before shoving the MDT back in his pocket. ¡°Smart-*ss, even the blind could have seen that.¡±


    He checked to confirm his Steel Membrane Shield was in full charge before he tiptoed to the exit, ready to take a look at the situation outside.


    The old wooden door creaked open slowly and he saw an open corridor.


    The layout of the warehouse was simple. There were only two stories; the entire lower floor was a warehouse with its ceiling raised as high as two-thirds of the building whereas the upper floor was more like a deck on the west side of the warehouse which housed a watchroom, an office and a hostel. The space underneath the deck was where various stuff as well as forklifts were stored and parked. But most of them had been cleared out and what remained there were just some scrap metal.


    The corridor in front of Hao Ren led straight to the rooms on the upper floor, with the rooms on the left and railing on the right. The lower floor was in full view from the corridor. However, it was so pitch-dark, only a small area was illuminated by the sunlight which leaked through the hole on the roof above. With the help of the sunlight, Dark Fog could be seen flooding the lower floor. The two werewolves had indeed done a great job in securing the place. They even took measures in case the enemy dug an underground tunnel. It seemed that Hao Ren¡¯s immunity against magic was just an accidental advantage.


    The door on each room along the corridor was sealed by a layer of black-coloured fog but, Hao Ren knew that stuff was not soundproof. He went up against each door and called out softly, ¡°Lily, Lily, respond if you can hear me!¡±


    There was no reply. Hao Ren could not suppress his ever increasing worry so, he decided to do things the simplest way: blasting through the doors.


    Most of the doors were locked, rusted or nailed-down. All Hao Ren could do was pound and break through each and every one. However, that would make a hell lot of noise¡ªhe did not care. The fragile, old doors did not stand a chance under Hao Ren¡¯s forceful pounding and they gave way like a crumbling bridge. As the doors fell apart, the Dark Fog dissipated. Hao Ren had blasted through four to five rooms. As he was about to continue on, he saw the shadow of the werewolf maiden in the background.


    The room was obviously cleaned recently. Lily was lying on a small bed, motionless and seemingly unconscious.


    Hao Ren¡¯s heart skipped a beat when he saw this and he rushed towards her. ¡°Lily! Lily! What happened to you? Lily please¡­ how on earth can you still have the desire to sleep in such a situation?!¡±


    Lily opened her blurry eyes and smiled stupidly when she saw Hao Ren. ¡°Hey Landlord, you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you know what¡¯s going on here?¡± asked Hao Ren.


    Lily¡¯s ears stood up and she listened for sounds on the outside. ¡°Is Battie in a fight right now?¡±


    ¡°How can you sleep in such a moment?¡± Hao Ren really thought that the husky¡¯s mind was on an entirely different channel.


    ¡°Because it¡¯s nap time.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Hao Ren recalled his experience during the mission in England not long ago. The werewolf maiden¡¯s sleeping aptitude was almost magical. She dozed off dead on time; in extreme conditions. She even slept standing up while snoring like a bulldog; she tailed them all the way from London to Brewshire using only her sense of smell¡­ Dealing with a husky with such an extreme bio-clock setting would only make one end up with a tearful face.


    ¡°Okay, forget it.¡± Hao Ren sighed as he dragged her out of bed. His eyes screened her for any injuries. ¡°Awake? Did they do anything to you?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡± Lily pointed her finger at a table in one of the corners of the room. There were six packets of food on it. ¡°They even bought me food! They bought me a second round of food when I wasn¡¯t full after the first. Being psychos aside, they¡¯re quite nice.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless. He suddenly had an urge to go outside and stop Vivian from bullying good citizens.


    By now, Lily was fully awake and she looked like she was in her best state ever. The seal of Dark Fog had been broken by Hao Ren so, the duo were ready to storm out of the warehouse to meet Vivian. With the three of them together, Casar Ebben would not be able to do anything. There would then be time to sort things out.


    However, things did not always go according to the script: As Hao Ren held Lily by her hand and descended onto the lower floor, a swamp of black-coloured fog rose up from their surroundings, blocking their way.


    The fog condensed and formed into a werewolf; male, shrewd and more or less the same height as Hao Ren but bonier.


    He was one of the two ¡®psychos¡¯ that Lily talked about over the phone, dubbed Psycho No. 2. (A term Lily coined).


    This werewolf was very different from Casar Ebben. He was not as brawny but, in his werewolf form, he was equally formidable. He had a notorious-looking image. The werewolf emerged from the Dark Fog and stood in their way; he tried hard to look imposing and mean but he really looked like sh*t. His coat hung over his body like a rag, his face was covered in blood while the exposed flesh on his arms had some burned marks.


    Hao Ren then realised how Casar Ebben managed to escape the Blood Mist and split so quickly to appear before Vivian as well as Hao Ren: he sold his teammate out.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± The skinny werewolf¡¯s eyes darted between Hao Ren and Lily before they were fixed on Lily. ¡°Are you being deceived by the vampire?¡±


    ¡°Nope, I just want to go home. I have told you many times. It¡¯s just that you guys never listened. My landlord has come to get me now. You will be in deep sh*t.¡±


    ¡°Landlord?¡± The scrawny werewolf stared at Hao Ren as he slowly caught his breath. ¡°He¡¯s with the vampire¡­ Now, I get it. It¡¯s no wonder Casar and I had thought that you were some mentally-retarded kid. It¡¯s because you have been confused by the vampire. Don¡¯t worry. After Casar is done with the vampire, I¡¯ll finish off this guy myself and you¡¯ll be set free¡­¡±


    Hao Ren found that they were in a really messy situation at that moment. He noticed the scrawny werewolf staring at him with intense anger. He could neither cry nor laugh. He just braced himself. ¡°I think we may have some misunderstanding here. If Casar could behave nicely, maybe they wouldn¡¯t have started the fight. Okay, why don¡¯t you just put away your claws and let¡¯s talk¡­¡±


    It would have been naive to think that anyone would have cared to talk given the circumstances but either way, the scrawny werewolf did not really hear what Hao Ren had said. He roared as he leaped forward with claws in the air.


    Of course, Hao Ren was not naive enough to believe that there was room for negotiation. He said what he did just for the sake of easing the tension. His quick muscle reflexes, which were first triggered when he was in The Plane of Dreams, were ready to be summoned up. Just as the werewolf was within a hair¡¯s breadth from touching him, he raised his hand in defence. At the same time his other fist delivered a deadly blow to his enemy¡¯s face.


    A screeching sound sent a shiver up his spine as the werewolf¡¯s claws scratched the Steel Membrane Shield. The scrawny werewolf had never seen such an armor, stronger than steel in all his life. He felt his claws hit a piece of diamond and they were about to snap while his face was hit by a fist the size of a clay pot.


    Boof¡ªThe powerful blow sent the already injured and weakened werewolf flying.


    Hao Ren took a moment to catch his breath as he slowly retracted his fist. He looked in the direction where the enemy had flown with his mouth wide open. ¡°Holy Mother, that¡¯s scary¡­¡±


    The MDT peeked out from his pocket. ¡°Don¡¯t you think your statement doesn¡¯t really suit the occasion?¡±


    Hao Ren sighed. ¡°¡­I was too preoccupied with my posture and totally didn¡¯t realise what I was saying.¡±

 Chapter 104

    Seeing the enemy blown away like a leaf, Lily was not really paying attention to what Hao Ren was saying. Lily looked on like her eyes were about to pop out before she jumped up with joy. ¡°Whoa, Landlord, you¡¯re awesome!¡±


    Her excitement made it sound as if she was the one who did it.


    Deep down, Hao Ren wished he really was what Lily said but, looking at her broad smile he could not allow himself to act like a jerk. He smiled back awkwardly. ¡°Well¡­ Actually, if I¡¯m not mistaken, that guy was probably already injured from Vivian¡¯s Split-Shadows earlier. I was just adding another nail in the coffin.¡±


    Lily replied with a simple, ¡°Oh¡± but her eyes looked warily at the direction where the scrawny werewolf had flown to. ¡°Is¡­he dead?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s not.¡± Noticing the dilemma on Lily¡¯s face, Hao Ren knew she was worried about her fellow werewolf. So, he quickly shook his head. ¡°I used restraint. Besides, I couldn¡¯t possibly have the ability to kill a werewolf with just one punch.¡±


    ¡°I was surprised that they were werewolves too,¡± said Lily as she stuck her tongue out in astonishment. ¡°They took me in without saying a word. It was only when I called you in the afternoon did they start to explain it all to me.¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at Lily. ¡°So, what¡¯s on your mind exactly?¡±


    ¡°This is the first time I¡¯m meeting my fellow werewolves and I¡¯m excited!¡± Lily¡¯s eyes glowed in the dark.


    ¡°Are you going to follow them home?¡± A sudden twitch in Hao Ren¡¯s eyebrow reminded him that this was a delicate question; she had called him for help because she did not know the identities of the two psychos but now, she knew that they were fellow werewolves. What was running through the mind of this innocent maiden, who always had a soft spot for the werewolf race?


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not going to. I don¡¯t even know them.¡± As worried as Hao Ren was, he did not expect Lily to dismiss it so quickly with no hesitation.


    Hao Ren froze for a second and then, nodded with a weird expression on his face. ¡°That¡¯s who you are.¡±


    Actually, it was just Lily¡¯s efficient simple-mindedness¡ªif she did not know a person, it meant that the person was a stranger and she should not follow a stranger. Her whole thought process was just as simple as that. Things like dignity, racial sense of belonging and the revival of the werewolf race were just too complicated for her to grasp. The concept of so-called ¡®racial sense of belonging¡¯ was not really part of her vocabulary. The one thing that was surely on her mind was the call to finish her meaty-bone lunch back home¡­


    Suddenly, a loud bang was heard coming from outside the warehouse. The force blasted through the steel door, engulfing the whole place in smoke and dust. Then, Vivian¡¯s voice was heard from afar. ¡°Well, well, well, I thought I¡¯d have to lend a hand here. Looks like everything on your side is done and dusted.¡±


    A gust of strong wind came through and carried the smoke as well as dust away. Hao Ren then took a gander at the situation outside: the vampire maiden was completely unharmed. Only her hair was a little messy while her face was covered in dirt. Her face showed some fatigue after she had won the fight hands down. Casar Ebben who lied under her feet unconscious was not in particularly good shape though.


    The once cocky and mighty werewolf was now covered in bruises; he was completely knocked out. The colour had drained from his face and his appearance was stuck somewhere between a werewolf and a human.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it. This werewolf was nasty and full of fighting spirit. I had to bleed the pressure out of his blood a bit to make sure he stayed calm,¡± said Vivian as she shook her head. ¡°But no worries, it¡¯s non-lethal. Thanks also to our Landlord. If not for your actions, this guy wouldn¡¯t have gotten distracted and we might have been dragged into a long fight.¡±


    The two werewolves were carried to the open field outside the warehouse. Hao Ren and his mates did not know what to do with the two unconscious members of the ¡®enemy¡¯. In the past, Vivian would celebrate her victory by treating herself to a nice dinner or even perhaps helping herself with the werewolves. However, that was not going to happen in the presence of Lily.


    After wrestling with his own mind, Hao Ren decided to report to Raven 12345. But, just as he was about to yank the MDT out of his pocket, the two werewolves suddenly moaned in pain. They had started to come back online.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I hate such tough guys,¡± Vivian sounded her disgust. ¡°Look, just five minutes earlier they were half-dead but now, even the wounds on this little one are starting to heal¡­¡±


    Vivian was right. Werewolves have nine lives, sort of. Casar Ebben and the little one were on their way to meet their maker. However, within the time they were being carried out from the warehouse to the open space outside, they had recovered with such spectacular speed. You could actually observe with your naked eye the healing process itself. Given a few more minutes, they would be alive and kicking again, literally.


    ¡°You guys¡­¡± Casar Ebben was the first to wake up. When he opened his eyes, he jumped to his feet and stared in shock at Lily who stood together with Vivian. ¡°Why are you with the vampire?¡±


    ¡°I want to go home,¡± Lily said matter-of-factly. ¡°We¡¯ve been living together.¡±


    ¡°She isn¡¯t mentally retarded.¡± Now the scrawny and little werewolf got up. He knew resistance was futile at that point so, he thought it better to be pragmatic and sit on the ground. ¡°She must be under the vampire¡¯s control and is unable to get out of it.¡±


    ¡°I think your imagination is a little over the top.¡± Hao Ren felt that he now had a deeper understanding of the werewolf¡¯s simple-minded nature. Though, he could neither cry nor laugh about it. ¡°In fact, we¡¯re more or less having some sort of misunderstanding here¡­¡±


    Hao Ren took the opportunity to explain about Lily¡¯s unusual background to them but, he did not tell them about the werehusky story considering their level of EQ. What he told them was sufficient considering that ¡®vampire-werewolf love¡¯ was already too much for the two pure-blood werewolves to handle.


    ¡°That¡¯s how things are. Lily won¡¯t follow you guys home.¡± Hao Ren spread his hands as he finished. ¡°What you guys did was actually kidnapping. So, you deserved the beating¡­¡±


    ¡°They can live with each other?¡± Casar Ebben looked at Lily and Vivian sarcastically. ¡°Do you really think I¡¯m going to believe that?¡±


    It was no surprise that the pure-blood werewolves refused to believe in this ridiculous thing. The strange happenings in Hao Ren¡¯s house were not something that could be explained away in a few sentences. It would have probably taken a few rounds of mental breakdown and reconstruction to come to grips with the bizarre vampire x werewolf thingy.


    ¡°The two maidens have no equal.¡± Hao Ren sighed and stared into Casar Ebben¡¯s eyes. ¡°Look into my sincere, little eyes¡­ Arrgh, forget it, you wouldn¡¯t believe me anyway. I don¡¯t want anymore trouble and you may have taken Lily because of some misunderstanding but we¡¯ll let bygones be bygones. If Lily and Vivian agree, I¡¯ll let you guys go.¡±


    Of course, Lily did not have any objection. She was a dumbbell after all. As for Vivian, although she was a little displeased, she too did not raise any objection.


    The two werewolves looked at each other before saying spontaneously, ¡°Are we the ones at fault now?¡±


    ¡°Of course you are. You kidnapped my¡­ my tenant. Wasn¡¯t that your fault?¡±


    The little werewolf was almost tearful. ¡°Yes, I admit that the way we did things were a little rough but, we didn¡¯t do anything untoward to this young girl. We even bought food for her¡ªI don¡¯t know how she was raised but her appetite is surely a lot bigger than Casar¡¯s and mine combined. We had to run all the way to the city just to buy four packs of lunch for her and in the end, we even had to turn over ours. Also, she may have a screw loose¡ªshe kept demanding to go home with the vampire and we thought we bumped into some mentally retarded junior. It took us the whole morning just to figure out whether we should forget about her, as we would be the laughing stock once we bring her back to the pack. That¡¯s not all, she even demanded to watch movies, listen to music, play games; she started nagging us when her phone ran out of juice; she even demanded for Pushkin poems during her afternoon nap. She went nuts when we didn¡¯t give in. If not for the f*cking fact that she also has a pair of wolf ears, we might have concluded that she¡¯s an entirely new line of species. Tell me, what sin have Casar and I committed? After taking in this nagging and hungry brat here, we had actually planned to send her back for good; while we were at it, you guys showed up and the next thing we knew, we were beaten black and blue¡­ What wrong have we done?¡±


    Hao Ren was at a lost for words.

 Chapter 105

    Perhaps the scrawny werewolf had gone through a little too much today. Not to mention, the shock of a werewolf befriending a vampire had pushed him over the edge; verbal diarrhea came spewing out. Hao Ren could only muster a stunned look and quipped at the end, ¡°¡­.Your Mandarin is pretty decent¡­¡±


    Casar Ebben glared coldly at his partner¡¯s total lost of self-control and let out a gruff snort. ¡°Ewen, enough! Have some dignity!¡±


    So, the skinny werewolf was called Ewen. He looked at Casar Ebben with resignation and then shifted his gaze towards Vivian. ¡°I admit defeat, kill me if you want to. Werewolves do not negotiate with a vampire¡­ But, I want to know, who in the seven hells are you? There¡¯s little that the two of us cannot defeat. However, we were outmatched by you alone¡­ Bloody hell.¡±


    Hao Ren wanted to retort. What was that, being defeated by Vivian alone?! He also contributed to the fight, a solitary fist on an already beaten sod.¡­


    ¡°The Countess of the Crimson Moon. That¡¯s who she is¡­¡± Casar Ebben grunted. He sounded like he was clenching his teeth. ¡°Granted, she didn¡¯t look all that strong compared to the description in the records. But, she¡¯s too strong¡­¡±


    ¡°That weirdo of a countess?¡± Ewen Ebben leapt up in shock and he struggled to regain his composure. With weary eyes he looked at Vivian. ¡°One of the oldest vampires¡­.and you¡¯re still alive?¡±


    ¡°Why does everyone I meet want me dead?¡± Vivian frowned. ¡°And how exactly did you lot record my exploits? I don¡¯t even remember having such a title¡­ Did this one come out of my fight with the Ebbens long ago?¡±


    Ewen¡¯s face was incredulous as he looked at Vivian. ¡°You sure you want to know?¡±


    Vivian nodded with much surety. Ewen gritted his teeth. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll let you know before you kill me. The records about you say: Dynasty unknown, age unknown, a solitary, ancient vampire and an outcast that mixes around with humans; does whatever she likes without a pattern, seems to have fought with almost every race yet has also made friends with all; does not fear the sun, garlic, holy water or the usual items that will harm a vampire and as such, is thought to be one of the first highborn vampires. Maybe due to her advanced age, she suffers from a severe bout of amnesia, being drowsy half of the time as well as neurotic and manic because she can¡¯t remember her titles. Also, it is not known why she has been extremely poor. There is a tale about her raiding a werewolf¡¯s den to steal a chicken as she was hungry. There, I¡¯m done. Now, finish the deed.¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°¡­If Vivian didn¡¯t plan to kill you at first, she sure does now.¡±


    Angry veins popped out on Vivian¡¯s forehead and a chilly aura formed around her, swirling about. She bared her fangs and stared hard at the werewolf duo. ¡°Are you all crazy? Why do you even chronicle something like this?¡±


    Hao Ren quickly patted Vivian on the shoulder. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t mind them. If you were normal with your exploits, how would you have left an impression?¡±


    Vivian rolled her eyes. She guessed that she could forget about this man who was still learning how to console someone else.


    Lily was squatting by the side playing with some pebbles before she suddenly stood up and spoke to Casar Ebben. ¡°You guys can leave. I¡¯m going home.¡±


    Casar Ebben still could not believe that a werewolf would stay with a vampire so willingly. This was against everything he knew. He looked at Lily suspiciously, trying to discern with his eyes if there were any traces of mind control magic at work. ¡°You¡¯re sure about staying with these people? With a vampire to boot?¡­ Are you sure you are not being controlled?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Battie is that bad,¡± Lily said as she nodded. ¡°She even cooks for me everyday. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s the deal between werewolves and vampires. I was alone when I grew up. Battie is the first and only vampire I know, and I think she¡¯s okay. Besides, there¡¯s a reason I¡¯m staying at Mr. Landlord¡¯s place. He¡­.I mean, I can¡¯t just leave. It will cause a lot of trouble.¡±


    Lily at this point, was pretty much penning her magnum opus. You would not have expected a husky to have the appetite for such a game of words. Plus, she just skimmed the parts that could not be spoken of. Hao Ren quickly added into the mix, ¡°I don¡¯t see you two as evil. Maybe you were just here to recruit your kin. If you two will stay out of trouble here, we¡¯ll call it even. Sides, in terms of combat ability, my side is way stronger than you think. Vivian is only our second best fighter. The overpowered one is not even here¡­¡±


    Vivian coughed. ¡°Why are you even telling them that?¡±


    Casar and Ewen Ebben looked at each other. From the gleam in their eyes, they realised the disparate state that they were in. They were covered in blood with their shirts torn and their hair burnt. It was an odd situation that they had never found themselves in before. It was also odd because they ran into a weird vampire and a weird werewolf. They even had a weird human along with them to boot. It was pretty telling that staying would have been a waste of time.


    ¡°Geh, I thought this was just going to be a recruitment mission¡­¡± Casar Ebben shook his head. ¡°Fine¡­ We¡¯ll leave but, our clan will hear of this. I¡¯ll be frank, the things that happened here, the Ebben Elders will be interested. Especially, the reappearance of the Countess. There may be a few Elders who will be keen to say hi.¡±


    ¡°Oh? That¡¯s fine by me. Haven¡¯t seen any familiar faces for quite some time.¡± Vivian shrugged. ¡°Half the time I meet them, it ends up in a fight anyway. But just to give Mr. Landlord some face, if those old furballs are willing to talk nicely, I¡¯ll talk. Oh right, how many of those old furballs are still alive?


    ¡°Not many.¡± Casar Ebben smiled bitterly. ¡°The Ebbens are the last of the werewolf clans and we have attracted the attention of the demon hunters. We have been expanding quietly for years and the struggle to do so has claimed many of us.¡±


    Hao Ren was surprised at Casar Ebben¡¯s candor. All of them were enemies just a moment earlier but now, they were talking about their familial matters like nothing happened. A sense of irony lingered but, from Casar¡¯s resigned tone, Hao Ren realised that while it was true that the werewolves and vampires do not see eye to eye, they still retained a rational instinct of self-preservation. Both did not like a battle with nothing to gain. Furthermore, with demon hunters hounding their steps, there would possibly come a time where the two races call it quits and join forces.


    Perhaps Hao Ren was naive in his take of things. Surely, a normal person would have struggled to understand the minds of these ancient monsters, shaped by centuries of conflict. Yet, he could sense that even so, it was not as simple as a ¡®you live, I die¡¯ sort of relationship. It was much, much more complicated.


    ¡°Speaking of which¡­why did you guys come here?¡± Vivian suddenly asked. The question had been bugging her for quite some time now. ¡°I remembered that the Ebbens were active in Europe and Latin America. There are very little wild werewolves in Asia to warrant such efforts. Just look at you two, so much effort spent for a half-breed who doesn¡¯t even want to leave.¡±


    Lily¡¯s nosed wrinkled at the word ¡®half-breed¡¯, clearly detested at being called that.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just us.¡± Ewen Ebben looked at Vivian. ¡°How long have you not been in contact with your kin? There are plenty of other species who are active now, recruiting their scattered kin. The Ebbens are just one of them.¡±


    Vivian was stunned for a moment. ¡°Recruiting their kin? What for? To build an army against the demon hunters?¡±


    ¡°That, I don¡¯t know.¡± Casar Ebben gritted his teeth. ¡°I¡¯ve only heard that something big is coming and many are preparing for it. Perhaps it is what you say, a counter-attack¡­¡±

 Chapter 106

    Vivian was ready to go home until she heard that particular piece of news. Her curiosity piqued, she questioned Casar Ebben with a piercing look. ¡°I have not been active for the past 100 years¡­ What actually happened?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not too sure myself.¡± Given that the two parties had called a ceasefire and Vivian, who had the edge in combat was willing to listen, Casar Ebben was a little bit more comfortable in cooperating with them. ¡°It started about 100 to 200 years ago, when a bunch of sirens came to shore, knowing well the risk of being hunted down by the hunters. They mentioned a prophecy they had obtained from the deep; that their kind needed to gather the lost energies which came with the end of the Mythological Era. I suppose you know what tectonic activity is? Due to these movements, part of the siren¡¯s domain during the Age of Mythology has become today¡¯s shoreline. You can find some of the ruins left behind by their kind there. When they came up on land in Asia, Europe and the Americas in such large numbers, it caused no end of fear. It was much like those old folklore about the terrors of the deep.


    ¡°Sirens¡­ I know them¡­. Well, they are the least affected of all by the demon hunters, I suppose. Being so deep in the waters, it served as a sanctuary for them as the hunters had no way to flush them out.¡± Vivian was deep in thought. ¡°The sirens are very insular creatures and they rarely communicate with anyone outside of their kind. Even during the Age of Mythology, they rarely came to shore. Well, they are a bunch of slowpokes when it comes to reacting to the changes of the outside world. So, what became of them?¡±


    ¡°Oh, some of them got captured and were sold in the black market to some American plantations or illegal millhouses in Europe. Some of them got exterminated by the demon hunters while some got caught up in the American Civil War when they came out of Mississippi¡­ Some retreated back into the sea. Basically, they got screwed hard by humans.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    Vivian blinked for a moment and gave a long, ¡°Ohhhhhhh¡­.¡±.


    ¡°Well, that seems like a likely fate for a bunch of fishes with no grasp of reality,¡± she added.


    ¡°The sirens have been like this for god knows how long. They always find a way back into the sea so, they are pretty indolent. You don¡¯t see them being successful in their ventures often but, that¡¯s not to say that they are failures either,¡± Ewen Ebben interjected. ¡°But, the tidings brought by the sirens have quickly spread among the great clans and many of them are now either recruiting their kin or looking for lost relics. As you can see, the Ebben Clan has come to Asia to look for our kind. Some other non-humans species have already gone into conflict with the demon hunters. This has not been witnessed for millenia.¡±


    ¡°So¡­you lot are mucking about based on an unknown prophecy from the deep?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s certainly more to it. The Elders are not stupid. They surely know more about the matter.¡± Ewen snorted. ¡°However, that¡¯s not for us pups to know or understand. If you want more information, you can pay your old friends a visit. Regardless, you are one of the most ancient of vampires. According to custom, I should be calling you a gran¡­ Forget it. I won¡¯t get myself killed after being spared.¡±


    ¡°It looks like it¡¯s time to go gather some information,¡± Vivian uttered. ¡°I¡¯ve been in the dark for way too long now¡­ So much has changed¡­ Hmm¡­ even the humans have regressed; too peaceful now.¡±


    As Hao Ren listened to their conversation, a sense of dread befell him. He quickly shook his hands to rid himself of the goosebumps. At the same time, he caught sight of Lily who was bored out of her wits and remembered that he had something to ask. ¡°Oh yeah, both of you are real werewolves right. I need to ask you lot something.¡±


    Casar Ebben gave Hao Ren a weird look. He still did not understand how this man came to mingle with a vampire and in addition, had some pretty incredible abilities. However, when he saw how Hao Ren spoke with Vivian and Lily, Casar decided to categorise him as one of the non-humans. Perhaps, a wizard of some sorts.


    ¡°¡­Is there any branch of huskies in your werewolf clan?¡± Hao Ren asked seriously. ¡°Like how dogs evolved from wolves, are there any Siberian Huskies or Pekingese within the werewolves¡¯ evolution?¡±


    An uncomfortable silence followed.


    Ewen Ebben looked stunned for a moment and finally snapped. ¡°What is with this insult? I can overlook you lot beating us up and interrogating us but this¡­ Countess, you stay out of this. I¡¯m going to face this f*cker one-on-one!¡±


    Hao Ren leapt back and held the MDT out the way one would throw a shuriken. ¡°Keep those claws of yours. I was just asking. Are there no huskies among the werewolves?¡±


    Lily heard that someone was talking about her and she looked on with much anticipation. Vivian too had a curious gleam in her eyes as she eyed the two werewolves. Casar and Ewen Ebben were flabbergasted. They never thought the insulting question was actually a serious one. Casar thought for a moment and shook his head. ¡°Nope, never heard of such a thing before. It¡¯s like how you can¡¯t compare werewolves to your average wolves. I¡¯m surprised that you don¡¯t know about this, Countess.


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± Vivian shook her head as well. ¡°I don¡¯t even know when I got that title.¡±


    Casar recalled what the records said about the weirdest vampire countess and he could understand why she was called such. He again dispelled the notion that there were huskies within the line of werewolves.


    Upon hearing that, Lily squatted in a corner in despair and started digging the ground to vent her frustrations. Hao Ren quickly went to her side to console her. Casar gave his weird kin a glance and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡±


    Hao Ren sniggered. ¡°Nothing. Just an identity crisis.¡±


    ¡°¡­Doesn¡¯t seem like anything,¡± Ewen Ebben muttered as he pulled Casar to leave. ¡°There¡¯s nothing else, right? Then, we¡¯ll leave¡­¡±


    Vivian nodded and shooed them away. As the two were about to leave, an odd sound rang out of nowhere.


    Clack, clack


    The sound of a clockwork device could be heard and an emotionless voice soon rang out from the rooftop. ¡°All of you will remain where you are.¡±


    Hao Ren looked up in astonishment and saw an average-sized man standing on the rooftop, staring down at them. He looked like he was in his 40s. The man was impeccably groomed and dressed, the way you would expect someone of a managerial post would dress. At least, that was the first impression Hao Ren got.


    The only unusual thing about him was the steel crossbow that was pointed at them. The weapon itself looked very unusual, with contraptions and patterns adorning the body. He aimed his crossbow towards Casar Ebben¡¯s skull (he was the biggest target after all). A silver-tipped arrow gleamed menacingly.


    Hao Ren finally remembered where he saw such a weapon before. The pseudo-demon hunter, Nangong! His crossbow was also of the same design.


    ¡°Demon hunters?!¡± Casar Ebben yelled as he took a step back. A slight ruffle could be heard along the rooftop and seven other figures clad in black appeared on the roof.


    Aside from the first person who showed himself, all of the hunters were dressed the same. A long, black jacket with a leather cuirass, belts lined with odd gadgets and the same odd-looking crossbow in their hands. All of them also had a bigger crossbow, which hung on their backs. However, the first similarity Hao Ren caught between them, was their emotionless faces.


    Much like a hunter looking for his prey, the demon hunters were on the hunt.

 Chapter 107

    The situation worsened. A team of demon hunters who suddenly appeared before them stunned Vivian instantly.


    Casar Ebben looked astoundingly at the ¡°human beings¡± around them who were condescending and expressionless. The muscles on his body started to bulge slowly again. He could sense a disturbing vibe coming from the strange crossbows in the demon hunters¡¯ hands. It was the unique scent left behind by countless creatures that died by the crossbow. As a veteran werewolf, Casar Ebben could feel the strong murderous vibe from it.


    There was no doubt that a group of experienced demon hunters were standing in front of them.


    Casar Ebben was previously informed that there were traces of demon hunters in the city and he had speculated that there would be at least one or two demon hunters on patrol. However, he never expected so many demon hunters to be gathered there. In addition, they were several times stronger than expected. This was not the kind of ambush that could have been executed by inexperienced demon hunters.


    Their intelligence was wrong. Something may have happened to the family sentry. However, it was useless to say anything before he managed to escape the crisis.


    Ewen Ebben also started transforming immediately. However, his transformation speed was noticeably slower than Casar Ebben¡¯s. Furthermore, even after they had transformed, they were not as powerful as they were before.


    Perhaps the battle with Vivian was one of the reasons for the poor state of the two werewolves; however, the main reason was the faint, odd scent in the air. The scent had left the two werewolves feeling physically weak and incapable of concentration. Ewen Ebben looked at the middle-aged man on the roof and struggled to growl, ¡°You guys¡­ are still so despicable!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re just hunting.¡± There was no expression on the face of the middle-aged man. ¡°Hunters set traps. This has nothing to do with moral. But, I have a few questions before taking action. So many of you gathering in one place, what are you trying to do? You should not be here.¡±


    The middle-aged man¡¯s voice sounded flat, neither angry nor hostile. He was simply curious about the situation and asked accordingly. This was the first time that Hao Ren had ever seen a real demon hunter. He was completely different from the half-baked Nangong he met in England. This demon hunter was more in line with Vivian¡¯s description and apparently¡­ more dangerous as well.


    When the middle-aged man was done talking, the rest of the demon hunters also raised their crossbows and aimed at the ¡®freaks¡¯, which included Hao Ren. It appeared that they were not expecting their ¡®prey¡¯ to tell them the reason why they were gathered there. While werewolves and vampires could still engage in crappy conversation after a fight, the demon hunters and ¡®freaks¡¯ would become downright mortal enemies. There was almost no chance of compromise between the two parties. Once they meet, they would fight until they die.


    ¡°I feel weak.¡± Casar Ebben turned his head and asked quickly before the demon hunters took action, ¡°How are you guys?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay. It has limited effects on me.¡± Vivian also looked as if she was facing a formidable enemy. She tilted her head and looked at Lily as she spoke, ¡°And Doggie looks fine. Probably her blood is special¡­¡±


    Usually, Casar Ebben would have asked what she meant by ¡®special blood¡¯ but now, he did not have time to do so. The moment Vivian finished talking, the leader of the demon hunters gently raised his crossbow and said, ¡°Shoot.¡±


    Seven or eight small arrows glittering with silver sparkles flew towards them speedily like electric rays. Compared to the massive battle between Vivian and the Ebbens, the arrows were visibly less conspicuous. However, even Vivian could not underestimate the destructive power of the arrows. She stretched her hand out to push Lily away and scattered into a whirlwind of swirling bats to dodge the attack. Casar and Ewan also leapt in two directions respectively and dodged the arrows quickly. Hao Ren¡¯s reaction was the slowest among them. Although his mind could barely react in time, his body could not keep up with his mind. ¡°Ding!¡± A wrinkle of water rippled on his chest. Fortunately, the Steel Membrane Shield was able to self-activate in an emergency. Otherwise, his heart would have been ripped open.


    The silvery, white arrows that missed their target did not fall on the ground instead, they disappeared mid air after Vivian and the rest dodged them. They then magically appeared in each demon hunter¡¯s crossbows again, restored and ready!


    This was the demon hunters¡¯ standard equipment, the hunting weapon that was known as ¡®endless justice¡¯. The crossbows and ammunition were aided with incredible power which could hunt their targets without any breaks. The demon hunters used their mental power to lock on the enemy. Therefore, before the crossbow succeeds in hitting its¡¯ target, it will be able to reset itself to its best state until it hit its¡¯ target!


    There were some ways to deal with the attack. They could either destroy the crossbow or directly kill the user of the crossbow. If not, they could only wait for the demon hunters to switch to other equipment.


    Vivian as well as the two werewolves were considered experienced and knowledgeable; they definitely knew the weapons of demon hunters well and began to counterattack immediately. Vivian turned into a bat storm and rushed at the leader on the roof, with two lightning bolts, prepared to decapitate him. The two werewolves were quickly dodging the arrows that were pouring towards them while looking for a chance to approach the attackers on the roof. Their Dark Fog seemed to be suppressed by the strange smell in the air and did not work properly. The only thing they could rely on was their own speed.


    Lily was holding her head in her hands and running around like a headless chicken. She was considered safe¡­ temporarily. The husky ran pretty fast.


    They got into a scuffle. The crossbow with built-in, unlimited ammo started shooting at Hao Ren and the rest of them like a little machine gun. They could see the subtle traces left behind by the silver flashes. They were the false contours left by the enchanted arrows after they returned back to the crossbow. The two werewolves had no chance to get close to the enemy. They were in such bad physical condition that it was a great miracle that they could still keep their agility without getting hurt. Vivian¡¯s first lightning strike did not work as well. There was a lightning rod beside the leader¡­


    The one who shot at Hao Ren was a scarred lady. She was also the only demon hunter who lost her arrow. The layer of Steel Membrane Shield from the advanced civilisation was far beyond the level of this planet and the effects of the demon hunter¡¯s weapon lost its effectiveness on Hao Ren. ¡°Huh?¡± The scarred lady found it strange when she saw that Hao Ren was covered in a layer of translucent film. He jumped around to dodge the attacks of others. She stood on the roof of the two-storey building. Shortly after, she stepped forward and disappeared instantly. The next second, she appeared in front of Hao Ren, less than one meter away and punched him!


    Hao Ren cursed in his heart. He never expected real demon hunters to equip themselves with unlimited ammunition and carry a full screen teleportation plug-in with them. He could not react in time and was hit on the spot. The Steel Membrane Shield absorbed most of the damage but, the impact of the punch was so strong that he was repelled several meters away. Hao Ren could barely keep his balance due to the abrupt attack. He had to rely on the muscle coordination and agility of his enhanced body so that he did not end up in the embarrassing situation of being defeated by a woman.


    The cold, scarred lady was astonished to see the shield on Hao Ren¡¯s face. She simply waited for Hao Ren to stand up and slowly asked, ¡°What species are you? I¡¯ve never seen such a spell. Are you a wizard?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m human!¡± Hao Ren looked at the chaos surrounding him. He was already furious at the demon hunters who appeared out of the blue and attacked them haphazardly. Now that the demon hunters were successfully raiding them, it made Hao Ren even more furious. He stormed up to her and yelled, ¡°I¡¯m a real human! Even more genuine than all of you!¡±


    The scarred lady did not expect Hao Ren¡¯s speed to be as fast as the extreme charge of a werewolf. She did not even have time to activate her teleportation and just raised the crossbow in her hand to block him. This surprised the scarred lady. Hao Ren, the half-baked Superman turned out to be the first one to successfully disarm the hunter.


    ¡°Humans don¡¯t have such speed and power, and they don¡¯t have shields either.¡± The scarred lady instantly teleported 10 meters away before Hao Ren threw the second punch. She then quickly took the large and strange crossbow from her back, which was one meter in length. She even had time to say, ¡°You must be a new breed of monster. I would like to take you back and study you.¡±


    Hao ren swung the MDT, threw it with all his might and said, ¡°Go and study this!¡±

 Chapter 108

    Hao Ren regretted the moment he threw the MDT out: what if the lady had gotten away with the MDT? He may not have been able to get a replacement from Raven 12345¡­


    However, what happened next proved that not everyone has bats in the belfry like the lasses in Hao Ren¡¯s house. When the scarred lady saw the hexagonal, metal object with a bluish glow, her first thought was it being some kind of ¡®hidden weapon¡¯. Wary that it may have been an explosive, she did not parry it. In the blink of an eye, she spatially shifted and reemerged 20 meters away. She raised her crossbow almost immediately and fired a shot!


    Hao Ren was prepared this time. His muscles were ready to fire whenever he summoned them. As the silver bolt approached, he quickly slanted his body¡­ but he was still hit in the knee.


    The scarred lady was puzzled; the weirdo fought like a pro and moved with style yet somehow, he would still get hit every time. As a professional in her own right, she had no idea what Hao Ren was up to. Hao Ren brooded. Man could never beat the speed of a quarrel. As he was at it, several tinkling sounds from his back bothered him. Some of the demon hunters were sniping him from behind.


    He kept performing his evasive maneuvers until sudden realization hit him: bullet dodging happened only in movies. Since he had the Steel Membrane Shield, he would make a good main tank and take the enemies head on.


    He did not want to be in the defensive anymore. With all his strength and speed, he pounced at one of the demon hunters closest to him!


    The demon hunters could not perform teleportation continuously. There was always a two to three seconds buffer time before they could do another one. The window was shorter than it seemed but it was the only opening. With a fast enough speed and some good luck, he may just be able to take down a few slowpokes, provided the Steel Membrane Shield would last.


    ¡°Ding, ding, ding.¡± With each tinkling there was a small explosion as the quarrel or arrow hit him. Each explosion meant that the enemy¡¯s ammo was being depleted at an equal sum. He had thought of an idea to defeat these archers: draw the fire to himself!


    His spirit fired up. He took off his torn coat and stood in the middle of the ground. ¡°Hey kids, shoot me!¡± he uttered.


    The demon hunters realized that the man with strange body armor was invincible. They looked at each other and agreed in unison that it was a waste of ammo attacking him. They ignored him and turned their eyes to the others.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Hao Ren noticed the sudden shift of circumstances.He jumped and waved like a puppy yet no one gave him a second look. He was humiliated. Then, the scarred lady who attacked him from behind a while ago came into view. He shouted and rushed towards her. ¡°You, come and get me!¡±


    The scarred lady was taken aback. She swiftly turned aside and dodged Hao Ren¡¯s fist. As she raised her crossbow to retaliate, she got cold feet. She proceeded to call out, ¡°Rowan, he¡¯s yours!¡±


    ¡°Why are you holding back? I¡¯m running out of quarrels!¡±


    ¡°J, your turn!¡±


    ¡°Get lost, do you actually think your sacred silver is free?¡±


    No one paid attention to Hao Ren. Then, he saw his chance. He pounced on a tall guy from behind. ¡°Eat this!¡±


    Boff! One down.


    Things were getting messier by the minute.


    Vivian was held up by the demon-hunter leader. Thanks to her ability to shapeshift into bats, she could still hold off the enemy¡¯s attacks. Nonetheless, the crossbow was not the only weapon the enemy had, the demon hunter still had an endless list of strange, demon-slaying gadgets up his sleeve; the magic paper and magic power were two of the most nasty ones, which Vivian found hard to defeat. She was weighed down by exhaustion from the scuffle with the two werewolves earlier so, things did not look good on her side. On the other hand, the Ebbens were not faring any better: probably due to their mean look which drew hatred, they had the demon hunters¡¯ full attention. Some black shadows in wind jackets were lurking around them. Every time the shadows appeared, quarrels were fired at them. Casar Ebben received a few more bruises¡ªstrange and silvery, they spread slowly across his body and weakened him with every second. While Ewen Ebben¡¯s speed allowed him to keep the upper hand, he would run out of juice a lot quicker than Casar.


    The demon hunters were not unscathed. Hao Ren used his tactics (Yes, let¡¯s call them ¡®tactics¡¯)¡­Arggh, let¡¯s cut the crap¡­ When the first demon hunter was down and all eyes were on the werewolves, Vivian gave the demon hunters a few small surprises; she turned into a swarm of tiny venomous bats and a demon hunter was bitten. He collapsed on the ground and his blood turned black. He probably died. Meanwhile, Casar Ebben crashed himself into the enemy with brute force but, the demon hunter was no slouch when it came to close-quarter combat. He wielded a sacred, silver dagger and stabbed Casar Ebben on the shoulder before he hit the ground himself. Casar¡¯s shoulder turned stiff. He was incapacitated.


    ¡°B*stard!¡± Nearby, Ewen Ebben let out an angry roar. He started to burn out and a long silver quarrel pierced his abdomen. It nailed him to the outer wall of the warehouse.


    The quarrel exploded in a flash of lightning. Before Ewen could do anything he blacked out. Seeing all this, Casar was furious but he could not help. He could only look on helplessly as the demon hunter held a yellow bottle to collect Ewen¡¯s blood sample¡ªthe SOP demon hunters would perform certain procedures after pinning down their prey and would take whatever they wanted. Blood that came out from a werewolf¡¯s body had some sort of magical power which was an important ingredient for demon hunters to make their strange drugs.


    The two werewolves were incapacitated, the vampire still held up by the leader and the man with strange body armor was busy with his other mates; retrieving raw ingredients from the prey had never been so easy, he thought.


    However, everyone overlooked an important variable¡ªLily, who was scuttling around and acting cute. As no one seemed to have noticed her, she unleashed her Fire and Ice Claws. Hao Ren saw it all.


    ¡°Get away from them!¡± Lily lunged forward trying to save the werewolves. The demon hunter felt a cyclone of fire and ice coming up behind him. Before he could see what it was, he was hit and thrown 10 meters away. He turned into a chunk of ice before he hit the ground.


    Let¡¯s hope that he was still alive after defrosting¡ªit is said that demon hunters have nine lives too.


    Lily reached out and plucked Ewen down from the wall but oh god, she did not realize her Fire and Ice Claws still stuck out like a sore thumb. When Casar took Ewen in his arms, Ewen was half-toasted and half-frozen. Not to mention the watermelon-sized opening in his belly. He looked more dead than alive. Casar stared at Lily with the weirdest expression on earth. ¡°Thanks¡­¡±


    It was the most outrageous subconscience thanks he had ever given.


    A series of flapping sounds were heard as Vivian descended behind them from the air above. She had some burn marks on her body from magic paper but they were not too concerning.


    The demon-hunter leader stood on the roof, his left arm dangling like a dead tree branch. The green veins on his forehead were almost popping out. But all these did not bother him one bit. As he pointed his crossbow at Vivian with one hand, he had a little, metal bottle in his mouth¡ªit had to be the antidote.


    Both sides had fought an even fight. The demon hunters suffered severe damage but Hao Ren knew the battle could not drag on without him losing his advantage. The demon hunters had numbers; even after many of their men were down, Hao Ren and his team were still outnumbered. Since the Ebbens were down, Vivian and Lily were the only ones who could actually fight. Lily, the half-baked werehusky, could screw up at a critical moment. As for Hao Ren himself, he could be the perfect tank¡ªbut the demon hunters had learned their lesson and refused to take the bait.


    Hao Ren had a clear assessment of the situation. He also banked on the idea that the enemy would too as the demon hunters were quietly moving. They were repositioning and switching to bigger crossbows, all ready for the final showdown. Vivian muffled, ¡°I think we better run.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, if only they give us the chance.¡± Casar Ebben pulled the sacred, silver dagger out of his shoulder and prayed for the fastest recovery. ¡°I should have brought a few kilos of smoke grenades¡­ but I was more concerned about traveling light earlier on.¡±


    ¡°Smoke grenades? Lily¡¯s ears stuck out like a d*ck on a cake. ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea!¡±

 Chapter 109

    When Lily said she had a plan, both Hao Ren and Vivian threw a surprised glance at her. The idiot was going to be the savior of the day. This does not fit your average story setting, doesn¡¯t it?


    Lily was of course put off by the look the two gave her. Nary a word, she stepped forth and posed as if to draw on her inner strengths.Slowly, she raised her twin claws of ice and fire. Out of nowhere, a burst of flames and frost came roaring out. Innumerable icicles formed on her ice claw and blazing heatwaves on her fire claw, forming a tornado-like force.


    ¡°This idiot actually¡­¡± Vivian was so taken aback by the display of power that she was at a lost for words. She never thought Lily¡¯s elemental claws could in fact be used as a magical catalyst. Before she could gather her wits to finish her sentence, she saw that the demon hunters had all nocked their crossbows in unison. The demon hunters had realized that something was amiss and would not give Lily the time she needed to finish her spell. Simultaneously, they released their bolts towards the werehusky.


    Vivian recovered in time and transformed into a cloud of black mist to engulf the bolts. Using teleportation magic she returned the bolts back onto the crossbows. Hao Ren also ran towards Lily and used his back to shield her from the remaining three quarrels. After three violent thuds, he received a warning message. ¡°Steel Membrane Shield capacity depleted. Shutting Down.¡± That scared the living hell out of him and spurred him to escape, lest one of them would really die!


    ¡°Haaahhh!!!¡± A girlish cry rang as Lily managed to conjure two enormous tornadoes of ice and fire. The demon hunters understood the dire predicament that they were in and started swapping their equipment. An assortment of charms or potion canisters were drawn. They were shortly activated to create a protective barrier, intended to fend off the spell that Lily was about to cast. These were experienced hunters and they knew that their prey was throwing all she had at them.If she failed to take them out, it would simply be a matter of cleaning up.


    ¡°Eat this! Frostfire Tornado!!!¡± Lily finally felt that she was at her limits of controlling her spell and swung her hands into a roaring clap. Both flame and frost tornadoes clashed into each other violently.


    A loud explosion rang as the compressed air imploded. A massive shock wave blasted out around her followed by a dense fog that encompassed the blast zone. Visibility was almost zero.


    Lily quickly grabbed Hao Ren by his arm and dragged him. ¡°Run! Run! Battie and Mr. Wolves, run!!¡±


    Hao Ren felt like he was being pulled through the air on a speeding motorcycle. He had neither the chance nor the time to react before he realized that he was floating midair as Lily dragged him along. He could not see anything whatsoever as all that surrounded him was nothing but white. Heatwaves buffeted him as Lily continued running. He knew Lily was close by but, he could only make out her silhouette amid the thick fog. You could easily imagine how bad it was.


    A few thuds could be heard behind them and the whistling of quarrels started to echo. Clearly, the demon hunters had recovered their senses and started attacking again. However, by the sounds of things, they were not hitting their mark.


    It was true that the demon hunters were more human than monsters. Sure they were armed with weapons, contraptions and magic but, their reaction time as well as intuition could not match the supernatural folk. Vivian would not have made such an error if she were chasing her prey. She could sniff them out by their blood from miles away.


    Hao Ren was lost in his thoughts until he realized that the sound of pursuit was fading away. Having calmed down, it seemed like the worst had passed for now. He heard a flapping noise above him and understood that Vivian had also managed to keep up with them, almost unscathed. He looked up to greet her. ¡°Vivian, you alright?¡±-


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just flesh wounds. They¡¯ve almost healed. Vivian¡¯s silhouette appeared from above. While the fog was still spreading, it was thinning and they could now see much better. They seemed to have escaped the industrial area into an empty field. ¡°Not sure if the two werewolves managed to catch up¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re here!¡± Casar Ebben grunted from behind. The stout werewolf leapt out from the mist carrying Ewen on his shoulder. His arm that was pierced by the silver dagger dangled limply. It seemed like it was temporarily unusable. His flesh wounds however, were clearly healing. Perhaps with distance, the magical potency of the silver weapons had also diminished. ¡°You there, what did you do to summon a fog like that¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s steam vapor!¡± Lily yelled at the top of her lungs as she dragged Hao Ren in the air. ¡°When ice meets hot metal, it¡¯ll produce steam. So, I made two gigantic tornadoes of ice and fire. Then poof, lots of steam!¡±


    Everyone had no response to her revelation.


    ¡°So, that¡¯s your finisher?¡± Vivian almost fell out of the sky. After regaining her balance, she asked, ¡°So¡­ your plan was to create a hell lot of steam and then run?¡±


    ¡°Yep, yep!¡± Lily nodded vehemently, her wagging tail smacking Hao Ren in the face. (Hao Ren was still being dragged through the air, mind you.) ¡°I even thought of a name, Super Frostfire Collision: Steaming Getaway!¡±


    Casar Ebben almost flung Ewen away upon hearing that. ¡°Which family are you from really? I¡¯ve never heard of a werewolf having such innate abilities.¡±


    ¡°I think she¡¯s probably from the Arctic or the Siberian plains¡­.¡± Hao Ren sighed. ¡°Probably has something to do with sleds.¡±


    ¡°Oh, frozen plain werewolves? I did hear that there were frequent attacks on human sledding teams a few hundred years back. But they have been silent for many years now. If she¡¯s one of their descendants, perhaps it¡¯s not impossible to have such abilities.¡±


    Hao Ren sighed even harder. ¡°No¡­ Her parents were probably the one pulling the sleds.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Lets just pretend I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± Hao Ren looked around and noticed that they had already escaped well beyond the veil of the fog. They were in unknown territory. He grabbed Lily by the tail (it was the closest appendage to him) ¡°Enough, let me down please. I¡¯m about to puke.¡±


    Lily was running about happily with the breeze in her face until she felt a tug on her tail. She yelped at the sudden tug and threw Hao Ren about 20 meters away¡­


    While it was not a real toss, but it was close. Hao Ren climbed out of piles of rocks some 20 meters ahead of the rest. His face was understandably grumpy. ¡°¡­Calm down would you?¡±


    ¡°No one¡¯s tugged my tail before!¡± Lily looked shaken. ¡°It was only stepped on before. I¡¯m still traumatized by that!¡±


    Casar Ebben could only shake his head at this kin of his who clearly had a screw or two missing in her head. After he set Ewen down by a rock, he spoke, ¡°Seems like we have eluded them for now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve wiped the traces of our presence clean along the way and went on some detours as well. With the thick fog, I think it would take a while for them to catch up. Vivian gazed at Ewen with pity. Despite their kind being hostile to each other, she still had some shred of compassion. ¡°Will he survive?¡±


    ¡°Just a piercing wound. As long as a werewolf can still draw breath, he¡¯ll heal.¡± Casar nodded and slapped Ewen on the cheek. ¡°How long do you want to pretend sleeping?¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­.¡± Ewen groaned as he opened his eyes. ¡°Can¡¯t you let me rest for a while¡­ It hurts¡­ Those demon hunters were sure not holding back. How did they even burn me when I was unconscious?¡±


    Ewen was curious about the scorched marks on the left side on his body and asked. All three who were standing quickly glared at Lily viciously. She did not notice it and she squatted in a corner, grinding her nails against the rocks.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand how so many demon hunters could appear at the same time. Was there a raid or something?¡±


    It was only then did Casar have the time to ask this very important question

 Chapter 110

    The demon hunters had not tracked them down yet but everybody knew that it was not safe to stay there for too long. Although Vivian had wiped out traces of their scent with spells, the demon hunters were known for their hound-like hunting skills and endless patience. Hence, unless they were completely lagging far behind, they would keep tracking their preys until they died. Plus, it was apparent that the demon hunters had not given up yet.


    However, Hao Ren and the rest had to take a break in the wilderness because they needed some time to restore their energy and recover from their injuries.


    Ewen Ebben narrowly escaped and was barely alive. He looked miserable like a corpse when he was brought out. Casar Ebben had not completely cleared the effects of the demon hunter¡¯s power off his body. Vivian did not suffer any injury but the battle had consumed a great amount of her energy while Hao Ren needed to wait for the shield to completely recharge. In short, other than the dumbass, Lily, who was in abnormally high spirits, the rest of them basically needed time to recuperate. Otherwise, continuing to run would only burn their energy in vain. In addition, they would inadvertently leave traces and be caught by the demon hunters.


    ¡°Cough¡­ I haven¡¯t had such a serious injury in more than 100 years,¡± said Ewen Ebben as he laughed at himself. He was lying on the floor with a pale face. The burns and frostbite on his body were still frightening but, there was already a layer of dead skin over them. New skin was creeping and growing slowly underneath the scorch marks. The frightening wound on his belly had also stopped bleeding. The muscles and blood vessels near the wound were trembling. They flattened and grew at the same time. It seemed that it was only a matter of time till full recovery. ¡°The last time someone made a hole in my body was in 1943. You lied, telling me that the human¡¯s sniper gun was not very powerful¡­ Cough, this time you lied to me about the vampire¡¯s fighting power being very low¡­¡±


    ¡°This time it was the demon hunter who hurt you okay.¡± Casar Ebben rolled his eyes and continued, ¡°And last time, how would I have known that you¡¯d actually put the barrel into your mouth? I was letting you ¡®taste the bullet¡¯, but I didn¡¯t mean to taste it literally.¡±


    ¡°If I wasn¡¯t heavily injured during the fight, how could I have been beaten by a demon hunter?¡± Ewen pulled the corner of his mouth and said, ¡°Damn, I¡¯m very hungry now. Very, very hungry. I¡¯ve definitely consumed three days of reserved fat. I feel like I can even eat a stone now¡­¡±


    Lily heard what Ewen said after she was done grinding her claws. Without thinking, she picked up a stone beside her, handed it over and said, ¡°Here you are, stone.¡±


    Casar and Ewen looked at each other. They then closed their eyes together and said, ¡°The heck, we got into trouble just for a sick, wild kid!¡±


    Hao Ren watched the two werewolves bicker with great interest, knowing that this was probably Ewen¡¯s way of distracting attention from his wounds. He found that the two werewolves, whom he had just come to know were not as atrocious as he had imagined. Although they ¡®kidnapped¡¯ Lily, in the end, it was just a rather edgy way of trying to get things done. Besides, after both parties let their guard down, he found that the two men were still very interesting.


    On the other side, however, Vivian was apparently unwilling to stay too close to the werewolves. The vampire maiden stood sentry at a little slope nearby and had no interest in talking to the werewolves. Nevertheless, Hao Ren could also roughly sense that she was not hostile to the two werewolves. There was simply a barrier between them.


    ¡°Why did the demon hunters gather here?¡± Casar Ebben could still not figure it out. ¡°They rarely act in a group but this time, they gathered a team. Geez, I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°Did they purposely gather here to ambush us?¡± Ewen Ebben was struggling to prop himself up. ¡°Phew¡ª Finally, I¡¯ve almost recovered. Could it be that you exposed your whereabouts during the daytime?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s unlikely. They should just be passing by,¡± Casar replied and shook his head. ¡°Look at the equipment. They didn¡¯t carry holy water and the Holy Grail used to deal with vampires, which means they didn¡¯t know that there¡¯s a vampire in this city. If they were here to ambush us, they would have done it in the morning when the two of us and the little girl couldn¡¯t escape. And did you notice that the weapons in their hands were temporarily enchanted? So, I guess this group of demon hunters was just passing by. Just so happened that as they passed by, we were fighting with the vampire and that lured the plague. The ambush circle was also set up during that short period of time. Demon hunters are very good at setting traps stealthily.¡±


    Hao Ren had limited knowledge about demon hunters. As such, when he heard Casar¡¯s analysis, he perked his ears up hurriedly and listened carefully. He had no idea that there were so many things to consider and after hearing what they had said, he felt that the information would be useful in the future. God would know how to explain the situation: An official worker employed by the goddess had become a member of the monster camp unexpectedly. And now he had to find a way to fight the human guardians¡­ Hao Ren was sure that Raven 12345 had known all along.


    ¡°You must be one of the very clever ones among the werewolves,¡± Vivian¡¯s voice was suddenly heard from the side. She approached them quietly. ¡°I remember a few werewolves who were able to analyze a situation as you do.¡±


    Casar Ebben grinned and said, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m the wise one among the werewolves¡­¡±


    ¡°Tsk!¡± Vivian whispered and thought the werewolf¡¯s wit probably stopped there.


    ¡°How long are you guys going to rest?¡± Vivian was looking at the distance to confirm that the demon hunters were not after them. ¡°I¡¯m afraid something bad will happen if we keep procrastinating. So, let¡¯s split up. You guys find a way to go back to the family and report the situation here. We still have an ace fighter and a big boss behind the scenes. So, we aren¡¯t really afraid of the demon hunters.¡±


    ¡°Right, it¡¯s better to separate the action.¡± Casar was looked at his arm which had almost recovered, nodded and said, ¡°Goodbye then. I¡¯ll convey the countess¡¯ message to the elders of the tribe.¡±


    Hao Ren also stood up. He searched his body, frowned slightly and said, ¡°Why do I feel like I¡¯ve forgotten something?¡±


    ¡°Did you leave something behind in the warehouse?¡± Vivian stretched her wings open, tapped Hao Ren on the shoulder and asked, ¡°Is it your wallet?¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯m like you?¡± Hao Ren brushed Vivian¡¯s wing off his shoulder and continued, ¡°And even if the wallet¡¯s gone, I still have money to feed all of you¡­ I remember I was throwing something at that time¡­¡±


    Halfway through his explanation, Hao Ren heard a sharp whistling sound coming towards him. ¡°Damn it, you threw me away!¡±


    The MDT was glowing blue, rotating rapidly in the sky like a UFO, which had lost control. It rushed towards Hao Ren¡¯s forehead. Bang! It slammed into the Steel Membrane Shield and yelled, ¡°Does anyone use a PDA like you do? You used to handle me carefully during the first few days. Where¡¯s that kind of mentality now? I¡¯m sturdy,so, you really treat me like a brick, right?¡±


    ¡°What the hell is this¡­¡± Casar as well as Ewen were suddenly dumbfounded and exclaimed unanimously. During the scuffle earlier, they saw Hao Ren throwing out a shiny and scary object but, they did not have time to see what it was. Just like the scarred lady, they also thought it was some kind of secret weapon. However now, they were amazed to see that not only could it fly, jump and speak, it could also trace and return to its owner from a far distance. Ewan slapped his forehead and asked, ¡°Human technology has become so advanced? Is this the Iphone 66 or MI 79? ¡±


    Hao Ren pushed the MDT into his pocket awkwardly and said, ¡°Haha, this is my blade, my portable blade¡­ Stay in the pocket quietly! Don¡¯t jump! Don¡¯t turn around! Don¡¯t get hot! Don¡¯t make me look bad!¡±


    The two werewolves stared at this scene. They had probably never seen any blade that could fight with its owner in their entire life.


    At this moment, a simple and sincere, buzzing voice suddenly echoed from a distance. ¡°Hehe, you guys are here. Is everyone all right?¡±


    Hao Ren turned towards the direction of the voice and was overjoyed at once. That familiar tall figure, that familiar big, bald head, and that familiar evil face that could get him a 15-day administrative detention for simply walking down the street! It was Y¡¯zaks! He knew that even if the demon hunters were grouped up, fully resurrected and about to jump out to attack them, there was no need to worry anymore. This was the monster-class boss who could pull a meteorite down from the Kuiper Belt and take down a city in seconds. Optimistically, Y¡¯zaks could beat those demon hunters in three sneezes.


    Lily and Vivian came forward to greet Y¡¯zaks. The two werewolves looked at each other in astonishment and Ewen could not help but asked, ¡°This is¡­ The ace fighter you were talking about? Who is he? I didn¡¯t even sense his arrival!¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, that¡¯s because you¡¯ve been beaten by a demon hunter and it blurred your conscience,¡± said Casar.


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡±


    ¡°I probably know what happened.¡± Y¡¯zaks said hello to Lily and Vivian. Then, he walked up to Hao Ren with a simple and sincere (scary) smile on his face. ¡°I found your ¡®blade¡¯. You guys ran into demon hunters, didn¡¯t you? Is that the guy over there?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks raised a finger and pointed at a direction. Hao Ren turned and looked in the aforementioned direction. He was stunned: The leader of the demon hunters quietly appeared 100 meters away unexpectedly!

 Chapter 111

    The leader of demon hunters was not the only one chasing after them. The moment Hao Ren was stunned by the scene, he suddenly felt a chill rising from his back and the air around him twisted. A thin figure suddenly appeared less than half a meter next to him, waving a silver-white blade at Hao Ren to stab him.


    Such a close distance, such a ruthless and decisive assassination, coupled with the sudden teleportation as well as the almost zero shield capacity; the situation was horrible. Hao Ren¡¯s mind went blank at that point. However, the expected pain did not occur. Y¡¯zaks had appeared by his side in a flash. The skinny man in a long, black windbreaker was pinched around his neck and thrown away by the big demon the moment he raised his blade.


    It all happened in a split second. It was so speedy that even Vivian could not see it clearly.


    ¡°You guys are the demon hunters of this world?¡± Y¡¯zaks clapped his hand after throwing the skinny man who attacked Hao Ren away. He did not catch up and fight. Instead, he just looked at the other two demon hunters calmly.


    Y¡¯zaks threw the skinny man away without much effort as though it was an insignificant amount of trouble. However, Hao Ren felt a cold sweat breaking out the back of his neck. The two werewolves also looked apprehensive. They looked at Y¡¯zaks¡¯ giant body which did not indicate any signs of agility from every angle and could not understand how the two-meter-tall macho man could come and go like a breeze. Casar Ebben thought he could come and go like a breeze as well but his was more like a typhoon, which was nothing compared to Y¡¯zaks¡¯ ability to teleport without a single sound.


    The demon hunters never thought that Y¡¯zaks, a strong man who came out of nowhere to be so tricky. They took a cautious step backwards immediately but ignored Y¡¯zaks request. Seeing that only two of them were present, it reminded Hao Ren of something at once. ¡°There are other demon hunters with them. These two are waiting for reinforcements!¡±


    ¡°Oh, they don¡¯t have any reinforcements,¡± Y¡¯zaks said and waved his hand. ¡°Big Bluey has settled that.¡±


    As Hao Ren was about to ask what ¡®Big Bluey¡¯ meant, Y¡¯zaks walked straight up to the demon hunters. He walked up to the leader under their bewildered, watchful eyes and asked, ¡°You¡¯re their leader, aren¡¯t you? I can see that you¡¯re a leader.¡±


    Lily was overjoyed as she watched them. The dumbass realized that it was time fo revenge. She kept jumping behind them while saying, ¡°Big guy! Avenge us! Hit them! Just keep hitting them! Let them know how powerful you¡­ we are!¡±


    Hao Ren did not cheer together with Lily but, his thoughts were basically the same as hers. He was annoyed by the demon hunters to the extreme. Now, their ace fighter was finally here. Who would not want to see their enemy get knocked to the ground. Lily and Hao Ren had been waiting for Y¡¯zaks to attack them for quite some time. However, Y¡¯zaks just waved to the back. He then nodded to the demon hunters in a pleasant manner and said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this. How about you guys apologize and leave us alone? I know the two girls and the guy. They are good people. You can¡¯t hurt the innocent.¡±


    Hao Ren, Lily and Vivian were speechless.


    There was dead silence. A few seconds later, Casar Ebben hesitated and then asked, ¡°This is the No.1 powerful man on your team?¡±


    Hao Ren could not find a suitable explanation. In the end, he just nodded and said, ¡°His fighting power is really powerful. He can defeat the opponent in seconds.¡±


    ¡°Is this macho man joking?¡± Ewen Ebben stepped back quietly. Instinct told him that he should never trust anyone related to these unusual fellows. None of them were normal in this bizarre team headed by a strange human from top to bottom!


    Although the two werewolves thought that Y¡¯zaks was joking, the big demon looked serious. He waited eagerly for a reply from the two hunters but, how could they cooperate with him? The leader of the demon hunters teleported more than 10 meters away after a brief moment of consternation. Bang! Bang! He raised an arrow and aimed at Y¡¯zaks¡¯ chest. Without waiting for confirmation, he quickly took the large crossbow on his back and released the deadliest shot towards Y¡¯zaks¡¯ face with a smooth flow!


    At the same time, the skinny man, who was thrown aside by Y¡¯zaks also quickly flashed to the side, raised his hand and threw out several silver blades. They were all targeted at Y¡¯zaks¡¯vital spots.


    Ding, ding, ding. It all happened so fast. Lily was still jumping happily in the air. Vivian and Hao Ren did not even have time to change their stunned expression when they heard the tinkle of metal coming from the big demon.


    Such a tough man. His body could withstand the power of magic arrows which could explode like a small, rifle grenade. Moreover, the surface of Y¡¯zaks¡¯ body seemed to have a layer of strange energy. The moment the arrow or quarrel touched his skin, the magic was lifted. It turned into a plain, silvery-gray metal stick and fell on the ground. The silver blades broke into several pieces of steel as well. If this guy was a human, his adamantium-like body was comparable with Hao Ren¡¯s Steel Membrane Shield.


    However, Y¡¯zaks did not look angry at all. He probably did not even think that these little metal sticks were attacking him. The big demon looked at the two demon hunters who had teleported more than 10 meters away and said, ¡°We can still negotiate. You guys have to be good men¡­¡±


    The two demon hunters glanced at the monster-like man with horror, turned around and ran away at the same time without waiting for the teleportation to cool down.


    Of course Y¡¯zaks did not give them the chance to escape. As he waved his hand, a chain formed from foul, green runes appeared at the foot of the two hunters and dragged them straight back to Y¡¯zaks.


    ¡°Don¡¯t run.¡± The big demon squatted down and said nicely, ¡°You can¡¯t hurt the innocent so, apologize to my friends and promise me to be good men from now on.¡±


    ¡°Are you sick?¡± The hunters¡¯ leader was surprisingly calm. When he found that his teleportation device had been chained to the green runes on his feet, he immediately took out several pieces of rune slips and tossed them towards Y¡¯zaks. ¡°Break the evil!¡±


    The rune slips struck Y¡¯zaks on the face and chest. They then burst into a series of bright flames but the flames were soon suppressed by a layer of green, demonic power. Y¡¯zaks¡¯ face was blackened by the smoke yet, he just ignored it. He grinned and asked, ¡°Do you guys want to be good men?¡±


    The leader answered by continuing his struggle and not giving up the chance to escape. He realized that the strange man before him was a powerful creature which he had never heard of. However, as a demon hunter, the belief of never compromising with monsters was imprinted on his mind like a life instinct that he did not even think of cooperating.


    Y¡¯zaks frowned and glanced at the two men in the struggle. With a few snaps, he dislocated their hands and feet. He then continued to educate them patiently. ¡°I can¡¯t let you go as you may go back and tip your people off about us. My friends and I won¡¯t have a quiet life. You guys have to promise me to be good people and make a pact with me. Then I¡¯ll let you go.¡±


    The great pain coming from their hands and feet almost made the two demon hunters cry out loud. ¡°He is crazy!¡± They shouted at the same time.


    ¡°I¡¯m not crazy,¡± Y¡¯zaks refuted earnestly and explained his motives, ¡°I just think that we only live once and should do something meaningful. It would also be an achievement if I manage to educate you. I hope that all races will live in peace together. There is room for negotiation between demon hunters and other creatures. All of us live in this little world while the world outside is vast and boundless. It¡¯s too wasteful to keep fighting on such a small planet. Wasting a universe that God has created for us¡­¡±


    The two demon hunters looked at the vicious, literary maniac as if he was a psycho. The short man blurted out, ¡°You¡¯re bullsh¡­¡±


    Y¡¯zaks punched the short man in the face and the man was lay on the ground, unconscious. He then continued to persuade the leader nicely, ¡°Don¡¯t speak, listen attentively. How wonderful the world is¡­ If you move again, I¡¯ll just crush your neck. Why is it so hard for a man to listen to me quietly?¡±


    Those who were watching from the back were completely petrified.


    Hao Ren finally understood how Y¡¯zaks, who always stuck to the ¡®nice guy¡¯ logic, interpreted the ¡®good man¡¯ theory from a demon¡¯s viewpoint. Yes, this was a demon¡¯s logic of a ¡®nice guy¡¯:You must be a good man or you will be dead.

 Chapter 112

    The leader of demon hunters was not the only one chasing after them. The moment Hao Ren was stunned by the scene, he suddenly felt a chill rising from his back and the air around him twisted. A thin figure suddenly appeared less than half a meter next to him, waving a silver-white blade at Hao Ren to stab him.


    Such a close distance, such a ruthless and decisive assassination, coupled with the sudden teleportation as well as the almost zero shield capacity; the situation was horrible. Hao Ren¡¯s mind went blank at that point. However, the expected pain did not occur. Y¡¯zaks had appeared by his side in a flash. The skinny man in a long, black windbreaker was pinched around his neck and thrown away by the big demon the moment he raised his blade.


    It all happened in a split second. It was so speedy that even Vivian could not see it clearly.


    ¡°You guys are the demon hunters of this world?¡± Y¡¯zaks clapped his hand after throwing the skinny man who attacked Hao Ren away. He did not catch up and fight. Instead, he just looked at the other two demon hunters calmly.


    Y¡¯zaks threw the skinny man away without much effort as though it was an insignificant amount of trouble. However, Hao Ren felt a cold sweat breaking out the back of his neck. The two werewolves also looked apprehensive. They looked at Y¡¯zaks¡¯ giant body which did not indicate any signs of agility from every angle and could not understand how the two-meter-tall macho man could come and go like a breeze. Casar Ebben thought he could come and go like a breeze as well but his was more like a typhoon, which was nothing compared to Y¡¯zaks¡¯ ability to teleport without a single sound.


    The demon hunters never thought that Y¡¯zaks, a strong man who came out of nowhere to be so tricky. They took a cautious step backwards immediately but ignored Y¡¯zaks request. Seeing that only two of them were present, it reminded Hao Ren of something at once. ¡°There are other demon hunters with them. These two are waiting for reinforcements!¡±


    ¡°Oh, they don¡¯t have any reinforcements,¡± Y¡¯zaks said and waved his hand. ¡°Big Bluey has settled that.¡±


    As Hao Ren was about to ask what ¡®Big Bluey¡¯ meant, Y¡¯zaks walked straight up to the demon hunters. He walked up to the leader under their bewildered, watchful eyes and asked, ¡°You¡¯re their leader, aren¡¯t you? I can see that you¡¯re a leader.¡±


    Lily was overjoyed as she watched them. The dumbass realized that it was time fo revenge. She kept jumping behind them while saying, ¡°Big guy! Avenge us! Hit them! Just keep hitting them! Let them know how powerful you¡­ we are!¡±


    Hao Ren did not cheer together with Lily but, his thoughts were basically the same as hers. He was annoyed by the demon hunters to the extreme. Now, their ace fighter was finally here. Who would not want to see their enemy get knocked to the ground. Lily and Hao Ren had been waiting for Y¡¯zaks to attack them for quite some time. However, Y¡¯zaks just waved to the back. He then nodded to the demon hunters in a pleasant manner and said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this. How about you guys apologize and leave us alone? I know the two girls and the guy. They are good people. You can¡¯t hurt the innocent.¡±


    Hao Ren, Lily and Vivian were speechless.


    There was dead silence. A few seconds later, Casar Ebben hesitated and then asked, ¡°This is the No.1 powerful man on your team?¡±


    Hao Ren could not find a suitable explanation. In the end, he just nodded and said, ¡°His fighting power is really powerful. He can defeat the opponent in seconds.¡±


    ¡°Is this macho man joking?¡± Ewen Ebben stepped back quietly. Instinct told him that he should never trust anyone related to these unusual fellows. None of them were normal in this bizarre team headed by a strange human from top to bottom!


    Although the two werewolves thought that Y¡¯zaks was joking, the big demon looked serious. He waited eagerly for a reply from the two hunters but, how could they cooperate with him? The leader of the demon hunters teleported more than 10 meters away after a brief moment of consternation. Bang! Bang! He raised an arrow and aimed at Y¡¯zaks¡¯ chest. Without waiting for confirmation, he quickly took the large crossbow on his back and released the deadliest shot towards Y¡¯zaks¡¯ face with a smooth flow!


    At the same time, the skinny man, who was thrown aside by Y¡¯zaks also quickly flashed to the side, raised his hand and threw out several silver blades. They were all targeted at Y¡¯zaks¡¯vital spots.


    Ding, ding, ding. It all happened so fast. Lily was still jumping happily in the air. Vivian and Hao Ren did not even have time to change their stunned expression when they heard the tinkle of metal coming from the big demon.


    Such a tough man. His body could withstand the power of magic arrows which could explode like a small, rifle grenade. Moreover, the surface of Y¡¯zaks¡¯ body seemed to have a layer of strange energy. The moment the arrow or quarrel touched his skin, the magic was lifted. It turned into a plain, silvery-gray metal stick and fell on the ground. The silver blades broke into several pieces of steel as well. If this guy was a human, his adamantium-like body was comparable with Hao Ren¡¯s Steel Membrane Shield.


    However, Y¡¯zaks did not look angry at all. He probably did not even think that these little metal sticks were attacking him. The big demon looked at the two demon hunters who had teleported more than 10 meters away and said, ¡°We can still negotiate. You guys have to be good men¡­¡±


    The two demon hunters glanced at the monster-like man with horror, turned around and ran away at the same time without waiting for the teleportation to cool down.


    Of course Y¡¯zaks did not give them the chance to escape. As he waved his hand, a chain formed from foul, green runes appeared at the foot of the two hunters and dragged them straight back to Y¡¯zaks.


    ¡°Don¡¯t run.¡± The big demon squatted down and said nicely, ¡°You can¡¯t hurt the innocent so, apologize to my friends and promise me to be good men from now on.¡±


    ¡°Are you sick?¡± The hunters¡¯ leader was surprisingly calm. When he found that his teleportation device had been chained to the green runes on his feet, he immediately took out several pieces of rune slips and tossed them towards Y¡¯zaks. ¡°Break the evil!¡±


    The rune slips struck Y¡¯zaks on the face and chest. They then burst into a series of bright flames but the flames were soon suppressed by a layer of green, demonic power. Y¡¯zaks¡¯ face was blackened by the smoke yet, he just ignored it. He grinned and asked, ¡°Do you guys want to be good men?¡±


    The leader answered by continuing his struggle and not giving up the chance to escape. He realized that the strange man before him was a powerful creature which he had never heard of. However, as a demon hunter, the belief of never compromising with monsters was imprinted on his mind like a life instinct that he did not even think of cooperating.


    Y¡¯zaks frowned and glanced at the two men in the struggle. With a few snaps, he dislocated their hands and feet. He then continued to educate them patiently. ¡°I can¡¯t let you go as you may go back and tip your people off about us. My friends and I won¡¯t have a quiet life. You guys have to promise me to be good people and make a pact with me. Then I¡¯ll let you go.¡±


    The great pain coming from their hands and feet almost made the two demon hunters cry out loud. ¡°He is crazy!¡± They shouted at the same time.


    ¡°I¡¯m not crazy,¡± Y¡¯zaks refuted earnestly and explained his motives, ¡°I just think that we only live once and should do something meaningful. It would also be an achievement if I manage to educate you. I hope that all races will live in peace together. There is room for negotiation between demon hunters and other creatures. All of us live in this little world while the world outside is vast and boundless. It¡¯s too wasteful to keep fighting on such a small planet. Wasting a universe that God has created for us¡­¡±


    The two demon hunters looked at the vicious, literary maniac as if he was a psycho. The short man blurted out, ¡°You¡¯re bullsh¡­¡±


    Y¡¯zaks punched the short man in the face and the man was lay on the ground, unconscious. He then continued to persuade the leader nicely, ¡°Don¡¯t speak, listen attentively. How wonderful the world is¡­ If you move again, I¡¯ll just crush your neck. Why is it so hard for a man to listen to me quietly?¡±


    Those who were watching from the back were completely petrified.


    Hao Ren finally understood how Y¡¯zaks, who always stuck to the ¡®nice guy¡¯ logic, interpreted the ¡®good man¡¯ theory from a demon¡¯s viewpoint. Yes, this was a demon¡¯s logic of a ¡®nice guy¡¯:You must be a good man or you will be dead.

 Chapter 113

    They were going to two separate destinations. Travelling together would seem odd and attract attention. So, the two werewolves, Hao Ren and his tenants decided to say goodbye and split up in the wilderness up north. As they waved goodbye to each other, they felt strange.


    It was the first time for Vivian to say ciao in such a friendly way to the werewolves¡ªthis referred to the normal werewolves, not Lily the dumbbell. Vivian had never treated her as normal.


    It was also the first time Lily met her fellow species. She was filled with curiosity and showed extreme interest in Casar and Ewen. She did not mind that she was once kidnapped by them.


    Meanwhile, the Ebbens were still no way near their light-bulb moments. It was the first time they had ever found that there were many things beyond their comprehension. The encounter with Hao Ren¡¯s strange tenants was a real eye-opener, but they would need months to digest what they had seen.


    The two werewolves had wised up. They didn¡¯t ask any further about the blue and strange creature for fear that they mightn¡¯t be able to leave if they did. For Y¡¯zaks alone was more than capable to crush them in pieces. If either Vivian or Hao Ren had the intention of killing them to shut them up, there wasn¡¯t much time for them to write their wills, or maybe just enough to leave a nuncupative will¡ªthree-hundred words, tops. But then, there wasn¡¯t a guarantee it would reach their kin.


    ¡°We¡¯re headed straight back to Europe. If the elders wish to meet the countess, we¡¯ll send a messenger. You deserve our courteous treatment. After all, you¡¯re an elder too.¡± With cap in hand, Casar Ebben nodded slightly to Vivian. It was the most polite gesture werewolf had ever given to a vampire. ¡°The world isn¡¯t in its most peaceful time right now, so it¡¯d be a long time before we¡¯ll meet again.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯d be better if we don¡¯t meet.¡± Vivian was somehow rude. She waved to them. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up. You don¡¯t want the demon hunters to be on your *rse again. By the way, you think your cloths are fine? You probably wouldn¡¯t be able to use black fog for the moment, so you could only get back to town on foot.¡±


    Ewen Ebben grabbed his torn cloth which looked like a rag in performance art. ¡°You¡¯ve helped us cleaned up the blood stains, we can handle the rest. Casar and I would take a detour back to the town by disguising as beggars or artists.¡±


    With a plastic smile on his face, Hao Ren reminded, ¡°To avoid trouble, it¡¯d be better to disguise yourselves as performance artists who are touring the the world. Foreign beggars in town will likely make the news headline¡­¡±


    ¡°Got it. We¡¯ve been in China for long enough.¡± Casar Ebben laughed. ¡°You take care too. The gathering of demon hunters doesn¡¯t sound right to me, they must be up to something. Maybe they¡¯re just in transit but the disappearance of a large number of them in this city will certainly a cause for alarm, more will be coming. Just keep your head down. And sayonara!¡±


    Hao Ren smacked Casar¡¯s arm. ¡°You should go now. Don¡¯t talk to me as if you¡¯re local!¡±


    After the two werewolves disappeared into the distance, Vivian let out a long sigh. ¡°What a bad day for them¡ªgetting whacked twice just for one werehusky. In the end, they left empty handed. By the way, nice cloths they have there, must be expensive stuff. What a shame, it probably worth half-a-year of meals.


    What she really cared for was the clothes.


    Lily stamped her feet and yelled, protesting. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that, huh? What¡¯s wrong with being a husky? Huskes were wolves 800 years ago!¡±


    Because of the frolic, werewolf maiden (or shall we call it weredog?), Hao Ren had enjoyed some hearty moment and forgot about his worries for a while. He patted Lily¡¯s head and complimented her. ¡°Thanks to your steam that saved the day. Though strange, it worked!¡±


    The werewolf maiden smiled, she had forgotten she was humiliated a while ago. Four of them, plus the noisy MDT, headed home. They needn¡¯t worry about the signs of struggle left behind at the warehouse. Raven 12345 had it covered when she sent the Big Bluey over. Just as what Y¡¯zaks mentioned, the scene was more like a ruin than a warehouse because of the lightning, tornado, fire, and explosion; all evidences of paranormal activity had been wiped clean. Even the best of experts would only be able to find the scene as an aftermath of natural disaster. How good it would be if Raven 12345 could do that every time.


    They came by flying and teleporting, but they had no more juice to do that on their return trip. They hopped on a public transport and staggered all the way back. After a two-hour ride they arrived at their comfy nest at the Southern Suburb. By then, it was dusk.


    As they stepped through the door and switched the light on, Rollie was there to welcome them. Hao Ren grabbed and snugged it into his arm. Then his stomach growled. ¡°I think I haven¡¯t eaten anything since this morning.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, me too.¡± Vivian said as she glanced sideways at Lily. ¡°All for the sake of the dumbbell. The irony is, she had got a six-course meal while being kidnapped.¡±


    Lily gave a dry smile as she rubbed her tummy. ¡°But I¡¯m still hungry. I¡¯d like a rib steak.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll reheat the food.¡± Vivian sighed. ¡°Could you give me a hand, landlord?¡±


    Their lunch had been left untouched on the table. Hao Ren had faith in his cat that he hadn¡¯t helped himself to their lunch. Rollie was an amazing cat. He was a stray, liked to steal food from the kitchen and tuck himself in his master¡¯s bed to get warm. He would scratch everything he could lay his hands on, and he never caught mice. But one thing Hao Ren really liked about Rollie was that he would never jump onto the dinner table. There was a story behind this. When Rollie had just arrived at the house, he was wild and untamed¡ªhe still was, an a**hole cat. Back then Hao Ren was having his dinner, Rollie jumped up and helped himself to his food.


    And it was a bowl of pepper soup. A steamy, hot one.


    After the incident, Rollie was discharged from animal hospital and he recovered. But he had developed dinner-table-phobia since. He would stay away from the table like a plague.


    ¡°We¡¯ve seen enough the true color of the demon hunters.¡± Hao Ren sighed as saying while he helped out Vivian in the kitchen. ¡°They¡¯re trouble-makers. Will there be more to come?¡±


    He recalled what the two werewolves had said to him, and he knew the sudden disappearance of eight demon hunters at one go would definitely arouse suspicion from the other demon hunters. Though he wasn¡¯t afraid of them, the influx of a bunch of psychos into the city felt like a pain in the a**.


    ¡°Let them. They won¡¯t stay long.¡± Vivian sounded as though she wasn¡¯t concerned. ¡°They come and sniff around for a few days, they¡¯ll leave if they find nothing. They wouldn¡¯t have guessed it that we¡¯re still here after the conflict.¡±


    Hao Ren did not say a word. Suddenly he recalled in his mind the arcane servant who had come to their rescue, and his face was half smiling. ¡°Speaking of which, Raven 12345 was no slouch. I had thought that she was sleeping on her job but in reality she knew the situation on the ground.¡±


    Raven 12345 had been of great help by sending the arcane servant. If not for her, Hao Ren would have trouble wrap things up and clean the scene. He didn¡¯t know what would happen to the captured demon hunters. What would Raven 12345 do to them? The thought of the psychotic goddess suddenly made Hao Ren pitying them, their fate would have been a lot better if they were beaten to death outright at the warehouse.¡±


    Just when Hao Ren was trying to guess what the psychotic goddess would do next, the door bell suddenly rang.


    Vivian and Hao Ren looked at each other before scurrying out to the living hall. Lily was staring nervously at the entrance. As everyone was still in alert mode after the battle with the demon hunters, a sudden ring of the door bell really hit their nerve.


    Y¡¯zaks was the least nervous. He was watching the TV while enjoying the melon seeds on the couch. He raised his head and looked at Hao Ren. ¡°Landlord, someone¡¯s at the door. Shouldn¡¯t we answer it?¡±


    ¡°Calm down, everyone. I¡¯ll take a look.¡± If it was really the demon hunters out there, they wouldn¡¯t be so polite to ring the bell. He motioned Lily to sit down and Vivian to get back to the kitchen. He checked his armor to make sure it was fully charged. Then he took a deep breath and came to the door. ¡°Coming, stop pressing the goddamn bell.¡±


    As he opened the door, a girl who he had never seen was standing there.

 Chapter 114

    An unknown girl stood in front of the gate. This was not how Hao Ren imagined things.


    She was wearing a loose sweater which clearly did not fit her small frame. Her skin was a little of the darker hue, her features were accordingly petite but had an energetic look to it and her hair tied into a neat ponytail. She was what you would say drop dead gorgeous, but she had a cuteness to her.


    She saw Hao Ren by the door and waved at him. ¡°Hello, is this the Hao residence?¡±


    Hao Ren snapped out of his stupor and replied hurriedly. ¡°Ah yes¡­ I¡¯m Hao Ren, and you are?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Nangong Wuyue!¡± The girl by the gate let out a sweet smile and headed over a card to Hao Ren. ¡°You¡¯re a landlord right? I¡¯m here to rent a room!¡±


    Hao Ren had neglected to take a look at the card as he was thinking on how should he decline the girl and to send her on her way. She seemed to had saw the advertisement that he had put out a month ago. At then, Hao Ren was of course delighted to have a new tenant, but not now, not with the bunch of people at home. The house was pretty much off limits to humans when Lily first moved in!


    ¡°Ugh¡­ about that.. I¡¯m sorry. My place is currently all booked out¡­¡± Hao Ren cooked up an excuse on the fly. He also rued the fact that the advertisement that was placed so long ago had still managed to attract a prospective tenant, which caused no end of troubles now. As he was about to continue speaking, Vivian who had heard someone talking aside popped her head out to check. ¡°Mr Landlord, who¡¯s that outside?¡±


    ¡°Someone who¡¯s looking for a room to rent.¡± Hao Ren turned towards Vivian, his voice loud on purpose. ¡°Haven¡¯t we rented out all the rooms?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not right¡­¡± Wuyue frowned. ¡°I was told that there are only three tenants in the place. And the rest of the rooms are reserved for supernaturals. Am I wrong on that account?¡±


    Hao Ren was just about to cook up another excuse before he caught that Wuyue said. Taken aback, he said, ¡°Wait.. what did you just say? You just said supernatural didn¡¯t you¡­ Did Raven sent you here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she did!¡± Wuyue nodded. ¡°She even appeared in my dreams for the past month to tell me this, and that¡¯s why I believed that I had a place to stay here. Besides, a big blue person gave me this card when I arrived in town a few days ago. The one you are holding on to now.¡±


    Hao Ren was perplexed and looked at the card. He realised that it was starting to give out a faint blue light, and out of nowhere, Raven 12345¡¯s name appeared on the card. ¡°Dear Hao Ren. The one holding onto this card will be your new tenant. Her name is Nangong Wuyue. Please arrange a clean and cosy room for her. Her expenses can be claimed from next month onwards. From, your boss.


    As Hao Ren finish reading the message, the card exploded into a bright blue light and slowly dispersed into the air. It seems that crazy Goddess does have some artistic sense.


    ¡°So¡­No problem right?¡± Wuyue smiled cheerfully at Hao Ren. ¡°Have a room now?¡±


    After taking a short moment to process all the details, Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Yes, yes. Please come in. Do you need help with that?¡±


    Hao Ren noticed the two big luggage bags behind Wuyue, and by the looks of things they seem rather heavy. Wanting to be a good caretaker and a gentleman, he stepped forward to help, only to see Wuyue lifted the two bags like it was stuffed with feathers and walked into the house. Wew, she seems like another sack of muscles like Lily. Speaking of which, Hao Ren was envious at the supernatural strengths and ability these supernaturals had. They seem no different than your average human, but the gulf in raw strength alone, even for the likes of Vivian who had no use for brute force was brutally wide.


    Lily and Y¡¯zaks were pre-occupied with the television in the living room. When the petite girl stepped into the house with her luggage in tow only did they reacted with curiosity.


    Lily who was lazing on the sofa, bend her neck as much as she could to take a glimpse at Hao Ren, her want for clarification was evident on the face. As Hao Ren caught her look, he signaled to Wuyue to set her luggage down first. Following that, he gave a loud clap to attract the attention of all in the room. ¡°Ahem, while this is rather sudden¡­ Raven had sent another new tenant to stay here. This is Nangong Wuyue. She¡¯ll be staying within from now on.¡±


    ¡°Wah!¡± Lily screamed as she rolled off the sofa. She quickly scrambled to her feet and leapt towards Hao Ren¡¯s side. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know how that crazy Goddess operates. Her whim is her fancy.¡± Hao Ren had a rather helpless look on his face as he shrugged. ¡°I too felt it was too sudden. But she did had a letter from Raven¡­ Oh ya, MDT, please run a verification check.¡±


    The MDT floated lazily from Hao Ren¡¯s pocket. ¡°What verification? If she¡¯s a fake I¡¯d be raising alarm bells. Me being silent means all is okay.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Hao Ren pouted slightly. ¡°So¡­ let¡¯s get on with the introductions¡±


    The arrival of a new tenant was not something Hao Ren expected at the time, not when they just had a run in with those thrice-accursed demon hunters. As no one was in the mood or anticipation of a newcomer, the atmosphere was rather awkward to say the least. But Wuyue didn¡¯t seem to had caught on the mood and after putting her luggage by the wall, she gave her trademark smile to all and bowed respectfully. ¡°Hello everyone. I¡¯m Nangong Wuyue. Nangong is a double surname. I¡¯m currently a wandering¡­ artist. Oh yes, are there are rules regarding introducing what race you are here? I suppose a few of you here are non-humans?¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s for the best.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°It makes living together easier if we know what sort of taboos a race have.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Wuyue nodded as well. ¡°My mother was a siren. But I grew up on land.. so you can call me a land siren?¡±


    ¡°A siren?!¡± Vivian was taken aback. ¡°Wait¡­sirens don¡¯t usually come to shore that often. The last being about a hundred years back¡­ You mean to say that you are one of the descendants?¡±


    ¡°Ah, so you know about that.¡± Wuyue was surprised by what Vivian had said. ¡°I remember my mother said that she came to shore around the 1860s. But I don¡¯t know the exact story behind it, Mother left me with the human society and till she died never brought me back to sea.


    Hao Ren for some reason, had reacted to the last landing of the sirens, and remembered that Casar Ebben said about some of them. ¡°Oh, the ones that got XXX by humans?¡± he blurted out.


    That made Vivian cringed so hard that she had to turn her face away. This bastard and his mouth would be the doom of him.


    Wuyue¡¯s face also stiffen for a moment, but she still maintained her smile as said, ¡°Yes, the ones that got XXX by the humans¡± Every word that came out was as cold as ice.


    Hao Ren realized the awkward situation he had landed himself in and retreated to a corner.


    Vivian sighed at the sorry lot, and gave a friendly smile at Wuyue. (Vivian is rather cordial to everyone except when they are demon hunters or werewolves) ¡°I¡¯m Vivian Ancesta. A vampire noble.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Liu Lily! You can call me Lily!¡± Lily yelped as she jumped in front of Wuyue. The werehusky did not put much thought to things, her initial surprise gave way to the elation of having a new friend. ¡°I¡¯m a werehusky!¡±


    ¡°Werehus..?¡± Wuyue¡¯s eyes widen as she was dumbstruck by Lily¡¯s introduction. Before she could follow up with a question, Y¡¯zaks stood up and his thunderous voice echoed in the room. ¡°Y¡¯zaks Goodman. A High Demon. From another world. Oh, my human name is Wang Daquan.¡±


    Hao Ren took a surprised glance at Y¡¯zaks. ¡°Since when did you have this name?¡±


    ¡°I had a human identification card with me all this while. You¡¯ve seen it right?¡± Y¡¯zaks gave Hao Ren an odd look. ¡°The Goddess helped me with that, saying that it¡¯ll be useful in human society. For the name, yeah I chose it myself. After doing some reading on the common phrases used in China, I realised that the ¡°Uncle Wang next door¡± seems to be a very common name, and so called myself that.


    Hao Ren did not know how to reply to that.


    Wuyue took a good look at her fellow tenants after they have introduced themselves. She thought to herself that only Vivian seemed to be a normal one. ¡°It seems¡­ like my days here would be interesting.¡± She said to herself.


    ¡°Wait a minute¡­. Have we met before?¡± As Hao Ren saw Wuyue¡¯s side profile, he remembered a very familiar sight. ¡°It¡¯s like a few days ago!¡±

 Chapter 115

    ¡°Have we met somewhere before?¡± Wuyue raised an curious eyebrow at Hao Ren¡¯s reply. She looked at Hao Ren again, and then shifted her gaze to Y¡¯zaks (or Wang Daquan if you will) and then back to Hao Ren again. Her eyes suddenly widen and she smacked her forehead.


    ¡°Oh right¡­. the two stingy dudes!¡±


    Hao Ren also slapped his forehead at almost the same time. ¡°You were the one busking the other day!¡±


    The two of them looked at each other. The respectul front that Wuyue had put up earlier seemed to had faded fast. She drily laughed at Hao Ren ¡°So¡­Mr Landlord, I hope you didn¡¯t take that to heart¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was so used to dealing with the nonsense that this tenants give him and just waved the matter off. But he really did felt things were just too much of a coincidence. Was it really the hand of fate at work? Wuyue was the person that he saw the other day in town with Y¡¯zaks busking by the crossroads. He recalled that her song was indeed melodius, but the lyrics¡­


    But the chance meeting was during the day, and this time, at night. Hao Ren did not clearly remember the looks of strangers, and therefore took him a while before he recognised her. Y¡¯zak on the other hand, was a hopeless case. He caught barely recognise his fellow tenants for days, and only managing to do so after a while. Wuyue also only had taken a hurried glance at Hao Ren and Y¡¯zaks the other day. If not for Y¡¯zaks sticking out like a sore thumb to leave an impression, she would have not even recalled seeing them.


    ¡°What a coincidence.¡± Hao Ren laughed as he gestured towards Wuyue to come to the dining table. ¡°Just nice that we¡¯ve yet to start our dinner, and there were plenty of leftovers from lunch. Was actually having a hard time thinking of how do we even finish this¡­ so¡­ lets take this as your welcoming dinner. This is our tradition here, no matter what race you are, once you¡¯re on the dining table you are family.


    Vivian swiftly laid out the re-heated dishes on the table, and as she was about to take her seat, she asked Hao Ren on how did he came to know Wuyue. He briefly recounted the meeting the other day, and ended with a curt remark. ¡°I think Raven might had a hand in that too¡­¡±


    Aside from Wuyue who did not know Raven¡¯s true colours, all nodded in agreement.


    Even though he still felt Wuyue¡¯s arrival was rather sudden, he knew how Raven12345 operates, and could only accept her orders without much question. Thankfully though, Wuyue was a rather congenial person to be around with, compared to Lily or Vivian when they first arrived. Perhaps it was due to the fact that Sirens had little to no squabbles with the outside world, nor that they were hostile to others¡­ Just look at the bunch that went and mated with humans.


    After dinner, Hao Ren and Vivian helped Wuyue with her luggage. Her room was located on the second floor, the first room by the staircase. It was fully furnished and clean, thanks to Vivian¡¯s frequent housekeeping, and was basically ready to live in. It took nary a few moments before everything was settled. Lily then dragged Wuyue all the way to the living room, curious to know about the story of her new friend. Vivian felt that it was rather rude to do that, but Lily¡¯s a husky at heart¡­ so that¡¯s that.


    ¡°Actually, I should¡¯ve came by two days ago.¡± Wuyue did not show any resistance towards Lily¡¯s overfriendly and overeagerness and answered all her questions with a smile. She even told them her experience coming into town. ¡°As Mr Landlord had said, I¡¯m a wandering busker. I move around and sing to earn a living. Was doing that for a good few years. Until about half a month ago when I kept dreaming of a beautiful lady telling me to come to this town to look for an ¡®inspector¡¯ named Hao Ren. As first I thought I was hallucinating, and took me a while to trust the dream. I then realise that I do need a proper place to live, so I decided to come here. I arrived around last week, but was doing my rounds busking for a few days¡­ Heheheh, I only remembered about coming here today.¡±


    The very casual way of Wuyue retelling her story just seemed so human. If not for the fact that they knew her race already, Hao Ren would struggle to even think of her as one of the Sirens.


    ¡°Wandering and singing huh¡­¡± Lily¡¯s eyes were gleaming in awe. The artistic bones in her were resonating with a fellow artist¡¯s experience. ¡°It feels just like me. I¡¯m a wandering writer. But I think you are much much more talented, busking for a living is not easy. I tried it before, but got complained at everyday.¡±


    Hao Ren then recalled Lily¡¯s favourite tune, the three tone howls of a wolf an did not dare to broach the topic any further.


    ¡°It was okay I guess.¡± Wuyue smiled faintly. ¡°Sirens are natural singers, and Mother did train me on how to sing. It seemed that she met father this way. I did do other part time jobs as well, to cover my expenses.¡±


    ¡°Where you¡¯re from actually?¡± Vivian asked as she saw the cordial conversation between Wuyue and Lily and could no longer hide her curiosity. ¡°Your accent is a bit funny.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you can tell?¡± Wuyue smiled again. ¡°I was born in China, but I was overseas for a good while.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s true. They say Sirens were wanderers as they came from the vast seas.¡± Vivian gave Wuyue curious look. ¡°So, do you intend to stay here for a while then to continue travelling?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure myself.¡± Wuyue shook her head. ¡°I think I¡¯ll stay until i decide to start travelling again. I¡¯ll stay at a place for a while sometimes. Rather, I got tired of travelling for now and decided to take a break, and then that pretty lady appeared¡­ so I¡¯m here.¡±


    Vivian gave Hao Ren a look to signal him to a side, and both of them went to a corner of the house.


    ¡°You sure she¡¯s ok?¡± Vivian asked softly.


    ¡°Yeah, seems so. She does have Raven¡¯s card with her and the MDT had also confirmed her identity. While it is rather sudden, she is our new member.¡±


    ¡°¡­. Franky speaking, our small group feels more and more like some illegal organisation. All jittery when a new blood joins in.¡± Vivian jested. ¡°Mr Landlord, can¡¯t you ask for a better working condition


    from the Goddess?¡±


    ¡°What better condition?¡± Hao Ren sighed. ¡°Raven12345 had specifically requested me to not simply affect human society, or else it will impede the growth of civilisation or so she says. See what a hat i¡¯m wearing? Oh right, I wanted to ask you. What kind of race is a Siren? I don¡¯t see much differences between Wuyue and your average Jane. You can tell from the way she acts and talks is very different to how Lily and Y¡¯zaks does.¡±


    Vivian demurred for a moment. ¡°Sirens¡­ I don¡¯t really know too much about them. They are a funny lot. Even amongst the supernaturals. They live deep within the ocean, and are a rather ancient race, even more the coming of man on this planet. But they had never expanded their territory before. While I¡¯m sure that they will have some form of combat ability and survivability on land, they seem to be content living their days in the sea. Supposedly, they are tasked with protecting some ancneint undersea relic of sorts. But as they are so insular, no one actually knows the truth. And oh, Sirens are a female only face, and they have very long life spans. They seem to be able to increase their numbers by some ritual spawning, so no issues with their population. That¡¯s about it.¡±


    ¡°How about those that went to mate with humans?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    Vivian¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°¡­Why do you keep harping on that¡­ Fine. Sirens have ways to get to shore, and to assimilate into human society. Of course, they also have their curiosities regarding human males. There are many stories of sirens masquarading as humans and have children with their human lovers. But there¡¯s a peculiarity with their breeding. If it¡¯s a girl, it will definitely be a Siren, if it¡¯s a boy, it¡¯ll definitely be human. There had never been a case of a mixed-blooded Siren.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s why Wuyue only mentioned that her mother was a Siren.¡± Hao Ren suddenly came to a realisation. ¡°So the girls will follow their mother, and the sons, their dad¡­ Heh, you supernaturals are sure an odd bunch.¡±


    And thus, the Siren Nangong Wuyue came to be a tenant.

 Chapter 116

    Nangong Wuyue adapted to the new environment faster than Hao Ren expected. In fact, she had successfully mingled with Lily the next day. Of course, the dim-witted and highly easy-going nature of a husky which allowed her to make friends instantly with anybody was also the important reason.


    Early in the morning, as usual, Hao Ren was holding a magazine and lying on the couch in the living room to kill time. Vivian was preparing breakfast for everybody in the kitchen. Lily had already started to chat about stories of traveling outside with May, and they are both very harmonious. Lily was holding a book that looked quite old and pointing to the older picture. ¡°You see, this was me wearing a cheongsam, it was popular back then!¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his head and leaned forward to have a look at it curiously. It was a blurred black and white picture on the yellowed sheet. This was the kind of very nostalgic round frame picture. A young girl in a cheongsam stood neatly in the middle of the frame, with a sweet smile on her face. She had a kind of bookishness in her quiet. This was how Lily looked like when she was not talking. She got that literary vibe when she was quiet, but turned into a husky once she started talking.


    Hao Ren looked surprisingly at this old book which was almost considered a relic, ¡°Ah, I can hardly recognize it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really awesome.¡± Lily licked Hao Ren¡¯s fingers and turned her head proudly. ¡°Wuyue Wuyue, did you take any souvenirs or something like that when you travelled? I rarely go abroad¡­¡±


    Nangong Wuyue smiled, slightly shook his head and said, ¡°Siren just like to travel, but we don¡¯t like to take away anything from that place. No matter how beautiful the scenery is, having seen it once is good enough. There is no need to bring it along. It¡¯ll be very tired if we do so.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s mind was blank for a few seconds. He looked at his index finger which was covered in saliva, feeling that ever since Lily knew that she was actually a husky, she was slowly giving up on concealing her nature. It felt like she just gave up trying and let it be. Just now, he also saw Lily squatting on the ground and lifting her feet to scratch her face. Hao Ren would never surprise if one day she ran to catch the mouse.


    At this time, Vivian¡¯s voice was coming from the kitchen. ¡°Wash your hands! The meal is ready!¡±


    Lily took Wuyue¡¯s hand, skipping and jumping to the kitchen. Hao Ren and Y¡¯zaks looked at them at the back and said, ¡°Looks like this dumb girl finally found a new friend besides dog.¡±


    At the table, Nangong Wuyue was amazed by Vivian¡¯s good cooking skill again. She was amazed by Vivian¡¯s skill last night, and now she still found it a little unbelievable. As a normal siren, she could hardly imagine how Vivian, the senior blood clan, learned so many cooking methods of human food. And Lily was gnawing at the bone. The crunching noise was exceptionally loud. She stopped trying to behave properly after being familiar with everyone. She was a little reserved for the first few days when she first came here and trying not to make a sound while eating. However, now everybody knew Lily was a husky. She could finally boldly reveal her nature confidently.


    ¡°Do you want to go to Raven¡¯s office two days later?¡± Vivian was biting the chopsticks. ¡°And ask about the demon hunters.¡±


    When Hao Ren was about to nod, he heard a ¡®crack¡¯ coming from the chair of Nangong Wuyue. The siren¡¯s body shook slightly and almost fell down. ¡°Demon hunters? You mean there are demon hunters in this place?¡±


    Vivian thought Nangong Wuyue was frightened, so hurriedly comfort her. ¡°No worries, we got strong fighting power. And we have a Goddess as our backing. The demon hunters can¡¯t harm us.¡±


    ¡°But we got into a fight yesterday and we¡¯re almost killed,¡± mumbled Lily while gnawing on a bone.


    ¡°For the first time in my life that I¡¯ve seen a real hunter, a horrible bunch of guys¡­ Have you seen them before?¡±


    Of course Nangong Wuyue looked worried and said, ¡°Errr, how to say¡­ I¡¯ve dealt with them before, and I¡¯ve been dealing with them a lot of times, which is really troublesome¡­ So are we really safe here? Is there any chance that the demon hunters will suddenly find us?¡±


    As the landlord and guardian here, suddenly Hao Ren felt a sense of mission well up in his heart and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about this! I¡¯m a professional apprentice of the temporary team at the village level office of the Space Administration anyway. Can¡¯t I guarantee your safety?¡±


    The words Hao Ren said was so powerful that everybody felt like checking out on the spot for their safety after listening to Hao Ren, ¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± In the end, it was Y¡¯zaks the big brother who calm everybody¡¯s mind. ¡°I know roughly how powerful that background is behind our landlord. Although it¡¯s not clear that how they will deal with the problems in this planet, they¡¯ll at least protect the safety of the people in this house. Haha, to be frank, it seems to me that the hunters here are just some little problems that are much easier to deal with than the human braves.¡±


    ¡°Eza¡­ zaks right?¡± Nangong Wuyue could not really remember the strange name of the big demon. ¡°I heard that you¡¯re from another world? And landlord, you said you¡¯re under a Space Administration? And Vivian and Lily, you two seem to have stories as well¡­ I¡¯m actually quite curious, what kind of team are you?¡±


    ¡°You just remember to ask these questions now?¡± Hao Ren paused for a second and asked, ¡°Raven 12345 didn¡¯t tell you anything before?¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t make it clear.¡± Nangong Wuyue scratched her hair and continues, ¡°I¡¯m just looking for a place to stay, and I thought here was a small stronghold like a unusual creatures sanctuary. I used to meet this kind of small association in America. But I had a chat with Lily and Vivian last night. Somehow it feels so complicated here.¡±


    ¡°¡­Raven 12345 really can¡¯t be trusted!¡± Hao Ren said and slapped him on the forehead. ¡°You are also a talent. You don¡¯t clear what are you getting into, don¡¯t you afraid to fall into the wrong place. No wonder more than 100 years ago, the siren was either cheated or sold by people. Ok, let me take this opportunity to introduce you to the Space Administration¡­¡±


    Half way of speaking, a blusterous voice suddenly appeared on hao Ren¡¯s mind. ¡°Hao Ren, Hao Ren, please answer if you receive the call¡­ Is the number correct? Answer the call!¡±


    They were just talking about Raven 12345 when she called suddenly.


    ¡°I¡¯m eating.¡± Hao Ren shut his mouth and began to talk to his boss in his mind and at the same time pointed to his head to remind everyone that it was a call from the Goddess. ¡°Why do you suddenly throw a siren here by the way?¡±


    ¡°Siren? What si¡­ Oh, yes, I remember, it¡¯s Nangong Wuyue? She¡¯d finally reached your side, really a stream-of-consciousness girl. I tell you, this siren is very useful, especially in your next task. Quickly come to my office, there is an urgent task for you and I want to tell you the details. You have to depart tomorrow!¡±


    Raven 12345 left her words and hung up irresponsibly without waiting for Hao Ren¡¯s response.


    ¡°Is the great goddess looking for you?¡± Although Y¡¯zaks was a demon, he always added ¡®the great¡¯ respectfully every time he mentioned Raven 12345. Looking at the bad expression on Hao Ren¡¯s face, he guessed and asked, ¡°She suddenly threw us a task again?¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t even let us have good rest!¡± Hao Ren slapped his thigh and continued, ¡°We had almost beaten to death yesterday and haven¡¯t rested enough today, but then throw us another urgent task. This is not humane!


    ¡°There¡¯s a mission!¡± A pair of silvery-white ears bounced on Lily¡¯s head and was shaking excitedly. ¡°Where are we going to have fun this time?¡±


    Since the last trip to England, the mission of the Space Administration in Lily¡¯s mind was equal to going out to play even though she was a freak who could not deal with jet lag at all.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know yet, she asked me to go to her office to listen to the details of the mission, looks urgent, we¡¯ll depart tomorrow.¡± Hao Ren sighed. When he saw Nangong Wuyue was looking at him with her curious eyes, he shrugged and said, ¡°No chance to introduce to you now. Y¡¯zaks can tell you more about the Space Administration and the Multiverse. He is more familiar with these.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Nangong Wuyue nodded and her eyes looked bright. ¡°I feel like I met a group of very interesting people! Kinda looking forward to the life in the future!¡±


    This was the outspoken siren.


    After the meal, Hao Ren hurried out of the door. There was no need to elaborate the process on the way to meet Raven 12345. After he met Raven 12345, before he had time to speak, Raven had told him the situation of the task. ¡°There¡¯s another new tenant. And this one¡­ The landing site is too far off the right site.¡±


    An ominous foreboding suddenly welled up in Hao Ren¡¯s mind. ¡°¡­ How far is it?¡±


    ¡°895 light-years.¡±


    ¡°The f*ck¡­¡±

 Chapter 117

    Shrouded in a sea of fog, the grandeur mansion was suspended in it. It was heavenly as well as surreal. In front of the mansion¡¯s left wing was a small garden where Hao Ren and Raven 12345 were sitting across a fine tea table, facing each other. It was poetic as much as mystical. But the mansion owner was a crazy goddess.


    Hao Ren felt the lady in front was sticking out like a sore thumb.


    ¡°The new tenant was transported by an outsourcing company, and the outsourcing company made a mistake in their astronomical unit calculation, causing the transport vessel to dock and discharge its passenger 895 light years from where it was supposed to land.¡± Raven 12345 with a cup of red tea in hand appeared elegant. ¡°There is CCTV surveillance in the container of the space catapult, everything is monitored. I need you to get there, extract and bring him back.¡±


    Hao Ren was riveted. Not until Raven 12345 shot a plasma ball at his head he gave a response. He gazed at the matter-of-fact face of the Goddess, sensing her seriousness he finally came back. ¡°You meant you¡¯re sending me into space?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing surprising about that.¡± Raven 12345 put her cup down, adding a few teaspoons of granulated sugar from a sugar bowl as she continued. ¡°Just like what I¡¯ve told you, you¡¯re my assistant, and I¡¯m the Goddess of the universe. If the earth is only what I¡¯ve to govern, what for I need an assistant? Since you¡¯ve shown your worth for the last couples of mission, it¡¯s time for more challenges. Before you do, you need to familiarize yourself with the universe, so this space trip¡¯s just that¡ªa paid business and leisure excursion. Nothing dangerous nor conspiratorial. Just free and easy. It¡¯s an eye-opener. It¡¯s a trip every inspector gets to experience before going full-fledged.¡±


    Hao Ren was wide-mouthed. He knew Raven 12345 was right but somehow he had got an unreal feeling. But after a while he finally came to grip with it. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a leap too far? I managed to come out alive from fighting a bunch of demon hunters on earth yesterday, now you want me to go interstellar? Haven¡¯t you heard of transition period?¡±


    Raven 12345 took a couple of sips before saying. ¡°It¡¯s not so much of a frog leap. Just an escape from the earth¡¯s gravity. And for you, geosynchronous orbit and extra-galactic objects have little difference, you have never been there. At the same time, you mustn¡¯t neglect your duty on earth. The universe¡¯s your workplace, no matter which planet it might be. Earth¡¯s just your familiar home base where the difference end.¡±


    Something was on Raven 12345¡¯s mind. There was a pause. Then she continued. ¡°Everything happens on earth for a reason. A reason of which the purpose and meaning might extend far beyond earth itself. Every plan I have for you has a deeper meaning to it. All things you encounter are interrelated in some ways. For some reason, I¡¯m not going to tell you now. You¡¯ll understand why when you get more matured.¡±


    Hao Ren stared at Raven 12345¡¯s serious face in awe. He had never heard her saying such thing. ¡°I¡¯m a little surprised you become so serious.¡±


    ¡°Ya, me too.¡± Raven 12345 shrugged as she put aside her cup of tea which had turned mushy. ¡°Someone said acting like that could inspire awe and confidence.¡±


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll arrange everything for the interstellar mission?¡± Hao Ren rubbed his chin. He tried hard not to show his excitement as well as nervousness as to project himself as a mature. ¡°The spaceship you last mentioned¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, your personal space vessel? It¡¯s coming soon but you aren¡¯t going to use it. You can¡¯t operate it.¡± Raven 12345 pointed to his MDT which was floating asleep in the air. ¡°There¡¯s now a bidirectional teleporting function in your MDT. Two preset destinations. One being my place¡ªhere, it saves you the hassle of looking for public transport; the other is Kuiper station, the first launchpad to interstellar travel. If you have your own personal space vessel, it will dock there too.¡±


    No matter how hard Hao Ren tried, his heart was beating faster than he would want it to. He turned and looked at the MDT, tear started welling in his eyes. ¡°Spatial shift? I¡¯m getting the privileged treatment right now?!¡±


    ¡°Privileged what? It¡¯s just standard equipment for inspectors. Every inspector has two basic teleporting authorities. One¡¯s toward the nearest rendezvous point, in your case that means here¡ªthis big mansion; a second one is a predetermined star station¡ªby the default it¡¯s the nearest space port from the field of mission. Unless circumstances call for it, try not to use teleporting too frequently during short, or non-time-critical missions. The reasons are; one, it¡¯s not good for your health; two, doing the things the old way is always a good way to increase your experience, especially a rookie like you.¡±


    Hao Ren kept nodding. But his mind was already thinking about how he would make use of the new function. The first channel was supposedly a convenient way to report back to his superior, but it would come in handy in a desperate escape just like the battle with the demon hunters yesterday¡ªof course that would turn into a laughing stock for Raven 12345 too. He hadn¡¯t had an idea about the second exit point. His knowledge about space port was only coming from Hollywood¡¯s blockbusters. But that wasn¡¯t the point, all he cared was the teleporting function itself.


    He had a few experiences of teleporting and was awed by its convenience. Now he finally had the chance of operating one himself.


    ¡°You look excited¡­¡± Raven 12345 smiled as she looked at Hao Ren, tapping her temple. ¡°Besides, something about adding favorite points. What I¡¯ve told you about was the two default points of open authority. You can add more points if you want to. It might come in handy, who know? Just tell the MDT, it will do the rest. But there¡¯s a caveat: the MDT must memorize on-site. It can¡¯t set places where it has never been to into its memory.¡±


    Shivering out of excitement, Hao Ren plucked the MDT down from the air and shove it back into his pocket. Once again, the thrill of having a new toy filled him. He started to feel surreal: it was a stark contrast to the last ¡®paycheck¡¯ which seemed to be in bad shape and was given in reluctance, this time Raven 12345 had been brisk and generous in providing a useful resource with high discretionary power attached. Hao Ren felt it was like finding out he was the kin of a rich Saudi uncle, and the uncle had died.


    ¡°May I ask, why the good perk now?


    ¡°¡­In fact I should have given you last week. Just that I¡¯ve forgotten.¡±


    Now Hao Ren felt his rich uncle had donated all his wealth before he died.


    ¡°Is it capable of ferrying passengers?¡± Hao Ren seized the opportunity to as many questions as he could as he knew that Raven 12345 would have never elaborated if not requested. He knew too well the b*tch.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Raven nodded. ¡°anyone you choose within five-hundred meters radius, the MDT will lock on them. No quantity, quality, or size limitations. But I¡¯ve got to warn you: although the level of teleporting technology of the empire is pretty mature right now, the MDT was meant to be used by the Xi Ling disciples like me. Most of its existing functions are downgraded versions of the military. Though the technology has been refined many times, the teleporting function still pose a health hazard to users especially women, the young and the old, so¡­¡±


    ¡°So don¡¯t use it on the old and children, right? I know.¡±


    ¡°No. I mean you better stay away after the ride in case they throw up.¡±


    Hao Ren at a lost for words.


    The Goddess was humorous as much as comical.

 Chapter 118

    Regarding the new teleportation features that was installed in the MDT, there were simply too many items on the list for Raven12345 to go through individually with Hao Ren. He also realised from the tutorial menu itself that he really needed to learn the in and outs of the new feature. He was previously just a ¡®passenger¡¯, and compounded by the fact that he knew almost nothing of teleportation.


    After some reading, he only realized how complicated things were on a higher level. That civilian-use teleportation cannot be done near any strong gravity fields, and that the two-way teleportation needs bilateral calibration on both end or risk a failure. The activation of a Type-One Sublight Hyperdrive engine would create frequencies that will prevent civilian-use teleportation. Gravity well generators will catastrophically interfere with all forms of teleportation¡­


    All in all, it was a bunch of stuff that was very difficult to understand, and Raven12345 just let Hao Ren skimmed through it. He was to follow the automatic prompts from the MDT like most inspectors on the field.


    Hao Ren eagerly stowed the upgraded MDT safely in his pocket. He was however still very aware of the fact that he was a country bumpkin who had never left Earth before. ¡°Just to check¡­. so I need to go to this¡­ Quipper Station? Are there any guides? How am I getting there? By space travel or teleportation? I¡¯m totally in the dark on this.¡±


    ¡°The MDT will serve as your guide. There will be personnel over at the Kuiper Station to meet you. I have also arranged for a space shuttle to get you there. While it is a civilian spacecraft, it bears the warrant of the Empire, so it¡¯s reliable. ¡± Raven 12345 said as she scooped spoon after spoon after spoon of sugar into her cup of tea. ¡°Just let me remind you, you are an inspector. While you are at the bottom level of the hierarchy, you are still a civil servant in the eyes of the worlds in the Empire, so please be aware of your position, and act like one okay? Normally speaking there shouldn¡¯t be any issues, just don¡¯t overstep your authorities or interfere with other civilizations. If you run into any problems, please check with me. If i¡¯m not around then you decide. But¡­ you should be able to work your way through this. That aside¡­ on the matter of the Kuiper Station, I probably should give you a short intro on it.¡±


    Hao Ren felt that he had heard this word before somewhere, probably from some science magazine of sorts. His ears straightened up immediately. ¡°So what¡¯s the place like?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s actually rather close to Earth, it¡¯s still within the Solar System.¡± Raven 12345 snapped her fingers and a holographic image of the Solar System appeared. She magnified the image towards a celestial body near Neptune. ¡°As per the Empire¡¯s traditions, all capital or sub-capital worlds will have it¡¯s administrative zones and are developed accordingly. So we had built a station at the Kuiper Belt. It is currently hidden by a cloaking field. It is supposed to be discovered by humans some 235 years later¡­ but at the rate you guys are going, I think we need to recalculate that timeline to 100 years. Your astro-science technology is progressing rather quickly.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s if you guys don¡¯t destroy yourself first. If you guys decide to blow yourselves up in World War 3 then that¡¯s that.¡± she quickly added.


    Hao Ren could only gawk at the revelation that Raven12345 just told him. There are already an alien base in the Solar System? Humans were trying for years in vain to get receive any alien transmission from space, and there¡¯s already a bunch of them in a space station somewhere by the edge of the system?


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so surprised¡­¡± Raven 12345 laughed as she pointed towards where Hao Ren is standing, ¡°Just look at where you are standing now. Bastard Barrio is directly connected to Heaven. Didn¡¯t even see you bat an eyelid to that.¡±


    Hao Ren gave thegoddess a very odd look. ¡°¡­. If Heaven is occupied by goddesses like you¡­¡±


    Raven 12345 took it as a complement and waved her hand. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s it for your briefing. Once you are at the station someone else will give you a more in depth briefing. Your MDT will also be downloading your mission brief soon. So.. do you have any other questions?¡±


    Hao Ren set aside the details of his upcoming assignment. His face was serious. ¡°I do. It¡¯s regarding the demon hunters. Thanks for sending aid yesterday. But I still have a lot of things that I do not understand. Demon hunters, are they the good or the bad guys? I heard that they protect humans, but according to you as a Goddess, and me as your employee, why do I get into this life and death fight with them? I¡¯m very confused¡­¡±


    ¡°Good or bad?¡± Raven 12345 gave Hao Ren a deep gaze. ¡°In days to come you will realize how foolish that question was. A lot of things have nothing to do with good or evil, it happens just because situation demands it. Demon hunters are a protective force of this world, they were the guardians of the early civilization of men, and it¡¯s by their watch that Earth had become what it is today. Their watch still continues. As for you, you too are a guardian, but you work for a higher power and thus resulted in the awkward conflict. From the perspective of a civilization¡¯s right to exist, humans are innocent, the supernaturals are innocent, the demon hunters too are innocent. But now three innocent parties are thrown into a mix where they cannot co-exist. You as a guardian from a higher power, finding a way for them to co-exist is your calling.¡±


    ¡°Speak human language please.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Can¡¯t be answered. Figure it out yourself.¡±


    Hao Ren knew that Raven 12345 would answer him like this and could only sigh in resignation. He could vaguely understand conflicts happen between humans, supernaturals and the demon hunters. All three parties have different ways of life and in their struggle to survive, a cycle of predator and prey ensues. Many supernaturals feed on humans (like your normal vampires) to survive, or if their existence itself harms humans (wraiths etc.), while demon hunters and humans will need to fend off and kill the supernaturals to survive. Surely, this cycle was not done out of malice?


    He then remembered the demon hunter in the Northern Suburbs yesterday. His face, was calm and collected, there was no sense of enmity against Lily or Vivian. It was his duty, his way of life.


    In the same sense, the circle of vampires who preyed on humans, would probably have been the same towards their blood slaves. It was a necessity for survival, and not caused by hatred towards humans.


    Raven 12345 could see what Hao Ren was thinking and casually popped a question, ¡°You eating a meat bun, does it mean you hate it?¡±


    Hao Ren was conflicted, ¡°But meat buns can¡¯t speak, move or think, and it won¡¯t be turning you into a pincushion with a crossbow. I¡¯ve been thinking about this, you said that the universe is immense, and there are many planets around. So why can¡¯t you just split humans and the supernaturals apart? Especially when the supernaturals are on the edge of extinction here on Earth? Wouldn¡¯t it be better if you were to give them a new place to call home?


    ¡°If you can think this far, at least it shows that you had gotten some sense of scope, and not just narrowly tunneling your vision towards Earth. But it¡¯s still wishful thinking.¡± Raven 12345 sighed.


    ¡°Firstly, each civilization¡¯s progress is it¡¯s own, Gods cannot be interfering with the daily lives of mortals. Unless said civilization is on the brink of total annihilation, destruction and rebirth is a common essence of a civilization. I think you can understand why I don¡¯t interfere at will. Next, avoiding the problem does not solve it. Would you be separating fighting to different planets every time they fight? The world isn¡¯t big enough for that. Lastly, who do you move? Humans have lived here for millenia and so have the supernaturals. Who are you to say if this place belongs to either party? So, the supernaturals are losing, and you¡¯d toss them into a barren world and expect them to start over? Do you think doing this befits a goddess?¡±


    Hao Ren really wanted to ask: What have you done till today to deserve that title?


    ¡°But all three reasons is secondary to this, the main reason is that moving all supernaturals out of Earth is pointless.¡± Raven 12345 took a deeper sigh. ¡°The cause of this problem is more complicated that you¡¯d imagine. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find out and understand it one day.¡±

 Chapter 119

?

 Chapter 120

    When Lily heard Hao Ren¡¯s call, she immediately rushed out of the room at top speed. The very next second, she was held down by Hao Ren onto the coffee table as she struggled to get away. She continued to struggle while she protested, ¡°Landlord, you can¡¯t follow what Battie does! Huskies have dignity too!¡±


    ¡°All right, you know you¡¯re a werehusky and you still care about dignity.¡± Hao Ren knew that Lily was not taking things seriously. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to hold Lily, who was as powerful as a siege tank down with his current ability. So, he just played along for a while and released the husky girl. ¡°I got a mission. I need to go on a long trip, extremely far away from here. I will absolutely not be acclimatized to the environment there. And this time ,I can only bring two people along. One of them is the new comer, Nangong Wuyue. So, there¡¯s only one more seat left. Who wants to follow?¡±


    ¡°Me, me, me!¡± Lily raised her hands and jumped without even listening about the task. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you. I¡¯m strong! And now, I can even use my paws to release water vapor and dig. I¡¯m also good at running for cover or digging a hole to hide!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not something to be proud of.¡± Vivian pushed Lily away and continued, ¡°If you have time, can you please study some serious moves? Landlord, where are you going? Anyway, I¡¯ve got nothing much to do at home so, I have no problems going with you. Plus, I¡¯m familiar with all the places in the world.¡±


    Vivian was not ashamed of saying that she was familiar with all parts of the earth. It seemed that the incidents in England last time did not leave enough of an impression.


    ¡°Errr, you may not have any context regarding the distance¡­¡± Hao Ren looked at the two fantasy creatures, who were natives of the earth and suddenly felt that the concept of interstellar travel did not really relate to them. ¡°895 light-years away.¡±


    Lily and Vivian were tongue-tied.


    ¡°My god¡­¡± Lily froze for a pretty long time. With a marveled expression, she stuck her tongue out and asked, ¡°Landlord, are you kidding?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s real.¡± Hao Ren also thought it sounded a bit ridiculous. His tone sounded both funny and annoying. ¡°This round, I also need to pick up a new tenant. Similar to Y¡¯zaks, the new tenant stopped at the wrong station. However this time, the spaceship experienced some problems. It drifted off from the route for more than 800 light-years¡­¡±


    Hao Ren explained what Raven had told him as well as why Nangong Wuyue had to occupy a place. He also mentioned that he could be teleported to the Kuiper Station. Finally, he looked at Lily seriously and said, ¡°We are not going there for fun. Last time, the trip to England was at least on Earth. So it was acceptable for you to go there just for fun. But the place we¡¯re going this time¡­ I really have no idea. I heard it¡¯s a terrestrial planet but the ecological environment of that planet has to be different from here. I need someone who is brave and wise, bold yet cautious at the same time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m brave!¡± Lily said the first half of her sentence loudly but the second half of the sentence was almost inaudible. ¡°Just brave¡­¡±


    ¡°So, you really have to go to an outer planet¡­¡± Even Vivian, who was always mature and collected, could not help but be left speechless. This was beyond her experience. ¡°Honestly, I was surprised when I first found out that humans were flying out of the atmosphere. Although I had known for a long time that the earth was round, I really never thought anyone could fly to other planets. That time when Apollo was ready to go to the moon, I almost wanted to hang on to the rocket and follow it to see the world out there¡­ Luckily, I didn¡¯t go or else I would have died in the stratosphere. Landlord, to be honest, I really want to go with you.¡±


    ¡°I also want to go.¡± Lily was squatting with her four feet on the sofa like a dog, her head hanging. She hit Hao Ren¡¯s arm a few times with her head and begged pathetically, ¡°Can you consider it as helping a poor person and bring me along to see the world? I promise I won¡¯t disturb you. I won¡¯t sleepwalk too.¡±0


    ¡°No, I think both of us are not suitable to go with him.¡± Vivian shook her head and looked serious. ¡°Doggie, this is really not for fun. Both of us can¡¯t help Landlord. The most suitable person should be the big demon. Let him go with Landlord.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Vivian in surprise. From her eyes, he could see the reassuring, calm and reliable side of her. The vampire maiden, who looked like an understanding wife and a loving mother was definitely more reliable than Lily, the husky. At least, she understood about priorities.


    ¡°Talking about experience¡­ I do have some experience in space navigation.¡± Y¡¯zaks did not utter a word earlier. However, he did not reject the idea of going with Hao Ren. ¡°I used to utilize space magic to explore some of the secondary planets near my hometown and I took the Imperial Spaceship before so, I know what the starship life was like. Plus, I¡¯ve seen civil flights as well. But my experience is limited to these scenarios. About exploring the larger terrestrial planets or reading the star atlas¡­ I¡¯m just like you guys¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right, we don¡¯t have to worry about that. You¡¯ve had the experience of flying a spaceship and that¡¯s enough.¡± Hao Ren clapped his hands and asked, ¡°Then, do you have any plans these next few days? Will you go with me?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Y¡¯zaks smiled and continued, ¡°I won¡¯t find a job anytime soon. When shall we leave?¡±


    Hao Ren took out the MDT, opened the log and looked at it. ¡°As long as we depart within the next three days. It mentions that we are going to ride a civilian transport. This ship transits in the Solar System and stays there for three days. By the way, I¡¯ll discuss with Nangong Wuyue when she comes back. Guess she doesn¡¯t know about this yet. Raven 12345 always does things all of a sudden¡±


    ¡°I want to go, I want to go, I want to go¡­¡± Lily kept muttering. She looked like she saw a meat bone.


    ¡°You¡¯ll get a chance soon enough.¡± Hao Ren patted Lily on the head and continued, ¡®My private ship will reach soon. Then I can bring you to travel around the universe. So, stop biting the sofa cushion.¡±


    After some consolation, Lily finally calmed down. She held a cookie box, went back to her room and continued to watch TV.


    Although Vivian could not go with them, she seemed to care about this just as much as Hao Ren. She stood aside and pondered about something. Suddenly, she started to ask a lot of questions. ¡°What should you prepare for this kind of business trip? Is it convenient to eat or drink on the ship? What about the laundry? Is there any disease on the planet that the medicine from earth can¡¯t handle? You said the Kui¡­ whatever its name is, the station isn¡¯t operated by humans, right? Then they¡¯re all aliens, right? Are they easy to deal with? Landlord, can your translation system translate alien language?¡±


    Hao Ren was kinda thrown off by the series of questions. He gazed at Vivian. He vaguely saw his mother in Vivian. It felt like she was a young housewife who was scrambling to pack the luggage for the first time. These questionable associations flashed across his mind. Finally, he calmed Vivian down and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you don¡¯t have to worry about these things. Just prepare a few clean clothes for me. According to Raven, everything has been arranged for us. Someone will pick us up when we reach Kuiper Station. By the way, Terminal, this reminds me, how do we solve the problem of eating on the planet?¡±


    ¡°If you are willing to give it a try, you can eat the synthetic food at Kuiper Station. But I can¡¯t guarantee the taste. I can¡¯t even guarantee if you¡¯ll be able to absorb it. After all, the procurement at Kuiper Station is based on the popular standard of the general study of organic matter. The adaptation crowd does not include the people from Earth. Miss Vivian, if it¡¯s not troublesome, you may prepare some easy to store food; better than those sawdust-flavored compressed cookies.¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian composed themselves and began to think seriously about what to prepare for the trip. As they listened to the MDT introduce things over there, Hao Ren could not help but exclaim, ¡°Now I really envy those who have storage space¡­ They don¡¯t even have to prepare a suitcase.¡±


    ¡°Soon, you¡¯ll have it,¡± said the MDT. ¡°After your evaluation goes up a little bit more, the benefits and privileges of the official staff will keep coming. There are no official employees of the empire who don¡¯t carry along their storage space.¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly paused and asked, ¡°They have that? Really!?¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± The MDT looked even more surprised than Hao Ren. ¡°You¡¯re working for God, can you raise your expectations a little bit higher?¡±


    Hao Ren wanted to say that every time he met Raven 12345, the expectation in his heart would drop by at least 10%. However, considering that the crazy goddess was likely to eavesdrop on a whim, he was afraid to say it.


    At around five o¡¯clock in the evening, Nangong Wuyue came back from the city by cab. The siren girl was exceptionally overjoyed when Hao Ren told her the big news. As a siren, she loved to travel!


    Although Hao Ren felt that flying to a hostile planet more than 800 light-years away to carry out a mission had nothing to do with traveling¡­


    So, the candidate and the preparation work needed for the ultra long distance travel was finally settled. On a sunny spring afternoon, Hao Ren and his two assistants (the demon and siren) were well-prepared and ready to teleport to Kuiper Station.

 Chapter 121

    Living room. Home.


    Nangong Wuyue and Y¡¯zaks were standing on Hao Ren¡¯s left and right respectively like the sentries at the Tower of London. Vivian and Lily checked their luggage for the last time to make sure that everything was in order. Everyone looked dead serious like the crew at a space shuttle launchpad.


    ¡°Two sets of clothes¡ªchecked. Biscuits¡ªchecked. Mineral water¡ªchecked. Dry food¡ªchecked. Tools¡ª¡­¡± Like a competent daughter-in-law, Vivian checked Hao Ren¡¯s suitcase¡ªjust a small one, an overly large suitcase would be too cumbersome. And she rechecked everything that Lily had checked before. ¡°Just give me a buzz when you get there. Your MDT has that messaging function, isn¡¯t it? Okay, be safe. Don¡¯t touch anything that looks weird, it might be poisonous. Come back as soon as you finish the job. While you¡¯re out there¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Hao Ren was overwhelmed by the fervent concern from the oldest vampire on Earth. ¡°Why do you sound like my mom?¡±


    Vivian raised her leg to kick him. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to give some treats to the hands that feed me. Do you really think that any Tom, Dick, and Harry would get such a special treatment from me? I just want to make sure that I can keep staying here and won¡¯t have to worry about where I¡¯m going to get my next meal. If you¡¯re dead I¡¯ll have no where to go.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue looked at their interaction with amazement, thinking they were sort of an interesting ¡®family¡¯.


    ¡°I feel sorry about this, lady. I mean you¡¯ve just arrived and before you can even settle in, we have to go on a mission.¡± Hao Ren thought that the siren was getting impatient as her eyes were darting around. ¡°You know how Raven¡¯s temperament has always been. When she wants it, she wants it right then. Normally, it isn¡¯t as busy as this but you¡¯ll have to put up with it this time.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s all good!¡± Nangong Wuyue waved her hands frantically. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m happy to be able to go out there, traveling and seeing places. No problem at all. I¡¯d love to live a life like that given the chance. I think I made the right choice coming here. You people are so interesting and everything is so fascinating here¡ªI never imagined that I would be traveling to places 800 light-years away. It¡¯s simply beyond any sirens¡¯ dream!¡±


    It seemed like the siren was a real travel freak. She did not resent the sudden errand that was thrown at her at all. It was good of her.


    ¡°It¡¯s 9.30. It¡¯s time to go.¡± Lily inspected her watch as she finished checking the luggage. ¡°Have a pleasant journey, my dear landlord. Don¡¯t forget to get me some nice food on your way back¡­¡±


    Hao Ren waved goodbye to Lily and Vivian as he gave an order to the MDT: Begin teleportation.


    A blinding white light enveloped the three of them as the space around them started to warp and rolled up into a crystal sphere. Seconds later, they were gone and everything returned to normal.


    ¡°They¡¯ve finally gone¡­,¡± Lily said. Her ears appeared lackadaisical. ¡°¡­and left me alone here.¡±


    ¡°Next time, baby.¡± Vivian tried to comfort her. ¡°What do you say I make you some noodles in the afternoon? Well, speaking of which, why am I feeling like I¡¯m your nanny lately? Like we¡¯re friends now?¡±


    ¡°Stop the crap. In case you haven¡¯t realized, I¡¯m the one who¡¯s going out to find the money to feed you while our landlord¡¯s away!¡± Lily¡¯s tail almost stiffened up. ¡°Go and find the money yourself if you can. Now, go and feed the kittie while I go inside to do some write up¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to tell me that you¡¯re in charge here? Don¡¯t forget, I¡¯m the only one who can actually cook here! You can¡¯t even cook a packet of damn instant noodles properly!¡±


    ¡°Alright, my bad. I¡¯ll feed Rollie but could you do me a favor by accompanying me? I¡¯m afraid of Rollie¡ªhe might scratch me.¡±


    Vivian was at a lost for words.


    It would have been interesting to know how the two super chicks got along with each other while their landlord was away. However, as always, time was a good healer; they would turn out just fine. So, let us move away from here and see what has happened to the trio who just left.


    When the white light subsided, Hao Ren woke up in a daze and found himself standing in an enormous space just like Raven 12345 had described¡ªthe place was nothing like the depiction in Hollywood movies¡ªit was awesome on an entirely new level.


    A hundred meters in radius, the oval hall was more like an indoor piazza. The walls were actually hexagonal with six silver surfaces. The hall itself was divided into two sections; one section was where they were standing at. The floor was covered with glowing blue circles which were so orderly arranged. Hao Ren was standing right on top one of them. The other section was completely empty except for a few pillars which rose from the floor to the dome, more than 10 meters above the ground. As Hao Ren¡¯s eyes climbed the pillars, he saw 1000 streams of blue light on the dome. He recalled having seen such a thing before in Raven 12345¡¯s mansion¡ªa Crystalline Conduit System used in large structures for energy conduction.


    It was the very first thing he saw since his arrival at Kuiper Station.


    ¡°Are we in¡­ outside the earth?¡± For some reason, Hao Ren could not cough up the words for where they were. He just could not believe his eyes and he jumped for joy. ¡°It feels earth-like here¡ªthe gravity, the air, the temperature and everything¡¯s just so familiar. Except, the air is fresher than back home.¡±


    ¡°Stop acting like a bumpkin.¡± The MDT sounded in his mind. ¡°Come on, you¡¯re an inspector, servant of a goddess and the ambassador of an empire. You¡¯re the face that¡¯s representing a high and mighty civilization. If you keep jumping like that, you¡¯re going to drop me out of your pocket.¡±


    Hao Ren knew that the MDT was only concerned about that last part. The rest was just crap.


    ¡°The empire¡¯s standard environmental parameters apply here. Most species from the empire have no problems adapting to this atmospheric environment. There are a small number of exceptions who must undergo temporary, physical alterations or carry a small atmospheric device. ¡°Not forgetting its duty, the MDT explained everything patiently. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you can¡¯t grasp the idea. Just think of it this way: most people on Earth have no problem staying in this temperate region but, people from Africa for example, would have to wear wadded jackets all the time if they¡¯re here, sort of.¡±


    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s idiot-proof. I¡¯m speechless.¡±


    ¡°Artificial gravity, artificial atmosphere and a self-sustaining ecosystem are what the space port needs.¡± The MDT sneaked out from Hao Ren¡¯s pocket and led them using a holographic arrow. ¡°Although it¡¯s just a transit point, this space port is enormous. After all, God placed a teleportation point on earth. This place is undoubtedly heaven¡¯s communication room. Now, follow the arrow and leave the teleportation platform. If you guys hog it or sway into the other one, it¡¯ll put unnecessary pressure on the diversion host computer. While it may not cause any major problems, you have to lead by example. Be civilized. And do not hog the system. Everyone here is looking up to you.¡±


    Hao Ren felt a little pressure because the PDA sounded dead serious. ¡°Am I really that important?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes and no,¡± the MDT replied. ¡°In the eyes of normal species, an inspector is special, dependable, respected, resented, feared or of any other qualities. Sometime you would be treated like a savior. Other times, you would be cursed to hell, with every single intelligent being within the vicinity of a few hundred light-years wishing you dead¡ªyou really don¡¯t know what you¡¯ll get into. But, don¡¯t worry about that. All you got to do is mind your own business. Being the inspector you are now, I bet you won¡¯t be meeting them.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded continuously as he listened. Nearby, Nangong Wuyue had no idea what was going on. She did not care as she was captivated by the strange and silver, white hall. Despite being a little amazed, Y¡¯zaks was totally cool. Obviously, he had seen all these things before. Due to this, he had a more thorough observation than Nangong Wuyue could have. The trio left the teleportation platform. As they moved on, Hao Ren noticed that the circles around them would occasionally glow brighter. The cylindrical space within the circles would warp for a very brief moment and then, some blurry images would flash across the illuminated circles. However, no-one appeared from it. He was curious and asked, ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s teleportation transit,¡± the MDT replied. ¡°The sole relay node between the Dan-Dwyn Civilization Sphere and Morbec Civilization Sphere. It¡¯s also a relay circuit to World¡¯s Gate Starfield. This relay node lessens the load on the teleportation equipment and eases the workload of the Space Administration. Many travelers transit through this place in a flash, like what you¡¯ve just seen. You three may be the only travelers to transit in-station today. In fact this space port is rather deserted. Despite it¡¯s enormous scale, most zones run on automated systems. In fact, the volume of traffic here isn¡¯t low in any sense. Most are just in-transit or on short-stops. Few crew are needed here. Don¡¯t be surprise if you can¡¯t see anyone here. As massive as this space port is, all it needs is just a few hundred personnel and all of them are situated in the central control tower.¡±


    Hao Ren tried to wrap his head around it but, he understood none of it.

 Chapter 122

    They followed the directions given by the MDT. Hao Ren¡¯s eyes were busily darting about like some country bumpkin. Yet, he managed to keep his gracelessness unnoticed. After they left the teleportation platform, they moved to the other section of the hall where the silver, white columns stood. In front of every column was a floating, round crystal plate which emanated a bluish, white glow. The glow would intensify every time Hao Ren came closer to it. As he did, he would hear a crisp sound like that of a wind chime in his head.


    ¡°Focus your mind on the plate,¡± the MDT suggested. ¡°It¡¯s interface is limb-free and brainwave-activated. It was designed with species that have no hands and legs in mind.¡±


    Hao Ren did not care about how things worked around the place. He was not interested. He just went along. As he focused his mind on the plate, the sound of wind chimes resonated at an even higher pitch, like his phone ringtone. Then, the column before him lit up. A light curtain popped up. It warped and flickered a bit before a tall and slender young lady emerged from it.


    She was a fair-skinned, tall, slender and beautiful lady. She donned a strange-looking, light green dress which was probably made of smooth leather.


    ¡°Hi, how are you?¡± The young lady was very polite as she bowed to address Hao Ren. ¡°I¡¯m your guide at Station No. 10. Are you Mr. Inspector?¡±


    Hao Ren was in a daze. ¡°Ehh.. ya! By the way, I was wondering, you look like a human!¡±


    But he quickly realized he made a mistake; he was being rude. The MDT kept nudging his arm however, he was sincere. He was curious about this lady: he heard about Kuiper Station being manned by some alien species. His mental picture was that of little, green people roaming around in their little spacecrafts. But, she was nothing like of them. She was almost human and best of all, she was beautiful. He was totally blown away. Where were the little, green people?


    ¡°I come from the Mosa Morbec Civilization Sphere.¡± The young lady was not offended. She kept a professional smile as she introduced herself. ¡°We do share a similar look with humans in the solar system but then again, don¡¯t most intelligent beings have the same kind of look?¡±


    The MDT quickly spoke into Hao Ren¡¯s mind, ¡°Haven¡¯t you realized that Madam Raven also looks human? I tell you what, it was the result of information disturbance. The original one who existed in the void had the exact same image. After that, information disturbance spread over to subsequent universes which came after it. More than half of the intelligent beings evolved into humans or humanoids as a result. The legend that man was made in the image of God originated from this. So, for the same reason, werewolves, vampires, sirens and even demons have a complete set of limbs.¡±


    Out of everything the MDT said, only one thing stood out. ¡°What¡¯s information disturbance?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s something beyond your understanding.¡± The MDT sounded cocky but still, it kept on explaining, ¡°In simple words, it¡¯s the Extension Theory of the Grand Unified Theory. According to the Grand Unified Theory, everything in the universe is constructed out of information. There is no boundary between material and energy, abstract and tangible. Information is the raw ingredient of materials, quality, temperature, density, hardness and colors which forms things. Everything from a molecule to an entire universe is a holograph. This is the Grand Unified Theory. Based on this theory, an information disturbance powerful enough, could exert a surreal influence over an entire universe or even several universes. Think of what would happen if you have a high powered magnet in the field? When the oldest celestials chose their appearance, more than half of the world was influenced. Since then, the human template became widespread. Feeling dizzy? Good. Let¡¯s get back to business.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded but his mind went blank. He thought it was best not to delve into the topic anymore. Aliens could have whatever appearance they liked. After all, it was God who decided everything including their skin color for free but, without consultation¡­


    The guide was waited patiently as Hao Ren¡¯s thoughts drifted into space. Then, she broke silence. ¡°Now, shall I bring you to your connecting flight? We have a space vessel docked and ready for you at Connection Port No. 4.¡±


    ¡°Oh ya, let¡¯s go.¡± Hao Ren nodded as he began to return from space.


    The guide smiled as she raised her hand and made some weird gestures. Suddenly, Hao Ren felt a sense of weightlessness. His surroundings began to warp and wrap around him before he reappeared in a long and wide corridor.


    ¡°Whoa, that was amazing! They even use spatial shifts to move around here.¡± Nangong Wuyue sounded really impressed.


    ¡°Not really. Only for cross-zone movement,¡± the guide explained. ¡°Kuiper Station¡¯s a discreet space port which was built along the asteroid belt. It¡¯s divided into several zones. There once was a huge asteroid but it disintegrated for some unknown reason. The remnants of the asteroid which stayed closely together became the perfect base for the space port. The space port complexes are scattered on some of the bigger chunks and connected via guide-beams or connecting walls. You¡¯ll see them once I open the shutters. You¡¯re now walking on the external corridor, where you can glimpse at 60% of the space port.¡±


    As the guide explained, she touched the corridor wall slightly with her hand. A very minor but discernible vibration could be felt under their feet. Then, the alloy wall slowly came down. To Hao Ren¡¯s amazement, there was another transparent layer of barrier behind the wall. It was not solid but more like a kind of energy shield.


    But before this happened, something else caught Hao Ren¡¯s attention. ¡°Do you two understand each other?¡±


    He was in awe as he pointed at Nangong Wuyue and the guide.


    He was sure as hell that the guide was not speaking any earth language. Since Nangong Wuyue had just arrived at his home, it was unlikely that she would have any translation plug-in with her. Nonetheless, somehow the two were able to communicate. He was flabbergasted.


    ¡°What do you think Madam Raven was doing when she appeared in Nangong¡¯s dreams for half a month? Just to say hello and goodnight?¡± said the MDT. ¡°Because the siren was such a laggard, Madam Raven had to make alterations on her by appearing in her dreams. To the goddess, this is just a small feat.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my god!¡± Nangong Wuyue held her head in horror. ¡°What did you guys do to my head?¡±


    Hao Ren was startled. He knew Raven 12345 was reckless but, he did not expect the goddess was such a kamikaze. No normal human being would be able to comprehend her sense of logic.


    For Hao Ren, the real fuss was: why did he have to lie in the bioenhancement coffin when clearly, Raven had such an efficient way to achieve the same thing?


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± Seeing that Nangong Wuyue was on the verge of tears, Hao Ren moved closer and tried to comfort her. ¡°She just implanted some foreign language skill in your head. Hey, you¡¯re so much luckier than us, you know. We all laid in that casket just to get some gadgets like yours.¡±


    Nanyong Wuyue was puzzled.


    Suddenly, a broadcast interrupted their conversation. ¡°Attention, please. The corridor shutters are about to open. The corridor shutters are about to open. Those with kids please, hold on to them. Those who have heart disease please, have your medication on standby. Those who have a phobia of open spaces please, turn away from the lookout window. Thank you for your cooperation. We are only a small time business. We will not be able to respond to any kind of complaints.¡±


    Hao Ren was left speechless.


    ¡°Well, the station master is a funny guy.¡± The guide smiled awkwardly. ¡°He likes to prank people.¡±


    Hao Ren did not say a thing. His eyes were on the view outside.


    The boundless, deep space was just outside the window. Kuiper Station was scattered throughout several zones and floated around in the dark. Just as the guide had described, the space port was built on asteroids which were close enough with each other to form what looked like a group of islands. The buildings were alloy structures of silvery white or silvery grey but, no two buildings were the same. Every single one of them was custom-built based on the size of the asteroid. The remnants of the asteroid belt would have drifted away into deep space on their own if not for the bright guiding-beam or gigantic alloy wall which held them together, forming a loose structure.


    Kuiper Station dotted the space like an island chain. It was bigger then what Hao Ren had imagined.


    ¡°The dock is just behind us, shrouded by a protective, alloy shield. So, it isn¡¯t visible from here.¡± The guide touched the lookout window and the shutters rolled up slowly, closing the window. ¡°Let¡¯s move. Your departure is soon approaching.¡±


    Hao Ren knew he had to leave and he would have another chance for a revisit. He dragged Nangong Wuyue, who was still clinging onto the lookout window along with him and followed the guide closely. They hustled past a long stretch of corridor with many twists and turns before they arrived at the dock, Connection Port Number 4.


    ¡°Holy moly¡­¡±


    Despite a conscious effort not to overreact, Hao Ren could not hold himself back when he stepped into Connection Port Number 4.


    ¡°This place is absolutely massive!¡±


    The connection port was rectangular in shape. Everything there was in a mammoth scale. Hao Ren had a hard time gauging how long, how high or high wide the dock was. The whole dock was constructed of silver, white alloy. There were pieces of large equipment at one end where a gate and personnel platform were at. Whereas, the other end stretched outwards towards the open space where millions, if not billions, of bright stars could be seen. It did not take long for Hao Ren to realize that the open end was actually shielded by some kind of protective barrier before he could worry about being sucked out into the void.


    Waiting on the dock was a light blue space vessel.


    Beneath the spacecraft, people were busy at work. Hao Ren let out a long sigh for at long last, he finally saw the little, green people.

 Chapter 123

    A gigantic space ship floated at the dock. The scene was so surreal, Hao Ren reckoned that he did not have to watch Hollywood sci-fi movies anymore.


    It was rather hard to measure the enormous scale of the ship with his eyes alone. Its total length was that of a mountain range. The ship was adorned with a sky blue emblem. Beneath it, a faint, base coat of grey and silver was visible. Hao Ren was not sure if the spacecraft was already originally like that or it was the result of many rounds of modification and refitting. The ship itself was shaped like a wedge. The tapering of its body was smooth and along the body, one could see converging lines that demarcated the different parts of the ship. Much like the catamarans on Earth, it had four parts instead of the usual two. The larger body of the ship was facing the connecting pier of the dock while the smaller part was facing the exit. Beyond it, a sea of stars glittered brightly. A series of light nodes were flashing across to broadcast messages. Against the dark space, they appeared like fireflies dancing about in the night.


    Under the belly of the spacecraft, four massive, metallic beams connected it to the dock (Hao Ren was pretty sure they were not steel.) The platform on the beams were made of some translucent, crystalline mesh. It was almost like those see-through glass bridges, only this was in space. Faint glows emanated from the beams as though they were interfacing with the outer body of the spacecraft.


    ¡°Those are gravitational docking equipment.¡± The guide explained as she could tell this was probably the first time Hao Ren had seen this sort of thing. ¡°The beams are part of the equipment to hold docking ships in place. They also serve as accelerator catapults or docking navigation aid for older types of ships. As you can see, there are not many civilizations in this universe that have advanced spacefaring technology.¡± Her explanation was concise and as professional as one could get.


    Hao Ren nodded and returned his gaze to the entry or exit way of the dock. He then caught sight of other ships slowly making their way towards the dock. The guide also noticed his gaze and added, ¡°This is a large, interstellar relay station and the ships you see are either leaving or entering the dock. The dock is manned by highly advanced A.I and you can see hundreds of ships passing through every day.


    Hao Ren gasped. He pointed towards the spacecraft in front of him. ¡°How big is this actually? It looks like a ¡­ space fortress¡­¡±


    ¡°Actually, it is not big at all.¡± The guide smiled. ¡°It¡¯s a civilian, dual-use transport craft. Among the ships registered, it is considered a medium-sized ship. The total length of the ship is 3.2 kilometers and it is equipped with a basic extended cargo hold. For some of the early civilizations, this could be considered a giant spacecraft but¡­ for you people, is it really that big?¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned for a moment and he could not figure out what ¡°for you people¡± actually meant. It took him a good few seconds to realize his position: An employee of the Xi Ling Empire¡¯s Space Administration. While he was still a newbie, this was only apparent within the organization itself. For outsiders, there were no differences between a newbie or veteran inspector. The guide probably saw Hao Ren as an important person from the Space Administration. It then dawned on him that his duty to preserve the Empire¡¯s name was a big one and he nodded solemnly. ¡°Yes, but of course, I¡¯m not comparing it to the ones in the Empire¡­¡±


    The MDT rumbled in his head, ¡°Keep the act up, will you. You probably haven¡¯t seen anything from the Empire that can fly aside from me.¡±


    ¡°I have. Raven 12345¡¯s manor. Not only can it fly, it can do so upside down.¡±


    The MDT kept silent.


    By then, the guide had taken out a device and activated it, probably to send a signal to the other workers in the dock. She beckoned Hao Ren to follow her. ¡°I¡¯ll be taking my leave after you see the captain.¡±


    Hao Ren followed the guide. He looked down towards the docking area and saw a bunch of people on the platform. They seemed like dockworkers from where he stood. The small group there pretty much encapsulated Hao Ren¡¯s imagination of aliens. There were humans like him in the group and also hairy, dwarfish creatures. There was one with a weird, glass helmet on. In it was some form of aquatic being while another two, were gnomish creatures with dark green skin. He took a deep breath upon seeing them. He finally met aliens from outer space. He could not grasp the feeling of actually stepping into the vast galaxy until now¡­


    While the bunch of people looked all weird to him, Hao Ren noticed that all of them donned a similar jumpsuit with a triangular emblem embossed on the chest area. It was the same emblem that he saw on the spacecraft he would be traveling on and surmised that they were probably the crew. The guide led Hao Ren to greet them. After that, they stood before a giant man with a playful grin on his face. ¡°Captain, I¡¯ve brought your guests here. I¡¯ll leave them in your good hands.


    ¡°Right,¡± the captain answered. He was a big person with a squarish face which matched his frame. His shirt looked like it would rip apart at any time. He seemed to be very familiar with the guide as he smiled at her. ¡°Tell old Lavaer, I¡¯ll be coming back with a better bottle next time and tell him to prepare his wallet for a beating.¡±


    The guide giggled as she bowed. As she turned around, a slight distortion in space occurred and she was gone.


    ¡°So¡­ you three are the guests, huh?¡± The captain looked at the trio. ¡°Uh.. may I know who is Sir Inspector again?¡±


    Hao Ren had never been called ¡°Sir¡± in his entire life and was taken aback by it. He quickly nodded. ¡°I am. So¡­ is there any pre-boarding procedure I need to follow?¡±


    ¡°You are on duty so, once you have verified your ID, we can do without all those pen-pushing nonsense,¡± said the captain as he raised his hand, signaling the crew to allow the three to board. In his other hand, was a device which had a blue glow on its screen. ¡°Scan your ID here¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, the MDT flew out of Hao Ren¡¯s pocket. ¡°I¡¯m here. Lets get on with it.¡±


    Hao Ren could not even react as the MDT made its way to the captain and hovered over the scanner. A loud beep rang out a moment later to signify that his ID was verified.


    Now that¡¯s a first; a self-collecting, self-verifying ticket!


    ¡°Ahem, so Sir Inspector and his assistants, welcome on board.¡± The captain smiled as he showed them the way towards the boarding platform. ¡°Interstellar Express Company Spacecraft Number 883 wishes you a pleasant journey.¡±


    Wuyue was the first to leap onto the platform. ¡°Come on!¡± She waved at the rest.


    Hao Ren simply followed the crowd in a daze after completing his pre-boarding verification. The platform then ferried them into the entry way, located at the underbelly of the ship. After floating about in a maze of pathways and storerooms for a while, they finally came to a wide, empty room. There, the captain mouthed his orders into the communication interface, ¡°Alright, send the signal to the control tower. We are taking off!¡±


    ¡°How long do you reckon we¡¯ll take to get there?¡± Hao Ren just realized that he did not ask about the duration of the journey. He had no idea how 800 light years would work in terms of space travel. It finally registered that he was about to travel at light speed for the first time in his life. ¡°It may sound odd to you but, this is the first time I¡¯m boarding a spacecraft¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fine,.I heard of it from above,¡± the captain said as he shook Hao Ren¡¯s hand with a mighty grip. The latter¡¯s bones could clearly be heard popping under the grip. ¡°Will take you about a day. You can just rest in your cabin until we arrive. This girl here is one of the best beauties you can find in this part of the galaxy; seven years running. Oh right, you can call me 883¡­¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s dumbfounded face said it all. ¡°¡­ 883? Isn¡¯t that your ship¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°I named her after me, silly.¡± The captain named 883 laughed. ¡°It¡¯s a tradition where I come from. A man should have his own ship with his own name. Our life is on the boat and the boat is our life, much like a second wife.¡±


    Hao Ren was at a loss for words.


    He thought that the captain had something misconstrued at first but, he knew that different societies have different traditions that wildly differ from Earth and he left it at that.


    The three of them were then led to their cabins by a member of the crew. To Hao Ren¡¯s surprise, it was almost like a studio suite with four bedrooms. Even though the interior design and the items in there were odd by human standards, Hao Ren could pretty much guess their usage from a glance. His conscience bit at him and he asked gingerly, ¡°Don¡¯t think these rooms were specially prepared for us ,yeah?¡±


    ¡°No, this is your standard first class cabin.¡± The crew member who was led them spoke. The man was a dark skinned, dwarf-like alien youth with a very serious look on his face. ¡°This ship is a both a passenger and cargo craft. The starboard area D6 to D17 is purposely built for carriage of passengers. We also have a few luxurious suites for more discerning passengers. In fact, a good number of rooms were built for your typical carbon-based life form¡­but somehow, the cap¡¯n derped out during the license application. So, we haven¡¯t had a passenger before, much less a passenger service department but, at the very least, please believe me when I say that the rooms are more than adequately equipped¡­¡±


    Hao Ren could only look on in silence.

 Chapter 124

    Hao Ren had a gut feeling that he should not be putting his trust in Raven 12345 to arrange a proper interstellar journey. However, Wuyue and Y¡¯zaks clearly did not share the same sentiment. The great demon and the siren quickly selected their places to bunk and dumped their luggage there. They approached Hao Ren to discuss what to do next. Y¡¯zaks had a fine idea of playing Landlord, a game he just learned about recently¡­


    Neither Hao Ren nor Wuyue really wanted to spend their first interstellar voyage playing a card game so, both of them turned to the MDT. ¡°Recommend something nice for us to do now.¡±


    The MDT then connected itself to one of the data ports in the cabin and generated a holographic image. ¡°You can see what¡¯s going on outside before we jump into light speed. We¡¯re still within the asteroid belt for now. The ship will soon be turning into an area clean of debris. There will only be the darkness of space after that.¡±


    Hao Ren noticed that the hologram showed the outside of the spaceship. The images must have come from the various cameras and sensors outside the ship. He caught sight of a gigantic metal platform being deployed on the far side of the asteroid belt. Whereas, the ones originating from the dock were being retracted back into the station. Two big pillars of light then beamed out from a pyramid-shaped tower along the side of the ship. According to the MDT, it was a navigating beam used to guide the course of ship.


    ¡°I thought the asteroids would be much, much closer to each other,¡± Hao Ren said as he stared at the vast space at the edge of the image. ¡°Why aren¡¯t there any near the station at all?¡±


    ¡°The galaxy is a very, very big place and the distance of asteroids is similar to the vastness that comes with it,¡± the MDT explained. ¡°In most circumstances, two asteroids would be at least tens of thousands of kilometers apart from each other. Unless there is a celestial body nearby that went supernova, you won¡¯t see asteroid fields like the ones you see in Star Wars, where the space fighters weave in and out of the asteroids. Kuiper Station was built after the fragmentation of one of these celestial bodies and it used the asteroid field as a foundation. Outside of the station however, it¡¯ll definitely be an empty space. Stray asteroids or space debris would be removed from time to time. With the station being a busy place as it is, what do you think would happen if a ship runs into a stray rock?¡±


    Hao Ren realized that he had much, much more to learn and nodded as he listened intently. Wuyue who was staring at the scenery outside then asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t we feel anything when the ship accelerated?¡±


    ¡°Internal Inertia Stabilization my dear.¡± The MDT was surprisingly patient this time around. ¡°All ships that can accelerate up to light speed come equipped with some sort of inertia stabilization device. This is to maintain a bubble that is separate from the outside world or as some means to absorb the inertia. Simply put, your position now is pretty much in a separate dimension or else, all of you would be meat paste when the ship hits light speed¡­¡±


    Wuyue happily nodded. ¡°Oh, didn¡¯t understand a thing though.¡±


    ¡°What the h*ck are you so happy about then?¡±


    At this time, Hao Ren spotted another bright illumination from the edge of the image. The cameras quickly panned over to the same direction. He saw another wedge-shaped spacecraft come out from a nearby dock. Her heat vents were slowly turning red. It was rather obvious that she was going into hyper-acceleration mode soon.


    Hao Ren had yet to digest the volume of traffic that the station processed when he heard Captain 883¡¯s gruff voice from the speakers. ¡°Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls and our most honored guests, please turn to the camera in Zone C-15. The spacecraft there is from the Fairy Void Corporation: the high speed cargo craft, KN-03. She¡¯s our top most competitor in this part of the galaxy. She seems poised to do a short-range hyper-acceleration and engage her hyperspace engine to let us eat dust. Please, hold on to your children tightly right after this broadcast. We are going to beat them!¡±


    ¡°F*********ck!¡± Hao Ren exclaimed.


    Just as the word left his mouth, the cabin shook violently. It was not the kind that happened during normal acceleration but, more akin to an earthquake. Clearly, the entire spacecraft structure was straining under the stress. Hao Ren did not dare imagine what sort of contraption that meatbag of a captain had activated. From the holographic projection, he saw multiple flashes of radiant light and the heat vents underneath the ship screamed a hot white. Such was the heat and tremors that the whole thing started to turn blurry. At the bottom of the projection, Hao Ren could see that the spacecraft was hurtling towards a red trail of light at almost light speed. A trail of red and blue light shimmered in the horizon.


    Finally, another loud crash followed the spacecraft. The illegal acceleration had come to an end. The monitors now showed only darkness outside and the ship¡¯s hyperspace engine was engaged, creating a dimensional bubble for the ship to travel at light speed. The time it exits said bubble, they would have arrived at their destination.


    The speakers ranged again. ¡°Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls and our most honored guests, the hyper-acceleration has been completed perfectly. We have once again proven Spacecraft Number 883¡¯s superb capabilities. Now, I will be passing the controls to the main autopilot system. I wish you a pleasant journey. At this point, I will be going into a 24 hour solitary confinement as per the law and pay the fines from the Imperial Hyperspace Travel Authority. Good bye, for now.¡±


    Hao Ren, Wuyue and Y¡¯zaks stared at each other for a good while before bursting into laughter. The MDT also quipped. ¡°Why do I only come across weirdos after meeting you?¡±


    Hao Ren had no response to that and followed Wuyue to fiddle around with the weird contraptions in the room.


    It did not take long for him to get bored of it. Advanced technology naturally led to things being simplified. Even the high-tech MDT of his could be operated by Lily or Vivian through thought alone. Most of the gadgets in the ship were also operated by highly advanced AI with an extremely simplified guiding principle. Most of them could be operated by thought alone and even the more complicated ones could easily be explained by the MDT. The fun of tinkering disappeared rather quickly.


    ¡°It¡¯s a craft for civilian use after all,¡± Y¡¯zaks said as he beckoned them towards him. ¡°I heard that every universe has many intelligent races and with the vastness of the void, the way one race perceives things would definitely differ from the other. As such, those in charge of creating and researching tools for daily use would try to simplify things. Some even come with tutorials, hands-on at that. Some are even more advanced; you just tell it what you want and it¡¯ll do whatever is needed.¡±


    The MDT suddenly sprang out of Hao Ren¡¯s pocket and it¡¯s voice beamed with pride. ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m just like that. But, my access is limited to civilian areas or decommissioned military items. Anything more advanced would not be so simple.¡±


    The three of them were bored by then and Wuyue wanted to explore the ship to see how an alien spacecraft actually looked like. It did not take more than 30 minutes for her to be sent back to the room. Not because she had went into an off-limits area. The poor lass got loss the moment she stepped out of the passenger cabin. The inner parts of the ship was almost a labyrinth, with odd signs here and there that lead to nowhere. If it was not for some personnel who were stationed at important parts of the ship, the siren would have probably walked into the boiler room and turned into dried fish.


    ¡­Guess you could call it a wanderer¡¯s ability?


    For the sake of doing something during his maiden interstellar travel as well as Y¡¯zaks suggesting it for the second time, the three of them started playing Landlord¡­


    ¡­Until the ship entered the orbit of an Earth-like planet.

 Chapter 125

    Boundless space; a blue and green planet floated alone in the endless darkness. A light blue spaceship, which suddenly appeared on the planet¡¯s orbit broke the silent scene.


    The spacecraft emerged from a space bubble and the curvature engine¡¯s safety component began to stabilize the turbulence caused by superluminal velocity. The radiator grid of the spaceship emitted a glowing, white light. It looked like it needed some time to cool down before it could sail again. Three of them were sleeping in their rooms. At that moment, a broadcast announcement woke them up.


    ¡°So, this is our destination?¡± Hao Ren asked as he rubbed his sleepy eyes and walked out of the room. He saw the MDT floating in the living room and producing a holographic image. The image showed them a blue and green Earth-like planet. ¡°¡­The biosphere there is so developed?!¡±


    ¡°Very much Earth-like, with complex life forms and carbon-based ecosystems which have evolved to the stage of mammalian exuberance. Intelligent species groups have not yet emerged. Temperature, atmospheric structure, gravity are suitable for short-term human survival but, the atmospheric oxygen content is higher than the earth¡¯s, thus containing micro-toxicity. A long-term stay there will cause many physiological diseases.¡± The MDT was relaying the contents of the planetary bulletin downloaded from the ship¡¯s mainframe. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not a big problem for the three of you. With your current physique, you guys can ignore these effects.¡±


    Hao Ren came forward to keep the MDT. At the same time, he heard a crew member¡¯s voice coming from the direction of the cabin door. ¡°Sir, we¡¯ve arrived.¡±


    Hao Ren opened the door and realized it was the same dark,lean young man, who led them the way before. He was still wearing a slightly restrained smile on his face. ¡°The captain was supposed to personally take the three of you onto the landing,but, he¡¯s in the brig, copying the traffic law. So, I¡¯ll take you to the surface of the planet.¡±


    Hao Ren remained silent.


    Such a huge ship could not have, of course, descend directly onto the surface of the planet. Even if it could land, it would have taken too much energy to get back up. Therefore, the three of them had to switch to a small landing craft in order to land. The landing craft, which looked like a triangular plate, needed only one person to pilot. It was ideal for transporting a small number of passengers or small cargo between the planet and the mother ship. The three of them counted their carry-on baggage and followed the young crew member aboard the ¡®little plane¡¯. The moment the small craft detached from the mother ship¡¯s garage, Hao Ren finally fulfilled his dream of experiencing the sense of weightlessness. The small craft was not equipped with an artificial gravity device. Once it left the comfortable environment of the mother ship, the occupants inside felt the real sense of being in space.


    ¡°Our technology is still primitive. There is no way to install the artificial gravity generator on this little plane,¡± the young man said with a smile. ¡°It is said that the demoted military fighters and small transport aircraft of retired Imperial servants, were armed with miniature gravity generators. Our captain is trying to get some back but it¡¯s not easy.¡±


    ¡°What are you guys going to do with that stuff?¡± The MDT floated in the cramped cabin of the landing craft and asked the question without a second thought. ¡°After the demolition of the weapons, they will only be ordinary shuttles which can only accommodate a few people and they don¡¯t even have a hold. Other than the fast speed and stronger shield, there¡¯s nothing else useful. Yet, the price is damn expensive. Other than looking fashionable and trendy, the small gravity generators are useless. The value of price over performance is almost zero.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it is the style value.¡± The young man shrugged and continued, ¡°Our captain believes that it doesn¡¯t matter whether it¡¯s useful or not. Just buy it. You see, this ship doesn¡¯t even have a passenger license, but still, he¡¯s prepared 20 sightseeing shuttles.¡±


    Hao Ren found it odd and said, ¡°¡­ That uncle is quite interesting.¡±


    The shuttle flew for a while in a weightless environment and began to approach the dense atmosphere of the planet. After a thrilling deceleration, it finally landed smoothly on the point indicated by the MDT: a rocky plateau next to the shoreline.


    ¡°So, you guys are leaving now, right?¡± Hao Ren carried a small suitcase and stepped on the ground of the alien planet for the first time in his life. A thought occurred to him before he could breathe in some fresh air. ¡°How can I get back?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡± The young cabin crew member stood on the shuttle ramp and said, ¡°The order we received was to send you here. The return should be arranged by the Empire.¡± He shrugged and continued, ¡°We are just a private company and the agent¡¯s activity is a secret that we are not prying into.¡±


    After saying this, the crew member walked back into the shuttle. Then, the shuttle silently lifted up into the sky in front of Hao Ren. It turned into a streamer and rapidly disappeared into the horizon.


    ¡°I have a bad feeling¡­¡± Hao Ren felt cold sweat began to seep slowly from his neck. ¡°Do you think that the crazy woman actually won¡¯t arrange a return trip for us¡­? Will she forget about it?¡±


    Crack!


    The moment he finished his sentence, a loud bang reverberated from the sky. Hao Ren was frightened by the clear sound of thunder and almost fell to the ground. ¡°The heck, this goddess¡¯ punishments are everywhere and never late!¡±


    ¡°Tsk¡­¡± When the MDT saw that the thunder just gave Hao Ren a fright and did not really strike him, he answered Hao Ren in a slightly disappointed tone. ¡°Send a message to Chief Raven after the task is complete. She will arrange the next trip.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Hao Ren was finally relieved and leisurely observed his surroundings.


    The three of them were at the seaside. There was an ocean on Hao Ren¡±s right-hand side. The waves were rolling endlessly. The sound of rushing waves lapped the primeval coastline. There was the setting sun at the end of the sea¡¯s horizon. The stars there were smaller than those seen on Earth but, their brightness seemed to be more intense, which formed a distinctive yet beautiful evening view. On Hao Ren¡¯s left-hand side, there was a gravel beach with a width of up to one kilometer. The ground was littered with brown, coarse gravel. Some kind of fibrous matter that looked like dried plants could be seen between the rubble.


    At the end of the gravel beach was a lush primeval jungle. They could hear the faint roar of wild beasts coming from the depths of the jungle.


    Nangong Wuyue looked curiously at the scene before her. The slightly cool sea breeze blowing on her face seemed to make her feel relaxed. The siren girl narrowed her eyes, enjoyed it for a while and said, ¡°Can¡¯t believe this is how the alien planet looks like¡­ I thought it would look like the scene in movies where it was just barren soil and a lot of craters.¡±


    ¡°Most of the planets look just like that but, honestly, that¡¯s all meaningless.¡± The MDT projected a hologram and showed them an expanding 3D scan image. ¡°The universe is so vast. The number of universes are so many that you can find almost any kind of wonder you can think of or never even expect. When I was in the production line, I dreamed to be a starship host, follow the glorious general of the Empire to the battlefield and fight in various wonderful planets. Heck, I only found out that I was a PDA when the serial number was issued¡­ Sigh, let¡¯s not recall the sad past. You guys should set up a camp.¡±


    Hao Ren was busy admiring the primeval scenery of the planet while waiting for the MDT to tell him the tenant¡¯s coordinates. When he heard it, he paused and asked, ¡°Camp? Aren¡¯t we going to look for the tenant first?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, can¡¯t you see the sun is almost gone!¡± The MDT turned off the holographic projection and slipped into Hao Ren¡¯s pocket. ¡°The container we¡¯re looking for seems to be out of order. It¡¯s no longer emitting location signals. I have to slowly expand the scanning range. I can only detect its location tomorrow morning. Before that, you guys better find a place to spend the night. I have to remind you that this primitive planet may be a little dangerous. It may not be a big threat to you but, it is not fun to get chased after by primitive creatures the entire night.¡±


    The MDT irresponsibly left them behind. Hao Ren and his two ¡®assistants¡¯ looked at each other, then asked, ¡°Anyone know how to set up camp¡­ No, we don¡¯t even have a tent!¡±


    ¡°I can just soak in the sea.¡± Nangong Wuyue waved without a care. However, she turned back after just walking two steps. ¡°Forget it. I don¡¯t know if the fish on this planet are more powerful than the fish on Earth. As a siren, it would be a disgrace to be eaten by alien fish.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks looked around the terrain and said, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s nothing difficult. You two, step back. I¡¯ll smash a pit and lay a circle of demon flames around it. Ordinary animals would surely not dare to come near¡­¡±


    Hao Ren stopped him in a hurry and said, ¡°Don¡¯t. Just use those flames to make a bonfire. That¡¯ll do. There¡¯s really no need to smash a big hole in this beautiful scenery just to shield us from the sea breeze, especially with a meteorite¡­¡±

 Chapter 126

    The trio found shade under a huge rock where they could camp for the night.


    There was a water source just behind the rock. The rock was greyish brown in color and it stood on the rock-filled beach like a small hill. A recess in the rock formed by natural erosion was a perfect shade. It kept them from the frigid night wind. Plus, as the recess faced the jungle, they had an easy view of the situation in the jungle, even though there was actually nothing they had to worry about the jungle. Y¡¯zaks created a fire wall using his demonic runes along the outside perimeter. The strange-looking, evil, green fire would scare off most predators.


    As they finally settled in, Hao Ren realized how thoughtful the vampire maiden was. As he opened his luggage, he found PVC fabric and a blanket in every suitcase as if the vampire knew they were going to sleep out in the open. He felt so touched yet so sad: the vampire maiden probably went through an unimaginable hardship in her life which made her as considerate as she was.


    Because of the frigid night wind on the planet, Y¡¯zaks made a bonfire nearby. The three of them sat there and began filling up their stomachs as they recalled their amazing journey that day. Hao Ren was the first to speak his mind¡ªhe felt like he was an outcast.


    ¡°Honestly, I feel like I¡¯ve been shortchanged.¡± His face looked sad like he was heart-broken. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t people who serve the goddess be entitled to some kind of privileges that come with the job? You know what, aside from traveling expenses, Raven 12345 has given me nothing. Everything else is on me. If not for Y¡¯zaks, I would have had to learn bow drill fire starting¡­¡±


    Y¡¯zaks smiled guilelessly. ¡°So, you mean I¡¯m a walking lighter?¡±


    ¡°Stop pretending,¡± the MDT mumbled as it laid on Hao Ren¡¯s lap, playing a movie. ¡°You¡¯ve got pretty good benefits. Look, I¡¯m already moonlighting as your personal TV. Aren¡¯t you satisfied? By the way, can¡¯t you have better taste? A low-budget thriller? C¡¯mon, this is a holographic display¡­ Ahh, that chubby guy, he¡¯s the villain.¡±


    A PDA with its own sense of aesthetics, a PDA that wants a say in which movie to play and leaks spoilers ¡ªit even tagged the masterminds from the beginning to the end. It was anti-human and anti-climactic.


    ¡°How interesting is it to watch TV together with your TV?¡± Nangong Wuyue looked on with amusement while Hao Ren and the MDT bickered. She had lots of fun ever since she met Hao Ren. The best part of it all was, she could go on an interstellar travel. And she had made up her mind that she was going to stay at Hao Ren¡¯s house.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s curiosity was aroused when he saw Nangong Wuyue facing the fire light with something in her hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s a kind of a conch but, it doesn¡¯t look like this on Earth. It has valves on its shell, many of them.¡± Nangong Wuyue waved the white, cone-shaped object in her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s see if I can turn it into a musical instrument.¡±


    In just a brief moment, Nangong Wuyue turned the conch, which she picked up from god-knows-where into a horn. She put it to her mouth and started to blow air into it. It sounded like an awful whistle. She kept fine-tuning it and it finally gave out a sweet sound.


    Hao Ren was in awe of her musical sense and ability. He felt that his understanding of the siren needed some updates. He shoved the MDT back into his pocket and lay on his back to enjoy the amazingly soothing music of the siren.


    As the night went on, the sound of splashing waves on the shore was the only thing filling the air¡ªit was hypnotizing. The roar and howl of foreign animals during the day had gone completely. There were only sounds of fluttering leaves as they swung in the night wind, and the singing of strange insects occasionally. Amid all these, the unknown yet captivating music played by Nangong Wuyue became even clearer and distinguished. Hao Ren felt everything else had subsided into the background. He was immersed in the enchanting music of the siren, every sense of his body drowned in its mesmerizing lure.


    The world had come to a stop. Everything seemed so eternal. Nothing existed except the sound of the conch filling the air.


    A sudden sense of weightlessness jolted Hao Ren awake.


    He opened his eyes. The conch music was gone. The only thing left was the screaming wind in his ears. The sense of weightlessness coupled with the wind¡¯s howling suddenly struck him: he was falling, fast!


    ¡°Holy moly!¡± Hao Ren was horrified to see the steppe beneath him was closing up toward him quickly¨Dhe was falling mid air. All he could utter was, ¡°What¡¯s happening¡­¡±


    Then, he hit the ground. No-one could have survived falling from that height and at that speed. But, he did. Not a single scratch on his body except the illusion of his skeleton falling apart. He was proud of himself. He lay face down, playing possum on the grassland for a while with a cheesy grin on his face. Spitting out the straw in his mouth, he scanned his surroundings wondering, ¡°Am I in¡­ The Plane of Dreams again?¡±


    Before his eyes was the all familiar steppe where the soft and wild grass was so different from that of the earth. He rolled himself over and stood up, staring blankly into the distance.


    He was certain he was in the steppe of The Plane of Dreams. It was morning. It was the first time he saw daylight in The Plane of Dreams.


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve entered The Plane of Dreams by accident,¡± the MDT spoke. The familiar voice made Hao Ren less nervous: although this little partner was a pain in a** most of the time, it was now his only company in an alien place.¡±


    ¡°How is this possible?¡± Hao Ren gazed around in disbelief. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it take a special kind of self-suggestion and spiritual guidance to come here?¡±


    ¡°The flute. The music of the siren.¡± The MDT hovered in front of him. ¡°Although I know little about the siren species, the music the little girl played created a spiritual resonance and you were then pulled over to the other side. I guess she didn¡¯t do it on purpose. She was still playing enthusiastically not noticing at all that you had fallen asleep.¡±


    Hao Ren did not care whether Nangong Wuyue did it on purpose or not. He was only interested to know one thing. ¡°Why did I fall from the sky?¡±


    ¡°Do you still remember how you left The Plane of Dreams the last time?¡±


    Hao Ren tried to recall. ¡°Okay, I remember. I was blown and carried by a typhoon into the air.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it. You were still in the air when you got out last time. So, when you re-entered you emerged from the same spot where you got out the last time.¡± The MDT shook its body and said, ¡°Hmmm, that¡¯s good. We¡¯ve again figured out yet another law of The Plane of Dreams.¡±


    ¡°Good, my foot!¡± Hao Ren wished he could smash the big mouthed device into pieces. But right after he said so, he heard the brisk pounding of hooves behind him.


    ¡°Look, it¡¯s really a human!¡±


    A young voice was heard from the distance. He quickly shoved the MDT back into his pocket. As he looked over his shoulder, he saw a very young girl riding a ¡®horse¡¯. She was staring at him curiously.


    It was a human. A human who lived in The Plane of Dreams!


    Hao Ren was overwhelmed with his excitement at meeting the first native of The Plane of Dreams. He did not exactly see how the girl looked like. Dear psycho woman, this was the second surprise he received following his first encounter with the wolf pack.

 Chapter 127

    Hao Ren finally ran into a living, breathing human in the The Plane of Dreams that he almost gave out a joyous yelp. The elation was so obvious on his face that the girl on the horse not far from him raised an eyebrow. ¡°I guess he¡¯s really done his head in with that fall..¡±


    ¡°Uh, no, no, no. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve never seen any humans in these barren plains before so, I got a little bit excited¡­¡± Hao Ren waved things off as he quickly recovered. He also took the chance to have a look at the first human he met in The Plane of Dreams.


    She looked about 20 years old, perhaps even younger. She donned a brown waistcoat on top of her white shirt and a skirt-pants of sorts for easy movement. She had a long sword hanging from her waist. She was fair with bright eyes; her skin, a light hue of brown. She had a rather energetic air about her made more so by her tidy hair, which flowed down to her back. The ¡®horse¡¯ that she was riding on the other hand, was a weird one. While it looked the part of the four legged animal, its legs were much bigger than your usual horse breeds. There were bone-like appendages protruding out from the front legs of the creature, forming a plate on the upper torso and neck region. Its tail was a big, bushy one and there was no mane along its neck. Basically, the basic structure looked like that of a horse but, it clearly was not one. Perhaps, an animal unique to The Plane of Dreams.


    ¡°What are you staring at?¡± The girl frowned again. ¡°Have you really done your head in with the fall?¡±


    It suddenly dawned upon him that staring at a girl he just met was rather rude. He laughed dryly and waved his hands again. ¡°It¡¯s not that. I got lost in the plains here and it¡¯s a rather pleasant surprise to see someone here.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± The girl nodded as she took a measure of Hao Ren. ¡°Weird clothing,no luggage to boot and lost in a grass plain¡­ It¡¯s quite obvious that you¡¯re broke as hell. Not even worth robbing¡­ What a drag. I¡¯ll be going now.¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned when he heard the word ¡®robbing¡¯ and did not know how to respond. When he realized that the girl was leaving, he ran up to the front of her in a panic. ¡°Wait! Can¡­ you take me along with you?¡±


    ¡°Bloody thick-skinned.¡± The MDT rang out in his head and was promptly ignored by Hao Ren.


    ¡°Take you along?¡± she raised another eyebrow. ¡°Why should I? I don¡¯t even know you and you look really suspicious all right.¡±


    Hao Ren was again stunned at how quickly things went south. This was not according to your usual novel script at all. Hao Ren imagined that by now he would have gained the trust of the lady knight and go on an adventure together. Things were clearly not in his favor.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m lost.¡± Hao Ren spread his hand out wide. ¡°Can you actually see me getting out of this place alive? Wolves run wild here. Do you really have the heart to leave me here to die?¡±


    ¡°¡­Not that I mind¡­¡± The girl frowned again as she was in thought. ¡°Well then, Lamberg is rather close by. I can bring you along. But, I need to know who you are and where you come from. And most importantly, whether you have money or not. I¡¯m a mercenary after all and charity is not my calling.¡±


    The barrage of questions once again left Hao Ren in a quandary, cursing his luck that the maiden in front of him was not the type who could easily be persuaded with words alone. He also rued the fact that he did not ask the leader of the wolf pack about human society in The Plane of Dreams when he was here last time. Without any background knowledge of the locals, he could not even make up a story about his identity.


    ¡°So¡­ who do you think I am?¡± Hao Ren said, after much thought. ¡°You saw me falling from the sky right? I suppose, not many people can do that.¡±


    He really hoped that the girl would take the bait this time around and follow along his plans. A person falling from the sky is the only idea he could think off that would work.


    ¡°Oh yeah, you did fall from the sky.¡± She nodded. ¡°Right.. and you are not carrying any luggage. With your current outfit, you are sure not to come to the plains by yourself¡­. Are you one of those crazy mages? Your teleportation spell failed?¡±


    ¡°It happens to be just that.¡± Hao Ren nodded. He finally could see some light at the end of the tunnel. But, his glee was short lived. The girl had an excited look on her face. ¡°Then¡­ can you cast a big fireball spell? I¡¯m learning about magic myself!¡±


    What the flying f*ck! You were supposed to be a warrior, not a bloody spellsword!


    Real life humans were clearly much more unpredictable than your usual novel characters. This one who did not seem rather bright was already giving Hao Ren all sorts of trouble. He just waved his hands, ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ Haven¡¯t recovered from the fall earlier. Believe it if you want to or just leave it. Worse come to worse, I can make my way to the town.¡±


    ¡°Heh, you magicians sure have an over-inflated ego.¡± The mercenary girl laughed out loud. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll take you along. Most mages are rich bastards anyway. Travel from here to Lamberg takes about half a day¡­ That¡¯ll cost you 200 Denars. I¡¯ll let you ride my horse with me. How about that?¡±


    The hell is a Denar? Hao Ren had not even seen how the local currency looked like. But, the girl was clearly so money-minded that there was no two ways about it. He gritted his teeth and put his hand in his pocket. As he ruffled through it, he put on a regretful expression. ¡°You see¡­ I went out in a hurry and I don¡¯t have any money at hand¡­ Can you just overlook it just this once? It¡¯s impossible for me to teleport back to get my coin pouch¡­.¡±


    The girl just stared at him without a word. Her eyes fixated on what was in Hao Ren¡¯s pocket. She knew that while magicians were usually a screw or two loose in the head, they were pretty well off. From your normal potions to your elixirs of eternal youth, such items would have easily earned them a king¡¯s ransom. At the very least, much, much richer than your average mercenary. And there was one standing in front of her, a civilian mage that was rather chatty. She liked this sort of people; rich and exploitable, since most of their brain power had dried up from all the studying.


    ¡°Can I use this as collateral?¡± Hao Ren finally gave up and pulled the MDT out from his pocket, intending to use the shiny metallic device as a bargaining tool. ¡°It¡¯s something I made during my free time.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really pulling me out for this?!¡± The MDT roared in Hao Ren¡¯s head. ¡°I should have known when your hand came into the pocket.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± The girl¡¯s eyes widened at the strange, metallic object. ¡°An alchemy tool? An alloy? Some magic lamp? What¡¯s it for?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a very special type of toy I made. ¡± Hao Ren said as he shook the MDT violently. In his mind, he gave a very stern order to the latter. ¡°Quickly, show her something that will make her think you¡¯re worth the amount of money needed to bring us half-way across the plain!¡±


    ¡°Just you wait. I¡¯ll upload your picture to those gay dating sites!¡± The MDT retorted vehemently. It then reluctantly floated in the air and played a recording of Wuyue¡¯s singing.


    ¡°Wahhhh, a music box?¡± The girl was surprised. ¡°And it can fly¡­. Music boxes are pretty common but, why did you make a flying one?¡±


    ¡°¡­Consider me too bored for my own good.¡± Hao Ren was too exhausted to explain.


    ¡°Right, consider it a deal. This seems rather valuable. A music box itself would have sufficed but, a flying one, wow¡­¡± The girl pointed towards the back of her mount. ¡°Get on and don¡¯t touch where you shouldn¡¯t. I¡¯ll put my blade through you if you do. Once we are at Lamberg, this is mine.¡±


    Hao Ren was sweating. He could not tell if all the locals were such brutes or he just had the misfortune of running into one.¡± He clumsily climbed onto the back of the horse and stayed still. In his head, he was verbally sparring with the MDT. ¡°Can you stop acting like you are Dou E?


    ¡°You f*cking sold me you twat! Even with my previous specs, I¡¯m still worth at least a top-end interstellar spacecraft! And you sold me for a horse ride with a girl!¡±


    ¡°Stop bullsh*tting, you can fly back can¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°¡­. Oh yeah¡­¡±


    ¡°I just thought of something that could make me filthy rich. We could¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, I dare you to say it out. I dare you! I have access to about 200 gay dating sites. I¡¯ll plaster your face on every one of them if that¡¯s the last thing I do!

 Chapter 128

    Along the journey, Hao Ren found out that the young girl, who seemed to be wandering alone in the world, was called Becky. She was a freelance mercenary in her own words.


    A freelance mercenary was a military occupation that required individuals to travel the length and breadth of the country. It was quite a common group of people in this world. They had their own organization but, were loosely structured so they were hardly considered as ¡®armed groups¡¯. They were active in the society and undertook all work according to their ability. Although Becky did not reveal too much to a stranger, Hao Ren speculated that the group dabbled in everything from murder to finding an old lady¡¯s cat, depending on what the employer paid them for.


    This sounded like an incredible profession. Hao Ren spent a long time trying to figure it out using human logic yet, he still could not understand how this group of people could appear openly. He also could not understand why the authorities would allow the existence of such a group. However, Becky was standing alive in front of him. He could only accept it as a fact. Perhaps the world had a special social structure which allowed the existence of free mercenaries. Anyway, this group of strong people was really active around the world.


    ¡°Although I look young, I¡¯m a second-class mercenary. I¡¯ve started working since I was 14 years old to make a living.¡± Becky was kind of casual. She was probably very confident of her strength and her occupation made her a talkative as well as broad-minded girl. She started to talk even more after confirming that Hao Ren was not a threat to her. ¡°I¡¯m familiar with 80% of the places in Holletta. I¡¯ve also been to the Empire and I¡¯ve ridden across the prairie alone. Do you believe it? Ha! I came to the prairie just for a small task. Didn¡¯t expect to meet quite an interesting guy¡­ What¡¯s your name again? Hao Ren? This name is weird to me. It doesn¡¯t sound like the names of people in Holletta.¡±


    Hao Ren would break out in cold sweat every 15 minutes during the two hour journey with Becky. He just realized that he was indeed an honest man. He was bad at lying face to face when he was within a two-meter radius of the person (it was easier to lie on the phone or without seeing the person). Every time he talked to Becky, he was afraid that he would expose himself and be stabbed by the lady. He could not be stabbed to death. He would not be able to easily meet a free tour guide the next time or she could be gone. It was certainly not going to be so easy to deceive a local for some information again. Therefore, he was trying to listen more and not speak a word. He was disguised as an academic research talent who stayed at home all the time. This way, even if he said something wrong, he could still use bad communication as an excuse to fool the lady. It is a truth that the less you speak, the less mistakes you make.


    ¡°My name belongs to the minorities¡­Haha.¡± Hao Ren said with a hollow smile as he tried to remember the bits of information leaked in the conversation with Becky. Now, he knew about the place he was heading to. Lamberg was a small border town in the southern part of the prairie, which belonged to the Holletta Kingdom. It was also Becky¡¯s hometown. He also knew that there was a new empire on the northern side of the prairie called the Hognar Empire and Becky knew little about it. Due to the long distance between the two countries, they were unable to attack each other. Hence, the two countries were remotely winking at each other, trying to present themselves as peace-loving countries on the international stage. However, they also beat down all the small countries around them so, the credibility of their winks was not very high.


    These were all information leaked by Becky during their chat. Hao Ren was very curious as to why this girl was so talkative. It was like there was nothing in the world that she did not know. Later, Hao Ren thought about it and realized that Lily was even easier to get along with compared to Becky. That time when he and Lily took a bus to her new home, they chatted about things from local food prices to the American Civil War along the way. The husky was obviously more skillful in small talk¡­


    ¡°What are you, anyway?¡± Becky asked while she tilted her head slightly. ¡°I have seen a lot of wizards. Even the most common wizards wear a robe to look graceful despite the hot weather. You look more like a commoner tourist. Are the wizards in your country all dressed up like this?¡±


    Hao Ren thought that he was really here for traveling. He blamed his brain fade for promising to accept the task from the lady boss with an even bigger brain fade. He had to travel to a primitive planet which was 800 light-years away; had to stand the sea breeze for half a night and then fall into The Plane of Dreams from a height of 10 stories. This was indeed a journey that would cost him his life. However, he just smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s my personal hobby. You won¡¯t know the place where I come from even if I tell you. I actually come from the Empire.¡±


    Becky just mentioned that she did not know much about the country across the prairie so, it made sense to relate himself to the Empire. And the statement, ¡°come from the Empire¡± was literally not nonsense. The Xi Ling Empire was indeed an empire¡­


    ¡°Wow, you teleported from the Empire to the prairie?¡± Becky almost fell off the horse. ¡°How many crystals did you smash on the teleportation array? I don¡¯t think you are a nobleman. You dissipate all of your fortunes just to experience landing on the prairie with your face?¡±


    Hao Ren, ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know. I fell and hurt my head. Now, I¡¯m confused. Don¡¯t ask too much, please¡­¡±


    ¡°Look, I said you broke your brain but you don¡¯t believe me,¡± Becky said and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the border anyway. And then you have to figure out the way back on your own. Tsk, I¡¯m a little worried about how you¡¯re going to go back. You have to cross the prairie to reach the Empire of Hognar. You only have one flying music box which can be sold for some money and it¡¯s mine now.¡±


    Hao Ren could not help but feel a little sorry for her. The music box was just to cheat her. However, seeing her looking forward to it; it made him feel a twinge of regret in advance.


    Just as Hao Ren speculated about how long much longer it would take to see the border town, Becky suddenly pulled the reins and stopped the horse. Then, she got Hao Ren dismounted and said, ¡°Wait, something happened there.¡±


    Before Hao Ren could understand what was going on, he had already been pulled down by the strong girl, who pressed his neck against the leeward side of the hill. He moved his head vigorously and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°The wolves¡­ are fighting for territory.¡± Becky lowered her voice and used some kind of gestures to get her horse to step aside sensibly. ¡°Let¡¯s see, maybe there¡¯s a bargain¡­ Ah, would you be a burden to me?¡±


    Hao Ren stretched his neck, popped his head in and took a look. Indeed, he saw two packs of black wolves fighting at a concave ground in the distance. They were the kind of mighty beasts which could only exist in The Plane of Dreams.


    If this situation was placed before ordinary people, anyone would have probably tried to hide far away. However, when Becky saw that two wolf packs were fighting, she actually stopped excitedly, ready to ¡®take advantage of it¡¯?!


    Hao Ren did not know how strong the humans in this world could be. However, he had met the funny alpha wolf on the prairie once. He could roughly understand the combat hierarchy of humans and wolves. He knew that ordinary people were just food in front of these wolves. So, if Becky was in her right mind, then it meant one thing: This is a bizarre world where the gap of strength between an average man and a fighting professional was huge.


    The setting was getting weirder.


    ¡°One¡­ Two¡­ Three¡­ A lot of¡­ And lots of them.¡± Becky counted the number of enemies and said, ¡°Well, we¡¯ll ambush them when they¡¯re almost done. That should settle them. They will fight to the death when fighting for territory. Hey, I¡¯ll make a big fortune this time. The bony plates on their bodies are precious. Eh, you won¡¯t be a drag, right?¡±


    Hao Ren really wanted to hit his head with the grass nest. This lady seemed to always to be a little paranoid and she was also the kind of person who kept talking to herself without listening to the others¡¯ explanation. She still insisted that Hao Ren broke his head when he fell down. However, Hao Ren did not have time to explain to her anyway because he was suddenly attracted by the two packs of black wolves in the battle.


    The two groups of black wolves were not completely engaged in a melee fight. Only those in the front line were fighting. A large number of wolves lingered on the rim of the alcove, not entering the battlefield. And among those wandering wolves, there was a black wolf whose waist bone plate was broken. A few black wolves were grinning and exposing their broken teeth. There was one large head wolf that looked exceptionally familiar.


    He met his acquaintance¡­ Oh no, acquaintances! Are they not the funny pack?

 Chapter 129

    Two of the prairie¡¯s black wolf packs were fighting for territory. Hao Ren found one of them to be the group of high IQ, funny wolves that could speak the human language he knew.


    Probably because there was also a werehusky that was somewhat related to a wolf, he had a feeling of intimacy with this group of funny, black wolves. He noticed that Becky had already put her hand on the hilt of her sword as if she was ready to rush down to kill them. He hurriedly stopped the girl and said, ¡°Wait a minute, there is someone I know¡­ Err, some wolf.¡±


    Becky frowned, looked at Hao Ren and asked, ¡°Did you fall so badly?¡±


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t freaking break my head!¡± Hao Ren had been driven mad by this repeating question but, he still managed to calm down and explained, ¡°I have dealt with one of the packs. You can do it later. I¡¯ll go up and say hello, then you wait for my order before taking action.¡±


    Once Hao Ren finished talking, he did not wait for Becky¡¯s response and jumped outside the little mount. Becky could merely say, ¡°Eh¡± the moment he left and swallowed the second half of the sentence, ¡°Why should I listen to you?¡±


    At this time, Hao Ren had already rushed to the edge of the concave ground as fast as he could and he ran towards the wolf leader he knew. Of course, his high-profile movements did not escape the eyes of the wolves that had highly sensitive senses. The wolf leader and a few black wolves around him turned their heads immediately. Hao Ren heard a black wolf that could not articulate properly, screaming loudly, ¡°B¡­ B¡­ Boss! The steel man is here again!¡±


    Hao Ren almost fell onto the ground. He found the black wolves¡¯ skill of phrasing and wording simply amazing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic! I¡¯m here to help!¡± Hao Ren greeted the wolf king from a distance. His thought was very simple. It was fate that led them to know each other. Although there was some misunderstandings in the beginning, the wolves still helped him after the misunderstandings were cleared up (the wolf king himself carried him around). Now they were fighting with another pack of wolves that he did not know and it was not too much to help.


    ¡°You are all right?¡± said the wolf king. The wolf king was very surprised to see Hao Ren. ¡°I went to the place the next day. The hurricane destroyed the small village. I thought you were dead.¡±


    Hao Ren was a little scared thinking of the scary hurricane. He drew his neck back and asked, ¡°I was just about to ask, what happened to the hurricane?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Strange things often happen on this prairie. It is said that this place used to be an ancient battlefield and the dead mages are still chanting magic underground, which causes the occasional hurricane and lightning,¡± said the wolf king said as he shook his big head. ¡°And that night we were almost swept away by the tail of the hurricane. Luckily we realized it early enough. We were really running for our lives. And I ate a mouthful of sand.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s such a strange thing on this prairie?¡± Hao Ren was startled. ¡°Didn¡¯t there used to be people settled on this prairie before? Can people survive here?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t happen every day,¡± the wolf king bared his teeth and said. ¡°Those who are lucky can stay in a place for hundreds of days and nights without encountering these strange things. Of course, those who are not as lucky would get struck by lightning every few days. And the humans who live on the prairie use their strange tools to predict these strange things. Something called a magic compass¡­ while we rely on instinct.¡±


    ¡°Such a strange place,¡± Hao Ren said with amazement. He looked up at the wolves that were still fighting. Apparently, the opponents noticed the human. Several of the black wolves were staring at him in a menacing and threatening way. ¡°What did you say¡­ Primitive wolves?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a bunch of idiots who can¡¯t even speak,¡± the wolf king growled. ¡°And dare to fight with us to rob territory. They don¡¯t even know what the deployment of troops is¡­¡±


    Hao Ren immediately paused and asked, ¡°¡­ You even know about the deployment of troops? But I don¡¯t see any tactical deployment of troop in your wolf pack.¡±


    ¡°Our boss got a human book two days ago and learned about this noun. And then today, he took us out ¡®to protect and defend our home¡¯. The one speaking was a black wolf who could not really articulate words properly. ¡°In fact, this piece of land was taken up by foreign wolves last month and we were quite lazy to take action. However, our leader said he learned a sense of honor from the human book too.¡±


    ¡°You can even read?!¡± Hao Ren looked at the wolf king with his mouth opened.


    ¡°Slightly, slightly.¡± The wolf king nodded modestly and explained, ¡°When I was a wolf cub, I knew a strange, old man. He taught me to read and play fetch. But then, as I slowly grew up, he found out that I was not a dog and let me go.¡±


    Hao Ren was silent for two seconds and decided to stop chatting about another funny story with the funny wolf. He rolled up his sleeves and jumped from the ramp into the battlefield. ¡°I¡¯ll join the fight first. Let¡¯s chat later!¡±


    The wolf king was stunned, seeing Hao Ren really rushing into the battlefield. He stuck his tongue out and said, ¡°This human is so weird¡­ Is he really here to help us fight?¡±


    The wolf king had seen a lot of humans in his life. Because he was born smart and with the ability to speak, he dealt with a lot of people. However, he had never seen anyone like Hao Ren who could communicate with a wolf like this. When other people talked to the wolves, they were obvious in a way that they were ¡®talking to animals¡¯. Even if the animal was smart, it was still just an animal. However, this incredibly hard human was totally different. The way Hao Ren talked to him was perfectly natural and equal as if two men were talking to each other. It also felt like the way the wolf king communicated with his pups.


    As a wolf, the wolf king did not have complicated emotions like humans. He just felt that this guy was¡­ quite interesting.


    At this time, Hao Ren had rushed into the battlefield. His body was covered with the Steel Membrane Shield, which made him look like the God of War (he felt this way). It reminded him of the last month when he met a few wolves. He was so scared that he had a twisted stomach and could barely stand still. Thinking about his current heroic act, he also felt that he was quite incredible. The wolves around him found it even more unbelievable than him, and most of the wolves had one question: what was this man doing here?


    However, the wolves were soon divided into two factions. One faction of the wolves knew Hao Ren. They knew this human was as hard as the ramparts so, they howled and ran away immediately while the other faction were the primitive wolves that did not know Hao Ren. They instinctively pounced on Hao Ren viciously.


    Crack!


    Bang!


    A few unlucky wolves with mouthfuls of broken teeth that stood beside the wolf king heard these familiar loud noises. They could feel the pain in their mouth and every single strand of fur on their bodies stood on end. They turned their heads away in unison to avoid seeing the terrible scene.


    Hao Ren jilted his arm and threw off a few unlucky wolves whose mouths were full of blood, more than 10 meters away. He then lifted his legs to kick away one in his sight but then, he heard a painful cry. ¡°We¡¯re on the same team. I¡¯m just watching!¡±


    ¡°¡­ Boss, will you keep these funny wolves away from me?¡± asked Hao Ren.


    The wolf king shouted immediately, ¡°You guys, go and help at the flank! The second squad, seal the battlefield perimeter and don¡¯t let the enemies get away! The reserve teams, go and form a defensive formation!¡±


    After the wolf king gave the command, the wolf pack was immediately in high spirits. ¡°Boss, what¡¯s a ¡®flank¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Boss, what¡¯s ¡®the second team¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Boss, what¡¯s the defensive formation?¡±


    A very dignified voice came from within the pack, ¡°Don¡¯t ask. Boss has been obsessed with the book again these past two days. Stick to the old rule. Pick the one you don¡¯t like and bite.¡±


    And so the wolves agreed with a unanimous roar!


    The fighting situation was cleared immediately. The hapless primal wolves were no match for the smart, super wolves. And now, a man who was harder than the ramparts was rushing in. After they had more than 10 broken teeth, they were defeated by the swarming wolves and scattered into many waves which fled in all directions.The wolf king saw this and shouted urgently, ¡°Stop them! As many as you can! Or they¡¯ll come back sooner or later!¡±


    Hao Ren immediately shouted towards the direction of the distant little mound, ¡°Becky, it¡¯s time to make extra money!¡±


    The moment Hao Ren finished his words, a lightning-like figure leapt out of the mound instantly. Becky drew her sword out of its sheath and rushed to the largest pack of black wolves that were fleeing. Hao Ren¡¯s sharp eye noticed that the girl¡¯s blade was emitting a hot red glow. The edge of the red glow was also entangled with wind pressure!


    Becky swept over the battlefield as if her body was covered in a small whirlwind. The sword blade flew out of her body when she was spun. It was fierce like a metal storm that lost control. As she spun, nothing could be seen except for dirt, which covered the sky and the wolves¡¯mutilated limbs.


    The talking wolf pack exclaimed, ¡°The steel man also brought a sword man!¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    He felt like getting to know these funny wolves was a mistake from the beginning.

 Chapter 130

    It was the first time that Hao Ren witnessed Becky making her move. To put it in another way, it was the first time he witnessed the power of a human of this world.


    The burning flame and wind pressure on the blade may have been of magical power. The blade storm released by Becky¡¯s whirling motion had obviously exceeded the physical limits of any human being. It was probably a kind of combat skill in The Plane of Dreams. Hao Ren¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground when he saw this. He knew his three tenants had super powers too and the weakest one was a werehusky but, Becky was a human. His interest in The Plane of Dreams became even stronger.


    Becky threw everyone off guard with the debut of her powerful move. Under normal circumstances, those escaping black wolves could have survived the assault but the attack was so sudden that those wolves did not stand a chance. They were slashed into pieces. The hurricane lasted for more than 30 seconds before it died down. It left behind a spiral pit of about 10 meters in radius and body pieces. Hao Ren and the alpha wolf immediately rushed to check out the scene. However, they did not expect to see this: Becky was in the pit and throwing up good.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s a normal sequela.¡± Becky held her breath as she looked up. She waved at Hao Ren. ¡°It¡¯s a one-off move. Vomiting after the spin is just an after effect. I¡¯ll be alright. Hold on a second, I¡¯m at it again¡ª¡±


    ¡°Is she your travel partner?¡± The black alpha wolf looked scrupulous. ¡°She¡¯s one of the spellswords¡­ very powerful among the humans whom I have always tried to avoid.¡±


    ¡°Yes, a temporary travel partner, sort of.¡± Hao Ren nodded and appeared to feel awkward. Was Becky really that powerful? He was not so sure. Becky was a total wreck after spinning for just 30 seconds. A little number crunching in his head told him that any three-minute superhuman could whack her six times over. Nevertheless, her 30 seconds were unassailable, like a meat grinder in human form. Hao Ren was tempted to test the waters with his Steel Membrane Shield but he chickened out.


    Becky puked her guts out for almost two minutes before she slowly regained her strength. She wiped the puke off her mouth before she staggered out of the pit, looking energetic as if nothing had happened. She stared in amazement at the cautious alpha wolf before she turned to Hao Ren. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯re a magician from Hognar Empire? How did you come to know this alien wolf pack?¡±


    ¡°Are they famous?¡± Hao Ren asked without much thought.


    ¡°Kind of.¡± Becky shrugged. ¡°According to legend, these speaking wolves are the descendants of experimental creatures from the Ancient Magic Civilization prior to the great disaster. Travelers bump into them in the steppe occasionally. Sometimes, they would interact with humans. So, in a sense they¡¯re well known. The one I saw was a lone wolf. I didn¡¯t expect you to know the whole pack.¡±


    The alpha wolf was not very pleased at hearing its kind becoming a subject of willful discussion. It raised its thin lips and growled. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about us like we¡¯re some kind of low-life!¡±


    Sensing the tension, Hao Ren quickly stepped in between Becky and the alpha wolf, trying to defuse the situation¡ªhe knew if things went wrong, the alpha wolf would not stand a chance against Becky. He tried to explained. ¡°I met the wolf pack a few days ago when I was here. I have been trying to teleport back for the last few days but it has not been working¡ªthat¡¯s why I fell from the sky.¡±


    The alpha wolf was wide-mouthed. He wanted to point out that Hao Ren was not wearing the same clothes when he first came but, it looked like there was something more than met the eye. He kept quiet. Becky threw a few suspicious stares at Hao Ren, then waved her hand and said, ¡°Whatever. It¡¯s none of my business. You guys carry on catching up on old times. I¡¯m going to collect my prize.¡±


    Becky went ahead to harvest the bone lamellae from the dead wolves which were strewn across the grassland. The bone lamella was a previous ingredient in her medicinal recipe. The alpha wolf pulled the bottom of Hao Ren¡¯s trousers with his mouth and asked in a low voice, ¡°Is she dangerous?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She won¡¯t hurt you.¡± Hao Ren smiled. ¡°She wanted to go on a killing spree but I stopped her.¡± He told the alpha wolf everything that had just happened. But something puzzled the alpha wolf: Why was Becky so confident in beating the two wolf packs when she needed a two-minute cool-down break after a 30-second spin?


    Maybe the chick had some other tricks up her sleeve.


    ¡°May I ask you something?¡± As Becky was busy collecting her prize, Hao Ren remembered he had a mission to accomplish¡ªfind out the truth about The Plane of Dreams. He needed to get as much information as possible before he was out of there again. He asked the alpha wolf, ¡°Becky said you guys are the descendants of the Ancient Magic Civilization. Is that true?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what humans say.¡± Unlike Becky who was incredulous, the alpha wolf pulled no punches and that made him an easy source of intel. ¡°About seven or eight thousand or maybe 10 thousand years ago¡ªI can¡¯t really tell when in terms of human¡¯s time.or convert it into our measurement of time in terms of days and nights. In short, it was a really long, long time ago¡ªthere was once a very powerful magic empire. They were omnipotent. Even the moon was under their control. The empire was so much more prosperous then. I had read somewhere that humans, elves, orcs, the Blood Clan, and demon populations were 10 times their current numbers. I think that¡¯s just some bullsh*t though. How could the world sustain such a large population?¡±


    Maybe some photos of the traffic rush during the spring festival could open the eyes of the alpha wolf, Hao Ren thought.


    ¡°The Ancient Magic Civilization created you?¡± How did it end then?¡± Hao Ren wanted the alpha wolf to keep talking.


    The end of civilizations and the emergence of a new one in its place was a routine film theme. Scientists on Earth had speculated the existence of a prehistoric super civilization. So, Hao Ren knew the alpha wolf¡¯s story was more than legendary. And honestly, talking wolves were not really compatible with the theory of evolution.


    ¡°We have no history.¡± The alpha wolf shook his head. ¡°Unlike humans, we don¡¯t delve on the inessential. We don¡¯t know where we come from. But, human scholars believe that the ancient civilization had the ability to create new races. Some even went as far as to theorize that the werewolf was a hybrid of a human and wolf¡ªof course, werewolves were enraged by this theory. I¡¯ve no idea how the ancient civilization ended. Look, I¡¯m just a wolf with a few years of learning to read and write from a weird old man. That¡¯s all I¡¯ve got. I can hardly read. If you have questions, you should ask the spellsword, errr, I mean the female.¡±


    The alpha wolf gave Hao Ren a sincere stare as if to tell him, ¡°Look, I¡¯m not the brightest bulb in the box. Don¡¯t expect too much from me.¡± Hao Ren was stared down. As he got to his feet, Becky spoke up from behind. ¡°Ancient Magic Civilization? It was said that a goddess wiped it off the world because the people wanted to create artificial life.¡±


    ¡°Are you done?¡± Hao Ren turned his head around and saw Becky holding a bulky bag, which was filled to the brim. From the shapes of the bulges on the bag, Hao Ren could tell it contained bone lamellae harvested from the bodies of the dead wolves.


    ¡°Easy money. It¡¯s my lucky day.¡± Becky swung the bag back and forth happily. ¡°Normally, it isn¡¯t easy hunting these wolves. These things are fast. Oh, by the way, you sound like you¡¯re into the Ancient Magic Empire thingy. But, why ask, when you¡¯re already a magician yourself?¡±


    ¡°There are different versions of the story. I¡¯m interested to know them all.¡± Before Becky became more suspicious of him, he made up a story to cover his tracks.


    ¡°You guys are funny. What¡¯s so interesting about that?¡± Becky spoke as she twitched her mouth. ¡°My grandpa told me that the Ancient Magic Empire violated the realm of God because they were making artificial beings. The magic emperor and the elf queen colluded with each other to create some perfect life form. They gave themselves loads of deity titles¡ªGod of Arcane, God of Life, God of Creation and bla, bla, bla¡ªyou name it, they got it. This of course, enraged the real deity. The goddess threw a glass of wine into the world and the divine wine turned into a sea of fire. The civilization burned for three days and three nights before more than half of the people perished. That was how the Ancient Magic Civilization ended. My grandpa also said that The Beinz Blood Lake in the west and the red spot on the full moon were marks left behind.¡±


    Hao Ren listened with amazement at the magical yet absurd mythical story. Then Becky added, ¡°She was such a magnanimous goddess¡­¡±

 Chapter 131

    The legend about the violation of a goddess by the Ancient Magic Civilization and its end aroused Hao Ren¡¯s interest. He never doubted its truth. He always believed that all legends were worthy of study even if they might be severely distorted after many generations. Even myths were the results of inspired ancient people. No matter how mysterious the legends appeared to be, there had to be many living, unusual creatures in history that became the inspiration for such stories. One such example was Odin, whom Vivian knew¡­


    For this reason, he believed that the ancient civilization did exist in The Plane of Dreams. The talking wolves, whose existence defied the theory of evolution might have had something to do with the experiment of biological alteration. Nevertheless, he had reservations about the theory of the goddess¡¯ condemnation of the world.


    He was not sure if the ancient civilization could be of any help in his quest for the secret of The Plane of Dreams.


    Hao Ren and his MDT were having a telepathic discussion¡ªit was a fast and discreet way of communication. ¡°I remember Raven 12345 once said, The Plane of Dreams and the real world evolve concurrently. This also means that time in both worlds are in sync with each other. If there really was a great disaster that happened here in the past, in theory, we should be able to find evidence of it at the same time spot on Earth where the disaster happened. If we could do that, we might be able to establish the mirroring relationship between The Plane of Dreams and the real world.¡±


    ¡°A major disaster on earth 10 thousand years ago?¡± The MDT searched its database. ¡°Humans walked on two feet. Werewolves and vampires were in a fight. Odin¡¯s cousin ran away with a cripple. Caesar, a demon hunter, cooked Fenrir¡¯s brother-in-law as dinner. A small meteorite struck near the equator and later became the source of iron for a primitive tribe. The rest are just trivial.¡±


    ¡°Whoa, you¡¯ve got load of junk in there,¡± said Hao Ren.


    ¡°In case you didn¡¯t know, it was Madam Raven who installed this database. God knows where the hell she downloaded such pirated junk from.¡± The MDT buck-passed it entirely. ¡°So, it was silly of you to discuss serious topics of history with me.¡±


    ¡°¡­Maybe I should ask Vivian when I get back home. She may know a thing or two about what happened back then.¡±


    ¡°Are you so sure things that happened in The Plane of Dreams mirror those on Earth?¡± The MDT was curious because Hao Ren was so keen and confident this time. ¡°You used to be a slowpoke, you know?¡±


    ¡°Not so much, just my hunch.¡± Hao Ren told it telepathically. ¡°Raven 12345 used to say that The Plane of Dreams and the real world mirror each other. But, I¡¯m not sure how it works. If a major event like the destruction of an ancient civilization here didn¡¯t affect the earth, then maybe I¡¯ve misunderstood Raven 12345.¡±


    The MDT thought for a second. It realized that this thing was none of its business. So, it threw a line. ¡°I am just a PDA.¡± It then went into hibernation mode. Becky and the alpha wolf stared at each other for a while before Becky poked Hao Ren with the hilt of her blade. ¡°Are you leaving? Or would you like to catch up on old times with your wolfy friends? Maybe you can find a human settlement with their help too.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not going to the human settlement.¡± The alpha wolf stepped back. ¡°You guys eat anything under the sun. I¡¯m not ready to be your next meal yet.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Becky with a shrug and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I have to bother you.¡±


    Then, Hao Ren shifted his attention to the large bag Becky was carrying. ¡°You¡¯ve got to thank me for that.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, you remind me of something!¡± Becky opened the bag and was about to give some of her prize to Hao Ren. ¡°Fair trade. That¡¯s how a mercenary is. We¡¯ll split the reward. By the way, your fighting skill was really unconventional. It¡¯s my first time meeting a battlemage. Did you get any brain damage after the fall?.¡±


    Hao Ren was careless to correct her bigoted misunderstanding. He just waved his hand frantically. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in your bone lamellae. Why don¡¯t you be my guide in lieu of the reward? By the way, I need the music box back.¡±


    Hao Ren had thought all of it out well. The MDT would come back on its own. He knew it. He was just using the MDT as a bait although it was out of desperation initially. Now, he could use a bunch of bone lamella that he was not interested in to redeem his battered, little conscience. But, Becky¡¯s stubbornness would not allow Hao Ren the chance. ¡°No, I want your music box!¡±


    ¡°You better think twice. Other than playing some music, this thing has no other use. Half a bag of bone lamellae is worth a lot more than that.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Your music box flies!¡± Becky was very insistent. ¡°When it comes to pretty stuff, rationale isn¡¯t necessary!¡±


    The alpha suddenly interjected with a soft voice, ¡°You guys carry on. I¡¯m going out hunting with my pups. It¡¯s kind of weird to see you guys haggling over some wolf body parts¡ª¡±


    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t give a sh*t about wolves of lower intelligence?¡± Hao Ren was bewildered. If he had known that the alpha wolf minded, he would have gone somewhere else with Becky. ¡°And mind you, you guys actually killed more of these wolves than Becky did.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it. They look too similar. And you¡¯d definitely throw up when you see them eating humans.¡± The alpha wolf mumbled before turning and howling at its pack. He said good bye to Hao Ren before disappearing into the distance with its pack.


    ¡°Interesting species,¡± The MDT said to Hao Ren in his mind. ¡°Sandwiched between animal and human, sharing the ideologies from both worlds. They are essentially wolves with human brains and wisdom. So, you guys using those wolf bones as bargaining chips really disturbed them.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I should have been more considerate.¡± Hao Ren felt sorry. ¡°But, I couldn¡¯t help it. He spoke the human language so fluently that I forgot it¡¯s just a wolf.¡±


    ¡°This is inevitable when one lives with monster chicks for too long.¡±


    Hao Ren was at a lost for words.


    In the end, Becky was still adamant in keeping his music box. She shoved half of the bone lamellae to Hao Ren. Sensing that it was impossible to convince the wonder woman, Hao Ren gave in.


    If he could meet her again the next time he entered The Plane of Dreams, he would definitely bring her a real music box¡­


    The two unusual travel partners set out on their journey once again. It was smooth sailing all the way¡ªmaybe the alpha wolf had cleared the way ahead for them. This is because Hao Ren occasionally sighted what looked like the silhouette of the alpha wolf when they passed over the top of some grass mounds. Soon, the silhouette of a town appeared on the horizon.


    ¡°That¡¯s Lamberg.¡± Becky raised her whip and pointed towards the far distance over the steppe. ¡°Although it¡¯s just a town, it¡¯s big. And it has got a town wall!¡±


    As they came closer, a clear view of Lamberg was within sight. Hao Ren saw the town wall¡ªgreyish white, not of stone but of some artificial material. There were towers and outposts too, purportedly used as defense against animals or any other enemies. As he was standing on a hill, the happenings in the town was within his view. The town was well organized. Most buildings were two stories and below. Houses were square and their slanting tops faced southeast in unison. This was probably the local buildings¡¯ unique feature. Most of the taller buildings were situated at the center of the town. Among them, one with a pointed top decorated with stained glass attracted his attention. However, it was not the best time to ask about it so he kept mum.


    The town seemed to be near yet it was not. The open grassland created an illusion of proximity. In fact, it took the two of them quite a while before they arrived at the town wall. As they arrived at the entrance, Hao Ren suddenly heard a warning from the MDT. ¡°Beware, you¡¯re going to wake up real soon.¡±


    ¡°Just hold on a little longer. Please let Y¡¯zaks and Nangong Wuyue hang on there. In the meantime, I¡¯ll try to keep my eyes closed.¡± As he was saying this, the first thing he noticed was his senses becoming less responsive as if his body¡¯s connection with The Plane of Dreams was starting to crumble.


    ¡°Here we are.¡± Becky held Hao Ren and they both hopped down from the horse. ¡°You want me to walk you around?¡±


    ¡°If you are willing.¡± Hao Ren replied vaguely. He felt that Becky was not being sincere. Becky talked with the sentries like they had known each other for a long time while a youngster stared curiously at him¡ªhe was an outsider with weird attire.


    Hao Ren tried to keep his eyes open for as long as he could to get as much information as possible before he fell out of The Plane of Dreams. Unfortunately, he could already hear the sound of waves splashing against the shore. He could also hear Nangong Wuyue singing her strange songs. His vision slowly faded and became blurry¡­


    He made the best out of the last few minutes he had. He turned his head and saw that the outer walls of the houses were decorated with patterns. The patterns were extremely familiar.


    They were runes.


    A scream was heard. Becky turned around and found the strange magician gone. All that was left was, half a bag of wolf bone lamellae, which she had given to Hao Ren earlier.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be! He ran away for the sake of a music box?¡± Becky¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground. ¡°Did I force him to? No. His brain must have gone kaput after the fall.¡±

 Chapter 132

    Hao Ren¡¯s conciousness had not fully left The Plane of Dreams when his body started to disappear. Becky¡¯s words were still ringing in his head. Unable to speak, he screamed internally. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with my head!!!!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Landlord, Mr. Landlord! Are you okay?!¡± Hao Ren suddenly heard Nangong Wuyue¡¯s voice very close to him. He quickly opened his eyes only to be greeted by a ray of sunlight shining on him. The glare almost blinded him for a moment. He heard sounds of waves crashing against rocks and the howling of beasts in the distance. A salty smell soon engulfed his nostrils. He was by the sea¡­


    Wuyue smiled brightly as she saw Hao Ren woke up. ¡°What did you run into there? What¡¯s wrong with your head?¡±


    ¡°Ughhh¡­ it¡¯s nothing,¡± Hao Ren groaned.


    It seemed like Hao Ren could not stop himself from speaking what was in his heart the moment he awoke.


    He sat up straight and tried to jog his dulled senses into motion again. The image of those Letta runes that he had glimpsed before he woke up still haunted him. The image was so vivid that it was scary. He supposed the difference between The Plane of Dreams and a normal dream was that the memory of what happened in the Dream Plane stayed fresh within one¡¯s mind. In fact, with time, the things that you see in The Plane of Dreams looked so real, they mimic real life. And this convinced Hao Ren that he indeed saw Letta runes. He groggily looked up at Y¡¯zaks as well as Wuyue and said, ¡°I went into The Plane of Dreams last night¡­ and I saw something really weird¡­ Letta runes¡­¡±


    Y¡¯zaks who came from the other world had no idea what Letta runes were and just simply nodded. Wuyue, who on the other hand had some inkling of the matter and seemed to be very familiar with demon hunters. The words caused her to eyes to widen. ¡°Letta runes you say? Those runes the ancient priests and demon hunters are using now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they appeared in The Plane of Dreams¡­ They were carved into the wall by the locals¡­but I couldn¡¯t read the runes to make anything out of them. Vivian should have some idea¡­. Oh, I better write them down before I forget them.¡±


    ¡°Here!¡± Wuyue quickly pulled a notebook out of her backpack and handed it to Hao Ren. ¡°I wanted to write my music in it.¡±


    Hao Ren took the notebook and quickly started drawing the runes he saw in it. He always thought his memory was rather good, and he managed to remember at least one line of the runes. While his depiction of the runes may not have been the most accurate, he managed to get the general shape of the runes right. Letta runes are a series of runic letters with a very strong individuality. Each rune has its own unique shape and contour. As long as he got the general shape right, Vivian should be able to read it.


    ¡°So¡­ how did you know about The Plane of Dreams?¡± Hao Ren returned the notebook to Wuyue after he finished writing. He did not recall telling Wuyue about the plane as she was still new, and felt that he had to ask.


    ¡°Your MDT told me about it.¡± Wuyue pointed at the MDT that was floating beside Hao Ren. ¡°After you slept last night, it suddenly activated itself and started screaming, ¡®Slip and fall!¡¯. After which, it hold me about The Plane of Dreams. Oh yeah, it also said that you were investigating something really important and I should let you sleep even longer. So, I sang a lullaby for you. Did it work?¡±


    Only then did Hao Ren realize, the song he had heard before waking up was from Wuyue. The enchanting melody lingered at the back of his mind, and the vague memory still gave him an uncanny feeling of calm and comfort. It was as if the song was indeed magical that it seeped deep into his mind. Guess what they say about sirens and their songs were real. He nodded gratefully. ¡°Yes, it did. It bought me a few minutes to grasp the key stuff¡­ Oh, sh*t! I forgot about something!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The MDT floated towards him. ¡°If you want to say that you actually sold me off, I¡¯ll f*cking murder you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you. Off to the side.¡± Hao Ren grabbed the MDT and stuffed it into a pile of pebbles. ¡± I promised the alpha wolf that I¡¯d bring him a dentist the next time I visit¡­. Can¡¯t believe I forgot about it¡­ He didn¡¯t even mention it at all.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s quite clear that he wasn¡¯t counting on you to fulfill your promise.¡± The MDT popped out of the pile of pebbles with a dried seaweed hanging onto it. ¡°Don¡¯t fret too much. Just make up for it the next time. You didn¡¯t even bring Husky this time around. And frankly speaking, whether you can bring a living person into The Plane of Dreams is a question by itself. I think you need Madam Raven to provide support for that.¡±


    Hao Ren demurred for a moment and concurred. He also needed to report what he saw to Raven 12345 but, that could wait until they return from this foray. He gave himself a good tap on the face and said, ¡°We better get on finding the person¡­ Oh yeah, MDT, have you found the cargo craft? Reckon you¡¯ve scanned the area for a night already.¡±


    ¡°My life as a PDA¡­. All work, no play¡­ I even need to play bodyguard and radar when you¡¯re asleep.¡± The MDT grumbled incessantly as it opened up the holographic map. On it, was a very detailed map of the ocean floor. ¡°I¡¯ve marked the three most plausible sites, all have either impact craters or energy signals. They¡¯re probably what¡¯s remained of the cargo craft or the cargo pod. Two of the spots are in the nearby jungle and the mountain 200 km away from here. The last one¡­is a bit scary, a deep sea trench some 2000km away. I almost wanted to omit it. Hopefully, that¡¯s not the cargo craft. I¡¯m afraid of deep seas.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Having a PDA that was neurotic, sarcastic and temperamental to boot¡­ Not to mention, it even has it¡¯s own taste in movies. Now, a fear of the deep? Hao Ren felt that he would achieve a state of nothingness sooner or later.


    ¡°The wreck of the cargo pod?¡± Y¡¯zaks frowned. ¡°I thought the cargo craft arrived safely? What happened?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true that the cargo craft arrived safely but, the cargo pod crashed.¡± The MDT vibrated as it spoke. ¡°Never trust Gnomish technology. I already warned Madam Raven to hire someone more reliable, and not those half baked Gnomish veterans for the job. Their cost control regime is almost cringe-worthy. From what I can discern from the Space Administration datalogs, the cargo craft was unmanned, and it disintegrated upon atmospheric entry. The cargo pod only survived because its own Emergency Decelerator kicked into gear. But, the force of entry burnt out most of its electronics, including its locator beacon. The last signal received was merely a distress signal, and it¡¯s now silent. We will need to search all three spots then.¡±


    Hao Ren took a look at the jungle behind him. ¡°I gues we¡¯ll start here then. It¡¯s the closest¡­ As for the sea trench¡­¡±


    He turned towards Wuyue. ¡°Did Raven 12345 actually foresee this happening and have me bring you along? Or, should we check the trench first?


    Hao Ren almost believed what he just said. His impression of Raven 12345 that she was the puppet master behind the scenes, manipulating and dictating her chess pieces (employees) with sheer impunity. It was no surprise if she had already figured out the whereabouts of the pod and sent Hao Ren to retrieve it just for kicks¡­


    ¡°Unlikely,¡± the MDT explained. ¡°Madam is a meticulous planner. The planet that we are on is 80% water and the place we are at is the only land mass. The chances of the pod dropping into the sea was high to begin with so, she had you bring the siren along.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded in apprhension. Wuyue also had a confident look on her face. ¡°No worrie. While I¡¯ve never been into the deep before, sirens are still natural dwellers of the deep. I¡¯m immune to darkness and water pressure when I¡¯m in the water. But¡­ I hope that the sea water here isn¡¯t made out of some odd stuff¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you worry!¡± The MDT reassured her. ¡°It¡¯s your usual sea water. The salinity is a bit on the high side. You won¡¯t turn into a dried fish fillet from the high salt content would you?


    Wuyue pondered for a moment. ¡°¡­I think I won¡¯t¡­ I¡¯m a salt-water being. And I have some special abilities to keep me from turning into a dried fish fillet in briny waters.¡±


    The topic of conversation just turned weird.

 Chapter 133

    The three of them decided to start their search from the closest point.


    The first drop point was within the ancient jungle behind them. You could almost say that the MDT had chosen the best possible starting point for them based on where they landed. They quickly dismantled their campsite and left most of the cumbersome stuff under a rock. Each one of them simply carried the bare necessities like food and drinks for their foray into the alien jungle. Tools were not needed. All three off them could split the earth when needed.


    The flora in the planet were gargantuan by Earth¡¯s standards. From the low brushes to the skyscrapping trees, everything was unusually large. Even the smallest of trees needed at least three people to cover its circumference. The trees had no visible branches until about 10 meters off the ground. Only further up the canopy could one actually see any obvious branches snaking about. On them, coils of vines and brambles slithered around in symbiotic co-existance. Such was the way things appeared to be on the planet. Anything that failed to co-exist was eliminated by natural selection.


    The concentration of oxygen within the jungle was higher than normal as well. The gigantic trees and shrubs produced much more oxygen than the plants on Earth could. It seemed like their biological make-up had some difference compared to those of Earth. A planet with only 20% landmass yet, it had a higher oxygen density than Earth¡­


    Of course, this was Hao Ren¡¯s own rambling thoughts. He had little to no knowledge about this, and he could do worse than the Husky back at home.


    The jungle had no obvious paths or trails and was fraught with uneven landscape as well as a thick bed of leaves on the ground. Hidden within the sea of leaves were unseen pot holes or protruding roots. The journey on land was exhausting for the trio. Hao Ren envied Vivian¡¯s ability to fly at that moment. The vampire would definitely be in her element here. There was ample space between the towering trees, and she would be able to swerve in and out in her bat form with ease.


    Along the way, they also ran into local fauna; some weird looking beasts and bird-like creatures. All of them scattered as the trio approached. The beasts were rather agile. They disappeared almost instantaneously into the jungle once they caught sight of the incoming party. There were also slavering carnivores that attempted to stalk the trio and turn them into dinner. However, their efforts were for naught as a single glare from Y¡¯zaks had their courage in flight, and them following suit. The great demon sure knew how to make an impression.


    Boom !


    A loud boom echoed across the jungle, and the trees shook violently. On Y¡¯zaks hand, was a sphere of concentrated air, which was glowing hot. With it, the great demon carved a path through the obstructing brambles. Y¡¯zaks had powers like this that made the path easier for Hao Ren and Wuyue to navigate. Wuyue could see hot air swirling around Y¡¯zaks as the great demon hurled sphere after sphere to clear a way for them. The scene itself was rather scary for her and she gingerly quipped, ¡°Mr. Super, Violent, Muscle Man, I¡¯m afraid of hot air the most¡­ I get dehydrated by it¡­¡±


    Having a great demon, who specialized in the lore of fire and a siren, who was well versed with water spells to cooperate as a team was an achievement in itself.


    ¡°Be careful with those blasts, we don¡¯t want to light the whole place up!¡± Hao Ren yelled to Y¡¯zaks from behind. ¡°This place has a high concentration of oxygen, and with this being the only landmass on the planet, we won¡¯t have any place to run if a firestorm breaks out.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks just smiled as he hurled another sphere forward. ¡°No worries about that. My spheres won¡¯t even create as much as a spark. Say¡­how far more do we need to go?¡±


    ¡°Almost there, almost there.¡± The MDT chimed as it floated through the air, displaying a holographic map of the jungle. The red marker of their target location was within the map¡¯s perimeter now. ¡°Won¡¯t even take another 10 minutes I reckon.¡±


    ¡°This is the third ¡¯10 minutes¡¯ already¡­ I can¡¯t walk any further¡­¡± Wuyue grumbled as she panted. As a siren, her stamina for journeys like this were clearly lacking. She was also concerned about the matter at hand. ¡°¡­Would the new tenant be all right? It¡¯s still alive right? The cargo pod already landed here for a few days, and it was a crash landing to boot¡­¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡± The MDT swirled up and down in a nod. ¡± I¡¯ve checked the cargo pod¡¯s model, and it¡¯s a New Eden Federation pod. They come equipped with excellent safety and preservation features. Even if the outer shell burnt out, the pod can still sustain life for a month. There¡¯s even a note on the product guidebook that the cargo would be kept in a state of unconscious preservation. I think it means hibernation¡­¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t tell what¡¯s the status of the new tenant?¡± Hao Ren gave the MDT a weird look. ¡± I thought you¡¯d at least have some insider information¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know how Madam Raven works¡­ The fact that she could even remember the delivery company itself is good enough.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and decided not to dig further. They would find out what¡¯s what after uncovering the cargo pod. Wuyue had a rather incredulous look on her face. ¡°It¡¯s just not sitting right with me¡­ They were transporting a living person but, why are they calling it a cargo?¡±


    Before the MDT could even start explaining the terminologies, Y¡¯zaks booming voice rang out from the front. ¡°I see trails of smoke ahead. I think we found our target!¡±


    The information roused Wuyue, who was about to throw a tantrum into high spirits. As both Hao Ren and Wuyue looked up, they saw faint trails of smoke rising not far away. Thankfully, there were no traces of spreading fire. The three quickened their steps and after a short while, reached the first crashed site.


    The impact of the crash and the subsequent explosions had levelled everything around the crash site. A hundred-meter deep crater was created as a result. Surrounding the crash site, was a scene of carnage with fallen trees laying about. Many of them bore burnt marks. Even the crater¡¯s soil was still steaming hot, and in it, lay the the wreckage of whatever that crashed into the ground. It was nothing but twisted metal by then. From the remains, they could make out it¡¯s original oval shape. All around it were debris of unknown metals, which were still burning. The air was choked with ash and burnt residues.


    Hao Ren noticed that the area had many evident burnt marks, and it seemed like a fire did break out for a short while. Perhaps it was the forest¡¯s natural resistance against fire (like having water-filled fibres or tree barks that were resistant to fire.) It was their luck that the fire had not spread or else things would have been really firey.


    ¡°¡­This can¡¯t be the cargo pod right?¡± While Hao Ren had not seen how an interstellar cargo pod looked like, he could tell that whatever crashed into the crater did not seem like it performed a controlled crash-landing. Hence, that triggered his doubts.


    ¡°Seems like the thrusters of the cargo craft and it¡¯s control unit.¡± The MDT floated over the wreckage as it scanned the area with a faint blue light. ¡°Most of the components are fried. Including the black box. Appears to be a futile run.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the wreckage again and something really major dawned upon him. ¡°Wait a minute¡­ Did Raven 12345 actually plan to get those jokers to drop the cargo pod on Earth?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    Hao Ren almost jumped up in fury. ¡°The f*ck?! You mean to say that she actually wanted to drop this directly on Earth?¡±


    ¡°Well, no one expected the cargo pod to blow up.¡± The MDT explained as it dodged Hao Ren¡¯s torrent of saliva. ¡°It¡¯s not like gnomish tech blows up every time¡­ It¡¯ll make successful landings from time to time¡­ And truth be told, if the pod was to make atmospheric entry into Earth, Madam Raven would have been controlling it herself, and not let it crash land like this¡­¡±


    Hao Ren had his doubts if the goddess would be able to pull it off. He was glad that the pod decided to explode some 800 light years away. If this thing were to land in a human city, it would be on the headlines for months to come!


    ¡°¡­I guess we gotta look at the other sites.¡± Wuyue sighed while she squatted in exhaustion. ¡°The next one is on the mountain right¡­ Wait¡­do we actually need to climb it?¡±


    As Hao Ren and Wuyue were about to leave the site, Y¡¯zaks noticed something. ¡°Hold on, I sense something!¡±

 Chapter 134

    Hao Ren and Nangong Wuyue curiously looked at Y¡¯zaks as he jumped into the pit. He then ignored the pungent smell and warm ashes along the way, striding to the oval wreckage. He proceeded to tear apart the shell of the egg-shaped structure.


    The sturdy ship¡¯s alloy plate creaked under the big demon¡¯s brute force. The alloy plate itself had experienced the double loss of both crash impact and high-temperature burning. Its strength had been greatly reduced. And now, it encountered such a violent way of demolition. Out of nowhere, a few pieces of deformed, blackened metal were torn down by Y¡¯zaks. Hao Ren and Nangong Wuyue glanced at each other then, hurriedly ran towards Y¡¯zaks.


    ¡°I smell something familiar here,¡± Y¡¯zaks said without turning his head. He was still busy within the pile of twisted metal wreckage. The electrical sparks and residual radiation from the spacecraft¡¯s propulsion seemed to be nonexistent to him. ¡°Look at this. These pipes; the traces of corrosion. It did not burn instead, it was attacked by something before it fell.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue frowned. The burning smell that pervaded the place made her very uncomfortable. The siren made a few strange gestures and drew something in the air. A faint, light blue shadow exuded from her body and diffused into the space quickly like phantom waves. The air surrounding the wreckage suddenly became fresh, and it was filled with a soothing vapor.


    Hao Ren was surprised to find that Nangong Wuyue possessed the function of an air humidifier. Vivian had the function of air-conditioning, Y¡¯zaks had the function of the stove and Lily had the function of security door. Now, there was another one who could act as the air humidifier. Hao Ren felt that he could form a weird yet wonderful, self-made ecological circle in his own home sooner or later.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see anything special,¡± Nangong Wuyue said. She took a deep breath and finally felt better. However, she was clueless in terms of the messy pipes and parts from the wreckage of the spaceship. She could not understand why Y¡¯zaks, a demon from another world, would know about these high-tech gadgets. ¡°You comprehend it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really comprehend it as well but, I can feel that there is a familiar residual power here.¡± Y¡¯zaks twisted his finger and a little, green demonic flame burst forth from his fingers. The flame fell on the hull of the spaceship and left behind a greenish, black stain. ¡°Over time, these corrosion traces become very similar to scorch marks but, the remnants of the magic can¡¯t be hidden. There is magic in the ship¡¯s pipes, which belong to the demon race¡­ the Balrogs or Terror Demons. Of course, it could also belong to a higher-order demon like me.¡±


    ¡°The spaceship was hit by demons?¡± Hao Ren was quite surprised. ¡°There are demons on this planet?! I have to report it quickly!¡±


    ¡°No, they¡¯re not here anymore.¡± Y¡¯zaks looked up at the sky and continued, ¡°There¡¯s a strong sense of power between demons. I can be sure that there¡¯s only a demon, which is me on this planet right now. Unless, the demon is so weak that I can¡¯t detect it but, that¡¯s unlikely. Such a weak demon has no threat against this rugged device.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, it has to be reported,¡± the MDT said in a rare serious tone. ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be any demons in this area¡­ And there hasn¡¯t been any recent application for the demon race to pass through here. It¡¯s most probably a case of illegal immigration. On top of that, they even attacked the civil carriers employed by the Empire. It¡¯s not a joke¡­ Damn, those goblins just can¡¯t be trusted. They treat the crash of a ship as daily routine. They probably won¡¯t be aware that their ship is being hit unless they are hit with a missile right in the face.


    Now Hao Ren really wanted to know, what kind of magical creatures were these goblins. Why do they sound like the gang of profiteers in the old street?


    Nangong Wuyue walked around in a circle to observe the debris scattered on the ground. From time to time, she lifted a piece of debris and looked at it curiously, pretending to be an expert. At last, she appeared to find something interesting. ¡°Do you think this dent looks like a leg?¡±


    She held a large metal plate about a meter or so in length and width (the girl had a pair of strong arms indeed). The metal plate was also burnt and blackened. The most obvious feature was a very visible dent in the middle of the metal plate. The shape of the dent looked like a kick from someone but, the way it bent was a little weird. Hao Ren realized something after looking at it for quite some time: reversal of the knee.


    ¡°It¡¯s really a trace left behind by demons.¡± Hao Ren immediately remembered that Y¡¯zaks also had a similar reversal of the knee when he was in demon form but, his leg was much larger than the dent in front of him. ¡°Are demons that bold? They even dare to kick this spaceship? Plus, this one looks like the kick was slanted¡­¡±


    Y¡¯zaks did not utter a word. He looked at the traces on the metal plate thoughtfully as though he was trying to determine the characteristics of the attackers. Finally, he shook his head and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go and carry out our business. Report the situation here to the goddess. She¡¯ll find a way to discover the cause.¡±


    ¡°You trust her quite a lot,¡± Hao Ren muttered and took the lead in getting out of the pit.


    The next station for the three of them was a mountain 200 kilometers away. It was obviously a bit far to go on foot this time. However, long-distance traveling was not a problem for Hao Ren anymore. He looked at his MDT quietly. ¡°This is for the mission. Go and mark the teleportation point!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lazy!¡± the MDT left those words angrily and disappeared into the sky in a stream. The sound it made was explosive like thunder piercing the ear. The starting speed was about Mach 10.


    The MDT¡¯s teleportation ability was already activated but, it needed to record the coordinates of the target point before it can be routed there. If Hao Ren had to go along with it to record the coordinates, the limitation would have been a joke. However, thanks to the Empire¡¯s advanced technology, the MDT was able to do it alone, and its speed was definitely faster than any vehicle that Hao Ren had ever seen on Earth. After a few minutes, the MDT appeared directly in front of them. This time it directly teleported back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go up the hill. Let¡¯s go directly to the bottom of the sea.¡± The MDT sounded very unpleasant. ¡°The debris at the crash point on the mountain is the main part of the carrier. It¡¯s severely damaged and now evenly distributed throughout the mountain. The cargo pod should be at the bottom of the sea.¡±


    Hao Ren patted his head and thought: Why did I not think of letting the MDT explore it earlier?


    The third falling point was even farther away. It had a straight distance of 2000 kilometers away, and they had to dive vertically down without knowing how deep the actual point is. Needless to say, it was time for Nangong Wuyue to do her job.


    ¡°Diving directly into the sea¡­¡± Hao Ren looked at Nangong Wuyue and asked, ¡°Can you bring people along?¡±


    ¡°I can take one.¡± Nangong Wuyue looked at Hao Ren with a happy face. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you along. Y¡¯zaks¡¯ big body really gives me some stress. And he¡¯s naturally a fire dweller, which is absolutely unsuitable for diving.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you watch the luggage then.¡± Y¡¯zaks nodded with a smile and did not mind.


    After the three of them allocated their work, the MDT began to emit a faint, blue light and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been to the sea just now and recorded the coordinates. Get ready, we¡¯re going to teleport¡­ Let¡¯s go!¡±


    A curtain of light enveloped the three of them, and when they opened their eyes, they were already above the sea, 2000 kilometers away.


    The sea of 2000 kilometers away¡­ There was no land within thousands of miles, not even an island. However, the situation Hao Ren had envisioned, where they would be sent directly into the water and become drowned rats did not occur (with the MDT as a partner, he was accustomed to expecting the worst). The moment the teleportation was completed, and he felt his body falling, he heard Nangong Wuyue make a strange sound. It sounded like a scream but with a strange sense of rhythm. It was as though the sound stabbed straight into the soul of man. Along with this scream, the surrounding water condensed instantly and turned into a surface of solid ice before Hao Ren and Y¡¯zaks fell down.


    It was a little painful to fall on the floating ice. However, for the current Hao Ren, it was just like falling over onto his butt. Plus, it was much better than directly dropping into the sea.


    Nangong Wuyue did not fall on the ice. She jumped straight into the blue sea excitedly. In between the splashes of water, Hao Ren saw glittering, golden-red scales flashing. Then, the siren girl disappeared. It was not until he got a little impatient, waiting on the floating ice that the she suddenly popped up. She leapt out and swam happily in the water.


    Hao Ren stared blankly at the ¡°Mermaid Princess¡± and said to himself, ¡°It¡¯s as though she¡¯s at home¡­ What a big tail.¡±


    He was probably the first guy who only responded with, ¡°What a big tail.¡± when he saw a mermaid.

 Chapter 135

    Nangong Wuyue swam in the sea like a fish. To the siren, the sea was her home. Although she had been obeying her mother¡¯s advice of not gong into the deep sea, her swimming aptitude was inborn.


    Hao Ren was captivated by Nangong Wuyue¡¯s form in the water. He exclaimed, ¡°What a big tail!¡± and then there was total silence.


    ¡°Whoa, it¡¯s been a long time since I last swam. I¡¯m excited.¡± Nangong Wuyue emerged from the water right in front of Hao Ren, splashing the water out of its surface. Her hands were on the edge of the floating ice. ¡°Hi Landlord, isn¡¯t my tail beautiful? It¡¯s golden red, just like the sunset.¡±


    The siren maiden kicked up more water as she said that. She looked exactly like the mermaid in the mermaid stories¡ªa beautiful, golden red tail with two light purple stripes. Her upper body was transformed too; there was light green stuff, which looked like fish scales covering her forearms right to her wrists. The same scales also covered the areas under her cheeks which was not strange at all instead, they were very beautifully arranged like a tattoo. Her clothes were gone. Her body was now covered in scales, an almost skin-like cloth¡ªbeautiful and sexy.


    Before the transformation, Nangong Wuyue was just another ordinary chick; after the transformation, her beauty was stunning. But, Hao Ren¡¯s reaction was a little off; aside from the ¡°big tail¡± exclamation, the only thing he said was, ¡°Where are your clothes?¡± Perhaps he had been living with the werehusky and vampire for too long, he lost his attraction to beautiful chicks.


    Nangong Wuyue swung her tail and formed an ice ball. The ice ball dropped onto the floating ice. Her clothes were tucked nicely inside the ice ball. ¡°My big brother Y¡¯zaks, please help pick my clothes up.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks was too happy not to help. He nodded frantically. Hao Ren stretched his hand into the water trying to feel the temperature. ¡°How could I? Do you have magic?¡±


    ¡°Just jump in¡ª¡± Nangong Wuyue jumped out of the water and her tail slapped Hao Ren¡¯s back. Before Hao Ren knew what was happening, he lost his balance and fell. The siren was excited and she swam towards him.


    Everything was blurry as he fell. He was prepared for the icy-cold water. He heard the sound of water splashing but there was no chilly sensation. As he opened his eyes, he realized he was slowly sinking but, he was covered in some sort of sparkling liquid membrane; the liquid membrane was not just water-proofed but it also allowed him to breath freely. Aside from the strange feeling of floating in water, it was no different than being on dry land.


    A golden screen swept across his eyes. It was the beautiful, big tail Nangong Wuyue was so proud of. The siren was visibly more excited in water than on dry land. She swam swiftly in a circling motion around Hao Ren until he felt dizzy, before coming up to him and patting him on his shoulder with her tail. ¡°Landlord, how is it? Are you stunned?¡±


    ¡°I can still talk?¡± As he opened his mouth, he was amazed. He could clearly hear his own voice. ¡°I can still talk underwater?¡±


    ¡°Sirens belong to the water, and water belongs to the sirens.¡± Nangong Wuyue held his hand and led him into the dark, deep sea. ¡°Now, the body of water within a one kilometer radius from me is an extension of my body. You can breath, you can talk, and you won¡¯t be affected by the water pressure within the sphere. Beyond that it won¡¯t work.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. He was excited for the new, thrilling experience. Because the siren held him as they swam along, he did not need much effort to do the swimming himself.


    Nangong Wuyue grabbed him by his arm and dived all the way down. The mermaid¡¯s speed of swimming was incredible. Judging from how fast their surroundings turned dark and the G-force he felt from the diving acceleration, Hao Ren knew the little mermaid was moving faster than any submarine. Her tail flexed back and forth lightly and elegantly. Hao Ren became curious. ¡°I remember seeing it somewhere that sirens are different from mermaids¡­ While a mermaid has a long tail like yours, there are two types of sirens; one¡¯s a bird-like monster, which flies above the sea surface, another one¡¯s a sea snake¡­¡±


    ¡°Sea snake? Like this?¡± She released Hao Ren¡¯s hand and made two turns in the water. Her tail quickly diffused and became transparent. Then it turned into a three-meter long, golden red tail, which looked like a sea snake. The scales on her face faded and transformed into strange, blood-red patterns. It was not gorgeous but, kind of strange and lascivious.


    She still looked pretty but, also exuded the impression that she was lethal and dangerous. Hao Ren did not think she looked dangerous though. He felt that she looked more like a siren than ever¡ªher mermaid look was too lame in comparison.


    ¡°Whoa, double shapeshifting?¡± Hao Ren almost could not believe his eyes as he looked at Nangong Wuyue. He could not take his eyes away from her magnificent sea-snake tail. ¡°This is entirely trans-species!¡±


    ¡°Sirens aren¡¯t bounded by their forms. We¡¯re capable of multiple-shapeshifting.¡± Nangong Wuyue curled her tail around Hao Ren and continued to dive deeper into the sea. ¡°As water has no shape, so do we. We could turn into any shape we like. I was in mermaid form earlier because I thought you liked the look of a fish tail. Humans are more familiar with it after all. But hey, I didn¡¯t know you knew more images of sirens than I thought. What do you say if I turn into a crab?¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t! I¡¯d like to keep my impression intact.¡± Hao Ren shook his head frantically as multiple weird images flashed through his mind.


    ¡°Oh, yeah? I was thinking of shapeshifting into a jellyfish or a cuttlefish. You know, one can never have too many hands.¡± Nangong Wuyue flexed her tail and brought Hao Ren closer. ¡°Landlord, which one looks better¡ªthe fish tail or sea-snake tail?¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    He found it more and more stressful to live with these non-human creatures. There were too many odd questions, and these fellows never thought of their cultural and aesthetic differences¡ªfor example, the question about teething rusk and dog chew Lily had been asking a while ago¡­


    Hao Ren pondered for a long time before he responded, ¡°I think both are equally beautiful.¡± A lame answer for a weird question was all he got. He then put his hand out and touched the siren¡¯s tail, which was curled around his waist. It was cold and slippery. ¡°In that sense, the legends about mermaids, sirens, sea monsters and every other being came from the same source¡ªyou?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re asking about something way before my time. I wasn¡¯t even an egg at that time. Maybe you¡¯re right¡ªsome of the seniors may have travelled to the surface to take a breath and got spotted. That¡¯s the way most legends on Earth were originated. The same could be said of the Mythological Era where fractions of ancient beings fought one another.¡±


    ¡°Can you turn into a mantis shrimp?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget it! I was just asking.¡±


    The duo chattered as they continued to dive deeper. By then, they were at a depth impenetrable by sunlight. It was pitch dark. The only source of light was the bluish glow emanated by the MDT that was leading the way ahead of them. Even with his enhanced vision he barely saw anything but, he knew he was in an unknown territory.


    Out there, strange, faint shadows lurked in the dark . These shadows could have been following them from behind and afar. Perhaps they were early life forms¡ªlife forms with intelligence. They had detected the presence of two unknown trespassers. Although the creatures did not come close or attack, their act of stalking indicated that they were not friendly.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t eat me¡­¡± Nangong Wuyue could be heard murmuring. ¡°Even though it won¡¯t be lethal, it does hurt¡­¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, that¡¯s all you got as a siren?¡± Hao Ren was amused. He found the maiden really funny. Her timidity did not live up to her ferocious tail, which was three meters in length. It was the tail of a queen of the ocean.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m capable of combat. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve never fought in a battle.¡± Nangong Wuyue sped up as she kept murmuring. ¡°Besides, this isn¡¯t Earth. God knows how dangerous these things are. And by the way, are we there yet?¡±


    The MDT was leading the duo with its blue glow, pointing ahead. ¡°Almost there. ETA in a few minutes.¡±


    It forgot about its deep-sea phobia. Obviously, it lied.


    Soon, sporadic dots of light appeared ahead. Hao Ren could see it.

 Chapter 136

    Beneath the ocean, it was deep and dark; endlessly vast but, not quiet. The magic-like geoactivities of the ocean floor and the small number of deep-sea creatures that were active in this region could be heard making spooky noises. It sounded like the crooning of a nightmare. The MDT¡¯s deep-sea phobia may have been fake but, Hao Ren knew before long, the phobia would catch up on it as the place really had the ability to stress people out.


    The water pressure at this depth was unimaginable. If not for the siren¡¯s ability, Hao Ren felt that even his Steel Membrane Shield would not have survived the crushing force. He locked his eyes on the faint light in front of him. His enhanced vision allowed him to see his surroundings with the aid of the low glow from the MDT. A container-like structure was vaguely visible on the ocean floor. The rectangular structure leaned at an angle, and was partly buried in the sand. It was roughly 10m by 9m by 9m in dimensions. There was lighting on each of the container¡¯s upper corners, barely enough to make the entire container visible. The container seemed to be still intact. At least, the faint lighting meant its power source had not been completely depleted.


    The container sat on a deep-sea sandbank, and was surrounded by high, sloping terrains on all sides. On one side of the slopes was a huge trail, which looked like a drag mark. It possibly resulted from the falling container. When Hao Ren and Nangong Wuyue came close to the container, they discovered some strange, tiny creatures, which were emanating a faint, blue light. They looked like crushed squids¡ªthey were flat and only about 10cm in length. These tiny creatures had obviously made the giant container their new home when it landed a couple of days ago as could be seen from the many little sand holes beneath the container. But before Hao Ren and Nangong Wuyue could come any closer, these tiny creatures fled.


    ¡°It¡¯s bigger than what I had imagined.¡± Nangong Wuyue released her grab on Hao Ren before she circled the container. ¡°It looks like a small house, it¡¯s bigger than any cargo container on Earth. Any idea how to open this thing?¡±


    Hao Ren was followed Nangong Wuyue as she circled the container. There was sign of ablation on the container¡¯s surface and the once shining, alloy outer wall was damaged, probably due to the high heat during reentry after the carrier¡¯s disintegration. However, the structure itself was completely intact. The container had a double-layered wall; when Hao Ren tore down the damaged outer layer, the thick, inner alloy wall was revealed.


    ¡°I will find it.¡± The MDT hovered above the container and started to beam its scanner, looking for an entrance. Before long, it found an entry point on the side of the container. ¡°Found it¡ªthe safety lock is working. And its backup generator is powering the equipment¡¯s core protective function. The poor thing inside should be fine but, before we open the hatch, we need to block off the sea water to prevent it from causing secondary damage. Maybe we should move the container up to the surface.¡±


    ¡°Getting this huge thing up to the surface?¡± Nangong Wuyue¡¯s eyes blinked. ¡°I¡¯d rather block off the water. Please take a step back, Landlord. I¡¯m going to create a dry zone.¡±


    As Hao Ren stepped back, Nangong Wuyue once again swam around the container in a circling motion but this time, her movements seemed to follow a particular pattern. As her long tail flexed back and forth, a faint glow started to permeate through the surrounding water. Nangong Wuyue then stopped dead above the container and uttered a strange-sounding syllable. A transparent hemispheric barrier popped up out of nowhere right above the container!


    The spherical barrier was dozens of meters across, much bigger than the container itself. The water was separated from the inside and formed a spectacular scene of wonder. Hao Ren swam towards the barrier curiously. As he passed through the soft membrane, he entered into a water-free environment where even the sand under his feet was completely dry.


    Hao Ren was awed by what he saw. ¡°That was awesome, what you did! The ocean¡¯s truly your heaven.¡±


    Hao Ren turned around and saw Nangong Wuyue coming in through the water barrier. Without water, the siren maiden could only move like a snake on the dry sand with her long tail. But, her body remained enchanting as ever. However, Nangong Wuyue herself did not think so. She grumbled. ¡°This is uncomfortable¡­ I¡¯ve tried to ¡®walk¡¯ this way a few times since I was young, and I still can¡¯t get used to it.¡±


    Hao Ren wanted to say she looked great swaying her hips that way but, was he taken aback by her next move: she shapeshifted back into a mermaid and jumped on her tail. She laid back down after a few attempts. ¡°I can¡¯t balance myself¡­ How did my mom even do it?¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Nanyong Wuyue again shapeshifted back into the sea snake. She moved like a snake as she said to Hao Ren, ¡°I think I should shapeshift into a mantis shrimp. That way I could at least walk steadily. Or maybe a crab¡­¡±


    ¡°Please, spare me!¡± Hao Ren jumped onto his feet and pointed at her tail. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just transform back into human form?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but my cloths are still up there!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Hao Ren now realized that Nangong Wuyue was just like the werehusky. They both could not keep their clothes once they shapeshifted. Not every other-kind was as poor and hypocritical as Vivian after all.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, what about the clothes you¡¯re wearing now?¡± Hao Ren pointed at her upper body. ¡°Where did you get that?¡±


    ¡°These are my scales!¡± Nangong Wuyue patted her chest. ¡°I¡¯m now practically nude. Just that cultural and aesthetic differences keep my modesty intact before a man¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s get back to business then¡­¡±


    He felt that if he kept talking with the siren, he was going to lose an important part of his life.


    As the water around the container was drained, there was no worry of causing secondary damage to the occupant inside. The MDT hovered at the side of the big structure. It sent out a light beam and connected to the container¡¯s control system. ¡°Let¡¯s hope that the safety host is still switched on, or we¡¯ll have to blast through the door¡­ Yeah, looks like luck¡¯s on our side.¡±


    Right after the MDT said, ¡°luck¡¯s on our side¡±, a creaking noise was heard under the metal plate. It was as if the door¡¯s mechanism was rubbing against the damaged outer wall. It was then followed by a hissing sound. As the door slid open, it stopped at one-third of its fully opened position as though something had gotten stuck in the door¡¯s sliding track. But it did not matter. The opening was big enough to pass through.


    Hao Ren squeezed himself through the door.


    The cabin was pretty big and everything was intact. The silvery white cabin walls were undamaged. The amber and soft ambient light was so soothing. It was a stark contrast with the dark and cold world outside.


    ¡°The air and temperature is at a normal level since the atmospheric stabilizing equipment is still functioning. That greatly reduced the impact from the landing.¡± The MDT was hovering closer behind Hao Ren. As it was connected to the cabin¡¯s computer controls, it had access to all data prior to the opening of the hatch. It relayed everything it knew to Hao Ren.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the occupant?¡± Hao Ren carefully balanced himself on the slanted floor as he studied the unknown gadgets around him. There were racks on the wall, a display unit embedded in the wall and some other strange equipment he knew nothing of. It appeared that these things were built-in for the container. Nonetheless, the occupant was nowhere to be found.


    The container was empty. There was no one in there.


    Meanwhile, Nangong Wuyue had climbed in. That¡¯s right, she essentially had to climb to get in, considering the state of her capacity to move. She could not move around freely so, she stayed behind Hao Ren. ¡°Where¡¯s the person?¡±


    ¡°No idea. It was empty when I came in.¡± Hao Ren searched through the equipment and containers on the floor for clues but he found nothing meaningful. The MDT came closer and touched the display unit on the wall. ¡°This thing¡¯s primitive. I just can¡¯t get used to it. Let¡¯s see what¡¯s inside¡­ There¡¯s a log of a login, which means the occupant must still be here.¡±


    There were not many things in the container. If there was anyone in there, Hao Ren would have seen something. So, he gave up on his search and went back outside. He allowed the MDT to contact Raven 12345 while Nangong Wuyue followed him. The siren maiden found a white ball, which was bigger than a goose egg. She played with the ball, balancing it on the tip of her tail while her eyes were locked on Hao Ren as he made the ¡°phone call¡±.


    ¡°Hello? Is that Hao Ren?¡± Raven 12345¡¯s lazy voice could be heard at the other end. ¡°Did you get it?¡±


    ¡°Get what? The container¡¯s empty!¡± Hao Ren felt depressed. ¡°Is your intel valid?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean ¡¯empty¡¯?¡± Raven 12345 sounded stunned. ¡°Did you look inside properly? How could it be empty?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been looking high and low for a day.¡± Hao Ren sighed. As he turned his head around he saw Nangong Wuyue tossing the white ball up and down so, he joked, ¡°Yeah, found an egg!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it! That¡¯s the egg!¡±


    Nangong Wuyue¡¯s tail suddenly froze and a cracking sound followed.


    ¡°What the f*ck!!!¡±


    Again, Raven 12345 was stunned. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°It dropped!¡±


    ¡°F*ck!!¡±

 Chapter 137

    ¡°That¡¯s the egg!¡±


    When Hao Ren heard these words, he knew the goddess had gottem him into a fix again: how could she not have told him about such an important detail earlier!


    Nangong Wuyue was shocked too. Her tail trembled and the oversized egg dropped onto the ground. Hao Ren lunged forward like how Lily would when she saw a bone. Most people would think that the egg was broken but, it was not.


    Perhaps the soft sand on the sea floor cushioned it, or maybe the egg shell was solid; it did not suffer a scratch after falling off the siren¡¯s tail. Hao Ren held the egg like a baby and examined it real hard for half a day to ensure it was okay. He finally exhaled in relief. ¡°Holy moly, I was almost scared to death. Luckily, it¡¯s still intact.¡±


    When Nangong Wuyue was playing with the egg, Hao Ren thought it was a ball. It was not until he held it in his arms that he realized it was really an egg. It was pure white with a little yellow spot in the center; much bigger than a goose egg; oval but, more rounded than a normal egg. The egg¡¯s shell was silky smooth and warm to the touch. Nangong Wuyue came up and touched it. She was very curious but, very cautious too. ¡°Thank God, it¡¯s still in one piece.¡±


    ¡°How can this be? An egg?¡± Hao Ren almost cried as he spoke to Raven 12345. ¡°My new tenant¡¯s an egg?¡±


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t hatched yet.¡± Raven 12345 spoke matter-of-factly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what it is. Just keep it safely. There are already four different kinds of people with you, and you still can¡¯t shake off your racial mindset?¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not about racial prejudice.¡± Hao Ren half-smiled, half-cried with the egg in his hand. ¡°It was perfectly acceptable when you sent a werewolf and a vampire but, this time¡­it¡¯s an egg! It doesn¡¯t even have a face! Is that what you mean by ¡®person¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Just wait until it hatches,¡± Raven 12345 sounded totally calm. ¡°It will hatch. And I think you should be happier. Looking after an egg is way easier than taking care of a husky. Just don¡¯t break it and it¡¯ll hatch on its own in no time, without requiring any special environmental conditions. Also, make sure it has enough humidity. That little thing isn¡¯t really fond of a dry atmosphere once it hatches.¡±


    Hao Ren knew there was no way he could convey his heartache to the obstinate goddess. He had to bite his lip as he welcomed his new egg-tenant. The two gave each other a glance before Hao Ren asked with a faint voice, ¡°You have to at least tell me the egg¡¯s origin.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m about to tell you that. In fact, I¡¯ll do it when we meet. I¡¯m on my way to you,¡± Raven 12345 sounded cheerful. ¡°I¡¯ve got a big surprise for you to commend you on a job well done! Get the MDT out into an open space now. I¡¯ll be there in about an hour.¡±


    Raven 12345 rudely hung up right after that just like she always did, leaving Hao Ren stupefied.


    ¡°She¡¯s coming?¡±


    For two seconds, he tried to grab his thought. Then he came to his senses. The pyscho was coming. He did not know how she had found the time to come over. He grabbed Nangong Wuyue¡¯s tail and curled it up on his waist and said, ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue looked at his familiar act. She grimaced before she uttered a short syllable just like before. The barrier disappeared in a snap. Sea water came back down like water from a burst dam. Amid the thunderous sound of rushing water, the siren carried Hao Ren and shot for the surface.


    The return trip felt a lot quicker. The two of them did not say a thing as they headed back to the surface. Before long, they were able to see the sunlight from above and the shadow of the floating ice. As they came close to the surface, Nangong Wuyue let Hao Ren loose and pushed him out of the surface with the help of the flowing current. ¡°Landlord, please pass me my clothes when you get up there. I¡¯ll dress up down here. Hey, grab the egg!¡±


    When Hao Ren broke the surface, he found himself in the most awkward moment of his life as his hand was raised above his head holding the egg, just like the Statue of Liberty¡­


    He wished it was anything but an egg!


    The vast expanse of sea water was already under the control of Nangong Wuyue. As Hao Ren reached the surface, the water under his feet turned into an ice bridge, linking to the floating ice. There, Y¡¯zaks was guarding the icy ¡°clothing ball¡± while playing poker with himself. When he saw Hao Ren, he gave him a very warm welcome. ¡°Hi, welcome back! Where¡¯s the lady siren and the new tenant?¡±


    ¡°Wuyue needs her clothes back.¡± As he said it, he tossed the icy ball of clothing into the water. The mermaid jumped out and pulled the icy ball back into the water with her. ¡°This is the new tenant,¡± said Hao Ren as he shoved the egg in front of Y¡¯zaks.


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    ¡°You got that right. This is the new tenant.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s face turned solemn. ¡°It wasn¡¯t just straying out of course. It was also arriving way too early¡ªthis thing hasn¡¯t hatched yet. Now, I know the reason why they were using a container.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks was still flabbergasted and speechless.


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    After a long-winded explanation, the demon finally came to grips with the situation¡ªthe egg was the target of the mission. With an annoyed expression on his face, he said, ¡°My goddess, Her Majesty¡­ tsk, tsk, I was thinking of shaking hands with the new tenant.¡±


    Hao Ren shoved the egg to Y¡¯zaks. ¡°Take it. And, don¡¯t break it.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The sound of splashing water was then heard not too far away. Nangong Wuyue was coming out of the water. She had transformed back into her human form with her clothes on, fully dried. As Hao Ren and Y¡¯zaks were sitting down facing each other and studying the egg, Nangong Wuyue reminded the two careless chaps, ¡°Sister Goddess will be here any moment. Where are we going to find open land?¡±


    ¡°The beach, where we landed is pretty wide.¡± Hao Ren pondered for a moment and his eyes landed on the floating ice. ¡°But, nothing comes close to where we are now if you¡¯re talking about a level field. Wuyue, could you expand the floating ice?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I can if it¡¯s within a one-kilometer radius.¡±


    ¡°Wait a second. I suggest you guys go back to the beach instead,¡± The MDT suddenly chimed in. ¡°Experience tells me that when Ma¡¯am Raven says ¡®big surprise¡¯, she really means B-I-G; since she said, ¡®open land¡¯, we should really find a more solid ground.¡±


    Hao Ren concurred. He knew Raven 12345¡¯s style. The three of them, plus the egg, were teleported back to the beach where they had landed earlier. To make sure the chosen spot was wide enough, they found a much bigger beach one kilometer away from their landing spot. And they waited for the arrival of Raven 12345.


    And yes, the arrival of the goddess deserved a red carpet treatment.


    As the MDT sent out its location, Raven 12345 was just a few minutes away. They went to a higher ground on the beach and stared at the sky expectantly. Hao Ren felt that time was crawling very slowly at that point. Just as he was about to doubt that the pyscho would ever show up, a streak of light appeared in the sky.


    A strange vision filled the sky: the sun was gone, and the firmament was filled with thousands of stars. A curtain of blue light like an aurora started to lower itself from above the high sky while a huge door appeared in the centre of the aurora. Seconds later, Hao Ren saw a massive, silver white object emerge from the door.


    It was a spaceship.


    The spaceship was asymmetrical and hexagonal in shape. One end was bigger than the other, and slightly narrow in what looked like a western-style casket if you asked Hao Ren. Luckily, there were some other attached structures, which helped lessen the casket illusion. On the narrow end of the spaceship were four hexagonal cylinders in pairs, one on each side. The front end of the spaceship had complex and protruding structures, which made it look like a floating monster with many eyes. Hao Ren was not able to tell the dimensions of this monster ship but, he knew it was bigger than any aircraft carriers humans had ever built on Earth¡ªto put it into perspective, it was like a mountain falling from the sky.


    The spaceship was covered by a translucent, blue light-curtain. The image of Raven 12345 appeared on it and her voice was like thunder. ¡°How is it? This is the big surprise I was talking about. It¡¯s yours! Just got the approval today and I¡¯m delivering it to you myself!¡±

 Chapter 138

    Hao Ren had a boat load of questions to ask Raven 12345 when she arrived. As the ship arrived, it shocked Hao Ren into a stupor and he almost instantaneously forgot all that he wanted to ask. The only phrase that ran through his head was : This is your ship¡­ This is YOUR ship¡­ He stood there motionless for a good 30 seconds, and only broke out of it after Raven 12345 flicked his forehead.


    ¡°How about that? Cool right?¡± Raven12345 chirped as she tapped Hao Ren on the shoulder. A huge grin was plastered on her face. ¡°I spent half a day at the stardock picking this out for you. It¡¯s the most popular model for inspectors, both official and private. While I¡¯m not sure about the ship¡¯s technology-majigy, I heard recommendations that it¡¯s pretty great¡­¡±


    The gigantic spacecraft was now sitting on the beach. It was silent throughout its operation and did not as much as move the sand when it landed. The sight was simply amazing for a ship this size. The outer layer of the ship shone in bright silver. Along the body was a series of lines in blue and yellow that Hao Ren could not decipher. On the fore of the ship was the imperial emblem, illuminated in a faint blue light. Beneath the ship, was a network of energy conduits. While the network seemed exposed, it was the strongest and most durable part of the ship. The conduit was the source of the ship¡¯s energy barrier, and also its energized armor. Nearly indestructible did not even begin to describe it.


    Hao Ren admitted that he did not know much about space ships. He could not even figure out where the entrance was. What Raven 12345 told him earlier about the ship had already been cleanly forgotten. It was a complete surprise for him, almost too complete that he went back into a stupor, and walked in a state of hypnosis towards the belly of the ship. The size of the ship exuded a sort of pressure that took one¡¯s breath away. In actual fact, the ship was a size smaller than the No. 883 cargo craft, which Hao Ren took. Then again, the perception of size really said a lot about a human who had never encountered things of this scale. Hao Ren could barely tell the difference between the size of the two crafts but, he knew both of them were pretty awe-inspiring.


    But most importantly, that ship was his! His very own ship!


    For an Earthling who had previously only owned a rickety motorcycle, it would not be fair to expect him to stay composed.


    Hao Ren tapped the ship¡¯s armor. The feeling of the cold, sturdy frame was incredible to him. He turned around to Wuyue and Y¡¯zaks. ¡°Please, punch me in the face, one of you¡­just to make sure I¡¯m not dreaming.¡±


    The great demon and the siren quickly clenched their fists and walked towards him. Hao Ren quickly cowered and said, ¡°¡­On second thought, maybe not. You two will be the end of me.¡±


    ¡°How about that? This goddess here did a pretty good job don¡¯t you think?¡± Raven12345 laughed as she looked at Hao Ren. Hao Ren had been ignoring the goddess for a good while as he continued to be awestruck by his new ride but, she did not seem to take any offence. She allowed him to gawp at the ship for another short while before she stepped forward and pulled him by the ears. ¡°Alright, enough of that. We still have work to be done.¡±


    ¡°¡­Of¡ªof course! It¡¯s awesome!¡± Hao Ren finally calmed down and he felt that Raven 12345 looked particularly beautiful today. ¡°Say¡­is this really mine? Can I get on?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes you can, and you need to go in. We¡¯ll be taking it for our ride home. I also want to see how this thing operates.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Hao Ren was puzzled for a moment. ¡°Wait¡­you don¡¯t know how to opera¡­ How did the ship even get here then?¡±


    ¡°Oh, auto-pilot of course,¡± Raven12345 said nonchalantly. ¡°Had the delivery guy set the course, and I just hopped on. Even the landing was automated.¡±


    Hao Ren wanted to ask about the delivery guy. It seemed like everything the goddess had was pretty OP.


    ¡°How do I even enter?¡± Hao Ren scoured the entire belly of the ship for a door. He only came to realize that his ship was a totally different model from 883 from the general design to the material of the outer armor, leaving the poor sod at a lost. Raven 12345 pointed towards a part of the underbelly armor. ¡°See that thing over there? Oh right, did you bring the key I gave you last time?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s here.¡± Hao Ren quickly ruffled his pocket for his wallet and pulled out the precious, little crystalline panel from it. Ever since he got the key from Raven 12345, he never let it out of his sight. ¡°Kept it close like it was my babe.¡±


    ¡°Right. Listen up, this key just needs to be activated once. After you complete the activation process it¡¯ll be kept under lock in the ship¡¯s mainframe. Unless there is a change in your ship, the key will be one with the ship,¡± Raven 12345 said as she led Hao Ren to the entrance of the ship. ¡°Use it to open the door. Point the key towards the blue marker there. I¡¯ll move aside once you¡¯ve done that. Can¡¯t let the scanner have a peek of my glorious awesomeness.¡±


    As she finished her sentence, Raven 12345 ushered both Wuyue and Y¡¯zaks to distance away from the ship. Hao Ren simply followed Raven 12345¡¯s instructions and lifted the crystalline key. A blue ray of light immediately shot out from the panel and scanned the key. After that, the light hovered over Hao Ren as it also took a scan of him. A few seconds later, an entry way opened up. A panel slid away from both sides and opened up an entrance that was a few meters wide. From where he stood, Hao Ren could see a brightly lit corridor.


    A gentle voice suddenly spoke in his head. ¡°First time activation successful. Mainframe engaged. Visitor mode disabled. Level C and above areas now accessible. Please proceed with follow-up operations.¡±


    ¡°And there you have it. The ship is now fully engaged for the first time.¡± Raven 12345 popped out of nowhere as she tapped Hao Ren on his shoulder. ¡°The mainframe has completed the registration of your personal profile. It has now changed from Visitor-Trial mode to Normal Operations mode. Most of the functions have unlocked. After you insert the key into the mainframe, the ship¡¯s weapon systems and what not will come online. Hold on to that properly. We¡¯re going in.¡±


    Hao Ren meant to ask what weapon systems Raven 12345 was talking about. But, before he had the chance to speak, he was pushed into the ship by the goddess. Wuyue and Y¡¯zaks followed after that. Once all four of them had entered the ship, the door silently shut itself behind them as if there was no door to begin with.


    In front of them was a wide corridor, which was very well lit. White and silver, alloy walls extended all the way to the end. On the walls were moving lights that guided them to where they needed to be. Hao Ren, like the country bumpkin he was, moved along cautiously. After a few steps, something struck him. This was his ship¡­ So, why the unnecessary caution?


    It seemed like Hao Ren still had a lot of adjusting to do with things happening so quickly.


    ¡°Wow, this is beautiful.¡± Wuyue¡¯s reaction was much, much more natural than Hao Ren¡¯s. She curiously walked about and knocked or fiddled with anything that was lit up. ¡°So sparkly. I can¡¯t imagine the power consumption for this!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks also had a curious look on his face. ¡°A beautiful ship indeed. It¡¯s almost similar to the one I came on. Must be the same model.¡±


    ¡°This is one of the most widely used spacecrafts among inspectors, with 60% of them using it. Due to its excellent functionality, it is a popular spacecraft,¡± the MDT explained as it floated beside Hao Ren¡¯s face. ¡°By the way, I found the product description of the ship. Do you want to have a look?¡±


    Hao Ren quickly nodded. ¡°Yes! Yes!¡±


    The MDT generated a holographic image and it contained various information of the ship that they were on. Hao Ren decided to stop and have a good look at the description.


    ¡°Model S-X6. Military/Civilian-Use Special Light Patrol Frigate. There are two different variations; the first variation comes equipped with top-end military equipment and weapons, a basic scouting vessel of the Empire. The second variation comes equipped with a specialized life support system and various energy cores, and is for civilian-use, a mainstay vessel for inspectors. This ship is the second type. The length of this ship is 565 meters, and the widest point is 200 meters. It comes equipped with various complicated but excellent systems. The civilian model was first launched in the year 9986 of the New Imperial Calendar and the reception was very positive. Production was ramped up by the Pan Galaxy Commonwealth¡¯s 16 giant military industries, and after various modifications and improvements, it quickly became one of the most loved vessels among inspectors. As a vessel that is so commonly used for missions, it uses a very safe Secondary Psionic Drive as its main source of movement. It can perform warp and cross-world travels. The ship also comes with self-defence weaponry (Not suitable for combat roles; no ability to perform ground bombardments) and also a self-sustaining life support system. The storage system utilizes a dimensional expansion storage and is able to carry cargo many times its own size. Its speed and defensive capabilities are exceptional plus, it is a very useful vessel for inspectors who run about all the time.¡±


    That was the brief description of the ship.

 Chapter 139

    After reading the brief introduction of the spaceship, Hao ren paused for a while. He glanced at Raven 12345 in surprise and asked, ¡°So, it¡¯s just a few hundred meters long? I thought it would be at least two kilometers¡­¡±


    ¡°You still think it¡¯s small?¡± Raven 12345 rolled her eyes and explained, ¡°This is for when you¡¯re on duty, not for you to use it as a colonial ship. So, it is enough for you. Besides, the ship has an excellent internal space expansion device. A part of the actual bay section is larger than its external dimension. As for the size¡­you must be dizzy. You can¡¯t estimate its size after you¡¯ve seen something bigger than this.¡±


    Hao Ren agreed. This ship in front of him was as big as a mountain. It looked like it was the best model according to the introduction he read so, Hao Ren told himself to appreciate it. All the questions he had earlier were due to the deep impression left by ship No. 883, and he unconsciously compared the two ships, which were completely different in function.


    ¡°This ship has self-defense firepower?¡± Hao Ren pointed at some points in the projected introduction, which he cared about the most. ¡°And this cross-world travelling¡­ How would I know about these things? Do I still have to learn artillery and navigation?¡±


    ¡°Hehe. You¡¯d be considered smart if you could lift this ship off on your own, right now.¡± Raven chuckled and walked forward. ¡°Your current piloting skills are at zero, lower than my level. There¡¯s a lot of stuff to learn. The main piloting work will be handed over to your MDT later. We¡¯ll just watch from the side. By the way, the ship has to be docked at the Kuiper Station. When parking in the solar system, the ship must not leave the mask area. It also can¡¯t land on the earth. Do you understand?


    Hao Ren nodded. He knew it without the need to mention.


    They walked along the spaceship¡¯s corridor for a while, and then entered an area similar to a crossroads. It was as wide as a small hall, where four corridors converged, and an object akin to a round table stood in the middle. A holographic projection floating above it was showing several complex charts and data. Hao Ren noticed that a similar holographic projection had been following him. When he saw the device, he realized that the projection next to him was being released by the MDT. Hao Ren poked the projection beside him and asked, ¡°What is this? Is it from the spaceship? I don¡¯t know¡ª¡±


    ¡°The ship¡¯s host will, by default, set up a projection which follows the captain. It¡¯s purpose is to report the ship¡¯s status to you immediately. Just shut it down if you can¡¯t understand it. There¡¯s actually nothing to pay attention to. When a real emergency happens, the ship¡¯s host will contact you via radio and mind communication,¡± Raven 12345 said and pointed to the corridor lights and the signs floating on the wall. ¡°Lighting, environment, gravity, markers; everything is on factory setting. You can adjust them according to your needs later. Usually, it will take several navigations before you can adapt to it and completely conform to the habit. The corridor ahead is a central fork. Turn left and it¡¯ll lead you to the ecology and residential areas; turn right and you¡¯ll head to the energy section with all kinds of engine rooms and laboratories. Go straight and you¡¯ll find the control room and intelligence center. In the middle of the central fork, there is a transmitter launcher below the holographic projection. Standing near it will enable you to order it telepathically to teleport you to the upper container area or shipboard hangar. I will send the ship¡¯s structural plan to your MDT, and then you can take your time to adapt to it. If you can understand all of this within three years, you are considered gifted. Now, let¡¯s go to the control room.


    The messy partitions and sections made Hao Ren feel a bit dizzy. Just when he was about to ask a question, he suddenly heard a faint buzz. He turned around to look, and found that there was a strangely shaped, mechanical ¡°creature¡± drifting towards them!


    It was a silvery gray creature with an irregular, chubby body. It had two rows of symmetrical bright eyes and several writhing mechanical tentacles stretched out from the bottom of its body. The total length of its body was about two to three meters. Overall, it looked like a mechanical squid that would appear in horror films. This strange and frightening, mechanical monster emitted a series of gabble and drifted towards them. Nangong Wuyue jumped on the spot and asked, ¡°Where did the squid come from! Why is it floating?¡±


    Hao Ren was also startled by this object but, he noticed that Raven 12345 had no particular expression. It seemed like the object belonged to the spaceship. So, he did not move but, looked curiously at the robotic squid. It drifted nimbly towards him, waving its tentacles and ¡®jabbering¡¯ a bunch of meaningless words. Then, it floated up to the ceiling and began to detect certain devices with a probe on its tentacles.


    ¡°It¡¯s a self-regulating machine. Many of these little people can be seen in all the imperial ships or in a large facility.¡± Raven 12345 pointed to the mechanical squid and continued explaining, ¡°It is responsible for maintaining the spacecraft, repairing equipment, cleaning, doing all kinds of chores, and taking care of others however, it doesn¡¯t do them well most of the time. It can also be a sentry but, its combat power¡­ Well, it can be used to scare people.¡±


    ¡°The ship¡¯s handyman?¡± Hao Ren just realized something. ¡°So, this means all the ships¡¯ crew members have been replaced by these self-regulatory machines?¡±


    ¡°Almost. After all, I can¡¯t give you hundreds of workers to do nothing every day other than polish the ship. Also, these self-regulatory machines usually stay in the upper deck of the shipboard hangar. They will repair and maintain each other. Additionally, they will produce new self-regulatory machines based on the circumstances, completely without your intervention. So, just treat them as a part of the ship¡¯s inner biosphere.¡±


    As they were talking, the squid-like, mechanical machine completed its inspection of the corridor, waving its tentacles and gradually drifting away. Nangong Wuyue was finally relieved and said, ¡°Phew¡­ This place really has quite a lot of interesting stuff.¡±


    They finally arrived at the spacecraft¡¯s control room. It was a wide, circular compartment, divided into upper and lower layers. The upper layer was slightly crimped, which made the entire control room feel like a truncated, hemispherical hall. They came in from the entrance of the lower end of the control room. They then saw a hologram device floating in the center of the room, which was showing a projection of the spaceship itself.


    ¡°There¡¯s no place for us to sit?¡± Nangong Wuyue curiously walked around the room and found that there were no seats available.


    ¡°If you need a seat, just ¡®think¡¯ about it.¡± As Raven 12345 spoke, a couple of silvery white lines appeared mid-air behind her and these lines instantly condensed into a seat at just the right size for her. ¡°The whole ship supports telepathic control as long as you¡¯ve registered your identity when entering the ship. You can use generic devices that do not require permissions, and the seat is one of them. All right, that¡¯s it. Hao Ren, insert the key into the console¡¯s mainframe interface, that glowing part with a circle of arrows pointing towards it.¡±


    Hao Ren saw light blue arrows emerge from thin air, indicating what to do next. He approached the device called the ¡°Command Console¡±, and found a keyhole of the right size for the crystalline key. It was on the side of the crystal-like structure.


    As the startup key was inserted into the keyhole, they heard the clear and loud sound of beeping, followed by a muffled boom coming from the depths of the spaceship. The core of the power furnace had begun to increase its output.


    Hao Ren broke a cold sweat and asked, ¡°Why does the beeping sound so familiar?¡±


    ¡°I specifically asked the people in the customization department to add it in for you.¡± Raven 12345 smiled while she pointed to the console. ¡°How do you find it? Does it sound kinda cordial?¡±


    ¡°¡­This is the sound of a motorcycle¡¯s anti-theft lock! You used the sound effect of a motorcycle¡¯s anti-theft lock for such a sophisticated thing?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    Raven 12345 agreed and said, ¡°Oh okay, this seems to be a little low-class¡­ Then, we change it to a car security lock next time.¡±


    Hao Ren was about to nod but, he suddenly realized something and yelled, ¡°The two are exactly the same!¡±


    ¡°Okay, don¡¯t fret about the details.¡± Raven 12345 waved her hand to lightly cover up the embarrassing moment. She then pointed to the components near the console and explained, ¡°The console itself is a varying crystal panel. Is it lit up? Depending on the status of the ship, the control instructions and keys will appear here. There is a small groove next to the console. Plug in your MDT and let it take over the ship¡¯s navigation.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your help, I¡¯ll do it myself!¡± Without waiting for Hao Ren, the MDT took the initiative and rushed into its own slot.


    Bang.


    However, it bounced back out.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I get in?¡±


    ¡°Follow the direction of the arrows! The front of your body faces left!¡± Hao Ren pointed at the instructions on the slot. Then suddenly, he felt curious and asked, ¡°I¡¯ve known you for two months, which side is the front?¡±


    ¡°You treat me like a brick, you don¡¯t study me well enough, and now you don¡¯t even know where the front is.¡± The MDT kept on groaning and moaning. However, it was also puzzled. ¡°By the way, which side is the front? No one ever told me I had two sides when I was in the factory¡­¡±


    Raven 12345 grabbed the MDT and examined it for a while. She finally confirmed it and said, ¡°The one with the serial number is the front.¡±


    After struggling for quite some time, the MDT finally connected to the ship¡¯s host. A variety of device startup sounds came from all directions immediately. The control room was illuminated with holographic projections or indicator lights, which were dizzying. Raven 12345 took the opportunity to tell Hao Ren one thing, ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve already named your ship¡­¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s state of joy left him immediately as he suddenly remembered that this crazy woman previously named another thing¡­ Yes, she created a weird name before, Heaven¡¯s Office on Earth (HoE) in Bastard Barrio¡­


    While other girls could always surprise him in good ways, every time Raven 12345 spoke, she always gave him a terrible surprise. He could not imagine what terrible name she had given his ship. ¡°¡­If you dare to call my ship the Bastard Barrio, I¡¯ll fight you!¡±


    Raven 12345 laughed. She waved her hand and said, ¡°How could I possibly give it such a lame name? Don¡¯t worry, I chose a particularly domineering name¡ªThe Petrachelys, how about that? It means as hard as a massive rock, which is suitable for the ship¡¯s high protective force.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s heart finally calmed down. Although the name was rather baffling, it still sounded a bit impressive. However, his relief lasted just for a few seconds because Nangong Wuyue realized that something was not right and said, ¡°Doesn¡¯t it just mean ¡®rock tortoise¡¯ in simple terms?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±

 Chapter 140

    If it was possible, Hao Ren really wanted to die with the psychotic goddess but, he could not beat her.


    ¡°Can I change the name of this ship?¡± Hao Ren looked at Raven 12345 with a last glimmer of hope but, he got the expected answer. ¡°No, I have registered its name in the workbook and with the Aviation Administration. If you want to change the name you¡¯ll have to do it yourself and follow the procedures. I have no time for that.¡±


    Hao Ren drew a long breath and sighed. It seemed like he would have to pilot a spaceship called the Tortoise to save the world for the rest of his life¡­


    Raven 12345 looked at Hao Ren, who fell into a sluggish state. She knew that the name she created had struck him again. She then stiffly shifted the topic and asked, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about the spaceship. How about the egg? Where¡¯s the newcomer?¡±


    Hao Ren found that it did not help much. She just went from one terrible topic to another. They had a lot to do with the mystical egg¡­


    Nangong Wuyue opened her suitcase and took out the carefully protected strange, white egg from a pile of soft cloth. ¡°Well, this is it. What freaking egg is this?¡±


    Raven 12345 took the strange egg, and for a brief moment, compassion flashed through her face. ¡°This is a mermaid egg. It comes from the Otherworld.¡±


    ¡°Mermaid?!¡± Hao Ren and the rest of them exclaimed in unison.


    ¡°Yes, mermaid. And it¡¯s the last of their tribe,¡± Raven 12345 sighed. ¡°In a remote universe, the end of the world has occurred. The universe already had a problem since the beginning of its conception. It was a malformed baby. The entire universe developed too fast and its basic constant was quite unstable. There was sign of a collapse even before there was a higher civilization. Up until the end of the world, there was only one planet, where complex forms of life occurred. When the patrol arrived, they discovered that the only living planet was being devoured by its own star, and this egg was found in a tightly sealed, underwater cavern. It¡¯s the last remnant of life from the planet. It should have been sent to other places but, I sent it here. You have a siren here so, you should know how to deal with it. At least, make sure it hatches smoothly.¡±


    Hao Ren felt as though he was listening to a story that was quite distant from him. The end of the world? The extinction of an entire civilization? The collapse of a whole universe? Planets being devoured by stars¡­ These things were so far away that they were almost incomprehensible. He only knew that the white egg was of great significance: it was the last remaining individual of the mermaid species in some kind of world. It was a burden he never thought he would have.


    ¡°You want me to take care of this?¡± Hao Ren took the strange egg cautiously from Raven¡¯s hand. ¡°¡­I have no experience. What if I don¡¯t do my job well?¡±


    ¡°Do your best,¡± Raven 12345 said and shrugged. ¡°The egg hasn¡¯t reached ¡®discovery of fire and civilization¡¯ status yet so, I can¡¯t report it to the higher authorities. I can only hand it to an inspector who¡¯s free to deal with it. You just have to be careful not to break it.¡±


    ¡°I have some doubts.¡± Nangong Wuyue suddenly raised her hand and asked, ¡°You must be mistaken¡­ I¡¯m a siren, I¡¯m not a mermaid! And even if I was a mermaid, I don¡¯t know how to take care of an egg as well. I was born on land!¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Raven 12345 looked on curiously. ¡°Is there a difference?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a big difference!¡± Nangong Wuyue pointed to Hao Ren and explained, ¡°He¡¯s seen me in siren form. I can just transform into a mermaid but, my species remains as a siren. I can also transform into a shrimp so, you want me to take care of shrimps too?¡±


    ¡°I know you are a siren.¡± Raven 12345 nodded. ¡°As far as I know the sirens in this world are similar to the mermaids of the Otherworld. At least all of you are oviparous¡ªI thought you knew how to take care of eggs.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue looked particularly baffled and said, ¡°As I said, I was born on land. I¡¯m a hybrid, okay? I¡¯ve never been to the deep sea, how would I know how sirens, who are born from eggs will look like¡­¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Nangong Wuyue in surprise and without thinking asked, ¡°So, you can lay eggs?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue¡¯s face immediately turned red. ¡°¡­Never tried but, maybe I can¡­¡±


    Cough


    Hao Ren sensed that if he wanted to go deep into this topic, it would be better if they went and watched ¡°Animal World¡±. He quickly stopped dwelling on the topic and looked at the egg awkwardly. He then said, ¡°If even Nangong Wuyue doesn¡¯t know how to take care of it, what about me?¡±


    ¡°Young man, do your best,¡± Raven 12345 said and patted Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I received an analysis from the top. Presumably, this mermaid species was born in a harsh environment. Their eggs can survive and hatch in very harsh environments. I firmly believe that as long as you don¡¯t cook it, a fish baby will be born smoothly¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    All three of them with a right mind thought things just did not work this way but, the one with the right to decide was a crazy woman. Raven 12345 had happily decided everything before anyone could oppose. Hao Ren now had to find a way to hatch this important egg.


    ¡°All right, now keep the egg. Let¡¯s get out of this place.¡± Raven 12345 clapped her hands, urging them to depart. She seemed to be in a hurry to go back. ¡°Mobile Data Terminal? Start the engine. Let¡¯s try this thing and test its speed after the launch!¡±


    The MDT had been stuck in the host¡¯s add-in slot for quite some time, and could not wait to start. Becoming a battleship¡¯s host was its biggest dream ever since it was still in the production line, and of course, everyone knew that it eventually became a PDA. However, this did not obliterate its ambition. It now felt like it had gotten a new lease on life. It could never be a battleship¡¯s host. However, at least it could temporarily pretend to be the host of a business ship. With the instructions emanating from its core being received one by one by the powerful devices on the spacecraft, the surging power from the energy core made the MDT extremely excited. It gave out commands with great momentum. ¡°Listen to my command, let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Why does it feel like this thing¡¯s the boss?¡± Hao Ren glanced at the MDT strangely and went on to curiously study the dazzling data on the control platform with Raven 12345.


    ¡°You, go back and study the operation guide.¡± Raven studied the controls for a while and gave up on answering her own question. It was too hard for her. ¡°Try to figure out how to control this ship within three years.¡±


    Lift off was very fast. Although they could not feel the acceleration inside, it had already reached the edge of the atmosphere in a moment. The MDT activated several sets of external monitors. The silvery white walls in the front of the control room immediately became transparent, and the curved horizon appeared before them. Raven 12345 looked at the planet, which was full of vitality. She could not help but exclaim, ¡°This planet was actually created when I had nothing to do. Thousands of years ago I came here to add a biosphere. At that time, it was still a wasteland. Now, look at it¡­ Nature has such marvelous workmanship.¡±


    ¡°Are you declaring the power of nature on the planet you created?¡± Hao Ren looked at Raven 12345 strangely.


    ¡°Oh, I have such great workmanship.¡±


    The group was speechless.


    ¡°I suggest that you keep the coordinates of this planet.¡± Raven 12345 said and again, patted Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder. ¡°The ecological environment here is perfect. Your tenants can survive here. It could be a good tourist spot in the future. Keep the coordinates of this planet just in case. You may need it.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Raven with a curious stare. She did not seem to be the kind of person who would mention such trivial opinions. The goddess was always careless. How could she have time to concern herself with Hao Ren¡¯s life and entertainment as well as the superhumans living in his house? So, his instincts told him that Raven 12345¡¯s intentions were quite suspicious.


    However, what Raven 12345 said made sense as well. This journey was the first step in Hao Ren¡¯s life among the sea of stars. He should keep something to remember it by. Since they discovered a terrestrial-like planet full of exotic scenery, they should just keep its coordinates.


    Maybe he could bring Lily over to play in the future. The canine sister would absolutely love the spacious beaches and chewy sticks.


    Therefore, Hao Ren allowed the MDT to choose a suitable place to keep the coordinates. The MDT navigated the spaceship afterwhich, it arrived at the planet¡¯s and local star¡¯s point of gravitational equilibrium. It then said, ¡°Let¡¯s take the relative coordinates here. Take the gravitational balance of the planet and its star as the benchmark. The instant calculation during transmission can prevent us from hitting the sun next time.¡±


    Staring at space from that point of equilibrium, the sun looked like a dazzling, great fireball. The nameless planet disappeared amid the gorgeous sunshine. Hao Ren stared at the waning sun blankly for a while, and then he gently exhaled and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    A blue light flashed through space, and the Petrachelys Patrol Frigate left the nameless as well as remote star system.

 Chapter 141

    Name aside, the speed of the Petrachelys Patrol Frigate left Hao Ren grinning from ear to ear. It was so much faster than civilian transport ships¡ªit took them just an hour to complete a journey that was 800 light years away. Plus, it included photo stops, sightseeing at reduced speed, and detour-adventures. In short, it was incredible. In fact, speed was not an appropriate measurement: once fired up, the superluminal engine drove the spacecraft at a rate faster than light speed. Hao Ren was not sure if he could have called it a ¡°cruise¡± because, when they were cruised in the hyperspace bubble, it was like a spatial shift.


    On top of that, this was just in Cruise mode. The frigate had another capability¡ªwarp jump. It could hop between two worlds as well as between two points within the same world. However, warp jumps required charging and charging took time. Using the warp jump capability would place additional load on the frigate¡¯s drive system. Raven 12345 suggested that, unless it was absolutely necessary, short-distance journeys of a few hours should be in Cruise mode. This was to ensure that the frigate was always in tip-top condition and ready to respond should any circumstances arise¡ªan SOP every captain should know.


    However, Hao Ren was still a long way from becoming a real captain. He needed to at least get a crash course on all the information contained in the MDT. He may have been the owner of the frigate but, it was only by name; he just had to set his destination, and the main flight computer and his MDT would handle the rest. Was he a captain? Not yet.


    After passing through the anti-reconnaissance shield, the guiding lights of Kuiper Station came into view. The last time he departed from the station, he hitched a ride but, in just a short span of two days, he came back with his own official spacecraft. Excited was an understatement. He actually could not wait to flaunt it.


    Luckily, there was no one there he could show off to.


    ¡°Landing request sent¡ªlanding permission granted. The spacecraft will land on a special docking zone,¡± the main computer reported with a soft but monotone of voice in the cockpit. The Petrachelys was flying slowly towards a detached building at the Kuiper Station¡¯s side wing. The MDT shouted excitedly, ¡°Hurrah, hurrah! What a perfect first flight! I am made for this spacecraft! Quick, weld me down into that hole permanently!


    Hao Ren grabbed a bottle of 502 Superglue, pretending to tip it all on the MDT. ¡°Say that again? You want me to give you a hand?¡±


    The MDT immediately shut up like a church mouse.


    ¡°From now on, your spacecraft will dock here.¡± Raven 12345 came forward and appeared to be in high spirits. In fact, she just woke up¡ªshe dozed off as soon as the spacecraft departed for Kuiper earlier on. Pointing at the hologram of Kuiper Station¡¯s side wing, she said, ¡°This special docking station is reserved for inspectors and other official, Empire spacecrafts. Remember, you have special privileges in the world of human civilization. They include right of way in any flight path, exemption from transit inspection, usage rights of the Stargate and unlimited docking time at any space station. But that doesn¡¯t mean you can become a bully. You must act according to the prescribed rules. Strictly dock at the prescribed bay only, do not hang around the main flight path for non-official duty, do not expropriate civilian spacecrafts and facilities in the space stations for personal use, and strictly no shooting at neutral parties. I don¡¯t want to get any complaints about you floating above these rules. I know what you¡¯ve been thinking about from the moment your own excitement overcame you.¡±


    Hao Ren cracked up. He was happy for Raven 12345¡¯s business-like approach. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you can trust me. By the way, that¡¯s a lot of privileges!¡±


    He did not have a clue what ¡°right of way¡±, ¡°exemption from transit inspection¡± and all that stuff meant but, he knew these were cool privileges. He now became even more curious.


    ¡°An inspector is a protector, who ensures the universe works normally and that civilizations develop safely.


    Don¡¯t be surprised. I know what you¡¯re thinking. You think the things you do are trivial but, I¡¯m telling you that there¡¯s more to what I¡¯ve assigned you than meets the eye. But, let¡¯s talk about that later. In short, authority requires accountability; you¡¯ve got to live up to the name and the privileges you have and earn respect. Notice the crew at the aircraft and port facilities? They¡¯re working for the Empire with a sense of honor. You¡¯ve got to show that you¡¯re worthy of their hard work.¡±


    Although Raven 12345 always sounded loud and harsh, it was not without reason. After having an earful, Hao Ren was feeling heavy with his sense of responsibility fired up. Because of his lackadaisical attitude, he felt sorry for the crew at Kuiper Station and the 883 transport ship, which had given him a free-ride. A flame was now within him. He felt like going out there and finding some villains of the dark force to vanquish. The fire burned for a mere six seconds before Raven 12345 confided in him. ¡°However, these people work overtime because the pay is good and the parvenus from Fairy Void Consortium are the shareholders of Kuiper Station. I was just igniting the fire in you and your sense of responsibility¡ªI got it all from corporate management self-help books¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Can¡¯t you let my fire burn a little while longer?¡±


    Raven 12345 chuckled. ¡°Just mind your own business. If you screw up, I¡¯m going to screw you, right and proper.¡±


    As they were spoke, the spacecraft docked. The port was a large facility similar to the No. 4 Connecting Port. The interior was so huge that it could easily fit another five spacecrafts in there. Hao Ren was not done with the Petrachelys yet but, he had to leave it. As he disembarked, there were a few crew members at the personnel platform and one of them was the female guide.


    ¡°Welcome back, sir.¡± The guide smiled. She bowed politely as the personnel behind her saluted him. Hao Ren was flattered: he was not a hero, he just brought back an egg from a foreign planet¡ªand the egg was more important than him too¡­


    ¡°Oy, shouldn¡¯t you greet me?¡± Raven 12345 jumped to her feet. She pulled up a ring of light behind her head as she yelled, ¡°I¡¯m your goddess, your Highness!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, Your Highness. We actually noticed you.¡± The guide smiled as she looked at Raven 12345. ¡°But, we weren¡¯t sure whether you were playing layman or not so, we didn¡¯t dare speak a word¡­ Guys, please greet our goddess: Welcome Goddess, the Omnipotent, the Almighty¡ª¡±


    Raven 12345 quickly stepped aside and said, ¡°Ease up, I think I better pretend to be a layman now. Just act like you don¡¯t know me.¡±


    Hao Ren was surprised: another side of the goddess¡¯ personality? She seemed to know everybody in Kuiper Station. Hao Ren was more than curious about her everyday life.


    Meanwhile, an old man with overgrown white hair and a moustache pulled up to Hao Ren; the man looked like he was in his senior years but, still remained energetic. He was dressed in a crease-free, blue uniform and reached out to shake Hao Ren¡¯s hand. ¡°Sir, I¡¯m the station master. You can call me Dan Moss. Sorry for not greeting you earlier, I was busy.¡±


    Then the old man pointed at the guide. ¡°Let me introduce you. She¡¯s my granddaughter, Lulu. I guess you¡¯ve met her before.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± As Hao Ren and the old man shook hands, he sensed a strange aura from the man. But, before he knew what it was, Raven 12345 cut in with her introduction. ¡°Dan Moss was the commander of the Empire. He¡¯s from Pan Galaxy Commonwealth. He died in a battle but, resurrected and left the army to become the station master here. You may want to get to know him more because, you might need him in the future.¡±


    Hao Ren was left in a maze after the introduction: ¡°Dead? Resurrected?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I died four times. The last time I died, they barely managed to bring me back to life.¡± The old station master sounded as if it was a routine matter. ¡°When going into battle with the Xi Ling Disciples, dying a few times isn¡¯t unusual. However, they told me that if I die again, I¡¯ll certainly die for good so, they discharged me. Don¡¯t worry, I know the Empire¡¯s affairs inside and out. I¡¯d be happy to help if you need my assistance.¡±


    By then, Hao Ren was already as confused as a bee. He nodded his head and repeatedly uttered, ¡°Nice to meet you, nice to meet you¡­¡±


    An old man who has died four times. Can you believe that?!

 Chapter 142

    Due to the old commander, Dan Moss, Hao Ren began to understand what Raven 12345 meant by ¡°Even if you died, I could resurrect you and make you my slave.¡±


    His superior was a real god!


    They tactfully declined Dan Moss¡¯ invitation for a taste of the exotic, alien food in the space station. Hao Ren was desperate for home to let the egg settle¡ªhe teleported back home straightaway while Raven 12345 headed back to her place. Hao Ren let out a long sigh the moment he stepped through the door: The journey to a foreign planet and space station was really cool for him to brag about the rest of his life but, the surreal feeling still choked his thoughts. He needed to take his mind off it.


    Rollie was napping on the couch handle. It raised its tail lazily when it saw its master, like a king waving off its servant. ¡°Yeah, I know you¡¯re home. So what?¡± Hao Ren snuggled the egg in his arm and went upstairs. But, Vivian and Lily were not home. He was left wondering. ¡°Where the hell are they?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue and Y¡¯zaks overheard Hao Ren muttering. The siren looked around the house. She found a piece of paper pinned under a heavy cupboard in the living room. She lifted up the cupboard and took the paper out. It was a note. ¡°Oh, Lily just left a message. Thanks to Raven 12345, they knew that we were coming back today. So, they¡¯ve gone to the market.¡±


    Hao Ren stared at the cupboard, flabbergasted. ¡°¡­Why did she pin the note under the cupboard?¡±


    ¡°Hell, only God knows. Maybe she found it convenient. She¡¯s got strong muscles,¡± said Nangong Wuyue. She was just making a wild guess. She did not know the husky very well. Actually, Lily was simply being dumb. Nangong Wuyue yawned. ¡°I¡¯m going to take a nap.¡±


    Hao Ren waved the siren goodbye, and continued to ponder. ¡°What should I do with this egg?¡±


    He looked at the cupboard¡ªno, it was not a good idea to put the egg on it, or in it. He looked around his house and could not find an ideal place. The egg was a little too big for the drawer, and it was not appropriate enough to be a handicraft on the table. He carried the egg and strolled around the house for like half a day before he came to the tiny storeroom in the basement¡ªa very ideal location. The egg should be safe there. No one would ever go down there. Then Y¡¯zaks reminded him. ¡°The egg¡¯s going to hatch.¡±


    A sense of realization gripped Hao Ren. Raven 12345 told him that the egg was alive. So, he could not just leave the egg in a corner and forget about it for good. What would happen when it hatched? The little thing would probably starve to death if it was left forgotten.


    ¡°The goddess said it should be near somewhere with water. The baby mermaid needs water when it hatches.¡± Y¡¯zaks yanked out a small notebook, where he had jotted everything Raven 12345 had said about the egg. ¡°Better yet, put it near a pond where the little mermaid can jump into it by itself. Don¡¯t put it close to any toxic stuff. Once it hatches, the baby mermaid may bite anything within its reach¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I bet you¡¯ll make a good nanny,¡± said Hao Ren as he looked at Y¡¯zaks in amazement.


    ¡°Yeah, I used to be. But, I¡¯m sure I¡¯m not a good daddy,¡± said Y¡¯zaks as a strange expression flashed across his face. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that now. We¡¯ve got to find a proper place.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. He carried the egg into the kitchen and was about to put it near the sink. However, he hesitated: what if Vivian unknowingly turned it into an omelet? So, he instead went into the bathroom, filled the tub up with water and put the egg in there. He finally felt so relieved: there would be more than enough water; and the floor was flat and clean. The baby mermaid would not hurt itself if it got out of the water; not only that, the bathroom was regularly used and people would know when the egg hatched¡ªthere was simply no better place than that!


    Hao Ren went back out to the living room. He was busily recalling in his mind if he had missed anything. Then something hit him. He smacked himself on the forehead. ¡°Oh, f*ck! I almost screwed up!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Y¡¯zaks turned his head around. He was about to leave the house, wearing the clothes he had worn the day before.


    ¡°About The Plane of Dreams! I totally forgot about it. I need to see Raven.¡± Hao Ren grabbed the MDT, about to teleport. It was then that he only noticed Y¡¯zaks was headed for the door. ¡°You¡¯re going out?¡±


    ¡°Just want to get some air. I¡¯m bored here.¡± Y¡¯zaks¡¯ smile was very ingenuous.


    Hao Ren was curious that after a journey of 800 light years, Y¡¯zaks still had the energy to mooch outside. But, he did not have to be concerned. After all, it was none of his business. Hao Ren nodded and said, ¡°I see. But, don¡¯t forget to come back for dinner. Vivian will probably be making some really filling meals.¡±


    He then activated the teleportation function on the MDT. In the blink of an eye, he was already in the garden of Raven¡¯s mansion.


    Raven 12345 was seen wielding a silver and white machete, walking into the garden purportedly to trim the bushes. She was shocked to see Hao Ren there. ¡°Gee, what brings you here? Desperate for yet another mission?¡±


    ¡°No. Actually I have something to ask you¡ª.¡± Hao Ren quickly waved his hand dismissively. ¡°¡ªabout The Plane of Dreams.¡±


    Noticing the seriousness on his face, Raven stopped poking fun. She strode over to the tea table and said, ¡°Let¡¯s take a seat. I¡¯m all ears.¡±


    Hao Ren and Raven 12345 sat by the fine tea table, facing each other. Out of nowhere, the arcane servant brought tea as well as biscuits and placed them on the table. Hao Ren tried to collect his thoughts about what he had seen in The Plane of Dreams. ¡°In The Plane of Dreams, people there had runes on their walls like a decoration¡­¡±


    He told her everything he had seen, and about the absurd legend where the goddess banished the world. ¡°Have you heard about this legend? Did you actually do that?¡±


    ¡°You really think I made much ado about nothing?¡± Raven 12345 shot him a glance while she held a can of sugar in her hand. ¡°Do you actually think banishing worlds is some kind of game I play on a whim?¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his face and said, ¡°But, it was said that people of the Magic Empire were playing god by creating gods, and they had given themselves loads of divine titles. If that¡¯s true, how would you not be angry?¡±


    ¡°Why should I be?¡± Raven 12345 found it amusing. ¡°If that¡¯s true, it only shows that this civilization was highly developed, talented and independent; I should be happy instead. Do you know that I, as a goddess, would get high marks in the critical appraisal at the end of the year for having such an intelligent race under my rule?¡±


    It was totally out of his expectations. Nonetheless, Hao Ren felt that it did not make any sense. ¡°No, I mean humans were encroaching into the realm of God and yet you didn¡¯t bother?¡±


    ¡°Only when things get out of hand. Only when they clearly step out of their boundaries and destroy the world. And according to what you¡¯ve said, clearly they didn¡¯t violate any of that. Some biological research won¡¯t endanger and cause the world to fall into chaos. It¡¯s not even worthy of an alarm, much less a banishment.¡± Raven 12345 grimaced. ¡°The only thing that warranted discipline was th fact that they were crowning themselves as gods. But then, it was an innocent act and innocence is not a sin. After all, they didn¡¯t know what God really looked like. As long as they don¡¯t hurt someone in God¡¯s name, they can enjoy themselves. Who doesn¡¯t experience puberty?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    In the eyes of the goddess, the ancient civilization that was thought to have encroached into the realm of God, and deified themselves, was likened to a bunch of high school kids. She did not even care!


    While Hao Ren remained silent, Raven 12345 continued, ¡°What you said about the ¡®knowledge of God¡¯ is utter nonsense. Knowledge doesn¡¯t belong to anyone. The truth is¡ªthe truth is out there, waiting to be discovered. If you can grasp it, it¡¯s yours; if you can¡¯t, don¡¯t blame God for your ineptitude¡ªdoing that is akin to blaming the exam paper because you failed the exam. But then again, people who have failed during the development of civilization didn¡¯t have the chance to complain. They¡¯re already dead now.¡±


    ¡°So, the legend of a goddess banishing the world has nothing to do with you?¡±


    ¡°I swear to God, it wasn¡¯t me.¡±

 Chapter 143

    Looking at Raven 12345¡¯s calm expression, Hao Ren realized that a goddess like her did not need to purposely tell a bare faced lie to an entry level staff like him. He decided to just take her word for it. He nodded solemnly and dropped the topic about the ¡°Goddess of Destruction¡±. Instead, he brought up the topic of the Letta runes. ¡°What¡¯s with the runes?¡±


    ¡°Ah, seems that you¡¯ve noticed as well.¡± Raven 12345 had somehow managed to foresee the situation. ¡°The runes used by demon hunters in the Superficial World exist in The Plane of Dreams. The same goes for werewolves and vampires. This is not a coincidence. In fact, most of the supernatural stuff that appears in the Superficial World¡­ came from The Plane of Dreams.¡±


    ¡°F*ck! Why didn¡¯t you tell me about this?!¡± Hao Ren exclaimed.


    Raven 12345 waved her hand all too casually that it pissed Hao Ren off a bit. ¡°I warned you before. I told you the Superficial World and the Dream World are very closely linked. Remember when you managed to bring a tuft of wolf fur out from The Plane of Dreams the other time? I didn¡¯t tell you the deeper truth because, I wanted you to use your eyes and see for yourself, the truth of things. Alas, you¡¯re still too inexperienced, and to have you take on such tasks will require proper nurturing.


    Hao Ren stared hard at Raven 12345, trying hopefully to pry any insidious trickery that was hiding behind her doe-eyed features. Then again, the goddess had developed a skin so thick that it rivaled composite armor. Hao Ren¡¯s puny gaze meant nothing to her. Raven 12345 allowed Hao Ren to stare at her for a good while before she casually continued, ¡°Hmm¡­ just to satisfy your curiosity, the supernaturals on Earth, at least a good 90% of them came from The Planes of Dreams. The demon hunters started that way too but, I¡¯m still investigating this. Their sudden appearance also caught me off-guard. You should know, I¡¯m not only in charge of Earth alone. The proliferation of demon hunters and supernaturals happened when I wasn¡¯t around. It had been for a good millennium or two. As they didn¡¯t cause any overly big ruckus, I didn¡¯t send anyone to investigate. So, whatever information I have is also sketchy.¡±


    It took a while for Hao Ren to digest the revelation. He came to realize that the unknown parts of Earth¡¯s history itself were monumental, and could possibly be extremely shocking. The arrival of the supernaturals and demon hunters could be traced all the way back to The Plane of Dreams. What was their intention, coming here in droves?


    ¡°Could it be the catastrophe 10,000 years ago?!¡± Hao Ren suddenly recalled. ¡°The Empire of Magic in The Plane of Dreams was destroyed 10,000 years ago, and Vivian¡¯s earliest memories seem to only stretch back that far. Is it because of the apocalypse in The Plane of Dreams Plane that had many of the supernaturals coming to Earth as refugees?¡±


    ¡°Hah, you seemed to have caught on a bit, but sadly, you¡¯ve missed the mark.¡± Raven12345 shook her head. ¡°Did you think that 10,000 years ago, The Plane of Dreams and Earth were aligned? Who told you that it¡¯s 24 hours a day, 365 days a year over there?¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned. He had messed up the most basic of things.


    ¡°If both the supernaturals and demon hunters came to Earth from The Plane of Dreams, it would have been a history defining moment.¡± Hao Ren looked on at Raven 12345 in anticipation. ¡°You see¡­someone who can connect to The Plane of Dreams is very uncommon. It¡¯s like one in every few hundred years. Given the number of arrivals, it is clearly unnatural. How did they arrive from the Dream Plane?¡±


    ¡°You really want to know the truth behind The Plane of Dreams?¡± Raven 12345 demurred for a moment and gave Hao Ren a cold, piercing stare.


    Hao Ren swallowed his saliva. He felt things were about to come to a climax.


    ¡°Not telling you.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Have patience, young man. You will know when you need to.¡± Raven 12345 grinned as she patted Hao Ren on the shoulder. ¡°With your capabilities now, what can you do even if you know the secrets of the supernaturals and demon hunters? Can you broker peace between them? Can you pacify all of the supernaturals? Or can you ensure that there won¡¯t be any further incursion between The Plane of Dreams and the Superficial World? You simply can¡¯t. So, it¡¯s best if you just focus on what you can do. Listen, you¡¯d be better off resting at home for your next foray into The Plane of Dreams. My words alone won¡¯t be enough to describe what¡¯s going on. It¡¯s better for you see it for yourself.¡±


    Raven 12345 then crossed her arms with a forlorn look on her face. ¡°My child, the blessing of the goddess is with you. I¡¯ll try to be there before you get killed¡­ Well, even if you do get killed, I¡¯ll do my best to get there and resurrect you.¡±


    Hao Ren was just about to respond to that when Raven 12345 broke his attention with a wave of her hand. ¡°I¡¯ll be out for work these few days. Do things as you see fit. Maybe there¡¯ll be a stand-in but, don¡¯t put your hopes on that.¡±


    Hao Ren could sense that something was very urgent since Raven 12345 needed to leave in a jiffy. He was curious about what was going on but, figured there would be no answers to his questions. After finishing their afternoon tea, the goddess tossed him off the heavens and back to his house. (There¡¯s a goddess here so, is it considered Heaven?)


    All was quiet when he got home. Wuyue was still napping, and Y¡¯zaks had not come home. He saw Lily¡¯s pouch on the sofa, and realized that the werehusky was home. He was not sure if Vivian had also come back though. Hao Ren was still fretting about the egg, and he went straight to the aquarium.


    His heart dropped at the scene before him.


    The aquarium was there but, the egg was not.


    At that very moment, Hao Ren feared for the worst. He initially thought the little mermaid had hatched and flopped its way into a corner but, there were no egg shells around the aquarium. He turned the room upside down, looking for it and could only come to a sad conclusion: An egg that he labored so hard to bring to Earth, and his promise this afternoon to Raven 12345 to take care of it. He even wondered when the egg would hatch. All that was gone now¡­


    He suddenly remembered that Lily was home. By chance, she could have seen the egg in the aquarium. He yelled at the top of his voice, calling for her. ¡°Lily!!!¡±


    She responded almost immediately from the kitchen. ¡°I¡¯m here!!!¡±


    Hao Ren almost ran towards the kitchen and saw the werehusky squatting while staring at the stove. As all of them were part of the ¡°family¡± at this point, Lily could tell if a stranger had come in. So, she was in a semi-canine form with her eyes and tail out. The sight of her squatting and wagging her tail reminded him of a real house dog. As she saw Hao Ren appear by the doorway, she turned over excitedly. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re back Mr. Landlord? Is the alien planet fun? Did you get anything nice for me to eat?¡±


    ¡°¡­I wasn¡¯t sure what to get you in that jungle of a planet.¡± Hao Ren could not help himself as he pressed Lily¡¯s ears. ¡°Did you see the egg in the room¡­ Uh¡­what are you cooking?¡±


    Only then did Hao Ren realize that there was a pot on the stove, and something was boiling in it. Lily was staring at it all the while she was squatting earlier. Cold sweat started pouring out of Hao Ren¡¯s forehead. He swore that this idiot of a husky had probably outdone herself again. The thing inside the pot was most likely¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry!¡± Lily growled pathetically as she continued to squat there. Her tail swept the floor back and forth. ¡°Battie said she was going to find some wild herbs for tonight¡¯s stewed pork but, she¡¯s not back yet. I was starving¡­ And I saw a big goose egg in the aquarium so, I put it to boil. Why are you sitting on the floor too, Mr. Landlord?¡±


    Hao Ren fell straight on his butt and almost asphyxiated himself from disbelief. He clutched his chest as he looked at the husky, her face all too innocent. He really saw the true essence of an idiot in her and did not know what to say towards the husky, who was still wagging her tail. He could only get up and open the pot cover as quickly as he possible, not knowing what to expect.


    The next scene would forever be etched in his memory.


    In the pot, a little mermaid about half a foot in length was swimming in the water. It clutched a broken eggshell as it swam. Hao Ren¡¯s opening of the pot cover seemed to have startled the little thing. It¡¯s eyes widened as it saw Hao Ren¡¯s face. Then it cheekily shot out a jet of water at him.


    Boiling water.

 Chapter 144

    The little mermaid cheekily shot a jet of water right on his face; boiling water.


    Hao Ren recoiled in shock with a loud, ¡°Yikes!¡±. Thank goodness however, his body was previously strengthened (face included) and aside from the scare as well as a slight sting, there were no signs of scalding. He stared blankly at the mermaid as it swam in the boiling pot of water. It took him a good while before something clicked. The egg had hatched! It hatched after Lily put it to boil¡­


    You really cannot make assumptions about these alien life forms.


    Lily leapt up curiously to have a look too. Her eyes widened immediately but, her husky-brain took some time before it came to a conclusion. ¡°¡­Oh¡­ I guess I can¡¯t eat that now¡­¡±


    The little mermaid could not understand what Hao Ren and Lily were saying. It only stared at the world outside the pot curiously (For the mermaid, the world only comprised of a ceiling and the two big faces it saw). It was a beautiful thing; its tail was a shade of pale red, and its hair was hazelnut brown. Its eyes were particularly big, and a curious as well as witty glint shone from them. Hao Ren was not sure if all mermaids were like this, that they would look like a teenager once they hatched. Only her size itself was dimunitive, about half a foot; like a mini Wuyue when she was in Siren form. The little bugger floated face up in the pot. Before long, it seemed like she was bored and with a mighty leap (mighty for her size), she jumped out of the pot and directly onto the stove.


    Hao Ren was caught by surprise but thankfully, he reacted in time to catch the little bugger using the pot cover. The little mermaid sat there as she stared at Hao Ren again. After that, she started making a weird gurgling noise. Then, she slapped her tail against the pot¡¯s cover. Hao Ren prodded the mermaid¡¯s tail in response, and she calmed down. It appeared like she was testing if that would catch Hao Ren¡¯s attention.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Lily asked as she sniffed the mermaid, her tail wagging. She then gave the little mermaid¡¯s tail a quick lick. ¡°I did put it to boil for a while but, it doesn¡¯t seem to be cooked¡­ Where did you find this, Mr. Landlord?¡±


    ¡°Quiet.¡± Hao Ren pushed Lily away. ¡°This is our new tenant. I brought her back as an egg, from a place 800 light years away. Never thought that you putting the egg to boil would have her hatch. This world is bloody insane.¡±


    Lily¡¯s eyes widened as she gawped. ¡°Wow!¡±


    ¡°I think¡­¡± Hao Ren thought for a bit on what he could do at that moment. He realized that the little mermaid was naked (Well, you could not see much from her six-inch frame anyway). ¡°Let¡¯s get her some clothes.¡±


    Lily gave Hao Ren a weird look. Both of them soon discovered; where were they suppose to find such small clothes?


    By then, the little mermaid had started to flap about again. She had realized there was more to the world than what she saw from the pot. Her boundless curiosity now extended to everything in the kitchen, including the knife rack and the lit stove. Hao Ren broke into cold sweat at her enthusiasm and quickly got Lily to bring a tub of water. He then carefully put the mermaid into the tub. He did wonder if the little thing would be alright in cool water after she hatched in boiling water. However, her ability to adapt was impressive, and she swam naturally in the tub. With this, Hao Ren brought the tub to the hall, his mind now at ease. He then asked Lily to wake Wuyue up. The siren had already been napping for a good part of the day.


    ¡°¡­She was hatched by being boiled?¡± The siren asked incredulously. ¡°And, she was swimming in it?¡±


    ¡°Well, there are creatures that can survive under high temperatures in the deep ocean. Even those volcanic hot springs have microbes in them,¡± Hao Ren quipped. ¡°But, I¡¯m still amazed that she hatched after being boiled by Lily for lunch. By the way, do you have any idea how to make some clothes for her? While she¡¯s a small one, it¡¯s still weird seeing her naked.¡±


    Wuyue had no idea about sewing but, she was quick with her head. She ran upstairs to her room and pulled out a sealing tape. ¡°Let¡¯s use this for the moment¡­¡±


    ¡°This?¡± Hao Ren raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Why not? It¡¯s just temporary anyway. Let Vivian figure it out when she gets back. I¡¯ve never seen any vampire as good as her when it comes to housework,¡± Wuyue said as she brought the tape to the little mermaid. The poor thing got scared and instantly jumped back into the tub. She curled into a ball, trying to dodge it. It seemed like she did not like the white coloured tape at all. Wuyue pouted.


    ¡°Mr. Landlord, help me hold her still.¡±


    Hao Ren extended his hand towards the little mermaid, and it was obvious that the mermaid trusted him more. She quickly hugged his thumb and would not let go. Wuyue laughed at the scene. ¡°I guess you were the first thing she saw after she hatched. She probably thinks you¡¯re her mother now.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Hao Ren never thought such a cliched novel scene would become a reality for him.


    As he calmed the agitated mermaid down, she finally understood that the sealing tape meant her no harm, and sat still while Wuyue rolled the tape around her twice to cover her up. By that point, she was also bored of the water tub and got out of it a moment later, flopping onto the table. As she had no legs, she could only flop forward like a seal. She used her hands to put weight onto her chest, then transferred the weight to her pelvis as she flapped her tail, pushing her forward. The way she moved was clumsy yet endearing. She also had a curious streak about her. While she was slightly afraid of her new enviroment after being moved from the kitchen to the living room, she had gotten used to it. So, she was fearlessly exploring the area.


    But, you could see that she was still a baby at heart: she was very concious about where her ¡°parents¡± were, and would keep turning her head to check if Hao Ren was nearby. After making a few rounds, she hopped onto Hao Ren¡¯s palm and stopped moving. It was time to rest.


    The three of them were admiring the little creature. Lily especially, stared at her for a long time. ¡°I guess I can¡¯t eat this but, it does look very interesting!¡±


    Wuyue was also curiously playing with the mermaid¡¯s tail using her pinky. ¡°So, this is how mermaids look like when they¡¯ve just hatched¡­ Not sure if sirens are the same as well¡­ I¡¯ve heard mother say that normal sirens had also hatched from eggs, and they were tiny, tiny creatures.¡±


    Such conversations were now common place in the household, and Hao Ren had gotten used to it. He was however in an awkward position of cradling the little mermaid. He looked to Wuyue for help. ¡°You think we can carry it back to the tub? I can¡¯t be cradling her all day.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s plight was not unfounded. Earlier, he had moved slightly towards the tub and the mermaid quickly threw a tantrum. She flailed her arms and tail, and growled. Her face had this ¡°put me back there and I¡¯ll cry¡± sort of look to it. Clearly, she was very attached to someone now.


    ¡°We can¡¯t communicate like this¡­¡± Wuyue frowned. The growls that the little mermaid made were very strange. Even the implanted automatic translator could not decipher what she was saying.¡±


    Perhaps, it was simply baby talk without any actual meaning. They did not even know what her intellectual level was. While she displayed a very strong sense of curiosity and agility, these were all inborn. They doubted a newborn mermaid was any smarter than your average infant. At most, her motor ability was much more developed.


    As the three were fretting over what to do with the little mermaid, the main door creaked opened; Vivian had returned.


    The vampire was carrying a basket full of vegetables and herbs. She was greeted by the sight of the trio gathered around the table, looking at something. She went to check what was going on, and just then, the mermaid jumped into Hao Ren¡¯s shirt. Vivian caught sight of the swishing fish tail and said, ¡°Are we having this for dinner? Let¡¯s braise it. My specialty!¡±


    The other three simply kept quiet.


    It seemed like things were about to get more interesting from here on out.

 Chapter 145

    At first, there were only three people surrounding the small fish and studying it. Now, there were four of them in the living room. Vivian just joined them. After hearing about the little one¡¯s origins, she stared open-mouthed and asked, ¡°Did this just hatch?¡±


    ¡°She did it.¡± Hao Ren pointed to the innocent Lily, who was squatting on the sofa and scratching her face with her foot. He then lifted his arm to indicate that he was entangled with the little fish and said, ¡°This little fish has completely taken me as her mother, somebody help me.¡±


    Vivian curiously reached over to touch the little mermaid¡¯s tail. The little mermaid was bolder. She did not dodge. However, when Vivian tried to get the little mermaid out of Hao Ren¡¯s arms, the little mermaid resisted fiercely. She flapped her tail violently and hit the vampire¡¯s hand without hesitation. This frightened Vivian.


    ¡°It¡¯s been like this since just now,¡± Hao Ren said and sighed helplessly. ¡°At the beginning, she was still willing to swim in the basin for a while. But after she got tired, she came to me and rested on my arm. You see, she completely won¡¯t let go.¡±


    The little mermaid curled her tail slightly and sat on Hao Ren¡¯s arm. She stared at the strange people around her with inquisitive eyes. She was a fingerling with great ability to adapt and feel the changes in the atmosphere around her. She was unusually nervous when she first arrived in a strange environment or met a stranger. But, as long as there was no danger in a certain period of time, the little mermaid became bolder. Now, she was completely unafraid of people and things around her. She was just looking around in amazement, wondering why other people did not have long tails.


    The little one stayed quiet for a while but, as Hao Ren was trying to figure out a way to get her back into the basin again, she suddenly jumped away. She then hopped and flipped around on the coffee table afterwhich, she began to emit a loud cry, which was sharper and nastier than before.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Hao Ren was suddenly confused. He stepped forward, trying to calm the little mermaid down but, that just made her more aggresive. Lily and the others were startled, and hurriedly came forward to help. Nonetheless, nobody had any experience in taking care of a little kid. All of a sudden, the living room was in chaos. The little mermaid got even more excited when she saw the scene. She shouted even louder to entice them. Nangong Wuyue thought the little one had probably been dehydrated for too long, and was feeling uncomfortable. So, she made a small water ball, attempting to get the mermaid wet. After that, she forcefully threw the little mermaid into the basin. However, it did not work, and she was almost bitten. Lily made faces and scratched the little mermaid¡¯s tail, trying to make her happy. Instead, she scared the little mermaid. Finally, Vivian thought of something and asked, ¡°Is she hungry?¡±


    And it reminded everyone that newborns were very prone to feel hunger. However, Hao Ren as well as the other three half-baked guardians looked at each other for quite some time and realized there was a problem. ¡°¡­What do mermaids eat?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me.¡± Nangong Wuyue waved her hand and explained, ¡°I¡¯m a siren but also, a hybrid siren. I drank milk when I was little.¡±


    Lily asked without thinking, as usual, ¡°Do you have any milk then?¡±


    Everybody was speechless.


    ¡°Go and get everything in the fridge plus, whatever snacks you guys have. Let¡¯s try them one by one.¡± Being the ace guardian in the house, Hao Ren was stood on the sofa and gave instructions. ¡°Take anything edible you have. This mermaid from a different world may want to eat something we have. Lily, put your molar stick back. Do you think such a tiny little thing can bite that?¡±


    Everyone went back to their own rooms to find food. Hao Ren remembered that he had half a box of cookies in his room and ran back to get it. The little mermaid was probably really hungry at the moment. She was busy messing around on the coffee table, and no longer pestered Hao Ren. Seeing Hao Ren run away, she seemed to understand that he was going to find food for her. She just stared at him and watched him walk away but, she did not jump up and follow him.


    Hao Ren rushed back to his room and found the half box of cookies on the desk, which he left two days before. However, when he ran back to the living room, he saw a scene that almost stopped his heart: a black and white cat was on the coffee table, curiously sniffing the little mermaid and the mermaid was ignorantly using her thin hand to poke the cat¡¯s nose!


    Hao Ren yelled, ¡°Rollie!¡± He had not shouted so loudly for ages.


    Hao Ren swore that, since the cat believed it was called ¡°Rollie¡±, he did not have to shout it out for such a long time.


    When Rollie heard him shout, it immediately let go of the fish, which had already reached its mouth at this point. It ran excitedly to Hao Ren and rubbed itself against his feet. It thought that when its owner called so loudly, dinner was ready.


    Hao Ren saw the fish baby prop herself up and move her tail to greet him. He was relieved and threw two pieces of biscuit to the cat. He then put the cookie box on the coffee table, pointed to the little mermaid and introduced her to Rollie. ¡°Listen, this is our new tenant, you are strictly forbidden from eating her!!¡±


    As mentioned before, Rollie was a spiritual cat. Over the years, it became familiar with Hao Ren¡¯s ¡°work¡± and even understood what ¡°tenant¡± meant. So usually, when Hao Ren introduced a new tenant, it would know that there would be a newcomer sharing in its kingdom in the big house. But this time, it just looked blank. The cat looked foolishly at the weird fish on the coffee table as if its understanding of life was massively impacted. It froze for quite some time and did not understand why its master decided to take a fish as a new tenant.


    And more importantly, it was not allowed to eat the fish.


    ¡°Anyway, just remember that you can¡¯t eat the fish.¡± Hao Ren really did not know how to explain this to a cat. He did not know if his orders would work for a cat. He could only repeatedly stress it. ¡°If you dare to eat her, I¡¯ll throw you to Bean Bun in the back alley.¡±


    Bean Bun was a dog in the back alley, plump and sturdy like a bean bun. Before Lily came to the street, it was the alpha dog of the entire Southern Suburbs and the only enemy, whom the lawless Rollie was truly afraid of. Although Bean Bun had since been relegated to the second tier, and became a local separatist in the Southern Suburbs¡¯ dog kingdom (the new alpha dog was Lily), Bean Bun was still powerful. Every creature with four legs was afraid of it when it walked the streets. When Hao Ren said this, Rollie finally accepted it. It lowered its head and mumbled; licked its paws and pretended it did not know a thing. It was its own way of saying, ¡°You¡¯re the boss¡±.


    Clever readers would have probably discovered that there is a counteractive relationship between Lily, Rollie, and Bean Bun: Lily was scared of Rollie, Bean Bun was scared of Lily, and Rollie was scared of Bean Bun. It seemed to be a sad story to anyone.


    At this time, Lily and the rest also came out of their rooms with a variety of snacks. The three of them heard Hao Ren shouting earlier on. When they saw Rollie in the living room, they could certainly guess what had happened. Vivian gulped and said, ¡°Phew, we almost forgot there¡¯s a cat at home!¡±


    ¡°Be more careful next time, this is too dangerous.¡± Hao Ren was still in a state of shock. He looked at Nangong Wuyue and asked, ¡°When will the mermaid grow up? She¡¯s not gonna be like this forever, is she?¡±


    ¡°How many times do I have to tell you, I¡¯m a siren! And I¡¯m viviparous!¡± Nangong Wuyue could not take it anymore. ¡°It¡¯d be even better for you to bring Hans Christian Andersen back from the dead and ask him than ask me!¡±


    A variety of food was quickly placed in front of the little mermaid. There were all kinds of food. Hao Ren¡¯s half a box of biscuits was the most plain. Nangong Wuyue had squid strips, dried squid, salted fish and other seafood. Although Vivian was poor, she now lived a worry-free life with Hao Ren¡¯s help. She took out some of her handmade snacks. The snacks Lily took out were the most delicious: prawn strips, crispy candied fritters, spicy strips, shrimp crackers, popcorn, and even a pack of kibble¡­


    ¡°Aha¡­ Just wanted to try.¡± Embarrassed, Lily kept the kibble and explained, ¡°But, they really taste good.¡±


    Everybody put their snacks in front of the little mermaid. She was immediately dazzled by this big pile of colorful packaging and small dishes. She looked at these mysterious and weird-smelling items with astonishment. She did not expect them to bring her so many things after she made a little noise. However, it was exactly what Hao Ren was afraid of, the little mermaid from a different world did not seem to eat conventional human food¡­


    The little mermaid grabbed a cookie, bit it and spat it out. She then grabbed the spicy bar, smelled it and threw it away in fear. Then, she held the chocolate bean and looked at it for quite some time and thought it was not edible. At last, just when everyone was about to give up, the little mermaid finally found something it was interested in: she came to a plate of tiny snacks prepared by Vivian, sniffed and flapped her tail happily. And then¡­


    She happily ate the chopsticks on the plate.

 Chapter 146

    It was the first time Hao Ren got to witness with his own eyes the wonder of racial differences.


    After some meticulous observation, the half-past-six guardian knew it was not part of teething behavior instead, she had mistaken the chopstick for food. The six-inch mermaid had really powerful jaws. She bit the bamboo chopstick in half like she was eating a chocolate bar, leaving the table full of bamboo residue. Hao Ren was shocked. He went to grab the piece of chopstick left in her mouth but thought better of it after seeing a mouthful of saliva.


    The piece of chopstick disappeared into her mouth, and the little mermaid¡¯s stomach was bloated. She patted her tummy as she burped out some bamboo breath before she jumped into the tub and darted across the water. She was so agile that it was hard to imagine this little one was just a newborn of a few hours. Lily looked on in amazement. Then she said, ¡°Hmm, looks like she could gnaw on my teething rusk too¡­ Don¡¯t you think so, Landlord?¡±


    Not to say the husky was being over imaginative but, she was the only one who would think of such a thing.


    ¡°She eats bamboo?¡± Vivian had the weirdest expression in the entire universe. ¡°Since I was born, this is my first time seeing a mermaid eat bamboo. A bamboo-eating fingerling.¡±


    ¡°I think she feeds on roughage.¡± As a water-bound creature, Nangong Wuyue knew more about mermaids than anyone else. ¡°There are no bamboos in the sea. I bet the oceans in other worlds don¡¯t have it too. But, this little mermaid¡¯s main food is coarse fiber. It thrives in the toughest environments and survives on its own. No wonder Sister Goddess was so damn sure the egg would hatch¡ªthis thing¡¯s really tough.¡±


    ¡°The fact that the egg only hatched when it was boiled really got me. Yet, she warned me not to cook it. What the heck?¡± said Hao Ren as his mouth twitched slightly. He was not too surprised that the little fish was tough. Mainly because, he always thought that mermaids in the Otherworld were ferocious and tough. Just judging from her powerful jaws and maneuverability, throwing a few of these eggs into the Pacific Ocean would completely wipe out the other life forms in no time. Not even fishing boats would survive. Unfortunately, the fingerling was the only one left of her species.


    As everyone surrounded the tub to study the little mermaid, a prickly voice was suddenly heard coming from the doorway. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m back! What are you guys doing?¡±


    Lily turned her head and glanced over her shoulder. It was Y¡¯zaks. She waved and called out to him. ¡°Big guy, over here, quickly! Landlord¡¯s egg has hatched! Thanks to me!¡±


    At that moment, Hao Ren felt like hauling the husky out of the window. Unfortunately, he was no match for her¡­


    ¡°What the heck are you talking about?¡± Y¡¯zaks was confused. As he poked his head around, he saw a little fish in the tub, and was astonished. ¡°Nangong, I didn¡¯t know you were pregnant.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    ¡°Ah, I see it now!¡± Sensing something was wrong, the penny dropped, and Y¡¯zaks quickly realized his mistake. He smacked his forehead and said, ¡°Please, excuse my blunder. It¡¯s the egg we brought back. It hatched so quickly!¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at the demon suspiciously. He sensed Y¡¯zaks was up to something. It was not a mere slip of tongue. His mind was obviously not there. However, the great demon was swift to divert attention.


    ¡°What¡¯s the name of this little thing?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it doesn¡¯t have a name!¡± Vivian clapped her hands. ¡°We can¡¯t keep calling it Baby Fish, right?¡±


    Everyone started to think of a name for the baby fish. It seemed like the little mermaid had a promising future. Barely hours since she was born, she had become the crown jewel of the family. Rollie circled around and meowed for like half a day and yet nobody noticed it. It looked like it had lost its place and that was very depressing for Rollie.


    Hao Ren teased the little mermaid¡¯s tail with his finger. He had a suggestion. ¡°Let¡¯s call it Baby as a nickname. After all, we don¡¯t have to register her. We could always give her a proper name when she grows up.¡±


    ¡°No, that sounds too conventional.¡± Nangong Wuyue waved her hands frantically. ¡°Next, please.¡±


    ¡°Considering she¡¯s a mermaid and she¡¯s been sticking to our landlord since he brought her back, shall we name her Hao Fishy?¡±


    Lily was elated. ¡°Yeah, I agree¡­¡±


    ¡°Next, please!¡± Hao Ren had a big headache. ¡°Can¡¯t you guys be more serious?¡±


    Then Lily had another idea. ¡°Okay, since it was I who did the incubating, let¡¯s name it Dog Egg¡­¡±


    Everyone cried, ¡°Next!¡±


    ¡°I think the name should be gorgeous and distinguished,¡± Y¡¯zaks broke his silence with his coarse voice. ¡°We need to take her identity into consideration: she¡¯s the only mermaid left whom the goddess placed in our custody. Her guardian, that¡¯s you, Landlord, is the right-hand man of God; in the language of my world, you¡¯re kind of a pontiff character whom even the king will bow to. So, this mermaid deserves a princess name¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was even more confused now. ¡°What do you suggest then?¡±


    ¡°Elizabeth Francois Velasquez Furier¡ªhey, wait a second, I¡¯m not done¡ª¡±


    Hao Ren shoved Y¡¯zaks away (it felt like pushing away a mountain). ¡°You¡¯re not as good as me!¡±


    The great demon sounded like an unimaginative name-generator and a lame bookworm.


    Everybody was at it again, and nobody seemed to be able to come up with something sensible. At last Vivian spoke with a low voice with her arms crossed, ¡°The big guy¡¯s right. The little mermaid deserves a good name. But, his suggestion was a little bit too wordy. Hey, we can shorten it and call her Elizabeth. What do you say?¡±


    Not that the name was bad, but Hao Ren felt that it was too common and lacked ingenuity. Before Hao Ren could say anything, the hammer fell as Vivian spoke again, ¡°If there are no objections, then it¡¯ll be decided as such. The earliest mermaid legend originated from the west, and I think this name suits the little one quite nicely. What do you think, Landlord?¡±


    To Hao Ren, this fingerling, who was just under half a foot was anything but elegant. He looked at his mad tenants and could not help himself. He nodded, thinking that least Elizabeth was a proper name. If things were left to the husky, it was not impossible that Dog Egg would have very well become the chosen name.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to give her a nickname,¡± Nangong Wuyue raised her hand. ¡°Elizabeth sounds too formal. She shall be called Lil Pea because she¡¯s small like a pea.¡±


    Without waiting for the others to spill their thoughts, the little mermaid started to slap its tail in the tub happily. Although she could have been happy for other reasons, everyone felt the same. Hao Ren clapped his hands and said, ¡°That¡¯s it. She agreed. She¡¯s Lil Pea from now on!¡±


    The little mermaid finally got her names: Elizabeth, and Lil Pea as a nickname.


    Hao Ren had a hunch that the name would one day become legend¡ªjust look at the contrast¡­


    After half a day of hoo-ha, Lily was starving. Everyone dispersed back to where they were supposed to be; Vivian went into the kitchen and started cooking while Y¡¯zaks as well as Nangong Wuyue started to unpack. Just when Hao Ren was about to leave, there was trouble: the little mermaid wanted to tag along wherever he went.


    As everyone had left and Hao Ren was about to do the same, Lil Pea, the little mermaid began to beat her tail against the water and scream like crazy. She scrambled out of the water, onto the tea table and then onto the floor. After that, she jumped towards Hao Ren. Hao Ren was shocked seeing all that.


    Lil Pea calmed down once she clung onto Hao Ren¡¯s leg. However, Hao Ren was almost in tears: the little fish was looking up to him like he was her mum, and he needed to do something about it real quick!

 Chapter 147

    Hao Ren was basically counting sheep the whole night.


    After her meal, the little mermaid clung to him like superglue. Her small arms were as thin as chopsticks but, they felt really solid. Hao Ren was too afraid to pull her away from his arm because he may inadvertently hurt her. Nonetheless, there was no way he could live on like that.


    The next morning, Hao Ren walked out of his room with a pair of droopy eyes with Lil Pea still clinging onto his arm. She looked like an armband from afar. Hao Ren was still wearing the clothes from the day before. He could not change because the little thing never left him alone. And he had basically dozed off for just about two or three hours that night, fearing he would crush her if he was not careful.


    Lily was packing like she was getting ready to go to work (probably the strays in the alley needed vaccination). She was amazed as much as she was amused when she saw Hao Ren. ¡°Wow, Landlord, she clung to you like that the whole night?¡±


    ¡°What can I do?¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°She didn¡¯t want to go back into the tub. She¡¯s been clingy since yesterday.¡±


    That was not the case when the little mermaid was first born. Hao Ren could still remember it was easy to move her back to the tub. She would be excited and venture out of the water occasionally. But as time went by, Lil Pea clung to him like superglue; she would not go back to her tub, she would not move on her own, and she would not let go of him.


    Nangong Wuyue also sensed something was off about Lil Pea. She came up to Lil Pea and waved her finger. Lil Pea¡¯s head would turn and her tail would swish as she followed the rhythm of the finger¡¯s movement. But other than that, she refused to move an inch unlike the previous day when she showed extraordinary curiosity towards everything new.


    ¡°She¡¯s in good health,¡± said Nangong Wuyue as she caressed and felt the little mermaid¡¯s smooth scales. ¡°But her clingy behavior¡­could be due to the insecurity of an unfamiliar environment. That may explain why she keeps holding on to something she feels familiar with.¡±


    ¡°Firstly, she¡¯s not in her natural habitat¡ªthe sea. This little one surely feels strange,¡± said Nangong Wuyue as she analyzed the situation. ¡°The kids grow very rapidly once they hatch. This species of mermaid is highly intelligent. She already has a clear sense of her surroundings so, she has probably found that this environment isn¡¯t fit for her¡­ Maybe not quite so but, most likely she feels that this environment doesn¡¯t match her genetic profile. Second and most importantly, she can¡¯t communicate with us. Although this species is highly intelligent, and able to communicate with other adults of the same species even as newborns, we can¡¯t understand a single word she murmurs. Neither does she understand us.¡±


    ¡°So, that¡¯s why she¡¯s become afraid?¡± Hao Ren asked. He let Lil Pea change her posture and lie on his arm. The little creature was feeling tired after clinging onto him in the same position. Looking at her behavior, it seemed like there was nothing she was particularly scared of. She was still curious and excited about her environment. Additionally, she would purr when lying on her back as if she was feeling satisfied.


    ¡°Think back to how you behaved when your mom brought you to the zoo for the first time. You hid in your mother¡¯s arms,¡± said Nangong Wuyue with arms akimbo. ¡°The most important thing now is to figure out what¡¯s in her mind. Cross-species fathering is very difficult.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded in total agreement. The biggest challenge he faced was the language barrier: if he could communicate with the little mermaid, she would be less clingy since she was at ease. So it was back to the biggest question: how would she communicate when she could not even speak?


    Lily broke in. ¡°Why don¡¯t you see Raven?¡±


    Lily¡¯s words hit Hao Ren in the head. He felt like an idiot: he should have thought of that earlier but, it was the husky, who reminded him!


    Lily spread out her hands and said, ¡°I¡¯m naive but, I¡¯m not stupid¡­¡±


    ¡°MDT, contact Raven 12345.¡± The MDT hovered out of Hao Ren¡¯s pocket and initiated contact. Lil Pea looked at the glowing gadget curiously. She flapped her tail, and wanted to taste it but, Hao Ren ignored her.


    ¡°Hao Ren? What¡¯s going on?¡± Raven 12345 sounded impatient as if she was very busy. ¡°How¡¯s the egg?¡±


    ¡°It hatched!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Raven 12345 shouted like she was really shocked. Then Hao Ren heard a bang followed by a creepy scream at the other end. He asked, ¡°What are you doing there?¡±


    ¡°Nothing special. I¡¯m in the midst of a fight.¡± Raven 12345 spoke rapidly. ¡°It hatched? That¡¯s quick!¡±


    Hao Ren knew that Raven 12345¡¯s life could not be understood in the normal sense of things so, he did not bother to ask what the fight was all about. He made the best use of his time and told her everything about the little mermaid, particularly about the communication problem and the ¡®mother-child¡¯ relationship. ¡°The biggest problem is we cannot understand her, and she can¡¯t understand us either. This little thing doesn¡¯t seem to understand that this world will be her home. She¡¯s clinging to me like glue.¡±


    Raven 12345 paused for a second, then she said, ¡°Hmm, I can¡¯t believe that boiling works¡­ It¡¯s going to be hard to communicate with the newborn. But if what you said is true, she has enough intelligence. The only thing she needs is to understand your language. Nangong Wuyue, I guess you could help.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± The siren maiden looked surprised. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can understand what she says. And I¡¯ve told you a hundred times that I¡¯m a siren, not a mermaid!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about being a mermaid, it¡¯s about the inborn ability to communicate among species of the sea. Sirens have the ability to establish communication with any other deep-sea creature, and that includes those of the Otherworld. However, this is the legacy of lazy programming left behind by the previous creator from another celestial. The program was meant to test a new biological model and has since been deactivated following years of evolution. But, I could try to reactivate it.¡±


    Raven 12345 talked about the passive and bad working habits of the creator god as if it was entirely normal. Hao Ren and Nangong Wuyue were breaking out in cold sweat like cows. Nangong Wuyue then inquired with a strange expression on her face, ¡°What should I do now?¡±


    ¡°Go outside and find an open space. I¡¯ll send you the program. Oh yes, don¡¯t forget to turn off all electronic devices that may cause interference.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue had no clue what that was all about. However, she believed that the goddess was trustworthy so, she left her mobile phone on the couch and went out in the open.


    Hao Ren had a hunch that it would probably be a booby trap again. Before he could warn and stop the siren maiden, a loud, thunderous sound was heard outside.


    Nangong Wuyue walked back in with her exploded hair. ¡°¡­I won¡¯t believe her anymore, ever.¡±


    Raven 12345 was still on the line. She shouted, ¡°No doubt that was a little too explosive, but hey, it worked. The program has been reactivated. You can try it out just like I told you. I¡¯m busy, I got to go.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue went into the bathroom and cleaned herself up. Then, she allowed Hao Ren to sit on the couch afterwhich, she carefully pointed at Lil Pea¡¯s forehead. ¡°I¡¯m just giving this a try. Don¡¯t put too much hope in it.¡±


    Vivian and Y¡¯zaks came up to witness what Nangong Wuyue was about to perform. Everyone¡¯s eyes were fixed on Wuyue and Lil Pea. Hao Ren was so nervous that he felt himself sweating; however, when he looked up, it was Lily gulping water behind him.


    The big fish and the little fish communicated for like dozens of seconds. Suddenly, Lil Pea stared at Nangong Wuyue in astonishment. Nangong Wuyue exhaled. ¡°Phew¡­ looks like it worked.¡±


    Hao Ren could not wait. He hurried Nangong Wuyue. ¡°Quick, let this little thing understand that I¡¯m not her mother!¡±


    ¡°Okay, just let me talk to her slowly.¡± Nangong Wuyue nodded as she carefully took Lil Pea from Hao Ren. A wondrous thing happened when Nangong Wuyue reached out. The little mermaid let go of Hao Ren and embraced Nangong Wuyue as if there had been a trust established between them¡ªalthough she still shook her head and let out a few cries, she looked calmer and sounded like she was just saying goodbye.


    Nangong Wuyue brought the little mermaid back to her room, expecting that Lil Pea would come out feeling better. Hao Ren finally let out a sigh of relief. The first thing he wanted was to get changed. He was still wearing the same clothes he wore on the interstellar trip.


    When he got himself a new set of clothes and came back to the living room, Nangong Wuyue and Lil Pea were already there. ¡°That¡¯s fast!¡± said Hao Ren with a surprise on his face.


    ¡°It was kind of telepathic. She¡¯s very smart.¡± Her expression was a little weird. ¡°Basically, I¡¯ve explained everything to her¡­and she¡¯ll adapt slowly.¡±


    Hao Ren was elated. ¡°So, now she knows I¡¯m not her mom?¡±


    ¡°Err¡­there¡¯s good news and bad news,¡± said Nangong Wuyue. She smiled wryly. ¡°Which would you like to hear first?¡±


    Hao Ren was taken aback. He knew he was going to be set up again. ¡°¡­The good one.¡±


    ¡°Lil Pea now knows that you¡¯re not her mom.¡± Nangong Wuyue gave the little mermaid back to Hao Ren. ¡°She thinks you¡¯re her dad. Frankly, a guardian could also be a dad.¡±


    Hao Ren found the news not as good as he had expected but also, not as bad. He nodded and said, ¡°Dad is okay. At least, it¡¯s not that awkward. Just that, she shouldn¡¯t be so clingy. What¡¯s the bad news?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue yanked a pot out from behind her. ¡°This is her mother.¡±


    Hao Ren was dumbfounded.

 Chapter 148

    Everyone at the scene was wide-eyed. Hao Ren could not wrap his brain around what she meant by that.


    ¡°Lil Pea thinks that she came out from this pot.¡± Nangong Wuyue looked extremely serious. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right, it¡¯s the pot Lily used to boil the egg. But, I really have no idea what went wrong; when this little thing learned that you weren¡¯t her mom, she was dead set on believing that the pot was her mom. She believed that you discovered the pot then, you and the pot made her together¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one hell of a mess!¡± Hao Ren stomped his feet. That scared the hell out of the little mermaid. He immediately poked Lil Pea¡¯s tummy to comfort her while he shot an angry look at Nangong Wuyue. ¡°What did you say to her?¡±


    ¡°I did my best.¡± The resentment on the siren¡¯s face was no lesser. ¡°Let me tell you, her brain¡¯s a mess. Basically, we were just communicating on the edge of logic. You can¡¯t possibly expect a newborn to understand so many things. I¡¯d be surprised if she even understands what a dad and a mom is.¡±


    Hao Ren almost cried. ¡°But, you can¡¯t just let her think that her mom¡¯s a pot, especially when she thinks I¡¯m her dad! How are you going to correct her worldview when she grows up?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue sighed. She turned and looked at Lily. ¡°Keep your f*cking eyes open.¡±


    ¡°Like this?¡± Lily¡¯s eyes were as big as tennis balls.


    Nangong Wuyue then turned to Hao Ren. ¡°Now you see? A worldview isn¡¯t something that can be explained¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Lily stood by and looked on but, she could not wrap her brain around what was happening. She packed up and left the house.


    Hao Ren and Nangong Wuyue tried to make things right but, after a long day, they gave up: Lil Pea was dead set on believing that she was born from that damn pot. She showed unusual affection towards it¡ªthe way she did with Hao Ren. Vivian realized she had to buy a new pot. The old one belonged to the little mermaid now.


    After Nangong Wuyue filled the pot up with water, Hao Ren carefully placed Lil Pea inside it. The little thing seemed to enjoy swimming in the pot now. It was unlike her cautious and anxious manner earlier. The pot had given her a familiar sense of security. She had hatched in the pot so, she was right to feel secure in it.


    The little one swam for a while before she began to cry for food. It was easy to tell what she wanted: a series of unsettling grunts followed by the beating of her tail in the water to lift her. Hao Ren quietly recorded her every behavior and expression as well as the timing. He then got into the kitchen and walked back out with a chopstick.


    Chopsticks were the only thing the little mermaid ate and he needed time to verify other recipes.


    Maybe she could eat vegetables? After all, this little mermaid ate plant fibre, and vegetables were full of fibre.


    Hao Ren thought it would be a good idea. He dashed into the kitchen, pinched some celery and radish into small lumps and threw them into the water¡ªhe felt like he was feeding a fish instead of a child. The little mermaid was not interested in the debris: the veggie lumps gave off a funny smell. The little mermaid threw them back out of the water and splashed the water on Hao Ren¡¯s face.


    Apparently, this was another veggie-hater.


    ¡°This dad and his child is having fun time.¡± The MDT hovered in the air as he looked on. Then, it jabbed Hao Ren¡¯s forehead and said, ¡°Enough family time. Let¡¯s get back to work. According to the schedule Madam Raven gave you, it¡¯s now time to learn the basics of navigation and flight control. Now¡¯s the time to start if you want to feel how it¡¯s like to sit in the cockpit.¡±


    Hao Ren was watching Lil Pea¡¯s ingenuous table manners in amusement. He was startled when he heard what the MDT said. ¡°Wait a minute, when did I get a new schedule?¡±


    ¡°Last night. Didn¡¯t I tell you?¡± The MDT pulled up in front of him, projected a hologram which displayed a ton of learning materials. ¡°Maybe you weren¡¯t really paying attention. You were busy with your six-inch daughter. Listen, these are the additional materials. Madam Raven has given you the basics. If you can pass, you¡¯ll be able to control the Petrachelys. When you get your class two licence, you¡¯ll be able to fly solo. So, where would you like to start?¡±


    Hao Ren stared at the rows of learning material in a daze; The Theory of Spacecraft Control, Basics of Navigation, The Theory of Energy, Basics of Star Charts, Artillery Overview, and all kinds of jargon he barely knew, and these were just in the table of contents!


    ¡°I¡ªI have to learn all this stuff?¡± Hao Ren was wide-eyed. He heard that flying a spacecraft required some learning but, he never expected there to be so many materials and topics. It was nothing like he had imagined based on what he read from sci-fi novels. ¡°Will I even understand these? I¡¯ve been to university¡ª¡±


    ¡°Of course you can. Your brain has been enhanced to a certain extent. It has the capacity for high-speed reading and writing. Your subconscious has an implant that¡¯s capable of processing these data. If you¡¯re not retarded, learning these stuff won¡¯t be difficult. These materials are specifically tailored to your perspective and level of understanding. We shall start from the Grand unified Theory.¡± The MDT sounded flat and dead serious; when it came to business, more or less it acted like a proper personal digital assistant. ¡°And to be frank, you¡¯re not required to go through the basics, all you need to know is what order to give in what circumstance, and the reason why that particular order is given. Simply put, a qualified captain of a spacecraft is between a caveman, who only knows how to press buttons and a mechanic, who¡¯s an expert in his field.¡±


    Hao Ren thought about it for a while. Then, with a hopeful voice, he said, ¡°Wait a second, don¡¯t you have a high-tech way of doing this, like program implant where I can skip the learning process? Sort of like the XX system add-on in the brain; like in the novels.¡±


    The MDT had a look of disdain. ¡°We have the technology but, it¡¯s not appropriate for your application. The injection-learning device is for logical data and reflective learning. It is widely used in new army barracks for minions, where part of the course would be injected without any dangerous side effects. However, it¡¯s not applicable for spacecraft captains. It¡¯ll only reduce your learning aptitude and brain autonomy; it¡¯s not a sequelae per se but it¡¯s the nature of this ¡®learning¡¯ method¡ªit writes codes into your brain as if you¡¯re a machine. Although it¡¯s highly effective, you¡¯ll end up useless.¡±


    Hao Ren barely understood what he had heard. The MDT continued leisurely, ¡°There are some loosely-controlled autonomous universes, where brain implants can be found in the black market. They are used by some syndicates and individuals with the ulterior motive of creating digital slaves. Their embedded system would dismantle the safety lock, and swap out a large part of the host¡¯s cognitive abilities¡ªit starts with the arithmetic ability then, the memory followed by the ability to think and lastly, you.¡±


    Vivian listened attentively by the side. She curiously asked, ¡°So, one would end up being a retard?¡±


    ¡°No, actually the opposite is true. The implanted system would make the host extremely intelligent, with high reflexes, long-lasting stamina, super memory, and precision thinking. It turns people into superhumans¡ªbut, the superhuman isn¡¯t you. A highly assimilated individual won¡¯t be aware of the fact that he or she has been displaced. The subject will still think that everything he or she does is out of free will¡ªit¡¯s the perfect kind of brainwash.


    Hao Ren was drenched in cold sweat!


    ¡°You can have knowledge, skills, logical thinking capabilities, and memory implants but, you¡¯ll end up living on conditional reflex and brain insertion. You won¡¯t realize that every single part of yourself has been swapped out and replaced by a bunch of zeros and ones. This has been happening and sometimes, other agents are called in to clean up the mess.¡± The MDT jabbed Hao Ren¡¯s forehead and continued, ¡°So, it¡¯s better to learn the hard way. Different skills require different learning methods, and different life forms have their own ways of learning. Let¡¯s begin with Introduction to Warp Drive¡­¡±

 Chapter 149

    If Hao Ren did not experience it for himself, he would have never imagined that all those glorious starship captains, who travelled the stars started by reading from scratch. Most novels or movies never even touch this!


    However, the MDT was right on one point. The study materials were really customized to suit his learning capabilities and understanding. Having his body strengthened also gave his mental abilities a boost. While the materials were still a bunch of mumbo-jumbo to him, after getting the basics down, he could begin to grasp the more technical stuff.


    He did not need to know how the ship¡¯s core worked (well, the number of people who actually knew how Imperial technology worked were considered exotic). He just needed to know what commands to input, and what the inputs actually mean to better understand the nuances of commanding. Hee would need to give out commands in the future. This was essential knowledge a starship captain needed to have; knowledge he would need to survive in space.


    Well¡­it wasn¡¯t like the ship did not come with an auto-repair system. Let the machines earn their due.


    Hao Ren went ham on his studies. He clutched the MDT from morning until about 10.00pm. Accompanying him was Lil Pea, who lay by his side. The pot of water was pretty much a second home to the little mermaid and it was now a permanent fixture on the tea table. She would hop into the pot to swim for a while then, hop back out into Hao Ren¡¯s arms and lie down with her belly exposed. At times, she made some unintelligible noises but, she did seem at ease.


    ¡°I think¡­the problem with raising a mermaid is the need to change her clothes all too often,¡± Hao Ren said as he gave up studying. The information was just too much for his brain to process at one go. He then set the MDT down. After that, he scooped Lil Pea up and put her back into the pot. His shirt got soaked when the little rascal hopped all over him. Even the sofa was wet. ¡°Vivian, what are you doing?¡±


    The vampire had been busy sewing in a corner since morning, and Hao Ren took a curious peek. He saw in her hands, a tiny shirt that was intricately sewn. ¡°You aren¡¯t making a shirt for Lil Pea, are you?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Vivian said as she broke the thread, giving Hao Ren a sideways glare. ¡°You can¡¯t be wrapping Lil Pea up with sealing tape all the time, right? Wuyue had me make some shirts for the little rascal before she left. What do you think of it?¡±


    By Jupiter, this vampire seemed to have put all her talent points into household skills!


    Hao Ren took the mini, light pink waistcoat from Vivian. The size was almost right, and the quality was almost artisan. Not only did she pick a cloth that would not shrink after being soaked in water, she even sewed two little fish patterns on the back of the coat in a frenzied effort. Her handiwork was almost too good that you would wonder how she even managed to learn all this. Lil Pea¡¯s eyes widened as Hao Ren put the waistcoat on her. She clumsily tried to cooperate with Hao Ren as he struggled to put the coat on her. After a while, he managed to get the coat on her properly. Having worn a shirt for the first time, she did not seem all that comfortable. She twisted around for a bit and slapped her tail against the table as she went. It did not take long however, for her to get used to it and she jabbered in glee. It was as though it meant something to wear a shirt, almost as if it was a game.


    The little mermaid flopped about in her new garb for a few rounds on the table, and after that, she jumped back into the pot to take a nap. Vivian on the other hand, had a gleeful smile on her face, satisfied that the little one liked her handiwork. With her motivation at it¡¯s peak, she declared, ¡°I¡¯ll make a couple of camisoles and brassieres for her later. And please, get rid of the sealing tape. She almost looks like a mummified fish wearing it.¡±


    As Hao Ren and Vivian were going on about the minutiae of raising a baby mermaid, the main door creaked opened. It appeared Lily was back much earlier than usual.


    Vivian glanced at Lily curiously, ¡°So early today? I haven¡¯t even prepared anything for lunch yet.¡±


    In everyone¡¯s eyes, Lily¡¯s return back home was always linked to meal time, and she had never returned so early before.


    Lily did not respond to Vivian and her face was grim. After carefully peering outside, she latched the door shut. She then made haste towards Hao Ren and Vivian. ¡°We have a problem.¡±


    Lily¡¯s serious demeanor took both of them by surprise. They never thought the derpy husky was even capable of such an expression. Hao Ren quickly pulled the MDT out of his pocket (how did that habit even come about?) and asked, ¡°Did you just bite someone, and now the whole gang¡¯s upon us?¡±


    Vivian kicked Hao Ren in the shin. ¡°Stop it with the nonsense. It¡¯s not funny.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s this,¡± Lily said as she rolled her eyes. The husky took a piece of paper out from her pouch. ¡°This seems very familiar¡­¡±


    It was a piece of hard paper, the size of a poker card. It had a yellow tint. A strange aroma emitted from the paper, and on it, a series of intricate patterns painted in red ink could be seen; Letta runes.


    Hao Ren had pretty much developed an antipathy towards these runes. Nothing good happened any time those runes appeared. Vivian also joined in with a frown, ¡°These are runic cards used by the demon hunters¡­ Where did you find them?¡±


    ¡°Along the nearby streets. Some were shoved into the cracks and some were stuck on lamp posts. All of them were placed in locations that aren¡¯t easy to spot. I found a whole lot of them,¡± Lily said as she poured an entire stack of cards out of her pouch. ¡°Am I really going to be dog stew this time?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much.¡± Hao Ren himself was shocked by the amount of runic cards Lily had collected but, he still managed to remain calm. ¡°Let¡¯s make sure this is real and not a prank¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way these are fakes,¡± Vivian said as she flung one of the cards into the air and smothered it with Blood Mist. There was a continuous cackle of lightning as the mist reacted with the runic card. A moment later, both the mist and card dissipated into nothing. ¡°This is some really carefully drawn runes. Only demon hunters or ascetic monks of the church would know how to draw such runes. Seems like we¡¯re being targeted for real.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Raven 12345 say she settled the matter?¡± Hao Ren sighed deeply as he recalled his bitter experiences with the bunch of maniacal hunters. ¡°Why did they pop up again?¡±


    Vivian sighed softly as well. ¡°¡­Well, we all know not to place all our hopes on her. We need to learn how to protect ourselves at the very least. We¡¯ll need to plan our moves when Nangong and the big bloke come back. Since the demon hunters have placed cards all over the streets, it looks like they¡¯re almost certain of our location¡­ If a fight does break out, it won¡¯t be pretty¡­and I was just getting comfortable with my life here¡­¡±


    While her words were resigned, Vivian still took things seriously. With a wave of her hand, a dozen little bats appeared as she signaled at Hao Ren. ¡°Help me put on some sunscreen.¡±


    The vampire was about to go out to reconnoiter the area. While Hao Ren had his doubts about the little bats finding any trace of the demon hunters, it was better than doing nothing at all. Lily was busy ruffling through the runic cards, and she was rather puzzled by the symbols etched onto them. ¡°What do these mean? I don¡¯t remember them looking like that before?¡±


    There are many types of runic cards, and veteran demon hunters may even create their own. The strength of a Letta rune is in the various forms and powers it can take,¡± said Vivian as she applied the sunscreen with Hao Ren¡¯s help. ¡°Based on what I can see on the paper¡­ I think they are meant to create a geomantic or spell field of sorts. Some of the runes read as ¡®The Earth¡¯s Boundaries¡¯, some, ¡®The Shapeless Shadow¡¯. When combined, these effects would probably create a field that could scout, monitor, engage in battle, or seal something¡­ All of these are anchored upon the creation of this field. Seems like the hunters have only just arrived, and you discovered their work before they got far.¡±


    Hao Ren thought, perhaps they stood a better chance this time around, given that air-brained Lily dismantled part of the field by chance. Lily was also elated after being useful. Her tail popped out in a sudden poof, and she started wagging. ¡°Heh! I¡¯m just that good aren¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes. It¡¯s your job to look for the rest of the Letta runes then,¡± Vivian¡¯s retort came almost at a blinding speed. ¡°Based on the field¡¯s deployment, I have a feeling that the demon hunters loath facing us head on again. Just keep ruining their field deployment. This will buy us some time. Also, I think it¡¯s time we take the fight to them. Let¡¯s try to rid the whole street of these runes.¡±


    Lily¡¯s tail stopped midair as her jaw dropped. ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°What are you gawking at?¡± Vivian said as she pushed the window open. The bats around her spread out as they took off into the wind. She looked back at Lily and Hao Ren, her fangs bared. ¡°This is a challenge! Being caught unaware once is enough. Now we know what they¡¯re up to. Let¡¯s make sure we take one back alive this time!¡±


    As the vampire maiden spoke, cold wind gathered around her. Her lust for battle was almost palpable.

 Chapter 150

    Vivian was seldom so energetic.


    The very good-tempered, ancient vampire was always busy doing housework in the big house like a good mother and wife. Her favorite thing was cooking; her favorite pastime was dazing and sleeping; the entertainment she liked included news on the grapevine and boring TV shows. She was so adapted to the life of ordinary people that Hao Ren almost forgot her true identity: an ancient vampire, who had been active on Earth since the Yuanmou Man walked upright; a powerful creature called the Countess of the Crimson Moon that the werewolves were afraid of.


    Facing frequent provocations from the demon hunters, the first thing the countess did was indeed fight with them.


    Hao Ren had little information on hand at the moment. They could not tell how many hunters had come to the street based on the runes Lily found in the neighborhood. They could only be sure that it was done by real demon hunters. Therefore, Hao Ren prepared for the worst. They would fight with them. Then, he would take everyone and escape to Kuiper station or other places. Now, this was the only thing that gave Hao Ren peace of mind. He had another plan, which was almost impossible for the demon hunters to follow. He did not believe that the extremists would have the knack to chase after them up to outer space. And if they did, he would just let the station garrison teach them how to be good people.


    Lily was sent out to search for spell cards that were set up nearby by the demon hunters. However, obviously, it was not something that she could do alone in a hurry. Hence, Lily came back home after about an hour, for lunch. Eating was the most important thing to Lily. The husky¡¯s combat power dropped to zero when it was time to eat. This was a natural phenomenon. You could not fight it.


    On the other side, over 10 bats released by Vivian began to search the demon hunters¡¯ trails throughout the Southern Suburbs in a giant and ever-expanding spiral track. They would return and report to Vivian when they found traces of the slightest supernatural phenomenon. However, Vivian was still busy cooking in the kitchen as if nothing was happening. The lunch was a sumptuous meal as usual.


    ¡°You can still keep your composure,¡± Hao Ren could not help but remark during lunch. Vivian, who sat facing Hao Ren had switched into her Blood Clan form but, her magical, bloody eyes did not show much tension. Vivian, in vampire form still set the table for them quickly and neatly as usual. She did not look murderous and fierce at all.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I?¡± Vivian took some vegetables with an indifferent smile. ¡°We have no clue at this point anyway. We should eat and drink as usual to keep our energy. I¡¯ve faced lots of troubles. At least, those who laugh till the end won¡¯t not lose their appetite before a duel.¡±


    In another sense, these were really inspiring words, which gave Hao Ren peace of mind.


    Lily was also in her husky form. Her pointy ears occasionally twitched ever so slightly in the air as she kept an eye out for any movement outside. She feared that the hunters would attack them in the next second. She bit her chopsticks and muttered, ¡°Why aren¡¯t Wuyue and the big guy back yet¡­ They aren¡¯t encountering any problems, are they?¡±


    ¡°The big man won¡¯t have any problems. There aren¡¯t many people on this planet, who can beat him unless, the demon hunters exiled him to another space using strange ancient power.¡± Vivian was not worried about him and continued to explain, ¡°We don¡¯t even have to worry about Nangong Wuyue. Sirens won¡¯t die.¡±


    ¡°Sirens won¡¯t die?¡± Hao Ren remembered hearing similar things somewhere before but, he did not take them seriously at that time. And now that he heard it again, he was curious. ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°The sirens are the only creatures that baffle the demon hunters. So much so that they generally don¡¯t consider the sirens as an ¡®alien species¡¯, which needs to be eradicated.¡± Vivian kept on explaining about the siren¡¯s unknown traits. ¡°Although the demon hunters never openly admit it, a minority of them call the sirens the ¡®Will of Water¡¯ or the ¡®Guardian of the Deep Sea¡¯, and they treat the sirens as a species somewhere between aliens and the Holy Spirit. The sirens are peaceful and noninvasive in nature. They are powerful and bizarre but, are never the ones who provoke a dispute. The most important thing is that they can freely change their form in water, or even become part of the water. Death is not the end. They will regenerate through the cycle of evaporation and rain. So, even the demon hunters aren¡¯t willing to provoke such a deathless species.¡±


    Hao Ren had never heard of such a thing. ¡°The sirens are that powerful?¡±


    ¡°Yes, quite so. So powerful that I wonder if they¡¯re creatures that should exist in this world,¡± Vivian tilted her head and continued, ¡°And their way of life is so weird. Ninety-nine percent of the sirens are hiding in secluded spots located in the deep sea, where no one has ever been. There used to be some pretty powerful guys, who tried to locate the sirens¡¯ kingdom, like Poseidon and Ophion. However, they failed. When they came back, they vowed that they saw the sirens swim to the deep sea but, when they followed them from behind, they found themselves at the bottom of a barren ocean. Over time, this hidden species has become the ¡®absolute neutral¡¯ faction, which all unusual creatures and demon hunters on Earth usually don¡¯t to provoke. Honestly, if it weren¡¯t for Ebben swearing earlier, and me seeing Nangong Wuyue, this real living siren with my own eyes, I wouldn¡¯t have believed that there used to be a group of sirens, who went ashore more than 100 years ago¡­ I haven¡¯t figured out what they intended to do on shore.¡±


    Hao Ren was surprised to find that the siren had such an unusual background. To be frank, they could hardly find any powerful traces in Nangong Wuyue. The girl just marveled them when she slid around on her tail and treaded the deep sea. She usually kept a low profile.


    However, Hao Ren also caught another message from Vivian¡¯s description. Most of the sirens¡¯ strengths were embodied in their ability to resurrect or reincarnate as well as their mysterious nature. In terms of combat power, the sirens did not seem to be able to help them during the fight with demon hunters. They were probably a species that could protect themselves but, were weak when it came to fighting¡­


    They could not put all their hopes in Nangong Wuyue to fight against the demon hunters. Y¡¯zaks was obviously more reliable than the siren.


    Among all of them, Lil Pea was the only one who had completely no idea about what was going on. The little one was confined in the weird, big house. She did not know that it was sinister outside. She just lay on the table and curiously watched the adults talk while they ate. Occasionally, she would make strange noises to attract attention. She was also probably wondering why the adults just licked the food but did not eat them. Yes, to her, chopsticks were food and the stuff that was stuck in between the chopsticks¡­ She had no idea what it was.


    The little one then ate half of a chopstick again. She patted her bulging belly and lay in the pot. As she floated in the water, she fell into a doze. Vivian looked at the small mermaid in the pot with a smile. She then sighed and said, ¡°I really envy the little mermaid for being in such a simple state. She has nothing to worry about, nothing to think about¡­ I don¡¯t even know what my childhood was like.¡±


    Vivian was confused about her memory. She did not know anything about her childhood so, she would sigh once in a while. Sometimes, Hao Ren suspected that the vampire actually did not have a childhood but, he dared not tell her directly.


    At that moment, a noise suddenly came from the outside. A pack of dogs were barking.


    Lil Pea, who had just fallen asleep, was awakened by the noise. She jumped out from the pot and onto the table. Lily was happily wagging her tail. She stood up and said, ¡°Oh¡ªoh, my men have come to report their work!¡±


    Lily¡¯s men?


    Hao Ren suddenly came to a realization and ran to open the door quickly. He was shocked after he opened the door.


    There were approximately hundreds of dogs that were either standing, lying, squatting or sitting there. They gathered on the street, which now looked as grand as the Spring Festival!


    Hao Ren suspected that all the dogs in the Southern Suburbs were gathered in this place.


    ¡°This¡­ What the hell is going on?¡± Vivian came along when she heard the noise and was stunned when saw the scene. Lily shouted from the back, ¡°Didn¡¯t you guys ask me to find a way to get the spell cards on the street? I couldn¡¯t do it alone so, I ordered them to help me!¡±


    Hao Ren just noticed that every dog had at least one piece of paper with a Letta rune in its mouth. Some even had four or five of the spell cards with them. There were so many dogs in front of them, which meant that there were at least hundreds of carefully arranged spell cards searched out.


    Hao Ren thought that if he was the demon hunter, he would have rather died. Who else could have thought of this wonderful tactic other than Lily?

 Chapter 151

    Hundreds of dogs of all stripes gathered at the house in such a short period of time. If someone else had seen this, it would have been posted on various social media platforms the next day. Therefore, Lily quickly moved the dogs to the back of Hao Ren¡¯s big house.


    It was said that Hao Ren¡¯s house was actually the last home in the outskirts of the Southern Suburbs, which was also located at the end of the white, stoned-paved road. The back of the house was a wasteland, flanked by walls and unoccupied homes. You could say this was the boundary of human civilization in the Southern Suburbs. The gathering of hundreds of dogs at the back of Hao Ren¡¯s house was not completely exposed. At least, they managed not to attract unwanted attention within that short amount of time.


    Hao Ren as well as Vivian followed them, and they looked at the spectacular scene in amazement.


    Among the hundreds of dogs, only half of them were domesticated dogs. The rest were the distinct residents of the Southern Suburbs¡ªstray dogs. This large army was made up of many varieties and different sizes, from the Tibetan Mastiff, which was as tall as a man when standing upright to a big pug, which was as tall as a rabbit when it straightened up. They looked as powerful as the United Nations Military Force. Rollie came and took a peek out of curiosity. It was frightened on the spot, cried and ran up to the roof of the two-storey building. It ran up along the wall. The poor cat probably thought it was karma for running amuck around the area. Now, the dog nation of the Southern Suburbs came to crusade against it with their national power¡­


    Lily strutted proudly in front of the dogs. All of them were docile.They sat on standby obediently. Vivian could not help but turn her face away and said, ¡°She¡¯s enjoying this quite a bit¡­ As a werehusky, she is so embarrassing¡­¡±


    Finally, Lily finished the inspection of her team, and was satisfied with showing off. She raised her hand and gave a command, ¡°Woof!¡±


    All the dogs immediately put the spell cards in their mouths on the ground and followed Lily, ¡°Woof!¡±


    ¡°Stop! Stop!¡± Hao Ren dragged Lily to the side in a hurry and said, ¡°Keep it low profile, please. This is too loud.¡±


    Lily quickly nodded and replied, ¡°Woof¡­ Err, I got it. Landlord, what do you think of the size of my army?¡±


    ¡°The combat power is quite strong. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem for us to make a clean sweep of the stray cats in the Southern Suburbs,¡± Hao Ren said this from the bottom of his heart and then, he bent over to pick up a spell card from the nearest pug. The red paint of the Letta rune was blurred by the dog¡¯s saliva. It became void. ¡°¡­You¡¯re so smart. You even thought of using dogs.¡±


    ¡°A dog¡¯s nose is sensitive,¡± Lily said with delight and pointed to her nose happily. ¡°In the beginning, I found the spell cards in between the bricks after I smelled some strange scents. But, it was impossible for me to find all the papers in the neighborhood alone so, I organized the team. They can¡¯t do anything else but, they are excellent in searching. I gave them a clear order, don¡¯t come and see me if they can¡¯t find the spell cards¡­¡±


    Vivian sighed again. She really did not understand what was there to be proud of such an authority. However, she had to admit that Lily¡¯s talent as a husky had finally played a big role this time. A real werewolf would probably have not been able to put down its dignity, squat on the ground and bark with the dogs.


    ¡°So, have they collected all the spell cards on the street in the neighborhood?¡± Vivian frowned and looked at the large pile of spell papers on the ground, which made her even more worried. There was a possibility that the demon hunters were coming in a group. If they were not, it would have probably taken one week for a demon hunter to create such a big number of spell cards. ¡°I wonder if there¡¯s anything else other than the spell cards. Those guys are the best at setting traps. They¡¯re as cunning as hunters.¡±


    ¡°Let me ask you something,¡± Lily said as she squatted down and patted a big, yellow dog¡¯s head (it looked like a subchief). She asked the dog with a very serious look, ¡°Woof, woof? Woof woof¡­¡±


    Hao Ren had the idea of recording this scene. He thought that in the future, he could repeatedly watch them barking at each other and enjoy it for a long time! Listening to Lily¡¯s question, the big, yellow dog tilted its head and thought for a while. Then it replied, ¡°Woofoo¡­¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian were muttering, ¡°Can you understand what they¡¯re talking about?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then, why did you nod?¡±


    ¡°To protect my dignity. Don¡¯t you see that these dogs look at us as if we¡¯re Servant No.2 and No.3? To them, Lily is the boss. I have to prove that my status is higher than the doggie.¡±


    ¡°As a senior vampire, do you really have to compete with dogs?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡±


    Let us ignore the weird conversation between Hao Ren and the vampire. There seemed to be a problem with the communication between Lily and the big, yellow dog. They could not come to a conclusion after barking for so long. Lily reached out to drag a mongrel that looked strong and good-natured. She dragged it next to her and asked, ¡°Woof?¡±


    ¡°Woof!¡±


    ¡°Woof¡­¡±


    The dog just talked like this. Lily barked, then the mixed-breed barked, then the big, yellow dog barked as well. Hao Ren found it a little strange and asked, ¡°Why do you need a secretary?¡±


    ¡°This one¡¯s from Russia, and its accent is too strong for me to understand.¡± Lily pointed to the big, yellow dog then, to the mixed-breed dog and said, ¡°It comes from the Northeast. Its a of the Chow Chow and Caucasian Shepherd Dog. It can roughly try to translate for me¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    For the first time in his life, he heard that even dog languages were divided into different phyla! There were different families of languages among the animals?


    ¡°They are.¡± When Lily heard Hao Ren¡¯s question, she roughly explained it to him. Lily talked a bit with the other dog and then, she stood up. ¡°They didn¡¯t find anything else. And there¡¯s no trace of humans in our surroundings. They¡¯ve placed so many spell cards around. Logically, they would¡¯ve surely left their smell everywhere.¡±


    Vivian was not surprised. ¡°For the demon hunters, hiding is very simple. The most powerful demon hunter I knew could walk all the way into Balder¡¯s palace and kill a mimicry monster without even realizing it. But, there shouldn¡¯t be such guys around these days. They¡¯ve been on the decline all these years¡­ However, hiding their scent is a must for every demon hunter.¡±


    Vivian then squeezed the rune papers in her hands and said, ¡°But, they have no way to conceal the Letta rune papers, which is the only good news. Doggie, let your paparazzi keep an eye on every corner. The demon hunters will certainly find a way to investigate the situation after they find out that their runes were destroyed¡­ Maybe, they¡¯ll try to replace the runes with new ones. It¡¯ll be good if we can catch one of them.¡±


    ¡°You want to let these dogs deal with the demon hunters?¡± The fur on Lily¡¯s back bristled (literally). ¡°I can¡¯t beat those crazy men, let alone these weak¡ª¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s gonna let them fight? I meant, let them keep an eye on the surroundings!¡± Lily was hopeless at her ability to understand. ¡°An intellectually normal demon hunter would never have imagined that a werewolf would bribe dogs to be spies. You¡¯re the first werewolf to organize a group of paparazzi as your men in thousands of years. Acting unpredictably is your greatest strength now!¡±


    Lily finally understood what Vivian wanted her to do. She immediately nodded proudly and said, ¡°Rest assured! My legion is invincible!¡±


    How could she have such a big sense of achievement from just being an alpha dog? Rollie had already led the stray cats in the Southern Suburbs last year. Lily¡¯s achievement today was just on an equal footing with Rollie¡¯s¡­


    After assigning the jobs, Lily howled to give a command. This excited the dogs. Hundreds of dogs dispersed within a few seconds. Hao Ren could imagine how powerful these four-legged scouts would be. They were familiar with the environment; all the gaps and holes. Plus, they had a sensitive sense of smell. They were good hunters and investigators in nature. Also, they had many years of life experience with area and population base. Even a true FBI agent was not as highly effective as these true paparazzi here. And more importantly, the demon hunters would not have been suspicious of the stray dogs everywhere on the streets even if they had great vigilance. It would be too late when they find that their spell cards had been cleared away by a group of dogs.


    However, this just worked theoretically. Therefore, Hao Ren was still worried. ¡°Will it work? A bunch of dogs can ferret out the demon hunter? It can¡¯t be so simple.¡±


    ¡°As long as they can find the spell cards in this area. It¡¯s not difficult.¡± Vivian raised her mouth slightly and said, ¡°A small advantage is still an advantage. Also, the demon hunters have been operating smoothly all these years. They¡¯ll become careless.¡±


    At this time, a loud voice suddenly came from the door. ¡°I¡¯m back. Where are you guys?¡±


    It was Y¡¯zaks¡¯ voice.

 Chapter 152

    Y¡¯zaks and Nangong Wuyue reached home at the same time; one of them was doing street performances while the other one was merely a scarecrow in the job market. They went out on the dot, and came home by bus everyday. Today, they stumbled into each other on the bus on the way home. It was a coincidence. They were startled even before they stepped through the door: a large group of canines emerged from the house. Some even got into a formation and marched forward like an advancing troop¡ªhow could it not be scary?


    They only knew what was happening when they were inside the house.


    ¡°Demon hunters are coming again?¡± Y¡¯zaks frowned. He had only met with demon hunters once but, that one encounter was enough to leave a bad impression of these obstinate extremists. ¡°Obviously, they haven¡¯t learned.¡±


    ¡°They must be from another group.¡± Hao Ren waved in dismissal. ¡°I believe the previous group¡¯s still being corrected by Raven 12345.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue was staring at the rune cards, which were laid open on the table. She stared into space for quite some time before her face twitched. ¡°What should we do next? Fight or¡­run?¡± She said.


    ¡°Run? This is our territory. They can¡¯t just come to our turf without even taking off their shoes!¡± Hao Ren scoffed. ¡°Vivian and Lily have some surprises for them. And when those demon hunters show up, we¡¯ll nab those who stray from the group. We¡¯ll call for backup if we can¡¯t hold them back. By the way, why am I feeling like your mind¡¯s elsewhere?¡±


    ¡°Sirens don¡¯t like fighting.¡± Nangong Wuyue squeezed out a dry smile, and tried to divert the conversation elsewhere. Lil Pea emerged from the pot, waving at them. She took this opportunity to walk away. ¡°I¡¯m going to get Lil Pea a new pot of water. You guys carry on.¡±


    ¡°When it comes to fighting, she¡¯s the least we can count on.¡± Vivian was not surprised with that. She now turned to Y¡¯zaks. ¡°We¡¯ll need your help if fighting isn¡¯t avoidable because, you have great combat capability. If the last encounter is any indication, many of the demon hunter¡¯s tricks won¡¯t work on you because you¡¯re from the Otherworld.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m flattered,¡± Y¡¯zaks grinned from ear to ear. ¡°But still, I wish I could educate them so that they¡¯d get back on the right path¡­¡±


    Hao Ren smirked: death seemed easier than enduring the lectures of Y¡¯zaks.


    ¡°But, there¡¯s a problem: this is a residential area; although there aren¡¯t many left in this area, still, there are people. If a fight breaks out, collateral damage will happen. And most of the people left are elderly,¡± said Y¡¯zaks with concern.


    ¡°Yes, we care about that but, demon hunters may not.¡± Vivian spread her hands out. ¡°For them, the lost of an innocent life is a necessary evil. They even consider them as ¡®martyrs¡¯.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks was enraged and he hit the table. ¡°Then, they deserve even more lectures! Heck, even demons wouldn¡¯t have done what they did! Landlord, I¡¯ll buy you a new table when I get a job.¡±


    Hao Ren raised his hand to wipe off his cold sweat. ¡°Really appreciate that¡­¡±


    With the plan sorted, Raven came to mind. Hao Ren asked the MDT to contact Raven 12345 on ¡®heaven hotline¡¯ but, he got her answer machine: ¡°The god you¡¯re calling is not reachable at the moment. Please, call again later. Thank you.¡± She was most likely on a trip. She had mentioned it before¡ªGod was always not there when he needed her.


    And there was no sign of enemy either for the rest of the day.


    Vivian¡¯s bats returned safely. They only found traces of runes and drugs left behind by demon hunters, and they were from a day before. There was no lead and no sign of demon hunters nearby. In contrast, Lily¡¯s sniffer squad had some fruitful findings: they retrieved over a hundred rune cards from all corners of the town. These rune cards were piled up like a mountain on the table. Basically, the doggies would come back every few minutes with rune cards in their mouths. Every time there was a bark outside, Hao Ren would go out and collect the cards from Green Bean or Prince Reinhardt (remember Lily¡¯s two subchiefs?). After a few rounds, Hao Ren found it really tiresome. Lily also found it too inefficient. So, she called her squad back, reassigned their patrol zones, and divided them into different ranks of command. One dog would be assigned to each zone. It would be responsible for collecting information and cards from other sentinels. Then, relaying the information and cards back to their senior officers who in turn would report back to the king¡ªLily. That way, they could enjoy a quieter afternoon.


    Aside from the serenity, Hao Ren and Vivian were flabbergasted at what the sniffer squad had become: half a day into its operation, the squad had already established a clear chain of command with Green Pea and Prince Reinhardt appointed to the rank of captain. Bean Bun, the ferocious dog in the Southern Suburbs, and a ¡®surrendered general¡¯ from the previous dynasty was placed under probation while it served as team leader of Avenue 3, Southern Suburbs¡­


    Hao Ren and Lily were arguing about whether Bean Bun was a ¡®surrendered general¡¯ or a ¡®surrendered emperor¡¯. Logically, Bean Bun should have been the latter but, Lily was hell bent on calling it a ¡®surrendered general¡¯. Hao Ren gave up¡ªhe was going out of his mind from arguing with the husky, he thought.


    Lily the alpha dog of the Southern Suburbs was really having fun. The husky in her was lively, jumping, and rolling around. For the third time, Vivian swore not to fight with Lily¡ªit was not worth it.


    Just like the bats, the sniffer squad had found more and more rune cards but, not the faintest sign of demon hunters. That was until the late afternoon, when Captain Prince Reinhardt reported back for the last time. Lily¡¯s face turned dead serious as she said, ¡°The demon hunters are playing us¡­¡±


    As expected, what the husky said was not taken seriously. Vivian had Lily continue to stay alert, sending out a few strays, whose biological clocks were messed-up to patrol at night. Meanwhile, she sent more bats out as air support. No amount of diligence was enough when it came to dealing with these extremists with terminal ¡®demon-hating compulsive disorder¡¯. No one ever heard of these demon hunters giving up without a fight; the deeper they hid, the more dangerous they were.


    A cautious hunter was much more difficult to deal with than a brave but, slacking one.


    After their dinner, Hao Ren went out to mooch around the town as usual; to help with his digestion, and also for surveillance. Of course, he knew the risks. That was why he had the MDT with him. If he ever bumped into any demon hunters, he could escape by teleportation. Worst came to worst, the MDT made a great self-defence brick. So, he had it all well thought out.


    After loitering for a while, he found the streets completely quiet as usual except for the sudden increase of dog activity in the dark corners of the streets¡ªthey were the eyes sent out by Lily. Even Madam Chow, the old lady, who came back from her walk told Hao Ren, ¡°Dogs are coming out in large numbers tonight. Could it mean the coming of an earthquake?¡±


    This was her favorite thing to chatter about.


    Hao Ren kept wandering for a while and found nothing unusual so, he sashayed back to his house. When he stepped through the door, he saw Nangong Wuyue carrying the little mermaid and feeding something to her. It was not a chopstick.


    Hao Ren came up closer and saw the little mermaid happily chewing on a piece of rune card like it was a cookie.


    The little mermaid looked up. When she saw her ¡®daddy¡¯, she slapped her tail and jumped into Hao Ren¡¯s arms excitedly. He was still startled. ¡°Is this even edible? Will she be okay?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue nodded. ¡°I was away for a while and when I came back she was already chewing on these cards. Vivian says the rune cards are made from paper and plant-based die. They¡¯re absolutely safe.¡±


    ¡°Areuh¡ªareuh,¡± the little mermaid cooed.


    Hao Ren stared silently.


    No-one could tell if the demon hunters would come that night but, one thing was for sure¡ªthere was enough ¡®food¡¯ for the little mermaid. So much so that Hao Ren did not need to buy her chopsticks for a long time!

 Chapter 153

    The recipes expanded. Hao Ren could already figure out what the little mermaid would eat¡ªeverything of bamboo and wooden fibre.


    Seeing that the little mermaid loved the cardboard as much as chopsticks, Hao Ron pulled some pieces of wood from the basement, cut them into smaller chunks, cleaned them and fed them to Lil Pea. The little mermaid lay floating in the water with her bloated stomach skyward, burping and murmuring to herself while she swam. She was into everything bamboo and wood¡ªchopsticks, wood, paper and books. She could have gnawed on the TV cabinet if not for her overly tiny mouth. The waft of ¡®food¡¯ in the house made Lil Pea drool all the time. Hao Ren had to guard his table¡ªthe little mermaid would likely start gnawing on the ridge of the table legs.


    A bat reported back from its round of patrol. Vivian and the bat had a special ¡®chat session¡¯ near the table. She surrounded the bat with Blood Fog and carefully analyzed it as it was suspended in the fog. The bat slowly faded like ink on a paper and before long a shadow was all that was left. Nangong Wuyue looked on and was captivated by the amazing magic. She asked curiously, ¡°I knew you share senses with the bats so, why do you still need them to come back and report in person?¡±


    ¡°There are many things which I can¡¯t rely on shared senses alone. Also, there¡¯s a limit to how much energy I can share out at any one time. Some details could be overlooked.¡± Finally, the analysis was completed. Vivian merged the shadow back into her. ¡°By breaking up the bat¡¯s memory and retracing its track, sometimes important clues can be uncovered.¡±


    ¡°So, what have you got?¡± asked Hao Ren.


    ¡°This bat flew as far as the Northern suburbs. Do you remember the warehouse, where we battled the Ebbens? The one that was burned down by Big Bluey with his lightning storm? I¡¯ve found traces of sorcery nearby.¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned. ¡°Sorcery? Demon hunters were practicing sorcery?¡±


    ¡°They practice everything.¡± Vivian nodded. ¡°Or, to put it another way, most superstitious things like exorcisms, witchcraft, totem worship and healing prayers are linked to demon hunters. And, these practices were taught to the humans a long time ago for self-defence against the other kinds. These skills don¡¯t require magic or willpower. They merely utilize materials in nature so, ordinary humans could master them, and they were extremely popular during the ancient times. A few thousand years ago, tribal shamans used slow poison and incense burning to protect their people at night and those things worked. However, as time went by, most of the unusual creatures had been hunted down by demon hunters; the remnants either devolved, lost their strength or, completely became human or beasts. So sorcery, which human once used as protection became redundant. The mastery of these skills became less and less as each generation past until it became more like a farce. But, the genuine demon hunters still retain and practice real sorcery and magic till this day.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks offered his comment as he listened on. ¡°It seems, these so-called demon hunters did something noble.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no absolute good guy or bad guy.¡± Vivian shrugged. ¡°To the humans, they¡¯re good guys. But to other creatures, they¡¯re the bad ones.¡±


    ¡°Maybe because, I¡¯m from a different world. I have no prejudice against any of the races in this world,¡± said Y¡¯zaks as he scratched his bald head. ¡°To me, they¡¯re all the other kind but, I¡¯m particularly annoyed by these obstinate demon hunters.¡±


    ¡°That means, the demon hunters have sniffed something out.¡± Hao Ren rubbed his chin and smacked it.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t the scene cleaned up with no trace of supernatural power left? How did they find out about it?¡±


    ¡°Although signs of supernatural power can be cleaned up, the fact that a place as large as the warehouse was struck and burned down by lightning was unnatural in itself.¡± Vivian¡¯s mouth twitched slightly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t take a rocket scientist to figure out what had happened there. I¡¯m more curious about how they traced it back to us here¡ªthe Southern Suburbs and Northern Suburbs are far apart across the town. What have we missed?¡±


    While the discussion was going on, Lily, who was lying on the couch watching the idiot box protested. ¡°Can you please stop talking about this annoying topic at night? I¡¯m watching TV here.¡±


    Vivian shot her a scornful glance. ¡°We¡¯re facing trouble yet, you act like it doesn¡¯t concern you. Can¡¯t you go to your room?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s livelier here than back in my room.¡± Lily was still lying on the couch. She grumbled, ¡°Argh¡­it¡¯s so annoying¡­¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, stop it.¡± Hao Ren knocked Lily¡¯s head with his knuckle. ¡°We¡¯re in a discussion.¡±


    Hao Ren would not have allowed his tenants to make noise in his living room. However, he knew he was raising a husky so, he was very accommodative towards Lily. Every time Lily showed her temper, he would just give her a slap on the wrist. Lily did not realize how much patience she had been shown; she kept praising Hao Ren for his big heart as her good impression of him conitnued ballooning.


    A sudden splosh was heard¡ªLil Pea had jumped out of the pot. She pulled Hao Ren¡¯s arm and made some gestures as though saying that she was feeling drowsy. Hao Ren looked up at the clock and noticed it was already past ten. He yawned because he was feeling a little tired too. ¡°I¡¯ll hit the sack now. The demon hunters probably won¡¯t show up tonight.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Vivian smiled at him. ¡°Get some rest. I¡¯ll be on vigil tonight.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded before he carried Lil Pea back into his room. Suddenly, Lil Pea cried and pointed towards the direction of the tea table. Before Hao Ren could figure it out, Nangong Wuyue was already hustling after them with a pot in her hand. ¡°Bring her mom along.¡±


    ¡°Can you please stop mentioning her mom?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue¡¯s smile was mischievous. Hao Ren¡¯s face was as sour as vinegar but, she totally ignored it. ¡°Fill the pot half-full and let Lil Pea sleep in there so that she won¡¯t cling to you again tonight. You don¡¯t want to sleep with your shirt on like last night, do you?¡±


    Hao Ren felt a little relieved knowing that the little mermaid would be happy to sleep in the pot. The thought of cuddling her in one hand while having the pot in another as he slept, unnerved him.


    He carried his daughter back into the room and spent half the time thinking whether he should place her on the writing table away from his bed: he did not want his face bathed in water mid-sleep should Lil Pea turn in her sleep. As he put the pot down, he found it ridiculous that after spending 25 of his bachelor years, he suddenly got a daughter¡ªa mermaid daughter! What a life!


    ¡°You have to sleep like everybody else and not be clingy.¡± Hao Ren rested his arms on the writing table and his chin on his arms. Lil Pea did the same but, in her pot. They were staring at each other. He did not care if she did not get it. He just kept telling her, ¡°Don¡¯t simply get out. If there¡¯s a situation, alert us. Also, don¡¯t get on the floor or you¡¯ll be stepped on.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ahh¡­¡± The little mermaid reached her hand out to touch his nose as she made a sound. She then turned around and swam away before curling herself up in a sleeping position at the bottom of the pot. It was as though she had understood him.


    Hao Ren stared at the little mermaid, who was sleeping at the bottom of the pot. He was hesitant on whether to put the lid on as he was worried. What if she sneaked out at night, loitered around the house and got stepped on? But, the thought of her waking up and finding herself trapped in a closed pot made him uncomfortable. He left it without the lid.


    He also placed the MDT at the edge of the pot so that it could keep an eye on the baby. After all, this thing would never sleep.


    Outside, the night was dark. Pitch dark.


    The moon crept up in the sky and sneaked back down very slowly. There were no signs of pedestrians on the streets as the cold air in the late autumn night was inhospitable. There was only the occasional barking of dogs at the far side of the town. It was apparently the means by which the strays conveyed messages across town.


    Suddenly, three loud and pressing barks of a dog shattered the quietness of the night.

 Chapter 154

    Eerie howls rang across the whole area, not much different from signal fires. While this may sound odd, Lily¡¯s K9 squadron was the real deal. Like well trained scouts, each of them had their own patrol area. They were the best recon unit that even the demon hunters could not defend against.


    It did not take long for the first signal, which sounded off on Street 34 to spread like wildfire throughout the Southern Suburbs. No one would have suspected a series of howling by stray dogs to be anything suspicious. After all, the area was rather deserted and bands of strays moved about their turf with impunity. Aside from the ¡®Queen of Dogs¡¯, no one understood what the series of howling actually meant.


    At that time, Lily was lazing on the sofa watching a soppy love drama. Her tail brushed incessantly against the sofa (Hao Ren had to buy a hand-held vacuum to get rid of her shed fur). As the howling got nearer, she reacted almost immediately and leapt into the air. ¡°Warning, something¡¯s been sighted¡­¡± She crashed as spoke.


    Vivian proffered her hand to the idiot who had fallen under the table. ¡°Have a heart and spare Hao Ren some intact furniture will you? You found them?¡±


    ¡°Just off the fourth street, an area that¡¯s about to be demolished. My buddies are gathering there now. There¡¯s only one person,¡± Lily said animatedly as she got up. Her feelings of embarrassment were apparent. ¡°Seems like they¡¯re checking on the runic charms. Maybe they¡¯ve already figured out that the rune cards are missing and decided to send someone to check. Alone, you know, alone!¡±


    ¡°And a good opportunity!¡± Vivian grinned as she deployed her wings. Her eyes turned crimson red. Y¡¯zaks also got up as he cracked his knuckles. The great demon¡¯s original form would be too obvious, and there were no good places for him to transform. Anyhow, it was not like he needed it anyway. Even in his human form, his combat strength was over 9000.


    It had been no more than 10 minutes since Hao Ren came back, and Vivian was dithering on whether to wake him up or not. Hao Ren however, did not need anyone to call him. He came out of his room neatly dressed for the occasion.


    ¡°So, time for some action?¡± He asked eagerly.


    Hao Ren was indeed eager, eager to put a stop to things. Since they were already targets of the demon hunters, a fight was only a matter of time, and Hao Ren would rather get it over sooner rather than later. The whole thing nibbled the back of his mind and he could not sleep at all. The moment he heard something outside, he immediately got out of bed and dressed up.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t sleep?¡± Vivian asked with a faint surprise. ¡°Weren¡¯t you sleepy earlier?¡±


    ¡°I tried but couldn¡¯t shut my eyes at all. I really envy that little fish. She fell asleep almost immediately. There are even bubbles coming out of her nose.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°I heard everything. Shall we go?¡±


    ¡°Tip-top and ready to rumble!¡± Vivian said, her wings spread out wide. Her grin had the trace of a menacing queen. ¡°It¡¯s time for us to strike back. I¡¯m feeling really good about today!¡±


    ¡°If you just need to say something, say it. What¡¯s with that flashy pose? You¡¯re getting my hair all messy.¡± Lily said as she got up.


    All of them thought they were in pretty good shape all things considered. They were ready to depart before Nangong Wuyue appeared by their side and called out to them softly, ¡°Wait up, let me join.¡±


    Vivian gave the usually low-profile siren an odd look. ¡°Aren¡¯t your kind pacifists?¡±


    ¡°No, we are a peaceful but, that doesn¡¯t mean we are pushovers.¡± Wuyue giggled as she caught up with them. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I may be weaker than all of you but, demon hunters are nothing to me. Sides, unless I decide to kill myself, nothing can kill me. Let me follow to see what¡¯s up.¡±


    Vivian still had her doubts as she eyed Wuyue. She knew a few sirens in her lifetime (well, she did live for a long time) and this was a first for her; a siren joining the fray of her own volition. But seeing Wuyue so enthusiastic, she did not say anything more and simply nodded. ¡°I know you are not afraid of death but, there¡¯s a possibility that we may not be able to protect you. So, use whatever abilities you have to keep yourself safe.¡±


    Hence, the crew headed out in high spirits. Hao Ren, who was at the back of the line made sure that the doors and gates were properly locked. As he turned to join the team, Lily took a jibe at him, ¡°Why is it that most heroes I see in those TV dramas look so cool when they leave to fight but, we have someone who tied his shoe laces wrongly and forgot about the mobile phone. Our captain even turned around to make sure the house is locked¡­ That¡¯s so not cool¡­¡±


    ¡°Ain¡¯t you the one who tied her shoelaces wrongly and forgot about her phone.¡± Vivian snorted. ¡°I can¡¯t remember how many times I told you to stop watching those pointless shows. You even almost pulled the curtain off to use it as a cloak¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going out to hunt those demon hunters! Can¡¯t I be excited about it?¡±


    Hao Ren laughed aridly. ¡°Most of the heroes who go out that way, go out for good. That¡¯s why I stopped watching those shows¡­ From the dialogue alone, I could tell who was going to die in the next episode.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s stop. It¡¯s not auspicious to talk about this now,¡± Wuyue quipped.


    They chatted incessantly as they went yet, their speed was blindingly fast. As the neighbourhood was pretty much deserted, they cast off any reservations about being seen and moved at a speed that would have confounded a normal person. However, Vivian kept her wings hidden. She realized while demon hunters did not have particularly strong sense of awareness, their sense still far exceeded that of a normal human. Flying at high speeds in the air would have attracted unwanted attention.


    Hao Ren on the other hand, rued the fact that he was not lucky enough to be carried in the air by a pretty lady that night.


    The Southern Suburbs at night, was a very quiet place. Almost eerily quiet. There were not many people living there to start with. And at such an ungodly hour, you would not have seen anyone at all. The stretch of cemented street only had a few dim lamp posts to light its path. As it was already late autumn, only a few bugs hovered around the lamps. If Hao Ren was not in the deep of things, he would not have known such an unassuming place hid such an extraordinary secret.


    With their enhanced speed, they crossed the length of a few streets in mere moments. Soon, they arrived at a place that was even more deserted that Baishi Road. This was the other end of the Southern Suburbs, and like Hao Ren¡¯s place, it was a wasteland at the end of the road.


    There were even less people in the area as most of them had already moved to the newly developed residential area closer to town.


    The road was flanked by four lamp posts that flickered in dim, yellow light. All of the lamp posts had signs of wear and tear, and along them, a row of houses were marked in white paint for dismantling. Hao Ren remembered seeing the markings almost a year ago yet, the houses were still standing. He heard the developer for the area had went bankrupt and with it, the Southern Suburbs¡¯ only redevelopment program.


    Well, trying to build skyscrapers in the Southern Suburbs would have been the death of any property developer.


    ¡°It¡¯s around this area. Stay close within my Cloaking Spell,¡± Vivian whispered, her long hair flowing in the night wind. About 50 meters from her, there was a veil of black mist. This mist did not affect the vision of those within it. Anyone outside the mist would have an unknown compulsion to look away. Such was the gift of the one, who was a nobility of the night; the power to control shadows and the darkness. Vivian had used this ability to fight off demon hunters in the past, and also steal chickens from werewolves when she was starving. That last part¡­ let us just keep it to ourselves.


    ¡°This area looks so dilapidated¡­¡± Y¡¯zaks frowned as he grumbled. His voice was as low as he could go.


    ¡°This reminds me of the ruins of Fyrkley back home¡­ Legend says, it was a haunted city that fell from the human world into the cracks of the demon world, and the citizens, who were trapped all became wraiths¡­ That¡¯s how this place feels like right now.¡±


    Hao Ren had nothing to add to Y¡¯zaks very honest assessment of the area. ¡°This is where I live. Please, spare it some dignity¡­¡±


    ¡°Shush, quiet. I¡¯m looking for the patrol leader.¡± Lily signaled for the rest to keep quiet. She then took a deep breath and let out a signal for her hidden underling. ¡°Woof!¡±


    So, it was just ¡°Woof!¡± after all¡­

 Chapter 155

    Lily¡¯s bark was a loud one and it echoed clearly throughout the silent street. However, Hao Ren was not worried about being discovered. The husky¡¯s bark was so authentic that if you did not see her do it, you would have taken it for a normal dog¡¯s bark.


    A black Tugou ran out from a corner not far from the street. Hao Ren assumed that it was the scout Lily placed. The mongrel was looking at Lily¡¯s general direction. Then, it started sniffing about to look for her. Vivian¡¯s Shadow Veil had disrupted the poor dog¡¯s senses. It did not even realize that its boss was just right in front.


    Vivian noticed the dog¡¯s predicament and made a small tear in the veil, directly where the Chinese Field Dog was facing. The sudden change in perception startled the dog for a bit but, the moment it saw Lily it ran towards her, wagging its tail and nodding its head. Hao Ren noticed that the dog had a rather pronounced limp on it¡¯s hind leg and looked a wee bit unstable as it ran. He realized this was one of Lily¡¯s most trusted comrades: Green Bean. Of course, we should be calling it Sergeant Green Bean. The dog looked even dirtier than before. Its habit of playing on the coal pile was still going strong. The injury on its hind legs was caused by a fall from the same coal pile. Some things never change.


    Lily squatted down to speak with Green Bean. After a while, she got up to relay what was told to her. ¡°The demon hunter is still alone. He was circling the area. There are no signs of other hunters in the area. He should be at the alley in front of us any time soon. Let¡¯s get over there quietly.¡±


    As she spoke, she let Green Bean lead the way, all of them tried to stay as quiet possible as they headed towards a narrow alleyway.


    Hao Ren was concerned if the amount of people present would blow their cover. It was not that Hao Ren doubted Vivian¡¯s spell but, his past encounters with the demon hunters suggested that they probably had more abilities that were still unknown. Heck, some of them even looked like they were hacking real life; weapons with unlimited ammunition, ninja-like moves, super strong physique and mortality resistance of a cockroach¡­ they even had resistance towards spells and venoms used by vampires as well as werewolves. They were almost like otherworldly creatures draped in human skin. Vivian however, was unconcerned with them. Her vast experience with the demon hunters had accorded her knowledge on their strengths and weaknesses. Her Shadow Veil was designed to exploit said weaknesses. A demon hunter¡¯s senses were much weaker than that of a supernatural being, and that was pretty much the only ¡®human¡¯ part of them.


    Being a nobility of the night, this was Vivian¡¯s stage. Under the cover of night she had every confidence that she could use her Shadow Spells to take down most demon hunters; as long as it was not the one who turned Fenrir into a pot of wolf stew.


    The old street had many other small alleyways along it¡¯s stretch, but there were nary anyone living there any more. Green Bean led the group to one of the alley¡¯s entrance and it dug up a small pile of earth. Under the rock was a piece of runic card that was clearly buried on purpose.


    Lily patted Green Bean¡¯s head in praise and signaled for it to leave the area. This was not the place to be for a stray dog right now.


    Under the cover of the Shadow Veil, Hao Ren and Vivian led the group into the alley way. The rest followed from behind with utmost care. It did not take long for them to spot a silhouette, decked in a long, black coat not too far from them. The attire gave away the person¡¯s identity; the person was a demon hunter.


    The demon hunter was digging holes with a small spade, his back facing the alleyway. He was so engrossed with what he was doing that Hao Ren was amused. Most demon hunters gave off a stylish aura from head to toe, even in combat. They could have been plastered on a movie poster and none would have been the wiser. This however was very unlike them. I guess you cannot expect anyone to uphold a smart look 24 hours a day.


    Vivian slowly drew in the Shadow Veil¡¯s radius, both to increase the potency of the veil, and also to prevent the hunter from detecting any subtle changes in the atmosphere. Hao Ren looked for a weapon in his pocket, and only then did he realized that he forgot the MDT. He had left it at home to play nanny to the little mermaid!


    Hao Ren aside, someone managed to find a weapon she was very comfortable with. As they went into the alleyway, Lily had grabbed half a piece of brick along the way. Her claws clutched the solid brick hard. As the demon hunter rose, his awareness at its lowest point, she flung the brick at an incredible speed towards his head.


    Of course, she held back on her strength a little. Vivian had emphasized the need to capture the hunter alive and her throw was meant to incapacitate, not kill. Otherwise, at full strength, she would have probably torn the poor sod a new hole.


    As the brick streaked towards the demon hunter¡¯s head, something unexpected happened¡ªhe sneezed, and the brick grazed his head as it smashed into the lamp post at the far end.


    Startled, the demon hunter turned tail and ran. As she saw that the sneak attack failed, Vivian scattered her Shadow Veil and deployed her wings. With a massive flap, she took to the air and charged straight at the demon hunter. She screamed,¡±Take him alive!¡± as she went.


    Lily grunted in ascent and charged forth as well, her claws shone for an instant as she summoned her Frostfire Claws. Her speed was almost blinding as she dashed ahead in a flash of white. Her momentum was much, much more ferocious compared to when she tossed the brick. Y¡¯zaks simply took a step and appeared almost instantly at the other end of the alley, blocking the demon hunter¡¯s escape route. Hao Ren also leapt out with his shield, yelling, ¡°Hold it, you conniving knave!¡±


    Everything happened all too suddenly and the silence of the night was broken. Vivian, Lily, Y¡¯zaks and Hao Ren, all took their positions to surround the demon hunter. They did not intend to let him escape. Hao Ren¡¯s sudden jeer took the demon hunter by surprise and in his sudden stupor, Lily leapt forward with a vicious swipe. As he felt a killing intent behind him, the demon hunter snapped out of it and rolled away just in time¡­into Vivian. The vampire was already in the middle of giving a kick when he rolled in front of her. The demon hunter was sent tumbling a couple of meters away, right into where Y¡¯zaks was standing. The great demon just grabbed the hunter with his hands and held him against the floor, rendering him helpless.


    The execution was almost flawless, and even Hao Ren was surprised by it. Hao Ren rued the fact that it took a bad guy for them to cooperate this well.


    The demon hunter thrashed in pain as he was held in place by Y¡¯zaks. ¡°It hurtsss! Can you guys be a little gentle?!¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute¡­ He sounds very familiar¡­¡± Vivian said as she descended.


    Hao Ren was also stunned. As the demon hunter was taken down, he caught a glimpse of his face. It was a very familiar look. He quickened his step towards Y¡¯zaks as the great demon lifted the demon hunter up. He yelled in surprise as he saw the hunter¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s you?!¡±


    As the demon hunter caught sight of the rest as well, his face had an incredulous look of surprise on it.


    ¡°It¡¯s you guys?!¡±


    The person being held in the air by the collar was none other than the same demon hunter Hao Ren met in London. They even fought shoulder to shoulder before¡­ That half-baked demon hunter, Nangong!


    Vivian had wondered why this particular demon hunter was such an easy prey. He did not use the Swift-Step, which was well used by his kind. It was the half-baked one¡­


    ¡°Why are you here?!¡± Lily exclaimed as she saw Nangong. ¡°So, the one messing around our turf for the past two days was you?!¡±


    ¡°Your turf?¡± Nangong blinked. ¡°You guys live here?¡±


    It looked like the demon hunter had no clue at all that Hao Ren¡¯s tenants were a bunch of supernaturals. His look of surprise was as genuine as one could get.


    Once the demon hunter calmed down, he finally noticed the bat wings on Vivian¡¯s back, Lily¡¯s werewolf form, and the shimmering shield in Hao Ren¡¯s hand. A shocked expression appeared on his face again but, as he slowly understood the situation, he began to look resigned. ¡°So, all of you are supernaturals¡­ It seems like my skills are not up to par¡­ Seeing that we were comrades before, can you make this quick?¡±


    Vivian had a conflicted look on her face as she gazed at Hao Ren. She never thought of such a development of events. If it had been a normal demon hunter, she would have ripped his head off without a second thought¡­ But, this Nangong, even the venerable vampire was conflicted on how to handle him.


    However, as they were fretting on what to do with their captive, Wuyue¡¯s voice broke the silence. She headed towards them aggressively as she yelled, ¡°Big brother, it¡¯s really you!¡±

 Chapter 156

    Nangong Wuyue shouted and left everyone stunned on the spot.


    Hao Ren looked at Nangong Wuyue and turned around to look at Nangong, the demon hunter. Now, he noticed the connection between their names. Bewildered, he stepped aside, watching the siren sister walk angrily to the demon hunter. He asked, ¡°This is your brother?¡±


    ¡°This is my brother! My crazy brother!¡± Nangong Wuyue stepped forward, punched him in the chest and asked, ¡°Bro, why are you doing this again!? Can¡¯t you just leave me alone?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m trying not to disturb you as much as possible¡­?¡± The demon hunter was hurt by the punch. He grimaced in pain and explained, ¡°Besides, I¡¯m worried about you¡­ How did you meet these guys?¡±


    Looking at the situation, Hao Ren knew that they were not getting into a fight today. He then waved at Y¡¯zaks, and the big demon let go of Nangong and put him down. Vivian looked at the wonderful expression on everybody¡¯s face. She was not sure if she should laugh or cry. Shortly after, she turned to Nangong and asked, ¡°I just want to ask you, are you a human or demon hunter? Are you here to get us in trouble?¡±


    ¡°I¡­am considered a demon hunter.¡± Nangong looked at the non-human creatures strangely (unfortunately, Hao Ren was also considered one of the non-human creatures). He used to imagine what would happen if he was caught by unusual creatures one day but, he never thought it would be this way. ¡°But¡­I didn¡¯t know you guys were here¡­ I¡¯m actually looking for my sister.¡±


    ¡°Are you the one setting up spell cards on the streets?¡± Lily jumped out and shouted violently. ¡°There are hundreds of them!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m the one,¡± Nangong said disconsolately. ¡°It took me nearly two weeks to draw them, and then I spent another two days and two nights placing them around. However, I found them gone this evening¡­ Did you guys get rid of them?¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly felt a little pity for this guy. Such painstaking work and such a strict setting; it was all destroyed by the paparazzi of the Southern Suburbs. He was not really sure if he should tell this unlucky guy the truth. Vivian nodded thoughtfully and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to really be just one demon hunter¡­ I wondered why no clues were found after searching outside for so long. Well, it¡¯s really just you alone.¡±


    ¡°What else can I do. I¡¯ve always been a loner.¡± Nangong spread his hands, looked at Nangong Wuyue timidly and asked, ¡°Haha¡­ Sis, so they¡¯re harmless, huh?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue turned her head and ignored him. Vivian was not angry. She smiled and said, ¡°Hey, I never expected a demon hunter to say such words when facing a group of creatures. I¡¯m really curious about what a freak you are¡­ Come with us first. Let¡¯s go home and clear up the situation. I won¡¯t let you go easily even if you are Wuyue¡¯s brother.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t go, don¡¯t go.¡± Nangong Wuyue quickly nodded.


    ¡°Well, I finally get to see my sister¡­¡±


    Hao Ren slapped his forehead and wondered: That¡¯s it! We were busy all night for nothing!


    They came out in a mighty, ferocious manner but in the end, they went back embarrassed and speechless. Even Y¡¯zaks looked awkward all the way. On the way back, only Lily, the simple-minded girl was feeling quite happy. To her, as long as she was not turned into stew by the demon hunter, tonight¡¯s mission was considered a big success. The husky girl was walking in front of the team. One moment she ran around Hao Ren happily, the next moment she ran to the stray dog she met in the intersection, and they barked at each other for quite some time (she claimed that she arranged for her men to go back to rest). After that, she went into a some corner to pick a stone, and proceeded to play with it for quite a long time. Finally, when she carried a wooden stick and asked Hao Ren to play fetch with her, Vivian could no longer stand it. ¡°Can¡¯t you behave?! Usually, you kinda care about your image but, why are you so jumpy in front of the demon hunter today?¡±


    Hao Ren sighed and relayed some information he found on the internet two days ago, ¡°Huskies can occasionally be very excited when going out at night because, it¡¯s quiet. They¡¯ ll try to create noise to ¡®entertain themselves¡¯ especially, in the presence of strangers. It¡¯s probably due to a desire to express herself. Lily, put the stick down. If you really want to play, I¡¯ll buy you a frisbee in the next two days¡­¡± Lily then bitterly threw away the small stone and stick she picked up along the way. She tried to calm down, and pretended to be a quiet girl, muttering next to Hao Ren, ¡°Stop complaining about me, Battie. You think I don¡¯t know that you¡¯re flying out every night. Nobody¡¯ s more excited than you are at night¡­ No matter what, I¡¯m still a dignified worker¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    He knew that Vivian had a habit of going out for a spin at night but, he had no idea that she was so keen about it.


    Vivian turned her face away in embarrassment and explained, ¡°I¡¯m just exercising. It¡¯s to prevent my flying skills from being neglected due to the easy life.¡±


    ¡°Then you don¡¯t have to harass the migratory birds. It doesn¡¯t mean anything even if you win a competition with a bunch of swallows, okay?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Forget it. Everyone had their own way of living. We should just let it be and stop digging any further. She has always been able fly anyway. So, let us just pretend that she was a fan of long-distance running among the vampires.


    Nangong and his sister both walked behind them. Along the way, Nangong looked for opportunities to explain to his siren sister why he was there. However, Nangong Wuyue just ignored him. The brother and sister seemed to have some long unresolved conflict. Hao Ren was very curious about what happened to them but in the end, he was too shy to ask. It was almost midnight when they reached home but, what happened that night left them sleepless. Everybody circled around Nangong Wuyue and the demon hunter. Evidently, the brother and sister had no choice but to make it clear.


    ¡°As I said earlier, this is my brother.¡± Nangong Wuyue pointed to Nangong, the demon hunter. ¡°My biological brother.¡±


    ¡°Hello everyone.¡± Nangong nodded timidly. He no longer looked dashing and confident like when they first met in England. He wiped his cold sweat away, pulled out a box of cigarettes from his pocket and said, ¡°Sorry for disturbing¡­ Want a smoke? Oh, you don¡¯t smoke. How about this macho guy¡­ You don¡¯t smoke as well? And ladies¡­ Forget it. I think I better explain the situation honestly. As you can see, I¡¯m a demon hunter, and she¡¯s a siren. Both of us are real. We inherited this from our parents. My father is a demon hunter but, my mother is a siren. I know it¡¯s unbelievable. In historical records, there¡¯s only one case of marriage between a demon hunter and a supernatural creature. Those are our parents.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Vivian looked at Nangong Wuyue in disbelief and asked, ¡°You¡¯ve really just mentioned that your mother¡¯s a siren but, you¡¯ve never mention anything about your father¡­ He¡¯s a demon hunter?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue nodded, feeling ashamed. She then said, ¡°Sorry, I knew this topic was too sensitive. I was afraid that you would mind so, I didn¡¯t mention it.¡±


    ¡°How could this have happened?¡± Vivian finally exploded. ¡°How could a demon hunter be together with a creature like us? Even if the siren is a special species, that¡¯s not near enough a reason for the demon hunters to marry them!¡±


    Nangong Wuyue sighed and said, ¡°My mother¡¯s flirting skills were superb.¡±


    Everybody had nothing to say.


    ¡°Yes, majority of the sirens that stayed in the human world after they landed were coy with humans but, my mother was the only exception: she chased after a young demon hunter.¡± Nangong Wuyue covered her face with her hands and continued to explain, ¡°When my mother was still alive, her favorite hobby was telling us the story about dad and her¡­ Brother, I can¡¯t continue anymore.¡±


    Nangong coughed and looked at Nangong Wuyue awkwardly. However, when he saw that everybody was staring at him with curious eyes, he could only sum it up concisely. ¡°It was a dark night; My mother was drunk, my father was young and ignorant¡­ That¡¯s the whole thing.¡±


    The entire living room was silent. Hao Ren finally understood that the most powerful creature of all time was probably Nangong Wuyue¡¯s legendary mother. During a precarious era, when most unusual creatures were being killed by demon hunters, when most of the sirens were coy with humans, her mother flirted with a demon hunter instead¡­


    The brother and sister did not seem inclined to discuss the topic that had a high volume of information. They just roughly explained their parents¡¯ situation and stopped there. Hao Ren had a lot of questions but, he did not know where to start. Finally, Vivian broke the ice. She looked at Nangong and asked, ¡°Since we already know quite a lot, you don¡¯t have to hide anything from us. What¡¯s your full name? If you want to show your sincerity, start from here.¡±


    However, Nangong was still unwilling to reveal his real name. He was hesitant, and refused to tell them more. In the end, after Nangong Wuyue pinched him, he sighed. He spread his hands and said, ¡°My name is Nangong Sanba*.¡±


    Translator¡¯s Thoughts


    Jillyboy Jillyboy


    * ¡®Sanba¡¯ can mean bitchy or foolish depending on the context. In this case, it¡¯s more likely to be foolish.

 Chapter 157

    In the living room, Nangong Wuyue and Nangong Sanba sat on the couch while the rest were directly opposite them. The atmosphere felt a bit like a court proceeding. It was awkward.


    However, the most awkward thing was the one with the flashy name, Nangong Sanba¡­


    ¡°Okay, laugh all you want.¡± Nangong Sanba sighed. He noticed the expression on their faces. Y¡¯zaks had no clue what was going on because he was from a foreign world. ¡°It¡¯s not the first time I wanted to change my name.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your real name, huh?¡± Hao Ren tactfully expressed his surprise. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what name you¡¯ve got. If you look on the internet, you¡¯ll find tons of people with even funnier names like Hammer Wang, Dog Egg Lee and etc. But, I¡¯ve never heard any demon hunter with this name.¡±


    Of course, he did not express all this thoughts: while Nangong Wuyue had a beautiful name¡ªpoetic as well as elegant, her brother¡¯s name was the anti-climactic Nangong Sanba. Being a demon hunter, he had to be one of the dark forces¡¯ major bosses. Antagonists always had bossy and bombastic names. Yet, this guy before him was a Sanba or a fool! The name suggested that he would not make a good demon hunter¡ªit was like a demon with ¡®noble¡¯ in its name.


    However, he kept the thought to himself; he did not want to further upset Nangong Sanba and also Y¡¯zaks about his not-so-happy past.


    ¡°It was my mom,¡± said Nangong Wuyue as she helplessly glanced at her brother. ¡°She wasn¡¯t an educated woman. She named us based on the month we were born. My brother was born on 8th of March so, she named him Nangong Sanba (Sanba¡ª¡¯three eight¡¯ literally means 8th of March in Chinese but, it also carries another connotation: foolish). As I was born in the middle of May the following year, she wanted to name me Nangong Wuyue Shiwu (Wuyue Shiwu means 15th of May in Chinese) but, it sounded too wordy so, she decided to simplify it to Nangong Wuyue¡­ It¡¯s that simple.¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at Nangong Sanba. ¡°Hey¡­¡¯Sanba¡¯ isn¡¯t really a bad word after all. But, it¡¯s weird to call a master like you ¡®Sanba¡¯. You can always change your name. Maybe you should.¡±


    Nangong Sanba¡¯s face turned solemn. ¡°We were born to our parents, and we will live with our given names. How could I go against the wishes of our parents? When I said I wanted to change my name, it was just a thought. I¡¯d never do it.¡±


    Hao Ren was astounded. He looked at the demon hunter and thought: a demon hunter should have a good name that matched his stature. A good name would go a long way, and was so much cooler than the crap he had just uttered.


    ¡°My brother¡¯s as stubborn as a mule.¡± Nangong Wuyue let out a sigh as she said, ¡°Relax, Sister Vivian. My brother isn¡¯t like other demon hunters. He wouldn¡¯t find trouble with you because he¡¯s no match for any of you after all, except Rollie. Oh, speaking of which, Rollie hasn¡¯t slept yet.¡±


    The black and white cat was meandering around the living room when it heard its name being mentioned. It halted in its step, meowed and stared suspiciously at Nangong Sanba as if it was studying the new tenant. Vivian waved and signaled the cat to come to her. She cuddled and caressed it in her arms. At the same time, she looked up and glanced at Nangong Wuyue. ¡°Is it because he¡¯s a mixed-blood so, he doesn¡¯t possess the full ability of a demon hunter?¡±


    During their trip to England, Nangong Sanba was already known to them as a half-baked demon hunter. Vivian presumed that he was a normal person with some demon-hunter knowledge. However, Vivian was wrong. He was the real deal albeit a mixed-blood demon hunter.


    ¡°Lineage is one thing. Another reason is, there was a break in inheritance during my dad¡¯s time.¡± Nangong Wuyue was not hiding her past anymore. She bared it all. ¡°As you may have already known, demon hunters and humans are different. They¡¯re different yet, they share similarities. Demon hunters live as long as the other-kind. They marry only their own kind. Newly-born demon hunters receive the gift and injection of power from their parents.. Then, they start to train under their parents and fight weaker evil spirits as well as demons on their own when they turn 12. When they become 16, they leave their parents and learn from other senior demon hunters for a further three to five years. They are introduced to other demon hunters at the same time. After that, they are finally integrated into the community, recognized and accepted as one of their own. This was always the case up to my grandparents¡¯ generation.¡±


    ¡°But, when it came to my dad¡¯s generation, something went wrong: both my grandparents passed away in an accident when my dad was just 13 years old. In that same year, an organized revolt of the other-kind erupted in Asia. The demon hunter community was in chaos. My dad was still a child and before he was even introduced to the other seniors, he was separated from them, losing all contact with the demon hunter community.¡±


    Vivian nodded as if she was in deep thought. ¡°Thirteen years old¡­ Still a rookie, not very obstinate yet. He probably doesn¡¯t have a strong prejudice against the other-kind. A demon hunter is after all also a creature with feelings and emotions.¡±


    With her arms open, Nangong Wuyue said, ¡°So, that¡¯s the story. From my dad¡¯s generation onwards, we¡¯ve had zero contact with the demon hunter community. After living as a vagrant for a few years, my dad met my mom. Then, ¡®something¡¯ happened and they were together.¡±


    Once Nangong Wuyue began talking, the floodgates opened and she let out everything about her past; good and bad. Perhaps, she felt better this way after she hid her past previously. Although Hao Ren did not mind, Nangong Wuyue obviously took it to heart.


    Vivian finally understood all about the unique couple and the half-baked demon hunter: he was not just a mixed-blood but, he also did not have a complete set of abilities.


    ¡°The inheritance was broken since my father¡¯s time.¡± Nangong Sanba smiled awkwardly. ¡°After my mom and dad married, contacting the demon hunter community became a taboo. They lived a hermit¡¯s life in the forest to avoid being detected by other demon hunters or the other-kind. I learned my skills from my dad. The most complete set of skills he taught me were runes and these¡ª¡±


    As he said that, he flipped his jacket open and revealed a small crossbow, some strange blades, bottles of drugs, wooden sticks, etc., all hidden inside. ¡°Sorcery props. These were the things my dad was good at. I can make these things but, I¡¯m not familiar with their usage. Most props need mind power to work. I never learned it because dad didn¡¯t know how to teach it to me.¡±


    ¡°What do you think of the other-kind?¡± It was one of the subjects Vivian felt should be made clear upfront.


    ¡°I¡¯d be faking it if I told you I¡¯m a lover of peace, who¡¯d like to see a united world.¡± Nangong Sanba extended his arms. ¡°But, let me tell you frankly, I don¡¯t see the other-kind as enemies unless they come to me looking for trouble first.¡±


    There were many things Hao Ren still did not understood about the lone demon hunter. ¡°Are you in contact with other demon hunters? You¡¯ve been alone all this while? Do they know your existence?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m alone. To be honest, I don¡¯t feel a thing about those pure-blood demon hunters. I know who I am¡ªthey¡¯ll start coming to me looking for trouble if I get myself exposed,¡± said Nangong Sanba as he nodded. ¡°The demon hunter fraternity is just a loosely organized community now. Although they¡¯re slightly more close-knitted than the other-kind, it¡¯s out of convenience for their call to hunt down ¡®demons¡¯. Other than that, they always act alone like a solo hunter. So, a lone-wolf demon hunter like me won¡¯t stand out. Even if we bump into each other, I¡¯d just look like any other demon hunter; when questioned, I always pretend that I¡¯m from another zone, and I¡¯m on a mission,¡± said Nangong Sanba as he he smiled. ¡°They never suspect their own kind.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded as if his doubts had been cleared up. But somehow, he felt that the Nangongs were still hiding something.


    Vivian seemed to have the same thought. ¡°You two aren¡¯t wandering around just for the purpose of sightseeing, aren¡¯t you?¡±

 Chapter 158

    ¡°You two aren¡¯t wandering around just for the purpose of sightseeing, aren¡¯t you?¡± Vivian looked at the two Nangongs, her eyes filled with suspicion.


    Nangong Sanba and her sister glanced at each other, then admitted with a nod. ¡°You¡¯re right. For people like us, it¡¯s best to keep our heads down and live in solitary. But, my sister was getting out, I had to follow and keep an eye on her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to locate my mom,¡± Nangong Wuyue confessed. ¡°She must still be on this planet.¡±


    Something crossed Vivian¡¯s mind. ¡°You¡¯ve reminded me something! You said that your parents were dead but, sirens can¡¯t really die. So, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Vivian¡¯s question struck Hao Ren too. He heard the story of the immortal siren but he did not give it a second thought. All the while, he never suspected Nangong Wuyue when she said her mom was dead until this very moment!


    Nangong Wuyue began relay the untold story of her past. ¡°When I was 16 years old, something happened to us¡ªa raging spirit haunted the place where we lived. Dad let my brother and I escape. He said mom and him could deal with the monster alone. But, when we returned the next day, we found the whole house gone, and there were no traces of mom and dad¡­¡±


    Vivian was stunned. ¡°Raging spirit? There was a raging spirit?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Hao Ren asked curiously.


    ¡°It¡¯s a freak¡­a kind of gloom-ridden monster if I had to put it into words.¡± Vivian frowned. ¡°It¡¯s said that raging spirits were wraiths from another spatial dimension. Some people say they are projections of negative emotions in another world that have been pulled into this world. They look like clouds, amorphous in shape. They hover between reality and fantasy without logic or rationality, incapable of communication. And, they will attack every living thing. The raging spirits aren¡¯t just lacking any physical form, their combat abilities vary as well. Some can be killed with just amulets alone while some call for the intervention of demon hunters in a group. Due to the inconsistent quality among them, some people are of the opinion that raging spirits aren¡¯t a race but a phenomenon. Raging spirits were more common in the ancient times during which the other-kind liked to build dangerous energy structures. These structures would attract the raging spirits. However, raging spirits seemed to quiet down since the Steam Era. They would only form in the wilderness, which was void of human presence. Additionally, their formation required a ¡®bait¡¯ of supernatural power in the surroundings. It¡¯s now hard to find all the pre-requisites in one place.¡±


    As Hao Ren nodded his head, Nangong Wuyue continued, ¡°I can still recall what happened that day. Our entire house simply disappeared into thin air without a trace, leaving just a large pit in its place as if the whole place was blown up. My dad¡¯s most likely dead but, my mom¡¯s a siren. She must¡¯ve resurrected somewhere else. For three years, my brother and I waited at the same place but, my mom never returned. I left and went on a journey to search for her while my brother was after me¡­¡±


    Nangong Sanba smiled. ¡°I was worried about her.¡±


    ¡°Then you shouldn¡¯t trouble me all the time.¡± Nangong Wuyue swung her fist, hitting her brother¡¯s back. ¡°Because you¡¯re so paranoid, I don¡¯t want you to come along!¡±


    They wondered how the two siblings got along all this while. Nangong Wuyue pointed at the rune cards that were left on the table; her cheeks were puffed with anger. ¡°See that? Once he found me, he lay these cards everywhere, and then there¡¯d be a fire or explosion near my location. There was even one time where a chapel, close to where I lived got struck by lightning 40 times in one night because he lay a lighting rune card near the lightning arrestor!¡±


    ¡°I was just trying to protect you.¡± Nangong Sanba defended his actions. ¡°When dad was still alive he always reminded us about the dangers of the outside world. I know how to fight and I¡¯m able to protect myself but, you haven¡¯t learned any self-defence skills. What if you become a target?¡±


    Nangong Sanba turned to Hao Ren and the rest, explaining with a smile, ¡°There¡¯s a reason for laying these rune cards. If any demon hunters come by, they¡¯d skip the place when they see the cards. The rune cards are like saying that ¡®this place has been taken care of.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Who says I don¡¯t know how to fight?¡± Nangong Wuyue spoke up with her arms akimbo. ¡°I¡¯m guessing, you can¡¯t even fight me, can you? All this while, I was just refraining from hurting others. Besides, you know full well how capable sirens are.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I¡¯m here. I know you can¡¯t do it so, I¡¯ll do it. You can concentrate on looking for mom while I take care of the rest.¡±


    ¡°But, could you please do things the normal way? At least give me a heads-up before you go mad again! Don¡¯t be like a freak stalker and lay your booby traps everywhere to only have me end up in one of them.¡±


    ¡°My identity¡¯s a little special, and I¡¯m also smarter than you¡­¡± Nangong Sanba tried to evade the wrath of his sister as he analysed things for her. ¡°To make drugs, rune cards and all that, I need to go out there to get the ingredients. The risk of bumping into other demon hunters is high. I¡¯d easily sneak by on my own but, not you. So, it¡¯s safer for us not to be together.¡±


    After listening to their arguments, Hao Ren now had the truth figured out. It seemed so plain and simple:


    About a century ago, a siren and a demon hunter fell in love with each other. Because of the cross-species relationship, they became an outcast in their worlds so, they lived in solitary and soon they had their own babies¡ªthe Nangong siblings. However, life was a b*tch. The family was attacked and the parents disappeared after the battle but fortunately, the children survived. Nangong Wuyue believed that her mom resurrected and still remained alive somewhere. She could not just sit by and wait so, she decided to search for her mom. Even though Nangong Sanba did not agree with her, knowing his sister¡¯s temperament, he followed her.


    As a demon hunter himself, Nangong Sanba knew he would inevitably bump into or be noticed by other demon hunters. To keep his own sister safe and also out of worry, he used his own way to protect her from harm. His method was not stupid. It just seemed a little paranoid.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough. Leave your quarrelling for another time you two.¡± Vivian had to cut them off as they had been arguing for an hour and a half yet, they still did not show signs of stopping. ¡°May I ask, you haven¡¯t gotten a lead on your mom¡¯s whereabouts after all these years?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve searched every corner of the world, including the Arctic and Antarctica.¡± Nangong Wuyue let out a heavy sigh. ¡°As long as there¡¯s water, I¡¯ve been there except, the deepest sea. I¡¯ve done everything I could and now, I feel like giving up.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a while. Then, everything suddenly became clear. ¡°So, the purpose of you being here is so that we¡¯ll help?¡±


    ¡°Well, more or less, yes. But, another reason is because I¡¯m tired of hiding and running from the demon hunters. I need a place to stay.¡± Nangong Wuyue looked embarrassed as she nodded. ¡°Actually, I wanted to tell you this but¡­thinking of my awkward family background and the fact that Sister Vivian seems to have quite a deep grudge against demon hunters, I choked.¡±


    ¡°How could I not?¡± Vivian scoffed. ¡°After working my *ss off and finally having the money to build a tiny house at the upstream of the Rhine, the demon hunters came and burned it down just after two months of me staying there. From that moment on, I swore that demon hunters and I would be at daggers drawn for the rest of my life.¡±


    Nangong Sanba¡¯s face froze.


    ¡°Of course, your brother¡¯s an exception.¡± Vivian glanced at Nangong Sanba. ¡°I don¡¯t consider him a demon hunter.¡±


    Nangong Sanba mumbled. ¡°Actually, I am¡­but I think now, I better not be.¡±


    ¡°Then, why didn¡¯t you look in the deep sea?¡± Hao Ren asked. ¡°Since you¡¯ve been everywhere, why not the deep sea? I think if your mom¡¯s still alive, chances are, she¡¯d be back at the old home.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s one my biggest disappointments¡ªI can¡¯t go into the earth¡¯s deep sea.¡± Nangong Wuyue frowned and seemed to be at a lost. ¡°I¡¯ve tried a few times, swimming to the bottom of the Pacific and Atlantic where legends of the City of Sirens existed. But each time, I would lose my direction and be sent to other places. At first, I thought it was my problem. However, after the trip to the foreign planet with you, I realized that it wasn¡¯t my problem instead, there was something going on with the oceans on this planet. It appears that some places down there are off-limits.¡±


    Forbidden places in the deep sea?!

 Chapter 159

    What Nangong Wuyue said aroused Hao Ren¡¯s curiosity.


    ¡°A forbidden territory in the deep sea?¡± He stared at Nangong Wuyue. ¡°I¡¯ve heard from Vivian that no one has ever found the location of the City of Sirens. Could this be the forbidden territory?¡±


    ¡°I suppose,¡± said Nangong Wuyue. ¡°Maybe there¡¯s some special way to get in there. The deep sea is a mysterious place and very little¡¯s been explored by humans. Perhaps, normal sirens could dive in there. But, mom has never mentioned about her hometown. It was like she didn¡¯t want me to go there. I don¡¯t know why.¡±


    ¡°The possibility of mom being there is low.¡± Nangong Sanba shook his head. ¡°If she¡¯s there, then why hasn¡¯t she come to find us? She¡¯s gone to the surface once, she could do it again if she wanted to.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to carry on the search even if I fail to find her in the end,¡± Nangong Wuyue said softly. ¡°For years I¡¯ve been looking for her and it¡¯s become a part of my life.¡±


    ¡°Now, we more or less know what¡¯s going on. You should¡¯ve made it clear in the first place.¡± Hao Ren exhaled. He felt that the siblings¡¯ story could make a drama series, 40 episodes at least. ¡°Sanba, what¡¯s your next move?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯d be better if you called me Nangong.¡± A gloom cast over Nangong Sanba¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m here for my sister. Now, I¡¯m relieved she¡¯s found herself a bunch of more-than-capable friends. But, I¡¯m curious: are you lot a family?¡±


    Nangong Sanba took a quick glance at everyone. It struck him as intriguing that Vivian and Lily¡ªa vampire and a werewolf could get along with one another. At the same time, the 2.15-metre giant sitting opposite him had a scary grin, which implied he was anything but a normal human being. He just could not wrap his brain around it.


    ¡°Err¡­¡± Hao Ren remembered the statement of confidentiality he had signed. Before Nangong became one of them, he could not divulge anything. So, he went with his cover story. ¡°This place is more like a shelter, a neutral and safe territory. We don¡¯t care who, as long as one can live in peace and get along with others, one can stay.¡± Pointing at Vivian and Lily, Hao Ren continued, ¡°Notice them? They live in peace with one another. You can stay if you want. Just pay some rental. But, I need to get a nod from from my superior.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be good for me to stay. I don¡¯t want you to get into trouble.¡± Nangong Sanba declined the offer. ¡°As a demon hunter, my job is not to stay in one place. An easy and comfortable life isn¡¯t my cup of tea.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue gave him a kick. ¡°Brother, keep your head down. I¡¯m serious.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ve got a job in Russia, helping a rich businessman drive out evil spirits in return for a handsome pay. No way I¡¯m going to say no to that. I¡¯ll go there in two days¡­¡±


    So much for a demon hunter. Nangong Sanba was basically just a little better than a sorcerer, travelling around and driving out spirits for money. He would occasionally do things for free to collect information he needed, just as he did in England back then. However, he would not aim for the strong ones, like vampires and werewolves which could easily wallop him half dead. Nangong knew his limits. His targets were mostly those who were lower in the food chain like wraiths, or he would sometimes target curses and voodoo rituals. His idea was to be safe.


    Nontheless, sometimes he would f*ck up just like he did in England. His venture to the ruins went terribly wrong when he stumbled unexpectedly into a swamp of wraith knights and a demon sealed in the crypts. He barely made it out alive thanks to Hao Ren.


    Nangong Sanba recalled the incident. Then, he slapped the back of his head with his hand. ¡°Ah, now I remember it. The crypt incident in England, it was you lot who saved my a**. You¡¯re my saviour.¡±


    ¡°Hehe¡­you¡¯re welcome.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand and played it down. Then, he yawned inadvertently.


    Nangong Sanba read his signal. He tidied his shirt as he stood up. ¡°It¡¯s getting late. Before I go, I want to apologise for what I¡¯ve done, which may have been offensive. If you need me, I promise I¡¯ll do whatever I can to help. After all these years travelling around the world, I¡¯ve got my own sources of intel.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going now?¡± Hao Ren got to his feet. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, you can stay here tonight.¡±


    Then Y¡¯zaks also pulled himself to his feet. His dull voice like thunder and his smile reminded one of a morbid, crying baby in the night. ¡°Since you¡¯re Wuyue¡¯s brother, please feel at home. I have a spare bed in my room.¡±


    Due to his over-sized body, Y¡¯zaks had been sleeping on the floor all this while. Also, he did not want to inconvenice anyone. So, he left the bed unused.


    Nangong Sanba almost freaked out as he stared at the 2.15-metre giant, whose smile was just shy from being intimidating. He stepped back inadvertently. ¡°It¡¯s so nice of you but, I¡¯ve a rented place nearby. It¡¯s late now and I¡¯ll come over tomorrow, just to check on my sister. Hope you guys don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Nangong Sanba walked to the door as he spoke. Hao Ren wanted to persuade him to stay for Nangong Wuyue¡¯s sake but, he also noticed the subtle expression on Vivian¡¯s face. He realised Vivian still had strong feelings towards demon hunters. He walked Sanba to the door while Nangong Wuyue followed, nagging at her brother. ¡°Don¡¯t always bother others. You should¡¯ve been wiser¡­¡±


    Amid her grumbling, Nangong Sanba apologised profusely again. Wearing a black wind coat, he then quickly disappeared into the dark.


    ¡°You should have let him stay.¡± Hao Ren looked at Nangong Wuyue with an embarrassed smile. As a host, he felt it uncourteous to let her brother leave at this time of night. But, Nangong Wuyue was unfazed as she waved her hand, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s kind of stubborn. You wouldn¡¯t have been able to talk him up. Anyway, he¡¯s no kid. He¡¯ll survive a night out there.¡±


    As Nangong Sanba left, everyone went mute. Then Vivian broke the silence. ¡°Haha, what a coincidence. The first time I heard the name Nangong Wuyue, I already felt something¡­but, never did I expect it to turn out exactly as I thought.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get some shut-eye.¡± Hao Ren started to yawn again. He glanced up the clock on the wall; it was 2.30am. ¡°We¡¯ll discuss further tomorrow, I¡¯m too tired now.¡±


    After everyone got back to their rooms, the living room quieted down. Just when Hao Ren was about to leave, he discovered Lily was still on the sofa; she had been fighting her own biological clock the whole night until she was completely taken over by the sleep bug. She was now snoring away.


    Hao Ren pulled her tail in an effort to wake her. She would have bounced to her feet under normal circumstances. However, this time, all Hao Ren heard was mumbles of sleep talking. He sighed. He was thinking of getting help from Vivian or Nangong Wuyue but the timing was not the nicest. Why not carry her to her room himself, he thought. Well, as much as he liked the idea, he was wary of being bitten. After all, it had happened before so, he thought better of it. He took out a quilt and put it on her before yawning all the way back to his room.


    It was a peaceful night, and Hao Ren only woke up at ten the next morning.


    He was awakened by Lil Pea, who was slapping him on the face with her tail.


    He opened his eyes and saw the little mermaid jumping on him. He hated it especially when he was sound asleep. He mistook her as Rollie and almost flung her out of the windows. As he grabbed the little mermaid and sat up on the bed, he saw a trail of water from the writing desk to his bed. He instantly recognised it.


    Obviously, the little mermaid did not understand his instructions about not getting out on the floor yesterday.


    Hao Ren shoved Lil Pea back into the pot and carried it out into the living hall. Vivian was sweeping the floor while Lily was lying on the sofa with a blank gaze. Her head was tilted in such a funny posture. When she saw Hao Ren, she waved at him. ¡°Good morning, Landlord¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a stiff neck.¡± Her head tilted at a 45¡ã angle. ¡°It¡¯s painfully sore¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    He regretted not carrying her back to her bed, even if there was a possibility of being bitten.


    ¡°You hungry?¡± Vivian asked as she walked past Hao Ren with the broom in her hand. ¡°You can have some buns if you want. Since everyone¡¯s still sleeping in, there¡¯ll be no breakfast. I¡¯ll prepare lunch.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± As Hao Ren strode into the kitchen, a loud knock was heard on the front door.


    He shoved Lil Pea back into the pot. Then, he let Nangong Wuyue bring her to the bathroom and lock her in there¡ªjust in case it was the utility guy from the power or water company, or the aunty from the resident¡¯s association pulling up. As he opened the door, two large foreign men stood in front of it.


    One of the men said, ¡°Is the countess here?¡±

 Chapter 160

    The two middle-aged men outside had typical Caucasian looks; sharp noses and pronounced eyes. Their blue-grey eyes carried with them an unspoken sense of pride. Their hair was a shade of greyish-brown and they were at least 185cm tall. Their build was strong as well as soldierly, and they were clad in fitting, black suits. The suits were supposed to make them look smart and dignified instead, they looked more like goons from the underworld. It was hard not to imagine them having tattoos all over their body as well as a few battle scars here and there.


    Both of them looked almost alike; both in physique and appearance, almost like a pair of twins. One of them had a scar near his eyebrows that probably served as a differentiation. As they saw Hao Ren open the door, both of them spoke almost at the same time, ¡°Does the countess live here?¡±


    Hao Ren was perplexed for a moment, and he wondered why were there so many foreigners in this ungodly part of the Southern Suburbs. The word ¡°countess¡± did not immediately click and he asked, ¡°Perhaps you¡¯ve gotten the wrong address? We only have nor¡­ Wait! Are you looking for Vivian?¡±


    He suddenly recalled that there was indeed a countess at home but, her current situation did not even come close to being worthy of the title.


    ¡°Seems like following the bats was the right choice.¡± The two strangers glanced at each other. The one with the scar then smiled at Hao Ren, baring his fangs. ¡°You look like the owner of this shelter. We heard from our younglings about you. We are the Ebbens. You could say, we¡¯re old ¡®friends¡¯ of the countess. Is she home to meet us by any chance? She may still recognise us. Oh, and of course, we come in peace today. Please, do relay our message to her.¡±


    The Ebbens! Hao Ren had almost forgotten about them. When Casar and Ewan left, they mentioned that they would be reporting what had happened here, and the Elders would be visiting if it was possible. But, he never thought that they would pay a visit this soon, and the Elders of the tribe were these two middle-aged foreigners?


    ¡°Mr. Landlord, who¡¯s at the door?¡± Vivian asked as she noticed that Hao Ren had been standing by the gate for a good while. She then walked up to see what was going on. ¡°Is it for the utility bills¡­ Uh¡­you two¡­ Why do you look so familiar?¡±


    ¡°Forgetful as always, Countess,¡± The scarred stranger said as Vivian showed up. An alarmed look flashed across his face as the vampire spoke but, he quickly hid it behind a hearty laugh. It was as though he was just visiting an old friend. ¡°You really don¡¯t remember us? The Ebben Twins, the ones you had taken so much care of.¡±


    Something slowly dawned on Vivian as she wiped her hands on her apron. ¡°Ohhh¡­ Ohhhhhhh¡­ You two! We fought before. I remember now. What are you two doing here? Trying to get beaten up again?¡±


    The two Ebbens looked at each other with a slightly dumbfounded look. The one without the scar then spoke, ¡°Some time back, the younglings of our tribe told you that the Ebbens would be sending the Elders to visit the countess so, here we are. No plans to fight this time.¡±


    Vivian furrowed her brows, ¡°You two are elders now? Both of you are barely a thousand years old, right? Where have those ancient ones gone? Jaeger and uh¡­Akry if I¡¯m not wrong?¡±


    The scarred one¡¯s face turned dark in an instant. ¡°Elder Jaeger was assassinated by demon hunters 500 years ago. The other one is Ackeriy not Akry¡­ Elder Ackeriy tried to look for the sirens a hundred years ago and he has disappeared without a trace. So now, both of us are the ranking members of the tribe¡­ Sigh¡­well you are indeed an old acquintance of the Ebbens, no harm telling you that.¡±


    ¡°Things have gotten that bad?¡± Vivian was surprised. She softly nudged Hao Ren by the shoulder and said, ¡°Mr Landlord, let them in. They are guests after all.¡±


    As the Ebbens stepped into the house, Hao Ren locked the gate and the door shut. He was conflicted. This scene where Elders of the strongest werewolf tribe visiting one of the oldest living vampire¡­ it happened so unceremoniously. There wasn¡¯t even a letter. The werewolves were dressed up like businessmen to keep their cover, the clothes totally at odds with their feral self. They even took an illegal taxi to their place. As they walked in, Hao Ren caught sight of a rickety junk at the far end of the street. This was supposed to be a monumental event but, it was so¡­abrupt; very unlike a meeting of two werewolf titans. From this scene alone, one could tell how far the supernaturals on Earth had fallen.


    The two strangers caught Lily¡¯s utmost attention. As she stared at the duo, she started jabbering with her head slanted, ¡°I heard that you two are werewolves from the Ebben Family? We are distant relatives then¡­¡±


    She was still insisting that she was a special type of werewolf.


    ¡°This is¡­¡± the scarred werewolf gave Lily, who was in a funny pose a weird look. Noticing it, she quickly popped her ears and tails out. ¡°I¡¯m a werewolf too! A special type!¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re the one Casar was talking about. Funny how they almost lost their lives for you. Lily, right?¡± The scarred one had a slightly surprised look on his face. He then whispered to his partner, ¡°I remembered Casar only mentioning that she¡¯s an idiot. I never heard she had issues with her neck?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, he missed it that time?¡±


    ¡°Looks pretty obvious to me¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you two mumbling about?¡± Vivian muttered as she stared at the two werewolves whispering to each other, displeasure written on her face. She placed a pot of tea on the table. ¡°Here, have a drink. This is my first time serving tea to a werewolf. Take it as my sincerity to talk business.¡±


    Lily perked up instantly, ¡°You always make tea for me though¡­¡±


    ¡°Quiet, that¡¯s milk tea, you milk-tea-drinking simpleton.¡±


    The two werewolves were expectedly surprised by the scene. They never thought the ruthless countess would treat them with any courtesy at all. Vivian then pointed towards her companions. ¡°This is the landlord, Hao Ren, the one over there is Lily, an oddball werewolf, and this is Nangong Wuyue, a siren. The one sitting by the window with the papers is Y¡¯zaks, a demon. These are the people living in this place.¡±


    ¡°Wait up!¡± Hao Ren said as he ran into the room and brought a pot out. Lil Pea was draped on the side of the pot, looking at the two strangers curiously. Hao Ren pointed at the little mermaid using his chin. ¡°This is Lil Pea, a mermaid.¡±


    ¡°A mermaid? Isn¡¯t she a siren?¡± The scarred werewolf looked on in surprise. There were no pure-blooded mermaids on Earth, and stories of mermaids came from the sirens hence, the question. He then pointed to himself. ¡°Let me introduce myself. I¡¯m one of the Elders in the Ebben Tribe¡¯s Elder Council. You can call me Bluphlei Ebbens¡­¡±


    Hao Ren had just placed Lil Pea on the table, and almost dropped the pot in his hand when he heard the name. ¡°Blu-what?!¡±


    ¡°Bluphlei Ebbens,¡± the scarred werewolf said seriously. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the name?¡±


    It took Hao Ren a lot of effort to not go, ¡°Pffft¡±. He guessed only the Chinese would know what ¡°Bluefly¡± actually meant. It was probably a very common name overseas so, he quickly composed himself. ¡°Ugh, nothing¡­ And the guy over there?¡±


    ¡°Blushedt Ebbens,¡± the unscarred one answered.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Bloody hell, after a Bluefly, comes a Bluesh*t?


    Years later, Hao Ren could still remember how much effort he took to keep a straight face. If it was not for the fact that these two werewolves were almost a thousand years old, he would have really thought that the two were just testing him for laughs. Who the bloody heck names their child, ¡°Sh*t¡±?


    Then again, these werewolves were already ancient by human standards, and there was even one named Farquer¡­ Hao Ren decided that it would be better if he did not ask any more questions about their names.


    Translator¡¯s Thoughts


    Seraphica Seraphica


    The author wrote their names as Bluefly and Blueshit in reference to the Lanxiang Vocational School (ɽ–|Ë{Ïè¸ß¼‰¼¼¹¤ŒWУ) in Shandong province, China but I figured to give them slightly more dignified names.


    À¶Ïè literally translates to Blue and Soar (Fly) and was a shortened name of the school.


    The word Ïè also apparently carries the meaning of shit in Chinese internet slang. Hence, Blueshit Institute of Technology.

 Chapter 161

    The visit of the two Ebben werewolves was no small thing to Hao Ren and the rest. Everybody sat around the coffee table, wanting to listen to news from the werewolf Elders. Y¡¯zaks, who had seen the world looked uninterested in it. Lily sat beside Hao Ren and rested her head under Hao Ren¡¯s chin. Such intimacy was not anything special. In fact, her neck was feeling sore and Hao Ren was just massaging her neck to ease the stiffness. Lily was purely asking for help like any husky would.


    Bluphlei Ebben took a cup and took a sip of jasmine tea which cost just 30 Yuan a pound. He then licked his lips and said, ¡°The life of a countess is indeed still so simple¡­¡±


    Vivian was not happy when she heard this. She did not mind if someone said she was poor as she was indeed poor. However, Hao Ren who was taking care of her and it was him who provided the tea. As a well mannered vampire, she had to say something. ¡°At least, you have something to drink. Stop babbling. The condition of your family is not any better too. Also, the landlord prefers this so, mind your own business.¡±


    Bluphlei smiled. He put the cup down and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect for us to meet under such circumstances. We didn¡¯t hear from you for hundreds of years. We thought you had been ¡®purified¡¯ by the demon hunters. Now, it seems that you¡¯re indeed the Countess of the Crimson Moon. You don¡¯t die easily. How¡¯ve you been?¡±


    ¡°That sounds so hypocritical,¡± Vivian replied with a cold smile. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m good. It must be disappointing to know that I¡¯m still alive. And you, such a high-profiled werewolf family, yet to be killed and destroyed. Should I say that the stupid ones live longer? Or is the scourge still alive?¡±


    Sparks of tension could be felt between them from their short exchange and this was after they agreed to have a ¡®peaceful negotiation¡¯ in the beginning. It was hard to imagine what it was like when they met under usual circumstances. It seemed that the conflicts between Vivian and the Ebbens went a long way back. God knows why they had such a big disagreement.


    Hao Ren got ready to take on the responsibility of fire brigade bravely if they decided to bring out their guns (the game plan was to hold Vivian down and let Y¡¯zaks throw the Ebben brothers out). However, he underestimated the level of self-control the two werewolf Elders had. Blushedt just smiled upon hearing Vivian¡¯s provocative words and said, ¡°A few days ago I heard a youngling mentioned that the Countess of the Crimson Moon appeared in Asia. It caused a turbulence in the whole Ebben Family. After all, you¡¯re kind of a big shot among the creatures. Let bygones be bygones. In this precarious era, it¡¯s always a happy thing to know that there is an old ¡®friend¡¯ still living in the world.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Now is not the time to get tangled up in those stupid things.¡± Vivian loosened her eyebrows. Although she still spoke in a cold tone, she looked pretty calm. ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t really remember those things in the past¡­ I don¡¯t remember it, the thing you said about how I caused a great stir. I remember just following my heart¡­ Am I really that famous?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still the same as before,¡± Bluphlei said. He then shrugged. ¡°The way you followed your heart was enough to turn people¡¯s lives upside down. Have you forgotten that you almost killed me for a chicken the last time?¡± said Bluphlei as he pointed to the long scar on his eyebrows. ¡°You could have just told us that you were hungry. Was it necessary to loot the entire werewolf settlement just for a meal? And after knocking everyone down, you really just took the chicken¡­ The way you followed your heart really left all the people trembling in fear, tsk tsk.¡±


    Vivian suddenly looked embarrassed. When she received a strange look from Hao Ren, she whispered, ¡°I totally don¡¯t remember¡­ Probably, I didn¡¯t notice anyone around when I was robbing the chicken.¡±


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes. How hungry was this sister at that time?


    The Ebben brothers and Vivian gossiped about the past like old acquaintances. They probably wanted to create a little peaceful atmosphere this way. However, they soon found that this did not work. Nothing good happened between Vivian and the Ebben Family for the past 1000 years. Recalling those stupid things only made both sides angrier and eventually, they would get into a fight again. Hence, Vivian wisely waved her hands to interrupt before they mentioned something even more annoying and said, ¡°Okay, stop. Let¡¯s talk business. Two of you travelled all the way here, risking the danger of being targeted by demon hunters. You shouldn¡¯t be just looking for a fight.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We would like to talk to the oldest Elders of the Blood Clan about the situation now.¡± Bluphlei looked serious now but, he looked around carefully before he continued. Vivian noticed this. She waved her hand and said, ¡°Just say it. Everyone here is more trustworthy than you. And the landlord is the owner of this sanctuary, he should know everything.¡±


    ¡°I did not expect to see that the countess has become so easy to get along with.¡± Bluphlei nodded, looked into Vivian¡¯s eyes and asked, ¡°I wonder if you¡¯ve received the message regarding ¡®The Day of Return¡¯ from your kin?¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s heart was immediately seized by these words. He sensed that the two werewolves have truly brought them a big secret!


    ¡°The Day of Return?¡± Vivian frowned. ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Blushedt was surprised. ¡°All the other creatures are in action. As far as we know, even the most insular and conservative small groups in northern Europe have also started taking action. I thought you would have at least received the news. After all, you are one of the Elders in the Blood Clan.¡±


    ¡°Stop calling me an elder, I¡¯m still young!¡± Vivian slammed the coffee table. Then, she crossed her arms and said, ¡°I have not been keeping in touch with other Blood Clan members for a very long time. I¡¯ve been p¡­ busy traveling around the world all these years. I haven¡¯t been paying attention to current events. What happened? I heard things about the sirens going ashore from Casar and Ewen. Is it related to that?¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Bluphlei found that Vivian really knew nothing about the ¡®The Day of Return¡¯ and spoke with a subtle tone, ¡°The sirens have brought a message from the deep sea. They mentioned that the age of myth, such an exciting event, is about to return. But, only the Elders of each family know the details of the ¡®The Day of Return¡¯. Casar and Ewen are just younglings. So, of course they¡¯re not clear about it¡­ But, I didn¡¯t expect you to be kept in the dark as a family member of the Blood Clan¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s best not to think too much,¡± Vivian said slowly and threateningly. ¡°Werewolves should just care about werewolf issues. I don¡¯t have any problems with my people. I just don¡¯t like being around those boring juniors. Now, tell me what¡¯s ¡®The Day of Return¡¯?¡±


    ¡°¡®The source of ancient power is awakening and the glorious ancient kingdoms that the extraordinary species once built, are about to reopen. Our glory and strength are coming back, and the incessant weakening of the brutal eagles is the unquestionable omen¡¯. This is a word or two about ¡®The Day of Return¡¯. It¡¯s directly translated from the old and obscure ancient language of sirens. The interpretation of the meaning is clear.¡± Bluphlei recited the mysterious sounding prophecy in a solemn tone and turned his curious eyes to Nangong Wuyue. ¡°Actually, I wanted to ask this earlier, isn¡¯t there a siren here? I thought she would be your messenger¡­¡±


    ¡°What is the messenger?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    After Blushedt got an affirmative look from Bluphlei, he explained, ¡°It refers to the sirens who came ashore more than 100 years ago. The sirens found communities of the remaining alien races in the world, except those who terminated their journey ¡®for a variety of reasons¡¯. Basically, every community had one siren who claimed to be the messenger. The news about ¡®The Day of Return¡¯ was released by them. I thought a sanctuary like yours is at least considered a small community, which is a very special type of community. And this siren is your messenger¡­¡±


    ¡°Errr, this place was actually just set up not too long ago.¡± Hao Ren scratched his head and explained, ¡°As for Nangong Wuyue¡­ Based on what you just said, her mother was a messenger. She is not.¡±


    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s a descendant of sirens.¡± Blushedt nodded and then, he looked at Vivian and asked, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense.¡± Vivian¡¯s response was sharp and straight to the point.

 Chapter 162

    ¡°Nonsense,¡± Vivian¡¯s response was sharp and straight to the point. However, the two Ebben elders were muddled by what Vivian said. Bluphlei looked at Vivian with surprise and asked, ¡°How do you¡­¡±


    ¡°The Day of Return? I understand what you¡¯re trying to say,¡± Vivian said with a tone of disdain. She seemed totally uninterested in it all. ¡°The resumption of the alien races¡¯power, the reemergence of the creatures¡¯ glorious reign from the old days, the death of all demon hunters, the earth belonging to us and so on; These claims have been going on since the demon hunters destroyed the last kingdom of Satyr more than 3000 years ago and it has almost reappeared every 100 years. And what happened then? Sartre tried to take back their mountains but now, there are only 100 people left while the rest are gone. The Death Lord wanted to rebuild his army but now, the traces of the undead are hardly visible on Earth. Even the Death Lord¡¯s skull was broken and fed to the dogs. Five hundred years ago, the werewolf tribe, Wolm attacked a human church and their leader appeared on the demon hunter¡¯s boots the third day, in the form of insoles and uppers. The worst of them was the burrowing monsters, who tried to recapture their crypt in the North. They bumped into a Soviet underground nuclear test right after they assembled. There were no ashes left. Basically, I either got these first-hand information from other sources or I was actually there in person. The revival of the Mythological Era? Haha! As long as the heterogeneous population still has this loose appearance, there¡¯s not going to be any large-scale recovery. Besides, there hasn¡¯t been an incident that was big enough to cause genocide among the human and demon hunters. The Mythological Era will never be revived. Have you ever seen a nuclear bomb? Boom! And everything will be gone. Satyr¡¯s descendants could not hold against the radioactive dust. Let me tell it to you this way, even if all the demon hunters really died, human beings are now strong enough to deal with unusual creatures, as long as they snap out from the panic. These seemingly puny creatures are not as weak as you think they are. There are too many of them and they are very good at blowing themselves up together with the world.¡±


    Lastly, Vivian said in a gloomy tone, ¡°The worst thing that can happen is global nuclear bombing. Trust me, they are not afraid to do it. I¡¯ve seen more than one psycho like this. Hitler was just one of them.¡±


    It was not just the Ebbens but, even hao Ren looked at Vivian with a surprised demeanor. He had never seen the vampire maiden say so much, so swiftly and eloquently with the content of the passage being quite intense. His impression of Vivian was always gentle and well-mannered. She was always a polite and gentle woman. However, Vivian seemed off from the moment the Ebbens arrived to visit them¡­


    Perhaps, this was the Countess of the Crimson Moon¡¯s true character? Was it the ease of life that made her restrain herself?


    Bluphlei was stunned for a moment. He said with a subtle expression on his face, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect these words to be spoken by a higher-order Blood Clan member. It sounds more like the kind of words coming from a demon hunter¡­ Why are you so pessimistic? Are you actually satisfied with the current situation? Don¡¯t you want to get rid of the gloom of demon hunters in the world?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s a good thing to be able to beat the demon hunters but, I won¡¯t be as blind and optimistic as you are.¡± Vivian smiled and continued, ¡°I¡¯ve lived a lot longer than you. Although a lot of my memories are blurry, I can still vaguely remember the time humans wore beast skins as well as our dynasties¡¯ most glorious times. From the Thunder Giant creating Mount Olympus, to the sun ship being blown up by the giant bows of demon hunters, I¡¯ve seen them all. I¡¯ve even seen aliens fail to fight back several times. So simply put, The Day of Return won¡¯t be much of a temptation to me unless you can come up with more practical evidence¡­ You don¡¯t really have proof, do you?¡±


    Bluphlei probably did not expect the countess, who had always been careless and eccentric to say such weighty words. He remained silent for a long time to organize his thoughts. Then, he looked up and said, ¡°We don¡¯t have anything that can be considered as ¡®evidence¡¯. However, after the sirens came ashore, they accurately predicted all the events of the past 200 years including the inexplicable decline of demon hunters, the rise of several alien races and some of the unusual ocean-related phenomena. Also, we did recover some of our power back then under their guidance. You know, the reason for the decline of the alien species to this day is largely due to the decrease in our power. The reason hasn¡¯t been identified for thousands of years. But, what is certain is that the alien species on this planet have lost more than two-thirds of their power as a result of The Great Weakening and the more powerful the species, the worse the weakening. More than half of the demon species have even been directly banished into the crevice of space. However, now, the aftereffects of this weakening seem to be slowly ¡®recovering¡¯¡­ If not for these real phenomena happening around us, we would not be so impetuous to believe the return of the day. As you¡¯ve said, several of our counterattacks in history have indeed failed and the ones who survived are those who are smart.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of interesting¡­ did you say the recovering of power?¡± Vivian looked at Bluphlei, her eyes gleaming. ¡°How much has it recovered?¡±


    Hao Ren heard Vivian mention things about the Mythological Era and The Great Weakening before, but at that time he just took it as a legend: In ancient times, the unusual creatures established the myth-like Dark Order. God stayed on Earth while magic and nightmarish powers shrouded the whole world. During this time, humans were treated like ¡®sheep¡¯ in the aliens¡¯ captivity. They lived on a primitive Earth and gingerly built glorious palaces for their mighty masters such as the Thunder Giants (though they were equally high in status, they were considered very gentle rulers for humans compared to other creatures). The reason for the end of this seemingly endless, dark and despairing era, other than the wisdom of humans and the activity of demon hunters, another very important reason was a great weakening that permeated all alien groups.


    All the creatures, including werewolves, vampires, the undead and demons, no one could escape The Great Weakening. It swept across the world like the plague.


    After listening to Bluphlei, Hao Ren realized that The Great Weakening seemed to be much worse than he had imagined.


    ¡°The degree of recovery¡­¡± Bluphlei paused before replying, ¡°It¡¯s just a little bit in fact but, this is a real recovery. Some of the talents and abilities we thought we had lost completely returned in the newborns. Even some of the features could only be found in the family¡¯s history books. The first ever dark-moon werewolf also reappeared in the Ebben Family after thousands of years. It was the first one after The Great Weakening. And those sirens have foretold everything before these things happened. You see, we have to believe it.¡±


    ¡°What about the weakening of the demon hunters?¡± Vivian stared at Bluphlei and asked. ¡°The most important piece in the mysterious prophecy of The Day of Return is ¡®the weakening of the brutal eagles¡¯. This is clearly referring to the demon hunters.¡±


    Bluphlei nodded and confirmed one thing: After the aliens, it was the demon hunters¡¯ turn to face their own plague.


    ¡°The number of demon hunters is on the decline.¡± The werewolf elder could not hide the excitement in his tone. ¡°If it hadn¡¯t been for more than 100 years of careful observation by the messenger, I¡¯m afraid no one would have noticed this. The number of demon hunters have decreased by about 10% in the last 150 years. This amount is still an insignificant number and it won¡¯t change the balance. However, as long as this situation continues, their time will come to an end!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really¡­ the only good news.¡± Vivian sighed deeply.


    At the same time, Hao Ren just thought of one thing: It seemed that the unusual creatures were really going to be revived! What about the humans?


    ¡°Are you guys really going to rebuild the Mythological Era?¡± Hao Ren tried to make himself look composed and asked calmly, ¡°Show up and then declare war on the humans?¡±


    The question was straightforward and forceful. Everyone knew that Hao Ren was a human except, the two elders. He was a human being in the household registration at the very least. Also, there was a ¡®true god¡¯ that had been unknown, behind Hao Ren. So, when the question was thrown at them, even Vivian could not help but shrink into the back of the couch. She felt that once The Day of Return really came true, it would not just be a matter between humans and aliens. Who knew if the goddess would allow the balance on Earth to be broken?


    They had no idea of the management¡¯s standard of conduct in the world of the Xi Ling Celestials. Therefore, they could only envisage all the possibilities ahead of time.


    Hao Ren looked at the two Ebbens seriously, quietly waiting for their reply. Their answer would directly determine whether Hao Ren¡¯s work report would consist of six words or 600 words the next week.

 Chapter 163

    Upon hearing Hao Ren¡¯s question, Bluphlei got a little surprised. He still did not realize that the owner of the sanctuary was a human. Nonetheless, he took a moment to ponder before he replied, ¡°To be honest, this issue has been discussed in our family meeting numerous times. It¡¯s a bit frustrating¡­ But as the countess said, even if there were no demon hunters, it seems difficult to regain the hegemony of this planet from the humans. Humans are no longer the ignorant, primitive creatures from thousands of years ago. Though their bodies are still weak, the power they possess now is on par with other creatures. There is now a viewpoint that there is no difference in strength and power between humans and unusual creatures. They are the same kind of creature as us. It¡¯s just that humans put all their talents in building their civilization.¡±


    He glanced at Vivian while he spoke, ¡°As you said, a nuclear bomb can destroy everything. Even if Zeus and the rest resurrected, they would not be able to handle these insane explosive maniacs.¡±


    Vivian looked interested and said, ¡°Then, the revival of the Mythological Era you mentioned¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a wonderful idea and slogan.¡± Blushedt smiled awkwardly. ¡°In fact, the core idea is only to get rid of the demon hunters. After that¡­ we¡¯ll discuss further. Most of the creatures still alive today are a bunch of very realistic guys. There¡¯s nothing to gain from declaring a war with humans for a little bit of historical pride.¡±


    ¡°You guys are considered wise among werewolves but, I¡¯m afraid not everyone is as smart as you are,¡± Vivian grunted. ¡°If the demon hunters are really defeated, I don¡¯t believe that every other species will be happy to coexist with humans peacefully. There may especially be a few old monsters that survived the Mythological Era and are present in the world today. They are as stubborn as stones.¡±


    Bluphlei thought that the countess, who lived longer than anyone else was one to call other people old monsters but, he did not show it on his face. Instead, he tried to change the topic as things were getting awkward. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about distant things. At the rate that things are moving, the demon hunters could still be active for at least hundreds of years. It would be hasty of us to discuss who the boss will be after the revitalization at this point. Perhaps, by then the humans are no longer living on Earth? Based on their speed of development¡­ Haha.¡±


    Hao Ren was surprised to find that not all werewolves were silly and stupid. What the two elders were thinking was quite far-fetched. They were even concerned about human aerospace technology. Were they advancing with the times or just being trendy? The werewolf in real life was indeed more flexible than the one in film. It seemed that they did not remain in the dark forest for hundreds of years which, could eventually turn them into creatures with a limited outlook and narrow view.


    ¡°According to what you said, The Day of Return is a real concern .¡± Vivian sipped some tea to clear her throat. ¡°The demon hunters are dwindling in numbers and some of the creatures are recovering from the aftereffect of The Great Weakening¡­ it seems likely that the era is really going to change. Perhaps, I should also go and seek out those old guys. Why has no one informed me about such a big thing?¡±


    Bluphlei smiled perfunctorily and thought, ¡°The vampires would actually like to inform you but they can¡¯t find you. Who could find such an unpredictable countess, who also enjoys blending in with the crowd without the help of Dragnet Search from agents of a reinforced battalion?¡±


    Hao Ren was thinking about something else: It seemed that there was still some time before The Day of Return and many of them appeared to understand that it was not very smart to declare war with humans in the present day. Therefore, the whole situation was not as dangerous as it seemed to be but, what was going to happen to the world once The Day of Return came?


    What should he do? Or ¡­ What could he do?


    Obviously, he could not just jump and tell the whole world that they were going to declare war with mythical creatures like vampires and werewolves. It would not just get him on the news, he would most likely be sent to a psychiatric hospital too. Hao Ren was not going to get himself into such big trouble but, he had to do something. Therefore, he connected to his Mobile Data Terminal in his mind. ¡°Prepare a report¡­¡±


    He reported the information he got to Raven 12345. After all, one of the tasks given to Hao Ren by the goddess was to pay attention on the development trends of creatures and demon hunters on Earth. The report was absolutely unavoidable. After that¡­it was best to observe for a while.


    Hao Ren knew that there was still too little information about the matter. He had just heard a few words on The Day of Return. He was not even clear on how many races of unusual creatures in the world were ready to take action, how many demon hunters were dealing with the issue and how many humans knew about the existence of unusual creatures. It was risky to take any action in such a confusing situation. After going through several extraordinary experiences, Hao Ren was no longer the rookie, who would become impatient and jump up and down over a little problem. He knew he had to analyze and make certain of the situation before taking any action.


    Of course, sometimes, people would also call that procrastination¡­


    Lily had been listening to the boring conversation with her head tilted for half an hour. At that point, her neck finally seemed to be feeling better. The husky girl straightened her head up slightly, looked at Blushedt and asked, ¡°Uncle, what does ¡®glorious ancient kingdom will reopen its door¡¯ mean?¡±


    It was not easy for her to remember the words so clearly.


    ¡°That¡¯s what it said in the prophecy brought by the sirens. They didn¡¯t explain further,¡± Blushedt replied. ¡°And we guess that this means, the lost ruins of Olympus, Osiris and sun ships may reappear in the world.¡±


    ¡°Reappear?¡± Lily¡¯s ears suddenly stood upright. ¡°I know Olympus, it¡¯s in Greece.¡±


    ¡°No, I mean the real Olympus and other ancient palaces.¡± Blushedt¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°These ruins were built by the strongest men back then, using supernatural powers. Just as demons were able to build their palaces in the crevices of space. At that time, they also built their temples in another space. They expressed their ¡®invincible might¡¯ this way and also to prevent human trespassing. But, the entrances to these ancient palaces collapsed with the death of their builders and there is only a small amount of debris left on Earth now. If The Day of Return can make these relics reappear, I believe that at least, the Thunder Giant¡¯s descendants will rise again. And oh, there are also those Nordic hermits. They are quite dependent on certain treasures that are passed from generation to generation.¡±


    Blushedt seemed to pay more attention to these ancient relics than Bluphlei. He kept talking about ancient sanctuaries that were lost in another space. However, when he talked about these things, another thought flashed across Hao Ren¡¯s mind:


    ¡°Glorious ancient kingdom¡± most likely referred to another place!


    He knew more than the two werewolf elders. He had heard of even more ancient mysteries regarding unusual creatures from the psychopathic female. It was a secret these creatures had long forgotten and only the earliest ones knew of: the true origins of the unusual creatures.


    The most glorious ancient kingdom was not on Earth but, in The Plane of Dreams!


    The idea suddenly crossed his mind. Plus, a couple of other experiences led Hao Ren to believe more and more that he had accidentally guessed part of the truth. However, he needed to confirm all this so, he tried to hide the weird expression on his face. Only Vivian noticed his eyes flashing and asked, ¡°Landlord, what happened to you?¡±


    ¡°Err, nothing, just drifting away.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Vivian said and looked up at the wall clock. Immediately, she stood up, wipe her hands on her apron and walked towards the kitchen like it was a conditioned reflex. ¡°You guys talk first, I¡¯ll go cook. Doggie, quickly go to the supermarket at the junction and buy some meat. We have guests today. Let me prepare some delicious dishes!¡±


    Vivian had been living there for a couple of months. She had fully integrated into the roles of cook and nanny. The process of getting up to go into the kitchen and ordering Lily to buy food was smooth. This baffled the two Ebbens. Bluphlei opened his mouth in surprised, ¡°Wait¡­ I found it weird when I saw that apron just now. Is the countess responsible for cooking here?¡±


    Hao Ren laughed inside and thought, ¡°You¡¯re so surprised to find that Vivian is the cook here, if you find out what Y¡¯zaks does, you¡¯re going to faint for sure: This godlike, great demon¡¯s responsible for the liquefied gas tank here¡­¡±

 Chapter 164

    As Vivian cooked in the kitchen, Hao Ren took the opportunity to inquire about the glorious ancient kingdom.


    Perhaps it was his sixth sense. Or perhaps, it was a deliberate plan by Raven 12345 to arouse his interest in something. Either way, he felt that all the other information regarding The Day of Return was not significant except one¡ªthe glorious ancient kingdom but, it seemed that the other kinds were not aware of it yet.


    Regrettably, the knowledge of the two Ebben elders about the ancient Glorious Imperium was limited to vague accounts from the sirens and their own wild guesses.


    ¡°Our tribe believes that the ancient Glorious Imperium is the Mount Olympus of today and other supernatural remnants.¡± Bluphlei, the more talkative of the two elders, was enthusiastic. He explained, ¡°We¡¯ve studied many ancient classics and exchanged views with the satyrs. We¡¯re of the opinion that only the wonderful holy land built by the ancient unusual creatures¡¯ befits the name ¡®Glorious Imperium¡¯. People are speculating that it¡¯s in some forbidden place on Earth, such as the demon hunters¡¯ territory but this theory lacks proof.¡±


    Hao Ren stared into Bluphlei¡¯s eyes, contemplating to sway the topic towards The Plane of Dreams without being too obvious. Then, he digressed. ¡°What do you think about the origins of the unusual creatures?¡±


    Bluphlei was surprised as he looked at Hao Ren. ¡°I heard you¡¯re a sorcerer. I didn¡¯t know that you would be interested in this too.¡±


    Cough, cough.


    Hao Ren did not expect Casar and Ewen to tell their elders about him. So, he played along. ¡°Could the origin of the unusual creatures have something to do with this ancient Glorious Imperium?¡±


    ¡°Er¡­I think this should be left to the human biologists,¡± Bluphlei smiled as he spread his hands out. ¡°¡­if they can still remain calm and accept the existence of unusual creatures.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded slightly. He knew these elders of Ebben did not have a clue about the origin of unusual creatures in The Plane of Dreams. Probably, most living beings in this world did not know about The Plane of Dreams. He would probably have to look for the answer himself.


    Meanwhile, Lily got back from the market right when the conversation finished. She finally found the opportunity to chime in. She came up to the two elders, her head still tilted to one side. ¡°Sir, may I ask you something?¡±


    Blushedt looked gently at the junior, who allegedly had a loose screw in her head. Although Lily was not the child of his family, he had a warm feeling towards her. ¡°You may, sweetie.¡±


    ¡°Is it true that a husky branch doesn¡¯t exist in the werewolf race?¡±


    The two elders were dumbstruck. They exchanged looks with each other as if they had come to a consensus: It was just as Casar said, this girl had a loose screw in her head!


    While Vivian was busy in the kitchen, everyone else discreetly talked about unusual creatures, demon hunters, history and even issues of the day. Even Nangong Wuyue showed interest and joined the conversation. Listening to the two werewolf elders talking about the history of werewolves, albeit a little over-blown, was an eye-opener for Hao Ren. Lily, the uncategorizable ¡®freak¡¯, was listening attentively. Bluphlei talked about the legendary Fenrir and Anubis¡ªa distant relative of the werewolf though he had never seen himself as one. Werewolves had always considered Anubis their mutated relative. Blushedt was rather enthusiastic about the period between hundreds to a thousand years ago when the unusual creatures were still active. It was the Dark Age during which obscurantism was till prevalent in Europe. Superstition and peculiar folklore were widespread just as much in the old, rocky castles as in the crowded slums. Vampires and werewolves were the last kind of unusual creatures to occupy the villages and cities until demon hunters as well as the church pursued them vehemently.


    The recounts by the two werewolf elders revealed the hidden times on this planet. The end of the mythological period of the unusual creatures began a few thousand years ago and officially ended 1000 years ago during which, human religions experienced major turmoil. But, the end did not mean extinction. The unusual creatures were still in a tug of war with demon hunters and the church for hundreds of years thereafter. The resistance was open from the beginning and it slowly went underground. Various stories and myths then started to emerge. People had not seen these powerful creatures in person ever since the last generation of vampires, werewolves, sorcerers, witches, monsters and gremlins were wiped out. They could only read about them in manuscripts and printed literature. In reality, the real end of the unusual creatures was the beginning of the invention of steam engines.


    The unusual creatures, who were a shadow of their former selves lingered on for a few hundred years more after the demise of the Mythological Era, before they eventually receded from the stage of world history.


    Blushedt remembered the history so well that he could narrate it backwards. He told the story to Lily with passion before concluding it with a sigh. He then reverted back to silence.


    Hao Ren had never heard Vivian recount these things in such detail. But, he could not blame her because her memory sucked!


    Perhaps, not all werewolves were as friendly as the two elders. Every time Vivian talked about werewolves, she would swear by their barbarianism. It made Hao Ren perceive that perhaps, most werewolves were not as well-mannered and intelligent. Nevertheless, he was relieved that the Ebbens had sent someone like the elders to visit the Countess of the Crimson Moon. They were the best candidates for the job and true to their title.


    Back in the kitchen, Vivian had prepared a feast for all of them.


    The two elders of the Ebben Family looked on dumbfounded. They had never seen anything like this vampire. The Countess of the Crimson Moon, who traversed between the kitchen and living room, busily cooking and arranging the table like a pro as if she had been doing nothing for the past 1000 years but practice cooking. Before the two elders could snap out of their wonderment, a table full of sumptuous but not extravagant dishes were served. Of course, she did not forget the essential ingredient: half of the dishes were of garlic. The elders¡¯ jaws dropped to the ground.


    The both of them were nothing less than impressed. They exclaimed in unison, ¡°Countess of the Crimson Moon, you¡¯re super-duper!¡±


    ¡°You may leave after the meal.¡± Vivian was blunt when dealing with the werewolves. ¡°This place is a shelter of refuge and seclusion . You¡¯re welcome to visit us but don¡¯t stay too long.¡±


    ¡°Ahem¡­¡± Hao Ren pretended to clear his throat as the atmosphere suddenly turned awkward. He looked at the two werewolf elders apologetically. ¡°Vivian¡¯s always been blunt. You¡¯re always welcome if you decide to say¡­¡±


    The two werewolves had been living for more than 1000 years; wisdom came with age. They could instantly read his mind: Hao Ren was being fake. Bluphlei laughed as he said, ¡°No, you¡¯re welcome. But, what if we really decide to say?¡±


    Busted, Hao Ren quickly pointed at the food on the table using his chopsticks. ¡°Please, eat, eat¡­¡±


    Lil Pea smelled the waft of food. She jumped out of her pot and onto the table and began gnawing on the chopsticks¡­


    This little mermaid had been a good girl the whole time. She poked her head out occasionally and stared while they were having their conversation. She never made any noise or bothered them. It was like she knew that the adults were in discussion. She only pulled Hao Ren¡¯s clothes sometimes in a sort of playful way. Hao Ren was very pleased with her. In his mind, he decided to bring her a truck load of bamboo from Yunnan. Again, the elders¡¯ jaws dropped to the ground¡ªit had already happened several times¡ªwhen they saw the little mermaid chewing on the chopsticks. ¡°We¡¯ve never seen sirens eat this thing¡­¡±


    They still thought Lil Pea was a siren. Well, after all there had not been a real mermaid on Earth.


    ¡°Mutant. She¡¯s a mutant¡­¡± Hao Ren smiled slyly as he tried to cook up a cover. There would be trouble if he were to explain things.


    While everyone was happily enjoying the meal, a series of knocks on the door could be heard.

 Chapter 165

    Raising her eyes and glancing at the door, Vivian asked, ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±


    Hao Ren found it inconvenient when visitors dropped in. The strange occupants of the house had gotten used to discreetness and privacy. They did not have to hide their identities. Back home, Lily¡¯s tail and ears could get out for some fresh air; during the summer time, Vivian would revert to her original form to cool down the house; during the cold days, it was Y¡¯zaks¡¯ turn to warm up the house with his demon flames and Nangong Wuyue would raise the humidity with her power. No matter which one, it was not a scene appropriate for public display. Yet when someone did drop by, Hao Ren had no choice but have Lily retract her ears and tail, put the little mermaid back into the pot and have Nangong Wuyue keep an eye on her after which he would only open the door.


    But the moment he opened the door, he realized he was just being too nervous: the person who stood outside was none other than Nangong Sanba.


    He was still wearing his black wind coat and a harmless smile on his face. ¡°Haha, it¡¯s me again. I¡¯ve come to say goodbye to my sister, I¡¯ll be off this afternoon. The Russian client wants me there quick.¡±


    Hao Ren thought the dude¡¯s timing was too perfect but he did not say it. He let Nangong Sanba in and said, ¡°Vivian, we¡¯ve got another guest joining our lunch. And Lily, you can keep wagging your tail.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d prefer you just calling me Nangong¡­¡± Nangong Sanba said awkwardly as he followed Hao Ren in. He remembered telling Hao Ren the same thing the day before. He came to realize that today was very lively with two strangers in the midst. He nodded at them. ¡°It seems I¡¯ve come at a bad time.¡±


    ¡°Oh come on, stop pretending.¡± Hao Ren could almost read his mind. He patted Nangong Sanba on the back. ¡°I didn¡¯t act as a good host last night. If you don¡¯t mind, please join us today. Treat this as a farewell lunch. You may sit next to your sister.¡±


    Right when Nangong Sanba marched towards them, Bluphlei suddenly slammed the table and jumped to his feet. He transformed into a blanket of black fog and re-emerged from a corner of the living room. His voice was like thunder. ¡°Demon hunter?!¡±


    The loud bang frightened Lil Pea. She jumped out of her pot and into the arms of Nangong Wuyue, letting out a shrill cry. Nangong Wuyue tried to comfort her as she waved her hand.


    Blushedt had also transformed into a blanket of black fog, retreating into a corner. In an instant, they turned into beasts, ready to pounce on Nangong Sanba. Nangong Sanba was stunned for a moment before a sense of aggressiveness hit him. With years of experience under his belt, he drew out a rune card and a mini crossbow from under his coat, swiftly as if out of instinct. Vivian saw the impending conflict; she quickly shapeshifted into a vampire and intervened. Things quickly went south: Lil Pea cried non-stop while Lily choked on a mouthful of food. Hao Ren pulled Nangong behind him ¡ª he realized that he had neglected something: the two werewolves had not been informed yet.


    The whole house was in chaos. Lil Pea¡¯s cries had turned into what sounded like a four-beat aria. What a musical talent from a week-old mermaid. But who the f*ck cared now? Cold sweat trickled down Hao Ren¡¯s back like ice water. Everything was fine before Nangong and the two werewolves met. He did not see it coming. He yelled out loud, ¡°Stop! Calm down! He¡¯s not an enemy!¡±


    Vivian kept exhaling a draft of chill air mixed with ice flakes into the living room. The temperature instantly dropped to minus zero territory. The extreme cold was not harmful. It only cooled the heads of the two werewolves¡ªit was a trick Vivian used to divert their attention. Meanwhile, Y¡¯zaks pointed at the two werewolves and Nangong Sanba respectively using his finger. As three faint beams of grey light hit the three of them, the werewolves¡¯ Dark Fog and the rune card in Nangong Sanba¡¯s hand lost their shine. It was the demon¡¯s signature skill, ¡®One-Finger Crippling Touch¡¯¡ªit could disable, remove, or weaken magic and cause short-term unconsciousness. Although it would not last, it was the best for the circumstance.


    Y¡¯zaks knew what he was doing. He would not f*ck up by using ¡®One-Finger Death Touch¡¯ instead.


    Cold wind was still blowing in the living room but, both sides had now calmed down. Y¡¯zaks looked at them with a broad smile on his face. Then in a mild tone, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s sit down and eat. Landlord you gotta introduce them to each other.¡±


    His voice was calm as usual as if nothing had ever happened. He was always the one with the coolest head around.


    ¡°He¡¯s a demon hunter.¡± Bluphlei was still a little dazed. ¡°He even drew his rune card and crossbow¡­ What¡¯s going on here?¡±


    The two werewolf elders tried to break free from the demon¡¯s crippling spell. Their strength was remarkable. They recovered and got back on their feet in just a few seconds despite still feeling a little wobbly. It seemed that their Dark Fog magic would be rendered useless for a while.


    Nangong Sanba sat still on the floor, his body felt as fragile as a tofu. Obviously, his strength was below the two werewolf veterans. Y¡¯zaks noticed it. He removed the spell from Nangong Sanba or else he would likely struggle to get rid of it. As the spell was removed, Nangong Sanba staggered to his feet and breathed heavily. ¡°I¡¯m a demon hunter but¡­ I¡¯m on your side.¡±


    The two werewolf elders were of course, flabbergasted.


    ¡°Everyone, sit down. Vivian, switch off the ¡®air-conditioner¡¯. The food is getting cold. Elders, please put down your claws, you¡¯ve scared the child.¡± Upon seeing that the crisis was averted, he let out a sigh of relief and ushered everyone back to their seats. After Bluphlei and Blushedt sat down with a sense of confusion still in their head, Hao Ren began to formally introduce Nangong Sanba. ¡°This is Nangong Sanba, brother of Nangong Wuyue. He¡¯s not living with us but, still counted as one of us in this shelter¡ªumm, he¡¯s a peripheral member.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s chief concern was alleviating the fear in the two old werewolves. He conveniently gave Nangong Sanba a peripheral membership as cover, knowing that Nangong Sanba would not object¡ªhe would be torn to pieces because of his demon-hunter identity.


    ¡°A peripheral member¡­¡± Bluphlei glared at Nangong Sanba, sizing him up before turning his eyes to Nangong Wuyue. ¡°Brother of the siren¡­how? How could it be possible?¡±


    How could it be possible? He could not wrap his head around it.


    Hao Ren thought for a moment, looking for a cover-up story. ¡°We have members from all over the world. And we have our own men in various organizations.¡±


    His voice was solemn and his face was like that of a guy from the old Shanghai Triad. Of course the old werewolves did not buy the story but, what they saw was confusing. Their expression was filled with marvel and disbelief. ¡°Unbelievable! No one has ever infiltrated the world of demon hunters before. That¡¯s impossible! The incubus tried to invade the minds of the demon hunters and they failed before the whole race was slaughtered. The mind of the demon hunters are as solid as steel!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not talking about mind control here.¡± Hao Ren patted Nangong Sanba on the shoulder. ¡°He has been our man since 100 years ago. He has received advanced ideological education since day one and he¡¯s well-versed in the concept of the great unity of the world¡­¡±


    Vivian kicked him under the table. ¡°Spare the crap. Get to the point.¡±


    ¡°In short, he¡¯s our man. And you don¡¯t need to know how.¡± Hao Ren spread his hands. ¡°Let me tell you, even though our shelter¡¯s small, the fact that we¡¯re able to establish an outpost in the midst of humans is telling¡­.¡±


    The two old, senior werewolves kept nodding. ¡°That¡¯s one hell of an ability!¡±

 Chapter 166

    Nangong Sanba cautiously sat at the table. It was another bad day for him. He had faced off with two elder werewolves. These werewolves had been alive for the past 1000 years and no demon hunter could really have an advantage against them. Being a half-baked demon hunter himself, Nangong Sanba was like a sheep walking into a wolf pack. He was still trembling from fear. He drew his crossbow because it made him look more heroic although he knew deep inside that he would not have stood a chance¡­


    Hao Ren and Vivian offered words of apology to Nangong Sanba. As for Bluphlei and Blushedt, witnessing for themselves how all the unusual creatures got along so well, their doubt vanished. They began to marvel at how many more secrets were hidden in this tiny shelter: never before has there been a demon hunter who could assimilate with unusual creatures, not in a thousand years. But, it happened right before their eyes. It would make sensational news.


    Of course, Hao Ren would not allow it to become news. He specifically gave the gag order. Basically the narrative ran like this: the place was a sanctuary of solitary; as demon hunters were becoming stronger, news of Nangong Sanba¡¯s defection would jeopardize the safety of the moles he had planted among the demon hunters. So, the two elder werewolves agreed not to divulge the secret.


    Hao Ren breathed a sigh of relief as the misunderstanding had been cleared. Worried about the little mermaid, Hao Ren took her from Nangong Wuyue. The little mermaid had stopped crying; she lay on the table, her tail stretched straight and her hands crossed. She was lying there there in dead silence!


    Hao Ren was shocked. He held her up with one hand, he slapped her face lightly and caressed her tail¡ªthe intimate gestures she always liked¡ªbut this time, she did not respond. Her eyes were shut and her body was stiff.


    Everyone panicked. They tried to wake her up by calling her name and pulling her tail but it was futile. The lively baby fish seemed to have become a dead fish.


    ¡°How did this happen?¡± Lily was almost crying. ¡°She was as lively as a cricket a moment ago. She¡¯s dead now¡­?¡±


    ¡°Bollocks!¡± Vivian slapped Lily on the head. She then sniffed the little mermaid. ¡°Doesn¡¯t smell dead. She¡¯s still breathing. She might be sleeping.¡±


    Hao Ren quickly put Lil Pea next to his ear and listened¡ªno heart beat. He reached his finger under her nose¡ªthen he felt her breath. It was very soft breathing. Slow but calm. Vivian was right, the little one was sleeping soundly.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Hao Ren was confused. The little mermaid¡¯s body felt dead cold. ¡°She was still crying just moments ago. And now she¡¯s asleep?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue thought for a long moment and came up with a wild guess. ¡°Is she hibernating?¡±


    Everyone was silent. Hao Ren glanced around, snow flakes were everywhere. It was Vivian¡¯s doing. She had turned the temperature in the living room 20¡ãC below zero. The food on the table was basically cold. The little mermaid¡¯s body was as hard as a frozen fish. Could she have started hibernating?


    Vivian could not hide the awkwardness on her face as she smiled. ¡°She¡¯s hibernating? That was fast¡­¡±


    Hao Ren stared curiously at her, marveling at her strange biological behavior and the wonders of a different race. ¡°She bathes in hot water and sleeps at ¨C 20¡ãC. Creatures from the alien world are amazing. How can we wake her up?¡±


    ¡°Boil her in water?¡± Lily¡¯s ears stood erect. Her suggestion was rather creative.


    Her crude method was opposed unanimously¡ªnot because they were afraid the little mermaid would be cooked but, they were concerned that Lil Pea would catch a cold after all the sudden swings of temperature¡­


    Hao Ren decided to let Lil Pea defrost naturally in room temperature, giving her the time to slowly adjust her body to the environment¡¯s temperature and not fall ill. He felt he had a responsibility to take good care of her even though the little mermaid was tough like a tank. However, the whole scene was a little strange: the little mermaid was lying down in the midst of a table full of food. Ignorant folks could have mistaken the diners for a bunch of cannibals.


    ¡°Hey¡­wait a minute!¡± Nangong Sanba, who was not getting a chance to say a thing, was shoved out from the crowd. He pointed at the baby fish on the plate. ¡°What¡­ what¡¯s this?¡±


    Hao Ren said, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s my daughter. She was unexpected.¡±


    Nangong Sanba held Nangong Wuyue by her hand, almost in tears. ¡°My dear sister, I¡¯m not against you marrying the guy but, you¡¯ve got to at least give me a heads-up. We come from a conservative family, we don¡¯t marry in haste¡ªand definitely no shotgun weddings¡­¡±


    ¡°Roll off!¡± Nangong Wuyue kicked Nangong Sanba on his leg. She was red in the face. ¡°That¡¯s just too ridiculous! Don¡¯t you see it¡¯s just a fish?¡±


    Suddenly, a black and white cat darted downstairs, circling around and meowing at Nangong Wuyue: it heard its name being called.


    Nangong Wuyue was exasperated. ¡°I didn¡¯t call you!¡±


    Hao Ren covered his face with both hands and rested his head on the table. He wished he was dead instead of having to deal with all the confusion; things got really messy¡­


    When Nangong Sanba came last night, he did not meet Lil Pea because she was sleeping in the room. When he saw Lil Pea today, he got himself confused. It took Hao Ren and Nangong Wuyue a lot of explanation to clear the confusion over Lil Pea¡¯s origin. But, they never mentioned that she came from another planet. They just told Nangong Sanba that Hao Ren found a strange egg on the beach while on vacation and bla bla bla¡­


    Initially, Nangong Sanba was like what-the-f**k-you-must-be-kidding but, Nangong Wuyue managed to ¡®convince¡¯ him with appropriate actions.


    And lunch was spoiled.


    ¡°You guys have just wrecked lunch.¡± Seeing the snow flake-covered food on the table made her heart ache. But, she never realized that it was her doing. ¡°I should¡¯ve known there wouldn¡¯t be good things coming from a demon hunter.¡±


    Lily was the only one still enjoying the cold food. Her ancestors probably got the same, cold food too when they pulled sleighs in the Arctic. Frankly, Hao Ren half envied her dim-witted nature.


    ¡°We¡¯re sorry. It¡¯s our fault,¡± The two elders apologized for their overreaction, which almost caused things to go out of hand. Bluphlei looked at Vivian; he wanted to get a confirmation regarding her decision on The Day of Return. ¡°Countess, are you interested in The Day of Return? If it appears to be true.¡±


    Werewolves had a frank personality. They would not mince their words no matter what, where and when.


    ¡°I know why you¡¯re here¡ªyou want to know whether I¡¯d make a come back on The Day of Return?¡± Vivian raised one of her eyebrows. ¡°Go home. I¡¯m not interested in it at all. I¡¯m also not interested in joining any of the Blood Clan¡¯s activities. As long as you lot continue to leave me alone, I won¡¯t go and find trouble with the werewolf race. You may continue to find your own members and expand your influence. I could care less. This is all you want to hear, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The two elders exchanged looks. They did not expect the countess to be so forthright. Bluphlei still seemed doubtful. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be interested even if other in the Blood Clan are preparing for The Day of Return?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Vivian glanced at Hao Ren discreetly. The two elders did not notice it. ¡°I¡¯ve got better things to do. The world¡¯s a big place.¡±


    The elders did not understand the meaning behind this. They thought the countess just liked travelling, get-togethers and to be with humans. They rose to their feet. ¡°We are leaving now. There¡¯s still a lot work to be done back home. And we¡¯re happy to see that the countess is fine. We¡¯ll tell our members.¡±


    Vivian also got to her feet. Her smile was halfhearted as she shoved the elders out of the door.


    ¡°What a shame! I was hoping you could stay a while longer and have some dim sum¡­¡±


    Hao Ren sighed: Vivian was just too fake.


    After the elders left, Hao Ren and Vivian exchanged looks before they spontaneously said, ¡°The Plane of Dreams!¡±

 Chapter 167

    Vivian knew about The Plane of Dreams. When Hao Ren returned from seeing Raven 12345, he had told her about the origin of unusual creatures. So, they had their minds on The Plane of Dreams when they heard about The Day of Return.


    Even though there was still no concrete evidence pointing to the shadow of The Plane of Dreams behind The Day of Return, as the hometown of all unusual creatures on Earth, it certainly had a defining influence over the creatures worldwide. If the unusual creatures were regaining their power once lost a thousand years ago, then the probability of paranormal activities occurring in The Plane of Dreams would be very high.


    If all this was not enough to trigger their concern, then the siren¡¯s prophecy delivered by Bluphlei should have been conclusive proof of evidence. To those in the know, there was nothing like the world of strange species and supernatural powers that would befit the ancient ¡®Glorious Imperium¡¯ name.


    ¡°Actually, I wanted to ask¡­¡± Hao Ren looked at Vivian curiously. ¡°¡­in theory, you¡¯re supposedly one of the oldest unusual creatures still existing on Earth. Are you sure you don¡¯t remember anything about The Plane of Dreams?¡±


    ¡°Not a thing.¡± Vivian forced a smile as she shook her head. She was helpless when it came to her early memories. ¡°The earliest memory I have is of a long and chaotic dream¡ªa condition where every one in the Blood Clan would experience after a long period of sleep. And it seems I slept for a very long time. I woke up inside a cave on a mountain range, wearing a very strange and old piece of garment. Then, I saw a primitive tribe having a bizarre ritual just outside of the cave as if they saw me as their god of protection¡­ That¡¯s all I can recall. But, it¡¯s obvious that I¡¯ve been living for a long time on Earth even before that moment at the cave and been in contact with other unusual creatures. The garment on me was way ahead of its time. Humans were still clad in leaves and animal skins while I was clad in an attire made by a half-sheep, half-human tailor.¡±


    Then Vivian sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t count on me. My memory¡¯s worse than Lily¡¯s.¡±


    Nangong Sanba and Nangong Wuyue had a lot to say to each other as if they had not seen each other for a long time. While at times, the siren maiden was violent towards her brother, their relationship was in fact not as bad. She nagged him, reminding him to take care while being out there; it was out of love and concern more than anything else. Lily, still gnawing on a frozen bone, overheard the two¡¯s conversation. She shoved a plate of food towards Nangong Sanba. ¡°Eat, eat¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll reheat the food,¡± said Vivian before she wheeled and walked towards the table. ¡°I¡¯m still hungry.¡±


    It was a bumpy lunch. It was some time past one in the afternoon. Everyone gathered around the table. Hao Ren placed his hand on the cold tail of the little mermaid, trying to quicken the defrosting process. Nangong Sanba took out pieces of paper under his coat. ¡°Actually, the main purpose I came here today is to pass you these. You may need them.¡±


    Hao Ren took them. They were information and photos of people.


    ¡°This is¡­¡±


    Nangong Sanba smiled. ¡°North China is where demon hunters usually reside. The assigned region of each person, their cyclical patrol patterns, rendezvous points, the combat styles of some whom I have frequent contact with and their likes and dislikes are all in there. Although it¡¯s not comprehensive¡ªit doesn¡¯t include their movements as humans and it¡¯s only limited to the veteran demon hunters because anything related to the lower ranks was too scattered and too difficult to collect¡ªit might be useful.¡±


    ¡°My god!¡± Hao Ren immediately kept the information. ¡°This is damn good intel.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you feeling a bit of guilt, selling out your ¡®teammates¡¯?¡± Vivian gazed at Nangong Sanba in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re still a demon hunter after all.¡±


    ¡°I doubt they¡¯ll treat me as their teammate if they know who I really am.¡± Nangong Sanba was unperturbed. ¡°I know all too well their spirit of extremism; compared to other barbaric but more compassionate creatures, demon hunters are more dangerous. I have to protect my sister from them. And I¡¯m used to collecting intel on the local demon hunter and passing it to her. I¡¯d be happy to give it to you too. I don¡¯t care about them. All I care about is my sister¡¯s safety.¡±


    This guy was a control freak, Hao Ren thought. But, he did not say anything. After all, it was none of his business. As he nodded his head, a question came to mind. ¡°Do you have any information about their major movement?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by major movement?¡±


    ¡°About the uprising of the other kind¡­ it seems they¡¯re preparing for something big. Any movement on the demon hunter¡¯s side?¡± Hao Ren tried to extract intel from Nangong Sanba.


    ¡°There is indeed something.¡± Nangong Sanba¡¯s face turned grim. ¡°I heard that the demon hunters in some regions are calling upon the veterans to form small groups to clean up all old ruins, where the other kind once resided several hundred years ago. There¡¯s a good chance that nothing¡¯s going to be found in these places but, they still sent men there anyway. Just a few months back, a group of demon hunters had gone to the Arctic.


    ¡°It¡¯s understandable that they want to clean up these ruins. Since the other races are trying to find their lost sacred items, the demon hunters would definitely want to find and destroy these items before the others can reach them. But, why the Arctic?¡± Vivian frowned. ¡°Frost giants were active in the Arctic but they quickly disappeared. These frost giants left no meaningful civilization. They were a bunch of low-intelligence life form¡­so, theoretically there wouldn¡¯t be ruins of anything left.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nothing I know of.¡± Nangong Sanba spread his hands out. ¡°I¡¯m just a peripheral rookie. I used to talk as little as possible when I saw other demon hunters to avoid my identity from being exposed. They leaked this information during a normal course of chattering. It might not be valuable.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that will suffice.¡± Vivian grinned as she nodded to Nangong Sanba. ¡°What you¡¯ve provided is very useful. Definitely worth the lunch.¡±


    Nangong Sanba forced a smile as he got to his feet and tidied his clothes. ¡°I¡¯m done here. I don¡¯t want to bother you any further. The Russians wish for me to go to them immediately. I¡¯ll depart in the afternoon. Wuyue, please take good care of yourself. Be nice to your friends for the sake of our family¡¯s honor¡ª¡±


    Nangong Wuye shoved him out of the door. ¡°I know, I know. Please, go now!¡±


    The living room quieted down again. Hao Ren¡¯s hand was still on the little mermaid but, his mind was not on Earth. Suddenly, he felt a jolt under his hand: the defrosting process was complete. The little one opened her eyes slowly, her tail began to flap on the table and she started to call out her guardian¡¯s name.


    Seeing this, Hao Ren¡¯s mind returned to Earth. He held the little mermaid nervously in his hand and examined his own daughter carefully. The little one tilted her head sideways and thought for a moment before she remembered what she was doing prior to the hibernation. She brooded for a while before she opened her mouth and cried¡ªcontinuing where she left off earlier.


    However, Hao Ren felt a sense of relief. From her cry, he knew Lil Pea was doing fine despite the hibernation. She was as fit as a fiddle.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I can¡¯t wrap my head around.¡± While Hao Ren clumsily comforted Lil Pea, Vivian said to Nangong Wuyue, ¡°Sirens are a peace-loving race, right? So, they¡¯re not interested at all in the war on the surface.¡±


    ¡°Yes, basically they are.¡± Nangong Wuyue nodded. ¡°I am, at least. I¡¯ve never seen other sirens. What I¡¯ve heard of them is basically that¡ªpeace-loving.¡±


    ¡°Then, what about news of The Day of Return they brought up from the deep sea?¡± Vivian squinted. ¡°It would be total chaos. If sirens are truly peace-loving, would they be concerned about the revival of the Mythological Era?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue realized something was amiss after she heard what Vivian said. She tried to put herself into her senior¡¯s shoe of thought. ¡°Could something have happened down there that has a direct connection with The Day of Return on the surface?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯d be nice if I could go down there as well¡­¡± Vivian sighed.


    ¡°Before that, I want to return to The Plane of Dreams,¡± Hao Ren chimed in. ¡°Let¡¯s go together. I need to confirm something there.¡±

 Chapter 168

    Whether he was a human, a landlord of unusual creatures or the executor of a goddess, Hao Ren could not have ignored the coming of The Day of Return. No matter what the truth was, it had the potential to disrupt the equilibrium on Earth. To stop it or not to stop it, he really did not know¡ªhe felt helpless to do so even if he wanted to. He wanted to know what The Day of Return was all about.


    The most reliable source of information was the sirens. They were the ones who brought the news to the surface. But, these messengers had since returned to the bottom of the sea. Before the two elders left, they had also mentioned about the event: the last siren left the surface in 1976. Finding these messengers was mission-impossible. There may have been others like Nangong Wuyue¡¯s mum, who discarded her mission but, no one knew where they were. It was like finding a needle in a haystack. Hao Ren had no intention of looking for them for the time being.


    Diving to the bottom of the deep sea was very difficult. Even for a siren like Nangong Wuyue, getting close to the forbidden territory was impossible. To top it off, all the unusual creatures and demon hunters were watching the deep sea closely. Any rash movement could bring unnecessary trouble to himself. He needed more intel before he could think of going there.


    For Hao Ren, there was one place where he could enter freely and get more intel¡ªThe Plane Of Dreams.


    The Plane of Dreams may not have provided intel about The Day of Return but, at least, it gave him a better understanding of the unusual creatures on Earth. And, he may even be able to find another perspective to the problem if he was lucky. So, he was quite hopeful.


    Hao Ren called for a meeting. Lil Pea hung from his arm and listened while he briefed everyone on his thoughts. He looked at Vivian. ¡°Remember the papers I gave you after I came back from the foreign planet? Now, you can see it with your own eyes. You¡¯re the only rune expert here.¡±


    Hao Ren had jotted down the Letta runes he saw in The Plane of Dreams when he accidentally fell into it during his trip to bring Lil Pea back from the foreign planet. The runes were just normal runes for driving away evil spirits and runes for prayers according to Vivian¡¯s interpretation. But, he felt there could possibly be more runes in The Plane of Dreams. Hence, bringing Vivian along into The Plane of Dreams could prove to be helpful.


    Of all of them, Y¡¯zaks was the only person from the other world. He was interested. He smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the unusual creatures on Earth came from The Plane of Dreams. I wish I could go there. But, is it possible to bring others along?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about this conundrum too.¡± Hao Ren looked down at his hands. ¡°I¡¯ve been entering and exiting The Plane of Dreams a few times with all my clothes and things in my hands. I guess, yes, I can bring things along. Just that, they must be worn, held or have skin-contact. The question is, would this method work on people¡­¡±


    ¡°All you¡¯ve got is this after all your wild guess?¡± The MDT had not been talking for a long time. It felt it needed to show itself. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to bring people there by ¡®wearing¡¯ them like you¡¯re wearing your shirt?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue was elated. ¡°This is entirely possible. The last time, I wrapped him in my tail and it was fit as wearing clothes.¡±


    ¡°Knock it off.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand in embarrassment. He found his idea ridiculous too. He needed something better before he could bring anyone in there. ¡°MDT, you got any idea?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking into the database. There is some information about The Plane of Dreams in the shared data vault of local universes¡­¡±The MDT rambled. ¡°Err, no info about group trips. It¡¯s all solo trips.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you talk to the goddess?¡± said Y¡¯zaks in his low voice. ¡°Experience tells me that there are certain risks involved when you engage in projection-like travel to the other world. A slight error can throw people off course. I knew a guy who wore a mithril bracelet and traveled to the human world. He ended up in Pope City and died a painful death.¡±


    Cold sweat trickled down Hao Ren¡¯s back like ice water. He picked the MDT up and got ready to teleport. ¡°I¡¯m seeing Raven 12345 now.¡±


    He got to his feet and before he managed to activate the teleportation, Vivian suddenly pointed at his arm. ¡°Maybe you should put down the ¡®bracelet¡¯.¡±


    Hao Ren looked down and Lil Pea¡¯s body was wrapped around his arm like a bandage. She looked up at her dad and their eyes met. She then made a series of sounds before she swished her tail happily. She was simply happy, for no reason. She was either happy or really happy the entire day.


    Like a bracelet as Y¡¯zaks mentioned, the little mermaid probably would not interfere with the teleportation but, Hao Ren still pulled her off his arm. ¡°Stay home. You¡¯re too small for me to find if I lose you.¡±


    The little mermaid was dropped on the table. She staggered around but did not cling on to Hao Ren again. Nangong Wuyue had found a chopstick and she used it to divert Lil Pea¡¯s attention so that Hao Ren could activate his teleportation.


    In a twist of light and shadow, he was already at the mansion and engulfed by a thick fog.


    The sky was cloudy.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Hao Ren looked up. He had never seen such bad weather at Raven 12345¡¯s place. As the goddess¡¯ residence, the place should have always been filled with light and warmth but, at that time it was gloomy with clouds everywhere. The place was blanketed with grey and black fog as if the building was submerged in a stormy ocean, a lonely island in the midst of a raging sea. The surrounding felt depressing as well as appalling.


    Then, there was a crack!


    The loud sound almost scared the hell out of him. He saw purple lightning strike across the sky from the southeast like a giant python. Even the cloud was rippled by it.


    A chilly wind swept across the garden. Hao Ren pulled his clothes tight to his body. He was a little surprised: what happened to the goddess¡¯ residence?


    No one in the garden could tell him what was going on. The arcane servants were nowhere to be found. He pulled up to the front and stood at the door. At least the door looked normal. It swung open silently and a light-filled corridor was exposed.


    He felt a sudden relief as he stepped through the entrance which shielded him from the bad weather outside. Inside the mansion, everything was just like the day before¡ªserene. Yet, he could still see the weather outside through the glass wall¡ªa dark cloud was engulfing the mansion and it seemed like it would not be going away anytime soon.


    A strange electrical hum was heard several meters away. Balls of blue light quickly converged into a tall, human figure. The human-like figure nodded to Hao Ren. He felt relieved: it was Big Bluey. It looked the same as always.


    ¡°I¡¯ve come for Raven 12345,¡± said Hao Ren.


    Big Bluey was taciturn as usual. He just kept nodding and then led Hao Ren to Raven¡¯s office.


    As the office door was pushed open, Hao Ren saw a woman with long, silver hair. Her back was facing him. She was standing and looking out through the glass window. Big Bluey then whistled and slowly faded into the air. As usual, Hao Ren walked into the office like he always did and ushered himself into the familiar chair. ¡°Hi, I was wondering about what¡¯s happening outside, all the dark clouds and lightning.¡±


    Raven wheeled round and glanced at Hao Ren curiously. ¡°You¡¯re Hao Ren? The interesting assistant 12345 has been talking about?¡±


    Hao Ren was clueless.

 Chapter 169

    The silver-haired lady turned around and looked curiously at Hao Ren. ¡°So, you are Hao Ren, the fine assistant that 12345 found so interesting?¡±


    Hao Ren was immediately stunned by Raven¡¯s weird behavior before he could even speak. He returned the weird looks of the silver-haired lady, who he was pretty familiar with. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you eat something wrong? And what¡¯s with the storm outside?¡±


    ¡°Oh, outside? Nothing to worry, just a small problem. A rift in the translocation axis. I wasn¡¯t very familiar with this world and slightly miscalculated my trajectory.¡± The silver-haired lady, who looked exactly like Raven 12345 spoke slowly and gave Hao Ren a faint, graceful smile. ¡°And¡­I think you¡¯ve got the wrong person. 12345 is not here. I¡¯m her stand-in.¡±


    Her voice was warm and her smile, gentle. She also exuded a grace that belied a majestic presence. Almost like she was the gentle, older sister of everyone¡¯s dreams. The way she spoke totally differentiated her from Raven 12345. Even if she shared the same face as Raven 12345, Hao Ren could tell immediately that she was a different person altogether. He suddenly remembered that there was not only one ¡®Raven¡¯ around. They were separated by index numbers. His employer, Raven 12345 was one among countless goddesses, numbered 12345. So¡­ that made the Raven in front of him¡­ another goddess?


    ¡°Uhh¡­ yes I¡¯m Hao Ren.¡± As he realized that the person in front of him was a stranger, he could not help but take on a more professional demeanor to match the lady¡¯s. ¡°And you are¡­?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to be so nervous. You can tell me anything. Raven 12345 has already given me the rundown of things.¡± The silver-haired lady said as she sat on the chair behind the work desk.


    ¡°You can call me, Raven 23333.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s sudden ¡°Huh?¡± broke any pretense of seriousness that he was trying to cultivate.


    ¡°Raven 23333. Is this name considered weird in your civilization?¡± The silver-haired lady said as she rubbed her chin, deep in thought. ¡°Having so many differences between civilizations sure is interesting. So many things that do not have any sense of logic yet, still hold so many important meanings¡­¡±


    Hao Ren quickly threw on a deadpanned face. He could care less about the name or temperament of the lady in front of him anymore (He would probably get a heart attack sooner, trying to figure things out). ¡°Say¡­. 12345 isn¡¯t back yet? What¡¯s she up to?¡±


    ¡°Routine inspections, debriefing¡­ the likes. No worries, nothing too big.¡±


    ¡°I heard last time that she dueled someone to the death¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, it was during a debriefing that she fought with someone. She has a habit of doing so. Even got disciplined by the Mother before.


    ¡°¡­Right¡­ Let¡¯s get on to business then. I wanted to ask about bringing others into The Plane of Dreams¡­¡±


    Hao Ren had no idea how much this stand-in goddess of another stand-in goddess (Remember, Raven 12345 herself was a stand-in) knew about what was going on and so, took the time to explain the matter in detail. At the end of it, he also popped another question, ¡°Aside from bringing others into the dream plane¡­ I have another thing bugging my mind, the time I have inside The Plane of Dreams. It¡¯s usually tied to the time I¡¯m asleep and that¡¯s barely a few hours long. Once I¡¯m awake, I¡¯m totally detached from the place. This simply isn¡¯t enough for me to investigate The Plane of Dreams, given its size¡­ Do you think it¡¯s possible to extend the time I¡¯m able to roam around there, using whatever techniques you guys have?¡±


    ¡°Checking out The Plane of Dreams eh? So, you are in charge of this.¡± Raven 23333 pieced things together. ¡°You want to bring others into the dream plane. That¡¯s not a problem. You just need to use some special tools to initiate mental synchronization. The duration in the plane can also be extended, nothing too difficult. But, who are you bringing into the plane? As this is official business, better not involve any unnecessary civilians¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, civilians they are not.¡± Hao Ren waved his hands. While this Raven definitely had a weird name like the rest of the Ravens, she had an aura of majesty that Hao Ren dared not tread upon. Her calm and measured voice simply sapped away any playful intent that Hao Ren would usually have. ¡°They are the tenants over at my place. Raven 12345 mentioned to bring them along for help.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Follow me then.¡±


    Raven 23333 was all about business. With a wave of her hand, she opened a portal and beckoned Hao Ren to follow. After stepping through the portal gate, Hao Ren realized that he was at a very familiar place; the same room that he first came to perform his physical enhancement.


    But this time around, Raven 23333 did not raise the hidden reconfiguration chambers. Instead, she activated another lever in the room. A soft chime rang out, it¡¯s sound similar to that of a wind chime, and a pillar of light appeared in the middle of the room. From it, countless of blue and white lines swirled about and quickly formed into a blurry, rectangular shape. The shape then slowly took form and solidified. Hao Ren quickly realized that these were also reconfiguration chambers but, smaller than the ones he used before. They seemed even more simplified in design, without the messy bundles of wires and plug-ins¡­ They were almost like¡­ coffins.


    ¡°I¡¯m using the data-transfiguration tool to create some simple sleeping pods. They should keep you asleep long and well enough while they sustain you. They¡¯re pretty simple to use and come with their own user manual,¡± Raven 23333 said as she gracefully manipulated the controls. She then looked up to ask, ¡°How many persons are there?¡±


    ¡°Uhh¡­ five. But, can you make a few more as backups? We may need them in the future!¡±


    Hao Ren originally planned for just the current members in his household but, figured that he may be taking in more tenants in the future. The numbers that would need to enter The Plane of Dreams would only increase and he figured it was better to have a few extras. However, as Raven 23333 continued to manipulate the controls, an apologetic smile appeared on her face. ¡°Lets go with five¡­. If you need more, just apply for them next time.¡±


    Hao Ren was perplexed. ¡°Is there like a limit to this?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ It seems like the data-transfiguration tool is broken.¡± Raven 23333 stared wearily at the crystalline display in front of her. ¡°I was changing some of the values and using some spells to improve its efficiency but it doesn¡¯t seem to be responding..¡±


    It did not require Hao Ren to be a genius to see that something was indeed wrong. The pillar in the middle of the room had some broken strands on it and an audible buzz rang as it approached the floor. The strands that were supposed to form into the sleeping pods were now writhing about chaotically, creating crackles of lightning in the process. The excess energy started emanating out of the room. An eerie flare grew brighter and brighter, and Hao Ren¡¯s heart almost jumped out at the sight: A gigantic globe of flames was converging at the data-transthingamajigy, expanding in size by the second.


    ¡°Hmm.. seems like the whole system has crashed.¡± Raven 23333 looked up towards the ball of flames. She threw Hao Ren an ever-so-calm look that made him went, ¡°Stop looking at me and do something!¡± in his heart. She finally lifted her hand up and summoned a bolt of arcane lightning onto the crystalline control panel. ¡°Well, can¡¯t have new ones without getting rid of the old ones. May I be forgiven for this loss.¡±


    The arcane lightning quickly seeped into the data-transfiguration tool and killed the device after frying out its core. At the same time however, Hao Ren heard a loud explosion somewhere far away¡­ He really hoped that it was just common thunder.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Raven 23333 seemed totally unaffected by the incident and gave the five completed sleeping pods a satisfied nod. ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s done.¡±


    The edge of Hao Ren¡¯s mouth curled into a slight sneer. When he first heard Raven 12345 declare that all Ravens were inept in terms of technology, he thought that the lazy goddess was simply just pushing her responsibilities aside. But now, he saw another Raven, whose mannerisms and presence was what you would expect of a goddess. She destroyed a seemingly priceless piece of equipment. He realized that Raven 12345 was not lying after all. The Ravens being dummies when it came to tech was nothing but the truth.


    ¡°You can take all of this back.¡± Raven 23333 pointed towards the new pods that she had conjured out of thin air. ¡°Go, fix the The Plane of Dreams as soon as you can. Things are getting very messy there.¡±

 Chapter 170

    The five, casket-like sleeping pods lay in front of Hao Ren. He could scarcely believe that these things simply popped out of thin air. As he was looking at the control panels of the pods, something Raven 23333 said caused him to turn his head rapidly in her direction. ¡°Worsening? What¡¯s worsening?¡±


    ¡°The Plane of Dreams. Didn¡¯t 12345 tell you anything?¡± There was a hint of surprise in Raven 23333¡¯s voice. ¡°Oh¡­seems like she has her own plans regarding this. It would be remiss of me to divulge too much. Ask her yourself when she gets back.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s jaw had yet to complete it¡¯s drop before he hauled it back up and swallowed all the questions he wanted to ask. He pointed at the pods. ¡°Say¡­ How am I bringing this back? I don¡¯t suppose teleportation would work¡­¡±


    ¡°Use your Dimensional Pocket?¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°Ugh¡­ it hasn¡¯t been unlocked yet.¡±


    ¡°Not yet?¡± Raven 23333 was surprised. ¡°But, based on what I saw in your profile, the authorisation for your Dimensional Pocket should have already been approved¡­ Let me have a look.¡±


    Raven 23333 squinted as her eyes went still for a short moment. An embarrassed expression soon appeared across her face. ¡°Seems like 12345 has forgotten about it.¡±


    ¡°I knew it!¡± Hao Ren exclaimed.


    ¡°Oh well, she¡¯s always forgetful when it comes to things like this. Don¡¯t mind her.¡± Raven 23333 said as she snapped her fingers. ¡°Let me authorise that for you¡­ and now you have the Dimensional Pocket. It is bound to your soul frequency and can be used within the borders of the empire and where the Imperial Data Network is available. Give it a try. It¡¯s like using the MDT with your mind. You will probably feel disorientated on your first try. It takes a while getting used to the dimensional shift but, the Data Network will help you calibrate that.¡±


    Hao Ren was skeptical that a new ability was unlocked this fast. He though Raven 23333 would have to be pushing pens and papers to get his authorisation approved. He wanted to take a nap in the pod. Excited with his newfound ability, he eagerly activated the Dimensional Pocket. The sensation was almost similar to the first time he activated the MDT. As he focused his thoughts, he felt his senses being pulled into a different subconscious state.


    An empty dimension appeared in his mind. The space was independent of sight, touch and hearing, a sensation that was beyond a human¡¯s five senses. That said, being human himself, Hao Ren¡¯s access to the dimension was through thought-signals.


    He felt so at ease with the Dimensional Pocket that he did not need to use the user manual. Raven 23333 was right. The Data Network would help in calibrating and processing the storage of items. Hao Ren just needed to set a wide enough space to get things started.


    After understanding the ins and outs of the Dimensional Pocket, Hao Ren was really excited. He finally had one to call his own. After working for the Celestials for so long, he finally got one of the abilities most essential to his quality of life. He dreamed of the coming days where he did not have to bother about bringing a luggage anymore¡­


    As the excitement glowed on his face, Raven 23333 threw him a pitiful glance, ¡°It¡¯s hard working for 12345 eh?¡±


    Hao Ren had not snapped out of his euphoria when he heard that and could only answer with a late, ¡°Huh?¡± He then heard Raven 23333 continue, ¡°Raven 12345 is screwed up in the head and it¡¯s still not cured.¡±


    ¡°Ahem¡­¡± Hao Ren coughed as he cleared his throat. He looked at 23333 wearily and thought that the two goddess may have had some unsavory past. ¡°I think 12345 is a pretty decent person. Bad mouthing her at this time¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t misunderstand me. I¡¯m on good terms with her. She¡¯s my senior after all. Raven 23333¡¯s face was serious without any hint of humor around. ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with her psyche. A long time ago, when she was in the front lines, her Cognitive Core was damaged. But, because she felt that it was not affecting her work despite being brain damaged, she refused to get it fixed. Even until now she¡¯s pretty neurotic.¡±


    Raven 23333 then sighed deeply. ¡°Haih¡­ After that, she became the oddball among the Ravens. She forwent our graceful spells and started dabbling in techno-sorcery with a fanatic zeal. Even when she fights, she likes to get up-close and personal. I¡¯ve even heard that she took someone¡¯s Zankantou as her personal weapon and called herself an Eldritch Knight¡­ We kept advising her to seek treatment but she simply won¡¯t listen.¡±


    Hao Ren was already stunned silly by then. He never thought that the crazy goddess he teased so much to be really damaged in the head. He took another look at Raven 23333¡¯s face to reconfirm and he did not see a single shred of pretense on her face. He resignedly accepted the fact that his boss was a real lunatic¡­


    ¡°¡­You guys don¡¯t even let someone that damaged go, eh?¡± Hao Ren said as he wiped off the cold sweat from his head. ¡°Why did she even come to work? No medical leaves?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ it doesn¡¯t affect her work.¡± Raven 23333 waved off Hao Ren¡¯s concerns. ¡°Besides, her situation isn¡¯t all that serious. Aside from the occasional neuroticism, she is one of the better workers. You see her acting normal most of the time, no?¡±


    Hao Ren wanted to quip that Raven 12345¡¯s attitude at work was almost horrible and that the crazy goddess should pop a pill to calm herself down. But after a while, he decided against it. A cured Raven 12345 may just be too different than the one he already knew. He had already gotten used to her willful, random ways. If she reverted to the likes of Raven 23333, who was deadpan serious about everything, he would probably not survive his job¡­


    Also, he was unsure if Raven 12345 was not able to hear him bitching about her. With her current mental state, Hao Ren was sure that she would take revenge on him. If a normal woman was calculative enough, a goddess would be even more so¡­ Not to mention that she was still screwed in the head. He dreaded to think of the punishment she would inflict on him¡­


    Under Raven 23333¡¯s guidance, Hao Ren¡¯s first attempt in using the Dimensional Pocket was smooth sailing. While it took him some time to focus and control the pocket, he finally got all five sleeping pods stored. Since he had nothing else to do after that and thought that any further reports should go directly to 12345, he took his leave.


    The storm clouds and lightning outside the mansion seemed to have subsided a little. While the dark mist still encompassed the area, the chill wind was no longer blew. Raven 23333 personally sent Hao Ren out to the plaza of the mansion as he turned back to say his farewells. He then noticed a trail of smoke coming from the back of the mansion.


    Hao Ren recalled the meltdown incident in the room previously and the subsequent explosion that followed. He was sure something blew up and lo and behold, the mansion had a new hole thanks to it.


    Hopefully Raven 12345 would not take offense at her junior punching a hole in her place.


    Raven 23333 stood by the mansion with a smile as he nodded and left. The scene was etched in his mind for a very long time.


    While Hao Ren could have simply teleported home, he did not go home straight away. He went to town instead. He quickly paid the electronics store a visit and bought two new items. A solid and reliable MP5 device, and a solar-powered charger.


    He needed to plan this trip into The Plane of Dreams properly and he tried to get every possible preparatory work done. He also remembered that he needed to get Becky the Mercenary a music box. He did not feel right being under her care and hitching a free ride along the way. Moreover, he did not even get a chance to say goodbye when he left. He also needed to figure out the matter of the dental issues those silly, black wolves were having. He still had to ask Lily if she had any expertise on that.


    Hao Ren was a man of his word and he intended to stay true to that.


    He then went into the supermarket to buy a boatload of items; mostly food and drinks. He pretty much spent every penny in his wallet before he called it a day. The amount he bought scared the daylights out of the cashiers. It took him a lot of effort to move his purchases to a secluded spot before he stored everything into the Dimensional Pocket. He figured that having your basic necessities on hand was a smart move.


    It was hard to say if this round of binge shopping was done at a whim because of the Dimensional Pocket. This idiot actually wanted to try storing the stone lion statue in front of the supermarket¡­


    Translator¡¯s Thoughts


    Seraphica Seraphica


    Well, never thought I¡¯d see weapons from games being mentioned here. So for the uninitiated, there¡¯s a brief description of the weapons the author mentioned.


    Zankantou (”ØÅžµ¶) aka Ship-Cleaver/Colossal Blade is the HUUUUGEEEE signature weapon of Sanger Zonvolt¡¯s mech Dygenguar (Dynamic General Guardian) from Super Robot Wars : Original Generations.


    And of course, Frostmourne, the sword of the Lich King in Warcraft III.

 Chapter 171

    By the time Hao Ren finished his shopping binge, it was late in the evening.


    The moment he stepped into the door, Lily was the first to pounce on him. The husky was so excited that her wagging tail was almost a blur. She even had a bulky duffel bag in hand. ¡°Mr. Landlord, let¡¯s go to bed now!¡±


    Hao Ren did not have enough time to process what Lily said before she almost landed on him. With much effort, he held her at arm¡¯s length as she looked the part of an excited dog that wanted to lick its master. ¡°Calm down would you?! Remember, you¡¯re still a girl!¡±


    ¡°So¡­ can you bring others in?¡± Vivian questioned as she dragged Lily away by the collar. Her voice was composed but, one could clearly see the gleam of anticipation in her eyes.


    ¡°Yes, not a problem. I brought back five sleeping pods that will allow us all to access The Plane of Dreams. It will also prevent anyone of us from being accidentally ejected from the plane,¡± Hao Ren said as he looked about the living room for a place to put the pods. ¡°¡­Not enough space¡­¡±


    ¡°Sleeping pods? Where?¡± Lily¡¯s eyes widened as she circled around Hao Ren twice, looking for them.


    Hao Ren simply grinned. ¡°Come, let me show you some magic¡­¡±


    As he said this, he extended his hand in front of Lily. A sudden glow of swirling light flashed by and a loaf of bread appeared on his hand. Lily jumped up almost instantaneously as the bread landed on Hao Ren¡¯s hand. ¡°Wahhh!! What is that?!¡±


    ¡°A Dimensional Pocket!¡± Hao Ren lobbed the bread at Lily and crossed his arms, feeling all high and mighty. ¡°I finally have a set of abilities worthy of a main character! The Dimensional Pocket can even store a few thousand old coots if I need it to.¡±


    Lily and Vivian gasped in amazement. The ruckus even drew the attention of Wuyue, who was playing with Lil Pea and she promptly brought the pot with her. Once again, Hao Ren, like a little child who just got a new toy performed his trick. Lily just slung her bag off and gave it to him. ¡°Here, you¡¯re in charge of our baggage from now on.¡±


    Vivian ran towards the sofa like a gust of wind to pick her luggage up and passed it to him too. ¡°Oh, here¡¯s mine.¡±


    Wuyue also put the pot down quickly and ran back upstairs to her room. She brought down two big bags. ¡°And mine.¡±


    Thankfully, Y¡¯zaks was rather understanding as he smiled sympathetically at the forlorn look on the latter¡¯s face. ¡°I don¡¯t have much baggage to speak of.¡±


    Hao Ren was just about to nod and thank him before he saw the great demon pointing at the TV set.


    ¡°Bring that along would you. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll get bored.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no bleeding signal in the dream plane!¡± Hao Ren exclaimed exasperatedly and pointed at himself resignedly. ¡°This Dimensional Pocket is such an amazing ability¡­ Yet, I¡¯m relegated to being a bellboy? What happened to the main character¡¯s signature ability?¡±


    The four of them threw him a weird look and retorted in unison, ¡°If it¡¯s not for carrying stuff, what good is it for?¡±


    He was speechless.


    From that moment on, Hao Ren did not ever dream of a moment where he would really outshine others¡­ At least, he would not with this bunch of people around. He reckoned if he brought Frostmourne back from the Space Administration¡¯s office, having shaved ice for summer would probably be the first thing on the lot¡¯s minds.


    ¡°Talking about space¡­ why not put them in the basement?¡± As Hao Ren fretted about where he would put those five caskets, Vivian remembered that the basement she was sleeping in was pretty spacious. ¡°The basement is rather big no? Aside from the small storeroom, it¡¯s my sleeping space. I don¡¯t have much furniture to begin with so, it¡¯s pretty spacious.¡±


    Due to the fact that they all wanted to see how the pods looked like, they quickly ran down to the basement. Thank god, Hao Senior had the foresight to have a big basement when he designed the house. The spaciousness was almost at the level of a warehouse and it could store lots of stuff. At that moment, it only housed Vivian¡¯s bed, a short table, two chairs and a small cupboard. It almost fit her poor as hell image. Hao Ren actually thought about getting her some extra furniture like a sofa and a TV but, the vampire had politely declined as she was very satisfied with her living conditions. For her, being able to watch TV in the living room with the rest was a luxury that she would never have dreamed of. And so, the basement was still as empty as before.


    Well.. before is the keyword here. Now, five brand new sleeping pods (cas-kets) lay in a line, facing Vivian¡¯s bed. Finally, something to fill the rather overly spacious basement.


    But¡­ to use five caskets to fill in the space¡­ Hao Ren was not sure whether to cry or laugh at the scene.


    As he placed the pods in their respective spots and stepped back to have a look, Hao Ren felt like he was in a morgue. Not only were the pods shaped like bleeding caskets, they were even painted with the most common color one could find in the morgue. To add to the eerie atmosphere, the machines exuded a chilly and lifeless feeling, and there was a crystalline cross engraved on each of the cover of the pods. If anyone simply turned off the lights, you would not need special effects to re-enact a scene from Ju On.


    ¡°¡­ Won¡¯t it be weird to put these where you¡¯re sleeping?¡± Hao Ren looked at Vivian sympathetically. He believed that even if the vampire was a kind enough soul, he should not be taking advantage of her like this. Who would have liked to sleep among caskets anyway?


    ¡°If you¡¯re not okay with this, I can move them upstairs. With two to three pods per room, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem. We have four empty rooms at any rate.¡±


    Once again, Vivian shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It does feel like home with them.¡±


    Hao Ren then recalled that the vampire had slept in a casket before and spent many nights sleeping at the grave yard. Of course being surrounded by caskets seemed like home to her.


    The MDT then floated to the front of Hao Ren and displayed the operating manual. Just as Raven 23333 said, the pods were very easy to use. They even supported mental input which made them accessible to even the dumbest of the Imperial citizens. (Hao Ren figured that higher end, military grade stuff would be much, much more complex.) It did not take long for Hao Ren to figure out the basics of the pods. He was even more impressed that each pod came with its own AI support and MDT dock, allowing the system to perform any automatic correction should the new user screw up somewhere.


    Hao Ren grew curious of how Raven 12345 and Raven 23333 managed to wreck a device that even Lil Pea could learn to use. Got to give it to the crazy goddess though, she could even blew up the Reconfiguration Chamber, which only had a single button.


    As he prattled on about the goddess to himself, Hao Ren forgot that he was connected to the MDT and his thoughts were being shared to it. The latter shook itself as it adopted a lazy tone to explain: ¡°The reason that all Ravens were not able to use technological stuff is not because they can¡¯t remember the operational steps but, they always have to do something unnecessary. Most of the time you just need to wait for the system to start itself up but, they just had to use spells to do some ¡®enhancement¡¯ and wreck things in the process. All of the Ravens come with the knowledge to use technological stuff however, all of them have this ¡®I can do better than this¡¯ quirk. There¡¯s no exception to that¡­ I guess it¡¯s because all of them came from the same template.¡±


    Hao Ren gave the MDT a perplexed look. ¡°And this sort of information is disclosed to the public?¡±


    ¡°Why not? It¡¯s available on the Main Data Network. The earliest thread was about 2000 years ago.¡±


    Hao Ren was surprised. ¡°Isn¡¯t this blasphemy? Don¡¯t the goddesses take issue with it?¡±


    ¡°The thread was started by His Majesty himself.¡±


    Hao Ren was at a lost for words.


    Lily by then, had been circling the caskets for a good part of the day. She had in her hand, a multi-socket plug. ¡°Where are the plugs for these things?¡±


    ¡°You expect a mere 220V to power such high tech stuff?¡± Hao Ren leered as he flicked Lily¡¯s ears. ¡°The pods are self-powered. They use a micro-reactor furnace located in a sub-dimension for power. Once in operation, this machine will function to the world¡¯s end if it¡¯s not broken. Come, stop fiddling with it. I need to brief you guys on some stuff.¡±


    Hao Ren clapped and the crew gathered in front of him. Hao Ren pointed at the caskets. ¡°This thing here will slow down our metabolism to the point where we¡¯re almost frozen and will sustain us while we are in the The Plane of Dreams. We won¡¯t have to worry about of dying from hunger. The basic concept you need to understand about bringing someone into the dream plane is the synchronisation of the mind. These cas¡­ sleeping pods will synchronise our minds and use me as a ¡®guiding light¡¯ of sorts to lead all of you to The Plane of Dreams. Simply put, all of you will enter my dream and follow me to dream plane. Remember to stay close to me. You might be booted out of the server if you stray too far.


    Lily quipped excitedly, ¡°So.. you¡¯re like the WiFi?¡±


    Hao Ren glared at Lily for a while and then he remembered something. ¡°Oh right, Lily, do you know how to do dentures for canines?¡±

 Chapter 172

    Upon hearing Hao Ren¡¯s words, Lily immediately tucked her tail between her legs warily and asked, ¡°¡­Landlord, are you going to play tricks on me again?¡±


    Looking at the husky girl¡¯s cautious face, Hao Ren was not sure how to respond and asked, ¡°When did I play tricks on you?¡±


    ¡°Because people often fool me,¡± Lily said and pulled back. ¡°And the last time you gave me a bottle, you lied that there was jam inside. Turns out, it was chili oil when I bit off the lid. You kept tricking me into opening the bottle. One time, you asked me to bite off a bottle of mustard and there was another time you let me bite off the beer bottle and the last time¡­ You always take me for a bottle opener. This time you¡¯re asking me about dentures. This must mean that you want me to open a bottle again!¡±


    The rest of them immediately turned to Hao Ren with a fierce look but, he stared at Vivian and said, ¡°Why are you looking at me?! You¡¯re the one who suggested that Lily open the bottle of chili oil. You said the pupper has good teeth and it was too wasteful for her to just watch the door and we should let her work as a bottle opener in the kitchen¡­¡±


    Lily immediately bared her teeth and glared at Vivian. Hao Ren hurriedly stood in the middle of them and explained, ¡°Ehem, let¡¯s stop talking about old things. I¡¯ll go buy a can opener tomorrow, okay?Lily, I¡¯m serious. Can you implant dentures on dogs? In fact¡­¡±


    He told them how he met the wolves and accidentally broke their teeth. After listening to Hao Ren, Lily covered her mouth and gasped. ¡°Ouch ¡­ Sounds like it really hurt! You¡¯re so cruel, Landlord.¡±


    ¡°I was almost bitten as well, okay,¡± Hao Ren said, staring at Lily. ¡°So honestly, do you have the skills for dog dentures?¡±


    ¡°Even if I have the relevant skills, there aren¡¯t any materials to do it,¡± said Lily as she spread out her hands. ¡°Have you ever seen a pet hospital that provides denture services? Normally, dogs don¡¯t like the weird feeling of having a foreign body in their mouth. This doesn¡¯t include how difficult it is to make one. No matter how exquisite the porcelain teeth are, they¡¯re still fake. For canines that frequently use their claws and fangs to hunt, that thing will affect their judgment.¡±


    Watching Lily explain everything logically, Hao Ren could not help but ask, ¡°How do you know about this so clearly?¡±


    ¡°I lost my tooth once before.¡± Lily opened her mouth to show a row of white fangs which were neat and sharp like small knives. ¡°I lost a tooth, fighting with a tiger when I was young but, I could regenerate my tooth. The tiger was so delicious by the way¡­¡±


    Imagining the scene of such a seemingly harmless and beautiful girl squatting in the forest glade, tearing the tiger¡¯s corpse with her claws and blood all around, Hao Ren had goose bumps at the back of his neck. It was better not to delve into the past of these aliens.


    It appeared that Lily was unable to help him. However, while Hao Ren imagined those unlucky, black wolves having to eat porridge for the rest of their lives, Nangong Wuyue suddenly spoke, ¡°Talking about treating injuries¡­ maybe I could give it a try.¡±


    Everybody looked at her. Nangong Wuyue smiled and said, ¡°Sirens have the ability to heal wounds. Although it¡¯s not as fast as a werewolf¡¯s healing power, the key thing is that it can be used on other people. It should be able to help them grow a few teeth. But, I don¡¯t know if the creatures in The Plane of Dreams and those of the real world are the same so, I¡¯m not too sure if my healing power will work on them.¡±


    Everyone unanimously decided: Forget about whether it works or not, just give it a try! From now on Nangong Wuyue was not just a humidifier, she had another role, as first aid kit¡­


    With nothing else left, the last step was to enter The Plane of Dreams together. Hao Ren, assisted by the MDT, quickly adjusted the settings of several dormant cabins and registered everyone¡¯s mental frequencies into the devices. With the input being the last parameter, the upper lids of the ¡®coffins¡¯ slid open quietly, exposing the empty, crystalline inner tanks. Faint fluorescence twinkled from inside the crystalline tanks, as if summoning the users to lie down in the ¡®coffin¡¯.


    Hao Ren was unwilling to enter the ¡®coffin¡¯ but, Vivian already made the first move excitedly. She held a large pile of blankets and bedding, approached a dormant cabin and spread them out in the cabin smoothly. Soon, she made it a soft and comfy coffin bed. After she had finished, she looked at the MDT awkwardly and asked, ¡°Ah, I forgot to ask, is it okay to put these things inside?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. All of the cabin¡¯s functions involve non-physical contact. It¡¯s good to make it comfortable. You¡¯re quite creative. Usually people never think of putting blankets into a dormant cabin.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take this as a bed.¡± Vivian happily lay into it and felt the touch. She then jumped out and called Lily, ¡°Doggie, come with me. Let¡¯s go upstairs and take those spare blankets. I¡¯ll make the beds for you guys.¡±


    The vampire girl was immersed in helping them prepare the dormancy cabins. Those metal boxes would have been able to look less like coffins with the touch of technology. However, they looked more like coffins after they were covered in quilts. Vivian came down to the basement holding a bunch of white candles. She wanted to light them up around the coffins according to a vampire¡¯s sense of aesthetic. After Hao Ren threatened Vivian with his life, he finally crumbled the vampire¡¯s excitement. However, when everybody was ready to enter the cabin, Hao Ren suddenly realised one more thing and asked, ¡°We¡¯re going to stay inside for a few days. What about Lil Pea?¡±


    Lil Pea, together with her mother (the pot) were also brought to the basement and placed on Vivian¡¯s low table. The little one peeped out from the pot and curiously looked at the bunch of grown-ups. Upon hearing someone calling her name, she happily swished her tail, making a big splash. She kept waving at Hao Ren.


    ¡°Bring her in too?¡± Nangong Wuyue thought about it and decided to suggest.


    Hao Ren looked at the MDT and asked, ¡°Will it be okay?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no problem theoretically but, you have to think about it. There may not be mermaids in The Plane of Dreams. And even if there are, they¡¯re not necessarily a common species. If you hold such a mysterious creature in front of the local people, it¡¯ll very easily be surrounded by the people there. Also, Lil Pea is so small. What if you lose her or she gets eaten? If one dies in The Plane of Dreams, one dies in real life.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at everyone awkwardly and asked, ¡°Or can someone stay behind to take care of the kid?¡±


    Everyone looked at each other. Nobody wanted to miss the opportunity to enter The Plane of Dreams. Also, everybody had their own task in this trip: Vivian was a rune expert, Nangong Wuyue was the chaplain and Y¡¯zaks was the essential golden fighter regardless of any situation. He was the fighting power they absolutely could not lack in The Plane of Dreams, where the risks and dangers were unknown. As for Lily¡­ she did not seem to have a unique role but, the girl was a husky. Do you think she would have been able to stay at home obediently? In this case, she was even stickier than a plaster.


    In the end, the MDT finally came up with an idea after it pondered for quite some time. ¡°How about we put her in the fridge first?¡±


    Hao Ren glared at the stupid PDA and said, ¡°Can you not be a fool for once?¡±


    ¡°I mean, let her hibernate!¡± the MDT shouted. ¡°She has the habit of hibernating anyway. Can¡¯t we just throw her into the fridge to let her sleep for a few days?¡±


    Hao Ren paused for a moment and thought that it made sense as well. But when he saw those big, bright eyes staring right at him, he shook his head and said, ¡°No, I feel sorry for her, I can¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re expressing a bit of your fatherly consciousness now,¡± the MDT mumbled. ¡°Then, you carry her in since you don¡¯t find it troublesome. But, you have to find something to keep her. This pot won¡¯t work for sure. It¡¯s too inconvenient. You need to find a container that¡¯s easy to carry and has a lid on. It must have a lid to prevent the little kid from popping out or being seen in the wrong place.¡±


    Hao Ren brainstormed for a while and ran to the kitchen. He took the kettle. ¡°It should be okay to put her inside this.¡±


    ¡°But what if Lil Pea becomes afraid after the lid¡¯s closed?¡± Nangong Wuyue looked at the big kettle and said, ¡°It¡¯s dark in there and she¡¯s so small.¡±


    Hao Ren then looked at the MDT for more than 10 seconds. The MDT finally could not stand it and floated into the kettle despondently saying, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll be the trotting horse lamp for the little one¡­ You guys are really demanding! Not only do I have to serve the adults but also the kid!¡±


    Nangong Wuyue filled the kettle with water and put the small mermaid in carefully. Lil Pea was quite afraid of the strange-looking iron kettle in the beginning but, when she saw a glowing, metal discus inside, she was happy. She began to amuse herself by turning the MDT over and over in the water. Nangong Wuyue reminded the little kid not to go out as far as possible via mental connection and explained that the adults had something serious to do. Lil Pea nodded. She was very clever and could now understand these things.


    ¡°I want to tell you something by the way,¡± Nangong Wuyue looked at Hao Ren and spoke after she explained things to Lil Pea. ¡°Now Lil Pea thinks that this pot is her aunt, hang in there¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ What the! I¡¯ve given up on how I used to perceive the world, okay? I can calmly face whatever happens now!¡±


    ¡°Oh, Lil Pea asked me why dad has no lid on his head.¡±

 Chapter 173

    When the lid of the dormant cabin slowly folded down, Hao Ren¡¯s confused thoughts gradually calmed down and he began to enter the forced state of dormancy. Before he slept, his last thought was, if a team specialising in Hollywood science-fiction movies came and saw this scene, they would not be able to imagine anyone using high-tech gadgets quite like this: The sleeping-cabins were covered with bedding and pillows, and a kettle filled with water sat beside his head. More and more he felt himself lying in a coffin.


    Stuck in a trance; the same as his previous experience. The darkness lasted for less than a second and he ¡®woke up¡¯ again. Noise from The Plane of Dreams was ringing in his ears. The breeze, which was fresher than that of the earth brushed against his cheeks. Hao Ren opened his eyes and found himself standing in the small town, Lamberg, near its entrance. What he saw were the strange buildings he saw once before as well as a circle of terrified locals and two soldiers who were holding spears pointed at him.


    ¡°Who are you?!¡± One of the soldiers holding a pike shouted nervously. This guy had little freckles on his face and looked about 10. He stared at Hao Ren, who suddenly appeared before him as if he was about to face a formidable enemy.


    Hao Ren hurriedly raised his hand (together with the kettle) to indicate that he meant no harm. He just remembered that one of the distinguishing features upon entering The Plane of Dreams was that he would appear at the same spot where he last left. The last time he disappeared right in the middle of the public¡¯s eye on the busy street! They were in trouble this time.


    ¡°Errr, I¡¯m a wizard from another place, err, a wizard.¡± Hao Ren quickly organised a sentence and made up a believable excuse based on his understanding of The Plane of Dreams. ¡°We were just experimenting with teleportation but we ended up here. If you don¡¯t believe me, we can do it again and show you¡­¡±


    Hao Ren spoke as he looked around for the rest of the gang. Supposedly, they should have appeared beside him. However, it was probably just a ¡®ride¡¯ so, the teleportation speed of the rest could have been slower. Soon, he found that the air around him began to twist. One by one the figures slowly emerged from virtual to reality. Among them, the 2.15-meter-tall giant was the easiest to recognise. This apparent abnormality made the two soldiers nervous again. The freckled lad continued shouting, ¡°No dangerous magic experiments on the streets!¡±


    ¡°Last few people, last few people!¡± Hao Ren waved his hands as he signaled Lily to stay on the spot. She just went through teleportation and was a little confused. ¡°We are the wizard team. We¡¯re studying teleportation technology!¡±


    Vivian and Nangong Wuyue arrived and wanted to study the strange buildings around them but, they found that something was not right. The two of them leaned towards Hao Ren at the same time, whispered and asked about the situation. While Hao Ren explained things to the two ladies, the soldiers confirmed that the teleportation had stopped and the strange guys in front of them did not seem to be hostile. They put their guard down slightly and asked, ¡°What kind of wizards are you? How is it that you guys don¡¯t know that no dangerous experiments are allowed on the streets? Do you have a pass? What about your Professional Qualification Certificate of Wizardry?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?!¡± Hao Ren shouted but then, he quickly corrected himself and said, ¡°Err, I mean, who would¡¯ve had time to take those things when in an experimental accident. Don¡¯t you see that I¡¯m still carrying the kettle? How hasty we were¡­¡±


    ¡°Holding a kettle while carrying out teleportation experiments?¡± The freckled guy paused for a moment. ¡°Although I don¡¯t know magic, you don¡¯t fool me¡­¡±


    ¡°This is a personal habit, you can¡¯t control it.¡± Hao Ren gently knocked on the lid to gesture the little mermaid inside to keep quiet. The little kid was probably playing with the MDT, making some cracking sounds. Then, he began to wave his arms to disperse the crowd. ¡°Let¡¯s disperse. Just an experimental accident, nothing special¡­¡±


    ¡°Everybody, go back to whatever you were doing. Don¡¯t block the road.¡± The two soldiers also began to disperse the crowd. And the freckled boy walked up to Hao Ren after he dispersed the passersby and said, ¡°Follow us to the garrison to register.¡±


    This made Hao Ren¡¯s head ache. He did not expect to have such just right after they entered The Plane of Dreams. He was not sure if he could fool them if they really went into the garrison. He tried awkwardly to discuss with them. ¡°We have something urgent to do now. I wonder if you can¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, just a standard procedure,¡± another soldier smiled and said. ¡°The control in our little place is quite lax. Also, these experimental accidents involving wizards can get kinda troublesome. Just registering your name will do. In case there¡¯s any request from the Wizard Guild, we can explain it.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Vivian and the rest, thinking that it was certainly not a problem to resist arrest with their skills. They could even just run away. However, if he wanted to carry out the investigation in this world smoothly, he could not get into trouble. While he was hesitating, Y¡¯zaks suddenly said, ¡°We¡¯ll go then. Just register our name.¡±


    Now, Hao Ren just remembered how the great demon was a moral pacesetter. With this man, Hao Ren had no choice but to be a moral pacesetter as well¡­


    The two soldiers glanced fearfully at Y¡¯zaks. One of them stayed behind to guard the entry. The other one (the freckled boy) brought into the town. Nangong Wuyue was at the back of the team, her shoulders drooped. She heaved a sigh and said, ¡°Such bad luck. Landlord, how did you manage to get us into this?¡±


    Hao Ren laughed awkwardly but did not speak. Lily, who did not seem to have the slightest negativity in her mood, began her journey of exploration. Even though she could only follow the team, she still ran around as far as possible. One moment she was studying the wall decorations, the next moment she was studying the things being sold on a roadside stall and another moment she was playing with cats and dogs by the roadside. She was really happy and enjoying herself there. It was the first time for Lily to enter The Plane of Dreams. She saw such a different world with marvelous style and this really excited the husky girl.


    The pedestrians by the roadside were also attracted to this group of foreigners who had on outlandish costumes, especially after Lily kept jumping around excitedly. The situation was getting worse. Hao Ren had no choice but to drag Lily¡¯s collar, pulling the girl back again and again. ¡°Can¡¯t you calm down?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Lily replied straightaway. ¡°The¡­ There¡¯s so much fun here!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to ask you this since just now.¡± The freckled soldier who led the way had never seen such a group of wizards, especially someone like Lily, who seemed so excited. ¡°Are you guys really wizards? Why aren¡¯t you wearing robes?¡±


    Hao Ren lied. ¡°Oh, we are a small team from a self-formed faction. The faction¡¯s rules allow us to not wear wizard robes.¡±


    ¡°Is this big brother a wizard too?¡± The freckled soldier gingerly pointed at Y¡¯zaks. ¡°Why does he look like a mountain berserker?¡±


    ¡°He is an all-rounder,¡± Hao Ren laughed and said. The information he got from Becky last time was coming in handy, including information about the wizard¡¯s nature and the existence of the ¡®magician knight¡¯ type of career in this world. ¡°So, you¡¯ve seen the mountain people?¡±


    Hao Ren found the soldier very easy to talk with. Therefore, without being suspicious, Hao Ren tried to ask him for some information. The soldier answered him without doubting him too. ¡°Mountain people, I¡¯ve seen a few times. Isn¡¯t there a small village of theirs in the Far West? Many mountain people have started to move to the plains. They also communicate with people from the outside frequently. But I really found out for the first time that the mountain people also learn magic.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks smiled perfunctorily and said, ¡°I know a little bit of it.¡±


    When the freckled soldier saw Y¡¯zaks¡¯ ¡®friendly¡¯ smile, he immediately stopped going on with the topic.


    They did not forget to observe their surroundings as they walked on the street. Vivian studied the ancient symbols depicted on the outer walls of houses by the roadside since the very beginning. She moved closer to Hao Ren and whispered, ¡°They¡¯re really Letta runes but, I don¡¯t see anything valuable. These are all the simplest sentences used to pray for well-being and peace of the homestead. Plus, there are many spelling mistakes and far-fetched sentences with almost no practical magic effect.¡±


    ¡°Meaning¡­ they¡¯re just for decoration?¡± Hao Ren whispered.


    ¡°Well, they do only serve as decoration,¡± Vivian muttered, ¡°And the mysterious Letta runes on Earth may only be common words that people use in their daily life here so, people here won¡¯t deliberately use them to cast spells.¡±


    They finally reached a fortified building in the middle of the town, the so-called garrison. However, when Hao Ren got ready to step in, a slightly familiar voice suddenly rang from the side. ¡°Ah! The one who broke the head! You¡¯re still here?¡±

 Chapter 174

    Upon hearing the voice, Hao Ren turned and looked to the direction and found that it was Becky whom he had met once.


    The mercenary girl is coming out of the other door of the garrison, holding a few pieces of paper that seemed like she had just finished some sort of formalities. She immediately ran to Hao Ren excitedly when she saw him. ¡°Hey! I thought I was wrong, why are you still here? You just left without saying goodbye a few days ago, I haven¡¯t seen such a bad-tempered man. Do you really have to run away because of a music box?¡±


    Before Hao Ren could speak, the freckled soldier asked curiously, ¡°Miss Becky, do you know them?¡±


    ¡°Errr, they¡¯re all with him? How come there are so many people¡­ ¡°Becky looked at those of them beside Hao Ren with amazement. ¡°I just knew this guy, he was a magician. That time he flew to the prairie when doing teleportation experiment. He hit his brain when he fell from the sky. He still owes me a music box by the way¡­¡±


    ¡°Can you not mention my broken brain!¡± Hao Ren was almost subdued by this lady¡¯s steel-like stubbornness. ¡°My brain is totally fine! Also, I brought you a music box this time¡­¡±


    When the freckled soldier saw that they really knew each other, he felt relieved. He also did not willing to lead the strange foreign wizards to do registration, because it was going to take a lot of procedures and he had to write a report. Now he was explaining the situation to Becky, ¡°Well, it looks like your wizard friend didn¡¯t take the lesson, and it¡¯s getting worse. They all came here during the accident of teleportation. They suddenly appeared at the busiest intersection and gave me and Joseph a fright. Right now I¡¯m going to take them to register themselves. Miss Becky, can you be their guarantor? Just prove that you know one of them, so they don¡¯t have to go through the registration procedure of wandering wizards.¡±


    Hao Ren thought that Becky, who only met him once, would refuse it. He did not expect her to nod without hesitation. ¡°Sure, I¡¯m free anyway.¡±


    ¡°Errr, thank you.¡± Hao Ren did not know what did the guarantor and wandering wizard procedure mean, but he still appreciated her help. After all, she did not have to help them.¡±


    Becky just waved her hand and said, ¡°No problem, you said you brought me a music box? I¡¯m waiting for your music box, this time you can¡¯t teleport and runaway again, especially doing it in the street. You don¡¯t know how dangerous it is.¡±


    All of them followed the freckled soldier and entered the garrison. When Vivian saw Becky was walking ahead of them and did not notice them, she leaned to Hao Ren and whispered, ¡°Music box? Running away? Hit your head? The incident you encountered last time was quite colorful.¡±


    Vivian said with an amused banter in her tone.


    Last time when Hao Ren came back from the Plane of Dreams, he had already told Vivian the experience inside it roughly. He also mentioned Becky the mercenary girl. However, he did not go into detailed, especially that shameful scene of ¡®falling down from the sky¡¯. Of course Vivian was a little curious about it now.


    ¡°Let¡¯s don¡¯t talk about it,¡± Hao Ren sighed. ¡°Especially that incident. This sister witnessed the moment when I fell down from the sky, and she remembered it until now. I reckon she already forgot my name.¡±


    While they were talking, they entered the copy room. This was a small room filled with bookshelves, wooden cases and files. The wall had mottled and the wooden floor was creaking, only the bright sunlight that shone through the high glass windows into the room made the room looked lively. The unique wooden furniture reminded them of the small study room in the old European manor in the movie. A middle-aged soldier who looked somewhat bookish sat behind the large wooden table. When they went in, the soldier was concentrating on reading something that looked like a newspaper. The freckled soldier called the name of the person in charge, ¡°Mr. Wilton, I brought some people to register.¡±


    The middle-aged soldier, known as Wilton, straightened up and looked at the freckled soldier with dignity. ¡°Call me Sir Wilton, Ryan. This is the military department, and you and I are soldiers.¡±


    So the freckled soldier was called Ryan. It was easy to remember.


    Ryan the young soldier explained the situation of these foreign wizards who ¡®carried out dangerous experiment in downtown and obstructed traffic due to the accident¡¯, and then pointed to Becky and said, ¡°Miss Becky is a guarantor, so they don¡¯t have to go through the registration procedure of the wandering wizards, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The middle-aged officer got up and looked for something on the file rack beside him. Hao Ren found that there seemed to be something wrong with the officer¡¯s leg and he could not walk well. The middle-aged officer finally found a register, opened it and put on the table. Becky went up to write her name swiftly, and then turned to call Hao Ren, ¡°The one who fell down from the sky, come and sign it!¡±


    ¡­This lady had really forgotten Hao Ren¡¯s name.


    Vivian came forward to look at the registration form and found something immediately.


    The form uses another type of text, not the Letta rune that was previously thought to be used as a daily word in this world.


    Hao Ren also found this soon. Both of them saw the doubt in each other¡¯s eyes: Blessing words were written on the buildings here with Letta runes, but this text is not used on daily basis? What¡¯s the use of Letta runes here then?


    It is not a problem to master the words of another world under the aid of the translation system. Perhaps there are other imperial staff already registered in the character library here when they performed their task in the Plane of Dreams. Hao Ren and the rest of them can read the registration form very easily, but had some difficulty when writing it. They spelled their names awkwardly by transliteration with that zigzag symbol, then skipped most of the sections under the guidance of Becky, and finally they paused in the column ¡®Registration of foreign wizard faction and the origin¡¯.


    What is the registration of faction?


    ¡°Are you a faction of steeple or college?¡± Becky is also surprised that a wizard does not know which faction he belongs to. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a mentor, are you all self-taught?¡±


    ¡°Errr¡­ We are in a very remote place. There are some of the hidden priories in the Northern Empire.¡± Hao Ren remembered that Becky knew little of the other side of the prairie, coupled with some of his own speculation of this world, he was thinking of the reason slowly. ¡°What is the difference between the faction of steeple and the college?¡±


    ¡°The Priory? Then it¡¯s belong to the steeple,¡± Becky nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of the priory, but I didn¡¯t expect that you guys would be so out of touch to this extent. I guess you guys don¡¯t even join Wizard Association, right? I thought you belong to college faction according to the way you dress.¡±


    ¡°What exactly do the two factions mean?¡± Hao Ren thought that Becky did not suspect them, so he simply asked for more details like a rookie.


    ¡°The steeple faction is the old faction that has been developed strictly in accordance with the rules of the wizards that have been handed down since ancient times, because the base of the veteran wizard is the Wizard Tower that had hundreds of years of history, and most of their activities are in the Wizard Tower, so they are called steeple faction. The college faction was the new faction of the last few decades, spring up from the Hognar Empire at northern side. It was called the college faction because the new students are educated in college. Now there are more and more college wizards.¡±


    Hao Ren and the rest of them nodded, and then decisively wrote down the steeple faction. This faction sounds conservative, and there is the existence of hidden types, which is very suitable to explain themselves in the unfamiliar situation. As for why Lily, such a happy weirdo will appear in the minaret faction such a conservative faction¡­


    Hao Ren thought, and decided if someone asked about her, he would say that Lily ate the wrong pill during the experiment. Anyway, no one will go into, and Lily¡¯s opinion can be ignored.


    While they were filling out the forms, Wilton and Ryan was chatting. Ryan pointed to the newspaper that Wilton just read, asked, ¡°A group of search teams are missing at The Beinz Blood Lake again?¡±


    ¡°Yes, this is the fourth batch of people who have disappeared in the last two months, the church was a little unable to keep calm.¡± Wilton shook his head and move his lame leg to another leg laboriously. ¡°Some said that the bottom of the The Beinz Blood Lake lead to The Otherworld, and the search teams have been sucked away. The church is now refuting the rumor. Tsk, people nowadays really dare to say whatever they want to. The The Beinz Blood Lake is the holy land created personally by the Goddess. That group of storyteller picked the wrong place to make up their story.


    Hao Ren is filling in the form, he stopped writing when he heard this.


    It seems that it is a smart decision to follow the guy to the garrison. Lucky for him to get such important news¡ªThe Beinz Blood Lake lead to The Otherworld?

 Chapter 175

    Hao Ren casually filled out the form¡ªno one cared after all. As he was writing, he pointed at a newspaper, pretending to ask, ¡°What happened in The Beinz Blood Lake again?¡±


    The word ¡°again¡± would make him not sound less like an ignoramus as he figured that news of the situation at The Beinz Blood Lake two months ago would have already spread far and wide.


    ¡°Disappearances, a series of disappearances. It¡¯s the fourth time in a row.¡± Wilton shook his head. ¡°Four groups of people have disappeared since the first expedition team was sent to locate the Orb of the Holy Synod two months ago. Among them were two mercenary veterans. Tsk, tsk, people still keep coming even after more than 10 people have gone missing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all about the money,¡± Becky muttered. ¡°I¡¯d have gone too if it wasn¡¯t because of the fact that I didn¡¯t have my own team. If you find the orb, a manor will be yours as reward plus, the title of ¡®knight¡¯ to sweeten the deal. You don¡¯t have to work again, ever.¡±


    Standing next to Wilton, Hao Ren took a quick glance at the newspaper which still stank of printing ink. Some key words registered in his mind in particular about the The Beinz Blood Lake incident: ¡°¡­it has been two months since the orb went missing near the Blood Lake. Its whereabouts are still unknown¡­ Bloch, who was tasked with escorting the orb, was investigated by the Holy See and the Kingdom Joint Review Group. The pope announced that the missing orb was a divine trial and Bloch was acquitted¡­ Civilian Headhunter Mercenaries went missing near the southern part of the blood lake during their attempt to cross it. There were no eye-witnesses. All 36 team members went missing, which adds to the total missing persons of¡­ As the orb is still not found, Prince Hoffman has announced the cancellation of the pilgrimage celebration this year¡­¡±


    The Beinz Blood Lake incident was probably related to the missing Orb of the Holy Synod.


    Subsequent disappearances were still without official confirmation. It looked like The Beinz Blood Lake¡¯s connection with the Otherworld was just a rumour. Its authenticity was in question. Anyway, Hao Ren thought it was still worth a look.


    They were a lost ball in high weeds without a clear idea of where to begin. A good starting point was looking into the popular legends or historical sites. The Beinz Blood Lake incident was possibly the best place to start their investigation in this world.


    Furthermore, Hao Ren was interested in the strangely-named place since he heard Becky talking about The Beinz Blood Lake and destruction of an ancient civilisation. He sort of suspected that there had to be something behind the so-called end-of-the-world incident and its related historical relics some 10,000 years ago.


    Being the slowest among them, Nangong Wuyue was finally done with the form. Becky started to hurry them to leave. There had been no incidents of provocation and exploitation by the local soldiers. They were released and they passed through registration. Outside the garrison, Becky reached her hand out and asked Hao Ren, ¡°Where¡¯s the promised music box?¡±


    This lady¡¯s perseverance was extraordinary.


    ¡°Here, take it.¡± Hao Ren tucked his hand into his Dimensional Pocket and took an MP5 out as well as a charger. ¡°This is a good object. You won¡¯t find anything like it in this world.¡±


    ¡°Is this a music box?¡± Becky looked at the strange gadget in total surprise. ¡°It looks different from the flying gadget last time.¡±


    As Becky¡¯s voice trailed off, a tingling sound came from inside the pot. Either the MDT or Lil Pea could have been frightened.


    ¡°This one doesn¡¯t fly but, it has far more functions.¡± Hao Ren played with all the functions of the MP5 in such a way to confuse her. ¡°Look, it¡¯s got photos, you can take a picture or video; isn¡¯t it far better than the music-only gadget? This is the charger. Just place it under the sun and it¡¯ll recharge the music box¡­¡±


    As Hao Ren explained enthusiastically, Vivian sensed something amiss. She asked him quietly while Becky played with the MP5, ¡°Wait a second! How can you give it to a local¡­?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. An MP5 won¡¯t cause any damage to the world¡¯s equilibrium.¡± He waved his hands as he was not bothered. ¡°I¡¯ve done my homework. They¡¯ve got some kind of alchemy skill; snapping pictures and playing music aren¡¯t strange in this world. The electronic gadgets from Earth simply look strange in design, and they¡¯re small in size; If you don¡¯t open them up, they¡¯ll remain just like an alchemy machine.¡±


    Hao Ren was right. But, something he did not realise was, the skill of alchemy in the plane was still at a small scale and things were hand-made. Entertainment gadgets like the MP5 were usually made by senior alchemists for the enjoyment of the elites or customised for military use. Ordinary people did not have access to such luxury.


    After tinkering for a while with the wondrous gadget, which had a display screen, Becky quickly shoved it back to Hao Ren as if it was hot iron. ¡°No, this thing¡¯s simply too expensive for me. All I want is just a music box. I can¡¯t have this. Even the village head¡¯s crystal box is already worth three fine horses. You should leave this to the rich¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my gift to you. I don¡¯t want to take advantage of you,¡± Hao Ren shoved the MP5 back to her. The MP5 meant nothing to him after all. ¡°Because, I have a favor to ask from you.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Just say it.¡± Becky was too excited with her new found toy. She nodded her head as she hesitated on whether to accept the gift.


    ¡°I need you to be our tour guide as we¡¯ll be going to The Beinz Blood Lake.¡± Hao Ren was upfront. ¡°We¡¯re strangers here. It¡¯s not convenient for us to go around in an unfamiliar place. You know my home¡¯s in the empire far north¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just wondering¡ª,¡± asked Becky. ¡°¡ªthe last time we met you were alone. Now, there are so many of you¡­ Were all of you teleported here?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re into teleportation research!¡± Lily said proudly without even thinking. Hao Ren sent her a complementing glance; the husky maiden¡¯s instincts had grown.


    Becky looked suspiciously at these strange ¡°wizards¡± whom she still considered strangers. Years of mercenary experience told her that something was off about these fellows but, she also knew that they needed help and she could very well land herself a good job¡ªthe ¡°music box¡±, which was worth an enchanting armour, was proof of that. The kind looking guy just parted with it without blinking an eye; he was either a filthy rich member of the Veteran Wizard Tower or a nerd, a greenhorn who did not know the value of money.


    Or, this man was suffering from brain damage due to the fall.


    No matter what it was, the deal seemed profitable.


    Becky¡¯s mercenary instincts (we cannot say how smart she was while she still held on to the so-called ¡°music box¡± in her hand) told her that it was going to be lucrative. So, she nodded. ¡°Deal. Since many mercenaries have signed up for the search, I might as well join the bandwagon. But, before that, I think you should register as a mercenary¡ªThe Beinz Blood Lake and its surroundings are high risk areas, a no-go zone for civilians.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks listened with interest to what Becky said about mercenaries. He remembered mercenaries existed back home too¡ªin fact, he was attacked by no less than a thousand mercenaries and the braves simply because he was the King of Demons. He was thrilled by the idea of playing a mercenary this time. He curiously asked, ¡°No trouble for registration?¡±


    ¡°No trouble. The mercenary¡¯s the most out-and-out life for money, life for reputation, and life for everything. Money¡¯s the boss. Life¡¯s the capital. No one can fool anyone. The registration¡¯s the easiest part¡ªto come back alive¡¯s the trickiest part,¡± Becky said proudly, exuding her pride as a senior mercenary. Then, she asked, ¡°Oh ya, do you lot have wizard qualifications or ID cards? It¡¯s required for mercenary registration.¡±


    Hao Ren was plagued with silence.


    Why did no one ask about that when others came over from the other side?!

 Chapter 176

    He lost his bearings upon hearing about the required qualifications for a wizard. He had never thought of such a bizarre thing aside from the need to bluff about who he was in The Plane of Dreams. He now realised the stories in movies, TV and novels were not meant to be taken seriously. In the real world you need an ID to get around, he thought.


    It was his inexperience. Every veteran would have known it: without an ID, you could not even move around in Warring States period, let alone in the another world¡­


    Becky noticed the change of expression on Hao Ren¡¯s face. She glanced at him suspiciously. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t have the ID with you. Or, you lot aren¡¯t real wanderering wzards¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not escapees!¡± Nangong Wuyue had vast experience as a wanderer. She had stayed near customs checkpoints as well as police stations several times (even if she wanted to get a passport she would not have been able to because of her racial identity). She knew what to say when she sensed Becky¡¯s suspicion. ¡°Our circumstance is a little special. But, what I can tell you is that we¡¯re not bad guys¡ªhave you ever seen bad guys that are so happy go lucky?¡± said Nangong Wuyue as she pulled Lily in front. The werewolf maiden¡¯s eyes were darting around spiritedly. She was clueless on what the others were talking about. As she was pulled ahead by Nangong Wuyue, she was a little stunned and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Lily¡¯s genuine expression of innocence was convincing. She was forever destined to not be an antagonist, thanks to her temperament. She was the kind of sunshine girl that always implied innocence and wrongful prosecution; in her positive worldview, the biggest crimes she had ever committed were evading fares and nipping small dried fish from Rollie¡­


    However, Becky was looking at Y¡¯zaks. ¡°Please don¡¯t get mad if I say this big brother¡ª¡±


    Y¡¯zaks quickly tidied his shirt and smiled kindly. ¡°Actually I¡¯m a good¡ª¡±


    ¡°Please, please don¡¯t smile!¡± Becky jumped back a step. ¡°You look more like a good person when you¡¯re not smiling.¡±


    Hao Ren wondered how the loose-tongued Becky had survived till this day¡ªshe would have been beaten to death before elementary year three under normal circumstances.


    ¡°It shoud be okay to register as a wandering wizard.¡± Becky¡¯s glance switched between the music box and all of them as she was on the horns of a dilemma. ¡°The mercenary population is a big melting pot. If you study it closely, you might even be able to find some prison escapees from other countries among them. After all, it¡¯s the deadliest job. Qualification shouldn¡¯t take priority. As for being a wandering wizard¡­no matter how strong you are, you can only register a basic team, and you aren¡¯t going to get jobs from the elites¡ªwe¡¯re talking about the loss of a great deal of money here.¡±


    Hao Ren was completely careless about the restrictions while Lily curiously asked, ¡°What are wandering wizards?¡±


    ¡°Those who were expelled from the Wizard Association and the country for various reasons. These expelled wizards won¡¯t be getting any membership or support from all associations. They can only wander around looking for their own sorcery ingredients. Some have unortodox inheritance and banned skills, which cannot be registered, some are exiles, which resulted from accidents; all-in-all, they¡¯re considered volatile elements no matter where they are. Of course, mercenary associations don¡¯t care about all of this as long as they¡¯re capable and reputable.¡±


    After a brief discussion, they agreed to register under ¡°wandering wizard¡±. At least, that way, they would have a legal identity as a mercenary, which without, would prove difficult for them to move around in this world. What¡¯s more, Hao Ren thought, if during the registration process they were requested to perform a fire ball skill or something to prove that they were real wizards, Y¡¯zaks would come in handy for the task.


    As a town adjoining the steppe, Lamberg had a mercenary organisation. Becky led these muddleheads to a long and narrow building, Northwest of the town. This was the office of the mercenaries.


    The mercenaries in this world were a loosely-organised community. They had no common creed or a recognised management system. The so-called mercenary associations were unlike what Hao Ren had imagined in terms of having binding power. They were more like a bridge between the mercenary and authority. For that matter, the associations were semi-governmental, archives offices, which were primarily responsible for mercenary registration and act as mission platforms. The military, one of the shareholders of the association in each country, had a mandatory deterrent effect on the mercenaries but, no direct control over them¡ªafter all, there was no way to exert any meaningful control.


    So, one thing was obvious: each country¡¯s mercenary association was independent from the others.


    Due to their interfacial role with authority and military of the various countries, the mercenaries could not form into an international organisation¡ªthere was no concept of internationalisation in this world after all. The registered mercenaries only had semi-nationality. They were unlike anything depicted in many stories, where they could roam freely. They were restricted by where they were registered. Of course, that did not mean that these mercenaries were confined to one place; it was common for these fight-for-money mercenaries to travel worldwide, carrying out their missions with some local restrictions.


    All the messy regulations were meaningless to this group of five. All they wanted to do was go to the Beinz Blood Lake and at the same time, obtain legal identity for convenience.


    The mercenary registration counter looked more like a bar with a few staff standing behind a long row of tables. Because this place was just an outpost, most service windows were concentrated at the bar. As the mercenary registration window and mission-handover window were close to each other, Hao Ren could clearly see the actions at the mission-handover counter while Becky was busily registering the rookies: a girl with a pimply face reported back with a cat she found on behalf of the town mayor; a burly guy reported back with a severed head, which he claimed to be of the leader of a new freedom army; a slender maiden reported back with good news of the successful suppression of conflict in the south; while a middle-aged man said he was from Red Cherry Restaurant, delivering lunch¡­


    What a life a mercenary had.


    The registration was easier than expected. With some hints and help from Becky, even the thrash fabricated by Lily passed the process¡ªthe counter staff just confirmed her name and occupation, and ignored the rest. Hao Ren curiously asked, ¡°Won¡¯t you suspect if the information¡¯s fake?¡±


    The staff was a chubby female. She glanced and rolled her eyes at Hao Ren. ¡°How can you say that? Even if the details are fake, let it be as long as it matches what the employer pays for. We even have a big guy, a Tier Three mercenary, registered himself as Julia, and he looked just like this big dude beside you.¡±


    As her voice trailed off, a burly guy nearby with black hair stood up and pounded the table. ¡°My f**king name¡¯s Julian! If you make fun of me again I¡¯m going to smash your counter.¡±


    Hao Ren was dumbstruck.


    What a life a mercenary had.


    After all personal details were completed, the chubby girl asked Hao Ren, ¡°What type of registration is this? ¡®Team¡¯ or ¡®Individual¡¯?¡±


    Before Hao Ren could reply, Becky shouted, ¡°¡®Team¡¯, ¡®Team¡¯! I¡¯m the special advisor!¡±


    ¡°I thought you¡¯re a lone wolf? What a surprise to see you mingle with others.¡± The chubby girl gave Becky a curious glance. Becky replied with a smirk: to say she was bought over by a music box, and she was stealing a ride to the Beinz Blood Lake was too embarrassing.


    ¡°Name of the team?¡± The chubby girl asked as she was filling up yet another form.


    Hao Ren excitedly nudged his company. ¡°Hey, let¡¯s quickly think of a cool group name.¡±


    Vivian was the first to suggest. ¡°Bloody Tooth Mercenary Group?¡±


    The chubby girl pointed to a glowing, metal board with a metal pen. Then she said, ¡°Name¡¯s taken.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue thought for moment. ¡°Wave Breaker Mercenary Group?¡±


    ¡°Name¡¯s taken.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks muttered. ¡°Blade of Twilight Mercenary Group?¡±


    He nudged Hao Ren in the arm and explained, ¡°It was the team name of the brave ones. They nearly fought to my doorstep. They left a deep impression on me.¡±


    But, the name was also taken.


    Lily frowned as she said, ¡°Snow Wolf Mercenary Group?¡±


    ¡°Name¡¯s taken.¡±


    ¡°Snow Dog Mercenary Group?¡±


    ¡°Name¡¯s taken.¡±


    Lily was flabbergasted. ¡°What? Taken?¡±


    ¡°Snow Wolf, Snow Dog, Snowland Wolf, Snowland Dog, even Sleigh Dog and Sled Dog have all been taken. There are too many new mercenary registrations and the old ones aren¡¯t dead yet so, it¡¯s hard to get a name.¡±


    Hao Ren did not expect such a situation could happen in this foreign world. He banged the counter and said, ¡°Damn it, dogs have gotten all the good names!¡±


    ¡°Aha, this name¡¯s still available.¡±

 Chapter 177

    The group sat at the rest area in the Mercenary Association, despondent. They were waiting for Becky to complete the registration process. After a long period of silence, Nangong Wuyue could not stand it anymore. She nudged Hao Ren¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Landlord, I think we still have one last chance to change the name before it¡¯s too late.¡±


    Looking sadly at the documents in his hands, Hao Ren had been mentally struggling these registration forms for the last one hour. He was too exhausted to move a finger at this point. ¡°Do it yourself. I can¡¯t think of more names; you can¡¯t use numbers, special characters, names of politicians in the Kingdom of Holletta, names of Royalty, names of the administrative institutions or names of any geographical locations. Even ¡®Oh Sh*t What the F*ck¡¯ is taken. What else can we name our group?¡±


    Vivian held her head. ¡°But, ¡®Dogs Have Gotten All The Good Names¡¯? You can¡¯t be serious! It¡¯s so humiliating.¡±


    The Blood Clan maiden, who was always proud of her noble bloodline, was facing one of the greatest blemishes in her life. She was going to be the chief combat wizard of Dogs Have Gotten All The Good Names Mercenary Group. That made her want to dig a hole and bury Hao Ren alive: he was the one who made the f*cking name up.


    ¡°But amazingly, the name¡¯s allowed.¡± Lily was the only one not feeling one bit of mental stress. She was even proud of the name. ¡°I thought uncommon words would be struck out. But hey, we never thought it was possible. In fact, the name¡¯s pretty cool. It means we¡¯ve got a good name. I feel like I¡¯m becoming the president¡­¡±


    ¡°Bullsh*t! You know you¡¯re a pupper.¡± Vivian shot Lily a glance. ¡°Those who are uninformed may think that the group was named after you.¡±


    Right. Just as most people had expected, these substitute mercenaries ended up with a name that could only be found in the performing arts. Of course, there was another reason; aside from exhaustion, the provisional nature of the mercenary group was another factor. Besides, Hao Ren had also read from brochures he picked up from the Mercenary Association about other mercenary groups such as Pink Bunny Mercenary, which had successfully slew a dragon, and One Big Prosperous Family Mercenary which had once pursued the devil. All these further reinforced his notion that the most ordinary was the most versatile.


    No one knew for sure what the dragon and the devil felt during their final moments. Perhaps they broke down completely when they heard the names of these mercenary groups.


    ¡°Sorry for the long wait!¡± Becky¡¯s voice woke them up from their thoughts. The mercenary ran excitedly towards Hao Ren. ¡°Everything¡¯s done¡­ What¡¯s going on? You lot look gloomy.¡±


    ¡°Oh come on, don¡¯t you feel ¡®Dogs Have Gotten All the Good Names!¡¯ isn¡¯t right?¡± Nangong Wuyue looked at Becky and could not understand how Becky could still be so happy as well as be so insensitive and unapologetic.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a name. People use all kinds of names nowadays. You¡¯d be laughed at for your lack of creativity if you name yourself something like ¡®Silver Hand¡¯.¡± Becky waved as she continued. ¡°Now, let¡¯s head over to the task information counter to get some info about the Beinz Blood Lake. Too many accidents happened there. Only mercenary groups are allowed to go.¡±


    It seemed the locals in this world did not really care about names of mercenary groups.


    They cheered themselves up before heading over to the task information counter. Hao Ren focused his thoughts on the Beinz Blood Lake and forgot about the godd*mn name for the time being. Standing behind the task information counter was a boring female with eyes of a dead fish. She seemed to dislike talking. She looked impatient when she learned that there was yet another group coming for the Beinz Blood Lake. ¡°Another over-optimistic bunch of fellows¡­ Good luck on coming back in one piece, if you¡¯re coming back at all.¡±


    Hao Ren ignored what she just said. He passed the completed registration documents to her. However, he got a shock when he heard, ¡°A newly registered group? No, no, you¡¯re not going there. No pass for you.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Becky shouted. ¡°Haven¡¯t there been many temporary mercenary groups going there for the last couple of days?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly the problem. The top has ordered to halt all expeditions by beginners.¡± The lady with dead fish eyes spoke in a monotone voice. ¡°Those fake mercenaries, who formed a temporary group and tried their luck, were beaten black and blue halfway to the Blood Lake. It¡¯s for your own good. The Blood Lake¡¯s a dangerous place. Getting across the area is nothing like a walk in the park. Without team work and experience, getting in there¡¯s as good as being dead.¡±


    The lady with dead fish eyes was not particularly polite. Perhaps she was frustrated from repeating the same narrative over and over for the last two days. Hao Ren knew what she said was the truth but, he was not going to give up just like that. ¡°Then how could we¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a Tier Five group, individual ranking notwithstanding. You¡¯ve got to move up to Tier Four.¡±


    In short: no professional qualification, no pass!


    Hao Ren did not expect to encounter the same form of credentialism in a foreign world. ¡°Reality¡± was indeed a b*tch. He muttered to Becky, ¡°What are Tier Four and Tier Five mercenaries all about? Mind explaining everything about that to me?¡±


    ¡°There are two categories of gradation: individual and group. Both categories are ranked accordingly from Tier Five to Tier One¡ªFive being the lowest while One, the highest. Above these are people with great contribution, who would be granted with honourable titles conferred by the Royals or the Church. For groups, Tier Five to Tier Four is quite easy with a requirement of only 20 missions; Tier Four to Tier Three has a higher requirement; Tier Three to Tier Two requires mission evaluations as well as vocational skills re-evaluation and a political review by governmental organisations; Tier Two to Tier One requires a test on three common foreign languages, a military strategy written examination, written test on the dogma of knighthood, as well as personal cultivation and conduct interview. All in all, apart from combat ability, you need to be top notch in looks and thinking in order to be the best of the best. Individual tests are similar with some subtle differences. I¡¯ve passed the political review but not the tests on dogma of knighthood, and personal cultivation and conduct. So, I¡¯m stuck at Tier Two.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s expression became stiff as he quietly thought to himself: reality¡¯s really a b*tch, even mercenaries here require the same kind of professional examinations! Come on, it¡¯s a foreign world, can you just tell me where and how many to kill? Even public service examinations are easier than this!


    ¡°What would happen if one goes to the Blood Lake without a pass?¡± Hao Ren was not inflexible. He was asking this, trying to get around things.


    ¡°You better not. Other places may be alright but not the Beinz Blood Lake¡ªit¡¯s a sacred land. Although it¡¯s not yet a restricted zone, the situation is unpredictable. There are many knights from the Church as well as the Kingdom there.¡± Becky glanced at Hao Ren. ¡°You¡¯ll get yourself into trouble without a pass, especially when if they think you¡¯re a pagan looking for trouble.¡±


    ¡°Twenty missions¡­ After completing 20 mission, we¡¯ll be rookies no more, right?¡± asked Hao Ren. The fish-eyed lady behind the counter replied with a resounding yes.


    ¡°What about mission issuance? What¡¯s the process?¡±


    ¡°You get it done here. For simple jobs, you submit your job description and reward upfront. The lowest reward amount is one Denar, no upper limit though. For job rewards of more than 10 Denars, the association will take one-tenth as commission. Reward amounts less than 10 Denars will be paid in full to the mercenary, no fees. Of course, don¡¯t expect there to be a taker if the pay¡¯s too low. You¡¯ve got to be sensible. Do you want to issue any job?¡±


    Hao Ren turned to Becky. ¡°Do you have one Denar?¡±


    ¡°One? Of course¡­¡± Becky was puzzled but, she still took out a coin and gave it to Hao Ren.


    Hao Ren slammed the metal coin on the counter. ¡°I hereby issue a job to find someone. One Denar reward. Mission target: Nangong Wuyue.¡±


    Everyone was dumbstruck.


    The staff with dead fish eyes did not know what just happened. She immediately filled up a form. Then, Hao Ren shoved Nangong Wuyue in front of the counter and said, ¡°Dogs Have Gotten All the Good Names Mercenary accepted the job. Here¡¯s the subject we¡¯ve found.¡±


    Ten minutes later, at the entrance of the Mercenary Association¡­


    Squatting on the steps, Hao Ren and his four ¡°bodyguards¡± stared at the pedestrians on the main street with a wonderful expression on their faces. Becky was in a state of half dementia for most of the day before she uttered, ¡°¡­I guess they¡¯re going to issue a new regulation by tomorrow.¡±


    Hao Ren turned his head around and looked at the entrance of the Mercenary Association, which was shut. ¡°Do you think they¡¯re going to kill me the next time I go in there?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely.¡±

 Chapter 178

    Regardless of the means, they got the pass and a mercenary tier upgrade, which if done the proper way, would have taken at least one or two months to get. The little-known mercenary group may have had difficulty too in chalking up 20 jobs as the competition was high.


    That reminded him about Taobao on Earth: the ¡°professional reviewers¡± who brushed up Taobao¡¯s ratings would have gotten the job done in a much faster and more efficient manner. Look, the mercenaries in the foreign world only had five tiers; most websites on Earth had a minimum of nine-stars and 18 diamond rating before they would even dare claim they were in the rankings.


    The main reason his trick worked was due to the careless attitude of the association. It was the rule of man that dominated even in this foreign world. In fact, the difference between Tier Five and Tier Four mercenaries was not significant. Any Tom, Dick and Harry could have chalked up 20 jobs easily by doing lost pet recovery jobs. There were many mercenaries who did not really know how to fight. Their roles were more like that of the community police. So, the 20-job requirement was just a ritual to differentiate a rookie from the rest. The association would not have cared even if people cheated their way through. What¡¯s more, it was lunch time and the lady at the registration counter was hungry. She did not want to waste time with Hao Ren so, she let him through.


    They each carried their badge¡ªa small and rectangular metal plate, like a staff pass, with an embedded crystal chip for storing data¡ªand walked on the streets. Armed with complete information about Beinz Blood Lake incidents, and what Becky had mentioned, Hao Ren¡¯s knowledge of the mysterious Blood Lake was pretty comprehensive.


    Beinz Blood Lake was situated in the middle of a barren land in the west of the Kingdom of Holletta. On a map, the territory of the Kingdom of Holletta looked like a horizontal, irregular trapezoid. Beinz Blood Lake formed part of the shorter western border. Beyond the border were scattered tribes of mountain people and werewolves. The Kingdom of Holletta had a long history. It was well passed its expansion and impetuous stages. The ruler of the kingdom was focusing on domestic developments and cosying up with his neighbours. The kingdom was having good relations particularly with a few tribes in the west; so, the border around the Blood Lake remained peaceful, which was a good thing to the countries on both sides of the lake. But, the vast expanse of the lake¡¯s surrounding area was a dangerous place, which was full of hot-tempered, mutated monsters. If a war were to break out, both warring sides would have tried to drive these monsters to the enemy¡¯s side by way of mysticism. It would have been a total disaster.


    The wasteland around the Beinz Blood Lake was a natural barrier as well as a ticking time bomb. No one wanted to disturb it.


    The lake was about 120km long and 40km wide. There were some scattering swamps on both North and South of the lake. These swamps were like broken pieces dropped off from a ruby, extending dozens of kilometres outwards. That made the overall size of the Blood Lake extremely wide. The most recognisable feature of the lake was the blood-like colour of its water. The water, including those of the smaller satellite lakes, remained red all year round. Interestingly, the Little Chaldan River in the south, which was just a stone¡¯s throw away from the main Beinz Blood Lake was crystal clear. The contrast was astounding and that earned the lake its name.


    Just like the story Becky told Hao Ren, about the legend of the goddess¡¯ banishment of the world, the Blood Lake was in some way a sacred place thought to be related to the goddess. The established story entailed that the Blood Lake was created by the goddess when she smashed a glass of wine down onto this world (it was more of a pit according to Hao Ren¡¯s understanding). The red wine flowed out of the broken glass polluted the water, signifying the wrath of the goddess towards the people. In that sense, the bloody water of the lake signified the sins of the people; as long as there was sin in the world, the lake would remain blood-red.


    There were other legends too. For example, it was the first drop of blood from the goddess or the first bloody tear the goddess shed when she saw sin on the land. However, these two theories were not popular because they failed to explain what caused the destruction of the ancient civilisation. The largest sect called the Disciples of Glory believed the goddess of creation to be the highest god. They subscribed to the first legend to explain the blood-lake phenomenon, and reminded the people that it was the arrogance of their ancestors that caused the destruction.


    No matter what the legend, the barren land around the Blood Lake had to have something to do with the blood-red colour of the water. No natural vegetation could survive around the Blood Lake, only magic-like plants of various strange shapes grew. These plants had some magical uses; some of them were large, their leaves dark in colour. They normally had high medicinal properties or precious magical ingredients. The Church deemed these properties blessings from the goddess. But, when there is wealth, there is risk. The environment where the strange looking vegetation grew was also a cradle of a large number of weird creatures, unseen to the outside world. Most of these creatures were strong, ferocious, highly territorial and magically gifted¡ª the herbivorous rabbit was one of them. People took the risk, looking for ingredients around the Blood Lake but, not many were brave enough to trespass into the area alone for fear of the rabbit¡­err, monster.


    However, Hao Ren was careless. He did not give a hoot about whether the world-banishing goddess had anything to do with him. The one goddess he knew was a care-free, big lass who had never blinked an eye even if humans wanted to be God. What he cared most was the incident regarding the missing Orb of the Holy Synod.


    The Disciples of Glory rooted themselves in the Kingdom of Holletta, and began almost at the same time as the kingdom itself. Before the sect spread all over the world, it was the state religion of the Kingdom of Holletta. The Orb of the Holy Synod was obtained together by the first pope and first king of the Kingdom of Holletta, from a sacred place. The orb was said to signify the last sign faith the goddess had in their world thus, it was the common piece of treasure between the Kingdom and the Church. According to the Church, the goddess used the orb to keep tabs on the world¡¯s post-destruction affairs, and to detect any hint of the return of sin. For that matter, the Church and the royals would hold an annual ritual called Tour of the Goddess; the orb was guarded under heavy security and paraded from the Royal City of Steinne, passing through four sacred sanctuaries as well as four historical remains, and finally arriving at the Beinz Blood Lake, where the world-destructing fire was first thought to burn. People in this world believed that the ritual was a way to show their repentance.


    The orb would stop at the Beinz Blood Lake for four days before departing back to the Royal City. Once the journey was completed, the pope would announce that the goddess had learned of the happenings for the past one year, and that she recognised the repentance of the humans there. A celebration would then ensue.


    The celebration was the biggest event in the Kingdom of Holletta. The yearly event, which was even grander than the king¡¯s birthday celebration and National Day, was the time when all other countries¡ªincluding the not so friendly ones, sent in their greetings and tributes simply because the Disciples of Glory was recognised as a religion in that world. Although the Tour of the Orb was held within the Kingdom of Holletta, it was a global event.


    But this time, the orb was missing.


    According to regulations, the orb would be placed in an old church on an island in the middle of the Beinz Blood Lake during its four-day stay. Knights from the Church as well as the Kingdom would guard the place, forming an almost watertight security blanket. Bloch was responsible for the last leg of escorting the orb; he was brave, a devout holy warrior canonised by the church, and an indisputably capable as well as morally upright person. Despite all that, the orb went missing on the first night.


    According to the guarding knights, they heard a muffled roar coming from the bottom of the Blood Lake. The roar lasted for more than 10 minutes and it caused a tremble at the camp site. Immediately following the roar, there was a strange glow in the water surrounding the small island. The glow flickered like a fire. An earthquake was reported on the island yet, not on the mainland. During the investigation, Bloch said a large amount of bubbles rose from beneath the lake, and he smelled burnt sulphur. The phenomena subsided after a flash of strong light swept across the entire sky. With the permission of the accompanying pope, the nervous knights pushed open the entrance of the Church and found everything inside was gone.


    The benches, the tables, a layer of wall covering, part of the church ceiling, four monks, who were fasting inside the church during the entire four-day stop, plus the orb were all missing.


    Hao Ren found the incident looking very similar to the opening of a large warp space¡ªthat gleam of light was a telltale.

 Chapter 179

    As news of the missing orb broke out, the Holletta Royals and the Church trembled. They immediately launched a search campaign and investigations on those connected to the escort of the orb, including all knights and clergies. There were existing outposts of the church knights and the royal knights around Beinz Blood Lake. The area had been totally locked down and individual mercenaries were barred from entering. Only authorised mercenary groups and knights participating in the search operation were given an exception. It was one of the few incidents where the state required large scale mercenary service.


    The stories of the goddess and ancient civilisation had aroused Vivian¡¯s interest. As an old vampire who had lived through humans¡¯ entire history, her hobby was to study the history of others. She posed a lot of questions, asking Becky about the ancient civilisation, so much so that the mercenary started to suspect Vivian was abnormal. Mostly because, she had spent half a day asking her the same, basic common knowledge questions. Fortunately, Becky was a typical mercenary, who cared about nothing except money and her own interests. As long as things were not detrimental to her, she would stay on the sidelines. For the same reason, if Y¡¯zaks shapeshifted into a huge flame by any chance, and his flowing lava destroyed a city, she would not have done anything. There was no incentive to intervene¡­


    The group had decided to head to Beinz Blood Lake. Becky tagged along; she was going to try her luck in finding the orb and claiming the rewards of a manor as well as the title of nobility. The opportunity was too attractive for her to decline. Furthermore, if she failed to find the orb, she could still pluck some precious ingredients around the Blood Lake. She figured that since there was a lockdown around the Beinz Blood Lake, and all resources were being put into the orb¡¯s search operation, there was bound to be a shortage of magic ingredients in the market. Hao Ren needed Becky as his guide while Becky needed a group so that she could tag along to the Blood Lake¡ªa group of rookie mercenaries was all she wanted. She was a lone wolf; she would not have been able to get along with a veteran group. Also, no veteran group would want an outsider joining its party especially during such a time. So, Hao Ren¡¯s group and Becky were a match made in heaven.


    Becky was not worried about their ability to reach Beinz. The fact that these five people were able to come all the way from the Northern Empire to Holletta empty-handed was quite telling.


    As they reached a junction leading to the town, Becky waved at them and said, ¡°Let¡¯s split up here. I¡¯m going home alone to prep the gear for our journey. Don¡¯t you lot need preparation too? We¡¯ll depart today. Any problems?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re fine. We¡¯re free after all,¡± said Hao Ren as he smiled. ¡°Of course, if you have private matters to attend to, we¡¯ll wait till tomorrow.¡±


    Becky thought for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s depart today. You lot can wait for me at the town¡¯s main entrance in the afternoon. Then, we¡¯ll set off across the steppe towards the west. We should reach a village belonging to the mountain people. I know the village head. We can stay for the night and then head West along the mountain range on the edge of the steppe. That¡¯s the shortest route.¡±


    Becky kept talking about their itinerary, and she made all the arrangements, totally disregarding the fact that Hao Ren had no idea about the places she was speaking of. She then turned around and headed home.


    ¡°A true doer,¡± Hao Ren mumbled as he looked at Becky from behind.


    Lily ran around Hao Ren. ¡°Landlord, let¡¯s go have some fun. Since we¡¯re here, I¡¯m going to buy some local specialties¡­¡±


    ¡°Then, you¡¯ll just need money.¡± Nangong Wuyue clapped her two hands together. ¡°Ahh, speaking of which, where do we get the money? We don¡¯t even know where to have our breakfast!¡±


    Abandoning their thoughts of a foreign world exploration, Hao Ren and Vivian realised the immediate problem they were facing: they did not have any money! Additionally, they did not know where to get it¡­


    ¡°Forget the hanky panky. We¡¯ll see when we meet Becky again. Maybe we¡¯ll borrow some from her. I¡¯ll repay her with some gadgets next time,¡± said Hao Ren as he glanced at their surroundings. ¡°There¡¯s still some time before noon. Let¡¯s split up here and look around the town to get more information about this world. But, keep your heads down. Vivian, pay attention to anything related to Letta runes while the others, you can do anything you like. Lily, please stick with me.¡±


    Hao Ren began to look like a team leader during the briefing. Lily was the only one who curiously asked, ¡°Why should I follow you?¡±


    ¡°Sounds like you¡¯re not that willing.¡±


    ¡°No, No. I¡¯m happy to stick around you.¡± Lily bobbed happily in front of Hao Ren again.


    Hao Ren spread out his hands, and said, ¡°Good. I need a bodyguard.¡±


    He was not telling the truth. Actually, he needed to keep Lily within his sights. She had been in a state of excitement since the moment they entered The Plane Of Dreams. Judging from her current state of mind, she could wander out of range on her own. One thing every one of them had to remember was, they could stay in The Plane of Dreams so long as they were connected to Hao Ren¡ªthe dream WiFi. The MDT had earlier calculated the maximum range they could roam, and it was more or less the size of the town, maybe one size up. If Lily happened to wander out of sight, she would have had an impulse to run all the way into the steppe¡­


    The only regret he had was not bringing along a leash.


    Everyone scattered and headed wherever they were supposed to be. Vivian was headed toward the building with a steeple. Hao Ren together with the husky sauntered along a quiet street and found a place to unlid the pot so that Lil Pea could get some fresh air. The little mermaid poked her head out. The unfamiliar open space frightened her: since she was boiled and hatched, Lil Pea had been staying indoors. In her mind, the entire world constituted of four spaces¡ªthe living room, the loo, the kitchen and the bedroom. She was stunned like a vegetable staring at the wide, open sky.


    The little mermaid was in a daze, looking at the outside world but, she never thought of jumping out of the pot. Hao Ren was a little surprised: the little mermaid was usually hyperactive and full of curiosity but today, she seemed obedient.


    ¡°Maybe she¡¯s scared.¡± Lily squatted on the ground, staring at Lil Pea. She used her finger to poke Lil Pea¡¯s face and said, ¡°Landlord, it¡¯s better if you bring her out more to look at the outside world¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was indifferent. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid she¡¯ll be sent for dissection?¡±


    Lily moved her eyes and then, something came across her mind. ¡°Landlord, I just remembered! When we were coming out from that junction, I think I saw a werewolf!¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned. ¡°Why are you only telling me this now?¡±


    ¡°Because I was too surprised to say anything until now.¡± Lily¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Isn¡¯t the existence of werewolves in this world normal? Raven said that too. All unusual creatures came from The Plane of Dreams.¡±


    Hao Ren felt like slapping her husky head. ¡°The problem is you¡¯ve seen it with your own eyes!¡±


    Hao Ren looked dead serious but, Lily did not notice¡ªshe played with Lil Pea and mumbled, ¡°That¡¯s okay. There¡¯s always another time. I heard there are more in the west.¡±


    It had been a while since Lil Pea was exposed in the open. But, Hao Ren noticed that the little mermaid had no intention to venture beyond the pot except for poking her head around. She was instead more interested in the MDT, which was soaked in the pot. The newly hatched fish was probably intimidated by the unfamiliarity of the vast world. Hao Ren put the lid back on and they continued to stroll around the town.


    Walking the streets of a foreign world with a full set of strange attire on, a clingy, beautiful maiden and a pot in hand¡ªHao Ren was probably the only time traveller to have done so.


    By noon, everyone was back at the rendezvous point outside the town. Apart from Hao Ren who was walking the dog and his daughter, everyone seemed to have gotten something.

 Chapter 180

    After half a day of gathering information, Hao Ren and the gang regrouped on the steppe outside Lamberg.


    As there was still an hour to go before the supposed rendevous time, and Becky was no where in sight, the group exchanged whatever information they had managed to obtain thus far¡­


    Vivian had gone up to the highest available point in town, and upon perching on the parapet, she found where the church lay. The Disciples of Glory was a prominent religious body across the three continents, especially in the Kingdom of Holletta where it was founded. Their church was visible in any town that was of a decent size. Posing as a visitor, Vivian took the chance to mingle with the clergy there. Her experience as a poor wanderer, and existing oral skills served her well in gleaning some information off the gaudy clergymen.


    ¡°Letta runes are no longer in use here.¡± Vivian¡¯s first string of information had already shocked Hao Ren. ¡°The people here treat is as a lost ancient language or something like hieroglpyhs¡­ I spoke to some of the priests in church about the runes, and they don¡¯t even have a clue on how to use it. The clergy are usually the most educated lot in a medieval society. If they don¡¯t know how, the commoners won¡¯t either.¡±


    ¡°A lost language?¡± Hao Ren was genuinely surprised. ¡°Then¡­what were those runes in the town?¡±


    ¡°Prayer for good luck¡­¡± Vivian shrugged nonchalantly. ¡°The writings itself are wrong and the structure¡¯s all over the place. That, I managed to discern. The people this age don¡¯t even know what or how to properly write Letta runes anymore. What they did was simply just trace the symbols from whatever source that remained, either from ruins or ancient tomes. They probably thought the characters brought auspicious meanings, and they¡¯ve been using them since. Something like a protective charm not unlike those you can find in the houses of Chinese villages. Letta runes have pretty much degenerated into this form. I suppose the people on Earth were much, much better at preserving their knowledge. At least, the demon hunters have some knowledge of the runes.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute¡­ Letta runes¡­ Kingdom of Holletta¡­¡± Something dawned upon Wuyue as her expression changed. ¡°Oh, right!! When I was in town, I overheard something by the school. They were talking about the Kingdom of Holletta being a direct line of an ancient civilisation. Could it be that the Letta runes were one of the remnants of that civilisation? It¡¯s even in the kingdom¡¯s name.¡±


    ¡°Possible.¡± Vivian nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t have the time to probe for more boring information but, from my meeting with the priests, I can tell that they hold the Kingdom of Holletta¡¯s ¡®doctrine¡¯ and ¡®ancientness¡¯ with the utmost importance. This kingdom is probably the most ancient of kingdoms in this world. If you think back to the apocalypse a few milleniums back, it¡¯s not beyond reason that the Kingdom of Holletta is a remnant of an ancient civilsation.


    ¡°They may have simply inherited something from the lost civilisation, rather than having remnants,¡± Y¡¯zaks quipped.


    ¡°What have you heard?¡± Hao Ren raised at eyebrow.


    ¡°The Kingdom of Holletta has a history of about 3,000 years. That means it was established much more recently than when the apocalypse happened.¡± Y¡¯zaks laughed. ¡°The founders of the kingdom probably stumbled across something in the ruins and used it as a basis of their rule. Anyway, I¡¯m not going to proclaim if they are indeed a remnant of the past civilisation¡­ Those are just details. I have good news, we don¡¯t have to worry about money for a while now.¡±


    As the great demon grinned, he pulled out a bulky sack and presented it to Hao Ren and the group. In it, a whole load of various, shiny currencies could be seen. Some of it, Hao Ren recognised as the local Denars, some were thin, copper coins, and there was a piece of clearly valuable, gold currency. The sudden appearance of so much shiny metal almost blinded all who were present. Y¡¯zaks laughed again. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I got scammed but, these look like they should last us for a while. That fat merchant was even grimacing when he took out his coin purse¡­¡±


    Cold sweat appeared almost instantenously across Hao Ren¡¯s forehead as he eyed the giant hulk of a demon suspiciousy. ¡°You didn¡¯t resort to highway robbery, did you?¡±


    With Y¡¯zaks¡¯ ¡°good guy¡± nature, this was obviously out of the question but, the shock from the giant coin was palpable. Aside from robbery, Hao Ren really could not figure out how a person, who had no idea about the basic functions of this society could possibly make such a huge sum of money in such a short time. Perhaps, deep down, all demons would not say no to easy money.


    Displeasure immediately appeared on Y¡¯zaks already scary looking face. ¡°Who do you take me for? As an upstanding person, I¡¯ll never do such a thing. This was from the sale of weapons.¡±


    ¡°Weapons?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    Y¡¯zaks took off his bagpack (Hao Ren was indeed in charge of the luggage but, the practical demon still lugged his own by habit) and pulled out two odd-looking, short swords. ¡°These.¡±


    The group gathered around to have a look at the swords. The swords were short in name and shape only but, their blades were clearly not metal. The pitch black blades were almost obsidian-like, and looked to be crafted entirely out of stone. There were no scorch or folding marks on the blades. A very thin veil of blade mist swirled on the surface of the blades, and Hao Ren felt that he was being compelled to look at the blades. The plain, lightless blades almost had a magical aura to them. The longer you stared at the blades, the faster the mist swirled.


    Wuyue picked up one of the blades out of curiousity and felt a surge of energy race through her body. The scared siren quickly tossed the blade back to the ground.


    ¡°Could it be¡­demonic stone?¡± Hao Ren only realised what the swords were made of after a while.


    ¡°Yes, that stone.¡± Y¡¯zaks nodded. ¡°Ever since I got back from England, I¡¯ve been wondering what to do with it. It was a massive eyesore and a space hogger however, it was still valuable enough. Since I was unemployed and had time on my hands, I started chipping it off to make some stuff. At first, I made two kitchen knives for Vivian but, she said they were too heavy and cumbersome. So, I made two shovels instead, and found out that they weren¡¯t half as good as the ones you can buy off the shelves. After that, I made a couple of short swords like these, thinking that we might have some use for them someday. While I¡¯m not the best smith around, I still know my way in making demonic weaponry. The blades may look brittle but they are harder than normal steel. They¡¯ve undergone some treatment. I¡¯ve seen the weapons of humans in this world, no normal blacksmith here can come up with anything close to them.¡±


    ¡°F*ck! You sold someone a demonic sword?¡± Hao Ren gasped in horror.


    ¡°Of course not.¡± Y¡¯zaks simply just waved him off. ¡°I have already removed the demonic energy from the rocks. These are no more than glorified swords with enchantments. I simply went up to one of the weapons shops in town, said I found a blade that I can¡¯t use in the ruins, and wanted to sell it. And well¡­the rest is history.¡±


    Hao Ren eyed Y¡¯zaks suspiciously. ¡°You seem awfully familiar with this.¡±


    The great demon smirked. ¡°There was a time back then where a group of adventurers would come to my turf to wreak havoc. I had this old castle there and they seemed to love hauling out whatever broken metal and stuff they could find to sell. At times, if there was a whole lot of them, I could even give the groundsmen a couple of days off. Well¡­that¡¯s how I learnt about human adventurers making a fortune.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    There was an awkward silence.


    Now, Hao Ren was even more curious about what Y¡¯zaks did back then at home. Aside from being the messenger of righteousness to his kind, he was a raid boss, whom people would grind for loot and reputation?


    That said, the ingenuity of the great demon had solved their monetary woes for the time being. As for the way the monetary system worked here¡­they would find out sooner or later. By then, Lily had begun to pull on Hao Ren¡¯s sleeves. ¡°Mr. Landlord¡­ Lets get something to eat.¡±


    With that, Hao Ren realised that he indeed felt a little hungry. Perplexed, he rose the question, ¡°Wait¡­why do we need to eat over here?¡±


    ¡°What nonsense.¡± The MDT, who was playing nanny to the little mermaid back home suddenly rang in his ear. ¡°Since when did you not need to eat?¡±


    ¡°I thought we were in the Dream Plane no?¡± Hao Ren was still confused. ¡°Our bodies are lying in the pods back home. So, why the need to eat at all?¡±


    ¡°Who told you that your entity in The Plane of Dreams is a purely spiritual being? Your body there is as real as the one on Earth. When you enter The Plane of Dreams, an exact copy of you is being made over there and you will need to eat and sleep as usual. And of course, anything that happens to you in the plane will affect you directly. Just that your metabolism rate is much lower, and you¡¯ll only need a meal a day to sustain yourself. Lily was acting up because she was being Lily, hungry as always.¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned. He found the line between The Plane of Dreams and reality was almost blurred.

 Chapter 181

    Hao Ren was thankful that he had the foresight to purchase a whole load of edible stuff before coming into The Plane of Dreams. That binge purchase resulted in about a month¡¯s worth of food. Now that he could just retrieve them at will from his Dimensional Pocket, they did not have to deal with Lily¡¯s famished tantrums for the time being.


    Aside from the werehusky, whose hunger was still in sync with her biological clock, the others were fine. So, they just had a simple bite to fill their stomachs. As Becky still did not to appear, Hao Ren decided to take time to study the intricacies of the Dimensional Pocket. He was curious and pleasantly surprised that the pocket could be used even in The Plane of Dreams. He kind of expected some spatial distortions to occur when he activated the pocket.


    ¡°You can think of The Plane of Dreams as a complete, stand-alone foreign world. While your method of entry is through dreaming, in essence, you have crossed over into this world.¡± The MDT was also pleasantly patient when it started to explain new essential information such as this. ¡°There will be some sort of spatial distortion for sure because you are exisiting in both worlds at the same time. It¡¯ll take more computational processing to support the pocket but, worry not. The pockets that inspectors use are top-tier goods. They can be used in almost every situation, even in deep space. As long as you are connected to the Imperial Data Network, your Dimensional Pocket will be active.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s convenient.¡± Hao Ren nodded. At the same time, he saw a familiar figure exiting the town. Becky was on the same, weird-looking horse, cantering towards them. A herd of horses was behind, and on one of them, a middle aged man sat in horse-riding gear.


    Hao Ren and the group waved at her and she arrived before them a few moments later. The mercenary lass seemed to be in a good mood. She was chirpy as always. ¡°Yo! You guys are early. Didn¡¯t wait too long, did you?¡±


    ¡°Nah, we just arrived as well.¡± Hao Ren waved it off with a white lie. He then saw the middle aged man getting off the back of the horse. ¡°And, this is¡­?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a horse merchant, an old friend.¡± Becky pointed to the man as she introduced him. ¡°The journey from Lamberg to the Beinz Blood Lake will take a few days even on horseback. Walking is definitely out of the question. It seems like neither of you lot have any means of transportation. And¡­I don¡¯t trust your teleportation spell. I don¡¯t want to fall out of the sky and damage my brain just to save a few days.¡±


    ¡°Can you stop harping about that?¡± Hao Ren muttered grudgingly.


    Becky simply laughed and waved him off. After that, she said, ¡°Oh, the rent is on you by the way; five horses. The trip¡¯s going to be from Lamberg to Leyton, the closest town to the Blood Lake. A one-way trip will require 10 days, and each horse will cost about 260 Denars. The deposit is 10 Denars. It¡¯ll be refunded once we reach the stable at Leyton. This is already a friend¡¯s price. You won¡¯t find any cheaper rentals anywhere else.


    The way Becky spoke made it sound like she was trying to swindle them. The smart lass was probably going to ask for a commission later (she did not do unprofitable deals after all.) However, none present were particularly worried about that. In addition, Hao Ren had not thought about transportation before they arived. He just realised how remiss he was on this thus, he was very grateful for Becky¡¯s arrangements.


    Well, money was indeed a problem much earlier until good man Y¡¯zaks solved it with his mercantile skills. It was almost as if the Goddess of Luck was beside him (hell, if Raven 12345 actually knew one). He took the coin pouch from Y¡¯zaks and pretended to count his coins. He then grabbed a bunch of coins and placed it in the man¡¯s hand. The latter quickly waved it off. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re giving me too much¡­¡±


    As the horse merchant was busy counting the change, Hao Ren took the chance to take note of the the various coins and their equivalent monetary value. This was a skill that an inspector needed. While Hao Ren had yet to receive any formal training on it, he had to improvise and train himself on such necesssary skills.


    ¡°Pick one,¡± Becky said as she pulled a few horses forward. ¡°¡­All of you know how to ride one don¡¯t you?¡±


    Vivian was obviously a capable equestrian. Wuyue also seemed to have some skill concerning horse-riding. Even if the horses in the plane looked very different from the ones on Earth, it should not have affected the riding part a lot. Hao Ren on the other hand, had never rode on a horse before other than the time he did so with Becky. The best he could do was stay on the horse and not fall off. Conversely, Lily was scrambling up one of the horses clumsily. She then wrapped her hands around the horse¡¯s neck to stabilise herself. The silly husky cheerily declared, ¡°I know how to ride one!¡±


    Hao Ren really did not know where her positivity and confidence came from.


    Y¡¯zaks was last and he purposedly picked a stallion that looked strong to him. As he neared the stallion, it started to neigh. The moment Y¡¯zaks got on the saddle however, Hao Ren heard a loud crack¡­


    The merchant¡¯s face was about as green as the steppe they were on.


    Even on horseback, Y¡¯zaks legs almost touched the ground. He sighed with resignation. ¡°Forget it, I¡¯ll just walk.¡±


    Hao Ren was uneasy about letting the great demon walk. ¡°Uh, no way.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Y¡¯zaks brushed him off with a hearty laugh. As soon as he got off the the horse, another loud crack was heard. Hao Ren could only nod in acquiscience. He knew that with Y¡¯zaks¡¯ ability, he would not have any problems running all the way from Lamberg to the Beinz Blood Lake, and back. He was also not the type to dwell on details. At any rate, his group was a bunch of unusual creatures, and he was thankful he did not need to deal with the intracies of human interaction with them. Truth be told, if Y¡¯zaks had tried on a few more horses, Hao Ren reckoned he could kiss the deposit good bye. He deduced this by reading the mood on the horse merchant¡¯s face.


    Becky¡¯s eyes almost popped out of her sockets when she heard that the big guy would run all the way to Beinz. She wanted to dissuade him from such foolish endeavours but, her tongue was tied at his confident insistence. She finally relented but still eyed him suspiciously as the great demon started warming up. Becky then turned to the horse merchant, signalling that he could return to town.


    After all of them were ready, the party started with a canter towards the wide open plain. With Becky leading the way, the party took a turn towards the west. The next stop was a village belonging to the mountain folk.


    The wide, veridian steppe was perfect for the horses to go on full gallop, and Lamberg quickly faded out of sight. A sea of verdant green surrounded them, and it was a truly refreshing sight. For Hao Ren at least, while he clumsily tried to maintain his balance on the horse. The cool wind and scenery was enough to take his mind off it.


    This scene reminded him of something out of the movies; a group of riders under the azure sky, riding along an endless plain. Whether it was due to Becky¡¯s valiant bravado or Vivian¡¯s graceful equestrian skills, it was a sight to behold. Behind the troupe, the two-metre tall demon was running at full speed. His already vicious looking face was even more menacing at the pace he was moving. Normal people would have wet their pants and fallen off their horses right there and then¡­


    Well, screw it¡­


    ¡°Can he really keep up?¡± Becky yelled.


    She was at the front of the group. As she turned back to take a glance, she caught sight of Y¡¯zaks, easily keeping up with the group. At the same time, her neck shrunk as she saw the look on his face. (The image of a vicious demon charging towards you can be rather scary).


    ¡°Of course! He¡¯s mountain folk after all!¡± Wuyue yelled back. This ¡°mountain folk¡± moniker was something she picked up from the town, and was a rather useful excuse. ¡°That big guy over there can run a circle around the world if he wants to!¡±


    ¡°Hah! Then, he¡¯ll need to figure out how to cross the Endless Sea!¡± Becky had all but given up wondering why the ¡°wizard¡± and his companions were such a bunch of oddballs. As she chattered, she remembered something. ¡°I never thought Old George¡¯s horses were such second rates. The big guy may look tougher than your usual man but, those horses should not have buckled under his weight.


    Old George was the horse merchant¡¯s name. Becky was almost embarrassed that the horses he brought could not even carry Y¡¯zaks. However, this line of thought was normal. The horses in this world were much stronger and resilient than Earth breeds. They technically could have carried Y¡¯zaks¡¯ weight.


    The problem lay with Y¡¯zaks¡¯ demonic aura.


    As much as the great demon had kept his dark energies under wraps, the horses in this world were particularly sensitive. Their instincts told them that Y¡¯zaks was dangerous, and the moment he got close, they started to feel uneasy.


    Nonetheless, such minute details were only noticed by the demon himself.


    After an hour or so in the plains, Hao Ren started looking for tracks and signs of his ¡°old friends¡±.


    He was looking for that silly bunch of wolves (for their dental treatment) but, they seemed to be a little hard to find.

 Chapter 182

    Remember the time when riding on horseback across a verdant plain was relaxing? Honestly¡­it gets pretty tedious and boring after a while.


    Becky¡¯s travel plan was to move along the roads from Lamberg into the great plains. It was green all throughout their journey, and the only things along the way were border towns or pit stops. It was not until some distance that they were required to take a detour around a mountain range. As such, it was nothing but greenery all day long, and frankly, Hao Ren was getting rather sick of it.


    Lily on the other hand, was in her element. She was still strapped to the horse like an octopus. While her pose may not have been the most graceful of the lot, she was rather pleased with herself. At times she even went, ¡°Awooooo.¡± Her howls echoed throughout the plains. The horse neighed in shock, probably thinking that its rider had gone nuts.


    ¡°Why is she acting like this?¡± Becky finally asked after she witnessed Lily howling a few times. ¡°Sounds like a werewolf.¡±


    ¡°I am a werewolf!¡± Lily responded happily as she turned her head back. She was indeed happy, being able to proudly declare her heritage, that she was an unusual creature so freely. It was not possible back on Earth. She was a carefree soul to begin with, and the place gave her the freedom she always craved for.


    ¡°Whoa, she¡¯s a real one?¡± Becky gawked in awe. ¡°Don¡¯t the werewolves live over the mountains to the east? Their tribes also seem very insular. You rarely see any one of them over in a human¡¯s domain much less being a wizard¡¯s apprentice.¡±


    ¡°I was born and raised with humans!¡± Lily yelled back. She really, really loved this place, where she could talk about herself without any reservations. Becky was not unfamiliar with werewolves. No one in this world was anyway. So, what better place for an unusual creature to live than here? Truth be told, if it was not due of the lack of supermarkets, refrigerators, computers and a whole load of tasty food only available back on Earth, Lily would have moved here in a heartbeat.


    Then again, Lily had not seen first hand, the dangers of The Plane of Dreams.


    The mere joy of freedom had Lily really pumped up, and a poetic spark ignited in her. Clearing her throat, she went, ¡°Awooooooo!!!¡±


    Vivian slowed her horse to a canter to stay beside Hao Ren. ¡°Doggie seems very happy¡­ What are you looking for?¡±


    Hao Ren was throwing his gaze towards the horizon as he spoke, ¡°The wolfpack. We are clearly on the pack¡¯s territory. I remember it. Seems like they¡¯re not hunting here today. I promised to bring them dental treatment.¡±


    The group had left Lamberg for a couple of hours now. From the gist of things, they were almost half-way through the day¡¯s journey. They had been going through the flat edges of the steppe, which Becky purposedly planned to maximise the distance the horses could traverse. This led them right smack into the black wolves¡¯ territory. Hao Ren only agreed to go on the route because it passed right through the plains where the wolves lived. He still remembered his promise to the alpha wolf.


    However, the plains were larger than expected. Not to mention, a wolf¡¯s territory was usually very vast, and their kind wandered about to hunt. Unless a predetermined point had been determined, or you ran into them by coincidence, it was practically impossible to look for the pack in just a single ride.


    Vivian was also curious about the black wolf pack that Hao Ren had been talking about so frequently. She too realised that the moment they reach civilisation, they would not be seeing the pack for a good while. She pondered for a moment and called out to Lily. ¡°Doggie! How loud can you howl?¡±


    Lily had just stopped howling a moment ago, and was still caught up in the euphoria. ¡°That depends on my mood. Lalala¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Vivian suddenly had an idea. ¡°Then, howl as loud as you can. The farther it can be heard, the better. Go ahead, call yourself the king of the plains.¡±


    Lily was cautious all of a sudden. ¡°Are you trying to screw with me?¡±


    ¡°What makes you say so?¡±


    ¡°You always complain about me being too noisy. Even when I¡¯m on the rooftop trying to be all poetic, you¡¯d come up from the basement just to get me to shut up,¡± Lily retorted. The werehusky had a habit of howling when she was happy but, that grinded the gears of the vampire, who loved her peace and quiet. Well, it was not only Vivian, pretty much anyone else who did not know Lily would have been confused by what actually triggers her to howl. Furthermore, the moment she starts howling, the other strays in the suburb would start howling in succession, almost like a crescendo. It became the latest public nuisance there, so much so that Hao Ren had to remind her to pipe down from time to time.


    When she was in human form however, Lily was pretty reserved, fearing that her identity would be exposed to her previous landlord, who worked in the same university she studied in. Now that she was living in a deserted area like the Southern Suburbs, and was being surround by her ¡°kind¡±, she started showing her true colours.


    ¡°If I¡¯m letting you howl, just do it. I don¡¯t have all the time in a day to screw with you.¡± Vivian shot back. ¡°You just seemed bored out of your wits at home so now, you have the chance to scream as much as you want.¡±


    Lily tilted her head a bit and simply believed what Vivian said. She took a deep breath and went, ¡°Awoooooooooooooooo!!!¡±


    Hao Ren could almost feel the gaze of the wolfpack upon him. Wolves are very territorial creatures¡­


    As expected, Lily continued howling along the way and simultaneously, another series of howls came in response. They had attracted the pack¡¯s attention.


    From the horizon, Hao Ren saw a few darting shadows, and not long after, he felt some presence behind the party. He called out to Becky, ¡°Stop, I have something to do.¡±


    Becky pulled the reigns of her horse, leading the party to a halt. The rest also trotted to a stop. Lily was the only one still hugging the horse, and going at full speed. Withing a blink of an eye, she was already hundreds of metres ahead of the party. Her pitiful voice echoed back, ¡°I can¡¯t stop! How do I get it to stoooooooppp!!!¡±


    The werehusky had no idea how to ride a horse. The boast about being able to pick it up on the fly before they departed was just that, a boast. Along the way, she simply used her strength to strap herself on the back of the horse like velcro, almost like another piece of luggage. Now¡­she can¡¯t get the horse to stop!


    Hao Ren almost panicked at the scene, and was just about to dash forward to save the bumbling idiot before she deftly leapt off the back of the horse. With her innate agility, she managed to pull herself out of danger. She then sprinted to the front of the horse, and gave it an ear ringing slap¡­


    A short while later, Lily was carrying the horse back. Yep, that¡¯s right. She was carrying the horse that she was riding moments earlier, on her back¡­


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve seen many novices who don¡¯t know how to ride a horse but, this takes the cake.¡± Becky could only look on with a dumbfounded expression. ¡°This is my first time seeing someone stop a horse like that¡­ Who¡¯s riding who actually?¡±


    Hao Ren could only let out an awkward laugh. He was really at lost. How was he going to explain that he was surrounded by oddballs? Lily placed the fainted horse on the ground and grumbled. ¡°¡­I¡¯m so pissed¡­ I even had to carry this thing¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright, alright¡­ It¡¯s been carrying you for a good part of the journey,¡± Hao Ren said as he ruffled Lily¡¯s hair. ¡°Don¡¯t just go off by yourself. It¡¯s okay if you can¡¯t ride.¡±


    By then, the shadows had already converged upon the party. As expected, it was the same pack that Hao Ren was familiar with. The strongest of the pack was a Sun-Tzu reading, Shakespeare-quoting alpha wolf. Heck, it even learned how to paint like Da Vinci.


    This time around, there only about 20 present. It seemed like a good half of the pack was missing. The almost toothless one appeared to be absent as well.


    ¡°It¡¯s really you.¡± The alpha wolf was dumbstruck upon seeing Hao Ren. ¡°You humans are so troublesome. Your kind keeps changing the clothes that you wear¡­ If it wasn¡¯t for your unique scent, I wouldn¡¯t even know how to differentiate you lot.¡±


    Humans in the eyes of a wolf were probably the same as wolves in the eyes of a human. A common person would not be able to tell the gender of a wolf simply by looks alone. Thankfully, wolves can tell someone apart by scent.


    ¡°We heard an unknown howl earlier, and were wondering which bastard had come to invade our territory,¡± one of the black wolves spoke as it nodded. ¡°Your way of summoning us is pretty ingenious¡­ Who was that? Good vocals I must say. Haven¡¯t heard a howl with such clarity in ages.¡±


    Lily quickly bounced forward. ¡°It was me! Me! Say¡­are you guys the black wolves that Mr. Landlord was talking about?¡±


    She then turned to Hao Ren with a dumb smile. ¡°Hehehe, see? Told you I have talent in singing. It¡¯s just that you guys don¡¯t know how to appreciate it.¡±


    Hao Ren pushed Lily away. ¡°Repeating the three syllables, ¡®woof¡¯ and ¡®awoo¡¯ does not make a song. And you of all people want to compare vocals in front of Wuyue? You sure got it coming.¡±


    He then stood before the alpha wolf. ¡°I brought you the doctor.¡±

 Chapter 183

    Hao Ren pushed Nangong Wuyue towards the alpha wolf, and introduced her. ¡°This is the doctor I mentioned. She has great skill. She can get you dentures. Where are those black wolves with broken teeth?¡±


    The alpha wolf looked rather surprised. It looked at the people in front of it with astonishment and, subconscioudly dangled its head, saying, ¡°You actually brought the doctor¡­ I¡¯ve never seen such a strange human like you. Who actually keeps a promise with an animal?¡±


    Hao Ren became a little unhappy. ¡°Do you hear yourself? I wasn¡¯t joking, okay. You¡¯re being bias against humans.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not prejudice, it¡¯s just a fact. I¡¯ve dealt with humans and other human-like races. They are very self-centered and judge everything based on appearance. Even if we speak, they still treat us as animals. An honest person like you is really rare.¡± The alpha wolf crouched down and scratched its neck with its rear paw. ¡°I¡¯ve sent my men to call those cubs with broken teeth over. I¡¯m bringing my people out for hunting today. Those with broken teeth can¡¯t help so, they stayed at home. It¡¯s not far from here. They will reach soon.¡±


    Two young black wolves ran back to their home under the alpha wolf¡¯s order and soon disappeared in the vast grassland. Becky pulled several of the horses that were frightened by the wolves and tied them up far away from the wolves. Then, she approached Hao Ren and said, ¡°So, we pulled up just for this? I thought it was something important. You¡¯re really close with these wolves, huh.¡±


    The alpha wolf immediately nodded his head and greeted Becky, ¡°Oh, hello, swordsman. We¡¯ve met before in the past.¡±


    Everybody was silent.


    Lily was in a great mood after she saw her ¡°distant relatives¡± in this world, and soon, she was mixing with a few black wolves. While they waited for the ¡°patients¡±, she talked with a few black wolves about day-to-day topics that only canines could understand. For example, what kind of bone chew was best, how should the nose be taken care of in winter, and the inconvenience they faced when they shed. Anyway, Hao Ren had difficulty understanding these topics, especially when it came to shedding. The weather had turned cold lately and Lily really started to shed. It could only be noticed whenever she transformed into a husky. And because this girl often let her tail and ears out to get some fresh air at home, Hao Ren had to spend a lot of time to clean up fluff on the sofa every day¡­ In short, anything related to Lily gave Hao Ren a headache.


    After the werewolf girl and black wolves chatted for a while, each of them felt the urge to express themselves. Therefore, they ran up to the little mound, crouched in a row and began to howl.


    Becky looked at Hao Ren and his companions as though she saw some rare animals. She said, ¡°Your daily life must be very interesting¡­¡±


    Hao Ren sighed and replied, ¡°It¡¯s too interesting.¡±


    The alpha wolf was right. The place was quite close to the wolves¡¯ current stronghold. Soon, those unlucky, black wolves with broken teeth were brought over. They looked thinner than before. Although they were still very healthy, their physiques were obviously not as good as before. Not only were they unable to eat well after losing their teeth, due to their loss of combat power and their inability to participate in hunts, their bodies were naturally affected in the long run. The alpha wolf looked at its dejected members of the pack. It suddenly got a little angry, and roared. The unlucky ones were frightened and shook violently. ¡°All of you, look up! Have a little spirit, okay? Outsiders are watching. You all have to reflect the pack¡¯s spirit!¡±


    A wolf knew so many human words. Hao Ren felt it really should not have been a wolf.


    Nangong Wuyue came to check on the condition of the wolves¡¯ teeth. The wolves had a little resistance to a strange ¡°human¡± opening their mouths. However, after they heard that this was the doctor who could implant dentures for them, they immediately became submissive and even scrambled a little. Nangong Wuyue gave them a rough check up, raised her head and said, ¡°No problem, just minor injuries. The roots of the teeth are still present. They can regenerate with the help of my Magic Water Treatment.¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly let out a long sigh. To be honest, he truly felt a little sorry for these wolves. After all, he was the one who caused them to lose their teeth. He had forgotten the fact that he was the one being attacked on that day. Perhaps there was some kind of change in mentality after one had obtained power. At that point, mind-shattering events were just something trivial to Hao Ren¡¯s heart. He used to get his stomach in a twist when he faced the attacking wolves but now, he only thought of breaking their teeth or not. After all, the attack of the black wolves was only as lethal as Rollie in the house.


    Nangong Wuyue had begun to treat the black wolves¡¯ teeth. They did not see her reading any mantra. She did not cast any spells or made any gestures. They just saw the siren being gradually surrounded by a layer of rainbow-like mist with the sun¡¯s reflection on it. The mist slowly dispersed and even Hao Ren, who was standing outside the range of the mist felt refreshed: This thing was much better than an air freshener and the so-called negative oxygen ion air conditioner. The black wolves shrouded in the middle of the mist, felt comfortable, and kept nodding. They lay at Nangong Wuyue¡¯s feet spinelessly and laughed like huskies.


    Nangong Wuyue reminded the black wolves, ¡°From now on, it may feel be a little itchy. You guys just have to endure it. If it really becomes unbearable, just chew on the grass. It only lasts for a few minutes.¡±


    Just as the wolves were about to object and say how could wolves eat grass while showing the strength and fortitude of being a wolf, a terrible itch came to their mouth. ¡°Auw!¡± They immediately shouted on the spot, jumped up and chewed on the grass around them. Their teeth began to regenerate quickly.


    The alpha wolf was amazed by the scene. It ignored its own image, leaned forward and asked, ¡°Can you treat me? I also lost two teeth.¡±


    Yes, the alpha wolf also lost two of its teeth. They were broken by Hao Ren.


    Nangong Wuyue certainly agreed. Soon, the alpha wolf was frantically chewing up the turf together with its men. After some agony, their broken teeth were healed. These black wolves lay side by side on the grass without caring about their image anymore. They rubbed their bodies around comfortably. The alpha wolf smacked its lips and said, ¡°I can articulate properly¡­ This feels comfortable!¡±


    When the rest of the wolves saw that even their leader was in such a state, they immediately became restless and queued up in front of Nangong Wuyue. Those who had been sick and could only rely on God finally met a doctor who could cure them. They immediately told Nangong Wuyue their problems. Some of them needed dentures, some of them had arthritis, some of them had waist pains, some of them had indigestion, and there was one saying that its face was too short. It wanted to see if Wuyue could lengthen its face. It requested for cosmetic surgery!


    Nangong Wuyue stood there, a little dumbfounded. She did not expect these black wolves¡¯ spiritual life to be so colourful. Facing some demands beyond her ability, she could only wave and say, ¡°I can¡¯t perform cosmetic surgery¡­or face reading¡­ Shedding is mainly because of the weather.¡±


    Becky was staring at the interesting scene when she looked at the sky. She realised it was getting late so, she had to remind them. ¡°Are you guys still going to the lake? I¡¯m afraid that we can¡¯t reach the village before sundown if we don¡¯t depart now.¡±


    Only then did they remember that they had something more important to do. Hao Ren had to say goodbye to the alpha wolf. ¡°We have to go now. There is still a long way for us to go.¡±


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± The alpha wolf jumped up from the ground, spit out the grass in his mouth and asked, ¡°Quite a lot of people have been heading in that direction recently, and you guys look like you¡¯re in a hurry to depart¡­ Are you on the same journey as they are?¡±


    Hao Ren guessed that it was referring to the mercenary regiments, which went searching for pearls two months ago. He nodded and said, ¡°We are going to the Beinz Blood Lake.¡±


    ¡°Humans are weird, always running around for some inexplicable reason,¡± muttered the alpha wolf. ¡°Is there a lot of food in this place called the Beinz Blood Lake?¡±


    Becky grinned and said, ¡°There¡¯s no food but, there is something more important for us humans: a lot of money. I won¡¯t have to worry about food for the rest of my life!¡±


    ¡°Oh, you are going there for the money. Yet another difficult thing to understand,¡± the alpha wolf muttered and turned its head. ¡°Can¡¯t compare with the strange woman two I met days ago. At least she wanted to go there to get home. This is easier to understand.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what are you talking about? To get home?¡± Hao Ren suddenly found this to be something of interest. He realised what was wrong after he called the alpha wolf: Who would live in the Beinz Blood Lake, which was a barren land? Where was the woman going back to?


    ¡°Yes, a tall, thin woman. Said she was from another world, and asked me if there was a large space gate around. I heard about the Beinz Blood Lake leading to the Otherworld so, I told her about it.¡±

 Chapter 184

    Hao Ren did not expect to receive such important information. He was just here to help these black wolves cure their broken teeth. It appeared that being a good man and keeping his promise had rewarded him. He hastened to call the alpha wolf, who was ready to leave. ¡°Wait a minute, tell us more details about this person.¡±


    ¡°Are you interested in her?¡± The alpha wolf squatted down to think, then it said, ¡°Well, she was a very thin woman, probably the size of that woman with long hair over there (Vivian) but, a little taller. She was wearing a hooded outfit, looked like a hunter. She came from the north but, no one¡¯s supposed to be living in the north. Unless, she came to this place from the human state far north. The woman looked worried. She said that she came from another world and something had gone wrong during some sort of experiment. I didn¡¯t understand her words. Anyway, she said she wanted to go home, and proceeded to ask about the most unstable space in this world. ¡±


    The information that the alpha wolf could provide was not much. Hao Ren later confirmed again and again the features of the woman who claimed to be from the Otherworld. However, a wolf¡¯s ability to describe the features of a human was limited. In the end, Hao Ren could only deduce that it was a blonde woman, taller than Vivian, slim, and she was dressed in a white, hooded outfit. However, based on the alpha wolf¡¯s the description, Hao Ren had a hunch that she did not come from Earth.


    If she was not from Earth then, where did she come from?


    Hao Ren had been to outer space and seen other forms of life so, his way of thinking was much wider, and more open than before. He thought of scenarios where intelligent creatures that existed on other planets in the Superficial World could have possibly entered The Plane of Dreams by accident. Since humans from Earth could enter The Plane of Dreams by chance, intelligent creatures of other planets could have also done it.


    It just seemed like the woman¡¯s situation was a little more complicated: In normal circumstances, a person who entered The Plane of Dreams by accident would automatically exit it after waking up. However, this woman happened to be completely trapped in this world. This was a situation that Hao Ren had never heard of.


    ¡°What else did she say?¡± Hao Ren squatted on the ground levelling his eyes with that of the alpha wolf. ¡°Like, where does she stay and how did she come to this place.¡±


    ¡°How can I possibly understand so much.¡± The alpha wolf dug the ground with its paw. ¡°Please, I¡¯m just a wolf. She said a bunch of strange nouns but, I remember her mentioning that her homeland¡¯s suffering¡­ You don¡¯t know that woman, do you?¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head and stood up. ¡°No, I don¡¯t know her. I just find it weird¡­ Do you know which way she went?¡±


    ¡°There is a mountain village in the west, and I know she had to have passed through there. I can¡¯t tell you where she¡¯s heading beyond that. I don¡¯t know how humans plan their journey. I just roughly pointed her to the Beinz Blood Lake. I assume she¡¯ll ask the locals later on.¡±


    After the alpha wolf finished talking, it stared into the sky, trying to recall its memory. It suddenly brought something up. ¡°Oh, I thought of something. When I was talking to that woman, it was very strange. The speed of the conversation was very fast. It felt like she knew what I was about to say just as I started to speak. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s just the illusion of human speech.¡±


    Hao Ren paused for a moment. He did not quite understand what this meant. After the alpha wolf roughly explained again, he had a faint feeling about it being some kind of communication beyond language. It seemed a bit similar to his mental connection with the MDT but, less efficient. It could have been the workings of some kind of technology or magic however, the alpha wolf was obviously not familiar with these things.


    ¡°I see.¡± Hao Ren nodded. He then waved goodbye to the alpha wolf and said, ¡°Thank you for the information. Well, off we go.¡±


    ¡°Okay, till we meet again.¡± The alpha wolf bowed its head with its front paws pushing the field of grass. It seemed to be offering friendship. ¡°You are a very special human. I¡¯ve decided to allow my pack to be friends with you. Next time, if you face any trouble in the South Prairie, just come to us.¡±


    Hao Ren laughed: He had really formed an incredible friendship, and if he got lost out on the prairies again, he did not have to worry about food¡­


    The alpha wolf led his pack across the grassy knoll and disappeared from their sight. Hao Ren turned around and saw four pairs of very serious eyes: Even Lily, the silly girl also realised that they had a special harvest in this trip. It was clear that the woman who claimed to be from the Otherworld was of great significance.


    Becky did not know why hao Ren and the rest of them were so interested in this matter. She leaned over curiously and asked, ¡°From the Otherworld? Does it really exist?¡±


    ¡°Err, probably¡­¡± Hao Ren replied perfunctorily. Becky did not give up and kept on asking, ¡°You seem to be very concerned about this matter. Is the woman an acquaintance of yours?¡±


    Hao Ren hurriedly shook his head and denied it. ¡°No, I totally don¡¯t know her. But you see, we are studying Space Magic. So, of course we¡¯re interested in this kind of thing¡­¡±


    Hao Ren very much admired his ability to improvise!


    Becky looked suspiciously at the mysterious people before her. It increasingly affirmed her suspiscions that these guys were quite dubious from head to toe, and she began to seriously consider that it was not wise of her to mix with these mysterious people so quickly. But, when she touched the ¡°music box¡± in her pocket, she made up her mind: Who cares? She could decide later, at least until they get back from the Beinz Blood Lake. If she still felt suspicious, then they would just split up.


    Vivian also noticed a change in the look on Becky¡¯s face. To prevent the mercenary from changing her mind, she clapped her hands to divert attention and said, ¡°Let¡¯s keep going. We¡¯ve had a long delay.¡±


    Now, there was another reason to go to the Beinz Blood Lake. They were going to try to find the mysterious woman who claimed to be from the Otherworld. If they could, they wanted to bring her back to the real world and hand her to Raven 12345. Maybe Raven could figure out what was going on in The Plane of Dreams. Hao Ren found the this trip to be fruitful. Everything was moving forward very smoothly. They even received such an important clue along the way.


    They continued to embark on their journey to the western village. Y¡¯zaks continued to run behind the team; Lily ¡°tied¡± herself to the horse in her silly way as usual; Hao Ren, as always carried the kettle in one hand and grabbed the reins as though he was performing acrobatics. He followed Vivian. Becky actually found it weird early on. She could not help it any longer and asked, ¡°What¡¯s that you¡¯ve been carrying? Looks like a kettle.¡±


    Hao Ren was quite embarrassed to admit that it was actually a kettle (on Earth). He only gave a cursory explanation. ¡°Err, it¡¯s for alchemy.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t even remember to bring any credentials when you teleported but you remembered to carry this thing?¡± Becky was particularly surprised but suddenly came to a realisation and said, ¡°Oh, of course, your brain must be¡ª¡±


    Hao Ren almost jumped down from his horse. ¡°¡ªTry saying that again!¡±


    Becky did not care and laughed. ¡°Your brain must have been ruined during the experiment. Anyway, you guys aren¡¯t very normal.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless. He could only quietly keep a distance from Becky silently. He carefully maintained his balance, held the kettle agaist his chest and opened the lid a little bit. The little mermaid immediately clung to the little opening and watched the scenery outside curiously. A pair of small eyes gleamed with amazement under the lid. Hao Ren heard splashing sounds coming from the kettle. Without looking at it, he knew that it was the little fellow who was swishing her tail happily. She would beat her tail when she was happy, surprised or hungry. The tail was her second communication organ. Hao Ren had almost mastered his knack for distinguishing the meanings of the little one¡¯s various expressions with her tail. It was easier than teaching her to speak.


    Hao Ren was careful not to open the lid too wide to prevent the overly excited Lil Pea from jumping out. However, oddly enough, the little mermaid behaved the same as she did in town. Although she was amazed by the wide world outside, she had no intention of jumping out, as if the vast expanse of the prairie also made the little one bewildered.


    Anyway, the journey was an eye-opener for Lil Pea so, she was probably felt really happy for quite a while.


    They rode for a long time. When the sun gradually set, it left a gilt luster on the prairie, and in the distance, a small village finally appeared before them. Smoke was curling up from the village, and it was visible from far away.


    The only village of the mountain people on the Kingdom of Holletta¡¯s border was in sight.

 Chapter 185

    The prairie or steppe in the northern part of the Kingdom of Holletta had no name. The people there just called it the ¡°Prairie¡±. In the middle of this vast land, a desolate and uninhabited zone was surrounded by an indistinct border between the various countries. Due to certain historical reasons, the many plots of land in the prairie were in an unclear state of ownership. The southern part of the prairie bordering the Kingdom of Holletta was nominally the realm of the kingdom, but in fact, there were no officials or troops there. The Lamberg Town was the northernmost administrative unit of the Kingdom. And as far as the prairie was concerned, its actual rulers were wolves, brute beasts and violent anomalies.


    The alpha wolf once mentioned the legend behind this place. The ancient magical civilization used to set off war here, and the ancient battlefield was buried beneath the prairie. The powerful, ancient fighters were still catalyzing their strong, magical powers underground, resulting in magical disasters such as hurricanes, thunderstorms and even snowstorms. They often occurred in the prairie out of nowhere. Therefore, the neighboring countries did not want to invest too much energy on this prairie as well. It was just not suitable for people.


    However, the prairie¡¯s border area was relatively safe. Some sectors had never even been subjected to any magical disaster. A few years prior, a group of mountain people left their homes, which were located west of the mountains and built a small village in this neutral zone. It is uncertain if the mountain folk and the Holletta Royal Family had reached an agreement. The village was preserved in the form of a border-like trade zone even though it was hundreds of kilometres away from the actual habitat of the mountain people.


    The small village had no name. The people of the kingdom generally called it the ¡°Western Village¡± or ¡°Village of the Mountain People¡±. Mountain folk who were strong and accustomed to travelling long distances often traveled between the village and their own home. They transported medicinal herbs and jade, which could only be found in the forest, westernmost to this side. They used them to exchange alchemy items and other daily necessities with the Holletta people. At the same time, they also adapted to cattle grazing in the plains within a short period of time. The cattle, leather and pack animals of great endurance produced in the small village were also very popular among the Holletta people. Thus, the small village did look kind of like a neutral trade zone at this point.


    All this information was given by Becky on their way to the small village. The mercenary felt that since Hao Ren and the rest were visitors from the Northern Empire, they were probably not familiar with these mountain people, who only interacted with the Kingdom of Holletta. So, she consciously acted as a guide, which saved them a lot of trouble.


    The village was not very big. There were only over a hundred families scattered across the grounds, which was on a slightly higher slope. The village had no walls, just a circle of wooden fences that looked solid as a border on the periphery. Near the slope of the village, a gentle-flowing river acted as the source of drinking water. On the other side of the river, there was a boxy building built with white stone bricks. It was a house in a completely different style from the rest of the village houses. It looked like a common house in Lamberg Town, and they did not know what it was for. The houses of the mountain people were meanwhile, cylindrical in shape, and built with wood. The outer walls were wrapped in leather, and the gaps were filled with thatch and mortar. They looked like tall yurts. This style was kind of familiar.


    Everybody dismounted outside the village. Because there were no roads, or a gate, they went straight into the neighbourhood. It was time for the locals to prepare dinner, and most of them were at home. There were only three or five men wandering around. When Hao Ren saw the villagers, he understood why Y¡¯zaks was mistaken for a mountain man: People here were unusually tall!


    They wore clothes made of course cloth and hide, which although looked rough, had fine workmanship. It gave them a feel of an ethnic minority. Most of the people there were taller than six feet. The shortest Hao Ren saw was probably still a head taller than him. Mountain people were sturdy and strong. Although they were not as tall as Y¡¯zaks, it was still enough for outsiders to mistaken Y¡¯zaks as one of the mountain people. Hao Ren noticed the faces of the men in the village were painted with horizontal and vertical lines in some kind of white and yellow paint. He did not know the meaning of it. Probably it was part of their custom.


    Anyway, a rich, exotic and fond feeling came over them¡ªalong with the smell of rice.


    During their long travel, they simply ate some snacks as lunch so, Hao Ren was already hungry. Lily¡¯s hunger was even more over the top. The girl was beginning to look wistfully at the meadow¡­ How hungry was she?


    The villagers did not react much when they saw a group of outsiders coming to their village. They were probably accustomed to dealing with Holletta people. They just smiled, waved and greeted the visitors. They were neither estranged nor curt. It was only when they saw the group¡¯s peculiar costumes that they felt a little curious. Becky was obviously a regular here. She walked in front of the team and greeted a number of villagers loudly. She then asked someone if the village head was in.


    ¡°The village head just came back yesterday.¡± A brown-haired man, whose face was painted with two yellow stripes pointed to a large house at the center of the village. ¡°There have been a lot of outsiders coming to the village recently, and some of them stayed overnight. The village head led a few people to get some food in town two days ago.¡±


    ¡°You must¡¯ve been making a lot of money recently.¡± Becky laughed. She looked like a tomboy, ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve got a new necklace.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m doing okay, just sold a few horses¡­¡±


    The moment Becky chatted with her acquaintance, Hao Ren finally remembered when he had seen the same style of architecture as the village: the night he first met the black alpha wolf. The several nomadic huts he saw in the prairie had the same style.


    It meant that the nomads who lived on the prairie for a while and moved away were the people of this village. Such a coincidence.


    After observing the local houses, Vivian touched Hao Ren¡¯s arm and said, ¡°There are no Letta runes here.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, only the Kingdom of Holletta inherited some of the rune-related knowledge,¡± Hao Ren nodded and replied, ¡°You can see it from its name.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks stretched his body, exhaled and said, ¡°Hey¡ªI don¡¯t know why but, there¡¯s a sense of relaxation in this place.¡±


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes and said, ¡°Of course, people here are all small giants. You can finally raise your head when you talk to people. There¡¯s no sense of tension for you in this place however, I¡¯m not comfortable with it.¡±


    How could it not have been awkward? Whoever Hao Ren spoke to, the first thing he focused on was their nostrils. After of speaking with this posture for quite some time, even if he could bear it, his neck could not necessarily do the same.


    Becky and her acquaintances were finally done chatting. She allowed everyone to hand over their horse to the brown-haired man in front of them, and said, ¡°Just give the horses to Zanaro. Let¡¯s stay in the village head¡¯s house for the night. Rest well. Starting from tomorrow, we¡¯ll have to continue traveling in the wilderness for two days in a row.


    The man who was called Zanaro smiled kindly at them, revealing a mouthful of white teeth. Without taking the reins, the man just yelled something strange before the horses, and they proceeded to lower their heads and follow him in a tame manner. Becky smiled and gave Hao Ren an introduction. ¡°The mountain people are too tall, other than the Kerrzen breed, they usually can¡¯t ride other kinds of horses. But, they are excellent in taming horses no matter what the breed. They say their ancestors signed an agreement with the Forest Deity. As long as the descendants of the mountain people maintain a reverence for the mountains, they can communicate with the all kinds of animals. Not sure if it¡¯s true.¡±


    As the group listened to Becky introduce some interesting legends about the mountain people, they came to the largest cylindrical house in the center of the village. An old man with white hair and a white beard was standing at the door. The old man who was also wearing a blue robe, and had three white stripes on his face was the village head. He had heard that Becky was leading a group of strangers to his house so, he was waiting at the door. Upon seeing them, the old village head greeted Becky loudly, ¡°Little girl! You¡¯ve come with friends?¡±


    His voice was so striking that even a young person could not compete. Hao Ren¡¯s ears were a little itchy even though he was more than 10 metres away.


    ¡°Don!¡± Becky¡¯s face was full of smiles, and she said, ¡°We¡¯re staying here for a day! I¡¯m going to the Beinz Blood Lake as well!¡±


    ¡°I knew you would go there sooner or later.¡± The old village head seemed to be really familiar with Becky, with the sort of kindness an elder had on his face. Then, he waved at the rest of them and said, ¡°You¡¯re all my guests, please come in, we¡¯re preparing dinner.¡±


    The mountain people also appeared to be very hospitable. Hao Ren and the rest greeted the old village head. When the village head saw Y¡¯zaks, he obviously paused for a moment and asked, ¡°Ah, this body¡­ You¡¯re also a mountain man, aren¡¯t you? Which tribe are you from?¡±


    Hao Ren hurriedly answered the question perfunctorily. He just told him that due to a family misfortune, Y¡¯zaks grew up together with the people in the plains up north so, he was not very accustomed to this question. It was a useful excuse to play Y¡¯zaks as a mountain man but now, when they were in the real mountain village, he was really afraid that Becky would take Y¡¯zaks around to meet his ¡°relatives¡± (the mountain people formed their society with the tribe as the unit, a man of the same tribe or a closer tribe was considered family to them). With mercenary girl¡¯s lively attitude, she could have done it!


    Fortunately, the old village head did not really care about this. He warmly invited them into the house, not giving them any chance to completely say anything. It was dinner time and soon, the dining table was full of special dishes.


    Just as the old village head took his seat, Vivian asked, ¡°Have you seen a tall woman in a white outfit two days ago?¡±

 Chapter 186

    The old village head was kind of stunned upon hearing Vivian¡¯s words. He stroked his moustache as he recollected his memory. ¡°There have been a lot of outsiders coming here lately, clad in all kinds of attire. I can¡¯t recall the one you¡¯ve mentioned¡­¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a while. ¡°Was there a woman saying that she was from an alien world and trying to go home? She was probably speaking in some foreign language.¡±


    The old village head¡¯s eyes glowed. ¡°Ahh, that I remember. Two days ago, a woman had stayed for the night. She left a particularly deep impression because she spoke in foreign languages, which nobody could understand. She then spoke the language of the mountain people. She looked desperate and kept saying she wanted to go home¡­but, she did not mention anything about an alien world.


    Hao Ren thought for a second; perhaps, she was being careful not to divulge her true origin to these mountain people. She did not do the same to the wolf pack because maybe, she thought that they were just a bunch of beasts, and as intelligent as the beasts were, they were still probably not as crafty as humans. Sensing that the old village head was looking at him curiously, Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°Forget about the alien world. We¡¯re looking for the woman. Do you know which direction she was going?¡±


    ¡°Ahh, that I know.¡± The old village head nodded. ¡°She was asking about a shortcut to the Beinz Blood Lake. I showed her the most popular route mercenaries used. Wait a second, I¡¯ll get the map.¡±


    The old village head was not used to divulging such information to strangers. He did it because of Becky, without raising further question. Becky had been a regular patron of the village while she was on a mission in the nearby steppe. She had helped the locals a lot while she was here. The locals who were indebted to her, trusted her.


    The cylindrical house of the mountain people was simple. The interior was divided into different partitions using straw, which could be easily dismantled and moved. The living quarter where they sat in was near a room. The old village head went inside what looked like a bedroom and took out a scroll made from sheep skin. It had maps depicting the southern area of the steppe or prairie and the western area of the Kingdom.


    ¡°Go this way; first along the prairie, then right through the ancient trail across the mountain range in the middle. Most mercenaries use this route.¡± The village head pointed at the map. Hao Ren noticed the route basically matched the route Becky chose, except for the ancient trail across the mountain range. The old village head added, ¡°She purchased a horse from the village. She didn¡¯t have money but she bartered it with a kind of medicinal cream, which was magical in treating exterior wounds.¡±


    The village head took a bit of the cream he got from the mysterious woman and placed it in a small box carved out from wood. The cream smelled fruity. Hao Ren could not identify the cream, and he could not tell where the woman came from based on this magical cream.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll follow this route.¡± Hao Ren raised his head and discussed with the members of his company. ¡°It¡¯s look shorter.¡±


    Lily was busy, helping herself to the mountain folk¡¯s special hard cakes baked from herbs and flour. It was in a manner very much like a dog gnawing greedily on a bone. She muttered indistinctly when she heard Hao Ren, ¡°Okay, okay.¡±


    ¡°You seem to be too willing.¡± Vivian shot Lily a sideways glance. Then she turned her eyes to Becky. ¡°Any problems with that route?¡±


    Becky shook her head. ¡°It looks just fine. Not much difference. Oh, by the way, you lot seem to be really particular about it.¡±


    They giggled in unison. Then Nangong Wuyue fibbed, ¡°Just studying things, you know¡­ We¡¯re used to it¡­¡±


    Becky could not care less about that. Her eyes just stared curiously at the pot beside Hao Ren¡¯s leg. ¡°That¡¯s dedication¡­ You bring that thing along even when you¡¯re eating. What kind of alchemical tool is that?¡±


    Before Hao Ren could answer, tingling and water sounds came out from the pot. Lil Pea was torturing the MDT, and the MDT cried to Hao Ren telepathically. ¡°Hao Ren! Please, take care of your naughty kid! Get the water changed, she¡¯s using me to grind her teeth!¡±


    Becky stared in awe at the pot. ¡°It really is an alchemical tool! It works on its own?¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s cold sweat was trickling down his back. He quickly took the pot and went outside. ¡°Err¡­sort of. But, I need to get it checked¡­¡±


    Looking at Hao Ren¡¯s back, Nangong Wuyue felt sorry for him as she muttered to Vivian, ¡°That¡¯s how difficult life is, raising a premarital child. Look at this single father, he has to change his daughter¡¯s water. His life¡¯s basically over.¡±


    Vivian was stupefied for a second before she could react. ¡°He¡¯s the only one who needs to give his daughter a water change!¡±


    Lily looked up and stared at a cake on the table. She then reached for it. ¡°You¡¯re going to eat it? If not, I¡¯ll take it.¡±


    ¡°Doggie, how dare you!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    ¡°Put it down!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ever touch my barbeque!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    The village head looked on and he was overjoyed because it was an honour for mountain people to have guests scramble for their food. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry. We still have plenty.¡±


    Meanwhile, Hao Ren was carrying the pot and approaching a river outside of the village. The sun had completely set below the horizon, and the steppe was devoid of any manmade lights. The only light source was the illumination of stars and two moons. The village was tranquil and the surrounding atmosphere was natural as well as carefree. Hao Ren looked around and found no one at the river. He then took the lid off the pot, letting the little mermaid out. ¡°Come out, Lil Pea. I¡¯m giving you a water change.¡±


    The little mermaid poked her head out and surveyed her surroundings. The dark scared her as much as the vast and unfamiliar environment. She hesitated for a while before she obediently jumped out from the pot.


    After being soaked and tortured in the pot for the whole day, the MDT finally got out from it scornfully. It shook the water off and splashed it on Hao Ren¡¯s face. ¡°Serving you two has been the darkest moment of my life! Look at the bite¡­ err¡­ that¡¯s the downside of an overly solid body. No evidence is left behind.¡±


    Lil Pea looked up at her ¡°carousel¡± and she again, began to grind her little teeth quietly. The MDT shuddered without making a sound.


    Hao Ren refilled the pot with clean water before he took a piece of paper out and shoved it to Lil Pea. ¡°Hungry?¡±


    The rune cards, left behind by the pathetic Nangong Sanba, had saved Hao Ren a lot of money in buying food for his daughter. Half of the leftover cards were still unfinished.


    Lil Pea took the card and gnawed on it. The sound of chewing on hard paper was louder in the silence of the night, very much like a mouse chewing on something¡ªit was a disgusting but appropriate metaphor. Hao Ren sighed deeply as he placed the pot by his side. He was thinking about the Beinz Blood Lake and the myterious woman. A sudden plop jolted him out of his thoughts.


    Lil Pea was gone.


    ¡°Your daughter jumped into the river!¡± The MDT screamed. ¡°She¡¯s being washed away.¡±


    After she finished her food, Lil Pea mooched around. When she saw the nearby river, she was too excited as it was her first time seeing a big body of water. She could not help but throw herself into the water without thinking!


    Hao Ren heard sloshes and the scream of fear. He jumped into the river at once. As he was about to follow the current in search of Lil Pea, he found the little mermaid right by his side¡ªshe was swimming against the current, and managed to stay at the same spot.


    Hao Ren took the pot and scooped Lil Pea up from the water. Then he turned to the MDT. ¡°You told me she was washed away? You scared the hell out of me!¡±


    The MDT hovered in the air indifferently. ¡°Yeah, she was indeed being washed away¡ªat the speed of 0.5cm per second. Enough is enough! I too have my limits!¡±


    ¡°Go soak your head!¡± Hao Ren caught the MDT with his hand and shoved it back into the pot. As he was about to get out of the water, a beam of light shone on the river out of nowhere.


    His eyes traced the light source and found that it was coming from a white, brick building across the river.

 Chapter 187

    The white, brick building across the river was a chapel.


    Hao Ren approached the chapel with the pot in his hand. As he got near the entrance, he saw runes as well as a heraldry with a circle, triangle and bolt on the door. The door was closed. The heraldry belonged to the Disciples of Glory. He remembered Vivian mentioning it and he knew the meaning behind this insignia: the circle signified the view of the Church of this world, where completeness, formlessess and emptiness formed it; the triangle, signified the authority of the goddess, who was right and it also formed a three-point support for the circle, representing a determinator by which the goddess made the rules of the world; the bolt was right in the centre, signifying the church. The tip of the bolt met the tip of the triangle denoting that the Church¡¯s authority was a third of the goddess¡¯ power. It was an interesting sect; they had a clear definition of their authority, which was one-third of the authority of God. Hao Ren had a very deep perception about it when he first heard the ministers of the Church claiming that they had only one-third of the authority of God.


    If not for the heraldry, there was no way Hao Ren could tell this small building was a chapel: the size of the building was small and it was not a typical steeple building. There were no stained glass windows or religious decorations. Compared to the churches in town, this chapel was built with function in mind rather than form.


    The light he saw by the river had disappeared. The chapel was pitch dark in and out but, Hao Ren was pretty sure the light he just saw came from the circular hole above the door. He enabled the MDT to go up there for a quick look and confirmed that it was a decorative opening through which he could peek inside the chapel. There were no light fixtures on the inside.


    The gleam of light seemed to have appeared for quite a while. Hao Ren did not notice it earlier because for one, the entrance was closed. In addition, the main windows were at the side of the building so, he could not have possibly seen any abnormalities in the chapel.


    He placed his hand on the door, giving it a little push but, the door remained close. He frowned. ¡°It¡¯s locked.¡±


    ¡°Looking to go inside?¡± The MDT stayed afloat beside Hao Ren as if it was interested too. It left Lil Pea alone as this had drawn its attention. Lil Pea curled herself up and slept at the bottom of the pot: she was probably frightened quite a bit in the river so, she was likely going to stay quiet for some time.


    Recalling the moment when Lil Pea was swimming against the river¡¯s strong current almost made Hao Ren laugh his head off.


    ¡°Get a position inside then, teleport me in there.¡± An idea came to his mind: the convenience of technology was using the MDT to go wherever you wanted, no matter where and how secured the place was. You could ¡°sneak¡± through any opening bigger than a rat hole and get to the other side.


    Without further ado, the MDT sneaked through the hole above the door and Hao Ren was shortly teleported inside. No need to blast through the door, the whole action was absolutely silent.


    The chapel was empty. A solemn, dark-red carpet lay across the rectangular hall. There was no furniture. Unlike churches on Earth, the Disciples of Glory believed and practised the Theory of Human Atonement; believers and even the popes were not accorded the luxury of any kind of bench and seating.


    The pulpit was at the end of the hall and it was the only fixture present.


    Coming before the pulpit, he set his foot on its steps, which had four levels and began to walk up to the pulpit. He immediately sensed that the number ¡°4¡± had a special meaning in this world¡ªthe Kingdom of Holletta had four holy places, the Orb of the Holy Synod stopped at the Blood Lake for four days, and now the pulpit of the chapel four levels of steps. But, what did it mean? He could not think of any religious explanations.


    There was a heavy, black book on the pulpit. The book cover had some shades of dark red to it, which was difficult to perceive. Hao Ren flipped the book open and found that it was just a bible.


    Coincidentally, the page he opened detailed the achievements of the goddess. It was written in a rather obscure and uninteresting language to him. ¡°¡­in the beginning, She lay between the heavens and the earth, spiritful and spiritless, Her existence was in the high places where no man could comprehend¡­ She was the original water, the original ocean, the original source, the original thunder storm, the source of life, and the promised land¡­ because She is the mother of all lives, She is the Goddess¡­ She is omnipresent and exists between the stars, She carved the world and sowed the seeds of billions of mortals. This was Her authority and mercy¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really understand it.¡± After quite some time, Hao Ren got fed up with it. He flipped to the end and there it was, the chapter on the banishment of the world by the goddess. ¡°¡­man went astray in their search for truth, and were unrepentant despite the Goddess¡¯ warning. The ancient werewolves, the Blood Clan, spirits and humans, who desired to claim sea of origin as their own backyard, were full of arrogance and absurdity. The Goddess was enraged, saying, ¡°It was a mistake to gift you with spiritual knowledge, and this must be put right.¡± Then, the old world was destroyed in a fire. Persons of virtue bowed down to Her¡­and they survived.¡±


    The more he read, the more confused he got.


    Anyway, he did make something out: Despite the fact that the Disciples of Glory had a defined god that they worshipped, there were no mentions of the image of their god in the religious doctrine.


    Any mention, if at all, about the goddess in the sacred book was as good as vague descriptions like ¡°place of origin¡± or ¡°the origin of something¡±, which was totally unlike other religions. Others clearly or vaguely described their god¡¯s image in detail, whether it had wings or an eight-yard tall or whether their god was filled with light or authority¡ªsuch descriptive words were non-existent in the sacred book. It seemed the goddess had no form, the book lacked even the slightest abstract illustration. It gave the impression that the Disciples of Glory worshipped a symbolic thing.


    All Hao Ren found out from the sacred book was about some phenomenon of nature, despite ¡°Her¡± being called a goddess.


    They worshipped the creation of the world.


    ¡°Their understanding of their goddess is pretty interesting.¡± That inadvertently led Hao Ren to think about Raven 12345 and he shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s simply no comparison.¡±


    ¡°Where did the light come from?¡± Putting down the sacred book, Hao Ren scanned their empty surroundings. At a glance, there was nothing there which could have been the light source. He turned around and looked at the mural on the wall behind the pulpit. By right, this was where statues or other religious symbols were supposed to be at but, the Disciples of Glory had put up a strange picture of a twisted shadow, red fog and light. He was not sure if other chapels were the same but he found this particular chapel rather strange.


    After spending almost half the night looking around, nothing was found. Realising that the others were still waiting for him at the village head¡¯s home, he left and headed back to the village of the mountain people.


    The chapel returned to darkness once again. The double moons shone through the coloured-glass at an angle and onto the strange mural behind the pulpit. Under the moonlight, the strange, twisted black and red picture slowly came alive¡ªso slow that it was almost imperceptible to the naked eye.


    Amid the black and red bands, the moonlight on the mural was becoming less intense.


    Vivian came up to Hao Ren when he stepped through the door. ¡°Where did you go? What happened to your pants?¡±


    Before Hao Ren could explain, Lily chimed in noisily. ¡°Haha, Landlord, have you just peed your pants?¡±


    That pricked him and he forgot what he was going to say. He lost his coolness as he lunged forward and used his hands to pull Lily¡¯s ears. ¡°Think before you say anything!¡±


    Lily jumped up and down in pain. She muttered, ¡°Ouch, that hurts! My bad¡­ I should know no man could have peed so much in a day¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    He yanked the husky aside. ¡°I slipped and fell into the river while I washing my hands. By the way, is that a chapel across the river?¡±


    He did not mention the strange things in the chapel, and his venture in it though.


    ¡°It was built by a pastor from Lamberg.¡± The village head did not suspect anything. ¡°The mountain people believe in mountain spirits but this doesn¡¯t violate the teachings of the Disciples of Glory. The pastor would come on every full moon to preach and perform healing here. During other times, the chapel would stay closed. Are you a believer? If you want, I have a key with me, you could go in there to pray tomorrow.¡±


    There were two moons in this world; the larger one was called the primary moon a.k.a. the big moon, the smaller one was called the secondary moon. The secondary moon¡¯s phase cycle was 17 days, exactly half of the primary moon¡¯s phase. Most religious activities of the Disciples of Glory coincided with the cycles of the primary and secondary moons. The full moon of the secondary moon was a particularly meaningful day.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. Just asking. I didn¡¯t know there was a chapel here.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand. He did not show any abnormal expression on his face.


    ¡°I¡¯m sleepy.¡± Becky yawned. ¡°The village head has arranged for us to stay at the two houses next door. Us girls will have to put up with the crowded space as there are many of us. You two guys will have the luxury of space.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment, figuring that the Disciples of Glory could wait. He still had plenty of chances to explore the various myths of this world later. So, he set his thoughts aside and found his room. He rested for the night as tomorrow, their journey would begin.

 Chapter 188

    The mountain people were kind. They prepared a lot of local specialties for Hao Ren and company before they set off on their journey. Despite the oversize backpack on Y¡¯zaks¡¯ back, which suggested they would not be short of supply, the mountain people insisted that they accept the gifts, saying it was their custom of bidding farewell. Overwhelmed by friendliness, Hao Ren gave in.


    However, thanks had to go to Becky, who had formed a good relationship with the mountain people. The mercenary was highly respected among these foreigners. Her explanation was simple. ¡°It¡¯s easy to understand the mountain people¡ªkindness for kindness, hatred for hatred. It¡¯s very much similar to who I am. So, after a few times of doing them favours, we became friends.¡±


    Never thought she possessed such a rustic and simple side to her mercenary life.


    After leaving the village, the group kept going without further delay. They went ahead at full steam for several days.


    Going on a journey night and day across the vast steppe was torturous but, the beautiful, alien scenery along the way was a comforting distraction. It was like a journey of a life time; even the well-travelled Vivian and Nangong Wuyue were in high spirits not to mention Lily¡ªshe was absolutely like a duck taking to water. She would ride on the horse one time, and run together with Y¡¯zaks at the rear of the convoy with the horse on her back some other time. What a journey!


    Hao Ren felt that if they did not manage to find places with humans, Lily was going to regress into her pre-evolution state¡ªshe got down from the horse¡¯s back and ran on her four limbs, trying to outrun her horse.


    It was a scene too unbearable to watch.


    ¡°You lot are interesting.¡± Becky looked over her shoulder, seeing Y¡¯zaks running at full-steam, and the werewolf maiden racing against her own horse. She witnessed the weirdest things she had ever seen before in her life during these few days. ¡°Just asking: are you guys really wizards?¡±


    ¡°Totally.¡± Hao Ren had answered the same question for a thousand times, he could basically lie to your face, and you would think it was the truth. ¡°Lily took the wrong drug during an alchemical experiment¡­¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that she was struck by lightning during an experiment?¡±


    ¡°Err¡­ yes, she was struck by lightning while having the drug. Her head was pinned to the door too.¡±


    Vivian spoke to Nangong Wuyue as she breathed heavily. ¡°I suddenly feel like I shouldn¡¯t have bullied Doggie. I¡¯m going to treat her nicely.¡±


    Lily had no idea what these heartless fellows were discussing about. She gamboled happily for a while before she pulled up beside Hao Ren. She then leapt onto the back of the horse again in an agile manner. She grabbed and shook Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Landlord! We¡¯re reaching the bottom of the mountain!¡±


    Like an overexcited child, Lily yelled cheerfully before getting down on her feet again. She pulled up alongside the horse and hopped back on it. The entire action looked frighteningly dangerous but to her it was just a piece of cake. No doubt she had a weird personality as well as amazing blood-line, and her kenetic ability was second to none among the group of five. Although Y¡¯zaks won hands-down in terms of brute strength, the title of most skilfull fistfighting belonged to Lily.


    Unfortunately, this maiden had not been able to apply her talent in the right place.


    Hao Ren almost got shook off the horse¡¯s back but, he managed to stabilise himself. As he looked up, he could already see the mountain range ahead of them¡ªin fact, the mountain range had appeared in the horizon some time back. However, it still took them a few more hours before they reached the foot of the hill.


    The mountain range was the famous Dragonspine Ridge in the western part of the Kingdom of Holletta. It got its name from its endless spine-like formations, stretching from the west of the Kingdom of Holletta to the steppe. The range was a natural barrier, which was impossible to go around if they were to go to the Beinz Blood Lake.


    As the sacred Beinz Blood Lake was located on the other side of the moutain range, the people of Holletta spent enormous amounts of effort and resources, boring tunnels as well as building highland highways to connect both sides. Expensive, always-operational teleportation points were installed in a few critical places¡ªmainly, to connect the sacred buildings such as cathedrals on both sides. The Church and the royals spent a fortune just to ensure they had constant access to the sacred place. Hao Ren and the gang initially planned to circumvent the mountain range at the south of the Kingdom, and pass through a newly constructed tunnel from there. However, in order to catch up with the ¡°alien woman¡±, who was two days ahead of them, they made an impromptu decision while they were in the village of the mountain people. They would cut across the barrier through the ancient trail near the edge of the steppe.


    The latter was a shorter route but, it would take an equal amount of time to get across. This was because, even though taking the tunnel meant they had to go around the range at the south of the Kingdom, it was relatively easy; conversely, in spite of the ancient trail cutting across the range, the terrain was rugged and complicated, it was not a shortcut in reality. Anyway, both routes had little difference in the eyes of mercenary veterans.


    Becky was a Tier-Two mercenary. Although young, she had already passed various tests. She was naturally skilled. Before the lock-down of the Beinz Blood Lake, she had scaled the mountain range several times¡ªmostly for money. Hence, she was taking the lead in this expedition. She led the group to a col, which was inconspicuous and could have been easily missed by rookies. There, she found the ancient trail that went up the slope.


    ¡°Be careful here.¡± Everyone got down and walked. Becky was pulling her horse and walking in front. ¡°It¡¯s said that this place is a historical site of an ancient civilisation. And there are some very weird monsters in these mountains. While they¡¯re not hard to deal with, it won¡¯t be fun to meet them here. This place isn¡¯t ideal for any kinds of engagement.¡±


    ¡°It seems like ancient civilisations were everywhere,¡± Nangong Wuyue muttered. The barren mountains blocked the warm air from the steppe. And at that altitude, there was not much humidity present. The siren was in bad mood because of the dry air. ¡°What wrong did they do?¡±


    ¡°Something that angered the goddess.¡± Becky laughed. ¡°Legend has it that Dragonspine Ridge was created by Eloken, a human mage-emperor, who used a forbidden incantation. That¡¯s why the abrupt rise on the steppe. My grandpa said the creation of this mountain range disrupted the creation blueprint created by the goddess. He created this barrier because he disliked the cold wind from the West plain. That¡¯s how much of an¡­ Err¡ª¡±


    ¡°A**hole?¡± Hao Ren interrupted.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s how much of an a**hole these ancient mage-emperors were.¡± Becky nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a very apt word. My grandpa said that the mage-emperors of all the ancient civilisations were an arrogant lot. All of the wizards or mages during that time were arrogant; Sanur, the werewolf mage-emperor created the Volcano of Dusk; Lorissa, the elf queen¡ªalso a mage-emperor¡ªtrespassed into God¡¯s territory and created a semi-eternal tree of life, which kept itself alive for eternity by sipping nutrients from the holy spring of the goddess; Darian, the mage-emperor of the Blood Clan was the one who originally incited the encroachment of God¡¯s authority to create a perfect life.¡±


    ¡°Whoa¡­that¡¯s crazy.¡± Hao Ren marvelled at the creativity of the mage-emperors. He began to think, what could have happened if these ¡°crazy scientists¡± appeared before Raven 12345. He thought about it for a long time and inevitably came to a conclusion that Raven 12345 would have left it to her subordinates to clean up the mess because it was too troublesome¡­


    ¡°Dragonspine Ridge was the creation of Eloken and the power of this king still remains.¡± Becky was foaming in the mouth as related the stories her grandpa told her. She continued, ¡°Legend has it that the strange rocks that attack people are possessed by the broken spirit of Eloken. We better not bump into them; although they aren¡¯t a threat, they¡¯re very annoying and hard.¡±


    Boom!


    As Becky¡¯s voice trailed off, a thunderous sound came from the mountains.


    The one-thousand-eight-hundred ¡°early-warning indicators of a hoax¡± in Vivian¡¯s body went off at once. She was afraid that bad luck was coming her way again.

 Chapter 189

    The muffled sound resonated throughout the mountains like rolling thunder. It was as if a huge rock was crashing down a cliff. The rumble went on for at least half a minute and then, it stopped. Becky was left staggering. ¡°Could it be a landslide?¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s face dimmed. ¡°F*ck, are we that unlucky?¡±


    ¡°Keep going, the least we have is time.¡± Nangong Wuyue led the way before she wheeled around and said, ¡°Becky, you take the lead. I don¡¯t know the directions¡­¡±


    They did not say a word since as they hustled through the rugged ancient trail.


    The trail was built by Holletta Royalty several hundred years ago. It was now in disrepair. Only the bravest and most skillful mercenaries or adventurers in urgency would take this route. The ancient trail ran across the slope of the mountain like a snake. Certain stretches were wider and layered with slabs while the steeper and narrower stretches had stone steps. Some other areas were just part of the natural rocky slope with safety railing made of thick, iron chains. Even the toughest breed of horses found this terrain extremely challenging. Theirs had slowed down quite a bit after passing the gentle terrain earlier.


    Shortly after that, they came to a renowned and dangerous section of the ancient trail. It was a narrow stretch carved out from a steep cliff¡ªthere was a rock face on one side, and cold wind and a 1000m fall on the other. The trail only allowed two persons, walking side-by-side at a time. Even though there were safety iron chains on the outer side, the metal columns that held the chains were rusty, and slanted outward. If you slipped, you could fall straight through the gaps, and down the cliff easily. So, the safety railing there was more form than function. Hao Ren walked one step at a time while Lily was held on to Hao Ren and followed closely behind¡ªthe maiden was still in her human form. If she had shapeshifted into a werewolf, her tail would have been between her legs at that point.


    ¡°It must hurt, falling down there,¡± said Lily breathlessly as drafts of cold, mountain wind swept past.


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes. Lily said that because she had a body made out of steel. ¡°Hurt¡± would be an understatement if humans were to fall down there.


    Vivian was the most relaxed one because, she could fly¡­


    Before they set off on this dangerous stretch, Becky made sure the horses walked in front while they followed from behind; it was a strategy she learned from her experience as a mercenary: these horses knew their way on the dangerous trail, and it was to prevent these horses from crashing into people in front of them should they become frightened, and run amok.


    ¡°I can smell¡­¡± Vivian was walking in front of Hao Ren, they were halfway on the trail when Vivian turned around and frowned. ¡°¡­blood ahead. And it¡¯s fresh.¡±


    ¡°Blood?¡± Hao Ren was taken aback. Some guy from this foreign world probably had a bloody encounter. ¡°Keep going!¡±


    The group finally passed through the narrow cliff path. As they went around a huge rock, the road opened up in front of them. Meanwhile the stink of blood became stronger as they went farther ahead. Even Hao Ren could smell it a little.


    Just then, a noisy commotion was heard, with sounds of angry shouts, blades hitting each other, and some kind of explosion. There was probably a fight happening.


    Becky drew her enchanted sword. ¡°How many of you can fight?¡±


    Vivian¡¯s eyes had turned blood-red while Lily¡¯s ears and tail had come out from their hiding place. They shapeshifted into their true selves at once without having to worry about anything. It was a different world. Becky was relieved seeing that. ¡°Aha, a werewolf and a member of the Blood Clan! At least, self-defence isn¡¯t going to be a problem. Let¡¯s go nearer but, be very careful.¡±


    They were getting nearer to the sound of battle because they could hear people groaning in pain. As they came out from the last corner, Hao Ren could see what was happening right in front: a group of people were fighting some rock monsters.


    Judging from their attire, these people were mercenaries. About 12 or 13 of them, wearing all kinds of armour, equipment and weapons¡ªa typical, ragtag squad. Attacking them were some strange creatures. Hao Ren did not know what to make of them. These creatures looked like stone sculptures. They were about four or five metres tall, greyish brown in colour like rocks with heads and limbs. Additionally, their bodies were covered in moss and broken vines which made them look like something that just walked out from some grotesque fairy tale.


    The battle had been going on for quite long so, these mercenaries were suffering from injuries. Some had even lost their fighting capability. They were covered in blood and could barely stand on their feet, leaning on their weapons as support. They stood at the side while they struggled to avoid the occasional assaults that came their way. The remaining mercenaries were not any better either. The rock monsters had an overwhelming combat capability; although they were slow, their heavy, rocky bodies were impenetrable by all kinds of weapon. The only damage the mercenaries could inflict was some sparks from their sword when they hit the monsters. They also managed to blow off only a few chips of stone by magic. In contrast, these monsters had inflicted terrible wounds on the mercenaries of flesh and blood.


    The rock monsters fought in a brute way; they either smashed with their bodies or stamped with their feet. Their slow body movement was not a problem as they stood at four to five metres tall. No human could have caught up with their speed when they ran. All the mercenaries could do was engage in close quarter combat as these monsters got near them: perhaps, this was what they had just learned.


    There were only three rock monsters but, the squad of mercenaries had already been beaten black and blue.


    Meanwhile, at the other end of the trail, Hao Ren noticed a pile of broken rocks, which was likely a monster killed by the mercenaries. But, how did they do it?


    Hao Ren was stunned as it was the first time he had ever seen such a bizarre battle. At the same time, Y¡¯zaks shouted and lunged forward. ¡°Let¡¯s give them a hand!¡±


    The rest could not just sit by. Vivian spread her wings and flew up in the air before transforming into two swarms of bats. She began to attack with her powerful Lightning Strike; Lily summoned her claws of ice and fire then, looked up at the sun¡ªit was day time by the way¡ªand howled. She was blinded by the strong sunlight and instead of going towards the enemies, she was headed directly into the cliff. In a quick move, Hao Ren lunged forward and pulled her around so that she could charge in the right direction.


    Nangong Wuyue found herself a hiding place to lessen the chances of being a sitting target. She could not help it as she was just a healer. Her siren powers may have had some uses against normal creatures but, no matter how she looked at it, these rock monsters did not seem to be made of water. Not only that, they did not seem to have an intelligent mind, which would allow them to be hypnotised by her singing¡­


    Hao Ren passed the pot, which contained his daughter to Nangong Wuyue before he joined the party with his shield switched on.


    Although he did not like odd battles like this, he was a man. He could not sit by and do nothing.


    Boom!


    Vivian¡¯s Lightning Strike was fully charged. Double lightning drills formed by the swarms of bats shot the nearest rock monster like a TNT warhead. Smoke, dust and rocks flew everywhere. The sound of the explosion resonated throughout the mountains for quite a while.


    Meanwhile Lily was happily running towards the centre of the blast, vowing to chop down the head of a monster. ¡°Watch me!¡±


    Exactly a second later, she ran out frantically. ¡°Battie, you stupid daughter of a bat! Don¡¯t you know that rock aren¡¯t conductors?¡±


    Wind in the mountain cleared the smoke and dust in the air, revealing the rock monster that was hit by Vivian¡¯s lethal Lightning Strike. It was a powerful blast and the monster lost a layer of its skin as well half of its head. There were also burnt marks and cracks all over its body. Despite that, it was still alive and kicking. It was now coming after Lily.


    This kind of damage was not a big deal to rock monsters.


    Vivian¡¯s Lightning Strike was divided into two parts: one was the high heat generated when the lightning drills hit their target; the other was the electric shock, in which its energy was comparable to natural occuring lightning. The damage caused to normal creatures was catastrophic. But somehow, the vampire maiden lacked the experience when it came to this strange, new monster: they had high electrical resistance and were not afraid of the blast.


    There was no more element of surprise. It was now time to fight with flesh and blood.

 Chapter 190

    The rock monster ran clumsily towards Lily, the earth trembling like an earthquake with every step it made. The werewolf maiden was waiting for the clumsy monster with full composure. Lily swiftly evaded the assault when the monster¡¯s rock arm crashed down on her. She leapt onto the monster¡¯s arm and climbed to the back of it, jumping like a nimble squirrel on a tree. She was as fast as a faint, white shadow, circling the upper body of the monster. Her movements were accompanied by a series of cutting sounds and chips of stone falling off the monster like snowflakes. However, that did not cause much damage to the monster. The monster was twisting its body, trying to shake Lily off. Lily was having a hard time hanging onto the monster as she could have been shaken off at anytime. However, she hung on anyway.


    Chop, chop, chop, chop, chop, chop¡ª


    Lily was still leaping back and forth on the rock monster. Wielding her fire and ice claws, she cut her enemy and shouted in frustration. ¡°It¡¯s futile!¡±


    The rock monster was not made out of any ordinary rock¡ªshe learned soon enough. It was extraordinarily hard and could regenerate itself. The cracks on its body caused by the blast from Vivian¡¯s Lightning Strike had healed.


    By then, the rock monster knew it was going to be difficult to shake off the ¡°little bug¡±. It was enraged as if capable of thought. Lily planted one of her claws in the monster¡¯s head to stabilise herself while she used another to hack it. The monster suddenly wheeled and it was about to crash its back against the nearest cliff face.


    ¡°Watch your back!¡± While he was engaged with another monster alongside Vivian, Hao Ren saw Lily in danger. He shouted and lunged towards the monster. With his limited strength, he knew what he could do was minimal before the monster. He just crouched on the ground with his shield in the rock monster¡¯s way. The rock monster did not try to avoid it, thinking that it could easily crush the tiny human. As the monster stamped its foot on Hao Ren, it almost lost its balance. Lily pulled her claw out from the monster¡¯s head and jumped down onto the ground. ¡°Thank you, Landlord¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was buried halfway into the ground. But, he kept his head high and roared at the rock monster. ¡± Eat me!¡±


    Boom!


    There was another explosion on the other side. Y¡¯zaks was alone in taking on the third rock monster. The cramped space was rather inconvenient for the great demon. Being in human form was also limiting his fighting style. However, he could not have cared care less. Y¡¯zaks exchanged punches and kicks with the rock monster; his style was no-frills, simple but brutal with every punch smashing a chunk of rock off the enemy.


    Yet another loud boom followed as Y¡¯zaks raised his leg and kicked the enemy. The five-metre rock monster was sent flying. Y¡¯zaks then strode forward, stepped on the monster¡¯s shoulder, grabbed its head with both hands and pulled it off.


    ¡°It¡¯s not working.¡± Y¡¯zaks crushed the head into pieces and looked on as the headless rock monster got to its feet again like nothing happened. As though driven by some strange force, the gravel floated up in the air and quickly condensed, forming the monster¡¯s new head.


    You could break off its limbs and head, chop its body into two, or even crush it into smaller pieces; no matter what the tactic used against these rock monsters, they would not bleed. They had no sense of pain, and could regenerate using natural ingredients from their surroundings. For a moment, Y¡¯zaks was at a lost of what to do next.


    He was thinking if he should fight in his original form, or toss these monsters somewhere else and summon a meteorite to crush them¡ªhe was thinking as a demon and he was seriously considering these measures.


    Vivan and Becky were together, keeping another rock monster busy. Although the dazzling moves of Becky¡¯s enchanted sword were powerful, they were useless against the rock monsters during close quarter combat. Her half-past-six magical powers did not help either. These rock monsters were only slowed down by Vivian¡¯s frigid cold and some magic curses. Becky raised her voice and asked the injured mercenaries, ¡°How did you guys kill it?¡±


    They were rescued by Hao Ren earlier but had not regained their strength. Some of them were still fighting while others were pulling the injured away. When they heard Becky, a middle-aged man, who looked like the leader among them limped as moved on his feet and said, ¡°We have no idea. One of them just broke like that while the fight was going on.¡±


    ¡°This is not the way to go.¡± Vivian was using extremely cold ice to freeze the rock monster in front of her. But, in just a few seconds, the layer of ice started to crack. ¡°Can¡¯t you lot recall what you did?¡±


    The mercenary leader was as anxious as Vivian was but, he could not recall what had happened because the situation was pretty chaotic at that time. Just when everyone seemed unable to find a solution, Y¡¯zaks suddenly shouted happily. ¡°I know their weakness!¡±


    Hao Ren turned his head and saw Y¡¯zaks in a standoff with a rock monster. He was in a rather bizarre position: he first broke the rock monster¡¯s limbs off, and while the monster had not regenerated its limbs yet, Y¡¯zaks raised its body above his head, three-metres above the ground. As the monster was limbless, very much like a stick man, no matter how hard it struggled it was not going to touch the ground. Then came the incredible moment: a layer of black matter slowly covered the monster¡¯s body. The monster¡¯s struggling became weaker and weaker until there was a loud crack, then it broke into pieces.


    ¡°Let them leave land!¡±


    The mercenary leader finally recalled the moment when the first rock monster was killed: a senior druid in his team trapped the rock using poison ivy and dragged it up mid air.


    However, the druid was lying dead nearby so, no one thought about him earlier.


    Finally, there was a way to deal with these rock monsters. Lily was the most elated. She rushed towards the monster she had fought with earlier, grabbed its leg and swung it in the air in a terrifying way.


    The rock monster struggling grievously as its body began to disintegrate at an alarming speed after it left the ground, before being yanked to the other side of the mountain several hundred metres way from them. It then broke into thousands of pieces.


    But, it stood up again: Lily did not toss it at the right angle, and the rock monster did not exhaust its magic while it was still in the air. It reformed after it came into contact with the ground.


    Lily was dumbfounded. As the rock monster marched towards her again, the werewolf felt her pride as a warrior was seriously being insulted. She first stopped Y¡¯zaks from intervening. Before the rock monster arrived, she squatted and wrote something on the ground using a pebble. Once she was finished, she threw the pebble away, rolled up her sleeves and lunged towards the monster. With a loud cry, she heaved her enemy up and out!


    This time, she had carefully calculated the angle. The rock monster stayed up in the air a tad longer, and before it landed, it had exhausted every single bit of its magical power. It was totally dead in front of everyone.


    Lily¡¯s tail almost stood upright. She ran towards the wreckage and waved her fist. ¡°My physics teacher will now rest in peace, you idiot!¡±


    Knowledge is power, my friends!


    At last, the third rock monster was dealt with by Vivian: she split into a swarm of bats, wrapped around her enemy and lifted it half-a-metre up in the air. The vampire maiden was white-eyed as she returned back to human form. She sat on the ground disregarding her posture. ¡°It was too heavy. I should¡¯ve brought a set of pulleys¡­¡±


    Everything was breathtaking from the beginning to the end for Hao Ren. He could not utter a word as his mind was jammed: what kind of team is this? Why could they never be normal when it came to solving problems?

 Chapter 191

    Well¡­with that said, the three giant rock monsters were finally defeated. After all things considered, the journey was going rather swimmingly.


    Truly, knowing one¡¯s enemies makes defeating them easier. The rock monsters may have looked almost insurmountable at first, but after discovering their weakness, they did not seem all that threatening. With just brute strength alone, with the right orders, even an idiot like Lily managed to take out those lumbering giants. Granted, this only applied to the unusual creatures around Hao Ren. For mortal men, these rock monsters were a stone wall too high to surpass.


    Looking at the shattered remains of the rock monsters, Lily bounced about in excitement, her wagging tail was almost a blur. ¡°Hehehe! Met your match huh?!¡±


    Hao Ren poked his neck out as he grumbled. ¡°Stop gloating there and give me a hand would you?¡±


    Only then did Lily realise that Hao Ren was buried halfway into the ground and quickly scampered towards him. Using her Frostfire Claws, she started to dig him out, her tail wagging happily as she dug. ¡°Thank you so much, Mr. Landlord. I almost died there. Never thought those rocks would be pretty smart.¡±


    The rock monster had intended to smack its back against the wall to turn Lily, who was clinging onto him, into fine paste. The werehusky did not realise her predicament until it was too late. If Hao Ren did not rush in at the very last moment to knock the rock monster off balance, Lily would surely have become nothing but blood stains on the wall. Hao Ren himself would have paid dearly if not for his Steel Membrane Shield and enhanced physique. The stomp had planted him almost half a meter deep into the earth¡­


    ¡°That was rough¡­¡± Hao Ren shuddered as Lily pulled him out of the ground. Massaging his almost broken arm, he jested, ¡°My bones must¡¯ve been dislocated from that stomp. Seems to have set itself back somehow¡­¡±


    Sounds of clanking armour soon came from the side. Looking up, Hao Ren saw the leader of the mercenary band. The approximately forty-year-old man was decked unlike your regular frontline soldier. His chainmail was splattered with blood, and a stream of blood was flowing from a gash on his forehead all the way down to his neck. As the leader limped towards him, Hao Ren could tell that his wounds were rather severe, but the only thing on the man¡¯s face was the exhiliration of surviving the ordeal, and gratitude. ¡°¡­How can we ever repay you for saving our hides¡­ I really thought we were done for. Please, do let me know if there¡¯s anything I can do. As long it¡¯s within my ability, I¡¯ll¡ª¡±


    Hao Ren waved the man off. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s alright. Just happened to be in the neighbourhood. Say¡­how¡¯s your company looking?¡±


    The captain turned back to look at his fellow mercenaries. His face was grim. ¡°One dead, and a few severely injured. Probably won¡¯t be able to lift a sword any longer. Others are coping somehow.¡±


    The surviving mercenaries had little to say, and they were obviously downcast. For them, this was an almost pyrrhic victory. An adventure to the Blood Lake gone awry. They had not even reached their destination when they were decimated by the roving monsters there. Almost half of their force were in no shape to continue, and almost the same number would probably not be adventuring any longer. Such a sudden turn of events was more than anyone could take.


    Becky also had a sympathetic look on her face. Being a mercenary came with such risks, and many were dead before they could even react to the danger facing them. These guys were the luckier bunch of the lot, at least most of them were alive.


    Wuyue then came out from her hiding spot, clutching Hao Ren¡¯s pot. After taking the pot from her, Hao Ren pointed her towards the wounded. While he had no idea how strong Wuyue¡¯s healing magic would be, at this juncture, with the lack of poultice and medicine, anything was better than nothing. Vivian then threw a glance at Becky. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say the stuff on this mountain path was a cake-walk?¡±


    Hao Ren then remembered that Becky saying something about the well trodden mountain path and that the path did not see monsters of such ferocity. He too glanced at Becky, only to find her shaking her head in confusion. ¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t know¡­ I never ran into these things before¡­ There are monsters in the mountains, but most are earth elementals or gorge scorpions¡­ The easy stuff. Say¡­do you guys have any clue where these rock monsters came from?¡±


    The last part of Becky¡¯s sentence was aimed at the mercenary leader. He too shook his head. ¡°No idea. We were on our way on the mountain path, and just ran into those bastards. They just came at us. I also don¡¯t recall seeing them in the mountains before during the many times I took this path.¡±


    Even the experienced leader had no idea when Dragonspine Ridge had such dangerous monstrosities. Hao Ren felt things were much, much more complicated that they seemed. At the same time, Y¡¯zaks voice rang out loud. ¡°Over here, look at this!¡±


    The group hurried towards Y¡¯zaks. The giant demon was squatting by the shattered remains of the rock monster he took out moments before, his big finger pointing towards a piece of the rock. ¡°Moss. Do you have moss on the rocks around here?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like a rock from this area¡­¡± Lily said as she looked around. Indeed, the area around them was rather dry. All of the rocks in their vicinity did not have any traces of moss on them. As such, the moss covered rock monsters quite clearly suggested that they originated from somewhere else.


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t tell me, they came from the other side of the mountain range?¡± Becky exclaimed as she scrapped some of the moss using a small piece of rock. As she squished the moss in her hands, she said, ¡°Still looks fresh¡­ Plenty of moisture left. Seems like they haven¡¯t arrive here long.¡± Noticing Lily¡¯s curious face, she continued to explain, ¡°The Dragonspine Ridge has two vastly different climates on each side. The eastern part of it is very dry and arid, the western side is much more verdant as both the Beinz Water Network and the Little Chaldan River are close by. Furthermore, the Blood Lake¡¯s mysterious energies have also spread to areas around the ridge, and as such, the rocks there are usually very mossy.¡±


    Hao Ren had no idea if the rock monsters in front of him were actual living things or not. He could only nod at what Becky had to say. ¡°So, you mean to say that these rock monsters came all the way from the western part of the ridge to the east? Does it mean that this has to do with the Blood Lake?¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡± Becky shook her head. ¡°But, I hope this isn¡¯t the start of something worse to come¡­ The loss of the Orb already sent the town into a panicked frenzy, and with this happening in Dragonspine Ridge¡­¡±


    The mercenary lass frowned hard. Her worried look was plain to see. However, she was just a minor character, and this issue was way beyond her league. There was nothing she could do but fret.


    On the other side, Wuyue had completed her treatment of a few severely injured mercenaries. Her healing mists slowly enveloped the wounded. It was nary a moment before the dying soldiers were once again awake and seated in disbelief, patting the parts that were supposedly injured to find them fully healed. Even those who had their limbs ripped off had grown new ones in place. Aside from a sudden feeling of weakness, all of them were fully restored.


    A female mercenary decked in a hunter¡¯s dress could not help but exclaim, ¡°How did you do that?!¡±


    ¡°Healing magic,¡± Wuyue sounded very pleased as she got up. She did not participate in the combat earlier, but it was now her time to shine. The siren was feeling rather accomplished.


    Hao Ren and the others were done inspecting the remains of the rock monsters by then and they approached the mercenaries after not finding any further clues. By chance, they overheard the conversation between the huntress and Wuyue. ¡°Healing magic? It¡¯s very potent by healing magic standards¡­ and I¡¯ve never seen such mist-like magic before. What school of spell-caster are you?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ This is a siren¡¯s special ability¡­¡± Wuyue sounded rather embarrassed after being showered with praise and gratitude. ¡°Does this world not have any sirens?¡±


    Becky gave Wuyue a blank look.¡± What¡¯s a siren? A new school of magic?


    Hao Ren and the party looked at each other. Vivian quickly signalled for Wuyue to stop talking. She then looked at Becky, ¡°You guys don¡¯t know what a siren is?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡± Becky did not seem to be lying. ¡°I¡¯ve only heard of a female-only coven called the House of Witches¡­ So, are you saying that the Sirens specialise in water magic? Seems like healing is your specialty.¡±


    Hao Ren then realised something and gave a perfunctory smile. ¡°Oh yeah, they specialise in water magic¡­but, this coven is based on an island and they are pretty reclusive. Perhaps, that¡¯s why most landbound countries have never heard of them.¡±


    Becky gave a nonplussed ,¡±Oh¡­¡± and simply nodded.


    Hao Ren and Vivian looked at each other, clearly understanding what the other was thinking.


    This place has werewolves, vampires and even elves¡­but, they have never heard of a siren?!

 Chapter 192

    Hao Ren and Vivian tried using various indirect questions on Becky as well as some of the other mercenaries there. They were trying to gleam information about the sirens or anything related to them, even a myth or a tale would have sufficed. But shockingly, no one from that world knew anything about the sirens. In conclusion, sirens did not exist there.


    Raven 12345 had said something about the unusual creatures on Earth coming from The Plane of Dreams, and that led Hao Ren to believe that everyone in his group could publicly assume their original identities in the Dream Plane. He never thought Wuyue would be an exception.


    Vivian was still checking with the mercenaries for more information about the mountain path. Hao Ren took the opportunity to pull Wuyue aside. ¡°Seems like there are no sirens here at all. Where did the sirens on Earth come from then?¡±


    ¡°How would I know?¡± Wuyue pouted, her displeasure apparent on her face. ¡°I pretty much thought I was back home.¡±


    Hao Ren realised that Wuyue was not happy about this, and he could empathise with her. Here, Vivian and Lily could disclose their identities without fear of being treated like a circus animal. Wuyue had the same intention as well, and thought she had arrived at Siren Shangri-la, but things now left her rather¡­excluded. Her disappointment was understandable.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry too much.¡± Hao Ren had no idea how to comfort her, and tried clumsily to direct Wuyue¡¯s attention to another matter. ¡°Look at Y¡¯zaks, he needs to hide his identity too. In here, it¡¯s pretty much kill first, ask questions later for his kind as well¡­¡±


    Y¡¯zaks was not far away from the two and overheard the conversation. He gave Hao Ren an incredulous look and waved him off. Wuyue could only sigh in resignation. ¡°Mr. Landlord¡­you really don¡¯t know how to console someone do you? Vivian¡¯s told you this before, right?¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Wuyue gave him a warm smile. ¡°Just a tad bit disappointed. I thought I would find more of my kind here. Seems like I¡¯ll just need to find them on Earth instead.¡±


    By then, the wounded mercenaries had recovered after a short rest. They were still wobbly and the streaks of dried blood that caked their armor were rather horrifying to say the least. As the mercenaries supported their wounded, the leader approached Hao Ren again. ¡°We¡¯re leaving now¡­ But, honour dictates that I repay your kindness. Pray tell, do you have anything that we can help you with? The lady there, Vivian, said you¡¯re the captain, and that I am to ask you.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need, really.¡± Hao Ren waved his hands. He never thought of asking for any sort of compensation and he could not really think of anything this band of mercenaries could help with. His only goal at that point, was to reach the Beinz Blood Lake, and he already had Becky as a guide. If it was possible, the lesser the people who knew of his purpose, the better. ¡°¡­If you insist¡­ Have you seen a lithe looking lady in white robes along the way?¡±


    Hao Ren told the leader about their search for this ¡°foreign visitor¡±. The leader frowned as he tried to jog his memory. ¡°¡­Speaking of a lady in white robes, I do remember meeting another group of mercenaries who were returning from the Blood Lake. They mentioned meeting a strange, young woman who was travelling to the Blood Lake alone. That was two days back by the way.¡±


    ¡°That means she¡¯s probably reached Leyton by now,¡± Becky quipped.


    ¡°Is she an acquaintance?¡± the leader asked curiously as he pondered. ¡°She would have been stopped by the sentries. The Beinz region is under lockdown at the moment. Only registered mercenary companies or the knightly orders are allowed to pass. A lone adventurer would not be granted access to the place.¡±


    Hao Ren simply nodded. He knew that the lady would have found some way to get pass this obstacle. He knew nothing of her, but his gut feeling was telling him so.


    After all, it is almost impossible to stop someone who is determined to return home.


    The rescued mercenary company decided that they had enough and would not be continuing on to the Blood Lake. While their wounds were healed, their equipment and morale were badly damaged. Thus, they decided to return to the kingdom¡¯s borders. The leader once again tried to dissuade Hao Ren and his group from continuing on the mountain path and to take a detour but, Hao Ren politely declined.


    The mysterious lady was gnawing at his curiosity and whatever it was, happening at the Blood Lake gave him the jitters. Hao Ren was concerned that using a detour would cost them valuable time, time that they could not afford to lose. That said, it was not like the rock monsters were undefeatable. Based on their performance that day, Hao Ren felt that they were well equipped to deal with such threats.


    Seeing that Hao Ren was determined to press on, the leader did not press the matter further. As he gathered his men around to prepare for their return, he took a gold medallion from his waist and pressed it into Hao Ren¡¯s hands. ¡°We owe you our lives. Hold on to this. If you happen to be around the Royal City of Steinne and need help, look for the Iron Thorns Company. I¡¯m their leader, Kastein.¡±


    Mercenaries had a reputation of being ruthless, money-minded thugs but, there were many among them who knew of honour as well. Hao Ren felt that it would have been disrespectful if he declined Kastein¡¯s offer, and so, he kept the medallion in his pocket. Then, he heard the leader asking him, ¡°By the way, can I have your name? I suppose all of you are part of a mercenary company as well. Would be good for business when we cross paths next time.¡±


    Before Hao Ren had time to respond, Lily came roaring behind him. ¡°We are the Dogs Have Gotten All the Good Names Mercenary Group! I¡¯m the deputy, Lily! The leader is Hao¡­ ughgughghughgh¡­¡±


    Hao Ren used all his strength to restrain Lily from talking, but failed to stop her from blurting out that awful name. An incredulous look appeared on Kastein¡¯s face and he could only laugh drily. ¡°That¡¯s a rather fancy name¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was cursing inside. How could the name not be fancy? Thank goodness this was not an MMORPG, where your guild ID would be tagged to your name. Or else, you would be PK-ed1 by your own guild members if they had to bring that guild tag out with them!


    After saying their farewells, Kastein led his company down the moutain while Hao Ren and his gang continued on. Becky approached him to ask a question, her voice sounding concerned. ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want to take a detour?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯ll just cost us time.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Sides, our combat strength isn¡¯t anything to scoff at. You¡¯ve seen it yourself, we have the full set of paladins, warriors, priests, mages and thieves. All classes accounted for. Not a problem.¡±


    ¡°¡­Right¡­ I actually wanted to say this¡­¡± Becky could not hide her scepticism as she took a sweeping glance at them. ¡°You¡¯re still going on that wizard schtick after all of this?¡±


    Lily had not retracted her Frostfire Claws when Becky spoke, and the werehusky just squatted before she started to dig into the ground. ¡°I usually just use these to dig holes, you know?¡±


    Becky was of course, too intelligent to fall for that. Just look at Hao Ren¡¯s party: He was a shield-wielding tank, taunting everyone and their ancestors. Lily was your typical, sneaky rogue. Y¡¯zaks was a full-fledged berserker with all skill points put into STR2. Wuyue could not even as much as cast an offensive water spell. At the very most, Vivian was the only one who went about throwing lightning bolts and frost chakrams. Then again, the vampire also had to rely on her brute strength to take down the enemy. With such raw display of brute strength, they still tried to hide behind the facade of being wizards, who were studying the art of teleportation. Truth be told, even Hao Ren did not buy their story.


    Lily finally realised that Becky was clearly not buying her excuse, and sheepishly retracted her claws. She quickly ran behind Hao Ren after she concealed her ears. ¡°Mr. Landlord, say something convincing!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Becky simply raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°To be honest, our situation is rather unique and we don¡¯t exactly fall into any fixed classes.¡± Hao Ren sighed. ¡°Just believe me when I say this, we are not the bad guys. It¡¯s not that I want to keep you in the dark¡­ I don¡¯t even know how to begin explaining this to you. You can take this as the last time cooperating with us, and just forget about us once we¡¯re done.¡±


    Becky did have some reservations. Her life experience taught her that people who knew too much often ended up with a blade in their back. Even when she was working, she tried to avoid knowing anything that she did not need to know. The group in front of her clearly fit the bill of such insidious covens, but Hao Ren¡¯s words had somewhat allayed her fears.


    ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯ll be damned if I don¡¯t do something that¡¯s worth the music box you gave me.¡± Becky gave out a hearty laugh and went forward. ¡°I won¡¯t poke my nose into your business. Who doesn¡¯t have secrets anyway?¡±


    Hao Ren felt a little sorry for the lass. That MP5 and battery powered charger only cost him 600 Yuan¡­


    Translator¡¯s Thoughts


    Seraphica Seraphica


    1PK or ¡°player killl¡± is used most often in online games such as MMORPGs;


    2STR is a gaming term referring to strength.

 Chapter 193

    After going through the winding mountain path, they finally reached the top of the mountain.


    It was the top in name only. For ease of travel, the mountain path was carved through the ridge and the ¡°top¡± that they were on. It was one of the higher points of an already low-lying altitude. They were surrounded by two massive peaks that marked the Dragonspine Ridge. It almost felt like the two sides were closing in on them. A remarkable scene indeed.


    Lily as usual, was at the forefront of the party. Fatigue did not seem to exist in her dictionary. While the strong horses that they rode were already gasping for air, the werehusky was bouncing up and about. ¡°I see the Blood Lake! Over there! Over there!¡±


    Hao Ren and the rest quickened their steps as they heard her cry. From the open area on the mountain where they stood, their destination lay before them. The Beinz Blood Lake. Actually, there was still some distance to go before they reached the lake proper but, the skies were clear that day, and the party could see miles beyond.


    A wide open plain and a thick forest lay towards the foot of the mountain. In the middle, was the Beinz Blood Lake, its crimson waters shimmering like rubies. It was just like the legends, the water on the lake was red as blood and it was all the more captivating under the sunlight. It was highly unusual, but nonetheless, still a sight to behold.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be much easier going downhill. The road conditions ahead are much better than the eastern ridge. Plus, the elevation is not that steep. After reaching the foot, we¡¯ll head southwest towards Leyton. That¡¯s the last proper town we¡¯ll see before going into the Blood Lake area. Let¡¯s rest up in Leyton for a while. We¡¯ll get into the Blood Lake region after passing through the Leyton Outpost,¡± Becky said from the back of the party.


    ¡°This is really something, isn¡¯t it.¡± Hao Ren could not help but be amazed by the scene before him. He had wondered how the Blood Lake would have looked like. At first, he thought it was simply a lake filled with red liquid. But, the scenery before him shattered that image. The majestic lake was not only a sight to behold, its effect on its surroundings were equally palpable. The land around the lake had a crimson hue to it, giving the lake a sense of foreboding mystique, almost as if the land was surrounded by some sort of force field. Hao Ren stood awestruck for a good while before noticing that the crimson hue around the lake was not just a reflection of light. ¡°Is that a forest?¡±


    Becky looked in the direction Hao Ren pointed to; a patch of forest between the mountains and the lake. A path that they had to tread to reach the lake after leaving Leyton. The forest was surprisingly uniformed with its layout. With almost each square metre of land covered in the same density of trees. The leaves were an eerie shade of crimson purple. She noticed that Hao Ren and his gang were all astonished by the sight of the forest. An unsurprised look appeared on her face. ¡°There¡¯s always a first time, eh? That¡¯s the forest, the Gnarled Grove. Legend says that when the goddess destroyed the world, her rage was stored within the lake. The Gnarled Grove was formed from the corruption of the plant life. I¡¯ve heard that the Blood Lake has many strange and dangerous creatures. That forest is the most lethal of all. It¡¯s a plant life the size of a plain, and we have to traverse through it.¡±


    ¡°A plant? What do you mean?¡± Hao Ren was dumbfounded.


    ¡°Literally. Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t even know this? I thought you might have at least heard of it before?¡± Becky shrugged. ¡°The entirety of the Gnarled Grove is from the same plant. The trees are pretty much appendages of an ancient lifeform that have broken to the surface. A group of elven researchers finally confirmed this after about a hundred years of research. But don¡¯t you worry, the forest itself isn¡¯t hostile. It¡¯s the flora and fauna within it that we need to be weary of.¡±


    A shiver went down Hao Ren¡¯s spine as he heard what Becky said. He threw his gaze towards the forest by the foothills once again and tried to imagine the patch of forest as a gigantic living plant life. His thoughts then went to the fact that they would need to go through it and goosebumps started to form. Lily did not even bother to hide her nervousness. ¡°Is there any other way?¡±


    Becky then pointed towards the northern part of the forest. The flat plain on that side had a darker hue of crimson purple, and under the sunlight, it was even more pronounced. Connected to the purple plain was another range of mountains. ¡°There is another path towards the Blood Lake but, that means going through the Virulent Flatlands towards the north of the lake. You will then need to pass through the sacred mountains of the mountain folk and the werewolves. It¡¯s way, way more dangerous. Don¡¯t be fooled by the mountain folks¡¯ congeniality, they absolutely abhor foreigners stepping into their sacred lands. The werewolves, even more so.¡±


    ¡°Even though they have their own kind here?¡± Lily puffed her chest up to press home the point that she was a werewolf.


    Truth be told, if her proportions were more like Vivian¡¯s, perhaps the chest puffing would have worked better¡­


    Becky gave Lily a sideways glance. ¡°You sure you¡¯re a werewolf? I feel that I know more about their customs than you. Throughout the years, only a few popes of the Disciples of Glory and the last great king, Baldwin were invited into the sacred mountains. Where did your confidence even come from?¡±


    Hao Ren knew the husky was about to snap back and quickly pulled her back. ¡°Hehehe, both her and Y¡¯zaks were brought up on the plains. On top of that, they¡¯re not pure-blooded¡­¡±


    Of course she was not pure-blooded. There¡¯s even 1/16 of Pekingese blood in her. This was not a lie. Hao Ren prided himself on being an honest man after all.


    Becky then stepped ahead, ¡°Right, let¡¯s get down the mountain. Try to get to Leyton before nightfall. I don¡¯t want to spend my night in the mountains.¡±


    The climate on the western side of Dragonspine Ridge was just as Becky said, totally different from the eastern side. The arid eastern side barely had any vegetation, but towards the lake in the west, the vegetation was lush and the air much more humid. While the thought of this humidity originating from the strange lake may probably unnerve some, all in all, the climate of the western side was much, much more comfortable.


    The rocks around them were also crawling with thin vines and resilient vegetation. And of course, the ubiquitous moss.


    As the party was halfway down the mountain, Becky suddenly stopped. She pointed towards a cliff wall on the far end and exclaimed, ¡°Look, over there!¡±


    The whole party turned, and all they saw was a landslide, with moss, vines and tress toppled over the side of the cliff face, as if struck by God¡¯s wrath. The only thing left was an almost 90¡ã mountain wall. The landslide had pretty much created a stone wall right through the mountains. Grey boulders were scattered all over the place, and you could see dust by the foothills. It seemed that the landslide happened not too long ago.


    Hao Ren swiftly recalled the loud crash they heard soon after ascending the mountain path. So, it was from the western side of the mountain?


    Lily looked up towards the sky and remembered that it was rather cloudy when they first ascended. ¡°Seems like the clouds reflected the sound and carried it all the way to the east side.¡±


    Hao Ren coughed drily as he heard what Lily just said. He was wondering what the idiot was up to on that day. Was she that smart all along? That her idiocy was just a show?


    It did not take long for Lily to disprove Hao Ren of his notion as she picked up a rock and threw it as hard as she could towards the far side of the mountain, trying to see if she could hit it. Hao Ren let out a sigh of relief. She was truly an idiot¡­


    ¡°A landslide on Dragonspine¡­ This is not good¡­¡± Becky was muttering to herself, her voice quivering with fearful piety. Vivian quickly summoned a bat to scout the area as she had caught sight of something.


    The bat quickly found what Vivian was looking for, and she made a big gulp. ¡°Those rock monsters came from this part of the mountain, and there are definitely more than four!¡±


    Along the mountain face was a series of specific indentations, they bore the hallmarks of a struggle. They resulted from rock monsters within the mountain, who struggled to free themselves. While Vivian had no opportunity to further check the rocks farther downhill, she did see many similar dents all across.


    It was almost as if the mountains had come apart. How many of those monstrosities were there?

 Chapter 194

    Looking at the suspicious dents on the cliff, Becky stared at them for quite a long time without speaking.


    ¡°Those rock monsters probably split from the cliff,¡± Y¡¯zaks frowned, feeling some of the mysterious forces around him, ¡°There is a very weak force coming from the depths of the earth, the mountain is the vent of this power.¡±


    ¡°There were four of them on the east side of the mountain, but there must be more rock monsters out there. We don¡¯t know where the rest of them are now.¡± Vivian¡¯s tone was tense, and the fact that the cliff caved and a whole bunch of rock monsters could possibly rush out of the mountains reminded her of the Mythological Era on Earth. She was sure this was going to be a disaster¡ª because she had witnessed many similar catastrophes before. ¡°Becky, who should we report to?¡±


    They could not solve the situation in front of them by themselves so, the first task was to inform the ¡°relevant department¡± in this world, but Vivian did not know who could deal with such a thing.


    ¡°The Disciples of Glory¡­ or the Knights of the Kingdom.¡± Becky had been in a daze since the beginning and now, she finally woke up from it. With cold sweat on her forehead, she spoke hastily, ¡°Let¡¯s go back now! We need to inform the Knights of Leyton Town!¡±


    No one dared to delay and they quickly ran down the hill. Hao Ren found that Becky was in a panic from head to toe and he realized that this kind of incident was unprecedented in The Plane of Dreams. He asked, ¡°You¡¯ve never heard of rock monsters being on Dragonspine Ridge?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Becky said loudly to stay calm. ¡°Never has any kind of big monster appeared in the mountains, let alone rock monsters! This must be related to the disappearance of the Orb, I¡¯m afraid the goddess will¡­¡±


    Becky was afraid to continue. As a native, the tale of the destruction of their world by the goddess, and the atonement of humankind were deeply rooted in her mind. Not to mention, the job of a mercenary was precarious. Therefore, she was quite superstitious. In her mind, there was a secret and ancient connection between the Beinz Blood Lake, Dragonspine Ridge, and the Orb of the Holy Synod. These connections made her even more tempted to associate the situation with a bad course of events.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much,¡± Hao Ren comforted Becky. ¡°Even if the sky is falling, we have Y¡¯zaks here. The Church and those important individuals within the Knights will find a way.¡±


    Becky looked at Hao Ren gratefully and said, ¡°Although I don¡¯t know where your weird words come from, they sound quite reasonable. Thank you.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks, the tallest one in the team, could not help but draw back his neck. Even he felt that Hao Ren was truly not very good at comforting people.


    Going down the mountain was much faster than going up the mountain, and with them rushing at full speed, they finally left the mountain range before sunset. They set foot on an old, wide path, which led them straight to Leyton Town.


    In the fading daylight, Hao Ren saw a lavender glow, rising from the earth in the far distance. He did not know what it was.


    ¡°It looks like a town-level defensive barrier.¡± Becky saw the lavender glow. It was uncertain if she looked relieved or worried. ¡°The town¡¯s activated the defense, I¡¯m afraid the rock monsters have¡­¡±


    Hao Ren mounted the horse and said, ¡°Don¡¯t say anymore, let¡¯s go!¡±


    Everybody mounted their horses and rushed away. The urgent situation compelled the foolish Lily to make more errors. She could not mount the horse after trying many times. In the end, she could only give up and barked loudly. She carried her horse and rushed all the way to catch up with them. So basically it looked like this: Hao Ren, Vivian, and Becky were riding horses and rushing in front of the team, the fierce-looking Y¡¯zaks was running wildly behind them, while Lily was carrying the horse and running madly at the back of the team, with sand and stones flying around her. It was chaos. If not for the wrong timing, Hao Ren would have to stopped and recorded Lily. What was the use of this horse?! They might as well have let her run with Y¡¯zaks from the beginning!


    After rushing all the way, Leyton, the small town at the foot of the mountain finally appeared in front of them.


    This town was slightly smaller than Lamberg, built according to the shape of the mountain. It was located in the middle of a canyon terrain, and this valley was the key road to the Gnarled Grove. It was obvious that the town was built specifically to guard this thoroughfare. Large tracts of lavender light curtains hung from the sky like a waterfall, which sealed both ends of the valley.


    On the open ground in front of the valley, there were traces of battle.


    The originally flat, triangular rocky beach was still littered with blast pits. Green smoke was still coming out from the pits. Broken swords and fragments of various equipment were scattered everywhere. There were a lot of cracked, dark brown stones scattered on the ground within hundreds of metres of the town entrance, some of which were still slightly trembling. They were probably the remains of the rock monsters.


    Large-scale combat spells seemed to have been used at the site. Strange magical energies still remained in the air. Plenty of glimmering, tiny air masses or energy sparks were floating about half a metre above the ground. They were momentary magical life. Although the Disciples of Glory believed that these magical remnants were just ordinary energy reactions, far from being ¡°life¡±, old-fashioned wizards, especially those from the steeple factions, still called them ¡°magical life¡± in accordance with their customary tradition.


    The battle was just over, and Hao Ren could smell a lot of strange smells in the air, but it seemed that Leyton Town was not damaged by the raids of rock monsters. It was after all, the stronghold that guarded the Beinz Blood Lake, stationed with elite troops, which were far beyond imagination. Obviously, the lavender beams of light that enveloped the whole valley were not created by ordinary people.


    In front of the town, a number of half-curved bunkers, built with huge rocks and steel, were urgently being molded by battlefield mages. Just before Hao Ren and the rest reached the bunkers, more than 10 heavily armed knights jumped out of the bunkers. One of the tall men who did not wear a helmet shouted. He looked stronger than the others. ¡°Who are you? Report your identity!¡±


    Becky reined in the horses and dismounted lightly. She shouted before she touched the ground. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. We¡¯re humans, not rock monsters!¡±


    The town guards were a little jittery. The surreal battle earlier left them in a state of extreme nervousness. And now, the sky had become increasingly dark, therefore, a group of unidentified strangers suddenly running to them from the mountains made them too nervous. The guards were relieved after Becky spoke to them, but the officer was still pointing nervously to something behind Hao Ren. ¡°What¡¯s that monster over there?¡±


    Hao Ren paused, then turned to see Lily, who was holding her horse, running towards them¡­


    ¡°You are the monster! All of you are monsters!¡± Lily put down the innocent pony that was frightened by her and shouted with her hands on her waist.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a werewolf. What great strength.¡± The officer stared at Lily for some time, and finally put down his weapon in embarassment. He apologized. ¡°Sorry, I have night blindness.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    Was it really okay for a guy like that to be the sentry captain?


    He did not know that the big fellow was also a temporary replacement. The real sentry captain was still lying in the town¡¯s hospital.


    Becky came to the sentry captain and said, ¡°We are a mercenary group. We just came from the mountains. We have something important to report to the Knights! Or, the head of the church¡­ Anyway, the official in the highest position in the town, right now!¡±


    When the sentry captain heard this, he could guess what had happened to them in the mountain. He quickly sent a man to find the border mage to unblock the entrance while he looked nervously at the direction of the mountains, and asked, ¡°Is¡ªis it something related to the monster?¡±


    Becky nodded and did not speak.


    The protective barrier over the town was maintained by the small church in the middle of town. No one dared to shut it down at such a critical period. However, there were some energy node devices which had been put together on the outskirts of the town. The border mages could temporarily open some passages for people to enter and exit through the barrier by controlling these devices. Soon, they got permission to enter the town. A man with a straight face, dressed in robes flew out of the town and said, ¡°I was instructed to bring you to the rector. It¡¯s an emergency now, the whole town is under martial law. Don¡¯t leave my sight until the rector gives you full permission. I hope you can understand.¡±


    It was a reasonable request. All of them nodded. Then, they followed the serious man in black robes into Leyton Town, which was already in a state of alert.

 Chapter 195

    The sun was almost completely gone. Coupled with the low-lying terrain of Leyton, which was surrounded by mountains, it was getting dark fast. When they entered the town, the evening lights were lit. The magnificent lavender light curtain was even more spectacular in the fading night sky but, not many people came to the streets to watch the spectacular night scene. Hao Ren walked into the town, following the serious man in the black robes, and all he saw were closed doors. It was supposed to be a lively and bustling night market, but he could not even see a booth. Heavily armed town guards were the only common thing on the streets. Part of them were Knights of the Kingdom, who wore standard armour or robes, with the Kingdom¡¯s blue emblem on their chest; another group of them were the Knights of the Disciples of Glory, who wore black or white dustcoats outside their garments. And in addition to these two groups of soldiers, there were also some messily armed mercenaries in the streets. Although they were less armed than the soldiers, it was obvious that they were all veterans. They were probably called up by the knights to aid in their defenses after the attack.


    The whole town was haunted by such a depressing atmosphere. It seemed that the attack, which lasted from the afternoon until the evening, had left everyone in that taut state. Hao Ren also noticed the dazed looks on the faces of some young soldiers. It appeared that these soldiers were also stunned by the unexpected weird monsters.


    The tall and thin man. who was leading the way hardly said a word the entire way. He just took them through the depressing streets silently. Hao Ren also took the opportunity to observe this man, to make a comparison with some of the knowledge he had just obtained during the past two days.


    The man in black robes had a tattoo, which consisted of a circle, a triangle and lighting on his back. So, this was probably a church mage. The clergy of the Disciples of Glory in this world were very special. While they were in the priesthood, they also followed the job classification of our world. They were divided into mages, warriors, alchemists, hunters and many other occupations. This included all races, which made them quite inclusive. The priesthood was just another identity outside their respective professions. The priest of the Disciples of Glory also used ¡°divine skills¡± and their own professional power to fight. A church warrior, in addition to his own fighting ability, had to also know the priest¡¯s blessing skills. Similarly, a church mage also needed to practice the power of prayer in addition to magic. Although no one knew how they got the extra ¡°godly power¡±, every priest apart of the Disciples of Glory was indeed powerful than the average professional.


    They interpreted this special power as the ¡°proof of the goddess¡¯ blessings¡±. Most people in this world firmly believed in that.


    Hao Ren was certainly doubtful of this. He knew what a real god was. It was a group of creatures that were beyond comprehension and they were knowledgeable. Raven 12345, the unreliable lady always focused on the balance of the universe. Therefore, he did not think that the inefficient goddess¡¯ of The Plane of Dreams was the true God. He believed that there was a strong creature in this world, but most probably, that powerful creature was not quite the same as the Disciples of Glory had described.


    In short, the clergy of the Disciples of Glory was a group of people with special powers, and all their clergymen were divided into two types: the White Robe and the Black Robe.


    The Black Robes were professional combatants. They fought with a firm belief in the goddess, and they only focused on their own beliefs. They belonged to ¡°force¡±. And, the White Robes were responsible for everything else, such as missionary work, medical aspects, research, administration and so on. They belonged to ¡°wisdom¡±. At the same time, the Pope himself had to be a White Robe. This was enshrined in the sacred writings of the Disciples of Glory: the power had to be under rational control to ensure balance. Therefore, the spiritual leader and the commanding class of the Church could only be the White Robes.


    Of course, it did not mean that all the White Robes were civilian staff, or that they did not fight. On the contrary, not only were the White Robes often present on the battlefield, the vast majority of the white-robed priests were extremely powerful, except for those who were thorough clerical workers. It was just that their duty involved focusing more on strategy and support, not fighting like black-robed priests.


    Knights and mages in white robes could also be seen on the streets. They were the community commanders or staff officers in the defense force.


    Their firm belief in the goddess, the worship of the Holy Scriptures, the deep fear of the end of the world, together with the wise reign of the popes, ensured that no one ever overstepped the system.


    In addition to these superficial divisions, there were many distinct divisions within the Disciples of Glory. They influenced the whole world with a complex and efficient multi-ethnic, multidisciplinary partnership. However, these were not things the Hao Ren of today could understand thoroughly.


    Perhaps the black-robed priests were not easy to get along with. The man leading the way still kept a straight face and did not say a word. Nangong Wuyue was bored. She could not help but bring up the unpleasant topic. ¡°Hmm¡­ Was the attack this afternoon serious?¡±


    The man was silent for a while, and then replied with a stoned expression on his face, ¡°Local defense, no comment.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue felt snubbed. Becky was also a bit unhappy and said, ¡°We bring important information regarding rock monsters. We have witnessed them separate from the cliff. This information is worth at least 20 shielders. Why can¡¯t we ask about some trivial matters?


    The black-robed priest remained silent, and replied, ¡°Local defense, no comment.¡±


    He was still a repetitive machine.


    Vivian stopped Becky who wanted to keep asking. She felt that it was not the time to fuss about such a thing. Once they ventured into the depths of the town, a small but ornate spire chapel appeared at the end of the road.


    In front of the chapel was a semicircle courtyard with red pebbles. A circle of magical light balls floated around the courtyard, which made the place as bright as day. The black-robed church knights guarded the gates of the church tightly, while several middle-aged monks in white robes surrounded a purple-red crystal in the middle of the courtyard, praying silently.


    The central tower of the church was emitting a mysterious glow. Layers of complex runes emerged from its ancient and luxurious carved stone bricks, circling the square tower. The runes were slowly rising and moving in circles repeatedly. A bright lavender beam gathered up at the end of the surging scripture, rushing into the unfathomable night sky. It then dispersed throughout the town. This was the defensive enchantment of Leyton Town, the miracle force that was reliant on this church. It was completely supported by ¡°divine power¡±.


    ¡°The collection of energy sample has been completed.¡± Almost simultaneously, the voice of Mobile Data Terminal sounded in Hao Ren¡¯s mind. ¡°Preliminary analysis: No analytical value, it¡¯s a simple repulsion wall, it can counteract external physical shocks of a certain speed, energy flow is very normal, mysterious attributes associated with the symbolic power of the true God is not found.¡±


    ¡°The so-called divine power of the Disciples of Glory is just a special kind of magic indeed,¡± Hao Ren muttered. The black-robed priest who led the way explained everything to the person in charge of the courtyard. He then took them to the church. He finally spoke more words this time, ¡°His Excellency, Bishop Gelton is discussing important matters with guests, but he agrees to meet you first. Please pay attention to etiquette, His Excellency is a venerable elder.¡±


    The church was brightly lit, but there were no people in the long hall of prayer and worship, only the black-robed priests on duty. They reached a special room in the depths of the church, from a small corridor behind the long hall. The black-robed priest stood at the door and said, ¡°Please.¡±


    Becky pushed the door and entered the room nervously. The scene in the room was visible.


    Surprisingly, it looked pretty simple. The office, belonging to the bishop of the entire Beinz region was just a normal study without decoration. The room was spacious, but almost all of the walls were occupied by heavy stacks of files. There was no carpet on the ground, just plain stone bricks. There was a large wooden table in the middle of the room. An old man and someone, who looked like a young woman, judging from her back were talking across the table.


    The bishop, Gelton was a sixty or seventy-year-old man with sparse hair, a long beard, a wrinkled face and short stature. He sat down at the back of his desk, hunched over his arms, and kept his hands in his sleeves as if they were cold. The bishop took his priests to inspect the vicinity of the Beinz Blood Lake all year round, absorbing too much ¡°bad air¡± in the process. That made him look unhealthy but, people who knew his situation would not despise the seemingly slow, old man. His body may have begun to decay but, his spirit was still strong. As long as those wise eyes of his were not closed, he was still a mighty lion, and the gift of God would work with his thoughts.


    The one facing Gelton was a woman wearing special armour. As she was not facing them, they could only see from the back. She had long, chestnut-coloured hair, and the pale complexion of her neck and wrist showed that she wast most likely still young.


    When Becky opened the door, Gelton was speaking to the female soldier, ¡°Your Excellency, Ophra, the situation is not clear. There is no evidence that these series of changes are linked, and there is no evidence that the goddess¡¯ test would be carried out in this form. We should first appease the people, and then with pious¡ªOh, looks like our guests are here.¡±


    The old man stood up and smiled at Hao Ren.

 Chapter 196

    The attitude of the old man in front of him was kind. He did not have too much grandeur as a man of such a high-order position. While he spoke, the woman clad in armour turned and looked at them curiously. Hao Ren found that she was a much younger woman than he had expected. She looked around 25 years old, had fair skin, and looked very beautiful. However, there was a suttle heroic spirit in her face, which hinted that she was experienced on the battlefield, not just a beautiful woman with no actual strength.


    Becky was a little nervous when she saw the bishop. She hurriedly folded her hands in front of her chest as a special gesture and then, took a deep bow. She said with a stiff tone, ¡°Your Excellency, I am Becky, I am a second-class mercenary from Lamberg Town, the¡ª Yes, we have important intelligence!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, I¡¯ve heard it.¡± The bishop waved his hand to signal that Becky did not have to be overly courteous. He looked curiously at the people behind Becky. He found that these people neither saluted him nor expressed any tension. There was however, a subtle sense of alienation. He could not help but look at them again, but he said nothing about it. He just turned to Becky and went straight to the point, ¡°All of you have just descended from the mountains? And, you know something about the rock monsters?¡±


    Becky nodded hurriedly and replied, ¡°Yes¡­ We do. We saw them split from a peak on the southern side of the mountain trail!¡±


    ¡°Split from the peak?¡± The old man¡¯s eyebrows fluttered, a surprised glow flashed through his muddy eyes. ¡°How? Please tell me the details.¡±


    Alhough Becky was usually careless and fearless, she was a civilian after all, who had a deep-rooted fear of the Disciples of Glory. For the first time in her life she met the bishop, such a big shot. She hurriedly told him everything they saw in the mountain, and also mentioned the battle in the east of the mountains.


    ¡°The three of you settled the rock monsters? You seem to have actual strength.¡± The old man looked at Hao Ren and the people beside him, who did not even have weapons or armour with surprise. He did not feel much of a warrior¡¯s vigor from them, which surprised him and he asked, ¡°Are you also a mercenary group?¡±


    Lily jumped up on the spot and said, ¡°Dogs Have Gotten All the Good Names¡­¡±


    Hao Ren tried to stop the girl immediately, but he did not make it. Lily acted too quickly.


    The old bishop heaved a long sigh and said, ¡°The mercenaries now¡­are getting more and more outrageous. When I was young, there were names like Silver Hand, Silver Fist, and Silver Eye. Now, the names are getting weird. Young people these days really don¡¯t take the names seriously.¡±


    Hao Ren muttered, ¡°All the good names are taken. Why don¡¯t you tell us that the last mercenary group in the silver series is called Silver Knee?¡±


    ¡°We saw the situation outside the town earlier.¡± Vivian did not want to dwell on the topic and took the initiative to divert attention. ¡°Has there been an attack here? What¡¯s the status?¡±


    ¡°Two attacks, the Knights had some casualties, but after finding the giants¡¯ weakness, they defeated them.¡± The old man did not conceal the situation and roughly explained what had happened that afternoon. Hao Ren then knew that after the rock monsters split from the cliff, they immediately attacked the small town at the foot of the hill. Two consecutive attacks.


    The first attack took place three hours ago, about an hour or so after the loud bang came from the mountain. More than 10 rock monsters rushed out of the mountain path. Most of the casualties among the Knights occurred during the first attack. The powerful combat ability of those monsters was still not the toughest part. The toughest part was that they could regenerate whenever they touched the ground. No one knew this at first, and there was no one as powerful as Y¡¯zaks who could take time to figure out the weaknesses of the opponent while fighting. So, the Knights went through a tough fight, but eventually, they fought off the rock monsters after a certain amount of casualties.


    The second attack took place one hour ago, just before Hao Ren and the rest of them arrived in the town. Again, more than 10 rock monsters rushed out of the mountain path, but they were prepared, the attack was easily disrupted.


    ¡°It was very sudden. Those monsters almost rushed into the town,¡± said the bishop in a low tone. ¡°Fortunately, this is the last stop before the Holy Land. There are many Knights stationed all year round so, nothing serious happened.¡±


    ¡°Based on the time, after the rock monsters split from the cliff, they should be heading straight for the town.¡± The young woman, who spoke to the bishop just now had remained silent for quite some time. At that moment, she spoke. Her voice was steady and magnetic. ¡°Your Excellency, what do you think of this matter?¡±


    The bishop bowed his head, pondered for a moment, and began to speak slowly, ¡°Dragonspine Ridge is a sacrilege built by the arrogant ancient mage-emperors. Every stone in that mountain is a challenge to the authority of the goddes. All the unusual phenomena that has occurred should be attributed to evil motive, and the rock monsters that split from the mountains are undoubtedly full of evil. I think their goal should not be this checkpoint, but¡­ Beinz, the Holy Lake.¡±


    ¡°I think so,¡± The woman nodded. ¡°The disappearance of the Orb of the Holy Synod, the unusual changes in the Holy Lake, and the emergence of monsters in Dragonspine Ridge. These monsters are now trying to attack the Holy Lake. This series of events is an obvious and planned provocation.¡±


    The bishop was silent. He did not like ¡°attack¡± and ¡°provocation¡±, two words of obvious directivity, but the facts in front of him made it difficult to make a strong retort. Finally, he could only nod and say, ¡°Perhaps, those evil souls in the ancient times have not yet given up. They are preparing some¡ª¡±


    The armoured woman slowly said, ¡°Eloken has declared war on the goddess, Your Excellency.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too early to think it¡¯s a holy war,¡± the bishop insisted. ¡°The goddess¡¯s authority is not so easily provoked.¡±


    ¡°But, the ancient mage-emperors did succeed once¡ªwe have to respond to it before they provoke us the second time. Otherwise, we can¡¯t be sure if the goddess will not be angry for a second time.¡±


    This time, the bishop was silent for a longer time. Alas, he could only wave his hand and say, ¡°¡­Your Excellency, please keep in mind that certain things are taboo and not to be mentioned frequently near the Holy Lake. Even if there is no Orb of the Holy Synod, the goddess will also know what is happening in this world. Well, I¡¯ll consider opening the Holy Sepulcher, but at least not until another three months. I hope I can explain this to His Majesty.¡±


    ¡°A wise move,¡± the woman said and nodded, and then suddenly, she remembered that there were others in the room. She smiled at them apologetically and said, ¡°Sorry, we¡¯re busy debating and ignoring you.¡±


    Hao Ren was still in a daze. Becky was surprised and suddenly jumped up, ¡°Wait¡ªWait a minute! Your Excellency, Ophra?! You, you¡ªyou¡­¡±


    With her hands on her chest, Ophra seemed to find Becky¡¯s response interesting and said, ¡°I¡¯m Ophra, the Kingdom Marshal. What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Becky thought for a moment, then slapped herself and fainted.


    Nangong Wuyue was nearest to Becky. She quickly supported the mercenary with her hands. Becky slowly opened her eyes and saw the heroic, legendary heroine still standing in front of her, so she was going to faint again. Luckily, this time before she fainted, Nangong Wuyue smashed a ball of water and ice into her face.


    ¡°Is it that surprising? I¡¯ve seen a lot of interesting guys, but this is my first time seeing such an intense reaction,¡± she spoke and smiled cheerfully.


    ¡°I am¡ªI adore you!¡± Becky jumped up and wanted to pounce on her. However, she stopped halfway and then, stood to attention in a weird posture. After that, she began to bow and salute. ¡°Lord Marshal¡ªUh, no, sir¡ªUh, no, Your Excellency.¡±


    ¡°Come on, I¡¯m not royalty, and I¡¯m not a duchess.¡± Ophra smiled. She waved her hand and stood aside. It seemed that the way Becky addressed her made her feel awkward. ¡°I heard your name, Becky, right? You have made a great contribution this time, you are a good mercenary.¡±


    At this time, Hao Ren really could not help asking. He came to Becky and whispered behind her, ¡°Who is this?¡±


    ¡°How can you not even know her?¡± Becky stared at Hao Ren like he was a monster, and then remembered that he was a ¡°wizard from the Northern Empire¡±, but she still found it a bit inconceivable. ¡°People from the Empire of Hognar should also know Ophra, the Grand Marshal. She is one of the three heads of the kingdom, the famous heroine in the whole continent! You are too ignorant.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that dramatic.¡± She smiled, and now looked approachable. The aggressive look of arguing with the bishop was totally gone. ¡°I just happened to have experienced a lot of things.¡±


    Then, she turned to the bishop and said, ¡°Your Excellency, I¡¯ll go first. I¡¯ll let my knights take charge of the night defense, and tomorrow, we¡¯ll discuss in detail what to do with the monsters that are coming out of the mountains. If the information from these mercenaries is accurate, we have to face more than 20 rock monsters.¡±

 Chapter 197

    After saying goodbye to the bishop, Ophra left the room. She was very graceful. Hao Ren searched his mind, and he finally remembered who this Marshal Ophra was.


    Aside from the Church, which was influential but non-interfering, there were the three most powerful persons in the Kingdom of Holletta: the first was Mhoren, the incumbent king; the other two were his right hand men¡ªPrince Hoffman, the chief public officer; and Marshal Ophra, also known as the Iron General, the best fighter in the kingdom.


    That¡¯s right. The young lady who just left, she was the best fighter in the kingdom, theoretically.


    Hao Ren had intel about the ruling class of the kingdom through various channels. He also knew about Marshal Ophra. But, he never thought that the powerful figure was a woman, and two years his junior. When he heard ¡°the best fighter in the Kingdom¡±, he was expecting to see a herculean, eight-feet villain¡ªjust like Y¡¯zaks, better yet, with octopus tattoos on his arms.


    He was a little stunned. Half a day had flown by before he came to his senses and accepted the fact that the one who had just left the room was one of the most powerful people in the Kingdom. The general of all the knights in the kingdom, and at the same time, not just young, but also a beautiful lady. Apart from her military-style demeanour, there was no way people could tell she was the best fighter.


    ¡°Behave¡­ She¡¯s a VIP.¡± Lily stuck her tongue out in astonishment. She glanced at Becky, then said, ¡°Looks like you admire her quite a lot.¡±


    Becky nodded her head like she was on vibration mode. Even Hao Ren, who was standing nearby could feel her pride.


    Hao Ren wanted to know more about Marshal Ophra. But, it looked like it was not the right time. Bishop Gelton was being left in the cold. He looked at the thin and feeble old man who could return to his creator anytime. ¡°That¡¯s all we wanted to brief you about¡­¡±


    The old man slowly nodded. His voice was weaker than before. ¡°Thank you. The intel was timely and critical. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll send an ascetic to check out the landslide you mentioned in the mountains. Meanwhile, you might want to spend the night in town. I guess you guys are tired.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. However, he had something else to say. ¡°What about the rock monsters? Will they come into the town? We saw some monsters in the east of the trail. It seemed like they were going to the steppe. You may want to look out for them.¡±


    ¡°The knights of the church and kingdom will handle that.¡± The bishop waved. He did not find the need to share the information with them. After all, these mercenaries had just arrived, and Hao Ren knew that as well. So,he kept all his questions to himself. Meanwhile, something crossed Vivian¡¯s mind. ¡°We¡¯re going to The Beinz Blood Lake. We may need to get a pass from you.¡±


    ¡°The Holy Lake?¡± The bishop looked up at them, his face was full of wrinkles. ¡°Ahh, you¡¯re mercenaries looking for the Orb of the Holy Synod. Are you sure you¡¯re still going?¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly tensed up. ¡°Is there anything wrong? Is it locked down?¡±


    ¡°No. Not yet.¡± The bishop shook his head. ¡°But, the situation near the Holy Lake isn¡¯t stable. Many mercenaries have returned. After the incident this afternoon, nobody knows what will happen there. It¡¯s not a good idea to go there now.¡±


    Something the bishop did not say and found inconvenient to mention: the missing of the Orb occurred two months prior. A lot happened within those two months. The situation near the Beinz Blood Lake had worsened, various unusual phenomena, which arose had overwhelmed the knights from the church as well as the kingdom. The Orb was now just one of the many problems. Searching for the Orb was¡­simply not their priority.


    As a pious believer, he could not say it out with his own mouth.


    Nangong Wuyue stepped forward. ¡°We know it¡¯s risky. But, we¡¯ve got to go there anyhow¡ªwe¡¯re searching for someone.¡±


    ¡°Someone?¡± The bishop looked up.


    ¡°Let me explain¡­¡± Since it had come to this, Hao Ren thought he may as well tell the bishop about the mysterious woman. ¡°¡­that she is. She may have been here about two days ago.¡±


    ¡°I have no idea who you¡¯re talking about but, I can give you the pass.¡± The bishop pulled out a form from a stack of documents on the table. He put down two official stamps on the pre-filled form and said, ¡°May the goddess bless you and be with you.¡±


    They took the pass and left the bishop¡¯s room. The serious man,who led them there earlier was still standing outside, seemingly waiting for them. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you lot to the knights¡¯ station. You can rest there.¡±


    For the past two months, mercenaries from all over the Kingdom had flocked to the town. All hotels and homestays had been fully booked, and many mercenaries had to stay at the two knights station.


    Lily was always in her insanely happy-go-lucky mode. She had been wiggling around Hao Ren since they came out from the church. ¡°The old man seems to be a nice guy. I thought the bishop would be an old-fashioned kind of person.¡±


    ¡°Ahem¡­¡± Hao Ren coughed. But, it seemed like the black-robed monk did not respond. ¡°It appears that the woman hasn¡¯t come to Leyton at all.¡±


    ¡°How could she go to the Blood Lake without passing through Leyton?¡± Vivian looked at Becky.


    ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡± Becky could not understand why they were so interested in the mysterious traveller, which they had not even met. Nonetheless, she still replied in all seriousness. ¡°There¡¯s a route from the danger zone directly going through the twisted woodlands. It¡¯s safer to enter the Blood Lake region through the official route and the church watchhouse just outside the town. Most people take this route, which has regular patrol and clean-up, plus are tons of alarms on both sides of the road. Other routes through the twisted woodlands aren¡¯t safe¡ªyou could be attacked by beasts.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope for the best.¡± Hao Ren sincerely said a prayer for the otherworldly visitor, but he was not sure if he should have prayed in the name of Raven 12345. It was the biggest irony as a genuine ¡°saint¡± himself: ordinary believers could pray with faith and be in peace irrespective of whether God listened or not. At least, they could do it without fear; but, Hao Ren himself who always had conversations with a god, did not really enjoy being honest. He was nervous with the sheer mention of the goddess¡¯ name because the goddess was no more normal than the husky¡­


    Y¡¯zaks stayed silent during the whole time in the church. Perhaps, he was not comfortable with the atmosphere inside. He breathed a sigh of relief when he finally got out. ¡°Tell me¡­why would the marshal of a kingdom come to this place?¡±


    The beautiful picture of Marshal Ophra kept appearing in Hao Ren¡¯s mind. Attractive women always had the ability to impart lasting impressions in a person¡¯s mind, especially a woman like her who possessed so many incredible qualities. But, Hao Ren was already a man of experience. He did not have any wishful thinking towards Marshal Ophra. All he thought about was how the positions and titles behind this woman looked at odds with her. ¡°Perhaps, she¡¯s investigating the missing Orb incident¡­ It¡¯s been a fuss. Anyway, I did not expect the marshal of this kingdom to be a woman.¡±


    ¡°I knew you were discriminatory against women!¡± The admiration Becky had for Marshal Ophra was out of this world. She jumped to her feet. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with young women? Are you having problems with age or gender? Let me tell ya, women fighters are just as awesome. I¡¯m a fine example of that. And who the hell told you Marshal Ophra¡¯s young? She¡¯s at least a few hundred years old¡­¡±


    ¡°A few hundred years old?!¡± Hao Ren was stunned. ¡°She¡¯s not human?¡±


    ¡°Marshal Ophra¡¯s a descendent of the ancient seed.¡± Becky stared at Hao Ren. ¡°The Northern Empire must be damn ignorant to have such a weirdo like you.¡±


    ¡°Ancient seed! Whoa¡­ancient seed.¡± Hao Ren laughed slyly. ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. You¡¯re her admirer!¡±


    ¡°Of course I am.¡± Becky¡¯s eyes were almost gleaming with a green glow. ¡°There are no female mercenaries who don¡¯t admire her. She¡¯s a legendary female fighter. It¡¯s said that she was the hero who successfully suppressed a few revolts at the border a few hundred years ago. Since she came into being, she has been the sword instructor of the Holletta Royalty. How awesome is that, right?¡±


    Hao Ren did not know a thing. He was just shrewly laughing.


    It was impossible to communicate with Becky under such circumstances.

 Chapter 198

    Becky was foaming at her mouth, telling stories about the female marshal. Hao Ren however was not that interested; for one, she was not related to their mission, and also, he did not think that he was going to have anything to do with this otherworldly hero.


    Anyhow, he had heard enough of this legendary Marshal Ophra.


    When speaking about the marshal, it was necessary to look into something they called, ¡°the Ancients¡±. It was a new term Hao Ren had encountered. He was lacking an excuse to openly ask about it. Becky¡¯s narrative was the only source by which he could find out about the race. The Ancients were an almost human-like, unique race. Most of the time, they mingled with humans. Their population was small, scattered all over the world, without their own cultural identity. They totally assimilated and co-existed with humans. The Ancients were different from humans in that they lived much longer and were far more stronger. They were better in every single aspect from their physical to mental states. Many of the Ancients were remembered as heroes in history. Ophra was one of them. She had been the most renowned for the last several hundred years.


    Other than that, Hao Ren was totally clueless regarding the origins of the term ¡°Ancients¡±, and as to how they acquired such extraordinary qualities.


    Marshal Ophra had been the most active descendent of the Ancients for the last several hundred years. Back then, King Geddon III, the Iron Fist helmed the throne of the Kingdom of Holletta. At the time of Geddon III¡¯s coronation, the Kingdom of Holletta was experiencing severe changes and turmoil. This oldest kingdom on the continent had seen the rise of the art of alchemy and new academics. Emerging civilian R&D alchemy factories and production models challenged the old Royal Academy of Magic. More and more advanced technologies were being invented by the civilians instead of being under the control of the Royal Academy of Magic. This caused a rift between the elites and the civilian class; at the same time, a faction within the elites opposed the conservatives¡ªan inevitable fate as a result of the feudal dynasty becoming too old and bloated, and also from the massive achievement of social progress. At that time, newly emerging countries around the Kingdom of Holletta were adopting new technologies and social ideologies with tremendous pace. Within a short period of time, these kingdoms had left the arrogant and old kingdom in the dust¡ªat least, in terms of technology.


    The Kingdom of Holletta back then was not as moderate as it was in the present¡ªthere were no more radicals now on the outside. They were a superpower and, had a dominant spirit, so they found themselves quite a lot of enemies as a result. Because of that, during the reign of Geddon III, the Kingdom faced a multitude of crisis: factionalism of the ruling class, royalty losing grip on social order, and old-fashioned royal advisers struggling to handle new social problems. At the same time, there were at least dozens of newly emerging, technologically-advanced, smaller countries, planning to invade his kingdom.


    That was when Ophra came into being.


    There were many versions to the legend about how the new king and the Ancient met, and how they had become comrades in arms. The stories became much talked about topics among historians and playwrights alike. As a retarded fan of Marshal Ophra, and a typical gossiper, Becky was a proponent of the dramatist¡¯s narrative: the young Geddon III was touring the Kingdom in search of solutions to the problems in his kingdom. When he arrived in the east of the Kingdom, he was ambushed by his enemies.


    At that critical juncture, Marshal Ophra, who was then an adventurer¡ªthere was no differentiation between an adventurer and a mercenary back then¡ªcame to his rescue. They fought their way out, and the fate of the Kingdom as well as their own were sealed from that moment.


    The ambitious young king and the skilful knight began their fateful relationship. Together, they suppressed the revolts within the Kingdom. Subsequently, Geddon III, against all dissenting views from the old elites, declared the knight a new elite, and placed the Kingdom¡¯s military in the hands of his confidante. The talented, bold, young king and the battle savvy, female fighter put an end to all the internal rebellions, and rebuilt a new ruling order. Not only that, they suppressed external enemies.


    From that day onwards, the famous Iron General became the protector of the Kingdom of Holletta for the next 435 years.


    Any qualified dramatist would have noticed something else: Geddon III and Ophra were trying to work out their relationship since the very first chapter but still nothing had come to fruition after 40 over chapters. At the end of the day, Geddon III lay on his deathbed, holding Ophra¡¯s hand and saying his last wishes, ¡°My reign will soon end in two days. You must make sure my son succeeds my throne¡­¡±


    Becky¡¯s eyes lit up when she told the story. But, Hao Ren felt that the ending of the story was probably a sham made up by some motherf*cker, then widely circulated among mercenaries, who were spinsters. If you dared to discuss this in the Royal Court, they would have killed you first and asked questions later.


    Much was learned about the glorious past of Marshal Ophra. Hao Ren now knew she was the most legendary figure in the Kingdom. Ophra, a descendent of the Ancients, had been the Kingdom¡¯s marshal for over 400 years, witnessing dozens of royal successions. And, she remained the top fighter and sword instructor for all the kings of Holletta. It was incredible, Hao Ren thought. He had a hard time imagining why someone as powerful as her was willing to serve a dynasty and remained loyal for four centuries. In addition, the Holletta Royalty still trusted Ophra despite going through dozens of royal successions. Perhaps, something really did happen between the hero and King Geddon III, the Iron Fist.


    They had witnessed an argument between the marshal and bishop that day. It seemed, the two had differing views on matters regarding the Orb incident, and religious interpretations. Unfortunately, Hao Ren had no idea where to begin investigations on the reasons behind the argument.


    The group spent the night in Leyton before they set off on the road to Beinz Blood Lake the next morning.


    The lockdown was still enforced in the town. The stored energy beneath the church and its stationed mage regiment seemed enough to sustain the shield above the town. However, there was no telling how long the lockdown would last. What bothered Hao Ren the most was the tough rock monsters. He was not sure if the local knights were able to handle them, but the bishop appeared to be pretty confident. Perhaps, the bishop had already informed his superior about the situation and soon, a massive mobilisation of the Kingdom¡¯s machinery and the Church¡¯s power would begin. He chose to believe that these VIPs had what it took to handle the situation.


    They left the rented horses behind in the town as horses could easily be affected by the magic near Beinz Blood Lake and become frightened as well as agitated. There was a handover point specially for mercenaries in the town, the horses would be in good hands. They left the town on foot through the western exit onto the highway. It was not a long journey.


    ¡°That¡¯s the Gnarled Grove.¡± Leading the group, Becky pointed to a vast area of fuchsia far ahead. ¡°Keep your eyes open. Once we¡¯re in there, don¡¯t use magic. If there¡¯s an encounter, end it quickly. Most of the monsters inside are very sensitive, they can smell magic and come in groups.¡±


    ¡°Copy that,¡± Hao Ren acknowledged. Lily and Vivian had transformed since they left town. The danger zone not far ahead was infested with monsters, so they could never be too cautious. Vivian sent her squad of bats flying a hundred metres in the air, monitoring the road ahead. Meanwhile, Lily sniffed around for any suspicious smells. Nangong Wuye looked at Becky, who was still leading in the front, recalling what she had seen on the way out of town. Two groups of mercenaries were returning from the grove, injured and bloody. ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t need to do this. Your job ended when you brought us to Leyton.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to say that going forward¡¯s too dangerous?¡± Becky could read Nangong Wuyue¡¯s mind as she too had seen the returning mercenaries. ¡°From what I was told, they were beaten by some average monsters. The situation around Beinz Blood Lake isn¡¯t as bad as what the bishop tried to paint. I¡¯ll keep my word and bring you lot right to the edge of the lake. Furthermore, I¡¯d like to try my luck and see if I can find some treasure.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled. He decided to bring a tablet for this frank maiden the next time he returned. After all, it was at the expense of Raven 12345.


    Once they entered the Gnarled Grove, Hao Ren instantly felt that the atmosphere was totally unlike the outside.

 Chapter 199

    The Gnarled Grove was a mysterious place.


    Ecologically very distinct from the outside world, the grove gave people the illusion that they had entered an alien forest. There was no green whatsoever. All the vegetation glowed with a metallic lustre of fuchsia, which looked a bit flirtatious at first glance, but mysterious after subsequent looks. Most of the plants were tall and gnarled. Also, there was a kind of bush as tall as a human, growing like a flame in a spiral. Under the thick bushes, on the compost, strange fungi grew across the terrain. They looked a bit like a combination of mushrooms and moss: a large coat of lavender-coloured fungi covered the rocks and the surface of other plants with umbrella-like structures growing abruptly above them. These fungi grew strong and bright in dark corners. But, it is not certain whether the rule of thumb applied here: the better it looks, the more poisonous it is. The ground was covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves and other dead plants. All the plants grew naturally and wantonly, indicating the lack of disturbance from humans.


    In addition to the shorter, secondary vegetation, there was only one kind of tree in the Gnarled Grove: the tall, gnarled and broad-leafed tree. Its bark was iron gray. The lower trunk had no branches and grew straight up in a helical shape but at the upper trunk, branches burst out explosively. The crown of the tree was full of broad, oval-shaped, fuschia leaves. These trees were abundant in the forest and looked the same¡ªtheie gnarls, twigs and branches were all carbon copies of one another, except that their sizes may have been different. Hao Ren had spotted these unusual characteristics from the beginning. He studied the crown of two different trees and they were exactly the same.


    The group moved on via the ¡°official route¡± in the Gnarled Grove. The Church had spent enormous manpower and resources to build this road several hundred years ago. Generations of people had contributed their efforts in maintaining this narrow road. Since several hundred years had past, the ferocious monsters in the Gnarled Grove had gotten used to the existence of the road and they would stay away from the watchhouses along the road: the road had become part of the ecological system, even the forest gave way to it.


    This had provided a buffer zone to travellers who traversed through the grove. As long as they did not stray away from the magic formations lined along the road, they would be safe.


    ¡°These trees have no scientific name, they¡¯re just a part of the huge Gnarled Grove, like fur on a beast. Anyway, mercenaries and adventurers call them ¡®spiral trees¡¯. They look like that, don¡¯t they?¡± Becky had noticed Hao Ren staring at the strange-shaped trees, so she took the initiative to explain. ¡°All these trees are connected as one. Their roots are entangled and grow together while the exposed parts receive sunlight. A group of elf scholars studied the Gnarled Grove back in the day. It¡¯s said that before the world was destroyed, the Gnarled Grove was the goddess¡¯ backyard. Back then, Lorrisa, the elf mage-emperor, stole the life gene from the Gnarled Grove and used a root from the tree to clone the tree of life. However, the tree of life was destroyed by fire due to the end of the world. Only its charred remains were left. It¡¯s hard to tell how similar they looked like now.¡±


    ¡°You say that the entire forest¡¯s a plant..,¡± said Nangong Wuyue. She snuffed. The high humidity in the grove made the siren feel more comfortable. ¡°¡­but, it¡¯s a huge forest. I wonder how much of it¡¯s hidden underground?¡±


    ¡°No idea. But, it¡¯s said that the roots of the Gnarled Grove extend all the way to the centre of Beinz Blood Lake in the west, and the bottom of Dragonspine Ridge in the east. This whole area was built upon the roots of the Gnarled Grove. There¡¯s a legend that some 100 years ago, some dwarf miners tried to mine chrysotile in Dragonspine Ridge; they were digging a tunnel and while they were digging, they stumbled upon a huge black root near the Blood Lake. Half of them went mad. The Church came up with the explanation that residues of wrath from the goddess, who ended the world were trapped underneath. It would take a few thousand years before the residues could be cleaned up by the forest. Since then, mining hasn¡¯t been allowed in the west of the mountain range. You need permission from the Church even if you want to extract well water there.


    Hao Ren was amazed by these giant trees. It was hard to imagine that there was a massive life form hibernating underground just by looking at the surface. All he could see were some exposed roots, functioning as its breathing organ. But one thing was sure, and Becky was right, there was no credible explanation to the amazingly identical trees, except that they were not of natural occurrence but organs of a large living body.


    ¡°Please excuse me for a minute.¡± Something suddenly came to Hao Ren¡¯s mind. He took his pot and walked off the road. Becky asked, ¡°Where¡¯re you going? It¡¯s dangerous!¡±


    Hao Ren waved and said, ¡°I won¡¯t be long. And, I won¡¯t go far.¡±


    Becky was not convinced. Lily then tried to explain. ¡°He¡¯s just taking a leak. He¡¯s got a kidney problem¡­¡±


    Vivian was pretty shocked. ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t he have DI, diabetes insipidus since we visited the village of the mountain people a few days ago?


    Everyone was speechless.


    Maybe the maiden¡¯s mind had a little short circuit and she was still stuck in that particular moment.


    Meanwhile, Hao Ren had detoured from the official route, out of Becky¡¯s sight. However, he did not dare go too far off; although there were magic lamps made from divine crystals on both sides of the official route, the area outside the energy range of the magic lamps was still a world of monsters. He went to the back of a shrub. As he unlid the pot, Lil Pea poked her head out, splashing water as if she was greeting him.


    Hao Ren used his finger to pet the little mermaid¡¯s tiny head as sign of affection. He then spoke to the MDT, ¡°Get out of there. I need you to scan the surroundings in high power mode.¡±


    ¡°Now you sound like you mean business,¡± the MDT whined as it got out of the pot. Lil Pea looked on. It rose in the air and glowed with a blue light.


    The high powered radar scanned the ground and analysed the underground structure.


    ¡°A massive root system can be detected, just like the maiden said¡ªthe forest is a single living organism.¡± The MDT started showing a hologram of the entire Gnarled Grove. The stunning images shocked him: the ground was filled with a web of roots, which radiated outwards for many kilometres. The roots were entangled together and formed a giant, compressed, gully-filled, oval-shaped ball. It was a little like a deformed walnut.


    And, it was disgusting.


    The MDT explained, ¡°If the roots disappear, a large hole as big as a hundred kilometres across will be left behind and everything above it will be swallowed. Now you know how massive this thing is. But that¡¯s not all, the maiden is right about one more thing too: the root system hasn¡¯t just extended under the Blood Lake, but past it. It has almost reached the plain and mountain range in the far west. But strangely, half of the roots have died, probably because of soil problems in the crystal plain.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of hard to imagine that what¡¯s underground is so much more massive than what¡¯s above ground.¡± Hao Ren was totally overwhelmed by a feeling of awe. He was not awed by the ancient miracle but, by nature itself¡ªjust like the nature of Raven 12345.


    ¡°There¡¯s another thing that may be worthy of investigation,¡± said the MDT all of a sudden. ¡°The entire forest¡­no, it fact, it¡¯s the entire Beinz Blood Lake region; the ecosystem is incompatible with the outside world.¡±


    Hao Ren was at a loss. ¡°Incompatible?¡±


    ¡°This is the topography of the region.¡± The MDT spun the hologram around so that they could have a bird¡¯s eye view. ¡°You can see the entire region of the Beinz Blood Lake is a closed system. Dragonspine Ridge in the east, the sacred mountain of the mountain people in the west, the grand canyon in the north, and the ocean in the south; all these places are natural dividers to the ecosystem. That¡¯s how Beinz Blood Lake became an ecosystem on its own. The plants in this area¡ªof what I¡¯ve detected so far¡ªwill not grow outside of the region. They have a unique way of using nutrients, which can only be done in the environment provided by the Beinz Blood Lake.¡±


    ¡°Totally unadaptable to the outside world? They wouldn¡¯t survive at all?¡±


    The MDT affirmed categorically, ¡°Not at all.¡±


    Hao Ren was becoming more curious about the Beinz Blood Lake.


    The lake was sustaining an ancient ecosystem. But, what was inside the lake?

 Chapter 200

    It seemed there was more than meets the eyes to the Beinz Blood Lake than Hao Ren had thought.


    The closed ecosystem, the massive life form beneath the Gnarled Grove, and the mysterious power hidden in the blood-red lake; all the legends had authentic origins, Hao Ren thought. It was mysterious as well as captivating.


    ¡°In your opinion what kind of species is the Gnarled Grove? Is it a plant?¡± Hao Ren browsed through the holograms before he stopped and stared at the picture of the Gnarled Grove. A chill ran down his spine as he looked at the huge root system. It shocked him to think that he was standing on an ancient and mysterious living thing. He was just like a speck of dust on this massive being.


    ¡°It¡¯s a confirmed plant.¡± The MDT dialled up its scanning resolution and the image quality was enhanced. ¡°Although it¡¯s rare to have life evolve into such scale, it did have a precedent. The universe is a big place, anything can happen. For tree spirits, the roots of the mother tree can grow and cover the entire planet. What you see now is just a form of cytomegalic plant. What¡¯s puzzling is, no one knows why it exists here. I¡¯ve run a simulation of the evolution process of this planet; such a giant plant could not have adapted to the environment even tens of thousand years ago. It shouldn¡¯t exist on this planet. It doesn¡¯t match the pattern of evolution.¡±


    Biology was like Chinese arithmetic to Hao Ren, so he did not give it much thought. He just stared at one of the giant trees, lamenting. He touched the bark, which was coarse and dark in colour as he imagined himself interacting with a miraculous life form, thousands of years old. It was 100 kilometres across. Regrettably, it was just a bunch of roots; how good it would have been if it could talk. Hao Ren wanted to know what actually happened when the world was destroyed 10,000 years ago.


    As Hao Ren was in deep thought, something suddenly unnerved him.


    He got to his feet and cautiously looked around. He had a feeling that something was watching him, and that it was not a pair of normal eyes. He felt like he was being scanned from head to toe. The MDT immediately rose to the air when it noticed Hao Ren¡¯s abnormal reaction. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. Probably just my imagination.¡± Hao Ren shook his head as he was confused. ¡°I felt like someone was looking at us.¡±


    ¡°No one is nearby. If there is, I¡¯ll alert you.¡± The MDT hovered back into its port. ¡°Let¡¯s rejoin the group. I¡¯m afraid the mercenary maiden actually thinks that you have DI.¡±


    Hao Ren was confused.


    As he rejoined the group, Hao Ren was met with a worried-looking Becky. Before he could say anything to her, Becky started to yell. ¡°Why were you gone so long? Don¡¯t you realise it¡¯s dangerous?¡±


    Never did Hao Ren expect the mercenary to be so worried about him. He awkwardly explained, ¡°I was just taking a leak. I didn¡¯t see any monster though.¡±


    ¡°I was wondering about that too. It seems so much calmer than the last time.¡± Becky frowned in bewilderment. ¡°When I was here a few months back, I didn¡¯t bump into any monsters but, I could hear them. But today, it¡¯s just quiet¡­unlike what the bishop said.¡±


    ¡°God knows what happened. But I¡¯d rather not bump into one.¡± Nangong Wuyue took a deep breath of the moisture-filled air before she hurried everyone to keep going. ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go. We should just keep going and maybe we¡¯ll be able to see the Blood Lake before sunset.¡±


    The group continued on their journey. Vivian quietly came up to Hao Ren. ¡°What did you find?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see when we get back,¡± Hao Ren pointed at the pot (the MDT) secretly. ¡°The underground scenery is spectacular.¡±


    Everyone did not say a word as they hustled through the forest. There were no monsters. There were no legendary carnivores or plant-beast hybrids. The supposedly evil Gnarled Grove was just like any other forest¡ªharmless. Pretty much most of their journey, the biggest carnivore Hao Ren had seen was the hyperactive husky¡­


    But a sense of uneasiness made Becky nervous. The atmosphere should not have been so quiet. She knew the forest should not have been so calm. She would have felt more at ease if monsters of flesh and blood came out in the open and fought with her. The unusually quiet situation only meant one thing: something was brewing in the forest.


    ¡°Halt.¡± Vivian suddenly stopped the group. ¡°Something¡¯s ahead!¡±


    Becky was relieved: the long-awaited little monster finally showed up.


    Everyone instantly switched into battle mode¡ªBecky drew out her enchanted sword, Vivian spread her wings and was in the air, Lily grinded her fire and ice claws, making steam while Nangong Wuyue squatted down on the ground, covering her head with her hands. Everyone had their own style.


    As everyone held their breath, a series of heavy footsteps was suddenly heard, coming from the south of the road.


    The footsteps were also accompanied by something much smaller, running alongside it.


    Hao Ren moved to the front of the group with his shield activated. Soon, a large group of shadows appeared from the forest.


    Just as Becky had described, these were some strangely gnarled creatures. They were black, two-metre-tall mutated beasts. It was hard to tell what species they were. They looked like elongated meatballs. About six pairs of what looked like bound feet, could be seen, and not only that, the creatures resembled deformed squids living on the land. These black and strange creatures had no facial organs or heads. A pair of tentacles, full of sharp teeth hung from each of their upper bodies, and the tentacles swung violently as they ran. These things had such a distorted and disgusting appearance that it would have made people¡¯s stomach turn. There were now 20 or so such beasts, coming towards Hao Ren like they were in a shopping rush!


    Despite his prior mental preparations, Hao Ren shivered involuntarily upon seeing these ugly and strange creatures. Meanwhile, Lily¡¯s tail had puffed up. ¡°What are these things?¡±


    ¡°These are flesh beasts. They¡¯ll eat anything!¡± Becky¡¯s sword was burning with flame. ¡°Just don¡¯t get bitten, their teeth¡ª¡±


    Before Becky could finish her sentence, another bigger creature appeared from afar and stunned her.


    As a matter of fact¡­it was a tree, it was a tree-like giant.


    The giant, which was almost 10 metres tall, looked like an old, towering tree with four limbs. The forked roots and two branches were its legs and arms respectively. Its full bark looked like a face. It was the one that produced the heavy and earth-shattering footsteps as it ran behind the flesh beasts.


    The flesh beasts were just being chased by the giant, and they were moving towards Hao Ren¡¯s direction.


    Everyone knew going against these things head-to-head was a bad idea. However, as they were about to run, they discovered something worse: it was unclear whether the flesh beasts were being purposely cornered or they were also hungry, looking for dinner. They were in their direction!


    Hao Ren was stunned. ¡°Have we offended the Night Elves? First the rock monsters, now tree giants?¡±


    To further power up her combat strength, Becky cast a few more magic spells on herself. She then wielded the flaming, enchanted sword and charged towards the flesh beasts. ¡°Let¡¯s fight and talk later!¡±


    Gnashing his teeth, Hao Ren powered-on his full-body shield and went against the nearest flesh beast. ¡°Bastards!¡±


    Even though his act of ridicule did not any effects , he would still insist on shouting it every time he charged at his enemy¡ªit boosted his sense of protection.


    Meanwhile, Y¡¯zaks lunged forward and dealt with the formidable ¡°guardian tree¡± head-on.

 Chapter 201

    A chill ran down his spine as he saw the strange flesh beasts. They were not clearly visible when he looked at them from afar, but as they came closer and both sides engaged, Hao Ren vowed, if given the chance he would never want to meet these beasts again.


    Their severely twisted and soft bodies resembled a lump of deformed flesh with a pair of toothy, barbed tentacles hanging from the back. As they died, they emitted a very unbearable, stinky smell. Without a weapon in hand, engaging in close quarters combat was all the more disgusting.


    To avoid being splashed by the beasts¡¯ stinky body fluid, Hao Ren managed to borrow a ¡°demon sword¡±¡ªmade of demon stone¡ªfrom Y¡¯zaks.


    Luckily, these beasts had a very obvious flaw¡ªthey were afraid of fire. Vivian could easily scorch them with her Lightning Strike, it was so much easier than the rock monsters.


    Wielding her sword, which was burning with magical flames, Becky zigzagged between the flesh beasts. The flesh beasts howled in pain as lumps of scorched flesh were pierced off their bodies. Though ineffective against the rock monsters, her sword and magic worked like a charm against the seemingly ¡°traditional¡± monsters.


    Meanwhile, Lily was also having a field day with her Frostfire Claws; inspired by Becky, she emulated Becky¡¯s strange sword skills, which involve of spinning and striking. With her superior physical strength, Lily¡¯s pirated copy of Becky¡¯s sword move was equally devastating. Both Lily and Becky became the brightest stars of the battle; fire and ice storms revolved around them like a pair of out-of-control tornadoes, striking the enemies with enormous speed and strength. Not long, only a few half-dead and hapless flesh beasts were still left standing. There was no need for Hao Ren to intervene. He stood by and exclaimed, ¡°What a revolving duet!¡±


    Lily shouted mid-battle, ¡°Landlord, stop the crap!¡±


    It did not take long for the flesh beasts to be KOed completely. Even though these creatures looked strange, they were just average-ranked monsters in the Gnarled Grove. Meanwhile, Y¡¯zaks was almost done with the tree giant as well.


    Although the ten-metre-tall tree giant looked frightening, it did not possess any regenerative abilities. As long as it could not regrow, it was a walk in the park for Y¡¯zaks.


    A loud blast was followed by a huge fireball, which landed on the tree giant. Y¡¯zaks was up in flames. As if he just walked out a pool of lava, he had conveniently blew the tree giant up with the explosion, and scorched it with an endless flame. The tree giant of almost three-storeys tall was left helpless and it did not stand a chance to fight back. Despite the devastation, Y¡¯zaks had actually used restraint to prevent an uncontrollable forest fire. The tree giant¡¯s weakness was apparent¡ªit feared fire. Though its body contained a vast amount of fluid, it was like fighting fire with just a drop of water¡ªit was futile. In just a few minutes, the battle was decisively over.


    The tree giant was up in flames and smoke. Fire burned from within it. The violent giant was down amid a round of creaking sounds. The earth trembled and sparks of fire spread everywhere as the dying tree giant fell to the ground.


    ¡°Siren maiden, please put out the fire! Quick!¡± Y¡¯zaks called Nangong Wuyue for help as the enemy fell. ¡°The fire is spreading!¡±


    A large cloud of water and ice crystals gathered around the burning tree giant and suppressed the burning flames. Visibility was only restored once Vivian summoned a draft of strong wind, blowing away the steam. All that was left of the strange tree giant was char. It was barely recongnisable as it was totally scorched from the inside out.


    Concurrently, Lily had just come out from her daze. She gasped as she took a closer look at the scene, marvelling at the charred body. ¡°What is this thing? A mutant like the rock monsters?¡±


    ¡°I have a feeling that they¡¯re forest warriors summoned by the elves.¡± Becky came up to them too, but she was still a little dizzy. ¡°I¡¯ve seen tree giants summoned by the elves, the tallest was about four metres in height; it¡¯s hard to form anything bigger than that.¡±


    Hao Ren looked around, the whole place was a mess. The flesh beasts were easy to deal with, but the tree giant was really nasty; if it had not been for the Y¡¯zaks¡¯out-of-spec combat abilities, he would not have been able to fight it. Now, he could roughly understand why the forest was unusually quiet. ¡°This giant could be the reason why other monsters didn¡¯t show up earlier.¡±


    ¡°Hard to say,¡± said Y¡¯zaks as he frowned. ¡°During the battle, I found something strange; this thing was unusually violent. Normal tree giants are gentle, at least that¡¯s the case in my hometown, where tree giants are just protectors of the forest. They would never attack indiscriminately. But, what we saw here was totally different; it attacked us like it was out of its mind.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Becky, and asked, ¡°Have there been any tree giants in this forest from the beginning?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Becky shook her head. ¡°If it existed here, other monsters would have not survived till this day.¡±


    Just as Hao Ren was about to continue with his questioning, crackling sounds, like someone stepping on leaves were heard nearby.


    Before their adrenaline waned, everyone once again braced themselves for the incoming danger. However, what came out of the forest was not something they had expected: A woman clad in white was walking towards them.


    She was slender, wearing a weird-looking, white robe with a hood. It was actually a long wind coat, which the wearer shortened and added a belt for ease of movement in the forest. The unknown woman was roughly Vivian¡¯s age. She was delicate and beautiful, her chest-length blonde hair visible despite the hood being on¡ªshe perfectly matched the description of the otherworldly visitor that the mountain people had mentioned.


    She looked worried as she appeared from the south of the forest. She was taken aback when she saw the group. But quickly, her eyes landed on the smoldering corpse of the tree giant.


    When Hao Ren saw her, he almost recognised her instantly: this was the otherworldly visitor he had been looking for.


    Before he could ask any questions for confirmation, the woman came up to them hurriedly. She pointed at the corpse of the tree giant and said, ¡°You guys did this?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded inadvertently.


    ¡°It was my treeguard,¡± the blonde said softly. ¡°But, it was out of control.¡±


    Hao Ren felt a bit perplexed. He never thought this was how the tree giant came about. He wondered if she was going to claim compensation for it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that. It attacked us¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± The blonde woman nodded. ¡°It lost its mind and became violent. I was tracking it and thinking of putting it down myself¡ªand now, you¡¯ve done me a favour. I apologise for all the trouble caused. Are you people hurt?¡±


    Hao Ren breathed a sigh of relief after learning that the woman was not after compensation. As he cleared his throat to identify her, she said, ¡°Please excuse me. I have to go now.¡±


    She turned around and left before the others could give their response.


    Vivian immediately ran ahead, blocking her way. ¡°Wait a minute! We¡¯ve got something¡ª¡±


    ¡°Please excuse me. I have an emergency,¡± said the blonde woman as she nodded politely, expressing her regret to Vivian while swiftly walking past her. Hao Ren glanced at Becky and then, said to the blonde, ¡°Wait a second! Are you looking for a way to go home?¡±


    The blonde woman halted.


    She wheeled and stared at Hao Ren, bewildered. ¡°How do you know that?¡±

 Chapter 202

    Based on her reaction, Hao Ren was pretty much certain: The woman before him was the foreign visitor they were looking for.


    Since Becky was around, Hao Ren had to go in a roundabout way to hint at his motives. ¡°We came from the village of the mountain folk. We heard of your story there. We are researchers, specialising in teleportation magic¡­¡±


    That very last sentence had Hao Ren feeling guilty, so much so that he did not have the heart to face Becky, who had a puzzled look on her face. Even if she was dumber than Lily (she is not), she would have at least treated what Hao Ren said about teleportation magic with a wee bit of suspicion. But for the blonde woman, it was more than enough. She was almost about to turn and leave before Hao Ren¡¯s words froze her in place. ¡°You are¡­researching teleportation magic? What sort of level has this place reached?¡±


    ¡°Pretty strong I¡¯d say. More than enough to help you out at the very least.¡± Hao Ren laughed drily. ¡°Truth be told, we actually heard the details of your story from the wolves in the plains. Let¡¯s just say your tale caught our interest and we¡¯ve been chasing after you ever since.¡±


    The foreigner did not actually tell anyone in the mountain village about another world, but she did share it with the wolves by accident. When Hao Ren brought up the wolves, the dots were immediately connected. However, a suspicious look still appeared across her face despite her apparent eagerness for aid. ¡°You would just help me? What for? What¡¯s the price?¡±


    When the lady was that blunt, Hao Ren was relieved. She no less had the sense to not trust a stranger she just met. And of course, her suspicion of a group of strangers claiming to be masters of teleportation magic was well founded. With such bluntness, the chances of her being from another world was much higher.


    Vivian gave her a warm yet confident smile. She was the most well-versed in communication among all of them. ¡°What if I told you it¡¯s just a researcher¡¯s curiosity¡­¡±


    The blonde woman slightly raised an eyebrow. Apparently, something within her was triggered by Vivian¡¯s words. Seemed like this story would work.


    ¡°All of us are researching the theories of interdimensional travel,¡± Hao Ren quipped as he noticed Vivian¡¯s ploy working. ¡°Well, you could say it¡¯s almost a niche form of study. Not only is the research itself difficult, we¡¯ve also faced a lot of discrimination and suppression of our works. Our thesis was rejected after three hard years of writing, our lecture on the topic was banned too. Heck, our attempts to discuss it with a few other students almost got us labelled as heretics for spreading blasphemy¡­ Research shouldn¡¯t be this difficult¡­¡±


    Hao Ren waxed lyrical at that point and the blonde lady seemed to understand where he came from. She nodded vehemently. Becky on the other hand was gawking at the ¡°professional researchers¡± around her. She never though the bunch, which did not seem anything like your typical wizard would have such a tale. This probably explained why they were such a weird bunch. Hanging out with the same lot for 10 years would probably do anyone in¡­


    After a while, Vivian found Hao Ren getting carried away and nudged him on the shoulder. ¡°I think that¡¯s enough¡­¡±


    Hao Ren quickly regained his composure, ruing that he almost spoiled their chances by over-dramatising. ¡°So, all in all, we¡¯re determined to see our research through, and to us, you are a very rare specimen, provided you¡¯re not lying. Sides, we came all the way from the plains to look for you. At the very worst, our intentions are genuine.¡±


    The blonde woman frowned a little. It was clear that she would not have trusted anyone just from words alone, but her situation demanded that she seized any chance, however miniscule. She was alone in another world and she had yet to meet anyone capable of helping her. The place itself was foreign to her. Even her quest to the Blood Lake was based on a rumour, but it bore a chance for her to return home. Things could not get any worse for her in any case.


    Desparate for help, the blonde woman nodded at Hao Ren after regaining her composure. ¡°I can swear that what you¡¯ve heard from the wolves, and in the village is true. If you can bring me home¡­ I¡¯ll pay any price¡­ Anything. What do you need? An immortality spell? Rare gemstones? Herbs and medications? I even have some rare spices and incense from my home. You can choose any of them¡­¡±


    As the lady spoke, she rummaged through her pouches for the items she had mentioned. She had probably entered this world in a hurry, and was bereft of any form of luggage. But, the items she possessed could have easily made her rich here.


    However, Hao Ren was not interested in those things. ¡°I don¡¯t need them¡­¡±


    She threw Hao Ren a surprised look, and after noticing the composition of his group, she took a few steps back, alarmed. ¡°You already have so many female companions¡­ This is difficult for me¡­ I¡ªI have already taken the vow¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was dumbstruck by her reaction. ¡°Who was talking about that?! Can¡¯t you stop being so imaginative?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks shrugged with a hearty laugh and he patted Hao Ren on the shoulder. ¡°Seems like I¡¯m being ignored.¡±


    Her eyes immediately widened again as she looked at Hao Ren and Y¡¯zaks. Biting her lips, she went, ¡°This is even more difficult that I thought¡­ If your interest is¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ If you are insisting on going that way, I don¡¯t think we can ever cooperate.¡± Hao Ren was almost green in the face by then. He was taken aback by the astute woman¡¯s imagination and her blunt way of speaking. Who the hell talks like this to people they meet for the first time? Things like this are usually kept to yourself, no? ¡°¡­Talk of compensation can come later. But rest assured, we won¡¯t demand for something that we won¡¯t do ourselves. Our motive is simple, we are looking for a partnership in research. ¡±


    The blonde woman was late in catching Hao Ren¡¯s displeasure. She realised that she had spoken too much, too directly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ Our kind speaks from our hearts. In fact, I have come to ascertain that your kind acts very differently from ours.¡±


    Hao Ren noticed her serious look and understood that the lady meant no ill-will. Her kind probably treasured candor over flowery languages. He proffered his hand to her, ¡°Let¡¯s introduce ourselves. I¡¯m Hao Ren.¡±


    The lady looked at Hao Ren quizzically as she returned his handshake. ¡°I¡¯m Hilda. Hilda Vader.¡±


    The group quickly introduced themselves as well, even the ever-so confused Becky. Hilda had only introduced herself by name and nothing else. She clearly had some reservations about the group. Hao Ren was certain that the ice would break soon enough. As soon as they were able to find a time where Becky was not around, they would reveal their true identities.


    ¡°¡­So¡­what¡¯s next?¡± Becky still wore a confused expression as she spoke. The group was so relaxed by then that she thought they had completed their quest. ¡°I thought we were looking for the Orb?¡±


    ¡°We are,¡± Hao Ren said as he waved her off. ¡°But, you know¡­I¡¯m a scholar¡­¡±


    Vivian and Wuyue coughed drily by the side.


    Hilda did not seem to be unperturbed by the ruckus. She was only concerned about going home. She took the opportunity to ask Hao Ren, ¡°So, when do we begin? How do you plan on sending me home? I thought you were just theorists and have yet to find any success? Let¡¯s start from more practical tests then. I have expertise in this¡­¡±


    ¡°Calm down. We don¡¯t need to rush this.¡± Hao Ren was taken aback by the rapid fire questions and waved his hand to calm Hilda down. ¡°We too have some things to clarify with you before hand. This place is definitely not where you want to talk about it. We are heading to Beinz after this. There¡¯s a rest station there, where we can have a breather. Let¡¯s talk about it when we get there. Even a teleportation gate will need a proper spot, won¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°The Blood Lake? I¡¯m heading there too.¡± Hilda heard the mention of the Blood Lake and nodded as she slowly calmed down. ¡°You¡¯re right. We need to exchange information. I¡¯m not even sure if you are able to help¡­ Wait a moment, I need to do something about my treant protector.¡±


    As she spoke, Hilda ran towards the burnt out husk of a tree giant to perform some sort of magical ritual. Hao Ren took the chance to contact his MDT. ¡°Say, can we bring someone out of The Plane of Dreams?¡±

 Chapter 203

    As Raven 12345 was unreliable as always, Hao Ren took the initiative to read up on his job manual. He knew that solving issues related to inter-dimensional travelers was part of his job scope. If Hilda really came from another world, he would then need to find out why, and figure out how to send her home. Or, he would have to deposit her at the Space Administration¡¯s designated settlements, or any other places that would be suitable. But first, he would need to get her out of The Plane of Dreams, and into the real world.


    The MDT then rang in his head. ¡°No problem, we¡¯ll just use your current position in the real world as the triangulation point. I¡¯ll do the necessary computations and calculations, 100% safety guaranteed.¡±


    ¡°Wow, can we really bring a living, breathing being back into the real world?¡± Hao Ren was surprised. ¡°How do we do that? For us, we at least have a body there, and when we return, it¡¯s more like our spirits returning to their shells. How do we go about Hilda then?¡±


    ¡°If you have deeper knowledge about Data Unification, you¡¯ll know that ¡®transference¡¯ is nothing more than copy pasting a set of data, and this happens to be the most vaunted expertise of Xiling technology. It¡¯s true that Hilda doesn¡¯t have a corporeal form on Earth, but we can use her data from The Plane of Dreams to replicate it in the real world. Remember, The Plane of Dreams is a proper world by itself but, for some reason it¡¯s Actualisation Priority Grade is lower than the Surface World¡¯s. So, to bring something out from the Dream Plane simply requires some complex data conversion. How do you think you managed to bring that tuft of fur out in the first place?¡±


    Hao Ren pondered about what the MDT said for a moment and asked, ¡°So by that, does it mean we can enter The Plane of Dreams without using the sleeping pods? Can¡¯t we just perform the transference for this?¡± He really did not want to revisit the ¡°coffins¡± that were now in the basement of his house.


    ¡°Regrettably, it¡¯s not possible at the moment.¡± The MDT shattered whatever hopes that Hao Ren had harboured. ¡°A transference is one-way only. As of now, both The Plane of Dreams and the Surface World exist under a very delicate balance. You could say that the Dream Plane is an old system while the Surface World is infinitely more robust and complex. You can read data from an old system using the new one without much issues but, the old system usually has no way to properly read data from the new system, resulting in errors. As such, entry into The Plane of Dreams will still require the sleeping pod as a guiding beacon. That said, you can always bring loads of stuff, even a spaceship if needed before entering The Plane of Dreams. Also, if Hilda leaves The Plane of Dreams, she¡¯ll need to use the pod if she ever wishes to return.¡±


    The Hao Ren of today could understand such complex theories and he was immediately left disappointed.


    The mental conversation only took a few seconds. In the meantime, Hilda had begun performing her magical ritual. She reached the side of the burnt treant protector and pulled out an odd powder from one of her satchels. She spread it all over the tree¡¯s charred husk. As she did that, she started her incantation. The weird powder started shimmering in a greenish light as it slowly covered the remains of the treant. The dead husk, as if through a mircale, returned to it¡¯s former verdant green, as a pod and leaves started sprouting from the outer shell.It was like the protector was coming back to life.


    However, it did not. The verdant spell on the protector¡¯s body only covered about a meter wide. After the pod had sprouted to a certain level, it bloomed and a bud popped out of it. Hilda gently took the bud and revealed its content: A seed.


    ¡°It followed me all the way from home, the very least I could do is bring its seed back,¡± Hilda said as she bid a solemn farewell to the protector. Turning towards Hao Ren, ¡°Let us get on our way,¡± she said.


    On their way towards the lakeside, Hao Ren walked with Hilda out of curiosity. He knew that Hilda had a two day head start but, she was still wandering around the forest before running into them. Hilda did not hide anything as she explained, ¡°All of the known roads are guarded by sentries, and you need a pass to get through. I did not want to face any unnecessary trouble so, I was looking around for any other routes. But, any place that isn¡¯t patrolled or guarded is infested by monsters. I simply could not find a way through easily. I summoned the treant protector for protection, but I never thought it would go berserk. Basically, I was chasing it around for the past two days.¡±


    ¡°Why did it suddenly go berserk?¡± Hao Ren raised an eyebrow.


    From what he saw of the treant protector, Hilda was definitely capable. While he had no idea what level of a spellcaster she was at home, clearly being able to summon a treant by herself was no easy feat. This was probably the reason why she was able to roam around alone, as well as have the confidence to work with strangers. That still did not explain the fact that a treant protector went berserk.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I¡¯m pretty certain it has to do with the soil and water here.¡± Hilda shook her head. ¡°This area has a very¡­unusual life force. It allows everything to grow strongly but at the same time, slowly twists the very nature of their being. I thought I had found an incredible seedling, but I did not notice the side effects of this life force.


    Before Hao Ren could even open his mouth, the MDT sounded on its own, ¡°I don¡¯t have the data module for this. Don¡¯t understand a word she said.¡±


    By the time the group reached the lakeside, it was almost evening. Even with the roads, it took them a good part of the day to navigate through the forest. And, they were not even moving slowly. Such was the scale of the Gnarled Grove.


    A sense of overwhelming awe overcame the group as they approached the crimson lake. From the moment they got out of the Gnarled Grove, Lily was hoping and leaping about at the front of the party. Her excitement however ended when she saw the lake proper. Perhaps, the husky wanted to take a bath there, but the blood-like water put a stop to whatever she had planned. She carefully paced along the lakeside, and only after a while, decided to dip her tail into the water. As it hit the water, she exclaimed, ¡°Whoa, coldddd!¡±


    Hao Ren went up to her and smacked her in the head. ¡°Stop fooling around, what if your fur can¡¯t take it and starts shedding again¡­ Wait! Stop shaking your tail like that! I¡¯m all wet!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks approached the lakeside too. Trusting his veritable constitution, he paid no mind to the strange looking water (it was definitely safer than lava). He scooped up a handful of water and drank it. ¡°¡­Hmm¡­tastes normal, a little salty¡­ Seems like your usual salt lake.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s definitely not blood. In fact, it has nothing to do with blood at all.¡± Vivian had also sent one of her small bats to take a sip of the water. ¡°Aside from the odd colour, there¡¯s nothing special about it.¡±


    Becky was shocked by Y¡¯zaks guts, that he would simply drink the water from the lake like that. ¡°Don¡¯t drink it! There¡¯s something strange in the water, most people who drink it fall ill!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks was not concerned at all. As a demon, his blood itself was poison. Vivian quickly dispersed her little bat. ¡°You mean to say the water is poisoned?¡±


    ¡°Poison isn¡¯t the right word for it, but it¡¯s definitely not normal.¡± Becky turned towards the Gnarled Grove behind her. ¡°Well, both the forest and the Virulent Flatlands are both affected by the lake water. You tell me whether that water is potable.¡±


    Lily suddenly started crying and pulling on Hao Ren¡¯s sleeves. She showed Hao Ren her tail. ¡°Mr. Landlord¡­ My fur really did shed¡­ sobs. .. I think I¡¯m poisoned. I want to eat something good to recover¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s you shedding, not me!¡± Hao Ren said as he grabbed the tail. ¡°Besides, you¡¯re just shedding for the cold weather. Do you think I¡¯m so daft that I can¡¯t tell the difference between an allergic reaction and normal shedding?¡±


    Lily just wagged her tail. ¡°Then¡­I want to eat something good.¡±


    ¡­So, she was just hungry after all and she was looking for an excuse to gorge on food.


    Becky simply laughed and pointed towards a small hill in front of them. From a distance, they could see a few simple structures. ¡°Let¡¯s get to the knights¡¯ outpost to report ourselves. There¡¯s a place to rest and get more information about the search.¡±


    Vivian eyed the mercenary lass, ¡°You still want to go about that? Seems like most of the search for the Orb has stopped.¡±


    ¡°Because of that, now¡¯s the best chance! My luck with money is pretty good, chances are, we may find the thing. If not, that¡¯s fine too. There are a lot of rare and valuable herbs around here. If we get some, we might even make a pretty good profit. Hahaha, trust me on that.¡±


    Vivian had just mentioned the search in jest but, what she got in return was a direct stab to her pride. A defeated look was clearly etched on her face as she went back to Hao Ren. ¡°Curses be to anyone who talks about wealth, curses¡­ Just bloody die already you rich f*gs¡­¡±


    Hao Ren could only look on in silence.

 Chapter 204

    The Beinz Blood Lake was a sacred ground for the Disciples of Glory. All along the lake, there were outposts set up by the Church¡¯s knights. Any adventurer or mercenary group who had gotten the Church¡¯s approval to venture into the area would need to report themselves there before being permitted to operate within the approved parameters. Even though there were many incidents near the lake of late, which resulted in the management of the place being a little messy, this basic rule was pretty much ironclad.


    While the Blood Lake was indeed sacred grounds, it was not forbidden grounds. The checks made for approved mercenaries were pretty lax and Hilda managed to get through by identifying herself as part of Hao Ren¡¯s party. The group then went towards the rest area on the elevated platform by the lake.


    The facilities in the outpost were pretty bare. The place comprised of two towers and a few long tent-houses. The entire area was about 200 square metres wide. The whole outpost was build upon a rock platform that seemed to be raised by magic. Surrounding it was a number ward guardians. By the looks of things, security seemed to be the least of their worries. The wards could easily hold off most of the monsters that popped out of the forest. If things became pressing enough, there was another powerful garrison, and ward guardians from the island at the centre of the lake for aid.


    A portion of the outpost was designated for outsiders. As most of the mercenary groups had already retreated to Leyton, there was plenty of space there. Becky then led Hao Ren to look for the officer in charge and after a simple registration process, they were given permission to stay for a short while. Aside from the rooms however, food and medication had to be supplied by the tenants themselves. The quartermaster would avail some of their stocks for sale, a primary source of income for the church in the Beinz region as adventurers and mercenaries were aplenty.


    By the time the group had settled down in their camps, it was night.


    After completing the registration process, Becky went about looking for the monks, who would have come into contact with the other mercenaries. When she came back to the tent, she had a rather disappointed look on her face.


    Hao Ren and his group were sitting together, discussing their next course of action when Becky showed up. Her dour look caught all of them by surprise. Vivian asked with a concerned look on her face, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Ill tidings?¡±


    ¡°Seems like striking it big isn¡¯t all that easy.¡± Becky said as she sat on the chair. ¡°I spoke to some of the folks here, and it seems like a few renowned mercenary groups have already searched the area a week ago. Aside from the western tribal mountains, most of the places have already been investigated, including the depths of the Great Ravine. Six teams went through the place for a good 12 days. You remember Marshal Ophra? She was here to personally monitor the process of the search. Most of the search areas were handled by her own personal elites. There¡¯s no place they didn¡¯t not scour yet.¡±


    The reason Becky had decided to tag along to with Hao Ren to the Beinz region was partly due to the sense of gratitude in receiving such a gift like the ¡°music box¡±. The honest mercenary simply just did not want to owe anybody favours. Another reason was that she wanted to try her luck at finding the Orb of the holy Synod. Perhaps by chance, if she did find it, her reputation would grow beyond measure.


    She never thought that the search would progress to such a level and scale that it left her feeling powerless. Marshal Ophra and her elites, with the help of a large group of well known mercenaries had already combed every nook and cranny within the area. Yet, they had nothing to show for their efforts. Her party consisted of a tank who could not hold in his aggro, three ¡°wizards¡± who loved melee combat, and a scaredy-cat healer or nanny who did not heal in the middle of combat¡­


    Hao Ren and his group had little interest in the Orb. Becky was the only one who had it in her sights, as such, none present shared her disappointment. Vivian then shared her observation, ¡°If you ask me, based on the reports of the day the Orb went missing, it really seemed like it was teleported away. If that¡¯s the case, wouldn¡¯t the chances of it being in the Beinz region small? It looks like a fool¡¯s errand to search from here.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know much do you?¡± Becky looked up at Vivian. ¡°The church itself is protected by the sacred bones of the previous popes. If someone used teleportation magic, they would not have been able to get out of the Blood Lake region. Holy energy would lock the Orb within a certain radius. Besides, the spell lock has not been broken before.¡±


    Hao Ren never thought that the Disciples of Glory had such ability under their sleeves. No wonder they believed that the Orb was still within the Beinz region. It seemed like a plausible explanation, especially since some bones of a dead holy man were protecting it¡­


    Something then dawned upon him. Could a catacomb actually exist underneath the small church in the middle of the lake?


    ¡°So, what¡¯s your next plan?¡± Lily asked without much reservation. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know¡­ We aren¡¯t interested in the Orb¡­ I think we¡¯ve made it clear that we¡¯re only interested in the Blood Lake itself.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still on about that?¡± Becky looked at Hao Ren and the others, perplexed. After ruffling her hair for a bit, she went, ¡°Well, that¡¯s that then. I too agreed to just be your guide to the area, and after we reach the Blood Lake, we¡¯d go about our own stuff. We are an ad-hoc group anyway. I¡¯ll be heading towards the island tomorrow, to check for any clues. If you guys are interested do feel free to tag along, if not¡­then just do what you need to do. We should let each other know before any of us leave, at least we part on good terms.¡±


    It was true that Hao Ren and his squad were in a temporary group with Becky. This was made clear before they departed. Becky had come along as a guide and she had since completed their agreement.


    Lily¡¯s ears drooped. ¡°Oh¡­ I don¡¯t like farewells¡­. Makes me sad¡­¡±


    Becky was much more open about it, being the seasoned mercenary she was. ¡°Heh, well we¡¯ll be doing our own stuff for tomorrow. It¡¯s not like any of us are leaving for good. Besides, you lot will be in Holetta for a while, right? We¡¯ll definitely have other chances to work together.¡±


    As she said that, she was aware that it was the end of their partnership. The group had no interest in the Orb and she cheerfully waved her hand. ¡°I¡¯ll be going back to my room. I¡¯m staying at the house at the far east side. We¡¯ll talk again tomorrow if there¡¯s anything else. I¡¯ll be around before noon.¡±


    After Becky left, the room was quiet for a moment. Hao Ren and his party actually liked the lass. She was honest, cheerful and straightforward. Even though she was a little bit greedy, her heart was at the right place, a reliable partner to have when you were out and about. But alas, their partnership was only temporary, and she was an ¡°outsider¡±, so they would have needed to say their farewells sooner or later.


    Now that Becky had left, they could discuss their plans in earnest.


    ¡°I plan to look around the centre of the lake tonight,¡± Hao Ren said as he eyed the party. ¡°Silent ops, bypassing the guards.¡±


    ¡°Why do we still need to do things so secretly?¡± Lily could not figure things out. ¡°You said you weren¡¯t interested in the Orb. If you want to look for it, we can just go along with Becky.¡±


    ¡°I have no interest in the Orb, but I am curious about what actually happened in the church in the middle of the lake. Since some of the stuff I¡¯ll be doing is beyond the comprehension of this world, it¡¯s better if we keep to the shadows.¡±


    As Hao Ren explained, he put his treasured pot on the table and called the MDT as he opened the lid. ¡°Get out, time to work.¡±


    ¡°Shhhhhhh, your precious daughter is still asleep,¡± the MDT rang out in his head. ¡°If you want to pull me out right now¡­¡±


    Hao Ren took a peek into the pot and found Lil Pea sound asleep at the bottom. She had curled up by the MDT and she was hugging it tightly. The scene almost looked like the carps in those Chinese New Year decorations¡­.


    ¡°Oh¡­if that¡¯s the case, just soak in there for a while longer. We¡¯ll only move out later at night.¡±


    Hao Ren just left the MDT where it was and looked up towards Hilda, who was seated at a corner.


    ¡°Right¡­ There¡¯s some time left before late night, tell us your story. You¡¯ve been looking at us for a good while now, I¡¯m sure you have plenty of questions, no?¡±


    ¡°Seems what you said earlier in the day were half-truths.¡± Hilda came to know this group of strangers about half a day ago, and from their actions now, she could tell that they were had not been totally honest with her. ¡°So¡­the lady who left, she is not part of your group?¡±

 Chapter 205

    Upon listening to Hilda¡¯s question, Hao Ren smiled and answered, ¡°You mean Becky? She¡¯s considered our partner, but just a partner in ¡®this world¡¯. She isn¡¯t really familiar with us or our background, so it was inconvenient for us to tell you something directly when we met in the afternoon.


    As he spoke, he stood up, reached out to Hilda in a friendly manner and said, ¡°Let me reintroduce myself. I¡¯m Hao Ren, an inspector from the Space Administration, responsible for all kinds of unusual time-traveling cases.¡±


    As usual, Hilda clumsily grabbed Hao Ren¡¯s wrist and shook it. She then asked curiously, ¡°Space Administration? What¡¯s that? Is it the name of your research organization?¡±


    Hao Ren was a little embarrassed. He thought of telling Hilda about their background to surprise her. However, he forgot about the cultural differences. It seemed that empiricism really killed. He laughed awkwardly and explained, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m the same as you. I¡¯m not from this world. But unlike you, I¡¯m not trapped here accidentally. I¡¯m here for a purpose, to deal with people like you who have accidentally lost their way. And, the so-called Space Administration is¡­¡±


    Hao Ren tried to explain the Space Administration and the concept of the Macro World to her as simply and clearly as possible. The more Hilda knew, the more surprised she was. When Hao Ren was finished talking, she could not help but stand up and exclaim, ¡°For real?¡±


    Vivian had her hands outstretched, and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for us to lie to you.¡±


    Hilda was a little confused. Although she had just gone through a time-travel event, she totally did not expect there to be such a department responsible for time-traveling. She looked at Hao Ren, bewildered. Obviously, she was in doubt. She was not quick to believe Hao Ren no matter how well he explained things. Of course, Hao Ren knew that the credibility of his words was very limited. He was just doing what the job manual said: when facing a concerned party, identification and follow-up requirements should be identified as soon as conditions were appropriate to ensure that follow-ups were conducted with the knowledge of both parties. And, it was up to the client to believe it or not. It was just a part of the workflow.


    ¡°So, that¡¯s the situation.¡± After Hao Ren disclosed his identity, he sat down opposite Hilda and continued to explain, ¡°You probably won¡¯t believe me right away, but you just need to know this: we¡¯re not enemies, neither relatives nor friends, so we don¡¯t need to make up such a big lie to cheat you. We¡¯re here to carry out a task. We met you by accident, however once we get back, we¡¯ll take you to the administration¡¯s office, where there are professional equipment to send you home¡­ Well, if my boss isn¡¯t bluffing, the office should be well-equipped.¡±


    Hilda was still confused, but at least, she knew it was not the time to look into details. At that moment, it was better to cooperate with these strangers, who were somewhat trustworthy than be suspicious. She nodded and said, ¡°I still don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, but I would like to believe in your kindness. As long as you can send me back, I¡¯ll do whatever you need me to do.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing much to do. It¡¯s my job,¡± Hao Ren said and waved his hand. ¡°But, if there¡¯s something you need to do¡­ You can open up and tell me how you got here. At least, I¡¯ll know how to write this report.¡±


    Hilda hesitated but, she soon realised that there was no need to keep the secret here. Nobody in this world knew her. Thinking of it, Hilda slowly took off her hood, revealing dazzling blonde, wavy hair and two pointy long ears. ¡°I¡¯m Hilda Vader, from a world called Aerym. I am its queen.¡±


    Hao Ren was so surprised to see her pointy ears that he was not listening carefully when she mentioned her identity. ¡± An elf? Uh¡­ What did you say again, a queen?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    Hilda looked suspiciously at Hao Ren and asked, ¡°The inspector of the Space Administration seems to be a big shot. Do you really have to get so excited over this? You jumped so high just now.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately sat back down in embarrassment. He thought to himself, not everybody could have accepted her being so frank. He touched the tip of his nose and explained awkwardly, ¡°Ehem, the elf is quite rare. We are divided into different districts. The place I¡¯m in charge of really has no elves¡­¡±


    He was really embarrassed to admit that he was just an ignorant apprentice¡­


    Soon, Hilda was mobbed by the rest of them. Lily asked eagerly, ¡°Wait a minute, you just said you¡¯re the queen! Really? Really?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need a fake queen identity in this world,¡± said Hilda, a tiny radian forming in the corners of her mouth. ¡°Especially when this identity can¡¯t even bring me a piece of food.¡±


    Lily thought to herself for a bit. Then, all of a sudden, she lifted her tail and said, ¡°You¡¯re a big shot!¡±


    Vivian impatiently pushed Lily away and said, ¡°Stop wagging your tail. Your fur keeps shedding.¡±


    Hao Ren allowed them to quiet down and looked at Hilda with apologetically. He said, ¡°Hope you don¡¯t mind. They¡¯re always like this, peevish in the presence of strangers. Now, tell me about yourself. How did you get here?¡±


    Hilda glanced at Hao Ren. She slowly lowered her eyes and explained, ¡°I was sent here because of a teleportation portal accident. Our planet is on the verge of exhaustion, so we built a huge space-time accelerator to find a new home for our species to survive. However, something went wrong after the device started.¡±


    Hilda stopped explaining here. Even if she had continued to tell them more details, they could not understand it. After all, it was the problem of another world.


    Hao Ren nodded, but suddenly thought of a question: Is Hilda really from a different world? Is it possible that she actually came from another planet?


    He had been to outer space and another planet, and now, the way he looked at the problem was much wider than he before. He remembered what he read in the manual: Many ¡°time-travelers¡± mistakenly judged themselves to be in a different world because of insufficient knowledge or limited means of self-identification. In many cases, they just came to another planet in the universe because teleportation within a universe was much easier than teleportation between different worlds. Therefore, this kind of misjudgment had accounted for the vast majority.


    ¡°I know what you mean.¡± After listening to Hao Ren¡¯s question, Hilda took out a delicate little disc from her clothes as if she had expected this and explained, ¡°This is a device that can detect background radiation. Our astrologer believes that space background radiations and the underlying structure of matter are the ¡®standard codes¡¯ for determining a cosmic identity. I doubted at first on whether I was being teleported to a different planet in the same universe. Our teleportation portal would be considered a success in another sense if I was. But after a simple observation, I found¡­ Although it¡¯s hard to believe, I think I should be in another universe. I wondered why the basic physical laws of this universe were about the same as my hometown¡¯s, but the significant difference in the background radiation made me realise that I really am in the Otherworld.¡±


    ¡°There are a group of astrologers who have been insisting on the theory of the Otherworld, but I never supported them at the Royal Conference. And, now when I think about it¡­ If I go back, the first thing I have to do is get them to the Royal Astrology Tower,¡± said Hilda as she laughed wryly.


    At this time, the MDT¡¯s voice was suddenly heard behind Hao Ren. ¡°The identification code of the world is more than just background radiation, but you really are from a different world. I just checked your profile, you have obvious traces of time-travelling residue.¡±


    Hao Ren turned his head to have a look. He found the MDT floating two metres away from him. However, it still failed to get rid of Lil Pea: the little mermaid was sitting on the MDT with her little hands clutching the two edges of the ¡°frisbee¡±. When she saw Hao Ren turn around, the little girl flapped her tail happily. But, she just would not let go!


    The MDT sighed and said, ¡°I¡¯ve made a lot of effort, but your daughter seems to think that I¡¯m a mount. You should correct her¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not heavy, just carry her,¡± Hao Ren said and shrugged as if it was none of his business. ¡°You¡¯re in my pocket all day but I don¡¯t complain about it.¡±


    The MDT was about to go on a rampage, but before it could jump, Hao Ren had already turned his head to look at Hilda and said, ¡°Okay, I have basically understood your situation. It seems you really have teleported to a different world by accident. When we are done here, we will take you back. Don¡¯t worry, everything will be fast.¡±


    ¡°If you really have a way, please be sure do it as soon as possible.¡± Hilda stood up and bowed to Hao Ren without hesitation. ¡°Before I left, our entire country was already in a state of extremes, and the explosion of the teleportation device has likely pushed my people to a psychological tipping point. Now they have no resources, no hope, no queen. I must go back before the situation gets worse!¡±


    Hao Ren did not expect Hilda, who was a queen to bow to him. This was the first time he faced such a situation. He quickly jumped up from the chair and rushed to help Hilda up. ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯ll do it as quick as I can. Don¡¯t be like this, I can¡¯t accept it¡­¡±


    After Hao Ren and Vivian soothed Hilda, she calmed down. Then, she sat in a chair in the corner of the room and remained silent. At that point, she did not care about anything other than going home. When she was not talking about her hometown, she was just sitting there like a puppet.


    The MDT was in a discussion with them while it carried Lil Pea. ¡°This is a rare situation. The technical difficulty of time-travelling can be higher than you think. She could have been teleported to The Plane of Dreams by a low-level teleportation device¡­ I feel that there is a lot to investigate in this matter.¡±


    ¡°That will have to wait until we go back.¡± Hao Ren nodded,. ¡°Now, we have to figure out how to get to the middle of the lake later at night¡­¡±

 Chapter 206

    There was a small island in the heart of the Beinz Blood Lake, and it was the only island on the lake. Due to its special location, the island was regarded as a holy place in the Holy Land. The Disciples of Glory believed it to be the goddess¡¯ resting place in this world, so they built a magnificent chapel on the island to be her palace of this world.


    Of course, such a holy place was usually heavily guarded. A circle of the Disciples of Glory¡¯s most powerful knights were stationed at the outer rim of the small island. It was almost impossible to walk into the area right under their noses. Even Vivian probably could not hide from these church knights with her supernatural nocturnal abilities. However, Hao Ren had another plan.


    There was a dent on the shore of the Blood Lake, which made for a great shelter from sight. Hao Ren led his own gang of tenants and sneaked up to the poin. Then he took out the MDT and said, ¡°You, fly to the church first, then send us in after you¡¯ve made sure there¡¯s no one inside. Be careful, don¡¯t let anyone find out.¡±


    ¡°What if I¡¯m beaten down?¡±


    ¡°You can rest assured that I will apply for a new MDT from Raven 12345,¡± Hao Ren said.


    ¡°What the heck!¡±


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes. He glanced at the MDT and said, ¡°Because I firmly believe that you won¡¯t be beaten down. Hurry up, stop dawdling.¡±


    The MDT shook its body in the air provocatively, afterwhich it unwillingly turned off its lights and flew rapidly towards the small island under the shadow of night.


    According to the information they received earlier, although the small island on the lake was heavily armed, the central chapel was unmanned. The chapel was almost always sealed as a forbidden place. It was only opened two times a year; once when the annual tour of the Orb arrived, the door would be opened to welcome the Orb, and another time when it left. Since Pope Anthony III released a new interpretation of the Holy Scriptures hundreds of years ago, the chapel had banned the majority of people from entering. Only certain situations allowed certain people to enter the chapel: when the Orb arrived, four of the nameless monks entered the front room of the chapel together as the guardians of the Orb of the Holy Synod and they could stay there for four days; the Pope of the Disciples of Glory could use divine power to determine his own date of death, and they delivered the position to his successor one month before his death. He would then spent the last one month of his life in the chapel; there was also a special friar who always wore a robe, no one knew his identity and his name, and this friar could enter through the back door of the chapel during the full moon of every significant month. He was responsible for hygiene and other chores. Other than these individuals, even the King of Holletta was also not allowed to visit the chapel.


    The extremely strict practice of the Disciples of Glory in terms of religious regulations gave Hao Ren the opportunity to take advantage of them instead. The Orb of the Holy Synod was not in the chapel at the moment, the Pope was not going to die anytime soon, and it was not a full moon night. Therefore, there would be no one in the chapel.


    While waiting for the MDT¡¯s signal, Vivian could not help but look at Lily and ask, ¡°Do you really have to dress up like this?¡±


    Lily was covered in black clothes from head to toe. She was even wearing a black mask, which only revealed her eyes. She looked like Superwoman, ready to break into the Forbidden City. When she heard Vivian¡¯s words, she tossed her head at once and said, ¡°Hmph, you don¡¯t understand. This is called professionalism. How do I carry out covert action without wearing a night coat?¡±


    Vivian pointed to Lily¡¯s silvery, polished tail and ears. ¡°You can hide those things first.¡±


    Lily continued to fling her head and replied, ¡°No, this is part of a werewolf¡¯s pride.¡±


    Hao Ren felt the biggest variable of their investigation that night was the husky, whose brain was often not on a normal track. But, it did not really matter. If there was any emergency, he could throw Lily out. The canine¡¯s huge movements would be a very good distraction.


    ¡°Why do we have to bring Lil Pea along?¡± Vivian asked as she looked at the little mermaid hanging onto Hao Ren¡¯s arm. ¡°And you even left her kettle in the room.¡±


    ¡°I was worried,¡± said Hao Ren while he poked at the baby fish who was sticking to his arm like an armband. ¡°Without the ¡®toy¡¯, the little mermaid will scare easily. You saw her gnawing at the table in the house. I can¡¯t let this little mermaid out of my sight. That Hilda seems like she¡¯s losing her soul. I don¡¯t believe she can help us take care of Lil Pea.¡±


    At this exact moment, there was a slight gust of wind in the night sky. The MDT appeared in a ghostly dim light. ¡°There¡¯s no one in the chapel. It¡¯s quiet all around. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Their shadows twisted, and the next moment they were teleported into the chapel located in the small island on the lake.


    The sacred lake island remained quiet, and the church knights stationed around the island were not aware that their holy place had been invaded by outsiders. However, there was something they were not clear about. Although the chapel in the middle of the lake was unguarded, the chapel itself was protected. Every corner of the chapel was covered with defenses and alarms left by the past popes. Unless it was a licensed visitor or a high-rank member of the church, who shut down the chapel¡¯s defenses covertly, any reckless intruder would be ruthlessly attacked by countless divine defenses.


    This was reason why the Disciple of Glory trustingly left their most forbidden place in an ¡°unattended¡± state.


    But that night, when they broke into the chapel, all the defenses and alarms were quiet as if they were asleep.


    The bright, double moonlights shone through the small chapel¡¯s high and narrow stained glass window, making the scene inside the chapel clearly visible. They quickly snapped out of the short vertigo from their teleportation and observed everything there curiously.


    Like the chapels in other places, the antechapel was minimally furnished. There were no benches or cushions for people to rest on. Although the chapel looked magnificent, the antechapel was very simple. The most luxurious part was at the end of the antechapel, where there was a small altar, which symbolized the place the goddess set foot on. It was made out of the most expensive shining crystals and placed on a huge, black obsidian slate. The small altar was also furnished with a variety of exquisite instruments, which symbolized the goddess¡¯ authority. These furnishings made it look like a throne.


    Not far from the small altar, Hao Ren noticed that a part of the ground was sunken.


    ¡°This should be where the Orb of the Holy Synod is placed,¡± Vivian said as she neared the sunken ground. She bent down and touched the fractured surface, which was a smooth as a razor. ¡°It¡¯s said that there was a raised platform here, but it looks as if it had been moved along with the Orb. Also, part of the floor is gone.¡±


    Lily cleverly looked around and observed her surroundings. Suddenly, she gazed up and said, ¡°Ah, and also part of the ceiling!¡±


    Along the direction of Lily¡¯s fingers, they noticed that a circular area of the antechapel¡¯s ceiling was neatly dug out, and it corresponded to the sunken floor below.


    Vivian nodded and said, ¡°It was indeed done via teleportation, but a very primitive and brutal one. There¡¯s no specified teleportation target instead, they teleported everything directly within a certain range.¡± While she spoke, she moved a few metres away, inspecting the concave area of the floor and ceiling. She then said, ¡°It should be a spheroid space bubble with a radius of five or six metres, not spherical.¡±


    ¡°Is it man-made or natural?¡± Hao Ren was very concerned about this.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know, it happened two months ago. Even if there were man-made magic fluctuations, they would have already dissipated by now.¡± Vivian shook her head, looked around and continued to speak, ¡°It looks like they¡¯ve still retained the condition from the day the Orb went missing. They probably want to preserve the scene.¡±


    Lily squatted down and habitually sniffed the ground. However, she shook her head in bewilderment and said, ¡°It¡¯s weird, just the smell of cloth. There doesn¡¯t seem to¡ª¡±


    Nangong Wuyue kindly reminded her. ¡°You¡¯re still wearing your mask¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Oh.¡±


    Hao Ren then approached the magnificent altar. His attention was drawn to the mural behind the it.


    It was the same, strange kind of mural he saw in the mountain people¡¯s chapel. The strange colours of black and red intertwined, accompanied by a mysterious radiance.


    It seemed that all churches of the Disciples of Glory were decorated with such a thing. But, what did it mean?


    Hao Ren stared at the mural for a moment. He would feel the black and red bands move slowly, but whenever he focused on the colours that seemed to flutter, they went back to how they were. Or maybe, they actually never moved. He did not understand why such stuff with an unknown significance was placed in the chapel. This should be the area they place an icon of the goddess or other religious totems.


    Plus, he also vaguely remembered the kind of mural he saw in the mountain people¡¯s chapel, and this one did not look exactly the same as that one.

 Chapter 207

    Vivian noticed Hao Ren observing the mural. She came up to it as well and asked, ¡°It looks very strange, right?¡±


    ¡°What the heck is this painting?¡± Hao Ren knew that Vivian had inquired about information on the church when they were in Lamberg Town so, he turned to ask her.


    Vivian shrugged and answered, ¡°In their mind, this is the goddess.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Their goddess looks like this?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s abstract art, I think.¡± Vivian frowned and looked at the strange, grotesque picture. ¡°Honestly, I also think they painted the goddess a little too ugly. Aren¡¯t they afraid if the goddess sees herself being painted like this, she¡¯ll flare up and destroy the world once again?¡±


    Dumbfounded, Hao Ren looked at the ¡°goddess¡±, painted in thick black and red pigment as well as phosphor powder at random. He was completely confused, wondering what the people of the Disciples of Glory were thinking. He wondered what the consequences would be if the followers of Raven 12345 were to draw her a portrait like this. They would probably be struck by lightning more than hundreds of times. At the same time, he admired the painters of the Disciples of Glory: It was a skill to draw such irregular things. It was a tough job for her followers to worship such an abstract goddess.


    Vivian looked at the mural for a while and turned her eyes. She said, ¡°You carry on, it¡¯s so ugly that it¡¯s giving me a headache.¡±


    Who would not have a headache when looking at something like this? Hao Ren had also lost interest. He returned to the centre of the chapel and found that Lily had taken off her mask. She was now lying on the ground and sniffing around. Y¡¯zaks drew some green runes in the air and examined the remnants of the nearby energy using a demonic method. Nangong Wuyue created a water ball in the air to let Lil Pea swim in it. Although this had nothing to do with the task, it was the most creative course of action. Who else had the leisure to come up with this trick?


    However, there seemed to be no evidence in the chapel. Hao Ren had expected to find the energy fluctuations left behind by the teleportation portal unfortunately, there was nothing there. There was only one big pit, and an abstract picture of the goddess, which gave them a headache.


    When Lil Pea saw Hao Ren pass by, she immediately jumped onto Hao Ren¡¯s arm and continued hanging onto it like an armband. Hao Ren looked outside through a long, narrow window at the lower part of the church (it was a rectangular hole, not sure what it was for, but one could look outside through the hole). He replayed the scene of the Orb¡¯s disappearance, as described by the noble knight, who was responsible for guarding the Orb that night.


    There was an earthquake and a strange beam of light in the sky. The lake boiled and peculiar planktonic bioluminescence emerged across the lake.


    Hao Ren decided to go to the bottom of the lake.


    The Disciples of Glory had not sent anyone to search the bottom of the Blood Lake yet. On one hand, the lake was sacred and the holy remains of previous popes were said to be buried beneath the lake, so no one dared to extend their search to the bottom of the lake. On the other hand, the water of the Beinz Blood Lake was really odd. Ordinary people, even a highly skilled church knight, would quickly go unconscious and be infected with strange diseases after soaking in this water. The situation would get worse in line with the depth of the dive. Therefore, no one had checked the bottom of the lake so far.


    Nevertheless, Hao Ren still decided to dive into the lake. He instinctively felt this to be a blind area of significant suspicion.


    They could not go out through the front door because it was heavily guarded. Therefore, they were teleported directly back to the shore of the lake. Hao Ren revealed his idea to them, and Nangong Wuyue muttered, ¡°You sure you want to go to the bottom? The lake water isn¡¯t normal. What if there really are any infectious diseases in it?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you control the water? You can also cure all diseases,¡± Hao Ren said as he looked at Nangong Wuyue. ¡°You¡¯ve also purposely tested it. Isn¡¯t the water of this Blood Lake nothing special to you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the deeper the Blood Lake, the more prominent its peculiar powers are in the water. The bottom of the lake is a restricted area, where no one has successfully set foot on,¡± Nangong Wuyue said, feeling a little bit insecure. ¡°In case I start losing scales, you¡¯ll have to take care of it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There is a real goddess behind me,¡± Hao Ren said, and he swung his arm. At the very moment he waved his arm, he felt something dropped from it. Something shiny jumped off his arm and then, he heard a splashing sound from the lake not far away.


    Lil Pea had jumped off again!


    Hao Ren had been bringing the little fellow out for several times, now she finally dropped her guard and began to be curious about everything. This time, the little kid saw such a big lake in front of her (although it was red), she immediately forgot about the panic-inducing scene where she was almost washed away by the river. She cheerfully jumped into the lake the moment Hao Ren swung his arm!


    ¡°OMG!¡± Hao Ren cried out. He rushed to the lake, only to see little flashes of bioluminescent activity appearing and disappearing across the lake¡¯s surface under the moonlight. The little mermaid was nowhere to be seen.


    Vivian was also anxious. ¡°Quickly, get her out!¡±


    Without anyone¡¯s instruction, Nangong Wuyue jumped directly into the water. She transformed into her siren form the moment she entered the water. Then, she froze her clothes into a ball of ice and threw it ashore. She slapped her golden red tail and dived into the water. They waited anxiously by the shore for a while. Finally, they saw a pale red water ball floating out from the lake. Lil Pea was swimming merrily around the water in the water ball. The little kid seemed like she wanted to swim out of the water ball, but Nangong Wuyue controlled the flow so that the she could only swim around the center of it.


    Nangong Wuyue emerged from the lake. She threw the little kid to Hao Ren and said, ¡°Watch your daughter! Don¡¯t let her get into trouble again.¡±


    Hao Ren quickly hugged the little mermaid. The little mermaid wriggled restlessly in Hao Ren¡¯s arms afterwhich, she spat out some water. She did not seem to like the salty water of the Blood Lake but other than that, there was nothing wrong.


    Lil Pea looked just fine. Hao Ren nodded blankly and said, ¡°It seems that the lake isn¡¯t really a problem, at least for Lil Pea, it¡¯s no problem¡­¡±


    Nangong Wuyue jumped out of the water. Because she had to put on clothes when she transformed back into her human form, she remained in her siren form and staggered towards Hao Ren. She said, ¡°Why does the kid like to look for trouble that will kill her? She has been asking for trouble since she was born.¡±


    Hao Ren recalled things and found that it was really so: Lil Pea was hatched in boiling water, and the first thing she did after that was jump into a burning gas stove. She was interested in the kitchen knives and she liked to jump onto the ground out of nowhere when they were walking in the house to give them a fright. Finally, she even teased the cat very often¡ªbeing a fish.


    He immediately held Lil Pea tight and dared not let go. He should not have recalled his memory, as he discovered that this kid was constantly looking for trouble all the way!


    At this time, Lil Pea lifted her head from Hao Ren¡¯s arms and saw Nangong Wuyue in her siren form. The little kid was stunned instantly.


    There were a lot of thoughts going on in her tiny, little brain. In the end, she got completely confused and jabbered loudly.


    Hao Ren was startled by the sudden loud noise from the little kid and asked, ¡°What is the kid saying?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue was testing the water, preparing to let them go in. When she heard the noise, she touched Lil Pea¡¯s forehead. The moment their minds were connected, she instantly jumped up and yelled, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this kid¡¯s brain?!¡±


    This made Hao Ren even more curious. ¡°What exactly did she say?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue¡¯s tail was flapping hard on the shore, and her face was all red. She put her hands on her waist and shouted at Lil Pea, ¡°I am not your grandmother! I¡¯m not your father¡¯s mistress either. I can¡¯t give birth to a pot! You won¡¯t have a lid on your head when you grow up! Your father doesn¡¯t have a flame under his body when he¡¯s sleeping because he¡¯s not a pot! The reason your mother doesn¡¯t talk is because she¡¯s made of iron! The reason why I don¡¯t usually have a long tail is not because I don¡¯t eat enough chopsticks! Your father not having a long tail is not because he¡¯s conflicted with your mother! The pipes aren¡¯t the gateway to your grandma¡¯s house! There are three circles of violet gold patterns on my tail, but that has nothing to do with you. I¡¯m a siren and you¡¯re a mermaid! I can also transform into a shrimp, can you?¡±


    Suddenly, all were silent. Hao Ren could have never expected there to be so many confusing yet, subtly connected questions in Lil Pea¡¯s tiny brain. Even Y¡¯zaks, who was always quiet asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this kid¡¯s brain?¡±


    Lil Pea was bombarded by Wuyue¡¯s lessons, and she was instantly frightened. However, soon, she jabbering in confusion even more. This time, Nangong Wuyue just ignored her. And Hao Ren, who was still confused could only hold on to his fish girl and comfort her. It took quite some time to calm her down.


    The little kid basically ruined their task, which was supposed to be a very serious thing.

 Chapter 208

    In fact, the disturbing energy in Beinz Blood Lake was real. The respect and fear the local people had towards the lake was not entirely out of superstition¡ªthe lake was influencing its surroundings in a tangible way, resulting in dangerous landscapes such as the Gnarled Grove and the highly poisonous plains to form. For the average person, diving into the Blood Lake was as good as being dead.


    Hao Ren had already thought about it. He had Nangong Wuyue dive into the water before he went in himself. As the siren¡¯s control over water was able to shield them against the negative energy in the lake, and also the fact that everyone seemed to possess an indestructible body, they leapt into the lake one after another. Anyway, if Becky was there, she would not have been able to withstand the strange energy field at the bottom of the lake, even with help from Nangong Wuyue.


    Nangong Wuyue took a quick spin in the lake, determining the effective range of her control in the water before letting everyone else in. Y¡¯zaks¡ªthe highly skilful and daring one¡ªled the way. Hao Ren was next followed by Vivian, who was a little hesitant. With Nangong Wuyue¡¯s magical control of the vast area of water, they did not have to worry about getting wet and breathing under water¡ªthe thrill never stopped no matter how many times they did it. Vivian stretched out her neck in the water and told Lily, ¡°Are you coming or not? Why are you still hesitant?¡±


    Lily crouched by the bank, her ears and tails puffed up. She extended her palm, testing the water nervously like a puppy and cried. ¡°I just don¡¯t like diving¡­ I almost drowned when I fought with a sub last time.¡±


    The trauma remained in her.


    A little perplexed, Vivian asked, ¡°Are you nuts? Why did you fight with a sub?¡±


    Still touching the lakewater with her palm, Lily cried as she explained, ¡°When I went to the beach for the first time, I heard there was some nice food in the water. So, I got into the water, trying to catch some fish. Unknowingly, I swam a little too far off the coast and bumped into an American sub, which I mistook as a shark. I bit the propeller. The next thing I knew, I was hit black and blue. I even lost some teeth¡ªthat was when I realised it was a sub.¡±


    ¡°¡­Stop the crap. Just get in now. Or, do you prefer to stay on the bank?¡± Vivian¡¯s arms akimbo. ¡°See, even I¡¯m not afraid of water. What are you afraid of now?¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyes rolled: Vivian had to be kidding. This vampire ate garlic, drank holy water, wore crosses, performed kung fu in church, flew 200 miles looking for wild vegetables in broad daylight without shedding a sweat; she was no ordinary vampire.


    Pressing her lips, Lily hesitated for like half a day before jumping into the water with her eyes shut.


    Hao Ren freaked out when Lily jumped head first and got her head stuck in the mud. He quickly told Lily as an after thought. ¡°¡­Forgot to tell you that the water¡¯s very shallow near the bank. You can¡¯t jump in that way¡­¡±


    Pulling her head out of the mud, Lily paddled herself towards them, doggie-style. She yelled, ¡°That¡¯s why I told you water and Lily are like fire and water!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Thanks to Lily¡¯s lively personality, everyone was in a good mood. They wheeled and began to dive happily towards the centre of the lake.


    The lakewater was red and the night was dark. Before long, total darkness had engulfed the small exploration team as they dived deeper. Y¡¯zaks summoned a ball of fire as he lead the way; it was a kind of evil flame, inextinguishable even in the permafrost. It emitted a bright glow of light, giving better visibility. But despite of the guiding light, all Hao Ren could see ahead of him was just a sea of red.


    Thanks to Nangong Wuyue¡¯s water controlling ability, he did not feel the underwater pressure. However, the sight of red everywhere depressed and bored him. It is said that red can cause mental agitation¡ªhe was not sure about the others, but he believed so.


    Luckily, he did not have to endure it for too long: Nangong Wuyue was pushing everyone forward in great speed, they would reach the bottom in no time.


    ¡°It¡¯s just red everywhere. It¡¯s depressing.¡± Nangong Wuyue swished her tail as she was in front, leading. Her voice travelled directly into everyone¡¯s eardrums. Obviously, Hao Ren was not the only one who was sick about the red vision. ¡°I have a weird feeling. It¡¯s like we¡¯re being watched.¡±


    ¡°Not me though.¡± Hao Ren looked around, constantly surveilling his surroundings for any strange movement. ¡°But one thing¡¯s for sure¡ªthis place is creepy. I heard a story told by a missionary in the camp; he said every pope would spend their last moments in the chapel situated in the middle of the lake. Yet, no one has really seen their bodies. The popes would stay in the chapel alone for a month and then disappear just like that. The Church tried to explain it away, saying that they had transformed into some kind of bone saints who guard the holy place. So, does it mean that all their bodies are in the lake?¡±


    Vivian pulled up to him and hit him. ¡°You¡¯re disgusting.¡±


    The vampire maiden then thought for a while and said, ¡°Looking at the colour of the water gives me satisfaction¡ªa stomach-filling and appetising delusion.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks guffawed. ¡°Me too. I feel like I¡¯m at home with lots of lava and red everywhere.¡±


    Lily remained quiet the moment she got into the water. She was still struggling with her submarine-fighting trauma. She held her breath since the beginning. As the chatters went on, she paddled doggie-style towards Hao Ren. ¡°Is the colour of the water that bad? I don¡¯t feel a thing though¡­¡±


    Still keeping a distance from Lily, Vivian said, ¡°Don¡¯t you remember you¡¯re a husky? You¡¯re color blind.¡±


    ¡°So what?¡± Lily was enraged. ¡°As colour blind as I am, I can still recognise red! It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t have any feeling towards it.¡±


    Hao Ren quietly glanced at Lily. This sabre-rattling maiden looked like the one he saw in the video: female-dog-frenzy.avi.


    He felt a jolt in his arm. He looked down and there was Lil Pea. The little one had been very excited since she got into the water. Hao Ren had to hold her in his arm so that she would not run out of sight. She protested. Knowing the area was under the protective control of Nangong Wuyue, Hao Ren was hesitant before he finally allowed her to get loose. ¡°Don¡¯t go too far, the water¡¯s poisonous.¡±


    Lil Pea took a few spins in the water right after getting loose from Hao Ren. She scurried around them like an excited fry¡ªit appeared that she was also indifferent towards the colour of the lake. Lily was chasing after Lil Pea, trying to catch her, but the latter was too slippery. Soon, Lil Pea was burned out. Instead of coming back to Hao Ren, she followed Nangong Wuyue closely from behind, slowly swishing her tail and moving in the vortex left behind by Nangong Wuyue.


    Nangong Wuyue stared in astonishment at the fingerling. ¡°She knows how to leverage herself in the vortex? That¡¯s the talent of her race?¡±


    Hao Ren sighed. ¡°Everyone has their own talents¡ªbut, I¡¯ve never seen someone who could paddle doggie-style as fast as Lily.¡±


    After swimming alongside Lil Pea for a while, Nangong Wuyue transformed her tail into that of an amorous, three-metre long snake-tail on a whim.


    Out of a sudden, Lil Pea suffered a huge shock, turning her views on life and the world upside down.


    The little mermaid was stunned and she was pinned to the spot. She woke up when she drifted and hit Hao Ren on the chest. She then tried working on her tail just like Nangong Wuyue did while Nangong Wuyue looked on and laughed her head off. ¡°No matter how hard you try, you¡¯re not going to make it longer. No, you can¡¯t!¡±


    Hao Ren sighed again. He could not understand the humour in it when the two were competing about who had the longer tail¡ªit did not help that it was a hundred-year-old adult fish against a young fingerling.


    The minds of the female monsters were truly f*cking mysterious.


    The journey to the lake became less boring because of the hoo-ha. As they were drawing close to their destination, a faint, black shadow appeared before them.


    Nangong Wuyue was startled. ¡°An extremely strong magnetic field?¡±

 Chapter 209

    As a deep-sea creature, Nangong Wuyue possessed greater perception underwater. She sensed that something was amiss when the team dived closer to the bottom of the lake. The unusual magnetic field made her a little sick.


    Hao Ren was not affected. But, he noticed Lil Pea behaving strangely as she swam beside him: she swayed slowly to one side, her body tilting as if she was drunk. She knew she was sober, but she was confused as she had to constantly adjust her posture. After much struggle, she finally corrected her swimming posture and clung to Hao Ren. She remained motionless and slightly terrified¡ªher instinct was to seek shelter when she sensed something was not right.


    ¡°She may have talent in magnetic field navigation. The magnetic field down here is affecting her.¡± Nangong Wuyue tried to explain as she had also noticed Lil Pea¡¯s strange behaviour. She was just trying keep Hao Ren at ease. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Magnetic fields of this level are not going to be harmful. It would only confuse a deep-sea creature¡¯s sense of navigation. Anyway, just keep your eyes open. There could be something strange and unusual out there.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. He checked his armour charge before pulling behind Nangong Wuyue. Meanwhile, Y¡¯zaks had summoned two balls of demonic fire in his hands. Vivian tried to summon her bats but realising that bats could not swim, she only had a layer of Blood Fog as protection, just in case. As she swam, she left behind a blood-like trail; Lily saw it and spoke without even thinking, ¡°You¡¯re having a heavy, gushing period¡­¡±


    The two almost came to blows in the water.


    The faint shadow became clearer. Hao Ren had roughly ascertained that he was almost at the bottom. He kept his eyes open while he continued to descend until the red vision came to an end. He was met with a vast area of black at the bottom of the lake.


    Nothing was unusual there. The lake bottom was of solid ground, not of mud but of some black gravel and strips of strange, long slabs. Y¡¯zaks summoned a few balls of inextinguishable flame, and visibility was greatly improved as a result. Hao Ren could see not far ahead, the lake bottom was gradually sloping upwards: it was probably be the base of the island.


    ¡°There¡¯s a burning smell.¡± Lily frowned. ¡°It¡¯s strangely sour.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue picked up a piece of slab with her tail, examining it curiously. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s man-made¡­ See, one side is very smooth like it has been polished.¡±


    More slabs were found as they looked further ahead, giving the impression that these were fragments blown up by an explosion in the middle of the lake. The first thing that came to Hao Ren¡¯s mind was the light at the bottom of the lake during the night the Orb went missing two months ago. However, he quickly dismissed the possibility: it seemed like the slabs had been there for a very long time, and there were no signs of new impact. The fact that the slabs were covered in layers of aquatic, light-shy creatures meant they had been lying at the bottom of the lake since a long, long time ago.


    Hao Ren took the stone from Nangong Wuyue and shoved it into the Dimensional Pocket. He had collected quite a lot of things during his few days in this world¡ªmostly things he considered of value. ¡°Let¡¯s bring them back and study them when I¡¯m free.¡±


    The siren maiden nodded. Her long snake-tail was as agile as her arms, picking up slabs, and passing them all to Hao Ren. At the same time, she muttered, ¡°I think I should¡¯ve transformed into a squid¡­¡±


    Holding Lil Pea in his arms, Hao Ren stared angrily at Nangong Wuyue. ¡°Since the moment you shapeshifted into a sea snake, she has been playing with her tail for like half a day. Please don¡¯t influence her with more weird knowledge while her worldview is still in its infancy. Okay?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue twitched her mouth before wheeling around and moving on.


    The exploration team searched around and finally found something suspicious in the stone field at the bottom of the lake.


    Large pieces of gravel were rolled and tossed out, exposing the fresh deep-water mud. Lots of huge gullies were created probably due to the shockwave from the huge explosion not long ago.


    Lily did not have to say it, Hao Ren could already smell the weird and unbearable stench spreading througout the lake. Although Nangong Wuyue¡¯s special ability made everyone ¡°water-resistant¡±, for the sake of exploration, they could still detect smell. Lil Pea wrinkled her nose in discomfort. She rubbed her face against Hao Ren¡¯s sleeve and grunted. Seeing that, Nangong Wuyue created a pure-water bubble so that Lil Pea could stay inside.


    ¡°There¡¯s strange debris in the water.¡± Vivian frowned as the stench also made her sick. She looked up and noticed the upward slope was so steep that it formed a conical shape. This meant they had reached the base of the island. As she looked around, suddenly a strange shadow appeared beside the conical island base. ¡°Over there! Something big!¡±


    They swam towards it. As they went round the base of the island, their jaws dropped to the ground.


    Hao Ren mumbled inadvertently. ¡°¡­That¡¯s f*cking interesting!¡±


    On the slope, a huge thing that did not belong there was partially covered in mud. The exposed portion was about two or three hundred metres long. It was cylindrical in shape and had a greenish grey glow of cold metallic lustre. The tail end had several intricate and complicated protruding-rings, as well as six pairs of engine-like structures. There was a crack at the side: a large piece of armoured belt was gouged out. It left behind a narrow crack about dozens of metres, exposing the metal structure within. This was most likely critical damage.


    There were rings of mark left behind by the shockwave around the object. Metal fragments and lumps of jelly-like substances were strewn around. The jelly-like substance spilled out from the crack, emitting a muddy-green glow. It was insoluble in water.


    The muddy-green jelly substance could have been the source of the stench. And the wreckage could have been the source of the magnetic field: something had to be still running inside the wreckage.


    ¡°Whoa!¡± Lily was stunned by what she saw. She scurried to the side of the wreckage to take a closer look and then turned back in shock. ¡°What is this thing?¡±


    ¡°A spacecraft,¡± said Hao Ren, nodding. ¡°I¡¯ve read about it somewhere in the study materials. Even though it looks a little different, its overall structure implies that it¡¯s a typical spacecraft model.¡±


    Vivian swam slowly towards it. ¡°Whatever it is, it¡¯s certainly not of this world. Let¡¯s take a closer look.¡±


    Everyone cautiously went closer, fearing a secondary explosion or further spilling of the poisonous substance¡ªthat greenish jelly substance appeared toxic. That thing had been lying at the bottom of the lake for two months. It had cooled down considerably since and now, it was like a cold, dead corpse. Hao Ren tried to peek through the crack; the interior was large, with a corridor near the hull.


    But, the crack was blocked by broken metals and pipes, criss-crossing like a spider web. And that gave the damaged outer skin of the spacecraft a broken-but-not-entirely-severed look. Vivian patted Lily and said, ¡°Doggie, clear the way.¡±


    ¡°Why me?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re the best.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Lily lunged at the crack happily. ¡°You can count on me!¡±


    Hao Ren gave Vivian a weird glance. ¡°You seem to know her better by the day.¡±


    Lily was already in front of the crack, wielding her Frostfire Claws. The fire and ice claws worked just fine in water¡ªsoggy ice on the left and air bubbles on the right, she looked like she was swinging a pair of ribbons. Nonetheless, the claws did not help with her swimming. The maiden thought for a second before coming up with an ingenious idea: she spun her tail like a propeller and after that, she could swim faster compared to when she paddled doggie-style.


    Hao Ren had been studying her for most of the day but still, he could not wrap her head around it¡ªhow did she make her tail spin like that?


    Vivian had been silent for a while before she let out a sigh. ¡°It seems she¡¯s learned something from her fight against the sub¡­¡±

 Chapter 210

    Wielding her Frostfire Claws, Lily was like a powerful metal storm, clearing away the broken pipes and metal stubs that blocked the crack. Visibility was zero; she was shrouded in a tornado of soggy ice and boiling water bubbles. Hao Ren lost sight of Lily as soon as she began her job. Half a minute later, the clattering stopped. Lily re-emerged from another hole she had drilled from the inside of the hull. Her eyes were swirling. ¡°Finally, I¡¯m back out¡­ The claws didn¡¯t work in the water though¡­¡±


    Lily¡¯s face was flushed and her hair became all curly; it was like she had lay in a steamer for 10 minutes, and did a full perm at the same time¡ªthe water temperature was well over 200¡ãC, but lo and behold, she was still as fit as a fiddle.


    ¡°You should learn to control your power, not just treat it as a weapon.¡± Y¡¯zaks pointed at her Frostfire Claws, speaking like a teacher. ¡°These are powerful weapons but, dissipating power is a waste. Look at my demonic flame; you practically can¡¯t feel the heat even one centimetre away from it yet, it¡¯s capable of vaporising a chunk of hafnium in just a few seconds.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue listened, filled with marvel, and she asked curiously, ¡°Why do you need such precise control?¡±


    ¡°To increase its core destructive power.¡± Y¡¯zaks pointed at his ball of evil fire. ¡°But mainly, it provides a cooler surrounding when it¡¯s used as illumination. I only perfected the heat dissipation after spending 200 years in the castle.¡±


    While swimming towards the wreckage, Hao Ren looked over his shoulder and asked, ¡°Are demons really that free when no one comes looking for trouble?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks laughed. ¡°I¡¯m probably the only one.¡±


    As expected, there was a crew passageway behind the crack. It was relatively large, just enough for Y¡¯zaks to not feel cramped. Meanwhile, Nangong Wuyue had transformed back into a mermaid for ease of movement. Lil Pea had gone numb with the shapeshifting stunt though. She had given up. She was not going to try to understand how it worked. Lil Pea was just mumbling to herself and patting her own tail. It looked as if she was cheering herself up, that one day, she would grow up and be able to shapeshift like Nangong Wuyue. Perhaps, there was nothing that could correct her worldviews at this point.


    The fact that the passageway was located too close to the hull caused it to suffer severe damage and distortion from the crash two months prior. There were large cracks on the white alloy walls on both sides of the passageway. The bloody-red lakewater did not help with the distorted passageway. The place simply looked creepy, like a scene from a horror movie. Hao Ren was in front, carefully examining the interior. He found that the spacecraft was very different¡ªtotally unlike the simple geometry of the transport vessel, No. 883 in Kuiper Station or other spacecrafts of the Empire. But one thing was for sure, it was of a highly-developed civilisation.


    ¡°This may not be a simple crash,¡± said Hao Ren to the MDT beside him. ¡°None of the knights on duty at the Blood Lake spotted this thing, as though it had arrived at the bottom of the lake out of nowhere and crashed into the rocky base of the island. Probably, this would explain the flash of light, the explosion and the earthquake that night.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, looks like it was a spatial incident,¡± said the MDT. ¡°I¡¯ll perform a structural scan of the spacecraft. But it¡¯s a mess inside. Most of the passageways are distorted and broken. I¡¯ll find a safer way to the control room.¡±


    Lily scurried up to Hao Ren as she spoke in amazement, ¡°Whoa, it¡¯s a spacecraft, isn¡¯t it? Landlord, how does your spaceship look compared to this one? Yours is cooler, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Mine¡¯s an official spacecraft.¡± Hao Ren started bragging. ¡°You¡¯ll see it someday. For now, I have to memorise the Intra-Universe Navigation Measures¡­¡±


    Lily was not alone. Even Vivian had never seen such a high-tech thing. The dignified and calm vampire maiden could not help but marvel at it. Her hand touched against the cold alloy as she sighed, suddenly having a deep realisation of the huge gap between the advanced civilisation and her little living circle on Earth. ¡°While this thing can fly to space, I¡¯ll never escape the earth¡¯s gravity no matter how hard I train my wings. The demise of the unusual creatures on Earth is certain.¡±


    Hao Ren never expected Vivian to have such deep thoughts. Nevertheless, he had a slightly different view. ¡°How can you say that? This world is the home of unusual creatures. Theirs is a brilliant civilisation although they¡¯ve suffered from technological transition failure. Back then, the werewolves and Blood Clan attained the pinnacle of bio-technology, creating life, which humans on Earth have failed to. Their relatively small and scattered population on Earth as well as being hunted by demon hunters were probably the reasons why unusual creatures failed to advance.¡±


    ¡°Their first step went all wrong.¡± Vivian sighed. ¡°It isn¡¯t clear why unusual creatures wanted to come to the earth. If they were truly from The Plane Of Dreams, why couldn¡¯t they remember? Everyone I knew was engrossed in weird things in life. No one thought of advancing their civilisation until we were surpassed by humans¡ªeven though humans were just a bunch of apes in the beginning.¡±


    Hao Ren had never thought of that: As Raven 12345 had mentioned before, unusual creatures were originally from The Plane of Dreams. If that was the case, the first generation unusual creatures on Earth should have known what the advanced civilisation of this world was like. However, on Earth, they lived in mediocrity and that was indeed strange.


    ¡°Perhaps those unusual creatures were only passing through after the end of the world in The Plane of Dreams.¡± Hao Ren guessed. ¡°The timeline isn¡¯t clear-cut. Even Raven 12345 doesn¡¯t know that well. But if this theory is true, then that would explain everything.¡±


    There was not much information about the unusual creatures passing through Earth. Neither Hao Ren nor Vivian could reach any conclusion. They came to the end of the passageway, where there was an alloy gate standing in their way.


    ¡°There is a large space is behind this gate.¡± The MDT projected a hologram of the spacecraft¡¯s floorplan. ¡°The main frame is still in good shape, the door can be opened. But, something behind the door is preventing it from opening. I would not recommend blasting it. The structure may be unstable, and use of explosives could cause problems.¡±


    Hao Ren saw the hologram, a dislodged metal bar was stuck at the locking mechanism behind the door. The spacecraft utilised a retro-style, exposed mechanical door lock, which needed a winch or a handwheel to lock and unlock. The metal bar was stuck in the handwheel behind the door.


    He took a peek through a crack, which was only large enough for a hand to pass through. Through the crack he could see the place. It looked like a store, and a few humanoid figures floated in the red lakewater. He was instantly interested.


    ¡°Can anyone think of way to open the door?¡± As Hao Ren looked over his shoulder, Nangong Wuyue lunged forward. ¡°Squid arms¡­¡±


    ¡°No. That would damage me too much, mentally.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand frantically. He then saw Lil Pea, who was swimming in the pure-water bubble beside him. ¡°No more stench here, right? Then I¡¯ll let Lil Pea out.¡±


    Hao Ren waved to Lil Pea. She scurried out of the water bubble before rubbing herself in his face, her cold and slippery tail felt like a carp. Holding Lil Pea in his hand near the crack on the door, Hao Ren found that it was large enough for Lil Pea to pass through. He patted her and said to her confidently, ¡°Good girl, get in there and open the door¡­¡±


    Nangong Wuyue stared at him. ¡°Will it work?¡±


    Before her voice trailed off, Lil Pea made a sound before swimming through the crack, the size of a man¡¯s arm. She then swam over to the other side. A few seconds and a few clangs later, Hao Ren turned the handwheel twice, and the door opened in a snap.


    ¡°I¡¯ve just discovered that lately¡­¡± Hao Ren spoke, pushing the door open. He hugged Lil Pea in his arms again as she came back to him. ¡°¡­that this little one is extremely intelligent. She can¡¯t speak yet, but she understands most of what we say, including a couple ¡®woofs¡¯ that Lily¡¯s made.¡±


    Looking on with satisfaction at the surprised faces, Hao Ren proudly held his little daughter in his arms. He wheeled and swam into the store cabin, only to meet face-to-face with a green little humanoid figure, which drifted towards him. Its skin was extremely wrinkled after soaking in the water.


    ¡°Holy sh*t!¡±

 Chapter 211

    Hao Ren was stunned by the creepy figure. He yanked himself several metres away from it, and he believed that his speed could have very well earned him an appearance in the Olympic Games several times in a row. When he reached a safe distance, he was finally able to see what that damn thing was: a corpse.


    It was obviously not a person of Earth or any human. The corpse was about 1.4 to 1.5 metres in height. It was clad in a thick uniform, with its exposed skin being dark green. However, it was not certain if this was because of the water or it was already originally like that. This strange alien had a cylindrical head, no nose, no ears and no hair. The only thing it had were a pair of big eyes and a big mouth. Basically, it had the shape of a human but it was critically different from one. According to information given by Raven 12345, it was possibly the native race that existed far away from God¡¯s disturbance. This figure with big round eyes had been floating in the blood-red water for some time, and could have very well been one of the crew members of the spacecraft. It was carried by the sudden rush of current as the door was opened, and drifted towards Hao Ren.


    Nonetheless, it was still unknown if it was the unusual power of the lakewater or the unique quality of the alien body, because this dead crew member had been floating in the water for two months, yet showed no decay. Hao Ren carefully inched closer and found a row of words on the back of its uniform, which was translated into ¡°Arcturus 4, Warehouse Crew¡±.


    ¡°This is indeed a warehouse, but the spacecraft itself may not be a cargo ship.¡± The MDT floated wobbly in the water. ¡°There is no space expansion configuration. The spacecraft¡¯s very small, probably the size of an ordinary passenger ship or a functional civilian ship.¡±


    ¡°Can you determine its origin?¡± Hao Ren asked, frowning. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not from The Plane of Dreams.¡±


    ¡°I need more information. Not all civilian ships are registered.¡± The MDT sounded serious and continued to wobble in the water. ¡°This thing must be taken seriously. It may have come from the Surface World.¡±


    ¡°Surface World?¡± Hao Ren was shocked. ¡°A big toy like this fell all the way from the Surface World into The Plane of Dreams?¡±


    ¡°Judging from the frames of the spacecraft¡­ That is the case 90% of the time.¡±


    Suddenly, something crossed Hao Ren¡¯s mind. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that it was very hard to get into The Plane of Dreams from the Surface World? About unidirectional teleportation or something. Even we have to resort to dormant cabins to guide us through to avoid disrupting the equilibrium¡­¡±


    Lights were blinking frantically on the MDT, signalling an emergency. ¡°That¡¯s the problem. In theory, things in the Surface World can¡¯t enter into The Plane of Dreams easily. For a being as fragile as a human to have an encounter with The Plane of Dreams is like getting blood from a stone. Yet now, we see a huge spacecraft that has crashed into it¡ªit could have caused great damage to the equilibrium, or worse¡­¡±


    The MDT wheeled and swam further into the cabin with Hao Ren anxiously following behind. ¡°What¡¯s worse?¡±


    ¡°Or worse, the equilibrium could break down.¡±


    Everyone passed through the messy warehouse into a crumbling passageway, which led to the centre control room. Lil Pea was scurrying around Hao Ren like a hyperactive fish. She would swim through one crack and come back out from another crack. Everyone was worried about her safety but soon, they found that the overall structure of the spacecraft was sound, so they let her be. Her aptitude with water was so much better and nimbler than everyone else¡¯s.


    Lil Pea snuck through a large crack, the shape of a triangle, and suddenly, Hao Ren heard a scream.


    He immediately lunged over only to see Lil Pea coming back out with a strange oval-shaped plastic.


    The plastic sheet was a handheld device. It looked like the device was very rugged to withstand harsh working environment. When Hao Ren took it in his hands, the device was still glowing with lights. Its oval display read, ¡°Arcturus 4, Technician¡¯s Message: Spacecraft was drawn into spatial turbulence. All system have stopped runnin. Part of the hull suffers extensive damage and gases are leaking. Emergency quarantine initiated but ineffective. Tried to abandon spacecraft but failed. Bracing for death. Spatial turbulence recorded as follows. If rescue does come, this might comeon handy.¡±


    ¡°Where did you find this?¡± Hao Ren looked at Lil Pea. She pulled Hao Ren by his sleeve towards the triangular crack. The crack was large enough for a normal adult to pass through, except an adult like Y¡¯zaks of course.


    Hao Ren and Vivian had entered while the rest waited outside. It was a store cabin, inaccessible from the corridor. It was only exposed because of the cracked wall. The cabin was in a state of chaos, with everything collapsed on each other, and a dislodged pipeline. There was a little green creature on the floor, lying face down. It was much weirder than the one before.


    It resembled a giant arthropod, a stubby mantis with four arthropod legs on its lower body. If standing upright, its upper body would be relatively thin. It had two pairs of forelimbs, which were of entirely different forms¡ªone pair was thick and robust, seemingly used for fighting or carrying heavy stuff while another pair was slender and complex, seemingly used for performing jobs that required fine skills. It had a triangular head and two rows of purple spots beside its large compound eyes.


    It looked like a large insect that had walked straight out of a horror movie. The only thing that indicated it was not an alien that had invaded the spacecraft, was the equipment it carried on its body, and its uniform with personnel ID. It was one the spacecraft¡¯s crew.


    Vivian was surprised. ¡°The world¡¯s a strange place where both things you can imagine and things you can¡¯t ever imagine exist¡ªby the way, the blood of this thing isn¡¯t edible.¡±


    ¡°Fortunately enough for the unusual creatures, they came to Earth; if they had arrived on any other planet, there would not have been demon hunters, and most vampires would have starved to death as well.¡±


    Vivian swung her head and said, ¡°Those in Hollywood as well.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a Torblec Hivekin.¡± The MDT approached it, taking an up-close look. ¡°A highly intelligent race with a close relationship with the Empire; good in psionic technology.¡±


    The oval-shaped device Lil Pea found was probably the Torblec Hivekin¡¯s PDA. It contained vital records of the spacecraft¡¯s crash. Hao Ren carefully put it inside the Dimensional Pocket and would show it to Raven 12345 later.


    At that moment, Y¡¯zaks called from the outside. ¡°There¡¯s movement out here!¡±


    Hao Ren quickly held Vivian¡¯s hand and led her out. As they got back to the corridor, they saw Y¡¯zaks and Lily bracing themselves, straight-faced. Meanwhile, Nangong Wuyue had transformed into a sea-snake, using her tail to curl around herself to provide a sense of security. A series of metal scrapping sounds reverberated from deep down the corridor.


    Vivian was on full combat mode. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks shook his head. ¡°No idea. Lily was the one who found it. That thing had no sign of life. I hadn¡¯t noticed earlier.¡±


    Lily bent over on the floor and scratched the metal floorboard using her claws. She stretched her legs backwards and raised her head, growling. Just when she was about to prance forward, a huge brachiopod robot emerged from the corner, at the end of the corridor.


    A huge, sea urchin-like alloy monster came into view. Its body was covered with brachiopods all around with every brachiopod flashing an ominous red light, as if the robot saw them as intruders. Perhaps, it was just confused as it had pointed three of the flashing brachiopods towards them the moment it came out from the corner.


    At the drop of a hat, Vivian pumped up her power and launched a pre-emptive strike. ¡®Lightning Strike¡ª¡±.


    Ten minutes later, everyone was back up to the surface. Lily had a complete perm with curly hair from head to toe, right down to her tail. She looked like a feather duster. She was jumping up and down, getting into a fight with Vivian. ¡°Stupid idiot! Dumbass! Don¡¯t you know water, the corridor, and everything down there including me are electrical conductors? Was your P.E. teacher a malatang1 seller before becoming a physics teacher?¡±


    Holding Lil Pea in his hand, Hao Ren exhaled a mouthful of black smoke. What a day! He thought.


    Looking on, Lil Pea emulated him by puffing out black smoke. She had a healthy body.


    Y¡¯zaks looked back at Nangong Wuyue, who was not far behind. ¡°Are you okay, siren maiden?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue was still stuck in her sea-snake form, her tail curled up like a ball of yarn as she was trying frantically to loosen it up. ¡°I¡¯m stuck¡­ and numb.¡±


    Hao Ren and her daughter just kept puffing out black smoke. What a day¡­


    Translator¡¯s Thoughts


    AMS2000 AMS2000


    1Malatang is a spicy hot pot dish in China. ÂéÀ±; pinyin: m¨¢l¨¤; literally means ¡°numbing and spicy¡±.

 Chapter 212

    Vivian¡¯s strength was real. Hao Ren had finally experienced it first hand. Getting hit by the vampire¡¯s Lightning Strike at close range was an experience beyond words. As everyone scrambled out of the wreckage, they saw the spacecraft flashing with lights as well as a large number of dead fish and shrimp¡ªif other people actually learned this fish electrocution ability, they would have been rich by now.


    Vivian was the only one back on the surface still in good shape. She was immune to her own power¡ªLily was not. That was why after a fight with the vampire, she was not any better. But, there was another reason Lily was so enraged. It was because of guilt. The vampire maiden was a good person, just that her Physics teacher died a little too prematurely.


    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t realise.¡± Looking at Hao Ren and Lil Pea outdoing each other in puffing black smoke, Vivian came up to them, feeling bad. ¡°I used to be on my own all the while and I haven¡¯t been electrocuted before, so I forgot that water¡¯s a conductor.¡±


    Lily took a brush out of nowhere, brushing her own tail as she grumbled. ¡°Sooner or later we¡¯ll all die because of you.¡±


    Hao Ren rubbed his face, thinking to himself. He would have to really watch out for Vivian¡¯s move of mass destruction. When Y¡¯zaks summoned a meteorite he had at least given this teammates a heads up, but this vampire maiden summoned her Lightning Strike on a whim without prior warning. She almost slaughtered five people, including the enemy, during their very first wreckage exploration.


    Lil Pea rested on Hao Ren¡¯s collar, coughing and puffing out two more rings of black smoke. Hao Ren looked on and realised¡ªincluding her, it should have been six kills.


    After brushing her feather-duster tail for like half a day, Lily still could not restore it. She gave up. Probably back home, a hot towel would do the trick, she thought. Tucking back her brush, she glanced at Lil Pea with concern. ¡°Is she okay?¡±


    ¡°She was shocked.¡± Hao Ren found it incredible. ¡°She¡¯s bizarrely healthy even though she was struck by lightning at close range¡­¡±


    Vivian looked at Lil Pea, whose face was black, and who was also muttering in fear. ¡°She was born in boiling water, nothing could be more bizarre than that.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks guffawed, looking at everyone. He was the one who suffered the least injury. His face was black, other than that, he was as fit as a fiddle. He dusted the sand off his pant as he came near the alloy monster. ¡°Anyway, at least this thing¡¯s dead now. Vivian¡¯s Lightning Strike worked like a charm.¡±


    The robot monster that attacked them lay dead not far away. Vivian¡¯s Lightning Strike was fatal. Coupled with the violent attack of Lily¡¯s claws, its spherical core was punctured and its insides were a mess. It looked like it could never move again.


    Hao Ren went near the monster, examining its bizarre arms. Its spherical body was less than a metre across, but dozens of alloy arms were attached to it, making it a giant. Some of its arms had been chopped off by Lily, and he could see the cross-sections. The insides were flexible like muscles glowing in metallic lustre. Some kind of terminal was attached at the end of the arm. From the looks of it, Hao Ren could vaguely identify a beam weapon, a visual component and some other sensors. Obviously, this thing was a warrior with awesome design. It was in the wreckage under water for two months and it still worked.


    Out of curiosity, Hao Ren had dragged it out when he left the wreckage.


    In fact he wished to shove the entire spacecraft into the Dimensional Pocket. This was because, letting it stay at the bottom of the Blood Lake posed a risk to the environment; although the spacecraft itself was shut down, its power furnace risked leakage and coolant¡ªthe green jelly substance¡ªhad been leaking out, slowly polluting the water around the island. But, he had to abandon the idea: scan images by the MDT revealed that the front end of the spacecraft had fused together with the rock beneath the lake floor. Probably a side product of the spatial incident. It was not possible to move the spacecraft without the risk of sinking the island.


    The MDT knew what was in Hao Ren¡¯s mind. Thus, it suggested, ¡°Next time, you should bring more specialised equipment. Just get the approval from the Management Bureau. However, it¡¯d be better if you could locate the Superior Unit of the spacecraft and let them handle the situation.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Hao Ren did not have a clue as it was his first time. Although he was an inspector, all his missions were about meeting and bringing in people from various places. He was at his wit¡¯s end when dealing with a spacecraft crash: handling the situation, relaying messages, writing reports, cleaning-up, contacting the spacecraft¡¯s authorities and dealing with related organisations instantly caused a headache in his head. Such interplanetary diplomatic work were totally beyond his worldview.


    ¡°Post a message on the local universe channel.¡± To the MDT, it was a piece of cake. ¡°As the inspector, you have official message broadcast rights on the universal information links. Post it up and see who has lost a spacecraft, and what category they can assign to this event. If it is deemed a minor incident, it will be the responsibility of one of the units of their organisation; if it is deemed a major incident, the head of the civilisation will be the one responsible. It doesn¡¯t matter how they categorise it, the inspector is independent of various civilisations. All you have to do is bring the official stamp of the Empire. The only problem, if there is, is the involvement of a Torblec Hivekin in this case. It was among the dead. It was probably hired by some lower-rung civilisation as a technical advisor. Metaphorically speaking, it¡¯s like a local business inviting the richest man of the country to its factory as an advisor. Subsequently, this rich man is found dead on the floor of the factory canteen, as a result of food poisoning. Some civilisations out there may encounter diplomatic trouble because of this. However, that doesn¡¯t concern you.¡±


    Hao Ren sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see. I¡¯m having a headache.¡±


    He was thinking about the situation at the control room, where no one was able to enter. Vivian had blown them out of the wreckage before they could do so, leaving the MDT the only one who had a first hand visit to the control room, bringing images with it. Most of the dead crew, which were greenish little figures found in the control room, looked horrific.


    There was no way to move the spacecraft, and having no any idea about what to do with the alien corpses, Hao Ren had to leave them at the bottom of the lake. But according to SOP, he would still need to secure the crash site: Nangong Wuyue created a shield bordering the crash site, which would contain the pollution from spreading and slow down the decay of the bodies. Meanwhile, he hoped that he could contact all the relevant parties as soon as possible or he would have to find a way to move the wreckage himself.


    Maybe the Disciples of Glory in The Plane of Dreams would send a death squad down there¡ªalthough such a possibility was low, considering their religious taboos and the condition of the lake bottom, he could not totally dismiss it. After all, the environment at the bottom of the lake was deadly to ordinary people, but it was probably a walk in the park for the strong of this world. All they needed was a nod from the Pope.


    Shaking his head, Hao Ren tried to shake off the creepy images inside the wreckage from his head. ¡°Let¡¯s compile every incident in the Blood Lake, then we¡¯ll have a sizeable intel.¡±


    Taking advantage of the opportunity, Vivian shook Lily off her tail. She started counting her fingers as if she was analysing something. ¡°Let¡¯s draw a timeline: two months ago, the Disciples of Glory were holding a parade, then the Orb mysteriously went missing amid different strange visions; at the same time, a spacecraft from the Surface World crashed at the bottom of the Blood Lake, an explosion ensued, which could have been part of the light vision sighted at the Orb¡¯s watchhouse; two months since the disappearance of the Orb, unusual events continued to unfold around the Blood Lake, which according to the bishop were the increased activities of the monster living in the forest; two months later, we arrived and bumped into rock monsters in Dragonspine Ridge, whose target may be the Blood Lake, while four other rock monsters travelled in the direction of the steppe for reasons unknown. Basically that¡¯s about it.¡±


    ¡°You left out one thing,¡± Hao Ren reminded. ¡°Hilda arrived about seven days ago, two days before we did; this happened within the two months.¡±


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s see whether these events are inter-related.¡± Y¡¯zaks sat on the ground, legs crossed. ¡°The disappearance of the Orb and the crash may be related. But, Hilda being here in The Plane of Dreams¡­ tsk, what could link and explain all these events?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a possible explanation.¡± Hao Ren gave the MDT a glance, recalling what the device had said while they were at the bottom. ¡°The equilibrium of some kind is failing. Passing through to The Plane of Dreams is becoming easier. Maybe¡­ maybe there¡¯s already a hole that exists somewhere.¡±

 Chapter 213

    Hao Ren suspected that the Orb may have very well ended up in the Surface World.


    The traces and trails point towards the malfunctioning spacecraft and the Orb of the Holy Synod being dragged into the same chaotic trans-dimensional field. At that point, a portal opened at the Blood Lake in The Plane of Dreams, so chances of the Orb and the monks guarding it being transported into the Surface World were rather large.


    But that did not even come close to determining the exact location of the Orb: The spacecraft was working fine when it ran into trouble at the bottom of the lake. From Hao Ren¡¯s guess, the ship was in space at that time, if the Orb¡¯s position was directly reflective of where the ship actually was, it may very well have been thrown into deep space. Plus, if it had already been floating there for a good two months, who knew where it actually ended up.


    Secondly, the probability of the Orb being reflectively transposed accurately was miniscule. The exact location where the craft ran into issues was at the bottom of the lake, but the dimensional rift opened in the church in the middle of the lake. As such, the MDT surmised that there was probably some distortion when the rift formed, resulting in two pathways opening. The biggest fear when using interdimensional teleportation is a positional distortion. Even a minute distortion could throw someone off their actual destination thousand of miles away, light years even. Furthermore, as both the Surface World and The Plane of Dreams were not direct mirrors of each other, any reflective transposition would not be accurate. The MDT even extrapolated the possibility of the Orb being thrown into a different universe all together. The spacecraft had a void engine in it, which was used for trans-dimensional travel. If it was still active when the ship crashed, there was a chance that it simply threw anything nearby into other dimensions.


    But, the Orb¡¯s location was not their concern as of now. What was happening in The Plane of Dreams had all of them worried.


    ¡°What will happen if the balance is broken?¡± Vivian looked at the MDT curiously. Her knowledge about things while exceeded Lily¡¯s, paled before the cutting edge database.


    ¡°The most obvious consequence would be, things from both worlds starting to interact with each other without control. The more similar their fundamental characteristics are, the easier it will be for them to interact. Intelligent beings will start to communicate with other intelligent beings.¡± The MDT then displayed a holographic projection with a sombre scene of war and massacres on it. ¡°For example, demons will start appearing in human city centres, nuclear warheads may fall on the capital of a magical kingdom, biological infestation may occur, a warlike race may take the opportunity to go to war for dominion and destroy other civilisations in the process. And oh, diseases and plagues. A simple flu on Earth may be the Black Death in a foreign world, and it¡¯s the same the other way around. A small group could still be fine, as bacteria may not survive the environment and be eliminated by natural selection. However, if it involves the movement of a very large group, then it is a disaster waiting to happen. Even an experienced plague lord is nothing against bacteria or viruses from another world. A small scale outbreak could perhaps be contained, but a big one¡­ well, the medical team may as well die alongside their patients there and then.¡±


    The rather vivid explanation sent chills down Vivian¡¯s spine. ¡°Then¡­ how did the first group of unusual creatures survive on Earth?¡±


    ¡°Maybe it was really the survival of the fittest, or the transference changed their physical attributes.. No one knows for sure. The Plane of Dreams is a chaotic mess after all.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks was also deep in thought. ¡°You haven¡¯t even mentioned anything about the worst case scenario. Two converging worlds will probably have issues with their spatial parameters and world rules. Well even before that, if the Planck¡¯s Constant just diverges that little bit, any contact will simply result in an apocalypse. That¡¯s even more dire than war or plague, hell, not many will even survive that. An apocalypse.¡±


    The MDT moved up and down as if it was nodding. ¡°That¡¯s the worst case scenario, but that usually happens due to a massive convergence of two worlds. Anyway, based on the current data, The Plane of Dreams and the Surface World share pretty much the same parameters. The most important of those, the Planck¡¯s Constant, the basic core settings and spatial construction are pretty much the same. The doomsday scenario will probably not happen.¡±


    Hao Ren then looked up at the rest in a sweeping glance. ¡°I think we need to make a trip back. There are too many things to report. We will also need to get someone to do something about that ship.¡±


    ¡°Yup, yup!¡± Lily nodded vehemently. ¡°Sides, there¡¯s no electricity, no internet and no nice food to eat¡­ blergh.¡±


    This lass was so excited when she first came, and now she was utterly sick of it.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s that. We¡¯ll go back tomorrow then. We need to say our farewells to Becky, and bring Hilda along,¡± Hao Ren said as he stood up. He then noticed Wuyue, who was still curled up in a ball. ¡°You still can¡¯t untie the knot?¡±


    Wuyue was flapping about by the shore. ¡°I¡¯m still numb¡­ still numb¡­. Ah¡­ I¡¯m gonna roll off!!¡±


    Hao Ren quickly went forward to give the siren a hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll wait for you.¡±


    It was ¡°thanks¡± to Vivian¡¯s lightning attack that Wuyue was so numbed. Remember that they ran into some mechanical guardian underwater? Wuyue, the siren nanny who could not fight, simply curled into a ball using her three-metre-long tail when the enemy attacked. The first thing she saw as she peeped through her defensive ball was Vivian casting a lightning sphere and jolting everyone there¡­


    Perhaps, the high salinity of the sea creature resulted in a high level of conductivity, or Wuyue simply forgot to put some points in her elemental resistance. She was the worst off of the lot. She was still numb after so long, and she could not untie her tail after a good ten minutes trying. And oh, she could not even dispel her siren form despite trying to so.


    A beautiful lass with a serpentine tail would have been a work of art, but that was far, far from both Hao Ren and Wuyue¡¯s mind as they tried to untangle her knot. It took Wuyue a lot of effort to pull the end of her tail out of the knot. She tapped Hao Ren by the pants. ¡°Don¡¯t tell my brother about this, please! I already did this once when I was young. He¡¯ll laugh at me until he drops.¡±


    Hao Ren could only helplessly look at this beautiful yet clumsy siren because something bugged him immensely. ¡°How did you even manage to tie yourself into a butterfly knot with all that going on?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t look, it¡¯s embarassing.¡± Wuyue tried to turn away.


    It took Wuyue another two hours before her numbness had somewhat faded, just before everyone almost decided to simply drag her back. As she was able to move now, she went back into the water to change. She glared at Vivian as she got out. ¡°That shock was really¡­ numbing¡­ Stay away from me when you decide to jolt something to a crisp.¡±


    Vivian was probably the most embarrassed of the lot that night, all the way from her head to her toes. In fact, her face was almost red. Imagine a pale vampire having a puffy red face? That¡¯s saying something.


    The group sneaked back into the encampment. Dawn was about to break as they got back into their camp. Only Lil Pea got any semblance of sleep. She pretty much went back into her pot to curl up after gobbling two sheets of paper, leaving her unlucky lot of uncles and aunts to pack up for the return trip.


    Hao Ren¡¯s haul this time around was pretty good. He had gotten a rather wide variety of ores, local tools, books and clothing. He stuffed them into his Dimensional Pocket as much as he could. There was no small measure of thanks to Y¡¯zaks business acumen that they managed to procure such items at very reasonable prices. Of course, the most valuable of the loot was the combat bot that was now sitting quietly in the pocket, drowning in Lily¡¯s junk food.


    That was by Lily¡¯s request. She came to take ¡°Bally¡± as her victor¡¯s spoils. Vivian was reluctant to argue with her on that and just let her be.


    The group then went to look for Becky, who was doing some morning exercises in front of the camp. After beckoning her to a secluded area in the camp, the group signalled their intent to leave.


    ¡°You guys are leaving just like that?¡± Becky was shocked. She knew that the group was bound to leave sooner or later, and that their interest lay elsewhere, not in the Orb. She never counted on them leaving so soon. ¡°You lot just arrived, no? I thought you were supposed to investigate some dimensional phenomenon?¡±


    ¡°Actually, last night¡ª¡± Lily was just about to blurt everything out before Vivian cusped her hand over the werehusky¡¯s mouth. ¡°Actually, we received an urgent missive last night and it seems like we have to abandon what we are doing here.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Becky did not press the matter. She took a glance at Hilda, who was standing beside Hao Ren. ¡°She¡¯s tagging along?¡±


    Hilda quietly looked at Hao Ren, her unease about the journey was quite apparent. However, as she was bereft of any other options, and the fact she confirmed that the portal in the centre of the Blood Lake had already closed two months back, she saw no reason to disagree to it. She simply nodded as she heard Becky¡¯s question. ¡°Yes, we are leaving together.¡±


    ¡°Alrighty then. I won¡¯t be sending you off. Let¡¯s work again next time,¡± Becky said as she waved her hand at the group. She then popped the question that had been bugging her, ¡°Say¡­ how do you guys plan to go back? If you need horses you can rent them at Leyton¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be teleporting, as usual,¡± Hao Ren said.


    Becky was taken aback and leapt a good few metres away from the group. ¡°Bon voyage then. Keep note of your height before you land.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    It seems like Becky really did not buy the whole shtick about ¡°dimensional magic¡± anymore.


    The MDT quickly ran through the calculations needed to ensure that Hilda was transported alongside the group. After pulling some distance away from Becky, the group waved at her as a bright flash of light pulled them away from The Plane of Dreams.

 Chapter 214

    Vertigo struck Hao Ren like a truck as he left The Plane of Dreams. Almost overwhelmed, Hao Ren was dazed for a good while before he managed to get his bearings. By the time he woke up, he was lying in the midst of a warm and bright environment. As he opened his eyes, he was greeted by a warm light emanating from the sleeping pod. A soft and sweet chime played out next to his ears. These were features the sleeping pod had to adjust itself to the user¡¯s biological patterns, allowing those who had just woken up from their deep slumber to wake up fully refreshed.


    A soft puff rang out as the sleeping pod¡¯s cover slid away and Hao Ren got up from the unholy coffin he was so fond of calling. Only after a few blinks did he feel sure that he had safely reached home. Beside him, a soft clanging noise could be heard as Lil Pea pushed the kettle cover open. After peering out for a bit, she sprang out of the kettle and onto Hao Ren¡¯s legs. ¡°Yeeyeyy!! Wer Wuum!!¡±


    It took Hao Ren a while to figure out that the little mermaid was saying, ¡°We are home.¡± Lil Pea was rather diligent with her practice of the human tongue but, her pronunciation still left much to be desired, like how a Japanese, who never spoke English before trying to do so¡­


    The sleeping pods around him had also started to open one by one. The gang all woke up from their restful slumber as they stretched, yawned, rubbed their eyes and made a whole lot of commotion.


    The last part was courtesy of Lily of course. The brain dead husky would at times make weird noises when she felt like it and the group was pretty much used to it by then.


    Hao Ren shook his arms for a bit before he got out of the pod, thinking that he would be all wobbly. To his surprise, aside from his delayed response, he was totally fine. It seemed like the pod really did its job despite its looks.


    As he surveyed his surroundings, a figure in the middle of the room caught his attention. The white robed Hilda was standing in front of the row of coffins, her face lined with confusion, shock, suspicion¡­ well, there were too many expressions to describe. The beautiful Elven queen was simply in a state of utter shock until Hao Ren went up to her and tapped her on the shoulder. She then reacted with a shriek. ¡°Ah!¡±


    ¡°Hmm, seems like everything¡¯s normal. Teleportation successful.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Do you feel sick anywhere? If there¡¯s anything wrong, please tell me now. This is the first time I¡¯ve brought someone out of that world. I¡¯m not sure if everything¡¯s all right.¡±


    Hilda could only gawk at the strange and foreign surrounding. It was evidently not the abode of someone from The Plane of Dreams and the lack of magical reactions in the vicinity finally reminded her of something as Hao Ren spoke. She quickly pulled out an intricately made tubular device and fiddled with it with graceful dexterity. After a moment, she started mumbling to herself, ¡°Still can¡¯t determine any background radiation or the base constant¡­ but, this really is a different planet¡­¡±


    ¡°Yep, welcome to Earth.¡± Hao Ren threw the strange device in Hilda¡¯s hand a curious look. ¡°You knew that we were going across dimensions right? Why the surprise now?¡±


    Hilda looked up slowly as the excitement etched on her face scared Hao Ren. ¡°You really brought me to a different world?!¡±


    Vivian placed her hands on her waist as she got to Hao Ren¡¯s side. ¡°Yeah, I thought we told you that?¡±


    ¡°This really is the Surface World you guys were talking about?!¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah?¡± Vivian¡¯s hands were still on her waist and she looked at Hilda rather suspiciously. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t believe us in the first place? You were just trying your luck weren¡¯t you?¡±


    Hilda unconsciously nodded at first but then quickly shook her head. Her excitement had rendered her speechless before she grabbed Hao Ren by both shoulders and shook him violently. In her extremely excited state, she stuttered as she spoke: ¡°Plee¡­ Please bring me home!! I believe now! I believe everything! If you guys can bring me home, I¡¯ll do anything! You have the Kingdom of Aerym¡¯s eternal gratitude!¡±


    Hao Ren never thought that Hilda would be so overwhelmed by emotions and the shaking he endured made him see double. It took him a monumental effort to get out of the overly excited elf¡¯s grip, dodging her hands as he spoke. ¡°Calm down!! Everything needs to be done in order. Please, calm down! People have actually died from being too happy. Please trust in us and the Space Administration. You may think that traveling across dimensions is a very big thing but, for the personnel in the office, it is almost a daily occurrence. Calm down, okay? If you lunge at me again, I¡¯ll call the cops¡­.¡±


    Only then did Hilda realize that she had reacted way out of line and calmed down somewhat. But, the Elven queen was still all excited and she scanned Hao Ren expectantly, leaving the latter drowning in cold sweat. Hao Ren quickly grabbed Lily by the arms. ¡°Hurry, go check if we have any Cardiosave in the first aid kit¡­¡±


    Hao Ren really feared that Hilda would get so excited that she would have a heart attack and die in his basement¡­


    It really seemed that Hilda did not fully trust them back in The Plane of Dreams and was simply trying her luck. It was not until she realized that she had indeed been transported to another place¡ªshe was unsure if it was a different world but, she was positive that it was a different planet¡ªthat she truly believed this bunch of oddballs had the ability to send her home. Her current state of euphoria was finally firmly built upon solid ground.


    It looked like Hao Ren could not delay in sending the Elven lady back home. He decided that once he had settled everything back home, he would bring Hilda along to see Raven 12345.


    Or Raven 23333 if the loony goddess did not return yet.


    Vivian was by then, looking around her room, checking for stuff before going to the corner to pick up a pail and wiping cloth to clean up the house. ¡°Ugh, there¡¯s dust everywhere. I think the upper floor¡¯s going to be worse. Luckily, I covered the beds and furniture with rags and old newspapers or else we would have problems sleeping on our beds tonight¡­ god, this is no different than a dog¡¯s burrow.¡±


    Lily had yet to leave the room and she took umbrage at what Vivian said, bouncing straight towards the vampire to protest. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with a dog¡¯s burrow?! I won¡¯t allow you do ridicule my room!¡±


    ¡°Hush you! If I don¡¯t get the kitchen cleaned by noon, you won¡¯t even have instant noodles to eat!¡±


    ¡°Oh, oh! I¡¯ll help then!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine but, keep your tail. You know that you¡¯re shedding now yet, you still waggle it about¡­I might as well not clean at all¡­¡±


    As both Vivian and Lily left the basement rowdily, Hao Ren was glad that he had such a thoughtful tenant like Vivian beside him. While most of the group were busy, getting ready to enter the sleeping pods, only she had thought of covering the beds, important furniture as well as electronics with rags and old newspapers. He would not count on the others to even remember that. As the area he lived in had plenty of barren land, by autumn, the grass patch behind his house would already wither. Every time the northwesterly wind blew, dust and dirt would get all over the place. Hell, his place looked like an abandoned manor after just being away for three days¡­


    Hao Ren really wondered how the heroes on TV actually went out to defeat the bad guys for a month or so and return home to a pristine, clean bed or yabber about on the sofa. Why did the director not includ scenes of superheroes cleaning their house after a long and arduous battle?


    Seeing that Vivian was running up and down with a pail in hand, Hao Ren concluded that his reason for not being able to act like a glorious superhero was just that.


    As he was busy thinking about nothing, a screech from upstairs broke his train of thought.


    It was a girl¡¯s voice. It was rather loud that he could hear it all the way from the basement. The voice sounded very familiar too. He turned around to look at the siren and great demon beside him. All three of them quickly ran up.


    The sound came from the kitchen. By the time Hao Ren got there with his group, Vivian and Lily were already there. With so many bodies congesting the kitchen, Hao Ren had to squirm his way through to the front. He was greeted with the sight of someone panicking at the corner of the kitchen¡­


    It was Becky.


    The microwave oven above the stove-counter had sparks coming out of it as it seemed like Becky had cleaved it into two with her enchanted sword. When Hao Ren saw her he was too stunned to even react. It was only after a while did he yell, ¡°Why are you here?!¡±


    Becky could only look at the group of familiar faces in a stupor before the microwave beside her crackled its¡¯ last and died.


    A little too late, Hao Ren yelled again. ¡°My oven!!!¡±

 Chapter 215

    Becky was simply too stunned to react when she saw the group of familiar faces. It was not until Hao Ren called her that she snapped out of her stupor. A perplexed look remained on her face and she eyed the party again. Then she pointed towards her strange surrounding. ¡°Where am I? How did I get here?!¡±


    Hao Ren was even more shocked. ¡°This is my home! How did you get here?!¡±


    ¡°Your home?¡± Becky almost jumped. ¡°This is the Northern Empire?! I¡¯m not well-read but don¡¯t take me for a fool. Do the northerners¡¯ houses look like this? Doesn¡¯t look like the ones I saw in the papers!¡±


    Hao Ren finally managed to get his bearings but, he still had no idea how Becky got dragged along into the Surface World. But seeing that it was the case, he needed to come up with a solution.


    ¡°Well¡­ things are pretty complicated you see. This is not the Honnar Empire. We are nowhere near your world. I¡¯ll explain in a bit. Keep your sword, lets go to the living room to talk¡­¡±


    Becky still eyed Hao Ren suspiciously. She knew that the bunch was odd but, she never counted on having herself dragged into this equally odd situation. Despite that, she still obeyed Hao Ren and sheathed her sword. Something suddenly dawned upon her. ¡°Wait a minute, is this another screw up of your dimensional teleportation?¡±


    Vivian rubbed her face. ¡°¡­.It¡¯s not exactly dimensional teleportation¡­ but something did go wrong¡­.¡±


    Becky immediately stomped her foot. ¡°I knew you bunch of dimensional mages were more amateurish than the last! I stood aside roughly more than 10 meters away just to be safe. Even that wasn¡¯t enough!?¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s face was that of utter defeat. He probably had no way to deny it anymore. Amateurs aside¡­ his luck was quite seriously down the dumps.


    Hilda had followed the group up to the kitchen and the appearance of Becky thoroughly confused her. The mercenary lass was supposed to stay back in The Plane of Dreams. As the procession went to the living room, her confusion turned into fear. She quickly grabbed Hao Ren by the shoulder. ¡°Is there something wrong? Is the teleportation device broken?¡±


    Her concern was apparent on her face. The thought of ¡®can I ever get home?¡¯ was always at the back of her mind and she was very sensitive about anything that suggested otherwise. Hao Ren gave her a comforting wave, ¡°No, it has nothing to do with you. We on the other hand, are f*cked big time.¡±


    Becky was busy looking and gawking ever since she got out of the kitchen. Everything in Hao Ren¡¯s house was something new to her. In fact, it was a rather refreshing feeling. A girl decked in leather armor and combat-ready clothing, leather boots, windbreaker cloak and her enchanted longsword as well as daggers hanging from her belt; it seemed like an RPG character just walked into a modern home. This was not something you would see often unless of course, you have a pretty girl at home who dabbles in cosplay.


    The mercenary lass was dragged by Lily to the sofa. As she was pushed down on the sofa, she sank in. Reacting almost immediately, she yelled, ¡°It¡¯s a trap!¡± before realizing that she had not totally sink. Laughing at her silliness, she shook the sofa for a bit. ¡°Oh¡­. it¡¯s a chair¡­ a soft one at that. I heard that nobility love chairs like this. No wonder you were so generous back then. You¡¯re a rich one aren¡¯t ya?¡±


    As the group had been away for a few days, there was no hot water. Vivian quickly went back to the kitchen to boil a kettle of water while Lily ran to the fridge eagerly and grabbed a bunch of stuff out; both regular food and her junk food. Dumping them on the tea table, she warmly invited Becky to take a bite. ¡°Come ,eat! The bread¡¯s about to expire too.¡±


    ¡°Oh, oh, thanks!¡± Becky was still dazed after being overwhelmed by so many new things she had seen that she simply nodded at whatever Lily said. As she extended her hand to take the bottle of juice Lily had passed to her, she suddenly recoiled. ¡°It¡¯s coldddd!!!¡±


    Hao Ren smacked Lily on the head. ¡°It¡¯s already winter and you¡¯re still drinking cold drinks. Not afraid of stomach aches?¡±


    ¡°Nope! I was even pulling sleighs up north some time back you know?¡±


    The husky seemed rather pleased with herself and paid almost no attention to her origins anymore¡­


    Becky by then had recovered from her confusion and stared at Hao Ren. ¡°Now, hold your horses, you tell me what¡¯s going on right now! Why¡­ was I transported to this weird place. What¡¯s all of this?¡±


    ¡°You may want to prepare yourself for this,¡± Hao Ren said as he cleared his throat and shifted his gaze towards Lily. ¡°Stop using your teeth as a bottle opener! Hell, you were complaining back then when I asked you to help me open a bottle!¡±


    After yelling at the house furry as usual, Hao Ren slowly explained the situation to Becky.


    Under the Space Administration¡¯s rules and regulations, aside from the parties directly involved in the mission, any activities done under the administration¡¯s name cannot affect the lives of unrelated parties, while those who are somewhat involved are made to swear oaths of secrecy. However, Becky was a victim of circumstance and the Space Administration would take responsibility of that. Thus, Hao Ren simply forwent any pretense of secrecy. Granted, he still had a headache on how to actually solve the issue and submit his report as well as let the MDT investigate what actually went wrong.


    As Becky listened to Hao Ren¡¯s explanation, her eyes opened even wider. After taking a while to digest what she was told, she looked at Hao Ren suspiciously. ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re saying this is not a prank?¡±


    ¡°I really wish it was simply just a prank,¡± Hao Ren said as he placed his face in his hands. ¡°Things are already messy as it is. And now, I have even more on my plate. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ve screwed up somewhere with regard to the teleportation¡­ Well, I didn¡¯t even do much. I simply clicked on ¡®Confirm¡¯ using my mind.¡±


    Becky then demurred for a moment before looking up again. ¡°So.. I¡¯m in another world right now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, another world altogether.¡±


    ¡°And all of you were from another world and you were carrying out a mission where I¡¯m from?¡±


    ¡°Yep, we are originally from here.¡±


    ¡°No wonder you guys were so weird there. You didn¡¯t even have any basic knowledge.¡±


    Hao Ren could only nod. ¡°Yes, yes and yes. So that explains everything right?¡±


    ¡°No wonder you guys had no interest on the whereabouts of the orb,¡± Becky mumbled to herself. All of a sudden, she laughed out loud. ¡°Ahahahaha! So stuff like the stories do happen! Wow, I¡¯m really cut out to be a legendary mercenary!¡±


    Becky¡¯s reaction took Hao Ren absolutely by surprise as she appeared to be so unconcerned about her current situation, after being thrown across dimensions. ¡°You¡¯re not nervous or feeling lost? Not confused at all? Not looking to take down the perpetrator with you?¡±


    ¡°Why do you think that way?¡± Becky was curious. ¡°This is a good chance to broaden my horizons. I never had the chance to go this far before. Even the most famous of heroes don¡¯t have such an opportunity. I¡¯ll probably stay for a few days to see what¡¯s going on around here. It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t go back, right? You guys make going back and forth look easy. What do I have to worry about then?¡±


    Hao Ren had no idea how to respond to her. Most of the time, people who cross into another dimension would panic as they have no way home¡­ but for Becky, she quickly realized that she had been transported over by a known mean and after she has had her fill of adventure, she could simply go home. Hao Ren had not seen such a mental fortitude like hers.


    Nevertheless, Hao Ren knew the about the anomalies involved in traveling from the Surface World into The Plane of Dreams and felt that Becky was celebrating way too early. However, seeing how happy she was, he did not have the heart to burst her bubble just yet.


    Sighing, he said, ¡°Sure, you can stay here for a while. I¡¯ll let you have your adventure. Think of it as thanks for helping us so far.¡±


    ¡°Well said, well said!¡± Becky waved her hand as she mimicked Lily, gobbling down the food on the table. ¡°Uwahh! The food here is pretty good! It¡¯s just that the outer layer is a bit tough to open¡­ Is this meant for adventurers or soldiers? The outer layer seems to be water proof as well¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was still busy contemplating how he should go about solving the issue at hand before something struck him. ¡°Oh right, why did you have to cleave my microwave in two?¡±


    ¡°Microwave? You mean that weird box?¡± Becky recalled the funny looking box that she had so unceremoniously cleaved and jolted herself with.¡± I didn¡¯t even know what that was. When I was thrown over here and everything was still spinning, I had just touched it before some weird energy started to form inside the box. I thought it was some kind of booby trap and just cleaved at the energy¡¯s focal point as usual¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Hao Ren had a feeling that things were about to get very, very hectic from then on.

 Chapter 216

    The adventurers and mercenaries in The Plane of Dreams had always been direct and brutal in dealing with problems. This was because they spent most of their time in all kinds of ruins and battlefields where there were countless things they could slam and smash as much as they liked. However, if Becky wanted to stay at Hao Ren¡¯s house, she could not continue being so reckless. Hao Ren had to consider setting up a training program for her. At least to stop this lady from taking out her sword easily and smashing someone else¡¯ stuff into pieces¡­


    ¡°So, it means¡­ I¡¯m in trouble?¡± Becky realized that the thing she broke was just a common item for daily use. That thing looked neat and it was beautifully decorated (in her eyes). It was probably quite expensive. ¡°How much do I have to pay?¡± she asked.


    Hao Ren looked angrily at Becky. He could only wave weakly and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have money to pay for it. Forget it. I¡¯ll mention it in the report, consider it as work loss and apply for reimbursement.¡±


    Becky was then relieved and continued to pick up the bag of snacks and ate contentedly. When she left The Plane of Dreams, she had not gotten back home for dinner yet so, she was hungry at this point. Lily usually cared about her snacks more than her life but, this time, she was unexpectedly generous. Probably, she noticed that the bread and cakes in the fridge were going to expire and she intended to take advantage of this opportunity to clear the stock and buy new ones. Hao Ren looked awkwardly at Becky¡¯s mercenary outfit and said, ¡°You better keep your outfit somewhere else.¡±


    Becky¡¯s mouth was stuffed with spicy strips. She rolled her eyes, gulped quickly and put her hand on her sword and asked, ¡°Is it the rule here? The armed forces of foreign personnel must be confiscated?¡±


    ¡°Sort of.¡± Hao Ren pointed to Becky¡¯s sword and explained, ¡°It¡¯s easy to attract police if you walk down the street with this stuff. And your mercenary outfit, the armor and riding boots, you better take them off. It¡¯s too conspicuous here.¡±


    Becky licked her finger, stood up and turned around. Becky was always careless but now, she also realized that her outfit could be too conspicuous in this world after she was reminded by Hao Ren. And she thought of how strange their clothes were in The Plane of Dreams. It was easy for her to understand that she was now in the same state. She pulled the scarf around her chest and the girdle with a dagger on her waist and said, ¡°But, I have no other clothes.¡±


    Hao Ren turned to the other ladies around him, asking for help. Finally, Nangong Wuyue came forward and said, ¡°We are the same size. Let her wear mine first. Let me wash your clothes, I¡¯ll give it back when you go back.¡±


    Becky was a little reluctant. She scratched her face and said, ¡°How can I let you do it for me. I¡¯ll do it myself¡­¡±


    Hao Ren quickly stopped Becky and said, ¡°Not at all. Don¡¯t break my washing machine.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue took Becky to her room to pick out her clothes and the rest of them looked at each other. Hao Ren took out the MDT from his pocket and put it on the coffee table. He then poked it and asked, ¡°Hey, explain this phenomenon.¡±


    The MDT continued to play dead. It even turned off all its lights. Hao Ren saw it and took the sticker of Pleasant Goat from the bunch of snacks and said, ¡°After I count to three, I¡¯ll stick it on your forehead if you continue to play dead. Lil Pea will certainly like it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where my forehead is. I don¡¯t think you can find it,¡± the MDT shouted and suddenly floated up. It then kept muttering, ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense, the teleportation target is just Hilda alone. Why was there another one¡­ who¡¯s even a native of The Plane of Dreams. Her connection with her original world is supposed to be very stable and she shouldn¡¯t have been pulled out so easily.¡±


    Vivian looked at the MDT curiously and asked, ¡°There¡¯s something you don¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I just have a bigger database, I¡¯m not omniscient.¡± The Mobile Data Terminal slowly fell onto the coffee table and sat at a 45¡ã angle as if it was pondering. It began to blink slowly. ¡°I¡¯ve set up the teleportation rules according to the latest mapping logic of The Plane of Dreams-Surface World from the local universe database. This is to regulate each individual involved in the teleportation. In theory, this shouldn¡¯t have happened.¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly had an idea and asked, ¡°Wait, what about the last update? When was The Plane of Dreams¡¯ mapping in the local universe database last updated?


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s been months. You weren¡¯t an agent yet and I just got off the production line.¡±


    ¡°For months?¡± Hao Ren found it incredible. He did not expect the local universe database, such a sophisticated thing to not be updated for months and asked, ¡°There¡¯s no one maintaining the database on The Plane of Dreams?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. That¡¯s the case. You know that there hasn¡¯t been a special agent for The Plane of Dreams before you. Either does the Empire put too much energy on this trivial issue¡ªthe data updates related to The Plane of Dreams are handled by a private company called, ¡®Starlight Tower¡¯. They are a business team attached to the subsidiary civilization of the subsidiary unit of the Space Administration,¡± the MDT explained. When it saw Hao Ren¡¯s surprised and serious, questioning look, he added, ¡°Don¡¯t think this is wrong. In fact, The Plane of Dreams has always been very stable. Starlight Tower first took over the data updating business more than 5000 years ago. Since then, they have been updating the database tens of thousands of times but, the total revision is less than 1%. The free relationship between The Plane of Dreams and the Surface World seems unstable but in actuality, the overall balance has always been maintained¡­ Of course, it looks like it¡¯s going to go wrong.¡±


    Hao Ren was getting more and more acquainted to the style of the Xi Ling Empire (or the Xi Ling Celestials) now. As godlike rulers, they did have a serious and responsible side but, at the same time, they were good at solving problems in a simple and straightforward way. The basic unit of their management of the infinite world is the ¡®universe¡¯. In other words, anything below the universe, whether it was the star system or the Milky Way or even The Plane of Dreams, which occupied half of the world, were considered detailed questions. They could be entrusted to all levels of mortal assistants, as well as a variety of private companies to deal with.


    Mortals made mistakes so, there would be flaws in these ¡®minutiae¡¯ and one of the agent¡¯s duties was to resolve and reconcile these flaws. These were mentioned in the agent¡¯s staff handbook.


    But at that time, Hao Ren did not get it¡­


    This kind of management was different from the grim situation found in many religious stories, in which the gods continuously stared at Earth and created natural disasters to ¡®cleanse¡¯ the world of mortals once they made a little mistake. It meant that the Xi Ling Empire had given maximum autonomy to mortals. Only when the civilized people had created big trouble would the Space Administration come to clean up the mess. Also, even a civilization could support itself as the gods, the Xi Ling disciples who were very open-minded would just laugh and call the people, ¡®naughty kids¡¯. This was a good thing for all mortal civilizations. They could do whatever they liked and even when they were about to destroy themselves, a bunch of immortals would come and save them. However, it was not easy for the agent who was sandwiched between the mortals and gods¨CHao Ren¡¯s head was now full of troubles.


    The MDT also knew what Hao Ren was thinking and asked, ¡°Would the mapping relationship be messy?¡±


    Lily looked at the two of them and found these questions profound as well as difficult to understand. ¡°Is the balance weakening? Just like that ship, there was a hole in The Plane of Dreams¡¯ barrier¡­¡± she asked.


    ¡°Worse than that.¡± Hao Ren explained to Lily, ¡°The Orb disappeared, the spaceship crashed, Hilda time-travelled¡­ These can be considered as natural disasters. They are spontaneous phenomena. But, this time Becky was accidentally brought out, which occurred after the MDT¡¯s accurate calculation and a highly controlled process. This means that not only will accidents happen in natural circumstances, but even if the security preparation process is accurate, there will be an accident. We¡¯re in big trouble.¡±


    In fact, there was a metaphor in Hao Ren¡¯s heart: Even if a man has a condom on and the woman has taken pills, the woman still gets pregnant. The hole in The Plane of Dreams was really hard to defend but he was too embarrassed to say such words of unchastity in front of the innocent husky.


    ¡°May I ask¡­¡± Hilda¡¯s voice brought Hao Ren back to reality. The Elf Queen seemed unable to sit still any longer. ¡°Does it have anything to do with my hometown?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand and then, suddenly stood up and made a decision. ¡°So, now I¡¯m going to take you to my boss. I¡¯ve got lots of things to ask her. I can¡¯t wait.¡±


    ¡°Right, I can¡¯t wait too,¡± Hilda said, smiling happily.

 Chapter 217

    Hilda had heard Hao Ren mention Raven 12345 more than once. She knew that this important person with a strange name was the goddess who administered the whole world. And she was the kind of god who had real power and influence throughout the universe, not like the false gods who relied on mortals to support and worship them in order to survive on a tiny planet. Thus, when Hilda heard that she was going to meet Raven 12345, she was earnest and tense. She tidied up her appearance and asked, ¡°What do I need to prepare? Is there any special attention needed in etiquette? The living place of the goddess should have a lot of rules, am I dressed properly?¡±


    Hao Ren did not care at all and said, ¡°No special attention, she is sloppier than me. And the place she lives in is just a big house. There are no rules.¡±


    Hilda still wanted to ask about something but, Hao Ren had already pinched the MDT and was ready to teleport. At the last moment, before the surrounding scene twisted, Hao Ren shouted upstairs, ¡°Wuyue! Remember to teach Becky to use electrical appliances!¡±


    Then the white light flashed and Hao Ren along with Hilda were teleported directly to the big house of Raven 12345.


    ¡°Here we are.¡± Hao Ren recovered from momentary vertigo. He patted Hilda on the shoulder and turned to point out the direction of the bungalow. He then said, ¡°This is Ra¡­ the hell?¡±


    Two of them stared at the scene before them: the white-bottomed, blue-topped house was beyond recognition. Its facade was blasted and all that was left were three large holes. The largest hole even broke through third-storey floor and he could see the crystalline walls as well as the alloy lamination inside. The bungalow¡¯s door was also gone, replaced by a pile of temporary alloy plates. At least a third of the roof was blown off. The sky-blue crystal tiles were scattered all across the floor. The once most beautiful central bell tower was now left with half a frame. The huge dial was soaking in the fountain at the front of the house, with a faint blue light moving on the back of the dial. The fountain had also been smashed into pieces. The pool of fresh water was flowing aimlessly and a couple of currents were clumsily binding the shell of the pool. A small water element, about one meter in height was directing the job there.


    There was smoke coming out from every corner of the house. Bright sparks of energy popped out of the holes every now and then. The whole scene was miserable as if the place had been blown up. A few shiny, self-regulatory robots were flying around the house and it seemed like they were preparing to fix the place: the catastrophic accident probably happened not long ago.


    Hao Ren stared at all this and could not understand how the place had transformed into Afghanistan circa 2001 after just a few days. Then, he suddenly thought of Raven 23333, who was taking over Raven 12345¡¯s shift. She also happened to blow a hole in the roof while chatting. And then he thought, the goddess, who looked quite stable and reliable should not have had such a destructive force.


    Hilda looked at the scene for quite some time and finally asked, ¡°In your world, a few holes in the house must not be a normal phenomenon?¡±


    Hao Ren jumped and shouted, ¡°This is not a normal phenomenon anywhere! Where¡¯s my god by the way?¡±


    The first thing he did was look for Raven 12345 (or 23333) but, when they reached the door, a few self-operated robots stopped them. These maintenance workers told them it was dangerous to go ahead. Harmful radiation was still over the limit so, nobody was allowed to get closed. Just as Hao Ren was about to dial his phone, a familiar figure finally appeared in front of him: the tall, blue arcane servant came out of the little botanical garden beside them and quietly pointed to a path in the botanical garden.


    Hao Ren walked down the path to the depths of the garden and finally saw Raven 12345 between the bushes in the glade. She dug a pit in the middle of the glade and there was a bonfire crackling inside the pit. A few sticks were placed beside the pit, with a small pot hanging on it. Raven 12345 was squatting over there, cooking noodles¡­


    Hao Ren¡¯s first reaction was wishing that he had the power to brain-wash and the first thing he wanted to do was stun Hilda so that she would forget what she saw. Domestic shame should not be made public! Goddess, what were you doing?


    ¡°How did you get like this?¡± Hao Ren looked at Raven 12345, stunned. He could see that she was 12345. Mainly because, as she squatted on the ground and cooked the noodles, the funny vibe she gave off was really hard to suppress, which almost spread in all directions uncontrollably. Anyway, Hao Ren did not think that 23333 would do this. Even though she blew a hole in the roof while laughing, she was steady most of the time.


    Raven 12345 knew Hao Ren was there. She waved to them without looking up and said, ¡°You, sit there first. My noodles will be ready soon. I¡¯m not going to share with you by the way.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Hilda and said earnestly, ¡°Just take this as an illusion.¡±


    Hilda suddenly felt that there was a possibility she would not be able to go home. Nonetheless, she was dragged by Hao Ren to sit down by the round table at the other end of the glade. The situation was really out of tune: The house was gone but one could see the exquisite, ornamental round tables and round stools in the garden, surrounded by manicured, exotic flowers as well as rare herbs, not to mention the loyal and handsome arcane servant not far away. In such a poetic environment, Raven 12345 was actually squatting down on the ground and cooking noodles¡­ Could it be that the problem in her brain was getting worse?


    ¡°You¡¯ve been inside The Plane of Dreams for quite a while.¡± Raven 12345 came to the table with a bowl of hot noodle soup. And as she poured the seasoning in, she smiled and looked at Hao Ren. Then, she turned her face towards the bonfire on the ground and gave an order to the arcane servant, ¡°Fill in the pit.¡±


    ¡°How did you get yourself into this?¡± Hao Ren felt that he could put his problems aside for the time being. He had to figure out what happened to the goddess. If Raven 12345¡¯s condition was really deteriorating, even if he had to risk blasphemy, he would have to feed her pills.


    Even though he did not know what medicine could cure Raven 12345¡¯s brain, that was damaged on the battlefield¡­


    ¡°The house is scrapped,¡± Raven 12345 looked indifferent. ¡°Something went wrong during landing.¡±


    ¡°Landing?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I applied for a shuttle,¡± Raven 12345 said and scratched her face. There was a little dust on her pretty face. Not sure if she got it from the bonfire or the crash. ¡°I found it interesting and then, I tried to pilot it and realized that I didn¡¯t read the instructions when I landed.¡±


    ¡°What about the instructions?¡±


    ¡°I threw it away.¡±


    ¡°Why did you throw it away?¡±


    ¡°Because I felt like I already understood it.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you didn¡¯t read it?¡±


    Raven 12345 smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°I Just read the first half and didn¡¯t find it difficult so, I threw it away. Only when the shuttle landed did I remember that the deceleration operation was written in the later half¡ªso, when I was posting online asking how to operate it, the shuttle had already crashed into the house.¡±


    Hao Ren hurriedly let the MDT run a search in the City of Shadows Forum and found that his goddess¡¯ post was again at the top of the first page. Just a line of words, ¡°How to slow down the manual mode of an X-C-C1855 shuttle? I can already see the roof of my house. Waiting online¡­¡±


    His female boss gathered 200 or 300 likes again and the replies were all the same, ¡°Waiting for TS to upload the image of setting up tents at night.¡±


    Raven 12345 slurped her noodles, leisurely let out a deep sigh and said, ¡°Life is really beautiful and short like snow¡­ Luckily, the shuttle isn¡¯t broken.¡±


    Hao Ren was silent for a long time before he finally pointed at the noodles and asked, ¡°Alhough the house is ruined¡­ You¡¯re not that miserable, are you? What about your powers? How about the ability to construct a building with a mere snap of the fingers? Don¡¯t tell me you can polish a planet by hand but you can¡¯t fix your house.¡±


    ¡°The house, I¡¯ll leave it to the workers,¡± said Raven 12345 as she ate her noodles happily. ¡°I am now experiencing life. I have long felt that a picnic would be very interesting but, I¡¯ve been so busy working that I never had the opportunity to try it.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s head dropped to the table and recoiled twice: smashing her house and then proceeding to have a picnic in the garden at her doorstep, the psycho goddess¡¯ way of life was really a stunning trip. She was experiencing the arts using her life.


    It seemed that Raven 12345¡¯s head had not only been blown up in the battlefield, it had just been bombed again. At this point, any treatment would be useless.


    However, someone else benefited from the crash: the hole in the roof caused by Raven 23333 had been destroyed, and it seemed that 12345 did not know of it as well. Unless Hao Ren or 23333 told Raven 12345, the neuropath would never know that her house was actually blown up two times¡­


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s put this matter aside and tell me about yours,¡± Raven 12345 looked at Hao Ren, who was standing beside Hilda. ¡°You brought a stranger. I can see that she has information and possesses characteristics of a different world¡ªwell, I can feel that there¡¯s something quite troublesome. You, start reporting. Let me drink some soup first to mentally prepare myself.¡±


    ¡°Oh, her name is Hilda, time-travelled to The Plane of Dreams from another world¡­¡±


    ¡°Phoof¡­¡±


    Hao Ren narrowly avoided the noodles¡¯ soup and asked, ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you mentally prepared?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡±

 Chapter 218

    Looking at Raven 12345¡¯s gloomy expression, Hao Ren thought he had to be gloomier than the psychotic goddess: because he narrowly escaped her flying noodle soup and she also made it clear that even if there was half a pot of noodles, she would not share it with him¡­


    Of course, these were minor problems. He moved himself to a safe place, looked curiously at Raven 12345 and asked, ¡°Is this a serious situation?¡±


    Hao Ren still did not have a clear understanding of the change in The Plane of Dreams. Although he knew it was a troublesome crisis, as a rookie with limited experience and knowledge, he did not know how big of a trouble it was. And now seeing such a response from Raven 12345, he realized that the situation was probably worse than he had expected.


    ¡°Serious? I¡¯m not sure but, if there¡¯s more evidence, then we have a lot of work to do.¡± Raven 12345 pointed to Hilda and continued explaining, ¡°Do you know how low the odds are for a world to safely connect to another world without the assistance of professional equipment? That¡¯s the equivalent of you being able to recognize the faces of 10,000 Korean celebrities. And this is a general case. I¡¯m referring to the probability of you entering the main physical plane of another world from the main physical plane of one world. The Plane of Dreams is a subordinate part of this universe. It is like a shadow, where its priority is lower than the Surface World. That is, under normal circumstances, it should be hidden under the Surface World, difficult to be exposed and identified to the outside world. The creatures of this universe will only be able to perceive The Plane of Dreams in very rare circumstances what¡¯s more a time-traveler from a different world, who has a weak connection with this world.¡±


    ¡°This means, even if Hilda time-travelled from her world, she should have entered the Surface World not The Plane of Dreams?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much.¡± Raven 12345 nodded. ¡°Now, tell me everything you saw over there and I will make the next arrangements accordingly.¡±


    Hao Ren told Raven 12345 about his experience in The Plane of Dreams. He mentioned the disappearance of the Orb of the Holy Synod two months ago, the various unusual changes near the blood lake, the rock giants that split from the cliff, the meeting with Hilda and most importantly, the alien spacecraft that appeared at the bottom of the blood lake.


    He did not know which details were more useful so, he simply told Raven everything.


    Of course, there was another major issue: Becky was sent to Earth by mistake.


    After listening to Hao Ren, Raven 12345 sank into long silence, noodles hanging from her mouth as she entered into a mode of pondering for half a minute. Finally, just as Hao Ren was getting impatient, she suddenly came back, slurped the noodle and asked, ¡°Did you say a ship landed in The Plane of Dreams?¡±


    ¡°Yes, this is the crew¡¯s carry-on device from the spaceship, which recorded what happened when the spaceship crashed.¡± Hao Ren took the oval Torblec Data Terminal out from his Dimensional Pocket and said, ¡°I got it from the technical advisor of the Torblec Hivekin.¡±


    Raven merely touched the elliptical device and handed it back to Hao Ren. She said, ¡°Well, I¡¯ve scanned it but, I don¡¯t know the owner of the spaceship mentioned on the data terminal. It should be an ordinary private company. According to the description of the accident, the spaceship was still working moments before the crash. Surroundings were also very normal so, this must have been the result of distortions from The Plane of Dreams¡­¡±


    Hao Ren reminded her, ¡°And Becky, she¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just a subsidiary incident,¡± Raven 12345 said, waving her hand. ¡°The situation has really started to deteriorate. Whether it¡¯s Becky or Hilda or the ship, they are the result of this deterioration. If I¡¯m not mistaken, I¡¯m afraid there will be more of such incidents in the future.¡±


    Raven 12345 frowned and looked serious. Although there was still half a noodle hanging from her mouth, Hao Ren was getting used to her behavioral patterns, which consisted of being serious and funny at the same time. After a few seconds of silence, Hao Ren could not help but ask, ¡°You already know that The Plane of Dreams will deteriorate?¡±


    There were indications that the goddess was not ignorant of the situation in The Plane of Dreams. At least she expected something before it happened but, for some reason, she did not take action. Hao Ren was quite curious about this.


    ¡°How do I say this, the deterioration of The Plane of Dreams is destined. It will deteriorate sooner or later but, I can¡¯t determine when. And before it changes, I¡¯m not sure what to do. The problem is too complicated. I have been keeping minimum attention on The Plane of Dreams all along. I even deliberately reduced the frequency of observation on The Plane of Dreams by agents and other departments in order to slow things down as much as possible, hoping to find a more secure solution before that. Until recently, I found that unease had begun and reducing the frequency of observation was no longer helpful¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®deterioration¡¯? Is the balance between The Plane of Dreams and the Surface World being destroyed? Or is some kind of barrier becoming fragile? Why has the balance weakened?¡± Hao Ren asked curiously.


    ¡°Oh, it looks like you¡¯ve been thinking about it too but, the exact meaning of the deterioration is much more complicated and the barrier becoming fragile is just the beginning.¡± Raven 12345 straightened her posture and continued to explain, ¡°The Plane of Dreams is the shadow of this world, which is a subordinate unit. There is a solid ¡®wall¡¯ between The Plane of Dreams and the Surface World. The wall is a hindrance but, at the same time, it also protects everything in The Plane of Dreams and the Surface World so that the two worlds can be separated and not be annihilated by collisions. But now, I have to tell you that this wall could be melting. The Plane of Dreams is a shadow submerged in the depths of the sea, and now it has begun to emerge. Sooner or later it will collide with the Surface World, which will lead to a big annihilation. Therefore, the barrier becoming fragile is only the first step. First of all, The Plane of Dreams and the Surface World will permeate each other frequently, which is just a little bit of a trickle when the dam cracks. And after the collapse of the dam, the problem is not going to be just smooth contact between the two worlds. The whole dream plane will smash into the Surface World or vice versa. Boom,everything will be gone.¡±


    It gave Hao Ren goosebumps. He quickly understood how the ¡®dissolving of two worlds¡¯ mentioned by Raven 12345 differed greatly from the ¡®open teleportation of The Plane of Dreams¡¯ that the MDT had guessed. Before that, the data terminal and Hao Ren had apparently been too conservative in their speculations about the situation. Hao Ren simply took The Plane of Dreams and the Surface World as two stationary containers, with a valve called ¡®reality¡¯ between the two containers. He thought the worst consequence of balance being broken was the opening of the valve, causing the products of the Surface World and The Plane of Dreams to circulate with each other on a large scale. Something like having a massive amount of monsters step on the streets of Washington or a group of humans discovering that Holetta had oil, which in his view were already great disasters.


    However, it was clear that the real situation was much more serious than that. A wall separating The Plane of Dreams and the Surface World; the two worlds had always attracted each other like magnets. After the disappearance of the wall, the two worlds would not become complementary but directly merge into one.


    No matter how the world would be after the integration, there would be no civilization like this anyway.


    ¡°The Plane of Dreams and the Surface World are consistent in general rules but, there is a difference in nuance,¡± Raven 12345 explained what would happen after the great fusion. ¡°The speed of light in The Plane of Dreams is slightly higher than that of the Surface World. This alone will lead to disaster. Either the Surface World¡¯s light speed barrier gets shaken and the hyper-celestial body at the tipping point explodes or The Plane of Dreams¡¯ light speed is reset and the edge of the universe, which has been operating normally experiences an unexpected disintegration due to the sudden change in the barrier or, the two situations occurs simultaneously. There are still many problems that will seriously shake the foundation of the world. More than 90% of space and material will be eliminated, and the rest will be trapped in the chaos of the barrier. All science and technology as well as magic based on the laws of the universe will fail. There is no mortal civilization in this universe that can transcend this level. In this case, even if this civilization survives, it would be difficult to save it.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    Raven 12345 got up and gave Hao Ren a bowl of noodle soup. She then said, ¡°I think you should be very stressed so, I¡¯ll give you some special privileges. Drink this soup, then go and save the world¡­¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the noodle soup that was no longer hot and said, ¡°You told me that The Plane of Dreams and the Surface World will soon be merged and then annihilated after which, you gave me a bowl of noodle soup. You¡¯re asking me to save the world with noodle soup as encouragement?¡±


    Raven 12345 crossed her hands, placed it under her chin and said, ¡°I made it myself.¡±


    ¡°The heck!¡± Hao Ren jumped half a meter high and said, ¡°This is not funny at all! Do I have the chance to resign now?¡±


    ¡°Come on, how can such an unreasonable person like me allow you to resign?¡± Raven 12345 smiled and waved at Hao Ren to sit down. ¡°Be optimistic. I just told you the whole situation to let you understand it. I didn¡¯t say that I¡¯ll let you solve everything alone. This is a serious event of the universe so, I¡¯m responsible for the overall situation. I¡¯ll let you do what you can do. Now, you just need to know what all this is for. That¡¯s why I¡¯m telling you the truth. Of course, another reason was because I couldn¡¯t stop myself and accidentally said too much¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was once again speechless.


    Anyway, he sat at the back, frowned and looked at Raven 12345, then proceeded to ask, ¡°Why has the ¡®wall¡¯ between The Plane of Dreams and the real world suddenly weakened?¡±


    ¡°Because this is how it¡¯s supposed to be.¡± Raven spread her hands and said, ¡°Just take this as the law of the universe. The specific reasons involved is a historical issue. It¡¯ll take a few days and nights for me to explain. I¡¯ll explain it to you when I have the time.¡±


    Hao Ren was puzzled over its purpose and what it meant. Finally, he remembered a little detail that he had almost forgotten. ¡°The rumors about The Day of Return that have been spreading like crazy among the unusual creatures on Earth, could that be the case?¡± he asked.

 Chapter 219

    ¡°The Day of Return?¡± Raven 12345¡¯s eyebrow twitched upon hearing the strange term. ¡°What does that mean? I¡¯ve lost touch with the situation in this universe. Something¡¯s going on with the earth¡¯s unusual creatures?¡±


    ¡°In fact, yes. They¡¯ve been active since a hundred years ago but, it only came to light recently.¡± Hao Ren had made a connection between The Day of Return with The Plane of Dreams. ¡°¡­That¡¯s the situation, the unusual creatures think their powers are being revived and the relic of their ancestors will resurface. That reminds me about The Plane of Dreams and Surface World where the connection between them will soon be established. Is this what they¡¯re referring to? All the unusual creatures on Earth were originally from The Plane of Dreams. Besides us, no one would know the consequences of The Plane of Dreams¡¯ disappearing barrier. They think it¡¯s an opportunity they can exploit to reconnect with their home and revive their race.¡±


    Tapping lightly on the table with her fingers, Raven 12345 said, ¡°Perhaps. Their memories of The Plane of Dreams were erased after the disaster. But somehow, they might¡¯ve still managed to pass down some secrets like the obscure, religious legend of ¡®ancestral power from the lost world, which has been sealed¡¯¡±.


    Hao Ren looked at Raven 12345 inquisitively. ¡°The merging of The Plane of Dreams and Surface World, are the unusual creatures the one¡ª¡±


    Without waiting for Hao Ren to finish, Raven 12345 waved her hands in dismissal. ¡°No, they don¡¯t have what it takes. Most of them don¡¯t possess the kind of power to do so. They can¡¯t even understand the mapping formula between The Plane of Dreams and Surface World, which calls for a special thinking organ to do the Math. What caused the ¡®wall¡¯ to disappear is of something higher, relating to the law of the universe. I¡¯m not ruling out the possibility of a conspiracy; some very ancient fellows could be behind this but, investigation is needed before any conclusion can be drawn. All in all, the earth¡¯s unusual creatures couldn¡¯t have done that. They probably learned about the failing ¡®wall¡¯ from somewhere and misconstrued it as the dawn when actually it¡¯s just a glint before the end.¡±


    A shiver ran down his spine when Raven 12345 mentioned ¡®some really ancient fellows¡¯ as though this obscure image possessed a shocking power. Judging from Raven 12345¡¯s solemn expression, Hao Ren suspected that a powerful evil force, which was lower than God but far above humans, capable of shaking the foundation of the world existed in the universe. Raven 12345 had just scratched the surface and did not intend to elaborate.


    It appeared that Raven 12345 did not believe the earth¡¯s unusual creatures were the masterminds but instead, they were being deceived. Anyway, she thought the intel Hao Ren provided was vital. ¡°Though unusual creatures don¡¯t play a hand in the mega merger of the worlds, The Day of Return surely has something to do with the extirpation of the ¡®wall¡¯. Keep an eye on this. Use force if necessary. I¡¯ll send reinforcements if necessary. Hmm, if necessary.¡±


    ¡°Intel on The Day of Return was first obtained from the sirens¡ªthe first batch of sirens who came to the surface a hundred years ago,¡± said Hao Ren.


    ¡°Sirens?¡± Raven 12345 was surprised. ¡°I barely knew about their surfacing. They were the ones giving the intel?¡±


    ¡°They may have obtained news of the falling ¡®wall¡¯ between The Plane of Dreams and Surface World somewhere.¡± Hao Ren concluded, based on the intel in hand. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s necessary to go to the deep sea to have a look? It¡¯s said that there¡¯s some kind of forbiddance¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your call. From now on, it¡¯s based on your own discretion. You¡¯re in charge.¡± Raven 12345 looked at Hao Ren, her expression having some deeper meaning to it. ¡°I¡¯ll focus more on complex works. From now on, I won¡¯t restrict your actions. There¡¯ll be no more instructions from me unless it being absolutely necessary. I¡¯ll be providing support in case you fail. You decide what course of action to take based on the intel you¡¯ve collected. If you think you¡¯ve secured key intel about the deep sea, then go. If not, do nothing.¡±


    For a moment, Hao Ren did not give it a thought. But a few seconds later, Hao Ren sensed there was more to Raven¡¯s attitude than met the eye. ¡°Am I being conned again?¡±


    Raven 12345 laughed but her face still looked solemn. ¡°Hell, yes.¡±


    She admitted it! The psychotic woman had admitted to it!


    Yet, unlike in the past, Hao Ren did not jump to his feet and argue with her because he vaguely sensed her seriousness behind the cynicism. Something had to be going on¡ªa test, perhaps. Hao Ren did not bother to ask because he knew the psychotic woman too well¡ªshe would not have divulged more than what she intended to, no matter what.


    ¡°Last question.¡± Recollecting in his thought, Hao Ren realized he had missed out a key thing. ¡°Where did the sirens come from?¡±


    ¡°Where?¡± Giving Hao Ren a perplexed glance, Raven 12345 replied, ¡°Of course, from the water.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean.¡± Hao Ren coughed. ¡°When I mentioned about sirens to the people in The Plane of Dreams, they seemed to know nothing about them¡ªthere was even no mention of the siren race in their ancient legends. Didn¡¯t you say that all unusual creatures on Warth were originally from The Plane of Dreams? So, where did the sirens originally come from?¡±


    Raven 12345 was silent, staring in his eyes with a creepy expression. Then, she said slyly, ¡°Looks like you need more time to adapt to your wok.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let your old mind restrict your eyes.¡± Raven 12345 reached her hand out suddenly, patting his shoulder. ¡°Look up at the sky sometimes. That¡¯s all I have to say. Go figure it out yourself.¡±


    Hao Ren rubbed his nose. He now had more questions than answers.


    Hilda looked on. She had no idea what they were talking about the entire time but, she did feel that it had to be something cool. Cautiously, she chimed in as they finished their discussion. ¡°May I¡­talk about my problem now?¡±


    ¡°Oops, traverser!¡± It seemed like Raven 12345 had forgotten about her. She may have indeed forgotten. Smacking her forehead, she said, ¡°Deporting and settling traversers are jobs of the agent.¡±


    Hao Ren pointed his finger at himself. ¡°Me? How am I going to send her back?¡±


    Quickly yanking the MDT out, Hao Ren found the clause Raven 12345 had mentioned. It explained everything about traversers, complete with case studies. He found that, in the eyes of Xi Ling Celestials, traversers were a dime in a dozen. The protocol to deal with them was simple and easy. He had a choice of three: one, let Hilda lie in the dormant cabin, any basic scan functions in the dormant cabin would be able to identify the traverser¡¯s identity; two, send the scanned results to Traversal Affairs of Space Administration, marked ¡®Ready-Processing¡¯ and ¡®Self-Processing¡¯, then let technicians from the other department trace the traverser¡¯s world of origin and run through the wanted list as well as traversal blacklist; three, fly his own spacecraft and navigate it to a giant space installation called World¡¯s Gate in the local universe, upload the code to the space port, floor the spacecraft and the traverser would be home in no time.


    It was up to the agent; he could either deport the traverser or place the traverser in a shelter after sampling the information or he could yank out an automatic lead and press it in front of the traverser. As long as it did not affect the equilibrium of the universe and the diversity of civilization, it was deemed a local issue. Those Xi Ling Celestial bigwigs could not have cared less.


    Having read the entire clause, Hao Ren found that it was a matter of low priority and low-level authorization. Any agent could have handled it¡ªof course, reporting back to the higher authority about the outcome was necessary. At the same time, he also found other seemingly irrelevant information such as non-motorized vehicular accidents, conventional war in the planet, public fights and etc. in the same folder¡­


    He thought for a while, realizing that the MDT had probably messed up the information.


    ¡°For this matter, you¡¯re in charge too.¡± Raven 12345 stared into his eyes. ¡°You make your own decisions as long as they don¡¯t violate the World¡¯s Balance Security and Civilization Development Act. However, there¡¯s a limit to how much special support you can get from me. Try to solve problems on your own and most importantly, by using your brain.¡±


    It was the second time Raven 12345 had emphasized ¡°You¡¯re in charge¡±.


    Hao Ren nodded in acknowledgement.

 Chapter 220

    Raven 12345 had emphasized ¡°You¡¯re in charge¡± twice. It probably meant something or implied some sort of test or the adorably psychotic goddess was assigning him some heavy responsibility; no matter what, he had to accept it.


    Despite the stress, Hao Ren was looking forward to it. Knowing that Raven 12345 was his fallback, he felt this time, it was a relatively safe opportunity to broaden his horizons.


    Waiting for Hao Ren to finish studying the MDT, Hilda spoke quietly to him, ¡°Can you send me back?¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡± Patting his chest with confidence. After reading the idiot¡¯s Guide To Traversal Problems, he felt things were not as complicated as he had thought. ¡°We¡¯ll perform a check once we¡¯re back. As mentioned in the guide, we¡¯ll be able to determine your place of origin in two or at most three days. Then I¡¯ll send you back to your planet myself.¡±


    Hilda wanted to say something when Hao Ren mentioned the word ¡®planet¡¯ but, she choked and just nodded her head. Hao Ren looked up at Raven 12345 and said, ¡°That¡¯s all for today, I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    Raven 12345 held her bowl up, gulping down the noodle soup. ¡°Please go¡­¡±


    Hao Ren stared at her gross demeanor, reminding her before leaving, ¡°The noodle¡¯s too salty¡­¡±


    It was the first Holy Communion Hao Ren ever had¡ªin all senses, a true holy communion, prepared by the goddess herself in the heaven¡¯s communication room. To say it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that every king and pope had been craving for, was no overstatement but, Hao Ren would rather go home and drink dough drop soup with Vivian: the holy communion just consisted of plain noodle soup with some vegetables in it plus, it had way too much salt. Raven 12345¡¯s cooking skills could not even compare to that of Lily¡¯s.


    Hao Ren came out from the broken ¡®heaven¡¯ with Hilda. Instead of going home, he wanted to go to the town to buy Hilda some cloths and Lily, some snacks. Hilda blushed. ¡°I¡¯m fine with my dress. Don¡¯t spend unnecessarily¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. After all, it¡¯s claimable,¡± said Hao Ren as he looked at her: the queen was still draped in her white clothing¡ªwhich was kind of a hybrid between a windcoat and a dress, a fine piece of clothing. However, it was reduced to shreds after days of action in The Plane of Dreams. The dress was not suitable for trekking so, Hilda had to cut off the bottom part of the dress, which had a lot of lace. It was stained and tattered. It was not appropriate for such a beautiful elf to run around in ragged clothing. While Becky was about Nangong Wuyue¡¯s size, Hilda was even taller than Hao Ren¡ªshe had no choice but to get new clothes.


    Before they reached the town, Hao Ren reminded Hilda to pull her hood up; her elf ears would attract too much attention. But then again, her looks and height were good enough to make heads turn. Pulling her dress tighter inadvertently, she said, ¡°Do I look weird here?¡±


    Hao Ren did not expect the streets to be so packed. He hoped Hilda¡¯s ears would remain hidden while he was looked for a quiet place. ¡°You should be fine as long as you act normal. After all, people are wearing all kinds of weird attires nowadays.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Hilda replied as she observed everything that went on in a world so strange to her. She followed Hao Ren closely behind as they navigated past several junctions filled with people. Soon, they found that there were less and less curious stares like people were no longer interested in Hilda¡¯s weird appearance. Hao Ren was perplexed. As he looked up, he found himself standing in a cultural square; a group of youths draped in leather armour, wooden armour and mail were wielding swords, blades, staffs and meteorhammers; two men clad in black hoodies were distributing flyers and a girl was in the same attire as Hilda not far away¡ªhowever, the girl looked tidier.


    Hilda was astounded, observing the chaos. She could think of nothing as she said, ¡°Are we back to The Plane of Dreams again?¡±


    Smacking his forehead, Hao Ren realized what was going on. ¡°Ahh¡­ it¡¯s a cartoon and animation festival. There¡¯s a cosplay exhibition here!¡±


    ¡°C¡­.what?¡± Hilda was tongue-tied.


    She had a special linguistic skill where she learned foreign languages by utilizing magic to read the superficial thoughts of intelligent creatures around her. The more crowded the place, the faster she learned. But, this magic was not as powerful as the translation system Hao Ren was using. She would be tongue-tied when she pronounced rare and special foreign words.


    ¡°COS is a subculture on Earth. We¡¯re at the right place at the right time but, you don¡¯t have to understand it,¡± said Hao Ren happily. His unusual tenants could now roam around freely¡ªundisguised thanks to the cosplay festival that was going on. Vivian and Lily could let out their wings and tail respectively for some fresh air while Nangong Wuyue could find water facilities such as indoor swimming pools like fish to water. The only one who found it hard to blend in was Y¡¯zaks. He was a six-meter lava monster. It was something you could not make up with props or special effects. Anyway, Y¡¯zaks was already a real-life cosplayer in his human form. His face was too postmodern. So much so that you could not just explain it away with hereditary and genetic development reasons except with make-up.


    His thought spun for a moment before he dragged Hilda towards a nearby mall. He kept reminding her as they walked, ¡°If someone asks, just say you¡¯re into cosplay¡­ but, it¡¯d be better if no one asks.¡±


    Hilda nodded cluelessly. After all, she was just tagging along. The queen suddenly let out a silent scream when they walked past a fountain.


    Hao Ren was shocked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°The water¡­the energy that¡¯s making the water spray out¡­¡± Hilda pointed at the fountain in disbelief. ¡°What is it for?¡±


    ¡°For¡­for show.¡± A little stunned by her strange question, Hao Ren said, ¡°It¡¯s a fountain. Don¡¯t you have fountains in your place?¡±


    ¡°I know this thing.¡± Hilda frowned as she found it hard to swallow what she had seen. ¡°But, only in the eco-dome, much smaller but just as powerful, used to sustain the ecosystem in the botanical garden. You guys put the fountain in the open just for show?¡±


    Hao Ren could only respond by nodding. Soon, Hilda discovered something more which she found hard to believe. ¡°What¡¯s that giant display on the building? Isn¡¯t it a notice board or something? Why do I feel like it just keeps repeating the same meaningless thing?¡±


    ¡°Err¡­that¡¯s also for show. An advertisement.¡±


    ¡°What about that balloon in the air? The fabrics beneath it, couldn¡¯t they be used to make clothes or something?¡± Why are they painted in different colours and hung in the air?¡±


    ¡°For show too.¡±


    As Hilda¡¯s marvel slowly died down, she began to be engrossed in the finer details of the world. She continued to find more and more incredible things. While The Plane of Dreams was a land of plenty, she found the earth to be so much more abundant that people were living an excessive lifestyle. As they finally crossed the square to the mall, she no longer held back her emotions. ¡°You people are simply¡­ wasteful.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at her cluelessly.


    ¡°So many resources¡­ water, energy and all kinds of materials; they are so precious and yet, you people are using them in a wasteful way.¡± Hilda looked down at the thing in her hand. It was a snack Hao Ren bought for her from a stall in the square. ¡°The packaging is meaningless. It seems like this flexible material is just for a one-off use. In our world, all of this is unimaginable. We haven¡¯t had a surplus in a long time.¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly became interested in the world Hilda came from such as how it looked like for instance. It seemed like her world was experiencing a much more severe case of resource depletion than he had thought.

 Chapter 221

    Hilda was silent on the way home. She was wearing the new clothing Hao Ren had bought her while her torn dress was in the shopping bag, which she considered incredible as well as wasteful. She gazed at the shopping bag and fell into deep thought.


    They were walking on the empty streets in the Southern Suburbs. Hao Ren did not use teleportation; he needed to let Hilda experience the public transportation system on Earth for herself. It was to divert her attention so that the anxious elf queen could ease herself. After all, Hilda was only going to stay on Earth for three days. She was just a tourist. But, things did not work out the way he expected to. Hilda was not in the mood to explore. All the while, she frowned. She questioned the way humans lived on Earth. Then she spent the rest of the day getting lost in her own thoughts, worrying about her homeland.


    She was not like that during the past few days in The Plane of Dreams. Most of the time, she was traversing the wilderness, sleeping in a simple and cramped watch-house, having little time to observe and judge people¡¯s lifestyle. Nevertheless, she did once express her envy for the blue sky and natural forest in The Plane of Dreams¡ªthough Hao Ren did not give it any thought at that time. Noticing Hilda¡¯s strange behaviour, Hao Ren could not help asking, ¡°What is it like in your homeland?¡±


    He once heard Hilda mention that she left due to scarcity of resources back home. Out of desperation, she left home searching for new life in a new world but, the portal she was travelling in malfunctioned and she was flung into The Plane of Dreams accidentally. Hao Ren did not pay attention to what she said back then.


    Lack of resources. How severe was it?


    Hilda remained silent for a moment. Then she pointed to an old, metal shelf abandoned at a street corner. The metal shelf was a typical advertisement light box in the Southern Suburbs during its booming years. ¡°Can you see the metal that¡¯s being wasted there?¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°We recycle all materials over and over again. The energy and chemicals needed for recycling are stored at Coronal Station near the star. It¡¯s an installation to harness energy and trace elements from the sun¡¯s radiation. Every year, thousands of elves die from the solar radiation and light disaster.¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned.


    Hilda noticed the expression on the man¡¯s face. She smiled as though she expected it. ¡°Hard to imagine, isn¡¯t it? I was born there and I received better material rations than other elves. I couldn¡¯t imagine what it¡¯d be like in a world of plenty until I was teleported to the land of blue sky and fresh air in The Plane of Dreams.¡±


    Hao Ren did not want to admit his ignorance but, he could not hide the fact that he was completely clueless about things in Hilda¡¯s homeland. He bowed his head, wondering, as an agent, what he could do for her.


    In silence, the two of them finally reached home. He decided to set aside, for now, all their problems¡ªThe Plane of Dreams, The Day of Return, unusual creatures, the falling ¡®wall¡¯, the spacecraft wreckage and its owner. There were too many things he had to think about. It was better to deal with them one at a time, he thought.


    ¡°I¡¯m back!¡± Hao Ren stood at the door, greeting everyone. Then, a voice was heard coming out from the kitchen. ¡°Welcome back! Take a rest. Lunch will be ready soon!¡± It was Vivian.


    Hao Ren loved this life: the noisy tenants were not just any other tenants. They shared with him a special identity and secrets. They were like a family giving warmth to one another. It did not matter who, when one got home, there would always be someone there. This was home.


    Just a few months back when Hao Ren was all alone, there was just the silly cat rolling on the floor greeting him when he got home everyday. But now he always had a tableful of home-cooked food waiting for him to come home.


    And not to forget there was also the silly husky who spun its tail like it was going to broke off.


    As Hao Ren entered the living room, Lily immediately buried her head into a pile of snacks Hao Ren had brought back. Her tail wagged while she looked for her favourite snacks. ¡°Where are my spicy sticks?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t take too many spicy sticks.¡± Hao Ren sighed. ¡°It could trigger an involuntary formshifting.¡±


    Like we¡¯ve said before, Lily was the only werewolf in history affected not by moonlight but, by spicy sticks.


    Lily mumbled a few words as she darted to the fridge. At that moment, Hao Ren noticed a girl whom he had never seen before, sitting on the couch: she was clad in casual wear and her maroon hair casually draped over her shoulders. She had wheat-colored skin, which gave the impression that she was mixed race. She watched the TV as she cumbersomely played with the remote controller. She turned her head around and waved at Hao Ren when she realized that Hao Ren was staring at her.


    Hao Ren was a little stunned. ¡°Becky?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me!¡± Becky waved excitedly with the remote controller still in her hand. ¡°This is an interesting place. Look at this thing¡ªTV and this remote controller! The alchemy of this world is awesome!¡±


    ¡°How¡¯re you doing? I almost didn¡¯t recognize you.¡± Hao Ren stared in amazement at Becky, who was completely clad in Earth attire. She used to look like a fantasy ranger but now, she was dressed in casual wear, which she had probably borrowed from Nangong Wuyue. No more ponytail as she let her hair loose and a little make-up on her face, probably with help from Nangong Wuyue too. She looked more like a human. ¡°You look good in this dress.¡±


    ¡°I feel the same,¡± said Becky as she adjusted her dress slightly. ¡°Nangong Wuyue said there¡¯s something else I need. She¡¯ll bring me to the shop¡­¡±


    Nangong Wuyue came up. ¡°Undergarments. I¡¯ll buy her some tomorrow¡­¡±


    Now, that was awkward.


    Meanwhile, Becky was fascinated by the operating principle of the remote controller and the TV. She was tempted to test them out with her magic. However, considering how she was now penniless, if something went wrong, she would have probably had to sell her body. So, she killed the idea. She asked Hao Ren curiously, ¡°You must be somebody.¡±


    Perplexed, Hao Ren asked, ¡°Why do you say so?¡±


    Becky pointed at the TV then the lamps and the air-conditioner. ¡°The big LCD, the oilless lamps, the the weather-control installation! I never saw things like these even at the countess¡¯ home when I was there getting my assignment. So you must be somebody! Like you said, you¡¯re in charge of managing the world¡¯s traffic hence, I feel like riding your coattail¡­¡±


    Hao Ren coughed. ¡°No, it¡¯s not what you think. Mine¡¯s a covert job. Besides, these are just normal electrical appliances, which almost everyone has.¡±


    Becky was wide-eyed with astonishment. ¡°Are you kidding? These luxurious items, everyone has them?¡±


    Hao Ren spread out his hands. ¡°Science is productivity and demand is the godfather of productivity. Had the alchemical factories in your homeland understood the importance of market economy and industrial transformation, they would¡¯ve achieved the same standard of living. They have similar basic techniques but they have been limited to a small area of applications¡±


    Becky froze for like half a day. Then in a moment of clarity, she pulled out the music box Hao Ren had given to her earlier. ¡°How much is this thing worth here?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue, who was nearby, could not hold back her laughter: from day one, the naughty siren had already known that sooner or later, Hao Ren would have to face reality.


    Hao Ren¡¯s face instantly turned pale. A thought hung in his mind: the otherworldly human is not stupid at all!


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say it.¡± Becky already knew the answer, judging from Hao Ren¡¯s expression. But she did not seem to mind. She was instead fascinated with something else. She could not care less if she was cheated. Looking down at the music box, she mumbled, ¡°It¡¯s probably just a toy but, it¡¯s worth several horses in my homeland¡­¡±


    As he listened, Hao Ren said, ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    Holding the music box and looking up expectantly, Becky said, ¡°I could buy music boxes from the earth and sell them in my homeland while I bring in our alchemical wastes and sell it here like gemstones. I¡¯d be rich in half a year. I¡¯d then set up my trading companies in both worlds, monopolize all trades and hire my own bodyguards. People who discover my secret may try to challenge me so, I¡¯ll use money to turn myself into a peerless fighter and use the money to smash those troublemakers. Of course, with my unparalleled wealth and beauty, I could get myself surrounded by countless of handsome lads, canonized as countess or even a duchess¡­ Hmm, I could probably even acquire a piece of land in the east, build a castle and then declare myself as king. I¡¯d fight the evil forces¡ªif there¡¯s none, I¡¯ll build one¡ªI¡¯m going to make a name for myself in history no matter what¡­ Hahahaha¡­I wouldn¡¯t be a mercenary any longer, I¡¯d live like a king¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was at a lost for words.


    It appeared that this maiden was the real the protagonist. She was an autodidactic inter-world trader!

 Chapter 222

    Staring at the hopeful Becky, Hao Ren thought it would be cruel to burst her bubble. Although it was true that there were many corporations such as the wealthy Fairy Void Consortium and the cunning Gnomish Union of Commerce doing trans-boundary trade in the macroworld, Becky¡¯s smuggling idea was not going to work. He looked quietly at the mercenary and chimed in when she began to envision how she would finish off other mercenaries in nearby villages with her money after crowning herself king. ¡°Becky, do you know who I am?¡±


    Becky finally came back down to Earth. Then, she looked up at Hao Ren. ¡°Err¡­ like some sort of agent¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you know what an agent does?¡±


    ¡°Captain of transportation¡­?¡±


    Slamming the tea table, Hao Ren said, ¡°Anti-smuggling.¡±


    Much to Hao Ren¡¯s surprise, Becky was elated. ¡°Oh, great! Considering our relationship, you could become my inside man. Whoa, I can¡¯t believe that I¡¯ll really ride on your coattail¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    He felt like they were at cross purposes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about that.¡± Hao Ren rejected her idea, almost in tears. ¡°Firstly, the law of the universe prohibits any kind of material exchange between The Plane of Dreams and Surface World; secondly, it¡¯s technically impossible¡ªit¡¯s not easy to traverse between both worlds, especially during this turbulent time. Some sort of collapse could happen if you¡¯re not careful and we¡¯ll all become the biggest sinners.¡±


    Becky¡¯s enthusiasm died down instantly. ¡°Then, I¡¯ve come here in vain.¡±


    A mercenary through and through, she came solely for money.


    ¡°Just stay in peace.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°Treat it as your holiday here. This world is a fun place. Also, I¡¯ll get you some souvenirs you can really brag about for a long time when you go back home.¡±


    Noticing the seriousness on Hao Ren¡¯s face, Becky knew he was not going to compromise. She reset her mind, thinking the trip was not that bad after all and she was happy again. She turned her attention back to the TV remote. Hao Ren looked at Becky; he was not able to ease his mind so easily like Becky did. In his mind, he discussed about something else with the MDT. ¡°How do we send Becky back in one piece?¡±


    ¡°Impossible.¡± The MDT¡¯s reply was expected. ¡°As I¡¯ve said earlier, the rule of teleportation between The Plane of Dreams and Surface World is unique; you can bring Hilda out of The Plane of Dreams but, if she were to go back to The Plane of Dreams, she¡¯ll have to do the same as all of you did¡ªlie in the dormant cabin and project her spiritual body inside it. The same applies to Becky. She had a real physical body in the Surface World when she passed through the barrier of reality. As a result, her existence in The Plane of Dreams was wiped out at the same time.¡±


    ¡°Which means if she wants to go home, she¡¯ll have to lie in that casket and dream, leaving her body behind in the Surface World. And it doesn¡¯t matter how long she stays there, she¡¯ll have to wake up eventually in the Surface World?¡± Hao Ren began to feel a headache because of this. ¡°She now belongs to the Surface World. She¡¯s not going to make it back home. How am I going to tell her that?¡±


    The MDT was silent for a few seconds, as if thinking about the problem on Hao Ren¡¯s behalf. Then it suggested, ¡°You should write a will first and send me to the nearest welfare department before telling her that¡ª¡±


    Without hesitation, Hao Ren took the MDT out from his pocket and threw it into a bin at the corner of the room. The MDT in very agile fashion, did a mid-air flip and flew back. ¡°I was just giving you a pragmatic suggestion!¡±


    Becky overheard it and was surprised. ¡°Whoa, that¡¯s the first music box I saw¡ªit can talk?¡±


    Now, Hao Ren did not need to mince his words. ¡°Since you¡¯re already here, I¡¯ll be honest with you: this is not a music box, it¡¯s my personal assistant. But, if it goes too far, I¡¯m going to gift it to you.¡±


    ¡°¡­You son of a¡­¡± The MDT counted.


    However, Becky¡¯s voice totally overwhelmed it. ¡°How far before you gift it to me?¡±


    Then the MDT turned as quiet as a church mouse.


    Lunch was already served on the table. While in The Plane of Dreams, they survived only on conveniently found food and local food. To quench their yearning for food back home, the first thing Vivian did when she got home was prepare a warm, home-cooked meal. Just a side note though, Vivian did not find the food in The Plane of Dreams bad. To her, a square meal a day was the biggest happiness.


    While Vivian called for lunch, Hao Ren herded Hilda, who was still in deep thoughts and Becky, who was still holding the remote controller in her hand to the table. Becky pointed at the TV as she walked. ¡°The Lord of the Rings¡¯ really interesting. It looks familiar to me¡­ I know the sword skill Gandalf performed! But my magic¡¯s much more powerful than his. He only knows flare. Ahh, wait, there¡¯s another thing; the advertisement¡ªafter shampooing, people¡¯s hair would stand up? Can any of you demonstrate that to me? What¡¯s 7-Up? Drinking 7-Up can summon a huge group of water elements and sea waves? So, is it actually a strong hallucinogen or a magic supplement? Your world is interesting¡­¡±


    Being bombarded with questions from Becky, Hao Ren was already worn down half way to the table. He raised his eyes, looking around. ¡°Can anyone teach Becky some common knowledge?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue quickly lowered her head. ¡°Let¡¯s eat¡­¡±


    She had been teaching Becky for a while. She was more tired than Hao Ren at that point.


    Luckily, Vivian¡¯s cooking skills were a game-changer¡ªat least, Becky was now more fascinated by the food and stopped asking questions, for the time being. Nonetheless, the impression that Hao Ren was a parvenu was further reinforced and she would probably begin to ask questions about the food.


    It was not that The Plane of Dreams lacked good food; after all, they had at least a 10,000 year history of civilization after the end of the world. Holletta was rich in resources. Gourmandism was surely part of their culture. But Becky was a mercenary who was constantly on the go with no place to lay her head. She was good at making barbecue and the most eaten food was hardtack. When she occasionally settled down at a place, she would go to a wine bar to order a few bowls of nigori and two katis of cooked beef¡ªwe do not know if she would go hunt tigers after that but, one thing for sure was the food she had certainly did not match those at home. So, the moment Vivian brought out the gourmet food, Becky was wide-eyed. She used a pair of chopsticks to shakily pick up a piece of tofu and managed to do it after sweating like a pig. ¡°Having a meal here is so troublesome. You guys must¡¯ve been using these sticks to train your mental strength and concentration¡­¡±


    Hao Ren had no choice but to let Becky use a spoon and fork for fear that she might die from starvation on the table. As for the pair of chopsticks, he decided to feed them to Lil Pea.


    Speaking of which, where the hell was Lil Pea?


    Hao Ren now realized that Lil Pea was nowhere to be found. As he was about to get on his feet and call out for her, the table rattled and slanted to a side suddenly. As the plates were about to fall off, Vivian immediately summoned a swarm of bats to stabilize the table. Everyone ducked down, looking beneath and they saw her¡ªLil Pea was under the table without anyone¡¯s knowledge, lifting and gnawing on one of the table legs.


    Everyone¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground. Nangong Wuyue screamed in surprise. ¡°Where the hell did she get the strength?¡±


    Lil Pea discovered that everyone was staring at her. She put the table down and turned to Hao Ren, wagging her tail in greeting with chaffs of wood still on her mouth.


    Hao Ren could not believe what he had seen: the little mermaid, who was just half a foot had lifted the table up just a moment ago.


    He gently cuddled the baby fish in his arms and carefully examined her for any injury. Lil Pea was as energetic as Lily and it looked like her table-lifting feat was just a casual move. Vivian pinched Lil Pea¡¯s arm¡ªit was thin, no thicker than a chopstick, as if boneless but¡­


    Hao Ren shoved the pair of chopsticks to Lil Pea. She mumbled happily before breaking them in half with a snap. She started to gnaw at them.


    That chopsticks were made of metal and wood though.

 Chapter 223

    Nangong Wuyue examined Lil Pea in her arms and came to a final conclusion: the little mermaid was as fit as a fiddle. She was even more vivacious than before, probably because she was happy to be at home.


    ¡°Did she have such strength in the past?¡± Hao Ren cuddled the fry in his arms and asked around. He had to take extra care with Lil Pea because her tail was always slippery. She liked to wriggle around and would easily slip out of his arms. Vivian shook his head. ¡°No idea. Perhaps she was born with it. Just that we didn¡¯t discover it before. You¡¯re Lil Pea¡¯s dad. You should know better, right?¡±


    As Hao Ren was about to nod his head, he suddenly came to his senses. ¡°B*llsh*t! How am I supposed to know that? I¡¯m not a fish.¡±


    Lil Pea¡¯s extraordinary strength had not gotten much attention because her unusual strength was only relative to her body size. It was the visual impact of a half foot, little thing lifting a table¡ªa feat that was not worth a fig when everyone in the house was superhuman. Only Becky had shown her curiosity towards Lil Pea as she rested her head on the table, staring into Lil Pea¡¯s eyes. ¡°What¡¯s this? So many strange creatures in this world.¡±


    Hao Ren had dumped her into the big tub in the washroom after he got home. Becky was in the living room playing with the high-tech gadgets so, she did not discover the little mermaid until now.


    While Lil Pea crawled on the table, Hao Ren carried and placed her in his hand as he introduced her to Becky. ¡°Her name¡¯s Elizabeth, nicknamed Lil Pea. She¡¯s originally from the other world. I¡¯m her guardian. Actually, you¡¯ve met her before¡ªshe was in a pot¡­¡±


    Then Becky realized the strange pot Hao Ren was carrying around with him all the time in The Plane of Dreams. She was surprised. ¡°That lil thing was in there? You lied to me, saying it was an alchemical tool. By the way, is it the culture of your world to raise children in a pot?¡±


    Sweat began to rain down from his forehead as Becky¡¯s misunderstanding of this world got from bad to worse¡­


    While everyone was talking, Hilda was the only one who remained silent. She ate quietly by herself as though she did not have any opinion about the food. Sensing that Hilda was being inadvertently snubbed as a guest, Vivian approached her. ¡°Hey, Hilda. Is the food okay? How is it compared to the food by your home chef?¡±


    ¡°Home chef? We don¡¯t have such a thing back home,¡± said Hilda, shaking her head. ¡°I was just like everyone else, receiving rations of synthetic food. It was a bland organic matter. A little salty if one insisted it had flavour. Our eco-dome could only provide a limited amount of organic matter as the dome mainly provided research samples and some compounds which could not be made using synthetic methods. Food for the people came from the synthesis of plants and were results of recycling engineering. These food¡­¡±


    Hilda pointed at the food on the table, feeling awkward. ¡°¡­are very refined. I don¡¯t know how to describe their flavours as my tastebuds are having difficulty in analyzing them. Anyway, it was very pleasant and I¡¯m very grateful for your generosity. If you don¡¯t mind, I would like to bring some back home and let other people try them.¡±


    Vivian felt awkward, like she had said something that was not supposed to be said¡ªshe thought as an elf queen, Hilda should have been enjoying life befitting a queen no matter how scarce the resources were in their world. But just like Hao Ren, she had underestimated the dire situation the elf queen was in.


    Vivian¡¯s poverty seemed like child¡¯s play before the elf queen.


    The topic of conversation was so awkward that it completely spoiled the mood. Needless to say, the lunch ended in a dull and boring atmosphere. Only two people still retained their exuberant appetite¡ªthe growing Lil Pea and the naive Lily. Hao Ren was envious of them from the bottom of his heart.


    After the lunch, Hao Ren held Hilda by her hand and led her down to the basement. The MDT had prepared a dormant cabin in advance. Hao Ren brought Hilda before the coffin-like installation and said to her, ¡°You just have to lie in it for a while so that I can upload your traverser identity to the database. The relevant authority will be able to find your home.¡±


    Hilda had no comments about the coffin-like design of the dormant cabin. There was no taboo on this back in her homeland. The elf queen climbed inside the dormant cabin. Before the cabin closed, she looked at Hao Ren and said, ¡°Make it quick. Everyday¡¯s a torture, living in such a rich world.¡±


    As the dormant cabin closed, Hao Ren was pinned to the spot for a while before he executed the next step.


    He switched the MDT on. Then, he searched for the official bulletin¡¯s interface in the local universe channel and hooray, he found his broadcast authorization. Before this, he had no idea how to use the broadcast module or had he ever joined any of the conversations. He felt that he could never keep up with those bigwigs in the local universe channel. But since becoming an agent and laying low for many months, a legend about a deep-sea mud monster lurking among the imperial commissioners began circulating around the channel and various broadcast stations¡ªToday, he finally got his opportunity to say something in the local universe channel.


    ¡°Is there anything I should be aware of speaking in the official bulletin?¡± It was Hao Ren¡¯s very first time. He felt a heavy sense of undertaking rising through him and as a precaution, he wanted to verify everything with the MDT¡ªthat nervous feeling brought him back to the time when he was reading manuscripts over the school radio station during his primary year three. The only difference was, back then he was just reading a message for the lost and found section during his school year whereas now, he was going to do a broadcast over the universe channel¡­


    Nevertheless¡­ it was still a lost and found case. Just that this time the subject was a lot bigger.


    When he thought of that, he became less nervous.


    The MDT explained everything about the various formats and channel operations in the official bulletin. The operation was greatly simplified to suit the various levels of civilization and cultural structures of the participants in the local universe channel. Not only did the receiving terminal have a translation module, the operation of the broadcast terminal was also simple. Very quickly, Hao Ren had finished writing his very first bulletin to broadcast to the universe from his small basement:


    ¡°Special announcement¡ªlocal universe channel. Broadcast from the first galaxy¡ªKuiper Station to the entire universe. Agent Hao Ren has found a spacecraft wreckage without markings in The Plane of Dreams. It is believed that the spacecraft is originally from the Surface World. The crash is estimated to have happened two months ago (Kuiper Station provided the time conversion algorithm). The features of the spacecraft is hereby broadcasted. Any civilizations or individuals who receive this broadcast and know about the spacecraft, kindly contact the station master of Kuiper Station. Remarks: As this is a special incident that could probably affect the balance of the universe¡¯ foundation, it is recommended as a Category Three event. Please find the attached file for features of spacecraft. Announcement ended.¡±


    Earth was not yet a well-known civilization sphere in the universe and there were no other registered civilization systems nearby Earth so, it was natural for Hao Ren to use Kuiper Station as the place of origin for his announcement. The transit station which had a few crew but remained busy was his office in this region of the galaxy¡ªat least that was what his ID card said.


    He let out a long sigh as he finished broadcasting the message. He was not used to such a solemn announcement. He was tempted to say, ¡°I spotted a six-hundred-meter spacecraft out there two days ago. I wonder whose thing that is.¡± However, considering it was his first time making an announcement and he had to leave a good impression, he did it the solemn way.


    The MDT was loudmouthed again. ¡°Oh, you just sounded like a retired, old cadre¡­¡±


    Hao Ren did not have the time to argue with the MDT because he found that his announcement was automatically pinned to the front page of all channels by the datalink. It was being sent out to all networks of every civilization in the universe as top priority. The response in the form of short messages came in from all directions like a DDoS attack.


    ¡°Unencrypted message¡ªdirectional reply, Dan-Dwyn Civilization Sphere acknowledged. Investigation will be initiated.¡±


    ¡°Unencrypted message¡ªdirectional reply, Chattar Civilization Sphere acknowledged. Investigation will be initiated.¡±


    ¡°Unencrypted message¡ªdirectional reply, Suharr Satellite Base acknowledged. Message was forwarded to all chambers of commerce. Investigation will be initiated.¡±


    ¡°¡­Kerbal Civilization Sphere acknowledged. Investigation will be initiated.¡±


    Every civilization sphere that was qualified to stand on the galaxy¡¯s stage would connect to the Empire¡¯s datalink and only the Empire¡¯s spokepersons were qualified to post announcements on the datalink. All these announcements were always important: without a doubt, they were life-and-death matters of civilizations or closely affecting the lifeline of the entire universe. Despite being in the picture, Hao Ren did not realize the meaning of everything he had experienced. All listeners on the datalink would not take his broadcasted message lightly.


    These massive amount of solemn replies from all the civilizations in the galaxy had overwhelmed Hao Ren. He felt like he suddenly became a big shot and was a little flattered. But his other colleagues in the information exchange channel on the official bulletin gave him a quick reality check. He then realized he was still a rookie.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the image? ¨C Agent Tunalar, Dan-Dwyn Civilization Sphere.¡±


    ¡°Attachment not attached? ¨C Agent Loken, Kelsen-Volf Civilization Sphere.¡±


    ¡°No image, no truth ¨C Agent Ron, Kerbal Civilization Sphere.¡±


    ¡°Rookie, don¡¯t freak out. We rookies don¡¯t sink to the level of the old f*gs ¨C Guam Fander Pothelm, Arcturus Civilization Sphere.¡±


    Hao Ren was dumbstruck.


    It was a hell of a working environment.

 Chapter 224

    To be frank, using the local universe channel to post an announcement was pretty much the same as a school broadcast system. The channel was mostly about lost items anyway. Having that in mind, Hao Ren had managed to wade through the flood of messages without much issue and proceeded to upload the photos into the channel.


    Luckily, Hao Ren came prepared to The Plane of Dreams. When he was in the ship, he had taken plenty of pictures both of the exterior and the interior of the ship. There was even a short clip of Lily swiping her claws at a crack on the ship. The information he had garnered would allow the civilization spheres to narrow down the origin of the craft.


    By then, the channel had more and more participants, even including the agents and heralds from different areas and civilization spheres. Hao Ren found it rather easy to distinguish them apart. Not only because there were specialized suffixes at the back of their names, the way they spoke was vastly different from one another. Most civilization heralds spoke with a very proper, traditional and sometimes deadpan manner. This was expected as they were the representatives of their civilization spheres and most of them wre old pen pushers. Such was the way to communicate in their line of work especially when serving a gigantic trans-galatic empire like the Xiling Empire. The agents on the other hand, were a very casual lot. Thinking back, Hao Ren realized that there seemed to be a common theme behind those Raven 12345 picked for the job¡­ it¡¯s that all of them were bloody jokers on the same wavelength as her¡­


    Such irony, that by criticizing his superior, Hao Ren had to acknowledge the fact that he was a bloody joker.


    The MDT was busy helping out with vetting the messages that were going through the public channels. Some parts of the channels were administered by the Empire properly, some of them were under the local civilization sphere¡¯s own data network. A small network probably covered a stellar system and a big one probably encompassed an entire galaxy. Each network was built from all sorts of different technology from hyper lightspeed communication satelites to magical telephatic spires and they were the pride of the civilization spheres that owned them.


    More and more responses came from the data networks by then. They were replies from the various spheres to Hao Ren¡¯s posting. Some of the more advanced or faster ones had already sent out search orders across their network to aid in the search. The horrible photographs that Hao Ren took had spread across the entire universe¡­


    Among them was one of Lily¡¯s propeller tail.


    Hao Ren had a dream long ago. It was to publish a book. A way to let his writings spread across the masses and that would do his family proud. But, his language teacher had solemnly told him that two things impeded his dreams of being a prolific writer. They were his left and right hands, which were bereft of any writing skills. Hao Ren¡¯s dream was shattered that very moment.


    Nonetheless, he realized that his dreams came true in ways far more than what he could have previously imagined: His posting had not only disseminated to the public, it was to the whole universe and it was simultaneously translated into about 26,000 different languages. By the next day, his posting would have been disseminated even further. It would appear on print and posters across the universe.


    ¡°Looks like this won¡¯t take too long?¡± Hao Ren looked at the raucous scene unfolding in the data network. He could scarcely believe that he had such an ability to draw so much attention and he had high hopes to settle the issue regarding the spaceship in a jiffy. Hell, if things went well enough, he could get it done before sending Hilda back.


    The MDT pondered for a moment before pouring down on Hao Ren¡¯s parade. ¡°I suppose we will still need a few days. Don¡¯t let the activity on the network fool you. The universe is a wide, wide place after all. And some civilization¡¯s hyper lightspeed communication isn¡¯t all that advanced. Sides, the ship twe ran into seems like a mass-produced workboat and may be used very widely in certain star systems. Not many races would be keeping records of such mass-produced ships. They may take a few days before they are able to gather information from every civilian starport, including those beyond the range of the communication relays. They will then need to sift through the information before sending it to you. That said, nine times out of ten, the stuff you get are worthless duds.¡±


    Hao Ren simply nodded. He did not know how hyper lightspeed communication worked but, he knew that it was one of the most important basics for a civilization to enter the stars properly. For many races that were new to space travel, this was still very high end technology. At the same time, two messages marked as important popped up in front of Hao Ren. They were from the Dan-Dwyn and Kerbal Civilization Spheres. Both spheres had records in their database about spacecrafts that were very similiar to the one Hao Ren submitted. Dan-Dwyns¡¯ herald left a comment that read ¡°¡­Checked the purchase records and found that 300 of these ships were purchased through official channels 50 years ago. At the same time, there were larger models available. We have no records on the motive of purchase¡­¡±


    The Kerbals had even bigger purchase records. They were a young race with an insatiable thirst for space travel as well as knowledge of the subject. They had a rather relaxed regulation regarding civilian space travel. One of the customs officers, after scouring their records, had reported that over a thousand odd ships of a similar looking model were purchased for civilian use. Perhaps even more.


    The data network server had compared the various reports, which came from all corners and determined that only these two spheres had purchased this ship model in significant amounts. Thus, leaving them the most probable source of the ship.


    And the waiting game started for further information.


    Hao Ren had also uploaded the photos of the small greenlings in the ship. However, frankly, it was of limited use. An interstellar ship would have crews which consisted of races from all over the place. There was even a case of a local captain having almost a hundred crew members. As such, those greenlings would not actually tell very much.


    It was simply a pity that the ship¡¯s databank had been wrecked or else, it would have made the search of its origins much easier.


    Hao Ren also pulled out the ¡®Sea Urchin Combat Bot¡¯ from his Dimensional Pocket. Yes, it was that tentacle-armed, metallic sphere. There was plenty of space left in the basement after all. He let the MDT circle the sphere to take some pictures to add to his posting, hoping to find out the creator of the object. It did not take long for the replies to come. ¡°The ¡®Sea Urchin Combat Bot¡¯ is not a military grade item in any of the civilization spheres. It seems like a security bot made by a private security company. Finding its origins would be even more difficult.¡±


    ¡­. Such was the scene on a galatic stage. The noise and ruckus was like your local night market.


    ¡°Hur, hur. Lets go back up to wait. We won¡¯t be getting any new updates any time soon.¡± The MDT made an almost human sigh as it finished compiling all the data they had gathered that day.


    ¡°Yeah. Do monitor the channels for me. Let me know if there¡¯s anything important. That ship at the bottom of the Blood Lake just makes me uneasy.¡± Hao Ren said as he nodded. He then turned his sights to the ¡®coffin¡¯ beside him. ¡°Say¡­ when can Hilda get out of there? She¡¯s been in there for almost¡­an hour already?¡±


    ¡°Two hours plus already,¡± the MDT replied. ¡°We¡¯ll have to wait regardless. Scanning an interloper is the most tedious. Not only do we need to scan her details, we have to keep matching with the records further up. Sometimes it¡¯ll take a short while, sometimes it¡¯ll take a few hours.¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned. Time flew when he was so focused on his work.


    Thus, both him and the MDT patiently waited beside Hilda¡¯s ¡®coffin¡¯. In between, Y¡¯zaks came down to check on them. Finally, just before Hao Ren was about to doze off, a loud ding came from the sleeping pod. Hilda was sound¡­ uh.. no, wide awake.


    The Elven Queen had gotten up from the sleeping pod and looked at Hao Ren curiously. ¡°Is the scan complete?¡±


    Before Hao Ren could say anything, the MDT started muttering. ¡°Done, all done. Let¡¯s go up. We¡¯ve been waiting for you for a good part of the day.¡±


    Hilda simply blinked. ¡°That long? It felt just like a moment to me.¡±


    ¡°Almost three hours. Any longer and it would be dinner time already.¡± Hao Ren said as he spread open his hands.


    Hilda voiced a curt ¡°Oh!¡± and did not ask further. She knew that her knowledge of these advanced alien technology was next to zero. Adjusting her crumpled shirt as she went along, she asked, ¡°When can I go home?¡±


    Hao Ren nudged the MDT for it to check. The Space Administration already had Hilda¡¯s name in their record and her status was marked as ¡®Processing¡¯ and a remark was left, saying a reply would be given in two business days (Imperial Standard Time). He passed on the information to give Hilda some sort of relief but, he did not know how relieved she would be from hearing that.


    After three hours of busywork in the basement, it was almost dark when Hao Ren got out of there.


    The daylight during winter was always short. It was barely 5.00pm and a golden ray of the setting sun was already visible in the living room. Wuyue had placed a basin on the tea table right where the sun was shining. In it was half a tub of water and a big rock. Lil Pea was lying lazily on the rock, sunbathing. Her already shiny tail glistened under the evening sun. Almost like a Bonsai.


    Beside the tea table, Lily and Vivian were squabbling as usual.


    Hao Ren still had plenty on his mind as he saw them at each other¡¯s throats again. His anger rose. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you two again?¡±


    Lily quickly pulled out her twin claws. ¡°Battie¡¯s saying that she wants to name my weapons. The ice one, as Frostmourne.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that nice?¡± Hao Ren did not even understand why they were fighting in the first place.


    Lily¡¯s ears shuddered all of a sudden. ¡°But, she even called the fire one Flamejoy for whatever reason¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Hao Ren only managed to gather his wits again after a while. ¡°Bloody hell, just how free are you two?¡±


    Vivian was still unhappy about the episode. ¡°I was being serious. If she doesn¡¯t like it she doesn¡¯t have to use it. What¡¯s with her claiming that I¡¯m insulting her wolven ancestors¡­¡±


    Hao Ren just waved his hands resignedly at the two, signalling that he had no mood to get into their arguments. After looking at Vivian for a while, something popped up in his mind. ¡°Oh, right. Vivian, I have something to ask of you¡­¡±

 Chapter 225

    ¡°You need my help? Vivian looked at Hao Ren quizzically. ¡°Do you want to eat something nice for dinner? Or do you want desserts?¡±


    Hao Ren was unsure on how to react. He muttered to himself that this super vampire had really assimilated as a home chef and housemaid. It really does seem like her thinking logic was being bound to the kitchen and it¡¯s immediate surroundings. He simply waved his hand laughing. ¡°No not that. I¡¯m asking if you can get in touch with other supernaturals? Vampires, werewolves whoever. Hell, even spirits or zombies would work. Especially those that you had made an acquintance of.¡±


    Vivian immediately frowned as she heard his request. ¡°I don¡¯t really keep in touch with my kin, most of them are screwed in the head anyway.. The others¡­ I haven¡¯t heard from them in a long long while. Only the recent visit by the Ebbens did they let me on a secret way to reach them.¡±


    Vivian was known as a solitary vampire. From the time human carved the first iconographies on the rocks, she was already with them. In fact, the time she spent with humans far exceeded that of her kind. Her reason was simple. Those jokers are screwed in the head. It was pretty much conflict everywhere for the supernaturals. Vivian preferred the company of the younger, unpredictable and more peaceful (superlatively) humans. Her odd attitude brought her a lot of fame¡­ well famed for being screwed in the head by the rest of her kin. This resulted in Vivian totally going out of touch with the happenings of the supernaturals. She don¡¯t even know where the few remaining Blood Clans are hiding out.


    ¡°Totally no way to contact them at all?¡± Hao Ren looked a little disappointed. He had hoped the only person that he could had count on for the matter was this vampire lady. The idiotic husky, the wandering mistrel, and a demon from the otherworld wouldn¡¯t have much contact with the supernaturals on Earth won¡¯t they?


    Vivian noticed the importance that Hao Ren had placed on the matter. After some head scratching she finally nodded. ¡°¡­. If you insist¡­perhaps I can try to get in touch with some of those old coots. I know of their whereabouts about ten odd years back. Some of them, being the bums they are, won¡¯t move unless they are targeted by the Demon Hunters. But why are you looking for them?¡±


    ¡°Mission, what else.¡± Hao Ren sighed. ¡°Both Raven12345 and I feel that the ¡®Day of Return¡¯ the supernaturals are talking about have something to do with the crumbling balance in the Dream Plane. But given that we are unable to go into the deep blue, we can only rely of the other supernaturals for more information on the matter. I want to you try to restore contact with them. Forget the sensitive details for now. Just restore contact will do. After that, try to get some information on what are they up to. So that we have a rough idea on what¡¯s going on.¡±


    Vivian pondered for a moment before nodding. ¡°Alright. I don¡¯t really like having anything to do with those lot, but since you are the one asking.¡±


    Hao Ren gave Vivian a grateful look. He knew that she really did not like mingling with other supernaturals. By then, Lily was already at the limit of her excitement and she bounced towards him and grabbed his arm. ¡°Mr Landlord, Mr Landlord! How about me? Do I have a mission to? Let me do something!¡±


    Apparently the dumb husky thought that going on a mission equates fun and was all excited about it. It took Hao Ren a while to figure out what she can do before grabbing a bottle of soda going, ¡°Open your mouth, bite it, and don¡¯t move-¡±


    A loud clack rang and Hao Ren gave a satisfied nod. ¡°Hmm. Yep. That¡¯ll do.¡±


    Indeed it was Lily¡¯s natural talent to be a bottle opener.


    Well, Lily subsequent violent protests and tantrums not withstanding, both Becky and Hilda became temporary guests of the house for the night. Thankfully Hao Ren¡¯s place was huge, aside from Vivian occupying the basement, Hao Ren and Lily on the first floor, and Wuyue and Y¡¯zaks on the second floor, there were still three empty rooms left. As time was rather tight, and the other two rooms were stuffed full of junk, Becky and Hilda had to share a room for the night. Surprisingly, both of them had little to say about it. While Hilda was royalty, she was from a place that knew suffering all too well and was already pleased that she had a comfortable room and hearty food to eat. A far better option sleeping in the open over at the Dream Plane. Becky was even more than happy. Her mercenary days had seen her sleeping on branches or in caves.


    Becky was still overwhelmed by a sense of excitement and adventure. She was extremely curious about everything on Earth that her adventurous spirit was burning hot. She barely slept for the night and the next day appeared so red-eyed that Hao Ren got a shock. ¡°¡­.Do you have a habit of going berserk after waking up?¡±


    ¡°Oh shut up, I¡¯m a Spellsword, not a Berserker.¡± Becky glared at Hao Ren for a bit before approaching the group excitedly. ¡°Oh yeah, you¡¯re bring me out today right? Nangong Wuyue said something about buying me some lawngeyray¡­..¡±


    ¡°Okay okay, sure. I remember. Please calm down, jeez.¡± Hao Ren avoided Becky¡¯s fiery gaze as he recalled the various plans that were put on hold because of the events that had happened. He first went to Y¡¯zaks who was feeding Rollie in a corner. (He looked more like he was torturing the cat from an untrained eye). ¡°Big guy, follow me out today. We¡¯ll get you some winter clothings.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks was still clad in his self-fitting outfit. While the clothes would last forever, Hao Ren felt that it was time for the big man to get some better clothes.


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s cold or not, that¡¯s secondary. You stick out too much like a sore thumb.¡± Hao Ren lamented as he looked at Y¡¯zaks clothings. ¡°If you were to go out wearing like this. Chances are the old folks by the street would take you for someone who had just broke out of prison.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks simply smiled. ¡°Even when I¡¯m dressed in a full suit I still look like a prison escapee. Oh.. that Nangong girl even said I looked the part of a prison breaker¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Seems like the big dude does have some self-awareness. Then by jove why didn¡¯t you change that look of yours when you morphed?


    As Hao Ren¡¯s blunt words were well-intentioned, plus all the cost incurred here could simply be claimed from Raven12345, Y¡¯zaks simply just went with the idea. After thanking Hao Ren for the gesture he asked when they were leaving. Hao Ren then said that they will have to bring Vivian along. He wanted to get something for her too.


    He then made his way to the basement where the vampire lived. As he opened the door he was accosted by a dozen of small bats and got a shock of his life. After composing himself, he saw that Vivian was sitted on her study casting some sort of spell: She had summoned plenty of bats, and had them lined up in front of her to be ¡®annoited¡¯. Floating around her was a few blood orbs made out of fresh blood, from it a crimson mist was drawn and imprinted on the wings of the bats. Hao Ren simply just grabbed one that fly past him (it was pretty easy, these creatures were not particularly adept at resisting or dodging) and noticed that Letta Runes and some other special symbols were etched on its wings.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you asking me to contact those supernaturals?¡± Vivian replied without even lifting her head as she continued imprinting the bats with runes. ¡°Those old coots are pretty good at hiding. Especially after the purges the Demon Hunters had pulled off. They are pretty weary of outsiders and the way we communicate is rather different. These bats here are a specialty of a Blood Clan. They carry a small imprint of my will and message. No one else can replicate that. Even if they were to run into danger, they¡¯ll simply disintegrate into mist. Pretty safe.¡±


    Hao Ren then realised that Vivian had already started sending out her missives. While she may look reluctant on the surface, as long as she had promised someone something, the vampire would do her best to accomplish it. Her pride demanded it. But seeing the bats flying around the room had Hao Ren confused, ¡°How are you getting them to those old friends? Can they fly across the globe?¡±


    Vivian nodded matter-of-factly. ¡°Of course they could. But I¡¯m trying to contact those within the Eurasia region first. Then only try my luck on those accross the Pacific. I¡¯m a rather famous person after all, if I were to go all out some of them might take it the wrong way.¡±


    ¡°Fly across? The whole Eurasia?¡± Hao Ren was dumbstruck.


    He looked at the palm-sized bat in his hand. They looked almost indistinguishable from your normal bats. He really wondered how long would they take to even go across such wide a landmass. Vivian simply waved him off. ¡°What do you expect then? This is the most convenient of methods. You can¡¯t have me running all over the place can¡¯t you?¡±


    Well, truth be told, it was indeed convenient. But Hao Ren always felt that something better could be done. It took him a good while before it struck him like a eureka. ¡°You ever heard of express delivery?¡±


    By the time Vivian had managed to react to what Hao Ren said, her stunned look was all too apparent. ¡°Wow¡­ that¡¯s rather ingenious¡­¡±

 Chapter 226

    Hao Ren actually thought he was rather creative too. Since the time vampires walked the earth and mail service was invented, guess no one actually thought of stuffing one¡¯s own bats into a express delivery package.


    He took a short while to discuss the knick-knacks with Vivian. The plan was like this: Stuff the bats in the express delivery packages, used human¡¯s express delivery service to send them all across Eurasia, to anybody. Since the MDT could search for any locales on Earth in a jiffy, or at most to get it to hack into the delivery system¡­ If the bats were to be delivered to somewhere without a person to receive it. It¡¯ll be up to them to escape the packaging to look for their targets.


    Of course, Vivian would try to write the names of her old friends as the receipient of the mail, but as to how many will actually reach them it was hard to tell. It had been ten years since she last heard of them. Even if those reclusive old coots had not moved it was not likely the old ways of communication would work.


    Well¡­ as long as the bats gets an express ride to where they need to be it¡¯s fine.


    They would of course need to hide the bats somewhat, or in something that would fit them. Luckily, they managed to get hold of some usable items rather quickly. Hao Ren had managed to find a whole stack of paper boxes and wide-mouthed bottles. They came from Lily¡¯s endless junkfood binge, in cans and bottles of various shape and sizes. And oh chocolates too. While it has been told again and again that canines cannot eat chocolates, but Lily paid no heed to it and from the time till now, the amount of packaging was seemingly shocking. Hao Ren too was curious as to why the storeroom beside Vivian¡¯s room was stuffed full with the junk. ¡°What are you keeping these for? Didn¡¯t throw them out with the rest of the garbage?¡±


    Vivian nodded matter-of-factly again. ¡°Waiting for the recyclers of course. All these could net me at least twenty yuan. That¡¯s at least a dozen of eggs.¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned. He said to himself that it was rare enough that people would keep old junk for recyclers, it really shows that Vivian was so used to the life of poverty that very cent counts. But yet Vivian still can¡¯t save any money. If she doesn¡¯t use it soon, chances are she¡¯ll lose it somehow¡­


    Seeing the poor vampire with pity, Hao Ren couldn¡¯t help but to make a very manly statement. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will take care of you.¡±


    Vivian was very touched by the gesture. ¡°Then I will cook for you for the rest of your life!¡±


    ¡°¡­.This is a bit too easy ain¡¯t it?¡± Hao Ren thought.


    The both of them laid out the bottle, boxes and cans on Vivian¡¯s desk and starting filling them with the bats. Those wide-mouthed bottles were more than enough for the task and the bats is not cramped in it as well. Hao Ren lifted one of the bats and stared at it, the latter¡¯s small black eyes too stared back at it. Feeling uncomfortable, Hao Ren tried to find a topic ¡°Say¡­ will the sealing kill the thing?¡±


    ¡°No, my bats are biologically ¡®dead¡¯ anyway. Vivian waved Hao Ren¡¯s concern off. ¡°It¡¯ll pass as a corpse specimen easily.¡±


    Hao Ren shook the bottles, ¡°Ugh¡­ it feels wrong sealing it in the bottle. Look! It¡¯s staring at me.¡±


    The bat in the bottle looked away embarassed. Vivian¡¯s voice came from the side. ¡°That¡¯s me looking at you. I was curious how would the world look like from a glass bottle¡­¡±


    Hao Ren then remembered that the bats were in fact Vivian¡¯s avatars, putting them in a bottle simply gave Vivian an extra odd angle to look at. There was nothing to pity for these bats. These actions that are so common for the supernaturals always seemed to get overlooked by humans.


    Stuffing the bats had used up almost all of the empty bottles. Compared to selling them to the recyclers, this was a much better use. At least Lily¡¯s gluttonous habits had a positive effect for once. But as he sealed the bottles something popped up. ¡°Wait¡­ you sure these things would pass security checks? Especially living items, it¡¯ll be problematic if it were to go overseas¡­¡±


    Vivian had never used express delivery before. Such ¡®luxury¡¯ was beyond her and as such the thought had never occured to her. ¡°What do we do now?¡±


    Hao Ren pondered for a moment and suddenly clapped. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say the bats are dead? If we were to make them look like specimens, we could pass them off as craftworks¡­.¡±


    The idea sounded sensible to Vivian and she pulled out a bunch of cardboards and wires. After checking how a bat specimen would look like she fastened them up on the cardboard. These summoned creatures does not breathe nor have any heartbeat and could easily play the part of a dead animal. After some effort they really looked like your art specimens.¡±


    Hao Ren was satisfied with the handiwork. ¡°Good, when we send these out we can just part them as craftworks.¡±


    Vivian looked at the bats that were held in a sprawling position and looked away with her face red. ¡°This pose is pretty embarassing¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    It¡¯s really hard to understand what¡¯s going on in a non-human lady¡¯s head.


    ¡°Will they run into any problems though?¡± Hao Ren was evidently still worried. ¡°Especially if we were to mail them overseas. Human checks are one thing. Will the Demon Hunters monitor this sort of communication channel?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­ there is a risk indeed. But I had already cast a aura removal and diversion spell on each bottle. Unless a Demon Hunter strikes the jackpot and sees what¡¯s in it, it will not be exposed.¡±


    Hao Ren then only could breath a sigh of relief. After that, both him and Vivian brought two big boxes of bottles and cans up to the living room. Becky was all giddy from excitement by the wait, and she zipped right towards them as she saw the duo. ¡°When are we¡­. Oh what¡¯s here?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll need to pay the delivery office a visit first to send these out.¡± Hao Ren placed one of the boxes on the tea table and pulled Rollie who can jumped up the table out of curiosity aside. ¡°Oh yea, Hilda, want to come along?¡±


    Hilda was in a stupor while sitted on the sofa. After hearing what Hao Ren said, she only belated shook her head. ¡°No.. I don¡¯t need anything.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you guys are going out? Shopping?¡± Vivian only then noticed that most of the group were dressed to go out. Hao Ren nodded at her. ¡°Yes, come along to. Should get you some stuff too.¡±


    Vivian did not know what Hao Ren had in mind and seeing that he did not plan to spell it out either, she simply nodded and said her thanks.


    The vampire had shed her hesitation towards Hao Ren¡¯s generosity, unlike when she just moved in. She knew that even she were to decline, she had no money to get the things herself¡­


    Leaving Hilda who was still in her stupor and Lil Pea who obviously cannot go out at home. Hao Ren and the rest left the house rather noisily. The strongest of the lot, Y¡¯zaks and Lily volunteered to carry the boxes and were in the front of the group. Hao Ren, whilst walking muttered to himself. ¡°High time I get a proper car¡­. It¡¯s a necessary tool anyway. Sides, I¡¯ve also started learning how to pilot a spacecraft¡­. and we still need to jostle for public transport?¡±


    While Hao Ren could teleport, he hated the nauseating feeling that came after each teleportation. Besides, teleporting into a big city would simply just spell trouble. As such, unless it is to travel somewhere really far, Hao Ren and the group had to rely on public transport.


    Wuyue pondered for a while. ¡°Having a car sure is convenient, but who can drive?¡±


    Hao Ren puffed his chest up and gave it a slap. ¡°Me of course, I can soon pilot a spaceship!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s on the right side then? The brake or the accelerator?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°You know, it¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t know something.¡± Wuyue curled her lips. ¡°I had learned how to drive a LONG time ago¡­ but that time, internal combustion engines were a pretty new invention. You can imagine my driving skills then.¡±


    Hao Ren tried to estimate, and was surprised to find that the the time Wuyue had learnt to drive was in the early 1900s. Her driving now would be a death knell for them. No, a death knell for everyone on the road.


    Looking around, it does seem that none of them knew how to drive a car. Y¡¯zaks and Becky were out of the question¡­ Wuyue¡¯s driving license¡­ is over a century old. Lily¡­ don¡¯t have high hopes of her passing the driving exam. Vivian was even more unlikely, having a personal car an item she could only dream of. She was already struggling with the bus fares as it is¡­


    Hao Ren finally proded the MDT, ¡°Can the Administration do something about our short-haul transportation problem? It¡¯ll be better if it¡¯s self-driving¡­¡±


    ¡°Can you don¡¯t act all goody-two-shoes, just say it if you want to take advantage of your benefits.¡± The MDT sneered as it vibrated. ¡°But I can try to apply something for you. It¡¯s just lucky that Mistress Raven had given you the assignment to monitor the supernaturals on Earth, this will serve as a valid reason.


    Now Hao Ren could look forward as to what he will receive next month.

 Chapter 227

    It took quite a while to send the two boxes of bottles and jars. First of all, many of them were to be sent to other countries, which was very frustrating. Second, those bottles were also cumbersome to pack. If you did not put in lots of bubble foam into the box when packing, you would not feel at ease. After all, they were fragile products. The lady who was filling the form was frightened when looking at such a large group of people coming to send the parcels to the entire Eurasian continent. If they were cautious enough, perhaps they would have to call the counter-terrorism department. Thanks to Hao Ren¡¯s quick explanation, explained to them that they were working for an art studio, specializing in the production of handicrafts and these items were the handicraft sold by them, that the employee of the express company stopped asking. It was just that some of the labels were still on the bottles, which read peach/strawberry/taro / Wang Zhihe, which were quite puzzling¡­


    Luckily, the employee trusted their lies. Nowadays, ¡®for art purpose¡¯ was a common excuse.


    Then they rushed to the city center business district by car.


    Becky never calmed down from the time she got on the bus. The moment the bus started to move, Hao Ren noticed the girl almost made the act of taking out her sword. It seemed that it was a smart move to keep her sword at home. Hao Ren asked her curiously and realized that when the engine was started, Becky sensed ¡®a hot and uncontrollable force was rising at the foot¡¯ and she thought the car was about to explode, so she was ready to break the window and run¡­


    In this case, you could see the cultural differences between the two worlds. Although the alchemy technology of The Plane of Dreams was similar to that of the earth, they were more direct and tough on the use of energy, and they were accustomed to using the power of magic to fully control the energy. Although this led to the low power of most of their alchemy equipment, it had high controllability. The earth was a world of artillery. Humans were adept at mixing dangerous high-energy gadgets together and blowing them up, and then controlling them with a variety of indirect devices: controlling them at a delicate, barely secure equilibrium point. Therefore, Becky who was coming from the Plane of Dreams was scared of the technology products on Earth. As a swordsman who was dealing with traps and ruins all year round and sensitive to energy, she immediately found that the cylinder of the ¡®car¡¯ was a controllable bomb which was always circulating in two states, ¡®detonating¡¯ and ¡®not exploding¡¯.


    Hao Ren had no way to explain the Earth engineer¡¯s safety indicators and safety components of the cylinder to Becky. He could only stress that the car was safe, steady and won¡¯t explode easily, although its air cylinder felt like a row of bombs in Becky¡¯s sense.


    And Becky finally calmed down after those shocks. She was amazed by the inventions of the people on Earth (especially the adventurous part of these creations), and it seemed to her that an ¡®alchemy vehicle¡¯ propelled by kept exploding would be unthinkable, and that only the craziest alchemists would study it in the Plane of Dream. However, on Earth, it had grown so pervasive and safe to use. She leaned over the window and stared curiously at every landscape that passed and kept asking questions, such as why the people on Earth hang clothes with a rope so high (in fact, it was the electric wire), why the roadside trees were not healthy enough, why the people on Earth made the road so wide, and why was it so far away to buy something: she was clearly not sufficiently aware of the population density and city size on Earth.


    And finally, Becky pointed to the billboard outside the window and commented, ¡°It¡¯s not safe here?¡±


    Lily was surprised and asked, ¡°Why do you say that?¡±


    ¡°There are posters of order for arrest everywhere, and they¡¯re so big,¡± Becky said seriously, ¡°I saw two-thirds of the boards are the same person, what kind of sins has he committed that his portrait has to be printed on three meters wide banner and hanging on the roadside ¡­¡±


    Everyone became speechless, and Becky went along with her mercenary mentality and asked, ¡°So if I kill him, will I get a lot of gratuities? Do you have mercenary here?¡±


    Hao Ren hurriedly put out Becky¡¯s idea and said, ¡°Don¡¯t! Those things are ads, that¡¯s a movie star. If you ruin the billboard you¡¯ll be jailed for at least 20 years.¡±


    Becky was surprised and asked, ¡°Those strange signs below it are not a reward?¡±


    ¡°¡­ That¡¯s the order number.¡±


    Becky immediately got very disappointed and sat back and said, ¡°Mercenary is difficult to survive in this place, can¡¯t even get a job.¡±


    There were not many people in the bus, just two or three passengers. When the driver heard their conversation, he asked curiously, ¡°This girl is a foreigner? Come to China for the first time? She looks very excited, you can introduce what we have here, I heard that a lot of foreigners still have the outdated impression about us, some Americans even think we still keep braids¡­ It¡¯s all because of those half-baked directors in Hollywood.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled awkwardly and replied perfunctorily, ¡°Err, she¡¯s an international student from the Budula Chaville in Europe¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? About me?¡± Becky looked curiously at Hao Ren and the driver while they were talking. ¡°I don¡¯t understand the Earth language but you guys know all the language, I really envy. Can I also get the blessing from your Goddess?¡±


    Hao Ren rubbed away the cold sweat on his forehead and said, ¡°You don¡¯t bring me any trouble, fortunately, you can¡¯t speak Mandarin!¡±


    Becky was talking in the language of the Plane of Dreams with them all the way, so Hao Ren could rest assured and let her kept asking questions in public. If this girl could speak Earth language it could be very troublesome. If people heard those wild and peculiar questions, she could be sent to the psychiatric hospital on the spot, or Hao Ren and the gang would be caught due to the suspected of trafficking of a foreign woman, but in the end, Becky would still have to be sent to psychiatric hospital¡­


    They finally got off the bus in the biggest shopping mall of the town where Hilda visited yesterday. Hao Ren was surprised to find that the comic con was not over. It seemed that this was a large-scale formal exhibition, hundreds of young people who were cosplaying still occupied the exhibition area which occupied two-thirds of the square with a yellow divider. Hao Ren stretched his neck and looked across the square, confirming that the exhibition base should be at the stadium- too bad he did not even have the tickets, and he had no chance to bring the abnormal creatures behind him to join in the exhibition.


    Becky looked at the square in astonishment. The young people with the peculiar clothes did not match the scenery on earth that she saw along the way, but some of them made her feel like home. She stretched her neck to look around, and suddenly raised her hand excitedly and rubbed out a small fireball and said, ¡°For the gold coins! The woman knight is worth a fight, I want to¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was frightened when he saw it. He quickly patted her on the fireball and her head and said, ¡°What are you doing? Her armor is made of plastic! It will melt when coming into contact with fire.¡±


    ¡°What the hell is this?¡± Becky looked around and stood there in a daze. Fortunately, Hao Ren reacted quickly, nobody noticed the small fireball on her palm. ¡°Some of them looked like combat professionals,¡± she said.


    ¡°They are having fun, an occasion for them to have fun, do you understand?¡± Hao Ren was having a terrible headache as he noticed that Lily¡¯s eyes also started shining and he could feel that there was an invisible tail wagging behind her like a propeller. ¡°We¡¯ll take about this later, now can we go and settle our to-do-list? Otherwise, after Lily enters the shopping mall, she definitely won¡¯t come back until the sun goes down!¡±


    Hao Ren finally persuaded the eager Becky and Lily and dragged them into the shopping mall. After they entered the shopping mall, Hao Ren finally did not have to worry about mercenary girl rushed into the middle of the ¡®war-worthy warriors¡¯ outside and caused a sword-blade storm, because obviously, the shopping mall had a bigger impact on Becky.


    ¡°This place¡­¡± Becky stared at the giant commercial square in front of her eyes (which was only a small fraction of what she could see), ¡°Just to sell things?¡±


    ¡°Pretty big, huh?¡± Hao Ren this time could feel the pride of being a man of the Earth: comparing to the supermen in the Plane of Dreams, human¡¯s physique was weak, the resistance was poor, the life was short, and they did not know magic, but there was one thing that seemed particularly powerful, that was, the development of society was going out of control¡­


    However, Becky curled her lip and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s really big, but there¡¯re lots of people. I¡¯ve never seen so many people.¡±


    Hao Ren, ¡°¡­¡±


    He found himself making a mistake. He thought that only the people on earth would build large spectacle buildings, but forgot that the level of civilization in the Plane of Dreams was not too low. Moreover, a feudal totalitarian and powerful theocracy world was actually more prone to costly and large-scale construction, coupled with their small population, a variety of mega-buildings would be easier to appear thrilling. The Great Wall during the golden week and that of the normal days looked absolutely different. Therefore, Becky was not amazed at how magnificent this place was, and what she kept marvel at was the strange things on Earth.


    Hao Ren also understood the statement in the work manual: Do not think that the people from the Otherworld are all the hicks. They are not in awe when they see what is on your planet, most of the time they just find the locals interesting.


    This sentence was used to kill some of the agents¡¯ sense of superiority. Hao Ren now began to understand the meaning of it.

 Chapter 228

    After Becky had adapted to the huge crowd of people on Earth, Hao Ren began to stroll around in the shopping mall with a bunch of unusual creatures. He thought about it and realized that this seemed to be the first time that he brought so many people out to buy things. Before that, he only went out occasionally with Vivian to buy groceries near home, or accompany Lily to the supermarket to buy food. These unusual creatures usually stayed at home busy their own stuff most of the time.


    Anyway, Hao Ren now felt that bringing these people out seemed to be quite¡­ interesting.


    Nangong Wuyue was an ordinary girl for most of the time, she was more normal than anyone else, except for some funny acts when she was transforming into a siren. Therefore, she was soon attracted by the crafts and small decorations shops along the way and left the team. Hao Ren continued to walk with the rest of them who were not interested in such things. Becky could not stop looking around and told Hao Ren, ¡°Eh, you see there¡¯re so many people here, imagine if I throw them a Pyroblast¡­¡± ¡°Look at that automatic ladder over there, if I place a blizzard at the exit¡­¡± ¡°Hey! That¡¯s the best spot to set up an acid trap!¡±


    Hao Ren broke out in a cold sweat while listening to her and asked, ¡°Why do you always have such a lunatic idea?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve no choice, this is my occupational disease,¡± Becky scratched her hair while talking to Hao Ren, ¡°Usually when I walk in the streets of my hometown I often make such a deduction, like what place suitable for the trap, where is the place for magic, what object looks like it can be disguised as an explosion chest¡­ I¡¯ve been a mercenary for a long time.¡±


    Hao Ren rubbed away the cold sweat and thought to himself that not every mercenary would be as neurotic as this girl!


    After they had studied the map of the mall, they decided to help Y¡¯zaks to pick some clothes first. Along the way when they were heading for a men¡¯s shop, everybody avoided them. Y¡¯zaks stuck on the ground like a horrible totem. There were no people in the radius of several meters. Though it was embarrassing, it was a good thing, which was, no matter how many people around them, it was not crowded. There was one thing that they could not control. There were people outside the circle secretly taking photos of Y¡¯zaks and post it social media. Y¡¯zaks¡¯ photo was worth more than 300 reposts without the need for any caption.


    Finally, Hao Ren led Y¡¯zaks into the large-scale brand shop and asked the sales assistant nearest to him ¡°Excuse me, can you help the man beside me to pick a coat.¡±


    The young lady was not facing them. She was tidy up the hangers and turned around as she heard Hao Ren¡¯s voice and said, ¡°Welcome, please¡­¡±


    Then she looked up at Y¡¯zaks and stunned.


    Hao Ren could not help but slapped his forehead: again. He waved his hand before the young lady¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°Err, can you help him pick a coat. Let¡¯s not judge a person by his appearance. Although this man looks ferocious, he¡¯s, in fact, a good person¡­¡±


    Fortunately, the young lady¡¯s psychological quality was better. She did not call the police or turned around to take money from the cash register. She just looked dully at Y¡¯zaks¡¯ figure and said, ¡°This¡­ I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s hard to find such a large coat.¡±


    ¡°Not so tall?¡±


    ¡°¡­Not so wide.¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly realized that Y¡¯zaks¡¯ stalwart stature was both tall and strong. 2.15-meters giant man did exist on earth, but it was hard to find someone who looked like Y¡¯zaks, with the height of 2.15 meters and whose upper body was almost as big an strong as an inverted triangle. Y¡¯zaks also knew it. He shrugged at Hao Ren and said, ¡°So I said I really don¡¯t want to bother you, my clothes need to be custom-made, otherwise there¡¯s nothing I can wear on earth except for the curtains. I better go home and ¡®toss about¡¯ something for myself.¡±


    Hao Ren knew what Y¡¯zaks meant was using magic to condense new clothes, but it clearly was not something that the big demon was good at. The clothes he was wearing now took her two months to create after he landed in England, and it was as ugly as the kind of clothes worn by reform through labor criminals. Hao Ren felt bad for the best fighter of his house to live such a bad life. Therefore, he shook his head, holding the last hope to look at the sales assistant and said, ¡°Just try your best. I guess any clothes you pick for him will be better than what he¡¯s wearing now.¡±


    The young sales assistant had no choice. She felt that the customer with the height of 2.15 meters and whose upper body was almost as big a strong as an inverted triangle was someone she could not afford to offend. Therefore, she had to go and rummage through the store to find the biggest clothes and measured it with Y¡¯zaks body. ¡°¡­ This is the biggest size we have. It was worn by a mannequin as our shop sign. We didn¡¯t expect it to be sold¡­¡±


    It was a thick long jacket, and Lily was able to use it as a kennel but it looked like a waistcoat if put it on Y¡¯zaks. The big demon shrunk his shoulder awkwardly and said, ¡°I guess it¡¯s OK to put on, but I need to hold my breath for a long time, maybe a sneeze will turn it into pieces.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the sales assistant expectantly and asked, ¡°no bigger size?¡±


    The sales assistant said awkwardly, ¡°Honestly, even the curtains of our shop could not fit him. For normal clothing manufacturers, if not for the world record, who will design clothing of this big? The problem is not about the height, but the width¡­¡±


    Hao Ren found it funny. It was not easy to make a trained professional sales assistant to say something like this. And the sales assistant also suggested, ¡°I suggest that you guys don¡¯t look have to look around here, the entire mall won¡¯t have such large clothes. For such a big size, it¡¯s better to custom-made for him.¡±


    Hao Ren also planned to buy Y¡¯zaks a pair of trousers, but now look at this situation, he could only give up. If they could not get a shirt that suit him, let alone a pair of trousers. It was still acceptable if the shirt was slightly tight, but not the pants. There was a sentence that could apply on Y¡¯zaks waist: If his trousers were thrown on the floor and no one was wearing it, you did not even know what that was¡­


    They left the shop in disappointment. When they left, Lily declared one thing very seriously with the sales assistant, ¡°Your window is too small¨Cmy curtain is just fit to put around Y¡¯zaks.¡±


    Vivian hurriedly dragged Lily out and said, ¡°Why take it so seriously.¡±


    ¡°Forget it, I better order two sets of customized clothes for you,¡± Hao Ren look at Y¡¯zaks regrettably, ¡°You can wear this bulletproof combat outfit when ¡®working¡¯, but on earth, it¡¯s best to wear something that is not eye-catching. And then now we¡¯ll go and buy Vivian¡¯s stuff?¡±


    Lily had little interest to follow them. In fact, she had been trying to run around since the beginning¨Cas the breed of dog that was nicknamed ¡®The-dog-that-will-not-listen-to-you¡¯, you could not expect her to go shopping and follow the team obediently. So now she began to get impatient and said, ¡°It¡¯s so boring! I¡¯m going to see the bags upstairs¡­¡±


    ¡°Bag? For travel or adventure?¡± asked Becky.


    Lily quickly instill the wrong knowledge into Becky and said, ¡°You¡¯ll know when you see it. It¡¯s not a travel bag. It¡¯s simply for carrying with one hand.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at this situation and knew that he could not stop them. He waved and said, ¡°Okay okay, you can go, but don¡¯t run around, we¡¯ll meet at the exit at noon.¡±


    He then looked at the big demon and said, ¡°Y¡¯zaks, help me to keep an eye on two of them¨Cespecially Becky. I remember there is a decorative mechanical dinosaur upstairs. Becky can easily rub a fireball to hit the dinosaur.¡±


    So they split up. Finally, there was just Vivian alone with Hao Ren. She had been curious since they left the house and asked, ¡°What are you going to buy me?¡±


    Hao Ren pointed to Vivian body and said, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about anything else. First I¡¯ll get you some new clothes, and then give you a cell phone.¡±


    Vivian was now wearing an old-fashioned winter coat. In fact, most of her clothes were old-fashioned, and some were even worn out. Although the vampire lady¡¯s beautiful face could make up for the flaws in her clothes, Hao Ren did not think so. He felt that Vivian should dress more beautifully, more like a legendary, noble-looking vampire aristocrat. He did not know when this idea came up, but he was going to do it today anyway. As for the cell phone, it was a temporary decision when they left the house, everyone in the house had a mobile phone, even Y¡¯zaks also got one for himself, except for Vivian. This was not a big deal for an ¡®unusual creature¡¯, but Hao Ren still decided to give Vivian a gift.


    Let¡¯s put aside the practicality of a cell phone (for this gang of Supermen, a cell phone¡¯s function was actually limited). Hao Ren just hoped that Vivian, who was still living the most simple and shabby life, could live as good as others in the house. He always felt very uncomfortable to see some of the details in Vivian¡¯s life, and now he was almost unable to stand it.


    When the vampire lady heard Hao Ren¡¯s plan, she looked really surprised. But after that, she looked reserved and not sure how to respond, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m fine now. I¡¯m quite satisfied to live in your place¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± Hao Ren smiled and said, ¡°Just take it as a present. You don¡¯t have a cell phone yet, do you? At least when we¡¯re on Earth, it¡¯s convenient to have this kind of thing to contact each other.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ used to have one before,¡± Vivian smiled awkwardly, ¡°I was very fortunate to save a little money and then I was curious and bought a cheap one. But then I couldn¡¯t pay the bill, it was turned off for a very long time. Now it¡¯s still in my suitcase and probably won¡¯t be able to turn on again.¡±


    Vivian was not sure how to react to this unexpected pleasure, but she did not refuse Hao Ren¡¯s kindness at last. She followed him with anticipation and a vague excitement.


    As they walked through the shops, there was a woman at the back of the counter who raised her head and glanced at them thoughtfully. This was a woman with a cold and detached look, with a scar near her nose.


    Supposedly, a shopping mall like this would have a certain demand for the sales person¡¯s appearance. At least a person with a scar on her face would find it difficult to get a job here, especially when she had a cold and detached expression on her face. However, this woman was sitting behind the counter. Whether it was her smiling colleagues or the fussy guests around her, they all seemed to have turned a blind eye to her.


    The eye¡¯s of the woman with a scar on her face followed Hao Ren and Vivian for a while until they disappeared in a shop. She then sat down with a blank expression and continued to sit there in a daze as if she was transparent.

 Chapter 229

    Hao Ren was leading Vivian into a women¡¯s shop. Before Vivian was dazzled by a large variety of ¡®luxury¡¯ goods around her, she looked around suspiciously and asked, ¡°Why do I feel that someone¡¯s staring at us?¡±


    Hao Ren looked back strangely but only saw those ordinary customers and shops. ¡°Just an illusion. If something happens around us, the MDT will alarm us.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Vivian responded. She then turned her attention back to the clothes and her mood quickly lifted. To be honest, she really never thought that she could choose any dresses she liked at this kind of place. As a super poor, miserable and shabby vampire, the most extravagant was just picking up one or two pieces of clothing in a wayside stall or even in the secondhand clothes market. Therefore, when she was dragged here by Hao Ren, she even had a sense of happiness. Just as Hao Ren said, this poor vampire was so easy to be satisfied.


    ¡°Can I really choose whatever I like?¡± Vivian whispered, her eyes were full of anticipation but she looked eager. Hao Ren looked back with a smile and replied, ¡°Of course, as you like. Lily has changed more than 10 sets of clothes for herself since she came here, but what you have are still those old coats. I can¡¯t bear it.¡±


    Without any more words, after a happy little cry, she rushed to the beautiful clothes. She still liked these¨Cit seemed to be unrelated to species, she was a girl after all.


    Well, there¡¯s nothing I can say if you really want to argue about her age¡­


    Hao Ren felt that there was nothing he could help now, so he let Vivian choose the clothes inside while he was waiting very patiently near the counter. The young cashier at the back of the counter was looking at this somewhat strange combination with interest for a good while and said, ¡°Your girlfriend is very beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Of course she is beautiful, she¡­¡± Hao Ren did not immediately realize something was not right at the beginning and then hurriedly explained, ¡°Err, not my girlfriend, just an ordinary friend, I just bring her to buy some stuff.¡±


    ¡°Is it?¡± The cashier girl was a little surprised but still smiled and said, ¡°but almost, two of you look very close.¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his hair, not sure what to say. He did not know how others could see that they were ¡®very intimate¡¯.


    After a while, with the help of the shopping guide, Vivian tried two sets of clothes, and she looked very satisfied. Then, she beckoned him over with a wave at the other end of the clothes rack and asked, ¡°Landlord, come and see if these two sets of clothes look good on me?¡±


    Hao Ren walked toward Vivian, leaving the cashier stunned and muttered, ¡°Landlord? The relationship between landlord and tenant has become so complicated these days? ¡±


    Vivian liked black very much, so even if she had the opportunity to choose her favorite clothes, she would only pick the black one. The two dresses she picked were almost all black. One of them looked like a slim maxi dress, but in fact, it was a special woman¡¯s windbreaker, and another one was a short coat with a string of small cross on the waist and matched with a black cotton skirt. Perhaps these two dresses were the legendary retro Gothic style. Anyway, the windbreaker looked really suitable for Vivian as a vampire, as for another one¡­ Looking at that string of small cross Hao Ren knew that it was Vivian¡¯s special aesthetic view.


    You would not find another sane vampire who would surround herself with a string of cross.


    ¡°Which one is better?¡± Vivian asked happily. Her slightly pale cheeks were even blushed with excitement. It was very rare to see a girl who was happy just because she could buy a new dress these days. Hao Ren sighed and waved and said, ¡°Take whatever you like, I got my pay card anyway.¡±


    The so-called pay card was the saving card provided by Raven for all kinds of expenses that Hao Ren used to reimburse the living expensed of these unusual creatures.


    Vivian slightly swayed her body with delight but uneasily and asked, ¡°Does it suit me¡­ It¡¯s so expensive, I have never bought such good clothes¡­


    ¡°Eh, you are frugal enough,¡± Hao Ren sighed, ¡°You just buy two new clothes for the past 6 months, I think it¡¯s too easy to provide for you, Lily¡¯s snacks were even more valuable than what you¡¯re wearing now.¡±


    Vivian said no more. She asked the shopping guide to put away the long windbreaker-like dress, and then held the other one like it was her precious and asked, ¡°Can I put this on first?¡±


    Hao Ren points to the fitting room and said, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Then Vivian went in in the blink of an eye.


    After waited patiently for a moment, the door of the fitting room was pushed open. Vivian appeared in front of Hao Ren with the new clothes. She turned around with a little uneasiness and asked, ¡°Does it suit me?¡±


    Hao Ren stunned there for three to five seconds and then kept nodding and said, ¡°The designer of this clothes must be born just for you!¡±


    The vampire was still the same old vampire, but it was true that the tailor makes the man. After putting on the new dress, Vivian looked like she was refreshed after F5. The well-tailored women¡¯s winter clothes did not appear plump and was just right to show the good figure of the girl. The black fabric might appear too dull in others, but in Vivian¡¯s feminine temperament, it appeared particularly appropriate. With the slightly pale complexion of the vampire lady, there was a kind of prominent, eye-catching, and even the devil charm against the black fabric. And a string of crosses on her graceful waist let Hao Ren who already knew Vivian well felt that there was a kind of unspeakable¡­ art, yes, it was artistic.


    It was totally different from those non-mainstream youngsters who randomly wore a bunch of necklace on their necks, the cross on Vivian was always critical, creative, futuristic, looking for trouble¡­ Anyway, it was full of the spirit of symbolism. Even if Vivian was a non-mainstream, she was the non-mainstream among the vampires.


    ¡°Am I looked so good?¡± Vivian came to Hao Ren happily. She had always been calm, but today she was going to have a good time, she wanted to relax in this dress. Hao Ren kept nodding his head that he felt a little dizzy. ¡°Yes. You look so good as if you¡¯ve been photoshopped.¡±


    Vivian took this delicate description as a compliment and accepted it contentedly.


    Some of the other sales assistants were also surprised. They were not just surprised by Vivian¡¯s beauty, but also the kind of temperament that did not belong to a human that she accidentally revealed for a second. Just a little bit of it was enough to shake the minds of ordinary people. A sales assistant confessed that she had never seen anyone fit this outfit so well, just as two things had never been met, but had been prepared for each other from the day they were born. Hao Ren found this exclamation was actually adapted from the advertisement. He thought it was a bit of an exaggeration, but the sales assistant said earnestly, ¡°We¡¯ve sold more than ten of these two sets of vampire-themed clothes but the previous customers looked like the families of the deceased, and we never understand what¡¯s on the designer¡¯s mind¡­¡±


    Hao Ren then noticed the there were vampire theme words printing on the bag that Vivian was carrying. She felt that this topic was sensitive here, so she hurriedly urged Hao Ren to settle the bill and then left the shop.


    Along the way, Vivian hugged her new dress with a dreamy face and said, ¡°Go back and I¡¯ll wear this one first, and then leave the long windbreaker for New Year.¡±


    ¡°Do you have to be so¡­ I¡¯ll buy you a new one for New Year. Now let¡¯s go and buy a new phone for you,¡± said Hao Ren.


    Mobile phone area was just opposite of the apparel area, but because there was not a specialized electronic mall, so there were just three to four mobile phone stores available, and there were not many customers inside the stores. Hao Ren was not very keen on electronic products, especially after having a Mobile Data Terminal, his mobile phone directly became just a watch that he could refer to when he was outside, not to mention Vivian. Therefore, without any target, two of them simply entered a shop that looked nice. There were quite a number of customers inside and there was only one salesgirl who was free behind the long counter, so Hao Ren walked to her and knocked on the glass cabinet and said, ¡°Excuse me¡­¡±


    The salesgirl behind the counter looked up at him silently and said, ¡°Hello.¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned.


    The woman looked cold. There was a shallow but easily notice scar near the bridge of her nose. Although she carefully makeup, Hao Ren could still instantly recognize the scar and the face.


    This was exactly the female fighter whom Hao Ren was facing when he had a head-on encounter with the demon hunter for the first time.


    For a moment he thought he was wrong, but when Vivian stepped back, he knew¡­ That was her!

 Chapter 230

    The battle with the demon hunters was the first surreal combat experience Hao Ren ever had. The memory was still vivid. For this reason, he recognised this woman¡ªshe was the one he had fought that day¡ªthe scar was the giveaway. But never had he expected he would come to this place and bump into her¡ªwho was now a mobile phone seller!


    Vivian remembered the face too as the memory struck her. The ambient temperature dropped as she took a step back. Just when the vampire was about to strike, the female demon hunter waved. ¡°Here¡­ is that okay?¡±


    Hao Ren felt his heart had gotten used to surprises. He quickly calmed himself down and pulled Vivian by her sleeve, telling her to not react hastily. While people around them were sensing the unusual atmosphere, they hadn¡¯t any idea about the strange conversation between them. People were just surprised by the sudden cold draft, rubbing their hands and looking at lost. Some were staring at Vivian though. But Vivian was quick in retracting her move. The situation hadn¡¯t spiraled into a commotion because everything returned to normal very quickly.


    Vivian sensed the demon hunter lass wasn¡¯t hostile and hadn¡¯t the slightest intention of getting into a fight. She felt a little relieved now though was still on her guard. She asked quietly, ¡°Are you the demon hunter? I remember you were captured by the arcane servant.¡±


    ¡°I was released.¡± The demon hunter lass said quietly. It wasn¡¯t known what she had done but everyone including her colleagues were looking elsewhere, no one was paying attention to her, Hao Ren and Vivian. Had Vivian not disrupted the strange energy field she had created, she would still be like in a kind of shield of serenity.


    Hao Ren¡¯s mouth was wide open but he couldn¡¯t think of a word to say, he still felt it unreal to meeting his old foe here. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± He finally found his word.


    ¡°Obviously, I¡¯m working here.¡± The demon hunter lass replied calmly. ¡°I¡¯ve been working here for five years. I was even selling clothes next door not long ago. If not for being captured and held by the blue creature in a strange place, I¡¯d have still been selling clothes here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean.¡± said Hao Ren. ¡°As a demon hunter, why are you even here? You should be staying in some underground bunker, appearing in various secret societies beneath the churches, holding the kill orders to go after all the demons around the world, standing on the TV tower watching sunrise, and preserving the peace in the city. That¡¯s what I thought.¡±


    The demon hunter lass said to Hao Ren with a straight face, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. But if I were to live like the way you¡¯ve described without even needing to work, how am I supposed to find the money to live?¡±


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­..¡±


    Hao Ren was totally speechless. What she said was totally logical. He was dazed for a while. ¡°Wait a second. Do you mean that all other demon hunters are living just like you¡ªwork, eat and sleep?¡±


    Now, Vivian couldn¡¯t bear to listen anymore. She nudged his arm from behind and said, ¡°Doesn¡¯t everyone need to eat?¡±


    The demon hunter lass nodded as she said, ¡°We live among human. I thought you should have known.¡±


    In fact, Vivian had told Hao Ren a lot about demon hunters, including of how they infiltrated and lived among human society. Obviously, Hao Ren had mistaken ¡®live among¡¯ as a superficial cover. He had now only learned that these superhumans just live like any human¡ªthat was the fault of Holywood; he thought if not fighting with monsters, superheroes should always stand on TV towers and act cool.


    While Nangong was a demon hunter, Hao Ren had never treated him as one.


    ¡°So it means we need not to fight today, do we?¡± Hao Ren still suppressed his voice while saying even though he knew people weren¡¯t looking at them. He stared very cautiously at the scarred lady, was still frightened by the thought of being nailed to a wall by a 500mm crossbow. ¡°I didn¡¯t know the psychopath has let you out. I didn¡¯t even know where she had held you. Where was it?¡±


    That day, the arcane servant of Raven came to their rescue, and took every demon hunters along with it¡ªdead and alive. Raven 12345 had said she needed to teach them a lesson. But when Hao Ren reported back to the mansion soon after, he didn¡¯t see any one of them. The arcane servant had told him vaguely that the captured demon hunters would be held in a special spatial dimension; it wasn¡¯t just a jail but an educational facility where Raven 12345 would use her own method to correct these racial extremists. Hao Ren had thought that he probably wasn¡¯t going to see the demon hunters again, but seeing the scarred lady was a total surprise, it gave him an opportunity to know what was actually happening to her after the she was captured.


    The fact that the scarred lady didn¡¯t draw her weapon at once when she saw Vivian just showed how successful Raven 12345¡¯s ¡®correction measures¡¯ on them.


    The demon hunter lass was in thought. Hao Ren could see the exhaustion and aftershock on her indifferent face as if she had been through hell during her captivity. But when she was about to say something, a middle-aged male voice was calling her out at the shop entrance. ¡°Zhao Xi, could you please come¡ª¡±


    The demon hunter lass stood up when she heard the name ¡®Zhao Xi¡¯. The male voice was so familiar, thought Hao Ren. As he turned his head, he saw a man, clad in suit, with an ordinary face¡ªif wasn¡¯t for the fact that this man was the leader of demon hunters, he was truly as common as other men on the street.


    Vivian was nervous again. But obviously the demon hunter leader didn¡¯t come for a fight; he was surprised too as he waved to Hao Ren and Vivian, half-smiling and half-crying. ¡± Here we meet again but I¡¯m looking for any trouble today.¡±


    He then turned to the demon hunter lass. ¡°Zhao Xi, tuck your gimmick away. Please come with your two friends.¡±


    The demon hunter lass nodded with a straight face. As she bent down and reached under the counter and took out a rune card before shoving it in her pocket, the surrounding vibes was obviously changing¡ªthose patrons and shopkeepers who inadvertently kept a distance from them were starting to wake up and glance at them curiously. There was even a shopkeeper gave Hao Ren a glance and then asked in hindsight, ¡°Zhao Xi, you know him?¡±


    So it was the magic of rune card that had kept people¡¯s attention away.


    Hao Ren and Vivian, as well as the demon hunter lass named Zhao Xi cluelessly followed the ¡®leader¡¯ into a quiet corner outside the shop. Then the middle-aged man started to reprimand his subordinate. ¡°Can¡¯t you work seriously? You¡¯re making my job difficult if you keep using the rune card so that you could sleep on your job or play with your mobile phone the whole time¡ªyou¡¯re dragging the sales down!¡±


    Zhao Xi looked at her superior straight-faced. ¡°My pay¡¯s just a drop in the ocean. Not like what you said.¡±


    The middle-aged man frowned. ¡°But still, you shouldn¡¯t dawdle your life away.¡±


    ¡°Firstly, I¡¯ve a scar on my face.¡± Zhao Xi pointed at the scar and then her face. ¡°Secondly, my facial nerve was total numbed by the toxic blood of the vampire forty years ago. Tell me, how do I not drag down the sales without having to use rune card magic to draw attention away from me?¡±


    The middle-aged man said, ¡°¡­probably you¡¯re right, but still, you¡¯ve having an attitude problem at work¡­¡±


    Listening to such mundane argument between a shopkeeper and her superior bored people to death if not for the fact that the two of them were demon hunters themselves and their conversation had involved a vampire¡ªthat was interesting when these the points were considered. Hao Ren gave a cough so that the middle-aged man would turn his attention to them¡ª¡®old friends¡¯ whom the middle-aged man was awkward to face with. The middle-aged man said, half-smiling and half-crying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Let me introduce. My name¡¯s Liu Sheng¡ªname I¡¯ve been using for decades. I¡¯m the regional manager of the electronic store and home appliance store here. I¡¯m also a¡­. senior demon hunter.¡±

 Chapter 231

    The second encounter between Hao Ren and the demon hunters was dramatic. After their surreal battle, they met again but in the real sense of the world: Hao Ren was out shopping with the vampire while they bumped into the two demon hunters who were respectively a mobile phone seller and a mediocre regional manager just like any other office workers. It wasnt¡¯ clear what had happened to them but they clearly looked devoid of the intention to fight.


    In a quiet corner between the shop and the emergency exit, Liu Sheng was staring at Hao Ren with his half-smiling and half-crying face as he took out a box of cigarettes and offered it to Hao Ren.


    Hao Ren was a smoker in the past, but he quit the habit since the female canine with an ultra-sensitive olfactory receptor moved into his home. ¡°No thanks, I don¡¯t smoke. By the way, I¡¯m surprised to see you here. So demon hunters really live among ordinary humans, huh¡­¡±


    Liu Sheng lighted up a ciggy, like a normal office worker goofing off and complaining about life, he glanced around and then exhaled softly and said, ¡°Apart from learning from my parents and the seniors, I¡¯d also been to private school, was a certified student before becoming a First-Degree Scholar¡ªalmost. I was teacher, a sailor onboard a fleet of private steamers in Zhejiang, and a batch of the old PLR shoes was made during my time as a manager in a workshop a few decades ago. I was a PC parts seller in the city more than ten years ago, but now I¡¯m a little manager of this commercial mall. So what say you¡ªam I living among humans?¡±


    Liu Sheng paused. His eyes swept across them. ¡°Just like how you come out shopping with the vampire; as the world was built by human, no matter how special and how powerful we are, we¡¯ll still have to live like human¡ªeat, work and sleep.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not one of you.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand frantically. ¡°I¡¯m human. Pure human race.¡±


    Liu Sheng smiled without saying a word. He for sure knew who Hao Ren was, he just didn¡¯t bother to look into a lot of things. Hao Ren had noticed a sense of I¡¯ve-seen-it-all and tiredness on Liu Sheng¡¯s face. Zhao Xi had it too albeit not as obvious because of facioplegia. Hao Ren asked curiously, ¡°Are you quitting your demon hunter job?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d still do my job if evil spirits are harming people.¡± Liu Sheng looked at Vivian with a half-smiling and half-crying face. ¡°But I won¡¯t bother you guys, I¡¯m too tired.¡±


    ¡°What happened to you guys?¡± asked Vivian, frowning. ¡°I thought demon hunters are as stubborn as a mule. And they won¡¯t change till the day they die.¡±


    ¡°What if there¡¯s bigger trial than death in this world?¡± Liu Sheng smiled as he said. ¡°A Goddess once said she didn¡¯t bother to educate a bunch of lunatics with words, so she threw us into a jail¡ªanother world to be exact which was specially catered to people like us. In that world, a tiny planet has over forty races, over three hundred organisations of various ideas which are further split into four to five factions. Everyone was condemning the others as heretics, and a holy war erupted every three minutes in the name of justice. Nobody cared what the cause of the conflict, and no one had ever thought of the logic of their struggles because as long as the other was deemed a heretic, that was a good enough reason to start a war. So there we were in a fantasy-like world, switching camp everyday to fight the world¡¯s heretics and at the same time being deemed heretic ourselves by the whole world.


    Liu Sheng paused for a moment before letting out a long sigh. ¡°It was said that it was an epitome, a dream created by God to bring together all the stupid internal conflicts and blind wars that have taken place in many worlds. Those soldiers and generals who had lost their sense of logic and were completely carried away by their racial fanaticism were just phantoms¡ªbut that makes no sense. It was as real as the real world. We were there for like three hundred to five hundred years, and had seen for ourselves the stupidity of extreme racism.¡±


    Like a stingy folk, Liu Sheng took a last puff on the ciggy which had burned to the filter before stubbing it out in the ashtray on a rubbish bin. ¡°Racism is plainly stupid.¡±


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­..¡±


    He had felt the style of Raven 12345 in him.


    Vivian was left speechless. ¡°Though it was weird, it¡¯s good. All demon hunters and unusual creatures should be such educated.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t get to the bottom of the problem, she said.¡± Liu Sheng twitched his mouth and said, ¡°What she meant was you can¡¯t solve every problem with violence, it stifles the variability and self-correction ability of the human race. I didn¡¯t really understand what she said, maybe she had her own consideration. We were just the unlucky ones.¡±


    Hao Ren understood that meaning of Raven 12345: she had always insisted that mortals should deal with their own affairs, own development, and rectify their own mistakes. If it required the entire civilisation be bulldozed down and started all over again, then let it be as long as the civilisation could keep going, she wasn¡¯t going to intervene. She just had to do some minor fine-tuning which wouldn¡¯t affect the overall progress of the civilisation.


    Of course, this conclusion was just an ideal version of which Hao Ren had tried hard to beautify Raven 12345 in his heart. The real situation could be that the Goddess was too busy cooking her instant noodle, she couldn¡¯t care less for this bunch of losers. As the fanatic demon hunters were very upset and causing trouble in the heaven, the female psychopath decided to open the spatial door and threw them into it. All the grand stories ensued were just cooked up impromptu.


    Vivian crossed her arms and looked at Liu Sheng and said, ¡°Whatever it is, I don¡¯t like conflict. The current state is the best. Anyway, as far as I know, those demon hunters who were caught in the trouble should be the small group which was passing by, you guys¡ª¡±


    ¡°Just the two of us are local.¡± Liu Sheng pointed at Zhao Xi. ¡°They were on a reconnaissance mission and passing by. I was the one in charge here so I became their temporary team leader.¡±


    It seemed the education Raven 12345 imposed on the demon hunters was just to cause them to disgust those meaningless struggles and hadn¡¯t changed their stand and professional ethics. This was evident in Liu Sheng¡¯s cautious manner when they were talking about the covert operation of demon hunters. But Hao Ren had guessed what it was. ¡°Was it about The Day of Return?¡±


    ¡°Apparently, you know something.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so cautious before us. You could even set aside your thoughts on the unusual creatures and the demon hunters. You now know who we¡¯re working for, and we¡¯re obviously non-partisan. Do you think it¡¯s necessary to be so wary of heaven mercenaries?¡±


    Hao Ren made the name ¡®heaven mercenary¡¯ up on a whim, and he thought it apt too.


    Liu Sheng agreed. ¡°You¡¯re right. The one behind you is simply too powerful. So I¡¯ll be honest with you; were were indeed investigating The Day of Return when a group of shamans and vampires were digging for relics in the north, but now I know they¡¯re not related to you.¡±


    ¡°The north¡­¡± Vivian winked but she couldn¡¯t recall any ¡®old friends¡¯ of her in the north. Meanwhile, Hao Ren curiously asked, ¡°How much do you know about The Day of Return? We¡¯re investigating the event.¡±


    ¡°No more than what you¡¯ve already known.¡± Liu Sheng shook his head. ¡°What I do know is, the unusual creatures are very concerned about it. They¡¯re planning to make use of the ancient relics to launch another attack. As the influence of demon hunters has abnormally diminished for the past years and coupled with the fact that it¡¯s not as easy to make war as in the past, we couldn¡¯t monitor the movement of the unusual creatures as easily as in the past. All we know is that they¡¯re studying about The Day of Return in a few places¡ªaround the Arctic, Africa, Central America, and a secret location in the Pacific. Werewolves and vampires are the most active. While some shamans have joined the party, it¡¯s not known what¡¯s their intention: there shouldn¡¯t be any relics left to be found.¡±


    ¡°The Arctic¡­ Africa¡­¡± Hao Ren mumbled, trying to memorise. ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll investigate who these unusual creatures are. Hopefully I¡¯ll get the intel soon.¡±


    He gave Vivian a glance. She nodded lightly as if saying she would get everything done.


    ¡°By the way, we can cooperate.¡± Hao Ren looked at Liu Sheng as if expecting something. He needed to expand his intelligence operation among unusual creatures and demon hunters; while he had made positive progress among unusual creatures thanked to Vivian and Ebben family which had spread their shelter organisation to other families, he was still at a dead-end on demon hunters. The only source he currently had was Nangong, the half-baked demon hunter, who left him a list of names but had left out Zhao Xi and Liu Sheng¡­


    Anyhow, that fellow who was called Sanba was good at nothing accept warding off evil spirits.


    Liu Sheng stared intensely at Hao Ren and then said cautiously, ¡°I¡¯m still a demon hunter and she,¡± pointing at Zhao Xi. ¡°and I are still pondering what we should do. So we¡¯re not going to commit to anything yet. But¡­ you and I are no longer enemy. And I hope you won¡¯t get us involved in your business with other demon hunters. Don¡¯t put me in that difficult situation.¡±


    The ambiguous reply was good enough. Hao Ren knew though Liu Sheng wouldn¡¯t get involved actively, he wouldn¡¯t decline request for non-critical information. So Hao Ren smiled and nodded, feeling satisfied. Suddenly the MDT spoke into his mind, ¡°News from the administration: homeland of Hilda has been located.¡±

 Chapter 232

    The news that was relayed by the MDT surprised Hao Ren. ¡°You¡¯ve found it? That quick?¡±


    ¡°Two working days doesn¡¯t necessarily mean it has to take two days. Don¡¯t compare the efficiency of the empire with that on earth.¡± Quipped the MDT. ¡°When are you going to depart? I¡¯d first inform Kuiper Station and World¡¯s Gate to register your flight.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment, probably he needed to plan carefully beforehand, like getting himself prepped up, taking a shower, putting up a suit, burning incense and praying as it was going to be his first trip to the other universe. But he had little time to do all that because Hilda was in a hurry. ¡°Tomorrow. Depart in the morning.¡±


    The MDT proceeded to inform all the relevant flight management units. The mind to mind conversation took less than a second to complete. In Liu Sheng¡¯s observation, Hao Ren had just paused for friction of a second before he dragged Vivian to a side. ¡°Let me first buy you a phone. Then we¡¯ll go home¡ªthere¡¯s a job.¡±


    Liu Sheng patted on Zhao Xi¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Quick, serve your customer. It¡¯s going to be your first sale since on the job.¡±


    This was unprecedented: an unusual creature came shopping in the territory of demon hunters, hospitality was generously shown, and both sides were fully aware of each other¡¯s identity. If not for there wasn¡¯t Weibo in the world of unusual creatures, Vivian would have snapped a photo and brag about it with the other old-fashioned fellows. But then again, this poor vampire was still newbie to internet¡ªshe had never gone online in the past¡­


    Liu Sheng attached great importance to today¡¯s historical moment; he personally accompanied the two special guests choosing their mobile phone. This attracted the eyeballs of other shopkeepers who were wondering who were the two fellows. After a moment, Hao Ren selected a model which was small and beautiful, and had been craved by the poor vampire for her entire life. As they got the SIM registered, they left the shop and met with other team members at the entrance. Vivian was giggling all the way as they left, leaving Hao Ren wondering if the maiden had gone mad.


    ¡°I¡¯m a happy person.¡± A sense of total satisfaction hung on he face. ¡°There¡¯s no more regret in life.¡±


    ¡°You should think bigger. That makes me said.¡±


    Hao Ren had Vivian call Y¡¯zaks and Nangong Wuyue to get to the rendezvous point. The vampire maiden was speedy in everything she did but when it came to dialing the phone, she was clumsy and needed help from Hao Ren¡ªshe hadn¡¯t once used such a high-tect gadget, the one she had had was a black-and-white-display feature phone she had bought with with her life-savings. Furthermore, she had never dialed a number before because she had zero contact in her contact list.


    They met with Nangong Wuyue and Becky who were carrying bags of booty, and Y¡¯zaks who was surrounded by curious shoppers at the entrance. Nangong Wuyue was speaking softly into the ears of Becky; it was roughly about Nangong Wuyue had only remembered to buy Becky undergarments halfway through their shopping spree. By guesstimation, she bought a few set of undergarments for Becky. And now Becky was wondering what those ¡®armours¡¯ were for. Meanwhile, Hao Ren hadn¡¯t seen Lily showing up yet, he patted on the arm of Y¡¯zaks (that¡¯s the highest he could reach), asking, ¡°Where¡¯s Lily?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks pointed to the square. ¡°There she is. She said she wanted to let her tail to have some fresh air, she¡¯s been running for several rounds¡­¡±


    Hao Ren looked at where Y¡¯zaks had pointed and felt an instant daze: as the exhibition in the square continued, the most eye-catching thing among the crowd was the silver-haired, fluffy-tailed female canine. Lily was jumping up and down, wagging her tail and fully enjoying her time in the crowd¡ªthough no sane people could appreciate what was so happy about that. Anyway, the natural silver fur and the free-spinning tail looked totally of another level compared to the fake stuff in the square; the natural lustre on the fur was something unfakable, and Lily was always surrounded by a group of kids who scrambled to take photos with her. But poor kids, they could never catch up with Lily. The husky just liked to romp about and she would never stay still so that you could snap a picture with her.


    Vivian looked on as her jaw dropped to the ground. ¡°How dare could she be¡­ there¡¯re at least two demon hunters in the mall! I¡¯m wondering how she has managed to stay alive till now.¡±


    ¡°Luck is always sided with the naive.¡± Hao Ren sighed. He then leaped over the barrier and tried to drag the husky back in. No one had stopped him because the security was a little lax out there.¡±


    While he was out there, Hao Ren heard two of the kids were murmuring among themselves as they pointed at Lily. ¡°Where did she buy that wig? It seems the ears and the wig are of one piece¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely high-tech. Most likely it¡¯s one piece.¡± ¡°Look! Her tail could move. It was much flexible than the one I bought online.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s high-tech.¡± ¡°Absolutely. I could even see her ears moved.¡± ¡°Absolutely¡­¡±


    Sweat was running down his forehead as he overheard the conversation. But he couldn¡¯t get hold on Lily as Lily was scurrying around and among the crowd, he could only stay out there and shouted at the top of his lungs. ¡°Doggie! You hungry?¡±


    He knew Lily wasn¡¯t going to hear him if he called her name, so he had to make an impact with ¡®Beast Summon¡¯ to summon the husky inborn with an enrage effect out of the crowd¡­


    Just as intended, Lily appeared ans stopped before Hao Ren like a white shadow. ¡°Landlord, are you bluffing me or what why are you calling me doggie like what Battie call me this¡¯ a fun place and look at my tail it¡¯s going to grow in thicker fur no more fur shedding in a couple of days¡­¡±


    ¡°Could you please slow down your words and don¡¯t forget punctuation as well.¡± Hao Ren was holding her back to avoid her licking his face. ¡°We got to go. Hilda has found her home. If you behave, I¡¯m going to bring you along this time.¡±


    Lily¡¯s eyes flashed, her ears and tailed stood erect before she wheeled and ran toward some corner in the square. Two seconds later, she reappeared at the same speed as she left, her ears and tailed had been tucked away. ¡°Landlord, let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go¡­¡±


    Nearby, the two girls were still discussing. ¡°Whoa, she has removed her make-up. That fast!¡± ¡°Definitely high-tech.¡± ¡°How did she manage to take off the tail and the wig so fast? Doesn¡¯t this electric-powered gadget have some kind of strap?¡± ¡°Probably it¡¯s high-tech¡­¡±


    Hao Ren dragged the high-tech doggie and set off their way home. Halfway down the journey, adrenaline began to catch up with Lily and she finally realised Vivian was draped in a new cloth. She was astonished. ¡°Battie, you changed your fur?¡±


    It seemed she was till unsober.


    When Vivian relating how they had unexpectedly bumped into Liu Sheng and Zhao Xi earlier, Lily only woke up to her senses and shivered. ¡°Wait a second. Did you just say that there were two demon hunters lurking around within two hundred metres from me?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Probably they had seen you.¡± blustering Hao Ren. ¡°Just that they didn¡¯t bother about you.¡±


    Lily piped down in an instant.


    They hurried and arrived home right before one o¡¯clock in the afternoon. No time for cooking. They bought some dishes from the restaurant. Hao Ren was worried if Hilda the elf would be okay all alone at home. But when he stepped through the door, he was relieved: Hilda was sitting quietly on the couch enjoying the TV and it looked like that was how she had spent her time the whole day.


    ¡°Welcome back.¡± Hilda got to her feet and greeted everyone very politely. Before Hao Ren could tell her about the news of her homeland, a tiny shadow swooped before him: Lil Pea had jumped half a metre up out of the basin and in his face, stunning Hao Ren. Hilda quickly related what had happened earlier. ¡°While you were out, this little thing fought with the four-legged furry pet but I couldn¡¯t stop them.¡±


    Hao Ren froze for a moment before getting what Hilda meant; Lil Pea had fought with Rollie and that made him in cold sweat. He quickly held up Lil Pea and examined her. ¡°Why did they fight¡­ let me see if she¡¯s hurt¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the furry creature which provoked her. It might be hungry that¡¯s why it bit this little thing.¡± said Hilda as she picked up a shivering black-and-white cat, which had lost several patches of fur, from behind the couch. ¡°It was beaten like this just slightly under five seconds¡­¡±


    Lil Pea happily wagged and patted her tail on Hao Ren¡¯s arm, revealing a bunch of fur still in her hand.


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­..¡±

 Chapter 233

    After spending half a day stroking his chin, Hao Ren finally figured it out. He believed he heard it right: Rollie, the cat with no integrity, had not been able to control its appetite. When it saw Lil Pea sunbathing on the table, it attacked her. It did not manage to bite off a single scale on her. On the other hand, Lil Pea had pulled off a big patch of fur off its body. When Hilda said she did not manage to stop them, she did not mean that she was unable to protect Lil Pea. She meant the cat.


    ¡°Your cat fought with your fish, and your fish beat the cat black and blue¡­¡± The corner of Becky¡¯s eye twitched as she looked at Hao Ren. ¡°What kind of species is this half-foot, little thing?¡±


    Hao Ren had no words for the situation. He put Lil Pea back in the basin and turned to examine Rollie¡¯s injury. It seemed like Lil Pea was only teaching the cat a little lesson. Aside from losing some fur, the stupid cat did not suffer a single broken bone. If Lil Pea could lift a table full of dishes, dealing with cats and dogs was just a piece of cake for her.


    Rollie meowed in his arms. When it saw Lil Pea, it shivered in fear again. It did not matter how tame a fish was, at least Rollie would not dare have its eye on Lil Pea again¡­ or worse, it would never eat fish again.


    He put the stupid cat back on the couch. Then, he solemnly broke the news to Hilda. ¡°We¡¯ve found your home. Please get yourself ready today. I¡¯ll send you back home myself tomorrow.¡±


    Hilda froze, and was in disbelief. A moment later, she got to her feet. ¡°Is-is it true?¡±


    Again, Hao Ren affirmed it. Hilda took a deep breath, both of her hands were on her chest as if her heart would pop out if she had not done that. The home-sick elf queen started to become excited and nervous at the same time, just like the moment when she was first teleported to Earth¡ªshe walked around the house and mumbled to herself, ¡°I wonder what the situation has become over there¡­ I will first need Cardillon to give me a damage report¡­ Did Vim manage to appease the people while I was away? Did the Isle of Stars get affected?¡±


    Hao Ren sympathised with how Hilda was feeling, so he did not bother her. He allowed Hilda to calm down before putting his hand on her shoulder and let her back on the couch. ¡°Just relax yourself. We¡¯ll depart early in the morning. The cross-world teleporting of the empire is blazing fast, it¡¯s estimated that you would be able to reach home in the same day. Meanwhile, you should think about what you should be doing when you¡¯re back home.¡±


    Hilda regained her compose as a queen very quickly. She nodded in appreciation before falling back in deep thoughts. Suddenly, Lily came up to him. ¡°Landlord, landlord, did you really mean to bring me along in your spaceship?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Anyone can join,¡± Hao Ren said with a smile. ¡°Due to limited tickets during the last trip, only the big guy and Wuyue could tag along. But this time, we¡¯re going to ride in our own spacecraft. If you guys need to get anything ready, please hurry up. Get it done by today.¡±


    But that confused Vivian. ¡°Ready¡­ ready what? Do we really need to ready anything since we¡¯re going to fly in a spaceship? Do we need motion-sickness pills? Or, are we going to have difficulty eating meals onboard? Or, are we going to get sick from space radiation¡­?¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment before he said, ¡°I think we don¡¯t need all of that. I remember the spacecraft has some kind of ecological cycle and things for synthesising materials. Its environment is more or less identical to Earth. Radiation disease? Worry not. Oh, by the way, Lily, don¡¯t forget to bring your own fur brush. That thing isn¡¯t available onboard the spacescraft.¡±


    Meanwhile, Becky had been blinking and listening by the side half of the time, before she found the opportunity to chime in. ¡°Can I tag along as well?¡±


    Everyone turned to look at her. The mercenary¡¯s eyes were flashing with light. She was no less excited than Lily. As a traverser, she was indeed too high-profiled. Before Hao Ren could say anything, the MDT jumped out. ¡°No! Absolutely not!¡±


    Becky was disappointed. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Technically, it¡¯s complicated.¡± The MDT felt it was hard explaining technology to a sword-wielding mercenary. ¡°Because you¡¯re from The Plane of Dreams, the mapping relationship between that world and the Surface World has been a mess lately. We still can¡¯t determine how bad the situation is so, you shouldn¡¯t go. This is to avoid further agitation of the ¡®balance¡¯. Please be patient while we investigate the reality barrier¡¯s source of the problem, and we¡¯ll be able to fix it then. Have faith in the organisation, have faith in us, and have faith in yourself, whom we are also having faith in, have faith¡­ just have faith.¡±


    Although Becky had no idea what the mapping relationship between The Plane of Dreams and Surface World was all about, she realised it was something that could not be taken lightly. She had no choice but to sit back down on the sofa, dejected. ¡°That means I¡¯m going to be alone in this unfamiliar world? I don¡¯t even know how to use the stove. Wouldn¡¯t I starve to death when you guys are away for five days?¡±


    Hao Ren realised this was indeed a problem. Becky was brought to the Surface World on the premise of disrupting the ¡®balance¡¯, so she had to stay on Earth for safety reasons. However, while she was here, she had not even learned to operate the TV and shower. How could he leave this otherworldly being alone in his house for days? Becky herself aside, Hao Ren could never leave in peace without worrying about his appliances! And the microwave incident was still clearly bothering him¡­


    He was really disturbed by the thought of seeing his house appearing in the news once he came home, watching the news broadcaster pointing at his house being engulfed in flames while reminding the public to take extra care against fires during the winter, and to use electricity safely¡­


    ¡°Who would like to stay back and look after her?¡± Hao Ren smiled slyly as he looked around. Before his voice trailed off, Lily had already scurried to the back of the sofa, hiding. But, he had never expected for Lily to stay back. So, it was all up to the others. Everyone was glancing at each other, waiting. Just as Vivian was about to say something, Nangong Wuyue interrupted and said, ¡°I¡¯ll stay.¡±


    The siren explained with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ve experienced riding in the spacecraft. Now, it¡¯s your turn.¡±


    Hence, it was determined. In the meantime, Y¡¯zaks picked Lil Pea up and said, ¡°Are we going to bring her along?¡±


    Lil Pea rested her head on the edge of the basin, looking at Hao Ren. She then inflated her cheeks and spit water out at Hao Ren. He frantically dodged it and yelled. ¡°No, I¡¯m not going to bring her along. We aren¡¯t going for fun. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to look after her. While Nangong Wuyue stays back home, she can look after her.¡±


    Lil Pea started to spit out even more water in protest. Hao Ren had no choice but to shove her back into the basin while she was playing fountain. No matter what, he was not going to give in this time.


    After having breakfast the next morning, Hao Ren assembled everyone in the living room as he was about to teleport to Kuiper Station. The MDT briefed him on the flight path¡ªfrom Kuiper Station to the World¡¯s Gate. The Petrachelys Patrol Frigate was awakened from its hibernation state. Everything worked fine and it was now on standby mode. As Hao Ren had not finished studying Introduction to Spacecraft and other basic modules, the autopilot would fly the spacecraft. It needed the MDT to confirm the flight path in advance.


    The MDT had also briefed him on another situation: As Hilda¡¯s home was located on the edge of the Macroworld, it was only registered 10,000 years ago during the emergency expansion of the Macroworld. However, only the world code was registered and a fully automatic expansion post was sent to construct a sovereign facility. There was no other agent residing there so, Hao Ren would only get a limited amount of support there.


    It was a barren territory.


    However, the MDT later told him, ¡°Just make sure you remember the important points in the employee handbook; always be calm in facing any dangers, remember your identity and pride as a member of the empire, face all challenges with a warrior¡¯s mentality and trust your team members as well as your spacecraft. Then you shall be¡ª¡±


    Hao Ren interrupted. ¡°Then I shall be safe from all dangers, right?¡±


    ¡°Nope. Then you shall be able to die with honour.¡±


    Before Hao Ren could say the F word, a flash of bright, white light illuminated the whole house and in a split of a second, everyone was gone.


    A second later at Kuiper Station.


    The teleporting port flashed up. Lulu, the space station¡¯s guide had been waiting for some time before Hao Ren arrived.


    ¡°Mr. Inspector, your spacecraft is ready.¡± Lulu smiled as she bowed. ¡°Long time no see.¡±

 Chapter 234

    Lulu, the guide was one of the few people Hao Ren knew in the space station at the edge of the solar system. It was pleasant to see someone familiar. His bad mood caused by the annoyed MDT had somewhat dissipated because of that. Without needing any reminders, Hao Ren knew the drill this time; He led Lily and Vivian away from the teleportation platform. As they walked over to the open floor opposite the teleportation platform, Lily suddenly came to her senses. She looked at the spectacular scenery and sighed heartily. ¡°Awooo¡ª¡±


    Before she could finish howling, she was slapped and stopped by Vivian. ¡°What the hell are you doing? Can you please behave yourself while you¡¯re out here?¡±


    Under normal circumstances, Lily would have gotten into a fight with Vivian, but this time, she was totally out of her character; her eyes were obsessed with whatever she saw, she scampered off and ran between the glowing columns in the hall. ¡°It¡¯s a space station! It¡¯s a space station! It¡¯s¡­¡±


    Hao Ren hurried Vivian to keep going as he said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. We don¡¯t know her.¡±


    Lily shook her ears and ran back up, the excitement on her face had not subsided one bit. She wanted to get her hands on everything she saw and was restless like a rabbit on drugs. Hao Ren suddenly realised he should have put this lass on a leash. It did not matter how effective it would have been, at least, it would have complied with the safety requirements for keeping large dogs. The large husky had scared the hell out of the space station crew.


    That being said, Vivian was also no less excited than Lily. However, she managed to behave¡ªdefinitely a lass one would feel proud to go out with. She was always graceful and maintained her image as well as composure; a total opposite of the husky, who would be tempted to run on four legs when she got excited.


    Except when finding money on the street, of course.


    But Vivian never ever found any money on the street.


    They paced through the scenic corridor where Hao Ren had once gone through. It looked like Lulu deliberately planned it so that the new guests could experience the unique scenery of Kuiper Station. Lily leaned herself against the shield, feeling extremely excited¡ªshe had nerves of steel, totally unafraid of the darkness and coldness of the space outside. After that, they were teleported to the special port where the Petrachelys was docked. They walked through a corridor high up across the space port, with giant windows on the side. Hao Ren looked through the glass and he could already see the massive body of the Petrachelys¡ªthough the spacecraft of several hundred metres was nothing compared to the Empire¡¯s fleets of battleships, it was still extremely huge in Hao Ren¡¯s eyes, and needless to say, Vivian and Lily¡¯s as well.


    The spacecraft had remained in the dock since the last time it ported, and was floating in the dock with help from a static energy field. A group of autonomous drones were flying around the spacecraft, conducting maintenance checks. The official ship of an inspector of the Empire did not need the maintenance services of the civilian port. All the crew members of Kuiper Station did was simply monitor it from the outside. The spacecraft could fully self-repair: it had life, it had its own onboard mechanical group, its own mini factory as well as production lines and it could take care of itself even under extreme conditions¡ªlike when the spacecraft was blown in half, it could regenerate itself. Lily leaned against the glass, wide-mouthed while she slid forward. ¡°This is our spaceship¡­¡±


    The husky maiden was pretty smart to say ¡°our spaceship¡­¡±


    ¡°Awesome, isn¡¯t it?¡± Hao Ren bragged. ¡°The interior is much larger than the outside. It has spatial warp installation, and its warehouse can even fit an entire skyscraper.¡±


    Vivian heard this and was astonished. She suddenly felt faint and almost dropped to the ground.


    Hao Ren was startled and quickly held her up. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Not adapting to the space environment?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Vivian frowned as if she was confused herself. ¡°I just felt like I was being held up in a spinning vessel and it made me dizzy¡­ Oh gosh, here it comes again!¡±


    This time, she was ready for it and held herself up well. Her expression did not look good though. Hao Ren was nervous. ¡°Okay, wait. Lulu, she needs a doctor. The vampire may have space sickness¡­¡±


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t. I don¡¯t need a doctor. I know what¡¯s wrong with me.¡± Vivian waved at them while she stared at Hao Ren with a strange expression. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault. Next time, I¡¯m not going to send the bats by courier service!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Hao Ren was startled.


    Vivian¡¯s face crumpled as she shook her head forcefully. ¡°I¡¯m being handled violently¡­ Oww! Here it comes!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Then Hao Ren recalled it; he had asked Vivian to contact the elders of all otherwordly beings by sending bats that carried runes and secret messages via courier service. No one had given it a thought and everyone thought it was a ingenious idea back then. Never did they expect the parcels to be tossed like a salad at the distribution centres.


    Waves of dizziness began to hit Vivian. Apparently, several bat-parcels had arrived at the same distribution centre. The pathetic little bats sealed inside bottles within the parcels were being thrown around and Vivian was feeling the exact tossing movement. The vampire finally found a peaceful moment after almost 30 seconds of violent handling. She looked up and everything was still blurry. ¡°Landlord, please don¡¯t trust those courier service advertisements¡­ Here, I¡¯m¡­ the first-hand testimony.¡±


    Keeping a serious face at this moment was excruciating, but he had to stop himself from laughing out loud. ¡°Are you okay now?¡±


    ¡°I feel better. Just don¡¯t know if the other parcels will experience the same thing.¡± Vivian¡¯s head wobbled and she was clearly peeved. ¡°I¡¯ve never met with such a humiliation in my entire life! How dare they throw my avatars around like that!¡±


    Hao Ren was breaking out in cold sweat and he dared not speak a word. Strangely, amid all the ranting, she kept mum about her humiliating days. There was a time she had to work as a cleaner in a church during the bad times, he thought.


    Suddenly, something crossed his mind. He took the MDT out, asking, ¡°Wait a minute, are the bats able to contact Vivian while she is in the Otherworld? If not, wouldn¡¯t those little things lose control?¡±


    ¡°That is indeed a problem,¡± replied the MDT. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t be able to connect to the Empire¡¯s Data Network, and she surely wouldn¡¯t be able to contact her avatars across worlds. But, I could reconfigure the spacecraft¡¯s broadcast antenna and open up a broadcast channel just for her. Then, she would be able to contact them via Madam Raven¡¯s facilities on Earth¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that!¡± Vivian waved forcefully. ¡°The bats share my consciousness. When contact is lost, they can carry out the mission independently. Besides, losing connection is probably a good thing, I won¡¯t have to worry about being traced by demon hunters when they discover the bats. Muahaha¡­ Let¡¯s quickly depart!¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at Vivian. The vampire maiden clearly did not know how to lie. Perhaps, even Lily could see that she was afraid of being thrown around again¡­


    They were approaching the entrance of Petrachelys, and the spacecraft¡¯s main computer instantly detected the arrival of its captain. A very soft siren sounded inside the spacecraft as pulses of blue light and lamps began to flash on the spacecraft. Droves of autonomous drones began to make some pleasant whistles as they went back in via the carrier channel at the top of the spacecraft. Meanwhile, everyone started to enter via the hatch on the underside as the inspector¡¯s spacecraft was about to begin its first mission flight.


    The control room was all ready for the flight. Hao Ren, Y¡¯zaks, Hilda and the two first-time space travellers were seated in the round room. As if something had struck her mind, Lily began to swing her arms and pose on her seat. ¡°The ocean of stars is our destination! Towards the deepest part of the universe! Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s¡­ Landlord, why hasn¡¯t the spacecraft moved?¡±


    Hao Ren had just shoved the annoying MDT in a card slot. He said, ¡°Soon, soon.¡± while he started the SOP, which a captain intern should conduct before flight.


    Flight path, checked. Signposts, checked. Kuiper Station guidance signal, checked. Spacecraft¡¯s main computer data report, checked.


    Then¡­ the autopilot mode was engaged as he released his hands from the control panel.

 Chapter 235

    By the guiding light of Kuiper Station, the Petrachelys left the star port without a hitch. It departed from the civilian-use port area at high speeds. Hao Ren left the controls after setting it on auto-pilot. He then moved to another control station and activated the multi-dimensional display, swiping aside various information panels from the local and nearby space stations. A screen showing the view outside the spacecraft appeared. There was nothing but darkness around him. The faint glow of distant stars shimmered beyond. Beneath the screen was a fast-moving space station construct. The ship was finalising the calibrations for its destination.


    Lily was restless as ever. One moment she was spinning in her chair, the next she was fiddling with some of the controls. A moment later, she was sitting on the chair, and the next, circling around the bridge, howling towards the stars. She was thoroughly enjoying herself by the looks of it. Well, the ship¡¯s mainframe computer had already intelligently locked all control panels. Aside from the captain, no one could operate anything. Thus, Hao Ren simply let the furball run free. Vivian was in awe as she looked at the stars before her. ¡°I really, really wanted to reach the stars before¡­ I think I told you that before, I almost hung myself on the Apollo to catch a glimpse of the stars in space¡­ I never thought¡­ that dream would come true today.¡±


    Hao Ren raised an eyebrow at Vivian. ¡°You sure are a weird one. Do most vampires want to go to space like you?¡±


    ¡°They are a bunch of pompous, short-sighted inbreds.¡± Vivian did not even bother hiding her disdain for her own kind. ¡°They are too drunk in their search for power, with their endless banquets and rituals. They have never, ever thought about the bigger picture. The world is such a vast place after all. I don¡¯t know why I was always fascinated by the stars, like how you humans keep exploring the boundaries of space travel¡­ Maybe, it¡¯s because my wings are larger than normal?¡±


    Hilda was seated quietly by Vivian¡¯s side. The topic of stars had made her feel rather gloomy, but no one actually noticed.


    After a short while on the bridge, Lily was bored out of her mind. After hearing that there were some places within the ships that she could go to, she quickly asked Hao Ren for a map and sped off for an adventure, looking at the high-tech gizmos on the ship. Y¡¯zaks threw Hao Ren a concerned look as he watched Lily speed away. ¡°Is it really alright to let her run around? This is no place for a child to play¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Hao Ren had already experienced first hand the mind-numbing nature of the high-tech equipment. He had full faith in the ship¡¯s mainframe and the MDT¡¯s AI capabilities. He also believed that the ship could give her occupants sufficient space for their activities. ¡°Well, all of the important controls are under lock, and the ship has those squid-like droids patroling about. If Lily¡¯s just running about, it should be fine.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks simply shrugged. ¡°You dote on her too much sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, dote or not, that dumb husky has always been like that.¡±


    At that time, the gate of the bridge hissed softly as it opened. Lily seemed to have finished her lap and decided to return. She even had a new garb on. No one knew where she got it from. It was a pair of white overalls with blue seams and light, greyish stylised linings over the it. The uniform, a male one at that, was obviously a size too big for the husky. Her hands were inside the sleeves and the bottom parts of the pants were dragging on the floor as she walked. She looked awfully silly and adorable at the same time. She called out happily to Hao Ren, ¡°Mr. Landlord, Mr. Landlord! Look! Look! Do I look the part of a captain¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was confused. ¡°Where did you get that getup?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Lily said as she dragged herself towards Hao Ren in an awkward jog. ¡°I met this robot squid at one of the crossroads and asked if there are any cool looking space suits. Then it gave me this¡­¡±


    The MDT was enjoying its time controlling the ship through its command terminal. It finally decided to explain the matter to Hao Ren in the laziest fashion ever. ¡°That¡¯s your captain¡¯s uniform. There are around 200 of them in the storeroom. It¡¯s not something really important, anyone with a guest access can get one.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded absently before he finally realised something. ¡°Two hundred?! Why is that necessary?¡±


    The MDT was rather succint in its reply. ¡°It may very well be your funeral dress.¡±


    Lily was still jumping about happily while showing off her new getup to Vivian. ¡°Cool ain¡¯t it? Look, it¡¯s cool ain¡¯t it?¡±


    Vivian turned her face aside to ignore the idiot, and Hao Ren had a nostalgic flashback. He still remembered the first time he saw the animated version of Battlestar Galatica during elementary school. The way he reacted was like Lily, posing comically with the crew uniform. He imagined himself as a maintenance crew or a captain, or a fighter pilot, any role that could see his name appear on the credits¡­ That was how Lily looked like to him, all too innocent¡­


    It did not take long before Lily quieted down as she lay sprawling on her seat, staring at the stars. But the stars themselves were already fading away. The ship had already left the star clusters, and it was preparing to make the jump into hyperspace. The scenery outside quickly turned into a blur as a hyperspace rift formed. Blue and red lights swirled about as the rift rapidly consolidated into a tubular path. After a deep hum from somewhere deep within the ship¡¯s engine room, the hyperspace rift around the ship closed and the swirling lights faded. All that was left was the darkness of space.


    ¡°The next stop will be the World Gate. Shouldn¡¯t take too long.¡± The MDT broadcasted through the bridge¡¯s speakers.


    The husky sat on her chair blankly for a moment before suddenly reaching her hand out to Hao Ren. ¡°Mr. Landlord, is there a notebook computer here?¡±


    ¡°Just install the plug-in into the terminal in front of you.¡± Hao Ren raised his eyebrows. ¡°What do you need it for?¡±


    ¡°I feel inspired, and I want to write.¡± Lily was serious. ¡°I still owe the publisher a column as well.¡±


    Hao Ren allowed the MDT to set up for Lily as he looked at the husky, his eyebrows still raised. ¡°Why does it feel weird when you say that you want to write?¡±


    Lily was her usual hyperactive self since the moment she boarded the ship¡­ Her hyperactivity aside, she was a through and through husky. How else could you describe her? She scarcely looked the part of a proper wordsmith, but Lily herself digressed. She was seated cross-legged with her oversized uniform on an even bigger chair. Her face was serious as she started penning her article. At the same time, she argued with Hao Ren. ¡°Mr. Landlord, you are judging a book by its cover again. Do you know how much effort it takes to write a proper piece? If you think writing is like what you see on TV, you¡¯re sorely mistaken! Those are hacks that can¡¯t pen a proper piece and repackage themselves as a work of art to earn appearance fees in schools. True words can only come from pure emotions, and keeping a free heart is key to penning a touching line. I¡¯m simply being whimsical to keep up my quality writing¡­¡±


    Vivian was at her limits by then and simply could not hear one more word. Slamming the armrest, she roared, ¡°Oh stop being so bloody pretentious! You¡¯re just writing for a pet magazine! This is for their ¡®How to Raise a Dog¡¯ column!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Lily¡¯s fur also stood on end as she roared back defiantly, ¡°Who told you that I only write for the ¡®How to Raise a Dog¡¯column?! I was writing lyrical poetry and self-improvement articles during the Republican Era! I only started writing for pet magazines as it was gettting much more popular lately¡­¡±


    This leg of the journey was rather short as the hyperspace lane was a direct route from Kuiper Station all the way to the World Gate. While Lily was still analysing the various new dog food and their flavours, the ship had arrived at its destination.


    The World Gate, one of Xiling Empire¡¯s unique architecture. As the name implied, it was a gate used to travel across worlds. Dimensional jumps between two galaxies was different from a localised jump, and it required an almost impossible level of technology and expertise to do so. Different galaxies had differences it their most basic make-up. Some galaxies did not even have the four fundamental forces like the Milky Way did. They were sustained by a vastly different physical law. The vastness of the void was a ceiling too high for most races and species. Inter-galatic travel was most definitely out of the question. The Xiling disciples had means for inter-galatic travel, and to ease the adminstration of the Macro World as well as facilitate communication between the various civilisations under their rule, the disciples built a World Gate in almost every sphere within the Macro World.


    There were two types of World Gates; a smaller one built on the surface of a planet for small-scale use, and another gigantic structure in space, capable of supporting a fleet, or a planetary body jumping into a different universe. Hao Ren had arrived at the second type of World Gate.


    As the ship exited the hyperspace bubble, the scenery outside went back to normal and the shimmering sea of stars was visible once more. In front of them, lay the monumental structure.

 Chapter 236

    The World Gate was located at a far-flung corner of the galaxy, away from any planetary bodies. Silently, it operated in the deepest, darkest corner of the void. There were no gravitational wells within the vicinity for guidance. As such, for many civilisations, reaching the World Gate from their home planet with their own, home-grown technology was a very difficult task. In fact, the use of their own spacefaring technology to reach the World Gate itself was a required test, to proof that their civilisation was ready for the space age and its challenges.


    Of course, for those who had already been given a special permit, this restriction did not apply.


    As the darkness of the void faded away into the shimmering sea of stars, all onboard the ship were enamoured by the great structure that appeared before them on the screen. It was such a monumental space structure that Hao Ren had no idea how big it actually was. It was formed by countless of silver, curved parts. A bright gleam shone from both the metallic and crystalline components along the structure. The gate had two rings in the middle of its structure, one bigger than the other. The rings were connected by a bright, blue light, as though the gate was within the eye of an endless lightning storm. Outside the rings were many massive towers, docks and a whole lot of structures, which could not be properly classified. All of them were much larger than Kuiper Station itself, but next to the World Gate, they were so insignificant. The double rings had a hollow blue light in the middle, and without question, the Petrachelys was about to go through it.


    The gigantic structure covered almost half of the screen¡¯s display, while in truth the ship was still some distance away. If a human shuttle covered the distance with our current level of technology, humans would probably need at least half a week¡¯s worth of rations.


    Hao Ren let the MDT control the deceleration of the ship and took the chance to get a better view of the awe-inspiring structure. He had, by then, noticed something behind the World Gate. There were spherical bodies, almost planet-like not too far away from the World Gate. From that angle, it looked like they were part of the World Gate itself. The ¡°planets¡± looked rather odd from the get go. They were not ridden with craters like most barren planets, and they did not have a smooth outer look of a gaseous planet, or the usual vibrant look of a habitable planet. They were covered by a layer of faint blue light, and beneath the light was a very organised, colour-coded area of land. Such uniformed colouration was obviously not natural. In the end, Hao Ren could not contain his curiosity. ¡°What are those three things?¡±


    The MDT responded through the bridge¡¯s broadcast system, ¡°Oh, those are K1, K2 and K3. Imperial mass produced star fortresses. They function as hubs of sovereignity. They are administrative installations of this universe. K1 is designed to control the fundamental constants of this world, such as light speeds, Planck¡¯s constants, basic force values and the likes. K2 is in charge of mathematical calibrations, and controlling all the variables in this world, like one plus one equals two. Take it as a regulator of sorts. By human standards¡­ they are probably what you call the server for your space program.


    The K3 is your redundancy mainframe, and the go to if anything catastrophic happens. If K1 and K2 are both down only then will K3 be activated. Or, if this universe went nuclear and it was on the verge of total annihilation, the K3 can pull out a mirror image to restore it. But frankly, don¡¯t place too much hope on K3¡¯s restorative function. It is a newly launched calculus, and while perfect theoretically, I¡¯ve heard that this new toy would actually remove some of the mod¡¯s data. Yes, the complicated rules governing this universe are written using mods. If it was activated, many civilisations would be thrown all the way back to the Feudal Age. Also, your world has The Plane of Dreams. Weirdly enough, the Sovereign Hub¡¯s abilities don¡¯t seem to affect The Plane of Dreams¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Why are you silent?¡±


    ¡°¡­F*ck my life¡­¡± It was all Hao Ren could muster.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I find it so difficult to communicate with you. You overreact to everything.¡± The MDT released an almost human-like sigh. ¡°Did you think I was playing when I said, ¡®gods were running the world¡¯? This is a serious undertaking alright. The gods and goddesses are not bums, lazing about in their temples waiting for tributes. They also need to run about doing their work. This three here are under Madam Raven¡¯s purview. Of course, most of the time, these gizmos do not need anyone operating them. It is Heaven¡¯s Will after all. Oh, Heaven¡¯s Will is just a fancy name for the automated system, it¡¯s fully automated all year long¡­¡±


    Hao Ren collapsed helplessly on the control terminal as the information he just heard overwhelmed him. ¡°Stop, I can¡¯t even look at anything properly anymore¡­¡±


    Y¡¯zaks may have been a demon from another world, but he digested the information without much problem. ¡°So¡­ by the gist of things, mortals are pretty much data, living within a computer, and the gods are the administrators¡­¡±


    ¡°If you look at the flow of authority, it is almost similar. The only difference is that mortals here can simply jump out of the computer. The World Gate in front of you is simply a way for you to travel out of the CPU. Although it will only allow you to jump from one universe to another, much like the transfer of data between two hard disks, it itself is a control center that contains all the arcane knowledge to regulate and bind worlds. If a mortal race manages to create their own World Gate, it means they have mastered all the truths of the universe. They will be able to escape the rules binding their world and control it directly. At that time, they would also be able to perform self-interpretation as well as self-maintenance, and their immortality would not need to be bound to anything. That said, they still need to abide by the Void Travel Safety Laws and Civilisation Progress Regulations.¡±


    ¡°Can mortals reach such lofty heights?¡± Y¡¯zaks was genuinely curious.


    ¡°Of course.¡± The MDT was very sure of its answer. ¡°When a race transcends its own mind, and realises that limitless knowledge and wisdom are true power, not to mention, uses said knowledge to decipher the truth of the universe, they will be on the path of transcendence. When their kin let go of the hubris of mortals and become the true beacon of knowledge, they will basically be gods. Of course, not many have managed to pull this off, and only one has managed to go the distance.¡±


    The MDT stopped for a moment before concluding his explaination. ¡°There are many pitfalls in this path, be it natural disasters, man-made disasters and falling victim to one¡¯s own success. A treacherous road indeed. The Imperial Records have chronicled many a race that went astray. In fact, the most talented ones were the easiest to go astray. They fell into the pithole of ¡®power for the sake of power¡¯ and became very belligerent as well as foolish in the process. They were destroyed by other more intelligent races when they overstepped their boundries.¡±


    Vivian sighed. ¡°The retards back on Earth are the same as last time. They were all too busy trying to find the alpha of the pack, and now look, they¡¯re no different than animals. They can¡¯t even fight with humans now.¡±


    Lily scratched her head absently as she looked at Vivian and Y¡¯zaks. ¡°The both of you understood what it said?¡±


    ¡°Lets get back to work.¡± Hao Ren laughed drily.


    The World Gate had already received the Petrachelys¡¯ navigation application and started guiding the ship towards the closest transportation zone. The faint, encompassing blue light was getting larger and larger on the screen that it almost covered the entirety of the screen. Only then did Hao Ren notice that he was not alone in using the World Gate. There were many other ships from various civilisations with different shapes and designs going in and out through the faint blue light. As the gate itself was such a massive structure, spaceships on the flight path were almost like ants, and would not have been noticeable from a distance. It was said that this World Gate could transport a planet, and it did seem possible. Hao Ren popped up a curious question as something crossed his mind. ¡°There are so many ships going in and out of the gate. Are they all going to different universes?¡±


    ¡°Yes, this is very recent technology. It was implemented after the easing of the Macro World¡¯s transdimensional travel restriction, and to cope with the upsurge of travel volume. The World Gate can provide each and every user a special ¡®navigational frequency¡¯ and when you cross the gate, you are pretty much compiled into a set of data with its own frequency, then shot towards the target galaxy. The gate was previously simply known as a ¡®Transportation Installation¡¯ to a ¡®Frequency Modulation and Transportation Installation¡¯, but the name has yet to be officially changed. Oh, you can also turn on the public channel. The World Gate is usually a very lively place, and many of these ships are civilian corporations, which rent the usage of the Imperial Gate. Have a look at how a civilian¡¯s life is like.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s curiosity was piqued and he turned on the public channel.


    ¡°Kratos! Kratos! Heading for Kratos! 300 per pax! 300 per pax! There is still space for two! Leaving immediately once fully boarded!¡±


    ¡°East Eden! East Eden Relay Station! Please come to Station A3, Platform 7. East Eden! East Eden! Station A3, Platform 7!¡±


    ¡°Helsenwood ¨C Bound for long distance travel! Leaving in 10! Helsenwood ¨C Bound for long distance travel! Leaving in 10! We have space for one!¡±


    ¡°Local Chattar Transit! Leaving immediately upon boarding! Plus-sized seats available!¡±


    ¡°Calling Support Team, calling Support Team! Accident in Area B27! A Fairy Corporation Merchant Vessel has collided with a Slyphic Cargoship¡­¡±


    Hao Ren quietly turned off the broadcast. He was overwhelmed by the deluge of communication that came from the Macro World¡¯s civilian population. Heck, overwhelming did not even begin to describe things.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty much the same throughout all Imperial World Gates.¡± The MDT chuckled. By then, the ship had already approached the blue light projection. It felt almost like taking a deep breath. ¡°Yahoo¡ªAll passengers, hold on tight!


    ¡°I¡­ No¡ª¡±


    ¡°This ship is going full speed ahead!¡±


    An awkward sensation swept through the bridge, and by the time Hao Ren recovered his senses, they were in foreign space.

 Chapter 237

    A similar, gargantuan World Gate stood in the deep void of space, but this World Gate was much, much quieter..


    As the Petrachelys materialised, there were no other accompanying spacecrafts. It did seem like the ones that were beside them had been transported into other universes. The MDT then set the ship on cruising speed. After that, it displayed the view at the back of the ship, which was captured through the ship¡¯s rear sensors and cameras. Hao Ren saw a slightly smaller but no less magnificent structure behind him, and not too far away was the ¡°Sovereignity Hub¡±. However, there was only one in this area. It seemed like this part of the universe was much¡­ poorer and desolate compared to where he came from.


    The ship¡¯s public channel was still open and capable of receiving any transmissions within one light year away. But, the channel in this area barely received any signals at all; some came from the local navigational facilities while some were from ships passing-by. No one knew what civilisation they were in, but for sure, these signals had nothing to do with with the objective Hao Ren and his group had.


    ¡°This area here sure is¡­ empty.¡± Hao Ren quipped as he looked towards the surrounding space. There were a star cluster that he had never seen before, and in the middle of space, he saw a faint, brown light. The top left corner of the screen displayed another group of star clusters, and as he focused on them, the system automatically reported that the cluster were at least a million light years away. Such was the scale of things in space.


    The MDT was confirming the next navigation route as it heard the announcement. ¡°The Macro World has a lot of desolate or unhabited areas. They were part of the rapid sphere of expansion a hundred thousand years ago. That time, there was a calamity in the void and many worlds simply turned to dust. Only regions protected by the three great pantheons, the Xiling, the Galacticus and the Xylon had survived the calamity. We were forewarned of the situation and had sent out legions of scouting drones to look for new worlds, and to bring them into the Macro World¡¯s network. Most of these new universes are simply just registered, and left there. Most of them were not even developed until today. Of course, some parts of the galaxy simply had no value to them. With the void this vast, no one had the time to totally claim it.¡±


    Hilda was engrossed looking at the stars outside the ship. The star map in the region were however foreign to her. ¡°How long more to my home?¡±


    ¡°¡­Quite the distance I¡¯m afraid. I¡¯m still trying to plot our course.¡± The MDT sounded a little unsure. ¡°What sort of place did your kind lived in? The navigation map sent by the Space Administration is rather straightforward, but when I scanned the area, there¡¯s nothing along the path, just the empty space.¡±


    Hilda took a deep sigh. ¡°That¡¯s right, an empty space. That¡¯s where my homeland lies.¡±


    The MDT did not respond and activated the hyper lightspeed engine. The area outside distorted again as the hyperspace bubble formed. Hao Ren knew that they could only wait now. The next time the ship appears in real space, they will probably be at the doorstep of Hilda¡¯s homeworld. Vivian noticed the constant change of expressions on Hilda¡¯s face. It was a mix of excitement, unease, yearning and fear. To pull her attention away, Vivian broke the silence. ¡°Hilda, tell us about your home. You never did tell us much about it.¡±


    There were some hesitation in Hilda¡¯s eyes, but she at last nodded. ¡°My story can be rather long¡­ I¡¯ll start from the origins of the Aerym Elves. Hopefully I can cover that in this journey¡­


    As the Elven Queen narrated the story of her people, Hao Ren came to know of the tale of life and fate in a galaxy far far away.


    Aerym, in Hilda¡¯s mother tongue, meant ¡®bountiful land and plants¡¯, and a more literal translation would mean be akin to a garden.


    When her ancestors named the planet, they named her so to sing praises to her bountiful grace.


    The begining of the story was a time of peace, a time of bountiful harvest, a time of gentle suns, fertile lands, lush forests and flowing rivers. A time of the Aerym Elves.


    Long ago, the Aerym Elves lived in the forest, congregating around the various lakes as they set up home. Their lives were full and joyous. They were a peaceful, united, and intelligent race, equipped with the drive to better themselves. They were the first to explore the posibilities of knowledge, created tools and words, while co-existing with nature. Through this peaceful existance, they found a path to advance their civilisation.


    Aerym¡¯s forests held a bounty of food, and energies flowed freely in the air. The basis of their world were very conducive for basic spellcasting. Under ther guidance of the ¡®Spirit of the Stars¡¯, a animistic religion, the elves built cities using magic and arcane technologies, and rapidly advanced their civilisation. Most importantly, this rapidly advancing race still held reverence towards nature as they climbed the steps towards the stars. This trait was not found in many other races. It seemed that the elves knew from birth that everything they have, were from the grace of nature, and they put much focus into conservation and recycling. A trait that they kept till today.


    While this impressive, beautiful race loved peace, they were no pushovers. They knew that in order to survive, they needed to know how to fight. The elves knew when to extend an olive branch, or to sound the horns of war to protect their home and their kin. There were another powerful race that had appeared in Aerym before, but the Aerym Elves reigned supreme.


    The elves did not resort to the total annihilation of the race, but as the defeated race surrendered, they were slowly assimilated by the elves, and after generations of genetic engineering, they were full fledged members of the elven race.


    Just like that, as they progressed and grew, the elves stepped out of the forest and into the plains, and over the mountains and rivers as they spread their civilisation throughout the planet and assimilated all of the intelligent races that they met. This lead to Aerym¡¯s burst of growth as the flower of civilisation blossomed all over the planet.


    It took the Aerym Elves a few milleniums to fully control their planet. From a humble race of wood-dwellers knowing only simple magic and tools they grew to a advanced race of that fully explored the power of knowledge. Using their one of a kind arcane technology to develop their home planet, they managed to keep the balance between development and preservation of nature. Flight trials dotted the skies as high speed rails sped through surface tracks. The whole planet was interconnected, and their signature free energy distribution relay network was a hallmark of their civilisation.


    After completing the build up of their home planet, the elves knew that their future lays in the stars, like all other intelligent races. They started exploring the possibilities of space travel, another planet that could sustain the life that they live. As long as they are able to locate such a planet, they could build another Aerym, another paradise.


    At that time, they were proud, rightly so too. And they were confident.


    They believed that they had the brightest of minds, a bountiful planet, and a hoard of technology and knowledge needed to complete their dream of space exploration.


    Yes, they believed that they were well-off, and the fact was that Aerym herself was blessed with bounties of the earth like never seen before, something most races would turn green with envy.


    In fact, most by the sideline would have come to the same conclusion. This elven race were well-equipped to step into the stars. They were industrious, they were frugal, they were progressive and united. There were no other race as perfect as them, or more perfect to grace the space age.


    Aside from one fact.


    Aerym was the only planet within their system.


    And the closest system to them, was six million light years away.


    For six million light years, there were nothing but the void, and remnants of stars that went supernova.


    If their world was created by a God, surely that God had a wicked sense of humour. He gave the elves gifts that made them beyond perfect to fellow mortals, flawless from flesh to soul. He gave them the gifts of industry, bravery, kindness, wisdom, perseverance and unity. He gave them a perfect planet to call home.


    And threw everything into the middle of a desert.

 Chapter 238

    If a civilization wanted to keep developing for a long time, it was a necessary path to secede from its own mother planet. The resources of a planet were limited, and it was also a great security hazard to gather all civilized members on a single planet. Therefore, every intelligent race with normal thinking ability must step into space after completing the technology accumulation of the mother planet phase¨Cor some other realms. In short, they must leave their cradle.


    However, the Aerym elves face a desperate dilemma: from their cradle to the nearest recharge point, there was a distance that could deter any primary space civilization. It was impossible for them to arrive at another planet with their initial space technology. They could not find any springboard and resource areas in their own stellar systems like other civilizations which allowed them to slowly study various space technologies with sufficient material and energy support. They could not find a neighbor station that they could reach in their lifetime as well.


    For a normal civilization to step into space, unless they were smart enough to develop the deep space navigation technology and hyperdrive directly on the mother planet without making a mistake in 100%, or else, they would need to look for a springboard within their primitive galaxy, and carry out a series of studies on another planet of proper distance where they took it as their foothold. The initial technological build-up of the hyperdrive is accompanied by great danger, and many of the experimental facilities that contained powerful forces could not be built directly on the mother planet. Moreover, the most primitive hyperdrive fuel was often mined only in gas giant planets that were unfit for life. Even without these two conditions, there should be at least another sun around the proto-stellar system. And the distance could not be too far, which at least ensured that the pioneers could arrive within a generation.


    However, the elves of Aerym had nothing. They had just rushed out of the circle of gravity to face an insurmountable chasm. Unless they have the means to develop the deep space navigational facilities directly in the event of skipping various transition technologies, they would be trapped in the barren land of tens of millions of light-years.


    It was not impossible to create a deep space starship directly in the case of a single mother planet. But they needed not just a gift but also a great good luck. And the elves of Aerym had no such good luck. They failed to find the right path and depleted all the non-renewable resources on the planet. And then, they could only slowly die in the barren land of tens of millions of light-years.


    The planet began to dry up, the astral resources were extracted, and even the planet itself was reshaped into an energy-efficient space floating island, and then the space floating island was slowly reorganized into other forms. The elves trapped in the cradle could only use their own limited resources to constantly transform to continue their civilization carefully as far as possible. Their home was unrecognizable, more and more unbearable. The elves of Aerym who once thought they were at the pinnacle of civilization were weaker every day. In the end, they could only struggle to survive in a space floating island that had been rebuilt countless times and could barely recognize its original form with a lone sun, and the population has begun to slump under brutal resource constraints.


    ¡°When I was born, Aerym had reached the tipping point,¡± said Hilda quietly, ¡°and no matter how much we cherish our homes, resources are being consumed constantly. There is no sustainable resource circulation system in a solitary planet environment. In the last hundreds of years we have had to find ways to extract energy and material from the sun, so we built a lot of corona stations. It¡¯s a very dangerous facility, expensive and unstable, and every corona station has to pay a huge human and material price. Sometimes it takes a lot of excellent magic-expert life, and that¡¯s just a stopgap. ¡±


    Hao Ren looked curiously at Hilda and asked, ¡°So you decided to make a teleportation portal when you found out that you couldn¡¯t build a deep space starship?¡±


    ¡°Yes, this is the grand plan my husband made when he was still alive. Unfortunately, until he died in a corona station explosion accident, we were not able to create a truly stable super teleportation portal that could lead to the depths of the space,¡± Hilda sighed and continued, ¡°and after his death, I spent 30 years building a huge space-time accelerator with national power. That thing almost ran out of all the energy that the three corona stations had accumulated over 100 years. However, when it was launched for the first time, a huge accident happened, and I was at the observation tower with the ministers to witness the launching ceremony¡­ And then everything exploded. I don¡¯t know what the consequences would be, so now I have to go back as soon as possible. My people must have been in a mess. They need me to be there with them.¡±


    Vivian could feel the pain and secretly glanced at Hilda and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know why I can feel those elves of Aerym¡­¡±


    Lily understood and nodded and said, ¡°Because all of you are very poor.¡±


    Everybody stared at the ignorant husky: Is this the right time to say such a thing in this kind of serious occasion?


    Y¡¯zaks smiled and looked around and said, ¡°Now you guys know what the words I said that to those demon hunters mean? Resources are valuable and cannot withstand internal depletion. When I was on the immigration boat, I heard an old man said that every civilization has a ¡®fault-tolerant value¡¯ in the development process. This fault-tolerant value is determined by factors such as their home resource reserves, their ability to develop their own races and their homeland environment. The higher the resource reserves, the better the environment around the homeland and the stronger the development ability, the higher the fault-tolerant value will be, and vice versa. If a civilization wants to develop, it must be moved to another area before its resources are depleted. For this, they learn to protect the environment to reduce wastage, plan routes to prevent them from going astray, and, most importantly, try to avoid waste by avoiding internal depletion. The resources of the homeland and the surrounding environment are fixed, and the only thing the people can decide is only themselves. Many races are born in fertile places where the planet itself is rich in resources and is surrounded by abundant resources and springboard. So they waste their resources wantonly, use them in the civil war, and finally wake up to realize that they can¡¯t even build the last ship to the neighbor planet. However, some races are born in desolate and barren places, they must carefully calculate every single step, and they don¡¯t know whether they will be able to leave the cradle alive. There is a lot of injustice in the world, and nothing is more unfair than this kind of ¡®racial predestination¡¯. Honestly, I think the people on Earth are a little bit like prodigal sons squandering the family fortune. Your solar system has various springboards like Mars and the moon, there are giant resource stations such as Saturn and Jupiter, every planet around the Earth is filled with fuel and outer casings of spaceships, and the planets are close enough to arrive even with the spaceship using the most primitive chemical fuel. But humans are too busy throwing more bombs at your own people. This is stupid, as stupid as the idiots in my hometown. Look at those elves of Aerym, their fault tolerance value is even negative¡­¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Y¡¯zaks with astonishment. He rarely saw the great demon to speak so many words. The seemingly vicious tall man was usually very polite and amiable, and he never talked much. Hao Ren was vaguely aware of one thing: the story of Hilda touched a sensitive point in the heart of the great demon, which perhaps related to his past.


    After Y¡¯zaks found the people around him looked a bit weird, he waved his hand and apologized, ¡°I was too serious, hope you guys don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s lips slightly curled up and said, ¡°No¡­ I thought you said it very well, so well that it shouldn¡¯t come from a demon¡¯s mouth.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks smiled awkwardly, spread out his hands and said, ¡°You are not the first to say so.¡±


    ¡°I thought a lot after I came to the Otherworld,¡± Hilda said after kept silent for a long time, ¡°for the first time that I confirmed the existence of other races and even other worlds and confirmed the many speculations of our scholars. During the two days on Earth, I happened to see the science program on Earth and got to know what your stellar system is, and how far the Earth is from the nearest planet. It¡¯s incredible. We were curious about whether our surroundings were normal, but we couldn¡¯t find a reference, so we are not sure if it¡¯s because the elves of Aerym are too stupid or too unfortunate to end up this way. Now I¡¯m relieved. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t blame the scholars.¡±


    ¡°Other than the exceptions, only a few of the intelligent races are really stupid,¡± the data terminal suddenly said, ¡°As long as there is an initiative, they should be praised. For the others, even if they¡¯re misguided and eventually trapped in the mother planet, they should not be blamed, because entering the space is indeed a very difficult task, and many times they have to rely on luck. Sometimes a race has tried their best but still can¡¯t find a way out of gravity, not that they didn¡¯t work hard enough or not smart enough. They are simply not lucky enough.¡±


    A slight hum came from somewhere in the spaceship.


    The virtual images around the bridge became brighter again. A dazzling sun appeared at the corner of the image.


    ¡°We¡¯ve reached Aerym,¡± the Mobile Data Terminal said.

 Chapter 239

    A brilliant star appeared in the corner of the view, and the sun was weakened and filtered to prevent hurting the eyes of the people on the bridge. Hao Ren let the Mobile Data Terminal adjusted the lens of the external monitor, allowing them to see the condition around the star.


    The ¡®Aerym Planet¡¯ was long gone. The planet was gradually dismantled into fragments thousands of years ago. Now, it was a stretch of space floating islands orbiting in the same planetary orbit, like a string of fragmentary and roughly sized spikes of stone floating in line in the space. In order to extract the last resources from the bottom of the planet, and to replenish the planet¡¯s depleted energy cycle, the elves had resolutely decomposed their entire planet into a fragmented state which allowed them to maximize the amount of solar energy and accommodate more people. They could only get the valuable living space and something more valuable, the experimental field, after the strata in the deep mantle had been dismantled and reshaped into such floating pieces.


    Those space floating islands had obvious artificial traces. Their main body was the rock of the planet itself, but there was a huge man-made ring hoop around the floating islands. The artificial structures that were already somewhat dim and which material was between the rock and the metal not only maintained the form of floating islands, but also produced an energy shield to protect the land below, and the energy shield itself could be used to filter the sun. One side of the floating island was flat and the other side was a huge, ugly rock foundation. The old and huge mechanical structures could be seen between the rugged mountains that were hanging upside down. They were the power plants, gravity generators, energy stations, and material recycling plants of the floating islands. Those mechanical structures were probably over thousands of years old and were quite damaged, but it was clear that their makers had no more energy and resources to repair them.


    ¡°Those are our homes.¡± Hilda now calmed down, she stood up and pointing to the holographic projection and explained, ¡°Some of the floating islands away from the main residential area are the test fields, where we used to test the space-time core and ultra-high power magic accelerator. If we didn¡¯t dismantle the planet like this, we couldn¡¯t even find a suitable test field. The magic accelerator needed to be built on a solid and huge foundation, and the conventional space station was unable to carry it, and it may even tear half the planet in the event of an explosion, and therefore, it could not be placed on the mother planet. There used to be a generation of scholars built a huge space platform to try to carry out this kind of dangerous experiment, but a fusion furnace exploded, causing the platform to crash. It almost destroyed the entire northern hemisphere ecology. The experimental projects were suspended until the planetary remodeling was completed. But that¡¯s a thing of the past, now the experiments of space-time core and the magic accelerator have been stopped. We really have no more resources.¡±


    ¡°The floating islands with bright energy shields are eco-islands, with an ecological dome under the shields. We try to preserve the planet¡¯s ecosystems as much as possible and transplant them into a huge artificial recycling system. These ecological domes provide us with valuable and complex organics, and¡­ is also the only luxury enjoyed by my people. Every elf of Aerym can rest in the dome for 15 days a year, but no more. Those domes have limited carrying capacity, and as some critical systems age, they are actually going to stop soon. If they shut down, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to rely entirely on plant synthetics to survive, and this will kill a lot of people. The elf of Aerym is a slow-evolving race, and healthy individuals have a lifespan of 1000 years. The deterioration of the environment is much faster than we can adapt. Whenever an old facility is shut down, there will be a large number of old elves¡­ even the prime elves died.¡±


    ¡°The floating islands that have bright beams connected to each other are residential areas, and most elves live on those islands. They are specially designed, have the lowest energy consumption, the most stable circulation system, and the more reasonable construction planning, in other words¡­ can delay for a longer time. Most of the synthetic plants are on those floating islands, and even if other floating islands, such as testing sites, are accidentally damaged, the habitations can continue to survive as much as possible. ¡±


    The spacecraft gradually approached the space islands in slow cruising mode. Hao Ren found that there were also a group of special islands among the floating islands: they lingered on the edge of the island chain, were dim and dark, and some of the island borders¡¯¡®hoops¡¯ had even been damaged and gone. The remnants of man-made buildings were vaguely visible on those floating islands, but the energy shields above the land were apparently extinguished. The floating islands without any light were lifeless, just like dried up space rocks.


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°The Land of Death,¡± Hilda sighed, ¡°we have created these seemingly magnificent space entities, but that doesn¡¯t mean that we have great skill. These floating islands were built in a desperate way, and the technology was not mature enough, even the theory was not perfect enough. The architecture of those islands is different because the original designers did not know what kind of island could hold on longer. Also, many floating islands were flawed at the beginning of the construction which couldn¡¯t be repaired at the later stage. So, those floating islands kept destroying, extinguishing, and then became that way.¡±


    And now even Lily was quiet. She was afraid of the eerie sight before her eyes. She tucked her tail between her legs but pricked up her ears and asked, ¡°What about the people up there?¡±


    ¡°Most of the time they could be rescued and being transferred to other islands,¡± Hilda nodded and explained, ¡°This would increase the ecological pressure on other islands, so each time after such a rescue transfer will be followed by a period of resource restriction legislation, mainly to limit the newborn and reduce the supply of per capita, and a part of the elderly will take the initiative to enter ¡®The World of Prayers¡¯ which means accepting euthanasia to make room for other adults. We have no choice. We need to let the entire race to survive as much as possible.¡±


    ¡°This place¡­¡± Hao Ren opened his mouth and was stunned by the scene. ¡°¡­is more serious than I imagined,¡± he continued.


    As a human, an inexperienced agent who had not yet experienced too many events, Hao Ren could not imagine how many unbelievable things are happening in the vast void. The disasters and dooms that he learned from all kinds of stories could not be compared to the chain of space islands before his eyes. Before he came here, he had imagined how to help Hilda and her people, such as borrowing the World Gate system of the empire and his connections at the Kuiper Station to see if he could deliver some supplies here, or buy some technology or spacecraft that did not exceed the provisions of the ¡®Non-interference of Civilization Act¡¯ for the elves of Aerym from the merchants of the Fairy Void Consortium. As an agent, he had a certain amount of ¡®Empire ration points¡¯ every month, but he had not used them yet, he just heard that these rationing points could be exchanged for exceptionally abundant supplies in various civilizations of the Macro World, and that was why so he got the idea above.


    But now it seemed that he had to revise all his plans.


    But these elves of Aerym needed more than just a little bit of goods and material or a little technology.


    ¡°Your creativity and resilience are indeed commendable,¡± Mobile Data Terminal could not help but say something, ¡°it¡¯s just that you didn¡¯t find the secret of FTL¨Csometimes a little mistake in the tech would destroy a civilization, especially for a race with insufficient innate conditions like you, so long as there¡¯s a technology failed to develop in time, there is no second chance. I can see that you¡¯ve worked very hard, just¡­ in the end, it didn¡¯t work.¡±


    Hilda sighed, ¡°Yes, and the last teleportation experiment was also failed.¡±


    When the Petrachelys Patrol Frigate was close to the island chain, it obviously got the attention of the elves. Hao Ren noticed that the communicator suddenly reported a large number of unknown contact signals. Some bright light-spots quickly moved from the back of several inhabited floating islands and quickly approached the spacecraft, and after the lens had pulled over, Hao Ren saw those triangular aircraft with think, blunt edges and gleaming silvery metallic sheen. Bright runes are flashing on each of the aircraft¡¯s shells, apparently not quite the same as the spacecraft in the general impression. Those must be the spacecraft of Aerym. It was a pity they could not cross the long distance of tens of millions of light-years.


    These silvery triangular aircraft quickly came to the vicinity of the Petrachelys Patrol Frigate. Hao Ren slowed down the spacecraft to almost static, so the ¡®little spacecraft¡¯ that were dozens of meters long then stopped and did not make a hasty detour or other rash moves. Their pilots must be in a state of great shock and tension. Everybody on the bridge could even feel the emotion coming through the icy space and several layers of armor of the starship.

 Chapter 240

    The communicator soon read the unfamiliar contact signals from one of the floating islands. Hao Ren turned on the communicator, a man¡¯s voice who tried to keep calm but the tone of the voice was visibly shaking spoke, ¡°Alien spacecraft, please state your identity, please state your identity¡­¡±


    This was the first time that the elves of Aerym had seen a strange space traveler appeared above their ¡®mother planet¡¯, their surprise and excitement was self-evident. For a civilization that had been struggling for thousands of years, no matter who the outsider was or what it held, any change was a great encouragement for them. Hao Ren wanted to experience what it was like to speak to a strange civilization, but after thinking for a moment, he pushed Hilda to the front and said, ¡°I¡¯ll let you speak.¡±


    Hilda nodded gratefully, opened her mouth in front of the communicator and took her quite a while to calm down and asked, ¡°Vimm, is it you?¡±


    The communicator plunged into an extreme silence. The silence revealed a huge shock of someone at the other end of the communicator, and half a minute later a trembling voice asked, ¡°Mother? Is it you? You¡¯re back?!¡±


    This time Hao Ren and his companions were shocked.


    Hilda did not notice the changes in the surrounding atmosphere. She was happy and answered quickly, ¡°It¡¯s me, I was sent to another world, but fortunately, I got the help of the locals to return to Aerym. Now we¡¯re going to land on the Dawnbreak Island¡­¡±


    Hilda quickly negotiated with someone at the other end of the communicator and said to Hao Ren, ¡°Please follow those triangular cruisers. They¡¯re taking us to the landing site.¡±


    Hao Ren hurriedly let data terminal to follow the instruction. When the spaceship slowly moved closer to the floating island, he really could not hold it and asked, ¡°That¡¯s your son?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Vimm is my only child. It seems that he has been a leader for the time being,¡± Hilda was proud of it. ¡°And it seems that the order of Aerym has not broken down. The situation is better than I thought.¡±


    Hao Ren laughed awkwardly and thought that he really could not speculate on these super long-life creatures using common sense. Hilda looked almost as young as him, and her son was already a prince regent. These two days he treated Hilda as a girl of his age, and at this moment he felt like as if he was punched in the face.


    Vivian noticed the strange expression on Hao Ren¡¯s face, and of course, she could guess what this guy was thinking. She moved closer to him, poked his arm and said, ¡°So I said you have to get used to longevity species. Now there¡¯s an Exhibition in the Archaeological Museum and there are two pearls in the stone tools of the caveman which I¡¯ve worn before¡­ I¡¯ve been thinking about it but I don¡¯t know how to take it back. What a pity.¡±


    Hao Ren could not stop sweating. He sat on the chair, trembling and kept muttering, ¡°You¡¯re the best, you¡¯ll live for generation after generation¡­ Oh no, you already did¡­¡±


    At this point, the spacecraft had arrived at the floating island in the middle of the space island chain, under the guidance of several ¡®cruisers¡¯. The details of the island gradually appeared in front of them. It was about the same size as the other islands. There was also a ring of man-made ¡®hoop¡¯ at its outer rim, which was about half a kilometer above the surface. The upper end of the hoop was shrouded in a hazy halo, covering the entire floating island with a layer of near-transparent shields, and a cloud of vapor condensation could be seen at the top of the dome-shaped shield. Obviously, the elves of Aerym had simulated the effect of an approximate natural atmosphere in this magnificent creation. At the same time, they saw a different part that was different from the rest of the islands: There were many very large buildings in the middle of the island, and there was a circle of walls around those buildings, which you did not see on other islands.


    After asking Hilda, they knew that it was the ¡®imperial court¡¯ of the elves of Aerym and also Hilda¡¯s Palace. However, the huge buildings were not luxurious, and there was no special royal pleasure. Its vast footprint was designed to accommodate functions such as parliaments, Assembly of Resource Management, Assembly of Technology and Assembly of the Isle Guardians. The place where the queen lived was only one of the towers in the great building.


    However, the spacecraft could not land directly in the imperial court, and there was no platform for this big guy to landing. The Petrachelys Petrol Frigate, guided by the navigational signals, came to a prominent point on the edge of the floating island. A series of semi-circular platforms were supported by huge alloy skeletons, where the elves used it for take-off and landing. Because the entire facility was outside the floating shield, it was covered with an extra layer of translucent barrier to prevent air loss. The Petrachelys Petrol Frigate had found a larger platform for landing under the guidance. When the spacecraft was slowly descending, Hao Ren noticed that it had passed through a layer of rippling ¡®membrane¡¯, which should be the same thing as the shield over the floating island.


    There were many elves waiting on the landing platform, men and women, there were hundreds of them. This should be the representative of the elves of Aerym. The ¡®welcome group¡¯ was obviously formed in a hasty. Some of them even with a puzzled face, and there were elves rushing in. Other than these elves, there was no guard of honor at the scene and no other welcome groups with bouquets of flowers and piles of brocades. Obviously, the elves of Aerym had abandoned this habit for a long time. The gate of the Petrachelys Petrol Frigate was slowly opened under the watchful eye of this group of elves. Hao Ren pushed Hilda to the front, letting her get off the ship first.


    He then led the others to appear in front of the crowd one by one.


    There was no other noble reason. It was just that these guys were a little nervous except Y¡¯zaks¡­


    As soon as Hilda appeared, the elves were obviously stirring up, and a tall blond young man, who looked almost as old as Hilda, stepped out of the crowd. He seemed to want to give Hilda a hug, but he hesitated due to the occasion, but Hilda offered him a hug and said, ¡°Vimm, it¡¯s great to see you again.¡±


    ¡°Mother, I am so glad to see you safe and sound.¡± The young man whom Hilda embraced was indeed the Prince of Aerym, and the only son of the incredibly young-looking Queen, Vimm.


    Lily whispered beside Hao Ren, ¡°They really look like brother and sister.¡±


    At this time Hilda turned around and introduced to Vimm a group of friends from a different world. ¡°It was they who helped me. These people are very strong, from an incredible organization. This is Hao Ren. He is¡­¡±


    Hilda finished introducing all of them, but because the concept of Space Administration was time-consuming to explain, she did not go into detail. Vimm quickly came to Hao Ren, bowing to him with the unique courtesy of the elf of Aerym and said, ¡°Thank you for helping my mother.¡±


    Hao Ren reached out his hand and said, ¡°Nice to meet you.¡±


    Vimm looked curiously at Hao Ren¡¯s hand. Just like his mother, he was holding Hao Ren¡¯s wrist and shaking up and down.


    They walked along the broad trail toward the exit of the landing platform, Vimm and Hilda walked in front of them, and Vimm asked, ¡°Mother, did you say you are in another world these days?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the other world, not the universe we now know, it¡¯s truly another world.¡±


    ¡°Is the space-time accelerator successful? Or¡­ More successful than expected?¡±


    ¡°No, it failed. I time-travel into another world. It¡¯s just a by-product of the accident, with very low probability and no duplication. The design of the accelerator itself is problematic, and the project has to stop. What about the situation? What happened after the explosion? How¡¯s the Isle of Stars? And the Isle of Rainbow?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it on the way.¡± Vimm paused unnaturally. The pause implied disturbing news. At the moment there were several rounded, flat-ellipsoidal vehicles parked at the exit. He took his mother to one of them and at the same time pointing to the other car and said, ¡°The guests please get on this floating car.¡±


    ¡°No, there¡¯s a lot of space in the floating car, and I want to ride with them,¡± Hilda said and nodding to Hao Ren, ¡°There are no secrets to hide from them. They don¡¯t care about the secrets of a common civilization.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Before Hao Ren get on the car along with others, he suddenly remembered something and then turned to the Petrachelys Petrol Frigate and press the button. Beep, beep. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Vivian was in the car. She looked at Hao Ren with a strange look and asked, ¡°You use a motorcycle anti-theft lock to lock the ship?¡±


    ¡°Raven 12345 installed it¡­ I must accept it, or the ship won¡¯t be locked,¡± said Hao Ren awkwardly.


    Vivian, ¡°¡­¡±

 Chapter 241

    The levitating, magic-guided vehicle, manufactured by Aerymian elves carried everyone towards the floating Dawnbreak Island. The levitating vehicle was gliding through the air several hundred metres above ground. Although it was a premium item in Aerym and was of a higher technology than anything on Earth, it was bland. It had no designs in and out, unlike private vehicles on Earth. It was built with a type of greyish-white synthetic material, pretty much monotoned in coloured. The vehicle had no ornamental patterns, no soft upholstery, and no special covering on its handles or window frames.


    It was like a mass-produced, mold-injected product. While it was technologically advanced, anyone who had experienced it could tell that it was made to meet the minimum requirements to function.


    Aerymian elves were slender and taller thans human but the difference was not big¡ªat least, they were closer in height to humans than Y¡¯zaks was. For this reason, Hao Ren and the like felt relatively comfortable inside the vehicle. Even though Y¡¯zaks felt a bit cramped in there, it was still bearable. On both sides of the vehicle were narrow rows of window, which stretched below the seats. From them, one could see the city scenery moving past below.


    At first glance, the city¡¯s buildings looked beautiful; they had long arched lines, and were of simple but elegant structure, mimicking trees and buds in design. The architecture in Aerym was dominated by towers and various oval-shaped buildings with sleek lines, making Aerym look like a city of a thousand towers¡ªthough it was just an impression. At the same time, these elegant-looking architecture had also revealed the fact of the depletion of resources. All buildings were built from a greyish-white synthetic material¡ªfrom the walls to the roofs, and even the spaces as well as roads in between these buildings were all of the same colour and dullness. They must have exhausted all their natural construction materials many years ago. Additionally, it was also not possible to mine natural materials from the foundation of the floating isle. So, Aerymian elves could only recycle materials from rubble and use it to build their homes. However, a grey city looked very depressing. To work around the problem, plants were planted in the spaces between the elven buildings, but not in large quantity. Apparently, most plants were in the eco-dome or some similar special location in order to maintain an efficient urban function. Apart from that, not much could be seen in the city.


    No monuments, no street sculptures, no parks, and no other wasteful objects that were unrelated to basic survival. The whole city was built using low grade materials, and landscape details were omittted, like they were trying to lower the graphic resolution to reduce the load on their graphics card. No matter where one looked, there were only monochromatic buildings as well as straight and simple streets. The elves were living in this lifeless city like a faded slideshow.


    Y¡¯zaks stared down at the city¡¯s landscape, in deep thought. ¡°They¡¯re still maintaining an orderly state of living. No matter how bad things are, they¡¯re working hard to ensure social order, and¡­ at least, things looks ¡®normal¡¯ from the outside.¡±


    Hilda¡¯s attention was not on the city below her instead, she had noticed the unconcealable anxiety in her son. ¡°How bad is it? Is it unsustainable?¡±


    ¡°To live, it is still sustainable.¡± Vimm was a young man but his voice was deep. He fully inherited¡ªprobably every elf did¡ªhis mom¡¯s perfect look. He was handsome yet manly. ¡°Astrologers and magic-guidance scholars at the scene suffered serious casualty, but the test site was pretty remote, away from the major island chain. Material damage is still within an acceptable level, and supplies for the major residential zone and eco-dome are fine. We can still maintain the same living standard for quite a long period.¡±


    ¡°So, the problem is about faith¡­ is it not?¡± Hilda knew the situation of Aerym well and that was why she had figured out the crux of the problem pretty quick. ¡°At least you have restored social order for now. Anyway, I can still sense the lifelessness in the atmosphere.¡±


    ¡°The incident hit the public¡¯s faith pretty hard, including some of the members of the assembly,¡± Vimm said, nodding. ¡°The space-time accelerator is the last large-scale project of its kind that we could afford, which even with the constraint of resources, would have enabled us to find a way to travel to the deep space. But the explosion ripped the faith of many people into pieces. We still have supplies left, but they are only good for survival needs.¡±


    While Vimm was talking, he glanced at the otherworldly visitors sitting at the back of the vehicle. His report was about the social status quo before Hilda returned. However, the appearance of these incredible visitors from outside their planet¡­ or rather, outside their universe had totally messed with his worldview, and also his grasp on the current state of affairs. His first thought was of a new dawn, after the Aerymian elves had suffered thousands of years of embarassment. The arrival of visitors from a highly advanced civilisation, who could do interstellar travel may just be a game-changer. But at the same time, he was worried about another problem.


    Would it be in time? Would they agree to help? Would they be of help at all?


    Hilda¡¯s eyes glanced at them, but she said nothing. She then turned her eyes back to Vimm. ¡°Firstly, announce that there are otherworldly visitors, and that we have mastered the key to interstellar travel. Although the space-time accelerator failed, it is still a success in terms of our technological progression. Make the announcement; our priority is to inspire the people and restore their faith.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded slightly but he did not make himself clear; he was still pondering about the best option and did not want to make any hasty promises. Nevertheless, he knew what Hilda said was totally within his ability. Hao Ren¡¯s nod gave Vimm a confidence boost, and Vimm¡¯s face began to soften up.


    ¡°The Isle of Rainbow¡­ how much is left?¡± Hilda asked about the situation in other places.


    The Isle of Rainbow was a floating island, the last space test site with comprehensive facilities and a high-capacity energy system, where the space-time accelerator was tested. All this while, the elves had only one planet¡ªa lonely planet. There was no other places for them to set foot on and many large-scale tests could not be conducted. It was not until the planet was broken up and formed a space island chain that they could start conducting some dangerous tests, which could not have been carried out safely on the mother planet. During the few thousand years of technological trial and error, they had lost one test site after another, and the aftermath of most incidents was enough to pollute the entire planet. The lost of a floating island was the best case scenario. But even then, there were only a limited number of floating islands available. Thousand of years had passed and the numbers were dwindling.


    The Isle of Rainbow was their last hope.


    ¡°The Isle of Rainbow is gone.¡± Vimm was silent for a few seconds before saying in a deep voice, ¡°Mother, I bet you have seen the far end of the island chain while you were in space; the area with new debris¡ªthat is the Isle of Rainbow. After the explosion, part of the fragments were thrown towards the sun while some towards deep space. We only managed to recover two-fifths of the materials. These materials were temporarily placed together with the debris of the island chain. Alhough the test site is gone, the resources mined from the wreck will allow everyone years of good life.¡±


    ¡°I saw fragments. I just did not expect¡­¡± Hilda frowned. ¡°What about the Isle of Stars?¡±


    The Isle of Stars was another space floating island, an important industrial centre and energy furnace, which stored energy received from the coronal station. During the test of the space-time accelerator, the Isle of Rainbow was moved to the far end of the island chain to avoid it from becoming a hazard to the residential zone. However, the Isle of Stars was moved along to supply energy to the test site. Its close proximity to the test site had Hilda worried about its fate.


    While in space, she did not carefully observe the situation across the island chain, so she was unsure if she had seen the Isle of Stars.


    ¡°The Isle of Stars survived with some damage. Some of the shrapnel punctured the air-defence fire network, and damaged part of the gravity generator and propulsion unit. Some almost hit the energy hub¡ªmissing it by a small margin. The situation is under control. The technical elder committee is trying to restore its functions while the magic technicians managed to recover some equipment from the death zone¡ªthe equipment are probably still working. That is better than nothing.¡±


    ¡°Very well. At least, things are better than expected.¡± Hilda breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°When we land, have Cardillon meet me. We and our otherworldly friends have lots of things to discuss.¡±


    ¡°Elder Cardillon¡­¡± Vimm suddenly became evasive of Hilda¡¯s stare. ¡°Elder Cardillon has gone to the World of Prayers.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Hilda suddenly raised her voice. ¡°Who allowed that?¡±


    ¡°He went of his own accord. Some problems arose in the World of Prayers. The 200-year-old Lotto Group are becoming active again¡­ and part of the assembly¡ª¡±


    ¡°So the current social order is merely superficial?¡± Hilda¡¯s face turned dead straight. ¡°When we land, immediately call for an elder assembly. I am going to restore the order!¡±

 Chapter 242

    Everyone at the back of the vehicle was a little confused about what Vimm and Hilda were talking about. Nonetheless, they could basically grasp the meaning of it: the space-time accelerator accident had shaken the foundation of the fragile society, and there were many problems within the elven society itself. However, as outsiders, none of these problems were of their concern. They were not in a position to ask questions.


    The levitating vehicle was fast, and it arrived in Dawnbreak Island in no time. As the vehicle passed through an energy shield and went over the wall, the towering steeples in the Aerym Royal District materialised up ahead. The vehicle proceeded to fly towards one of the homogenous steeples and landed on a semi-circle platform extending out from the steeple. Hilda opened the vehicle door and said to them, ¡°This is my home.¡±


    Lily glanced curiously at the huge steeple, chuckling. ¡°Whoa, it looks huge.¡±


    Hilda smiled haplessly. ¡°At least, we are not short of living space.¡±


    Meanwhile, a few Aerymian elves that looked like servants were darting towards them. The servants looked excited when they saw the queen, who had gone missing for the past couple of days. The heartfelt joy and repose on their faces spoke of the prestige Hilda was accorded there. Hilda and Vimm proceeded to brief the servants, then introduced Hao Ren and his company to them. ¡°They are our VIP guests, please arrange their accommodation and take good care of them.¡±


    ¡°I have to call for an assembly of the elders.¡± Hilda wheeled. ¡°I would like to apologise to you all for I have to attend to some emergencies in the Kingdom.¡±


    Lily replied noisily. ¡°That¡¯s okay. We can help ourselves. By the way, can I look around?¡±


    ¡°You may.¡± Hilda nodded with a smile. Then Vimm and Hilda got back into the levitating vehicle and left in a hurry.


    A young, slim female elf came up and signalled Hao Ren to follow her. ¡°Allow me to bring you to the guest rooms.¡±


    Everyone followed. As they entered the steeple, they passed through a long and dull-looking corridor with a series of simple yet elegant arches to the guest area. They received quite a lot of curious stares along the way; wherever they went, the palace staff would pause and look at the new guests in strange costumes. Rebuked by the leading young elf, the curious onlookers quickly dispersed.


    ¡°I apologise for the indecency, they were just curious.¡± The young elf bowed slightly in apology.


    A lift carried them to the mid section of the steeple. Then they were led to an oval-shaped hall with rooms on every side¡ªthis was the VIP guest area. The rooms were specially catered to VIP guests. Before leaving, in front of the lift, the young elf said, ¡°Have some rest here. Food is available in the cabinet at the end of the hall. Dinner will be served separately. If you need assistance, please press the green button in the room, or look for the Royal Guard in the lift.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded back in acknowledgement. Lily was suffocated by the formal and solemn atmosphere of the Royal Palace. Just as the young elf left, she howled happily, ran in circles, then scampered in and out of the rooms. Vivian had a stretch. ¡°Truly a queen. Look at this place, it¡¯s huge!¡±


    ¡°Although they¡¯re short in resources, they can still maintain a normal life,¡± said Hao Ren. He then sauntered around the place, checking out the rooms. The VIP guest room was simple. Nothing fancy, only functional furniture, which were clearly mass-produced products. The lack of style and design showed that they were churned out from the production line with cost-effectiveness in mind¡ªa distinctive characteristic of a living, resource-constrained society. While the ruler may have gotten more material quota, they were using the same things as the ordinary people¡ªcost-effective products from the production line, which totally forwent craftsmanship.


    However, being a queen had its privilege: there were ornamental plants in every corner of the hall and rooms. These green bonsai plants added life to the otherwise dull atmosphere. Aerymian elves were originally from the forest, so they had a natural instinct for plants. Wherever possible, they would strive to decorate their living space with green despite the fact that they had to live in a efficiency-obsessed industrial machine for survival. Earlier, Hilda¡¯s treeguard had mentioned that Aerymian traditional artistry and plants were inseparable. However, this kind of artistry was considered a luxury now. It was only maintained among royalty and the elites while what the eco-dome had was limited.


    There was a lift at one end of the oval hall, and a round, floor-to-ceiling window at the other end, through which one could have a bird¡¯s-eye view of the city. Hao Ren was standing right there, looking out at the exotic scenery. The filtered sunlight shone through the dome, and the greyish-white city was slowly coated in a golden light from the sunset. There were also small aircrafts traversing in the golden sunset. Suddenly, Vivian, who had come up to him without him realising, was heard saying, ¡°Disregarding the dire situation they¡¯re experiencing, this is a beautiful place.¡±


    Hoa Ren just nodded without saying a word. He was recalling what he had learned from the employee handbook, trying to look at the whole picture from the viewpoint of an inspector. Since he landed on the floating island, he had been carefully observing every detail of the Aerymian society. He tried to understand the culture and status quo from the characteristics of the city, the words and deeds of everyone there. But, as a foreigner whose worldview and race was totally different from the Aerymians, reaching a proper conclusion was difficult. Nevertheless, observational skills were something every inspector had to have. He continued looking out of the window and remained silent for a moment before poking the MDT in his pocket. ¡°Give me some suggestions.¡±


    ¡°No comment. From now on, you have to deal with things according to the SOP,¡± the MDT replied. ¡°Anyway, the hint is: Madam Raven said you¡¯re fully in-charge¡ªI hope you get what she meant. I do hope you can solve things using your given ability. Don¡¯t simply ask for help from the goddess or other higher forces. Build your influence and connections, then solve problems independently, befitting an inspector. The only limit you must always observe is that you cannot disturb other civilisations; under no circumstances should you help one civilisation you like at the expense of another civilisation. You cannot be partial.¡±


    Hao Ren laughed. ¡°Then worry not. I don¡¯t know anyone yet for me to be biased against.¡±


    Lily had made her rounds around the rooms when her biological clock sounded its hungry alarm on the dot. She remembered the female servant elf telling them that there was food in the cabinet, so she ran looking for it. She found a rectangular box in a metal cabinet. ¡°Is this edible at all? It looks weird¡­¡±


    She put the box on the table. Hao Ren saw it¡ªthe food was like some sort of synthetic stuff. It was mostly yellow or green sticks, the length of a finger, and crispy to the touch. Lily took one and put it into her mouth, chewing noisily. Then she frowned. ¡°It tastes bland! A little salty like a chalk!¡±


    ¡°You ever tasted chalk?¡± Vivian gave her a sideways glance.


    Lily was not embarrassed at all. ¡°I have. The first time I saw a chalk, I took a bite out of curiosity. That taste is still fresh in my mouth just like yesterday.¡±


    The maiden probably inherited the ¡°fine tradition¡± of her race from her parents, that was to take a bite of everything just to taste them out¡­


    The chalk-like synthetic food could not even appeal to a non-picky eater like Lily. So, she found another: a kind of paste in a cylinder. It was cream-like and sweet smelling. With high expectations, Lily gouged a little out with her finger and put that in her mouth. The moment the paste reached her tastebuds, her tail puffed up instantly. ¡± It tastes of engine oil!¡±


    The MDT got out from Hao Ren¡¯s pocket and examined the paste. ¡°It¡¯s a product of chemistry. Although it¡¯s able to provide energy for carbon-based living things, don¡¯t expect much in terms of taste. The addition of special flavour and some texture require a complicated production method, which is wasteful.¡±

 Chapter 243

    Staring at Lily who was eating heartily, Hao Ren wanted to taste it too. So, he took a bite, but he instantly frowned. Although the food was not as bad as Lily had claimed, it was not good; the solid food was bland and coarse while the paste tasted fetidly sweet. These were apparently mass-produced using the simplest synthetic formulation. Even though things in the eco-dome were more than sufficient to provide for the needs of Aerym Royalty, they did not take it¡ªit was just their attitude.


    Vivian and Y¡¯zaks both tried. The demon had no complaints about the food. However, Vivian and Lily obviously had the same tastebuds; even during her poorest times, Vivian had never eaten such an unpalatable thing. It was so unpalatable that Lily put everything back into the cabinet. She then took a pack of brownish snacks out from her bag and started eating them. While she was at it, she offered some to Hao Ren. ¡°Landlord, I bet the dinner won¡¯t be any better. For now, just eat this. Battie, you can eat if you want.¡±


    While waiting for Hilda to return, Hao Ren, Vivian and Lily sat at the table, wolfing down the snacks. Y¡¯zaks was not interested at all; he found a quiet corner, sat down and started daydreaming as usual.


    ¡°There¡¯s always food to be found on your body, eh?¡± It was not a surprise to Hao Ren. Apart from her unusual strength and shapeshifting ability, she always had a portable supply of food. Her bag of supplies was enough to feed the poor in the mountain. ¡°Oh, this thing¡¯s good. Tastes like beef. Where did you buy it?¡±


    The pellets were crunchy in Lily¡¯s mouth. ¡°They¡¯re dog food¡­¡±


    Blearghh


    Hao Ren and Vivian would have spurted in each other¡¯s faces if not for their quick maneuver. He coughed as he cleaned his mouth. ¡°What the hell, why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?¡±


    ¡°It tastes good,¡± said Lily as she looked at them, baffled. ¡°What a waste. One pack of this is even more expensive than your breakfast.¡±


    After Vivian was done puking, she licked her lips and said, ¡°Hmm¡­ it doesn¡¯t taste that bad.¡±


    ¡°See, I said so.¡± Wagging her tail happily, Lily said, ¡°In fact, I¡¯ve never tried this before. Since I bought it, I thought I might as well give it a try. Once I tasted it, I couldn¡¯t stop eating. If the ingredients on the packaging are anything to go by, it¡¯s definitely better than the rice that humans are consuming¡­¡±


    After clearing the residue in his mouth, Hao Ren raised his head with an incredible look on his face. ¡°Dogs are having a good life nowadays, huh?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Sometimes humans have less privileges than dogs.¡± Vivian nodded in total agreement. ¡°Just look at me, I¡¯m a countess to say the least.¡±


    The two pretty maidens¡ªappearance-wise¡ªbegan to talk in length about the dog food. Hao Ren could not bear to look at them any longer. He turned his head away, pretending to look at the scenery outside while trying to convince himself. They were not humans, so they one could not look at them from a human¡¯s perspective. Feeding them dog food was not animal cruelty. He was extremely confident of the law, in his mind.


    Time flew as the two maidens immersed themselves in their noisy chat. Dusk had finally come to an end. A gleam of golden light slowly disappeared quickly in the horizon as the floating island spun on its axis. The Aerymian elves were using the rotation of the floating island to simulate the transition between day and night. They also used the protective shield to create a natural filtered sunlight. Even with those things, it was obvious that the world under the dome was very different from that of a natural planet¡ªthe lack of the sky¡¯s depth, the abrupt fall of night, and the harsh sunlight. People who lived at the edge of the floating island could clearly observe the distortion of the sky. He could now truly understand what Hilda meant when she said, ¡°I envy you people, the vast sky and landscape¡­¡±


    Suddenly, on the horizon where the sun had just set, a flash of faint light appeared.


    The flash quickly subsided. Hao Ren thought it was an illusion. Soon, a commotion could be heard down in the city streets. Some bright columns of light appeared at the edge of the city as some flying objects were making their way towards the Royal District. Residents were all out on the streets as though they were expecting the arrival of news from far away. Hao Ren could see everything happening in the city with his biologically enhanced eyesight, including people on the roof of the steeple, who were gazing out at the same direction¡ªthe horizon where the light had just appeared.


    ¡°Something¡¯s happening,¡± said Lily as she stuffed a bunch of dog food in her mouth. Her ears stood erect as she came up to Hao Ren. ¡°There¡¯s commotion.¡±


    ¡°There was a flash of light, probably an explosion,¡± said Hao Ren quickly before he darted to the end of the hall and called a lift. The massive lift had two Royal Guards on standby, and Hao Ren noticed the strange expression on their faces as well. ¡°What happened outside?¡±


    ¡°Do not worry, the guards are handling the situation. Everything is under control,¡± said one of the elven warriors, whose eyes were filled with anxiety even though he still behaved professionally as a Royal Guard. ¡°The queen is back from the elder assembly. She will attend to all of you shortly¡­¡±


    Hao Ren waved his hand, signalling the restless lot behind him. They stormed into the lift by force. ¡°We are here not as guests. Lead us to the exit and tell us what the hell is going on.¡±


    ¡°But, the queen has ordered¡ª¡±


    ¡°There was no explosion when she gave the order!¡± Hao Ren pressed a lift button. ¡°Just do what I say. I am sure your queen will agree. By the way, why is the door still not closed?¡±


    ¡°That is¡­ that is the open button¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was embarrassed. ¡°Why does the arrow here mean the opposite? It¡¯s unlike anything on Earth.¡±


    Seeing that the guests were determined, and thinking about the unusual attitude the queen had towards them, the elven warriors gave in. They paged their superior using some kind of communication device. As they got the nod, one of the elven warriors sent the lift down to the exit on the ground floor. ¡°A propulsion system exploded. There is some damage to the surrounding walls. But, they are being sealed¡­ temporarily.¡±


    Hao Ren could feel hid head humming as he thought to himself: he was no scientist, but he at least knew what was outside the floating island¡ªa spaceship with a thin layer of shield. The shield was the only thing between the city and space, and it was punctured!


    He wished that the lift would go faster. In his head, he complained about the height of the steeple, where the elves lived (they were probably used to living on trees in the past). One minute felt like a century in the lift and they finally reached the ground after half a minute. They darted out of the lift as soon as the door opened while the elven warriors followed from behind. ¡°Please, wait a minute. I will get you a magic-guided levitating car¡­¡±


    ¡°That toy is not as fast as we are!¡±


    Hao Ren turned his head around and held on to Vivian¡¯s arm. ¡°Let¡¯s take off.¡±


    As he spoke, the vampire maiden flung her wings open and carried him up into the air. Meanwhile, Lily was howling like a beast as she began to run on her four limbs. Y¡¯zaks was following closely behind like a vicious, humanoid chariot. The earth trembled as he ran. In a blink of an eye, they disappeared into the distance, leaving the two elven warriors or guards behind.


    ¡°What a bunch of unusual guests the queen brought back.¡±


    ¡°What if the levitating vehicles collide with the flying one?¡±


    ¡°If we could catch up¡­ err¡­ we would probably not catch up.¡±

 Chapter 244

    Let us not discuss about how the elven guards were going to explain to Hilda about the guests. In the meantime, Hao Ren and company were already far out and approaching the wall outside the Royal District. Vivian carried Hao Ren in the air and Lily ran on the ground . Y¡¯zaks was also not slow at all; their moving speed was so much faster than the levitating vehicles made by the elves. The flash caused by the explosion at the edge of the floating island was no more. However, there were a few large light columns rising up into the sky near the scene, which they could use as landmarks to navigate. All Hao Ren could hear was the sound of the wind as they moved through the air. He shouted at the top of his lungs, ¡°That¡¯s the wall! Can you fly higher and go around it?¡±


    ¡°The wall¡¯s not a problem, but the shield is. I don¡¯t know if we can go through it,¡± Vivian also shouted just as loud. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such barrier.¡±


    Outside the wall of the Royal District was another layer of shield in the air. This magical protective shield, covering the entire city was not just for show. It was difficult to say whether Vivian could penetrate this city-level shield. Hao Ren now realised that he should not have declined the elven warriors¡¯ offer on the flying vehicle out of convenience¡ªor at least, he should have waited a few minutes so that the crew at the wall could be informed, and they would have opened a passage for them before hand. As the semi-transparent membrane lay before them, Vivian began to slow down way before she reached it. She managed to stop right in front of it. Hao Ren reached his hand out and touched the membrane. It was a solid shield just like the Steel Membrane Shield he was wearing.


    Of course, it may not have been able to match the Steel Membrane Shield technologically, but, it was not some kind of weak membrane, which one could penetrate by brute force.


    Lily was now catching up to them. She looked up and saw the wall but she did not slow down. Instead, she tried to jump over the wall and move towards the spot where Hao Ren and Vivian were hovering at. Hao Ren saw a white shadow sweeping across the air, followed by a loud bang and a whine. Lily hit the shield and slid down good-style.


    Now, it was proven that the shield was impenetrable by brute force.


    ¡°Maybe, I could blast a hole.¡± Y¡¯zaks was heard from below. ¡°But, it does not seem very appropriate.¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s not appropriate.¡± Hao Ren could not have said more about Y¡¯zaks¡¯ meteorite-madness. As if bringing down a meteorite from space was the panacea for all problems. He could not let Y¡¯zaks have his way this time: he was not there to cause more damage. As the floating island of Aerym was already in a dire situation, bringing down a meteorite was going to make it worse. Was Y¡¯zaks here to help or to destroy?


    ¡°Is Lily okay?¡± Hao Ren looked down where Lily fell. He was impressed by her amazing leap; the maiden could jump over a 200-metre city wall without much effort¡ªbut, her brain ostensibly did not work as good as her physical talents. ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    Lily was only heard from below after a few seconds of lag. She sounded as if she was still confused. ¡°I guess, yeah¡­ just a little dizzy. My head hurts and it¡¯s swollen.¡±


    Hao Ren wanted to open the shield, but he was clueless as to where the control centre of the wall was. Who was in-charge? Plus, he did not know how to contact Hilda. He realised he had been too hasty. Anyway, he and Vivian soon discovered something: there was a slight flash of light on the shield not far from where they were. They could see all levitating vehicles passing through the shield speedily at the flashing spot.


    ¡°Could it be the mouth of the traffic?¡± Hao Ren said as he pointed at the light spot.


    Vivian flew towards it immediately. ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡±


    True enough, it was a traffic portal. It seemed that Aerymian shield technology had its limitations. They still could not let their own vessels pass through at any point of the shield just by using identification signals¡ªwhile Kuiper Station had a shield, all spacecrafts were able to enter or exit the space station with ease. So because of this, the Aerymians could only have a fixed opening as a traffic portal. A floating circle of bright runes around the traffic portal functioned like a controlling device, whereby during an emergency, the portal could be closed. Vivian reached out and the portal felt like a soft water-film. She then flew out through the film. Lily followed them and called out to Hao Ren. ¡°I¡¯m coming straight towards the portal¡ªouch¡­¡±


    A whine ensued and Hao Ren looked down. ¡°What¡¯s wrong again?¡±


    ¡°I hit the roof of a building. I¡¯m back down again.¡±


    Vivian was trying to shake off the cold sweat on her forehead¡ªher hands were tied up, carrying Hao Ren. ¡°I admire her physical strength. Nothing can stand in her way.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t. She gained her body strength at the expense of her brain.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks had more sense than Lily as he summoned a pair of flaming devil wings and flew through the traffic portal with ease. However, he was not a flying demon, so after flying for a short distance, he was back down running on foot again. Meanwhile, the four of them had caught the attention of the elves¡ªY¡¯zaks was the main culprit as the lighting effect of his flaming wings was blinding. A bulky guy like him flying in-style up in the air was basically a challenge to their aesthetic senses. Lights lit up on both sides of the wall, and windows as well as rooftops were full of curious onlookers. Embarrassed by the stares, Hao Ren gave a little pull on Vivian¡¯s clothes. ¡°Keep going, keep going¡­ Watch out! Traffic!¡±


    The two of them were still near the traffic portal, and traffic at night was just as heavy. Before Hao Ren¡¯s voice trailed off, a levitating vehicle brushed past them. The vampire maiden was drenched in cold sweat. She quickly lowered her altitude¡ªshe could be the first creature from Earth who got into a mid-air traffic accident.


    Soon, they came to the edge of the city. Beyond that, they could no longer use the light columns as navigation aid. The light columns were warning lights on the outside of the hoop circling the floating island. So, when one was looking from the inside out, the guiding effect was blurry and it was difficult to pinpoint the exact location of the explosion. As the streets were full of people, Hao Ren asked Vivian to descend. They met up with Lily and Y¡¯zaks on the ground. They then planned to ask around.


    The city streets in Aerym were not as busy as those on Earth. There were no night markets or entertainment outlets. Although they had enough power to light up the city at night, it was set up just to meet the bare minimum needed. The explosion of the propulsion components had drawn people out to the streets. The appearance of four aliens, clad in strange costumes certainly attracted their eyes as well.


    Y¡¯zaks was already a head-turner. Now Lily had appeared with her glowing eyes and silver hair while Hao Ren as well as Vivian were descending from heaven. That combination was only eye-catching while they were shapeshifted form.


    ¡°Excuse me, may I know the route to the site of the explosion?¡± Hao Ren stopped a random handsome elf¡ªeveryone there was handsome. The elf was visibly frightened by the four weird strangers, but he still pointed towards a direction. ¡°There.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Hao Ren nodded in appreciation and when he was about to leave, an elf among the crowd called out, ¡°Y¡¯all are the aliens brought back by our queen?¡±


    That attracted even more curious stares from the crowd. Hao Ren quickly retreated from the crowd as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about us. Can we get on our way please. Your queen will be calling for a press conference tomorrow¡­¡±


    As he shoved himself through the crowd towards the explosion site, an elf called out again. ¡°Don¡¯t go there! It¡¯s dangerous!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m going for!¡± As Hao Ren¡¯s voice trailed off, he vanished at the end of the street.

 Chapter 245

    When the Aerymian elves first built the floating island, it was with proper long-term planning in mind; the city¡¯s zoning was symmetrical and its streets were straight. You would not find yourself unable to find direction, like getting lost in a dark alley. With help from the locals, Hao Ren was able to quickly find the accident scene. He was certain that he was going in the right direction, because as he went forward, the streets had less and less people. He occasionally bumped into a few elves but they were travelling in the opposite direction with shock in their faces. That meant the location of the explosion was not far ahead.


    ¡°What can we do? There¡¯s just a few of us.¡± Running happily beside Hao Ren, Lily finally came to her senses. Hao Ren did not look at her. He said loudly, ¡°With your strength, Vivian¡¯s magic, Y¡¯zaks and myself, we should be able to do something. Firstly, we have to be there to see what we can do.¡±


    As they ran farther towards the scene, the streets began to become deserted, with only dim street lamps lighting up the area. It was not just the street that was deserted. Buildings along the street seemed to be lifeless and vacant just as Vivian had observed. It was obvious that the residents in this area had been evacuated. It was not the first time Aerymian elves encountered such an incident. They already knew the drill before disaster struck. Meanwhile, Lily frowned as she sniffed around. She could smell the stench of ionised air.


    A loud noise coupled with whistling sounds could be heard from afar while a few light beams swept across the sky. The city guards were probably rushing to the scene at this point.


    ¡°There. Ahead!¡± Lily ran ahead of the team like she was doing ground reconnaissance. She gestured to the team happily at one of the street corners. Hao Ren, Vivian and Y¡¯zaks moved quickly ahead as they could also see the light of fire behind the buildings far away.


    As they got to the corner, they felt a sense of weightlessness. Before Hao Ren could figure out what was happening, he found himself a few metres up in the air. Then, he came back down slowly. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°It seems like the artificial gravity in this area has failed,¡± the MDT sneaked out and said, ¡°I think the elves have a bigger problem than this. Look up!¡±


    Everyone raised their heads. At the edge of the floating island, the protective shield was low enough to reach by hand when one stood on the top of a steeple. But now, the protective shield facing the hoop side was glowing abnormally. A large amount of static-like noise like those snow screens on a CRT TV was spreading rapidly across the shield of life reminiscent of deadly hoar frost.


    ¡°It¡¯s an energy vortex. The shield¡¯s simply built using a large number of shield generators. Some of the shield generators went offline all of a sudden and caused the energy vortex. It could quickly ¡®pollute¡¯ and tear the entire dome down,¡± said the MDT as it flew forward. ¡°Follow me. Maybe I can do something.¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian followed the MDT closely, ¡°space-walking¡±. ¡°It¡¯s not as easy as you described it to be! The gravity in this place is virtually gone!¡±


    As his voice trailed off, he felt someone grabbing him from behind. Vivian was flying and carrying them in the air. The vampire maiden could still adapt to the microgravity environment, which did not affect her flying ability. Meanwhile, Y¡¯zaks, the ferocious demon never ran out of resources; first, he made sure that the ground was solid, then a violent gas was expelled out of his butt¡ªFlameburst¡ªwhich launched him up into the air. He was now flying a lot faster than Vivian.


    They came to the site of the explosion. It was bright. The atmosphere was in total contrast with the quiet city streets.


    The hoop at the edge of the island and city area was separated by a one-kilometre-wide open land. The area was strewn with various maintenance passages and operation rooms for installations on the island. The explosion had occurred at one of the maintenance points. A large number of personnel, who looked like city guards and magic-guidance scholars, were already on-site when Hao Ren arrived. The centre of the explosion looked horrible and particularly eye-catching: it was at the seam between the hoop and the foundation. The hole caused by the blast was 100 metres wide and several hundred metres high. The grey ground and wall were torn open by the blast, leaving behind a terrifying hole of jagged edges as well as energy sparks, which indicated that some important power lines had been damaged.


    No less than 10 elves, clad in white robes were seen around the breached area, trying frantically to seal the leaks. They were floating in the air, carrying a strange, disc-shaped magical device. A powerful energy could be observed surging under their skin. The light shining through from within their bodies made them look like terrifying humanoid torches. These elven magic casters had formed a layer of a milky-white transparent shield that shrouded the breach. It barely prevented any air form escaping.


    Clearly, they had no way to stop the affected installations from deteriorating.


    This was just the damage directly caused by the explosion at the hole. Surrounding equipment were also affected. Pipes rising up from the hoop were smoldering, some small buildings that looked like operation rooms were still on fire, and cracks were visible on a few stretches of wall near the breach. These cracks may not have been until the core, but as a precaution, there was an elven mage standing near each crack. They were ready to use their magic shield to stop any leaks.


    The arrival of Hao Ren and his team had caused a scene. In fact, it was Y¡¯zaks who stole the limelight as a series of Flamebursts were particularly eye-grabbing. Therefore, the elves at the scene had quickly noticed the presence of the uninvited guests. Under the effects of the microgravity environment, an elf in short robes ran laboriously towards Y¡¯zaks. ¡°Who are you¡ª¡±


    Without waiting for the elf to finish, Hao Ren interrupted him. ¡°What¡¯s the situation? We¡¯re here to help!¡±


    The elf looked at Hao Ren in surprise. Several other guards nearby were on alert. Clearly, not all Aerymians knew what the guests their queen brought back looked like¡ªsome did not even know such guests existed. After all, Hilda had just been back for half a day.


    Hao Ren had no time to explain. He saw that many people were lying on the ground, injured. These people had been badly hurt by the explosion, and some of the injured were suffering from severe burns on their bodies. Seeing that, Vivian frowned. ¡°It would be handy if Nangong Wuyue was here. She could treat burns.¡±


    At that moment, an elven guard, who looked a little like a mage stepped out from the group. He asked loudly, ¡°May I know who is Hao Ren?¡±


    ¡°Me.¡±


    ¡°The queen has instructed us to cooperate with you.¡± Although the elves were confused, they obeyed the decree of the queen to the letter. ¡°If you can do something, please hurry up. We are running out of time.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to let us know about the situation first,¡± said Hao Ren. He clasped the MDT in one hand while he pointed the other hand at the crack on the wall. ¡°Also, please brief us about the structure of this thing. I¡¯ll find a way to restore the shield.¡±


    The elves were manually containing the cracks on the wall, but the real danger was over their heads¡ªthe dome was cracking open. Once this thing gave way, the city would be gone, and then it would be too late!


    Meanwhile, the snow screen on the dome had spread several kilometres across and it was still rapidly spreading to other parts of the dome. The elven mages looked up in fear before saying, ¡°Once the crack opens, there will be nothing between it and the space outside. Beneath the crack was where the propulsion unit sat, but it was blown away by the explosion. There¡¯s probably no way to fix it now. The upper part of the crack has a broken power line, which links up to a shield generator. We¡¯re still finding a way to re-route it to a back-up energy storage. However, the back-up energy storage doesn¡¯t have enough capacity and it can¡¯t be activated. At the same time, the crack has severed a few underground air-flow ducts, so from there, the air is leaking out of the city¡­¡±


    ¡°The ducts have been sealed!¡± An elf whose face was completely covered in ashes and dirt suddenly emerged¡ªor rather floated out¡ªfrom the crowd. ¡°All gates in Section 22 have been closed. A gate in one of the air-flow ducts malfunctioned. Master Mha Buno has sealed it by melting the surrounding foundation using a scorching ray.¡±


    ¡°Leakage is less of a problem for now.¡± The elven mage breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°But, the severed power lines¡­¡±


    Hao Ren shook the MDT. ¡°Why are you keeping quiet at such a critical time?¡±


    The MDT suddenly lit up brightly. ¡°Bring your plug to me! I can supply the energy! I was downloading the energy conversion plug-in just now.¡±

 Chapter 246

    Hao Ren raised an eyebrow at the MDT. ¡°You can supply power to that? You sure?¡±


    Looking at the palm-sized device, Hao Ren was incredulous. He was under the impression that the MDT was much more like a smart phone. While Hao Ren had never seen the island¡¯s shield generator proper, he figured that it probably needed a whole tonne of nuclear reactors in Earthling terms to power it. (With that said, Aerym¡¯s most basic power plants were probably still more advanced than Earth¡¯s) To use this tiny device to power a city-wide shield seemed almost like using a AAA battery to power up a space elevator¡­


    The MDT wiggled smugly in the air. ¡°Nah, you¡¯re just being an ignorant pleb. As small as I am, I¡¯m still psionically-powered. To generate that level of power is just child¡¯s play. Quickly, get me a power terminal. I¡¯m going to save the world.¡±


    The Elven mage beside them could only look in awe at the wondrous ¡°magitech¡± device that was almost human. Seeing that the MDT was confident, Hao Ren approached the crew on the scene. ¡°I suppose you guys can pull out one of the power conduits¡­ can you?¡±


    The crew at hand quickly went about preparing for the job and the Elven mage who was in charge looked awkwardly at the MDT. ¡°Pulling out a power conduit is not an issue¡­ but¡­ what sort of terminal does it use? We-we have not seen this sort of device before.¡±


    Hao Ren then went to prod the MDT. ¡°So¡­ how do we solve this connection compatibility issue? You support USB3.0, yes?¡±


    ¡°And you suppose these bunch of elves have USB?¡± The MDT snorted as it made a quick spin on the floor, leaving a ring-like marking. ¡°Bring the power conductor equipment and place them around the circle. I¡¯ll be inside it. Forget the conversion works. Once I get started, please stay far, far away. There may be some mild psionic radiation that will be lethal.


    The so called magical technicians had managed to wrench out an additional conduit from a nearby maintanence hatch, pulling out a wriggly, almost plastic-like piping towards the circle. Hao Ren realised that the elves¡¯ magitech equipment used a system akin to blood circulation in order to power itself. Within the ¡°blood vessels¡± was some sort of thin liquid that was infused with magic and some kind of consumable substances in it. The liquid was a glittery green, almost like what you would see inside a plant. The elven technicians dragged a couple of thick conduit tubes towards the MDT and fitted a circulation pump on them. At the same time, they also placed an absorbtion conduit on the tubes before welding the entire equipment onto the ground. (In low gravity situations the tubes would be floating all over the place if not welded.) After that, they created a magic amplification circle using some silver-coloured, liquid metal, with the MDT at the centre of the circle.


    Hao Ren could only look on in amazement at this ¡°high-tech magic¡±. Anything was possible in this vast void. Indeed, the development of a magical civilisation was not about who could cast the biggest fireball. They too can fabricate spacecrafts and other intricate items. Or rather, there was almost no difference between a magical civilisation and a scientific one. The difference was only on the surface layer, and it all boiled down to ¡°technique¡±.


    Who could says an Earth-made circuit board would not look like a magical circle in the eyes of another alien race? It seemed like mysterious runes to the Aerymian elves, were nothing but simple and elegant circuit diagrams.


    Once all the needed equipment were in place, the MDT signalled for all present to stay back as it muttered, ¡°Thank goodness I¡¯m one of the newest models, and part of my case is made from energised alloys. Or else, this form of conversion would have been beyond me¡­ I¡¯m starting up!¡±


    A faint, blue light expanded outwards from the MDT as the magical circle lit into life with a silver glow. With it, all of the charging equipment came back online.


    Hao Ren took a deep breath. ¡°It¡¯s working.¡±


    The elves beside him also nodded in agreement. ¡°It¡¯s working¡­¡±


    A soft hum rang out from the hoops at the top of the dome. The shield generator that had been offline for almost an hour was reactivated once more and it automatically synchronised itself with the other shield generators at a rapid speed. As the shields reformed, the snow screen that had spread for miles on end faded away. The dome was now secured.


    The elves around Hao Ren gave a roaring cheer. Even the grim-faced elven mage smiled after taking a deep breath. ¡°Now what¡¯s left is to plug the hole, and figure out how to fix the propulsion system. This is however, a secondary concern. The propulsion system is usually dormant and is only activated if there is a need to adjust the floating isles¡¯ position or move it elsewhere¡ª¡±


    Boom!!!


    A thundering crack cut the mage¡¯s speech short. Chills ran down the spine of everyone present as vertigo struck. It appeared that the artificial gravity had been restored but it was not aligned to the surface. Hao Ren looked up in confusion and only realised that there was an unusual flash of light, almost blinding, outside the dome hoops. It almost seemed like there was a giant pillar of fire rampaging outside the walls.


    The aftershocks were getting more violent after every passing second. It spread throughout the isle before it suddenly skewed sideways!


    Lily¡¯s natural senses towards danger were triggered as she looked upwards, her tail bristling. ¡°The stars are flying!¡±


    It was not the stars that were flying, it was the whole space turning upside down!


    The stars rapidly faded from the sights of everyone onboard the station, as if the whole world was spinning about wildly. It was the very land that they stood on that was spiralling out of control. It did not take long for the elven mage to register what was going on and quickly ordered two of his personnel to go up to the dome hoop to see what was going on. (The cameras outside the wall had been destroyed by the explosion.) The two personnel quickly flew up to the top of the dome, and with quavering fear they reported.


    ¡°Part of the propulsion system is still intact! It¡¯s now activated! It¡¯s pushing the Dawnbreak Island away from the sun!¡±


    ¡°The island is rolling! All the other propulsion units are out of control!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s heading towards the Isle of Radiant Light!¡±


    At the same time, the snow screen or static started forming over the shield that was close to completion, and it was growing rampantly. It seemed that something in the dome¡¯s energy distribution system had gone wrong and the energies from the shield generator were being drained and diverted to the ruined propulsion systems!


    ¡°Inform the command tower,¡± the elven mage quickly ordered. ¡°Turn on the propulsion on the opposite side! Decelerate the island! Set the artificial gravitation system to automatic. That will ease the tremors! And, we will need to figure out how to shut down that damned propulsion unit!¡±


    ¡°Command has responded!¡± the communications officer yelled. ¡°Where to?¡±


    The island, under its one-way propulsion, was quickly rolling away from the island chain. At this point, the propulsion unit had yet to reach its maximum output, and if they did not stabilise the island now, there was a risk of the island being overcome by massive earthquakes and disintegrating altogether.


    The propulsion units on the other side of the island could potentially stave off the acceleration, but if the units were to accelerate in the same direction, there was a risk of it crashing against neighbouring islands. Conversely, pushing them in the opposite direction would make too strong, which may result in the artificial gravitation system overloading and tearing the island apart. This was the conundrum that the elven mage was in, either option would result in massive destruction and carnage.


    He could not make the call.


    ¡°Her Majesty¡¯s orders!¡± a communications offer suddenly yelled, ¡°no harm is to come to other islands. Let the Dawnbreak Island roll in place!¡±


    ¡°But, this will result it its¡¯ rapid disintegration!¡± The mage exclaimed.


    ¡°Her Majesty¡¯s instructions! All gates into the Royal District have been opened. All elves are to evacuate to the Royal District! Even if the island comes apart the Royal District will survive! It has it¡¯s own indepedent walls and shielding. It will be able to hold out until other islands come to the rescue. All emergency support teams are to only stay for 24 hours! After 24 hours, if the propulsion system cannot be shut down, or if it comes apart, all teams are to abandon post and evacuate!¡±


    ¡°We are abandoning Dawnbreak Island?!¡±


    ¡°This is Her Majesty¡¯s orders! At least, we can preserve our lives and not affect other islands!¡±


    The mage gritted his teeth as he looked at the raging inferno outside the walls. ¡°This is the home of my ancestors¡­ It can¡¯t be helped! We need to shut down the propulsion system at all cost or our home will be done for!¡±


    ¡°The control system is offline! We are using the backup power source! If that gets cut, the whole dome will shutdown!¡±


    ¡°Then blow that bloody thing till kingdom come!¡± There were veins popping in the magister¡¯s eyes. ¡°What about our corvettes?! Bomb the bloody thing with a salvo or two! At most, we will have a damn crater to deal with, which is better than the whole island coming apart!¡±

 Chapter 247

    The out of control propulsion system was increasing its output by the moment. The situation became more and more unpredictable with the way things were going. Due to an initial design flaw, the propulsion unit had several smaller stabiliser engines around it. As the engines were controlled by the propulsion unit¡¯s AI, the moment the system went out of control, so did the stabiliser engines.


    This resulted in the whole island quaking under the enormous and unstable propulsion. Even though the artificial gravitational system strained itself to regulate the force of gravity, to lessen the impact caused by the quakes, many areas still did not escape unscathed. A few old structures had collapsed altogether whereas some places had sinkholes and cracks. The island was under such pressure, which exceeded its designed capacity that the island was slowly breaking apart. It was fortuitious that the hoop was very resilient and somehow managed to hold the island together, if barely.


    The rolling had returned the gravitational field in the area. Hao Ren was back to ¡°normal¡±, but things were still jittery and shakey. It took a lot of effort trying to stay upright. As the sky spinned above them, they awaited news from the team that went forward to destroy the propulsion unit.


    A squadron from the nearby spaceport, armed with missiles had since departed and if things went according to schedule, they were probably already in the inferno zone. Yet, no news came. Hao Ren looked up towards the other side of the island and he could see a faint light of dawn from the far end. It was however, getting brighter and brighter at a very fast pace. This was indeed the first, most drastic break of dawn in the Dawnbreak Island. If their efforts failed, this would be the last break of dawn the island would see.


    After a while, the corvette squadron brought news, but it was not good news: The thrusters were in full blast at this point, and they could not even get close. Even the missiles exploded prematurely from the blistering heat. They were now requesting for an even bigger battleship, but time was running out.


    Hao Ren cracked his head, wondering what could be done to help. He spoke to the MDT telephatically, ¡°Doesn¡¯t the Petrachelys have a macrocannon or something? Can we take a shot¡ª¡±


    ¡°That will blow the whole island up. I think we should also install some other weapons of smaller calibres next time,¡± the MDT answered as it strained to supply power to the dome. ¡°This thing sure has a way of going haywire¡­ almost half of my energy has been taken up by the propulsion system!¡±


    At that moment, Y¡¯zaks suddenly stood up and asked with his booming voice, ¡°We just need to take that propulsion system out, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± One of the elf raised an eyebrow at the giant. ¡°But, we have no way of getting close to it.¡±


    ¡°I can probably make it there. Make an exit for me.¡± Y¡¯zaks pointed towards the wall. ¡°Tell me, how does the propulsion thing look like?¡±


    The elf turned pale immediately. ¡°That¡¯s suicide! It¡¯s the void out there! We don¡¯t even have spacesuits that you can use!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks simply shrugged. ¡°Not a problem. I can live in space. Besides, the wider space gives me extra berth.¡±


    Hao Ren stared at the daredevil with his jaw dropped. Lily could not just sit still too, and she bounced towards Hao Ren. ¡°Can we do anything to help? Let¡¯s go wreck some¡ª¡±


    The MDT had to yell at the top of its voice. ¡°No! It¡¯s a no go for you. You have not been enhanced for deep space enviroment. Even if you can survive in deep space for a period of time, don¡¯t count on yourself being of any help. Hao Ren on the other hand, can go. That hunk of muscle can be put to good use afterall, with him not being affected by deep space.¡±


    Hao Ren pointed at himself in shock. ¡°Me? Going into deep space?¡±


    ¡°Your bio-enhancement included deep space travel in it. Inspectors do need to be able to work in space after all. This is a basic ability. Your body has some nanobots that will automatically regulate your dermal and respiratory system, giving you enough energy, heat and air pressure. Your Steel Membrane Shield can filter cosmic rays and some space organisms too. But, don¡¯t stay out there too long, humans are not meant to be space creatures.¡±


    ¡°Since when did I have this ability? Was it during the last bio-enhancement? Why didn¡¯t anyone tell me about it?¡±


    ¡°Welp, Madam Raven didn¡¯t even give you a user¡¯s manual, and besides, have you actually met a situation like this before?¡± The MDT said as it urged Hao Ren to get moving. ¡°Quickly, I don¡¯t think this place can hold on much longer. Oh, don¡¯t stray too far from the floating islands. Your movement in space is based on a simplified coordination conversion system, pretty new tech. It¡¯s something similar to your cells and has very limited capacity. It will also cause direct mental stress. A human¡¯s mental system is unable to adapt to the stress caused by this high intensity conversion. Basically, if you fly too far out, you won¡¯t have the strength to get back.¡±


    Hao Ren tried his best to remember everything the MDT said. He did feel that the information should have been given to him eons ago, in order for him to digest the ability, which already exceeded a normal human¡¯s sensory limits. He never knew of this ability until now, and he reckoned that this would take ages to even get used to it. Nonetheless, Hao Ren did not hold a grudge or anything. He knew very well that this was an unforseen situation. Even Raven 12345 would not have counted on him running into this sort of trouble so quickly.


    Truly, trouble does come knocking, usually at the least opportune of times.


    ¡°You two, stay here to help out with the evacuation.¡± Hao Ren patted Lily on her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a jiffy.¡±


    The elves realised that these bunch of weirdos were not joking, and after knowing them for a short period of time, they came to realise that these people were indeed capable. They were guests brought home by Her Majesty after all. They also came to believe that there were beings in their universe that were beyond their comprehension. An elven military officer approached them and gave a crisp salute. ¡°I¡¯ll lead you two to the nearest maintenance pipeline. This area is just too vulnerable to open up the barrier.¡±


    There was a maintenance entryway near the blast area, which led into the propulsion system room. Inside, there was a slanted corridor, lit with dim yellow light. The officer that led the way reminded Hao Ren and Y¡¯zaks before they went into the entryway. ¡°There are two bulkheads in front of you. They have been sealed to prevent lost of air pressure. I¡¯ll be opening the first bulkhead in a short while. After 10 seconds, I will close the first bulkhead and open the second one, which will be held open until your return. After the second bulkhead, it will probably be vacuum space as the whole propulsion sytem area has already been breached. After the second bulkhead, there will be no air. Are you sure you want to go ahead?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded without a word and walked with Y¡¯zaks into the corridor. The reinforced steel gate slowly closed behind them as they went forth.


    The first bulkhead was upon them; a heavy, greyish alloy gate. Hao Ren noticed that by the gate, there was a button to signal those outside. As he pressed the button, he saw a row of Aerymic letters carved into the wall. ¡°Hold until the second day.¡±


    It made no sense without context, but it was perhaps just an Aerymian idiom of sorts.


    With a loud hiss, the first bulkhead opened, and a small airtight compartment appeared in front of them. Hao Ren and Y¡¯zaks stepped into the compartment and after a rather long 10-second wait, the first bulkhead closed behind them. The moment the bulkhead sealed shut, the air in the compartment was sucked out as the second bulkhead slowly opened.


    As the air was sucked out, Hao Ren¡¯s heart rate shot up automatically. The initial sensation was rather unpleasant, but he soon realised that his body managed to somehow adapt to being in a vacuum. He was not able to breathe, but his lung activity had been somewhat curtailed, and the breathlessness quickly went away. Even his skin started to tighten. Evidently, the nanomachines within his body were quickly adapting for him to survive in space. At the same time, he felt some weird tingly sensation on his eyes and ears before they went slightly numb.


    Hao Ren tried to speak but realised that there was no sound coming out from his mouth. He could not hear anything.


    Y¡¯zaks noticed Hao Ren¡¯s predicament. His eyes lit up in an eerie, green glow and Hao Ren soon heard a thunderous voice in his head. ¡°Speak to me telepathically.¡±


    ¡°You can use telepathy too?¡± Hao Ren was surprised.


    ¡°An old demon trick.¡± Y¡¯zaks smiled as he led the way. ¡°Us demons used to love utilising telepathy to project our will into humans, using the promise of power or forbidden knowledge to cause their downfall. It used to be a popular trick to obtain followers as well. However, as human religious circles started publishing guides to avoid a demon¡¯s whisper, it fell out of use. I never did so of course, but I¡¯m a demon after all.¡±


    The two walked silently along the corridor and after a few corners they reached a location that was utterly wrecked.


    It was the rear part of the propulsion system¡¯s control centre. It had been blown to smithereens when the explosion occurred.

 Chapter 248

    It was not possible to access the propulsion unit block from the maintenance hatch, but the hatch led up to the rear maintenance area of the block. This space island¡¯s propulsion system was an enormous one. The main area itself covered at least a few hundred metres of distance and was almost the size of a small mountain. Behind it, there was an industrial equipment room. This room contained all the necessary items needed to run the place and it was deep underground. When the block exploded, the area was not blown apart, but it did leave a gigantic crack on the outer barrier.


    Hao Ren found himself in a very wide room, and in it were all sorts of weird equipment. They were beyond him. The artificial gravitational field had completely shut down in this area, and as the most powerful thrust had since passed, many of the equipment as well as debris were floating. There was a giant crack on the angled alloy roof of the room. Blinding light shone through the crack, casting a rather eerie and dangerous looking silhouette coupled with all of the floating debris.


    The first thing Hao Ren did was to look for something that resembled a control terminal. He knew this was already the inner part of the block and if they could shut the whole thing down from inside, it was without question the best way forward. He may not have known how to operate it but he could transfer the image that he saw to the MDT for it to liaise with the elven specialists. However, that thought quickly went out the window. It was clear that the place was ruined and the charred, broken crystalline control panels were of no use.


    A layer of molten shield surrounded Y¡¯zaks as he moved. The demon was already prepared to go head on if the situation called for it. After sensing the flow of energy in the area, he went to one of the corners in the room and blew a hole in the wall. ¡°The place where things went haywire should be ahead.¡±


    Hao Ren took a curious peek and saw nothing but blinding flashes of light. Only after his sight recovered that he could properly see what was in the room. The front part housed the propulsion system¡¯s combustion valve of sorts. From it, a long, tubular pipeway extended all the way outside. At the end of the pipe, beyond the raging flames, one could faintly see the stars. As he squinted his eyes, he could see the silhouette of another island passing by in a flash. There were many auxiliary pipes, which were laid symmetrically along the walls of the main pipeway, and they were the main source of the light. There was roughly a 10 metre buffer zone between the superheated auxiliary pipes and the maintenance area. It was divided by an enormous ring-shaped device. Despite the buffer, Hao Ren could still feel the heat coming at him. Although it could have just been psychological.


    Y¡¯zaks tore a bigger hole in the wall and leapt ahead. Standing in the buffer zone with his arms wide open, a crimson cloud of flames, almost molten covered his body, and his size expanded within the demonic cloud rapidly. No sooner, he had transformed into a five-metre-tall great demon.


    Hao Ren followed suit as he leapt into the buffer zone. ¡°Haven¡¯t seen you in that form for a good while.¡±


    ¡°Heh, I still feel more comfortable this way,¡± Y¡¯zaks said as he stretched his arms and legs. Thankfully, they were using telepathy to communicate or else, the great demon would have spouted hot embers the moment he spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll go have a look outside. It¡¯s a bit hard to determine how the whole propulsion unit is doing from here.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and as he looked around the place, he spotted something in the distance.


    He signalled Y¡¯zaks to stop for a moment as he laboriously made his way towards the object. It was just as the MDT said, he could indeed move in space without any outside force. As he moved, Hao Ren saw a series of blurry afterimages behind him. This however, did not mean that he was moving quickly. Rather, it was the effect of location conversion. Using this method to move in space felt like his innards were being torn apart, then reformed again and again along the path. It caused him to feel nauseated, an unpleasent reminder that he was not supposed to move for long periods of time. By the time he reached the object, he finally realised what he saw¡ªan Aerymian elf in a peculiar looking spacesuit. By the looks of it, the person was dead.


    Hao Ren supressed the shock and anxiety that started to well within him as he turned the corpse around. Under the transparent helmet was the face of a young, male elf. He did not look like he suffered before his demise. With his eyes closed, he almost looked like he was in deep sleep. Hao Ren could not locate any obvious signs of injury as well and that piqued his curiosity. Only when he spotted a very thin gash on the suit that he realised how the elf died¡ªdeath by decompression.


    It seemed that the elf¡¯s biological make-up was different from humans. When they die in a vacuum, they look like they just went into a deep slumber.


    Hao Ren searched the area and realised that the elf had collapsed in front one of the control terminals. His arms were still holding on to the control lever. Hao Ren tried to identify the wordings next to the control panel, and after some effort, he managed to translate the words: Emergency Stop.


    Hao Ren then understood what had went on here. It seemed like before the propulsion unit exploded, the maintenance team already detected that something was amiss. The dead elf was probably a crew member on duty and when he found out that the system had gone haywire. Realising that he had lost contact with the surface, he tried to slam the emergency stop lever. But evidently, he failed.


    A normal elf who sacrificed himself on the line of duty. Even though he traded his life for the protection of his island, his last effort was unfortunately futile.


    ¡°We better move his body somewhere safer.¡± Y¡¯zaks lowered his gaze towards the elf. ¡°This place is about to blow up.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded again solemnly. After securing the dead elf on his back, he floated all the way back to the corridor and placed the body near the second bulkhead. It was probably the safest of all places at that point of time.


    Subsequently, he followed Y¡¯zaks along the gigantic pipeway out of the propulsion system. This was a rather harrowing experience. Hao Ren never thought someone would have the balls of iron to dash out of a pipe thruster under a blazing inferno. He was worried if his Steel Membrane Shield could withstand the extreme heat, but it seemed that Imperial products were just too solid; aside from some major nausea, Hao Ren was pretty much unscatched.


    However, his shield had somewhat depleted.


    A giant pillar of flame, almost 10 kilometres tall, was blazing in front of them. The scene was almost too nerve-wrecking to bear.


    This flame was from the propulsion system. There were three main thrusters, but only one was operational. Of the two non-operational thrusters, one had since died off while another was shredded by the explosion. They were however, not completely destroyed yet. It appeared that there was a miscalculation by the elves on the status of the engines. There were multiple stabilisers by the engines, all located on the underside of the hoop. Spewing blue flames, the stabilisers were frantically trying to stabilise the island, not knowing that they were expediting its demise.


    Y¡¯zaks stood beside Hao Ren, his body engulfed in raging flames that even a vacuum could not quench. Without any gravitational pull, the flames formed into an orb around the great demon, making the already imposing figure a miniature sun. He frowned as he looked at the layout of the engines, which were quite beyond him. After comparisons with a few key parts that the elven mage had told him, he said, ¡°It seems like blowing that up will solve the issue. Things can¡¯t get any worse anyway.¡±


    As he finished his sentence, he conjured an enormous fireball with demonic green flames licking about. Hao Ren took the chance to look around and he saw from a distance, the small corvettes that were unable to take out the engines. The elves onboard could only look from afar, puzzled. To them, Hao Ren and Y¡¯zaks were creatures of wonders beyond their understanding.


    Hao Ren finally realised how it felt to be seen as a ¡°supernatural¡± being.


    After a while, Y¡¯zaks¡¯ fireball, or more appropriately, Teraflare was at its apex. Hao Ren gawked at the giant fireball in front of him. The Teraflare was spinning rapidly with runic chains forming all over it as it floated above Y¡¯zaks¡¯ hands.


    ¡°You sure this will work?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve taken everything into consideration.¡± Y¡¯zaks nodded confidently. He then spun on the spot twice and flung the fireball at the propulsion unit with aplomb!


    The gigantic fireball enveloped the propulsion system as it exploded. Its strength¡­ was much smaller than Hao Ren had anticipated. Apparently, Y¡¯zaks had indeed taken everything into account. The Teraflare did not wipe the island off the map.


    As the smoke cleared, Hao Ren looked intently at the place where the propulsion system originally stood. Has the crisis¡­ been averted?

 Chapter 249

    After the explosion, the propulsion system that lost control finally ended its madness. The main part of its engine was blown up, causing big hole in it. Propulsion vents as well as a long piece of component even fell off the engine, after which they were pushed into the endless space by the force of the explosion. It did not matter if the rest of the engine was still working, it was unlikely to produce any more propulsive force.


    As the main engine shut down and the rest of the surrounding devices quieted down, Hao Ren saw flares in the other parts of the floating isle. The remaining normal thrusters were trying to adjust the island¡¯s stance and recover it from the frantic tumbling. The crisis was finally over.


    Y¡¯zaks dissipated his demonic power and finally relaxed. ¡°I haven¡¯t been so nervous for a long time. This reminds me of the time I fought in my hometown.¡±


    They flew towards the floating propulsion system. The engine had burst and left behind a deep crack. The place had become unrecognizable. Hao Ren took a long time to find his way back from the twisted metal remnants and the scorching haze. Only half of the maintenance area was left, but fortunately, the power of the explosion stopped there. The maintenance passages and gates were not damaged. Additionally, the remains of the elf, which was placed near the second gate, was not affected. Hao Ren then brought the body back to the surface.


    The artificial gravity in the area seemed to have recovered a little. Although things still felt uncomfortable, at least, they could walk normally.


    A large group of elves had gathered outside the exits. Except for the sorcerers who were still repairing the deep crack, almost all the elves who were involved in the rescue gathered forward. Hao Ren was startled by the crowd, but he put the body on his shoulder down on the ground first and said, ¡°I found a victim¡­¡±


    The elves calmed down, and a wounded man with bandages on his arm squeezed through the crowd and sighed. ¡°It¡¯s Ackerton. He was trapped at the bottom of the room when the explosion happened¡­ But luckily, his body has returned intact, thank you.¡±


    Hao Ren did not know how to accept this gratitude. At this time, two elves were rushed through the crowd. They were two female elves who looked slightly different in terms of age. Their wrists as well as their arms were in bandages, and there were blood stains on their faces. Apparently, they were victims of the explosion. The two elves pounced on Ackerton¡¯s body, weeping sadly. Someone explained that they were Ackerton¡¯s wife and daughter. The three of them worked in the same unit, and had just moved into town recently. Their new life had not even begun when it was ended abruptly by the accident.


    The older elf recovered faster. She wiped away the tears on her face and looked at Hao Ren gratefully. She then patted her daughter¡¯s back lightly and said, ¡°Mana, later, tell the ration officer that we will take two servings of rationing from now on.¡±


    Hao Ren remembered that there was some kind of joke like this on Earth, but now he thought the joke was not funny at all!


    Perhaps the elves had been living such a life for too long, making them used to certain things. They were sad for the passing of their family members, but at the same time, they were still able to think about reducing their rationing quota. It was a habit that formed under thousands of years of high-pressure. It was hard for the human beings who were born on Earth with abundant resources to imagine. Lily and Vivian, who had been outside helping the wounded and cleaning up the collapsed buildings as a result of the explosion, also ran to Hao Ren. They had seen a lot of death, but they still felt sad when they saw the scene before them. The MDT¡¯s voice appeared in Hao Ren¡¯s mind. ¡°If only the priest of the goddess of life was here, or if we had a universal resurrection device, people who have died within hours could still be resurrected.¡±


    Hao Ren was about to say something, but Vivian suddenly said hesitantly, ¡°Maybe I can try?¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Hao Ren looked at her questioningly.


    ¡°The body looks intact,¡± Vivian said, not quite confidently, ¡°I don¡¯t know if my blood works¡­ I used to save people with my blood but the success rate is only one out of five. I¡¯m different from the other Blood Clan members in my area¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s try it first.¡± Hao Ren quickly pushed Vivian forward while encouraging the not-so-confident vampire. ¡°Anyway, things can¡¯t be worse.¡±


    Vivian politely requested the mother and daughter, who were immersed in grief to step aside. In their puzzled eyes, the vampire girl drew a complex rune on the dead elf¡¯s chest with her Blood Mist. The rune then slowly penetrated into his body. At the same time, Vivian¡¯s nails grew rapidly until they became as sharp as a bayonet. She whispered something after the Blood Mist completely penetrated his body. After that, without hesitation, she stabbed her nails into the heart of the dead elf!


    Hao Ren heard her whisper, ¡°Tathagata, Guanyin, Jesus, Virgin Mary, 12345 please bless me. Don¡¯t let me stab the wrong place¡­¡±


    Immediately, he understood what the one out of five success rate meant: Just a simple act of praying for help from gods took her half an hour to decide which god she needed. This time, she even included the unreliable Raven 12345. It might have been better if she did not include Raven 12345.


    However, this time the name of Raven 12345 seemed to have really worked. Shortly after the spell, the elf¡¯s body suddenly trembled and he opened his eyes with an odd sense of stiffness.


    The elves were in an uproar while the mother and daughter were totally stunned. Hao Ren quickly dragged Vivian and Lily out of the crowd before the situation became chaotic. He looked back at the chaotic scene with worry and asked, ¡°Did you turn him into a vampire? Why was the process different from what I imagined? I thought you were going to bite¡ª¡±


    ¡°That is the way to transform low-level blood servants.¡± Vivian waved her hand and explained, ¡°From the viewpoint of the Blood Clan, it¡¯s like food processing, like dipping your food in some sauce when eating. Although simple, the consciousness of the blood servant is fragmentary, and it can only obey the instructions of those from the Blood Clan. I used a more advanced transformation method.¡±


    Lily frowned and asked, ¡°Since he is already a vampire, does he need to suck blood in order to survive from now on? There should be no other vampires who can live like normal people except for you¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I have tried this before. I don¡¯t know if my blood is special or if there¡¯s something wrong with it. The people I have revived were somewhat afraid of light, but they could live on like ordinary people. Although they would occasionally have blood-sucking impulses, it can easily be controlled. They can survive by eating normal food.¡± Vivian frowned and said, ¡°I just don¡¯t know why, the success rate of my conversion is always only one out of five, whether it be the living or the dead. However, the success rate of transforming superior descendants of the Blood Clan is 100%. The people I usually transform are simply humans without any special ability.¡±


    Then Hao Ren said, ¡°You should let 12345 examine you. There must be something wrong with your body¡­¡±


    At that moment, a speeding car suddenly came from the center of the city and stopped in front of them. A familiar elf jumped off the car. It was Hilda¡¯s only son, Vimm. He bowed before Hao Ren and the rest of them, and said, ¡°My mother sent me to pick all of you up. She is waiting for you at the tower in the Royal District.¡±


    Hao Ren then remembered he had to go and meet Hilda. He quickly nodded and said, ¡°Oh, right, I still have to discuss something with Hilda. But, the Mobile Data Terminal over there¡­¡±


    He looked at the scene where the deep crack was and saw that the MDT was still lying in the middle of the temporary, energy charging equipment pile. The dome above was emitting even, soft rays of light with the help of the MDT. Obviously, it was unable to leave the spot at the moment.


    ¡°You go ahead with your work,¡± the MDT¡¯s voice came from afar. ¡°I¡¯ll go and meet you once these elves don¡¯t need my help anymore¡­ Oh my, just don¡¯t let me die of exhaustion¡­¡±


    Hao Ren quickly got on the levitating car and left the MDT on the scene.


    The levitating car passed over the city. Hao Ren could see the aftermath of the disaster through the windows on both sides of the car.


    Although the tumbling floating island was stopped in time, the concussion had caused great damage to the fragile city, where buildings and bridges collapsed. One could also see a huge, deep crack in the ground. Hao Ren could even see the mechanical structure beneath the city and the complex pipes shimmering in some parts of the deep crack: The floating island built by the elves of Aerym was like a living giant. Its interior was covered with an energy transmission network akin to blood vessels. The solid ground was carrying the city, but now the shell of the island was cracked, and the complex structures beneath it were exposed viscerally. It was horrifying.


    A lot of levitating cars were leaving the Royal District. There were also lots of people on the ground. They were the civilians in emergency shelters. Now that the biggest crisis was over, they had to immediately return to work, rebuild their homes, restore production, and repair the ground as well as the equipment beneath it. They did not have time to rest. This fragile country had to remain in uninterrupted maintenance and repair mode in order to survive.


    The tower in the Royal District finally appeared in front of them.

 Chapter 250

    The glorious sun shone on the Dawnbreak Island after the disaster. The crumbled, cracked city would probably take a long time to fix, and the giant engine that had been completely scrapped needed an even longer time to repair. The thrilling tumble from the previous night brought the island an unprecedented short night and a hasty dawn. All the institutions of the city were forced to operate at high power, treating the wounded ones and repairing key, damaged equipment. The only good news now was that the casualties were not as serious as they would have imagined. The areas where collapse and cracking occurred were mostly marginal or too old where resident numbers were limited. Also, the earthquake-resistant design of the city itself made it hold on for a long time at the beginning of the tremors. So, the citizens had ample opportunity to take refuge in the more stable central district of the floating isles.


    Clouds of dust and smoke, which had not dispersed overlooked the city from a high altitude. The dome had entered a state of traffic control. Only engineering airships or levitating cars that performed the most urgent tasks were flying in the sky. While in the streets below, the citizens were all in a state of order: they spontaneously rescued all those who needed help, and queued up for supplies that had just been salvaged from the collapsed warehouse. They also voluntarily declared if they had been injured in the disaster, and how much their injury would affect their labor capacity. There was no confusion, no complaining, and not even a little glimpse of gloom on the elves¡¯ faces. They organized themselves in a surprising manner. The disaster was sudden, but everyone in the city appeared to have rehearsed it many times.


    Several big shadows were projected on the dome. They were of the large transportation ships sent from the other floating isles. These bulky ships were quickly completed at the time of the Dawnbreak Island explosion. Presently, the ships brought the elves valuable medication and additional air filters, which were essential: the air in the dome relied on purifying equipment buried in the ground and around the hoop. However, the explosion caused some damage to them. Now, the smoke and smog in the city had to be removed as soon as possible. They could only rely on external devices.


    Hao Ren and Hilda were standing on an open balcony atop the tower of the Royal District. Hilda was meditating while Hao Ren was peering at everything in the city using his extraordinary eyesight. He expressed admiration for the elves¡¯ reaction to the disaster.


    Vimm stood silently behind them.


    ¡°My people have gotten used to this kind of thing. Seventy years ago, when the Isle of Serenity disintegrated, they saved the most important resource warehouse on the island with great calmness. About a tenth of the city¡¯s citizens were survivors of that disaster,¡± Hilda said softly, ¡°and, more and more floating isles are approaching their limits. The Assembly of Technology is trying to repair some of the dead floating isles that have been extinguished, but the progress has been modest.¡±


    Hilda looked exhausted. She had been under the greatest pressure in the last few hours. After a quick meeting with the Assembly of Elders, she began to command refuge and rescue. When the floating isle tumbled and the city began to crack, it was Hilda who allocated evacuation plans for each city. She also came up with the asylum plan at the royal area. After the propulsion unit was completely destroyed, she cooperated in directing the work of stabilizing its floatation: This queen was not just an authority giving orders, she was also an expert in all technical parameters of the floating isles. Now that everything was settled, she did not listen to her bodyguard¡¯s advice to go back to rest. Instead, she brought Hao Ren to the open balcony atop the tower, overlooking the whole city.


    ¡°This is our current status.¡±


    Hao Ren was still looking for the best solution for the elves of Aerym. He already had a few ideas, but still needed to wait for the MDT to confirm which one was the most feasible. Before that, he carefully asked Hilda a question, ¡°If I had the power to get you out of this mess, how much would you be willing to pay?¡±


    Hilda turned her back to the edge of the balcony and spread her hands in despair, as if her whole body would melt under the dome¡¯s skylight. She then said, ¡°You can see what we have left. You can take away anything you need. As long as you can help my people live a better life and let them have a real sky like other species have, you can take away everything you see here.¡±


    Hao Ren hurriedly explained, ¡°Come on, please, do not think this way. It is easy to misunderstand¡ªI am not blackmailing you or anything. I am trying to help you as a friend, but to be honest, I cannot do it alone, and my ship is just five hundred or six hundred meters long. So, I may need help, and those helpers will be not free.¡±


    Hilda paused for a moment and said, ¡°I still have the same words for you. We have no other things. There are no resources in this place. What we have in our hands are just like stones in the eyes of higher civilisations. All we have left is our own labor, but that does not seem to be a valuable thing.¡±


    ¡°Forget it. Let us not talk about this first.¡± Hao Ren was scratching his hair, feeling that the problem was becoming more and more difficult, ¡°Rather, first¡ª¡±


    While he was talking, he saw an elf running out from a small door. The elf then knelt down in front of Hilda and said, ¡°Your Majesty, the results for the rough scanning of the World of Prayers are out. We are unable to find Sir Cardillon.¡±


    While speaking, the elf handed a rolled document to Hilda with both hands. Hilda took the document and quickly skimmed through it. Then, she frowned and said, ¡°Somebody has hacked into the main memory¡­ They infiltrated it so thoroughly. Notify Eccalom, temporarily close the three auxiliary memories of the World of Prayers, and at the same time, strictly review every application for uploading¡­ Temporarily ban the citizens of the Isle of Prismatic Lights from entering the World of Prayers. The extra rations they consume will be covered by the Royal Repository.¡±


    After the elf herald left, Hao Ren asked curiously, ¡°What actually is the World of Prayers?¡±


    Hilda sighed and explained, ¡°Actually, this trouble is not your concern¡­ But, I can let you know. The World of Prayers is a virtual world, established by my predecessor. It has been running for more than 2,000 years, and now it is where we place souls. It is also a special testing ground.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately thought of a lot of things, and he knew his guesses were pretty close.


    ¡°At the beginning, it was built for scientific research,¡± Hilda slowly explained. ¡°You know our supplies are very limited, we cannot afford to waste them. The failure of certain big experiments meant a cold winter for the whole of Aerym society every single time. So another queen, more than 2,000 years ago, supported by the Assembly of Technology, created a virtual environment called the World of Prayers. Running on a giant server, it was designed by the most excellent magic scholars and astrologers. It is our last big, technological achievement. The World of Prayers simulates the stellar system of Aerym: it has a sun, a planet, which totally simulates the homeland we lived in, and it has entered every rule of the world that we know. It is extremely accurate, down to every grain of sand. A lot of restrictions on the microcosm were added during later stages. The world imitates reality as far as possible in order to carry out all kinds of large-scale experiments, without the use of material resources. The Assembly of Technology was hoping to find a viable way to travel to other stellar systems under Aerym¡¯s resource constraints in the World of Prayers. And, they did get some positive results at the beginning: some of the ships we are using now were simulated, tested and verified in this way.¡±


    ¡°However, things were of course not as smooth later on.¡± Hao Ren was able to guess that there had to be a plot twist in the latter part of the story.


    Hilda nodded. ¡°That is right. The World of Prayers imagined everything perfectly, but the technology needed to travel millions of light-years away to other stars was more rigorous than we thought. We had to fully master the truth in order to create a virtual world that was exactly the same as reality, or else, it would just be an imitation no matter how close it was. There are many unknown mysteries in this universe, and it is impossible for us to speculate in this little cradle. Even some scholars speculate that the mathematical structure of the universe is not necessarily contiguous and that the law of Aerym¡¯s stellar system is not necessarily applicable elsewhere. Or perhaps, there is at least a deviation of several decimal points. Also, many other types of technology will be affected by the microcosm when they develop to a certain extent. No matter how precise the World of Prayers is, it is impossible to depict microscopic parts. We can only keep adding patches, and this is not enough. Anyway, after hundreds of years of hard work, the FTL engine made in the World of Prayers created a huge explosion in reality, causing two floating isles to vanish in the explosion. After that, the enthusiasm for the World of Prayers project faded. The bold and talented queen became depressed, and eventually died.¡±


    Hao Ren knew that the story was not over yet.

 Chapter 251

    The World of Prayers was still a failure after hundreds of years. The Elf Queen and the Assembly of Elders who built it had to admit to the public that it was a waste. However, the World of Prayers still had some unplanned results during its run those hundreds of years. Not everything needed to be so precise, only the hyperdrive would be affected by microscopic laws plus, many other things could still be tested under virtual conditions. The first batch of scholars who entered the World of Prayers created more advanced space equipment and an eco-dome maintenance device through simulation calculations. They also simulated a large number of projects on social and rationing systems. These results were still playing a huge role, and because of these results, the World of Prayers was not completely shut down instead, it was put to other use.


    Although it was not a perfect laboratory, it was at least, a perfect virtual paradise.


    The elves realised that the World of Prayers could greatly reduce their general consumption, so some of the less demanding daily studies were still be conducted in the laboratory. At the same time, the virtual world also allowed them to have sweet dreams and temporarily forget their boring reality. More importantly, after entering the World of Prayers, the energy-consuming, cumbersome and useless physical body could be discarded.


    ¡°One thousand years ago, we passed ¡®The World of Prayers Consciousness Extraction Act¡¯, allowing more elves to apply for permission to upload into the server,¡± Hilda said slowly. ¡°Have I told you about this? As the dome¡¯s environment was changing faster than the rate in which we could adapt, some floating isles reached a point where the older elves could not survive. A lot of elves had incurable diseases and we could not execute them just because they were sick. In the past, those elves who lost their ability to work due to infection, could only wait for death. But, after the ¡®Consciousness Extraction Act¡¯ took effect, they were sent to the World of Prayers. Those who are old, diseased, disabled, or just without social values for various reasons have to be uploaded. Their consciousness is extracted and then, uploaded into the server. After that, their bodies are destroyed and decomposed into natural resources. They are still alive, but they are not consuming anymore. On top of that, they can continue to contribute to Aerym¡¯s society in a healthier form within the World of Prayers, such as doing research. Some of the less demanding projects can still be done in a virtual environment. Now, this is almost the destination of every Aerymian elf. Since we cannot leave a dead body out to consume air, we may as well break it down into parts of nourishment in the dome and elements in the plant.¡±


    Hao Ren did not know what to say at that moment.


    The virtual world was no stranger to him, whether he knew it from science fiction or from real examples like the Imperial Data Network. He was familiar with the concept. However, most civilizations created virtual worlds for entertainment, and a few for scientific research or lower energy consumption. But they were not as extreme as the elves of Aerym. Those civilizations would leave the body in a connector. The person would be waiting to wake up and face the real world again, but not the elves of Aerym: they only accessed the World of Prayers after their bodies lose the ability to work in order to abandon the physical body and keep the spirit working.


    They did not even want to waste a breath.


    ¡°In fact, for many elves, the World of Prayers is actually a paradise,¡± Hilda said, and she suddenly smiled at Hao Ren strangely. ¡°The sun is bright there, and the sky is wide. You can drive thousands of miles yet, not see any walls. There are also mountains as well as rivers that only exist in legends and movies. Every elf that has been uploaded into the World of Prayers would send back a word of thanks. They finally do not have to endure the exhaustion of reality.¡±


    ¡°Why not just let the whole nation go into the dream? I think this is a great temptation for all of you,¡± Hao Ren was very straightforward with his question.


    ¡°Because, it would mean that there is no hope.¡± Hilda spread her hands in despair and said, ¡°That is running away from reality. The World of Prayers is not made to escape reality. Someone has to be in the real world. We have an old saying: hold on to the next day. We firmly believe that there is hope as long as we are still alive. That¡¯ is why we managed to hold on until today. We never gave up trying to fly to other stars. The World of Prayers was built on this premise. If everyone is immersed in the sweet dream of rich resources, who will save our reality? The server will eventually crash and the servomechanism will be damaged sooner or later. It is a suicide that is prolonged and drugged by a sweet dream.¡±


    In the end, she added, ¡°Even if our world is going to collapse, I want to be able to watch it crumble, and not lose my home in my sleep.¡±


    Hao Ren pondered and then asked, ¡°But not everyone thinks so, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we are mortal after all. The Lotto Group is an extremist organisation that wants people to escape from reality. They want to let everyone into the World of Prayers to spend the rest of their lives there. Their core is a group of technical elites, descendants or apprentices of those scholars who built the World of Prayers. When the plan of the World of Prayers was declared a failure, and the Assembly of Elders discussed how to deal with the virtual world, a group of builders could not withstand the pressure. They released a lot of adverse things, which eventually led to the emergence of the Lotto Group. The group believes that the real world is hopeless, and that entering a dream can at least make everyone happy. They have been dormant for a while, but they were apparently stimulated after the accelerator exploded, and now, they are more active.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t they just sneak in? Anyway, they can enter the World of Prayers as long as they lose the ability to work, why did they make it such a big deal?¡± Hao Ren did not quite understand and continued asking, ¡°If they just wanted to escape reality, they could just sneak in. Instead, they did things in a big way and got themselves caught.¡±


    ¡°Because they do not want to escape from reality just for themselves. They actually want to change the whole Kingdom of Aerym.¡± Hilda shook her head. ¡°The Lotto Group is not that simple-minded. Perhaps, I admire them from a different standpoint: they are motivated by the hope that all elves will be happy. But, that does not change their blind nature.¡±


    One who has a reason to be hated would also have a reason to be sympathised for. It seemed that this was a group of idealists on the wrong path. In such a situation, one could not judge who was wrong so easily: Everyone held a noble purpose, no one was selfish, however they were in opposition of mainstream society. There was always a situation like this.


    ¡°Well, a group of idealists¡­ If the resource problem was solved, they probably won¡¯t continue to make trouble,¡± Hao Ren muttered. He raised his head and asked, ¡°Do you have a minister who has gotten himself into this trouble?¡±


    ¡°The Lotto Group somehow controls the main memory of the virtual world. They built up their own power in the World of Prayers, and they managed pull some of the data-elves who support them into a place where they cannot be detected. I do not know what they are planning, but it is definitely a big move. The citizens of the World of Prayers are also our citizens, so Cardillon personally led a group of elites into the World of Prayers to investigate the situation there¡ªbut he has gone missing.¡± Hilda sighed. ¡°I understand his actions. After all, he is already a late middle-aged man. His actions and brainpower are not as good as before, and he will soon exceed the value or consumption ratio line. He will be uploaded into the server in a few years time, but this is not the right time for him to go in there.¡±


    Here¡¯s an extra piece of information: The mental workers in the Aerymian society were ¡°retiring¡± much earlier than the manual workers because their physical value to the society was less than that of their wisdom. Many mental workers, even if they were physically healthy, had to be extracted and uploaded when they were in their late middle ages. The upper class was no exception. Therefore, the elves of Aerym usually formed a family with those in the same field: To avoid this kind of premature parting.


    Hao Ren realised that he may have another problem¡ªHe could not ignore the elves that had been uploaded into the server, whose bodies had been destroyed.


    At this time, a tiny blue light suddenly flew towards them from afar. The MDT almost smashed into Hao Ren¡¯s face. ¡°Yo, I¡¯m back!¡±


    Hao Ren jumped aside and narrowly escaped the attack. He asked, ¡°Done?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the spare energy pool is also full, enough for them to get the main line repaired. Now, the engineering ships are repairing that hole outside the floating isle.¡± The MDT got into Hao Ren¡¯s pocket skillfully. ¡°Oh my, I¡¯m totally exhausted. I almost died¡­¡±


    Hao Ren patted his pocket and said goodbye to Hilda. ¡°I have to go back and think about this matter. Don¡¯t worry, just focus on restoring order to your society. I will soon give you an answer.¡±


    Hilda did not speak. She just lowered her head deeply.

 Chapter 252

    Hao Ren was back at the VIP guest room with the MDT in his hand. Lily and Vivian were sitting on a bench while Y¡¯zaks was standing by the window, staring blankly outside. But when he entered the room, everyone stared. He placed the MDT on the table and said, ¡°We can¡¯t keep staying in this place.¡±


    Lying on the bench, Lily stuck her tongue out. She looked half-dead. When she heard Hao Ren, she looked up and asked in a daze, ¡°Are we switching to new rooms? This place is pretty nice though¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. I¡¯m talking about the elven floating islands.¡± Hao Ren flung himself onto a bench. ¡°The way I see it, things may fail anytime. The fate of a billion lives is pawned on old junk that have long passed their expiry date. By luck of the draw, they may be able to prolong it another three to five hundred years, or three to five days if their luck runs out. All in all, this place is damned. Speaking of which, how are you guys doing here?¡±


    Lily lay listlessly on the bench with her sloppy tail falling to the side¡ªa rare sight for the hyperactive husky. ¡°Is your stomach hurting from overeating?¡± Hao Ren teased.


    ¡°I was helping with the disaster relief.¡± Adjusting her posture, Lily gave her limbs a needed stretch. ¡°I¡¯m dog-tired¡­¡±


    The girl looked really exhausted, and she was not in her right state of mind.


    Despite participating in the relief effort and coming back tired, Vivian was in a much better shape than the husky. She joined Hao Ren in the discussion. ¡°What¡¯s your plan to help the elves?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got to help them one way or another.¡± Hao Ren nodded, and began to spill his guts. ¡°I was thinking of giving them some technical drawings. Hi-tech drawings are contraband, but hyperdrive engines are so common in the Macroworld, they¡¯re everywhere. Even so, I¡¯m doubtful that they¡¯ll have the time and the ability to build the spacecraft. So, I thought I could raise some materials for them. However, I realised that this isn¡¯t just a poverty relief program for a few mountain villages but a billion elves. I could never raise enough resources.¡±


    ¡°Even if you could raise enough resources, it¡¯s useless,¡± the MDT said. ¡°How much do you need to give? A hundred-year or a thousand-year supply? Keep in mind that if you¡¯d like to keep them afloat until they¡¯re finally capable of interstellar travel, you¡¯d need to haul an entire planet over.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I think they better move.¡± Hao Ren smacked his hand on the table. ¡°I was limited by tunnel vision the entire time until this idea popped up: the migration of a civilisation may sound ridiculous, but from the perspective of the Macroworld, it¡¯s no big deal.¡±


    Vivian was astounded. This was obviously beyond her comprehension. She decided it was better for her to just shut up and listen like a dog.


    ¡°After all, it doesn¡¯t matter how much material and what technology you provide, it simply won¡¯t tackle the root cause of the problem, which stems from the environment of this godd*mn place. The only thing they need is a resource-rich place where they can migrate to and continue to develop their own civilisation. Not having to beat their brains out, trying to understand other people¡¯s technology will be good for them in the long term too¡­¡±


    The MDT could not help but twinkle with praise. ¡°Very good. Now you¡¯re able see things from a long-term perspective. The key to preserving the diversity of civilisations is for all potential civilisations to thrive according to their own trajectories; giving them a piece of raw land is much better than spoon-feeding them with things like a hyperdrive. Currently, we only have one question left: where are they going?¡±


    Scratching his head, Hao Ren said, ¡°Certainly, there is a place for them in the vast universe? I would guess so.¡±


    ¡°Take your sweet time to survey.¡± The MDT flipped mid-air. It liked to do mid-air flips as a way to mock people. ¡°Firstly, it¡¯s got to have suitable temperature and gravity; secondly, it must be in an outcast region of the universe; thirdly, it should have a carbon-based ecosystem in place because the Aerymian elves have no more ability to create a new ecosystem from scratch, at least for the next few hundred years considering their current level of technology; last and also most importantly, there mustn¡¯t be an existing civilisation sharing in the ecosystem of the new planet¡ªnot even apes with the slightest sense of literacy. There¡¯s a scanning probe on the Petrachelys, but I¡¯m not sure if you can find a suitable place to scan in the universe.¡±


    Feeling upset, Hao Ren pulled at his hair frantically. ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I came up with a plan first, and then I¡¯ll think about the details later.¡±


    ¡°In that case, put on your thinking cap, quick! I¡¯ve just performed a scan on the island chain; there are at least three isles having hidden energy problems. They have the least population. God knows when they¡¯re going to explode. The elves themselves know though.¡±


    Hao Ren flung himself onto a chair, and started thinking hard and long. Just before his brain burned out, a planet with oceans and forests came to his mind. It was habitable, yet it had no native civilisation.


    ¡°Peatopia!¡±


    Vivian and Lily were dumbfounded. ¡°What the heck is Peatopia?¡±


    Hao Ren hemmed. ¡°I¡¯m talking about the planet where I picked Lil Pea up earlier. It¡¯s uninhabited, quite suitable for the elves. Maybe the atmospheric environment is different from the dome, but it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for them to adapt. What do you say?¡±


    The MDT was silent for a moment, then it reminded him, ¡°Do you know that the Space Administration has a very strict set of rules on this? Unless a particular civilisation has developed its own trans-world navigation technology, or its a travel of colonial nature, under no circumstance is a race allowed to migrate en masse to another civilised universe. As an inspector, when you place a race, which has no ability to perform trans-world travel themselves into another universe on your own, it¡¯s a very sensitive issue¡­ bloody sensitive issue.¡±


    Hao Ren was immediately dumbfounded.


    The MDT continued, ¡°What I¡¯m saying is that even though under normal ciscumstances, this is under strict control, and sensitive, it doesn¡¯t mean that it has never happened before. After all, Aerymian elves are facing an extinction-level threat to their civilisation. They deserve all the help they can get; the threshold of the regulations would be lowered, and they¡¯d probably have more flexibility in eyes of the law too. For example, after the urgent expansion 10,000 years ago, the Macroworld needed a more flexible management method to operate, thus regulations were laxly enforced. So, you may want to think openly and try to understand the spirit of the law; do you know what¡¯s the core spirit of the law?¡±


    Hao Ren thought about it for a while, then he said, ¡°To not endanger other civilisations? To not help a civilisation at the expense of another¡ªthat I remember.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Under this premise, as long as you follow the procedure and have a reasonable explanation, nobody¡¯s going to raise an eyebrow. It may even be considered a merit if you do it beautifully.¡±


    ¡°Just tell me. Don¡¯t create suspense by beating around the bush.¡±


    The MDT lightly knocked Hao Ren¡¯s forehead. ¡°What¡¯s your job?¡±


    Hao Ren was stupefied. ¡°Me? I¡¯m an inspector.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your part time job. What¡¯s your main role?¡±


    Hao Ren took almost half a day to think about it before replying, ¡°Landlord?¡±


    ¡°Then haven¡¯t you understood anything?¡±


    Hao Ren pondered again, cold sweat suddenly trickling down his back. ¡°Wait a minute, How can I? I don¡¯t own the planet¡­¡±


    ¡°Why not? After Madam Raven created the planet. She left it in the natural universe. Since then, no intelligent being has ever visited the planet; the only beings that passed-by the planet before were the gnomes¡ªthe courier guys. But, they never landed. You are the only person who has ever landed on that planet, and conducted surveys for intelligent life. Your survey work has been recorded into the database. Legally, you don¡¯t own the planet. However, before any other intelligent life makes claim with proof that they have occupied the planet before you, you are the preferred explorer. As an explorer, you have the rights to build outposts, bases, and extract resources. Of course, you couldn¡¯t possibly manage everything on your own, so¡ª¡±


    As the penny dropped, Hao Ren¡¯s eyes opened. ¡°So, I need a billion Aerymian tenants to look after the house¡­¡±


    ¡°What a teachable fool.¡±

 Chapter 253

    Hao Ren had walked through the whole process in his mind. Although theoritically, there was no problem, he still had cold feet. ¡°Will it really work?¡±


    ¡°Nothing is impossible.¡± The Mobile Data Terminal, MDT buzzed near his ear. ¡°All processes are within the limits of our regulations. And honestly, the situation of the Aerymian elves almost meets the criteria for civilisation preservation. Since you¡¯re the inspector in-charge of the case, you have a certain qualitative authority. Remember, the laws of the Empire are strict, but at the same time, we¡¯re not machines; we¡¯d be better off finding the core of the matter rather than following the law to the letter. There are no more than three core provisions for the preservation of civilisation: One, guarantee the diversity of a civilisation, thus ensuring overall development is in order; two, preserve the potential civilisation so that new blood and standby forces are constantly available in the Empire; three, prevent meaningless conflict between different civilisations. Let me explain more on the last sentence: the Empire will not intervene in the war between mortal civilisations. However, to protect the first two core provisions, we will intervene in extinction-level wars and meaningless conflict. These provisions form 80% of the core work requirement under the Space Administration. All other regulations exist below the premise of these three core provisions. If any conflict arises during the operation of the law, the three core provisions shall prevail. Of course, the smartest way is to apply the existing provisions to avoid any conflict. This will greatly help your inspector appraisal later. Plus, Madam Raven would be impressed too.¡±


    Hao Ren pondered for a while and said, ¡°I suddenly have this feeling that no matter how high the appraisal is, if it¡¯s from Raven 12345, it¡¯s nothing to shout about¡­¡±


    The MDT agreed shamelessly. ¡°That¡¯s so true.¡±


    Hao Ren hemmed. ¡°Ehem, ehem, let¡¯s stick to business. That means, it¡¯s okay for Aerymian elves to go to our universe?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡± The MDT descended slowly back onto the table. ¡°In fact, we can also find them a new home in this universe, which would be a lot nearer for them. But, we want to make light work of it since there¡¯s already an existing planet in our universe. To evacuate them 8,000 light years away, or to another universe makes no difference to the Empire¡ªto us, distance has been a long forgotten concept. And there¡¯s another advantage: the Empire likes young races like the Aerymian elves, who have great potential. It¡¯s better to relocate them to a region nearer to other civilisations so that they may be able to interact with other races quickly, rather than leaving them in a remote region of the universe. It would be a waste of their youthful dash and intelligence.¡±


    Hao Ren lowered his head, and was deep in thought. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, they had to move; but the question was, who was going to help them?


    He had a turtle¡­ The Petrachelys came equipped with an expanding container space. But as big as it could get, the extra space could not possibly fit the entire army of one billion elves and their luggage in one go; multiple trips would probably take all the time in the world to complete the evacuation. Additionally, he still did not have the authority to request help from the Empire¡¯s official colonial fleet. Perhaps, he could report the matter to his superior first but he was not prepared to do that.


    Since day one, he had been thinking of looking for civilian help. He turned his head upside down but still could not recall anyone in the Macroworld who could be of help. Then suddenly, something crossed his mind. ¡°Hey, MDT, do you recall the captain of the transport vessel who took us on our first interstellar trip? Do you think you could still contact him?¡±


    ¡°You mean vessel No. 883?¡± The MDT replied as this suddenly rang a bell. ¡°Of course. He shoved me a heck of a lot of advertisement materials when we first boarded his vessel. These long-distance transporters are very aggressive.¡±


    Hao Ren let the MDT contact the captain immediately. A rough, baritone voice answered, ¡°Hi, Mr. Inspector? What can I do for you? Government mission?¡±


    They had not seen each other since the last time they met. Hao Ren felt a little awkward asking for help from the captain. ¡°Yeah, correct, but not entirely. Is your vessel available?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s currently in-flight,¡± said the captain of vessel No. 883. He could still be heard giving instructions onboard his spacecraft. ¡°Enzo, go check out the container warehouse, is the cargo ready? We have two hours before we dock. Oh, Mr. Inspector, I was talking to my subordinate just now. I¡¯m busy right now. But, we¡¯ll be having our downtime after tomorrow. Do you need help? What type of cargo is it?¡±


    ¡°Just call me by my name, Mr. Inspector sounds weird.¡± Hao Ren felt a little relieved as the timing was just right. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing: I¡¯m now in another universe, and I need to send some refugees back¡­ Isn¡¯t you vessel licensed to carry passengers? So, I need your help. The refugees will pay you with their remaining assets in hand. I¡¯ll get the cross-world flight permit for you.¡±


    The captain of vessel No. 883 laughed heartily. ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Transport fees are negotiable. How many persons?¡±


    ¡°One billion, plus some luggage, scientific research materials, equipment and supplies¡­¡±


    The transmission suddenly went silent. After a long wait, Hao Ren heard another stranger¡¯s voice at the other end. ¡°Our captain has passed out, you¡ª¡±


    Then, the quivering voice of the 883 captain spoke back. ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine, I just lost my balance. By the way, how many did you just say?¡±


    Hao Ren laughed solemnly. ¡°One billion¡­¡±


    Silence. Then the captain said, ¡°What wrong have I done to you that¡ª¡±


    ¡°Please, I¡¯m serious.¡±


    ¡°Okay, please tell me you¡¯re not moving the entire civilisation.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am. The migration of an entire race.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°I heard there¡¯s a moving company in the Macroworld that specialises in the business of moving entire races. However, I¡¯ve never approached them or found out whether they¡¯re reliable. So, I thought it¡¯d be better to get some opinions from people I know, and I recalled that you specialise in the moving business too¡ª¡±


    ¡°Firstly, you have to tell me the background of these refugees.¡± The 883 captain interrupted him. ¡°What happened to them?¡±


    Hao Ren briefly related the circumstances the Aerymian elves were facing, and explained why he had to seek civilian help. To the 883 captain, for inspectors¡ªthe medium between the Empire and the mortals¡ªto seek help from civilians when they faced problems was not something out of his expectations. It was already a norm rather than an exception; Hao Ren was the one who was being ignorant. The 883 captain lamented. ¡°Born in a stray galaxy? That¡¯s tragic¡­ How are they going to pay for the fare?¡±


    ¡°They will pay with anything.¡± Hao Ren knew it because Hilda had confirmed this with him. ¡°There is nothing they won¡¯t let go.¡±


    ¡°In that case, what about their floating islands and the components of the eco-dome?¡±


    Hao Ren was dumbfounded. ¡°¡­I think they¡¯re willing to let that go too. Are you interested in those things?¡±


    ¡°Deal! I¡¯ll take that in lieu of money.¡± The 883 captain sounded elated. ¡°Dismantle everything they can¡¯t bring along to pay for their fare, and they can travel light to their beautiful, new home. I have them covered.¡±


    ¡°Wait for a second. Is that all you want?¡± This was totally out of Hao Ren¡¯s expectation. ¡°Those things are mostly scraps. Let me be honest with you, the propulsion drives on the floating islands have all malfunctioned and they could blow up anytime. What use do you have for them?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll replace those propulsion drives and redevelop it into a space city. According to what you said, the value of the floating islands and the installations they¡¯re going to scrap would be astronomical. So, you think I can¡¯t even convert at least some cash out of these junk? How much did you expect the fare was going to be?¡±


    Hao Ren was elated; he had been worried about how the poor elves were going to pay for the fare until he learned that trash could be turned into cash. But at the same time, he was still in disbelief as he spoke to those around him. ¡°Things have turned out quite differently from what I¡¯ve expected¡­ I was expecting it to cost the elves a bomb and even if they were allowed to pay in installments, it¡¯d probably take them a thousand years to repay their debt¡­¡±


    Vivian listened on. She was as surprised as Hao Ren was. She did not expect the problem to be solved just like that. But then, something bothered her as she came to her senses. ¡°Landlord, while you were worrying about the fare, did you ask about rental?¡±


    A light-bulb moment.


    ¡°So, deal! Let¡¯s make a date to meet up. Meanwhile, send me your location.¡± The 883 captain sounded extremely happy as if he had gotten the best deal in his life. Hao Ren had no clue about the Macroworld¡¯s economic condition. However, one thing was sure: the long-haul transporter would not let himself get the short end of the stick while the elves in desperation could not care less if they were shortchanged by the profiteers. As such, he could not care less as well. But still, a question hung over his head. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re going to do this solo.¡±


    ¡°Of course, not! I¡¯ll find others. They specialise in flying big vessels,¡± The 883 captain said happily. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about the shipping cost, I¡¯ll deal with them myself. Oh ya, please remind the elves to mark any floating isles and installations they¡¯d like to retain; they may want to keep some as memory. I¡¯ll get an energy-field barge to help them haul a few isles, well, free-of-charge.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m counting on you then. Meanwhile, please hold on while I discuss with the elves. I¡¯ll give you a buzz when they finally agree.¡±


    ¡°Alright then!¡±


    The great Aerymian migration thus began as the rookie inspector and the old, long-haul driver struck a deal.

 Chapter 254

    A sense of relief filled Hao Ren as a solution had been found for the Aerymian elves. After all, he had just put in little effort; he thought about it and made a decision, that was it. As the saying goes, ¡°somebody¡¯s gotta to do it¡±¡ªand this was the only thing Hao Ren could do. He was the only one who could accomplish this.


    Nonetheless, he was clear that the real work was yet to come. It would take more than just a phone call to accomplish it. Until the elves safely arrive in their new home and are able to adapt to their new environment, his mission was not accomplished. Therefore, he had to get down to work.


    Before meeting up with Hilda and informing her about all this, he had to write a report to Raven 12345.


    ¡°If I tell Raven 12345 everything, is she going to kill me?¡± Hao Ren asked the MDT worriedly as he wrote his report. ¡°I¡¯m clearly taking advantage of the loopholes. Just writing this alone would have God strike me with lightning: In order to conduct exploration, mining, scientific research, and build outposts as well as settlements, 1,076,520,000 elves have been recruited as employees and tenants¡­¡±


    Meanwhile, Lily was squatting on the bench and scratching her face with her foot. As she listened to Hao Ren reading out his report, she said, ¡°Landlord, honestly, it wouldn¡¯t just be a lightning strike¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something you lot don¡¯t know about Madam Raven; not only won¡¯t she become ballistic after reading the report, she¡¯ll also feel that you and her are totally in sync with each other temperamentally¡­¡±


    ¡°What you say has no difference from being struck by lightning.¡± Hao Ren smacked the MDT back onto the table. ¡°And you say it like you know her very well.¡±


    ¡°My system almost crashed when she meddlled with some of my plug-ins, it was during that life-and-death moment that I got a deep impression about Madam Raven. You must impress her by unleashing your wild imagination because her brain is already unresponsive to normal levels of brain activity.¡±


    After working his fingers to the bone, Hao Ren finally completed the thousand-word report, which was filled with a death wish and open-minded views. He knew he was not good in writing, but the report was important. After he entered everything into the MDT, as usual, he pulled Lily over and said, ¡°Help me with the editing part¡­¡±


    Not to be misled by the husky¡¯s flaky outlook, she was a literary worker through and through. No doubt, the weirdness she displayed before Hao Ren and Vivian was her true self. She did not have to fake it before the very people she was familiar with. Lily took over the MDT and started correcting the bad grammar, death-wishing sentences and other minutiae. When she was finally done, the report had been reduced to 700 words¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s still not more than 800 words. I couldn¡¯t get 800 words in my high school exam either. It looks like I¡¯m stuck there forever.¡± Looking at the edited report, which now sounded nicer, Hao Ren shook his head haplessly. He then sent it out, sat in the chair and waited for the lightning to arrive¡ªif there was no lightning strike in five minutes, that meant the MDT¡¯s assessment of the psychopath was right.


    Five minutes had passed. Nothing happened. Only a one-sentence reply from Raven 12345 arrived. ¡°Reading, please wait, no comment so far.¡±


    The check-post was passed. As long as the god on duty had no opinion, the migration of Aerymian elves should be clear sailing from now on.


    It was time to meet Hilda. But, Hao Ren had another thought: He and Hilda needed a break as much as Battie, Doggie and Y¡¯zaks. Since they arrived from Earth, they had been snowed under with the propulsion system explosion and its aftermath, followed by writing up reports and meeting with the elders. Be it a superhuman or mage of the higher-order, both Hao Ren and Hilda were really exhausted. A day off was an absolute necessity. Not forgetting that the 883 captain was still in his long-haul flight. If he was not in a hurry, there was no point for others to haste.


    After keeping quiet for a moment, Lily began mumbling as she lay on the table. She was feeling hungry and bored. To a husky, the latter was fatal. Food was not a problem here. She had enough supplies in Hao Ren¡¯s Dimensional Pocket for her to pig out several rounds. However, when it came to boredom, not much could be done: in Aerym, there were no video games, no entetainment, no places for shopping. The highly restrained society had long discarded activities that were deemed unproductive; their people did not have the privilege for leisure activity and they had not been in the mood for it. The fact that Hilda was in shock when she saw a balloon with a banner in the air was telling. What¡¯s more, the city was experiencing a disasterous aftermath. Lily could not just go scampering outside. Looking at the pitiful maiden mumbling to herself, Hao Ren grabbed the MDT and passed it to her. ¡°What about playing tetris?¡±


    ¡°Damn you! Can¡¯t you use me in a more proper way?¡±


    ¡°No. I have to control myself. People are suffering here, I can¡¯t allow myself to be immersed in pleasure.¡± Lily suddenly got serious. She was not in the mood. She approached the window, looking out. ¡°They¡¯re clearing the Royal District now. Landlord, could you please pass me the spicy strips. I just finished mine.¡±


    ¡°You should eat a proper meal.¡± Hao Ren took out a few packs of spicy strips from his Dimensional Pocket. Lily took them and walked into her room. A loud noise came from afar, then a Royal Guard came in hurriedly. ¡°A giant, white monster just jumped off from this level. It¡¯s scaling the wall in front of the shield. Do you know what it is?¡±


    Hao Ren fell off his chair. He now realised why Lily asked for the spicy strips when she saw the street-clearing work in the Royal District beneath them; the fidgety husky felt the need to help and she shapeshifted.


    They scurried to the window. At the edge of the Royal District, they saw a three-storey-tall husky scrambling left and right, up and down, trying to get away from a group of halpless elves who were encircling her. Both were in a stalemate. The naive maiden always dived in headfirst¡ªprobably due to eating too many spicy strips. She could only bark like a dog in her transformed body. There was no way the guards were going to understand her. Worry filled Vivian¡¯s face. She spread out her wings and attempted to go. ¡°I¡¯m going after her. She may get into even bigger trouble in her shapeshifted form.¡±


    Hao Ren quickly reminded her, ¡°Go to her room and check if she left her clothes. Bring it to her.¡±


    Vivian had taught Lily how to not spoil her clothes during shapeshifting, but Lily had not mastered it. So, Vivian had to follow with her clothes wherever Lily went. During the last few times she shapeshifted, Lily did it in the wasteland behind their house whenever she felt like getting some fresh air during the full moon. As such, she did not cause any trouble to those around. That aside, Hao Ren noticed an interesting thing: the two did not seem to like each other very much, and fought like cats and dogs at times; apart from that, they appeared more like friends than foes, Hao Ren thought.


    The elven guard who came in was dumbstruck. Hao Ren tried to explain with a hollow smile. ¡°That¡¯s our friend. She would like to help clear the streets.¡±


    The elven guard left in confusion; the mind of another good lad was destroyed by the arational creature. Hao Ren did not have time to lament because the voice of Raven 12345 came into his head. ¡°Whoa, it seems you¡¯re doing very well over there.¡±


    Hao Ren instantly became nervous. ¡°Thanks to the administration¡­¡±


    He knew Raven 12345 would eventually call after she saw the report.


    ¡°Save it. Where the hell did you learn that from?¡± Raven 12345 sounded like she was in a good mood though. ¡°I¡¯ve read your report. You¡¯re pretty broad-minded. In fact, I knew you were going to evacuate the entire elven race, but I didn¡¯t expect you to bring them over to my place¡ªand hell, you actually still remember that planet.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Approval granted. It¡¯s not a big deal. Since you can already handle it yourself using help from civilians, I don¡¯t have to send a colonial fleet. And this will be kept as a Category-E operation. As long as the operation doesn¡¯t go against civilisation preservation, everything¡¯s negotiable. Regulations of the Macroworld are a lot more lax now compared to the past. The MDT must have taught you about this, am I correct? Navigating loopholes in the regulations and incident laws is beyond the ability of a rookie.¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at the MDT¡ªit shut ifself off and lay on the table, pretending to be a coaster.


    It was the first time Hao Ren felt that the MDT was awesome.

 Chapter 255

    Raven 12345 patiently explained to Hao Ren the issues that needed to be addressed in relation to the migration of a civilisation. These issues were new to rookies like him, and would probably be overlooked by the elves themselves. Hao Ren was surprised: Raven 12345 had always been absent-minded and eccentric. Her earnesty was completely out of character. So, when he implied his curiosity, Raven 12345 laughed. ¡°I¡¯m a free-spirit but when it comes to work and duty, I never mess up¡ªI wouldn¡¯t let the races under my rule die from some silly incident.¡±


    Hao Ren was listening attentively, noting down everything that may give rise to casualty. He knew he was right. He was right to consult Raven 12345 beforehand. Without the heads-up, he would not have realised the many dos and don¡¯ts.


    ¡°¡­Beware of foreign germs that can cause a pandemic. They need to build an inspection and quarantine environment, which they can maintain on their own with their level of technology. You can seek help from other inspectors as well; look out for the halo syndrome. Carbon-based life forms migrating from one star system to another are prone to this disease as they may not adapt to the radiation levels in the new star system. Most find it unbearable even if the difference in atmospheric pressure and stars are minute, so please talk to their scientists on how to best deal with this issue; beware of the chronic illnesses caused by gravitational and magnetic environmental differences as well. They are normally non-fatal but can cause physical degeneration and deformity up to two generations; remind them to develop their own technological progression model to prevent their technological gap from worsening; let them first resume their agricultural activities and ecological co-existence practices, that is the quickest way for them to integrate into their new environment¡­¡±


    Raven 12345¡¯s words were noted down and all in all, they contained no less than 100 suggestions. Some of the points could be found in the employee handbook while most were non-textbook, real-world experiences she accumulated from observing the mortals throughout the ages. Other than that, Hao Ren had gained something else; he finally saw the non-eccentric side of the goddess¡ªshe meant business!


    ¡°That¡¯s all I¡¯ve got to say. As for the details, you¡¯ll have to figure it out with the elven experts. ¡± Then, Raven 12345 suddenly swerved. ¡°Another thing¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was taken aback. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°The reimbursement claim you just submitted¡±¡ªRaven 12345 sounded confused¡ª¡±I totally understand if you¡¯re claiming daily living expenses, but six chairs? Seriously? Was the husky at it again?¡±


    Hao Ren felt a little guilty. He said, ¡°While I wasn¡¯t paying attention, Lil Pea gnawed off the legs of every chair¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ but, your cat¡¯s medical expenses? That¡¯s not claimable¡­¡±


    ¡°Lil Pea beat Rollie up.¡± Sweat began to trickle down his forehead. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you refuse, I understand; I was just trying my luck.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll approve that too. What about the microwave?¡±


    ¡°Becky chopped it up¡­¡± Hao Ren could not bear to continue. He knew all these things were weird and no one would have believed how they could even be claimable. Only he understood what kind of wreckers he had been keeping under his roof. And he had not even mention the two bottles of sunscreen he bought for Vivian¡¯s bats¡ªthat alone was crazy enough.


    Raven 12345 remained silent for a long time on the other end. Then she said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll approve that. Suddenly, I pity you¡­¡±


    As the call ended, Hao Ren lay on the table and breathed a long sigh of relief; he could not agree more with Raven 12345¡¯s last statement. He then scurried to the window and looked out at the other side of the city. He could see Lily¡¯s silhouette: a three-storey-tall, white husky was a stark contrast to the grey city background; she was on the ground, busily helping the locals in clearing out tonnes of building rubble. She did so by hauling them to a recycling site via a rope tied to her body. She was of great help this time, because after the city had collapsed, heavy machinery such as aerial tractors and gravity pads could not be brought in. Only bare hands and ground machinery were available. Vivian joined the party too¡ªa swarm of bats were carrying rubble in the air.


    Hao Ren looked on as Lily was having a whale of a time, pulling the rubble from one place to another. He could not help but lament. ¡°That¡¯s what makes her a husky, she¡¯s a sled dog¡­¡±


    It would take a while before the elves could actually move. Order had to be restored in Dawnbreak Island as soon as possible. So, Hao Ren did not stop Lily and Vivian from helping out the locals in the relief work. Hao Ren and Y¡¯zaks even joined in the relief effort and squeezed every last drop of energy from their bodies in the process. When they got back, they were out like a light and slept till the afternoon of the following day.


    When Hao Ren got up the next day, he heard the voices of Hilda and Vimm in the hall. He quickly put on this clothes and dashed out of his room. Vivian and Y¡¯zaks had risen much earlier. They had been chatting with the mother and son for a while.


    ¡°Good morning, I hope you feel at home.¡± Hilda got to her feet. ¡°Our place is not as good as yours.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank you, it¡¯s pretty nice actually.¡± Hao Ren tried to shake off his stupor. He was physically and mentally sluggish after a day of hard labour as well as a 14-hour sleep marathon. ¡°Is Lily up yet?¡±


    Vivian said, ¡°She¡¯s running in circles outside. You just can¡¯t keep that husky in after the sun rises. It¡¯s simply impractical.¡±


    Hao Ren was still in a daze. He looked at Hilda and Vimm, then said, ¡°How big of a meeting would you have to hold if your entire race is migrating?¡±


    Hilda and Vimm were dumbstruck. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you told them?¡± Hao Ren stared at Vivian, then knocked himself on the head. ¡°I¡¯m sleep-drunk. Get me some ice.¡±


    With a swing of her arm, Vivian summoned a pile of snowflakes and smacked it into Hao Ren¡¯s face. ¡°Why would you want to wear yourself out yesterday when you could¡¯ve gone to sleep early? You¡¯re not going to beat the epigenetic clock of a Blood Clan member, I tell you. Yeah, I didn¡¯t tell them. It¡¯s better to leave it to you.¡±


    Hao Ren did not expect the mini snowstorm to take effect that fast. His alertness level almost went through the roof. With his eyes wide-opened, he looked at Hilda who was still confused. ¡°I¡¯m awake now. You should call everyone¡ªthe elders, the people¡¯s representatives, anyone who¡¯s in-charge of something in Aerym¡ªfor a meeting. I¡¯ve talked to my superior and a few others yesterday; I¡¯ve decided to solve your problem of resource depletion once and for all.¡±


    Hilda¡¯s eyes opened wider and wider as her breathing accelerated. ¡°The solution is?


    ¡°I need you to tell me: are you willing to do anything for the sake of Aerym¡¯s survival?¡± Hao Ren raised his finger and continued, ¡°Our side has agreed, but I still need to hear from you and receive your nod, or else everything I¡¯ve done earlier will be for naught.¡±


    Vimm was still cautious towards these strangers. He became anxious after what he heard. ¡°Do anything?¡±


    ¡°Leave everything behind. You can only bring your technology together with some basic equipment and migrate en masse to a new world¡ªa world that¡¯s rich in resources yet raw ecologically. You will have to start from scratch; you may experience technological backwardness for hundreds of years; a part of your population may die because of diseases and environmental changes; you¡¯ll need to pay a high social price to redevelop your industry and supply chain, but you¡¯re going to get what you¡¯ve been dreaming all along¡ªabundant resources, close proximity to Proxima Centauri and its planetary systems, blue sky and open land.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks could not help but to nudge Hao Ren. ¡°Why I do have this feeling that you sound like conmen in my hometown?¡±


    Hao Ren smiled slyly. ¡°Have you ever heard of Anly?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks was speechless.


    ¡°If I were to send them to your hometown, no amount of scam-awareness phamplets printed by the church would be enough.¡±


    While Vimm was clueless, Hilda had figured it out. ¡°You mean, you are going to give us¡ª¡±


    ¡°To find a habitable planet with a suitable ecosystem in such a short time is not easy.¡± Hao Ren smiled as he looked at Hilda. ¡°However, I happen to know the existence of a pretty good planet. Also, I happen to know a long-distance transport guy. He can summon a fleet big enough to move one billion immigrants.¡±


    Hilda and Vimm¡¯s faces were like, O-O!!


    Never have they heard of such generousity in their life!

 Chapter 256

    Hilda and Vimm were pinned to the spot for almost 30 seconds. They only came out of their daze after Hao Ren kept waving at them. If Hilda knew little about who Hao Ren was, then Vimm was as clueless as a man trying to buy his wife underwear; to him, what he had heard did not feel like a hallucination, but more like a story from The Arabian Nights.


    ¡°Did you say¡­ a planet?¡± Vimm looked at this mysterious stranger. ¡°You are giving it to us? You are able to move one billion people at one go? I-I do not know if I have understood it correctly.¡±


    Vimm¡¯s response was not unexpected. Hao Ren nodded earnestly, and explained, ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m going do, no doubt about it. But first thing¡¯s first, let me make it clear: due to some reasons, the planet is not free, it will be leased to you¡ªjust a matter of formality. You can freely utilise the resources on the planet as I¡¯m going to transfer as much of the usage rights as possible from me to you. After all, I will have little use for it. You will live as visitors until you are able to develop your own hyperdrive technology to explore and find your own colony in another planet. You can then claim that planet as your own and stay as a legitimate resident. However, the fleet isn¡¯t free. Nonetheless, I believe you can afford the fare.¡±


    Hilda kept nodding as she listened. As most things were just a formality, the few restrictions were nothing compared to what Hao Ren had done for the Aerymian elves to escape from their present predicament. But as the ruler of Aerym, she had to be cautious. ¡°Very well Hao Ren, what is the price?¡±


    ¡°Like I¡¯ve just said, you have to leave everything here behind, which may be difficult for you. And then you¡¯ll have to pay the fleet.¡± Hao Ren spread his hands. ¡°It¡¯s a civilian moving company, they aren¡¯t doing it for free. Their condition is that they¡¯ll take over the floating islands and large equipment that you have to leave behind. These things may be worth some money in the secondary and black market. They will probably be enough to cover the fare for moving a billion of your people to another universe. It¡¯s a ¡®friend¡¯s price¡¯ though. The transport guy agreed to the barter payment only because he knows me as a friend.¡±


    Hilda opened her eyes in surprise. ¡°That is all?¡±


    ¡°Is there any problem?¡± Nearby, Vivian chimed in, ¡°You¡¯ll have more than enough land and resources in your new home. While there are only a billion of you, the new planet should be just nice. Keeping the floating islands is pointless.¡±


    ¡°I do not intend to keep them. Just that, I never expected anyone would want them.¡± Hilda was embarrased. ¡°I thought these were just junk in the eyes of developed nations¡­¡±


    The MDT chimed in, ¡°Do not think that way. Even junk have their worth. It depends on how you use them. Of course, for civilisations capable of interstellar travel, the floating islands themselves are not worth a thing. These space fragments are available everywhere, but what¡¯s valuable are the equipment on the islands¡ªthe equipment you made. In certain markets, there is a demand for it. Depletion of resources has catapulted the development of your recyling and eco-dome technologies. Such equipment are prized not in highly developed but young civilisations. As they are just leaping into space with their so-so technology, they are keen to acquire these low-cost, ready-built equipment.¡±


    ¡°You sound like a pro.¡± Hao Ren glanced at the MDT, surprised.


    ¡°I¡¯ve just learned from the database that the pan-universe economic sphere is an interesting subject. The junk in Aerym can be modified and turned into low-cost components by professional restorers. Then,they can be assembled and repackaged into other compatible secondhand equipment before being sold to some rookie civilisation. It¡¯s a big business. Perhaps, you may see the shadow of Dawnbreak Island in some corner of the galaxy some day. The universe is a big place, people would do anything for a living. Junk that cannot be recycled and reused will be sent into the furnace, or become collector¡¯s items among interstellar scholars and enthusiasts. Let me quote a saying from Fairy Void Consortium, ¡®Nothing made by an intelligent race goes to waste¡¯¡ªit¡¯s become the holy grail of all interstellar profiteers.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment, then said, ¡°¡­Let¡¯s not talk about that for now. How much have I been shortchanged by the 883 captain?¡±


    ¡°Not much, just as much as he can take from a broad-minded business acquaintance,¡± the MDT sounded indifferent as it spoke. ¡°Strictly speaking, he¡¯s just profitting from Aerymian elves. He¡¯s a businessman, don¡¯t expect him to be as noble as Y¡¯zaks.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    Hilda got the drift. She quickly said, ¡°That¡¯s alright. I will not be able to take those things along after all¡­¡±


    Since the party in question had no objection, there was nothing else Hao Ren could say. But he now had a deeper understanding of the vast universe. He also learned the fact that there were bound to be imbalances in the technological progression of civilisations: Aerymian elves had been stuck in their home star system, but it was the fault of the environment; they excelled in every other aspect such as recycling and artificial ecosystem technologies, which were of interstellar standards. All they needed was a hyperdrive, and they would spread like wildflowers in the universe.


    One could foresee that once the Aerymian elves escaped from their predicament and started flourishing, their potential was unlimited.


    ¡°So, you have no objection to the migration plan?¡± Hao Ren looked at Hilda. ¡°Do you need to discuss with your elders and officials?¡±


    It was impossible to guess what Hilda was thinking just by looking at her face; her face was filled with excitement, astonishment, and a forced sense of calmness. Her lips shivered and she nodded. ¡°Of course, I have no objection! It is a pleasant surprise. Are you really giving us a planet? And apart from the fare, you want nothing else from us? I do not understand¡­ Is a planet that insignificant to you?¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his head, then said, ¡°How do I phrase this? From my standpoint as an individual, I still cannot believe that I have such a land at my disposal. My own house has not been renovated for decades, so I really cannot imagine how it¡¯s like to own a planet. However, I¡¯m playing the role as an inspector here. The planet is just an asset on paper, I have no idea how to make use of it. Play bowling with it? I¡¯d rather do you a favour by giving it to you.¡±


    ¡°For you, it is nothing¡±¡ªVimm was not amused¡ª¡±but our race has been struggling for thousands of years.¡±


    ¡°Vimm, inform the elders¡¯ assembly and my political consultative team,¡± Hilda said quickly. ¡°Issue a royal notice to prepare for a nationwide announcement, but keep the details under embargo. Just keep the people on alert for the news channels. I will make the announcement myself when the assembly of elders is over. Stop the work on hand, they are not important anymore.¡±


    Vimm rose to his feet, obliging. ¡°Yes, mother!¡±


    The young, elven prince regent wheeled and walked towards the exit. But he suddenly halted in his steps, turned and looked at Hao Ren as well as his mother with a weird expression on his face. It was almost clownish. ¡°Wait a second, I am still confused¡­ You two do not actually mean it. It is just a story, is it not? I really cannot¡­¡±


    Hilda just had a straight face. ¡°Go, now!¡±


    As the young prince regent dashed out, Hilda reminded him, ¡°Do not forget to say that ¡®it is good news¡¯ when you make the announcement¡ªthe people have had enough bad news.¡±


    Vimm left the hall at once. Hao Ren lamented. ¡°You do have a knack for teaching your kid.¡±


    ¡°He is not matured enough.¡± Hilda shook her head. ¡°He barely qualified as prince regent, but I cannot help it. He has just entered adulthood, and I may have been impatient in teaching him.¡±


    Hao Ren felt weird discussing parenting with a pretty girl, who was no more than two years his senior. He quickly ended the conversation. ¡°Let¡¯s not delve into this. We have already dealt with the elephant in the room. I guess the social problems that the Lotto Group is causing will not be a problem anymore, right?¡±


    Hilda was startled as if she just came out from a daze. She then smiled, and said, ¡°Yes, I¡­ suddenly feel¡­ relaxed¡­¡±


    Hilda¡¯s voice became softer and softer. Hao Ren did not notice it at first, but when he did, Hilda had already dozed off on the table.

 Chapter 257

    Hilda¡¯s sudden collapse shocked everyone present. Hao Ren, who was the closest managed to recover his wits the fastest and he quickly lifted Hilda by her shoulder. ¡°Hey, hey! What¡¯s going on?!¡±


    The elven queen was thoroughly unsconcious and Hao Ren felt as if he was clutching a corpse. Her body was stiff, her face pale, and he could not even sense any breathing from her. Vivian, who soon recovered quickly conjured a block of ice to shock the queen, and she also used her blood magic to jolt her circulatory system. It was only after a good while that Hilda started breathing again. However, there were no signs of her gaining consciousness.


    ¡°My god, what¡¯s going on? Did she go into shock after getting that burden off?¡± Hao Ren wondered aloud as the possibility crossed his mind.


    Vivian¡¯s expression was grim but confused. ¡°No¡­ doesn¡¯t seem like it. I don¡¯t feel any¡­ ¡®life¡¯ in her. I force-started her circulatory system and muscle activity to ¡®revive¡¯ the body, so she should¡¯ve woken up by now¡­¡±


    As Vivian previously stated, Hilda¡¯s bodily activities had ceased completely within mere minutes, she felt totally like a corpse. Vivian¡¯s unique blood magic had revived her physical body, but she was still out, with no signs of gaining consciousness any time soon. It looked like her spirit had left her mortal shell, and all that was left in front of them was a mere husk of an active body.


    ¡°Stand aside, let me do a cursory scan.¡± The MDT seemed to have something in mind and it started scanning Hilda¡¯s body with a faint blue light. ¡°Basic health scan completed¡­ Low level biological functions detected. No brain activity detected, no signs of nerve impulse, no signs of polymorphic spiritual energy¡­ Initial diagnosis¡­ Death¡­ Holy sh*t, this elf may very well be dead.¡±


    ¡°You gotta be sh*tting me¡­¡± Hao Ren was stunned. He never thought such a good news would be the end of Hilda. He quickly recovered and turned to Vivian. ¡°Quick, use your¡­. resurrection spell or something!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no use.¡± The MDT interrupted Vivian¡¯s preparations. ¡°She already used her blood magic to revive Hilda¡¯s body. Technically, the body is still alive. Her current state however¡­ There¡¯s something deeper to this. There¡¯s a general use medi-chamber in the ship. We need to get her there to do a full scan.


    Y¡¯zaks immediately got up and turned towards the elevator as he heard this, but Vivian quickly stopped him. ¡°Hold it. Let¡¯s keep this on the down low¡­ Panic will ensue if this goes out.¡±


    ¡°They will know sooner or later, no?¡± Y¡¯zaks turned around.


    ¡°I agree with Vivian.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°We need to buy some time until the medi-chamber comes up with a proper report. MDT, teleport us to back to the ship. Vivian, you¡¯re the smart one, stay back and deal with the elves¡­ If anyone asks, just say that the queen led us out to inspect some parts of the city¡­¡±


    ¡°Can we fool them though?¡± Vivian was confused. ¡°How do we even trick the elevator guards? How would the queen leave the room?¡±


    Hao Ren pointed towards the window. ¡°Didn¡¯t a white, furry beast go wild and jump out of the window yesterday? I think the guards should be somewhat resistant to surprises like this. Besides, their queen has been in our company for quite a while, so I think that excuse will be able hold for a while. Whether the medi-chamber works or not, I¡¯ll try to get you something within two hours. Also, if Lily comes back, just get her to behave¡­ No¡­ Just let her run wild outside. She¡¯s one spoiler we don¡¯t need right now.¡±


    Hao Ren was usually slow and steady, but facing such an emergency, he seemed to be in his element. He calmly gave out orders while Vivian nodded as she took everything in. Before he left, he pulled out a small, shiny cube from his Dimensional Pocket and placed it in her hand. ¡°Hold on to this. This is the ship¡¯s unregistered passenger¡¯s communicator. I¡¯ll ring you if there¡¯s anything.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s tenants did not have any authority in the Imperial Data Network and thus, could not connect to the mental communication network. The Petrachelys on the other hand, was a ship designed for inspectors and inspectors had to frequently work with commoners who had not access to the Data Network. As such, the ship came with such communicators. They could only access a singular secured channel that did not cross with the Data Network. A convenient tool indeed. Hao Ren had grabbed a handful and stuffed them into the Dimensional Pocket before he left the ship. It was only at this point that he recalled having done that.


    Vivian nodded again as she took the communicator. Hao Ren then lifted Hilda up into a cradle, not knowing if the elf was dead or alive. He disappeared with Y¡¯zaks and the MDT in a flash of light.


    The MDT set the medical bay as the landing point of their teleportation and as soon as the nausea faded, Hao Ren found himself right in front of the medical bay. The ship had already received orders even before they arrived and the medi-chamber was opening slowly with all the other equipment lighting up into standby mode. Shortly after, a droid came whirling towards Hao Ren. It helped him place Hilda into the chamber before placing itself into the terminal next to the medi-chamber. The droids were fully equipped with all the systems required to run the equipment in the ship. They could take over the roles of crew members in the event that there were no professional crew onboard, medical attention included.


    As the scan began, the main computer in the medical bay started its report in a monotonous tone. ¡°Connection complete¡­. Starting preliminary target scan¡­. Carbon base, Type IV, living organism with a closed circulatory system. Scan results¡­ Death. Initiating secondary scan¡­ Cause of death, shattering of spirit¡­ Initiating tertiary scan¡­ Cause of death determined as¡­ destruction of spirit¡­ Initiating scan again¡­¡±


    As all the equipment buzzed in the background, the medical bay¡¯s A.I. quickly generated a series of mind boggling reports that ran almost 10 pages long. The details of the reports were so precise that both Hao Ren and Y¡¯zaks were overwhelmed. Neither of them understood the terminologies used in the report. After fruitlessly trying to decipher what the report was all about, Hao Ren got the main computer to generate a simple report. What he received was a spine chilling response. ¡°Death of spiritual body¡±


    ¡°It happened so suddenly¡­¡± Hao Ren could not wrap his head around the incident. Hilda, who was standing in front of them, all hale and hearty was suddenly declared spiritually dead. It was too much and too sudden for Hao Ren to accept. He even felt that it would have been easier to swallow if Hilda had actually died from shock, being relieved of her burdens. But he had nothing to dispute the results generated by the medical bay¡¯s computer. Hilda was indeed dead. In fact, she had been dead for quite some time already.


    The MDT summarised the main details of the medical report and displayed it on a holographic screen before Hao Ren. The latter quickly caught on to a key point in the summary:


    ¡°Time of spiritual disintegration¡­ Twenty to thirty days ago¡­ spirit remnants¡­¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Hao Ren had a few ideas but he still could not believe that the report was true.


    The MDT explained in an uncharacteristically calm voice. ¡°Hilda has been dead for quite some time¡­ If I¡¯m not wrong, probably about the time she entered The Plane of Dreams. Her spiritual disintegration started 20 to 30 days ago¡­ It¡¯s something that only happens once a person is dead. However, in most situations and for most people, the disintegration happens very quickly, in the blink of an eye¡­ hers however, took almost ten full days¡­¡±


    ¡°That means¡­¡±


    ¡°The Hilda who was with us the entire time was just her will to survive,¡± said the MDT. It slowly landed on Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder, as if to pat him. ¡°It¡¯s not just you or me, even she herself didn¡¯t realise it.¡±


    The medi-chamber hissed opened slowly as Hilda lay still in it, her body still warm. She was really dead, nothing but a corpse in front of Hao Ren. Her face was pale, but she did not show any signs of pain. There was even a faint trace of a smile on her face, almost as if she was having a very pleasant dream.


    Hilda was dead by the time the explosion on the Isle of Rainbows occurred, instantly killed like many others on the scene by the power unleashed from the spell. But as the dimensional rift opened, her body was tossed into the rift, into another world alongside the residuals of her shattered spirit. And these residuals formed an undying will so strong that she did not realise she had already died. With that will, she pushed on for almost a month until this very day; to go home, to protect her people, to defend her home. Hilda¡¯s undying will drained whatever was left of her spiritual energy without her noticing until that very moment. Once she realised that all her burdens were lifted, the exhausted Queen of Aerym could sleep restfully.


    A soul, longing so earnestly for home, was now at peace.


    The atmosphere then was beyond sombre. Hao Ren simply stood there, stunned. A cacophony of whys and what ifs rang in his mind until Raven 12345¡¯s voice suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

 Chapter 258

    Hilda had already been dead for about a month¡­ This revelation left Hao Ren and even the astute Y¡¯zaks speechless for a good part of the day. No one had any inkling that the Hilda, who was with them the entire time was a mere husk driven by sheer determination. Recalling the way Hilda had acted and reacted back then, it was very difficult to believe that she was already dead the moment she entered The Plane of Dreams. Despite that, the truth was in front of them. Hilda¡¯s spirit had just left her mortal shell entirely and the remnants of her spiritual imprint revealed that her spirit started decaying about 20 odd days ago.


    One could only say that Hilda¡¯s will and determination defied death. She herself was not aware of the fact that she had died.


    Hao Ren was thoroughly overwhelmed by the confusion in his head. At that moment, not knowing how to face Vimm or the elves waiting for them to show up, Raven 12345¡¯s voice suddenly rang in his mind. ¡°Yo, Hao Ren¡­ If my calculations are correct¡­ it should be about time.¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly realised that he had brought Hilda to meet Raven before. The rather ominous way Raven went about it meant something was clearly up. ¡°You knew about Hilda¡¯s situation?!¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes I did. Seems like whatever that¡¯s left of her life force is totally spent.¡± Raven12345 sounded calm, but in her calmness, there was a slight shred of lamentation. ¡°What an incredible mortal being¡­ I noticed that the first time I saw her. She was drifting between the realm of life and death. Seems like she had already died when she came to The Plane of Dreams, but her spirit forcefully forgot the fact that she was dead, and held on till today.¡±


    As a goddess, it was almost unsurprising that Raven 12345 had seen through all of it. Hao Ren could not suppress his emotions anymore and yelled at her, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier!?¡±


    Raven 12345 demurred for a moment before slowly speaking again. ¡°You know¡­ the words of a god are powerful.¡±


    Hao Ren was perplexed, but Raven12345 did not appear to be fooling around this time around. ¡°I did notice what was going on with her from the first glance. However, she was a mere ghost that was driven by determination alone and her existance was more fragile than a candle in the wind. Under those circumstances, if I had mentioned anything about her death, regardless of where her ghost was, she would have been immediately wiped out by the laws of the world. This is the power of a god¡¯s word. Even if I had held back she would not have been able to withstand it in her current state. Besides, there¡¯s a reason why I did not tell any of you either. I was worried that anyone of you may blurt it out by accident and cause the same effect. Why I¡¯m telling you now¡­ is because her life force has been thoroughly spent. A spirit in flux will not die again.¡±


    ¡°Do you have anyway to save her?¡± Hao Ren refused to believe that Raven did not have such powers.


    ¡°Oh, I sure do. Else why do you think I¡¯m contacting you now.¡± It was clear now that Raven 12345¡¯s appearance was not for fun. ¡°Actually, I had embedded her body with some sort of power and I¡¯m just waiting for it to trigger. Just to be sure though¡­ When that elven space-time accelerator exploded, was there anything that remained?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ There should be something left¡­¡± Hao Ren had no idea why Raven 12345 brought that up. ¡°Does it have anything to do with this?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Part of Hilda¡¯s spirit should still be in the ruins.¡± Raven 12345 then started to elaborate on the situation. ¡°The first time I saw the elf, I noticed that her spirit was torned apart. That¡¯s the most direct cause of her death. Her body only had a fragment of her spirit and part of her memory while the rest were missing. My assumption is that it should be where she died. As there is no need to sustain her body, that portion of her spirit is probably still around. The reason I did not intervene when I met her was because of her incomplete spirit, and any outside intervention would have simply made things worse . Now, you need to bring her back to where the space-time accelerator exploded in order to completely revive her. I left some power in her, and it will keep her spirit bound to her even after it has dissipated. If you are able to find the other part of her spirit, this power will reunite the fragments of her spirit and make it whole again.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s that simple?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. You already have me, your benevolent goddess, lending you a hand. Of course it¡¯ll be simple.¡± Raven 12345 was reluctant in maintaining her image as a goddess even when she was performing the duties of one. Her true self was revealed the moment she spoke. ¡°Let me tell you, most of the time, I wouldn¡¯t even be bothered by things like this. But this elf, Hilda did something that was beyond most mortals, and I have to reward her for that. Let¡¯s get things going, time is ticking. There may be nothing left if we delay this further. The day of salvation is not far for these elves, and their queen needs to be there with them.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded in agreement before something popped up in his head. ¡°Wait¡­ I heard Vimm saying that after the explosion, the Isle of Rainbows was pretty much annihilated. What if her spirit isn¡¯t among the shattered remains of the island?


    ¡°Then you will need to navigate along the island¡¯s orbit to look for her. That¡¯s all.¡±


    As usual, Raven 12345 cut off the comms nonchalantly. Hao Ren stood there, stunned for a moment before he regained his senses. He took a glance at Hilda¡¯s body and he was not sure if he was seeing things or it was Raven 12345¡¯s power taking effect; he vaguely saw a faint silhouette beside her. Before he could take a better look however, the silhouette disappeared.


    He pondered for a moment, after which he took up the communicator. ¡°Vivian, you there?¡±


    There was silence from the other end. Shorty after, Vivian¡¯s flustered voice was heard as she fumbled about the device. ¡°Ehh¡­ ehh? Where¡¯s the button? Ehh¡­ Ah, Mr. Landlord, I¡¯m here. Can you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Loud and clear.¡± Hao Ren sighed. ¡°Things over here have gotten a bit complicated. Go look for Vimm and get him on the ship. Oh, only him alone¡­.The situation here may cause panic¡­.¡±


    Vivian could tell from Hao Ren¡¯s tone that the situation was rather serious. She proceeded to look for the prince regent without asking any further. Well, it did not take much effort to convince Vimm to get on the Petrachelys. While the young elf was indeed royalty, he trusted the guests that his mother had brought along, and these guests had promised the elves a new, fertile home. So, the moment he heard that Hao Ren had summoned him, he came over immediately and by himself as per Vivian¡¯s instruction.


    Vimm did not have the time to marvel at the interior of the high-tech ship. He was immediately ushered into the medical bay by the ship¡¯s droids together with Vivian and Lily in tow.


    As he stepped into the room, the first thing he saw was Hilda. She was laying on the medi-chamber, appearing to be in a deep sleep.


    ¡°What is¡­¡± Vimm was too startled for words. Hao Ren, fearing that any misunderstandings might occur, went ahead and clarified. ¡°Uh¡­ don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry¡­ it¡¯s just that your mum¡¯s dead¡­¡±


    As soon as the words left his mouth, Hao Ren wanted to bash his face in. He literally had no control of his mouth the moment he became anxious. He had wanted to slowly explain everything to Vimm, but ¡°your mum¡¯s dead¡± pretty much set the tone already¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic¡­ The thing is¡­¡± Hao Ren pinched his thigh to clear his mind. ¡°Actually¡­ your mother had already¡­¡±


    It took a few minutes for Hao Ren to explain everything. The young elf¡¯s expression went from shock, to agitated and lastly, utter confusion. But thankfully, he stayed calm throughout the process and listened intently.


    ¡°Is¡­. this true?¡± Vimm carefully approached Hilda. He put his finger in front of her nose before retracting it as though he got hit by static shock. He then turned back to Hao Ren with a confused look. ¡°Mother was still¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Regardless of whether you believe it or not, we need you to bring us to the remains of the Isle of Rainbows.¡± Hao Ren broke Vimm¡¯s train of thought with a wave of his hand. ¡°I know this is a bit too much to swallow at the moment, but now is not the time to reassess your world view. I know you have much to ask, but I ask you to hold all of it in first.¡±


    Vimm could only nod solemnly.

 Chapter 259

    A small shuttle darted out silently from the Petrachelys¡¯ launch bay at breakneck speed. It was heading towards the Unusable Resource Storage Zone at the end of the island chain.


    Using his powers as prince regent, Vimm had authorised a ¡®silent¡¯ route for the shuttle, to prevent other elves from noticing its trajectory. He also ordered for all entries and exits in the area to be shut and all reclamation work on the Isle of Rainbows be stopped. This was to ensure total secrecy and smoothness of their plans.


    After a short space ride, the shuttle reached the desolate space junkyard and started navigating towards the Isle of Rainbows using a map supplied by Vimm.


    The junkyard encompassed a considerable amount of space in the island chain, and it was close to the Deadlands. This area was filled with debris of whatever remained of the floating islands. From a distance, they looked almost like a small asteroid belt. Most of the Deadlands were still somewhat intact, and some were even salvagable. Those in the junkyard were however shattered beyond recognition. The Aerymian elves had gathered all the rubble in one place and tried to extract any possible resource from them. Pieces of the recently destroyed Isle of Rainbows were also placed here.


    The shuttle weaved through the piles of mountain-sized debris as it passed them by. Most of the floating rocks had signs of being was man-made. There was everything from rocks with smooth, shiny surfaces to the remains of metallic structures, or the various tunnels and tubes that previously ran through the island. Hao Ren even noticed that some of the rocks had twisted ruins of destroyed buildings on them. Most of them were completely destroyed but from their large interior and thick partitions, one could tell that they were probably part of a large-scale manufacturing plant. Vimm explained that most of these debris came from the industrial islands. They were the most resilient of the floating islands but once one was lost, the results were catastrophic. When Eco-Island¡¯s system shut down, it would slowly die off and become one of the Deadlands. However, most industrial islands were lost to massive explosions.


    These structures had already been used for milleniums thus, they were pushed beyond their normal life expectancy by continuous cycles of patchwork repairs and replacements. A loose screw could pretty much precipitate a disastrous chain of events. Time had turned all of Aerym¡¯s proud legacies into a ticking timebomb, and they had nowhere to run. They could only buy more time by continuously repairing the structures to delay their impending doomsday. And for some, doomsday did come knocking. The debris outside the ship was the veritable, sombre proof of it.


    Around the space junkyard was something peculiar. It had a smooth, shiny oval shell and was shaped like an egg. This was a facility spanning about two kilometres in length. The space structure did not seem to had suffered any damage, and surely did not look like any of the excavation crafts in the area. It appeared more like a small, advanced space shuttle. Only then did Hao Ren find out that these things were called Coronal Stations after he asked Vimm out of curiousity.


    ¡°Part of the Coronal Stations are used to directly transfer energy from space to the islands, while some of them are used to collect drifting items within the solar winds. Those need to be moved to unload their cargo. They are quite literally a special, extreme heat-resistant spacecraft.¡± Vimm was worried about Hilda and he was trying to suppress his agitation. Nonetheless, he still managed to patiently explain the nature of the Coronal Station to his guests. ¡°These ships use a special type of energy core, which is highly volatile. The radioactivity that they emits while in standby mode is very strong and they explode rather easily, so we had to place them away from the main islands.¡±


    Vivian was perplexed. ¡°Why can¡¯t you use a smaller shuttle to handle the cargo?¡±


    ¡°We simply could not manufacture such a spacecraft.¡± Vimm shook his head. ¡°Perhaps, you could call the Coronal Stations themselves ¡®small spacecrafts¡¯. These are the only items we managed to create that could withstand the heat of the sun. They are equipped with layers upon layers of magically infused armor and specialised force field generators. These itself require a massive core to power them and we do not have the ability to create anything smaller. A bigger craft would require almost double the power¡­ so, the Coronal Station was designed as such.¡±


    ¡°These Coronal Stations would be a big hit with civilisations of a lower technological level, if someone were to improve their stability that is,¡± the MDT suddenly spoke. ¡°Perhaps we could use these to wring something out of those conniving merchants, and get more emergency material of sorts. We only promised them the floating islands and the orbital system during the negotiations. We did not mention anything about these Coronal Stations. Your people would need these materials for the coming Great Migration.¡±


    The mention of the Great Migration somewhat lifted Vimm¡¯s spirits. ¡°Our race will remember this debt of kindness eternally. If the Great Migration is successful, I am sure that all of the Aerymian elves and their kin will be glad to treat all of you as messiahs. Just say the word if you ever need our help.¡±


    Hao Ren looked around him and saw a bat, a demon as well as a puppy. Then he recalled that he still had a big and a small fish at home alongside a mercenary whom he was not sure could go home. Pondering the burden that any of them would possibly have, Hao Ren concluded that this bunch of jokers would only be asking, ¡°What to eat?¡± after helping the Aerymians relocate¡­.


    After crossing through the grim sea of debris, the shuttle finally arrived on a more¡±fresh¡± looking debris. It landed on one of the larger pieces of rocks.


    ¡°This is the remants of the Isle of Rainbows.¡± Vimm pointed towards the desolate landscape outside. ¡°This was where the observation tower stood. Post explosion, the foundation is only what¡¯s left of it. As for where the space-time accelerator was, that place was vaporised. Mother was at the tower when it happened¡­. so, if what you say about the remnants of her spirit is true, it will most likely be there.¡±


    Vimm could not survive in vacuum, but this was not a problem. The Petrachelys had some emergency equipment that were created by civilian companies in the Macro World. They were for the military, especially for races who could not survive in space without proper equipment. These equipment were called ¡°Emergency Lifesuits¡± and they looked like silverish collars. (They can be easily modified using the onboard miniature manufactorum to fit other races). After putting it on, the collar would scan the wearer¡¯s body and quickly form a protective layer that shielded the user from vacuum, lost of temperature as well as radiation. At the same time, the shielding would also generate sufficient oxygen to last a long time. While this equipment was mainly for survival, it was more than adequate. With the addition of a simple thruster (which came from the same civilian company in the Macro World), Vimm could follow the others out into space.


    Due to the nature of an inspector¡¯s job, their starships usually came equipped with various equipment that could be used by the local population. Even the miniature manufactorum in the ship had plenty of production blueprints and plug-ins, which could easily solve many of the more trivial issues on the spot. Hao Ren felt that the Petrachelys was almost like a certain robot cat, except it was 600 metres longer. Who knew what you could pull out from its cargo hold. If not for the MDT¡¯s help in cataloging the items there, Hao Ren would have been totally lost.


    Vivian and Lily also took a collar each as they left the shuttle. Lily even grumbled to Hao Ren through the in-built communicator, ¡°I don¡¯t like putting this on my neck¡­ It feels weird¡­¡±


    ¡°Heh, it¡¯d be weird if a husky actually liked being collared.¡± Vivian took a jab at Lily as she followed from behind. She then took off the collar out of curiosity to experience what it was like to be in a vacuum. She quickly put it back on the moment discomfort set in. ¡°Ugh¡­ it¡¯s really weird being in a vacuum, my whole body feels numb.¡±


    ¡°Really? Really?¡± Lily also happily took off her collar to experience what the vacuum was like and after a few minutes, she put it back on. ¡°Yucks, that feels awful. I couldn¡¯t breathe, I even felt bloated and my tongue felt like it was boiling.¡±


    Seeing the two unusual creatures being so candid about their experience in the vacuum stunned Vimm for a good while. Hao Ren could not help but wipe off the sweat that was forming on his forehead. The MDT was correct. While Lily and Vivian did not undergo the enhancement to survive in a vacuum, their unnatural physique simply allowed them to survive in space for a short time! He was pretty sure that taking off a spacesuit to see what a vacuum was like was not something one saw everyday¡­


    Both Vivian and Lily did not even want to use the thrusters at first as they felt the bulky item on their waist was just too ugly. They felt they could get around moving in the vacuum using their own methods. Lily pulled out her claws and sunk them into the rocks, creeping up the surface as she went. Vivian was even more flashy. She released a huge swarm of bats and used their counterforce to propel her forward¡­ Hao Ren could not stand looking at the silly duo after a while and forced them to use the thrusters. Aside from being more efficient, Vivian would be anaemic if she were to create another swarm of bats. Have you even heard of an anaemic vampire before?


    Hilda was still lying in the medi-chamber. The chamber could be moved out of the starship independently and it was now using it¡¯s own propulsion system to follow the rest. Hao Ren led the fumbling crew forwards and after a moment, they finally reached the foundation of the tower. Its surrounding was a desolate plane, coated in molten metal.


    The moment the group approached the tower, Hao Ren felt a surge of energy eminating from the medi-chamber, and a faint, flickering silhouette appeared in front of him not too far away.


    It seemed like the power Raven 12345 had embedded in Hilda was starting to react. The remnant of Hilda¡¯s spirit was indeed wandering amid the ruins.


    The lost spirit was standing quietly in front of the tower ruins, her eyes fixated on where the space-time accelerator once was (now it was nothing but a void). She did not react to the strangers around her, and it was quite clear that she was quickly fading. Even with Raven 12345¡¯s powers she was flickering, but as Raven mentioned, there was still time.


    Hao Ren finally broke out in a smile as he moved towards the spirit.


    ¡°Seems like we¡¯ve made it.¡±

 Chapter 260

    A part of Hilda¡¯s soul stood quietly before the tower¡¯s wreckage, which had melted into large crystals. This vague silhouette had no expression and it did not react to the rest of them. Hao Ren approached her and waved his hand in front of her, but it appeared that she could not see him.


    Her soul was so weak that even her basic line of thought was lost. She was like a motionless holographic projection. Even though the appearance of her body was present with the help of Raven 12345¡¯s power, she was unable to respond to any stimuli.


    ¡°What should we do?¡± Vivian looked back at the medical chamber where Hilda¡¯s body lay and found that nothing happened at all. ¡°Do we just wait?¡±


    ¡°We just have to wait,¡± Hao Ren said. He then looked at the medical chamber, which was still in a closed state. ¡°Raven said, as long as Hilda¡¯s soul fragments are close to each other, the magical ¡®seed¡¯ she left behind will take care of the rest.¡±


    Therefore, they waited quietly. However, Vimm did not know how much Raven 12345 could do. Looking at the familiar phantom, he looked uneasy and perturbed. ¡°I did not expect this to happen to my mother¡­ Is she really going to come back to life?¡±


    In such a situation, Hao Ren had to protect Raven 12345¡¯s image. ¡°Rest assured that the Raven we¡¯ve mentioned is a powerful god. Even just by breathing on your mother, she can still save her.¡±


    Vivian and Y¡¯zaks also tried to comfort Vimm to calm him down. After they took turns to ease his heart, he was finally relieved and he patiently waited for the results like the rest of them.


    The next 10 minutes were long and difficult to endure. The wait felt like thousands of years for Vimm but finally, his waiting did not go to waste: by some mysterious force, Hilda¡¯s soul seemed to be replenished with vitality. The dim silhouette standing in front of the ruins began to grow brighter and more visible, turning from a blur to crystal clear. She shook her head as though she just woke up from a dream and turned to Hao Ren.


    The glimmering, broken soul glanced at the strangers in bewilderment. She did not seem to quite understand the situation she was in: she was the part that Hilda left in her hometown so, she did not know exactly what her body and another part of her, which possessed a persistent and unchangeable mind went through in another world. At the same time, she was puzzled by her current surroundings: the memory of this part of her soul was still frozen in the time of the space-time accelerator¡¯s explosion, and she wondered why she was standing in a strange place. However, the confusion of her soul did not last long. When she recovered enough to accept the next fusion, Raven 12345¡¯s power suddenly erupted. That soul fragment was directly sucked into the medical chamber.


    The MDT immediately reminded them, ¡°Her consciousness is beginning to revive. Quickly, send her back to the ship!¡±


    Hao Ren did not dare to delay and immediately led the team, running back to the spaceship. He found the speed of the medical chamber too slow so, he pushed it to make it move faster. If it were not for the fear of injuring Hilda, he would have allowed Y¡¯zaks to release some Flamebursts at the back of the medical chamber to push it forward. At last, they were back in the shuttle with the chamber and eventually, they returned to the medical bay of the Petrachelys Patrol Frigate.


    After reconnecting the medical chamber to the system in the medical bay, the fusing process of Hilda¡¯s soul came to an end. Everything seemed to be going well at that moment, and the system detected that Hilda¡¯s consciousness was gradually reviving. The various anomalies in the soul were being restored at an alarming rate. Finally, amid the anticipating and nervous gazes, the silvery-white chamber opened bit by bit. And the elf queen, who had been in the jaws of death for more than a month, opened her eyes slowly. This time, she was ¡°really¡± resurrected.


    ¡°All of you¡­¡± Hilda looked at the circle of people strangely and asked, ¡°Why are all of you looking at me like that?¡±


    Before Hao Ren could utter a word, Vimm ran to Hilda and said, ¡°Mother! I am so glad that you are safe and sound.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, what is wrong with you¡­ Behave yourself!¡± Hilda pushed Vimm away but, suddenly she seemed to realise something. ¡°Wait a minute¡­ I have a lot of things in my head. I just had a¡­ Did something happen to me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s something serious.¡± Now that Hao Ren got the opportunity to speak, he was finally relieved. He then laughed, spread his hands and said, ¡°You almost scared us to death but, you were really dead at one point.¡±


    More than 10 minutes later, Hao Ren and the others rushed to explain the situation earlier. Hilda was stunned. She could not believe that such a thing actually happened to her. ¡°What you say is true? I was once¡­ dead?¡±


    ¡°Strictly speaking, you began to die a month ago and it took you one month to die thoroughly. Then, you were rescued by a goddess within two hours after you completely died¡­¡±


    Vivian stomped on Hao Ren¡¯s foot, gnashed her teeth and said, ¡°Keep your mouth shut if you don¡¯t have anything nice to say!¡±


    Hao Ren bared his teeth and jumped as he spoke angrily, ¡°I was feeling all relaxed and got a little excited! Besides, she¡¯s okay with it!¡±


    Hilda looked at the noisy scene before her and looked at Vimm, who appeared perplexed. He wanted to speak but, he had to be serious due to his mother. She slowly began to accept reality. She jumped out of the medical chamber easily as if nothing had ever happened and said, ¡°It seems that there are still too many things in this world that we do not know of and the road to knowledge is endless¡ªVimm, do not look so sad, you are the one who is going to succeed the throne.¡±


    Then she smiled with a subtle expression and said, ¡°This is really a very rare experience, a persistent and unchangeable mind¡­ I did not realise that I still had this strength. I should thank the goddess. Otherwise, I would have missed the greatest moment in Aerym¡¯s history¡­ Uh, Lily, what is wrong with you?¡±


    Lily had been staring at Hilda since the beginning with an incredulous look on her face. Then she pointed at the medical chamber and stammered, ¡°Hil-Hilda¡­ Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve left something behind?¡±


    ¡°What is¡­?¡± Hilda looked back, puzzled. The rest of them looked behind her as well, and the next second, all of them fell into dead silence.


    Hao Ren remained quiet for a few minutes and finally shouted, ¡°What the hell?!¡±


    Hilda¡¯s body was still lying quietly in the medical chamber.


    ¡°How did this happen?¡± Vimm immediately exclaimed. At the same time, Hao Ren quickly discovered that something was slightly wrong with the Hilda who was standing outside the medical chamber: There seemed to be a faint glow around her. Her body had an ethereal vibe that was subtle yet, tangible. Although her ¡°body¡± looked real, with careful observation, one would soon realise that the silhouette of her body was faintly translucent.


    ¡°Am I¡­ a spirit?¡± Hilda was surprised at her own situation but, she was calmer than the others. The first thing she did was to make sure that her current state was different from the usual. However, she found that she was still the same as she always was: she could easily pick up an object next to her and her hand did not phase through the thing like that of a spirit would. She also touched Vivian¡¯s hand to make sure she still had her body warmth.


    Hilda looked normal¡ªexcept, her body was still in the medical chamber.


    Hao Ren hurriedly contacted Raven 12345. As expected, the goddess was waiting on the line, probably anticipating the results of Hilda¡¯s resurrection. Hao Ren immediately heard her loud voice after he dialed her number. ¡°Yo, Hao Ren, how is it? Did my Limited Custom Carnival Edition V2.0 of the Automatic Resurrection Kit work?¡±


    ¡°Bullsh*t!¡± Hao Ren almost choked because of Raven 12345. ¡°Hilda is awake but, her soul has left her body and self-integrated into a separate body!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Hao Ren quickly explained the situation to Raven clearly. He also allowed the MDT to stream a video to Raven. Raven 12345 remained silent for a few seconds. She was probably organizing her thoughts or most likely, trying to come up with a more appropriate excuse. However, in the end, she said something useful, ¡°Err¡­ An unexpected situation. It seems that the spirit is quite in tune with my power or maybe the power I left in her body was a little bit too much¡­ She has directly turned into a living holy spirit. Congratulations to Aerym. They now have an immortal guardian.¡±

 Chapter 261

    Hao Ren was curious about what a living holy spirit was. He felt that it sounded pretty powerful. And so, Raven 12345 just explained it to him, ¡°The holy spirit is not something made up by the Empire. In fact, it is a concept found in different human cultures, referring to heroic heroes who performed great deeds. Their souls are not extinguished after death instead, they turn into holy spirits. Two parts of Hilda¡¯s soul appear to have been catalysed by my power in the process of being merged¡­ Umm, it could also be something else. Now, she¡¯s a different kind of life form, a whole new creature, powerful and immortal. She transformed into a holy spirit after being resurrected, so that¡¯s why I¡¯m calling her a living holy spirit.¡±


    Hao Ren pondered and said, ¡°It sounds pretty cool¡ªbut, will there be an aftereffect?¡±


    ¡°Theoretically, no.¡± Raven 12345¡¯s voice did not sound reassuring. ¡°Theoretically, she is not a virtual body and my strength has reshaped her physical form. So, she now has flesh and blood. She is real, like her old body has been replaced by a god-made body. Her old body can be discarded and the new body should allow her to live healthier. As for any aftereffects¡­ well, because the body is glowing, she may easily frighten herself when she¡¯s sleeping at night?¡±


    Once Raven 12345 started to chat with him, he knew there was nothing to worry about regarding the matter. After asking Raven for some details on the problem, he disconnected the line and continued to observe Hilda¡¯s bizarre state with interest. Hilda was also curious about her new body. She waved her arms gently and said, ¡°There is nothing inconvenient about it. It is as good as the original body. Since the goddess claims that there is no problem with my new body, do not worry about it.¡±


    ¡°How are we going to explain this to the people?¡± Vimm frowned. ¡°Mother, now¡­ Umm, it is a bit out of our cognitive range.¡±


    ¡°Then, there is no need to explain.¡± Hilda waved her hand. ¡°My personal matter is not important. Now, the most important thing is the great migration of Aerym. Let the people focus on this. Anyway, if you do not look at me closely, I look just like any ordinary elf. We will explain the situation to our people after the migration.¡±


    Vimm nodded, but the next second, everybody inevitably fell into a state of total silence. Lily could not help but ask the most critical question. She lifted her hand, pointed to the medical chamber and asked, ¡°¡­So, how are you going to deal with this?¡±


    Everybody stared at Hilda¡¯s ¡°remains¡±. Even the MDT that always had a unique way of thinking was clueless about what to say. So, it decided to shut up and continued to pretend it was a coaster. Hao Ren pondered their predicament for some time and hesitantly suggested, ¡°How about, we just dig a hole and bury it?¡±


    Lily touched Hilda¡¯s ¡°remains¡±, immediately shook her head and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s still warm. The heart is still beating and it¡¯s still breathing. It¡¯ll feel like Hilda¡¯s being buried alive if we bury it now.¡±


    Hilda looked even more perplexed. She pinched her own remains and said, ¡°I am perhaps the first elf to face such a distressing situation. I do not know how to deal with my own remains and I still need to discuss this with the others¡­ Hmm, or we could just send it to the material recycling furnace. It will not be a waste to do so.¡±


    Lily immediately shivered even more. ¡°That¡¯s even more horrifying than being buried alive.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the elven burial ritual?¡± Vivian asked curiously.


    ¡°A funeral? We have not practiced this custom for several thousands of years. Now, dead elves are sent to the recycling furnace, all divided into ration points by quality without distinction¡­¡± Vimm explained, ¡°¡­but my mother is¡­ still alive, and her body does not seem to be dead¡­ No, I do not have enough brain power to figure this out. Mother, you decide for yourself.¡±


    Hilda looked like she totally had no idea what to do. No one had ever met such a difficult scenario hence, it was tough for her to discuss with the others on how to handle her remains. Watching her thinking hard, Hao Ren patted the MDT and asked, ¡°Tell me, is the body alive or dead?¡±


    ¡°Physiologically, it is alive, but without a soul. It¡¯s just carbon in an orderly chemical reaction. And because Raven¡¯s power still remains in this body, it can keep the body this way forever even if it doesn¡¯t eat or drink. To survive, the body will take energy from the surrounding space or use remnants of divine nature to create energy for itself. Anyway, it¡¯s in a near-frozen state¡­ This will still lead to a psychological hurdle, regardless of whether it¡¯s buried or recycled in the furnace.¡± The MDT then sighed and continued, ¡°You humans are strange. It¡¯s just a shell that carries the main program, and you guys take it so seriously. Humans give too much meaning to these useless things and cause a lot of psychological problems for just changing a new shell, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°If you keep talking nonsense, I¡¯ll give you a case of SpongeBob SquarePants! I asked about this in the Imperial Data Network two days ago. There¡¯s a business that specializes in custom-made shells for Data Terminals like you. My one month¡¯s worth of rationing points is enough to change 30,000 cases for you!¡±


    The Data Terminal shut up at once.


    Hilda was actually quite open-minded. As a standard elf of Aerym, she felt that throwing her useless body into the recycling furnace was not an issue. Despite the psychological pressure, she could bear it. However, Hao Ren, as a bystander, felt that it was not quite right to throw the body into the recycling furnace when it was still alive. In the end, he could only suggest that they leave the body there first. There was plenty of space on the Petrachelys anyway, and the ship usually remained idle. They may as well just make it a warehouse.


    Hilda thanked Hao Ren, but Lily could not stop muttering, ¡°Not so much a warehouse¡­ Why does it feel more like a morgue?¡±


    Hao Ren faked a smile while he looked at the husky and said, ¡°This girl just doesn¡¯t know how to sugarcoat the truth!¡±


    Hilda¡¯s problem was finally solved, and the great migration of Aerym was once again back on the queen¡¯s desk. When she returned to her palace, she did not have time to rest. She immediately rushed to the Assembly of Elders¡¯ Tower to preside over the important meeting, which had been postponed for several hours.


    They went back to the lounge of the Royal Tower and waited for new progress. If there were no surprises, they would get wind of news soon enough.


    As for Hilda¡¯s ¡°corpse¡±¡­ Hao Ren was not thinking about it anymore. He kept the body in the medical chamber and locked it. Then, he put the entire chamber in the small garage behind the medical bay, leaving a self-regulatory machine specifically responsible for monitoring the body. After that, he put the matter aside. The Petrachelys had become a mortuary ship for the time being. He felt that something was not quite right, but it did not really matter at that point.


    One had no choice. Working for immortals, one needed indestructible nerves as thick and strong as pillars. Otherwise, these immortals could bring you a lot of surprises, and those with a weak mind may become even more insane than Raven 12345 after two or three tasks. Hao Ren had to protect his mind: the most effective way was via self-hypnosis and being forgetful.


    At the same time, the one billion elves outside the Royal Tower and across the island chain were waiting for news.


    Vimm, following Hilda¡¯s instructions, had released the notice of ¡°big news¡±. Two hours ago, all of the broadcasting systems on the island chain of Aerym¡ªthe information screens that spread through the streets and homes of every household¡ªplayed such a baffling emergency notice that the elves easily felt something big was about to happen. The notice was read out by representatives of the prince regent, the Assembly of Technocrats and the Assembly of Logisticians. It was only a short paragraph, which kept replaying:


    ¡°Attention to all the elves of Aerym, the whole country has entered a state of special mobilization. All citizens, please record your important personal belongings at hand, ensuring that the material transportation channels of all islands are unblocked. The citizens of transport, statistics, records and personnel-related departments need to return to work and ensure that your departments can operate at full capacity in the next 24 hours¡­ This is a major preparatory event. This message will continue to be replayed and all citizens have the obligation to inform each other about this. Also, all citizens are requested to ensure that they are in contact with each other and if someone is missing, please report it immediately. It is important to ensure that all citizens are under social control to prevent omissions.¡±


    There were many details following this message, basically to ensure that all the elves were ready for the great migration. At the same time, they had to make sure that every one of the elves would be able to receive new messages at any time during the next 24 hours. This was a great migration of one billion people and the preparation they had to do was extraordinary.


    At the end of the message, the most important piece of information appeared. It was something all the hopeful elves were waiting for. ¡°Please rest assured that this special mobilization is not a disaster. Her Majesty has returned, and she has brought us an unprecedented and inspiring hope. Please be prepared, the dawn is coming.¡±

 Chapter 262 - The Queen’s Proclamation

    The elves of Aerym had not seen such a strange announcement for a long time. They were familiar with the emergency calls for various disasters however, they had not received word of good news behind the order of emergency mobilisation for thousands of years. The sudden, strange news confused the one billion elves. Some of the more sensitive ones could vaguely guess that something was happening. An unknown anxiety and excitement pervaded the society of Aerym and spread to each elf. The more attentive citizens also noticed another thing: the royal area had been cordoned off and during the last few hours, the material dispatch as well as management personnel of the floating isles had been summoned to Dawnbreak Island. This had not occurred since the previous disaster mobilisation.


    There was no doubt that an earth-shattering event was about to happen.


    Excluding the elves in key positions, who had to work overtime, more and more elves went back home to count their personal belongings as per the bulletin¡¯s instruction. They made contact with their friends as well as relatives and waited for further news in front of the many media terminals that could receive the royal broadcast. All the media terminals, including the screens along the city street, were rarely activated and only lit up to release important information. They were now all broadcasting the same waiting screen. The display on the screen was simple, there was only a clock, counting down time: The concept of ¡°time¡± was something very vital to the society of Aerym. Any meeting had a fixed time limit. All participants, including members of the Royal Family had to make a decision within the time limit. At the end of the countdown, whether the outcome of the conference had been met or not, the results had to be publicized at the last minute of the conference. It was their unique way of doing things. The clock was timing the meeting that was being held by the Assembly of Elders. At the end of the countdown, Hilda would announce the results in person.


    Finally, the countdown came to an end. A ripple flashed across the bulletin board and Hilda¡¯s figure appeared before all the elves of Aerym.


    ¡°My people, I am your queen. I am sure that you have received an advanced notice hours ago and communicated the message to everyone in accordance with the announcement. I hope that now, every elf in Aerym is waiting in front of the information screen as required because I will now publish an extremely important message that involves each and every one of us,¡± said Hilda with a solemn expression. ¡°We are going to a new home, a new world of rich resources.¡±


    Hilda paused for a while, as if she sensed the strong anxiety and shock from every city on the floating isles; a total of one billion elves. She gave her people time to react and p repare for the next bit of information. Then, she went on, ¡°The space-time accelerator experiment was not a complete failure. It succeeded in sending at least one person to the distant new world and that person was me. Everyone probably knows about the explosion, which happened a month ago and that I have been missing for a while. Now, I will tell you¡­¡±


    Hilda¡¯s calm and dignified voice resonated throughout the whole island chain of Aerym. All kinds of noises under each dome were hushed at this moment. Levitating cars stopped at the top of the nearest tower, and engineering machines, which were running everywhere slowly shut down. Some of the elves came out of their homes, looking puzzled and shocked. They all listened to the queen¡¯s voice, which echoed through the dome. They looked around with a confused expression and saw that their neighbors had a similar look on their faces. The elves could not believe that the news they witnessed on their information screens at home was true so, they went outside to verify. They saw the same image on every giant display screen along the streets, with the same audio everywhere.


    This was an overwhelming fact.


    There was nothing superior in the ¡°Queen¡¯s Proclamation¡± or any complicated, official rhetoric. She was the ruler of her people. As such, she was now telling them about what she had experienced during her time in another world. Her delivery was calm as if she was telling a story:


    ¡°¡­I was sent to a new world with rich resources, and I have also met some creatures with noble souls as well as strong powers. I have been rescued by some of their members and I came back here with the help of their advanced technology to bring you this exciting news¡­¡±


    More and more elves came out of their homes to listen to this incredible story on the streets. It seemed like that was the only way they could confirm with each other that what they were hearing was real. The same occurred on Dawnbreak Island, but more elves chose to gather in the open space outside the Royal Zone: the city had yet to recover from the previous disaster, and things were only beginning to return to normal. The area outside the Royal Zone was just an empty space. Some of the collapsed buildings had been cleared. At that point, these empty spaces were crowded with elves. The crowd gathered in a strange silence and whispered to each other about what was going on.


    ¡°¡­We have been allowed to start a new life in a new, resource-rich planet. The master of the planet has generously lent us the whole planet until we can find other new homes with our own technology. The Assembly of Elders and the representative of the Royal Political Council have just reached a consensus that the great migration of Aerym will commence in three days. The transportation fleet from higher civilisation will come to us. My dear people, you can rest assured of this great migration. It is absolutely safe and reliable. It is also the last chance for our entire race. The next step will be for each dome city to declare their independent materials and publicise a personnel registration program. The entire migration process will be carried out in batches and continue until the last elf arrives safely in our new home.¡±


    After the announcement, Hilda handed the rest over to her son and the venerable elves from the Assembly of Elders. This highly efficient society was beginning to operate at full capacity to prepare for the upcoming great migration.


    There was still much to be done. The first announcement was just a small mobilisation for the residents. The next stage was the work on the government-level: to build an inventory and integrate the resources of the whole of Aerym, then choose and classify various materials for situations they may face after the great migration. A series of temporary working groups would be formed to deal with problems faced during the great migration. There were, of course, temporary situations that needed to be addressed such as allowing the elves, who were overwhelmed by the breaking news to calm down, letting everyone believe that everything was real, and letting the confused departments heads, who were not much stronger than ordinary elves to start working as soon as possible. These were the most important things at the moment.


    The Kingdom of Aerym also planned to build a team that specialized in negotiating with alien civilisations. Those long-distance drivers would be the first ever in history to have official contact with the elves of Aerym. The elves attached great importance to this matter.


    Despite that, Hao Ren still felt they were just a bunch of common drivers¡­


    After returning to the Royal Tower, Hilda soon appeared before Hao Ren. He was feeling quite awkward. ¡°I heard your speech¡ªthat made me feel kinda awkward, what do you mean noble soul?¡±


    Vivian was behind Hao Ren, poking his waist and saying, ¡°Stop pretending. Just now, you were laughing like a husky.¡±


    ¡°There is nothing to be awkward about,¡± said Hilda with a smile. ¡°I know I was exaggerating but, it will enhance the people¡¯s confidence in this matter. You must not take it seriously.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s smiling face immediately turned into a poker face. He felt that one needed to have a strong psychological endurance when communicating with the queen. She was too frank and open.


    ¡°After this, we just have to wait for the great migration, which will happen in three days,¡± Hao Ren said as he rubbed his face. ¡°Have you sent the migration documents that I gave you to the Assembly of Elders and Royal Political Council? The documents were prepared by the goddess herself. They contain all the previous accounts of the ancient species.¡±


    ¡°Of course. We could see the value of those documents at first glance,¡± said Hilda as she smiled and nodded. ¡°Vimm almost takes it as a divine revelation. Umm, well, that is actually a divine revelation. In short, we are now organizing the material inventory committee and the medical preparation group. We are also ensuring that each group of elves will have enough health care personnel and material dispatchers during the migration, and we will get the survival system ready.¡±


    ¡°Well, yes, the last one is very important. Although the environment in Peatopia is very good, your people may still be unable to adapt to it, especially when it comes to diseases. This problem has taught a lot of careless races a lesson.¡±


    ¡°Have faith that the elves of Aerym possess miraculous medical skills, and we have very powerful life magic even without our equipment,¡± Hilda said and smiled proudly. ¡°We have exceptional confidence in it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so confident,¡± the MDT whispered. ¡°There were lots of races, more advanced than you, who used to explore foreign planets, and they were very well-prepared as well. They had hundreds of inspection and quarantine procedures, but in the end, they could not cope with the alien flu virus and they learned the hard way.¡±


    ¡°You can rest assured that I will take this matter seriously,¡± said Hilda solemnly.


    Hao Ren nodded, but as he was about to say something, he was interrupted by a man who rushed in: It was Vimm.


    ¡°Mother,¡± said the young prince regent hastily, ¡°the Lotto Group and part of the dissident groups are taking action!¡±

 Chapter 263 - Let’s Go

    Vimm ran in hurriedly, bringing bad news. Hilda furrowed her eyebrows, but she was not surprised. ¡°Is that so? As expected, they have finally made their move.¡±


    ¡°You expected it?¡± Hao Ren glanced at her, perplexed.


    ¡°There is bound to be differences in opinion.¡± Hilda shrugged. ¡°I have the majority support from the Assembly of Elders. That is the will of the people. Some may have a different opinion and I knew that they would be opposed to this. It was just a matter of how many. What did they say, Vimm?¡±


    ¡°Looks like members of the Lotto Group are spreading rumours that the migration is a scam. Other dissident groups are also actively inciting the people through various channels to question the truth of the migration,¡± said Vimm as he glanced at Hao Ren in embarrassment. ¡°Simply put, they do not trust the strangers, especially when things appear too good to be true¡ªnobody is going to believe someone could be so generous that they would give out an entire planet to help a bunch of strangers.¡±


    Hao Ren thought things would be straightforward after a decision on the migration was reached. Lotto and other dissident groups would lose influence and dissipate as the source of their crisis was solved. There would be no reason for them to linger on. However, he now realised that he was too young and too naive. Just like humans, elves were complicated, intelligent beings¡ªthey would overthink things most of the time too. The conspiracy theory spread right after the queen made her announcement. It showed how a religion could set something back. It was a silent cult among the people; even if the world fell apart, they would still be able to stir the pot some more.


    But, it was not hard to understand the mind of these dissidents. Who would not question something that was too good to be true, especially if it came from a bunch of unknown alien species. While the struggling, ordinary elves were used to following the queen¡¯s orders without question, the same could not be said of the conspiracy theorist groups¡ªit was as though it went against their code of conduct to not bark.


    Apparently, Hilda was prepared. ¡°How much intel have you obtained on these groups?¡±


    ¡°Seventy percent.¡± Vimm nodded and said, ¡°They have been maintaining a high-profile for the past month, so we have collected a sizeable intel. Mother, shall we issue an order of arrest?¡±


    ¡°No, a drastic measure will only cause more choas. They may even cook up an absurd story like ¡®the queen is being mentally controlled¡¯.¡± Hilda shook her head. ¡°Leave it to Felton, it is his job to deal with such situations.¡±


    After Vimm left, Hao Ren could not help but look at Hilda. ¡°Need help? Looks like things have turned nasty.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, but it is alright. This is an internal affair, I will handle it. If my political consulting team cannot even handle a problem like this, the kingdom would be doomed.¡± Hilda politely declined his gesture of good will.


    Vivian walked towards the window and looked down at the crowd in the square. ¡°The impact on these people will be unspeakable. But, only three days, can you make it? For a migration of one billion people, I think more time is needed.¡±


    Nonetheless. Hilda was confident as she said, ¡°The Kingdom of Aerym is used to such large scale mobilisation. Three days is more than enough. Many emergency measures and departments have long been in place. As you can see, there is already instability in the society¡ªthe longer we wait, the more serious the situation will become. Hence, I need to make sure that the first batch of people arrive in the new home before more dissidents incite more people. If the first batch of migrants arrive safely, things will be easier to handle.¡±


    Hao Ren listened and nodded inadvertently, amazed at Hilda¡¯s resolution as well as far sight, not to mention her governing body. And honestly, what other preparations did the elves need more of? They were practically as poor as a church mouse, the amounts material and equipment they could keep were limited. They had been living on the breadline all this time. Wherever they went, they went with nothing but a carry-on-bag.


    Hilda did not stay in the Royal Steeple for long. She was called to the council and went from meeting to meeting. Hilda and her council would be working the longest overtime in Aerym¡¯s history. The entire government shifted into overdrive¡ªthere was to be no rest for the next three days, not even a minute.


    In the following three days, Hao Ren witnessed the mind-blowing efficiency of the elves.


    It was a unique civilisation where even three-year-olds were required to join the constant disaster drill. The word ¡°emergency¡± was hard-coded into their minds. Just as Hilda said, they kept stock of their materials down to the last three decimals; they managed their equipment by dividing them into different priorities and categories without needing to take stock. Their warehouses were divided into different levels of importance, and their citizens were accustomed to keeping their stuff according to categories of ¡°living necessity¡±, ¡°emergency portability¡± and ¡°disposability¡±. Such a race did not need another special drill.


    Thanks to the expired equipment on the floating isles, Aerymian elves had been on constant ¡°emergency evacuation mode¡± for the past 1,000 years. When a floating isle gave way, they had no time for preparation. The millions of elves living under the dome had to evacuate to another isle within 24 hours. In this case, Hilda was giving them three days. It was a leniency for the Aerymians and city government.


    On day one, reports on material stock and the population were received from all the domed cities. On day two, a temporary migration committee under the Assembly of Logisticians was tasked to determine the total resources of all domed cities and redistribute them to the entire population. All factories on the floating isles began to work overtime to dismantle their plant and machinery as they were going to transfer a sizable amount of equipment to their new home. This was to ensure that they could gain a footing as quickly as possble. Also taken into consideration, was the susceptibility of a social meltdown after the migration. The first thing that needed to be done was to restore governance. Thus, they would need to bring enough telecommunications equipment and ensure enough government personnel were present in every batch of migrants. Hao Ren had passed on the migration experiences he received from Raven 12345 to Hilda and her Assembly of Elders. The experiences were essential, and the migration was not just a rescue operation but, a test for the Aerymian civilisation.


    If the government was not capable enough, the one billion migrants would become refugees. Their social order and ability to redevelop had to stand the test or else, chaos would ensue for several years or even decades. Raven 12345 told Hao Ren about one particular case in point: a particular race broke up into 18 factions as unrest bugged their society after migration. The situation was as explosive as it could get. It was said that the inspector-in-charge was slapped with a two-month incentive forfeiture.


    Hao Ren was feeling lucky; he was not worried about having his bonus forfeited because he had not received a dime so far.


    When would he grow wiser?


    Nevertheless, Hilda and her council should be more than capable in handling the situation, Hao Ren thought.


    Hao Ren had contacted the captain of 883 the day Hilda made her announcement. The 883 captain assured him that there was nothing to be worried about as everything was going smoothly. According to him, a group of honest and reliable veteran captains, who were acquaintances of his had volunteered immediately after they heard somebody needed help; they were inspired and excited. They were so passionate that they almost threw their cargo out into space to go over there at once. In all honesty, Hao Ren believed what the 883 captain said¡ªalmost.


    Three days had passed as everyone busily prepared. The big day finally arrived.


    The Aerymian island chain was still orbiting the lonely star. A strange sense of nervousness had filled the city under the dome. The migration fleet was scheduled to arrive today. But they were not sure if it was an incredible reality or just a hoax. However, they would soon find out.


    Countless elves gathered in the Royal District square on Dawnbreak Island, waiting eagerly. Hilda and her officials were standing on the platform outside the wall. There was no need for any motivational speech. Everyone was holding their breath. Hao Ren stood beside Hilda, looking down at the crowd beneath his feet, sweating; he could feel that their stares were not directed at Hilda, but him. He forced himself to act natural. ¡°They should be here any moment.¡±


    ¡°They will be visible when they arrive above the dome,¡± Hilda said expectantly. ¡°It will be breathtaking.¡±


    ¡°That I¡¯m not sure but, it will certainly be multifarious,¡± said Hao Ren, twitching his mouth. ¡°They¡¯re just an eclectic bunch, who make up a loosely organised fleet. They are the first private transportation and illegal fleet deployed under my approval. Oh wait, let me call them.¡±


    Hao Ren had the MDT contact the 883 captain. ¡°Are you here yet?¡± asked Hao Ren.


    The 883 captain replied with a loud and coarse voice, ¡°Almost there. We ran into a little issue with the customs just now; some retarded newbie left behind a piece of military equipment during unloading. We were almost detained by the automatic warning aircraft. We¡¯re almost there. One minute before escape from hyperspace. I got to go, there¡¯s interference.¡±


    Hao Ren turned to Hilda, shrugging as he said, ¡°Almost here.¡±


    A moment later, the cruiser fleet outside the dome dialed in. The message was broadcasted all over the city¡ªpurportedly to cause excitement. ¡°An unknown energy field has been detected at the edge of the island chain. It¡¯s an incredible spatial phenomenon! The fleet is coming! The fleet is indeed coming!¡±


    The square fell into a deafening silence for a few seconds. Then, excitement. It was almost hysterical.


    Commissioned by Hao Ren, formed by the 883 captain, the migration fleet of sixes and sevens constituted an army of privately-owned, long-distance, charter transport. They were arriving at the destitute region of the universe. The approaching signal guided the first spacecraft outside Dawnbreak Island while patrol vessels transmitted images throughout the city. The image of the majestic spaceship appeared in the jumbo-sized displays all over the domed city. Emotions in the square almost reached a boiling point.


    The first spacecraft that appeared was not 883; it was a large, privately-owned, bright yellow, triangular-shaped passenger spaceship from an unknown civilisation sphere. Hao Ren could see newly-painted Aerymian words at the side of the ship. The words read: ¡°Welcome onboard, Aerymian elves! Star Voyager is the ultimate choice for your holiday travel!¡±


    A second spacecraft appeared above the island chain as a patrol vessel streamed the image unto the ground. The spacecraft had an even bigger line of slogan: ¡°Interstellar Cargo Delivery Service. Fast and Efficient. The Supreme Choice.¡±


    A third spacecraft followed closely behind the second one as it emerged amid a flash of light from the hyperspace. This one had the most outrageous paint job. It covered both sides of the fuselage: ¡°Moving? Call Xunda! Xunda Interstellar Travel. Elite Class at an Affordable Price! A New Generation of Hyperdrive, Eco-Technology from the Empire, the f*cking ¡®Professionally-Trained¡¯ phrase was too big to fit in here.¡±


    Watching the live broadcast, cold sweat trickled down his forehead. Hao Ren gave Hilda a little nudge. ¡°Could you stop the live streaming?¡±


    Hilda was no less embarrassed. ¡°It is too late. A billion people are watching now!¡±


    Meanwhile, the 883 vessel finally arrived. As it appeared on the screen, Hao Ren almost fainted; the entire fuselage of 883 was covered with advertisement slogans in illuminative banners, which read, ¡°883, An Expert and Household Name in Transportation. Dual-Use, Fast and Professional, Imperial Business Partner. Your Forever First-Choice! We Look Forward to Your Second Visit and Serve You The Best As We Can!¡±


    Four faceted, each line was three kilometres long and illuminated; the blinking slogan words were blindingly bright in space. You would not have found any vessel advertisement bigger than this in the entire solar system¡­


    Hao Ren turned his head around. There was a group of uniformed elves behind Hao Ren and Hilda. They were Hilda¡¯s most trusted officials. These ¡°diplomats¡±, who had been preparing themselves mentally for the past three days, now possessed an almost epic sense of pride. These diligent and respectable elves were in full anticipation, prepared to usher in close encounters of the third kind. But, little did they expect to see a bunch of unscrupulous illegal tranporters¡­


    Probably not entirely illegal, after all, this was approved by Hao Ren¡ªsanctioned illegal tranporters, perhaps.


    ¡°This is exactly why I said such a reception ceremony was not necessary.¡± Hao Ren sighed. ¡°These are not the serious bunch of guys you¡¯ve been expecting. Even people like me and the one (Lily) squatting on the floor could be commander chief secretary of the migration operation respectively. So, do you think this diplomatic convoy here is neccesary?¡±


    However, Vimm was the one who formed the diplomatic convoy¡ªhe was a diehard supporter. He glanced at Hao Ren and his mother strangely before he turned away and said, ¡°Although I have heard of it, I never expected this¡­¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at the competing advertisement slogans on the spacecrafts. He wished he had done the same too by projecting the name of his spacecraft on all the Aerymian domes. He twitched his mouth and said, ¡°We¡¯re rivals after all¡­¡±


    Suddenly, the voice of the 883 captain sounded through the MDT. ¡°We¡¯re here! Do you see us? We¡¯re the pilot and lead vessels. The rest have stopped at the asteriod belt outside the island chain. Please ask them if they¡¯re done with the boarding procedures. Where should we go from here? Is there any transfer channel on the floating islands for the spacecrafts to dock?¡±


    A series of questions struck Hilda¡¯s officials as they began to snap out of their daze and work on what they had prepared for the past three days. Immediately, someone rose to give the orders.


    ¡°Telecommunications, get ready!


    ¡°Transmit the guiding code!


    ¡°Logistics! Prepare to open Gate 14 to 26¡­¡±


    It seemed like there should have been as little formalities as possible; the Aerymian elves were not used to it while the veteran pilots could not tolerate any delay in flight. They immediately swung into action, approaching the floating islands, initiating boarding and loading procedures according to plan.


    However, there were some inevitable problems: most spacecrafts could not dock themselves directly on the Aerymian floating islands.


    These spacecrafts were gigantic and their loading and docking mechanisms were vastly different. The only standardised docking interface was that of the Xi Ling Empire, which Aerym was certainly lacking of. Hence, loading became a problem. They had to despatch smaller vessels to the gate at the edge of each floating isle, loading into and unloading from the mother ships.


    It was estimated that it would take at least two days to load up the first batch of people and cargo; considering the highly efficient Aerymian elves and the skilled, veteran pilots of the fleet.


    Some of the spacecrafts were equipped with teleportation facilities where the stability of teleportation was within the acceptable range of an elven body. So, the boarding and loading process was much faster for these type of spacecrafts.


    Anyway, these problems were not unexpected¡ªboth parties had forseen this. The small transport vessels were ready and the logistics department of the domed-city had beefed up their efforts. Despite being the first encounter for both parties, things went pretty smoothly as prior preparation and professional assistance helped.


    The captains of the fleet did not just sit by and watch. They knew it was important to engage their clients. Under the lead of the 883 captain, the veteran interstellar pilots arrived on Dawnbreak Island with a variety of space shuttles.


    And as they disembarked, they started to give away flyers to anyone they saw.

 Chapter 264

    Since the moment the large fleet of spacecrafts arrived, Hilda and her officials had been thrown into a state of confusion. Thanks to Hao Ren and 883, they assembled a group of like-minded captains, whose style caught the elves by surprise; the elves had planned for a high-profile diplomatic reception ceremony, but things did not turn out as they had expected. Before they managed to read out their script, the speech was scrapped and the group of elven diplomats were left in the cold on the platform. The captains of the fleet hit the ground running from the moment they arrived, surpassing Hilda in their commitment to their work.


    But it was not a surprise. Most private fleet captains worked for the same cause, they were here for business. For these captains, it was just another day at work, they did not give a sh*t.


    Fortunately, Hilda had somewhat expected this. Her subordinates possessed all the required training. Though the various departments of Aerym were confused initially, they quickly got up to speed. The transfering of people and materials went according to plan.


    Hao Ren and Hilda stood on the high platform in the Royal District, looking down at the nervous, expectant and confused faces on the street. The elves had clearly been caught by surprise. Although they had been preparing for the past three days, once the giant fleet of spacecrafts appeared above the islands, a sense of surrealism overwhelmed them. Vimm could not help but pinch his ears and murmur, ¡°Is this a dream?¡±


    Vivian looked at Hilda and said, ¡°Do you think it¡¯s okay for you to just sit by and watch? I guess you should be on the ground, giving orders and instructions?¡±


    ¡°Not really. There is a specific department for every kind of work. In this large scale operation, a large number of professional personnel are required and a strict set of systems need to be followed. There¡¯ is no place for VIP showmanship. My job as well as Vimm¡¯s is done. It is now time to see that everything goes according to plan,¡± said Hilda as she stared at the giant spacecrafts, flying past the dome above, casting a shadow on the ground. ¡°At last¡­ it begins. Our hardwork for the past three days has paid off.¡±


    She glanced at at her glowing body and said, ¡°I have suddenly discovered that there is an advatange to being a so-called ¡®living holy spirit¡¯; I never felt tired plus, I have not slept for the past three days and I still feel energetic.¡±


    Lily looked at Hilda¡¯s glowing body, carefully observing it. She found that the glow was clearly dimmer than before. ¡°The effect remains. Don¡¯t you realise that you are losing your soul?¡±


    Hao Ren said, ¡°¡­Girl, you¡¯re probably imagining things. Would you be happy if I give you a large bone so you can shut the f*ck up?¡±


    Lily was instantly elated. ¡°Yes, please!¡±


    Meanwhile, a group of spaceshuttles of different colours, shapes and sizes flew from the northeast towards the Royal District. They were not stopped by anyone as they had obtained permission in advance to fly in the dome¡¯s airspace. They were captains of the migration fleet. As the spaceshuttles landed on the Royal Platform, a muscular man with a square face disembarked from the leading, triangular flying craft¡ªit was 883, whom Hao Ren had not seen for quite a while. Behind him, there were other captains; most were humanoids while some were odd-looking alien species. They had gone to the other city gates, saying hi to their passengers and giving out leaflets before coming to Hao Ren.


    The captain was overwhelmingly zealous; it is uncertain if this was because he genuinely missed Hao Ren, or he was simply excited to strike a profitable deal. Nonetheless, his hug was powerful. ¡°Hey man, long time no see. Why the heck are you so nervous?¡±


    Light danced across Hao Ren¡¯s body. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be? Look at your size. I couldn¡¯t help it, my shield just deployed on its own.¡±


    Seeing the arrival of the main characters, the officials standing behind Hilda shoved themselves to the front to greet the captains. The veteran pilots reciprocated enthusiastically with insterstellar style. ¡± Hi, my name¡¯s Kepala, the commander of the Star Voyager, this is my business card¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the captain of White Mountain, this is my business card¡­¡±


    ¡°883, we¡¯re a dual-use spaceship, let¡¯s keep in touch.¡±


    ¡°Shining Dragon. We specialise in mass transit, this is our promotion leaftlet¡­¡±


    Hao Ren broke them up and said, ¡°That¡¯s enough! You guys don¡¯t have to be so aggressive. When they arrive in their new home, it will take them at least a few years to settle down before they can even think about interstellar travel.¡±


    A group of old captains exchanged looks with each other. Then somebody yelled, ¡°It¡¯s a front-end investment. Don¡¯t underestimate these bastards, they may steal the deal before you know it!¡±


    ¡°What kind of people do you have here?¡± Hao Ren pulled the Captain 883 aside and mumbled. The latter laughed. ¡°Business acquaintances. I¡¯ve known them for decades. No worries, they¡¯re good men. It¡¯s the trick of the trade, we give out flyers to anyone we meet as long as it¡¯s an intelligent life. And who knows if they might be our clients after a few years?¡±


    Hilda stared in awe at the rough yet warmhearted captains. She then bowed and said, ¡°Thank you for coming for us.¡±


    ¡°No. Please don¡¯t. You¡¯ll make me feel guilty for charging you for our service if you do.¡± The captain quickly took a step back and looked at Hao Ren. ¡°She¡¯s the queen?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. Hilda was immediately rounded up by the group of men, who tried to give her their flyers¡­


    It took quite a while for the elves to get used to the veteran pilots¡¯ enthusiasm. Everyone was ushered into a reception room at the corner of the platform, where they could rest or get some shut-eye. Meanwhile, reports of loading and boarding progress were sent in from time to time by the crew. A large number of elves had boarded safely and they had no problems adapting to the spacecraft¡¯s ecological environment. The task handover between the Aerymian crew leader and the spacecrafts¡¯ crew went smoothly. Suddenly, something came to Hao Ren¡¯s mind. ¡°Oh ya, Hilda, how did you solve the Lotto Group problem?¡±


    ¡°Those who are still skeptical are on the Darklight Isle.¡± Hilda continued, ¡°It is the base of the Lotto Group and other dissidents. I was able to let the skeptical dissidents occupy Darklight Isle after days of inducements and campaigns. As the isle has been moved to the other end of the island chain, the people who refuse to believe in the migration will not be able to influence the migration operation even if they stay uncooperative.¡±


    ¡°So, you coaxed them into isolation?¡± Hao Ren nodded in comprehension. ¡°Hmm, I see, that¡¯s how you did it. But, you can¡¯t just isolate them forever.¡±


    ¡°Of course not. It is just a tactic of compromise and delay. When most of the elves have settled down in our new home, there would be no reason for Lotto Group to remain defiant. They will give in and cooperate.¡±


    Hilda¡¯s tactic was mild but effective. Apparently, she had planted her own centre of influence inside Lotto and other dissident groups much earlier. For the sake of her kingdom¡¯s stability, or the possibilty that the Lotto Group would not cause any trouble that warranted total elimination, Hilda did not activate her insiders. But now, it warranted the move and the moles she had planted earlier came in handy¡ªcoaxing the opposition into occupying the island. The Lotto Group was probably still celebrating its occupation. Little did the members realise, they were being isolated.


    The 883 captain listened to the conversation between Hao Ren and Hilda. He then asked curiously, ¡°What the heck? Some kind of trick going on here?¡±


    Hao Ren gave a brief explanation about the Lotto Group and other skeptics. He waved his hand and dismissed it. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this won¡¯t change a thing.¡±


    The 883 captain thought for a while. ¡°All you want is for them to migrate, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯ve got an idea.¡±


    Hao Ren was currious. ¡°What idea do you have in mind? First thing¡¯s first, we¡¯re not into kidnapping. We¡¯re doing this for a good cause, no violence. The opposition have not committed any heinous crimes, they¡¯re just skeptics.¡±


    The captain laughed. ¡°No worries, no violence will be used.¡± Then, he looked at Kayber across the table. ¡°Are your three spaceships fully charged?¡±


    Hao Ren looked towards the captain¡¯s line of sight; an incredible creature was sort of squating on the table¡ªit looked like a plant. Its upper body had leaves of mimosa while its lower body was of a robot. Its roots were joined with a series of robotic arms, which looked freaky and weird. The plant was small, so it squatted on the table. No one had noticed it as it had been squatting there quietly by itself the entire time, stretching out its root and drinking the water from a pot nearby.


    It did not give out flyers like the other pilots did. It was low-profile, kind of easily forgotten.


    ¡°Twenty minutes. It¡¯s not easy to activate the energy field generator.¡± The robotic lower part of the plant creature emitted a slightly high-pitched, synthesised voice. ¡°The air quality here isn¡¯t good, I feel like my leaves are withering¡­ Hey, Popas! How many times do I have to tell you, don¡¯t smoke in front of me!¡±


    The smoking captain sitting next to the plant creature quickly extinguished his half-finished cigarette as he smiled. ¡°Forgive me. Bad habits die hard.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s jaw almost dropped to the floor. He wondered what else he had yet to see. A plantal captain of a spacecraft, seriously?

 Chapter 265

    With the exception of totalitarian civilisations, all societies¡ªAerymian included¡ªhad opposition and dissidents. These dissidents were not necessarily extremists or evil. They had good intentions but, due to certain realities, their ideologies were not compatible with their rulers. The situation in Aerym was better. They were much more united than most mortal civilisations; although there were people of different political ideologies, they had the same zeal in protecting the Aerymian Civilisation. With this premise, the Lotto Group garnered the support of a large elven following, which consisted of those who opposed the migration decision.


    To put it plainly, they were just being overly sensitive and skeptical about things that sounded too good to be true. It was totally understandable. There were bound to be some who would insist on not taking the elixir even if it was given to them for free. So, Hilda did not force her will on the dissidents. She instead mobilised her covert agents, public opinion and political clout to gather all the opposition on Darklight Isle.


    It was sort of like the ¡°gazetted venue for political protest¡± on Earth. Just that it was in a larger scale in Aerym.


    Hilda¡¯s plan was to leave the opposition in the cold temporarily while she completed the migration. Only then would she convince the opposition with facts to do the same. The blunt 883 captain felt that the queen¡¯s move was a waste of time. He pointed at Kayber, a humanoid looking plant and said, ¡°This is Kayber, a sylph. We¡¯ve known each other for 30 years. It can help you with the holdout.¡±


    ¡°A sylph? Hao Ren looked at Kayber in bewilderment. ¡°A humanoid plant? Err¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t mean to offend you. I just didn¡¯t know plants could evolve into intelligent beings.¡±


    ¡°Most people have the exact reaction as you the first time they see a sylph.¡± Kayber waved its leaves at Hao Ren. ¡°As far as I know, intelligent plants capable of thinking in the Macroworld form only five percent of all intelligent life forms. And only one percent of these intelligent plant races have evolved into the Interstellar Age. Our basic life form isn¡¯t built for evolution of the brain but, with the assistance of these equipment, sylphs have become the best transporters in the Macroworld.¡±


    Kayber showcased its lower body where its roots were fused with the machine. The machine was not just helping with its mobility but also amplifying its senses and speed of response. As amazing as this life form was, Hao Ren was more interested in how it would solve the houldout problem.


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. Follow me and you¡¯ll understand.¡± 883 invited everyone out of the spacecraft. ¡°I¡¯m not used to staying on land. The spacecraft feels more like home. Now, the first batch of migrants have almost finished boarding. Let¡¯s go the ¡®site¡¯, shall we?¡±


    There were not many elves in the first boarding site. Excluding the required personnel, the spaceships were mostly loaded with various materials and large equipment. They needed these things to first establish a base in their new home. Then, the subsequent migrants would be able to adapt to their new life on the new planet. The loading of materials and equipment was a lot faster than boarding elves, not to mention, there were teleportation devices on some of the spacecrafts. As such, most spacecrafts were already loaded up when they got there. Hilda understood this. She rose to her feet and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you. Vimm, you stay.¡±


    According to the plan, Hilda would go with the first batch of personnel to the new planet. She would be the spiritual support and play the role of a supreme commander in case of an emergency situation. She would helm the outpost in the new planet until the migration was completed. While Vimm would be stationed on the Aerymian island chain to ensure that the whole migration process ended smoothly. The first batch of spacecrafts were ready to leave and it was time for Hilda and Vimm to say goodbye to each other. The young prince regent got to his feet and bowed before his mother. ¡°Mother, safe travels. Do not forget to send back the first image of our new home when you get there. I will be waiting.¡±


    Hilda only had one thing to say. ¡°Look after our home.¡±


    As everyone left the royal platform, Hilda looked at the dome above the city: the dome had protected the Aerymian elves for thousands of years; it was a sanctuary as well as a jail, which was slowly decaying. A never-before seen scenario was unfolding in Aerym as gigantic, interstellar spacecrafts hovered above the dome while transport vessels, fully-loaded with personnel and materials left the city in a hurry; the city streets were filled with elves¡ªbusy yet orderly, as the city was in its last moments of hustle and bustle. The queen could not help but lament. ¡°I never expected things to end this way.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, at least it¡¯s a happy ending.¡± Hao Ren smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s take my spaceship. The Petrachelys is loaded with people too.¡±


    The Petrachelys was docked on the platform at the edge of the isle. It was not a cargo ship, but it had the most advanced cargo expansion space, which other spacecrafts lacked. So, it could move a considerable amount of materials and people at the same time. Hao Ren decided to join the migration fleet, thinking that he should not let what he had go to waste, and also because he could. The MDT connected to the main computer and autonomous robots in the Petrachelys. From the very beginning, tonnes of cargo had been loaded into the spacecraft and it was almost filled to the brim at this point.


    Hao Ren did not need to get his hands dirty¡ªand he also did not know how to.


    The 883 captain came up together with his group of veteran pilots. They became excited and surrounded Hao Ren when they heard what he said. ¡°We¡¯d like to go onboard too¡­¡±


    A female captain said with a broad grin across her face, ¡°We never had the chance to visit the inspector¡¯s spacecraft. The imperial spacecraft is one of the four mysteries of the Macroworld. We¡¯re gonna have a look today!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not as mysterious as you think.¡± Hao Ren laughed, and did not refuse them entry. The spacecraft had different levels of locking protocol¡ªno one could access the highly classified zone of the spacecraft. Everyone finally arrived at the platform, where the Petrachelys was docked. The last batch of passengers were boarding: elven kids and women were queuing up with luggages while robotic squids were standing at the side to maintain order.


    Even though the autonomous robots were gentle, their appearances were not particularly pleasing. When it came to the aesthetic views of most intelligent beings, the consensus was a cold, mechanical monster look and tentacles were not the good kind. Under the instruction of the autonomous robots, the elves boarded without a hitch however, the flying, robotic monsters had frightened the wits out of many children and women. It looked as if they would pounce on them at any moment. Hilda¡¯s appearance caused a ruckus among the elves but the good thing was, they became less nervous. Hao Ren could even hear kids shouting, ¡°The queen has arrived!¡±


    ¡°I will board with everyone.¡± Hilda waved to the elves. ¡°Let us move. Follow the robots¡¯ instructions.¡±


    The elves finally calmed down as they lined up and entered the spacecraft. The 883 captain and his friends were at the rear of the line. They mumbled among themselves as they pointed at the autonomous robots. ¡°Do you think we can buy one in the black market?¡±


    ¡°Are you dreaming? It¡¯s military! Anyone who gets caught selling this stuff would be shot first and questioned later.¡±


    ¡°But, I¡¯ve heard that they¡¯re selling it in the black market¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a modified version of the retired version. It¡¯s inferior to the original.¡±


    ¡°What if we steal one from here¡­¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s a little impractical.¡±


    ¡°Why do you say so?¡±


    ¡°Because there are two robotic squids pointing their cutting blades at the back of your head right now.¡±


    ¡°Oh f*ck, do they understand our language?¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head, lamenting; he found that he had to be really careful with these unscrupulous profiteers a.k.a illegal pilots.


    The Petrachelys finally lifted off and left Dawnbreak Island. Smaller transportation ships and utility vessels were traversing to and fro, in and around the Aerymian island chain, which looked a little busier than usual. Meanwhile, a few fully-loaded spacecrafts were flashing their lights, ready to accelerate and take off. Hao Ren flew his spacecraft over the space above Darklight Isle. It was extremely quiet.


    The holdouts occupying the floating isle were indeed in an awkward position; they were unwilling to board the spacecrafts or negotiate with Hilda.


    ¡°They are stubborn.¡± Hilda stood next to Hao Ren, visibly embarrased. ¡°Some of them have actually softened upon seeing the migration fleet. But, people at the upper cadres of Lotto are guarding the entrances and exits of the isle. I am not sure if I should send an army in there to get those people out.¡±


    The spacecraft¡¯s main computer intercepted some of the telecommunications in Darklight Isle, mostly of Lotto¡¯s propaganda. The stubborn skeptics were urging people on the isle not to board the spacecrafts, and not to believe in the unknown, extraterrestrial civilisation. There was even a loud voice shouting, ¡°We will not leave this city. We will stay here until the very end¡­¡±


    Hao Ren turned to Kayber. ¡°How are you going to convince these holdouts to get onboard?¡±


    Wielding its leaves, Kayber contacted its subordinates as it yelled, ¡°Vessel One, Two and Three, it¡¯s showtime! Let us first work on the isle that I¡¯ve earmarked!¡±


    Everyone was curious as three strange-looking, sylphic spaceships suddenly appeared from afar. The three spaceships were not like any other cargo ship; each one had a narrow and curvy shape very much like an elegant crescent. So, these were obviously not cargo ships. As the three spaceships approached Darklight Isle, they formed a triangular formation and rounded up the isle. Suddenly, a burst of light from the three spacecrafts formed a giant ring of light.


    Then, a transmission from one of the sylpic spaceships said, ¡°Energy field has been activated. We¡¯ll proceed first!¡±


    Meanwhile, some leaders of the Lotto Group could still be heard shouting, ¡°Don¡¯t abandon our city, the queen has been blinded¡­¡±


    Before their voices trailed off, the giant ring of light flashed. Soon after, the three spaceships together with Darklight Isle disappeared.


    The houldouts did not need to get out of the buildings.


    Because, the mad, veteran pilots had moved the entire isle.


    883 guffawed. ¡°That¡¯s the way to solve a problem in the Interstellar Era¡ªsimple and crude.


    Hao Ren was left speechless.


    This was moving house at its best!

 Chapter 266

    Hilda stared at the spot where Darklight Isle once stood, stupefied. The place was now empty. All that was left was a faint glow, which resulted from the energy-field ships as they accelerated away. The trail of screams from the holdout leader could still heard in the broadcast¡ªrighteous and soul-stirring. Nonetheless, the staunchest spirit of the holdout had no match for the moving experts who transported the isle.


    Hao Ren sighed in silence. ¡°Nothing like seeing it in real life. Why didn¡¯t I think of that?¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t I told you, I¡¯ve got many energy-field ships?¡± 883 shrugged. ¡°This service isn¡¯t cheap. Now that we¡¯ve moved one isle, we still have 10 teams of spacecrafts nearby. Please earmark the floating isles you woud like to retain. I¡¯ll get them hauled to the World Gate. Then, the remaining isles will be ours.¡±


    After a moment of stupor, Hilda pulled out a small gadget. ¡°Wait a minute, I will get Vimm to send us the identification codes. A few eco-domes need to be retained.¡±


    ¡°Eco-domes?¡± Hao Ren looked at Hilda in surprise. ¡°You¡¯re not keeping Dawnbreak Island? That¡¯s where your palace is!¡±


    ¡°A palace can be rebuilt, but things in the eco-domes are the foundations built by our ancestors. We will not be able to retain many things in Aerym as it is, we cannot lose what has been passed down to us.¡± Hilda smiled then continued, ¡°We have been keeping complete ecological samples ever since we broke up the planet in hopes that one day, when we find a new home we would be able to reproduce the entire forest and grassland of our hometown. So, the domes must go with us.¡±


    ¡°I do not understand your thinking,¡± the MDT chimed in. ¡°Bear in mind that the new planet has its own ecosystem. You can only keep your own ecosystem inside the dome, separate from the new environment. It¡¯s going to take you decades, if not centuries to modify the dome so that the ecosystem can be fully compatible with the new home. It¡¯s no child¡¯s play.¡±


    Hilda looked firm as she nodded. ¡°I am aware of that, but still, the dome must come with us. It may be a burden now but, I do not want our ancestors to blame us for allowing our children to lose their historical roots.¡±


    It was an Aerymian internal affair. If Hilda insisted for it to be that way, Hao Ren and the captains were in no position to object. So, as temporary commander-in-chief, 883 ordered the isles to be moved. As soon as the order was issued, a group of strange-looking spacecrafts broke off from the migration fleet; these were the energy-field ships with narrow hulls and a petite size, which did not fit into the cargo ship category. These expensive barges went on to encircle the Aerymian domes. A few strong flashes later, the ships and the isles were gone before their eyes.


    ¡°We should go now.¡± Hao Ren glanced at Hilda. ¡°The earlier we depart, the faster I can come back for a second trip.¡±


    Hilda gazed at the hologram in the cockpit, trying to etch the last images of the floating isles into her memory. She then nodded firmly and decisively.


    A warped image materialised across the display monitor. The glow of the Aerymian star turned into a band of light and disappeared before their eyes. The Petrachelys left the remote and desolute place. It moved through deep space towards the World Gate at hyperspeed.


    In hyperspace, the scene outside the spacecraft was pitch black. Holograms of dull and boring flight data as well as charts were being displayed in the cockpit. Hilda exhaled and spoke to Hao Ren softly, ¡°I would like to take a look in the cargo bay.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll let Lily accompany you. She¡¯ll show you the way.¡±


    Lily was almost bored to death. She was more than happy to take up the job as she and Hilda left the cockpit.


    The Petrachelys was not a specialised passenger vessel; it had a container expansion bay, that was it. It was meant for holding cargo but now, it was packed with nervous elves. Needless to say, conditions were not ideal; it had no seating and it was cramped with the sheer number of elves. The elves were packed like sardines in a can. Some leaned against their luggage, some sat back-to-back for support as they murmured to each other in nervousness and anticipation of what was to come; it was also a means to pass the time.


    The journey would not be long. The Aerymian elves were not particular about the cabin¡¯s condition and they did not complain.


    That was what Hilda and Lily witnessed when they were at the cargo bay.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    ¡°The queen has arrived!¡±


    ¡°Her Majesty is here!¡±


    The coming of Hilda had again caused a commotion in the otherwise boring cargo bay. The elves rose to their feet, greeting and saluting as Hilda walked towards them. Hilda was very down to earth; she walked into the crowd and sat among them¡ªbeing with her people again had lessened her homesick feeling. ¡°At ease. Now, I am just like you¡ªa passenger. What are all of you chatting about?¡±


    ¡°We are curious about how our new home will look like,¡± a middle-aged elf spoke as he edged back, trying to keep an appropriate distance from Hilda. ¡°Your Majesty, are we really going to a place rich in natural resources?¡±


    Hilda grinned as she nodded. ¡°Yes, we are.¡±


    A little girl squeezed herself through the crowd, asking abruptly, ¡°I heard the new home has a super-duper big dome, so large that we can¡¯t see the end. Is it true? What kind of dome is it? Who made it?¡±


    ¡°That is the sky. It is not a man-made dome.¡± Hilda smiled at the little girl and explained to her what it was going to be like; the breeze and the land of nature. Hilda was almost tearful but she kept her emotions unnoticed: it had been generations since the elves last saw the sky. Not only the child, even the existing elderly Aerymians just saw glimpses of how the sky in their planet once looked like from the archive disk. She could still vividly recall her awe and shock the moment she saw true sky for the first time, when she was thrown into The Plane of Dreams by the huge explosion. Today, she knew the elves would experience the same awe and shock she had. The days were going to end, and as she thought of this, she became emotional again.


    Outside, the Petrachelys had left hyperspace and stopped before a magnificent light curtain at the World Gate.


    Stopping at the light curtain along with the Petrachelys were other spacecrafts of the migration fleet. The whole armada jammed to a halt at the gate.


    Staring at the progress bar on the monitor, Hao Ren asked in astonishment, ¡°What is it? Do we have to queue up at the World Gate? The gate¡¯s big enough for us to get through as far as I can see.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the conversion process,¡± the MDT said lazily. It was still in the card slot. ¡°It¡¯s the first time the elves and their materials are making the cross to another universe. A conversion is needed before they can pass through.¡±


    Hao Ren was confused. ¡°Conversion? What conversion?¡±


    ¡°The law of adaptation.¡± The MDT was also bored from all the waiting. ¡°Think about this: different universes have different sets of physical laws and constants. Some places have differences in the definition of their basic force, some places have differences in lightspeed while some places have materials of non-molecular structure¡ªall these differences could be fatal to space travellers. Astral travel would be no problem but, not physical travel; when a physical body passes through the gate, the body will be rearranged into elementary particles by the cosmic force on the other side. So, it¡¯s important that developed, trans-universe nagivation tech always carry a procedure for conversion. The conversion could also be performed when the spacecraft¡¯s void engine is activated, or when crossing the World Gate. This is all for the sake of safety. Hence, we¡¯ve got to wait. We still need to pass through the void quadrant to get to their new home on the other side so, it¡¯s going to take a while.¡±


    Hao Ren was a little confused. ¡°Okay, I understand about the conversion but, the last time we brought Hilda along, we didn¡¯t have this problem.¡±


    ¡°Too many people this time,¡± the MDT explained. ¡°Last time, we only had a few but now, it¡¯s one billion. What¡¯s more, we¡¯re hauling millions of square kilometres of land and a mountain of materials along. This World Gate is in the backwater. It¡¯s only a lite version. Its sovereign hub is still stuck at version 1.0¡­¡±


    Hao Ren nodded but, he did understand a thing. His eyes were on the holograhic progress bar. He waited and waited however, the bar looked like it had froze. He released a long sigh and lamented. ¡°Dang it, I finally have a chance to do something big, now what? The progress bar is stuck¡­¡±

 Chapter 267

    The progress bar did not freeze for long; it was just an illusion. As an observer, he subjectively felt that time was moving slower than it actually was. The entire conversion process took less than seven minutes. Shortly after, the World Gate emanated a soft glow and the fleet was transferred to another universe.


    The scene in the home universe was still as busy as ever. Transportation vessels were flying to and fro around the brightly lit space complex and the World Gate. The moment the Petrachelys emerged, Hao Ren was bombarded with hundreds of advertisements from private travel agencies, soliciting for sales. The lively scene was a total contrast to the other side. The space peddlers dispersed quickly once they saw the shiny imperial emblem on the Petrachelys and the migration fleet behind it, knowing that it was an imperial convoy. So, before Hao Ren could issue a clear-space notice, which was stored in the flight¡¯s main computer, the space had been cleared out. The entire place was quiet. However, the migration fleet behind the Petrachelys started spamming the public channel. ¡°Please give way, please give way. Imperial convoy, imperial convoy¡­¡±


    ¡°Please give way, we are on a special mission. Star Voyager is on an imperial mission¡­¡±


    ¡°This is Draconis Lux, we are a business partner of the Empire, please give way¡­¡±


    ¡°883, dual-use, multi-purpose spaceship, we have a long history and we are realiable¡­¡±


    Hao Ren stomped his feet and pointed at the captains behind him. ¡°Holy sh*t, how could you do this?¡±


    883 guffawed. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me, we aren¡¯t violating any laws¡­¡±


    Hao Ren allowed his MDT to set their course for Peatopia, the birth place of Lil Pea and he engaged the autopilot. The Petrachelys led the migration fleet and sped away from the World Gate. Meanwhile, Lily had sauntered back to the cockpit without Hilda. Hao Ren was curious, so he asked, ¡°Where is Hilda?¡±


    ¡°In the cargo bay, telling stories to the children.¡± Lily settled herself in a chair and started to yawn. ¡°What¡¯s so interesting about mountains, rivers and clouds? She kept talking about them, and I was bored to death so, I dragged myself back here.¡±


    Hao Ren understood. He knew what Hilda was thinking. He just smiled and said nothing.


    After a few moments of hyperspace travel, the flight¡¯s main computer spoke in a cold, synthesised voice, ¡°Autopilot disengaged.¡± The migration fleet had arrived at its destination: the planet with oceans and forests, rich in raw and natural resources, and most importantly, habitable.


    In the synchronous orbit above the planet, beams of light started to flash as the massive migration fleet emerged from hyperspace and hovered in the area. The energy-field ships and the 11 isles, including Darklight Isle, which they hauled along emerged above the new planet. These space cities were circling the planet like satellites.


    ¡°The mass has very little effect on the planet¡¯s orbit. No adjustment is needed,¡± said the MDT as it switched on a special device aboard the Petrachelys and ran calculations on how the floating isles affected the planet. ¡°The first thing to do now, is drop the materials and outposts on the planet. It may be difficult for large spacecrafts to land so, the Petrachelys will take the lead. The landing site will be the same beach where we first landed. That place is pretty big.¡±


    The Petrachelys accelerated slowly as it broke away from the fleet. Just as Hao Ren switched on the cabin¡¯s broadcasting system to announce their arrival to the elves, Lily came forward and took over the microphone. The husky¡¯s energetic voice began to resonate throughout the cargo bay. ¡°Hello everyone, I am Lily, First Officer of the Petrachelys! The flight has arrived at its destination and we are about to land. Please ensure that you do not leave behind your luggage, children and wives. Kindly get off in an orderly manner, and there will be no ticket-check!¡±


    After making her annoucement, Lily stood upright and giggled at Hao Ren. ¡°So that¡¯s how it feels! I know people at the broadcast stations sound really cool¡­¡±


    Vivian scoffed at her. ¡°Loser.¡±


    Hao Ren was still in a daze as he wondered: so far, even the captain of the Petrachelys was only a cog in the machine. When did Lily make herself First Officer?¡±


    The spacecraft landed without issues on the planet. Hao Ren and his company got off at once and went out in the open. Y¡¯zaks took a deep breath on the beach, where the air tasted a little salty. ¡°This place stayed the same. It¡¯s just like when we last saw it. Hey look, the fireplace that we left behind is still there.¡±


    The cargo bay was still closed, but the elves were waiting behind the door eagerly. They were waiting to step out into the new world. But before that, there was still one more step: three days ago, Hao Ren had asked Hilda for a few elven volunteers to undergo a comprehensive physical scan. The results were going to be used for the environmental adaptability test.


    Although he ran a check using historical data earlier, he still needed a fresh test for technical reasons; it was better to be safe than sorry.


    The MDT was monitoring the environmental readings, including the microbial environment. ¡°No different from the last readings. Environmental compatibility is near 80%. Some people may get infected with local illnesses in the short-term but, as long as control measures are in place, there is nothing to worry about.¡±


    Hao Ren breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Okay, open the hatch!¡±


    The main hatch at the rear opened quietly but, no one came out.


    Hao Ren dashed over, wondering what was happening. Then, he noticed that the elves had lined up in the corridor between the cargo bay and the hatch in an orderly fashion. However, no one moved a muscle. He called out, ¡°What are you guys doing there? Step out, this is your home from now on!¡±


    Hilda emerged from the crowd and nudged those in front. ¡°Everyone, stay calm. Come on out. This is real.¡±


    With encouragement from Hao Ren and Hilda, an elf finally stepped out hesitantly. Then everyone followed.


    The sunshine was a little too bright though.


    As the elves exited the spacecraft and set their feet on the planet for the first time, they looked up, bewildered, and even frightened at the tall, blue sky.


    There were mountains in the distance.


    There lay the boundless ocean.


    There was the lush, primitive forest.


    Everything was real.


    Those in front of the pack fell into a stupor. Their steps slowed down, and they were rooted to the spot. It was only when people started coming from behind, pushing against them, that they began to move again. Many were staring at the scenery in the distance while some were deep in thought so, they fell. It was a strange scene. Soon, everyone began to behave the same way: they looked up and wobbled under the dazzling sky. Then, they closed their eyes anxiously as they lowered their heads. Some even squatted on the ground as if they were horrified upon seeing the blue sky and white clouds.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asked Hao Ren as he looked at Hilda, who was beside him.


    ¡°We have never seen an actual sky,¡± Hilda said quietly. ¡°Everyone was born to only know the dome. Even though we have had a glimpse of what the sky looked like in the past from archived images, we have never experienced it in person. They are now reacting exactly the way I did the first time I saw the sky; so wide, so high, like an inverted, bottomless abyss. You feel like you¡¯re about to fall into it as you look at it. It is difficult to comprehend, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Hao Ren could not respond with words.


    ¡°Anyway, they will get used to it. They will adapt.¡± Hilda looked at her fellow elves, who were anxious about the sky. ¡°From now on, we will not live without keeping our heads up.¡±


    Waves were rolling and crashing into the shore; it was the first time the elves heard the sounds of mother nature. Finally, someone started to recall the old traditions and rituals passed down orally from their ancestors. They remembered the glorious days of Aerym and its culture as well as history from the Planetary Era, which all had been weathered out. Someone began to hum the old folk songs. Some bowed down and kissed the land, which was strewned with rocks and sand. They felt blessed and grateful. This land would be their new cradle of life. Those who lowered their heads due to ¡°uranophobia¡± began to hold their heads up again. They began to follow the instructions of their team leaders and started moving materials needed to build a camp.


    Hilda stood on a reef by the beach, gazing into the distance. Although she had the body of a living holy spirit, her heart was still riddled with emotion.


    ¡°The first city of the Aerymian dynasty will be built by the seaside,¡± said Hilda as she turned and faced the people who began to gather behind her. ¡°We will establish a new capital right here and name it after our saviour.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded emotionally before something struck him. He sensed that something was not right.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, could you think of another name?¡± said Hao Ren.

 Chapter 268

    So, you have arrived in a new world. First, you need to fell some trees to make a work bench¡­ Uhhh, no, you need to first set up a base of operations.


    The first batch of immigrants were specifically picked, aside from some of their family members, most of them were skilled workers needed to build an outpost. Under a unified command, the workers quickly unloaded the various necessities from the ship¡¯s cargo hold. Among them were energy supplies, lighting, communication tools and the likes. The wide beach front was soon a hive of activity as the workers scurried about to build a base camp before dusk. The plan was to get all the necessary equipment as well as machines up and running by dusk to prepare for the massive construction work that was slated to commence the next day. Everything that went on that day was just the prelude of things to come.


    Hao Ren had thought of going back to the ships waiting in orbit for a second trip. Before that however, he decided to see what sort of help was needed planetside. Given Petraychelys¡¯ passenger capacity, it was probably for the better.


    ¡°We are setting up the Magical Resonance Stations first. That will solve the need for lighting and warmth,¡± Hilda said as she pointed towards the beach. ¡°Over there, we are setting up a series of camps, enough to last the night. We can start bringing in the eco-domes from orbit tomorrow.¡±


    The planet was suitable for habitation and had plenty of undeveloped land. Nonetheless, for a planet to support a billion new inhabitants within a short span of time in their normal living conditions was frankly unrealistic. There would be a transition period that the Aerymian elves needed to go through. At present, there were about 11 floating islands, which had been brought from their old home in orbit and they were running as per normal. These islands would be brought down the next day and placed onto the wide ocean around the planet. This was to ease the burden of those living on land.


    While it may be less than desirable to continue living in those old eco-domes after the arduos journey to a new planet, these eco-domes played an important role during their transitional period. Peatopia was after all nothing but ancient jungles and mountains. There were not many areas that could be directly lived on.


    Of course, the 11 eco-domes ( 10 of which have only limited habitable space) could only solve the living space issues for part of the populace while the rest would need to explore and develop the wild land. The domes would serve as an important rally point in this wild land. Thankfully, the pioneering group were well prepared to make the best of what they had, and such trials would not stop them.


    Preparations and calculations had already been made for the upcoming land above the planet¡¯s oceans, where the islands would be placed. While it could have possibly affected the total mass of the planet and change certain aspects of the ocean¡¯s weather, it was within acceptable parameters.


    The plan was as thus: One part of the elves would be staying in the domes while another part would be outside, developing the land and building new cities. These two groups would be changing their roles at a fixed interval. This allowed the elves in the domes to adapt to the outside enviroment at a faster pace, while ensuring that the pioneering group had a chance to rest and recuperate. The planet was foreign to the Aerymians from its microbes to minerals. This was a cause for concern, especially when it came to diseases. A primordial planet and a new group of settlers; it would take a good while before both sides could co-exist.


    A group of elven magitechs were busy setting up the foundation on a high ground beyond the enroaching sea. The white-robed spellcasters floated gracefully up in the air as they went about their work. Letting their primordial energy run wild and very quickly, the rocks around the area quickly moulded themselves into a solid foundation. The ground was solidified to prevent a collapse. Not long after, a huge dome-like, alloy framework was floated over into the newly built foundation, and set upon it. Once done, some workers placed a metre-long, silver spire on the top of the dome. After connecting the tubes, which contained some kind of fluid to the device, the latter started humming. The operator in front of the tower stared intently at the control display, and after a while, he let out a joyous yelp. ¡°There¡¯s a signal! There¡¯s a signal now!¡±


    So, it was a communication device.


    ¡°Magic is really something.¡± Hao Ren was amazed. ¡°Way more reliable than a couple of LanXiangs¡±


    Hilda looked at Hao Ren curiously. ¡°What is a LanXiang?


    Hao Ren laughed drily without explaining its meaning as he gave orders to some of the droids near him.


    He released all of the droids that were on standby in the Petrachelys¡¯ hold to help the elves. The tentacled droids were the perfect assistants for the job, and a simple calibration was all they needed before they could operate the elven magitech equipment. The squid droids went about their duties on the beach in droves, using their nimble tentacles to move heavy objects around or to assemble intricate devices. These droids were extremely strong yet docile, and they were extremely intelligent. While the elves were initially taken aback by the tentacled monsters, they quickly got used to their presence. They were cooperating almost seamlessly.


    Hilda looked up towards the evening sky. There was still time before the sun would set, but it was getting darker by the moment. Beyond the horizon, there were faint shadows that glimmered across the planet¡¯s skyline as cargo shuttles from the migrant fleet darted in and out of the atmosphere. An open field not too far away from the beach had been turned into a temporary landing zone.The area was slowly getting crowded because personnel and materials were being sent continuously from the orbit. Some of them had deployed camps near the landing zone, while the rest milled towards the beachfront to help with the work there. The base camp was already taking shape. The simple, collapsible living quarters and tents in the area would be where the elves pass the night in their new home.


    Among the first batch that landed were a company of professional soldiers. Their duty was to neutralise any danger the new planet may have posed alongside guard duty. The soldiers were dispersed all along the boundaries of the beach and jungle, where they set up a line of grey, metal pillars. As the pillars were activated, they formed a force field to prevent any surprise incursions by the local fauna. Gigantic, magical resonance devices were set up in selected points, with energy tubes snaking all across the beach to power up the equipment scattered around the area. It was a messy scene. Night was falling and there was still work to be done.


    Y¡¯zaks had circled the camp and realised that his brute strength was of little help to the ongoing work. He then went up to one of the officers in charge to offer his help. ¡°Is there anything I can help with? Flattening a forest, razing hills, I can do those¡­¡±


    Hao Ren quickly pulled the demon aside as he heard his offer. ¡°Uh¡­ Not everything needs to be solved by brute force. It¡¯s already difficult enough to setup a new home, you don¡¯t have to blow a new crater on it¡­¡±


    Y¡¯zaks did not seem to get the message and continued to explain, ¡°It¡¯s not like Meteor is the only spell in my repertoire. I¡¯m just saying that if they need more space to live in, I can just release a few blasts of Eruption to flatten the whole forest. Once the lava has cools down, the plain will be very fertile¡­¡±


    Hao Ren decided there and then that Y¡¯zaks was strictly forbidden from participating in any construction work. The demon¡¯s sense of a ¡°living enviroment¡± was just too bizzare.


    By then, Vivian and Lily had also returned from the forest. They were each lugging a bag much larger than themselves. From a distance, Lily yelled at the top of her lungs. ¡°There¡¯s food here! There¡¯s plenty of fruits in the jungle!¡±


    Vivian pulled the bag open. There was a myriad of oddly-shaped and coloured fruits in the bag. Hao Ren did not know where or how these two went about collecting such a huge amount of fruits. Lily grabbed a purplish fruit and started to much on it. She also shoved one into Hao Ren¡¯s hand. ¡°Mr. Landlord, try it! It¡¯s pretty good!¡±


    ¡°Uhhh¡­Slow down there, it could be poisonous.¡±


    Lily pointed towards Vivian. ¡°No worries, Battie tested it already. There¡¯s no poison!¡±


    Vivian gave Lily an angry sideways glance. ¡°Hmph! To think that you would use my bats to test for poison! What if they died from poisoning? Will you compensate me?!¡±


    ¡°Sure! Only a few droplets no? I have plenty!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The two superwomen¡¯s foray into the jungle had attracted a large crowd of elves and some of them realised something: They would be able to eat natural food from then on.


    A planet with natural air, land and water, with the occasional sea breeze and the brushing of trees; on top of that, there were even several kinds of fruits, which could be plucked from the forest. Things that were so commonplace for Hao Ren were a revelation for the elves and their excited reaction was a proof of that.


    The MDT suddenly flew out of Hao Ren¡¯s pocket and floated in front of him. ¡°Say¡­ you may want to meet the queen over there to discuss this. The planet needs a new name after all.¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned. ¡°A new name? Isn¡¯t this planet called Peatopia?¡±


    The MDT struck Hao Ren on the head as it roared. ¡°That¡¯s a f*cking nickname. If you are okay with the Aerymians being called Peatopians from now on, by all means I¡¯ll set up a file for that¡­¡±


    ¡°F*ck it, no! I¡¯ll talk to her about it!¡±

 Chapter 269

    No thanks to the MDT¡¯s timely reminder, a noble race like the Aerymian elves avoided the unfortunate fate of being called Peatopians. Hao Ren went looking for Hilda in a hurry and after explaining the notion of naming the planet to her, the elven queen reacted in shock. ¡°Naming rights? You mean to have us decide the name of this planet?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ If you are okay with being called Peatopians¡­ sure¡­¡± Hao Ren laughed. ¡°But no, I digress. I just don¡¯t find it acceptable. This huge migration will be part of my record, and I don¡¯t want to have my insofar clean record to have ¡®Peatopia¡¯ on it¡­¡±


    Hilda could not understand Hao Ren¡¯s resistance towards the word but she nodded solemnly. ¡°I understand¡­ but, this honor is not something you give to someone, no? This is your planet. I think that the right to name it is something extraordinary, and that honour belongs to you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you mind. He¡¯s already given you the planet, not to mention the naming rights. If you are hoping for someone who named his planet ¡®Peatopia¡¯ to come up with a better name¡­ Heck, even his cat at home is called Rollie¡­¡± Lily, who was beside Hao Ren blurted out nonchalantly.


    Hilda was stunned for a moment before smiling gently again. ¡°Then¡­ can we continue to call it Aerym? I hope that our subsequent generations will know and remember our origins.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded affirmatively. ¡°That¡¯ll work, and it¡¯s something memorable too.¡±


    The Aerymian elves, planetside were passing their first night in their new home. Accompanying them were the unfamiliar sea breeze, forests and the endless sky. As such, many simply could not sleep. When Hao Ren awoke in his quarters, it was still early dawn and a faint glimmer of light was visible in the horizon. However, the beach was already buzzing by then. Hao Ren did not know if the elves woke up too early or they just gave up on sleeping. After washing his face and getting something light to eat, he stepped out of his ship. He found that Lily and Vivian were taking a walk¡­ or more like Vivian was walking Lily¡­


    Hao Ren found Hilda standing by the sea, looking out into the horizon. Her glimmering form was still visible in the dark and she looked almost ethereal. The Queen of Aerym had refused to rest since she made landfall, and she appeared much more faint than before.


    ¡°Morning¡±¡ªHilda nodded to greet Hao Ren¡ª¡±I just received word from Vimm. The second group have boarded the landing crafts. They should be arriving by noon.¡±


    ¡°And here I was wondering where those bunch of scallywags had gone to¡­ Seems like those captains went to collect the second group over the night,¡± Hao Ren muttered. ¡°Oh yeah, I talked with 883. He and his friends will be sending you a shipment of synthesis machines and building materials to tide your people through this.¡±


    The planet was just too primitive, and for the elves to start excavating its riches, they would need something to start out with. The Aeryms had not been mining for over a thousand years. It would take them a while and much effort to establish a proper production chain. That drove Hao Ren to try his luck in wringing more out of those profiteers. Besides, once they started dismantling what was left of the Aerymian island chains and sell them in the second hand market, they would probably still make a profit. Thus, Hao Ren did not think too much when he twisted their arm for more concessions.


    ¡°I-I do not even know how to thank you anymore¡­.This is not just personal gratitude¡­ Y-you have saved my people¡­¡± Hilda¡¯s gaze was sincere as she looked at him before the latter waved her off. ¡°I already told you, don¡¯t fret too much about it. If I wanted something back, I would have mentioned it long before anything else. More on you, how are your people reacting to your current form?¡±


    ¡°Actually¡­ most of them have not even realised it yet.¡± Hilda looked at her slightly glittering form. ¡°It only shines noticably at night. During the day, there is no difference compared to a normal body. In addition, everyone has more important things to deal with, no one has had the time to find out why their queen is shining.¡±


    Hao Ren simply smirked. ¡°Just take care. A holy spirit won¡¯t tire easily but you still need to rest. At your current rate, you¡¯ll probably be transparent in a day or two. Almost invisible if the room is lit.¡±


    Hilda finally let out a hearty laugh. Since Hao Ren knew her, this was the first time he saw her laughing without restraint, without burden.


    By then, dawn had finally broke and the sun¡¯s glow appeared over the sea in the horizon. Its gentle light brightened the skyline and chased away the darkness.


    A large shadow soon loomed over the clouds and it grew even larger by the moment as it broke through.


    Hao Ren stared at the shadow for a good while before realising what it was; a floating ¡°space island¡±.


    This was only the first and soon, many more followed in its trail.


    The command centre and communication towers had already been set up the night before and this day, all 11 of the floating islands were about to make landfall. These man-made islands, which had existed for a millenia descended majestically as they broke through the sky. Flames were visible as they made their entry through the atmosphere. Vivian simply gasped when she saw the scene. ¡°This reminds me of a scene during the Mythological Era when Hephaestus¡¯ Temple of Flames slid from the heavens. It was just as grand as today. However, his temple was taken down by three gas-induced fireballs set by the demon hunters.


    Hao Ren glared at the vampire. ¡°Do you have anything more auspicious to say on such a day?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a happy ending to it. The demon hunter did not survive. He got crushed.¡±


    The floating islands were surrounded in flames as they approached the planet. Towards the terminal phase of the drop, all the thrusters were turned off. The old engines finally completed their arduous task, and if the gods were kind, this would be their swansong. The island¡¯s powerful gravitational system and sub-engines were hard at work to adjust for the impending landfall. This process was a slow yet delicate one. Many finer adjustments had to be made in real time. This was to prevent the sudden landing of such an enormous object onto the sea¡¯s surface from causing catasthrophic levels of tsunami. It also prevented the island itself from disintegrating due to the enormous pressure. Even once the landing was completed, there were still many things to be done, and many systems would need to be kept operational. This included the gravitational stabilisers and the adjustment thrusters on the upper part of the rings; the island would be relying heavily on these equipment to keep the island afloat. Those on the island itself also had a very important assignment: to reform the island. Based on precise calculations of the landing zones, the bottom of the islands would almost touch the seabed. The powerful elven mages planned to utilise a year to slowly change the structure of the island and the planet¡¯s tectonic structure, allowing them to ¡°grow¡± together and bring long lasting stability to the island.


    The domes of the island were gleaming under the sunlight. They could not be shut down just yet. One reason was to prevent accidental biological pollution and two, they would serve well as emergency evacuation centres in the event of a disaster. The domes would be kept open until the experts confirmed that both the enviroment on the inside and outside were completely synchronised.


    As Hao Ren, Hilda, Vivian, Lily and the big demon stood on an elevated rock to view the landing of the floating islands, a small shuttle flew out of the dome, then landed close by. Not long after, a group of Aerymian soldiers escorted a defeated, middle-aged man to Hilda.


    ¡°Your Majesty¡±¡ªthe man sighed as he fell to his knees¡ª¡±do as you see fit.¡±


    Hao Ren looked on curiously. ¡°Who is he?¡±


    ¡°The leader of the Lotto Group.¡± Hilda¡¯s expression was cold. ¡°And I suppose he is the man behind all of the dissident groups.¡±


    The man looked even more defeated as Hilda spoke. At the end of her sentence, he held his hands out, signalling that he wished to be bound. ¡°¡­ With things as it is, there is nothing for me to say, Your Majesty. Just lock me up somewhere, away from the others. That is all I ask.¡±


    Hao Ren looked aside. From the tone of his voice alone, Hao Ren could tell that the man was simply broken and humiliated to meet anyone.


    Hilda only smiled. ¡°Lock you up? You know how much resources that would take?¡±


    ¡°What do you have in mind then, Your Majesty? Or else, just execute me.¡± The man was rather belligerent. ¡°Bullets are cheap. If that is not possible, I will just end myself.¡±


    Hilda simply pointed towards the hive of activity behind her. ¡°We are short of manpower at the moment. Do you think your humiliation would get you out of labour duty?¡±


    The man turned towards the group of elves who were busy coordinating the construction work and nodded solemnly. ¡°Very well. If that is what you wish, Your Majesty. At most I will just keep my face covered for the rest of my life.¡± He then turned around.


    ¡°Hold on a minute! You are not going anywhere yet.¡± Hilda held the man. ¡°You and your ilk will be held in custody for a few days first. We will get to the bottom of the World of Prayers before sending you lot to a suitable posting.¡±


    The man was then led away by the soldiers. Hao Ren gave Hilda a surprised look. ¡°That¡¯s it??¡±


    ¡°What do you expect me to do?¡± Hilda shrugged. ¡°We need the manpower, and he will be giving me any more trouble in the future. Might as well make good use of him. I have know this bunch of people since a long time ago. They mean well, but they were misguided in their actions. It is high time for them to get back on the right track.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°That¡¯s fine. It¡¯s your internal matter anyway.¡±


    As he finished his sentence, he heard a commotion coming from the campsite.


    He caught onto one of the loudest yells. ¡°Look, the sky! There¡¯s something appearing in the sky!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there in the sky?¡± Hao Ren laughed as he looked up. ¡°Are they still afraid of the sk¡­ F*ck!¡±


    He simply looked towards where the group of people were pointing at. Lo and behold, a line of gigantic words formed in front of him. ¡°Raven 12345¡¯s Hand-Crafted, Habitable, Carbon-Based Type IV Rapid Forming Planet ¨C Intensive Product Introduction Guide.¡±


    Hilda stood there dumbstruck. ¡°What¡­ is that?¡±


    A voice then suddenly appeared in Hao Ren¡¯s head, ¡°I sure am a fantastic workman¡­¡±


    He almost forgot that the planet was made by Raven 12345!


    Hilda saw Hao Ren standing there silently and tugged at his sleeves. ¡°What is that?¡±


    Hao Ren gritted his teeth as ¡°After Sales Service¡± came out bitterly from his mouth.

 Chapter 270

    No one had expected Raven 12345 to leave such an easter egg in the planet that she created. Of course, that crazy goddess had probably forgotten that she placed it there since she did not mention it to Hao Ren when he talked about the big migration. Now, the planet came alive with the influx of intelligent beings. As long as you were look up at the sky, no matter which part of the planet you were in, the words would appear within your vision. Almost instantly, Hao Ren realised that there was something even more sinister: You could not ignore the words. The moment the broadcast started, those words were firmly etched into your vision. Heck, even before the introduction began, Raven 12345¡¯s watermark was already plastered all over your face¡­


    ¡°Welcome to the new intelligent beings inhabiting this planet. New inhabitants detected as foreign beings. Switching to Introductory Guide Number 2. This planet, under the majority of circumstances, was created by the great and magnificent imperial commander, goddess and apprentice planetary sculptor, Raven 12345.


    ¡°The planet¡¯s average radius is 9,000 kilometres. For unit of surface gravity, please measure it yourself. For planetary rotation cycle, please calculate it yourself. Galactic parameters, forgotten but, it is probably stable. The galactic map is available in the creator¡¯s suite within the planet¡¯s core however, it seems to be password protected. All in all, the planet is beautiful and perfectly habitable. It is in harmony with the celestial bodies nearby so, there should not be any cosmic disasters.


    ¡°The planet is equipped with an atmosphere and ecosystem that is suitable for Type IV carbon-based life forms. For basic tectonic parameters, please see Appendix I. For natural resources and reserves, please see Appendix II. For a guide on extracting resources, I have forgotten. Nevertheless, I believe that any race capable of interstellar travel is capable of finding it out themselves. Following this will be the various parameters set during the planet¡¯s creation. Disclaimer: I bear no responsibility in notifying you of any subsequent natural changes to the planet.


    ¡°That is all.


    ¡°From your great and magnificent goddess, Raven 12345.


    ¡°P.S. If there is any problem regarding the planet¡¯s quality, please bear with it using your faith and courage. This planet is not registered in the Imperial Planetary Database as it is a personal project. Frankly, it is not possible to cover everything, so bite me.¡±


    Raven 12345¡¯s broadcast had mostly ended. What followed was a series of data about the planet¡¯s resources and parameters. At the same time, a multi-signal transmission reverberated throughout the atmosphere. This signal was also a broadcast of the planet¡¯s parameters. By then, Hao Ren was already squatting in a corner, pretending to be looking at some stones alongside Lily, who was actually looking at stones. Hilda¡¯s voice only broke through to him after a couple of tries. ¡°Umm¡­ A-are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just feel like gutting someone right now. But, I can¡¯t defeat her.¡± Hao Ren lamented. ¡°¡­It has taken me so much effort to pull of something big like this¡­ Can¡¯t she just let me finish it properly¡­ This scene¡­ will forever be etched in the annals of your people¡¯s history¡­¡±


    Hilda looked blankly towards the beach and found that many of her people had only just recovered from their stupor. However, there were a few experts who did not dwell on the stunning heavenly message, and quicky realised the importance of the broadcast. They swiftly called for their helpers or roused their colleagues, who were still dumbstruck to get their recording tools. They then began taking down all the important notes before the broadcast ended.


    ¡°Have a look.¡± Hilda pulled Hao Ren to his feet. ¡°This thing is of great importance to us. You may think that the presentation was too casual¡­ but for us¡­ it is another gift.¡±


    Hao Ren gave a stunned, ¡°Oh¡±. He never thought that the elves would intently take down notes of Raven 12345¡¯s super casual broadcast. It was not until much later that Hilda would tell him how the information helped the Aerymians pass their first winter in their new home without incident. As this migration was done on such a short notice, aside from the data the MDT had from its last cursory scan, there were no further detailed information about the planet. The elves would have taken years, or even decades to even start developing their industries again and to understand the nature of the planet. Raven 12345 had however saved them a potentially fatal trouble.


    Hao Ren spent the next few days on the beach¡¯s front base with the elves. He was there until all of the Aerymians and materials were sent over by the transport fleet in orbit, thus completing the Great Migration. He and his motly crew were of great help during their stay. Lily and Y¡¯zaks¡¯ brute strength were more than welcomed in the ongoing work while Vivian¡¯s blood magic saved many from the grisly fate of succumbing to the local pathogens. It also helped the Aerymian medical experts in their research of ways to combat and prevent infections from the native microbes as well as pathogens.


    Once the treatment methods were sent back to research facilities on Darklight Isle, the introduction of vaccines and antibiotics were quickly made for the migrants. Therefore, the initial fear of local diseases were someone allayed.


    Something did boggle Hao Ren¡¯s mind; he was under the impression that vampires contributed more to plagues, poisons and the likes while Blood Magic was meant to be destructive. Vivian had also mentioned that other Blood Clan members were not particularly adept with healing magic. However, she was the odd one out with some rather impressive restorative abilities. Her blood magic could easily kill someone like the magic of any normal Blood Clan member yet, hers had a secondary ability¡ªthe ability to turn itself around and utilise its energies to heal her target.


    Hoa Ren had to reconfirm with Vivian if any other vampires had such an ability, and Vivian was adamantly sure about it. The Blood Clan had no interests or intentions to heal anyone, and they even thumbed their nose at such unconventional magic. Vivian also mentioned that a few of her juniors were interested in learning her healing magic, but they soon found that their blood was poisonous, incapable of being transformed into life energies.


    It was something almost beyond comprehension, but Hao Ren did witness Vivian resurrecting a dead elf with her blood.


    Hao Ren had thought long and hard about her abilities and in the end, he concluded that he had better things to do. All of his tenants were already quirky to begin with and quite frankly, no one had the time to actually bother with that.


    As for Hao Ren, his job was to command his regiment of droids from the Petrachelys. The droids only took command from the captain and he could not relegate the job to someone else. He was thankful that the droids were very effective in carrying out their tasks and their ability to desynthesis or resynthesis items. The construction of the base camp was moving forward swimmingly. By the time the last of the migrants had landed, the basic camp site now looked more like a settlement. In fact, you could call it a proper town at this point.


    The Aerymian mages reconstructed the base of the town and moved it towards the jungle. Some of the buildings were even translocated directly into the forest. The elves were careful not to harm any of the ancient trees there. They only emptied the clearings as well as a portion of the snaking brambles and vines. The elves had found ancient construction logs on how their ancestors peacefully co-existed with the forest. As such, they placed utmost importance and reverence to the forest in their new home. Being one with nature did run in their blood after all, and millenniums of living under a metal dome did not diminish their inborn appreciation for nature.


    Plenty of simple wooden houses now dotted the beach as the construction work gained pace. The exposed Magic Resonance Device had also since been transfered into the town¡¯s power station, and the feeder tubes were buried underground as per the reconstruction plans. These facilities were partly made with the materials brought from Aerym while the rest were rocks that were converted into building materials. As these buildings were temporary shelters, they sufficed.


    More and more elves were making landfall from orbit, and part of the populace stayed in Darklight Isle as well as the remaining eco-domes. Meanwhile, the rest formed into approximately 20 primary settlements all over the planet. The transport fleet also brought along spacecrafts that the Aerymians had cosntructed. These spacecrafts were capable of atmospheric travel, and were used to keep the lines of communication between the settlement open.


    Vimm landed along with the last batch of the migrants into the settlement on the beach, now named Minas Elenion, the City of Stars. This was the name of the legendary capital of Aerym¡¯s first dynasty. It was also the first major, historic city that was constructed after the elves left the forest. While it was a simple town at the moment, it would not take long to be a prosperous capital. Hao Ren and Hilda awaited the prince regent in the town hall. Aside from bringing in the last of the migrants, he took with him an atmospheric transport craft.


    The prince regent was taken aback by the sight of his new home. But, as he had also received footage of its progress from Hilda, he recovered much faster than others.


    ¡°I have brought along the World of Prayer¡¯s server.¡± Vimm pointed towards a bulky transport craft, which had landed on the beach. ¡°All data is frozen as of now.¡±


    ¡°Once we upgrade the power station to a higher level, we can reactivate the servers.¡± Hilda nodded and sighed. ¡°¡­I just feel so sorry for the last batch of elves who entered the World of Prayers¡­ Cardillon too¡­¡±


    ¡°If only they had waited another month for the Great Migration.¡± Vimm was solemn too. ¡°They left a little too soon.¡±


    Hilda did not wish to dwell on such a grim topic. ¡°The Lotto Group has already handed over the activation keys to the restricted and locked areas in the World of Prayers. I believe we can meet them again soon. Have faith in our scholars. Perhaps, they will find a way to create a body for those in the World of Prayers to reconnect with us physically.


    The last of the transport fleet¡¯s ships were preparing to leave the system. Captain 883 sent a communication signal to Hao Ren and the Aerymian elves to say his farewells. He also promised to send in the relief materials, which was agreed upon earlier. Hao Ren felt that his group had nothing more to do there presently, so he also bade farewell to Hilda.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave one of the droids here. You can use it to communicate with me.¡± Hao Ren pointed at the squid droid that was entertaining a few excited Aerymian children as their parents looked on. ¡°Let¡¯s keep in touch. If you run into any trouble, please let me know. If you want to visit Earth again, you¡¯re most welcome as well. I should be able to accommodate a few visitors.¡±


    Hilda smiled beautifully. ¡°Please send my regards to the goddess. Once I am done over here, I will head over to pay my respects.¡±


    Not long after, the Petrachelys soared towards the sky and disappeared from Hilda¡¯s sight.


    Vimm was deep in thought as he tried to recall something. Having suddenly remembered the matter, he quickly turned to Hilda. ¡°Mother¡­ haven¡¯t you forgotten about your body?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±

 Chapter 271

    After the Petrachelys left the new planet of Aerym, it headed southwest at top speed. Of course, it did not matter if the direction they were heading in was actually southwest of space. It just sounds cooler saying it this way.


    Hao Ren and Lily were bored. They were leaning against the bridge control board, studying the flickering data and the ship¡¯s structure. Hao Ren studied them because he had taught himself extremely well, to the point where he could actually operate the spacecraft. On the other hand, Lily studied them because she thought it was cool.


    The spacecraft had flown for a very long distance and they were about to arrive at Kuiper Station in approximately 10 minutes. Just then, someone remembered something. Y¡¯zaks touched his chin and asked, ¡°Why do I feel like we¡¯ve forgotten something?¡±


    Hao Ren looked around and said, ¡°Everyone¡¯s here, we didn¡¯t even lose Lily. What else could we have left behind?¡±


    Even the husky, a creature that would never listen to its owners was sitting quietly next to Hao Ren. He thought whatever and whoever that should be on the spaceship were already there.


    Y¡¯zaks pondered about it for quite a long time. Then, he slapped his forehead and said, ¡°Hey, are there still¡­ remains lying in our medical chamber?¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian looked at each other immediately and shouted, ¡°Sh*t!¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± Cold sweat oozed from Hao Ren¡¯s forehead. ¡°Why didn¡¯t Hilda remind us¡­ Should we send it back now?¡±


    Vivian quickly made a decision and said, ¡°Let¡¯s call them first!¡±


    Hao Ren remembered that he left a self-disciplined droid to function as an assistant, communicator, bodyguard and construction worker for Hilda. He immediately connected to the device to find Hilda. A moment later, the figures of Hilda and Vimm were projected via the bridge¡¯s transmitter. Both of them seemed to be inspecting a facility. Behind them were braced frames and an intricate array of devices, which had been built halfway. There were also a group of elves working around the area. Both of them were quite surprised by Hao Ren¡¯s sudden contact. Hao Ren did not waste any time and went straight to the point. ¡°Hilda, your body is still with me!¡±


    The surprised look on Hilda¡¯s face immediately faded. She smiled and said, ¡°Oh, I know. I was just wondering if I should send you a message¡­¡±


    Hao Ren did not think the owner of the body would be so calm. ¡°Umm¡­ I think that it¡¯s very important. Don¡¯t you want it?¡±


    Hilda tilted her head slightly and said, ¡°Just leave it at your place first. It will be troublesome for you to turn back just for that. Oh, if you find that the body is occupying the dormant chamber, you can find a place to bury it. I do not feel like I need it anymore.¡±


    ¡°¡­I feel that we¡¯re discussing this crazy issue in a serious manner. This is weird,¡± said Hao Ren.


    Hilda agreed and looked at Vimm oddly. Vivian then suggested, ¡°Next time, if you have a chance to go to Earth, you can take her back¡­ It is an object after all. After some grooming and dressing up, it could be placed in the house to protect it or ward off evil.¡±


    This miraculous vampire would never forget about warding off evil¡ªbut, how did she think that a half-dead body could ward off evil?


    Hilda nodded and accepted the suggestion, after which they hung up. Hao Ren pinched his chin while he pondered. ¡°I feel that ever since I started this unfortunate journey, the things that I go through have been getting more and more peculiar. I¡¯m even a corpse collector now¡ªand, it¡¯s the deceased, who entrusted me to keep it, agreeing to come and take it back someday.¡±


    Lily tilted her head and contemplated the issue for a moment, as a husky would. Who knows what was in her head. She suddenly blushed and pinched Hao Ren¡¯s arm. She said, ¡°Landlord, you have to control yourself! Although the body is still warm, you can¡¯t do anything¡­¡±


    As a good man with a healthy mind, of course, Hao Ren was able to get it within seconds. He immediately jumped up. He poked at Lily¡¯s temple continuosly and said, ¡°Listen to what you¡¯ve just said! Next time, can you please read stuff that¡¯s purer and more positive?!¡±


    While Hao Ren stomped his foot in fury and scolded Lily, she just laughed in a high pitch. The Petrachelys returned to the solar system, which they had parted with for a long time; more than half a month. After they completed the ship-hosting formalities at Kuiper Station, they went back to Earth. Hao Ren was delighted to be home, but at the same time, there was an inexplicable feeling inside of him. He remembered the grey earth in the dome city, the old, unyielding shield of the floating island, the Aerym civilisation that fought hard to survive until today, as well as the elves who fell into a stupor after seeing the sky for the first time. He could not help but whisper to himself, ¡°Now, I finally realise how precious these ordinary things are. People really should cherish everything. Even if you¡¯ve already tire of these things, they could disappear some day.¡±


    Vivian also sighed and said, ¡°Yes, I really can understand that feeling. The money in my hand is always gone before I get tired of watching it.¡±


    Hao Ren lifted his brow and said, ¡°I¡¯m talking about life, can¡¯t you be serious?¡±


    Vivian smiled. She poked Hao Ren¡¯s arm and said, ¡°We¡¯re back, can¡¯t you be a little happy?¡±


    After saying that, the vampire girl trotted towards the door not far away, leaving Hao Ren to stand there in a daze. She could make fun of her own poor life, which meant that she was really enjoying her life despite poverty, right?


    After opening the door, Lily was the first one to run into the house. She ran into the living room and quickly circled it, sniffing around to make sure that no other dog had encroached on her territory while she was away. She then stood contentedly in the middle of the living room and shouted, ¡°I¡¯m back!¡±


    Lily waited for quite some time, but no one answered. Only Rollie heard it and ran from the kitchen into the living room. When it saw its owner, whom it did not see for days, it quickly ran around Hao Ren like crazy. Rollie later walked slowly towards Lily and slightly nodded to welcome her home. That gave Lily a shiver, and then, Rollie slipped away.


    This cat was definitely the supreme creature in the house.


    ¡°Wuyue and Becky aren¡¯t at home?¡± Hao Ren went up to the second floor to look for them. Shortly after, he walked down and asked curiously, ¡°Didn¡¯t we send them a message saying that we¡¯d be here by noon?¡±


    Vivian went to the kitchen as soon as she came home. Like a skilled housewife, the first thing she did when she got home was prepare lunch for the family. She muttering as she walked, ¡°Maybe they suddenly have something to do. Eh, Landlord, what¡¯s for lunch?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother, just noodle soup will do. As he spoke, Hao Ren sat on the sofa in the centre of the living room and suddenly, he found a note on the table. He picked it up to see, and found that it was a message left by Nangong Wuyue. It was written in a beautiful font, which read, ¡± Landlord, Becky and I are going to participate in some activities. We¡¯ll be back at around 1 pm. Lunch is ready. You just need to heat it. The food is in the big steamer on the left, and Lil Pea is in the rice cooker on the right. Don¡¯t heat the wrong one.¡±


    Hao Ren held the note and shouted, ¡°They really went out! They¡¯ll come back soon¡­ Oh my, Vivian, Lil Pea is in the rice cooker!¡±


    He rushed to the kitchen, but suddenly remembered that Lil Pea was not afraid of hot water, so he relaxed. When he reached the kitchen, he saw Vivian holding the rice cooker, looking at it up and down. The vampire maiden found it weird and asked, ¡°Why is Lil Pea inside the rice cooker? What about her pot?¡±


    ¡°Who knows, you can ask Nangong Wuyue when she comes back. She does a good job in taking care of this child, much better than I do.¡± Hao Ren had no idea what new phenomenon Nangong Wuyue had discovered over the past two weeks. Anyway, he was sure that the siren treated the little mermaid like a treasure, and there had to be a reason for putting the little mermaid in the rice cooker. He stepped forward and took the rice cooker from Vivian¡¯s hands. He watched the little mermaid, who was curled into a ball and sleeping soundly. She was so lovely and adorable that Hao Ren could not help but want to take her out and kiss her. Seeing his ¡°daughter¡± after so long, Hao Ren¡¯s heart immediately melted as if his whole body and mind were healed. However, he did not take Lil Pea out of the water for fear of waking the little child. He just held the rice cooker carefully, ready to go into the living room. He wanted to give her a surprise when she woke up. However, just as he was about to turn and walk away, he found a strange piece of paper sticking out of the cupboard. He leaned closer and looked at its contents. It baffled him.


    ¡°Heat for 10 minutes on low heat in the morning. Add sweet balm.


    ¡°Heat for five minutes on medium heat at noon. Sprinkle with small amounts of radix isatidis granules.


    ¡°Heat for seven minutes on low heat at night. Do not add anything. After heating, allow it to cool off naturally. Lil Pea may jump out, pay attention to that and promptly put her back in to prevent her from catching a cold.


    ¡°Prevent her from bullying cats.


    ¡°The playing cards are not easy to digest, although she likes them very much. It¡¯s best not to let her eat more, and if she really wants to eat it, dip it in vinegar.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let her play with snow.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    He had a feeling that his daughter probably did something amazing¡­ What exactly did Nangong Wuyue figure out?

 Chapter 272

    Hao Ren and Vivian were confused about the contents of the paper. The only certainty was that the written notes were related to Lil Pea, including the heating on low heat part. At this point, they roughly understood why Lil Pea was placed in the rice cooker: Because, it could be timed, and its temperature was stable¡­


    If there had been another species inside the pot, Hao Ren would have probably gotten very excited about it. His mind would have been filled with all sorts of hardcore scenes that were unsuitable for kids¡ªlike killing and cooking the body. But now, it was the little mermaid who was lying in the pot, and he could not think this way. She loved swimming in warm water. However, he was just curious about what had actually happened in the house during the past two weeks that he was not around. What happened and what the hell were sweet balm and radix isatidis¡­


    While Hao Ren was thinking, he heard a sound coming from the pot. He looked down at the pot and found that Lil Pea was done with her nap (although this nap was a little early). The little kid was stretching her tail and slowly waking up. As soon as she looked up, she saw Hao Ren¡¯s big face and she was fully awake instantly. Her upper body was visible above the water and she screamed in a low yet, very excited tone. Lil Pea then pounced on Hao Ren¡¯s face, and rolled down along his collar¡­


    You could just imagine; it was winter and snowing on Earth, there was no heating in the kitchen, and Lil Pea was covered with water¡­


    Hao Ren immediately felt a chill straight down to his navel. It was so cold that he could not handle it. He was still holding the rice cooker, so he did not have a free hand to stop the little mermaid, who was getting a little too excited. By the time he put the pot down and pulled Lil Pea out of his clothes, the little kid was already crawling between his chest and abdomen. She was fine. She was all wet when she jumped in and was all dry when she got out. She was not even exposed to the cold wind.


    Hao Ren carried the little kid and ran into the living room. He put her on the sofa and let Lily look after her. He then ran back into his room to change his clothes. When he came out, he saw that Lily was chatting with Lil Pea. Although language-wise they could not communicate, they seemed to be chatting away happily. Hao Ren stepped forward to pick Lil Pea up and rubbed her against his face. He finally had the chance to say hello to his ¡°daughter¡±. Lil Pea slapped Hao Ren¡¯s face and said something. But, it was not clear and Hao Ren could not understand what it meant. Anyway, she seemed to be very happy. Her face suddenly turned red and then, she sneezed.


    ¡°Have you caught a cold?¡± Surprised, Hao Ren looked at the little mermaid who was rubbing her nose. He never thought that a fish could also catch a cold. The little mermaid heard it and slapped her tail as she pointed her hand to her throat. She then sneezed again to prove that she really did catch a cold.


    Hao Ren was a little dumbfounded. He looked at Lily instinctively and asked, ¡°How do I treat a fish with a cold?¡±


    ¡°Fishes can catch a cold and there¡¯s a special medication for them,¡± Lily said while she took a cotton swab from somewhere and wiped the snot off Lil Pea¡¯s nose, ¡°but you have to think carefully, this kid in your hand is not a real fish. Have you ever seen an actual fish eating wood?¡±


    As they were talking, Lil Pea¡¯s stomach rumbled. She got rid of Hao Ren¡¯s hand and jumped to the edge of the table and screamed at the kitchen. At the very next moment, a black-and-white figure came out. There were a few pieces of cards in Rollie¡¯s mouth. It jumped on the table and placed the cards in front of Lil Pea, after which it meowed in a respectful and submissive manner. Rollie then stepped back and left the table in quick short steps. Lil Pea grabbed the cards and chewed them, slapping her tail approvingly: it was the little kid¡¯s mealtime.


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    What happened in the past two weeks?!


    Apparently, ever since Rollie was beaten badly by the little mermaid, its whole view of the world had changed dramatically. This unruly, bastard cat was eventually tamed by Lil Pea. It actually turned into a fish¡¯s servant. I really wonder how it would ever be able to mingle with other stray cats in the Southern Suburbs if they knew about this. Vivian was also stunned. She looked at Lil Pea and Rollie, finally dropping her sight on Lily. She said, ¡°The ecological chain in our house is getting stranger. This will pull down the street cred of cats and dogs.¡±


    At this moment, somebody opened the door. Nangong Wuyue and Becky were finally back.


    Nangong Wuyue immediately saw Hao Ren sitting on the sofa the moment she stepped into the house. She greeted him happily, ¡°Ah, you guys are home! Did you see the note in the kitchen?¡±


    ¡°I saw it,¡± Hao Ren said and pointed at Lil Pea. ¡°I¡¯m still wondering why the little kid¡¯s in the rice cooker. Why did you have to heat her in the morning, at noon and at night? Did Lil Pea catch a cold?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue took off her coat and hung it on the coat rack next to the door, explaining, ¡°Yes, because of the cold. It¡¯s the treatment plan provided by the goddess. It¡¯s quite effective, Lil Pea¡¯s almost recovered. She just sneezes occasionally.¡±


    Hao Ren quickly asked her for more details. After listening to Nangong Wuyue, he then understood what had happened: It was snowing two days ago. Lil Pea broke the window and jumped out to play in the snow when Nangong Wuyue and Becky went out to buy vegetables. And you probably already know what happens next: She was a warm-climate fish, she became frozen after jumping around in the snow for a few seconds¡­


    Nangong Wuyue made great effort to unfreeze her, but the little kid still caught a cold in the end.


    Despite being a siren, Nangong Wuyue had never been ill so, she had no idea how to treat the mermaid¡¯s cold. She could only ask Raven 12345 for help (Raven 12345 had left a mental imprint on each of the tenants in Hao Ren¡¯s house for emergency purposes). With super great effort, the goddess created the treatment regiment listed on the note in the kitchen; although, Hao Ren had a feeling it was just a made-up prescription. It probably appeared in the psychopath¡¯s head out of nowhere when she was cooking noodles, but it still worked.


    And, of course, it could have also been because this strong little kid just recovered easily from any illness. Anyway, she was the only survivor of her species and there was no one to compare with. Hence, if Raven 12345 said her method worked, so be it.


    Nangong Wuyue still felt sorry for not taking good care of Lil Pea and said, ¡°Sorry, I should have been more careful¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was a sensible man. He waved his hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, it¡¯s not the first time she¡¯s looked for trouble. She¡¯s so active, who knows what¡¯s going to happen to her. You did a good job of taking care of her, better than I would have. If I was the one who took care of her, perhaps something worse than this would have happened. Besides, she even smashed the windows, who could¡¯ve expected that?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue nodded and said, ¡°The window¡¯s been repaired. And this time, I covered all the windows in the house with my water mist enchantment, so we don¡¯t have to worry about her running around even if no one¡¯s at home.¡±


    Hao Ren then understood why there were thin layers of mist on all the windows when he stepped into the house. It was a magical effect left by Nangong Wuyue.


    He looked down and glanced at the little mermaid, who was tearing into the last piece of card. Hao Ren found the mischievous kid to be a really torturous creature from the bottom of his heart, especially when she had such physical characteristics beyond the human imagination: Luckily, there was another fish in the house who knew how to take care of her¡­


    Nangong Wuyue looked up at the clock on the wall. She then reached for Lil Pea and said, ¡°It¡¯s time. I need to heat Lil Pea up for a while. She should fully recover after two days.¡±


    The fish baby waved her arm to say goodbye to Hao Ren and jumped into Nangong Wuyue¡¯s hand obediently. The way they cooperated so well made them look like mother and daughter.


    But, it was hard to describe what they were going to do in the kitchen¡­


    When Nangong Wuyue proceeded to heat the little mermaid in the kitchen, a beautiful girl wearing a red, wool coat finally had the opportunity to jump out and greet them. ¡°Yo! Everybody! It¡¯s been a long time¡ªHow do I look?¡±


    Hao Ren had already noticed Becky walking around them earlier, but he was too focused on his daughter that he did not have the time to talk to her. He finally raised his head and looked at Becky. To be honest, he could barely recognise her.


    Becky was not wearing Nangong Wuyue¡¯s old clothes, but a brand new wool coat. It was a new, slim winter coat, styled with black tights and small leather boots. It made Becky look stylish and beautiful. She also had on some light makeup on her face and her hair was carefully combed; nothing too over the top. She looked just perfect. It only took half a month for the mercenary girl, who used to dress rather shabbily to completely integrated into life on Earth. She looked almost like a regular human on Earth.


    It was largely due to an occupational factor: Becky¡¯s ability to adapt to unfamiliar environments was very strong.

 Chapter 273

    Hao Ren still vividly remembered what Becky was like the first time she came: she wore a dusty, leather armour, with a dagger and a long sword on her waist, a faded old wind scarf around her neck, and simply pulled her hair up into a ponytail because she had no time to manage it. Going through the rigors of living in the wilderness made her look as if she just came back from a backpacking trip in Tibet. At that time, although Becky was a pretty girl, she looked a little countrified. The rough side of being a mercenary was impossible to conceal.


    Now, Becky looked almost completely different. If she was walking down the street, no one could tell that she was from a different world if she did not reveal it¡­


    ¡°Pretty good, huh?¡± Becky noticed that it was not only Hao Ren, but the rest around her were also extremely surprised. She immediately opened her arms and turned around proudly as she said, ¡°I picked out the outfit. This world is great. Beautiful clothes and delicious food are everywhere. Although I don¡¯t really feel safe about the ¡®technology¡¯ in this world, other aspects are really good. It¡¯s more comfortable here than my hometown.¡±


    ¡°It seems like you¡¯ve adapted to life here very quickly,¡± Hao Ren said and nodded with relief. THao Ren was worried the most about this mercenary maiden, whom he brought into this world by accident. However, now that Becky seemed to be enjoying her life here, he was relieved. ¡°But¡­ where did you get the money for your clothes? Did Nangong Wuyue give it to you?¡±


    ¡°It was a prize.¡± Becky hit her chest proudly and explained, ¡°I signed up with Wuyue to join a¡­ umm, I don¡¯t really know what kind of activity it is. Anyway, it¡¯s a bunch of people competing with each other for something. You¡¯ll get the prize if you win a few rounds. It¡¯s interesting. People in this world are really fascinating, they like watching a gang of people throwing knives or singing songs. After that, they¡¯ll give them money, how frivolous¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was confused by what Becky just said. Just as he was about to ask her what was going, he saw Nangong Wuyue coming out from the kitchen. She was holding a large towel, rubbing the little mermaid while walking cautiously. Lil Pea stuck her tiny head out of the gap in the towel and kept turning her head around.


    Nangong Wuyue finished the routine heating according to Raven 12345¡¯s cold treatment method.


    ¡°She dragged me into it.¡± Nangong Wuyue had heard their conversation, and also did not know whether to laugh or cwary. ¡°Becky is really active¡­ The Goddess gave her the ability to understand the language here, so she found out how to make a living in just a few days. In fact, she doesn¡¯t need anyone to take care of her. She saw a TV station in our city that ran a variety show, so she wanted me to join it with her no matter what. I was worried that she might get into trouble, but we ended up entering the variety show.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue came up to the coffee table as she spoke. Lil Pea had been waiting in the towel. She calculated the distance and then leapt from the towel, falling into Hao Ren¡¯s arms. The little kid¡¯s tail was slippery, nobody could catch her or stop her from going anywhere.


    Lil Pea was basically dangling from Hao Ren¡¯s clothes. He picked her up, smelled her and said, ¡°Ah, smells like radix isatidis¡­¡±


    The rest of them also held Lil Pea and passed her around, nodding as well commenting, ¡°That¡¯s the smell of radix isatidis, alright.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s radix isatidis.¡±


    ¡°And a little smell of sweet balm¡­¡±


    The smell of sweet powder emanated from Lil Pea after being ¡°boiled¡± in the radix isatidis. It was uncertain if the treatment could really cure her cold, but at least, Hao Ren felt that the chances of them getting a cold had been reduced by a lot. At this moment, Vivian curiously asked Nangong for more details about their escapades over the past two weeks, and she finally understood how colorful their life was. She did not expect that they already appeared on TV! And they were some sort of local celebrities¡­


    In fact, Hao Ren knew that the city¡¯s TV station often held some variety shows. Although he did not really pay attention to such things, he also heard that the TV station specialised in this, and one of the most prestigious programmes they had on was ¡°The People¡¯s Talent¡±. This program accepted registration from all people, as long as they were currently living in the city. The content of the program was not fixed, and the main theme was to show one¡¯s personal talent, regardless of whether you could break a stone on your chest or hit virtually any target within a hundred steps, sing or dance. It was a stage that allowed people to show off their talents. The contest would be held weekly, and the winners would get a prize. It was a talent show that did not have much of a distinguishing feature. It was highly popular locally because of its low enrolment and the variety of talent.


    Hao Ren never expected that Becky, a mercenary girl from the Otherworld would actually go to the TV station and enter such a contest¡­ Would it be apt for him to say that a mercenary could quickly adapt to any environment?


    ¡°Nangong Wuyue can sing well, so I understand¡­¡± As Hao Ren listened to Becky talking about how funny the show was in excitement, he really could not help but ask curiously, ¡°Do you have any special talent?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I can crush granite and reinforced concrete slabs on my chest.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    She actually performed this on the stage! But, dear super lady, don¡¯t you think that this may have a negative influence on your personal image?


    Becky was proud of it and said, ¡°I almost scared the judges to death. I put such a thick slab of granite on my body, and then smashed it with an excavator¡¯s shovel bucket. Sometimes. I had to smash for a few minutes to break the granite. If the old man hadn¡¯t faint, I could have entered the finals with this skill¡­ Unfortunately, the TV station later said that although this talent was exciting, it was too violent. I had to change it to a less cool one.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I was the one who forced her to change it.¡± Nangong Wuyue twitched her mouth and said, ¡°She didn¡¯t consider the physical limitations of a human body on Earth at all, fighting the excavator with her stone-like skin. I was worried that it would attract the Chinese Academy of Science if it got really famous.¡±


    Becky lowered her head in dismay and said, ¡°Later on, I performed blindfolded and carved a tofu with a sword¡­¡±


    Hao Ren wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.


    That¡¯s enough.


    ¡°Wuyue, needless to say, you must be singing,¡± Vivian said as she looked at the siren girl with admiration. ¡°With your beautiful voice, even if you don¡¯t remember the lyrics, you can simply hum a tune and it¡¯ll get you into the finals. I really envy you. It looks easy, making money this way. But, too bad I don¡¯t have any special talents. Besides magic and flying, I can only cook.¡±


    Lily thought about it and said, ¡°You can perform magic! Cover your hand with a piece of red cloth, then take it off and lot of bats would fly out¡­¡±


    ¡°But that trick usually uses pigeons! I only have bats!¡±


    ¡°In that case, you can also perform that crushing rock thingy on your chest. Your body can¡¯t be weaker than Becky¡¯s. She¡¯s just a human. Her ¡®stone¡¯ skin isn¡¯t necessarily stronger than your skin. Then, we can team up. You take the rock, and I¡¯ll be responsible for smashing.¡±


    Vivian looked at Lily with a weird expression and said, ¡°I bet you¡¯ll be swinging your arm with all your might and smashing me down. Your goal is to bash me deep into the ground until you can¡¯t dig me out, right?¡±


    Watching the two superwomen discussing the topic seriously, Hao Ren quickly switched their attention and said, ¡°Enough about that, you two can just stay at home. Singing is Nangong Wuyue¡¯s profession, and she surely performs better than the both of you on stage, so just stop thinking about it.¡±


    He still had something to say: It was not about Nangong Wuyue¡¯s good voice, but about Vivian¡¯s irreversible bad luck when it came to fortune. Even if she actually won $100,000 on the TV show, she might not have been able to make it to the bank safely¡­


    He knew that if he mentioned it, he would not have dinner that night. Hence, he just kept it to himself.


    ¡°You girls really had fun the past two weeks,¡± Hao Ren said. He looked at Becky and Nangong Wuyue with a smile on his face. ¡°But, I want to confirm: you girls didn¡¯t get into any trouble, right? You know we are special and different. We have to be cautious in public.¡±


    ¡°Hey, no need to be so careful,¡± said Becky as she waved her hand in a relaxed manner. ¡°We aren¡¯t thieves, why so secretive? Besides, Wuyue¡¯s been making a living out of singing, and she¡¯s still fine.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue smiled bashfully and said, ¡°We¡¯ve just been fooling around at home, but how about you? You seem to have done something big? I heard about it from the goddess. She said that you¡¯re starting to think from a wider perspective.¡±


    Hao Ren told them what had happened in the past two weeks. It surprised and impressed both Becky and Nangong Wuyue. Although they may not necessarily understand what life was like under the dome just from listening, the epic events of the elves¡¯ experience and the great migration were quite enough to touch their hearts.


    ¡°You really are a good person.¡± Becky was moved by the story. She looked at Hao Ren and said, ¡°You¡¯re usually quiet. I didn¡¯t expect you to be so capable¡­ By the way, I¡¯ve had a pretty good time here. When will you send me home?¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned.

 Chapter 274

    Hearing what Becky said, Hao Ren felt a stream of cold sweat starting to roll down his back. But she was happy-go-lucky as usual and did not detect that anything was amiss. She continued to mumble, ¡°It¡¯s been a month since I left home, I still have two unfinished jobs back there. I¡¯ll become part of the missing person statistics if I still don¡¯t show my face, you know¡ªthat¡¯s the reality of being a mercenary; they¡¯ll just assume that you¡¯re KIA and close the case if you don¡¯t report back after a while.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Becky very cautiously. ¡°Aren¡¯t you happy being here?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty good here,¡± said Becky, absent-mindedly. ¡°It¡¯s just that, I feel Iike I can¡¯t keep playing out there all the time. It¡¯s time to go home; after all, this is not my place.¡±


    All of a sudden, reality started to sink in. Becky asked, ¡°Wait a minute¡­ has something gone wrong and I can¡¯t go home? Come on, this is all your organisation¡¯s fault. I was brought here unwillingly!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand subconsciously. ¡°I¡¯ve already promised to take you home so, I¡¯ll definitely take you home. But, it will take a while, because¡­¡± Hao Ren poked the MDT on the sofa handle, urging it telepathically, ¡°Say something, pacify her!¡±


    The MDT got up and projected a pile of data as well as images via a hologram. ¡°Because the asymmetrical nature of the ectopic information has resulted in a different conversion mechanism for bi-directional and uni-directional teleportation, thus prolonging the waiting time for the crossing of each entity. The crossing process also involves information destruction of the third, sixth and seventh law, so additional calculation is needed. Additionally, the equipment to send you home is currently being cooled down so you may not be able to go home for a while¡ªgot it?¡±


    Becky was none the wiser. ¡°What?¡±


    Noticing the blank expression on Becky¡¯s face, Hao Ren let out a long sigh, feeling guilty. ¡°There¡¯s a few procedures to be completed before I can send you home. It won¡¯t be long.¡±


    Becky did not think much about it. She took ¡°it won¡¯t be long¡± at face value and nodded. ¡°No problem, as long as I¡¯m not stuck here for good. I¡¯ll stick around for a little longer and I¡¯ll pay for my room¡ªI have money now!¡±


    He quietly wiped away his sweat and smiled. It was a close call. But, he knew he could not drag it any further. While Becky and Lily were glued to the idiot box, Hao Ren shot Nangong Wuyue a stare and they both sneaked into the kitchen, bringing along the MDT. He could not alarm Lily either; the husky was known for spilling the beans. If you told her the nuclear launch code, she would not think twice about announcing it to the world. It was wise to keep her in the dark while she was still unaware of it. Allowing her to be occupied with the prawn snack commercial was the right thing to do.


    ¡°What are you two doing in here?¡± asked Vivian, who was cooking in the kitchen. She gave them a what-the-heck glance. ¡°Don¡¯t disturb me.¡±


    ¡°We have a problem. It¡¯s about Becky.¡± Hao Ren closed the door behind him, then sighed. ¡°How are we going to tell her that her body in The Plane of Dreams has been destroyed by the cosmic will?¡±


    Vivian listened and the problem began to come to light.


    The relationship between The Plane of Dreams and the real world was asymmetrical, and The Plane of Dreams in itself, was vulnerable. So, when Becky travelled from her home to Earth, it was partially unidirectional. This meant that she could cross over to Earth in person but not back. She would have to lie in a hibernation pod and go back home in her dream. In other words, she could not enter back into The Plane of Dreams physically. Her body had to stay back, and at the same time, she would not be able to stay for a very long period of time in The Plane of Dreams. She would have to leave once her dream was over, just like Hao Ren and the other earthlings. Such limitations were not a problem for Hao Ren, who only went in for business, but it would be a hopeless frustration for those were originally from The Plane of Dreams. Why could one not go home at will? Why could one only go home in a dream¡ªa dream that ended?


    It was like paying to stay in your own house and having to show your temporary residence permit from time to time. And, you would be required to get the f*ck out of your house every half a month or so and stay in a hotel. Who would have liked that?


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you were going to solve this technical issue?¡± Hao Ren jabbed the MDT. ¡°Where¡¯s your solution?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve checked. Strictly speaking, it¡¯s not a matter of whether we could, it¡¯s about whether we should.¡± The MDT sighed. ¡°I¡¯m going to be honest with you; if you really want to send Becky back, you just have to request for Madam Raven¡¯s intervention, or get authorisation for special teleportation to bring people back in there, disregarding the travel limitation of The Plane of Dreams. For the Empire, this is just a peace of cake; but the consequences are: you risk puncturing a hole in the real world by violating the rules of teleportation. The Plane of Dreams is unstable, leaking and having problems all the time; starting from the point of teleportation, the whole planet if not half of the galaxy, could be vaporised. Would you shoulder the responsibility?¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s face instantly turned grim. Even the simple-minded Lily would not agree, much less him.


    He understood what the MDT was trying to say; sending Becky back was impossible without taking high risks and consequences, it was a destructive action. It may have worked if the reality wall of The Plane of Dreams was still in good shape but now, even the almighty goddess, Raven 12345 was scratching her head, trying to patch the shaky wall. Sending people back in by boring a hole at this point of time was just asking for trouble.


    ¡°You can¡¯t make an omelette without breaking the eggs,¡± said Vivian as she left the kitchen with a rice pot.


    Amazed by her philosophical remark, Hao Ren tried to laugh. But the problem was he did not even have the ¡°eggs¡±¡ªthe universe belonged to the goddess; she would not put the world at risk for the sake of one girl.


    Nangong Wuyue frowned as she fell into deep though. Then, she said, ¡°It may or may not happen. The Wall of Reality is fragile, but that doesn¡¯t mean it would certainly crumble. We may be able to send Becky through without shaking it too much.¡±


    The MDT wobbled and said, ¡°Right. It¡¯s all about probability. However, even if sending Becky back poses one-tenth of a chance of puncturing the wall, would you risk it?¡±


    Hao Ren was on a sticky wicket; nine out ten: things would turn out to be all right, one out of ten: human extinction.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I don¡¯t understand: while we can bring things in and leave them behind, why can¡¯t we do the same with people?¡± Hao Ren recalled Y¡¯zaks selling his demon sword in The Plane of Dreams. The sword was not expelled when they woke up from their dreams, it instead became physical in The Plane of Dreams.


    ¡°Because intelligent beings affect information,¡± the MDT explained. ¡°People think, observe, interact and process information. At the same time, people themselves also generate and cause information to multiply by way of memory. A peson is not just a lump of carbohydate, but also an entanglement point of complex information; everything a human touches, records, observes, and is curious about would connect in the realm of information. An individual possesses a limited amount of information, but the volume of information he comes into contact with is astounding. As long as the individual lives and observes the world, he would be more and more involved in the surrounding information. Remember this: information is everything, and everything is information. An observer¡¯s involvement in the real world is deep and endless. Especially the Wall of Reality between The Plane of Dreams and the Surface World; it¡¯s in an ambigous state where it¡¯s easily affected by its observers. Non-living things are different. They have little impact. After all, their information is finite. The cosmic will easily digest them even if they¡¯re very polluting as long as their impact is finite.


    ¡°Metaphorically speaking, a bullet isn¡¯t as damaging as a single virus droplet simply because the former is limited in the damage it could cause while the latter could spread and its threat is endless.¡±


    As Hao Ren came to grips with the truth, he spread out his hands, feeling dejected. ¡°Probably, it would help if we whack Becky into a vegetable¡­¡±


    The MDT jabbed his stomach lightly. ¡°It¡¯s good to be creative but being senseless about it is retarded.¡±


    ¡°Do we really have no choice?¡± asked Nangong Wuyue, still retaining a last glimmer of hope. ¡°I think there has to be some way.¡±


    The MDT thought for a moment and said, ¡°If you insist¡­ there¡¯s another way.¡±


    Hao Ren and Nangong Wuyue eyeballed the MDT immediately.


    ¡°Find an existing loophole,¡± the MDT said. ¡°An open loophole is the safest.¡±

 Chapter 275

    ¡°Existing loophole?¡± Hao Ren and Nangong Wuyue repeated in unison.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. An existing loophole,¡± the MDT confirmed. ¡°The Plane of Dreams and Surface World have their fair share of traffic. Unusual creatures have come from The Plane the Dreams to Earth, and vice versa. Various information indicated that the Wall of Reality has had bigger loopholes, and if my guess is right, some of them still exist today. According to information obtained from the Local Universe Database, brief scans conducted on The Plane of Dreams for the past several hundred years showed traces of evidence that materials from the Surface World have been brought into The Plane of Dreams. Although no one knows where the exact path is, a two-way hole certainly exists.¡±


    Sending Becky home by digging a fresh hole was clearly too risky. But if the Wall of Reality already had a loophole and the Surface World did not collapse because of it, that loophole was safe¡ªat least, it was not an immediate danger. The only problem was, where to find it.


    The universe was a big place. If the connection of Peatopia a.k.a Aerym to The Plane of Dreams in the past was anything to go by, it was almost certain that The Plane of Dreams enveloped the entire universe. Loopholes on the Wall of Reality could be anywhere in the universe. Perhaps, there was hint to follow: the loopholes would only occur more in high mass and high density regions of the universe, meaning various celestial bodies where information was abundant. Planets with intelligent beings would be hotspots. Maybe Earth had such an opening; even the door through which the unusual creatures migrated en masse to Earth could still be usable.


    Hao Ren¡¯s mind was running at a high speed; it was probably the result of six months of practice. He could now put two and two together pretty quick. He could foresee some key problems as he frowned. ¡°Wait¡­ that means the most feasible option could very well be the opening used by the unusual creatures in the past?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ that opening may still exist. But to be honest, finding one would be next to impossible.¡± The MDT pondered. ¡°With such a large door, its existence may be non-physical, or it could¡¯ve been transformed and blended in with the space of the Surface World. If the unusual creatures haven¡¯t been able to find it after so long, we won¡¯t either.¡±


    Hao Ren raised his eyebrow and said, ¡°Could the Day of Return be a lead?¡±


    ¡°The Day of Return could mean finding the door, but it may just be speculation.¡± The MDT shook its body. ¡°But, don¡¯t forget, the sirens came to the surface more than a hundred years ago. And after a hundred years, these unusal creatures have not been able to find it and figure out what form the door exists in. So, don¡¯t give it too much hope. Meanwhile, how long do you think you can keep patronising Becky? Days or months? She¡¯ll definitely ask again.¡±


    Hao Ren had been in a stew thinking about the matter. He waved his hands wearily as he said, ¡°Let¡¯s take a multi-pronged approach; you can keep your eyes on anything about the Day of Return and look for information on The Plane of Dreams in the local database; as for me, I¡¯ll read through the myths about Earth and talk to inspectors of other planets to see if I can find something about the hole in the Wall of Reality.¡±


    Despite that, Hao Ren knew that there was a possibility it would not work. He might not be able to find something out before Becky could be patronised no more. He looked at Nangong Wuyue. ¡°Wuyue, you¡¯ve got an important mission¡­¡±


    The siren¡¯s mind went blank. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Keep Becky busy,¡± said Hao Ren, looking serious. ¡°Drown her in the depravity and ectasy of all the fun things on Earth, to the point that she forgets her own name. Perhaps, she¡¯ll even forget about going home¡­¡±


    There was a reluctant look on Nangong Wuyue¡¯s face. ¡°Really? Is it okay for people to do drugs?¡±


    Hao Ren jumped to his feet. ¡°You people must have too much imagination! Can¡¯t you bring her to some other TV programmes? If she gets bored with the talent show, let her go to Walk of Fame; if she can¡¯t make it to Walk of Fame, then challenge Guiness; if she fails to get nominated, let her challenge the Taekwondo school, as long as her attention is diverted. But bear in mind, don¡¯t ever let talent scouts ping her. Judging from her temperament, she may just end up slaughtering the entire filming crew due to the excessive hidden rules in the entertainment industry¡­¡±


    Nangong Wuyue nodded as she came round. ¡°No problem. Recently, she¡¯s been obsessed with TV. I can do that, I¡¯ll play along.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded back. Suddenly the door was yanked open and Vivian poked her head inside. ¡°Are you two done yet? Come and eat. I¡¯m not going to reheat the food!¡±


    Hao Ren quickly nodded and moved himself out of the kitchen into the living room. Everyone was already at the dining table as Hao Ren and Nangong Wuyue walked in. Lil Pea was wielding a half-eaten chopstick, waving at him. He walked over and dragged the little mermaid into the pot. He let her soak in it before he gazed at the food on the table, lamenting. ¡°It¡¯s been a long while. I miss home-cooked meals like this¡­ Has Lil Pea been gnawing at the table again?¡±


    He saw a series of bite marks at the edge of the table. He gave the little mermaid a stare but she had no guilt whatsoever. She popped out of the pot and proudly showed off her grating, sharp teeth.


    The little one was probably entering an explosive growth stage, judging from her big appetite; she had just finished a few paper cards earlier and now, she was chewing on a piece of chopstick again.


    ¡°My cooking may not be as good as Vivian¡¯s but it¡¯s still better than street food.¡± Nangong Wuyue filled everyone¡¯s bowl with rice before pointing to a rustic-looking barbecue dish. ¡°Becky cooked it to welcome you guys home. She was very secretive with the process, probably it¡¯s her secret recipe.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing special about it. They¡¯re just ordinary smoked barbecue slices, which mercenaries used to eat. It¡¯s made using ingredients from Earth.¡± Becky scratched her head, feeling embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯d feel bad if I didn¡¯t reciprocate your hospitality. Let¡¯s take a bite and see how it tastes.¡±


    Hao Ren picked up a slice of the barbecue meat with his chopsticks and tasted it. ¡°It¡¯s lamb, with a bit of fish taste to it. Did you simmer it with fish broth?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be cooked with fish broth but if I had done that, your daughter would have been terrified,¡± said Becky as she pointed to Lil Pea. ¡°She was scared out of her wits when she saw the Cornish dish, ¡®Stargazy Pie¡¯ on TV. So, I did not use fish broth.¡±


    ¡°Then, this is¡­¡± Hao Ren curiously took a gander at the meat slices on the plate as Becky revealed her secret recipe. ¡°Before grilling, the lamb was simmered together with shallots and ginger for five minutes. Then Lil Pea was placed into the pot. As she swam and stirred the broth, it prevented the bottom from burning. Lastly, as the lamb was taken out and drained, Lil Pea was fished out then showered¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    Sensing the fishy atmosphere, Becky quickly explained, ¡°I didn¡¯t abuse your daughter. The goddess confirmed it: because Lil Pea is afraid of the cold, taking a quick swim in hot water helps boost her immune system. After that, I was thinking that the soup shouldn¡¯t go to waste, so I added some seasoning, and it turned out the soup tasted almost like fish broth¡ªbut, overly watered-down like it hadn¡¯t been cooked thoroughly.¡±


    ¡°You have got to be kidding. How could you have Lil Pea cooked? She¡¯s not cookable!¡± As the first person on Earth who cooked and licked Lil Pea, Lily¡¯s words carried weight. ¡°This feels weird¡­ For the first time in my life, I don¡¯t feel like eating meat.¡±


    Lily was not alone. Everyone at the scene now looked at the ¡°fish-flavoured barbecue¡±, feeling weird. The little mermaid was still waving her fists like she was saying hello to Hao Ren. He could not help but hold her up in his hand, carefully examining her¡ªhis understanding of the world had been continuously shattered ever since he signed that godd*mn employment agreement.


    Anyway, it was just a little episode. Aside from Becky¡¯s gross recipe, other dishes were pretty good. In fact, the barbecue was not bad, just that its making was a bit raw. Hence, it was not the most popular dish on the table. All that aside, Hao Ren finally had his long-missed, home-cooked meal.


    The days went by pretty calmly without a single incident.


    But their peace ended on the third day as Vivian suddenly remembered something¡ªher bats, which she had sent out before her last trip.

 Chapter 276

    Before they departed earlier on, they had gotten two important things done. One, Hao Ren had broadcasted the news of the crashed spacecraft to the entire universe; two, Vivian had couriered a swarm of bats to contact her old friends. So far, they heard nothing about the crashed spaceship. They just knew that a few civilisations had found accident reports most likely linked to the crash, and they were currently in liaison with the concerned chambers of commerce. Meanwhile, Vivian¡¯s bat parcels had already arrived in their destinations.


    However, the veteran vampire, Vivian was totally immersed in her happy home life with her misplaced talent. Waking up every morning to find her food always there in the kitchen was the best thing in her life. For three days, she did not think about her bats. If Hao Ren had not asked about them, she would have totally forgotten about the bats until the next spring festival.


    Hao Ren was curious about how Vivian connected with the tiny bats. Ever since they went to the Otherworld a month ago, these Blood Fog creatures had been operating independently with amazing self-care ability. This was despite the fact they were completely cut off from Vivian, whose mind was totally off the matter.


    In the kitchen, Vivian was preparing the breakfast. She was enthusiastic when Hao Ren mentioned the bats. ¡°That¡¯s my specialty. Many of my juniors tried to acquire the skill, but none could do it like quite like me. The bats they summoned had no consciousness. Even if they injected pieces of their consciousness into the summoned creatures, it only extended their lifespan for a week or so. Mine is totally at another level; my summoned bats live and think independently. They¡¯re my shadow clones when I control them with my mind, and they still live like the real thing even after mind control is disconnected. It doesn¡¯t matter how long they¡¯ve been on their own, as long as mental connection is reestablished, they¡¯ll come back into my consciousness without a hitch. I¡¯m an expert in blood magic.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Vivian, bewildered. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you get schizophrenia?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. How complicated can the mind of a bat be?¡± Vivian shook her head. ¡°They¡¯re just an extension of my consciousness. Their independent thinking isn¡¯t complicated. Once they return, they¡¯re no more than a memory to me. There have been issues, though; on longer missions, these little bats burn more energy, and need food. So, they eat anything¡­¡±


    Vivian could not continue. She had a grotesque look on her face as if she recalled something she could not bear to think of.


    Hao Ren could only wonder and decided not to press on his curiosity. He waved to Vivian, trying to bring the conversation back to business. ¡°Let¡¯s focus on reestablishing contact with the bats. I wonder how many of them have found those people.¡±


    Vivian nodded as she cooked the vegetable soup while trying to interact with her bats, which were scattered all over Eurasia. Three of the bats were sent to wrong addresses, so they were on their way back, puffing and blowing while the rest had arrived at their respective destination. Some even found her old friends. She then began to contact these individuals, whom she had not seen for hundreds of years one by one.


    Regardless, that did not affect her work at hand: she still cooked like a pro as though she had developed a separate brain, which specialised in household chores. It seemed like nothing could keep her from adding parsley into the wok¡­


    As there was no more business for him in the kitchen, Hao Ren went back to the living room. He ended up glued to the morning news on TV, pondering what to do next for the next couple of days while waiting for breakfast. Nangong Wuyue checked her watch, it was time for Lil Pea¡¯s flu treatment session again. She picked her up and went into the kitchen. ¡°You busy, Vivian? Would you please heat the water for Lil Pea?¡± Nangong Wuyue asked.


    Meanwhile, Vivian was doing two things at once: she was cooking, and making long-distance calls. She replied, ¡°No problem, just leave her here. No need for the rice cooker, just leave her in her pot will do. I can control temperature better than the rice cooker.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue placed the pot with Lil Pea in it on the stove and left. Vivian fired up the stove and knuckled Lil Pea¡¯s tiny head, all the while smiling as she poured some sesame oil into the pot. When the water was heated, Lil Pea breathed a sigh of comfort as she began to swim with her belly skyward.


    Meanwhile, Vivian furrowed her brows because she had successfully made contact with one of her old friends, who apparently knew something about the Day of Return.


    Using the bat as a transmission medium, the clear, deep but gloomy voice of a woman rang in her mind ¡°¡­You¡¯ve been shedding your responsibility towards your race for far too long. Many families have not been following the rules and got the Blood Clan involved in the Day of Return sh*t.¡±


    Vivian looked down at the vegetable soup in the pot. She kept stirring it while she spoke with her old friend. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me you were harrassed by the naive juniors as well. You¡¯re into the Day of Return too?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, someone came to see me¡ªHeather-Anna, the Lucas Family and even the Ebbens. Perhaps they thought that an old fellow like me who survived since the Mythological Era would know more secrets than them. But I declined,¡± the gloomy voice spoke a with steady tone of voice. ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous. They don¡¯t know what demon hunters can do. They¡¯re not people who they can easily defeat even if the demon hunters are at their weakest. No doubt, the current generation of demon hunters can¡¯t be compared with those from the past, but they¡¯re still like the old hats. In a real battle, you don¡¯t want to take these young chaps lightly.


    Vivian twitched her mouth slightly as she said, ¡°You still haven¡¯t changed. Staying alive is your ultimate goal in life.¡±


    ¡°So is yours. We¡¯ve both survived since the Mythological Era. Those who don¡¯t put it as their goal are already dead.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t equate the both of us. I was never interested in quarrelling or fighting in the first place, and I¡¯m still not interested. Unlike you, who¡¯s always bending with the wind.¡± Vivian tried to mock her, but not in a malicious way.


    ¡°You¡¯re not interested in the Day of Return?


    ¡°Why not?¡± The gloomy voice laughed coarsely. A picture of a sombre face amid flickling candlelight came to mind. ¡°The sirens brought the news. They¡¯re even more mysterious than the demon hunters. Who knows what they know? Aren¡¯t you curious if the Day of Return is true?¡±


    ¡°Not in the slightest.¡± Vivian gave a dry laugh as she grabbed some chopped green onions and sprinkled them inside the pot where Lil Pea was lying in. ¡°Sometimes, when your perpective is broadened, you will realise how childish you were in the past. Fighting for dominance in this tiny Earth is¡­ too narrow-minded.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You used to be a god, living in the high heavens, but have you ever really raised your head and looked up at the stars in the sky?¡±


    The voice paused. Then, the woman said, ¡°¡­You used to study the stars a few thousand years ago and everyone laughed at you. Now, humans have gone interstellar, and those old hats who laughed at you are no more. They¡¯re dead. So, I guess you were right, but what¡¯s the point? We let the opportunity slip away and now people are only concerned about survival. A race with no chance to speak its mind is not fit to talk about the stars.¡±


    A deafening silence ensued, after which Vivian said, ¡°I¡¯m exhausted. Let¡¯s end it here. But your intel is very valuable. My friends and I will visit you soon.¡± So, she ended the long-distance telephatic dialogue.


    ¡°If you come, please come quietly. The situation here isn¡¯t particularly welcoming. I don¡¯t want some demon hunters coming after my a**.¡±


    Vivian smiled confidently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡ªI¡¯ve probably spent more time with demon hunters than you.¡±


    ¡°Then, I wish you peace, countess.¡±


    ¡°Peace be with you too, Hesperides.¡±

 Chapter 277

    Vivian had reconnected with all her summoned bats. While most of them arrived at their respective destinations, only a few managed to find their targets. These old friends, whom Vivian had no contact with since a hundred years ago would not have stayed in one place for too long. Finding these hermits was not going to be easy. In the past, Vivian would not have cared; for the last thousand years, she seldom made an effort to contact the other-kind; those she met, she met by chance. But now, she had a headache: as an ancient vampire, she understood no more about the other-kind than the demon hunters, and that made her feel useless.


    In any case, she managed to contact a few and obtain useful intel. However, news of the Countess of the Crimson Moon resurfacing and contacting the ancient ones quickly spread among the other-kind. She knew her actions were bound to arouse suspicion, but she had no choice. ¡°The Most Ancient Vampire¡± was a title too heavy to bear; even if she was not fighting with anyone, speculation could abound because of the epithet. But heck, screw it. If they wanted to take a cheap shot at her, so be it.


    As far as she was concerned, she only cared about whether the vegetable soup was done. She tried not to keep those voracious creatures at the dining table waiting. Strangely, for some unknown reason, she felt like this was the best moment in her life, much better than the tumultuous and violent life during the mythological times.


    ¡°Here you go!¡± Vivian summoned two swarms of bats to serve the steamy soup and fresh-out-of-the-pot Lil Pea on the table. The listless voracious creatures all bounced up like kangaroos. Hao Ren affably pulled out a chair for Vivian and said, ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡±


    Lily was always the first one out of the gate when it came to eating. Before the pot even landed on the table, she already helped herself to it, filling up her bowl to the brink. ¡°Haha, early bird gets the worm¡­¡±


    Such was life, better than fruitless labour during the Mythological Era.


    The moment Lily gulped down a spoonful, she frowned. ¡°Something¡¯s not right, Battie. You haven¡¯t just forgotten about seasoning, a lot more¡¯s missing.¡±


    In disbelief, Hao Ren said, ¡°How could it be? Vivian has never screwed up¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish his word, water splashed out from one of the pots and a small thing emerged from it¡ªit was Lil Pea. She had chopped green onions as well as other vegetables hanging all over her, and two cooked parsley leaves in her hands. Her face was reddish and she smelled like vegetable soup¡­


    Vivian blushed when she finally realised her mistake: while she was in the kitchen multitasking, she had unknowingly added salt and green onions into the wrong pot. And the little one did not say a thing; did Lil Pea not find it weird with all the vegetables floating around her?


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I was distracted.¡± Vivian waved her hand in embarrassment. Meanwhile, Hao Ren was holding a spoon in front of Lil Pea, wondering about the soup. ¡°Is this even edible?¡±


    Lil Pea was a good girl, she removed the vegetable pieces that hung over her head and put it into the spoon. She then added a complementary handful of water. She shoved the spoon of soup towards Hao Ren and said indistinctly, ¡°Eat¡­ eat¡­¡± Although she only ate bamboo and wood, she knew the ingredients in the pot were edible.


    Hao Ren put the spoon of soup back into the pot; no matter how strong his will power was, he was not going to drink that soup.


    ¡°I was just contacting an old friend. As we chatted I got distracted.¡± Vivian smiled in embarrassment. It was a stupid mistake especially for a god-level cook like her. She wanted to distract Hao Ren¡¯s attention away from her blunder, so she said, ¡°Most of them have moved. But I still managed to reach seven of them who care less about shifting places.¡±


    Hearing that, Hao Ren shifted his attention away from Lil Pea and the soup. He was obviously into the Day of Return stuff. ¡°So, what have you got?¡±


    Tidying up her hair, Vivian said, ¡°Firstly, news of the Day of Return has spread among the other-kind, even the small-fry. A few reputable families of the Blood Clan have become active in Northern Europe. They were planning to unearth some relics in the Arctic but rumour has it that demon hunters pinged them, so the plan was scrapped. Meanwhile, others are seeking for help outside¡ªhelp outside of their own race. This is something new.¡±


    The other-kind was a secluded and stuffy community. As blunt as it may sound, it was a fact. Most families of the other-kind were backwards, but they had an almost insecure, arrogant attitude. They would not seek help even from others within their own race, much less from the outside.


    That was what Vivian told Hao Ren before.


    But somehow, the excitement of the Day of Return had loosened the stubbornness of these creatures that they were willing to put aside their family and racial prejudice in favour of cooperation. They even seeked help from outside their own race.


    Hao Ren smirked, then said, ¡°That sounds like big news. However, the way I see it, their alliance won¡¯t work. Their deep-rooted, mutual repulsion will work against them, not to mention the demon hunters are gonna make sure that the alliance of these dangerous elements fails.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s why the actual alliance hasn¡¯t existed yet. There are just a couple of families trying to rope in their seniors; for instance, those from the Mythological and Post-Mythological Eras, who are still alive. These old ones have lived in solitude for far too long. They don¡¯t care about race, and they¡¯re certainly interested in the Day of Return, so they¡¯ll most likely come back. Those whom I¡¯ve contacted have all more or less been sweet-talked to. Two of the old, not-so-smart ones have decided for a come back. Tsk¡­ they were swayed by their juniors just like that. Apparently their principles have gone to the dogs.¡±


    Suddenly, Lily, the husky hit the table and said, ¡°Hey, mind your words! Are you insinuating that I have something to do with this?¡±


    Hao Ren grabbed a half-eaten bun and quickly stuffed it into Lily¡¯s mouth. ¡°Just shut up and eat. Don¡¯t you know when not to become too sensitive?¡±


    He then turned back to Vivian. ¡°So, according to what you¡¯ve just said, they must¡¯ve also talked you into it. After all, you¡¯re o¡­ I mean, you have years of experience.¡±


    Hao Ren almost said the word ¡°old¡± by slip of the tongue. But looking at Vivian¡¯s face, which was ever young and pretty, he choked. The age stuff was a really confusing thing when it came to the other-kind; could you believe that this maiden had thrown hundreds of men into the moat during the battle of Troy? Could you believe that this same maiden was only 18 years old 13,000 years ago? And could you believe that after 13,000 years, she was still 18 years old?


    Vivian giggled at Hao Ren. For some unknown reason, age was not a taboo for her. She even liked the idea of self-deprecation. ¡°Yeah, an old thing like me might be their target. Unfortunately, they¡¯ll have a problem finding out where I live, or maybe, they already know from the beginning that I won¡¯t be joining their ranks.¡±


    In the meantime, Lily was still trying to swallow the bun. ¡°Or possibility number three: they know you¡¯re suffering from dementia due to prolonged malnutrition. They think you¡¯ve forgetten your own name and even your kung fu skills, thus making you totally hopeless.¡±


    Hao Ren had no choice but to stuff another bun into Lily¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Any more specific intel on the Day of Return?¡± Hao Ren asked while he quietly glanced at Becky, who was also munching on a bun. She was playing with Lil Pea using a chopstick and staring blankly at the chopstick after Lil Pea gnawed it. It appeared that he would not have her attention anytime soon. Hao Ren then continued, ¡°Especially intel on the ¡®door¡¯.¡±


    Based on Hao Ren¡¯s thinking, the crux of the Day of Return probably lay within objects like the ¡°door¡±, or some other natural phenomena. If he could find the loophole, which the other-kind had used to travel through to Earth, he would not only solve Becky¡¯s problem, it was also going to be a commendable achievement for an inspector like him. Therefore, he was pretty into it.


    ¡°I tell you what¡±¡ªVivian nodded¡ª¡±one of the Blood Clan families has found an important piece of relic; the location: the Greek peninsula. That¡¯s why they¡¯re talking a local ancient one into helping them solve the relic¡¯s puzzle. And guess what, my source of intel is none other than this ancient one in question. If you¡¯re free, why don¡¯t we go to Greece?¡±

 Chapter 278

    Vivian had managed to obtain some important information about the Day of Return but, just barely.


    ¡°Important relics?¡± Hao Ren responded with an expectant look on his face. ¡°What¡¯s that about? Something to do with ¡®the door¡¯?¡±


    ¡°No idea,¡± Vivian replied as she spread her arm. ¡°Its existence is still a speculation. I heard a group of Blood Clan members say that they found a sacred item, which can be used to unlock a secret place behind some of the temples in Greece. But it¡¯s unknown what the secret place is all about. The family has been very discreet about it as they¡¯re afraid that the demon hunters may get wind of it. Anyway, it¡¯s said that the Blood Clan members have found some sort of ¡®primordial power¡¯ that¡¯s been preserved till today. My wild guess is, this primordial power must have something to do with The Plane of Dreams.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded as if in deep thought. He had many discussions about The Plane of Dreams with them prior to this, and many conjectures had been made; one of them was the decline of the other-kind had something to do with the Earth¡¯s environment. These creatures of The Plane of Dreams had a hard time adapting to Earth¡¯s low-energy environment; as they were cut off from The Plane of Dreams and receiving inadequate energy supply here on Earth, they were slowly weakened from one generation to the next. So, the Day of Return naturally became an attractive proposition to regain power, which most likely referred to their reconnection process with The Plane of Dreams.


    If anyone found the primordial power on Earth, chances were high that this primordial power leaked from The Plane of Dreams. Probably, an opened loophole did exist?


    The more Hao Ren thought about it, the more he was convinced of the possibility. So, he decided. ¡°Let¡¯s go! After all, I¡¯ve got nothing to do at the moment. What about you guys?¡±


    Everyone was free, everyone said yes. Even Becky, who was busy and having loads of fun at the TV station, decided to join Hao Ren. She wanted to travel the world and widen her perspective. The mercenary just basically had a tourist mentality; new things, new places, you name it and she would be interested. No prize for guessing why everyone could travel impromptu; aside from Lily, who had a so-called proper job and Hao Ren, whose job was travelling around, no one else actually had work.


    Another day, another ¡°family trip¡±. Hao Ren started to guffaw. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re at it again. I mean, we just came home¡­ It¡¯s a busy life alright.¡±


    Lily looked happy. ¡°As the saying goes, ¡®the more able a man is, the busier he gets.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which, this is the kind of intel we¡¯ve been looking for. You should have told me earlier, not waited until now, Vivian.¡± Hao Ren looked at the vampire maiden, who did not particularly enthusiatic. ¡°Why do you look unhappy?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just worried about this very difficult person,¡± said Vivian, looking tense. ¡°This person isn¡¯t an enemy, just very difficult. Okay, screw it. Since you¡¯re going, I¡¯ll just tag along.¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at Vivian quizzically, wondering how the low-profiled vampire got herself into trouble with others. The difficult person Vivian mentioned was certainly not a werewolf, as werewolves were her customary enemy. It had to be someone more complex than that. Also, judging from Vivian¡¯s tone of voice, that person had to be someone she knew, maybe even a friend¡ªjust that, something had happened between them.


    Knowing that Vivian did not want to talk about it, he did not press the matter further. After stuffing down the breakfast, he went upstairs, made the bookings for flight tickets and applied visas for his ¡°children.¡±


    In fact, he had a better alternative, which was faster and more convenient: courier the MDT to Greece; the MDT would send back the coordinates, which would then be used to teleport everyone over. An even better way was to forget about the courier and let the MDT fly to Greece¡ªit was faster than any manmade aircraft. It was the perfect plan.


    However, it was inexecutable: the MDT made a death threat against its own life. If Hao Ren did not respect its dignity as a PDA, it would download 200 episodes of braindead dramas and play it 24/7¡ªit was called suicide, but Hao Ren felt it was more like poisoning¡­


    But, it did not matter even if the MDT did not want to cooperate. He was not in a hurry¡ªthe all-paid-for first class cabin ticket seemed like a more attractive proposition. Furthermore, Becky had never flown before. It was an opportunity for the mercenary to get a taste of flying, she may just forget about going home all together after that.


    They were not first-time travellers anymore; no more a bunch of clueless rookies. Just as Hao Ren said, after having been to the Otherworld, sliding across a few time zones on Earth in lateral direction seemed like child¡¯s play. Even the Petrachelys could travel triple the Earth-Moon distance with just a single press of its pedal, so everyone could now travel overseas like they were just visiting their own backyard. They lazed around the house for a few days as they waited for the flight tickets and visas to be ready. After that, they boarded the flight to Athens.


    As they landed, they roamed through the intricate cobweb of streets like headless chickens at noon. They became lost in between the old, classical and mordern architecture before they finally found their pre-booked hotel in the evening.


    Reality check: having been to the Otherworld and having sense of direction on Earth were a world of difference!


    Hao Ren¡¯s global translator device was a savior indeed. It saved them from getting into bigger sh*t when they got lost. Everyone was ready to drop as they checked in and got into their rooms. After they sorted themselves out, night fell. Like in the past, their plan for a street tour in the foreign land was dashed. As usual, Lily had lost her fight with jetlag¡ªshe already dropped dead in the hotel lobby in the middle of checking in. In the end, Hao Ren had to seduce her back to her room using a piece of meat floss bread¡­


    Hao Ren was standing by the large windows in his hotel suite, looking out at the city, which was a fusion of the old and new. He was immersed in the exotic atmosphere for a while. Then, he turned and thought to himself, ¡°Someday, I¡¯ll to get used to life where I¡¯ll always be on-the-go; thousands of miles from home. Even now, I¡¯m starting to feel unaffected by jetlag.¡±


    The funding Raven 12345 allocated for the trip was enough¡ªin fact, it was more than enough; they were staying in a high-end hotel, sitting between the old and new sections of Athens. It came complete with a private suite for privacy¡ªa good hiding spot for a bunch of weird, non-human creatures.


    Lily was completely defeated by jetlag and she lay half-dead on her bed. On the other hand, Becky had enthusiastically dragged Nangong Wuyue out to loiter around the city: the night was not able to stop the hyper-energetic lady from going out. Ever since she experienced night life on Earth, she came to the realisation that the sunset was not the end of a day; the only thing that prevented one from having fun was energy. She had loads of it, so she decided to have fun.


    Meanwhile, the siren¡ªBecky¡¯s escort¡ª was completely worn out.


    The only ones who stayed were Hao Ren, Vivian and Y¡¯zaks. Three of them gathered in the living area to discuss about their itinerary the next day. Vivian was looking out from the windows at the old town section. ¡°Tomorrow, we¡¯re going to see someone. Just like me, she¡¯s from the Mythological Era, a bit weird but a nice person.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s your source?¡± Hao Ren recalled what Vivian had said before they arrived.


    Vivian nodded lightly. ¡°Yeah, I haven¡¯t seen her for a hundred years¡ªthe longest among the old friends I¡¯ve been in contact with. I¡¯ve got to thank her weirdness; she refuses to leave her home no matter how bad the situation is, so I could contact her because of that.¡±


    ¡°How does she look like?¡± Y¡¯zaks became curious.


    ¡°You¡¯ll know when you see her.¡± Vivian gave out a secretive smile. Then, she recalled something. ¡°A few Blood Clan families are here too. They may be able to smell us out. So, stay calm if you bump into one. Don¡¯t approach them. One of them¡¯s very difficult to deal with. Once she warms up to you, there will be no end.¡±


    Judging from the strange look on Vivian¡¯s face, Hao Ren finally figured out who the ¡°difficult fellow¡± was. It was one of her own kind!


    He wondered what the social circle of this vampire maiden looked like.


    Suddenly, there was a signal coming from his Dimensional Pocket. It was only then that he realised he almost messed up. ¡°Lil Pea¡¯s still inside!¡±


    That¡¯s right. He brought the fish along this time.

 Chapter 279

    It took a lot of effort to bring Lil Pea along. After all, it was near impossible to smuggle a living mermaid through airport security. Hao Ren initially planned to leave her at home with a nanny like the last time. But having been left behind once, Lil Pea had smartened up. The moment she felt that the group was about to embark on another long journey, she glued herself to Hao Ren, refusing to let go. Hao Ren reluctantly agreed to bring her along after the little mermaid was so adamant about it. While the little one was joyous, it was nothing but headaches for the adults, and Hao Ren had no other choice but to stuff the little one into his Dimensional Pocket¡­


    Normally, you would not want to put any living thing into the Dimensional Pocket. It was a dimension without light, sound or gravity and it would swiftly drive any living creature insane with its crushing emptiness. The user guide even had a disclaimer that went along the lines of, ¡°Unless you are seeking revenge, please do not use the Dimensional Pocket to transport any living being. The administration is not responsible for any psychological trauma, which may arise from the experience.¡±


    Well¡­ there was one thing Hao Ren was particularly good at, and that was being creative. Before they left, he purchased an enormous aquarium and grabbed a miniature gravity field generator from the Petrachelys as well. He then got some decorative items for the aquarium, alongside an air pump (purely for Lil Pea¡¯s bubbly amusement). Just before they left for Greece, he also tossed the MDT into the Dimensional Pocket. Hence, Lil Pea was rather well entertained while she was in the pocket. If she wanted lights, there were lights; if she wanted bubbles, there were plenty of bubbles; if she became really bored, she had her beloved lantern. That was how she passed her time on the approximately 10-hour flight¡­


    Hao Ren went into the attached bathroom in his hotel suite and filled the jacuzzi halfway before letting Lil Pea out of the Dimensional Pocket. The little mermaid had been cooped up in the pocket for an entire day and she was very restless. The moment she was released, she leaped into the tub and swam in circles. Shortly after, she got up and sprayed Hao Ren¡¯s face with water. This was basically her way of protesting.


    The MDT floated to Hao Ren¡¯s side too, looking exhausted as it dried itself in a spin. ¡°Your girl will turn out to be a great person in the future. I was almost driven mad by her antics. She spun me about like a top for the whole day¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you did bring the little one along¡­¡± Y¡¯zaks peeked over to see what the commotion was all about and saw Lil Pea swimming around in the jacuzzi. A frown appeared on his face. ¡°¡­We¡¯re going out to do some work later¡­ Are we really bringing her along?¡±


    ¡°What choice do I have?¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°Worse comes to worst, I¡¯ll just stuff her in the pocket and let her out when no one¡¯s around. God, The Plane of Dreams was so much more convenient. We could simply grab a pot and call it an alchemy alembic. Over here on Earth, the rumors alone could be the end of us.¡±


    Lil Pea tilted her head as she listened to the adults, who were discussing their business. After realising that they were ignoring her, she pouted angrily and dove back into the tub, sucking in a load of water. Upon resurfacing, she spat a torrent of water at Hao Ren¡¯s face again¡­


    Becky and Nangong Wuyue had been out in the streets of Athens, shopping until it was about midnight. As they entered the hotel room, both of them were carrying bags stuffed with a whole bunch of items, from local food to crafts. It was rather obvious that Becky purchased the bulk of the items and the two seemed to have unlimited stamina when it came to shopping. They were still fresh enough to chatter about the things they saw during their sojourn. Hao Ren was a little worried that the two ladies would be waylaid by unscrupulous tour guides and be swindled in the process. These types of cheating syndicates were very common in popular tourist destinations and with Becky¡¯s purchasing ability, she was definitely a prime target for these crooks.


    Becky grabbed a bead necklace and put it on Wuyue¡¯s as she said, ¡°You already have someone paying the bill. What are you so concerned about? I heard it all, you¡¯re working for a god. With such a divine backing, why don¡¯t you just go all out? I¡¯ve planned it all out. If I have time, I¡¯ll go on a shopping spree and stuff all the stuff into your Dimensional Pocket. Once we get home, I¡¯ll sell them off. This trip should earn me a few hundred MP5s¡­¡±


    Because Hao Ren¡¯s first gift to Becky was an MP5 from Earth, the mercenary lass took a keen liking to it and treated it almost like a currency, which only she could understand. God knows how she was going to use it to barter with someone.


    ¡°How are you going to sell them off? You don¡¯t even have any contacts¡­¡± Wuyue asked.


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to worry about that. I met quite a lot of people when we were recording and I got hundreds of phone numbers. From my conversations with them, I feel like the¡¯d like stuff like this. If I can¡¯t sell those MP5s, I can try grabbing a load of stuff from Athens and post it up on Weibo for sale. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a market for overseas souvenirs. While I don¡¯t really understand how you people on Earth think, I do admire your entrepreneurship.¡±


    All present were stunned by Becky¡¯s economic acumen and ability to grasp details. Even more surprising was, in her short time on Earth, she could easily understand the needs and wants of the people she just met. Her observational skills were certainly well honed during her time as a mercenary.


    Hearing how Becky lay out her business plan had Hao Ren thinking. He realised that a lot of times, the chance to strike it big stood right in front of people¡¯s eyes, but not many had the ability or courage to grab hold of it. Just look at the difference between Becky and the rest of the tenants in Hao Ren¡¯s home.


    Vivian sighed deeply in a corner. ¡°I really do envy you and your ability to earn money¡­ I too tried my hand at international business a long time ago¡­.¡±


    The room fell into an awkward silence, even Hao Ren was shocked by the revelation. ¡°You¡¯re joking, right? You and international business?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been around for a long, long time now. When you humans started bartering goat skin for grains, I was already watching. What makes you think I haven¡¯t tried my hands at this?¡± Vivian¡¯s eyes looked forlorn as she turned towards Hao Ren. ¡°A few thousand years back, I learned that international trade could earn you big money and I tried my hands at the trade of spices as well as emeralds between Egypt and Rome to try to turn my fortunes around¡­ While the history books may not have recorded it, I¡¯m quite certain that I was the first to do such business¡­¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s interest was piqued by Vivian¡¯s tall tale. ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°I almost lost everything after I left Rome.¡± Vivian sighed again. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what went wrong, I earned something then I proceeded to lose it. It didn¡¯t take long for me to have no money left for my capital. I did get some of my juniors to go into a venture. Needless to say, they went bankrupt after a while. After that, I tried getting money from a few priests in Egypt who worshipped me. However, Octavian had Cleopatra killed and Egypt turned into a Roman province. Took me another 2,000 years of trying my hands at trade before I realised I wasn¡¯t cut out for it. By then, no one dared to go into a venture with me.¡±


    ¡°¡­You never fail to surprise me when you talk about your past¡­ How many more epics do you reckon you haven¡¯t told us yet?¡± Hao Ren said.


    Vivian pondered about it for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m sure there are quite a few. Just not sure when I¡¯ll actually recall them. All in good time I guess. Perhaps I can tell you about the Trojan War, or maybe we can visit the Old Town. Who knows if we might find something that I dropped years ago.¡±


    While Hao Ren and his crew were busy listening to Vivian¡¯s stories in their hotel, the sky had turned dark. The most ancient of cities in human civilisation started its slumber as the night came about.


    As the humans who lived in the light slept, the creatures of darkness woke.


    Shadows that were too quick for human senses darted through the city, bringing news to the other part of town. There was a dark, uncomprehensible secret in Old Town District of Athens. The power of shadows had sliced the city in two; one was corporeal and another was beyond the senses of a normal human being. This was one of their main ¡°lairs¡± in the world and Athens was made into an impenetrable fortress by its shadowy denizens through thousand of years. Even the most experienced of demon hunters would be hopelessly lost in its labyrinth of paths.


    News was spreading like wildfire among the shadowy populace.


    The oldest of vampires, the oddball amid the supernaturals and one of the most ancient of creatures¡ªthe Countess of the Crimson Moon had arrived in Athens and she was uncharacteristically active while in town.


    As Hao Ren and the crew continued talking about Vivian kicking Acherus into the moat, there were many who were speculating if the countess would intervene in the Day of Return.

 Chapter 280

    Athens, the world¡¯s most well preserved ancient city in existence. Humanity went from hunting to agriculture, and slowly tumbled into the gate of civilisation. When men did not need to worry about food, weather and wild animals, the more intellectual of men started to learn. When men started learning letters and used mystical icons to symbolise their thoughts and marvel of the universe, cities grew and kingdoms flourished.


    Those intellectuals who escaped the shackles of basic survival could now focus their sharp minds on more monumental pursuits. Stone upon stone, rock upon rock were put in place, carved and chiselled, forming high walls, arcs, domes and steps as cities rose. They were symbols of humanity¡¯s strength, with intricate statues and carvings of various religious connotations decorating them. Humanity had long moved on from building simple shelters. They created awe-inspiring monuments, which rose skywards, quickly becoming remarkable products of this planet.


    However, humans were not the sole contributor to the rise of cities on this planet. There was another group of beings living side by side with humans. Despite being driven into the shadows and disappearing from the minds of current generations, they lived and thrived on Earth. Human records may not have included them, but another kind of record would never forget their existence: Cities.


    The older the city, the more prominent the trail of these ancient creatures, so much so that the oldest cities became inseparable with the shadowy denizens. Earth was not only the home of humans, creatures of the shadows lorded over this land. While the demon hunters and churches may say otherwise, it was a fact that this planet still had lairs that housed many other unusual creatures. These lairs were built by the supernaturals through blood, sweat and tears. They were not about to give it up so easily.


    In the age where lines between mythology and written history were blurred and cross-contaminated, very little unusual creatures lived openly with humans or developed cities alongside them. Most creatures viewed humans as inferiors who were meant to be brutally ruled over. The more benevolent kind that viewed humans as their flocks of sheep were in the minority. These ¡°benevolent¡± ones were hence viewed as gods and worshipped. There were plenty of cities built in their worship and this lasted over several thousand years until humans obtained the aid of the demon hunters, breaking free from this ¡°enclosure-like¡± existence. With that, part of these cities¡¯ original founders were driven into the shadows.


    Today, no one would believe that unusual creatures actually lived in those temple ruins a long, long time ago.


    Even though things had taken such a turn, these cities were still home to a few supernatural beings . They built them, maintained them and even went to war for them in the past. Despite being driven underground or into the shadows, these unusual creatures never really left town. They simply rebuilt their hearth and fortress in places humans were unable to detect.


    A ground of people were slowly approaching an entryway into one such fortress.


    After having a good rest in the hotel, Hao Ren and the crew followed Vivian to look for the rumoured supernatural who came from the Mythological Era; a rare acquaintance by Vivian¡¯s standards. She was living in one of the oldest areas of the city, and the group had been walking for quite some time ever since they got off their car.


    ¡°You sure we¡¯re at the right place?¡± Hao Ren said as the surrounding area looked awfully familiar after the third time around. ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, this is the third time we¡¯ve passed by this stone wall.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s supposed to be like this¡ªgoing in circles.¡± Vivian nodded. ¡°Athens is a very special place, many supernatural survivors live here. But, we need to use a special method to find them. The demon hunters were always out looking for blood, and those who did not know how to hide their trails would be dead.¡±


    Hao Ren could only nod as he followed Vivian, circling the oldest streets in Athens without knowing that they were getting closer and closer towards the heart of the of Athens¡¯ ancient quarter. He occasionally looked around the structures that he passed through and could not tell if the structures were ruins or newly built or refurbished buildings. A sense of spatial and chronological dissonance then started to well inside him. He felt like he was going through a reverse slideshow of human history. The further he went, the more ancient the scenery looked.


    In the present, there were no true ancient cities on Earth anymore. Even Athens, the cradle of human civilisation was now a modern metropolis. The city looked no different than any other with its busy streets and modern buildings, leaving Lily rather disappointed. But as they left the modern city centre and headed towards the more ancient areas of Athens, they finally saw the old Greek columns and statues¡ªthey were not sure if these were originals or replicas. As the items blended into the background of the modern metropolis, the sight invoked a feeling of historical nostalgia.


    The further they went into the old quarter of Athens, the heavier the feeling got. Reaching the end, old houses became the mainstay on both sides of the road. Beautiful statues and columns replaced the bright neon lights, traffic lights and any modern signage. As they went further in, with Vivian at the front, Hao Ren finally sensed that something was wrong.


    He looked at the buildings next to him. He noticed that the street looked very familiar, and he had passed it three times in the last hour. Howeverm upon closer inspection, he realised that the details around the scene before him had changed. The street lights were gone, shop signs were fading and the cement road had changed into a neat, flat stone road. Even the sun, which was previously on the east had moved west.


    Lily, who was not the sharpest tool in the shed also sensed that something was up. ¡°Eh? Something¡¯s not right. There are very little pedestrians now.¡±


    While this was indeed an older part of town, it was definitely not a deserted area. When they first came, the area was filled with locals and tourists but their numbers were much reduced as time went by. It was not obvious, but the numbers became so little that Lily raised the alarm. Hao Ren also felt odd about the weird scene unfolding around time. He noticed that the remaining pedestrians were strange as well: they were almost like walking corpses, but with soul as they trudged along their path. There were no interactions among them at all and no one stopped to do anything. They were almost like props on a stage, just to give the scene some form of normalcy.


    ¡°We are reaching the Shadowy Divide. Stay alert from here on.¡± Vivian slowed her steps. ¡°Don¡¯t open any doors by the road, and avoid places where the sun doesn¡¯t shine. Do not speak to anyone, and most importantly, don¡¯t walk past me. This is the start of a labyrinth, and one wrong step will send you plunging into a trap of the shadowy world.¡±


    She even specifically reminded Y¡¯zaks. ¡°You too, big guy. This Shadowy Divide has been built by the strongest of the unusual creatures for thousands of years, even you might fall victim to it.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks nodded solemnly while Hao Ren started to get goosebumps all over him. ¡°F*ck my life¡­ This sounds like a bloody horror movie¡­¡±


    ¡°The surviving unusual creatures are split into two kinds; solo adventurers like me and those who band together. The latter formed alliances and families under these circumstances, so they would have their own way of doing things.¡± Vivian smiled. ¡°This is one of the few remaining settlements for our kind, and it has been around for thousands of years. Its layers of defences are nothing to scoff at. Even the demon hunters have no way of breaching the place. At least, for now.¡±


    The group continued to circle the winding streets. The scenery changed every moment they passed through it again. The changes were subtle at first but they slowly got more and more obvious until they arrived at the Shadowy Divide, where all forms of smoke and mirrors were abandoned. Hao Ren noticed that the modern buildings by the streets had completely disappeared and were replaced by stone houses. They were jutting out in weird angles as if the houses themselves were taking a peek at the newcomers. While the buildings had some modern signages on it, they were all faded, almost monochrome. Hao Ren turned towards the entrance and noticed a veil of fog. The entryway had vanished.


    They finally arrived in front of a weird looking shop. It was the only ¡°modern looking¡± building on the street.


    A beautiful yet gloomy looking lady clad in black was waiting in front of the door for them. She smiled the moment she saw Vivian. ¡°It has been a while, Your Excellency.¡±


    ¡°Your place is sure a difficult one to find, Hesperides,¡± Vivian said as she stepped forward.

 Chapter 281

    After being led in circles through a weird, old street in Athens, the group finally arrived at the Shadowy Divide, a peculiar spatial anomaly trapped in time. Most of the modern buildings had disappeared by then and were replaced by ancient, stone buildings as well as statues. Most of them slanted towards the centre of the road like hunting beasts ready to pounce. Hao Ren noticed at the end of the twisted street, stood a building that was vastly different from its surroundings. It looked rather old, but it bore the hallmarks of a modern two-storey, corner lot building with red bricks and blue tiles. The ground floor had a giant glass window and there was a signboard by the door, akin to a storefront.


    The ¡°old friend¡± whom Vivian was looking for was standing in front of the shop waiting for them. She called herself Hesperides, which was a rather odd-sounding name.


    Hao Ren eyed the lady, who was clad in black for a moment. He was rather interested in this ¡°old friend¡± that Vivian made despite her insular nature. Hesperides looked like a lady in her early thirties and she was wearing a rather conservative, dark dress. Her look was mature and attractive, but there was some sort of gloomy aura about her that made it hard for you to focus on her face too long. There was a peculiar ornament hanging across her forehead. It was beautiful but you¡¯d be hard pressed to find another person wearing such an old fashioned piece of jewelry nowadays. It looked almost like it came out of a wall carving.


    ¡°You seemed to have made some new friends.¡± Hesperides was pleasantly surprised by the number of strangers that Vivian brought along. As she sized them up, the caution in her eyes flickered and disappeared. ¡°Hmm¡­ You having one friend was a rarity enough. To see you with so many¡­ my, my, what actually did happen?¡±


    ¡°Not much, I¡¯m just living life day by day.¡± Vivian shrugged and went into the shophouse. ¡°I¡¯m not here for idle chatter today.¡±


    Hao Ren followed Vivian into Hesperides¡¯ shop and noticed that the store was chock-full of old items. It appeared that the first floor was indeed a shop lot, and there was a long counter near the staircase. There were old clocks, weird-looking masks, worn-out wooden carvings and a whole lot of thingamajigs on the counter as well as nearby shelves. Vivian frowned at the messy scene, the housewife in her tingling almost to a boiling point. ¡°This is so messy¡­ Why are you always lugging trash around every time I see you? What are you up to now?¡±


    ¡°Now? I¡¯m selling antiques of course,¡± Hesperides replied nonchalantly as she pulled out a few chairs for the group to sit. She herself was seated behind the counter. ¡°I can¡¯t be idling all the way. I need to have something to do or else I¡¯ll rot away. That little girl over there, don¡¯t touch the stuff on the counter. That mask was worn by a pharaoh before.¡±


    Lily quickly placed the scary-looking mask back onto its stand as she stuck her tongue out at Hao Ren. ¡°So, what do you go by, nowadays? What do I even call you?¡± Vivian said as she pointed at Hesperides.


    ¡°I go by Christine these days¡­ I¡¯ll probably use it for a good decade or two.¡± Hesperides shrugged.


    ¡°Christine?¡± Vivian frowned. ¡°A follower of Christ? What¡¯s gotten into you? How did you face your liege?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a name anyway and my liege has been dead for a long time, so who cares?¡± Hesperides shrugged her again. ¡°And I guess you¡¯ll be calling me by my real name soon, you and your horrible memory.¡±


    Lily was staring at the antiques around the room before something struck her. Pointing at Hesperides, she exclaimed, ¡°Ohhh!! No wonder your name¡¯s so familiar! Isn¡¯t Hesperides the name of the evening nymph in Greek mythology?¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned by the news while Hesperides waved her hand. ¡°That was a long, long time ago. Please don¡¯t bring it up. Now, even I need to buy a ticket to visit Athena¡¯s temple for nostalgia sake¡­ This just makes me sad¡­.¡±


    Lily slid down her chair in excitement. ¡°Oh! So, it is true?!¡±


    Hao Ren was not well versed in Greek mythology but the revelation was surprising to him. He looked at the demure lady and noticed that she looked out of the ordinary. He then realised that he was looking at a living legend, someone who literally walked out of a myth and he was almost overwhelmed with awe. Conversely, Vivian was a living piece of history as well, but given her status as a housewife/nanny/chef, it was hard to invoke any sort of historical awe. Raven 12345 was a goddess too, but since when did that cup-noodle-slurping goddess ever acted like one? While Hesperides was not as ancient as Vivian or as powerful as Raven 12345, her very existance piqued his interest. In fact, look at the length of her name¡­


    Hao Ren had always hypothesised that people with longer names were more often than not renowned people. Cue Ximen Cuixue, Albert Einstein, Aristotle and heck, the strongest combatant he had at home was called Y¡¯zaks Goodman (count the characters). The weakest among the members of his house was Lil Pea, followed by Hao Ren himself. The weakest of them all was Rollie (spacing counts!). This almost proved his theory that ¡°name length equated to combat strength.¡± Hao Ren kind of believed that his initial blind trust towards Raven 12345 was all down to the numbers in her name¡­


    Wuyue just looked at Hesperides in disbelief. ¡°I never thought.. that you¡¯d be the ¡®Daughter of the Evening¡¯ from the myths¡­ Didn¡¯t people say that the ¡®gods¡¯ from your age all fell to the demon¡ª¡±


    ¡°Some of us survived¡±¡ªHesperides pointed at herself¡ª¡±especially those of us who could think fast. If not that, then it was either having enough good luck, or simply being weak enough to be ignored. While not many actually had all of the aformentioned traits, a few of us survived and hid ourselves from the world. I don¡¯t even know how many of my kin are alive, but as far as I know¡­ I¡¯m the only one in Greece. Say¡­ why don¡¯t you all introduce yourselves?¡±


    Hao Ren was so engrossed in looking at his surroundings as well as listening to the conversation between Vivian and Hesperides, that he forgot to introduce himself. Before he could speak however, Vivian stood up first. ¡°Let me. This is Hao Ren, our leader. Just think of him as a human sorcerer or something. That is Y¡¯zaks, a demon¡­. And the last of us, is Lily¡­ a hus¡­ sigh¡­ werewolf.¡±


    Lily almost jumped. ¡°Why did you sigh?! You just sighed didn¡¯t you?!¡±


    Hesperides gave Hao Ren a surprised look and turned her attention back to Vivian. ¡°Leader? You of all people teamed up with someone? And a follower to boot? Are you that famished that you don¡¯t care who your Blood Thrall is any more?¡±


    ¡°Hush, it was my choice.¡± Vivian waved Hesperides off. ¡°I came to find out more about the ruins that you talked about. How is it? Have you confirmed that it¡¯s the pathway to the Old Kingdom?¡±


    ¡°The ruins were discovered by Hessiana and her group, but the Lucas Family had a hand in it. Now, both families are fighting for the rights to it. Those two families did work together before, and given the situation, they¡¯ll probably come together soon enough,¡± Hesperides explained. The entry to the ruins is at the Parthenon, a spatial anomaly point will lead you into the inner sanctum of the ruins. To activate it however, you¡¯ll need two holy relics that are currently in the hands of both Hessiana and the Lucas¡¯. If you want to go to the ruins, you¡¯ll need to link up with them. As for the ruins itself¡­ I¡¯m not sure, never been there before. But based on what Hessiana¡¯s underling excitedly said, within the ruins, you can see some of the functioning temple facility. Additionally, the air is filled with Primordial Powers unique to the Mythological Era. All of this coincides with the prophecy of the Day of Return.¡±


    Hao Ren believed the ruins contain a gate to The Plane of Dreams and asked, ¡°How big is the temple? Are there dimensional rifts leading into a mysterious place? Did you see anyone in there?¡±


    ¡°You seem to be well versed with the ruins.¡± Hesperides was surprised. ¡°But no, there was nothing of the sort. We don¡¯t know how big the place is. No one saw anything but the entrance. Besides, who could live in there for 10,000 years? Would the person survive on rocks?¡±


    Vivian felt rather uneasy. ¡°Hessiana¡­. do we have to meet that annoying brat?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You got beef with that vampire?¡± Hao Ren asked curiously.


    Before Vivian could say anything, a massive swarming noise came from the outside as bats started gathering around. A sharp and energetic voice soon boomed. ¡°Lady Vivian? Is Lady Vivian really here?! It¡¯s Hessiana!!! I¡¯ve come for you!!!¡±

 Chapter 282

    The moment Vivian heard the voice outside the shop, she instantly shivered. The next second, she dispersed into a large group of bats. Hundreds of small bats were flying everywhere like headless chickens, trying to find a place to hide. Some hid in the corner, some hid in the cracks between the door and its frame while another group hid in a royal spice box behind the counter. Before Hao Ren could react, Vivian had already hid in every corner of the room and disappeared out of sight. Shortly after, the antique shop¡¯s glass door was rudely pushed open, and a short girl rushed in happily.


    Hao Ren was immediately stunned when he saw the girl; this girl looked almost exactly the same as Vivian, even the details around their eyes were exactly the same like two peas in a pod. They looked almost like twins except for a few minor differences. The girl was shorter than Vivian, her hair was shorter, and the bright, cheerful expression on her face was not Vivian¡¯s usual expression.


    She was almost like a shrunken version of Vivian. Her proportions were reduced by 1/10, and she looked like she took some wrong medication.


    Hesperides as usual kept a blank, stiff smile on her face. In contrast, everyone else in the house was flabbergasted when they saw the short girl. Lily jumped up and shouted, ¡°Vivian has a sister?¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± The shrunken version of Vivian frowned as she looked around and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s my lady? I can sense that she¡¯s here somewhere¡­ She¡¯s not hiding again, is she?¡±


    ¡°This is Hessiana.¡± Hesperides pointed to this somewhat nervy girl and introduced her to Hao Ren. ¡°Call Vivian out. She won¡¯t leave without seeing her.¡±


    So, they had to collect Vivian¡¯s bats from every corner. Some of them caught the bats in the corner of the walls while some caught the bats in a jar. Lily, with the help of her nose, was the fastest to collect lots of bats. She grabbed more than 100 bats from every corner at the very least. Hao Ren felt some movement in his clothes and even took out a few small bats from his sleeve as well as trouser pocket; God knows how Vivian could sneak into such places. After they found a large swarm of bats, they quickly roped in all of the bats together. Lily then waved a broom and yelled, ¡°C¡¯mon Battie, just come out or I¡¯ll hit you!¡±


    The group of bats had no choice and reluctantly formed themselves back into Vivian. She gave Hessiana an awkward smile and said, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time.¡±


    ¡°Lady Vivian, I miss you!¡± Hessiana said and swooped into Vivian¡¯s arms. Hao Ren could swear to Raven 12345 that he just heard bones crunching due to the friction. The sudden swoop would have crushed Vivian¡¯s chest if not for her extraordinary physique. Nangong Wuyue could not resist asking, ¡°Vivian, why don¡¯t you introduce us? Is this your sister?¡±


    Vivian was trying hard to get Hessiana off her body. When it seemed that Vivian was about to free herself from the girl, she was interrupted by Nangong Wuyue¡¯s question, and all her previous efforts were wasted. She had to wring the girl¡¯s ears really hard to make her go. ¡°Go away, don¡¯t be crazy¡­ That¡¯s why I don¡¯t want to see you, okay? If you don¡¯t go away, I¡¯ll really get angry¡­¡±


    Hessiana reluctantly released Vivian¡¯s arm and sighed regrettably. ¡°Ah¡­ it kind of feels like I¡¯m home again.¡±


    Then, she turned to Hao Ren and the rest, looking curiously at this group of people who seemed to be very close with Vivian. She quickly pulled herself together and became serious. Then, she politely and gently bowed before them as she said, ¡°Nice to meet you all. I am the matriarch of the Hessiana Clan, Hessiana Ancestor. Since you are all able to come here¡­ you appear to be people that Vivian and Hesperides trust. As such, I shall not treat you like outsiders. I hope you all have a good time in this fortress.¡±


    Hessiana switched manners like switching shapes. It was so quick that it left Hao Ren in a daze. However, he still managed to quickly react and say, ¡°Oh, oh, hi¡­ I am Vivian¡¯s friend, just call me Hao Ren. As for our race¡­ we are human beings. According to your world, we are human wizards. The people next to me are¡­¡±


    Hao Ren introduced them one by one. The identity he gave Becky was also the human wizard. This identity seemed to be very useful in their situation. A moment later, Hessiana curiously looked at Nangong Wuyue, the self-proclaimed ¡°siren of dry land¡± and inquired about some of the rumours she had heard of regarding sirens. Hao Ren took this opportunity to seize Vivian and ask, ¡°Who is this? Your sister? It sounds like the two of you share the same surname.¡±


    ¡°No. Her situation is more complicated,¡± Vivian said with a very bizarre expression. ¡°Do you remember me telling you that the bats I summon become living, independent life once they¡¯re not mind-controlled anymore? As long as they can find energy in time to replenish themselves, they will never dissipate.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s expression was elusive as he asked, ¡°So, this strange girl is¡­¡±


    ¡°I forget things once in a while.¡± Vivian covered her face with her hands as if it was an unbearable memory. ¡°There was a bat that I released but totally forgot about. I only remembered it after 1,000 years. In the end, when I found it, it had already turned into human form. She¡¯s that bat.¡± Vivian pointed to Hessiana and said, ¡°Maybe due to the malnutrition and lack of care when she was young, her brain is a bit abnormal. She gets even more abnormal when she sees me. I have been avoiding her for years. Of course, I¡¯m not hiding from her all the time, sometimes she just slips from my mind¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was so surprised that Vivian could be so forgetful. She had to be the only girl in the world to have such a poor memory. On top of that, a lost bat from her could turn into a vampire and even become the matriarch of an entire vampire clan. Perhaps it was just Vivian alone who was having bad luck. Anything else related to her had better prospects than her.


    At this time, Hessiana, who had split from Vivian and turned into human form, finished her conversation with Nangong Wuyue. She gazed at the people around her with a strange look and said, ¡°Lady Vivian has begun to make friends¡­ And I don¡¯t know any one of them. Why do I feel like I¡¯m being abandoned?¡±


    Vivian hurriedly nodded and said, ¡°Right, you are being abandoned.¡±


    Hessiana was at a lost for words.


    Lily could not help but pat her on her arm and said, ¡°Don¡¯t say that. After all, she¡¯s a piece of meat that fell from you.¡±


    ¡°¡­You make me want to bite you.¡±


    Meanwhile, Hao Ren realised that even though Vivian had been wandering around the world (in the true sense of travelling on a budget), she had her own empire: take Hessiana and the vampire family behind her. If Vivian wanted to find someone to support her, they would definitely take good care of her like an ancestor without protest. Therefore, Hao Ren was a little curious and asked, ¡°Vivian, so you¡¯re not homeless after all¡­ Why didn¡¯t you settle down in Athens like the rest of them?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this kind of noisy environment. There are a lot of families living in the city, they have to worry about the attack of demon hunters, and they¡¯re constantly infighting. There will always be people making their life difficult. Besides, people are just annoying regardless of whether they¡¯re acquaintances or enemies.¡± Vivian sighed and continued, ¡°Plus, I¡¯ll make everybody unlucky or even cause them go bankrupt, so I rather live alone.¡±


    Hao Ren was startled and thought Vivian¡¯s bad luck was not just a debuff1. Apparently, it also had a halo effect. Think about it, when she traded spices with Egypt and Rome, she caused several Blood Clan members to go bankrupt. She also destroyed two generations of Egyptian dynasties (whether this one is true or not, let¡¯s just put all the blame on her). When he thought of these things, he suddenly got a little terrified and asked, ¡°Wait, then, why haven¡¯t I gone bankrupt? And when I signed a contract with the new boss, my income actually increased?¡±


    Vivian rolled her eyes at Hao Ren and said, ¡°You¡¯ve got a powerful backing and my bad luck isn¡¯t that horrible. Just renting out a house is not going to make you bankrupt. But I¡¯m not sure what will happen if I become more powerful than your backing¡­ I have weird luck in making money.¡±


    Hao Ren considered finding a chance to study what was wrong with Vivian¡¯s luck. He felt like he was being proactive in doing so! From now on, whenever he was unhappy with anybody, he could directly send Vivian to stay in their house for a couple of days. He would probably get twice the results with half the effort¡­


    Hessiana was not happy to see Vivian busy talking with others. So, she kept pulling on Vivian¡¯s arm to drag Vivian to her side. She then asked, ¡°Lady Vivian, are you here for something important? Or, did you just want to see me? Ah, this makes me blush¡­¡±


    ¡°I heard you found a relic.¡± Vivian went straight to the point and said, ¡°I¡¯ve come for it.¡±


    Hessiana immediately looked disappointed and said, ¡°Oh, the ruins¡­ Since you¡¯ve asked for that, fine. But the Lucas Family¡­ This is a bit troublesome.¡±


    Vivian raised her eyebrow and asked, ¡°Are they still as stubborn as they used to be?¡±


    ¡°They changed their patriarch. The new one is the younger brother of the old patriarch, and he¡¯s more stupid than the old one,¡± Hessiana said disdainfully. ¡°Extremely hard-headed. No matter which way you try to deal with them; violent or nonviolent, no means no.¡±


    It seemed like entering the ruins was not going to be easy.


    Translator¡¯s Thoughts


    Jillyboy Jillyboy


    1In role playing games or video games, it is an effect that makes a game character weaker; a negative status effect.

 Chapter 283

    The world of the unusual creatures was as complex as human society. They also had infighting and factional rivalry, more than humans in fact. Even in today¡¯s precarious situation, many of the unusual creatures could not cooperate openly; this was probably related to the long history of most of their families. Their family history had begun from the Mythological Era, and many of their friction or feuds accumulated over thousands of years. Even if two families were free from estrangement, they were bound by ancient traditions passed down for thousands of years. As such, they could not fully cooperate. This was why such powerful creatures were able to be broken down by hunters and the Church. They had too many races and factions, which were not united.


    In this ancient and mysterious European city, there were several powerful families of unusual creatures; more than 10 small and weak ones lived in the city as well. As a whole, they were in a mutually supportive partnership, but only when confronted with a common threat like the hunters. Beyond this premise, these families in the city of Athens always had various forms of infighting. Of course, they were not too foolish. Every patriarch or matriarch of the clan would control the battles so that they were kept in a certain range. They were often competing for territory or leadership in the city. In the event of a special major discovery¨Dsuch as the relics they discovered this time around¨Dthey would fight for the greatest distribution of benefits.


    ¡°What¡¯s the most powerful family here, now?¡± Vivian frowned and looked at Hessiana. She had not been in the city for a long time, and even though she was there hundreds of years ago, she just passed by in a hurry. This lone weirdo vampire had never paid any attention to the battle of power between these families, so she had no idea about the situation in Athens.


    Hessiana snapped her fingers and answered, ¡°The most powerful family is of course the Lucas Family. After all, they are the oldest blood clan members here. They are followed by the shadelings, which are Bethanos and his people, then my family. My family¡¯s power is about the same as Bethanos¡¯ but, he is older than me in terms of seniority. And then, there are some other hopeless guys. Even if they have any idea regarding this discovery, they¡¯ll just have to wait till we finish our stuff.¡±


    ¡°Bethanos that old man is still alive?¡± Vivian said and grinned. ¡°Now that the relics are under the control of the Lucas Family and your family, won¡¯t Bethanos create any trouble?¡±


    ¡°I found the relics, but I got some help from the Lucas Family when I opened the door. So, the entrance was split between us. Bethanos, of course, wanted to have a finger in the pie, but with the nature of the shadelings¡­ Haha, you know if they interfere in this, they won¡¯t just take ¡®a little¡¯ advantage of it. Hence, the old fogey of Lucas Family and I temporarily suppressed those guys, but certainly not for long. They¡¯ll eventually break into the relic by force.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s your relationship with the Lucas Family?¡± Vivian asked curiously. ¡°Aren¡¯t the two of you already cooperating? Why did you say that they won¡¯t cooperate without the use of violence or something¡­¡±


    Hessiana was furious as she talked about this. ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to say! They bully me just because they¡¯re older than me! Both of us are supposed to control the entrance to the ruins, but its so obvious that they act like they own the place! And with the Lucas Family¡¯s creed of ¡®blood supremacy¡¯, they won¡¯t allow anyone who doesn¡¯t belong to the Blood Clan to enter the ruins. They¡¯re willing to divide it equally with me for the time being because I belong to the Blood Clan. I was also the first person to discover the entrance¨Dthey¡¯re just not thick-skinned enough to take the credit.¡±


    At the end of her sentence, Hessiana glanced at Hao Ren and the rest of them. The meaning was obvious: they did not belong to the Blood Clan and the Lucas Family would not allow them to meddle with the relic.


    ¡°They did invite me,¡± Hesperides said with a subtle smile. ¡°I don¡¯t belong to the Blood Clan, but as I possess more seniority over them, the patriarch of the family needs to bow before me respectfully whenever he sees me. And the entrance to the relic is near the Parthenon, which is strictly my family¡¯s territory¡­ Although the Olympus Family has disintegrated, as long as I, the heir, am still in Greece, they will have to inform me about the relics here. This is the way of the Lucas Family: stubborn, prideful and arrogant, but in this age, they ultimately abide by the gentlemanly manners and etiquette of the old days. If you really want to go to the relic, you¡¯ll need to do it from this aspect: Vivian¡¯s seniority is of great weight in front of the Lucas Family. Vivian, if you make the request, they¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    Vivian nodded as if she had some ideas in her mind. From this conversation, Hao Ren knew something about some of the city¡¯s main forces and what kind of people the Lucas Family were. He had a hunch that the Lucas Family would consist of so-called ¡°ancient and pure¡± vampires. They were arrogant enough and cold enough to be hated, but at the same time, they maintained a subtle amount of courtesy and strict etiquette. It was difficult to like them, but they always felt good about themselves. For Hao Ren, although such a group of ¡°people¡± would be very troublesome, he had to admit that they were in line with his original image of the vampire. Vivian and Hessiana; these two funny ladies were unable to convince him that they were the normal ones in the vampire clan¡­


    ¡°If you want to meet that old fogey from the Lucas Family, I¡¯ll arrange it for you,¡± Hessiana said.


    Vivian and Hao Ren exchanged glances, nodding. Therefore, Hessiana immediately snapped her fingers and layers of black phantoms appeared in the air. After the phantoms dispersed, a tall, skinny man in a black windbreaker appeared in front of them. The pale vampire was most likely Hessiana¡¯s servant. He glanced silently at everyone, after which he pressed his right hand to his left chest and bowed deeply before his mistress. ¡°Your orders, my lady?¡±


    ¡°Go and inform the old fogey of the Lucas Family that the ¡®Countess of the Crimson Moon¡¯ requests to see him. Remember, say it with a tough tone and act a little superior to them. You¡¯re passing on a message for the oldest elder in the world. We have to get the upper hand. Hmm, don¡¯t say ¡®requests to see him¡¯, just say ¡®wants to see him¡¯. It¡¯s ¡®Lady Vivian wants to see him.¡¯ Got it?¡±


    The male vampire bowed again and asked with a soft as well as calm voice, ¡°My lady, what if they are not happy about it and want to kill me?¡±


    Hessiana thought about it and said, ¡°Then, run as fast as you can. Usually in this case, they won¡¯t bother to kill you.¡±


    The male vampire nodded gravely. He then scattered into a large swarm of bats and flew out of the window. This astonished Hao Ren. ¡°Is that okay?¡± he asked.


    Hessiana threw back her shoulders proudly and said, ¡°The Hessiana Family is the most famous adaptive faction in the Blood Clan!¡±


    Lily poked Vivian¡¯s arm and said,¡±¡­She is indeed a piece of meat that fell from you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll really bite you if you say that again!¡±


    ¡°Go ahead and do it. Trying to fight with me with your teeth? I¡¯m not afraid of you!¡±


    They gave Hao Ren a headache. ¡°Can¡¯t you two be quiet now? We¡¯re talking business here!¡±


    At this time, a strange ringing of the bell came from nowhere. It was not very loud but it sounded as if it was ringing directly in their minds¨Dlike the bell ringing on the other side of the River Styx, summoning the souls. Hao Ren even had the illusion that layers of mist dissipated with the ringing sound of the bell. Hesperides stood up and said, ¡°You guys continue to chat, I¡¯m going to entertain some guests.¡±


    As she spoke, her figure faded gradually and eventually became a vague shadow. If you did not look at it closely, you could hardly see its outline. At the same time, the door of the antique shop was pushed open, but the one who walked in was also such a vague and transparent shadow. Hao Ren looked at the shadow curiously and found that the person who came in dressed like a modern man. He wore a suit and leather shoes, which did not fit in with the strange atmosphere of the antique shop as well as the view of the Shadowy Divide outside.


    This figure seemed completely unaware of the group of people in the shop. He went straight to the counter and talked to the shadow of Hesperides.


    ¡°It¡¯s a scene of the real world.¡± Hessiana noticed the curious look on Hao Ren¡¯s face and explained, ¡°This place is actually the intersection of the Shadowy Divide and the real world, and Hesperides¡¯ shop exists between them. When the bell rings, she¡¯s able to travel between the real world and the world of shadows without being affected by the Shadowy Divide. Besides, this place is also one of the entrances into the deeper part of the world of shadows. If you want to go deeper, you have to get her approval here, so she¡¯s also known as the Gatekeeper of the Fortress¨Dbut she doesn¡¯t seem to like that name.¡±


    ¡°Err¡­ That¡¯s kind of amazing.¡± Hao Ren admired it from the bottom of his heart.


    The world of magic and the occult arts¡­ It was truly amazing.

 Chapter 284

    Vivian decided to meet the Lucas Family first. Even though she had little interest in other unusual creatures, especially the old-fashioned, arrogant, xenophobic and obsessive man in the Lucas Family, they had to deal with the die-hards if they wanted to get into the ruins. She had several contacts with the former patriarch of the Lucas Clan and seen his younger brother, who was now the current patriarch of the Lucas Family. Therefore, she felt like she could be somewhat persuasive.


    In addition to his attention to the relic, Hao Ren was now curious about the state of the unusual creatures in the city. He wondered how many ¡°shelters¡± were there in the world. However, Hessiana did not tell them much. ¡°Honestly¡­ It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t believe you. I have no idea too. When we started building these shelters, it was during the collapse of the Mythological Era. At that time, the surviving unusual creatures in the world had been separated by demon hunters and intercommunication was completely interrupted. This situation lasted more than 1,000 years. And, were met with the hanging of witches by the human church before we could even settle down in our various shelters. It was all a mess and we were too afraid to go out. On one hand, staying in the shelter gave us security, but on the other hand, we could not keep up with information of the outside world like the rest. Of course, such a situation did not last forever. We then slowly started to reach out to the outside world, but the number of other settlements we could contact was far less than expected. Many shelters were speculated to be completely closed to outsiders and no one knew whether they had been destroyed or not. It is said that there are several settlements in the depths of the mantle and the deep crust of the North and South poles. But, how will we even find them?¡±


    All this while, people on Earth thought they had ruled the planet completely. People thought they knew most of the secrets of the planet. But now, Hao Ren realised that there were still too many places in the world that human beings had yet to discover. These obscure and muddled historical facts were very different from the chapters that humans kept in the library. The vast majority of humans on Earth would have never imagine that there were still so many secrets about the planet¡ªand these secrets had been slowly creeping in the shadows until the present day.


    Because of the constant blockade from the demon hunters and the Church, the unusual creatures in the world had to be extremely low-key. It was difficult for them to openly seek out their own people or find clues to other shelters. Hessiana called the period between the end of the Mythological Era to the end of the witch hunt as the ¡°severe winter¡±. After the end of the severe winter, shelters that gradually recovered and reached out to the outside world could still be contacted. However, there were more shelters that did not reopen after they settled down. Even the most senior of elders were simply aware of the existence of these fortress. No one knew how to open these fortresses from the outside or how to contact the survivors inside. Additionally, no one knew if these fortresses had been infiltrated by demon hunters. Everything was shrouded in a dense fog and everyone was clueless.


    With his growing understanding of the creatures¡¯ current situation on Earth, Hao Ren felt that the still waters on Earth ran deep. His original impression of the human world was ordinary, peaceful and even a little boring. But this had been overturned. The shadows of the past that stirred in the dark were hidden everywhere in the world, in areas beyond the reach of ordinary humans. The Fortress of Shadows in Athens was one of the representatives of this phenomena: could anyone have imagined that there were actually two version of Athens?


    Another city was hidden in the shadows of the real Athens and it was properly preserved in another layer of space by the Shadowy Divide. Vivian had led all of them through the strange streets to Hesperides¡¯ antique shop. It lay between the two paralled worlds, and the layer of thick fog across the street was just the first layer of protection in the Shadowy Divide. They were far from touching the real wall of the sanctuary. Hesperides was like a gatekeeper¡ªshe guarded the nodes of the Shadowy Divide with other strong and senior elders. Only those who gained permission could pass through a deeper shadow and reach another city.


    Hessiana invited everyone to ¡°another city of Athens¡± in the shadows. Vivian was a little hesitant, but everyone else was happy to go.


    It was never too troublesome to join in a fun thing and Lily jumped around, insisting to go. How could one expect these people to stay quietly in the hotel?


    Hesperides finished her work in the real world within a few minutes and reappeared before them along with the same, strange bell. Hessiana happily jumped up at once and loudly said, ¡°Can you please help them open the door to the deeper space¡­ and give each of them an imprint so that they can move freely from level one to level three.¡±


    Hesperides nodded, lifted a finger and softly recited a very strange spell. Hao Ren did not feel any change in his body after the casting process was over. Hessiana explained, ¡°For outsiders to enter the Fortress of Shadows, they must be guided by the gatekeeper. All of you have been imprinted. With this imprint, you can move freely from level one to three in the Fortress of Shadows¡ªit basically means that you guys can move freely in 70% of the places in the Fortress of Shadows. Forbidden areas will be guarded, so don¡¯t worry about it. Come on, I¡¯ll show you the way.¡±


    ¡°Hesperides, see you later,¡± Vivian said goodbye to her old friend. Hesperides walked back to the counter and waved her hand.


    After they left the strange antique shop, Hao Ren found that the scene outside the shop changed again: This time, even the pavements on both sides of the road were gone. There was only boundless thick fog outside and a blurred path extended forward into the thick fog. No one could see the end of the path.


    He looked back to discover that Hesperides¡¯ antique shop had unsurprisingly vanished in the thick fog, leaving only a lone glass door. There was nothing around the door; it was eerie.


    ¡°You said Hesperides was an eccentric person. I think she¡¯s fine,¡± he turned around and said. ¡°Just a little gloomy.¡±


    Vivian smiled and said, ¡°She just happens to be normal today.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s safer inside the Fortress of Shadows.¡± Hessiana led the way, jumping around happily as she walked. It was weird to look at Hessiana, who looked exactly like Vivian, but behaved like Lily. ¡°This city isn¡¯t the same as other places. The demon hunters have been trying to find a way to break through the Shadowy Divide. They have spies all over the city and you could be targeted anytime when you¡¯re out there. My territory¡¯s in the Fortress of Shadows, which is much more comfortable than staying in the hotel. After two days, we¡¯ll go straight to the ruins from the Fortress of Shadows. The route is safer.¡±


    Vivian seemed dissatisfied with Hessiana¡¯s involvement in the Day of Return. ¡°How can you be interested in the Day of Return, such a stupid thing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in the Day of Return. I came out of you, so for me, return means returning back to your body. I don¡¯t want to return to any other strange place,¡± Hessiana said with a bright smile on her face. However, it gave Vivian goosebumps. And then, Hessiana continued explaining, ¡°I¡¯m interested in the bizarre¡­ umm, environment in the ruins. Anyway, you¡¯ll be full of energy when you¡¯re inside it. It refreshes your mind and clears your eyes. Not to mention, it also cured an old vampire¡¯s lumbar disc protrusion. Who wouldn¡¯t like such a good thing? My Lady Vivian, you have to try it too. The air inside is filled with magic. It¡¯s making me drool.¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian looked at each other when they heard this and asked, ¡°Wait, are the effects that exaggerated?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s plenty of magic in The Plane of Dreams, but it¡¯s nothing like the situation Hessiana just desribed.¡± Y¡¯zaks whispered beside them, sharing Hao Ren and Vivian¡¯s doubts.


    ¡°It¡¯s no exaggeration.¡± Hessiana did not know what they were talking about. She thought everyone could not believe how beautiful she was. She swung her hands to increase her persuasiveness as she continued her description, ¡°The energy in the ruins is abundant and even something like auroras can be seen in the air. They are magic clouds and mist¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like The Plane of Dreams,¡± Hao Ren was very surprised, whispering to Vivian. ¡°This relic may lead somewhere else ¡­¡±


    Nangong Wuyue also moved closer to them and whispered, ¡°Or, it¡¯s not connected anywhere. Instead, there¡¯s a radioactive energy source inside?¡±


    ¡°What are you whispering about?¡± Hessiana noticed that Vivian was chatting intimately with the others in a low voice, but ignoring her. She immediately looked unhappy and said, ¡°Lady Vivian, you can¡¯t treat me this way. No matter what, I¡ª¡±


    Vivian glared at Hessiana and said, ¡°I¡¯ll only talk to you if you behave yourself when you see me!¡±


    Hao Ren did not expect the relationship between the ¡°mother and daughter¡± to be so disharmonious. He touched Vivian¡¯s arm and said,¡±Why do you dislike her so much? I think this girl is all right except for her slight playfulness. And no matter what, she has a very close relationship with you.¡±


    Vivian looked at Hao Ren with a fake smile and said, ¡°Imagine if one day you lose a hair, and that hair turns into a man who looks exactly like you. Then, this man follows you and sticks to you wherever you go. On top of that, his biggest wish is to return back to your body¡­¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s face turned green and said, ¡°Stop! I¡¯m not going to talk about this anymore, okay?¡±


    Vivian covered her face. She turned her head and said, ¡°So, I would rather wander outside than take a step closer to this city, even if I don¡¯t have to worry about food here.¡±


    Hessiana heard this and felt sorry for Vivian. ¡°Lady Vivian, you still don¡¯t have enough food to eat?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± said Vivian, pointing to Hao Ren. ¡°He takes good care of me now and I have one more reason to stay away from you.¡±


    Hao Ren broke out in a cold sweat. He could obviously feel Hessiana staring at him as if he had killed her mother¡­

 Chapter 285

    Vivian¡¯s words were like a magical spell. Hao Ren and Hessiana quickly turned from neutral and friendly to something of a short fuse. If Vivian had not been beside Hao Ren, the miniature version of herself would have attacked him. Hao Ren looked haplessly at Hessiana¡¯s glaring eyes. He wanted to tell Hessiana: Vivian did not want to see her because of her unruly behaviour. If she had been behaving and refraining herself from causing any sexual disorientation in Vivian, the two of them would not have come to this point in their relationship! Vivian was kind; she had already buried the hatchet with Lily and it would be more so with the bat¡ªher own kind.


    In all honesty, he did not get the chance to tell her this; he was not sure whether Vivian or Hessiana would bite him first if actually said it?


    Hao Ren got a little confused about the relationship between Hessiana and Vivian. His perspective of family relationship was being greatly challenged; were they mother-daughter or cousins? Lily¡¯s logic told her they were mother and daughter. After all, Hessiana was the ¡°meat that fell off Vivian¡¯s body¡±. But Hao Ren felt that there was no succession process taking place; the summoned bats were Vivian¡¯s clones and when her clones gained sentience, they became a derivative of the original. So without a doubt, they were cousins. He also remembered mitosis, which he had learned in biology class during his school years.


    But unfortunately, he could not really tell what it was.


    He decided not to care about what they were. Plus, he did not want to be a big mouth and end up being bitten by Vivian just because of his cognitive ignorance. He knew Vivian was mentally allergic to ¡°the meat that fell off her body¡±.


    Fog engulfed their entire surroundings. Visibility was very poor. But, there was only one way, and that was to move forward. As long as they did not stray from the path, they were not going to get lost. However, there was something more than a densed fog; Hao Ren was almost certain that he saw something moving and disappearing very quickly in the fog. At times, he would see people in ancient Greek customes herding livestock, and other times, he would see people in modern suits moving about in a hurry. These strange visions occured on and off in the deepest part of the fog, like a mirage calling out to thirsty travellers in the desert. Hessiana quickly warned them not to stray from their path under their feet. ¡°Don¡¯t ever get distracted by the foggy scenery. One misstep and you¡¯re stuck. The fog is a masterpiece of the Shadow Masters; it contains 3,500 years worth of memory sediments in Athens. Once you step into it, you¡¯ll be trapped in a random piece of memory, with no chance to escape I¡¯m afraid. The fog doesn¡¯t go away, it stays there forever.¡±


    Hao Ren was filled with wonder and fear at the same time. He had no idea what kind of strange traps, or how many of them guarded the Fortress of Shadows, which lay ahead. All he knew was, there were reasons why the all-powerful demon hunters had failed to take down this sanctuary all these years. Even more incredible was the ¡°real¡± Athens actually existing alongside the shadow world; people living under the sun not realising that in the shadow of the city, an entirely different world existed!


    As they went further, the strange visions in the fog appeared even more frequently. Hao Ren saw a group of spear-wielding ancient soldiers walking in his direction, but as they approached, the soldiers suddenly turned into present day workers in suits; a 1920s car blasting its horn emerged from the densed fog, running through Y¡¯zaks and disappearing at the other end of the fog; there was even a group of Nazi German soldiers behind them. This more-recent-memory was a lot more vivid as Hao Ren could see the light reflections on the buttons of the Nazi soldiers¡¯ uniform. As they went farther, more old and modern buildings lined both sides of the road. Clearer images surfaced and some of them were obviously not memories. Their behaviours were clearly different from the visions they saw; they seemed to be lost in the fog. Hessiana pointed at these phantoms and lamented. ¡°Those are the hapless ones, trapped; some are otherworldly criminals who were thrown into the fog; some are wretched souls who offended the guards and some are naive demon hunters. No one can fight the 3,500-year-old memories of this city. Anyone who gets trapped in the fog will be consumed by it and what¡¯s left will be broken images of the moments before their death. I don¡¯t know how good you guys are, but my advice is, don¡¯t try anything stupid and don¡¯t challenge the defenses of the Shadowy Divide, those things are nasty.¡±


    Hessiana made it clear to emphasise the danger of these traps. Hao Ren knew it; this girl obviously inherited her temperament from Vivian. So he smiled and said, ¡°Thank you for the reminder, we¡¯ll be careful¡­¡±


    Hessiana sneered at him and turned her head away, like a child throwing a tantrum. Hao Ren was given a cold shoulder but it caused him no harm.


    Suddenly, the fog subsided and visibility was restored.


    ¡°Here it is.¡± Hessiana pointed down at the scenery beneath them. ¡°Welcome to the other Athens¡ªone of the safest places on this planet.¡±


    ¡°Whoa¡­¡± exclaiming in awe, Lily raised her neck and looked into the distance.


    They were standing on the platform of a building, overlooking the city. The sky was gloomy like it was covered by a layer of curtain or a sea of clouds; it totally obscured the sun and the moon. Under the gloomy sky lay a strange city completely different from the actual Athens: the city was built up of classical architecture straight out of historical paintings. Buildings were built using stones and oddly shaped sculptures were everywhere, most of which were circular, ancient Greek columns as well as ridged houses. But there were also steeple-styled houses and castles, which looked out of place, giving the impression that this place was neither a fish nor fowl. But undeniably, the architecture in its own was valuable. No industrial architecture or technological building techniques of today could compare to them. There was no comparison because you would not find meticulously carved columns, beautifully painted doors, ingeniously lain slates and painstakingly carved reliefs in any other place. As the sky was void of sunlight and moonlight, man-made light sources were everywhere¡ªon bthe uildings and in the streets. However, where they got the energy from was a mystery.


    Looking at the city, Hao Ren felt like he was in a wrong timeline, even a wrong world: the city was full of classical architecture of different eras and regions. It was as if the city¡¯s architect could not wait to show off all his creations at once. The buildings were totally out of place yet, the everything was so detailed. Hao Ren pointed to a mansion near him. ¡°This mansion doesn¡¯t look like it was built 3,000 years ago.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a sanctuary, not something permanent. Sometimes wanderers from other places would check in. Houses of different styles and eras in the city are passed down from generation to generation. There were people who got bored and had nothing else to do, so they would alter the houses; a mansion today, a castle tomorrow. Some would even dig a hole and live underground the next day. What we have is time and energy, but nothing to do.


    ¡°Where did they get the materials from?¡± Hao Ren asked curiously.


    Till a moment ago, Hessiana had refused to talk with Hao Ren, but she had since forgotten about the grudge she held against him. She responded, ¡°The elders hauled in two hills to build the Fortress of Shadows. We also found a safer way to bring in materials. We mined for stones and moved things underground; the demon hunters didn¡¯t know. They couldn¡¯t possibly monitor the whole world all the time.¡±


    Vivian looked down at the city and frowned. ¡°Such an ignorant bunch¡­ This is flashy and impractical.¡±


    Hao Ren hemmed and murmured to her, ¡°Ehem, didn¡¯t you say it was your dream to stay in a castle?¡±


    Vivian blushed and she jabbed him before glaring at him.

 Chapter 286

    Hao Ren looked back to where they came from and the path in the fog had disappeared. In its place was a layer of black mirror with a ripple effect across it, like a painting in the air stretching out of a building. It was ten metres wide or so and a black band, which looked like it was drawn with oil paint floated around the edges. He was curious. He touched it but his hand felt nothing. But when he poked his head through the mirror, he saw that the path was still there. Hessiana spoke snappily from behind, ¡°If you want to go home, use this mirror and just follow the path. You guys have a marking; as long you you don¡¯t wander into the fog, you¡¯ll be safe. There¡¯s an ancient one guarding the entrance and the exit between the Shadowy Divide and the real world, just give him a heads-up then you¡¯ll be free to come and go. However, you¡¯re not allowed to bring anyone in. Your marking is meant only for you. Outsiders who trespass the second level of the shadow space will surely die.¡±


    This pseudo-mirror was the gateway between the Fortress of Shadows and the outside world. There was more than one psuedo-mirror around the city, with powerful guards manning both sides of the gateways. The one here before Hao Ren was a smaller one. The bigger gateways had tight security and were specifically used for moving large cargo and materials. Those were non-accessible to visitors. Soon after, Hessiana began to lead everyone off the platform. On their way, there was an old tree at the end of the platform and Hao Ren could not help but look at it curiously: the old tree appeared somewhat different from a normal tree; it had a severely wrinkled and twisted bark like the face of an old man.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± the old tree suddenly spoke as Hao Ren studied it. As the wrinkled bark moved, it produced a series of cracking sounds and a pair of dark brown eyes appeared beneath the thick bark. ¡°I see you stranger, you¡¯re an outsider. But since you¡¯re with Hessiana, I guess I can trust you. But don¡¯t create trouble in the city or I¡¯ll turn you into fertiliser.¡±


    ¡°This is the old tree, Grandalr, the guard of the gateway. It came to the city 100 years ago.¡± Hessiana smiled politely at the old tree before making the introduction. ¡°Each gateway is guarded by two guards; one in the real world and one in the Fortress of Shadows. Hesperides guards the real world side of the gateway while Grandalr is responsible for the shadow side. Don¡¯t underestimate Grandalr¡¯s capabilities, all the plants in this city follow his order. While he¡¯s here, he also monitors all the streets in the city. He is the ancient one who¡¯s lived since the Mythological Era. He is one of the most experienced seniors in the city.¡±


    Grandalr swung its crown reservedly as though it was flattered by the compliment about its age and experience. Vivian took a walk around the old tree, then she came to a realisation. ¡°I think I¡¯ve seen you before. Wait a minute, you¡¯re the one I planted with my own hands! Now I remember¡ªwhere are the fruits that you¡¯ve promised me?¡±


    Grandalr was stunned and took a second look at Vivian. It started to tremble furiously. ¡°My-My Lady!¡±


    Vivian could not have cared less about its reaction. She grabbed its branch and started to shake it. ¡°Have you borne? Where¡¯s the promised fruit?¡±


    Leaves and dead branches rained down as Grandalr¡¯s voice shivered. ¡°Wait¡­ wait¡­ this is all a misunderstanding! I¡¯m not a fruit tree! I told you I wasn¡¯t the one! I explained myself when I was still learning how to speak. I¡¯m a sentient, tree warrior!¡±


    Vivian let go of the tree in disappointment. ¡°Dang it, I know. I was just pissed. It took me a few precious years to only realise that I had gotten the wrong sapling¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was bewildered. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I brought it here from the garden of Ymir.¡± Vivian was upset. ¡°I once dropped by the garden and found a very tasty fruit, so I took a branch and planted it myself. But apparently, I got the wrong one; years of effort came to nothing but a barren tree. The one that actually bore fuits was its second uncle. Tsk, I waited eagerly under the wrong tree for years, watering and fertilising everyday not knowing that it was barren.¡±


    Hessiana looked on, astonished. Suddenly, something suddenly crossed her mind and she now realised what was going on with Grandalr. ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering why you would act stupid whenever I mentioned Vivian. So, this is why¡­ and to think that I looked up to you as my senior!¡±


    Grandalr shook its crown and said, ¡°So what? I¡¯m still your senior by virtue of age! You have to respect your senior and be humble. Don¡¯t forget the glorious days of the past even though times are bad now. If we live only for the purpose of surviving, what difference have we from the night birds on the third twig of my eastern bough?¡±


    To make it look more convincing, Grandalr spread open its branches and revealed a nest of birds.


    Hessina did not say anything. She just forced a smile and nodded. Meanwhile, Vivian gave the old tree a glance before she lamented. ¡°Forget it, you just stay alive. Those in Northern Europe did not survive, you¡¯re the only one left who can still remember their faces.¡±


    Grandalr was silent for a moment before slowly lowering its branches. ¡°Yes, My Lady.¡±


    As they left they waved goodbye to the thousand-year-old guard, before disappearing with Hessiana into the peculiar city in the shadow. They walked through the streets, which were laid with medieval-style slates and passed spooky old houses in total dilapidation. They occasionally bumped into pedestrians who looked just like any other humans but were in fact otherworldings. Most residents in the city were of the Blood Clan, a third of the population were sapiens called Shadelings while the rest were miscellaneous races who formed an insignificant number.


    The so-called peace in the city was created by the ostrich strategy¡ªpretend that others did not exist. Where there was no interaction, there would be no war.


    Hao Ren also noticed something else; although the city in the shadows was big, it had few residents. Walking along the thoroughfare, one could hardly see pedestrians. In this case, he had only seen 10. As big as the houses were, they looked haunted and most had no more than a 10 % occupancy rate. He used to imagine that the sanctuary of otherworldlings would be a bustling place filled with hotheaded vampires and little demons roaming the streets. But what he saw was the opposite; it was deserted like a ghost town. There may be people there but it could hardly be described as populous.


    ¡°The city only has a population of approximately 10,000 people. To put it into perspective, if this place is as big as the real Athens, it only has a fraction of the population,¡± Hessina explained. ¡°The residents seldom come out and show their faces because they¡¯re kind of disappointed with the current state of affairs. So, they hibernate. If they see that the situation hasn¡¯t changed after they wake up a few hundred years later, they¡¯ll go back to sleep again. Some of them have even been sleeping for 2,000 years, much longer than the time I¡¯ve been in this city.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not the pioneer resident of this city?¡± Nangong Wuyue was kind of curious.


    ¡°No.¡± Hessiana shook her head. ¡°Lady Vivian brought me here about 1,800¡­ no, probably about 1,700 years ago. The city was in a lockdown and Hesperides had made an exception by allowing me in with Lady Vivian as a guarantor. I was alone back then and from there on, I began to have my own family.¡±


    Vivian nodded. ¡°Yeah, because she had been bothering me, so much so that I had no choice but to send her here. Honestly, times were bad back then. I even had problems feeding myself. Sending her to a safer place was the best thing I could do¡ªshe was still an innocent kid and it was too dangerous to stay in the wild with me.¡±


    Lily was a straight talker. ¡°But it seems like you still have problems feeding yourself in not-so-bad times!¡±


    Hao Ren quickly dragged the husky behind him. ¡°She¡¯s been a bit off lately.¡±


    They finally arrived at the deepest part of the city¡ªthe new section where things were pretty well-organised. Hessiana was visibly happier to be here. She pointed to mansion with a pointed roof and said, ¡°This is it! I live here. All houses with the same insignia belong to Hessianite Family¡ªwelcome to my home!¡±


    It was a big house; its roof was black and its walls were grey. Despite being meticulously renovated, it still appeared like a haunted house from the outside. But never mind the slightly depressing style, the fine details on the building were splendorous. Hao Ren quickly noticed the insignia Hessiana mentioned: the family insignia was displayed at the most prominent section of the exterior wall. On an eight-metre long banner was an extremely large selfie photo of Vivian; unlike the short hairstyle that Hessiana wore, the Vivian-lookalike in the photo sported a long hairstyle. The degree of similarity¡ª99.9% . That was her family insignia. The moment Vivian saw this, she could not help covering her face and turning away. ¡°This is exactly why I don¡¯t like being here¡­ She¡¯s very annoying.¡±

 Chapter 287

    By any measurement, the Hessianite Family was already close to the top of the Blood Clan¡¯s food chain in the city. Although a pretty young vampire family, under the wise and diplomatic leadership of its head, the Hessianites rose to prominence very quickly, just a tad behind the Lucasian and Bethanosian Families¡ªwell, that was what Hessiana said anyway. They controlled a large area in the eastern part of the sanctuary and this was their stronghold. Only those sanctioned were allowed to enter the area.


    That was the one-sided story from the Blood Clan maiden who had a loose screw. But since she told it with such seriousness, let¡¯s give her the benefit of doubt.


    They were ushered into the beautiful mansion and were surprised to find the house brightly lit. A bright and beautifully decorated long hall greeted them. It was layered with fine carpet and there were long tables on both sides. In addition, there were almost a hundred male and female staff waiting in the hall. These people were dressed in the finest clothes specifically suited for the function; the males were handsome while the females were enchanting. It looked like an Oscar event, so much so that even Lily who could never sit still for a second was rooted to the spot, wide-eyed.


    It was obvious that these people were waiting for Hessiana and her guests. As soon as they entered the hall, the people turned around and all eyes were on them as if it they standing at attention. They then placed their right hands across their chests, bowed and greeted Hessiana. Marvelling at the sight, Hao Ren could not help but take a jab at Vivian. ¡°It seems your mini-you has been more successful than you.¡±


    Puzzled, Vivian asked, ¡°What mini-you?¡±


    Hao Ren replied, ¡°Hessiana.¡±


    A unnatural expression flashed across Vivian¡¯s face. ¡°She¡­ she¡¯s got nothing better to do. But the fact that she has actually made it to where she is now is mind-blowing. When she just arrived, I had to ask Hesperides to look after her; she was just a kid. And every time I came here she would always do things that scared the hell out of me.¡±


    Meanwhile, Hessiana had run across the hall to the other end, looking happy. She stood in front of a Y-shaped staircase, spreading out her hands as she called out to the people around her, ¡°Listen, ladies and gentlemen. Our true master, Lady Vivian is here! Now let the party begin. Enjoy your food and have fun. Do whatever you like as long as it¡¯s not fighting! Hooray!¡±


    Hao Ren smacked his forehead. ¡°Now, that is anticlimactic as far as the deco is concerned¡­¡±


    These people in the hall were vampires who had gained favour in Hessiana¡¯s family. Hao Ren had no idea what their hierarchy looked like and he did not want to waste time on that. The 100 or so ¡°people¡± in the hall and the meticulous decoration had been carefully arranged by Hessiana to welcome Vivian. Obviously, Hessiana knew her ¡°parent¡± well; she knew that when Vivian arrived, she would have no choice but to reveal herself. Hao Ren did not know how long these people had been waiting. But as soon as Hessiana wrapped up her opening remark, the party atmosphere was ignited with the vampires in tuxedos and gowns scrambling over to the dining tables. If the hall itself resembled the Palace of Versailles, then the scene had to be the canteen of the Palace of Versailles. Hao Ren was rooted to the spot, not knowing what to make of the scenario: he thought he had finally met gentle, elegant, serious and deadpanned vampires, but little did he expect that their culture appearance before meal time was merely part of the presentation¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t expect people in the Hessianite Family to be well-cultured.¡± It was a heart-wrenching scene for Vivian. She herself was poor, but she was well-mannered with calm temperament. Nontheless, she was helpless when it came to Hessiana. ¡°Maybe it has something to do with my bloodline¡­ Like normal members of the Blood Clan, Hessiana can duplicate herself, but her clones would invariably possess some defects in personality. It¡¯s most likely hereditary.¡±


    Hao Ren listened while he looked at the gruesome scene of the party. He now got a better picture in his mind: Look, these funny people were actually a representation of Hessiana and her effort for the past 1,000 years.


    Hessiana ran back to them. She grabbed Vivian¡¯s hand and dragged her to the biggest of tables. ¡°Hurry up, hurry up. Let¡¯s see how good our chef is. I¡¯m starving. I haven¡¯t eaten anything since the afternoon. While I was at Lucas¡¯ place wrangling for half a day, they couldn¡¯t even make a proper meal. What a shame! All I got was just a cocktail and type B blood.¡±


    Meanwhile, Lily was also scrambling to the table, dragging Hao Ren along: it was not hard to tell what was on the simpleton¡¯s mind¡ªafter all, it was dinner time.


    Hao Ren was mentally prepared to see some gross stuff on the dining tables, especially when this was a vampire party. But when he arrived he was flabbergasted. ¡°Do you people eat normal food too?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we do. But it¡¯s not filling enough, so we still need blood to maintain our vitality,¡± Hessiana said as she glanced admirably at Vivian. ¡°I really envy Lady Vivian; she can live entirely on human food, but we can¡¯t. We still depend on the reserve in the blood bank¡ªyou know, it¡¯s not easy to find food anymore nowadays!¡±


    Listening to the way Hessiana spoke, Hao Ren quickly spotted the similarity¡ªit was hereditary; Hessiana had indeed inherited it from Vivian. But one thing was obviously different¡ª the magical powers in Vivian¡¯s blood were not present in Hessiana¡¯s. The bloodline had been diluted. Vampires of the Hessianite Family could only gain full vitality by feeding on blood, although they could still survive on human food. He watched the going-ons in the hall as a complicated but subtle feeling riddled him. The vampires were gobbling up the food like there was no tomorrow, and just like Hessiana, they had that same devil-may-care attitude; they just did not possess the quality of elegance and impassiveness of the pure Blood Clan. Sitting among the pile of food on the tables were glasses of red liquid. It was this kind of stuff that normal people would consider gross. Hao Ren could not help asking as he pointed to the glass before Hessiana, ¡°Is that blood?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you want some? I can pour you some, but just for the sake of Lady Vivian. You know that I don¡¯t like you, but you¡¯re still my guest.¡± Hessiana held up her glass and gave it a little swirl as she continued, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that some human shamans actually drink blood, pretending to be big-tailed wolves.¡±


    Lily responded by hitting the table. ¡°The tail¡¯s a source of pride! Don¡¯t belittle it!¡±


    ¡°Shh, it¡¯s got nothing to do with you.¡± Hao Ren shoved Lily behind him, and then looked at Hessiana awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯ve also heard that vampires keep humans as blood slaves. They harvest fresh blood from the human like one would milk a cow¡ªjust keeping them barely alive, without any freedom. May I ask, is this blood¡ª¡±


    ¡°Lady Vivian told you that?¡± Hessiana gave Hao Ren a sideways glance. ¡°I just don¡¯t understand what¡¯s so great about you that Lady Vivian would be willing to follow you. Don¡¯t worry. Times have changed and so have we. I don¡¯t know about those fuddy-duddies, but we do things the new way¡ªthe civilised way. Our blood supply comes from humane sources and the dealings are absolutely fair as well as open¡­¡±


    Nangong Wuyue frowned. ¡°Just tell us where it comes from.¡±


    Hessiana turned her face away. ¡°The hospital¡¯s blood bank. And some are sourced by way of procurement agreement. Hunting is a dying practice nowadays. Cruel practices such as blood slaves will get ourselves killed.¡±


    ¡°All right, I can accept the idea of a blood bank although that¡¯s a little novice. What about the agreement?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    Hessiana had a forced smile on her face. ¡°You know, while humans and otherworldlings are generally enemies, there are those who have a more unorthodox way of thinking¡ªthose like the heretics, cultists, satanic-worshippers, vampire societies and etc. Got it? These people are the source of blood for the otherworldings in this sanctuary. We even have assets out there such as businesses and mines, which are manned by humans. But behind the walls of these normal looking businesses, the bosses could be members of the Blood Clan or even demons. How do you think a sanctuary as large as this survived till this day?¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s mind was stimulated. He could imagine a flashy, publicly-listed company operating a totally legit business under the sun. When the sun went down and the company closed its doors for the day, the CEO, whose face was always splashed on TV would assemble his or her stuff in the office. The CEO would set up an altar, draw some magic circles and chant some incantations. The individual would praise as well as worship the vampires or demons while waiting for his or her blood to be taken. After that, the company¡¯s financial reports and bags of fresh blood would be delivered underground¡­ The picture could not be more real.


    If that was the case, how many of these company bosses were actually killed by demon hunters?


    It seemed that the conflict between demon hunters and otherworldings had evolved; it was not just a close quarters one. They infiltrated and assimilated into human society to carry on the war. No one could tell how things would unfold.


    But at the moment, Hao Ren could only lament.


    The otherworldlings had indeed kept up with times.

 Chapter 288

    The relationship between otherwordlings, humans and demon hunters was a complicated one¡ªmessier than a tripartite war. There was no way the otherwordlings and demon hunters could ever see eye to eye. The involvement of humans, who were the most populous, complex and fickle beings on Earth did not help in the endless struggle either. You could not possibly expect a race of a few billion people to side exclusively with either the otherwordlings or demon hunters. However, you could certainly expect there to be alternative voices¡ªthose who thought the world was not chaotic enough and those who were afraid that they could not die soon enough. On top of that, there were demon worshippers, werewolf worshippers and vampire worshippers who existed since ancient times. Just as the demon hunters failed to finish off the otherworldlings, the Orthodox Church had also failed to wipe out heresy. The latter and their masters were forced to go underground, however they continued to thrive.


    In fact, they did not merely thrive. They also found a new way of surviving in the new age¡ªthey restructured and formed companies, some of which were even publicly listed. In the past, contracts with their dark masters were called ¡°covenants¡±, now they called it an ¡°agreement¡±. Offerings made in the past were called ¡°sacrifices¡± but they now called it ¡°dividends¡±. Chants during sacrificial rituals used to be known as a ¡°spells¡±, but in the present, when they met and communicated with their dark masters, they did in the form of annual reports. In the new age, when vampires gave exhortation to their human disciples, they called it the company¡¯s ¡°year-end cultural exchange¡±. Those who were daring enough even invited the local press to attend such events.


    But these daring vampires died. Do you know how many CEOs of large corporations mysteriously disappeared every year? God knows how many were caused by demon hunters. The war of the dark forces never stopped; the brutal fight just happened under human noses, hidden from their eyes.


    Hao Ren had a strange feeling towards such human societies, though. Ancient humans worshipped otherworldlings out of fear; during those turbulent times, the otherworldings were on a rampage. Anyone who was kept alive as livestock was deemed to have received a great mercy. The helpless humans during those times could only tremble in fear and woship their captors. But for the same thing to happen today was mind-blowing. If this was still true today, it only showed that unorthodox thinking grew like weeds irrespective of times. That did not mean Hao Ren was against the otherworldings or despised the heretics. He himself was surrounded by a bunch of abnormal people and to a certain extent, he was their protector. This was the strangeness that riddled him. The things he would see in movies had overlapped with his reality, and the way they overlapped was a little strange.


    Nonetheless, Hessiana did not give a sh*t about what Hao Ren was thought. ¡°What are you lamenting about, huh? Aren¡¯t you a human shaman too?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m more than what you think.¡± But he was not allowed to speak about the Space Administration. He forced out a smile and said, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m a contract¡ª¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re all under contract.¡± Hessiana grinned, baring her teeth. ¡°We signed an agreement for a healthy blood supply and a year-end welfare guarantee scheme with our people.¡±


    Hao Ren found that the conversation was going nowhere.


    ¡°Speaking of which, those human organisations you¡¯re controlling¡­ what do they do?¡± Lily asked curiously as Hessiana held up a piece of bloody steak and shoved it into Vivian¡¯s mouth. She turned around and said proudly, ¡°They do many things. The world is moving forward and so are we. The Lucas Family runs two clothing factories and a software firm. There are two companies under my name selling high quality counterfeits and I also have a mining equipment research company. I¡¯ve sent a few operatives to China to study the market in Shanxi, but they haven¡¯t got back to me¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was flabbergasted. ¡°Could it be that they have been sold to a coal mine?¡±


    Hessiana did not bother with Hao Ren this time. He gave Lily a quizzical glance. ¡°Wait a minute¡­ I just saw your ears popping out. What race are you?¡±


    Lily¡¯s mouth was stuffed with a huge chunk of juicy, barbecued meat as the question sank in. Two glugs and she choked. Her face turned red as she waved and gestured frantically with her hands for help; she was going out of breath. Hao Ren lunged forward and administered some sharp blows to her back. She breathed normally again after that, but Nangong Wuyue and Y¡¯zaks were drenched in cold sweat. They had gotten used to the interracial harmony at home, completely forgetting about the non-hostile relationship between Lily and Vivian¡ªthe two natural enemies. Meanwhile, Lily was totally at ease being surrounded by a hundred vampires, still eating like a pig!


    ¡°I was almost dead¡­ and I¡¯ll probably die soon¡­¡± Lily finally had the whole piece of barbecued meat forced down her throat into her stomach. She lay on the table, gasping. The husky had accomplished something no pure-breed werewolves had ever attempted before: she danced with vampires and ate with them, yet she was still alive, Hao Ren thought.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± Hessiana looked at Vivivan, bewildered. ¡°I just asked her a question and her reaction was like¡­¡±


    Lily was hiding behind Hao Ren (it was her instinctive move. To a canine, those who fed it everyday were the most powerful. A Tibetan Mastiff was no exception. Lily was only a husky so this was no surprise). ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t eat me alive¡±


    Heissiana was all the more confused. Vivian shrugged and said, ¡°She¡¯s a werewolf.¡±


    The hall went dead silent. You could even hear a pin drop¡ªvampires indeed had exceptional hearing.


    Lily was almost in tears. She grabbed Hao Ren¡¯s sleeve as she pointed at the barbecued meat on the table. ¡°Can I take one more bite?¡±


    Vivian sighed and said, ¡°She¡¯s getting nowhere.¡±


    Hessiana was a little cautious in the beginning. But when she saw Vivian¡¯s attitude, her guests¡¯ facial expressions and most importantly, Lily¡¯s behaviour, she was flabbergasted. With a wave of her hand, she said to her people, ¡°What are you staring at? Just eat. You haven¡¯t heard anything. Do you understand?¡±


    Lily happily came back to the table again and continued wolfing down as much food as she could like nothing happened. Hessiana¡¯s jaw dropped. Vivian sighed again as she said, ¡°To some extent, Lily is very brave. If I was in her position, I couldn¡¯t have done this.¡±


    Everyone, host and guests alike all had fun and everyone carried on partying late into the night. In fact, a vampire party could go on until the next morning. As the city had no sunlight, they decided to party until they dropped. Those sitting at the same table with Hessiana were leaving earlier than the rest; basically, Lily fell asleep with a mouthful of unchewed food. When Hao Ren tried to lift her up from her chair, she still mumbled something about her barbecue. If it had not been for her biological clock, she would have continued eating until everyone dropped. Hessiana looked at the werewolf maiden admirably for her calmness despite being surrounded by vampires. ¡°This werewolf is one of a kind. She has an equanimity that not everyone possesses. She¡¯ll be somebody someday.¡±


    Vivian pinched the tail Lily had inadvertently revealed as she slept. ¡°Equanimity my foot. Right up until yesterday, I was the only true Blood Clan member she had ever met. She only learned about the Blood Clan and werewolves from TV. She didn¡¯t have the slightest idea about the feud between our two races.¡±


    Hessiana was flabbergasted. ¡°She¡¯s an orphan? There are still creatures like that out there? Is she from the north?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s originally from the land of snow in the north. Her ancestors used to monopolise the transportation trade in there and she still retains one-sixteenth of the imperial city¡¯s bloodline.¡±


    Hessiana was totally intimidated and stunned.


    Thanks to Hessiana¡¯s hospitality, they got to stay in the beautiful mansion with more than enough rooms for all of them. The chamberlain had confirmed their races earlier before including some special decorations in their rooms. Hao Ren was happy to know that deep down, Hessiana had the kindness of Vivian; she was cold to him, but she made an effort to make sure he had a comfy stay, at least it was not a coffin but a warm bed¡­


    Hao Ren had requested an extra large aquarium from the chamberlain, so that Lil Pea could get some fresh air when he hit the hay for the night. In fact, the little one had gotten out during dinner, but she had never seen so many people, so she quickly receded and Hessiana did not notice the uncooked fish.


    The first bizarre night at the vampire¡¯s house was over. The following day, it was still dark in the morning because of the lack of sunlight.


    When Hao Ren got out of the house, he bumped into two red-eyed vampire maidservants, hustling along the corridor. He stopped them and enquired; they had some unexpected news.


    A Lucasian member was coming. And the person was none other then the family head.

 Chapter 289

    As conceited as they got, the Lucas Family had been very careful not to slight Vivian, who was the ultimate vampire ancestor, living since the Prehistoric Era. The day before, Hessiana sent a messenger to the Lucas Family. And today, their patriarch had come to pay a visit. The vampires were a race attaching great importance to bloodline and tradition. They respected seniority more than anything else. So, even if Vivian had a screw loose, she was still their senior. Never mind the vampires, if Emperors Yan and Huang or Adam and Eve came back, wanting to see you, would you not meet them with hat in hand? Vivian¡¯s history was no shorter than theirs¡­


    Meanwhile, the Lucas Family had already arrived early in the morning. However, the person they wanted to see had just woken up. As Vivian pushed the door open and got out of her room, she saw Hao Ren as well as the two maidservants in the corridor. She was all yawny when she greeted them and she looked like a scarecrow. Hao Ren was very surprised: Vivian was extremely particular about her appearance; Lily said she was pretentious. Vivian would never let herself look down-at-heel, always making sure that not a hair was out of place. But now, she was a real sight to behold.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you sleep last night?¡± Hao Ren looked curiously at Vivian. The biological clock of a vampire was different from a human¡¯s. Sometimes, Vivian could do with an hour of sleep, but now she looked like sh*t as if she had not gotten a wink of sleep for five days.


    Vivian raised her hand and pointed to Hessiana who was coming out from another room. ¡°She gave me a hard time last night. I almost went crazy.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s mind was instantly filled with age-retricted scenes. He had his eyes on Hessiana, looking at weirdly. So Hessiana got agitated. ¡°Why are you staring at me like that? I just wanted to sleep in Lady Vivian¡¯s hair, just like old times. But she wouldn¡¯t let me.¡±


    Hao Ren turned his curious eyes to Vivian. Vivian looked back at him with arms akimbo. ¡°I broke myself up into a swarm of bats, dispersed and slept around the house. She inherited my ability, she can¡¯t fight me¡­¡± Vivian said, still yawning.


    ¡°You slept like that the whole night?¡± Hao Ren still looked at Vivian uncannily. ¡°Didn¡¯t you feel tired? What¡¯s the point?¡±


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s not delve into this. I heard that the Lucas Family is here. Lead me to the washroom. I¡¯ll meet them once I get myself sorted.¡± While she walked away with the two vampire maidservants, she looked back and said to Hao Ren, ¡°You haven¡¯t kicked your habit of throwing the blanket off yourself while you sleep, eh? You scared me as I hung over your head last night!¡±


    Then she swaggered away, leaving Hao Ren and Hessiana behind. Hessiana¡¯s glaring eyes were like razor blades piercing into him; he got the feeling that Vivian had done that on purpose!


    Out of nowhere, Hessiana yanked out an iron hammer and smiled at Hao Ren like the Cheshire Cat. ¡°Come on, get your head over here, I¡¯ve got something for you¡­¡±


    ¡°Please, calm down! It was just a bat even if it was her! What could I do to a bat, right?¡±


    ¡°Shut the f*ck up! Everybody knows that humans are peverts! Especially you, shaman. Who knows, maybe you like things with wings?¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    Vivian should not have left her daughter and allowed her to grow up alone! Look what became of her.


    Despite that, Hessiana knew her limits. Perhaps she was wary of being whacked by Vivian, so she took a chill pill. As a matriach, she had to play host to the guests that day. As Hao Ren walked along the corridor, he knocked on each door and collected his team members before going to the long hall downstairs. He came with a curious state of mind to meet the patriach of the Lucas Family. Lily came with a hungry state of mind¡ªfor breakfast, lunch and dinner; Doggie had no clue which meal it was. She was a zombie, waking up from oversleeping. The city had no sun and no moon to mark time, so no one would know what time it was.


    As he got down the stairs, he saw the Lucas Family representatives, whose sense of existence was off the chart. He immediately recognised the difference between them and the Hessianite Family: they were the real deal¡ªthe type of vampire everyone was familiar with.


    There was a large table in the middle of the long hall. Hessiana and her men were sitting at one end of the table, looking well-mannered, for the moment at least. Sitting across them were 10 males and females; they were envoys of the Lucas Family. Everyone was wearing the Blood Clan¡¯s favourite costume: dark suits with blood-red stitches or ribbon trims, however the clothes were not old-fashioned. They were modern-looking, not functionally out-of-place even by today¡¯s standard or too plain in a vampire party. Without a doubt, the Blood Clan members were meticulous about their looks no matter what. In that sense, when Lily called them ¡°pretentious¡±, it was a fair statement.


    Sitting in the middle of the 10 vampires was the patriarch of the Lucas Family. He was a tall and slender, middle-aged man. He had a pale face with middle-length grey hair, swept-back in a neat hairstyle. He was wearing a black suit with maroon lining, absolutely dapper. He was handsome, with a tad of elegance, not as mean and ghastly as one would imagine. He obviously paid a lot of attention to his look; he was impeccable from head to toe, even the creases on his clothes were perfect. But Hessiana was making fun of him. ¡°You still have the same sh*tty look, like you¡¯re going to be cremated soon¡­¡±


    Hao Ren started to doubt whether the maiden received brain damage when she broke apart from Vivian¡¯s body; she was totally unlike her parent, judging from her demeanour.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to see the countess.¡± The elegant middle-aged man had no emotion on his face as if he did not hear Hessiana. ¡°She is my elder. I should do whatever a junior should. But this space is a bit¡­ Don¡¯t you have a proper meeting room?¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes darted all over the long hall and the scene almost shook him off his chair. The remnants of last night¡¯s party had not been cleaned up yet. Okay, let me spell out for you: about every five metres or so, there lay one of Hessiana¡¯s vampires on the floor, still mumbling with food in their mouths. These ladies and gentlemen (in terms of their attire) in suits were strewn across the floor, making the hall appear like the scene of a gruesome genocide.


    ¡°Your family is sh¡­¡± a flirtatious woman beside the middle-aged man spoke with half a smile on her face, but stopped short of calling Hessiana¡¯s family shameful.


    ¡°So what? As long as we¡¯re happy and grow fast.¡± Hessiana shot a smug smile back at her. ¡°Anyway, we were the ones who first accepted the vagrants. Weren¡¯t you the one expelling them in the first place? And now you¡¯ve got a problem with that?¡±


    Hao Ren heard about Hessiana¡¯s history of struggle when she talked about it at the party last night. He now knew the origins of her strange vampire family: just as he had suspected, nothing would be normal when it had to do with Vivian¡¯s bloodline.


    In the beginning, the Hessianite Family was made up of vagrants.


    The conservative vampire families at that time observed a set of strict family rules, even in smaller vampire families. Those who violated family rules would be driven out and it was a very common occurrence. Those who were expelled would lose the protection of their family and food security; they faced discrimination because the sanctuary had no laws to protect this group of vampires. For this reason, the vagrants¡¯ lifespan was very short. Even if they struggled to continue living, there were no families willing to take them in. Humanly speaking, it was a very strange phenomenon. But for those who gave great importance to the concepts of honour as well as disgrace, and abided by ancient traditions, it was a common occurence.


    From the day Hessiana was sent there by Vivian, she mingled with the vagrants as she too was a vagrant. Before that, she had received a few years worth of a Vivian-styled education. She could not care less about the Blood Clan¡¯s honour and stuff like that. She found that vagrants were not as bad as people thought, so she befriended them and played with them¡­ She played with them from the start because, after all she was just a kid back then.


    The vampire families once raised their concerns about the gathering of large group of vagrants, but nobody dared to provoke the royal child¡ªyes, nobody.


    Because she was sent there by the Countess of the Crimson Moon, half of the ancient ones, including the most senior one, Hesperides were Hessiana¡¯s guardians. The ancient ones had lived for far too long and most witnessed their own family¡¯s demise, so they had no strong concept of race. They had no qualms about Hessiana¡¯s actions. And since they did not mind, other people did not have the guts to mind it.


    Back then, people just thought of Hessiana as a VIP¡¯s naughty kid, running loose and hanging out with a bunch of wretched vampires. She would get bored in a few days time, what harm could she possibly cause?


    But the naughty kid with her wretched friends completely finished off all the vampire families save for the Lucas Family¡ªall in a matter of three days.


    These crackpots hung crosses and garlic across their bodies while they held their divine silver weapons in their hands¡­


    Everyone in the sanctuary was scared to the bone. They thought they were demon hunters!

 Chapter 290

    If we went through the ¡°wondrous¡± nature of Vivian¡¯s bloodline, it would probably take forever to complete. Heck, it would take a bucket load of time just to talk about the history of this odd bunch of vampires, who worked in the church for a living. Hessiana had inherited a few of Vivian¡¯s special abilities too and of course, there were the usual mutations as well.


    Vivian could not turn a man into a vampire like a normal vampire could; anyone she ¡°turned¡± still remained a human. At the very most, they were stronger, healthier and had increased longevity, but vampires they were not. Hessiana on the other hand, was a perfected bat familiar and she had inherited a small part of Vivian¡¯s powers. Surprisingly, she was not constrained by the limitation and not only could she turn others into Trueborns, she could forcibly turn other vampires into her thrall with her superior bloodline. To most Blood Clan members, these powers were a step forward, but it was not without it¡¯s cost. Her inheritance of Vivian¡¯s powers was not complete; Hessiana and her bloodline as well as her servants were still vulnerable towards holy water, blessed silver and other anti-demon weaponry.


    However, their resistance was way above all other unusual creatures and this maniacal bunch even went as far as fighting using holy weapons. It would take a few hours before their bodies were directly harmed by the holy energy while most vampires or werewolves would take critical hits everytime a holy weapon striked them.


    Thus, Hessiana¡¯s family wreaked havoc throughout Athens with their half-baked demon slaying (or perhaps, holy resistance?) ability. Truth be told, their offensive capabilities were not at a point where they could steamroll all of their opposition as it was rather difficult to procure holy weapons. Even with smuggling and back-channels, they could only equip a good half of their men with it. Not to mention, they only had a limited time before the holy weapons harmed them as well. But the most crucial factor was the shock and awe their combat tactics inspired within the Divide. Imagine seeing a group of vampires fighting with blessed silver and clutching a cross going, ¡°Jesus give me power!¡± Most ¡°normal¡± vampires would simply be too stunned to even react. Heck, when most of the vampiric families got wiped out during Hessiana¡¯s assault, it was all down to them being too stupified to react¡­


    Of course, whatever remained of Vivian¡¯s reputation also helped Hessiana¡¯s cause. All unusual creatures knew the legend of the Countess of the Crimson Moon and her ability to fully nullify the effects of holy weapons. They also knew of her inability to create her own bloodline thus, leaving only herself with such an enviable ability. Then came, Hessiana who had managed to create a bunch of oddball vampires that could go about spraying others with holy water. Many fell under the impression that Vivian had managed to overcome her inability and they were fighting against her direct descendants. This sapped their morale quite a bit and resulted in Hessiana¡¯s blitzkrieg simply sweeping all opposition aside.


    By the time anyone had the presence of mind to react to Hessiana¡¯s assault, only the Lucas and Bethanos Families were in shape to contend against Hessiana and her bunch of misfits. Hessiana¡¯s family was a smart one; just before the final battle, they signed a peace accord with the Lucas Family and declared their peaceful intentions towards the otherwordlings within the Divide. This was simply a revenge attack against those who had wronged them in the past and nothing more. When the accord was signed, those under Hessiana who were wronged by Lucas also openly declared that they would no longer seek revenge against their former tormentors and things were left at that.


    Even since her sudden assault, Hessiana did not seek to harm the Lucas Family¡¯s interest. She had things well planned out. The entire final attack would take only three days, enough for her to achieve her objectives and prevent the Lucas Family from reacting in time, thus avoiding any conflict; conflict that Hessiana could not afford in the coming discussions. After the dust had settled, she declared that she was forming a new house that would peacefully co-exist with the rest of the otherworldlings. The head of the Lucas Family back then decided that fighting with this bunch of crazy misfits would only bleed his men and resources. Not only that, he would be handing the control of the city over to the Bethanos Family. Hence, he agreed to the formation of the new household. Besides, the Lucas Family did not take any losses from the attack, and the demise of the smaller familiars had instead consolidated his control. While he needed to share the territory evenly with Hessiana, it was the best call at the time.


    And so, the Hessianite Family was formed from the ashes of battle.


    Not long after, the little ¡°Vivian¡± used both clever politicking skills and rogue, underhanded tactics to expand her powerbase. It would take forever to detail what she did to lead her family from a semi-cadet branch of the Lucas Family into a full-fledged family of her own. But one thing was sure, the little lady was ruthless. You needed to keep your eye on her or else, she would stick a blade into you when you were not looking.


    Also something else was made awfully clear: Fighter who were considered cannon fodder died because they were too slow to react.


    The Hessianite and Lucas Families were now what you would consider¡­ allies. It was pretty much an alliance of convenience where they would fight together if threatened by demon hunters and a little more than that. As such, both of the leaders did not keep a facade of formality when they met. After regaling all present with her family¡¯s history, Hessiana quickly eyed the new head of the Lucas Family as she gave a satisfied nod. ¡°Hope you don¡¯t mind the messy place. Lady Vivian arrived yesterday and we held a party in her honour. The meeting room has even more people laying there. Those who became rowdy after a drink or two are all locked in there. They will remain there until they are sober.¡±


    By then, Vivian was done dressing and she came down the stairs. She saw Hao Ren hanging out by the staircase and greeted him before heading down to join the rest. The new head of the Lucas Family saw a face that he had not seen in two centuries and quickly got up to greet her. ¡°My Lady Countess, it has been a while indeed. I¡¯m so glad to see that you are all hale and hearty. Zeon Lucas, the new head of the Lucas Family has come to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Please spare me the formalities, I¡¯m not your grandmother.¡± Vivian was apparently very uncomfortable with the over-the-top formal speech and frowned even before she took her seat. ¡°I haven¡¯t been here for about a hundred years or two¡­ It¡¯s stilll the same here¡ªdark and dreary all the time¡­ There¡¯s literally no improvement at all¡­ Goodness, do you bunch still muck around in the dark doing nothing?¡±


    Hao Ren thought to himself. ¡°It was better if Vivian had not spoke at all. The moment she spoke, she turned into a different character, like a senior scolding her juniors. Clearly this was on purpose, the lass would never speak like that normally.¡±


    But it clearly worked on the young vampire as he looked on grimly with a nod. ¡°Your stern advice is well noted, My Lady.¡±


    As Vivian cleared her throat to ask about the ruins, an alluringly dressed female vampire beside Zeon (the new head of the Lucas Family) gave Vivian a surprised look, exclaiming, ¡°My Lady¡­ you are wearing a dress that I designed¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned as he turned to look at Vivian. The latter was wearing a new long, black dress that he had bought for her last month. It was said that the dress was designed specially for vampires. This was Vivian¡¯s best dress in her wardrobe and she brought it along for the journey. Hessiana threw an almost spiteful look at the lady. ¡°Andrea¡­ don¡¯t you dare use this to get close to Lady Vivian!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth!¡± The look on the vampire named Andrea was of pure surprise but her voice was sure. ¡°This is a limited edition release. If it¡¯s the real thing, you can have a look inside the cuffs. My signature is written there in Latin¡­¡±


    Vivian took a peek at the cuff of her dress and muttered, ¡°What a coincidence¡­ but the handwriting is hideous¡­¡±


    Andrea was nonplussed. ¡°¡­It¡¯s not easy writing on silk¡­¡±


    Hao Ren remembered Hessiana mentioning that the supernaturals in the Divide had business dealings with humans. Additionally, he heard that the Lucas Family had clothing factories as part of their business. But the way Hessiana described things was slightly misleading; the Lucas Family were in the luxury market, not your common tees.


    Now that¡¯s rather rich isn¡¯t it? Andrea the vampire was also a fashion designer¡­


    Hao Ren felt that the atmosphere lightened up with the small talk and while Hessiana was rather displeased by it, it seemed a bit easier for them to talk business now.


    ¡°Andrea, leave the clothes for another time.¡± Zeon Lucas looked at his underling sternly as he turned towards Vivian. ¡°What do we owe the pleasure of the countess¡¯ visit in Athens today?¡±


    Vivian was straight to the point. ¡°I want to see the newly discovered ruins; the one at the Parthenon.¡±

 Chapter 291

    Vivian¡¯s rather direct request to visit the ruins caught Zeon Lucas by surprise. ¡°My Lady, you are interested in the matter as well?¡±


    ¡°You mean the Day of Return?¡± Vivian raised her eyebrows. ¡°No, not a lick of interest in that. I¡¯m more interested in the ruins itself. I¡¯m from that age after all. I¡¯m a little curious about what you have managed to dig out from that old fool¡¯s grave. Maybe I¡¯ll see something nostalgic.¡±


    Vivian was quite reliable when it came to handling serious business. Of course, she could not disclose the true intentions behind her interest in the ruins, but she could come up with plenty of valid reasons for Zeon Lucas to allow her access. The latter did not seem to have much objection.


    ¡°Most certainly, My Lady. You are an elder of the Blood Clan after all. The eldest among all who have lived since the time of yore until now, no one is more qualified than you to go into the ruins. In fact, we have also invited the elders from the Mythological Era like the true heiress of the Peloponnese, Hesperides and the great protector, Grandalr. However, they declined. I hope you understand that this is not a breach of etiqutte on our part.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Hesperides, that old witch is just waiting for you guys to clear the path before going in herself. And Grandalr¡­ that old tree is only interested in feeding the birds nesting on his branch.¡± Vivian shrugged as she pointed towards Hao Ren and the rest. ¡°What I want to say is, this group here will be following me in, but they are not Blood Clan members.¡±


    As expected, Zeon¡¯s expression changed the moment he heard Vivian¡¯s request. The eagerness on his face turned into a stiff awkwardness.


    ¡°These are your friends?¡± Zeon looked at the group of people beside Vivian curiously. His eyes were glued on the tallest of them all, Wang Daquan a.k.a Y¡¯zaks Goodman. ¡°May I know what race these fine people here are?¡±


    ¡°What they are is not important. It¡¯s here and there anyway.¡± Vivian smiled as she threw a glance at Lily, giving the latter a fright before continuing, ¡°I¡¯m asking if you have any objections to that. These are people I trust and they have no interest in power or the treasures there. They are like me, just in it for the fun and games.¡±


    Zeon¡¯s face immediately turned grim as he sat upright. ¡°My Lady, I mean no disrespect, but the discovery of the ruins is a very important event and all rights to it belongs to the finder, meaning the Blood Clan. Even if we aren¡¯t talking about rights of ownership, this is a very delicate time and we need to ensure that this remains a total secret before we uncover most of the valuables in the ruins. We simply cannot risk a leak and have the demon hunters on our¡ª¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that my friends are of ill repute? Even Hesperides is not that presumptuous.¡± Vivian frowned.


    Hao Ren was rather curious at the tone that Zeon had taken. His unwillingness to cooperate was rather odd to say the least. It was true that vampires were a snobbish lot, but they now had Vivian as a guarantor and his reluctance was based on rather flimsy grounds. It was not until his next sentence that Hao Ren understood his intent. ¡°My Lady¡­ it¡¯s not that I suspect your intuition¡­ but this¡­. is mostly due to the way you do things. It¡¯s just very¡­ obvious. I simply cannot allow any other person into the ruins at such a time.¡±


    Hao Ren sighed. Vivian was an oddball vampire who made friends with everyone, aside from the demon hunters. Apparently, this trait of hers was rather well-known.


    ¡°This is a demon.¡± Vivian pointed awkwardly at the members of her troupe. ¡°That¡¯s a siren, this is a landlord¡­ This is a husky¡­. The thing on the table is a fish¡­ Say, when did Lil Pea get out?¡±


    Hao Ren coughed drily. ¡°She¡¯s been out for quite a while. But she seems to be rather afraid of strangers so, she hid herself in my cuff.¡±


    Lil Pea was frightened by the amount of strangers as she poked her head out to look around. She raised her short hands to say hi before scampering back to Hao Ren. This time around, she did not hide in the cuffs but she climbed all the way up to Hao Ren¡¯s neck and clung onto it, probably asking for a hug. All the vampires were dumbfounded by the presence of this unknown and unheard of little creature. Nonetheless, as most of them were seasoned unusual creatures, they could still surpress their curiosity. It¡¯s just that, when Hessiana tried to play with Lil Pea¡¯s tail, her hand was slapped away by Vivian.


    Zeon took a while to recover from the whole ruckus before he realised that Vivian was literally giving nothing away. ¡°I can tell that¡¯s a fish, but what do you mean by landlord and what¡¯s a husky?¡±


    It was the first and probably only time Lily was grateful to be a husky. At least when she was surrounded by a group of vampires, she could ruefully claim that she was another kind of creature, but alas she could not keep her identity hidden as Vivian told the truth after some thought. ¡°Mr. Landlord is a human sorcerer. Husky is a werewolf.¡±


    Zeon and the vampires behind him were shocked by the revelation. One of the vampires even broke protocol as he pointed towards Vivian. ¡°Surely you jest, My Lady?!¡±


    Vivian could only sigh. ¡°It¡¯s the truth. She is a reliable person.¡±


    ¡°This has nothing to do with reliability!¡± Zeon swung his hand in defiance. ¡°How can we let these mongrels defile our property! The ruins were discovered by us! There¡¯s no part for these mongrels in this!¡±


    Lily¡¯s temper flared as she heard what Zeon said. Her ears sprang up with a loud pop and she slammed the table with both hands, screaming, ¡°So what if I¡¯m a werewolf? We werewolves are much more honourable than you! Much braver than you! Much more united than you! We even have bigger tails! Heck, you lot don¡¯t even have tails! You guys were just lucky enough to stumble upon the ruins! Who ever told you it was yours? And with things as they are, you are still so stubborn?! Even Hessiana¡¯s group is much more reasonable than yours!¡±


    Hao Ren really admired Lily¡¯s straightforwardness and guts, but he could not understand what the big deal was in having a big tail¡­


    Shaken by Lily¡¯s sudden outburst, some of the vampires started taking defensive postures. One of them who lacked control even bared his fangs. Seeing the situation as it was, Lily bravely stood behind Hao Ren as she pushed the latter forward. ¡°Wanna fight?! Come on! We¡¯ll take on all comers! Mano a mano! Just get in line! I¡¯m not afraid of any of you! Right, Mr. Landlord? Right, Big Guy? Right, Vivian? Right, Lil Pea¡­¡±


    Wuyue, who was being ranked behind Lil Pea in terms of combat ability, was rather unhappy about it. But she wisely kept quiet: She just did not fight.


    Vivian found that if she continued to keep quiet, the whole meeting would go down the drain, so she stood up. ¡°Quiet, all of you! You too, Lily! Sit! You are probably the first werewolf I¡¯ve seen who¡¯s so daring in the company of vampires. You¡¯re brave, I¡¯ll give you that. Zeon, let me ask you something, does my word count for nothing?¡±


    The head of the Lucas Family was clearly stubborn on the matter, so much so that even Hao Ren could not understand his thought process. ¡°This is a matter of principle. Living in the same city with werewolves is already reaching my limits, but I cannot allow them to touch the ruins. You don¡¯t understand the situation there, My Lady. Please don¡¯t take it that I¡¯m being blindly stubborn. The ruins are simply too special to allow anyone else access to it. It contains the Primordial Powers unknown even in the Age of Mythology. It may very well be the Old Kingdom promised in the prophecy¡­ That said, I cannot allow or accept a werewolf butting her head into this. Lady Vivian, your way of doing things is just too unique. It is not my place to scold an elder, but I hope you understand that these actions will not be accepted by anyone!¡±


    ¡°Allow me to interrupt.¡± Hao Ren had been quiet the entire time and by then, he could not keep his doubts to himself anymore. ¡°Does race even matter in times like this? The demon hunters are close to wiping all unusual creatures from the surface of the planet and you are still at each other¡¯s throats? That¡¯s foolish.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks had a sh*t-eating grin on his face. ¡°If nothing else works, I¡¯ll give him a pep talk on the topic of world peace¡­¡±


    Cold sweat immediately formed across Hao Ren¡¯s forehead as he quickly killed Y¡¯zaks plan at its infancy. They were there as guests, not to commit a massacre.


    Upon Hao Ren¡¯s mentioning of the demon hunters and their current situation, Zeon¡¯s expression seemed to soften a little, but he still shook his head. ¡°You speak truly and that is why I accepted a small group of werewolves in the city. However, that doesn¡¯t mean that I need to sacrifice the needs of my people for them.¡±


    Vivian faked a cough to draw everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Ahem, let me remind you Zeon, that the ruins are not yours, they were never the Blood Clan¡¯s property.¡±


    Both Zeon and Hessiana were stunned.


    ¡°This is the Peloponnese, home of Zeus and the Olympians. Besides, the entrace to the ruins was found in the Parthenon. While the rift may not be tethered to it¡¯s original location, it would not diverge far from its origins. I¡¯m quite sure that it¡¯s probably one of the Olympian temple complexes, am I right?¡±


    Zeon had a rather perplexed look. ¡°¡­You are right. But, we aren¡¯t sure exactly which temple it is. The destruction in the ruins is very bad.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ that means you have taken over someone else¡¯s home, changed the locks, made a new pair of keys and called yourself the master of the house?¡± Vivian stared at Zeon intently. ¡°And while you are pillaging said house, you self-righteously declare those who enter the house thieves? Heh, my, my. Where¡¯s your honour, boy?

 Chapter 292

    It was very rare for Vivian to resort to such a sardonic tone. Even when she had her scuffles with Lily, her voice rarely carried such venom. Her few words earlier were zeroed in on Zeon¡¯s pretty face and the latter was so nonplussed that he stood there, stunned for a good while. He never thought Vivian would argue with him from that particular perspective.


    It was almost as if he never imagined that Vivian, being a part of the Blood Clan would take the perspective of an outsider and chastise him for something he thought was for the immense benefit of his kind. This was almost unthinkable to most normal vampires.


    Leaving the question of ownership of a thousand-year-old ruin aside, the fact is, a normal vampire would not have even questioned Zeon¡¯s actions (while his claims were indeed dubious). Vivian was however, not your run-off-the-mill vampire. She had a very unique view when it came to matters of race. While she may at times think like a usual vampire, like hating werewolves for instance, most of the time she took the side of the outsider and discarded her identity as a vampire to determine if a course of action was right or just. She had a very unique ¡°detached view¡± as a vampire, but how this point of view even occurred to her, the lady herself did not seem to know.


    But her point of view had certainly put the Lucas Family in an awkward position. Even Hessiana looked at Vivian with tears almost welling up in her eyes. ¡°Lady Vivian¡­ It¡­ sounds like you¡¯re scolding me as well¡­ I have the other half of the key¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the reason I asked you why you even got involved in this? It¡¯s better to just leave unknown energies alone. Who knows if that energy is radioactive.¡± Vivian took a glance at Hessiana, her eyes were much more gentle now. It seemed like she had recovered from that ¡°detached view¡± of hers. ¡°I admit I was rather harsh earlier, but facts are facts. The ruins does not belong to any of you. They belong to the Olympians. Of course, you can say that the sorry lot has been destroyed, so that¡¯s that, but let me remind you, Hesperides is still on the Peloponnese. She has her reasons to not bother with the ruins. That is not something you can simply ignore.¡±


    Vivian recomposed herself and a faint sadness appeared across her face. ¡°Let me also remind all of you about another thing¡­ To all of you young ones (she emphasised the ¡°young ones¡± very heavily), the destroyed Olympian Family is a distant past, but to me, I can still hear their laughter and I even remember the time I was here in their gardens as a guest. The meaning of the ruins will differ between you and me. However, I hope that you understand this¡ªI don¡¯t wish to see the relics of my old friends used as tools and stepping stones for your selfish endeavours.¡±


    Zeon demurred for a moment before he asked, ¡°My Lady¡­ If I may¡­ what does Zeus look like?¡±


    Vivian¡¯s expression changed almost immediately from nostalgic to stunned. She stammered for a while before she said, ¡°The faces and voices of those hadst hath passed art still hither; how can one allow thee to claim this house as thou own? I will enter the ruins and my friends are following me!¡±


    Hao Ren slammed his head on the table: Vivian¡¯s indignation earlier was nothing but drama. He almost believed that the lady had cured her amnesia. Zeon¡¯s innocent question had her going to the extent of using Shakespearean English for dramatic effect!


    Zeon Lucas, having witnessed this ancient oddball being so adamant on the matter, and also recalling the non-stop rumour mill about her (mainly about her attitude and way of doing things), had undergone multiple changes of expression in a span of a few moments. Clearly, he was shaken. He was first shaken when Lily reminded him about the precarious situation the unusual creatures were in and again when Vivian roasted him for being presumptuos on the ownership of the ruins. Both ladies had done a good job in rattling him. After demurring for a moment, he slowly rose and left the table. ¡°I need to discuss this thoroughly with the rest. But, I will let you know. I have my stand on this, so I cannot simply discard that because you are an elder.¡±


    Vivian motioned her hand for Zeon to go ahead. ¡°It would be a disappointment if you did not have your own stand on this. You¡¯d be worse than your brother.¡±


    Zeon bowed and left with his followers into a quiet room to discuss the matter. Hao Ren took the chance to pop the question that he had held in for the entire day. ¡°Why is this so complicated? Can¡¯t he¡­ just open the door? Why do we need to even get to this stage?¡±


    ¡°Now you understand how a ¡®standard¡¯ Blood Clan member thinks.¡± Vivian smiled bitterly as she shook her head. ¡°You may find that his stubborness is almost hilarious, but a few thousand years no, hundreds of years ago even, this was considered the right frame of thinking. Even humans once adopted this sort of tribalistic thinking. A city would declare war on another just because one of the traded slaves was an unmarked heathen. A village would be decimated to the last inch because someone brought in a statue that was deemed heretical. All of this has happened before and who knows who actually came up which such dogmas. But since I was around, I¡¯ve seen fools like this who cannot think outside of their tribal circle. The individual you saw was already considered a progressive vampire. At the very least, he didn¡¯t attack when he heard of Lily¡¯s lineage. He even allowed werewolves to live in the city.¡±


    ¡°And there are some vampires living in hideouts under the control of werewolves,¡± Hessiana added. ¡°The situation calls for it¡­ Those who are dead set in their old ways are sure to perish. Those who wish to live must change. Of course, talk is easy. Actually doing it is hard. We have been at each other¡¯s throats since time memorial though and a lot of supernaturals simply don¡¯t just hate each other, they outright butcher each other. As you can see, asking them to get around singing Kumbaya won¡¯t be easy.¡±


    Seeing that the people were on this topic, Y¡¯zaks popped a curious question. ¡°How did the vampires and werewolves started fighting? What about the other races? There has to be a start, a cause. Vivian said she can¡¯t remember. What about you?¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ that¡¯s beyond me,¡± Hessiana said as she twirled her hair. ¡°A lot of this animosity seems to be very natural¡­ inborn, if you will¡­ Don¡¯t tell anyone that I said this but, I have a guess. The bad blood between unusual creatures isn¡¯t all that simple as it looks. There¡¯s definitely something more sinister¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Hao Ren tilted his head.


    ¡°I hate werewolves by nature even though I have yet to even fight with one. I¡¯ve also never received any formal indoctrination and education from the Blood Clan yet, I still hate werewolves. If I knew anyone was a werewolf, I would almost get pissed off automatically.¡± Hessiana looked at Lily sightly embarassed. ¡°I don¡¯t mean anything by it, but after finding out that you were a werewolf, I almost lost it. It was Lady Vivian who forcibly held me back. I¡¯m fine now of course.¡±


    Lily scratched her head innocently. ¡°Why? Did I do anything wrong?¡±


    Hao Ren felt like he had caught on to something. ¡°Wait a minute. Let¡¯s say we take a vampire and a werewolf from their clans, then raise them in an enviroment where they have no contact with other unusual creatures. On top of that, they will be educated in Science and Marxism since young. But based on your guess, when the two meet they¡¯ll still be fight? There¡¯s no real reason to this. It¡¯s almost by instinct that they cannot stand to hear the name of the other?¡±


    ¡°The purer the bloodline, the worse it gets.¡± Hessiana nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the most ancient of vampires and werewolves don¡¯t even need to know the race of the other. They can simply sense the blood in the other individual. Simply catching a glance of the other was enough for them to go berserk and fight to the death.¡±


    Hessiana sighed as she finished. ¡°So¡­ that being said, the purest of blood have pretty much killed each other clean. Hence, we have no witness to that. Of course, Lady Vivian is an exception to the above; she always has been.¡±


    Hao Ren frowned hard at the news and felt that things were indeed not as simple as they seemed. Lily however, appeared to have seen through it and she leapt up in a moment of eureka. ¡°Is the problem like¡­ in the DNA?¡±


    Even that could not be easily proved, Hao Ren felt. If they wanted to delve deeper into this, they would probably need dig out whatever records available to find out what happened when and after the unusual creatures crossed over into Earth.


    There was no such antagonism between the non-human races in The Plane of Dreams after all.


    At the same time, Zeon appeared before them and cut the discussion short.


    ¡°I will open the gate to the ruins.¡± The patriach of the Lucas Family still kept to that over-the-top, stiff and formal speech. ¡°This is because Lady Vivian has given us her guarantee. She is an elder that is recognised by the Blood Clan this, she has the right to interfere in any family¡¯s business. My decision is stemmed from this understanding.¡±


    Hao Ren almost sniggered. Even in admitting defeat, he had set up a very convenient excuse to save face. This old-fashioned vampire seemed almost cute all of a sudden.


    ¡°Very well, then we shall dither no longer. I wish to visit the ruins now.¡± Vivian nodded.


    Zeon turned towards his followers as he awkwardly gave the order to his subordinates. ¡°¡­Prepare the sacred relics. Everything will need to be ready before noon for the ritual.¡±

 Chapter 293

    Zeon Lucas eventually chose to compromise. In fact, his compromise was widely expected: for an old Blood Clan member who scrupulously abided by ancient etiquette, it was difficult for outsiders to understand the weight of his position and his seniority in the clan hierarchy. And even if he did not give face to other elders, there was no way to ignore Vivian, the special elder.


    Influenced by the subtle pressure from the senior elder, who had witnessed all the events of the Mythological Era, Hesperides, who could make the situation more complicated if she intervened, and Hessiana¡¯s family who had significant influence in the current precarious situation, Zeon Lucas finally made a smart decision. To relax the restrictions of the stubborn creed did not necessarily lead to much loss of interest. It would have been unwise to offend a lot of people for the sake of face.


    The entrance to the ruins was located at the Parthenon, but they could not go there directly through the actual city of Athens. The demon hunters kept a close eye on the buildings, which had bee preserved from ancient times. They were just waiting for the reckless and ancient unusual creatures to appear. There was another safer route to the entrance: via the Parthenon in the shadow of Athens.


    This shadow city was a masterpiece by the Blood Clan and the Shadeling¡¯s Master of Shadows. These shadow casters, who were also in power thousands of years ago, twisted the space there in a special way, copying half of the real Athens and dragging it into the city¡¯s shadow, creating this bizarre replica. One by one, many of its areas corresponded to the real Athens, not only in shape and structure, but even in their coordinates. Just like parallel spaces, the shadow of Athens hung over the landmark of the true Athens. It existed around ordinary people but they were simply unaware of its existence.


    Therefore, there was also a Parthenon in the shadow of Athens. In fact, its absolute coordinates showed that it was in the same spot as the Parthenon in the real world. As long as some clever alterations were made, they could go straight from the sanctuary to the ruins and avoid being discovered by the demon hunters.


    Zeon Lucas ordered his servants to take out the sacred device that opened the gate of the Parthenon from his family¡¯s treasure house. Although he was reluctant to do so, he had to be courteous. He came to ¡°open the door¡± for Vivian himself.


    The Parthenon, which was located in the center of the ancient Acropolis of Athens sat at the highest point of the city, overlooking the city for more than 2,400 years. This great, towering building sat on a limestone hill and could be seen from a distance. Hao Ren and his group of people, together with Hessiana and Lucas as well as their respective attendants rushed to the place where the Parthenon was situated. It happened to be ¡°midday¡± in the shadow of Athens.


    There was no day and night in the chaotic shadow city, where the residents relied on clocks to determine their schedules. Now that it was midday, the power of shadows in the real world was suppressed to the limit. Therefore, opening the gate in the Fortress of Shadows at this time could prevent air from leaking into the real Athens; the sun would eliminate this slight inconspicuous undulation. Although this effect was negligible, the word ¡°caution¡± was carved into the bones of every single individual in the city. This was how they survived for so many years.


    When they were on the platform of the hill, the first one to get excited was the mercenary, Becky, who had been quite low-key since she followed them into the shadow of Athens. She had almost been forgotten by the others.


    The girl looked at the rectangular temple in front of her, happily jumping up and down as she said, ¡°Ah! This looks like the ancient architecture I saw in my grandfather¡¯s book!¡±


    When Hao Ren heard this, his heart thumped and he asked, ¡°Your grandfather¡¯s ancient books?¡±


    Becky nodded vigorously and explained, ¡°Yes, have I mentioned it before? My grandfather was actually a scholar, specialising in ancient history, ancient civilisations and so on. He had a lot of old books and one of them revealed that there was a civiliation of a clan called the Gluk Highlanders. Their houses looked like this: built with stone, decorated with a pile of pillars and sculptures everywhere. It was a nation that was particularly fond of sculpting, but pure-blood Gluk Highlanders seem to have gone extinct and now, there are only a few mixed-race offspring left. Some minorities in the west of Holletta are said to be their offspring.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Hessiana looked at Becky strangely. Unable to adapt to the environment in the shadow city and unable to understand much about the unusual creatures in the human world, Becky had kept quiet most of the time while she was in the strange place. However, when she finally started to speak, nobody understood what she was talking about. Hessiana looked at Becky with puzzled eyes and asked, ¡°Holletta? The Gluk Highlanders? Are these from the Mythological Era?¡±


    ¡°Err¡­ pretty much.¡± Vivian hurriedly eased the situation and said, ¡°You know the human wizards. They love strange and eccentric stuff. And they have a different way of calling ancient things. Don¡¯t bother with the details.¡±


    Hessiana then no longer delved into the question. Hao Ren glanced at Becky and wiped away the cold sweat on his forehead. He wondered if he had the opportunity to tell this overly excited lady more general knowledge on the unusual creatures on Earth, she could probably stay on Earth longer¡­


    Shortly after, Hao Ren could resist from observing the famous temple on the hill. He had only seen pictures of this prestigious, ancient building from the internet. This was his first time looking at the real thing. The Parthenon seemed a little eerie under the murky sky and the sacred colours of the building faded in the dim surrounding as if a ghost town had crept over the hills against the dark sky. In addition to the atmosphere, Hao Ren felt that the Parthenon in the shadow of Athens seemed to be quite different from the pictures he saw on the internet: the building in front of him looked intact and the details were kept in excellent condition. He hardly recognised it at first sight.


    ¡°The shadow of Athens hasn¡¯t experienced many disturbances; the temple is almost fully intact,¡± Hesperides said. She heard that they were going to the ruins and decided to follow them. She looked at the property, which belonged to her family, appearing a bit emotional and said, ¡°It¡¯s just slightly worn with time.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t you go in?¡± Vivian asked and looked at Hesperides. ¡°Maybe you can be a tour guide or something¡ªthere could be something familiar inside.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid to see those things, so I¡¯m not going in there,¡± Hesperides said and smiled. ¡°Sometimes, I¡¯d rather go to the temple at the scenic area, where I have to pay for the ticket than come here to see this almost well-preserved temple of Athena. The former lets me know that those gods aren¡¯t coming back but the latter always reminds me of the time when they were still alive.¡±


    Vivian understood. She nodded and said, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll tell you what I see inside.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Hesperides nodded and tapped on the lace strap with ornate jewels across her forehead as she said, ¡°I need to go back to guard the entrance, I don¡¯t really trust Herbert. And this place gives me a headache.¡±


    ¡°Your wound hasn¡¯t healed yet?¡± Vivian saw it and asked.


    Hesperides pulled up a corner of the lace strap slightly. Hao Ren was surprised to find that there was a deep wound, gleaming with a silvery-white shimmer. The wound was more than an inch wide. ¡°After 200 years, less than a millimetre has healed since the last time, or they might not even be any change at all. I guess it¡¯s not gonna heal.¡±


    After she finished her sentence, Hesperides gave them a free and easy smile. She then glowed and disappeared before them. Nangong Wuyue asked curiously, ¡°Her wound is¡­¡±


    ¡°She was wounded by a demon hunter thousands of years ago,¡± Vivian explained and sighed. ¡°She was left with a hole in her head, but she survived. Unfortunately, this wound may not heal for a lifetime. The hole in her brain is incurable.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    At this time, Hessiana and Zeon had completed the preparations for opening the entrance to the ruins. Hessiana came to Vivian, holding a ivory slate shaped like a half moon and said, ¡°Lady Vivian, get ready to go in. We¡¯re going to open the door!¡±


    They hurried into the temple and found that a strange ritual had been performed at the scene: on the open ground inside the temple entrance lay a square, marble altar with suspicious dark red pigments depicting the complex triple runes around the altar. The Blood Clan wizards, whom Zeon and Hessiana brought were standing in a circle outside the triple runes. Their bodies were filled with a dark red mist, supplying energy for the entrance ritual. As a faint layer of glow gradually appeared on the altar, Hessiana as well as Zeon put their slates on the altar and assembled them into a full moon. Immediately, everyone felt a change in the atmosphere around them.


    The pent-up, gloomy atmosphere of the shadowy Athens seemed to fade away and an exhilarating force poured in from all directions.


    Hessiana looked at the glowing altar as she happily showed off to Vivian. ¡°At the very beginning, I was the first to discover a strange energy overflowing occasionally in this spot. However, I don¡¯t know why the entrance is in such a strange place¡ªit overlaps with the entrance of the Parthenon.¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly stepped forward and asked, ¡°Ummm, can I look at those two slates?¡±


    Before Hessiana could say anything, Zeon had already stood warily before the altar and asked, ¡°What do you want to do? The slates are a vital key!¡±


    Hao Ren waved his hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, I just want to have a look. I¡¯m a wizard, so I¡¯m interested in magic. You can guard it from the side, I won¡¯t touch it, okay?¡±


    Vivian did not know what Hao Ren wanted to do, but she still helped him and said, ¡°He just wants to have a look at it, what¡¯s the big deal? Are you still worried that we might rob the stone?¡±


    Zeon looked at Hao Ren inexplicably. In the end, he reluctantly agreed. Hao Ren immediately went to the center of the altar and pretended to observe the operation of the altar. He even took out a magnifying glass, pretending to observe the altar closely, but at the same time, he was communicating telephatically with his MDT. ¡°Did you record it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°The whole changing process is clear. This is a very simple space permutation,¡± the MDT replied. ¡°Go to the left and try to be in the middle of the ritual. That way, my measurements will be more accurate.¡±


    This was how the two of them pretended to observe the altar and at the same time, openly recorded the entire process of energy flow required to open the entrance.


    Zeon was standing by the side. He looked at Hao Ren impatiently and asked, ¡°Done?¡±


    Hao Ren got the MDT to wrap things up. Pretending to look professional, he nodded and said, ¡°Yes, soon¡­ Let me see, well, the pattern of this marble is good. These two semicircle slates¡­ Gee, this arc, this detail, it¡¯s pretty round¡­¡±


    Zeon blinked and asked, ¡°Are you studying magic?¡±


    ¡°Err, the magic of the Blood Clan is very profound, I totally don¡¯t understand.¡± Hao Ren kept the magnifying glass, raised his head and walked to the depths of the temple without any guilty conscience. He then proceeded to say, ¡°Okay, start the next stage of our academic research. Let¡¯s go to the ruins¡ª¡±


    Hessiana called him back loudly, ¡°You¡¯re going in the opposite direction! You have to exit the entrance door of the temple to get to the ruins!¡±

 Chapter 294

    Hao Ren turned his head awkwardly and found that the entrance to the different dimension was already open¡ªit was right behind him. This unlucky entrance was actually stuck in such a place, which almost overlapped with the main entrance of the real Parthenon. The direction of entry was simply the opposite¡­


    In fact, earlier on, Hessiana had mentioned that the entrance to ruins overlapped with the entrance of the temple but, Hao Ren was not paying attention.


    ¡°So, this is the entrance?¡± Lily was the first one to jump towards the entrance and observe it curiously. The entrance was a twisted, translucent film of light; it had no fixed shape, like a projection of water floating in the air. It had a width of about three or four metres with a height that corresponded with the temple¡¯s beam. They could see a vague view of the different dimension from the light film. There seemed to be a different view of mountains and rivers on the other side. Lily curiously went to the back of the light film and found that there was nothing behind it¡ªeven the film itself had disappeared and she could see the people directly behind the light film.


    Vivian threw a small bat into the light, nodded at Hao Ren and said, ¡°Well, it¡¯s a stable dimension and it looks very spacious.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Hao Ren rolled up his sleeves and took the lead, walking into the light film, which did not really look reliable. Lily did the same and jumped into the light, followed by Vivian, Nangong Wuyue and Becky. Y¡¯zaks stood at the back of the team and allowed Hessiana as well as Zeon Lucas to go first. ¡°You go first, I¡¯ll be the last one to go in. What about the altar outside¡­¡±


    ¡°These people will take care of it,¡± Hessiana said and pointed to several mages, who were maintaining the ritual as well as a circle of master guards, who were standing around them. ¡°They¡¯re the best fighters in the Blood Clan. They¡¯ll take good care of the situation here.¡±


    Zeon Lucas smiled and glanced at Y¡¯zaks without saying anything. He then lifted his leg and walked towards the layer of translucent light film.


    At the other side of the light, Hao Ren was staring blankly at the incredible scenery before him.


    He stood at the top of a towering hill and beneath him lay a stretch of open ground with broken slabstones. He did not expect to see a clear and bright sky as well as a sea of clouds in this strange space. It was totally different from the chaotic and dim space he had imagined in his head. He saw layers of clouds surging in front of his eyes, which were almost as high as the mountaintop. It felt as if he would fall into the sky if he took only a few steps forward. In this endless sea of clouds, Hao Ren could see huge rocks floating in the air¡ªthe rocks seemed to be broken pieces of the mountain, with different sizes and shapes floating amid the clouds like there was no gravity. Something even more amazing was floating farther in the sky: it was an ancient Greek building¡ªsmilar to a temple with a white as well as stately colour and form; it was much larger than the Parthenon. The building was already not intact and one could clearly see the jagged stubble on one of its side. This was because, half of the structure had been abruptly torn away from the complex. Meanwhile, the rest of the building floated in the sky above the sea of clouds as weightless as any other mountain fragment. It was slightly tilted and a small part of it was hidden by the clouds.


    The boundless sea of clouds, the broken rocks floating in the sky, and a sky palace slanted in the clouds, this was the scene that Hao Ren saw; shocking, and very challenging to the original cognition of the world.


    But there was no much impact on him, his cognition of the world was already so twisted anyway.


    ¡°That¡¯s the energy zone?¡± Nangong Wuyue looked up at the sky and found colourful ribbons of light floating in the more distant clear, blue sky. These light streams were breezing throughout the entire sky, like a river of light constantly flowing and twisting. She could feel the disturbing power of the light: powerful, but distorted, seemingly completely uncontrollable.


    Becky looked up at the sky curiously as well. She came from the Plane of Dreams, but she also felt strange to the bizarre scene in the sky. ¡°What is that? The people in your world¡­ in this place have even developed techniques of colouring the clouds? How free are the people here?¡±


    ¡°There is absolutely no such thing in the Plane of Dreams¡­¡± Hao Ren muttered while looked up at the sky. The MDT was testing the energy readings around and at the same time kept warning in Hao Ren¡¯s head, ¡°Warning, mixed-type radiation exceeding the standard, harmful to humans, but harmless to you all, warning, mixed radiation exceeding the standard, harmful to humans, but harmless to you all¡­¡±


    Hao Ren took the MDT out, shook it vigorously and scolded it, ¡°Then, why are you sounding the alarm for? Can you just stay quiet?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I just wanted to show a sense of existence. I¡¯ve been quiet this whole time and I thought maybe you guys had already forgotten about me¡­¡±


    Zeon and Hessiana also jumped in through the light film the moment Hao Ren kept the MDT. Zeon looked at Lily with a weird expression on his face as she ran around crazily. Hessiana looked at Vivian with pride and said, ¡°Lady Vivian, how is it? Is this place powerful? Do you feel the primitive energy around you? If the energy could be turned into magic power then we no longer have to worry about demon hunters!¡±


    Vivian frowned and said, ¡°Not¡­ Not this kind of energy¡­ These things are dangerous, it¡¯s better not to touch them!¡±


    ¡°What does it mean?¡± Zeon¡¯s attention suddenly shifted away from Lily, and he looked at Vivian with a startled face.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you let other senior elders see the situation here?¡± Vivian stared at Zeon and asked.


    Zeon opened his mouth, a little hesitated and said, ¡°Err¡­ We did invite Grandalr and Hesperides, but they were not interested in it. We have yet to invite other people¡­ we just discovered the relic, I want to wait until we ascertain the structure of this place and then¡­¡±


    ¡°This is not the Mythological Era¡­¡± Vivian looked around, raised her finger and pointed at the most striking hall in the distance. ¡°Well, it indeed belonged to the Olympians, but there¡¯s something wrong with the atmosphere here, and the raw energy in the air is not a product of the Mythological Era, they are arcane energy that is more primitive and uncontrollable¡­ I feel uncomfortable, some¡­ a certain trait of these energies makes me sick, and it¡¯s no good messing with them.¡±


    Hessiana and Zeon were shocked at the same time. ¡°You said this is not the power of the Mythological Era?¡±


    Vivian said firmly, ¡°No, even at the peak of the Mythological Era, there was no such energy in the air, and the environment didn¡¯t look like this at that time.¡±


    The greatest expectation of the unusual creatures regarding the Day of Return was to find the source of power in the Mythological Era and restored their power. Therefore, Hessiana and Zeon were overjoyed after they discovered the energy that filled the space. They almost thought it was one of the ¡®remnants of the ancient kingdom¡¯ that collapsed and sealed off at the end of the Mythological Era, but now they were disappointed after they heard Vivian¡¯s judgment. Zeon began to ponder silently, and Hessiana asked with a little hope, ¡°Well, there¡¯s energy everywhere, right? Although this is not the form of energy in the Mythological Era¡­ it looks very powerful! It¡¯s definitely good to make use of it, and probably this could be as strong as the real primitive power.¡±


    ¡°The power of the unknown source is never a good thing!¡± For some reason, Vivian looked more and more furious and her tone became very mean as if she was scolding Hessiana. ¡°You¡¯ll get killed for touching it sooner or later! No more studying of the things here¡­ You¡¯re absolutely not allowed to extract any energy from here and infuse it into your body!¡±


    Hessiana was shocked by Vivian¡¯s sudden rebuke. Hao Ren patted Vivian on the shoulder and said, ¡°Umm, calm down, please. You¡¯re scaring her.¡±


    Vivian paused for a few seconds and then slowly went back to her usual gentle expression and explained, ¡°Oh¡­ Oh¡­ You¡¯re right, I was too harsh. But Hessiana, it¡¯s for your own good. I feel the energy here is very dangerous¡­ Although I can¡¯t remember when I encountered it, it must have been a bad one. Maybe¡­ Forget it, I can¡¯t remember.¡±


    Then Zeon suddenly asked, ¡°Lady Vivian, have you calmed down? Are we going to continue to look around the relic?¡±


    Vivian seemed to be a little confused. She blinked a few times and nodded as though she had just awakened from a dream. She cast an inquiring look at Hao Ren because at that moment, Hao Ren was the nearest to her. After Hao Ren confirmed that Vivian was fine, he nodded and said, ¡°Let¡¯s continue. I want to look around here¡ªyou can rest assured, I promise I won¡¯t touch ¡®your¡¯ things. I¡¯ll just look at them.¡±

 Chapter 295

    The relic was actually an unusually vast world rather than a closed place, which they had initially speculated. Nangong Wuyue looked at the endless sea of clouds and lofty sky as her curiosity soared. ¡°Have you explored the borders of this place? Does it even have a border?¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t but, there must be a border here,¡± Hessiana shook her head and said. ¡°The farther the sea of clouds, the thicker they get. There¡¯s a very strange, thick fog within the clouds and flying in this thick fog is very exhausting. I guess that¡¯s supposed be the barrier of this dimension. In addition, you¡¯ll encounter another thick fog going halfway down along the mountain peak. If you forcibly go through the thick fog, you¡¯ll see a cliff. I didn¡¯t dare to jump down¡­¡±


    It seemed that there was a border in this dimension, but the environment near the border became so bizarre that even the powerful vampires could not get close to it. Hao Ren decided to go and explore the most eye-catching temple in the clouds. However, before he did so, he looked at Vivian worriedly and asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Vivian had been behaving a little strange since just now. The special energy that filled the place seemed to have an impact on her. It made the usually calm and cool Vivian look agitated and impatient from time to time. However, she did not know what was going on either. When Hao Ren asked her with much concern, she could only shake her head and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just need to control my emotions.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue looked at Vivian inexplicably and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just instinctively hate the atmosphere here, must be something that I¡¯ve long forgotten.¡± Vivian smacked herself on the forehead and looked distressed as she continued to explain, ¡°I can¡¯t remember where I¡¯ve encountered a similar situation like this, but I¡¯m sure something bad must have happened¡­¡± Then she smiled at Hao Ren and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve been in similar situations before; I was inexplicably allergic to certain things and it took me quite a long time to remember some grudge from thousands of years ago. You know how I¡¯m always forgetful. I¡¯ll go back and think about it. I¡¯ll tell you when I come up with something.¡±


    Looking at Vivian¡¯s stable expression, Hao Ren was relieved. Pointing to the temple high in the clouds, he asked, ¡°Let¡¯s go over there first. Are we going to fly there?¡±


    When Vivian heard this, she immediately spread her wings, ready to hold on to Hao Ren and fly with him. The moment Hao Ren he got ready to hold on to Vivian, a thought suddenly crossed his mind. He turned to see Hessiana and found her looking at him ferociously. She bared her long, sharp teeth and hissed to threaten him. Hao Ren broke out in cold sweat right away. He was convinced that if he hugged Vivian in front of this girl, she would cut him evenly into 700 pieces, sprinkle him with cumin and marinate him for two months with soy sauce as well as vinegar. Then, she would eat 100 grams of his meat every day, which she would accompany with by Type B blood¡­ Honestly, it was not easy to imagine such details in a flash. Obviously, this came from his experience as a college student, when he spent all of his money and ended up eating pickles for half a month.


    ¡°You can walk on the clouds, just be careful not to fall down,¡± Hessiana stood quietly between Vivian and Hao Ren. She pointed to the sea of clouds and said, ¡°Do you see those glowing paths? They were probably made by the ancient Olympians. They blend with the clouds, but they¡¯re actually paths. Watch your step, no one knows what will happen if you fall down.¡±


    Hao Ren noticed that there were indeed some shiny paths in the sea of clouds. Those paths blended into the clouds around them, sending out a faint glow. They were connected to the temple in the distance and there were many crossroads leading to other directions, which most likely led to other temples. But now, there was only one way to go. Vivian then retracted her wings. Looked at the flashing paths, she pondered for a long time until finally, she clapped her hands and said, ¡°Oh, yes, Zeus did build these trails in the clouds. Their houses were built in heaven and they were connected to each other by these paths in the clouds. Ah, so high-profile. Every day someone fell down and even Zeus himself fell down five or six times before. Every time he landed in a human village, he¡¯d say, ¡®I¡¯ve come down to inspect the world¡¯ after crawling out of the pit¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Why the hell did they build this thing? And why didn¡¯t they add a railing?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°It looked good this way. Also, if they fell down, they could fly up again anyway, so who cared? Actually, most of them were able to respond fast when they fell down and fly back, except Zeus. He was old and was always absent-minded when walking,¡± Vivian was revealing the unknown secrets of Olympians without fear. ¡°Not just the Olympians, in Northern Europe and Egypt, those unusual creatures who lived among humans and pretended to be gods were also having the same problem. They liked to build their houses in all kinds of weird shapes just to make them look nice and cool. This allowed humans to think that they¡¯re very powerful even though they didn¡¯t quite understand the house. In reality, they were just showing off. After thousands of years of awe from humans, their mentality became so out of balance that they felt sorry for themselves if they didn¡¯t live in the sky. Too bad, they all died in the end. They were actually quite funny.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    They nervously set foot on the path of clouds towards the far-away temple of the sky. Once Hao Ren stepped on the shimmering clouds, he was relieved: they could really stand on it. Although there was a layer of light on the path, it actually felt like they were standing on the ground. After he walked for a short distance, he could not stand it and turned to look at Lily. He then said, ¡°Would you please stop pulling on my clothes? It¡¯s hard for me to walk¡­¡±


    Lily was right behind Hao Ren, following his footsteps and pulling on his clothes. In order to keep her balance, she even exposed her tail¡ªeveryone already knew about her werewolf identity, so she was not worried that Zeon or Hessiana would pounce on her to bite her. Hao Ren looked at the girl¡¯s tail, which was trembling a lot and asked curiously, ¡°Are you afraid of heights? You shouldn¡¯t be, you used to be brave enough to hold on to the plane to steal a ride¡­¡±


    The hair on Lily¡¯s tail stood up. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of heights¡­ but, I don¡¯t feel safe to step on this thing. There was this place where a glass bridge was built and someone fell off that bridge¡ªit was me! I didn¡¯t notice that a piece of glass was missing¡­¡±


    Nangong Wuyue asked with surprised, ¡°Where did such an accident happen? Why have I never heard of it?¡±


    Lily then responded with a mournful face, ¡°¡­That bridge was not complete yet and I sneaked in. But I ended up stepping on the spot where glass was missing and I fell. Under the bridge, someone was paving the road¡­ I fell directly into the cement mixer. I was almost covered by cement and paved into the road. Thanks to my quick reflexes, I jumped out of it in a jiffy without being noticed, or else you could¡¯ve seen me in the news a few years ago. It gave me a phobia from that day onwards. It¡¯s really insecure to walk on such a transparent thing.¡±


    Hao Ren sighed and said, ¡°Alright, you can continue to grab on my clothes.¡±


    The husky¡¯s life in the past was so rich and colorful.


    Vivian was walking beside Hao Ren, looking carefully at the scenery of the place and searching for information about it from her unreliable memory. She found that the sky temple in the distance was vaguely familiar, but she could not remember which old friend it belonged to. The mountain behind her was reminiscent of Mount Olympus¡ªthe mountain here referrred to ¡°another¡± Mount Olympus. It was not the same as the real Mount Olympus that existed on Earth.


    ¡°There were many wonders created by magic in the Mythological Age; most of them were related to unusual visions,¡± Vivian disclosed some ancient knowledge to them as they walked. ¡°Some were made for security, to prevent a place from being broken into; some were made to obtain peace and quiet; while some gods made them because they were addicted to games and felt that they had to build some sort of divine world. Anyway, whatever the reason, they built a lot of homes that drifted around the boundaries of the real world, which was a bit like the Shadowy Divide, but less guarded. The ¡®Mount Olympus¡¯ that Zeus lived in was such a place, where one part of it floated over the Mount Olympus of the real world and the other part stood in another dimension. After the Mythological Era collapsed, most of these dwellings cracked and turned into ruin, but now it looks like some have actually survived. This place here looks like somewhere near the peak of Mount Olympus¡­ but the scenery¡¯s somewhat distorted and changed. Probably, some kind of distortion happened after the collapse and of course, it could also be my memory problem.¡±


    In the company of Vivian¡¯s continuous explaining along the way, they finally arrived at the foot of the temple in the clouds.

 Chapter 296

    Hao Ren looked and the temple was in front of him. He was amazed, not just because of its majestic beauty, but its existence since the ancient times of Earth. If it was revealed to the outside world, chaos would have ensued¡ªhumans¡¯ perception of the world would be rewritten. However, the temple had been quietly withering away with time in the hidden, otherworldly space. Hessiana just discovered one of these temples but, how many more secret places were hidden away in some unknown corner of the planet? Nobody knew.


    The temple was rectangular and divided into many sections. There was no way of telling what its original function was. Its exterior wall was carved with reliefs and a large number of ancient Greek sculptures. The life-like sculptures of heroes and gods were inlaid into their respective alcoves with arched roofs. The exterior wall was interjected with columns of huge, white stone pillars, which supported the heavy dome of the temple and kept the temple on its feet.


    They were standing at the end of the cloud trail. Going forward, there was a broken stone trail floating amid the clouds. The cause of the broken stone trail was obvious: the temple was slanted at an angle of 15¡ã in the air however, it was not like that in the beginning. A bloody war had damaged the balance of the temple, tearing apart the path that linked the cloud trail to the temple.


    Hessiana manoeuvred across the broken trail with ease. As she reached the steps of the temples, she waved to them. ¡°Come on! Those stones are pretty stable. You¡¯re not going to fall!¡±


    Hao Ren put his foot on a floating stone nearest to him. It sank, but just a little. His movement was not as agile as Hessiana¡¯s but with his physical state right now, manoeuvring such a trail was not a problem at all. Hence, he made it across. Lily followed and she was not afraid at all, hopping from one stone to another like a puppy. Soon after, she landed as well. Next were Vivian, Zeon and the nimble Becky. Y¡¯zaks was the last; a single prance and the giant landed on the other side. He made a three-inch pit as a result¡­


    It ached Hessiana to see the damaged steps. She cried out, ¡°Be careful! This is an artifact!¡±


    ¡°What artifact? What¡¯s the use of mentioning the artifact before me?¡± Vivian shot Hessiana a glance before she raised her hand and waved at Nangong Wuyue, who was still at the end of the cloud trail, looking hesistant. ¡°Why are you still standing there, Wuyue?¡±


    The siren maiden looked at the broken slabs, hesitating as she wondered what kind of cloud could support her weight. After a long while, she finally said, ¡°I¡¯m somewhat nervous¡­ Give me a second, I¡¯ll change into a something with more fighting power!¡±


    While Hao Ren looked at, puzzled as a curtain of water suddenly formed around her. While the water curtain slowly disappeared, she turned into a five-metre sea serpent. Nangong Wuyue carefully coiled herself into a spring and warned them. ¡°Move¡­ I¡¯m about to jump over!¡±


    Hao Ren was in awe. ¡°You¡¯re almost as creative as me!¡±


    Nangong Wuyue coiled and compressed herself as she got ready to spring. She shouted, ¡°Huzzah!¡± and a graceful parabola swept across the air, over the trail of broken slabs.


    Becky witnessed in surprise. ¡°Whoa, cool!¡± She gave Nangong Wuyue a jab on the tail with her sword: she had never seen anything like this before in The Plane of Dreams.


    Nangong Wuyue was hanging on a beam of the temple. She tossed her ball of clothes to Hao Ren and at the same time, whacked Becky away with her tail. ¡°I¡¯ll remain in this form, at least it has a better survival ability. Please keep my clothes. By the way, I think I need to practice my accuracy.¡±


    Hao Ren shoved the ball of clothes into the Dimensional Pocket. Nonetheless, the entire time, his eyes were on Nangong Wuyue, who was still hanging on to the middle of the beam with much difficulty. She was looking for a way to get down. So, he asked her, ¡°Need help? I can help pull you down.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue rolled her eyes. She used her tail to grab the beam then slid down the pillar. ¡°You¡¯re underestimating me. Even if you¡¯ve never seen a siren before, haven¡¯t you watched Animal World?¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    The entrance to the temple was wide open and there were no signs indicating that traps were laid. The mysterious, old temple had been there for thousands of years, quietly awaiting the arrival of its visitors. Inside, a huge and long gallery was lined with sculptures of heroes, gods and goddesses on both sides. They looked like they were keeping an eye on the visitors¡¯ every movement.


    Becky¡¯s mercenary instincts were keeping her on alert. Her eyes were constantly on her surroundings, looking out for traps. However, the others were much less discreet. Lily was getting her hands on every gap in the wall to quench her curiosity. Luckily, she still retained the feeling of shame and did not mark her territory with pee.


    Zeon Lucas was in front as the group explored the mysterious temple. Meanwhile, Hessiana had made sure that she stuck with Vivivan all the time. ¡°How much do you know about this temple?¡± asked Vivian.


    ¡°Not much.¡± Hessiana scratched her head. ¡°The structure of the temple is complicated. Something seems to be still running in there. We were concerned about safety, so we didn¡¯t go deeper. Based on the observations from our previous explorations, some unique phenomena certainly exist in here.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the sculptures on both sides of the gallery; they were imposing and magnificent, but also spooky at the same time. He gave Vivian a glance and said, ¡°Do you know whose temple this is? Didn¡¯t you know Zeus well?¡±


    ¡°Not as well as you might think. There wasn¡¯t much thing to do back then, not many otherworldlings liked to talk. I was here just for the food.¡± Vivian frowned. ¡°Besides, I¡¯ve never seen this temple before¡ªnot even once. I haven¡¯t got the slightest impression. There¡¯s nothing like this on Mount Olympus.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Hessiana looked disappointed as she mumbled, but it lasted just for a moment. She had a quick change of heart as she said, ¡°Can¡¯t blame you. Mount Olympus is a big place and Lady Vivian, you have a bad memory too¡­¡±


    The empty gallery was resonating with the sounds of their footsteps. Hao Ren felt that there had to be some kind of artificial gravity there,which was obviously still at work. The temple and the clouds were on a slant of more than 10¡ã but they did not feel it; that was gravity at work. So, based on the theory that the unusual creatures came from The Plane of Dreams, did it mean that the previous civilisations in The Plane of Dreams had already mastered the technology of artificial gravity?


    But Hao Ren had no idea how the technological tree of the magic civilisation in The Plane of Dreams looked like. He also did not know what level of technology that magically-created artificial gravity belonged to. Therefore, he could not hastily make a conclusion on the status of the previous civilisation in The Plane of Dreams.


    He was not going in blind. In fact, he had gotten the MDT to scan the otherworldly space for movements of energy. It seemed the strange force was coming from within the temple itself. The source of energy was hidden somewhere in the deepest part of the temple and energy was radiating from its core.


    The team then went deeper into the gallery. Vivian wanted to explore every corner of the temple to search for any clues regarding the ascriptions and functions of the temple. Of course, Zeon complied happily; he had been wishing for someone to tell him what the temple was all about, so he guided her with great enthusiasm. They passed through the outer gallery and into the inner court, where Hao Ren noticed some changes; the sculptures here were different. These sculptures were not of ubiquitous, heroic faces like those in the outer gallery, they were more unique, realistic and lesser in number. These scultures were scattered around the inner gallery, consisting of both males and females. A glimpse of nostalgia was on Vivian¡¯s face as she said, ¡°It looks like we¡¯re at the core area. These are sculptures of the Oympians. They were actually the ones who made these sculptures of themselves during their free time. This is Ares, next to him is his uncle, and the next one is Poseidon¡¯s brother-in-law. The two standing right there are Aphrodite and Hera. Squatting at the corner is Demeter¡¯s pet dog; it¡¯s named was Propter or Fatso or something like that¡­¡±


    Hao Ren listened to Vivian as she identified the sculptures one by one, cold sweat trickling down his neck. He said, ¡°There goes the sense of mystery¡­¡±


    ¡°Myths are just distorted visions created by humans,¡± said Vivian as she spread out her hand. ¡°Those in-the-know knew that the subject of these myths was just a dysfunctional family. They greeted one another and patted each other on the shoulder when they met. They would gather in a gang and have booze at Dionysius¡¯ house. Even Ares was a p*ssy before his wife¡ªhe was a henpecked husband.¡±


    Nodding his head, Hao Ren listened attentively. Suddenly, Lily scurried before them and screamed. ¡°Hey, get over here and take a look! Something¡¯s on the wall!¡±


    Hao Ren quickly pulled and in a corner at the end of the gallery, there was a row of characters on the wall.


    They were Letta runes.

 Chapter 297

    It was not a surprise for Hao Ren to find Letta runes in the strangest of places. The ancient and mysterious written language was bound to exist where otherworldlings had existed. If not for their rare appearance from years of supression by the demon hunters and the church, perhaps these magical runes would have become part of the human civilisation, or even altered the course of human history. Nonetheless, the runes were buried in the sand dunes of history and maybe, this was a good thing for the human civilisation.


    After all, the runes were not particularly suitable for humans. Hao Ren got the hunch that anything to do with The Plane of Dreams was not particularly safe.


    Rows of Letta runes were discovered on the wall, just in the corner at the end of the gallery. The runes almost covered an entire three-by-two-metre slate. Vivian got closer and started deciphering the runes. Meanwhile, Hao Ren allowed the MDT to sync with his vision and had the runes on the wall recorded.


    Letta runes were hieroglyphs of a previous civilisation. It was widely used in the area where the Kingdom of Holleta was presently situated. But this was not the only language the ancient era of The Plane of Dreams used. According to investigations as well as recounts by Vivian, a few other languages had existed at the same time and they were spoken by a few major groups of unusual creatures. These users had to have existed in some other kingdoms within The Plane of Dreams. However, Letta runes were the only written language that possessed special power. So, Hao Ren thought that these runes had specific usages like in prayers, magics and other rituals; runes were not found to exist in other places.


    The runes on the wall had caught his interest.


    ¡°The grammar is weird. It doesn¡¯t look like a spell. It¡¯s probably a record,¡± Vivian slid her hand across the surface of the runes, mumbling to herself. Though there was a weathering process in the other dimension, it was far slower than that in the Surface World. Most things in the temple, including the runes, were still perfectly intact. ¡°The architectural practice at that time was fond of inscribing the deeds of the house owner and an introduction to the house on a slate. The slate would then be imbeded into the house. But this is the first Letta rune record of its kind that I¡¯ve ever seen. This must be an important place¡­ Wait a second, I¡¯ve found the starting point and the phrase rhythm.¡±


    Letta runes were very different from normal languages in that its writing and reading method were very strange. The first sentence was not always the starting, it was somewhere else. Sentences were made up of many phrases, in which readers used to determine the starting point with their rhythms. This reading method was cumbersome and it was rarely used for other purposes other than in various rituals. Vivian pointed to a paragraph as she slowly deciphered it, ¡°¡­The ancient thing, the origin of the thing, kept in the deepest place of the long gallery. Under the protection of the obsidian hunting dog, no outsiders shall trespass thereinto¡­ the Scholars¡¯ Hall shall remain closed and always linked to the long gallery, dossiers¡­. the responsibility of deciphering this writing shall be on Athena in finding the origin, or restoring order, or suppressing every unclean¡­¡±


    As Vivian read, she stumbled upon some nonsense-sounding phrases. She skipped the last part of the writing and found some descriptions about the functions of the temple. ¡°Storage, research centre, dossier archives, and¡­ umm, prison?¡±


    ¡°What the hell is this place?¡± Lily used her claws to scratch the wall. ¡°Did those ancient people really know how to write and speak properly?¡±


    ¡°It most likely means that something is being stored here.¡± Hao Ren dragged Lily away by her ear to stop her vandalism. ¡°And it seems that the goddess of wisdom, Athena was assigned to study that particular thing¡­¡±


    ¡°It also mentions ¡®origin¡¯ and ¡®ancient¡¯,¡± Vivian rubbed her chin as she mumbled to herself. ¡°Something that was considered ¡®the origin¡¯ and ¡®ancient¡¯ even by the old fellows must have been very important. Landlord, what are your thoughts?¡±


    Hao Ren twitched his mouth slightly and said, ¡°I think we¡¯ve come to the right place. It must have something to do with the home of the otherworldlings. But one thing I don¡¯t understand; have otherworldlings no memory of the other side? Why were Zeus and his family trying to find their origin? They must have found out that they weren¡¯t originally from Earth before they even thought of searching for their roots.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what exactly happened back then. But towards the end of the Mythological Era, right before Mount Olympus was plunged into choas, the ¡®gods of the moutain¡¯ were all behaving really strangely.¡± Vivian frowned as she tried to recall every memory of the past. ¡°I remember Zeus being very anxious and Athena barely showing her face. But one month before non-believers under the leadership of the demon hunters launched an attack on Mount Olympus, in a baffling fashion, Zeus and his family held an overnight party. Their actions gave the impression that they had all given up resistence. I also remember that when I visited Hera, she wasn¡¯t in her right state of mind; she even told me to go into hibernation because ¡®the world is going to be in choas and everything is destined¡¯.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± asked Hao Ren curiously.


    ¡°And then they were all murdered.¡± Vivian spread out her hand. ¡°The demon hunters were ruthless. Even the poor dog wasn¡¯t spared, it was like they dug Cerberus out from its crypt and cooked it. When I arrived at the scene, all I saw were bones.¡±


    Lily was digging at the gap on the wall, probably trying to figure out how the stones of the temple were staggered up. When she heard what Vivian said, her tail puffed up as if she had just heard some horrible ghost story.


    Hao Ren was at a lost for words.


    Hessiana heard them muttering to themselves about these strange things. ¡°What the heck are you guys talking about? I don¡¯t understand a thing.¡±


    Vivian waved her hand and walked away. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. Just some old stories. Tell you next time.¡±


    Zeon did not bother at all. He was a typical vampire, he only cared about the temple and its power. ¡°How strong were these Olympian Gods? Did their power come from the thing they were studying?¡±


    ¡°They were a branch of the Thunder Colossi, a medium-sized Thunder Colossus. It was a small species the size of a human. They had strong magical powers and a natural affinity,¡± said Vivian as she shot a glance at Zeon. ¡°Are you still interested with the power here? Like I said, it¡¯s probably not a good thing.¡±


    Zeon was straightfaced. ¡°Thanks for the advice, but I know what I¡¯m doing. You shouldn¡¯t meddle in the business of others even though you¡¯re an elder. We will deal with whatever comes to us, by ourselves.¡±


    Vivian scoffed at him. ¡°Heck, for power¡¯s sake? You haven¡¯t learned, have you? Yes, it¡¯s none of my business anyway, but I¡¯m just giving you a reminder.¡±


    ¡°Lady Vivian, Lady Vivian!¡± Hessiana came up to her. ¡°Can I also study it a little?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Vivian stared at her. ¡°I can¡¯t control him¡±¡ªpointing at Zeon¡ª¡±but you, I can.¡±


    Hessiana then withdrew to the rear of the team and sank into a stupor.


    ¡°According to the runes, there is a storage chamber and a study chamber. These chambers are connected to the long gallery.¡± Hao Ren finished scanning the entire temple and found that the temple had some sort of flowing energy. There were more than one energy hotspot scattered throughout the temple, hidden inside the staggered stone walls. He needed to find an entrance. ¡°Where¡¯s the gallery?¡±


    ¡°Right ahead.¡± Zeon pointed to a faint light at the end of the corridor.


    They hustled through the deep and long corridor, coming to the end of it. As they arrived, an entirely bright, different world opened up in front of them.


    It was a big gallery, rectangular, with rows of white colums on each side. The wall between the columns had ancient reliefs depicting various battle scenes and parades. No columns were present in other places and the centre of the gallery was completely empty, making the place look even bigger.


    The space was filled with a soft tone of bright light, which came from nowhere.


    Hao Ren was not interested in the stone columns or the reliefs on the wall, his eyes were affixed on a giant sculpture at the end of the gallery.


    The sulpture was of white stone, exquisitely luxurious and lifelike.


    It was a sculpture of Vivian.

 Chapter 298

    Standing within the long gallery was a giant sculpture. For a couple of moments, Hao Ren was rooted to the spot. He then turned his head and asked, ¡°Is that you?¡±


    Vivian was puzzled. ¡°¡­It looks like me but, I can¡¯t remember the Olympians ever making a sculpture of me. They were very strict about things like this.¡±


    Hessiana and Zeon were even more surprised. They had joined the expedition team, exploring the space a few times yet, they did not recall the existence of the sculpture. Hessiana scratched her head. She asked Zeon, ¡°Hey old fogy, was this thing here the last time we were here?¡±


    Zeon shook his head. ¡°No, I¡¯m sure it wasn¡¯t. I would have seen it if it was here. This place was empty the last time I came.¡±


    ¡°So, that means this sculpture just popped out recently?¡± In disbelief, Hao Ren went up to the sculpture and examined it closely. It was about five metres tall¡ªan unusual size in ancient Greek sculpture standards, which were mostly life-size. But, the sculpture was meticulously carved and lifelike; it looked like the real Vivian save for the lack of colours. This sculpture looked somber, which was another weird attribute; ancient Greek sculptures were mimics of various figures from their physical appearance down to their facial expressions, so they were rarely of stoned face.


    However, the most notable feature of Vivian¡¯s sculpture was its attire: it was dressed up to the nines. The attire looked like some costume of special religious significance; its towering collar, complicated laces and decorative patterns were unlike any ancient Greek fashion.


    Forget about ancient Greek, even in MMORPGs, you would have to get a 20-year membership subscription before you could even dream of getting clothes like that. The laces on the collar, Hao Ren suspected, would need at least a +13 enhancement. Apart from use in religious rituals, would you actually to wear such an attire on the street? Any wind higher than Category 6 would blow you up in the air like a leaf¡­


    If it had not been for the fact that Vivian¡¯s face was carved into his mind, Hao Ren would not have believed the sculpture to be her. The sculpture was dressed up like a homegrown, browser game, lifetime member compared to the penurious Vivian. He rubbed his shoulder against hers and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you feel anything?¡±


    ¡°Not the slightest.¡± Vivian was awed by the clothes on the sculpture. ¡°If I had these clothes back then, I wouldn¡¯t have had to beg for food!¡±


    It was a sad statement, and Hao Ren felt so sorry. He tried to comfort her. ¡°Let bygones be bygones. We¡¯re not going to live like rats anymore¡­¡±


    Becky took a walk around the base of the sculpture, hoping to spot any hidden switches with her mercenary instincts. Soon enough, she spotted something unusual; there was a subtle difference in colour between the base of the sculpture and the floor. She used her blade to scratch it. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like stone¡­ See that powder? It¡¯s like some sort of instant artificial material.¡±


    Hao Ren went up to it and grabbed some in his hand; it felt like finely-ground stone powder. The sculpture was softer to the touch than it looked. He recalled Hessiana saying that the sculpture was not there the last time she came, so he had a bold suggestion. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that this sculpture was hastily made in the last two days? When did you last come, Hessiana?¡±


    Hessiana did not want to play ball with Hao Ren, but somehow, she felt compelled to answer the question. ¡°About four days ago, more or less. But what you¡¯re saying is ridiculous. Look, the old fogy and me hold the keys to the entrance. Only the both of us together can open the door. So, who could have brought that sculpture in here? Even if there are another set of keys, would anyone risk being pursued by the Blood Clan just to place a sculpture in here? It would be more convincing if I told you that I was the one who who brought the sculpture here, after all I¡¯m Lady Vivian¡¯s brain-dead fan¡­¡±


    The maiden spoke in such a matter-of-fact manner, leaving Vivian widemouthed and speechless. Meanwhile, Zeon glanced at Hessiana suspiciously. ¡°Tell me the truth; did you put the sculpture here? I think you did¡­¡±


    Hessiana waved it off in dismissal. ¡°No, no¡­ I wish I did, but Lady Vivian would surely be mad at me. She doesn¡¯t like it. Look at the design of the clothes, does it look like I can make something like that? It looks more like Andrea¡¯s work; she¡¯s a fashion freak, even her dog¡¯s wearing Van Gogh¡¯s artwork¡­¡±


    As listened further, Lily became a little impatient. She then started to spew her nonsense, ¡°Let¡¯s not be too engrossed with this. Battie and Zeus were good friends back then, the sculpture could be Battie¡¯s birthday gift from Zeus. They probably didn¡¯t manage to send it out before the demon hunters came and finished them off. As to why the sculpture is here, we may as well just treat it as a plot of the story¡­¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Hao Ren and Vivian scoffed at her in unison.


    Lily lowered her head, squatted down beside the sculpture, and started scratching at it with her claws. ¡°Bully¡­ bully¡­ I¡¯m going to gouge your sculpture¡­¡±


    Leaving Lily alone with her ¡°manicure treatment¡±, Hao Ren and Vivian went on to search the long gallery for hidden switches and secret doors. If the written record on the slate was anything to go by, the long gallery would surely contain access points to the research and storage chambers; the storage chamber contained the relic, which the Olympians had been studying for a long time. It may also be related to The Plane of Dreams and the source of energy in this dimensional space. That relic was the bullseye Hao Ren was looking forward to. After a round of scouting, they found nothing. Though the MDT scan had found an energy source in the gallery, it was drowned out by the noisy environmental radiation and constantly shifting location. Apparently, it was not simply a physical coordinate.


    ¡°Probably, the connection of the storage and research chambers to the gallery isn¡¯t actually physical.¡± Y¡¯zaks opined after their furtile search. ¡°There must be some sort of dimensional structure for security reasons¡­¡±


    Suddenly, a thought struck Hao Ren¡¯s mind. He recalled when Vivian read the last part of the runes, about the functions of the temple; the temple was not just a storage chamber and a research facility, but also a prison. He could not make anything out of it back then. Y¡¯zaks¡¯ suggestion, and also the abnormal reaction Vivian had when she sensed the environment¡¯s energy made him think of something.


    What the gods of Olympus were studying had to be some nasty stuff!


    He quickly got the MDT to dial up its scanning power, looking for hidden structures in the spatial gap. The MDT warned, ¡°There¡¯s a risk that this unstable enviroment, which contains spatial gaps could be rigged with traps. It¡¯s easy to find the door, but not so easy to enter, I¡¯m afraid¡ª¡±


    Before the MDT could finish its sentence, Lily screamed, ¡°Look! Look, what I¡¯ve found!¡±


    Hao Ren scurried over. He saw a large chunk of the sculpture was gouged out by Lily. Innocent is as innocent does¡ªthe bored husky became an accidental hero. The chunk of powder which had been gouged off was vibrating; it floated in the air before it returned itself to the sculpture.


    Lily continued to scrape at the sculpture with her Frostfire Claws, leaving behind a few claw marks on the sculpture as the white powder fell off. But before long, the powder floated up and back into the sculpture.


    The sculpture was like a precisely-designed magnet, it attracted everything that fell off its body back to maintain its form.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve figured out where this thing comes from¡­¡± Hao Ren could vaguely guess it, but just as he was about to touch the sculpture, a tremor shocked the temple!


    At the same time, a roar out of nowhere increased in intensity as the temple shook. Dust fell off the roof and everyone suddenly felt an electrical shock on their skin. Becky had the most sensitive skin of all of them and she screamed in pain.


    Hao Ren quickly noticed a glimmer of white light covering Becky¡¯s exposed skin. Her skin was noticeably turning red under the glimmer. In this critical juncture, a mist suddenly came from all directions as Nangong Wuyue summoned a shroud of mist to act as a protective shield. The scales on her tail were emanating a glorious, blue glow under her strong magical power. ¡°Radiation! Radiation!¡±


    The MDT sounded its warning incessantly. ¡°Hazardous levels of radiation! Hazardous levels of radiation! It¡¯s increasing. It¡¯s almost at the limit where the team can endure. Immediate evacuation is recommended. Why are you still rooted to the spot?! The reactor has long passed it expiry date!¡±

 Chapter 299

    Things were happening too quickly and getting worse by the second. A roar resonated throughout the temple as though the ancient structure was about to crumble at any moment. The air was filled with an energy field of ever increasing strength. As soon as Hao Ren summoned his own protective shield, a layer of sparkling light quickly covered the shield¡¯s surface. The situation was worse than radiation¡ªit was in fact a meltdown.


    Nangong Wuyue was the only one who could build a protected area large enough for everyone. For the time being, she used her magical powers to summon her Mist Shroud Barrier to hold back the harmful energy outside. Hao Ren finally witnessed with his own eyes how fast a snake could move¡ªthe siren was slithering forward with her tail on the ground as fast as Vivian¡¯s speed whenever she was flying. Just that, it looked a little too horrible though¡­


    With the protection of the Mist Shroud Barrier, everyone scurried towards the exit. Hao Ren could not help but look back at the sculpture at the end of the gallery. It began to disintegrate and then, it turned into a tornado of white powder. As the glimmer disappeared in the air, the face of the sculpture started to become blurry. Somehow, Hao Ren noticed a cold smile on the disintegrating face, but it disappeared quickly, like an illusion. The real Vivian was just standing beside him; she grabbed him, pulled his sleeve and said, ¡°Stop looking at it and keep running! You can stare at me all you want when we get home.¡±


    Hao Ren was dragged out from the gallery. But before that, he had a last glimpse of the thing; the sculpture had disintegrated almost completely, revealing a human-like figure glowing in the light. It looked unrealistic like a flimsy hologram.


    As the hologram disappeared, the sculpture completely crumbled.


    Everyone rushed through the corridor, across the outer gallery and came to the exit of the temple; everything was falling as they ran. The roaring sound was accompanied by the crumbling of the temple, which sounded really scary to the ears. The ancient stone structure had finally come to its belated demise. Whatever secrets that were hidden in there, Hao Ren would never be able to decipher them anymore with the collapse of the temple . The strength of the strange energy was increasing and becoming the biggest threat to them at that moment¡ªmore dangerous than the crumbling walls and roofs. Hao Ren could even see flashes of lightning in the air around him. If they ran even a tad slower, they would be toasted before being buried under the piles of rubble.


    Y¡¯zaks was engulfed in flames¡ªit was his Fire Shield. He was one size up and his clothes were like an under-sized demonic armour. The three-metre-tall, flaming giant was running in front of the pack, still unafraid of the energy field. Like a drilling machine, he used his shield and moved forward against the energy storm as the rest of them followed him from behind. They then came to the exit after going through several walls.


    The towering temple door was finally in sight, but once they got through the door, what they saw was even more stunning.


    There was lightning everywhere in the other dimension. The once slow-moving energy was now clashing with the clouds beneath. The violent energy was running amok and the situation outside was just as bad as, or even worse than the one inside the temple.


    It was like the other dimension was in charging mode.


    Looking at the sparks between the heavens and the earth, Hao Ren immediately found that he was pretty much sitting in a microwave. ¡°What the heck is going on here?¡±


    ¡°We need to leave immediately.¡± Hessiana spread her wings. ¡°Go to the dimensional door!¡±


    She did not bother about the broken path anymore because with one flap of her wings, she was already on the cloud trail. Suddenly, Hao Ren became anxious looking at the rest of his team; most who could not fly would be able to manoeuvre across the broken stone trail against the energy storm, but not Becky and Nangong Wuyue.


    Becky in her human body could no longer withstand the strong radiation, she had to stay under Nangong Wuyue¡¯s protective barrier. But the problem was, Nangong Wuyue could not possibly jump across the broken trail and carry Becky along at the same time.


    ¡°What if I curled myself up with Becky in the shape of a ball and have Y¡¯zaks throw us over to the other side?¡± said Nangong Wuyue hurriedly. ¡°The rest will be able to cross by themselves. I¡¯ll open up the aqua shield once we¡¯ve crossed.¡±


    Becky took a peek at the sea of clouds beneath them, freaking out. ¡°What if we miss the landing site?¡±


    Brain dead is as brain dead does. You could not possibly explain why she thought what she thought.


    Hao Ren suddenly realised that he had his MDT and its teleportation function. He took the PDA and threw it over to the other side. ¡°Bring us over!¡±


    The MDT hung around there for a moment before flying back. ¡°Negative! Teleportation will cause extreme dizziness. Nangong Wuyue will not be able to keep her protective barrier under such circumstances. Becky won¡¯t survive the energy storm even for two seconds!¡±


    Being an attacking mage swordswoman had its downside. Becky now regretted she not learning some defensive skills.


    It was hard for Hessiana to stay in the energy storm any longer without being toasted. Seeing that, Nangong Wuyue curled Becky up into a snake ball and called out to Y¡¯zaks, ¡°Do it! Now!¡±


    Without saying word, Y¡¯zaks grabbed the ball and threw it to the other side. Presto! It landed where Y¡¯zaks had intended it to without mowing down Hessiana.


    Without the Mist Shroud Barrier, Lily could see her tail puffing up. She scurried over to the other side like her tail was on fire while Hao Ren and Y¡¯zaks followed her closely behind. They all escaped from the temple and hustled on the cloud trail back to the hill.


    But what they were about to see left them astonished:


    The light film connecting to the Surface World was gone.


    Hessiana jumped, her voice shivering in fear. ¡°The dimensional door is closed!¡±


    ¡°Something happened on the other side.¡± Zeon quickly thought of a likely situation. ¡°Someone wants to keep us in here!¡±


    ¡°Who would want to do that?¡± Hao Ren stared at the two vampires. Both vampires said in unison, ¡°Too many of them.¡±


    The dimensional door was closed and the other dimension was ravaged with a violent energy storm, which was worsening with time. Nangong Wuyue¡¯s face looked terrible and the scales on her tail were quickly losing their lustre. The Mist Shroud Barrier had shrunken so much that Hao Ren and Y¡¯zaks were no longer within its protection. Not even professional support could hold on any longer.


    The energy storm had reached a lethal level. Hao Ren and Y¡¯zaks aside, not even Hessiana could withstand it¡ªeven for a few more seconds. In fact, Nangong Wuyue¡¯s Mist Shroud Barrier was a defensive skill she inherited from her forefathers, without which she would not have survived till this moment.


    Perhaps Vivian could hold on longer with her own strength, but the energy storm showed no signs of slowing down. Instead, it was increasing in intensity.


    Lily pulled Vivian by her sleeve and yelled, ¡°It¡¯s all your fault! You told the story about Cerberus being cooked by the demon hunters! Now, I¡¯m being cooked!¡±


    ¡°Wait a second, I have an idea.¡± Hao Ren took out the MDT and glanced at Zeon as well as Hessiana with a very strange expression. ¡°Actually, I was doing some recording just now¡­¡±


    The MDT emitted a faint, blue glow. Space under the glow began to warp and a layer of light film appeared as if by force.


    Hessiana looked at Hao Ren, widemouthed. ¡°You made an excuse so that you could watch the altar¡­¡±


    Feeling embarrassed, Hao Ren turned his face away. ¡°It¡¯s nothing malicious. I was just saving it for when we need it the most¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that now.¡± Zeon waved with his hand. He glanced at Vivian and Hao Ren, understanding the message. Then, he walked up to the light film and crossed it to the other side.


    They finally escaped from the hellish dimension and got back to the Parthenon.


    However, it was also a mess there. Dead bodies of Blood Clan members were everywhere.


    Hessiana and Zeon¡¯s faces were grim: the fallen ones were all their trusted men!


    ¡°Mistress¡­¡± a weak voice came from a close distance. It was the male vampire whom Hessiana sent to the Lucas Family the other day. He leaned his hand against a pillar and pointed to the altar that was used for the entry ceremony. ¡°Bethanos snatched the key¡­¡±

 Chapter 300

    ¡°Bethanos?¡± said Hessiana with wrath in her eyes. ¡°He took the key?¡±


    As soon as Nangong Wuyue caught her breath, she examined the vampire for any injuries, thinking to heal him with her siren skills. But, she quickly noticed that there was no external wound. ¡°Where¡¯s the wound?¡±


    The male vampire leaned against the pillar, looking weak and embarrassed as he turned his head away. ¡°It¡¯s an internal injury. It will heal itself in no time.¡±


    Hessiana kicked him in the stomach. ¡°You f*cking coward, did you play dead again at the first opportunity you got? Get the f*ck up and talk!¡±


    The kick was so hard that the male vampire almost suffered the internal injury he had been pretending to have. But, he still grinned like a clown without the slightest hint of embarrassment. ¡°I wanted to stay alive to tell you what happened¡­¡±


    Hao Ren did not know what to say about Hessiana¡¯s clownish subordinate, but it was not the time to complain. Zeon quickly examined the bodies of his men for fatal wounds, then nodded at Hessiana with a serious face. ¡°It¡¯s the Higher Shadow Blade.¡±


    Hessiana looked at the mess of the aftermath, her eyes filled with fury. ¡°Has Bethanos gone mad? Is he declaring war on the two families?¡±


    ¡°Could this be the reason for the energy storm in the foreign dimension?¡± asked Hao Ren. Suddenly, many things came to his mind. It began to dawn on Zeon and Hessiana too as they gnashed their teeth in anger. Hessiana gave her lone surviving man another kick and said, ¡°Inform everyone to gear up; holy water and everything. We¡¯re going for Bethanos! The Hessianite Family has not been in a fight for three years, so they think we¡¯re easily bullied!¡±


    ¡°Calm down. You¡¯re not going to go in blindly.¡± Zeon stopped Hessiana. ¡°Bethanos knows more about the relic than we do and he has taken the key. He wanted us dead in the foreign dimension. He came prepared!¡±


    Hessiana stared at Zeon. ¡°Then what should I do, old fogy? Do we just let him do whatever he wants?¡±


    Zeon frowned and pondered for a while. He then turned around and shouted at a body on the ground. ¡°Andrea! Stop playing dead! Go back and inform everyone to get ready for a face off with Bethanos. Another thing, send William on recce; I want to know what the Shadelings are up to before we take action.¡±


    A flirty woman rose from among the dead and jumped to her feet before nodding at Zeon. She then spread her bat wings and flew downtown in the dark.


    Hessiana gave Zeon a silent glance and said, ¡°¡­Looks like we have a common ground here.¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless. He felt like he could no longer stand it; the dead bodies and their facetious attitude towards death had all crushed his perspective on life. He desperately needed some quiet time to reflect and ponder on whether these otherworldlings were seriously brain-dead.


    Soon, the flapping sound of wings broke the night as a bunch of vampires from the Hessianite Family arrived. They came to clean up the scene as soon as they got wind of the situation. Hessiana grabbed one of them and asked anxiously, ¡°What are the Shadelings doing?¡±


    ¡°The Shadelings in the city are gone,¡± the lesser vampire answered. ¡°We¡¯ve got intel that the Bethanos Family has retreated to their hole. At the moment, all areas controlled by the Shadelings have been locked down while the little recce bats have been shot down.¡±


    ¡°Any movement?¡±


    ¡°No, for now.¡±


    Hessiana let go of her hand. ¡°Clean up this mess, then arm yourselves with weapons. We¡¯re going to war.¡±


    She then turned her head and nodded at Hao Ren. ¡°Will you help us? You can go now if you don¡¯t want to. Follow me if you do.¡±


    The maiden had totally turned into another person¡ªferocious and resolute. Hao Ren finally realised how a brain-dead, mini version of Vivian could fight her way and conquer half of the city back then. He nodded without hesitation. ¡°Count me in, of course. We were almost toasted by the energy storm earlier, don¡¯t you remember?¡±


    They hurried back to the Hessianite Family¡¯s station in the city with Zeon tagging along. The Hessianite Family¡¯s place was not far from the Parthenon, which was on a hill. The Lucas Family¡¯s place was on the other side of the city, so Zeon thought it would be more convenient to first have a discussion in Hessiana¡¯s place, after which he would go back to his place to assemble his army.


    While on their way there, Hao Ren recollected the intel he received on the Bethanos Family, and every other intel about the incident.


    Shadelings were a cross between humans and demons. Some people speculated that these creatures were descendants of demons and humans; some said their ancestors were fanatic sorcerers who were crazy in the pursuit of demonic power that they themselves became cursed and mutated into a new species. Like most unusual creatures, shadelings could be in human form but still retain the combat form of a demon. They were skilled in shadowy powers and various curses. Not to mention, their vitality was second only to werewolves. They were indeed a difficult opponent.


    The most notorious characteristic of shadelings was greed¡ªgreed for energy, greed for power and greed for forbidden knowledge. Shadelings would do anything for power. They were very susceptible to the temptations of shadow powers and various forbidden knowledge. They had launched wars against other unusual creatures and even their own kind, mostly for the sake of power and knowledge. Their craving for power was akin to the pure-blooded demons while their fanaticism towards forbidden knowledge could rival maniacal human sorcerers. It was no wonder that people had suspicions of shadelings¡¯ ancestors being humans who had a covenant with the demons.


    But shadelings and the other unusual creatures had gone dormant post-Mythological period. They were not idiots and they knew when to lay low. Shadelings who hid in the sanctuary did not cause much trouble; they began to mingle with other races. But no matter what, they were still a dangerous element.


    Actually, other races were not any less dangerous; be it the blood-sucking vampires or the reckless werewolves, even the lone demons who were the minority. They were just as irascible, and would cause trouble for others as well as themselves from time to time. Since everyone was some sort of volatile element themselves, no one blinked an eye when shadelings sought sanctuary in the Shadowy Divide. But due to their notorious capriciousness and greed, other races were more cautious towards them.


    The Bethanos Family was the only shadeling force of influence in the shadow Athens. Under normal circumstances, these shadelings would not allow a second shadeling force to exist. So most of the time, there was only one shadeling family in each sanctuary. The Bethonas Family, like the Lucas Family, was also an established force. Their leader, Bethanos had been living there since the establishment of the shadow Athens, and in Hessiana¡¯s words, was a fogy as well as a freak who dethroned Zeon Lucas from claiming the top title.


    When news of the ruins¡¯ discovery by the Hessianite Family broke, Bethanos began to covet the treasure. He had been making various excuses in numerous occasions, trying to poke his nose into the matter. But Hessiana was very smart and shared the secret of the relic with the Lucas Family from the very beginning. Although she was displeased about it, the alliance of two vampire families in securing the relic was better than letting Bethanos get his hands on it. Everyone knew the shadelings¡¯ nature; once they came into the picture, destruction was imminent.


    Even so, they had underestimated the ability and guts Bethanos had. Zeon Lucas did not expect Bethanos to be so daring either, openly snatching the key away and trapping the two heads of the Blood Clan in the other dimension.


    Getting the key was easy, but what was next? The influence of Hessiana and Zeon¡¯s families would still remain, they would not just suddenly crumble when their leaders disappeared. Even if choas were to erupt, the Bethanos Family would not be able to fight a multiple-front battle; other ancient ones guarding the city would not just sit by and watch¡ªthe shadelings in the city would be slaughtered. Perhaps, Bethanos wanted to hide in the ruins with his henchmen after snatching the key? Did he think that he was going to acquire an unprecedented power in the ruins and come out invincible? These presumptions may be a little far-fetched, but considering Bethanos was a cunning old fox, it was certainly not luck that he could survive till this day.


    What was even more important was the level of security Hessiana and Zeon had put in place at the entry ceremony. The guards were trained to handle the unexpected, yet it seemed that Bethanos had brought out all of his best men for the key, betting the lives of his entire family on it. What kind of treasure was Bethanos after that he was so willing to sacrifice everything for it?


    The behaviour of the shadeling family was indeed unusual.

 Chapter 301

    The group was resting in Hessianite Family territory to recover from the damage taken in the energy vortex. They were lucky that the storm took time gathering its momentum instead of carving a path of carnage instantly. That gave them precious time to react and avoid the worst of the damage.


    At the same time, more and more information as well as reports were coming from all corners of the city to the heads of the families. Hessiana and Lucas had many eyes and ears across the city and these two frenemies were finally working together for once. Their spies scoured the sanctuary for any movement of the Shadelings and slowly but surely, a clearer picture was being pieced together. Vampires who were originally posted across the city started gathering in turf upon receiving wind of the matter. They were gearing up for war.


    ¡°The Shadelings are gone. I suppose most of them have retreated back to their lairs. We just managed to capture a few small fries..¡± Vivian was seated on a luxurious velvet chair as she toyed with a gleaming, silver dagger. She looked one third the part of a vampire noble, and two thirds the part of a female mafioso. ¡°Based on what we¡¯ve managed to glean from those poor sots, Bethanos has been planning something ever since Lady Vivian got here. F*ck¡­ that old fox sure did it. I didn¡¯t realise anything at all. But I can be sure that the energy vortex we ran into in the ruins has something to do with him. It¡¯s too much of a coincidence; the keys being stolen, the dimension gate locking, an energy vortex forming within the ruins, two Blood Clan leaders and an Elder being trapped and killed in the vortex¡­ Hehehe, he sure went all out.¡±


    ¡°I want payback¡­ revenge¡­ payback¡­¡± Lily was pacing impatiently around the room as she let out an angry growl. Hao Ren was curious. ¡°It¡¯s rare that I see you so serious. Finally going berserk?¡±


    Lily popped her tail out and sheepishly showed it to Hao Ren. A third of it was still curled up and there was a faint burnt smell. ¡°Look at my beautiful tail! It¡¯s ruined!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    So her tail had been singed by the energy vortex.


    Lily went towards Hessiana and demanded, ¡°When do we fight? What are you all waiting for?!¡±


    ¡°Bethanos and his men are currently cooped up in their base.¡± Zeon Lucas stood by the giant window as he calmly poured himself a glass of wine from a nearby decanter. ¡°I know that old coot. My late brother has also said that when fighting the Shadelings, you need to let them act first. They are masters in booby traps, misdirections and ambushes. All of the weakness that they show you are just setups. These are a bunch of goons with the cunning of men and the power of demons. After wreaking such havoc, they have yet to attack. Instead, they are hiding out in their fortress. An attack just screams suicide.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s dead meat regardless.¡± Hessiana gnashed her teeth. ¡°He even dared to lay his hands on Lady Vivian. He really thinks that the Ancient Ones are just a scary bedtime story. I¡¯ve sent word to all of the Ancients Ones guarding the gates. They won¡¯t suffer such an insult. Right, Lady Vivian?¡±


    Vivian was busy applying ointment on Wuyue¡¯s burnt scales and looked up in confusion when she heard her name. ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Well it seems like the Ancient One is really just a scary bedtime story¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ve hidden the news of our safe return and sent word that the two Blood Clan heads were lost while investigating the ruins.¡± Zeon Lucas smiled confidently. ¡°Our men outside are spreading misinformation and creating chaos as well. Bethanos will take us for being headless and he will strike once he thinks it¡¯s safe to do so. I believe that he¡¯ll be heading towards the gate of the ruins once the fight starts or maybe, he¡¯s found another spot to activate the gate. However, the key itself will still require a few hours of recharging. That will probably be the time he strikes.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s opinion of the stubborn old vampire changed somewhat. He thought that Lucas was just a stubborn old coot, an arrogant one at that; a conservative who refused to change with the times and thus, his bad impression of him was formed. But it did seem like the old gentleman had a rather dependable side to him. He would be someone you wanted as an ally.


    If you could stand his pompous and arrogant arse of an attitude that is.


    A sudden shriek came from above as two bats darted through an open window into the room. One of it transformed into a voluptuous figure¡ªit was Andrea. Another one could not transform into its human form after a while and just reported to Hessiana in a high pitch shriek. ¡°Mistress! I¡¯ll just speak to you like this¡­¡±


    Hessiana leapt up from her chair. ¡°Turcan! Are you drinking on the job again you slimy scum?!¡±


    Well there you have it, the gulf of difference between the old vampiric aristocracy and the new age outlaws¡­.


    ¡°Master, a group of Shadelings have departed Bethanos¡¯ stronghold and they are heading towards our holdings.¡± Andrea took a glance at Turcan before she reported her findings to Zeon Lucas. ¡°That aside, some of our men are already fighting in the streets near the Shadeling¡¯s fortress and from what we could gather, there¡¯s a breach on the west side of the stronghold. Doesn¡¯t seem like a trap.¡±


    Zeon Lucas flung the goblet in his hand out of the window as he swung around with his cape. A cold smirk appeared on his face. ¡°Hmph, It¡¯s time.¡±


    Hessiana dashed towards Zeon and grabbed him by the neck. ¡°That¡¯s my f*cking globet from the Plantagenets! You f*cking threw it away for a f*cking pose?!¡±


    Zeon Lucas did not even have the chance to wipe the smirk of his face before he was assailed by Hessiana. Hao Ren could only facepalm and look away. This is why the old aristocracy could not work with the new bloods; it was almost like watching someone grating a chalk over the blackboard¡­


    The ruckus between the two leaders aside, both vampires had already made preparations to attack long before they gotten word of the breach. Hessiana quickly ran towards her office desk. After inspecting some mechanism there with a slight nod, she faced a doll and cleared her throat. A deafening siren wailed across the entire stronghold as Hessiana¡¯s voice followed. ¡°Attention-Attention-Attention¡­ Prepare for battle-battle-battle.. The Daredevils gather at the plaza-plaza-plaza¡­ The rest of you, work your magic-magic-magic..¡±


    The rest was just echo.


    Hao Ren was stunned. ¡°Whoa, you guys are using modern, eh?¡±


    Hessiana took a small communication device and hung it over her neck as she walked like a warlord towards her room. Her fingers signalled the rest to follow. ¡°Nonsense. Of course we use it. It¡¯s the modern times you know. Human technology is advancing so fast, that only a blind fool would ignore it. You think those who came in to report flew all the way from the outside? They were just manning the telephones downstairs, and came up the moment they got the message. I even installed a signal tower in the city. That old coot has a 50% share of it.¡±


    Andrea walked past Hao Ren as she turned to smiled at him. ¡°Don¡¯t assume that the otherworldlings in this shelter are some rock age barbarians. I for one am at the forefront of fashion..¡±


    ¡°Andrea, be serious,¡± Zeon Lucas kept a straight face as he admonished his underling. ¡°You spend too much time with Hessiana¡¯s goons.¡±


    In a daze, Hao Ren just followed Hessiana past a group of armed soldiers. As they left the house, they headed towards an even bigger armed group. At the same time, flapping sounds came from above as the vampires started forming into squads to head into combat. The shelter was still peaceful just the day before (at least on the surface), but now they were about to face a storm of steel and blood. The change of pace was so sudden that it took many by surprise, and this was all because of one megalomaniacal Shadeling.


    Lily looked up at the vampires above her. She had not seen so many unusual creatures gearing up for a fight before and that left her both excited as well as scared. ¡°Will they shoot at me when the fighting starts? I¡¯m a werewolf after all¡­¡±


    Hessiana waved her concerns off. ¡°No worries, the old coot and I have briefed our boys. ¡®The werewolf with silver fur and a totally burnt tail is an ally. This has been spread across the city.¡±


    Lily almost cried when she heard that. ¡°It¡¯s not totally burnt! Only a third¡­¡±


    ¡°So, you want me to torch it just to be safe?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The group had reached the plaza by then and Hessiana¡¯s elite strike force, the Daredevils were gathered there. Hao Ren finally met the infamous, most inglorious vampiric fighting force.


    And the difference between them and their commander was like O_o!


    A group of well built and unusually tall vampires clad in full combat gear were awaiting orders in the plaza. Their combat garb had embroideries of crucifixes and runes of warding. Hanging from their waists were silver longswords. Each of them had a RPG-7 in each hand and a bandolier of small arms ammunitions across the chest with a bullpup assault rifle hanging from it. More shockingly on their backs were¡­.


    F*cking aerial bombs!


    Hessiana smirked as she stepped onto a big rock and inspected her group of Daredevils. ¡°Listen up boys, I hear that the Shadeling¡¯s fortress is a tough nut to crack¡­ so¡­ Priest, anoint the RPGs with holy water!¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned as he looked at Hessiana. ¡°This doesn¡¯t look right at all¡­.¡±

 Chapter 302

    Regardless of the absurdity of it, Hessiana¡¯s Daredevils were indeed decked out as such, and by the look on her face, she had every confidence that her elite strike force would do their job. At her order, a group of vampires, clad in black robes came forward. In their hands were a bunch of odd-looking sacred relics. They started pouring a white, almost silvery liquid on the Daredevils¡¯ RPGs and assault rifles. The bulk of it was of course, reserved for the bombs.


    The ¡°priests¡± were chanting some sort of bizzare incantation and the whole process looked almost like a Catholic ritual, but there were differences. This was clearly more akin to some ancient benedictorial ceremony, or something this bunch of lunatics just cooked up. The benediction process imbued the weapons with powers to excorcise their foes. Meanwhile, a thin mist started to form around the vampires. However, this light burn meant nothing to these warriors. They were capable of going hours on end under this power and this was just the begining.


    ¡°This is my recently assembled trump card,¡± Hessiana said with a gleeful smirk on her face as she hugged her teddy bear. ¡°Bethanos should count himself lucky. I didn¡¯t settled my negotiations with the arms merchants from the middle east last month.¡±


    ¡°What is with this hoard of weapons?¡± Zeon stared blankly at Hessiana. ¡°You don¡¯t mean to tear the whole city down do you? Or do you mean to¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you worry. These toys won¡¯t blow the city apart and I¡¯m not planning to use it against you either.¡± Hessiana giggled. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ve thought about it once in a while¡­ but no, it¡¯s mainly for self-preservation. I know my family isn¡¯t well-received in the city. All those stubborn, rotten-to-the-core idiots have never truly respected us¡ªa family of vampires without a ¡®proper lineage¡¯. I know what they¡¯ve been calling us behind our backs: violent mongrels, sewer rats, beggars in king¡¯s clothes¡­ They wouldn¡¯t dare say it in front of us, but I can¡¯t even count the times they¡¯ve verbally stabbed us behind our backs. So, I need to make sure I have the capability to wipe their insufferable smirk off their faces any time of the day.¡±


    Hessiana pointed towards her Daredevils as she laughed. ¡°The good boys and girls here have all went through proper military training. Since World War I, I¡¯ve allowed them to play with these toys that humans have made. The people here should count themselves lucky. No one has dared to cross us in the last hundred odd years¡­ until today.¡±


    Zeon¡¯s face was a steely green. He realised the true horrifying power of these young vampires that took the same path as Vivian. It was not mere strength or rhetoric, it was their ability to think and adapt.


    ¡­Well, pretty much everyone in the shelter who was stuck in time was f*cked, himself included.


    Zeon Lucas could only sigh as he crossed his arms. ¡°Well, thankfully we are allies today¡­ But, how effective are these against otherworldlings anyway? Have you tried it before?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Hessiana pointed towards her men again. ¡°Humans are a race that we really need to marvel at. They¡¯re weak in flesh and because they¡¯re weak in flesh, they¡¯re willing to go tooth and limb to master powers beyond their mortal self. That has ensured their survival in this planet. With fire and explosions, they¡¯ve created weapons that have far exceeded the powers of many supernatural races. Their only shortcoming is that they lack the ability to counter magic. Your usual bullets may maim and kill, but most of the time their power is drastically reduced by magically enhanced bodies or barriers. Hence, I thought to imbue these weapons with enchanments; sprinkle some holy water on the weapons, carve some spell runes on the bullets or even use blessed silver to make the projectiles. Sure, they may not be as effective against otherworldlings as they are against humans, but believe me, these toys will make those Shadelings cry ¡®mommy¡¯.¡±


    Each and every one of the weapons on hand were technological marvels. They had been reconfigured from the inside out to counter any form of magical protection. The weapons themselves were imprinted with long lasting enchantments and sacred materials. Before they even go into combat, they would be further blessed with holy water and other temporary buffs. Hao Ren believed that all the gears present were at least very least, rare items with Holy Attributes +10, Critical Hit +15 and Hit Rate +100¡­


    Zeon looked at Hessiana. ¡°¡­This would need some massive overhaul¡­ You can¡¯t purchase this kind of stuff, how do you do it?¡±


    Hessiana grinned. ¡°I¡¯m not stupid. How can I let you in on that? Go figure it out yourself.¡±


    Zeon rubbed his nose as he gave out an awkward laugh. Lily too had finally realised something. ¡°These wouldn¡¯t be cheap, no?¡±


    ¡°Premium player¡¯s rage, heh.¡± Hessiana shrugged. ¡°Our family never had a penchant for the luxurious life like your normal vampires. Heck, we don¡¯t even hold banquets all that often. So, all the money we saved went into purchasing arms. We even have a couple of old Tiger tanks that we got from the Germans in the warehouse¡­ Oh, right! Those! Eaton! Let those beasts out for a roar! Bring out the holy water pump! Give them a good bath!¡±


    ¡°Mistress¡­ We can¡¯t use holy water like this! We¡¯ll run out of it sooner than we can replace it!¡± One vampire finally managed to muster the courage to calm Hessiana down.


    That snapped Hessiana out of her excitement as she rubbed her chin. ¡°Oh¡­ so be it then¡­ but still, bring them out for a blast or two. Let¡¯s light the city up¡­¡±


    Vivian finally lost it and smacked Hessiana in the back of her head. ¡°There¡¯s a limit to everything!¡±


    The benedictorial ritual was completed by then and Hessiana¡¯s Daredevils shrieked towards the sky and soon disappeared from their sights. These extremely armed group was a sight to behold. Their bat wings however, could only carry so much weight (that half-a-tonne bomb was just foul play) therefore, as they flew, they augmented themselves with weight-reducing magic or wind magic to drive themselves forward. Their plan was to rain hell upon Bethanos¡¯ stronghold before the spell ended, and to clean up any remaining survivors.


    Hessiana briefly explained their strategy. First, the team was to charge forth and lob the bombs onto the barrier. The impact would almost be close to taking out the energy barrier. After that, they would fire their RPGs into the mix and that should take the barrier out of action. They were to then douse holy water all over the place, cleansing the shadow energy around the area. Then, the assault team would fly in with guns blazing, and start hacking once they run out of ammunitions. They would also be setting the place on fire and shoud in theory, take out most of the stronghold. ¡°I even sent a group to blow up the Bethanos Family Tomb and Memorial Hall. F*ckers, how dare they harm Lady Vivian. Don¡¯t blame me for taking the fight up to their ancestors¡­¡±


    Everyone around Hessiana started to break out in cold sweat. Lily quickly pulled Vivian¡¯s arm as she nagged at her. ¡°Look at what you¡¯ve done. The lack of proper education and motherly love have drove her to this¡­¡±


    The battle was spreading throughout the city at this point.


    There were no talks, no negotiations, no quarter, no mercy. The shadelings had dared to provoke the vampires and now, the latter were striking back with vengeance. This was how the unusual creatures operated. When they fought, it was until the end unlike humans, who would still try to talk things out. Thus, Hao Ren and his merry little band were also dragged into the heat of battle. They followed Hessiana towards the territory of Bethanos on the far side of the city. Before they could even reach the hot zone, thundering explosions roared some distance away.


    Zeon Lucas had already left the group as he led his family to fend off the invading shadelings. The fighting had already escalated from a skirmish to an outright battle. The northeastern side of the city was laid in crimson as flames erupted across the battlefield. That was the Lucas¡¯ fight.


    Another explosion lit the skies with a murderous din and after the initial flash cleared, a whole portion of the stronghold was ablaze. The Daredevils¡¯ bombing run had just ended and they were now firing their RPGs towards any surviving ground forces. Hessiana¡¯s ears perked up as she caught the noise of combat from the other side of town and unease appeared across her face. ¡°This doesn¡¯t sound right¡­ That movement doesn¡¯t seem to be coming from Zeon¡¯s side¡­¡±


    The cacophony of combat started to come from all sides of the city. Even smaller families who kept themselves hidden to weather through the storm of battle started sending word of some unusual movement. The flames of combat were starting to come from behind them as well and now the whole city was on fire. Things were clearly not right.


    Suddenly, a frantic voice rang out from Hessiana¡¯s communicator, which was hanging down her chest. ¡°Mistress! Demon hunters! The demon hunters are here!¡±

 Chapter 303

    ¡°What?!¡± Hessiana was flying when she heard the message and nearly fell from the sky. ¡°Come again?!¡±


    ¡°Demon hunters!¡± The voice on the other end was frantic yet clear and there were sounds of combat in the background. ¡°They have penetrated the Shadowy Divide! I¡¯m not sure why the Divide shut down! They are all over the place!¡±


    ¡°Hold your ground!¡± Hessiana roared as she conjured up a group of bats and sent them towards every part of town. ¡°Quickly! Check the crypt! Inform teams with less than five men to group up with the nearest team and head towards the Shadeling¡¯s stronghold!¡±


    Hessiana then immediately hung up before she began to contact other teams for tactical information on the ground. After gathering more information on the main areas of combat, she quickly contacted the homebase. ¡°What¡¯s the situation now?¡±


    ¡°A breach has appeared near the rose path and about 20 hunters came through. Massive casualties.¡± A steady voice could be heard from the communicator. ¡°We¡¯ve used artillery strikes to seal the area, and deployed poison gas as well as acidic incendiary bombs. From the reports we¡¯ve got so far, there are 10 more breaches around the city. Many streets are now lost.¡±


    ¡°Secure our stronghold first. Help anyone nearby if possible. Those that we can¡¯t help¡­ It¡¯ll be up to their own luck!¡± Hessiana quickly threw out orders. ¡°Thank god we haven¡¯t deployed the Tigers¡­ Use the tanks to block the roads. Man the HMG nests on the stronghold! And deploy the Poison Mist Barrier as well. I¡¯m trying to reach all the other Ancient Ones. Hold the damn line until I get them to mend the breach!¡±


    Streams of reports and orders came and went. Thankfully, these vampires were in with the times and they had portable communication devices to relay messages. Thus, they swiftly recovered from the initial shock and awe of the attack. Other parts of the city were not as lucky. Facing the relentless onslaught by the demon hunters, a good half of the smaller clans and families in the city could not even muster any form of resistance. Besides, the war between the two vampire families and the shadelings was initially thought to be ¡°business as usual¡± so, most of the small clans had decided to turtle in their own strongholds until the storm passed. When the demon hunters came crashing in, most of them were not even prepared to draw their blades and suffered heavy casualties as a result.


    Yes, a war between the bigger clans in the shelter was not an uncommin thing. Hessiana¡¯s initial rampage against the established families was merely one of the many conflicts and the smaller clans were so used to it that they resorted to hiding until things calmed down once again. But to everyone¡¯s dismay, the demon hunters had decided to strike in the most inopportune of times.


    ¡°F*ck! The city¡¯s in chaos.¡± Hessiana clenched her fist. ¡°How did the demon hunters get in?¡±


    Hao Ren frowned as something came to mind. It sounded almost impossible yet, very probable. ¡°Can¡¯t it be Bethano¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, a big explosion and war cry came from the shadeling¡¯s stronghold. From the flames, a group of shadowy monsters charged forward, their killing intent almost palpable.


    The shadelings who had been cowering inside their hideout all this while took the chance to counter attack now that chaos had ensued; their timing was almost impeccable.


    ¡°The Shadowy Divide¡­¡± Hessiana looked towards the shadeling¡¯s stronghold as fire lit up in her eyes. ¡°The Divide was designed by the shadelings! Bethanos, you f*cking lunatic!¡±


    More and more demon hunters were pouring into the streets from the breach. However, by then, a good portion of the unusual creatures had gotten grips of the situation and formed a steady line of defense. The shelter that had previously knew peace for a century was now a scene of smoke and debris. In just a few minutes, a titantic event that would change the place forever unfolded. But Hessiana did not dither. She was even more motivated as she led the group towards the stronghold. She only had one goal in mind, and that was to drag the old lunatic out and flay him alive.


    Just as the stronghold was about to be within their sights, the group was assailed by monstrous creatures covered in black smog.


    They were big, almost two metres tall at least, and were humanoid in shape. But, their skin was pitch black with traces of runic laylines running through it. On each one of their backs was a pair of gigantic, almost ethereal bat-like wings. Perhaps, demonic wings would have been a better description.


    About 10 of these half-human, half demon monsters were blocking their path and it just so happened that the street was a narrow one¡ªalmost too perfect for a blockade. Hessiana lost her temper as soon as she saw them. ¡°Shadelings!¡±


    Hao Ren elbowed Y¡¯zaks who was standing beside him. ¡°Your relatives.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks cracked his knuckles as a firey aura started to envelope him. ¡°Too ugly. There are shadelings where I come from and they have beautiful hooves.¡±


    ¡°Finally, time for some payback¡­¡± Becky gripped her enchanted longsword as a small vortex formed around her. The mercenrary lass almost loss her life in the energy vortex and had been nursing a grudge against the shadelings. As a seasoned mercenary, she had seen all sorts of hideous monsters and the ones in front of her did not faze her. She only had one thing in her mind: sink her blade into each and everyone of them.


    ¡°Hessiana!¡± The shadelings facing them reacted in shock as it caught sight of the petite vampire. ¡°You¡¯re not dead?!¡±


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m not dead.¡± Hessiana raised her hand as her Daredevils aimed their RPGs towards their foes. ¡°I¡¯ve even brought toys for you to play with! Fire!¡±


    Ten blessed warheads flew out from the launcher as they shrieked towards the shadelings. In a blinding mix of flames and purifying light, the warhead slammed against the shadelings. Hao Ren even caught sight of one taking two warheads straight in the face and he was blown miles away for his troubles.


    But many of the shadelings reacted in time and they deployed their magical shields or escaped the blast zone. Before the dust settled, they charged out like darting shadows towards Hao Ren and his group.


    The Daredevils (that will be their official name from now on) quickly threw down the rocket launchers and drew their blessed silver swords with one hand. With the other, they held the assault rifle and started spraying bullets. Their unique style of fighting was a sight to behold as they countercharged the shadelings.


    The unusual creature were indeed a tough bunch. After eating a barrage of RPG bullets (and those were blessed with holy water), a good half of them were still unscathed as they continued to charge. The two groups quickly clashed and the fight turned into a chaotic melee.


    Hao Ren had no time to see how the others were faring. At any rate, all of the people present were competent fighters at the very least, even the¡ªhide in a corner in a ball¡ªsiren was impervious to attacks for a good while. He now had to focus on the enemies in front of him.


    A strong looking shadeling shrouded in black smog was charging towards him. Everything the smog touched had turned into dust so, Hao Ren quickly deployed his Steel Membrane Shield to weather the attack. However, something amazing happened.


    The lethal smog dissipated the moment it came into contact with him. The shield did not even flicker.


    Hao Ren¡¯s shield was not activated and yet the black smog was nullified.


    The charging shadeling did not have time to even digest what had happenened before he crashed head first into Hao Ren and the latter quickly grabbed the shadeling¡¯s arm and slammed him into the ground. While the shadeling looked bigger and stronger than Hao Ren, Hao Ren¡¯s physical capabilities had already been enhanced to the point that his outer appearance was just a ruse. He had secretly tried out his newfound strength before and he could use his thumb to bend a standard DN40 steel pipe into all kinds of shapes. This was clearly outside a usual human¡¯s physical ability and this had something to do with the stuff that was co-existing within him. Well, the shadeling was indeed strong, at least Hao Ren felt that was the case anyway.


    He was surprised too when the black smog was nullified and it took him a few seconds to recover. Hao Ren grinned wildly as he tapped the dazed shadeling in his hold. ¡°Look up, I¡¯ve got something nice to show you.¡±


    The shadeling looked up naturally and saw a gleaming, bone-chilling object closing in on it¡­

 Chapter 304

    To be honest, sometimes Hao Ren felt a bit awkward that he only had little skills. On top of that, his skills were not really powerful and this made him even more embarrassed. Even the most incompetent Lily had her Frostfire Tackle. As a captain, he did not even know the basics of Braveblade. This was a really regrettable thing. However, when he felt the solid touch and power of the blow from his hand, Hao Ren smirked and said, ¡°Whatever!¡±


    It was a truly good trick! As long as you could endure the MDT¡¯s nasty words. Judging from its attack speed or lethality, it was an extremely stunning skill¡­


    Of course, you first had to have brute force and a piece of insanely sturdy brick.


    The shadeling¡¯s huge body came crashing down and almost a third of his head was flattened. Hao Ren still felt a little uncomfortable taking away the life of a humanoid creature. It was human nature but, he was very happy that he quickly adapted to such an eventful life, and accepted the reality that he was going to get into fights from time to time. Additionally, the fact that these half-demon creatures did not really look human actually eased his guilt. He thought that he could get used to killing these creatures after a few punches.


    This time, the MDT did not voice out its opinion right away. Before it could say anything, Hao Ren had already grabbed it out of his pocket and rubbed it against the shadeling¡¯s flattened head. It remained silent for a pretty long time as if it was pondering about life. Then, it slowly said, ¡°I found something to be very regrettable¡ªI¡¯m actually beginning to get used to this¡­¡±


    Hao Ren nodded vigorously and said, ¡°Well, that¡¯s a good thing!¡±


    A strange whistling sound suddenly came from above. Hao Ren looked up and saw a shadowy, lance-like object coming towards him. It was too late for him to dodge, and he could only cross his hands as he faced the direction of the shooting lance. However, the expected attack did not reach him, and the lance, like the smog, suddenly vanished as soon as it touched his body: This was the shadelings¡¯ magical attack¡ªalthough the lance appeared to be real, it was pure magical effect.


    Hao Ren¡¯s strange and magic-immune body began to show great power again after a period of silence. He looked at the fierce fighting sequence around him and suddenly realised that he was probably the real shadeling buster on the scene.


    Shadelings were half-demon creatures, skilled in controlling shadow power; their main strategy of battle was the utilisation of shadow magic. Although they had strong bodies and a fierce appearance, their main means of destruction was still a shadow spell. This was a group of creatures obsessed with magical power.


    And Hao Ren absolutely loved such an adversary!


    The shadeling who launched the attack stood dozens of metres away. When he saw that his powerful Shadow Lance just vanished into thin air, the stout guy froze for a moment. Hao Ren grabbed the opening and rushed towards the shadeling. He then forcefully rotated the Data Terminal in his hand, intending to punch the shadeling¡¯s head. However, as he ran, the shadeling managed to react in time. The shadeling flapped the giant wings on its back and it flew up several metres high. Then, it hurried off in another direction. Their wings did not support long-distance flights but, on the battlefield, they could still use their wings for a short glide or a swift dodge. Before Hao Ren had time to feel disappointed, he heard continuous whistling sounds coming from behind him. Again, a large group of Shadow Lances were shot at him. The weird man, who was immune to their shadow spell had attracted the attention of the shadelings¡ªHao Ren was caught in the siege of a large group of enemies instantly.


    The Shadow Lances disappeared instantly when they hit Hao Ren¡¯s back however, two of the Shadow Lances missed him. It is not certain whether that occured intentionally or accidentally. They just disappeared into the flagstones beneath Hao Ren¡¯s feet. Shortly after, an unusually violent explosion immediately erupted beneath him, and Hao Ren¡¯s body was involuntarily blown several metres up in the air. Before he landed, the shadelings immediately realised how they would deal with the freak, who was immune to magic.


    This strange man was immune to magic itself but, he was not immune to the physical effects of magic.


    So, an overwhelming number of Shadow Lances were launched towards Hao Ren as though they came freely from all directions. They were deliberately thrown to the ground beneath Hao Ren¡¯s feet. The Shadow Lances were also mixed with a variety of other bizarre spells, which basically created explosions or high temperatures. Hao Ren found himself to be the target of the moment. Before he could react, he was completely burried under the exploding flames and his body¡¯s shielding capacity began to drop.


    The bombing raids around them were obviously being performed by veterans. They quickly discovered Hao Ren¡¯s weakness after their first comrade was killed by him. At this point, they carried on fast as they continued bombing. As soon as there was little movement within their bombing range, they immediately flapped their wings and flew up temporarily. Yes, they had discovered something. That shining brick looked like a melee weapon and Hao Ren could not fly¡­


    Becky was closest to Hao Ren. The mercenary was waving her Flaming Magic sword and fighting in close entanglement with a lone shadeling. She caught a glimpse of Hao Ren and noticed his situation. She exclaimed softly at once and quickly swung her enchanted sword to kill the already badly injured enemy in front of her. Then, she turned and rushed to the siege of shadelings, ready to rescue Hao Ren. However, someone was quicker than her: a white shadow rushed towards the siege, covered in a double storm of ice and fire; the sound of air bursting like lightning. It was Lily.


    This was the first time the husky saw her landlord undergo such a siege with an invincible shield. She was worried that Hao Ren¡¯s shield could not hold on any longer and therefore, she rushed to his side without a second thought. There was even a dead shadeling¡¯s body still hanging from her claws¡­ Well, half of it: this just shows that dogs are a human¡¯s best friend. Look at how fast she ran¡­


    But before Lily could reach Hao Ren, a powerful roar suddenly rang amid the smoke of battle. ¡°You take me for a weakling if I don¡¯t fare my bangs!¡±


    The moment that illogical, confusing sentence was spoken, they heard a loud boom. The shadeling close to Hao Ren was hit by a bluish-white flare. It turned into a large and beautiful but strange, light blue crystal. Then, it was blasted high up in the air into a million pieces.


    The blue crystalline debris drifted profusely and disorderly, falling slowly like snowflakes. This strange and terrible way of dying immediately shocked everybody on the scene, including the shadelings who were savagely bombing everything with excitement. They had seen death but, they had not seen such a bizarre death: The shadeling had less than a second to ¡°transform¡± before it was blown up. Ordinary people would have missed it but, everybody on the scene was not ordinary. They clearly saw the shadeling¡¯s body turning into a glittering and translucent, blue crystal statue in a fraction of a second. Then, it burst.


    Boom! Boom!


    In the short silence, two more explosions occurred in the air. Two shadelings suddenly turned into crystalline matter and the pieces flew all over the sky. The other shadelings reacted to this and threw some Shadow Lances towards Hao Ren. After that, they quickly dispersed in all directions.


    Hao Ren jumped out of the smoke holding a giant, silvery-white pistol. It had a strange style to it. Blue light streams were floating on the giant pistol, pulsing like blood vessels. Not only that, there was still a faint glow on its muzzle. The blue veins on Hao Ren¡¯s right arm and the light streams on the gun in his hand were all protruding. Each blood vessel sparkled with the same blue light, beating on the surface of his skin as if they were about to burst.


    ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Hao Ren roared. ¡°Fight!¡±


    As he said this, he raised the strange, giant pistol in his hand and swung it in the direction of the shadelings and yelled, ¡°Go, Mobile Data Brick!¡±


    The MDT was still floating in the air, watching them and doing nothing. It went blank for a moment and finally reacted. However, the problem was solved. Y¡¯zaks and Vivian eventually settled the powerful enemies who were fighting against them. Then, they made a clean sweep of all their opponents. Of the dozens of enemies, they had eradicated almost all of them except for two or three who ran away too fast. The rest were annihilated.


    They may have been the chosen troops of the Bethanos Family, but no matter how strong the troops were, they were just soldiers¡ªeven if the troops were more than twice the current number, they would not have been able to beat Hao Ren¡¯s Frenzied Special Task Force VIP Paid Players Group.


    Let¡¯s not care about that name.


    Hao Ren heaved a deep sigh. He lowered his head and looked at his gun as well as his right arm, which had begun to be infected. ¡°I should have made some adaptive adjustments earlier. Ouch, this thing really hurts!¡±

 Chapter 305

    Accompanied by the sound of their flapping wings, a large swarm of bats quickly gathered around Hao Ren. Vivian emerged from the swarm of bats as she nervously ran towards Hao Ren and asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± Hao Ren grinned and raised his right hand. The light on the giant, silvery-white pistol was slowly fading away and then, it vanished into thin air like a phantom. ¡°I just need to take a breather¡­¡±


    ¡°What was that?¡± Lily asked as she ran towards him on her two large paws. At the same time, she licked the blood stain that was on her sleeve.


    Hao Ren shrugged and answered, ¡°An inspector¡¯s gun. I just unlocked it not too long ago. I felt like I needed some weapons that I could use in this environment, and I found it on the weapons list. But, it looks like I¡¯ve used it too early.¡±


    Hao Ren had already came to the realisation that he needed to improve his combat power two or three months ago. He was living with a bunch of unusual creatures and he had a deranged boss who could give him weird tasks any time of the day. Plus, he could get involve in fights at any moment. Therefore, he urgently needed to strengthen his combat ability in order to confront such crisis. Under the guidance of the MDT, he had been trying to enhance his control over his strengthened body, learning about precise adjustments that could be made on the shield as well as his combat skills. However, he also knew that it was not enough to have these simple and direct fighting styles in his arsenal. As a man who was weak and unsecured, he had to have a more versatile skill set to make up for his shortcomings. He then looked into the section on arming one¡¯s self in the inspector handbook and successfully unlocked the right to carry and use the inspector¡¯s gun last month.


    After applying for the gun, the weapon was sent directly to his Dimensional Pocket through the hyperspace-time rationing system. But, this was the first time he had used it.


    ¡°¡­Although I don¡¯t know much about it, it seems like a good thing,¡± Hessiana said with amazement. ¡°When did humans have this kind of stuff? Why didn¡¯t you use it earlier?¡±


    Hao Ren smiled awkwardly as he raised his right hand and said, ¡°Because of this¡­¡±


    Even though he had already kept his gun in his Dimensional Pocket, his right hand was still shimmering with a bluish glow. The protruding blood vessels underneath his skin looked like they were filled with fluorescent agents. The skin near his wrist was covered with a slight scaley, crystalline substance as if his arm had turned into crystalline like those shadelings. Everybody around him was startled by this; Nangong Wuyue hurriedly ran to his side to treat him, but Hao Ren drew back his hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t bother. This is a psionic infection, you can¡¯t deal with it. But, I can break it down and it¡¯ll go away after a while.¡±


    The psionic weapon was powerful enough to ignore shields and armor of any kind made by mortals. Hence, some mortal civilisations called the energy used by such weapons as the ¡°Will of God¡±. However, the psionic weapon was actually not suitable to be used by mortals. It would bring certain harm to the user and it had a side effect called the ¡°Psionic Crystallisation Syndrome¡±. The time and intensity of the crystallisation syndrome varied according to the user¡¯s degree of physical sensitivity.


    Unfortunately, Hao Ren was the more sensitive one.


    However, the inspector¡¯s gun was a specially designed weapon, tailored to human users. It could make self-improvements according to the physiological characteristics of the user. At the same time, the inspector¡¯s own distinctive body constitution would slowly adapt to the psionic energy after many times of contact. So, after a period of adaptation, the gun would become the handiest weapon for the inspector.


    Hao Ren just happened to use it prematurely¡ªit would actually take him one more month to achieve a perfect sync with the gun.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re all right?¡± Lily asked as she stared nervously at the strange symptoms on Hao Ren¡¯s arm, wagging her tail. ¡°It looks scary.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m all right. Let¡¯s go, we¡¯re wasting a lot of time here.¡±


    The sounds of explosions and shouting from the shadelings¡¯ castle had slightly weakened, but it was still quite intense. It seemed that the first batch of Hessiana¡¯s Daredevils and the defenders of the castle had entered a stalemate. On the south side of the castle, a number of shadelings forces rushed out and took the initiative to launch an attack. However, in the erratic onslaught of the insane vampires who carried RPGs and aerial bombs, these shadelings troops did not go far. They were called back to consolidate the defenses of the castle. At this point, the fight over there was a total mess. The shadelings were desperately defending while the vampires were attacking without any order. Both parties just could not keep pace with each other. In such a high-tech, magical, bizarre, and psychotic battle, there was nothing Rommel1 could do even if you revived him and dragged him to the scene. Hessiana herself had never verified the tactics of her Daredevils (this was also not part of her condition so, who would train these soldiers in the shelter?) hence, the front line could only fight blindly.


    The battles around the city had become white-hot. There were at least 11 rifts throughout the city and new demon hunters kept pouring into the battlefield from the rifts even after the unusual creatures struggled to fight back and consolidated their defenses. No one knew how many demon hunters were rushing in, but everyone knew that there was something wrong with a large number of demon hunters there. Since the end of the Mythological Age, the demon hunters had rarely formed legions to carry out an action of this scale. The number of demon hunters that would gather in a city was usually limited, but the ones that broke in today¡­ They were all apparently ready for the battle.


    The streets in the city were ablaze with flames and the city, which had been operating for thousands of years was quickly being destroyed. Although the unusual creatures were all formidable monsters to mankind, many of them were actually just regular people. They were not good in fighting at all. Even though they were more powerful than humans, they were never opponents of the demon hunters. The demon hunters in their long, black windbreakers were like the Grim Reaper, sweeping across the whole city. Every time their silhouettes flickered, a creature¡¯s life would be taken. The more powerful demon hunters had forcibly established their position near the rift. They were the ones directing more powerful and destructive spells.


    The city¡¯s sky began to shake and crumble as the shadow of chaos fell from every crack in the sky. In these shadows, they could vaguely see the form of the real Athens¡ªthe demon hunters were casting spells to destroy the shadow structure of the city. If the real world came into contact with this dimension, the whole city might vanish.


    However, the elders had begun to act. They closed their guarded passages and returned from the real world as well as the Shadowy Divide. They came to the city to deal with the leaders of the demon hunters, who were keeping the rifts open. These powerful elders managed to slightly relief the situation; the demon hunters¡¯ magic, which was capable of destroying the city was interrupted again and again. Due to the intense energy, the dome of the city creaked as if it was about to collapse, but in the end, it did not¡­


    Well, not yet.


    The flames from explosions and the burning fires in the city rose from all directions, but there was not one demon hunter near the shadelings¡¯ castle. That area seemed to have been deliberately overlooked. Only the shadelings and vampires from Hessiana¡¯s family were fighting here.


    ¡°The demon hunters deliberately bypassed this area,¡± Hessiana said as she gritted her teeth and rubbed off the blood on her face. They had just beaten back another attack from the shadelings. The Dark Castle was already in sight and they could even see the ragged heraldry still fluttering above the city gate. ¡°They¡¯re trying to throw the whole city into the real world¡­ What kind of agreement did they have with that bastard, Bethanos?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s incredible, the fact that the demon hunters colluded with unusual creatures,¡± Vivian said, looking back at the city with concern. ¡°Can we hold on? It seems like the demon hunters have gained the upper hand.¡±


    ¡°We must,¡± Hessiana clenched her teeth and said. ¡°The shadelings are trying to break out of their castle; they are undoubtedly trying to rush to the city to support the demon hunters. We must be here to destroy the castle otherwise, the defenders in the city will be attacked from all sides!¡±


    Then, she looked back at the city and said, ¡°I want to help them fight against the demon hunters too, but right now¡­ it¡¯s better that we believe in the power of the defenders. That crafty scoundrel, Bethanos is a greater threat now.¡±


    Just as Hao Ren was about to say something, he suddenly saw a golden glow appear out of nowhere in the air. He immediately prepared to fight, but then he noticed Hesperides walking out from the glow.


    This elder, who went by ¡°Goddess of Twilight¡±, looked like she had just gone through a tough battle. Her clothes were stained with blood and the shimmering bloodstains had apparently come from the demon hunters. Along with all that, the weapon in her hand left them all dumbfounded.


    It was a mace, which was almost as tall as her. It was fabricated from high-quality steel, covered in hundreds of nails and was an essential treasure for killing as well as robbing.


    Hesperides was glaring at them with red eyes. She waved the mace in her hand and asked in a shrill voice, ¡°Where is he? Where is he? Where¡¯s that one-eyed man?!¡±


    Vivian covered her eyes and said, ¡°Here comes her secondary personality.¡±


    Translator¡¯s Thoughts


    Jillyboy Jillyboy


    1Erwin Rommel was a German general and military theorist who was popularly known as the Desert Fox.

 Chapter 306

    Hao Ren still remembered the first time he saw Hesperides. Based on his impression, she was a slightly gloomy, mature sister with a steady temperament. But now, seeing her again gave him a fright. Hesperides looked as frightening as a hungry ghost who crawled out from hell. She had a visible, murderous aura around her body; her eyes were red and her voice was hoarse. The giant mace in her hand was covered in blood, which kept dripping to the ground. Vivian covered her eyes and whispered, ¡°The second personality¡­¡±


    ¡°Have you seen the one-eyed man?¡± Hesperides looked as if she had gone mad but in fact, she had no problems indentifying the things around her. She stared at Hao Ren and Vivian, then said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Leave him to me, leave him with me¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been fighting for too long. You should go back and rest.¡± Vivian tried to calm her down but, after getting a vicious look from Hesperides, she shook her head helplessly and said, ¡°The demon hunters didn¡¯t come this way. Those bastards, the shadelings are in cahoots with them. We¡¯re going to kill Bethanos now¡ªdo you want to come?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m going to look for the one-eyed man, I¡¯m going to kill him.¡± A reddish halo gradually rose from Hesperides¡¯ ¡°battle stick¡±. Under the shroud of the halo, its surroundings gradually became scorching hot, twisting in the heat. ¡°I can feel it¡­ I can feel him here in this city. It¡¯s right this time, it¡¯s absolutely right this time. My wound is burning like fire¡­ Ah, the arrow in the wound must have felt the call of its master! It will take me to its bastard owner¡­¡±


    Hesperides kept talking on and on like a lunatic while a silver glow seeped out the gorgeous jewelry on her forehead. At first, Vivian looked sympathetically at her delirious friend, but when she heard those last few words, her facial expression suddenly changed and she asked, ¡°Wait a minute, you sense it this time?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely.¡± Hesperides covered her forehead and laughed hoarsely. ¡°He¡¯s alive, he¡¯s here, and he¡¯s going to die today!¡±


    After saying this, Hesperides did not give Vivian the opportunity to continue asking her any questions. She turned into a sunset orange glow and dispersed into the air. Hao Ren found it strange and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Who¡¯s the one-eyed man?¡±


    ¡°The one-eyed man is the demon hunters¡¯ ¡®elder¡¯,¡± Vivian said as she turned and went towards the castle of shadelings. ¡°We don¡¯t know what his real name is, we just know that he¡¯s blind on one side and he¡¯s the one who left the cut on Hesperides¡¯ head. I never thought that he would still be alive¡­ For a demon hunter to live until now, he is definitely at least an elder or maybe even a saint¡­¡±


    After Hao Ren heard this, he immediately asked, ¡°In that case, does Hesperides need our help?¡±


    ¡°There are other elders in this town who will help her. Besides, we have more important things to do,¡± Vivian said without turning her head, ¡°and our top priority now is to catch Bethanos. I got a feeling¡­ he¡¯s going to run away soon, and he¡¯s going to run far. If we don¡¯t catch him this time, it¡¯ll cause endless problems in the future.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and stopped talking. However, Vivian could not help but mutter, ¡°I never expected an elder of such level to be leading the demon hunters in purifying this city. What the hell is in this city, that it got them to do this?¡±


    Vivian was still rushing towards the shadelings¡¯ castle, but inside, she was getting more and more puzzled. It was already so shocking that demon hunters and unusual creatures were ganging up. Then, to find out that the demon hunters¡¯ commander was one of the elders involved in the events of Olympus! It would still be understandable if it was a new generation demon hunter ganging up with the shadelings. But, a veteran demon hunter cooperated with Bethanos?


    What the hell was in the city, that it got them to do this?


    Vivian frowned. Although she had long neglected things related to unusual creatures, she still thought of a possibility. At the same time, the walkie-talkie on Hessiana¡¯s chest sounded again. They received a message from Hessiana¡¯s family base. ¡°Mistress! A large number of demon hunters are storming into our side! The enemies in the neighborhood seem to have gathered together!¡±


    ¡°Storming our home?¡± Hessiana paused for a second and asked, ¡°Did you fire too much and become too much of a threat to them?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. There¡¯s also news that the Lucas Family have been hit. The sentinels report that the demon hunters in the city, apart from those maintaining the rifts, have gathered into two troops and they are storming towards us as well as the Lucas Family¡­¡±


    ¡°Can you guys withstand the attack?¡± Hessiana frowned and asked.


    The voice in the walkie-talkie was very firm. ¡°No problem! Our ammunition is well stocked. The demon hunters are clearly not comfortable with our fighting style, and they haven¡¯t worked out an effective assault strategy yet. We have activated all the mines and the demon hunters won¡¯t dare to use their teleportation as they like.¡±


    Hessiana laughed and said, ¡°Take it easy, don¡¯t blow up our own people.¡±


    ¡°Are the demon hunters attacking the Hessianite and Lucas Family stations?¡± Vivian tilted her head, glanced at Hessiana and said, ¡°Looks like I guessed correctly. They¡¯re here for the relic¡­ and Bethanos cheated them.¡±


    Hao Ren was also pondering about this matter and figured it out at the same time as Vivian: What did the Hessianite and Lucas Family have, which was worth the attention of the shadelings and demon hunters at the same time, that they would come and rob them in such a big way? The answer was very obvious: it had to be the two key slates stolen by Bethanos. Whatever the truth about the ruins was, Bethanos had apparently told the demon hunters that the key slates were in the hands of the two vampire families!


    However, the crafty scoundrel did not tell the demon hunters that he had snatched the key in advance.


    The shadelings¡¯ castle was blazing with flames. After aerial bombings and subsequent attacks from the RPGs, two-thirds of the black castle, which had stood for thousands of years collapsed. Only giant rocks cracked by high temperatures and crumbling rubble were left to struggle and maintain the grand scale of the ancient castle. After the first wave of Daredevils bombed the castle, Hessiana sent another set of troops and the second group dropped a massive amount of white phosphorus bombs as well as a variety of high-performance incendiary bombs. They did not seek to burn the shadelings into ashes, but they wanted to destroy the castle completely. This was Hessiana¡¯s style. The seemingly lively little vampire had an exceptionally ruthless side. If she explicitly treated a person as an enemy, she would never stop until the enemy was crushed into powder. She had decided to destroy the shadelings¡¯ foundation and not a single brick would be left of it.


    Anyway, this was the kind of war that occurred between the unusual creatures. These racially diverse and contradictory creatures were never afraid to completely exterminate their opponents when necessary. Therefore, the shadelings in the castle did not panic when they were confronted by this crazy attack. They did lament about how their home had been destroyed or regretted having brought such a big problemupon themselves. They just fought in silence with a near-numb attitude. The shadelings also managed to cause a lot of casualties among Hessiana¡¯s troops as there were disadvantages to air raids.


    But that was as much as the shadelings could do. Hessiana¡¯s Family was almost as strong as and the family of shadelings. Now, Hessiana had the advantage of her trump card, and part of the shadelings had been successfully blocked by the Lucas Family therefore, the castle¡¯s force of resistance was almost done for.


    Hao Ren and others passed through the castle¡¯s atrium, which was filled with smoke and the garden, which was strewn with corpses of shadelings as well as vampires; they suffered the last wave of attack deep beneath the castle. After Y¡¯zaks blew these half-demons away with his real demon power, Hao Ren kicked the heavy stone door open.


    It was also probably the last door in the entire castle that still remained intact¡ªand now, that last door was gone too.


    There was no Bethanos in the basement, only a door that was slowly closing and smoke still fuming from the remnants of an altar.


    They did not see the key slabs, just some white debris scattered around the altar.


    Hessiana trotted towards the altar and found some pieces of metal from the altar¡¯s wreckage. She was so angry that she laughed and said, ¡°Haha¡­ He blew up the door with a time bomb. That old bastard still keeps up with the times¡ªbut, is he not planning to come back out?¡±

 Chapter 307

    Meanwhile, in another corner of the City of Shadows¡­


    On the hill where the Lucas Family was based, three silhouettes stood and looked down upon the burning city¡ªtwo tall men and one petite woman, all draped in black wind coats. The guy had short, grey hair, a face with scars, an eye mask on one eye and a huge, sophisticated crossbow hanging over his shoulder as he stared coldly at the ferocious fire.


    Standing next to him was a dark-skinned man who tall and bald. He looked like someone of South American ancestry. His eyes were shut as though he was listening to news from afar. When he opened his eyes, looked at his leader. ¡°Elder Hasse, our attack in the west has been thwarted.¡±


    ¡°The west¡­ the vampires from the Hessianite Family?¡± Hasse, the one-eyed elder nodded. ¡°It seems like these vampires are different from the rest. They¡¯re a little difficult to deal with.¡±


    ¡°They have machine guns, bunkers, tanks, cannons, mines, howitzers and biochemical weapons that are all blessed with magic,¡± said the black man, looking confused. ¡°It¡¯s like battling humans, not vampires. They have a large number of light and heavy arms. Intel from the frontline indicates that those vampires are resistant to holy power. The use of holy water and exorcisms are not effective against them.¡±


    Hasse was surprised. ¡°They¡¯re resistant to holy power? That reminds me of an ancient one¡­ I hope she has nothing to do with this¡­¡±


    ¡°Who are your referring to?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. Never mind¡±¡ªHasse shook his head¡ª¡±maybe it¡¯s not her. She¡¯s not a real vampire. She can¡¯t pass the power in her blood to so many people. Just scale up the attack in the west; those vampires may have figured something out after spending thousands of years in the sanctuary. We can¡¯t just sit by and let them spread their influence to other otherworldlings.¡±


    ¡°But, do we really have to burn down the entire city?¡± After remaining silent the entire time, the female demon hunter suddenly spoke. She looked 19 at most, but she had eye-catching, long white hair and a matching pair of white eyebrows. She gazed at the burning city below as her quirky face was mixed with a slight hint of sympathy. ¡°They haven¡¯t been a threat to others for thousands of years.¡±


    ¡°Keep your sympathy to yourself, White Flame,¡± said Hasse indifferently. His face was solemn as he glanced at the white-haired maiden. ¡°They¡¯ve killed more people than all the people you¡¯ve known in your entire life. They¡¯ve quieted down for the last couple thousands of years simply because they haven¡¯t found a chance to kill again.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that the whole city is paying the price,¡± White Flame, the young demon hunter tried to explain herself, ¡°as there must be some civilians in there.¡±


    ¡°When Mohenjo-daro was destroyed, no one came forward to plead for the civilians; it was the same for Knossos. They were condemned just because their sacrifices were not fresh enough or one of them didn¡¯t make it to worship in the temple on time.¡± Hasse¡¯ arms were crossed over his chest as he continued to stare indifferently at the burning city. ¡°The creatures and races in this city deserve no mercy. My only regret is that their death has come 3,000 years late.¡±


    White Flame lowered her head in silence while she listened to Hasse. The black guy beside her glanced at her and said, ¡°White Flame, you¡¯re the most talented demon hunter in history, but you have a weakness¡ªsympathy. Perhaps, it¡¯s the law of balance; but your sympathy is your Achilles¡¯ heel. Be mindful and don¡¯t let this strange thought ruin your life.¡±


    White Flame bowed and said, ¡°Yes, your teaching is duly noted, Master Teuton.¡±


    Hasse looked on and frowned as his right-hand man, who had been working with him for years taught the talented yet problematic prodigy. He knew White Flame had a curiosity for the otherworldlings. He also knew that many new generation demon hunters had doubts about their missions. But, this girl was just too brilliant that she stood out. The sages had observed this anomaly and covertly conducted a survery 100 years ago. They found that in certain generations, about 50 % of the demon hunters would have an anomaly in their faith; it usually happened in the seventh or eighth generation. The fact that this phenomenon occurred in the last two generations on a global scale could not be explained away by educational or environmental reasoning; the cause was more of internal than external.


    Perhaps, there was an anomaly in their bloodline.


    Or perhaps, it was just as the heretic, who was sentenced to death last month said: ¡°the anomaly in their bloodline was being corrected.¡±


    Hasse shook his head, trying to get rid of the thought, which sent chills down his spine. He had been alive for too long and something was deeply rooted in him¡ªkind of like a truth. However, he chose not to believe it, even ignoring the possibility that this truth may just collapse on himself one day. Nonetheless, he wanted to test out his theory. With his authority as an elder, he took a tremendous risk and entered into a deal with the evil otherworldlings of the city. He wanted to know if the new generation of otherworldlings had also experienced the same phenomenon. He was disappointed, but he took comfort in knowing that at least the shadelings had not changed: like their ancestors, the new generation of shadelings were just as greedy and cunning, extremely cruel to other beings outside of their own kind.


    Sure enough, the demon hunters and otherworldlings were fundamentally different. Although the new generation of demon hunters had the anomaly, it proved the purity of their bloodline.


    As one of the oldest demon hunters, Hasse chose to believe in this explanation. Once the city of sin burned down and the sacred item was retrieved, the absurd farce and ridiculous ¡°test¡± of his would be put to rest.


    ¡°Elder¡±¡ªall of a sudden, the guy known as Master Teuton interrupted Hasse¡¯ train of thought¡ª ¡°do you think the shadelings are sincere?¡±


    ¡°No¡±¡ªHasse shook his head indifferently¡ª¡±they¡¯re not sincere. But, they¡¯re useful. We should make use of those who are useful¡ªI speak from experience after going through the toughest time of my life. Sometimes¡ª¡±


    Suddenly, the coarse voice of a woman interrupted Hesse. ¡°Useful? You will be useless soon¡­¡±


    Before her voice trailed off, a searing light flashed in the air. A big mace appeared out from the light and headed straight for Hasse¡¯ head.


    Boom


    The impact left the hill covered in scorching light and billowing smoke. Rock, even soil and sand had turned into smoldering lava as the hill¡¯s vegetation were vaporised. The silhouette of the three demon hunters in the air were covered in a bright light-shield, which had insulated them from the scorching heat. White Flame appeared shocked. Hasse frowned when he spotted the silhouette of a woman emerging from the smoke. ¡°Hesperides, I knew you were still alive.


    ¡°But you¡¯ll be dead today!¡±


    An earth-shattering battle erupted. White Flame and Teuton came up to them, trying to help their elder against the crazy woman, who had popped out of nowhere. However, they were quickly stopped by the ancient ones who had also seemingly appeared from nowhere.


    The battle between the ancient goddesses and demon hunters was ignited for the first time since the Mythological Era.


    Meanwhile, Hao Ren and Hessiana had arrived in a strange place.


    In theory, they should have arrived in the same ruins in the other dimension. The energy storm had subsided but the structure and scene in the dimension looked totally different.


    It seemed that Bethanos may have triggered something when he fled into the ruins. Perhaps the tunnel beneath the Fortress of the Shadows, which led to the ruins was also a passage to some deeper part of the dimension. What appeared in front of them was not a sea of clouds and the cloud temple, instead¡­


    It was a desert.


    Lily squatted on a sand dune and howled. ¡°Awooo¡ªwhich way next?¡±

 Chapter 308

    Ten minutes earlier, the fortress of the Bethanos Family was bombarded into oblivion by Hessiana using a massive stockpile of weaponry she had accumulated since World War II. The shadelings who stubbornly resisted had mostly been finished off as well. Their defeat proved that the strength of the Hessianite Family, who had been staying relatively low-profile for the last 100 hundred years had actually surpassed that of the shadelings. When the pyschopathic vampires showed up with their high-tech weaponry, the half-demon luddites were crushed to the ground like bugs.


    However, their leader had escaped.


    By the time they arrived in the basement of the castle, the altar and magic formation had all been destroyed; the key slabs had been smashed into pieces. Bethanos found another warp point, which he had blown up after escaping through it into the ruins.


    But this did not hold Hao Ren and his team back; the entry method which the MDT had recorded earlier worked like a charm in the Fortress of Shadows. They summoned up another portal to the ruins. Hessiana ordered her men to stay back and guard the portal before they entered the other dimension, which they had nearly died in.


    However, when they stepped through the portal, what lay before them was just a desert.


    Lily squatted on a sand dune not far away, feeling ecstatic. Hao Ren stared at the strange scene, dumbfounded. Under the gloomy, ember sky, endless yellow sand dunes stretched to the end of the horizon. He looked into the distance and aside from some sporadic withered plants as well as weathered rocks of various odd shapes, it was basically a desolute place without any landmarks or ruins¡ªof course, Bethanos was nowhere to be seen too.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t it be a sea of clouds?¡± Becky gazed around nervously with sword in her hand. The strange changes in the environment had triggered her sixth sense as a mercenary¡ªshe did not forget the time she was almost toasted to death in the very same place. In fact, she was still wary of the energy storm, which could still be brewing. She did not want to set her foot there again but, she went in anyway.


    ¡°It seems like a different entrance to the ruins leads to a different scene.¡± Hessiana scratched her chin, trying to figure it out. ¡°The key is only valid at a certain spatial warp point. I found a warp point at the entrance of the Parthenon but it appears that there¡¯s now more than one. Of course, it¡¯s possible that it¡¯s got nothing to do with the coordinates; Bethanos must have changed the settings in the ruins. He knows the ruins more than I do.¡±


    For safety, Nangong Wuyue shapeshifted into a sea-serpent before she entered the ruins. She was flabbergasted at what she saw. She curled up like a mosquito coil, lying listlessly.


    It must have been a very horrible experience for a marine creature to come to the desert.


    ¡°Do you want to go back out?¡± Hao Ren took out a pail, which was originally meant for Lil Pea from his Dimensional Pocket. He sprinkled water on Nangong Wuyue¡¯s tail and said, ¡°This place isn¡¯t for you¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I can get used to it.¡± The water did wonders and Nangong Wuyue regained her vitality. Then she focused her mind, drawing out moisture from the air and sand to form a thin layer of damp air around everyone. ¡°At least, this is better than nothing.¡±


    ¡°MDT, scan.¡± Hao Ren thrusted the MDT¡ªthe only one not affected by the harsh environment¡ªup into the air.


    The MDT rose up to a high altitude. It used its long-range radar, which was more powerful than a person¡¯s normal perception to scan the area. Soon after, it descended and projected a large holograhic arrow, pointing towards a specific direction. ¡°Go in that direction. There¡¯s a moutain range there. There seems to be something fun just over the hill.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a while and decided to take a shortcut. ¡°You can fly. But before that, teleport us over there.¡±


    ¡°Lazy bugger!¡± The MDT ceremoniously sputtered a protest. Nonetheless, it never disregarded its responsibility when it came to business; the MDT faded into a beam of blue light and disappeared into the horizon before everyone was teleported to a rocky mountaintop. The MDT landed on Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ve brought you to the mountaintop. Now, do you see what¡¯s down at the bottom?¡±


    They just recovered from their dizziness after the teleportation, and they began to scan their surroundings. Hao Ren first saw a boundless stretch of yellow sand on the side they had come from. On the other side, a vast expanse of barren plains. There were also wastelands covered in gravel and a large basin. Looking farther ahead, there was another equally desolute mountain range.


    Two mountain ranges, plains and a basin in between; it seemed nothing was out of the ordinary. Yet, Hao Ren felt an inexplicable sense of strange sight in his mind¡¯s eye.


    He searched his memory as he looked at the terrain: he did not know how far the moutain range under his feet stretched. The curved belt of the mountain range near the desert in the far end was amazing; its peaks and gaps looked just like a giant spine.


    ¡°Whoa!¡± Suddenly Lily came out of her daze. ¡°It looks like Dragonspine Ridge!¡±


    ¡°That basin below must be the Beinz Blood Lake.¡± Vivian nodded. ¡°The plains must be the Gnarled Grove. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    The MDT hovered mid air, presenting the precise topograhy of the desert via holographic projection, then rendering vegetation and blood-red water over it. The finished image was almost shockingly familiar¡ªit was the Beinz Blood Lake.


    Hao Ren¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground.


    ¡°We¡¯re obviously still in the other dimension, not in The Plane of Dreams.¡± The MDT turned off the projection. ¡°Presumably, these recoded images are just scenes of The Plane of Dreams in the past¡ªbefore the Beinz Blood Lake formed, the steppe was just a desert and the Beinz Blood Lake was just a basin. It looks like the legend of The Plane of Dreams has many variations. The one we¡¯re seeing right now must be the scene before the goddess banished the world¡ªa desolute place.¡±


    Becky was in awe. ¡°What do you guys think, if I turn this scene into a painting and sell it to the historians and the Church¡ª¡±


    ¡°More likely than not, you¡¯ll be tied to a pyre and burned for two hours as they sprinkle cumin on you.¡± Nangong Wuyue gave the mercenary a sideways glance. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t get burned alive, you¡¯ll be treated as a psyhopath.¡±


    Becky stuck her tongue out silently. Hessiana was standing behind Vivian and her curiosity was overflowing. She could not help but ask, ¡°What are you guys rattling about? This isn¡¯t the first time you¡¯re talking about The Plane of Dreams!¡± Then, she pointed at the MDT. ¡°And what is this talking, hologram-making brick all about? When did the human shaman come up with such a gadget?¡±


    Cold sweat instantly dripped down from Hao Ren¡¯s forehead. He had unknowingly treated Hessiana as his own member after just spending half a day with her. Only then did he realize that Hessiana was a pure-bred vampire, who knew nothing about him.


    He hurriedly asked the MDT if it had some sort of gadget that could make people lose their memory with a click of a button. But Vivian had a better idea; she glared at Hessiana and said, ¡°It¡¯s a secret. Don¡¯t ask.¡±


    Hessiana nodded solemnly as though she had just signed a military order before going into the battlefield.


    How great would it have been if she was this obedient all the time.


    Lily was jumping with agility from one rock to another, exploring her surroundings. Suddenly, she stopped right on top of a rock and pointed at something. ¡°Hey, see that? It¡¯s the temple. The temple¡¯s gone up to the mountainside!¡±


    They finally found the Cloud Temple, which was presumably the heart of the ruins. However, this time, it was not floating in the sky. It was inlaid at the side of Dragonspine Ridge as if it was fused together with the mountain. Also, it was not in a collapsed state, it was almost shredded into pieces during the energy storm. Nonetheless, it still appeared intact at the moment.


    ¡°Bethanos must be in there!¡± Hessiana shouted excitedly before she spread her wings out and flew towards the mountainside. Nangong Wuyue followed closely behind but, instead of flying, she was rolling down the slope, screaming. ¡°Help¡­ I can¡¯t stop!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks was shocked at the sight. ¡°Why does she like to curl herself up into a ball?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue answered as she rolled down towards the side of the mountain, ¡°To prevent¡­ moisture loss¡ª¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    Once again, it had to be a very horrible experience for a marine creature to come to the desert.

 Chapter 309

    Inside, the temple was more dilapidated than the last saw time they it. Although the energy storm did not totally destroy the temple, it had apparently inflicted severe damage with its great force: a large number of decorative columns had collapsed in the vestibule, the crests over the corridor had fallen and cracks were all over the exquisite reliefs on the facades of the temple. Additionally, some of the glass-like areas ravaged by the energy storm had melted and solidified.


    Hessiana found a large hole in front of the temple¡ªthe one they escaped through earlier. It proved that this was the cloud temple they had visited the last time. But, it was not in the sky this time. It was half-buried in the mountain they were standing on at the moment. Only the front portion of the temple protruded out while the rear portion was planted in the mountain; there were no signs of impact or cracks where the temple met the mountain. It looked like they both grew together in one body.


    Hao Ren took the lead, walking in front of his team as he scanned their surroundings. ¡°This is confusing; it was a sea of clouds but it¡¯s turned into a desert¡­ how is it possible?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s just a big illusion. What we¡¯re seeing is an illusion from a projection,¡± said Vivian. She sent out a swarm of bats to look for clues as she responded to the questions in Hao Ren¡¯s mind. ¡°Whether it¡¯s a sea of clouds or a desert, the temple is the only constant; this must be the heart of the ruins.¡±


    Lily looked at Nangong Wuyue with concern. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue was crawling on the ground, with several huge bumps on her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    If this was the heart of the ruins, then Bethanos had to be hiding somewhere inside. But it was unknown if he had detected the intruders. Vivian had a hunch that Bethanos came for the temple¡¯s ¡°storage chamber¡±, which they did not manage to find the last time they scouted the gallery. They carefully manoeuvred across the corridor as they constantly watched over their shoulders: the shadelings were a cunning race and they were wary that Bethanos may have rigged the place with traps.


    Hoever, Bethanos may also have thought that no one made it back in after the key was destroyed. There did not seem to be any traps laying about as they came to the end of the corridor.


    Hao Ren triggered his shield. He was the first to enter the gallery. The gallery was empty, just like the last time he left it, but his eyes quickly landed where the mysterious sculpture of Vivian used stand. It disintegrated when the energy storm struck. All that was left was the base. On the base was a shimmering light of an undefined shape. There seemed to be something in the glow.


    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± Hessiana whispered as she saw the light. She began to run towards it. ¡°This is the entrance!¡±


    ¡°Wait a second.¡± Vivian immediately stopped the reckless maiden, throwing a bat in their path before she nodded and said, ¡°Now let¡¯s go.¡±


    As they entered into the glow, they felt like they had just walked through a layer of cold water membrane. The surroundings then changed. It was vast, but pitch dark.


    The space seemed like a big stone chamber surrounded by darkness; visibility was poor but they managed to spot rows of stone columns in the distance. The air was damp with a rotten smell, probably because this place had remained sealed for God-knows-how-long. There was light about 100 metres ahead: there was a weird looking device about three to four metres tall in the centre of the chamber. It was a combination of several cylinders and ellipsoids, shimmering with light which barely kept the chamber from falling into absolute darkness. As soon as Hao Ren¡¯s vision adapted to the environment, he immediately spotted a sneaky figure: Bethanos!


    The others had also spotted the same. Everyone immediately geared up for battle. Meanwhile, Bethanos finally noticed the movement behind him. He was shocked to find familiar faces as he turned his head. ¡°How did you guys come in?¡±


    Hao Ren was surprised to find that Bethanos was like an ordinary old man; he was draped in grey robes, had sparse white hair, a face full of wrinkles, and was slightly hunched. He almost looked like a harmless human, like an extra in a movie set who got paid with a pack of lunch. No one would have imagined this old man to be the mastermind who had orchestrated the disaster in the sanctuary. When Hessiana saw the ¡°old man¡±, she clenched the weapon in her hand: a black and red whip made of unknown material. She shouted, ¡°Bethanos! What do you want?!¡±


    ¡°Oh, it seems I¡¯ve underestimated you people.¡± Bethanos looked at them as they glared at him. He showed no signs of nervousness and spoke in a calm voice while he pointed his finger at the strange device shimmering behind him. ¡°You probably haven¡¯t understood, but I¡¯m in the midst of studying the ultimate knowledge and answer to our world. So, please be quiet if you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    As Bethanos¡¯ voice trailed off, a cold wave of movement emerged from the darkness¡ªa group of huge shadelings appeared!


    ¡°I¡¯m not alone here,¡± said Bethanos as he shrugged.


    Hessiana clenched her whip. She counted her enemies first before looking at Bethanos. ¡°These scouts are all you have? Don¡¯t you know your men on the outside have all been terminated? Your fortress, your family and every single influence you¡¯ve garnered for the last thousands of years!¡±


    The shadelings were visibly shaken when they heard what Hessiana said, but Bethanos just stared intently at the device beside him. ¡°It¡¯s not a problem compared to what I¡¯m studying. You have no idea. So just die!¡±


    As the voice of Bethanos trailed off, the shadelings suddenly began to attack!


    ¡°Fire!¡± Hao Ren saw Bethanos¡¯ hands on the device. The shimmer from the device became even stronger and Hao Ren knew he had to end this quickly. He ignored the injury on his right hand and yanked out his pistol, shouting and keeping a safe distance before beginning to snipe.


    The situation quickly turned chaotic. The shadelings they were battling right now were no boy scouts. These were the best of the best from the Bethanos Family. As soon as the fight started, they began to feel an immense pressure. Bethanos watched in satisfaction as they were bogged down by his men. He mumbled a few words and continued to fiddle with the strange device.


    Y¡¯zaks had seen it all in his peripheral vision. The giant with a gentle temperament finally burst. ¡°Everyone, get out of the way!¡±


    A heat wave radiated out from Y¡¯zaks. They did not need his advice to take cover. Huge flames and splashing lava began to burst out from under his feet as the six-metre lava demon stood up from the sea of fire with a roar that tear eardrums.


    The shadelings were all stunned like vegetables. Even though Y¡¯zaks looked like a demon, he was not exactly like any other demon in this world. The shadelings were rooted to the spot as if they had seen some little green men in space suits shooting laser guns at them. Y¡¯zaks was not going to let this opportunity slip away. He swung his arm and the lava pool under his feet began to spread out like a runaway wild fire; a few shadelings nearby were nearly swallowed by it.


    The other shadelings began to come their senses and focused their attack on Y¡¯zaks. But the king of demons had his full battle mode switched on and he was unstoppable.


    A few minutes into the battle, the last shadeling turned into a lump of carbohydrate in the hands of Y¡¯zaks.


    Bethanos¡¯ jaw almost dropped to the ground. Hao Ren tucked his gun away and approached Bethanos as he said, ¡°So, didn¡¯t your mom tell you not to mess with those who of a different style from you?¡±


    Bethanos¡¯ eyes were locked on Y¡¯zaks for a long moment. He stared lustfully at him¡ªgreedy for his power and strength. Y¡¯zaks had goosebumps from being stared at like that¡­ As if he could still have goosebumps with that body¡­


    But just when the farce was about to be over, the device behind Bethanos suddenly rang.


    A light beam popped out of thin air and Bethanos as well as the device were completely shrouded in it.


    ¡°Aha! Destiny has eventually favoured the decrepit!¡± Bethanos laughed loudly then stared deadly at Y¡¯zaks. ¡°Interesting, you people are interesting, especially that demon. I¡¯ve never seen anything like him. I will be back. When I finally find stonger power in the land of the origins, I will come back and dissect you, my interesting samples¡­ Hahaha!¡±

 Chapter 310

    A beam of white light enveloped Bethanos and the strange device. Wielding a pair of Fire and Ice Blades, Lily charged towards it. Sparks emitted as she managed to scrape its surface. However, the light beam did not move an inch.


    ¡°Don¡¯t waste your energy.¡± Bethanos sneered. ¡°This artifact comes from the Land of Origins. It¡¯s powerful enough to tear the barrier between two worlds into pieces! A mortal¡¯s strength is just child¡¯s play in front of this miracle.¡±


    Hao Ren stared back at him angrily. He did not expect things to turn out this way. Bethanos, the cunning shadeling, was just a few feet away from him, engulfed in a strange film of light as unbreakable as his Steel Membrane Shield. Lily spent half a day trying to force her way in but her efforts were to no avail. Even Y¡¯zaks summoned his Flameburst and blew a hole in the floor but, the light beam refused to budge.


    ¡°Bethanos!¡± Hessiana waved her whip as she stood outside, jumping with anger. ¡°You coward! Bastard! Dang creature! What do you want? Don¡¯t you realise you¡¯ve destroyed the sanctuary?¡±


    ¡°Like I said, you guys are short-sighted.¡± Bethanos looked as if he pitied them. ¡°That¡¯s why I never wanted work with you lot right from the beginning. The sanctuary? For a mere thousand years of peace? I can¡¯t believe there are people who would be content with that. But I¡¯m different; I know better than all of you. I vie for eternal strength, which is powerful enough to set the world free from demon hunters and humans. In the pursuit of this goal, the sacrifice of a few idiots is totally reasonable.¡±


    It appeared to take some time before the strange device behind Bethanos began to fire up. Hao Ren allowed the MDT to hack into the light membrane quietly as he tried to divert their attention. ¡°What the hell is that?¡± he referred to the device behind Bethanos.


    Bethanos did not give a hoot. He just looked at Vivian with a deep gaze. ¡°Vivian Ancestor, the ancient one. I must say, I have to revere you as an elder. But, your memory is a mess. Otherwise, you could¡¯ve become my best partner. I pity you, you know nothing.¡±


    Vivian furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°What do you mean? What should I know?¡±


    Bethanos turned his eyes on the device behind him, seemingly finding that the thing was running slower than expected. He looked impatient, but he soon began to enjoy the process of waiting as he anticipated his victory. With his hands behind him and his body slightly stooped, he began speaking to Vivian outside the light beam like a kind old man. ¡°Do you know that we¡­ I mean, all of us, including humans, vampires, shadelings, demons, wraiths, sirens and other races who are known as Otherworldlings came from another world? We¡¯re all creatures not of this planet, not even of this universe¡­¡±


    Hessiana scratched her head. ¡°Are you just out of your mind because you¡¯ve become too old?¡±


    However, Hao Ren and the others began to realise: this old shadeling knew something incredible!


    ¡°I know some won¡¯t believe it.¡± Bethanos remained calm and glanced at Vivian indifferently. ¡°Even those whimmy humans don¡¯t believe in parallel universes and the Otherworld. How many Otherworldlings actually possess such foresight? In the first few thousand years, they immersed themselves in greed and lustful desires. Then, they became fugitives and have been living like cowards for the last couple thousands of years. The fool is a sad creature. Shadelings are the only ones in this world who care about all these ancient truths. You people on the other hand, treated the truth like it was a taboo. Tsk, tsk!¡±


    ¡°That thing behind you, it¡¯s¡ª¡± Hao Ren quietly said.


    ¡°It¡¯s the door to the Land of Origins!¡± Bethanos felt like he had the situation under his control. His did not find the need to mince his words as he talked to a bunch of prisoners on death row. ¡°The Shadeling Family have been accumulating various broken scrolls and mysterious relics for the past thousands of years. From them, we deduced that we were sent to this world by this amazing thing. It possesses the power to link the two worlds together. It¡¯s even comparable to the sun and moon combined! We call it the Sacred Relic of Origins. The name suits it well, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    Then he turned around and looked at the device¡¯s bright, crystalised front panel. After that, he shook his head with a sense of regret. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that an error took place during the transmission 10,000 years ago. The memories of the ancient ones were erased and some of them even had memory¡ª¡±


    Bethanos paused for a second, glanced at Vivian then continued, ¡°¡ªdefficiency.¡±


    Vivian remained silent.


    Bethanos did not care about their silence. He scratched his chin and kept mumbling in a frenzy. ¡°What was the purpose of the transmission 10,000 years ago? For exploration or subjugation? What does the Land of Origins look like? How powerful is it? What kind of knowledge and power can I find there? Ah¡­ these are good questions and some even make me feel a bit scared. I haven¡¯t experienced the thrill of exploring new things for thousands of years. But no matter what lies behind this door, it¡¯s not going to be worse than this. And all of you short-sighted wretches will live here in regret.¡±


    Hao Ren frowned. He was surprised that as mad as Bethanos was, he had secretly uncovered such a revealing truth. His interpretation was rational and it closely matched the intel Hao Ren had, which made one wonder: was Bethanos telling the truth?


    The strange device began to buzz in a low pitch. Bethanos heard it and was delighted. ¡°Aha! Looks like it¡¯s almost fully charged. Although I¡¯d like to shed some light on the truth for ignorant fools like the lot of you, looks like it¡¯s time to say goodbye. Maybe, I¡¯ll come back to this world some time later. I hope all of you will live long enough to witness my return.¡±


    After that, he turned around and his eager eyes stared unwaveringly at a series of panels on the device.


    A short beep was emitted from the Sacred Relic of Origins as a succession of complicated, glowing symbols, which appeared to be the operation buttons materialised on the panel. Meanwhile, the light beam began to shrink gradually. Obviously, the door Bethanos had mentioned was about to open; he was going to tear open the dimension and go into The Plane of Dreams!


    ¡°Stop him!¡± The MDT rose up. ¡°Don¡¯t let that device go into The Plane of Dreams!¡±


    Hao Ren aimed his pistol at the device behind Bethanos; not only was he going to stop Bethanos, he was also going to stop the door from opening. Mainly because, the door would likely become the final nail on the coffin for the shabby Wall of Reality. No doubt, the psionic gun could penetrate the protective light membrane but, it would also totally destroy the precious device.


    He was hesitant, however he did not have any other choice. There was no way to stop the door from opening unless the whole system was destroyed.


    Bethanos sneered at them and at their futile last attempt. Meanwhile, Hao Ren already had his finger on the trigger. In just a second, the psionic flame would consume possibly the very last sample of the Sacred Relic of Origins.


    However, just a second before he pressed the trigger, the device stopped beeping and the light beam faded away.


    Bethanos¡¯ smiling face froze. Before he could say anything, a cold synthesised voice was heard from the device. ¡°Dedusting operation completed. The dust shield has shut down.¡±


    Everyone was speechless, including Bethanos.


    ¡°Wait-wait a second!¡± Bethanos pounced on the device, clearly livid. ¡°Wait a second! It shouldn¡¯t be like this! It shouldn¡¯t be like this! Where¡¯s the door? Where¡¯s the Land of Origins? How can this be? You can¡¯t just¡ª¡±


    A gigantic, flaming finger then gently tapped Bethanos on the shoulder. Bethanos turned around with his stiffened expression and saw the face of the flaming demon, who was taller than a normal man.


    Y¡¯zaks sat down with his legs crossed as smoldering lava flowed everywhere¡ªhe was of course careful not to let the lava flow to where his friends were. He picked Bethanos up with his fingers and placed him before his eyes. ¡°Little creature, let¡¯s talk about the dialectical opposition between your spirit of exploration and your methods of exploration¡­¡±

 Chapter 311

    Once Y¡¯zaks began his lecture, it was not going to end in a while. Not interested in the boring yet violent ¡°education¡± program, Hao Ren quickly asked Bethanos a question before Y¡¯zaks started his lecture. ¡°Have you read the user manual?¡±


    Bethanos was still mentally shocked. He looked like he had lost his soul. Then again, anyone who was intelligent enough would have reacted in the same way if they encountered a similar situation. Bethanos remained stunned for a moment before he could respond to the question. ¡°User manual?¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s such a sophisticated piece of equiment. Did you actually think that you could just press a few buttons the same way you switch a lamp on?¡± Hao Ren glanced over his shoulder at the device, which had returned to its normal shimmer. ¡°Even if it¡¯s fool-proofed, you¡¯ve got to be careful. Especially when this thing can link two worlds together.¡±


    Bethanos felt humiliated. He struggled in Y¡¯zaks¡¯ grip. ¡°It¡¯s not fair! It shouldn¡¯t be this way! I¡¯ve studied the scrolls, I¡¯ve studied them! It¡¯s supposed to work! Not end just like that! I¡¯ve spent thousands of years studying the thing not to make myself look like a fool! I¡ª¡±


    Y¡¯zaks became a little annoyed and he clenched his fist a little tighter. The fingers of the great demon were enough to disable a resisting half-demon. ¡°Okay, please be quiet. The world is an unfair place after all; only the weak would dream of absolute fairness. It¡¯s an illusion of the lucky ones. Instead, you should feel lucky that the device didn¡¯t open the door. Or else, my landlord and I would have blown you as well as the device up into the high heavens before it could open. Now, stay calm. Let¡¯s start with the basic concept of honour and racial rights after which, I¡¯ll give you a pep talk on the secrets to suppressing your impulses¡­¡±


    Hao Ren knew Y¡¯aks was on to it now. He turned around and began to study the device, which was emitting a buzzing sound. ¡°What¡¯s this thing?¡±


    Lily was a curious bunny. She cautiously touched the device and walked around it as her eyes examined it. ¡°The casing is metal. It¡¯s hot but, I can¡¯t see any wires or tubing¡­ What¡¯s its power source?¡±


    ¡°Is this the power source?¡± Vivian squatted down as she touched a ring of patterns all over the floor. It seemed like the device was at the centre of these concentric circles, but she could not feel any energy flow with her hand.


    Hao Ren tapped the MDT with his finger and said, ¡°Have a look at this thing.¡±


    The MDT hovered over it and used a light beam to connect with the Sacred Relic of Origins. After a simple scan, it found that the device could not actually open the World Gate and did not have a single function that could open doors to any dimension like they thought it did.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a door.¡± The MDT dropped itself back onto Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It looks like some sort of¡­ synthesizer or a training device or an analyser. It¡¯s not a dimensional door. I¡¯ve found an empty vessel inside and some magic-based catalytic devices. But, the components aren¡¯t complete. Something¡¯s missing¡­¡±


    The MDT activated a light beam and shone it on the top of the equipment. A hatch the size of a soccer ball opened on top. It looked like it could store stuff inside. ¡°This is it. This should be the core plug-in or something like that. The plug-in decides the logic between the vessel and the catalytic devices.¡±


    ¡°Whatever it is, Bethanos wasted his time.¡± Hao Ren turned his head, glancing at Y¡¯zaks¡¯ little comprehensive class in moral, mental, physical, aesthetic and handicraft developments but, he quickly turned away because of the excessively violent scenes.


    All in all, he found the incident very ironic; after all the hoo-ha, they were only after a crazy old man, who failed to read the user manual¡­


    Becky followed Lily, moving around the device. Hao Ren asked curiously, ¡°Does this thing exist in your world? I¡¯m not talking about the present, I mean in the recorded history of your world. Are there any records of this thing or something like it?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Becky shook her head. ¡°Records of the Ancient Magic Civilisation have long been lost. What¡¯s left are just mythical tales without solid information and religious paintings drawn out of people¡¯s imagination. Nonetheless, this thing does look like one of our alchemical products. For example, that triangular symbol over here.¡±


    Becky pointed at the crystal panel, which displayed a series of characters. ¡°This triangular symbol with two corners means ¡®Reaction on Hold¡¯ in the alchemical formula. It means that the formula is established but it won¡¯t produce any reaction because some conditions have not been met.¡±


    Hao Ren also studied the symbols on the panel of the Sacred Relic of Origins but, they were not standard characters or runes (those hard-to-decipher, ritualistic characters were not suitable for use in devices requiring high-speed processing). The symbols were connected with one another by various strange lines and signs like a formula. Translation would take some time and there was no dictionary for it. Hao Ren kept his eyes on the rolling symbols and put the translation system in his mind to work, combining the symbols into useful meaning. A moment later, he was finally able to understand some of them. They read, ¡°Lack of Start-Up Core¡±, ¡°Administrator ID Suspended¡±, ¡°Reaction Formula XX/XX/XX Lacks Necessary Elements¡± and etc.


    Nangong Wuyue tried to coil the equipment up with her tail, but she failed. She jabbed Hao Ren on the shoulder using her tail and said, ¡°I¡¯m sure this thing¡¯s a relic from the ancient times. Although it¡¯s not a door, let¡¯s just bring it back and study it slowly.¡±


    Suddenly, Hao Ren realised a fight was still on going outside their dimension. He smacked his thigh and said, ¡°F*ck! I almost screwed up! Let¡¯s pack¡­¡±


    He placed his hand on the Sacred Relic of Origins and stored it in his Dimensional Pocket. Then, he turned to Y¡¯zaks and said, ¡°Big guy! Leave the crazy old man alone and hurry up, there¡¯s still a war outside!¡±


    As Hao Ren¡¯s voice trailed off, a sudden burst of loud noise reveberated throughout the dimension!


    ¡°What the f*ck is going on again?¡± Hao Ren started to become paranoid when he heard loud noises in the dimension. The last time he heard such a thing, it was a deadly energy storm.


    Lily was even more paranoid. She went, ¡°Arf, arf¡± and hid behind Hao Ren. She held her tail tightly and shivered. ¡°Not again. Don¡¯t burn my tail again!!!¡±


    They left the strange dimension, which stored the Sacred Relic of Origins in a hurry. But outside, they found another ¡°collapse¡± was unfolding.


    It was not the temple collapsing but, the whole dimension itself. Everything was beginning to fade away. Things that faded to black and white were shattered into pieces like a broken mirror; the sky began to disappear while the desert and the mountains changed shape like phantoms. Sometimes, they were a sea of cloud, sometimes a grassland, sometimes the bottom of the sea; the only unchanging elements were the thunder and lightning in the as well as the constant burst of gorgeous light. It seemed like the dimension was coming to an end!


    Bethanos was clasped under Y¡¯zaks¡¯ armpit, his face fully soaked in lava (actually, it was just Y¡¯zaks sweating). Although he was half-dead and suffocating, he managed to shout, ¡°Haha! You moved the Sacred Relic of Origins. It¡¯s the heart of the dimension! The dimension is crumbling down, the spatial warp point has been misaligned. You¡¯re not going to make it out! You and I are going to die here!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re spewing nonsense!¡± Hao Ren glared at Bethanos before he held the MDT up in the air. ¡°Open sesame!¡±


    What happened next proved that spatial misalignment was nothing compared to what the gadget could do, especially when data conversion was its specialty. The MDT started to glow brightly before a dimensional door opened. Everyone managed to escape outside before the ruins collapsed completely.


    Bethanos was still under Y¡¯zaks¡¯ armpit. However, his mouth was wide open and he shouted like a mad man. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be this way! I¡¯ve never made a mistake, I¡¯ve never made mistake! How can this be?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks slapped the noisy fellow and he fainted. ¡°Because, I do things differently.¡±


    Hessiana was the first to lunge out but, it seemed like the battle in the city had stopped.

 Chapter 312

    The fighting in the city had ceased.


    The group escaped the underground tunnel in the shadeling¡¯s stronghold and got up to the remaining tower complex, which was still standing. The city was still filled with fire and smoke; the smell of blood and death was all over the place but, at the very least, the roar of combat had died off. The dimensional tunnels and the light pillars of their city-leveling magic had also disappeared. From a distance, they could only see a few people sweeping the battlefield for survivors while a group of fully armed soldiers was patrolling the streets.


    Hessiana quickly turned on her communication device. ¡°Turcan, what¡¯s the situation?!¡±


    ¡°Mistress?! You¡¯re alright?!¡± A surprised voice responded. ¡°Thank goodness. We heard that you went after Bethanos¡­¡±


    Hessiana looked up to the sky as she laughed. ¡°Nonsense. Nothing will go wrong when I¡¯m handling this personally. Say¡­ have the demon hunters been beaten back?¡±


    ¡°Yes-yes!¡± Turcan responded. ¡°They retreated as suddenly as they came¡­ Perhaps they found the defenders and ancients too numerous and formidable. Besides, after losing the element of surprise, it would simply be a slaughter. Our side¡¯s alright¡­ There are some casualties but overall, things are okay.¡±


    Hessiana left a few more instructions for her underlings and had a rough idea of what happened when the demon hunters retreated. Her reaction was almost incredulous as she cut communications. Vivian turned around as she pulled out a bat and smacked it over Bethanos¡¯ head. ¡°Speak! What were the demon hunters looking for! Don¡¯t you dare play dumb!¡±


    Hao Ren looked on as Vivian smashed her bat against Bethanos¡¯ face and felt thatsomething was wrong with the way she used her bats¡­ He then turned to look at the MDT, which was floating beside him and found that on hindsight, there was nothing wrong with the way she used them.


    It was almost as if the two were synchronising with each other in terms of their weird habits.


    Bethanos¡¯ face was ashen grey. His series of setbacks and failures left his almost despondent. He could not even muster the strength to retort, much less resist. Sighing heavily, he said, ¡°Hmm¡­ they must have noticed that the signal from the Sacred Relic of Origins has disappeared. So, of course they would have retreated. That was what they were after¡­¡±


    ¡°They were after the Sacred Relic?¡± Hao Ren raised his eyebrow. The thought that the demon hunters would be after the relic never occurred to him. ¡°Did you leak that information to them? You would rather inform them and not the rest in the city? Are you retarded?¡±


    Bethanos¡¯ eyes turned red but, he simply let out a defeated, ¡°Hmph¡± and kept quiet. But, Hao Ren had figured out what the seemingly docile but actually insane old monster was up to. He never shared the secrets of the Sacred Relic of Origins to anyone; not the demon hunters or his own supernatural ¡°kin¡±. All were pawns for him to manipulate. He had released the news to the demon hunters and made a pact with them to open the Divide at a specific time. This was to plunge the city into chaos after he had snatched the keys from the two great Blood Clan families. It was a convenient way to take out his two biggest rivals. Turning the city into a scene of carnage was simply a tactic to buy time. He had no intention to stay at all.


    Bethanos had planned to use the Sacred Relic of Origins to return to The Plane of Dreams. By then, whatever inferno the world had become was no longer his concern.


    Truthfully speaking, the old shadeling was almost a carbon copy of a typical Bond movie villain, so sure of the success of his plans. However, reality had a nasty habit of throwing a spanner into the works; who knew that such an ancient device also required an operating manual! Worse still, Bethanos even misunderstood the actual function of the Sacred Relic¡­


    At that juncture, Hao Ren started to express some doubt. ¡°Maybe, there is a ¡®Sacred Relic¡¯ that can open a gate. That gate would¡¯ve been the way the otherworldlings came here 10,000 years ago¡­ Bethanos was just unlucky¡­¡±


    Lily¡¯s ears perked up. ¡°What did you say, Mr. Landlord?¡±


    Hao Ren pinched her ears. ¡°My word, your ears are a disgrace to your ancestors!¡±


    After throwing that bombshell, he ignored Lily¡¯s tantrums and walked forward, leaving the werehusky red-faced as she stroked her ears. ¡°I just wasn¡¯t paying attention! What were you saying Mr. Landlord! What were you on about¡­¡±


    While the demon hunters had retreated, the old city was now a shadow of her former self. Temples and castles, hundreds of years old were belching smoke and fire. The majestic Blood Clan mansions were wrecked beyond recognition. Debris lay across the winding streets as craters and blast marks littered the surface. In them were pools of blood. Some sections of the city were not even traversable after the carnage. The blood pools were a mix of all kinds; vampires, werewolves, half-demons and demon hunters. The stench was so overpowering that one could puke. All that was left was a ruined city strewn with corpses and a hellish landscape.


    One could probably call this a karmic cycle or retribution or just outright irony. Things moved in a cycle. Humans lived in fear in the past under the rule of the unusual creatures where a ¡°god¡¯s¡± impulse could be the end of them. Thousand of years after, these ¡°gods¡± live in the same fear within their sanctuaries and a crazy old shadeling¡¯s whim resulted in the current catastrophe. The Ancients, who had guarded the city for millenniums could also look upon the destruction of the sanctuary and the bodies, which lay within them. One could only wonder if this brought to mind the same scenario that happened thousands of years ago.


    This was a question no one had an answer to.


    Hao Ren suddenly realised that he was starting to understand the meaning behind Raven 12345¡¯s message to him earlier on. Being an inspector, one would need to take the stand of an inspector. You may act at certain times according to your judgement, or work and stand with a power or a race, but in the overall picture, an inspector would need to be a neutral party. An inspector could not let his judgement be clouded by his allegiance. It would only make his or her position more difficult.


    An inspector¡¯s duty would need them to monitor and if need be, control the picture. They would look upon races young to ancient; their history and their future. As an outsider, most of the races had their own flaws but, none are truly detestable.


    Hao Ren shook his head as he made his way towards Hessiana¡¯s stronghold. Along the way, they were greeted by shocked stares. Mainly because, there was a demon, about five to six metres tall, covered in molten lava carefully tiptoeing his way through the streets. Y¡¯zaks¡¯ impressive stature would have been the talk of the town anywhere he went but, even more scenic was the old, half-dead shadeling squeezed under his arm¡­


    Hao Ren turned and eyed Y¡¯zaks as he looked at the giant demon, making his way in small steps to keep up with the party. Even then his foot steps were akin to thunderous drum beats. ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired walking like that?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks simply smiled as his voice rumbled in the air. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I might step on one of you if I walk normally. If I revert to my human form, I¡¯m afraid that I might not be able to hold this bugger still. He may look all docile but, he was channelling something.¡±


    Bethanos¡¯ eyes widened. ¡°How did you know?!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks gave out a thunderous laugh. ¡°This arm has been the death of 16 heroes and 28 pure-blooded demons who were larger than you. Even from your breathing, I knew you were up to something. Stay still or I¡¯ll give you another lesson¡­¡±


    Cold sweat instantly formed across Hao Ren¡¯s forehead. This was his first time hearing about Y¡¯zaks¡¯ habit of crushing people to death with his massive arms. It would have been humiliating to die that way.


    Nangong Wuyue had already returned to her human form. The siren did not want to stain her beautiful scales with the streams of blood that painted the street. Many of the bodies had since been taken by their respective families but, the stain of blood was still there. The siren maiden frowned as she muttered, ¡°What a horrible mess¡­¡±


    Hessiana was frowning too as she sniffed intently and wiped her mouth. ¡°What a waste¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was clueless.


    ¡°So much¡­¡± Hessiana saw that no one paid her any mind and spoke again in an attempt to attract Vivian¡¯s attention. She walked towards a pool of blood and stood by it as she stomped the floor. ¡°Such a waste, such a waste!¡±


    Vivian gave her an ice-cold stare. ¡°No! Have some restraint!¡±


    Hessiana was about to cry. ¡°Can¡­ I use a straw?¡±


    Vivian stepped forward and slapped the back of her head. ¡°I said, have some restraint!¡±


    Hessiana looked down. ¡°I was just curious about what a demon hunter¡¯s blood would taste like¡­¡±


    Hao Ren finally realised what was going on and looked at Hessiana in horror. Vivian could only smile awkwardly. ¡°Now do you understand the cultural difference?¡±

 Chapter 313

    In the end, Hessiana did not get to find out what demon hunter blood tasted like. Even though she came up with a multitude of ideas like using a straw, using napkins, setting up candles, playing soft jazz and using proper cutlery, which on the surface seemed to practice restraint. However, Vivian clearly did not find the idea of her minion dining on a pool of blood by the street anywhere close to self-restraint. Aside from that, even Hao Ren and the others were uncomfortable by the thought so, Hessiana had to give it up.


    The group were closing in on Hessiana¡¯s turf and the streets looked like something you would see in Stalingrad during World War II. Their turf was almost totally destroyed. The streets and many of the buildings were simply broken walls at this point. Smoking craters marked the streets and the air was thick with the stinging of a mix of smells. These resulted from the various combustibles, acid weapons and remaining poison gas. Hao Ren felt that just walking through the street could cut his life short by 10 years. The other parts of the city were equally damaged but, nothing could match the carnage here. Hessiana¡¯s Daredevils used human warfare tactics by bringing in big bombs with bigger explosions into a fight between unusual creatures, and the result was telling.


    As they passed through a street, a vampire clad in combat garb and a steel helmet leapt out from behind some concrete blocks. ¡°Hold it right there¡­ Oh-oh!!! Mistress is back! Mistress is back!¡±


    ¡°Turcan, are you sober now?¡± Hessiana gave the vampire a sideways glance and pointed towards Y¡¯zaks. ¡°We got Bethanos. Inform Lucas, we have a score to settle with that old bastard.¡±


    Turcan was that drunk vampire who could not get out of his bat form. When he finally became sober, he turned into a rather good looking vampire. Then again, all vampires were almost paragons of beauty and culture. Having listened to Hessiana¡¯s orders, Turcan pointed towards the piazza nearby. ¡°The Lucas Family just arrived not too long ago. They are waiting for you.¡±


    Hessiana then saw that a group of vampires were indeed standing on the piazza, and they looked like they had just got out of a huge fight. Their leader was of course Zeon Lucas. The immaculately dressed vampire was still as swanky as ever. Even though his clothes had blood stains, his entire outlook was still prim and proper. It was a stark contrast to the ragtag state of his underlings. The first thing Hessiana said as she walked towards him was, ¡°Hey, Old Goat. Still keeping up the haughty appearance, eh. I almost can¡¯t tell if you actually fought based on how you look.¡±


    Zeon Lucas and his group turned towards Hessiana. Their sights immediately shifted towards the six-metre-tall demon behind her. ¡°This is¡­¡±


    ¡°Wang ¡®Y¡¯zaks¡¯ Daquan.¡± Y¡¯zaks had to lower himself before he could speak to Zeon. As he spoke, sparks of flame rained all over the old vampire¡¯s head. The latter¡¯s impeccably kept hair that was untouched by combat was just a fraction away from being ruined. ¡°This is Bethanos. I¡¯ve already taught him a lesson earlier. But, if you want to give him supplementary classes, be my guest.¡±


    As he finished his sentence, he threw Bethanos on the ground. At the same time, he remembered to keep the latter bound with chains made out of demonic runes. Zeon saw how miserable the conniving shadeling had become and could not keep his usual, gentlemanly composure as he broke out into a big laugh. ¡°Hah! Bethanos! This didn¡¯t cross your mind when you sold us out?¡±


    Bethanos acted like he did not hear a thing. Well¡­ in fact, he truly could not hear anything. The old shadeling had passed out even before Y¡¯zaks threw him down before the group.


    ¡°Why are you lot standing here anyway?¡± Hessiana pointed towards her mansion. ¡°Let¡¯s talk inside¡­ We are allies now, no?¡±


    Andrea scowled and spat blood out of her mouth as she heard Hessiana. ¡°Well, no. We are waiting for you lot to sweep the mines.¡±


    Hessiana recoiled immediately as she was about to stomp her foot and scream at her underlings. ¡°Stop playing dead and sweep the bloody mines!¡±


    She shook her head after that. ¡°I may need to find a new place to stay for a few days. This will take at least a week.¡±


    At the same time, a glaring evening light appeared in the sky. Hesperides dragged her spiky, giant mace as she stepped down from the light. She had followed Vivian¡¯s aura and teleported herself there. When she showed up, Hao Ren realised that the evening goddess¡¯ bloodlust had faded and she had returned to her original demure self.


    Hesperides had a few fresh streaks of blood on her and the mace had some visible damage. Her face bore the weight of fatigue but, she smiled when she saw Vivian. ¡°So glad I¡¯m in time to see you safe. The city too.¡±


    She then saw the half-dead shadeling lying on the ground nonetheless, her expression did not change. It was almost as if this lunatic, who brought disaster to the sanctuary was nothing but a small fry to her. Hesperides turned to Y¡¯zaks and nodded at him. ¡°The big one, right? I¡¯ve never seen a demon like you before. Are you from the deeper part of the abyss? Well, that doesn¡¯t matter does it. I¡¯m really glad that you fought alongside us.¡±


    Hao Ren was surprised that Hesperides could tell the demon was Y¡¯zaks with just a glance. It seemed like the Ancient One did have some ability to her name. ¡°You can sense his aura?¡±


    Hesperides just gave the party a sweeping look and said, ¡°Exclusion method. The big guy¡¯s missing.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Vivian looked at Hesperides¡¯ almost serene looking face and raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°Got your revenge?¡±


    The evening goddess demurred for a moment before she sighed softly. ¡°No¡­ He got away. I even got a few people to help out but, demon hunters are slippery as usual¡­ and he also had two others with him. Almost as skilled as the godslayers of old. Pfft, but at least, I got something with interest back.¡±


    Vivian stared at the giant, spiked mace that Hesperides was still clutching and could not help but repeat the same thing she had told the goddess a thousand times over. ¡°I think you should go back to using that magic staff of yours. Your melee combat skills are so poor that even a blind demon hunter can take you down.¡±


    Hesperides simply pointed at her forehead. ¡°Here we go again. I want to go back to using my staff too but, this hole here won¡¯t allow it. Every time I get agitated, I go berserk. Even if you give me a staff, I¡¯ll still be clubbing someone with it.¡± As she spoke, Hesperides touched her spiked mace gently. ¡°It¡¯s better to have this at the moment. At least, the 128 spikes on super heated metal hurts more¡­¡±


    So, that was why she was so fixated on the mace!


    Vivian noticed the slightly weird expression on Hesperides¡¯ face and asked, ¡°Say¡­ do you think being so engrossed in this whole revenge thing is worth it? Haven¡¯t you suffered enough?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no value to it. This is war. It all boils down to who lives.¡± Hesperides gave a self-deprecating laugh. ¡°Smacking him with the mace today was me ticking off one of my long held regrets¡­ But¡­ seeing how you are now, I don¡¯t think you guys are staying?¡±


    ¡°We have accomplished what we came here for,¡± Hao Ren quickly interjected. ¡°Our goal was too see what the ruins was about. Now that the dimension has collapsed, there¡¯s no reason to stay here any longer.¡±


    Hessiana looked at Vivian and then at Zeon Lucas. She wisely kept her mouth shut about the Sacred Relic of Origins. She knew that Zeon was hungry for power and the Sacred Relic would definitely bring more trouble. Of course, she would not have been able to hide it forever as the Lucas Family would be sending men to sweep the shadeling¡¯s stronghold for information. It was just a matter of time before they discovered it. However, rather than adding into the chaos, it was better to just delay it for as long as possible. Zeon Lucas was stunned as he heard that the other dimension had collapsed. ¡°What?! The ruins¡­ collapsed?¡±


    Hessiana patted Zeon on the shoulder as she pointed to Bethanos. ¡°In the end, it¡¯s all his fault. Just keep him alive once you¡¯re done with him. I still have some questions to ask him.¡±


    Bethanos had begun to stir by then but, he instantly fainted again once he heard Hessiana¡­

 Chapter 314

    Hao Ren planned to just return home. The Sacred Relic of Origins, which they obtained from the alternate dimension tingled his curiosity. What Bethanos said played at the back of his head too, and he wanted to further investigate the matter as soon as he got back. However, Hessiana had invited them to stay back a little longer for a meal, and Hao Ren found it hard to reject.


    Well, it was more like Vivian being the only person who got the invitation and Hessiana finding it hard to reject the rest so, she decided to let them stay¡­


    The city was in ruin and much work was needed to restore it. Not discounting the fact that there were still a whole bunch of the dead and wounded, who needed to be tended to. This was not a celebratory luncheon rather, a somber, post-mortem meeting. Hessiana and Zeon had concluded their family matters and arranged for more stringent security detail as well as repair works for the city. Now, they had some time to ponder on the future. The three big families had been reduced to two, and the smaller families literally had no say on the matter. Hence, Hessiana and Zeon were the de facto leaders of the sanctuary. They personally went around the city to invite the Ancients, who participated in the defence of the city. With Vivian¡¯s fame backing their invitation, it was almost a full attendance.


    The only Ancient missing was the Great Guardian Tree, Grandalr. It was understandable given his size and mobility but, he sent a familiar of sorts to attend the meeting. The familiar was now in front of Hessiana¡ªa pot with a stalk of leek.


    Hao Ren had to pay extra attention to Lil Pea, who was bouncing around in front of him. He had to stop her from biting the stalk of leek¡­ While the little rascal did not eat vegetables, she had the habit of biting anything that looked weird to her just to grind her teeth!


    That said, Hessiana¡¯s main hall was now a place of congregation for the most capable and famed group of people. They were split between two factions on the future of the sanctuary.


    Some felt that the sanctuary was no longer safe and they wanted to abandon the place to wander or go to another sanctuary for help. Another group thought that things were not as bad as they were made out to be. They wanted to stay and rebuild the place.


    Both factions had their logic and sound arguments. With the current situation, neither being in nor outside the sanctuary was safe. The sanctuary was attacked mainly because the Shadowy Divide was sabotaged, and once they repaired the Divide, the demon hunters would have no way to act against the place. The demon hunters knew that the sanctuary had been around for a few thousand years already. And, they very well aware that a huge congregation of unusual creatures lived there as much as they were aware about other sanctuaries throughout the world. Exposure of the location was not a problem on its own. The problem lay in the defence.


    Once the defence was restored and rebuilt, things would return to its original status quo.


    The Shadowy Divide was indeed created by the shadelings but, vampires and other creatures of darkness were also capable of such techniques. Furthermore, the Divide itself was technically not damaged and rebuilding the defence would not have been too difficult. In fact, the Divide had already been reactivated. It was just that those present were worried if the shadelings left any nasty booby traps in it. Therefore, they needed to recalibrate the defence mechanism. Of course, that was if the sanctuary would not be abandoned.


    Hao Ren knew he was just an outsider however, he could not help but care about the city¡¯s fate. He looked at Hessiana, who was standing beside him. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Me? Most of the current inhabitants will stay.¡± Hessiana did not treat it like a major matter. ¡°Actually, this place has been attacked by demon hunters a few times in the past. The latest was during the raging witch hunts across Europe. An army of demon hunters broke through and the battle was even bigger than the one we fought today. We prevailed in the end and we did the same thing as today. A few will leave, most will stay. The demon hunters also did not recommence their attacks for some reason, and it¡¯ll probably be the same today. There have been many wars during the Mythological Era and it has continued long after the era ended. Both otherworldlings and demon hunters are equally depleted. No one has the power or force to destroy a city on a whim.¡±


    Hessiana sighed after she finished. ¡°It¡¯s not safe anywhere anyway. This discussion will never end. It¡¯s really choosing between the lesser of two evils. The demon hunters will not be attempting another attack any time soon. They have a need to take into account their own loses and how pushing us to the brink may cause Athens to be destroyed with them. So¡­ it¡¯s better not to overthink things.¡±


    There was truth in Hessiana¡¯s argument.


    At the end of the meeting, it was decided that the sanctuary remained. After mending the Divide, they would return to their status quo against the demon hunters. This sort of crisis was not new to them and the inhabitants of the sanctuary were used to it. Of course, a small minority opted to leave but, even more stayed on to rebuild the place. The Ancients also decided on how to rebuild and redevelop the sanctuary. Hessiana and Zeon Lucas went along with the Ancients¡¯ plans.


    With the meeting concluded, the congregation started socialising. Hessiana sheepishly went towards Vivian and tugged at her sleeves. ¡°Lady Vivian, Lady Vivian can I¡­¡±


    Vivian subconsciously shook her head. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°But, I haven¡¯t said anything¡­¡± Hessiana protested.


    ¡°Oh. Sorry, it¡¯s habitual,¡± Vivian said as she massaged her forehead. ¡°Go on then.¡±


    Hessiana put on another pitiful look. ¡°Lady Vivian, can I move to your place?¡±


    Before Vivian could respond, Hao Ren¡¯s ears sprang into attention but, it was Lily who responded first. ¡°No way! No way! There¡¯s already a vampire at home. We don¡¯t need a second one?!¡±


    Hessiana gave Lily a sideways glance. ¡°And how does this involve you? You can see for yourself that the city is in chaos. It¡¯s obvious that it¡¯s not safe to stay here for a while. I heard that Lady Vivian¡¯s place is a safe haven so, let me stay there for a day or two.¡±


    Hesperides was passing by as she heard the conversation and she gave Hessiana a weird look. ¡°What are you? A tumbleweed? Going where there¡¯s safety? Don¡¯t forget that both you and Zeon are the leaders of this sanctuary. We Ancients are not involved.


    Hessiana puffed her chest. ¡°How am I a mere tumbleweed. I¡¯m literally a dandelion. I don¡¯t even need wind to bring me flying towards Lady Vivian. Right, Lady Vivian? Hehehe¡­¡±


    As Hessiana said that, she tried to snuggle into Vivian¡¯s bosom with the latter recoiling. She had goosebumps all over her. ¡°Oh no, you don¡¯t¡­ How many times do I have to tell you? Have some decency!¡±


    Vivian then looked at Hessiana sternly. ¡°No, not today. The people here need you. You can¡¯t just leave at such a key moment. Once you¡¯re done however, you are free to come and look for me¡­¡±


    Hessiana had a look of disbelief on her face. ¡°Really?!¡±


    Vivian glanced at Hao Ren. Upon getting his approval, she turned back and broke into a smile. ¡°Our place is a safe haven for otherworldlings, and you are welcomed there. Truth be told, the reason I left you behind was because of circumstances. I really couldn¡¯t afford to feed you¡­¡±


    Hessiana was almost touched before Vivian continued, ¡°But of course, the more pressing issue was that you were simply too annoying.¡±


    Hao Ren coughed lightly to draw Hessiana¡¯s attention. ¡°Besides, you staying here could help us a lot¡­ I mean, help Vivian out.¡±


    This tactic worked surprisingly well with Hessiana and she nodded like a vibrating controller.


    ¡°Dig whatever you can out of Bethanos,¡± Hao Ren said in a low voice. ¡°We don¡¯t have any right to interrogate him and I don¡¯t have the experience either. But, you have. So, if he divulges anything, please let me know¡­ Or better still, let Vivian know?¡±


    Hessiana looked at Vivian and nodded.


    ¡°Another thing is regarding the Sacred Relic of Origins.¡± Hao Ren looked icily at Zeon Lucas, who was standing some distance away. ¡°Bethanos may let him in on that. The shadeling¡¯s stronghold may also have records of the relic so, Zeon will find out that we have taken the device sooner or later. But frankly speaking¡­ it is important that I keep it as it is really dangerous and I can¡¯t just let anyone tinker with it. So¡­ for my sake¡­ or rather¡­ Vivian¡¯s sake, keep it a secret.


    Hessiana agreed as well and Hao Ren finally sighed with relief. ¡°It¡¯s tiring talking to you. I have to bring Vivian up every time¡­ It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know that helping me¡¯s like helping Vivian.¡±


    Hessiana pouted as she swept her sight between Hao Ren and Vivian before making a face at Hao Ren as she blurted, ¡°Over my dead body if I have to call you Dad!¡±


    Hao Ren, was like, ¡°Huh?!¡±


    The petite vampire ran off like the wind, leaving Hao Ren and Vivian to look at each other in shock. The two shared another glance before they went, ¡°Ah, just a silly girl¡¯s rant. Ignore her!¡±


    This caused Hesperides to raise an eyebrow. ¡°Your synchronicity is just a little too high, ain¡¯t it?¡±


    Hao Ren shifted awkwardly as he caughed. He immediately remembered something as he saw Hesperides. ¡°Oh, right! About you¡­ Do you want to fix the hole in that brain of yours?¡±

 Chapter 315

    They left the sanctuary after Hessiana reluctantly said farewell (especially to Vivian). The real Athens was still sunny, bustling with activity and peaceful. No one would have thought that there had been a thrilling battle in the shadows of this seemingly peaceful city. The demon hunters did not completely evacuate the city yet. After the Ancients risked their lives to expel the demon hunters from the sanctuary, some of the demon hunters built a few new strongholds in the city. These strongholds would probably last more than a century to monitor and suppress the development of the otherworldling¡¯s sanctuary. However, the hunters were not able to get in again for the time being. The Shadowy Divide had been revived and lots of demon hunters were killed in this operation. It was currently impossible for them to pull up a mighty army of churches and exorcists to wipe out an area like they did during the Mythological Era. They also had to monitor other unusual creatures in other parts of the world therefore, it was not easy to organise another large-scale operation like that.


    Just as Hessiana said, everything would go on as usual. There was simply a bunch of renewed spirits.


    Fearing that the demon hunters in Athens may discover them, Hao Ren and his group did not stay for long. They went through the procedures to return home but this time, there was one more person in the team: Hesperides.


    ¡°Are you sure you have a way to dispel the power of the demon hunter?¡± Hesperides was still a little skeptical of Hao Ren¡¯s promise. She agreed to follow them and leave Athens with Vivian¡¯s guarantee. Yet, when she thought of the hole, which been on her head for thousands of years, she found Hao Ren¡¯s promise a little too good too be true.


    Hao Ren looked at the gorgeous, lace headband on Hesperides¡¯ head and said with a confident smile, ¡°You can rest assured that we have professional equipment here.¡±


    Offering to help Hesperides heal her wound was not prompted by a sudden impulse. In fact, he wanted to take this opportunity to study something.


    Hao Ren had always been interested in the demon hunters¡¯ power. He had heard about demon hunter training from Nangong Wuyue and Nangong Sanba; from there, he found a lot of questionable points: demon hunter training was more about cultivating the mind and knowledge of ¡°magical things¡±. And, most of their skills and magic were not acquired through training. These powers were derived from their inborn talent. A newborn demon hunter had these powers from birth, whether it was the power of exorcism or teleportation, or even complex spells. Things that were supposed to be mastered by continuous learning and training were actually the result of heredity. This was the reason why the demon hunters were a group of people who valued ¡°talent¡± very much. A newborn demon hunter with excellent blood and strong talent would receive very special care. This was because, as long as they grew up healthily, they would have more power than those who were mediocre no matter how hard the mediocre ones trained. This may not sound fair but, it was a trait that had been unchanged for thousands of years.


    This caused Hao Ren to question the demon hunters; he wanted to study this. Right now, there was a thousand-year-old hole in Hesperides¡¯ head. It was a specimen of power left by a pure and gifted demon hunter of the ancient times. Nothing was more suitable for research than this.


    Of course, Hao Ren also took a lot of other research specimens from the sanctuary: Some demon hunters¡¯ blood, hair and tissue samples, weapons as well as body-strengthening potions commonly used by demon hunters. These things could fill up at least two shelves if they were taken out of the Dimensional Pocket. Hessiana also mentioned that Hao Ren finally did something relevant for a human wizard¡ªhe began to show interest in corpses.


    Hao Ren did not find that it was something to be happy about. Keeping a whole bunch of creepy stuff in the Dimensional Pocket made his skin crawl while he walked. Lil Pea kept protesting: the little kid was also in the Dimensional Pocket after all. Piles of junk were put next to her fish tank. The little kid felt that her sea-view room was seriously being threatened. Hao Ren had to put a circle of SpongeBob pictorials around the fish tank¡­


    Let¡¯s not dwell on what happened along their journey. They basically just passed their time listening to Lily¡¯s chatter. They finally landed in the small, remote airport. They took the airport bus to the urban area, and then an old bus to the south of the city. After that, they transferred into an older bus to the Southern Suburbs. In the middle of the journey, the bus broke down and they had to trek 20 minutes to their home on the desolate, old-fashioned street. Only Hesperides was able to keep calm throughout the journey. If it had happened to a normal girl, she would have started to suspect that Hao Ren was a man who specialised in trafficking women to mountainous areas. She would have started planning on calling the police. Finally, when Hao Ren¡¯s old house appeared before everyone¡¯s eyes, Hesperides was relieved and said, ¡°Phew¡­ Luckily¡­ I thought I was going to live in a cave¡­¡±


    Hao Ren raised his eyebrows and asked, ¡°What did you think my house would look like?¡±


    Hesperides did not look like she was joking. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯m not being sarcastic¡ªI know a lot of human wizards who live in caves. They behave in peculiar ways and like to do some very dangerous research. Therefore, they can¡¯t stay in crowded places. Nonetheless, the wizards are getting lesser and lesser these days¡­¡±


    ¡°Because the demon hunters keep killing them?¡±


    Vivian spread her hands and said, ¡°Because the tourism industry is getting too developed. Quarrying has also gotten more and more frequent. There¡¯s no way to stay in the mountains these days. Last year, there was a sorcerer in Zhejiang, who was almost killed while he was conducting an experiment in a cave¡ªnow, he¡¯s suing the quarry company¡¯s boss.¡±


    Hesperides sighed and said, ¡°These days, those who can¡¯t hide themselves are basically dead.¡±


    Hao Ren thought about it for a moment and felt that the main reason wizards these days were not doing good was because they were not smart enough. If they took some of the time they spent on studying magic to figure out how to make money, they would probably realise that they could set up a coal mining company in Shanxi and have plenty of caves to use. They could even go to Shennongjia to challenge human limits!


    Of course, the wizards had nothing to do with them so, Hao Ren soon forgot about that and led everyone back to the big house, which he had long been separated from. The house was covered in dust but, it was much better than the last time when they travelled to the Otherworld for half a month. Vivian started to tidy the house up and Becky joined her as well. Hesperides was surprised to see Vivian busy cleaning the house, and asked, ¡°This is where you live?¡±


    ¡°How is it? Pretty good, right?!¡± Vivian just found a rag and she was about to wet it to wipe the table. When she heard Hesperides¡¯ question, she replied proudly, ¡°My living conditions are now much better than before!¡±


    It was not certain what Hesperides was thinking. She just looked at Vivian with a bizarre expression and said, ¡°¡­It¡¯s not exactly what I had imagined but, it¡¯s a lot better than I thought. Looks like you¡¯re satisfied with this life now?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m satisfied. It¡¯s very peaceful, very lively. I don¡¯t have to worry about food or clothing, and very often, fun things happen here. It¡¯s a lot better than wandering here and there aimlessly,¡± Vivian answered as she cleaned the house. Then, she yelled from the bathroom, ¡°Eh¡­ Why is there no water?!¡±


    ¡°Maybe the pipe¡¯s frozen.¡± Nangong Wuyue ran to the bathroom with water vapour all over her body and said, ¡°Don¡¯t panic, I¡¯ll come and help! What kind of water do you want? Pure or mineral? Or, weak alkaline water¡­¡±


    Hao Ren hurriedly reminded her, ¡°Be careful! The last time, you almost flooded the kitchen! By the way, please give Lil Pea a bath¡­¡±


    Hesperides looked at the family¡¯s daily life in amazement. The daily scene of this little sanctuary was clearly different from what she had imagined. There was no infighting, no layers of defensive traps and a large number of unusual creatures lived together peacefully. This place did not feel like a sanctuary at all. It was more like¡­ an ordinary family.


    Hao Ren¡¯s voice interrupted her thinking. ¡°Umm, are you tired? If you¡¯re not tired, let¡¯s go to the basement for a scan and I¡¯ll create a treatment plan for you.¡±


    The moment Hesperides nodded, Lily asked solemnly, ¡°The basement physical examination video?¡±


    Hao Ren slapped the husky¡¯s head and said, ¡°Can you please watch something with healthy and positive content next time? By the way, come and help me. You have nothing to do anyway.¡±


    Hesperides followed them to the basement without thinking too much. When she saw the scene in the basement, she was astounded.


    ¡°You¡­ Are you sure you¡¯re a wizard?¡± She stared at Hao Ren and said, ¡°You better tell me the treatment plan first. Let me mentally prepare myself.¡±

 Chapter 316

    Hesperides imagined the sanctuary Vivian had referred to as ¡°a peaceful and safe heaven¡± in the eastern continent to be all kinds of things. However, she now found out thay her imagination was totally different from reality. When she thought she would see a magical secret zone like the City of Shadows in Athens, what she saw along the way were old Chinese curtilages; when she thought she would see wild mountain ridges, what she saw was an ordinary house; when she finally accepted reality and thought she would see an ordinary basement full of clutter, Hao Ren showed her a row of coffins¡­


    Strictly speaking, they were coffins glittering with silvery-white lustre and blue streams of light as though they were taken out from a sci-fi movie.


    ¡°You call it magic¡­ props?¡± Hesperides watched Hao Ren as he adjusted the strange, silvery-white metal boxes. She then asked with a bellyful of doubts, ¡°I¡¯ve read a lot of books and seen the Library of Alexandria being built with my own eyes. You don¡¯t fool me.¡±


    ¡°This stuff isn¡¯t exactly the magic you think it is, and I¡¯m different from the kind of wizard you¡¯re used to. But, there are so many mysteries in the world, why do you have to figure it all out?¡± Hao Ren was connecting the MDT with a dormant chamber. After setting the initial reading of the system, he turned to Hesperides, winked at her and said, ¡°Actually, these things are highly confidential. If an ordinary person sees this, he¡¯d be killed for sure, but for unusual creatures such as yourelf, it¡¯s not necessary to keep it a secret; you have more secrets than me. Come on, let¡¯s get you a check. Just lie inside.¡±


    Hao Ren was familiar with the confidentiality agreements. He had a thorough understanding of Raven 12345¡¯s upper and lower limits through his contact with her. So, he now knew which grey zones he could and could not step into. In short, the Administration¡¯s rules and regulations revolved around the core of the ¡°Non-Interference of Civilisation Act¡±. Therefore, the existence of the Space Administration itself needed to be kept secret, but allowing a few unusual creatures to see some of the surreal stuff when necessary did not cause much trouble. As long as he could handle the possible problems himself, there was no issue for him to allow someone like Hesperides to lie in the ¡°coffin¡±.


    Of course, if you did not want to cause social unrest, it was best not to let ordinary humans see the stuff in the basement. After the rise of atheism in recent years, ordinary people now had a much weaker acceptance towards unusual things.


    Hesperides looked at the coffin next to Hao Ren with hesitation. It was dazzling, dreadful and daunting. Although there were two very high-tech, holographic panels floating on both sides of the chamber, this did not stop its main body from looking like a coffin. Nonetheless, she had been through great storms so, this should be bearable. Although there was no reason for him to harm her, the evening goddess finally gritted her teeth and stamped her foot as she asked, ¡°Do I need to change clothes?¡±


    Before Hao Ren could answer, Lily immediately perked up her ears and stared at them vigilantly. Hao Ren quickly waved his hand and said, ¡°No need, no need, just lie down.¡±


    Hesperides lay in the coffin and the metal hatch slowly closed. She soon went into a state of deep sleep under the device¡¯s operation. The Data Terminal then began to read the parameters of her body.


    It did not just cover the wound on her forehead. The first thing it read was the full set of her physiological indicators.


    ¡°The body structure is basically similar to a human being¡¯s, but the respiratory organs are strange. They can deal with extremely rich oxygen, extreme hypoxia, high vulcanisation and three kinds of atmospheres. She has two sets of blood circulation organs, which do not comprise the heart. However, the organs do have a structure similar to the vascular pump of the whole body. They have high cell strength and they can withstand high temperatures as well as high electromagnetic environments. She has a hollow skeleton with some kind of unknown liquid inside, high bone strength, material close to metal¡­ The growth rate of newborn babies in this species must be slow.¡± The MDT was analysing while recording the data in a certain archive. ¡°Brain activity remains high in the sleeping state, which should be used to control the magic part¡­ Mental activity is probably a born ability in this species. Based on comprehensive assessment, all indicators show that she is far beyond a human. Even if we¡¯re judging only from physical strength, she¡¯s 20 to 30 times stronger than humans. The above parameters do not include her magical power.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded as he listened to the MDT. Lily found it kind of creepy. She tucked her tail between her legs, pulled on Hao Ren¡¯s sleeve and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Building a database,¡± Hao Ren said. He noticed that Lily found it creepy. He touched her head as he laughed and explained, ¡°There are too many unusual creatures on Earth. And they have mutated over so many generations, so it¡¯s hard to match them to their old ancestors in The Plane of Dreams. I think we should set up a similar species archive and count them. Then, we can compare the unusual creatures in The Plane of Dreams with those on Earth, and probably trace back their genes or something like that. I may find the traces of these species over the past 10,000 years.¡±


    Lily looked at Hao Ren in amazement and said, ¡°Ah, I suddenly find that you¡¯re very smart!¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his face awkwardly and said, ¡°I just thought of it two days ago. I have to do something so that I can become their permanent employee. And at the moment, I¡¯m really curious about unusual creatures. I want to investigate it with my own ability¡ªthen I can at least be more confident when I ask for a bonus from Raven.¡±


    Lily stuck her tongue out and said, ¡°It sounds good. Feels like Frankenstein on TV¡­ There¡¯s an evil feeling.¡±


    Hao Ren really admired Lily¡¯s wild imagination. ¡°Ahem¡­ I¡¯m doing this for Science! And haven¡¯t you realise that I¡¯m pure in my motives and actions?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± said Lily, scratching her hair. Suddenly, she shook her ears and thought of something. ¡°Hey, so this means that you¡¯re also going to collect information on werewolves, vampires, etc? Don¡¯t bother, I¡¯m here! When are you going to scan me?¡±


    Hao Ren hesitated and said, ¡°Umm¡­ Next time.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Lily said, not giving it much thought. However, Hao Ren was breaking out in a cold sweat: he almost told her the truth! He did not plan to collect information on werewolves from Lily. God knows if a werehusky was considered a werewolf! Hao Ren felt that Lily did not possess any characterisics of a werewolf at all. She probably belonged to a new class of creature.


    At least before he found a second werehusky, he would never put Lily into his database. Not for anything else, but for the preciseness of Science!


    While the devise scanned Hesperides, Hao Ren and Lily began to prepare another set of improvised equipment in the basement.


    He and Lily found some plastic sheets, iron pipes and steel frames from the small warehouse next door. They were now preparing to make a small cubicle the size of a bathroom in the corner of the basement. Luckily, the basement was quite large. Inside it, there were areas for Vivian to sleep and put those dormant chambers. There was still an unoccupied space the size of a living room, so the cubicle would not occupy too much of the basement. He then removed some of the desktop-sized discs from his Dimensional Pocket as well as some pre-fabricated parts, and placed them in the centre of the unoccupied space. The disc-shaped objects were made of silvery-white metal. They were exquisite and looked high-tech; their surface shimmered with blue lines, much like the style of equipment on the Petrachelys.


    Lily looked at these objects in a strange manner and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Creating a teleportation portal.¡± Hao Ren released something from his Dimensional Pocket as he spoke.


    This time, it was a fierce-looking robotic squid!


    This was the self-regulating robot that Hao Ren brought from the Petrachelys. Hao Ren had been keeping this in his Dimensional Pocket in case he needed it, and now, it finally came in handy. The scary-looking creature made a series of jabbers. It started assembling the equipment on the ground under Hao Ren¡¯s instructions, quickly turning it into a teleportation platform about two metres in diameter. Then, it began waving its tentacles around the platform, tapping it here and there to adjust it. Finally, it started the programming of the teleportation device and disappeared in front of Hao Ren as well as Lily.


    After a few seconds, the teleportation platform was lit again and the robotic squid was teleported back from somewhere. It waved its tentacles up and down at Hao Ren, jabbering about the success of the teleportation.


    ¡°This thing can lead to the ecological area in the Petrachelys.¡± Hao Ren pointed to the teleportation platform and explained, ¡°I got clearance from the authorities two days ago. We can enter our spaceship via this platform. In case I¡¯m not at home and you¡¯re all in an emergency, you can escape the house using this platform.¡±


    Hao Ren was basically upgrading the hardware for his ¡°base camp¡±. Lily jumped up happily and said, ¡°Hey hey! This feels like a secret base. It¡¯s so exciting!¡±


    ¡°Calm down.¡± Hao Ren pushed Lily¡¯s head down to stop her from jumping and then, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s cover it first. This stuff will keep glowing when it¡¯s on standby. It¡¯ll disturb Vivian¡¯s sleep.¡±


    Lily immediately rolled up her sleeves and began to bend the steel pipe from the warehouse into proper parts. The MDT had completed its scanning of Hesperides¡¯ data and it finally began to check her wounds. Shortly after, it found something unexpected. ¡°Ah, Hao Ren, come and have a look, there¡¯s something stuck in her head¡­¡±

 Chapter 317

    Hao Ren heard the call of the MDT and ran towards it. The MDT projected a set of holographic projections in the air, which showed scanned images of Hesperides¡¯ wound. They could see a very clear silvery-white, triangular object in the depths of the horrifying, piercing wound. Hao Ren was stunned for a moment before realising what it was. ¡°¡­The heck, the arrow from thousands of years ago is still stuck inside?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible to heal the wound directly with the dormant chamber. We must perform a small operation,¡± The MDT opened the dormant chamber to wake Hesperides up as he spoke to Hao Ren. ¡°The self-regulating machine can handle a simple task like this, I just don¡¯t know if Hesperides is aware that there¡¯s something stuck inside her head.¡±


    At this point, the alloy hatch of the dormant chamber was completely opened. Hesperides took a deep breath and slowly awoke. She sat up and rubbed her forehead, feeling a little muddled. She then asked, ¡°Done? Is there any way to heal the wound?¡±


    ¡°Do you know there¡¯s something stuck in your head?¡± Hao Ren looked at the goddess, who came from almost the same era as Vivian in a bizarre manner. He found that the things he faced were getting more and more extreme by the day. ¡°We found an arrowhead¡­ I wonder how you survived!¡±


    Hesperides was not surprised. She already knew about it a long time ago. ¡°Oh, you mean this, I thought you were going to tell me something serious¡­ I¡¯ve known about it. It¡¯s the one-eyed man¡¯s arrow. With the power of exorcism, this thing¡¯s been coated with my tissue and it¡¯s become part of the wound. It can¡¯t be taken out. If it wasn¡¯t stuck in the wound, the wound would have healed.¡±


    Stunned, Hao Ren asked, ¡°You have a grudge against Darwin, eh?¡±


    ¡°No, I had a good relationship with Darwin. He¡¯s an interesting human being. The year he died, we still contacted each other through letters.¡± Hesperides looked at Hao Ren with a strange expression and asked, ¡°And what does the vitality of the otherworldlings have to do with the theory of evolution?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Hao Ren realised that it was not wise to make such jokes in front of an unusual creature. He had learned his lesson from Vivian.


    ¡°Ehem, it¡¯s like this, I¡¯m going to take that arrowhead out.¡± Hao Ren coughed and waved to the self-regulating machine to come over. It was bored and had begun to its tentacles into a bow. ¡°You see, I have professional equipment here¡­¡±


    Hesperides was shocked when she saw the self-regulating machine, and asked, ¡°What is this?!¡±


    Hao Ren kept a straight face and said, ¡°My assistant.¡±


    Hesperides turned her head and looked around the basement, then she looked back at Hao Ren with a ¡°you¡¯re teasing me¡± look as she asked, ¡°You made it in this place? In the Mythological Age, it took at least one factory to make such a fine magical puppet, and Hephaestus¡¯ studio was at least 20 times bigger than yours¡ªplus, I reckon he couldn¡¯t make such a complicated thing either. Are you an elder as well?¡±


    Hao Ren spread his hands and said, ¡°Since there were also magical puppets in the Mythological Age, it¡¯s easier for you to grasp the concept. Anyway, you can try understanding it in your way. There are a lot of things that¡¯s hard for me to explain to you. And one more thing, do you want an operation?¡±


    Hesperides touched her wound and looked at the robotic squid with a weird expression. Although the squid¡¯s tentacles looked very flexible, the equipment at the tip of tentacles looked very fine, and the various devices in the basement looked amazing¡­ it did not stop her from feeling unconvinced! She looked at Hao Ren and said solemnly, ¡°If you think you can heal my wound simply by pulling the arrowhead out, you¡¯re wrong. If it was that easy, I can even grab a human doctor to do the surgery; my own vitality will guarantee a 100% success rate for any operation. But this arrowhead is special, and taking it out will only cause more trouble.¡±


    After Hesperides explained the special condition of her wound, Hao Ren finally understood some of the more formidable abilities of the senior demon hunter: The arrowhead had an ¡°Endless Pursuit¡± attribute. It was going to be very hard to take it out.


    The arrowhead had merged into the tissues around the wound. Not to mention, the mystical powers of exorcism on the arrowhead had also infected and altered the physical form of her tissue through a gradual transition of alienation. The arrowhead was now almost part of Hesperides¡¯ body so, first and foremost, cutting it down would be a problem. Second, even if you removed the arrowhead, it would try to return to its original position¡ªand they could not find a solution for that.


    ¡°When you take it out, it will fly back in again,¡± Hesperides pointed to her forehead and told him the horrifying story indifferently, ¡°and it can possibly be stuck a little bit deeper at a different angle when it flies back in¡ªit could kill me. Many years ago I tried to pull it out by myself, and I almost lost my life.¡±


    ¡°Such a crazy ability¡­¡± Hao Ren¡¯s mouth was agape and he was tongue-tied. ¡°They¡¯re born to kill people, right?¡±


    ¡°Unless you can remove the mark on my body, don¡¯t touch the arrowhead. Taking it out will only bring me more damage.¡± Hesperides sighed. ¡°In fact, I didn¡¯t hold much hope in the first place. It¡¯s just that you were so highly praised by Vivian, and I thought you knew some secret skills that only wizards would know¡­ Look like it¡¯s just surgery. Then, I¡¯ll tell you frankly that surgery doesn¡¯t work.¡±


    At this juncture, the MDT suddenly said, ¡°It¡¯s not really difficult to remove an exorcism mark.¡±


    Hao Ren and Hesperides immediately stared at the MDT. The Mobile Data Terminal deliberately paused for a little while and then, it slowly explained, ¡°The power of God can dispel any magical effect that is inferior to it. Just find a thing with the mark of a true god and let Hesperides hold it. The mark of the demon hunter on her will then fade away. Of course, this dispelling effect works all round. Hesperides¡¯ magical abilities will also be temporarily sealed for a while, but this is a small problem.¡±


    Hao Ren stomped impatiently and yelled, ¡°You don¡¯t say! Where am I going to find an artifact? Don¡¯t tell me you want Raven 12345 to come and help us?¡±


    The MDT hit Hao Ren twice and said, ¡°Stupid, go and take your labour contract.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Madam Raven¡¯s signature is on it!¡±


    Hao Ren looked dazed when he took out a few pieces of poor quality paper from his Dimensional Pocket. This was the labour contract he had signed with the Space Administration, and he kept it well. He unfolded the paper, looked at the crooked handwriting of the ¡°real god¡± amusingly and said, ¡°Stop joking. This thing¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with it? There¡¯s a god¡¯s name on it! And it¡¯s written by the goddess herself¡ªdo you think lowly of her blessings?¡± The MDT was feeling much disdain at Hao Ren¡¯s rigid thinking. ¡°Who told you the artifact had to be cool and polished? How about those gods who have problems in their aesthetic view, those who have bad handwriting, and live a sloppy life? Do they have to learn fine arts for three years, carving for four years, iron forging for five years and practice signing for two months before they become gods?¡±


    Hao Ren was confused by the MDT¡¯s bombardment of words. In the end, he had no choice but to hand over the contract to Hesperides. He said, ¡°Umm¡­ How about you try holding it?¡±


    Hesperides looked at Hao Ren sceptically as she took the low quality pieces of papers from him and said, ¡°You want me to hold these papers and believe that they can erase the demon hunter¡¯s mark that¡¯s been entrenched in me for thousands of years? Then you¡¯ll just cut my skull open and take out the arrowhead?¡±


    Hao Ren sighed and said, ¡°Forget it, I don¡¯t believe it too. A long time ago, there used to be an unrestrained surgeon like this and he ended up killed by Cao Cao1.¡±


    ¡°Of course¡­ Wait, I believe it!¡± Hesperides was about to pass the papers back to Hao Ren when she suddenly had a look of surprise on her face. She took off her lace headband and the silver glow was fading. The wound that had never healed for thousands of years was fading! ¡°I don¡¯t care what it is¡­ it works! I can feel the power of the demon hunter subsiding!¡±


    ¡°It really works?!¡± Hao Ren and Lily looked at each other as they said in unison.


    ¡°Of course. When have I ever lied to you?¡± The MDT hit Hao Ren on the head and said, ¡°Remember, a god¡¯s name is a god¡¯s name. It doesn¡¯t matter how weird he or she is, the power of God itself will not change! What are you waiting for? Go and perform the surgery!¡±


    At this point, Raven 12345¡¯s signature had begun to release a light blue glow. Even as an outsider who did not know magic and divine power, Hao Ren could feel the atmosphere in the air changing rapidly. Some kind of heart-throbbing divine pressure, together with the aura of Raven 12345 were gradually filling the basement. Although it was a pity that this powerful aura was coming from a few pieces of A4 printing paper rather than some sort of scripture, no doubt that the goddess¡¯ name had come into effect!


    Hao Ren and Lily quickly helped Hesperides, who became powerless due to the effect. They got her into the dormant chamber and left the rest to the robotic squid. Both of them observed the operation from afar.


    After the robotic squid and dormant chamber were connected, Hesperides¡¯ physiological structure and endurance were confirmed, and the surgical plan was quickly developed. The robotic squid said something and two of its tentacles flashed. Then, poof! It entered the dormant chamber.


    The basement was immediately filled with splashing gold sparks and noises of the electric saw as well as electric drill. The place sounded like a furniture factory rushing to get work done.


    Hao Ren and Lily were speechless.


    ¡°The f*ck, this doesn¡¯t sound right!¡± Hao Ren¡¯s face turned pale. It did not sound like an operation, but more like opening a hole in a steel plate. Nonetheless, the MDT still comforted him and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the thunder giant¡¯s body structure is not the same as that of a human being¡¯s¡ªyou can¡¯t open her titanium alloy skull without using the air hammer and electric drill¡­¡±


    Lily tucked her tail and hid behind Hao Ren as she asked, ¡°Landlord, why do I find it quite scary?¡±


    Hao Ren drew his neck back and said, ¡°Shhh, it¡¯s for the sake of Science¡­¡±


    Translator¡¯s Thoughts


    Jillyboy Jillyboy


    1Cao Cao was a Chinese warlord and the penultimate Chancellor of the Eastern Han dynasty. The surgeon, Hua Tuo was a court physician who temporarily relieved the ruler of his giddiness by acupuncture. When Cao Cao asked him to do something to remove this annoyance permanently, Hua Tuo said he would have to cut into the royal skull. But the king became suspicious that his enemies had bribed Hua Tuo to kill him. In a fit of rage, perhaps triggered by his headaches, the king had the surgeon thrown into jail and executed.

 Chapter 318

    A friendly reminder, unless you¡¯re sure that you¡¯re a real superhuman, you can never trust a quack doctor who is trying to give you a craniotomy with an electric drill and electric saw¡ªof course, theoretically, such quack doctors would get themselves killed whenever they step out their house.


    Anyway, Lily did not think her landlord was a good doctor. He had nothing to do with a doctor at all. What happened in front of them did not look like ¡®treating¡¯ a patient but more like a machine was repairing another machine. Look at the slashing sparks and you know that this has zero relation with medical science. As a veteran vet, Lily thought she could still consider herself as a medical practitioner, so she decided that she would never discuss saving people with Hao Ren in the future ¡­


    She would not talk about saving the dogs with him as well.


    ¡°It¡¯s a very sophisticated, safe and very scientific process,¡± the MDT explained. ¡°The dormant chamber provides a powerful anesthetic and life-sustaining environment, which can be utilised even when the chamber is open. Additionally, the precision in which the robotic squid can operate is down to the microscopic level. Hesperides¡¯ physical strength denotes that she can withstand such degree of surgery easily, so the whole process is in a safe and controlled state. The reason why you don¡¯t find it right is because the Storm Colossi bloodline has brought us a patient whose skeleton is just too strong¡ªbut thanks to that skeleton, her head didn¡¯t explode when she was shot by the demon hunter. Now, let¡¯s move on to the next step. We¡¯ll use a small range, directional explosion to clean up the necrotic tissue¡­ Hey, why are the both of you so quiet?¡±


    Hao Ren proceeded to lower his head and numbly pluck the fur on Lily¡¯s tail. He then said, ¡°Don¡¯t speak, I need to calm down.¡±


    Lily pulled her tail back and said, ¡°Don¡¯t touch it! I want to keep it so that I can pluck it when I¡¯m bored!¡±


    Hao Ren replied, ¡°¡­I was just kidding around¡­ But, hasn¡¯t your tail always been your treasure? How can you pluck its fur?¡±


    Lily put on a long face and hugged her tail, petting the charred hair that was about a third burnt. ¡°It¡¯s burnt in this part anyway. Clean it up so there¡¯s room for new fur.¡±


    While they were talking, the ¡°operation¡± finally stopped. The robotic squid jabbered happily and drifted aside. The MDT flew over to take a look, and then it deliberately declared in a rigid voice, ¡°The operation has been successfully completed. The patient¡¯s physiological characteristics are stable and her emotional state is steady. Who¡¯s going to clean up?¡±


    Hao Ren and Lily quickly ran to the chamber to check on Hesperides¡¯ situation. It turned out that the situation was much better than expected. Plus, there was not even a lot of blood in the dormant chamber. It appeared that the robotic squid had use certain methods to achieve a perfect hemostasis. While Hesperides rested and breathed steadily in the coffin, the wound on her forehead began to gradually heal. When the forced dormancy effect was turned off, Hesperides took a deep breath, opened her eyes slowly, rolled her eyeballs and sat up straight. ¡°Done?¡±


    Hao Ren pointed to her forehead and said, ¡°Confirm it for yourself.¡±


    Hesperides touched the hole on her head and dug into it carelessly. Her action frightened Hao Ren and Lily, and gave them goosebumps. But, she did not seem to feel anything. When she touched her wound and found that it was healing fast, she dug deeper and found no arrowhead inside. She was pleasantly surprised and breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Unexpectedly¡­ it¡¯s healing!¡±


    Then, she jumped out of the chamber and looked at the equipment as well as the robotic squid that was wiping its tentacles. She was in a state of disbelief, and said, ¡°What should I say¡­ The situation here is messy, but it actually solved the problem!¡±


    Hao Ren laughed and nodded. To be honest, he also found the whole process incredible. But in the end, he could only attribute it to two factors: the insanely strong body of Hesperides and the power of the goddess, Raven 12345 who never played by the rules. Anyway, things relevant to these two points never developed normally. And this time, these two points collided, so it was gratifying to see that nothing bad happened.


    ¡°This is the arrowhead taken out from your head.¡± Hao Ren beckoned the robotic squid to come over and took a long, narrow, triangular piece of metal from it. The arrowhead was only an inch long and it was shimmering with a slight silvery glow. He handed it to Hesperides and asked, ¡°You still need it? I¡¯ll keep it for research if you don¡¯t need it anymore.¡±


    Hesperides looked at it with a weird expression and said, ¡°It¡¯s been with me for thousands of years¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was quite shocked and said, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you have feelings for this stuff?! I can cure the physical wound but there¡¯s nothing I can do for the psychological wound!¡±


    ¡°You can keep it,¡± Hesperides said and smiled. Hao Ren noticed a slight change in her temperament. The gloomy feeling had subsided a lot and it was replaced with a peaceful, slightly energetic feeling. It was as if the arrowhead in her brain had affected the evening goddess under normal circumstances. She pushed the arrow back to Hao Ren, then solemnly bowed and thanked him, ¡°Thank you, wizard. Although I always find you very suspicious from head to toe, you¡¯re actually the first trustworthy person I¡¯ve met since the end of the Mythological Age. In this terrible age, there are not many people like you who are willing to help others sincerely.¡±


    Hao Ren did not know how to answer her, so he just smiled and carefully put the arrowhead into his Dimensional Pocket. He would study it when he was free.


    The three of them then left the basement. At this time, Vivian had just cleaned the furniture in the living room. She looked at Hao Ren curiously and asked, ¡°What were you doing down there? Why did it sound like a construction site?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Hesperides pointed to her forehead and said, ¡°He was treating me, you see.¡±


    ¡°Treating you? Using an electric saw?¡± Vivian mumbled as she twisted the rag in her hand. But when she saw Hesperides¡¯ forehead, she was surprised, and asked, ¡°Hold on¡­ The hole has been filled?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an engineering marvel.¡± Hao Ren put his hands on his back, pretending to be very knowledgeable. He nodded his head as he spoke inscrutably, ¡°Although, it¡¯s difficult to ascribe it to Medical Science.¡±


    ¡°What kind of weird things were you doing?¡± Vivian looked at Hao Ren doubtfully, then waved her hand and said, ¡°Forget it, you always do something surprising. Anyway, Hesperides, you can be happy now since this trip wasn¡¯t wasted. Let me make a few specialty dishes for you to celebrate.¡±


    Hesperides looked pleasantly surprised by Vivian¡¯s offer. As her friend for many years (although they only met each other about once or twice every century), she knew that this weird vampire was a good cook. At the same time, she also knew how precious it was for Vivian to treat her¡ªafter all, most of the time, Vivian could not even afford to buy vegetables. This was big news to Hesperides and she thought of spreading it after she got back.


    But Hao Ren looked outside and realised that the sun was setting. It was now evening and a lot of places in his big house were still waiting to be cleaned. He was worried that Vivian would not be able to handle the workload, so he said, ¡°How about tomorrow? I¡¯m worried that you¡¯ll be worn out.¡±


    Vivian smiled, pointed towards the direction of the bathroom and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Nangong Wuyue just developed a new function. She can handle some of the cleaning tasks from now on.¡±


    Just as Vivian finished talking, Hao Ren noticed the bathroom door being pushed open. Nangong Wuyue, who was still in the shape of a sea serpent crawled out in a slithering motion. Her three or four-metre-long was wrapped in a damp cloth at every half metre. The siren maiden then slid in an S-shaped motion from the bathroom to the living room, and the places where she passed became spotless.


    On top of that, she dried the floor and released oxygen-enriched ions at the same time


    Lil Pea also followed her and had fun. The little kid tied a handkerchief on her tail, trying to keep up with Nangong Wuyue¡¯s pace. She left her tailprints on the floor instead.


    Hao Ren turned his head to looked at Hesperides, who was touching the little scar on her forehead, and he thought: Well, the wound on this sister¡¯s head is healed, but what can I do to mend the hole in the brain of these weirdos in the house?


    Shortly after, Rollie, who had been wandering outside for several days finally came home. First, Rollie had to greet Lil Pea, then Lily had to greet Rollie. The strange landlord and strange tenants in this big house were finally gathered together. They chatted until long into the night before they all went back to their rooms.


    The next morning, Hao Ren began writing the report for his operation. He felt that he had to let Raven 12345 know about what was going on in the Athens sanctuary.

 Chapter 319

    Hao Ren had compiled a report of what he saw and heard in Athens, especially about the Sacred Relic of Origins and the Day of Return. After doing so, he sent it to Raven 12345. He was now idle at home. But, he was planning to study the stuff he had brought out from the sanctuary once the research facility was ready.


    The research lab was not on Earth though.


    The Sacred Relic of Origins he had brought back from the ruins was huge and his house was too small for it to fit. Besides, there were other samples waiting to be analysed. He needed a dedicated research facility that was hidden and could even stand natural disasters. He had thought of many options; an underground factory, a coal mine¡ªplaces like that, but they were all unreliable. Drawing from the mistake of the sorcerers who were blown to the high heavens by explosives in their sleep, he made up his mind; he was going to place his lab as far away as possible, for example, aboard his spacecraft on the Kuiper Belt.


    Living on Earth, but conducting research on the Kuiper Belt; Hao Ren felt this was something he could brag about: look, my house is big, isn¡¯t it? Everytime I wake up in the morning, I have to use the gateway to travel from my bedroom to the lab; the rocket is way too slow¡­


    The night before, he had fixed a teleportation device in his basement. He felt that he was becoming more familiar and experienced in the job. He had to travel frequently¡ªsometimes with his tenants¡ªto his spacecraft. The MDT was not a good choice. It was an uncomfortable experience and its physical presence was needed to do the teleportation; with these limitations, he finally decided to install a dedicated gateway in his own house. Once the gateway was up and running, he sent everything including the Sacred Relic of Origins, which was in the Dimensional Pocket to the garage on the Petrachelys. The autonomous robots had already set up a scientific lab on the spacecraft, so everything was ready. The robotic squids would conduct a preliminary analysis on the Sacred Relic of Origin, and the onboard factory would make the necessary tools for research. Meanwhile, all Hao Ren had to do was wait¡ªwait for the the lab report.


    Hesperides had completely recovered from the ¡°millennial hole¡± in her head as the demon hunter¡¯s spell was removed. The only problem: she was weak as a baby. God¡¯s name had not only dispelled the demon hunter¡¯s spell, it had also cancelled out Hesperides¡¯ magical strength. She probably needed a couple of days before she could regain her strength. Meanwhile, Vivian was hoping this old friend of hers would stay a few more days so that they could catch up on the old days. Hence, Hesperides really had no choice but to stay.


    Of course, Hao Ren had no problem with that since it would be on the Space Administration¡¯s expense. Furthermore, he could not wait for his house to achieve 100% occupancy rate.


    Just as long as she did not cause any trouble.


    It was nine something in the morning. Lily was out on house call. Y¡¯zaks had gone for job interviews and was probably scaring the hell of out the pretty receptionists now. Becky and Nangong Wuyue too, had gone out early in the morning, God knows where they were at this point. The house had a rare moment of serenity when those creatures were not home¡ªa perfect time for Hao Ren to do what he needed to do as a dad: educate Lil Pea.


    It had been some time since Lil Pea was hatched. Hao Ren had basically figured out the little mermaid¡¯s habits and characteristics; aside from an occasional defiance, she was just like any other kid. Sure, in terms of cognition, she was out of the ordinary¡ªshe understood words not long after birth and her intelligence was clearly a few notches higher than that of normal human kids.


    So, Hao Ren had a busy day educating Lil Pea. He held her in his hand as he stared at her big eyes with a retarded smile on his face. ¡°Say Dad-dee.¡±


    Lil Pea¡¯s braininess was obvious. She was a quick learner too. She wagged her tail and Hao Ren got two free slaps on the face. She then said in a crisp voice, ¡°Say Dad-dee!¡±


    Something must be wrong with my method , he thought. He awkwardly put the little one down and pointed at himself. ¡°Dad-dee!¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    Both of them were engaged in this word-wrestling for like half an hour. Now you see, raising children is hard labour, especially when the kid is clearly smarter than you. No one knew where the small fry learned her wittiness from!


    But, Hao Ren enjoyed it. In fact, he loved it. He liked playing the giddy goat with the little mermaid, enjoying the process as he taught her. However, Lil Pea got bored very quickly. She suddenly spotted something. She jumped down from the tea table and scurried over to the TV cabinet, biting the power strip underneath. Hao Ren was totally overwhelmed by her cuteness, his heart blooming with joy. ¡°Hey¡­ look at you. But that thing isn¡¯t edible, you know!¡±


    He had to pluck Lil Pea down from the power strip and he was shocked to discover the internal copper wire exposed.


    ¡°You should have taught her some life skills so that she won¡¯t be so defiant,¡± Vivian said, coming up with an intarsia box in her hand. ¡°Didn¡¯t the goddess say when the going gets tough, the tough gets the mermaid going? Lil Pea may still have her teeth grinding habit; I saw her biting on the cooking gas cylinder this morning only to find that it was too hard to gnaw.¡±


    Hao Ren had cold sweat flowing down his forehead. He asked, ¡°This kid was that brutal?¡±


    Vivian nodded before taking out a tape measure to measure Lil Pea. The little one laughed and flinched from the itch. Vivian threw Hao Ren a look and said, ¡°Please keep her still.¡±


    Hao Ren held her still, but asked, ¡°What are you planning to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to make her a couple of new dresses.¡± She measured her chest and the length of her body. ¡°Haven¡¯t you noticed that she¡¯s grown a little?¡±


    Speaking of which, he indeed realised that Lil Pea felt a little weightier than before. He asked, ¡°Do mermaids grow taller or longer?¡±


    Vivian looked down at Lil Pea, exhanging looks with her before saying, ¡°¡­Longer, I guess.¡±


    Blinking and staring at the adults, Lil Pea flapped her tail a few times as if to tell them, yes, she had grown longer.


    A sudden jingle came from the back door and a flash of white light shone through the narrow window next to it.


    While Hao Ren was still wondering what had happened, the MDT called out happily, ¡°Hey, hey, it¡¯s your payday. Quick, check it out. Your new ride has arrived!¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s face lit up. He had earlier asked for a car, which he needed for local missions. But, he put the matter on the back burner after he made the request; he figured if Raven 12345¡¯s style was anything to go by, it would be months before anything concrete would be done. However, it was surprisingly quick this time.


    With Lil Pea still in his arms, he dashed out of the back door. His new car was already waiting on the vacant spot just at the back of his house.


    Hao Ren was at a lost for words.


    ¡°This is good stuff.¡± The MDT followed him to the back of the house, talking like a shrewd businessman. ¡°An inspector is supposedly not entitled to a car, but Madam Raven asked one of her friends to design one for you. It¡¯s a special privilege. The car has a strong shield, much stronger than what you have on your body. The entire car structure is built using aerospace-grade alloy; light-weight, yet strong. Its power source is a military-grade psionic reactor, you won¡¯t have to worry about refueling until the end of the world. It¡¯s got bold lines and looks graceful too; it¡¯s also got a panaromic-view cockpit, CVT transmission, smart satnav, climate control, space expansion device and most important of all, it looks perfectly earthly so you don¡¯t have to worry about attracting unwanted attention¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was still silent. When the MDT finished, Hao Ren flung it out with a snap. ¡°Please tell me what the heck is with this design?¡±


    Still on its way out, the MDT replied, ¡°What¡¯s under the hood is more important!¡±


    ¡°Hood my foot! This thing can¡¯t even go on to the Third Ring Road!¡± Hao Ren was mad. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that tricycles are banned from entering the city?¡±

 Chapter 320

    The specifications and features the MDT described may have been true. Hao Ren believed that as far as the immortals in the Space Administration were concerned, a faster-than-light tricycle car was entirely normal. Nothing was impossible when A4 paper could be used as a holy covenant. But even then, he still could not accept the fact that the Space Administration had given him a three-wheeler¡­


    He looked at the car that the Space Administration granted him¡ªit had a sparkling silver, boxy body with an arcuate front. Although it only had three wheels, it looked really stable. He peeked inside through the glass window and saw the brand new handlebar with its accelerator as well as the superluminal drive control panel. The MDT did not lie. This thing did have bold lines and all-around panoramic windows with excellent visibility¡ªbecause, it was a tricycle car.


    But he would receive a 50 $ fine if he drove this thing anywhere near the Third Ring Road in the city.


    ¡°Actually, this thing looks pretty good.¡± The MDT knocked the window of the tricycle and the shield was triggered instantly as waves of riddled across the agitated glass. ¡°Madam Raven has admired human-made vehicles like this for a long time¡­¡±


    Hao Ren slammed his hand on the tricycle. ¡°So, she¡¯s one of the immortals there who¡¯s got a problem in aesthetic perception, eh? No, I¡¯m not going to accept this thing. The Petrachelys was at least okay with its look and I could bear with it. But this thing¡­ I mean, are you asking me to save the world riding in this tricycle? Perhaps only the world outside the Third Ring Road huh.¡±


    Still in Hao Ren¡¯s arms, Lil Pea poked her head out, curious about everything that was going on. She spotted the sparkling vehicle and became interested. She jumped down and made two rounds around the front wheel before she began to nibble it. But, two bites on the wheel and she was already crying; she almost broke her teeth.


    Hao Ren quickly took Lil Pea back in his arms, comforting her before passing her over to Vivian. ¡°Keep her inside the house. It¡¯s freaking cold outside.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t like the look?¡± the MDT asked haplessly. Nonetheless, Hao Ren was adamant. He said, ¡°Why don¡¯t I get you a Pleasant Goat1 cover then?¡±


    The MDT was not amused. ¡°Well, let¡¯s see who¡¯s going to be embarrassed, since you¡¯re the user.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay if don¡¯t like it.¡± The MDT sighed like a human. ¡°I knew it. Madam Raven¡¯s enthusiasm always falls short at the end. Nevertheless, this car is reconfigurable. Just place your hand on the front windshield.¡±


    Hao Ren did as he was told. Ripples were instantly tiggered across the windshield and a flashing screen emerged. The MDT explained, ¡°It¡¯s a mind control thing. Just browse for the reconfiguration or mimetic function, then choose whatever designs you like.¡±


    ¡°You should¡¯ve told me earlier,¡± Hao Ren complained, but eagerly browsed through the images. However, the more he saw, the more dumbfounded he became. ¡°Tractor, excavator, infantry fighting vehicle, hovercraft, Type 59 tank, flatbed truck¡­ and a wheelchair?! Seriously? That goddess¡­ Which designer did she use?¡±


    ¡°No idea. Probably she did it herself but someone else manufactured it.¡± The MDT smiled wryly. ¡°Just scroll till the end, you may just find one that you like.¡±


    Hao Ren scrolled till the end and found one image. This one looked barely acceptable. He told himself that it was at least better than a tricycle.


    Then the magic happened: the tricycle began to transform. It looked like it wasmelting into a pool of liquid, except more mushy. Upon closer inspection, what looked like liquid was not actually liquid, but fine powder. The powder was moving like a liquid under the influence of magnetic energy. The silvery-white, ¡°metal powder solution¡± began to rise from its centre and quickly reshaped itself. The process was complete with details and colours.


    But all it took to complete the transformation was a few seconds. And, presto! It was done.


    Hao Ren¡¯s jaw almost dropped to the ground. He let out a long sigh and said, ¡°Northstar is at least cooler than a tricycle¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, here¡¯s the warning for users: during the morphing stage, make sure no living thing or expensive object is left inside the car,¡± The MDT said in realisation. ¡°If you really want to store anything, use the cargo holds under the driver¡¯s seat and at the back of the rear passenger seat. They can fit hundreds of cubic metres of stuff.¡±


    Hao Ren asked, ¡°What happens if things are left outside the cargo hold?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll be broken down and discharged into the void,¡± The MDT replied. ¡°Of course, the car has a safety function. It can detect large life form in the cabin and sound the alarm. But, many rare and unusual life forms may not be detected at all. The OS of this thing is chosen by Madam Raven, so expect it to be a little buggy. In spite of that, you can rest assured that she won¡¯t make major mistakes.¡±


    Hao Ren became nervous. ¡°It¡¯s that dangerous? What do I do if it suddenly changes shape while I¡¯m driving?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. Only you can initiate its mimicry function. It¡¯s foolproof.¡±


    Feeling relieved, Hao Ren looked at his new car happily. Compared to the three-wheeler, he was pretty happy with the Northstar even though it looked clumsy and boxy. It came complete with a licence plate and vehicle inspection sticker. He did not have to worry about that now and he was just thinking about taking the car for a spin.


    He also wanted to give Vivian a ride, letting the poor vampire experience what it was like being chauffeured in a car even though it was just a Northstar.


    But something unexpectedly came up; as he was walking around admiring his new ride, a report came in from the Petrachelys: the science lab was up and ready to run analysis on the Sacred Relic of Origins.


    Hao Ren hurried back into the house, looking for Vivian. Laughing and talking with Hesperides, she was holding a basin full of water in her hands. She was giving Lil Pea a bath. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she asked.


    ¡°The research lab is ready.¡± Hao Ren glanced at Hesperides, figuring he better not say anything about the spacecraft. ¡°I¡¯m going to the lab. Are you free? I may need your help.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, why not?¡± Vivian answered, still cleaning Lil Pea up. She turned and looked at Hesperides as though she just thought of something. She asked Hao Ren, ¡°Can I bring her along? She could be of help too you know. She might remember something I don¡¯t.¡±


    Hesperides stared at them cluelessly. ¡°What are you talking about? Is this some kind of secret or what? I can excuse myself if you want.¡±


    Hao Ren pondered about it. Since Hesperides had already seen the hibernation chamber and autonomous robots, it made no difference now to let her her see more as long as it did not expose the Space Administration. So, he waved to Hesperides and said, ¡°It¡¯s classified. But, there¡¯s no harm in you knowing. We¡¯re studying something about demon hunters. You¡¯re welcome to join us if you¡¯re free. We might need you.¡±


    Hesperides got on her feet, smiling. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s my pleasure. Just consider it as me returning the favour.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. As he was about to go down to the basement, Vivian stopped him and pointed at Lil Pea, saying, ¡°Take her with you.¡±


    Hao Ren noticed that Lil Pea was staring and drooling over the power socket in the corner of the wall. His blood froze. He made up his mind to take Lil Pea with him. Vivian had left a note on the table, telling Lily and the rest where the both of them were going.


    The three of them¡ªand the fish, went down to the basement. Vivian looked at the teleportation gateway, the steel pipe cubicle and particle boards, erected just metres away from her bed. She could not help asking, ¡°I wanted to ask yesterday; who designed this?¡±


    Hao Ren answered cluelessly, ¡°Lily built it by hand. I designed it. I was afraid that the light emitted from the gateway might disrupt your sleep.¡±


    Vivian sighed then said, ¡°That¡¯s so kind of you, but don¡¯t you realise that the thing looks like a loo?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    He suddenly came to a realisation that he may just have the same deficiency in aesthetic perception as Raven 12345, because the gateway indeed looked like a damn loo!


    Translator¡¯s Thoughts


    AMS2000 AMS2000


    1 Pleasant Goat is a character from a Chinese animated television series called Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf.

 Chapter 321

    The Petrachelys was an official ship for inspectors. Everything down to its minute details was tailor-made. It had everything in it. Although its daily supplies may not be the best, it was perfect for captains, who were always on the go. The spacecraft had a cargo hold that was not particularly large, but enough for small cargo. It also had a self-defense gun that was not very powerful, but enough to blow any mortal who stood in its way into pieces. The onboard factory was not all-capable, but good enough to produce relevant necessities. On top of that, it just obtained a new science lab for research purposes. The spacecraft was only a few hundred metres long, however it did not lack space thanks to space-expansion technology. The science lab was an important part of the ship. And, despite all the stuff Hao Ren had dumped inside it, it did not lack in space.


    Nonetheless, when it came to analysing the Sacred Relic of Origins, Hao Ren knew it was out of his expertise. In most cases, inspectors were not scientific experts. But luckily, the science lab basically ran on its own. The analytic computer and servobots were the ones performing the work. All the captain did was tell the analytic computer what he wanted, then check the results. With the help of these equipment, laymen like Hao Ren could boast around saying, ¡°Look, I¡¯m conducting turnkey research.¡±


    Unfortunately, he could only brag to the brain-dead-but-still-patient vampire; no one else would be interested in the Sacred Relic of Origins. Even Lily would rather waste her brain juice on cracking the secret recipe of Spicy Sticks.


    Vivian, Hesperides, Hao Ren and Lil Pea were teleported to the science lab in the Petrachelys. Hesperides, no stranger to teleportation had never seen an alien lab. When she arrived, she was surrounded by strange equipment, holograms as well as the whines and buzzes of the various machines there. So, she was rooted to the spot. She then grabbed Vivian by her arm and asked nervously, ¡°Who is this man whom you call Landlord? He seems scary, doesn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± Vivian had seen the high-tech stuff in the spacecraft many times. She was only slightly curious. Although things were probably a little strange, she would not describe the bright and clean lab as scary.


    Hesperides glanced at the large test benches and moving mechanical arms above her. She said, ¡°I must say, I regret watching human movies already¡­ I have a goddamn feeling that I¡¯ve been conned into leaving Athens and I¡¯m about to be soaked in formalin¡­¡±


    Vivian was crying and laughing at the same time. She put Hesperides¡¯ hand away and said, ¡°I¡¯ve just discovered something about you: You¡¯ve got more nonsense in your head now than before your brain hole was patched.¡±


    But this was only because Hesperides was awed by the science lab in the Petrachelys. God knows how she would react at all if she learned that the lab was not on Earth. Nevertheless, there was nothing else beyond that. Most otherworldlings were kind of ¡°slow¡± when it came to high-tech stuff. They had some sort of subtle misunderstanding, ignorance and disdain towards human technology. So naturally, they were technological idiots. Hesperides just knew that this room was an advanced human science lab. Aliens, outer space and stuff like that were totally out of her bounds.


    The science lab was oval in shape. Aside from the small, all-purpose test benches along the wall, there were three additional large benches placed equidistantly in the centre of the lab. These implements were fully equipped and capable of performing various types of disassembly as well as analysis. The equipment also consisted of a gravity-free floating platform, three sets of high-precision cutting tools, several power input or output ports with built in converters and a tonne of sensors. There were mechanical arms hanging from above too. The scientific term for them was ¡°All-Purpose Adaptive Arms¡±. Hao Ren thought they all looked more like tentacles.


    That was more common, easy-to-understand, lifelike and visual.


    While the loose samples were on a small test bench nearby undergoing regular tests, the Sacred Relic of Origins was on another test bench near the entrance. The relic, which was made up of a series of cylinders and ellipsoids had remained silent since it was dismantled and shipped back to this place. It was as if it had lost its source of power after leaving the temple. But, the analytic computer managed to find its power input interface, and it was now in its third attempt to inject power into the Sacred Relic of Origins as it observed its activity.


    Hao Ren walked around the Sacred Relic of Origins. Part of its casing had been taken down, including the core cyclinder. The complex internal structure of the Sacred Relic was exposed. He could clearly see conduits and containers inside.


    The Sacred Relic of Origins was a sophisticated piece of magical device. Its lower part was covered in an elegant metal panel, which had carvings of mysterious symbols. They were printed uniformly like a circuit board¡ªvery much like an industrial product. But, the Sacred Relic of Origins was deemed a magical device; results from preliminary analysis indicated that the pattern on the metal panel was not an electronic printed circuit, but more like a magic formation. The difference was apparent. On a PCB, electronic components are connected electronically via printed circuits; the patterns of the magic formation were like components, which were drawn using different types of materials. This gave the patterns functions or other more complicated features.


    Such out-of-this-world technology was an eye-opener for Hao Ren. He had witnessed the use of magic and alchemy in The Plane of Dreams, but this thing was part of the Magic Civilisation¡¯s ¡°advanced technology¡±.


    The rune-engraved crystal structure was similar to the metal panel; it was either a key energy carrier or required high energy to run, which necessitated a different type of material for it to function.


    Peeking through the gaps between the sophisticated structure, crooked conduits could be seen cramping together like a ball of yarn. They all eventually converged and joined together at one end, connecting to the cylindrical container in the centre of the Sacred Relic of Origins.


    ¡°Several attempts have been made to activate it, but due to thelack of a key component, it would only run for a while before shutting down again. No idea what the conduits are.¡± The MDT was connected to the analytic computer and it acted as a speaker for the analytic computer. ¡°The possibilities of it being a purifying device, water or other liquid synthesiser and climate alteration machine have been ruled out. Most likely, the Sacred Relic of Origins is a culture tank combining synthesis, customisation, shaping and growth functions into one nurturing installation.¡±


    The MDT spoke as it knocked the exposed cylindrical container inside the Sacred Relic of Origins softly. ¡°Judging by its size¡­ it¡¯s most probably used for breeding humanoid creatures.¡±


    Vivian took a deep breath. ¡°That¡¯s evil.¡±


    ¡°Although it¡¯s just a guess¡±¡ªthe MDT commanded the mechanical tentacles above to remove other panels on the Sacred Relic of Origins¡ª¡±nine out of ten, that¡¯s what the Sacred Relic was used for. Here¡¯s the feeding mouth. Residue has been found here and inside the core container as well¡ªthe residue is highly decomposed and appears to be a highly complex, organic substance.¡±


    The equipment for analysis connected its all-purpose power interface to a protruding crystal inside the Sacred Relic of Origins. The relic then gave out a deep, low buzzing sound as the metal panels and crystal device inside lit up just like the control panel on its exterior. But the weird thing was, the control panel kept playing the same, strange symbols over and over again.


    ¡°The analytic computer is trying to hack into the operating system. Its hoping to find an operation log. The log may be stored in the missing component. The Sacred Relic of Origins has its own set of machine language interface. But the interface won¡¯t run without the proper instruction code,¡± the MDT said. ¡°Anyway, these commands here have given us some information like ¡®growth acceleration, emergency deactivation, writing of inbuilt-memory, thought injection¡¯ and etc. They completely coincide with the humanoid biosynthesiser theory.


    A chill ran down Hao Ren¡¯s spine and he asked, ¡°A synthesised humanoid? Who did they make?¡±


    The MDT wobbled, then said, ¡°Only God knows. The key component is missing, so we don¡¯t know what it synthesises and how it synthesises things. It¡¯s like we have a handful of test tubes; we know their part numbers and we know that they¡¯re used for chemical experiments, but we don¡¯t know the chemical formula.¡±


    ¡°I was just thinking¡­¡± Suddenly, Hesperides spoke in a low voice. ¡°I¡¯ve heard Vivian saying that you took this thing from Bethanos. Correct? Bethanos called it the Sacred Relic of Origins. That word ¡®Origins¡¯ seems to be very telling.¡±


    A storm started to brew in Hao Ren¡¯s mind. He thought he had it all figured out, but his confidence was beginning to crumble. He probably needed to revise his understanding on the relationship between otherworldlings and The Plane of Dreams!


    Bethanos, the old shadeling who had mastered the forbidden knowledge had described the humanoid-synthesising, ancient machine as the Sacred Relic of Origins.


    Were otherworldlings on Earth not travellers from other worlds? Or, were they just synthesised humanoids?

 Chapter 322

    The Sacred Relic of Origins ran for a while after it was fully charged. In the minutes that the relic came alive, sensors had managed to record various parameters and internal activities. But due to a missing core component, the ancient device could not run past the self-diagnostic stage.


    ¡°I suddenly pity Bethanos.¡± A strange smile appeared across Vivian¡¯s face. ¡°He was destined to fail even without our intervention. But, I¡¯m curious about where he got his information from. He was so confident.¡±


    ¡°Hessiana¡¯s interrogating him at the moment, so we¡¯ll know soon.¡± Hao Ren twitched the corner of his mouth. ¡°However, I wouldn¡¯t expect him to give away information that easily. The thing¡¯s been with the Olympians for some time already, yet Zeus was not able to crack the mystery. So, Hesperides, do you know anything about the Sacred Relic of Origins?¡±


    Hao Ren knew Hesperides was a survivor from Olympus, hence she may have known a thing or two about the relic. But, Hesperides shook her head and waved her hands. ¡°I¡¯m not a scholar. And in my family, I¡¯m just a small fry, so I couldn¡¯t possibly know beyond what I was supposed to know.¡±


    However, she still tried hard to dig into her memory. Then, something came to mind. ¡°Ah! I remember meeting Athena several times during the end of days. She would look very disturbed and she was constantly babbling, saying things like, ¡®everything¡¯s just a mistake¡¯, ¡®we¡¯re digging our own grave¡¯ and stuff like that. Something strange was happening on Mount Olympus back then; people mysteriously went missing and came back a few days later only to become completely different¡ªvery irritated and withdrawn. I suspect that Athena conducted experiments involving live humans with the Sacred Relic of Origins.¡±


    Digging our own grave¡­ digging our own grave¡­ Hao Ren repeated the phrase in his mind.


    ¡°Did the Olympians discover the secrets of the Sacred Relic of Origins? That they weren¡¯t born but made?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, the phrase was meant for the creator of the Sacred Relic of Origins!¡± Vivian clapped her hands softly. ¡°And, don¡¯t forget that a disaster is in the making in The Plane of Dreams. Could it have something to do with the Sacred Relic of Origins too?¡±


    Hao Ren thought it was a possibility and for a moment, it felt like he saw light in the dark. The thought quickly disappeared however, as the whole thing was still shrouded in thick mystery. He had an instinctive feeling that he and Vivian had made a mistake in their understanding of the Sacred Relic of Origins. He was none the wiser no matter how hard he tried to think. He shook his head and said, ¡°One misstep leads to another. Let¡¯s not make blind guesses.¡±


    The MDT was all praise for Hao Ren¡¯s diligence. Then, it sent some instructions to one of the mechanical tentacle sets that was putting back the panels on the relic. At the same time, it projected a hologram, showing images of the onboard factory. ¡°I¡¯ve given the onboard factory the order to produce a substance. The substance will be synthesised exactly as the residue sample found on the feeding mouth. I¡¯ll make a few replicas of the Sacred Relic of Origins for the purpose of synthesising substances. Even though we can¡¯t determine the finished product, we can at least figure out what¡¯s lacking. That will give us a direction in our subsequent research.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. He looked up at the opening on top of the Sacred Relic of Origins, where the alloy cover had been removed. The opening was the size of a soccer ball and it used to house the missing part of the relic. He had the platform lowered so that his eyes were level with the opening. He reached inside with his hand and felt a series of uniformed, raised dots. They also felt something like card slots.


    If only he could find the missing part, it would have been so much better.


    He decided to leave the Sacred Relic of Origins alone for now, and went to check out the remaining analyses on the other test benches. The test bench nearest to him was running an analysis on demon hunters¡¯ blood and tissue samples. On another test bench, some familiar-looking items were laid open: the sophisticated mini crossbow, the complex and magically blessed crossbow, rune cards as well as quarrels with shiny, silver heads¡ªsome were from the sanctuary in Athens while some others were taken from the demon hunters during their encounter.


    Half of the rune cards were left behind by Nangong Sanba. Lil Pea had been feeding on these cards for a long time and there were still many left. So, Hao Ren took a few for analysis, thinking that they may just shed some light on the difference between half-baked and purebred demon hunters.


    Lil Pea was excited upon seeing her ¡°meal¡± on the table¡ªobviously, she had mistaken the lab for a restaurant. She quickly jumped onto the test bench, but she hit a wall¡ªa transparant shield, which covered the test bench when analysis was underway.


    Two sensing probes working on the rune cards were stunned by the sudden impact. They ¡°looked up¡± at Lil Pea, then shrugged as though they had shoulders before carrying on.


    She became jealous because her food was taken by other fish¡ªshe thought those probes were fish, so she got angry. She grabbed Hao Ren by his sleeve and yelled, ¡°Dad-dee! Lil Pea¡¯s food¡­ They took it!¡±


    Hao Ren was almost in tears: the effort he put in during the past month was not in vain. His child finally pronounced it correctly!


    He reached his hand into his pocket, took out a piece of wood chip and fed it to Lil Pea. Then, he turned his attention to the analysis report. ¡°¡­Most of the tools used by demon hunters are blessed. This involves a complex exorcism procedure, and the equipment are quenched in herbal as well as mineral solutions. The solutions have a common ingredient¡ªtheir own blood?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Blood on all the tools,¡± the MDT replied. ¡°The pigment on the rune cards, the magical patterns on the crossbows, the performance enhancement drugs and even the yarns of their clothes have been dipped in blood. The analysis confirms that demon hunters apply their own blood on every gear they make.¡±


    An indescribable feeling ran up Hao Ren¡¯s spine. As his gaze landed on Nangong Sanba¡¯s rune cards, his bones began to shiver. He hugged Lil Pea tightly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t eat those cards from now on!¡±


    Lil Pea hit his hand with her tail and pretended not to hear him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There¡¯s no blood found in Nangong Sanba¡¯s cards, just normal herbal extract.¡± The MDT tried to put Hao Ren at ease. ¡°He¡¯s probably got a problem in his bloodline whereby his blood lacks the strength, or maybe he just hasn¡¯t learned the trick.¡±


    Vivian picked up a quarrel from the test bench and said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with this. Most types of magic require blood to work. If you can¡¯t accept this, then what are you going to do when I exercise my blood magic?¡±


    Hao Ren knew she was right, so he stopped harping on the issue. Nonetheless, he was still curious. ¡°That means demon hunters get their strength from their blood?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. The fact is, the composition of their blood is really strange; the complex ingredients in their blood makes you wonder how they managed to survive until now.¡± The MDT continued, ¡°Also, I¡¯ve noticed a strange phenomenon that may explain the slow decline of the demon hunters these past few years.¡±


    Vivian and Hesperides were all ears.


    ¡°The demon hunters seem to have a genetic disorder. I¡¯ve found lesions in young demon hunters, yet older demon hunters have never had such problems. This disease isn¡¯t fatal, not even detrimental to their overall health. But, it can slowly weaken the magical power in their blood and also weaken their fertility. If I¡¯m not mistaken, it¡¯s a type of genetic disease that probably affects the entire family. As for the cause of this genetic disorder, it¡¯s a result of not being able to adapt to the new environment just like the otherworldlings. They¡¯re being rejected by the environment. Only, this is happening a few thousand years later than when it happened to the otherworldlings.¡±


    The MDT paused for a moment, then added, ¡°Besides, there¡¯s no sign that they¡¯re taking any remedial measures. They probably haven¡¯t realised that they¡¯re suffering from this hidden disease.¡±

 Chapter 323

    ¡°Genetic disorder?¡± Hao Ren furrowed his eye brows. ¡°That means demon hunters will be extinct someday?¡±


    ¡°No. Not to that extent yet, but they are surely weakening and their numbers will dwindle in the future. It will get worse from one generation to the next.¡± The MDT paused, then continued, ¡°We have insufficient blood and tissue samples to make a more comprehensive analysis of the race and draw up an evolutionary map for them. We also have no way to confirm whether the disease affects their entire race. Like I said, it¡¯s just a guess.¡±


    Hao Ren had heard many people talking about the demon hunters¡¯ decline. In fact, he had also considered the possibility of genetic deterioration before, but there was no way to verify it previously. No one really knew whether the genes of demon hunters worked the same way as other regular races. But now, it seemed like this conjecture was confirmed. Hesperides¡¯ face lit up on news of demon hunters declining. ¡°Haha, that¡¯s good news. I¡¯m going to tell everyone back home.¡±


    ¡°Just don¡¯t be too optimistic.¡± The MDT poured cold water on her enthusiasm. ¡°All the analysis shows is just the early symptom. It¡¯ll take thousands of years before the genetic deterioration rears its full ugly head. And considering the lifespan of demon hunters, my best guess is your present predicament won¡¯t go away for another few thousand years. And who knows, by then, your race may become extinct before they do.¡±


    The MDT was not exactly polite in saying that and Hesperides was visibly annoyed. Hao Ren quickly intervened to smooth things over. ¡°Ehem, ehem, please don¡¯t take it to heart. The MDT didn¡¯t mean it. Its brain just works differently.¡±


    Hesperides remained silent. She knew it was not wise to get in over her head with a piece of machine, so she quickly calmed herself down. But something had come to mind, which cause Hao Ren to frown: a more in depth investigation may be required to probe the cause of the demon hunters¡¯weakening. He would probably even need Raven 12345¡¯s help.


    He knew that he should not get in over his head with this news as well; he was an inspector and he could not be emotional. If it was a natural phenomenon, then he should let it be. But if it had something to do with the imbalance in The Plane Of Dreams, then¡­


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s silence made Vivian curious. He was jolted out of his thoughts. ¡°Nothing, nothing,¡± he said.


    The three of them stayed in the science lab until afternoon, working hard to verify the analyses and studying the demon hunters¡¯ various weaponry: the magical crossbows and daggers with demon-expelling power. Vivian and Hesperides had been of great help as both of them were veterans in terms of battling the demon hunters. Despite her screwed-up memory, Vivian still remembered a great deal about the demon hunters and their secrets. They compared the weapons on the test bench and explained their powers, features and usage to Hao Ren. He had truly learned a lot from them. Although he was not keen to battle those mad men, the knowledge would come in handy when the situation called for it.


    Once they were done in the science lab, they went home the same way they came. Hao Ren did not feel dizzy at all this time. He was happy that his decision to build a gateway in the basement was right¡ªthe gateway was far more comfortable to use than the MDT. Meanwhile, Hesperides was lamenting and talking about grandmother stories from the Mythological Era: in fact, teleportation used to be as common as simile for the major otherworldling families. She used to regularly traverse Mount Olympus and Athens by way of teleportation. But, as the Mythological Era came to an end, most ancient facilities and equipment were destroyed by the demon hunters as well as angry humans. She had not seen a home-based teleportation device since then.


    And, she did not realise that she had been teleported to the Kuiper Station¡ªthe space station 40 astronomical units away from Earth. No one knew how she was going to react if she found that out.


    Hao Ren turned and looked back at the little gateway, which he had built together with Lily. He could not deny its look. ¡°It really looks like a loo¡­¡±


    Vivian covered her mouth, giggling. ¡°Let¡¯s take it down during the next two days, or else I¡¯ll have to cover it up when I sleep.¡±


    When they arrived home, Nangong Wuyue and Becky were already there. Lily was lying like a starfish on the couch, but Y¡¯zaks was nowhere to be seen¡ªthe demon was probably still going for job interviews and scaring the hell out of all those pretty receptionists. Hence, he would not be home any time soon. The first thing Hao Ren did was threw Lil Pea in a basin. Rollie came up to him and he instructed his cat to look after the fish as if it understood what he was saying. When he was back in the living room, he felt that something was off.


    He only noticed what was wrong after a while: Lily was used to like having a constant dose of amphetamine in her blood. She would always yap and jump up like a puppy when she saw people coming home. But today, Lily was out of character. She did not move a muscle even when Hao Ren kept shuffling in front of her. She just let herself sink into the couch like a starfish as she stared blankly at the tea table.


    Hao Ren came up to her and patted her on the shoulder. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Uncharacteristically, Lily let out a sigh. ¡°Life is torment.¡±


    Even Vivian was stunned. So stunned that she almost stumbled on her feet. ¡°Doggie, what have you eaten on the street?¡±


    Becky had been burying her head into the MP5, watching movies. She looked up and said quietly, ¡°She¡¯s been losing steam ever since she came back. Wuyue and I didn¡¯t dare bother her.¡±


    Hao Ren was worried. But before he asked, Lily said softly, ¡°I saw a golden retriever when I was on house call this morning. That poor guy¡¯s been hanging around rubbish bins, so he has a skin problem now. He lost a huge piece of fur on his back.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Lily, whose face was soaked in sadness. He was baffled. ¡°So? What does it have to do with you?¡±


    Lily let out a long sigh before yanking out her tail and carrassing it with a sad face. ¡°Misery loves company¡­ My tail isn¡¯t recovering at all! The burnt fur is still there!¡±


    Hao Ren almost choked upon hearing that. Gosh, she was worried for the tail. Nonetheless, he still tried to comfort her. Besides, he was also wondering about it. Two days had passed since Lily¡¯s tail was set on fire by the energy storm; her unique body should have healed the wound in half a day. Yet, it did not. Almost a third of her tail was still covered in brownish burnt fur.


    ¡°I¡¯ve tried to accelerate the regeneration process, but it didn¡¯t work.¡± Lily cuddled her own tail, sobbing. ¡°I¡¯ve gone through two sheddings since then, but the tail hasn¡¯t. Could it be that the follicles have been damaged?¡±


    Hao Ren started to become curious and interested. He bet no one in this world had ever studied huskys in this way. God knows what had happened to the maiden. He sat beside Lily, grabbed her tail and said, ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡±


    Lily flinched, but then she thought, ¡°Hmm, why not?¡± So, she let him hold her fluffy tail; he had grabbed Lily¡¯s ear a few times before, but it was his first time getting so physically up close up to her. The tail was snow white, soft and smooth¡ªit felt like satin. However, the burnt fur felt coarse. He plucked a few pieces of the burnt fur and Lily screamed. ¡°Stop it! New fur isn¡¯t growing there. If you keep plucking, won¡¯t I be bald soon?¡±


    Vivian came up to them, full of curiosity. ¡°I think the follicles are fine. See, the fur broke off in the middle. It¡¯s probably just some minor skin damage. Do you want to try a hair restorer?¡±


    Lily was dumbfounded. She asked, ¡°Does it even work?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t try it you¡¯ll never know!¡± Hao Ren was impressed by Vivian¡¯s creativity. He said, ¡°Don¡¯t ever look down on a human¡¯s creativity. Didn¡¯t the shadelings learn the hard way when they were blown to the high heavens by guided missiles and RPGs invented by humans? By the way, do we even have hair restorer here?¡±


    Of course, there was no hair restorer at home. Shops around there did not sell that stuff either. But, Vivian had an idea. Her thousand-year experience living on earth had taught her some life skills¡ªshe had a long list of folk remedies up her sleeve. She scurried into the kitchen as she said, ¡°Wait a minute! I¡¯ll make some cream¡­¡±


    Ten minutes later, Vivian came out from the kitchen with a steaming bowl in her hand. A waft of ginger mixed with other unknown ingredients began to assualt everyone¡¯s senses. Lily had smelled it from afar. She immediately hid behind Hao Ren and said, ¡°Battie, is this revenge?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a folk remedy!¡± Vivian held the bowl filled with a mushy substance and came up to her. ¡°It¡¯s a mash of ginger and herbs cooked in my own blood. Don¡¯t be such an a**hole.¡±


    Touched by Vivian¡¯s bloody sincerity, Lily stuck her neck out and said, ¡°But, it still smells like sh*t, doesn¡¯t it?


    Vivian winked at Hao Ren, but Lily spotted it. She fled and screamed. However, Vivian had gotten a hold of her and she motioned Hao Ren for help. ¡°Landlord, hold her tail! I¡¯m going to medicate her.¡±

 Chapter 324

    Normally, if Lily wanted to flee, no one in the house would be able to stop her, not even Y¡¯zaks with his brute strength. Obviously, Lily was not that determined this time; firstly, she was sort of looking forward to Vivian¡¯s folk remedy, hoping that it would work somehow; secondly, Vivian flicked her ear¡ªher deadly weak spot.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, not many have the chance to experience such privilege. You¡¯ll be shocked to know how many bald men I¡¯ve saved using this hair loss remedy of mine.¡± Vivian was grabbing Lily by her ear. ¡°It¡¯s my blood in there. My precious blood! I would never give my blood to anyone even if those little a**holes from the Blood Clan came begging on their knees, much less a werewolf like you. I¡¯m doing this because we¡¯re staying under the same roof.¡±


    Lily covered her ear, trying to dodge Vivian. ¡°Okay, okay, I know. I give in. How do I use it?¡±


    ¡°Apply externally.¡± Assured that Lily was not going to run away, Vivian loosened her grip. She yanked out two brushes and gave one to Hao Ren. ¡°It¡¯s much easier to treat human loss hair. Simply apply this on the scalp and it¡¯s done. But for you¡­ I bet you won¡¯t let me shave your fur, so I might as well brush the cream over your tail and wrap it up in a bandage. You can see how it goes after half a day.¡±


    Lily nodded but still remained suspicious. With Hao Ren¡¯s help, Vivian brushed the mushy, weird-smelling subtance all over Lily¡¯s tail. The husky was very cooperative. She turned around and lay face down on the couch, mumbling, ¡°Do it slowly, dudes. It¡¯s my precious tail. I¡¯ve never bit it myself.¡±


    Hao Ren carefully brushed the medication over her fluffy tail, feeling strange and awkward about it. He could not believe the fact that he was giving the female monster a hair massage. But, he forced a smile anyway as his hand grabbed onto the end of her tail . ¡°Do you let anyone touch your tail like that normally?¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± Lily turned and looked at him, gnarling. ¡°But since it¡¯s you, it¡¯s okay. But first, you must have my permission. Battie too. You can¡¯t simply touch it like it belongs to you, or else I¡¯ll bite.


    ¡°So pretentious.¡± Vivian sneered as she applied the last bit of cream on her tail evenly. She then went to get the bandage. Lily jumped down from the couch and looked over her shoulder at her tail, which was now covered in an oily, greenish-yellow substance. The fur on her tail was now crumpled together. She could not help but sigh and lament. ¡°Life is hard. Even a hero is on his knees in the face of adversity. A ferocious werewolf like me has to rely on a hair restorer to keep my dignity from shedding away¡­¡±


    Then, she wagged her tail ferociously as though it would her look more imposing that way. The stench assaulted Hao Ren¡¯s nose and he rolled his eyes. Oh spare me, you¡¯re just a husky .


    When she was not talking, she at least looked a bit elegant. But the moment she opened her mouth, the amount of retardation just went through the roof.


    Vivian finally returned with the bandage. She wrapped Lily¡¯s tail up like a baseball bat. As Lily swung it forcefully, it sounded like a kung fu monk practising his baton¡ªbefore that afternoon, Lily was unable to experience the joys of wagging her tail, unless she was prepared to smash some furniture.


    ¡°Don¡¯t retract your tail, I¡¯m warning you,¡± Vivian reminded the dumbbell. ¡°The medication and bandage will fall off and go to waste if you do that.¡±


    Acknowldeging her advice with a sorrowful face, Lily went ahead to complain about her sorry life by the window.


    Hao Ren was pondered about the situation. ¡°Does this thing even work?¡± he asked Vivian.


    ¡°It works for hair loss.¡± Vivian noded frantically. ¡°Not sure about hair loss on dogs, though. But, I guess it¡¯ll work. Don¡¯t worry, this thing¡¯s nutritious and it¡¯s got my blood in it. At the very least, it¡¯ll keep her from shedding. You have no idea how difficult it is to clean up her fur on the couch.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded in silence.


    The afternoon seemed to pass by very quickly. Hao Ren went sauntering outside, passing his time by chatting with his few remaining neighbours about the weather and similar stuff. He came home before sunset and found Lily still there with head on her hand, resting miserably on the window sill. The maiden had been at the same spot for the entire afternoon. Hao Ren saw her tail, which was wrapped up like a baseball bat and could not help laughing. He then called her out, ¡°Lily, what¡¯s on your mind?¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Stunned, Lily awoke from her stupor. She turned around and hid her tail behind her. It was like the tail she had always been proud of was now a source of shame. ¡°Landlord, you¡¯re back?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about time.¡± Vivian, who just came out of the kitchen was rubbing her hands. She nodded at Hao Ren and pointed towards Lily¡¯s back. ¡°Now, let¡¯s remove the present¡¯s wrapping. How do you feel, by the way?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of hot, stuffy and uncomfortable,¡± Lily said, very frankly. She flung her tail, and the bandage just came off and fell to one side. When she turned her head around, she almost cried. ¡°Battie, you goddamn liar! It¡¯s gotten worse!¡±


    Her tail had turned a greenish-yellow after soaking in the herbal medication. As the cream dried up, it broke into smaller chunks and stuck on her tail. Lily felt like eating someone alive. But, Vivian just glared at her. ¡°Rinse it off first,¡± she said.


    Lily then came to her senses. Nangong Wuyue, who had been watching the episode for the entire day came up enthusiatically to help. She summoned a water ball and cleaned the dreg off Lily¡¯s tail before drying it for her. Lily turned to look at her new tail using a magnifier she had yanked out from god-knows-where. She immediately jumped up in joy. ¡°It worked! It worked! The fur¡¯s growing!¡±


    Hao Ren jumped to his feet too. ¡°Please take care of my ceiling!¡±


    Head covered in plaster, Lily grabbed Vivian by her hand. ¡°Battie, Battie! Do you have some more?¡±


    ¡°How much do you want?¡±


    ¡°How much do you have?¡±


    ¡°As much as you want!¡± Vivian pointed at the kitchen. ¡°It¡¯s in the pot.¡±


    Lily scurried into the kitchen. ¡°Give me as much as you have!¡±


    It sounded like the two of them were exchanging secrets. Hao Ren stared haplessly at the new hole in the ceiling, feeling depressed: Lily had not caused any damage for the past month and he thought life was finally going to become easier. Unfortunately¡­


    Vivian heard a buzzing sound in the kitchen and something came to her mind. She looked at the kitchen and called out to Lily, ¡°Don¡¯t overuse it! And apply it evenly! It¡¯s got the power of my blood, overusing will cause¡ª¡±


    Before Vivian could finish, Lily had exited the kitchen. Her tail was wrapped in a thick layer of bandage again. However, this time it looked more like a drumstick.


    Lily¡¯s face was all smiles. ¡°I¡¯ve used all of it!¡±


    Vivian thought about warning Lily of the side effects, but decided against it¡ªthe husky may just have a good drug-resistant body. She waved and said, ¡°Let¡¯s see the results tomorrow. If you feel hot, just take it off.¡±


    Lily nodded enthusiastically and scampered back into her room. ¡°I¡¯m going to do some writing! Alert me when dinner¡¯s ready!¡±


    It looked like the husky was fine now. However, Hao Ren had a feeling that something was not right. But before he could talk about the herbal remedy with Vivian, the MDT got out from his pocket and sounded the siren. ¡°Emergency! Emergency! The Space Administration is calling for the First Inspector of the Milky Way in the Kuiper System¡ª¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°The owner of the wreckage in The Plane of Dreams has been found,¡± the MDT said as it played the sound of an impassioned victory march in the background. ¡°Their delegates have departed, and they will arrive in Kuiper Station tomorrow afternoon or the next day. Apparently, the spacecraft¡¯s owner is an exploration and mercantile consortium. It just obtained recognition recently.¡±


    Hao Ren had no idea what exploration and mercantile consortium meant. Nevertheless, he felt a sense of relief; the spacecraft had finally found its owner.


    He hoped that everything had been good in The Plane of Dreams during the past one month.

 Chapter 325

    The wreckage had been lying at the bottom of the lake for months. And a month or so had also passed since Hao Ren issued the ¡°lost and found¡± notice. The owner, who had just been found did not belong to any civilisation sphere. Instead, the owner was from an exploration and mercantile consortium. They were not related to any government and they were situated in a remote corner of the universe, where transportation and communication were inconvenient. That explained the slow response.


    Hao Ren took the opportunity to scout more information about them and learned that they were a unique phenomenon in interstellar expansion.


    The universe was a vast and diverse place; with a sufficient level of technology, the colonial choices and opportunities offered to interstellar races were huge. Opportunity came with risk, but to the brave explorers, the word ¡°risk¡± was simply not in their dictionary. That was how the exploration and mercantile consortium operated. The group consisted of members of different races from various civilisation spheres; there were merchants, mercenaries, exiled politicians and even pirates. They were rich and powerful, and they had the ability to build their own kingdom in the vast universe. Some races supported their own kind in exploration where they would form alliances among themselves. However, the conservative races viewed such exploration as illegal. Nonetheless, despite the regulations, interstellar exploration never stopped. Instead, it flourished. The vast and open universe made it difficult for any ordinary civilisation to enforce the regulations on exploration activities. So, planets colonised by explorers began to develop on the fringes of the major civilisation spheres. These colonised planets initially became the transit points for pirates or merchants, but they later developed into something bigger. They became centre stage and existed as small kingdoms, gaining recognition from other civilisation spheres. These tiny kingdoms, even with only a few colonised planets were starting to gain legitimacy.


    Under normal circumstances, these tiny kingdoms were basically small players. They survived in the gaps between other giant civilisations. However, despite their different social formation, mode of survival and development, they were categorically considered as ¡°commonwealths¡± by the major civilisations.


    Half of the explorers were made up of merchants or people who claimed to be merchants. They were collectively known as ¡°the exploration and mercantile consortium¡± among the major civilisation spheres, irrespective of whether their members were former merchants, former pirates or former mercenaries.


    A group who called themselves the Kabala Commonwealth had exerted claim on the spacecraft wreckage in Hao Ren¡¯s announcement. The group constituted of at least 10 exploration and mercantile consortiums, which was a pretty normal phenomenon. Most of the members of the group came from the Kerbal Civilisation Sphere. The Kerbal Civilisation Sphere, a relatively young civilisation was known for their zeal in interstellar exploration. They supported any exploration efforts that were not against the laws of the Imperial Empire. For this reason, the star regions in their neighborhood had seen many small kingdoms of this kind flourishing. This civilisation sphere had confirmed the legal status of the Kabala Commonwealth using the official channel. And now, it sent the relevant documentary proof to assist the Kabala Commonwealth in its claim.


    Hao Ren was basically waiting to meet up with the little green men in Kuiper Station either the following day or the day after that.


    Once Y¡¯zaks was back, Hao Ren announced the important news. Everyone, except the clueless Becky and the chopstick maniac, Lil Pea was happy. They felt a sense of relief because the puzzle was finally solved.


    ¡°I¡¯ve talked with the MDT and there¡¯s a probable solution to the salvaging operation.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Since the spacecraft is a non-living thing, getting it through the Wall of Reality isn¡¯t going to cause much harm. We can tow the wreckage to the real world with little impact. The only problem is, how do we get the owner and their salvage team into The Plane of Dreams, and then retrieve the wreckage from the bottom of the lake without alerting the natives?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve requested a large teleportation gateway, which will arrive in the next few days. It¡¯ll be installed in some unused work space in Kuiper Station. That teleportation gateway could send the entire salvage team into The Plane of Dreams via dream. Meanwhile, Hao Ren will use his Dimensional Pocket to bring the salvaging equipment in,¡± the MDT added. ¡°The landing spot shall be near the Beinz Blood Lake. But, we¡¯re not sure if the search effort there is still going on, so let¡¯s just improvise when we get there. We have the technology. If necessary, we¡¯ll create an explosion nearby to act as a distraction. When they move their army away to check out the explosion, the salvage team can then make the dive. As far as I know, the Kabala Commonwealth has enough technology to accomplish the salvage operation alone.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded, then said, ¡°We have plans for other aspects of the operation too.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Y¡¯zaks guffawed, scraping his shiny bald head. ¡°I guess I can take a back seat. What about Lily?¡±


    Lily was sitting in a chair with her back and drumstick tail facing them. She was clearly in a good mood. She was eagerly waiting for her beautiful, soon-to-be-reborn tail despite the fact it looked really weird with the bandage. ¡°Leave me alone, I¡¯m having a facial treatment.¡±


    Hao Ren sighed and said, ¡°Do you call that a facial treatment, on the butt? Really?¡±


    Agitated, Lily pounced on Hao Ren.


    The scuffle only lasted a few seconds before someone interrupted. Becky, who had been silent the whole time suddenly said, ¡°Can I go home now?¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s hand was still in the air, holding off Lily¡¯s ghastly teeth. He froze like a deer in headlights when he heard what Becky said. Lily did not get the memo and she bit on his arm. Hao Ren¡¯s Steel Membrane Shield then popped up like a trump with a tingling, metal sound. Lily covered her mouth in pain and ran with her tail between her legs. ¡°You bastard, why didn¡¯t you dodge?¡±


    Hao Ren coughed a couple of times and forced himself to act naturally while his mind worked hard to find an excuse to pacify Becky. But, he knew he could not sweep the matter under the rug any longer. Becky was not a retard. She was only here on Earth for sightseeing after all. Wishing for her to forget about going home was not possible. The more he evaded her question, the sooner she would get suspicious.


    It was better to say something earlier than later. Hao Ren knew he had to bite the bullet now. So, he took a deep breath, then said, ¡°Becky, I¡­ umm¡­ I have something to tell you. But, let¡¯s have a drink first.¡±


    Becky took a glass of water from Vivian and Hao Ren gave the MDT a couple of knocks. ¡°Play some relaxing music.¡±


    Then, he took out a sutra and shoved it to Becky. ¡°Read a couple of pages first. It¡¯ll help if your mind becomes empty and void¡­¡±


    Becky could not stand it any longer. She demanded an answer, ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    Hao Ren spread his hands. ¡°You can¡¯t go home. More specifically, you can only go back home for a short while. You can¡¯t stay in The Plane of Dreams anymore. You, just like us, have become an authentic earthling¡­¡±


    Becky almost dropped her glass. She was dumbfounded. She asked, ¡°What¡­ do you mean by that?¡±


    Hao Ren began to explain everything to her. He had specifically emphasised the fragile relationship between The Plane of Dreams and the real world as well as the unimaginable consequences if life from the real world overstayed their welcome in The Plane of Dreams.


    Becky froze like a mannequin for a long while, but her facial expession changed like buttons in messenger. It was hard to guess what she was thinking. Only after Hao Ren was sure that Becky would not go berserk, he began to explain further, ¡°You can still go home. It¡¯s just that the time you can stay at home has become a little shorter. Think of it as moving from The Plane of Dreams to Earth. Aside from that, there¡¯s no difference¡ª¡±


    Becky raised her hand and stopped him. ¡°That¡¯s okay, I understand. I just need some quiet time. And don¡¯t freaking ask me why I need that goddamn quiet time.¡±


    Hao Ren felt a sense of relief. She was still as loquacious as usual. That meant everything was going to be fine.

 Chapter 326

    Everyone had gone back to their rooms, but Becky¡¯s spirit remained low. As vivacious as Becky was, she was different from Lily. She was different in the sense that although she was playful and adventurous, she always had her home at heart. No matter how exciting Earth was, it was only a place of interest¡ªnothing beat her little, cosy nest back home.


    Perhaps, that was how every normal traveller felt. The enthusiasm would die down after a while. Once the passion subsided, it was time to go home. At least, Becky was more fortunate: it wasn¡¯t like she could not go home at all, it was just that she had limited time in terms of how long she could be at home.


    Hao Ren hoped Becky would eventually think of it that way. As soon as she did, it would no longer be such a big deal.


    The next morning.


    As usual, Hao Ren was slapped awake by Rollie¡¯s tail. The moment he opened his eyes, he saw the round and fluffy face of his black and white cat¡ªit was the only one in the house one who could maintain its usual pace in life. He put on his clothes, tipped some cat food into Rollie¡¯s bowl and checked that Lil Pea was still sleeping soundly in the pot. He then came down to the living room, expecting to see Becky sitting at the tea table. Her eyes were on the TV, but her sights were somewhere else.


    Becky was an early riser, second only to Vivian. Since she had been feeling troubled lately, it was not surprising to find her sitting still and staring blankly into space early in the morning.


    Hao Ren dialed the volume on the TV down, then sat beside Becky. ¡°How¡¯re you doing? Feel better?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Becky looked like she had not slept for three days. However, emotionally she was better than last night. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about it. It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t go home, it¡¯s just that I can¡¯t stay as long¡­ So, like you said, I can only go home via dream. I¡¯ll have to lie in the hibernation chamber and get out of The Plane of Dreams within the stipulated time, right?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°The hibernation chamber could let you have a longer stay in The Plane of Dreams. But, considering the unstable connection and load on the equipment, it¡¯s recommended that each stay does not exceed 15 days. Ten would be ideal. After that, you¡¯ll have to get some rest on Earth while you wait for the connection in The Plane of Dreams to stabilise. The down time varies, normally not exceeding one month.¡± He told her everything about the hibernation chamber, figuring there was no need to hide anymore.


    ¡°Spend most of my time on Earth.¡± Suddenly, Becky smiled. ¡°That¡¯s fine with me. It doesn¡¯t sound much different than my time as a mercenary. It just feels a little awkward though¡ªlike being confined. Yeah, I feel a little frustrated.¡±


    Hao Ren shared her pain. Simply put, it was like being forced to follow a pre-planned itinerary. She was actually not frustrated about spending most of her time in a foreign place. She was just upset over the thought of being constrained. As long as she could overcome the thought, she would be alright. Sensing that Becky had finally gotten over it, he let out a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s okay. It¡¯ll feel difficult at first, but we¡¯re figuring how to solve it as well¡­¡±


    ¡°I heard Wuyue saying that you¡¯re looking for an existing ¡®opening¡¯ to send me through.¡± Becky nodded as she spoke. ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is, but it sounds like something hard to find. Anyway, you don¡¯t have to force yourself to find it.¡±


    Hao Ren knew she was not completely over it yet, but she would with time. They were chatting as they normally did, talking about life on Earth, things in The Plane of Dreams and stuff like that. Soon, all the other souls began to creep out of their beds and the house was back to its noisy state. Vivian had returned from the morning market. She brought back a basket full of fresh vegetables as well as two fishes, which were still alive and kicking. She peeked around nervously and asked, ¡°Is Lil Pea awake? Is Lil Pea awake? I bought two fishes today¡­¡±


    Hao Ren took a gander at the fish in the basket, parlty laughing and partly crying. He then said quietly, ¡°She¡¯s still sleeping. Do it quickly, and don¡¯t forget to cut them into smaller pieces.¡±


    Becky quickly got to her feet and volunteered to help. Her voice was just as soft. ¡°Let me help. Two is better then one.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks, scraping his bald head, lamented. ¡°Is that really necessary¡­?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. We would have a hard time if Lil Pea saw this!¡± said Nangong Wuyue as she glanced over the kitchen, almost drooling. ¡°It¡¯s not easy, man¡­ We¡¯re like cats stealing fish. It¡¯s been a month since the last time we had fish¡­¡±


    Hao Ren felt a sense of sadness: since he brought home the little mermaid with a messed up worldview, eating fish had become a risky affair. The little one had absolutely no impression who her mum was. Any creature who had the slightest resemblance to her would be treated as her own kind. Gosh, when she saw a chef holding a fish in a cooking show, she acted like she was watching a horror movie. So, the thought of doing that live at home was not possible. But unfortunately, both Hao Ren and Nangong Wuyue had a taste for fish¡­


    After many trials and errors, Vivian finally found a solution to the problem: once the fish was cut into pieces, Lil Pea would not be able to tell. They just had to prevent her from seeing the cooking process¡­


    That was the reason why they had to tiptoe when cooking the dish. Sometimes, Hao Ren had to even guard Lil Pea lest she wandered into the kitchen while Vivian was preparing the dish¡ªshe was just like a peeper on the loose sometimes.


    Seeing Nangong Wuyue¡¯s excitement, Hao Ren got a little perplexed. ¡°Are you okay eating fish? Isn¡¯t that like cannibalism?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue looked back at Hao Ren with an interesting expression on her face. ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard of big fishes eating smaller fishes? Do you call sharks that eat cutlassfishes cannibals? And mind you, I just have a fish tail and that doesn¡¯t make me a fish!¡±


    The topic opened a floodgate of curiosity. Hao Ren asked, ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to ask you for a long time: when you shapeshift into a fish, do you have fish bones inside?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue was stumped. She glared at Hao Ren. ¡°I wonder what¡¯s actually in your head! Such a question!¡±


    Hao Ren took a step back. But suddenly, Nangong Wuyue began mumbling to herself. ¡°But, that¡¯s a good question anyway. I wonder too!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks could not stand the stupid conversation anymore. He chimed in, ¡°Why harp on this, it¡¯s not like you¡¯re going to eat it. And, isn¡¯t Lily up yet?¡±


    Hao Ren had a mental kick. He just realised the reason for the quiet morning: Lily would usually be up half an hour before breakfast, on the dot. But today, all was quiet. He put the remote away and went knocking on her door. ¡°Hey Doggie, it¡¯s breakfast time.¡±


    He waited for a moment, but there was no response.


    ¡°Lily?¡±¡ªhe knocked again¡ª¡±are you awake yet?¡±


    Then a scream could be heard inside the room.


    Hao Ren immediately broke the door down. He was about to go inside, but soon screamed in shock too. ¡°Hey¡ªyou, the furry ball, freeze!¡±


    ¡°Come on, Landlord.¡± The furry ball moved and turned. ¡°It¡¯s me¡­¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the husky with his jaw on the ground. ¡°What happened?¡±


    Lily had grown a large, furry tail as big as herself. Because her back was facing Hao Ren earlier, all Hao Ren saw was a furry ball. Once she turned and faced him, the visual illusion disappeared. Nonetheless, the husky looked like a vixen somehow¡­


    Lily was in tears. ¡°The hair restorer¡­¡±


    She was dragged out to the living room as Vivian looked at the overgrown tail, sighing. ¡°I should¡¯ve stopped you yesterday. Didn¡¯t I warn you not to overuse it?¡±


    ¡°What am I going to do now?¡± Lily turned and looked at her own tail in tears. ¡°It¡¯s stopped for now, but it¡¯s already too long.¡±


    ¡°The way I see it, it looks pretty good. Don¡¯t you think?¡± Hao Ren smiled, but it looked fake. ¡°Just pretend like you¡¯re a vixen.¡±


    The big, fluffy tail was indeed beautiful like the tail of a fox. However, the person in question did not think so. ¡°How can it be pretty? It¡¯s so cumbersome.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t fret about. It¡¯ll be over very soon.¡± Vivian used her hand to pinch the tail. ¡°It¡¯ll probably grow two or three more times before it finally stops.¡±


    Lily was shocked. ¡°Two or three more times?¡±


    Vivian pondered about it for a while. Then, she looked at Hao Ren. ¡°Do you need an scarf?

 Chapter 327

    It was eight in the morning. The winter sun was showing its rare hospitality in the little town up north. It shone through a large, glass window into the room and it was so warm that it turned the residents into lazy dogs. Lily however, was basking comfortably in the sun on a recliner that had just been moved out of the basement. Meanwhile, Hao Ren and Vivian were each holding a large pair of scissors, busily working on Lily¡¯s tail.


    *Snip, snip, snip*


    Strands of white fur rained down like snow as Lily turned her head to look.


    Hao Ren used his hand to smack her and said, ¡°We¡¯re just trimming your fur. Stop acting like you¡¯re getting a tonsure.¡±


    Lily yawned listlessly and her ears flinched under the sun. ¡°Nice Battie¡­ but, be careful with your scissors.¡±


    Vivian trimmed the excess fur skillfully. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I was a shearer. I have the skills, but let¡¯s be honest, I think it¡¯s better to shear the fur off entirely. That way, your new fur will grow a lot tidier¡­¡±


    Lily became nervous and she glared at Vivian. ¡°How dare you! That¡¯s disfigurement!¡±


    After some time, Hao Ren and Vivian had completely returned her tail back to normal. He patted the silky smooth tail a bit and allowed the husky to perform some quality control. She got her a** off the recliner and turned her head; she wagged her tail happily. ¡°It feels so much better now!¡±


    Vivian forced a smile as she cleaned up the fur on the ground. ¡°Just wait and see. It¡¯ll grow out again, at least until tomorrow.


    Hao Ren looked at Lily, who was turning her head left and right, trying to get a better view of her own tail. Then, he turned his eyes to the dog fur on the ground and his stomach churned. He never imagined he would see such a thing. Let us put it this way: it was subtle and fun, but mind-challeging. As Vivian cleaned up the fur, he asked, ¡°Can all this fur be made into a scarf?¡±


    He grabbed some silver-white fur in his hand. The fur felt as smooth as silk and had a peculiar elasticity to it. The thought of the fur being cut from Lily¡¯s tail gave him an awkward feeling. Unlike Hao Ren, Vivian had no particular feelings towards the fur. She could not even differentiate underfur from normal fur. ¡°You can¡¯t make scarf with it just like that. It can¡¯t be spun into yarn. But, I can process it with magic, making it more or less like wool. It¡¯ll be good for keeping warm¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Lily was as proud as a peacock. ¡°My ancestors used to monopolise the transport business on both poles. Their anti-cold, anti-forst abilities were unmatched!¡±


    Then, she pinched her white fur with a weird expression on her face. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I think of this before? I shed every year, but I¡¯ve been throwing away all the fur. Such a waste! I should¡¯ve collected them and made myself a pillow.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s mind was totally defeated by the challenging conversation. In fact, he had already been severely traumatised when Lily came out of her room like a furry ball this morning, and he had yet to recover from it. Now, his state of mind was basically: I-don¡¯t-give-two-sh*ts anymore. Vivian could do whatever she wanted with the fur; after all, she knew the life of the devilish maiden better than anyone. Nangong Wuyue approached them, feeling curious. Her eyes were on Lily¡¯s tail, but her mind was elsewhere. ¡°Lily, there¡¯s something I¡¯ve been wanting to ask you for a long time, but I¡¯m a little hesitant. Why is it that your fur is white?¡±


    Lily was all ears. ¡°Well, it¡¯s because I¡¯m of a higher bloodline! A silver wolf under the full moon; don¡¯t you think it¡¯s cool?¡±


    ¡°But, the last time I checked, huskys aren¡¯t in that colour¡­¡±


    Husky? That word sapped her spirit. She gave herself a few mental kicks and smacked her forehead. ¡°Oh yeah, I¡¯m a husky. What¡¯s wrong with this colour?¡±


    Hao Ren thought about it for a while and said, ¡°Did your mom run out of ink while giving birth to you?¡±


    Lily glowered at Hao Ren as she howled and pounced on him. Hao Ren pushed her away and fled. He ran from the living room over into the kitchen, then upstairs¡­ However, there was werewolf blood in her veins. Once she had her target in her mouth, she would not let go of her bite. And that was also true in this case. She only released her bite on Hao Ren when lunch came; he bite almost created a dent in Hao Ren¡¯s body shield.


    Just as Vivian had expected, Lily¡¯s tail began to grow like a weed again in the afternoon. But this time, the dumbbell husky had lived up to her true personality and she was totally cool about it. She immediately prepared a pair of scissors and motioned Hao Ren as well as Vivian for help. Hao Ren was flabbergasted when he looked at Lily, who was now a happy bunny. Perhaps, the happy-go-lucky code was hardwired into her brain. She was attracted to anything new and fun, including turning her tail into cotton candy using a hair restorer¡­


    Unfortunately this time, Hao Ren had no time to fix Lily¡¯s tail, because just as he was about to pick up the scissors, the MDT received news from Kuiper Sation¡ªthe little green men from the Kabala Commonwealth had arrived.


    Once Hao Ren packed and suited up, he was on his way. He travelled light and only had the MDT with him¡ªit was not a dangerous mission, just a short trip to meet up with some little green men and talk about some salvage work. He figured he could handle it by himself.


    He also had another reason for going alone: he took a look at the band of creatures in his house and all they were good at was fighting. Only Y¡¯zaks had better social skills albeit he liked smashing people with meteorites¡­


    Kuiper Station was as quiet as usual. Irrespective of the time, the transit space station in the remote fringes of the solar system only had a handful of crew members running the show. When Hao Ren opened his eyes amid the teleportation halo, he saw a familiar face¡ªLulu, the guide in front of him rather unsurprisingly. Lulu bowed and greeted him. She was all smiles before her face did a one-eighty and she said in a grim, businesslike manner, ¡°Mr. Inspector, your conference room is ready.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and smiled, afterwhich he followed Lulu to the central tower of the space station. While he paced through an open corridor, he saw a few strange-looking spacecrafts of different models parked at the docks. They looked like they were custom-built using standard parts and they were all covered in the same paint job. He was curious, so he asked, ¡°Those ships are¡­¡±


    ¡°Ahh¡­ those are part of the Kabala Commonwealth¡¯s fleet,¡± Lulu explained to him, now smiling. ¡°The alliance is constituted of many commonwealth powers, hence the differences in their spacecrafts. Each of them sent their highest-ranking diplomat. That shows how serious they are.¡±


    Hao Ren was thinking about prepping himself before meeting the little green men. Lulu seemed to know them, so he asked, ¡°Could you please tell me a thing or two about the commonwealth? Although I¡¯ve read about them in the public repository, I have no knowledge of their taboos and stuff like that.¡±


    Lulu waved as she smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that actually. The imperial constitution has stipulated a set of standard protocol in dealing with cultural differences during a meeting. The diplomats know what to do. About the Kabala Commonwealth¡­ they¡¯re a new, rising commonwealth power attached to the Kerbal Civilisation Sphere. Let¡¯s first talk about the Kerbal Civilisation Sphere: 90% of the population are Kerbalians while the rest are elite-class robots, which they built and gave citizenship. This race has a strong sense of curiosity, and their curiosity towards space exploration is their signature trait as well as the heart of their culture. Kerbalians love star exploration; they launch new exploration efforts whenever they have spare resources and that has become the sole motivation in their social development. They continue to launch spaceships every now and then to uninhabitated regions, not for colonisation or hegemony, but just to see what¡¯s out there.They are such a weird race. The Kabala Commonwealth is the most explorative of them all. In its early days, it was just a group consisting of explorers and adventurers. But one time, they flew too far and lost contact with their home planet. So, they decided to camp out on a few planets, and soon developed into a commonweath country. They have only recently reestablished contact with their own civilisation sphere and they obtained recognition as an independent regime from the Kerbal Civilisation Sphere in a bewildering fashion¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was amazed. ¡°A bunch of dare-to-die adventurers?¡±


    ¡°Yup, that¡¯s what they are,¡± Lulu said, nodding. ¡°Travellers often discover the many large as well as small colonies and commonweath countries near the Kerbal Civilisation Sphere, some of which even the Kerbal Civilisation Sphere isn¡¯t aware of. Those places were mostly built by explorers who had flown too far. There¡¯s a saying among interstellar crews: Kerbalians do not fear death; their only fear is for death to happen too close to home. Even their funeral ceremonies are unique. They can sense their own death and they¡¯ll put themselves on a launcher when they know they¡¯re about to die. Then, they¡¯ll compete to see who flies the farthest before they take their final breath in order to gain protection from their ancestors, or even become one of them.¡±


    Lulu suddenly paused, then continued. ¡°Oh, I forgot to mention, ¡®May your death be far from whence you came from¡¯ is a farewell phrase they always say to their friends. It means all the best and stuff like that. So, be cool when you hear that.¡±


    Hao Ren was totally speechless.

 Chapter 328

    Hao Ren followed Lulu all the way to the central tower of Kuiper Station. The station master had specially prepared a temporary conference room for the meeting. The room was simple; aside from the obligatory table and chairs as well as a few fixed data terminals, there was only an aquarium and a few pots of plant at the end of the rectangular room. Due to the limited resources in the space station, there was no tea, coffee or cookies served like normal conferences on Earth.


    When Hao Ren stepped into the room, more than a handful of little green men were already seated on both sides of the table. Just like the dead little green men at the bottom of the Blood Lake, these people were no taller than a human kid. But, their heads were disproportionately large with strange-looking facial features and they had green skin as well as slender limbs. They all wore the same yellow-green clothes, which looked like they were made from a rubberish fabric. They also wore different badges that indicated which commonwealth they were from. The scene reminded him of popular, yesteryear sci-fi movies, where Earth people met little green people¡­


    It appeared that the little green men had been waiting for a while. As Hao Ren stepped in, they all got to their feet and greeted him by bringing their hands to their chests¡ªa standard gesture that the Xi Ling Empire set for all races when meeting each other. It signified friendliness. A little green man, whose skin was visibly more yellowish seemed to be the representative of the delegate. He spoke in a standard diplomatic tone as if reading straight out from a script. ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr. Inspector. I am greeting you on behalf of the Kabala Commonwealth of the Kerbal Civilisation Sphere. We will¡ª¡±


    Hao Ren interrupted him politely. ¡°Please make yourself at home. I¡¯m not used to formal etiquette like this¡­¡±


    The little green man quickly nodded and proceeded to speak like a machine gun, ¡°Let¡¯s get down to business then. How is the spacecraft?¡±


    Hao Ren was stumped for a while. Like a country bumpkin, he thought he was just trying to be polite. Little did he expect that the little green men were so forthright¡­


    But, he liked it. He laughed as he sat down and pushed a stack of data disks towards the middle of the table. He then motioned for them to circulate the disks, after which he introduced himself. ¡°We¡¯re here for business, so save the formalities. My name is Hao Ren, you can just call me by my name¡­¡±


    Lulu was at the side, moonlighting as their server at this moment. Meanwhile, the leader of the little green men was fiddling with the disks as he nodded. ¡°Nice to meet you too. My name is Kabala, President of the Kabala Commonwealth. I want to thank you for finding my spacecraft. The spacecraft was performing an important deep space experiment, and it has several new flight paths stored in it. The information is very important to us¡­¡±


    Hao Ren acknowledged with, ¡°Okay,¡± before getting to know each of their names. He was still a rookie and he knew little about the major civilisation spheres. He did not know the little green man, Kabala was a well-known figure in the universe. Although he was just the leader of a small commonwealth, he was almost a superstar. As a Kerbalian, he was the most outstanding space explorer. He had been on an exploratory expedition to a remote region outside the Kerbal Civilisation Sphere, flying for 37 years without once going home¡ªwell, he could have gotten home a few years sooner if he had not gotten lost in space. During his run, he found dozens of habitable planets and three space flight paths were named after him. He had even lost count of the number of colonies he founded. Like a spacecraft engine missing its shutdown button, he did not know when to stop; he was also like a whirlwind, blowing through space as he never stayed on any colonial planet for more than two years. His famous quote was, ¡°The mission of an explorer is to discover new worlds; building them is the job of those who are to come.¡±


    Because of this explorer¡¯s weird character, he founded numerous colonial planets, but never really stopped and took the time to develop any of them. He took pleasure in discovery, but as soon as he stepped foot on a new world, he would lose interest instantly. He would move on until he found the next one. All the colonial planets were not developed by him, but by people who came after him. His style had earned him the epithet, ¡°Kabala the Vagrant¡±.


    It was two years ago when his wife threatened to kill herself. And so, from then on, he was forced to stay at home and he became the President of the Kabala Commonwealth. His life as a legendary explorer was over; but his crew, wife, and insurer of his spacecraft were the most happy people when this happened.


    Kabala and his delegates were watching the holograms projected out from the disks. The images of the half-buried spacecraft, which looked distorted under the blood-red water had the little green men nodding their heads like pigeons. ¡°It¡¯s the one, it¡¯s the one.¡±


    One little green man rubbed the back of his head, lamenting. ¡°Those on the Arcturus 4 were really lucky in a way. They flew a very great distance before they died¡­¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s worldview was completely shattered when he heard this.


    ¡°The spacecraft is still lying at the bottom of the lake in The Plane of Dreams,¡± Hao Ren spoke, getting the little green men¡¯s attention back to him after they finished watching the images. ¡°You may have learned about the situation in The Plane of Dreams.¡±


    Kabala nodded. ¡°Yes, it is a mysterious dimension. Unfortunately, development is not allowed there. I¡¯ve always wanted to bring my fleet into The Plane of Dreams and look for some places of interest. I once applied for development rights, but I was kicked out.¡±


    Hao Ren almost choked upon hearing that. He had now seen the little green men¡¯s strong spirit of exploration for himself. Their devil-may-care attitude was no less defiant than that of Lil Pea! Fortunately, Raven 12345 was around in the universe to take control of things, or else the world would have been turned upside down by more races just like the little green people.


    ¡°Great.¡± Hao Ren did not grumble; he just nodded calmly and said, ¡°Because of the instability of the place and the recent small problem with the Wall of Reality, we have devised a safer method to bring out the salvaged wreckage without affecting the stability of the universe and alerting the natives.¡±


    Hao Ren began to explain his plan in detail before confirming anything with Kabala. Though one of the data disks contained the plan, it just scratched the surface. The little green people nodded as they listened. Kabala gave himself a fist bump and said, ¡°Okay, very good. In fact, we have brought our salvage equipment with us today. We will place them in your custody afterwards. But before that, I would still like to ask again¡­ Can I go around and see what¡¯s in The Plane of Dreams?¡±


    Before Hao Ren could said anything, the MDT jumped in. ¡°There¡¯s already a conflict brewing between The Plane of Dreams and the real world. Getting you in to salvage the wreckage is risky enough. Standing out in the Dream Plane is just looking for trouble.¡±


    Dejected, the little green people had no choice but to budge. Kabala said, ¡°Excuse me for a second. Let me talk with my chief minister about the details.¡±


    Two little green men then spoke with Kabala quietly. Hao Ren noticed that the little green people were very similar to him personality-wise: they were unpretentious, no-nonsense, non-bureaucratic, dependable men of action. Kabala for instance was a man who was not afraid of standing up on the table to make his presence felt. Anyway, this was a group of interstellar explorers who had gained the respect of many. Perhaps, it was such personality traits that made Kerbalians the youngest race in the history of space exploration to become a major civilisation sphere.


    While Kabala was in the midst of his discussion, the other little green men were chatting among themselves. Sitting nearby, Hao Ren was able to hear their conversations, which revolved around some trivial topics. He heard one talk about the trouble in their commonwealth. ¡°¡­I was terrified at that time. An explosion out of nowhere left a huge crater behind¡­¡±


    Another one said, ¡°Have you found any information on the four men in the crater? Where did they come from?¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t speak our language, so communication was impossible. When we finally understood what they said, they told us they didn¡¯t even know how they got there. They weren¡¯t particularly friendly, they looked at us like we were monsters¡­¡±


    ¡°I heard they almost got into a fight with you guys two days ago.¡±


    ¡°Yup, but that was just a misunderstanding. They thought we were after their ball. They said the ball was a holy orb or something, they wouldn¡¯t let us touch it¡­¡±


    While it was just out of curiosity initially, the more Hao Ren listened the more he felt like they were talking about something familiar. He gave it some thought for a long while, and the penny dropped. ¡°Wait a second! Did you just say ¡®holy orb¡¯? Were there four people? Four ascetics?¡±

 Chapter 329

    Hao Ren never thought he would actually hit the jackpot, but the conversation between the two little green aliens had him frowning at the complexity of the issue. The two green aliens looked perplexed too when they heard him, and one of them ruffled his shiny bald head before asking. ¡°An ascetic? What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Oh, nothing,¡± Hao Ren quickly interjected. ¡°Tell me more about the pearly orb and those four people. I¡¯m interested, and I might just be of help to your investigations.¡±


    The two Kerbalians looked at each other and were probably trying to understand why an inspector would be interested in the matter. Nevertheless, they were pleased about it and the Kerbalian who mentioned the orb spoke, ¡°It was a few months ago when an explosion happened near the mines in one of our commonwealth stars. It may have something to do with the dimensional teleportation case. After the blast we found four¡­. oddly dressed humanoids. Hmm, in fact, there were just like you. Using our categorisation methods, we found out that they were a Class II humanoid species. They could not communicate with us, and they did not carry any identifications either. Our sensors also detected a strange gravitational anomaly after the teleportation but¡­ we reached a dead end after investigating. We don¡¯t know where they came from and they can¡¯t tell us.¡±


    The little green man demurred for a moment trying to recall some minor details. ¡°As for the pearly object, it came along with them. It seemed like something very valuable, but looked like your normal metal ball. They called it the ¡®Oobbu¡¯. We originally wanted to study the thing but almost got into a fight with them for that. They treated that thing like it was as valuable as knowledge.¡±


    The Kerbalians viewed exploration and the knowledge that followed as the most important things in life. So, it was very common for them to compare something important to knowledge as opposed to life. In their culture, lives were simply a currency to spend¡­ not a shared sentiment like it was for your average Earthling.


    ¡°Is it called the Orb of the Holy Synod?¡± Hao Ren queried after hearing the little green man¡¯s description of the item. He was sure he was not far off. He quickly adjusted his translation plugin to match the Kerbalian¡¯s pronunciation of the item. ¡°Oo-bbu of the Holey Synod, that thing?¡±


    The little green man immediately nodded. ¡°Yes, yes, yes! That¡¯s it. It was troublesome to speak with those four humans, especially because their language was just plain weird¡­ We only managed to decipher what they said after renting an Imperial Data Network Chain and the Oo-bbu of the Holey Synod was the thing they talked about the most.¡±


    Hao Ren then leaned forward towards the Kerbalians. ¡°Where are they now? Both the men and the Orb are safe?¡±


    They were taken aback by Hao Ren¡¯s sudden movement and one of them almost fell backwards. ¡°They are safe. We placed them in a specialised settlement¡­ Mr. Inspector, do you know who these people are?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Yes, but it will be a bit difficult to explain the matter, plus some of the details are¡­ I¡¯m sorry, classified and may affect the safety of the local universe. I want to meet them, and I may take them away after that. Can you arrange that for me?¡±


    Hao Ren thought that the request would require a meeting of sorts, but little did he know that the word ¡°classified¡± had an unexpected effect. The Kerbalian sitting across him immediately turned very green (the Kerbalians did not have much facial animation when compared to humans, and they used colours to emphasise their feelings; green being the colour of seriousness) and said, ¡°Sir, I understand. I¡¯ll inform the Commonwealth¡¯s department in charge to make the arrangements.¡±


    He then spoke in a cautious whisper, ¡°Sir, I have another thing to ask¡­ Many day-to-day staff who have not undergone confidentiality training have come into contact with the four asectics and the Orb¡­ Do we need to wipe their memories or take any other measures to ensure secrecy?¡±


    Hao Ren quickly waved his hand. ¡°No need for that. Don¡¯t panic, it hasn¡¯t gone to that level yet.¡±


    To many races in the universe, The Plane of Dreams was not a classified subject. In fact, the Xiling Celestials even handed some of the research tasks regarding The Plane of Dreams to common races. However, the matter of its stability and the cracks on the Wall of Reality were kept under the lid. While the matter was indeed sensitive, it was still not classified and it could be accessed by anyone with sufficient level of clearance. The only classified part was the results of the deteoration¡ªthe end the world was classified. Hao Ren had been studying his job manual, and he learned a lot about the various levels of classifications as well as balance in power. But, even though he had made some progress¡­. they were mere baby steps on the long road he needed to take.


    The MDT had kept its silence throughout the meeting and it was quietly monitoring Hao Ren¡¯s first attempt at diplomacy with other civilisations. If there was something off it would say something about it. In this regard, its silence meant things were going rather well for Hao Ren.


    Kabala and his other two ministers finally concluded their delibrations. Hao Ren then stood up as well to mention the Orb of the Holy Synod and motion for the delay in plans regarding The Plane of Dreams. It may have to wait a bit as he needed to retrieve the Orb before sending in a team to extract the remains of the ship.


    And not forgetting, there was also the four ascetics.


    The Kerbalians nodded in an understanding manner and did not seem to mind the slight delay. To them, it was a golden opportunity to go into The Plane of Dreams with authorisation. A few days meant nothing to them.


    After setting the agenda and time to meet the next day, the little green men bid their farewells. They formed a line and bowed. ¡°May your death be far from whence you came from!¡±


    Hao Ren had to strain himself from not breaking into a hysteric fit of laughter and returned the heartfelt wishes¡­ ¡°May all of your deaths be far from whence you came from.¡±


    And thus, the meeting was concluded.


    After that, Hao Ren decided to head home. He wanted to at least bring Becky along before he headed off to the Kabala Commonwealth to look for the ascetics.


    As he was on his way to the space station¡¯s teleportation chamber, Hao Ren began to discuss the matter with the MDT. ¡°What do you make of this?¡±


    Hao Ren had pretty much guessed that the Orb ended up in the Surface World, but he just thought it was floating around somewhere in space. The spacecraft behind the incident at the Blood Lake was clearly navigating through space before being dragged into a spatial anomaly. If those on board were opening a two-way portal in space, the individuals in the church along with the Orb would have been thrown into deep space. And, they would have landed where the ship originally activated the portal. It was under this assumption that Hao Ren had put aside searching for the Orb. It was a tall order trying to look for something that small in the void, and on top of that, it was something no one had seen before. Finding a needle in a haystack did not even begin to describe the magnitude of the search. But as luck would have it, the four ascetics and the Orb had landed safely on a physical planet.


    ¡°Maybe there¡¯s a deviation between The Plane of Dream and the Surface World that caused this,¡± the MDT theorised. ¡°Teleportation between two worlds is not necessarily a direct two-way communcation. Maybe, the Orb itself has some special properties that helps it to select a physical point for landing after a teleportation. If that¡¯s the case, we are lucky that it didn¡¯t fall directly into the system¡¯s sun. The place where the Arcturus 4 ran into trouble was indeed near the Kerbal Civilisation Sphere and the Orb landing on one of the nearby planets is understandable.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and kept quiet. Once he stepped into the teleportation chamber, he returned home in a flash of light.


    The moment he appeared in the living room, a white silhouette charged happily towards him. ¡°Mr. Landlord you¡¯re back!¡±


    Hao Ren laughed at the sight of the hyper-energetic Lily. ¡°You¡¯re back to normal now?¡±


    Lily was hugging his arm as she licked it like a dog. She then turned around to show off her tail. ¡°We had it trimmed twice. Battie said the effect is starting to wear off. My resistance is just that strong! Does it look good?¡±


    Hao Ren was not sure on how to react and it was uncommon for a girl to be all flighty around him, asking the classic ¡°Does it look good?¡± question. But woe be to him that the item in question was her tail¡­ Hao Ren coughed drily and put on the sincerest face he could imagine. ¡°Looks great. So, can stop going around and smacking others with it anymore?¡±


    Lily gave a loud cheer and darted towards the cookie jar to reward herself. Hao Ren saw the recovered¡­ maybe a little too recovered husky and sighed. ¡°Haih¡­ let¡¯s just treat this as a good thing.¡±


    Vivian was knitting some clothes for Lil Pea when she looked up at him. ¡°Things went well I assume? Were the aliens cordial?¡±


    ¡°Yes, much better than expected really. I thought we would be talking all night long.¡± Hao Ren nodded as he gestured towards Becky. ¡°Becky! Come with me to the space station. We are going to look for the Orb of the Holy Synod!¡±

 Chapter 330

    Hao Ren¡¯s words stunned everyone in the hall, and even the usually more open-minded Lily did not think that the meeting would end up in Hao Ren finding the Orb of the Holy Synod as well. Becky was even more perplexed that she blurted out the question. ¡°What orb?¡±


    ¡°Have you become addled from the time you¡¯ve spent on Earth?¡± Hao Ren laughed out loud. ¡°I¡¯m of course referring to the Orb of the Holy Synod from The Plane of Dreams. You¡¯ve been dreaming of finding it to afford a mansion in the inner city. I already found it. It¡¯s in the Kerbalian home planet. Even the four asectics are alive.¡±


    Only then did Becky managed to process everything, and after a surprised yelp, she darted like a whirlwind towards Hao Ren. ¡°The Oooooooorb of the Holy Synod?! What about it?!¡±


    Hao Ren told everyone what had happened in the meeting and the reason why the Orb may have landed in the Kerbalian¡¯s planet. But, all present were not concerned with the actual location of the Orb; they were more interested in what it looked like. Becky smacked her forehead as glee appeared on her face. ¡°Heh¡­ that does it. If I bring the Orb back I¡¯ll probably be knighted. If I¡¯m lucky, they¡¯ll make me a noble¡­ and give me a mansion Hehe¡­ Hehehe¡­.¡±


    Hao Ren looked on as Becky descended into pits of avarice and decided to pop her bubble. ¡°Well¡­ you having titles and a mansion means nothing you know. You¡¯ll probably only spend 10 days there a year.¡±


    It took a while for Becky to break out of her stupor and her initial glee turned into hatred as she grabbed him by the arm. ¡°I really, really, really, really, really, really want to kill you¡­¡±


    Cold sweat started to form on Hao Ren¡¯s forehead as he quickly calmed Becky down. At least Becky had not drawn her sword yet. But come to think of it, the mercenary lass was rather unlucky; she had no other hobbies other than her greed for wealth and fame. Even her search for the Orb of the Holy Synod was driven by that. Now that the Orb had been found, she did not even have time to go home and enjoy her fame¡­. To be frank, at worst, she would get a knighthood or a title of nobility¡­ a posthumous one.


    ¡°My point is, let¡¯s get the Orb back,¡± Hao Ren said after Becky calmed down, in an attempt to divert her attention, ¡°and those four high monks¡±


    The ascetics from The Plane of Dreams were not the typical monks Hao Ren had pictured. They were church knights who swore the oath of righteousness and poverty. They were very much akin to a battle cleric. However, Hao Ren had allowed his imagination to run wild and called them ¡°high monks¡±. Becky was too caught up in her despair of the posthumous nobility title to correct Hao Ren.


    After confirming Becky¡¯s participation in the trip to the Kerbalian planet, Hao Ren asked if others were keen to join. Bereft of anything to do, the whole house joined in on the trip in a hurrah. Of course, Y¡¯zaks, being the mature one simply nodded. But, the great demon with a mind so vast and knowledge so wide was actually interested in aliens. He ruffled his shiny bald head as he laughed. ¡°I think I may have a common topic of conversation with them. If only the fools back home invested half their energy in exploration like the ¡®little green men¡¯, they would have conquered the stars.¡±


    So, this trip to the Kabala Commonwealth was a risk-free, official holi¡­ assignment. Bringing the whole lot along was not a problem, thus Hao Ren agreed to it. He even took the chance during lunch to explain the Kerbalian culture to the rest, especially the part on ¡°may your death be far from whence you came from¡¯. Even the well-travelled Vivian was aghast by such a cultural difference. Y¡¯zaks was the only one laughing. ¡°Cultural differences can be such a thing. Over at my old place, many would call themselves XXX of True Evil and those first three words carried a very proud meaning as it would bring fear to humans. I wasn¡¯t interested in that shtick of course.¡±


    So at 8 in the morning, Hao Ren and the group prepared to depart for Kuiper Station. Lily, the werehusky was all dressed up for a road trip. To be fair, it was a holiday for her. Vivian had changed into her best dress too (the one Hao Ren bought for her; she treated it like treasure). Seeing how excited Lily was, Vivian could not help but snort. ¡°Did you become this excited after your tail recovered?¡±


    Lily wagged her tail as she sneered back. ¡°Of course! Grow one if you can!¡±


    Vivian then deployed her wings. ¡°Well, fly if you can then.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    These two never changed. Things only managed to be calm for a few days. They just had to pick a fight on the oddest of topics. Well¡­ maybe this was a sign that they were getting along?


    As they were heading to an alien planet, and given that the Kuiper Station was not Earth¡¯s domain, none of them bothered to hide their identities. Lily wagged her tail excitedly and Vivian¡¯s eyes were crimson red. Even Becky dressed up in her mercenary gear in anticipation to meet the ascetics. Only Wuyue and Y¡¯zaks maintained their human form. Those two were just too large in their original form and they could not fit into the teleportation gate. Wuyue had both a serpentine form and a mermaid form, but her ability to flop around on the ground was worse than Lil Pea¡¯s¡­


    Speaking of Lil Pea, Hao Ren could not help but look at the little mermaid, who was clinging onto his sleeve. The little one was comfortably resting on his arm. She looked up at her ¡°father¡± and let out a happy gurgle as she tapped her tail to greet him. It was also done to state her determination in not being left behind.


    Well, it was not somewhere dangerous, so Hao Ren had decided to bring her along.


    The only missing person was Hesperides. The evening goddess realised that the group of oddballs were on a mission to do something special as well as confidential, and she had good sense to bid her farewells. She was fully recovered after all. Plus, with the current state of Athens, the city would need the guiding hands of the Ancients. Vivian did not insist on her staying either.


    But, Hao Ren knew that as he got further embroiled in the neverending war between the demon hunters and the unusual creatures, the chances of him meeting with Hesperides, Hessiana and his other unusual friends would be common place.


    After sending Hesperides off, the group happily set off for Kuiper Station. As the teleportation device at home had limited space, they had to go in two batches. Even Lulu was surprised when she saw the big entourage that Hao Ren brought with him¡­ Guess the guide had never seen such a rowdy group before¡­


    Kabala led a small group of Kerbalians in the station and as they were there for the missing spacecraft, they would be staying at the space station until the matter was settled. Due to the Kerbalian¡¯s special administrative structure and their free-spirited nature, Kabala¡¯s ¡®President of the Kerbal Commonwealth¡¯ title was not something that bound him to a desk. His absence would not affect the Commonwealth¡¯s administration so to speak. However, the most important and prestigious post in the Commonwealth was ¡®Minister of Space Exploration¡¯, and Kabala had relinquished that position many years ago at his wife¡¯s insistence.


    The Kabala Commonwealth was a highly autonomous confederation of stars and the actual landing point of the Orb of the Holy Synod was not in the main planet of the Commonwealth, but rather a colony planet. Thus, all Hao Ren needed to do was look for the planet¡¯s governor. After exchanging greetings with Kabala, Hao Ren was introduced to the governor of the planet, and the Kerbalian who told Hao Ren about the Orb. He was named Tamula.


    Hao Ren figured that the Kerbalian names probably bore no meaning as they looked almost alike. Aside from their big heads and green skin, they lacked any features that were distinguishable from one another like humans. Hao Ren had to use other ways to remember some of the Kerbalian¡¯s names. Kabala¡¯s skin for instance had a shade of yellow, and that was the only distinguishable feature the Kerbalian had from the rest.


    He was not sure if the little green men could tell humans apart too. Well.. that was a question for another time.


    At the very least, the group that Hao Ren brought with him was such a colourful bunch; you could tell who they were just by their silhouette!


    To save time, Hao Ren had declined Tamula¡¯s offer to board on his spacecraft. He instead led Tamula and the rest of the crew on to the Petrachelys. The imperial frigate¡¯s speed would leave most common spacecrafts in the dust, especially after removing the limiters on its main engine and entering a full speed warp jump. The rate of travel could not be described using ¡°speed¡± any more. It became an all new mathematical process.


    Creating a whole new spatial calculus and having the ability to reach any part of the universe in the blink of an eye¡­ The matter of the Orb of the Holy Synod was something Hao Ren took seriously, thus the ship went full speed ahead.


    It did not take long for the Petrachelys to reach their destination, a star system two million light years away from the Milky Way.


    The Kerbal Civilisation Sphere, the only galactic power in the system.


    On the bridge, Tamula eagerly introduced the star system to everyone onboard. ¡°I¡¯m proud to present to you our homeland, the Kerbal Stars. Our explorers have died all across this system, and this is our glorious home¡­.


    All present really felt that the cultural difference was something to behold¡­

 Chapter 331

    Due to the Kerbalian¡¯s exploratory prowess, the entire Kerbal Star System was under their influence. On the outer rim of the system lay the smaller star confederations like the Kabala Commonwealth. Hao Ren turned the ship¡¯s outer sensors as well as monitors towards the core of the star system and saw two gigantic halos. It looked almost as if two giant suns were hiding behind the space debris. Tamula explained that this was a unique feature of their system. About a million years ago, two of the core stars in their system went supernova and caused a distortion so bad, that it compressed thousands of miniature suns in the area into the two giant halos. The Kerbalians had been trying to figure out a way to explore and research the mystery behind the halos, but they never succeeded.


    ¡°It¡¯s just too hot, too radioactive and too gravitationally unstable,¡± Tamula explained excitedly as his head bobbed about. The whole incident seemed like good news to him. ¡°Not many are lucky enough to have such a phenomenon happening to them, and we have one just outside our doorstep. It brought us much joy, and oh¡­ a little trouble as well because it¡¯s difficult to live anywhere near the halos. They look majestic, don¡¯t they? But the distance from here to Earth is about two million light years¡­ Hmm.. Based on humans¡¯ current sensor and detection technology, they¡¯ll probably see the explosion about a million years later.¡±


    Tamula remembered that Hao Ren was from Earth and added the last bit for his benefit. However, Hao Ren¡¯s mind was preoccupied with something else: These little green people were probably the most intrepid and daring explorers in the universe. It was his first time hearing someone so excited about a star going supernova near his home planet¡­


    The Petrachelys did not fly directly into the star system rather, it circled the more sparse outer rim for a few light years before arriving at a more barren part of the space. They had already exited the Kerbal Civilisation Sphere¡¯s network, and were now in confederation territory. Hao Ren noticed that the communication monitor had switched from the official Kerbal Civilisation Sphere channel to a new channel with lower volume. An automated welcoming message popped out through the holographic projector, ¡°The Kabala Commonwealth welcomes its new visitors from beyond the civilisation sphere. We, in good faith welcome all races who come in peace. A blessing from the Kerbalians: may your death be far from whence you came from.¡±


    ¡°Say¡­ how did you guys not get into a fight with other races because of that greeting of yours?¡± Hao Ren popped the curious question as he looked at Tamula. The latter patted the back of his head for a while as he said, ¡°I don¡¯t know to be honest. But, the chronicles say that the Kerbalian¡¯s first diplomatic efforts with an alien race went swimmingly. After the first contact, we established a long lasting friendship and consensus. Although it seems like something awry happened later on. Nonetheless, that is what our history books describe as an unqualified diplomatic success.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Hao Ren thought something was definitely wrong with these jovial little green men.


    The spacecraft had arrived on a purplish-blue planet. The planet orbited around a pretty old, peach-coloured sun. There were three other planets in the system, but they were all gaseous bodies. Tamula¡¯s planet was the only one within the system that was habitable. The commonwealth had received word from their leader, and three ships were deployed to guide the Petrachelys. With the reception ships guiding the way, the Petrachelys broke into the atmosphere of the planet and landed safely on the starport at the city¡¯s edge.


    Lily was the first to bounce out of the ship. She had already caught sight of the gathering Kerbalians at the starport, and she wanted to be the first doggie to step foot on the Kerbalian¡¯s planet (But of course, she would call herself a werewolf). In any case, she was always the first to dash out when they reached a new planet and even Vivian gave up when it came to that. The moment the werehusky got out of the ship, she waved at the Kerbalians with all her might. ¡°Ohh, ohh! How are all of you? Thanks for coming! I¡¯m from Earth¡­¡±


    Hao Ren knocked the werehusky at the back of her head as he stepped out. ¡°Behave yourself. We¡¯re on official duty.¡±


    Vivian sighed. ¡°Forget about it. You think you¡¯ll ever be first with that husky around?¡±


    Hao Ren had developed a habit by now; every time he visited a new place, he would spot the characteristics of the local architecture. This would help him quickly understand the general attitude and lifestyle of a race. He noticed that the Kerbalian architecture design was focused on simplicity and efficiency. All of the buildings near the landing zone were made of pre-fabricated alloy or concrete modules. The colours on the buildings were dull, but as the building materials were modular, there were plenty of designs and styles. So, the dull colours did not dull the atmosphere. In an area with squarish, modular buildings, a conical tower stood out like a sore thumb while most civilian buildings were decorated with spacecraft engines. It seemed like the architects had a whale of a time designing the houses. This showed off the Kerbalian¡¯s signature characteristics: Free-spirited, informal, and doing things on a need-to-be-done basis. As long as the basics were there, they did not fret about the details.


    There was already a giant horde of Kerbalians waiting to welcome their leader and the inspector representing the Celestials. But, there was not much pomp to the welcoming party. In truth, most of the crowd were just normal civilians who heard that something interesting was happening in that part of town. They came to see what was happening, so Kerbalians in all sorts of uniforms gathered around. Aside from a few personnel who were maintaining order, there were no formal lines of sorts and no uniformed slogans as well. Not a single person came forth with flowers. It was just a whole group of Kerbalians yapping about seeing how the inspector would look like¡­.


    Despite that, Hao Ren was grateful for their informal nature. If there had been a group of Kerbalian lasses in line with flowers and kisses, Hao Ren was not sure if he would have survived the experience¡­


    Together with his men, Tamula went towards the crowd and pulled out a few high ranking officials from there. After a few exchanges in the Kerbalian language (basically exchanging pleasantries and giving updates on the happenings during the last few days), Tamula motioned at Hao Ren and his party.¡±Inspector! This is the person in charge of the monitoring facility.


    Hao Ren had lost track of Tamula by then and after Tamula blended into the crowd, he could not tell anyone apart at all. It was a sea of cloned, bobbing green heads. Hao Ren could not even tell their gender apart. It was only when Tamula called out to him that he managed to identify the governor from the crowd. Hao Ren dared not blink as he quickly ran towards the Kerbalian and grabbed him by the hand. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s get on with our business.¡±


    Hao Ren was really afraid that the moment he blinked, he would confuse another Kerbalian for Tamula¡­ The governor was dressed almost no differently than the other little green men. And at least a few hundred present were dressed in similar garbs.


    ¡°Oh! I like this kind of alien visitors!¡± the Kerbalian in charge of the monitoring facility said as he stood aside. He or she looked at Hao Ren with a satisfied glance. ¡°You are way better than those uptight, rule-bound aliens. Come, I have prepared the cars. We will be heading straight to the facility.¡±


    The Kerbalian in charge brought them to a long, floating vehicle and Hao Ren immediately noticed a problem. Y¡¯zaks would not fit in.


    The Kerbalians¡¯ transportation was designed to fit their small frames and their official vehicles while wider than most, were still pretty small. An Earthling of Hao Ren¡¯s frame could squeeze into it, but a giant like Y¡¯zaks could barely even get a leg in. The great demon pulled his leg out from the door and scratched his head. ¡°That¡¯s a bit tight.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks was literally a giant to the Kerbalians and many of them were very interested in the gigantic lifeform. The Kerbalians standing closest to him had to look up to see what he was doing and with that big head of theirs, quite a few lost their balance and fell backwards. Hao Ren laughed awkwardly and pulled out his new car from the Dimensional Pocket. ¡°I think it¡¯s best if take our own transport¡­¡±


    The Northstar may have looked like a small car for someone like Y¡¯zaks, but the vehicle came equipped with a spatial adjustment device and it could easily fit everyone in it. After a moment, the Northstar was darting through the planet¡¯s massive speedway.


    It was barely a few moments before they reached the facility, which housed the Orb of the Holy Synod and the four ascetics.

 Chapter 332

    The monitoring facility was a cylindrical building and along its perimeter were long rectangular walkways. The whole design was similar to that of an antiquated rocket; it was a design particularly favoured by the Kerbalians. The monitoring facility was mainly used for scientific research and the Kerbalians would send all the odd or funny things they found in their explorations to this centralised facility for research. Clearly, the Orb of the Holy Synod and the four ascetics fit the bill of being odd. Hao Ren and his party alighted from their vehicle not too far away from the monitoring facility, noticing the amount of guards on duty. All of them were armed (presumably with lethal force) as they stood guard over the facility. There were also plenty of smaller, spinning alloy towers around the area. The towers were probably some sort of sentry tower or detection device.


    Tamula personally served as the guide for the tour. ¡°¡­Since the four weird people were sent here, we have doubled the amount of guards on duty. The four of them kept trying to escape. While they are not technologically advanced opponents, they have all sorts of weird abilities. For safety, we had to increase the amount of guards.¡±


    The guards had already received their orders, thus were not surprised by the visit of the planet¡¯s governer. They quickly completed the verification and other formalities. Tamula then led Hao Ren and his party along the walkway into the oddly-shaped building. As they walked pass a group of Kerbalians who were busy minding their duties, Hao Ren asked, ¡°How long have you locked them up?¡±


    ¡°Technically, we have not ¡®locked them¡¯ up.¡± Tamula¡¯s head bobbed as the colour of his skin took a darker shade of green. This signalled that he was serious. ¡°They have not broken any law¡­ It¡¯s just that they are not¡­ stable. Plus, we are not sure if they are important members from other civilisation spheres or just a bunch of explorers. So, we have not been too strict with them either. Under agreed conditions, we left them in the biodome behind the facility to clear their thoughts, and that got us some good will in return. If it wasn¡¯t for that, we would not have deciphered their language at all. They were silent during the first two months of captivity.¡±


    ¡°The ascetics are a bunch of stubborn goats and they have a lot of prohibitions as well,¡± Becky muttered softly next to them. ¡°Especially since both them and the Orb were transported from the church. They probably saw this as a ¡®trial¡¯ from the goddess and viewed the Kerbalians as¡­ a bunch of demons.¡±


    Such characters were probably the hardest people to have a conversation with. Hao Ren had yet to meet them, but he had a feeling that the ascetics would probably not be the best. conversationalists. So, he was busy thinking of a way to break the ice. After hearing what Becky said, he asked, ¡°What do you think will earn the ascetics¡¯ trust?¡±


    Becky demurred for a moment before nodding. ¡°Probably anything to do with religion. Or if you¡¯re daring enough, talk about something related to the goddess.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and followed Tamula. They were told that the four ascetics had gone to the biodome behind the facility to unwind and Tamula led them through a walkway that cut through the main building towards the back of the facility. The biodome was self-contained with solid glass panels and a laser netting covering the surface. Through the transparent screen, Hao Ren saw many purplish and greenish-blue plants, which towered over the rest of the inhabitants. The plants transformed the biodome into a very unique alien botanical garden. Tamula pointed towards the silhouette between two giant leaves. ¡°All four of them are there. Now is their time to¡­. what¡¯s the word.. Ah yes, ¡®meditate¡¯. They call the process of sitting still ¡®meditation¡¯.¡±


    Hao Ren stretched his neck to get a better view and saw that four monks in grey robes were seated on the piazza in the biodome. One of them was in the middle while the other three formed a protective triangle. Their grey robes were well worn, but they did not seem to be famished like how one would imagine an ascetic to look like. Three of the four had taken off their conical hats and Hao Ren was surprised to see women amongst them. In fact, from their side profiles, there were obvious clues that pointed to them being women.


    The four ascetics had since broke out of their meditation, and were now talking to each other softly. Hao Ren thought it was a good time to go in and he beckoned Becky as well as the rest to follow him. He motioned to Tamula, saying, ¡°Leave the rest to us. You can wait outside.¡±


    Tamula nodded as he let out a sigh of relief. His green head while still impassive, was a much lighter shade of colour now. This meant that he was relieved. And truth be told, the four ascetics had caused quite the amount of stress to everyone present; it was mainly due to their odd nature and prohibitions. These things caused the usually blunt Kerbalians to become a little loss on how to interact with them. Even the guards deployed were requesting for leaves more often than usual. Kerbalians were not afraid of death, but they were truly terrified of the ascetics¡¯ volatile behaviour (in their eyes, it was volatile).


    But thankfully, the little green aliens were made of stronger stuff and they had good foresight. It was to their credit that they tolerated the ascetics¡¯ behaviour for that long.


    A sudden bristling noise came from the entrance of the biodome as shoes stepped on the fallen leaves on the ground. The four ascetics immediately stopped talking and leapt towards the source of the sound with much agility. Their face was cautious and grim.


    However, their face of caution quickly turned into surprise.


    What appeared before them were not gun-totting green lifeforms, which held ¡°unholy intent¡± towards the Orb of the Holy Synod. Instead, this group was the same as them: they were humans¡ªto them, even werewolves and vampires were humans at this point. The fish that was latched onto Hao Ren¡¯s arm would be a matter for another day.


    ¡°Goddess have mercy!¡± one of the ascetics exclaimed. He quickly crossed his hand over his chest and looked at Hao Ren as well as his party. ¡°Humans! Humans like us! Are you saviours sent by the goddess or are you brethens who have been captured by the green creatures? Where did you come from?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve come to take you away from here.¡± Hao Ren had expected that sort of reaction and he motioned for the four ascetics to calm down. ¡°Sit down, sit down. I know of your situation, where you come from and how you ended up here. Let¡¯s introduce ourselves first. I¡¯m Hao Ren¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Becky!¡± the mercenary lass quickly chimed in. ¡°I¡¯m a mercenary from the Kingdom of Holetta! I¡¯m a Northerner!¡±


    The four ascetics in grey robes perked up at the mention of Holetta. They were initially surprised when they saw humans appearing in front of them. But upon hearing ¡°Holetta¡±, they were sure that these group of people were on their ¡°side¡±. The younger of the two female ascetics then spoke in a rather hoarse voice, ¡°How did you find out that we were here?¡±


    ¡°You were transported here from the small church.¡± Hao Ren remembered Becky¡¯s reminder to link all topics of conversation to the church¡¯s mystery. ¡°There was probably a blinding light, then all four of you and a part of the church got pulled into this place. You probably can¡¯t feel the power of the goddess here as this place is very, very far away from your homeland. Even farther than you can ever imagine. It¡¯s a place where the Disciples of Glory have not set foot in.¡±


    ¡°It seems like you do know a lot¡­¡± The first ascetic who spoke nodded. Seeing as how the stranger was able to narrate what happened, it built another layer of trust. ¡°Friend, are you an envoy of the goddess? Why are you not in the church¡¯s holy raiments?¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not a clergy¡­ Uh, no¡­ I am¡­ but not the same as you¡­. Uh, that¡¯s not right either. I¡¯m a contracted clergy¡­ Never mind, forget about it. I don¡¯t know how to explain this. I¡¯m not a member of the Disciples of Glory, but I can help you.¡±


    The ascetic did not have much of a reaction upon learning that Hao Ren was not a member of their religion. He simply nodded. ¡°Do you know what actually happened? Why are we here?¡±


    ¡°Actually¡­ you are not in your own world anymore¡­¡± Hao Ren sighed. With Becky¡¯s aid, he explained the situation behind the Surface World and The Plane of Dreams to the ascetics. Hao Ren initially thought of overwhelming the ascetics with information to intimidate them, but thinking back, there was nothing scarier than The Plane of Dreams itself.


    It did not take much for Hao Ren¡¯s explanation on the concepts behind The Plane of Dreams and the Surface World to shock the ascetics. Plus, the whole explanation regarding crossing into another dimension had all of them stunned beyond words. The female ascetic with the hoarse voice looked at Hao Ren with bulging eyes. ¡°So, you mean to say that we actually crossed a portal and came to a different world? How far is this place from the blessed lands of the goddess?¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be described.¡± Hao Ren opened his arms wide. ¡°It is akin to the distance between two heavens¡ªa concept that can only be measured by the gods themselves.¡±


    ¡°Then, who are you?¡± a bearded ascetic who had been silent the entire time seemingly recovered from the shock and he spoke as he gave Hao Ren a steely gaze. ¡°You are not a servant of the goddess and you do not even look like a child of the goddess. Nonetheless, you are clearly on our side. Who are you?¡±


    Hao Ren then raised his hand and said, ¡°Traffic Police!¡±

 Chapter 333

    Hao Ren should not have told them about ¡°traffic police¡±. He had to spend additional time and effort to explain the concept to the four ascetics. After they finished their long explanation, Hao Ren and Becky got a little thirsty as well as tired. The burly, bearded man with grey hair meditated in silence for a while. He was the eldest ascetic among the four of them. Hao Ren eas beginning to think that the old man could not understand him. He was about to explain again when the old man suddenly looked up and said, ¡°I understand all of it. There are two worlds¡ªone is on the surface while the other exists subtly with a fragile link. The process of teleportation and umm¡­ the ¡®traffic police¡¯; I understand all of it.¡±


    Hao Ren was immediately relieved and said, ¡°That¡¯s good¡­¡±


    ¡°You mean, we come from another dimension that you call The Plane of Dreams,¡± another male ascetic with a short beard said as he looked at Hao Ren deeply, ¡°and you call your own world the Surface World. These two worlds shouldn¡¯t be connected, but because of a crack in a barrier called the Wall of Reality, a space tunnel was created and we were ¡®dumped¡¯ from our world, ending up here as a result. And, you are the one who controls access of this nature?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. Then, he heard the man ask in an unusually serious tone, ¡°So, what is the position of the goddess in your system?¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned. He felt like he was f*cked, and thought that he was finally experiencing the most likely situation one would experience when communicating with a religious fanatic. How does one explain the ascription of a god, whose rank was not much higher than a village chief from a macrocosmic perspective, and at the same time not provoke their hot and fragile faith?!


    He had given a little thought to this sensitive issue, so he did not mention that there was a real god standing behind him. He mentioned Raven 12345, but did not shift topics to the troubled field of ¡°real god¡± and ¡°false god¡±, because he knew that Raven 12345 did not care about such labels. However, the ascetics in front of him would very likely fight with anyone for the ¡°Authentication of the Real God¡±. He had carefully bypassed sensitive points when answering their religious questions, but he did not expect to face this problem head-on: when their worldview suddenly expanded from one planet to two universes, where would the supreme goddess stand?


    Watching Hao Ren¡¯s stiff expression, the four ascetics surprisingly did not pursue the question any further. Hao Ren thought he was going to get involved in a religious debate. He did not expect the bearded man to just nod indifferently and say, ¡°It seems that this is a complicated problem, the glory of the goddess is limited to our land.¡±


    Then, he just stood up and asked, ¡°When shall we leave?¡±


    Hao Ren was not the only one. Vivian was just as surprised and she asked, ¡°You¡¯re not pursuing this topic, huh? Isn¡¯t your goddess supposed to be supreme?¡±


    The big, bearded man shrugged and said, ¡°She is our supreme goddess, but she may not necessarily be yours. It is enough that the glory of the goddess shines over her people. Where glory cannot reach, we consider it a test of our pious faith.¡±


    The moment ¡°Big Beardy¡± finished talking, the other three ascetics put their hands on their chests and whispered, ¡°Keep the light in the dark and remain silent in the light.¡±


    Hao Ren did not really understand what Big Beardy was talking about. He just scratched his head and said, ¡°Oh, since you have no objection, let¡¯s go then. I¡¯ll take you to my house. After that, I have to take a group of people to the Blood Lake.¡±


    ¡°Blood Lake?¡± Big Beardy immediately frowned. He was very sensitive to this and asked, ¡°Why are you taking people to the Sacred Grounds?¡±


    Hao Ren spread his hands out and said, ¡°When you were sent into this world, another group of people from this world fell into your world. It was a disaster. You are lucky to have survived this. The people who were sent there are dead. Can we at least get their corpses home?¡±


    The ascetics were devout believers, but the Disciples of Glory¡¯s belief in the goddess did not seem as extreme as one may think. When Big Beardy heard Hao Ren¡¯s words, he was no longer stubborn about the issue of their holy land. Again, he put his hand on his chest and whispered, ¡°Goddess, please have mercy on those poor souls! We have been tested here, but the people of the Otherworld have been implicated! May their souls be comforted by the goddess in the Sacred Grounds.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can keep up with their train of thought.¡± Lily suddenly poked Hao Ren on the arm and whispered, ¡°Landlord, you¡¯re so smart. You actually managed to communicate with them!¡±


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes and thought, they were the ones who usually could not keep up with Lily¡¯s train of thought. Finally today, it was Lily¡¯s turn.


    The woman, who was one of the slightly older ones among the ascetics looked at Becky curiously and asked, ¡°Wait a minute, there was something I wanted to ask this young lady just now¡­ You¡¯re from Holletta, right? Why are you here? With this¡­ traffic police?¡±


    Becky was immersed in the excitement of seeing people from her hometown, that she reacted and said, ¡°Oh yes, I haven¡¯t said anything about myself yet. I was also sent to this world. But, you are here because of natural disaster; I¡¯m here because of a noob¡¯s casting failure and a natural disaster¡­¡±


    Hao Ren muttered, ¡°I¡¯m not a noob. You¡¯re here because of a natural disaster.¡±


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re not the only ones in trouble?¡± The older female ascetic said and looked as if she was thinking about something. ¡°This is a really mysterious field that nobody has ever dabbled in. I never expected there to be such mysteries in the world¡­ And this man somehow has the power to control the passage between the two worlds. She looked at Hao Ren subtlely and said, ¡°It appears that you deserve our respect. You are the one who holds the mysteries we do not understand. Although I don¡¯t quite understand your work, you are obviously in a ¡®higher¡¯ position than us.¡±


    These words immediately made Hao Ren feel a little shy. He did not expect it to come from her. These ascetics were not as rigid as he had imagined after all. On the contrary, they had a strong grasp of things and were able to accept new concepts quickly. Although they always used the doctrine of the goddess to help them explain everything, they were undoubtedly open-minded and sharp: this was very different from the image of ascetics portrayed in many stories.


    In fact, this was the exact feature that distinguished the ascetics of the Disciples of Glory: they were not only devout and fanatical believers, but also thoughtful thinkers as well as knowledgeable scholars, who mastered various secrets. The ascetics devoted their life to their faith; not to marry, not to have children, not to own estates and any form of private property, not to participate in any secular fights for power, or even human justice. All their energies were devoted to the study of knowledge in addition to their combat skills and divine spells. The Disciples of Glory believed that all knowledge in the world was created by their goddess. Therefore, the ascetics also regarded the process of learning knowledge as a kind of worship.


    Basically, the ascetics of the Disciples of Glory had the qualities of a scholar¡ªa rarity in other denominations.


    Of course, stubborn, fanatical ascetics also existed, but most of them were in the forefront of the crusade against heresy and belonged to the puritan combatants. They would not become the keeper of the Orb, and would certainly not be here.


    This saved Hao Ren lots of trouble.


    As Hao Ren watched them talking to each other, he suddenly thought of something. He realised that there was still a lot of trouble awaiting him. ¡°Wait! I almost forgot! You all can¡¯t go back yet!¡±


    The four ascetics turned and looked at Hao Ren at the same time. ¡°I forgot to tell all of you¡­ the teleportation between The Plane of Dream and the real word is a one-way journey. Currently, two-way teleportation is limited to objects only, not humans. You guys¡­ can probably go back and stay for only 10 days,¡± Hao Ren said helplessly.


    Becky also looked sad and she explained the Wall of Reality¡¯s dire situation clearly. She then heaved a deep sigh and said with a mournfully, ¡°I¡¯m still waiting to be knighted and rewarded with a big piece of land to bring glory to my ancestors!¡±


    The four ascetics looked at each other and realised that neither Hao Ren nor Becky were lying. The big, bearded man pondered for a while, then he looked at Hao Ren and said, ¡°You mean we can¡¯t stay in The Plane of Dreams for a long time, but it¡¯s okay to go back for a short while?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. Big Beardy then looked calm and said, ¡°That will do. It doesn¡¯t matter if we can go back or not. As long as the Orb gets back to the sanctuary of the goddess, it¡¯s okay. Times are hard, but we readily accept this test.¡±


    Lily poked Hao Ren on the arm and said, ¡°Landlord, I can¡¯t keep up with their train of thought again¡­¡±


    Hao Ren grinned and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to. It¡¯s a good thing anyway.¡±


    Then, he looked at Big Beardy, trying to make himself appear sincere as he said, ¡°By the way, can I have a look at the Orb of the Holy Synod¡­?¡±


    Big Beardy immediately looked tense and asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    Sure enough, this was a touchy topic.

 Chapter 334

    Sure enough, Big Beardy and the other three ascetics were all nervous the moment Hao Ren mentioned the Orb. It seemed to be an extremely sensitive topic.


    ¡°Relax, I¡¯m not interested in your treasure. Have you forgotten that this orb is a treasure only in your world? No one here knows the importance of it,¡± Hao Ren explained and hurriedly waved his hand. At the same time, he thought of a good reason to give. ¡°Okay, all of you were probably sent to this planet because of the impact of the Orb as well, so I need to use it to analyse the teleportation process. This is a necessary step to send you back.¡±


    Big Beardy looked at Hao Ren suspiciously. The Orb of the Holy Synod was the most precious treasure for the four of them. When the little green men wanted to see it, they almost broke out in a violent conflict. But, Hao Ren was more favorable to them and they agreed with what Hao Ren just said: The Orb was a treasure in The Plane of Dreams, and since they were now in another world, the Orb had no value to the people in this world. Hence, Big Beardy pondered about it for a long time, nodded reluctantly and said, ¡°I can let you see it, but you can¡¯t touch it. I will allow you to touch it only after you show us that you do have the ability to open the dimensional door. This is a sacred item, you must understand.¡±


    Big Beardy¡¯s stance was very firm. After Hao Ren agreed, Big Beardy carefully opened a thick pocket hanging on him: he carried the Orb with him.


    The cloth bag was opened, and a shimmering, golden orb was taken out.


    It was a metal ball the size of a football. Its material was unclear, but it kept glowing. It had complex and delicate lines on its surface. The lines were straight, bumpy, as well as olderly and they were scattered all across its surface. At first glance, it seemed to be some kind of hieroglyphics, but a careful observation revealed that all the lines were connected together throughout the sphere. Hao Ren looked at the Orb curiously, wondering how they could communicate with their goddess with it. But after observing it for a while, he did not see the connection between this thing and God. Nonetheless, he found the Orb sort of familiar.


    He had not seen the Orb before, but the jagged lines of the Orb¡­ vaguely reminded him of something.


    ¡°These patterns¡­¡± Hao Ren muttered to himself, ¡°Why do they look familiar¡­ And, the size of this orb¡­¡±


    Vivian frowned and looked at it for a long time. Her poor memory, which had not been working for the past 10,000 years surprisingly worked this time. She suddenly exclaimed, ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right! Isn¡¯t there a hole in the Sacred Relic of Origins about the same size as this? I remember the same pattern in that round hole!¡±


    After Vivian reminded him, Hao Ren immediately realised why it felt so familiar. Puzzled and surprised, he said, ¡°Right! There is a hole in the Sacred Relic of Origins¡­ What a coincidence!¡±


    At this moment, the MDT suddenly said, ¡°Scan completed, 100% contour similarity. To prevent damage to its function, internal structure cannot be determined as of yet.¡±


    Hao Ren and the rest of his team were shocked. The younger female ascetic looked at the MDT on Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder curiously and asked, ¡°Your pauldron speaks?¡±


    After being called a brick, coaster and merry-go-round, the MDT got another new identity. This immediately made it fly into a rage and yell, ¡°Ignorant! Open your eyes and look at me! Have you ever seen a pauldron this small?! I am an empire-made Mobile Data Brick¡­ No, I mean Mobile Data Terminal!¡±


    Big Beardy ignored the talking ¡°alchemy device¡±. He just protected the Orb in his hand and looked at Hao Ren carefully as he asked, ¡°What did you say? You have seen something related to the Orb of the Holy Synod?¡±


    A lot of things flashed through Hao Ren¡¯s mind in that moment: since he could be flung out of The Plane of Dreams, something similar may have happened in the past, and perhaps the treasure of another goddess was displaced to another world. Big Beardy was a sharp thinker, and as the eldest of the four, he thought about things very quickly and carefully.


    Hao Ren reacted quickly and nodded He decided to tell them a half-truth, ¡°We did find something in the desert that could be related to the Orb in your arms. However, it¡¯s not an orb, but a device. There¡¯s a missing part on that device, which could possibly be the Orb of the Holy Synod. But, I have to put these two things together to confirm that.¡±


    Big Beardy looked at Hao Ren¡¯s expression and did not find that he was lying. In spite of that, he still kept the Orb back into his pocket. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°You have to let me see the equipment you¡¯ve just mentioned. If it is a sacred thing that the goddess left behind in the Otherworld, I can study it with you¡ªit seems like you are a scholar, so you should have the necessary tools. But, the Orb cannot leave my sight under any circumstance. And if that equipment is a sacred object belonging to the goddess, I¡¯m going to take it away.¡±


    Big Beardy was being a little unreasonable, but Hao Ren nodded and thought that he finally saw the tough side of an ascetic. He promised Big Beardy and at the same time, he told the Mobile Data Terminal telepathically, ¡°Make a copy of the Sacred Relic of Origins¡­¡±


    The structure of the Sacred Relic of Origins was not something complicated to the Mobile Data Terminal. The materials that made up the Sacred Relic were also very common and the relic could be composed in a ship-borne factory. The last time the MDT experimented, it copied several sets of the Sacred Relic¡¯s ¡°inner components¡±. Now, it was not a problem to replicate the complete set and the MDT happily promised, ¡°It¡¯ll be complete in an hour.¡±


    They finally walked out of the ecodome. Everyone seemed preoccupied with some kind of trouble, except Lily, who was humming and looking carefree. Hao Ren was speculating on the connection between the Orb and the Sacred Relic of Origins as well as their true function; Becky was feeling homesick; Nangong Wuyue and Y¡¯zaks were feeling worried about Hao Ren; the four ascetics were immersed in their thoughts of the Otherworld as well as the Sacred Relic, which made their hearts and minds restless; Vivian was thinking about what to cook for dinner and Lil Pea was thinking about what to eat.


    Everybody was thinking about something, except the husky.


    Tamula, along with a group of little green men were waiting outside. They did not dare to go nearer just now. When the little green men saw them, they immediately gathered around Hao Ren. He could only see a bunch of identical green heads swaying in front of him¡ªlike a bunch of mung bean cakes having a meeting. Hao Ren did not know where to look until Tamula called him. He nodded to Tamula and said, ¡°It¡¯s done and we¡¯re leaving.¡±


    Tamula pulled at Hao Ren¡¯s hand in a warm manner and asked, ¡°Not staying for dinner? I heard that it¡¯s a popular thing on Earth¡­¡±


    Although Hao Ren was very interested in alien food, he still pretended to reject the offer politely. ¡°No, we have to go back to work¡ª¡±


    Tamula immediately nodded and said, ¡°Okay, go ahead. I have to deal with something here. I will get back to Kuiper Station tomorrow.¡±


    That left the last part of the sentence, ¡°but it would be disrespectful to decline your warm hospitality¡± to choke to death in Hao Ren¡¯s throat. And he wondered why this little green man was so honest!


    They bid farewell to the little green men and went to the spaceship¡¯s landing ground. It was the first time in a few months that the four ascetics had left the steel facility with complete freedom. Big Beardy looked back at the little green men, who were still waving goodbye at the door and said, ¡°Actually, these green creatures are friendly.¡±


    Another young male ascetic nodded and said, ¡°But, they look too much like monsters.¡±


    The young female ascetic also said, ¡°We thought we were in hell at first and that the goddess was testing us with these monsters.¡±


    Finally, the older female ascetic concluded, ¡°Fortunately, the wisdom of the goddess gave us the power to give up the military confrontation at a critical moment. Otherwise, it would have inevitably deepened the misunderstanding.¡±


    Hao Ren then asked Big Beardy curiously, ¡°How did you eliminate the misunderstandings with the little green men then?¡±


    Big beardy answered solemnly, ¡°I realised that I can¡¯t beat those machines.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Master, you¡¯re too honest,¡± Nangong Wuyue could not help saying.


    Big Beardy nodded indifferently and said, ¡°I just admit the truth. We have a mission: we have to live to protect the Orb. In order to live, of course, we can¡¯t do anything. Just surrender.¡±


    It was just a few simple words from Big beardy, but Hao Ren suddenly felt a kind of inexplicable fanaticism. He suddenly seemed to understand the view of the world that these ascetics had.


    They returned to the Petrachelys and it soon took off, leaving the planet. Before speeding off into hyperspace, Hao Ren turned the external monitor in the direction of the planet. The four ascetics saw that they were gradually moving away from the planet and looked at the huge spacecraft they were boarding in disbelief. Additionally, Big Beardy also recalled a few things from a legend he knew, and said, ¡°Before the end of the world, people in our world also had the ability to fly to the stars. It¡¯s said that there were cities on the moon¡­ But, I feel that this ship is more powerful.¡±


    Hao Ren believed that Big Beardy was praising him. He nodded contentedly and started the spacecraft¡¯s automatic navigation.


    The image from the external monitor became distorted and the spacecraft went into hyperspace.

 Chapter 335

    The four ascetics did not speak after the spacecraft entered hyperspace. Other than Big Beardy, the other three simply sat on the floor, closed their eyes and began to meditate. Hao Ren wanted to talk to them about The Plane of Dreams and the Disciples of Glory, but they were not keen on chatting. They answered all the questions earlier only because they desperately needed to know the state that they were in. Now that they already understood their situation, the ascetics were back to a blank state.


    However, Lily¡¯s actions were not affected by the atmosphere. She did not care if they wanted to talk to her or not. She just started to talk to the three ascetics sitting on the floor, ¡°Hey, don¡¯t sit on the floor, there are chairs¡­¡±


    The three ascetics sitting on the floor just shook their heads and did not say a word. Big Beardy simply replied, ¡°We do not need unnecessary enjoyment. Meditating on the teachings of the goddess is already the highest pleasure.¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his head and looked at Big Beardy, suddenly remembering something quite important. ¡°Oh, yes! I forgot to ask your names!¡±


    However, Hao Ren did not expect Big Beardy to shake his head gently and say, ¡°The monks have no names. We do not need names and we do not need to be remembered by names.¡±


    Hao Ren was shocked. ¡°No Names? You all don¡¯t have a name? How do you usually call each other? And how do you do things regularly without a name?¡±


    Hao Ren felt like he had just heard something unimaginable. He could not picture how a group of people with no names could live or work. How did they assign tasks? How did they communicate with each other? How did they know who people meant when they talked about other ascetics? How did they report an accident involving another member out there? Nonetheless, Big Beardy looked really serious. He was obviously not joking.


    ¡°We don¡¯t need names.¡± Big Beardy spread his hand and tilted his head towards the other three ascetics sitting next to him. Although no one was talking or opening their eyes, one of them slightly nodded and said, ¡°The ascetics have their own methods of interaction and identification. The Pope is also be able to contact each of the ascetics using a secret method. Other than that, we don¡¯t need to be responsible to anyone or require any more complex social interactions.¡±


    Hao Ren was amazed to learn that these ascetics had built something like a spiritual network! They did have names, but only those within their ¡°network¡± knew how to recognise them. He wondered how the network was established; was it simply by means of this boring meditation?


    But, Big Beardy had stopped answering anymore questions. He lowered his head and entered into a meditative state like the other three. ¡°Notify us once we¡¯ve arrived.¡±


    The four ascetics sat on the floor as if they were in an endurance competition. They were as lifeless as statues and they managed to turn the entire bridge into a dreary place. Lily could not stand the boring atmosphere and she soon started to walk restlessly around the four ascetics. She then ran around them, sniffed at them and muttered, ¡°I¡¯m so bored, I¡¯m so bored¡­ They make the air so stuffy! Why didn¡¯t I feel this way when we were on the planet of little green men¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, you didn¡¯t. They weren¡¯t meditating that time. Come back here, don¡¯t disturb them. They are meditating.¡± Vivian was sitting in her seat comfortably, lecturing Lily as she knitted. A number of thick, silvery-white thread balls were in the small basket on her lap. Lily ran to the basket when she saw the thick thread. She grabbed a ball of thread and compared it to the fur on her tail. ¡°Wow, this is my fur¡­ and you turned them into threads in such a short time? How did you do it?¡±


    ¡°With the power of magic,¡± Vivian answered, knitting speedily. When she saw Lily rubbing the ball of thread against her tail, she poked Lily in the arm with the end of the needle. ¡°Don¡¯t bother, they won¡¯t grow back. But, if you don¡¯t mind becoming a hairy monster again, I can get you some of that hair tonic. Maybe I can knit a sweater for our landlord¡­ and get me a pair of gloves.¡±


    The fur on Lily¡¯s tail all stood up the moment she heard this. She quickly threw away the ball of thread and ran back to her chair. Soon after, she was curled up and asleep.


    Actually, the Sacred Relic of Origins was already on the Petrachelys and Hao Ren could have started experimenting with the Orb of the Holy Synod once they left the planet of little green men. However, he wanted to keep a sample for research purposes, so he gave the MDT one hour to replicate the Sacred Relic of Origins and hide it from the ascetics. After the spacecraft stopped at Kuiper Station, Hao Ren woke the ascetics up and pretended to communicate with the port¡¯s Handling Department. He then told them in a serious tone, ¡°Well, the device has been placed in the spacecraft¡¯s laboratory. Let¡¯s go see if the orb belongs to it.¡±


    The four statues¡­ Well, the four ascetics immediately stood up without a second of delay and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    They rushed to the scientific research cabin, and half of them were there to watch the fun. The original version of the Sacred Relic of Origins had been put away and its replica was now placed on the research equipment in the centre of the laboratory. It looked exactly the same as the authentic one. The shipborne plant would never make a mistake in replicating such a ¡°simple device¡±, and its accuracy of replication was on Gangplank1 level.


    So, the replica in the middle of the room could basically pass as the ¡°genuine Sacred Relic of Origins¡±.


    The ascetics ignored the dazzling, advanced machinery in the scientific research cabin. All their attention was placed on the Sacred Relic of Origins. This ¡°ancient¡± device was hugely different from any other creation in The Plane of Dreams. However, the four ascetics saw signs of their homeland in the lines on the device. The MDT directed the manipulator to open the cover of the upper part of the Sacred Relic. The round hole the size of a football swiftly appeared before them.


    ¡°This¡­¡± Big Beardy¡¯s heart pounded when he saw the lines in the round hole. He had been guarding the Orb for so many years, thus he knew every detail regarding the Orb like the palm of his own hand. Even with just one quick glimpse, he was absolutely sure that the hole on the device was made for the Orb!


    Now that the four ascetics had seen the Sacred Relic of Origins, they finally believed what Hao Ren told them. Big Beardy took out the Orb of the Holy Synod with great care, but he still gave Hao Ren a cautious look as he said, ¡°Let me put it in¡­ You have to make sure that there are absolutely no accidents throughout this process, and there must be absolutely no damage to the Orb!¡±


    Hao Ren quickly affirmed the safety of the process over and over again. He almost had an urge to vow in the name of Raven 12345, but it was better if he did not. He then lowered the platform in the centre of the room slowly. Big Beardy gritted his teeth and stepped forward, holding the Orb of the Holy Synod in his hands respectfully. He proceeded to place it in the cavity found in the Sacred Relic of Origins.


    Click .


    The cover was closed tightly.


    Energy was immediately injected into the Sacred Relic, and the replica immediately emitted a muffled hum. A moment later, a monotonous, stiff voice came from the Sacred Relic, ¡°System testing passed, reloading important plug-ins. Confirming database¡­ The database has minor damages. Repairing¡­ Repair completed. Partial redundant function is restricted. Main functions of the equipment are ready.¡±


    Hao Ren was pleasantly surprised. Although Hao Ren had expected it, he still got very excited and said, ¡°Hurry up! Let¡¯s see what this device makes!¡±


    The Mobile Data Terminal was also very happy. It floated in the air and directed a few self-regulated machines to move some strange containers there. ¡°That¡¯s easy. Just add in some raw materials, then press the start button. Read the database while the machine runs.¡±


    Hao Ren urged the MDT to start and he stood behind the Sacred Relic of Origins to observe it curiously. Lil Pea on the other hand, jumped onto the device when nobody was looking. The little kid had no idea what is was, but watching her dad get so excited, she thought the huge device had to be very powerful.


    It was probably her long-lost aunt.


    A small part of the Sacred Relic¡¯s outer case was quickly removed and several ¡°inlet pipes¡± were also opened. Various materials synthesised from the shipborne plant were injected into it in turn. While directing the injection of raw materials, the MDT read some descriptions on the core of the Sacred Relic, which was the database of the Orb of the Holy Synod. The MDT wanted to confirm that the ingredients were not faulty. The Orb was indeed a storage and processing device. Unfortunately, it just started running a moment ago. Most of the data could only be read later on. The MDT could only confirm the raw material list for now.


    ¡°Water¡­ Normal. Group A protein¡­ Normal. Acidification complex¡­ Normal. Mineral Group 01¡­ Normal. Mineral group 02¡­ Normal¡­¡± The MDT read it out as he drew comparisons with the list. Everybody else was looking forward to something in its slow voice.


    According to the description given by the Sacred Relic, this was a very quick synthesiser. It only took a little while to create what you wanted. Hao Ren was beginning to figure out at when he should stop it: he did not want to create a sentient man, whom he could not control. That was going to be a hassle.


    However, nobody realised that Lil Pea was still lying in a little corner at the back of the Sacred Relic of Origins: This corner was the location of the main inlet pipe, and the little mermaid was hidden by the pipe¡¯s cover.


    Lil Pea lowered her head and looked at the inlet pipe, putting her head in it to take a sniff. Immediately after, she slapped her tail joyfully, thinking that this was going to something very delicious.


    And then, she jumped in happily.


    Translator¡¯s Thoughts


    Jillyboy Jillyboy


    1Gangplank is an orange-eating pirate from the online game, League of Legends (LoL)

 Chapter 336

    The Sacred Relic of Origins was slowly and gently humming. It was performing a scheduled synthesis. The device operated in a way that was different from human technology, including regular Physics and Chemistry. It combined various elements into a new life in a magical way, and injected knowledge as well as power directly into the lifeform. This magical process made Hao Ren extremely curious. He stared at the Sacred Relic¡¯s front control panel, eager to see what it would eventually produce.


    Something different eventually appeared on the control panel. Such a picture was never shown when the core of the Sacred Relic was missing: it was an outline of a human figure. There were a lot of parameters, symbols, formulas, and something like a progress bar around the contour map. Their speculation was correct; the Sacred Relic of Origins was used to synthesise humanoid creatures and it may have been a variety of humanoid creatures. As the device was running under its default settings, it was hard to say whether it could make something else.


    Everyone gathered in front of the device and waited for the results. The four ascetics had no idea what these people were doing, but they confirmed that these people mastered technology far more advanced than those in The Plane of Dreams. These people also seemed to really have the ability to unlock the secrets of the two sacred objects. Therefore, the ascetics watched silently with excitement and anticipation. After a while, the young female ascetic suddenly whispered to Big Beardy, ¡°Even though I do not question the intentions of the goddess, is this series of actions¡­ a sacrilege?¡±


    Big Beardy pondered about it for a while, then shook his head and said, ¡°I do not feel the wrath of the goddess, do you?¡±


    The other ascetics lowered their heads and thought to themselves. It was as if they were asking their own hearts, after which they shook their heads together. The older women whispered, ¡°The power of the goddess is unusually calm. It has never been more peaceful since we left the country of those green creatures. It¡¯s even more peaceful than the time I was baptised in the Royal Cathedral. It seems that she not only acquiesces to today¡¯s events, but is also pleased with it.¡±


    Big Beardy closed his eyes and pressed his hand against his chest. ¡°Thank the goddess for her mercy and carry on. Follow the goddess¡¯ cues and cooperate with these people. ¡±


    ¡°But, we can¡¯t directly feel her decree here¡­¡± Another male ascetic was hesitant. ¡°This world separates us from the goddess, and we¡¯re just following our conscience¡­¡±


    Big Beardy closed his eyes and spoke, his voice was as steady as ever, ¡°Don¡¯t waver. Even if we are isolated from the goddess, the power of the goddess remains as a seed in our bodies. We have to believe in the guidance of this seed.¡±


    The other three ascetics then nodded and stopped talking.


    Hao Ren¡¯s speculation about the ascetics was absolutely right. They were indeed difficult to deal with. They only followed the instructions of their goddess and ignored any other mundane requests. Nonetheless, the four ascetics cooperated with them all the way. There was only one reason for that: they received the ¡°goddess¡¯ decree¡± in their prayers.


    No matter where the behest came from or whether it was real, they thought that they understood the goddess¡¯ intention. Hence, they chose to cooperate with the people of the Otherworld.


    Vivian was the closest to these people. She vaguely overheard their conversation and she looked at them, feeling baffled as well as curious about what they meant.


    At this point, the MDT detected that the Sacred Relic of Origins had completed the initial process of formation. It was starting on the next phase of integration and the ¡°Perfusion of Life Ritual¡±. As it checked out the relic¡¯s operation, the MDT reported the situation to Hao Ren, ¡°Oh, the operation is moving on swimmingly. Let me see what¡¯s in the main container¡­ Group A acidified synthetic products, appropriate amount of protein groups, odd macromolecular chains, cloud-like energy fields, a fish¡­ A fish?!¡±


    The MDT emitted a scream it had never emitted before, ¡°There is a fish in the container! And it looks familiar!!!¡±


    Everyone at the scene was petrified. Hao Ren felt his scalp going numb. He just realised that there was nothing on his arm and concluded that the mermaid girl must have put herself in danger again. He rushed to the back of the Sacred Relic and pounced on the cover of the device. He did not care if it was still connected to ¡°electricity¡±. He then shouted, ¡°Lil Pea!¡±


    The back cover of the Sacred Relic of Origins was pulled down by brute force, exposing its large inner components. Hao Ren¡¯s heart pounded wildly as he searched the muddy mixture to find the fish. His eyes were almost attached to the outer casing of the inner components. Vivian and the others reacted a little slower; they were all only coming up to him now. Countless pairs of frightened eyes stared at the transparent container and they saw a small figure, about a foot long floating upwards from the mixture, looking confused.


    Lil Pea was swaying in the muddy solution as if she was drunk. A few energy clouds, which looked like electric mounts were floating in the solution too. The mist was crackling all across the little mermaid and it even entered her body. Despite her strange state however, Lil Pea still looked good. She waved to the people outside the container and swam up excitedly, knocking on the crystal shell of the container.


    The little one rubbed her head and continued to knock the crystal shell.


    Hao Ren was really anxious and roared, ¡°Shut it down, now!!!¡±


    Needless to say, the MDT had already tried to stop it. However, the internal reaction of this synthetic device was like a chain. Even if the energy input was stopped, the reaction in the container would continue for quite a long time. Hao Ren noticed the crystalline device at the bottom of the Sacred Relic dimming, but the flashing mist in the container was still there. He immediately raised his fist, wanting to smash it. Vivian stopped him in the nick of time and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be impetuous! If it explodes, it¡¯ll all be over!¡±


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and put his hand down. He was sweating and waiting for the reaction in the container to stop completely. Now, the only thing that could comfort him was the fact that Lil Pea was still swimming in it leisurely (and, occassionally hitting the crystal shell in excitement). He felt relieved as long as the little kid¡¯s expression looked normal.


    Finally, the reaction in the container subsided. Several compounds used for rapid termination of the reaction were injected into the mixture through a few pipes above the jar. This also dispelled the shimmering mist inside it. A few seconds later, a seam was opened in the centre of the inner components and the crystal shell parted while the mixture inside was all drained out.


    Lil Pea also flowed out to the ground along with the liquid in the jar. The little kid did not realise what had just happened. She was lying on the ground, still swimming around. When she found that she was not moving, she looked at her surroundings and jumped towards Hao Ren excitedly as she shouted, ¡°Dad!¡±


    Hao Ren quickly grabbed the little kid to check for any injuries. Lil Pea wondered why Hao Ren kept inspecting her body and she laughed because it felt ticklish. Hao Ren found that the little kid seemed to be healthy and fine. Relieved, he said, ¡°Phew¡­ How did you jump in?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a pipe opens,¡± Lil Pea was trying to explain it in a messy sentence that anyone could barely understand, ¡°it smells good, jumps in, swims in a long place¡­ Swim¡­ Swim for a while¡­ then come out!¡±


    While the little kid was explaining the situation, she patted Hao Ren on the arm with her tail, and out of nowhere she had hiccup.


    All of a sudden, the little mermaid disappeared from Hao Ren¡¯s hands and fell on the test bench not far away.


    Hao Ren stared at his empty hands, clearly stunned. Then, he slowly turned around and saw Lil Pea on the test bench, looking at him naively.


    Everyone had the same reaction. Nangong Wuyue exclaimed, ¡°What was that¡­ What¡¯s going on?!¡±


    Lil Pea was still confused. She looked around, stretched her hand out to Hao Ren and said, ¡°Hug¡­¡± And, she hiccuped again.


    Hao Ren only saw a shadow, after which a fish tail slapped against his face. Lil Pea had ¡°flown¡± back again.


    After it happened twice, someone finally realised something. Y¡¯zaks scratched his bald head and muttered, ¡°Teleportation?¡±


    Lil Pea looked at Y¡¯zaks and hiccuped again. Her body disappeared only to reappear on his forehead.


    Everyone was surprised. Now even a fool could see that the little mermaid had learned to teleport. It seemed to be triggered by ¡°hiccups¡±. Hao Ren¡¯s mind was a mess and he could not figure out what was happening. He just stood there for a long time, feeling bewildered. He slowly turned to the Sacred Relic of Origins and asked, ¡°Is this related to what happened just now?¡±


    Vivian looked at Lil Pea, who was jumping on Y¡¯zaks head and said, ¡°She¡¯s able to teleport without any help¡­ Why do I feel like I¡¯ve seen this before?¡±


    At this point, the MDT was also reminded of something. It quickly drifted to the top of the Sacred Relic of Origins and connected itself to the Orb of the Holy Synod, extracting the last information from its database. It then exclaimed, ¡°The heck¡­ We¡¯ve had it all wrong!¡±


    A set of holographic images were projected from the bottom of the MDT. They were the final images of the synthetic organism stored in the Orb of the Holy Synod as well as the functional and ¡°parametric¡± descriptions associated with the creature.


    Vivian saw it and she was completely shocked. ¡°¡­Demon hunter?¡±

 Chapter 337

    The synthetisation formula and true ¡°product description¡± of the Sacred Relic of Origins were finally revealed before them. But, the results amazed everyone. Astounded, Hao Ren pointed his finger at the holographic images and descriptions he saw before he was able to say a word. ¡°Is this a demon hunter synthetisation formula?¡±


    ¡°Strictly speaking, it¡¯s a creature called ¡®the sixth-generation enhanced life form¡¯,¡± the MDT corrected him. It retrieved information from the data vault in the Orb of the Holy Synod, projecting the scientific name of the humanoid via hologram. ¡°It¡¯s a synthesised product of the Sacred Relic of Origins. It closely resembles the demon hunters we know, in terms of their physical structure, life expectancy, tenacity and other natural abilities. I¡¯m trying to get more info from the database¡­ however it seems that¡¯s about it. The sixth-generation enhanced life form is the demon hunter¡ªthe first generation of the demon hunters we know today.¡±


    A long silence ensued. The ascetics had no clue of what they were talking about, so they just remained silent and sat on the sidelines. Meanwhile, the rest were shocked and did not know how to respond. Even Lily was rooted to the spot like a fossilised husky. The 10-second long silence was only broken when Lil Pea looked up to see everyone frozen like a statue as her stomach brewed and she hiccupped.


    The hiccup sent her flying 10 metres backwards into a cistern, which was full of reactant liquid. Only half a tank was left after Lil Pea fell into it.


    The sound of splashing liquid woke Hao Ren out of his stupor. Blinking his eyes, he pinched his face trying to make sure that he was not imagining things. Then, he jabbed Vivian on the arm and said to her, ¡°What do you say, Vivian?¡±


    ¡°If demon hunters were synthesised by the Sacred Relic of Origins¡­¡± Vivian looked at the large reactor curiously where a red alarm light flashed. The mixture was still flowing out from the main container as a result of the emergency stop. The remnants of magic in the mixture glowed as two autonomous robots frantically cleaned up the mess. ¡°It means our understanding of the otherworldlings have been all wrong. The otherworldlings were originally from The Plane of Dreams?¡±


    Hao Ren was confused. He tried to collect his thoughts . ¡°We can¡¯t be sure. Maybe both otherworldlings and demon hunters were just products of biochemical experiments. And, the machine before us is one that synthesises demon hunters. My thinking is that this synthesiser only made demon hunters. Remember what Hesperides said? The Olympians were acting weirdly during the end times and Athena murmured something about digging their own grave after she fiddled with the Sacred Relic of Origins¡­¡±


    Nangong Wuyue listened and a thought came to her mind. ¡°Wait a second! When she said ¡®digging our own grave¡¯, was she implying that it was the otherwordlings who built this machine? Were they the ones who created the demon hunters?¡±


    There was even more silence. Lily, who would usually be daydreaming nodded her head; her face was serious this time. ¡°Maybe¡­¡±


    ¡°But, that doesn¡¯t add up historically,¡± Vivian said, spreading out her hand. ¡°I¡¯m the oldest otherworldling on Earth, but I have absolutely not heard about the Sacred Relic. As far as I remember, no otherworlding has created a similar device. Demon hunters have been in existence as long as we have. They were quite low-profile in the beginning and only became active during the Mythological Era. However, I¡¯m dead sure¡­ that demon hunters have been in existence since the beginning.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue looked up. ¡°Ahh¡­ demon hunters have been in existence since the beginning.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Nangong Wuyue curiously. ¡°Could the sirens be the ones who created them? I mean, sirens are the most otherworldly of all otherworldlings on Earth. And, no one knows what your race has been doing.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue waved her hand, distancing herself from the matter. ¡°How could I possibly know? If you threw me into the Pacific Ocean I¡¯d be more at lost than you.¡±


    Hao Ren rubbed his chin in thought. He looked up at the Orb of the Holy Synod and a sudden realisation hit him. He realised what a fool he was, because he had mixed up the timeline. ¡°Now I get it! Demon hunters have been in existence at the same time as the otherworldlings on Earth. But, their real existence happened much earlier than that. Don¡¯t forget one thing¡ªthey actually came from The Plane of Dreams!¡±


    He walked towards the Sacred Relic of Origins and knocked on its outer shell a few times. ¡°The Orb of the Holy Synod existed before the destruction of the world. It came from The Plane of Dreams and it¡¯s one of the components of the Sacred Relic of Origins. So, this entire device was already in existence before the world¡¯s destruction!¡±


    Vivian shouted, ¡°So, were the demon hunters!¡±


    They looked at each other after the moment of epiphany The fragmented intel they had gathered started to piece together. It was still incomplete, but so much better than the wild guesses they had made previously. Y¡¯zaks, a total outsider in this matter had the clearest view of all. ¡°Everything began in The Plane of Dreams. The races there built the Sacred Relic of Origins and it produced the sixth-generation enhanced life form¡ªthe demon hunter. Some time after that, The Plane of Dreams was destroyed and some of the residents, relics as well as the first batch of demon hunters were flung into Earth, all of which we have known to be true. And now for the inference: people who came to Earth from The Plane of Dreams were affected by certain problems during the travel, causing them to lose their memories as well as part of their achievements. Their unity fell apart and they turned against each other based on racial lines. There weren¡¯t many Sacred Relic of Origins on Earth and most were buried in places unknown to the otherworldlings. The number of demon hunters who arrived on Earth were not that many too, they only confronted the otherworldings openly when their numbers grew, which Vivian¡¯s memory. We still have no explanation regarding the destruction of The Plane of Dreams, but Becky mentioned people in there poking their noses into forbidden knowledge¡ªto create a perfect life form, which I believe was the demon hunter!¡±


    It sounded convincing. Hao Ren nodded in agreement, but Nangong Wuyue was unsure. ¡°Then why would the demon hunters want to go against their creators as if there was much hatred between them.¡±


    Lily¡¯s ears fluttered as she confidently said, ¡°The reason is simple: the creatures were ill-treated by their creators. So, there was a revolt . Although this may sound old-fashioned, it¡¯s still pretty common. I have been writting about similar storied. All creatures have a tendency to rebel against their creators.¡±


    Vivian hugged herself. ¡°According to your theory, would Hessiana become a turncoat one day?¡±


    Hao Ren downplayed her misplaced concern. ¡°Not at all. Her affection for you is almost morally challenging. You¡¯ve never abused her, have you?¡±


    Vivian knitted her brows together, feeling unsure. ¡°Maybe not. Back then, we were so poor, we did not go through a day without hunger. Plus, I did beat her up, sometimes¡ªshe was such a pig head, and she still is.¡±


    No one gave a sh*t about Vivian¡¯s unfounded concern. They all agreed with Lily. Perhaps the hatred the demon hunters had towards the otherworldlings stemmed from their creature-creator relationship.


    While they were discussing the matter among themselves, the four ascetics stood silently at one side, listening. Their faces were sombre. No one could guess what was in their minds. When the discussion came to an end, Big Beardy opened his mouth and said, ¡°You were talking about the destruction of our world.¡±


    Hao Ren observed the speaking ascetic and realised that the four ¡°masters¡± barely made their presence known in their silence; he was too engrossed with The Plane of Dreams discussion and his senses were overpowered by Y¡¯zaks¡¯ loud voice, so he did not notice them. Big Beardy found Hao Ren looking at him and he said indifferently, ¡°Do not blaspheme against our goddess, or I will defend her with my life. Other than that, it¡¯s none of my business.¡±


    Big Beardy and the three ascetics lowered their heads, becoming statue-like again. No one could guess what they were thinking.


    Hao Ren shook his head. He then ordered the autonomous robots to clean up the scene and seperate the Orb from the Sacred Relic of Origins just as they agreed beforehand. Those two objects had to be returned to the four ascetics.


    He turned and looked at the others. ¡°Let¡¯s not waste any more time. I¡¯ve decided to go into The Plane of Dreams. There is a big problem now!¡±


    The little mermaid nodded just as everyone else did. She hiccupped and was flung against the wall.


    Nangong Wuyue said, ¡°Maybe we should first check the kid out.¡±

 Chapter 338

    The medical facility was just a stone¡¯s throw away. It catered to any medical operation on any type of life form except Lil Pea. She was too tiny. There was no pocket-sized chamber for her. So, they had to use whatever they had at hand and improvise.


    Hao Ren rushed his fish-daughter to the medical facility as the hiccup flung Lil Pea away each time. The four ascetics followed, but they were clueless about what Hao Ren and the rest were doing. However, they could see that the little girl, who looked like a foot-long fish was affected by the Sacred Relic. Hence, they wanted to find out more. The medical facility was not a restricted zone and they were not prevented from entering.


    Before the physical examination started, they first figured out the pattern of her involuntary teleportation. Firstly, it had something to do with the hiccups, as a hiccup would cause an involuntary teleportation; secondly, the direction and distance of each involuntary teleportation was dependent on her line of sight, but how far she would go was still unknown; lastly and most importantly, Lil Pea could not penetrate solid surfaces. If something was in her way, she would hit right into it with a bam. Any obstables could stop her, such as walls and Y¡¯zaks¡¯ head. But in this case, it could be a blessing in disguise; the fear of every first-timer was to get stuck in something during teleportation. Every year in The Plane of Dreams, there were dozens of deaths, because novice sorcerers would get themselves stuck in various objects. But, there was no such fear for Lil Pea; she derived her ability from the Sacred Relic of Origins and it must have given her a ¡°safety lock¡± when it blessed her with the ability.


    The MDT switched one of the medical pods on and Hao Ren carefully placed Lil Pea inside. She had no idea what was happening. She looked around curiously, but also nervously. She cried quietly and flapped her tail. She appeared reluctant when Hao Ren set her down. He comforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just a photo shoot. You can lie down here, take a nap if you want. Daddy is by your side¡­¡±


    Lil Pea could already understand human language, so she quited down, staring at the shiny crystal panel in amazement. She moved around the pod, exploring. Nangong Wuyue could not help muttering, ¡°Don¡¯t you think the medical pod is a little too big for her?¡±


    Just barely a foot long, the little mermaid could run freely inside the medical pod. Relatively speaking, it was as big as a hall to a human. The MDT started to fiddle with the control panels and said, ¡°No worries, it will still work like a charm even if you throw a mosquito in there.¡±


    The medical pod slowly closed. Hao Ren was worried that Lil Pea would be flung out of the pod when she hiccupped. But before he knew it, Lil Pea had fallen into deep sleep. Barely a few seconds later, the scan returned the results on the medical pod¡¯s display unit. The MDT used Lil Pea¡¯s existing medical records and compared them to the results. It then made an extrapolation, simulating what was going to happen in her body if her condition persisted. Except the MDT, eveyone at the scene knew nuts about medical stuff. They could only wait.


    Nangong Wuyue looked at Lil Pea¡¯s MRI scan. The little mermaid was sleeping soundly in the ¡°casket¡±, curling herself up in a posture similar to a question mark. But, the image of her bones caught the siren¡¯s eyes. She took a closer look and scratched her chin in thought. ¡°Hmm, there really is a fish bone. Do I haved it too?¡±


    Glancing at Nangong Wuyue, Hao Ren had cold sweat trickling down his forehead. He wondered when the maiden would stop worrying about bones.


    ¡°Everything looks fine. She is in perfect health.¡± The MDT broke the good news after a long examination. ¡°She¡¯s as fit as a fiddle with no tissue deterioration. Anyway, it seems that her body has had some positive changes. She¡¯s a lot healthier than before. Her body is producing some new, but harmless hormones, probably an adaptive reaction to the earlier incident.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue remembered Raven 12345 had once said that Lil Pea came from a harsh planet where its sun was unstable. The cosmic ray there was too strong and the volatile environment gave the mermaid race super vitality as well as adaptability.


    So, Lil Pea had inherited the best genes of her ancestors. The reactant may have been harmful to other races, but Lil Pea was not affected at all¡ªinstead, she grew even stronger.


    Nonetheless, Hao Ren was not so sure. He asked, ¡°What causes the involuntary teleportation when she hiccups?¡±


    ¡°Some kind of magic marker,¡± the MDT said as it fluttered a little. ¡°Perhaps, demon hunters got their talent this way¡ªvia direct injection. The mermaid race, like Lil Pea have a high level of affinity towards magic. We don¡¯t know how to teach her. She was just directly injected with a supernatural power. We need time to analyse how it works; as mysterious as the Sacred Relic of Origins is, there has to be a set of laws that¡¯s behind all this. The injection process may be related to Lil Pea¡¯s brain structure, or maybe something of a higher realm, like the soul. The previous civilisation in The Plane of Dreams must have possessed the ability to study the secrets of the soul.¡±


    As mommy of Lil Pea, Nangong Wuyue only cared about the girl¡¯s health. Knowing Lil Pea was fine, she breathed a sigh of relief and said, ¡°No matter what, she is safe at least. But, we would like to know why hiccups cause the involuntary teleportation.¡±


    The MDT played a funny background music and said, ¡°Some people turn into a husky when eating spicy sticks; but what does a husky have to do with spicy sticks?¡±


    Lily was all ears. ¡°Say what you want, but don¡¯t drag me into this. Some people even experience super evolution just by eating spinach¡­¡±


    Vivian glanced at Lily and said, ¡°Do you really think that turning into a husky is called super evolution? Have you ever heard of people transforming into superhero by just eating spicy sticks?¡±


    The two of them started arguing; the bone of contention was why spicy sticks could and could not turn anyone into a superhero, as well as why large tails were and were not a result of super evolution¡ªalthough no one knew why the argument had gone sideways to be about the tail. Arguments about spicy sticks were not going to help explain what happened to Lil Pea. Hao Ren and Nangong Wuyue spent a long time scratching their heads, but they were none the wiser. They decided it was just a conditioned reflex from the hiccup.


    ¡°She just acquired the teleportation ability of a demon hunter. If I¡¯m not mistaken, Lil Pea will slowly be ¡®demon-hunterised¡¯ and start to have exorcism powers in her blood as well as the ability to sniff out otherworldlings. She¡¯ll be able to read Letta Runes and stuff like that.¡± the MDT opined. ¡°Just watch out.¡±


    Something seemed to bother Hao Ren all of a sudden. ¡°Wait a second! If that happens, how is she going to control all these abilities? None of us know how to train a demon hunter!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks peered at Nangong Wuyue and said, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s time to get a teacher. Do you think you could contact your brother?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue shook her head. ¡°He¡¯s moving from place to place all the time. He only contacts me once he puts up at some place.¡±


    Hao Ren was baffled. He said, ¡°It¡¯s not the Stone Age. Can¡¯t he just get a mobile phone?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue spread her hands. ¡°But, you still gotta wait. You know how it is when a demon hunter goes hunting. You¡¯re hiding in some castle or place infested with monsters. Imagine what would happen if your phone rings in moments like this?¡±


    Hao Ren pouted. It looked like Nangong Sanba was out of the question. So, what was he to do then?


    The MDT pondered about it for a long time before coming up with a wild idea. ¡°I¡¯m going to play music to scare the hell out of her when she gets out.¡±


    Curious, Hao Ren asked, ¡°So that she won¡¯t teleport involuntarily again?¡±


    ¡°No. She¡¯ll stop having hiccups again.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    A lousy idea was better than no idea, so everyone agreed.


    When the medical pod opened, Lil Pea stepped out. The MDT blasted The Imperial March right in her face. She was stunned and her hiccups stopped. She was a happy bunny now. Hao Ren was wishing that her other abilities would not surface before he could find a way to train her. She had to master self-control first. So, he held her and said, ¡°Remember this: try not to have hiccups. If you really have to, try do it in a safe place¡­¡±


    It had been a hell of a moment, but Lil Pea was fine. Hao Ren could now depart to The Plane of Dreams.

 Chapter 339

    The four ascetics and Hao Ren decided to stay in the eco-zone at Kuiper Station for a few days. After all, they had nothing to do back home. However, the space station was a quiet place. Although the material supply was adequate, it was monotonous. Nonetheless, this was not a problem. They were going to be there just for a short while, and the thrill as well as the excitement of living in space were enough to keep the country bumpkins busy and not complain about food. Lily for one was pretty satisfied. She would bother Lulu from time to time, and sometimes hang around the tourist corridor, staring at the spaceships.


    The four ascetics had been calm in all the different situations they faced. In fact, Hao Ren had not seen the four weird individuals since he let Lulu arrange the accommodation. They constantly hid themselves in their room, meditating or studying mysterious and ancient stuff. They would only briefly appear and take what looked like a minimum ration of food and water. Then, they would go back to their cave¡ªso to speak¡ªand continued doing what they were doing. It was unclear what was so interesting about their monotonous way of life, but the four monks seemed to enjoy it very much. Hao Ren felt he could really connect with them, so he let them be.


    They were actually waiting for the large teleportation gateway to arrive in Kuiper Station. The gateway was custom-made under the order of Raven 12345. It was unsuitable for Earth and could only be placed in Kuiper Station; transportation was handled by a chartered civilian company.


    During the two days of waiting, Hao Ren had basically spent all his time with Lil Pea. Since the hiccup incident a couple of days ago, Lil Pea did not have any other signs of unusual behaviour. She hiccuped no more, and there were no more involuntary teleportations. But, they were still worried, so Hao Ren and Nangong Wuyue had been keeping an eye on the little mermaid. The little mermaid seemed to have forgotten what had happened to her days ago. The MDT was right; the experiment did not have any side effects, it just gave the little mermaid more vitality.


    Hao Ren knew he did not know how to train Lil Pea in mastering her telekinetic ability. He could only do his best to educate her and let her know that she had some amazing, but still uncontrollable ability. For now, he could only prep her mentally for more abilities, so perhaps she understood what he was saying.


    On the third day, a huge, red cargo spaceship docked at Connection Port One. The cargo ship had a strange, flamboyant heraldry, from which the engineering team and several imperial autonomous robots emerged. They were escorting the integrated cabins to the station, deliverying them to the inspector. The equipment had arrived.


    Hao Ren, his team and the little green people hustled to the connection port. A young chap with black hair, dressed in a foreign military outfit had been waiting in front of the cargo ship. Hao Ren immediately knew this young chap and his men were no ordinary civilian transporters. Even though they came in a commercial ship, their pressed military outfits and their mannerisms were telling that they were special. As he had expected, the young chap gave a standard military salute when he saw them, but Hao Ren was unsure which civilisation sphere the he came from. The young man¡¯s voice was loud. ¡°Sergeant Param of Fairy Void Consortium, deliverying cargo to the Xi Ling outpost. Kindly check before accepting.¡±


    Lily said something, which sounded like an ¡°okay¡±. She looked excited. ¡°It¡¯s a soldier! The soldiers are delivering the cargo! That¡¯s so cool!¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at the young chap. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of the Fairy Void Consortium. But, why is it military?¡±


    The young chap¡¯s face relaxed and he began to smile very politely. ¡°Fairy Void Consortium is a state consortium set up by our head of state. It¡¯s partly owned by the military, so all large cargos are handled by us. Basically, only we have the ability to handle escort missions of Category A and above in the Xi Ling Empire.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Pretending to know everything, Hao Ren nodded, but in his mind he wondered about the diversity of the multiverse. He looked up at the huge equipment requested by the MDt and commissioned by Raven 12345: it was a 3m x 3m x 3m cube of silver and it looked very much like a regular capsule room, instead it was glimmering with light. There were 10 of them lined up on the cargo platform. The MDT then proceeded to explain, ¡°We only need three actually. The rest are back-ups. It¡¯s modular and it has auto sync, so there¡¯s no need for calibration. It has hibernation pods in there too. I guess you already know how to use it, right? Simply put, the operation of the device has been simplified for ease of use, and enhancements have been made for a more stable connectivity with The Plane of Dreams. There are other equipment being manufactured right now as we speak. They are ready to be sent here on request. Madam Raven ordered for a new building to be built to store these gateways in the Kuiper Station.¡±


    Suddenly, Hao Ren had a weird feeling and he furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Why do I feel like Raven 12345 has something big coming up?¡±


    The MDT smiled dryly. ¡°God knows. Since you can¡¯t do anything about it, why not close your eyes and enjoy it. If you can¡¯t really enjoy it, at least let yourself die as a martyr. I will request to resurrect you after that.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    By now, the young sergeant from Fairy Void Consortium had finished the handover procedures. He took out a glowing tab and approached Hao Ren. ¡°I know you¡¯re busy, so let¡¯s make this quick. Just place your hand here for a palm scan, then you¡¯re good to go.¡±


    Hao Ren was a little stunned. ¡°What¡¯s this? We have never been required to do this before.¡±


    ¡°All large consignments need the recipient¡¯s personal acknowledgement for record purposes.¡± The young sergeant smiled. ¡°Void Courier, No Worries. Fairy Void, the brand with 10,000 years of reputation and dedication.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The cubes were temporarily moved to storage in the space station, and the relevant works were completed. Hao Ren got the four ascetics invited out of their rooms. Together with the little green people, Hao Ren saw a large crowd beginning to assemble in front of the silver cubes and he was riddled with emotion. It was his first time bringing so many people into The Plane of Dreams. The feeling was like leading an army for battle. All the salvaging equipment, including the Sacred Relic of Origins were temporarily stored in his Dimensional Pocket¡ªonly he could carry large items into The Plane of Dreams. Other people could bring small things on their bodies at most.


    The bearded monk of course, would not let Hao Ren keep the Orb of the Holy Synod. He cuddled it in his arms.


    A sense of purpose filled Hao Ren as the crowd gathered before him. ¡°Today, we are going to take a small step into the Otherworld¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish, Lily howled and scurried towards a silver cube, exclaiming, ¡°Let¡¯s have fun in the Otherworld!¡±


    Hao Ren murmured, ¡°¡­This maiden has never been cooperative!¡±


    Vivian patted him on the shoulder and said, ¡°Okay, you¡¯re done. Such much for your two hours of hardwork, preparing the script yesterday. Save it. We need to go now.¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged. Then, he motioned the little green people and the ascetics. ¡°Let me explain how the hibernation pod works¡­¡±


    ¡­


    The Otherworld, the sun was setting by the Blood Lake.


    The Beinz Blood Lake was as serene today as any other day. It was so quiet that the air felt almost stagnant. The last glimmer of sunlight was peeking out from the back of the mountain and it managed to sprinkle some glow on the lake. It produced a layer of faint red halo over the water. In this deserted part of the lakeside, the space in the air suddenly warped.


    Shadows appeared in a dream-like manner in mid-air.


    Becky¡¯s voice was the first to break the serene atmosphere. ¡°Phew¡­ At last, I¡¯m home. Look like I¡¯ll have to keep dreaming from now on!¡±

 Chapter 340

    According to the law of teleportation in The Plane of Dreams, the point of exit during your previous visit would become the point of entry for the next one. So, Hao Ren as the ¡°tour guide¡±¡ªso to speak, was able to bring everyone back to where he had left off the last time. Just like Earth, The Plane of Dreams was a rotating planet. Its ¡°location memory¡± was not an absolute coordinate in a space, but a relative one. However, Hao Ren did not have a clue how these things actually worked. He only knew about the teleportation law and made use of it in the simplest way: every time he left The Plane of Dreams, he would choose a place that was rarely accessible, spacious and safe.


    The daze from the teleportation quickly subsided. Hao Ren opened his eyes and immediately scanned his surroundings, making sure that it was where he exited before. When they did not spot any passersby,they breathed a sigh of relief. The Blood Lake was still as dead as before. The Gnarled Grove nearby was still shrouded in an atmosphere of gloominess and creepiness. It was twilight, so the atmosphere felt depressing. Lily hid her neck, saying, ¡°I really don¡¯t like this place.¡±


    Hao Ren did not say a word. He just smiled. The MDT said, ¡°The area is clear. Let Kabala and his men out.¡±


    The MDT activated the hibernation pods in the Surface World remotely. The surrounding air warped again and the shadows of those little green men began to emerge. Hao Ren wanted the teleportation to be divided into two batches, because he was worried that they would be spotted upon arrival in The Plane of Dreams. If he was spotted, he could still explain it away, saying that he was just an inexperiened wizard. It would be hard to explain if the little green people appeared. They would be treated like some kind of monster¡ªas you know, this dreamy world was not actually fond of aliens yet¡­


    The little green men awoke from their daze, and were immediately amazed by their surroundings. Almost half of them were staring at the sapphire-red Blood Lake. Kabala and Tamula shouted in excitement, ¡°Whoa! It¡¯s a new world. The kind of world where we would never be able to go with our spaceships!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, this day must be remembered. I have to leave something behind¡­¡±


    ¡°Get me my flags!¡±


    Thw little green people began to yank something out from their pockets. They were little golden sticks, which when deployed, turned into flags of different commonwealths. The flags came in different colours and shapes. Before Hao Ren could stop them, the little aliens had already darted towards the pebble beach to plant their flags. Hao Ren almost went bananas as he yelled at them, ¡°Come back! Come back! Keep those things to yourselves! This place is owned¡­¡±


    Noticing the nervousness on Hao Ren¡¯s face, Lily¡¯s canine nature was triggered. She woofed and ran over to the pebble beach, herding the little green men back up. ¡°Stop running around. Those who don¡¯t listen are going to be kicked out!¡±


    Nangong Wuyue was amazed. ¡°A husky is a sheepdog too?¡±


    The four ascetics had been standing next to Hao Ren for a while. They carefully scanned their surroundings, and then they lowered their head. It looked as if they were communicating with some higher beings through telepathy, before they finally acknowledged that they had indeed returned to The Plane of Dreams. Big Beardy came up to Hao Ren and performed a religious ritual in all sincerity. He then said, ¡°This is truly our hometown. My friend, what you said is true. You¡¯ve brought us back.¡±


    Hao Ren was a little surprised. ¡°What? You mean you didn¡¯t believe what I said earlier?¡±


    Big Beardy nodded. ¡°Just half of it.¡±


    Big Beardy¡¯s frankness left Hao Ren speechless. But then again, it was normal, he thought. The ascetics were not children; they would not be intimidated that easily. They did not fully trust in Hao Ren even after they saw the experiment of the Sacred Relic of Origins and the Orb of the Holy Synod. As people shouldered with great responsibility, they should always be suspicious. It was no wonder they had been guarding the Orb so closely. They did not allow anyone to even touch it and people were only allowed to look at it from afar during the experiment. Hao Ren could not help but nod in comprehension.


    ¡°We need to return the Orb to where it¡¯s supposed to be.¡± Big Beardy pointed at the sack hanging around his waist. ¡°Besides, you need to return the Sacred Relic of Origins to us. I know we¡¯re kind of insistant, but it belongs to the goddess. The people of the goddess should inherit it.¡±


    Big Beardy knew his demand would quite possiblly offend other, but Hao Ren was not offended. The Sacred Relic of Origins had already been replicated, and he had a few of them lying in his spaceship. He nodded happily. ¡°That¡¯s okay. A promise is a promise. But before that, I need to solve the problem for the little green people first. We¡¯re going to Leyton in a short while.¡±


    Big Beardy understood, nodding back. Hao Ren walked up to the little green men and he could easily spot Kabala among the sea of green heads, as his head was a little faded in colour. ¡°Your spacecraft is right at the bottom of this lake. The siren will bring us to the bottom and we have to bring the wreckage up without disturbing the structure at the bottom of the lake. I guess you know the situation down there. So, are your salvaging equipment good enough?¡±


    Kabala swung his head proudly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The Kabala Commonwealth¡¯s technology is flexible and reliable¡­¡±


    Big Beardy came up to him. ¡°You are going to dive to the bottom, am I right?¡±


    Hao Ren understood that the ascetics were concerned about the operation. He nodded at Big Beardy and as if to assure him, he said, ¡°Yes, but we have great respect for your faith. We won¡¯t disturb the geological environment of the Blood Lake. Besides, you don¡¯t really want a metal-pimple stuck in your holy place, do you? Let me help you get rid of it.¡±


    This was exactly what Hao Ren had told Big Beardy, the monk before. He knew that the land had a significant meaning to the believers¡ªit was their holy land. So, the most effective way to convince them was to look at it from their religious point of view. He did not talk about humanity, laws and stuff like that. If members of the Disciples of Glory knew that there was a sunken ¡°foreign object¡± at the bottom of the holy lake, they would want it removed. Hence, with this understanding, things would be easier.


    Big Beardy was silent for a while. Gazing at the Blood Lake, he said, ¡°I know, you¡¯ve mentioned it before. But, I still have to warn you: keep it discreet. Do not alert the other guards, because they¡¯re not going to listen to you.¡±


    As Big Beardy finished talking, he withdrew back to his company. The four ascetics were not going with the group as it was considered taboo to them.


    Hao Ren slid a glance at the four weird fellows and his gut told him that something was not quite right with those four. The weird feeling only became stronger with time: how could the four ascetics, fanatic followers of their goddess allow the salvage operation to go on? Especially when it was blasphemous, no matter how one looked at it from the perspective of their faith.


    Hao Ren was putting himself in their shoes. He did not think that any normal believers of the religion would allow pagans to send dredging equipment into their holy land.


    ¡°Something wrong?¡± Vivian had snuck up to Hao Ren without him realising. She knew what he was thinking. ¡°As ascetics, they¡¯re being too compromising.¡±


    ¡°Just watch your back.¡± Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°They must have something else in mind. But, all we need to do is focus on our mission for now. MDT, please keep an eye on the lake bottom. If things go wrong, cut off the dream connection immediately.¡±


    ¡°Roger that.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue had already shapeshifted into a siren. She entered the water, and was followed by the nervous little green men, leaving the four ascetics on the shore. Soon, the lakeside returned to its usual quietness.


    They came to The Plane of Dreams using high-powered conversion equipment, so there was no more worry about being out-of-range. Even if Hao Ren, the tour guide had gone a far distance, the four ascetics on the shore would not have to worry about being kicked out of The Plane of Dreams.


    The four monks waited quietly. Their faces were deadpanned and void of movement¡ªlike statues.


    No one knew what was in their minds.


    A long while had past when one of the monks asked, ¡°Letting them into the holy lake, are you sure that¡¯s okay?¡±


    ¡°You know it yourseld. The true holy place is not at the Blood Lake,¡± Big Beardy said. His eyes were still closed as if he was looking for something in the dark. ¡°They¡¯re pagans, but the power of the goddess has accepted them. We should not have any objections. And furthermore, the key to openthe Sacred Cave may lie with these outsiders.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then we shall wait and see.¡±

 Chapter 341

    The Blood Lake was calm, so calm that the surface of the ruby-red lake only had a few indiscernable ripples. However, beneath the surface, the body of water was quickly experiencing some disturbance. Nangong Wuyue had shapeshifted into a siren and she swished her tail as she led the expedition to the bottom. Behind her was a large group of little green people, Hao Ren and the rest of her buddies.


    ¡°It looks like the bottom hasn¡¯t changed.¡± Hao Ren kept his eyes on the lake bottom as they descended quickly. The place appeared the same since the last time they were there. Two months had already past since then, but the search for the Orb of the Holy Synod had yet to expand to the bottom of the lake. ¡°Wuyue, is your magic sphere still there?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue¡¯s long tail was swishing back and forth in front of him. She slowed down a little and said, ¡°Yup, it¡¯s till there. No one touched it.¡±


    Shortly after, a soft sound was heard coming from behind them; it was Lil Pea. She rolled and swam around, overtaking Hao Ren as well as circling the team like a loach gone mad. She still remembered the last time she was there and she was happy to be back again. Nangong Wuyue looked at the little mermaid and smiled. ¡°Mermaids belong to the water. And, she looks like she¡¯s grown one size up again, hasn¡¯t she? The pot¡¯s probably a little small by now?¡±


    Hao Ren twitched his lips. ¡°I¡¯ve gotten her a big aquarium, but she doesn¡¯t seem to like it very much.¡±


    The whole incident involving the experiment two days ago had turned Lil Pea into a focal point. No one knew when her other new abilities would manifest and throw her into danger. So, Hao Ren could not let Lil Pea out of his sight. He had to bring her along into The Plane of Dreams; the Dimensional Pocket was a great device, in which he could stuff Lil Pea and the big aquarium together.


    However, the little one was so much like a wild horse, especially in the water¡ªshe would outrun everyone. In the water, no one could tame her except Nangong Wuyue.


    They quickly reached the centre of the lake, where the underwater beach strewn with pebbles lay. Following the signs Nangong Wuyue left behind previously, they were able to find the site of the wreckage. A large shadow began to materialise before them and Kabala as well as the little green men sped towards it. Someone began to shout, ¡°This is the one! This is the spaceship!¡±


    Hao Ren came close to the wreckage and checked the surrounding area before he took things out from his Dimensional Pocket. ¡°Let¡¯s get to work!¡±


    The lake bottom began to be filled with a large number of strange machinery and without wasting any time, Kabala¡¯s salvage crew slipped into the machines. Large machines with robotic arms then began digging around the wreckage. The first step was to dislodge the spaceship from the ground; the second step would be to paste the marker beacons at key parts on the spaceship. They had been rehearsing this operation for the past two days, so the little green men were quick in their actions. It looked like the spaceship would be out of the bottom in no time.


    The spaceship¡¯s salvage operation under the lake¡¯s complex environment was an incredible feat for the natives of The Plane of Dreams. But to Kerbalians, their technology was obviously more than enough to handle the job. Their salvaging machinery had big but snappy multi-sectional robotic arms. They had no difficulties in performing their work even under the huge water pressure. However, the movement of the machines caused quite a strong turbulence around the area and unsettled the surrounding body of water. Nangong Wuyue had anticipated this. She spread her hands out, fused with the water within the radius of several kilometres to calm the turbulence. She prevented the activity at the bottom of the lake from causing ripples on the surface.


    Lily, on the other hand was paddling around the wreckage site like a pompous site supervisor. Spinning her tail like a propeller was her own original creation. Vivian could not help but scoff at her. ¡°Can¡¯t you just sit still? It¡¯s alright if you can¡¯t help, but please don¡¯t cause trouble.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not causing trouble!¡± Lily¡¯s tail spun as she came up. She wiggled her nose and said, ¡°I smell a weird stench nearby.¡±


    ¡°A weird stench?¡± Vivian furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°Could it be a fuel leakage? Didn¡¯t that already happen the last time we were here?¡±


    Lily stretched her neck, trying to trace the source of the smell. ¡°Nope, it¡¯s not just that fuel smell¡­ something else is in the water.¡±


    Hao Ren noticed the seriousness on Lily¡¯s face and he became instantly nervous: the husky may not have shone in other areas, but when it came to her nose, she had never messed up before. He quickly threw Nangong Wuyue a glance and said to her, ¡°Does Lily¡¯s nose work in the water? How sensitive is it?¡±


    ¡°With the help of my magic sphere, she¡¯s as good as when she¡¯s on dry land.¡± But, Nangong Wuyue shook her head and said, ¡°However, I haven¡¯t detected any harmful elements in the water.¡±


    ¡°No matter what, just be careful,¡± Y¡¯zaks spoke in a soft, calm voice. ¡°Our understanding of the lake is too little. The lake is known as a holy lake and I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a reason for the name. Keep an eye on your daughter; she¡¯s defiant. But as long as she doesn¡¯t wander off, we will have one less thing to worry about.¡±


    A feeling of embarrassment hit Hao Ren. He quickly grabbed the little mermaid as she swam playfully around him. Catching the little mermaid under water was not as easy because it was slippery. He was thinking of bringing along a fish net next time¡­


    Lil Pea turned her head to look at Hao Ren, curious at what was happening. She then tried to get away, but failed. Hao Ren got wise this time and he grabbed her by her upper body where it wasn¡¯t as slippery.


    Meanwhile, salvaging work was progressing pretty quickly. The little green men had not only brought their insanely powerful machines, but also a resonant dislodging device. The rocks around the spaceship had been dug out, and the sight of the spaceship rocking in the water was pretty scary. Nonetheless, the powerful digging machines used a large amount of cables to keep the wreckage from rolling down the top of the rock formation.


    Once the body of the spaceship was out of the rocky bottom, another team of Kerbalian engineers rode in their mini, oval-shaped machines, ready to proceed with the second step of their salvage operation. They began to affix a metal devices, which glowed with a silver light on different parts of the spaceship¡¯s body. The metal devices had the stylings of the Xi Ling Empire. Their silver, metal surface had a moving blue light and it looked especially beautiful yet strange in the blood-red lake water. These little devices were the key to bringing the whole spaceship out of The Plane of Dreams.


    The little green people did not need to haul the spaceship out of the water. They just needed to place enough markers on the wreckage. These marker beacons were specially made for this operation. They were auxillary devices that came together with the silver cubes and they possessed the function of transferring large-sized cargo from The Plane of Dreams. It was so much easier to bring stuff out than send stuff into The Plane of Dreams. That was why Hao Ren was not worried about leaving Big Beardy and company on the shore. The whole salvage operation would not take a very long time.


    ¡°Watch out, be careful¡­ Keep an eye on the cable. Maintain the tension¡­ Pull it up a little¡­¡± The engineering head was issuing his final instructions. Knowing that the salvage operation was almost done, Kabala swam up to Hao Ren and said, ¡°It¡¯s about time to begin the teleportation.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded in acknowledgement. ¡°We¡¯re not going out with you. The crew in Kuiper Station will assist you once you¡¯re back out. The wreckage will be sent directly to the main maintenance dock in the space station. Lulu will lead you over there.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much for your help.¡± Kabala rocked his head as he said, ¡°By the way, could we stay a little while longer so that we can sightsee a little? We¡¯ll just linger near the orbit.¡±


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes. ¡°Just leave!¡±


    The wreckage was finally beacon-marked. The beacons flashed in unison for 10 seconds before the wreckage and the little green people slowly vanished into the darkness.


    In a flash accompanied by a spatial warp, the alien spaceship, which had been laying at the bottom of the Beinz Blood Lake for months was gone before Hao Ren¡¯s eyes. A large underwater crater was the only thing left.


    Lake water collapsed back onto into the void left behind by the vanishing wreckage. Hence, there was immense water pressure on the rocky bottom. For a moment, a muffled, thunderous sound filled the whole area, resonating in and out of the water as well as in the nearby forest.


    Big Beardy and his friends looked at each other, feeling clueless and hapless.

 Chapter 342

    The void left behind by the vanishing spaceship had caused a massive implosion. Hundreds of metres down at the bottom of the lake, the implosion was so great that it almost created large scale tremors, which could even be felt up on the surface. But, the little green people and the spaceship were gone, so there was nothing Hao Ren had to worry about. He was at most adding another mystery to the many mysteries already surrounding in the Blood Lake.


    Nangong Wuyue was in front, using herself as shield against the impact of the implosion. Because of that, she now almost swam like a crab. Hao Ren felt a little sorry seeing the siren maiden who was swimming upside down almost as if she was about to meet her maker soon. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue¡¯s body oblique, but still leading in front. She acted tough. ¡°I¡¯m all right! Just a little dizzy! But don¡¯t underestimate the survivability of siren under water¡­¡±


    Vivian looked at her, also feeling sorry. ¡°¡­but you¡¯re already upside down¡­¡±


    Nangong Wuyue tried to correct her posture but failed. She swayed her head a bit and said, ¡°Sometimes you get to look at things from a different angle¡­¡±


    Lil Pea was tailing Nangong Wuyue happily, imitating the upside down posture. Hao Ren quickly grabbed her by her tail, pulling her back and said, ¡°Behave yourself! That posture is bad luck!¡±


    Nangong Wuyue had to maintain her siren form to keep herself balanced after the implosion¡ªnot that she could really balance herself. Suddenly, she turned her head around and looked at her tail, beginning to wonder again. ¡°¡­do you think I have fish bone?¡±


    Cold sweat flew down Hao Ren¡¯s back even in water. ¡°How long are you going to harp on this question?¡±


    The four ascetics, who had waited on the shore for quite a while came towards them as they emerged from the water, still looking sombre. Hao Ren thought they might remain so even if the world was to come to an end, as long as the end of the world was not the whim of their Goddess. Big beardy came up to him and said, ¡°Have the green creatures left?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call them green creatures, they¡¯re people too. They¡¯re Kerbalians. We¡¯re just a lump of meat in the eyes of aliens without any physical forms,¡± Hao Ren said, sounding like a guardian of equal rights but he forgot he had been calling Kabala, ¡°the little green man¡±. ¡°The spaceship is gone but has created quite a noise. It was little out of control, but don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s no problem aside from the noise.¡±


    One of the female ascetics asked, ¡°Did you see any visions at the bottom of the lake?¡±


    ¡°None that I can recall,¡± Lily said thoughtlessly. She was playing with a couple of black stones in her hands she took from the bottom of the lake. ¡°What should we have seen, by the way?¡±


    The four ascetics shook their head in unison, almost like telling that was just fine. Hao Ren looked up, realising the sky was already completely dark. Hao Ren could tell from his memory the direction where the outpost was on the shore. He went in that direction, telling them, ¡°We¡¯ve got to go now. The noise might have alerted the holy army, we will have a hell of a time to explain ourselves if we are spotted hanging around here.¡±


    They moved toward the outpost. On the way, Vivian slid the silent ascetics a glance. She said, ¡°Masters, we know our circumstances. We don¡¯t belong to this world but we¡¯re not here to cause trouble. If somehow we¡¯re being interrogated especially by the church, I hope you can put in a few good words for us, besides acting as our witness in matter of the Orb of the Holy Synod.¡±


    Big Beardy paced, his voice cold. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, as clerics, we¡¯ll keep our promise. As far as the holy orb is concerned, though we shouldn¡¯t lie, we know what to say depending on the situation. After all, we¡¯ve gained your favour during our stay in the Surface World, it¡¯s now time to return the favour.¡±


    Though always in their sombre faces, Big Beardy and company were pretty easy to deal with. They had almost an astounding degree of flexibility in their moral compass under the premise of ¡®mission¡¯. In order to guard and bring back the Orb, they could surrender, become prisoners, kill, do everything below the bottomline of the clergy, collude with the unbelievers, and even resort to deceit and lie. It was safe to say that they would do anything except surrender the sacred thing of the Goddess. Such was the special clerics of The Disciples of Glory; they were determined, and specific in their action, with ¡®sacred mission¡¯ as their sole purpose in life.


    Amiable but extremely paranoid.


    Having spent three days with Big Beardy and company, Hao Ren dared not say he had figured the always-in-thought accentric weirdoes out, but he had more or less learned about their modus operendi, and knew how to deal with them. So he and Vivian had no problem for the four ascetics to be their guarantors; it did not go against their code of ethics anyway.


    Becky looked up, gazing at the starry sky, her heart was heavy. She was finally home, but it was a little bit different from what she used to imagine. The happy-go-lucky mercenary maiden had her down moment. But she quickly shoved the depressing thought behind her and became happy bunny again. ¡°Oh yeah, I¡¯ve got to claim my reward back home! Master Big Beardy, I¡¯ll tag along when you return the Orb. I¡¯ll be an elite. I wonder who will be presenting the reward. I hope it¡¯s Marshal Ophra, if she hasn¡¯t left the west already¡­ hahaha¡­¡±


    Goosebump on her skin when Vivian heard they way Becky laughed. She hugged herself and scurried near to Hao Ren. ¡°Why am I so sensitive to such laughter?¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyes rolled. ¡°Hessiana¡ª¡±


    Those goosebump moments suddenly flashed across her mind. Vivian turned and glared at Becky. ¡°Don¡¯t laugh like that. I have an allergy!¡±


    ¡°Even if you¡¯re now made a knight and given a manor, what use they have?¡± Nangong Wuyue gave Becky a glance. ¡°You could only stay for fifteen days top. The big mansion practically belongs to your servants, not yours.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to remind me about that!¡± Becky almost jumped up as if she was stepped in her tail. ¡°I only need to enjoy it while it lasts.¡±


    Those were not ordinary people; they did not slow down their pace one bit despite the talking. Soon they were arriving at the lakeside outpost. As soon as the silhoutte of the outpost was in sight, Y¡¯zaks suddenly shouted quietly. ¡°Halt! Something¡¯s wrong!¡±


    Hao Ren looked ahead, and noticed the problem too: the outpost looked dark from afar, not even a bit of light; light from the stars and two moons shone on the outpost, the outpost seemed empty. Upon careful observation, Hao Ren noticed many structure of the outpost had been damaged. He had a particularly deep impression of the few pointed towers at the corners of the outpost, which had only a few columns left standing now.


    Becky could not exactly see the situation in the outpost. She was surprised it was dark. ¡°It looks empty. Isn¡¯t the lakeside outpost supposed to have guards?¡±


    Lily sniffed around. Her ears stood erect and her tail puffed up. ¡°I smell blood, but it¡¯s almost gone. It should be from a few days ago.¡±


    ¡°The outpost was attacked?¡± Big Beardy and company were finally unsettled. They lunged toward the structure. ¡°Hurry up, let¡¯s check it out!¡±


    Hao Ren followed suit and came before the higher ground on the lakeside. More details in sight: the wooden wall of the outpost had basically collapsed, the magic barrier outside the wall had also gone, almost two-third of the wall on the facade was crushed into pieces as if some giant creature had stepped on it, debris strewned everywhere. He followed Big Beardy inside, the same state of destruction inside the structure: broken walls and fragments of solid wood. Some debris was buried in the ground as if they were stomped.


    It looked like the outpost had been ransacked by a giant.


    Immediately, Hao Ren had thought of the rock giant he once battled. Was the line of defense in Leyton breached after he left two months ago? The rock giant had come within the inner line of the sacred lake?


    But the situation at the sacred lake seemed normal, the little isle in the centre of the lake was still brightly lit¡ªhe was dead sure about it because he had let Lil Pea swim over and took a peek.


    Big Beardy had made a round around the outpost. He then said in a sombre voice, ¡°What has happened? The pagans had attacked the sacred grounds?¡±

 Chapter 343

    ¡°Not pagans.¡± Hao Ren could almost guess what had caused the destruction just by looking at the damage. ¡°It was most likely the rock monsters.¡±


    ¡°Rock monsters?¡± Big Beardy was baffled. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    Becky came up to them. She realised that since the Orb of the Holy Synod went missing months ago, the four ascetics must have been clueless about what had happened to their hometown. She said, ¡°It all happened during your disappearance. About two months ago, we came face-to-face with some rock monsters when we scaled Dragonspine Ridge¡­¡±


    Becky briefly described the rock monsters, and the state of chaos in the Kingdom of Holetta after the Orb went missing. Big Beardy¡¯s face was becoming more animated now. He frowned and inadvertently rested his hand on the pouch that was hanging around his waist. ¡°Monsters appeared in Dragonspine Ridge and tried to go to the sacred lake? Could it be related to the disappearance of the Orb of the Holy Synod?¡±


    Hao Ren dropped a piece of wood he had picked up earlier from the ground. He looked up at Big Beardy and said, ¡°In the beginning , I suspected that the Orb of the Holy Synod was used to suppress something in town. When the Orb left The Plane of Dreams, the monsters in Dragonspine Ridge were resurrected. But now, things don¡¯t seem to add up¡­¡±


    The MDT chimed in quietly, ¡°Because that thing is just a data vault.¡±


    They began to worry about the situation in Leyton. Leyton sat between Dragonspine Ridge and the Beinz Blood Lake; considering that the outpost was already destroyed days ago, it was too late to go to Leyton now, because it may have met the same fate. So, Hao Ren decided to stay where he was a little while longer. He wanted to see if he could scour the area for clues, which may be useful someday.


    Lily¡¯s natural instincts were instantly triggered. When she heard that, she began to lower her head on the ground and sniff around. Hao Ren knew Lily was the best at this, so he let her be. After a while of digging and sniffing around nearby buildings, she lay on the ground. She continued to listen hard and smell before she finally locked on to a spot. Wielding her claws and digging, she soon found herself almost buried in the hole. Vivian looked at her and said scornfully, ¡°We¡¯re asking you to find clues, not bury a bone¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up, man. I¡¯m looking for clues,¡± Lily said from within the hole. Her tail was visibly sticking out, wagging as she continued to dig. ¡°You found blood, but no bodies right? Judging from the scene of the destruction, I don¡¯t think the guards would have made it out¡ªeven the walls were crushed. They were outright defeated.¡±


    Hao Ren thought Lily was just messing around at first. He did not expect the maiden to be so observant. He started to take a second look at the scene and agreed with her. ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ Where are the bodies? And by the way, what are you looking for?¡±


    Lily replied without looking up, ¡°I heard something down here.¡± Her voice indicated that she even deeper in the hole now.


    The husky was no slouch at digging holes. Hao Ren could see that the maiden was digging at a speed discernable to the naked eye. He stood there looking as broken stones were thrown out and beginning to pile up to his knees. He looked down and wondered. ¡°¡­This high ground is a rock?¡±


    But, Vivian had another thought on her mind¡ªa kind of evil thought. ¡°What do you say if I summon a storm and bury her in there?¡±


    Hao Ren said, ¡°Can¡¯t you two just call a truce?¡±


    While they were talking, suddenly Lily let out a scream in the hole.


    Shortly after, the sound of falling rocks and objects were heard from below. They looked down, but Lily had disappeared into the black hole. Hao Ren poked his head inside, feeling nervous. ¡°Lily, what¡¯s happening?¡±


    Light suddenly shone from the bottom of the hole as Lily called up, ¡°There¡¯s a cave down here! It¡¯s a tunnel!¡±


    Everyone hurried to the hole, marvelling at Lily¡¯s digging skills before they turned their sights to Becky almost simultaneously. Nangong Wuyue pointed down at the hole and asked, ¡°There¡¯s a cellar under the outpost?¡±


    Becky shrugged. ¡°How would I know? I¡¯m just a mercenary, not a soldier here. But thinking about it, there aren¡¯t supposed to be any bunkers or tunnels down here. It¡¯s just a small outpost, plus the shore is unstable. Who would want to dig a tunnel down here?¡±


    Becky stomped the ground and said, ¡°And let¡¯s not forget that beneath the outpost is a piece of rock.¡±


    Hao Ren could not help but think of his last tunnelling experience. He could still vividly recall the horrifying moment of being attacked by knight wraiths beneath the ruins in England. He was done with tunnels. Vivian shared his fear as her mouth twitched. ¡°Why must all conspiratory stories have something to do with tunnels?¡±


    Meanwhile, Lily was calling out from below. ¡°Hello! Do you guys wanna come down or not? I¡¯ll go up if you don¡¯t. And, please don¡¯t block the hole!¡±


    Screw it! Hao Ren thought. ¡°Wait a second! Here I come!¡±


    They went down to the cave through the hole without any difficulty. After all, they were all not normal human beings. Lily had made a fire inside, so they were not making blind jumps from the hole. When everyone was down in the cave, Han Ren realised how the fire came about: Lily had summoned her fire and ice claws. The flame on her claws was enough to provide illumination and it was pretty bright. Even Vivian could not help but shower praise. ¡°Flamejoy¡¯s pretty handy, eh¡­¡±


    Lily growled at her. ¡°I¡¯ll bite you if you ever mention that name again!¡±


    Big Beardy took a gander around and muttered as he used his hand to scrape the slippery walls. ¡°It was bored using magic.¡±


    Hao Ren started to notice that the place, which Lily discovered was unusual: there were no supporting structures in the tunnel and the whole space seemed like a one-piece work. There were also no gaps, holes, or whatsoever on the walls as if the tunnel was carved out from a single piece of rock. If this was on Earth, he would have suspected it to be the work of a small, tunnel boring machine. But in The Plane of Dreams, what if it was truly the work of magic just as Big Beardy said?


    Becky was considered part sorcerer. She touched the walls and appeared to be deep in thought. She then said, ¡°To make a tunnel as large as this, the person has to be at least a master of magic. What¡¯s more, the tunnel itself was given a long-term cure, which requires a higher level of ability. A tunnel like this in a small outpost seems like overkill.¡±


    ¡°I smell blood.¡± Vivian furrowed her brows. She was sensitive to blood and her olfactory senses were just as good as Lily¡¯s. ¡°But the weird thing is, there¡¯s no body here. Where¡¯s the stench of blood coming from?¡±


    It was a dark and creepy tunnel, with both ends extending far out from where they stood. Hao Ren used his mind¡¯s eyes to gauge his surroundings. He could feel a breeze coming from one direction, so he pointed at it and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go in that direction, see where it leads to.¡±


    No one objected. Lily raised her Flamejoy¡­ Okay, let¡¯s not mention the name. Let¡¯s just say she was holding up a torch and walking in front of the group. Everyone followed the husky as they staggered along the tunnel, their nerves becoming more tense with each passing moment. Originally, Hao Ren thought that this was all simply a monster attack. But the tunnel, which had been carved with magic and wreaked with the stench of fresh flood pointed at the involvement of humans. Something was definitely wrong and his sixth sense told him that it had something to do with the Blood Lake.


    If it concerned the Blood Lake, then it also concerned the goddess. The legend of the world¡¯s destruction was like a heavy rock on Hao Ren¡¯s mind. His gut told him that the peculiar relationship between The Plane of Dreams and the Surface World was not that straightforward. He could not just stop himself from thinking about it, especially when things seemed to involve both.


    They kept going for a long while, but did not meet anything unusual. The path¡¯s gradient slowly slanted upwards and the tunnel came to a stop at an exit on the surface. However, it was blocked by rocks. Fresh air could be felt rushing through the gaps between the rocks. The rocks were no match against Lily¡¯s digging firepower and they soon came out in the open again, where the sky was filled with twinkling stars.


    Hao Ren looked back and he could see the outpost. He figured he had probably travelled a great distance underground.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Lily looked a little disappointed. ¡°I thought we would find the consipracy.¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Vivian gave Lily the side-eye. ¡°Isn¡¯t it great that everyone is safe?¡±


    Lily puffed her cheeks. ¡°That was boring. At least if there had been some little monsters, the whole exploration would have been more exhilarating.¡±


    Before Lily¡¯s voice trailed off, Hao Ren suddenly heard loud, earth-shattering steps coming from the Gnarled Grove.


    Vivian slapped Lily on the head. ¡°Speaking of the devil!¡±

 Chapter 344

    The heavy footsteps and tremors sounded all too familiar. Everyone braced themselves and just as expected, a group of recognisable shadows emerged from the Gnarled Grove¡ªthey were the rock monsters!


    ¡°Sure enough, we¡¯ve run in to them.¡± Hao Ren took a deep breath. ¡°God knows what¡¯s happened to the town.¡±


    Big Beardy was stunned when he saw the rock monsters. A pale, golden light radiated from his body as he got into his combat stance and muttered, ¡°What are these things? The rock monsters?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Y¡¯zaks said. A glowing, red light lingered around his body as he walked towards the rock monsters. ¡°Be careful, they can resurrect themselves. You must get them off the ground in order to totally kill them.¡±


    *Boom*


    Before Y¡¯zaks voice trailed off, a rock monster closed in on him. The great demon raised his leg and struck the rock monster on its knee. The kick smashed its limb into pieces. Likewise, Y¡¯zaks crushed its¡¯ other limbs before grabbing its¡¯ body and lifting it off the ground. In a blink of an eye, it was dead; easy-peasy. Already having prior combat experience, Y¡¯zaks did not find these solid and powerful monsters challenging at all.


    Everyone lunged forward and engaged the rock monsters. Unlike their previous encounter, they were better prepared this time. Despite her mediocre skills and inability to kill the rock monsters, Becky the swordswoman did not get hurt. Roars, explosions and rock-crushing sounds filled the air between the Blood Lake and the Gnarled Grove like a rolling thunder!


    The four ascetics were meeting the monsters for the first time, and they were a little clueless when it came to fighting them. But as ascetics of the Church, they were not slouches. Big Beardy was covered in a golden light; even his eyes were glowing. He was using a very peculiar fighting technique. With a swing of this fist, he was able to smash through the rock monster! He had learned about the monsters¡¯ regenerative abilities and as he took two steps back, he began to chant something. Gravity in the surrounding field changed as pebble stones on the beach began to tremble and float in the air before descending slowly as if in slow motion. Affected by the strange gravitational magic, the rock monsters began to tumble: although they were equipped with basic fighting instincts, the rock monsters lacked inteligence.


    Big Beardy noticed that the monsters could barely hold themselves steady under the influence of his magic, so he lunged forward. With his Rising Dragon Fist, he threw the monster, which weighed several tonnes into the air and blew its¡¯ limbs into pieces. Well, monkey see, monkey do, so the other three ascetics followed suit.


    Such were the ascetics trained by the Disciples of Glory. They practiced a type of fist fighting technique, blessed with powerful magic. They were able to remain calm and they were powerful as well as skillful in all types of battle¡ªlong ranged or close quarters combat alike. Under the almost weightless gravitational field and continuous thrust of their fists, the rock monster remained suspended in the air for minutes. But Big Beardy had no clue how long he had to keep the monster suspended before it would completely lose its strength. So, he had to keep asking his comrades while he kept the thing afloat. ¡°Can you see if mine¡¯s already done?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still moving¡­ Keep whipping!.¡±


    ¡°Is mine done yet? I¡¯ve already battered it with 10 rounds of Rising Dragon Fist.¡±


    ¡°Yours should be done. It¡¯s already turned black. Mine too. But, can you take a look if the colour is right, just to be sure?¡±


    Hao Ren was perplexed when he overheard their conversation. He turned his head and took a look at them: if he had not checked on what the four were up to, he may have actually thought they were in a cooking class¡­


    Ten rock monsters were down. Broken rocks and pits were strewned across the battlefield, but the pressure they faced was only increasing. Hao Ren had to divide his attention to protect Nangong Wuyue, who only had minimal fighting power, and keep an eye on the forest. More rock monsters were coming out from the Gnarled Grove!


    Meanwhile, in the distance, the sound of heavy footsteps did not stop. It seemed like there was a large group of monsters¡ªthe main course of the battle¡ª coming their way! The rock monsters before them were just the appetisers!


    All of a sudden, a blinding flash of lightning filled the sky. A large swarm of bats then expanded outwards from the centre of the lightning and travelled into the forest. Shortly after, the bats regrouped and transformed into Vivian. She flew up into the air and called out to Hao Ren. ¡°There¡¯s another wave coming! Hundreds of them! We¡¯re under siege!¡±


    ¡°Did we just stir up their nest?¡± Running up to him like a silver whirlwind, Lily began to pant despite her extraordinary stamina. She gave her wrist a little massage and allowed Nangong Wuyue to reinvigorate her as she kept her ears on the forest. ¡°No¡­ fighting like this is way too slow.¡±


    Hao Ren also realised that they lacked an effective fighting power. Forget about where these gazillion rock monsters were coming from; they were already being surrounded. The biggest problem for them was the impossible task of fighting so many monsters! They could keep attacking the enemies¡¯ weakest point by lifting them up into the air for a certain amount of time before totally destroying them. However, this was difficult to execute when the number of enemies were this many. Hao Ren scrunched his eyebrowd together as his mind race to look for a better way in dealing with these strange creatures. Then, he heard Y¡¯zaks yelling from afar. ¡°If worse comes to worse and there¡¯s no better way, you guys better take cover because I just discovered an asteroid belt 20 AU1 away¡ªtalk about pure iron core, which is particularly great for handling¡­¡±


    Hao Ren had cold sweat trickling down his back. He tried to calm the meteorite maniac down while his mind went on overdrive, trying to find a solution. Suddenly, he had a light bulb moment!


    ¡°Watch me!¡± Hao Ren aimed at a rock monster, who was in a fight with Becky. Then, he pranced forward.


    Becky was very not good at dealing with such monsters and she was getting a little frustrated at it. She was elated when she heard Hao Ren was coming for her. Wielded her Flaming Sword, she forced the monster back, and bounced to the side. Meanwhile, Hao Ren grabbed that moment of opportunity to raise his hand and swipe the rock monster into his Dimensional Pocket.


    Everyone was in awe, but Hao Ren did not stop there. He looked inside his Dimensional Pocket, feeling elated. He then ran amok, collecting all the monsters he could find. ¡°Move out of the way, people. Bring them to me! Give this one to me too! This one too¡­ Umm¡­ it¡¯s already dead¡­¡±


    Hao Ren ran a circle around the battlefield and the fierce battle at the lakeside subsided just like that. He went and found himself a large open space, after which he took out the MDT, checked the time and waited. With a swipe of his hand, his Dimensional Pocket was opened.


    The rock monsters¡ªdead and blackened, came crushing out, and piled up like a hill¡­


    Vivian flapped her wings and descended to the ground. She looked at Hao Ren, wide-eyed. ¡°¡­That¡¯s pretty creative.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as a wasted skill¡ªall you need is some creativity.¡± Hao Ren looked up and saw a group of rock monsters coming out from the forest. He could not help grinning from ear to ear. ¡°The most valuable asset nowadays is a creative talent!¡±


    Hundreds of rock monsters were turned into blackened rocks by Hao Ren¡¯s creative skill. The amount of rocks was so great that it filled the valley and beach to the brim. Hao Ren stood on the tallest heap of rocks, clapped and jumped down. ¡°With these many rocks, I wonder how many siheyuans2 I can actually build.¡±


    Lily squatted at the bottom of the heaps, clawing away. She discovered some black stones, which she found beautiful, and shoved them into her pocket. Hao Ren was perplexed. ¡°You¡¯re collecting these rocks?¡±


    ¡°I love them.¡± Lily looked happy. ¡°We left in a hurry the last time. But this time, I¡¯m gonna collect all my favourite stones!¡±


    Everyone back home knew that Lily was a stone collector. In fact this hobby of hers was one of the few things considered artistic. In fact, when she first arrived in Hao Ren¡¯s place, her suitcase was partially filled with various kinds of stones. Lily treated her stones like precious jewels. She would not let anyone touch them. For this reason, Vivian had given the stones a name: the Treasure of Woofie.


    Of course, Lily had her opinions about that.


    When Lily was done with her stone picking, they began to leave the creepy and dangerous lakeside. They wanted to take the short route to Leyton by cutting through the Gnarled Grove. But before they moved, a rustling sound came from the nearby forest.


    This time, it was a human voice.

 Chapter 345

    The dust had just settled, yet they could hear a commotion coming from the Gnarled Grove again. But this time, it sounded like humans and the pounding of hooves. Dots of fire began to emerge from the forest and they began to slowly increase. Lily summoned her Frostfire Claws instinctively while the others were also on their guard.


    A series of hoofbeats accompanied by a group of knights appeared from the dense forest. The knights were riding war horses and they were draped in the glittering armour of the Church¡¯s knight regiment as well as heraldic sacred gowns. Each of them was wielding a sword, which had a magical glow on it and the group seemed like it was going to war. Another group of people, who were military sorcerers followed from behind.


    Meanwhile, more knights had exited the forest and among them were knights of the kingdom. Riding horses, these knights almost overran the open space on the lakeside but what they saw almost had their jaws on the ground: the place was piled with black rocks. There were only a few strangers there, but their prey was gone.


    ¡°Halt!¡±


    The knights stopped. A few knights, who appeared to be the leaders, came up to Hao Ren and the rest, but did not dismount. With swords in their hands, the knights asked cautiously, ¡°Who are you people? What are you doing here on the lakeside?¡±


    Hao Ren was a little stunned, not really sure what was happening. But, he quickly replied with the usual bullsh*t for the nth time, ¡°We¡¯re wandering sorcerers from the Northen Empire. We¡¯re also registered mercenaries in the Kingdom of Holletta searching for the missing Orb of the Holy Synod.¡±


    He was careful about their real identity around these knights. He just briefly mentioned the search operation, but he did not tell them that he had found the Orb. The middle-aged knight, probably one of the leaders became even more cautious. ¡°The Orb? The search has been called off half a month ago! You¡­¡±


    Sensing the knight¡¯s suspicion, Hao Ren was figuring out how to respond. Suddenly, Big Beardy came up to them and spoke, ¡°Are you a knight of the Church? Which diocese are you from? We are ascetics on the goddess¡¯ mission.¡±


    The clothes on Big Beardy and his company were almost torn like a sack, and with their low sense of presence, you would not have noticed their presence if they had not spoken. The leader of the knights initially thought the four were just some poor mercenaries. It was only when the ascetic revealed himself that the knight began to notice him and his grey robe, which was an ascetic¡¯s signature garment. Big Beardy took out a shiny metal plate from his robe and waved it in front of the knight. The latter took a gander and said, ¡°An ascetic? How did you end up here? I¡¯ve never heard of the Church sending ascetics¡­¡±


    The knight was cautious and he did not take the ¡°ID Card¡± at face value. After all, ascetics were a very special group of people in the Disciples of Glory; they were ot regular forces, but elites directly under the command of the pope and the goddess. The appearance of the ascetics at the lakeside was just unbelievable. Big Beardy looked at the insignia on the knight¡¯s garment, recognising it. He took his hat off and said, ¡°You¡¯re a senior knight under Bishop Gelton. Then, you must have recognised us at the ¡®reception ceremony¡¯ a few months back.¡±


    The reception ceremony was a gathering held when the Orb of the Holy Synod arrived in the Beinz Diocese a few months back. The leader began to size the four of them up and appeared shock after a few moments. ¡°You¡­ the four of you are the four masters of the Orb of the Holy Synod? How did you end up here?¡±


    Becky jumped out and patted her chest, pretending to be their leader. ¡°Of course! We¡¯re the mercenaries who found the Orb! We also found the four masters. Aside from a manor for the Orb, I wonder how much these four masters are worth¡ª¡±


    Hao Ren quickly dragged the mercenary with the machine-gun mouth away. Becky had been a fantastic person; the only downside was, she could not guard her mouth when she got excited. The way she told the story was almost as if she had kidnapped the four ascetics¡­


    Big Beardy turned and glanced at Becky, his face totally wooden. ¡°We¡¯re surely not that precious. But, we are at least worth a few fine horses.¡±


    Hao Ren tried to smooth things over. ¡°You¡¯re being humble. The way I see it, the four of you are at least worth two houses¡­¡±


    Vivian quickly hit him on the back and quietly said to him, ¡°If you don¡¯t know what to say, don¡¯t say anything.¡±


    The knights and the rest were now a little confused; the Orb of the Holy Synod, which had been missing for months was finally found and even the four masters, who were declared martyrs were now standing right in front of them. They found everything so surreal. The professional knights later came to their senses as their leader turned around and gave his right-hand man some orders, ¡°Launch the signal. Summon a few teams to escort the sacred orb back to town!¡±


    His right-hand man then shot a flare into the sky. As the flare exploded, their leader suddenly realised something as he looked at the mountains of black rocks, dumbfounded. He turned to Big Beardy and felt a sense of awe. ¡°Master, a group of rock monsters were here¡­ Were the four of you the ones who cleaned them up?¡±


    Big Beardy pointed at Hao Ren and said frankly, ¡°He was the one.¡±


    The knight swallowed. He was already stunned enough when he found the bits and pieces of the rock monsters. He would not have connected it to the mercenaries. He would have rather believed that it was the ascetics who had done the incredible thing. But, the ascetics had given all credit to the mediocre mercenary. He found it even more incredible. ¡°Him? Alone?¡±


    ¡°They killed about two on average.¡± Hao Ren smiled wryly as he pointed to the others. ¡°I killed 122.¡±


    The knight¡¯s jaw completely dropped to the ground this time. He almost could not believe his ears. ¡°¡­ Are all sorcerers from the Northern Empire monsters?¡±


    Hao Ren stood with his arms crossed, feeling proud. The MDT vibrated in his pocket, buzzing directly into his mind. ¡°Yeah, keep pretending. Besides running a few rounds and burning some calories, what have you actually done? Even Becky had higher DPS than you!¡±


    The knight knew nothing about what actually happened. Nonetheless, Hao Ren was already a monster in his eyes. He was just a lower-ranking officer, so he did not ask too much. Realising that the air had been cleared, Y¡¯zaks stepped forward and asked, ¡°What happened earlier? Were the rock monsters being chased here? We saw the outpost at the lakeside. What happened?¡±


    The knight saw the two-and-a-half-metre giant and he could not help holding on to his helmet. ¡°Don¡¯t you know already? Where have you been for the past half month?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been with them. Not in the Beinz Blood Lake.¡± Hao Ren pointed at Big Beardy. ¡°We just came here by teleportation. It was about the Orb and it¡¯s classified. We¡¯ll tell the bishop when we see him. Why don¡¯t you tell us what happened here?¡±


    Using the Orb of the Holy Synod as an excuse worked. The knight was not suspicious of him anymore, and began to relate what had happened as he sighed. ¡°The rock monsters came from Dragonspine Ridge¡­ You do know, right? Good. About half a month ago, the rock monsters began to multiply in great number and they breached the Leyton defense. There was an ancient route at the side of the mountain range. They penetrated the Gnarled Grove through this path and travelled all the way to this area. We were ordered to round up and terminate these monsters. We had been tracing them for two days, two nights and we successfully cornered them here until you guys finished them all. The lakeside outpost fell a few days ago. Other outposts around the sacred lake have been attacked almost on a daily base. These are not classified intel, so you can ask around and find out. Many mercenaries are guarding the outer lines of defense to prevent the rock monsters from entering the kingdom.¡±


    ¡°How is the situation in Leyton?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°It has been retaken. Marshal Ophra is guarding the town now. You guys can put up there,¡± the knight said with a smile as he shrugged. ¡°But, I cannot guarantee that you¡¯ll get a good night¡¯s sleep because of the trembling earth when those rocks run. There have been a few landslides in the nearby mountains as well.¡±


    Suddenly, Big Beardy asked nervously, ¡°What about the sacred lake? What do the rock monsters want, coming to the sacred lake? Did they spoil the lakewater?¡±

 Chapter 346

    Hearing the breach of Leyton defense, Big Beardy¡¯s utmost concern was about whether the sacred lake had been attacked, after all the rock monsters had already come near to the lakeside. Though no one really knew what the rock monsters were going to do to the lake, they must be stopped from marching forwards. When the knight leader heard Big Beardy¡¯s questions, he reacted with a strange expression on his face. ¡°Well, we really don¡¯t know yet. It¡¯s still a mystery of where the rock monsters want to go. For now it appears that their destination is the sacred lake, but when they reached and gathered there, they were just loitering in the Gnarled Grove and at the lakeside.¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t try to contaminate the lakewater?¡± Big Beardy said, perplexed. He couldn¡¯t think of any other reason for the rock monsters coming to the sacred lake other than spoiling the lake. ¡°Is the sanctuary in the centre of the lake safe?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s safe.¡± the knight leader said, shrugging. ¡°The Lake Sanctuary wasn¡¯t affected a bit. But Bishop Gelton opined that it did not matter what the rock monsters wanted to do, they must be stopped from gathering. So we were ordered to clean them up in the area.¡±


    Big Beardy nodded, as if saying he had no more question.


    There were more pounding sounds of the hooves heard in the forest as the group of knights summoned to escort the Orb were arriving. Hao Ren looked ahead and saw a sea of torches everywhere, and was amazed by the sheer number of knights. It seemed Beinz diocese had committed a significant part of their forces and was determined to clean up the rock monsters which had breached their defenses.


    The knight leader was frank to tell them that area surrounding the sacred lake wasn¡¯t safe. Battles were going on in Beinz diocese. He suggested everyone retreated back to Leyton through the Gnarled Grove, and returned the Orb as soon as possible. Though there were other monsters in the Gnarled Grove, they looked less a problem than the rock monsters which were still loitering around. The four ascetics were desperate to return the Orb, so they agreed at once.


    Everyone except Y¡¯zaks hopped on to the horses which the escorts had brought. Hustling through the Gnarled Grove on the path to Leyton, the church¡¯s and the kingdom¡¯s knights were escorting them all the way. As a mercenary for all her life, Becky had never been so proud of this moment. She felt like she was coming home from saving the world like a hero under the escorts of so many knights. She hurled the horse in front of the group, working hard to make herself looking like a returning hero. But she realised no one was seeing it after almost two hours into the journey, she felt dejected. She slowed down her horse and strode side-by-side with the knight leader, asking loudly, ¡°Would there be welcome party? Would there be a parade? What about the award ceremony back at the royal city?¡±


    The knight leader looked at Becky as if she was missing an eye, stomped for a long while before turning his head away. ¡°How do I know?¡± Then his mouth twitched and said, didn¡¯t bother to lower his voice. ¡°Tsk tsk, just like a typical mercenary that I know¡ªall they care is about money. You should pray more, pray that the Goddess will cleanse you with her holy will.¡±


    Becky didn¡¯t get it. Instead, she shouted happily. ¡°I want be rich!¡±


    Hao Ren had been observing the escorting knights; they were going through a long path through the Gnarled Grove, passing by a couple of patrol posts, and different groups of knight had been escorting them, but almost eight out of ten of the knights were church¡¯s knights in gown. There were just a small number of kingdom¡¯s knights, which mostly patrolling on the side as if they were just ornaments. So he was particularly curiously. ¡°Why most knights pursuing the rock monsters were from the church? Aren¡¯t the kingdom¡¯s knights the main forces?¡±


    The knight leader answered, ¡°The soldiers under the command of Marshal Opra are responsible for defenses outside of Leyton and in Dragonspine Ridge, getting rid of the rock monsters which came off the mountain to prevent them from coming inland, and at the same time giving instruction to the mercenaries on the outer denfense positions. Area within Leyton defense belongs to the church, naturally the church¡¯s knights are the main forces. Don¡¯t worry, the church¡¯s knights are capable to defend the sacred grounds. Our unswerving faith is the guarantee.¡±


    True to form, the knight of the Goddess would always sway the conversation to his faith. Hao Ren nodded, agreeing with what he said; two different kind of knights were responsible for two different layers of defense was totally understandable.


    No one was talking since then. Under the escort of an army of knights, they didn¡¯t bump into any Gnarled Grove monsters. By the time they were finally out of the forest and arriving at valley where Leyton was at, it was already dawn.


    As the sun climbed slowly, the first light of the day shone on the land from behind the Dragonspine Ridge, waking up the sacred grounds from the rocky nightmare. The protective shield shrouding Leyton could be seen from afar glowing under the morning sun. They knights¡¯ spirit were visibly lit up as many of them breathed a sigh of relief. The battle here had been raging on for half a month with defense breaches, surprise attacks, outposts destroyed, and even a whole battalion of knights was sacrificed. Those left standing were worn out and suffering great mental stress. The glorious glow of the fortress of Leyton was their only strength they could draw on to keep fighting.


    The convoy slowed down. Hao Ren went to a side and scan the surroundings. He noticed marks of battle were everywhere: there were large rock pits and burned bushes outside the Gnarled Grove; makeshift structure of stainless steel and stones which had clearly been destroyed and rebuilt multiple times lined the road; protective slates carved in runes could also be seen strewn along the way, this rune slates were magic barrier used to block the advancing rock monsters, the magic power had been exhausted and the runes were broken, it told how brutal the defeat was. Of course, they were signs that told the rock monsters had also suffered a fair share of the destruction; the lifeless black rocks piling up around the forest, some of which were cut, dug, and used as construction materials by the defending soldiers.


    The knight leader sighed. ¡°We don¡¯t know when it will end. The bishop has been studying the secrets in Dragonspine Ridge but so far he still couldn¡¯t figure out how the rock monsters split from the mountain.¡±


    They had arrived at the entrance of Leyton as they talked. The tall wall of the town was still standing but had got some damages.


    ¡°¡­look like there has been a brutal battle.¡± Seeing the conditions of Leyton, Y¡¯zaks couldn¡¯t help whispering. ¡°The rock monsters went straight through the town?¡±


    Though Leyton was a town, it was practically the biggest military fortress on the edge of Beinz Blood Lake. It had very thick wall and strong inner wall buildings. But the fortress had suffered huge damage. Everyone could see large cracks were on the outer wall, even the wall facing the Gnarled Grove had gotten its gate missing replaced by a hundred-metre wide gap. Debris was everywhere which no one had cleared up. Groups of soldiers were seen patrolling the inside and outside the wall as if another battle was about to ignite.


    Hao Ren could see most of the destruction in Leyton town. Collapsed buildings were everywhere.


    When recalling about what happened that day, the knight leader was still visibly terrified. ¡°Yes. We couldn¡¯t believe that we could actually keep the town intact. At that time, Dragonspine Ridge had another collapse, thousands of rock monsters came down from the mountain. Half of the defense forces were in another battle with the monsters in the north and couldn¡¯t come back in time. The rock monsters had soon breached the outer shield, and stormed straight through the town towards the Gnarled Grove.¡±


    The knight leader spread out his hand and said, ¡°Fortunately, Marhal Opra had come back with a reinforcement. She went straight to the back and cut off the advancing rock monsters from behind. Then we were only able to keep the town under the command of Bishop Gelton. But like what you¡¯ve seen, the destruction is pretty massive.¡±


    The patrolling units at the town gate had spotted the returning forces. A muscular man on horse who appeared to be an officer came out. ¡°What happened?¡±


    The knight leader said solemnly, ¡°Inform the bishop quickly, the Orb of the Holy Synod has returned.¡±

 Chapter 347

    The sudden and safe return of the orb brought the town into a furore. Leyton was a special township, only sparsely populated by normal civilians. It was mostly inhabited by clergymen as well as royal knights, and perhaps a contingent or two of militias. All present had been involved in the search for the missing Orb to some extent, because they were aware of its significance to the kingdom. So, it was no surprise that the entire town rose into a huge cheer when a knight came bearing good news across the street, shouting, ¡°The Orb has been found!¡±


    Hao Ren and his group followed a group of knights as the latter escorted them into Leyton. They were soon mobbed by the townsfolk, who came to see what was going on and they were soon joined by the receiving troops. As they reached the town¡¯s trunk road, someone toiled away in the town¡¯s bell tower. The distant and loud sounds of the bell seemingly functioned to dispel the gloomy atmosphere that had canvassed the town for about half a month. The ringing also drew an ever bigger crowd and Hao Ren could not help but turn towards the leader of the knights beside him. ¡°Is it alright to let the news out? Logically speaking, the return of such an important treasure would normally be kept secret¡­¡±


    ¡°This is the land of the goddess.¡± The commander¡¯s face was grim as he pointed towards the church. ¡°The people here are the most loyal servants of the goddess. The Orb of the Holy Synod has returned to its rightful home and¡­¡± The captain stopped for a moment as he broke into a smile. ¡°Every sorry sod here needs something to be happy about. It has been nothing but sorry news for months. We need good news to let everyone know that the goddess is watching over her people.¡±


    Big Beardy as well as the three other ascetics were surrounded by knights and they could not care less about the commotion. The young ascetic with the hoarse voice only glanced up for a second before looking back down again. ¡°¡­Too noisy.¡±


    ¡°At least, we¡¯ve completed our mission,¡± Big Beardy said softly. ¡°Much has happened since and I will be praying for the night once we get back. Perhaps this is an omen by the goddess.¡±


    The town still bore the scars previously left by the rock monsters¡¯ invasion. The main road had clearly been repaired recently and some parts of the pavement were obviously new as well. The houses along both sides of the road had sustained visible damage while some had totally collapsed. Hao Ren still remembered how the town looked when he first came. Some of its buildings had since disappeared and only rubble or wooden frames were left where the buildings originally stood. Simple wooden shelters or tents dotted the streets and that was how the citizens of Leyton had been living since the attack. Based on the commander¡¯s description, the rock monsters had charged directly through the centre of town, ignoring the two side roads. Their objective was obvious and the headlong charge destroyed the trunk road and everything around it. The only structure still unscathed was the church in the centre of the town. As it was protected with a powerful, magical forcefield, the rock monsters had circumvented the church and laid waste to everything else around it.


    Thus, the plaza on both sides of the church was nothing but rubble now.


    It did not take long for the group to reach the church. In front of it, an old man in magnificent robes was waiting for them. Hao Ren recognised the figure as Bishop Gelton. The clergyman had personally come out to welcome the return of the Orb of the Holy Synod. The old man looked even frailer in the cold wind and Hao Ren really wondered how long this man could hold on. Since the last time they met, the bishop had aged even more, and he was now as gaunt as a corpse.


    The group dismounted from their horses and the four ascetics walked forth towards the bishop. Big Beardy and the bishop then exchanged greetings. ¡°Bishop Gelton, it has been a while. By the goddess¡¯ mercy, we have made it back alive.¡±


    Gelton nodded and quivered as if his frail body would collapse at any time. But, his voice was still crystal clear. ¡°It is great to see all four masters back, safe and sound. The thought of putting your names into the Book of Martyrs just did not feel right.¡±


    The ascetics were a special group within the Disciples of Glory. To receive the title of a ¡°master¡±, one needed to constantly practice and study all forms of arcane knowledge. This not only meant that these people were strong in faith, they were also learned in academia, theology, history and all sorts of fields. Most common believers treated the ascetics with reverence, which was only reserved for someone with more seniority. For high level clergies, the title ¡°master¡± was used as a ¡°professional title¡±.


    Big Beardy waved the bishop off. ¡°Being a martyr is something I could only dream of. If needed, I am ever willing to trade my life for the glory of the goddess. But, it seems that she would like for us to wait and she has brought us back safely. Alright, let us not tarry. We need to bring the Orb back into the church.¡±


    Gelton nodded and looked at Hao Ren as well as the rest with rather cloudy eyes. ¡°These mercenaries here¡­ Ah¡­ I still remember you lot. So, it is you¡­. such awe-inspiring youngsters. I never thought you would be the one to complete such a divine calling. The goddess will be pleased, and the kingdom will remember your contributions.¡±


    At that point, even Becky was too embarrassed to even mention the rewards. The mercenary lass held a heroic pose as she said, ¡°You¡¯re welcome, you¡¯re welcome. It is my honour to serve the goddess and the kingdom¡­¡±


    Gelton was an experienced man and could tell that Becky was just another money-loving mercenary. However, he did not say anything more and simply nodded. ¡°Come along, I would like to hear how you managed to find the Orb of the Holy Synod and the four masters.¡±


    The group then headed into the church. The structure was protected by a powerful forcefield, thus it was safe from damage during the rock monsters¡¯ assault. Inside the church were a group of monks in black robes¡ªthe church¡¯s combat specialists. Their numbers seemed to have doubled, or tripled since the last time Hao Ren was there and they looked as formidable as ever. Hao Ren then entered the meeting hall where he first met the bishop. He also remembered another prominent figure who graced the room: the Royal Marshal, Ophra.


    But, the general was not around today. Perhaps, she was stationed in the outer defensive perimeter.


    The group sat on the benches and tall chairs in the room with Gelton being the last to be seated on his own tall chair. He coughed softly before he looked at Big Beardy. ¡°So, Master, where did come from and how did you return?¡±


    Big Beardy threw a glance at Hao Ren and narrated the story the way they had discussed earlier. ¡°We were trapped in an alternate dimension for a few months until we were saved not too long ago by this group of young ones.¡±


    A glimmer of shock flickered through Gelton¡¯s cloudy eyes. ¡°Alternate dimension? What is that about?¡±


    ¡°It appeared to be the remnants of the Ancient Magic Civilisation,¡± Big Beardy explained. The Plane of Dreams indeed had ruins of alternate dimensions dotted across it, even more so than Earth. This was the unusual restures¡¯ ¡°land of origin¡± after all. Thus, this was the best excuse available. ¡°This is another trial by the goddess. We survived the cold and hunger in the alternate dimension and we had to hunt the strange beasts in that dimension to keep going. Our faith has led us till the end. We found a weakspot in the dimension and managed to re-establish contact with the outside world. This group of youngsters hail from the Hognar Empire. Their knowledge of dimensional magic is astounding and they were the ones who managed to open a pathway for us to escape. However, the exit is very far away, in the northern wasteland.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded slightly as he listened and glanced at Becky. This whole hogwash tale was her doing. Or else, how could Hao Ren and Big Beardy come up with a story that fit the locals¡¯ understanding without getting busted? Becky had spent countless nights in the taverns throughout her mercenary days and over-the-top stories were never short in supply.


    After carefully curating your typical tavern tale off of parts where the hero slayed a dragon or demon king, most of the other parts would pretty much be true. A little salt and pepper made the story of the four ascetics, who disappeared believable. Besides, there was no way to disprove the matter or that such incidents were not unheard of.


    But most importantly, most common people wouldnever think that the ascetics would play them for a fool¡­


    Gelton nodded and seemed to trust what Big Beardy had told him. He knew that this was not the first time someone was trapped in the alternate dimensions left by the ancient ruins. The stories of other survivors were equally harrowing, and for that to happen to the goddess¡¯ most fervant of servants, the only explanation was: it was her will. As such, the bishop stood up and faced the statue of the goddess, bowing before it. ¡°Thank the goddess for her mercy.¡±


    He then turned towards Hao Ren. ¡°I am interested in hearing your story¡­¡±


    Hao Ren quickly perked up, knowing that his time to act all cool and heroic had come. He sat in his most heroic posture before Gelton¡¯s first words put a damper to it. ¡°I remember that your group being called the ¡®Dogs Have Gotten All the Good Names¡¯, right?¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s heroic facade crumbled in an instant before he nodded gingerly. ¡°¡­Uh¡­ right¡­¡±


    ¡°Such stoic heroism.¡± Gelton laughed. ¡°The captain of Dogs Have Gotten All the Good Names sure is mysterious.¡±


    Hao Ren could only keep a straight face on. ¡°¡­Umm¡­ thanks¡­¡±

 Chapter 348

    Hao Ren really regretted not standing his ground when Lily came up with that sorry name for their mercenary group. Now that things had come to this, calling the group ¡°Pink Fluffy Bunnies¡± would not have been as bad. The way Bishop Gelton pronounced the name of their group turned their faces ashen-grey, with the exception of the dumbass, Lily. She cheered happily and introduced herself to the bishop in her excitement. ¡°Yep, yep. And, I¡¯m the deputy leader of the group¡­¡±


    Hao Ren henceforth decided that she was the deputy of their merry band. That said, there was no such designation in his group¡­


    Gelton¡¯s main queries were to find out what happened and how they came about rescuing the four ascetics. One query was to gather information and another to verify the veracity of the whole incident. That did not mean that he was planning to hide the truth. However, as the bishop of the local diocese, it would be remiss of him to not be careful. But with Hao Ren and Big Beardy having rehearsed the whole story a few times, it was watertight.


    ¡°That¡¯s all from me for now. All of you have done well.¡± Gelton let out a sigh of relief as he concluded the questioning and the wrinkles on his face were much more apparent as he relaxed. He still peered at Hao Ren curiously nonetheless. ¡°I still wonder why you didn¡¯t come straight to Leyton, instead you went to the sacred lake. Wouldn¡¯t it have been more troublesome to safeguard the Orb that way? I heard that you all teleported here. Did something go wrong?¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s face was grim. ¡°None other than a slip of the hand.¡±


    Vivian nudged him on the shoulder as she interjected, ¡°We weren¡¯t familiar with the geography of the Blood Lake and there were many disruptive magic sources in town, so we chose an empty plain to land on. However, we never thought that rock monsters had already invaded the lake. We thought that we only had to contend with the creatures in the Grove.


    Gelton bore a serious expression as he nodded. ¡°Is that so¡­ Well, that explains things. Thank the goddess that all of you are safe.¡±


    Big Beardy then asked, ¡°I know that the defences here were breached at one point, but haven¡¯t you purified all of the monsters that got through?¡±


    Gelton threw Hao Ren and his group a glance before contemplating the matter. It was not much of a secret to begin with and the group in front of him was directly involved in the matter, hence he was forthright with the information. ¡°We only managed to seal the gap in Leyton, but there are other places where the monsters could have gotten around¡­¡±


    After that, the old bishop explained the current situation for all of them to understand. Based on the information he gave, there was clearly more than what the captain had let on. ¡°¡­It was all fine until now. Although monsters did appear from the mountains occassionally, they were few in number and their path was obvious, so it wasn¡¯t much of a trouble to purify them. Once we laid the necessary ground work and understood the weakness of the monsters, they were simple enough to stop. Subsequently, I started studying the ancient text from the Ancient Magic Civilisation to find out why the mountain was splitting itself apart and creating such monstrosities. We had hoped to stall the monsters until we discovered a way to stop them, but progress has been very slow¡­ Half a month ago, Dragonspine Ridge experienced another huge landslide, and not long after, the northern defensive line came under very strong assault. The local lords and garrison went forth to help before the line was attacked by a large group of monsters¡­ This was the first time that the rock monsters showed strategic nuances. Plus, their numbers were way more than before¡­¡±


    Gelton stopped for a moment before continuing, ¡°After the Leyton defensive line was breached, the southern part of the ridge experienced another round of landslides. But this time, it was even more baffling. It was as if the whole mountain had twisted and turned during the incident, creating a whole new pathway. This pathway literally cut through the mountain range, where the defensive line was anchored all the way through to the Gnarled Grove. The monsters that have been appearing from then on all came from that accursed path. If you go to the southern area, this is very obvious. Dragonspine Ridge has a new mountain and it is right on top of our defences.


    Gelton made his explanation clear and simple. It was quite obvious that he was not plotting anything. He knew that the four ascetics would be heading back to the Royal City to report the matter and take the chance to explain everything.


    ¡°There are movements and changes in the mountain, right?¡± Big Beardy said in a grim manner. ¡°This does not bode well¡­ Do you have no way to stop it?¡±


    Gelton closed his eyes. ¡°Our manpower is limited and our foe is nature itself. While it pains me to say so, we still do not understand the power wielded by the mage emperors of yore. The mountain path is very treacherous and the miasma is palpable. The whole mountain can even collapse on itself to prevent others from encroaching it. Losses were heavy in our first few attempts. Even the royal mages could not do anything about it. So, we are now left to cull whatever that comes out from the Grove or the mountains to maintain peace. The former is under the purview of the church knights, while the latter is handled by Marshal Ophra¡¯s royal knights.


    Hao Ren kept silent as he listened, but in his head, he was already planning on how to go about investigating the mystery behind Dragonspine Ridge. More and more unsettling incidents surrounding that mountain range were popping up. He believed that the range bore secrets of the Magic Kingdom from 10,000 years ago, those secret may just help him in solving the issues regarding Earth¡¯s unusual creatures, and perhaps the whole nature of The Plane of Dreams. His mission now was to prevent The Plane of Dreams from converging with the Surface World. Anything that could possibly help should not be dismissed. Hao Ren was discussing with the MDT if they should apply for a micro-surveillance satellite when the main door was suddenly pushed open. A beautiful lady cutting a heroic figure marched in. ¡°Bishop Gelton, I¡¯ve heard that the Orb of the Holy¡­ Hmm?¡±


    Hao Ren turned towards the voice and saw a lady with curly, maroon locks in full plate armour. She had a very dignified look to her¡ªthe eternal guardian of the kingdom, the legendary heroine of the Kingdom of Holetta, Madam Marshal Ophra. As the marshal walked in, the first to bounce off her seat was Becky. The mercenary was so stunned that she stammered as she spoke, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ La-Lady¡­ O-Ophra! An¡­ honour to meet you! Lo-long live the marshal¡­ I-I¡­ am Be-Becky, do you remember me? I-I was¡­ se-searching for the O-Orb¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was tired of Becky¡¯s fangirling and giddiness, so he pulled her back. ¡°Marshal, I¡¯m¡­ the captain of this mercenary group. We have safely returned the Orb to where it belongs.¡±


    Ophra was slightly surprised to see the group in front of her. Because of Becky¡¯s antics, she had a rather deep impression of them and by then, she had already recalled their first encounter. ¡°So, it¡¯s you lot¡­ I heard the news when I was outside. I never thought that the heroes behind the Orb¡¯s return would be a newly formed mercenary group. Well done.¡±


    Becky¡¯s eyes immediately lit up as she tugged at Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Hehehe¡­ Hehehe¡­ Did Lady Ophra just praise me just now?¡±


    Vivian frowned and she massaged her temples as the scene reminded her of something. ¡°¡­My goodness, fangirls are sure hard to deal with¡­¡±


    Ophra soon ignored Hao Ren and his odd bunch of mercenaries as she approached the four ascetics, exchanging greetings in the process. ¡°It has been a while, masters. I¡¯m so glad to see all of you safe and sound. Is the Orb of the Holy Synod with you?¡±


    Lady Ophra seemed like a rather straightforward person because she went straight into the status of the Orb. Big Beardy nodded. ¡°It¡¯s with me. But, we have not decided on how to securely store it. By rule, the Orb should be returned to the church in the middle of the sacred lake, but that place isn¡¯t safe anymore.¡±


    ¡°You can place it here,¡± Gelton spoke. ¡°This is the nearest holy ground to the sacred lake. As the situation demands it, placing the Orb here befits the scripture. Once we have eliminated the monsters¡ª¡±


    ¡°Allow me to speak.¡± Lady Ophra found a place to sit as she looked at Gelton. ¡°Bishop Gelton, don¡¯t take this as me doubting your knowledge and abilities, but I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be finding the cause of the landslides any time soon. In this situation, placing the Orb in Beinz itself is simply unwise. I suggest that both the royal and church knights select a couple of elites to escort the Orb of the Holy Synod to the Royal Cathedral. This should ease the concerns regarding the Orb. News of fighting in Beinz has already reached Steinne and I suspect those seat warmers over there are already getting jittery.¡±


    Gelton kept quiet and Ophra started to show signs of impatience. ¡°That aside, Bishop Gelton, I¡¯m suggesting this again: let my royal knights ¡®help¡¯ you clear the area around the sacred lake. It has been half a month and the rock monsters are still wandering about on sacred grounds. I can see that your knights are already tired. They need rest. My royal knights and their reinforcements on the other hand, have only been patrolling the ridge. The boys are aching for action. This is not the time to brood about honour. The royal knights are also believers of the goddess. They may not have the mark, but they can still fight on sacred ground. This is in accordance to the creed.¡±


    The old bishop stood up wobbly. ¡°This is not about honour, Marshal. Nevertheless, I have seriously contemplated your suggestion. But before that¡­ let this group of people rest. The masters, please stay put. Both Lady Ophra and I have more to ask you.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately realised that the things they were about to discuss were not for the ears of ¡°outsiders¡±.

 Chapter 349

    Hao Ren led his merry band out of Gelton¡¯s meeting room and two monks led them to their rooms. The four ascetics stayed behind. It seemed like what the bishop and marshal wanted to discuss, had something to do with the secrets of the religion. The moment she stepped into the guest room, Becky realised something. ¡°Oh, yeah! Right, I haven¡¯t asked about the rewards¡­ Say¡­ they wouldn¡¯t conveniently forget about it, right?¡±


    Hao Ren immediately glared at Becky. ¡°Oh my god, grow up would you? Do you really think a mighty country like Holetta would take away your rewards or something?¡±


    Becky pouted. ¡°Time is money! I don¡¯t have a lot of time here. I have 15 days at most. If someone tells me that I need to report to the Royal City, and what if the reply comes when I¡¯m away, won¡¯t that be horrible?¡±


    Hao Ren facepalmed. ¡°Well¡­ you do have this problem. But, lets take it one step at a time. Say¡­ why do we always see Gelton and Ophra at each other¡¯s throats? Does the royal army have a tiff with the church¡¯s armed wing?¡±


    Becky waved her hand furiously. ¡°No, no. There¡¯s no tiff or anything. You¡¯re just imagining things. Both the regular army and the church forces have been working side by side for so long; there¡¯s no tiff between the two. But, there is friction on how they go about doing things. The church is focused on conservatism while the army is all about expediency and effectiveness. Lady Ophra is a larger than life personality that has led the army for a couple of centuries. So, each side is pretty stubborn on how they operate. But lets not poke our noses into that. Nothing good will come out of it.¡±


    Hao Ren just gave an emphatic, ¡°Oh.¡± He had no interest in getting involved in political intrigues. That was just beyond him. He was only interested in the secrets hidden in the land. Lily on the other hand, was very excited. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re saying that they¡¯re discussing how to eliminate the rock monsters? Those things fell from the mountain and they¡¯re very big! It¡¯s like fighting an endless tide! Do they really intend to do so? The royal court didn¡¯t say anything about it?¡±


    ¡°I noticed something along the way,¡± Becky said as she adjusted her equipment. ¡°The Royal City dispatched two groups of troops over here as reinforcements and the nearby orders of knighthood also got here a few days back. So, the military strength in Beinz has increased by three times. But you¡¯re right, seems like the royal court doesn¡¯t have any better ideas either. They can¡¯t be moving the whole ridge, right? Until they can figure out how the rock monsters are made, things will stay this way.¡± By then, a worried look formed across Becky¡¯s face. ¡°I hope things don¡¯t get worse¡­¡±


    This was after all her hometown and in the face of such unusual incidents with monsters popping out all over the place, Becky could not help but worry. This issue was not for a small player like her to solve.


    At the same time, in Gelton¡¯s meeting hall, the atmosphere suddenly turned grim.


    ¡°You said there are heretics there?!¡± Big Beardy slammed his hand on Gelton¡¯s office table, his face grim. ¡°What¡¯s the status?¡±


    ¡°Not sure what¡¯s with this heretic group.¡± Gelton waved his hand at Big Beardy, motioning him to calm down. ¡°They only appeared about half a month ago. And we have yet to catch anyone. We only have abandoned sites of foul rituals. This area also have reports of unusual activities, and should be related to the heretics.¡±


    ¡°What unusual activities?¡± Big Beardy frowned. Only news like this will be able to rattle a stoic ascetic like him.


    Ophra sneered, her voice calm, ¡°Many of the bodies of our dead are missing as well. Based on the reports from the front, the missing dead bodies were placed aside due to reasons and the moment the guards looked away, they disappeared without a trace.¡±


    ¡°Not only dead soldiers,¡± Gelton¡¯s voice was heavy, ¡°it includes civilians as well. Anyone who had died recently, their bodies would have gone missing mysteriously. What¡¯s left of the scene is only a little blood trail. Sometimes we don¡¯t even have any. The most obvious was the outpost by the lake. The outpost was lost during the initial assault and when the soldiers who had escaped returned to check the place out the next day, all the bodies were missing.¡±


    The ascetics quickly looked at each other and realised that the outpost mentioned was the one they went through. Not only that, they had discovered a mysterious tunnel beneath the outpost! The only thing is that they had found nothing there. This gave Big Beardy difficulty to link the tunnel to the lost bodies. He decided that he would bring it up later and asked a different question. ¡°What are the common things between the bodies?¡±


    Ophra demurred for a moment, ¡°All recent dead. And the area that the bodies have gone missing are all on the west side of the mountain, using the range¡¯s centerpoint as a guide. Those that had died on the eastside did not suffer such a fate. That aside, there are no eyewitnesses. All the bodies disappeared when no one was looking. I had sent men to keep an eye out on this and when there were someone watching the bodies were fine. The moment someone looked away it disappeared.¡±


    The marshal angrily clenched her fist as she finished. While she was certain she will get to the bottom of things, come hell or high water, the latest incident was almost like a mockery and that really got on her nerves.


    The asectics pondered for a moment before asking, ¡°Have you checked the graves?¡±


    Gelton nodded. ¡°Yes, we did. The keepers had checked the graves and found that only the newly dead were missing. The old graves in the cemetary were fine. Only those that were recently buried were missing.¡±


    ¡°So they ¡®need¡¯ fresh corpses.¡± The hoarse sounding female ascetic said. Doubt was apparent in her voice, ¡°A necromancer?¡±


    ¡°Unlikely¡­¡± Ophra crossed her arms, her voice almost mocking. ¡°While necromancers aren¡¯t who you¡¯d invite to a ball, they are still a legal school of magic. As long as they follow the proper rules and regulations, they can experiment all they want. The most foolish of necromancers would not take such a risk to raid the holy grounds for corpses. The disappearance started about half a month back and the number of rock monsters have exploded. I¡¯ve keen to believe that this is the work of some heretics seeking some power of old. They better not let me get my hands on them¡­¡±


    ¡°Actually, we might have something of a clue,¡± Big Beardy decided it was time for his to disclose the matter regarding the tunnel and he stood up. ¡°When we came here, we did pass by the outpost that you mentioned. I¡¯m not sure if you had checked what¡¯s underground¡­¡±


    ¡°No, we have yet to check there.¡± Gelton shook his head. ¡°But as you know, most other places did not have the same tunnel structure.¡±


    Big Beardy was slightly surprised. ¡°Other places? Means you have checked underground? So all the other places don¡¯t have any tunnels at all?¡±


    Ophra shook her head resignedly. ¡°No. The first time a body went missing we went all out on the search, underground included, but we did not find any tunnels. We never bothered looking underground after that. Seems like we need to refocus our investigation¡­ may be there is something insidious undergorund. Bishop Gelton, what do you think¡­. Bishop Gelton?¡±


    Gelton was deep in his thoughts when Ophra called him and it took him a while before he responded. ¡°Oh, of course. I will send men to check the place. But I remembered something else¡­¡±


    ¡°Something else?¡± Ophra frowned.


    Gelton motioned as he spoke. ¡°The heretics seems to have powers beyond our understanding and have something to do with the unnatural changes on the Dragonspine Ridge. I¡¯m starting to think maybe the evil acolytes of the mage emperors have seeped into this holy ground. Lady Ophra, I cannot leave the diocese, so I hope that you can make the trip to the royal city for me. Report this to His Holiness the Pope and his Royal Highness on this. This is not a diocese level crisis anymore. We need help and reinforcements from the highest level.¡±


    Ophra broke into a smile as she heard it. ¡°Seems like you do have some sense of urgency after all.¡±

 Chapter 350

    Hao Ren and his group spent half the day doing nothing in their guest room. Even though they had marched across the Gnarled Grove the previous night, none of them were regular beings, hence they were not exhausted by the journey. A short rest was all they needed to recover and they soon started to busy themselves.


    Y¡¯zaks and Wuyue had no interest in running about, so they stayed in their rooms to nap. Vivian took the free time to knit a scarf for Hao Ren using Lily¡¯s shed fur. Becky was still fantasising about how she would soon be a filthy rich noble and she walked around her room in that dazed state. It took a while before Becky got on Wuyue¡¯s nerves and she piped down after the siren started to complain. Lily as always was ever capable of finding something to do. After a short while in her room, she ran out to play. Nobody knew where she went, but she was lugging a whole bag of food items when she got back. She started yapping happily as she saw Hao Ren, ¡°Mr. Landlord! Mr. Landlord! I brought us some good stuff to eat! There¡¯s a market on the southwest side of the town!¡±


    Hao Ren was busy going through some old tomes and his table was a mess with all kinds of scrolls as well as books. It was tough work trying to research these old, foreign tomes. Even with the translation plug-in helping him, it took a lot of concentration to even remotely understand the arcane language used. Deep in concentration, he did not even lift his head when Lily called him. ¡°I know, I know. You and your food. Just don¡¯t get a stomach ache.¡±


    Lily did not think too much of it and happily stuffed a sweet pastry into Hao Ren¡¯s mouth. ¡°Eat! Eat! Say, Mr. Landlord, what are you looking at?¡±


    Hao Ren pointed towards the scrolls and tomes on the table. ¡°Books about Dragonspine Ridge, and the chronicles of the Beinz region.¡±


    Lily flipped over a few books. ¡°Oh, they are. Where did you get them?¡±


    ¡°Borrowed them from the monks. There¡¯s a library in the church.¡± It was only then that Hao Ren lifted his head. ¡°These are all books open to the public. I just told them that I was a magician interested in history and legends. Then, they just got me the whole stack¡­. Oh, this pastry is pretty good.¡±


    Lily then joyfully stuffed another piece into his mouth. ¡°Right? Right? I have exquisite taste you know! Say, Mr. Landlord, what did you manage to get out of all this?¡±


    Hao Ren gobbled down the pastry and grabbed Lily¡¯s tail to wipe his mouth. ¡°Nothing special so far. The legends behind Dragonspine Ridge are the same; an ambitious mage emperor twisting nature to his fancy and the mountains were cursed with the mage emperor¡¯s hatred. The power of the goddess in the Beinz Blood Lake has been thwarting the curse for 10 millenniums. The well-known legends are all somewhat like this, but some less popular stories are just as interesting. Some say that Dragonspine Ridge and the Blood Lake are the same thing. Some say that the Gnarled Grove is a seal for a different creation by the mage emperor. Some even say that the mage emperor did not die and is simply entombed in ice under the mountains. Once the mountain collapses, he will resurrect and renew his reign of terror. While these stories don¡¯t contradict the doctrine of the Disciples of Glory, the unease they bring is enough for all of them to be labelled as baseless, thus bringing them under control¡­¡±


    As he said this, he lifted the big tome in his hand. ¡°Like this one here. It pretty much consists of baseless claims from head to tail without much details to boot.¡±


    Lily just uttered a long, ¡°Ooooooh.


    ¡°Oh¡­ this could explain the stuff that¡¯s been happening lately. Almost everyone¡¯s on edge. I even heard on the streets that a couple of reinforcements have already been sent, and the threat of the rock monster is still present. Even with more numbers it¡¯s still a stalemate.¡±


    As the two chatted, the the shouting of men and the neighing of horses could be heard from the window. It seemed like something happened on the main road in town. Hao Ren pushed the window open and saw a group of lightly armoured soldiers as well as a group of mages on the street. There was no tolling of bells, so it was not an attack. Hao Ren knew Lily had just returned from a trip outside and he took the opportunity to ask her, ¡°What¡¯s the ruckus about?¡±


    Lily popped her head out of the window under Hao Ren¡¯s arms as she tried to get a good view. ¡°Seems like the patrol unit of the royal knights has just returned Oh yeah, oh yeah! I met my kind on the street. There was a female werewolf. She¡¯s a vanguard who¡¯s part of the royal knights. We talked for a bit. She looked so good in her armour!¡±


    Hao Ren muttered to himself about this husky was able to really ignore her actual husky origins and call pure-blooded werewolves her kin. But, he knew that her fangs were sharp and he did not dare voice it out. He was not surprised that Lily ran into her kin though. The Plane of Dreams was the home of unusual creatures; vampires, werewolves and the like were all common races there. While it was harder to tell a vampire apart from your usual man, some of the werewolves in town had their wolf ears out in full view. The only thing was, the Kingdom of Holletta was a nation of man, and most unusual creatures were either migrants, or descendants of scholars who had stayed behind. Having an unusual creature in the army was even more uncommon, so Lily was naturally happy that she ran into one of her kind amongst the royal knights.


    The husky lass noticed that Hao Ren was not interested in the topic and she used her tail to smack the latter on his back to show her dissatisfaction. ¡°Can¡¯t you just play along? Aren¡¯t you interested to know what we talked about?¡±


    ¡°The taste of bones and ways to sharpen your fangs?¡± Hao Ren surmised.


    The fur on Lily¡¯s tail bristled as she bore her fangs at Hao Ren. ¡°What? You think I¡¯m all about food?¡±


    Hao Ren quickly denied it and the husky was happy again. ¡°While we did talk about pork ribs¡­ we mainly talked about the fighting during the past two months. I told her I was the deputy of a mercenary group and the werewolf happily talked about the fighting with me. She even grumbled about the church military being old, stubborn fools, and the royal army not seeming to be all too happy about how things are going¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was originally not interested in the nonsense Lily had ran into when she went out earlier, but that last part piqued his interest. ¡°Stop right there, what did you say happened?¡±


    ¡°Seems like something to do with mission allocation.¡± Lily¡¯s ears twitched. ¡°The church¡¯s forces were in charge of battles within the sacred lake¡¯s vicinity, while the royal army was fighting in Dragonspine Ridge. The more pious in the royal army thought that it was unfair for them to be relegated to just sweeping the mountain range. And oh, I heard that Marshal Ophra already tried speaking to Bishop Gelton about this a few times, to let a part of the royal army assist in the fighting around the Blood Lake. But, nothing really came out of that. Something to do with doctrines¡­¡±


    Hao Ren recalled the situation at the Gnarled Grove yesterday. Almost 90% of the soldiers in Leyton¡¯s defensive perimeter were comprised of the white-robed army from church. The ¡°government¡¯s military¡± or royal knights were only allowed to operate on the outer perimeter due to certain religious doctrines. He ruffled his chin as he laughed. ¡°Seriously¡­ but, those knights are sure looking for a fight. There are actually people complaining about their fights being too easy. Won¡¯t most people scurry away to the safest possible posting if possible?¡±


    Lily wagged her tail. ¡°Religion¡­ Who knows what they¡¯re thinking anyway. The whole Blood Lake is considered sacred after all. Even if a blood toll needs to be paid everyday, both armies will be fighting for the right to go in first. It also seems like whoever dies here will get the tile of ¡®martyr¡¯, a pretty glorious one by the sound of things.¡±


    Both Hao Ren and Lily agreed that they probably will struggle to ever understand the mindset that is so dictated by one¡¯s religious doctrines and after a short while they stopped bothering about the small friction between the two forces. They then started on the matter of pork ribs and Lily was soon to drool all over the floor before they heard clanking footsteps along the corridor. At the same time the voices of the servants greeting and welcoming was heard.


    After a moment a servant pushed open the room door announcing, ¡°Lady Ophra visits, and wishes to see the captain and the deputy of the Dogs Have Gotten All the Good Names Mercenary Group.


    ¡°Marshal Ophra?!¡± Hao Ren was surprised but he quickly recovered. ¡°And I told you how many times not to mention our company¡¯s name!¡±


    The arrival of the marshal herself had shocked everyone into motion and Becky had ran like a whirlwind to bear the message to everyone else. Hao Ren got to the small parlor in the room and saw that the marshal was already seated on the centremost tall chair. Her poise heroic as ever.


    Ophra was blunt, ¡°I¡¯m here to inform you. Get ready tomorrow, we will depart the next day to the royal city, the reward and knighting will also be done in the royal city.¡±


    Becky literally lost it when she heard the news as she leapt up and down cheering. Hao Ren was however perplexed: Just because of this, that the marshal herself needed to personally come to the quarters of some new mercenary group?

 Chapter 351

    Hao Ren wondered why Ophra, a grand marshal had to come here in person. But, he did not have the chance to ask her about it. After the marshal told them about the matter, she asked them regarding their mercenary group and the process of finding the Orb of the Holy Synod. It was not the first time that people asked about these things, so they managed to answer fluently. In the end, Becky asked the marshal about the four ascetics, ¡°When will the four masters come back?¡±


    Actually, Becky was not concerned about the four ascetics at all. She was just trying to let Ophra notice her existence.


    Ophra shook her head and said, ¡°The four masters need to rest in their rooms. They will have long prayers and meditation according to the canon. You will probably not see them until the next time you leave.¡±


    Hao Ren had something else on his mind. He had no interest in the so-called rewards. He looked up and asked, ¡°That¡­ Do we have to go to the capital to accept the rewards?¡±


    Ophra was surprised and raised her eyebrows. She looked at Hao Ren for quite a long time, and then asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°We want to stay here and help,¡± Hao Ren explained. ¡°I¡¯ve seen the situation here. Those rock monsters are a big threat and I¡¯m good at dealing with them. I think it¡¯d be more useful to stay here and fight than go to the capital to get rewards.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s explanation was dignified. Of course, he was not going to admit that the real reason he wanted to stay was to study the secrets of Dragonspine Ridge and the Blood Lake. Wealth and fame in The Plane of Dreams were meaningless to him. The only thing that could help him raise his wages was figuring out the legend behind the end of the world 10,000 years ago¡­


    However, Ophra had no idea what Hao Ren was thinking. She was just surprised that this seemingly plain ¡°mercenary¡± could say such a thing. She looked at Hao Ren firmly for a while, trying to get some false clues from Hao Ren¡¯s face. Then, she got up and the armor rattled, ¡°We¡¯ll talk about this later. One or two more men who can fight won¡¯t change the situation now. The true end of the current mess depends on the knowledge of Bishop Gelton. Of course, you can still apply to stay here after you come back from the capital. We have a long-term vacancy here.¡±


    After Oprah finished talking, she left without hesitation. After the marshal left, Becky was relieved, and quickly rushed to Hao Ren and said, ¡°Hello! What were you thinking just now? What if the Lord Ophra really agrees to cancel our reward?¡±


    Hao Ren gave Becky a side glance and said, ¡°I have an important task. And the reward here is useless to me.¡±


    Becky almost jumped and said, ¡°But to me¡­ Oh, it seems useless to me as well¡­¡±


    Hao Ren then said, ¡°¡­ All right, let¡¯s put these things aside. Our time is limited. We have no time to come back here after we go to the capital. The next time we come back here will be around one month later. God knows how many accidents will happen in this place. I¡¯m going to go to the mountains tonight, and you guys can help out¡­¡±


    Hao Ren then discussed the evening action with them. After Ophra left the room, instead of going to the church, she rode on her steed and went straight to the Royal Knights¡¯ station. In front of the Knights¡¯ camp, an old man who looked just like a regular groom was waiting there. ¡°I have met with them, including the four masters and a group of mercenaries who appeared out of nowhere,¡± she said and put the reins in the hands of the old groom.


    The old groom, who was leading the horse, kept silent while walking beside Ophra. Then, he asked, as if he were talking about the weather, ¡°How¡¯s the situation? Is it true?¡±


    They did not lower their voices at all, but no one could hear what the conversation was about within two meters from them. A peculiar mental disturbance pervaded around Ophra, causing all who tried to eavesdrop on the conversation to only hear a buzzing noise in their minds.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see the Orb, but it should be with one of the masters. They abide by the teachings. They will not give the Orb to me to verify the authenticity easily even if they are in front of the bishop. But the Orb was supposed to be real,¡± said Ophra, looking back with a calm smile, ¡°because the four masters are real, I can tell it from their vibe.¡±


    ¡°So the Return of the Orb is true?¡± asked the old groom, following Ophra to the camp steadily, ¡°It seems that this is not anyone¡¯s arrangement. What about the mercenaries?¡±


    ¡°They claim to be the mages from the northern Hognar Empire. They traveled around to increase their knowledge. The involvement in the Orb and the rescue of the four masters were purely coincidental. The whole story was watertight, only instinct made me feel that they were hiding something.¡± Ophra slightly paused and asked, ¡°Elson, how about your investigation?¡±


    ¡°They appeared out of nowhere. They first appeared in the southern grassland of Lamberg town. No one knew about the group of people until then. And I¡¯ve checked the border crossings record and found no history of them. They just vanished out of thin air. My people tried everything but still found no clues. I also found some mercenaries who had contact with the group. The mercenaries mentioned that their way of fighting was so bizarre that they aren¡¯t mages at all, not even any known combat occupations, but more akin to instinct and talent. Maybe it¡¯s some kind of esoteric warrior we don¡¯t know.¡±


    Ophra looked at the ground and asked, ¡°¡­they come and go like shadows? You can¡¯t even find a clue when they suddenly disappear? Did your wolf nose degenerate or can they really jump out of the world?¡±


    ¡°You are the same as before, the joke never funny,¡± the old groom¡¯s expression remained unchanged, ¡°Is there a problem with those mercenaries?¡±


    ¡°They are fine. At least my hunting instincts are sure that they are harmless, innocent, and even not greedy at all. This last point is the most surprising point to me. Their leader tried to reject the rewards, and there was no hypocrisy in his emotions. I even felt that man was as pure as a saint. He didn¡¯t even have a tiny bit of attention on fame and fortune, but¡­¡± Ophra suddenly stopped talking and looked up and said, ¡°Their dubious origins are the biggest problem.¡±


    ¡°Then keep investigating,¡± the old groom nodded and said, ¡°although I don¡¯t see what a bunch of mercenaries are worth noticing¡­ your instincts are always accurate.¡±


    ¡°My intuition¡­¡± Ophra was talking to herself while looking up to the sky. ¡°I hope my intuition can help me solve the trouble here. I have a bad feeling. The sacred ground is shrouded in gloom, and some of the uncoordinated ones are hidden around us. Our Bishop Gelton, the only one who can control the situation, is an old priest who is pious but lack of resilience. ¡±


    Undercurrent was surging under the ancient and mysterious sacred grounds. Most people are ignorant of this. They were just constantly fighting off the attacks of monsters and getting numb in battle. As the night falling, the Dragonspine Ridge ended a restless day, followed by an equally restless night.


    Under the cover of night and the Power of Shadows, Hao Ren and the rest of them left the Leyton town at the foot of the hill and came to a high ground not far from the town.


    ¡°Although I want to stay here to investigate the situation here, but after I think about it, it is necessary to go to the capital,¡± Hao Ren saw that everybody was here, simply sit cross-legged on the ground and said, ¡°It is said that there is a big library in the capital, which contains the various files accumulated since the founding of Holletta. The cathedral and the palace also have secret archives that have been handed down from the previous civilisation. These are all necessary to investigate. We will spend a lot of energy in this world, and it is necessary to integrate into the upper-class society, so this is a good opportunity. Let¡¯s look into the rock monsters¡¯ movements tonight, mainly to figure out how much the Dragonspine Ridge has changed since we left here two months ago. Also, the Blood Lake¡ªVivian and Lily, you two move fast, so you two go to the Blood Lake again. I still care about the tunnel. Last time we only discovered one direction, this time you two go to see where the other direction of the tunnel leads.¡±


    Lily looked a little excited. Apparently, this ¡®midnight undercover operation¡¯ made her felt very powerful. After hearing Hao Ren¡¯s instructions, she immediately nodded and jumped to the big rock beside her and howled, ¡°Awwwwwwooooo¡ªWoof!¡±


    The howling echoed in the mountain. Vivian immediately rushed to Lily but did not get to cover her mouth¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Hao Ren shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s normal to have wolves on the mountain.¡±


    Vivian stared at him and said, ¡°But it¡¯s not normal to end the howling with woof!¡±


    Hao Ren waved his hand and looked at Y¡¯zaks and said, ¡°You and Becky a team. You have a strong combat capability, and Becky has a lot of local experience. You two go to the main peak on the north side. It is said to be one of the peaks where the number of the rock monsters have surged. See if there¡¯s any change in the number of monsters, especially when the monsters are splitting from rocks but not attacking the town, why are they trying to do? I think that the rock monsters this kind of mindless creatures won¡¯t have the ability to make an attack plan such a clever action, but they did plan a sneak attack and pierced the line of defense half a month ago.¡±


    ¡°Lastly, Nangong Wuyue and I go to the ¡®overpass¡¯ together,¡± Hao Ren tossed the data terminal on his hand and said, ¡°a mountain will not change its shape for no reasons, there must be some secret behind, the people here don¡¯t have energy detectors, haha, I have.¡±

 Chapter 352

    In the night, a large swarm of back bats swept over the sky and disappeared. In the middle of the swarm of bats, there was a white figure. Nangong Wuyue looked at the two of them disappeared in the horizon and muttered, ¡°Will Vivian drop Lily halfway into the woods¡­¡±


    Hao Ren gazed into the distance and said, ¡°She already dropped Lily¡ªwhen they just flew into the woods.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue, ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lily¡¯s body is strong. This kind of thing won¡¯t hurt her. And this is what they usually do to each other,¡± Hao Ren said like it was something very normal, ¡°every night when Vivian fly out for a stroll, Lily will hold a slingshot and watch her behind the window. These two are just like that, no cure.¡±


    As a ¡®high-speed combination¡¯ in the squad, Lily and Vivian were responsible to explore the sentry post of the blood lake. However, the knights had set up layers of ground defenses outside The Gnarled Grove to ward off the rock giants, and there was almost no gap between the various sensitive magic towers and patrolling sentinels. Hao Ren did not want to cause trouble in unrelated matters, so advised them to cross the line of defense from the sky. Lily could not fly, so Vivian had to bring her along. And the moment they just across the line of defense and flew into the woods, the vampire girl dropped the Husky down right away.


    Y¡¯zaks and Becky had already left. At now, only Hao Ren and Nangong Wuyue were still there. Under the chilly double moonlights, Hao Ren glanced at the Dragonspine Ridge through the moonlight, then tossed the data terminal into the air and said,¡±Let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°So lazy¡­¡± The data terminal turned into a blue light and disappeared into the air, leaving the word slowly dissipated in the air.


    A few seconds later, Hao Ren and Nangong Wuyue had reached a place about a hundred kilometers from the south of Leyton town via the data terminal¡¯s teleportation function. This was where the occurrence of the strange collapse and changing shape in the Dragonspine Ridge took place. Hao Ren, who had just recovered from the momentary vertigo of the teleportation, was startled by what he saw:


    Seeing a thing for oneself is better than hearing about it. It is hard to imagine how mountains could change its shape and form ¡®Sky Road¡¯ just by others¡¯ words. Now he understood why Bishop Gelton and Ophra confirmed that the changing shape of southern part of the Dragonspine Ridge was caused by the power of ancient evil Magic: In the night, the dark mountains twisted into bizarre shapes like ferocious demons. On the wall of the mountain that should have been smooth, there were countless stalactite-like stalagmites stuck out of it, the small ones were dozens of meters long, and the big ones pierced across the sky. The so-called ¡®Sky Road¡¯ was, in fact, a huge ¡®stalagmite¡¯ which extended out like this. The huge stalagmite of hundreds of meters wide, which pierced across the mountains of Leyton in the night sky and fell straight into the twisted woodland, was unlikely to be a natural formation, but there were no man-made traces. It looked more like ¡®grew¡¯ from the mountain.


    The reason why the Leyton¡¯s line of defense worked was that entering The Gnarled Grove from the Dragonspine Ridge, there were ¡®geological folds¡¯ that were lower than the ridge but were steeper and harder to climb. The folds encircled The Gnarled Grove and Leyton town was the only entrance. So when the rock giants appeared, those giant monsters that could not climb the mountain were blocked by these folds. But now the ¡®Sky Road¡¯ stretching out of the Dragonspine Ridge had completely crossed the defensive line from the sky. The rock giants entering the sacred ground through here were almost unimpeded.


    This ¡®Sky Road¡¯ often collapsed, changed shape, and even changed the end of the road. The Knights had no way to set a fixed line of defense at the end of the road. No wonder they were so busy dealing with rock giants.


    But probably the intelligence of the rock giants was limited. They did not know how to deploy their superior forces to a cluster onslaught, except for their actions half a month ago. Rock giants would storm the nearest stronghold from the mountain they cracked from. Otherwise, if all the rock giants in the entire mountain range were gathered at one point and swarmed into The Gnarled Grove from this ¡®Sky Road¡¯, the Church Knights would not be able to beat so many monsters.


    But now there is no rock giant coming down from the south peak. It is also possible that the rock giants were dormant now. Hao Ren did not find any monster wandering around. The magnificent and bizarre stone ¡®Sky Road¡¯ was just quietly lying across the night sky, looked harmless.


    Hao Ren raised the data terminal in his hand as if he was using a searchlight. The data terminal was puzzled by his behavior and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a sensor? I¡¯m scanning the surroundings¡­¡±


    The Mobile Data Terminal paused for a moment, and then flew out of Hao Ren¡¯s hand and yelled, ¡°Can¡¯t you use your brain? You can just tell me!¡±


    Then the data terminal emitted a faint blue light to roughly scanning the surroundings. More than 10 seconds later, it fell back to Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°The ¡®Sky Road¡¯ itself has no magic residue. Those are just simple stones. The source of this unusual phenomenon should be on the mountain.¡±


    Hao Ren looked up and found a way to climb the ¡®Sky Road¡¯ and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go up. It is said that if the ¡®Sky Road¡¯ sense an outsider, you will be ¡®dumped¡¯ down. Go up and try.¡± He looked back at Nangong Wuyue and asked, ¡°Are you waiting here or¡­?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not here to drag you down!¡± Nangong Wuyue put her hands on her hips and said, ¡°Siren has no other skills, but the survival capability is stronger than you. I¡¯m expert in exploring this kind of dangerous place, okay?¡±


    While Nangong Wuyue was talking to Hao Ren, she was surrounded by the mist that shielded the sight. After the mist dispersed, she had turned into a beautiful snake. She threw the frozen clothes ball into Hao Ren¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Keep it. When we get up there, let me go ahead of you. I hear there¡¯s miasma on the mountain¡ªI¡¯m good at dealing with that stuff.¡±


    Hao Ren kept Nangong Wuyue¡¯s clothes. He then looked at her soft and smooth tail, and then looked at the rugged rocks and asked, ¡°Is your body structure suitable for mountain climbing? Don¡¯t break your skin again¡­¡±


    Nangong Wuyue slapped her tail and said, ¡°You should watch the Animal World more often to increase the general knowledge of animals!¡±


    After that, she twisted her body climb up the mountain. Her body was fit perfectly on those rugged rocks, moving gracefully but also speedy. Hao Ren quickly followed her to run up the mountain and said, ¡°But the Animal World has never talked about the snake that specializes in mountain climbing¡­¡±


    The two were running fast, and soon they came to the place where the ¡®Sky Road¡¯ began. When he climbed up, Hao Ren noticed that the part of the ¡®Sky Road¡¯ connected to the mountain was not as abrupt as it seemed. At the junction of the two roads, there was quite a large flat transition zone, and on both sides of the ¡®Sky Road¡¯ along the mountain, there were winding broad ramps that extending to both sides, but due to angle problem he did not notice these structures just now. The purpose of these flat and broad transition zone was obvious: to help the rock giants to come here easily. After all, those monsters could not climb the cliffs.


    ¡°This kind of exquisite and thoughtful design should be man-made,¡± Hao Ren said and pulled the corner of his lips, ready to find the area where the mountain began. But first, he frowned, ¡°What smell?¡±


    The air was filled with an unpleasant smell as if the plants were rotting, and it was so subtle that it was almost impossible to tell. If Hao Ren did not have the senses beyond the ordinary people, he would probably just ignore it or think it was just the smell of rotten grass and wood. But before Hao Ren finished talking, a cool and moist breeze dissipated the unpleasant smell. Nangong Wuyue was moving her arms with water mist to disperse the poisonous mist around and said, ¡°This should be the miasma. It¡¯s dangerous because it¡¯s non-toxic when it¡¯s just inhaled. It will react to the warm environment in the lungs for a minute before it starts to kill.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately frightened and said, ¡°I just breathed in!¡±


    Nangong Wuyue gave him a side glance and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my mist can detoxify it. And with your physique, a little bit of poisonous mist won¡¯t kill you. ¡±


    Hao Ren felt that Nangong Wuyue was fully functional¡ªshe could cure, heal, detoxify, provide a protective shield, and could even dispel poisonous air. Where can you find this kind of high-end support? Her only problem was that she could not fight¡­


    ¡°Now let¡¯s test how this mountain ¡®senses¡¯ that someone is climbing the ¡®Sky Road¡¯.¡± Hao Ren looked to the long ¡®bridge¡¯ across the horizon not far away and said, ¡°I want to see who is staring at this side. By the way, when I fall down, remember to use teleportation to pull me back. It¡¯s gonna be really hurt to fall down from such a high place and then hit by dozens of tons of stones¡­¡±


    The data terminal banging on Hao Ren¡¯s back and said, ¡°OK, OK, just go!¡±

 Chapter 353

    According to Gelton and Ophra, this bizarre mountain path could sense approaching outsiders as if it was conscious of its surroundings. Even if only one knight stepped on the mountain road, it could cause the road to collapse. Plus, the spot where it collapsed was very accurate: only the stones at the outsider¡¯s foot would collapse. According to the soldiers fleeing back, this kind of landslide process was as strange and unnatural as how the Sky Road appeared, as if the mountain rock was consciously shaking the insect and ants off the body, so the soldiers were terrified. The whole Sky Road kept changing shape, so the locals were unable to figure out the collapse, plus the bizarre miasma that filled the air in this area. These were the reasons why the knights had not been able to capture this place. Although there was no ¡°enemy¡± stationed here, it was more impregnable than any pass.


    Facing the power left by the ancient magical empire, the modern natives of the Plane of Dreams were powerless just like facing the great forces of nature.


    Of course, the Knights could also try to blow up the ¡°bridge¡±, but apparently, it was a stupid idea: Dragonspine Ridge could rebuild the Sky Road countless times, and it would not stop until the whole mountain was flattened.


    However, Hao Ren was wondering another doubtful point after hearing these things: why was there only a ¡°bridge¡± on the south of Dragonspine Ridge? If the whole mountain was really active, with the power shown on the south side, it could even engulf the entire Beinz, and the knights would not be able to do anything to stop them. But the situation now was that there was only one entry that could be broken through in the entire mountain, and until now, there were only four mountains that could produce rock giants.


    Hao Ren speculated that perhaps the ¡°ancient power¡± in Dragonspine Ridge was not fully awakened, or maybe there was only so little power left after it had been suppressed for million years, or maybe the person behind was not able to control everything. Anyway, Hao Ren sensed the disturbing smell from the change in this mountain for two months. He felt that there were more formidable forces hidden in the depths of the mountain, which had not yet manifested.


    Now he was going to test the quirks of this place himself, and let the MDT monitored the energy readings around them to find out the source of the various bizarre changes in Dragonspine Ridge.


    First, he threw some stones to the path in front of him. And of course, it did not work. Then, he walked cautiously to the Sky Road. At this moment, he suddenly remembered he should let Vivian come with him: she could fly¡­


    But he did not want to think that much at the moment. After embarking on the Sky Road, the road did not collapse as he expected. The surrounding was still quiet, and the ground was not shaking.


    ¡°Nothing happens,¡± Hao Ren walked a few steps forward, and then ran back and forth, and said, ¡°Are the soldiers made it up to scare people?¡±


    ¡°Impossible,¡± said the MDT while floating around Hao Ren, ¡°They are the elite troops. How can they joke with their superior? And there are many soldiers died in the landslide. I think it might be some kind of surveillance system in this place has fallen asleep at the moment¡­¡±


    Hao Ren stared at the MDT and said, ¡°Your reason doesn¡¯t even make sense!¡±


    Anyway, there was nothing unusual on the ground. Nangong Wuyue was looking at the distance nervously. She also coiled herself on a big rock beside her nervously. Now she saw that nothing happened, she slowly crawled to Hao Ren and asked, ¡°Nothing happen?¡±


    ¡°For some reasons¡­ It seems that we won¡¯t ¡®alert¡¯ the mountain.¡± Hao Ren had regarded the unusual change of the Sky Road as a conscious act, so he unconsciously treated it as human. ¡°According to the information Lily heard from the soldiers in the town, anyone standing here for more than a few seconds, this place will collapse. The stones on the ground would turn over and over or even suddenly bounce up and throw people down the cliff. No exception¨Cexcept now.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue tapped the ground with her tail tip, trying to find some empty space beneath the ground but she did not find anything. ¡°Does this mountain only respond to ¡®locals¡¯? It may indeed have a detection mechanism, but it is not operated manually. This automatic detection mechanism only senses the locals as ¡®people¡¯.¡±


    Hao Ren touched his chin, nodded and said, ¡°Probably. Anyway, let¡¯s go back the mountain to see the situation there.¡±


    As he was speaking, he turned around and walked back, Nangong Wuyue moved her snake body and follow behind him. However, after a few steps, they heard a loud ¡°bang¡± coming from afar!


    Nangong Wuyue was immediately startled and shouted, ¡°Alas¡ªit¡¯s collapsed¡­¡±


    However, nothing happened on the ground beneath her feet. The loud bang was coming from somewhere else. Hao Ren turned around to comfort this timid siren. ¡°Don¡¯t be oversensitive. It happened somewhere else¡­ Err, do you have to do this?¡±


    Actually, Nangong Wuyue coiled her tail the moment she heard the loud bang just now. The self-tying speed was super fast. Hao Ren turned his head and saw a familiar snake ball swaying on the ground. Nangong Wuyue was moving her arms trying to keep the balance.


    Hao Ren covered his forehead and asked, ¡°¡­ Do you need to coil yourself into a big snake ball every time you heard a little sound?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue untied herself and muttered, ¡°So is this what the big snake ball mean¡­¡±


    The loud bang was coming from the east¨Cin the depths of the mountain where Hao Ren was but a little distance from here. Hao Ren suspected that a new rock giant had collapsed from the mountain and quickly pulled Nangong Wuyue along to rush to that place see the situation there. They bolted on the bumpy mountain road, and a moment later they were approaching the position of the loud bang. Suddenly, Nangong Wuyue stopped Hao Ren and whispered, ¡°I smell blood.¡±


    ¡°How come your nose is more sensitive than mine?¡± Hao Ren immediately slowed down the pace and muttered.


    Nangong Wuyue crept down and wriggled slowly along the mountain path, and said with a low voice, ¡°Everybody has something they specialize in. According to what you said, compared to Lily¡¯s nose, our noses are useless then.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue was approaching a huge mountain rock. She hid her body, coiled herself and then slowly lifted herself. Hao Ren thought what this girl could do was more than what he had imagined: she was a jack, though he did not know how much weight she could handle.


    The siren stretched out her head to look further. She then immediately cried out in a low voice to call Hao Ren to come forward. Hao Ren immediately held his shield and running in front of her: Nangong Wuyue could not fight. If there was an enemy, he must be in front of her.


    However, there were no rock giants on the scene. Under the dim moonlight, there were only a few soldiers lying on the small rock flat ground. Strictly speaking, the soldiers had died. They died miserably, apparently dead in the hands of the rock giants.


    ¡°They just died a while ago,¡± Nangong Wuyue was quickly wriggled to one of the soldiers and said, ¡°The blood is still warm. How miserable¡­¡±


    Nangong Wuyue sighed. She had seen a lot of life and death during her time on earth, so she had no resistance toward the dead. However, the people died at the hands of rock giants often extremely miserable that even an unusual creature like her also found it a little uneasy.


    Most of the soldiers who were killed, their limbs were broken, and some even crushed to the ground together with their armor. There were also several wizards on the scene, but apparently, they were killed before they even got the time to cast the Gravity spells on the rock giants: they did not even have the chance to take out their wands.


    Relating this incident to the loud bang just now, it was easy to guess what happened here: These soldiers should be members of the Royal Knights of Dragonspine Ridge. According to the situation on the spot, they probably just rested here for a while. But just as the soldiers let their guard down, the cliff on top of them suddenly cracked¨Cthe rock giants fell from the mountain which did not give these soldiers the time to react. Some of them were probably killed on the spot.


    Hao Ren looked up at the rock and did find the dent that was probably left by rock giant.


    This was a small probability event, but this was the unfortunate event that was very likely to happen in the current Dragonspine Ridge. Now, what the soldiers and mercenaries who were patrolling the mountain every day were most afraid of, was the stone giants falling from the sky and smashing them. But a case like this did not happen very often.


    ¡°The monster should have gone down the hill,¡± Nangong Wuyue raised her body and looked into the distance. The traces left by the rock giants on the road were easy to spot. ¡°Want to chase?¡±


    Just a single rock giant had little value to Hao Ren. There were many such trolls wandering on the west side of the mountain. Therefore, he shook his head and said, ¡°No, we¡¯ll go to the main peak over there. The MDT detects a suspected energy active point there.¡±


    Two of them stood in silent tribute for the soldiers who encountered unexpected tragedy. Nangong Wuyue left a layer of enchantment around the bodies to prevent the wild beasts from gnawing at the bodies of the soldiers, and the next day another patrol unit would find the missing soldiers and bring them back.


    Then, they left.


    But soon after they left the place, Nangong Wuyue¡¯s expression suddenly changed and she said, ¡°We need to go back! Something¡¯s happening there!¡±

 Chapter 354

    Nangong Wuyue left a protective enchantment around the knights who died in a violent way. This was to ensure that their bodies would be shielded from the attacks of beasts in the mountains while they waited for the rest of the troop to look for the missing knights in the morning. Nangong Wuyue and Hao Ren did not report it to any of the outposts in the mountains, because it was difficult to explain why two unregistered, foreign mercenaries, who had not filed for patrol appeared in the vicinity of where the Royal Army were deployed at night. Everybody in Leyton town was in a panic at that time, and the Royal Knights as well as the Church Knights were on high alert. Therefore, they did not want to cause any trouble.


    But shortly after they left the spot, Wuyue suddenly sensed that the enchantment she left behind had been touched by some sort of uncanny energy. An incredible change had occurred around the area where the enchantment was created. She immediately stopped Hao Ren and said, ¡°Let¡¯s turn back! Something¡¯s happening there!¡±


    Hao Ren had no idea what was going on, but he immediately followed Nangong Wuyue and went back to the aforementioned spot. Both of them held their breath as they approached the place. By the time they got back to the little clearing, they saw an incredible scene: The bodies of the dead were gradually being swallowed by the earth!


    The rugged, rocky ground sprung up and wriggled silently as it swiftly swallowed the knights¡¯ bodies into the ground. It was as if it had softened into mud. The scene looked like living swamp¡ªstrange and eerie. Many of the knights¡¯ bodies had disappeared, leaving only a small amount of blood and its lingering smell at that point. The remaining bodies were also almost completely swallowed up. When Hao Ren and Nangong Wuyue arrived, they could only see a few pieces of armour sinking into the swamp at an astonishing speed!


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± Hao Ren exclaimed loudly when he saw the strange scene. He was not good at holding his breath. Now that he found no enemies at the scene, he let his guard down. But at the moment he shouted, the devouring ¡°mud¡± suddenly paused as though it sensed something. Then, it suddenly sped up and sputtered out more than 10 ¡°mud¡± thorns, aiming to stab Hao Ren as well as Nangong Wuyue.


    The ¡°mud¡± quickly hardened and turned into sharp, stone thorns in the air.


    Nangong Wuyue¡¯s serpentine body was huge, so she was unable to dodge. She could only coil her tail to resist the force. Hao Ren reacted quickly and rushed forward to block all the stones. Those sharp and unusually strong stones burst upon hitting his shield. They jangled loudly as they shattered into pieces and scattered themselves across the ground.


    Hao Ren and Nangong Wuyue were temporarily hampered by this unexpected situation. By the time they reacted, it was over: all the bodies in the little clearing had disappeared, leaving only a little blood and a few scattered pieces of weaponry. The soft ground had also gone back to its original state. When Hao Ren stepped on it, he could feel that it was solid stone.


    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Nangong Wuyue wriggled forward, a little scared. She leaned down to touch the stone and examined their surroundings with the tip of her tail.


    The MDT flickered and floated towards Hao Ren as it said, ¡°I just detected a magic reaction, but as soon as we got closed in, it quickly shifted. According to the sensitivity of the shift and the counter-attack just now, someone should be watching this place. I just wonder where this person is. There¡¯s no one in my radar¡¯s range.¡±


    ¡°Were the bodies swallowed underground?¡± Hao Ren was thinking about another problem. He had just witnessed the knights¡¯ bodies being swallowed up by the earth. The scene was so strange, but he could relate it to the suspicious camp he had seen at the outpost by the lake: It was also a scene after a fierce battle with traces of blood and its smell, but there were no corpses. ¡°Dig down!¡±


    He released a self-regulatory machine from his Dimensional Pocket. The robotic octopus was initially surprised by its surroundings before it received instructions from Hao Ren. It then placed its tentacles under its body to form a ring-shaped drill. It emitted a bright, blue light from the tip of its tentacles as its whole body rotated rapidly and dug down.


    The excavation point selected by Hao Ren was where one of the bodies had disappeared. He felt that if the body had been swallowed up by the earth, it would have at least left something behind. However, after the robotic octopus drilled more than 10 m all the way down, it only brought him some stones and gravels.


    ¡°Gone?¡± Hao Ren was surprised. ¡°Was it absorbed by Dragonspine Ridge?¡±


    ¡°Absorbed¡± was the word that popped up in his mind, but that reminded Nangong Wuyue of something else. The siren immediately held her breath and put her body against the ground, trying to sense something. Hao Ren was a little curious and asked, ¡°What are you looking for?¡±


    ¡°Water; the moisture I left and the moisture in the knights¡¯ bodies.¡± Nangong Wuyue frowned and searched carefully. ¡°I remember the water that I¡¯ve just touched. I can feel it no matter where it goes, even if it turns into steam or gets absorbed by the mountain¡­ I can feel the water moving deep underground. It¡¯s moving fast.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately stopped talking and allowed Nangong Wuyue to slowly sense it. Nangong Wuyue¡¯s talent was completely inspired. Her consciousness was spreading rapidly through the water in the atmosphere and the soil. The shape of Dragonspine Ridge was slowly being sketched out in her mind, with varying concentrations of water as lines and colours depicting a three-dimensional image that was vaguely similar to the real world. Dragonspine Ridge was a dry, unpleasant grey in this image. Farther down the image, only a few rivers in the mountain¡¯s culvert showed a crisp blue colour. Amid these peculiar shades, a shimmering hue was moving rapidly beneath the earth, and it was about to leave her sensing range.


    Nangong Wuyue immediately raised her body, hissing as she quickly slithered and gave chase. ¡°Over there! Quick!¡±


    Hao Ren did not have time to ask about what was happening and just followed her.


    They ran at top speed across the mountain road and soon, left the normal path into a primitive, mountainous area where ordinary people would find difficult to reach. Strange rocks, high slopes and steep roads; it was almost impossible to walk on the path. Nangong Wuyue followed the shortest route she could sense. She did not care if the path was a difficult one. Despite its difficulty, it was not a problem for them: Hao Ren jumped easily between the rocks like he was walking on flat ground. Nangong Wuyue was even more relaxed. She raised her upper body and her tail glided swiftly and smoothly across the rugged terrain.


    ¡°You¡¯re really steady.¡± Hao Ren still had time to joke in such a situation.


    Nangong Wuyue smiled and said, ¡°Look up ¡®The Most Stable Mountain Parkour Video¡¯ on the internet. I uploaded it. I hold the record for taking a DV while travelling at top speed from the top of the mountain, all the way down. I didn¡¯t even use electronic image stabilisation during the entire process. Only two frames look blurry. Those majors in shooting will never be able to grasp my level of video shooting.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of doing something like that?¡± asked Hao Ren.


    Nangong Wuyue proudly showed off her image stabilisation skills and she said, ¡°To get people to click!¡±


    Hao Ren found the daily lives of these unusual creatures simply too interesting. How bored were they to come up with such an idea?


    They were trying to catch up with the water vapours. After some time, they reached a place in the mountain where no one had ever set foot on before. The mountain rocks on both sides formed an encirclement and there was a winding road that extended down. The place in front of them seemed to be a deep valley. If you looked at it from afar, it would be covered by layers of rocks.


    Nangong Wuyue sensed that the water in the depths of the ground had stopped moving so fast. Instead, it was slowly moving into the valley, spreading and gradually rising up at the same time. It appeared to have reached its destination and it was making some kind of bizarre transformation.


    ¡°Right in front of us.¡± Nangong Wuyue lowered her voice as well as her body and said, ¡°Be careful, I smell a strange odour. It¡¯s making me uncomfortable. The water element here is restless. Looks like, it¡¯s being forced into some kind of transformation.¡±


    While Nangong Wuyue and Hao Ren finally found some clues, Vivian and Lily had also reached the lakeside outpost. The both of them sneaked into the tunnel that they found on their previous visit.


    They were moving in the opposite direction from the last time and the tunnel was stretching right before their eyes¡­


    All the way to a place underground.

 Chapter 355

    The smell of blood still pervaded the creepy underground tunnel under the lakeside outpost as Vivian and Lily was moved forward cautiously.


    They had yet to meet Big Beardy and his company, so they did not know that the four ascetics had already informed Gelton and Ophra about the tunnel. But, they did expect that news of the tunnel must have reached the person in charge of the diocese. So, the two of them carefully scanned their surroundings when they arrived at the outpost earlier for fear that investigators from the church may have set up camp there. However, luck was on their side as Gelton had postponed the investigation to another day. Vivian and Lily did not see anyone there and there were no traces that showed strangers had been in the tunnel too.


    The first time they arrived, they were clueless about the happenings in Beinz during the past two months. Plus, they were desperate to return the Orb of the Holy Synod and check out the situation in Leyton, so they did not really check out the tunnel. Coming down from the shaft which Lily had previously dug, there were two ways they could proceed: it was either leaving the outpost by moving upwards towards the exit, which Hao Ren had done the last time, or going downwards into the depths, where Vivian and Lily were currently heading.


    ¡°It looks like it¡¯s getting deeper and deeper¡­ The air here is stuffy.¡± Lily was a melee fighter, so she was walking in front and sniffing out the smells in the air. But, the air sickened her. ¡°I feel my hair standing on end¡­¡±


    Vivian followed closely behind. From time to time, she sent out a few bats to scout the area ahead. ¡°You¡¯re a hairy creature, don¡¯t you remember?¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Lily carefully thought about it for a while and said, ¡°You¡¯re not entirely right. It¡¯s my tail and ears that are hairy.¡±


    Vivian rolled her eyes and said, ¡°Gosh, I¡¯m not going to discuss this with you.¡±


    The length of the straight tunnel was unknown. They had been moving in it for more than an hour. The two monsters were not scared, but they had to keep talking with each other to keep the boredom away. There was no end in sight and it was almost as if the downward tunnel was leading them to hell. The air was stuffy enough, and the oxygen level was way below the limit in which a human could survive. Nevertheless, all these factors were not much of a problem for Vivian and Lily. Vivian could not help touching and feeling the walls with her hand. She knew that they were special walls formed by the work of magic, but she still marvelled at their solid, silky smooth surface. The inheritance of magical ability on Earth was fragmented and she was already unable to remember who among her ¡°old friends¡± on Earth possessed such a unique skill.


    Looking at the tunnel, which was almost perfectly round, Lily could not help but imagine things. ¡°I feel like we¡¯re walking into the intestine of a monster¡­¡±


    Vivian smacked Lily on the tail and said, ¡°Stop being so disgusting.¡±


    Lily did not seemd to mind. ¡°What is this tunnel used for?¡± She just raised her Flamejoy and illuminated the way. ¡°It¡¯s all the way down. I¡¯m not sure if this place is man-made at all, because it¡¯s got no lights and ventilation.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking the same thing too. If it¡¯s man-made, then it should at least have a ventilation shaft.¡± Vivian frowned. She thought that she would find traces of human activity, but the atmosphere got less and less human as the tunnel got deeper. She looked up at Lily¡¯s paw, which moonlighted as a torch, asking curiously, ¡°How does Flamejoy work? The fire just keeps burning even though there¡¯s almost no oxygen in here. And I remember it working just as well underwater¡­¡±


    Lily summoned her Frostmourne and pointed it at Vivian. ¡°I said don¡¯t call it that or I¡¯ll freeze you with Frostmourne!¡±


    Vivian twisted her mouth and retorted, ¡°You may want to rename it to Frostjoy for copyright¡¯s sake¡­¡±


    Lily felt offended. But before she could react accordingly, she saw Vivian¡¯s eyes affixed on something. Under the illumination of Flamejoy, Vivian scraped a black, browny substance off the wall. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a stone chip?¡± Lily¡¯s anger only lasted three seconds before her attention was completed diverted. She moved closer with her torch. ¡°Hmm, that doesn¡¯t look like stone. It smells like rotten root.¡±


    Vivian pinched some of it in her hand and it broke off easily. ¡°It¡¯s soft, kind of fibery. Certainly not stone. It feels like rubber to the touch.¡±


    Lily¡¯s ears twitched when she heard something in the tunnel. ¡°Battie, did you hear that?¡±


    Vivian furrowed her brows. She heard something too¡ªthe sound of rubbing coming from afar. But just as soon as it came, it disappeared. She then sent out a bat to scout it out. The bat, which had lightning shining in its body quickly disappeared into the dark end of the tunnel. A weird feeling began to engulf Lily and she could not help raising her claws to guard herself. Through the eyes of the tiny bat, Vivian carefully scanned the situation ahead of them.


    Half a minute later, she was wide-eyed. She grabbed Lily by her collar and said, ¡°Run!¡±


    Before Lily could react, she was already lifted off. ¡°What-what¡¯s happening?¡±


    Vivian wheeled and flung Lily around, hustling her to run back to where they came from. Then she shapeshifted into a swarm of bats and flew closely behind Lily. ¡°Don¡¯t ask! Just run!¡±


    A creepy sound was heard coming from behind, mixed with the sound crushing rocks. The sound got closer and closer, almost like a thousand beasts in a stampede. Lily finally came to her senses. Her tail instantly puffed up like cotton candy as she barked and ran on all fours. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Lily had tucked away her Flamejoy as she was running on all fours. Some of the bats looked back but it was pitch dark. Vivian could barely see their surroundings with the illumination provided by the bats¡¯ lightning. Suddenly, a shadow lunged out from the darkness and was on their tails!


    It was a monster tentacle. Vivian could vaguely identify its features: its end had wrinkles as well as a bifurcated structure and the tentacle completely filled the tunnel. As it moved, it rubbed and scraped the rocks off the wall. The images of the browny, black fibrous tissue and the round tunnel flashed across her mind. She suddenly realised how the tunnel was formed!


    She did not know if she was a match for the tentacle. Maybe, the tentacle was not as formidable as it looked. But, the wisdom of 10,000 years taught her that engaging an unknown enemy in an unknown, inhospitable place was a bad idea. She had to resist the urge to test the enemy out in the tunnel. She should escape outside where she could perform at her best. At worst, she would be fight in a place where she could move around freely.


    Lily looked back and saw the creepy tentacle chasing them in the dark. Her tail puffed up even more. ¡°Battie, why did you bring that thing out?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t! It knew that we were coming and it just crawled out slowly!¡±


    ¡°Please find a way to stop that damn thing!¡± Lily looked back again. ¡°It¡¯s even closer now!¡±


    Vivian summoned a small group of bats and thrusted a Ligthning Strike before she could charge it up.


    An earth-shattering blast was heard and the tunnel became as bright as day once her Lightning Strike struck the tunnel. Lily did not see it coming. She was almost blinded by the light, but she had no time to take it out on Vivian because she was still running for dear life. ¡°Is that thing dead?¡±


    Vivian¡¯s voice could be heard coming from all the bats. ¡°Just keep running!¡±


    It was a long chase. Minutes felt like hours to Lily as she had yet to see the exit. But just as the thought was about to sink in, there was light ahead.


    The shaft¡ªthe one that she had dug!


    The ruin of the lakeside outpost was engulfed in silence under the night sky. But, the thunderous rumble underground had shattered the serene atmosphere. Animals resting nearby scattered in a panic.


    A silvery white shadow and a swarm of bats burst out from the shaft.

 Chapter 356

    Rumbling could still be heard underground like rolling thunder. It sounded as if a beast from the abyss was moving through the rocks and soil. Lily carefully peeked through the shaft, her eyes glowing in the dark. But, all she saw was a faint shadow moving past her. ¡°I think we¡¯ve lost it. Looks like that thing can only move in a straight line.¡±


    With a flap of her wings, Vivian shapeshifted back into her human form, then she threw one of her bats back into the shaft. Under the bat¡¯s glowing lightning, Vivian and Lily could now clearly see the situation beneath them: a coarse, giant, brownish-black tentacle was moving swiftly. It moved so fast that even Lily¡¯s super vision had a hard time catching a glimpse of its true face. The tentacle obviously did not realise there was a shaft there and it just kept going forward. Perhaps it was just as Lily said, the dang thing could only move in a straight line.


    A moment later, the tentacle stopped. It had probably reached the end of the tunnel. After a momentary pause, the tentacle slowly backed up. As it retreated, it left behind a slightly larger, smoother tunnel.


    The two of them breathed a sigh of relief. Lily threw her butt on the ground and patted herself on the chest in a self-comforting manner. ¡°Now that was scary. I think it¡¯s already backed up.¡±


    She rubbed her eyes before glowering at Vivian. ¡°Your overly bright Lightning Strike almost blinded my dog eyes.¡±


    Vivian was confounded by her choice of words; was it an exaggeration or just a matter-of-fact statement?


    ¡°What was that thing?¡± Lily got to her feet. She looked at Vivian curiously as she dusted herself off. ¡°Being as knowledgeable as you are, have you ever seen such a thing?¡±


    Vivian shook her head. ¡°Nope. It looks like some kind of subterrainean life form. Probably, the tentacle of some large creature. But, its wrinkled skin did not look like that of an animal¡¯s, more like a plant¡¯s. Unfortunately, it was too dark to have a better view. Anyway, I¡¯ve managed to get some samples¡ª¡±


    She waved a large piece of black tissue in her hand. She had earlier summoned a bat to scrape it off from the tentacle as she ran out from the tunnel. Lily curiously approached Vivian, her eyes glowing under the moonlight. The black piece of tissue was wrinkled with cracks evenly distributed across its surface like the bark of a tree. The edge was a little hard in texture, but still flexible enough. Turning it over, the back of the tissue sample had peculiar lines, which were characteristic of plants.


    ¡°It looks and smells like a plant.¡± Lily sniffed. ¡°This definitely does not smell of meat. Battie, what do you think?¡±


    Vivian looked thoughtfully at the Gnarled Grove not far from her. ¡°¡­Legend has it that a large part of the Gnarled Grove is actually underground. It has a root system that extends all the way to the centre of Beinz Blood Lake underneath Dragonspine Ridge. Judging by the location and the shape of the tentacle¡­ it could very well be part of the Gnarled Grove¡¯s root system.¡±


    Feeling goosebumps on her body, Lily said, ¡°Are you kidding me? I mean, how could a root chase people?¡±


    Vivian tucked away the black plant tissue before turning around and walking towards the Gnarled Grove. ¡°It¡¯s just a guess, but it¡¯s quite possible. After all, the world is a strange place with strange things. I already had a really strange feeling about this forest from the very beginning. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s just as simple as a plant¡­¡±


    Lily followed Vivian. ¡°What are you doing? Are you going to dig another hole in the forest just to prove it? What if the tentacle comes out again?¡±


    Vivian shook her head and said, ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m not taking that risk. I¡¯m just comparing the trees with the ¡®black tissue¡¯ to see if they match.¡±


    She was silent for a moment. Her mind was working hard as she spoke to Lily, ¡°Besides, don¡¯t you find it strange? Let¡¯s assume that the tentacle is part of the Gnarled Grove¡¯s root system; according to legend, the root system is buried very deep underground and the locals think that it¡¯s just a myth¡ªthey¡¯ve been living here for thousands of years, yet they¡¯ve never been attacked by similar tentacles. The only reported sigthing of a similar tentacle was by a group of dwarfs, who were mining underground. But, there¡¯s no evidence to back up their claim¡­¡±


    Lily was as quick-witted as she was naive. ¡°You¡¯re saying that those tentacles a.k.a roots only travelled to the shallow ground recently?¡±


    Nodding solemnly, Vivian said, ¡°The Gnarled Grove has been in existence for 10,000 years. The tentacle¡ªregardless of whether it¡¯s a root or not¡ªhas to be very ancient. The fact that the residents of Beinz have never seen them suggests that those things live at great depths. But, the tunnel under the outpost is just 10 m or so under the surface, so I suspect the tentacle is planning to come to the surface.¡±


    Cold sweat trickled down Lily¡¯s back as goosebumps sprouted all over her skin. ¡°I think I better go home! That¡¯s creepy!¡±


    ¡°There are scarier things than this; like monsters from the Mythological Era. That could destroy they way you see the world. Wouldn¡¯t you be even more frightened?¡±


    ¡°Who told you that? Don¡¯t underestimate me. A werewolf is brave! And, I was just feeling disgusted.¡±


    ¡°Then let your tail out when you speak. Don¡¯t walk with your tail between your legs¡­¡±


    The noisy pair began to leave into the distance. But as soon as they were gone, the sound of pounding hooves could be heard coming from the other direction.


    A group of armed knights and mages from the church were arriving on horses. They were the sentries patrolling the area that night. The knights got down from their horses and carefully stepped into the ruins of the outpost. Some of them said, ¡°This is where the sound came from¡­¡±


    ¡°Looks like the sound came from underground¡­ Have those rock monsters learned to tunnel?¡±


    ¡°May the goddess have mercy on you. I don¡¯t know whether the monsters have learned to burrow or not, but I¡¯m pretty sure there¡¯s a massive hole in your brain!¡±


    Suddenly, a sentry shouted. ¡°There¡¯s a hole in here!¡±


    The knights immediately gathered around the shaft that Lily had burrowed earlier.


    The sentry commander stood near the shaft and pondered for a moment before giving orders to two of his men, ¡°Jefferson, Hohmann, both of you follow me.¡±


    The two silver moons still hung beautifully in the night sky. The bloody spot on the larger moon stared down like a bloody eye, monitoring the small creatures that crawled the land. Then, a cloud came by, blocking off the bloody eye.


    The moonlight dimmed and Hao Ren looked up to the sky. ¡°Dark clouds are forming. It¡¯s probably going to rain soon.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue was excited. ¡°Rain is good. Rain is good¡­¡±


    ¡°Shh.¡± Hao Ren used his hand to muzzle Nangong Wuyue. ¡°There¡¯s a cave right ahead.¡±


    Not far from them, an opening was hidden subtly in between some rocks. If it had not been for his enhanced vision, Hao Ren would not have noticed the subtle variation in the rocks. Nangong Wuyue was immediately on edge. She slithered behind Hao Ren as they came closer to the cave.


    A draft of cold breeze filled with a slight stench of blood was blowing out from the cave. Nangong Wuyue instinctively summoned a mist barrier to ward off the strange breeze. ¡°It smells evil.¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at the siren and asked, ¡°How do you know it¡¯s evil?¡±


    ¡°I was just visualising!¡± With arms akimbo, she stuck her tongue out. ¡°Okay, I admit it. It¡¯s hereditary. Although I¡¯m a siren, my dad left me with a sixth sense. I can feel that something¡¯s not right in this place.¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged and led the way. ¡°Let¡¯s go inside. I can¡¯t wait.¡±


    The cave was deeper than he thought. Hao Ren could see that it was a long and deep cave. The walls on both sides were smooth and had traces of human exploration.


    He knew he had struck jackpot¡ªthis was a big secret.


    Even though the cave had many twists and turns, it did not have forks or secret passages. After moving forward in the cave for an uncertain amount of time, Hao Ren and Nangong Wuyue suddenly found light ahead of them.


    It was just a torch on the wall, but bright enough to suggest that humans had been there.

 Chapter 357

    Hao Ren and Nangong Wuyue scuttled forward in the cave. They had gone around several corners and gone through larger caverns. Judging from the direction they were moving in and their distance of travel, Hao Ren could roughly calculate that they were somewhere beneath the mountain at the south of Dragonspine Ridge.


    There were obvious clues of human presence in the cave. Torches and lamps on the walls could be seen distance apart. But, the flickering lights did not help with poor visibility in the dark cavern. They only made the atmosphere even more creepy. Cold breeze blew out from the depths of the cavern; sometimes strong, sometimes weak, as if warning the intruders to turn back. In a previous cavern, Hao Ren and Nangong Wuyue saw some stools as well as tables made of stone, which were strewn everywhere. They looked quite ancient and had a very different style from furniture in the Kingdom of Holletta. They seem to be remnants from the unknown past.


    The deeper they went, the more tense the atmosphere became. Nangong Wuyue could not help but thread the dark cavern by holding on to Hao Ren. The BOSS siren was no more. She now looked meek and scared almost like the cat back at home, Rollie¡­


    Suddenly, Hao Ren saw an iron door that was left ajar right ahead. His steps instinctively came to a halt as a human voice was heard behind the iron door. ¡°Wait a second, someone¡¯s in there!¡± he exclaimed quietly.


    Nangong Wuyue crept up to Hao Ren and took a peek behind the iron door.


    What they saw surprised them as there was a large stone chamber behind the door. The stone chamber was almost as large as your typical hall. It was square, almost 10 m x 10 m and its walls were covered in the faint, red glow of crystals. Large braziers with fire illuminating from them filled the air with a depressingly dark-red light. The walls had reliefs and texts, depicting various strange creatures, which roamed the earth. In each corner, there was a statue of a black, faceless figure wielding a sword. Twisted symbols were carved on them and they looked horrific with a touch of madness. Right in the middle of the chamber was an altar, where a group of people in red and black robes were performing a religious ritual. Among them was a tall man in a black-red mask, who appeared to be the priest of this mysterious religious ceremony.


    The altar was almost circular. It was bowl-shaped with curvy grooves extending down to the floor. On the floor were all kinds of strange patterns. Hao Ren observed everything carefully. He saw dark-red liquid spewing out from the patterned floor and flowing upwards into the bowl of the altar, defying the law of gravity.


    Nangong Wuyue tugged on his sleeve, gesturing at the altar telling him that the dark-red liquid was the very signal which she had been tracing.


    That¡¯s right. That was the bodies of the disappeared sentries which had been dissolved into pool of blood by the evil ritual.


    As the ritual was coming to an end, the man in the mask raised his hands and chanted in a low but inspiring tone of voice, ¡°Brothers and sisters! The goddess is watching us. She has listened to our devout prayer and taken comfort in our sincere offerings. We are hereby listening to her true teachings, clearing up our cloudy minds, and looking upon to the goddess from the sinful world to be one step closer to her glory¡­¡±


    All the men in black robes knelt in front of the altar and looked up. They were men and women, young and old. Some had their inner clothing visible underneath their black robes which suggested they were either wealthy or of soldiers. They had their fanatical eyes affixed to the man in the mask, who was exuding a magical aura.


    ¡°What we hear, what we say, what we do, and what we believe are the will of the true goddess. We are the first borns who have awakened from ignorance; the wise and the brave who have woken up from the lies¡­¡± The hands of the man in the mask remained spread out in the air as he continued to recite some scripture or impromptu statement. ¡°We act in accordance to the will of the goddess to save the people from the hypocrisy of the Disciples of Glory¡­¡±


    ¡°We will reclaim the power and authority of the goddess, which the wicked have stolen, and we will devote it all back to the goddess. We will punish the sinners who have deceived the goddess and lay bare their sins to the world. We will save those who have been deceived by this illusion and lift them out of this filthy world into the kingdom of God¡­¡±


    ¡°We will redeem our debts, the sins of thousands of years with our flesh and blood to prove our devotion¡­¡±


    After the man in the mask recited the crazy statements with a strange tone of voice, he took out a dagger from underneath his robe!


    The ones in black robes, who were still kneeling on the ground took out their own daggers and raised them in the air as they chanted, ¡°We will redeem it with our flesh and blood to prove our devotion¡­¡±


    Immediately after, the cult followers stabbed themselves in the arm. Blood was splashing out, but they continued to shout, ¡°We will redeem it with our flesh and blood to prove our devotion!¡± It was as if they did not feel any pain.


    They bowed face down and their blood flowed down from their arms onto the patterned floor before flowing up to the altar and into the dark, bloody mix. The altar began to emanate a golden glow as if it was receiving the blessings of the goddess. The believers turned hysterical. Some began self-mutilating. ¡°Redeem with our flesh and blood! Prove our devotion!¡±


    ¡°The goddess has heard you! She will reward you!¡± The man in the mask shouted in an inspiring voice before dipping a dark-red wand into the altar. The surging blood instantly gave out a hissing sound, red mist rose from the altar and permeated the bodies of the black-robed men. Then they bowed and thanked their goddess for the blessing before pulling up their sleeves revealing their arms. The stab wound on their arms were gone miraculously.


    The black-robed man in the mask nodded in satisfaction. He said, ¡°The healing of your wound is proof of the goddess¡¯ recognition of you, and the hypocrisy and lies of the Disciples of Glory. They stole the power of God and now we have taken it back. Let us offer our sacrifice with the purest flesh and blood to our Lord to purify the filth on this evil land tonight.¡±


    When the man in the mask finished speaking, two of the followers got to their feet, and took a crate out from a corner of the chamber.


    The moment they opened the wooden box and reached into it, Hao Ren became wide-eyed.


    It was a child, sleeping soundly in the crate!


    This was the purest flesh and blood they were talking about, the offering they were going to ¡°return¡± to their goddess¡ªthey were performing a human sacrifice!


    The man in the mask placed the child who looked barely four on the altar. He raised his dagger and his wand, and recited fervently. ¡°The almighty goddess of creation, you are the origin of all lives, you are the alpha, and you are the first flesh and blood of all souls! You are the purest origin of chaos! Your loyal and humble servant hereby offers you the purest fresh and blood, and returns the clean being unpolluted by the world to you! In the name of return, please give¡­¡±


    Suddenly a shout was heard before the dagger came down on the child. ¡°Give my foot!¡±


    The door of the secret chamber was flung away. The distored iron door was sent flying, hitting a few cults on its course followed by a flash of blue light sweeping through the air toward the man in the mask. The latter raised his dagger in self-defense. But the blue light manoeuvered around the dagger and smashed the face of the cult leader, sending him flying back at least 10 m out!


    ¡°Meet the guided brick!¡± Hao Ren yanked out an alloy giant stick¡ªa purported construction material¡ª from the dimensional pocket before swaggering forward. ¡°So it was you guys who were causing the troubles all this while!¡±

 Chapter 358

    Hao Ren was not entirely sure if the cult members who performed the evil ritual were the ones behind the trouble in Beinz. However, their appeareance in a troubling situation during a troubling time was enough to implicate them of the strange phenomenon in Dragonspine Ridge. Even if he disregarded this, he was not going to sit by and watch these people perform a human sacrifice.


    Hao Ren had been hiding behind Nangong Wuyue¡¯s mist barrier the entire time. The cult members were immersed in the their ceremony and did not expect them. Everyone was in a daze when Hao Ren lunged out at them. It was only when the MDT hit the man in the mask that they began to come to their senses. Someone shouted, ¡°Heretic! A heretic is in the sacred temple!¡±


    In an instant, the followers took out long knives, daggers, sticks and hooks out of nowhere, turning into combatants in mere seconds. Hao Ren was totally flabbergasted. He had no clue how they managed to hide those things under their robes; he could see how they hid the knives, swords and sticks, but he was totally blown away when he saw a pair of spiked flails.


    Hao Ren was not going to take this fight lightly. He was worried that even with his Steel Membrane Shield, he would not be able to take on these four-dimensional ¡°chrysanthemums¡± and any other weird stuff they may yank out¡­


    It was chaotic in the beginning. The cult followers in black robes appeared to be a band of disorganised, inferior army. But, Hao Ren quickly learned that most of them had backgrounds in military training and all of them had help from magical powers. Their bodies were entwined in an unknown blackish-red air, which spread to their weapons through their hands. They looked like they had just come out of a pool filled with corpses and blood. Hao Ren wielded his alloy baton, fending off their attacks with his superhuman reflexes and strength. But, he was still hit here and there around his Steel Membrane Shield, which gave out bursts of spark.


    The cult member wielding a pair of spiked flails attacked Hao Ren from behind. Hao Ren managed to dodge the move as the flails impacted the ground with a bam. From the corner of his eyes, Hao Ren could see the spiked flails, which were shrouded in a blackish-red air blowing a deep crater into the ground with its corrosive power!


    No wonder he could feel his shield weakening at a faster rate than usual. That weapon, when coupled with magical power, could be so dangerous.


    Hao Ren returned the favour by smashing his attacker with his alloy baton and the latter was flung away by the hit. Hao Ren knew, even with skin as thick as that of a werewolf, no one could have taken the strike without being dead. With his hitting hand, he could roughly gauge that the cult follower was going to suffer at least multiple bone fractures, or worse, be broken in half. However, the guy fell and lay motionless on the ground for just a moment before he got up again, looking completely fine.


    The follower was now shrouded with the blackish-red air. Although his face was rotting away and peeling off as if he was being corroded by sulphuric acid, he seemed to feel no pain. His broken bones snapped back into their position and he lunged out to attack Hao Ren again.


    This time, the man seemed to be even more ferocious.


    The same thing happened to all the other cult believers as well; they felt no pain and healed in seconds. Hao Ren was not prepared to see this, but he was not nervous either; he believed that they were still mortals and they were not going to be able to resurrect themselves indefinitely.


    On the other end of the chamber, the man in the mask who was hit by the MDT stood up. His mask had been smashed into half, revealing the face of a middle-aged man with little features. The cult leader was surprised to see that Hao Ren was able to fight multiple men at the same time. He made a decision before chanting a few incantations quietly and thrusting his staff into the ground.


    As the staff came in contact with the blood-soaked patterns on the ground, a soft hum filled the chamber. The altar in the centre also began to resonate with the hum as the blood in the altar began to surge and a dark red mist began to rise. It looked like it was nurturing something.


    Amid the chaos, the sleeping child who was laying unattended on the altar began to be consumed by the bloody mist. Suddenly, a shadow shrouded in a light blue mist lunged in from the outside. Nangong Wuyue seized the opportunity to save the child from the bloody mist¡ªa move she had secretly discussed with Hao Ren earlier on.


    After saving the child from the altar, Nangong Wuyue did not leave the chamber. Instead, she began to position herself in a corner. She was ready to come to Hao Ren¡¯s assistance at any moment. She formed a mist barrier and placed the child on the floor. She curled the child up in her tail as protection while her upper body and head danced around menacingly. A few followers who came to snatch the ¡°offering¡± stopped in their tracks as they saw Nangong Wuyue, the strange creature. One of them even screamed, ¡°Forget about this lump of a snake! The mist surrounding it must be poisonous!¡±


    So, they turned around and went for Hao Ren, leaving Nangong Wuyue dumbstruck. ¡°Lump?¡±


    The siren¡¯s expression went through a series of changes, because she apparently wanted to join the fight, but was feeling reluctant at the same time. She then ducked as if she was scared. Her aversion to fighting seemed to be worse than initially thought.


    Hao Ren had noticed her condition. He was always curious about her condition, but he had not really examined it. To him, she was a gentle aquatic creature, who disliked fighthing. Furthermore, he could not afford to divert his attention to take care of her at the moment.


    He knew he had to finish off these cult followers as quick as possible and capture one or two alive. The fact that these people were performing mysterious rituals there had to be connected with Dragonspine Ridge. Even if there was no relation, there had to be some big revelations behind these people, their weird religious ritual, and their views on the Disciples of Glory.


    As he had expected, their resurrective ability was finite. It did not matter what power they received from the strange ceremony of fresh and blood. The power could not inject the mortals indefinitely. After a few rounds of fatal attacks were unleased upon them, their bodies started to crumble.


    For each injury they suffered, the corresponding part of their bodies would fester. As the injuries built up, their wounds just got bigger and spread throughout their bodies, ultimately becoming fatal. Some of the cult followers had already turned into lumps of carrion under the constant exhaustive attack. Although they were still attacking without any fear of death, their movements were visibly slower.


    A stocky man, draped in a black robe, but fitted with expensive clothes underneath, was wielding a machete. He ran towards Hao Ren to attack him, however with a swing of the hand, Hao Ren flung him away. The man¡¯s body burst mid-air and the bits fell back to the ground in a pool of black and red mud.


    This was the first cult follower who was completely killed.


    Realising that these guys could be killed, Hao Ren became more confident. He motioned the MDT, which was hovering in the air and sniping away. ¡°Capture one of them alive!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on it!¡± the MDT yelled back. It repeatedly hit the head of one of the cult followers, who looked more like a zombie than a ghost, trying not to kill him in the process.


    With his inexhaustible strength and indestructible body shield, Hao Ren quickly finished off the rest. The chamber was filled with the disgusting corpses of these ¡°monsters¡±. But, just as he thought he had finished them all, a strange sounding incantation was heard not far away.


    The leader of the cult, who had been ignored all this while raised the long staff in his hand. His face was twisted in an expression of fanaticsm as he pointed the staff at Hao Ren. ¡°Heretic! The goddess has answered my call. Be ready to face the power of goddess!¡±


    Hao Ren was a little stunned by this. Suddenly, he felt an overwhelmingly horrific force coming from the altar.

 Chapter 359

    ¡°Heretic! Get ready to face the power of the goddess! The messenger of the goddess has come!¡±


    The cult leader was waving his long staff, his face full of zeal as if he was suffering from great pain, or immersing himself in extreme ecstasy. Hao Ren could sense a terrifying smell behind him and he could not help looking back. The dark red mist above the altar had turned into a whirlpool, condensing and solidifying in just a few seconds. At the same time, a sharp, soul-piercing whizz resonated throughout the stone chamber. Hao Ren and Nangong Wuyue almost passed out!


    The rest of the believers fell into an extreme state of ecstasy. They began to mutilate themselves, allowing their blood to turn into mist to resonate with the bloody monster on the altar. Then, those who were badly injured began to heal themselves!


    The MDT whistled. ¡°Break it!¡±


    Taking out the gun from his Dimensional Pocket, Hao Ren aimed it at the altar and pulled the trigger.


    However, the dark red creature hovering above the altar dodged before Hao Ren pulled the trigger, as if it knew what was coming. In a burst of flame, the altar was shattered into thin slices of crystal while the bloody, mist creature rose into the air and completed its final stage of condensation: the mist cracked open and at the centre was a dark slit resembling an eye. The surrounding mist then grew into several pairs of limbs, which looked like tentacles with sharpened ends. In its final shape, the creature looked like a gigantic brain floating in the air¡ªit was as horrific as it could get!


    The cult leader was enraged to see the altar destroyed. He shouted, ¡°Heretic! You¡¯ll pay for this!¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at the gigantic brain creature in the air and said, ¡°That¡¯s the aesthetic perception of your goddess? Is this how her messenger looks like?¡±


    The gigantic brain was offended. Its black eye was fixed upon Hao Ren in a deadly stare before it wielded its tentacles against him.


    Hao Ren instinctively raised his gun as he felt an overwhelming pressure from the strange creature. He refused to take it lightly, not even in the slightest. But, just as he was about to pull the trigger, a strong sense of dizziness struck him and he almost lost his grip on the gun.


    He felt the world shaking before him, like he was looking out of a water curtain and this made him giddy. Amid his distorted senses, he saw a sharp tentacle reaching towards him. However, he managed to dodge it in a split second.


    The end of the tentacle, which was as sharp as a razor pierced through the air silently. In the corner of his eye, Hao Ren could see the razor-sharp tentacle literally slicing an opening in the air¡ªa spatial crack, which stayed for a moment before it closed.


    ¡°Holy moly¡­¡± Cold sweat trickled down his forehead. It was the first time Hao Ren had witnessed a monster with space-piercing abilities. Its ability was definitely several notches higher than that of the clumsy rock monsters and the cult.


    Just that, because of the gigantic brain¡¯s appearance, his perspective of the world had taken yet another blow¡­


    After some time, Hao Ren finally freed himself from the strange sense of dizziness. He was ready to launch another attack, but the gigantic brain did not pursue its prey. Instead it spoke in a series of peculiar murmurs and watched Hao Ren quietly in the air.


    Then, a strange shriek came from within the gigantic brain. Again, Hao Ren felt the same sense of dizziness flowing up from the depths of his soul, enveloping his mind. Despite anticipating the fact that the gigantic brain may possess some kind of mind attacking ability, he could not escape the mental assault. He lifted his arm with great difficulty, banking on his Steel Membrane Shield to resist its space-piercing attack.


    He could feel a great force on his arm. Even though the gigantic brain only gave him a light hit with its tentacle, he immediately flew back in way that defied normal physical law. He was thrown against the wall at the end of the chamber and he began to see stars.


    Nonetheless, Hao Ren bit his lip and got to his feet, thinking to himself rather optimistically: It looks like the Steel Membrane Shield can stand the impact of its space-piercing attack, but not the kinetic force.


    Seeing that Hao Ren was being bogged down by the messenger of the goddess, the cult followers shifted their attention to the snake that was guarding the child in the corner. They would not allow even one heretic to live. They wanted to offer the snake to the goddess.


    Nangong Wuyue had wanted to help Hao Ren when she saw him on the defensive. But, she quickly realised that she was no better than him considering how the believers, who wielded various weapons were coming after her. Meanwhile, the cult leader was raising his long staff in front.


    Her facial expression changed and she produced a loud wail, trying to ward off her enemies with a sonic wave¡ªone of the few techniques she knew. But, it did not work. The bodies of the cult followers had gone through a certain mutation after the evil ritual. Hence, the sonic wave could do no harm to them even if it could turn a human¡¯s internal organ into liquid.


    Nangong Wuyue coiled her tail nervously. She resisted the urge to curl herself up into a ball this time. ¡°Stay away from me! Don¡¯t force me to attack! You¡¯ll regret¡ª¡±


    ¡°Purify this heretic!¡± The cult leader raised his staff in the air and formed a ball of dark red light. ¡°Sacrifice the heretic¡¯s flesh and blood to the goddess!¡±


    Nangong Wuyue bit her lip and lunged forward.


    In the meantime, Hao Ren was having a mental fight with the gigantic brain on the other side. He managed to calm himself down amid the chaos.


    The gigantic brain creature truly had a lot of terrible abilities; it was capable of mental assault, ripping the very fabric of space and time, speedy movements that defied the laws of Physics and gravity as well as kinetic energy manipulation, which Hao Ren had experienced during their encounter¡ªit was able to send him flying for dozens of metres with just a touch. That was not normal at all.


    Despite these horrific abilities, it was still not enough to kill a crackpot fighter with an energy shield like Hao Ren. It appeared that the thing was afraid of his gun. Every time Hao Ren tried to shoot, it would suppress him with even more mental assault. This suggested that the gigantic brain was highly intelligent. It knew that the gun was lethal and it did not want to come into contact with the gun.


    Is there any way to overcome this mental assault?


    Hao Ren¡¯s mind was a little wobbly after being repeatedly attacked by the gigantic brain. AAt first, he thought that evading the gigantic brain¡¯s ¡°eye¡± would enable him to dodge the mental attack, but that did not work. The creature¡¯s brain power was very potent. No matter how hard its prey struggled to escape, it continued to latch on. ¡°MDT, do you know what species it is?¡±


    ¡°Nope, I¡¯m still analysing. But, its physical structure is a mess. Based on known biological data, it shouldn¡¯t even exist.¡± The MDT and Hao Ren continued to dodge the gigantic brain¡¯s attacks. ¡°I suspect what we see here isn¡¯t the actual creature, but a replica created from the religious ritual. It¡¯ll probably collapse on its own soon.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to wait for it to crumble. Who knows how long we have to wait?¡± Hao Ren muttered in a whisper. As waves of dizziness struck, he struggled to keep his balance. The level of energy in his Steel Membrane Shield was getting dangerously low and he could not dissipate the force of impact, which had apparently injured him internally. He dared not fight head-to-head with the gigantic brain, avoiding it as best as he could.


    Then, the gigantic brain thrusted its tentacle at Hao Ren again. He dodged it, but unwittingly touched the tentacle with his hand.


    Suddenly, something flashed across his mind.


    Hao Ren fell into a moment of trance and the MDT called out to him, trying to wake him up. ¡°Quick! It stopped¡­ What are you doing?¡±


    Hao Ren got a kick in his mind and looked at the gigantic brain, which had pulled away from him. ¡°Did you say it stopped?¡±


    The MDT replied with a positive response.


    He recalled the strange moment he just had and all of a sudden, he had an idea on how he was going to deal with the strange monster.


    ¡°I need your help,¡± Hao Ren spoke to the MDT telepathically. ¡°As soon as it freezes, wake me up. Then, I¡¯ll put a bullet in its brain. That¡¯ll do it!¡±


    Surprised, the MDT asked, ¡°That easy? Why are you so confident?¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t know, if you won¡¯t try.¡± Hao Ren looked down at his Steel Membrane Shield, which was almost depleted of energy. ¡°If you see that I¡¯m about to lose it, just cut me and Wuyue off from The Plane of Dreams.¡±


    While they were laying out their plan, the gigantic brain recovered from its stupor. It let out an angry wail and charged at them with its tentacles.


    This was it!


    In a swift motion, Hao Ren locked his eyes on the tentacle that he had touched before and lunged forward to grab it. The tentacle was easily distinguishable, because it was the only tentacle that did not look like it could tear the fabric of space and time apart. This particular tentacle was obviously not a weapon.


    To prove his theory, Hao Ren switched off the shield on his arms for a better ¡°connection¡±.


    Shortly after, an illusion began to wash over his brain.

 Chapter 360

    Opening his eyes slowly, Hao Ren found himself in unfamiliar territory.


    He remembered what had just happened. He remembered his battle with the gigantic brain. He also remembered why he was seeing this vision¡ªhe knew for certain that it was just an illusion, and the source of the illusion was the gigantic brain.


    He saw an ocean¡ªcrimson in colour, vast, and endless. There were no mountains, no land, no islands. Everywhere he turned he saw a blood-red ocean, undulating under the sky. The sky, which used to be pale and cloudy was dyed red. Hao Ren looked down at his feet, and still all he saw was the ocean¡­ No, that was not actually where he stood, because he could not see his own feet. It was as if his eyes were all that was left of him. He had no idea what perspective he was viewing all of this from, because he could not even see his own shadow on the surface of the ocean.


    Hao Ren fretted a little as he discovered that he could move around in this peculiar space. However, his movements felt slow as if he was a bloated, clumsy plankton.


    But at the same time, he knew that the gigantic brain in the real world had come to a standstill. Through some inexplicable connection, he could still feel his hand touching the giant brain¡¯s tentacle. His mind was fused with its mind and in this state, the gigantic brain was helpless despite its powerful mind attacking ability. It could only let Hao Ren break into its ancient memory like a mulfunctioned machine.


    Hao Ren lowered his head and fell into deep thought. He had an accidental glimpse of the vision earlier and their second encounter validated his suspicion. He tried to stabilise the illusion, but he had no idea how fast time flew in the illusion world compared to time in the real world. So, he coud not be sure when the MDT would wake him up. But before that happened, he seized the opportunity to scan the monotonous and boring world, trying to understand what messages the gigantic brain was trying to convey in its memory.


    While Hao Ren was comtemplating the vision, a loud boom from afar took him by surprise. As he looked towards the direction of the sound, he saw a bulge in the red ocean as if something was about to break out of the water. A moment later, a gigantic sphere¡ªred and a few hundred metres in radius burst out of the water and rose into the air.


    The sphere was not smooth at all. Its surface was covered with strange lines, giving it a mysterious as well as sacred kind of feeling. There were also some fine, wavy hair and slits, which looked like facial organs on its surface. One could not help but wonder if this was some kind of life form. Hao Ren was in awe as he stared at the gigantic sphere rising into the air slowly. It was like a vanguard of what was to come, because the same noise began to come from all directions and more spheres like the first one rose from the water into the air like dandelion seeds.


    Let¡¯s just call them dandelion seeds. Well, seeds with a radius of more than 200 m.


    A word suddenly came to mind: sowing.


    Hao Ren had a weird feeling and he looked back. A vague figure had solidified from the red seawater and appeared behind him. Its facial features were barely visible, but it was probably a female. It seemed like she was looking at Hao Ren, or maybe she was just eyeing those spheres, or talking to someone or herself.


    ¡°Hey¡­ what¡¯s so fun about those faraway places? You really want to go and see the stars¡­¡±


    A loud crash was followed by the flickering of the red illusion. Then, everything began to crumble as images quickly flashed across Hao Ren¡¯s mind. He saw the cycle of life, the growth of plants and trees, extinction and evolution of species, a group of reptiles raising their claws up on land, a group of deep-sea fish building their habitat on the seabed, a group of apes cautiously holding the first torch, and giant insects with armour leaving behind their own portraits on the rocks.


    He saw countless species rising from ignorance and falling again in a loss.


    Then, everything shattered in a bang. He had a feeling that he had not seen anything.


    His head ached as the deafening whizz of the MDT pierced into his brain. Hao Ren began to feel his own body and the vision before him became even more bizarre. He felt the weight of the gun in his hand while the MDT yelled, ¡°Yes! It stopped!¡±


    Hao Ren instinctively raised his hand, aiming with what was left of his strength. Then, he pulled the trigger.


    The chaotic images before him disappeared completely and saw that he was back at the scene of the cult ritual. The barrel of his inspector gun was exuding a bluish-white afterglow while half of the strange gigantic brain had crystallised.


    While the gigantic brain was crystalising, the black slit it had for an eye was still glaring at Hao Ren. It looked as if it was full of resentment and mockery. But, the monster lost its vital parts and fell to the ground shortly. As it reached the ground, crystalisation was complete and the gigantic brain creature turned into dust upon impact.


    Just as that happened, a voice began to fade away in Hao Ren¡¯s mind. ¡°¡­You are all just scum¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned for a moment before waking up from the strange illusion. He looked at the faint glow left behind by the dissipated creature thoughtfully, and said, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m from another world¡­¡±


    At this moment, the sound of fighting was heard from another corner of the stone chamber. Hao Ren realised Nangong Wuyue was still there!


    Hao Ren was drained physically and mentally after being attacked by the gigantic brain¡¯s mental assault. He was so exhausted and tired that he had almost forgotten about Nangong Wuyue. He quickly turned his head and saw the siren was in danger!


    A dozen or so believers surrounded Nangong Wuyue, wielding various kind of weapons and attacking her. the siren maiden wasn¡¯t really a good fighter, and in her current body form she had difficult to evade their attacks and might be in danger of getting hurt. She swung her tail to ward off the enemies but she had suffered multiple injuries.


    What¡¯s worse is that the cult leader, after summoning the evil brain, he showed no sign of exhaustion at all. Obviously his strength was a notch higher then the rest. He launched a torrential wave of magic arrows in mid-air to suppress the movement of Nangong Wuyue. The ruthless cult knew the ¡®snake¡¯ was protecting the child, he deliberately launched the magic arrows in that direction. Nangong wuyue couldn¡¯t help but coiled her tail to protect the child. But every time she got more wounds.


    The gigantic brain had been dealt with. Hao Ren could now come for her. Just when he was about to run towards her, something had happened.


    Nangong Wuyue coiled herself up as if she had lost it and given up. The weapons hit her but she did nothing to resist. While being brutally slashed, she looked up at the cult leader infuriatingly, ¡°I said, don¡¯t force me to retaliate!¡±


    The cult leader was stunned for a moment as if he had sensed a grave danger. Years of combat experience had taught him to take decisive action: he must finish off the enemy before thing goes wrong.


    Suddenly a thunder of light burst out from the tip of the wand in his hand. He swooped down in a sudden and thrust the wand through her chest before she could do anything.


    Nangong Wuyue shuddered for a moment, a layer of moisture rippling on her skin before her body faded and liquified. It then crashed down loudly in a splash.


    Hao Ren was terrified. Wuyue was killed?


    No!


    Smile was on the faces of the believer. Suddenly they twitched and fell one by one, they screamed in horror!


    Those ¡®monsters¡¯, which had felt no pain earlier, couldn¡¯t stand the pain of not of this world. Their bodies swelled and festered rapidly. Their body water began to boil, water burst out from their skin before their body dried up in a discernible speed. Every drop of moisture was drawn from the believers and reshaped into a familiar figure in te centre of the stone chamber while the believers turned into ashes without leaving one bit of moisture!


    Nangong Wuyue was reborn. The already freakishly beautiful siren appeared even more flirty as if she had sucked up all the nutrients. She looked at her reborn body which turned from transparent back to colour. She sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t force me to retaliate. I told you so¡­¡±

 Chapter 361

    Hao Ren was rooted to the spot for a long moment after the events that unfolded before his eyes: the siren was that powerful all along?


    ¡°Phew¡ª¡± Nangong Wuyue breathed a long sigh of relief, her facial expressin changing back to normal. No one could guess what was in her mind. She meandered forward and curled the sleeping child up in her tail before approaching Hao Ren. ¡°I¡¯m done. The child must have been drugged. Let¡¯s get some fresh air outside, the child will be fine.¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at the little child to find that it was a girl. He could not tell its gender earlier because she was covered in dirt and ragged clothing. He turned to look at situation in the stone chamber, and was disappointed to find no survivors. After exhausting their vitality and magical power, the cult followers had become a pool of mud. Some on the other hand, were turned into ashes by Nangong Wuyue¡¯s strange ability. It appeared that normal methods did not work in capturing them.


    The two of them searched the chamber carefully, trying to find any religious texts related to the cult. But, they came up with nothing. Hao Ren searched the clothing items left behind by the followers. Judging from their clothing, some of them were probably peasants, some were merchants, while some were professional soldiers and mercenaries. They were a mixture of the rich and poor, and they were likely residents of Leyton or a nearby area. Hao Ren pulled out a small pendant from a pool of mud. The pendant probably belonged to one of the followers. He looked at the pendant, then exclaimed in shock. ¡°A Royal Knight?¡±


    There were Royal Knights among the cult members? Who was behind the cult?


    Nangong Wuyue also found something. She saw a piece of inner clothing with the heraldry of the Disciples of Glory. ¡°It¡¯s the Disciples of Glory!¡±


    Hao Ren quickly took a gander. He was certain that the heraldry belonged to a clergy. He searched the clothing, which was covered in ashes. This time he found a booklet. He opened and read it.


    Written in the booklet were the ramblings of a delirious man printed on paper. Hao Ren knitted her brows together. The writings were very disorganised and the contents made him sick. It sang praises of some goddess for her greatness and wisdom. There was also the incessant accusation of the Disciples of Glory stealing the power of the true God as well as their hypocrisy and sins. Hao Ren could not help but wonder how such a mundane booklet could have brainwashed these people. He found it only hilarious at best.


    But as hilarious as it was, the things written in the booklet had gotten hold of people¡¯s mind. Hao Ren recalled the moment of shared vision with the gigantic brain, and made a connection with the Disciples of Glory and the cult. The key to decipher the relationship between the three parties might lie in this hilarious text. He let the MDT scan and record the content of the booklet before shoving it inside the dimensional pocket. He wanted to pass it to the ¡®expert¡¯ once he reached Leyton.


    He knew as a stranger he couldn¡¯t get to the bottom of the secret without landing himself in some sort of trouble. But it would be a different story if the Disciples of Glory or the knights themselves investigate the matter.


    They left the cavern after finding no further clues. Outside, the night was still dark. It was three hours before sunrise. Dark clouds were gathered in the sky, rain was going to fall at any moment. Nangong Wuyue was trudging behind Hao Ren, and in deep thought. The little girl was still being curled up by her tail. Hao Ren was engrossed with the thought of the gigantic brain. After a moment of silence, he decided not to keep delving on the thought. He turned his eyes to Nangong Wuyue and said to her, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you¡¯re so powerful!¡±


    Nangong Wuyue wasn¡¯t flattered. Her face wasn¡¯t looking good. She twisted her mouth and said, ¡°I¡¯m still trying to pull myself together.¡±


    Hao Ren was curious. He looked at her and asked, ¡°Pull yourself together? Tell me what happened.¡±


    The siren maiden scratched her head. She was reluctant but then she still told him. ¡°I guess you¡¯ve heard that sirens are incapable of dying, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. He had heard it from Vivian a long time ago.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that sirens are incapable of dying, it¡¯s just that we can resurrect ourselves indefinitely.¡± Nangong Wuyue pointed at herself. ¡°You see, it¡¯s made of water. As long as there¡¯s water, we could resurrect indefinitely. It¡¯s true that I¡¯m not good in fighting, what you just saw wasn¡¯t actually a fighting technique but a resurrection¡ªby borrowing the body fluid of the believers.


    Hao Ren was terror-struck.


    ¡°I don¡¯t use it usually.¡± Nangong Wuyue said as if she had recalled her painful past. ¡°It¡¯s cruel and you know I¡¯m too soft-hearted and I sometime screw up things. As you know, I¡¯m a half-siren with a not so perfert talent. During resurrection, sirens must be highly focused in choosing the venue of their resurrection. But I couldn¡¯t always get focused¡ªsometimes I died in a muddle¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was startled by what she said. ¡°In a muddle? How could it be? What would happen then?¡±


    ¡°Of course I wouldn¡¯t be able to choose where to resurrect.¡± Nangong Wuyue said as she stuck out her tongue. My body would reformed in a random place with high moisture environment. It could be anywhere on the planet. One time I was hit by a train while I was exploring the world. I was dead. But when I woke up I found myself floating in the middle of The Pacific ocean. And it took me nearly two months to get back to land.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s brows twitched. ¡°Is that slow you swam?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue sighed. ¡°I got caught up in a strong ocean current and lost my way. And you knew I¡¯d never been to the ocean¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless, thinking to himself that every monster maiden had her own hidden, peculiar side. No wonder that Nangong Wuyue was afraid of figthing¡ªshe couldn¡¯t fight. Her only way to ¡®win¡¯ a fight was to consume her enemy with her own death and resurrection with the probability that she might end up somewhere halfway around the globe. Hao Ren felt sorry for her. He said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you were hurt. I should¡¯ve protected you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s OK, really. In fact sirens are inherently amorphous. Let¡¯s just say that my formshift failed and my body crumbled.¡± Nangong Wuyue waved her hand as if saying she didn¡¯t mind. ¡°And thanks for killing the floating meatball. What was that thing, by the way?¡±


    ¡°Hell, God knows!¡± Hao Ren shrugged.


    Dark clouds had completely filled the sky. Thunder began to sound its displeasure and it was going to rain in any second. Hao Ren was a little embarrassed. He smiled wryly. ¡°OK, I guess even God has no clue.¡±


    The two of them wanted to waste no time. They came back to Leyton by teleportation immediately. They didn¡¯t know what to do with the little girl they had just saved, so they brought her back to their place as well.


    Vivian and Y¡¯zaks were back too. All members of the scout team were back.


    The first thing Lily did when she saw Hao Ren was jumping up and down excitedly. She spun her tail creating a little whirlwind. ¡°Landlord, we¡¯ve found something.¡±


    Vivian quickly kept the cups and glasses on the table. Then she grabbed Lily¡¯s tail and said, ¡°Couldn¡¯t you behave yourself?¡±


    Lily held Hao Ren¡¯s hand, licking it as if she was seeking Hao Ren¡¯s approval. ¡°We¡¯ve found a tentacle underground which Battie and I had banged for almost three hundred rounds. Of course I did the most part.¡±


    Vivian shot Lily a sideways glance. ¡°Yeah, you mostly ran with your tail between your legs.¡±


    Cold sweat was trickling down Hao Ren¡¯s forehead, the way Lily spoke always left people with too much lewd imagination¡­


    In the end it was Vivian who recounted the encounter. She added. ¡°We went into The Gnarled Grove just to get confirmation. The tentacle is indeed part of the root system. But the trees in the forest seemed to be normal and have no sensing capability.¡±


    ¡°Root system of The Gnarled Grove?¡± Hao Ren was shocked. He had thought that what he had seen was thrilling enough, little did he expect Lily and Vivian had bumped into something even more incredible. ¡°The root is coming to the surface?¡±


    Squatting on a chair and wagging her tail, Lily said, ¡°Not necessarily. It¡¯s just a tentacle. Probably it just has an abnormal growth pattern.¡±


    Hao Ren felt the opinion was very characteristically her¡ªf**king dumb.


    So it seemed that the water in Beinz area was much deeper than imagined.

 Chapter 362

    After Vivian and Lily completed their debriefing, Hao Ren turned to Y¡¯zaks and Becky. ¡°What have you found?¡±


    The pair had gone to the northern side of the mountain range where the rock monsters were most active. But now, it seemed like the biggest mystery in Beinz was in another part of Beinz. The rock monsters were little more than just an annoyance. Shaking her head, Becky said, ¡°Not much, except the many rock monsters that were wandering in the mountains. Some gathered in groups. Anyway, the knights have sent reinforcements. There¡¯s a megalithic fortress built with magic at the foot of the mountain. A mage-level officer is probably in charge. Biggie and I made a few rounds in the mountain. We were nearly spotted by the patrolling knights.¡±


    ¡°The rock monsters were just wandering in the mountain. They had no intention to attack,¡± Y¡¯zaks added. ¡°But the way I see it, it¡¯s out of character. I mean they¡¯re low-intelligence creatures; they¡¯re supposed to behave as such¡ªstomping their targets with brute force. I have a hunch that someone¡¯s controlling these monsters. However, the person behind this is clearly not very good at it.¡±


    Even though it was not much, what Y¡¯zaks and Becky found was still something. Just that, it was not something critical. After the debriefing, Hao Ren cleared his throat. ¡°Ahem¡­ let¡¯s talk about who I met¡ªa bunch of cult followers.¡±


    Everyone held their breath and listened attentively. Lily almost screamed when Hao Ren recounted how the cult conducted the evil ritual and human sacrifice. But, Vivian and Y¡¯zaks appeared unaffected; they had lived long enough to have seen such a thing. Y¡¯zaks only frowned when he learned that a flesh and blood monster was summoned by the cult. ¡°Was the monster formed with the flesh and blood of the bodies at the scene?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°The MDT analysed the monster¡¯s biological make-up and it totally defied any logic. That thing shouldn¡¯t exist.¡±


    ¡°Possessed summoning is a common process used by cults.¡± Y¡¯zaks nodded. ¡°What they summoned must be from another place¡ªanother dimension or planet. As they didn¡¯t have the ability to open the dimensional door, the monster had to project its will and power into this world by possessing a body as a vessel. Due to limited availability of ingredients and technology, it seems like the cult wasn¡¯t able to create a perfect body for it. So, a summoning of this type would only last for a short moment.¡±


    ¡°So, the strength of summoned monster would be much lower then?¡± This was the most important question bothering Hao Ren. He was traumatised by the gigantic brain; it was far more powerful than humans, and even many unusual creatures. If he had not found its weakness by accident and possessed an all-powerful gun of the Empire, which could penetrate all types of shields, things might have gone really awry.


    ¡°Not necessarily. It all depends on the form of life and the power of the possessor,¡± Y¡¯zaks said as he shrugged. ¡°If the possesor relies heavily on a physical body, its strength might be severely limited. If the soul and spirit are its main weapons, its power isn¡¯t really affected. Sometimes, the method of possession and skills also affect its strength. According to your description, the brain-like being must have been fighthing using a supernatural ability. Even if it possesses a body, it still has the magical power to manipulate gravity and kinetic energy. But like I said, it¡¯s just a guess based on what I know from my hometown.¡±


    Lily slid Y¡¯zaks a weird glance. ¡°Sound like you¡¯re very familiar with stuff like this.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks spread out his hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s what I¡¯m good at, after all. Teleporting all the way from the Demonic Abyss to the human world is troublesome. So, most of the time I travel by way of possessed summoning. Although I don¡¯t like to build a following in the human world, I do have a few human subordinates.¡±


    Felling surprised, Hao Ren asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted no war with the humans?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t come for war.¡± Y¡¯zaks scraped his bald head with his hand, giving an honest smile. ¡°Mostly for travel.¡±


    Everyone rolled their eyes, feeling speechless. The demonic king, whose appearance alone was enough to cause worldwide chaos and unrest, purportedly went to ¡°war¡± with humans only because he wanted to see the world. That would have made the brave army, who gathered in anticipation of the demonic king¡¯s arrival look stupid. Hao Ren could not even begin to imagine how the brave in Y¡¯zaks¡¯ hometown would react to Y¡¯zaks¡¯ line of thinking. Anyway, Y¡¯zaks¡¯ interest in travel was good for the business of weapon makers and adventure pubs.


    As if Y¡¯zaks knew his habit was hard to believe, he scraped his bald head again and smiled wryly. ¡°Let¡¯s not make this about me. In conclusion, the gigantic brain is dead. It¡¯s true that a summoned creature could abandon its vessel and return to its own world at any time, but you have a very special gun. Your gun can exterminate the soul and burn the linkage of the possessed projection. So, we don¡¯t have to to worry about the gigantic brain returning with its buddies for a second match.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks made the conclusion based on what Hao Ren told him about the gun.


    After the debriefing, Hao Ren and Vivian, who were the team leaders as well as think tanks began to compile all the information into a report.


    The mysterious underground tentacle at the lakeside (which was certainly part of the root system of the Gnarled Grove); the person responsible for the rock monsters; the cult ritual in Dragonspine Ridge; the summoned flesh and blood monster; the appearance of Church Knights and Royal Knights among members of the cults; the Disciples of Glory, which were accused of stealing the power of God, and the illusion of the red ocean in the faraway land¡­


    And lastly, the final words that the dying, gigantic brain left Hao Ren with: ¡°You are all just scum.¡±


    All these seemingly related, but messy things had Hao Ren wondering how he was going to stitch everything together. He was unsure if people behind the rock monsters were the cult followers themselves. He also was unsure if the flesh and blood monster was related to the strange phenomenon in the Beinz Diocese. He could not tell if the root system of the Gnarled Grove had anything to do with these occurrences. It seemed like each incident was independent, and they only had one thing in common: they were all weird.


    ¡°I can¡¯t think of anything,¡± Vivian said as she spread out her hands. ¡°We have too little information to work with.¡±


    ¡°In that case, we¡¯ll have to change our schedule for the next two days,¡± Hao Ren said, scratching his chin. ¡°Since we¡¯re so clueless, we won¡¯t be able to find anything. I¡¯ve decided to inform Ophra and let the marshal utilise her power to investigate; I bet she¡¯ll be happy to deal with the cult.¡±


    ¡°You trust her?¡± Vivian had a quick thought.


    ¡°No one can really be trusted, but it doesn¡¯t matter. I just want the powers that be in Holletta to know about the matter. They¡¯ll know what to do.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°We don¡¯t belong here. If worse comes to worst, we can just pull the plug and presto, we¡¯ll be back to reality. The problem now is, things are calm¡ªso calm that we won¡¯t be able to find anything. So, we need someone powerful to stir the pot a little. I don¡¯t care who muddies the water as long as the water gets muddy.¡±


    With regard to how he was going to explain their presence in those areas to Ophra, Hao Ren was still clueless.


    Feeling surprised, Vivian looked at him and said thoughtfully, ¡°¡­You¡¯re different.¡±


    Lily looked at Hao Ren with a surprised look on her face too and said thoughtfully, ¡°You¡¯re different.¡±


    Hao Ren eyeballed the husky. ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re talking about?¡±


    Lily wagged her tail and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you guys were talking about. But, every time Battie talks to you like that, you¡¯d praise her, so I figured I should do likewise!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    All of a sudden, Becky received a mental kick. She then asked Hao Ren, ¡°Wait a second! Did you really mean what you just said?¡±


    Hao Ren also received a mental kick, but a harder one. He did not realise that the native of The Plane of Dreams was there. She must have mistaken his words for not caring about The Plane of Dreams¡ªof course, Hao Ren did not mean it. He quickly explained, ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand, I¡¯m not saying¡ª¡±


    Before Hao Ren could finish his sentence, Becky got to her feet and said, ¡°We can only stay for 10 days or so! Oh no! If Lady Ophra wants us to stay and help with the investigation, my manor and title will be as good as gone.¡±


    Everyone had sweat trickling down their forehead: all she cared about was her title¡­


    Fortunately, Becky was pretty considerate. She did not insist on getting it at the moment. She could bear to leave it on the back burner for the time being. Unless Holletta was destroyed in a month, she could always come back again to claim her rewards.


    There was another important reason why she chose to compromise: she was no match for these monsters in the house¡­


    There was still some time before dawn, so everyone tried to get some shut eye. After a long while of building up, the dark clouds in the night sky began to pour down its contents alongside some thunder. It was then that Marshal Ophra came visiting.


    It was as if she knew Hao Ren would be coming for her too.

 Chapter 363

    Dark clouds were rolling, thunder roaring, and raindrops as big as peas falling from the sky. Tonight, the Beinz area was having a thunderstorm¡ªa storm that had been brewing over a night.


    Perhaps Beinz was near to the relic site¡ªDragonspine Ridgge, or maybe it was because of the influence from the mysterious Beinz Blood Lake, the weather in the area had been always extreme. Sometimes it was storm. Sometimes it snowed in the summer. Sometimes there was bolt from the blue which resembled the steppe weather. People in the town had gotten use to them. Residents began to seal their doors and windows and stayed indoor. Magic towers across the town had been activated to lessen the effect of the thunderstorm and to prevent buildings from getting struck by lightning. It was during this thunderstorm that the head of the knights of the kingdom, Marshal Ophra, came to visit.


    ¡°I hope I¡¯m not bothering you.¡± Ophra was in full armour just like she had always been. ¡°I have something need to talk to you. About the itinerary tomorrow.¡±


    Chilling wind rushed into the king¡¯s house through the opened entrance, but it hadn¡¯t a single drop of rain got blown inside. Ophra stood right at the doorway. The rain was like circumventing her, the space within two-metre radius of her became a vacuum devoid of rain. Standing behind Ophra was a ordinary looking, well-built elderly man who might be the attendant of the lady marshal.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s OK, please come in.¡± Hao Ren ushered Ophra into the reception hall. He was just thinking to see her tomorrow and now she had come instead. What a coincidence!


    Lily was lying on the long couch beside the doorway. Awokened by the chilling wind, she jumped to her feet as she saw visitors and her tail hit the door inadvertently. ¡°Eww¡ªit¡¯s freaking cold¡­¡±


    Vivian gave the husky a sideways look while knitting her scarf. ¡°Are you worthy of your own bloodline? Where¡¯s the glorious achievement of your ancestors¡¯ dominance in the Arctic Circle?¡±


    Feeling curious at Lily¡¯s ears and tail, the elderly man beside Ophra couldn¡¯t help but look at her, but he didn¡¯t say a word.


    Hao Ren invited Ophra to the couch. The elderly man followed Ophra and sat down beside her matter-of-coursely. Hao Ren was half-surprised. Probably he had misjudged the identity of this elderly man, he might be an important figure of the Knights of The Kingdom but happened to be in plain cloth. But that didn¡¯t matter much to him. He served the two of them hot tea. ¡°So what¡¯s up?¡± he asked.


    Ophra¡¯s hand shook a bit inadvertently. It was the first time someone had greeted her since she became the marshal of the kingdom a few hundred years ago. She couldn¡¯t help but recalled some young man had talked to her in the same tone of voice; a hot-blooded, young human chap, wearing an elite attire but squatting on the bench in a bar chatting up to her. ¡°I¡¯ve something to talk to you¡­¡±


    Ophra shook her head, putting the odd thought aside. Then she said, ¡°Tomorrow, we¡¯re going to escort the four ascetics to the royal city. Considering the special nature of this mission, and to prevent the cults from sabotaging, we need your cooperation¡­¡±


    Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°Wait for second. I¡¯ve something to tell you too. And I guess after your hear it you¡¯re gonna change your plan¡ªit¡¯s about the cults.¡±


    There as a subtle changes in Ophra¡¯s expression. She slightly leaned forward, her light body armours making scraping sound. ¡°Cult?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Cult. They performed evil ritual and human sacrifice, summoned monsters from the otherworld, and infiltrated the Knights of the Kingdom and the church.¡± Hao Ren divulged everything he knew, without fear or favour. He wasn¡¯t afraid of any consequences. ¡°Besides, nearby the blood lake¡­¡±


    Spending a long ten minutes or so, without holding back anything, Hao Ren told it all as if telling those freightening intel was the right thing to do. Ophra was stunned. Not even epic hero could remain composed when bombarded with such explosive intel. When Hao Ren finally finished, she pressed her hand on the tea table and said respectfully, ¡°Is what you said true? Do you have proof?¡±


    Hao Ren took out a sack and opened it up in front of Ophra. ¡°The stuff inside the bottle is the remains of the cults. This is the heraldry of the knight of the kingdom, clothing of the cleric, daggers used in their ceremony, corporate culture brochure, blood sample on the altar. And this is the tissue sample of the tentacle which has been confirmed to be identical to the tree bark in the Gnarled Grove. This is the cooking recipe of Vivian¡­why is it even here?¡±


    Vivian quickly scurried over and took the recipe away. ¡°No wonder I couldn¡¯t locate it. I misplaced it while sorting things out last night. ¡±


    Ophra looking at the stuff, her jaw almost dropped to the floor. ¡°So it¡¯s real¡­¡± Then she looked at Hao Ren, strangely. ¡°That means you guys were out there investigating yesterday? This wasn¡¯t something ordinary mecernaries would do on their own accord. Even the spies of the kingdom couldn¡¯t accomplish this.¡±


    Hao Ren spread out his hand and said braggingly, ¡°Yes, we have been investigating since last night. We have been very interested in the phenomena around Beinz Blood Lake from the beginning. As for the reason of doing so¡­ would you believe me if I tell you it my academic passion?¡±


    ¡°What if I don¡¯t buy it?¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll make another up.¡±


    Ophra: ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not kidding.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s face turned serious. ¡°I can certainly tell you that we are not a threat to The Kingdom of Holletta. We sincerely want to solve the problem out of our own free will. And the intel is solid. But it¡¯s kind of hard to explain why we do it. We are bona fide. So it¡¯s okay if you question our sincerity, after all you¡¯re the marshal of the kingdom. So you¡¯re welcomed to vet us.¡±


    This was the narrative Hao Ren had decided on last night. In fact it wasn¡¯t a planned narrative at all. After all he had nothing to lose; he was the commissioner of the empire who could come and go without a trace.


    And not to mention his identity here was also fake¡­


    Just that he felt sorry for Becky. He glanced at Becky who was lying near the window with Lily and yawning. The maiden was an authentic citizen of The Plane of Dreams. But considering the maiden could only follow him around for the rest of her life, and also the fact that Becky had already accepted her fate, he couldn¡¯t do anything more.


    Ophra became more confused about this unknown mercenary group of Hao Ren. It was true that she came here not just to discuss with them about the itinerary tommorrow, but also because she had received report earlier that a group of mercenaries had disppeared from the town last night, she was keen to investigate what was going on. She believed she could find out their whereabouts last night with her special ability. But before she could say anything, this man before him already confided everything to her like a guilty child.


    No. He wasn¡¯t feeling guilty. He simply didn¡¯t give a hoot.


    ¡°If this is true, then the orb must be delivered back to the royal city as soon as possible.¡± Ophra murmured. ¡°Since the cults have already infiltrated us, the orb isn¡¯t safe here. But first I must make sure the intel you provide is true.¡±


    Hao Ren took out a piece of paper and drew something on it. Then he said, ¡°Of course. The cavern where the cults performed their ritual is still there. I¡¯ve drawn a map. You can send your men to scout it out. But be quick. Probably there are still other cults who might want to destroy the evidence.¡±


    Ophra took the map in her hand and read solemnly before stared back at Hao Ren. ¡°Who was the one scouted the cavern last night? We need a guide.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s brow twitched. ¡°You don¡¯t trust me? You think it¡¯s a trap?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Ophra waved the map in her hand. ¡°Your drawing is too simply ugly to understand.¡±


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll be your guide.¡± Nangong Wuyue got to her feet, volunteering. ¡°I know the way.¡±


    Ophra nodded. She was about to say something but a loud thunder interrupted her.


    She immediately looked up towards a direction. Hao Ren didn¡¯t know what to make of her reaction, so he waited. Then thunderous sound came from afar.


    It sounded like thunder but the the tone was much lower and rolling incessantly. Obviously thunder didn¡¯t sound like that.


    Lily¡¯s tail puffed up. She poked her head out of the window and saw a light column rose from where Beinz Blood Lake was at, and the pressing sound of the bell was heard from the bell tower of Leyton!

 Chapter 364

    Rain was pouring down while a light column as bright as a light tower rose up from Beinz Blood Lake. Hao Ren heard the pressing sound of the bell and he instinctively thought of something as he shouted, ¡°Are the rock monsters coming?¡±


    He thought the bell was an alarm for a monster attack.


    But, Ophra glanced through the window and her face suddenly turned grim. ¡°No, it¡¯s the alarm from the Sacred Lake Chapel. Something¡¯s happening!¡±


    Everyone, including Lily who lay yawning a while ago became nervous. Hao Ren and his team were not familiar with the meaning and category of the alarm. But, judging from the expression on Ophra¡¯s face, he knew it was something big. Before he could ask, someone knocked on the door in a pressing manner. Ophra quickly sensed who was behind the door. She glanced over and the door swung open in an instant. Cold wind saturated with rain blew in and a knight, who was completely soaked stood at the doorway. ¡°Marshal, there¡¯s an emergency at the sacred lake. The chapel has been swallowed by the lake!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Ophra was stunned. It felt like all the powers and abilities she possessed were useless at this point. ¡°Have you confirmed it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been confirmed. A father, who managed to escape sent word theurgically. Bishop Gelton is sending his knights to Beinz Blood Lake as we speak.¡±


    Ophra adjusted her light armour and said, ¡°Gather all the elite forces. We¡¯re going too.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait a second. Count us in.¡± Hao Ren quickly volunteered his group. ¡°We¡¯re experts¡ª¡±


    Ophra looked at Hao Ren with a strange look on her face. ¡°What experts?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not delve into the details. We¡¯re truly experts in times like this.¡± Hao Ren did not really know what he was saying. He just wanted to go and have a look. He waved his hands frantically as Ophra questioned him. ¡°We just want to serve the country¡­¡±


    Ophra nodded. ¡°If I don¡¯t buy your story, you¡¯re gonna make up another excuse?¡±


    Hao Ren choked, but Ophra did not waste time on the topic. She made her decision and quickly said, ¡°You can come with us if you don¡¯t mind the weather. After all, you were the ones who found the Orb, so I¡¯m not worried that you¡¯re going to harm the sacred grounds. But, don¡¯t expect me to take care of you guys.¡±


    Then, Ophra glanced at Nangong Wuyue and said to her, ¡°Miss, please lead my men into the mountain. I¡¯m worried the cult followers may take advantage of the situation.¡±


    Ophra had not forgotten about the cult in the mountain. Nangong Wuyue did not mind at all. She said, ¡°No problem.¡±


    So, they followed Marshal Ophra out and departed to the knights¡¯ base camp. Out in the open, Hao Ren could now experience the true face of the storm: the sky and the land had merged into one; it was greyish-white everywhere he looked as if the world was submerged in a pool of dye. The chilling rain was carried by a freezing whirlwind and there was so much water in the sky. It was as though the ocean had turned upside down and pouring its water back to Earth. There were no pedestrians on the streets; only groups of soldiers running hurriedly in the storm. They were all completely soaked.


    Only mages or higher-level warriors had a shielding ability to protect them from the rain. Most ordinary soldiers, though relatively strong were just ordinary in other aspects.


    Fortunately, Hao Ren and his team were never short of strange gadgets. They had neck rings with shielding functions, which they once used in space to stay alive. Now, they were using them to block out the rain. Meanwhile, Nangong Wuyue had a much simpler way: raindrops on her body disappeared just as fast as they fell. It seemed like they were being absorbed by her body. Plus, she was riding on the water under her feet as if she was surfing in a half-walking, half-sliding movement; sometimes, it looked like she was skating. She really enjoyed this weather.


    Rain could not touch Ophra within two-metre radius from her. She glanced at them, looking surprised. ¡°Your ¡®magic shields¡¯ are very unique. I¡¯ve never seen anything like them before.¡±


    Hao Ren waved his hands frantically. ¡°Because, we¡¯re professionals¡­¡±


    Vivian gave Hao Ren the side-eye, thinking that the most expert part this chap was his shrewd mouth.


    Before long, they arrived at the knights¡¯ base camp. Nangong Wuyue followed a team of shielded elite warriors as they departed to the mountain range, while Ophra led another team of elite forces to Beinz Blood Lake.


    When they reached the defense post at the Gnarled Grove, a group of knights in white robes were standing in their way. The leading knight was a pious-looking, middle-aged man¡ªa father. The father stood in front of Ophra and said, ¡°Marshal, Bishop Gelton has gone to the sacred lake with his own men. You can rest assured that the matter will be in the good hands of the Church Knights.¡±


    Hao Ren was appalled by the pedantic clerics who still rigidly clung to bureaucracy at a time like this. But still riding on her horse, the no-nonsense Ophra pointed her sword at the cleric and scoffed, ¡°Move! You are disrupting the Royal Knights from carrying out their duty.¡±


    The female marshal¡¯s face was stern as she spoke. She was being straightforward and an invisible air of pressure was radiating from her. The marshal was undoubtedly determined to run over these pedantic clerics if they decided not to give way.


    The father clenched his jaw. Perhaps, he realised that it was not the right time to play hard ball, so he let Ophra pass. ¡°May the goddess bless you.¡±


    ¡°May she bless you too,¡± Ophra said before leading her team and cutting straight through the Gnarled Grove.


    The brigade rushed through the rain on their horses like a sheath of wind. But somehow, Hao Ren found that something was not quite right. ¡°Are we going to run in like this? I mean the horses would be drained out before we even get there!¡±


    Opra did not say a word. She waved to the knights behind her. ¡°Everyone, get ready to form a straight line and attack!¡±


    Immediately, all the knights merged into a single straight line formation and they ducked in an attacking position. The horses that Hao Ren and his company were riding on had also been trained by the knights. So, they merged into the formation on their own. Ophra led the brigade and charged forward like the head of an arrow.


    Just as the knights began to charge forward in their attacking position, Hao Ren sensed his surroundings turning strange.


    The ferocious wind and rain became isolated, like they were disappearing. Their surroundings started to fade like a black and white photograph, and everything became monotonous as well as abstract. The towering old trees and sceneries in the Gnarled Grove suddenly became semi-transparent. The brigade was shooting ahead like an arrow piercing through a black and white world!


    The towering trees were no obstacle; the same was for the rocks and the valley. Everything before their eyes was just an illusion; the only real entities were the knights themselves. They were shooting through the Gnarled Grove, away from the main path on the shortest route towards the Blood Lake.


    Their speed had exceeded that of their horses and their surroundings turned into beams of light flying past them. Based on a rough estimate, Hao Ren figured that they were moving at a speed of at least 200 clicks an hour.


    Becky gripped the reins tightly and followed Ophra closely behind. She was ecstatic. ¡°It¡¯s Marshal¡¯s Assault! Marshal¡¯s Assault! The world¡¯s only military-based magic! A long time ago, Lady Ophra penetrated the so-called ¡®Impenetrable Seven Defenses¡¯ of the rebels in the south with just one thousand elite forces in this way. She captured the Southern Grand Duke¡¯s whole family even before the war at the frontlines began! The rebellion was suppressed in just one day!¡±


    Hao Ren was in awe, but Ophra turned around and corrected her. ¡°That¡¯s just a rumour. Only four defenses were penetrated. I was thinking about attacking one of their fortresses, but little did I expect to see the Southern Grand Duke touring the area with his trusted aides. Frankly, we were both surprised. However, he was clearly slower than me.¡±


    Hao Ren was still in awe, thinking that she was truly a legendary heroine. Even her skill tree was specially made!


    With the help of Marshal¡¯s Assault, the brigade arrived at the lakeside in just under an hour. The blood-red lake was still a scene to behold despite the storm.


    Because, the dang lake was really red.


    They walked along the lakeside onto higher ground and as Hao Ren looked down, his jaw completely dropped to the ground.


    A maelstrom was in the middle of the Blood Lake. Everything near the maelstrom, including the isle in the middle of the lake was gone.

 Chapter 365

    The Blood Lake quickly turned into a vortex and the noise it made was akin to rolling thunder. The centre part of the lake had become funnel-shaped and the small island as well as the church on it had undoubtedly been swallowed by the vortex. The scene was so petrifying that even a dumb rock like Lily bristled in fear. The husky lass let out a low growl, before scurrying behind Hao Ren. ¡°It¡¯s leaking¡­ The lake is leaking!¡±


    Marshal Ophra stared in disbelief as well when she saw the scene at the lake, muttering to herself, ¡°Ha-Have we angered the goddess?¡±


    If it managed to shake the venerable marshal, the shock was even more profound when it came to the common soldiers. They were all basically believers of the goddess. In addition, the ones sent to the Blood Lake were the most battle-hardened of them all. These warriors saw something that only happened in legends. It unfolded before their eyes on their very sacred grounds. Fear gripped each and everyone of them. If had not been for their training and discipline as well as Marshal Ophra¡¯s presence, things would have been chaotic.


    The muscular old man beside Ophra stared at the lake for a while before his aura started to change. ¡°The sacred lake has been defiled and the lake is swallowing the church. Whatever that¡¯s been sealed since the old times may come out. Ready yourselves! Stay in formation! We may engage in combat at anytime!¡± Upon finishing, the old man had completely transformed. His already muscular frame was even more prominent as his muscles started bulging. His hair and beard grew out almost like a wolf¡¯s fur. Shortly after, black wolf ears popped out as well. He then turned around and pulled his tail out from his pants.


    Marshal Ophra looked at him. ¡°Can you just not wear the low-cut pants and loose shirts your kind likes to wear?¡±


    Still adjusting his tail, the old man said, ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me, it ruins my poise.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Only then did Lily manage to react, leaping excitedly as she saw his transformation. ¡°Whoa! You¡¯re¡­ one of my kin! You¡¯re a werewolf too?¡±


    ¡°Lassy, do you need to be so surprised when you see a werewolf?¡± The old man glanced at Lily. ¡°Holetta doesn¡¯t have that many werewolves, but we are not that rare. Rather¡­ you, lassy, I¡¯ve noticed you for a while now, but I can¡¯t tell which stock you¡¯re from.¡±


    Lily was wagging her tail excitedly, and in the rain, it turned into a mini hurricane. ¡°I¡¯m a northern werewolf! The northern stock that pulls sleighs!¡±


    Ophra and the old werewolf were totally confused. Hao Ren quickly interjected. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the details. She doesn¡¯t know where she¡¯s from and she was raised by humans. Let¡¯s rendevous with the survivors.¡±


    Under the guidance of the old werewolf, everyone was on combat alert as they headed towards the pillar of light near the lake¡¯s shore. The light was similiar to the one seen in town earlier. It was a warning signal. The knights and monks who managed to evacuate the church had already set up camp on a safe spot. They were awaiting aid and reinforcements. They never thought the first to arrive would be the Royal Knights led by Marshal Ophra, instead of the Church Knights led by Bishop Gelton.


    Hao Ren saw a big, magical barrier by the shore and a big group of people were taking shelter from the storm. There were some runic stones and activation devices around the perimeter of the barrier. A group of clergymen clad in black could be seen maintaining the barrier. Inside, there were about a hundred worn out and battered knights as well as clergies. A few of them were sprawled across the floor and a group of wounded were receiving treatment. Nervous-looking warriors were everywhere, talking softly amongst themelves. They wondered what the disaster boded for them. A few high level clergies in white robes were walking around the group of ¡°refugees¡±, comforting them and stabilising their spirits.


    Ophra led her knights to the camp and her arrival caused some commotion. Some of the high level clergies walked out from the masses and Marshal Ophra led Hao Ren as well as her entourage to meet them. ¡°I am Marshal Ophra. What¡¯s the situation?¡±


    ¡°We thought Bishop Gelton would come here¡­¡± a tall and lanky clergy in a white robe spoke with caution, but under the current situation, he did not bother arguing about doctrine anymore. He pointed towards the group behind him. ¡°As you can see, we have evacuated the people out of the church, but all the valuable treasure and tomes in the repository are lost.¡±


    Hao Ren noticed that most of the survivors were empty-handed, and the few items that they managed to save lay in the middle of the camp. It seemed like the vortex had formed rather suddenly, and before anyone could fully react, the church and the island were already consumed by it.


    ¡°Bishop Gelton is leading his men here. But, my troops are well-versed in rapid marching, so we arrived earlier than them.¡± Ophra nodded. ¡°How did the vortex form? Were there any warning signs? What happened after that?¡±


    ¡°It just came so suddenly without warning,¡± the tall clergy said. He was clearly shaken by the experience. ¡°Before the vortex manifested, we only heard some loud rumbling from beneath the lake. It was almost like a giant beast swallowing a whole body of water. After that, a giant earthquake struck and the whole island started shifting. Soon after, the vortex formed. Thankfully, the guards were the best among the best. Their faith gave us protection and we escaped by treading over the lake.¡±


    There were no ominous signs and no appearances of any monsters. But, there was no divine guidance as well. The very lack of it confounded the pious lot. However, something suddenly struck Hao Ren, an almost ¡°Oh, f*ck¡± moment came about in his mind. Was this his doing?


    He still remembered the commotion under the lake during the spacecraft excavation, which was conducted by the Kerbalians!¡±


    ¡°Captain Hao Ren, have you found anything?¡± Ophra noticed the change in Hao Ren¡¯s breathing and threw him the question. She knew that this ¡°mercenary group¡± was totally odd. She reckoned that they discovered something the night before and it had something to do with the devastation that day.


    Hao Ren simply shook his head. ¡°Nothing. I was just spacing out. What do you think we should do, Marshal?¡±


    ¡°We need to check the vortex out.¡± Ophra did not hesitate. ¡°There may be danger, but you can wait by the shore.¡±


    Hao Ren wanted to look for a quiet place to observe things, but thinking back on what he had done beneath the lake, he needed to check it out for himself. Nevertheless, seeing how violent the vortex was, he gulped hard. ¡°How do we even get in? The whole island is gone.¡±


    The vortex was about a kilometre wide. The scale and strength of the thing was terrifying. The centre of the vortex was almost like a swirling abyss and Hao Ren got dizzy just from looking at it for a short while. He could not figure out a safe way to get to the bottom of the lake. Within his group, Vivian could fly; Y¡¯zaks, while an apocalyptic fighter was above average under water; Lily could only doggy paddle; and Becky¡­ well, forget about it. One could not even pop a submarine out there. And given the strength of the vortex, it may as well not be there at all.


    ¡°If Wuyue was around, things would be a little easier,¡± Hao Rem mumbled and that caught Ophra¡¯s curiosity. ¡°That girl who went to the mountains? What¡¯s so special about her?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a great Aquamancer.¡± Hao Ren pointed towards the lake. ¡°Even if she can¡¯t bring us in, she won¡¯t drown from attempting it herself.¡±


    ¡°Aquamancer, eh? I have a few here.¡± Ophra was not too concerned as she pointed towards a few of the soldiers behind her. A few of them were clad in a mage¡¯s combat robes. ¡°They should be able to bring a few people through the vortex safely. But, we better wait for Bishop Gelton. This is the sacred lake after all.¡±


    A group of knights temporarily retreated to the lakeside camp to recuperate. Among Ophra¡¯s elites were a few mages who specialised in barriers, and they expanded the magic barrier to accommodate everyone present. With the barrier, the peole within were sheltered from the storm outside, and that brought Hao Ren some measure of relief. Being caught in a storm was really frustrating.


    Lily started going around the camp, looking for new friends. The moment she saw someone big she went, ¡°Hey! Are you a werewolf? Are you a werewolf too? Ah, the lady over there, are you a werewolf? Hi bro, are you a werewolf¡­.¡±


    She was her usual excited self whenever she found her kind in this world. Well, thanks to the simple-minded husky¡¯s cheerful nature, the sprits of those in the camp were somewhat lifted.


    Vivian pulled Hao Ren to the side when others were not looking, dragging him to a quiet place. ¡°Mr. Landlord, the vortex, can it be¡­¡±


    Hao Ren had a complicated expression written across his face. ¡°Let¡¯s not mention it. The MDT ran a scan and there¡¯s a hole beneath the vortex. The lake water was just drained through it and it¡¯s the same spot where we dug the spaceship!¡±

 Chapter 366

    Based on the MDT¡¯s long range scan, Hao Ren realised that beneath the vortex lay a hole that went far into the ground. This made it very possible for the vortex to be related to the missing spaceship. He suspected that the initial ¡°crash¡± had already destroyed the geological structure of the lake bottom. The ship itself was just acting as a cork to seal the hole that it had created. This was probably why nothing happened until the Kerbalians went underwater to excavate the lost ship. That action of theirs had caused the weakened structure to start unravelling.


    The gap did not cave in immediately, so there was probably a thin layer of crust supporting it. Hao Ren then remembered the void they left behind after the ship was teleported away. The subsequent crash of millions of gallons of water alongside the built-up pressure against the lake bed caused the whole place to just cave in.


    The crust held out for a day or so, after which it became undone by the immense weight and pressure.


    That theory was based on the data shown by the scan. Hao Ren and Vivian were pretty sure that was the case.


    ¡°Seems like we need to pick up the pieces.¡± Hao Ren sighed. ¡°Thank goodness no one died, or I¡¯ll feel even worse. We can¡¯t let Ophra know about this.¡±


    Vivian knew Hao Ren was very principled in this area. His sense of responsiblity was strong and he certainly blamed himself for the screw up. Hence, she went to comfort him. ¡°Don¡¯t blame everything on yourself. The land¡¯s structure was probably already ruined when the ship crashed. Even if we didn¡¯t do anything, the appearance of the vortex was just a matter of time. Besides, you can¡¯t be leaving the ship there forever, right? What we could have done better was to do a thorough check. If only we had used the MDT to properly scan and survey the place.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and looked enviously at Lily, who was busy making friends with her fellow werewolves. ¡°Sometimes, I really admire her¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, she¡¯s a simple one, ain¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s that simple mind of hers that I¡¯m envious of¡­¡±


    By the time Lily, the simpleton had wandered three whole circles around the camp and gotten to know her kin, Bishop Gelton as well as his Church Knights finally arrived. They were actually not late. In fact, you could say that they were extremely quick. They had left slightly earlier than Marshal Ophra and the Royal Knights, plus they utilised divine spells to increase their speed. Believe it or not, they actually used an hour or so to cover a track that a normal soldier would take half a day to complete. However, Marshal Ophra was another beast altogether and her rapid deployment and marching abilities were almost cheating. By the time they got moving, it did not take long for them to leave the Church Knights in the dust.


    Gelton saw that the Royal Knights had already arrived before him, but his frail old face did not seem to bear any surprised expression. In fact, he pretty much expected that the no-nonsense marshal would toss whatever doctrines they had aside under the circumstances. It was the few regular clergymen who frowned when they found out that the Royal Knights had arrived first. But, they dared not say anything with them still around.


    The eagle-eyed Becky spotted the four ascetics among the Church Knights and she happily waved at the them. Big Beardy seemed to have sensed it as he looked up and smiled at Hao Ren as well as the rest.


    Gelton quickly looked for the leaders of the survivors and got a run-down of the situation regarding the vortex in the Blood Lake. When he heard that the whole church had sunk, he started coughing. His already frail body appeared strained due to the intense cough. It almost looked like he was going to meet the goddess any time soon. ¡°Ugh¡­ the whole place sank?!¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the tall and lanky clergy spoke. His face was grim.


    Gelton¡¯s pale face suddenly turned red as he asked, ¡°How about the Divine Sarcophagus?¡±


    ¡°The Divine Sarcophagus is kept under the church and it is within the spell¡¯s field. But, even in normal times, it would take at least a quarter of an hour to activate it¡­ As the situation was critical¡­ the Sarcophagus¡­¡± The clergy had guilt written all over his face. ¡°Bishop Gelton, we have failed the goddess. We did not have time to evacuate the Sarcophagus and it went down with the church into the vortex.¡±


    Gelton started coughing hard again and Hao Ren really thought the old Bishop would be on his way to meet his maker this time. But after a few pants, he recovered. ¡°Goddess have mercy. This is surely one of her trials and such a momentus undertaking is not something a pair of hands can manage. I¡¯m sure the goddess will forgive you¡­ but we need to recover the Divine Sarcophagus! If need be, we will go beneath the waters! Magus troops, we shall march towards the vortex!¡±


    The old bishop turned to face Ophra as he spoke, ¡°Marshal, we may have our disagreements, but please forgive me. This is my duty and I hope you will stand together with me on this. In the name of the kingdom and the goddess, we must recover the sarcophagus!¡±


    ¡°I thought you would still be a stubborn, old coot even at this time.¡± Ophra smiled and pointed at her Royal Knights. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve brought the best of the best that I have.¡±


    Lily was bouncing behind as well. ¡°And, there¡¯s us too! We¡¯re also professionals!¡±


    Bishop Gelton gave Hao Ren and the rest a surprised look. He was already curious about them when he saw them in the camp. Now that they were volunteering to help, he could not surpress his curiosity any longer and decided to question them. Lily immediately immitated Hao Ren. ¡°Well¡­ because we¡¯re true patriots and fervent believers of the goddess. If you don¡¯t believe it, I can cook up another¡ª¡±


    Hao Ren quickly pulled Lily back. ¡°You can just leave that last part out!¡±


    Becky looked really perplexed as she slowly backed away. ¡°Actually¡­ Can I sit this one out?¡±


    It was a reaction totally befitting a normal mercenary. However, Becky was already onboard with Hao Ren and his gang, so most times, she had to act all heroic even if she did not want to.


    ¡°All of you have had a hand in ensuring the safe return of the Orb. This is reason enough to trust your sincerity.¡± Gelton demurred as he measured Hao Ren and his merry band before nodding slowly. ¡°This is a dangerous mission, but if you can proof that the goddess indeed does watch over you and come back safely, the church will reward you greatly.¡±


    While the old bishop may be a pious man, he was not oblivious to how the world worked. Most people had their vices and wants, and he knew that. That last bit was simply a bait¡­


    A bait¡­ that got Becky all heroic again¡­


    This time around, Wuyue was not with them, but Gelton and Ophra had with them a couple of aquamancers. After a short time of preparation, they headed towards the Blood Lake.


    Gelton and Ophra led the team with about a dozen mages from the Royal Knights as well as the Church Knights in tow. Hao Ren, the four ascetics and the rest followed closely behind. It was Hao Ren¡¯s first time seeing Big Beardy since the night before, and he purposedly walked at the back to get some information from the ascetic. ¡°What¡¯s the deal with the Divine Sarcophagus?¡±


    Big Beard looked at Hao Ren and there was hesitation in his eyes. However, after considering Hao Ren¡¯s origins, he relented and created a noise-cancelling barrier around them. ¡°It¡¯s a sacred being under the church.¡±


    ¡°A sacred being? What¡¯s it for?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the oldest of the sacred beings.¡± Big Beardy¡¯s face was serious. ¡°The Divine Sarcophagus contains the first ever Originator of Life created by the goddess herself. She spread these Originators throughout the world to use them as a counterbalance and as ¡®insurance¡¯. In the event that the world comes face-to-face with a calamity, the Originators can maintain the balance and even renew life. There are three Divine Sarcophagi and all of them are within Holetta with Beinz being one of the places.


    Hao Ren blinked as he thought about it. And after comparing it with the legends that he knew so far, he asked, ¡°How about the old civilisation? If the Originator was created by the goddess, doesn¡¯t that mean the Sarcophagi were already around during the old civilisation?¡±


    ¡°No, the Originators were created by the goddess, but the Sarcophagi were only made during the reign of the first pope,¡± Big Beardy said softly. ¡°An Originator is neither a living thing nor a corpse, but it¡¯s a special thing that contains the powers of the goddess. They have been laying underground since the time of the Ancient Magic Civilisation. After the attempted destruction of the balance of the world by those evil mage emperors and the goddess¡¯ subsequent destruction of the world, the Originators surfaced from their underground caverns. They received the word of the goddess, protecting the surviving innocents and creating new life. They then retreated to the same sacred caverns from whence they came from. A few thousand years later, the first pope received guidance from the goddess and created the Divine Sacrophagi to replace the ancient seals. He placed the Originators in locations where the goddess¡¯ blessing was the strongest. At the same time, he brought out the holy blood from the caverns, which then became the source of divine magic.¡±


    After that, Big Beardy stopped for a while before he looked Hao Ren in the eye. ¡°Oh, I should be forthright with you on this as well; the place that we¡¯re going to is the sacred cavern!¡±


    Hao Ren immediately squinted his eyes.

 Chapter 367

    Hao Ren squinted as he looked at Big Beardy. ¡°You¡¯re saying that there¡¯s a Sacred Cavern under Beinz? And the entrance is at the bottom of the lake?¡±


    Big Beardy¡¯s expression did not change. ¡°Yes. The Cavern is one of the three sacred grounds. Every Originator of Life is being sealed at the closest point where they were found, and the Sacred Cavern is one of them. This is the Goddess¡¯ will in her order to us.


    Hao Ren was surprised to find that the Diocese of Beinz had such a special place in it. It was not only contained the ruins from the time of the calamity, it was also the place where the Originator of Life was sealed. The location of the Sacred Cavern was just by the side of the Dragonspine Ridge, the Gnarled Grove, the Blood Lake, the monsters that were created by the mage emperors¡­ All this are gathered in one same spot!


    ¡°You already knew that the cavern would be opened?¡± Hao Ren raised an eyebrow at Big Beardy. ¡°And it was opened by us¡­ How did you even thought of it?¡±


    Big Beardy kept his straight face. ¡°There¡¯s no ill intention, really. And I never thought that you would be able to open the place and so just let you try it. Ever since the first pope had opened the cavern to retrieve a few sacred items, all three caverns had since shut by themselves. Based on the Holy Prophecy, the chosen of the Goddess will come from a place beyond sky and earth, the guests from the stars, as they are known. It had been something that many had tried to uncover for thousand of years, until our disappearance into another world. I believe the chosen ones are the people like you, the ones who can freely crossover worlds.¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned, and a very strange feeling came welling up. ¡°You mean to say someone had already prophesied our coming three thousand years ago?¡±


    Prophecies, omens, fates, all these nonsensical mumbo jumbo had been totally ignored by Hao Ren. No one actually likes to feature in an ancient prophecy, it almost as if his each and every movement was pre-determined. But if the prophet was a God or a Goddess like Raven12345, then it was understandable at the very least. Lets take Raven12345 for example, even though she was omnipotent and a rowdy excuse of a Goddess, she did not dictate how Hao Ren should do things. And now the person who foretold their coming was a old coot from the Plane of Dreams three thousand years ago!


    That sent chills down Hao Ren¡¯s spine.


    ¡°The first pope had spoke directly to the Goddess and had received an inconceivable amount of divine power. Him being able to foresee this is nothing weird.¡± Big Beardy nodded. ¡°You all came from another world, and the place that you are heading to is the bottom of the sacred lake, that just so happen to be the entrance into the Sacred Cavern. The thing that you did was to take away something from there, and that matches that the prophecy said. So I decided to let you lot try. It was until the entrance had really opened that I was only certain that you were really the ones in the prophecy, so I decided not to tell you about this at first.¡±


    ¡°Now that the vortex had appeared that you believed that we are the chosen of the Goddess?¡± Hao Ren was rather confused. ¡°And so that¡¯s why you are so forthright now?¡±


    Big Beardy nodded. ¡°I hope you understand why I did things the way I did. I don¡¯t know why the Goddess will choose a group of unbelievers to activate her sacred vaults, but her orders are absolute. If that is her will, so it will be my calling without question, and I will see to it¡¯s completion without a flaw.¡±


    Hao Ren waved his hand, motioning that he was still confused and need something to think. Vivian who was listening by the sideways then looked towards Bishop Gelton, ¡°It seems like only four of you knows about this? That bishop over there looks awe-struck by the vortex.¡±


    ¡°The tale of the Sacred Cavern is not a secret.¡± The hoarse-sounding female ascetic spoke. ¡°But its location is secret. Only the first pope and a few ascetics know that under every Divine Sacrophagus is a Sacred Cavern. Not even the bishop in charge of protecting the sacrophagus knows it, much less anyone else. So before we were certain that you were the chosen ones as foretold in the prophecy, we could not risk telling you this.¡±


    Hao Ren was mumbling to himself. Things were progressing a little too fast that before he could react that things had already sped along. At present only the ascetics led by Big Beardy know about the Sacred Cavern. They had simply looked on when Hao Ren and his group had unknowingly worked to open the cavern, and it was only now that they revealed it to him. That, was just too much for Hao Ren to digest.


    Vivian pointed towards Gelton, Ophra and the mages, ¡°If the Sacred Cavern is a secret, why did you let these people near it?¡±


    ¡°No matter, the ¡®key¡¯ to open the core is with us after all.¡± Big Beardy said almost nonchalantly.


    ¡°How do you see this?¡± Hao Ren asked his group after the ascetics had left them.


    Lily pondered for a moment before going, ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    Vivian glared at the dumb husky and pulled out a pack of spicy stick and stuffed it into her arms. ¡°Go then, nothing to see for you now.¡±


    ¡°I feel that the whole chosen thing is hogwash,¡± Y¡¯zaks was rather serious about the question. ¡°I don¡¯t think a mere mortal could foretold this three thousand years ago. Even if the prophet was their Goddess, it is probably a fake entity that only exists in this world. This ¡®Goddess¡± ability could not even be projected beyond her domain, and you expect me to believe a mere believer could predict someone¡¯s coming three thousand years later?¡±


    ¡°But things are weird as it is.¡± Vivian frowned. ¡°We did appear just like the prophecy, and we also opened the entrance to the Sacred Cavern. I¡¯m keen tobelieve that the previous popes of the Disciples of Glory had tried other ways to open the cavern, but none of them were successful, and they had made up a story that only the chosen of the Goddess can open the entrance. And the situation now¡­¡±


    ¡°We blew a god damned hole in the place¡­¡± Hao Ren swallowed his saliva.


    Becky simply blinked as she swallowed her saliva even harder. ¡°You think someone will off me to keep things under wraps?¡±


    She was just a simple mercenary and had been dragged into the whole matter almost unknowingly. She was almost vibrating when she said that.


    Hao Ren did think there was some element of danger to that. The four ascetics were onboard with them so they are not a threat. But who knows what awaits them in the Sacred Cavern, what if the ¡®Goddess¡¯ had required a few chosen as blood sacrifices to open the vault? That Goddess had wiped out a whole world without as much as blinking. Certainly not as kind a deity as Raven12345!


    Now the whole chosen of the Goddess had a rather omnious feel to it!


    Hao Ren pulled the MDT out of his pocket, ¡°Stay on alert later. If there¡¯s any traps or whatnot immediately cut the connection with the Plane of Dreams. Also, just keep an eye out of Wuyue¡¯s position. Don¡¯t let her get into trouble. This whole place is getting weirder by the minute.¡±


    ¡°I understand. But you are holding me the other way around. The face with the serial number face upwards remember?¡±


    Hao Ren frowned as he flipped the MDT over. ¡°As a PDA you are sure demanding.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, for someone who had been speaking to another¡¯s butt, you¡¯re sure acting all normal.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    By that time, the party had already reached the vortex in the middle of the Blood Lake.


    The aquamancers had already created a wide path on the surface of the lake and the party walked towards the vortex on the surface of the water. While this was not as elegant as how Wuyue manipulates water, this was more well suited to landlubbers. Hao Ren felt a sense of amazement as he looked at the roiling lake waters beneath him. Lily was busy chewing on her spicy sticks as she mumbled. ¡°I think we will be jumping into the vortex soon¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop eating! You might accidentally transform later from a bloated stomach!¡± Hao Ren tried to pull the spicy stick from Lily¡¯s mouth but the werehusky responded with a gnashing growl. It is indeed difficult to pull food out of a dog¡¯s mouth.


    Lily licked her lips as she hugged her precious spicy sticks. ¡°I¡¯m getting all ready to transform. My six sense tells me that a fight is coming up.¡±


    The vortex was a scene of storm and fury and the heart of it stood in front of the group. It was almost too terrifying a sight to behold and the two dozen people standing before it were nary but gnats that would be swallowed by the raging waves at any time. The aquamancer¡¯s water path towards the side of the mouth of the vortex was the furthest they could go. Once there they started creating a magical circle to strengthen the ¡®base¡¯ beneath their feet.


    Becky stretched her head out to look at what was before them and the moment she saw the vortex she quickly turtled back. ¡°Goddess preserve me, can I still quit now?!¡±


    ¡°The eye of the vortex¡­ where does it leads to?¡± Gelton fearlessly stood in front of the vortex. He was covered by a seemingly divine golden shroud, almost as if he was a divine being. His cloudy eyes looked into the heart of the vortex, and almost as if he could see through the deep swirling blood waters. ¡°There¡¯s something at the bottom of the lake, probably a cave.¡±


    Ophra was clad in her usual gear as she stood beside Gelton. ¡°Seems like there¡¯s only one way down. There is some sort of spellwarding at the bottom of the lake, and the current is very rapid. I¡¯m afraid the mages are not much help here. If there¡¯s a hole under the lake that¡¯s all fine, but if it¡¯s just a vortex¡­. we¡¯ll probably be trapped there.


    Gelton¡¯s suddenly turned serious. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m already very old¡­¡±


    Ophra raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh?¡±


    Gelton did not reply and simply just stepped into the vortex.

 Chapter 368

    Looking at the old man stepping towards the vortex and vanishing within the swirling waters had Hao Ren stunned. Gelton looked like he¡¯d kick the bucket any time soon, but Hao Ren never thought that old man still had nerves of steel, he didn¡¯t even hesitate when he stepped into the vortex.


    He had thought to call the MDT to scan the vortex¡­. but that doesn¡¯t seem to be necessary now.


    The magus, regardless if they belonged to the church, or were under Ophra¡¯s command was stunned by the old bishop[s bravado. Even Vivian couldn¡¯t help but frown, ¡°¡­ Piety is a good thing, but the old bishop didn¡¯t need to do this¡­ he could use another way to check what¡¯s at the bottom of the vortex¡­¡±


    At the same time, a faint gold pillar of light shot up from the vortex and broke Vivian¡¯s speech. Ophra nodded as she saw the light. ¡°That¡¯s the signal from Bishop Gelton, seems like it¡¯s safe down there.¡±


    As she said that, the general adjusted her gear and turned towards her men, ¡°Wait here, if we cannot return normally we¡¯ll use the teleportation runes to teleport back to the church. If that happens, the usual contact protocols.¡±


    After finishing giving her orders, she looked at Hao Ren and his group. ¡°Seems like the situation here is worse than we thought. It¡¯s hard to determine what¡¯s exactly going on under there. You have the right to withdraw from this. As mercenaries, you had already went beyond the call of duty of your kind. No one will ridicule you for taking a step back¡­¡±


    Hao Ren interrupted her before she could finish, ¡°What the hell are you on about? We¡¯re the Good¡­ company that always keeps our words. If we promised to come along, we¡¯ll bloody well see it to the end. So.. who first?¡± He had to keep up the heroic pose, as the four ascetics were right behind them. Given how stubborn these four are, they will probably drag the chosen into the vortex themselves if push comes to shove.


    Ophra took a deep look at Hao Ren, there were all sort of complicated thoughts in her eyes. She did not say anything else and turned towards the vortex. An aura-like shield emanated from her as it pushed aside the lake water and she too disappeared into the vortex. The old werewolf behind her jumped it not long after.


    Becky grabbed Hao Ren¡¯s hand, ¡°Please make sure that ¡¯emergency stop¡¯ button outside is working¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, Lily dashed forward excitedly, ¡°LETS GOOOO!!!¡± and rammed the whole group down into the vortex.


    ¡°The Goddess preserve us.¡± The ascetics made a prayer gesture on their chest before jumping into the vortex.


    The whole group quickly vanished in the vortex as the storm the continued.


    Hao Ren felt that the world was turning upside down for him. Even if his shield could block out the lake water, it could not save him from being spun about like a rag doll in the vortex. Almost like clothes in a washing machine. He could no longer tell the direction and could only rely on the dimming light to know that he was fast approaching the bottom of the lake. How he wished that Wuyue was here. If the Siren was around the journey to the bottom of the lake would¡¯ve been a stroll in a park. He really missed that water-manipulating super support character!


    After being thrown about in the water for a while, Hao Ren saw a flash of light and he started falling, almost like being carried down a waterfall into a deep pool. After struggling for a while he managed to float to the surface..


    Lily¡¯s voice followed soon after, ¡°PFAHHHH!!!! I thought I¡¯m gonna die! That feels like being strapped to the ceiling fan at top speed¡­¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly felt a furry head plonking into him. Lily was still dizzy and after paddling in the water for a while she had relied on her innate sense of smell towards the most familiar scent.


    ¡°Are you guys alright?¡± Hao Ren tried to reorientate himself as he called out the rest. Vivian and Ophra responded from nearby. A few moments later a rather loud plunge rang throughout the place and Y¡¯zaks got up the surface. ¡°I¡¯m here too¡­¡±


    He demurred for a moment before he went underwater again as if to grab something. ¡°I think I knocked into someone¡­¡±


    Hao Ren immediately had cold sweat the moment he heard that. He knew Y¡¯zaks was a giant and a fall from that height he was almost like a cannonball, and he did not know which unlucky sod that he knocked into. As he was wondering who the poor fellow as, Big Beardy surfaced near Y¡¯zaks. ¡°No worries, no worries, this is a test from the Goddess¡­¡±


    Hao Ren turned around to look, and exclaimed, ¡°Master, lets stop the bleeding first¡­¡±


    ¡°No worries, no worries, her trials are always sudden¡­¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! She¡¯s not putting your ability to resist tetanus to the test!¡±


    After ensuring that everyone was safe that Hao Ren had the time to survey his surroundings and look for the shore. He turned his head about and realised that he was in a massive, awe-inspiring giant cavern!


    From the looks of things the cavern was almost a full circle, he couldn¡¯t tell the exact diameter but the scale of it was massive. The cavern walls were encrusted some shiny objects, not sure whether they were minerals or glowing algae, but thankfully because of that, the whole pace was not pitch black. With Hao Ren¡¯s enhanced vision, he could move about the place unhindered by the darkness. He noticed the cavern walls in the distance had may tunnel-like holes on them and figured that they will probably lead them quite rather way, perhaps all the way to the Gnarled Grove.


    The center of the cavern was a concaved shape and water had pooled into a mini-lake. The reddish water is proof that the water was from the blood lake. Hao Ren looked up towards the top of the cave and found a structure almost too neatly placed together, almost as if man-made. The reverse-dome was at the very top of the cavern and the middle part had cracked open, the lake waters gushed down like a waterfall from there and the gushing sound echoed throughout the cavern.


    There was were the group had fell into.


    Hao Ren saw that Ophra and Gelton had already made for shore and he quickly swimmed over. Before he got far he felt a tug on his back and a group of bats carried him all the way to shore. Vivian then reformed beside him as she put him down. ¡°You¡¯re the captain, you need to keep your heroic poise here. I never thought you¡¯re such a poor swimmer without Wuyue¡¯s help.¡±


    Hao Ren had no words to retort. At the same time, Lily had struggled as she paddled to shore. Pouting at Vivian, she complained, ¡°You¡¯re bias! Why you didn¡¯t help me!¡±


    Vivian smirked. ¡°Your dog paddling is rather¡­ stylish?¡±


    Hao Ren ignored the bickering duo and looked back towards the pool, the water from the top of the dome was still gushing into it. From a glance the pool may not look big, but it was indeed massive. If the crack on the top of the dome did not expand any further, Hao Ren was confident that the place would not be flooded any time soon. Hao Ren realised that with the tunnel system on the walls that this underground world is much much bigger than he first thought. Even if the whole lake were to be drained the place may not even be half-filled.


    As everyone had their own ways to ward off the water ¨C even Becky had got a outer space life-support shield generator from Hao Ren ¨C So no one had to dry their clothes after getting ashore. After getting their bearings they started exploring the place. Big Beardy and the res of the ascetics were rather excited, this cavern was like a divine remnant to him, and clearly fit the bill of the ¡®Sacred Cavern¡¯ that they knew of. And that reaffirmed their belief that Hao Ren and his motley crew were indeed the chosen of the Goddess.


    Hao Ren muttered to himself, even he was awestruck by the scale of this underground cavern and had believe that the first pope who had found this place deserves some respect for that. He softly said to Vivian, ¡°Can it be true that we are really the chosen ones that we had access to such an amazing place?¡±


    Vivian looked upwards towards the rock patterns on the dome, and her expression suddenly changed. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not¡­ Seems like we screwed things up rather royally¡­¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Vivian pointed towards the shining lines on the dome. ¡°That¡¯s some sort of magical circuit, while I¡¯ve never seen one like this.. I think it¡¯s just to detect the chosen of the Goddess¡­ it has the features of a long-range reconnaissance spell¡­¡±


    Hao Ren had no idea what Vivian was on about, ¡°And then?¡±


    Vivian pointed towards the hole on the dome. ¡°The magic circuit was not activated because it detected the chosen, but¡­ it was destroyed when the ship exploded. I¡¯m afraid the true chosens have yet to even arrive!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    It seems true that you just cannot take those man-made legends at face value, whatever thing they had about ¡®the chosen one¡¯ to open a sacred treasure is clearly nonsense. In the face of ¡®fate¡¯ any big KABOOM of sufficient strength can solve anything. The entrance towards the Sacred Cavern was not opened due to the arrival of the chosen ones. It was because it was blown apart.


    Hao Ren wiped off the cold sweat on his head. ¡°Lets not tell Big Beardy about this yet¡­¡±

 Chapter 369

    Hao Ren was not sure whether they were the bane of the Plane of Dreams. The people there had been living there safely for tens of thousands of years, but after Hao Ren and his team visited this place, troubles kept happening there. And now, this sacred cavern might be scrapped.


    Of course, the cavern might not be ruined, but that magic door that could identify The Chosen Ones was ruined. People could easily find it out at a glance that the magic circle on the top of the cavern was not opened in a correct way¡­ It was blown up.


    Vivian and Lily looked up at the hole at the top of the cavern. Lily was a well-read prolific writer. At this moment, her head was full of the plots of stories: the ancient cavern left by the immortal, the one who ascended to heaven and became immortal left behind an inhibition and a millennial prophecy, waiting for thousands of years for the right person to open the cavern and take over the legacy. There was nothing wrong for the immortal to think so, but suddenly, there came a bunch of aliens with a big bomb blew the cave off¡­


    ¡°You see, two things that are incompatible are better not to mix together.¡± Lily, as a senior writer, patted Hao Ren on the shoulder, acting like an elder and said, ¡°How many fairy tales would be destroyed if aliens were falling in the Middle Ages¡­¡±


    She sounded serious, but it was better to keep her tail from wagging when she said it.


    ¡°How can you say I made them fall! It should be caused by the little green men. The magic circle was shattered when the ship crashed. But the stone of the top of the cavern is strong enough to hold it for so long. The destructive power of our construction is not as strong as that when the ship crashed.¡±


    They were gathered and whispered in a circle, afraid that others would hear their conversation. But in the end, Vivian still looked at big beardy and the other three ascetics and said, ¡°I think¡­ We can¡¯t keep it for too long. They are not fools. A few more glances will find out that the seal of the cavern was destroyed by brute force.¡±


    ¡°Never mind that. We¡¯ll talk about it later. Only their words count anyway.¡±


    By this time Big Beardy and the other three of them had already noticed the shattered magic circle and rocks on the top of the cavern. The four respectable devout believers did not think much of it. They put their hands on the chest and whispered the name of the Goddess. The young nun also muttered to the others, ¡°So that¡¯s the way the cave was opened. Probably only The Chosen Ones can blow up the right spot¡­¡±


    Hao Ren and others really could not understand the way the devout believers think. Otherwise, he should have known that they were a bunch of ascetics who based everything on Bible even when they saw aliens falling from the sky. Whatever the Goddess said could not go wrong. Even if there was a problem in the world, it had nothing to do with the Goddess, but you comprehend the Bible in a wrong way!


    At this time, Gelton, the oldest person in the team, had also stopped panting. The old man investigated the neighborhood. Then his sight rested beside the pool. There were some broken slates and fragments of unknown material, apparently not something in the cave. The old man immediately exulted and said, ¡°This should be part of the church!¡±


    Hao Ren looked up at the big hole in the top of the cavern. The hole was huge, but it was obviously not huge enough to engulf the whole island. So the rumor that the island in the middle of the lake and the church were swallowed up by the whirlpool was, in fact, a superficial exaggeration. This should be the case: when the whirlpool produced waves, plus the rock stratum at the bottom of the lake collapsed, causing the island¡¯s foundation to collapse, and eventually, the whole island and the church sank into the water. The structure of the church was obviously more fragile than the natural island, so it fell off the island when it was torn by the whirlpool, and then was sucked into the cave beneath the lake.


    He let the data terminal scan the area with radar and found that his reasoning was basically correct.


    Now the massive amount of lake water was still pouring down from the hole on the top of the cave. The size of the waterspout was unusually large. If any ordinary people saw this scene, it would probably make them shudder. In fact, Becky was having a twisted stomach now. She was the only ¡®normal¡¯ person on the scene.


    As the water kept pouring down, there was something flowing down along the water, including broken boulders, sand and lake creatures, and some man-made objects that flickered. Only a handful of these things had been washed to the edge of the pool, and most of them should have sunk to the bottom.


    The Divine Sacrophagus probably would not rise to the surface of the water.


    ¡°Probably only the church fell into the cave.¡± Hao Ren walked to Gelton and Ophra, acting like a scholar, saying something that everyone already knew. ¡°I reckoned that all the man-made facilities on the island were not able to withstand the big whirlpool, so the Divine Sacrophagus should have fallen in. We should be looking at the bottom.¡±


    ¡°We have to find a way to fix the hole,¡± Ophra said, looking at the hideous hole on the top of the cavern. ¡°What if it continues to expand¡­ The consequences are disastrous. I¡¯m afraid the entire cavern will collapse and we won¡¯t survive then.¡±


    ¡°How to fix it?¡± Hao Ren looked at that hole perplexedly and said, ¡°throw some stones from above to plug the hole? That might make the hole bigger.¡±


    Ophra looked at Hao Ren with a weird expression and said, ¡°¡­the way you think don¡¯t seem like a common mage. Shouldn¡¯t you be thinking about using some sort of magic to plug the hole? ¡±


    Hao Ren immediately got extremely embarrassed and explained,¡±¡­ I study space magic most of the time, not familiar with another kind of magic. And honestly, the hole is so big, do you think an ordinary mage can fix it?¡±


    ¡°If there is plenty of time and manpower, it is not difficult to plug it in a few days. Or let Prince Hoffman do it, he should have the ability to fix it,¡± Ophra shook her head and continued, ¡°but it was too late. And the second point is particularly unrealistic.¡±


    ¡°The cavern probably won¡¯t collapse in a short time,¡± the Big Beardy suddenly said but did not explain the real reason. ¡°The Goddess will protect us.¡±


    ¡°As long as we find the Divine Sacrophagus before the cave collapses,¡± Gelton said, holding the gold cane of bishop and walking to the pool. ¡°With my power, as long as we find the Divine Sacrophagus, I will be able to send the Divine Sacrophagus back to the ground in time even if the cave collapses.¡±


    Then, he walked to the pool. The water retreated to both sides and a path appeared in front of him. This kind of silent phenomenon was different from the conventional water magic. Probably it was the ¡®divine magic¡¯. Ophra also followed him and said, ¡°Let me help you, I¡¯m good at searching.¡±


    At this time, the Big Beardy coughed. Hao Ren immediately got it and said, ¡°We¡¯re not good in swimming, so we just go to the cave nearby to see the situation. We try our best to find any emergency access so we have a route of retreat, in case this cave collapses.¡±


    Big Beardy agreed and said, ¡°We go with these mercenaries. We are on the sacred grounds, and maybe we can find something related to the sacred heritage.¡±


    Big Beardy was actually quite good at making up a lie.


    ¡°That¡¯s great. We really should find a route of retreat first,¡± Ophra said without suspecting, but she nodded to the old werewolf and said, ¡°Elson, you go with them. You guys can help each other. After you guys found the tunnel, don¡¯t go too deep. Just come back to join us.¡±


    In the end, Gelton and Ophra were left in the cavern to search for the Divine Sacrophagus, and the rest of them went to explore the nearby caves.


    Hao Ren knew that Big Beardy was ready to lead his team to the heart of the sacred cave, but he would not want to allow the old werewolf to come along. According to the oracle of 3000 years ago, only the pope, the chosen ascetics, and The Chosen Ones, these three kinds of people could go to the core of the cave. Other people were not allowed to know this, let alone explore the cave. Hao Ren wondered how Big Beardy going to get rid of the old werewolf.


    This underground world was unusually large. There were seven or eight caves around the large cavern. No one knew where those caves lead to. Hao Ren and his teammates pretended to have a discussion. Finally, Big Beardy glanced at the old werewolf and Gelton and Ophra in the distance, and then said solemnly before the fork, ¡°Let me pray to the Goddess to see which way to go.¡±


    While he was speaking, he bowed his head and whispered a few spells, and then pulled out a small stick and threw it. ¡°Well, this way.¡±


    Hao Ren, ¡°¡­¡±


    He knew that the direction Big Beardy pointed out with the stick was certainly the correct way, but could this uncle please make up a more reliable way?!

 Chapter 370

    Perhaps Hao Ren¡¯s understanding about the world was limited, especially about these ascetics. It seemed that Big Beardy¡¯s casual method of finding a way was not much of a problem for others. After he had decided the direction, the old werewolf did not even look at it, just nodded and followed them.


    This underground world was large. The big cavern behind them was just a small part of it. Hao Ren let the data terminal scan the nearby terrain, and found that there were several places in the distance that looked like the underground pit in the cavern behind them. And these pits were connected by intricate caves. If there had not been anyone like Big Beardy to lead the way, the average person would have probably been trapped, and died there. After seeing the image sent from radar in his mind, Hao Ren had an indescribable awe of the underground cavern system. He dared not imagine how the founder of the Disciples of Glory of 3,000 years ago found the earliest ancestor of life and the succession of the goddess in this sacred cavern. Without some kind of guidance, it was hard to believe that one could explore the underworld with pure luck.


    The cave was long and tortuous, and the road was rugged. The irregular stone walls were intermittently scattered with the wonderful luminescent material that illuminated the road and made the atmosphere seemed extremely eerie. Fortunately, the cave was wide. Walking in the cave did not let them feel oppressive. Otherwise, staying in this kind of stuffy environment for a long time would affect their mood.


    Lily walked beside Hao Ren. As she walked, she gathered some beautiful rocks around her and stuffed them into Hao Ren¡¯s hands, asking Hao Ren to keep them in his dimensional pocket to bring them back to fill her treasure chest. At the same time, she dug some glowing powder from the wall along the way and rubbed it with her fingers to examine it. ¡°It looks like a glowing fungus, not a mineral¡­¡±


    ¡°Beware of fungal infections.¡± Hao Ren said and stayed away from the powder. He did not really know anything about fungi, but that made him feel uncomfortable when he heard it was a fungus.


    ¡°These fungi should be harmless.¡± Vivian was not worried about it. She released a small bat and let it chew some of the powder on the stone walls before making this judgment. This kind of testing method was really a test of creativity. At the same time, she also released a lot of small bats to check the intersections along the way and seemed like they found something. ¡°There should be some cracks that connect to the ground. The air here is slightly circulating, and there is water seeping through those cracks.¡±


    ¡°There are fewer young mercenaries like you guys now.¡± Elson, the old werewolf, was quiet all the way, suddenly interrupted and said. ¡°Back then, there was no difference between the mercenary and the adventurer, and there was not much rule or organization. Many people were brave enough to go around, to the ruins or crypt. They either brought back lots of treasures or died in it. The men were savage, but they sought the thrill and did not afraid of anything. The mercenaries now¡­ Well, they made a lot of rules for no reason, and they found a lot of decent organizations and taking errands. How can you call that a mercenary? It¡¯s rare to have young people as full of curiosity and boldness as you are.¡±


    It seemed that this expedition in the cavern reminded the old werewolf of some of his experiences when he was young. Elson continued to talk to them and compared the ¡®mercenaries back then¡¯ with the mercenaries now. Lily was quite curious when listening to his story and asked, ¡°You were a mercenary too?¡±


    Elson smiled, exposing his sharp werewolf fangs and said, ¡°That was hundreds of years ago. At that time, I was living near the grassland with Ophra. There were no distinctions between mercenaries and adventurers at the time. Those who trained themselves were adventures, and those who were being paid were mercenaries. We used to get into this kind of cavern. Now I look at you and I think of my old times. I¡¯m old, might be a little talkative, hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Hao Ren heard it and immediately stunned. He knew the story of Marshal Ophra who used to be a mercenary hundreds of years ago. He also heard the story about the Prince of Holletta, Prince Geddon III, recruited Ophra in a small border town. These ancient stories were commonly circulated among current mercenaries like a legend, and Becky was familiar with them. But he did not expect that the old werewolf who looked just like Ophra¡¯s sidekick was a witness to that story!


    If so, as Ophra¡¯s teammate, Elson, the werewolf should also be a resounding legendary hero, at least he also served the kingdom for hundreds of years, but Hao Ren did not remember having heard the legend of this man.


    ¡°Haha, I don¡¯t like to be in the spotlight,¡± Elson understood Hao Ren was surprised and explained, ¡°and I wasn¡¯t as strong as Ophra. She was an ancient descendant. She achieved the status today entirely with her ability. And I just happened to know her and live longer. Plus you¡¯re from the north, it¡¯s normal that you never heard of me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of you!¡± Becky suddenly reacted with excitement. ¡°So you are the Grey Wolf General! The most valiant general under Lord Ophra! But-But, I didn¡¯t expect you to be like this¡­ I thought¡­¡±


    ¡°Thought what? You thought the general was supposed to be an old warlord in an armor suit, checking the unit with a straight face all day long?¡± The old werewolf laughed, seemed to think that this young lady was very interesting. ¡°This is the way I am. When I was with Ophra hundreds of years ago, I told Geddon that I couldn¡¯t stand their rules.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± said Becky and thought no wonder this old werewolf looked like a groom in the barracks. He was actually a real master who kept a low profile in most situations.


    Elson took this opportunity to chat with Becky and Hao Ren, asked about the situation of this ¡®No Good names Left¡¯ mercenary corps. His reason was: as a veteran mercenary who had retired for many years, he was curious and had a lot of things to ask when he saw his younger colleagues.


    When they passed a fork in the road, Elson and Becky finished the conversation. Hao Ren quietly dragged Becky aside and whispered to her, ¡°Is this Elson very famous? I¡¯ve never heard of him before!¡±


    ¡°The most valiant general of the kingdom, the Grey Wolf General,¡± said Becky with a thrill on her face. Apparently, she would get excited by anything related to Ophra, including the old werewolf. ¡°He is the best valiant general of Ophra. He is very low-key, does not live in the general mansion, but in the barracks. Some people say he is mysterious because he almost never appears on any formal occasions. He only occasionally appeared as a sidekick of Lord Ophra. By the way, his full name is Elson Ebben. You¡¯d better remember it to avoid being seen as ignorant.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Hao Ren nodded and suddenly realised something and said, ¡°Wait a minute! Ebben?!¡±


    His voice was a little loud. The old werewolf in front of him smiled and glanced at him and asked, ¡°Yes? My family name is strange?¡±


    Hao Ren calmed down and thought it had to be just a coincidence. ¡°Oh, nothing. It¡¯s probably just a coincidence, but I know a couple of Ebben werewolves too.¡±


    Elson heard this, paused his footsteps and asked, ¡°Another Ebben werewolf? I¡¯m the last Ebben in the world! Where is it that you know other Ebbens?¡±


    Hao Ren was surprised. ¡°Wait¡­ You say in this world¡­ You¡¯re the only werewolf with the surname ¡®Ebben¡¯ in this world? Is there no other Ebben werewolf in this world?¡±


    ¡°The werewolf family strictly follows the rules of the Blood Clan. Even in their own marriage, they will ensure that the family name is never mixed. There would be no werewolf using someone else¡¯s family name, and the patriarch of the werewolf clan will know the situation of other family names very well. This is the root of our society,¡± Elson Ebben¡¯s eyes looked a little bit sharp and said, ¡°I can be sure that there won¡¯t be a second werewolf with the Ebben surname in this world. There¡¯s only one family name for each family, and I¡¯m the last member of the Ebbens!¡±


    Hao Ren did not know how to explain. Luckily, Vivian responded quickly. She made up an excuse and said, ¡°Oh, he was mistaken, not someone with the surname Ebben, but that person was called Ebben¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Elson Ebben said. He did not seem to doubt the story.


    Becky looked at them, feeling confused. She whispered to Hao Ren, ¡°Wait a minute, what¡¯s wrong with ¡®Ebben¡¯?


    Becky was not clear of the situation on Earth. She had never met the werewolves on Earth.


    Hao Ren smiled and said, ¡°I found someone a relative in another world!¡±


    Since every werewolf family had only one surname, the Ebben Family on Earth and this old werewolf were absolutely relatives!


    But this matter was not in Hao Ren¡¯s work schedule for the time being. He just took it as an unexpected episode, silently keeping it in his mind. He then continued to focus on his journey.


    They finally reached the end of the long cave. In front of them was a large karst cave. However, when Lily just went and had a quick look at it, she cried in fear, ¡°Ahhhhh¡ªit¡¯s all tentacles!¡±

 Chapter 371

    Everybody rushed to Lily when they heard her scream. Hao Ren immediately thought of the underground tentacles that the husky and bat encountered the previous night during their tunnel investigation. His heart pounded: his speculation was right. The karst cave beneath the Blood Lake was connected to the roots of the Gnarled Grove!


    With this in mind, he took the shield and ran to the front, ready for a tough fight and cover for the others to retreat. According to Vivian and Lily, those tentacles attacked foreign enemies!


    However, after he got to Lily, there were no enemies attacking them.


    ¡°This is¡­¡± Big Beardy was standing behind Hao Ren. As an ascetic, his heart still pounded when he saw the spectacular scene. Then, he said, ¡°Is this the legendary underground part of the Gnarled Grove? And this cave is actually connected to them?¡±


    There was a huge cavern at the end of the cave. Its size was slightly smaller than the one with the pool in it but, it was still surprisingly wide. The most shocking thing in the cave was the countless, impressive huge roots that grew from the rock formations above them!


    Even the smallest roots were one metre in diameter. They emerged from the rocks above them and grew uncontrollably, criss-crossing and forming a structure like a big net. This ¡°big net¡± obscured almost three quarters of the top of the cave. It was so dense that they could only see the rock formations from the gaps between the roots. Most of the roots grew irregularly. A small portion of it hung down to the ground and even penetrated deeply into the ground. A large number of roots were also attached to the walls of the caves, gradually spreading and merging into the hard rock.


    The top half of the entire cavern was covered by the giant roots. Hao Ren looked up and felt an indescribable magnificence from those black roots. It was definitely psychologically frigtening for him as well.


    ¡°¡­This is the Gnarled Grove¡¯s actual body¡­¡± Hao Ren muttered to himself. Despite all his previous speculations, he did not expect the underground part of the ancient plant to be so thrilling. ¡°This should just be a small part of it¡­ Maybe this whole underground cave system is being used to hold these roots!¡±


    Big Beardy¡¯s face quivered. He could only put his hands on his chest and whispered, ¡°Goddess, have mercy¡­¡±


    The young ascetic next to him was more optimistic. ¡°Never mind, it¡¯s all made by the goddess. According to the Sacred Scripture, all are creations of the goddess. We are brothers and sisters. And, the Gnarled Grove is the oldest sacred creature. Our faith is devout and we¡¯ll be safe here.¡±


    Becky was almost in tears. ¡°Goddess¡­ You made the brother a little too ugly,¡± she said.


    So, four of the ascetics immediately glared at the mercenary.


    ¡°Seems like they can¡¯t move,¡± Lily said after she finally calmed down. The experience of being hunted by tentacles the night before really scared her. As soon as she calmed down, she adjusted her posture and pretended to be an expert. ¡°Well, it seems like the tentacles are also divided into different kinds. The tentacles buried deep won¡¯t move.¡±


    Vivian glanced at her and said, ¡°Stop pretending, your fur¡¯s still standing on end. Smooth them down first.¡±


    Lily wagged her tail. Instead of exploring her theory about the ¡°advantages¡± of having a big tail, she ran into the cavern and observed the roots closely.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t the roots here moving?¡± Hao Ren was seriously thinking about this problem. He looked at Vivian and asked, ¡°Are you sure this is the same thing you encountered last night? Is it possible that what you encountered last night was not a root?¡±


    ¡°It was one of these things.¡± Vivian was very sure of it. She took out the fragment samples she collected and said, ¡°You can compare them.¡±


    After their comparison, the result was unequivocal. These huge roots were the tentacles that fought with Battie and the husky for 300 rounds the previous night. However, the roots inside the cave clearly had a different function. They were not moving.


    ¡°The life forms of the Gnarled Grove have transcended the general sense of the plant.¡± They strolled gingerly through the cavern covered in roots. Vivian walked and thoughtfully analysed everything at the same time. She said, ¡°The roots are probably divided into many kinds. Some are used for exploration, some for absorbing nutrients, and some for fighting. The one I encountered with Doggie last night was probably in charge of exploration.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve already encountered these roots?¡± Big Beardy asked. He just realised what Vivian meant.


    Hao Ren then told them about the information they had discovered the night before. At that moment, they had only told Ophra about it. However, compared to Ophra, the four ascetics were almost like one of them so of course, they had to tell them.


    ¡°A cult!?¡± The four ascetics had a stronger reaction when they heard the word ¡°cult¡±. The older nun even gritted her teeth and asked, ¡°They denigrated the teachings of the goddess, and even created a false god!?¡±


    ¡°And a fool can easily see that it¡¯s a demon.¡± Hao Ren said as he spread his hands, ¡°We can¡¯t let those dangerous people go on. The giant brain they summoned is extremely dangerous, and the whole ritual is insane. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    Elson glanced at Hao Ren and thought that his last sentence was a little exaggerated. How could the chief of an ordinary mercenary group say that he wanted to be in charge of heretics in front of the four masters? Nonetheless, the four ascetics did not think so. They knew Hao Ren¡¯s real identity so, they just nodded lightly, and Big Beardy said, ¡°That¡¯s good. We¡¯re glad that you want to help us. But, it¡¯s better to let us solve it. This is our problem here.¡±


    He deliberately emphasized the words ¡°our¡± and ¡°here¡± in his tone. Even if he had been forced to leave The Plane of Dreams just like Becky, deep down in his heart, this world was still his home.


    ¡°Of course. We have reported this to Marshal Ophra and soon, the bishop will know of it as well. Then, there should be a massive manhunt because of this cult. The rituals of the cult are brutal. They need a lot of flesh and blood, and they also summon monsters. As long as the search team hunts for them carefully, they will not be difficult to find.¡±


    Big Beardy nodded. Suddenly, he began to look worried and said, ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect there to be corrupt men among the Royal Knights of the Kingdom and within the Church¡­ The degeneration is shocking. I wonder how long they have been secretly developing it. I¡¯m afraid Bishop Gelton has to take great responsibility for this.¡±


    As Hao Ren was not familiar with Gelton, he had no comments and just kept walking.


    At the same time, he asked the MDT telepathically, ¡°Where are we now?¡±


    The Data Terminal immediately sent a picture to Hao Ren¡¯s mind and said, ¡°We just left the Blood Lake¡¯s range. We have not entered the Gnarled Grove¡¯s area. The roots we encountered are only a small part that spread out from the Gnarled Grove. I just increased my power and scanned our surroundings. I¡¯ve found that more roots are directly spreading to the depths of the lake.¡±


    The real huge part of the Gnarled Grove was below the ground. Its body had already gone deep into the Blood Lake. Hao Ren could also completely affirm that there had to be a similar ¡°root cavern¡± under Dragonspine Ridge.


    If the opportunity arises, maybe, he could explore Dragonspine Ridge through this channel¡­


    Hao Ren was deep in thought so, he allowed the Data Terminal to record the spatial coordinates of the cavern.


    The old werewolf had maintained a high degree of vigilance after he entered the giant cavern. Whether as a former mercenary or as a soldier, he had the most malicious opinions of any strange place. ¡°It¡¯s said that a group of dwarf miners dug too deep into the mountains and accidentally dug up a root of the Gnarled Grove. They all ended up going crazy. According to the speculation of this lady from the Blood Clan, these roots have a wide variety of functions. We must be careful of roots that can release neurotoxins or roots that are able to mentally attack their enemies.¡±


    The female members of the team are being cautious of the tentacles , Hao Ren thought. But, he wondered if these tough girls were really attacked, because the tentacles were the ones who should be afraid¡­ Even the little mermaid, who was sleeping in the Dimensional Pocket was not necessarily afraid of these roots. Lil Pea would definitely take this place for a tasty and delicious fairytale fortress, similar to a candy house¡­


    Hao Ren¡¯s mind wandered as he walked on. A strange sensation suddenly struck as he was about to leave the cave occupied by giant roots. It made him shiver all over.


    It felt like an invisible spy coming from all directions, with countless eyes staring at him; fleeting but, extremely clear.


    Hao Ren was horrified and looked around. He still remembered how he felt when he first walked into the Gnarled Grove.


    Was it the same feeling? Were the roots capable of thought?

 Chapter 372

    The feeling of being spied on from all sides by something huge just lasted for a few seconds. Once Hao Ren reacted, the sense of being watched vanished, leaving only the hair on his back standing to remind him that it was not an illusion. Lily had a sharp sixth sense. At that point, she was already standing in front of Hao Ren. She stared at Hao Ren¡¯s face and said, ¡°Landlord, you got goosebumps too?¡±


    Hao Ren thought it was impossible to communicate with the weird husky about something like this.


    He dragged Lily aside, recalling the feeling earlier and how it felt when he first entered the Gnarled Grove. He finally confirmed that the two were the same thing. He looked at the huge, tangled roots in the cavern, sensing more and more that they were emitting an endless stream of thought. He recalled the legend of the dwarf miners who dug up tentacles that made them go crazy, and then he thought of Vivian¡¯s theory¡­ An ancient creature that detached itself from the rest of the plants and animals; maybe, it really did notice their arrival.


    And it was thinking and watching, just not taking action.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Vivian noticed Hao Ren¡¯s reaction and looked at him with concern.


    Hao Ren described how he felt just now. He then looked at them with a strange expression and asked, ¡°Weren¡¯t you guys aware of it?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Becky said. She got goosebumps and scratched herself. ¡°Don¡¯t scare me. This place is already eerie enough.¡±


    The exploration of a gloomy cavern, deep underground made everyone nervous. Plus, now that Hao Ren told them about a huge entity enveloping the entire cavern and spying on them, suddenly everyone felt creeped out. This also made Lily¡¯s hair stand on end again.


    The husky was also very unlucky. Since she came to The Plane of Dreams, she kept encountering scary things. She really felt that sooner or later, she was going to have a loose, fluffy, big fox tail¡­ Hmm, that seemed like a good thing because it made her tail look bigger!


    ¡°Anyway, this place is very strange and we have to be careful,¡± said Big Beardy. He did not view it as a safe place just because it was the sacred cavern from which the Church originated. The more ancient and mysterious, the more dangerous the place. He knew better. However, as a devout believer, he viewed the crisis as a test from the goddess. ¡°Everyone has a means of escaping, right? We have divine teleportation.¡±


    ¡°I brought the teleportation stone,¡± the old werewolf nodded and replied.


    Hao Ren and his teammates did not worry about that. Their public identity was that of teleporting wizards and scholars, but ones with little experience¡­


    They left the great cavern quietly. Big Beardy decided their next step according to the ancient knowledge and they led the team into a winding cave. The shadows of the giant roots could be seen everywhere in the cave. Some of them emerged from the rocks, some of them lay across the walls, and some even completely encroached on their surroundings. The entire cavern was entangled with roots.


    This was an underground world completely ruled by roots. Hao Ren found himself gradually entering the heart of an ancient plant. He could almost hear some kind of throb, coming from the thick roots around him.


    At this moment, a stone gate with obvious artificial traces appeared abruptly at the end of the cave.


    The stone gate, which blended in seamlessly with the surroundings, looked like it was carved directly from the rock strata. This most probably resulted from the integration of the stone gate with the surrounding rocks by a sorcerer, who was excellent in earth magic. The stone gate was 5 or 6 metres tall and nearly 10 metres wide. Its frame was carved with different shades of patterns in relief. Even after thousands of years had passed, these reliefs were still there. When Hao Ren saw the patterns, it first reminded him of the Disciples of Glory¡¯s sacred painting, which he saw in the small church. He speculated that the Disciples of Glory used this particular pattern to symbolize their goddess. The most special part of this stone gate was that it had no door. In the doorway, there was only cloudy, white fog. They could not see beyond the white fog clearly. They could just vaguely sense an unstable dimension behind the white fog.


    Hao Ren had already tried different brands of teleportation devices, including those that utilised magic as well as technology, and even copycat versions. Though he was not really experienced in teleportation, he was still able to sense it. He knew that the gate was a teleportation portal. It was likely the core of the sacred cavern.


    Hao Ren, his teammates and the four ascetics were not surprised but the old werewolf, who was always in the dark, could not help but exclaim, ¡°It¡¯s man-made? This¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid we¡¯re in a relic from the early days of the Disciples of Glory,¡± said the young ascetic. ¡°This is a holy lake. So, it¡¯s not surprising to see some ancient ruins here. The world was in turmoil when the Disciples of Glory was founded. They built underground strongholds in many places. Perhaps this is one of the abandoned ones. ¡±


    Hao Ren was surprised that the ascetics could easily make up a reason. Do not be fooled by their appearance, you can never outspeak an ascetic¡­


    The old werewolf did not suspect him. He just looked at the magic door, which still operated, looking worried. ¡°It could be a teleportation device. It¡¯s been in disrepair, and neglected for a long time. If we touch it hastily¡­I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll be teleported to some abandoned place and won¡¯t be able to get out.¡±


    Big Beardy nodded and looked at the dimensional door sternly. At the same time, he was surrounded by a layer of pale, golden glow, echoing the relief on the stone gate. Then he got up and said, ¡°The dimensional door is functioning properly, and can still be used. This place is sacred, and we, as believers will be ashamed to meet the goddess if we are deterred by this door. The rest of you can find another way, but we must go inside.¡±


    Of course, everyone wanted to go in and see. Big Beardy took this opportunity to ¡°remind¡± everyone, ¡°Most of the internal teleportation doors left by the Holy See are somewhat special. It may send people who can¡¯t pass some kind of test, to other places randomly but, it¡¯s basically harmless. If anyone of you find yourselves teleported to an area alone, don¡¯t be nervous. You should be able to return to this place along the route with specific markings.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately knew that this reminder was for the old werewolf¡­ Big Beardy was being dishonest!


    It turned out to be so. As they walked into the teleportation portal, Hao Reen felt a slight dizziness. After that, he realized there were only the four ascetics and his teammates with him. The old werewolf had been tricked, and was teleported somewhere else.


    ¡°Is it alright for us to fool the old werewolf?¡± said Hao Ren with a weird expression. He did not really mind getting rid of Elson, but he felt a little uncomfortable and sorry that such a famous general was fooled by the four ascetics.


    However, Vivian just waved and said, ¡°I don¡¯t mind. It¡¯s like fooling a little kid.¡±


    Compared to Vivian¡¯s age, Elson was indeed a lot younger than her.


    Hao Ren was speechless. Big Beardy smiled and explained, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. According to ancient records, the cave he was sent to is safe. And with his abilities, he won¡¯t be in danger. Now, let¡¯s go to the depths of the sacred cavern.¡±


    After they passed through the portal, they arrived at a strange cave. The cave was clearly several times wider than the tunnel that they previously passed. Giant roots and luminous fungi were all over the stone walls. They lit up their surroundings, giving the place a great, eerie atmosphere. Hao Ren could not help but touch the roots beside him. Unsure if it was an illusion, he felt the roots quivering, and at the same time, they were expanding and contracting as if breathing.


    But, when he tried to feel the roots carefully, it was like nothing happened.


    ¡°Why is that only the Pope and a few ascetics can come here?¡± Becky asked nervously. She was a small potato, and afraid to touch this secret thing, which she had previously seen as extremely dangerous. Now, as she approached some old secret, she became increasingly worried. ¡°It¡¯s a secret that even the Bishop can¡¯t come into contact with¡­ Is it okay to let us know?¡± she said.


    ¡°What are you worried about?¡± Big Beardy asked without turning his head.


    ¡°I am afraid I¡¯ll be beaten to death after leave this place¡­¡±


    Big Beardy explained, ¡°¡­You¡¯re thinking too much. It¡¯s mainly because the sacred cave is sealed together with secrets that the goddess directly passed down. Many of these secrets are not suitable for direct disclosure and must only be embraced by the most determined believers as well as ¡°Chosen Ones¡± from another world. These secrets would likely subvert your perceptions and even bring about power that is enough to change the world. Just like 3,000 years ago, the world was shocked when the first pope obtained divine power with his mortal body. Maybe we¡¯ll find some new miracles this time at the core of the cavern. We are here to explore them and also to ¡®test¡¯ them, to the extreme¡­¡±


    Big Beardy paused for a while, and then continued, ¡°Even if we¡¯re unable to bear the goddess¡¯ inheritance, and die from it, just let the four of us handle it.¡±


    Hao Ren understood why Big Beardy could confidently lead them to the sacred cavern. The people at the scene were either devout ascetics or ¡°travellers¡± from another world. It did not matter if there were any great benefits or secrets in the cavern, he did not have to worry about it being leaked.


    Anyone from Holletta, even the king, may have had to go through several rounds of tests. But, to a group of visitors who did not belong to this world¡­being an ¡°outsider¡± was the most legitimate reason!


    For the first time in his life, he thought being an outsider was a good thing¡­


    At this moment, he noticed that the cave had come to an end, and there was a bright light ahead. At the same time, there was a faint sound of a beating heart.


    *Thump¡­ Thump¡­ Thump¡­ *

 Chapter 373

    * Dub¡ªdub, dub¡ªdub, dub¡ªdub¡­*


    He was not imagining it. The sound of a heart beating just ahead was real, and it gave Hao Ren goosebumps. He checked his Steem Membrane Shield instinctively like he was approaching some ancient being of horror.


    He knew he had a pretty accurate sixth sense but he hoped it was wrong this time.


    Leading in front and having forgotten about their previous creepy encounter, the husky screamed again. ¡°Whoa! What¡¯s this?¡±


    Hao Ren inched closer cautiously. His stopped breathing when he saw what was outside the cave.


    It was another gigantic, ellipsoidal karst cavern, which had many similar smaller caves distributed evenly on all sides. The one Hao Ren was standing in was just one of them. Roots grew out from the caves, the walls, and the ceilings, joining into a giant lump in the centre of the cavern. The mass, which looked like a crater-laden meteoroid was roughly a thousand metres across. Dark-red skin tissue could be seen through the gaps of the entangled roots spread over a mass that emanated a red, light pulse. The tissue danced with the ¡°lub-dub¡± sound like it was a heartbeat, or breathing.


    The ¡°heart¡± had its roots spread out into the earth and up to the surface.


    Surrounding the heart was a pool of surging, dark-red fluid. It was like the water in Beinz Blood Lake, but darker. Its liveliness made it look like it was also some kind of living creature.


    Even Y¡¯zaks choked in awe. ¡°There isn¡¯t such a ridiculous thing even back in my home.¡±


    Everyone knew the entire Gnarled Grove was a single life form. What they had seen back then was just a part of it¡ªonly the trees and the roots, which were pretty normal stuff. But this bundle of roots in the shape of a heart with its constant beating in the cavern was out of this world. It was a horrifying ancient creature.


    Becky clenched her sword instinctively. But, she quickly doubted her weapon. She said, ¡°Do you think I can jab this thing with my sword and see if it hurts? By the looks of it, the skin of this thing may be as thick as 10 metres!¡±


    Cold sweat flowed down Hao Ren¡¯s forehead: he could not fathom why the maiden¡¯s first thought was to jab the thing¡­


    Lily¡¯s eyes lit up in a golden glow as she raised her claws of ice and fire, all the while remaining behind Big Beardy. ¡°Are you sure this is the sacred cavern?¡±


    Although Big Beardy and his company were also half-stunned. However, they quickly regained their composure and became as cool as cucumbers again. ¡°It looks exactly like the drawing in the ancient record, which the first pope drew when he found the goddess¡¯ sacred patrimony here. Guys, put down your weapons. This must be the sacred ancient one. We cannot afford to offend it.¡±


    Vivian pondered for a second. Then she took out a bat, shoved it into Hao Ren¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Keep it in your Dimensional Pocket.¡±


    Hao Ren was flabbergasted. ¡°What for?¡±


    ¡°If things go wrong, your Dimensional Pocket is the safest place to be.¡± Vivian said, looking serious. ¡°I could then transfer my consciousness to the bat¡ªit¡¯s a way to stay alive, though a lot of fresh blood and energy may be needed.¡±


    Hao Ren never knew Vivian had such an ability¡ªthis bat was a fetish. As he pinched the bat a little before putting it into the Dimensional Pocket, he noticed a subtle change in Vivian¡¯s expression. Vivian said, ¡°You should segregrate the bat from Lil Pea, the kid¡¯s grinding her teeth¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    He was sincerely curious about what was in Vivian¡¯s mind, and how she dealt with schizophrenia when she was split into a swarm of bats.


    Everyone moved closer to the heart, which lay in the centre of the gigantic cavern. And they began to feel the pressure in their minds. The constant thuds of the heart sounded like it was pounding directly in their chests. It could drive a weak mind insane. The pulse of red light in the heart was ominous just by looking at it. So, what was underneath its skin? Blood?¡±


    The heart was surrounded, or rather half-submerged in a pool of liquid. The surging, sticky fluid was another interesting part of the heart. The young ascetic nun took out a crystal bottle as large as her palm and carefully scooped up some liquid.


    The sticky fluid surged even when it inside the bottle, dancing to the pulse of the heart.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Hao Ren asked, frowning and looking at the fluid in bottle. ¡°Is it alive?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a liquid life form,¡± the MDT replied. It got out of Hao Ren¡¯s pocket and analysed the fluid in the pool. ¡°Amazingly, this fluid is a part of the Gnarled Grove, an organ of the heart. But, it can live on its own. Once it leaves the pool, it¡¯s an independent creature on its own.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s blood ran cold, imagining the possibility of the surging fluid-creature jumping on him suddenly. He took a step back instinctively¡ªhe shuddered just from looking at it.


    Vivian glanced at Hao Ren, half smiling. ¡°Oh really? My blood magic has a lot more fun than this thing.¡±


    Suddenly, the young ascetic monk called out from nearby. ¡°Here! I¡¯ve found something!¡±


    Everyone scurried over. A pillar, or rather a stone altar of sorts was beside the pool. They did not notice it earlier as they were obsessed with the gigantic heart.


    It was well-shaped and carved out of white stone. At three metres across, the altar had mysterious symbols and messy reliefs of the Disciples of Glory on it. Black and heavily weathered substances, probably residue of things used in rituals along with a black, dust-covered, perfectly-preserved, small box were on the altar.


    ¡°This is the item left behind by the first pope!¡± Staring at the altar in awe, Big Beardy said, ¡°True to the holy words, a patrimony which would only be revealed in 3,000 years!¡±


    Hao Ren was equally excited. ¡°So, what is it? A forbidden curse? A new fetish? Another progenitor?¡±


    Big Beardy rubbed his hands in excitement¡ª there goes his characteristically cool composure. ¡°I don¡¯t know. However, we must open it and bring it back to the Pope¡­ as per the sacred decree¡­. By the goddess¡¯ mercy, the box is still in one piece though everything else was destroyed. This must be the will of God!¡±


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes; he almost could not stand Big Beardy¡ªit was obvious that the box was intact simply because it was well built¡­


    Big Beardy held the box in his hands carefully. As he opened it up, he found a few parchments. They were heavily faded, but well preserved.


    There were black writings¡ªprobably messages written by the first pope¡ªon the parchments.


    Both Big Beardy and Hao Ren took a deep breath; one was imagining some new oracle or sacred words, while one was expecting some secret recipe left behind by some older, white bearded man.


    Vivian was not interested in the moldy skins at all. She sauntered thoughtfully along the pool surrounding the heart. Looking down at the pool of red fluid, she was fascinated as it made her think of her own blood magic.


    She released a bat out to take a sip from the pool. She was not worried about the red-liquid creature in the pool suddenly attacking her. Because, she had a feeling that the liquid would be easy to control like normal blood.


    Vivian¡¯s knitted her brows together as she found it a little salty.


    Meanwhile, Hao Ren and Big Beardy had successfully deciphered the writings on the parchment. Big Beardy read it out in his low tone of voice.


    ¡°We¡­ came from the stars¡­¡±

 Chapter 374

    The ancient parchments, which were specially treated, stayed soft yet tough even after 3,000 years had past. Though faded, it suffered no damage. The handwriting was blurry, but it was legible under careful eye.


    The ancient written language of three thousand years old was different from the language of present-day¡¯s Plane of Dreams. The ascetics, who were studying the ancient religious texts in the ancient language, had no problem understand them¡ªso long as the handwriting was still recognisable.


    The manuscript in the sacred cavern wasn¡¯t a fetish or Goddess¡¯ patrimony but the last word of the first pope intended for his successor.


    Big Beardy read it out slowly. ¡°¡­we came from the stars¡­ all of the life in this world originated from the stars¡­ the Goddess created all of the life, but in the beginning, She had created just the seeds¡­¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± The young nun asked, getting confused.


    Being an interstellar traveller, Hao Ren understood the meaning of it better than the four ascetics. ¡°It basically says all of the life on this planet came the space, brought by the meteoroid and things like that. You know?¡± he explained.


    ¡°The Goddess created the seeds.¡± Big Beardy pointed at the text with his index finger. ¡°She sowed the seeds on the various planets, the seeds grew on planets which were hospitable to life. We are sons derived from the seeds, the creation of the Goddess, but also just dregs of the system.¡±


    So far, the only difference between this writings and the texts of Disciples of Glory was in terms of wording. But everyone¡¯s face turned serious when Big Beardy continued with the subsequent paragraphs. ¡°¡­I am leaving this message in the hope that when the cavern is opened for the second time, all races in this world would have risen up, not that to surpass the ancient civilisation but to be strong enough to delay the powerful ancient creatures, our furious ¡®brothers¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°Before time began, the world was just a barren place where planets were desolute, dead, and lifeless. Then the Goddess was conceived out of the darkness. She is the first life of spirit and knowledge, king of kings, blood of bloods, soul of souls. But the Goddess was not happy that the stars were lifeless. So She created the seeds and sowed them on the planets. When the seeds fell on the earth, they began to evolve into blood tide from which the most primitive life forms evolved and subsequently ruled the earth. I called that earliest seed ¡®The Original Seed¡¯. It is the origin of all life on this tiny rock in space. From great men to servants, from demi-gods to no-bodies, you and me, and all plants originated from this seed.


    ¡°The felony of the ancient Magic Empire wasn¡¯t the creation of perfect life form nor their encourchment into the realm of the divine; what they had done was far more serious than that¡ªthey found the remnant of The Original Seed, drew power from the fresh and blood of the remnant, then attempted to play God!


    ¡°The Original Seed is the blood of the Goddess, an extension of Her body which contained the most primitive, direct divine power, and even be regarded as the Goddess Herself. The Magic Emperors were mesmerised and arrogant. They attempted to use the fresh and blood to regenerate their own bodies, and even tried to erode and control the sacred remains with their mortal will so that they could become god. Their blesphemy against The Original Seed was the root cause of the destruction.


    ¡°What I am going to reveal, no matter how unacceptable or unbelieveable is to you, is the truth; the truth of the evolution of all life on this planet¡­


    ¡°We are not the first born¡ªafter The Original Seed landed on earth, it not just gave birth to a single sowing. During the height of Blood Tide, the oldest and strongest guardians were born. The First Sowing thrived in the early days and took on a more primodial strength, and had the most steadfast loyalty and conviction to the mother¡ªthe Goddess. I call these oldest beings ¡®The First Born¡¯. The First Born ruled the earth for millions of years until they got tired of it and went into collective slumber. Subsequently other smaller beings¡ªincluding us, were born from the already thinned out Blood Tide. We the little mortals were just the second born.


    ¡°The arrogance of the ancient Magic Emperors had infuriated The First Born who were asleep in the depths of the earth. They sensed that people had spoilt the structure of The Original Seed, so they rose from their sleep and launched a bloody massacre.


    ¡°The dysfunction of The Original Seed had caused Blood Tide to go haywire. The remaining life force of Blood Tide evolved into another apocalytical disaster during which an extremely corrosive, hateful but short-lived monster, whose sole purpose was to destroy the rebellious son, emerged. So according to evolution calender, this would be the Third Born.


    ¡°This is the truth of the apocalyse: the world wasn¡¯t thrown into a sea of fire but an ecological extinction.


    ¡°The extinction event had almost destroyed all of The Second Sowing. The furious First Born and Third Born had vowed to rebuild the planet¡¯s ecosystem. We were supposed to be totally exterminated in the apocalypse but the merciful Goddess saved us: she had built a safety switch in The Original Seed which was triggered when she sensed an apocalyse was imminent and forcibly halted the action of the First Born. The Third Born ran out of their short lifespan and died quickly shortly after that. That¡¯s how our world was spared.


    ¡°It was fortunate that the foolish Magic Emperors didn¡¯t spoil the safety switch of The Original Seed. This was the only good thing they had done. I found the safety switch, which was still running, from the cavern and took it out from here to prevent the First Born from damaging it while they sleepwalking. But the safety switch mustn¡¯t be too far away from the seal, so I¡¯ve placed it somewhere within 100 cassavas (an ancient distance measurement) of this cavern. If thing goes as planned, the safety switch should be known as the life progenitor and work well during your era.¡±


    There was a shivering in Big Beardy¡¯s breathing, so did everyone else. It wasn¡¯t just because of the explosive truth, but also because they was having a bad feeling about it. The young nun held up the final piece of the parchments, her suspicion was confirmed:


    ¡°The safety switch is just an organ of The Original Seed. As The Original Seed was seriously damaged, the organ could no longer function perpetually as was designed. According to my estimate, it has only 3,000 years of life left.¡±


    ¡°Glug¡ª¡± Becky was swallowing her saliva.


    ¡°The First Born is about to wake up. When the safety switch¡ªthe restraining signal of the life progenitor stopped, The First Born will resume their action and reset the ecosystem. After the apocalypse, there were three surviving First Borns which are being restained by three corresponding life progenitors. The restaining signal will stop in sequence. According to my understanding, the first one to stop is the one here. The other two will follow suit in one and three years respectively. But one First Born would be suffice to cause a total apocalypse.¡±


    ¡°But don¡¯t lose hope. We still have allies. According to some ancient records, some higher civilisaitons from other galaxies had made a covenant with our world; they are The Second Borns from other planets who know the secret of Goddess and the First Born better than we do. When the restraining signal goes out, their armies and spacechips will come to our rescue, and help us destroy the First Born. But the First Born could only be killed during their awakening stage. Not prior. Not after.


    ¡°I compiled this intel from various ancient records. Thouh not very comprehensive, the key messge is pretty accurate. Due to the explosive nature of the intel which might bring despair to human, I have discussed with my old friends; we all agreed to not reveal all the truth to the world at one go. If things go as planned, I will build churches, set up a will for each generation and tell the truth bit by bit over a span of hundreds of years. So I¡¯m hoping that the mortal races would rise, and be strong enough to defend themselves against The First Born 3,000 years from now. But in the event that my plan fails, there might be people who would find the various inductions and arrangements which I have left behind in this cavern. With my last words, you would be able to know the fate of this world.


    ¡°And lastly, if someone had indeed read this, please send my regard to the brethren from other planets and thank them for sticking to the covenant¡ªthough the sinful Magic Emperors were the one who made the covenant, at least our world might be saved.


    ¡°If anyone could survive the event, I hope they would remember this: the fall of the First Born doesn¡¯t mean we mortals could become arrogant again; we should instead hold a fearful heart lest we repeat the mistake of the ancient civilisation, the wrath of the Goddess would sooner or later consume the world.¡±


    The parchment slipped from the hand of the nun and dropped on the altar. The young nun mumbled to herself, her voice coarse. ¡°¡­the inheritance of the outside world¡­ had already broken long time ago¡­:

 Chapter 375

    The truth of the apocalypse was finally revealed and it was not what everyone had imagined.


    Apparently, the goddess was not a product of this planet, but an ancient spirit who sowed the seeds of life in the universe.


    Also, it was not the goddess who ended the world, but the First Sowing, hence the reason the first pope of the Disciples of Glory called the powerful creatures born out of the Original Seed the ¡°First Borns¡±.


    Hao Ren could almost imagine the epic history of creation in his mind: somewhere in the universe, a seed bearing massive primordial life and magical powers pierced through the atmosphere and crashed down on the barren surface of a planet. The seed fell next to the water, or somewhere in the ocean. Life broke out from the seed and the first spring of life on the planet was created.


    The supernatural power of the seed quickly sprang the barren planet into life, creating the earliest powerful creature. Millions of years then passed and the powerful creature fell asleep. Then, a second batch of intelligent beings spouted out from the ¡°seed¡± to fill the void.


    These second-batch beings were small, but agile. Their fervent curiosity allowed them to develop a brilliant civilisation and embark on a journey of exploration. Eventually, these daring beings began to find interest in the magical power that had created them in the first place. They found the seed that crashed on the planet millions of years ago. From it, they attempted to acquire the power of creation, which would allow them to control the world.


    The First Sowing was thus awakened, infuriated by the actions of their brethren. They launched an apocalyptic war to reset the ecosystem of the planet with help from the short-lived Third Sowing, vowing to clean the earth of the arrogant brethren along with everything and anything they had ever created.


    In that critical juncture, the seed¡¯s safety switch was triggered and the actions of the First Sowing were cut short. This inadvertently saved the Second Borns from extinction.


    However, the First Borns did not disappear. They were just asleep in the depths of the earth, waiting for the day of awakening. When the time comes, the plan to reset the ecosystem, which had been delayed for 10,000 years would be continued to turn the planet into a pool of blood.


    Hao Ren took a deep breath as he slowly turned to look at the heart, which was soaked in a pool of blood. He now knew who the First Born was.


    The four ascetics were still in a state of shock. The revelation had a greater impact on them than it did on Hao Ren, the pagan. Big Beardy¡¯s face became pale and for a long moment, he could not say a word. He then mumbled to himself about some long-forgotten secrets. ¡°According to legend, the earlier popes of the Disciples of Glory devoted themselves in uniting all the kingdoms in the world, and tried to establish an all-powerful kingdom as well as develop lost ancient technologies¡­¡±


    Shortly after, another ascetic whispered, ¡°But, the fourth pope met opposition in carrying out these policies. He was assasinated by heretic extremists.¡±


    Big Beardy¡¯s eyes were unfocused. ¡°Then in a haste, the fifth pope was elected. The secret record of the Church states that the fourth pope had some manuscripts, which he had inherited from the earlier popes and wanted to pass to his successor. But, the manuscripts were lost during a chaos¡­¡±


    Hao Ren looked down at the parchments on the altar. He knew what the lost manuscripts were all about¡ªperhaps, it was the unabridged version. But the things that the first pope were worried about was not avoided; his plan tanked. No one knew the truth about the apocalypse and no one knew about the fearsome forces out there!


    Y¡¯zaks furrowed his brows together. He looked at the heart in the centre of the cavern, thinking to himself whether he could take the First Born out before it woke up. He was hesitant. Meanwhile, Becky pointed at the parchments, trembling. ¡°According to the manuscripts, the First Born is about to wake up!¡±


    ¡°Also, according to the message, we have allies.¡± Big Beardy was connecting the dots. ¡°It¡¯s about the truth of the Chosen Ones! The Chosen Ones must be the forthcoming help before the First Born awakens!¡±


    Instantly, their eyes landed on Hao Ren. Then, the penny dropped: they had all been wrong about the Chosen Ones!


    Hao Ren and his company could not possibly be the aliens who signed the covenant with the ancient mage emperors. He could not have possibly been the help the first pope had prophesied 3,000 years ago. He was just an inspector living on a piece-rate compensation plan. He just came by to conduct a household check!


    The real Chosen Ones had not arrived yet!


    ¡°So, where¡¯s the promised help?¡± Becky¡¯s voice was shaking. ¡°Is that tree supposed to wake up so quickly?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid yes,¡± Y¡¯zaks said with a low tone of voice. ¡°Just think of the recent strange phenomena in Dragonspine Ridge and the rock monsters that have been loitering around the Blood Lake¡ªif they¡¯re soldiers created by the ancient mage emperors, then there¡¯s no prize in guessing who they¡¯re after. Who are they going to war with?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks¡¯ analysis had silenced everyone. They realised thatthe clock was getting close to midnight. ¡°I¡¯m afraid the First Born will awaken soon!¡±


    At that exact moment, the thumping of the heart suddenly stopped. But after a moment, it resumed with even more forceful thuds!


    The constant ¡°lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub¡± sound of the heart kept pounding and the red pulse became brighter in keeping up with the thuds. The roots attached to the heart were also pulsing with a faint red glow. Lily gasped. ¡°Guys, I think we¡¯ve just awakened it!¡±


    Instinctively, Hao Ren pulled out his gun out from the Dimensional Pocket; it was the most powerful weapon they had at the moment. He aimed the gun at the heart, but before he pulled the trigger, he asked, ¡°Can it be killed this way?¡±


    The MDT performed a wide-area scan and stopped him immediately. ¡°No, it¡¯s not going to work. There are several similar organs in the nearby caverns. This is not its weakest part.¡±


    Hao Ren had cold sweat trickling down his back. ¡°Then, what do we do?¡±


    ¡°¡­Evacuate immediately! Leave Dragonspine Ridge!¡± The MDT ran a quick calculation and came out with the best plan. ¡°This is a super life form. It¡¯s several hundred kilometres across. No conventional weapon will do damage to it. Only a very large scale destruction can see chances of success. But anyway, Beinz will be destroyed completely with such an attack!¡±,


    Then, it quickly examined the signal pulses in the roots. ¡°It¡¯s waking up¡­ but we still have three days! Get everyone out!¡±


    Three days¡­ there were only three days left!


    Hao Ren nudged Big Beardy and said, ¡°Go to Ophra and Gelton. Tell them what¡¯s going to happen! Quick!¡±


    ¡°What about you guys?¡± Big Beardy asked.


    Hao Ren clenched his teeth, looking at the heart which had more activity now. ¡°We can create some diversions to delay it!¡±


    Big Beardy stared deeply into Hao Ren¡¯s eyes and nodded at him. ¡°Be careful¡­ don¡¯t wake it up too soon!¡±


    Big Beardy and the three ascetics left the cavern. Their understanding of the world had completely been shattered in the last 10 minutes. Now, they treated Hao Ren like a god. Soon, there would be more people like them, whose thought would be provoked before being shattered into pieces. But Hao Ren did not have time to think about those consequences. His only worry at the moment was to keep the thing from waking up!


    *Lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub¡­*


    Unlike previously, the thumping sound of the heart became much forceful. Even the blind would have seen that the giant thing was waking up. Hao Ren could vaguely feel that the ancient being had a thousand-year rage waiting to be unleashed.


    Becky was wielding her sword and waving her magic scrolls frantically. But eventually, she cried out, ¡°Are you kidding me? How can we possibly fight this monster?¡±


    Hao Ren did not respond. Instead, he looked at Vivian. ¡°You¡¯ve got a neurotoxin?¡±

 Chapter 376

    ¡°Neurotoxins?¡± Vivian pulled her eyebrows together. ¡°You think neurotoxins would work?¡±


    ¡°Whatever. Let¡¯s just give it a try.¡± Hao Ren approached the pool. The surging red fluid was emanating an even greater luster with an increased vitality like a liquid ruby. The heart, which was immersed in the pool was thumping with a greater force. ¡°Neurotoxins, anesthetics, acids, alkalines¡­ whatever you can get your hands on. Of course, be careful not to pour them in directly as that may agitate and wake it up too soon. We should set up some booby traps and time them to trigger once the thing awakens!¡±


    ¡°I never knew you were so evil.¡± Vivian glanced at Hao Ren, stunned but impressed with his little evil thoughts!


    The vampire maiden began to draw a magic circle around the heart. It could only be triggered remotely and it would create a large area of corrosive Blood Mist. Although she was not sure if the corrosive mist would do any damage to the super life form, which measured several hundred kilometres across, she hoped that it would stun it for a while, no matter how slightly.


    The MDT was spot on; this was a creature beyond the normal sense. The life form had seriously out-spec¡¯d anything that God ever designed. No normal method was going to bring it down; not even the inspector gun Hao Ren was wearing. When going against such a massive creature, no explosives would do either¡ªnot even 200 lbs of C4 would work. The sheer size of the thing was its ultimate defense!


    So, the only option left to destroy the ancient, awakening monster was to bring total destruction upon it. But before they did that, they had to evacuate the residents in Beinz.


    However, Hao Ren had no clue about the kind of weapon he could use to bring the thing down: there were no nukes there and frankly speaking, he had every reason to believe that not even a nuke could bring the super life form to its knees!


    By then, Vivian had finished laying her booby traps; it was a two-metre wide rune circle. Compared to the thousand-metre heart, it was just a drop in the ocean. The heart was just one of the many organs of the Gnarled Grove. A sense of helplessness began to weigh on Hao Ren¡¯s mind. Will this circle work at all? he asked himself.


    ¡°Done.¡± Wiping the sweat off her forehead, Vivian said, ¡°Shall we go and find the other hearts in the other caverns too?¡±


    Hao Ren shook his negative thoughts away. He pulled the MDT out and said, ¡°Show us the way!¡±


    Without wasting any time, they moved swiftly through the complex underground world. They were not worried about getting lost as the MDT was also a navigation device. Soon, they found one cavern after another, all with similar hearts. Each cavern resonated with the increasingly strong heart thumping sound!


    Once Vivian was done setting up the seventh magic circle, she gasped as she looked at the massive thing. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯ll be the first Blood Clan member to suffer from anemia if I keep drawing the circles with my blood like this¡­ What damage can we expect here? A few scars? I wonder how this thing even grows!¡±


    ¡°Probably, that goddess of creation wasn¡¯t as powerful as Raven 12345¡­¡± Hao Ren¡¯s mouth twisted as he spoke. ¡°But she¡¯s definitely outgunned us! We¡¯ll just have to do our human best and leave the rest to God. Now let¡¯s get the hell out of here and meet the others.¡±


    They immediately withdrew from the cavern, leaving behind the magic circles to say hello to the hearts when they fully awakened. A rhythmic thumping of the heart was heard coming from behind them and it sounded like it was sneering at them.


    They came back to the first cavern they visited and found only Ophra as well as Elson there. Elson nodded at them gratefully. He seemed fine and was just lost in the caverns. It was Big Beardy who found him and got him out. Ophra stepped up to Hao Ren and said, ¡°Is the news true?¡±


    Clearly, it was a stupid question. But, she just wanted a confirmation becase she felt lost.


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s a joke?¡± Hao Ren spread his hand out. ¡°Has Big Beardy gone with the bishop?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve gone back to town using the teleportation stone. We were waiting for you guys.¡± Ophra furrowed her brows tightly. ¡°The parchments, which the four masters brought out had an unforgeable, sacred seal on them. I¡¯m afraid everything written on them is true¡­ but still, it¡¯s hard to believe!¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s hard to accept, especially for believers like you,¡± Hao Ren said as he waved his hand, ¡°but this is no time to harp on who has gotten the wrong bible! Let¡¯s catch up with them first. Your knights will be of help too.¡±


    Looking at Hao Ren with surprise, Ophra had an even stronger feeling that Hao Ren was not an ordinary mercenary; the way he spoke to her was not like someone talking to a marshal, but a friend. Nonetheless, she did not harp on it. She just nodded before she took out a little shiny gemstone underneath her armour. ¡°Let¡¯s teleport using this gemstone. You lot may have not seen it before, but please come closer.¡±


    The teleportation stone was a very precious thing. Even people like Marshal Ophra would only use it under absolute necessity. However, Hao Ren stopped her. ¡°Maybe you should just use our technology. It¡¯s just more accurate.¡±


    He remembered his cover¡ªhe was supposed to be a spatial magic wizard.


    Before the light of the teleportation came on, Hao Ren asked, ¡°Have you and Bishop Gelton found the Divine Sarcophagus?¡±


    Ophra shook her head. ¡°Not yet. Maybe the Divine Sarcophagus is buried underbeath the mud in the pool. And according to the theory of the four masters, it¡¯s too late even if we find the Divine Sarcophagus now. The life progenitor may have lost its effect.¡±


    With a flash of a light, Hao Ren found himself standing in a room somewhere in Leyton. Judging from the feminine decorations, he knew it had to be Ophra¡¯s residence.


    The storm outside had subsided, but dark clouds still lingered in the sky. Muffling thunder occasionally rolled out of the clouds, making the already grim atmosphere even more depressing.


    Ophra and Hao Ren then walked out of the room. They were apparently near to the knights¡¯ station. Hao Ren looked around. He saw knights and clerics hustling past in a hurry. Those poor folks in the streets, who looked at those knights and clerics had no idea what was happening.


    All of a sudden, the bell tower in Leyton sounded its desperate siren.


    Bishop Gelton was calling out to the people, ready to issue an evacuation announcement.


    A hurried pounding of hooves was heard from the other end of the street. A monk draped in a white robe was arriving on horseback. The monk lit down and came up to Ophra. ¡°Marshal, the bishop requests your help to evacuate the people and personnel in the villages up north. He¡¯s too tied up with his duty.¡±


    ¡°Understood. It is an emergency and we shouldn¡¯t harp on formality.¡± Ophra took the reins from Elson¡¯s hand and lifted herself up onto the horse. She looked down at Hao Ren. ¡°I¡¯m going to assemble my men. You guys may want to get some rest back in the king¡¯s house. I will find you later.¡±


    Hao Ren had thought of acting nice by offering to help out, but he knew Ophra. The marshal was a very forthright person. So, he thought better of it and agreed. He and his company were not even part mercenary. They were not going to be much help in such a situation. Hence, he nodded his and said to Ophra, ¡°Just be careful.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a strange mercenary. I know that all of you have some secrets,¡± Ophra said with a smile, baffling everyone. ¡°After this is finished, I want to dig your secrets up one by one¡­¡±


    Then, the marshal left into the distance, leaving Hao Ren confused. ¡°What did she mean?¡±


    No one answered him. Instead, he heard the voice of Nangong Wuyue from afar. ¡°Hey, you guys are back?¡±


    Hao Ren turned around and saw the siren maiden, who was riding on a horse. She had stopped not too far away from him. Accompanying her were the knights who went on the scouting mission with her.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Nangong Wuyue got down from her horse and ran towards him. ¡°What¡¯s the grim atmosphere all about?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s head back and talk.¡± Hao Ren did not mention what he had found underground as he led them back to the king¡¯s house.

 Chapter 377

    Sirens rattled throughout Leyton. Church knights draped in white robes and clerics on horses were hustling through the streets, looking for any residents who might have fallen behind. Wind mage was flying from the church to all over the town announcing the evacuation order.


    Groups of knights were leaving for the villages and stations scattering in north and south. In the master hall behind the church, teleporting light column constantly lit up the sky sending personnel to the other parts of Beinz to enforce the evacuation order. Beinz, which was half covered by mountains and forest with low population, had many small villages scattering around the line of defense, apart from Leyton and forming part of the line of defense and gazetted as military-civilian use. Meanwhile, knight stations and sentry posts in between these villages were the Sacred Lake line of defense. Now people had to be evacuated from Beinz, the most mobile personnel were deployed for this purpose while knights were responsible for the nearby villages. Magi were also teleported to evacuate people from the remote areas. They were racing against time as those people had only two days left.


    The sudden mass evacuation order had left the people and soldiers perplexed. No one knew what it was all about as all personnel irrespective of whether they were clerics or not were ordered to leave Beinz in two days. If not for Bishop Gelton and Marshal Ophra jointly signed the order, chaos might have erupted. The four ascetics had also issued a joint statement to enforce the order. Since no one in Beinz diocese was purely of civilian, and almost everyone was associated with the military or the church, the evacuation could be carried out rather smoothly. But then, even if there were civilians, they would have now moved along under the leadership of the clerics.


    Of course Gelton wasn¡¯t credulous at all, the old bishop was known for his cautiousness. When he was back in town, he had already despatched his men to the Gnarled Grove to scout out the place. He only issued the evacuation order after he was convinced that the forest was indeed pervaded with a strangely dangerous energy, and monsters of the forest were becoming violent.


    Hao Ren and his team were in the king¡¯s house, catching some rest while they could. But the disturbing atmosphere in the streets was making them nervous. Lily was unnerved in particular. ¡°What should we do? Are we really going to fight that hundred-kilometre monster? It¡¯s suicide!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks clenched his teeth and said, ¡°I¡¯ve got the meteoroid ready¡ªextra large, enough to level The Gnarled Grove entirely. Wouldn¡¯t you stop me again, would you?¡±


    Looking at the meteoroidal maniac, Hao Ren finally saw Y¡¯zaks¡¯ tendency to smash up people with meteoroid as a good habit. ¡°We¡¯re all counting on you. Or else I might have to call for back up.¡±


    Vivian had been sitting near the window, her brows drew together in thought, now looking up. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s a coincidence? This place has been peaceful for the last three thousand years. When we arrived few days ago then Gnarled Grove wakes up?¡±


    ¡°It must have something to do with that spaceship.¡± Sucking his teeth, Hao Ren was having a bad feeling about all this. ¡°If not for the kiloton-spaceship crashed a bloody hole in its backyard, the thing wouldn¡¯t have waken up. I¡¯m afraid as sweet as the lullaby sounds in the Divine Sacrophagus, that thing¡¯s not going to calm down.¡±


    Suddenly Y¡¯zaks fell into deep thought before he said, ¡°There¡¯s another reason: the maelstrom might have damaged the Divine Sacrophagus, lalluby has stopped playing.¡±


    That might sound possible. But it was meaningless to harp this. Becky was wiping her sword over and over again, and mumbling something in her mouth nervously. Hao Ren came closer and heard ¡°¡­may grandpa protect me, may grandpa protect me. You¡¯d studied history for all your life, now your grand daughter might be history soon¡­¡± She paused a second and continued again. ¡°¡­Life¡¯s three greatest joys: get hung on the wall, get hung on the wall, get hung on the wall¡­ There¡¯s nothing to worry about. I might be a heroine this time¡­¡±


    Hao Ren almost laughed out hearing her murmur. He couldn¡¯t help but pat on Becky¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Take it easy. If worse comes to worst we can always disconnect. We¡¯re not going to die.¡±


    Suddenly Becky took a sudden change and said, ¡°I¡¯ve decided not to run away.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Hao Ren was surprised.


    ¡°This is my home.¡± Becky lowered her head and kept wiping her sword. ¡°The First Born might be very powerful. If it escapes from Dragonspine Ridge, I¡¯m afraid no one in this world is going to survive. They have no place to run, so I¡¯m not going to run away too.¡±


    Hao Ren was almost impressed until he saw Becky folded the sword in her arms and murmuring again with her eye shut. ¡°But you can always bring me out of here by force, right? Don¡¯t you forget that¡­¡±


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­..¡± What a confused little maiden!


    Suddenly Lily¡¯s ears moved. She slid down from her chair and pressed her ear against the floor as if listening. ¡°Did you guys hear that?¡±


    Hao Ren exchanged a look with the others. ¡°Hear what?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a rumbling sound.¡± Her the other ear was tilting. ¡°It was coming from underground¡­¡±


    Cold sweat immediately trickled down Hao Ren¡¯s back. ¡°That quick? Isn¡¯t it two days later?¡±


    Before his voice trailed off, a commotion was heard from afar. Then the siren went off again and this time it was even more urgent sounding!


    Everyone looked out through the window and saw an army of heavily armed warriors running back, and further out was a sea of fire chasing after them.


    Y¡¯zaks was the first to run out. ¡°Go and get a look. Something¡¯s wrong!¡±


    Hao Ren and company got out into the street and ran toward the noise. People were running back panickly, all coming from the direction of the fire. Becky stopped one of them and asked, ¡°What happen?¡±


    The person was almost scared out of his wit and said without even looking at Becky, ¡°Monster! Monsters are coming out from the ground!¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s stomach churned, thinking it must have something to do with the root system!


    He ran ahead of the team and bumped into many residents who were running in his direction. When he got past a row of houses, he finally saw what it was all about:


    Tentacles were bursting out from the slab pavement and attacking people indiscriminately!


    It was the root system of the Gnarled Grove!


    These scary subterrainean creatures had struck fear into the people. People finally knew what the evacuation order was all about. Everywhere, there were civilians screaming in fear and groaning in pain. The tentacles were inflicting great damages and casualty to the town. People were running, sometimes didn¡¯t know where to run, trying to escape from the never-before-seen monsters. The church knights were engaging the monsters in hand-to-hand battle, relying on their heavy body armour and their specially enhanced strength to ward off the monsters but struggling to keep the powerful enemies at bay. The magi had been observing and managed to figure a way to ward off the tentacles¡ªby using fire.


    The blazing fire from afar Hao Ren had just seen was the idea of the magi.


    But the warriors and magi were like David vesus Goliath in the face of the ancient creature but they were no way near David. With just a swing the tentacles would be able to send a handful of heavily armed and armoured warriors flying ten metres back out. The fireballs which the magi had used could only scorch a little layer of scalp off the skin of the tentacles. Soldiers were using themselves as human shield to bog the monster down. But the situation quickly turned south as more tentacles broke out from the earth!


    Suddenly a ball of fire brust out from the body of Y¡¯zaks. He rolled straight toward a tentacle as he called the soldier in a loud voice. ¡°Go and inform Ophra and Gelton! Meanwhile, we will handle this!¡±


    Hao Ren pulled out his gun, motioned others and said, ¡°Attack!¡±

 Chapter 378

    Hao Ren had quickly found out that his gun wasn¡¯t suitable for the occasion¡ªit was not because the gun was too small but because, the firepower was too strong.


    When fired, the gun could crystalise an area as large as ten-metre in radius, and strike any target within sight. As not the evacation hadn¡¯t been completed, use of the gun might cause civilian casualty, not to mention the harm the radioactive crystalised particles could cause. He had no choice but to tuck his gun and take on the tentacles CQC- style.


    Fortunately, he had Steel Membrane Shield; it wasn¡¯t going to be a problem.


    He reached his hand into his dimensional pocket and found a pointed-head alloy staff like a spear. The weapon wasn¡¯t made in the empire but a hand-to-hand fight weapon he got it as a souvenir from the Aerymian. He wasn¡¯t trained to use it but he could wield the two-metre long alloy spear like a kung fu panda thanks to his enhanced body.


    He sensed a sudden change of wind pressure behind him. With a quick manoeuvre he dodged the tentacle coming from behind him before he wheeled and stabbed the mid section of the tentacle. The tentacle pulled back, trying to fling Hao Ren away. Hao Ren clenched his spear which was planted firmly in the tentacle and got carried into the air. Despite getting flung around, he remained focused. He turned the handle of the spear, a bright light exploded on the pointed-head of the spear and blew the tentacle in half.


    ¡°This toy is better than my professional gear.¡± Hao Ren landed on the ground and took a satisfied look at the spear. ¡°I should¡¯ve asked Hilda for more weapons of surgical destruction like this. I¡¯m short of this category of weapon right now.¡±


    The MDT, now working as Hao Ren¡¯s intelligent hover interceptor brick, said casually, ¡°It¡¯s all about experience. Like every other inspector, from a warrior with a divine weapon you would slowly become Jack of all trades. Sooner or later you would discover that fithing the war of mortal civilisations, sometimes the smaller weapons of the mortals are far more practical than divine weapons.¡±


    Having dodged another tentacle, Hao Ren said back, ¡°You should¡¯ve f**king told me earlier! I¡¯ve only managed to get a stick from Hilda!¡±


    The attack moves of the tentacles were very simple¡ªsweep and thrust. They only attacked physically unlike earlier assumption that they had psyhic power and neurotoxin. Fighthing them with conventional technique would be suffice. Lily was wielding her Fire & Ice Claws like a whirlwind slicing a tentacle in half. She happily came up to Hao Ren, babbling, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s pay back time! That thing had scared the hell of out me the previous night. Apparently they¡¯re not that powerful¡­¡±


    ¡°Watch out!¡± A voice was heard accompanied by a loud boom in the air, Lightning Strike of the bat swarm struck and scorched a severed tentacle Lily was battling a while ago. It was Vivian who had saved the husky. ¡°This thing is very tough. It could live for at least another ten seconds after being severed.¡±


    A burst of hot whirlwind came up back with Becky emerging from it. Despite being an experienced mercenary, she was still the weakest among them all. Now she was already exhausted gasping for air. ¡°Why¡­why they come out all of a sudden? I thought it was supposed to be two days later?¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the tentacles which kept bursting out from the ground. His brows knit together. ¡°I¡¯ve no idea. Probably there has been changes. Say something, MDT.¡±


    The MDT spoke very calmly, ¡°It¡¯s normal. I said the thing would be fully awake two days later but I didn¡¯t say it wouldn¡¯t toss and turn before it wakes up. What would you do when you first open your eyes in the morning?¡±


    Lily replied, ¡°I used to make a yawn!¡±


    A loud bang was heard as another tentacle emerged from the street. The MDT said, ¡°Right! It¡¯s yawning now!¡±


    Just when Hao Ren wanted to take a jab at the MDT, his suddenly frowned: he felt an unusual trembling through his feet. Unlike the earth-shattering quake when the tentacles emerged, the trembling was more subtle, and this gave a chill to his bone.


    In that critical juncture, Hao Ren and Lily came to their senses. ¡°Get out!¡±


    A loud boom came underneath the slab pavement and the street busrt open as the two leaped away. Yet another tentacle was rising up from the ground.


    But this tentacle wasn¡¯t at all similar to the rest. It had rougher and lavender coloured skin, smaller lumps on the tip covered in mysterious pattern. Hao Ren had managed to take a glance before an overwhelming sense of dizziness struck him.


    Just when everyone thought it was another tentacle rising up, this one was a mutated version!


    Becky, the weakest of all, was standing closest to the tentacle. She was struck by the tentacle¡¯s psyhic assault and tranced before walking toward the tentacle with her magical body armoured glow disappeared!


    At that exact moment, a sonic boom was heard from afar. A white light pierced through the air and the psyhic-powered tentacle froze in mid air before the tentacle was engulfed in white flame with a loud boom and burned into ashes.


    ¡°Are you guys OK?¡± Ophra was heard coming from afar. Hao Ren turned his head around and saw the female marshal who always wore her body armour emerged from the end of the street with a team of knights. The silver sword in her hand was still emanating an afterglow. Obviously she was the one issued the attack.


    Just when Hao Ren waved at Ophra, he saw the air warped around her and the next second she was already teleported next to him!


    ¡°Let¡¯s deal with them first.¡± Ophra wielded her sword, her body covered in a layer of sacred white flame and charged at the tentacles and left behind a trail of ashes wherever she went. The knights were just standing by as if they were used to her spectators watching their marshal going on a killing spree.


    Hao Ren and Vivian had withdrawn from the fight. They both gaped at Ophra who was engulfed in white flame, the non-standard sword she was wielding in her hand, and her spatial move. Vivian exclaimed quietly, ¡°This is¡­¡±


    White sacred flame, specially rune-carved demon-slaying sword, an almost inborn spatial movement skill¡­ these figthing styles were almost overly familiar.


    ¡°It¡¯s demon hunter!¡± Nangong Wuyue was now back, exclaiming in awe as she saw the way Ophra fought.


    Becky was pulled out by Y¡¯zaks. Feeling stupefied, she was still recovering from the psyhic influence of the tentacle as she glanced at them. ¡°Demon hunter? Demon hunter has come from the real world?¡±


    Hao Ren pointed to Ophra and said, ¡°We¡¯re talking about her!¡±


    Ophra had finished the last few tentacles off. As half of the ¡®subterrainean monster¡¯ were already killed by Hao Ren and his company, and now Ophra had scorched the rest, the monster insticntively knew that this wasn¡¯t the most welcoming breach to come to surface. A moment of rumbling later it had left the area. Ophra tucked away her sword and came up to Hao Ren. ¡°Are you guys all right? Why are you guys staring at me like that?¡±


    Hao Ren couldn¡¯t help but said, ¡°Your fighting skill is¡­¡±


    ¡°Ahh¡­ I see. I know it¡¯s unusual.¡± Ophra said matter-of-coursely as she dusted her windcoat. ¡°It¡¯s just an ancient sword fighting technique. Is that anything wrong?¡±


    That stirred a storm in Hao Ren¡¯s mind: the ancients of The Plane of Dreams¡­ are demon hunters in the real world?


    But they hadn¡¯t the slightest hostility toward the otherworldlings! Ophra wasn¡¯t hostile toward Vivian!


    What happened back then on Earth?


    But he hadn¡¯t the opportunity to ask as sirens were blaring from multiple places.

 Chapter 379

    The rumbling sound kept coming from everywhere as if a large subterrainean creature was digging and moving under the earth. The unprepared residents and soldiers were at a lost upon hearing the strange sound underneath their feet.


    The heavy slabs of the pavements burst open, and earth as well as rocks were sent flying everywhere as a gigantic tentacle lunged out!


    The same thing was happening in other parts of the town. Gigantic tentacles were attacking people as though they knew that the mortals were leaving. Black, horrific creatures broke through the earth and emerged from it one after another. Human resistance was futile as people were screaming in fear and groaning from pains due to sustained injuries. People just ran without knowing where they should be heading to. The sound of the earth cracking open and buildings collapsing did not stop. The solid stone houses and city walls were designed to ward off the pagans, but they appeared useless against the most powerful ancient creature on this planet. Houses collapsed and city walls tumbled as if they were only made of pulp. Instead of attacking humans directly, many of the tentacles smartly clung to buildings and shook them till they collapsed. It just seemed like they knew it was a more effective way to cause mass casualty.


    Or maybe, they were only attacking targets within their reach. To the angry ancient creature, all man-made things deserved to die!


    Just after Hao Ren and Ophra were done with a group of tentacles, the sound of buildings collapsing, the earth tearing open and people screaming could be heard from the town. Becky¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°The town has fallen!¡±


    ¡°It was inevitable. But, I didn¡¯t expect it to happen so quickly.¡± Despite the bad news, Ophra still maintained her composure. Instead of wallowing in regret for not discovering the tentacles¡¯ movements earlier, she quickly ordered a rescue operation. ¡°Jefferson, evacuate people in the area. Inform Gordon and his team to leave. Take as many supplies as possible and burn everything else because fire will stop the tentacles. Everyone is to retreat towards Dragonspine Ridge. Walker, bring your men to attack the tentacles in town¡­¡±


    As Ophra was issuing her orders, a house approximately 100 m away suddenly collapsed. A few black tentacles emerged from the smoking ruins. Ophra waved her sword at the direction of the tentacles without even looking and the latter instantly burst into white flames. They were burned into ashes in no time.


    Hao Ren¡¯s brows twitched. He was deeply impressed by the most fearsome warrior in the Kingdom of Holletta. He wondered how she would rank as a demon hunter in the Surface World.


    While Leyton was in a state of chaos, a strong, purple light beam was shot up towards the sky from the church in the middle of the town. The tentacles began to wither under the bright light as the cracks in the earth quickly began to seal up¡ªit was Gelton, who had activated the last defense of the divine array as an expedient measure. At least, the disaster was suppressed for the moment!


    Both the Royal and Church Knights took this window of opportunity to lead the people out of the town, running towards the path to Dragonspine Ridge. Meanwhile, other soldiers quickly mobilised themselves and exterminated the stunned tentacles. Although such an endeavour was just a drop in the ocean in terms of damage to the Gnarled Grove, they had at least earned themselves a few minutes of time for evacuation before the divine array exhausted its energy.


    As if the tentacles could sense the mortals putting up resistance, Hao Ren heard a roaring rumble underneath his feet. He could feel the earth trembling under his feet like more tentacles were coming in this direction.


    ¡°Looks like they¡¯re quickly waking up,¡± the MDT said with an unusual nervous tone of voice. ¡°This massive thing is waking up in stages. Its core may still be asleep, but its tentacles have already awakened!¡±


    Ophra pulled her brows together. ¡°And, it appears that the tentacles are capable of thinking¡­ They¡¯re trying to prevent people from fleeing¡­ and that¡¯s not good!¡±


    Everyone knew what Ophra meant when she said ¡°that¡¯s not good¡±; the buried portion of the Gnarled Grove was massively wide, covering an area from Dragonspine Ridge all the way to the centre of the Blood Lake. So, it could be said that the Beinz Diocese was practically built on the branch of this ancient living plant. Now that the plant was awake, no matter where the people ran, they were not going to be safe!


    Sure enough, just as Ophra¡¯s voice trailed off, a mage flew back from afar and reported to Ophra while he was still up in the air. ¡°Marshal! Monsters can be seen on the highway! Those monsters in the Gnarled Grove have also gone berserk!¡±


    ¡°Add reinforcements to escort the people in the evacuation process. Leave behind all heavy items and reserved weapons. We won¡¯t be able to use them if we can¡¯t escape! Ophra issued her order loudly before turning to look at Hao Ren and his company. ¡°You guys¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll go help on the highway!¡± Not waiting for Ophra to finish, Hao Ren moved towards the highway outside of town. Ophra was a little stunned, but the corners of her mouth were curled up in a smile. She followed him from behind.


    The situation outside of town was just as bad. Since it was outside the divine array¡¯s field of influence, a large amount of tentacles were breaking open the road¡¯s surface and attacking people indiscriminately. The monsters in the Gnarled Grove had already breached the blockade, and begun to attack people too; these severely crooked, poison-laden monsters reminded Hao Ren about the message on the parchments. He initially thought that these monsters were simply mutated creatures, but he now figured out their real identity: they could well be the descendants of what the writings called, the ¡°Third Born¡±¡ªthe frenzied monsters which were short-lived and born out of the residue of the blood tide! Though they had died off in the rest of the world, these monsters feeding on protection of The First Born had survived under the unique subterrainean environment of the Gnarled Grove!


    Becky yanked out her sword, clenching her teeth before turning into a whirlwind as she charged toward the monsters on the highway. Compared to the tentacles which could only inflict damage to a limited area, these frenzy dinobeasts were the biggest threat to civilians!


    ¡°Let me help you!¡± Lily was following closely behind Becky, shouting and wielding her Fire & Ice Claws to join the battle. She remembered she had learned a trick from Becky¡¯s Sword Storm skill earlier. Both of them were wielding their weapons, forming into twin cyclones like a pair of lost control propellers clearing the way of monsters. Looking at the two mercenaries in astonishment, Ophra said, ¡°That¡¯s the power of Er Ren Zhuan[P1] !¡±


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­..¡±


    While the knights were engaging the tentacles on the highway, Ophra and Hao Ren quickly came face-to-face with dinobeasts from the Gnarled Grove. But the amount of monsters were too large what they could be quickly overrun.


    Just a few minutes into the battle, Becky withdrew from the fight as she had too many stars over her head from the spinning. She was going to need three minutes of respite before she could join back Lily to play their Er Ren Zhuan again. And that left Lily in a solo fight with the monsters, so Lily thought it might be better retreating for a while.


    The old werewolf, Elson, who was by the side of Ophra all this while had already completed his formshift. He was well-built with bulging muscles on his body, limbs were enlarged and stretched, face had all the features of a wolf. Standing beside him were five other werewolf knights; male and female, the strongest werewolfe warriors of Ophra. These mighty warriors had warded off the first wave of attack from the dinobeasts, but there was an endless amount of monsters still coming out from The Gnarled Grove. One of the werewolves whistled before looking at Ophra. ¡°Marshal! We must complete our formshift to be able to fight off those things!¡±


    Ophra swung shake off the black blood stain on the tip of her sword. She said, ¡°There¡¯s no moonlight to be seen now. Could you do that?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re no ordinary werewolves!¡± Elson grinned, revealing his fangs. ¡°Step back, people! You don¡¯t want to get hurt when we¡¯re formshifting!¡±


    Hao Ren and Ophra quickly took a step back. Elson and the other higher werewolves began to formshift rapidly. They lost their human faces, and hair began to grow rapidly all over their bodies. Instinctively, Hao Ren turned his head and looked at Lily. Sure enough he saw the maiden had already grabbed a large bag of spicy sticks in her hand and stuffed them in her mouth. While she was at it she waved at the senior werewolves, and mumbled, ¡°Please wait for me¡­ I could also formshift!¡±


    At that moment, Hao Ren had sensed something was definitely wrong somewhere¡­


    [P1]A genre of local folk dance and song from Northeast China. It usually consists of two people, a boy and a girl. They sing as well as dance, using folded fans or red square handkerchiefs (which are twirled along as a song is performed) during the dancing portion. It is very popular due to its humorous dialogue and sketches, which have eclipsed the old dances and songs. Suggested translatin: Spinning Pai

 Chapter 380

    Elson completed his transformation into a full-fledged werewolf. He glanced at Lily in surprise. ¡°Little girl, you¡¯re a high-order werewolf too?¡±


    Lily almost choked on her mouthful of Spicy Sticks as she nodded frantically. After charging up, she now had enough strength¡ªof course, we could always call it ¡°the power of Spicy Sticks¡±, if you don¡¯t mind.


    A gust of violent wind blew at them, preventing them from opening their eyes. But then, they heard howling nearby.


    *Awoooooo*


    Amid the howling of wolves, the world had become quiet, well sort of. Everyone began to imagine the silver moon, open land and wolves howling at the moon¡­


    But their imagination stopped when they heard an anticlimatic ¡°arf arf¡±.


    The wind subsided and five large werewolves appeared before them. Their eyes were red and mean; their fur was stained with blood and they were scary in the eyes of those around them. They definitely looked like imposing mountains with high fighting spirits. Standing among them however, was a husky.


    At almost five-metres tall, Lily looked around and realised that she was just as big as the others. She nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Arf arf.¡±


    The alpha was standing in front. He first looked at his pack, then at Lily before he said thoughtfully. ¡°I feel like something¡¯s off.¡± It was Elson¡¯s voice.


    The other warrior werewolves were also looking at each other, and Lily¡¯s fur pattern. Shortly after, someone was heard saying, ¡°Probably her mom ran out of ink when she gave birth to her. Or maybe, she¡¯s from the hermit family in the land of snow. I don¡¯t see anything wrong.¡±


    Lily tilted her head, wondering why the others could still speak after shapeshifting. ¡°Arf arf?¡±


    Elson continued muttering to others, ¡°¡­I really feel like something¡¯s not right¡­¡±


    ¡°Forget it. Nothing¡¯s wrong¡­¡±


    Ophra stomped on Elson¡¯s paw and chided, ¡°Are you done yet? Do I need to remind you again that you have to remain alert after transformation? We¡¯re at war now!¡±


    Looks can be deceiving; if you thought Elson was old, check Ophra out¡ªshe was a lot older. When Ophra chided her old partner, she acted like she was lecturing her grandson. Elson and his pack immediately got their act together, leaving the odd ¡°white wolf¡± alone. One of them, a one-eyed wolf, gazed in the direction of the Gnarled Grove. ¡°We¡¯ll divert the monsters¡¯ attention while you guys take on those who manage to slip through!¡±


    Then under Elson¡¯s leadership, the pack ran into the forest. These tall beasts were surrounded by a stone-crushing wind pressure. They left a trail of total devastation behind them as they travelled forward. But as an alpha, Elson had an additional strength; as he ran, he left behind a trail of scorching flames, which even burned on bare rocks. It did not appear to be an earthly fire.


    Following the five imposing beasts was the plus-size, white husky who was running excitedly on all fours. Although she did not think of it as a problem, it was a weird constrast should one put the husky among the werewolves. Hao Ren could vaguely hear someone arguing in the distance. ¡°I still feel that something¡¯s not right¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being overly sensitive. I didn¡¯t feel a thing!¡±


    ¡°Arf?¡±


    It was supposed to be a serious and tense situation, but Hao Ren was almost blown away by what he heard. After a long moment of astonishment, Hao Ren poked Vivian on her arm and said, ¡°Should we call her back?¡±


    In a rare support of Lily, Vivian said, ¡°Let her be. It¡¯s not every day that she can be with her fellow brethren, especially in their shapeshifted form.¡±


    The five-plus-one giant wolves made a grand entrance to the forest, and duely got the attention of many dinobeasts. Those dark and gnarled monsters were of low intelligence. As remnants of the Third Born from 10,000 years ago, they were driven only by the Gnarled Grove to attack humans. They obviously lacked organisation and strategy. As long as they sensed the presence of the Second Born, their attention was easily diverted. This allowed Hao Ren and his company to cut some slack.


    Taking advantage of the opportunity, Y¡¯zaks charged himself up with enough energy. He strolled into the wilderness and grinned at the dinobeasts that had slipped through.


    Flames lit up the night as the ground under Y¡¯zaks¡¯ feet began to melt. A wall of evil, greenish fire began to rush forward, melting rocks and vaporising trees as well as vegetation as it ravaged everything in its path. Even the corrosive blood of the dinobeast was vaporised long before it could do anything.


    Watching everything that transpired before her eyes, Ophra¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground. ¡°¡­Are you sure you¡¯re just mercenaries?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re experts!¡± Hao Ren just gave her an oversimplified reply before he wielded his alloy spear and charged at the last group of dinobeasts.


    Everything went smoothly hereafter. But things were probably not as optimistic in other places.


    The earth never stopped trembling as there were more tentacles breaking out from the earth. The shallow consciousness of the First Born had already been awakened and it sensed that the mortals were trying to get away from its control. It intensified the activity of the tentacles in the shallow earth and more mutated tentacles with psychic assaults or magical abilities emerged as a result. Each evacuation team had been intercepted by these subterrainean creatures. It was hard to tell how many of those civilians and soldiers, who only had basic military training could survive the attack. But there was only so much the Royal Knights and Church Knights could do: they were trained to deal with humans and simple monsters. When faced with a never-before-seen, ancient life form, even the brightest military expert was just as lost as the ordinary soldier.


    All evacuation teams had met with ferocious attacks. Casualties were inevitable and they were not going to be minor.


    The mass evacuation operation had gone on for a day and a night. The divine arrays in Leyton and other places had also managed to hold up for just as long. However, the strength of man was finite after all. When the first ray of morning sun shone over the back of the mountain, the divine arrays in the defensive lines outside of Leyton began to show exhaustion. Once they ceased to function,the subterrainean tentacles finally got the upper hand and villages as well as sentry posts were levelled one after another.


    Leyton with the largest divine array was still holding up, but barely. It gave the knights some slack and a safe haven, where the drained soldiers could catch a breath. Under the shield of its thinning purple light, there would not be any runaway tentacles in the town for the moment. But almost every road outside of town was occupied by the tentacles and dinobeasts.


    Ophra and Hao Ren had retreated into the town by then. Everyone had not rested for 24 hours and the high-intensity combats brought even the most legendary hero to his knees. Ophra¡¯s armour was stained with blood and her windcoat was damaged by the corrosive blood of the dinobeasts. She stood on a watchtower, looking down at the land, which had been completely defaced before letting out a sigh of relief. ¡°Fortunately, everyone got out¡­¡±


    All civilians and eight-tenth of the soldiers had been successfully evacuated. Those who stayed back in town were elites that would hold the last defense, and higher monastics who were responsible for the divine array.


    Hao Ren and his company did not leave. They wanted to see the real face of the First Born, and find out if it could ever be killed.


    Meanwhile, the five-plus-one giant wolves were guarding the entrance to the town. They had remained in their beast form since the day before. These super ¡°warriors¡± were the source of morale and inspiration of the last defending elites. As long as they stayed visible at the entrance, the knights would not lose their morale.


    The giant wolves had become a symbol of the last line of defense, and it did not matter if one agreed to it or not, but a husky was one of them.


    Lily squatted by the city wall sticking her chest out like a hero. And gosh, she never grew tired of asking Hao Ren to take pictures of her¡­


    ¡°Ophra, we must fight and break the deadlock.¡± Elson raised his head. Squatting on the ground, his eyes were level with Ophra, who was standing on the watchtower. ¡°All roads have been blocked. There¡¯s only one way out and we¡¯ve got to move fast or we won¡¯t be able to make it later.¡±


    ¡°The Royal Knights are at the foot of Dragonspine Ridge. But they can¡¯t come to us. We have to go to them.¡±


    Ophra exhaled, looking down at her soldiers who had just assembled in the hole-laden town square. They needed rest as the short moment of dawn was not really sufficient. Despite that, there was no time to rest.


    ¡°Get ready to evacuate,¡± Ophra finally ordered. ¡°Elson, inform Bishop Gelton to get ready to evacuate¡­ No, forget it, you probably can¡¯t get in. I¡¯ll send somebody else.¡±


    At that moment, a sudden loud boom was heard from the Gnarled Grove!


    With his hair standing on end, Hao Ren looked over in that direction and witnessed the most unforgettable moment in his life.


    Vivian quickly flew up into the air and screamed in fear.


    ¡°The Gnarled Grove¡­ the Gnarled Grove is rising!¡±

 Chapter 381

    The whole Beinz Diocese was in total ruin; it was unrecognisable. The earth had been torn apart, leaving behind numerous bottlomless cracks and sinkholes in the wilderness. Carcasses of gigantic tentacles were strewn across the roads and the pebble beach. Eight over ten of the strongholds in the line of defense were destroyed. Plus, most watchtowers had collapsed while the remaining ones were encroached by giant plant roots. Thi made them look like grotesque, creepy structures. The land outside these strongholds, which still held on until the last moment was a horrific scene; carcasses of gnarled dinobeasts lay everywhere, blood and noxious gases turned the place into a lifeless zone.


    Opposite the destroyed line of defense, the forest was swelling!


    Earth-shattering noises of rolling thunder and roaring beasts could be heard from the Gnarled Grove. It sounded as if thousands of gigantic beasts from the abyss were running out of the opened gate of a nightmare. The cracking of the earth¡¯s crust and collapsing of the subterrainean world even shattered the clouds in the sky. The sky above the Beinz Diocese was beginning to be covered in earthquake clouds. The earth was shaking and buildings that were still standing in the town shook violently under the protection of the last gleam of the divine array. If one looked towards the Gnarled Grove from the highest points in town, one could see part of the forest swelling quickly. It looked like a mountain range was rising from the flat land.


    The maelstrom at the centre of Beinz Blood Lake stopped before the lake collapsed on itself and it was followed by the sudden loud bang a moment later. Gigantic waves of blood-red water rose before it went down rapidly: the collapsing of the subterrainean world had pulled down the rock layer beneath the lake together with it.


    Countless gigantic roots, far larger than the ones that had been attacking the humans for the past day and night rose from the falling lake. These roots were absorbing the water from the Blood Lake. If Hao Ren had witnessed this moment, he would have known what it meant: the Gnarled Grove was squeezing the last drop of energy from the Blood Tide!


    Amid the violent shaking of the earth, the giant wolves at the town entrance got to their feet. They roared at the top of their lungs and made their way towards the Gnarled Grove. However, their rock-shattering roar could have blown some leaves off the forest floor at best. The watchtower where Ophra stood began to collapse, so Hao Ren and Ophra immediately jumped down to the ground. ¡°It¡¯s happening earlier than expected! Let¡¯s get the hell out of here!¡±


    Alas, things did not turn out as they had anticipated: The First Born was waking up 12 hours earlier than the MDT¡¯s estimated time!


    At that moment, no one was going to harp on the miscalculation. The last group of elite soldiers tumbled on their feet, but they quickly restored their order. They knew that following protocol and leaving in an orderly manner was the only way they could make it out safely. Banners of knights left the town under the leadership of their respective leaders, running along the escape route they had earlier planned out towards Dragonspine Ridge. Ophra and her team, along with Hao Ren and his company were killing their way out.


    ¡°Tell Bishop Gelton to abandon the place!¡± Ophra ordered her aide-de-camp as she rode on her horse. The last hint of exhaustion from fighting for the past day vanished from her face. She was trying to conduct herself as a marshal, and show what a leader should be like.


    However, the aide-de-camp only brought back the ordinary bishops and their assistants. ¡°Marshal, Bishop Gelton is not leaving!¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Ophra knitted her brows.


    Their surrounding buildings were coming down as the earth shook violently, yet she was as steady as a rock riding on her horse. Her unperturbed composure influenced her aide-de-camp to calm himself down amid the chaos. ¡°Bishop Gelton wants to stay with the church, dead or alive. He wants to be a martyr.¡±


    ¡°This is not something that can be solved with martyrdom!¡± Hao Ren became worried upon hearing what the aide-de-camp said. Heroism would not stand a chance in the face of a monster like the First Born. Just when he was about to go and drag the stubborn old man out of the church, a column of light¡ªbigger and brighter than the last one¡ªshot up into the sky. Right after, the church was shrouded in a sacred flame and it became a semi-transparent, shadowy building. It appeared very similar to a mirage. The powerful, divine radiance had the advancing tentacles outside the town withdraw themselves from the invasion. When Big Beardy saw this, he stopped Hao Ren and said, ¡°It¡¯s too late. The bishop has already become one with the divine array.¡±


    The mirage of the church slowly expanded and soon, it became a magnificent door of glory. It was in the exact image of the Door of the Goddess, which the believers of the Disciples of Glory had imagined and put their faith in for the past thousand years. A stooping figure draped in white robes with the face of a wrinkled elderly man, who appeared almost as if he was going to return to his maker at any moment emerged from the Door of Glory. His eyes gazed into the distance, seemingly unfocused. At the same time, he raised his hand slightly, pointing at the direction of Dragonspine Ridge.


    Then, a beam of light shone out from the Door of Glory all the way to the gap in the middle of Dragonspine Ridge. The road to Dragonspine Ridge was right within the range of the light beam, and the tentacles as well as dinobeasts along that road were scorched into ashes.


    Suddenly, Hao Ren recalled what Gelton said before he jumped into the maelstrom. ¡°I¡¯m already very old¡­¡±


    Ophra wheeled her horse around and swung her sword. ¡°Retreat!¡±


    The last group of knights rushed out of Leyton. Lying ahead was the violent surge, a purgatory of wilderness!


    The earth riddled like waves of soft gel; everything within sight was shaking terribly. Moutains were falling and walls were coming down. In the blink of an eye, Leyton was turned into ruins behind them. The only thing that remained was the transcending, divine guiding light. Endless tentacles were breaking out from the grounds on both sides of the road, and dinobeasts were storming out like a flash flood from the Gnarled Grove. However, most of them were burned into ashes as soon as they came within the divine light¡¯s range: it was the power that believers in the Beinz Diocese had garnered for the last 3,000 years. It was probably not powerful enough against the First Born itself, but it was more than enough to get rid of these things.


    ¡°If only the patrimony from the outside world had not been cut off¡­¡± Ophra looked at the dinobeasts rushing out from the Gnarled Grove. ¡°Three thousand years would have sufficed for us to exterminate these dinobeasts! Unfortunately, people thought these things were just mutants¡­ No one knew they were actually descendants of the Third Born.¡±


    The giant wolves cleared the road ahead while the knights followed behind. Ophra and Hao Ren were at the rear of the team. As the escaping group manoeuvred through the violent grounds, knights and mages, who flew low were attacked and got left behind. The remaining men could only focus their minds, ignore the loud clashing in their surroundings, and run straight towards Dragonspine Ridge.


    Not all of the tentacles could be killed in an instant; some were excessively large, enough to withstand the scorching light longer than others.


    As the group arrived at the foot of the hill, yet another loud,booming sound came from the other side!


    Elson, who was leading the group in front shouted, ¡°Rock monsters! Rock monsters!¡±


    Countless rock monsters were rolling down the hill. Some even jumped straight down the cliff and broke themselves into hundreds of pieces before regenerating and advancing. This group of was far more massive than the previous ones, which loitered around in smaller numbers. As the rock monsters were indiscriminate in their attack, and would most likely kill any living thing within their range of sight, the knights instantly lost hope.


    But surprisingly, the rock monsters were not bothered with the humans. Instead, without hesitation they ran straight towards the Gnarled Grove, which was slowly rising and forming into a mountain!


    It seemed that the rock monsters still possessed some kind of awareness. They could identify the enemy posing the biggest threat at that moment.


    Ophra let out a sigh of relief before she called out with a voice that could still be heard amid the roaring noise. ¡°Keep going. Don¡¯t look back!¡±


    The team finally arrived at the mouth of the mountain pass in Dragonspine Ridge. It was a narrow path that the rock monsters would never use. Once they proceeded on the route a bit longer, they would leave the territory of the Gnarled Grove¡¯s root system. Vivian glanced over her shoulder and quietly triggered the magic deposits she had left behind in the caverns.


    The core organs of the Gnarled Grove were very unique in that, despite the entire forest rising up miles high into the sky, the organs themselves were still attached to the hearts in the caverns.


    Red mist began to rise from the edge of the Gnarled Grove. By then, the group had already escaped through the mountain pass and gone deep into the mountain range.


    Behind them, a riotous, ear-splitting roar could be heard from afar. Hao Ren could almost sense from the roar that an ancient being was feeling extremely angry and full of hatred.


    Suddenly, he heard the voice of the gigantic brain ringing in his head again.


    ¡°You pieces of scum!¡±

 Chapter 382

    A loud noise came from the Gnarled Grove. It was like a roar, a rolling thunder, and it tore the earth. The sound was travelling in a way as if it was chasing after them. Even the most seasoned elite soldiers would have lost their courage, hearing the angry roar. All they could do was keep moving through the mountain pass.


    Everyone had descended from their horses and hustled through the narrow mountain pass on foot. They hurried the war horses in front them, and at times, they even let the animals go when they came to a forked road. They did that for the safety of the group because once frightened, the horses could behave hysterically, posing a threat to everyone on the narrow path. And considering the loud sound coming from behind, the horses could very well get frightened.


    Despite leaving the Gnarled Grove¡¯s field of influence and its root system, the group could still feel the earth trembling under their feet. As Beinz was built right on top of the mammoth subterrainean world, when the underground world crumbled the destruction brought everything down along with it, and that almost tore Dragonspine Ridge apart. Hearing the cracking and sound of falling rocks on the mountain, Ophra knew they were still not out of the danger zone. So, she wielded her sword and brought the spirit of her soldiers up. ¡°Keep moving! Don¡¯t stop! We¡¯ll be safe once we pass the ridge!¡±


    Elson was running ahead of the group. With his sharp eyes, he was constantly aware of the possibility of rocks falling overhead. Every rock could be a rock monster. In the depths of the mountain, a rock monster was not going to differentiate who was its enemy and who was its friend. They were just as dangerous as the dinobeasts and tentacles.


    Many of the soldiers were hurt. Almost all of the magi were drained. Some of the people were even exposed to the poisonous blood and noxious gases from the dinobeasts. Any energy left was just enough to let them escape to safety, figthing was out of the question. Those who still possessed the ability to fight were Hao Ren and his company as well as Ophra and the five-plus-one giant wolves. Nevertheless, they had to avoid getting into any battle again.


    Despite all their setbacks, Ohpra still looked determined. Her ash-covered face could not hide her heroic aura. She knew the rest of the king¡¯s knights were just at the foothill on the east side. As soon as they reached, they would have adequate medicine and food, then the exhausted magi could regain their strength. When fighting a supernatural creature like the First Born, the magi seemed more suited for the job than the warriors.


    But deep down inside, she also knew full well that the disparity between mortals and the ancient being was just too great. She could not possibly believe that any ordinary magi could have done any real damage to the thousand-year-old subterrainean monster entrenched underneath the Beinz Diocese.


    Hao Ren glanced at Ohpra on one side, then turned to Y¡¯zaks on the other and said, ¡°Is your meteoroid ready?¡±


    ¡°Contact has been established. It¡¯s within the upper limit of my ability. Ferromanganese core. Nasty stuff.¡± Y¡¯zaks grinned as his eyes glowed with a greenish, evil flame. ¡°I¡¯ll summon it when we reach the ridge.The energy released will almost be enough to level the area from Beinz Blood Lake to the land leading up to Dragonspine Ridge¡­ Six Tunguskas1 in size.¡±


    Hao Ren ran some calculations in his mind and discovered that it would be more powerful than any nuclear weapon ever made in human history. He felt a little at ease now, thinking it would be enough to finish off the First Born this time.


    ¡°Be careful of the blast range.¡± Suddenly, Vivian thought of something. ¡°To the west of Beinz Blood Lake, over the Virulent Flatlands is Werewolf Kingdom. Don¡¯t affect them.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve done the Math. I¡¯ll set up a demonic barrier where the blast wave will be stopped in the middle of the Virulent Flatlands. The sacred mountain on Werewolf Kingdom¡¯s side may experience a little shock. But, we don¡¯t know what their reaction to this disaster will be. They must have noticed the changes in the Gnarled Grove by now¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was particularly worried about this as Elson, the lonewolf general and his elite wolf pack were probably concerned about their hometown too. Under the current situation however, no one, no matter how capable, was going to bring the message over or scout out the sacred mountain. So, they had to put their worries on the back burner for the moment. As soon as Y¡¯zaks brought down his meteoroid and finished off the First Born, Werewolf Kingdom would not be a concern anymore.


    ¡°What if the meteoroid doesn¡¯t work? Will the First Born also destroy the sacred mountain? Or places even farther?¡± All of a sudden, Y¡¯zaks¡¯ knitted his brows tightly together. He was expecting the worst. ¡°We don¡¯t know what other capabilities are up its sleeve. So far, all we know is that it¡¯s capable of causing massive geological disasters, and I think that¡¯s not all.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue could not imagine the First Born to be so powerful. ¡°Really? As powerful as it is, it¡¯s just a tree, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks shook his head and did not say a word.


    They stumped up the mountain and were finally about to arrived at the highest point of the ridge. Then, they heard loud crashing sounds from the nearby mountain peaks. Lily looked up instinctively before crying out in fear. ¡°Arf¡ª¡±


    Shortly after, Elson¡¯s voice could be heard. ¡°The northern peak has collapsed! The northern and southern peaks have all collapsed!¡±


    Hao Ren looked up in horror as he saw two of the highest peaks on Dragonspine Ridge covered in smoke and dust. He could still peek through the blurry clouds, and saw that the peaks were indeed slowly crumbling down. Vivian sent out a bat into the air to get a bird¡¯s-eye view of the situation, and was shocked to find almost seven-tenth of Dragonspine Ridge in the west was collapsing!


    She told what she saw to everyone. Ophra¡¯s jaw almost dropped to the floor. ¡°Could this whole mountain range be made from rock monsters?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. At least where I stand, the mountain hasn¡¯t collapsed yet. Fortunately, not yet.¡± Hao Ren took a deep breath. ¡°This mountain range must be a defense barrier against the First Born. Now, I¡¯m starting to understand why the topography of the Beinz Diocese is so weird; mountains on both sides, ocean at the front while a gorge at the rear. This is likely not a natural phenomenon. Just like the legend, the terrains are creations of the ancient mage-emperors!¡±


    Holding her sword shakily, Becky said, ¡°They could create a world, but were unable to defeat the First Born¡­¡±


    Right. The entire Beinz Diocese was created in the shape of a cage by some massively powerful forces. As powerful as the ancient mage-emperors were, the ancient civilisation was still destroyed by the First Born. Wasn¡¯t it?


    The army of rock monsters which rolled off Dragonspine Ridge had quickly formed into a sea of grey, rocky waves, rushing towards the Gnarled Grove. However, as gigantic as they were, they looked a little more like ants in the face of the massive monster. The Gnarled Grove had completely risen and formed into a bowl-like shape. Numerous massive tentacles attached to the main body of Gnarled Grove were waving frantically. Leaves had completely fallen off the trees, and their trunks and branches were sticking out like black thorns. More massive than a mountain, the First Born monster just scoffed at the rock monsters on its foot. With a slight shake of its body, the surrounding ground began to crumble and cave into a bottomless abyss. The rock monsters fell into the gap, and were trapped by the web of roots. They died in an instant before crumbling into piles of broken rocks.


    But, more rock monsters charged at the First Born. It looked like they wanted to encage the First Born by forming a rock shell around it with their own bodies.


    By now, the group had arrived at the ridge. They turned around and saw a horrific monster beyond their human imagination. It was capable of striking fear into their hearts and dismantling their will of resistance at once.


    An entangled mass was standing between the heavens and Earth. It was something between a plant and animal, as huge as a mountain but devoid of any recognisable facial features or limbs, with only tentacles of strange shapes attached to its hundred-kilometre mass. The ground under its ¡°feet¡± was entirely gone. It was unclear whether the ground had sunk to the bottom of the caverns or it was consumed by the roots. The only thing left was a tumor-like monster with its entangled roots a.k.a tentacles.


    Hao Ren felt a sense of dizziness just from glancing at it: it was obvious that the psyhic tentacles were unleashing their psychic assault energy indiscriminately.


    ¡°Even if we do escape, will there be anyone out there who can fight this monster?¡± A sense of horror finally struck Ophra, who now looked visibly fearful. She realised, even if she could make the escape today, it was probably just a delayed death sentence at best. If the being known as the ¡°First Born¡± was capable of destroying the ecology of the Second Sowing, it would not just stay in one place. It had to be capable of moving itself or spreading its influence to other parts of the world. In light of this, what use was there in escaping?


    Hao Ren looked at the messy creature again, and allowed the MDT to explore a bit. After he determined that there was no way of communicating with the monster, he patted Y¡¯zaks on the arm and said to him, ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks nodded and walked away from the group before shapeshifting. Ophra glanced surprisingly at his strange ¡°mercenary¡± and asked, ¡°What are you guys going?¡±


    ¡°Helping you solve the thing you couldn¡¯t.¡± Hao Ren exhaled. ¡°You can stand aside and watch but, could you possibly please first let your soldiers leave?¡±


    He was not worried about anything. It was just that the poisonous gases created during a meteoroid impact could possibly sicken them. They would be fine if they were far away from the ridge.


    Ophra looked at Hao Ren, feeling confused. Suddenly, she felt a disturbing burst of energy in Biggie. As she came to her senses, she waved and ordered her soldiers to move. ¡°Keep going, don¡¯t look back!¡±


    After the soldiers had gone, Y¡¯zaks finally released his energy in full. Amid a pool of molten rock and stinking sulfur dioxide, a five-metre-tall demon stood, engulfed in flames.


    ¡°De¡ªdemon?¡± Ophra¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground again. ¡°Demons still exist in this age? Who are you people?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks pointed one of his hands towards the sky to guide his meteoroid as he spoke to Ophra, spewing out a mouthful of sparks in the process. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you later, little girl. Hold your breath!¡±


    A cloud of fire began to form in the sky as powerful magic converged in the centre of it. The monster, who stood on the ridge guiding the magic, the gnarled First Born, the warped sky, and everything below it, all had Ophra the heroine quaking in her boots. Becky also began to mumble to herself, ¡°¡­Finally, I¡¯m qualified to be hung on the wall, Grandpa. Are you seeing this? Your little granddaughter is going to complete her mission¡­¡±


    The First Born below the cloud of fire began to move as if had sensed the danger. A slit opened on top before a few gigantic tentacles poked out from the opening. Hao Ren instantly called out, ¡°Now!¡±


    A loud bang in the sky was followed by a dimensional door, which appeared amid the cloud of fire. Y¡¯zaks did not let the meteoroid crash through the atmosphere. Instead, he had opened a dimensional door right above the target, so that the meteoroid would crash down at full speed as it would in space. He had only one aim: creating the greatest impact!


    A meteoroid as large as a small hill emerged from the dimensional door. As soon as it came into contact with the air below, it turned into a ball of fire and fell towards Earth at hypersonic speed. So fast that Hao Ren could not get a glimpse of the true face of the meteoroid.


    However, at the same time, the air above the First Born also warped in an unusual manner and suddenly, the meteoroid froze in mid air.


    There was no movement, no explosions. As if a movie tape was stuck in its player, the Ferromanganese meteorite stopped in the air as soon as it emerged from the dimensional door. It was floating in the air.


    The air above the First Born was riddled with rings of ripple. The MDT analysed it and screamed out, ¡°Holy f*cking moly! It¡¯s an anti-gravity and kinetic energy neutralising field!¡±


    Nangong Wuyue jumped up and yelled, ¡°Is this still a tree?¡±


    The MDT yelled back, ¡°It never was a tree!¡±


    With just a flick of its finger¡ªso to speak, the First Born had stopped the low-tech meteoroid. The few gigantic tentacles poking out from its top opening waved in air for a moment before suddenly pointing at the meteoroid in unison. Beams of strong light were fired from the tips of the tentacles and the meteoroid of Ferromanganese core was shattered into thousands of pieces instantly.


    Not a single hair on the First Born was burned!


    Everyone on the ridge had their jaws dropped to the bottom of the mountain. Y¡¯zaks was especially dumbstruck for a long while. At that moment, Vivian suddenly noticed something beginning to move around the First Born.


    The gigantic creature of mess began to leak fluid out of its body. The fluid was the exact same viscous blood they had seen down in the caverns. The red fluid quickly formed a pool around the First Born and then, it spread rapidly outwards.


    The fluid surged and spread in all directions. It consumed everthing¡ªrocks and trees¡ªin their path.


    Organic or inorganic, it took all matter as its nutrients, and then spread out even quicker!


    Suddenly, the young ascetic nun realised she had collected a sample of the fluid. She screamed and quickly took the bottle out. Sure enough, the red fluid in the bottle was surging violently and it beginning to corrode the crystal bottle. She threw the bottle away as hard as she could.


    The crystal bottle was shattered upon impact with a rock. Fluid was splashed all over. As soon as the fluid came into contact with the rocks and soil, it surged even more rapidly like a duck taking to water before it formed into a small pool of blood, the size of a washing basin. Then, the fluid flowed down rapidly toward its parent¡¯s body¡ªthe First Born. It kept growing as it travelled down the mountain.


    Suddenly, Becky recalled the story she had read about the legend of the apocalypse and the goddess: the goddess tossed her wine glass onto the earth, as the wine flowed out of the glass, it spread to the land and burned everything in its path. The fire kept burning for many days until the world was totally consumed¡­


    The description in the story was actually not about actual fire, but this blood before their eyes!


    This was the ultimate weapon of the First Born. The tentacles may have been powerful enough to destroy a whole army batallion, their scorching light beams may have been able to shatter any mountain peaks, but to rebuild the ecological sphere, it needed something more horrific¡ªthe red fluid was its ultimate weapon of mass destruction. The fluid would consume everything that contained basic organic elements¡ªincluding living things and lifeless objects. Then, it would grow indefinitely. The phagocytosis and multiplication process would increase expotentially, and no force in the world could stop it from spreading to the whole planet. Not doubt, the ancient magic civilisation was strong but, it was totally helpless in the face of such a disaster. If the goddess had not left behind a safety mechanism to restrict the First Born, the planet would not have survived for the last 10,000 years!


    As the First Born of the Original Seed, it possessed the ability to simulate the Blood Tide, and perhaps this was what the red fluid was all about.


    But now, it was meaningless to study what it was simulating. The most important thing was to find out how this thing could be killed!


    ¡°We¡¯re running out of ideas.¡± Hao Ren turned around and looked at the four ascetics and Ophra, whose face was pale like a ghost. Suddenl,y he patted the MDT. ¡°Shall we consider the solution we discussed earlier? Just give me a definite answer!¡±


    The previous night, Hao Ren and Y¡¯zaks discussed about the meteoroid option. Both of them had run through the worst case scenario: what if the meteoroid did not work? Although Y¡¯zaks¡¯ signature skill was already many times more powerful than a nuclear weapon in theory, they did not dare bet all their hopes on a single piece of space rock simply because¡ªthe weaponry of an ancient magic civilisation was not necessarily inferior to those from Y¡¯zaks¡¯ hometown!


    The ancient magic civilisation was already capable of interstellar travel, building teleportation gateways on Earth and the moon, constructing colonial cities on foreign planets, and even researching forbidden realms like the creation of life; it was safe to say that aerospace, physics, chemical and every other technology of theirs were far more advanced than the technology on Earth today. Most likely, nuclear weapons were not something new to them. They could have very well possessed the capability to summon a meteoroid strike already.


    Such an advanced magical civilisation, along with its ecological sphere, was completely wiped off by the angry First Born. If history was anything to go by, they were no better off than a sitting duck.


    So, Hao Ren had already anticipated the possibility of the meteoroid strike failing, and put in place a plan B, which was practically the last resort. But, even if that was the only option left, he had to think not twice, not thrice, but many more times.


    Uncharacteristically, the MDT was silent for a long moment before it spoke with its emotionless, synthesised voice, ¡°You must think it through and through. The operation manual has cleary stated that it is forbidden to strike the surface of any planet!¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯ve read all of the safety regulations. I know why it is forbidden to strike the surface of a planet. It¡¯s to prevent total destruction of the regional ecosystem, and the crystalisation of a good half of the country.¡± Hao Ren pointed at the First Born, which kept releasing what was possibly the Blood Tide. Hao Ren stomped his feet. ¡°But now, the ecosystem of this place is quickly being destroyed! One strike won¡¯t make it worse!¡±


    The MDT was silent again for several seconds before it hovered up. ¡°The application has been submitted to the Data Network and approved. However, you and I will be held responsible if the amount of casualties turn out higher than computed. This is a serious matter! Destruction of a regional ecosystem is punishable. The punishment is death by fire squad. You better not miss and bombard the werewolves¡¯ hometown! This is an extra safety agreement operation, which must be done manually. You know, manual control!¡±


    Hao Ren took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯ve read Introduction to Small Spacecraft Cannons.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve read at least half of it.¡±


    ¡°F*ck you¡­ Focus your mind. I¡¯ll use you as a springboard to pull the Petrachelys into this world. But, only one shot is allowed. The interference of psionic energy is very high; as we¡¯re still on emergency connection mode, you guys might be bounced out of this world after the shot. And you¡¯ll have to wait for one month before you can establish connection again.¡±


    Becky stood nearby, listening to Hao Ren arguing with the MDT for a long time. However, she understood none of it. She could not help asking, ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡±


    Hao Ren took another deep breath and looked up into the sky.


    ¡°Inspector Hao Ren requests for orbital bombardment!¡±


    Becky was flabbergasted. ¡°¡­What?¡±

 Chapter 383

    Becky was stunned when she heard what Hao Ren said. She had a bewildered look on her face. ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°We need to find a way to destroy this thing.¡± Hao Ren turned back to look at the First Born. It seemed near impossible to communicate with the powerful and chaotic ancient creature. Even though it probably had some form of cognitive ability, given its current condition and process of evolution, it was in an extremely volatile state. Even if they could talk to it, they would probably need to pull the trigger on the thing as it would cause the destruction of an entire civilisation. This was a calamity beyond normal proportions. ¡°I¡¯m bringing the Petrachelys here and we¡¯ll blast it apart with the orbital cannon. But, we¡¯ll need to evacuate the place first.¡±


    Becky was still stunned but, this was already beyond her comprehension. She was at a lost for words. At the same time, the MDT started contacting the conversion facility in the Surface World, and prepared to bring the Petrachelys into The Plane of Dreams.


    Most inanimate items would need a living person to bring them into The Plane of Dreams and the Petrachelys was no exception. However, as Hao Ren was already in The Plane of Dreams, this required a special conversion and guidance process. The MDT needed to utilise the Xi Ling Celestials¡¯ special spatial and information manipulation technique to build a ¡°super conduit¡± to split Hao Ren¡¯s spirit into two. Part of it would remain in The Plane of Dreams and guide the other part to the real world, opening his Dimensional Pocket and storing the spacecraft into it. After that, the MDT would need to convert all the data into The Plane of Dreams before Hao Ren could release it. This was a process beyond human comprehension. Even the most basic explanation involved a series of super dry mathematical calculations. So, Hao Ren decided to not even bother understanding it, and just focused on letting the MDT complete the necesary.


    He suddenly felt like he had another pair of sensory organs popping out of nowhere, almost as if a spirit without a solid body was being torn from him but still retained all five senses. He could even see his real body from an angle¡ªAt the same time, the body on the ridge looked up as well.


    However, his real body did not see anything. The spirit doppelganger was not visible.


    ¡°Stop fooling about, let¡¯s go!¡± The MDT¡¯s voice snapped Hao Ren out of his stupor. In a flash, he felt his vision move to the Surface World. This shapeless receptive floated in front of the conversion unit on the Kuiper Station. He saw a row of neatly arranged sleeping pods. In one of them was himself. Using some minute connection, he could sense his body was there.


    ¡°This is rather interesting I tell you,¡± Hao Ren said as he looked at his own body, lying in the sleeping pod. ¡°Do you think this is considered my spirit being ejected from my body? Or¡­ in contemporary terms¡­ I¡¯m just a soul fragment? If someone nearby scanned this place with a sensor, what will they see? A picture of my spirit?¡±


    ¡°If only you could use this curiosity when studying the job manual¡­¡± The MDT¡¯s voice rang in Hao Ren¡¯s head. ¡°You are now just a set of data, in any case, you are simply just a set of data. Remember the Unity of Information, you are you. Your data will simply reform into a different format under different circumstances. Just like how a binary computer process cannot read 8-bit data, the detectors and sensors on the Surface world cannot see your current form. This current form is far smaller than Planck¡¯s constant of microworlds, almost to the point of the fundamentals. Of course, due to some special conversion rules, you can still affect certain things in your current form. But, it is only limited to the imperial units that you are authorised to use.¡±


    Hao Ren felt a bit down upon hearing that. ¡°So many restrictions. I thought of looking for Lily¡¯s sleeping pod¡­¡±


    The MDT was stunned for a moment. ¡°F*ck¡­ What do you plan doing?¡±


    ¡°Draw a moustache on her face or something¡­ ¡± Hao Ren grinned. ¡± I knew you were veering off track there. Do I look like such a devious person to you?!¡±


    ¡°Can you actually play by the rules for once?¡±


    As the two bickered, they continued on with what they came to do. After allowing a few seconds for the connection to stabilise, the MDT then transported Hao Ren directly to the place where the Petrachelys was docked. This teleportation experience was rather refreshing: no dizziness, no bright lights, no feelings of the process. Hao Ren just felt his vision immediately shift to the Petrachelys¡¯ docking bay. It was almost like going into The Plane of Dreams, the nauseating sensation was no longer there.


    Hao Ren did not bother studying what sort of natural laws governed his current state but, he could easily open his Dimensional Pocket and chuck the entire spaceship into it.


    There was another flash, and he thought that he was back in the Plane of Dreams. However, his separated psyche had yet to merge back with his body. He was floating above a verdant blue planet. Looking around, he saw a sea of stars around him. It was outer space.


    ¡°The target is beneath us.¡± The MDT¡¯s voice snapped him out of his awestruck stupor. He looked down towards the planet and saw a black mark on the verdant planet. While the mark was small from this distance, a more focused look would enable one to see that it was slowly expanding.


    Hao Ren released the Petrachelys from his Dimensional Pocket. As he looked at the stars around him, he demurred. ¡°¡­What¡¯s that thing¡­ Ah, I suddenly remembered Raven 12345 saying something like this before¡­ Why did I not think of it at first?¡±


    ¡°Which one?¡±


    ¡°Look up to the sky.¡±


    A silvery-white spaceship suddenly appeared on the planet¡¯s outer orbit. The main battery was deployed from the retractable deck, and the cannon pointed coldly towards the surface.


    Back at Dragonspine Ridge, Hao Ren turned back, facing the rest. ¡°We are completing the final firing. Becareful of the blinding light and shockwave¡­ General Ophra, you may want to stand back.¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly remembered that he and his group could leave The Plane of Dreams at any time, and in a worse case scenario, they could just disconnect from the plane to save themselves. However, General Ophra was a common person, and so, he gave her the warning.¡±


    ¡°No worries, I¡¯ll only be able to get a few extra steps in if I to turned back now,¡± General Ophra said as she crossed her arms on her chest. Her eyes were filled with curiosity. ¡°I¡¯m curious though, what are you planning to do?¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a bit and in the event if the shot went wide, the whole mountain range would just evaporate regardless, and he did not insist further. He also did not answer the general, and simply sat cross-legged where he stood earlier on the ridge. Looking towards the First Born¡¯s direction, he could see the ancient creature creating the Blood Tide at an alarming place. It had already consumed almost 80 to 90% of the Beinz area. It was not only devouring everything in Beinz, it was also moving towards the Virulent Flatlands. Perhaps the creation of the Blood Tide required a lot of effort, or perhaps, it had lost interest in the ¡°weaklings¡± on the mountain ridge. The ¡®First Born¡¯ did not attack those on the ridge.


    Maybe, it did not matter in the grand scheme of things. If the Blood Tide was to drown the world, nothing could survive.


    At the orbit, Hao Ren¡¯s ¡°spirit¡± was directly controlling the Petrachelys¡¯ weapons system. As he locked on the coordinates to fire, a warning message appeared¡­ ¡°Warning. Dangerous Use of Weapon. The Safety Protocol forbids the use of this weapon on a planet. Warning. Dangerous Use of Weapon. The Safety¡ª¡±


    ¡°Computer, turn off the warning. Disable the Safety Protocol. Authorisation code sent. Please verify.¡±


    The warning message suddenly stopped, and the droning voice of the mainframe computer rang. ¡°Authorisation code received and activated. Safety Protocol disabled. Main weapon controls switching to manual firing. Please manually unlock the safety trigger.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the MDT that was slotted into the console. ¡°What is this safety trigger he¡¯s talking about?¡±


    ¡°Up, Down, Up, Down, Triangle¡­¡± The MDT mumbled. ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you say read the manual?¡±


    ¡°That bloody manual isn¡¯t a product manual. How would I know what¡¯s the safety trigger¡­ Say¡­why does this command look so weird?¡±


    The MDT grinned. ¡°It¡¯s the Empire¡¯s tradition for manual console commands¡±


    ¡°¡­Help me calculate the variables and track the planet¡¯s rotation. I¡¯ll control the firing mechanism.¡±


    Thank goodness there was the MDT to help him out in finalising the firing or else, he would not have had the guts to perform the planetary bombardment even if you pointed a gun to his head!


    A blinding, white orb started forming at mouth of the cannon, and world-destroying energy began to focus at the tip of the charging crystal. The First Born seemed to have sensed danger and stopped creating the Blood Tide. It drove all its tentacles towards the sky, countless of beams fired towards the Petrachelys.


    ¡°Give it hell!¡±


    The cannon roared and the world faded into white.

 Chapter 384

    The First Born¡¯s innumerable tentacles moved in a frenzy. It could sense that the surge of lethal energy converging in space was aimed at it. This energy had the power to completely obliterate anything and in that very moment, it deployed layers upon layers of defensive matrices towards the sky. Energy beams started forming on each and every tentacle as twisted beams of light were fired wildly into the sky. As the energies converged, the sky started warping. The sun faded away as night suddenly descended upon the area.


    In the dark of night, a speeding silver ray lanced towards the First Born. It expanded rapidly before turning into a beam that shattered both heaven and Earth.


    The defensive barriers and forcefields were instantly undone by the beam with nary a whimper. A defense built on the natural laws of the land was pointless against a weapon beyond the comprehension of this universe. As the light descended, the First Born¡¯s final struggle was a violent, defiant roar that shook the land. The monstrous creature started levitating as it was dragged by the force of the attack. It went beyond the peaks of Dragonspine Ridge before it was totally engulfed by the light.


    As the First Born was incinerated by the blinding light, the shockwave soon came crashing as the First Born¡¯s core exploded. Under the searing light, the land quickly turned into molten lava, and the blast sent the molten rocks up into the air. The west side of Dragonspine Ridge was immediately turned into a basin and the whole mountain range shook as if it was about to shatter. As the earth shook violently, a surge of violent, super-heated steam and rocks burst out of the cracks.


    Y¡¯zaks was ready for this, and as the rocks and steam rose, he deployed a dark energy barrier with flickering green runes. The scorching heat and the pungent smell of sulfur had everyone crouching and coughing profusely. Hao Ren had recalled his spirit back from space, and he was stunned by the devastation wrought by the bombardment. ¡°F*ck! Now I understand why they forbade us from firing this against planets¡­ That was the lowest power output¡­¡±


    He then turned to Ophra and noticed the marshal rubbing her eyes. The flash earlier was so blinding that it exceeded a normal human¡¯s ability to process it. Even someone of Ophra¡¯s stature was dazed by it.


    Hao Ren waved towards Ophra. ¡°Marshal, we have little time. Please, ask me anything you wish to.¡±


    He noticed that their bodies were slowly fading. It seemed like the connection between The Plane of Dreams and the Surface World had weakened. It would just be a matter of minutes before they were forcefully disconnected. He decided to take whatever time he had left to settle any outstanding matters.


    Ophra recovered from her daze and saw that the First Born had disappeared. In addition, the Blood Tide was nowhere to be found. The whole Beinz Diocese was now a sea of molten rocks and she could only gawk in horror. After recalling the terrifying pillar of light and the subsequent explosion, she viewed Hao Ren no differently than the First Born, no¡­ even more than that, this group possessed strength that way surpassed it!


    ¡°That¡­¡±¡ªOphra pointed at the western side of the mountain¡ª ¡°¡­was your doing?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I hope you won¡¯t tell anyone about it.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°This is a calamity. The First Born sought to destroy the ecosystem and went against the goddess¡¯ will. Thus, divine judgement was brought upon it. Let this be the explanation, at least on the surface, the only explanation.¡±


    ¡°Why do you want to hide the truth?¡± Ophra stared straight at Hao Ren. ¡°What are you planning?¡±


    ¡°Because there is a limit to how much I can interfere with a civilisation. The less impact I can have on one, the better.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°But of course, there¡¯s another reason as well. I have yet to understand all the intricacies behind this occurence, and I need to return to investigate. It seems that our time here is running out, so during our time away, the lesser the change, the better. This is also good news for you. Having stability after such a catastrophe is probably the best possible outcome¡ªusing this incident to reinforce the might of the goddess will also help.¡±


    Only then did Ophra notice that Hao Ren and his gang were fading away. She remembered the light that streaked through the sky, and seemed to realise something. ¡°Are you the ¡®allies from the other galaxies¡¯ that the first pope spoke off in his will?!¡±


    ¡°To be frank, I don¡¯t think so.¡± Hao Ren pondered about it, but felt the narrative could be useful. ¡°¡­However, everything should be based on a truth. If you wish to believe that, so be it. Can you accept my request on that?¡±


    Ophra demurred for a moment before nodding. ¡°I understand. I will declare this a divine miracle, but news will definitely spread one way or another. And, I will have to report this matter to the pope and the king himself. I hope you understand.¡±


    Hao Ren considered the implications before agreeing. There was no point in refusing and he just waited for them to be disconnected. Ophra suddenly recalled something very important, ¡°Wait a minute! What about the other two First Borns?


    ¡°Oh f*ck, I almost forgot.¡± Hao Ren slapped his forehead and his reaction had Ophra shaking her head. ¡°I suppose you know the location of the other two?¡±


    Big Beardy, who was seated beside them answered, ¡°The two other First Borns are probably located in the other two sacred caverns. The pope and some of the high level ascetics will know the location. Marshal, please relay what happened here today to the pope. The Holy See will send men to verify the situation on the other two sacred grounds.¡±


    ¡°Based on your records, the other two failsafes will probably be undone in a year or two.¡± Hao Ren looked at Ophra. ¡°As long as you keep the things inside the sarcophagi safe, you should at least have a year. I will try to find other ways to settle this, at least to minimise the damage. If there is really no other way, I might just have to blast them from orbit again¡­¡±


    Ophra then gave a sigh of relief and noticed that the four ascetics were fading away as well. The scene surprised the marshal. ¡°The four masters¡­ Can it be that you need to leave too? Aren¡¯t you¡­¡±


    ¡°This is the goddess¡¯ path.¡± Big Beardy nodded solemnly and he sat cross-legged on the ground. ¡°We have gone through a special path of tribulation and by her will, we need to head to the outlander¡¯s world.¡±


    As he finished, Big Beardy apparently remembered something and he quickly pulled out a cloth bag from his robes and placed it in Ophra¡¯s hands. The sack was originally fading away like him but, the moment it was put into Ophra¡¯s hands, the item was restored back to normal. ¡°It seems like we will not be able to deliver the Sacred Orb ourselves. Marshal, please complete this divine calling for us.¡±


    Ophra was deep in thought as she received the Orb, and she started frowning. Hao Ren and the rest concurred that there was nothing else to be done. They sat together with Big Beardy and the rest of the ascetics, awaiting the disconnection.


    As they were about to fade into nothingness and stir in the Surface World, Becky was suddenly reminded of something very important to her. She started shouting, ¡°Lady Ophra! Lady Ophra! I have something¡­¡±


    Ophra¡¯s face tightened as she thought it was something important. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t forget my mansion and titles¡­¡±


    The datalink was completely severed by then and Becky¡¯s last words faded away. Ophra simply stood there as the mysterious band of ¡°visitors from the stars¡± disappeared heroically (in her point of view) from the world, before having a delayed reaction to Becky¡¯s request. ¡°Huh?¡±


    Kuiper Station, Conversion Chamber Sub-Section.


    The sleeping pods opened one by one and Hao Ren rose up with a big yawn from one of the pods. He started shaking his head to rid himself from the disorientating sensation of returning back to the real world.


    After a moment, all of them woke up from their pods. When they gathered, it was nothing but silence. The events that transpired exceeded everyone¡¯s expectations and the data that they managed to gather in The Plane of Dreams needed extensive research.


    Vivian noticed that Hao Ren was rubbing his chin, pondering about something. She asked him out of curiosity, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    Hao Ren pressed his chin as he mumbled, ¡°I suddenly recalled the way we left the place. It was as if all of us had died at the same time!¡±


    Vivian rolled her eyes as she punched Hao Ren in the shoulder. ¡°¡­You were seriously pondering about that?¡±


    Lily¡¯s voice then came from the back. ¡°Not me! I was squatting then! After changing into my beast form, I can¡¯t seat cross-legged¡­¡±


    Hao Ren turned back to look at the werehusky and noticed that her clothes were intact and she had changed back to her human form. ¡°So, the clothes that were destroyed in The Plane of Dreams did not affect the real world?¡± He said in amazement.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Lily said as she twirled about, checking herself. ¡°I thought I¡¯d come back in the shape of a giant wolf. After I woke up, I was wondering how I would even get out of the conversion chamber¡­ That thingamajig¡¯s only about three metres in height¡­¡±


    Hao Ren patted the MDT, ¡°Wikipedia, do your job.¡±


    The MDT was immediately flustered. ¡°Is there no one with common sense here? Can¡¯t we talk about something more pertinent?¡±


    Hao Ren laughed as he walked towards the exit. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s go home!¡±

 Chapter 385

    So, what does one do after coming back from The Plane of Dreams? Plan the next course of action? Write a report? Do some research ? Seek advice from an unreliable goddess? It was all hogwash. Those heroes in the movies, who could attend a state ball after saving the world were all lies. The reality was, after Hao Ren and the rest arrived home, the first thing they did was crash into their respective rooms to sleep the entire day. By the time Hao Ren woke up, he was so dazed that it took him a good while to realise what the date was¡­


    After struggling a little to recollect the date, Hao Ren gave a big yawn as he fell back on the bed to sleep again. But this time, as he lay down, he heard the sounds of pitter-patter next to him and after that, something leapt onto his chest. The next moment, a wet tail started smacking him in the face. Hao Ren opened his eyes and saw the little mermaid looking at him in the eye.


    The little one was clearly enjoying herself. She was of course, not tired at all. She spent most of the time in The Plane of Dreams snoozing, and she only came out for a breather once in a while. As such, she did not experience the danger that all the others went through. Hao Ren even started to doubt the need of bringing the little one into The Plane of Dreams. However, he then realised that it was not pointless after all. Given how rambunctious the little mermaid could be, bringing her along was probably for the best¡­


    Hao Ren tidied his bed up and brought Lil Pea out of the room with her pot in tow. He saw that Vivian was cleaning the house while Lily was lecturing Rollie in a corner. The idiotic cat with black and white patches had a wee fun time outside and gotten itself all dirty. However, it seemed like it had put on quite a bit of weight, though Hao Ren had no idea where it went to. Seeing them returning back to their normal lives sort of confounded Hao Ren. He had yet to snap out of the ¡°War Against the First Born Mode¡±, and the harrowing scene was still freshly etched in his mind. Seeing such a serene daily routine was almost too much a disconnect.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake?¡± Vivian took a glance at Hao Ren and pointed towards the table. ¡°The food is still warm. Eat up, it¡¯s all yours.¡±


    Hao Ren casually said, ¡°Oh.¡± After that, he sat in his usual spot, looking at his usual bowl as well as chopsticks and smelling the usual aroma of Vivian¡¯s cooking. That at last, had rid him of the sense of disconnect. After taking a couple slurps of the porridge and picking up a xiao long bao, something suddenly came to mind. He looked at Lily and called out to her, ¡°Lily!¡±


    The moment Lily responded to his call, Hao Ren threw the dumpling towards her. The next scene was simply too epic. Lily pretty much leapt up naturally as she spun towards the bun with her mouth wide open¡ªhowever, Rollie was faster, and in a shadowy flicker, the dumpling was gone, leaving Lily to stare at the cat as it munched on the dumpling.


    Vivian put her arms on her hips as she glared at Lily. ¡°Just look at you! I can overlook you leaping to grab the dumpling, but you had to fight with a cat? And not just that, you actually lost to the cat?! What will your ancestors think of you?!¡±


    Lily blinked as she mumbled, ¡°Why does Mr. Landlord¡¯s cat act like a dog¡­¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which, where are the four ascetics?¡± Hao Ren said as he wolfed down his breakfast. He recalled that he had four new tenants now, but he did not see any sign of them since he woke up. He, at the very least, remembered that his job was to monitor the unusual creatures. Hence, he decided that he needed to check on how the four were faring.


    As things usually went, the four would be stuck there like Becky for a while.


    He remembered giving Big Beardy and his fellow ascetics a few pointers on the way of life in the Surface World, like how to use the toilet and the water faucet. The four ascetics went directly to Kuiper Station and The Plane of Dreams after they were released by the Kerbalians. This was their first day on Earth. He had arranged for the four of them to live in the remaining two bedrooms. It was just nice that there were a pair of men and women each. But, he wondered if the four of them were comfortable.


    ¡°They should be at the back of the house.¡± Vivian frowned slightly. ¡°They left the house rather early in the morning. They said they weren¡¯t used to staying inside and wanted to meditate outside, closer to nature.¡±


    ¡°Meditate?¡± Hao Ren was stunned, and for a moment, he could not understand how meditation even came into the picture. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me they¡¯re planning to build a temple or something there! The Real Estate Board will never allow it!¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go see for yourself,¡± Vivian said as she cleaned the dining table and threw Hao Ren¡¯s chopsticks into Lil Pea¡¯s pot. ¡°I think they¡¯re not used to the lifestyle here. I prepared quite the meal for them this morning, but they only grabbed a few buns and a bag of water before leaving the house¡­¡±


    Hao Ren managed to figure out the situation after that, and he quickly went out through the backdoor to look for the four ascetics. As mentioned, Hao Ren¡¯s house or mansion was located in the outskirts of the Southern Suburbs, and it was the last lot of the place. Behind his house, there was a vast undeveloped land. He had little idea on why the four masters planned to meditate there. Not long after, he saw Big Beard and two other ascetics seated on a cleared patch of land. They still wore their torn grey robes as they sat on the ground, meditating with their eyes shut. In the centre was a small bonfire; it was almost as if they were living in the wild¡­


    Hao Ren went closer and noticed that Big Beardy was with the other two female ascetics. The younger, male ascetic was nowhere to be found. He took a seat beside Big Beardy and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Meditating and improving ourselves, seeking inspiration for our daily life.¡± Big Beardy opened his eyes as he laughed and nodded at Hao Ren. ¡°Have you eaten?¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned. The way Big Beardy addressed him was rather casual. ¡°Uh¡­ yeah, I¡¯ve eaten. Say¡­ why are you guys not inside the house? I¡¯ve prepared rooms for you, right?¡±


    ¡°The rooms are simply too luxurious for us, and they¡¯re not suitable for quiet meditation.¡± The elder ascetic nun shook her head. ¡°We cannot let the comforts of life distract us from our meditation; it will weaken our willpower. The comfort we get during missions are just that, but now that we are back to our normal lives, we need to follow the path of asceticism again.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the empty land. The wind was chilly as winter was approaching. The area was almost totally deserted and the rabbits that occasionally popped out were nowhere to be seen. Hao Ren was conflicted. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you plan to stay out here?¡±


    ¡°We do.¡± Big Beardy¡¯s face was serious as he nodded. ¡°We plan to build wooden shacks somewhere¡ªone for us to meditate and two to honour the goddess. We want to let this world bask in her light as well. It¡¯s a good thing.¡±


    Hao Ren found himself unable to ever comprehend their train of thought. ¡°You sure you want to do that? Uh¡­ how do you plan on getting the wood for the shacks?¡±


    Big Beardy finally frowned once he heard Hao Ren¡¯s question. ¡°You¡¯re right. We went about the place for a while and realised that there are very little trees here, and not many rocks as well. Building a shack may be difficult. However, we saw plenty of trees in the north¡­¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a bit and almost jumped. ¡°That¡¯s a windbreak! Logging is illegal!¡±


    ¡°Seems like we have a lot to learn about this world,¡± the younger ascetic nun spoke as she looked at Big Beardy. ¡°If that¡¯s not possible, let¡¯s just dig a cave? We can follow in the steps of the Veridian Robes¡­¡±


    The elder nun gave her suggestion too. ¡°How about that tower we saw in the south? It seems to be made out of metal, and if we put cloth over it, we can block out the wind¡­ But, it¡¯s a little closer to civilisation, and I¡¯m not sure if the owner will be willing to cooperate¡­¡±


    Hao Ren pondered again as cold sweat started forming across his forehead. ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t bother¡­ That¡¯s the TV tower¡­¡±


    Big Beardy nodded solemnly. ¡°Seems like digging a cave is the best option. Once he¡¯s back, we¡¯ll start¡­ Say, I suppose it¡¯s not forbidden to dig holes here? Over our end, some places don¡¯t allow digging without informing the landlord.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s cold sweat had already reached his legs at this point. He seemed to have underestimated the ascetics¡¯ way of life. Their way of life was to challenge their own limits. And Hao Ren realised that he would not be changing their beliefs anytime soon. Resignedly, he suggested, ¡°If you want to live in the wild, I have no objections, but can we delay it for a few days? All of you have yet to accustom yourselves to the rules here. You almost felled the trees in the windbreak. That would have caused a lot of trouble for people. Maybe once all of you are clear on how things operate here, then you can get back to that again?¡±


    Big Beardy thought about it for a moment and realised the truth in Hao Ren¡¯s words. ¡°That may be prudent. Very well then, we will be in your care at night, and meditate here during the day. This area is just very good for meditating.¡±


    The two ascetic nuns nodded in agreement before pulling out the buns from their robes and placing them by the fire to prepare their meal. It appeared that they had a ¡°meditate first, eat later¡± rule and had not eaten until that point. Hao Ren looked at the buns and thought of the meals he consumed on a daily basis. It just did not sit right with him. ¡°You¡¯re just eating this?¡±


    Big Beardy smiled. ¡°Yes, this is good.¡±


    Hao Ren recalled the almost gourmet meals that his other guests had and these four ascetics were at the back of his house, challenging their limits. If this went out, Weibo would probably hound him to no end. ¡°But, you¡¯ll really starve with just that¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish, the young male ascetic returned and he had a rabbit in his hand¡­


    Big Beardy quickly grabbed the rabbit. Using magic, he skinned and bled the rabbit out almost immediately. After he rubbed some spices on the meat, he put it to roast. ¡°What were you saying again?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡­¡±


    F*cking hell, this bunch was having a feast.

 Chapter 386

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Frankly speaking, Hao Ren felt that it was unwise to let the four ascetics live outdoors. Their way of life was just too different from a normal person¡¯s. If they were in The Plane of Dreams, you could have probably pinned it down to their piety. But now that they were in the Surface World, how was Hao Ren suppose to explain their behaviour? Most common folk would struggle to understand why a group of people refused the luxury of a house to live in the wild. Not to mention their need to meditate with subzero winds blowing at them, or the fact that they set bonfires behind someone¡¯s house and caught rabbits by the edge of the city¡­


    But after experiencing so much for so long, Hao Ren had pretty much seen it all. Hence, he took most of their odd practices and customs in stride. The old country bumpkin months ago was no longer around and he was glad about it. Besides, there were not many people living in the Southern Suburbs anyway. The only weird part was their lifestyle, so they probably would not cause much of a ruckus. If they wished to stay that way, so be it. That said¡­ people pulling stunts like that are not rare these days. In fact, the sh*t people conjure up nowadays are beyond what mother nature intended.


    So, the four new guests had somewhat settled in. They would come back at night to sleep, and leave at dawn to meditate in the vast land behind his house. Their basic needs just consisted of a few buns and sufficient water. Truth be told, if not for the fact that there was no underground water source, Big Beardy and his fellow ascetics would have dug a well behind Hao Ren¡¯s house. Their daily routine was regimented, yet simple. Aside from meditating and praying, they would wander the wild, and probably hunt a rabbit or two, or fetch some bird eyes (no idea where they got those). Other than that, they paid no attention to other things, and they seemed to be rather content with life. Perhaps, living like this was their way of paying respect to nature. For two days, Hao Ren hesitated on informing them about the dwindling wild animal population. This was a suburban area after all, and while it was not comparable to the mountains, it was the middle of winter. At the rate they were going, the animal population there would not last till Chinese New Year¡­


    The four ascetics aside, Hao Ren was busy writing and editing his report. Too many things had happened in The Plane of Dreams and in the span of a few short days, the truth he uncovered far exceeded anything he had done in the past few months. Thus, he needed to plan how he would set the record straight. As they left The Plane of Dreams in a hurry, there were many things that they did not manage to investigate. He needed to consult the rest as well before he could decide on how to report the matter to Raven 12345.


    The written report was compiled and sent via the MDT. He also planned to pay Raven 12345 a visit later in the afternoon. Just as he sent his report, Wuyue came home from shopping. He suddenly thought of something and called the siren.


    ¡°Say, you haven¡¯t been singing for a while now,¡± Hao Ren casually mentioned Wuyue¡¯s old profession and the latter quickly turtled. ¡°What are you talking about? It¡¯s in the middle of winter¡­ Even if I was willing to sing, who would even come out to listen?¡±


    Hao Ren laughed awkwardly and brought up the thing that he wanted to ask her. ¡°Actually, I have something to ask you¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Wuyue saw Hao Ren¡¯s serious face and she sat on the sofa with an earnest look.


    ¡°Do you have any way to contact the sirens on Earth? Or, look for any ruins that the sirens left on land? Or, any other thing? As long as it has something to do with your kind, and it can explain your culture or origin.¡±


    Wuyue looked at Hao Ren curiously. ¡°Why the sudden interest? Are you an archaeologist now?¡±


    ¡°Actually, there¡¯s something I want to clarify.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s gaze was distant. He recalled space and the sea of stars he saw when he was in The Plane of Dreams. ¡°You remember when we talked about sirens with the people from The Plane of Dreams and found out that there were no sirens there?¡±


    Wuyue nodded. ¡°Yes, what of it?¡±


    ¡°After that, Raven 12345 reminded me of something¡ªto look to the sky.¡± Hao Ren appeared perplexed. ¡°I thought that after experiencing so much, my worldview would be pretty wide by now. But, after our fight with the First Born, I realised that I was still being shackled by my old perceptions¡­ We only focused on one planet in The Plane of Dreams and forgot that there¡¯s a universe out there above our heads!¡±


    Wuyue was not as learned as Hao Ren was when it came to the stars and it took a while before she understood him. ¡°You mean to say¡­ that the sirens came from another planet in The Plane of Dreams?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± Hao Ren motioned. ¡°The goddess whom Big Beardy worships is part of a race from space, and all lifeforms on the planet were sown from space. The Ancient Magic Civilisation already had space colonies on their moon, and the founder of the Disciples of Glory also mentioned a group of visitors from space helping to destroy the First Born¡­ We have been too narrow in our thoughts. I should have known better when we entered The Plane of Dreams the first time. There were stars when I looked up.¡±


    You could not blame Hao Ren entirely for his narrow worldview. Under normal circumstances, if one stepped into a magical world, and the whole place seemed to be a carbon copy of medieval Europe; everyone was all about theology, and there were no sprouts of scientific innovation or any large scale industries, one would have been unconsciously drawn into the local atmosphere. You could not help but think that you were in a script about a medieval magic kingdom. If you¡¯ve read such novels, you would not have related any of it to aliens.


    The point is, The Plane of Dreams was not normal. It started off as a normal, medieval fantasy world, but things derailed to involve aliens!


    ¡°All unusual creatures came from The Plane of Dreams; I strongly believe that.¡± Hao Ren was serious. ¡°And, I swear by Darwin¡¯s name that an ecosystem like Earth¡¯s could not have caused the evolution of races capable of toppling mountains and splitting oceans. The sirens are definitely not from Earth and I think that they possibly came from one of the planets in The Plane of Dreams¡­¡±


    ¡°So, you plan to find the origin of the sirens?¡± Wuyue was interested in what Hao Ren had said. ¡°This seems very interesting, but what purpose does it serve?¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Wuyue in the eye. ¡°Think of it. We initially thought that planet in The Plane of Dreams was the only planet in the universe. Plus, the calamity mentioned in the holy books of the Disciples of Glory said that total annihilation was one of the disasters to befall the planet. Even though it almost wiped out the entire planet, in the grand scale of things, it was nothing more than a localised incident.¡±


    ¡°So¡­¡±¡ªWuyue seemed to finally understand Hao Ren at this point¡ª¡±the sirens did not undergo the calamity of the goddess.¡±


    ¡°Based on the calendar, the werewolves and vampires came to Earth after the calamity,¡± Hao Ren theorised. ¡°Let¡¯s not bother with how they got here; let¡¯s just assume that they figured a way out of desperation. Based on the records, the appearance of the unusual creatures on Earth certainly had to do with the calamity of the goddess. Maybe, they were refugees, or maybe, they used the First Born¡¯s unnatural ability to breach the Wall of Reality in order to come to Earth. But now, there¡¯s a missing piece: how did the sirens come here? They did not experience the calamity, but why did they appear on Earth at the same time?¡±


    Wuyue started frowning as she caught up to Hao Ren¡¯s train of thought.


    Hao Ren paused for a bit before continuing, ¡°There are two possibilities: one, they had nothing to do with the calamity and the coming of the unusual creatures, or¡­ two, the sirens¡¯ homeworld also experienced similar incidents, which forced them to escape The Plane of Dreams.¡±


    Wuyue looked on in disbelief. ¡°Is the second possibility even conceivable? The Ancient Magic Civilisation was destroyed because they were poking their noses into the First Born, causing it to go berserk¡­ However, the sirens¡¯ homeworld¡­ No matter what planet it was, certainly, it had nothing to do with the Ancient Magic Kingdom? Could there be such a coincidence?¡±


    This was the part Hao Ren had not figured out. He assumed that all unusual creatures came from The Plane of Dreams, and the reason for their arrival was the calamity. However, now that he knew the calamity was a localised incident, the sirens¡¯ appearance on Earth became difficult to explain. All in all, the calamity occurred because someone on the planet had decided to poke a bear. There was no common cause or inevitable cause, so for the same thing to happen at the same time on another planet was rather unlikely. Hence, what drove the sirens to Earth? Did it really have nothing to do with the goddess, but a disasterous collateral damage of galactic proportions instead? Was the calamity just a coincidence? How many races on Earth had the same predicament as the sirens? What were the chances that the unusual creatures Vivian knew were all those who had made the journey?


    Wuyue looked at Hao Ren¡¯s expression and realised that the man, while carefree most of the time, was dead set on something once he was serious. What he spoke had basis. He was rarely serious, but when he was, he did not mess around. So, she followed up with a question, ¡°From your tone, are you sure the sirens also encountered a calamity that possibly wiped out the entire race? Do you have any leads?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°The first pope mentioned in his patrimony that when the First Born awakes, a group of allies from the stars will appear. I¡¯m sure I¡¯m not the ally they¡¯re talking about. Because 3,000 years ago, even my ancestors weren¡¯t around yet. So, the question is, why didn¡¯t the real ¡®allies¡¯ appear? Did something happen to them?¡±

 Chapter 387

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    So far, a lot of clues had been found but, that made the whole thing more and more confusing. One question came after another. Although there were countless speculations that could answer these questions, Hao Ren did not know which was more plausible one.


    ¡°According to the message in the cavern, there should have been a group of aliens gathering around when the First Born revives but, I didn¡¯t see any aliens when I bombed the place. What happened to them?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue frowned and said, ¡°Maybe, after 10,000 years later, the aliens reneged, or they forgot about the agreement. After all, 10,000 years is a long time. It¡¯s hard to say which race would keep their word to this extent.¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, ¡°Since those ancient mage-emperors signed this agreement with the aliens, and 3,000 years ago, the Pope also had the courage to declare the aliens¡¯ coming, I think they must have considered this. None of them were fools. If they weren¡¯t sure about the sincerity of the aliens, how could they put their entire planet¡¯s future into the hands of a group of outsiders? I guess something bad happened to the aliens.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s another possibility,¡± Vivian said as she passed by. ¡°We woke the eldest son ahead of time¡­ Well, not us, but those little green men. Their spaceship smashed and created a hole under the sacred lake, causing a whirlpool, which indirectly caused the Divine Sarcophagus to be damaged ahead of time. Maybe that¡¯s the reason.¡±


    ¡°But, the rock monsters of Dragonspine Ridge had nothing to do with the Divine Sacrophagus,¡± said Hao Ren. ¡°They ran strictly according to the timetable left behind 10,000 years ago, and they were already active before the Divine Sacrophagus was destroyed. This means that the exact date of First Born¡¯s revival was around that time. Aliens could not have possibly arrived right on the day stated in the agreement. They must be well-prepared for any accidents. Anyway, if I were those aliens, I would rather come and guard it two months ahead time to avoid any accidents¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ They might be in trouble,¡± Vivian agreed. She nodded and said, ¡°By the way, what shall we have for lunch?¡±


    Hao Ren paused as Vivian suddenly changed the topic. It took him a few seconds to remember that he had plans that day, and said, ¡°Up to you. I have to meet Raven 12345. I probably won¡¯t come back for lunch.¡±


    Vivian nodded but then, was reminded of one more thing, and said, ¡°There¡¯s no lunch at the goddess¡¯ place.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s lips twitched and thought that as the goddess of this universe, the her most impressive legacy was actually ¡°no lunch¡±. He wondered how she felt about it¡­


    Vivian went to prepare lunch. Nangong Wuyue already understood what Hao Ren was talking about. ¡°I got it. You think that many of the unusual creatures on Earth did not come from Becky¡¯s hometown, and so, many races including the sirens, travelled to Earth at the same time, and the whereabouts of the ¡°allies in the stars¡± mentioned in the prophecy is a mystery. So, you¡¯re worried that many races in The Plane of Dreams are in trouble, and you want to find the sirens¡¯ home to confirm it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just an assumption for the time being.¡± Hao Ren nodded and said, ¡°A goal is better than no goal. Try to find clues. After all, you are a siren. You should know some news regarding your own kin¡­ At least, you can talk to them.¡±


    ¡°Actually, after wandering around the world for so many years, I haven¡¯t had any contact with my kin. After going ashore, sirens became elusive. Plus, I have no interest in them as well.¡± Nangong Wuyue stuck her tongue out, but still nodded and said, ¡°Okay, I do have some clues, I¡¯ll try my best.¡±


    ¡°Please do.¡± Hao Ren nodded and smiled. Then, he got up, headed for the back door and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go and talk to the four ascetics. After that, I¡¯ll meet Raven 12345. I won¡¯t be back at noon.¡±


    The four ascetics were meditating in the backyard. Four of them sat around a bonfire, which was about to be extinguished. It looked like a scene from Man vs. Wild. Hao Ren walked towards them and found that Lily was also there. The girl held a small book as she squatted next to Big Beardy, asking him questions with a serious face. He found it amusing for a while then, he slapped Lily¡¯s head and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Lily looked up at Hao Ren, bared her teeth and said, ¡°Don¡¯t touch my head! I find that you are becoming more and more disrespectful to me, the literary girl¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was at a lost for words. He could not believe that Lily actually called herself a literary girl bashfully. Then, he saw something on Lily¡¯s little book, a line of shiny words: ¡°Returning to Basics in the Modern City ¨C The Study of Health in the Wilderness¡±. ¡°What are you doing? Are you interested in studying Sociology?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I want to submit some articles,¡± said Lily with a serious face. ¡°It¡¯s a hot topic right now. The rich urbanites are so fake. People longed for high-rise buildings when they dug for food in the ravine. Now, they live in high-rise buildings and long for the days they ate wild vegetables. This kind of health article is particularly popular. You just write something about going organic, and then add one or two names of foreign experts. The rate of a thousand words starts from 200 Dollars¡­¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment. Instantly, he stomped and pointed to the bonfire in front of Big Beardy, and said, ¡°But, their health articles don¡¯t educate people on catching wild rabbits in the suburbs!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just an appropriate literary exaggeration,¡± Lily replied with a solemn face. ¡°I¡¯m going to portray Big Beardy as an expert or, as a health specialist or, as an orthodox descendant of Mount Wutai¡­¡±


    Hao Ren gave her a sideways glance, and said, ¡°Be careful, don¡¯t attract the CCTV reporters again.¡±


    Lily stared at Hao Ren, held her little book and went back to the house. Hao Ren sat down beside Big Beardy and said, ¡°Actually, you guys can go to a place called India. Your behavior won¡¯t be eye-catching there.¡±


    Big Beardy¡¯s face lit up at once and asked, ¡°Do the people there also follow the teachings of the goddess?¡±


    ¡°No, but it¡¯s a magical country. It¡¯s perfect for you to challenge your survival limits.¡± Hao Ren looked at Big Beardy¡¯s big robe and big sleeves. The more he looked at them, the more he thought these four people could instantly blend in on the Indian streets. ¡°There, people everywhere challenge their limits of survival as you do. They¡¯re also called ascetics, and many of the locals live like this¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± Big Beardy nodded solemnly and said. ¡°But first, we have to solve the problem of knowledge, and most importantly, the language barrier.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my boss is in charge of this. In two days, you will naturally be able to understand the language and words of the people on Earth,¡± Hao Ren said and sighed. ¡°You guys are so lucky. Last time I had to lie in a coffin to reconfigure my body in order to understand foreign languages. But now, you guys can just get it automatically.¡±


    At this time, the young female ascetic looked at Hao Ren and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Hao Ren smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°Well¡­nothing much¡­ Do you carry the scriptures of the Disciples of Glory?¡±


    Big Beardy took out a thick, old book from his robe and said, ¡°Of course, we carry it with us. Are you interested in the teachings of the goddess?¡±


    Hao Ren laughed awkwardly and said, ¡°Not really¡­ If I join another religion, my boss would kill me. I just want to understand the history and culture of the Disciples of Glory, as well as the legends of your world, and anything from 10,000 years ago.¡±


    After a long period of getting along with each other, Hao Ren had a rough idea of their temperament. These devout believers did not force everyone to believe in their goddess like fanatics of other religions. They believed in natural influence and conversion. They preached the creeds of the Disciples of Glory through their words and deeds. They allowed the believers to make their own choices. Therefore, Hao Ren could talk openly about the issue of religious belief with them.


    ¡°We all carry the scriptures,¡± Big Beardy said, handing the book to Hao Ren, ¡°It¡¯s always good to read it. Although we don¡¯t carry other books and records, it¡¯s all in our mind. I can write it down if you want.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother, this book is enough. I can get more the next time we enter The Plane of Dreams.We have to go there in one month anyway.¡± Hao Ren then stood up and said, ¡°You guys carry on, I have to report to my boss now¡­¡±


    As Hao Ren was about to leave, Big Beardy also stood up and said, ¡°We heard that your ¡°boss¡± is another goddess, correct?¡±


    ¡°Err¡­¡± Hao Ren did not know what to say.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see her with you,¡± Big Beardy said solemnly.


    This was a little beyond Hao Ren¡¯s expectation.

 Chapter 388

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren looked at Big Beardy, feeling surprised. Things did not seem to be going as expected¡ªthe pagan who believed in the goddess of creation, which the Disciples of Glory put their faith in had proposed to see the big boss. Was it going to be a religious or diplomatic issue?


    In fact, Hao Ren had also considered the right time to bring the four ascetics to see Raven 12345. After all, this was the ¡°rule¡± of his house: when new members joined, they had to report to God.


    However due to the special status of the four ascetics, he never dared to mention it. Mainly because, he was not sure what role Raven 12345, a licensed goddess would have in the minds of the ascetics, who believed in the goddess of creation. And as a goddess herself, could Raven 12345 tolerate a group of mortal believers? Of course, he did not need to worry about the second question. Hao Ren had never seen anyone more open-minded than Raven 12345 in his life. The goddess was so broad-minded that Hao Ren wondered if she had any feelings at all¡­


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Big Beardy looked at Hao Ren calmly and said, ¡°Oh, I understand. We can¡¯t go and meet the goddess as we like.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the problem,¡± Hao Ren said as he looked at the ¡°pagans¡± and felt the pressure. He did not expect to face such a scenario in his life. ¡°A person going to McDonald¡¯s in a KFC uniform would easily lead to a criminal case these days. Do you think it¡¯s okay to meet another goddess? Let me declare that, although I have no intention of offending your beliefs, the goddess above me is a licensed one.¡±


    Big Beardy¡¯s face finally twitched, but then he smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Our belief in the goddess will not waver because of other things. We are just curious about what the goddess you mentioned looks like, and wonder what she thinks of us.¡±


    Hao Ren had no choice but to nod and say, ¡°Okay, all of you are clever, so you should know when to keep quiet. Try not to talk about the question of faith and issues of ¡®real god or false god¡¯ later.¡±


    The four ascetics continued to nod and said, ¡°Of course, we are aware of that.¡±


    They were wise enough to know that it would be awkward to bring up issues on real gods and false gods. So, they kept their mouths shut and allowed the Data Terminal to activate the teleportation portal to goddess¡¯ house.


    In a flash of white light, Hao Ren felt that he had accomplished an unprecedented feat: taking a group of pagans to see God, and this sentence was a statement.


    The white light dissipated and Raven 12345¡¯s gorgeous houses appeared before them. Hao Ren did not come for quite some time, the familiar fountain and garden made him feel like home. And the four ascetics looked at the surroundings in amazement as they opened their eyes. One of the usual amusements of such religious people should be to imagine How God¡¯s house looked like, but there were few people who have a chance to see it. And now they were here. They could not help but keep looking around.


    After looking around, the young ascetic muttered a little doubtfully, ¡°It feels different from what I imagined¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, not as magnificent as I imagined,¡± echoed another young nun, ¡°although this space looks really magical and the architecture is gorgeous, as heaven ¡­ it feels a little bit small.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled and explained to them, ¡°This place is actually just her temporary office. It is said that the headquarters is in a place called City of Shadows, much bigger and wider than this place.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s understandable,¡± Big beardy said, but still puzzled and pointed to the big house, ¡°but what¡¯s that hole for?¡±


    Hao Ren looked up and was sweating immediately: The house crashed by shuttle had been repaired. But now there was another big hole in the roof. A great cloud of black smoke billowed out of the big hole. Only God knew what that Goddess did again¡­


    Hao Ren was about to explain the situation to them and the door of the house suddenly open automatically. A blue energy creature came out. Hao Ren listened to the creature jabbering and got that: Raven 12345 already knew their arrival and wanted the arcane servant to take them to see her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Hao Ren beckoned to the four ascetics and said, ¡°Meet the Goddess here.¡±


    Led by the arcane servant, they passed through a long corridor and an empty little sitting-room and came to a gorgeous round hall that Hao Ren had never seen before. This magnificent round hall was resplendent, decorated with exquisite murals and the mysterious relief that filled them with a sense of awe. Raven 12345 stood on a pedestal in the center of the round hall, posing to a crystal barrier.


    Before Hao Ren spoke, Raven 12345 waved her hand at her back, signaling him to be quiet for a while.


    Hao Ren looked puzzled at Raven¡¯s strange behavior. He had never seen the Goddess being so serious. She was standing on the pedestal with awe and majesty, her whole body was exuding a sense of inexplicable holiness, plus she was surrounded by mysterious radiance, this moment, Raven 12345 actually looked like a Goddess. Hao Ren immediately felt that his Goddess might be absent from work again. The lady in front of him was probably Raven 23333¡­


    But halfway through his mind, the Holy Goddess on the platform proved her identity by actual action. She suddenly jumped down, stretching her body and yelling, ¡°Aiyo¡­ it¡¯s so tiring. Yo, Hao Ren, you brought some visitors? Have you told them there¡¯s no lunch here?¡±


    Hao Ren, ¡°¡­¡±


    Big Beardy looked at this scene with open-mouthed, pointing to Raven 12345 and lost for words. After a while, the young ascetic asked, ¡°This¡­¡±


    ¡°This is our Goddess, don¡¯t look at me, I don¡¯t know why. It¡¯s an arrangement by the organization.¡± Hao Ren dropped his head, but he was familiar with Raven 12345¡¯s style and was soon adjusted himself. He looked up at the Goddess and asked, ¡°What were you doing just now? I thought you¡¯re about to go up to heaven.¡±


    ¡°The Vallelaena Civilisation Sphere is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Church of Divine Truth¨CI am their Goddess, so just show my face to say some words to wish them Happy New Year or something,¡± Raven was saying these surreal things casually, ¡°that is a bunch of very amusing fellow, although very close to me, their culture make me speechless¡­ Forget it.¡±


    Hao Ren was surprised. He never thought that a goddess like Raven 12345 would be a serious Goddess in the eyes of mortals. ¡°Aren¡¯t you uninterested in being the God? And I remember you said you didn¡¯t preach at all.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t preach doesn¡¯t mean that people don¡¯t believe,¡± Raven 12345 said, ¡°More than 100 years ago I helped them solve a little problem, and in a few years they developed a church of tens of billions of people. And they really figured out a prayer service that could talk directly to me. It¡¯s like the phone number is leaked. I can¡¯t avoid or stop it.¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned. He did not know how to evaluate this kind of thing: this was clearly beyond a normal human¡¯s perception of the world. As a human being, it was difficult for him to understand how the Gods felt when listening to prayers. Raven 12345 patiently explained, ¡°In fact, praying is like harassing messages. In most cases, a mortal prayer is like a complaint phone call, to tell you that his life is bad and what he wants recently. People put two pieces of meat on the table and lit two incense, then want you to help solve their problems like quarreling among family members, declining business, wife refused to come back home, kids refused to go to school and things like that. People thought that the immortals are always free, just sit at the reception and answer the phone all day. That¡¯s why I¡¯m not willing to preach. Of course, the Vallelaena is a little bit better. Most of the time, they sing to me when they¡¯re praying, even though the song hasn¡¯t changed for 100 years¡­¡±


    The four ascetics were standing like stone carvings. Hao Ren estimated that the impact of this meeting was enough to make them stunned until lunch. He poked Big Beardy¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Hey.¡±


    The four masters recovered from the surprise. The young nun muttered, ¡°That¡¯s the way the Gods look at ¡®praying¡¯.¡±


    Hao Ren hastened to correct them and said, ¡°You don¡¯t take this as a reference!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve read your report.¡± Raven 12345 said and looked at Hao Ren, ¡°What you found is very valuable. There are a lot of things that I didn¡¯t have time to investigate. It seems that it is the right decision to give this task to you. But we¡¯ll talk about it later. First, let¡¯s look at these¡­¡±


    Then, Raven turned to look at Big Beardy and the other three ascetics:


    ¡°The Goddess you believe in is a very interesting existence. I¡¯m investigating her identity. Tell me something about her.¡±

 Chapter 389

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    As soon as Raven 12345 finished her words, the atmosphere immediately turned tense. The four ascetics did not know how to respond. Hao Ren could feel their awkwardness: as a group of devout believers, what was the appropriate response when they were in such a situation?


    Hao Ren began to imagine the kind of fanatics he had seen in other stories. He felt that the most suitable scene for the situation now was for the four ascetics to immediately take out their swords and rush towards Raven 12345, shouting ¡°Fight for our Lord!¡±. Then they subsequently get killed by a series of lightning strikes from Raven 12345. But after thinking about it, he found that it could not be this way. Mainly because, it was not the mortals, but the goddess who said such uncomfortable words.


    And based on organizational structure and induction process, this unreliable sister was more like a genuine goddess.


    Apparently, the four ascetics could also think about this point, so they struggled: At this moment, did they have to care about the dignity of their goddess? Did they have to explain to the greatness and importance of their own goddess to another goddess? No matter what choice they made, it was going to be awkward anyway. They were either sorry for their beliefs, or sorry for logic.


    Most important of all, all religious conflicts in the world were among mortals. The case was different when it was a conversation between a believer of God and a real goddess. The four ascetics obviously lacked the corresponding work experience¡­


    But luckily, the four ascetics were wise enough to know that they could not use their own views to determine whether the goddess of another world was real. Also, they were mentally prepared before coming here, so they quickly calmed down and began to tell Raven 12345 about the teachings of the Disciples of Glory and the image of their goddess.


    They spoke slowly and paused several times in the middle of their conversation. No matter how well-prepared the four ascetics were, they still faced a lot of unexpected bumps. They still talked to Raven 12345 like they were preaching and in the middle of their conversation, they kept being interrupted by Raven. She would say things like, ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve done this before¡­¡± or ¡°Oh, my archbishop suggested this to me before, but I found it troublesome so I didn¡¯t do it¡­¡±


    It looked like a group of young monks was preaching and a real God was squatting there, listening to them¡­


    Hao Ren was there to witness this strange scene.


    After a good two hours had gone by and Hao Ren was almost asleep, the four ascetics finally finished. They all had sweaty faces at this point. The unprecedented conversation made them very nervous. They thought their minds were strong enough, but they did not expect themselves to feel shaky like children who witnessed the revealing of a real god for the first time. Raven 12345 was not surprise. The four ascetics were truly devout, so they were bound to be suppressed in the face of a true goddess.


    This was an ambiguous ¡°symbolic¡± effect. No matter how true their goddess was, as long as these believers¡¯ words and actions conformed to some subtle ¡°characteristics¡±, they were bound to be disturbed by another true godor goddess.


    What made Raven 12345 interested was that this ¡°disturbance¡± was more intense than she had expected. The faith of the four mortals was even shaken when they faced her. They behaved as if they were meeting their own goddess of creation.


    This phenomenon had a special significance: What the fours ascetics believed in was probably a true goddess. It was the only way they could unconsciously ¡°recognise¡± other true gods.


    The goddess of creation in The Plane of Dreams was most likely a true goddess, who conformed to the ¡°GSO9001 True God Accreditation¡± of Xi Ling Celestials and the ¡°Three Tests of a Godhead¡± of the three celestial systems.


    However, the goddess may only have characteristics of a true god, but did not possess real ability. The goddess of creation had yet to show much strength after all. According to Hao Ren¡¯s report, Raven 12345 inferred that the goddess did not have the ability to create something out of nothing, or the ability to rewrite the rules of the universe. Otherwise, her way of life-sowing would have been done in a more high-end form: she could have created the biosphere directly on the planet, rather than sow some corporeal ¡°primitive seeds¡±.


    This was a goddess who seemed muddled and did not possess any power of a true god. But at the same time, she did resemble a true god in some form. Raven 12345 squinted and found that the situation was a little tricky now. Something she had been investigating for a while seemed to coincide with this.


    ¡°It seems that your belief system is perfect, very¡­ spot on,¡± Raven 12345 said as she looked for more appropriate words to evaluate the Disciples of Glory. ¡°There are some signs of blind development. Obviously, you are not directly guided by the goddess. You believe in the process of development, but the overall structure is in accordance with healthy sectarian regulations.¡±


    Big Beardy had a peculiar reverence for Raven 12345 under the inexplicable disturbance of his soul. Nonetheless, this awe did not control his mind, so he still retorted, ¡°No, please forgive my rudeness, dear goddess, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯re right. We have always been taught by the goddess of creation. We can hear her voice, and her messages are clearer as well as more direct than other false gods. The Disciples of Glory have been developing under her teachings for 3,000 of years, and she has been guiding us directly.¡±


    Raven 12345 raised her eyebrow and said, ¡°Oh? You think you can receive clear messages from the goddess? It seems that your understanding of it is wrong.¡±


    The four ascetics immediately looked at each other. Raven 12345 snapped her fingers and they immediately heard an unusually respectful, but slightly agitated voice of an old man in the air. ¡°Oh Lord, are you calling your servant?¡±


    Raven 12345 was talking to a believer in a distant galaxy. ¡°Umm, Wilton, you¡¯re studying artificial souls, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, My Lord. We are trying to decipher the mysteries of the soul. Are we doing something wrong?¡±


    ¡°No, you are all very motivated. That¡¯s good. I just want to encourage you and let you know that your project is on the right track.¡±


    Raven 12345 disconnected the call and shrugged. Before the stunned individuals she said, ¡°See, this is a god¡¯s message.¡±


    Even Hao Ren was surprised. His lips twitched as he looked at the goddess. He then asked, ¡°Umm¡­ Shouldn¡¯t messages from a god be vague, weird and incomprehensible? So that people can¡¯t get the meaning even after they¡¯ve pondered for months? How could it be so¡­ simple and direct?¡±


    Big Beardy nodded immediately. He obviously agreed with Hao Ren in this regard.


    ¡°No. Do you know how many people would lose their life this way?¡± said Raven 12345. ¡°Do you know how much influence a god¡¯s message can create? Under no circumstances can the future of a civilisation be pinned on a vague word. I¡¯d rather make everything clear. Of course, for most civilisations, I would choose not to take care of them. I¡¯ll only teach them a lesson when they meet real trouble and tell them clearly why they were beaten.¡±


    Raven 12345 looked serious when she said, ¡°Our boss told me before that a true god would not give mortals a bunch of inexplicable punishments, and then let them guess what they did wrong in fear. That¡¯s not the way to raise kids, that¡¯s how you tease cats. As a god, you have to be really responsible and make things clear. And I agree with that.¡±


    Big Beardy looked at this ¡°heretical goddess¡± who gave him a sense of awe. He was reluctant to accept her weird ¡°divine rule¡±. However, there was some truth to what she said, and this clear explanation was very friendly to those with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Most of the time, people with OCD could not be high priests because they could not stand the problem of missing words and grammatical confusion when trying to communicate with God¡­


    ¡°To sum it up, I think your goddess should be in a very strange state,¡± Raven12345 said, ignoring Big Beardy¡¯s complicated expression. ¡°I¡¯m willing to admit that she is a goddess, but she is now clearly in a¡­ poor state. Even if she is an ordinary super life form, she should have the ability to have a clear conversation with you, but you say that you can only hear some vague voices?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Big Beardy nodded and said.


    ¡°Only someone who¡¯s senseless and obsessed with the theocratic game would deliberately engage in such a mystifying trick. And no matter how senseless she is, she can¡¯t possibly continue this joke for 3,000 years. If she has a normal mind, she would have had a few normal conversations with the four of you during the past 3,000 years. But the situation now is that you can only hear some obscure murmurs, which means that she¡¯s very weak. This even shows that she has already¡­¡±


    Raven 12345 suddenly stopped talking. She smiled and looked into their eyes as she said, ¡°I have some investigations under way, but that¡¯s part of the secrets of the gods. Anyway, thank you for your explanation. It has helped with my investigation. You can rest assured that I have good faith in your goddess. And if possible, I will help her.¡±


    Raven¡¯s words were somewhat baffling, but Big Beardy was convinced for no reason. The four of them nodded respectfully.


    Raven 12345 then turned to look at Hao Ren and said, ¡°Now I finally have time to talk about your work report¡­ You¡¯ve done a great job this time, just in time for the annual bonus too. I¡¯ve got some extra rewards for you.¡±


    Hao Ren was thrilled right away!

 Chapter 390

    While the four ascetics were still immersed in their unspeakable mental state of awe, Hao Ren was thrilled because of Raven 12345¡¯s words: An annual bonus! Rewards! Fringe benefits!


    Hao Ren felt cheated since the day he signed the contract. He had gone through a bunch of dangerous and inexplicable things, but the work benefits of the new unit were the one thing he was satisfied with. They were not bad. Although the unreliable Raven often made a mess of what she was supposed to send to him for a lot of reasons, have you ever seen any company on Earth giving you a car and ship within six months of working? On top of that, the ship was not an ordinary ship, but an actual spaceship.


    So, Hao Ren was looking forward to his annual bonus.


    Raven 12345 did not let him wait too long. She slashed the air and one by one, she moved a couple of things out from the dimensional crack. ¡°According to our company¡¯s contract, the annual bonuses are here¡­¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s expression quickly shifted from anticipation to dullness with an ¡°are you kidding me?¡± look.


    ¡°Fifty kilograms of rice, fifty kilograms of flour, ten litres of oil¡­ Yes? Any problems?¡± Raven 12345 asked when she found that Hao Ren was still standing there. Hao Ren was unsure of what to say at that moment, so he asked, ¡°¡­This¡­ is the annual bonus?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Raven 12345 nodded and said, ¡°You should¡¯ve already known when you signed the contract. The annual bonuses of heaven include rice, flour, and oil. Of course, this is limited to standard carbon-based biospheres. Some places receive sulphuric acid, gasoline, and silicon crystal plates¡­


    Hao Ren looked at the pile of things and thought they were better to appear in the street or office than in heaven. But it seemed to have been written on the contract. He could only sigh and thought that Gods were all crazy. They gave you car and spacecraft as a small award but you just got two bags of rice as annual bonus¡­


    But soon he knew that he had underestimated the powers of these psychos. Raven 12345 was still digging out and said, ¡°¡­ Then here are two boxes of snacks for you, half a bag of oil-tea camellia, a box of golden apples¡­


    Hao Ren saw a small box filled with more than ten golden apples and the apples were covered in some kind of mysterious brilliance. He was thrilled and asked, ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    ¡°Golden Apple,¡± Raven 12345 said, ¡°The classic variety cultivated by the Goddess of Life. Looks like a legendary fruit on Earth, so it¡¯s called the Golden Apple. Of course, this is not real gold, it¡¯s edible.¡±


    Hao Ren asked and his voice began to tremble, ¡°What¡­ What¡¯s the result of eating it?¡±


    Raven 12345 thought and said, ¡°No special result on me, but it is said that if mortals eat it¡­ It seems like it can at least eliminate all diseases and grow back broken limbs. Oh yes, it can extend the life expectancy for hundreds of years¡­


    Hao Ren¡¯s heart pounded. After confirming that Raven was not joking, his eyes were shining and asked, ¡°It¡¯s all mine?¡±


    Raven nodded but Hao Ren was still puzzled and asked, ¡°But the problem is¡­ Putting such a box of treasure together with rice, flour, and oil. Don¡¯t you think this package is weird?¡±


    ¡°Nothing weird. Annual bonus includes rice, flour, oil, snacks, and fruit. Rice, flour, and oil can keep for a long time but fruit can¡¯t. So we change it to golden apples that can be stored for a long time. We¡¯ve been doing it thousands of years ago.¡±


    ¡°Just for this reason? Because it has a long shelf life?¡± Hao Ren almost cried out.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Gods were all crazy!


    ¡°There is one last thing,¡± said Raven 12345, taking out some red paper from the dimensional pocket, ¡°Chinese New Year is just around the corner, so I give you this couplet¨Cthis is my own handwriting, paste it on the door. It will turn your house and two miles around your neighborhood into a holy sanctuary.¡±


    Hao Ren accepted the couplet with a weird expression, unfold the papers and saw some scratchy words written on them. The first line is: I¡¯ve been thinking for two months and I don¡¯t know what to write; the second line is: I¡¯ve been thinking for another three days; the horizontal scroll: As long as there¡¯s a word on it¡­


    The whole couplet looked so scratchy that Hao Ren suspected it was written with a paint brush. However, when Hao Ren was holding it, he could feel the warmth. The dim glow flowed around the handwriting and there was a kind of faint and sacred atmosphere surrounded them.


    ¡°Err¡­ Can I not paste it on my door?¡± Hao Ren was struggling inside. He felt like he would get into this kind of situation every time he met her. ¡°I¡¯ll keep it as a treasure.¡±


    Raven 12345 waved her hand and said forthrightly, ¡°Come on, I¡¯m very optimistic about you, this is a bonus for you, maybe I¡¯ll give you another one next year.¡±


    Hao Ren was about to cry. He really did not want to admit that he was worried about this thing affecting the appearance of the city¡­


    After Hao Ren kept these ¡®annual bonuses¡¯, Raven 12345 talked to him about things happened in the Plane of Dreams. Hao Ren admitted frankly that he ended up using orbital bombing to kill the First Born (which he did not discuss in detail in the report): Strictly speaking, even if it was justifiable, it was against the rules. The only thing to be thankful for was that the end result looked good.


    However, he did not expect that Raven 12345 just smiled and said, ¡°Well, it seems that you already figured out with how things work¡­¡±


    Hao Ren, ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes you have to deal with the problem in a simple and crude way,¡± Raven 12345 smiled and said, ¡°Throw a bomb to solve all the problems. If you can¡¯t do it, you don¡¯t have enough guts¨Cas long as you can get things done, it¡¯s ok to blow things up.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s lip was twitching. ¡°It¡¯s not appropriate for you to say so,¡± he said.


    Raven 12345 laughed and said, ¡°You did a good job anyway. But remember, this is still risky. ¡®Explosion¡¯ can only be used when you don¡¯t have any better option.¡±


    Then she waved her hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it later. Now you should have realized that the Plane of Dreams is bigger and wider than you think, right?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and said, ¡°A sea of stars.¡±


    ¡°Yes, a sea of stars. I told you earlier that the Plane of Dreams is a real world like the Surface World. At that time, you should have thought that the universe and the starry sky in the Plane of Dreams was not a background picture. And then you¡¯re going to investigate the situation of other planets in the Plane of Dreams?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Hao Ren laughed and told her his next plan, ¡°I decided to start with the siren¡¯s origins. The news of ¡®The Day of Return¡¯ was released from them. I suspect that the real purpose of those sirens is not to allow other unusual creatures to return to the Holletta planet, but it¡¯s they themselves want to use the power to go back to their home. This is what I just realized. If I could find sirens¡¯ home, I would probably figure out what caused the big time-traveling 10000 years ago.¡±


    Raven 12345 looked at Hao Ren with satisfaction and said, ¡°Very good. Anyway, you¡¯re responsible for this case now and let¡¯s see what you can investigate. I¡¯m also investigating something here. Although I have a general idea of the cause of the accident of the universe 10000 years ago, I¡¯m unable to find out the details, perhaps your intelligence is a key¡­¡±


    Just when Hao Ren was about to chat with her politely to see if he could cheat her in order to get some funds from her, they suddenly heard a loud shout of anger coming from outside. ¡°Crazy woman! Get out! Where¡¯s my sword?¡±


    Raven 12345¡¯s looked anxious when she heard this, turned around and ready to run away. Hao Ren shouted at her back, ¡°Eh eh what happens¡­¡±


    ¡°I have to go now. My enemy is coming for me! Let¡¯s meet again next time¡­¡± Raven 12345 said without turning her head


    Before she finished talking, they saw a blue light flashed in front of them and the nervous Goddess had disappeared. Hao Ren and the four ascetics looked at each other in consternation, did not know what happen.


    A moment later, the door of the round hall was suddenly kicked open violently, an unusually tall woman with long brown hair stormed in. The woman was surprised to see Hao Ren and the four ascetics, but then she sensed the lingering smell Raven 12345 left in the air, frowned and asked, ¡°Where is that psycho?¡±


    Hao Ren was not sure what was happening, but he knew that this lady dared to break in and say such words, she must be an acquaintance of Raven 12345. He did not want to offend her and answered, ¡°I don¡¯t know. She said her enemy is coming for her, and then she ran away.¡±


    ¡°Fxxk! Again¡­¡± The tall woman¡­ Or the Goddess violently hit her fist. Suddenly, a voice came from the corridor, ¡°Sir! There is a teleportation portal reaction in the arcane hall!¡±


    The tall woman immediately rushed out in the blink of an eye. A moment later they heard the sound of explosions and fights in the distance. The four ascetics looked at Hao Ren in a bewildered way and asked, ¡°This is¡­¡±


    Hao Ren hurriedly lowered his head and dragged them out of there and said, ¡°Don¡¯t ask, maybe it¡¯s the war of the Gods¡­¡±

 Chapter 391

    After Hao Ren and the four ascetics left ¡°heaven¡±, they teleported back to the market in Southern Suburb instead of home; firstly, it was because new year was just around the corner, it was time to do some shopping¡ªafter all, it was the first new year his otherworldly tenants were having here; secondly, he wanted the four vajras oriented with local life, so at least they wouldn¡¯t put up under the TV tower again¡­


    During the time in Raven 12345¡¯s place, the four vajras had received mind remodeling, and had no problem conversing in earth¡¯s language now.


    Streets in the normally-quiet Southern Suburb was becoming busy as locals who left to work in bigger cities were returning for Spring Festival. The atmosphere in town was festive as lanterns were seen all over shop fronts, and street stalls sprang up like mushrooms after the rain. Hao Ren explained to the four curious ascetics what China¡¯s Spring Festival was all about as he led them through the streets.


    Big Beardy was listening but his mind was somewhere else. He was still in a mental shock ever since he met Raven 12345; he didn¡¯t know it was a ¡®symbolic¡¯ effect as a result of his belief in god, he was wondering if there was a problem in his faith in his Goddess. Listening to Hao Ren raving incessantly, he couldn¡¯t help but say quietly. ¡°I felt an indescribable pressure when I was talking to that foreign god earlier. As a devoted believer in Goddess, I shouldn¡¯t have revered other gods. Could it be that the foreign god have some kind of psychic power?¡±


    His tone of voice was still reverend whenever he mentioned about Raven 12345.


    Hao Ren thought for a while; he hadn¡¯t felt what Big Beardy was feeling. ¡°Is it? I hadn¡¯t felt it though I was standing next to you.¡±


    Of course Hao Ren couldn¡¯t feel it; the mental shock Big Beardy and his company was having was a result of their devout faith. Deep down in their hearts, they couldn¡¯t help but recognise the divinity of Raven 12345. Hao Ren didn¡¯t share the same faith and was immune; to him, Raven 12345 was just funny.


    Luckily and in fact, Raven 12345 was exactly that. If not, Hao Ren would have been condemned to be struck by lightning for his contempt.


    The grey robes of the four vajras were ragged and especially unsightly these few days. Hao Ren was used to them but he now couldn¡¯t ignore them with all the curious eyeballs coming in their direction.


    Just when Hao Ren was trying to trace the stares, an elderly woman, his neighbour, Madam Lee, suddenly appeared before him. The elderly woman, whose face almost wrinkled like the skin of a winter-kept apple, grabbed his hand. ¡°Hey, kid, you¡¯re doing charity, eh?¡±


    Madam Lee was the most caustic person he had ever known before he met the MDT. He immediately got it as he waved frantically and explained. ¡°No, no, no. They¡¯re my friends. You know, bad things happened in their home town, so they just come over and stay a few days here¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t dare to tell that they were his distant relatives¡ªthe four vajras didn¡¯t look the slightest Chinese!


    Madam Lee sized up Big Beardy and his company before she asked Hao Ren in a very concerned voice. ¡°Are they from Ukraine?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded his head stiffly. ¡°Yup, there had been a terrible war¡­ even mountains were levelled¡­¡±


    Madam Lee was appalled. ¡°Aww! That¡¯s terrible. I heard the news from my grand son too¡­ You should make a police report just for the record, in case they¡¯re spies¡­¡±


    The elderly woman was very cautious. Cold sweat trickled down Hao Ren¡¯s back. He nodded his head frantically at the elderly women and said, ¡°Thanks for the heads-up. I think I better not bother you anymore¡­¡± Before the elderly woman could ramble again, he quickly added. ¡°By the way, they do understand Chinese!¡±


    The elderly woman was stunned and quickly walked away. Hao Ren knew the news of the presence of foreigners in his house would spread like wild fire in no time¡ªthe elderly women was a blabber, and she had more than handful of children living around¡­


    Big Beardy hadn¡¯t a clue what Ukraine was. He came up and said Hao Ren, ¡°Are we giving you trouble here?¡±


    Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°No, that¡¯s fine. When Wang Daquan first came, he hadn¡¯t just scared the elderly lady out of her skin, two red army veterans had almost called the police and formed a neighbourhood watch¡­¡±


    Judging from Y¡¯zaks¡¯s appearance, Big Beardy couldn¡¯t help but nod his head in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s totally understandable.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s mouth twitched as he looked at the ragged robes of theirs. ¡°You may not like it but I¡¯ve to say it: Shall I get you guys some new clothes? The problem with you guys is your appearance are getting attention for the wrong reason, people are mistaking you as homeless.¡±


    He said for the sake of saying, thinking that the four vajras wouldn¡¯t be bothered as they were ascetics. But Big Beardy nodded happily and said, ¡°Ya, that¡¯s great! That¡¯s great!.¡±


    Hao Ren was surprised. ¡°I thought you don¡¯t mind draping in ragged sack? Wouldn¡¯t new clothing conflict with your ascetic practices?¡±


    Big Beardy was perplexed. ¡°Why would it? A beautiful house supports one¡¯s health, food satisfies one¡¯s stomach, beauty softens one¡¯s will, but what harm fine clothing could cause? It¡¯s just a piece of fabric.¡±


    Hao Ren couldn¡¯t make sense of it; he had thought that fine clothing was a luxury. But as he pondered more about what Big Beardy had said, he was speechless: Big Beardy was right; fine clothing pleased the eyes, anything pleased the eyes was vain. So to them, luxury and enjoyment didn¡¯t really exist, they were merely illusions!


    Hao Ren was enlightened. He began to have a deeper understanding of the ascetic practices of the four vajras. But he was still curious. ¡°Then why not you guys change your robes?¡±


    Big Beardy looked down at his robe and shrugged. ¡°Because we¡¯ve no money. Even the robes were provided by the church.¡±


    When comes to honesty, no one could beat the four ascetics! He thought.


    He then brought the four vajras walking into a clothing store. He bought everyone of them a set of clothing at discounted prices¡ªit was year-end sale.


    Clothes make the man; the four vajras had transformed themselves. Big Beardy had chosen a Chinese-style cotton jacket, his Eurasian appearance made him looked like he was an international investor. The other three were no less stylish¡ªthey all had the kind of calm demeanor which they acquired from their years of ascetic training. Hao Ren was pleasantly surprised to discover that the young nun, who was always hidden in a hood, was a pretty woman!


    After the New-Year shopping, they ambled back to his home. This time no one had come up and asked Hao Ren if he was just coming back from a feed-the-homeless programme. He stumbled upon Lily and Vivian as he reached home. The two maidens were standing right in front of the house as Vivian took her key out about to unlock the door. Hao Ren called out from afar. ¡°Hey, Lily, Vivian! Back from shopping, eh?¡±


    Lily turned and saw Hao Ren. She dropped everything and ran toward him. ¡°Landlord! We¡¯ve bought a lot of stuff for Spring Festival!¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s brows pulled together a little as he walked her back to the house. ¡°Oh ya¡­ I¡¯ve bought a lot of stuff too.¡±


    ¡°Must have spent a lot of money, eh?¡± The frugal vampire¡¯s mouth twitched.


    Hao Ren quickly played it down. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s OK. It¡¯s Spring Festival. We¡¯ve a lot more people this year. And you know what? I¡¯ve got a bonus from Raven 12345!¡±


    They got inside the house, and tipped their shopping bags. Table was full of groceries, the floor too. Hao Ren carefully took out a carton. He said, ¡°Everybody comes closer. This is what Heracles had been dying for¡­Now I¡¯ve got a carton full¡­¡±

 Chapter 392

    When Hao Ren took the carton out and placed it on the table, it attracted everyone¡¯s eyeballs. Even Becky, who was lying on the couch watching TV listlessly, smelled the scent and turned looking. The fruits was giving out a golden glow which drifted off like a mist in all direction. This mysterious mist-like glow suggested that the fruits were out of this world. Lily was always the first out of the gate when it came to eating. She picked up on of them and sniffed incessantly. ¡°What is this? Apple? Why is this colour?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my year-end bonus. Though it¡¯s categorised as a staple food, I think it¡¯s the most valuable thing I¡¯ve ever got.¡± Hao Ren was almost half-crying and half-laughing as he told the origin of the golden apples. ¡°Oh, besides, I¡¯ve also got a couplet. But let¡¯s just leave it to another time. Now Let us share the apples evenly among us. If what Raven said is true, eating the apples might extend your attainment by at least several years¡­¡±


    Lily¡¯s brows pulled together instantly. ¡°We¡¯re otherworldlings, not spirits. We don¡¯t attain our current abilities by practicing like those spirits.¡±


    Instantly, all eyes on her. Vivian jabbed Lily¡¯s head and said, ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be the least qualified person to say that! Don¡¯t you forget your a husky spirit!¡±


    As the two were about to quarrel, Hao Ren quickly shoved the apples in their hands and diverted their attention. Everyone got two apples and there was even one left. Hao Ren put one of his into the dimensional pocket while he munched the other one. He walked around with an extra apple contemplating who he should give it to . Then he saw Lil Pea was gnawing the table.


    ¡°The kid¡¯s biting things again.¡± Hao Ren quickly picked the little mermaid up then an idea crossed his mind. He placed the apple before Lil Pea and asked, ¡°Hey honey, do you want it?¡±


    Vivian, who was munching her apple graciously, looked up and said to Hao Ren, ¡°The kid¡¯s only interested in wood.¡±


    But before Vivian¡¯s voice trailed off, Hao Ren saw Lil Pea already went around and checked the golden fruit out before she banged her head against the apple¨Cshe wanted to take a bite but the fruit was too smooth and round, she didn¡¯t know where to begin with.


    Lil Pea banged her head on the apple a few times but still couldn¡¯t get her teeth on it. She looked up at Hao Ren, tail wagging. She yelled. ¡°Dad-dee! I want this!¡±


    It was a surprised. Hao Ren had never thought of the little mermaid would be interested in the golden apple as he had tried many times before with normal fruits which she wasn¡¯t interested in. So he thought it mustn¡¯t be the scent of the apple that was attracting her. Perhaps the golden apple had something special that had influenced her.


    Nevertheless, it was a good thing. Hao Ren quickly cut the apple in half and further in smaller pieces before shoving them to Lil Pea. He offered the other half to Rollie the cat which was loitering at the doorway. ¡°Hey, Rollie! Here is a good stuff for you¡­¡±


    After that, Hao Ren found himself a good spot on the couch and watched the TV. He began to feel like he was living a mythical lifestyle¡ªeveryone had got two golden apples, even his cat had got half of it. He looked at Rollie which was snoring at his feet and said thoughtfully, ¡°How would Hesperides feel if she saw this¡­¡±


    Busying at sorting out the groceries, Vivian said without looking up, ¡°Zeus had similar but different fruits on the tree in his backyard. I tried it and it was sour. But that was already considered a luxury back then.¡±


    Hao Ren looked up, noticing Lily was wrestling with her mind about the last apple in her hand. So he asked her, ¡°Did you feel anything after eating the apple?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not full yet.¡± Lily answered very honestly. ¡°I would like finish the second one but it¡¯s already the last one.¡±


    ¡°You really want to finish all at once?¡± Vivian shot Lily a glance. ¡°That fruit is divine, you should save it. Why not you come and help me pluck the garlic chives. I¡¯ll get the ingredients ready tonight and we¡¯ll make dumplings tomorrow. Just in time for New Year! Oh ya, Biggie, could you please help me swap the gas cylinder out¡­¡±


    ¡°New Year¡­¡± Hao Ren¡¯s mind drifted back in time as he heard the words.


    It had been a long time since he had a real New Year. He had been alone all this while and almost forgotten how New Year was supposed to feel like. For the last three years or so, Spring Festival to him was just days of eardrum-rupturing noise of the firecrackers and hours of stare at the idiot box. And he couldn¡¯t even remember when was the last time he had had a New Year¡¯s Eve dinner!


    He looked up and around the house; the noisy husky, the unforgiving-at-mouth but gentle-at-heart vampire, the siren who liked to sing but could never catch the key, the demon who could lift a 14-kg propane tank with just a finger, Becky who always lay on the sofa staring at the idiot box like he used to be, the little mermaid who was squelching on his arm, and the four ascetics who were so ever determined to challenge the bitter cold outside in the name of survival training or something like that¡­


    And also not forgetting the naive stupid cat which was having a worry-free life.


    Hao Ren let out a sigh. He felt a sense of satisfaction which he had never had before. The big house might have achieved full occupancy rate in the past, but nothing was like these strange creatures right here: these non-human beings hadn¡¯t felt a bit of nervousness in the house right from the beginning; they were restless, they were noisy, and they were here as if it was their home. He felt a warm begin to fill his big house.


    ¡°What¡¯re ya thinking?¡± Vivian looked up and found Hao Ren was looking at her too. ¡°Why the salacious smile?¡±


    Hao Ren grinned. ¡°I look forward to this year¡¯s Spring Festival.¡±


    Vivian was stunned for a moment before she smiled back. ¡°I look forward to it too. I¡¯ve never celebrated New Year with so many people before. It¡¯s the first for me. It feel awesome save for the annoying Doggie.¡±


    ¡°Have I offended you again?¡± Lily jabbed Vivian¡¯s nose with a the garlic chives; though she sounded mean, their gestures were more playful than provocative. ¡°I¡¯m not fancy of celebrating New Year with Battie. But without a doubt, this year is going to be a blast¡ªI still remember the same time last year, I was in Greater Khingan Range alone with no one to talk to. After the meal, I just slept through the day and found myself waking up on the second day of New Year¡­¡±


    Nangong Wuyue was sharing her story too. ¡°Me too was alone for all these years. During Spring Festival of last year, I was lying in a motel next to a train station listening to the crackling of the firecrackers whole night¡­¡±


    ¡°You guys had better times.¡± Vivian twisted her mouth and said, ¡°Last year, I spent my New Year in a cave in Shennongjia and I had rats for my New Year¡¯s Eve dinner.¡±


    Hao Ren was almost tearful hearing Vivian¡¯s miserable past: before she came here, her life was like a ten-thousand-episode tragic drama. But those days were behind her now.


    Still lying on the sofa listlessly, Becky looked up. ¡°I haven¡¯t a clue of what you guys are talking about. But it sounds like Spring Festival is a big deal.¡±


    ¡°Yup, it¡¯s a big deal to us.¡± Hao Ren glanced at Becky and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s our day of reunion. We all come from different places but we¡¯re together. We should celebrate this jolly time and enjoy yourselves as much as you want.¡±


    There was a glow in Becky¡¯s eyes before she suddenly turned dejected. ¡°Jolly¡­ that makes me think of my comrades in my home town. I hadn¡¯t got a chance to say ¡®hi¡¯ to them the last time I was back, they might¡¯ve assumed that I¡¯m dead in some ruins somewhere. You¡¯ve promised to find me the door so that I can go back.¡±


    Becky¡¯s lament had stirred the emotion of others. Nangong Wuyue sighed as she said, ¡°Same goes to my brother who might still hide in some ruins somewhere, and never bother to come back for even a day or two. He should at least call if he couldn¡¯t make it back.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about Hesperides too,¡± Vivian¡¯s brows knit together. ¡°I¡¯ve never given it a thought during my wandering years, but as I settled down I realise I hadn¡¯t really celebrated any days with her. I don¡¯t even remember her birthday.¡±


    ¡°Nangong Sanba might be stuck in the santuary in Athens. We mightn¡¯t be able to contact him for the moment.¡± Hao Ren sat up. ¡°I¡¯m afraid they wouldn¡¯t be able to make it back for this year¡¯ Spring Festival. But you guys have reminded me. Let¡¯s look forward to next year when we will surely be able to get everyone together.¡±


    The next day, with the blast of the first firecracker in front of Hao Ren¡¯s house, the past was past and all things were anew again!

 Chapter 393

    It was the Spring Festival. It was noisy and lively in the Southern Suburbs as men and women who had left to work in other parts of the country, or migrated had come back for their reunion. The streets were thronged with familiar faces, which were almost never seen at other times of the year. People were wishing and greeting one another with auspicious words, and lanterns were hung abundantly in front of houses to mark one of the biggest festivals.


    It had been a few years since the last time Hao Ren had a warm and lively New Year. Vivian had prepared a New Year¡¯s Eve feast; there was so much food that the dinner table was filled to the brim and overflowed to the tea table. It was a challenge for all 10 of them¡ªnot including the cat and the fish¡ªto cramp together at one table. Nevertheless, they did not mind the crowd¡ªthey cared more about the warm atmosphere of togetherness than anything else. As usual, Lily could not sit still and she meandered around the house restlessly. The four ascetics were planning to continue challenging the cold outside before Hao Ren dragged them inside the house. If roasting rabbit meat in the cold wind was deemed proper in the name of religion, than it was more proper that they be invited inside for the Spring Festival.


    Big Beardy and his company could not argue about it. They came inside and joined the rest for dinner with all the noise as well as activities.


    With a roasted lamb shank in her hand, Lily meandered around the house and wished each and everyone the usual New Year phrases. She was so high that it almost seemed like she was on drugs. Even Vivian was caught up in her act several times. After a round of toasts, Hao Ren in his capacity as the ¡°head of the family¡± began to speak. ¡°For the past year¡­ Umm, probably less¡ªsince Lily only came here about half a year ago¡ªit doesn¡¯t matter how long we¡¯ve known each other. I want to thank you for your support. We have so many of and we come from different races, yet we live together under one roof. That¡¯s not easy. So, let us be together like a family, and make our team a world-renowned brand. A toast to¡­¡±


    Kicking Hao Ren on his leg, Vivian who was next to him said, ¡°Save it, mate. You¡¯ve been raising your wineglass for like 10 minutes, yet you haven¡¯t had a sip. Don¡¯t pretend you¡¯re drunk.¡±


    Hao Ren sat down embarrasingly. ¡°I¡¯m not really a drinker. I was hoping you would sing along.¡±


    Lil Pea, who was lying on the table saw the wineglass in Hao Ren¡¯s hand. She got up and poked her head inside to take a little sip of the contents before she grunting and flopping onto the table like a fish out of water. Vivian quickly took the glass away and said, ¡°How could you let her¡ª¡±


    By then, the crackling and popping of firecrackers were rattling throughout town. Lily scurried up to Hao Ren and reached her oil-soaked claws out and demanded, ¡°Landlord, give me the firecrackers. I¡¯m going to light it up outside.¡±


    Looking at the cute maiden delightfully, Hao Ren took out a bunch of firecrackers and went out with her.


    As the firecrackers popped and crackled, Lily jumped up and down like an overjoyed child. Even the steady maiden, Nangong Wuyue was thrilled and they both of them laid the bangers on the ground in patterns as if they were going to set themselves on fire.


    Becky and the four ascetics looked on in horror. Big Beardy pulled Hao Ren by his sleeve and asked, ¡°That¡¯s how it goes every year?¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± Hao Ren said, still holding on to a half-burned incence stick, which he used to light the bangers. ¡°But, it¡¯s not like that every where¡ªat least, not in the city. They don¡¯t give a hoot here in the countryside.¡±


    Becky looked at Hao Ren with admiration. ¡°The people of this world are braver than we are. The way you guys set off the explosives at your own front door to celebrate your important day every year is astounding. It¡¯s like the legendary berserkers¡­¡±


    Meanwhile, Lil Pea had slipped out of the house and hobbled right to Hao Ren¡¯s feet. No one had noticed her amid the hoo-ha.


    The little mermaid looked at the fire popping out of the bangers. She was scared but also excited. She found a banger on the floor, which had not gone off and examined the red explosive tube. It smelled like food to her before she peeled off the end of the red tube and found some black powder flowing out of it.


    The little mermaid pondered for a while, thinking that she should be more exploratory. She emptied the black powder into her mouth.


    Seconds later, the little mermaid wailed loudly as she spat gunpower out of her mouth. At this point, Hao Ren as well as Vivian were already alerted, and they saw what was happening. They were scrambling around to help her. ¡°I didn¡¯t know she came out¡­¡±


    ¡°She swallowed the gunpowder! She swallowed the gunpowder!¡±


    ¡°Oh sh*t, really?¡±


    ¡°Go and get some hot water, quickly¡­ No, it¡¯s not for rinsing her mouth!¡±


    ¡°Lily froze her!¡±


    ¡°Wuyue, please help! Get some hot water to defrost Lil Pea¡­¡±


    The atmosphere in Hao Ren¡¯s house was lively, but mostly for the wrong reasons¡­ Sort of.


    After a long attempt of ¡°rescuing¡±, Lil Pea finally calmed down. Perhaps the chilly temperature had also helped in coaxing the little mermaid, who may have gone into a semi-hibernation state. They noticed that the little mermaid liked to go outside. So, Vivian had come up with an creative idea: she took the rice cooker out, extended the power cord right outside the house, filled it up with water and flipped the power switch. When the water warmed up, she placed Lil Pea in the rice cooker; this way, the little mermaid could enjoy the snowy scenery outside in the comfort of her rice cooker. She could not get out, but she could make do with that. She soaked herself in the ¡°hotspring¡± while she watched her canine sister play and laugh as the bangers went off.


    Hao Ren pondered for a while before he took out a piece of red paper and wrote ¡°nian nian you yu¡±, a pun which literally meant ¡°there¡¯s fish every year¡±. The saying denoted prosperous and abundance, so Hao Ren stuck it on the rice cooker. Then, he admired himself for his creativity.


    ¡°This is the couplet?¡± Vivian¡¯s brows were scrunched together as she stared at the couplet on the front door. ¡± If it hadn¡¯t been a personal gift from the goddess, I would¡¯ve recommended not to display it outside¡­¡±


    The couplet, written with Raven 12345¡¯s personal brush strokes, was now up on the front door. Excusing the writing, Hao Ren contemplated whether he should first take a selfie with the couplet and post it online before passersby did it¡ªjust to give the online community one more topic to rant about for this year¡¯s Spring Festival.


    Despite the unsightly appearance, the couplet was indeed useful in some ways. With his mutated eyesight, Hao Ren could see a mysterious radiance shrouding his house and a wide area around it; anyone who came into its coverage had a sense of peace and serenity. Perhaps Raven 12345 was right; these two pieces of paper were enough to turn the area within a two-mile radius into a sacred land.


    All of a sudden, Becky noticed that one of them was absent. ¡°Where¡¯s Biggie?¡±


    Only then did Hao Ren noticed that Y¡¯zaks had not joined them outside. He went back inside and surprisingly, saw Y¡¯zaks sitting at the table drinking his wine all alone. It was as if he did not hear the hoo-ha outside.


    ¡°Hey, Y¡¯zaks! Y¡¯zaks!¡± Hao Ren called out from the doorway at the great demon, who appeared to be in a stupor. He came inside and tapped the table. ¡°Hey, dude, why are you drinking here all alone? Don¡¯t you want to join them outside?¡±


    ¡°No, thanks,¡± Y¡¯zaks sounded like he was not in the mood. His face was pasted with his signature frightening smile. ¡°I¡¯m better off drinking here alone by myself. It¡¯s too noisy outside.¡±


    Hao Ren sensed something was wrong with him; although Y¡¯zaks was more of a tepid character, he would not avoid the crowd. Obviously, something was on his mind. ¡°So, what¡¯s up, dude?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks had gulped down two bottles of shaojiu¡ªa strong alchoholic drink. But man-made liquors did not seem to have an effect on him. He sighed as he looked out through the window at the lights and fireworks, his mind slowly drifting away. ¡°It¡¯s a day of reunion, eh? It¡¯s a very good day. We demons have no such concept, though.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Y¡¯zaks, whose face was filled with an unexplainable loneliness; he had never expected to see such an expression on a demon. Hao Ren hesitated for a long moment before he decided to ask, ¡°I know you¡¯re a person with a story. If you decide not to tell me, I¡¯ll just drink with you. If you decide to tell me, then I¡¯ll listen. It¡¯s the New Year, mate. Don¡¯t keep things to yourself. You have us. Who knows, we may be able to help.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks smiled and glanced at Hao Ren. ¡°¡­I think I¡¯ll just tell you before you die from alcohol poisoning.¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned for a while, and then he heard Y¡¯zaks sharing his mind. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal, just that I miss my daughter¡­¡±

 Chapter 394

    Hao Ren was stunned to learn that Y¡¯zaks had a daughter; it was the last thing Hao Ren would have thought about the demon. He was surprised not because Y¡¯zaks was missing his daughter, but because he had a daughter!


    ¡°You have a daughter?¡± Hao Ren looked at Y¡¯zaks, still a little shocked. He examined him if he was drunk. ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°You sound like I can¡¯t have a daughter.¡± Y¡¯zaks grinned at him. ¡°You think I shouldn¡¯t have a child?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I mean. I just feel that having a daughter doesn¡¯t really suit your style.¡± Hao Ren did not mince his words. ¡°I mean, judging from your looks, your child should be 1.2-m tall with 8-feet-wide shoulders. He would have a two-feet-wide, hairy chest and an alloy flail.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks shot Hao Ren a sideways glance and said, ¡°So, by your logic the flail came together since he was born?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded instinctively but quickly realised that it was ridiculous. ¡°Umm, it would be a little bit challenging, though.¡±


    ¡°¡­Only you guys talk with me. There was no one I could talk to in the past.¡± Y¡¯zaks paused for a moment, then sighed. ¡°I¡¯m going off topic¡­ Anyway, I¡¯m serious¡ªI really have a daughter. Age wise, she could very well be your great grandmother already. But in our world, she¡¯s just a little girl. She¡¯s this tall and she¡¯s always running around.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks gestured with her hand at the height of top of the table. Hao Ren was thinking the guy must be drunk and mistaken he was in his stock form. At the height Y¡¯zaks was telling, her daughter was just as tall as where his belly button was¡ª was there such a demon species?


    He kept mum because he knew that Y¡¯zaks had kept this to himself for at least half a year. He had just found someone to talk to. It was rare for the great demon to share about his past.


    ¡°Let me tell ya, in fact I had family and career.¡± Suddenly Y¡¯zaks steered the conversation, talking about his career now. ¡°In the demonic world, I¡¯m a king. In the word of human, they call it ¡®The Devil¡¯


    ¡°What ranking is that?¡± Hao Ren asked, pursuing the topic with his question. ¡°It sounds pretty cool.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks laughed was a little flattered. ¡°It¡¯s pretty high-ranking, the highest ranked demon of all. In wour world, war was a constant affair; war between different factions, and within the same faction. We have our own territories. Stronger demons would command millions of other lower demons and fight with other similiarly ranked demons. They don¡¯t have permament territories; whoever could win the war get to keep the territories until they are defeated again. These demons are known as ¡®demon commanders¡¯ or ¡®warlord¡¯. They are just small fries, their tiny forces are more like bunch of bandits which could be wiped out anytime by others or their own men.


    ¡°Sometimes among these demon commanders, some are more capable than others. These more capable demons would seize a larger piece of territory and turn it into their home base. They occupy it for a long time and no one could shake them off their position. At the same time their forces are more stable. These are known as seigniors.


    ¡°Further up the rank are those who could fight well and have brain at the same time. These brainy demons command a large following of seigniors, like a country, who could even occupy an entire independent dimension, have their own system of governance just like humans do with their own countries, armies, people and inheritance. These demons are known as king.¡±


    It was the first time Hao Ren had ever heard of such details from Y¡¯zaks. It seemed that society in Y¡¯zaks¡¯ home town was different from the legends told on earth, and definitely not the same ¡®local demons¡¯ like Vivian had described. So the same race in different worlds would always develop their unique civilisation independently from others.


    Hao Ren became interested. ¡°So you¡¯ve a country to rule?¡±


    ¡°Used to. And it was the strongest one since time immemorial; much bigger than the largest empire humans have ever built.¡± Y¡¯zaks nodded then said, ¡°But it was then wiped out.¡±


    Biggie sighed and then continued. ¡°So you must be curious why a demon like me could have thought of world peace¡ªI have done my homework and I know that demons in other worlds are constantly at war with each other, people like me are diamonds in the rough.


    ¡°But I was used to be like the other demons¡ªconstantly fighthing among themselves and those who found a moment of peace would start to strategise ways to invade the human world. I was one of them.¡±


    ¡°Then how did you change?¡± Hao Ren looked at Y¡¯zaks curiously.


    ¡°Because of one human.¡± Y¡¯zaks looked at the shaojiu bottle in his hand as if he wanted to find the reflection of his long lost friend on the glass. ¡°He was an alchemist, like a scholar in your world.¡±


    ¡°Back then I had just successfully seized a piece of territory and chase away the rest demons from the surroundig areas. Simply said, I was from a demon commander becoming a siegnior. Like any other young, hot-blooded seighnior I was impatient to prove my capability but there hadn¡¯t a worthy opponent nearby. So I made a decision other demons would have made¡ªI seduced some human shamans and opened up a gateway in the human world and invaded a country.¡±


    ¡°Many demons did what I did.¡± Y¡¯zaks¡¯s brows slightly raised. ¡°The space dimension in our world is very different from yours. Our universe is made up of many seemingly messy but internally organised, independent spatial pockets which are connected by an unstable channel. Each pocket might contain a continent or several planets. Such dimensional structure allows various races and kingdoms to exist but also causes them to go to war with each other. There are many kingdoms in the human world, widely distributed and strong, which become the perfect targets for the demons to invade and destroy to show off their own strength. This would show that demons are intelligent enough to open a massive dimensional door as well as strong enough to exterminate any enemy at the other side of the dimensional door.


    ¡°The country I had chosen to invade was mediocre. I didn¡¯t even bother with their frightened people and fragile human soldiers¡ªwhich I guessed it was a good thing¡ªas when we marched into their capital, their king and his officials had long fled to another dimension through a teleporting gateway. Then my flag was raised on the castle as the country was officially declared one of the territories of demon and humans were demoted as slaves.


    ¡°Then I start to look through the things which I had taken possession after winning the war, searching in the treasure vaults and shaman towers for alchemical items which were highly regards by various races.


    ¡°Then I met this weird fellow¡ªa slender, stooped old man. He was in a rundown shaman tower near the castle, draped in ragged human alchemist robe, unshaved like a homeless man, conducting experiments in his alchemy lab. I suspected that he had stayed in the tower for many years¡ªas he didn¡¯t even realise war had broken out in his country. When my men stormed through the door, he just turned his head and scolded them for messing up the experiment data.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks said with a wacky face. ¡°I think I should thank the dumb demon guard who didn¡¯t kill the old man but strictly followed my order to the letter that was to report back any strange items he found; he treated the old man like some strange thing and asked me to check it out. As I shrank my body and went through that alchemy lab door, guess what happened?¡±


    Hao Ren noticed that Y¡¯zaks had completely immersed in his own memory, so he played along and asked more leading questions. ¡°So what happened next?¡±


    ¡°That old man ordered me out of the lab!¡± Y¡¯zaks guffawed heartily. ¡°When four demon guards stormed into his lab, and then another hour had passed before I came, he had been burying his head in the parchments and hadn¡¯t realised they weren¡¯t his students but a bunch of demons!¡±

 Chapter 395

    Y¡¯zaks spoke about his past, but maybe because things happened too long ago, his memory seemed a little messed up. Nonetheless, he could still remember the strange old man¡¯s reaction when the demon guards captured him.


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t afraid of me, not even when I stood before him in my true form.¡± The incredible feeling still lingered in his mind. ¡°His robe was ignited by the flames on my body, but the old man just put the fire out with his bare hands. He then demanded for me to let him go so that he could continue his experiments¡ªI¡¯ve never seen anyone like him and it was interesting. Hence, I gave him two choices.


    ¡°I told him that because he was an interesting human and that I was thrilled, he earned my clemency and I¡¯d give him two choices. One, I¡¯d spare his life. He could leave but without taking anything with him because everything belonged to the demonic army. Two, I would allow him to continue his experiments but he would only have one year lifespan and after he would died and his soul belonged to me.¡±


    Suddenly Y¡¯zaks made a macky face, or he could be rolling his eyes¡ªhis face always looked the same no matter what face he was making. ¡°Now think back of it I feel ashamed of myself. But then I was still young and wanting to do the in thing¡ªbeing cool and mean, scaring the humans, satisfying a wish, collecting soul and stuff like that so to make myself looked like a king. So I was thinking, normal human beings would have chosen to live but that old man surprised me once again.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess: he chose to stay to continue his experiments?¡± Hao Ren had guessed that, it was a preditable story. But to Y¡¯zaks back then it was something new. ¡°By the way what was he doing with the experiments?¡±


    ¡°Studying the universe, things outside the bubble zones and stuff like that.¡± Y¡¯zaks nodded. ¡°Back then I didn¡¯t understand a thing about it and just felt that the old man was interesting, mad, and having no fear of demons. So I let him continue his research. That old guy just said thank you before he turned around and back to his research lab continuing his research in the ruins of the kingdom. I was curious. So I followed him inside to see what he was up to.


    ¡°He then told me about his theory of bubble zone like he was teaching his student. He never treated me like a demon as he shoved a book in my hand before standing in front of his test bench and lecturing. He mentioned a very novel idea no scholar of any races had ever thought of; do you still remember I told you that the structure of the spatial dimension of my home town was different from the rest of the universe? Our entire universe is made up of many individual bubbles. These bubbles contain nothing like The Milky Way but mostly space from as small as a continent to as large as a star system. The old man called the structure ¡®bubbles¡¯ and divided them into different categorisations. He spent his entire life studying it and coming up this theory: the bubbles weren¡¯t the true face of the universe but just a distorted, abnormal star system. He discovered that the law of physics in the bubbles was unusual, so he theorised that the bubble zone wasn¡¯t formed naturally but byproduct of a distorted and shattered star system. He thought that the bubble zone was like a tiny oasis in the real universe¡ªit was unstable and abnormal. And the real universe where billions of stars resided existed on the outside of the bubbles.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks let out a sigh suddenly. ¡°Just like the starry sky of your world.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for while and said, ¡°¡­but this place has been shrouded in fog for a year, could you still see the stars?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks rolled his eyes and smacked on Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder. ¡°So I guess Vivian was right; you always say the wrong thing at the wrong time!¡±


    Hao Ren smiled embarrasingly. ¡°Don¡¯t bother about me¡­ you may continue.¡±


    ¡°In our world, there¡¯s no starry sky like yours.¡± Y¡¯zaks gulped down the shaojiu and continued. ¡°Looking up in the spatial pocket or bubble, all we see are planets, aurora, phantoms of the nearby dimensions, and sometimes a few stars if you¡¯re lucky but not a starry sky like here. We saw everything was normal. The old man was the only one thought that everything was abnormal. He figured out the theoritical size of the universe and found that it was amazingly huge as he frantically searched for the edge of bubble zone. He would be a scientific genius here but a lunatic in our world. Perhaps also the fact that he was born in a tiny human kingdom ruled by some dumbasses had further reinforced the notion that he was a lunatic. So that might be the reason why he was so down and out when I first met him. Any alchemist who failed to produce useful weaponry for the country or luxury products for the elites would be deemed a failure; the old man who only knew about stars and dimensions would certainly be excluded, or expelled if not for his father was an elite.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks paused for a while. There was a wacky smile on his face. ¡°Ironically, this ¡®outcast alchemist¡¯ who was discriminated by the human society had built a massive lab of his dream in the kingdom of the demons. Those advanced technologies which the human kingdom had failed to attain, the demons had made it.¡±


    When Hao Ren heard that, he could almost guess how things transpired then. ¡°So your perspective of the world was broadened with the help of the lunatic scientist. You finally discovered that the space was man¡¯s true romance, so you planned for a grand unification of the world.¡±


    But the truth had proven that his thought was nothing more than a story, the reality was always less rosy than thought. Y¡¯zaks shook his head and said, ¡°In fact, no. I wasn¡¯t that farsighted back then. I was just like the others who had only one thing in mind: if bubble zone theory was true and if I could find where the edge of the bubble was, I would be able to expand my territory indefinitely. That was what I was thinking.¡±


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°The difference between me and the others was that they didn¡¯t believe in the old man, and I did.¡± Y¡¯zaks grinned, making a face no one could tell the difference. ¡°I was thinking that there might be no limit to how big the territory I could acquire outside of the bubble zone and to use that to show off my capability, so I decided to back the old man in his research project. I made him my chief scholar whose responsibility was to search for the edge of the bubble zone. My paradigm shift only happened several hundred years after that.


    ¡°The old man had proven that his research wasn¡¯t a pipedream. He had exhausted his life scaling the world and found the pattern that wove the bubbles together. He was inch from cracking the pattern that connected the bubbles to the outside world. With those semi-complete results, I had expanded my empire twice as fast as other demons and that further strengthened my belief in the theory of bubble zone and my resolve to breakthrough it. During the process, I began to discover the vastness of the universe, and also vanity of racial conflicts in the world¡ª


    ¡°It was ironical that I was the one demon who kicked up the most wars but also the first one to realise the senselessness of the war.


    ¡°I had built an expedition team and followed exactly the teleporting guide the old man had come up with to find the edge of the world. I personally commanded the expedition team. Though the exploration hadn¡¯t been a success, we had gone farther and been to more places than anyone else. We had seen amazing places: storm that ravaged an entire planet, the gas bridge between the two stars in Gemini Constellation, the deadly space environment, and many others. My expedition team was flung out into space during a teleporting accident, half of my men died, my strongest general was captured by a neutron star and vanished into it. During the ten years of exploration, I had seen a great energy which I knew nothing about¡ªa natural power that no races¡ªnot even demons¡ªcould resist. Those races which fight among themselves senselessly for the pathetic bubble zone would never understand the greatness and truth outside.


    ¡°During the expedition, I had made the old man into semi-demon so that he could live a little longer and help me decipher the secret of the universe. But his lifespan was coming to an end. He volunteered to join the expedition because he wanted to witness with his own eyes the things he had been calculating for all his life before he died.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t make it to the edge of the bubble zone, though. The day he decided to cut short the expedition and return home, he was exposed to a high dose of radiation and died shortly after that.


    ¡°He left me his last word: when you finally look back at where you come from after making it so far, you would realise that you were once a fool.


    ¡°Then I turned the expedition team around and returned home. The following year, I began my world unification war plan.¡±

 Chapter 396

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Perhaps, Y¡¯zaks was not the only demon interested in the universe. Some world somewhere, there may have been others who looked up to the sky and were fascinated by it. However, Y¡¯zaks was definitely one of the most motivated and determined.


    He realised that it was difficult to find the edge of the bubble zone, even with the combined resources of the entire demonic race. Furthermore, the constant wars around the world had seriously affected his exploration. So, he thought of unifying the world into just one camp¡ªnot for the sake of so-called righteousness or crusade; he only had one thing in mind and that was to find out what the universe was like outside the bubble zone.


    From his simple-minded plan to expand his empire, he became genuinely interested in the universe itself without realising. He was tired of his mediocre life and the world. It took him several hundred years to change his mindset, plus no demon had ever thought of exploring such a realm before him. He summarised his paradigm shift in these words, ¡°The more I see, the more I discover my ignorance. I began to revere the universe and I became impatient to discover its secrets. That would therefore need the collective strength of the world.¡±


    It was normal for other races, or ¡°typical heroes¡± in religious legends to make up a grand slogan to fighting for some righteous cause. They would call for unity in the name of some divine entity, executing it diplomatically and righteously in their bid to unify the world. Y¡¯aks however, had chosen a different approach; he was a demon, a brute and blunt demonic king, so he chose the most straightforward way.


    He decided to conquer the world.


    And, he had almost succeeded.


    ¡°Slogans of righteousness and diplomatic rhetoric are just lame.¡± Y¡¯zaks spread his hand out. He was looking at his past from a demon¡¯s perspective. ¡°I may have failed, but I still feel that I was on the right path from the start. I consolidated the races under my rule; I invaded the human world, the elves¡¯ forest, the dwarfs¡¯ iron fortress, and the territories of other demons. But this time it was different; it wasn¡¯t about enslaving other races. I was looking for loyal, civilised and smart people who could understand my ideology. So, I built a symbiotic city, created an environment suitable for each race, and treated them equally.


    ¡°It was difficult in the beginning, not because the enemy was too powerful, but because the demons had difficulty in understanding the culture of other races. Thus, they were unable to co-exist with other life forms peacefully. Yes, even I couldn¡¯t do it: I tried to take care of the other races, but I discovered that I frightened them instead. Hence, I started to learn their cultures¡­


    ¡°It was an amazing journey. No demon had ever tried to understand the meaning of ¡®culture¡¯ and ¡®arts¡¯. Perhaps, I was inherently different from other demons. I was captivated and I quickly immersed myself in the culture of others.


    ¡°After I had enough understanding of other races, I issued a decree and became the first demonic king to establish a comprehensive set of laws. I established the bill of equal rights for all races, ordered them to live for a common purpose, and accorded them the highest level of freedom possible. I also ordered demons¡ªthe dominant race¡ªto protect the weak but smart races, so that my research project could go on. I established a code of ethics based on a consensus from all cultures. Every race in my kingdom had to abide by it to ensure social stability.


    ¡°The only punishment for violating the law was death.¡±


    By now, Hao Ren had an even deeper understanding of Y¡¯zaks, a demon who practiced the standard of the saints. However, the reverse was also probably true¡ªhe was a saint who acted like a demon. So in another sense, he was a tyrant, a tyrant with morals.


    Perhaps there would never be such a ruler in the human world. Only the unique thinking of demons could produce such an odd ball like Y¡¯zaks.


    ¡°How shall I say this? You were still on the wrong path.¡± Hao Ren tried to be subtle. ¡°Your approach was too crude; although effective, it only worked for demons. Other races are more complicated, especially humans¡­¡±


    ¡°When I finally realised this mistake, my empire was already tumbling.¡± Y¡¯zaks gave a wry smile. ¡°Enemies were everywhere, inside and outside. Kingdoms of the world had declared war on me. They called me the ¡®King of Madness¡¯ and the ¡®Mad Demonic King¡¯. Races outside saw me as a conspirator, who was attempting to destroy the world, while races within my kingdom began to fall out with each other. Some remained loyal to me, but most revolted. The saddest thing of all was, my fellow demons weren¡¯t tolerant of a ¡®scum with a sense of morality¡¯ among them. In the beginning, they couldn¡¯t fight me, so they alienated me; when I was under seige from within and without, they began to surround and attack me.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks sighed, his face suddenly turning weird. ¡°The most ironic thing was, those different races¡ªhumans, elves, dwarves, dark elves, orcs¡ªin my hometown began to unite and form a never-before-seen alliance for the past 1,000 years. The united race, which I had been dreaming of finally took shape in front of me to finish off me.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks took the shaojiu and gulped it down completely.


    Hao Ren was awed by his epic past and about to go bottoms up with his wineglass too before Y¡¯zaks stopped him. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, just listen to me. You¡¯ll knock yourself out with this¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t.¡± Hao Ren smiled wryly before emptying the liquor into his throat. He twisted the corner of his mouth and quietly said to him, ¡°It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t drink. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t quite like it.¡±


    Then, he looked up at Y¡¯zaks, hesitating for a long moment before saying, ¡°In fact, I have something to say, but I¡¯m not sure if I should.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead, please.¡± Y¡¯zaks grinned. ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry about me.¡±


    Honesty was Hao Ren¡¯s biggest strength. ¡°You were a little naive.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks was appalled and wide-eyed for a long moment. Then, he guffawed. ¡°Hahaha, you¡¯re just¡­¡±


    Y¡¯zaks held his belly and laughed hysterically. His large movement rocked the whole place and almost scared the cat on the second floor. Vivian who was ¡°stewing¡± Lil Pea outside asked, ¡°What are you guys going?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks waved his hand frantically and tried to suppress his laughter. He then looked at Hao Ren seriously. ¡°I tell you what, you¡¯re right, mate! I was naive. I was too simple-minded. Now when I look back at it¡­ I realise, world unification isn¡¯t something a demon could have done.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s got nothing to do with being a demon. You were just too impatient.¡± Hao Ren waved him off. ¡°You should¡¯ve done it slowly. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re going to die tomorrow. You could¡¯ve invaded one country one at a time until all the older generations were completely gone. The newer generations would certainly be more susceptive, so why the haste?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks was stunned. He scraped his bald head and said, ¡°How awesome it would¡¯ve been if you were my military strategist. My stategist was only good in battle, he couldn¡¯t really strategise. But, that¡¯s all history now.¡±


    Hao Ren carefully asked, ¡°What about your daughter?¡±


    He noticed that the conversation had drifted off topic and they ended up talking about Y¡¯zaks¡¯ hundred-year war history. He tried to bring it back on course.


    Y¡¯zaks let out a heavy sigh. Regarding his daughter, he said, ¡°She died when she fell into a crack, along with Osidia and the demon forces who followed me loyally until the end. I muddled along for some time before being captured by other demons. I was rescued by a passing Xi Ling Celestial and sent here. The rest is history¡­¡±


    Y¡¯zaks¡¯ voice became softer and softer before he sighed again. ¡°After a hundred years of glory and despite my high ambition, everything was futile. The world¡¯s too big, while I¡¯m too little. Perhaps I was really wrong; I asked for too much. I couldn¡¯t even save my own daughter, let alone conquer the universe. Yes, I was naive.¡±


    *Bang!*


    Fireworks popped in the night sky outside.


    Hao Ren and Y¡¯zaks were sitting across each other. Hao Ren reached his hand out and patted Y¡¯zaks on the shoulder.


    Shortly after, there was a fuss outside the door, with Lily screaming, ¡°Landlord! I just blew someone out of the sky!¡±

 Chapter 397

    ¡°I just blew someone out of the sky!¡±


    Lily¡¯s scream interrupted their conversation. Hao Ren and Y¡¯zaks looked at each other for a while before the demon scratched his head and said, ¡°What happened to her again?¡±


    ¡°God knows! Give me a second, I¡¯ll check it out.¡± Hao Ren then scurried out the door.


    Outside, people had all gathered at one particular spot. They were all pointing at something. Lily was the most eye-catching person among the crowd as she gestured what had just happened with her hands. She ran towards Hao Ren when she saw him. ¡°Landlord, I just blew someone out of the sky!¡±


    Hao Ren turned Lily back around towards the crowd. He then followed her from behind and asked, ¡°Hey, control yourself¡ªwhat happened?¡±


    Lily stepped aside and pointed as she said, ¡°It¡¯s lying there. Is it still alive?¡±


    Hao Ren poked his head out and was stunned. He saw a human figure, draped in some kind of black windcoat. The figure was lying face down on the ground. Judging from the person¡¯s long hair and figure, it was a female. The ground where the victim¡¯s face had smashed into was cracked. She apparently crashed face down.


    Hao Ren quivered for a moment. He knew she was not human¡ªno human would still remain intact after landing head first like that; this had to have something to do with the otherworldly light ring that was covering his house. It was either that or Raven 12345 had once again sent ¡°people¡± over unannounced.


    He went to examine the body, asking the husky, ¡°What happened? How did you shoot her out of the sky?¡±


    ¡°It was the double-bang firecracker!¡± Lily gestured frantically as she was convinced that she had indeed blown the person out of the sky. ¡°After I launched the huge double-bang banger into the air, this thing just fell out of the sky. She twitched for a while before becoming totally lifeless.¡±


    Hao Ren was amazed about all the horrible things that kept happening to the husky. He squatted down beside the victim and carefully patted her on the shoulder. There was no response and he flipped her around.


    Everyone was dumbstruck.


    The victim was a female. She looked young and different, having brown skin. On top of that, she was good-looking as well as alluring. Despite being unconscious, she exuded a subtle amorous beauty, especially when it came to magical light purple lips. No one could resist from staring at it, but Hao Ren had his will hardened thanks to Vivian and Raven 12345. He was not going to be that easily enchanted.


    The mysterious woman¡¯s unusual feature was her forehead: she had a pair of horns.


    In fact, the cracks on the ground were caused by the horns. This was the reason why Hao Ren had not been able to flip her around immediately. Her horns were stuck in the concrete¡ªhe had never seen anything like it in all the novels he had read.


    The mysterious lady with horns was wearing a slim-fit armour, which was made from some unknown material. Judging from its lustre and texture, it was no ordinary armour.


    ¡°She¡¯s a demon!¡± Vivian quickly recognised the female¡¯s race. ¡°But, she¡¯s unlike any species of demon I¡¯ve ever known¡­ They aren¡¯t as pretty.¡±


    By then, Y¡¯zaks had also come out from the house. When he saw the body, he was shocked. ¡°Lanina?¡±


    ¡°You know her?¡± Vivian looked at Y¡¯zaks in surprise. Hao Ren knew something was bound to happen every time he was about to enjoy his hard-found peaceful day.


    ¡°She was my subordinate.¡± Y¡¯zaks was actually more surprised than Vivian was. He squatted down looking at the passed out female demon, feeling incredible. ¡°How did she manage to be still alive? How did she come here?¡±


    Just when Hao Ren was about to say something, he discovered a little note pinned on the female demon¡¯s clothing. He picked it up and saw the upsettingly ugly handwriting on the note, says, ¡°This bitch has been more lost than a blind man in the middle of a shoot-out. If I don¡¯t collect her she would have died in the middle of nowhere. So now it¡¯s officially yours¡ªyour majestic Goddess.¡±


    Lily had thought that she had gotten into a trouble. She was instantly relieved hearing what Y¡¯zaks said. ¡°Oh, Biggie knows her? She was blown out of the sky by me.¡±


    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t.¡± Hao Ren sighed and raised the note in his hand. ¡°It was Raven 12345 who threw her out of the sky. See? the consignment note is till here.¡±


    Everyone started to think matter-of-coursely when they heard it was Raven 12345 who did it. Even Y¡¯zaks had appeared less surprised.


    ¡°Just don¡¯t keep talking here. Let¡¯s carry her inside.¡± Vivian glanced at Y¡¯zaks and Hao Ren, sensing there might be something behind this. She didn¡¯t ask. She said to Lily, ¡°Doggie, give me a hand.¡±


    Lanina, the female demon was carried into the living hall. Vivian laid her on the sofa before taking a wet tower wanting to apply on Lanina¡¯s forehead. But she was at a loss of how to do it¡ªthe pair of horns was getting in her way.


    Hao Ren took over the damp tower and wrapped it over the horns in a ¡®8¡¯ shape. Vivian looked on, dumbfounded. ¡°Will this work?¡±


    ¡°Theoritically, nothing works on demon.¡± Hao Ren looked at the tower wrapped around the horns, he felt the strange seductive aura had somewhat lessened. ¡°We do our best. What Raven did is totally brainless. How could she just throw her from the sky like that?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks also came near beside the sofa checking out the condition of the female demon. As he came closer, the female demon¡¯s eyelids twitched rapidly before her eyes opened, revealing a pair of dark red vertical pupils.


    As the female demon opened her eyes, she found herself surrounded by strangers in a bright and warm place. Her first reaction was jump out of the sofa, then kept herself several metres away from the ¡®humans¡¯ and asked cautiously, ¡°Who are you people?¡±


    It was standard demonic language, extremely tongue-twisting and not easy to understand. Hao Ren replied in demonic language. ¡°Calm down, we¡¯re not going to hurt you¡­¡±


    ¡°You speak demonic language?¡± The female demon had a pair of slightly curved rapiers in her hand and stared cautiously at Hao Ren. ¡°You¡¯re servant of a demon? Which demon owns you? Or you¡¯re the follower of demonic sect? What do you want?¡±


    Then Y¡¯zaks finally opened his mouth. ¡°Lanina, keep your weapons down.¡±


    The female demon was appalled and looked at Y¡¯zaks. She felt a sense of familiarity in him¡ªhis tone of voice and his aura, but she wasn¡¯t so sure by his appearance. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t recognise me?¡± Y¡¯zaks stared at the female demon with his arms crossed. ¡°Haven¡¯t you seen me in human form?¡±


    ¡°¡­.king?¡± The female demon¡¯s brows knit together as she looked at the big guy in front of her in disbelief. She shook her head slightly. ¡°It can¡¯t be. You might look eight-tenth like him but it should be a lot uglier.¡±


    Hao Ren gaped at Y¡¯zaks as cold sweat trickled down his back. ¡°You looked more gruesome when you formshifted back then?¡±


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t mastered the trick last time.¡± Y¡¯zaks was embarrased and turned his face away. The muscles on his face began to twist, his face looked even more menacing and fearsome now as if his skin had been ravaged by years of horrible natural disasters. He then turned and looked at Lanina. ¡°¡­now does it look familiar to you already?¡±


    The female demon was rooted to the spot like a statue for a long while before she muttered. ¡°My King¡­it¡¯s really you? You¡¯re still alive? I¡­I haven¡¯t come to a wrong place?¡±


    It was a touching moment. Hao Ren couldn¡¯t help but look at the note in his hand, and began to wonder if she hadn¡¯t come to the right place¡­

 Chapter 398

    Lanina looked at Y¡¯zaks excitedly and began to talk incoherently. Y¡¯zaks waved at her and said, ¡°Calm down and tell me what happened. How did you survive? How did you find me?¡±


    The demoness smiled tearfully. Vivivan never thought demons could have such complex emotions. Lanina held her hands together tightly, as if by doing this, she could prevent herself from passing out. ¡°I-I was flung into an adjacent dimension by a spatial storm when Osidian Throne collapsed. I hid in there for a long time, and managed to escape the pursuit of the Holy See¡¯s forces and later on the demons.


    She walked towards Y¡¯zaks, and Hao Ren immediately noticed thatshe was actually limping. It looked like she was injured.


    Y¡¯zaks¡¯ furrowed his brows. ¡°What happened to your leg?¡±


    Lanina looked at her leg in trepidation. ¡°It was all my fault. I got lost somewhere, then got hit by a giant metal ship that came down from heaven. My leg still hurts.¡±


    A thought suddenly crossed Hao Ren¡¯s mind as he recalled the moment. ¡°Wait a second, did you say you were hit by a giant metal ship? Where did it happen?¡±


    The demoness gave Hao Ren a confused glance; she was wary of the stranger. Y¡¯zaks then nodded at her and said, ¡°He owns this place. Just answer what he asks you.¡±


    Lanina could not make out what he meant. She just looked at Hao Ren fearfully and answered every question he asked. ¡°I can¡¯t exactly recall where it happened. All I remember is, it was a planet with a big ocean, much like this place, and the giant metal ship looked like¡­¡±


    After Lanina recounted what had happened, Nangong Wuyue and Y¡¯zaks had a weird expression on their faces. Hao Ren reached into his Dimensional Pocket and took out a piece of deformed metal, which had a scratch on it. He compared the metal piece and the lower body of the demoness, then the penny dropped. ¡°Ah, it was you!¡±


    The demoness was perplexed. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Apparently, you were the one who kicked down my daughter¡¯s courier pod with your side kick.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s mouth twitched as he looked at Lanina. ¡°But, from the looks of it, your kick was just a natural reflex. You¡¯re still limping.¡±


    Lanina appeared clueless. She had no a clue what the stranger was talking about, or why these humans were not afraid of demons. Y¡¯zaks knew this subordinate of his was a little feeble-minded, so he patted the sofa, motioning her to sit down. ¡°Tell me about your journey. Do you know how far you¡¯ve come? This is another world altogether.¡±


    Lanina sat down respectfully and faced Y¡¯zaks. They were immediately surrounded by a bunch of busybodies. As her eyes scanned her surroundings, she said, ¡°I hid in an alien dimension and dodged their pursuit. When I finally got out, a month had already passed and the spatial dimension¡¯s exit had shifted to a spot near the lava canyon. I kept myself updated with news of the war on the way back to the battlefield, then I learned¡­¡±


    ¡°That we had lost the war, right? Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s nothing you can¡¯t say,¡± Y¡¯zaks said carelessly. ¡°Did you find out about my whereabouts?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did. I learned that you were headed towards Blackiron Peaks, so I went straight there. But then I had an accident on the way and got lost. When I finally arrived in Blackiron Peaks, I only knew that you had been captured and brought to the Demonic Plane. I followed your trail and eventually found your location in the Demonic Plane. However, just as I was about to get you out of the prison¡­¡±¡ªLanina paused for a while as though she had difficulty in telling them what actually happened¡ª¡±I saw a woman in the shape of a spirit appearing just outside your cell. She then obliterated the Demonic Foundry entirely and disappeared with you in a flash of white light. My King, who was that woman? Was she our ally?¡±


    ¡°She called herself Tawil, a deity who has the ability to reincarnate infinitely. The spirit you saw was just her ray of thought,¡± Y¡¯zaks explained to his former subordinate. ¡°She took me simply because I was a weirdo, she was curious. The white light was the gateway to other worlds.¡±


    Lanina looked at Y¡¯zaks in astonishment. ¡°A deity? My King, didn¡¯t you hate things like that?¡±


    ¡°I only despised those deities who fought for their own self-interest in the confines of their own small bubbles.¡± Y¡¯zaks widened his mouth in derision of the self-proclaimed ¡°gods¡± in his hometown. ¡°So, you came here through the white light too? But then again, that¡¯s impossible. I went through a transit and the immigration check at the World Gate was very strict. How did you stow away?¡±


    Lanina did not know what ¡°stow away¡± meant, but she had a rough idea on what to say. ¡°With the help from a bunch of green, gnome-like creatures¡­¡±


    ¡°Green creatures? Gnomes?¡± Hao Ren chimed in at once. He did forget his true identity as an inspector of the Empire. He had to watch out for stowaways. He needed to collect as much intel as possible of those who crossed worlds without first reporting themselves.


    Lanina nodded and said, ¡°When I went through the white light, I found myself in a strange place with self-operating machines. They were like alchemical equipment, but much more advanced, and they were everywhere. Then, there was a glass hall where strange races traversed¡­¡±


    Y¡¯zaks explained to Hao Ren quietly, ¡°It¡¯s the hall of a small sub-hub in the docking station. She jumped into the white light before it disappeared and got flung in a different direction.¡±


    ¡°I lingered in that strange place for several days.¡± Lanina pulled her together. ¡°The people there understood the demonic language, so communication wasn¡¯t a problem. I met Geeste Sparkplug, a gnome who told me that he was from Suicide Transporter. In exchange for a demonic gem, he sold me intel on the whereabouts of a higher demon, who had just left the place a few days earlier¡­¡±


    ¡°Then you stowed away on the gnome¡¯s commercial ship, right?¡± Hao Ren smacked his head. He had learned of a gnomish transporter with imperial background. It was famous in multiple worlds for its ideology: ¡°Any business is welcomed as long as it doesn¡¯t land us before the fire squad.¡± They probably took advantage of a loophole to smuggle this demoness of unknown origin via the civilian route. The empire would not blink an eye at small smuggling cases. ¡°How did you get yourselves sent to 800 light years away? The gnomes must have known Y¡¯zaks was sent to the Solar System.¡±


    The female demon lowered her head slightly. ¡°¡­Because of a small problem. I was lost in space. I¡¯ve learned the magic required for space survival and warp jumps, but I¡¯m not good at directions.¡±


    Hao Ren recalled the note that Raven 12345 left behind. He looked at the aide-de-camp, who appeared to be pretty trustworthy, and recalled her saying that she was lost. He turned and asked Y¡¯zaks, ¡°Is she directionally challenged?¡±


    ¡°Let me do the introductions. She was my military strategist.¡± Y¡¯zaks raised his hand, pointing at Lanina. ¡°She was good in battle, but only battle. Direction-wise, yes. And it¡¯s pretty serious.¡±


    Lanina looked up and said, ¡°I¡¯ve improved!¡±


    ¡°You even get lost on a one-way street from Augite Hall to the Obsidian Throne.¡± Y¡¯zaks glared at Lanina. ¡°And you told me you accidentally walked in the other direction! Who would believe that?¡±


    He then waved his hand and sighed as if he had seen through the vanity of life. ¡°Let it be. I don¡¯t care how you survived. The most important thing is, you¡¯ve arrived here safely. Please stay here in peace.¡±


    Lanina suddenly got to her feet and looked at Y¡¯zaks in disbelief. ¡°My King, won¡¯t you follow me back?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks replied, ¡°What for? Let bygones be bygones. After all, I¡¯m pretty happy here.¡±


    ¡°But, your magnificent¡ª¡±


    ¡°Magnificent plan? There will always be someone willing to carry it out. Perhaps a human who is smarter, or any other Tom, Dick and Harry. As long as the civilisation remains, there will be someone who is interested in the truth of the world. But it doesn¡¯t concern me anymore.¡± Y¡¯zaks flopped himself on the sofa and sighed again. ¡°I¡¯m not your king anymore. I¡¯m now Wang Daquan, who is having a good life here.¡±


    Lanina was dumbstruck, looking at the dejected version of Y¡¯zaks. She could not believe that this was the demonic king who had once defeated all other races and reshaped the landscape of the world. She glanced around haplessly and realised that no one could help her. Then something crossed her mind.


    ¡°Wait a second, My King! The princess may still be alive!¡±

 Chapter 399

    ¡°The princess may still be alive!¡±


    The demoness knew what was in Y¡¯zaks¡¯ heart. When she broke the news, no one was as shocked as Y¡¯zaks. After a long while, Y¡¯zaks stood up slowly. ¡°Is it true?¡±


    Seeing this, Vivian knew there was more than meets the eye. She poked Hao Ren on the arm and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Biggie had a daughter,¡± Hao Ren answered. Although he was just as shocked, he managed to recover and explained to the others. ¡°Supposedly, when Biggie lost the war, his daughter fell into a spatial dimensional gap¡­¡±


    ¡°The princess may still be alive¡­ maybe.¡± Noticing that Y¡¯zaks¡¯ eyes were exuding a strange emotion, Lanina instantly became timid. ¡°When I was looking for you, I heard news of the princess. It was said that the forces of the Holy See were searching for something in the Obsidian Plains. The Royal City is the only valuable thing in the Obsidian Plains, but the entire Royal City had been swallowed by the gap, so¡­¡±


    ¡°So, the Holy See may have been looking for Y¡¯lisabet?¡± Y¡¯zaks¡¯ face was radiating with emotion¡ªit was an excitement no one had ever seen before. He jumped to his feet and rubbed his hands in anticipation, like he was waiting for a lottery draw. ¡°Very likely, very likely indeed. As the Obsidian Plains are in a demonic dimension, the only reason the various races of the Holy See would linger in that space was to look for someone of importance¡­ They had to be looking for Y¡¯lisabet!¡±


    Lanina quickly played down the speculation. ¡°It¡¯s just a possibility. They may be looking for the princess, or they may also be looking for the energy source of the Royal City. You and I know that it was a thing of interest to them¡­¡±


    ¡°No, no, no! They must be looking for Y¡¯lisabet.¡± Y¡¯zaks¡¯ pupils were suddenly dilated and a heat wave radiated from him. He looked scary as hell. ¡°They must be looking for Y¡¯lisabet!¡±


    So, Hao Ren finally knew the name of Y¡¯zaks¡¯ daughter, which was strikingly similar to the name Lil Pea had. It was Y¡¯zaks who gave Lil Pea her name. ¡°I see, you named Lil Pea ¡®Elizabeth¡¯ in remembrance of your daughter.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks did not seem to be bothered by what the others were saying as the news of his daughter¡¯s survival had totally occupied him. He walked in circles anxiously before grabbing Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m going back! I¡¯m going to get my daughter!¡±


    Then, he turned around and walked off. Hao Ren remained stunned for a while before he came to his senses. ¡°Hey, stop! Where are you going?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks, who was already at the doorway looked back, and to everyone¡¯s bewilderment, he said , ¡°Back to my hometown!¡±


    ¡°Are you planning to walk back to your hometown just like that?¡± Hao Ren stared at Y¡¯zaks, who appeared lost. ¡°Your daughter is in another world! You think you can go home like you¡¯re going to buy soy sauce in the supermarket across the street?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ you¡¯re right.¡± Y¡¯zaks finally came to his senses. He turned back and came up to Hao Ren, grabbing him by the shoulders again. ¡°You¡¯re an inspector, you can get me past the World Gate. Send me home¡­¡±


    Hao Ren looked down at his own shoulders. His Steel Membrane Shield was rippling with a faint glow and its capacity bar was falling. He tried frantically to get away from the Y¡¯zaks¡¯ massive grip. ¡°Stop it! Sit down! With your current state of mind, I wouldn¡¯t dare get you a World Gate pass!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks stepped back obediently and placed his butt back on the sofa¡ªit was the first time he had ever heard Hao Ren speaking in such a loud voice. Lanina¡¯s jaw almost dropped to the floor; she had never seen her boss so submissive to a human. She was even more fearful of Hao Ren. But whatever it was in her mind, she was definitely mistaken.


    Hao Ren stared at Y¡¯zaks, who was sitting on the sofa and rubbing his hands anxiously. He patted Y¡¯zaks¡¯ on the shoulder twice with all his might, trying to get him to come his senses. He then twisted his mouth and said, ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking. I¡¯m happy to hear that your daughter may still be alive too. But, do you have a rescue plan?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks took a few deep breaths and finally calmed down somewhat. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s been a year. Even Lanina¡¯s left the place for months. I can¡¯t imagine what has become of my home town. If Y¡¯lisabet could survive in the spatial dimensional gap, she should be alive. The child is smart, and good at hiding. As for the rescue plan, I¡¯ll have to get back there first, and then figure it out. I don¡¯t have a clue on the situation there, or whether the forces of the Holy See are still in the Obsidian Plains.


    ¡°If what Lanina said is true, they must still be there. They won¡¯t leave before they find what they want.¡± Hao Ren looked at Y¡¯zaks. ¡°So, you plan to go in just like that? Or, do you plan on hanging missing person notices all over the world, telling everyone that you¡¯re looking for your daughter? By then, even your ¡®own kind¡¯ would come after you, what more the Holy See.¡±


    Lily began to catch up with what they were talking about. She muttered, ¡°Then you¡¯d be hung up and beaten again¡­¡±


    That was of course, unacceptable to Lanina. She glowered and banged the table. ¡°My king is invincible!¡±


    Hao Ren wanted to stop her, but it was too late. He just managed to mutter, ¡°Oh my¡­ tea table¡­¡±


    The tea table broke in half. Lily stuck her tongue out and said, ¡°This time, it¡¯s not my fault.¡±


    ¡°Never mind. I will just make a claim from the operating budget.¡± It appeared to have become a norm, as Hao Ren did not harp on about it. Y¡¯zaks on the other, did not appear to have a negative opinion about what Lily had said. ¡°Lily¡¯s right, I¡¯m too emotional now. I¡¯ll screw things up if I go in blindly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Hao Ren exhaled. ¡°You won¡¯t have peace if you can¡¯t go back to take a look. Two is better than one, at least you¡¯ll have someone to watch over your shoulder.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go too!¡± Lily jumped to her feet excitedly. ¡°Maybe I can find some good food there!¡±


    Vivian smiled warmly. ¡°Biggie¡¯s a good man. I would¡¯ve been dead in Athens without him, so count me in.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue shrugged and said, ¡°Well, I¡¯m a nanny, so I¡¯ll just tag along.¡±


    Having a bunch of true friends in his time of need, Y¡¯zaks was almost tearful. He could not thank them enough. Hao Ren gave him a pat on his back and said, ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. So can you please lower your body heat now? The sofa¡¯s going up in flame¡­¡±


    Feeling embarrassed, Y¡¯zaks kept his heat under control. He then looked at the broken tea table, and forced a smile. ¡°I still have some treasure left back home. I can retrieve it and bring it back here, you know, at least it¡¯s enough to pay the rental¡­¡±


    Lanina looked on, flabbergasted. She couldn¡¯t fathom what had happened for the last one year between her boss and these strange ¡®humans¡¯, but she still knew what she needed to do; she got to her feet and bowed at them at once. ¡°Thank you for your help, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Just don¡¯t say the T word.¡± Hao Ren waved at her. ¡°Everyone here is careless about your past. As long as we stay under one roof we will help each other out.¡±


    Lanina stood still. Hao Ren glanced at the demoness and finally figured out what was wrong with her all this while. ¡°Now, could you get the tower off your horns?¡±


    Then only Lanina realised don¡¯t-know-since-when a damp tower was wraping over her horns. She pulled it down at once. Lily scratched her face and muttered, ¡°Why I got the feeling that the demon is from Shaanxi¡­?¡±


    Hao Ren took out the MDT. ¡°Compile what had happened today and send the report to Raven 12345, I guess she has to know what happened.¡±


    Even before they departed, Hao Ren had already anticipated this operation wasn¡¯t going to be just another adventure, they might be dragged into the conflict between demons and the Holy See. So he had to prepare for the worst.


    And one thing was obvious¨Cif you were to bring Napoleon back to 1816¡¯s France, who would believe that you¡¯re just helping him looking for his family?

 Chapter 400

    The whereabouts of his daughter was the single most important thing to Y¡¯zaks. He could not wait topack up and go home that night. But once he calmed down, he realised that he needed a plan. He had to brief Hao Ren and the rest about the situation in his hometown, prepare them for battle, find a disguise, carry out some recce, and allow Lanina to recuperate from her injury.


    Lanina was different from Y¡¯zaks. Judging from her physical appearance, she was not a skilled fighter. She was hit by a spacecraft and she injured her leg in the process. It had yet to recover and the wound was starting to show its sequelae. Without advanced medical attention, the injury would likely linger on. Luckily, Hao Ren had all the medical facilities she needed right down in the basement.


    Hao Ren as well as Y¡¯zaks brought Lanina down to the basement and pointed at a row of silvery white caskets. ¡°Pick one and lie inside. After 30 minutes, your legs will be healed. And tonight you¡¯ll have to put up with Vivian here. The rooms upstairs are all full.¡±


    The four ascetics had occupied the last two rooms since they came. Vivian was the only one who slept in the basement, which was pretty large. Hao Ren only needed to add an extra bed down there and it was good to go.


    The demoness was astounded upon seeing the silvery white devices. She blinked her eyes in amazement. ¡°So, you¡¯re a necromancer?¡±


    Hao Ren replied, ¡°¡­Just do as I say. Questions aren¡¯t really necessary. I have a unique aesthetic perception.¡±


    The demoness lowered her head and laid herself in the nearest hibernation pod. The pod shut and started performing a biophysical scan on her body before coming up with treatment options. Hao Ren let out a sigh of relief and said, ¡°Dang¡­ Looking at her is so stressful.¡±


    ¡°Stressful?¡± Vivian, who was packing up on the bed nearby glanced at Hao Ren curiously. ¡°What stress is there with a maiden?¡±


    Embarrassed, Hao Ren replied, ¡°There¡¯s something you may not know. I find Lanina weird. She¡¯s pretty no doubt, but theoretically I shouldn¡¯t have gotten that love-at-first-sight kind of feeling. I don¡¯t know. Every time I look her in the eyes, I almost lose myself.


    Hao Ren was very honest with his feelings towards Lanina. He confided in Vivian as he found his feelings unreal and unnatural. He did not think that they were real. Vivian just frowned and scoffed at him. ¡°I see, that¡¯s your cup of tea; someone literally horny with sheep hooves, and whip-like tail. Your taste is pretty unique, eh? Are you judging people by their faces and boobs alone?¡±


    Hao Ren quickly explained, ¡°No, no, no. You¡¯re mistaken. It¡¯s got nothing to do with appearance. But honestly, I think you look prettier than her¡­¡±


    Y¡¯zaks came to his rescue and explained, ¡°That¡¯s normal; Lanina is a succubus; seduction is her inborn talent.¡±


    Hao Ren was startled. ¡°Succubus? This is a succubus?!¡±


    ¡°Yup. I don¡¯t know if there are any succubi in this world. In our world, female demons like Lanina are succubi,¡± Y¡¯zaks said as he nodded. ¡°They¡¯re good at seduction and they draw their power from the spirits of male creatures. They like to play with feelings, but sometimes they do get involve in seriousrelationships with male humans or other humanoids for a while. They are one of the demon races whose mind is stronger than the body. That¡¯s the uniqueness of succubi in our world. However, Lanina is a little extraordinary. She¡¯s not interested in seducing others and has never really practiced her skill. What you encountered a while ago was just her aura exuding inadvertently. By resisting her seduction just now, it means you already have pretty strong will power.¡±


    Hao Ren was astonished ¡°Whoa! If that¡¯s how it felt with an inadvertent show of power, how much stronger are true succubi?¡±


    ¡°The strongest ones can brainwash people with just a glance , and make highly trained warriors be willing to die for them with just a single word. However, their powers only work on male targets, andthe effects are temporary,¡± Y¡¯zaks briefly explained. ¡°In fact, their seduction ability is just a survival skill and not their strongest ability. In my hometown, succubi are valued for their brains; they¡¯re smart, and as long as their masters are strong enough, succubi will be loyal to them. Many demon commanders or kings use succubi as strategists. What¡¯s more, succubi are good weapons against intelligent beings like humans, thus making them even more valuable.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, so that¡¯s why Lanina became your military strategist?¡± Hao Ren suddenly became interested in the demonic ecosystem of Y¡¯zaks¡¯ hometown. He thought of the strange attitude Lanina had towardsY¡¯zaks¡ªit looked like she almost worshipped Y¡¯zaks. He suddenly realised that he had cracked the secret. ¡°Wait a second¡­ judging from Lanina¡¯s mental state and her reluctance to seduce others, could it be that she has feelings for you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s bullsh*t.¡± Y¡¯zaks¡¯ face suddenly turned serious. ¡°I adopted Lanina since she was a kid. I treat her almost like my own daughter. I knew she liked the art of war, so I made her my strategist. Back inmy hometown, we don¡¯t practice hanky panky.¡±


    Hao Ren still thought he had cracked it. ¡°You still don¡¯t see it. The maiden obviously worships you¡ªshe¡¯s almost fanatical. She even discarded her seduction ability. Isn¡¯t it because she has someone in her heart?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks spread out his hand. ¡°She likes women!¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s jaw almost dropped to the floor. Meanwhile, Vivian who had been a spectator suddenly jumped up from her bed. She hit the ceiling and broke into a swarm of falling bats. When she finally collected herself back to her original shape, she stared at Y¡¯zaks. ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    ¡°I said, Lanina likes women,¡± Y¡¯zaks sounded like he was about to cry. ¡°I don¡¯t know if my teaching went wrong somewhere or she was just born that way. The truth is, she avoids males and she¡¯s tucked away her talent for seduction. To make up for her regressing talent, she began studying magic and combat techniques.¡±


    Then, Y¡¯zaks helplessly pointed to where Lanina was lying. ¡°She¡¯s the only succubus in history who¡¯s devoted herself to honing physical strength¡­¡±


    Hao Ren chimed in quietly in his mind, It¡¯s because she grew up with a poor diet.


    There was a drastic change on Vivian¡¯s face before she lunged towards Hao Ren and grabbed his shoulders. ¡°You want me to share a bed with her tonight?¡±


    Hao Ren began to see ghostly images because Vivian was grabbing him and shaking him like a dog. ¡°Hey, let go¡­ That was just an initial plan¡­¡±


    Vivian released her grip, her face almost green. ¡°Why is it that I always end up meeting with weirdos? We have enough of them here already.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t be prejudiced against her.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°Besides, where is she going to sleep if not with you? You have the largest room here. The rooms of the other girls can only fit one person.¡±


    ¡°Just let her mess with Doggie!¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t mind it. It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know Lily; she¡¯ll wreck the whole house if things go wrong.¡± Hao Ren glanced at Vivian then continued, ¡°To be honest, I still think that this is the best place¡ªafter the long struggle you¡¯ve had with Hessiana, you may have already learned enough defensive techniques¡­¡±


    Before Vivian could say anything, the hibernation pod suddenly chimed. The pod began to slowly open and Lanina sat up.


    The demoness got out of the ¡°casket¡±lithely and walked around. She was delighted to find that the injury on her leg had completely healed. Even her entire body had been tuned back to its peak performance level. She bowed down joyously and thanked Hao Ren. ¡°Thank you for your help. You¡¯re the kindest human I¡¯ve ever met¡­ Umm, is there something wrong?¡±


    She noticed the strange atmosphere.


    Hao Ren quickly shook his head and said, ¡°Oh, nothing. We were just discussing about the upcomingoperation.¡±


    Meanwhile, Vivian was not that subtle. ¡°Lanina, may I ask you a question about your sexual orientation?¡±


    ¡°Sexual orientation?¡± The succubus had no clue of what Vivian¡¯s highly sophisticated vocabulary meant¡ªVivian had it forcibly translated into the demonic language. No translation plug-in could make up a non-existent term in the demonic language and feed it into Lanina¡¯s brain..


    Vivian had her arms in akimbo as she said, ¡°I¡¯m asking whether you like men or women. I heard you like women.¡±


    Cold sweat trickled down Hao Ren¡¯s forehead. Little did he expect the usually reserved Vivian to be so crude. She was obviously desperate.


    True to Lanina¡¯s nature as a succubus, there was not much reaction on her face. She just shook her head in confusion. ¡°Who said I like women?¡±


    Vivian¡¯s facial muscles immediately relaxed until she heard the second part of Lanina¡¯s words. ¡°I just don¡¯t like men¡­¡±


    Vivian¡¯s face immediately turned green again¡­

 Chapter 401

    After all said and done, Lanina had to sleep in the same room with Vivian. There were simply no rooms left to accommodate the demon, and Vivian¡¯s room had space. Hao Ren was actually OK to sleep together with the succubus, but that will probably get him murdered¡­


    Vivian reluctantly accepted the arrangement after Lanina assured her that she was not a lesbian. It took a while before the vampire decided to trust her. Besides, if Lanina was a true blue lesbian succubus, she¡¯d already struck by now¡­ and going by how a succubus operate, sleeping in the same room or not did not actually matter.


    Hao Ren thought that Y¡¯zaks probably sucked at being a father figure to Lanina that he didn¡¯t even know the orientation of the succubus he adopted. Then again¡­ trying do dig your own step-daughter¡¯s sexual orientation as probably NOT something a father should do. Forget it, logic does not hold water in situations like this. In fact, it is impossible to find someone with an intact worldview in this household any more. Hao Ren had long gave up trying to figure out the stories of his tenants for fear of being driven insane.


    The next morning, Hao Ren was not woken by his cat, nor his beloved daughter: The moment he open his eyes a vicious look face was staring at him, and his heart almost stopped beating. The big face even spoke: ¡°You¡¯re awake? Lets go then. We need to speak with the Goddess¡­.¡±


    Hao Ren moved sideways to avoid Y¡¯zaks intense gaze as he leapt out from his bed. Pointing at the man whose face could force a surrender of a city, ¡°Are you nuts?! You nearly killed me with that face of yours early in the morning!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks tossed Hao Ren his clothes and with a nonplussed look he said, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you outside. Lets go meet the goddess.¡±


    Hao Ren knew that Y¡¯zaks¡¯ mind was totally occupied by the thoughts of his daughter surviving and it was impossible to talk sense into someone that determined. Hao Ren quickly changed as he mumbmed. ¡°It was all peaceful yesterday¡­.Wait, let me have my breakfast first! Don¡¯t give me that look! It¡¯s not like the Goddess will run away, and it will take time to apply for the World Gate¡¯s navigation permit.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks nodded as he left the room.


    Vivian had just laid breakfast out on the table when Hao Ren got out of his room. Rollie was already waiting to be fed by the table. Lil Pea was on Rollie¡¯s head and reacted happily the moment she saw Hao Ren stepped out his room. She waved excitedly at him with her tail slapping the cat¡¯s head. It was a subconcious action and Rollie could only endure the hits, fearing that if it did not abide by the wishes of the fish it¡¯ll get beaten even more¡­


    Hao Ren looked at the duo and suddenly became envious of the cat. He couldn¡¯t even stay at home for the New Year and had to go on harrowing interdimensional adventures. Rollie on the other hand had an almost sedantary yet regimented lifestyle, with a side of being beaten by Lil Pea; so, aside from a bruised pride there was little to be worried about¡­


    Lanina had fully calmed down after the initial elation of seeing Y¡¯zaks again and she was now seated quietly by the table awaiting orders. Her at-attention posture was so different from what you¡¯d expect of an alluring succubus. She was still in her slightly worn armored bodysuit that emphasised her well-propotioned body. Vivian had thought to look for a change of clothes for the succubus but none of the ladies at home could match her voluptous proportions. After looking around for a bit, she had nothing to show but for the wounded pride of the ladies at home.


    Hao Ren stood before the dining table, his face bore the pride of the head of the household. He bend down to pick up Lil Pea and cleared his throat to give his first speech on the first day of the Chinese New Year. Before he could even speak, Vivian had pre-empted him, ¡°Buns or Pastries?¡±


    Hao Ren coughed drily. ¡°Buns will do, Buns¡­¡±


    It seems like that super serious demeanour really doesn¡¯t suit him at all.


    The four vajras had already left the house early in the morning but the table was still filled with people. Almost like a happy reunion dinner of sorts. Lanina stared in amazement at the scene before her, especially at Y¡¯zaks who was chomping down a big bowl of rice that she had not touched her chopsticks after a good while. Hao Ren noticed her and asked as he fed Lil Pea a small sheet of paper. ¡°Not used to human food?¡±


    ¡°Uh.. it¡¯s not that¡­¡± Lanina was at lost of words. The atmosphere was just too different from what she had expected. She looked at Y¡¯zaks, ¡°My lord, had you been living here since you disappeared?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Y¡¯zaks looked up to respond. ¡°Why? Anything wrong?¡±


    Lanina shook her head, ¡°Nothing¡­ it has¡­ been good¡­¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then quickly eat. We¡¯ll be reporting to the Goddess once we¡¯re done with our meal.¡± Hao Ren said as he tossed Rollie a couple of pieces of meat. ¡°I still have to ask her about what¡¯s her deal with throwing you down like this. Face first even. Say¡­ your horn¡¯s alright right? It had cracked into the cement floor last night.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine.¡± Lanina felt that she could barely keep up with Hao Ren most of the time and it took her a good while to process what he said. It was then she realised something. ¡°Wait a minute, Goddess? What Goddess?¡±


    ¡°The one in charge of this universe.¡± Hao Ren still had that odd sense of pride when mentioning his boss.. ¡°All the worlds in this universe is under her watch. I¡¯m her assistant. Oh¡­ going by your world¡¯s tradition¡­ I¡¯m a Pope or somesort¡­¡±


    Lanina immediately got confused. Even though she was from a different world, and did not understand the customs of Earth, she could still tell that the bunch here are a group of bumpkins. Lily alone was the personification of a country bumpkin with her gluttonous wolfing of her food. No pope worth his salt would suffer the presence of such uncouth behaviour.


    She threw Hao Ren a perplexed look, ¡°You¡¯re not joking are you?¡±


    ¡°Seeing how you are looking at me. Can I even?¡±


    ¡°¡­.Are the churches in your world that incompetent?¡± Lanina spoke bluntly like a true demon. ¡°Even I know how a pope in my world look like. Him aside, even the Cardinals and Bishops¡­ have a bigger sense of grandeur than you.¡±


    Hao Ren frowned as he heard that. ¡°It¡¯s because they need a false sense of grandeur for them to do their work. Otherwise they are no different than your common man. But I¡¯m the real deal! So, I don¡¯t need that pompous charade.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks then gave a light cough and that prompted Lanina to quiet up and eat. Hao Ren dare not imagine the countless of whys that are currently going in her head. The succubus was still seeing things based on her own world, and clearly it will take her a long while to get accustomed to the pace Hao Ren and his group were going.


    But wait until she sees Raven12345 and Hao Ren was sure he did not need to worry about that. Her worldview will be so thoroughly destroyed no amount of mending would restore it.


    Y¡¯zaks was hounding Hao Ren to get going the moment he finished his meal. To stop the anxious demon king from accidentally smashing a hole in the wall for his haste, Hao Ren could only nod and get the MDT to open the teleportation gate to heaven. But as he was about to leave, Vivian called him. ¡°Wait! I have something for you.¡±


    Hao Ren looked quizzically at the vampire as she ran down towards her room in the basement and brought up a snowy white scarf. Her face was all smiles. ¡°Happy New Year! This is for you!¡±


    An unknown warmth suddenly welled inside him and he was touched. This was the first time ever he had gotten something from a lady. As he received the scarf he did not know how to express his gratitude and that machine gun mouth of his could only stutter drily, ¡°Uh¡­ th¡­thank¡­ you. Happy New Year to you too¡­¡±


    Vivian was slightly embarassed by it. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything nice to give you¡­ As you know, I can¡¯t afford any presents, and could only make one with my household skills. Come, let me put that on you.¡±


    Hao Ren felt a comforting warmth as Vivian put the scarf on him. He also smelt something fragrant. But before he and Vivian could dwell in the slightly romantic atmosphere Lily bounced towards them. ¡°Hey hey! Mr Landlord that is also my New Year¡¯s gift! The fur is mine¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, your contribution notwithstanding.¡± Vivian turned around and glared at the husky. ¡°If you really have the intention I could make a few more growth elixers? Then you could have enough for all of us¡­¡±


    Lily rolled her eyes, ¡°What for? I gave Mr Landlord my fur because he gave me a roof to live under and food to eat. Unlike you.¡±


    Vivian pursed her lips. ¡°So a master when you have shelter and food, you sure do your bloodline proud¡­¡±


    Hoa Ren smiled and waved good bye before leading Y¡¯zaks and Lanina into the portal.

 Chapter 402

    The white light from the portal faded and the three of them arrived in the garden of the floating mansion. But as Hao Ren lifted his head, the scene before him shocked him. ¡°Oh, what the flying f*ck¡­ Who did that?¡±


    Raven 12345¡¯s mansion was a wreck again. The last time he visited, there was only a hole on the roof, but now half of the roof was gone, and there were holes all over the second floor of the mansion. A crystal curtain hung limply over a broken window pane, and looked like it was about to fall off any time as it swayed in the wind. The left corner of the mansion had disappeared altogether, almost as if it was sliced clean off. The mansion literally lost one-fourths of its original size.


    A group of shiny formless beings were floating around in the air and they were coordinating with the automated machines to patch the wrecked mansion. It appeared that the latest fight was worst than the time Raven 12345 drove her space shuttle into the roof of her house.


    Even Y¡¯zaks was astonished by the scene. ¡°¡­What happened here?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure this is where the ¡®goddess¡¯ lives?¡± Lanina swallowed hard and judged things based on her own knowledge. ¡°Could it be that your religious warfare has gone to a stage where the gods are fighting themselves?¡±


    ¡°Meh, it¡¯s probably that crazy old witch¡¯s own doing.¡± Hao Ren shrugged as he recovered. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯ll get it patched up on her own sweet time. This is the third time seeing it happen. As long as the dimension is in tact, she¡¯ll be alright.¡±


    Hao Ren was right in that regard. As he led the two demons to the main door, Big Bluey appeared before them. The cerulean elemental creature nodded at Hao Ren and led out a string of vibrato sounds as a signal for the three to head in.


    The three were led by Big Bluey into the battle-scarred hallway and ruined main hall. Hao Ren realised that the current destruction was worse than the shuttle incident by order of magnitudes. Not only was the second floor almost fully destroyed, even the first floor bore scars of destruction.


    As he stepped into Raven 12345¡¯s office, he saw the crazy goddess. She was sitting behind her desk, which was missing a corner. Her clothes also bore several burnt holes as she lay half-dead on her chair, still pulling a mischievous face.


    This time around, even Hao Ren could not remain calm. He gasped. ¡°You¡­¡±


    As the word left his mouth, a crystalline shelf fell from the wall and crashed onto the floor. It seemed like the place was really just a thread away from being a ruin of war¡­


    ¡°Yo, Hao Ren, you¡¯re here,¡± Raven 12345 greeted Hao Ren nonchalantly and noticed Y¡¯zaks as well as Lanina behind him. ¡°Oh, and these two are doing well, I suppose? Did you feel my grace when I reunited the both of you? Hahaha, aaaaa¡ªouch¡­ that hurts¡­ Go get something to sit on. There should be a couple of chairs by the wall that are still intact¡­¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the goddess of his universe. ¡°So, you lost your inter-celestial war?¡±


    ¡°Nope, it was almost a draw, but I just lost out a bit to that sword technique.¡± Raven 12345 could still talk bullsh*t at times like this. ¡°Pfeh, it¡¯s just a sword. I told her I¡¯d return it. Scorpie sure is impatient.¡±


    Hao Ren knew what was going on the moment he heard the word ¡°sword¡±. It was that long-legged lady who came by the other day in a fit of rage. She was the one who went, ¡°Where¡¯s my bloody sword?!¡±. Other than that, Hao Ren could not imagine how Raven 12345 would end up in such a sorry state. As a premier special agent on Raven 12345¡¯s side (this was self-proclaimed), Hao Ren suddenly felt pressured, especially after boasting about how omnipotent Raven 12345 was. He was more pressured now after witnessing her current state. He smiled stiffly at the crazy goddess. ¡°Uh¡­ Boss¡­ the one who came looking for you, was it someone holding a grudge? Or, was she an enemy goddess?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t be enemies if we¡¯re on the same side,¡± Raven 12345 quickly corrected Hao Ren. ¡°But, we¡¯ve been rivals for many years now. A few years back, I borrowed her sword to play, but I never thought she¡¯d be so salty about it. Oh yeah, since you¡¯ve already met her, the one you saw the other day was an Armoured Scorpion, nicknamed Scorpie. She¡¯s a military officer of the Empire, and holds the same rank as me. Her serial ID is ZK12580; she¡¯s a five-digit senior figure. Her other name is Hydra, but you¡¯d do well to remember her serial ID. For us, there¡¯s not much difference between a name and serial ID.¡±


    Hao Ren tried his best to carve it into his memory. This was his first time encountering a Xi Ling Celestial other than the Raven ¡°series¡±. From what he heard, the long-legged lady was also a ¡°mass produced¡± goddess. It seemed like all entry-level gods or goddesses among the Xi Ling Celestials had serial numbers. The mere thought of the Empire¡¯s might made him shudder; just the fact that governing gods and goddesses were mass-produced and had serial numbers. He accepted the fact that the higher he worked his way up the ranks, the more he would encounter of the Celestials, and he was rather intrigued by it. ¡°So¡­ she¡¯s a goddess governing a universe as well? Is it okay for her to leave her post just like that?¡±


    ¡°No, Scorpies don¡¯t govern worlds.¡± Raven 12345 was satisfied with Hao Ren¡¯s reaction to the revelation, and a wry smile appeared across her face. ¡°With that stupidity of theirs, they can¡¯t even govern their own house, much less a universe. I¡¯m the intellectual type and as such, I was charged with governance as well as administration. When it comes to Scorpies¡­ Well, what little intelligence they have is used for combat. By your standards, she¡¯s probably a goddess of war?¡±


    As she spoke, Raven 12345 pointed towards the bump on her head. ¡°How else would I have been defeated. I earn my dues with my intelligence¡­ Yeow, yeow¡­ Ouch! That hurts. That b*tch¡­ she smashed her sword on my head with the psionic field activated. Healing is going to be a b*tch¡­¡±


    At least she could now admit to being defeated. She was still putting up a front earlier.


    Cold sweat started to form across Hao Ren¡¯s forehead and he felt that it was unwise to dwell on this topic any further. Who knew what the lunatic goddess would say next to destroy whatever image she had left. He then pointed at Lanina. ¡°That aside, she¡¯s part of your handiwork?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡± Raven12345 nodded. ¡°I noticed that she had been lost for a couple of months, and she was about to veer into a neutron star¡¯s field of gravity. I simply couldn¡¯t watch any longer, so I helped her out. But I was busy at the time, hence after dumping her at your place, I couldn¡¯t say hi. However, the note on her was from me.¡±


    Lanina then found out that the she was sent to Earth by this lady before her. While she was still doubtful in many ways, she subconsciously had on an expression of gratitude. She was bumbling about in space for months using unreliable demonic teleportation magic to make her way through space. Being alive today, it was all down to her luck.


    A few hours before she arrived at Hao Ren¡¯s place, she was still tumbling about in a system a few hundred light years away from Earth. She suddenly blacked out and the rest was basically a blur.


    So now she knew it was Raven 12345¡¯s intervention.


    ¡°I saw the note.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°You already knew that Lanina was being ¡®smuggled¡¯ into this universe, and you knew about her intentions as well as Y¡¯zaks¡¯determination to go home. All of this happened by your will, right?¡±


    Raven 12345 raised one of her eyebrows and looked at Hao Ren. ¡°Some things are better left unsaid. This is just a small matter in a faraway land. I don¡¯t know anything. Understand?¡±


    Hao Ren laughed. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m just telling you, I¡¯ll be away for a while. Going back to Y¡¯zaks¡¯ old place to look for his daughter.¡±


    Raven 12345 rubbed her chin. ¡°You¡¯re an Inspector. You may very well get dragged into the local conflict because of who Y¡¯zaks is. It won¡¯t be a small scale fight like your previous times. You¡¯ve thought of this I take it?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Yes, so I want to let you know, and find out how far I can go.¡±


    ¡°Good. That means you¡¯re more professional now.¡± Raven 12345 stood up and gave Hao Ren a satisfied smile. ¡°This is also a good time to let you do something more significant. I have three requests; one, violence for self-defense is permitted, but you may not escalate that to a war. You are going to save someone, not eliminate a race or a civilisation; two, this is your personal endeavour, so you will need to do it yourself. I cannot interfere; three, if sh*t really hits the fan, no half-arsing! See it till the end! You going out there means you¡¯re representing me¡­¡±


    Hao Ren found the first two requests were par for the course, but the third one stunned him. That was indeed her way of doing things.


    Lastly, Raven 12345 added, ¡°Oh right, one more thing¡ªit¡¯s the most important one too. This is not an official mission, so there will be no funds. Use your own.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Ten minutes later, Hao Ren led Y¡¯zaks and Lanina out of Raven 12345¡¯s ruined office. As they were about to step into the teleportation portal, Lanina could not help but ask, ¡°¡­Can we rely on that ¡®goddess¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Well, nothing we can do even if she¡¯s not reliable.¡± Hao Ren wanted to spit venom but he was exhausted, so he let out a resigned sigh. ¡°Eh.. well, let¡¯s look at it this way, we got her consent for this and what¡¯s left is to see what awaits us. We are going to save someone, and with our combat strength, I think it¡¯s more than enough.¡±


    He then pumped himself up and slapped Y¡¯zaks by the arm. ¡°Lets go home and gather the lot. Off we go!¡±

 Chapter 403

    Hao Ren recounted what happened over at Raven12345¡¯s place after arriving back home and started checking on who was going. To be fair, that was a moot question as everyone at home wanted a piece of the action, except for the ones that cannot go, namely Becky and the four vajras. These people coming over from the Plane of Dreams is already a problem in itself, so it¡¯s better if they do not venture anywhere else.


    ¡°Now I know how it feels like raising a toddler.¡± Hao Ren mumbled as he packed his stuff, looking resignedly towards Lil Pea in her aquarium. ¡°I just have to bring her along anyway, it¡¯s just so worrisome.¡±


    Lil Pea was perched on the side of the aquarium as she looked at Hao Ren curiously, as she heard him spoke she happily slapped her tail against the glass. ¡°Wurisum! Wurisum!¡±


    ¡°Well, this time around you could let her out from time to time.¡± Y¡¯zaks said as he suddenly appeared beside Hao Ren. ¡°She won¡¯t cause a ruckus there if she gets discovered.¡±


    ¡°You have mermaids over at your place?¡± Hao Ren asked quizzically.


    Y¡¯zaks shook his head. ¡°We don¡¯t have mermaids but we dabble in alchemy and chimaeric creations. There¡¯s a lot of weird homonculus and chimaeric beasts. Of course, they are far from being actual living beings, but they did not pop out of thin air. So explaining the little one¡¯s origins would be very simple.¡±


    ¡°Well, one step at a time I guess.¡± Hao Ren pursed his lips. ¡°If things go awry I¡¯ll have to shove her back into the Dimensional Pocket. This little one¡­ is just so worrisome¡­¡±


    Lil Pea continued slapping the glass with her tail. ¡°Wurisum! Wurisum!¡±


    Apparently she remembered the words, and it seems like she knew it was referring to her.


    After packing up Hao Ren ordered the MDT to activate the portal towards the port where the Petrachelys was docked. He had also informed the station before hand and the navigation path and launch catapult was on standby and they could depart as soon as they get there. That too spared them from Y¡¯zaks frenzied reminders.


    As the flash of white light disappeared, the group had arrived in the ever impressive docking bay. The Petrachelys floated silently by the dock, eminating a mysterious silver light as it waited it¡¯s master. Lanina was still deep in though about ¡®whether this bunch of loonies are reliable or not¡¯ and it took her a while to realise that she had been transferred from the house to a very wide space, a space even wider than the Goddess¡¯ temple. The suddenness of things had her grappling to find her bearings. Looking about, she asked, ¡°Ugh¡­ We are taking a ship right? Where¡¯s the ship?¡±


    Hao Ren pointed towards the Petrachelys, ¡°That¡¯s the one. We¡¯re talking about a spaceship here. You were thinking about the seaborne one?¡±


    Lanina only then realise that the big monstrosity in front of her was Hao Ren¡¯s ¡®personal transport¡¯. It was not like she¡¯d never seen one before, she was knocked over by one before. She just didn¡¯t thought that Hao Ren¡¯s vessel would be such a thing!


    ¡°This is bigger than the one that crashed into me!¡± Lanina was wide-eyed. ¡°Wait a minu¡­. you¡¯re saying this is yours?!¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°My official vessel, while in reality it¡¯s a private one. It¡¯s called the Petrachelys. Just knowing the name itself is enough, don¡¯t ask me what it means or who named it.¡±


    Lanina was still too stunned to react. She simply just could not believe that the seemingly unreliable person had managed to conjure a ship of such proportions. Her mind still could not reconcile the fact that Hao Ren¡¯s place looked like it was awaiting demolition and his employer¡¯s place was a wreck against the magnificent dockyard before here. The difference was just too vast a gap. ¡°If you are that capable¡­ why don¡¯t you renovate your place?¡±


    ¡°It serves it¡¯s purpose, so why do I need to renovate it?¡± Hao Ren did not know why Lanina popped such a question.


    Lanina tilted her head and back, and felt that this was probably just culture shock, and that this was how the Goddess had decreed and it was not something she could ever understand, so she just left it at that.


    Hao Ren led the group into the ship and the Petrachelys soon were outside Kuiper Station control zone. The ship was fast exiting the Milky Way and the station had turned into a sparkling dot in the blackness of space behind them. After the ship had reached the void, the MDT activated the warp drive.


    After the image from the optical sensors had faded to black, Hao Ren could then relax and let go of his captain pose. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll be reaching the World Gate soon. We¡¯ll just have to wait.¡±


    The MDT was in the control console, and leered at him. ¡°What are you getting to relaxed for? You had simply just pressed the auto-pilot button, and I was controlling the ship all this while.¡±


    Hao Ren did not react to the provocation, and turned to look at the group on the bridge. This was not Lily or Vivian¡¯s first space voyage and they had already went about doing things that interested them. Vivian was making gloves out of Lily¡¯s leftover fur and it doesn¡¯t seem to be enough. She took a deep glance at Lily¡¯s tail from time to time. The husky on the other hand was in that oversized uniform again, and was striking a first mate pose beside Hao Ren. She seemed to be really into the whole first mate shtick. Nangong Wuyue was studying the scale patterns of the mermaid. Lil Pea was the subject.


    Y¡¯zaks was seated on the far corner of the bridge with a stony face. Everyone was wise enough to leave him alone. The great demon had finally encountered something that had him in jitters.


    Lanina was a ball of curiosity the moment she stepped foot on the ship. Everything was new and interesting to her and most importantly, this was far more advanced that what she had saw in Hao Ren¡¯s place, and she finally had confidence in Hao Ren and the Goddess behind him.


    Hao Ren cleared his throat to attract the attention of everyone on the bridge. ¡°I¡¯ve just received the report from the Space Administration¡­ and oh the navigation guide from the World Gate.¡±


    Everyone looked up as they waited for Hao Ren to brief them.


    ¡°Based on the records, Good old Y¡¯zaks home is at a very far flung place.¡± Hao Ren looked at Y¡¯zaks. ¡°As for how far flung it is¡­ lets just put it this way. Remember old Aerym? That place don¡¯t even have any administration centers, and only a World Gate, a few outpost and some automated fortifications. That is almost a village level place, and Y¡¯zaks place is even more far flung that that, your world don¡¯t even have a World Gate! Almost like our place back home¡­¡±


    Vivian was surprised. ¡°Not even a World Gate? How do we get there then?¡±


    The vampire had joined Hao Ren on a voyage before and had took the effort to learn somewhat about the World Gate, better than Lily at least.


    ¡°The World Gate is mainly for ease of civilian transport, and many normal races do not have the capability to cross the void, and they need the Gate to reach another world.¡± Hao Ren tapped the command console. ¡°Our ship has a void drive in it, and we can go to places that do not have a World Gate. The difference being that one is being automated, and the other requires manual navigation. The Empire had laid claim to Y¡¯zaks place but they only have a soverignity hub there, and even that is hidden in a different dimension. So we are not heading to the hub itself. I had requested the coordinates from Raven12345, we can directly teleport near where Y¡¯zaks was first taken.¡±


    ¡°Serathon¡¯s Demonic Foundry?¡± Lanina immediately knew where Hao Ren was referring to. ¡°Isn¡¯t it dangerous?¡±


    ¡°Of course, so we will not land there directly.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°The ship¡¯s AI will compute the safest place to send us in. But then there¡¯s the most important part, how do we disguise ourselves? The first stop is the demonic world, so how should we go about that¡­¡±


    ¡°No problem for me.¡± Lanina stroked her long and thin succubus tail, and a faint nostalgic smile appeared on her face. ¡°Succubus are a common sight there, and my looks are rather inconspicuous, just a change of clothes will do. My lord can just be a normal flame demon, or just maintain his current looks¡­¡±


    Lanina took a look at Y¡¯zaks, ¡°His current form looks like a human that had undergone changes after demon worship. This sort of people are common too.¡±


    Hao Ren took a quiet glance at Y¡¯zaks as he demurred. ¡°So we can just disguise ourselves as demonic followers. We won¡¯t raise any alarms this way right?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Lanina smiled. ¡°There are many humans who fell into the demonic grasp in search of power, as long as there is a high level demon acting as your master, most demons won¡¯t even look at you. While the demonic world is chaotic, there are still rules that all will follow. One being that stealing other¡¯s adherents is a strict no-no, as it¡¯s literally pointless.¡±


    The group continued their discussions on how to diguise themselves until the ship arrived at the World Gate.

 Chapter 404

    Y¡¯zaks old place was in a universe at the outer rims of the Empire¡¯s borders. In fact, with the great expansion ten thousand yearas ago, the Empire had claimed plenty of uncultivated space. And this ¡®reserve land¡¯ had only the most basic of sovereignity hubs and monitoring outposts, and Y¡¯zaks place did not even have a World Gate.


    Hao Ren was planning a one-way teleportation for departure, and manual navigation to return. His plan was to use the World Gate to be ¡®catapulted¡¯ over to Y¡¯zaks homeworld, while using the Petrachelys¡¯ void drives to slowly make their way back. That was his conclusion after studying the World Gate¡¯s activation rules and that could save them loads of time as well.


    The ship soon arrived at the magnificent gate in deep space. It was a sight to behold as ever, and the traffic of various civilsations going in and out of the gate was as busy as ever. Only here, in the deep void of space that you could see so many extraordinary races and civilisations in the universe. This was the first time Lanina saw the World Gate, and was immediately stunned beyond words by the magnificence of the planet-sized structure. As the ship slowly approached the lightscreen, the succubus¡¯ tail tied into a knot subconciously. This was a display of anxiousness.


    ¡°Ten thousand years ago there was no one-way launching capability,¡± The MDT explained as it slotted itself on the console. ¡°Then, World Gates need to be present on both ends, one being the launching point, and the other the receiving point. Breakthroughs were made later for one-way launches and the World Gate could now serve as a guiding launch pad. I have already sent the coordinates to the World Gate and it will send us close to our destination. Of course, we will have to do it manually for the return leg.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment, ¡°There won¡¯t be any problem? If lets say a civilian vessel without a void drive accidentally entered the one-way launch bay, would it be stranded?¡±


    ¡°What do you think the Sovereignity Hubs are for? Looking pretty?¡± The MDT considered the question juvenile. ¡°The Sovereignity Hubs have the ability to monitor the data transmission of every world, and similar to the control terminals used by the Celestials, it is to prevent unauthorised entry. Every person passing through the gate would be scanned, and any unauthorised persons or vessels would immediately be transferred back. Of course, there are extremely rare occurences of leakages, but those are very small data packets, similar to a human¡¯s data. The ¡®traveller from a different universe¡¯ is basically this.¡±


    Lanina did not understand the weird technological mumbo jumbo that was spouted by the MDT. She stared intently at the fast approaching lightscreen. As she realised that the real size of the structure could not be measured by eyes alone, she finally believed that Raven12345 and Hao Ren can be relied upon. She then popped the question, ¡°This gate¡­ was it created by your Goddess?¡±


    There were reverence in her high pitch voice.


    Hao Ren was checking on the ship status when she asked the question. Without turning back, ¡°No, she did not. But that is under her supervision.¡±


    Lanina took a deep breath, ¡°So¡­ if she¡¯s that almighty, why she didn¡¯t fix that house of hers?¡±


    Hao Ren was truly confused and turned towards Y¡¯zaks. ¡°Old man, was there something wrong with your education? Why is this lady here so insistent about fixing house?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks covered his face with his hand, ¡°Lets just leave it at that. You do your stuff. Any normal person who saw your house and then the World Gate would have the same reaction.¡±


    Shrugging his shoulders, and after eyeing the information holograph, Hao Ren announced. ¡°Hold on tight, we are almost ready to launch. This is a one-way launch, so expect a little rattling.¡±


    As he finished, the Petrachelys hyper-accelerated into the almost borderless lightscreen, and only stardust lay in their wake.


    After some violent shaking for a good while, things started to settle down. Lily climbed up from under her chair as she tugged Hao Ren¡¯s pants. ¡°Mr Landlord, you said there would be rattling? You call that rattling?¡±


    Hao Ren stood up, still dazed from the experience. After confirming that the ship had reacted the coordinates, he pulled Lily up from the ground. He noticed that almost everyone was getting up with the exception of Y¡¯zaks. That big dude seems to be stuck to the chair. Even the violent shaking did not make him budge.


    Hao Ren slapped on the MDT, ¡°Why was there such a violent shaking? One-way launches are like this?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, you think that one-way launches are leisure services?¡± The MDT buzzed from the command console. ¡°Only the military, or civil servants of the Empire would need to use the one-way launch. Most common races cannot use it. Besides, it¡¯s standard Imperial facilities, the most notable trait being solid and reliable, so who have the time to consider comfort as a priority¡­. Help me. I¡¯m stuck¡­¡±


    Hao Ren used a chopstick as leverage to get the MDT out from the console as he looked at the holographic display of the scenery outside. ¡°So we are here?¡±


    The Petrachelys was floating above a roiling dark crimson cloud, and that gave out a vibe of an endless red smog, the light was eeriely dim as well, and you could scarely tell the light source. Hao Ren used the optical sensors to take pictures of the surrounding; there were no sun or any bright celestial bodies nearby. Only within the crimson clouds was a huge mountain range of sorts.


    Y¡¯zaks looked at the area and quickly realised where they were at. ¡°We maybe inside the Herm Smoke Pillars. This is indeed a save space to enter. No one would open a dimensional gate here.¡±


    He then pointed to a direction towards the red smog. ¡°Over there.¡±


    Hao Ren reconfirmed that there were no anomalies around the Petrachelys and let the MDT pilot the ship out of the smog.


    The roiling thick red clouds seems almost impenetrable, but it soon thinned as the ship made its way through the clouds and outside of the ¡®Herms Smoke Pillars¡¯. The lay of the land now lay bare before them.


    An eerie crimson land stretched on for miles on end, and the hue of the land seemed like it was blood-soaked, a rather scary image to have. The land was bereft of any green vegetation and the uneven terrain was dotted with many odd looking objects, from this distance, you¡¯d be hard pressed to tell if those were the local flora. From the ship, they say rivers and valleys, plains and hills, but all had that unnerving blood red tint to them.


    One of the mountains in the distance had some bright, winding, sinew-like flow to it and upon zooming in, Hao Ren realised it was a lava waterfall!


    The skies above the crimson-tinted land were equally brooding. Thick clouds roiled acropss the skies as if there was something burning eternally behind the clouds. From a distance, streaks of lights raced across the horizon, and it was thunderous, almost as if falling meteorites were igniting the atmosphere.


    ¡°F*ck me¡­.¡± Hao Ren gawked at the very inhospitable and hellish scene before him. ¡°Your place sure is taking survival to the next level.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks looked longingly at the scene, and nodded nostalgically. ¡°Ahh¡­ I can finally see my old place again¡­¡±


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes, ¡°Should have just thrown you on Mars back then. That would probably ease your nostalgic itch.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks retorted with a seriously. ¡°No way. Mars is too chilly, not even comparable to the warmth of my old place¡­¡±


    Hao Ren let the ship look for a suitable landing site by the plains, and used the optical sensors to look at what the Herm Smoke Pillars is about. What he say was a sky-scraping great wall of smoke and it was bellowing smoke and dust all over the place. He could not even get a proper view of the thing. After letting the ship run couple of hundred of kilometers ahead only then he managed to get the full view of the scale. It was gaseous pillar that came from the core of the planet and had managed to pierce the sky. There were no signs of it spreading all over the land, almost like a smooth heavenly pillar.


    The magnificence of the scene had everyone in awe.


    Hao Ren then realised something: He was truly in the land of the demons, and caution was the name of the game. Anything that could survive in this hellhole and still wage world wars are not to be trifled with!

 Chapter 405

    The dark red, barren land was littered with huge, eerie black rocks. The twisted scorched plants grew sparsely in the crevices of the rock. Lava flowed through the mountains, and the poisonous vapors were gushing from the cracks and holes in the earth. Red clouds were tumbling in the sky and the thunders were rumbling, looked frightening as if the endless sea of fire was hanging in the sky. And in this hellish sight, all sorts of low-level demons wandered aimlessly in the wilderness and were getting into fights for no reasons. They were the kind of chaotic monsters that were even lower than the lowest-order demon warriors. They were the ephemeral creatures that were born directly from this chaotic space, and they almost had no senses and were completely controlled by brutal impulses. If they survived in combat, they would have a chance to promote into a higher-order demon. But most of these lower-order demons would soon die and become part of the energy cycle of this space.


    This was the space where demons lived¨Cthe challenge of survival, but those manic, grumpy creatures were willing to live like this.


    Petrachelys was covered by dirty clouds in the sky, darting through the sky, dodging a swarm of low-level demons wandering in the red wilderness. The radar system detected a huge deep pit in the plains and there were almost no demons wandering around the pit. So they landed there.


    When everybody came out of the ship, Hao Ren put the Petrachelys back into the dimensional pocket, and then all of them took a deep breath at the same time to feel the atmosphere of the Demonic Plane.


    Lily immediately jumped up. Due to her sensitive nose, she was quickly choked by the strong sulfur fumes in the air. She was holding Hao Ren¡¯s arm and jumping up and down crazily and said, ¡°I¡¯m dying¡­ I¡¯m going to choke to death¡­¡±


    And Nangong Wuyue¡¯s health point was kept dropping. The siren¡¯s eyes were glowing in green. She was gasping for air and said, ¡°I¡¯m really dying¡­ This place is so dry¡­ Water¡­ Where¡¯s the water?¡±


    ¡°Water is a rare thing in the Demonic Plane, and it¡¯s quite useless for us, and I¡¯m the only one who built the city near the water source to look after the other races,¡± Y¡¯zaks said and looked at the two ladies who looked suffered, ¡°If you can¡¯t stand the environment here, you can¡­¡±


    ¡°Forget it, I still endure it.¡± Nangong Wuyue could finally breathe. She waved her hands, tried to squeeze a little water from the air to form a protective enchantment but sighed and said, ¡°It¡¯s more difficult than squeezing water in the desert¡­ Can¡¯t believe you guys can live in a place like this.¡±


    Lanina did not think the environment was bad. She still took a deep breath comfortably, smiled and said, ¡°The smell of my homeland¡­ I haven¡¯t come back for a long time. I really miss the sulfur smell of this place.¡±


    Hao Ren looked back and found the huge plume of smoke was still striking. It looked like supporting the sky and connecting heaven and earth. The huge plume of smoke was so smooth and straight that it was almost impossible to see that it was actually formed by gas at this distance, only the vaguely visible lines that kept rolling over and over on the surface of the plume of smoke could prove that it was not an object. He was amazed at the scenes in the Demonic Plane, and the smoke plume was one of the most amazing scenes. ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°The Helm smoke pillar, under it, is the Helm crater, also called the Great Pit,¡± Y¡¯zaks said with a solemn expression, ¡°The diameter of this smoke pillar is more than 200 kilometers, the crater below it is one of the most magical things in the Demonic Plane. There was a huge hole in the crater that nobody knows where it leads to. It is said that even the most powerful demon could not reach the bottom of the Great Pit. For tens of thousands of years, the crater has been spewing out the smoke pillar. But when the smoke pillar rises high, it disappears into a space crack and nobody knows where it goes.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got all the weird stuff here,¡± Hao Ren said. He was amazed.


    Y¡¯zaks nodded solemnly and said, ¡°Yes. The Demonic Plane is the most unstable form of space vesicles, there will be a lot of unnatural landscape. By the way, it¡¯s better to stay away from the smoke pillar. Without the protection of the spacecraft, the average person will die. The temperature in the smoke pillar is very high, and air mass of thousands degree will suddenly burst from the crater. Smoke and dust is highly toxic and is mixed with the neurotoxin that will make demons lose control.¡±


    ¡°The smoke pillar is the arsenal of Serathon¡¯s Legion,¡± Lanina explained, ¡°Serathon, the demon king has a plague corps. They use highly toxic and neurotoxin in combat. Their weapons are created under the smoke pillar. Thanks to the smoke pillar, the old mad man is one of the most powerful demons and king¡¯s most dreaded adversary. ¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that from now on,¡± Y¡¯zaks suddenly remembered that he should remind Lanina, ¡°I¡¯m no longer the demon king, and it¡¯s so easy to reveal my identity here. You can call me Wang just like everyone else.¡±


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes and said, ¡°Now I realize why you get yourself that name¡­¡±


    Lily thought for some time and finally realized it and said, ¡°¡­.Wang means the king!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks scratched his big bald head and said, ¡°Just a coincidence.¡±


    Vivian used her hand to fan herself, frowning at the surrounding situation and said, ¡°OK, let¡¯s stop chatting and get to the business. Lanina, you know the situation here, what¡¯s the plan?¡±


    ¡°We have to get to the Osidian plain as soon as possible, where the princess disappeared,¡± Lanina nodded and said, ¡°we have to leave here first. This is Serathon¡¯s territory. He and the king¡­Wang are mortal enemies. We need to cross the Demonic Foundry to get to the nearest teleportation portal, and we better go straight through¡ªit¡¯s easy to bump into the patrolling team if we make a detour around the Demonic Foundry. ¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t we directly use teleportation here?¡± asked Hao Ren with the data terminal in his hand.


    Lanina shook her head and said, ¡°Better don¡¯t do it. Demons are experts in dimensional science. Even the dimensional magic of other races originated here first. It is easy for them to sense the unfamiliar dimensional door within hundreds of kilometers. And the demon king is cautious. They will monitor all the dimensional phenomena in their territory in order to prevent other people coming in.¡±


    Then the female demon laughed and said, ¡°They fight all day long, even the demon king will have to be careful not to get beheaded all the time. This is the daily life in the demon world. The King¡­ Wang almost ended the mess last time, but he was eventually stabbed by Serathon that idiot. It seemed that idiot likes this kind of chaotic life.¡±


    Hao Ren wanted to say that the data terminal had a high-tech teleportation function, perhaps it could bypass monitoring. But after thinking for a while, he decided not to take the risk. After all, the teleportation function of the data terminal was just to save their time. It was not a specialized spy device, and the teleportation was not encrypted. It would be a lot of trouble if the demons here noticed them. What a powerful man Y¡¯zaks was, but he was still held here and beaten for months¡­


    ¡°Where is the Demonic Foundry?¡± Nangong Wuyue asked. She remembered Lanina mentioned it just now and knew that Y¡¯zaks was imprisoned by the big demon named Serathon in the Demonic Foundry.


    Lanina lifted her finger and pointed to the far-away ground that was cracked and rolled up. It was the edge of the huge deep pit that they saw before the ship landed. ¡°That is the Demonic Foundry. Serathon held the enemies he captured in the bottom of the Demonic Foundry, tortured them and extracted their souls and injected them into the Hellfire Demon to expand his legion. But that place is gone now and Serathon encountered unexpected calamities, ha!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks was held in the Demonic Foundry. When Xi Ling disciples took him away, they also killed the demon guards who were trying to stop them and this also destroyed the entire Demonic Foundry. Lanina found it funny when mentioning this matter. Her thin devil¡¯s tail was wagging in the air. Lily looked at it and felt like want to do the same. But luckily, considering that the air here was bad for her beautiful hair, the husky finally resisted the urge to stretch out her tail and wag together with the demon.


    They watched the surroundings, guarding against the sudden encounter of the wandering lower-order demons while heading toward the huge deep pit.

 Chapter 406

    The Demonic Foundry was once one of the most important military installations of Serathon, the demon king. Just a few months ago, there were a total of two demon legions and hundreds of powerful hellfire, but now there was only one big pit left. Nothing else left.


    Hao Ren was quite shocked when looked at the huge deep pit in front of him. This was a pace that was transformed directly from a large crater. The bottom of the pit was covered with evil ores, dark brown mingled with foul green light. Huge cracks could be seen everywhere. The flames of evil fire poured out from these cracks, and the whole Demonic Foundry was like a cauldron that had not been extinguished, looked daunting.


    However, this place had been badly damaged. Only the ruins of the demon facility left. The walls of the Demonic Foundry were only left with black iron bracket now. The bottom of the Demonic Foundry was now only a jungle of sharp irons. Those things were originally part of the demonic facility to fix the hellfire giants that were not yet activated or to suppress powerful hostile demons. They were once as high as dozens of meters or even hundreds of meters, but now only stubbles of less than two or three meters high left. This section of the demonic iron jungle was so neat that it was cut with a knife.


    They could not see the other fragments of the destroyed buildings around the Demonic Foundry, left only a few bases as if the top half of them had vanished into thin air.


    When that ¡®goddess¡¯ came and took Wang, she was intercepted by other demons, but she didn¡¯t do anything, and all the demons and buildings in the Demonic Foundry vanished into thin air,¡± Lanina said, and still found it very strange. ¡°It really just disappeared, there was no process, and just directly turned into the scene in front of you.¡±


    ¡°They were deleted,¡± the data terminal checked the traces left behind professionally and explained, ¡°Just like you smash a file in a computer. Lord Tawil should have removed the enemy from the Demonic Foundry. It really fits her style. I heard that Lord Tawil was the best researcher in the Empire. She is highly efficient, doesn¡¯t like to waste time in the fight, and everything is solved as soon as possible.¡±


    Hao Ren gulped and thought that luckily he and those lunatic gods were one family. Probably it was true that deputy chief and above could destroy the galaxy in a second¡­


    They gingerly entered the crater along a path at the edge of the Demonic Foundry, and at the same time, ready to guard against the demon guards. Although the spacecraft used radar to confirm that there was no demon reaction in the Demonic Foundry before the landing, the demon was a really strange creature. Their physiological structures were fine and marvelous. There were also creatures like hellfire giants, which could hardly be categorized as life. So they had to be careful there.


    However, they did not meet any demons. There was a dead silence in the Demonic Foundry, only the evil flames whistling and gushed out of the ground. It seems that Serathon the demon king had given up the Demonic Foundry that had a strange incident. Perhaps he had sent some people to investigate, but apparently, they could not explain the disappearance of the whole ¡®factory¡¯.


    But Hao Ren still thought something was wrong and asked, ¡°How come there¡¯s really no one here?¡±


    ¡°Are you expecting that we¡¯ll encounter the patrol team?¡± Vivian turned her head and glanced at Hao Ren and said, ¡°We¡¯re in the demon¡¯s territory. Once we¡¯re exposed, we¡¯ll be directly surrounded by the legion, and die.¡±


    Hao Ren frowned and said, ¡°No¡­ I mean, that Serathon really gave up this place? Such a big foundation, although it was ruined¡­ He should at least organize a long-term investigation team to hang around here. Why isn¡¯t there a single demon in here? Did he totally abandon it or something?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not quite right,¡± Lanina agreed with Hao Ren. She stooped to pick up a bizarre stone glowing with green light. This stone was a ubiquitous thing at the bottom of the Demonic Foundry. The green light with a metallic texture looked like it was burned and formed by the flame spouted from the ground. ¡°This is the evil ore, the most common thing that can be used to make hellfire giants. The equipment of Demonic Foundry is ruined, but the Demonic Foundry itself is still there. Serathon has no reason not to rebuild this place.¡±


    Just now Lanina suggested passed through the Demonic Foundry because the radar of the Petrachelys showed that there were no demons here. But even then she could not believe that Serathon actually gave up the place completely, until now, seeing the desolate Demonic Foundry ruins, she was sure there was really no demon here.


    ¡°How does Serathon look like?¡± Hao Ren asked curiously.


    Lanina nodded and said, ¡°Uglier than Wang.¡±


    Everybody stunned. Hao Ren looked at Lanina in a strange way and thought that was this demon girl always recognizing people by how ugly they were?


    ¡°Besides, Serathon is also the second strongest demon king among the ten Demonic Planes,¡± Lanina quickly explained, ¡°He was our strongest and most stubborn enemy, was the toughest of all the demons against us. He was a reptile-like lord with 33 legions. He uses poisonous fire, curses, and brute force during battle. We¡¯re now in Serathonian Plane. The whole space is his territory, also known as the third plane. ¡±


    Y¡¯zaks also explained, ¡°By the way, I used to occupy the seventh plane. There are a lot of Demonic Planes, but only ten of them are stable. They float in the space bubble area and connect to each other with a teleportation portal. There¡¯re ten demon kings occupy these ten Demonic Planes. Back then, the force of the seventh plane was almost the sum of several other planes.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks was obviously a little proud of himself, apparently, he was quite proud of the empire he built back then. Lily asked curiously, ¡°Why not the strongest one ranked first? Your territory just ranked seventh?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks shrugged and said, ¡°This ranking is not important. It¡¯s called this way since the beginning. Confucius is a saint, but he¡¯s still the second brother in the family.¡±


    Hao Ren almost fell into the Demonic Foundry. ¡°You know Confucius as well?¡± he asked, clearly surprised.


    ¡°I have nothing to do so I just keep reading,¡± said Y¡¯zaks, ¡°I just finished studying Greek philosophy two days ago.¡±


    Lily immediately stuck out her tongue behind Hao Ren and said, ¡°You better don¡¯t study philosophy. Judging from your body size, if you study philosophy, you¡¯ll do something that you shouldn¡¯t do¡­¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Lily awkwardly. He dared not imagine what sort of stuff this girl was usually reading¡­


    They did not know where the demon guards of Serathon had gone. Anyway, they did not meet any obstacles in the Demonic Foundry. They safely crossed the vast and scorching wasteland. From the ramp on the other side of the Demonic Foundry back to the surface, the magnificent demon teleportation portal finally appeared in front of them.


    They saw a large pedestal built on a huge obsidian slab in the open ground hundreds of meters ahead. Two large black pillars stood on each side of the pedestal. The stone pillars were carved with hideous images of demons. In the middle of the two pillars, there was a whirlpool-shaped twisting dimension.


    From the whirlpool-shaped twisting teleportation portal, one could see a faint red dimension behind the door, apparently leading to another Demonic Plane.


    In the vicinity of the teleportation portal, Hao Ren finally saw the Demon Corps. A large crowd of black armored, hideous demon guards was guarding the teleportation portal¡¯s pedestal and nearby sentries. Their skins were dark red, with crooked horns on their heads and flaming infernal swords in their hands. Each demon was three meters tall. Their size and the appalling weapons in their hands made Hao Ren wonder how many human soldiers were needed to be able to fight such a demon.


    The demon guards placed a tight line of defense around the teleportation portal, and this let Hao Ren¡¯s suspicions vanished. He thought Serathon had perished. But now it seemed that his regiment was all right, but for some reason, no one was sent to take care of the Demonic Foundry.


    Now there was a question in front of Hao Ren: There were so many demon guards around. How did they go through the teleportation portal right under their noses?

 Chapter 407

    The demonic teleportation portal was surrounded by a vast expanse of open territory. They did not dare to get near, could only hide behind black giant rock hundreds of meters away from the portal, looking for the chance to get past.


    ¡°That¡¯s the teleportation portal,¡± Y¡¯zaks took this opportunity to share the knowledge of this world with them, ¡°in this world, at least within the already ascertained world, space vesicles are the only form of space, and each space vesicle will have more than one natural channel connected to other spaces, just like this one. This kind of portal is the most important military hub in every space and will be heavily guarded by the rulers of each space. Of course, these are limited to natural portals, the randomness of artificial teleportation portal is too strong, and usually unstable, can only last for a short period of time.¡±


    ¡°10 Demonic Planes have a direct teleportation portal connecting each other,¡± Lanina added, ¡°This one leads us to the seventh plane, which is our former territory.¡±


    ¡°So this kind of stable teleportation portal is naturally formed?¡± Nangong Wuyue asked and looked at the magnificent obsidian building in the distance, ¡°since the teleportation portal is naturally formed, then what¡¯s the use of the pedestal below it and the pillars on both sides of the door?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks casually replied, ¡°They¡¯re useless, just for decorative purpose.¡±


    Hao Ren was wondering how the teleportation portal worked, and now he was almost choked¡­ That pile of dark, intricate patterns of obsidian slabs looked like magical artifacts, people who had no idea of it would really think they prop up that huge dimensional rift, did not expect that the teleportation portal was a natural thing, and the demons created them just to make them look powerful and dynamic¡­


    ¡°OK, now the important question is how we get through it.¡± Fortunately, there was still a steady and reliable vampire reminded them to focus on the big problem. ¡°There are hundreds of sentries at the gate, and I¡¯m afraid there¡¯ll be more guards are in the guardhouse and under the pedestals. We¡¯re no match for them. It¡¯s absolutely impossible to enter the portal by force.¡±


    Lanina frowned and said, ¡°If we encounter lower-order demons, you guys can disguise as my human servant as we¡¯ve already discussed and agreed, but I¡¯m afraid it doesn¡¯t work here. The stable teleportation portal is the important thoroughfare of each plane. The interrogation is very strict, you¡¯ll need the badge of Serathon Legion to pass.¡±


    Hao Ren looked around the scorching plains, trying to find a lone Serathon Legion demon to rob a badge back. Lanina looked at him, shook her head and said, ¡°The demon guards of teleportation portal are impossible to act alone, and they have a secret means to communicate with each other. It¡¯s difficult to kill one undetected.¡±


    ¡°Is Shadow Stealth possible?¡± Vivian had an idea. ¡°The Shadow Power in this dimension seems strong, and I can cover you all in the shadow¡­¡±


    ¡°Demons are very sensitive to the Shadow Magic, and there are sensors near the portal, we don¡¯t know the form of the sensors, so we can¡¯t make ourselves invisible according to the specific form,¡± Lanina said and continued to shake her head, ¡°We can only wait for them to change shift, and seize the opportunity to kill those guards¡­¡±


    Before Lanina finished her words, they suddenly heard a loud noise sounded like a giant beast thundering from afar!


    Hao Ren turned to the direction and saw a giant beast running out of the flying dust. It was a giant monster that looked slightly like a wolf but was four or five meters tall. The giant beast had a pair of blood-red eyes, hideous face, and its fangs were stained with blood red color. Its body was covered with dark red furs that were as sharp as needles. The dark red flame was burning in the crevices of the furs and looked daunting.


    The beast rushed all the way from the scorching plains and dashed straight to the portal. At first, the guards got a little nervous when heard the loud sound, but they calmed down when saw it was just a wild beast. They swayed lazily and watched the giant wolf dashed into the portal. This seemed to be a very common thing.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Hao Ren asked curiously.


    Lanina looked at the direction of the teleportation portal and said, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a kind of Cerberus, a wild breed, often seen in the Demonic Plane.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue surprised and asked immediately, ¡°Cerberus? Does a Cerberus look like this? I remember that Cerberus is the kind of creature that has two heads, a body full of magma, a short stumpy head, a mouthful of rotten teeth, and kept sneezing while running¡­¡±


    Lanina nodded and said, ¡°The one you refer to is also a Cerberus, but that¡¯s domestic breed, is specially bred as a pet. The one just now is the wild breed, the original form of Cerberus. The domesticated Cerberus will become like that after three or four generations of cross-breeding with the wild one.¡±


    Hao Ren felt that demon¡¯s aesthetic sense was really peculiar. They purposely transformed a normal creature into an ugly and odd two-head creature, and actually kept it as a pet¡­


    ¡°The demon guards won¡¯t stop the animals from crossing the border?¡± Nangong Wuyue asked curiously.


    ¡°Of course they won¡¯t,¡± Lanina replied, ¡°These natural teleportation portals have tens of thousands of or even hundreds of thousands of years of history, older than any demon monarch. It was a migratory passage for wildlife before it was occupied by some demon monarch. Many animals have to travel through the portal to migrate back and forth in several spaces to complete the process of reproduction. Not only in the Demonic Plane, similar cases also happen in other spaces of human races. The similar ancient teleportation portals have become part of the ecological cycle, and guards won¡¯t stop animals from using them.¡±


    Vivian pondered for a moment, suddenly looked at Lily and said, ¡°I have an idea¡­¡±


    Lily immediately felt a shiver ran down her spine, and quickly moved behind Hao Ren and said, ¡°What are you going to do? I warn you, I am more beautiful than that beast, you don¡¯t¡­¡±


    Hao Ren turned and looked at Lily and thought it¡¯s time for this useless husky to sacrifice a little¡­


    30 minutes later, they had retreated back to the Demonic Foundry. Lily squatted on the ground nervously and asked, ¡°Are you sure this works?¡±


    Not far behind them lied an already dead huge Cerberus, which was just caught by Lanina. This kind of creatures was all around, and there was a lot in the Demonic Plane. Y¡¯zaks was busy peeling off the skin from the Cerberus. Nangong Wuyue tried to squeeze water out of the air to clean up the poisonous blood stains and the strange smell on the fur. The whole scene was very bloody. Lily turned to glance at it, a little shivered and said, ¡°¡­ You want to deceive them with this stuff on me? Demons are not fools.¡±


    Vivian patted Lily on the shoulder and said, ¡°So I¡¯m going to use my magic to help you make up¨Crest assured that there¡¯s one type of blood magic that¡¯s specializing in mimicry which can also mimic other biological tissues. I¡¯ll handle it¡­¡±


    Lanina also said, ¡°You look ok. The mutation rate of this kind of creature is particularly high. Sometimes demons also like to make some weird biological transformation on the wild Cerberus. As long as you are not walking upright, the guards will not become suspicious of you.¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at Lily and said, ¡°Stop complaining, Y¡¯zaks and I are going to have to let you bite in the mouth, okay?¡±


    After Lily transformed, she was five meters tall. She looked really huge, but there were only so little places to hide them. Even if Lily was wearing an oversized fur, it could only accommodate a few petite girls, so they had planned carefully. And this creative plan really surprised Lanina.


    Lily had no choice. She let out a long heavy sigh and cradled her favorite spicy sticks¡­


    A moment later, a silver giant ¡®wolf¡¯ appeared in front of everyone. Nangong Wuyue and Lanina immediately put the newly treated Cerberus fur on Lily while Vivian used the blood magic to create flesh and blood as a disguised to cover imperfect places, then the girls hid under the fur, leaving Y¡¯zaks and Hao Ren standing outside.


    Lily lowered her head and licked Hao Ren, then put them in her mouth, ran out of the Demonic Foundry and ran toward the teleportation portal.


    The rumbling of the giant beast immediately caught the attention of the demon guards, but what the demon guards saw was just a mutant Cerberus running over there with two humans in its mouth, the smell of beast and humans¨Call normal, so the guards put their guard down.


    Hao Ren still remembered that he had a line. In order to make it look real, when Lily ran to the transmission door, he yelled, ¡°Help!¡±


    The ¡®mutant Cerberus¡¯ rushed into the teleportation portal and left no traces behind.


    Several of the demon guards looked at each other, and one of them shrugged and said, ¡°Wild dogs have a pretty big appetite.¡±


    ¡°There are so many humans in the Demonic Plane these days.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but most of them are eaten by dogs¡­¡±

 Chapter 408

    As they walked through the teleportation portal, Hao Ren thought he saw countless strange sights. Green forests, vast grasslands, oceans, mountains, rivers, and even the streets of the bustling city of the other world. The vision came and gone in a second. It scattered and dispersed in all directions. Hao Ren ¡®thought¡¯ that he saw it because this vision came quickly, and then scattered and dispersed before he could see it clearly, left him suspect that it was just an illusion.


    These things were unique phenomena in this world. Perhaps due to the imperfections of the dimensional structure, the teleportation portal would project the landscape of other spaces, and every person who crossed the large teleportation portal would see the illusion. There was also a group of scholars who studied the illusion occurred during teleportation process. They delved into the connections between the various spaces. By continually using the portal, these scholars basically dead 30 years earlier before ordinary people¡­


    After these strange and bizarre illusion dispersed, Hao Ren found that he already passed through the teleportation portal. Lily was running down from another obsidian pedestal. There were also a large number of demon guards around, but the scenery around the portal had changed, apparently, they were on the other side of the portal.


    Lily dared not stop in the vicinity of the teleportation door. She was carrying five people, at this moment she just wanted to find a safe place to unload these people. The demons near the portal also did not pay too much attention to the ¡®Cerberus¡¯, only a few nearby demons turned to look this way, and then ignored her.


    They crossed the border under the demon¡¯s nose in such a bizarre guise. They quickly moved away from the portal and came to a red hillside two kilometers from the portal. Lily ran up the hill and immediately put the two men in her mouth down, then shook her body vigorously while panting. Vivian¡¯s voice immediately came from underneath the fur. ¡°Stop shaking. I know we¡¯re already here.¡±


    The Cerberus fur on Lily¡¯s back split open and they filed out of the big cut, and then began to help Lily clean up this layer of fur. Apparently, the husky girl had been suppressing her dissatisfaction. She stuck out her tongue and made faces, trying to communicate with Hao Ren, unfortunately, she could not talk in this form, no one knew what she was trying to express.


    As Lily was transforming back to human form and changing clothes in somewhere else, Hao Ren finally got to stretch his body and said, ¡°I would never forget this kind of experience¡­ I was worried about Lily. What if she got too excited, lift her head and swallow us down?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks was also stretching his body and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. At that time I was in front of you, should be stuck in throat¡­¡±


    Soon Lily joined them, clean and refreshing again. As she walked, she sniffed her body suspiciously. She came to Hao Ren, stretched out her arms and asked, ¡°Landlord, you smell it, see if there¡¯s any strange smell¡­¡±


    Nangong Wuyue rolled her eyes and said, ¡°You don¡¯t believe my ability is it?¡±


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll never do this again!¡± Lily said angrily, ¡°Look at your bad idea¡­¡±


    Lanina was not chatting with them. She came to the end of the hill, looking at the direction of the teleportation door in a complicated expression. The details of the magnificent portal could still be seen clearly at this distance, and so the demon guards. Those demons, dressed in the armor of the Serathon Legion, looked high and mighty, but what they stepped on was the sentry and tower built by Y¡¯zaks¡¯s legion.


    ¡°There used to be our soldiers,¡± Lanina said and gnashed her teeth. Her tail drew an arrow in the air. ¡°Bastard!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s useless to talk about this now,¡± Y¡¯zaks patted Lanina¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Now Serathon should have become the most powerful demon king. We have no soldiers on hand, must try to avoid conflict with his men.¡±


    Hao Ren was observing the environment here. He found that every Demonic Plane seemed to have no difference in the environment. The place was also covered with crimson hardened soil and black rocks, with bright lava flowing over the mountains, and red or green evil flames spewed from the surface cracks in the wilderness. But there was a difference between this place and Seraton¡¯s place: the sky here was clearer.


    The sky in this place had much thinner clouds. Behind the thin cloud, a huge crimson planet was hanging high above the sky. This was a completely different view that they could not see in Serathonian Plane. Looking at this scene, Hao Ren had a deeper understanding of what the ¡®bizarre world¡¯ meant. Who would have thought that the universe had such a strange dimensional structure if it had not been seen by his own eyes? Serathonian Plane and Y¡¯zaks¡¯s plane were both Demonic Planes, but they had this great difference in the most basic structure of the world. God knows how the ¡®space bubble zone¡¯ of the universe was formed.


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing, isn¡¯t it?¡± Y¡¯zaks said casually when he saw that Hao Ren seemed interested in the giant planet in the sky. ¡°Among the ten planes, my Demonic Plane is the only plane that has another planet. In fact, the earth beneath your feet is just a broken planet floating in space. It has only one-third structures left. On the edge of the continent, you¡¯ll see a scary big cliff. If your angle is good enough and your eyesight is strong, you can even see a ball of dark red ashes of the planet¡¯s core. The core has been exposed for tens of thousands of years and is not completely cooled yet. And the planet above us is the real continent of this space. Unfortunately, it¡¯s not very suitable for survival. I had built a research station on the planet with the help of the little old man, but it was soon abandoned.¡±


    Hao Ren listened with amazement. It was hard to imagine how a normal universe would be able to produce such a peculiar landscape. The land occupied by Y¡¯zaks was a fragment of a shattered planet. So how did this planet become the way it is?


    ¡°I tried to investigate before, but nothing was found,¡± Y¡¯zaks said and sighed. ¡°There are too many unknown things in this world, but many people don¡¯t have enough curiosity, and those with curiosity are often not capable.¡±


    He suddenly looked at the huge teleportation portal in the distance and said, ¡°Do you know? These portals brought this world a glorious civilization, but also ruined a lot of things.¡±


    Hao Ren frowned and did not understand what Y¡¯zaks was saying.


    ¡°Because of the existence of these portals, we can relatively easily reach all kinds of ¡®Newland¡¯,¡± Y¡¯zaks said with an ironic expression. ¡°There are dozens of space vesicles known to provide a stable living environment, including the ten Demonic Planes, seven Human Kingdoms, three Elusive Elven Realms, four Orc Empires, the unknown number of Halfling Planes, as well as many different space continents as resource origin or colony. These ¡®space bubbles¡¯ are connected to each other by the portal, and only a simple step is needed to reach a foreign land far away.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. He heard Y¡¯zaks talked about these before, so he understood.


    Y¡¯zaks smiled and continued, ¡°And in addition to the independent planes that have been developed, there is plenty of room for exploration. They may not be suitable for habitation, but they have plenty of minerals and supplies and the potential to build new homes. In the last few centuries, there have been three to four new spaces found in almost every 100 years. Each race has its own professional scholar, responsible for their exploration of the unknown ¡®space bubbles¡¯ floating in the universe. This exploration is easy: you only need to find a stable ancient teleportation portal and then throw a few slaves in to determine whether the environment over there is habitable, then you will be able to open up a whole continent, or even a territory as large as the planet.¡±


    Lily stuck out her tongue and said, ¡°It sounds very convenient.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really convenient,¡± Y¡¯zaks grinned and said, ¡°so before I did, no one had ever studied the real space environment, this world didn¡¯t even have the concept of ¡®aerospace¡¯, and no one was interested in the space that was icy, void, dead silent, and full of high-energy radiation. Even though some of the space vesicles were huge and there was a complete stellar system inside, the people who lived there never wanted to explore the planets near them. Occasionally someone would open the teleportation portal that led to space, but they would immediately seal it off, fear of it and never touched it again¨Cbecause space was dangerous, and they thought there was no need to take the risk to explore something.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks sighed and said, ¡°Most people¡¯s thought was simple: as long as they found the suitable teleportation portal and crossed the border. There were a lot of ¡®space bubbles¡¯ that were habitable, why bother to study space navigation?¡±


    ¡°But they don¡¯t know that the space bubble zone is just a small part of the universe. The truly vast world is outside the bubble zone¨Ca vast universe with countless stars, but unable to reach via teleportation portal.¡±

 Chapter 409

    The longer Hao Ren knew Y¡¯zaks, the less demonic Y¡¯zaks seemed to be. He was more like a thinker and a philosopher, and maybe even a scientist. The rough guy had more profound knowledge than many scholars¡ªa result of constant exploration and the long-term influence by a real scholar. This had become part of him.


    Even if it was a demon, focusing on one thing for several hundred years would cultivate an amazing habit.


    The world Y¡¯zaks was living was an explored world with incredible spatial structure. The space here wasn¡¯t continual; the so-called ¡®long distance travel¡¯ concept was confined to a self-contained, limited bubble, or more sophisticated name called ¡®crystal wall system¡¯. Coming from Earth, Hao Ren had difficulty imagining how it was like in a discontinous space. But this space had obviously shaped the unique cultures contained in them. difference races lived seperately in the bubbles. Some stronger ones occupied a single or several bubbles. They built their countries in the land floating in the void, and accustomed to using teleportation gateway which was deemed a natural phenomenon and had been in existence since time immemorial.


    The natives of this world thrived relying on the bubbles and teleportation gateways, the nature had thus formed a unique ecosystem: many animals migrated periodically through the large teleportation gateways; they were born in one bubble then reproduced or hibernated in another. Even some plants relied on the gateway to reporduced. Various intelligent races regarded the dimensional door as a long-term strategic resource, just like the strategic point on earth. the races actively explored the undiscovered gateway, and carefully travelled through these gateways to find the ¡®new world¡¯ with rich resources. Each race had their own set of exploratory technique, but generally they were similar and had three common features: the way to find the gateway; the technique to detect the situation behind the gateway; and way to destroy the gateway if great disaster was detected across the gateway.


    The ease of exploration, and the belief that there were an unlimited amount of resources in the other dimensions made most races in the world complacent. They didn¡¯t think it was necessary to develop their own territoty, they just needed to open the various gateways and they would get what they wanted. Drow Arcanum, one of the three arcana of elf, was a planet the size of the Earth where elves only occupied a large piece of forest in the planet. As the forest was always shrouded in noxious gases and toxic radiation, they set up a shield and became content. They found a teleporting gateway in the forest where they could travel to another dimensions. After a deliberation, they opined that it was safer to get resources from other dimensions than to exploit their own planet.


    Many other races had the same thinking: why the hassle to explore the difficult-to-go places in their own dimension when there was the convenience of telepoting gateway to other dimensions?


    Of course, they did study the structure of their own spatial bubble, and had come up with a superficial ¡®spatial structure theory¡¯ of their own. But overall, their exploration was only limited to the surrounding areas around the gateways.


    There was no problem in this kind of survival. In the world of discontinual space, such development was normal; astronautical technology was deemed unnecessary, there weren¡¯t going to be a lot of stars to be seen, and so people weren¡¯t interested in the universe.


    But the problem of this world was the races were over-reliant on the gateways. Before the appearance of the mad human alchemist, no one had ever questioned the boundary of the bubble zone or was interested in the knwledge of the dimensions of the universe. Their default thinking was that the adjoining self-contained bubbles was the entire universe itself. They had never thought of their ¡®applied theory of teleporting gateway¡¯ which was developed in the course of thousands of years might be only applicable in a small part of the universe.


    Y¡¯zaks was the first person who had a sense of crisis.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not the last.¡± Y¡¯zaks smiled as he looked at the gateway far ahead. ¡°Goddess Tawil once said the variability and curiosity of the intelligent races were precious, someone was destined to find the right path, it was just a matter of when. The old man who developed the bubble theory was still regarded as a mad man by the orthodox scholars a thousand years ago. But since a hundred years ago, his manuscripts were studied and revered. They would be someone who cared to measure the world and understood the importance of unity. Perhaps my war of unification had had its influence, it had broadened their perspective.¡±


    ¡°At least it was to prevent the emergence of a second Mad Demonic King.¡± Hao Ren patted Y¡¯zaks on his arm and said, ¡°Let¡¯s not delve into the past. I can¡¯t wait to go to Osidian Plain. And by the way, where is Osidian Plain?¡±


    Lanina stretched out her neck and looked over the horizon at the mountain range and barren land, her succubus tail waving before the tip of the tial pointed at a direction: ¡°There!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks nodded before he led everyone headed in the opposite direction. ¡°Let¡¯s go this way.¡±


    Lanina said, ¡°¡­my king¡­ you don¡¯t trust me?¡±


    ¡°I trust you other than your sense of direction.¡± Y¡¯zaks glanced back at his ex aide-de-camp. ¡°And just call me Wang here.¡±


    Lanina followed from behind, her mouth twitched and was muttering something. Hao Ren was amazed: succubus was supposed to be an evil creature, but every one he met seemed to be an oddball.


    They descended from the hill and found the wilderness full of black gravel and strange plants ahead. Perhaps the continent itself was a remnant of a planet, the gravitational field was still ripping the land apart slowly with unstable geological environment. Canyons and smoking cracks were still pewing flame and smoke. Dar reed prickly vines grew stubbornly in the harsh terrain, making one wondering if this was actually a plant in the normal sense. There were occasionally weird creatures jumped out of the flame or even the lava, moving and hunting frenzily between the prickly vines. These monsters couldn¡¯t be even considered as lower-demons. Each dimension had its own unique ecosystem, so did the demonic dimension.


    ¡°It¡¯s hot.¡± They passed by a lava river. Vivian¡¯s brow began to knit together. ¡°Stick closer. I¡¯m switching on the air-conditioner.¡±


    A cold draft of air radiated out from Vivian. Hao Ren instantly felt like heaven in hell¡ªVivian was like a walking air-conditioner, maybe he could eat some ice-cream by the lava lake later if Nangong Wuyue could manage to extract some water out of the air.


    Lily gazed into the distance at the lava flow, falling into deep thought. She suddenly yanked out her flame claw and walked toward the lava flow. Hao Ren quickly called out. ¡°What¡¯re you doing?¡±


    Lily waved her claw excitedly. ¡°I¡¯m trying to the enhancement method as written in the book¡­¡±


    No one could keep up with the husky¡¯s line of thinking. Lily explained excitedly. ¡°It¡¯s written in the book. The magic weapons are forged in the abyss of fire, or the hell of magma. I feel that something is lacking with my claw, short of some enhancement. What do you think if I enhance it with teh lava of The Demonic Plane?¡±


    Most likely the maiden had read too much fantasy novels. Hao Ren looked at her half-crying half-laughing. ¡°You really believe things written in the novels? Do you think by just dipping the weapin into the demonic lava would be¡ª¡±


    Before Hao Ren finished, Lily had already ran to the lava flow. She squatted by the river like a child and dipped her flaming claw into the smolten rock and gave it a little stir. Vivian rolled her eyes. ¡°Oh so now it really has become Flamejoy, eh?¡±


    Lily tucked away her claw and frowned perplexingly. ¡°It seems not working¡­ but I think I felt something down there¡­¡±


    Before her voice trailed off, the lava flow suddenly surged!

 Chapter 410

    The lava flow suddenly surged, bubbles rose from the lava. Lily immediately jumped ten metres back. ¡°What did I just stir up?¡±


    Everyone eyed cautiously at the surging lava flow. Hao Ren activated his Steel Membrane Shield and stood in front of Nangong Wuyue: though the siren maiden was good in defense, but the high heat and dry environment made her the most vurnerable among them. The lava flow surged for about ten seconds before a rumble was heard and an ernomous monster rose up from the lava!


    The monster had a figure of a human but was covered in hot lava and stood wobbly at four metres tall in the lava flow. The monster was without a face but appeared at a loss as it turned its head around frantically as if trying to sniff out something in the air. Lava was dripping down its body back into the lava flow with white smoke rising up.


    Looking at the creature which was perspectively challenging, Hao Ren became nervous. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. It¡¯s just a lava demon.¡± Lanina let everyone take a step back. She stared at the lava creature, brows knit together and asked unsurely, ¡°Polu?¡±


    The ernomous lava demon reacted when it heard the Lanina¡¯s voice, bending down at where Laniana was and making a series of undiscernable grunt. Lanina took a few steps back to avoid lava dripping on her head before she made the same grunt to communicate with it.


    ¡°The two know each other?¡± Hao Ren nudged Y¡¯zaks. ¡°What are they saying?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve no idea.¡± Y¡¯zaks scraped his bald head. ¡°Lava demon is a lower life form, very unintelligent. I used to train them as guards in various lava lakes. Lanina is the only one who can communicate with them, though I¡¯ve no idea how she does it.¡±


    Hao Ren looked on in astonishment as Lanina talked with the lava demon. ¡°As a succubus, she is really weird.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks shrugged. ¡°Perhaps there was something wrong with my teaching¡­¡±


    After Lanina talked with Polu, the lava demon, it disappeared into the lava flow with a grunt. Then Lanina told them worriedly, ¡°This place is basically under Serathon¡¯s control. His forces and the allied army are in a stalemate near the Osidian Plain. It¡¯s not known what they are fighthing for. His soldiers are everywhere.¡±


    ¡°So this area was used to be Biggie¡¯s territory?¡± Vivian¡¯s brows pulled together. ¡°What happened to your men?¡±


    ¡°Those who survived had fled to the other dimensions. The rest have become traitors.¡± Lanina said in an emotionless tone of voice. ¡°Most middle and lower demons have no sense of loyalty. To them, who is more powerful, who will be their boss. So they are our enemies now. But then it¡¯s a good thing: Serathon distrusts those turncoats, he gathered them around Red Peak which is near to Osidian Plain. So we¡¯re not going to bump into them.¡±


    Hao Ren let out a sigh of relief. Those turncoat demons were the biggest threats: they recognised Lanina, and could even sensed the presence of Y¡¯zaks. Once engaged, those demons would be more dangerous than allied army.


    ¡°Serathon and allied army are in a stalemate in Osidian Plain?¡± Y¡¯zaks rubbed his chin in thought. ¡°Allied army is a formidable foe, a standoff means that Serathon must have sent his main forces. No wonder he has abandoned The Demonic Foundry.¡±


    ¡°After all the trouble, they were just after your daughter?¡± Hao Ren suddenly sensed something wasn¡¯t quite right. The standoff between the demonic king and the allied army for over half a year for a kid just didn¡¯t make sense.


    Y¡¯zaks¡¯s emotion changed. He clenched his fists and said, ¡°I don¡¯t care what they are up to. I must go there.¡±


    ¡°Wait a second,¡± Vivian suddenly said, ¡°Is the intel the lava demon provided trustable?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely.¡± Lanina smiled and said, ¡°Lava demons aren¡¯t intelligent, but they wouldn¡¯t lie. They know the situation on the ground by way of the network of the magma in the crust of the earth. I¡¯m the only one who could understand their language. No one else could master this web of intel.¡±


    Hao Ren was doubtless about it. He led everyone leaving the hot lava flow and heading toward Osidian Plain.


    As expected, they began to bump into the lower demons who were patrolling the area. As they drew near to Osidian Plain, they saw more demons and even armed Serathon¡¯s soldiers. During their landing near the Demonic Foundry in Serathonian Plane previously, they were using the clouds in high altitude as a cover. But here, Hao Ren didn¡¯t intend to go in discreetly¡ªthey were here to do reconnaissance, hiding themselves would only make the work difficult.


    So everyone was making contact with the lower demons cautiously.


    And there was a risk in doing so. But they had already agreed beforehand a way to disguise themselves. To make sense of the situation, they had to make contact with the enemy¡ªit was a necessary risk. With their abilities, dealing with the lower demons was just a piece of cake, even if they risked getting exposed.


    On the the desolute, scorched red land, two burly demon guards with a single horn on their forehead and their small team were passingby. The demon guards draped in armour of Serathon and despite their rock-like skins were exposed to the scorching heat, they seemed to enjoy the weather very much. They occasionally looked back at the demonspawns and the frightened humans behind them, and talked loudly among themselves. ¡°It¡¯s good weather. And it¡¯s also a lucky day.¡±


    ¡°Definitely.¡±


    Never have I thought of we could catch the fellows during the shift changes. It seems the allied army isn¡¯t as strong as thought.¡±


    ¡°Definitely.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s said that the allied army has been searching in Osidian Plain for half a year. If they keep this longer, they would have died from noxious gas poisoning without needing our help. Could this be what Serathon has in his mind?¡±


    ¡°Definitely.¡±


    ¡°By then I might be able to retire, and become a captain. Then I can eat human at least once a week. Such a good life!¡±


    ¡°Definitely.¡±


    ¡°Tsk, I like your honesty.¡±


    ¡°Definitely.¡±


    The two demon buddies were chatting as they walked, proving that demons were emotionally-capable creatures. Suddenly a group of humans appeared in front and stunned them. They raised their weapons instinctively. ¡°It¡¯s human!¡±


    ¡°Look carefully, idiot!¡± Lanina strutted toward the two demon guards. ¡°A higher demon is here!¡±


    Though the two demon guards were twice as tall as Lanina, the little succubus was talking to them like a boss. The two demon guards appeared not upset. They lowered their weapons as they saw a succubus was also taking a group of humans as prisoner. ¡°It¡¯s ma¡¯am succubus.¡±


    Succubi had low combat strength but their high intelligence and magic skills put them on the higher rank of demons. They were natural commanders and strategists, and revered by the grassroot soldiers.


    ¡°Are you going to Osidian Plain too?¡± Lanina asked loudly as if she was their superior, her tone of voice sounded so naturally.


    ¡°Yes.¡± The two demon guards were a little confused. ¡°We inadvertently caught some spies of the allied army on the way. We¡¯re taking them to the officer in the front line.¡±


    ¡°I happen to go to Osidian Plain too.¡± Lanina pointed at Hao Ren and his company behind her. ¡°I too have a few new servants. They haven¡¯t been brainwashed completely. I will put them under your custody. Save me the trouble of looking after them.¡±


    One of the demon guards nodded. But the other one suddenly said as if he had realised something. ¡°Of course. But could you please show me your ID?¡±


    Lanina took out a pack of half-empty chewing gum which she took from Hao Ren¡¯s house earlier and waved it in front of the demon guard. Her eyes glowed in blue and her voice low like in sleepwalk. ¡°This is my ID¡­¡±


    Lanina had never really practiced her seduction ability. Trying to use this ability on the elite demons would be difficult but the lower demons would be easily susceptible to it. The two demon guards nodded impetuously.


    So Hao ren and his men had infiltrated the small demonic convoy. Then they continued heading toward Osidian Plain.


    The two demon guards began talking again.


    ¡°Do you think ordinary soldiers like us have chance to get a succubus as wife?¡±


    ¡°Definitely.¡±


    ¡°Get lost! I couldn¡¯t stand your hypocricy.¡±


    ¡°Definitely.¡±


    Hao Ren was listening to their conversation from behind. ¡°¡­..¡±

 Chapter 411

    The small convoy hustled through the desolate land as the two ordinary demon guards and a higher succubus leading in the way. Following behind were the demonspawns which looked like mutated dwafs, and a few humans. They just looked like a demonic convoy with humans prisoners.


    At least that was how it appeared to be.


    Lanina were walking with the two demon guards as she tried to fish intel from them. Hao Ren¡¯s eyes were darting around as walking with the enemy under disguise was a new experience. If everything went smoothly, they would be able to reach Osidian Plain under the cover of the lower demons.


    Walking beside him were a few sad-looking strangers whom the demons said were spies of the allied army. Hao Ren didn¡¯t think these so-called spies were high-value personnel, they looked more like scout troops. Otherwise they wouldn¡¯t have been captured by just a few lower demons.


    One of the spies was a bearded, lightly-armoured, middle-aged man who looked like a vanguard¡ªthat was what was written on his chest after all.


    He glanced at Hao Ren and his friends curiously, wondering if these people who draped in old coarse robes (they changed a while ago as a disguise) were already brainwashed by the succubus; they didn¡¯t look frustrated nor angry despite being taken prisoner by the demons, and might have forgotten that they were once humans. So he didn¡¯t bother to talk to them.


    But Hao Ren stirred up a conversation. ¡°You¡¯re from the allied army?¡±


    The beardy man¡¯s brows knit together and replied with just a word, ¡°Meh.¡± To him, these human minions who were controlled by the succubus were little different from demons; he didn¡¯t want to talk to him.


    ¡°What is the allied army looking for in Osidian Plain?¡± Hao Ren asked curiously.


    ¡°Stop talking!¡± One of the leading demon guards shouted at them. But Linana quickly smiled in a seductive manner. ¡°Let them talk. Let these useless humans make up their false sense of hope. It would be more interesting later when we begin to shatter their hope bit by bit¡­¡±


    The demon guards immediately thought it was a great idea. ¡°Ma¡¯am Succubus is really experienced!¡±


    The other demon guards nodded frantically. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°Is the allied army looking for someone? Or treasure?¡± Lily immediately chimed in after Lanina. ¡°What were you guys doing? How did you get captured?¡±


    The beardy man¡¯s brows knit together again. He vaguely felt that these brainwashed minions were different¡ªthey were too cheerful. But he still didn¡¯t want to talk to them. ¡°I have nothing to tell you. I know it¡¯s the succubus to let you extract intel from me, isn¡¯t it? Don¡¯t waste your time. You¡¯re just a bunch of pathetic people who couldn¡¯t remember who you are.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the demonspawns around him. He discovered that these dwarf-like lower demons had low intelligence like what Lanina said. They stuck to the last order as long as there was no fresh one coming. So he wasn¡¯t worried too much. He came near to the beardy man and said quietly, ¡°I¡¯m a warlock.¡±


    The beardy guy was wide-eyed, his expression changed quickly as if he had suddenly had many thoughts in his mind. The beardy guy said cautiously, ¡°Prove it.¡±


    Hao Ren raised his hand and pointed at Lanina and muttered quietly, ¡°She is stupid.¡±


    Lanina sneezed immediately. She looked around as if she knew someone was cursing her behind her back.


    The beardy guy began to trust what Hao Ren said. The reason was simple; the seduction ability of succubi was crude and simple, intelligent beings which were charmed would sing praises of the succubi and would do so even if the succubus ordered them to the contrary¡­


    ¡°So she is our servant?¡± the beardy guy glanced at Hao Ren, appearing surprised. He began to realise that these people weren¡¯t under the influence of the succubus. So he asked, ¡°You come to our rescue?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re independent merceneries. Just wanna help.¡± Hao Ren made it up based on what the intel Lanina had provided about the allied army. ¡°We have just arrived. Not much we know. What are you guys looking for?¡±


    The beardy guy lowered his head and said quietly, ¡°Well, it¡¯s not a secret¡ªwe¡¯re searching for treasure.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks instantly halted in his step. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s said that it¡¯s the secret where the mad demonic king had garnered his power.¡± The beardy man continued. ¡°The mad demonic king had turned from an ordinary warlord to become the strongest demonic king ever. He conquered the demonic world and half of the human world within a few hundred years. What¡¯s more, he could also foresee where the hidden dimensional door and new planes were. All these ability came from the special treasure. I don¡¯t know where the intel comes from. But it¡¯s said that the bigwigs of the allied army has found the last words of the mad demonic king before he disappeared. The last words are about the secrets of his great strength which have been buried in the royal city in Osidian Plain.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks was all the more confused. He couldn¡¯t remember when he had his ¡®last words¡¯. Of course he was more enraged by the fact that the allied army¡¯s stay in Osidian Plain all this time wasn¡¯t about his daugther but an illusory treasure! His facial expression changed for the worse. Hao Ren noticed that and quickly patted on his shoulder. ¡°Hey, Wang, keep calm. The thing is, the situation is still unclear. We need to investigate further.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks calmed down very quickly¡ªtrue to his past great stature. He nodded quietly.


    The convoy moved forward for almost half a day before the black plain began to appear in the horizon. Silhouettes of countless structure, possibly of the barracks of Serathon or the defense positions of the allied army could be seen over the horizon. As they drew closer, they began to bump into more and more demonic guards and sometimes even small forces of Serathon.


    But things went without incident¡ªLanina told them that the humans were her prisoners with the two demonic guards had sworn to back up her claim. Almost invariably, those demons they had met on the way were all awed by Lanina¡¯s promiscuous appetite for man and woman a like.


    It wasn¡¯t know how the succubus mainden took the comments, especially when she was actually more like sexually apathetic.


    So just like that, the convoy was arriving at the border of Osidian Plain. Hao Ren saw weird rocks sticking out like spikes on the terrain. He thought these must be the so-called osidians.


    Just when Hao Ren had thought of taking out the demons and figured out a way to infiltrate the the allied army, a loud explosion suddenly came off on both side of the road.


    At the same time a BOOM¡ªa ball of fire burst in the air right ahead of the convoy. The demons fell into a state of confusion and chaos. Armoured human soldiers began to rush out from behind the osidian spikes!


    Apparently the soldiers had been waiting for them. The convoy was surrounded and outnumbered by one to three.


    The two leading demonic guards immediately raised their weapons and roared at the enemies. But they didn¡¯t lunged out when they saw the numbers of enemy before them. One of the demonic guards glanced at Lanina. ¡°Ma¡¯am Succubus¡­¡±


    The allied army was surprised to find a succubus in the convoy. The male soldiers ook several steps back instinctively. The leading officer clenched his weapon and shouted. ¡°Be careful of the succubus¡­¡±


    In a split second, Lanina yanked out a pair of black rapiers from her waist. She wielded her weapons and leapt up like a bird, and took out the two demonic guards before they knew it.


    Then Lanina looked up at the human officer. ¡°What?¡±


    Human officer said back, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°What my foot!¡± Hao Ren suddenly yanked out his silver alloy spear and flung a demonspawn away. ¡°Let¡¯s finish them!¡±

 Chapter 412

    The demons weren¡¯t a threat at all, they were trifling in the demonic world. Even if they these demons were a lot stronger than humans, they were just child¡¯s play in the eyes of these superhumans. As the two leading demons were taken out, the demonspawns which were a no more smarter than aninals were totally no match for the superhumans. They were dead before they could react; one was stabbed to death by Hao Ren, one was stabbed to death by Lily, one was slapped to death by Y¡¯zaks, one was slapped to death by Y¡¯zaks, one was slapped to death by Y¡¯zaks¡ªlet¡¯s cut to the chase: the rest of the demonspawns were finished off by Y¡¯zaks singlehandedly.


    The male officer raised his sword. But before he could say anything, the demons had crumbled from within. Bodies of demonspawns were strewn all over the place and quickly turning into hot ashes. The person who did this was no other than the succubus. The little officer had felt it too unreal, and things happened to be so good to be true¡­


    Lanina wiped the blood stain off her rapiers and walked up to Hao Ren delectably. ¡°Are you guys OK?¡±


    The beardy guy and other men and women were nervous for a while. But when they saw the humble attitude of the succubus, they were convicned that Hao Ren was a real warlock. Though warlock was an occupation feared by many, it was on the human side, so they felt a sense of relief. Hao Ren came up to the human soldiers with his company and asked, ¡°Are you from the allied army?¡±


    The leading officer came to his sense. He began to eyeball and size them up before asking back. ¡°Who are you people?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re friends.¡± The beardy man came up from behind and nodded to the officer. ¡°If not for them, I¡¯m afraid we would have been dead in the demonic barracks. He¡¯s a warlock, and his servant a succubus. But you don¡¯t have to worry about her.¡±


    Lanina nodded immediately, looked very submissive. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m summoned by my lord¡­¡±


    The succubus lied without even blinking an eye. Had the two dead demonic guards heard what she said, they would turned in their grave. But then again, the identity switch really came in handy.


    There was an occupation called ¡®warlock¡¯ in this world. Warlock could summon and command demons, and had a great deal of knowledge about the demonic world.


    Sometimes, warlocks could be used by demons as a tool to invade the human world. Normally a demonic lord would simply disguise himself as a lower demon and got summoned by the warlock to invade the human world, the warlock would then be intimidated to open a temporary teleporting gateway for them. That was the reason why warlocks were suspected by many.


    But there are two sides to every coin. Even if warlocks were feared by people, it was a proper occupation recognised all over the world: these were the people who knew the inside out of demons, all races in the human world which wanted to wage war against the highly combative demons would need to go through the warlocks. And they also needed warlocks to open the gateway for them if they were to invade the demonic world. So warlocks became the indespensible experts and guides in war against the demons¡ªit was an occupation arose in the early days for the purpose of fighting the demons.


    Just that the some of the later generations had gone rogue.


    This was warlock, a group of mysterious, revered yet feared taboo scholars. They sometimes became an accomplice of the demons. But most of the time, they were the biggest help the camp of order could garner. Hao Ren had agreed with Lanina beforehand that using warlock as disguise was the best bet: when facing with demons they would say Lanina was in control, when seeing humans they would say he himself was the boss. Both of them hadn¡¯t really any sort of covenant between them after all, so they could say whatever they wanted¡­


    The trick was so perfect that no one would have thought that demon and human would come to such mutual cooperation¡ªthanks to the mad demonic king who had made history trying to unite all races of the world but only manage to prove that human and demon could never see eye to eye. That gave Hao Ren a perfect background of disguise.


    When the human officer heard that Hao Ren was a warlock, he was fearful as well as revering him. But judging from the submissive behavior of the succubus and also the killing of the demons, he was convinced. He was only curious about one thing now. ¡°Nowadays, when is a warlock into spear, eh?¡±


    Hao Ren guffawed and clenched the spear in this hand and looked up into the sky. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything else¡­¡±


    The human officer pursued the question no more: normally warlock would suffer mental shock after trying to take control of demons, their mind would become a little wobbling after performing a certain amount of demon summoning. And judging from the symptom of Hao Ren had manifested, he could be warlock master.


    By now Vivian began speaking the mercenary narrative. ¡°We had received call from the allied army and came to help but got separated from the convoy after passing through the gateway. We bumped into your men who were captured by the demons. Now can you bring us to the camp of the allied army?¡±


    Lanina had observed the allied army for a certain time before she left this world. She had quite some solid intel about the allied army; though several months had passed the situation seemed to be not much changes. So they knew what to fudge.


    The human officer carefully sized them up, confirming that aside from the succubus they were all normal human beings. He then nodded and said, ¡°Follow me. We need people the most now. But please Mr. Warlock, look after your pet and don¡¯t let it run astray lest she could be manslaughtered.¡±


    They grouped into formation and left the place under the cover of Osidian forest, bypassed the patrolling demons and headed toward the allied army camp. The human spies naturally walked with the human soldiers. The beardy guy looked worried as he asked the officer. ¡°It seems there are just you, where are the other races? Didn¡¯t they send their people too??¡±


    ¡°I knew it from the beginning. There¡¯s no need to feel disappointed.¡± The officer lamented as he looked at the beardy guy with respectfully. ¡°It couldn¡¯t go on like this. Even an important scholar like you were sent to collecting samples without even assigning a body guard, clearly it was¡­¡±


    The beardy guy shook his head and said, ¡°What can we do? It was just a loose coalition, a marriage of convenience. It¡¯s already a miracle they could stick together for all these years. The mad demonic king has disappeared for more than half a year, I think it¡¯s time they go their separate way.¡±


    Hao Ren was listening attentively from behind and got an insight: the beardy guy who appeared like other ordinary folk wasn¡¯t actually a soldier, most likely he was someone in disguise, someone of importance. But it wasn¡¯t known what had gone wrong with the allied army that he was sent out and left to die¡ªalmost.


    So it was now easier to explain about the human soldiers. They were here ambushing the lower demons just because they wanted to rescue the beardy guy and the rest. Coupled with the fact that there were only human soldiers without other races joining the operation, it further reinforced the notion that trouble was brewing inside the allied army.


    The convoy threaded carefully. They changed course constantly but in an orderly manner, circumventing the strongholds of the demons around the osidian forest. Some of the human soldiers dressed like priests who were were laying close-range barrier along the way to get rid of or disguise the scents that they had left behind. Obviously these veterans who had been working in the demonic space for many months were experienced.


    Meanwhile, Hao Ren and the rest deliberately walked at the rear of the group. Vivian muttered to Y¡¯zaks. ¡°Now we¡¯re headed to the territory of the allied army. Do you feel the dilemma?¡±


    ¡°What dilemma?¡± Y¡¯zaks was confused.


    ¡°They¡¯re your sworn enemy!¡± Nangong Wuyue chimed in. ¡°Your foes who banished your back then?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks smiled wryly as if he couldn¡¯t care less. ¡°Aren¡¯t demons also my enemy? It doesn¡¯t matter where I go, the world is already against me.¡±


    Hao Ren could feel his lofty aspiration in his words¡ªonly great man like Y¡¯zaks could have uttered ¡®the world is agaisnt me¡¯ so lightly, so carelessly. This words were far more meaningful than what the hotheaded chaps who had done nothing but complained about the unjust of the world. What Y¡¯zaks said was indeed a condensed thought of his epic past of being pursued by the whole world¡ªtruly a bloody meaningful word.

 Chapter 413

    If possible, Hao Ren wouldn¡¯t want to meet the allied army nor the demons in the demonic plane. He would rather stick to his ideal plan: get in to Osidian Plain discreetly, rescue Y¡¯zaks¡¯ daughter smoothly, then exfiltrate back to Earth; the whole operation wouldn¡¯t be on the sly.


    This was truly a if-you¡¯re-not-with-me-you¡¯re-against-me kind of world. If Y¡¯zaks was exposed, the whole world would hunt them down. Hao Ren wasn¡¯t prepared to experience the resurrection trick of Raven 12345 just yet; he was afraid to lose a limbs or two, or get additional ¡®spare parts¡¯ added to him if he were resurrected.


    But plan would never catch up with changes. When putting action on the ground things wouldn¡¯t be as smooth sailing: Curia coalition forces had encircled Osidian Plain and was having battles with several legions of army of Serathon. Under such circumstances, it was practically impossible to go in without getting spotted. So they had no choice but to infiltrate into enemy¡¯s group.


    But it was more comfortable to live with the allied army than the demons¡ªat least aesthetically.


    They went around the cordons of army of Serathon into Osidian Plain where buildings of human, elf, and dwarf could be found. Some of the demonic sentry posts had been modified into houses for human. This was the territory of the allied army. The land had almost been developed into a city with constructions were still ongoing.


    Hao Ren began to recall what Lanina and Y¡¯zaks had told him about the war back then.


    Many years ago, the allied army had gathered the forces of the entire world and spent seven years before fianlly defeating Y¡¯zaks, the mad demonic king who had sent people into the human world. With much sacrifice, they then forcibly opened the seventh teleporting gateway and fought a further three years of war in the purgatory of the demonic land and won. Ten years, countless of humans, elves, dwarfs, and orcs thronged the demonic world to fight the invincible demonic forces. Heroes rose and fell. Every race had their own heroes¡ªWarriors of Light, Knights of Justice, the Saint Ladies, Knights of Lion Heart¡ªbut all of them had perished.


    The last three years of the ten-year war was fought in the Demonic Plane. All races fought in the scorched earth where short-lived towns and entrepots appeared but were now abandoned. The ruins of human architecture could still be found along the way from the gateway to Osidian Plain¡ªthe ruins left behind by the ten-year war.


    The final battleground of the war was in Osidian Plain.


    Even Y¡¯zaks couldn¡¯t help but lament that it was the worst battle of his life. An incalculable army of the coalition surrounded Osidian Plain. They crushed the various lines of defense in the plain like a tsunami and eventually approached the last strongholds of Y¡¯zaks¡ªthe demonic royal city in the centre of the plain and The Osidian Throne twenty kilometres away.


    Y¡¯zaks was stationed at the fortress called ¡®The Osidian Throne¡¯ at that time.


    But in the end, the royal city and The Osidian Throne fell.


    Knowing that it was impossible to break the line of defense of the demonic royal city, the most powerful magicians of the allied army began to construct a huge magic tower outside the city and cast an imprisonment spell, created an unprecedentedly massive dimensional crack, and sent the royal city and The Osidian Throne into the space storm.


    What was left now was a one-hundred-twenty-kilometre long, thirty-kilometre wide crater where the allied army had set up their command centre.


    No one would want to use such imprisonment spell in the human world because even the pope who formulated this plan couldn¡¯t even be sure they could confidently control it, some were even worried that once thing got out of hand the entire space dimension might collapse¡ªbut since this was the demonic world, who cares?


    Toward the end of the ten-year war, the warriors became almost fanatical, probably as a result of long-term stress from the war and the terror of the army of the demonic king, or it might also be that the negative energy in the dimension was consuming the mind of those veteran warriors. In short, those sacred warriors who were hailed as ¡®the bravest and the most righteous¡¯ were as paranoid as madmen; as long as the mad demonic king could be defeated, they didn¡¯t mind to perish together with the entire demonic dimension.


    The imprisonment spell was cast in the frenzy driven by vengeance. But luckily it hadn¡¯t gone out of control and the war ended just like expected.


    Now, it was just a year since the ten-year war had ended.


    The allied army were the most massive military alliance in history. Though they were in the world of the demons, and Serathon was determined to become the second demonic king, the latter hadn¡¯t been able to chase those suicide squads out of The Demonic Plane and could only hold the allied army in a standoff in Osidian Plain.


    The allied army had controlled eight-tenth of Osidian Plain and several other places. Though they were short of getting total control of the entire remnant of the planet, they had built an unshakable foundation. Serathon had deployed his forces in the buffer zone between the gateway and Osidian Plain; for one, he wanted to repel the tired allied army and also to prevent them from launching a surprise attack in The Demonic Plane. So both sides were in a deadlock and Osidian Plain was never peaceful because of that.


    Under the cover of mercenary, Hao Ren and others had an easy way in infiltrating the camp of the allied army. They were expecting rigorous checks, at least demanding for identity proof or something. But they went through various checkpoints without issue: the beardy guy acted as their guarantor and they were waived from being checked at most security checkpoints.


    A few soldiers brought them to an open new barracks and pointed at a house. ¡°You guys take a rest in there and don¡¯t wander around. If there is an operation you will be informed. All the dos and don¡¯ts are hung on the closet. New recuits keep coming in from the human world recently, we¡¯ve no time to go throught that one by one with you. So help yourselves.¡±


    Before they went, the leading soldier smiled wryly and said, ¡°I hope you wouldn¡¯t be like those spoilt brats who had just gone back a few days ago. The demonic world isn¡¯t a place for holiday, the weather alone is already difficult enough.¡±


    Hao Ren led the others into the barrack which was built of stones¡ªstone was the most abundant construction material in here. The interior of the house was simple: wide beds, a few cabinets and that was it. The demonic world hadn¡¯t much craft materials for human use. Ordinary soldiers could only stay in such places.


    Though the environment was harsh, the stone house interior was cool. Everyone instantly felt refreshed once inside: they had had enough of the scorching heat outside.


    ¡°Why is the security lax?¡± Hao Ren found a low cabinet and sat on it. ¡°Why there was no one asking for ID?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue lay on the bed listlessly, sticking out her tongue and hissing. Without looking up, she said, ¡°It¡¯s not that they were lax, it was just that we looked too insignificant. To be frank, Serathon is the only threat to the allied army, none of us look like demonic spies. The only demonic king who had ever trained humans as his soldiers was ¡®dead¡¯. Now we¡¯re thought to be on their side.¡±


    Vivian split out a swarm of bats to fan herself and made the surrounding air chilled as she told about her analysis. ¡°There¡¯s another reason; as the war has ended a year ago, the coalition which is just an alliance of convenience to wage war against the mad demonic king has lost its purpose of existence, those who stay back are just merely treasure-hunters, I don¡¯t see how united they are.¡±


    ¡°We will scout around the nearby area tonight. Vivian, send your bats out there and see if they could find some useful Intel, at least we should know what the coalition forces are up to.¡± While Hao Ren briefed everyone about what to do next, his sight inadvertently landed on Nangong Wuyue who was just beside him. ¡°Wuyue, you¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m dehydrated.¡± The siren couldn¡¯t even sit up. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to die¡­¡±


    ¡°OK, maybe you and Vivian should find way to make some shaved ice¡­¡±

 Chapter 414

    They had never intended to join the allied army, nor their baffling operation. They were just using their cover identity to get through checkpoints in Osidian Plain. Once they were in, they needn¡¯t to stay put in one place like needle to the pole.


    The allied army wasn¡¯t just an army right from the beginning; it had massive supplies and weaponry, logistics and auxiliary units had turned the vast land of Osidian Plain into cities. Barracks and towns were scattered within the million-square-kilometre area connected by web of roads. No one would have believed that one year after the war Obsidian Plain would be developed into its present state. The large army and complex of barracks had provided an ideal cover for Hao Ren to move around.


    The commanders of the allied army weren¡¯t gods; even if they could bring the best and the brightest bureaucrats over, they couldn¡¯t possibly govern the vast land as tightly controlled as the barracks. There were many regulatory blank spots in Osidian Plain. Though identification, communication, and interdiction could be enforced, laxness and perfunctoriness were apparent. There were stand guards everywhere Hao Ren went, but he had no issue passing through.


    ¡°There are loopholes everywhere.¡± Hao Ren daid after he and Lily made their round in the vicinity. ¡°As long as you have a human face no one¡¯s going to bother you.¡±


    Vivian, the walking air-conditioner, said ¡°They couldn¡¯t possibly secure every inch of this vast land. And don¡¯t forget we¡¯re still on the outskirt. The way I see it, crimes are bound to happen in the remote places everyday and people at the top mightn¡¯t know what happen on the ground. Maintaining the formation in shape is already not easy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like this one year ago.¡± Lanina scoffed. ¡°One year ago, the allied army was the strongest army I¡¯d ever seen. Though I don¡¯t like to admit it, they had really struck fear in the heart of the demons. But they had slackened to such a state in just one year. Sure enough they are just a marriage of convenience. Without a long-term goal, the coalition would crumble in no time.¡±


    ¡°The allied army would be dissolved sooner or later but racial alliance will live on.¡± Y¡¯zaks was quite concerned for the world. ¡°At least I¡¯ve done something good.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Vivian and asked, ¡°Have you got something?¡±


    The bats Vivian had released out had monitored and gathered information from places such as military officer¡¯s residences and barracks. ¡°The allied army is searching for the treasure¡ªthe source of strength of the mad demonci king. There is intel shows that the mad demonic king had got his power and wisdom from an ancien divine relic and this relic is hidden somewhere in Osidian Plain. This is what the allied army is after. In another hand, Serathon is also interested in getting their hands on the divine relic but hasn¡¯t been able to do so due to the overwhelming forces of the allied army.¡±


    Hao Ren looked up at Y¡¯zaks and asked, ¡°Do you know all these?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks looked at them, seemingly confused. ¡°How come I don¡¯t know I have had an ancient relic? My power comes from four hours of training everyday while my wisdom comes from reading¡­¡±


    ¡°In that case, could it merely a romour?¡± Hao Ren scratched his head. ¡°Could it be someone was spreading rumour after Y¡¯zaks was ¡®dead¡¯?¡±


    ¡°A rumour is able to keep millions of army in the demonic plane for a year?¡± Nangong Wuyue lay listlessly in bed. She looked up. ¡°Even Serathon came here based on the rumour. Are there really so many idiots?¡±


    Hao Ren smacked the siren¡¯s head and said, ¡°Get back in to your bed.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue kept sticking her tongue but looked up again after a while. ¡°Oh ya. Water! Doesn¡¯t your dimensional pocket have enough water to fill up a swimming pool? Take some out to sooth my thirst.¡±


    Hao Ren took a one-metre-across basin filled with water out from the dimensional pocket. The siren maiden immediately rose up before jumping into it like doing suicide.


    ¡°Wang, just don¡¯t give up.¡± Hao Ren had noticed something was wrong with Y¡¯zaks¡¯ expression. He patted on Y¡¯zaks¡¯ arm and said, ¡°The rumour of treasure is too coincidental.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to comfort me. I¡¯m not a child.¡± Y¡¯zaks said, almost half-crying and half-laughing. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m ready for any eventuality. I knew Lanina was just trying to encourage me from the beginning, I don¡¯t expect much from it. The main purpose I come here is to see what had become of this world since I left. I was leaving in a hurry and had left behind many regrets. Now I finally have closure. And to be honest, I am curious what the allied army is looking for. Nangong Wuyue is right, not everyone is idiot, they must have secured some solid evidence for them to stay back for such a long time. Something must have happened after I left.¡±


    ¡°The question is where they got the intel from.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s brows pulled together as he looked at Vivian. ¡°Who was the first one to say the mad demonic king had an ancient divine relic?¡±


    ¡°There is a lead.¡± Vivian nodded. ¡°Do you remember the people we have saved earlier said that they had found the ¡®last words¡¯ of the mad demonic king? It¡¯s said that it¡¯s a piece of crystal which has recorded the last image before the mad demonic king disappeared. The crystal is the command centre of the allied army.¡±


    Things had developed rather strangely now. It was not just the rumour of an ancient divine relic appeared after Y¡¯zaks left but he was believed to have left behind a crystal. And the key to the secret seemed to lie in the crystal.


    ¡°We must take a look at it.¡± Hao Ren rubbed his chin. ¡°Is it possible to get in there?¡±


    ¡°Highly unlikely.¡± Vivian shook her head. ¡°The command centre is unlike this barrack where we are at. It has extremely tight security, no even my bats could get in there as any unidentified flying objects more than two-centimetre-across would be immediately shot down. But I have reliable intel that the crystal is currently on the table of General Grigory of Terran who is one of the seven generals of the allied army. The crystal is watched by seven people in turn. The elven general would take over the task next month.¡±


    ¡°What are they doing?¡± Hao Ren was amazed. ¡°Why would they want to pass around the crystal?¡±


    ¡°I guess they want to crack the secrets of the crystal.¡± Lanani smiled. ¡°I could almost read their mind. If there were truly such a treasure which could turn people into king of the world, no races in the world would have wanted to give in. Judging from the lax situation of the allied army, they are already fighting among themselves before the treasure is even found. But people at the top have to portrait a picture of unity, the best way to achieve this is take turn guarding the crystal¡ªwhoever could crack the secret of the treasure would get the most share. At least they have seemingly made this agreement.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a monent before he asked, ¡°Any map? Like map of the camp of the allied army.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already got it.¡± Vivian summoned a bank of bloody mist which quickly formed into hologram-like floating model. ¡°Bats have ultrasonic detection ability. Even if hundred of bats couldn¡¯t penetrate the camp, they could construct a 3D model of the place¡ªthis is their command centre.¡±


    Hao Ren was amazed by Vivian¡¯s capability. ¡°You¡¯re truly a radar in human form.¡±


    Everyone gathered around to study the map and discovered that the command centre was located near to the former site of the demonic royal city. As the demonic royal city had turned into a crater, the command centre was actually built on the edge of the crater. Looking at the map and recalling the modus operandi of his former foes, Y¡¯zaks began to form his thought. ¡°I have an idea: we could create some troubles¡­ but before that we¡¯re best to observe for a few days and figure out their pattern of movement before we give it a go.¡±

 Chapter 415

    A few days later.


    It was nightfall, but the hellish world hadn¡¯t turned into total darkness. As the dark-redish star set completely below the horizon, Osidian Plain was enveloped in a faint redish glimmer. The faint red light came from the giant red planet which its soil was rich in iron and the slowly decaying radioactive elements.


    Every demonic plane had its unique landscape; the Third Plane had Hulme smoke column, the Seventh Plane had a giant red planet. Due to the gravitational pull, the shattered planet which Y¡¯zaks had once ruled and the giant red planet had maintained their relative orbit for millions of years and became a bizarre twin planet system. Whenever night falls, Osidian Plain would be illuminated by the glow of the giant red planet. Looking up above one would see the monolithic round thing hanging overhead, it was so close that the wood-like pattern of the surface of the giant red planet could vividly be seen.


    A few black figures were hustling through Osidian Plain, circumventing all barracks and sentry posts before approaching the ¡®urban zone¡¯ of the Allied Army command centre.


    Lanina looked up at the familiar sky. ¡°Many outsiders couldn¡¯t survive in this environment; the relatively high temperature during the day and the toxic susbtance in the air are just two of the reasons, the other reason is the influence of the giant red planet. Delicate creatures like humans and elves are pyshologically vulnerable to the influence of red colour. Prolonged exposure to the red atmosphere would cause emotional disorder, not to mention the influence of the radiation from the red planet. Many humans and elves were suffering at night despite they had adapted to the local weather. But now it seems that the Allied Army have already adapted, no one is going berserk under the glow of the red planet.¡±


    What interested Hao Ren wasn¡¯t the giant planet, he was more curious about the situation of the land before Y¡¯zaks¡¯ empire crumbled. ¡°Was the environment just as bad back then? I remember during the the rule of Y¡¯zaks, there were many other races here. Had they adapted?¡±


    ¡°The condition was slightly better back then, especially in the city.¡± Lanina said as she smiled. ¡°We had studied many environmental engineering techniques, and by using a great block enchantment we had created a forest in Red Peak for the elves. But what¡¯s left now is just destruction.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded without saying a word.


    Only Lanina was with him, the others had split and headed to different directions. Tonight, they were going to create some distractions in the heart land of the Allied Army. With the knowledge of the terrain which Vivian had mastered and the pattern of movement of personnel near the target, they should be able to make it.


    ¡°Just wait here.¡± As the red planet reached its third peak glow, Hao Ren and Lanina arrived at an osidian spike which was a monitoring blind spot closest to the command centre. ¡°Y¡¯zaks should be in position. We¡¯ll move as soon as he does.¡±


    At the same time, under another osidian spike ten kilometres away from where Hao Ren and Lanina stood, Y¡¯zaks was staring down at the gorge.


    The spot where he stood was the edge where the royal city used to be but was no longer there. In its place was a giant gorge stretching out to infinity like a scar in Osidian Plain showcasing the aftermath of the brutal war.


    Y¡¯zaks looked down at the gorge in silence. At the bottom of the gorge was a stream of golden-red lava being part of the magma network. The lava was used to be hidden underground but was exposed after the imprisonment spell was cast.


    Years ago, these magma flows were the main source of energy for the royal city and The Osidian Throne. And this time, they were going to serve the demonic king of this land again.


    ¡°If this land still remember its master,¡± said Y¡¯zaks, sitting leg-crossed and muttering to himself. ¡°Then wake up and help the king again.¡±


    As if the lava flows had heard the murmur of its former king, they began to surge. Loud noise was heard and tremble was felt in the earth beneath him. Y¡¯zaks smiled. ¡°Then I shall see if the blood magic of the vampire is of any good.¡±


    The night was still silent and the giant red planet began to dim as it had just passed its peak. The sentinels around the gorge were preparing for the last shift of today. An elven warrior with spiked ears yawned and walked out of the sentry post as it saw its counterparts were coming for the shift. It was very relaxed as it felt no danger here: this was the heart of Osidian Plain, the core of the Allied Army. Though a year ago the place was still the base of the mad demonic king, it had now become the safest place in the demonic dimension as Serathon¡¯s army was a thousand clicks away, so he thought tonight was just going to be another night.


    But just when he wheeled, a strange rumble suddenly came from behind him. The sensitive ears of the elf flickered, the sentinel rushed back to its sentry post and looked down at the bottom of the gorge: that was where the sound coming from.


    Lava was surging at the bottom of the gorge, and bright and hot liquid was scaling up the gorge like a living creature Countless giant monsters of lava like the ancient giants in mythology climbing the pillar of the world were rising up from below to the surface!


    Cold sweat trickled down the elven sentinel¡¯s spine. It was almost panic and had even forgotten that the gorge was too high for the lava monsters to climb. It sounded the alarm as it shouted. ¡°The demons are back!¡±


    At the same time, a dozen warning flares were deployed up into the sky from around the gorge as the situation in the barracks heated up!


    In the command centre not far from here, a man-made watchtower was still well lit. The three-story, square structure made of stones was the residence of the supreme commander of the humans. In the top floor of the watchtower, a middle-aged man, short brown hair, draped in body armour frowned as he gazed intensely at the dark-red crystal in front of him. He is General Grigory, the human supreme commander, one of the ¡®Seven Heroes¡¯ of the Allied Army.


    The cavalier, one of the most experienced commanders who had faught in the ten-year war, and one of the founder of the Allied Army, was highly revered and tenacious. The general, who was known for his wisdom and steadiness, looked at the crystal and was confused. He couldn¡¯t make of what else the little dark-red stone was telling aside from a short visual clip. But he could sense the breath of the demonic king in the crystal¡ªit was this breath that convinced the commander of the Allied Army that this wasn¡¯t a joke.


    Just when Grigory was immersed himself with the stone, a sudden noise outside had his brows knit together.


    He got to his feet, opened the door, summoned his guard and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    The guard who was just back from learning about the situation immediately saluted as he saw Grigory. ¡°General! Lava flow is surging at the bottom of the Demon Scar Gorge, and lava demons are crawling up on the ground.¡±


    ¡°Just this?¡± Grigory¡¯s brows knit even tighter together. Apparently he wasn¡¯t happy. ¡°Lava demons rise from the lava flow every day. Haven¡¯t we already known that? They¡¯re not going to make it out of Demon Scar Gorge!¡±


    ¡°General, but this time they come in large number.¡± The guard explained frantically. ¡°Thousands of lava demons have splintered from the lava! Their behavior seems to resemble the pattern of the mad demonic king¡¯s army¡­¡±


    ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    ¡°They look like the lava demons under the command of the mad demonic king¡­¡± The guard took a deep breath. Though the Allied Army was the winner of the ten-year war, the sheer mention of ¡®the demonic king¡¯ was still able to strike fear in the heart of everyone. Like a shadow hanging over their heads, it was something not even the ten-year war could eliminate.


    Grigory thought for a moment before he waved the guard to calm down. ¡°Stay calm! Let Master Lufferne come here. Also alert General Kastina about the situation.¡±


    The guard took the order and left. Grigory turned around and glanced at the dark-red crystal again, shaking his head slightly before sitting back behind his desk.


    He didn¡¯t leave the room.

 Chapter 416

    Grigory was back to the desk studying the dark-red crystal as if the commotion outside didn¡¯t concern him at all. In fact that commotion wasn¡¯t worth his time: the lava demons weren¡¯t something special that needed his attention, anyone passing by the lava flow would encounter the low intelligence, elemental organism, Demon Scar Gorge was the confluence of the underground magna network from where lava demons emerged. But those creatures hadn¡¯t the ability to climb their way out of the gorge, the only threat to passingby soldiers was the steam from magma activity. This noxious gases could harm even the most magic-equipped and well-trained soldiers.


    But warlocks had a way to contain the noxious gases.


    The door was pushed open. An elderly man wearing a long purple robe and holding a wand walked in. He was one of the higher commanders of human warlock forces.


    ¡°Master Lufferne,¡± Grigory got to his feet and greeted. ¡°There¡¯s a hell of activity at the bottom of Demon Scar Gorge where noxious gases could burst out from the block enchantment any time. I hope you could go there and make sure everything is under control.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡± The elderly who was known as Master Lufferne nodded. He was a founder members of the Allied Army, a best friend of Grigory, so there was no need for him to be punctilious. He saw the dark-red crystal on the table and couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°You still study this? What have you got?¡±


    ¡°Nothing except a visual clip.¡± Grigory shook his head. ¡°I almost think that it¡¯s just a joke.¡±


    ¡°This is a part of the demon sword, it¡¯s real.¡± Lufferne stared at the dark-red crystal, his eyes gleamed. ¡°And we have confirmed the presence of demonic breath which is impossible to forge, it must be a personal item of the mad demonic king before he fell. Just that we do not know why he left this message, what was the purpose. He was very elusive.¡±


    ¡°Purpose? It¡¯s just a conspiracy.¡± Grigory smiled scornfully. ¡°It¡¯s purpose is nothing more than wanting the Allied Army to plunge into chaos and infighting. He knew the destructive power of secret especially of a powerful person. He purposely left us a secret so that we couldn¡¯t ignore it. Furthermore, he saw it was in our nature that we wouldn¡¯t destroy or seal the crystal¡ªand that¡¯s the conspiracy.¡±


    Lufferne looked at the crystal in silence. Then he closed his eyes slightly. ¡°Indeed. The other six heroes also know that¡¯s a conspiracy but they couldn¡¯t help. Gee, that¡¯s human nature, just look at the way your¡¯re facisnated by it. But then, do you really believe in the existence of the artifact? It would be a joke of the year if it came out to be only a lie made up by the mad demonic king. This crystal is real, but the artifact mentioned therein may not.¡±


    ¡°I believe it¡¯s real.¡± Grigory smiled. ¡°Or else how are you going to explain from where the mad demonic king had got his power¡­¡±


    Before his could finish, the sound of an explosion outside interrupted him.


    ¡°What happen?¡± Grigory and Lufferne were shocked. They ran to the window and saw fire lit the sky and the soldiers down in the barracks were scrambling for battle. Far ahead where the fire was burning, countless giant demons had appeared from nowhere!


    Among the demons was a five-metre-tall primitive cerberus. The cerberus was draped in heavy rock armour, eyes bloody-red and blood was dripping down from its fangs as it looked up and pointed its nose toward the giant red planet. ¡°WOOOOOF¡ªW¡­¡±


    The cerberus choked in its howl.


    But Grigory hadn¡¯t the time to delve into this minute thing. He could tell by the blood smell in the air that he was facing an army of blood-thirsty demons. And sure enough, those demons were wearing the armours of Serathon army!


    ¡°The demons are attacking the barracks?¡± Lefferne appeared shocked. ¡°Could it be that some higher warlocks controlled by the demons had infiltered us and opened a gateway from within?¡±


    The door swung open as a guard burst into the room, appeared panicked. ¡°General! Serathon army is coming from the east!¡±


    ¡°Prepare for battle! Protect the warlock tower in the east!¡± Grigory ordered. ¡°Sound the alarm and call the elven and orc armies for help!¡±


    While the flame was burning furiously in the east, more demons emerge from it. Apparently they were elite forces being teleported here¡ªit was a flame gateway which the Allied Army had never seen before: this kind of demon summoning was very different from the ordinary method used by warlocks.


    But it was no time to delve into the details as the demons had formed a massive army marching toward the barracks. They¡¯re attacking the city.


    Sound of alert blared throughout the barracks and a dozen bright flares were shot into the air. The Allied Army, an elite force which had been baptised by the brutal ten-year war, appeared well organised and calm in the face of the sudden attack. Warriors lunged out from the barracks to meet the enemies. As both sides were closing in on each other rapidly, a fierce battle was about to erupt right at the doorstep of the barracks.


    While the old warlock Luffern was rushing to back up the warlock forces, Grigory clenched his fists and looked at the flame and explosion far ahead outside. He felt the movement and the speed at which the demons moved was weird, and the stink of blood in the air had him realise the severity of the situation.


    The lava demons of Demon Scar Gorge were rioting¡­demons were attacking the city¡­


    The coincidence of the two events made Grigory realise that the attack was premeditated! Serathon, the cunning abyssal demon must have planned for the attack for sometime. But what he was after?


    Grigory immediately thought of the dark-red crystal but he also knew that Serathon hadn¡¯t found out that the crystal was with him. He looked at the advancing demons and found that they were actually coming toward the platinum obelisk where the pope was at.


    Grigory was still a cavalier in his blood through and through. He grabbed his weapon and ready to go to defend the platinum obelisk. Just when he was about to leave, he again glanced at the dark-red crystal on his desk.


    Though it seemed the crystal didn¡¯t contain any secret, he had to hide it from preying eyes. Grigory turned back. He put the crystal into a large metal box by the wall and protect the box with a magic lock which even Lufferne wouldn¡¯t be able to hack. The metal box gave out a series of weird noise before a large number of gray iron arms grew out of it and attached to the wall and floor as if by welding.


    Then only he rushed out in full swing and ordered his guards to meet the enemies together.


    After Grigory left, the window suddenly opened on its own before Hao Ren and Lanina slipped in.


    ¡°Thanks to your charm the soldiers were lured away.¡± Hao Ren praised the succubus. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you have never practiced that skill?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t. All I know is only the basic. Those are just ordinary soldiers, they aren¡¯t difficult to deal with.¡± Lanina looked a little strange. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about this anymore, I¡¯m having goosebumps right now¡­¡±


    Hao Ren quickly slipped to the corner of the wall next to the metal box. ¡°I saw he placed the crystal in here. Are you sure that was the crystal on Y¡¯zaks¡¯ sword?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure as hell. I was the one mounting it but unfortunately the demonic sword was lost during the final battle.¡± Lanina squatted down in front of the metal box, her brows pulled together as she looked at the floating magic runes on the metal box. ¡°Damn it¡­ it¡¯s a lock made by the elf and the dwarf.¡±


    ¡°Can you open it?¡± Hao Ren was surprised.


    Lanina shook her head. ¡°Ony if it were a normal lock. The lock needs a specific rune formula to unlock. There is no way to read the information related to the runes before it is opened.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s brows knit together instantly. He tried to shook it but realised the box had fused together with the entire room. He reached his hand into his dimensional pocket before taking out the alloy spear. ¡°Step back. I remember the spear head has a plasma arc welding function¡­ it¡¯s OK we cannot unlock it, we can take the entire box away.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Lanina asked.

 Chapter 417

    As lame as Hao Ren was, he was simple and crude in method when it came to critical moment. Brute force was his key. What would people normally do when they want to steal from a safe? Hack the password and pry the safe open. But the first thought Hao Ren had in mind was to carry the box away¡­


    Just when he raised his plasma arc welding spear and was about to cut the metal box, Lanina stopped him. ¡°Wait a second!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Hao Ren held the alloy spear in his hand, feeling confused.


    Lanina quickly pointed at the shimmering runes behind the metal case. ¡°It¡¯s an alarm. The alarm would be triggered if the the case is disconnected from the wall, or the case leaves the building. If that happens, the entire army in the barracks would surround the building.¡±


    Only then Hao Ren noticed the metal case wasn¡¯t just attached to the wall by the metal tentacles but also protected by flux of light below the metal tentacles. It was a safety mechanism more high-tech than anything else on earth!


    As a former military strategist of Y¡¯zaks, Lanina had a profound knowledge of magic and alchemy of the human world. She quickly checked the various settings on the metal box as her tail behind her contracted into a small lump. ¡°The box shouldn¡¯t be shaken, unlocked by force, its outer shell even the corner of it shouldn¡¯t be damaged or else it would also trigger the alarm. The box has fused together with the building, you can¡¯t remove it or move it¡­there¡¯s a set of sensors here which in the event the box leaves the room the alarm will sound. Besides, the building itself has a magic array monitoring the box, once it¡¯s disrupted, the building will sound its alarm.¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned. ¡°What the hell the world of magic have do with all the high-tech gadgets?¡±


    ¡°What is ¡®high-tech¡¯?¡± Lanina looked at Hao Ren, perplexed. ¡°This is the elven and the dwarf¡¯s masterpiece. So the crystal must be very important to them. We have miscalculated that.¡±


    Hao Ren was a little at loss. His plan went perfectly until he came to the box¡ªno wonder Grigory could be so easily lured away. The hardest part wasn¡¯t the human general but hack the alarm system.


    He was thinking what to do next: he couldn¡¯t disassemble it, move it, open it or carry it way, he could only¡­


    A thought crossed his mind. He patted on Lanina¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here.¡±


    The succubus follwed Hao Ren jumped out of the window, but was still perplexed. Outside was still chaotic as the noxious gases of the lava steam had spread to the barracks. The soldiers were strengthening the shield enchantment to prevent the noxious gases from overwhelming the whole place. Sentries around the watchtower who had been enchanted by Lanina weren¡¯t going to notice them. As the ¡®demonic army¡¯ was engaging the Allied Army outside, it was just a matter of a few minutes before they found out the demons were just phantoms.


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Lanina glanced back at Hao Ren and saw him touching the watchtower with his hand.


    His dimensional pocket was opened and the watchtower disappeared before them, leaving only the foundation behind¡­


    Lanina was shocked beyond word.


    ¡°Let the alarm sounds in the otherworldly dimension.¡± Hao Ren grinned as he held the succubus by her hand and ran. ¡°Let¡¯s go and meet with Biggie!¡±


    Lanina hadn¡¯t realised what had just happened. As experienced and well travelled as she was, she had never seen someone doing thing so uncommon-sensically.


    Meanwhile, Grigory was busy holding off the devilised demons.


    A three-metre tall higher demon wielding a huge axe was coming toward him. Dark-green evil flame was burning on the osidian axe, the terrifying look had the battle-hardened soldiers flinch a little. But Grigory was fearless. His sword was burning with a magnificient white light as he charged toward the enemy like a ray of sacred light.


    Sword versed the axe, the sword cut through the enemy silently before the demon turned into a red mist with an illusory ¡®bang¡¯ and dissipated in the air. Then a bat dropped down from the air but no one had noticed this little black shadow.


    Grigory held his sword waiting for the demon¡¯s next move, wondering as to where the demon had gone. He looked up and saw the demon had dissipated into a bloody red mist.


    His stomach churned. He looked around and found his soldiers were in fact battling with a bunch of illusory demons which was quickly turning into mist. The phantom demons could withstand attack for a while before they dissipated, but the battle strength of the higher cavelier was so great that the phantom demon instantly disappeared in a puff.


    ¡°It¡¯s not real!¡± A soldier shouted. Grigory instantly realised he was fooled.


    ¡°They are all phantoms!¡± Grigory shouted. ¡°Team One, Team Two, follow me back immediately!¡±


    The rest of the demons were still running around rampantly, but the soldiers had realised that the phamtoms weren¡¯t lethal but just a diversion tactics of the enemy. They didn¡¯t bother with the phamtoms and followed Grigory falling back to their defense position quickly. Following that, the ¡®demons¡¯ began to scatter around as if losing their interest. The ¡®cerberus¡¯ looked around before it bit a rock and vanished in a puff of mist.


    No one had noticed a vampire was lying inside the ¡®cerberus¡¯.


    Grigory quickly returned to the barracks and stared blankly in front of the familiar spot wondering if he had come to the wrong place. He turned around and asked his guard, ¡°Have we come to the wrong place?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­¡± The guard was just as dumbfounded.


    Grigory glared at the empty space, dumbstruck. He had forgotten he should first be worried about the dark-red crystal. He scratched his head for a long while before he choked up a word. ¡°Where is my watchtower?¡±


    By now Hao Ren and Lanina had retreated via the route they had planned beforehand and moved northward in Osidian Plain. They soon arrived at the osidian spikes¡ªthe monitoring blind spot of the Allied Army.


    The place was far away from the Allied Army camp. The nearest sentry post was ten kilometres away. The reason the Allied Army didn¡¯t put up a station here was because the osidian spikes were located at the confluence of two lava flows, the huge osidian spikes were shrouded in noxious gases burst out from the lava flows at the time. Also the osidian spikes weren¡¯t large enough that even the demons wouldn¡¯t choose it as a stopover. So no one was going to come here.


    A thin layer of mist barrier was opened up in the osidian spikes to block the noxious gases out. Hao Ren, Lanina and the rest assembled at the space between the osidian spikes. Nangong Wuyue had transformed into a mermaid and soaked in a large basin filled with water to prevent dehydration while keeping the mist barrier in place. Meanwhile, Lil Pea was swimming around her. It seemed the two fish were pretty happy with what they had right now.


    It was naturally that people would only appreciate life in a harsh environment. Nangong Wuyue, who used to complain that swimming pool wasn¡¯t large enough, was a happy bunny in a basin.


    ¡°As there¡¯s no blood magic in this world, they couldn¡¯t tell if the demons were real or not.¡± Vivian boasted. ¡°It seemed everything went pretty smoothly today.¡±


    ¡°Thanks Y¡¯zaks for the intel.¡± Nangong Wuyue said as she raised her tail up wagging. ¡°The guy has basically learned all the twists and turns and knew what to do and say here. He¡¯s truly a nasty old rival.¡±


    Hao Ren took out a small dark-red stone from the dimensional pocket. He said, ¡°This is the crystal.¡±


    Vivian looked at him, marvelling. ¡°Isnt¡¯ the entire room was still inside the dimension pocket? How did you get the crystal out?¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged and said, ¡°Haven¡¯t you known there are autonomous robots inside? I let them cut open the box. Screw the alarm, it¡¯s in the dimensional pocket, and there¡¯s no wi-fi in there¡­¡±


    Then Hao Ren lamented. ¡°If we could think of this trick at the beginning, it would¡¯ve saved us a lot of trouble. Maybe I¡¯m not innovative enough.¡±


    Vivian looked at Hao Ren with a strange expression, she couldn¡¯t fathom how the mind of the fellow work¡­


    OK, let¡¯s see what the ¡®last words¡¯ of Y¡¯zaks is all about.¡± Hao Ren shoved the dark-red crystal in the hand of Lanina. ¡°Do you know how to use it?¡±


    Lanina nodded. Then she carefully injected her magic into the crystal as a phantom appeared above the crystal.


    Everyone¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground:


    The phantom was none other than Y¡¯zaks, even the iconic broken horn looked alike!

 Chapter 418

    Everyone¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground. That demon in the image was Y¡¯zaks.


    The giant demon was standing on a piece of cracked, scorched earth. The land under his feet was burning while behind him was a distorted chaos which looked like a door to the endless dark abyss. The demon¡¯s body was scarred, molten iron dripped down from his wound on the ground. The iconic broken horn and body shape was undoubtedly that of Y¡¯zaks.


    At the same time, countless demons with the same scars were surrounding the image. These demons were like knights swearing allegiance to their leader guarding around him. However, the blurry background left one wondered where the location was.


    ¡°I¡¯ve almost ruled the whole world.¡±¡®Y¡¯zaks¡¯ was making a rumbling noise in the visual clip. ¡°My failure is insignicant. There will be a new demon taking over the artifact I have left behind and regaining the world dominating power! I¡¯ve buried my infinite strength and wisdom in Osidian Plain. Within a thousand years, a new demonic king will be born and taking over my scepter to destroy your puny world!¡±


    As he visual clip flashed, ¡®Y¡¯zaks¡¯ and the last remaining hundreds of thousands of demons began to leap into the endlessly dark gateway as if they would rather go into exile in a different dimension than getting defeated by puny creature like human.


    That was all about the visual clip and the rest was just static.


    They exhanged look with one another. Vivian couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°I think¡­ I think that is Y¡¯zaks.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks was no less dumbfounded. He scratched his bald head and said, ¡°But I don¡¯t recall I have ever said that things¡­ I don¡¯t even recall that there¡¯s an artefact. I was so badly beaten back then, who would have the time to finding a successor?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue looked up and asked as she taught Lil Pea swirling in the water. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t have a brother whom you have lost contact with?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks rolled his eyes. Clearly there were only one great demon in a thousand years, no mother was terrific enough to give birth to two demonic kings at the same time. Lanina, who was beside him, frowned. ¡°I feel that demon in the visual clip is weird. Though it looks like him, sounds like him, but his aura is totally different. And the conduct of the demon in the visual clip is somewhat unnatural like he was acting.¡±


    ¡°You mean he is fake?¡± Vivian¡¯s brow twitched upward. ¡°Who could it be?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say.¡± Lanina spread out her hand. ¡°I don¡¯t see the point. There¡¯s nothing to gain by faking the a ¡®dead¡¯ demon king. The only reason I could think of is to cause the Allied Army to plunge in chaos. But that effect won¡¯t last. Even if the Allied Army believes in it, they wouldn¡¯t stay in the demonic world for a thousand years for that prophecy. But then as fake as that demon in the image is, it does look like my king. It makes people wonder who is it.¡±


    ¡°Y¡¯zaks lookalike has leave thing behind.¡± Hao Ren scratched his chin, looking with interest at the crystal. ¡°It seems that Y¡¯zaks is influential. Could it be that the new demon king is making his debut announcement in advance?¡±


    No one say a word because they found the situation so strange that they didn¡¯t what to make of it. After a while of silence, Lily suddenly clapped her hands and said, ¡°Eh, I think I have found something suspicious!¡±


    Everyone stared at the husky. Lily pointed at the crystal and asked, ¡°Who was the one holding the crystal shooting the video?¡±


    Everyone: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what you come up with after so long?¡± Vivian was half-crying and half-laughing. ¡°Is knowing who held the crystal shooting the video important?


    ¡°Of course.¡± Lily said. ¡°Would you ask a cameraman record your suicide? The scene in the visual looks like a battlefield. And in that case, don¡¯t you feel it strange that a cameraman was willing to risk death taking the video? Which cameraman would want to do that? And look at the last scene.¡±


    Asking Lanina to replay the visual, Lily let everyone pay attention to the final moment when ¡®Y¡¯zaks¡¯ led the last remaining demons leaping into the dark door. ¡°Just take note the jerk of the visual¡ªthis tells us that the crystal wasn¡¯t placed on the ground but someone was a tic or an impassioned emotions while recording the clip¡­¡±


    At the end of the visual, the dark gateway closed slowly and this scene lasted for a while. Lily explained. ¡°Obviously the cameraman was still outside the gateway¡­¡±


    Vivian was flabbergasted. ¡°Whoa, I¡¯m blown away by Doggie¡¯s observativeness.¡±


    Hao Ren had never expected Lily could have come up with such a great analysis. He rubbed Lily¡¯s hair and asked, ¡°Then what¡¯s your conclusion?¡±


    ¡°The whole thing is orchestrated.¡± Lily nodded and said, ¡°First of all, I¡¯m sure someone was directing the video and those guys were all actors; secondly, the scene must be somewhere in the demonic dimension, they had purposely blurred out the background to cover up the location; thirdly, those who left behind the stuff must be someone who was close to Y¡¯zaks: he not just knew Y¡¯zaks well but also was able to get the crystal and most important of all he had also found someone who looked exactly like the real demon king. This person had well planned it.¡±


    Hao Ren clapped his hands marvelling at the observativeness of Lily. He quickly took out a pack of spicy sticks and gave it to the maiden as reward. Meanwhile, Y¡¯zaks began to ponder about who was the one close to him who would do such a thing¡ªespecially those demonic warlords who closely resembled him in appearance. His facial animation changed quickly as he had a few suspects in mind.


    But those suspects had already died half way into the war.


    Unless they faked their deaths!


    ¡°This must be further investigated .¡± Hao Ren concluded. ¡°Impersonating a dead person is so disrespectful. We should¡¯ve let Biggie ¡®die¡¯ in peace¡­¡±


    Before Hao Ren¡¯s voice trailed off, Lanina had already glared at him. Vivian jabbed Hao Ren on his arm and said quietly, ¡°Don¡¯t say anything if you don¡¯t know how to say it.¡±


    ¡°I was thinking that if we could figure this out, wouldn¡¯t the Allied Army?¡± Nangong Wuyue asked curiously. ¡°Could they already find out that it was all orchetrated?¡±


    ¡°Not necessary.¡± Y¡¯zaks grinned. ¡°At least they haven¡¯t figured that out yet. Our world is different from the Earth, we don¡¯t have the concept of orchestration, let alone live streaming of suicide¡­¡±


    Then Y¡¯zaks got to his feet. ¡°I¡¯m going to track down the person who impersonated me.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s your plan?¡± Hao Ren looked up at Y¡¯zaks.


    Y¡¯zaks lowered his head and thought for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m going to Cadeceus.¡±


    Lily was excited hearing a new place. ¡°Where is Cadeceus?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue, who was beside her, let out a sigh. ¡°Hope it¡¯s not as dry as this place. I almost couldn¡¯t stand the environment here.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Cadeceus is a perfect place for you¡ªit¡¯s a place for humans, the most lively enclave of the human world.


    Hao Ren was surprised because he thought Y¡¯zaks would naturally go to the other eight demonic planes looking for clues, little did he expect the human kingdom was his target. ¡°Are you looking for clues in the human kingdom? Aren¡¯t we looking for the demon which looks the same as you?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes it¡¯s better taking a different route.¡± Lanina had guessed what Y¡¯zaks was thinking. She explained. ¡°There are ten demonic planes, each of which is vast and under the rule of dictatorships, going in there would be too dangerous. On the other hand, Cadeceus is a stronghold of humans. Despite of the constant war between different races, the demonic planes are their common enemies. They have built the biggest hub in Cadeceus where warlock sanctury and various agencies are sending out their spies to reconnoitre in the demonic planes. We could learn about the situation in the demonic planes through them, saving us the trouble of going in personally. Human might have difficulty decipher the secrets of the demonic world, but we as senior demons might be able to find something human couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°There¡¯s one most thing.¡± Y¡¯zaks grinned. ¡°We are too eye-catching in the demonic planes.¡±


    ¡°OK!¡± Hao Ren clapped his hands together and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to Cadeceus! But then again, how do we go?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple,¡± Y¡¯zaks pointed at the abundant osidians. ¡°Mine a few osidians and then make a teleportation gateway¡­¡±

 Chapter 419

    As Hao Ren heard Y¡¯zaks, something sprang to mind. He looked at the obsidian outcrops around him as asked, ¡°Is it the type where you put a few obsidian in the center and light it up?¡±


    ¡°What are you even on about?¡± Y¡¯zaks wasa genuinely confused.


    Lily headbutted Hao Ren away as she chirped, ¡°Oh ignore him. He¡¯s derping out again. Say, big guy, how are you going to create a portal towards the human realm? Didn¡¯t you say that it¡¯s difficult for demons go into the human domain? There¡¯s like many obstacles and sensors¡­¡±


    ¡°Humans have set up a very tight network of spatial surveillance as the first line of defence against teleportation magics by the demons. That aside, the demonic plane is also in the deepest depths of the spatial bubble, and made things very difficult for demons to head towards the human realms.¡± Y¡¯zaks laughed, ¡°But I had visited there long time ago, and have left some ¡®pathways¡¯.¡±


    A smirk appeared on his face as he finished, ¡°I¡¯m not just a brute a few hundred years ago. I¡¯m a learned demon after all. Knowledge is power.¡±


    ¡°A venture of hundreds of years, overthrown within ten.¡± Lily did not mince her words. ¡°Such a pity.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks expression was conflicted and he let out a deep sigh. ¡°Hmmm¡­. it may be fated. It was going all smoothly for a few hundred years until the last ten years. Not sure how heroes were popping out left right center all over the human realms. Their crusading armies were almost immunerable, and it had reached a point where there was a hero from every village; and they are the type that just won¡¯t die. One of my generals, the Demon Lord of the East was vanquished by a hero hailing from Eastbridge Hovel of the Darian Kingdom¡­What a way to die¡­¡±


    Hao Ren tried to put himself in the late demon lord¡¯s shoes and felt that being vanquished so suddenly by a hero from Eastbridge Hovel would have been embarassing¡­¡±


    Then again, Hao Ren could understand why Y¡¯zaks would have been met by such a torrent of resistance towards the end of his reign. As a demon, he did not understand human nature well enough. He did not notice human¡¯s potentials hidden under their frail disposition. A moral tyrant was still a tyrant; regardless how noble his goals are, it did not resonate with human nature. And when a race is pushed to the edge, a surge of counter-attacking armies would be following. When every person has a death wish, who isn¡¯t a hero?


    To be fair, all heroes were created by circumstances as they fought to survive. Even a mere bandit who drew blade against an evil dragon would be called a hero¡­


    Well, that being said, the place sure wasn¡¯t short of obsidian, in fact the damned place was smothered with it. The towering outcrops, some as big as a hill were the world¡¯s purest obsidian ore. The obsidian over here only shares the same name with their Earth counterpart, and it is a type of ore that is native to the demonic plane and it¡¯s surrounding areas. They are formed after the lava underground had seeped through a rich mineral layer before jutting out from the surface. The ores are very tough and has very good magical resonance; thus it was processed to be used as enchanted weapons or armor. They also can act as reagents for rituals or teleportation spells. But the obsidian would require quenching within a special lava type that is unique to the demonic plane to rid it of it¡¯s brittleness, else they are simply a tough yet brittle ore. For that reason, it¡¯s usage within the human realm is limited.


    Obsidian products is common place throughout the demonic plane.


    Lily was the husky with a penchant for shiny rocks, and she got excited the moment she heard about excavating some of the obsidian. The werehusky ran towards one of the outcrops and started mining. Her tools was naturally Frostmourne, and Flame-effing-joy (The latter was the upgraded Flamejoy quenched in helish lava).


    Vivian had already thought of the names for the doggie¡¯s upgraded weapons. If she managed to upgrade them again, one will be called Flame-effing-whut-joy and the other Frostmourne


    Hao Ren decided that he could not longer keep up with the two¡¯s nonsense any more.


    Lily, in her excitement had dug up at least a few tonnes of obsidian. Y¡¯zaks then threw the whole lot into the nearby lava flow, and used magic to control the obsidian as it quenched within the molten flow.


    Under the effects of the demonic runes and the lava¡¯s temperature, the brittle obsidian soon lost their rocky texture and became almost metallic as it started forming into shape under the intense heat.


    Lily squatted by the side as she started stuffing remnant of the obsidian that looked nice into her pocket. By the time she was done, both her pockets were choke full of rocks as it rattles when she took a step. ¡°You sure didn¡¯t hold back didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°No insulting my hobby!¡± Lily jumped as she sneered at Vivian. ¡°Collecting rocks is an elegent hobby! In those days, Wu Peifu¡­¡±


    Vivian shoved Lily back, ¡°Stop jumping, they¡¯re falling out. And Wu Peifu did not play with rocks, you think you¡¯re the only one who knows him?¡±


    By then Y¡¯zaks had molded the obsidian into a ball of superheated metal and started infusing it with his own demonic energies. The metal ball was then made into a round, altar-like item. A series of green demonic runes danced around the obsidian altar. Hao Ren felt as the runes started forming into words, a mysterious energy started churning the space around the altar. Before him, the ball shaped mirror formed above the altar.


    ¡°This teleportation gate is one-use.¡± Y¡¯zaks said as he set the last few runes around the altar. The magical runes formed into a thirteen rows of runic script that encircled the altar. ¡°The landing point is a cave in Cadeceus. It was a hideout I made during one of my excusions a few hundred years back. No one else knows about it aside from me, so it¡¯s safe.¡±


    Hao Ren pulled the MDT out of his pocket. ¡°Go scout ahead.¡±


    The MDT protested. ¡°Why does a PDA need to¡­.¡±


    Hao Ren did not afford the MDT the chance to finish and lobbed it through the portal.


    A few seconds later, the MDT¡¯s voice rang in his head. ¡°It¡¯s safe here. I need to speak to you about the usage of a high-tech product¡­.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks placed a dark red rune around the portal. ¡°It¡¯ll self-destruct after 10 minutes. I hope that the Allied army come looking for this.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and stepped into the swirling mirror-like portal.


    A slight spatial distortion and a minor disorientation later, Hao Ren found himself standing in a very unfamiliar cave.


    It was a large cavern, and the air was cool. Not too far away was the light of the exit. Hao Ren took a deep breath, and he took all of the fresh air in. ¡°AHHHH¡­ it¡¯s still more comfortable in human land!¡±


    Wuyue was the last to come out of the portal, having changed back to her human form and changed her clothes. Upon taking in the fresh, damp air, the Siren was excited like a child. ¡°I¡¯m ALIVE!!!!¡±


    Hao Ren wanted to see how the world besides the demonic plane look like. He quickened his steps into a jog towards the exit and the breathtaking scene blasted away the oppressive feeling from the demonic plane!


    Before him was a series of verdant mountains and the cave was hidden within the range. Above him was a clear azure sky with thin silky clouds. Almost as if you could touch them. Hao Ren looked towards the yonder and saw between the range a city in the far corner. The city was on the plain beside the mountain. It did seem like a good distance away from where he stood, and from a distance, it was surrounded by mystique.


    ¡°WOAH! THIS IS WAY BETTER THAN THE DEMONIC PLANE!¡± Lily exclaimed as she behold the scene before her.


    ¡°It¡¯s mind boggling how the structure of this world work. One place was filled with lava, another verdant rolling hills, almost as if they are on a different planet altogether and are connedcting by teleportation portals,¡± Vivian too was suprised by the scene that greeted her. After leaving the almost hellish demonic plane, the greenery here felt very out of place. ¡°I take it that you guys never got to the bottom on how this structure was formed?¡±


    ¡°The old man was investigating this, even until his passing he was not able to explain how the dimensional bubble had formed naturally.¡± Y¡¯zaks shook his head. ¡°Come, we need to head towards the city. This place is much safer than the demonic plane. As long as we are outside town, we can freely use teleportation magics.¡±

 Chapter 420

    Cadeceus is not the biggest realm dominated by men, but it was the most prosperous amongst all. There were about dozens of portals to other realms that dotted the place. Based on the scholar¡¯s speculative dimensional bubble map, Cadeceus was in the middle of all. Around it was ten of the inhabited worlds. (¡®Worlds¡¯ being the local terminology and not referring to the universe)


    Due to this unique structure, the dimension had became the most important traffic route. Aside from humans who make up fifty percent of the populace, other races had also set up outposts and towns in Cadeceus. Thus when there were conflicts between men, Cadeceus would be bound by absolute neutrality based on some ancient accords, and play the role of a sanctuary.


    Many scholars even believed that the reason that humans were able to be the most prolific and prosperous race, aside from their ability to learn and expand, was the fact that they had the luck to discover Cadeceus several thousand years ago. That allowed them to control the throat of the world.


    Cadessar, the main human settlement towards the west side on the Cadeceus mainland. It was surrounded on three sides by the mountains while the other faced the wide laterite plains. This city was built by the explorers who had discovered the Cadeceus Plane. It was originally a campsite, but had over the years expanded to become the greatest, the most prosperous of cities. The main populace of the city were humans, a third of the populace are civilians of other races. Many envoys from races from other planes had also build embassies and offices in the city. Cadessar is infamous for the sedantary lifestyle her inhibitants lived.


    Cadeceus was indeed an rich and important place, that was the common consensus. It was not only the ¡®center of the world¡¯ but it was also the first city that the army of the crazed demon king could not breach. The seven most famous heroes of the Ten Year War too had gathered here and led the campaign against the demon king that is now a saga itself.


    After teleporting and covering some ground on foot, Hao Ren and the rest had arrived at the historic city of renown.


    Hao Ren wore the caster robes that he had secretly ¡®borrowed¡¯ from the Allied Army camp, leading the rest who were dressed as wandering mercenaries towards the towering walls of Cadessar. Looking up, he was graced by the grey stone wall that rose hundred of meters into the air. The scars of war was still apparent. Hao Ren felt that Y¡¯zaks was a tad bit overly positive about the whole thing. ¡°This was the first place you tasted defeat? You sure is positive about this¡­ why here?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks looked nostalgically at the scarred walls. The blackened wall and the destroyed tower on east side on the wall was his handiwork. Or at least his underlings¡¯ handiwork. ¡°This was the closest town, Velessa is two hundred kilometers away, and you need to go through a mountain range. Not worth the hassle.¡±


    The demon king was dressed in a rough leather hauberk. His bulging muscle straining against the armor. On his back was a big battle axe that he had nicely relieved from it¡¯s former owner in the camp. He was your typical highland berserker. Well, that would work in deflecting any attention towards that horrifying face of his.


    ¡°You sure you¡¯re fine here?¡± Wuyue asked skittishly. She was thinking along the lines of a normal human and felt that even if she was to change her way of seeing things, it would just be nothing but bitter memories. Thus she was afraid he might get depressed half way through.


    ¡°No matter.¡± Y¡¯zaks shrugged. ¡°War, is something you cannot explain, so it¡¯s best not to. Lets get somewhere to rest. Cadeceus has a very short day cycle. A warlock with a succubus would attract a lot of attention at night.¡±


    The party then headed towards the city gate. Lily suddenly realised something, ¡°EH! Do we have any cash?¡±


    Hao Ren slapped his head as he too belatedly realise the matter of money. Well, it was not his fault that the heroic sagas omitted the fact that the main character had to go scrapping for toll money. Y¡¯zaks however was prepared. ¡°No worries, I have plenty.¡±


    The demon king patted his pouch and a jingle of coins was heard. ¡°I suppose the currency they use are still the same.¡±


    ¡°Where did you get them from?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks laughed.


    ¡°My savings that I dug out from the gave earlier. When I came over the other time I wanted to visit the city to see how things were. But I had to forgo that due to some other things. So the money stayed buried until now.¡±


    Well, life is way more dramatic than dramas themselves it seems. There was finally something of use from his past reign!


    With their monetary issue resolved, the party continued on towards the gate. Two rows of knights in full armor stood guard. Even as an outsider Hao Ren could tell that this men in tincans were the real deal. The holy light that radiated around them had almost triggered Hao Ren¡¯s shields.


    As the rather conspicuous group approached, a few of the paladins came to them. One of them eyed Y¡¯zaks first before turning his sight towards Lanina. A gruff and dignified voice burred from the behind the armet. ¡°Demon? Under servitude?¡±


    Lanina looked unblinkingly at the knights. As the demon king¡¯s right hand, this scenario was nothing to her. ¡°I came with my master to visit the town. My soul has already been bound.¡±


    While Lanina played her part well, a demon entering a town ¨C even if it was one summoned by a warlock ¨C had to undergo strigent checks. The supposed captain of the paladins turned towards his subordinate and pointed towards one, ¡°Jessen, put this succubus to the test.¡±


    The paladin named Jessen took off his helm, and seemed like a feisty youngster, quite handsome in fact. He looked at Lanina in the eyes for a moment and nodded. ¡°Hmm¡­ Yes. She¡¯s totally under control. Go on in.¡±


    Hao Ren could not process how quick the check was and pointed confusedly at Lanina. ¡°Ugh.. .this¡­ uh.. just like that?¡±


    ¡°As a succubus, being so stern faced in the presence of someone good looking, the mentao control is almost excessive I¡¯d say.¡± The captain of the paladin goodheartedly patted Hao Ren on the shoulders. ¡°Mr Warlock, while being strict with your demon is laudable but you¡¯d turn her into a mere fool like this¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Well, since the inspection was done, the party was sent on their way by the sentries. Cadeceus was the ¡®throat of the world¡¯ and Cadessar was the biggest gathering point on the continent and the amount of traffic was heavy. Thus the knights too did not had the time to bother Hao Ren even if they wanted to.


    Hao Ren had yet to recover from his confusion as they entered the city. ¡°That inspection¡­ was it reliable?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks took a glance at Lanina. ¡°That was actually the most reliable of methods. At least against Succubi. Any succubi without a soul contract would start seducing any males they see. This was their nature and even high level succubi could barely hold their instincts back. Most professional paladins would be able to sense any mental assault immediately. Only summoned succubi that are fully under their master¡¯s control could fully discard their demonic instincts, so it is very effective.¡±


    The then pointed towards Lanina, ¡°She on the other hand, is history¡¯s first succubus to not be interested in men¡­ There¡¯s nothing like her before too.¡±


    Hao Ren was deeply suspicious on how Y¡¯zaks had educated that foster daughter of his¡­


    After passing through the first outer ring wall, the rambunctious cacophony of Cadessar¡¯s outer city area hit them. Before them was a wide main trunk road and it was skirted by shops along the whole stretch of road and it was a hive of activity. All the buildings along the road are of stone masonry with white outer walls with rigid shape while a quadrangular roof jutted towards the sky. It seems like an architecture unique to Cadeceus. At the end of the trunk road was a rather quiet plaza. A stone statue stood heroically in the middle.


    Y¡¯zaks looked at his foot and suddenly started laughing. ¡°The last time around I couldn¡¯t enter the city even with hundred thousand men.¡±


    He then lifted his leg, and took a big step forward.


    Hao Ren felt something was off. ¡°The big guy isn¡¯t planning to torch the city is he?¡±


    Lanina laughed. ¡°No, my Lord will never do that. Even in vengeance, he would transform into his original form and challenge the Cadecean Paladins to a fight. Otherwise, he deems himself unfit to bear the title of King.¡±


    Hao Ren demurred as he rubbed his chin. ¡°¡­.Stubborn.¡±

 Chapter 421

    This was the first time Hao Ren and his party was in the city. Y¡¯zaks too had never truly set foot into Cadessar before. His initial foray to the city was derailed by something else. Thus it was a new experience for all of the members, even though they were aware that they were here on a mission, they couldn¡¯t help but get swept up with the sense of wonder and excitement.


    The party did not plan to enter the inner city today, and started looking for an inn for the night. Based on their experience, inns were usually open along the main trunk road and they walked along it until they reached the plaza at the end of the road.


    It was semi-circular plaza paved in polished white masonry. Along the plaza were lamp posts and decorative statues. The whole place looked almost brand new that it was apparently that the plaza was built after the Ten Year War had ended.


    The most intriguing item on the plaza was a giant rock statue. The party was amazed by the grandeur and decided to have a proper look.


    Differing from other heroic statues, this one was just a normal soldier. He was not adorned in capes nor military insignias, just a typical soldier¡¯s armour. He was lunging forward, with one of his legs lifted high, his sword pointing ahead, as if he was jumping out of cover to engage the enemy. The statue was almost lifelike, and it radiated an aura that was impossible to miss ¨C Onwards, to victory.


    Beneath the status was an engraved epitaph; different from the wall of text in most heroic sagas. This one only had two lines.


    Footman, Kevan Hodir. Died during the early years of the Ten Year War.


    Brave comrade, thank you for giving us courage. When you leapt out of the trench, we finally knew why we were here.


    Hao Ren was awed by the statue and wondered what sort of hero the person was. But he did not put much thought to it and as he was about to leave he saw Y¡¯zaks deep in thought in front of the status.


    ¡°This man¡­ I remember him.¡± Y¡¯zaks nodded towards the statue. ¡°This is good. His comrades did not forget him.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately realised there were something more behind this, and the rest too expressed curiosity. Seeing that, Lanina explained what happened.


    It was the start of the Ten Year War, and the end of the supremacy of the Demonic Army in the mortal realms. The battle took place on the laterite plain just outside the city.


    The Demonic Army had already conquered a good half of the worlds, within, he united or subjugated all the demons under his banner, without he had virtually destroyed all the armies of the mortal realms. His was at his prime and was nigh unstoppable. Wishing to take advantage of that, Y¡¯zaks made the fateful decision to attack Cadeceus. Controlling Cadeceus means bring the war to its final phase. Controlling the Throat of the world means all other worlds would have to submit to him.


    It was at this key moment that the ¡®seven heroes¡¯ appeared. Seven powerful warriors, coming from remnant of the armies of the seven main races; Human, Elves, Dwarfs, Beastmen Dark Elves, Halflings and Spectrals. Under the untiring efforts of the human pope and holy maiden, the seven heroes came together to from the Allied Army. The tattered remnants of each races¡¯ army joined hands in the last critical moment, and went all in at the Battle of Cadeceus.


    The Demonic Army and the Allied Army came face to face in the plains before Cadessar, and that decided the fate of the world.


    In the initial stage of the battle, it was almost as if history was about to repeat itself, with the Demonic Army utterly crushing their foes.


    ¡°My Lord¡¯s army had been conquering places for a few hundred years, and his momentum was nigh unstoppable.¡± Lanina looked towards the statue, there was a complicated glint in her eyes. ¡°As our army approached the human defensive lines, their soldiers were cowering, not willing to give battle. Even if they were the strongest, the bravest of warriors chosen from their kind, fighting against fear incarnate was too much to ask.¡±


    ¡°Then, a soldier leapt up.¡± Y¡¯zaks pointed towards the statue. ¡°A normal soldier, he leapt up when everyone else was cowering. That was him.¡±


    ¡°While we cannot place the laurels of victory on that man alone, but his actions changed many things, at the very least, the fate of the defending army¡­ Nay, the fate of the world itself.¡± Lanina sighed. ¡°If he had not leapt forward, our army might have just smashed through their lines.. But as he charged forward, the whole line followed him.


    Y¡¯zaks nodded. ¡°And I suffered my first defeat.¡±


    Hao Ren did not know how to react upon heading that. Lily however wanted to know more, ¡°So¡­ this guy pulled a heroic feat and become someone of note?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ He perished in combat not long after leaping out of the trenches. He was one of the first few casualties of the Ten Year War.¡± Lanina shook her head. ¡°This man, he did not manage to kill anyone. I had him investigated. That day was his first time in the field, and his soldiering days snuffed out within ten minutes after the battle started. But that did not stop him from becoming on of the most important heroic figures of the war.¡±


    Hao Ren could not muster a response. At the same time, the sound of footsteps came from behind.


    Hao Ren turned about and saw a girl in plain dress. She looked like she was about seventeen or eighteen. Her looks was plain, and her garb suggested that she was of the peasantry. She held flowers in her head, and as she passed by Hao Ren and his group, she gave a respectful nod before placing the stalk of flower before the statue.


    As she placed the flower, she placed her hands on her chest and muttered softly. Her voice was soft, but it was still audible to Hao Ren and his party. ¡°Papa, this is the last time I¡¯ll be visiting you this year. I¡¯ve gotten the okay and will be following the next squad into the demonic plane¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re his daughter?¡± Lily exclaimed without much thought. Even Hao Ren could not stop her in time.


    The young lady looked up curiously at the group of strangers and nodded slightly. ¡°Yes. Most of the town folk knows me.¡±


    Her voice was calm, and there was not a hint of pride that she was the ¡®daughter of a hero¡¯. She was simply stating the facts.


    Hao Ren was slightly uncomfortable with the situation. Y¡¯zaks however, after quietly looking at the first for a moment, asked. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Vanessa Hoder.¡± She was respectful in her reply and did not seem to be fazed by Y¡¯zaks vicious-looking face.


    ¡°You¡¯re joining the army?¡± Y¡¯zaks continued as if he had met someone the orphan of someone he knew. His face was expressionless, and no one could figure out what was going in his mind.


    Vanessa nodded, before shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯m not fit to be a soldier, I¡¯m there as a clerk. Papa said that he always wanted someone from the family to be learned.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks looked at the girl again, the latter had a slightly confused look on her and was about to turn and leave. Y¡¯zaks then suddenly pulled out a small charm from one of his pouches and handed it to her. ¡°Take this. The demonic plane is not an inviting place. Your body would not stand the strain there for more than a few months. This charm here will help you get used to the place better.¡±


    Vanessa was flustered as she declined. Y¡¯zaks however forcefully stuffed the charm onto her hands. ¡°Take it. I know your father.¡±


    Vanessa had a very perplexed look on her face as she took the charm. After bowing to thank him, she turned around to leave.¡±


    ¡°Girl,¡± Y¡¯zaks shouted from behind. ¡°You¡¯re father was a good fighter!¡±


    As the young lady left, the atmosphere was rather awkward. It was obvious that nothing could be said that wouldn¡¯t sound weird now. Y¡¯zaks demurred for a moment before looking at Hao Ren, pointing to himself. ¡°So, was I wrong?¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks then pointed towards Kevan¡¯s statue. ¡°So was he wrong then?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Thus is war.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks said as he turned away from the statue.


    Hao Ren shrugged and lead the rest. The MDT¡¯s voice suddenly rang in his head. ¡°Thus is the life of an Inspector.¡±

 Chapter 422

    Night came quick for Cadeceus. An hour ago, the sun was still high up the sky and now it was almost sunset with dusklight fading by the minute. The group had manage to find an inn before night fell. It was close toward to inner wall of the city. The place was quiet, and they did not need to worry about the locals bothering them. The establishment being clean was a plus too.


    The food served was your rather standard inn fare, but as the group had been subsisting on field rations for a good part of the journey; hot, warm food was a welcomed change. Hao Ren had little to do after dinner, and went towards the terrace on the third floor to get some wind, but he found Y¡¯zaks was already standing there.


    The big man seems to have something in mind. He was standing by the edge of the terrace, his arms crossed as he looked towards the cityscape deep in thought. Hao Ren went beside him, and admired the city basked by the fading light, a shimmer of crimson gold slowly going below the horizon as the sky darkens. The row of unique houses and shoplots along the main trunk way too glimmered in a metallic glow. Y¡¯zaks, talking to himself, muttered. ¡°What a sight.¡±


    It was usually very difficult to guess what Y¡¯zaks have in mind and Hao Ren too was reminded of the young lady they met in the afternoon, and her father, Kevan the Soldier. Looking at the dimming sun beyond Cadessar, he wondered what was the scene like when Y¡¯zaks invaded here ten years ago.


    ¡°There are not many things in the world that are absolutely right or wrong, the whole concept of it is man-made.¡± Hao Ren sighed. ¡°You had a great dream, to bring the chaotic world into order, to push for a future far beyond what all races had dreamt of. You¡¯re not wrong at that. But you see this place. So many people, humble peasants most of them. Their joy was to have three good meals a day, to live in peace. They wanted to protect their daily routine and traditions that were dear to them, that drove them to take up arms agains the Demon King, they were not wrong either.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s voice suddenly came from behind. No one knew when she made her way up there. ¡°You may lead this world into the future, but most of them are not interested in that the far future holds. In their short life span, that they want is peace and prosperity for the duration of their lives. They won¡¯t care about reaching for the stars or the truth of the world. What they do care about is growing old with their wives and children, with a roof over their heads and food to fill their stomach. If anyone where to threaten what little joy they had, they would fight with dear life. Humans on Earth too have similar lifespans, and because of that, their differences led to conflict¡­ For this world, those who live long would have lifespans ten times of the common man. What your eyes see is but a mere flash, but for those people, it will be generations upon generations after them. Even if you were to tell them your goal, not many would accept a future that had nothing to do with them.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks turned back, the dusklight cast a shadow over his face. He was smiling. ¡°But you guys still supported my argument.¡±


    ¡°Well, you were right.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°But they were not wrong either.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no absolute right or wrongs, that I know since the beginning. If the crazed Demon King did not even know that, I won¡¯t be even standing here.¡± Y¡¯zaks look up, gazing towards the yonder as the sun faded behind the mountains, as if to count time. Then then turned around, looking towards the laterite plains. ¡°Look, the most magnificent vault of heaven on Cadeceus is coming right up.¡±


    Hao Ren did not understand what that meant and simply looked at the same direction Y¡¯zaks was looking at. Towards the far side of the horizon, a curtain of light slowly appeared. Hao Ren initially thought the moon was rising, but it didn¡¯t take long for him to realise that the magnitude of the light curtain was beyond your usual moon!


    A faint arcing glow came out from the horizon , almost as if the curtains of heaven were being pulled up. The light gentler than the sun, and it¡¯s glow was dimmer than moonlight, but the scale of it was breathtaking. As the curtain of light rose, Hao Ren realise that the object was another celestial body, a celestial body that could cover half the skyline.


    As it rose above the sky, the gentle light carassed the earth, the arcing light curtain showed the contour of a planet. It had a murky surface, lines of cloud like structure formed a ring around it, almost as if a a planet-wide storm was brewing underneath the ring of clouds.


    ¡°WHAT IS THAT?!¡± Hao Ren was shocked.


    ¡°Amur¡± Y¡¯zaks said as he basked in the dim light of the star, with his hands crossed. ¡°It¡¯s also known as the Vault of Amur, a gaseous planet. I think it¡¯s about as big as Jupiter in the Solar System, but it has a much gentler climate. Cadeceus floats on in orbit of this giant gas planet. In reality, Cadeceus is what remained of a planet that had been blown apart, similar to it. The planet was formed before it could fully take a spherical shape. As such, it is now an arcing space continent. The other parts of the planet have mostlikely been dragged into the atmospheric storm of Amur. Maybe we will find some clues in the clouds. There¡¯s a very strong gravity well deep within Cadeceus, or perhaps its a planet-destroying high density space object. It had destroyed Cadeceus as a planet, but had created a strong enough gravity field on what remained of it, and locked in the atmosphere.¡±


    Hao Ren blinked as he digested how imposible the land beneath him came to be. He was at awe by the amount of wonders that would show itself on this planet. Y¡¯zaks was still explaining about the plane without much of an expression on his face. ¡°Cadeceus is orbiting along Amur¡¯s orbit, and is maintaing some sort of rotation along the orbit. As the sun sets on the west, Amur will appear on the east. This is a scene unique to Cadeceus. Thus, the nights here are never fully dark. Like my seventh plane, there is always one giant planet illuminating the night.¡±


    Still awestruck by the scene before him, Hao Ren could only manage a word, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Yes, why?¡± Y¡¯zaks looked towards the majestic clouds around Amur. ¡°Why Cadeceus torn apart? Why did this shattered planet and incomplete star system exist? Why did this impossible, unnatural wonder exists?¡± Why was the dimension separated into various bubbles, isolated from one another, yet so many dimensional gates still linked the realms together? Why did the realms, separated for thousand of years, still developed the same way as others? Why couldn¡¯t we see the stars, but we could find traces of cosmic radiation in some old ores? Why did the old man¡¯s calculation of thesize of universe was so strange?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks threw out a string of whys, and almost had Hao Ren in a daze. He then crossed his arm, and looked up to the sky, ¡°I wnat to know why. I¡¯m the strongest being in this world. I don¡¯t want to squirm about knot knowing anything. That¡¯s why I want to invade the sky, to use everything in this world to push me skywards. I need, nay, have to know the truth, and those who do not wish to be earthbound, they should too pursue these truths too.¡±


    ¡°If I could turn back time, and have another go at this, I will raise a new army and conquer the whole world again. I know this is the only way to have the world under my grip.¡± Y¡¯zaks looked down towards the city. ¡°If they were given a chance, they would ally again, raise a new army to protect their homes and traditions. No matter how many times, it will be the same. Heroes are heroes, demon kings are demon kings. The only difference is our victories and defeats.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen many ageless beings,¡± Vivian gazed deeply at Y¡¯zaks. ¡°You¡¯re the purest of them all. As you say, there¡¯s no right or wrong. It¡¯s all because you wanted the do it, you needed to do it. It seems like no matter how many times, there is no place in this world for you.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Y¡¯zaks smiled as he shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m the demon king.¡±


    Hao Ren went back to his room, and blew the lights out. He noticed Amur¡¯s gentle glow coming in from one of the windows of his inn room. He was fascinated by the mysteries of this world. He felt that even if they did nothing of note here, just by being here itself was an fine reward.¡±


    Something then rang in his mind, and Hao Ren opened his Dimensional pocket and placed a big fish bowl on the floor. He carefully scoop Lil Pea out of the water and brought the little one to the window.


    Lil Pea excitedly looked at the outside world, and she tapped her tail happily on Hao Ren¡¯s arm. Pointing towards Amur which by now had covered almost a third of the sky, she exclaimed. ¡°BIG MOON! BIG MOON! I WANT TO GO TO BIG MOON!¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s a chance, Daddy will bring you to even more interesting places.¡± Hao Ren softly patted Lil Pea¡¯s tail. ¡°I¡¯m so glad I signed up for this!¡±

 Chapter 423

    As the soft glow of ¡®Amur¡¯ faded away, Cadeceus would be greeted with only a few minutes of dark night in the day. Everything was dormant in the dark, watching the last ray of light leaving the sky of the gas giant, then greeted with the glorious sunrise.


    Cadeceus had only 16 hours a day. It was not the one having the shortest daylight time in all planes, but it was the one having a large population but the shortest day. So when people just came here, it would take them a while to adapt to the routine here. Hao Ren was still lying on the bed in the inn, burying himself in sleep. On the cupboard next to him, a tiny mermaid was already awakened by the sun. Lil Pea climbed out of the basin and greeted the data terminal next to her, ¡°Good morning!¡±


    Data terminal was watching Lil Pea all night to prevent the little kid running around after waking up. And when it heard Lil Pea¡¯s greeting, it got angry at once and said, ¡°You little brat, don¡¯t learn from your father!¡±


    Lil Pea did not understand what the brat meant. She thought it was a compliment, so she laughed and accepted the compliment, and then looked at the lively market outside, staring blankly at it. After a while, the little kid felt bored and started humming a little tune that Nangong Wuyue taught her.


    The little kid¡¯s singing was completely disorganized, without any lyrics¨CHer teacher also could not remember the lyrics. It was good enough for her to be able to remember the melody.


    Hao Ren heard a soft but very beautiful tune when he was half asleep. At first, he thought it was Wuyue humming downstairs, but opened his eyes to see it was his own fish girl humming by the window. Lil Pea was leaning against the window. Her little hands were holding the simple wooden panes, humming a ballad only she could understand with a tranquil expression on her face. The sun shone on the little kid¡¯s tail and circles of golden red radiance were shining brightly on her tail.


    A little mermaid was singing to the sky in the morning sun. Hao Ren could not help holding his breath. He found that Lil Pea really belonged to the mermaid race. Even though she was so young, there was some kind of aura in her voice, and it made him feel that a faint halo could appear around her. Hao Ren did not want to disturb this short tranquil scene, he pretended to sleep and squinted at the little girl. Lil Pea was unaware of this, and still humming some tunes she knew. She hummed for a while, took a break and gnawed at the window frame, then continued humming.


    Hao Ren felt that he had to wake up now¡­ That¡¯s not his window!


    ¡°Dad!¡± Lil Pea noticed that Hao Ren got up and immediately jumped on him and slapped his face with her tail and said, ¡°Food!¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the broken window frame and thought that Lil Pea was growing now, and later he still had to explain this to the hotel boss¡­ Wondering if there were mice in this world¡­


    When they all met downstairs, Hao Ren found that Lily and Nangong Wuyue were still yawning. Apparently, the short night rest was not enough for them. However, the other three still looked energetic: Vivian was a vampire and could control her biological clock. Y¡¯zaks and Lanina were not your ordinary creatures either. It was hard to tell if their main purpose of sleeping at night was to rest or out of boredom¡­


    ¡°Yawn¡­ Landlord, I want to get more sleep¡­¡± Lily was the one who was the most badly affected by the biological clock. Now she was basically talking to Hao Ren with her eyes closed, relying on her nose to smell and locating the rest of them. She sniffed around and found a place at Hao Ren¡¯s feet, curled up her body like a puppy and said, ¡°Two more hours of sleep¡­ Just put the food in my mouth as soon as the meal is ready. I¡¯ll eat while dreaming.¡±


    Vivian dragged Lily up and said, ¡°This moron¡­ Once she was lack of sleep, her intelligence fell back to the old self again!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go for a walk, Cadeceus¡¯s sunshine is very uplifting.¡± Y¡¯zaks loud voice suddenly woke them up. He stood in the doorway pointing out and said, ¡°I have already checked out. Let¡¯s take a look at the inner city today.¡±


    Lily narrowed her eyes, looked at Y¡¯zaks and the next second she fully awoke immediately and said, ¡°Your face is such a pick-me-up!¡±


    Everybody, ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°She had no idea what she¡¯s doing now¡­¡± Vivian mumbled, ¡°Is that her brain also linked up with the biological clock?¡±


    Hao Ren thought of the window that was gnawed by Lil Pea, hurriedly dragged Vivian out of the hotel and said, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about the biological clock. We still have something more important to do¡­¡±


    The short day-and-night alternation of Cadeceus was difficult for the foreigners to adapt to it but the locals had already familiar with it. At the moment, the downtown area of Cadessar was now busy and lively. The merchants and travelers from all over the country formed the main stream of people in the downtown.


    Except for the predominantly permanent resident population in the inner city, most of the people in the outer areas were actually foreigners like them.


    The fixed stores and the various stalls and booths were the most common things on the streets. Even the elves and Ethereals who seldom appeared in public also sold their own ethnic crafts here, which was hard to see elsewhere. They walked along the broad avenue that ran through the inner and outer districts, and along the way, they frequently stopped at those stalls. On the one hand they were curious, and on the other hand, they were trying to look for more information.


    After all, Y¡¯zaks and Lanina had left this world for a long time. After the end of the war, the world had developed rapidly and they had been very much behind the current situation, it was necessary to know the situation of the different races and species in the human world. It was not realistic to ask about the allies, but there was a lot of useful news from these people from all over the world: you could always piece together the whole world from the rumors they heard on the grapevine. This was the power of gossip.


    ¡°Although I don¡¯t want to admit, the development of civilization of human world is indeed far beyond the demons,¡± Lanina, pretending to be a servant behind Hao Ren, muttered, ¡°Every time I go to the human world, I marvel at the prosperity and change¡­ The demon world is always the same without any progress, chaotic and messy. Those guys aren¡¯t interested in building anything until Wang built an empire that looked like the human world that brought a little change in the demon world.¡±


    Vivian paused in front of an elf¡¯s booth, fiddling with the wooden ornaments curiously. ¡°What is this?¡± she asked.


    ¡°The amulet blessed by the forest,¡± explained the elf, who was so handsome that they could not tell if he was a man or woman, ¡°It¡¯s been blessed in the holy spring of my homeland, to exorcise the scourge and protect¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it!¡± Vivian bought it without hesitation, and then pointed to another bead next to it and asked, ¡°This is¡­¡±


    ¡°The amulet blessed by my ancestors,¡± the elf said and smiled. Apparently, living in a human city made him a lot different from his own conservative peers who never left their homes. He was obviously an experienced businessman. ¡°Blessed and handmade by our elders, they can be worn to against evil spirits¡­¡±


    Vivian¡¯s eyes instantly shined bright just like when Lily saw meat bone and said, ¡°I want this!! And this¡­¡±


    Hao Ren hurriedly stopped this vampire and said, ¡°OK, the two is enough¨Cwe still have to keep the money for travel expenses, okay!¡±


    This unlucky lady had never given up using amulets to reverse his bad luck in fortune. However, those amulets were useless to her, why didn¡¯t she accept the fact? Even Raven 12345¡¯s hand-written couplets did not stop her from losing money in front of the house. Vivian¡¯s bad luck in fortune was clearly the order of the universe, and she could not fight it¡­


    They wandered around the city and did not find much important information, but at least they understood some of the changes in the world after the end of the war: After the war, the allies directly resided in the Demonic Plane and there were no signs of mass withdrawal. Among the seven heroes, except for Uruk, the Dwarf King, who was seriously injured, had come back, the other six heroes had not yet returned. It was said that the human hero, General Grigory and the elf, General Kastina were most likely the highest leaders of the next generation of their own race, and currently, the old High King was drawing up the process of abdication. Suddenly a large number of people of a few kingdoms that were completely destroyed by the demon king¡¯s legion claimed themselves to be the pure descendants of the royal family, and they were striving for the recognition of seven of heroes to recover their lost kingdoms. Dark elves and orcs had created new friction at the border, but under the call of their respective heroes, friction was quickly eliminated. The two races may hold a special meeting. They decided to talk about the perennial problems of the two races calmly, and many were optimistic about the meeting¡­


    After hundreds of years of invasion and domination by the demon king¡¯s legion, there were many planes of the human world that needed to be rebuilt. The reconstruction of culture and the fading of demonic influence were also very important topics in the recent marketplace gossip.


    Y¡¯zaks heard these things and said, ¡°It seems that the world will not stop rotating for anyone.¡±

 Chapter 424

    Hao Ren and the rest of them did not spend too much time in the outer city because the daytime of Cadeceus would be ended in eight hours, so they sped off to the inner town of Cadessar after they got some news.


    Compared with the bustling but slightly chaotic outer city, the inner city of Cadessar appeared orderly. The buildings here were more beautiful and upscale. Most of the houses were multi-storey buildings built of white stones. The glimmering magic towers spread out between neat streets to support the giant shield that enveloped the entire city. This city had a wide variety of functional facilities. There were not only municipal facilities to maintain the functioning of the city, but also the various sectors that were unique to the ¡®Throat of the World¡¯, including the largest registry of mercenaries, the largest diplomatic building, and the largest library, ¡®Court of Scholars¡¯, which was said to have all knowledge of the entire world.


    The inner city was inhabited by local residents of Cadessar. Although it was open to the outside, it would close the gate after nightfall.


    ¡°The little old man had a wish that his research manuscript could be included in the library of Cadessar,¡± Y¡¯zaks said, looked at the distant golden roof of the ¡®Court of Scholars¡¯ and sighed. ¡°Unfortunately, until he died, the theory of space bubble zone was still classified as a fallacy. Even the knowledge-opening Cadeceus also just began to study the space vesicle model based on mathematics not long ago. Before that, their understanding of space vesicles was based on fantasy and philosophy.¡±


    ¡°How does the world accept the theory of space bubble zone and macrocosm?¡± Hao Ren asked curiously.


    Y¡¯zaks gave him a sarcastic smile and said, ¡°Because they were beaten badly. They did not believe that the ¡®world¡¯ they had always known was just a small part of the universe, so they had to deny the little old man¡¯s claim, that was, denying that the law of teleportation between space vesicles could be calculated by mathematical formulas. Because this formula is the key to the calculation of the boundary of the bubble zone, this foolish insistence on tradition lead them to lag far behind my legions in exploring new planes. The efficiency of exploration of all realms of the human world was not as good as my empire. This is the secret of why the demon king¡¯s legions are so strong, and this is an open secret.¡±


    ¡°An open secret?¡± Hao Ren was surprised.


    ¡°The manuscripts left by the scholars were scattered in the human world. He had many students. And those students had already passed the formula for calculating space vesicles to different countries,¡± Lanina explained, ¡°but over hundreds of years no one believed in the manuscripts, even though there would be a wise man once in a while guessed that the secret reason of why the demon king¡¯s legions were so strong was that they mastered the method of calculating space vesicles, the man would immediately be denounced as heresy, even as a dangerous man who studied the demonic knowledge. The human race has been restricting themselves in this way and beaten by us. They didn¡¯t accept this fact until recently.¡±


    ¡°And they don¡¯t completely understand it,¡± Y¡¯zaks laughed and said, ¡°There are still people believe that the power of demon king comes from something magical. Knowledge is power. How can they not understand such a simple truth?¡±


    Hao Ren did not know what to say. He understood that what Y¡¯zaks said was reasonable but how could a normal person believe that the demon king¡¯s power really just came from exercising, eating well, reading more books¡­


    They reached the destination of the trip. It was a square, large building with white facades and neat stained-glass windows. The three-storey wall was covered with various kinds of signboards written by different languages, most of which were the names of some offices, and some were small signboards such as ¡®XX Mercenary Agency, ¡®XX Real Estate Agency¡¯ and ¡®XX Marriage Counseling Center¡¯. Hao Ren found it interesting and said, ¡°Your world also has this kind of old office building¡­¡±


    ¡°This is the distribution hall,¡± Lanina said and laughed, ¡°In the beginning, this place is actually only a place for mercenaries to exchange intelligence and for the intelligence dealers to do business, but in Cadessar this kind of special place, it greatly developed and became such a messy intelligence, personnel, and authorization distribution center. When the coalition force was established, it was also focused on supporting this facility. Here was an important platform for the early recruitment of soldiers for the seven heroes. A few of the most famous folk heroes of the ten years of war, such as Saintess of Light and Gordon, the Dragon Slayer, came out from here. The information we are looking for is readily available here: The information from the Demonic Plane is free to circulate here. The intelligence dealers are righteous only at this point.¡±


    ¡°You know the world very well.¡± Hao Ren glanced at Lanina in surprise.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget what I used to be,¡± Lanina said and wagged her tail proudly. ¡°I heard that there¡¯s a clever man in your world who knows everything under the sun without stepping out of the house. It¡¯s too bad I can¡¯t compete with him¡­¡±


    Hao Ren remembered that he seemed to have said this before¡­


    ¡°Lanina, don¡¯t talk much when you¡¯re inside, just stay behind Hao Ren and pretend to be a low-level demon. There are all sorts of people inside, a magician with a low-level demon will not attract attention as long as not deliberately high-profile. But we also have to be careful not to be targeted by the Holy See,¡± Y¡¯zaks reminded them and then walked into the distribution hall.


    As soon as Hao Ren walked into the building, he felt a rush of blast¨C a real blast of ¡®noise¡¯!


    The first floor of the three-storey building was a super hall supported by a few rows of square columns. The hall was strewn with small partitions that looked like counters or reception points but was mostly decorated with desks and chairs and open spaces that allowed people to communicate. Countless adventurers and businessmen made this place so noisy. There were all sorts of people there including ordinary man, military personnel, and uniformed staff.


    The scene really made Hao Ren feel like the talent market on Earth. But in terms of noise and chaos, this place was a bit like a wet market¡ªanyway, it was noisy and crowded, and it was easy to get lost by walking alone.


    Although Lanina had a good knowledge of the human world, this was also her first time to visit this place. Also, she needed to pay attention to hide her identity, so she walked behind Ho Ren as soon as she went in and disguised as an obedient domestic demon as soon as she went in. She just gently poked Hao Ren¡¯s in the back with the tip of her tail and said, ¡°First look for those who wear uniforms ¡­¡±


    By this time Lily had already acted. As soon as she arrived at the lively place, she was so excited and ran to a man who looked like a staff member there and asked, ¡°Hi! We¡¯re mercenaries! We want to work in the Demonic Plane! Where can we find the news of the demon world?¡±


    Hao Ren hurriedly ran to Lily to prevent this silly girl actually said the name ¡®No Good Names Left¡¯ out loud¡­ The silly name could still be accepted in the Plane of Dreams but it was useless in this place.


    The man was startled by Lily and then pointed to a corner. Lily immediately dragged Hao ren and ran. Hao Ren thought while running: One really needed some skill when walking a husky, not only one had to have the mentality of walking the dog, but also have to be mentally prepared for switching role. Lily ran like a lightning bolt while dragging Hao Ren along¡­


    Information about the Demonic Plane was posted on a wall, arranged by date. They looked at it for a while and found that the human world did pay an extraordinary close attention to the Demonic Plane. Perhaps because the war of ten years just ended, the information about the Demonic Plane was not only detailed but also exceptionally timely.


    Which place had a new demon lord; which demon lord was slain; which Demonic Plane had an abnormal multiplication; which Demonic Plane teleportation portal suddenly opened¡­ News like these was all over the wall!


    ¡°The heck¡­ How did they find these out?¡± Hao Ren looked at the information in dismay. And all of a sudden he had an illusion that the entire Demonic Plane was completely exposed to the human world.


    ¡°Most of them come from warlocks, and a small part comes from scouts,¡± Lanina whispered. She was not surprised by this. ¡°Warlocks can summon demons, and they can force their consciousness into a demon on the Demonic Plane. In this way, the human world will be able to grasp the trend of the demon world. But this also applies to the human world: higher-order demons often lure warlocks, and even directly place a spy into the upper echelons of the human kingdom. And how to interfere with this kind of mutual exploration of the mind is the question that will be studied by both the human world and the demon world.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Hao Ren said and read through the wall of information with Y¡¯zaks. This information might not mean much to the people there, but for Y¡¯zaks, it was very easy for him to find out some important new below the surface.


    ¡°It looks as if Serathon has already won the second plane¡­¡± Y¡¯zaks said while touching his chin, ¡°the old guy of the second plane should have secretly reached a surrender agreement with Serathon, but I reckon there will still be a big war soon. This is how things work among demons. The final form of all diplomatic mediation is to defeat each other.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s no news about that ¡®last testament¡¯,¡± Vivian looked at Y¡¯zaks and said, ¡°and it looks like the Holy See coalition forces have blocked this intelligence.¡±


    ¡°Of course they did. Nobody wants this kind of rumors that will turn the world upside down spreading everywhere,¡± Y¡¯zaks grinned and continued, ¡°The seven heroes used to be close like brothers, I wonder if they feel awkward when they see each other now¡­ Haha, you never know.¡±


    Lily twitched her mouth with a bit of regret and said, ¡°We have a wasted trip.¡±


    Others were disappointed too. But just then, a soldier in light armor suddenly came up and posted a new piece of information with a church seal on the wall.


    Hao Ren glanced at it and knew that something bad was going to happen.


    Lily read it out, ¡°¡­ a phantom of the Helcrown has once appeared over the Broken Plain of the second Demonic Plane. Remnants of defeated troops of the demon king¡¯s legion are found around the Broken Plain¡­¡±

 Chapter 425

    When the news was just posted on the wall, the people around it did not seem to notice anything special. They just thought it was a regular report about recent ecology in the Demonic Plane, just like the previous one. But soon, there was a commotion from the crowd, and they finally realised what was actually written on the piece of paper!


    Hao Ren heard some people muttering behind him, ¡°Helcrown? Wasn¡¯t the Helcrown already torn apart by the spatial storm?¡±


    ¡°The remnants of the demon king¡¯s defeated troops should no longer be there¡­ How come there¡¯s a new troop appearing all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°Could it be false?¡±


    ¡°I heard that the Helcrown just fell into the spatial rift, but no one really saw it being torn apart ¡­¡±


    ¡°The news is not necessarily true. It is just suspected¡­¡±


    The tumult in the crowd grew louder, and the discussion soon turned into loud noise. There were more and more people gathered in front of the wall. This attracted those mercenaries, who were exchanging information and tasks. At this moment, another soldier stepped forward. Someone immediately grabbed the soldier and asked, ¡°Is the news true?¡±


    ¡°I just came to post the news,¡± the soldier shrugged and said, ¡°anyway, this is a message from the top.¡±


    The soldier then put up new intel on the wall, which also comprised of a few short sentences. ¡°Someone has witnessed the remnants of demon king¡¯s defeated troops in the second plane. They are suspected to be the surviving soldiers of the First Legion. The demon king of the second plane, Banuklaak, has left his castle, leading a group of unknown elite troops to the Broken Plains. They are most likely investigating the mirage of the Helcrown.¡±


    All of a sudden the situation burst into a state of chaos. In all directions, people kept crying out in alarm and making a ruckus. The people on the first floor of the hall heard it. All came and gathered there. Those who could not squeeze in were shouting outside and asking what was going on. So, news regarding the mirage of the Helcrown and the remnants of the demon king¡¯s defeated troops were spread throughout the hall quickly. And soon, another soldier came out of the little door next to the wall. He put the latest information on the wall and covered the message earlier. ¡°Correction, the demon king, Banuklaak, has returned to his castle urgently. There is sgn of mass movements within the demon legion of the second plane. It is suspected that they are preparing to start a war with other demons. Demon King Serathon suddenly withdrew some of his forces near the Obsidian Plains. They could be transferred to the second plane. The presence of the remnants of the demon king¡¯s defeated troops is confirmed.¡±


    A tense, repressed, fearful but faintly high-spirited emotion pervaded the hall. Hao Ren and the rest of them were waiting to see if there were anymore news updates. Suddenly, a middle-aged man dressed in mercenary clothing squeezed in. He held a piece of paper with a special stamp of the distribution hall and proceeded to paste it on the wall. ¡°The strength of the Steel Mercenary Group has been entrusted with the investigation of the second plane and is recruiting foreign aid!¡±


    This middle-aged mercenary¡¯s thread immediately led to more mercenaries putting up their notice. Some announced that they had gathered the relevant information; some were recruiting teammates to venture into the Demonic Plane, and some claimed that they went to the Demonic Plane in a few days and found the relevant information. There was one who said, ¡°I have a lot of money to spend and I just want to occupy a spot here¡±¡ªof course, this man did not have a good ending¡­


    Hao Ren was stunned to see the scene. There were at least 100 related notices covering half of the wall following news of the demon king¡¯s legion. The crowd started a new discussion thread on the wall beside it to continue their talks on the news. The soldier who previously posted the notices was shocked when he came out to check the situation. He did not expect to see such overwhelming responses.


    At the desk near the wall, a little elf girl with pointy ears was shouting. ¡°Keep the order everybody! Come and get special papers as well as posting space! Please, pay for the post! Thank you for your cooperation!¡±


    ¡°I have to find a way to squeeze out of here¡­¡± Hao Ren could barely breathe amongst the crowd hence, that was the only thought in his mind. He kept shouting ¡°excuse me¡±, but it still did not work until Y¡¯zaks shook his arms and opened a way in front of them. He then carried Hao Ren and strode out of the crowd.


    As soon as Hao Ren got out of the crowd, he saw Vivian and Lanina already waiting outside. Nangong Wuyue slipped out of the crowd like a slippery fish. While he was tidying up his clothes, he looked at Vivian and said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call me when you came out?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you would be so silly. You should have quickly left the place when you saw the new notice.¡± Vivian curled her lips, then looked around and asked, ¡°Aiya, where¡¯s Lily?¡±


    Hao Ren just realized that Lily was not with him. He slapped his head and said, ¡°Oh, gosh! She must still be in the crowd! She will surely go mad if people keep stepping on her tail!¡±


    He then turned back to the crowd, looking for the husky, but he could not find her. When he squeezed out of the crowd from the other side, he finally saw Lily. She was actually curled up, asleep by the big vase in the corner. It was not certain how long she had been sleeping there¡­


    Vivian was shocked to see this and asked, ¡°Has her biological clock stopped working?¡±


    ¡°I suspect her body is still following the biological clock on Earth,¡± Hao Ren said. He pulled Lily up and kept shaking her until she woke up. Then, he waved his hand in front of her and asked, ¡°What time is it now?¡±


    Lily said hello to Hao Ren, still half asleep. She then rubbed her belly and said, ¡°Time to eat¡­¡±


    Hao Ren sighed and said, ¡°She totally hasn¡¯t gotten over her jet lag yet.¡±


    ¡°Every hour is her mealtime, and she¡¯s hungry whenever she has nothing to do.¡± Vivian slapped Lily on the back of the head and said, ¡°You can¡¯t even pick the right place to sleep, and you still blame people for stepping on your tail.¡±


    ¡°Y¡¯zaks, what do you think of today¡¯s hot news?¡± Nangong Wuyue splashed cold water on Lily¡¯s face to help her freshen up while she turned to look at Y¡¯zaks.


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s true or not, I have to go to the second plane to see the situation,¡± said Y¡¯zaks. His eyes were shining and there was a kind of brilliance on his face. ¡°Just now, someone mentioned something. When the Helcrown was engulfed by the spatial rift, no one saw it being torn apart¡­ Does this mean that the city was just being drawn into a new plane, and the people in it are actually still alive?!¡±


    Hao Ren opened his mouth and looked at Y¡¯zaks, knowing that a sort of hope had lit up again in his heart. He wanted to advise Y¡¯zaks not to make any conclusions prematurely, but he ended up nodding his head and saying, ¡°Well, we¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Lanina¡¯s tail was wagging fast in the air, which seemed to be a habit when she was thinking about a question. ¡°The remnants of the demon king¡¯s defeated troops¡­ The First Legion was indeed the main force in the city. If the king is really still there, then the surviving soldiers could probably belong to the First Legion. But, according to the information, the Helcrown that appeared in the sky of the Broken Plains was a mirage¡­ This is a bit strange. Was the Helcrown mutated after it fell into the spatial rift?¡±


    ¡°We can only go and see the situation there.¡± Y¡¯zaks nodded and continued, ¡°Go to the second plane¡­ But, I¡¯m afraid that the Broken Plains have been occupied by other demons. The current ruler of the second plane is Banuklaak. However, according to the information we¡¯ve just seen, Banuklaak has been weakened and Serathon is very likely going to meddle. If we go there hastily, we will meet the demonic allied forces of Serathon and Banuklaak.¡±


    ¡°We can take advantage of the allied forces of the Holy See.¡± Hao Ren thought for a bit and made a decision. ¡°There are all kinds of people among the mercenaries. The allied forces have little doubt about the human race. We can go straight in.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks nodded and said, ¡°Yes, and we only get into the periphery, so we¡¯ll likely be sent directly to the forefront as ¡®minesweepers¡¯, just the way we intended.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go ask about the registration process and see how I can get a fake identity.¡± Vivian volunteered. She had been in the human world for tens of thousands of years without being exposed. Sometimes she could still keep up with the times after she had been sleeping for 200 or 300 years. This lady was a master of disguise.


    A vampire who dared to work for a church in the Vatican, there was no place she could not go¡­


    Lanina also patted her chest and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go help her. I¡¯m familiar with all kinds of people in the human world.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue patted Hao Ren on the shoulder and said, ¡°You should also go with them.¡±


    Hao Ren was puzzled and asked, ¡°What do I do there? I don¡¯t know any spying skills¡­¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you pretending to be a wizard?¡± Wuyue rolled her eyes and said, ¡°You are Lanina¡¯s camouflage.¡±


    Hao Ren twitched his mouth and thought about how he ended up becoming someone else¡¯s binding equipment again. His experience was always different from that of a normal person, every single time¡­

 Chapter 426

    Actually, Hao Ren was wondering if it was appropriate for the allied forces to openly put up information of the demon king¡¯s legion outside. According to Y¡¯zaks¡¯s popularity over the past hundreds of years, any news related to the demon king¡¯s legion would at least cause a social upheaval. However, the allied forces did not seem to care about it.


    But then Lanina explained to Hao Ren, and he understood what was going on.


    The Ten-Year War was just over. Before that, the Demon Empire reigned for hundreds of years. The whole world had yet to break free from some kind of ¡°force¡±. The news of the demon king¡¯s legion may have caused a short period of commotion, but it no longer led to any panic¡­


    Because, the generations who would panic about it were already dead.


    It did not matter if the war was right or wrong, and if it involved Y¡¯zaks or the seven heroes, one of them having a nobler ambition. It was undeniable that after the 400-year demon invasion plus a decade of war, all races across the world for more than a generation had died, including the elves. Now, the surviving ones were almost numb, both demons and mortals.


    Three days later, a motley team of mercenaries and adventurers set out from Cadeceus to the second Demonic Plane through the transit point.


    All the teleportation portals leading to the Demonic Plane were strictly monitored, and ever since the defeat of the demon king¡¯s legion, Cadeceus, the largest ¡°world transfer station¡± had sealed off all teleportation portals to the Demonic Plane (which was, of course, only limited to the portals known to humans. The one that Y¡¯zaks left behind hundreds of years ago was apparently not included). So, the mercenaries assembled there would go with the allied forces to the demon world from other neighbouring planes.


    Hao Ren and the rest of the team were mingled together in the queue. They successfully passed the censorship system, which was not strict at all, using the status of a temporarily registered mercenary group. Of course, you could not blame them. These people were going to risk their lives. There was nothing much to be examined. Those who dared to follow the Holy See and the seven heroes to fight with the demons were either saints or madmen. These two kinds of people obviously had nothing much to be examined.


    Normal people absolutely would not have expected the demon king himself to take advantage of this opportunity to sneak back into his hometown: completely playing against the rules¡­


    After leaving Cadeceus, they were teleported to an empty desert, the only continent in the entire space: this place was called the ¡°Mendocain¡±, which meant ¡°barren land¡± in the Beastmen language.


    They wore low-key capes made of coarse cloth and mixed themselves among the other mercenaries. They were listening to a man with a scar on his face as he was giving them an introduction of the desert. ¡°Four hundred years ago, the Mendocain was a colony of beastmen. It¡¯s said that there were many oases here. The beastmen built a city as well as dozens of towns in the desert, and the whole plane depended on the iron ore trade for sustenance. But later, all the beastmen of Mendocain were looted by the demon king¡¯s legion, and this place became completely deserted. No one ever rebuilt it. After the end of the Ten-Year War, the seven heroes called on the tribes to block all the teleportation portal in all the main planes and allowed the great warlocks to build replacement portals in more desolate places. Then, Mendocain became useful again.¡±


    ¡°There is a large teleportation portal in the middle of the desert, leading to the second Demonic Plane. On the other side of the portal is the sentinel point set up by the allied forces. We¡¯re setting our foot in hell. I wonder how many people will stay in that hellhole this time,¡± said another tall skinny man with a headscarf wrapped around his head.


    Another mercenary immediately grumbled, ¡°Can¡¯t you say something nice?¡±


    Hao Ren chatted perfunctorily with these weird mercenaries, then went back to Y¡¯zaks and asked, ¡°Did you really sweep away all the population of the plane?¡±


    ¡°Four hundred years ago, the Mendocain was actually the place where the beastmen exiled their compatriots. The so-called city was a huge slum. Countless beastmen were left in this barren land to die. I took them away to mine the obsidian for me. Although it was hard work, at least they had food to eat working for me,¡± Y¡¯zaks shrugged and continued, ¡°The world is defending the beastmen, but in actual fact, those beastmen were the most loyal group of people I have governed.¡±


    Hao Ren looked into the distance and saw a huge, greyish-yellow pillar going straight into the sky at the end of the desert. ¡°What is that thing?¡±


    ¡°The Mendocain pillar. It sustains the land under our feet. According to beastmen legend, once this pillar breaks, the entire Mendocain continent will fall into the dark sun. They believed that there¡¯s a dark sun at the back of the continent beneath them, and they vied for dominion over the continent with the never-falling sun in the sky,¡± Y¡¯zaks explained and smiled. ¡°There is no night in this space. The whole continent maintains a never-ending polar day. The sun moves along a curve in the sky and has not set for tens of thousands of years. In fact, the beastmen¡¯s legend is somewhat valid, because there is indeed a brown dwarf star at the back of the Mendocain continent. The brown dwarf star will never rise to the horizon because of the gravitational lock. Only those who venture to the edge of the continent can see it. By chance, the gleams of the brown dwarf star form an endless abyss.¡±


    ¡°Ooooohhhhhh¡­¡± Lily exclaimed. In actuality, as an idiot when it came to Science, she did not understand what Y¡¯zaks was talking about. All she knew was the continent under her feet was sandwiched between two suns. She looked in amazement at the greyish-yellow pillar at the end of the horizon and asked, ¡°So, that thing really sustains the whole continent? It extends from the sun beneath the earth¡¯?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just an unreliable legend,¡± Y¡¯zaks explained. ¡°In fact, it¡¯s merely a sandstorm, but I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on¡­ It hasn¡¯t stopped for more than 800 years. It¡¯s a dangerous place around the Mendocain pillar. We probably won¡¯t be going there.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks was right. The man-made teleportation portal was not far from them, and it was a safe distance from the Mendocain pillar. They soon arrived somewhere near the ruins of a city buried by sand. According to the architectural style of the city ruins, it was apparently the home of those beastmen who were exiled many years ago. Now, the ancient city was left abandoned, with only remnants of broken bricks and walls. The Holy See¡¯s allied forces set up a small market town near the ruins of the city as a stronghold to control and maintain the man-made teleportation portal.


    The teleportation portal was a dark red vortex with a radius of more than 10 metres. It lay slanted in a strange way in the desert, with an angle of about 30¡ã from the ground. It looked like the surface of a sundial. Around the portal, there was a set of binding devices made with dark red runestones. These runestones floated in the air, and a fiery oppressive vibe came from the Demonic Plane.


    The soldiers, who were on guard in front of the teleportation portal verified the identities of the mercenaries and the officer in charge of the team. Then they ordered for the portal to be activated.


    Soon after, the dark red vortex, which lay slanted in the desert was suddenly activated. The whole door stood upright. The scene in the vortex was twisting, and then, they saw the red sky and the barren land of the Demonic Plane.


    Hao Ren followed the team, stepping into the gate. Y¡¯zaks whispered as he crossed the portal, ¡°I hope the news is true¡­¡±


    The sight changed. Hao Ren felt the smell of the desert suddenly fading, afterwhich he began to smell the unique, ubiquitous flavour of sulphur in the Demonic Plane.


    The scene before them was of a dark red sky, the black and red barren land stretching out.


    Nangong Wuyue put her hands on her hips, looked at the unique landscape of the Demonic Plane in high spirits and said, ¡°It¡¯s time to stick my tongue out again!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to,¡± Hao Ren said and threw her a collar. ¡°I forgot about this¡­ Actually, you can put on this life support device to adapt to the environment.¡±


    Wuyue looked at the collar in a daze. She later stomped her feet and asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you think of this before?¡±


    Hao Ren sighed and said, ¡°Because of the limitations of my thinking. This stuff is designed to carry out space missions¡­ And honestly, only you can¡¯t adapt to the environment completely. We don¡¯t need it at all. And I was reminded that I could give you this only after I saw Wang giving that little girl named Vanessa a talisman¡­¡±


    Nangong Wuyue was holding the collar with mixed feelings. She was determined to take good care of herself in the future: She could not rely on this guy.


    Like other mercenaries, Lily was looking at her surroundings curiously: this place was one of the many strongholds established by the Holy See¡¯s allied forces in the Demonic Plane and the second largest human base. It was built on easily guarded high ground with a gentle downward slope ahead.


    The entire stronghold was not too large. There were human-style barracks and towers in sight.


    Back then, Y¡¯zaks controlled all the Demonic Planes, suppressing other demon kings. But after the end of the Ten-Year War, the Holy See¡¯s allied forces had opened up the outpost to every Demonic Plane with the help of their strength, and also by taking advantage of the demon kings¡¯ incapability.


    Although it took a great deal of effort to maintain these positions, nearly a year later, these strongholds inserted under the demon kings¡¯ noses still persisted. It was not that those demon kings could not pull out these strongholds, but the allied forces tried to create a balance. The battles between the demon kings, the growing power of the Holy See¡¯s allied forces; these two factors kept the strongholds up until the present.


    However, just as Hao Ren thought they could get through the day safely, they suddenly heard a noise coming from afar.


    The noise soon started to have an effect on them and Hao Ren finally figured out what had happened.


    A troop of the Holy See¡¯s forces was fighting the demons of Banuklaak in the Broken Plains!

 Chapter 427

    Before Hao Ren and the rest could settle down in the barracks, news of fierce fighting in the front line was reported. The commander of the sentry post decided to send part of the reinforcement which had just arrived to the front line. Hao Ren didn¡¯t want to miss the opportunity to go to Broken Plain. He was thinking of how to make their presence felt but he didn¡¯t have to, as Y¡¯zaks had already attracted all the attenion¡ªthe officer who was tasked to register mercenaries had all the while only remembered one name¡ªWang Daquan, the tarzan.


    A team consisiting of mercenaries and regular knights was assembled. They followed two officers heading toward Broken Plain. Riding on the back of mutated horses of demonic dimension, they left the barracks and were expected to reach the battlefield in no time.


    Broken Plain wasn¡¯t that far from the barracks.


    The ten-year war had affected the human world in many aspects. One of them was the impact on mercenaries¡ªthe loosely organised armed groups had been brought together by the war; those who were not brave, not determined, and not disciplined enough were filtered out; those who made it became an important complementary force to the Allied Army. They remained an irregular force, but their overall quality had risen to the level of professional soldiers, and could be brought together at any time by the call of the Seven Heroes and the church to form a formidable force.


    The flexibility, experience and cunningness of the mercenaries had earned them a place in the ten-year war, and even several war heroes were mercenaries. So the mercenaries mustn¡¯t be underestimated as they had even given Y¡¯aks headache back then.


    The mercenary had become a ¡®special response force¡¯ recognised by the Allied Army. Both sides had established a combat-tested cooperational model which was why when the news of the remnants of the demonic army broke, a large group of mercenaries were added to the Allied Army without even needing a run-in adaptation to formally join the mission¡ªjust like the mercenaries behind Hao Ren, they were all experts.


    ¡°Disperse immediately when come into contact with the demons and kill them one by one.¡± Naturally, a veteran mercenary would become the ad-hoc commander. He ran in front of the group but his voice could be heard by the entire convoy. ¡°This is the territory of the demons, so do not engage for too long. Use hit-and-run tactics, and merge with the group immediately and follow the regular forces to start a next wave of attacks, pay attention to safety, as we¡¯re in an ad-hoc team, it¡¯s hard to achieve precise cooperation and so there¡¯s little chance of mutual assistance.¡±


    Over in the regular force, an officer briefed his soldiers for the next course of action. They seemed to be experienced warriors who had fought with the demons for years. They were all professionals.


    ¡°It feels weird.¡± Y¡¯zaks said as he rode on the back of an extra-large mutated horse which resembled a calf. He lamented when he heard the officer giving the mission brief. ¡±


    Hao Ren already knew what was on Y¡¯zaks¡¯ mind: those soldiers had done the same thing before they overthrew his demonic army¡­


    Y¡¯zaks smiled and that said a lot about Y¡¯zaks¡¯ broadmindedness.


    An officer in front of the convoy suddenly shouted. ¡°Watch out! Demons are right ahead!¡±


    Hao Ren looked up and found a group of demons appeared ahead. The mercenaries and the regular knights instantly entered into a state of war. The veteran soldiers quickly split and prepared to engage the demons¡ªthey had learned the experience after sacrificing countless lives battling the demons. The only way to fight the demons, which were many times stronger than humans, was to use hit-and-tun tactics. Those guys who fought head-on with the demons had proven one thing with their lives: it was impossible to defeat the mighty demonic army even if you had got a bigger number of soldiers.


    ¡°Those could be the remnants of demonic army from Broken Plain.¡± Lanina glanced from afar and said. ¡°Let¡¯s capture and interrogate.¡±


    Hao Ren had also noticed the state of those demonic soldiers: they were disorganised, most were wounded, rough skin with a single-horn. Undoubtedly these demons had just come back from the battlefield in Broken Plain.


    As soon as they human convoy saw the demons, the demons had also spotted the human convoy. They could sense trouble ahead but these blood-thirsty creatures weren¡¯t known to back out from a fight. They wielded their weapons and lunged forward immediately!


    The knights of the Allied Army lunged out first. A white-gold divine glory covered their bodies as they penetrated and broke the enemy¡¯s formation relying solely in their sheer courage and the protection of their body armours. Then the mercenaries immediately isolated each demon and killed them on by one before they could even regroup.


    The shouting, and the magic blast, the weapons hitting one another were everywhere. Hao Ren and his team deliberately ran deeper into the battlefield and found two lone higher demons.


    They dismounted before engaging the demons. They knew fully well that their combat skill on horseback wasn¡¯t going to cut it.


    ¡°Human¡­ kill them all!¡± The demon guard discovered the man who lunged toward it was a thin man wearing a warlock robe and felt provoked. It roared and raised its one-foot-wide huge sword and chopped down at Hao Ren¡¯s head. Hao Ren¡¯s mouth twisted slight as he raised his hands to catch the giant sword. Then a loud bang ensued, the giant sword was stopped by his face.


    Vivian¡¯s jaw almost dropped to the ground: she had seen many times people catching sword with bare hands, but catching a foot-wide steel plate with bare hands was first. Hao Ren¡¯s hands had managed to clamp the sword between his palms but that didn¡¯t stop the huge sword from hitting his face. And mind you, that sword was a foot wide!


    The demon was shocked. ¡°That¡¯s a tough face!¡±


    Lily saw it. She felt that her landlord had finally showed his true colour as a main tank. Though his face mightn¡¯t be an offensive weapon, it was a good defensive one.


    Hao Ren woke up from his dizziness and suddenly felt he needed to regain the initiative. He took out his long spear and thrusted at the enemy. ¡°Eat this!¡±


    Wielding a huge sword in a hand-to-hand combat was impractical, the demon had no choice but grabbed the strange spear with its bare hand. He was dumbfounded as the warlock had not just a tough face but also a metal stick which didn¡¯t look like a wand at all¡­


    Hao Ren didn¡¯t care what the demon was thinking. He let out an evil smile and twisted the handle of his spear.


    ¡°Now eat the ionised saber!¡±


    A strong white light emanated from the tip of the spear head and a two-metre dazzaling flame burst out. The demon had sensed the danger but it was too late. At the blink of an eye, its arm was cut in half!


    True to be a demon, the three-metre-tall enemy slammed its sword at Hao Ren again despite losing an arm.


    At white figure sprang up from the side¡ªit was Lily. She grabbed the arm of the demon and ripped it apart.


    The demon was just an ordinary soldier after all. Even if it was an elite force, that was the end of its combat ability.


    In the other hand, Y¡¯zaks had finished off his opponents easily. The two captured demons were thrown to one side. Lanina stared into their eyes and said, ¡°Tell me, what¡¯s the situation in Broken Plain? Have you seen the demon king¡¯s army?¡±


    The two demons fiercely resisted her psychic attack, Lanina who hadn¡¯t really practiced her psychic skill had hard time taking control of their mind. Hao Ren noticed the situation and quickly grabbed two pieces of rag and cover the demons¡¯ faces, revealing only their eyes. Without seeing their faces, Lanina could now use her skill more effectively¡­


    The two demons were under control but shivered when they recalled the terrifying moments. They confessed. ¡°Broken Plain¡­ the demon king¡¯s army¡­¡±¡±The dark dwarfs came out suddenly and killed the humans and the demons¡­¡±¡±The mad demon king is alive¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait a second!¡± Hao Ren was shocked. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°The mad demon king is still alive¡­¡± One of the demons told in fear, the terror was still written on its face. ¡°He has appeared¡­ in Broken Plain.¡±

 Chapter 428

    ¡°The mad demon king has appeared in Broken Plain?¡± Hao Ren was shocked hearing the unlikely news. ¡°Is this a joke or what? Let me ask you again; are you sure it¡¯s Y¡¯zaks who has appeared in Broken Plain?¡±


    The two demons shivered when they heared the name ¡®Yzaks; there was only one demon in known history and the one capable of striking fear in them.. obviously there sounded serious. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it with my own eyes. He emerged from the fire and was surrounded by the osidian colossi and dark dwarfs¡­¡±


    ¡°Osidian colossi and dark dwarfs were soldiers of the First Batallion,¡± Lanina looked back at Hao Ren. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s true.¡±


    Hao Ren let Lanina asked a few questions, but the two demons which were mere ordinary soldiers knew nothing more; they hadn¡¯t a clue about whether the army of Banuklaak and Serathon had come to Broken Plain.


    When they finished interrogatiing the two demon guards, Y¡¯zaks pressed his hand directly over their heads, the demons quickly turned into a pile of breeze.


    Lily stuck out her tongue and said, ¡°Biggie is really cruel¡­¡±


    ¡°Why I have the feeling that you¡¯re more motivated in killing the demons than the humans?¡± Hao Ren said as he looked at Y¡¯zaks.


    Y¡¯zaks said, ¡°Humph! Nonsense. Because I despise these bastards more than any races in the human world. The earthlings have been antagonistic toward demons for all this while, beating their brains out seems so natural. But they fought for their family and country, I¡¯ve no qualm even if I lost to them. But Banucklaak and Serathon were bastards who would stab you in the back.¡±


    It was true that Y¡¯zaks was defeated by the Allied Army, but the lethal blow came from his fellow demons. The war between him and races of the human world had always been for the sake of ideology on one hand and country in the other. For that matter, an upright person like Y¡¯zaks would have no complaint even if he died in the war. In fact he respected the Seven Heroes who had led an mortal army against the demon king and fought all the way to the Demonic Plane. Even Y¡¯zaks admitted that these guys were tough.


    But compared to the Seven Heroes¡¯ Allied Army, his fellow demonic compatriots were less vitutous: Banuklaak was only submissive to Y¡¯zaks before he backstabbed the demon king¡¯s army during the final battle. Serathon had given Y¡¯zaks a fatal blow and had occupied half of the Seventh Plane since then.


    No good tempered person would tolerate such betrayal!


    Knowing what the hatred of Y¡¯zaks was, Hao Ren cleverly steered the topic of the conversation. ¡°Well, let¡¯s not talk about them¡ªwhat you do think of your impersonator in Broken Plain?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure as hell I don¡¯t have a lost brother.¡± Y¡¯zaks laughed wryly. ¡°I¡±m also interested to find out who ¡®resurrected¡¯ me.¡±


    As the small demonic convoy had been dealt with, those mercenaries and knights who were injured began to turn back while the rest quickly regrouped and continued their journey toward Broken Plain.


    And they hadn¡¯t been bumping into any more wandering demons since then.


    Broken Plain gradually appeared in the horizon. Hao Ren could see its strange landscape and had guessed what the name Broken Plain was all about:


    Cracked earth, trenches and rifts were everywhere. Gravity-defying boulders were floating ten metres to as high as several hundred metres in the air as if a great force had smased the plain into pieces.


    ¡°Those are ¡®old stones¡¯, a kind of magnetic material. A vortex magnetic field below the surface keeps the boulders afloat. ¡°Y¡¯zaks explained quietly. ¡°How these boulders came about is a mystery. I had sent people investigating and found that the age of the boulders was very different from the geological age of the entire Broken Plain as if he boulders had dropped from the sky. That why the little old man had speculated that the spatial bubble zone wasn¡¯t in its current form but a contagious space, which explained the origin of the formation of ¡®asteriod craters¡¯ in different planes.


    Suddenly an officer in front of the convoy held the horse and shouted out loudly. ¡°Watch out!¡±


    Hao Ren looked up and saw the Allied Army and the demonic army was figthing not far ahead.


    The battle was taking place in a wide open area without without any natural cover. A vast area seemed to have been bombed as pits and craters were left behind by the magic explosions and bullet marks were everywhere. Countless dead bodies of the Allied Army and Banuklaak army, broken armours, weapons and flags strewn all over the place. Blood of the fallen armies had dried by the scorching heat, the air was filled with a turbid, strange smell¡ªthe smell of human and demonic blood mixture.


    The knight officer commanded. ¡°Team Three, guard the surrounding. Team Four, scout out the rocky hills on the east carefully. The rest, check the battlefield, collect the dead, and take their weapons. We need every weapon we could salvage, they might need them later!¡±


    Hao Ren and his men pretended to be busy like other mercenaries but they were actually examining the dead bodies of the demons and humans¡ªfinding out their cause of death.


    With just a glance, Lanina knew something was amiss at the scene: though most of the dead appeared to have died from the brutal battle, evidence showed that many of the dead lying on the edge of the battlefield were clearly fleeing the scene and suffering great horror before they were killed. Horror could still be seen on their faces. But comparing to the human, the horror was harder to observe on dead demons as their faces were more rigid.


    But upon closer inspection, Lanina could still tell that these demons had also struck by horror before they died.


    Both the humans and the demonic soldiers must have been fleeing from a ferocious third force which had appeared during the last battle¡ªthe identity of the third force was obvious.


    Lanina ripped open a broken piece of armour of a dead body, revealing the scorched wound underneath which was probably the cause of death. The wound was through and through. ¡°It was caused by a rocket-propelled osidian arrow.¡±


    Not far away, Y¡¯zaks found some rock-like residue on a dead demon which had been smashed into patty. ¡°It¡¯s osidian.¡±


    ¡°A typical signature of the First Batallion of demon king¡¯s army.¡± Lanina sounded serious. ¡°This weapon is unique to us.¡±


    ¡°Looks like some soldiers of the demon king survive.¡± Hao Ren got to his feet and gazed at the empty Broken Plain. ¡°They have a new king which looks exactly like Y¡¯zaks¡­ but where are they now?¡±


    ¡°They shouldn¡¯t be far away. There is no place to¡­¡±


    Before Lanina could finish her sentence, a loud noise like the sound of earth crumbling was heard.


    Hao Ren looked up and saw a small group of soldiers running back in their direction. These were the recce force they had send out earlier. The leading soldier shouted in fear. ¡°The demon king¡¯s army! Helcrown! Fall back! Fall back!¡±


    The soldiers ran back frantically as a dozen dark colossi of seventy-metre-tall came out from behind the rocks. The colossi had the figure of a human, their bodies glittered with green runes which aided to lessen their weight and propelled their movement. The earth trembled as the colossi ran. The single-eyed colossi gave chase as their singe eyes emitted a light and detected the presence of enemies.


    Following the colossi were a group of dark-skinned dwarfs covered in strange body armours, and also the demons which were soldiers of Y¡¯zaks!


    The earth-shattering noise and the violent shaking of the earth were just the beginning as Hao Ren saw the earth behind the rocky hills was rising slowly.


    It was a city!

 Chapter 429

    Thunderous roar came in all directions, and the earth was trembling. Black smoke rising from the rocky hills had almost blocked the sky like the end of the world. Amid all these a city was rising.


    The osidian-built city had a hundred-yard-tall, sort of black-gold casting wall. The wall had a series of solid vertical lines and on the top of each line had carving of evil dragon head; the city was encircled by six-hundred-sixty-six osidian stepples and each stepple had a huge floating illusory eye reflecting the image of every corner of Demonic Plane; above the osidian city was a massive floating obelisk which emitting a faint red light as it spun, supporting the shielding system of the city.


    The black city had risen above the rocky hills and was still rising even if it had reached the height of several hundred metres in the air. It had become a city in the sky sitting on an upside down cone-shaped floating island. On the underside of the floating island were rugged rocks filled with runes glowing with dim light, and web of intertwined pipes which together formed a massive antigravity field keeping the entire city afloat!


    Soldiers on Broken Plain looked up and were all stunned in awe at the city which was supposed to have been buried in the space storm. A mercenary finally screamed in fear after a long while. ¡°It¡¯s Helcrown!¡±


    A loud bang was heard from not afar as the colossi which came out from behind the rocky hills began to attack the knights. Flame was shot out of the eyes of the colossi and burned a ten-metre-radius pit in the ground. The knights were still in awe at Helcrown and totally forgot that the lethal colossi had come under their nose. A few knights were blown away before the rest came to their senses and retreated.


    Seeing the knights in chaos, the dark dwarfs behind the colossi saw the knights immediately squatted down and took out a strangely-shaped rectangular parallelepiped weapon from their backs, aimed at the enemies, and pulled the trigger. A rocket-like stuff¡ªmust be the so-called rocket-propelled osidian arrow¡ªwas fired. The heavily armoured demons behind the dark dwarfs had flanked the convoy to intercept the fleeing enemies.


    As brave as the mercenaries and knights were, those with a bit intelligence would be able to figure out that they were no match for the hybrid demonic forces. They decided to retreat. But just when they were about to do it, a sound like a rolling thunder suddenly was heard from the sku. ¡°Since you¡¯re here, why not just stay.¡±


    The voice sounded familiar to Hao Ren. He looked up and was shocked to see a tall figure appeared on the wall of Helcown. It was five-metre tall, body was almost in flame as his skin was flowing with hot lava, and there was a horn on its head¡ªthat looked exactly like Y¡¯zaks.


    Lanina was dumbfounded. The soldiers almost went hysterical screaming in fear. ¡°The mad demon king is alive!¡±¡±Fall back! Everyone fall back!¡±¡±Abandon baggage. Report back to base.¡±¡±Carly, I think I¡¯m not going to make it back to marry you¡­¡±¡±You f**king don¡¯t a girlfriend!¡±¡±I¡¯m about to die. Couldn¡¯t you just let me say whatever i want?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks suddenly patted on Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder. The two exchanged a look, then Hao Ren nodded and ran toward the demonic soldiers as he shouted. ¡°Brothers, fall back. We¡¯ll hold them back!¡±


    Before Hao Ren knew it, Lily and Vivian had lunged out. Lily had been wolfing down spicy sticks when she saw the colossi earlier, she had garnered enough energy to transform into a giant husky. The brute strength of the husky smashed a colossus into pieces while Vivian summoned a large swarm of bats creating a thundercloud before striking its lightning strike around the dark dwarfs just to create distraction, preventing the dwarfs from aiming their weapons.


    An officer of the Allied Army saw all of these and was touched. He immediately led a team of his men and came to help. ¡°Warriors! We¡¯re coming to help!¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s stomach churned; while he was helping them to flee, they instead came back. ¡°Just go!¡±


    The knight officer slid his sword out of the sheath, looked into the sky and exclaimed, ¡°Hahaha, warrior! Your lionheart deserves the respect as an Allied soldier! Today, you and I will go to¡­¡±


    Still hovering in the air, Vivian threw a bat down and hit the officer on the head and he passed out. ¡°Load of crap!¡±


    While the returning knights were dumbstruck at what happened, Hao Ren pointed his long spear and motioned. ¡°Go quickly! You guys are bogging us down!¡±


    The knights quickly carried the fainted officer and left the battlefield in a hurry. Hao Ren let out a sigh of relief as the bunch of screwballs left.


    Then he turned his head around and looked at the demon-colossus-dwarf hybrid army, thinking way to deal with yet another bunch of screwballs.


    Obviously that it was now too late to explain the situation to them, even if he wanted to surrender in situ, he had to find an opportunity. He quickly fixed his eyes the biggest built demon who might be a commander¡ªas the most prominent feature of a demonic commander¡ªand whistled at Lily. ¡°Come here, Lily!¡±


    The giant husky was still riding on the back of an osidian colossus, scratching and gnawing until she was almost covered in residual osidian powder. Her ears shuddered when she heard Hao Ren¡¯s call before jumping down from the colossus and scurried to him¡ªwith earth-trembling footsteps. Hao Ren grabbed the fur on Lily¡¯s leg and climbed up on her head and pointed his spear at the demonic officer. ¡°Take him first! I need him alive! Then we can explain the situation!¡±


    Lily howled and tried to see where Hao Ren was pointing at. But imagine it: when Hao Ren stood on the head of a five-metre-tall husky, there was no way the husky could see him nor where he was pointing at, even she was squinting hard but still couldn¡¯t find the tip of Hao Ren¡¯s spear¡­


    Hao Ren, ¡°¡­..¡¯


    ¡°How come everything happens to me doesn¡¯t come to senses?¡± Feeling frustrated, Hao Ren jumped on the bridge of her nose and pointed forward again. ¡°Go!¡±


    Lily squinted hard and howled. Wind blew into Hao Ren face as Lily lunged forward. He stood upright with spear in hand, the moment was like he was being possessed by the ledengary Zhao Zilong¡ªit would be even better if he wasn¡¯t riding the husky.


    Forget it! Husky would be just as fine as long as it had got the same white fur like a horse.


    The osidian colossi had noticed the strange knight on the dog. They immediately focused their eyes before throwing out rounds of flame at Hao Ren. Despite the huge size of the husky, Lily agilely dodged all the attacks and quickly moved into the middle of the demons. A huge and burly demon guard wielding a large chained-sword¡ªa weapon unlike any demonic weapons where its blade was actually a row of rapidly vibrating hacksaw, a terrifying death was guaranteed if one were hit by it. Looking at the frenzied stuff, Hao Ren couldn¡¯t help but lament: by just looking at the frenzied army and the crazy weapons they were using, it was no wonder that Y¡¯aks had almost overrun the world before the Allied Army finally defeated him!


    An he recalled Y¡¯zaks had once said: knowledge is power!


    ¡°Go to hell!¡± Hao Ren wielded his long spear to meet the chained sword. As both weapons came into contact, Hao Ren could feel the violent shock coming through the spear as if he was going to lose grip of it. It seemed he was too naive to fight the demon which was equipped with such nasty weapon. Suddenly, a huge flame was burst out of the tip of the spear head, and blew the enemy¡¯s weapon in half. Hao Ren and Lily kept charging toward the target.


    The dark dwarfs were drawn to the most eye-catching target on the battlefield as they immediately reloaded their rockets ready to intercept. By now Vivian had stopped her lightning storm, before the dwarfs could fire their weapons, the bat swarm swooped down from the sky and enveloped Hao Ren and Lily.


    The figure of Vivian took shape on the head of Lily with blood mist on one hand and thundercloud on the other, she intercepted the four rockets which had penetrated through the bat swarm and blew them out of the sky.


    The trio finally broke through all defenses. The burly demon commander raised his giant sword and attacked them but Hao Ren¡¯s movement was a lot faster.


    A shiny blue light pierced throught the air and smashed on the forehead of the demon commander. Hit by the fierce force of the impact, the demon commander was dead before it hit the ground.


    ¡°I¡¯m the ultimate weapon! Muahaha!¡± the MDT exclaimed.


    Hao Ren poked Lily¡¯s nose with his spear and said, ¡°I think the MDT has finally adapted to being a brick.¡±


    Lily¡¯s noise twitched, and sneezed ¡°ACHOO¡ª¡±

 Chapter 430

    Hao Ren felt that he had to learn his lesson, which was never poke the most sensitive sensory organs of a canine¡ª especially when you stood on her nose. Lily was agitated by the spear tip and sneezed, and Hao Ren was blown away and smashed into the demons which was trying to get to its feet¡­


    Hao Ren felt like he had collided with a steel plate, and learned firsthand how hard the body muscles of the demon was. The demon had woken up from its stupor and grabbed the neck of Hao Ren, trying to reverse the situation: Unfortunately, he had grasped a guy who was tougher than itself.


    Hao Ren¡¯s Steel Membrane Shield gave out shining sparks as the demon¡¯s big hand grabbed him. Lily took the opportunity and pounced at the demon. As they fell to the ground, Lily opened her ghastly mouth and bit down. Hao Ren tacitly dodged and let Lily¡¯s fangs planted in the demon commander¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± Hao Ren shouted in demonic language as he jumped back on Lily¡¯s back and stood together with Vivian. ¡°My fierce dog grew up eating demons ¨C where is the person in charge? ¡±


    As Hao Ren¡¯s voice trailed off, Vivian smacked him with a look: ¡°Are you brain dead? Isn¡¯t he the one?¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his hair embarrassingly. After making sure the surrounding demons and dark dwarfs did not react rashly, he motioned Lily to let off her bite. The demon commander was still struggling to break free from the Lily¡¯s paws whose brute strength even Y¡¯zaks might find it hard to contain, not to mention the demon was just a grassroot officer. Hao Ren glanced down at the demon, trying to communicate with it: ¡°Don¡¯t panic. We are not enemies, the mad demon king and us are friends. Please ask your men to back off and promise not to attack again, I have something to talk to you.¡±


    The demon commander looked puzzledly at the human who was wielding a weird weapon, and the big dog which was pinning it on the ground. Then it nodded its head.


    The dark dwarfs and demons nearby retreated slightly while those obsidian colossi¡¯ eyes dimmed. Hao Ren jumped down to ground and pointed his spear at the devil commander;s neck, so that Lily could carefully let off her paws. The demon commander got to its feet slowly and cautiously with the spear to his neck. It seemed to have noticed that Hao Ren and his companions weren¡¯t hostile, it relaxed its muscles.


    Hao Ren glanced slightly at the direction of La Nina, realised the latter hadn¡¯t the intention to reveal herself as she was covering her face with a hood.


    There was an unknown ¡®Y¡¯zaks¡¯ in town, both the voice and the appearance of which were similar to the genuine one. It was very difficult to tell its identity and motivation. So it was just as difficult to tell whether these remnants of the demonic army were on their side? If La Nina revealed herself suddenly at this time, it was difficult to say what reaction the the demon king impersonator in Helcrown would have¡ªafter all, La Nina is the confidante of Y¡¯zaks, it was easy for her to spot the difference.


    She might be in the midst of finding the right timing to reveal herself.


    ¡°You are the remnants of the mad demon king?¡± Hao Ren made sure the demon commander was under his control as he pondered way to get information about the situation in Helcrown, ¡°Weren¡¯t Helcrown destroyed and Y¡¯zaks dead?¡±


    ¡°How dare you call the king by his name!¡± These were the first words out of the demon commander¡¯s mouth, but it was also greatly surprised that there was still people in this world dared to mention the king¡¯s name, even worse was it was a human. What this human was doing here?


    Hao Ren scratched his hair with the other hand and said, ¡°I don¡¯t care about that, I¡¯m not with the Allied Army and neither I¡¯m an enemy of the demon king¡¯s army. I¡¯m here because we¡¯ve learned that the dead mad demon king has reappeared. How could that possible?¡±


    While he was asking, his eyes were on Helcrown looking for movement. Although they were within the blind spot just below Helcrown, those demons in the city must have realised something was wrong as it had been quite a while since they last sent their small forces down here. Hao Ren didn¡¯t know when those demons would come down to check¡ªif the fake Y¡¯zaks were to come down personally, it would be better as Lanina and Y¡¯zaks could confirm its identity.


    The demon commander, while wondering where these weird guys came from, it responded by holding its head high: ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, I¡¯m not bound to answer your question¡ªanyway, our king has been alive and kicking since the very beginning.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s brows knit together: ¡°You mean, the ¡®mad demon king¡¯ has been with you from the beginning? He¡¯s not dead?¡±


    The fake Y¡¯zaks above had never left Helcrown from the very beginning? He didn¡¯t come out from nowhere?


    The demon commander didn¡¯t say a word, but its attitude had said it all.


    Hao Ren thought for a moment, and he still had some questions in his mind. At that moment, La Nina suddenly came up from behind, she gave Hao Ren a look as if telling him not to worry, then she removed the hood. The dark dwarfs and demons were stunned.


    The henchman of the demon king seldom made appearance in public but the First Legion stationed in Helcrown knew her well. Her sudden appearance had caught everyone by surprise as the demon commander said in a quivering voice, ¡°The¡­the great sage?¡±


    Hao Ren was thinking to make a grand appearance with Lanina but the moment he heard the title his eyes were on stalks. He looked at Lanina, perplexed: ¡°The Great Sage? How did you get that title?¡±


    ¡°I was a strategist of the empire, so if I¡¯m not called a great sage, what else? A general?¡± Lanina shrugged, ¡°Is the title strange?¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a long moment. He was too embarrassed to admit that comparing to ¡®the great sage¡¯ title of Lanina, his other team members had rather out-of-style title¡ªhusky, poor vampire,mantis shrimp, good guy, Wang Daquan.


    As if Nangong Wuyue had the same thinking as Hao Ren, she said quietly to him, ¡°Finally there¡¯s someone with a normal title in our team¡­¡±


    Hao Ren covered his face: he felt the biggest weirdness now was this normal title¡­


    Lanina waved and motioned her former comrades to quiet down, as she looked the the demon commander calmly. ¡°It¡¯s me¡ªnow what¡¯s happening in the city? How did you survive? Who is in charge now?¡±


    The demon commander immediately stood uprightly as if by reflex. ¡°Yes, Great Sage! The city is fine! We were drawn into another dimension but suffering no damage. The king is safe, he presides over the city!¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± La Nina nodded, pointing her hand to Hao Ren and the others. ¡°They are my friends. Don¡¯t worry, they are quite trustable. After I was separated from the main forces, I had inadvertently entered the human world and was lucky to be taken care of by them. They are my allies for many years. Though they didn¡¯t join the demon army, they had been very helpful all this while.¡±


    Lanina lied but there was no way the demon commander was going to suspect her because she had obviously given thought to the lie beforehand. The demon commander believed them as it said with a wacky smile on his face just like Y¡¯zaks, ¡°I apologise for the misunderstanding just now. But how did come with the Allied Army?¡±


    ¡°We needed a cover in the Demonic Plane. It was better to pose as human in the Allied Army which was easier to reason with rather than running undercover among the unreasonable demons¡± La Nina stared into the demon commander¡¯s eyes, ¡°Since the city is fine, then let us in. I¡¯ll confirm with the King about what had happened all this while.¡±


    Devil commander responded normally. It nodded with joy: ¡°Of course, we¡±ll call the portal.¡±


    Then it grinned: ¡°Great Sage, your safe return is the greatest good news, the king will be very happy. With your help, the people in the city will be having more peace of mind. The rebuilding of the legion should be able to start soon.¡±


    La Nina just nodded slightly before she asked casually, ¡°Is the king injured? Is He resting in this city all this while?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s been in town all the time, working on some power reactor. He seldom appears in public.¡±


    ¡°Studying power reactor?¡± La Nina¡¯s brows pulled together slightly before relaxing. ¡°Oh well, then please open the portal.¡±

 Chapter 431

    It seems that no matter what the origin of the fake mad demon in the sky was, Lanina¡¯s status in the military hadn¡¯t wavered as as soon as she ordered the a protal to be opened, the demons immediately complied. It seemed that aside from flying, the only way to get to Helcrown in the sky was through the teleportation portal.


    An obsidian colossus came up and half-kneeled in front of them, the alloy cover on the chest of the colossus opened, revealing its dark-red shining energy core. Two barrel-like dark dwarfs climbed up the colossus, activating the core before the air in front of the energy core began to warp: apparently it was a mobile teleportation portal inbuilt into the colossus.


    Sure enough, knowledge is power ¨C the demonic army was definitely the world¡¯s most high-tech army¡­


    Y¡¯zaks looked on with a blank expression, no one knew what was on his mind. At the moment, Biggie had appeared to be more enigmatic than anyone else.


    After a moment, the portal was activated, and a seven-meter-high warped door was opened in the chest of the colossus. The door was large enough that even Lily could march into it with her head held high. The demon commander raised its hand and gestured, ¡°Please come in.¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at Lanina who nodded at him signalling that everything was fine. They then followed the demon commander and walked into the warped door.


    The other demons and black dwarfs had also queued up and went into the warped door but the obsidian colossi stayed back: these colossi could activate another teleporting mechanism to send themselves back to Helcrown, but for the moment, they would stay out there for any contingencies.


    The colossi walked in their heavy footsteps returning to the rocky foothill where they crouched down one by one. In the blink of an eye, they disguised themselves as ordinary boulders¡ªwhen Helcrown floated in the sky, they had to serve as sentinels below.


    Meanwhile, Hao Ren and his entourage were sent to a majestic rotunda after a moment of weightlessness.


    The hall had a radius of 100 meters, and was cast with a solemnly dark-colored metal. Every outer walls had the same neatly-arranged vertical ridges as that of Helcrown city. Each ridge had a shining glow to it as if the whole hall was powered by some kind of magic. The floor was covered in smooth gray brick stones, and a huge demonic rune array shimmering in greenish light was in the centre which echoed the faint light on the ridges of the walls.


    As soon as Hao Ren opened his eyes, he was stunned by the granduer of the hall. He turned to Y¡¯zaks and said, ¡°It¡¯s magnificent!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks just smiled and didn¡¯t say a word. He still couldn¡¯t figure out what it was all about, so he wanted to observe a little while longer before he revealed his own identity.


    The demon commander motioned the other demons to leave as he would personally took Hao Ren and his entourage meeting the ¡®mad demon king¡¯. ¡°Please come with me. The king would be pleased to see you¡ª especially the great sage, your arrival is a pleasant surprise, the king will be very pleased.¡±


    Hao Ren and his men followed the demon commander walking out of the hall to a broad and magnificent corridor. As Lily hadn¡¯t a chance to morph so she was still on four. Her eyes darted around curiously, and looked up from time to time as if she was worried that she was going to hit the ceiling if she wasn¡¯t careful. As Hao Ren and Vivian were walking right in front of Lily, they had to speed up their pace to avoid getting stepped on by the giant husky who mightn¡¯t see them.


    The demon commander turned and looked at the trio respectfully as it recalled the moment it was being pounced upon by the vicious dog. It said admiringly, ¡°You guys are an amazing team of bitch, man, and woman ¡­¡±


    Still marvelling at the weird reliefs on both sides of the corridor, the words suddenly struck Hao Ren. He glared at the demon commander. ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    The genuinely ignorant demon commander hadn¡¯t a clue as it pointed at Lily, Hao Ren, and Vivian matter-of-coursely. ¡°Dog, male, female ¡­¡±


    The usually mild-tempered Vivian was dumbstruck. She turned and looked at Lanina and said, ¡°¡­ That¡¯s how the people in your home town speak?¡±


    Lanina was also baffled. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Aren¡¯t you three a dog, a man, and a woman?¡±


    Lily could understand but she couldn¡¯t talk. She could only keep shaking her head and made sound. ¡°WOOF-WOOF-WOOF¡ª¡±


    Although no one knew what she was trying to say but one thing was certain: it wasn¡¯t a good word judging from her angry look: it¡¯s not that you could see husky¡¯s angry face everyday.


    It was only at this time that Y¡¯zaks woke up from his deep thought. He patted Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Ahem, please don¡¯t be offended. Here in our hometown, people are normally say thing lietrally.¡± Having said that, he nodded thoughtfully. ¡°I¡¯ve never thought of that before, but you three do fit the words.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s face turned black. ¡°What kind of culture is that?¡±


    The demon commander seemed to be confused. It hadn¡¯t a clue what wrong it had done that had wrranted the anger of the guest. Though Lanina was just as clueless, she still comforted their own man. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, perhaps it has only something to do with the dialect.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t known how long they had been walking in the long, deep corridor as they finally came to the end of it. They saw in front of them a heavy, thick door, which was made of brass, with twelve demon-like images engraved on it and a warning on top the door in demonic text: Check Before Leaving The House, Remember to Turn Off The Light And Lock The Door.


    Hao Ren froze for a moment. ¡°¡­ Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Y¡¯zaks felt strange at Hao Ren¡¯s question. ¡°Don¡¯t you write this over at your office? We do the same thing here.¡±


    Hao Ren widemouthed, almost going crazy. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it suppose to have a poetic phrase in such a grand building? If you don¡¯t prefer poetic phrases, you can always write something like ¡®WHOEVER PASSES THROUGH THIS DOOR SHALL LEAVE YOUR SOUL BEHIND¡¯ or ¡®OUR JOURNEY IS THE STARS¡¯! At least that would match the grandeur of Helcrown¡­¡±


    Y¡¯zaks thought for a moment, then scratched his chin and asked, ¡°Then why don¡¯t you hang a ¡®SAVING MANKIND FROM THE SEA OF MISERY¡¯ at the front door of your house? Isn¡¯t your job title pope?¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless. He was tempted to reason with Y¡¯zaks but thought better of it. He pondered for a long while and realised that not everyone was paying attention to details. He said gently, ¡°After all, this is Helcrown¡ªDon¡¯t all former residences of great men have some famous quotes hanging on their front doors?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks smiled wryly and said, ¡°That¡¯s because their places have been turned into museums. Look, my place is still occupied by living people.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless again. As it turned out, normal people and demons had real differences in perspectives.


    As Hao Ren was talking to Y¡¯zaks in earth language, the demon commander hadn¡¯t a clue what they were talking about. It hemmed twice and said, ¡°The king is waiting inside. Please get inside.¡±


    Hao Ren staunchly stepped forward and opened the door, what lay inside was a very wide throne hall. The rectangular hall was brightly lit, the walls were made of solemnly pure copper and black iron, countless sculptures of demons and other races lined on both sides of the hall, and at the end of the hall was a golden-red throne where the ¡®mad demon king¡¯ was sitting who seemed to have been waiting for them for a long time.


    Although they were mentally prepared, they couldn¡¯t hold back their surprise when they saw the demon on the throne: it wan¡¯t that obvious from a distance, but when they moved closer, they found the one sitting on the throne was really almost identical to Y¡¯zaks!


    Hao Ren and his team kept quiet. Even Y¡¯zaks himself hesitantly stood at a side pretending he was clueless. Only Lanina walked up, stared at the demon on the throne and said without salutation, ¡°I¡¯m back.¡±


    ¡®Y¡¯zaks¡¯ on the throne stood up slowly, his face seemed a bit agitated but slightly stiff, and his voice was obviously delighted. ¡°Oh, Lanina ¡­ it¡¯s so good see you safe and sound. Were you in the human world all these days?¡±


    Lanina repeated her story as ¡®Y¡¯zaks¡¯ on the throne listened and nodded. After a brief conversation with Lanina, it suddenly said, ¡°In this case, you guys must be tired after the long journey. Let¡¯s go and get some rest first while I prepare a banquet. Lanina, by then I have a lot more to talk to you. So have a good rest.¡±


    After the brief meeting, they were politely ushered out.

 Chapter 432

    Though ¡®Y¡¯zaks¡¯ on the throne didn¡¯t show any anomalies, the fact that he hurriedly cut the meeting short had Hao Ren suspected something was amiss.


    They left the hall of the throne and followed a higher demon to the lounge. The earlier demon commander had returned to his job. No one spoke until they arrived the guest rooms until the higher demon nodded politely at Hao Ren and said, ¡°This is a lounge designed for human race, and please feel at home.¡±


    Then the higher demon looked up at Lily¡¯s chin and said, ¡°We have a dedicated kennel for canine, should we bring it some fresh meat or something? Besides, it doesn¡¯t look like a cerberus. Would it quarrel with the cerberus?


    Lily snarled and growled at the higher demon but unfortunately the demon didn¡¯t understand her.


    Hao Ren smacked Lily¡¯s mouth and said to the demon, ¡°No thanks. She just needs an open space. She could turn into a humanoid but you don¡¯t need to know how. When Helcrown could get out from the space storm, nothing would be impossible!¡±


    The higher demon stared at Lily, flabbergasted. Then it turned to Lanina, still confused. ¡°Great Sage, would you prefer your own room?¡±


    ¡°No, I stay with them for the moment.¡± Lanina waved and said, ¡°We have something to discuss. You may leave us alone.¡±


    After the higher demon, Lily, and Vivian (who would be responsible for the safety of Lily during her formshifting) left, Hao Ren and the rest quickly entered the room and were surprised to find that the lounge was really different from the rest of Helcrown in terms of archectural style; it had bright white walls and floors, earthly wooden furnishings, and even a bookshelf full of human books. The rather spacious rectangular room was entirely decorated in human style of this world. Hao Ren was amazed. ¡°It seems this city has everything ¡­ I was still worried that human wouldn¡¯t have survived in this ice-capped fortress just now!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks grinned. ¡°We have human, dwarfs, elves, and orcs in this city, and a dedicated metropolitan area for every race. You think the grand unificatioion that I was talking about was mere propaganda?.¡±


    ¡°To be honest, this city is amazing, it could fly!¡± Hao Ren totally marvelled at the strength and imposing look of Helcrown which was beyond his imagination. ¡°No wonder the whole could merely defeat you back then, you are using zenithal technology to push against the earth!¡±


    Suddenly, Y¡¯zaks had a puzzled expression on his face. ¡°Actually, I was surprised that the hover system of the royal city works!¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± Nangong Wuyue¡¯s brows twisted. ¡°You mean floating system hasn¡¯t been functioning?¡±


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t. Although many years ago I¡¯d redesigned the foundation of the city according to the works left behind by the old man, but due to the lack of a key power source, the planned floating city is also an empty one in the end.¡± Y¡¯zaks scratched his bald head. ¡°until the fall of Helcrown, the power source of the floating system was still unavailbel ¡­ where did they get the energy from?¡±


    ¡°About the fake Y¡¯zaks ¡­¡± Hao Ren looked up at Lanina, ¡°did you find anything amiss?¡±


    ¡°It was hard to tell by just looking, but I didn¡¯t dare to look too closely.¡± Lanina¡¯s brows knit together. ¡°Even if he has only one-tenth the strength of the king, acting too obviously would only arouse its suspicion, so I¡¯d to be careful.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded his head and suddenly revealed a mysterious expression on his face. ¡°Nothing, perhaps the MDT might come back with something.¡±


    ¡°MDT?¡± Nangong Wuyue was very surprised, as she had only noticed the MDT which had been lying on Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder all the while pretending to be an body armour had gone missing. ¡°Wait a minute¡­ Did you leave it in the throne hall ?!¡±


    Hao Ren made a snap and said, ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve been strategising all this while from the moment we entered the city way to monitor the impersonator. I wouldn¡¯t think twice to sacrifice the MDT for that.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue, ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°I was just joking,¡± Hao Ren hemmed twice before reached into the dimensional pocket and took out a mini holographic projector and placed it on the table. The projection flashed a few times and projected the image of the throne hall. The visual was taken from an obscure corner on the side of the throne. The mad demon king was sitting on the huge throne in the middle of the hall as it tilted his head and then remained motionless like a stone sculpture as if in deep thought. The MDT hadn¡¯t moved a muscle like a block of metal after it entered into silent. No one would discover its existence. ¡°MDT, what¡¯s the situation?¡± Hao Ren inquired.


    The screen flashed a bit, then the voice of the MDT was heard through the projector. ¡°I¡¯m watching. You¡¯ve finally found me to be useful¡ªhigh-tech intelligence gathering! This is what a MDT supposed to do! You know?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, just keep your eyes on it.¡± Hao Ren replied with a perfunctory voice and asked the MDT to shut up while he lamented: the brick had finally lowered it¡¯s expectation unlike previously when it was pestering wanting to command an entire fleet of spacecrafts. Now it seemed to be pretty happy doing surveillance work at the corner of a wall. Apparently after while being a brick, its life goals were lowered too.


    The MDT was still watching the demon king impersonator closely. When Lily and Vivian were back, Vivian immediately knew what Hao Ren was doing. ¡°Spying on the fake demon king, eh?¡±


    ¡°Yup, if it¡¯s fake, the cat would be out of the bag sooner or later,¡± Hao Ren nodded, ¡°especially after it had just met with Lanina, it must¡¯ve known that Lanina would soon be able to figure it out. So this¡¯ the time to act ¡­¡±


    Suddenly, the MDT interrupted Hao Ren. ¡°But, I¡¯ve been watching here for ten minutes since you left, but the impersonator hadn¡¯t moved.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Never move?¡± Though Lily was in human form, one couldn¡¯t help but imagine her ears standing erect.


    ¡°It has been sitting still like a fossil,¡± said the data terminal, ¡°and never blinked an eye..¡±


    Nangong Wuyue looked at Y¡¯zaks, face weird. ¡°Saying that it¡¯s in deep thought is an understatement.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks didn¡¯t say a word. At this time, the visual th MDT transmitted back began to show movement!


    The door of the Throne Hall was pushed open, a greenish gray, old demon which had an eye blind came in. The first thing the old demon did when it came in was to carefully scan the surroundings before carefully locked the door behind him and walked up to the throne. It was holding a plate which had some wield stuff on it. It must be food.


    ¡°He is my housekeeper, Zadamor,¡± Y¡¯zaks suddenly frowned. ¡°What is he doing there?¡±


    As the housekeeper came before the throne, he coughed, then what happened next had everyone¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground:


    ¡®Y¡¯zaks¡¯ on the throne finally made some movement; it sat up slightly and then its chest armor and skin opened, revealing a layer of alloy door. The door opened and a folding ladder popped out before a small figure climbed down the ladder from inside ¡®Y¡¯zaks¡¯!


    That little figure had a strikingly golden hair, wearing a beautiful black dress, looking almost like an eight-year-old in human age and no more than one-metre-three tall. She jumped down the ladder and turned around, exposing a beautiful face with a pair cute horns on its head which proved that she was of demonic bloodline.


    The little demon girl who popped out from the body of ¡®Y¡¯zaks¡¯ ran up quickly to Zadamor and grabbed the food in the plate and stuffed it in her mouth as if she hadn¡¯t eaten for years. She yelled as she ate. ¡°Uncle Zadamor, Lanina is back! She is safe and sound!¡±


    ¡°I know, I know. It seems things are getting better and better.¡± Zadamor was stooped and looked weak and old from the inside out which was rarely seen in demons. ¡°Your Highness, you did great today. Just keep it this way and no one would discover.¡±


    The little girl nodded. ¡°Of course, I tuned it personally, it¡¯s going to be OK. However, there¡¯s still some glitches with Papa Three, the control is too complicated, it can only make some simple movements. There would be problem if it couldn¡¯t perform soon. And it¡¯s not known when the psychic connection in Papa Four could be configured.¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, Your Royal Highness, with the data you provide, and the skills of dwarven masters, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    Witnessing the whole time, Hao Ren was flabergasted. ¡°¡­ what?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks slammed on the table, his facial muscles quivering. ¡°Y¡¯lisabet ¡­ Y¡¯lisabet!¡±

 Chapter 433

    In fact, as soon as the little girl climbed out of the cockpit of the fake mad demon king, Hao Ren had already guessed she was Y¡¯zaks¡¯ daughter¡ªbut guessing is one thing, believing it is another matter. He glanced at the little girl in the visual, then to Y¡¯zaks whose look was as strange as it gets. ¡°Biggie, are you sure this is your girl?


    ¡°I¡¯m sure as hell!¡± Y¡¯zaks rose to his feet, ¡°I¡¯m going to see her!¡±


    Lily jumped to her feet and followed. ¡°I¡¯m going with you.¡±


    There were still some questions on Hao Ren¡¯s mind he would like to ask but obviously it wasn¡¯t the right time. He followed everyone and hurried to the throne hall while he still couldn¡¯t figure out what: he had conjectured numerous scenario about the fake mad demon king, little did he expect things would turn out like that¡ªWan Daquan¡¯s daughter was driving that thing¡­


    He had always felt that something was wrong somewhere but then even the demonic army had already used chainsword, he might have thought too much.


    While hurrying to the throne hall, and they had run into some guards on the way. Lanina told them it was an emergency and the guards let them pass. The entrance as locked but Y¡¯zaks just stormed it open ¨C he was really anxious to meet his daughter and cared not about anything else especially when this is his own place.


    The heavy front door was kicked open. Inside, the little demonic princess and the old housekeeper hadn¡¯t expected someone dared to storm in just like that as the princess was wolfing down the food. Hao Ren was right behind Y¡¯zaks as they came in. He saw the blond little girl was grabbing a piece of food which looked like a bread, looking up with her mouth filled to the brim and her face looked stunned.


    Then she choked.


    ¡°Y¡¯lisabet!¡± As Y¡¯zaks rushed to his daughter, Zadamor and Y¡¯lisabet began to come to their senses. The latter immediately gobbled down the food and then ran toward Papa No. 3 while Zadamor stood in the way of Y¡¯zaks and asked, ¡°What do you want¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t recognise me anymore, do you?¡± Y¡¯zaks stared into Zadamor¡¯s eyes. ¡°I am your master!¡±


    The little girl Y¡¯lisabet staggered and turned looking back at Yazikesi, her reaction was like a frightened girl. Zadamor instantly tossed the food plate away as he drew out a sword. ¡°How dare you..¡±


    ¡°Put down your sword!¡± Lanina stepped forward to stop Zadamor and then looked up and motioned Y¡¯lisabet and said, ¡°Come here, Y¡¯lisabet!¡±


    The girl looked on in astonishment, and hadn¡¯t a clue what was happening. Y¡¯zaks smirked in a way more like crying. ¡°It¡¯s me! How could this child not even recognize her own father?¡±


    Hao Ren facepalmed when he saw Y¡¯zaks. ¡°Your look! Your temperament are all wrong! You have been in disguise all this while, how could they even recognise you?¡±


    Then Y¡¯zaks only came to grisp with it and hurriedly transformed back from the human body into his real appearance¡ªan even scarier face, body covered with bulging muscles, a mean and imposing aura radiating in all directions, even the sculptures around the throne hall seemed to have sensed the aura, buzzing. The little Y¡¯lisabet was stunned looking at him. Only until Y¡¯zaks had completely revealed himself, she started to make sense of it. She took two steps forward, then suddenly burst into tears.


    Hao Ren smacked and said, ¡°Look! You have made your child crying!¡±


    Vivian pulled Hao Ren back. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you just keep your mouth shut?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks walked past Zadamor who was rooted to the spot toward Y¡¯lisabet, every step he took his human look faded away and finally became a five-metre-tall, full-fldeged demon. He sat on the ground with his legs crossed as he reached out to Y¡¯lisabet. ¡°I¡¯m back, honey¡­¡±


    Truly a demon princess; she cried because she was just being herself when she lost control emotionally, but she had quickly calmed down. She then came up to Y¡¯zaks without worrying about his body heat and climbed up his arm and said, ¡°Dad, you okay?¡±


    A little more than one-metre-tall, the girl went up Y¡¯zaks¡¯s body like rock climbing. Hao Ren looked on and was dumbstruck. ¡°I still feel something is wrong somewhere.¡±


    Lily looked on and was touched by the scene. She pushed Hao Ren and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? Isn¡¯t this heartwarming?¡±


    The husky had always been naive probably nothing in this world would ever make her feel amiss.


    The old court adviser Zadamor was also stunned to see what had transpired. Everything happened so fast that he almost felt surreal. He turned to Lanina. ¡°Great Sage ¡­ is¡­ is this true?¡±


    ¡°Uncle, don¡¯t doubt it, it¡¯s true,¡± Adpoted by Y¡¯zaks, while Lanina was still a kid roaming around the castle she was also taken care of by Zadamor, so she always spoke to him affactionately. ¡°The king is fine, he was just recuperating in a faraway place¡­ I was out here looking for the king.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s mouth contracted, feeling what Lanina said was a little far from reality¡ªshe was obviously lost in that period of time, and only when God couldn¡¯t bear to see her predicament she was brought before Y¡¯zaks¡­


    Meanwhile, the little girl Y¡¯lisabet sat on the shoulders of Y¡¯zaks, holding on to his head muttering, her face like crying and sometime laughing like a human child, but the way she disregarded the high body heat of Y¡¯zaks clearly demonstrated that they both shared the same bloodline. The father and daughter talked for quite a while before Y¡¯zaks finally got to his feet, carried Y¡¯lisabet and came up to Hao Ren rumbly. He didn¡¯t know what to say. He just looked down at them scratching his head and guffawed, fire rained down from him¡­


    ¡°Please don¡¯t laugh!¡± Hao Ren had to keep dodging the rain of fire and shouting, ¡°Transform it back! You both have got time on your side!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks slowly formshifted into a human. Y¡¯lisabet jumped down agilely and looked at Hao Ren and his men curiously. ¡°Dad, who are these people?¡±


    ¡°They are my friends.¡± Y¡¯zaks grinned, the heroic face he displayed a few days of ago in the city of Cadessar was no more. Hao Ren looked at him and sighed: Sure enough, even the greatest king had his day, no one who was capable of thoughts and emotions could escape from his own mind.


    Hao Ren and his company briefly introduced themselves but without explaining their origins: cross-world things were a little too complicated to explain, it was better for Y¡¯zaks to do the explaining to his own daughter himself. When they finished introducing themselves, Y¡¯zaks turned to Zadamor. ¡°What happened to you? How did the royal city survive? How did you come back to this place afterward?¡±


    Zadamor opened his mouth but stopped short of saying. He instinctively glanced at Hao Ren and his men, Y¡¯zaks waved at him immediately and said, ¡°Well, there¡¯s nothing you couldn¡¯t say here, just treat them as our own.¡±


    Zadamor was wide-eyed looking at the strangers which seemed to have appeared from nowhere, but he didn¡¯t ask more since the demon king and the great sage were with them. He nodded and said, ¡°Dear master, we haven¡¯t yet figured out how it works, but the space storm hadn¡¯t damaged the royal city, it instead opened up a door to a deep dimension where we found a hidden plane. If I¡¯m not wrong, that is the real ¡®Throat of the World¡¯!


    ¡°The real throat of the world?¡± Y¡¯zaks¡¯ brows pulled together. ¡°Tell us more.¡±


    ¡°It was a peculiar space that no one had ever set foot in. Wreckage and remains were everywhere, and there were also remains of huge unknown creatures,¡± Zadamor¡¯s face appeared very serious. ¡°We¡¯ve also found an unusually large number of spatial nodes. After calculating the teleporting rules of several spatial nodes, we found that it closely resembles the ¡®bubble core¡¯ theory which was foretold in the manuscript left behind by the great scholar. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s really the theoritical ghost dimension!¡±

 Chapter 434

    Hao Ren did not know what the real ¡°Throat of the World¡± and so-called core of the spatial bubble zone were. But judging from Y¡¯zaks¡¯ reaction, he knew it was something extraordinary. Scratching his chin with an unprecedented serious look on his face, Y¡¯zaks asked, ¡°Are the nature of this dimension and of those described in the manuscript consistent?¡±


    ¡°They match,¡± Zadamor nodded, ¡°the gateway to the rest of the world, the unstable opening method, and the ever-changing mapping laws¡ª all strikingly consistent with the manuscript¡¯s predictions. But we didn¡¯t manage to explore too deeply, that space wasn¡¯t creature-friendly, there was no stars and solid planets, and only some strange celestial bodies which we could barely set our foot on. People could only survive with the deployment of a great barrier over the royal city, so we couldn¡¯t send more people scouting out there.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks nodded slightly, he knew these things couldn¡¯t be explained in a few words. ¡°Well, please sort out what had happened for the past year and I will hear the details from you later.¡±


    He then turned to his little daughter with a broad smile on his face. ¡°The most important thing for me now is that my daughter is alive! Y¡¯lisabet ¡­ I knew you would be fine, but this thing¡­¡± Y¡¯zaks said, looking up to ¡®himself¡¯ which was on the throne, ¡°What the hell is this?¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet¡¯s face was still a mess after crying and laughing a while ago, but she had quickly calmed down. She held on to a finger of Y¡¯zaks and said proudly, ¡°That¡¯s Papa III. I designed it with Uncle Hammer!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks was dumbfounded when he heard the name earlier. Hao Ren curiously came up to the throne and looked up, and found that the rough skin, the unique body armour were almost as identical as the genuine one¡ªalmost lifelike, only the flame and lava which were magic simulation had disappeared because the ¡®demon doll¡¯ was now in standby mode.


    Hao Ren climbed up to the chest of the ¡®demon doll¡¯ and poked his head inside. He could see the compact alloy cockpit inside, but without the usual control sticks and buttons and stuff like that. Instead, there were some odd alloy cylinders and neatly-arranged rune slab panels, as well as a small seat. The control panel was glimmering with a faint light from time to time, and the complicated runes were occasionally projected out. Through the help of his translation plug-ins, Hao Ren could read them: pressure readings, power reactor, expression combinations, intelligence balance, skin camouflage, walking assistance control, running auxiliary control ¡­


    Suddenly, Hao Ren felt a furry thing squeezed itself past him next to his arm. It was Lily. ¡°Let me have a look¡­ whoa¡­ this is a high-tech cockpit?¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ve been using this to impersonate me all this while?¡± Y¡¯zaks looked at his genius daughter, half-cryingly and half-laughingly after he took a gander at the ¡®demon doll¡¯. ¡°You¡¯re real genius. No one spot the anomalies?¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet climbed up the demon¡¯s legs and proudly exclaimed, ¡°No one would spot the difference with occasional appearance to sooth the worries of the people.¡±


    Then, the little girl lowered her head slightly, lamenting. ¡°Unfortunately, it could only perform the most basic manoeuvers, and control is very troublesome. I¡¯ve spent a long time fine-tuning its walking posture. Then I used posture-core of the obsidian colossus to stabilize it. But it still lacks combat capability, no magic ability, and hasn¡¯t enough power¡­¡±


    When the little girl talked, she babbled. Y¡¯zaks touched her head affectionately and said, ¡°Y¡¯lisabet liked to study these things from an early age¡­ She was physically weak but was clever, so I let her studied alchemy and astrology from the manuscript left behind by the old man.¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at Y¡¯lisabet, her physical build was obviously as different as day and night compared to the normal demon. How could Y¡¯zaks at five-metres-tall have a one-meter daughter?


    Lily who was beside Hao Ren was more blunt. ¡°Are you sure she is your biological daughter?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks wasn¡¯t offended at all as if he had long been expecting question like that. ¡°Y¡¯lisabet¡¯s mother was a human.¡±


    Everyone went silent. Lily, one of the most literary-loving in the crowd, couldn¡¯t utter a word.


    Hao Ren pattted the arms of Y¡¯zaks and said, ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe that a rough guy like you could¡¯ve actually gone down that road¡ª why did you take a human as wife?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks smiled, showing a nostalgic look on his face as he leaned back in his throne and recalled slowly. ¡°It was the beginning of the unification war. As usual, humans had thought that I was just another brainless demon king, many of the braves had come out to fight me in the hope of lifting their own prestige, and Y¡¯lisabet ¡®s mother was one of them who came to look for trouble.


    They were all astonished. Vivian twitched her mouth as she looked at Y¡¯zaks. ¡°How more uncommon-sensical could you be?¡±


    Hao Ren was curious about the story of the brave women and the demon. ¡°And then what happened? What kind of person was Y¡¯lisabet¡¯s mother? Was she powerful but kind-hearted, kind of person, as holy as a lamp in God¡¯s home? How many times had she fought with you before you were turned?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks laughed as he waved his hand. ¡°As powerful as she was, she was a silly girl. I still remember people called her ¡®Sword Saintess¡¯. She was very famous in the human world, and was symbol of something in her country. In short, she was an important person but deep down in her she was just a naive and innocent girl. She focused all her energy in learning how to fight, was duped into becoming a guardian of her country to fight the demon king. The way I see it, the so-called guardian was just a convenient title politicians use to exploit her. But she was quite proud of it, though.¡±


    Lily shoved herself forward and asked, ¡°Then what happened?¡±


    ¡°There were quite a few of the braves came looking for trouble at that time when I needed more people. So I basically would persuade them to join us. Those who refused, I would just let them go and spread the message on my behalf.¡± Y¡¯zaks shrugged, ¡°so too Y¡¯lisabet¡¯s mother was let go three times, when she came back for the fourth time I was stunned¡ª she was recalcitrant despite losing in every fight. To be honest I have never seen anyone coming with this reason. So I got interested, and then did something extraordinary: I transformed into a human, sneaked over and joined her team, saying I was the brave too looking to fight the demon king.¡±


    Hao Ren also could not help it. ¡°How more uncommon-sensical could you have been?¡±


    ¡°It was mainly because I was bored,¡± Y¡¯zaks shrugged. ¡°At that time I hadn¡¯t much entertainment, so I¡¯d occasionally observe the habit of creatures such as the Brave to quench my boredom. Anyway, that naive girl had believed me. She even said that her wasn¡¯t good enough to challenge the demon king by herself, she dragged me along going around getting more ¡®experience¡¯ before going back to Helcrown again.¡±


    La Nina suddenly hemmed. ¡°I¡¯ve heard this history before from the elderly people in the city: in order to make that naive brave one coming back to Helcrown to challenge the mad demon king, he himself led her running around in the territory. A few demon kings had come to fight her, and even let the Evil Flame Dragon lie on the ground pretending to have been slained¡±


    ¡°When she finally got back to Helcrown, I confessed everything,¡± Y¡¯zaks shrugged. ¡°She froze for a moment and said she wanted to stay.¡±


    Hao Ren held his breath and expected the story to continue. But after a long while of silence, he asked, ¡°So that¡¯s the end of the story?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the end.¡± Y¡¯zaks nodded with a smile.


    Vivian asked dumbfoundedly, ¡°You two had no problem with the racial differences and all that? Let¡¯s just talk about the aesthetic side of it¡ªboth of you OK?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks laughed. ¡°Demon has a different aesthetic perspective from human¡­ In fact, we don¡¯t care about our partner¡¯s look, it does not matter as long as it feels right. That was how we were together and she seemed to have accepted me in human form.¡±


    Lily glanced at the big face of Y¡¯zaks, wondering if the brave maiden was already blind when she first met Y¡¯zaks.


    Vivian asked hesitatingly, ¡°Then where is she now?¡±


    ¡°She was dead a long time ago.¡± said Y¡¯zaks without much emotion on his face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she went peacefully. I used demonic magic to extend her life and she had stayed with me for three hundred years. But after all she was still a human, and not willing to completely turn into a half-demon to extend her life again. So I respected her will. But anyway, we had lived happily for three hundred years, and I think that¡¯s already better than most demons families.¡±


    He patted on Y¡¯lisabet¡¯s head and said, ¡°What¡¯s more, I¡¯ve a daughter!¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet¡¯s eyes darted around curiously. She felt that her father was a little different from her father she remembered but she could not tell what. But she knew it must have something to do with these strangers.


    ¡°Well, and I think we could keep on talking if we want to,¡± Y¡¯zaks interrupted the conversation. He guffawed. ¡°Today is a good day! Zadamor, haven¡¯t the banquet been ready? Send my word, today we¡¯re going to make it big!¡±

 Chapter 435

    Like father, like daughter; Y¡¯zaks¡¯ daughter had inherited his great quality as proven by her unusual behavior. Hao Ren and company quickly learned what had happened to Helcrown in the past year from little Y¡¯lisabet as well as the old court advisor, Zadamor. The story basically centered around a gifted child who drove a huge robot, pretending to be her father. She tried to boost the morale of the people while at the same time, build enough troops for another wave of counter-attack. Although the whole process did not sound like a fantasy script, none of them were really sensible people who would act according to the script, so let us not delve into the details.


    In the final battle a year ago, Helcrown was sucked into a space storm. It miraculously survived, but it was sent into a strange space where no one had ever set foot in before. Thanks to Y¡¯zaks¡¯ foresight, he remodeled Helcrown to be completely self-containing and self-sustaining, knowing that he had enemies all over the world. The city¡¯s controller activated the system at a critical moment to protect its citizens, and afforded Y¡¯lisabet time to plan for the future.


    She knew there was only one person who could lead the people under the prevailing circumstances, but she had no idea when they could get out of that strange space. So, she immediately started to design ¡°Papa I¡± to preside over the throne. With the help of Zadamor and a few veterans, she made up a variety of excuses to justify the ¡°return¡± of the fake mad demon king to the city¡­ This was indeed a miraculous gene inherited from Y¡¯zaks. Both of them were good in doing things the unorthodox way.


    The fake ¡°demon king¡± rarely appeared before the public and only showed its face to reassure the people. It was done in the guise of pondering about the future. Meanwhile, when Y¡¯lisabet was not driving the Papa I, she would go around as usual, acting as Helcrown¡¯s ¡°executive director¡±. That was how she kept things under wraps.


    The only problem with the entire impersonation process was, Y¡¯zaks had not been seen in human form againever since that day. However, it was not a cause for concern as no one raised any questions.


    So far, only a handful of people in Helcrown knew about the fake demon king. This small group of people were Y¡¯lisabet, Zadamor, a few veterans, and a few dwarven engineers who were the builders of the Papas.


    Hao Ren found that the little Y¡¯lisabet was a genius. Of course, he knew Y¡¯lisabet¡¯s true age as well. She was at least a few hundred years old, but this did not help when it came to her 1.3-m body height. Anyway, as Y¡¯zaks¡¯ buddy, Hao Ren treated Y¡¯lisabet like a child.


    A grand banquet was being held in the demon king¡¯s palace. When Hao Ren and his group stepped into the banquet hall, they were startled; they never thought they would actually see a feast of this scale in demonic territory. Rows of tables that were filled with food lined the massive hall, and people of various races were among the attendees¡ªthey were mostly dwarves and humans, but elves with sharp ears could also be seen gathering and chatting in the quieter corners of the hall. Despite the hall itself being of demonic style, the furnishings and decorations throughout were clearly made to accommodate people of all races. Such a place could only be found in Helcrown. For all along, Y¡¯zaks was the only demon king who had seriously considered the possibility of integrating all the ethnic cultures in the world. This massive city of Helcrown was his biggest achievement.


    When Lily pushed open the door to the banquet hall, she almost screamed in joy. She jumped and yelped, ¡°Yay ! The food¡¯s so delicious!¡±


    Hao Ren had to pull her back by grabbing her tail (the maiden had let her tail out to get some fresh air since she felt safe in Y¡¯zaks¡¯ place). ¡°Behave yourself! We¡¯re only guests here!¡± Hao Ren reminded her.


    ¡°I thought Helcrown was in a state of a meltdown, little did I expect you people to be so optimistic!¡± Vivian looked at the grand banquet hall and glanced at Y¡¯zaks in surprise before her eyes fell on Y¡¯lisabet. ¡°This kid is amazing.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡± Y¡¯lisabet nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to keep the people¡¯s morale up.¡±


    The grand banquet was held to welcome the return of the ¡°Great Sage¡±. It was a very significant event attended by all the high-level leaders. However, they absolutely did not expect another figure to be the first one to come in through the door.


    Y¡¯zaks had changed his appearance slightly. He was back in the human form he once used in Helcrown. It was more like a post-car-accident look. He did not have to suppress his aura anymore as he strode toward the host¡¯s seat in the long hall.


    At this moment, the entire hall became quiet. Everyone, be it demon or another race had their eyes fixed on the figure, who they had not seen for a year. Most of them were just surprised that the demon king was suddenly appearing in his human form¡ªin their minds, the demon king had always been living in the city. Only a few people were shocked: they were the ones who had knowledge of the fake demon king.


    Y¡¯zaks guffawed as he walked to the front. He then nodded to everyone as if nothing had happened. ¡°How¡¯s everyone?¡±


    Many people found the question weird, but they still raised their glasses and gave him a toast. A few figures near the long tables suddenly stood up.


    They were four demons who had shrunk in size and a few dwarves.


    Y¡¯zaks noticed them at once. He smiled and nodded at Hao Ren before raising his hand to motion the dwarves and demons to step forward. The dwarves and demons immediately approached Y¡¯zaks. Leading them was a dark dwarf, who was old and short like a wine barrel. The dwarf was wearing a working uniform full of pockets and his beard was so long that it looked almost like a scarf hanging down his chin. It felt as though the dwarf was rolling over when he ran, at least to Hao Ren. As the old dwarf came before Y¡¯zaks, he looked up and exclaimed, ¡°Oh, my god¡­¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet¡¯s hands were instantly in akimbo, a sign of her stress. ¡°He¡¯s my dad, not your god!¡±


    The dwarf continued to look up and say, ¡°The princess¡¯ dad¡­ Oh, wait¡­ Demon King? This-this is¡­¡±


    Hao Ren quickly bent down to prop the dwarf¡¯s head up. ¡°Calm down, your neck almost made a 90-degree turn. Yes, you¡¯re right, he¡¯s your boss.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks folded his hands across his chest and smiled wryly. ¡°It¡¯s me, I¡¯m back¡ªthe genuine one.¡±


    The old dwarf had no clue what Y¡¯zaks meant by ¡°genuine one¡±. The first thing the dwarf did was reach into one of his pockets, and take out a screwdriver. ¡°Please don¡¯t move. Let me poke you a little. If there¡¯s no cockpit in there, then you¡¯re real.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks guffawed as he grabbed the funny dwarf up by his beard and said, ¡°Now tell me, am I still a fake?¡±


    The old dwarf immediately waved and danced in the air. ¡°Judging from your grab, I know you¡¯re real!¡±


    Hao Ren and the rest looked on, dumbfounded. The corporate culture in the demonic army was way too difficult for outsiders to comprehend.


    Y¡¯zaks put the old dwarf down, and began introducing him to Hao Ren. ¡°This is Sentius Hot Hammer, my chief engineer. The chainswords and cannons on the walls are all the creations him and his fellow dwarves.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet added, ¡°He¡¯s the Uncle Hammer I was talking about earlier.¡±


    Then, Y¡¯zaks pointed at the four higher demons who had shrank in size. ¡°They are my four generals¡­¡±


    After introducing each and every one of them, Y¡¯zaks folded his hands across his chest. He looked at his old comrades and laughed heartily. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m done here. Do you have any questions you¡¯d like to ask?¡±


    ¡°My King, is it really you? Are you all right?¡± A demon with a horn on his head still could not believe that Y¡¯zaks had suddenly appeared before his eyes. ¡°Is-is this real?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to repeat the same thing,¡± said Y¡¯zaks. ¡°I was taking refuge in a very faraway place. This gentleman beside me is Hao Ren, who has been my ¡®landlord¡¯. It¡¯s all thanks to him. Without his help, I wouldn¡¯t have made it back to this world.¡±


    ¡°Back to this world?¡± Sentius Hot Hammer was suddenly wide-eyed. ¡°You mean all the while you were at¡­¡±


    ¡°The Theory of the Spatial Bubble Zone is real. Even the multiverse theory that the great scholar put forth a few years before his death is also real.¡± Y¡¯zaks laughed. He then pointed to Hao Ren. ¡°Salute him. This is the guy who¡¯s in charge of the bridge between two worlds. It¡¯s a good thing that he¡¯s easy to talk to, or else I really don¡¯t know how I¡¯d make it back from the other world.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled wryly and greeted the demons as well as dwarfs, who already had their jaws on the floor. ¡°Well, actually, I¡¯m just a policeman and traffic warden¡­¡±

 Chapter 436

    The long hall was filled with a merry and exuberant atmosphere as everyone celebrated the return of the ¡°Great Sage¡±. The reappearance of Lanina, the right-hand woman of the demon king obviously gave a boost of confidence to the remnants of the demon army. Hao Ren looked at the goings-on in the hall with much curiosity; humans and beastmen with arms around each other, demons and dwarves squatting on the floor, arguing which was better¡ªa hammer or an axe, elves and dark elves studying the patterns on the table¡ªboth were drunk.


    These were Y¡¯zaks¡¯ most loyal men, who held on to the last minute. They refused to surrender even when the demon king began to lose the war. Everyone had been more or less influenced by the rugged ¡°culture¡± of the demons, so much so that even the elves were careless about their manners as they enjoyed themselves in the choatic banquet.


    Perhaps their compatriots in the human world would have chided them for disregarding their traditions and customs, but here, nobody cared.


    After the grand ovation, Y¡¯zaks and Lanina began a discussion with their comrades. Zadamor was seated next to Y¡¯zaks and he asked Y¡¯zaks cautiously, ¡°My King, would you like to announce your return?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks waved his hand and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s not necessary. Only a few of you know that I¡¯ve been missing for a year, no one else needs to know. The order in the city has been well maintained. Let¡¯s keep it that way.¡±


    Zadamor nodded in comprehension and proceeded to ask, ¡°In that case, what¡¯s next?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something I need to clarify.¡± Y¡¯zaks laughed. He then patted Y¡¯lisabet¡¯s small head. ¡°Honey, let¡¯s be honest, were you the one who gave the crystal to the Allied Army?¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet had a piece of roasted meat in her hand and she was scoffing down a huge chunk of it in contest with Lily. She replied without looking up, ¡°Ah, yes!¡±.


    ¡°When I saw Papa III, I knew it was you.¡± Y¡¯zaks guffawed. ¡°We didn¡¯t know what was going on, but now we figured¡­ You wanted to break the enemy up from within, correct?¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet¡¯s face was stained with roasted meat oil, true to the demeanor of a demonic princess who paid no attention to etiquette. With the barbequed meat still in her hand, she explained, ¡°It wasn¡¯t only to provoke infighting, but also to divert their attention, so that I had a chance to run tests on a few spatial nodes.¡±


    ¡°Tests on spatial nodes?¡± Y¡¯zaks seemed to have clearer picture now. ¡°So, that¡¯s what you came out for?¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet nodded. ¡°Well, after we found a way of accessing the mysterious dimension, we¡¯ve been testing its law of teleportation. The law is pretty chaotic with every door connected to other places in an irregular manner. Only recently I¡¯ve figured out three stable doors, one of the safest is here: to Broken Plain in The Second Plane. The other two; one to Osidian Plain and the other to the human world. The purpose we emerged from the otherworldly dimension is to collection the needed data.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too risky to bring the entire city out from the otherworldly dimension,¡± Y¡¯zaks¡¯ brow knit together. ¡°By this time, Banuklaak and Serathon must have already mobilise armies for the offensive. The Allied Army is also moving toward the Second Plane as they must have received news about the reemergence of Helcrown.¡±


    ¡°let them come. We can always hide back in there,¡± Y¡¯lisabet shook his head, a gleam of cunningness flashed across her dark-red eyes. ¡°Once we found a few more fixed exits, we could play hide and seek to drain their energy.¡±


    ¡°Childish.¡± Y¡¯zaks snorted, but with a smile on his face. Apparently he was satisfied with his daughter¡¯s capability.


    Looking at the demonic princess who wasn¡¯t much different from a human girl aside from her pair of horns, something suddenly crossed Hao Ren¡¯s mind. He reached his hand into the dimensional pocket and took Lil Pea out. ¡°Here is another member I¡¯d like to introduce to you; Lil Pea, her real name is Elizabeth.¡±


    The little mermaid was still having her afternoon nap but it was about time to wake up. Hao Ren poked her little tail a bit. Lil Pea jumped up like a koi¡ªno pun intended¡ªand was surprised to find herself in a strange place. Then she greeted everyone around. ¡°Good afternoon dad-dee, good afternoon doggie, good afternoon beardie, good afternoon Battie, good afternoon table, good afternoon lunch ¡­ Dad-dee, is it lunch time yet?¡±


    ¡°This little one is in her puberty right now, I guess.¡± Vivian quickly handed Lil Pea half a piece of chopstick while asking, ¡°Who¡¯s beardie, by the way?¡±


    Sentias Hot Hammer rubbed his beard which looked almost like a curtain. ¡°Maybe my face isn¡¯t as eye-catching as my beard.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet The Little Devils looked in amazement at the little mermaid who was jumping around and greeting the plates on the table. ¡°What is that?¡± Y¡¯lisabet asked.


    Elisabeth Lil Pea aka fish raised their head and greeted the little girl. ¡°Good afternoon to you too! Are you coming to rent a room at my house too?¡±


    The little one had been familiarised with the business after following her landlord dad for some time.


    That was how Elizabeth-Y¡¯lisabet had had their historic meeting.


    Meanwhile, Lily hadn¡¯t done with Y¡¯lisabet yet, she challenged her for another around of bone gnawing. ¡°Let¡¯s see who could finish the bone first.¡±


    Hao Ren looked on, thinking to himself that the husky might be dumb in other aspects but when it comes to partying, she was all that and a bag of chips.


    Zadamor seemed to have something to say from the beginning and now he finally broke his silence. ¡°My king. Are you coming back this time to launch a counterattack?¡±


    Everyone at the table suddenly quieted down. Even Lily who was excitedly gnawing her bone had stopped as her tail fluttered gently in the air. Nangong Wuyue let out a long sigh. ¡°Considering the situation right now, you seem to have a good chance, Y¡¯zaks.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks just smiled. Of course it was difficult for most people to tell whether Y¡¯zaks was smiling or not, especially when he had a face like he had just got out from a brutal accident. But it didn¡¯t matter. He was silent for a moment, before he shook his head rather unexpected to many and said, ¡°No.¡±


    Many were stunned. But Hao Ren nodded as if he had anticipated Y¡¯zaks¡¯ response because as early as in Cadessar, he had known Y¡¯zaks through-and-through as a person¡ªa firm, almost paranoid forward-looker while at the same time having a weird, devilish ¡®knightly spirit¡¯, he neither regreted his choice (even if it turns out that this choice does not work) nor would he be annoyed over the failure which was a fait accompli¡ªhe wouldn¡¯t look back.


    Zadamor thoughtfully lowered his head as if the answer wasn¡¯t very surprising. On the other side of the table, a higher demon with a scar on his face exclaimed. ¡°My king! What did you just say?¡±


    ¡°My work is over,¡± Y¡¯zaks smiled. ¡°It turns out that the task of uniting the world is not for a demon to do. The demon¡¯s way of doing things isn¡¯t suitable for the task. Maybe in the future there would be someone rising up to the job¡ªthe grand unification of all races is the way forward, and I believe sooner or later there will be a man who is better suited to the world than I was in.¡±


    The demon who had a scar on his face was one of the veteran generals under Y¡¯zaks. Hao Ren had remembered his name was Lamadenor who apparently belonged to a typical hawkish faction. When Y¡¯zaks announced his decision, the general reacted intensely, the scar on his face had almost been torn open. ¡°My king! How could you give up so easily? Are you going to abandon us? We¡¯ve been waiting in that dimension for a year just for the moment when we could launch an counterattack. And you give yourself up?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not going to give you guys up,¡± Y¡¯zaks shook his head and exchanged a look with Hao Ren. After getting an affirmative nod from Hao Ren, he continued, ¡°I will find a new place for you all to settle down. Everyone will move there. My affair with this world is over.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks paused and looked into Lamadenor¡¯s eyes. He continued. ¡°You must remember why I started the war in the first place¡ªto travel to the stars. Now I have achieved that goal. As for this world¡­ I¡¯ve given it a push, and that¡¯s all that a demon could do.¡±


    Lamadenor still had something to say but Y¡¯zaks waved and said, ¡°Please sit down. This is my first meal with my daughter after a long absence. If you have anything more to say, we shall discuss it later.¡±

 Chapter 437

    After the banquet, Y¡¯zaks led Hao Ren and the rest to a terrace on the upper parts of the castle. From there, they could see a good part of Helcrown. The city was massive, almost too massive as you could not have a full view of the city even from the highest point of the castle.


    The circular city was a patchwork of districts. Within the great obsidian walls were 12 districts that were partitioned by high walls. From each district you could see each race¡¯s unique buildings and black demonic towers. The citizens were however, not blocked by the high walls as they were equipped with gates and suspension bridges. The gates were powered by demonic energies and could be opened or closed at any time. This was probably for defense in case Helcrown came under attack. The attackers could be sealed within a district if they ever infiltrated. The castle itself stood tall in the center of the city upon a rocky hill.


    Looking down, you could see giant elven trees alongside human hovels, and dwarven furnaces just across the beastmen¡¯s gladiatorial grounds. The ethereal crystal towers were built upon the halflings¡¯ burrows. A few hundred years of co-existance had changed the traditions and customs of the ¡°demonic citizens¡±. As citizens of Helcrown, they were most influenced by Y¡¯zaks vision. They had gotten used to getting along with each other. The Elves were not scornful of the beastmen¡¯s brutish nature with their strong liquor and grilled meats, while the beastmen were willing to study the elven¡¯s complicated, yet intricate woodwork. This was the true face of Helcrown.


    Nonetheless, most could not see beyond the imposing obsidian walls.


    Y¡¯zaks crossed his arms as he looked on. ¡°You mean you can move the entire city away?¡±


    Hao Ren was not fazed. ¡°Well, we¡¯ve moved a few billion elves, and their floating islands before. Those islands were way bigger than your castle.¡±


    ¡°But we had a transportation fleet back then. Plus, the Aerym universe had a World Gate.¡± Y¡¯zaks looked at Hao Ren. ¡°This place has none of those. Our plan was to came for Y¡¯lisabet. I never thought that we would still have a city full of people¡­¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°I can¡¯t ask you to abandon them, right?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks grinned and said nothing else.


    ¡°So, that settles it then.¡± Hao Ren pursed his lips. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about this. I have my own arrangements. The issue of the World Gate can be solved as well. I¡¯ll submit a request to open a temporary gate. As for the migrants¡­ don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve got this.¡±


    As soon as the words left Hao Ren¡¯s mouth, both Vivian and Nangong Wuyue, who were beside them rolled their eyes. They immediately knew what that guy was referring to.


    Vivian gazed upon the majestic city, and turned to Y¡¯zaks curiously. ¡°I¡¯m rather bothered about something.. Are you really going to let all of this go?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve done what I can, and I¡¯ve lost. There¡¯s no justifying sending everyone in this city to their deaths just because of my own obsession.¡± Y¡¯zaks pointed down towards the city. ¡°This is not a revival, this is akin to throwing these people into a meat grinder.¡±


    ¡°But some of your underlings may not share the same sentiment.¡± Hao Ren glanced at Y¡¯zaks. ¡°For instance, that Lamadenor.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks demurred for a moment and gently ruffled Y¡¯lisabet¡¯s hair. ¡°It won¡¯t be long before he leads some of the demons out of the city. Y¡¯lisabet, be a dear and tell Zadamor to not stop him when the time comes.¡±


    The little demoness nodded. Hao Ren on the other hand, was surprised. ¡°You already knew?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve known each other for thousands of years. I¡¯ve fought alongside him even before the Unification Wars. There are a few other old coots too, I know them all very well.¡± Y¡¯zaks smiled without much concern. ¡°Rather than looking towards the stars or any other grand schemes, they are more interested in war. If I¡¯m not wrong, they stayed back with Y¡¯lisabet for a year just to prepare for a comeback, and now that that¡¯s gone, they won¡¯t be staying any longer.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks then sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t expect them to stay when our visions don¡¯t align.¡±


    Hao Ren looked on quizzically. ¡°You¡¯re sure accepting of this¡­ even when you¡¯ve known about it so long ago?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not being accepting. I¡¯m just using whatever tools I have at hand.¡± Y¡¯zaks smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t need everyone to think like me, I just need their strength to be useful to me. Those who can fight, let them fight; those who can explore, let them scour the land; those who can research, let them do so. Lamadenor is your standard demon, so I just let him do what a standard demon does best. Since he isn¡¯t receptive of the future I¡¯ve planned, he¡¯s free to go as he wishes.¡±


    Vivian still had some questions to ask but Y¡¯zaks did not seem to want to dwell on the topic any further. He looked at Y¡¯lisabet, ¡°That¡¯s enough. Lets talk about the city, how did you solve the propulsion system issue?¡±


    The little demon immediately puffed her chest up. ¡°I did! We found a source of energy in the alternate dimension. It is in the power generator powering the city. Papa, you want to have a look?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks broke into a wide smile. ¡°Of course. You guys wanna come along?¡±


    The question was rather moot. How could Hao Ren and the rest miss out of this and the party was excited. Even Lil Pea was happily mumbling, ¡°Kam Along! Kam Along!¡±


    The group then departed for the power generator area inside Helcrown. It was right beneath the castle and Y¡¯lisabet led the way. Hao Ren and the group circled the castle for a bit, going through winding corridors and security checkpoints before reaching a circular hall. The hall itself was rather different, and did not had any decorative items adorning the hall. The walls were however carved with series of crystalline and metallic leylines, almost as if they were runes. The mysterious runes glowed as it was driven by demonic energies. The lights seems to resonate with each other and there was a continuous hum of energy in the background.


    Y¡¯lisabet motioned everyone to stand in the obsidian platform in the middle of the hall and made a a series of weird motions towards the crystal above the hall. The obsidian platform shook for a bit and started descending.


    So it was an elevator¡­


    As the elevator descended, the group ended the most important place within Helcrown. Hao Ren realised he was descending through a long, translucent crystalline tube. Through the tube, they could see the inner working of Helcrown unknown to others. A massive, steam pipe of dwarven desgin snaked through the place. Thick bronze machinery chugged as it was powered by dwarven steam engines, providing the city above power. Beneath the steam piping was a dark red crystalline and silver grid. This grid was the buffer zone of the power generation zone. Further down was even more bizzare looking items, a series of dark green crystalline matrix with intricate spells and a forest-like metal structure. Heaven knows how long did Y¡¯zaks took to modify the place to that it is today. Looking at the ungodly mixture of technology, magic, alchemy, demonic energies and steam-powered contraptions, Hao Ren now understood why the Allied Army could not take down the city.


    This was as high tech as one could get here¡­


    After a long descend, the platform finally came to a stop. The group had arrived in the deep area of Helcrown.


    Y¡¯lisabet led the group through a series of staircase and into a ring shaped corridor. The inner ring of the corridor were lined with rows upon rows of window arcs. Lily poked her head through one of the arcs and realised that the ring corridor was probably surrounding the power furnace.


    The furnace was build directly using obsidian and the inner part was a giant circular hall. The staircase of the hall spiralled downwards and the circular rings made the place looked almost like the Colosseum. You could see countless glowing runes and silver circuits along every level of the steps. All of them were connected to the centre of the hall. In there a device made out of a few metal concentric rings were spinning rapidly, and in the middle of the device was a mysterious item had glowed in dark red.


    On the steps above the power furnace, scores of workers were busy performing their duties. Aside from demons, there were blue skinned Ethereals and stout dwarfs, looking almost walk walking beer barrels as well.


    Y¡¯lisabet proudly introduced the place, ¡°This is Helcrown¡¯s Demonic Furnace!¡±


    Hao Ren stared at the device for a good while before turning towards Y¡¯zaks. ¡°¡­ Now I know the other reason of why everyone in the world wanted a piece of you.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You stick out like a bloody sore thumb everywhere you go!¡±

 Chapter 438

    Almost everyone looked for Y¡¯zaks¡¯ source of strength and wisdom. Now, this source of power stood right in front of Hao Ren. The old adage was indeed true, ¡°knowledge is power¡±¡­ This super high tech contraption right in the bowels of Helcrown was proof!


    The massive power generation chamber echoed with the hums and chugging of the generators, while a few technicians clad in alchemist garbs were busy regulating the experimental Demonic Furnace. Hao Ren and the rest slowly made their way along the circular corridor into the equipment zone, yapping in amazement all the way. Lily peered about curiously before squatting down to look for something on the ground. Hao Ren immediately gave her a karate chop as soon as he saw her. ¡°This is a restricted zone! Don¡¯t go around looking for pebbles or you¡¯ll get thrown out!¡±


    Lily clutched her head dejectedly. ¡°I was just curious about the runes on the floor¡­¡±


    With a quizical look, Y¡¯zaks stared at the floating crimson object in the middle of the concentric alloy rings. The facilities around the place was initially built by him, but the core device was left incomplete as he could not find anything that could provide a massive but stable output of demonic energies. Even a ton of the purest ores available did not suffice. As such, the theory of a floating castle remained just that, a theory. But now that the most teething of issues had been solved, it was almost unbelievable for the great demon. ¡°What¡¯s actually inside the core?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know for sure,¡± Y¡¯lisabet said as she played with her small horns. ¡°We got it from the other dimension; three of them actually. One of it was ruined when we did some tests, another one is in there, and the last one is in storage for back-up purposes.¡±


    A massive figure approached from the side, and bowed respectfully before Y¡¯zaks. ¡°My Lord, have you come to inspect the energy furnace?¡±


    Hao Ren threw the figure a curious glance. The big creature had dark blue skin and unique, glowing emerald eyes. He also had a reptilian tail, and thin scales were visible on his arms. This was one of the seven main mortal races, the ethereals. It was said that they were highly skilled in alchemy and crystalline technology. Within Helcrown, the ethereals and dark dwarves were the main source of technical expertise.


    ¡°Mhmm.¡± Y¡¯zaks nodded. ¡°Let me see that back-up energy core.¡±


    The energy core that was placed within the power extractor was surrounded by a crimson hue. The light had a rather unique property, allowing it to completely obscure vision from the outside. Hence, they were unable to see what was going on inside the light. Knowing that there was a back-up, Y¡¯zaks brought up the matter to him.


    The ethereal technician was curious about his lord¡¯s sudden interest in the energy core, but he nodded without question. ¡°Most certainly. Please follow me.¡±


    Hao Ren was curious about the ¡°energy core¡± as well and he had a gut feeling that the stuff underneath the dark crimson light was familiar to him. He quickly caught up to them. ¡°Let me have a gander too!¡±


    The reserved energy core was placed in a secured vault not too far from the power generator room. This was to facilitate a quick replacement of the core within the furnace in the event it acted up. The secured vault was built out of cast iron and the thickness of the outer wall was about one meter. It was obvious that the content of the vault was valuable in the eyes of the technicians. The ethereal technician opened the vault door and there was 10 m2 of space inside. Gentle light glowed from every corner of the room, making the place very bright, and they could see the reserved energy core on one of the storage frames in the center of the room.


    It was had the appearance of a red ball with a radius of three meters.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Hao Ren was overwhelmed with a unknown feeling the moment he saw the ball and he stepped forward curiously to look at the surface of the ball-shaped item. It was not smooth, having indentations and wrinkles at places. Its skin was almost like that of some echinoderms, yet when he took a closer look, he could see a pattern within the imperfection, a runic circuit of sorts. Hao Ren touched the ball with a bit of strength, and felt that it was bouncy.


    Y¡¯lisabet, who was standing beside him leaped up. ¡°Whoa! You touched it directly?!¡±


    ¡°Huh? I shouldn¡¯t?¡± Hao Ren was also surprised.


    The little demon rubbed her cheeks. ¡°Uh no, I was just scaring you.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks then pulled his daughter aside and went ahead to get a grip of the aura from the ball. ¡°It contains strong energies¡­ almost primal¡­ Interesting¡­ it¡¯s giving me some sort of vibe¡­¡±


    ¡°Almost like a living thing isn¡¯t it?¡± Hao Ren frowned as a forboding feeling welled up within him. Next to him, Lily had already begun sniffing the object. A worried look appeared on her face and she wagged her tail nervously. ¡°Mr. Landlord¡­ this thing smells awfully familiar!¡±


    Hao Ren tried to listen for anything inside the ball before he pulled out the MDT. ¡°Give it a scan!¡±


    The MDT quickly stuck itself to the ball and said, ¡°Now allow me to show you what real high technology is!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just asking you to run a CT scan, how is that even a monumental task?¡± Hao Ren sneered.


    A blue light canvassed the ball for a bit, and the MDT threw out a holographic chart of its internal structure.


    The ball¡¯s internal structure was suprisingly simple¡ªjust an intricate, flexible skeleton, which was almost sponge like. It supported the ball¡¯s entire structure, and from the gaps there were elements that looked like blood vessels or nerve bundles. The ball was also filled with a sticky, dark red liquid and its texture was alarmingly familiar.


    ¡°I think we have trouble¡­¡± Lily gasped as she realized what Hao Ren was getting that. ¡°This thing is really familiar!¡±


    ¡°My word¡­ I swear with all my processing cores!¡± The MDT darted away from the ball-shaped item and flew towards Hao Ren. ¡°This thing¡¯s the same type of organism as the First Born!¡±


    Everyone present turned pale aside from Y¡¯lisabet and Lanina, who were oblivious to the nature of the object. Lily¡¯s tail immediately bristled as she leapt two meters into the air and turned tail to run. ¡°Awooo!!! We¡¯re gonna die¡­ Ungh!¡±


    ¡°Calm down! Calm down!¡± Hao Ren yelled for everyone to calm down as he pulled Lily off the vault¡¯s wall. ¡°Don¡¯t panic! It¡¯s dormant!¡±


    Vivian was even paler than usua and she quickly summoned a horde of bats to protect all who were present. It was only when she heard what Hao Ren said, that she noticed the ball was dormant. Its aura was slightly different from the First Born they ran into previously. She carefully ordered a few of her bats to approach the ball, and cautioned everyone else. ¡°Take a step back. Slowly, slowy¡­ don¡¯t wake it up like the other time.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet looked at all of them in a puzzled manner. ¡°What are¡ª¡±


    Y¡¯zaks quickly grabbed his daughter by the head and placed her behind him. ¡°Stay still¡­ This thing is dangerous. Papa¡¯s seen it before!¡±


    The little demoness gave her father a bewildered look, and noticed that he looked like he facing a mortal enemy, so she grew nervous too. ¡°Dan-Dangerous? There¡¯s one in the energy furnace! We can¡¯t just stop it at any time!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic, calm down! Let¡¯s get a clearer picture before we do anything.¡± Hao Ren turned to face the demonic father and daughter pair before shifting his gaze to Vivian. ¡°What¡¯s the situation like?¡±


    Vivian commanded her bats to lie on the ball, and she used her innate sensitivity to blood to check what was going on within the ball. She had one of her bats taste a sample of the First Born¡¯s blood before, and she was using that sample to base her judgement.


    ¡°No signs of life.¡± Vivian frowned. ¡°The blood¡¯s dead too.¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡± Hao Ren was still concerned. ¡°The First Born we encountered the last time was hibernating and dormant as well.¡±


    ¡°But that First Born was filled with vibrant life energies.¡± Vivian waved as she recalled her bats. ¡°I can tell that the ball here¡¯s a little different than the First Born. It probably died a long time ago. Its blood isn¡¯t flowing, but it still has loads of primal energy in it.¡±


    Only then did Hao Ren allow himself a breather and he stepped forward to touch the ball gingerly. He was a little afraid that the thing would suddenly come back to life and swallow him whole. ¡°Dead?¡±


    Lily also snapped out of her daze, and she looked at the human-shaped indentation on the wall. ¡°This figure looks familiar¡­¡±


    So, the dumb husky actually had a use after all: to break the tension.


    ¡°You said you found it in the other dimension?¡± Y¡¯zaks said as he turned towards his daughter. His face was grim. ¡°Quick, show me where¡ª¡±


    Before he could complete his sentence, the alarms wailed throughout the castle. It did not take long for an ethereal technician to barge in. ¡°My Lord! Serathon and Banuklaak¡¯s army¡¯s outside the walls! We¡¯ve also detected the Allied Army. They are approaching as well!¡±

 Chapter 439

    Y¡¯zaks did not seem to be too surprised. He smiled as he said, ¡°Oh, that took them a good while.¡±


    Helcrown as well as the Demonic Army had once again reappeared in the world, and it was an earth-shattering incident. Banuklaak, Serathon and the Allied Army had probably gotten news from their scouts that Helcrown reappeared near the Broken Plains. It was a matter of time before they marched upon Helcrown again. Everyone in the city knew what was coming, but as they had access into the other dimension, there was no fear of being conquered.


    ¡°Get ready to retreat back into the other dimension,¡± Y¡¯lisabet ordered the technician with the authority of a queen.


    Hao Ren turned back towards the red ball, and the latter lay dormantly in the grooved container, looking harmless. Well, despite it being something similar to the First Born, it was clearly dead. Frowning hard, Vivian said, ¡°Let¡¯s study it later, we¡¯ve got guests.¡±


    The whole group then left the generator room, and before passing through the ring corridor again, Hao Ren took a look at the center of the hall. The red light was still throbbing in a rhythmic pattern. A series of odd concentric rings were extracting energy from it to levitate the city, and under that light, was surely the other red ball. Hao Ren was consumed with a myriad of questions. What was a First Born? How did it end up there? How could a corpse still have such energy? Why did the ball-shaped object appear that way?


    Hao Ren shook his head and threw all his questions to the back of his mind. He quickened his pace to catch up with the party, leaving the Demonic Furnace behind.


    They arrived at one of the spires on Helcrown¡¯s outer walls. Y¡¯zaks had already returned to his demon form, and the gigantic living flame stood right in front of them. The group looked towards the Broken Plains below, and saw a massive amount of demons converging towards them. Heavily armored, demonic vanguards stood before them in a square formation. Gigantic abyssal demons on all fours were scattered across the ranks as mobile rally points. Demonic statues, ballistae and chariots made of obsidian slowly paced forward while winged gargoyles as well as terrorgheists weaved through the air like vultures. Their gazes were all locked firmly on Helcrown.


    The demons, already numbering in the tens of thousands were still amassing. Clouds of thick dust and smoke obscured the horizon of the Broken Plains; the end of days was truly coming.


    What seemed to be leaders of the demonic hosts could be seen standing at the head of the army.


    One of them was about six to seven meters tall, almost like a giant reptile. It had three pairs of strong looking limbs supporting its massive frame. Its upper body was a bulge of muscles and it was fully clad in obsidian armor. Its face reminded one of a salamander and there was a solitary red glow in one of its eye. The other eye was gouged out by Y¡¯zaks many years ago.


    Another demon was even more horrendous; it looked almost like a beetle, and it was larger than a battle tank. A rocky carapace covered its entire body and flame as well as molten lava seeped through the gaps, searing the land beneath it. The demon¡¯s head was also covered with layers of chitin carapace. Its dark red eyes flickered menacingly, but the demon¡¯s limbs skittered about nervously, as though the reappearance of Helcrown had unnerved it. If Hao Ren was right, that giant bug was probably the ruler-in-name of the Second Plane, Banuklaak.


    Hao Ren looked at the two demon lords, and turned to the towering Y¡¯zaks beside him. He then rubbed his chin. ¡°I just realized that if I throw Y¡¯zaks into a beauty pageant with those demons, the big guy will win hands down¡­¡±


    Vivian quipped nonchalantly, ¡°Why do the demons all look so goddamn hideous?¡±


    Lanina somehow took offence to that. ¡°How can you judge a book by its cover¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a pretty looker yourself,¡± Hao Ren said after throwing the succubus a glance.


    Lanina then coughed. ¡°Ahem¡­ Looks can be a weapon at times¡­¡±


    Lily was holding on to the chains of the crenellations to have a better look. Slightly frightened, she spat, ¡°Looks like the siege of the six big sects in Guang Ming Peak.¡± She then turned towards Hao Ren, ¡°Right, Brother Wuji1¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Hao Ren really could not wrap his head around the husky¡¯s thought process!


    ¡°Well, the Allied Army has yet to arrive. When they do, then it¡¯ll be the six big sects,¡± Y¡¯zaks quipped, joining in the mindless banter. That left Y¡¯lisabet, who was straining her neck in awe of her father¡¯s stunning visage. ¡°Why is it the six big sects? With the Allied Army there¡¯s only three, no?¡±


    Hao Ren approached the little demoness and pulled her aside. ¡°It¡¯s just a cultural story. When I have the time, I¡¯ll tell you about the one-armed hero and his adventures¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t teach her nonsense!¡± Y¡¯zaks spew embers onto Hao Ren¡¯s face.


    The banter atop the tower finally wore out the patience of the two demon lords. The reptilian Serathon lumbered forward as he swung his warglaive high into the air. His voice was like a rolling thunder, ¡°You failure of a demon! Coward! You dare show your face again?!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks looked down. ¡°You came all the way just to say this? Just a kind reminder, don¡¯t move any farther. A few more steps and you¡¯ll be in the effective range of my cannons. At this range, even your armor is paper thin.¡±


    At Y¡¯zaks reminder, the demons quickly backed away. Only then did they remember that Helcrown¡¯s walls were lined with rows upon rows of cannons. Serathon then slammed his warglaive into the ground in a fit of rage as he slowly retreated. ¡°You think you can scare me with that?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks had a grin that said eat sh*t on his face. ¡°Stay still then.¡±


    He then turned his gaze to Banuklaak. The scorn was palpable in his voice, ¡°Looks like you have a new master, bug.¡±


    Banuklaak was scratching at the ground, and a deep, sharp clatter rang from within his carapace. ¡°Y¡¯zaks¡­ klak klak¡­ there¡¯s no escape this time¡­ Unless you¡¯re confident in fighting all of us with just a single castle¡­ klak klak¡­¡±


    Y¡¯zaks looked down at Banuklaak in silence. He never held much regard for the scheming demon despite his ability. He finally grinned. ¡°The Allied Army is coming from the other side.¡±


    Serathon then let out an ugly, slithering laugh. ¡°Hahaha, then you will be crushed under our combined assault. Neither demons nor mortals will suffer your presence! I don¡¯t like working with those lowly mortals, but if it means taking you out, I shall gladly do so with them.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s what you think.¡± Y¡¯zaks laughed. ¡°Both you and the Allied Army will only focus on me if I, the greatest threat were here. But¡­ let¡¯s say I suddenly disappeared, I wonder what will happen?¡±


    As Y¡¯zaks finished, he turned around to face the other side. The war banners of the Allied Army were visible in the horizon.


    ¡°Good luck!¡± Y¡¯zaks looked down and turned away from the tower.


    Helcrown vanished into thin air the very next moment.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Serathon and Banuklaak stared at the sky in bewilderment. The floating city that was there a moment ago had disappeared into nothingness. The two demons suddenly realized that they had been tricked by the cunning demon king.


    One of the terrorgheist in the air shrieked. ¡°The Allied Army is here!¡±


    The banners of the human hosts were fast approaching and the holy light called upon by the paladins almost broke through the brooding clouds above. Banuklaak suddenly shuddered. ¡°We¡¯ve been tricked!¡±


    If the crazy demon and his city were still there, he would have been the main target without question. It was the same many years back on the Obsidian Plains, when both demons and humans united against their common enemy. Even as Serathon stabbed Y¡¯zaks in the back, no one dared to say the Allied Army did not play a part in it. Sure, the demons and the mortal races hated each other, but the higher echelons would make deals or concessions when it came to the bigger picture¡ªit was normal.


    But now¡­ Helcrown had disappeared.


    So, what was left when these two mortal enemies met?


    The demon hosts were already in a furore as the rowdy vanguards readied their weapons for a tough fight. The Allied Army in the distance had also deployed a strong holy barrier as their knights braced themselves with their lances. They saw the Helcrown disappearinf as well, and the demon hosts before them were the next enemy.


    Serathon¡¯s bulging muscles trembled violently, but rage did not consume the old demon. After releasing a big roar and smashing his warglaive into the ground, he commanded his army, ¡°Retreat!¡±

 Chapter 440

    Helcrown was floating about in a very unique dimension. It was impossible to tell up from down, left from right. The gloomy darkness harkens back to outer space, but it was not as dark as the void. A faint light was radiating from somewhere, but no one knew exactly where.


    There was a brief loss of gravity as Helcrown made the jump, and it was quickly restored by the massive gravity spell matrix beneath the city. The spell matrix was only hastily created when the city first disappeared into the other dimension. Thankfully, the mages were no slouch and it was their diligence that prevent the city from losing gravitational control all together. The casualties would have been staggering if not for them.


    ¡°So¡­ This is the other dimension?¡± Y¡¯zaks looked on curiously as he stood on the tower complex. ¡°The space has some sort of energy within, and some stray radiation¡­ seems like space, but there¡¯s many other things as well.¡±


    ¡°We were thrown her during the dimensional storm.¡± Y¡¯lisabet strained her neck as she looked up to her mountain sized dad. It sure was difficult for the little demon to speak to her father. ¡°There was only a thin layer of atmosphere outside, so we almost lost our air supply. Thankfully the warning spells noticed the change in air currents and thought we were under the attack of the forbidden ¡®Void Hell¡¯ attack, and thus deploying the barrier at moment¡¯s notice. I wouldn¡¯t dare to imagine the number of dead if it wasn¡¯t for that.¡±


    ¡°Then the elves and dark elves worked together to create a greenhouse of sorts, and that ensured our supply of breathable air.¡± Zadamor had also made his way to the terrace and joined the conversation. ¡°That also temporary solved our food supply issues. With the supplies in reserve, we did not had to worry too much about it. The first three months was spent trying to figure out how do we survive in this other dimension. We had to be vigilant against air leakage, measured the radiation, made sure that we recycled everything possible and to guide the city against colliding into any foreign objects. We then finally found a way to leave the place. Thankfully, my lord, you had been studying the mysteries of space, and we were able to adapt to the living conditions here.¡±


    ¡°Only the Demon King¡¯s Army could survive here.¡± Y¡¯zaks smiled. ¡°Aside from us, who would have thought of living in outer space?¡±


    Hao Ren was still thinking about the demonic host back on the Shattered Plains. He looked up towards Y¡¯zaks. ¡°Say¡­ you think those fools we left behind had started fighting already?¡±


    As he said, Hao Ren felt a sense of schadenfreude; he also never thought that a ¡®good-natured¡¯ guy like Y¡¯zaks could be such a scheming bastard. He had purposely engaged in worthless banter with Serathon and Banuklaak to buy time, until the Allied Army had arrived. The moment the two armies see each other, he coolly turned around and left the two parties to fight it out. What a bastard¡­


    It was no wonder why Y¡¯zaks could run rampant for hundreds of years. Anyone with just brawn, even with space age technology would¡¯ve been overthrown long ago. It seems like he used very underhanded move available to him during his reign. Any king worth his salt would have kept a few daggers hidden for when it matters most; although most of us would simply just call it repression.


    But Y¡¯zaks unexpectedly shook his head. ¡°No, Serathon is a smart guy. He can¡¯t tell how much power we have, and now he have this puzzle on why Helcrown could appear and disappear at will, so he would conserve his strength, and avoid combat with the Allied Army. As for the Allied Army¡­ hmm¡­ two out of the six present are scheming bastards as well, so they would not fight. Of course, there¡¯s no telling how much damage the retreat would inflict, as both had to guard against each other.¡±


    ¡°Meh, that sucks.¡± Hao Ren sighed.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t care if they want to fight or not.¡± Y¡¯zaks shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve no interest in those land crawlers anymore.¡±


    As he finished, Y¡¯zaks returned into his human form and left the terrace. ¡°Feel free to do whatever you want. I¡¯ll go back to the generator room. I¡¯m still worried about that ball thing.¡±


    Lily heard it was free-and-easy now, and with a cheer she jumped down from the tower. ¡°I¡¯m going on an adventure AWOOOO~~~~~¡±


    Vivian immediately facepalmed before taking flight. ¡°I¡¯ll look after that idiot.¡±


    Wuyue looked around here. The Siren had half the mind to explore the wondrous city, but she still wanted to enjoy the scenery on the tower. After demurring for a bit she waved at Hao Ren, ¡°Mr Landlord, get me a tub of water, I¡¯ll soak with Lil Pea here to enjoy the view.¡±


    Hao Ren then pulled out a huge tub of water for Wuyue to soak herself. He also threw Lil Pea into the tub to let the little rascal have her fun. He then mumbled, ¡°Why does this feel like I¡¯m rearing fishes, and need to change the water every now and then¡­. Keep an eye on Lil Pea, don¡¯t let her chew a hole in the tub!¡±


    Hao Ren noticed that something was staring at him as he spoke and he turned around to look at the source of the stare. It was Y¡¯lisabet. The little demon did not tag along with her dad, but instead stayed behind to observe the group of strangers. The bratty demon stood just about two meters away from Hao Ren as she stared at him, almost as if she was measuring the latter. Curiosity beamed through the crimson eyes of hers.


    While the girl staring at him was indeed a cute little doll, but Hao Ren was uncomfortable with the intense gaze, and broke the silence. ¡°There¡¯s something on me?¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet waved as she touched her little intricate horn, her eyes still locked onto Hao Ren. ¡°So..I should be calling you uncle?¡±


    Hao Ren was confused. ¡°Ugh¡­ if go by age I¡¯m definitely not as long lived as you¡­ but based on seniority¡­. Y¡¯zaks would probably have you call me that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll call you uncle then.¡± The little demon¡¯s expression was serious. She took a couple of steps closer towards H ao Ren. ¡°So Papa was at your place all this while?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. He felt that the little demon was rather bashful with her questions. ¡°Just ask what you want to ask. I¡¯m close with your dad. You don¡¯t have to treat me like an outsider.¡±


    ¡°Papa had changed a lot since he came back.¡± Y¡¯lisabet nodded, her face serious. ¡°He was much more serious back then, and he rarely smiled, and he was¡­ scary. But it was different this time around. Why it because he was with you?¡±


    Guess apples indeed do not drop far from the tree, the little demon¡¯s intuition was indeed keen. Looking at the serious little demon, Hao Ren thought hard on how to explain what happened to Y¡¯zaks. His empire, spanning hundreds of years, collapsed, the awe-inspiring knowledge of the metaverse, the sense of gratification when he first stepped into space, and his life on Earth. These were not something that you could summarise in a few words. He sighed resignedly. ¡°Well, your papa was at the height of his career before his untimely¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence he felt a slap on his back. Turning back, the visage of a pouting Lanina was staring down on him. The thing that had hit him was Lanina¡¯s whip-like tail. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? That¡¯s so inauspicious!¡±


    Seems like the translation module had also translated what he meant to say literally!


    Hao Ren coughed drily. ¡°Uh, right. So your papa ran out of budget before he could complete his great work¡­ or something like that. It was something of an upheaval for him, so a change is natural. You don¡¯t have to worry, he is still your papa. His main motivation to come back here was to look for you.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Y¡¯lisabet nodded grimly. ¡°And I feel that the papa now is much better. You said you plan to bring everyone here away? To where papa was living? Can you?¡±


    Hao Ren gave a hearty laugh as he patted his chest. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry. I¡¯m a specialist in mass migration. I even handled one on a scale much bigger than this, without a hitch I might add!¡±


    As Hao Ren finished, his gut churned. Talk is cheap, how do he even begin writing this report. While he did indeed successfully moved three billion Aerym Elves the other time, but even he was too embarrassed to bring up that underhanded tactic he used. He would need to find another excuse, or that insane Goddess would have him hauled away to ward off another disaster in her desperation. Given her neurotic tendencies, that was not out of the question!


    Y¡¯lisabet by then was in awe of Hao Ren. With her beloved papa¡¯s assurance, she was rather trusting of the ¡®weird human uncle¡¯ before her. In fact, she looking at him much more favourably right now.


    But Hao Ren did not know that at all. He was still cracking his head on how to bullsh¡­ uh no, write his report.


    Helcrown was still floating in the empty void, but it was not stationary. In fact, it was floating towards a specific direction. The technicians had found a place in the void that they could set foot on, and left a mark on it. The floating city was now headed that way. During the rather uneventful transit, Y¡¯lisabet bugged Hao Ren to tell her more about the stories of the other worlds. Wuyue had made a sculpture out of water as entertainment. Lanina squatted by the tub as she carefully put her tail into the tub. She was fishing.


    Lil Pea leapt at every opportunity to grab on Lanina¡¯s tail. She was being fished.


    Seems like everyone was at least occupied with something.


    And finally, something appeared in the gloomy void.


    Debris of various size appeared before the city, seems like some sort of space debris. Y¡¯lisabet squinted and pointed towards a silhouette before them. ¡°Aha! We¡¯ve reached the point!¡±

 Chapter 441

    The Helcrown had been floating in the boundless chaos of the dark space for a long time and it finally arrived at the pitstop. On the tower terrace, the crowd could see some big and small shadows emerging from the dim sky. There were a lot of weird pieces of fragments and they were rapidly being magnified in front of the crowd. Hao Ren soon found that these fragments were much larger than he had imagined.


    The largest of them was even the size of the Helcrown!


    The Helcrown began to slow down and drift cautiously through the huge fragments. Pieces of weird, mountain-like things continued to sweep past the city. Their surface was covered with rough potholes and eerie ridges, which to Hao Ren appeared like the fractured exterior of some gigantic object that had been torn apart by brute force. Nangong Wuyue emerged out of the water and was surprised to see the ¡°floating island¡± hovering over the city. ¡°Whoa¡­¡±


    Lily, who was running around in the city noticed something strange in the sky and immediately scurried back to the tower. She ran towards Hao Ren and started to bare her fangs as well as brandish her claws at the gigantic objects in the sky. ¡°Wh-What are those?¡±


    A swarm of bats flew to the terrace and re-emerged as Vivian. Vivian frowned at the objects in the sky and said, ¡°They look like¡­ pieces of a wreckage?¡±


    Hao Ren had a feeling that the floating fragments were not ordinary objects too. Not only because they looked like wreckage bits, but also because he saw man-made traces in those fragments!


    He saw a flat groove in some of the larger fragments and noticed neat surfaces that did not form naturally. On other pieces, he could even see something like a broken pipe sticking out of them. All the torn pieces of wreckage carried the same luster of somthing between metal and plastic. Although he did not know what it was, it was obviously not stone¡ªthese things were man-made!


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you study these things?¡± Hao Ren looked at Y¡¯lisabet. The young lady immediately put her hands on her hips and said, ¡°Of course we did! They were blown up and detached from a huge man-made object. The main body of the man-made object isn¡¯t far ahead, let¡¯s go. However, I don¡¯t know what it is.¡±


    At this point, Lily saw a huge shadow amid the dark clouds in the distance. She immediately tugged on Hao Ren¡¯s clothes and said, ¡°Landlord! Look over there!¡±


    Hao Ren looked towards the direction of Lily¡¯s finger and was shocked right away. In between the dark thin clouds, there was a huge thing gradually emerging. It was like a mountain range that stretched across space, but its length was difficult to estimate. It could have spanned hundreds of kilometers. As the Helcrown was getting closer, Hao Ren confirmed the details of the gigantic object. It was a symmetrical structure, composed of two main bodies, and the main structure had been ripped apart. The torn towers and thee pierced armored bands were proof that the behemoth had suffered a thrilling catastrophe. Despite that, its miserable appearances still could not conceal its grandeur. Even after becoming a wreck, it was still a stunning¡­ gigantic starship!


    ¡°It¡¯s a spaceship!¡± Lily perked up her ears at once. ¡°A spaceship!¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet immediately looked at them curiously and asked, ¡°You¡¯ve seen this thing before?¡±


    Hao Ren was still in shock, but he did not forget to answer the young lady¡¯s question. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen it, but it¡¯s a classic structure. It¡¯s a spaceship for navigating in space.¡±


    ¡°A spaceship?¡± Elizabeth was not unfamiliar with the concept of a spaceship because her father spent his life studying how to build one. But, her concept of the spacecraft was obviously not the same as the gigantic object in front of her, and the scale was absolutely not to this extent. If Hao Ren and the others had never seen spaceships made by various civilizations, which would have allowed them to determine this sort of thing intuitively, they were probably not able to immediately confirm that the unrecognisable object was indeed a spaceship!


    At this time, the air around them twisted. Y¡¯zaks teleported directly from the engine room. He patted Hao Ren on the shoulder and said, ¡°Hey! Did you see that thing? It looks like a spaceship!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks¡¯s patted Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder so hard that his feet sank more than two inches into the ground. And, his body was now covered in his protective shield. Hao Ren immediately grimaced with pain. He lifted his legs and punched Y¡¯zaks. ¡°Can¡¯t you pat my shoulder a little lighter? Don¡¯t you know that you¡¯re a walking chariot!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks scratched his big, bald head and apologized. ¡°I was too excited¡­ Y¡¯lisabet, you said that the two energy cores in the engine room were found from there?¡±


    The demon girl nodded vigorously. She then pointed to the middle of the gigantic ship¡¯s wreckage and said, ¡°They were dug out from that place. There was a huge hole that allowed us to get into the wreckage.¡±


    The Helcrown had now drifted towards the wreckage, and it was slowing down to find a place to dock. The city¡¯s obsidian wall released a series of huge hooks, ready to be fastened to the wreckage. They could not wait for the city to stop in order for them to go and explore the giant ship. Y¡¯lisabet saw it and insisted on following them. Hao Ren was surprised. He glanced at the young lady and said, ¡°You want to come with us too? It¡¯s a place full of radiation, not a place to play. Your little body probably can¡¯t handle it.¡±


    It was not a problem for higher-order demons like Y¡¯zaks and Lanina to enter the space without bringing anything with them. After all, their physical condition had reached the peak of perfection. This short and skinny little demon on the other hand, made Hao Ren worried. With her physical condition, she was probably considered a handicapped child among the demons¡­


    Y¡¯lisabet snapped her fingers and covered herself with a layer of shimmering energy shield. ¡°My body is a little weak but I¡¯m not stupid. Can¡¯t you use your brains?¡± Y¡¯lisabet said


    Y¡¯zaks patted Hao Ren on the shoulder and said, ¡°Knowledge is power.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    As the Helcrown docked near the wreckage of the ship, they left the tower to venture into the depths of the wreckage. Lily, Vivian, and Nangong Wuyue also put on the life-sustaining neckbands to join them. Soon, they came to the ¡°great hole¡±, and they were startled by the scene before them.


    The middle section of the gigantic wreckage was twisted and nearly broken off. A huge radial hole was present in front of them. The spacecraft itself reached a size of hundreds of kilometres, and the hole was like a large crater, which lay across the ship. Its width was almost one-third the size of the hull. The spaceship¡¯s armour belt near the hole had obviously suffered a tremendous impact, leaving behind ripple-like folds akin to melted plastic. The thick and strong hull structure was torn and warped, pointing to the vast space, looking sad and dreary.


    Hao Ren¡¯s attention did not linger too long on the ship itself as he soon discovered that there were more things around the hole that they should be aware of: a large number of things that looked like plant roots or tentacles emerged from the hole and stretched out towards all directions in the ship¡¯s hull. The ship was almost wrapped up by those tentacles, which looked strange and creepy.


    Lily was agitated at the sight of the tentacles. She kept moving her hands in the air, jumping up and down. Hao Ren grabbed her tail and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?!¡±


    Lily just remembered that she could use the communicator, and immediately shouted, ¡°Run!¡±


    Vivian glared at Lily and said, ¡°Can you please stop being so useless? Those tentacles are obviously dead, okay?¡±


    While she spoke, she started the propeller to move closer to the huge hole, albeit not expertly. Hao Ren was worried about them and quickly moved to her side.


    Indeed, as Vivian said, those tentacles were ¡°dead¡±.


    The tentacles on the hull of the ship¡¯s wreckage had withered away. Although they still seemed frightening, there was no breath of life in them. Y¡¯zaks then stepped on one of the tentacles lightly, and it quietly broke into pieces.


    A lot of broken tentacles could be seen near the hole. These were traces that Y¡¯lisabet had left behind when she led the men there to explore.


    It was the carcass of a First Born.


    It was already dead.

 Chapter 442

    They drifted into the spaceship slowly through the hole in the center of the ship¡¯s wreckage. Everyone was careful, including Y¡¯zaks.


    The huge hole, cracked deck, and structure of the spacecraft, which was earlier hidden in the dark; all these suddenly appeared in front of them that even Vivian, who was rarely afraid of anything felt a little nervous. Additionally, the strange tentacles that grew out of the hole gave her goosebumps. Hao Ren and Y¡¯zaks floated at the front of the team. Y¡¯zaks summoned a demonic flame to disperse the darkness in the hole, but the dim light made the giant tentacles around them look grim and eerie. Those tentacles were tangled up in the surrounding armour debris like a shadow monster that spread from the abyss of sin, and that made everyone shudder.


    Y¡¯lisabet once led a man there before to explore, so she climbed onto Y¡¯zaks¡¯s shoulder to give directions. They found an entrance on one side of the wall under the little girl¡¯s guidance: It seemed like an explosion had happened there, and some of the tentacles were blown off, revealing a dark passage.


    Hao Ren was the first one to enter the channel. He found that the number of tentacles in the channel was slightly lesser, but it had also been occupied by the First Born. Thick roots pierced the surrounding walls and ceilings, twisting and growing around them. Of course, just like elsewhere, the tentacles here were already ¡°dead¡±.


    Hao Ren took the MDT out. ¡°Check the surroundings,¡± he said.


    The data terminal emitted a faint blue light, scanning key clues hidden behind the walls of the corridor and muttered, ¡°The ship isn¡¯t recorded in the Xi Ling Empire¡¯s database. Its probably not a product of a civilisation under the Empire¡¯s rule, but it looks very advanced.¡±


    Lily had her tail tucked and she followed Hao Ren from behind, brandishing her Frostfire Claws. She would poke the tentacles anxiously from time to time as she passed by to confirm that the First Born there had completely died. She kept saying, ¡°They seem to be completely dead¡­ This feels a little bit like cement when I touch it¡­¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet looked curiously at their cautious and nervous behaviour while she pointed the way. She asked, ¡°Are these tentacles horrible? Have you guys seen the First Born before?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s very powerful, and humans would basically be killed in seconds. However, I¡¯ve only seen this thing in the other world.¡± Hao Ren nodded and said, ¡°I can¡¯t figure out how it came to be here¡­ So, the First Born can even travel from another world? When did time traveling get so easy?¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet was surprised. ¡°Very strong? Even stronger than Dad?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks smiled and nodded. ¡°Much stronger than me. I tried to smash it with a meteorite but I still couldn¡¯t kill this thing¡ª didn¡¯t expect to see a dead one here.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet was shocked and began to get a little scared when she recalled the time she led a team to explore the place for several days. Meanwhile, the data terminal completed scanning a wide range of the channel and discovered a few things about the state of the tentacles as well as the spacecraft. ¡°The First Born appears to have grown with the ship.¡±


    ¡°Grown with the ship?¡± Hao Ren was astonished.


    ¡°Yes.¡± The data terminal was floated up and down as it explained, ¡°The tentacles invaded the ship¡¯s various structures, which did not happen in a short period of time. According to the distribution of the tentacles and the deformation of the spacecraft¡¯s structure, this invasion process should have lasted for a while¡ªlike a growth process.¡±


    Vivian released her Blood Mist to cover the surface of the tentacles along the way and easily corroded a large chunk of the tentacles. She then collected a biological sample of it at the same time. She looked interested and said, ¡°I never thought the First Born would naturally die¡­ I thought they were imperishable.¡±


    ¡°How did it die?¡± Hao Ren asked curiously.


    ¡°It starved to death.¡± Vivian smirked. ¡°The nutrients in the tentacles are basically gone, and some of the biological tissue have signs of self-digestion. The difference is obvious when compared with the sample of the First Born I found in The Plane of Dreams earlier on. These tentacles are obviously malnourished.¡±


    Hao Ren was shocked. ¡°Starved to death!? How can the First Born starve to death?¡±


    ¡°No matter how strong it is, it¡¯s still a living creature. Whatever it does it¡¯ll have to consume energy, but it¡¯s not like the goddess, who can create things out of nothing,¡± Vivian was dispersing the Blood Mist and telling them her speculation. ¡°I guess the First Born was accidentally dropped here, probably a plane crash.¡±


    Lily wielded her Flamejoy, and was enthusiastically ¡°cutting the grass¡±. When she heard Vivian¡¯s words, she looked up to ask, ¡°How do you know it was an accident?¡±


    Vivian stared at her and said, ¡°The First Born is obviously a highly intelligent being. How could anyone with a normal brain find a place that would cause starvation upon himself? It appears as though it crashed on the spaceship, then got hurt and couldn¡¯t get away.¡±


    Lily looked at Vivian from head to toe and said, ¡°But, before you met our landlord, you would starve yourself wherever you go¡­¡±


    ¡°My situation was different!¡± Vivian said angrily.


    ¡°Enough, can you two not quarrel right now?¡± Hao Ren quickly came in between the two enemies. ¡°Lily, you continue to scratching the walls. Vivian, you have a point. I also think it was a plane crash. Don¡¯t forget, there¡¯s a big hole in the ship. According to the hole¡¯s diameter, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s likely that the people on the ship opened the door in a peaceful and friendly situation¡­¡±


    They went deep into the spaceship along the passage, which was completely eroded by the tentacles. The farther they went the wider the path became. They seemed to have entered the main corridor of the spaceship from a certain passage, but the situation there was equally bad: the First Born had fully integrated into the ship. Its tentacles occupied all corners of the ship.


    After searching around in the main corridor, they finally saw something.


    They arrived at a rectangular hall, which looked like the main control room of the ship.


    The hall was also covered with tentacles or roots. The black withered tentacles made the hall as eerie as the jungle. They could see some alloy pillars of different sizes in between the tentacles. The pillars were supposed to be the spaceship¡¯s control board, but now, they had become supporting pillars for the First Born to support its roots.


    ¡°It looks like the ¡®core¡¯.¡± Hao Ren noticed the peculiarity of the place in a glance: a lot of roots seemed to spread from this spot. Huge, big roots that were far bigger than the rest stretched out from the holes in the walls. The tangled tentacles on the ground were interwoven at the centre of the hall. In the middle of all the roots, a large batch of dead biological tissue could be seen.


    The pile of things could only be described as ¡°a batch of biological tissue¡± as the First Born¡¯s appearance had always been abstract. Even a biologist would not know what to call it.


    Lily help up her Flamejoy, cautiously drifting forward. At the same time, she sniffed her surroundings solemnly and said, ¡°I smell the stench of death¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop acting. You can¡¯t smell anything on a life-sustaining neckband,¡± said Hao Ren. He came to the centre of the hall and stopped at the edge of the large, nameless biological debris. He bent forward to look at the withered, dead tissue and said, ¡°This First Born is much smaller than the one we dealt with in the Gnarled Grove. Its body makes it look like its just this big. Is this considered a cub?¡±


    ¡°Severe malnutrition leads to the inability to grow,¡± Vivian said as she looked at the centre of the debris. She hesitated for a while and decided to release a small bat. The little bat fluttered and disappeared into the air¡­


    ¡°Come back! Come back!¡± Vivian said quickly.


    Hao Ren covered his face and said, ¡°This place has no air. Don¡¯t suffocate your bat.¡±


    After Vivian turned the bat into Blood Mist and took it back, Y¡¯lisabet pointed to the middle of the indescribable dead tissue and said, ¡°The core of the energy has been plucked from it. At that time, they were wrapped in a layer of fossil shell. They kept glowing, so I dug the core out.¡±


    Hao Ren looked up and found something at the area Y¡¯lisabet was pointing to: Some thick shells that looked like plant pods were scattered there. Some broken ¡°leaf stalks¡± were also visible around the thick shells.


    ¡°¡®The core of the energy is the First Born¡¯s seed?¡± Nangong Wuyue muttered while she touched her chin.


    ¡°In comparison,¡± Hao Ren frowned and said, ¡°I feel that this First Born isn¡¯t the same as the one we met in The Plane of Dreams.¡±

 Chapter 443

    ¡°Not the same? What¡¯s the difference?¡± Vivian looked at Hao Ren and asked, ¡°Because this one¡¯s still a ¡®baby¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Not just because it¡¯s still a ¡®baby¡¯,¡± Hao Ren looked at the tentacles as well as biological tissue debris around him and said, ¡°the First Born we saw in the Plane of Dreams was closer to some kind of plant and it had precise differentiated functions such as the woods on the surface, the tentacles in the rocks, the ¡®heart¡¯ buried in the ground, as well as the various nerve tissues. But, this one looks like it didn¡¯t experience a complete evolution. It¡¯s more like an embryo.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue also added, ¡°And how it came into this world from the Plane of Dreams is also a big problem.¡±


    Hao Ren looked around the hall. This was the hub of the spacecraft, and there were many passages leading of to some location. The tentacles of the First Born spread along these passages, and there was a possibility that some of its organs could be found elsewhere. Hao Ren thought about it and decided that they go for it separately. ¡°Let¡¯s split up. It¡¯ll be more efficient. Let¡¯s contact each other immediately if any one of us finds anything.¡±


    Everybody agreed and divided into groups; Lily and Hao Ren; Y¡¯zaks,his daughter and Lanina; Vivian and Nangong Wuyue. The three groups set out in three directions after a rigorous process of guessing coins and turning sticks.


    Lily held up her Flamejoy and walked cheerfully ahead. She wanted to play, so she was not timid. Hao Ren followed the husky girl and cautiously observed his surroundings as he walked forward. Their exploration had taken them a long distance from the hall and they found some empty compartments. However, the compartments were either empty, or contained ordinary tentacles that were of little value.


    However, Lily was very excited. Whenever she found something rare in the spaceship, she would pick it up and stuff it into her pocket. Soon, she filled every single pocket on her body. In the end, she could only stuff the rest into Hao Ren¡¯s Dimensional Pocket. Hao Ren looked at the girl, unable to understand why she was doing all of this. ¡°It¡¯s understandable if you¡¯re collecting unique and bizarre stones, but what¡¯s the point of collecting useless debris?¡±


    Lily answered seriously, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if they¡¯re useful or not. Just take them back first. This is common sense for werewolves!¡±


    Hao Ren then thought, The kind of werewolves Lily had in mind probably included those pulling sleds in the Arctic Circle as well¡­


    The two of them chatted while they walked forward. Finally, they found an empty room. The door of the room was almost completely blocked by tentacles. Without waiting for Hao Ren¡¯s command, Lily waved her paws and cut them up happily. She soon cleaned up the withered tentacles and Hao Ren held the MDT up to light up the room. ¡°Seems like there¡¯s no¡­ Wait a minute! There¡¯s something there!¡±


    The MDT¡¯s blue light scanned the room, and a reflective thing immediately caught Hao Ren¡¯s attention. He quickly floated in and dug the thing out of a pile of tentacles. He found that he was right; it was a small device and it still looked intact.


    They had been having a bad feeling all the way because there was nothing but tentacles along their path. The big ship was so clean that it felt like it came out fresh from the oven. Whatever happened did not feel like a sudden attack, but an orderly evacuation. And now, they finally found something interesting.


    The small device was only the size of his palm. It was shaped like an oval pancake with a smooth surface, but there were no buttons on it. Hao Ren asked the MDT, ¡°What is it?¡±


    The MDT floated over, scanned it and answered, ¡°It appears to be my foreign friend¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I mean this thing appears to be a data processing device, like a PDA, but I don¡¯t know which civilization made it.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately asked a follow-up question, feeling hopeful. ¡°Can you retrieve its data?¡±


    ¡°The difficulty is high.¡± The MDT turned around the small device, touched it and asked, ¡°Hey, hey, buddy, still alive?¡±


    There was still no response from it. The MDT sadly shook its body and said, ¡°It¡¯s already dead.¡±


    Hao Ren took out the alloy brick from his Dimensional Pocket to aim it at the MDT and threatened it, ¡°Do you believe that I¡¯ll knock you with this? Want to try?¡±


    The MDT immediately sprang back to the small device and said, ¡°I¡¯m just trying to ease the atmosphere here. Don¡¯t panic. Let me retrieve it¡­¡±


    The MDT clung to the old device that had been scrapped for tens of thousands of years, releasing a faint blue light as it started to crack any information that may have remained inside. Because it was hard to determine the storage mechanism and the object¡¯s structure, the MDT was slowly fidgeting about while retrieving the data. Lily looked at the scene and touched her chin as though she was thinking of something. Then, she said, ¡°Why do I feel like the MDT is molesting the corpse¡­¡±


    Hao Ren slapped Lily on the head and scolded her. ¡°Can you not think about such things! You were so pure when you first came. How did you end up becoming so wretched?!¡±


    Lily covered her head. She looked at Hao Ren with feelings of injustice and said, ¡°I am very pure. I haven¡¯t even gone into heat yet, but you can¡¯t stop me from reading everything.¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly realised the cultural difference between the young lady and himself.


    The MDT was occupied as he listened to two people of no moral integrity discussing the issue of moral integrity. It really could not stand it any longer, and muttered, ¡°Okay, enough. I¡¯m not interested in this dwarf device with four redundant processors. I long for a bold and unconstrained host, with full processing cores, expansion slots all over the body, coupled with 16 threads. Of course, preferably the one on the battleship¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was surprised to find that there was also a cultural difference between his PDA and himself!


    At this point, the MDT seemed to have finally found something. It suddenly exclaimed in surprise, ¡°Eh, really! There is really a small number of data saved in here!¡±


    ¡°Show it to me, now!¡± Hao Ren could not wait to see it.


    The MDT processed the data. ¡°Wait a minute, I¡¯m translating it and putting aside the useless materials. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re interested in alien pornography?¡±


    Hao Ren held up the alloy brick and threatened the MDT, ¡°Want to try it?¡±


    The MDT shuddered and hastened to release the processed documents. ¡°Let¡¯s see, this should be the log of the spaceship¡¯s crew. Probably, information on the First Born eroding the ship were recorded in here.¡±


    The log was translated and the most valuable part of the intelligence was extracted. Hao Ren and Lily hurriedly read it with caution.


    ¡°Log one, keywords: navigation record.


    ¡°We have arrived in this galaxy for six months. At present, we have found a large number of living star systems and habitable planets. It should be a thriving land of life. These days, we have been busy recording coordinates and collecting data from the planets. It¡¯s quite boring, but we feel happy when we discover a living planet. We noticed the creatures called demons. They are highly intelligent, but they seem grumpy and unable to negotiate. Perhaps, it has something to do with the harsh environment in which they live? Some of those planets are not really good places to live. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen a creature that can move in magma.


    ¡°Log two, keywords: unexpected disasters.


    ¡°There was an incredible accident and I should be glad that I¡¯m still alive¡­ May the winds of the homeland bless us. We do not know how long this spaceship can persist! A huge¡­ Strange things suddenly appeared in space and something crashed into the spacecraft. It contains an incomprehensible energy. At the moment of contact, it overloaded the ship¡¯s shield system and almost broke the ship. Now, the weird sphere is stuck in the central hangar. It¡¯s unbelievable that a ball, hundreds of metres wide caused a hole more than 10 kilometres wide. This should be related to some kind of space phenomenon. A serious gas leak occurred in the spacecraft, thousands of people are dead or missing. The emergency control device has successfully stopped the gas leak and the spread of the fire, but we may not be able to repair the ship.


    ¡°Log three, keywords: growing, bizarre.


    ¡°Unbelievable, unbelievable, unbelievable, unbelievable! I can only express my surprise. I am a biologist, who has spent my life studying the creatures of the universe. But I never thought that the sphere, which crashed into the spaceship¡¯s hangar would be some form of life! It was just a sphere yesterday, but today, its surface has cracked and something strange is growing out of it¡­ I¡¯m sure that¡¯s a sign of life. It has moved across the span of space, surviving in the universe. It possesses a mighty power. Why is there such a thing in the world? Today, the people on the ship had a meeting to discuss what to do with the sphere. Some suggested throwing it back into space, but soon, we found it impossible. The sphere has ¡®taken root¡¯ on our ship, and its powerful supernatural forces have prevented some of the more violent tests from being carried out. We can only watch it lie there now and pray that it will not bring harm to us.


    ¡°P.S. The navigator also came face to face with a bad situation. For some reason, the space around the spacecraft seems to be closed. We appear to be temporarily trapped in a warped space bubble. The only consolation now is that the technicians look like they are able to repair the hyperspace modules of the escape boats. They seem to be planning on evacuation. I should probably study the thing that is growing out of the sphere before I leave.


    ¡°Log four, keywords: a gentle seed.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been dealing with the weird creature that has been growing fast in the sphere these past few days. To my surprise, it is gentle. Although we still can¡¯t communicate with each other smoothly, it seems to realize that it is on someone else¡¯s ship, so it has slowed down the speed of its expansion cautiously. If I am not mistaken, it also tried to express its apologies to me. Of course, other people don¡¯t care about my little discoveries. They are busy investigating the changes in space. The ship is trapped in a state more serious than expected.¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned when he read this, and asked, ¡°It says the ¡®First Born¡¯ was very gentle?!¡±


    Lily was also stunned by what she had just read. When she recalled the savage tentacles, the fur on Lily¡¯s tail suddenly stood up. She kept shaking her head, and said, ¡°How could it be gentle! I was almost eaten by it!¡±


    At this point, the MDT was still extracting data from the log. Hao Ren temporarily put aside his confusion and continued to read the next record.


    ¡°Log five, keywords: mutation of space.


    ¡°I really want to keep track of that ¡®space sphere¡¯, but I have to record a worse situation today: the spatial structure around us seems to have changed to a detectable range.


    ¡°It is now possible to determine that the spacecraft is indeed trapped in a weird situation, like a warped bubble. The surrounding space has been closed off, as if the entire universe has shrunk to a mere 10 million kilometres in diameter. The detector that we released met a closed space wall. After flying in one direction, it would come back from the other side of the space. The technicians calculated the loop path of the detector and finally concluded that the centre of the enclosed space is our ship. What happened? Has the universe collapsed around us? No matter what, the technicians are still looking for the cause of the mutation, but I am not optimistic.


    ¡°Log six, keywords: none.


    ¡°We know too little about the universe.


    ¡°That strange, sphere creature¡ªI can only call it this way, now¡ªseems to be the root of everything. The technicians were analysing the instrumental records of the sphere creature when it suddenly appeared near the spacecraft. They were surprised to find that it was not a spatial leap in the ordinary sense, but rather, a more peculiar phenomenon of teleportation. The records show that when the sphere appeared, the laws of nature around it were distorted as if the sphere ¡®dropped¡¯ in from a universe that was different from ours. It may be that this ¡®time traveling¡¯ behaviour triggered a spatial pattern of confusion, causing us to be trapped in a closed space bubble. Fortunately, there are indications that the space around us is not completely sealed. Some unstable teleportation points can be opened at a fixed location, and technicians are testing the opening rules.


    ¡°Log seven, keyword: bubble, spreading.


    ¡°We have finally confirmed the situation outside, whereby the ¡®outside¡¯ refers to the situation outside the space bubble.


    ¡°Things are more bizarre than we thought. There is a strange atmosphere in the spaceship and everyone is upset. It is clear that there has been a great change outside the space bubble for some time, but we know nothing about it: The outer space structure has been torn apart.


    ¡°Technicians have opened several teleportation portals to the outside world. The detectors succeeded in teleporting and turning back. The news they brought back is surprising. The outside is also full of space bubbles¡ªone after the other. They are warping spaces that are connected by the hyper-spatiotemporal channel. They are all respectively closed. None of the detectors found the shadow of the stars. Maybe the whole universe has mutated? No one knows what the real situation is.


    ¡°It¡¯s like a pot of calm water being added to a foaming agent, and then wildly stirred. Now, the universe outside of us is completely different from the universe we know. The visible and accessible space has been broken. All this was caused by¡­ a mere seed. A seed that may have come from another parallel universe.


    ¡°It¡¯s still growing. Although it has slowed down, it has completely occupied the middle part of the spacecraft, and it¡¯s spreading to the power core. I still believe its nature is gentle, but its natural instinct is gradually disintegrating our ship.


    ¡°A group of soldiers tried to destroy its tentacles. They made some gains, but it was meaningless. The soldiers¡¯ mental state became abnormal after they returned. There is probably no new action on getting rid of it. This morning, I found some small bumps at the corner of my cabin. The tentacles are about to spread here too.


    ¡°Log eight, keywords: none.


    ¡°We finally decided to give up the ship, including the ¡®sphere creature¡¯, which has been in fully symbiotic relationship with the spacecraft. Oh, it¡¯s not a sphere now. It¡¯s like a forest, spreading across half of the spacecraft.


    ¡°Technicians have roughly predicted a spatial model. They think that the area of change should be limited. The laws of the universe will soothe the intrusion of foreign information. The space bubble phenomenon is probably just a ¡®cosmic self-healing method¡¯. We have enough small crafts to evacuate. According to the route speculated by technical staff, as long as we follow a certain law, jumping continuously between the space bubbles, we will be able to leave this strange star area.


    ¡°The sphere creature seems to know that we are leaving and expresses some kind of regret. I don¡¯t know how to tell anyone about how I communicate with this weird creature: it¡¯s a spiritual connection. It¡¯s probably because my room is close to one of its nerves. I can hear its voice in my sleep.


    ¡°It says that it cannot leave this place. This was a failed sowing and it will continue to grow here, at least to complete its own ¡®first generation hatching¡¯ mission. If it has enough power, it intends to evolve into a small, short-term biosphere within its own coverage. I don¡¯t quite understand what it means, but there seems to be more powerful, higher beings that made it carry out a seeding task. Anyway, we know too little about the universe.


    ¡°This concludes the log.¡±


    Hao Ren and Lily looked at each other. The journal revealed something so significant that it was far beyond Hao Ren¡¯s initial expectations.


    It seemed that a lot of problems were suddenly solved!


    Of course, a lot of problems emerged on the spot as well.


    Lily stretched out her paws to scratch the wall and muttered, ¡°How old is this ship? So, the space bubble was formed that way?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve detected it.¡± The MDT floated in front of them and said, ¡°This will scare you. After converting the time scale, this ship was abandoned at least 200,000 years ago.¡±


    ¡°Oh, 200,000 years¡­ What?!¡± Hao Ren was shocked.


    ¡°Two hundred thousand years ago. This amount of information is really huge¡­¡± The MDT sounded serious.


    Just as Hao Ren was about to say something, they suddenly heard Vivian¡¯s voice coming from the communicator. ¡°Landlord! We found something strange here!¡±

 Chapter 444

    When Hao Ren heard Vivian calling him over, he hurriedly dragged Lily along to meet her. He stuffed his MDT and the older version of the data terminal together in his pocket. The MDT shouted in his pocket, ¡°Hey, hey! What are you doing? Would you please not squeeze me in here with this hick? It¡¯s already so crowded in here¡­¡±


    ¡°If you think it¡¯s too crowded, come out and fly!¡± Hao Ren said, and that shut it up.


    As the both of them followed the direction of the communicator to find Vivian, they found that the rest were already there. They were studying something in a circle.


    ¡°What¡¯s the sitch?¡± Hao Ren asked. He was holding on to Lily and slowly moving towards them. He found this place to be a very broad area. Although it was surrounded by jungle-like tentacles, the original structure was still visible; it was probably a storehouse. There were a lot of neat platforms that were slightly above the ground, and the remnants of some fixed brackets could be seen amid distant tentacles.


    He looked up and found a big hole, but it was completely covered with criss-crossing tentacles.


    ¡°It appears that we were just below this big hole when we came in earlier.¡± Hao Ren approached Vivian and asked, ¡°You found a way in?¡±


    Vivian nodded and pointed to an object on the ground. ¡°Look at this, it¡¯s extremely weathered and it looks older than the tentacles around it.¡±


    It was a large piece of an irregular-shaped object. It felt like skin and it looked a little red. Too much time had past, and coupled with the activity of the surrounding tentacles when they were still alive, it was already rotten as well as broken. Hao Ren moved forward to flip the thing and broke off a big chunk easily.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot more here!¡± Y¡¯lisabet shouted to them not far away. Hao Ren followed the direction of her finger and found a large pile of the same thick skin among the tentacles. There were also some floating skin-like substance that were detached from the tentacles.


    Hao Ren looked at the lines and markings on the surface of these thick pieces of skin and they suddenly reminded him of something.


    He recalled seeing something similar ¡°somewhere¡±¡­ Yes, in the mirage of the gigantic brain! The seed of life that rose up from the scarlet sea had the same skin!


    Although these pieces of skin were old and dried up, the extraordinary ¡°creatures¡± had physical strength beyond comprehension. After all these years after their death, the pattern on their skin was still discernible. In addition, the mirage produced by the gigantic brain was truly impressive. Hao Ren quickly associated the two things together.


    ¡°I probably know what¡¯s going on here¡­¡± Hao Ren said. He threw the thick skin aside and took out the ancient device that he found with Lily from his pocket. ¡°Let¡¯s go back first. I¡¯ll tell you everything.¡±


    They then returned to the palace of Helcrown. Hao Ren told them in-detail about the ship¡¯s discovery and his theory based on the ¡°sowing mirage¡±. Everyone was shocked right away. After reading the contents of the log, Y¡¯zaks kept repeating to himself, ¡°So, that¡¯s how the space bubble zone was formed¡­¡±


    ¡°Now, we can smooth the whole thing out.¡± Hao Ren was subconsciously knocking his hand on the MDT while talking. ¡°First of all, we can confirm one thing. It was not the First Born who hit the ship, but a seed. The First Born was hatched from the seed after that¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish, the MDT jumped up from the table and yelled at him, ¡°You can pretend to be deep, but you don¡¯t have to keep knocking me!¡±


    Hao Ren passed the MDT to Lil Pea. ¡°Flip it.¡±


    The little mermaid immediately played with her favorite ¡°merry-go-round¡± happily. The MDT was angry, but it did not dare show it. Hao Ren began to discuss the relationship between the goddess in the Plane of Dreams and this place. ¡°According to the information we collected in the Plane of Dreams, especially the mirage I saw in the gigantic brain, the goddess of the Plane of Dreams should be an ancient creature similar to the ¡®origin of life¡¯. She created a large number of seeds to explore the outer planets. Those seeds were very powerful; they could live throughout the universe and could fly over time and space. A tiny piece dropped from it could become a legendary creature, possibly with the First Born hatching from it. And now, we¡¯ve confirmed a new function: they can also travel across the universe. Forget the principles¡ªjust think of it as a plot device¡­


    ¡°The spaceship outside could have been left behind by the native civilization of this universe. According to the MDT¡¯s calculation, the spacecraft was abandoned 200,000 years ago. At that time, this place was not a space bubble zone as the log clearly recorded. Hence, the dimension of this place was still continuous. The aliens on this spaceship came here to explore the ecology and then the accident happened.¡±


    Lily put her hand on her chin quite solemnly and said, ¡°They were literally slapped by the goddess of the Plane of Dreams!¡±


    Vivian pinched Lily¡¯s pointed ear, pulled it vigorously and said, ¡°Be Serious! We¡¯re talking about world peace here!¡±


    ¡°The seed travelled across the void and crashed into the alien spacecraft, changing the entire galaxy due to world hedging¡ªor perhaps, a larger range of space structures, creating a space bubble zone in the process,¡± Hao Ren said while he came in between Lily and Vivian. ¡°Some of the aliens died, while the rest retreated to the safe section and recorded what happened afterwards. The seed mistakenly thought it had ¡®landed¡¯ and proceeded to hatch the first generation of creature, the First Born according to procedure.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue sighed and said, ¡°I can understand. It¡¯s just like how I¡¯m very excited when I see water. I¡¯d jump down only to find out that the water is frozen¡­¡±


    They immediately looked at the siren with a very perplexed look. Lily patted Wuyue on the shoulder sympathetically and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to have a similar experience¡­¡±


    Hao Ren coughed and said, ¡°We now know the origin of the space bubble zone. The aliens have either managed to escape this mutant galaxy, or they died halfway. But, these historical issues are not important at the moment. The thing is¡­ the First Born recorded in this log is not the same as the one we met in the Plane of Dreams.¡±


    ¡°In the log, the First Born has a gentle personality.¡± Vivian knew what Hao Ren meant and said, ¡°The aliens who left the record didn¡¯t have to lie on this issue. It seems that the First Born that hatched from the seed was likely a very peaceful creature at first. The one in the Plane of Dreams had turned berserk.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks laughed and said, ¡°It went berserk because the Second Born was treacherous. It demolished and sold their house as well as dug up their ancestral grave. In those days that was equal to digging up their own mother¡¯s ashes and using it to study immortality. So, it¡¯s understandable that the eldest brother beat up his younger brother.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue curled her lips and said, ¡°However, it ended up beating him to death¡­¡±


    ¡°Going berserk is not the point.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand and said, ¡°The point is that the First Born in the log was able to communicate!¡±


    Everybody then realized it: the author of the log made it clear that he had communicated with the First Born in his sleep. Even outside his sleep, he observed the First Born¡¯s intention of ¡°talking¡± to the outside world¡ªbut, the First Born they met in the Plane of Dreams was a chaotic creature with no logic, just frenzy!


    ¡°That time, I asked the MDT to try all kinds of communication channels, including reading the nerve pulses on the First Born¡¯s body. We concluded that it was impossible to communicate. In all fairness, I think the version that can communicate is the normal version.¡± Hao Ren slammed the table and continued, ¡°The one in the Plane of Dreams was not a normal version from any angle. Why did it lose its mind?¡±


    Lily leaned forward and asked, ¡°Could it have been driven mad by the Second Born?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I don¡¯t think the Ancient Magic Empire was capable of that. They were all killed by the First Born.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand and said, ¡°In short, 10,000 years ago was a very critical point of time: 10,000 years ago, the Plane of Dreams and the Surface World were connected, unusual creatures appeared on Earth and the First Born went mad before destroying the world. These are the things that happened after that point in time. And before that point of time¡­¡±


    Hao Ren gazed in a certain direction and seemed to look through the walls of the palace to see the wreckage outside. He then said, ¡°The First Born who was lost 200,000 years ago was mentally normal.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet looked at the circle of adults, and she did not understand what these guys were whispering about. She was just curious about one thing. ¡°What was the energy core that I took back?¡±


    Lily thought about it for a long time and gave a creative answer. ¡°Maybe that was the fruit of the First Born. After all, it¡¯s a tree.¡±


    After that, she licked her lips and said, ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    Vivian grabbed a fruit from the table and threw it towards Lily. ¡°Your life is all about food. Can you stop being so useless!¡±


    Hao Ren stood up and said, ¡°Anyhow, I have an idea now.¡±


    Everyone looked at him eagerly at once.


    ¡°Let¡¯s drag the spaceship back. We¡¯ll go back and study it slowly,¡± Hao Ren said as he smiled. ¡°Didn¡¯t we need a reason to move Wang¡¯s entire city back? Now we got a reason.¡±


    ¡°What reason?¡±


    ¡°Buy one, free one!¡±

 Chapter 445

    Hearing what Hao Ren¡¯s words, almost everyone at the scene threw him a ¡°you¡¯re-f*cking-kidding-me¡± look. Vivian stepped on Hao Ren¡¯s foot under the table and said, ¡°Do you think this is going to work?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue scratched her chin, looking serious. ¡°The goddess is just neurotic, she¡¯s not stupid.¡±


    After getting to know Raven 12345 for some time, it seemed that everyone had accepted her neurotic tendencies. It was the same for Nangong Wuyue, who had finally become less prudish.


    Hao Ren guffawed. ¡°Do you think you guys know her better than I do? She couldn¡¯t be happier if there¡¯s someone to take advantage of the loophole on her behalf. After all, so many Aerymian elves have moved there, adding a couple hundred thousand more won¡¯t make much of a difference. Peatopia is so, big but sparsely populated; it¡¯s facing labor shortage right now. But, I have to discuss this with Hilda first. After all, that place has now been leased to them.¡±


    Hao Ren had made up his mind to move Y¡¯zaks¡¯ entire city to Peatopia. After the war, the demon army was exhausted, and their morale had basically been worn out. Most people in the city were hoping to live a peaceful life.


    Something crossed Lily¡¯s mind at this moment. She looked up at Y¡¯zaks and asked, ¡°You guys have no problem living in Peatopia?¡±


    ¡°The environment is similar to that of the human world here.¡± Y¡¯zaks nodded. ¡°Demons don¡¯t necessarily have to live in environments with high heat. In fact, most of the demons are capable of staying in the human world, although we like the smell of sulfur in the Demonic Plane.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks was very grateful to Hao Ren as he said that. ¡°Now we, the whole country are indebted to you. I really don¡¯t know how to repay your kindness.¡±


    Hao Ren quickly waved at him and said, ¡°Please don¡¯t say that¡ªwe¡¯re one family after all.¡±


    Just when his voice trailed off, Lily pinched her nose, imitating Hao Ren¡¯s tone of voice. ¡°Since the day I saw your daughter, you and I were destined to be brothers¡­ Ouch! Don¡¯t pinch my ears! Don¡¯t pull my tail! Don¡¯t knock my head¡­¡±


    Lily must have eaten something wrong; although the maiden was dumb, she had never been so sleazy¡ªuntil now. Was she going to be on heat soon?


    He left Lily to Vivian for education. Meanwhile, the call to Raven 12345 was connected. Instead of the usual voice on the other end, a powerful hymn-like music sounded. Hao Ren froze for a moment, thinking he had accidentally dialed Jesus¡¯ number. Just when he was about to hang up, he heard Raven 12345 yelling on the other end. ¡°Hello? Who¡¯s that? Hao Ren?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s all the music about?¡±


    Raven 12345 sounded like she was in a good mood. Every word she uttered seemed to be a quarter of a note higher. ¡°It¡¯s a ring tone! I¡¯ve studied it for several days and I finally installed a new ring tone for the prayer system. Everyone can hear it now, whether it¡¯s staff calling or believers praying.¡±


    ¡°If you have so much free time, why don¡¯t you help solve some practical problems? You should have diverted all that effort in downloading a ring tone for the heaven hotline to studying world peace!¡±


    ¡°That would be a little too difficult¡ªMy colleague and I have been at odds with each other,¡± Raven 12345 did not mince her words. ¡°Well, how¡¯s everything going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve found them,¡± Hao Ren collected his thoughts. ¡°However, there are more people than expected. So, I¡¯m asking if they can come along?¡±


    Raven 12345 asked, ¡°How many more?¡±


    Hao Ren cautiously gave a number. ¡°Not much, about five to six hundred thousand only.¡±


    Raven 12345 was silent for a moment. Then she said, ¡°Oh, well then, please stay where you are. I¡¯m going to give you a blessing.¡±


    Hao Ren quickly jumped to the side before a cracking thunderbolt appeared out of thin air and struck where he stood earlier. Cold sweat trickled down his back. ¡°Hey, calm down. I¡¯m not finished yet. Well, first of all, we¡¯ve shipped so many Aerymian elves before and there haven¡¯t been any problems; secondly¡­ I¡¯ve discovered something else, which is far more significant than those few hundred thousand individuals.¡±


    Hao Ren told the psychopath about the alien spaceship wreckage he had found and the world-traveling ¡®First Born¡¯. Raven 12345 was unusually quiet, which was something he totally did not expect.


    ¡°Great job!¡± Finally, a delighted voice was heard from the other end. ¡°You have not disappointed me. I knew it, you¡¯re a born bad hat! Things happen wherever you go!¡±


    Hao Ren immediately felt a hidden meaning behind her words. His stomach churned. ¡°Wait a second, what are you talking about?A born bad hat? What do you know?¡±


    There was a good reason to be nervous; after all, she was a goddess. He had to take her word seriously. If someone else had said it, he would have just shrugged it off. But here, it came from the goddess¡­ There had to be more to what she said. He had to quickly find out what she meant.


    As though Raven 12345 could see Hao Ren¡¯s face, she said, ¡°Worry not, I¡¯m just saying it colloquially. If you feel uncomfortable, I¡¯ll say it artfully: you are a bearer of karma, you¡¯re destined to experience things that are hardly imaginable to ordinary people. Even if the world falls apart, well, I can assure you that you¡¯ll be resurrected if you die. So, don¡¯t be worried.¡±


    Hao Ren was none the wiser after listening to what she just said. His conclusion was, the term ¡°bearer of karma¡± in novels probably meant ¡°bad hat¡± when used colloquially.


    After Hao Ren was silent for a long moment, Raven 12345 quickly tried to divert his attention. ¡°Okay, okay, let¡¯s discuss about it only when the world falls apart. Meanwhile, I¡¯m really happy that you¡¯ve finally found something really incredible¡­ That spaceship must be brought back immediately. As it has experienced the moment of collision of two worlds, where the process is similar to the collision between the Plane of Dreams and the Surface World, the spaceship is of great reference value.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled wryly and said, ¡°There are still 550,000 people¡­ since Helcrown isn¡¯t as big as the spaceship, why don¡¯t you take it as a gift?¡±


    Raven 12345 was amused. ¡°Now you¡¯re lazy to even think of a proper excuse, eh? Well, anyway, it¡¯s not a big deal. Their level of civilization hasn¡¯t even reached the stage of space colonization yet, so I can approve it. I will open up a temporary World Gate. You just have to send me the coordinates by then.¡±


    As the communication ended, a satisfied Hao Ren looked up at Y¡¯zaks, who was already in anticipation. ¡°Permission is granted. You can pack the entire city as well as the spaceship and move. You can now inform the entire city. Let your people know what¡¯s going to happen next. To leave or to stay, let them decide for themselves.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet blinked and looked around, pulling on Hao Ren¡¯s sleeve as she asked, ¡°Uncle Ren, you really can move the whole city?¡±


    Hao Ren froze for a moment and his mouth twitched. ¡°It¡¯s Uncle Hao¡­¡±


    Very quickly, Y¡¯zaks instructed his men to announce the imminent migration as succinctly as possible. This included the antecedents and consequences of the migration, as well as the new environment. Meanwhile, Hao Ren sent the MDT out to the area nearby the wreckage to collect the environmental readings to determine the location of the World Gate¡¯s opening.


    Y¡¯zaks and Hao Ren could breath a sigh of relief as instructions had been issued and carried out. Of course, compared to Y¡¯zaks, the burden Hao Ren carried was far less heavy. The demon king leaned on his huge throne and watched as Lil Pea played with Y¡¯lisabet. His eyes were filled with emotion. ¡°At long last, this child will be able to live a peaceful life¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your opinion about this space?¡± Hao Ren asked as he looked at Y¡¯zaks.


    Y¡¯zaks knew Hao Ren was reffering to the origin of the space bubble zone. He replied with a smile, ¡°As I¡¯ve said before, the old man predicted the existence of such a space when he was still alive. Although he died without finding the way to access this dimension, he calculated that the entire bubble zone would be distorted abnormally just as it is today. There is a central point in this ¡®distortion¡¯ that is the Spectral Dimension. He was a fantastic guy. Though bound by the earth¡¯s gravity, he managed to calculate the secrets of the entire universe. How would things be if he was still alive today¡­ I could let him visit your spacecraft; the old boy would surely jump for joy.


    With a forced smile, Y¡¯zaks said, ¡°But destiny is a b*tch, tsk tsk.¡±


    Suddenly, Zadamor pushed the door open as he reported in. ¡°My King, General Lamadenor and some of his trusted men have disappeared.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks was silent for a moment before he nodded slightly. ¡°I got it.¡±


    ¡°My King, this is mutiny,¡± Zadamor said, his face looking solemn. ¡°You¡ª¡±


    ¡°I let him.¡± Y¡¯zaks nodded. ¡°Send my word: everyone is free to go. Zadamor, you¡¯re also a demon. You should understand that it¡¯s not easy to change a demon¡¯s thinking. The place we¡¯re going has no place for them. Let them leave.¡±


    Then, he grinned. ¡°In fact, when I first returned, I already knew things would develop as such. I knew what they were thinking and doing for the past one year while they were in the city. If I were to come back a year or two later, I¡¯m afraid things would be very different¡­ As for now, their departure is good for everyone, so let them be.¡±


    Zadamor bowed his head as he took a step back. ¡°Yes, understood.¡±


    Hao Ren noticed that Y¡¯zaks¡¯ face looked a little sad. Just as he was about to say something, the voice of the MDT suddenly sounded in his mind. ¡°The dimensional calculation is complete. I have bad news and worse news, which one do you want to hear first?¡±

 Chapter 446

    Hao Ren knew he yet had another problem as if he had caught the bad luck of Vivian, he felt that problem always came looking for him.


    ¡°What is the situation? What is the bad news?¡± Hao Ren tried to remain calm and would decide to choose what size of brick to use depending on how smutty the MDT was.


    But the MDT wasn¡¯t kidding this time. ¡°The bad news is that we wouldn¡¯t be able to open the world gate from within. It could cause the space to collapse and even endanger other spatial bubbles, and possibility of an implosion.


    Hao Ren froze. ¡°Why it that?¡±


    ¡°Because it is the heart of the collision between the two worlds. The two worlds with different laws had torn the space here, leading to a fragile mathematical order¡ªthink of dismantling the load-bearing walls from inside a building after an earthquake, that¡¯s what it¡¯s like.¡±


    With this analogy, Hao Ren immediately got the picture. His brows pulled together as he said, ¡°So the only way to open the world gate is from the outside?¡±


    ¡°Now the worse news,¡± the MDT sounded just as annoying. ¡°In fact, the entire bubble zone isn¡¯t suitable for opening a world gate¡ªthe world gate is unlike Petrachelys¡¯ void drive. Void drive is just a propulsion device, capable of sending thing from one world to another but the process is entirely self-contained and wouldn¡¯t cause information interference to the outside world. But the world gate is entirely different thing; it is a ¡®structure¡¯ which takes root here, and will have a certain impact to the surrounding environment. The power output of the tiniest world gate is tens of times the drive output of a spacecraft, that doesn¡¯t sit well with the dangerous structure of the bubble zone. You can refer to The Incompatible Mathematical Erosion Equation in Unified Information Theory, that is¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned as he hadn¡¯t expected this situation. But the MDT¡¯s explaination was loud and clear, and made sense¡ªafter all, anything he couldn¡¯t understand, he would definitely think it makes sense. He blinked and turned to look at Y¡¯zaks and Vivian who looked curious on their face. ¡°The MDT had come back with one bad news and one worse news, which news would you like to hear first?¡±


    Lily grinned, revealing her fangs. ¡°Let¡¯s hear the worse one first so that the bad one would feel like a silver lining later.¡±


    ¡°I think I better tell the bad news first, or else it would be logically challenging to deal with the information,¡± Hao Ren spread out his hand with a wry smile on his face. ¡°There¡¯s a problem in opening the world gate.¡±


    He then proceeded to explain the complex situation of the spatial bubble zone. Lily immediately nodded as if she understood it all despite she wasn¡¯t at all¡ªHao Ren looked at her, and found, albeit sadly, that he and the husky were having a common language. Meanwhile, Vivian¡¯s brows knit together. ¡°This turns out to be a bit of a surprise¡­ we¡¯ve never thought about it in the beginning.¡±


    ¡°Of course we didn¡¯t,¡± Hao Ren twisted his mouth and said, ¡°We thought that we were coming here just to pick up some people. Who would¡¯ve thought we¡¯ve to haul back a space fortress of four-hundred-kilometre long? My dimensional pocket is only good at accommodating things as large as five-hundred-metres or less in radius. Maybe we should consider cutting it into smaller pieces for easier transportation if it isn¡¯t for the needs of scientific research. But then, Wang would have to chop his house up.¡±


    ¡°Shut up if you¡¯ve no real idea,¡± Vivian glared at Hao Ren before she turned to look at Y¡¯zaks. ¡°Biggie, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°The world gate is opened outside the bubble zone, which means we must haul Helcrown and the wreckage through the bubbles.¡± Y¡¯zaks studied the operation plan like a half-scientist. ¡°First of all, we will inevitably face fierce attack when Helcrown is out in the opene; secondly, how do we tow such a massive spacecraft wreckage? Use the Petrachelys?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not possible,¡± Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°The world outside has gravity. The antigravity field of the Petrachelys couldn¡¯t possibly cover hundreds of kilometers. It¡¯s just an official vessel which would make do as a tugboat in space, but not in gravity environment.¡±


    ¡°There is another thing; how do we let a hundred-kilometre wreckage pass through the gateway?¡± Lanina probably had understood what they were discussing. But she was more concerned with the practical problem rather than things like world gate and spacecraft wreckage which she knew nothing about. ¡°The space bubbles are connected by the naturally-occured teleporting portals, the largest of which are only hundreds of metres across which seems like a pinhole to a few-hundred-kilometre monster.¡±


    Vivian thought for a moment. she said, ¡°Why not just teleport the wreckage to the fringe of the bubble zone by using the Petrachelys?¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head as he said, ¡°Impossible. I¡¯ve let the MDT record the data each time it passed through the protal, the connection between each bubble is very confusing. Following the existing routes to leave the bubble zone is the safest way to go. Creating another teleporting gateway is dangerous and unpredictable.¡±


    While they were having discussion, a blue light suddenly flashed next to the table and the MDT emerged from it. ¡°Hey, what Lanina mentioned is just a small problem. The Petrachelys can read the connection pattern of the portal, and expand it into a larger one¡ªhundreds of kilometers, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem. But for stability¡¯s sake, this ¡®hyperlink extension¡¯ must be carried out in the vicinity of a natural portal. And that is after we deal with the hostile interception en route.¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned for a moment. ¡°What? There¡¯s such a feature in my spacecraft?¡±


    The MDT knocked Hao Ren¡¯s head and said, ¡°So what did you usually read in the textbook?¡±


    Hao Ren grabbed the MDT and knocked it against the the table twice to quiet it down. ¡°Well, it seems we¡¯ve solved the problem of the gateway. What¡¯s left is for Raven to open a gateway at the border of bubble zone, and find a way to tow Helcrown and the spacecraft to the border. Wang, don¡¯t you have anti-gravity magic? How long does it take to cover the entire wreckage with anti-gravitational array?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks shrugged and said, ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s like making the entire mountain range to float in the air which we don¡¯t possess this kind of technology yet. In addition, even if it floats we¡¯ve another problem to deal with¡ª do you think the garrison at the portals would let us pass through just like that? Helcrown has only enough firepower for self-defensive, your spaceship¡¯s firepower isn¡¯t suitable for the job. That leaves the rest of us have to deal with the millions of hostile enemies, and the best case scenario would be die a martyr¡¯s death.¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his chin in thought. He knew exactly what he needed now: a large-scale transport equipment which didn¡¯t necessarily have to be of advanced technology but must ensure that the hundred-kilometre wreckage could be hauled to the portal, and an escort team to deal with all the troops in this world.


    He thought of Kabala and 883, the little green men, and the private armed caravans who all could fit the job, but they all cost money, especially Fairy Void Consortium, the gang of notoriously vindictive profiteers.


    A group of long-eared figure suddenly crossed his mind.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea!¡± Hao Ren clapped his hands and said, ¡°I have hundreds of millions of male lions¡­¡±


    Using her hand to touch Hao Ren¡¯s forehead, Vivian said, ¡°Are you having too much stress? Don¡¯t worry, we will solve the problem together, don¡¯t stretch yourself too hard.¡±


    Half-cryingly and half-laughingly, Hao Ren took Vivian¡¯s hand off him. ¡°I¡¯m serious¡ªI indeed have hundreds of millions of male lions. Though Aerymian elven technology isn¡¯t that advanced, their fleet of spacecrafts is formidable! You think how many Y¡¯zaks do you have in this world?¡±


    A glow suddenly appeared in Y¡¯zaks eyes, then there was a sense of worry in his face. ¡°Would Goddess even allow it? Would it be seen as dragging yourself into the war? If Aerymian elves and the locals here were to go to war, that would be unimaginably horrible.¡±


    Hao Ren took out a workbook from the dimensinal pocket with a wry smile on his face. ¡°The wreckage has been classified as a major research sample, inspector who was in-charge of the shipment of such cargo is entitled to an armed escort. It¡¯s not a troop, just security guard! Don¡¯t forget that Aerymian elves are under my custody, I can issue them a private army permit.¡±


    Then Hao Ren waved to his men. ¡°Prepare to take off, I¡¯m going back and will return with my armed escorts!¡±


    Lily looked at Hao Ren dumbfoundedly, and murmured, ¡°Landlord has gone mad¡­ WOOF WOOF.¡±

 Chapter 447

    Hao Ren shared his own idea with the Raven 12345. The latter didn¡¯t overreact as expected, but she did reminded him not to take things too far.


    ¡°Armed escort is OK, but just as an escort. If things went wrong I¡¯d have problem answering to my superior, not to mention affecting the appraisal of this year. If that happen, I would¡¯ve no choice but to haul you off to avoid another disaster.¡± The Goddess sounded serious as she spoke.


    Most people in Helcrown were still dumbstruck by the abrupt announcement of the migration plan. Everyone gathered in the street discussing the news while Hao Ren was preparing to bring his eight million armed escorts back. On a huge terrace of palace of Helcrown, Hao Ren was discussing his itinerary with Yazikesi. ¡°It will be a few days before I could make it back again¡ªthe journey isn¡¯t a problem, but Aerymian elves would need some time to assemble their tropps.¡±


    ¡°That, I understand,¡± Y¡¯zaks nodded cheerfully. ¡°We are here guarding in the other dimension anyway, we can wait.¡±


    Lanina listened on the side. She had never met Aerymian elves and was curious about the mysterious ally. ¡°Are you talking about a group of elves? Are they coming to help? It¡¯s risky.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks looked at Lanina and smiled. ¡°If you know the relationship between Aerymian elves and us, you wouldn¡¯t have asked so. They will help us¡ªjust as the demon army would help the landlord if he¡¯s in need; we¡¯re brothers-in-arms.¡±


    Hao Ren turned around and looked at the open empty terrace. The next moment, the air suddenly warped and slit open, a silver-white spacecraft emerged in front of everyone.


    The Petrachelys shone with glory while the blue ??light under the armour of the spacecraft was giving out a ¡®breathing¡¯ pulse. Its condition had never been so good. Lanina had seen the ship before but still couldn¡¯t help marvelling. The curious Y¡¯lisabet suddenly jumped up. ¡°Whoa! This is the spaceship you all talking about? Papa, you came back in this one?¡±


    The little girl couldn¡¯t help coming closer as she reached her hand into her pocket before taking out a small screwdriver and jabbed the spacecraft. ¡°I¡¯m wondering what¡¯s inside¡­¡±


    Y¡¯zaks quickly ran forward and pulled his daughter back. ¡°No, you can¡¯t dismantle this one!¡±


    Cold sweat trickled down Hao Ren¡¯s back. He asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡±


    ¡°Ahem, ahem, she liked to tinker with things since young.¡± Y¡¯zaks scratched his head awkwardly while Y¡¯lisabet was struggling to get away from his hand, demanding to go to see the spacecraft and what stuff was inside. Y¡¯zaks beckoned two attendants to come forward from the edge of the terrace and said to Hao Ren. ¡°I¡¯m giving you two aides, although they aren¡¯t from the same race, they are elves and should be of help.¡±


    Both elves who came up to him were very young. They had sharp ears but one of them was blond, fair skin, extremely tall, and wearing a light green short robe. The other one had silver hair, eyes shining with a mysterious moonlight glow, wearing black leather jacket, and dark skin. The appearance of the two were so eye-catching that Hao Ren reckoned if they were left in the downtown area somewhere on earth, within half an hour their mugshots would appear in Weibo headlines.


    The two elves bowed politely to Hao Ren. While elves and dark elves weren¡¯t in good term in this world, where they didn¡¯t even see eye-to-eye serving in the Allied Army as they always operated in isolation from each other. These two races however had used to work together. Looking at both of them, a question suddenly crossed Hao Ren¡¯s mind. He asked, ¡°You¡¯re male or female?¡±


    Two elves got very different expression on their faces. The fairer elf obviously was awkward, he smiled slightly and his voice was quite charming. ¡°I am male, you can call me Joseph.¡±


    Meanwhile, the dark elf¡¯s arms akimbo as it yelled, ¡°Haven¡¯t you notice I have boob?¡±


    Hao Ren, ¡°¡­..¡±


    Hao Ren was choked with embarrasment for a long moment as he really couldn¡¯t notice it. In the end, the dark elf let out a sigh and said, ¡°Well, speaking of which even I myself couldn¡¯t find notice it¡­ by the way my name is Elu, a dark elf. And nice to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Your men are really unique in themselves,¡± Hao Ren mouth trembling. He glanced up at Y¡¯zaks before he turned toward the spacecraft, ¡°Then I shall¡­¡±


    Lily had finally decided at the last moment to tag along as she flashed up next to Hao Ren like a white shadow. ¡°Wait a second! I¡¯m going with you!¡±


    Nangong Wuyue shoved Lil Pea into Hao Ren¡¯s arms and said, ¡°Bring her along.¡±


    Hao Ren looked down at Lil Pea who was staring back at him in his arm, then at Lily who was wagging her tail beside him, as well as the two elven aides behind, and finally threw aside his last remaining feel of debonairness in his heart. He knew he could never look carefree in his entire life, not even if he could bring the eight million armies back with him.


    So it began¡ªthe most powerful landlord in history led his aides, child, and pet dog embarking on the journey to assemble the million-strong army.


    The Petrachelys rose up slowly, then faded into a silver light and disappeared before the eyes of everyone. Y¡¯zaks looked at the direction where the spacecraft had gone and froze for a moment, then turned to look at Lanina. He said, ¡°Now we can only wait. Lanina, go to my armory and bring my sword.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks had lost his sword during the final battle. The races in the world had speculated that the evil sword had self-sealed and self-hidden after the owner left. But now the truth of the ¡®last-word crystal¡¯ had been revealed, the sword was found by Y¡¯lisbet and kept in Helcrown. Lanina nodded and left under the order, and came back with a four-meter-long, black giant sword after a while. ¡°My king, could you please do it yourself next time as this thing is a little difficult for succubus to carry¡­¡±


    This was Y¡¯zaks¡¯ favourite sword when he was in his default demonic form. The sword was made of osidian and fine gold, forged in hellish magma, clumsy to the eye but agile in the hand. The engraving of seventy-seven mightily demonic lines and its powerful high-frequency vibration sword edge had sent chill down the spines of the world¡¯s most brave warriors. On the back of the sword were embossed with the words of different languages while the hilt was inlaid with forteen red crystal symbolising seven major races of the human world, and seven demonic races.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably the last battle in this world. Since we¡¯re leaving, it¡¯s obligatory that someone must pay with their blood.¡± Y¡¯zaks held up his sword and slid his hand silently across the thirteen crystals on the hilt and then the hole. He then sighed softly. ¡°Lanina, bring the crystal, the hilt looks weird.¡±


    In the meantime, Hao Ren had activated the void drive of the Petrachelys and accelerated all the way back to his own world.


    Before going onboard, the two elves were very well-mannered and cultured, once they were onboard they began to show their bumpkin nature. Ysre, the white elf was better, at least he kept his gentlemanliness sitting in a chair and looked around gracefully. But Aylu, the dark elf, was darting around the bridge, touching everything she was curious at, and sometimes was startled by the sound of equipment starting. Hao Ren was watching everything with thet corner of his eye¡ªthere goes the image of the elf.


    In fact, Hao Ren thought that he needn¡¯t bring the aides at all when he met with Hilda and Vimm. Aerymian elves were very efficient and practical people who fundamentally cared less about formality and all that. But he also knew that Y¡¯zaks had its own consideration: if Helcrown was to be resettled on Peatopia, hundreds of thousands of them would become Aerymian elves¡¯ new neighbours. So he felt it important to send two elves over to say hi to Aerymian elves first¡ªat least they knew in advance that there were distant relatives among their future neighbours. More or less, it was going to be useful.


    Hao Ren had thought for a long time about it. He decided not to care how all that principles worked, as long as the two elves were of help¡­


    They all hadn¡¯t said a word for the rest of the journey as the Petrachelys¡ªthe agile and efficient official business spaceship¡ªlifted its speed limit and soon arrived at its destination just above the atmosphere of the new Aerymian planet aka Peatopia. The two elves were astonished watching the many bright stars in the sky. Hao Ren just smiled, and then connected to the special channel he left behind for Aerymian elves. ¡°Yo ~ ~ ~ your landlord is coming!¡±

 Chapter 448

    When Hao Ren left Peatopia, he had left a dedicated communication channel to the Aerymian elves so they could get in touch with him in case of any emergency. So it was clear that such an important external communication channel must be manned on a twenty-four seven basis. When Hao Ren¡¯s voice was splattered across the channel, a moment of chatter was heard at the other end before the tense voice of a startled elf replied, ¡°Aerymian Communication Tower. Your identity is being verified. Roger¡­ Ahh, is it Lord?¡±


    Hao Ren froze a moment before he realized that the title ¡®Lord¡¯ was referring to him¡ªconsidering the area of ??land he had rented out to the elves, ¡®Lord¡¯ was regarded as an upgraded version of ¡®landlord¡¯.


    Hao Ren replied and let the operator inform Hilda and Vimm about his arrival. Before long, he saw a few white dots appeared in space; they were space vessels the Aerymian elves sent out to meet him. Most of those space vessels were from the old Aerymian Island Chain¡ªalmost antique. Apparently, the elves hadn¡¯t completely restarted their basic industries, at least they hadn¡¯t been able to produce new spacecrafts. However, mong the antique spacecrafts were two new spacecrafts of different styles, which must be the support resources 883 Fleet left behind in accordance with the agreement they had with Aerymian elves. Judging from the models, these were the low-tech ships limited in the stellar system.


    A triangle-shaped Aerymian spacecraft flew near to the Petrachelys. Image of Vimm was displayed on the communitor before Hao Ren. The young elven prince was so handsome that it was almost like a photoshopped figure, his face was radiating with a bright smile. ¡°What brings you here, landlord?¡±


    ¡°Lead the way. We¡¯ll discuss it when seeing your mother,¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°There¡¯s something important that needs your help this time.¡±


    Vimm instantly felt a sense of urgency after seeing Hao Ren¡¯s serious face. He quickly turned his ship around and led the way. The Petrachelys followed the cruise ships of Aerym flying down toward the only continent on the planet.


    After penetrating through the atmosphere, Hao Ren switched on the external camera and was pleased to see that the once primitive barren continent had begun to see development: simple-styled city lined the coast, white towers rose in the forest, and many peculiar installations presumably radio or power towers were being constructed on the once barren, rocky mountain. He raised the sensitivity of the external camera and found that more residences and infrastructure were under construction, though they were still very basic. All these were enough to indicate that the Aerymian elves had adapted to the planet and survived well.


    In the ocean far from the mainland, the ¡®colonial eco-sphere¡¯ formed by the floating islands had apparent changes: they no longer had to stay back in space and had now been turned into stationary maritime cities, the shield of the eco-sphere had been modified with many entrances with man-made land extending beyond the entrance, long runways, and ports. Aircrafts and newly-built cargo ships were traversing the air and sea between the mainland and the maritime cities, transporting a huge number of personnel and supplies.


    New residents were exploring the still unfamiliar continent while materials from the continent were brought into the eco-sphere to repair and renovate the ancient santuaries. The people of Aerym had taken root in their new homeland and began to seek a peaceful coexistence with this planet in their own way.


    ¡°Development is going pretty fast,¡± Hao Ren said something unexpectedly over the radio. ¡°I thought you would have to take a few years before relocating en masse to the mainland. Now it seems the empty islands have already begun to relocate.¡±


    ¡°The new environment is better than we thought,¡± Vimm¡¯s voice was heard over the radio. ¡°And the ancient secrets of nature have enabled our people to adapt more quickly to the environment outside the dome, and now hundreds of thousands of elves have taken their new home in the new world every day. But the dome cities wouldn¡¯t be abandoned as mother has decided to renovate the facilities on the islands with the resources from the mainland. At the end of the day, each dome city will accommodate one third of its original residents which is the most ideal population. The cities are no longer in dilapidated state, supplies aren¡¯t restricted, and water and food are available in abundant. There is no better time than this.¡±


    The spacecraft gradually descended as the gleaming coastlinea appeared on the screen. The coastline looked rather familiar, but were also quite different: rows of tidy buildings lined the coastline and inland, the land in the city was reinforced and laid neatly with man-made materials, towering white walls surrounded the city in the shape of a crescent shielding the city from the strong, humid wind blown from the ocean. In part of the city which stretched deeper into the continent, the elves hadn¡¯t destroyed the natural forest vegetation but had made some proper transplanting and pruning as they built the city directly in the forest. Under the ingenious design of its architects, half of the city blended seamlessly with the forest.


    The City of Stars, the new capital of Aerym, where the first immigrants landed, and which Hilda had once said she was going to develop it had now appeared to take its initial shape. The pace of its construction had exceeded Hao Ren¡¯s imagination, he hadn¡¯t expected the city had grown so large in just a few months.


    But then, the pace of development wasn¡¯t too difficult to understand: after all, Aerymian elves came from the interstellar era, even if their scientific and technological know-how weren¡¯t no par with those monsters which traversed between the stars, they were more powerful than human. No to mention that they once lived in a space which could be kaput any time, their speed-building technology such as ¡®three-minute fast repair¡¯, ¡®ten-minute wall-building¡¯ and stuff like that mustn¡¯t be underestimated.


    Construction in the new city was in full swing, and large area of yet to be used open space could be seen in the city. The spacecrafts made a circle above the city before they slowly landed near to the newly built Royal District. Hao Ren and Vimm each disembarked from their spacecrafts with their men. Vimm immediately came up and gave Hao Ren a big hug which Hao Ren felt quite embarrassed.


    He wasn¡¯t really fond of hugging a man who was four times more handsome than himself¡ªspeaking of ego¡­


    But when he looked back at Ysre the elven aide behind him, he began to feel better: as good-looking as Vimm was, he was ostensibly a male through-and-through; but the appearance of the elven aide behind him was so ambiguous that he might be mistaken as someone else¡¯s mistress.


    As they touched down, the two elves was stunned beyond word by what they saw. They had never expected there were so many elves in the other world. Although the elves in this foreign world might look similiar to them, taking a look at the buildings and tools in the surroundings would immediately know that these elves were entirely different in any other ways. Ysre and Aylu even had almost forgotten why they were here as they were rooted to the spot looking around curiously. Eventually, Lily had to drag them moving along to keep up with the rest of the team.


    Meanwhile, Lily felt pretty happy at it¡ªusually she was the one being dragged, but this time she was the one doing the dragging¡­


    ¡°Mother is having a meeting with the elders in the council hall so she wasn¡¯t able to come out to greet you. She let me apologise to you,¡± Vimm walked with Hao Ren and said. ¡°Things are getting on track. And there¡¯s no shortage of manpower too. But then, since this is the first time we¡¯re living on land, there are a lot of things which we need to adapt to. We also have to draft new laws on traffic, farming and building codes, and been busy for more than a month.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded in understanding. ¡°I got that. It must be a hell of a busy time for the management¡­ Hey, by the way, I have something which needs your help, I think your mother is going to be busier than ever¡­¡±


    Suddenly, Hao Ren froze in his tracks and stared flabbergastedly at a huge group of portrait sculptures at the entrance of a square.


    The sculptures, cast in some kind of alloy, was as tall as ten metres. The leading sculpture was in the image of a man wearing a commander uniform of spacecraft fleet, with head held high as one hand pointing in a forward direction. Behind it was a group of sulptures of Aerymian elves which appeared determined with their bodies leaning forward, forming a picture of a group of pioneering team led by a forward-looking leader.


    Beautiful, grand, solemn, and yet very heavy.


    Hao Ren was rooted to the spot for a long time before he finally figured out. He looked at Vimm. ¡°Is that me?¡±


    Vimm laughed as he pointed at the sculpture. ¡°A spiritual symbol is important to the people¡¯s morale at this moment. Nothing is more inspiring than the one who has lead them here.¡±


    For a moment, Hao Ren didn¡¯t know how to react. He looked down and saw a plate on the foot of the sculpture which read: DEAR LEADER, SUN AND LORD OF AERYMIAN ELVES¡ªHAO REN.


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­WTF?¡±

 Chapter 449

    Hao Ren looked at the sculpture of himself for a long time, and did not know how to react. After some thoughts however, he found it to be pretty normal. Nonetheless, for a guy who had never been a public figure, the statue was a little too much. Vimm, who was standing next to him, felt nothing wrong about it as he cheerily asked, ¡°What do you think? Are you happy with the sulpture? Mother thought that it was only proper for this statue to be placed in the center of the city square¡­¡±


    Lily finally came to her senses as she lunged forward. ¡°Landlord, you¡¯re finally being paraded through the streets!¡±


    Just when Hao Ren thought of giving the husky a slap in the face, he heard Vimm laughing and saying to Lily, ¡°Your sculptures are at the city gate in the Western District; you will find your human form as well as your beast form there. The guardian of the Aerymian elves, the beast who cleared the road ahead¡ªthere¡¯s a statue of every one of you.¡±


    Hao Ren patted Lily on the shoulder and teased her back. ¡°Look, you¡¯re being hung on the city gate.¡±


    Lily thought about it for a moment, and felt good. ¡°Oh, so that I can ward off evil spirits, I guess¡­¡±


    ¡°Is all this really necessary?¡± Hao Ren looked at Vimm as the magnificent sculpture felt strange to him. As a guy from the streets in his twenties, he was of course flattered. But deep down in his heart, he felt more embarrassed than ever¡ªit was like helping an old lady cross the road and finding your heroic mugshot printed on dollar notes the next day; it was especially surreal, particularly unscrupulous, certainly unbelievable, and mostly undeserving.


    ¡°What seems to be the matter?¡± Vimm asked as he nodded matter-of-factly. ¡°The whole idea is, as the entire race is being reborn, it is necessary to leave behind something to commemorate the event, lest our children and grandchildren forget whom this place belongs to.¡±


    Hao Ren folded his arms across his chest, feeling justified. He then turned his head and looked at his sculpture with a brilliant smile on his face¡ªhis demeanor resembled a bumpkin more than the reactions of the two elves, who first boarded the spaceship earlier. However, the born-inspector¡ªas recognized by Raven 12345¡ªwas just as naive. He quickly recovered his composure and heartily accepted the honor. It was already written all across his face; declining would only make him appear hypocritical.


    Despite that, after glancing at the sculpture, Hao Ren felt an unexplainable weirdness. Lily scratched her chin as she walked around the sculpture in circles before she coming back and pulling on Hao Ren¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Landlord, why do I have the feeling that your statue looks like a dummy in a shooting range.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Why was the husky¡¯s mind always so sharp at moments like this? Had she been faking her dumbness all this while?


    The two elven aides had absolutely no idea what they were talking about. They appeared to be cautiously vigilant in the unfamiliar environment and they slowly drifted into silent mode. After sometime, they finally caught Vimm¡¯s attention. ¡°Landlord, who are they?¡± asked Vimm.


    ¡°My aides from another world. They¡¯re also my special envoy,¡± Hao Ren so introduced. ¡°This is Yrse, a white elf, and this is Aylu, a dark elf. They come from another world. If you refer to God¡¯s creation workbook, you¡¯ll find that they are also your distant relatives. I have something to discuss with your mother and the both of them must be present.¡±


    Vimm was a down-to-earth person. He reached out to shake their hands with enthusiasm when being introduced¡ªan etiquette he had learned from Hao Ren. ¡°Welcome to Aerym, miss. I am Prince Regent of the Aerymian elves, and the current archon of this planet.¡±


    Yrse reached out his hand awkwardly, looking embarrassed. ¡°I am a male, by the way¡­¡±


    Vimm was a little surprised. ¡°Oh, I am so sorry. It seems there are some physical differences between elves of different worlds, gentlemen?¡±


    Aylu¡¯s face instantly turned green.


    Hao Ren almost laughed out loud. ¡°This is a girl¡­ Oh well, forget it. It¡¯s not that important anyway. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Aylu looked down at her breasts and found nothing, so she just remained silent.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    They walked past Hao Ren¡¯s eye-catching sculpture towards the new Royal District just across the square. Instead of appearing like a real Royal District, the place was just like any other residence, separated from areas surrouding it. Although some towers were of a royal style, they were overshadowed by a few large factories nearby. They were constructed using recycled gray composite materials from the maritime cities.


    Aerymian society, from the top to bottom were already accustomed to thrifty living. During the early stages of city building, engineering teams and factories were the most valuable as well as useful assets. Naturally, these two units were given priority in resource allocation. Meanwhile, the relatively ¡°less useful¡± royalty could only stay in low-value houses.


    In addition to Hilda and Vimm, royalty there also included a large number of princes and princesses. These members of the royalty who currently lived in the Royal District were helping out in various management, and technical researches. Those who lacked ability, or were temporarily ¡°less useful¡± joined the engineering team. Their only difference was that they lived inside the so-called Royal District away from the civilians. Such was Aerymian royalty.


    This was exactly why, in front of the Royal District, Hao Ren could see an elf wearing a high-level official uniform wrapping his arms around a bearded man dressed in worker¡¯s uniform. They were father and son. The son was a member of the city council, while the father was originally the director of Corona Station. He was now temporarily out of a job, and therefore worked as an excavation operator. Aerymian elves did not think this wrong: they made good use of people in areas where they could contribute and took pride in it.


    It was Yrse and Aylu who were astonished at what they saw. Hearing Vimm and Hao Ren¡¯s introduction on the Aerymian elves, the two elves from a different world found it incredible. While they both came from different elven societies with different cultures, both societies were of ancient hierarchical dynasties. None of the ethereal or halfling society took part in a social class system, or ever had such a thing. Their understanding of Aerymian elves thus increased.


    They finally came to the Council Hall¡¯s humble meeting room in the Royal District. A moment later, Hilda hurriedly arrived.


    ¡°Long time no see, My Landlord.¡± Hilda¡¯s face still glowed with a wonderful lustre and she looked exceptionally good. When she saw Hao Ren, she came up and and gave Hao Ren a warm hug. ¡°Sorry for the less than decent place. As construction is still on-going, I can only offer my guests to meet in this rudimentary place.¡±


    Hao Ren was a little embarrassed by Hilda¡¯s passionate, wifey hug. He quickly sat down and said, ¡°No, no, no. It¡¯s fine. After all, we¡¯re friends.¡±


    Hilda shoved a plate of snacks across the table right in front of Hao Ren, and smiled. ¡°Please, enjoy. It is a wild root that we found to be rich in nutrients. We have successfully grown it in the artificial environment and its growth cycle is short. This is the first harvest.¡±


    By this time, Lily had already stuffed her mouth full with the snack. She nodded repeatedly as she said, ¡°Finally¡­ We don¡¯t have to eat chalk anymore?¡±


    ¡°This is the best time the Aerymian elves have ever had.¡± Hilda smiled. ¡°The first crops are sprouting in the farm land; the first ship is sailing in the ocean; we have our first mine, and the first set of alchemy equipment; plus, a large amount of technology has been recovered from the museums and archives. Every day is a memorable day¡ªincluding today. This is the first time that you, Landlord have returned to visit your properties.¡±


    Hao Ren was pleasantly surprised to find that this once serious-looking queen was finally cracking a joke. He laughed, but his face quickly turned solemn. ¡°Hilda, I did not come just to say hi today. In fact, I have something I need your help with¡­¡±


    Hilda became serious when she saw Hao Ren¡¯s face. ¡°What kind of help do you need? You are the savior of the Aerymian elves. As long as we can be of help, we will try our best to help.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that it¡¯s going to be a tough one,¡± said Hao Ren. ¡°To put it simply, I¡¯m going to transport an object, and a group of immigrants, who are similar to yourselves, from another world¡ªit will be just like before. However, this time, someone is in our way.¡±


    ¡°Due to the private nature of the operation, I couldn¡¯t secure the support of my superior, so I need a number of armed escorts.¡± Hao Ren spread out his hand. ¡°A large number.¡±


    Hilda replied without hesitation, ¡°How many?¡±


    ¡°The estimated number of enemies we have is eight million.¡±


    Hilda¡¯s glowing being suddenly flickered as if it encountered some poor connection. ¡°What?! Who have you offended?!¡±

 Chapter 450

    Before Hao Ren arrived in Aerym, he had promised the moon. However, when he was finally before Hilda, he was a little embarrassed to ask her for the favor¡ªhe came not for rent, but troops.


    Even if everything went well, and the armed escorts were not presented with any danger (very few races from Y¡¯zaks¡¯ homeland were capable in air combat, while space wars were rare), it was too much to ask people to risk their lives in a different world. Hao Ren had also seen the situation in Aerym: it was a crucial moment for the elves to rebuild their homes as they were trying to adapt to an unfamiliar planet. During this critical period, how many men could they set aside to run his errand?


    Before Hao Ren came, he thought he had a billion tenants. But only then did it dawn on him that the one billion tenants were actually refugees.


    When Hilda heard that Hao Ren wanted to borrow her men as his armed escorts, she was not hesitant at all. But, the glow on her body flickered once she learned that Hao Ren was looking for eight million troops. ¡°Who have you offended?¡±


    Hao Ren sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not me¡ªit¡¯s Wang, the king kong who helped you during your migration operation. The one who hit his head wherever he walked. He has the whole world looking for him. The two next to me are his men. Wang is now packing up his stuff¡­¡±


    Hao Ren began to tell Hilda about Y¡¯zaks¡¯ glorious past; about how the demon picked the wrong branch in the technology tree to begin his interstellar exploration; about his distorted worldview of pursuing the grand unification of various races; about his wayward military strategy to conquer the whole world until he ended up being conquered instead; and about his misadventures as well as requiring help from interstellar allied troops.


    Hao Ren did not realize it before he summed up the life of Y¡¯zaks. It only struck him then, that Y¡¯zaks¡¯ life was the most abnormal among the bunch of unusual creatures in his family. There was nothing in his life that was not wrong; his look was aesthetically wrong, and while he had a daughter, she was genetically wrong.


    Hilda was flabbergasted whereas Vimm, who was by her side had a weird gleam on his face. In all fairness, Y¡¯zaks¡¯ problem was possibly not as huge as the one the Aerymian elves faced¡ªafter all, the Aerymian elves came from the stars and fell from the stars. The most magnificent part of Y¡¯zaks¡¯ life was not in his achievements, but his unwavering ambition and undying spirit¡ªthe determination to study and explore space while being caught in a war with the whole world. And that was not something anyone could have thought of doing.


    ¡°Now it seems like it¡¯s time for Y¡¯zaks to retire.¡± Hao Ren exhaled. ¡°According to his words, he has done what he can, and he has no regrets in life. Now, he wants to seek long-term stability and security for his last remaining people. This is the last thing he would like to do for his people. Of course, officially, your people will act as ¡®armed escorts¡¯ for some important, scientific research cargo. I will register Y¡¯zaks and his people as escorts of scientific research materials as well. Then, there will be no problems crossing over.¡±


    ¡°I have a deep impression of that giant.¡± Hilda nodded slightly. ¡°But, little did I expect him to have such an epic past.¡±


    Then, she looked up at Hao Ren and said, ¡°How many people do you think you will need to act as the armed escort?¡±


    ¡°To be honest, even Y¡¯zaks himself isn¡¯t very sure.¡± Hao Ren forced a smile. ¡°Because, no one knows how strong the Aerymian warships are compared to the Fireball of the Magic World. Judging from the calculated figures in our data, we have verified that your spacecrafts are deemed to be legendary in those places. That¡¯s the reason I¡¯m here¡ªI have confidence in your people and I won¡¯t let them die in vain. But at the same time, I would like to stress that there is bound to be a certain degree of danger. You would not want to underestimate those ¡®ancient people¡¯. The power of magic is difficult to quantify and its productivity as well as combative ability cannot be measured in the normal sense of things. They have weapons that can fold space, and they have super gravity as well as electromagnetic storms.¡±


    Hilda suddenly laughed. ¡°We are no strangers to magic¡ªaccording to what you have said, we are already a magical civilization. However, after a certain level of progression, the line between magic and technology becomes blurry.¡±


    Hao Ren agreed with her. He nodded and had nothing more to say.


    ¡°Vimm¡±¡ªHilda turned abruptly to her son¡ª¡±stop the works in the third spaceport, synchronous orbit delivery station, and also the large-scale exploration project in the Western Continent. Recall everyone.¡±


    Hearing that, Hao Ren immediately knew that Her Majesty was making some real sacrifices. His heart churned as he said, ¡°Will it be okay? Those are your major projects!¡±


    ¡°They are, but they can all be stopped.¡± Hilda smiled. ¡°We have yet to complete the exploration and infrastructure projects on the continent; the spaceport facilities will not be needed in the near future. It is just to keep the regular spacecrafts busy, and the exploration of the Western Continent can be halted¡­ The impact will be minimal. That should free up some manpower for you. Meanwhile, you can take half of the spaceships with you¡ªwe do not need them now anyway. Those spacecrafts may be categorized as battleships¡­ In fact, we have never fought with anyone in space before. Those weapons loaded on the spacecrafts are only for imaginary enemies. They have mostly been used to destroy malfunctioned or failed coronaries and components in the floating isles.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded repeatedly. ¡°That¡¯s more than enough! Such combat capability is enough! How many people can you send, by the way?¡±


    ¡°One million, along with the thousands of spacecrafts, and also small cruise ships. You know, our technology is very limited. We only have a limited number of large spacecrafts and those are intrastellar models.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good enough!¡± Hao Ren clapped his hands. As he listened to the figures, he was greatly touched¡ªhe had wanted eight million troops, but after seeing the situation in Aerym, he could not possibly expect the elven refugees to make up the numbers he required. And to be honest, the armed escorts were not expected to engage in a head-on battle with the enemy. He only requied them to guard the spacecraft wreckage and the Helcrown against the ambush of the Allied Forces and the demonic army!


    In fact, Hao Ren had no concept of numbers and could not imagine what it would be like to have a million people assembled¡ªhe had not seen anything with more than a thousand people in one place since the end of his school years. He came to Hilda for the troops like a rookie, but thanks to their relationship, she did not mind at all.


    ¡°Can they fight?¡± Hao Ren pretended to be an expert. ¡°Although your spacecrafts are superior technology-wise, those mages are not easy targets¡­ It is best to send the veterans, just to be on the safe side.¡±


    ¡°Aside from the elite Royal Guard who are full-time soldiers, the difference between a civilian and a soldier is minimal.¡± Hilda grinned. ¡°During the floating island era, in order to deal with all the unexpected situations, every elf had to undergo training, and they were assigned jobs appropriate to their own field of expertise. So, civilians can also be skillful in a variety of weapons and equipment, including manning warships.¡±


    Longer living races were good in that they had hundreds of years in childhood experience. As long as there were no tumors in their heads, they had enough time to complete every field of study¡ªno human would ever dare to emulate the Aerymian elves in terms of schooling.


    Talk about 300 years of pure classroom learning¡ªthe mere thought of it had Hao Ren losing his hope of living.


    ¡°I thank you on behalf of Y¡¯zaks.¡± Hao Ren was sincerely grateful to Hilda. He knew that the possibility of a million people sacrificing their lives for strangers in another world was no joke. These people were not just numbers. However, Hilda shook her head. ¡°You saved the life of one billion elves. Aerymian elves are grateful people. Every elf on this planet would be more than happy to help you in return. But before that, I must first understand the situation of this Helcrown you have mentioned. I do know Y¡¯zaks, but not his people.¡±


    Hao Ren pointed to the two elven aides behind him, and finally found some tasks for them. ¡°These two elves are representatives of the civilians. They know the Helcrown inside and out. I guarantee you that they will not lie¡­ Well, Y¡¯zaks guarantees it.¡±


    Hao Ren initially wanted to pawn his honor for the two elves, but he changed his mind after looking at Yrse and Aylu¡ªhe figured that his own honor would not have much influence in the eyes of the two elves. However, if the reputation of their boss was on the line, it would certainly work. Just by looking at them, Hao Ren already knew that they were Y¡¯zaks¡¯ brain-dead, diehard fans. Hao Ren even vindictively suspected that should the demon king order the two elves to change their sexual orientation, they would both obey, no questions asked. Above all, he just could not stand it that the male was already more handsome than his entire family!


    Oh yeah, and Aylu was a girl.


    The two elves had no clue about the things in Hao Ren¡¯s mind. They were immersed in their roles, looking serious as they talked with Hilda. Hao Ren took the opportunity to sneak out to the balcony behind him and enjoy the scenery.


    Vimm also went out to join him.


    ¡°Mother is learning about the situation in Helcrown,¡± Vimm said with a smile. ¡°It should not be a problem. She will probably start to identify a suitable site for the relocation as soon as you depart.¡±


    Hao Ren guffawed as he nodded. Suddenly, he saw a group of workers, who were just returning from work. They were surrounding a person in white robes on the new tarmac path in the city. He asked Vimm curiously, ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Another spiritual guide¡±¡ªVimm smiled¡ª¡±for the new religion established at the behest of Mother. At the center of the faith is the planet¡¯s god of creation.¡±


    Hao Ren pondered for a while before saying, ¡°What?¡±

 Chapter 451

    At first, it did not register. Hao Ren was astounded for a few seconds before he realized what ¡°creator of the planet¡± Vimm was talking about¡­ It was none other than the goddess with five numerics in her name!


    ¡°You mean, these people are¡±¡ªHao Ren¡¯s face stiffened, he struggled to find words as he pointed down at the place below¡ª¡±Raven 12345¡¯s believers?¡±


    Vimm laughed. ¡°Why not? Is there any god in the world who would be reluctant to have followers?¡±


    Hao Ren was a little dumbfounded. He remembered that although Raven 12345 was indeed a goddess, and was an authentic one, she also had a billion believers. The last time he met with the goddess, she even sent New Year greetings to her own believers. However, knowing was one thing, witnessing it with his own eyes was another. Hao Ren looked down from the balcony, stunned. His mind had a hard time connecting the psychotic goddess with what was happening before him. No way! She really has believers?


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you were all busy rebuilding Aerym?¡± Hao Ren thought it best to hold back his comtempt. After all, Raven 12345 was still his superior. He had to look after her image, more so when he himself held the title of ¡°pope¡±. But, there was something he still could not make out. ¡°You still have time for things like this?¡±


    ¡°It is unbelieveable that you are so ignorant as an assistant of God. You have no idea, do you?¡± Vimm looked at Hao Ren, surprised. ¡°Of course this is necessary. Rebuilding social order is one of the most important aspects of reconstruction.¡±


    Looking at Hao Ren who was still blank, Vimm began to explain with a smile, ¡°In most cases, intelligent beings are subject to their own emotions. The heart and mind are things that are invisible, but capable of determining the fate of an entire race. Our people are taking up new home in this new world, and they are really immersed in the surprises brought on by the new world at this moment. But at the same time, there are also more difficulties and dangers ahead. It is not easy to explore a wild planet. We need to keep the peoples¡¯ spirits and morale up, so that they can divert their attention away from difficulties and pain temporarily.


    ¡°We need spiritual strength, entertainment, systematic education, political calls, heroes, and of course religion. Out of these, religion is the cheapest option at this stage.¡±


    ¡°This planet was created by God. Everyone knows it. So, we don¡¯t need any extra cost to spread and prove the idea of the existence of God. We can spread the idea of a new god to the whole society at almost zero cost. Then, the only real cost is for manpower to increase the cohesiveness of the people under this new religion. This way, things are cheaper compared to creating a hundred heroes, implementing education, or psychological treatment. It is even simpler than remodeling the entertainment industry.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded, not that he understood it. Despite that, he knew this was not only about political consideration of the Aerymian ruler, it was also about the cultural differences that existed. Religious belief was not necessarily a symbol of ignorance and regression. In many cases, a highly developed civilization would still believe in God. Not to mention, Raven 12345 was an authentic goddess. Plus, the belief of the Aerymian elves did make sense: they were standing on the earth created by the goddess after all.


    ¡°In fact, we have also considered seeking your help.¡± Vimm looked at Hao Ren with a smile. The latter was stunned for a moment. ¡°What do you need help for?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°Have you really forgotten who you are?¡± This time it was Vimm who was confused. ¡°Mother once said to me, that based on hierarchy, you are the pope. Would it not be natural for us to seek your help in drafting a Bible template when we first establish a new religion?¡±


    Hao Ren was even more befuddled. It never crossed his mind before. ¡°A Bible template? Like I know how.¡±


    Vimm looked at Hao Ren and became more enthusiastic. His smile was now even brighter. ¡°We really need you. We are as clueless as a dim light bulb here. Even the goddess herself has no idea about the situation here. We were actually waiting for the initial propaganda and framework of the religious system to take shape. After that, we would contact you to help us establish a connection with the goddess. But since you are here today, we may as well settle it all.¡±


    Just as Hao Ren was about to wave if off, Lily appeared behind him out of nowhere. ¡°That seems interesting, Landlord!¡±


    The maiden felt bored, so she decided to sneak out of the house and walk up to Hao Ren quietly. Apparently, she had heard the conversation between Vimm and Hao Ren.


    Hao Ren pressed his hand on Lily¡¯s head, trying to turn her away. ¡°Stop messing around. I¡¯ve never done anything like that before! I already have to rely on commas to make up for the shortfall when I¡¯m writing an 800-word report. It¡¯s not that you don¡¯t know.¡±


    Lily then said with a brilliant smile, ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. It¡¯s just an avenue for you to make up some words of propaganda. That¡¯s it! Think of it as advertisement.¡±


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes. ¡°They¡¯re talking about a Bible template here!¡±


    Vimm saw the uneasiness on Hao Ren¡¯s face. He kept his amusement to himself and said, ¡°Well, let us not joke around. We are in the midst of compiling the Bible template. After it is completed, we will probably need the goddess to personally review it. Could you help think of a universal prayer, which we would use for our daily communion, and also for the purpose of spreading influence? No matter how I look at it, this should be your responsibility as the right-hand man of the goddess.¡±


    Lily flamed it up further. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just an ad slogan!¡±


    Hao Ren was dumbfounded. It really never crossed his mind that one day he would have to seriously consider such issues. He was silent, losing himself in his thoughts for a while before he looked up and said, ¡°I¡¯ll give it a try. It¡¯s free after all, right?¡±


    Vimm was like, ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Forget it. Let me consult my superior first.¡± Hao Ren let out a dry laugh before calling Raven 12345 on the phone.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Raven 12345¡¯s voice was as rude as usual.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the thing: As the Aerymian elves are starting to develop their infrastructure, they think that they should also worship the planet¡¯s creator¡ªyou, as their new god. They allowed me to ask you about our corporate culture and stuff like that¡­¡±


    Hao Ren roughly told her about the elves¡¯ situation. He felt that, even if Raven 12345 had never been interested in preaching, she should seriously consider it at this point. After all, that was her line of work. Although the Xi Ling Celestials were not a theocracy, as a goddess, this was something unavoidable.


    Raven 12345 answered without hesitation, ¡°Tell them, the secret phrase is, ¡®Give it a try, it¡¯s free after all¡¯.¡±


    Hao Ren was like, ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    Raven 12345 then plainly said, ¡°Of course. It¡¯s universally applicable. Everyone who believes in me knows that. Oh, by the way, do remind them that when they finally progress into the interstellar stage and meet other civilizations, they can use this secret phrase. The other folks will know that they are my people.¡±


    Hao Ren hung up. He then turned around, held Vimm¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Brother, this is my advice: if all of you really want to be united under the banner of this boss, it is best to start by reconstructing your worldviews¡­¡±


    Vimm was speechless.


    While Vimm was in a state of complete astonishment, Hao Ren left the balcony. The MDT had been silent all this time, but it suddenly sighed. ¡°Now I know why Madam Raven chose you as her assistant; both of you have so many things in common.¡±


    Hao Ren regretted the fact that he was actually in tune with the psychopath.


    Two days later, Hilda assembled three million armed escorts for Hao Ren. They were good to go.


    Hao Ren sent a progress report to Raven 12345, who only had praises for his ¡°armed escorts¡± idea, and hailed him for his political-correctness. After that, they agreed on a way for the thousands of large and small spacecrafts to cross over to Y¡¯zaks¡¯ homeland.


    Obviously, the Aerymian elves had no capability to navigate across worlds. They could not even fly to the World Gate on their own. Their spacecrafts were only good at bullying bumpkins within the atmosphere. So, Hao Ren needed to open a temporary World Gate above Peatopia while on the other side, the World Gate would be opened near the boundary of the bubble zone of Y¡¯zaks¡¯ hometown.


    After that, the elven fleet would sail to the Second Demonic Plane inside the bubble zone, where they would meet with Y¡¯zaks, load up everything, and go back out all the way again.


    As for the flight path in the bubble zone, there would not be a problem: the Petrachelys¡¯ advanced time-space radar would identify the correct flight path. If Y¡¯zaks had found this flight path back then, he would have made it out of the bubble zone¡­ Well, in practice, he still would not have been able to do it, because he did not have a spacecraft.


    Anyway, it was going to be a very ¡°eventful¡± journey.

 Chapter 452

    Planet Aerym aka Peatopia. Synchronous orbital position.


    Although they hadn¡¯t entered the era of interstellar travel, the Aerymian elves had stayed in their own mother planet for thousands of years and succussfully developed space station technology, planetless space colonial technology and whatnot which had far exceeded the achievement of other similar civilisations. As they moved to the new Aerym, they had also brought along these technological know-hows. The space facilities they brought were now being re-assembled and launched into the synchronous orbits. There they were¡ªthe three transit stations on the geostationary orbit right above their new home planet.


    On one of the transit stations, the fleet was ready. The silver-gray steel spaceships were in formation with more than a dozen large and slender motherships in the centre. An incalculable number of triangular spacecrafts and small dart-like battleships formed the massive fleet. Even if the Aerymian elves hadn¡¯t been able to colonise any planets in their homeland, they had tried their best to develop a very advanced aerospace technology. Intrastellar fleet could be just as epic.


    The one billion Aerymian immigrants had brought thousands of spacecrafts with them. Although they were outdated and could not match the fleet of the interstellar civilisations, they did look quite a presence in space. At least Hao Ren who had never seen such a scene before was widemouthed for a long while. But Ysre and Aylu surpassed him in every aspects in terms of bumpkinness as they both rooted to the spot like for the whole day. Though the two elven aides had been in countless wars, never had they witnessed such a massive fleet of spacecrafts in the space.


    Among the thousands of ships, there were many armed cruisers and small escort ships which could not be categorised as battleships. These spacecrafts were surrounding the larger motherships. When looking at a distance, these smaller ships looked like dregs falling off the bigger spaceships.


    Hao Ren felt like he was overly imaginative at time.


    If in accordance with the professional space code of conduct, unless there was a technology known as the ¡®joint shield¡¯ in place, all fleets of battleships were absolutely prohibited from forming such a dense formation to prevent the high-speed shrapnels from an exploded spacecraft destroying the nearby, friendly units. Large and medium-sized space battleships were usually arranged at intervals of thousands to tens of thousands of kilometers apart, the specific value depended on the technical model and size of the fleet. At the moment, the reason why these Aerymians spacecrafts were so arranged was because they were not carrying out regular warfare, and it was necessary to keep them closely enough in order to pass through the temporary World Gate which was limited in dimensions.


    Hao Ren stood on the bridge of the Petrachelys with Lily overlooking the mighty forces before them as both were in a state of excitement, with the only difference that Hao Ren would not bite the chair like Lily did. The image of Hilda appeared on the transmission panel. Her Majesty smiled to Hao Ren. ¡°I put my people¡¯s lives in your hand, but Vimm will personally lead them. But I hope you would bring them home safely.¡±


    ¡°You have my word,¡± Hao Ren assured her as he patted on the chest. ¡°To be honest, your technology may appear inadequate in this universe, but when applied in another, you could almost go in and out like a boss. There are no more than a handful of guys which could shoot down your spacecrafts with Fireball.¡±


    Hilda nodded, and the MDT which was slotted in the control panel snapped. ¡°Get ready. The World Gate is opened.¡±


    As the voice of the MDT faded, a strange phenomenon appeared in space. The space in front of the fleet began to warp, starlights from the distant space appeared to dissipate away, and a film of hundreds of kilometers across popped open. Through the sparkling light film one could see the image of another universe.


    Then a glitter appeared on the light film before it transformed into a line of text:


    Death is nothing, if you can¡¯t get AROUND it, fight it. SO Let¡¯s not bring shame to ourSELVES. We will not bully as much as be bullied. Success depends on 3% luck, 7% hard work, and 90% rash. Best wishes from the MOSTLY GREATEST AND BRIGHTEST Goddess, Raven 12345.


    Hao Ren, ¡°¡­..¡±


    It seemed even Lily could not stand that. She covered her head in her arms and hid under the chair. ¡°Landlord, please don¡¯t show my face on the transmission screen.¡±


    Hao Ren let out a sigh, and hit the radio button. ¡°Let¡¯s roll!¡±


    Then the Petrachelys led the way into the World Gate as the mighty fleet of battleships followed from behind. Hao Ren gazed again at the words: DEATH IS NOTHING, IF YOU CAN¡¯T GET AROUND IT, FIGHT IT which were transmitted into the cockpit via the external cam, his heart suddenly surged with a sense of pride.


    For the first time in his life, he had brought so many people to gang fight.


    Passing through the World Gate was only a matter of seconds. In the blink of an eye, the mighty fleet had already arrived in another universe. As the twisted images and radio interference began to normalise, Hao Ren saw scene outside the spacecraft.


    ¡°Here we are, at the border of the bubble zone. We¡¯re on the ¡®outside¡¯,¡± Hao Ren gazed out into the space outside. ¡°¡­ Y¡¯zaks is right.¡±


    The vast space with bright stars.


    Aside from the splendid fields of stars, the external cam had also captured images of an incredible landscape: it seemed the distribution of stars in the universe looked unnatural, a large area of ??the stars was twisted as if spinning in the same direction like a whirlpool. In the twisting, swirling centre of the whirlpool was a dazzlingly silver-white spot where a vaguely recognizable image could be seen.


    The MDT adjusted the recognition sensitivity and the image differential compensation parameters of the eternal cam, and finally a clearer image of the silver-white spots was captured.


    It turned out the whirlpool was a reflective sphere, the so-called silvery-white spot was actually the reflection of the stars and Aerymian fleet.


    ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, that¡¯s the entrance to the bubble zone.¡± The voice of the MDT was heard on the control panel. ¡°Strictly speaking, the bubble zone is the projection of the three-dimensional universe. It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t understand. What you need to do now is floor the throttle and get right in there. Oh right, maybe I¡¯ll do it this time¡­ by the way, when could you finish studying the tutorial, eh?¡±


    Hao Ren slapped the MDT. ¡°No one would blame you if you keep your mouth shut!¡±


    Then he turned his eyes on the communication panel, Vimm instantly showed up in the holographic projection.


    ¡°The MDT will lead you in. It will create a series of teleporting portals by using the special function of the spacecraft. If you need assistance, just contact the Petrachelys directly. Meanwhile, we will go and meet Y¡¯zaks. We¡¯re going to do some necessary ¡®fixes¡¯ to the wreckage while waiting for you there.¡±


    Wim nodded and said, ¡°Good luck.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded back before he led Lily and the two elves leaving the bridge to go to the teleport station in the Petrachelys.


    Though the versatile inspector-official spacecraft could not match the firepower of the military version, it did have many useful features, such as the ability to remotely set its teleporting destination for easier and more convenient execution of missions.


    The teleport station was located at the back of the bridge, was a semicircular room, large enough to teleport a dozen people in a single platform.


    While the weird spatial structure of the bubble zone presented some challenge, teleporting a small number of personnel in and out was relatively easy, at least not a problem to the Petrachelys. In the case of teleporting a mass not exceeding a certain threshold, the ship¡¯s powerful onboard computer could disregard the chaotic structure of the bubble zone and directly established a transmission path at any point in the bubble zone.


    As for the destination coordinates, Hao Ren had it noted down right before they left Helcrown.


    Vivian was hanging with Nangong Wuyue at the terrace in Helcrown palace, looking out at the huge wreckage in the faraway darkness. Tiny little dots of light could be seen twinkling at the wreckage of the spacecraft, those were the personnel Y¡¯zaks had sent out to explore the wreckage. For the last two days, technicians who had the ability to go to space had all been assigned to the wreckage to check the state of the wreckage, such as whether there was a rupture in the critical places: it was to prepare for the inpending departure.


    Just at that moment, the air on the terrace suddenly warped before Hao Ren and several others appeared before the two maidens.


    As soon as they arrived, Lil Pea cheerfully jumped onto Nangong Wuyue and started recounting happily to her fellow fish sister about his dad-dee dummy in the Aerymian square. Hao Ren smiled at Vivian. ¡°Everything is ready. Go and inform Y¡¯zaks ready to repair spacecraft wreckage. I¡¯ve brought in engineering machinery, and our goal is to make that big toy fly within a day!¡±

 Chapter 453

    Y¡¯zaks was called out of the control room. Along with him came the hyperactive little Y¡¯lisabet and deapanned Zadamor. Needless to say, they had been burying their heads in the pile of peculiar, high-tech gadgets. Y¡¯zaks¡¯ face instantly turned anxious once he saw Hao Ren.


    Hao Ren waved to motion the two elven aides to go to their boss for a debrief while he laughed. ¡°Worried? Millions of interstellar marines and thousands of spacecrafts are now heading towards this city from the border of the bubble zone. They will be arriving in a day at the soonest. I came back first, so that we could arrange things around here, and meet the Aerymian elves a day later and go back out.¡±


    Actually, what the Aerymian elves sent were not interstellar marines. Hao Ren made it up because it felt so much cooler¡­


    Y¡¯zaks was all happy anyway. Meanwhile, Ysre and Aylu had been debriefed on their mission in planet Aerym. Basically, it was about Hilda¡¯s attitude towards Helcrown and the ¡°diplomatic rhetoric¡± she wanted to send to the people of Helcrown. Y¡¯zaks nodded and listened attentively. He then waved his hand. ¡°Well, it¡¯s just as I expected. Hey, Hilda and I are acquaintances too. The Aerymian elves are truly brotherly.¡±


    ¡°After this, you¡¯ll have all the time on your side to exchange feelings with the Aerymian elves.¡± Hao Ren raised his finger, pointing in the direction of the wreckage. ¡°Are you free now? I¡¯m thinking that we bring a few men to fix the wreckge first, at least make it flyable. Waste no time, because when we meet with the Aerymian elves, we¡¯ll have to fly back out straightaway. We can¡¯t wait for them to install the engine. Let¡¯s do it ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Go and assemble all the ethereal engineers as well as the dwarven craftsmen,¡± Y¡¯zaks turned to Zadamor. ¡°Also, order the other demon technicians to come.¡±


    Zadamor left to carry out his orders. Hao Ren quickly added, ¡°Don¡¯t gather in the city, go directly to the wreckage!¡±


    A large group of technicians were soon called up and assembled at the massive spaceship wreckage. Hundreds of kilometers of giant spaceship was crazily huge. Hundreds of engineering teams gather on a single piece of deck. That was how massive the thing was!


    The spot where the team assembled had long been cleared out when Y¡¯lisabet established her long-term exploration base camp there. The huge and flat armour plate were covered with gravity array and runes which regulated air and temperature, forming a considerable large area of livable environment. The base had temporary buildings and facilities built with osidian, which indicated that people often lived here for a short period of time. In fact, when ¡°Y¡¯lisabet planned to build a small town on the shell of the wreckage, the construction materials actually came from the salvaged meterials.


    The little girl had even planned to use the resources of this alien dimension to rebuild the empire, at least to construct a stronghold. Judging from the size of the spaceship wreckage, her plan seemed highly workable. It was said that the girl had even written a reconstruction masterplan, but the plan failed to be carried out because she found herself unable to cut the ¡®steel¡¯ plates out from the spacecraft.


    It was really a scene of Yuanmou man meeting the Zentradi technology. The alien race which had been defeated in this place two hundred thousand years ago was at least seven generation ahead technologically than the now indigenous people in the region. Y¡¯lisabet had been knocking herself out and still could not even loosen a bolt from the spacecraft. Until she finally cut two or three pieces of material down from it, then she realised the amount of worn out tools was more than the materials she had salvaged.


    In short, ambitious work of the demon girl had to be set aside for the time being, as here the engineers of Helcrown had been assembled, and the number was unexpectedly more than anticipated. So it seemed Hao Ren¡¯s worry of insufficient manpower was no more a problem. In fact, this was rather a matter of course. As when Helcrowm was under siege, those who survived till the end must be the high-value group of people given the utmost protection right from the beginning. What was the most valuable resource according to Y¡¯zaks? Knowledge is power¡ªit was talent! So there was no wonder half of the population of Helcrown were scientists!


    Hao Ren opened the dimensional pocket and was about to clear out some stuff. Then a dimensional door suddenly emerged out of a distorted space before a silver quirky polyhedron was pushed out from the door by by several autonomous robots. The polyhedron was about three to four metres in height, shining in metallic luster. Some of the alloy polygon covers had lights flashing with Aerymian words dancing on it.


    In short, the thing was very high-tech, at least it seemed so to this world.


    Then the squid-like autonomous robots ran around Hao Ren playfully. Y¡¯lisabet could not hold back her curiosity and lunged toward one of the squid robots. ¡°What is this thing?¡± She asked curiously.


    The squid robot was stunned by her sudden appearance, but due to the commands in the squid robot which identified her as a ¡®friendly¡¯ party, it did not retaliate but could only keep dodging left and right. Finally, it laid itself on the floor like a ball of yarn with all its tentacles retracted. Then Y¡¯lisabat drew out a screwdriver and poked the ball of robotic tentacles and muttered, ¡°This thing is really interesting.¡±


    Hao Ren gave Y¡¯zaks a glare and said, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you keep your daughter under control?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks smiled wryly as he stepped forward and lifted the demon girl onto his shoulder with his fingers. ¡°Let¡¯s continue. By the way, what¡¯s this thing?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a gravity regulator which has been been decommissioned from the floating islands in Aerym,¡± said Hao Ren, pointing to the polyhedron device. ¡°Those floating islands have been stabilized, and none of these things are in use now. Hilda keeps a whole lot of them in the warehouse, and are ready to be recycled. I have asked some from her. You should place them in every corner of the spaceship wreckage. The effective range of each gravity regulator is ten kilometres in radius. I would like at least two of them to be placed in each effective range, got it?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks nodded and before he could say anything, Y¡¯lisabet had slipped down his arm, and patted the huge polyhedron device excitedly. ¡°A device can produce ten kilometres radius of gravity magic? Oh gosh! The largest magic array is only less than two kilometers across!¡±


    Hao Ren glared at the mischievous child, face full of caution. ¡°Please put down the evil screwdriver in your hand?¡± he demanded.


    The little girl tucked away her tool and looked curiously up at the displayed text on the panel of the polyhedron. ¡°What is it written?¡±


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes. ¡°THIS SIDE UP,¡± he said.


    Y¡¯lisabet, ¡°¡­..¡±


    The makeover of the wrecked spacecraft was carried out incessantly. Technicians of Helcrown who could operate in space were all out installing the gravity regulators in every corner of the wreckage. It was a stressful operation as they had to totally make over this hundred-kilometer-long wreckage in just a day, but since Y¡¯zaks had promised the moon, Hao Ren could only trust those technicians.


    It was fortunate that the installation of these gravity regulators did not require the use of high technology. As a key installation of floating island, these gravity regulators were self-sustaining in the best possible way, could operate for months in the absence of an external power supply, and be mounted physically anywhere and yet worked safely. During the two days in planet Aerym, Hilda had let her elven engineers add a networked control system to the gravity regulators, allowing Hao Ren to control them with just a remote control.


    The task of Y¡¯zaks¡¯ engineers was to mount these alien technologies securely all over the spacecraft, even with rivets¡­


    Hao Ren could not imagine such high-tech equipment could be worked with such low tech tools, but since Hilda had vowed that these gravity regulators would work well in any circumstances, he could only wait and looked forward to see how a space fortress could fly safely in space with just rivets, super glue, cast iron bolts, wire rope as patch. If pictures of this unprecedented scene were posted on the information link of the local universe, it was totally possible that the post would be pinned on the top for at least half a year. By the way, he had even got the title for the thread already.


    Meanwhile, the inhabitants of many planes in this world were ushering in a frenzied day.


    The mighty fleet of Aerymian elves had made it across the desolate desert on the fringe of the bubble zone and now were roaring and flying past over the heads of the locals.


    Checkpoint soldiers all over the world were all surprised as countless generals gazed up and found those unidentified flying objects blazing through the sky. They all asked the same question:


    Where are those things coming from?

 Chapter 454

    The fleet of Aerymian elves stormed through the bubble zone. These elves from another world did not feel a thing about the defenses of this world. Although they were nervous and highly alert at departure as it was their first ever real ¡®interstellar combat¡¯ mission, soon they found the enemy¡¯s ¡®air force¡¯ was not worthy their attention. Only a few griffin forces and strange flying soldiers tried to intercept them from afar, but were quickly smoked by their fleet, and simply not a threat.


    If it were not for Aerymian spacecrafts did not possess the warp jump capability and had to follow a fixed route by going through the gateways between the bubble zones, things could be a lot easier.


    Of course, one important reason why they were able to fly through the bubble without much resistence was because the bubble zone natives were caught by surprise and did not know how to react. When the fleet entered the atmosphere, it was something totally unheard of in this world. The natives did not even know what it was. Only until the Aerymian spacecrafts forced the teleport door open under the guidance of the Petrachelys, the natives started to realize that it was a group of ¡®enemies¡¯. By that time, the alien fleet had already disappeared before them. With a large group of aliens suddenly flew by, beside being flabbergasted, what else could one do?


    Near the fourth gateway of Cadeceus, soldiers neatly lifted their heads gazing into heaven, all were at loss. An elderly commander was heard muttering to his lieutenant, ¡°What the hell are those things?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea. Just receive message from Senjin Plane, those steel monsters have just zoomed past their sky¡­ just passing by?¡±


    Similar conversations can be heard at many gateways in many planes. Wherever the Aerymian elven fleet went, it left behind a trail of awe and wonder.


    Meanwhile, at the wreckage site, the makever operation was almost completed. A large number of gravity regulators had been installed various key points both inside and outside the spacecraft wreckage, creating an anti-gravity field that enveloped the entire wreckage. At least three gravity regulators were installed in each effective range, so that even if one was damaged the wreckage would not fall from the sky. After all the engineers left the wreckage, Hao Ren tested activating the anti-gravity system. It worked perfectly¡ªa space fortress patched in rivets, super glue, cast iron bolts, wire ropes, and iron hoops.


    Hao Ren and the others stood on the tower of the outer city wall of Helcrown, looking at the huge wreckage from a distance. The wreckage was several times bigger than even Helcrown. But as spectacular as it was, the state of dilapidation was hard to ignore. Vivian held a small bat and tossed it in her hand as she whispered. ¡°Why I have the feeling that his thing looks even more broken than before the repair?¡±


    Hao Ren facepalmed, thinking of his unsightly ¡®engineering masterpiece¡¯. He was almost reluctant to admit that it was a project under his auspice, but he put a brave face on it and said, ¡°It¡¯s just an illusion¡­ most of the gravity regulators are inside. What can you on the outside?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks scratched his head awkwardly. ¡°In fact, we do have a more advanced installation technique, but due to time constraint, we couldn¡¯t produce the necessary brackets for the the gravity regulators¡­ we could only improvise.¡±


    Truly patriotic, the demon king didn¡¯t not let the opportunity pass without promoting his local industries despite the difficult times.


    ¡°Well, as long as the things not fall apart before the the wreckage arrives its destination, that would be okay,¡± Hao Ren put up a dry smile, ¡°We couldn¡¯t afford to let the gravity regulators to fall off, misalignment of a few gravity regulators could have triggered a chain reaction which would wipe out half of the power.¡±


    ¡°Is that what your bat for?¡± Lily¡¯s mind always worked weirdly and differently. She had been eyeballing the bat in Vivian¡¯s hands for a while but managing to resist her biting urge. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m confused¡­¡±


    Vivian looked down at the little bat and said, ¡°I¡¯m just bored, but it¡¯s for the same reason you chase and bite your own tail. Is that what your tail for?¡±


    Lily suddenly said in a serious tone of voice, ¡°If tail isn¡¯t for biting, then why should I keep it?¡±


    Everyone around: ¡°¡­..¡±


    Lanina turned her head and pulled her tail a few times, as if the World Gate had been opened. But considering the succubus had a weird behaviour all this while, let¡¯s just let her be.


    After the gravity test was completed, they also had to solve the propulsion problem. However, the installation of the engine system was not a task the Helcrown engineers could handle. And to be honest, re-equipping a space fortress of several hundred kilometers long with a new engine was inherently impossible. As engine system was not the same as a gravity regulator. While the latter could be dismantled and mounted anywhere, engine was a completely complex system; it consumed a great deal of energy, and needed a lot of things such as power lines, reactors, control centers, nozzles and things like that. The engineering work involved was enormous and even the entire rear-half of the wreckage had to be dismantled. So it was not being considered from the very beginning.


    Hao Ren was waiting for the fleet of Aerymian elves to arrive. The fleet had more than a dozen engineering tugs, used by the Aerymian elves to tow the floating islands which had lost power in the ¡®dead zone¡¯. These tugs were powerful, suitable for working on things like the huge monster of hundreds of kilometers long, and had skilled technicians onboard.


    When the tugs could fly around while towing a massive floating island, a mere spaceship wreckage would seem like a child¡¯s play.


    Shortly after that, the voice of the MDT was heard in Hao Ren¡¯s mind. ¡°Yo! Boss, we are just around the corner! Come out quickly!¡±


    Hao Ren turned to Y¡¯zaks and said, ¡°Get your people ready. We¡¯re leaving now.¡±


    The message calling for depature quickly spread throughout Helcrown. Soldiers immediately stayed in their positions guarding the city, a huge magic barrier was switched into battle-ready mode as Helcrown was shrouded in a layer of pale green, devilish shield. The civilians were ready as well. When the siren sounded, the streets quickly became deserted as all the elderly and children who could not fight was staying indoor with their doors and windows shut and ready to set off on an unknown journey.


    Y¡¯zaks stood on the city wall, slowly transformed into a monster lava demon. He clenched his Black Sword, his primary weapon of battle for years which had finally returned to his hands, as he looked down at his feet.


    His daughter are carrying a pair of pickaxes climbing up his feet.


    ¡°Y¡¯lisbet, go back to the palace,¡± Y¡¯zaks plucked her daughter down from his feet with two fingers and shoved her to Lanina. Amid the kicking and waving of protests from the little girl, Y¡¯zaks solemnly issued his command. ¡°Let¡¯s roll!¡±


    The whole city shook as the surrounding space warped with light and shadow. When everything subsided, the dark-red world of the Second Demonic Plane appeared in front of their eyes. As expected, the Demon Legion and the Allied Army were there.


    The Allied Army and The Demon Legion swarmed the desolute, red Broken Plain with each occupied one side of the plain. Apparently they had not retreated much since the unexpected encounter several days ago. These people were not fools. They must have already figured out a thing or two after Helcrown appeared twice in The Second Plane. Even if they did not spot the pattern, they would surely remain in here for a year and two. After all, the Demon King Legion was the shadow of this world. Such a horrific opponent, a split second of its appearance could cause the world to fall into terror. It was only natural for the the two forces to remain in the area lest Helcrown appeared again.


    And they nailed it this time: Helcrown had indeed appeared again!


    Demons and races of the human world had been dead set against each other for a long time despite the effort of Y¡¯zaks. Ironically however, the two opposing forces had reluctantly reached an agreement for a truce in Broken Plain. Though it was not known what content of the agreement was, it would not be far from something like preserving their strength to fight their common enemy and stuff like that. That was why they had stayed put in the Broken Plain¡ªwaiting for the reemergence of Helcrown.


    The battle is imminent.

 Chapter 455

    General Grigory was a very foul mood. Too many things that had happened lately that ground his gears. Everything started with the theft of the demonic crystal: A group of unknown origins, probably some cunning demon had orchestrated the heist that night. After causing a ruckus in the camp, they stole the crystal with the crazed demon king¡¯s last words. But more incredibly, they took his house as well. That left Grigory furious, and very confused at the same time.


    To make it worse, the crystal was lost under his guard, and that almost caused a fracture within the Allied Army. It was only through the efforts of the Pope that the clamouring of the heroes died down and the matter suppressed. Grigory had since been after the mystery behind the crystal¡¯s theft. The veteran of countless wars knew that there was something much deeper to this. But before he even managed to sniff out a trail, the reappearance of the Demon King¡¯s Army rocked the world.


    Grigory immediately felt that the theft of the crystal has something to do with the reappearance of Helcrown. But now was not the time to dig further, and he left the matter at that and led his army personally into the scorching barrens of the demonic plane.


    As his army marched at double speed, he had indeed caught sight of Helcrown appearing in midair. The sight of the city¡¯s foreboding shadow had the Allied Army take a step back. That spine chilling sight could not be further from reality. Even as Helcrown disappeared as suddenly as it appeared, Grigory still had his men encamped at the southern area of the Shattered Plains, directly facing Serathon¡¯s and Banuklaak¡¯s demonic host. As they stood guard against the demons, they were also monitoring the mountains which Helcrown had disappeared.


    General Grigory stood in front of his encampment surveying the black rock mountain, and recalled what happened in the war ten years ago. Rather than harbouring only hatred or fear like his kinsmen, Grigory was rather curious about the nature of the demon king. He would ponder for days on end of the motives and structure of the demon king¡¯s actions, and seriously considered the influence he had on this world. Whether it is good or bad, he would get to the bottom of it. And this sense of curiosity was not unique to Grigory; the other six heroes and the Pope too shared the sentiment. Regardless, the crazed demon king was a mysterious adversary, and there is much to be gained from the fallen demon king.


    At the very moment, Grigory¡¯s adjutant ran towards him in a hurry. ¡°General! A transmission from the rear!¡±


    Grigory was jolted out of his thoughts, and turned. ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡±


    ¡°A group of mysterious¡­. silver metallic beasts appeared out of nowhere. They broke through twenty three planes through the air. They seemed like they are military unit with an objective, and they are heading towards the demonic plane.¡±


    Grigory frowned. ¡°What sort of report is that? Mysterious silver beasts? Are the sentries at the gates that illiterate?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how the transmission was,¡± the adjutant shrugged. ¡°Those things appeared rather suddenly, and they were so unique that no one have seen them before. Perhaps General you might¡­¡±


    Before the adjutant could finish, a roaring thundercrack broke through the sky!


    Grigory looked up towards the source of the sound, and was greeted with the horrific sight of the sky splitting itself apart, as the horror-inspiring black city slowly appear from the breach!


    The entire encampment fell into a massive furore, and despite the veterans quickly brought the scene under control, the screams of fear and panic still spread throughout the encampment. Many soldiers pointed to the air with a bone-rattling shiver. ¡°HELCROWN! IT HAS APPEARED!¡±


    At the same moment, the situation of the demonic host on the other side of the Shattered Plains were no better. Even those vicious demons were nothing but fodder in face of the might of the Demon King¡¯s Army. Even from that distance, Grigory could hear their roars and cries. Even till now, ten years after his fall, the demon king was still a feared figure.


    ¡°FORMATION!!! PREPARE FOR BATTLE!¡± Grigory drew his longsword and using his magically enhanced voice, his command boomed across the camp. ¡°Paladins, summon the light! Arcane Cannons, prepare to fire!¡±


    On the other end of the plain, Serathon¡¯s slithering voice rumbled throughout the the demon host¡¯s camp. ¡°GET A GRIP, YOU COWARDS! Demonblasters, Terrorgheists, Gargoyles! On me! TAKE THAT CITY DOWN!!¡±


    Allied Army or Demonic Host, both were hellbent on taking down Helcrown the moment they knew that the city survived. All of them were prepared to blast the city out of the sky the moment it reappeared!


    There was no need to reconfirm or reassess the situation, there was no need for reconnaissance or diplomatic manoeuvrers. The enemy was the crazed demon king, the primal disaster of the world whose reign of terror spanned hundreds of years. There was no time to hesitate, for any moment loss meant the second coming of apocalypse. Thus, every soldier present were at the ready, ready to rain hell upon their foe.


    There was no possibility for diplomacy in the first place.


    Holy light radiated from the Allied Army, and the radiance expelled the dark clouds above them. Giant conical arcane cannons were being brought to bear by arcane golems, the heavy artillery lumbered as it was turned into position, facing Helcrown. Azure arcane energies soon gathered within the cannon, letting out sharp screeching noises. The demon host too quickly moved into formation, and cannons, encrusted with demonic runes too trained their cannons towards the floating city, the Terrorgheists flying above gathered the gargoyles into a spearhead formation, and was waiting for the opportunity to charge in the moment the cannons breach the shields.


    Y¡¯zaks and the remnants of his army stood at the parapets. The plains before them lit into a hive of activity the moment Helcrown reappeared. But the demon king was expressionless. Well, you couldn¡¯t tell most of the time anyway.


    ¡°We have located the last of the teleportation gate,¡± The MDT rang within Hao Ren¡¯s head. ¡°ETA five minutes.¡±


    ¡°Five minutes to go.¡± Hao Ren nodded at Y¡¯zaks. ¡°Maintain that gate behind us.¡±


    Helcrown had reappeared even before the Aerym Elves had arrived. This was to provide a dimensional tether, to allow the elves to go into the dimension and grab the floating hulk out of the place. And before that, Helcrown would become the primary target of attack.


    ¡°Maintain the gate!¡± Y¡¯zaks raised his Black Sword. Green runes hissed as it glow bright. ¡°Cannons to bear! FIRE AT WILL!!¡±


    The dark energy spire above Helcrown blasted out a blinding light, the dimensional gate behind the city stabilised under the light. At the time time, the heavy guns of both the Allied Army and the demon host roared.


    Sky shattering screech rang out as the both arcane and demonic cannons fired. The city-levelling warmachines belched hot white bolts and corrupting dark energies towards the city in a storm of fire and fury. Helcrown was the epicentre of the attack.


    At the same time, the spires on the outer walls of Helcrown glowed bright, and countless of runic wards appeared on the spires, launching counter fires to intercept the destructive payloads.


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!! Ear ringing explosions thundered as the missiles collided against each other. Most of the offensive payload were taken out by the counter fire, but some still found their mark as they impacted against the Helcrown¡¯s energy barriers. The scorching and unstable payloads fizzled against the barrier as Helcrown was engulfed in a fusillade of fire and brimstone. As if apocalypse was nigh.


    Against the earth shattering explosions, the dimensional gate behind the city stood.


    Serathon swung his warglaive. ¡°Terrorgheists! ATTACK!¡±


    ¡°DEPLOY THE CANNONS!¡± Y¡¯zaks roared. The sound of his roar even turned a few of the Terrorgheists into rocks before shattering, raining rocks on the ground below. The embrasures on the castle walls pulled aside as the cannons were deployed. Hundreds of menacing red light glowed from the gaps. The cannons were fully charged.


    A mere city was facing two of the largest armies ever assembled. The odds were so lopsided at first glance that it was hilarious. But as the first round of cannon fire rained up both the Allied Army and the demon hosts, Y¡¯zaks bellowed.


    ¡°Mongrels! My buddy were could summon a warhost of elves to blast your arses back to kingdom come with just a phone call!¡±


    Hao Ren was glad that Y¡¯lisabet was already sent back into the keep¡­.

 Chapter 456

    As Y¡¯zaks bellow rang across the battlefield, both sides were shaken by what the demon king had proclaimed. General Grigory held his sword tightly, his eyes were cautious. At the same time, he asked his adjutant, ¡°What¡¯s a phone call?¡±


    Serathon had also tightened his grip on his warglaive, and roared at one of the demonic army officers, ¡°Quick, go check what ¡®blast your a**es to kingdom come¡¯ means!¡±


    Upon Helcrown¡¯s battlements, Hao Ren and the rest were still in a daze. Each and everyone of them were stunned into silence. It took a while before Vivian managed to come up with a reaction. Her face was rather incredulous. ¡°So¡­ Big Guy, care to share your combat strategy?¡±


    Well, that was proof that even a person like Y¡¯zaks was not immune to Earth¡¯s influence after staying there for half a year. The demon king had already picked up a boat load of words that only Earthlings would understand. On top of that, due to the difference in worldviews, Y¡¯zaks knew the exact meaning of the words, but did not find them offensive. He took the words literally, word for word as they were, and when he bellowed them out, his looked serious¡­


    The Allied Army had increased the pace of its attack as more and more arcane cannons finished charging; their load was being blasted towards Helcrown in a flurry. But, just as the army thought victory was within grasp and the end of the Demon King¡¯s army was nigh, an unknown screech traveled across the sky!


    The western skies suddenly lit up in silver as countless white and madder red missiles rained upon them like a sudden storm. Neither the Allied Army nor Demonic Army could react in any capacity, They were thrown into chaos by the sudden attack of this skyborn ¡°phenomenon¡± and the rear of both encampments was an inferno.


    ¡°Mysterious silver objects¡­¡± Only then did Grigory realize what the sentries meant after looking at the attacking metal vessels. He now understood why they had ignored the outposts during their initial flight. They only bared their fangs at the battlefield, and with the reappearance of Helcrown, it was obvious that the two were definitely related!


    However, Aerym¡¯s attack came in a blitz and it was about as quick as the magical transmission used by the Allied Army. By the time General Grigory got word of it, he did not have time to even assess the situation, or react. He did the only thing he could, and ordered his men into defensive formations. ¡°Deploy barriers! Spread out!¡±


    The Allied Army quickly formed a defensive formation as each race hurriedly deployed barriers and spread out. While the arcane cannons changed their targets to their new airborne threat. Griffon riders and mages took to the air to combat the weird metal monsters.


    It was a battle of epic proportions, which no one had ever seen before.


    Plasma blasts scorched the earth in blinding rays, and the floating debris above the Broken Plains were blasted into white hot chucks of molten rock. Those demons, who were too slow to react were seared into ash by the superhot plasma blasts. Serathon immediately deployed an army-wide demonic barrier as he commanded the demonic cannons to counter-fire. His eyes were still locked onto Helcrown. Shortly after, something appeared and it was forever seared into the minds of all who were present.


    The dimensional gate next to Helcrown had grown into massive proportions, almost like a black wall descending from the heavens. A dimensional rift was visible as the object broke through the gate. At the same time, a few pyramid-shaped aircrafts had earlier bypassed the aerial defences and everyone¡¯s attention. They were now slowly appearing from the dimensional gate. Behind the ships were countless guiding lights, which made it seem like they were towing something out of the gate.


    Under the guidance of the light, the object finally showed itself, blocking out the heavens.


    It was like a floating mountain range, a city beyond the clouds, or a moving continent above everyone¡¯s head. The old space hulk bore the scars of past battles and disasters. A few miles at a time, the space hulk appeared from the gate as though it was threatening to crush everyone underfoot. The sudden appearance of such a colossal hulk that was riddled with holes and appendages struck fear into every being on the field.


    The 100-km-long ancient space hulk floated with the aid of the anti-gravity generators as it lumbered its way out of the gate. The Aerymian spacecrafts were massive objects in the eyes of those who had seen it earlier. But with the space hulk¡¯s appearance, they were nothing but gnats next to the behemoth.


    The space hulk blocked out the heavens, bringing premature night upon the entire Broken Plains. Under the teeming darkness, only the flashes of plasma and explosions of heat-seeking missiles reminded everyone that the battle was still ongoing.


    One of the micro-missiles flew towards him, and General Grigory easily destroyed the missile with a slash of his sword. The holy light obliterated the missile before it even got close and the fragments as well as aftershock slammed against the magic barrier. But, behind the first micro-missile was a swarm of its kind, racing towards him.


    A paladin of his caliber could have easily taken care of a missile, but the advanced firepower that the Aeryms brought smothered the heavens.


    The target of the missiles were however, not him. Instead, the targets were the arcane cannons behind him. Hao Ren was right; while the Aerymians indeed had advanced technology, the fight was real, not a simulation. Those cannons were a real threat.


    Well, they were at least towards the space hulk, which did not have any barriers. Its armor was also ruined. The structure itself was barely held together by nails and duct tape.


    Grigory realized too that Helcrown was not the main character that day; it was the massive iron continent, which appeared from another dimension.


    What was that thing?


    Grigory, Serathon, Banuklaak and all other commanding officers wondered at the same time. Was this what the demon king would use for his revival? A super weapon of sorts? Or, was it an ancient demonic relic, or the true source of the demon king¡¯s power?


    And, were those flying metal boxes summoned by the demon king from another world?


    Grigory pointed his sword towards the floating behemoth. ¡°Take that down!¡±


    ¡°That will cause massive casualties, sir!¡± His adjutant was horrified when Grigory gave the order. The long shadow had covered the entire Broken Plains. It was like a moving continent above everyone¡¯s head, and if it were to crash into the ground with its current trajectory, the casualties would be unimaginable.


    Grigory gave his adjutant a cold glare. ¡°Don¡¯t make me repeat myself, officer! Take that down! What happened to your convictions to die in battle?!¡±


    At that very moment, the demonic host came to the same conclusion as the demonic cannons trained their guns towards the space hulk. Countless corrosive green energy pounded the behemoth. In an instant, the belly of the space hulk was lit green. The structure itself was not stable from the outset, and the rattling was even worse now.


    Behind the demon cannons, a fusillade of spellflame churned into a fiery net.


    Looking down at the battlefield, Y¡¯zaks drew his sword. ¡°Men, follow me! We will destroy those demonic cannons!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the humans¡¯ artilleries,¡± Vimm¡¯s voice rang out from the communicator. ¡°The space hulk¡¯s structure is worse than expected. The tow ships are accelerating now. Please help to take out those stray missiles.¡±


    The hulking spacecraft creaked as the tow ships accelerated towards the western teleportation gate. Hao Ren inititally thought to show off the Petrachelys for a bit, but he decided otherwise as it went to deploy the gate. It was the only ship in the fleet that was capable of opening a gate big enough for the space hulk to pass through, therefore it had to be at the forefront of the fleet.


    The Aerymian spacecrafts started bombarding the Allied Army¡¯s firebase, while the smaller fighter crafts tangled with the griffon riders and mages. They seemed to be winning. Y¡¯zaks and his demonic retinue leaped from the high walls of Helcrown, while more joined in using the city¡¯s teleportation gates. Demons, obsidian golems, and the mighty army rushed headlong towards Serathon and Banuklaak¡¯s forces.


    There were plasma blasters that were used to cut up their floating islands; photon cannons that were used to destroy out-of-control coronal stations; and disintegration beams that were used to well.. disintegrate abandoned islands¡­. Technically speaking, the Aerymian combat crafts were in fact engineering tools, but with their vast gulf in technology, even an ore digger could be a doomsday weapon!


    As the griffon riders fought against the advanced aircrafts, arcane cannons bombarded the anti-gravity frigates. The heat of the battle dominated the skies. As mages as well as paladins unleashed their spells and holy light, an unprecedented scene of battle unfolded over the field.

 Chapter 457

    The Aerymian fleet was powerful against the natives of this world, but they were not invincible. The races in Y¡¯zaks¡¯ old home were clearly hardened veterans of many wars, and their spells were nothing to scoff at. You could not even come close by comparing it to a conventional warfare. The Aerymian fleet also needed to escort and protect that behemoth of a spacecraft, which was several hundred kilometers in size. The pace in which it was chugging at left the Aerymians with little to no leeway. Thus, Y¡¯zaks and Hao Ren needed to figure out a way to take out their enemies, or at the very least, those annoying cannons.


    The firepower of arcane cannons were second to none, but these cannons were slow, lumbering pieces of equipment. Hence, they were only a threat towards the hulking ship. The Aerymian escort fighters had quickly dispatched the cannons. Demonic cannons on the other had, were quick in locking onto their targets and they had an unmatched rate of fire. Those were Y¡¯zaks¡¯ targets.


    ¡°Come with me! Charge!¡± Y¡¯zaks drew his Black Sword as he charged headlong into the demonic host. The five-meter-tall lava demon was the most eye-catching of targets, and under his scorching red glow, the demon king¡¯s army was at its peak. The very sight of Y¡¯zaks sent shudders amongst the demonic host. As he swung his blade, the magic runes on his sword released a shockwave so strong that a ballistic missile would pale in comparison. Before him, all the lesser demons were nothing but floating ashes and dust.


    Obsidian colossals marched forward in huge footsteps. They may have looked like lumbering creatures, but their advance was steady. Nothing the enemies unleashed could stop their inexorable march towards their target. Their crimson cyclopean eyes shot out scorching energy rays, annihilating everything in their path in one sweep. Chainsword welding demons in heavy armor followed their king, slaying everything before them in total silence.


    They were Y¡¯zaks¡¯ last remaining troops, the loyalists who stood guard over Helcrown even as the demon king¡¯s army crumbled years ago. The demonic veterans had scars all over their body, and the flames of war had fully anointed them, leaving them almost unrecognizable from their original form. But being the veterans that they were, even though scarred throughout, they fought like true demons. With their chainswords hewing and roaring, they reaped a bloody toll across the ranks of the demonic host!


    The demon king¡¯s army, the fearsome primal force that ruled the world for hundreds of years; even if they were to go out, they would go out standing victorious in combat!


    Wave after wasve of Serathon¡¯s personal guards charged towards Y¡¯zaks, determined to protect the demonic cannons with whatever courage they had. But as they went in one after the other, all were reduced to nothing but ash. Y¡¯zaks was like a flaming giant, stepping on gnats as he advanced. He grabbed one of the stronger demons and smashed it into the ground, the latter crumpling into a ball. ¡°You deem yourself worthy to stop me?!¡±


    The demon king¡¯s roar shook the battlefield, and a score of demon guards froze before shattering into molten rocks.


    Trudging steps suddenly came from the side and Y¡¯zaks instinctively parried the blow with his Black Sword. The land around him immediately shattered and left a deep crater about 20-m wide. Serathon¡¯s warglaive grinded against the Black Sword¡¯s blade and sparks flew all over the place. ¡°You old fool, your time is over!¡±


    The Black Sword¡¯s runes glowed green in sequence as Y¡¯zaks pushed the glaive aside. ¡°It¡¯s not your time either!¡±


    *Boom! Boom!*


    A thunderous clash followed as the two demons exchaged blows. The immediate area around them shook violently as dust and smoke gathered. It was almost as if a dimensional sphere had formed around them, and it was being shaken to its core. Their attacks were simple yet brutal, a slash here, and a thrust there, almost elementary. But with each blow, the entire place was closer to falling apart. Most of the guards of the demonic host had fled the area, and slower ones were instantly turned into dust by the shockwave. The lesser demons further away simply burned up as they heard the roar of combat. The demon lords were reaping the life energies of the lesser demons around them, and the inexperienced fodders all turned into fuel to power the massives attacks of the Black Sword and the warglaive.


    The Allied Army that was scattered under the aerial bombardment of the Aerymian fleet had noticed the massive quakes as well. A group of cavalry that had wandered off to close to the demonic encampment after dodging streams of plasma blasts were enthralled by the combat. A few of the younger soldiers turned towards Y¡¯zaks and Serathon, and as they breathed, they breathed their last, falling limply from their horses. Their skin ashen, their bodies shrivelled and petrified.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look!¡± A veteran cavalryman yelled as he struggled against the enthrallment. ¡°Your souls will be consumed!¡±


    And once more the massive weapons collided as Y¡¯zaks and Serathon¡¯s silhouette parted. The area around them had shown signals of a dimensional distortion, mirror-like glitter started appearing in the air, the hallmark of a oncoming dimensional rift.


    ¡°Old man, you¡¯re weak!¡± Serathon wreathed fire as he breathed. Flames bursting out from his armor, yet nary a scar. ¡°I can feel¡­ your drive to rule the world had disappeared. You have lost your motivation¡­. You are just an old fool struggling to survive¡­ you are no match for me¡­.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks looked down, and nonchalantly lifted his sword again. ¡°You¡¯re wrong¡­ I still have yet a motivation¡­.¡±


    As he finished, the giant lava demon disappeared.


    Serathon suddenly felt his muscles shudder, and instincts told him that danger was imminent. But his massive frame reacted just too slowly. A thunderclap later and the giant salamander demon was thrown a few hundred meters away, his lower body slowly turning into molten ash. Y¡¯zaks Black Sword had driven deep into his waist, and had almost cleaved the demon in two.


    ¡°¡­ To bring my daughter home.¡±


    Serathon struggled, but it was futile. He could not restore his body that was slowly turning into volcanic ash. The demon lord was overconfident, and he now paid the price. Y¡¯zaks pulled the sword out of the dying demon, and took it¡¯s head off in one fell stroke.


    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re in the way.¡±


    Serathon¡¯s demise had thrown the demon host into confusion. Without needing to look, Y¡¯zaks knew that the battle was won. He swatted the ash off his blade and looked towards somwhere. A crimson -skinned demon was standing before him. The burning demonic blood all over him was testament of the brutal battle he had making his way here. The crimson demon was much bigger than before, but that scar on his face was immediately recognisable.


    Y¡¯zaks nodded. ¡°Lamadenor, I thought you¡¯d give this a pass.¡±


    The demonic general, whom all thought had left long ago, had reappeared on the battlefield. He gave Y¡¯zaks a courteous nod. ¡°One last battle.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sure on not following me?¡±


    ¡°The place you mentioned sounds great.¡± Lamadenor turned and left. ¡°But not for me.¡±


    One the otherside of the battlefield, Hao Ren was facing a giant bug the size of a hill.


    Banuklaak¡¯s appendages skittered around, and a series of grating clacks came behind it¡¯s carapace, almost as if was laughing. Hao Ren stoood on top of Lily¡¯s head. The werehusky had turned into her beast form. Hao Ren felt he was starting to get used to this odd-ball fighting style.


    Hao Ren was nothing but a gnat before Banuklaak and it was only after Lily transformed that he was able to match size for size.


    His alloy spear flickered, but it seems like the weapon was not effective against that giant bug demon. Lily too let out a threatening growl, before hissing slightly. The werehusky had tried to take a bite out of the demon earlier, and her fangs were aching now.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just bite something anyhow.¡± Hao Ren tapped his spear on the tip of Lily¡¯s snout. The latter replied with an growl. Hao Ren then looked up into the air and saw a streak of blue flight approaching.


    ¡°Buggie,¡± Hao Ren laughed at Banuklaak. ¡°Let me show you something nice.¡±


    A second later, Banuklaak was assaulted by a sudden daze.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have some fun in space.¡±

 Chapter 458

    Banuklaak clattered in horror as it felt itself in a totally unknown situation. No place to stand, and nothing to hang on. It was floating in the midst of the void, yet untold amount of primal energies were rushing into its body. It started gasping for air. That was however the least of its problems, the real threat was the ray of light that was unbelievably bright. The light was searing hot and contained unknown form of energy, the demon realised that he was dying by the passing second.


    Its chitin carapace and demonic barrier had failed, and its body was quickly being reduced into nothing but mush.


    Banuklaak struggled futilely as the searing light threatened to engulf him. Thrashing about, it was trying to get a good look on what the light was, but in real space, this was useless. It tried to use its spells to escape the area, but then realised he was being held by something even stronger. A gravity well so strong that it was being dragged right into the light, and prevent it from using any dimensional magic.


    Sensing that its life was quickly fading away, the ancient demon finally felt fear, it noticed that the weird man who had sent him here was just before him, and it struggled to speak. ¡°STOP¡­. STOP PLESAE!! I DON¡¯T WANT TO FIGHT YOU!! I WAS BEWITCHED BY SERATHON! I CAN SWEAR MY LOYALTY ONCE AGAIN TO THE CRAZED DEMON KING¡­. OR TO YOU!!! PLEASE, STOP!!! GET ME¡­..¡±


    Its voice was swallowed whole by the voice, and aside from the shuddering of its carapace, there was no sound.


    Hao Ren was ¡®standing¡¯ not far away from Banuklaak. His shield rippled as it protected him against the cosmic radiation and other harmful particles. He was almost like the sun god incarnate as a sphere around him was ablaze. He looked at the giant bug demon slowly descending into the light and wanted to know what the latter was saying. But sadly, he could not hear anything. Shrugging his shoulders, he mumbled to himself. ¡°This is the stars that you lot had ignored.¡±


    Banuklaak, the sly and opportunistic ancient demon whose careers spanned multiple allegience, backstabs, misdirection. The demon who rose from a lowly hell maggot into a demon lord. Countless other allies and demon lords was waylaid by the scheming demon, and through his cunning he had lived longer than any other demon, but all that came to an end today. Drowning in the blaze of cosmic fire.


    This proved that even how cunning, how well planned one was, it was nothing in the face of brute, primal force. Banuklaak perished under the power of nature, and he died a crisp.


    Hao Ren eyed his shield gauge and turned back with a heroic swag. ¡°Lets go.¡±


    A real man does not turn back to see a crispy roasted giant bug.


    The battlefield was a sea of chaos, at least for the Allied army and the demon host. The unknown enemy had thrown even the most experienced of generals into confusion and most soldiers could only scatter and run for their lives under the intense bombardment. Their ability to resist was almost taken out in short order. Both the Aerym fleet and the Demon King¡¯s Army had noticed the turn of the tide and did not bother taking on the now demoralised soldiers. Their primary targets was still the arcane and demonic cannons. They never intended to harvest a sea of their enemy¡¯s blood, it was only to protect the retreating space hulk. Neither the Allied Army or the demon host was on the target list.


    ¡°Destroy the cannons! Leave the men!¡± Y¡¯zaks swung his blade as he roared his orders, partly for the benefit of the enemy. ¡°Our mission is to protect!¡±


    The Allied Army and demon host soldiers soon realised that they were no longer the targets of the flying metal boxes and chainswords, and their sense of preservation trumped their will to fight, and the soldiers manning the firebase ran for their lives. Not even General Grigory could stem the retreat.


    Hao Ren suddenly reappeared on Lily¡¯s head. A giant piece of pork rib was stuck into his spear. Pointing towards Y¡¯zaks direction, he ordered. ¡°Lets rendezvous!¡±


    Lily¡¯s eyes turned towards Y¡¯zaks, and after letting out a bone-shattering howl, she sped towards to Helcrown. Vivian too reappeared from a mist of blood. All combatants were regrouping at him, and Y¡¯zaks after scouting the area, was pleased find that all of the demonic cannon was wrecked. Nodding hard, ¡°There¡¯s nothing left here. Lets go.¡±


    Hao Ren and the rest of the Demon King¡¯s Army retreated under the protection of the Obsidian Colossals. Then again, little of what remained of the demon host came to stop them. The death of Serathon and Banuklaak had shattered their morale, and they were in no mood to fight.


    Most demons are like this, aside from Y¡¯zaks odd bunch of loyalists, most demon¡¯s loyalty was dubious at best, and their foe was the demon king who toyed with them for the last hundred of years. Seeing Y¡¯zaks vicious face coming after them, most of the demons ran rather than Lily. The retreat was a bloodless one.


    All of them had went back to Helcrown and Vimm¡¯s voice rang through the communicator. ¡°All anti-air defence has been neutralised. They doesn¡¯t seem to be keen on fighting further.¡±


    Hao Ren wiped the sweat off his forehead, laughing. ¡°Then, lets hit the gas pedal, we leave!¡±


    The Aerym fleet escorted the behemoth of a space hulk, and Helcrown followed on closely. Every ship in the fleet burned their thrusters and under the fearful gaze of the surviving soldiers below, they sped towards the western skies. The space hulk was still a three to four hundred kilometre long giant, and it took a while before it passed entirely through the skies of the Shattered Plains, like a passing stormcloud. As it reached the end of the horizon, a blinding flash blasted forth, and it disappeared.


    The next part of the journey could be described as very eventful.


    The fleet was only disrupted in the early phase of the conflict by determined attacks from both camps. In order to get the massive dilapidated carcass of a space hulk into acceleration, the Aerym tow ships had to bust their engines to finally get the job done. At the same time, they had to endure whatever the Allied Army and demon host threw at them. But as the fleet gained speed, and left the worlds strongest army in the dust, no one could stop them from their home run out of the world.


    The Petrachelys was the lead ship. But no one was on the bridge. Even the MDT got out of the control dock and skipped work to join the rest. That however did not affect the operations. There was no need for minute combat calculations, no need to decipher lightspeed travel data, all the fleet had to do was to follow the original course back. Autopilot would suffice.


    One by one the natural dimension gates were transformed into hundreds of kilometre wide dimensional rifts by the Petrachelys¡¯ powerful hyperdimension module. It was a miraculous supernatural phenomenon as each and every dimensional bubble grew. And Hao Ren led the fleet in a trail of blaze. The gates that they were about to crash was almost a meaningless fixture. If the demon host and the Allied Army could not do anything about them, what a few sentries at the dimensional gates could?


    Most of the sentries had yet to perform the change of guard, and they were the first witnesses of the sky-shattering flying metal boxes. The confused soldiers looked up again, wondering why these bunch of clowns appeared again. Was this air show a multi-series run?


    A few sentries had received word from the main camp and the order was to take stop the demon king and his otherworldly army. Many of the soldiers simply groaned, even as their officers barked orders. Talk was easy, how were they supposed to take that bloody thing down?


    ¡°The next realm is the last of the inhabited realms.¡± The MDT voice came out of Hao Ren¡¯s pocket. ¡°Y¡¯zaks, got any last words?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks pondered for a bit. He somehow did have something to say. ¡°Let me prepare.¡±


    As they approached the last human sentry post, just as the Aerym fleet passed through the last dimensional gate, the panicking soldiers heard the crazed demon king¡¯s voice:


    ¡°I shall reassemble my army in the deep of space. One day, mark my words, I will return! Apocalypse shall come!¡±


    The dimensional gate expanded into a radiant light screen, and the entire fleet disappeared before the sentries very eyes.


    Y¡¯zaks turned towards Hao Ren, with an eat shit grin. ¡°The last good deed for this world.¡±

 Chapter 459

    How big was the whole space bubble zone? So far, no one dared to give an accurate number. Even the great scholar, who successfully ¡°calculated the whole universe¡± could only assume the theoretical value of the space bubble boundary. The number of space bubbles within this boundary was unknown. People only knew that since the beginning of time, only a small part of the ¡°whole world¡±, in which they lived in had been explored. Even the oldest elves and spirits had never set foot on the desolate rim of the bubble zone. And even among the planes that had been explored, the ones that were habitable were very little. Most space bubbles were discarded right after any exploration. There were no resources, no air, no water, only lethal radiation and poisonous soil¡­ Countless slaves had been sent to explore the planes and they used their own lives to mark the uninhabitable ones. The greatest masters of magic in the world were also unwilling to build their own wizard towers in a place like that, because they could not find anything there. There were a few exceptions like a handful of mad wizards, but let¡¯s ignore them.


    Mortals were self-centered creatures, just as people on Earth believed themselves to be at the center of the world. Scholars in the human world had also built a superficial model after exploring space bubbles. They put habitable planets they found in the middle of this model, and according to their degree of desolation, the farther away they were from the space bubble, the harder it was to maintain survival. This superficial model had no boundaries, only a label on the outside of a series of borders. It was all wildernesses beyond it.


    Considering the disorderly spatial structure of the space bubble zone and how the space bubble itself did not sort the way it would in a three-dimensional space, this superficial model proposed by those in the human world was quite true. Anyway, it did not matter which space bubble was in the middle of the model. The model was still useless, because other than the known habitable planets, people still knew nothing about the desert areas.


    Y¡¯zaks¡¯ legion were the only intelligent creatures in their world who had tried to visit the desert over tens of thousands of years. Nonetheless, they were not able to reach the real border of the bubble zone.


    The fleet was moving through a strange and hostile environment. After crossing the last small human kingdom, there was no life ahead. Outside the teleportation portal, there were endless storms, highly toxic oceans with huge waves, and strong cosmic radiation. They could even rub against some dangerous celestial bodies. If the Petrachelys had not detected the situation opposite the gate in advance, it would have been possible for the Aerymian spacecrafts to break into pieces in the dangerous bubble zone. Back then, Y¡¯zaks dared to explore the place without even having a spacecraft; what a man! He was really lucky to not have his legion entirely annihilated.


    In order to better observe the road ahead of them, have a clear picture of the entire route, and more importantly, stop Lily from causing any disturbance, they returned to the bridge in the Petrachelys. From the external monitors, they saw the marvelous spectacle of tempestuous waves and stormy seas in a desolate plane. The world looked all white with endless ¡°snow¡±. Huge, white bubbly waves thousands of meters high rolled up under the traction of a giant celestial body in the sky. Then, they slowly crumbled and turned into snowflakes all over the sky, falling silently.


    Lily dragged Y¡¯lisabet along to squat in front of the holographic projector. One after the other, they exclaimed, ¡°Aww, snow!¡±


    ¡°Wow! So beautiful!¡±


    ¡°I wish I could put something around my neck, then go out, drag something along and run¡­¡±


    The husky¡¯s ancestral instinct from the Arctic Circle was stirring.


    But, it was not actual snow. The white stuff that blotted out the sky and land was nitrogen, which had frozen at low temperatures. The fleet was passing over a freezing and deadly giant planet. The portal door opened directly into a storm of snow-like solid nitrogen and the ship entered a world of ¡°snow¡±. In the previous plane, they trudged tens of thousands of kilometers in empty space. These were the places that were unsuitable for survival. It was very possible to encounter places that were bad and worse.


    The giant wreckage was covered with a layer of white nitrogen snow, but it was all good. The gravity regulators were working well and it seemed like it was only a matter of time before they arrived at the World Gate safely.


    With such a big guy in tow, there was no way that the Aerymian fleet would have been able to cross the border in just one day. The speed they were traveling at was now less than one-third of the fleet¡¯s maximum speed. The fleet would probably have to trek for two days across a series of strange planes to reach the door of their home. Despite that, everyone was in a good mood. The whole operation went smoother than expected, and there were no big losses for the elves of Aerym. The armies of this world were unprepared for the battle against warships, which caused their planned counter-attack to last only a little while. Anyway, it did not matter.


    ¡°You left those words behind before you left..¡± Hao Ren turned to look at Y¡¯zaks and said, ¡°You do love this world deeply.¡±


    ¡°I did it so that they¡¯ll at least have a bit of motivation.¡± Y¡¯zaks smiled and said, ¡°Since they¡¯re finally holding up together, I should try to make it last longer. Hopefully, the demons will have a long relationship with the human world under this pressure. That way, from generation to generation, a loose coalition will finally become a habit. There will still be wars. After all, war is also a driving force for progress, but the war of internal friction that killing off their opponents blindly as before should not happen again. From now on, they have a common goal.¡±


    Hao Ren laughed and said, ¡°Well, their common goal in the future should be to go to the depths of the universe and kill you again. Imagine the faces of those unfortunate kids that after thousands of years, when their descendants finally figure out the epoch of the great universe, follow the ancient prophecies and get ready to fight against the demon king, only to find that the demon king is just teasing them.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks shrugged and said, ¡°Who knows? It¡¯s also possible that the few words I left them can only bring them together for a while, or it may only be enough to push the world half a step forward. The change of short-lived species is too difficult to speculate. The change from generation to generation makes cultural heritage and historical records less reliable. Perhaps, in the end, no one knows the truth of the prophecy of the demon king, except the elves and the spirits, and perhaps the new generation of 200 years later will take the prophecy of ¡®the demon king will one day return from the depths of the universe¡¯ as a myth. But anyhow, it¡¯s better to take a half step than to stay put. At least they¡¯ll have a shadow hanging over their heads over a long period of time to make them work hard for a generation.¡±


    Then Y¡¯zaks laughed and said, ¡°I¡¯ve done what I have to do. I¡¯m not God, how can I predict the track of the world after I left? But at least it¡¯s better than before. Hey, I think I can retire now.¡±


    Vivian looked at Y¡¯zaks with a strange expression. ¡°You are really ¡­ You look like you¡¯re not angry or sorry? You¡¯ve risked for hundreds of years, and in the end only to push the world to step forward half a step, and your name will be on their blacklist forever, don¡¯t you feel aggrieved?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks grinned, ¡°That¡¯s how demons think. Why should I care? My goal is clear, I want to enter the sea of stars, I want to end the wars between races. Now that my goal has been achieved, what am I dissatisfied with?¡±


    Hao Ren looked at him and asked, ¡°You don¡¯t mind even if the whole world hates you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s none of my business.¡±


    Everybody, ¡°¡­¡±


    So that was his attitude of what everyone in the world thought of him.


    The fleet continued to navigate and was finally approaching the destination.


    There had been a number of a continuous number of planes are boundless space. The rule of ¡®teleportation portals were mostly near large celestial bodies¡¯, which had previously been caused by some kind of gravitational focus, had become invalid. The spacecraft passed through the portal and entered an increasingly large universe. This was a sign that the space bubble zone was about to end.


    Y¡¯zaks came out of the spaceship, sat cross-legged on the upper armor belt of Petrachelys, and watched a wonderful fully reflective sphere enlarge rapidly ahead of the fleet.


    That was the last teleportation portal. The structure of the fully reflective spherical surface was very different from the previous teleportation portal, which indicated that the real universe was on the other side of the door.


    After crossing the portal, they saw a scene that had never been seen in the space bubble area.


    A sea of stars.


    Y¡¯zaks relaxed his body, lying on his back on the armor belt, not mind the radiation of cosmic rays. He narrowed his eyes under the starlight, seemed to blend into space and feeling the stars shining in the universe.


    Vaguely, a stooped figure reappeared in front of him. His hair was messy, his clothes were shabby, his face was wrinkled, and he stormed and scolded, ¡°You messed up my data!¡±


    ¡°Hey ¡­ Old man. You¡¯re right. It¡¯s a big world out there.¡±

 Chapter 460

    The planet of the Aerymian elves was beyond the World Gate.


    The brilliant light film rippled and the first thing that flew out of the gate was the Petrachelys. It was followed by Vimm¡¯s fleet and then the Helcrown, which had been escorted by the fleet. At the very end of the line was the gigantic wreckage.


    A space fortress, similar to the size of Aerym¡¯s floating island slowly floated out of the World Gate under the towing barge. The mottled hull was covered with remnants of huge tentacles. Scars, dents and radioactive perforations caused by explosions could be seen everywhere on the deck. A fleet of Aerymian elves who were waiting near the space station already knew that a huge wreckage would be parked on their tracks, but they did not expect the size of the wreckage to be so daunting. Although they had the experience of transforming huge floating islands, the transformation was carried out on the base of the rock layer. The ships they actually built were not that gigantic.


    Nonetheless, they reacted quickly. After Vimm issued the order, a group of piloted spacecrafts began to flash bright lights and flew past the towing barge, leading the gigantic wreckage to the predetermined area to dock.


    The ¡°port¡± for the wreckage had been built about 1,000 km away from the space station. Dozens of silvery-gray spires were floating there, and the spires were connected by beams of light. There was also a small space station, whch acted as the ¡°port¡¯s¡± control center. These were the things that the elves of Aerym used to fix their floating islands that went out of control in the ¡°death land¡±. The spires could be anchored in space and the small space station functioned as a surveillance facility. Now that the floating islands were gone, these devices lost their purpose. They were originally prepared to be recycled, but they were now useful again.


    Although Aerym¡¯s technical expertise was not the greatest in the entire cosmic civilization, it was at least good enough to help Hao Ren.


    ¡°The wreckage will be parked in the new planet of Aerym from now on. There is no extra space in Kuiper Station. Raven 12345 has clearly given me the right to dispose of this wreckage.¡± Hao Ren looked at the scene and turned to the communicator next to him. He could see Vimm¡¯s image floating above it. ¡°Just make sure the boat doesn¡¯t drift into space.¡±


    Vimm nodded and said, ¡°Rest assured, that will be easy.¡±


    The spacecraft wreckage from the Otherworld had special research value. Its main value lay in the First Born that traversed the void. After Hao Ren reported to Raven 12345, she said that she only needed a small number of its tissue fragments to carry out research. The wreckage itself was useless to her, so naturally, it became Hao Ren¡¯s big toy. Hao Ren wondered what he could do with it. Turn it into a sea view room? He could not find such a big beach. Turn it into an apartment building? Nobody would rent it. Turn it into a battleship? It was not as sturdy as the Petrachelys. And honestly, he felt that even if he tried to sell it as scrap metal, nobody would want it. Hence, he decided to leave it on the new Aerym planet as a great treasure.


    After all, this planet was also his property, right?


    Despite that, Hao Ren had a feeling that such a huge space fortress would eventually come in handy. It was such a high-tech object that the average person could not have even imagined it. After transferring the remains of the First Born, someone could probably think of a way to use it¡­


    Hao Ren sent out dozens of autonomous robots from the Petrachelys and allowed those little guys to go into the wreckage and cut each part of the First Born¡¯s structure. He would bring those samples back to Raven 12345. He let those autonomous robots stayed there for the time being to clean up the remains of the First Born and preferably, dig up the wreckage in relatively good condition. He also expected them pile it up and put the pieces on a nearby natural satellite. The new Aerymian planet had a medium-sized moon, where they could build an engineering station on. Though he had no idea what the use of keeping it was, Lily said something that everyone deeply agreed with: ¡°It did not matter if it was useful or not, just bring it back and keep it. It may just come in handy someday!¡±


    Although the husky was a little dumb, sometimes she was still very insightful.


    Cleaning up the wreckage, which spanned hundreds of kilometers was not an easy project. However, autonomous robots were highly efficient, and each of them came with small space containers (used to store their vast array of kits and materials), so it probably would not take long. Hao Ren was not in a hurry anyway, so those little ones did not have to worry.


    After he had arranged the long-term projects in space, the Helcrown began to descend slowly, ready to enter the atmosphere to greet their new neighbors.


    As the team¡¯s ¡°only highly educated girl¡±, Lily helped Y¡¯zaks with writing a bulletin about their circumstances. It was sent to everyone in the city when Helcrown departed. Now everyone in Helcrown knew that they had come to another world and they were about to secure a dream home. But to be honest, they were all muddled up. Anyone who had a normal mind may not have been able to react to it properly at that point. Plus, they could not believe that such a good thing would happen to them. It was an incredible stroke of luck like pennies from heaven!


    Regardless, the people of Helcrown were very faithful to Y¡¯zaks. These people had a kind of blind faith towards the demon king and they worshipped him. As long as Y¡¯zaks patted his chest and ensured them that it was all safe, no one in the city would doubt it.


    This was how the MDT evaluated the people in the city: as long as Y¡¯zaks declared the Earth to be square, these people would run to the ends of the earth to create an edge on it¡­ This was called loyalty.


    Anyway, with Y¡¯zaks¡¯ reputation, everyone in Helcrown had accepted and believed this incredible fact. Countless people were looking at the magical scene outside the city¡¯s shield: It was that of the splendid Milky Way, and endless stars.


    Those who were born in space bubbles had never seen the cosmic stars. The sight of countless stars shining in the sky had only appeared in the papers of that unpopular old scholar. Y¡¯zaks and Lanina were the only people in the entire city who had seen such stars. Now the splendid stars of the universe were shining above the city. People walked out of their houses, astonished and uneasy, but full of interest.


    They got their first glimpse of the stars on the other end of the World Gate once the fleet rushed through the gate. After that, the people could finally immerse themselves in the starlight¡­


    Until the whole city sank into the atmosphere and ushered in the sun as it slowly descended along an arc.


    Under the fleet¡¯s guidance, Helcrown slowly approached the south of the main continent. An uneven coastline appeared in the thin morning light and they saw lights flashing on the coastline. It was the elves, who came to greet them in advance.


    Helcrown was now in a state where it could not land directly on land (after all, it was hard for the elves to dig a pit of suitable size), so the most suitable place to land was the offshore sea. According to the size of Helcrown¡¯s base, the elves found a landing point that would allow the bottom of the floating city to reach the continental shelf. After the city was docked, experts would come to help connect the base of Helcrown with the continental shelf, making it a secure island. The tall walls of Helcrown were not afraid of storms, and landing not too far from the coastline made it very convenient for the mages to build roads that connected to the mainland. So, the Helcrown was now considered to have settled down safely.


    The elves were experienced in this field since they had helped settle a dozen floating islands before.


    Hao Ren led a group of Helcrown representatives to the coast and was surprised to find that Hilda was also standing amongst the welcoming team.


    ¡°Your Majesty, you actually came in person?¡± Hao Ren greeted Hilda cheerfully. ¡°Not busy today?¡±


    Hilda smiled and looked at the most eye-catching bald head in the crowd and said, ¡°My old friends are here. I had to come and greet you all.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks scratched his bald head a little awkwardly while Y¡¯lisabet sat and wriggled atop his shoulder. The little one looked at the distant Helcrown, which was slowly landing on the sea. She had joy written all over her face. It was basically the reaction of a child when moving to a new home.


    ¡°The last time, I helped you move house, and this time you helped me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± Hilda said as she smiled and looked at Hao Ren. ¡°We¡¯re all renting anyway¡­¡±


    As the landlord, Hao Ren was suddenly filled with a gentle feeling of affection.

 Chapter 461

    It would probably take some time for the people of Helcrown and the elves to become acquainted with each other, but the process should not be too difficult. The elves had a high affinity for foreign races, and the people of Helcrown, who were willing to follow Y¡¯zaks to this world were all diehard followers. They were steadfast in their pursuit of the ¡°Great Unification¡±. They embraced a multi-racial society without any criticisms.


    There was another important reason: those who had the same misfortune sympathized with each other. Both parties had to flee their own country. When they met, the elves and the demons looked at each other with tears in their eyes¡­


    One Helcrown settled down on the coast, the elves of Aerym started to fix the big, monstrous object. The engineers began to reshape the seafloor¡¯s rock formations, fixing Helcrown onto the planet with incredible supernatural powers. The city also dispatched a group of staff to come into contact with the elves and check if Helcrown sustained any damages during the journey. After all, it was not a professional spacecraft. They did not know if there was any damage upon entering the atmosphere.


    Lanina came to the beach after handing over some work to Zadamor. She met the ruler of Aerym for the first time, and soon found that her life form seemed to differ from ordinary people. Nonetheles, the smart demoness did not show it on her face. She bowed before Hilda with proper courtesy and said, ¡°Your Majesty, thank you for your assistance. I have heard from our king¡ª¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so courteous.¡± Hao Ren was the kind of guy who could not stand the diplomatic rhetoric. He interrupted Lanina before she could finish her sentence. ¡°Just get along well with each other. Don¡¯t get so tense and rigid. You¡¯re all renting the land; just be good neighbors and look after each other¡­¡±


    Lanina¡¯s tail formed several knots in the air. The demoness was speeches after listening to Hao Ren. However, there was nothing she could do about it¡ªit was his land. The situation was truly unprecedented: the representatives of the two civilizations were seriously engaged in a close encounter of the third kind. It was like being in a UN conference, but Hao Ren only took it as a few more new tenants in his house¡­ What a different perspective!


    Luckily there was one person who was able to think further. Vivian reminded Y¡¯zaks and Hilda, ¡°It¡¯s better for you two to agree on a mutually acceptable outline of coexistence from the outset. For example, your respective areas of activity and future expansion of the territory according to development needs. What to do with your respective cultural conflicts? The problem of resources on this planet. How the trade between the two sides unfolds? Even if the two civilizations will come together in the future, you two, as the contemporary rulers, will have to consider the long-term path as well. I have lived longer than you. I¡¯ve seen too many of the rise and fall of civilizations. Idealized alliance ideas are unreliable. It¡¯s best to make it clear.¡±


    It looked weird when the vampire lady was saying these with a youthful face¡­


    Hilda¡¯s body was shimmering and seemed to be thinking. She then nodded and said, ¡°Vivian got a good point. I will proceed to arrange some investigations and meetings, and make an early and secure coexistence with the new neighbors.¡±


    Then she smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s not really a big problem. The universe is so vast. We all know that the real wealth is in the depths of the stars. There are enough to feed countless generations. A race that looks at the entire universe does not waste its limited energy on scrambling for a planet. We just need to do a good job of cultural harmony.¡±


    Hao Ren also added a few words, ¡°Considering your special immigration process, I think Goddess will focus on you all. So you all also have to think about how to deal with the Goddess in the future. Also, you have to keep in touch with me. I have to know your situation at any time.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks found it to be very reasonable and then nodded vigorously. ¡°Yes, the Goddess gave us a green light this time. And I don¡¯t know how many times she will have to take care of us in the future. By the way, Hilda, haven¡¯t you already established a religion? Believe in the Goddess. I think this religion can also be introduced to my people, perhaps this is a good cultural bridge ¡­¡±


    The moment Y¡¯zaks finished his words, Lanina¡¯s tail suddenly stood up like a root stick and trembled in the air like she got an electric shock. ¡°King, do you mean to promote faith in Goddess among the people?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks smiled and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? You also know that Goddess. She¡¯s a real Goddess, and it¡¯s worth following. We can¡¯t get there without her.¡±


    Lanina looked a little tangled and said, ¡°I know¡­ but we never worship God. Since you formed the legion, we are all contempt for all forms of religious beliefs ¡­ Even the propaganda is going in the direction of mockery. It¡¯s not easy to change the habit of hundreds of years.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks touched his chin and said, ¡°Hmm, that makes sense. Anyway, we must slowly put the concept of ¡®Goddess¡¯ to everyone. This is a true Goddess, not those false gods in our homeland. The Goddess can¡¯t be vilified. And we must be grateful.¡±


    Then Y¡¯zaks asked Vimm casually, ¡°How do you call on new believers? Although I¡¯ve met the Goddess a few times, I really did not dare to ask things about this.¡±


    For a second, Vimm¡¯s expression looked interesting. He hesitated, looked at Hao Ren, and then smiled. ¡°Try to believe in the Goddess a little. It¡¯s free anyway.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Are you serious?¡± Y¡¯zaks asked.


    Hao Ren and Vimm slapped their foreheads and said in unison, ¡°The Goddess is serious!¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Y¡¯zaks said.


    Looking at the busy scene of the city, Y¡¯zaks was pondering. Suddenly, he sighed and ordered Lanina, ¡°Let Zadamor run the city in the future. He is good at internal affairs, he can manage the city and people better than you do. There should be no war in the future, so you can help dealing with the internal affairs and serve as a liaison between the new Aerym Planet and the Earth. Y¡¯lisabet is still young. She will be crowned king after she reaches the age of 600. Before this ¡­ I¡¯m going to bother you two.¡±


    Lanina looked even more bewildered now. She gazed at Y¡¯zaks and asked, ¡°King, do you ¡­ Aren¡¯t you going to stay?¡±


    ¡°What am I staying for?¡± Y¡¯zaks said and smiled. ¡°Serathon said something quite right before he died. My time has passed. The reign of the old demon king has its end. I can only let the empire run in the form of a war machine, but what the people need now is a secure environment to recuperate and rebuild the culture. This is not an old man like me can handle. I¡¯m not even as good as Y¡¯lisabet at this. So I should step down wisely. At least I¡¯m not going to be a fatuous king.¡±


    Lanina immediately yelled, ¡°How could you a fatuous king¡­¡±


    Y¡¯zaks gently waved his hand and said, ¡°I¡¯m not fatuous during the war, but it¡¯s hard to say in peacetime. Kingship is not eternal. My kid, you should be happy, for I am to retire from the throne, not to be kicked out. I believe you and Zadamor will be able to maintain our empire before Y¡¯lisabet coronation and continue to assist Y¡¯lisabet after her succession. Oh, Zadamor has proved that he can do well in this aspect, and I believe that my adopted daughter will also do it well.¡±


    Looking at Y¡¯zaks resolute face, Lanina could only nod and said, ¡°I got it.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks put Y¡¯lisabet down from his shoulder. The little girl blinked her big eyes at her father, looked like she did not really understand what her dad just said. However, Hao Ren reckoned that the smart little girl should understand it.


    ¡°My girl, also remember this, the kingship is not eternal,¡± Y¡¯zaks said while he was touching Y¡¯lisabet¡¯s head. ¡°I told you many years ago, one day my reign will reach its end and you, will take the crown¡­¡±


    Hao Ren then covered his face and muttered, ¡°If one day the old king were defeated, these words are to blame¡­¡±

 Chapter 462

    Y¡¯zaks heard Hao Ren muttering and asked, ¡°What does it mean?¡±


    Hao Ren laughed awkwardly and said, ¡°It¡¯s unlucky for you to say that. There was a king said so and ended up killed by his own son and the country had perished.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks immediately realized that this guy had started talking nonsense again and just ignored him.


    The young Y¡¯lisabet turned her head to look at the adults around her, and then sighed maturely and said, ¡°Sigh¡­ An able man is always busy. I thought I could go back to the life when I don¡¯t have to worry about anything and have plenty of time to play, who knows dad decided to quit.¡±


    So Hao Ren never doubted if this little girl could understand Y¡¯zaks¡¯ words. He knew it the moment he met her. This seemingly underage girl was actually smart. How could an ordinary child pretend to be a mad demon king and take control of the situation?


    Y¡¯zaks entrusted the future of Helcrown to his trusted successor. In the two or three hundred years before Y¡¯lisabet reached adulthood, the city was led by his most trusted old housekeeper and the most seniority old veteran in the demon king legion, Zadamor, and assisted by Lanina. On the day of Y¡¯lisabet coronation, the demon empire would have a new demon queen. When Hao Ren thought of it, he could not help looking at Y¡¯lisabet up and down: How could a normal person expect that this little girl who was less than 1.3 meter was actually a crown princess!


    Y¡¯lisabet noticed Hao Ren¡¯s eyes, immediately jumped and said, ¡°I¡¯m very smart! Don¡¯t underestimate me¡­¡±


    Y¡¯zaks put his big hand on the little girl¡¯s head and said, ¡°You have a lot to learn. From now on, you have to work hard to be a crown princess. I have planned your future study plan. Knowledge of culture, history, and magic are basic courses. You have to add one more hour of basic fencing practice every day. You have a weak physique, but as a demon, you must exercise more. At least a healthy body can support your use of great magic. Lanina will give you military lessons, and Zadamor will teach you the internal affairs, and Uncle Gordon will teach you the mechanics of magic. By the way, I have to get Uncle Hammer to prepare a set of learning materials for you. The engineering knowledge you learn previously is too unsystematic and must be strengthened. Oh yes, you have to learn the cultural history of the elves of Aerym. You¡¯ll be Queen in the future, diplomatic things¡­¡±


    Y¡¯zaks quickly planned his daughter the study plan for the whole day, totally did not consider this study plan would need 32 hours a day to complete. Y¡¯lisabet¡¯s face turned pale and burst into tears. She then was digging a hole in the ground with her hands while crying and said, ¡°Don¡¯t stop me, don¡¯t stop me, let me dig a hole to bury myself.¡±


    Hao Ren pulled up the little girl and kicked Y¡¯zaks in the shins (he could not reach a higher place). ¡°Is there a father like you? Oh, it seems to be quite a lot fathers like you¡­ But you just go too far!¡±


    When Y¡¯lisabet saw Hao Ren was helping her, she hurriedly wiped away her tears and hid behind him and said, ¡°Uncle Ren is so good ¡­¡±


    Hao Ren stared at her and corrected her, ¡°It¡¯s Uncle Hao!¡±


    ¡°Oh, and Uncle Hao!¡±


    Then, Y¡¯zaks said seriously, ¡°I¡¯m training my successor. It¡¯s not easy to be a demon king. When I was¡­¡±


    ¡°You took 100 years to learn a magic skill. Uncle Gordon had told me that. And Uncle Hammer said you are a fool because you would plug the fuse into the boiler heat valve,¡± Y¡¯lisabet stuck her little head out and said, ¡°Why demon king has to learn this? This is what you said.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks, ¡°¡­¡±


    Nangong Wuyue laughed and said, ¡°Okay okay, you can teach her slowly. Y¡¯lisabet will only be crowned when she reaches 600 years old. She will have plenty of time to learn those in two to three hundred years.¡±


    ¡°Do you have experience in educating children?¡± Y¡¯zaks was not convinced.


    Nangong Wuyue pulled Lil Pea from Ho Ren¡¯s arm and said, ¡°I can make a fish learn to speak human language in two months, you wanna try?¡±


    Lil Pea patted her tail vigorously and shouted at Y¡¯zaks, ¡°You wanna try? You wanna try?¡± Sometimes the little one would repeat the last few words.


    ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t want to stay in Helcrown for classes.¡± Y¡¯lisabet found there were lots of people supporting her, she immediately had the confidence to asked, ¡°Or let me go with dad to stay in Uncle Ren¡¯s house? Dad, you said you want me to learn more new things right? I think Uncle Ren¡¯s world is more interesting than Helcrown.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Uncle Hao¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, and Uncle Hao!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks was a little hesitated. But to be frank, it was not easy for him to see his daughter, how could he really willing to leave the little girl here? Although it did not take much time to get from the Earth to the new planet of Aerym, the distance of more than 800 light-years was enough for him to miss his daughter. And he decided to let Y¡¯lisabet accept the education of being a crown princess was because he felt uneasy of suddenly giving up the throne. He was eager to let his child bear the national expectations. After all, he was a demon king with a strong sense of responsibility.


    Vivian could read Y¡¯zaks mind. She patted Y¡¯lisabet on the head and said, ¡°This girl is finally with you. Just let her spend some time on Earth, also let her see the world. Regarding education, she can learn from you.¡±


    ¡°As the crown princess¡­¡±


    Hao Ren squinted at him and said, ¡°If you keep giving excuses then we¡¯re really leaving without her.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks immediately change his mind and said, ¡°¡­it¡¯s necessary for her to gain some experience¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    They stayed another day on the new Aerym planet to arrange a lot of things to ensure the smooth development of settlement of Helcrown. At the same time, Y¡¯zaks also completed his ¡®funeral arrangements¡¯¡ª it sounded very inauspicious, but since he did not mind kept mentioning ¡®you will be crowned queen¡¯, then there was nothing to worry about.


    Hao Ren led his gang of friends to stroll around the new city of the Aerym elves. The last time they left this place, there were only a bunch of shanty towns and a jumble of tools stacked on plains and wilderness. Just a few months later, they had built towns that began to take shape. At least there were basic gathering points and workshop facilities. I have to say that people who have experienced difficulties are capable of taking action. Lily could finally have a good time there. Hao Ren¡¯s dimensional pocket was packed with at least half a ton of crap and more than half of it was collected by Lily from all kinds of corners¡­


    Before leaving, Hao Ren left a set of special devices for the elves of Aerym.


    It was a set of simple teleportation device that did not need to be maintained, just like the one in Hao Ren¡¯s basement.


    ¡°This teleportation device is for you. Helcrown also has one set. It can send you directly to a place called Kuiper station. If there is an emergency, I can go there to meet you. In addition, if you apply in advance, you can also use it to teleport to my home, but better don¡¯t use it this way freely as it¡¯s considered as official teleportation.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± said Hilda as she quickly ordered the device to be properly kept. ¡°I will send someone to set up a special facility to accommodate this important device, which will be placed at the highest level of security in the Royal district.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Not so serious, I put it in the basement,¡± said Hao Ren.


    Hilda nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯m also talking about the basement.¡±


    It turned out that there was no common topic between a queen and a landlord.


    After arranging everything, they went back to the Petrachelys and set foot on the journey back to Earth.


    Lanina stayed in Helcrown for the time being. As one of the few intelligent talents of Y¡¯zaks, the demon girl could not leave now, but she was sure to travel frequently between the Earth and the new Aerym planet. She had to serve as a liaison bridge between the old demon king (Y¡¯zaks) and the Helcrown. After all, after Y¡¯zaks abdicated, there were still a lot of things to be done slowly.


    Y¡¯lisabet entered the spaceship happily. The little girl was looking forward to the upcoming life on Earth.

 Chapter 463

    They traveled by spaceship back to the Kuiper Belt before they were teleported back to the basement at home. There was no reason for them to take a detour this time, because they had Y¡¯lisabet with them. The little girl was too active to be running safely in the streets. The main culprits were the two little, cute demonic horns on her head, which may have been difficult to explain even if she was disguised as an anime lover. The Southern Suburbs was a calm and pristine place. Any little thing that happened would quickly become headline news in the community. If Y¡¯lisabet were to stand on the corner of a street, those overzealous old ladies would definitely take turns condemning Hao Ren for raising a child in a bad way.


    Out from the portal, Hao Ren was very satisfied to see the house clean and dusted. It seemed Becky, who stayed at home this entire time, had been very dedicated. For a mercenary to do house chores, it was pretty extraordinary. Y¡¯lisabet jumped and ran around in the basement. ¡°Is this where Uncle Ren lives? It¡¯s a little dim in here¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Uncle Hao¡­ Anyway, never mind.¡± Hao Ren facepalmed and finally gave up correcting how the little girl should address him. ¡°This place is the basement of my house, Vivian lives in here. My house isn¡¯t as large as your dad¡¯s castle. Earth¡¯s living space has always been scarce. Let me warn you first, though; don¡¯t ever touch anything in my house, especially things down here in the basement. Those equipment are very important. You got that?¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet had wanted to poke the white ¡°coffins¡± with her small screwdriver for some time now. After that, she could only put it away in frustration. Seeing her restless eyes darting around the room curiously, Hao Ren knew this little girl would absolutely not be able control herself¡ªshe was daring enough to even jab the alien spacecraft, so she and Y¡¯zaks were definitely cut from the same cloth.


    But Hao Ren had faith in the empire¡¯s techology. No matter how hard the mischievous child tried with her screwdriver, she would not be able to do any real damage¡­


    Lily stretched her body and it made her look like she was having convulsive seizures as she let out an ¡°Arf¡±. It was only after the stretching that she sighed comfortably. ¡°I¡¯m home, at long last.¡±


    When they were out, the husky showed no signs of being home sick. She only lamented about it now.


    The movement in the basement had caught the attention of people upstairs. Hao Ren heard footsteps on the staircase beside him. Shortly after, Becky¡¯s head poked through the doorway. ¡°Yay, you¡¯re back, Landlord!¡±


    Becky had really adapted and become an earthling through-and-through. The rustic appearance she used to have when she first came from the Plane of Dreams was no more. Wearing baggy cartoon themed pajamas, and a pair of flurry slippers, she was even holding a TV remote in her hand when she poked through the doorway. Not only did she fully adapt to the life there, she also treated the rented house as her own.


    Y¡¯lisabet was a curious bunny. When she saw the human, she lunged towards Becky excitedly. ¡°Who are you?¡± she asked.


    Hao Ren stepped forward and pulled Y¡¯lisabet back as he introduced her to Becky, who seemed to be a little startled. ¡°She¡¯s Y¡¯zaks daughter, Y¡¯lisabet.¡±


    Becky¡¯s reaction was exactly the same as Hao Ren Ren when he saw Y¡¯lisabet for the first time. She almost could not believe that this almost Barbie-doll-like girl was actually Y¡¯zaks¡¯ daughter. But seeing the two sharp horns on her head, Becky could not deny that it was a fact. Becky reached out to touch the horns on Y¡¯lisabet¡¯s head. ¡°Are these real?¡±


    The girl suddenly exclaimed proudly, ¡°Of course they are. My horns are the most beautiful!¡±


    As she spoke, the little girl pulled a small box of varnish out of nowhere. She then lathered it on her horns and rubbed it up with a handkerchief. It was no wonder why Hao Ren always found the girl¡¯s horns to be shinier than the other demons¡¯. He initially thought it was because she was young, only to find that she had been waxing her horns all this while¡­ Was it in their genes?


    They came out from the basement into the living room and found that the TV was on. It was dark outside. No wonder Becky was in her pajamas, it was late at night.


    Y¡¯lisabet¡¯s eyes still darted around curiously. She cheered when she saw the TV.


    This time, without needing a glare from Hao Ren, Y¡¯zaks picked the girl up and forfeited her little screwdriver. ¡°Don¡¯t! Don¡¯t touch anything! Otherwise, I¡¯ll have to send you back to school in Helcrown!¡±


    The little girl immediately shrivelled like a flattened balloon in the air. ¡°Aye¡­¡±


    Looking at the lively scene, something suddenly crossed Hao Ren¡¯s mind. ¡°I just realized¡ªwe don¡¯t have enough rooms upstairs. Where is the little girl going to stay?¡±


    Without much thought, Nangong Wuyue said, ¡°She will stay with her father.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet immediately covered her chest with both hands after hearing this (Y¡¯zaks was still holding her up by her collar). In a serious manner, she said, ¡°No¡ªlike Lanina said, girls must not sleep with daddy after one hundred.¡±


    Hao Ren almost choked. ¡°One hundred¡­¡±


    Discussing age with this long-living race was pointless as the gap was obviously a little too huge.


    Becky looked at Hao Ren, then Elizabeth, before hesitantly saying, ¡°Actually, there¡¯s a room now.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately looked at her. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The four ascetics¡­ I mean the four masters, have now become one. The other three have gone to travel the world,¡± said Becky, sticking her tongue out. ¡°So, now there¡¯s a vacant room.¡±


    Hao Ren was perplexed. ¡°What? Travel the world?¡±


    Just as Becky about to speak again, the sound of the back door opening was heard. Hao Ren turned and saw Big Beardy walking in. He was chewing a half-charred bun. Apparently, he had just finished his day of practice in the wild and he was coming back in for a nap.


    Big Beardy saw Hao Ren and the others. He was slight startled before he smiled. ¡°Oh, all of you are back! Is everything good?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, pretty good.¡± Hao Ren nodded automatically. Then, suddenly things came to mind. ¡°Wait a second! What is all this travelling around the world about? Where are the others?¡±


    Big Beardy smiled solemnly as though it did not concern him. ¡°Walking the path of the goddess requires one not to be trapped in a single place. One must go out and experience the trials and tribulations of sweetness as well as sorrow in the world. It¡¯s normal for the three of them to set out to travel the world.¡±


    Cold sweat trickled down Hao Ren¡¯s back instantly as he burst out, ¡°Don¡¯t you know who you are? Yet, you guys still roam around? Don¡¯t you know you guys are otherworldlings in this world?¡±


    Big Beardy smiled as he pointed to Vivian and the others. ¡°Who among us is not an otherworldling here? Since they are free to move around, why aren¡¯t we?¡±


    His reply stifled Hao Ren¡¯s words. There was truth in what Big Beardy said, but he still found it extremely not right. ¡°But your case is different: you guys are from the Plane of Dreams, it¡ª¡±


    The bearded man smiled and interrupted him. ¡°No matter how far we go, we¡¯re still under the eyes of Raven, the goddess. If something happens, I wonder if you¡¯d have trouble finding them. You even crossed the bridge of the world, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Hao Ren was again stifled. Thinking for a long moment, he finally figured what was wrong: it was the four ascetics¡¯ alien way of life! As alien as Vivian was, she had been living among the humans. As transcendent as Lily was as a husky, she had been doing pretty well among the literati. Nangong Wuyue had recently been hailed as a little pop-folk queen. Even Y¡¯zaks looked like a nice guy when his face was covered up. They would not be easily spotted in the crowd, because their expertise was assimilation. But the four ascetics¡­ the habit of living in the wild alone was enough to earn them a five-minute slot on the prime time news.


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyes turned, looking at the TV. He feared that the three other ascetics may suddenly popped up on the broadcast news. ¡°Poachers have been spotted in Kekexili. The trio have been wantonly hunting the Tibetan antelopes. The suspects have good survival skills and they are now in a standoff with the anti-poaching team¡­¡±


    With their living habits, a situation like that was not entirely impossible!


    Big Beardy seemed to know what Hao Ren was thinking. He smiled calmly. ¡°I know you¡¯re worried about us being unaware of the local rules and customs, that we¡¯ll make a mess in this world. Rest assured, since the day we learned it was not allowed to set up tent under the TV tower, we have been studying the various ways of life around the world. We don¡¯t lack common knowledge of life on Earth. The three of them have even brought along a list of endangered species when they left¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    It seemed that the masters were indeed pretty self-aware.

 Chapter 464

    In fact, from the very beginning Hao Ren really did not expect the four ascetics would sit still at home. He had not been able to control the other tenants, let alone the ascetics who were as stubborn as a mule. They had their own insistence and self-standards that other found it hard to fathom; they did not impose their views on others and at the same time they would also never be moved by others. The four ascetics had their heart set on passing the test of the Goddess, how could they live the life of Riley?


    But thinking was one thing, when it actually happened it caused him headache. Hao Ren, dumbfounded, looked at Big Beardy who gave him a tepid smile in return, that solemn face looked almost like he was being called to return to his maker.


    Vivian was more open-minded. ¡°Hey, there¡¯s no big deal. Before I came, I was running around too. Don¡¯t forget I am a Blood Clan while the four masters are humans at least. They could easily explain themselves away as practitioner. Noting¡¯s going to happen.¡±


    Hao Ren sighed. ¡°Well¡­ in fact, I am mainly worried that they would go to Kekexili hunting Tibetan antelopes¡­ but since they themselves have already done their homework, I¡¯ve got nothing more to say.¡±


    Big Beardy smiled. ¡°Glad that you finally understand. Rest assured, I will stay around, ascetics have a secret way to communicate with each other remotely, I can keep tabs of their movements. If there¡¯s a situation, I will report to you.¡±


    Hao Ren waved his hand reluctantly. ¡°Then let it be, after all, you¡¯re not the only one in the house whom I¡¯ve to worry about all the time.¡±


    There was another reason Hao Ren let the four ascetics run loose¡ªRaven 12345 must have acquiesced to it. When he was away, no way he could keep tabs things happening around the house, what the ascetics did was beyond his control. Since Raven 12345 had not jumped down his throat deducting his salary yet, he thought it best to just let them be while making room for little Y¡¯lisabet.


    At this time, Rollie had heard the chatter in the living hall. It strolled down the second floor, glanced and greeted Hao Ren with a meow before it saw the stranger in the house.


    It stared at Y¡¯lisabet for a while, then let out a sigh like a human as if it was lamenting about its fateful life as a pathetic mascot of the house. But then it still nodded its approval at the demon girl before scurrying up to Lil Pea.


    Hao Ren looked at the behavior of Rollie confoundedly especially the humanly sigh it made which was really creepy. ¡°This thing has morphed?¡±


    ¡°I feel it strange too. It was getting more and more mum recently.¡± Becky nested in the couch and watched the TV. ¡°Two days ago, I saw it squatting in front of the TV pressing the button on the remote controller.¡±


    Rollie gave Becky a lazy glance before it meowed and curled itself into a ball napping next to the couch.


    ¡°¡­Is there any normal creature left here?¡± Hao Ren muttered.


    Y¡¯lisbet, the little demon began to settle down in Hao Ren¡¯s home, and had quickly adapted to the life here.


    Although a princess, Y¡¯lisabet was not the kind of pampered, spoilt lass. Hao Ren¡¯s house was only equivalent to a guard house of Y¡¯zalks palace in size, the little demon was exceptionally satisfied with her room because there were so many things she found so fun to explore!


    Light bulbs, telephone, refrigerator, TV, microwave, rice cooker¡ªeverything which basically ran on their own would automatically arouse her interest. Y¡¯lisabet felt like she had found a magical treasure, everything was so worth to be dismantled. Though her small screwdriver had been consficated by Y¡¯zaks, the girl could always find some suitable tool around the house. When no one noticed, she would secretly study things which she found strange within her line of sight.


    One fine day, while Hao Ren was watching TV in his room, he suddenly heard a loud boom in the living hall, and the power circuit tripped. He ran downstairs and found Y¡¯lisabet found sitting on the floor in the living room, face was smoked black while holding a screwdriver which was stuck inside the power socket. The little girl giggled. ¡°This is fun!¡±


    Like father like daughter, the girl¡¯s sense of curiosity was apparently inherited from her dad. As for her courage of poking into a power socket must have come from her mother, the former sword saintess who had dared the demon king to fight her in front of Helcrown. Such a courage was not because of naiveness. Even with only a tenth of her genes was passed down, her child would be as mischievous as a monkey.


    Fortunately, as mischievous as Y¡¯lisabet was, she was acting just out of curiosity and confused about the electrical appliances as her usual alchemical device back home. She was not downright delinquent. After getting a few electrical shocks, and more importantly, an earful from the adults, she began to behave a little.


    In order to keep Y¡¯lisabet occupied, Hao Ren had retrived pile of his old stuff out from the basement. There were the radio which he used to tinker with, a broken old TV he thought it to be too wasteful to toss away, a Walkman he could no longer find cassettes to play on, and even a laptop without the display. Even Hao Ren himself could not recall when he had accumulated this jumble of scraps. But they quickly became Y¡¯lisabet¡¯s favourite toys as she immersed herself in the inexplicable joy of disassembling them.


    Lily whispered as she saw the pile of scraps. ¡°While you complain about me about collecting things, didn¡¯t you do the same?¡±


    Hao Ren was not very concerned; his collection at least worth a few cents if sold as scrap, what would Lily got for a the boxes of stone?


    Days went by without incidents. After being defriefed at Raven 12345¡¯s place, Hao Ren had had his dream of a long down time.


    Today day was another sunny day.


    The chilling cold of the winter had long receded. They now ushered in the blooming season. Wearing a coat standing in front of the window, soft breeze swept in through the window as Hao Ren gazed out at the old poplar which had begun to sprout green buds. He sighed softly. ¡°It¡¯s spring.¡±


    Lily squatted beside him, with the pot of Lil Pea in front. The husky maiden was holding a stick in her hand, with a small piece of wood tied on fishing line attached to the end of the stick. While happily playing fishing with Lil Pea, the maiden looked up at Hao Ren when he heard his sigh. ¡°Landlord, are we going to have fun outside?¡±


    While distracted, she heard the sound of water splashing as Lil Pea jumped out of the water and took away the wood chip on the fishing line.


    The two of them were playing rather skillfully.


    ¡°All you could think of is going out,¡± Hao Ren glanced at Lily, then Lil Pea. ¡°Could you not play fishing all day? That will mess up her feeding habit. Feeding by the fishing rod isn¡¯t a good habit.¡±


    Becky¡¯s voice suddenly came from the front door. ¡°Landlord! I¡¯m taking Y¡¯lisabet for a stroll ouside.¡±


    Hao Ren turned his head and looked up. The demon girl was wearing a bright dress standing in the doorway throwing him a grimace. Her red eyes were covered behind a pair of Define while her head was clad with a soft cartoon cap, just covering the small demonic horns. The two of them would be going out with these camouflages these two days.


    Hao Ren waved at them and sai, ¡°Go, go. Just don¡¯t let her take off her hats.¡±


    After two happily disappeared out of the doorway, Hao Ren turned to look at Y¡¯zaks. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you teach your girl some shapeshifting skills while you youself could transform from a five-metre demon to how you¡¯re now? At least teaching her way to conceal her pair of horns isn¡¯t that difficult, right?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks sighed and said, ¡°It¡¯s about the bloodline. Her weak adaptive ability has prevented her from learning the natural talent of demons. The ability of demons to shapeshift into humanoid isn¡¯t an acquired magic but a natural talent that requires a pure bloodline. I will ask Big Beardy if he has any simple metamorphosis skill from The Plane of Dreams which Y¡¯lisabet could learn.¡±


    Saying that, Y¡¯zaks¡¯ face could not help but reveal a guilty look. ¡°To be honest, I sometimes feel sorry for the child. Having a half-demonic, half-human bloodline, she was physically weak since at birth, and had no playmates. If not for that, she wouldn¡¯t have fooled around with the alchemical devices all the time. Because no one nobody played with her.


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you go out with her together just now?¡± Hao Ren rolled his eyes.


    Y¡¯zaks scratched his head embarrassedly. ¡°¡­ If I go out with her, people might call the police. You know, there have been quite a crackdown on kidnapping recetnly¡­¡±


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­..¡±


    At this time, a figure was staggering from across the street which had attracted Hao Ren¡¯s attention.

 Chapter 465

    As he stood in front of the window, enjoying some fresh air, Hao Ren saw a rather familiar figure staggering across the street. He squinted and was surprised to find that the figure was an acquaintance¡ªNangong Sanba.


    Nangong Sanba however, did not look to be in a very good shape as he swayed in his steps. His face was as pale as a ghost. Hao Ren quickly ran towards the door, but someone got ahead of him.


    Nangong Wuyue had been in her siren form, helping Vivian to mop up the floor in the living room. But, she scurried to the door as though she had sensed the presence of her brother.


    However, Hao Ren got behind her and stopped her from crawling out the door, because she was still in her siren form. He then went out to meet Nangong Sanba himself. ¡°Sanba? What happened to you? You look like you¡¯re having a 60-degree fever.¡±


    Becky and Y¡¯lisabet, who had not gone very far heard the commotion and turned back. Both of them had never met Nangong Sanba before, and Becky looked at him curiously. ¡°You know him?¡± she asked Hao Ren.


    Nangong Sanba¡¯s face was pale and he had an abnormally high body temperature. He was obviously in very bad shape, but he was still able to reply, ¡°Stop kidding around. I¡¯d be cooked at 60 ¡ãC. Help me inside, quickly¡­ I have something to tell Wuyue¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk for the monent. I¡¯ve got medical equipment here.¡± Hao Ren hurried him into the house as he looked up and commanded the MDT, which was still lying on the tea table, watching TV. ¡°Go and get the medical pod ready!¡±


    At this time, everyone in the house was alarmed as none of them were expecting to see Nangong Sanba. He had been away for several months, only to show up in such a shape. Hao Ren thought that Nangong Sanba was injured, but when he examined him, he did not find any external wounds. Despite that, Nangong Sanba¡¯s face was pale, his body temperature was very high, and the skin around his neck was covered in some abnormal black patterns as if his blood vessels were going to burst.


    Nangong Wuyue, whose relationship with her brother had always been stormy, finally showed her sisterly love as she freaked out upon seeing her brother¡¯s condition. She picked up some ice sludge with her tail and patted it on Nangong Sanba¡¯s forehead frantically. ¡°Brother, you¡¯re scaring me¡­ Please, hang in there.¡±


    Vivian pulled Nangong Wuyue aside and said, ¡°You¡¯re knocking him out.¡±


    The MDT rushed down to the basement to prepare the medical pod. Hao Ren carefully carried the half-baked demon hunter, who was now half-dead down the stairs to the basement. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    Nangong Sanba wanted to say something earlier, but had no chance. Now, he finally forced out a few words. ¡°The vengeful spirit!¡±


    There was a sudden, subtle change of expression on Nangong Wuyue¡¯s face. She was just next to them. Hao Ren immediately realized that things were probably more complex than what met the eye. He picked up the pace and said, ¡°Just stop talking for now. Let¡¯s get down to the basement quickly and get you healed.¡±


    Arriving in the basement, Nangong Sanba was astonished by what he saw. But before he had time to say anything, they shoved him into a medical pod. They only breathed a sigh of relief when the medical pod performed a scan and started to treat him.


    Before Nangong Sanba went into the pod, Hao Ren could see some weird vascular patterns on his arms. He could not help but ask the MDT, which was now connected to the medical pod, ¡°How is he?¡±


    After verifying the feedback data from the medical pod, the MDT explained, ¡°Short-term exposure to a high dose of radiation has caused the collapse of his tissue. There are also signs of heavy metal poisoning. His blood is full of toxins and tissues of dissolved organs, but the demon hunter is very tough; he will live. If he had gotten here a bit later, he¡¯d be dead.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue curled herself up into a ball and stayed in that posture for a long time.


    The clock seemed to be ticking slower than usual as everyone anxiously waited. Nonetheless, the treatment had gone well. A beep sounded from the medical pod before its hatch slowly slid open. Nangong Sanba sat up and breathed out a sigh. He still looked weak, but he had apparently made it.


    Right after, the MDT began to speak like an old Chinese doctor, ¡°It¡¯s best to get a day or two¡¯s rest while you let your body recover slowly from exhaustion.¡±


    Nangong Sanba climbed out of the medical pod with some struggle. The first thing he did was turn to look at the strange, high-tech equipment and asked, ¡°For my sister¡¯s sake¡­ I guess you won¡¯t ask me to pay for the treatment, right?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue suddenly yanked her brother back into the pod with a fling of her tail. ¡°Don¡¯t be so thick-skinned!¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged and said, ¡°Looks like your brother has recovered pretty well.¡±


    Nangong Sanba got up again, and still felt incredible. When he first arrived, he thought that he would surely die. He wanted to leave his last words, but he had no chance to speak. Now, he was surprised to find that not only was he not going to die, he was also completely healed by the strange equipment. He peered around the basement curiously and it looked like a place no normal human being would live in with all the strange equipment lying around. ¡°Honestly speaking¡­ I think the human race hasn¡¯t attained this level of technology yet. Do have something more than meets the eye?¡±


    Hao Ren had not given it much thought when he tried to save Nangong Sanba¡¯s life. Also, because Nangong Sanba was an otherworldling himself, it seemed like he fell within the definitions of his ¡°tenants¡±, which Raven 12345 had handed down to him. Hence, he led Nangong Sanba into the basement. But obviously, it was going to be troublesome to explain to him, so he could only beat around the bush. ¡°This is an otherworldling shelter after all, how could I not have some ¡®necessary assets¡¯ lying around while I run this place?¡±


    Lily blustered behind Hao Ren. ¡°Who we are is not important, but what happened to you is!¡±


    Nangong Sanba suddenly turned serious as he took a few deep breaths to calm himself down, before looking at his sister darkly. ¡°Wuyue, I think I¡¯ve found the vengeful spirit that took dad and mom away.¡±


    Wuyue¡¯s tail instantly stiffened up in a tortuous way. She was in a startled state for a few seconds before she reacted. ¡°You mean¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure yet, but the smell was really familiar.¡± Nangong Sanba nodded vigorously. He then looked up at Hao Ren and explained, ¡°Demon hunters are born hunters who are very sensitive to smells, even surpassing that of the werewolves. A mixed breed like me is no exception.¡±


    Wuyue suddenly lunged forward, grabbing and shaking Nangong Sanba by the shoulders with both of her hands. ¡°Where is it? Was the vengeful spirit the one who hurt you?¡±


    ¡°Calm down,¡± said Nangong Sanba, trying to break free from his sister¡¯s claws. ¡°Siberia. I was no match for that vengeful spirit, but I roughly know where its nest is.¡±


    ¡°Its nest?¡± Vivian immediately frowned. ¡°Vengeful spirits have nests? I thought they never stay in one place for very long.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the details, but all intel seems to indicate that the vengeful spirit has never left the physical world.¡± Nangong Sanba spread out his hand. ¡°It may have even been entrenched there for hundreds of years. I believe that the attack on our family back then may be a result of its unconscious ¡®wandering¡¯.¡±


    Hao Ren listened, but he was none the wiser. He held Nangong Sanba up. ¡°Let¡¯s go upstairs to the living room. We¡¯ll talk over it there.¡±


    In the living room, after having some water, Nangong Sanba appeared to be a lot better. He then recapped his encounters over the past months. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that I got a job from a Russian parvenu to help him drive out some spirit? As it turned out, the situation wasn¡¯t as simple as I thought it would be.


    ¡°At first, I thought that it was just another job where some large family¡¯s old house was haunted by evil spirits, because of some rancor or vicious incidents. However, when I arrived there, it turned out it was more than that: the parvenu who commissioned me is actually a descendant of a very large, reclusive family with a very complicated background. The family and the evil spirit have hundreds of years of grudges, and over the generations, family members have died one after another in a series of bewildering incidents. It¡¯s said that the evil spirit was called out by one of the family¡¯s ancestors using a secret method described in an ancient manuscript. By doing so, the ancestor violated the taboo of life and death. You may have heard of legends like this, which were passed down from several generations ago. But, it¡¯s hard to verify their authenticity. Anyway, when I followed the trail and finally found the so-called evil spirit, it was actually a vengeful spirit, which for some unknown reason, was stuck in the material world.


    ¡°The vengeful spirit had a scent, which was very similar to the one I encountered when I was young¡ªa smell I can never forget. But I wasn¡¯t a match for it since I was alone. At last, I had to use my speciality in the occult to teleport myself back to Wuyue.¡±


    After that, Nangong Sanba smiled bashfully. ¡°Actually, I was thinking of coming here to leave my last words before I die. I never thought that I¡¯d still be alive.¡±

 Chapter 466

    No one expected Nangong Sanba to have gone through so many incredible things in that short period of time. The goddess of luck had to be on his side, because it just so happened that he only went to challenge the vengeful spirit alone after Hao Ren and the rest came back from the other world. If he had been wounded two days earlier, even the most powerful occult skills on Earth could not have saved him. Nangong Wuyue was still in a different world at that time while Nangong Sanba¡¯s movements required members of his family to lock on the right coordinates.


    Regardless of the principle, it was not easy to explain how the demon hunters¡¯ talents worked.


    Hearing her brother¡¯s encounter, Nangong Wuyue could not wait but ask, ¡°Is the vengeful spirit still there? When did you fight with it?¡±


    Nangong Sanba exhaled and said, ¡°Yesterday. After the fight, I was wounded, but I was lucky to be able to escape into the wilderness. There, I held up for a night before setting up the needed array for spells and coming over to find you. The vengeful spirit should still be there. For some unknown reason, it looked like the vengeful spirit was trapped in that place.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue suddenly got up. ¡°I¡¯m going!¡±


    She glanced down at Hao Ren, feeling a little embarrassed. ¡°Landlord¡­¡±


    Hao Ren smiled when he saw the forthright siren suddenly becoming so prudish. He found it interesting, but he did not tease her. ¡°I got it. Since I¡¯m your guardian here, I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue nodded gratefully while Nangong Sanba glanced at Hao Ren with a strange expression on his face. ¡°This is risky business. Furthermore, it¡¯s my family¡¯s business. You¡¯re not obligated to be involved.¡±


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes and said, ¡°Unfortunately, this is also part of my job.¡±


    The vengeful spirit was not just one of the otherworldlings on Earth, it was also one of the most mysterious, being only second to the siren. And like the siren, Hao Ren did not find any races who corresponded with vengeful spirits in the Plane of Dreams. So, he had been planning from the very beginning, trying to get his hands on a sample to study. He wanted to know exactly what it was. Unfortunately, he never met one before as the thing came and went like a shadow, very much like Raven 12345. It was not like you could simply go out and catch one.


    However this time, there was a ready-made sample, Hao Ren had no reason to give up the opportunity. Not to mention his relationship with the Nangongs, even if without this relationship, he would still go just to check it out by himself. In case thing was done neat and tidy, he might earn a month or two bonus or a few cartons of golden apples from Raven 12345.


    Nangong Sanba had not a clue what was on Hao Ren¡¯s mind. He only felt that this strange landlord who was running an unusual creature shelter was surprisingly big-hearted, and even to the point of unscientifically kind. So he was very curious as what Hao Ren was up to.


    His eyes began to dart between Hao Ren and Nangong Wuyue the mantis shrimp, trying to pick up some subtle hints that might indicate the goings-on between them. Apparently he thought a man who could be as big-hearted as this was either he had some kind of orientation problem, or something was going on between him and his sister.


    The siren maiden flung her brother to the back of the sofa with her tail, the latter facepalmed and mumbled in the back. :I haven¡¯t said say anything yet!¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be my tail that wag you if you¡¯ve uttered it.¡± Wuyue swung her tail. ¡°Do you want to experience the windmill of your childhood? If you say that crap again I¡¯m going to let you experience the ¡®thrill¡¯ of being spun at maximum speed.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue quickly beg for her mercy. Meanwhile, Hao Ren felt hapless and a little hurt. ¡°Am I that unworthy?¡±


    The siren maiden¡¯s face suddenly looked a little odd. ¡°No, you¡¯re not¡­ Hey! You guys have got off the subject! Now let¡¯s get back to business, all right?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no much to do recently,¡± Vivian clapped her hands, while pushed Hao Ren who was now impetuous to a side. ¡°The goddess hasn¡¯t given us any new mission, there¡¯s no hurry to explore The Plane of Dreams while things about Y¡¯zaks has also been resolved, we¡¯re are free. I¡¯ve had a few encounters with the vengeful spirit before, it¡¯s kind of a strange creature. Given the opportunity, I¡¯d also like to take a look at it again. Sanba, you would lead us there, wouldn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°You all are going?¡± Nangong Sanba looked at them, seemingly a little confused.


    Hao Ren counted with his fingers and said, ¡°Me; Vivian who has experience, must go; both of you Nangongs; oh, and¡ª Lily, stop shaking me, I know you¡¯re going too! All right?¡±


    The husky maiden grabbed Hao Ren¡¯s arm and swung it back and forth as if if Hao Ren did not agree she was going to tear his arm down. Her tail whirred like a whirlybird, she had become restless after a few days at home.


    As soon as Hao Ren nodded, Lily lunged at him and about to lick him like a lollipop. Hao Ren was shocked. But fortunately, or rather unfortunately, just when Lily opened her mouth, a small bat slapped her on her face as Vivian pulled her back by the tail. ¡°Show some self-restraint! Even if the whole world knows you are a husky, don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re in human shape right now!¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not going to join you guys this time,¡± Y¡¯zaks, as usual, waited for the hoo-ha to stop before he said slowly like a big brother. ¡°I want to spend time with my child at home.¡± said Y¡¯zaks as he patted Y¡¯lisabet¡¯s head dotingly.


    Y¡¯lisabet jumped to her feet. ¡°But I want to go with Uncle Ren¡­¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t done your homework for almost a week!¡± Y¡¯zaks glared. ¡°Don¡¯t forget you¡¯re a demon queen-to-be! When we first came to Earth, you promised obedience. If you nag again, I¡¯m going to send you back and let those aunts and uncles to school you!¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet compressed her mouth, building up her emotion, then looked at Hao Ren with a tearful look. ¡°Uncle Ren, if I cry would you help me?¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged. Y¡¯lisabet turned to Vivian. ¡°Vivian, would you help me?¡±


    Vivian rolled her eyes and said, ¡°This time, your dad is right.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet sighed. ¡°Then I¡¯m not going to cry, you people aren¡¯t that fun.¡±


    Becky looked at Nangong Sanba, then Hao Ren, and Nangong Wuyue. Suddenly, she raised her hand hesitantly and asked, ¡°Although I don¡¯t understand a thing of what you guys said, but looks like you guys are going to an exploration?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not really an exploration,¡± Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°We¡¯ve some business to attend¡­ local defense matter.¡±


    ¡°Could I tag along?¡± Becky showed an eager face, then made a sword-drawing move and wielded her right hand in the air. ¡°Look, my skill has become rusty!¡±


    Hao Ren frowned. ¡°What are you going to do there? It¡¯s not like you would get paid.¡±


    The only driving force in life of Becky was money, Hao Ren thought. Now the mercenary had volanteered herself, it made him felt like the sun was rising from the west.


    Becky smirked as she scratched her head. ¡°Look, I¡¯m a mercenary, I¡¯m not going to stay home, it bores me to death!¡±


    Hao Ren knew that the mercenary part of Becky¡¯s blood was slowly fermenting after doing nothing at home for so long, probably that had let the maiden start to feel her skill becoming rusty. So he agreed to let her come along. Nangong Sanba watched with amazement at these people who volunteered to go hunting the vengeful spirit so casually. ¡°Do you guys think this is a game? I had a few encounters with that vengeful spirit, it¡¯s a powerful variety, the kind which even experienced demon hunters would find it hard to deal with. You guys would rather go looking for trouble than having a peaceful life at home?¡±


    Hao Ren sighed in my heart; peaceful my foot! After all his recent experiences, hunting the vengeful spirit in Siberia seems like a vacation already.


    The next day, they had arrived on the desolate frozen plains of Siberia.


    Hao Ren had thought of to take this opportunity to request from Raven 12345 reimbursement of a few plane tickets, and long with a few hundred thousand bucks for operation funding. But before he could do so, the MDT had remonstrated: since a global teleporting machine and a transport had already been given to him, it was too much to ask for reimbursement under such circumstances, the goddess might get mad if he did it. So Hao Ren had no choice but thought the better of it.


    They used the MDT to teleport themselves across the border into Siberia. Though the funding was no more, truth be told, it was much faster than taking the plane.


    As the light of the teleportation faded, and they recovered from their short-term intense dizziness, Nangong Sanba eyeballed Hao Ren and asked, ¡°It seems you really have a lot of secret gadgets, eh?¡±


    Hao Ren tossed the MDT in his hand, he thought to himself: oh, come on, this thing is more like a brick¡­


    Nangong Wuyue nudged her brother and told him quietly, ¡°Let¡¯s not ask too many questions.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay. I would tell everything as soon as he decides to move in,¡± Hao Ren smiled, as he pulled his coat close to his body¡ªit was not that he needed the winter wear, but to let him blend in in the minus thirty-degree environment. ¡°Now let¡¯s go and find where that vengeful spirit hides.¡±

 Chapter 467

    Siberia, one of the coldest regions in the world, where a large population of humanity exists. When talking about Siberia, many people inadvertently think of a dull, monotonous wasteland. But, it is an extremely vast area. Aside from ??snow and gelisols, there is also a large area of tundra filled with mountains, cold vegetation, and icy swamps. Tens of millions of people live in this cold and snow-covered wilderness. Most of them are clustered in the few milder and more temperate towns in Siberia, while other areas are sparsely populated.


    Unfortunately, Hao Ren and the others were not there to enjoy the life and culture of this fighter nation. They were actually in the most desolate, most inaccessible place in Siberia, just next to the Arctic Circle where humans were a rare species.


    Before their departure, they had prepared thick coats. Although most of them were not afraid of the cold, the coats would at least help them to blend in. Looking at the desolate wilderness and the snow, which was vaguely visible in the the end of the horizon, Vivian instinctively pulled her clothes closer to herself. ¡°I remember being here in the Arctic Circle¡­¡±


    ¡°Why were you here?¡± Hao Ren glanced at her. ¡°If we rewind time and look a few years back, I¡¯m afraid you probably didn¡¯t see a single human in Siberia, did you?¡±


    ¡°My memory fails me.¡± Vivian scratched her head. ¡°It¡¯s not that you don¡¯t already know. But for the most part, it¡¯s probably because I was poor.¡±


    Everyone was speechless.


    At this time, Hao Ren felt something wriggling on his collar. Lil Pea poked her head out, holding on to the furry collar of his coat tightly. She watched excitedly at the vast world outside. ¡°Big¡­ Big¡­ So big!¡±


    She was struggling for words to describe what she saw. All she knew was ¡°big¡±. It seemed that the little one still had a long way to go.


    Hao Ren quickly put his hands around the collar to prevent Lil Pea from falling out. At ¨C 30 ¡ãC, if the little one fell out, the warm water fish would become a piece of frozen fish in no time. In fact, he did not want to bring Lil Pea with him in the first place. After all, they were going to an icy cold place, and Lil Pea was a child, who would hibernate in freezing temperatures. At sub-zero temperatures, she would be frozen, but he just could not stand her nagging.


    Nangong Sanba mentioned that the vengeful spirit was entrenched in the ancient house of a reclusive elite family. The house of the family, whom he called a ¡°parvenu¡± was still hidden deeper in the snowy steppe. After the MDT teleported them to a wide-off-the-mark location in Siberia, there were still a long way from their destination. Hao Ren looked around, and it was definitely not a place for sightseeing. He reached into his Dimensional Pocket and said, ¡°We¡¯ll drive there.¡±


    Nangong Sanba was a little startled when he saw Hao Ren yanking out a vehicle out of nowhere. But then he calmed down quickly. Meanwhile, Wuyue came up to him and giggled. ¡°You seem to be more composed, eh? Not surprised anymore?¡±


    Nangong Sanba hemmed and said, ¡°Who doesn¡¯t have a secret weapon? On top of that, he¡¯s someone who runs a shelter. I¡¯m used to it, so to tell you the truth, even if he pulls out a spaceship from his pocket now, I won¡¯t be at all surprised.¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at him. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Nangong Sanba was appalled. ¡°Do you really have one?¡±


    Hao Ren was not very worried about revealing too much high-tech stuff in front of this outsider. He was at the very least experienced at this point. He had been met with bigger trouble before, so this little thing did not worry him. He just needed to ensure that he complied with the administration¡¯s system, or else he would be grilled by the goddess.


    Nangong Sanba was not taking Hao Ren seriously; he was just acting surprised. He turned to look at the vehicle Hao Ren yanked out of ¡°nowhere¡±, and said, ¡°Do you think this will work with all the snow in Siberia?¡±


    Hao Ren glared at him. ¡°You¡¯re looking down on it because of its small displacement, isn¡¯t it? Let me tell you, although it looks tiny from the outside , it¡¯s really big inside.¡±


    Before Nangong Sanba could say anything more, he was already being shoved into the car. When he got inside, he was shocked by the spacious cabin. With just a glance, he knew there was something off about the interior. But some sort of sensory confusion made him unsure of where the anomaly began and where it ended. He could only vaguely feel that he had just passed through a distorted space, which was probably the car door.


    Hao Ren slid into the car, and placed the MDT into the card slot next to the driver¡¯s seat. Then, he drove into the distant white world.


    The small Northstar galloped across the frozen wilderness of Siberia. Despite the rough terrain with virtually no actual road present, the car moved like it was running across a track. This would have become another unsolved mystery if people had spotted it. Inside the car, Lil Pea was lying on Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder, looking through the window at the scenery outside. She made loud exclamations from time to time, ¡°Wow! It¡¯s snow!


    ¡°Wow! It¡¯s rock!


    ¡°Wow! It¡¯s food!¡±


    The last one was because she saw a few dead trees zooming past.


    As the car entered the snowy land, the scenery became even more monotonous. The undulating wilderness was devoid of vegetation, only static, white snow, which had been accumulating since time immemorial. Faint images of mountains and shadow of the woods could be seen in the distance. Aside from that, it was just white. The were already in the Arctic Circle, and they were still travelling north. To be honest, it was unimaginable that there would anyone rich who would like to live in this ghostly place. But the reclusive elite, whom Nangong Sanba called the ¡°parvenu was indeed living in this desolate place.


    ¡°Igor¡¯s family is a very special group of people, they have become extraordinarily wealthy since a long time ago. Despite experiencing the many social changes, conflicts and turmoil in the world, they stayed wealthy as ever,¡± Nangong Sanba began to tell the storu of the reclusive elites they were visiting, and he finally stopped calling them ¡®parvenus¡¯. ¡°They have properties all over Europe, but their families are very low-key and remain mostly anonymous. People say they are blessed by gods to enjoy the massive wealth from generation to generation, but I think it was already under the curse of the vengeful spirit: they¡¯re so wealthy that even the October Revolution hadn¡¯t been able to shaken their foundation, but each one of them is afflicted by catastrophes outside of human disasters: all kinds of supernatural deaths, sickness, madness, accidents, suicides, and even disappearance in their own bedrooms. For years, they have been seeking witchcraft and the dark world for helps¡ªexorcists and priests, even Chinese priests, but luck have never on their side, they have never been able to find a real expert, though I was one of the most professional one they have ever got. If I knew it earlier exactly what troublesome the family was in I would have been better prepared. Unfortunately not until the vengeful spirit appeared, I only knew about what kind of stuff they had provoked.¡±


    ¡°How could such a wealthy family live in this place?¡± Lily curiously asked. ¡°Most parts of Siberia have been places of exile of prisoners a few hundred years ago, especially where we are now, close to the Arctic Circle and far from the bustling world of humanity, it¡¯s extremely costly for any humans to settle down here.


    Hao Ren glanced at Lily, surprised. ¡°Why are you suddenly so serious? And you sounds pretty learned.¡±


    Lily grinned, looking at Hao Ren. ¡°I¡¯m the one with the highest qualifications here, don¡¯t you know? I didn¡¯t show it off because I was lazy.¡±


    Vivian pushed Lily away and said, ¡°Save it! You¡¯re just blessed by your home town in the Arctic Cirle.¡±


    Nangong Sanba smiled. ¡°Like I said, Igor¡¯s family is a reclusive elite. Though they are ordinary people, they are unfortunate to be exposed to the worlds of the otherworldlings, and naturally greatly affected by them. Withdrawing from the crowds, weird behaviors, unidentified wealth, family genetic diseases that science fails to explain, seeking help from witchcraft and taboo knowledge¡ªthese are things which are most likely experienced by families that cross path with the otherworldlings. The family we¡¯re going to meet moved to this area three hundred years ago, and amassed great wealth at the same time. The ¡®evil spirit¡¯ which have been haunting them for generations appeared at that same moment too.¡±


    Hao Ren asked, ¡°What had they done three hundred years ago?¡±


    ¡°Summoning the dead,¡± Nangong Sanba shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask about the details. From the beginning I thought it was just another intrusion of evil spirits, and went ahead without investigation. Never have I expected I was nearly OK by the vengeful spirit.¡±


    Soon, the ancient house which was invaded by vengeful spirit appeared ahead of them.

 Chapter 468

    If you had not seen it with your own eyes, you would not have expected an ancient castle to be in Siberia¡¯s most inhospitable area: it was very close to the Arctic Circle, but a family plagued by a vengeful spirit had poured in huge amounts of manpower and material resources to build their sanctuary there.


    ¡­


    The shadow of a tall building appeared on the horizon; it was a quirky, black stone fortress with a thick, circular fa?ade and three tall towers as well as a bowl-shaped roof. It was unclear if the owner cleaned it regularly or the castle was shielded by some kind of supernatural power. Not a speckle of white was on the building.


    Hao Ren drove closer to the castle, but the closer he got, the more uncomfortable he felt. The magnificent building looked really ominous. Its thick walls and weird roof made it looked like a prison, as though an inexplicable monster was held in a secluded cage in that world of ice and snow. Just by looking at it, one could sense the eeriness emanating.


    The people who constructed the castle were either psychologically ill, or helpless in their struggle against an evil spirit. It was hard to imagine who would be willing to live in this eerie place.


    When Hao Ren drove near the castle, he found that it was surrounded up by an old iron fence on the ouside, and a layer of low stone wall on the inside. The double walls made the place look like it was not made for humans; more like a prison for something else. The car could not go straight in. Hao Ren slowed down and drove around the iron fence before he found a rusty gate on the other side. He honked and waited for a while before an old servant, clad in a brown coat came out from the low wall to open the gate.


    The old servant appeared old and weak. He was almost bald with only a ring of white, curly hair, fluttering in the cold winds of Siberia. He was hunched under a heavy coat as he plodded towards the gate in a quivering manner. He opened the gate slightly before poking his head out, peering cautiously at the weird car outside. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± the old servant asked with a heavy, nasal voice.


    Nangong Sanba stuck his head out of the window. ¡°It¡¯s me!¡± he said.


    The old servant, who was startled looked a little frightened when he saw Nangong Sanba. He could not believe that the demon hunter was still alive. ¡°You¡¯re alive?¡±


    Nangong Sanba laughed. ¡°I¡¯m a pro. Pros have nine lives. I¡¯ve brought some reinforcements. I¡¯ll fulfill the contract with Igor, and do what I can until the evil spirit is eventually cast out.¡±


    The old servant¡¯s lips trembled a little. He looked like he had something to say, but in the end, he remained silent. He opened the gate and realized that something was wrong as the car went past him. The only modes of transportation in the vast snow field were sleighs and snowmobiles, how did the car make its way there?


    The old servant looked out in the direction where the Northstar had come from, but found no tyre tracks in the snow.


    This never occurred to Hao Ren as he rolled the window down and asked, ¡°Hey, old man, where should I park the car?¡±


    He could not keep his car in his Dimensional Pocket when the outsider was there.


    The old servant then snapped out of his shock. He had been staying in the strange old house for decades, and seen enough supernatural phenomena. He just sighed and turned to Hao Ren as he pointed at an open space. ¡°Right there.¡±


    Soon after, he witnessed another ¡°supernatural phenomeno¡±: six people came out, one after another, from the tiny Northstar. This included Nangong Sanba, who was carrying a box at least half his height. It contained all of his equipment!


    The old servant was startled before he slowly muttered to himself, ¡°Those are real pros.¡±


    After everyone disembarked, Hao Ren took the MDT out. He pointed it to his car and pretended to lock it; for a few seconds, the MDT was feeling reluctanct about playing along,but shortly after it sounded two beeps. It then spoke to Hao Ren telepathically, ¡°Can¡¯t you give me a heads-up every time you want me to perform a new function?! It¡¯s embarrassing and I¡¯m tired of being so many different things!¡±


    Hao Ren did not say a word. He just pressed his chest gently. There was a hidden pocket with Lil Pea curled up inside. It was to remind the little one not to come out. In fact, Lil Pea did not risk being bored inside as there was a small monitor through which she could observe the situation outside¡ªthere was a button near his collar, which acted as a hidden camera.


    The coat was made in the Petrachelys¡¯ onboard factory. It was magically redesigned in a way that it was almost not made from cloth.


    The garden in front of the castle had been abandoned for years. Perhaps, it was not even a garden at all from the beginning, because not many types of decorative plants could survice the cold there. Near the stone wall, there was a circle of stone bricks, which seemingly surrounded a flower bed where a few weird thorns grew. The place basically looked like a shoveled graveyard. Hao Ren and the others followed the old servant and walked towards the main entrance of the castle. They did not see any other person along the way, giving the illusion that the elderly man was the only person in the castle.


    ¡°Is there any other people here?¡± Becky found the atmosphere creepy, and felt like she had to say something to break the silence.


    ¡°Yes, in the house, but not many,¡± the voice of the old servant was low. It sounded like it came from the very depths of a tomb. ¡°Lord Igor went out early this morning, and will probably be back tomorrow. Meanwhile, you can rest in the room.¡±


    He took them to the front door and pressed the doorbell. The heavy, quaint door opened ajar as an expressionless, middle-aged man wearing a butler¡¯s apparel appeared before Hao Ren.


    The old servant introduced the guests to the butler. Nangong Sanba came forward and shook hands with the butler, who looked like a zombie. ¡°I¡¯ve brought reinforcements.¡±


    The middle-aged butler finally spoke with a stiff smile on his face, ¡°People were scared by the explosions in the basement. It¡¯s good to see you still alive.¡±


    Then, they followed the middle-aged butler deep into the castle. Nangong Sanba casually asked the butler about what had happened after he ¡°withdrew¡±¡ªwhile in actuality, he was beaten black and blue before fleeing back into the city. ¡°Did the evil spirit come out after that? Where did Igor go?¡±


    ¡°After the explosion, the evil spirit became quiet and the underground gate was sealed off once again. We don¡¯t know what happened down there. The thing has probably been held back again. Lord Igor thought you had failed, so he went out early this morning to visit one of his own hermit friends, hoping to find some soothing incense and herbs. However, it seems that isn¡¯t necessary now.¡±


    Nangong Sanba was dumbfounded, but the high death rate in his profession was an undeniable fact. Hence, he just smiled wryly and said, ¡°Well, we will wait for Igor to come back before we further discuss the next course of action. These people are a lot more powerful than I am. If not for our relationship, no one could¡¯ve persuaded them to come. This is going to be the end of the evil spirit in the castle.


    He big-noted Hao Ren and his gang in order to gain the trust of the castle owner. In any case, Hao Ren did not mind it as he was busy observing the portraits hanging on both sides of the corridor walls.


    The interior of the castle was not as creepy as the outside. Although the ancient stone buildings inevitably felt somewhat cramped, the corridors were at least warm and bright. Under the warm lighting, Hao Ren saw the dramatic portraits on his right and left. The portraits were of people from different times: some were standing, while some were sitting. They looked almost lifelike and each painting seemed to have been drawn in different ages.


    ¡°These are the ancestor of the Andrea Family,¡± Nangong Sanba whispered next to Hao Ren. ¡°Igor, the one we¡¯re going to meet is the current head of the family.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded slightly. His eyes continued scanning the portrait of men and women. Each time his eyes swept past the portraits, the deadpanned portraits of the family¡¯s ancestors came to life even more, their eyes observing the visitors in the corridor. Their glares were cold and dead, staring back at anyone who looked at them.


    Hao Ren found the eyes in the portraits all the same; both the men and women had the same pair of dark brown eyes.


    Nangong Wuyue pursed her lips and said, ¡°These look interesting.¡±

 Chapter 469

    Andrea Family, that was, the ¡®parvenu family¡¯ Nangong Sanba was talking about, had been rooted in this snow land for three hundred years. They were wealthy and had a long history. They had incredible properties and ancient foundations in Europe. However, few people in the world knew the existence of this family: for more than three hundred years this family had always followed the strict admonitions handed down from ancient times¡ªnot getting involved with the outside world, not trying to escape the snowland, not attracting the attention of others¡ªtheir ancestors and every patriarch were convinced that were the only ways to maintain the family¡¯ wealth, and of course, their lives.


    The mottled fa?ade of the castle was the witness of the ups and downs the family had experienced. The elegant and luxurious interior of the castle displayed their wealth and history. The castle had undergone many renovations and modernization over hundreds of years, but without changing the most important parts of the framework. It was clear that every generation in this family knew what was hidden beneath their own castle: they were afraid to disturb the beast in this cage.


    Later in the day, Hao Ren saw some of the servants in the castle began busily preparing the dinner, which somehow added live to this building castle. He was wondering where the servants of this place came from: such a lonely and remote place, also a mysterious, gloomy, reclusive castle; he could imagine people were recruited to work here.


    Since Nangong Sanba had known a thing or two about the situation here, he naturally played the tour guide role. ¡°Most of the servants in the castle are hereditary. The Andrea Family uses their wealth to feed these people so that their offspring will receive professional education as a servant. And they also recruit outsiders a high price, but even so, they still lose people every few years¡ª some¡¯ve died of accidents and some who couldn¡¯t stand the atmosphere and fled, but in any case, the rich always have their own solution.¡±


    Hao Ren and the others were now staying on the third floor of the VIP area. The gorgeous room was covered with thick velvet carpet, with palace-styled decorations, the firewood crackling in the fire, in addition to all the furniture and appliances which were needed. However, this luxurious and comfortable room did not make them feel at ease. Since the moment they entered the castle, Hao Ren always had an uncomfortable feeling coming from under his feet. He asked several others and found that this was not an illusion.


    Vivian had had seceral encounter with the vengeful spirit. She could generally make of the situation here. ¡°The vengeful spirit must be in the castle underground, but it hasn¡¯t fully entered the material world. And to be honest ¡­ I¡¯ve a weird feeling about the building.¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at Vivian. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s weird. The house looks like a prison from the outside.¡±


    Vivian shook her head, opened the window of the room, and looked out at the dark atrium. The two wings of the building had two rows of low-rise houses that extended out to form a cage-like structure behind the castle. She looked at the gloomy and overcast weather outside in thought. ¡°I mean something else¡­ I feel that I¡¯ve seen this place before.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve really seen it before but I¡¯m freezing,¡± Becky jumped around with her arms around herself, and then slammed the window closed. ¡°It¡¯s freaking cold here! Are you freaking out of your mind?¡±


    Lily was lying in front of the fireplace staring at the flames in a daze. She threw a despised look at Becky when she heard her. ¡°Oh, come on. At this temperature? I feel it¡¯s right for me!¡±


    Vivian chimed in. ¡°It¡¯s like fish to water, eh? After all, this is the Arctic Circle, your ancestors¡¯ place. I bet you could make eighty pulling a sleigh behind you.¡±


    The night fell, but the place was close to the Arctic Circle, the polar day and night phenomena could still affect the day-to-day life here. The sun gradually set to the position right above the horizon but stayed there, it stubbornly shone its weak light on the earth. The polar night sunlight did not give much light to the castle. Instead it cause the castle looked even more gloomy because of its angle.


    After the dinner in the room, Hao Ren decided to take a stroll ouside in the hallway.


    Outside the room was a straight hallway laid with dark red carpet with many portrait paintings on both sides, and the portraits here were no longer full-body images, but avatars framed in oval frames. These lifeless figures looked weird in the warm light. While walking, Hao Ren whispered to himself: he could not understand the pervenu who hung these portrait paintings in the hallway. Was it the parvenu was mentally too tough or something? As if the already gloomy hallway was not enough, he had also hung two rows of zombie faces of his ancestors in it. To make matter worse, the parvenu decided to place a pair of dim lights on both side of each portrait painting. Anyone who had a weak bladder and needed to make a trip to the loo outside at night would be scared the pee of them, literally.


    Outside the castle, the temperature was minus tens of degrees below, but inside the castle it was still warm and pleasant. Wearing a unlined garment strolling in the hallway, Hao Ren suddenly stopped in his tracks.


    He was counting the portraits of the ancestors of the Andreas, from the youngest generation¡ªthat was, the father of current head of family, Igor¡ªto those of the Bolshevik period, the Alexander period, and Catherine period. Under the cold glances of the portraits in the oval frames, Hao Ren had unknowingly reached the end of the hallway.


    In front of him was weird portrait hung on the wall at the end of the hallway.


    Unlike the oval frames on either side of the hallway, this portrait is a full-body portrait of a woman in black dress standing in a dark red rose background. However, the woman¡¯s face was shrouded in black gauze.


    Names and years of Andrea ancestral portraits were displayed in a uniform format, but the weird portrait of the female had only one simple word: §Ó§Ö§Õ§î§Þ§Ñ (witch).


    This strange thing immediately aroused Hao Ren¡¯s interest. He began to study portraits and texts on both sides. Finally he had established that the one hanging on the left, a white bearded old man was the earliest ancestor of Andrea¡¯s while the woman whose face was shrouded was not a member of the Andrea family.


    She did not even have a name. However, this nameless woman who was simply called a ¡®witch¡¯ was hung in the foremost prominent position of all.


    Just when Hao Ren was about to go and ask the others to come to check out the situation here, he suddenly heard a burst of noise.


    The sound seemed to come from some room on the upper floor of the castle. Despite the thick walls, he could still heard it clearly. It sounded like someone was crying and wailing, accompnying by the shattering sound of glass and dishes, and of furniture tipping over. And there were voices of people breathing, dissuading, and screaming. This disturbance continued for a few minutes before it died down. Finally Hao Ren faintly heard the sound of the heavy iron gate shut, and no noises were heard again.


    Hao Ren suddenly felt a stranger next him. he instinctively turned around and was almost scared the wit out of him: a white figure which appeared out of noewhere was standing behind him like a wandering soul!


    When he looked closely, he realized that it was not a wandering soul, but a young, skinny girl in a white dress. The girl seemed to be seriously ill, her face pale, her steps staggering. Her body rocked involentarily from left to right, back to front as she stood there. She shrunk her shoulders and looked at Hao Ren for a while before suddenly lifted the hair in front of her face, exposing a weird smile. ¡°Did you hear the sound upstairs?¡±


    Hao Ren patted his chest, his heart pumping fast while cold sweat trickled down his spine; despite his experiences in wars in the alien worlds, he could not help but was frightened seeing that. What he saw now was totally different, his experience seemed to be of no help in such circumstances. He curiously looked at the strange girl and asked, ¡°¡­ you are?¡±


    The girl did not know the person in front of him, but judging from his attire, he must not be one of the servants in the castle.


    The young girl seemed to have not heard Hao Ren¡¯s question as she just listened to the movement of the upstairs and there was a weird smile on her face. ¡°That is my brother,¡± she giggled. ¡°The last male in Andrea Family. If he could not survive past this year, this prison is going to collapse!¡±


    She then suddenly looked up at Hao Ren. ¡°You¡¯re all here to cast out the spirit?¡±


    ¡°Sort of.¡± Hao Ren was having goosebumps as he was being stared at by her pair of white eyes. But he also realized that the girl might be mentally unsound. He wanted to leave quickly.


    ¡°Another group of conmen¡­¡± The young girl giggled. ¡°Well, well, take all the money, after all, it¡¯s a curse¡­ The witch would not spare us, but would also not spare you lot¡­ Take away all the money!¡±


    Hao Ren ears erect, ¡°Who is the witch?¡±


    But at this moment, the girl¡¯s mental illness suddenly took over. She no longer took questions from Hao Ren. Instead, she muttered as she walked away, with only intermittent words coming out of her mouth. ¡°The money should have gone just like the way it came¡­ endless of money, endless of deaths ¡­ the prison¡¯s going to collapse, it¡¯s going to collapse, it¡¯s going to collapse¡­¡±

 Chapter 470

    ¡°The prison¡¯s going to collapse, it¡¯s going to collapse, it¡¯s going to collapse¡­¡±


    The indistinctive and rhythmic murmurs waned. Watching the girl, who seemed to be mentally unsound drifting away and disappearing at the end of the hallway, Hao Ren felt that there was some secret hidden in the castle.


    A gust of cold wind came out of nowhere and Hao Ren instinctively pulled his clothes closer to himself. But suddenly, he realized that there were no windows in the hallway, which was located in the deepest part of the castle.


    He turned his head, trying to find where the cold wind had come from, but he only saw the full-body portrait of a woman hanging on the wall facing the hallway. This quirky portrait, marked as ¡°witch¡± stood there quietly with her face covered with black gauze. Hao Ren felt her eyes penetrating the black gauze, and they seemed to be curiously looking at the strangers, who had suddenly come into the castle.


    A sound came from a distance. It appeared that the unfortunate young man, who was mentally ill had begun to smash things in the house again. He heard two sharp dog barks from the direction of the castle garden, but the barking soon turned into a fearful whimper. The darkness underneath the castle was slowly creeping. It probably realized that strangers had broken into its cage, but it could have also been aware of the power they possessed. Hence, it crouched as if waiting for something.


    Hao Ren scratched his chin, thinking that it was interesting. Then, he drifted back to his room.


    Lily was sitting in front of the fireplace, dozing off. Nangong Sanba was checking out his tools while others were nowhere to be seen. They had probably returned to their respective rooms. Lily was awakened as Hao Ren came back in. She ran over and greeted him with joy. ¡°You¡¯re back, Landlord!¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you slept yet?¡± Hao Ren bumped her on the head and walked over to Nangong Sanba. ¡°I just met someone outside¡­¡±


    He told him about the mad girl, and Nangong Sanba nodded as he said, ¡°That¡¯s Anna, Igor¡¯s daughter. The voice you heard was Akim, Anna¡¯s younger brother. Both of them are the youngest generation in the Andrea Family. If the evil spirit can¡¯t be eradicated, I¡¯m afraid that both of them will be the last and final generation of the family.¡±


    Hao Ren sat down in the nearest high-backed chair, picked Lil Pea out from his bosom and let the little one play on the nearby table. He then poured himself a glass of water. ¡°They¡¯re not normal?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a ¡®genetic disease¡¯ that runs in the Andrea Family,¡± said Nangong Sanba as he frowned. ¡°Each generation is exceptionally healthy at birth, but they would contract the illness after the age of six. Madness, schizophrenia, delusions, swinging between being extremely smart and extremely dumb, they somehow end up gaining knowledge, which for the most part can¡¯t be found in books. But at the same time, they¡¯ll also somehow produce memories that don¡¯t seem to belong to this world, which aggravates their condition. The madness will last until the age of 18. On their eighteenth birthdays, the evil spirits seemingly leave their bodies, leaving only a ¡®genius¡¯ full of quirky knowledge. This is why every head of family is talented, but not many of them survived after the age of 18; serious madness killed them. Some unlucky children even completely lost their souls in utter madness as if their bodies were possessed by something else¡­ I suspect that vengeful spirit is possessing the bodies of the Andrea Family members. It could be looking for ways to escape the place, while the incident that happened to my home back then was probably the result of a successful escape by the vengeful spirit.¡±


    Nangong Sanba clenched his fist tightly as he said, ¡°I hope I can exterminate this monster this time.¡±


    Hao Ren had seen the magic and technology of the other worlds. He had also witnessed various incredible space and cosmic visions. However, these mysterious incidents on the earth still excited him because he knew that the root causes of these supernatural phenomena on the Earth had also come from the Plane of Dreams, and the impact of these supernatural phenomena on ordinary people is naturally one of the symptoms of the intrusion of the Plane of Dreams into the real world.


    Before this, Nangong Sanba stayed in the castle for a long time, so he was familiar with the situation of the Andrea Family. He sighed when he mentioned about the two persons who were devastated by the evil spirit. ¡°They are actually very nice, young people. While Akim is polite and likes music, Anna likes to paint. Anna¡¯s condition is more stable than Akim. She often walked out and I spoke to her several times. She could clearly remember her experience when she was mentally out of control: she related her was stuffed with a large amount of obscure ancient knowledge, and all the evil deeds for the past 300 years hidden deep inside the castle. The vengeful spirit observed everything that had ever happened in the castle, and then stuffed all it into her memory. Anna seemed to be very disgusted with her family, always cursing the ancestors whose portraits were hung on the wall. Akim rarely ventured out, but he would go to the atrium occasionally. There is no way he could leave the castle.¡±


    A thought suddenly came to Hao Ren¡¯s mind. He asked, ¡°Anna knows everything about the Andrea Family that had happened over the past 300 years? What about the origin of the vengeful spirit?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps she knows, but no one could ever find out from her,¡± said Nangong Sanba while waving his hand. ¡°Her mind is screwed up. At the same time, the vengeful spirit seems to be deliberately concealing this part of the information. When recalling those memories, Anna will become madder. I tried several times but failed to gain any insight.¡±


    ¡°Anna mentioned a ¡®witch¡¯,¡± said Hao Ren as he remembered the portrait he had seen at the end of the hallway. ¡°There is a painting in hallway outside, a young woman with her face veiled. She was also described as witch¡­. Who is she?¡±


    ¡°She even told you about it?¡± Nangong Sanba was somewhat surprised. ¡°Hey, it seems that Anna¡¯s condition isn¡¯t very good today. I¡¯ve also noticed that there was such a witch in the history of the Andrea Family, but I¡¯ve not been able to find out her past. She appeared at the beginning when the Andre family began to amass their fortune, but the subsequent genealogical records had kept mum about the witch. She¡¯s only known to be very special to the family¡ªsomeone who was feared. There¡¯s a library in the castle, where there¡¯s this oldest manuscript mentioning the witch in reverence, and attributing ¡®everything¡¯ the Andrea Family has to the witch. I suspect that this ¡®everything¡¯ isn¡¯t just about wealth, but also includes ¡®the curse of evil spirit possession.¡±


    Hao Ren frowned as he but his nails. He knew that the ¡®witch¡¯ existed in the Earth¡¯s history¡ªthe ignorant and dark era where the church and the people were obsessed with persecuting witches and punishing scorcerers. They did so to divert their fear of the Black Death and other natural and man-made disasters. This ferventness was not just driven by the demon hunters, and the blind following of the people, but also contained the shadow of witchcraft. Humans who had acquired special abilities and forbidden knowledge from the otherworldlings, or had contacted with certain things from the Plane of Dreams were called scorcerers and witches. But 1,700 years ago in the extreme north of Siberia, was there a witch?¡±


    ¡°Hey, let¡¯s just stick with the topic of vengeful spirit,¡± said Hao Ren, scratching his hair. He thought that as terrible as the witch was, she must have been dead. The biggest problem now lay beneath the castle¡ªthe vengeful spirit. ¡°How powerful is that thing?¡± he asked.


    Hao Ren was quite relaxed as he asked the question. After all, he had just returned from the battlefield in the alien worlds. He had seen enough that he thought a pretentious thing like that would not pose much threat.


    However, just when his voice trailed off, he heard Vivian¡¯s voice from the outside. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the vengeful spirit.¡±


    A buzzing noise was heard beside him as the window was opened by itself. A swarm of bats covered in show flew in from the outside and crashed down onto the floor. They tried to regroup and transform back into human form, but there were still a few of them could not do so as they were frozen and lying on the floor. Vivian smiled sheepishly at Hao Ren. ¡°I went out to study the structure of this castle.¡±


    ¡°What have you got?¡± Hao Ren asked. ¡°Anything special about the vengeful spirit?¡±


    ¡°The castle was obviously designed by an expert. Although it¡¯s construction materials are just ordinary material, the special pattern makes it possible to form a seal that can suppress spiritual creatures. There¡¯s a distorted spatial response underneath the castle, something powreful must have been locked inside,¡± said Vivian as she picked up the few frozen bats from the floor and tossed them into the fire. She patted Lily¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Doggie, help us to flip the bats. Landlord, you might look down on the vengeful spirits, but they¡¯re not ordinary evil spirits. In fact, they are also not wraiths. Strictly speaking, they¡¯re a kind of high-power energy bodies which have its own will. There are strong and weak vengeful spirits, but without exception, they are difficult to deal with. Their mysterious nature makes it hard to understand by even the demon hunters. There hasn¡¯t a recorded ¡®kill¡¯ of vengeful spirit by the demon hunters because the demon hunters haven¡¯t figured a way to kill them. So the usual view is that after vengeful spirit is defeated, it would be sent into exile back to where it comes from instead of being killed. In addition, vengeful spirits don¡¯t afraid of physical attack, they¡¯re amorphous, unfettered, have no sign to indicate that they could be weakened, wounded as they¡¯ve no physical vulnerability.¡±


    Vivian said as she suddenly shook her head, ¡°Their combat strength not lie in brute force, but its mysteriousness. Your weapon might be 100 times more powerful than them, but your knowledge of them is the biggest obstacle in dealing with them.¡±


    Hao Ren listened to Vivian¡¯s analysis. He could not help but fall into thoughts. Lily who was next to him flipped the bats grilled in the fire with a plier, all the while drooling. ¡°Oh bat, when can I eat you?¡±


    Vivian stepped forward and picked the bats up out of the fire and merged back to her body. ¡°All you know is eating! I just want to defrost it¡ªthis place is freaking cold!¡±

 Chapter 471

    In this land next to the Arctic Circle, the sun did not bring much warmth, especially to the Andrea Family¡¯s icy castle. The boring, black building relied on charcoal and boilers, which provided limited warmth to its occupants. The cold Siberian wind blew into the room through cracks in the window and Becky, who had just washed her face felt annoyed. ¡°Who opened the window again?¡±


    Lily squatted in front of the window with a naive and clean smile on her face. Vivian glanced at the husky, and said, ¡°The husky¡¯s here early in the morning to enjoy her ancestors¡¯ blessings, eh? That¡¯s such a dumb smile.¡±


    Lily stood up and snorted. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you say. It¡¯s good to have some cool air; it makes one adapt quickly to the climate at least, unlike you. You were frozen into an ice cube yesterday.¡±


    Vivian had her arms on her hips. ¡°Just three of them were frozen! And they didn¡¯t crash. Didn¡¯t I finally glide into the house successfully?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me to grill them again the next time they freeze. It was so unbecoming of you to tell me I couldn¡¯t eat them after doing all the grilling. You were wasting my time.¡±


    As always, Lily and Vivian were going at it hammer and tongs again, but the movement outside the castle had quickly shifted their attention. Something was approaching the castle from a distance. Upon careful observation, it appeared to be three sled teams. The sleds were sturdy and beautiful. They were covered in thick, brown bear fur and decorated with shiny copper antlers as well as side metal panels. Many groups of strong sled dogs were pulling the sleds and yes, they were Siberian huskies¡ªthree groups of them.


    Despite snowmobiles being easier to use, there were still people using sledges as a means of transportation in the snowland. A few traditional ethnic groups still preferred this ancient mode of transport. The sled teams undoubtedly belonged to the castle owner, Igor. So, it seemed that the castle owner had returned from seeing his old friend.


    The strong sled dogs had traveled a long distance, now gasping as they pulled up to the snowy border. They seemed reluctant to move again. The servants in the castle had already been informed and they rushed out to meet their master. Hao Ren just walked over to the window, stood there and looked out at the beautiful traditional sleds. He could not help but praise them, ¡°Oh, those are beautiful sleds.¡±


    Lily also glanced at the lasso and leash in front of the sleds. ¡°Wow, sleds!¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Lily, finding her bizarre. He had a vague feeling that the husky¡¯s focal point was somewhat different than his.


    Vivian bawdily poked Lily on the elbow and pointed her chin at the groups of huskies outside the castle. ¡°Look, it¡¯s your dear friends. Don¡¯t you want to go out and say hello?¡±


    Without saying anything, Lily pushed the window open to let out a loud ¡°woof¡±. She immediately caused a ruckus outside as the Siberian Huskies ran excitedly before they lined up neatly in three formations. They barked incessantly at the castle as if they were shouting slogans.


    Lily closed the window and looked provocatively at the stunned Vivian. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s hard to find things with wings here, but huskies are a dime a dozen. Would you believe me, if I said I could climb up to the roof tonight, and call out 200 huskies with just one ¡®woof¡¯?¡±


    Lily walked out proudly, leaving Vivian and Hao Ren speechless as they looked at each other. After a long while, Vivian said, ¡°I can¡¯t communicate with her.¡±


    The first thing the middle-aged butler with the zombie face did was tell Igor about their guests. Igor was very surprised to hear that the demon hunter was not only alive, but he had also brought a large group of reinforcements. He immediately hosted a reception in the living room on the second floor of the castle.


    Hao Ren had not eaten yet. Upon hearing about the castle owner¡¯s invitation, he quickly went to the party.


    Igor was a middle-aged man, less than 50 years old. He had a short, sturdy body, sparse hair on his head and pale skin, but a big red nose, which made him look a bit funny. However, beneath the comical face lay a depressed look. His depression made him look far older than his actual age. Igor was sensitive and cynical like an old man and even Hao Ren could see that the evil spirit in the castle had greatly accelerated Igor¡¯s aging process.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you again, alive, my friend,¡± Igor pasted a smile on his face and greeted Nangong Sanba. He was wearing a thick fur coat, but the thick coat did not seem to protect him from the ¡°cold air¡± in the castle. He was trembling slightly, and his voice was so low and faint like his tongue had froze. ¡°I heard a horrible explosion that night. The light in the clock tower continued to shine until the next day. Then, I sent someone down to look for you, but we only found some blood and a locked iron gate. I thought you¡¯d been consumed by the evil spirit.¡±


    Nangong Sanba¡¯s true nature was well-known by Hao Ren and others, but in front of outsiders, he was still an expert in exorcism. Therefore, his face was serious and his manner appeared like someone with authority. ¡°I fought with the evil spirit and was certain that I had weakened its power. But, I have to say that the information you provided wasn¡¯t complete. The first sealing attempt has failed, so I have to find someone stronger who carries a mysterious power of the east, powerful enough to expel the spirit beneath the castle.¡±


    Hao Ren and Lily were busy gobbling up the food on their plates. Only then did they look up and greet Igor with a smile. He secretly nudged Nangong Wuyue¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Your brother is quite a snob, eh?¡±


    ¡°Orthodox demon hunters always stick to themselves and they never bother to solicit for business. They don¡¯t even want people to know about their existence. So, my half-baked-demon-hunter brother has become the most famous exorcist of all, because he¡¯s the only one advertising himself.


    The living room now served as a dining room. Food on the long, gorgeous table was almost overflowing, but Igor apparently had no appetite. He chatted with Nangong Sanba for a moment and quickly turned to the real subject, asking about evil spirits, curses, and exorcisms.


    The poor old man had been bothered by the dark forces of this castle since birth. His mental illness had ravaged his entire youth, and the terrible nightmares still occupied his mind in the present. He constantly heard murmurs from the depths of the ground, whispering bizarre information about the vengeful spirit. They were voices of his father and grandparents, and even of his ancestors from 300 years ago. He knew that this seemingly unassuming people from the east were his only hope: Nangong Sanba was the first real help among the countless exorcists, priests, and monks he had sought. At least, Nangong Sanba could summon a fireball out of thin air, and he had also temporarily suppressed his nightmares using just runes.


    These achievements surpassed all of the conmen Igor had ever met.


    Igor kept asking questions about witchcraft, while Nangong Sanba continued to blow Hao Ren¡¯s trumpet. The door of the living room was suddenly pushed away as a thin, white figure wandered in.


    It was Anna, the mentally abnormal girl with long, curly flax-colored hair. She walked into the living room. Her eyes swept past Hao Ren and finally landed on Igor. ¡°Dad, you¡¯re back,¡± Anna said.


    When Igor saw his daughter, his expression took a slight change. His face looked a little unpleasant, but it was more of a worried look. He introduced her to their guests apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, this is my daughter, Anna. She usually doesn¡¯t have contact with outsiders.¡±


    Then, he looked at Anna and asked if she was feeling better. After getting a positive reply, he breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. He allowed the girl to sit down and dine together with the guests.


    Anna slowly sat down next to Hao Ren. She was so thin that it seemed like she was not capable of any quick motions. She picked up the spoon and sounded as if she was murmuring to herself, ¡°Why don¡¯t we get Akim to join us?¡±


    Igor¡¯s face was gloomy. ¡°Someone will send him his meal. When his health gets better, he¡¯ll be able to join us.¡±


    Anna ate her food quietly. However, Hao Ren could feel the girl¡¯s eyes scanning him and making him feel uneasy. Just as he was about to ask her about it, Anna suddenly turned and looked at him. ¡°You can¡¯t kill that thing.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Hao Ren felt a little funny.


    Anna¡¯s dark brown eyes shone with an inexplicable light. She looked at Hao Ren, but her eyes¡¯ focus were farther away. ¡°The strength of Tannagost has been sublimated by its people. Every Tannaean has become transcendent. You can¡¯t turn the high energy of the polymerized form around. You can only continue to increase its gap, and sooner or later, you will usher in the catastrophe.¡±


    Hao Ren was flabbergasted. ¡°What?¡±

 Chapter 472

    While Hao Ren was having his meal, Anna sat next to him and suddenly uttered something. The girl¡¯s bizarre eyes and pale face looked even weirder coupled with her mental illness. The words she uttered became even more ghostly and terrifying as a result. However, recent experiences had given Hao Ren nerves of steel. He was just puzzled. ¡°What?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Tannagost¡­ High-energy polymerized form¡­ You cannot kill that thing¡­¡± Anna¡¯s eyes were slightly unsettled, but Igor stopped her quickly. ¡°Anna, mind your table manners. Don¡¯t frighten the guests with your screwed up memories.¡±


    ¡°Wait a second.¡± Hao Ren hurriedly waved his hand at Igor. ¡°I¡¯m very interested in what Anna just said¡ªwhat is this Tannagost that she¡¯s mentioned?¡±


    Igor forced a stiff smile and said, ¡°It¡¯s the whisper of the evil spirit. Master, you don¡¯t need to care about these crazy things. In her sleep, the evil spirit under the castle has been whispering knowledge from the evil abyss. These things have mixed up with Anna¡¯s memories, preventing her from distinguishing the boundary between reality and illusion. It¡¯s better that she mentions these things less, or else sooner or later, she¡¯ll end up like our family members of the past, completely possessed by the evil spirit.¡±


    ¡°Is the vengeful spirit the one who tells her these things?¡± Hao Ren showed an expression of great interest while trying to appear like an expert. ¡°I think this information is very useful. Maybe we can infer the source of the evil spirit¡¯s power from this information.¡±


    Igor spread out his hand and said, ¡°Master, you can try, but I guarantee that you won¡¯t get any useful information, because my daughter¡¯s memory is screwed up. The evil spirit will never allow its secrets to be made known.¡±


    Hao Ren turned to Anna and asked, ¡°What is Tannagost? What is a Tannaean? Are these names of the evil spirit?¡±


    Anna lifted her unkept curly hair in front of her face, revealing her cloudy, brown eyes. ¡°They slipped into this world from the other end of the crack. The invisible power exceeds your knowledge. You won¡¯t be able to kill that thing¡­ unless we repay the treasure we stole 300 years ago¡­¡±


    Igor suddenly raised his voice, ¡°Anna, your memory is playing tricks on you again. Eat well, then return to your room.¡±


    Anna dropped her knife and fork, the she left the room like a wandering soul. Lily watched as the girl staggered away. She could not help but look at Igor. ¡°You have to tell us the truth. We are experts. What did Anna mean by the stolen treasure?¡±


    Igor sighed and said, ¡°This is what the evil spirit tells her, but I think the evil spirit has amplified these negative messages and made her feel that her family is built upon sinful activities. But in truth, all of our businesses have been legitimate. Since our ancestors received their first pot of gold from an adventure 300 years ago, the Andrea Family has followed a strict house rule and used the family fortune diligently. The money wasn¡¯t acquired by deception.¡±


    ¡°Does it have anything to do with the witch? You mentioned an adventurer 300 years ago,¡± Hao Ren asked casually.


    He knew that the portrait of the witch was hung in the castle, and the record about the witch was also in a manuscript in the library. This mystery may be a topic worthy of reverence for the Andrea Family, but it was by no means a confidential one¡ªat least, it was not to the extent where it could not be mentioned, otherwise the portrait would not have been hung there.


    Igor nodded slowly and said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s about the witch. If I hadn¡¯t lived in this castle and experienced everything in this family, I wouldn¡¯t have believed that it was a witch who gave the Andrea Family everything they have now. My ancestor met and helped the witch, so the witch gave him a gift, which included a magical stone and also an ancient spell. The stone would bring him treasure, and the spell would bring in an evil spirit. It was like a deal.¡±


    Vivian could not help but mutter, ¡°This story is lame¡­ But, it sounds rather familiar.¡±


    Hao Ren laughed wryly. He looked up at Igor and was about to further pursue matters regarding the witch when a strange voice suddenly came from below. It was like a purr, but it was abnormally deep and loud, knocking on people¡¯s hearts. There was apparently a huge cave system beneath the castle, and violent winds were creating a resonance inside the caves.


    When Igor heard the voice, his expression took a sudden change. ¡°It¡¯s the evil spirit! It¡¯s active again!¡±


    Nangong Sanba pushed away the plate in front of him and drew out the silver crossbow from his waist. ¡°Take us to the crypt .While we¡¯re on the way down, you can brief my friends about the witch and summoned evil spirit.¡±


    Like all century-old castles, the building had a huge underground structure, and in order to suppress some dark creature, the underground structure of the castle was extremely large, just like an underground palace. Igor led Hao Ren and the others to a small chapel behind the castle. The entrance to the underground area was in the chapel.


    Several servants under Igor¡¯s command pushed away the podium, revealing a staircase passage under the thick, red wood plank. The entrance was wider than expected and dim lights were visible below. A wave of strange breathing sounds could be heard from below.


    Nangong Sanba looked at the stairs and smiled. ¡°I just went down here the other day.¡±


    Igor was more courageous than he looked, probably the result of having spent most of his life in various haunted castles. He had become familiar with the weird things deep underground. Or, it may be because of the trust he had in these ¡°experts¡±. He did not let his shivering servants lead the way, instead he walked in front of them with a flourescent lamp in hand. ¡°I¡¯ll take you guys down there.¡±


    They went all the way down. Hao Ren initially thought that he would see outdated fireboxes and candlesticks on both sides of the tunnel like in the movies. However, after he went down in the tunnel, he discovered that the walls were inlaid with electric wall lamps. Apparently, ancient forts and evil spirits had also advanced with the times.


    It was clear that the owner of the castle only made very limited modifications to the underground chambers. In addition to the wall lamps on both sides as well as some electric ventilation fans and air ducts, traces of its old age could still be seen everywhere under the stairs. Rough rock walls, steep stone staircases, and stucco ceilings that were heavily mottled and had peeled off made people feel as though they were venturing into hell.


    Lily found the atmosphere rather boring and decided to say something, ¡°Were your ancestors the one who summoned this evil spirit?¡±


    Igor¡¯s deep, weak voice reverberated between the walls. ¡°¡­Greed is a sin. The earliest records are blurry, but it was about the time when my ancestor discovered the ¡®Stone of the Witch¡¯, which could bring him great wealth. He became even more greedy. He thought that since they were all gifts left behind by the witch, the stone and the spell together would be equally important as well as effective. Although the witch had warned him not to touch the incantation, he still proceeded with the summoning ritual¡­¡±


    Walking down the stone steps, the road ahead gradually became more level and eventually they embarked on a long underground corridor.


    ¡°¡­The summoning ritual opened a crack leading to the abyss. A strong spirit escaped from it and it is the evil spirit that has bothered the Andrea Family for 300 years.¡±


    Both sides of the underground corridor were also inlaid with slightly less bright wall lamps. Under the dim lights, they could see the portraits of the Andrea Family ancestors, hanging on both sides of the wall. This family seemed to love hanging their portraits on the wall. It was not known if it was an ancestral legacy or something else.


    ¡°We have been cursed for violating the witch¡¯s warning. The Andrea Family cannot leave this cursed fortress for more than seven days. Those who tried to escape eventually died on the eighth day. We have great wealth, but it doesn¡¯t allow us to leave this land of ice and snow. The evil spirit murmurs under the fortress all night. I still remember the countless sleepless nights before my eighteenth birthday. Nightmares still bothered me until not long ago. The evil spirit allowed me to see the horrors from another world and told me that the demise of all human beings is the real end¡­¡±


    As expected, at the end of the rows of portraits was the image of the witch, whose face was covered with a black veil, so that people could not see her true face.


    ¡°Why does the witch want to block her face?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    Igor paused for a moment before slowly answering, ¡°This was a modification made by my second great grandfather. Before that, the witch did not wear a veil. That was until one day, a legitimate heir saw the witch¡¯s face. He went crazy and leaped down from the top of the castle the next day. From that day onwards, all portraits of the witch in the castle were covered with veils.¡±


    ¡°Because you have violated the witch¡¯s warning, you¡¯re afraid that she and the evil spirit will come for you,¡± said Nangong Wuyue as she looked at the creepy portraits in the crypt. ¡°What you say is truly the historical truth?¡±


    ¡°At least, that¡¯s all I know.¡± Igor pointed at an iron door next to the portrait of the witch. ¡°That thing is behind the door. I¡¯m sorry, I must leave now.¡±


    Then, Igor¡¯s slightly bloated figure disappeared at the end of the ramp. Hao Ren turned to look at the iron gate in the crypt.


    A cold, white mist was slowly gathering on the iron door.

 Chapter 473

    Why was it that everything regarding evil spirits, sorcery or black magic always had to be so eerie? Hao Ren had no idea. It was more grating that the eerie atmosphere did nothing for the effectiveness of magic spells. He had sought counsel from Vivian and Y¡¯zaks, the two masters of spells and found out that one did not need a black rock to summon the spirits of the dead. In addition, Demonic runes did go haywire in the presence of anything gold. Magic was something alive, something very malleable. It was something that did not shy away from looking resplendent.


    Thus, he felt that even if an underground catacomb with a sealed evil spirit was fully lit as bright as day; had rows upon rows of Teletubbies as well as My Little Ponies lined up against the spell¡¯s matrix; and had Spongebob painted over the tomb itself, the seal would still hold up just fine.


    After Hao Ren spouted that whole load of drivel, it was natural that he earned Vivian¡¯s glare and ire. Nonetheless, he really thought it was worth a shot. At least, the atmosphere would have been much lighter, and generally much better for the overall wellbeing of the guardians. In fact, he felt that the setup would even improve the seals potency. Think about it, a sealed demon opening up a tomb splashed in Spongebob regalia, and stepping on Furbies as it leaves the ritual altar. To it¡¯s left, a host of Teletubbies and to the right, a bunch of Ponies. Even Sargeras1 would think twice about coming down from the altar¡­


    Vivian¡¯s expression was bordering on the incredulous. If someday anyone summoned her in such a state, she would rather just die inside the portal¡­


    But regardless of how Hao Ren lampooned the place, the Andrea¡¯s catacombs was still eerie as hell.


    The rectangular room had several worn out portraits, so worn out in fact that you could not tell whose face was it. On the wall facing the pathway was a veiled witch. Aside from the paintings there were nothing else, almost as if the place was some weird art gallery.


    Beside the witch¡¯s portrait was a locked gate. It seemed like frost had formed on the gate. Hao Ren thought at first that the frost was simply water droplets that froze on the gate, but he soon realised that the frost was indeed alive.


    It was like a breathing layer of light, floating slowly on the gate.


    ¡°Does those vengeful spirits love to pull stunts like this?¡± Hao Ren really felt the chill down his spine but after checking his shield capacity, he still gathered his guts and pushed the gate open. Surprisingly, the gate just simply swung open. ¡°Not locked? Aren¡¯t they afraid of the spirits escaping?¡±


    ¡°This is not meant to stop the spirits. It¡¯s for humans. A gate to denote the divide between the realm of the living, and the realm of the spirits. It¡¯s just there to stop some random fool from bumbling his way in.¡± Nangong Sanba triggered his grip on his crossbow, the demon hunter was clearly nervous. ¡°After passing through this gate, we¡¯ll leave the normal dimensions and head towards the world of the vengeful spirits. At the heart of it is a pit of madness akin to another world. Don¡¯t be too cocky, I know all of you can fight, but against the spirits, brute strength alone won¡¯t cut it.¡±


    It was pitch black after the gate with only an unlit corridor before them. There were no source of lighting at all.


    Hao Ren took point and let the MDT float in front of him as a source of light. He brushed his hand against the wall, and suddenly felt that he stone walls were unusually brittle. The slight brush had caused a chunk of sand and earthwork to fall off the wall. ¡°How long since anyone came here?¡±


    ¡°Aside from my foray two days back¡­. two hundred years at least.¡± Sanba¡¯s voice came from behind. ¡°The first few generations of the Andrea¡¯s knew something about exorcism and tricks to survive. Perhaps something from the witch. But they were not able to fortify the seals beyond this gate and the spirits soon affect their descendants and completely eradicated any exorcist ability from the bloodline. After that no none of the Andrea¡¯s had passed the gate since¡­ perhaps maybe some brave exorcist had went through that, but who knows.¡±


    The stone walls was rough and cold. On it, you could vaguely see engravings that look like runes. Hao Ren held his hand out to touch the runes, but the bricks were brittle beyond his imagination, and a whole load of sand and dust fell from it.


    No¡­ those were not from the brick wall.


    Hao Ren looked at his fingers and wiggled it a bit. The sight of his own skin and flesh crumble away like dried dirt, brown-ish sand started spilling out of his fingers, his palms soon followed, then his wrist, his forearm¡­.


    ¡°Hallucination,¡± Hao Ren stood there stunned for a couple of seconds before shaking his hand with force. He finally felt something was trying to invade his psyche, and was now in retreat. His hand too had returned to normal. ¡°Be careful, there¡¯s something causing hallucinations here.¡±


    Becky who was beside him too seemed too have snapped out of her hallucination. Her dumb smile quickly turned into a towering rage. ¡°I only just caught sight of a mountain of gold, and it¡¯s just a bloody illusion?!¡±


    Hao Ren didn¡¯t need to hear that to know what she was seeing.


    The dark, unlit corridor seemed almost endless, and the MDT¡¯s light was a mere flicker in the sea of darkness. Lily decided to pull out Flame-effing-joy to help light the way. Her eyes had already turned gold and used her superhuman senses to break through the illusion. As they went forth, Hao Ren could hear her mumbling. ¡°The braised pork rib is fake¡­. The smoked ribs are fake¡­ the meat buns are fake¡­. the spicy sticks¡­ spicy sticks¡­. spicy sticks are fake¡­.¡±


    It was almost a pitiful sight seeing her braving through the hallucinations as they went forward.


    As they head further in, a mysterious chillwind blowed within the pathway, almost as if an exit to the surface had appeared in the corridor. Hao Ren felt something weird beneath his feet, and as he looked down, he found legs deep in snow.


    The corridor was getting wider and wider but the walls were twisted and elongated, leaving deformed tree stumps and severed columns. Everything was smothered with a thick layer of now, and snow started falling from the darkness while a strange gust was buffeting the party. Hao Ren looked up, and realised that the stone ceilings were gone. Above him, was only darkness. And snow was falling.


    Becky pulled out an intricate sword from under her coat, and the blade quickly lit up in flames. Her face nervous. ¡°Illusion?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s real.¡± Nangong Sanba gripped his crossbow tightly as he pulled out a few tiny phails out of his pouch. ¡°We¡¯ve crossed the borders of reality. This is the domain of the vengeful spirits. The twisted horrors before you is real. This is what happened when a dimension distorts itself.¡±


    ¡°MDT, scan the area.¡± Hao Ren let out a curt order.


    ¡°Energy converging on the left side.¡±


    Nangong Sanba¡¯s crossbow was quickly pointed in that direction. At the same time, a blurry ball of light appeared in the darkness before them. It let out a bone-chilling screech and the distortion around them worsened as the corridor walls simply just disappeared. It was open space now.


    ¡°PLUNK!¡± the crossbow sang as it spat out it¡¯s payload. Nangong Sanba had shot out a silver quarrel. The quarrel was not meant to harm. It was exploded as it approached the apparition and released a bright golden light. The apparition¡¯s form solidified under the bright light and Nangong Sanba took the chance to throw out one of the phials in his hand.


    The phial exploded the moment it made contact with the apparition. The blessed salt within it lit into a blaze.


    But the vengeful spirit was not fazed by such an attack, it aimlessly wandered for a while before charging towards Hao Ren.


    Hao Ren had already drew his sidearm (he was not certain his spear would be effective against something without shape or form) and fired the moment it approached.


    A gunshot rang throughout the space and a blue lightning cracked. Azure crystalline dust started raining on the party.


    Hao Ren had indeed found his mark, but the spirit had expanded into a large white mist at the very last moment. The psionic revolver had only took out a small part of the white mist.


    The apparition reform and was just about to launch it¡¯s attack again, a dazzling lighting net suddenly came out of nowhere. The net was formed by countless tiny bats, and each serving as an conduit for a powerful electric current that ran through them. The net was even larger than that of the mist, and it canvassed the latter in a blink of an eye.


    The electric net and the spirit collided violently before dissipating into nothingness. Only a small amount of bats made their way back towards Vivian.


    Lily scratched her head. ¡°It¡¯s dead?¡±


    ¡°No, this is just a greeting.¡± Vivian frowned. ¡°That was just a ¡®phenomenon¡¯ created by the spirit. We have not seen it¡¯s true form yet.¡±


    Hao Ren took a deep breath as he gazed upon the dark sprawling snowfield. He kept reminding himself that he was in a corridor somewhere beneath Andrea¡¯s castle, but the scene before him left him utterly puzzled.


    ¡°What the bloody f*ck is this?¡±

 Chapter 474

    The underground world¡ªif this place could indeed be called as such¡ªwas turning into a bizzare spectacle as the party forged on. Hao Ren was 100 % sure that he had not gone bonkers. But if he had been unsure, he would have doubted the fact that he had arrived at his current location through an underground passage. They were trudging through the snowfield in darkness. The place was unnervingly spacious, and snow buffeted them in the face. The sensation was undeniably real.


    They were now deep within the twisted dimension created by the vengeful spirit. This was a dimension that lay between the illusion and reality.


    Before them now was a cluster of twisted stone towers. Lily dashed forward towards those gargantuan pillars and held her claws up high to light up the area around one of the tower¡¯s surface. ¡°There¡¯s writing on it!¡±


    Hao Ren joined Lily at the tower and noticed that there were indeed neat rows of cuneiform carvings on it. They were clearly some form of words, but they were not Letta runes.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like any kind of writing on Earth, and they¡¯re also not Letta runes, or any other known form of writing in the Plane of Dreams.¡± The MDT ran through its database. ¡°What is this sh*t?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty common to see marks of something from another world whenever the spirits show up,¡± Vivian explained. ¡°They¡¯re all similar to this stone tower here. I¡¯ve even seen pyramid-shaped houses and monuments left behind in places where the spirits have appeared. This weird-looking writing was on all of them. Can you translate it?¡±


    ¡°All logical writings can be translated.¡± The MDT floated towards a few of the towers. ¡°I¡¯ll need more samples.¡±


    Before the MDT went forward to collect more samples of the ¡°spirit¡¯s writing¡±, something Vivian said piqued Hao Ren¡¯s curiosity. ¡°Why does a spiritual being need this sort of thing? You said they even built houses? Did they need them?¡±


    Vivian curled her lips. ¡°Who knows. The spirits are not something you can communicate with. They¡¯ll appear in a whim and wreck things, leaving a whole load of inexplicable mess. Then, they either get vanquished, or disappear on their own. No one has been able to deal with them. Even the Lord of the Dead tried to conduct some sort of diplomacy with the spirits. He felt that he could bring them to his side, and three times he brought them to the table, three times they wrecked his castle.¡±


    It did not take long for the MDT to collect enough samples. Humming a weird tune as it made its way back to Hao Ren, It went, ¡°This word structure is much simpler than expected. A very common logical structure too.¡±


    Hao Ren pointed towards the pillar closest to him, ¡°What does it says there?¡±


    The MDT scanned the writings on the pillar before taking a sudden dive. Its voice was rather incredulous. ¡°¡­I think there¡¯s something wrong¡­¡±


    ¡°Spit it out.¡±


    ¡°¡­Popol¡¯s Legendary Brew. Year 1911. Made from 12 fine grains. A bottle of fine brew for all times. Looking for distributors in the Nacrossa region. For more information¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned the moment he heard the first few words and grabbed the MDT towards him. ¡°What the hell?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an advertisement.¡± The MDT¡¯s voice was sincere. ¡°I swear on my cognitive cores that I¡¯m not lying. So you can¡¯t just toss me away or put me together with your devil of a daughter.¡±


    Hao Ren looked bewildered at the stone pillar. He just simply could not believe the writings that they found in this god forsaken place was an advertisement! Even Nangong Wuyue couldn¡¯t help but mumble, ¡°Why nothing that we encounter actually follows a normal script?¡±


    Hao Ren felt that was just a fluke, and pointed towards another stone pillar. ¡°Translate that one!¡±


    ¡°¡­Circle Hill Road , Circle Hill Market, Starlight Street Southeast Plaza, Clearwater Lake¡­ Circular line¡­ First train XX:XX, Last train XX:XX¡­. I know this is hard to swallow¡­ but it is a public bus signage.¡±


    Hao Ren was even more bewildered as he stared at the stone pillars. These pillars stood tall within a dimension that had been distorted by the vengeful spirits, sealed beneath a cursed castle for 300 years. The place reeked of sorcery and forbidden knowledge. Simply pull a few cookie cutter scripts from Hollywood and you¡¯ll have a setting fit for a 20-part, fantasy-horror film. But now, the MDT told them that the mysterious runic writings were an advertisement and signage for public transport!


    Don¡¯t normal scripts have something like, ¡°Interlopers will be cursed¡± or ¡°Demon Lord XYZ is sealed here¡±?!


    Vivian patted Hao Ren on the shoulder. ¡°Actually, there¡¯s nothing surprising here. All mystique comes from the unknown. Most things lose that lustre once you¡¯ve understand it. Think of it, the current Earth was to be destroyed, and a group of new humans pulling out relics of their ancestors. As they gazed in awe about those ancient writings, none of them would think those relics would be a leg message machine and or an excavation manual?


    Hao Ren blinked at Vivian. ¡°Looks like your imagination¡¯s almost at my level.¡±


    Vivian gave him a mighty slap on the back. ¡°You and your nonsense!¡±


    Lily did not join in on the banter. The dumb husky had a rather serious look as she demurred. She stretch her hands out to touch some of the pillars and found their materials rather suspect. It felt ¡®soft¡¯ rather than cold hard stone. ¡°What does this actually tells us?¡±


    ¡°The vengeful spirits are a spiritual being, and does not have any traces of civilisation to them. They do not produce, do not require a roof above their beneath and they do not require food or nutrients to survive.¡± Vivian looked at the writings. ¡°But any time they appear the space will distort. And most of the time, you can see some rather weird stuff inside an alternate universe¡­. And frankly, I don¡¯t want to understand it either.¡±


    The group then left the weird stone pillars behind them. They did not know how big the snowfield was, but Nangong Sanba cautioned that they do not stop moving. The spirits are always monitoring interlopers within their domains and if they want to catch the source of all this, they would need to go further deeper in.


    More bizarre scenes started appearing across the snowfield, broken staircases that floated midair, a wall that appears out of no where. A door that is stuck to the ground. Everything looked like Andrea Family¡¯s castle design, and clearly they were part of the castle (including the ground that they tread) but it was also obvious that they were now part of the distorted dimension the spirits had created.


    The area beneath the Andrea Family¡¯s Castle had already been distorted into something beyond description. A silhouette from the real world had been shattered and rebuilt here, leaving a mind-blowing scene before all of them.


    Hao Ren walked passed a wooden door and he recognised it as the door of his guest room. The door had now appeared in this twisted realm. Beside it was some shattered black-coloured material, and it was conjoint with the snowfield.


    Out of curiosity, Hao Ren pushed the door open and was shocked to find ¡®Lily¡¯ standing behind the door. Her expression was absent, and her form awkward. Behind here was the endless darkness which you could see shades of the corridor.


    The real Lily was standing behind Hao Ren, and after seeing herself behind the door she screamed. ¡°WAAAAHHHH!!¡±


    Hao Ren pulled out a pork rib and threw it into the door and found that the Lily inside the door did not move. Dismayed, he shrugged. ¡°Well, just only looks I guess.¡±


    Lily too was dismayed at the wasted pork rib. Her ears bristled. ¡°Could¡¯ve given me that if you didn¡¯t want it!¡±


    Everyone present let out a smile. Even Vivian was laughing. ¡°Yep, that¡¯s the real one.¡±


    Nangong Sanba was shocked at how relaxed the group was, ¡°You lot still have time to joke? We¡¯ve already entered the heart of the distorted dimension you know!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been to a real other dimension, mind you.¡± Hao Ren grinned as he pulled out his spear and sidearm. The weapon combo looked strong, at least from appearance. ¡°Where next?¡±


    The MDT and Hao Ren¡¯s coordination was impeccable. Without the need to bark an order, it let out a ray of light and using holographic projection to point to a location a few hundred meters away. A ball of bright mist was forming in that direction.


    Hao Ren had smartened up this time around, and before the ball of light had time to react, he blasted a shot at it. The psionic beam did not care whether the target had a physical body or not, as long as it makes contact the target is in for a world of hurt. The ball of light immediately disintegrated into a shower of crystal dust!


    As he thought that he had managed to take the spirit out. A spine-chilling shriek came from all sides!


    A sea of mist descended upon them and the screech was ringing in their heads, threatening to liquefy their brains. Becky¡¯s defensive enchantments came to live as a colourful magical light radiated around her. Hao Ren felt that his skin was bristling as well, an energy field was forming in the air!


    Yet, the enemy was still without shape or form.

 Chapter 475

    Hao Ren admitted that he had underestimated the vengeful spirit; not because of its combat ability mind you, but its bizarre nature.


    He found that the enemy was not something quantifiable, and it was beyond anything that he had ever faced before!


    Hao Ren did not consider himself a battlefield veteran, but he had been in a couple of hard fought battles, especially one on a bizarre battlefield with so many races: it had elven magic, demonic powers, human technology, and even gnomish ¡°ingenuity¡±, but he had yet to meet anything close to a natural phenomenon!


    A seemingly endless veil of white mist had descended upon them from every direction. The pungent smell of burnt rubber was strong and pieces of blue crystalline rained from above as the gun was fired. But the damage dealt paled to the scale of the predicament that they were in.


    Blurry silhouettes were appearing by the dozens in the thick mist, and the shadows let out shrieks and screeches as they darted around the group. From time to time a few of the shadows charged forth. Becky¡¯s sword was blazing bright now, and she gave one of the charging shadows an upward slash. The hit connected only for the shadow to reform somewhere not too far away. ¡°Is this a vengeful spirit?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s one of their ¡®phenomenons¡¯!¡± Nangong Sanba shouted at the top of his lungs. The snowstorm around them had gathered strength, first turning into a blizzard, then into a snow tornado. The screeches and howls faded against the raging storm. ¡°The spirits are shapeless! You don¡¯t know if you are fighting the real thing. Until it is despatched into another world, anything you face, may or may not be it!¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s shield too started crackling, the energy field in the air was strong enough to activate the shield. He realised that the spirit¡¯s attack too was shapeless. The blizzard around them, the energy field in the air, the shadows, the lightning in the distance¡­ All these are the spirits. It seems like it¡¯s mode of attack was to create a hostile dimension for its enemies, and let them perish within.


    Lily swung her claws towards the shadows that were charging in her direction, and the werehusky was getting frustrated by the moment. The enemies were formless, and she wasn¡¯t sure if her attacks even connected. Her precious tail bristled as the storm grew.


    Nangong Wuyue was holding up a mist barrier, but it was an arduous task to maintain it. ¡°The water element here is unnatural! It¡¯s difficult to maintain the barrier!¡±


    ¡°Any ideas?!¡± Hao Ren turned towards Nangong Sanba, ¡°We cannot fight this battle of attrition!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the only way!¡± Nangong Sanba and Vivian shouted back. Vivian then explained by they could only hold on. ¡°The spirits can¡¯t die, but they will sooner or later exhaust their energies. Only then we can sent them back to where they came from. Just take out everything it throws at us until it cannot conjure up anything more. We¡¯ll win then!¡±


    ¡°F*ck me! I hate that the most!¡± Hao Ren grumbled. The storm around him however paid no heed to his feelings and it was closing it like a thick wall, threatening to crush anything within. The party was now insignificant dots within the eye of the storm. Seeing the situation as it is, Hao Ren finally pulled out a new toy from his Dimensional Pocket.


    It was a silver box, with Aerym words saying ¡®Handle with care¡¯ on it. Hao Ren pulled open the lid, and within the box were a bunch of matchbox-sized cubes. Each and every cube had red, white and black buttons on them.


    Nangong Sanba was still shooting his quarrel towards the shadows in the distance, acting like he was the main DPS class. He noticed Hao Ren taking something out and turned to ask, ¡°What¡¯s that thingmajing?¡±


    Hao Ren threw one of the cubes towards Nangong Sanba. ¡°Take off that ring, and press red, white and black in sequence, then think of the girls that you¡¯ve slept before, ask her to give you strength, and toss that cube as hard as you can!¡±


    Nangong Sanba had long decided it was prudent to listen to the pros, and just followed what Hao Ren had instructed. Pulling the ring out and pressing the buttons in quick succession, he stood there for a moment recalling something. Hao Ren yelled as he saw Nangong Sanba just standing there. ¡°Throw the bloody thing!¡±


    ¡°HEEYAHH!¡± Nangong Sanba threw the cube with all his might, and yelled. ¡°I haven¡¯t even finish recalling¡­.¡±


    A sharp noise, almost like metal sheets being torn apart blocked out his voice. The cube had exploded in midair, releasing a flash of white light before a semi-translucent sphere formed suddenly around it. As quickly as it formed, the sphere retracted, taking the entire space with it. Within a mere second, nothing was left there.


    Nangong Sanba gawked at the carnage. ¡°F*ck¡­. what is THAT?¡±


    ¡°Graviton grenades.¡± Hao Ren said as he grabbed a bunch and passed them to Lily and Becky. ¡°Throw them further away. Don¡¯t come looking for me if you lose a limb.¡±


    Nangong Sanba sprang in horror, cold sweat drenched his forehead. ¡°What kind of techno sorcery is this¡­. Wait a minute, can you not spout nonsense while you are giving instructions for things like this?¡±


    Hao Ren flipped a bird at Nangong Sanba¡¯s direction. ¡°Most people would only need a second or two to recall their wife¡¯s name¡­ the time it took you to recall one¡­ I should have just left the warning out.¡±


    Lily was excited with her new toy and started tossing the grenades with gusto. The shadows and lightning clouds in the distance simply vanished under the onslaught as grenade after grenade was lobbed at them. The battle had turned from slashing swords and lightning bolts to almost like a snowball fight. Lily and Vivian was tossing grenades left right centre, and by then, almost half the cache was used up¡­


    Nangong Sanba was still mumbling. ¡°I¡­ my first love was almost seventy years back¡­. It just took me a while to recall¡­¡±


    The cacophony of piercing shrieks thundered the area, and the shadows and storm conjured by the spirit had almost dissipated. The area around them was in shambles. The unorthodox lunatics once again showed their strength, and even the vengeful spirit now realised that the bunch was not your usual prey. It started to retreat, and within the storm died down.


    All the bizarre scenery before them too vanished.


    Hao Ren did not suspect anything as he never faced a vengeful spirit before this. Vivian however was shocked. ¡°It ran? The spirit actually ran?!¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t they run?¡± Lily too was curiousl.


    ¡°They won¡¯t. They don¡¯t know fear.¡± Vivian scouted around the dark snowfield around them. Realising something was amiss, she went. ¡°Wait a minute¡­ it did not run¡­ it was being ¡®recalled¡¯ back¡­. There¡¯s probably some kind of mechanism here that is controlling the spirit¡¯s core. It will automatically recall the spirit once it is weakened to a certain level.¡±


    As Vivian finished. A ball of white flame lit up not too far away. A calm female voice came from the flames. ¡°You¡¯re correct. There is an accursed magical contraption nearby. It is the spirit¡¯s cage and protection. You lot just ruined my two days worth of effort.¡±


    Hao Ren drew his weapon towards the source of the voice. He was however sure that the voice was not that of a spirit. The spirit can¡¯t talk after all. Vivian¡¯s nose wrinkled. Caution lined her face. ¡°A demon hunter?¡±


    Hao Ren felt something stirred in his chest pocket. Lil Pea suddenly popped out of the pocket. The little rascal was silent all these while, but she must¡¯ve detected something now.


    The ball of white flame distorted for a bit, before a white haired girl walked out from it. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. A demon hunter. You can call me White Flame.¡±


    ¡°White Fail? What sort of defeatist name is that?¡± Hao Ren exclaimed.


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°Stop your nonsense!¡± Vivian hissed as she gave him a stiff punch on the back.

 Chapter 476

    The party faced-off against the female demon hunter named White Flame. The tension was palpable. Hao Ren never thought he would run into one there, but after listening to what White Flame had to say, he could guess why she was present: To deal with the vengeful spirit.


    A thin layer of Blood Mist surrounded Vivian. Under the blowing snow, Blood Mist held up like a solid barrier. She eyed the demon hunter with caution. ¡°What are you doing here¡­ Do you want to fight all of us?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to hunt.¡± Even with the rather hostile looks everyone was throwing at her, White Flame was unperturbed. ¡°The spirit haunting this castle is my prey. As for fighting¡­ that¡¯s just a waste of strength, so nope. The spirit here is much more troublesome than expected. I advise that the lot of you don¡¯t needlessly waste your strength, or else you won¡¯t get out of here alive.¡±


    Vivian was stunned. ¡°Huh?! You don¡¯t want to fight? Don¡¯t all demon hunters have the unstoppable urge to kill any otherworlding they come across?¡±


    White Flame looked at Vivian quietly. ¡°That¡¯s usually the case, but there¡¯s no need for that today. Because chances are, we¡¯ll all die here. I¡¯ve been stalking my prey for almost two days in this ungodly place and you guys just ruined the only chance I had. So, let¡¯s just figure out how to deal with that thing. Or else we¡¯ll all perish here. There¡¯s no other way.¡±


    Hao Ren felt that this demon hunter was the only one trapped there. As for him and his gang, well¡­ they could just have the MDT teleport them out of the place. Hence, the distorted dimension was nothing too big for them. However, that was just inner monologue. Nangong Wuyue gave White Flame a surpised look. ¡°Did I hear that correctly? You mean to work together with us? Since when did the demon hunters have a change of heart?¡±


    White Flame nodded. ¡°You can choose to believe it or not. I¡¯ve been monitoring you guys for a while now, since you lot made your way in here. I feel like there¡¯s a possibility to work together with your oddball team.¡± As she spoke, she shifted her gaze to Nangong Sanba. ¡°Besides, you already have a demon hunter in your team, and it seems like you¡¯ve worked together for a while now¡­ I¡¯m surprised to be honest. I¡¯ve never heard of any demon hunter working together with otherworldlings myself. Which district are you from?¡±


    Nangong Sanba¡¯s expression was very complex. He had already begun to sweat the moment he saw the real demon hunter. He was trying to figure out a way to brush aside his half-baked demon hunter credentials. ¡°That¡­ Uh¡­ Actually¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± White Flame shrugged. ¡°So, what do you plan to do? Work together, or not? If we fight, I can¡¯t beat all of you, but I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to take a few of you down with me.¡±


    Hao Ren could finally see the demon hunter for what she was. While she deserved a kudos for taking the effort to negotiate with a straight face, the lass did not even know the basics of diplomacy! Not only was she a poor reader of atmosphere, she had divulged matters that should have just kept under the lid. In fact , it was already problematic the moment she just walked out of her hiding spot with such gusto. She really believed that the group before her would not just turn on her the moment they saw her. Normal unusual creatures would have just leaped at the opportunity.


    Vivian frowned as she looked at White Flame, as though she was trying to recall something. ¡°Wait a minute¡­ White Flame¡­ I¡¯ve heard this name before!¡±


    ¡°You know me?¡± White Flame tilted her head curiously.


    ¡°A genius and a prodigy.¡± Vivian slapped her forehead in realization. ¡°Something I heard in one of my chats with Hesperides. One of the most talented demon hunters in her generation, and one of the few to have awakened the ancient bloodline abilities¡­ That¡¯s you right?¡±


    White Flame nodded. ¡°Yep, that¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°If we were to kill you here now and then, that¡¯s a big blow to the demon hunters.¡± Vivian bared her fangs in an attempt to intimidate the lass. ¡°You aren¡¯t afraid that we¡¯ll take you out at all cost? To be able to kill the only awakened one amongst the new generation of demon hunters, a few dead supernaturals isn¡¯t too high a price. And you even disclose your identity to us!¡±


    A sense of realisation suddenly appeared on White Flame¡¯s face. ¡°AHHH I never thought of that.¡± The weird demon huntress then rubbed her chin. ¡°So THAT¡¯S why the masters wouldn¡¯t let me go on solo missions¡­¡±


    Vivian was speechless.


    Hao Ren sighed. ¡°So be it. Vivian you can drop the scary face. So.. White Flame was it? I¡¯m the captain here. We can work together.¡±


    It was now White Flame who was surprised. ¡°You are willing to work with me? Even though you know who I am? Won¡¯t killing me be more worth it?¡±


    Hao Ren facepalmed. ¡°Why do I keep meeting these sort of characters¡­ When I say we¡¯ll work together, I mean it. So just cut the nonsense.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll lead you to where I was hiding. I¡¯ll let you know more about this spirit.¡±


    White Flame turned as she lead the party towards a certain direction. Hao Ren and the rest could only follow. Vivian and Wuyue was still in a daze, especially Vivian, almost as if she had seen an exotic animal. As she looked at White Flame¡¯s back, she poked Hao Ren in the back. ¡°That¡­ you really think we can work with a demon huntress that appeared out of nowhere?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s fine.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°The MDT¡¯s scan detects no killing intent from her hormones or mental signals. She is still cautious thought, you lot are natural enemies after all. But don¡¯t you feel that she¡¯s a rather unique one compared to the usual demon hunters?¡±


    ¡°She is indeed different.¡± Vivian¡¯s expression was rather languid. ¡°I never seen such a demon hunter in my life. She seems much more¡­ easy-going than those stiff as wood demon hunters?¡±


    At the same time, White Flame turned back and Vivian by instinct was about to pull out a bat. But the former only just popped a question. ¡°Mind if I ask? How did you guys even got around to work together?¡±


    As she finished her sentence her gaze turned towards Nangong Sanba. Her decision to work together with the supernaturals stemmed from the fact that a demon hunter was already working together with them, but she could not figure out how did the group came into being.


    Hao Ren rubbed his chin for a moment, ¡°If I were to say it¡¯s for world peace would you believe me?¡±


    ¡°World peace? Such a beautiful sentiment. I never thought someone would be motivated by that.¡± White Flame nodded seriously. ¡°That¡¯s admirable.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    It seems like this lady over here is even more innocent than Lily is!


    But it was understandable why White Flame lacked social skills. This was one of her rare training forays. As the only demon hunter with an awakened bloodline in a few generations, she was under sheltered care from birth. Her childhood and youth was a regiment of nonstop training and study, and interpersonal communication was not high on the priority list. Even if she went hunting it was with an escort or under the watch of senior demon hunters. As one of the rare prodigies, White Flame had no need to learn how to communicate,. That was what her masters thought: All she needs to know is how to fight, anything else is a waste of time.


    Under the tutelage of senior demon hunters, she hunted, fought, killed, and trained. Rinse and repeat, that was her schedule for a good part of her life.


    This hunt in Siberia was a chance that she managed to grasp for herself. Even then, her tutors were hesitant at first, but after considering the fact that Siberia was rather sparsely populated, and did not have any strong supernatural presence, they relented. Her masters would not have thought that she¡¯ll run into a bunch of oddballs like Hao Ren there!


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind if I ask.¡± Hao Ren spoke as he looked at White Flame¡¯s back. ¡°The spirits have haunted the Andreas for three hundred years, why only now that you guys sent someone here?¡±


    ¡°Because there¡¯s no need to clean this place up to begin with.¡± White Flame said without turning back. ¡°I¡¯m just here to train my hunting skills. This spirit wasn¡¯t in our kill list at all.¡±


    Lily got agitated as she heard that. ¡°No need? Why?¡±


    ¡°Because they are harmless. The spirits is being sealed here.¡±


    Hao Ren could not comprehend the flippant answer. ¡°Harmless? The Andrea Family have been dying off left right and centre because of that thing.¡±


    ¡°Harmless, because they won¡¯t go to somewhere populated. It is trapped within this castle, and it¡¯s radius of activity is limited. So it¡¯s harmless.¡± White Flame only then turned around to explain. ¡°When it does escape its captivity, then we¡¯ll exorcise it. This is the elder¡¯s opinion. But I needed somewhere to train, so here I am.¡±


    Hao Ren could not conjure a response. ¡°See how they are? That¡¯s a demon hunter for you.¡± Vivian whispered into his ears

 Chapter 477

    White Flame was right. In the eyes of the demon hunters, this Vengeful Spirit, which was sealed in the extreme northern part of Siberia, was safe and harmless. Although a human family was suffering unspeakably from the intrusion of the Vengeful Spirit, in the eyes of demon hunters, those who summoned the evil spirit and incurred the scourge did not deserve their sympathy. In fact, no humans in their eyes deserved sympathy. There were many reasons for their war against those creatures, but that did not include sympathy for ordinary human beings.


    Their criterion for determining whether an unusual creature was harmful was whether it had the potential to grow and whether it threatened the organization of demon hunters. Apart from these, they rarely care about other matters.


    Therefore, they rarely disturbed the Vengeful Spirit. At least they did not take the initiative to disturb the Vengeful Spirit. Most of the Vengeful Spirit appeared in inaccessible places. Moreover, they were not sensible, would not expand their territory or operate power. They were a kind of strange thing between creature and natural phenomena and one did not even have to treat them as ¡®enemies¡¯. So even if the people who entangled with the Vengeful Spirit would rather die, the demon hunters would not care much about it.


    The Andrei family provoked this fearsome Vengeful Spirit 300 years ago. They had somehow managed to bind the Vengeful Spirit to the depths of their castle. Then, the ancestors of the family began to seek help from the dark world. They sought out those who knew witchcraft, the church, and even turned to some unusual creatures. Of course, the demon hunters aware of it, but they did not even bother to show up and ask about the matter.


    The only thing that the demon hunters were interested in was that it had actually been stuck in the physical world for so long. In general, a Vengeful Spirit would not stay in the real world for a long time. They are ¡®monsters born from nightmares¡¯, and they belonged to some kind of underworld. So a Vengeful Spirit would dissipate itself after causing havoc. However, the Vengeful Spirit trapped in Andrei Castle¡¯s underground had been entrenched there for 300 of years. It might have been trapped in this place by the force under the castle. It might also be the ¡®succubus¡¯ ordered this Vengeful Spirit to torment the descendants of Andrei family forever to punish their disobedience. But in any case, this particular point had not attracted much attention from the orthodox organization of demon hunters.


    Nangong Sanba was the first demon hunter to meddle in this matter. And the next day after Nangong Sanba was defeated by the Vengeful Spirit in just one second, White Flame also arrived here. If Nangong Sanba took action two days later, the two of them would meet.


    Now it seemed that White Flame did not know that Nangong Sanba had been fighting with the Vengeful Spirit two days ago. Hao Ren would not mention it as well.


    ¡°So Igor didn¡¯t know you¡¯re coming down here to help?¡± Hao Ren saw that White Flame was leading the way without speaking and so he tried to find some topic to break the silence. ¡°How did you get into here?¡±


    ¡°Igor? Oh, you mean the people who live in the castle¡­ I¡¯m not here to help them,¡± White Flame shrugged and continued, ¡°Although I feel they are really¡­ worthy of sympathy, my mentor has said that sympathy is not a rule of action for demon hunters. I just came to find my prey, and so I did not disturb the people in the castle. Oh, here we are.¡±


    White Flame pointed to the place not far ahead. Hao Ren then noticed that they had left the area of the most violent storm. In front of it was a tiny mound, and a pure black building stood on the mound. The building was very strange. It had rough breaks and cuts on its four walls as if the whole house were ¡®ripped out¡¯ from another larger building. It was placed abruptly on the mound. Although it had man-made characteristics, with the weird surroundings, the whole atmosphere looked particularly bizarre.


    ¡°This is part of the castle,¡± White Flame pointed to the rectangular room and said, ¡°Which was supposed to be a hall in the underground palace. It was torn from the castle and twisted into a different dimension created by the Vengeful Spirit. I suspect this house is the key part of the seal system, so it can be kept so intact. The Vengeful Spirit¡¯s attention is lingering near the house, but it never dared to get too close to this place: the perfect foothold.¡±


    White Flame stepped forward to push the heavy iron gate of the strange house and they heard the creaking sound. The room was dark. White Flame gently waved and created some floating sparks in the air to illuminate the surroundings. Hao Ren saw that it was indeed a more spacious hall, and could vaguely tell that it used to be the center of the underground palace from the gorgeous decoration. It was just that this place had become part of the different dimension under the erosion and distortion of the Vengeful Spirit. The hall was littered with piles of clutter and weird black debris, with only a small area of the middle of the hall being cleared out. It was the place for White Flame to rest for these two days.


    ¡°Get yourself a place to rest,¡± White Flame walked in front and said, ¡°those black matters are Spiritsand. Those are the casting materials that are hard to get in the outside world.¡±


    The second half of the sentence was for Nangong Sanba.


    Lily heard that there were ¡®good stones¡¯ she had never seen before, she immediately cheered and ran to explore it.


    Hao Ren found a place and directly sat down, looking up at White Flame, asked curiously, ¡°How much do you know about this castle and the spirit here? Let¡¯s exchange information.¡±


    White Flame sneaked into the underground palace without the knowledge of Andrei family, but she also collected a lot of information about the castle before she came here. Through the intelligence network of demon hunters and the ancient books she had access to from third parties, she knew as much about Andrei family as what Nangong Sanba had read in the Castle library. And the odd demon hunter lady did not seem to mind telling them what she knew. ¡°I did look into something¡­ Speaking of the origins of Vengeful Spirit, the rise of Andrei family must be mentioned. 300 years ago, the family¡¯s ancestor, together with another person, had worked for a succubus. It was a very common thing in those days. But then they betrayed the succubus out of greed and conspired to steal the two treasures of the succubus. One of the treasures, and the traitor who took away the treasures, were unable to verify, could only ascertain that the treasures that the ancestors of Andrei family had stolen were ¡®wealth¡¯¡­


    At first, Hao Rena thought that he would listen to the same legend he had heard from Nangong Sanba and Igor, ended up it was a different story. He immediately interrupted, ¡°Wait! You say the ancestors of Andrei stole the treasures from the succubus? Not inherited?¡±


    ¡°At least that¡¯s all I know,¡± White Flame nodded earnestly, ¡°and to be honest, a succubus is unlikely to give mortal servants any gifts. In the history, a succubus did not end up taking away the soul of her servant is considered kindhearted. So the greatest possibility is that the ancestors of Andrei family had stolen the treasures of the succubus with another human servant. And the Vengeful Spirit is undoubtedly a punishment.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s unlikely that humans will summon the Vengeful Spirit. Such things cannot be summoned,¡± Nangong Wuyue also agreed and nodded, ¡°So Igor¡¯s argument is obviously untenable. Chances are that the descendants of Andrei family altered the fact in order to flatter their ancestors. I think the Vengeful Spirit is probably related to the treasures they stole from the succubus. That¡¯s how they brought trouble to themselves.¡±


    Hao Ren was touching his chin while pondering, and then suddenly he noticed that Vivian was in a daze. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± He asked curiously.


    ¡°I feel that¡­¡± said Vivian while looking around the dilapidated hall, frowning, ¡°I feel like I forgot¡­¡±


    Before she finished her words, Lily suddenly shouted, ¡°Eh! You see, I found something here!¡±


    Hao Ren hurriedly ran to Lily. Lily pointed to the wall and said, ¡°Look, there are portraits here, too.¡±


    There were some oval frames hanging on the wall. Behind the frames were the images of Andrei¡¯s ancestors they had seen on the upper floor of the castle. And perhaps it was the particularity of the dimension of the Vengeful Spirit, the portraits in these frames appeared to be very clear. But there were only a few frames that could be found here. The underground palace had been closed 200 years ago. No one had ever sent a new family portrait to this hall when the last member of Andrei family, who could fight with Vengeful Spirit, had gone mad and died, until the hall was engulfed and assimilated into a distorted dimension. This place also retained the conditions when the last Andrei family member left the house 200 years ago.


    200 years ago ¡­


    Hao Ren suddenly thought of something. He turned his head to the end of the hall at once. According to the structure he saw elsewhere in the castle, there should be the most special portrait hanging there!


    But there was nothing there. There was only an empty wall where the image of the succubus was supposed to be hung there.


    At this moment, Lily had also guessed what Hao Ren was thinking about. She ran to examine the wall carefully, and suddenly she found that there were still traces of uneven colors on the wall. Apparently, something was hung there before.


    Becky was a mercenary who had the experience of exploring all kinds of ruins. Her understanding and intuition were surprisingly strong. Without waiting for Hao Ren, she already knew what to look for. So she ran to the wall and rummaged around the Spiritsand that were stacked on the ground, and soon she noticed something under the black gravels.


    ¡°Found it! Here it is!¡±


    Becky shouted happily as she pulled out the thing from under the black gravels carefully. It was a huge portrait, framed in a sturdy wooden frame, and the surface was even covered with an expensive layer of quartz to protect the painting.


    Hao Ren recalled what Igor had said: In his great-grandfather¡¯s generation, a family member dreamed of the phantom of the succubus and fell from the castle, so all the portraits of the succubus in the castle were covered with veils. From that day on, no one knew the how the succubus looked like.


    But there was still an original version of the portrait of the succubus kept in the castle: in the depths of the castle, a different dimension that had been sealed for 200 of years by the Vengeful Spirit.


    Lily and Becky carefully swept the dust and gravel off the portrait. A good-looking girl appeared on the portrait.


    Vivian.


    ¡°Oh, I remember it!¡± The voice of the vampire lady came from behind. ¡°I used to live here!¡±

 Chapter 478

    Hao Ren looked at the large portrait in front of him in a daze. A simple and heavy wooden frame, the edge was decorated with exquisite patterns and a gold pin. It was in a luxurious style, typical of the era of nobilities. From the decoration, anyone could see how special this portrait was to the Andrea Family. On the portrait was an elegant, young lady in a long, black dress. She stood in the midst of roses and the background had a kind of unexplainable gloomy vibe. There was a slight smile on the lady¡¯s face¡ªit was Vivian¡¯s countenance.


    Hao Ren heard Vivian¡¯s voice, turned around in astonishment, and asked, ¡°Is this really you?!¡±


    Vivian looked at the portrait, and some fragments of memory finally reorganized themselves in her mind. ¡°¡­Well, yes, I did have this outfit. I saved up two months for a French tailor. I did live here.¡±


    Then she frowned, looked around and said, ¡°But, it didn¡¯t look this way back then¡­¡±


    Becky looked at Vivian in horror and asked, ¡°You-You¡¯re the Andrea Family witch?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the way they used to call me,¡± Vivian said as she frowned, trying to recall her past. She shook her hand and said, ¡°Wait a minute, I need to recall my memories. That period of time has been the mistiest part of my memory, and¡­ the changes here have been too great. Hold on¡­¡±


    Vivian summoned a group of small bats to create a seat and sat there with her eyes closed. She was lost in her thoughts. White Flame looked at this scene with great surprise. She never thought of looking for a portrait of the witch when she got there. As a demon hunter, she was only interested in her prey, and clearly, she was not interested in the witch, who had been away for hundreds of years. But now, she was just as curious about the matter as everybody else.


    Hao Ren pinched his face to confirm that the whole thing was not an illusion. Then, he subtly looked at Vivian: This prehistoric being could really bring to light a bunch of shocking dark history anytime, anywhere. If she had suddenly stood up and announced that the Code of Hammurabi was actually written by her, it would not have been surprising as well¡­


    Lily held up her Flamejoy in front of Vivian¡¯s 300-year-old portrait. Comparing it with to the present Vivian, she muttered, ¡°You used to be so graceful¡­ How did you end up beocming someone who like to haggle over prices?


    Before Lily continued any further, Vivian suddenly stood up and said, ¡°I remember now!¡±


    Lily was startled by the sudden move and accidentally thrust her Flamejoy into the antique portrait. It was at least 300 years old and this gave Hao Ren a terrible shock. ¡°This is a 300-year-old antique!¡±


    Lily¡¯s tail suddenly stood on end. ¡°My paws have already ruined stuff that¡¯s worth at least five million dollars¡­¡±


    Vivian ignored the two of them and quickly talked about the things she managed to recall. ¡°Yes, I did know a human named Andrea¡­ He, and another guy, we did business together!¡±


    ¡°Business?¡± When Hao Ren heard this word and associated it to Vivian¡¯s bad fortune, he suddenly got it and asked, ¡°You harmed the Romans as well as the Egyptians, and you still wanted to harm the Russians?¡±


    ¡°During that period, I felt like I had a lot of advantages.¡± Vivian put her hands on her hips and said, ¡°I was in Kama¡­ or the vicinity of Kamsk¡­ I don¡¯t know what the name of the place is right now. Anyway, I knew the two men there. They were small businessmen, unable to make big money, but they made enough to put food on the table. However, they were actually more like my servants: At that time, the village where they lived was being attacked by werewolves, and I helped them. But when I was fighting with the werewolves, they saw everything. They thought I was a witch. Fearing that I would kill them, they surrendered themselves to me without waiting for my explanation¡­ That was the way back then; people were so superstitious, and those in the lower class societies were more accustomed to being submissive. So, I started to think about it. I didn¡¯t have good luck with fortune, but if I collaborated with two humans, and let them make money for me, wouldn¡¯t that be good? Hence, I decided to tryit out. They used their fortune, while I used my knowledge and magic. The three of us collaborated in a wool business¡­¡±


    Hao Ren raised his eyebrow. ¡°Then?¡±


    ¡°And then, they lost everything,¡± Vivian said, lowering her head and rubbing her hands. ¡°Not only did they lose all the capital, they even encountered some trouble and caused the Czar to be exiled to Siberia to dig potatoes. A few days later, he was framed by some people and exiled again to the coldest place in the North to die¡­¡±


    Everybody was at a lost for words.


    Lily then muttered, ¡°Luckily the two of them went bankrupt early, otherwise tsarist Russia could have been destroyed 300 years ago.¡±


    ¡°They were exiled, but I wasn¡¯t affected,¡± Vivian said, and she scratched her face awkwardly. ¡°So, I felt very sorry for them.I went to Siberia to find them both¡­ Oh! That¡¯s when I met the vengeful spirit!¡±


    This attracted Hao Ren¡¯s attention. This was the point he wanted to know more of.


    ¡°Those exiled slaves dug the cellar to preserve food for the winter, and the vengeful spirit ran out from underground. I happened to arrive at that moment.¡± Vivian clapped her hands lightly and continued, ¡°This is the place. I sealed the vengeful spirit, and in the process, I found two things in a ¡®den¡¯. I didn¡¯t know what they were for, but they looked beautiful, so I gave them to the two men.¡±


    While Vivian was talking, she looked around again, and her sight seemed to go further beyond the stone walls. ¡°This place was also a different dimension at that time, but it was more stable than it is now, and there was only one crypt. After sealing the vengeful spirit, this place was completely stable. I built a big seal altar here¡­ But I did not expect it has loosened to this extent 300 years later, that I can barely recognize it.¡±


    Lily could not wait to know what happened next. ¡°And then? What happened after sealing the vengeful spirit?¡±


    Vivian laughed awkwardly and said, ¡°Ah ha¡­ Maybe it consumed too much of my energy. After I gave the two men the ¡®gems¡¯ I found, I felt a little sleepy and found a place to sleep ¡­ When I woke up, Alexander I was dead. Then I left Europe¡­


    Hao Ren covered his forehead and asked, ¡°You completely forgot the two unlucky kids?¡±


    Vivian could only smile awkwardly, did not say a word.


    White Flame had been listening to the whole story, and now she figured out the ins and outs. She looked at Vivian in astonishment and asked, ¡°¡­ You are the witch? You really forgot the whole thing?¡±


    ¡°She has a poor memory. Can¡¯t blame her. She had been living from prehistoric times to the present. Imagine how many things she had to go through in her life. How could she remember every single thing?¡±


    White Flame¡¯s eyes suddenly turned sharp and stared at Vivian vigilantly. ¡°Prehistoric¡­ Wait a minute! Are you the legendary Countess?¡±


    ¡°You know me as well?¡± Vivian blinked and said, ¡°Oh, of course. I guess every demon hunter knows my name.¡±


    ¡°You are written in our textbook,¡± White Flame nodded honestly and said, ¡°the oldest vampire, eccentric and fond of mingling in¡­¡±


    ¡°Fond of mingling in human society, penniless, unlucky, bad fortune, poor memory. OK, we already knew it,¡± Hao Ren interrupted White Flame and looked at Vivian who was quite embarrassed now, and continued, ¡°So we finally figured it out. The so-called witch is you, and Andrea Family¡¯s ancestor did not steal something from the witch, it was you who forgot about them. What about the fortunes of their family later?¡±


    ¡°It must have nothing to do with Vivian,¡± Lily curled her lip and said, ¡°Probably because Vivian ruined someone else life, even God couldn¡¯t stand it and gave them some money to help them get over the shock.¡±


    ¡°It was the two ¡®stones¡¯ I gave them,¡± Vivian suddenly realized something and said, ¡°¡®legend¡¯ this kind of thing, although it is distorted and fabricated by later generations, the backbone is always true. The Andrea Family recorded that their ancestors found wealth in the stones left by the witch. Such a big thing could not be made up of.¡±


    ¡°Well, when we go up there, we can find Igor and ask where the stone is. I wish he hadn¡¯t lost his ancestors¡¯ treasures,¡± Nangong Sanba said, then stood up and listened to the distant wind outside, ¡°I feel the blizzard is coming soon¡­ Now we better find a way to get rid of the vengeful spirit.¡±


    A couple of eyes fell on Vivian and her memory was recovering. She smiled confidently and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know what¡¯s going on with this vengeful spirit.¡±

 Chapter 479

    Y¡¯zaks once said that the history recorded by a short-lived race like humans was not credible. This was because they had short lives and were easily trapped in their emotions. Their records always had fatal deviations after several generations. Now it seemed to be true.


    If it had not been for the portrait of the witch, which remained unaltered due to its preservation in the different dimension, and Vivian finally recalling what actually happened in the past, probably no one would have imagined that the penniless vampire was the witch of legend, circulating in the Andrea Family for 300 years. The truth was really simple. A penniless vampire met two humans by chance. However, the two humans lost their fortune because of her, and she felt remorse for it. After destroying a vengeful spirit, she gave treasures to the two men as a gift. One of the men was a descendant of the Andrea Family.


    It was difficult to find out how the subsequent descendants accumulated their wealth, built the castle in this ominous land, and became entangled with the vengeful spirit for 300 of years. Nonetheless, they could roughly guess the process.


    There had to be something wrong with Vivian¡¯s seal and the gift she left behind for the family¡¯s ancestor.


    Vivian found the way to deal with the vengeful spirit from her memory, and she finally remembered why the vengeful spirit was sealed in this world.


    ¡°This hall¡­ It wasn¡¯t like this when I was here,¡± Vivian said as she pointed around. ¡°It was rebuilt by the Andrea Family¡¯s subsequent descendants. They enlarged the crypt and reinforced this place with boulders, but I can still sense the smell in the hall. It¡¯s the blood seal I left behind. With the smell, I should be able to find the location of the seal.¡±


    Hao Ren kept Vivian¡¯s portrait in his Dimensional Pocket, then he quickly stood up and pushed the heavy door open. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The creaking of the old hinges, and the cold wind mingled with gray-white snowflakes swept in from the outside. The vengeful spirit seemed to be recovering rapidly, and the snowstorm that was far away from the little mound had now come together. This snowstorm was the strong malice of that creature. Something was shimmering in the deep darkness and some kind of malicious old energy was eyeing them.


    Nangong Wuyue cast a misty shield to ward off the ever-increasing blizzard, allowing Vivian to lead the way in front of them. Vivian was trying to recall her memories while walking. ¡°I remember I was in a cavern to defeat the vengeful spirit¡­ There was a door in the cavern, and vengeful spirit entered the physical universe via the door. At that time, the vengeful spirit also created another dimension, but not as big as this place now. I think we¡¯re in the cavern right now¡ªAndrea¡¯s descendants must have built this castle on the site of the seal.¡±


    Lily raised her claws to illuminate the surroundings, looking at the vast expanse of dark snow and said, ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t think this is a cavern.¡±


    ¡°Your memory is hopeless,¡± Nangong Wuyue was surrounded by layers of mist, blocking off the blizzard around them while making fun of Vivian, ¡°it¡¯s just 300 years ago.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t associate it with my memory fast enough,¡± Vivian said awkwardly, ¡°this place changes too much. And the Andrea I knew was just a hapless woolen merchant, and the seal I left behind was just a big rock in the depths of the underground¨Cwho would know that 300 years later it developed into a family and an ancient castle? 300 years ¡­ Man-made things change too fast.¡±


    Hao Ren accepted this explanation because he also could not remember his primary school teacher¡¯s name. It was easy for people to forget about things that they did not care about.


    And more importantly, it was hard for Vivian to associate a super-rich family with herself: starting from the age when Cleopatra was killed by the Romans, she did not expect to have any connection with any wealthy person¡­


    White Flame was looking at Vivian curiously. This eccentric demon hunter behaved quite different from other demon hunters. Not only did she remain calm, but she also did not conceal her interest in this group of people. Vivian, of course, noticed her gaze. ¡°Why are you looking at me?¡± she asked.


    ¡°You are very ¡­ Abnormal. Different from what I¡¯ve imagined,¡± White Flame said honestly, ¡°You¡¯re also quite different from what I¡¯ve read from the book. Many of our elders are very wary of you, and they are even a bit in awe of you. They call you the elder and advise us not to have a conflict with you. I thought you were a stubborn freak, and moody. This is how the young demon hunters describing you when they talk about you.¡±


    Lily could not hold back and she laughed. And, of course, she was punched.


    ¡°You¡¯re also different from the kind of demon hunters I know,¡± Vivian said, looking White Flame up and down while pointing to Nangong Sanba and said, ¡°Not including this guy. He is a problem child and I don¡¯t want to talk about him now. The demon hunters I¡¯ve seen are as stubborn as stones. The only thing on their mind is to kill us. But you¡¯re strange. I can feel your hostility at first, but I know you¡¯re not going to kill us, and now¡­ your hostility to us is gone.¡±


    White Flame nodded and said, ¡°My tutor also said so, and he has always been trying to develop my killing instincts for those creatures, but it doesn¡¯t seem to have much effect. The elders said that I should have a natural hostility when I saw those creatures, but I feel it was strange: why should I be hostile to a creature that I don¡¯t even know?¡±


    Then White Flame blinked, seemed like she was thinking about something else and continued, ¡°He said my mentality is a kind of disease. I used to think so, but today when I was dealing with you guys alone for the first time, I found that you guys are not very different from us. You guys seem to have feelings too? Then my worldview has no problem.¡±


    ¡°Of course, we all have feelings,¡± said Hao Ren.


    But Vivian looked surprised. She looked at White Flame in disbelief and asked, ¡°You said you don¡¯t have the killing instinct when you see the creatures like us?¡±


    White Flame nodded, and Vivian immediately asked another question, ¡°Is there any other demon hunter like you?!¡±


    White Flame looked at Vivian warily and asked, ¡°Why do you ask about this? Spying on the information?¡±


    It seemed that although this strange demon hunter¡¯s attitude towards the unusual creatures was more moderate than that of other demon hunters, her hostile heart, which was taught from an early age, was still the same. However, Vivian had found the answer from White Flame¡¯s reaction and no longer keep on asking. But Hao Ren was baffled and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember the innate hostility of the normal blood clan and werewolves?¡± Vivian asked.


    Hao Ren immediately recalled it: Under normal circumstances, werewolves and blood clan were inherently hostile to each other, even if they had never seen each other, even if they did not know the existence of each other in their worldview, they would definitely be hostile to each other the moment they met. In fact, not only werewolves and the blood clan had this hostility, all the other unusual creatures did have the same situation. However, this phenomenon did not exist in the Plane of Dreams. So, Hao Ren had been wondering what happened to these creatures that came to Earth from the Plane of Dreams that led them to this bizarre heredity.


    ¡°As far as I know, the hostility between demon hunters and all unusual creatures is similar,¡± Vivian whispered, ¡°and the demon hunter¡¯s innate hostility to those creatures is so serious that the moment they meet, they will definitely kill each other, without the need to introduce each other¡¯s identity.¡±


    ¡°The innate hostility of the younger generation of werewolves and blood clan has weakened for unknown reasons,¡± Hao Ren immediately realized something and said, ¡°and the demon hunters¡­¡±


    ¡°There must have been a mutation in the veins when they time-traveling from the Plane of Dreams to the earth,¡± Vivian sounded very serious, ¡°I think I¡¯m able to connect a lot of things and it makes sense¡­ Now this ¡®innate hostility¡¯ in their veins is weakening, and it seems that the situation of demon hunters is more serious, and the body of their offspring is weakened as well¡­ except White Flame. She¡¯s a gifted child.¡±


    White Flame looked at them with suspicion and asked, ¡°What are you muttering about? Conspiracy? If you want to fight, just say it! I¡¯m in a hurry!¡±


    ¡°The way you speak really irritates me!¡± Hao Ren was annoyed.


    At this moment, Becky suddenly saw something in the snow in front of them. She interrupted Hao Ren, ¡°Is that the seal?¡±


    Hao Ren and White Flame immediately turned their heads at the same time.


    They could saw a blurred grotesque giant stone in the blizzard. A lavender light curtain was rising and surging above the giant stone.


    The blizzard was suddenly getting stronger.

 Chapter 480

    An ear-piercing scream echoed in the dark, chaotic snowfields as though the wrath of nature¡¯s raging energy was building up its strength. The vengeful spirit realized that its foundation was being threatened. It had to halt its recovery process prematurely, and block these intruders. Meanwhile, Hao Ren was so preoccupied with the strange things in front of him, he almost forgot about the blizzard that gradually raging around them.


    The sealed domain Vivian was talking about was a black rock or plateau.


    There was nothing special about this piece of plateau. It was just a flat, circular platform that was a few yards across and it had traces of rough grinding. Obviously, it was Vivian¡¯s handwriting. What really caught the eye was the lilac light film that floated over the platform.


    The light film was more than 10 m high, about 3 or 4 m wide, and it was translucent. It was easy to see through the light film and the situation behind it. It was like an aurora falling from the sky. Hao Ren hypothesized that it was some kind of space crack.


    Lily climbed up to the stone platform and reached out to touch the light film, but her hands just went through it. The crack was in sleep mode and did not seem crossable.


    Vivian looked up at the film, leaned over, and examined the stone platform, which she had not seen in more than 300 years. ¡°I made this platform, but the crack in space above it was already here. I used the residual energy from it to build the altar of banishment beneath.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyebrows twisted. ¡°Is this crack the ¡®gate¡¯ from 300 years ago? Was it where the vengeful spirit came out from?¡±


    Vivian nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t know how it was formed, but apparently the vengeful spirit came out from it. I tried to send the vengeful spirit back to the gate after defeating it, but I failed; the gate may be jammed or something, I couldn¡¯t activate it at all. So, I had to set a seal near the gate to suppress the vengeful spirit right in this place. You see, these runes are what I¡¯ve left behind,¡± Vivian said as her fingers darted gently over the edge of the circular base. Crimson light immediately appeared, and there it was, Letta runes.


    ¡°So this is where you took the two ¡®stones¡¯ that you gave to the two human menials?¡± Lily asked casually.


    ¡°They dropped out from the crack after the vengeful spirit was held up.¡± Vivian scratched her hair. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what was going on with this crack in space. It seemed obviously closed to me, but something did drop out from it. Later I tried to cross the light film, but I failed again.¡±


    Hao Ren found it funny and annoying at the same time. ¡°You gave the stones away without knowing what they were? You were really¡­ Have you ever thought about how ordinary people would cope with supernatural power?¡±


    ¡°I was poor at that time,¡± said Vivian. ¡°I could only pick some stones on the road. Other than that, I had nothing else to give.¡±


    ¡°Shall we not talk about the gate first,¡± said Nangong Sanba. He suddenly raised his crossbow nervously as a wailing sound came through the air. ¡°It looks like the concentration of energy in our surroundings has reached a critical point!¡±


    The snowstorms raged from all directions and rapidly increased in intensity. There were countless, inexplicable shadows in the sky, circling to form a new storm. Snowflakes fell out of the dark sky when there should not have been anything in the first place. Meanwhile, weird flashes also began to appear around them. One again, Hao Ren felt the same numb feeling of an electric shock spreading across his skin: this numbing sensation was a sign of the impending vengeful spirit!


    Vivian quickly released a large swarm of bats and webs of lightning brewed within the swarm. ¡°If I defeat the vengeful spirit right here, I¡¯ll be able to seal it up once again!¡±


    The vengeful spirit soon realized the threat and hostility it was faced against. A weird rumbling sound, like a tsunami closed in from all directions and it was followed by the emergence of numerous chaotic shadows in the air. They violently swooped down towards the circular platform and the group!


    Just as Hao Ren was about to use his Graviton Grenades, a pale light suddenly burst out around them. White Flame spread her hands out as her hair danced in the air. Then, an endless sea of flames started to engulf whichever area her eyes landed upon. The pale flames had no heat. In fact, they were even colder than the surrounding storms. However, under the ablation of the white flames, rocks were vaporized, ghosts were burned into ashes, and even lightning was ignited by the flames. The flames burned and climbed up the lightning trails in quick fashion, igniting the cumulonimbus in the sky!


    The sea of ??white flames burned furiously, and the near-natural, powerful offensives unleashed by the vengeful spirit were gradually consumed by the blazing white flames. Hao Ren stared at the white flames with his jaw dropped to the ground. He murmured to himself, ¡°Don¡¯t all demon hunters use a crossbow?¡±


    ¡°The crossbow is just a standard weapon. There are also demon hunters who specialize in incantations and magic,¡± explained Vivian as she recovered from her brief shock and released a swarm of bats. ¡°Besides, there are also some demon hunters who are like White Flame. If I¡¯m not mistaken, this should be her natural talent, which she obtained after the bloodline awakening.¡±


    Hao Ren was still amazed. ¡°¡­How did the mage emperors make these superhumans back then?¡±


    Nangong Sanba was clueless. ¡°What?¡± he asked.


    Hao Ren casually said, ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s about your ancestors being pulled out of the bodies of the oldest ancestors by another ancestor.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    As the pale flames blew away the distorted spirits, Vivian¡¯s bats opened a vast web of lightning. As if capturing a storm, it forcibly blocked the snowstorm that was about to form into a tornado. Seemingly inspired by the demon hunter, Vivian unleashed her amazing skills; the glare and light were almost a natural-phenomenon in themselves, just like the tornado!


    The wailing sound was incessant and almost pierced through the human brain. The invisible vengeful spirit, which had no physical body apparently sensed that the threat was fatal. It unleashed an even fiercer attack. Although the pale flames had the upper hand in the beginning, when more spirits emerged from the surrounding storms, the flames finally could not catch up with the storm.


    A distorted shadow suddenly crossed the wall of flames and flew straight towards White Flame. The latter was focused on controlling the fire, which had burned right up to the sky. When she finally came to her senses, the shadow was right before her. The always calm and confident demon hunter could not help but panic.


    Right when the shadow was half a meter away from White Flame, a crimson fire line suddenly emerged and cut the shadow in half¡ªit was Lily who rushed to White Flame¡¯s aid with her sharp claws. ¡°Stop dreaming!¡± Lily said.


    White Flame froze for a moment before muttering to herself, ¡°Would the otherworldings save people too?¡±


    At this moment, a flashy, rectangular piece of metal suddenly flew over the wall of fire, creating arcs as it traveled towards the wall of snowstorms and spirit monsters. Amid the continuous tearing sound in the space, the vengeful spirit¡¯s reinforcements began to fall apart.


    Hao Ren poured out two full cartons of Graviton Grenades and said to Nangong Wuyue as well as Becky, ¡°Just throw them! There¡¯s more than enough!¡±


    ¡°Did you really kill this vengeful spirit on your own?!¡± Lily wielded her claws, killing those spirits that slipped through as she shouted at Vivian, ¡°Why do I have the feeling that this thing is more powerful than all of us combined?¡±


    ¡°I was much more powerful back then!¡± Vivian replied loudly while she was up in the air. ¡°But after a long sleep, my strength has somewhat diminished! ¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the endless storms, light and shadows around him. He felt that the vengeful spirit was the most difficult enemy he had ever met in his life. He had fought rock giants, demon hunters, werewolves, and shadelings, even the First Born, but those guys were at least visible with physical bodies. He could at least blow a hole right through those beings, but this vengeful spirit was totally different. Until now, he was still unsure about what he was dealing with!


    He only saw boundless wind and snow, invisible shadows, unexplained light and wailing, as well as the electrical sparks on his skin. He did everything possible to eliminate the supernatural phenomena, because Vivian told him that by doing so, it would weaken the power of the vengeful spirit. But truth be told, even Vivian, an old expert who had lived for tens of thousands of years did not know the nature of the vengeful spirit, or the effectiveness of this ¡°weakening¡± method. She only knew that it was necessary, but no one knew how it would work.


    Nobody knew how to communicate with the vengeful spirit too.


    ¡°I¡¯ve just detected a large¡­ field.¡± The MDT finally knew what it was supposed to do. It had been trying to analyze the life-form of the vengeful spirit. In an area with the highest energy intensity, it finally found out some of the vengeful spirit¡¯s properties. ¡°One kilometer in range¡­ No, its range is undefined, similar to an electrical field, the frequency constantly changes. The evolution of energy inside this field somewhat mimics life. This is probably the vengeful spirit.¡±


    That was the nature of the vengeful spirit? A life form with an energy field?


    At this time, Hao Ren suddenly felt something creeping in his collar. Lil Pea finally could not stand the noise. The little one poked her head out and looked at her surroundings curiously. She screamed when she saw the scene outside.


    Who knew what was in the little mermaid¡¯s mind, because she suddenly sang.


    Then, all of a sudden, the snowstorm weakened.

 Chapter 481

    The storm raged and the evil spirits howled. Amid the loud noise, the voice of a small mermaid would have seemed like a whisper. However, when Lil Pea sang, the soft melody penetrated the noisy snowstorm as if it possessed an infinite amount of magical power.


    Lil Pea was just singing at a normal volume, like she always did at home. There were no lyrics as always. The melody was just there in her memory, but the messy tone was extraordinarily beautiful. It even caused the surrounding blizzard to fall apart in an instant.


    *Swoop¡ª*


    A peculiar whistling sound came from the air, and Hao Ren could see the spirits that had been hovering around were beginning to disappear quickly. The blizzard stopped and the clouds in the sky slowly subsided. In addition, the numb sensation on his skin also disappeared. As Lil Pea¡¯s voice continued to spread, Hao Ren saw a thin, dim layer of fog floating in the dark, snow-capped plains. The fog appeared less than a few seconds before it began to move violently as if being disturbed. The MDT screamed in surprise, ¡°There¡¯s turbulence in the surrounding energy field.¡±


    Hao Ren did not dare interrupt the singing of Lil Pea, who was in his arms. So, he lowered his head and quietly asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a strange power in Lil Pea¡¯s voice. It¡¯s neutralizing the ¡®field¡¯ around us.¡± The MDT was flashing. It was recording the vengeful spirit¡¯s reaction at that moment. ¡°¡­This is the first time the surrounding ¡®field¡¯ has truly been weakened. All of our previous attacks were no match to the current neutralization process. The structure of the energy field is on the verge of disintegration. I feel like it should be captured before it completely dissipates¡­¡±


    ¡°Capture?! Capture the vengeful spirit?¡± Vivian was dumbfounded. ¡°How?¡±


    Lil Pea¡¯s singing continued, and the surrounding fog evolved from the initial chaos to a series of violently distorted, absurd, and bizarre illusions: images of the Andrea Family¡¯s ancestors, the Bolshevik flag, Nicholas II, carriages, cities, and towns flashed by quickly. These illusions were all events the vengeful spirit recorded during its years in the material world. Then, Nangong Wuyue suddenly screamed, ¡°Mom¡­¡±


    However, the illusion disappeared within a second.


    The vengeful spirit was rapidly disintegrating. Although no one could see it, its body was a ¡°field¡± that spanned a few hundred meters to several kilometers. The surrounding scene was enough to prove its presence. The MDT¡¯s became more urgent as it said, ¡°Coil¡­ Or a metal cage¡­ No, it should be something that can create a magnetic environment! Think about what you can use! We have to capture this sample, this thing is a very valuable research subject. A life form so interesting is by no means a result of natural evolution¡­ Quick, look into your Dimensional Pocket. Did you just take 20 tons of munitions from the Aerymian elves?!¡±


    At this moment, Hao Ren began to search through his Dimensional Pocket for anything that may come in handy. He knew that he only needed something that was capable of generating a strong magnetic field as the MDT would do the rest like commissioning, activating, and retrofitting. But the problem was, he could not even find a high-powered electromagnet. Who would have foreseen the need for this kind of stuff? An inspector was not a blue-and-white robotic cat; he could not foresee the future! And the MDT was right, Hao Ren had only taken 20 tons of munitions from the Aerymian elves.


    Tons of stuff were tipped out of the Dimensional Pocket¡ªcartons of graviton grenades, a dozen particle rifles, pounds of plasma grenades, Lil Pea¡¯s fish tank of course, and Lily¡¯s Spicy Strips. However, Hao Ren could not find anything useful. Just as their precious sample was about to disappear amid the Little Apple1 melody Lil Pea was singing, the MDT suddenly shouted in joy, ¡°That¡¯s the one!¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the small box, feeling flabbergasted. ¡°Are you f*cking kidding me?¡±


    ¡°Who would want to f*cking kid you?¡± said the MDT as it turned into a ray of blue light and slipped into the box. ¡°This box used to store golden apples! It was personally handed to you by the goddess! Even the label was handmade by Papagod! Can you imagine how magical this thing is? When you have such a sacred thing with God¡¯s name plastered on it and blessed with God¡¯s grace, you just need to seal it with duct tape. No demon of any kind will be able to escape!¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the box that had been used to store golden apples. After a long while, Hao Ren asked, ¡°Who is Papagod?¡±


    ¡°The big boss of the Xi Ling Celestials, the head of the gods. Hence, he¡¯s called Papagod.¡±


    Lily was wide-eyed. ¡°Isn¡¯t it supposed to be Father God?¡±


    ¡°Father God belongs to our neighbor,¡± the MDT¡¯s was heard coming from the golden apple box. ¡°There are three major celestials: the boss of the Xylon Starfield Celestials is known as the God King, the boss of Galactus is known as the Lord Patriarch, while the boss of Xi Ling Celestials is called Papagod. We can¡¯t help it because all the good names have been taken up by the neighbrs. Well, all of you please shut up now, because I¡¯m thinking of ways to capture part of the vengeful spirit into the box. Raise the box higher if you want to help.¡±


    Hao Ren could not help but break out in cold sweat as he lifted the apple box up. At this moment, he felt that he had reached the most foolish pinnacle of his life: beneath the 300-year old castle, in a sacred battle with an ancient evil spirit, he was holding an apple box in the middle of the battlefield, ready to seal the spirit in. Meanwhile, the little mermaid was still hanging on to his chest happily, singing Little Apple. It was unbelievably hilarious. He felt that no amount of photoshop could have made the scene look more ¡°normal¡±.


    This had to be the most bizarre battle since the appearance of unusual creatures on Earth.


    Lil Pea was still babbling and singing. She was not aware that her singing could suppress the vengeful spirit. She just happened to love singing as a mermaid. She would sing especially when it came to things she could not understand, and express in words. It was a kind of behavior humans could not comprehend. However, this behavior was now cornering the undefined spiritual creature into desperation.


    Dense fog within a kilometer had begun to dissipate, and the wind had subsided. Snow fluttered and dropped slowly until everything stopped all together. The wailing of the vengeful spirit became a deep, strange noise before it also stopped completely. Everything seemed to be over.


    A widely chaotic energy field dissipated as the vengeful spirit disintegrated. Eventually, it was trapped in the container by the MDT.


    Hao Ren put the apple box down and looked inside, only to see the MDT lying quietly there. Other than that, it was empty.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the vengeful spirit?¡± asked Hao Ren.


    ¡°It¡¯s here, oscillating at more than 3,000 times per second in the box,¡± said the Data Terminal as it slowly came out. ¡°I¡¯ve injected a special code into its short wavelength. Now, it can no longer leave the container.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t see anything.¡± Becky also looked inside the box curiously. ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?¡±


    ¡°Try putting your hand inside.¡±


    Becky reached into the box naively and bright sparks came off her fingertips. ¡°Whoa!¡±


    ¡°The vengeful spirit is inside¡­ Strictly speaking, it¡¯s a remnant of the vengeful spirit. Most of its information has been broken up. The rest is only debris. But if it¡¯s released, it¡¯ll quickly regain its strength from the surrounding environment,¡± said the MDT as it projected a blue light film on the box. The blue light film was an optical filter with special frequency. ¡°Take a look again.¡±


    Through the film, Hao Ren saw a chaotic mist in the box. It was as blurry as ripples in the water.


    ¡°That¡¯s the vengeful spirit? What kind of life is it? Is it a wraith, or some kind of energy creature?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a wraith, more towards the latter, a high-frequency energy creature.¡± The MDT arched over to close the apple box. ¡°While on the outside, it appears as a ¡®field¡¯ filled with electromagnetic and optical effects. When it¡¯s restrained, it looks a little like a complex wave, even more intangible than the wraith. And, it¡¯s unlike any other energy creatures, it lacks structure. It¡¯s an electromagnetic wave that can supplement itself and carry information. Other than that, I don¡¯t see any remaining living characteristics after the natural process of evolution.¡±


    Lily grabbed her hair and said, ¡°I don¡¯t understand it one bit.¡±


    Becky stuck her tongue out. ¡°I never got it from the beginning.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, since we¡¯ve captured the vengeful spirit, we¡¯re done here,¡± Hao Ren said while looking up and around. His eyes fell on White Flame, whose expression was a little shocked. Obviously, Hao Ren and his gang had very different fighting styles and strange props, so it was an eye-opener for her. But Hao Ren was too careless to explain; there were too many strange races in the dark world, and secrets that were unknown even to the Ancient Ones. It was said that the Olympians had created a magically-powered robot as well, so it was best to let White Flame work it out in her own imagination.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t the space collapse on itself?¡± Vivian looked at the snow-covered snowfields around her. She noticed a lavender haze at the border of the snowfield. Aside from this, there was no other movement. ¡°Hasn¡¯t the vengeful spirit been contained?¡±


    ¡°The spatial structure here has been changed so thoroughly that it has formed a stable structure in the crack of the real world,¡± the MDT explained. ¡°I estimate that this place will remain for at least 100 years more after the vengeful spirit is gone. If we were to place a space stabilizer here, it¡¯ll remain here indefinitely.¡±


    Lily then instinctively asked, ¡°Why would we want to set up a space stabilizer?¡±


    Hao Ren turned to look at the ancient crack in space and said, ¡°Haven¡¯t we been looking for a ¡®door¡¯? A stable door¡­ This is it.¡±

 Chapter 482

    Hao Ren had been looking for a door in the real world, through which he could safely travel to the Plane of Dreams¡ªthere would be no need for troublesome conversion equipment, and longer time constraints while he explored the mysterious world. Plus, he would not be held responsible for the collapse of the Wall of Reality, or the implosion of the Plane of Dreams into the real world. He was looking for the crack, which had existed way before he even began to look for it. To top it all off, it had been safely opened once. Only a crack like that was reliable. The thing he had been looking for was right in front of him.


    If the vengeful spirit was like the other unusual creatures¡ªa creature that invaded the real world from the Plane of Dreams¡ªthis lilac crack in front of him would then be the passage through which this creature came to Earth.


    The passages used for by the unusual creatures to cross over to Earth had disappeared over time, but no one ever thought that the passage used by the vengeful spirit would still remain!


    Of course, it was not a sure thing that it was stable crack leading to the Plane of Dreams, but at least the possibility was high.


    As Becky also came to her senses, she was filled with joy and she began to run around. She hugged everyone, shaked hands with them, and started saying goodbye. The only things on the greedy mercenary¡¯s mind were her manor, titles, gold and jewelry¡ªthose things were lying in her dream home, waiting for her. All she needed was a door through which she could travel home safely!


    She jumped onto the round platform happily and lunged into the light film. However, she could not cross over as expected.


    Hao Ren yelled behind her, ¡°Calm down. We have to find a way to reactivate this thing first.¡±


    Becky was disappointed as she squatted by the side, her head hung low.


    ¡°You think this door could lead to¡­¡± Vivian whispered to Hao Ren. ¡°But, it¡¯s closed now. Do you know how to activate it?¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his chin while he thought about it, pretending to be an expert. Nonetheless, he managed to come out with an idea. ¡°I think it has something to do with the ¡®stones¡¯ that you gave to the two human menials.¡±


    Vivian twisted her eyebrows. ¡°How do you know? I tinkered with the stones and studied them for a long time, but the door didn¡¯t move an inch.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you were doing it wrong,¡± said Hao Ren. ¡°And even if it¡¯s impossible to open the door, it¡¯s worth studying. What¡¯s more, it fell out of the crack, so it has to be related to the vengeful spirit. We should go back and see Igor. He would not have thrown away something left behind by his ancestors just like that.¡±


    ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll just take out the stones without any resistance?¡± Vivian looked at Hao Ren suspiciously.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me,¡± said Hao Ren as he looked at Vivian. ¡°His ancestors had addressed you as the boss. You should show your power as a witch. We have a portrait to back up that. You should know a little something about the secrets of their ancestors, right? By then we will find ways to convince him of your identity.¡±


    Vivian thought for a moment and nodded thoughtfully. Meanwhile, Hao Ren had walked around the black tableland. As the vengeful spirit had been contained, the strange weather surrounding the circular platform had long subsided, and the dark, snowy plains were back in silence, the only activity in the area was the lavender light film above the circular platform which was emitting a buzz like a electrical current flowing through a transformer.


    This ancient space crevice hid a huge secret. Hao Ren decided to dig it out at all costs.


    They decided to leave this strange space for a while and go and ask for one of the two stones from Igor. Before they went, White Flame stepped forward suddenly and said goodbye to everyone. ¡°I¡¯m not going with you all. I¡¯m here just to hone my skill a bit. Now the vengeful spirit has been contained, I should go back.¡±


    Hao Ren smacked his forehead in realisation. ¡°Oh yeah ¡­ I almost forgot that you are not with us!¡±


    Everyone eyeballed Hao Ren. Even Lilly was wagging her tail and said, ¡°You seem to be more naive than I¡¯m, landlord.¡±


    Hao Ren put up a wry smile. He had really forgotten it. Since White Flame as a lone-wolf demon hunter was working with them, she had to be cooperative, they worked in a seamless manner during the battle. What was even more valuable was, as an orthodox demon hunter, she had not shown the slightest discomfort working along with a group of otherworldings. She did not even say anything beyond what was necessary. This reduced her sense of oddity and presence to the lowest level. If not for she mentioned it, Hao Ren would not have expected this girl was leaving in the end.


    However, just when White Flame said that she was leaving, something suddenly crossed Hao Ren¡¯s mind. ¡°Wait a second, you have heard and seen things that you¡¯re supposed not to¡­¡±


    Though White Flame was not really familiar with how things worked in the world, she was not stupid. When she decided to say goodbye she had anticipated there would be problems¡ªin fact, she had even worked out a counterattack strategy in case she would be murdered to silence her. But now it seemed she did not need that. She smiled slightly and said, ¡°I just came here to hunt. And after long, fierce battle, the target was eliminated. Apart from that, I have ever met anything. I don¡¯t even know there is a stable alien dimension beneath the ancient castle, much less the witch.¡±


    White Flame looked very indifferent. She was not even evasive while saying that, which in turn had Vivian amazed. ¡°You know what this means? This alien dimension, the space crevice in the alien dimension¡­ I know the rules of demon hunters, you¡¯re required to report back any supernatural pehnomena you¡¯ve seen.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± White Flame nodded. ¡°But there isn¡¯t anything left here, right? And you guys don¡¯t seem to be the kind of otherworldings that will do harms. When you¡¯re kind enough to be willing to help the ordinary people to expel the evil spirits, you¡¯re even better than my stubborn mentors. I think I should close my eyes to all these.¡±


    White Fire said as she let out a sigh. ¡°I¡¯ll ponder about these things¡­ Something I had thought about before. But after I met you guys, I thought even more, about aliens, and demon hunters¡­¡±


    Hao Ren looked at White Flame for a while, but he didn¡¯t know what to make of it. So he nodded finally. ¡°Well, then we shall not persuade you further. After all, the team is still a bit sensitive about it. But will we see again in the future?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± White Flame grinned. ¡°Your odd weapons and your peculiar style of fighting are all very interesting. Although I know that everyone has their own secret, I do hope when we meet next time, given the chance, you would talk about what happened to them. I should go now. We¡¯ll stop here.¡±


    As her voice trailed off, she had turned into a pale flame, and then disappeared before the eyes of everyone. Nangong Wuyue activated a mist barrier sensing the surrounding atmosphere. After the vibe of White Flame had completely dissipated, she turned to look at Hao Ren. ¡°Are you really letting her go just like that? You believe the words of demon hunter?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± Hao Ren shrugged indifferently. ¡°I¡¯m not a child anymore. How would I trust an outsider? But letting her go is the best option. She is celebrity demon hunter. Her mentors and protectors must have known that she had come to Andrea¡¯s Castle. If for some reason she couldn¡¯t make it back, would you think this place will be left unturned by the other demon hunters? By then the secrets the underground would be exposed. So why not taking a chance and see if the lady demon hunter can keep her word.¡±


    Lily¡¯s ears twitched a she asked, ¡°What if she exposes everything about the castle and the underground?¡±


    ¡°This crevice might be a leakage point of The Plane of Dreams and and the real world,¡± said Hao Ren as he looked at the lilac light curtain. His mouth slightly tilted upward. ¡°If it¡¯s really threatened, I can always call for more advanced firepower support, or even let the Goddess intervene personally. Don¡¯t underestimate this crevice, it may even affect the safety of the entire universe. Once knowing the alert level of this thing, I would not have to worry anymore about what would happen here.¡±


    After half a year as an agent of the Goddess, Hao Ren finally began to look like a veteran. He knew what he was doing!


    Nangong Wuyue rubbed her chin and said, ¡°How is it like the deja vu of ¡®the dragon has been contained under the old tree in the village, and the village chief has handed you a bronze dagger to save the world¡¯?¡±


    Vivian glanced at the box beside the foot of Hao Ren, the vengeful spirit was sealed in this box. It was invisible, but it actually existed. She couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°This is probably the first vengeful spirit that has ever been caught. I had defeated several vengeful spirits, but never had I understood so clearly about what was being destroyed. Apparently, it¡¯s not even a light, it¡¯s an energy field.¡±


    Hao Ren also grinned. ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe we accomplished this feat with the accompaniment of Little Apple. What¡¯s going on with Lil Pea?¡±


    Lil Pea peeped out from his furry collar, waving and said happily, ¡°What¡¯s going on! What¡¯s going on!¡±


    ¡°If you let her explain, she wouldn¡¯t be able to say it clearly,¡± Nangong Wuyue looked up at the dark sky and sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s get the hell out of this creepy place. This place is freaking cold¡­ I feel like hibernating now!¡±

 Chapter 483

    A tense atmosphere filled the ancient castle of Andrea. All the servants had received strict instructions and they were ordered to stay in their rooms. The deep roaring and weird wailing that could be heard beneath the castle painted a picture of hundreds of beasts killing each other in an evil, bottomless abyss. The noise penetrated the walls, floors, and barriers of the heavy velvet carpets. It pierced, and reverberated in people¡¯s heads.


    People shivered and hid in their rooms, wrapped in heavy quilts or blankets. A weird cold wind had been hovering around the castle for hours. Despite the castle¡¯s thick walls, the strange wind still broke into each room and turned the castle¡¯s interior as cold as the outdoors. Some servants even witnessed snowflakes in their rooms. The horrified servants were transferred to the hall on the second floor. This weird phenomenon was unlike the many horrific events that had taken place in the demonic castle. People immediately thought of those ¡°exorcists¡± who went underground to fight the evil spirit earlier. They knew that this supernatural phenomenon had to have something to do with their underground battle.


    Cold winds and snowflakes penetrating through the wall had weakened several times, and increased in intensity again. With an uneasy feeling, people connected these weird happenings to the underground battle. Whether these phenomena increased or decreased, it was kind of a comfort for them. It at least proved that the fight was still on, and those exorcists had not failed; the fighting had entered a stalemate.


    For the poor folks in the castle, the evil spirit had always been synonymous with invincibility. As long as someone could fight it to a stalemate, it gave them a morale boost.


    While most people stayed in their rooms and did not dare to come out, Igor, the owner of the castle, stood in the courtyard behind the main building. He was clad in a thick fur coat, which was covered in a layer of snow. The chill pierced straight into his bone marrow, but his eyes remained fixed on the door of the chapel.


    The zombie-faced butler stood beside him, shivering, but he still carried out his duty. He stood upright and tried to persuade Igor, ¡°Master, let¡¯s go back to the room, at least it¡¯s warmer inside.¡±


    ¡°No, let¡¯s just wait a little longer,¡± Igor murmured as if he were talking to himself. He glanced up at the high wall behind him. The walls of the castle were gradually being covered with a layer of frost, a scene that never happened for the past 300 years.


    Due to the vengeful spirit¡¯s existence, the castle was always the most special place in the land of snow. Snow from the natural world never entered the area within 100 m of the castle. However, a snowstorm from this twisted nightmare was now rising up from the ground, gradually freezing the fortress. He noticed that the massive rocks were being covered with large ice sheets, and snowflakes were rising up from the ground as if they were consciously circling and covering the outer walls of the fortress. At the same time, there were also snowflakes penetrating the wall and drifting out into the sky: those snowflakes were flying out of the rooms. This bizarre phenomenon was reflected in Igor¡¯s dark brown eyes. He seemed to have a vision of an old and powerful spirit rushing up violently to the surface of the earth, and behind this spirit, there was another more powerful being chasing it. The powerful weird being possessed a wonderful melody. It was light and peculiar, like a song¡­


    Song?


    Igor shook his head. He knew that the vengeful spirit had invaded his consciousness again. He was probably seeing the vision deep underground through the vengeful spirit. But, what about the song?


    While Igor was busy feeling puzzled, the bottom-up snowstorm suddenly stopped.


    ¡°Is it over?¡± Igor extended his already frozen hand to catch the snowflakes that were falling back down to Earth. The snow passed through his palm like a shadow. The butler next to him naturally asked, ¡°Master, who won?¡±


    Igor felt the voice, which had been occupying his mind for decades slowly receding. For the first time since that nightmarish sixth birthday, he finally felt an indescribable calm. ¡°Maybe¡­ the evil spirit is finally dead.¡±


    After a while, he heard a loud noise within the chapel. The butler could not help but feel nervous. However, when he saw the door being pushed open and a human stepping out, he was relieved.


    Hao Ren was surprised to see Igor standing at the door, waiting for him. Judging from the thick snow on the old man¡¯s body, he knew Igor had been standing there since the very first moment.


    ¡°Things down there have been dealt with.¡± Hao Ren nodded at Igor. ¡°The vengeful¡­ evil spirit has been captured. We¡¯ll take it away.¡±


    When Igor finally heard that everything was over, he wanted to give Hao Ren a hug. As he stepped forward he staggered and almost fell to the ground: the old man¡¯s legs were frozen.


    ¡°Thank you, thank you¡­ I don¡¯t know how to express my gratitude. No one could lift this curse off of us for 300 years. I never thought the Andrea Family¡¯s nightmare would end in my generation¡­¡± The middle-aged butler held Igor as he staggered toward Hao Ren. ¡°I¡­¡±


    Hao Ren waved at him and said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about that later. I have something more important to ask you now. Do you still remember the gift your ancestor received from the witch? Is it a stone?¡±


    Hao Ren deliberately appeared to be serious. As a result, Igor became nervous. ¡°Yes¡­ Is there any problem with that stone?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s related to the ¡®curse¡¯,¡± said Nangong Sanba. He came up and solemnly said, ¡°We need you to give it to us.¡±


    Igor was hesitant. He quickly calmed down from his joy of breaking free from the curse. Apparently, the stone was of great significance to him, and more important than releasing the Andrea Family from the painful, 300-year haunting of the evil spirit. ¡°That-that stone is the foundation of the Andrea Family¡­¡± Igor said.


    ¡°A stone is more important than the curse of an evil spirit?¡± Becky could not help but murmur.


    Igor forced a smile and said, ¡°The ancestors warned us: the stone was a gift from the witch and it¡¯s something the future generations can enjoy. However, we must not lose or destroy it. Otherwise, we¡¯ll receive a more severe punishment from the witch¡ªI¡¯m not saying that I don¡¯t trust you, but I also believe in my ancestors. After all, we¡¯ve been punished by the witch once, via the evil spirit that is.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Vivian and smiled wryly. ¡°You left such a mess behind¡­¡±


    Vivian looked away, innocently. ¡°What does that have to do with me? People back then were all superstitious, and an absolutely normal words when passed down three generations, just happened to turn into something surreptitious. How would I have known that?¡±


    Bewildered, Igor looked at Hao Ren and Vivian, who were conversing in Chinese. The old man had no clue what they were talking about. Soon, Hao Ren turned to him. ¡°So, you¡¯re talking about the witch, right? Look at this one here.¡±


    Hao Ren pushed Vivian forward. ¡°This is the ancestral witch you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    Vivian rolled her eyes. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®ancestral¡¯?¡±


    Igor was utterly shocked. ¡°Huh?¡±


    Hao Ren repeated his words. Igor shook his head, his smile was bordering on crying. ¡°Please don¡¯t make jokes like this. I know that all masters are a bit odd, but this joke¡­¡±


    Hao Ren did not argue any further. He reached into his Dimensional Pocket and took out a giant portrait from it. ¡°This is the portrait of the witch we found underground. Your ancestors left it there. Your ancestors haven¡¯t entered the crypt in 200 years, so the portraits in there are still in their original state. You can see for yourself.¡±


    Igor¡¯s jaw almost dropped to the floor when he saw Hao Ren yank out a painting out of thin air. But when he saw the portrait, his jaw complelely dropped to the ground. From the very first glance, he knew that the painting was genuine, and that the style was very similar to the other portraits of the witch in the castle. Yet, he still could not believe the content of the portrait¡ªthe witch in the painting looked exactly like the girl in front of him.


    ¡°This looks¡­¡± Igor stared at the portrait of the witch and the hole with scorch marks. ¡°This hole¡­¡±


    Lily scratched her head in embarrassment¡ªshe was now in human form, so she could not wag her tail, only scratch her head. ¡°I poked it by accident, but that¡¯s beside the point.¡±


    Igor was silent for a long while as he stood in front of the portrait. There was a fierce ideological struggle within his head, and he could not ignore it. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that the witch has appeared so suddenly¡­ And why did the lady not mention this earlier?¡±


    Vivian looked at Igor with both arms folded across her chest. ¡°Because I didn¡¯t think of it. Who would have thought that the silly boy back then would become a rich man, and that later generations would get embroiled in this mess? It doesn¡¯t matter whether you believe it or not. Just touch your own eyes.¡±


    Feeling strange, Igor rubbed his eyes. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Your eyes weren¡¯t dark brown at birth, but grayish blue. But after a few months, they gradually turned into this color.¡± Vivian managed to regain her memories, and found enough evidence to prove her identity. ¡°Do you have a mirror?¡±


    The middle-aged butler who stood next to him silently handed Igor a small hand mirror. Vivian snapped her fingers, an Igor was horrified to see the brown color in his eyes gradually fade into a grayish blue hue, which only newborns had.


    ¡°I was the one who gave you your current eyes.¡± Vivian smiled. ¡°I left a mark on the two menials because I had a bad memory. It was getting especially worse at that time, so I was worried that if they got separated and met again, they would also forget each other. Hence, I left behind a mark in their blood.¡±


    Lily snapped, ¡°Then you forgot what you left behind. With such a bad memory, there¡¯s no point for you to do anything.¡±


    Vivian could only remain silent.


    Igor looked at his eyes, which slowly turned brown again. He began to recall the stories he had heard about the family¡¯s eyes, stories that had been passed down from generation to generation. He finally realized who this person standing before him was.


    The old man suddenly passed out.

 Chapter 484

    Seeing Igor falling backwards and was held up by the butler, he couldn¡¯t help but turn and looked at Vivian. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say it earlier that you¡¯ve left behind a mark? I¡¯d not have taken the portrait out if I knew it earlier. Now I¡¯ve to return it to him.¡±


    ¡°I just recalled it just now,¡± Vivian said. ¡°And what are you doing with this painting? If you like, you can always look at the real one.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the portrait regrettably. ¡°This painting looks very valuable, unfortunately it was spoilt by Lily.¡±


    At this time, Igor had regained his consciousness. He looked at Hao Ren and the others, and then Vivian. ¡°The witch?¡±


    Vivian nodded and looked at Igor who seemed like passing out again, she quickly said, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m not going to punish you. Easy. Take a deep breath. Your ancestors were more calm than you are.¡±


    Of course Vivian was lying, when the ancestors of Andrea family saw her, they keeled over immediately.


    Igor grabbed the buttons of his coat with his hand tightly. His knuckles turned pale because he had used too much force. It seemed that he was doing this to confirm what he saw was real, and also to avoid blacking out again. He was trembling, his face disturbed. ¡°Then the purpose of your coming today is¡­¡±


    ¡°To help you get rid of the evil spirit,¡± Vivian waved her hand. ¡°In fact, I didn¡¯t know you were the descendants of that boy I met.¡±


    Igor was nervous. ¡°Not because of our ancestors had violated the covenant¡­?¡±


    Not waiting for Igor to finish, Vivian waved again and smiled almost as if crying. ¡°Forget it. You guys have been misunderstanding the thing for three hundred years. For God¡¯s sake, the thing wasn¡¯t really like what you have been thinking. The curse of the evil spirit had nothing to do with your ancestors. I won¡¯t bring down any punishment. In fact, I even feel I¡¯ve wronged you guys¡­.Okay, let¡¯s leave this matter to another time. Now it¡¯s important that the stone is still here, I hope you guys haven¡¯t thrown it away lest I will really get mad at you.¡±


    Igor hurriedly waved his hand and said, ¡°Of course, of course¡­ I mean, of course it¡¯s not lost. It¡¯s kept in a room on the highest floor of the castle. Let me take you there.¡±


    Igor walked back towards the castle with the group. Hao Ren looked up at the 300-year-old ancient building before he entered into it. he saw On the castle¡¯s gray-black exterior, he saw large swathes of ice and snow on the castle¡¯s gray exterior were gradually breaking up and dissipating in the air like waking up from a nightmare. The entire castle looked sublime while covered in a layer of broken crystal. Under this wonderful but strange sight, the depressing vibe that enveloped the castle of Andrea gradually faded away. The vengeful spirit had left, and the strange magnetic field and space phenomena it produced had also retreated back underground. The sunlight that shone on the castle at a sloping angle had brought warmth and splendid feeling for the first time.


    The servants in the castle had already learned the news of the defeat of the evil spirit. They came out of the room, still scared. But feeling the cold had receded, and the strange vibe that had been lingering in the castle was gone, these servants who had been serving the Andrea family for many years began to immerse in joy.


    In the hallway of the castle, servants were walking around and sharing the news. A thin figure suddenly ran down the stairs and weaved past the crowd toward them. It was Anna. The poor girl had finally got rid of the nightmarish voice whispering in her head. She was exhilarated. When she saw Igor, she rushed to him. ¡°Daddy, the voice! The voice! The voice is gone!¡±


    ¡°I know, I know,¡± Igor could not hold back his excitement too, but he still tried to keep his composure in front of Vivian. He placed his hands on Anna¡¯s shoulders and said, ¡°It¡¯s over, honey. The evil spirit won¡¯t come back again.¡±


    Anna stared at Hao Ren and the others, wide-eyed. Her face was still pale. So she looked a bit scary to them. ¡°You guys have really killed that evil spirit? But how could this be possible?¡±


    When Hao Ren saw Anna, he could not help but think of the strange things she had mentioned¡ªTannagost, high-energy polymerised body, sublimation and stuff like that. He suddenly realised that the quaint knowledge in Anna¡¯s head might be the key to uncovering the secrets of the vengedul spirit. ¡°Anna, do you still remember the vengeful spirit¡­ the things it told you? What¡¯s Tannagost?¡±


    When Anna heard the term, she could not help but shiver. But as the whisper in her mind had gone, she was not affected by the fear, and the quirky knowledge was just an incomprehensible piece of memory to her. ¡°Probably¡­ a little¡­¡±


    Vivian looked at Anna and said, ¡°Recall whatever you can. I hope you can tell us everything you know about the evil spirit. Of course it mustn¡¯t be right now, you can go back, take a rest to regain your strengh.¡±


    Anna looked at Vivian, feeling confused, and glanced over at her father curiously. Igor quickly said as his face turned serious. ¡°Just listen to her, honey. She is the lord of the Andrea family.¡±


    Anna was astonished, but she did not ask why. Igor let her go back to the her room.


    ¡°By the way, go and see Akim. Let Dr. Freeman take a look at him,¡± Igor said to Anna. ¡°He may need some time to fully recover, don¡¯t try to remove the chain yet!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not so scary now,¡± Lily muttered. ¡°She was so strange from head to toe when I was her earlier.¡±


    Igor brought them to the top of the castle where no servants could be seen and only four guards dressed in black were guarding the two entrances. Apparently, the four were Andrea¡¯s best elite bodyguard. Even when the castle was covered by supernatural phenomena earlier, they did not leave their posts. Igor greeted the guards and then pointed to a metal door which looked very heavy. ¡°It¡¯s just behind this door.¡±


    After entering a complex set of passwords, iris and fingerprint scans, the treasury vault door slowly opened to reveal a brightly lit room inside.


    There were only a few racks in the room, on which were the most valuable collections of the Andrea family. Two ancient swords, some unknown books, and a gray-black, unassuming, triangular ¡®stone¡¯.


    ¡°Oh, this is it,¡± Vivian had spot the small stone in the center of the room with just a glance. Igor lowered the bullet-proof glass which enclosed the stone with a security alarm system. Vivian beckoned to the stone and it flew to her.


    ¡°Oh, well, that was why you thought it was just a stone three hundred years ago,¡± said Hao Ren, taking the stone and turning it in his hand. ¡°This is obviously something man-made.¡±


    It was a device of a cigarrette pack in size with a texture feel of stone and metal, and a few raised ridges on one side and a few pits on the other. Hao Ren had never seen this kind of thing before, but judging from its uniform polishing lines, there was no doubt it was made using very advanced processing technology.


    This was the so-called ¡®stone¡¯ which Vivian gave to Andrea¡¯s ancestors three hundred years ago.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s man-made at first glance, but nobody knew what it was. That was why it was called a stone,¡± Vivian said, turning her head and looking at Igor. ¡°You said that this thing had brought great fortune to the Andrea family. How?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s gold,¡± Igor took over the little device, stroking its ridges in a certain order. ¡°I still can demonstrate the opening a dimensional exit, but everything in it had been taken by my ancestors. That was where the wealth of the Andre family came from¡­¡±


    As Igor¡¯s voice trailed off, a purple ray shone out from the the device and opened up a space crack of about one meter in the air. Igor put the little device on the table, and walked over and put his hand into the space crack. His face looked reverend. ¡°An unexplainable supernatural phenomenon. I can put my hand in, take something out or store something inside. It was full of gold back then¡ªthe treasure of the witch.¡±


    Vivian stared in astonishment at the little device which she had given to the humans. Her face looked just blank and dead. ¡°..I was almost rich¡­¡±


    Hao Ren patted her on the shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much!. It was probably not going to last for three days in your hands.¡±


    Vivian almost in tears. ¡°Why I didn¡¯t study it for a little longer?¡±


    Lily bluntly pointed out. ¡°Because it was who you were, you wouldn¡¯t want to study for even a minute. Even if you really studied it, you wouldn¡¯t find the password. You wouldn¡¯t be able to become rich. It¡¯s destiny.¡±


    Vivian. ¡°¡­..¡±

 Chapter 485

    The longer Hao Ren knew the vampire maiden, the more he found the girl to be a miracle of the cosmic¡¯s malice. The things that were happening in front of him further convinced him that.


    While Vivian was extremely poor herself, the bat who dropped off her body had transcended and become rich. Her landlord, who was working for God already had a billion followers; even the menial whom she had given a broken piece of stone had garnered tons of gold and given birth to the Andrea Family. This girl was like a propitious ornament, if used properly, she could bring health and prosperity to others at the expense of herself.


    Of course, this auspicious ¡°ornament¡± seldom brought a positive effect. Most of the time, she was better at bringing bad luck to the people around her. Those close to her who had low bad-luck resistance would either lose money, choke while drinking, suffer toothaches after a sneeze and stuff like that. Even the Romans and Egyptians back then had something to say about this matter. Hao Ren felt that the people of Troy could have thrown a pan at this auspicious bat, who worked like a double agent back then.


    Perhaps the Andrea Family had less resistance: they gained amazing wealth from the gifts left behind by Vivian, but they were tortured by a terrible evil spirit for a full 300 years. These 300 years of torment may have cost more than the value of a few tons of gold.


    Lily patted Vivian on the shoulders, not letting any chance of teasing the bat slip away. ¡°Your clone is doing better than you are. Now, even your teammates have surpassed you. I think the greatest value of your existence is to serve as a foil to others.¡±


    ¡°Is this a dimensional storage device?¡± Hao Ren move forward and picked up the triangular gadget. He quickly swiped his fingers over the several ridges and the opening in space closed. It seemed like it still worked perfectly after so long.


    The MDT flew over and studied the device. ¡°Dimensional storage function would be more accurate. This module is only one of three parts. The rest are in standby mode and the whole thing will only work when this is in resonance with the other devices. It¡¯s like a wireless device.¡±


    ¡°Another stone¡­¡± Hao Ren looked up at Vivian. ¡°Where¡¯s the other stone now?¡±


    Vivian shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just found out that my first minion became the ancestor of the Andrea Family, but the second minion, I don¡¯t know whether he¡¯s still alive or not. The other ¡®stone¡¯ looks different from the one in your hand. It may not have brought wealth to its owner. The second minion was probably not as lucky as Andrea, and he may have died in the snow of Siberia.¡±


    ¡°Did you know that?¡± Hao Ren turned and looked at Igor, briefly telling him about the two humans who followed Vivian in Siberia. ¡°There were two people following the witch. Aside from your ancestor, there was another guy who also received a ¡®stone¡¯.¡±


    Hao Ren did not have high hopes, until Igor actually nodded his head. ¡°¡­There¡¯s a mysterious man living in St. Petersburg. He should be the descendant of this person you¡¯ve mentioned.¡±


    Hao Ren was somewhat surprised. ¡°Mysterious man?¡±


    ¡°For 300 years, the Andrea Family has always had intermittent contact with another hermit family.¡± Igor rubbed the button on his chest, which seemed to be a habitual gesture when he was thinking or nervous. ¡°It¡¯s unclear what the circumstances of the other family are. We don¡¯t know whether they are poor or wealthy. This intermittent contact has been a ritual passed down from our ancestors. We normally exchange news about our current conditions, like whether the family members are healthy, whether some ¡®dark forces¡¯ have signs of getting out of control¡­ Aside from that we don¡¯t reveal much. The letters we receive usually sound vague, and sometimes we ourselves weren¡¯t very sure about the contents of the letters¡ªthis was to avoid triggering the curse of the evil spirit. At any one time, the other party will only send a representative to exchange letters with the Andrea Family. All we know about the hermit family is limited to that one person¡ªa very mysterious person that is.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that troublesome?¡± Nangong Wuyue could not wrap her head around it. ¡°Why not make direct contact? Since both are descendants of the witch¡¯s minions, is it necessary to be so mysterious?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re also plagued by another curse, perhaps their behavior is related to the contents of their curse,¡± Igor said. ¡°This was the habit of our ancestors. Although our respective ancestors worked together 300 years ago, since the terrible curse took effect, our ancestors chose to livein isolation from each other. Their descendants didn¡¯t know why but still followed the tradition diligently. When there¡¯s an evil spirit hanging around, you have to always be careful.¡±


    Then Igor took a pile of letters out from another small room nearby. ¡°These are the letters.¡±


    As the evil spirit in the castle had been expelled, Igor was no longer afraid of angering the evil forces.


    The letters were well-preserved though some looked old. From the level of yellowing on the paper, one could almost tell the era it was from. The oldest letters even had the coat of arms from the Catherine period. Hao Ren picked up a letter randomly and read it, but the words were hard-to-understand. It was full of obscure idioms and metaphors.


    ¡°¡­Friends from afar, our situation is steady. The dark voice has never left, but it has also never spread to the outside beyond the nightmare. This year will has been more difficult than the previous years, and the winds in the North have been giving out an ominous vibe. Two of the family¡¯s juniors may not be able to survive this winter: their bodies are gradually becoming empty as an indescribable darkness is slowly replacing their souls. I can¡¯t say for sure if their skins will still be their own when the next month comes along¡­¡±


    Again, Hao Ren took another letter. It was written more than 10 years ago and it seemed to have been sent from St. Petersburg.


    ¡°To my friend from afar, please allow me to introduce myself. I am Ogyust and I will replace my father in keeping contact with you. My father has left this miserable world and the nightmare has finally left him. I hope that the dark forces will not continue to harrass his soul in the other world. My situation is a bit worse now as the hungry voice has started to sound during the day, but this may be because I¡¯m not skilled enough¡­¡±


    Hao Ren randomly picked up several more and found that they were basically filled with the same obscure, nonsensical stuff. When mentioning the evil spirits, the writers of the letters were very cautious, and tried not to reveal too much details of their circumstances. Their fear could be felt when he read between the lines. However, Hao Ren felt that something was out of place. He asked Vivian, ¡°How many vengeful spirits are there?


    ¡°One.¡± Vivian pointed down. ¡°The one we¡¯ve just captured.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue frowned. ¡°If there¡¯s only one vengeful spirit, then what¡¯s haunting Ogyust¡¯ family?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll find out when we find him.¡± Hao Ren held up the last letter, which was written a few months ago. ¡°At least we have his address. Let¡¯s find him and ask him to return the stone. Igor, could you help contact him?¡±


    Igor rubbed his hands with an embarrassing expression on his face. ¡°Maybe I can write him a letter¡­ Apart from that, I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s not much I can help you with. Ogyust and I have completely relied on this obscure communication method for more than 10 years. We know little about each other¡¯s family, and we¡¯re unable to have a deeper personal friendship. Due to the forbiddance handed down from the ancestors, our families have never met. But if the witch was to reveal her identity to him, I guess it might work.¡±


    However, Vivian thought otherwise. ¡°Don¡¯t pin your hopes on this completely. He may not necessarily be the same as you¡­¡±


    Nangong Sanba suddenly chimed in, ¡°Wait a minute, I need to figure out something; Igor, didn¡¯t you say that Ogyust is living in St. Petersburg? Is his full name Ogyust Futoryak Rakikh?¡±


    Igor nodded in surprise. ¡°Yeah, how do you know?¡±


    Wuyue looked at him, surprised. ¡°Brother, you know this man?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a small world.¡± Nangong grinned. ¡°Ogyust, I helped him perform a soothing ritual three years ago. He was about 50, a lone wolf, living in an old house on the outskirts of St. Petersburg.¡±


    Everyone was astonished. Igor also found this turn of events incredible. He eagerly asked about the other family who used to serve the witch. ¡°How is the Rakikh Family doing? Their family¡­¡±


    ¡°Family? They no longer have a family.¡± Nangong Sanba shook his head. ¡°Just as Vivian was worried about, the other person is unlike you: Ogyust is an old man who lives alone in the countryside. He has no relatives or friends. I didn¡¯t see anything related to the witch in his house. I¡¯m afraid the family has already come to an end. It¡¯s difficult to say whether he even knows of the witch.¡±


    Igor¡¯s eyes widened, and all his emotions turned into a long sigh.

 Chapter 486

    Three hundred years was a long time for a human being who could only live just a fraction of that. The ups and downs, and the changes in three hundred years were something unpredictable for a short-lived species like human race.


    Three hundred years ago, two ordinary folks who was living in exile in Siberia were dragged into some supernatural events, and since then their fate had changed completely. They both received a gift from the witch. One of them had become extremely wealthy, but his entire family had also suffered torment for three hundred years as they were haunted by a vengeful spirit because of the gift. What happened to the other person and his descendents for the past three centuries?


    Perhaps it could only be found out when they found this last surviving member of Rakikh Family in St. Petersburg.


    The ancient castle of Andrea was ushering in an unprecedented peaceful day. For the first time since the day the castle was built, there were no strange sounds and endless whispers, people who were living here could finally enjoy a good night¡¯s sleep.


    The next day, Hao Ren and the others would leave for for St. Petersburg. It will be a very quick journey but Igor and his servants had still come to bid farewell to them in the great hall of the castle. Hao Ren saw Anna¡¯s looked better than she did yesterday. Standing behind Anna was a pale-looking boy. His eyes were dodgy and looked younger than his actual age. He was Akim, the only male of the new generation of Andrea family.


    ¡°Looks like you slept well last night,¡± said Nangong Sanba who smiled and quipped looking at Igor¡¯s face. ¡°How does it feel to having a sound sleep?¡±


    Igor stroked his beer belly, laughing and feeling wonderful. ¡°I¡¯ve missed this feeling for decades. I remember my last night without a nightmare a day before my sixth birthday.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll go and find out Ogyust¡¯s situation. We would get back the other stone no matter what,¡± said Vivian as she looked at Igor. ¡°We will be back very soon. Meanwhile, look after the castle, especially the crypt. Though the evil spirit has left, behind the iron gate is still an alien dimension. It¡¯s easy for people to get lost if wandering inside. Send more people to guard the entrance.¡±


    Igor was still slightly nervous when looking at Vivian. The legend about the witch handed down from generation to generation had put a lot of pressure on him. He grabbed the buttons on his chest and said, ¡°Yes, my witch, as per your order.¡±


    ¡°Hey, relax,¡± Vivian sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t be so tensed up. I¡¯m not going to take over the control of or anything in this castle¡­ Andrea Family is free. Don¡¯t be bothred by the legends of the witch anymore. I¡¯m very sorry indeed that it was my negligence during the laying of the seal back then that had caused you suffering for hundreds of years.¡±


    ¡°But it was also because of the gold you left behind that allowed the Andrea family to build its wealth to what it is today. Without the protection of the witch, it was difficult for anyone to survive in the ice and snow, including my ancestors,¡± Igor said with a smile. ¡°Everything is equal exchange. I know very well that there are many people who are willing to exchange the wealth owned by Andrea Family with their life. It¡¯s a price to pay for owning such a great wealth.¡±


    Apparently, Igor had breathed a sigh of relief when Vivian said that Andrea Family was free, no one liked the idea of another master emerged out of nowhere, even if it was the witch the family¡¯s ancestors had been revering for generations.


    Of course, he would be happy to accept it if Vivian just wanted to help Andrea Family.


    ¡°First thing first,¡± Hao Ren raised his hand. ¡°Vivian has no interest in the wealth of your family nor she wants anything from you. But we need to use the other dimension in your basement. It¡¯s something that has involved the supernatural realm.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m happy to guard the crypt for the wtich,¡± Igor smiled. ¡°Even my family and the castle are willing to do whatever she asks us to do.¡±


    He had made that pledge rather casually; as it turned out, it was a no brainer anyway. No one had ever entered the crypt for the past several hundred years. Now even if the evil spirit had been expelled, it was not a good place to be in. He was more than happy when there was a bunch of experts dealing with the crypt for him. As for the pledge he made, he was just being polite. He could see that these people weren¡¯t here to dorminate the world and everything in it.


    ¡°Let Anna take a good rest. Meanehile, we will try to come back within a day or two. I hope by then she would be able to sort out her knowledge about Tannagost,¡± Vivian finally turned to Anna and said with a smile. The expression on the face of the mad girl was still a little lost. Though the whisper of the evil spirit had left her mind, the mental illness had taken a toll on her and it would take a while before her could fully recover. However, she had no problem communicating with people. Anna nodded to Vivian. In the face of the witch who had only appeared in legend of the family, she seemed to be calmer than Igor was.


    ¡°It¡¯s a long journey to St. Petersburg.¡± Igor said when he saw Hao Ren and the others turned and about to leave. ¡°I can arrange flights¡­¡±


    Hao Ren waved without looking back. Then they disappeared in a flash of light.


    Igor and his servants saw in astonishment the incredible thing that had just happened before their eyes. After a long while, Anna murmured, ¡°This is¡­ the witch?¡±


    Igor thought for a moment and then he passed out again.


    Hao Ren and the others appeared in a suburb far away from the city, from the warm castle hall directly to the cold and windy wilderness, they could not help but shiver. Lily sniffled with her nose in the cold wind and said, ¡°It¡¯s the smell void of a place far away from human!¡±


    ¡°Ogyust is a weird man who is reclusive and disgusted with the crowd.¡± The Nangong Sabna looked up in a direction into the wilderness. ¡°He lives in an old house away from the human society. I suspect that he has been living there his entire life and will continue to stay there. When I last saw him, we briefly talked about his situation. Just like the Andrea Family, he was also having a constant nightmare and mental disturbance. But obviously it was unlike the influence of vengeful spirit, he was simply plagued by dreams. I should¡¯ve talked to him more so that I could find out the truth earlier.¡±


    ¡°Fortunately, you didn¡¯t,¡± Nangong Wuyue threw his brother a glance. ¡°Back then you hadn¡¯t met the landlord yet, you would have been dead fighting the vengeful spirit.¡±


    Nangong Sanba shrugged. ¡°Probably you¡¯re right.¡±


    The MDT had made a more accurate teleportation this time. Under the guifance of Nangong Sanba, they quickly found the old house where Ogyust lived. The remnant of Rakikh Family lived alone. His large wooden house was several kilometres away from the nearest town but was still under the jurisdiction of St. Petersburg. But to be honest, Hao Ren thought that this place is almost in the middle of nowhere.


    The wooden house was surrounded by overgrown thorns and cold-tolerant shrubbery, it gave people the impression that this house was abandoned years. There was still a wide road cutting throught the shrubbery leading to the main entrance of the wooden house, which suggested that this house was actually habitated.


    Nangong Sanba walked to the entrance and knocked on the rotten door, but there was no response.


    ¡°He¡¯s gone out,¡± Lily snorted and sniffed around at the door. ¡°He just left not long ago, probably going to the town.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s arms crossed as she looked at the old house. She then shrugged and said, ¡°Well, we can wait¡­. we have waited for three hundred years anyway.¡±


    Lily looked up at her and said, ¡°You have the nerve to say that. For three hundred years, you have been sleeping. Have you ever thought of them?¡±


    Vivian: ¡°¡­..¡±


    Hao Rent asked Nangong Sanba about Ogyust. ¡°What are his hobbies? What kind of person is he? Maybe we could dance to his tune?¡±


    From the words of Nangong Sanba, Hao Ren could already figured out roughly Ogyust¡¯s personality: old-fashioned, eccentric, difficult to communicate, and very neurotic about evil spirits. He was a difficult guy. His family¡¯s tradition was obviously not the same as Andrea family¡¯s. Witch might not be of influence at all, so it was best to know his personality and preferences and be prepared for it.


    Nangong Sanba thought for a moment and grinned. ¡°This guy is unyielding.¡±


    They looked at each other as it seemed this guy was hard to deal with. If the person was unscrupulous, it would be easier to deal with. But Hao Ren found it hard to deal with an unyielding person, it was just too difficult.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll handle him,¡± Nangong Sanba did not bother to discuss further. He smiled and took a large packet out from his box. ¡°Here it is, I¡¯ve brought him a gift. I know this man.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the packet of herbs in Nangong Sanba¡¯s hand, feeling perplexed. ¡°¡­ What is this for? Didn¡¯t you say that man is unyielding? Why do you bring so many gifts?¡±


    Nangong Sanba nodded and said, ¡°Yeah, that guy is suffering from anal fissure.¡±


    Hao Ren felt that between him and Nangong Sanba, at least one of them was wackier than the other¡­

 Chapter 487

    Looking at the herbal gift pack Nangong Sanba had taken out, Nangong Wuyue felt an itch in her spine. She smacked her brother on the shoulders and said, ¡°Brother, would you believe it if I told you that I would¡¯ve whipped you with my tail if this was a different occasion?¡±


    Nangong Sanba did not get what she meant. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you know how important this thing is to people with anal fissures?¡±


    Hao Ren quietly put his hand on Nangong Sanba¡¯s shoulders. Just as he was about to say something, he saw a classic car in his periphery, hustling towards them¡ªOgyust was back, coincidentally.


    ¡°Tuck your Chinese herbal gift pack away. The old man could get irritated and kill himself along with you.¡± Hao Ren grinned. ¡°Let¡¯s just play it by ear, and see if Ogyust knows about the legend of the witch. If the Rakikh Family¡¯s lost it, we¡¯ll use solving the curse of the evil spirit as an excuse.¡±


    The old car jolted along the trail into the garden, which was surrounded by thorns and bushes. The man inside the car had obviously noticed the strangers in front of his house. He honked twice. Hao Ren could almost imagine a pair of cautious and neurotic eyes behind the tinted car windows, observing him. As the car came to a stop in the garden, the door was pushed open and an old man in a woolly coat alighted from the car. He had gray hair and looked to be about 50. He stared at the strangers at his doorpstep, his face cautious with a sense of despise. ¡°Who are you people?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Ogyust,¡± said Nangong Sanba as he stepped forward and greeted the old man enthusiastically, ¡°it¡¯s me¡ªthese are my colleagues. They¡¯re experts in occultism and witchcraft. We¡¯ve come to you to discuss about incantations and mysterious knowledge.¡±


    ¡°I have nothing to say,¡± Ogyust scoffed. He had a deadpanned face and he never bothered to hide his despise as he raised his voice, ¡°God, why can¡¯t you let an old man live a normal life?¡±


    Meanwhile, Vivian studied the air-dried wild herbs and animal skins hanging on the outer walls of the house with much interest. When she heard their conversation, she felt a bit dissatisfied. She turned her head around and said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you being harassed by an evil spirit? Maybe we can¡­ Huh?¡±


    When Vivian saw Ogyust, she was stunned as if something had struck her. At the same time, Ogyust¡¯ response was even more dramatic: he was wide-eyed. He began to choke as though he was being strangled, and he started to shiver!


    The old man staggered backwards. It looked like he was ready to turn around and run. Vivian finally recalled something in her mind, ¡°Pavel? You¡¯re still alive?¡±


    ¡°Pavel¡­¡± Ogyust tripped and fell on his back. He looked at the sky in a daze. ¡°Pavel¡­ No one¡¯s ever called me by this name for three centuries¡­ Mistress, you finally came back to get your possession?¡±


    ¡°How could this be¡­¡± Vivian was stunned. ¡°Was it you who had been in contact with the Andre family al the while?¡±


    Hao Ren had guessed the truth from the inexplicable conversation. He looked at the shivering old man in in disbelief. Meanehile, Lily was quick as lunged to hold the old man up, together with Nangong Saba, they helped the old man who was about to pass out walk to door. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything yet. Let¡¯s get side which is warmer.¡±


    The wooden house was clean and tidy, except that there was a sense of oldness, not keeping up with times. Nevertheless, there were a few modern electrical appliances and daily necessities which contrasted with the ancient wooden tables and chairs. It exuded a wonderful sense of space-time confusion.


    The half-body portrait of Alexander I was hung below the portrait of Lenin. A Soviet rocket copper mold was placed next to a silver candlestick from the Tsarist Period. Old-fashioned mud-brick fireplace was crackling with fire, and fireplaces used the Red Army era. A metal lunchbox from the Red Army era was placed above the fireplace warming up the soup left in the morning. This was an time-warped old house which contained many things older than the house itself.


    This was also the dwelling place for the reclusive man who had lived for three centuries.


    Three hundred years ago, the Witch had left two stones for her two human minions, and inadvertently changed the fate of the two exiles who had embarked on an incredible and completely different life. The careless witch simply did not foresee the kind of consequences that would bring upon the two.


    A servant had become incredibly wealthy while another servant had become immortal.


    And the price they paid for these was all the same: a nightmare that haunted them for life.


    ¡°Each time, at sixty years old, I would ¡®die¡¯ of acute hemorrhage. Incredibly, I would wake up after three to ten days of sleep and return to the moment when I first came into contact with the stone¡ªme at twenty-two years old with a strong body,¡± Ogyust Futoryak Rakikh aka Pavel was wrapped in a thick blanket and sitting on a rattan chair, crouching all over his body as if he had crumbled in the cold winter of his life. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on in my body, but I know it must be a curse which keeps me alive forever only to be tangled up with the crazy voice in my head.¡±


    Ogyust lowered his head and clutched his own hair. ¡°I tried several times to put an end to all this, and once I even pointed a gun to my head, but in the end I still couldn¡¯t make up my mind. Die and resurrect¡ªthe same process repeated over and over again until today.¡±


    Vivian looked at her former servant. She finally recalled her memory. From the 50-year-old face, she could still vaguely remember his young face. ¡°It was you who had been in contact with Andrea¡¯s descendants all this while? So they could only receive letters from Rakikh Family. Have you ever married? Any children?¡±


    ¡°During the first two resurrection cycles, I got married twice,¡± Ogyust shook his head. ¡°But soon I discovered that it would only cause trouble. I had to find ways to conceal my immortality. Even my family couldn¡¯t understand this phenomenon¡ªmy second wife accidentally found out the secret of my resurrection, she reported me to the church, I was deemed a witch and was almost burned alive. Since then I stayed away from humans, and kept moving around to try to conceal my secrets. I had also tried to disguise myself as my son, which worked well in a time when household registration system wasn¡¯t that perfect¡­ It was difficult in the first hundred years, but then I became familiar with such life. The census and personal identity system were rather troublesome things. During the entire Stalin era, I lived in the mountains and almost became a savage. During that time, I lost contact with Andrea Family. But thankfully, everything returned to normal after that. Such is life, there were ups and downs. Once I thought the world was a dull place, but after living long enough, I began to be amazed by ridiculous changes taking place in the world.


    ¡°So you played your own descendants or changed your identity again and again. While you kept in touch with Andrea¡¯s descendants, you kept a safe distance,¡± Vivian sighed. ¡°You¡¯re not comfortable with them, worried that once they found out your secret of immortality they would put you into danger?¡±


    ¡°I did have that concern indeed,¡± Ogyust said in a deep voice. ¡°After learning the death of Andrea from old age, and his descendants were unfathomable stranger to me, I chose to guard my secret cautiously. But this¡¯ not the main reason why I keep a distance from Andrea Family. The main reason is that voice.¡±


    Ogyust said pointed at his own head. ¡°It¡¯s here. The voice came every night, urging me to go to Siberia to reunite the two cursed stones. The dark forces were divided by the witch, so they¡¯re eager to come together. I am not sure whether it¡¯s attached to the stone or me. I dare not imagine once I go to Andrea¡¯s house, what will happen if the two dark forces merge into one¡­ It may recover fully, and break the seal of the mastress. No mortal strength could defeat the monster.¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at Vivian, surprised. ¡°Divided into two? You cut the vengeful spirit in half?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be kidding, vengeful spirit is not tofu,¡± Vivian gave Hao Ren a sideways glance. ¡°It may be a part of the obsessiveness of the vengeful spirit is on another stone. Nevertheless, Pavel¡¯s decision to distance himself from Andrea Family is right. If the obsessiveness returns to Siberia, it could have destroyed the seal. Pavel, give me the stone.¡±


    Ogyust got to his feet obediently just like he used to be. But he still mumbled. ¡°Just call me Ogyust¡­ I have been using this name for years. I feel odd being called Pavel now.¡±


    After Ogyust walked into his room, Lily looked at Vivian, couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Look at the mess you left behind.¡±


    Vivian: ¡°¡­..¡±

 Chapter 488

    The mysterious knowledge which was hidden behind the common knowledge or even contrary to it was beyond average human¡¯s understanding. Even Ogyust who had been living since three centuries ago and used much energy to study witchcraft and taboo knowledge, he would still get things wrong sometime. He didn¡¯t know what vengeful spirit really was, he judged solely basing on the sound he had heard in his illusion that the ¡®dark monster¡¯ had been divided into half by the witch. One of them was suppressed in the frozen ground of Siberia, the other one was in him. Based on this understanding, he made the decision to distance himself from the Andrea family, and limit his frequency of contact with them according to the knowledge of witchcraft which only God knows where he had got from. this is what the bizarre hides. This was how the obscure letters came about.


    Although many of the measures he took were ridiculous and useless in the eyes of the real expert, at least ¡®staying away from Siberia¡¯ was a sensible decision, especially when he took the thing out of the room, Vivian was more convinced of it.


    Ogyust brought a black, complexly-structured wooden box to Vivian, handing it to her with both hands. ¡°The stone is in there.¡±


    ¡°What the box is all about?¡± Vivian looked at the wooden box curiously. ¡°It looks rather familiar.¡±


    Ogyust was surprised. ¡°Have you forgot? This is what you gave me. You had specifically told me and my descendents to keep this box. You said that you might come to take it back one day. I thought you come this box?¡±


    ¡°Was it?¡± Vivian¡¯s brows knit together. ¡°Oh, I think I might have missed something.¡±


    She opened the wooden box as she spoke, and saw the gizmo inside. ¡°This is the second piece on which a part of the power of the vengeful spirit still remains. I might have overlooked it as I was too exhausted back then.¡±


    Hao Ren saw a palm-sized elliptical object lying quietly inside the box, which was different from the first device the Andrea family had kept. On the surface of this thing was a concentric circle pattern, in the middle was a hole. Beside that there was no visible unevenness.


    From the outside, it is difficult to see how it was related to the first device.


    ¡°This thing is strange. What is vengeful spirit?¡± Hao Ren muttered, taking out the triangular gizmo from his dimensional pocket as he tried to put the two pieces of ¡®stones¡¯ together. ¡°There¡¯s no response?¡±


    He help up the two bizarre ¡®relicts of the vengeful¡¯ and tried to join them together or click with each other lightly, but neither of them made a sound nor light. Lily looked at the stones and became interested. She came up and took them from Hao Ren. Hao Ren was hesitating but he let her; he knew that the husky was interested in collecting stones, he was worried she might bite the stones in her mouth just to try them out.


    Lily had fiddled with the stones for a long while but nothing had happened. There were no signs of activation or start-up: no one knew how to use the gizmos.


    Then the husky shoved the stones back to Hao Ren, frustrated. But judging from the reluctant look on her face, apparently she was eager to add these two stones to her collection.


    ¡°It seems that ¡­ something is missing,¡± the MDT hovered out and circling around the two ¡®stones¡¯. ¡°I could sense that they are resonating, but it seems this resonance signal is sent to another device. There is no other device here, so they receive no feedback and movement.¡±


    ¡°Another device?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s eyebrows pulled together, and suddenly remembered the crack in vengeful spirit dimension. ¡°Is it really about that door? Are these stones the key to the door?¡±


    While Hao Ren and the hald-baked experts were discussing about vengeful spirit, Ogyust was almost scared the hell out of him as he saw they tried to put two ¡®stones of curse¡¯ together. His was wide-eyed. He hemmed and said, ¡°You can¡¯t put them together.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. The evil spirit has been destroyed,¡¯ Hao Ren waved his hand. But he felt an unpleasant sense of coldness coming through his hand which was holding the second ¡®key¡¯. The breath of the vengeful spirit was till hovering over the stone. ¡°Sanba, please help purify this thing.¡±


    Nangong Sanba gave Hao Ren a side-look. ¡°Your fish is much more powerful than my exorcism. You can let her sing a little.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± Hao Ren patted softly on his chest. ¡°Lil Pea, come out and show what you got.¡±


    The little mermaid poked her head out from Hao Ren¡¯s collar happily. She had been watching the gongs-on outside. Although she had not a clue why, she knew her dad needed her. She looked at the the second ¡®key stone¡¯ and cleared her throat. Before she could start singing, Hao Ren already felt the chilly feeling on his hand was gone.


    ¡°Whoa, that¡¯s amazing!¡± exclaimed Nangong Sanba as he looked at the demon hunting fish in awe. ¡°How did she do that?¡±


    Hao Ren has been bothered with this question for days. But he could only speculate. ¡°I suspect that must have got something to do with her demon hunting power.¡±


    Nangong Sanba was astounded. ¡°What is hell is demon hunting fish?¡±


    ¡°Not only a demon hunting fish, she received the direct empowerment from the first generation of demon hunters. She is almost in the same realm of the ancestors of demon hunters.¡± When the Nangong Wuyue thought of the complicated process from which Lil Pea was getting her power, she facepalmed. ¡°Please don¡¯t ask, brother. It¡¯s impossible to explain in just a few words, let me tell you when we¡¯re back at home.¡±


    Nangong Sanba had not a clue and was flabbergasted, because Hao Ren had not explained to him that Lil Pea had actually been empowered the power of demin hunters by the Relic of Origin. Ogyust was even more astonished: though he had seen many things in life, mermaid was not one of them, especially mermaid of only a foot long¡­


    But anyway, he had been living for three centuries, he had witnessed the figths between werewolves and vampires, he was fairly calm. Vivian looked at the old man, and found signs of vengeful spirit remnant on him despite the ¡®stone¡¯ had been cleansed. She patted the head of Lil Pea and said, ¡°Do it one more time. To him this time.¡±


    The little one was happy as she felt her power for the very first time since birth. She opened her mouth as everyone was observing. A wonderful power accompanied her voice struck the cold and distorted vibe that lingered on Ogyust, which then dissipitaed like a fading electromagnetic wave.


    ¡°We must check what else new skills Lil Pea has.¡± Nangong Wuyue frowned as she looked at the cheeky Lil Pea whose voice was sharp and clear. The creepy vibe left behind by the vengeful spirit in the surrounding air was rapidly retreating. Even Nangong Wuyue had felt her spiritual power was subjected to a harmless but tangible perturbation. ¡°¡­maybe it¡¯s a good idea to teach the little one some new songs in the future. She can¡¯t always sing the same Little Apple in all rituals.¡±


    Meanwhile, Ogyust had finally come to his senses as he realized that the voice that had bothered him three hundred years was removed rather hilariously. He was in a great shock just as he had experienced great changes and been rejuvenated. He got to his feet and his palms together thanking everyone. Vivian waved to him stopping him from overreactiing. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m a bit curious. Since the ¡®stone¡¯ had brought you so much trouble, why didn¡¯t you just throw it away? It was not like you were followed by the evil spirit like the Andrea family was and being trapped in Siberia and couldn¡¯t get out.¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I did think of that,¡± Ogyust said, looking at the two ¡®stones¡¯ in Hao Ren¡¯s hand with a complex expression on his face. ¡°And it did throw it away several times, but after seven days, it would come back like a curse. So just I gave up.¡±


    ¡°Seven days?¡± Hao Ren exchanged a look with Vivian. ¡°Wasn¡¯t the Andrea family unable to leave the castle for more than seven days too? Is it for the same reason?¡±


    Contrary to the situation of Andrea family which were directly trapped and confined by the vengeful spirit, Ogyust suffered relatively less. He was only disturbed by the nightmare, the ¡®stone¡¯ did not cause harm to his life. Apparently, the two curses shared many similarities: the victim could not leave the cursed object too far, or for too long, and the cursed objects had infused the victims with inexplicable information in their memories.


    Vengeful spirit was a senseless creature. What was the meaning of the ¡®curse¡¯ that had so obvious purpose and regular pattern?


    ¡°We¡¯ve got the stones,¡± Vivian temporarily set the issue aside as she turned to look at Ogyust. ¡°Pavel, are you going with us to Andrea Castle ¨C would you?¡±

 Chapter 489

    Ogyust was hesitant towards Vivian¡¯s suggetion. He was accustomed to living alone, away from the crowd, keeping his secrets, and continuously changing his identity. He used to be a businessman, farmer, hunter, prisoner, soldier, and even a smuggler. He would never use each identity longer than 20 or 30 years. If he were to go to Andrea Castle, everything would change. He was not ready to reintegrate into society, not yet.


    ¡°My Mistress, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Ogyust got up and bowed slightly before Vivian. ¡°I-I¡¯m not ready yet. The Andrea Family may not accept an immortal person like me. Most of humanity, I¡¯m afraid, won¡¯t be able to accept this. They may accept a witch or wizard from the Middle Ages, but it¡¯s difficult to accept an ordinary person who lives for eternity, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, I never thought about that.¡± Vivian nodded. ¡°So, are you going to continue living like this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m used to it.¡± Ogyust forced a smile. ¡°It¡¯s not that difficult to live within the circle of life and death. Wizards who possess forbidden powers are able to live well too. I¡¯ll keep my contact with the Andrea Family, and maybe move to new environment. Anyway, that voice is gone, so my days won¡¯t get any worse.¡±


    Deep in thought, Vivian looked at this man who possessed an immortal body. Then, she suddenly summoned a small bat and said, ¡°Pavel, stretch your hand out, I need to take some steps for prevention.¡±


    Though puzzled, Ogyust did not hesitate. He extended his left hand out. Vivian¡¯s bat quickly flew towards him and bit his arm, creating a tiny wound. Ogyust frowned as he found faint black lines spreading, then fading on his arm.


    ¡°It¡¯s not necessarily a good thing for a short-living species to live eternally unsupervised. Eternal life requires special talents and willpower. I will not allow my servants to do anything that will bring shame to my name. This blood will protect you. If you meet one of my descendants, or other kinsmen who are related to me, it will help you prove your identity, and give you the right to talk to them as equals. However, it will also monitor you. Pavel, don¡¯t do anything that will disappoint me. If one day you find that you can¡¯t stand immortality anymore, it¡¯s best to end it. I don¡¯t want to learn from the blood that you¡¯ve fallen and become a monster.¡±


    Ogyust¡¯ expression changed slightly, and he nodded calmly. ¡°Your foresight is necessary. I won¡¯t disappoint the blood you¡¯ve given me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Pavel,¡± said Vivian, laughing. ¡°I¡¯m not a voyeur. I¡¯m not interested in watching your every move: it only warns you when you¡¯re becoming mentally unsound. It does more good than harm. And¡­ it¡¯ll cure your ¡®haemorrhoids¡¯. You can now feel relaxed when you reach 60.¡±


    Ogyust was speechless.


    They said good bye and left. As they came out from the house, Hao Ren nudged Vivian and subtly said, ¡°You were like a boss just now. I¡¯ve never seen you like that before.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Vivian did not know what he meant. She kept looking down at the wooden box, the one that earlier held the ¡°stone¡± inside. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m very curious about this thing¡­¡±


    ¡°What about it?¡± Hao Ren had the two stones and tossed them in his hand. ¡°Isn¡¯t the box empty?¡±


    ¡°Pavel said that I deliberately handed this box to him, and I specifically instructed him to keep it safe as I would come for it one day,¡± said Vivian, examining the wooden box in her hand. ¡°This shows that this thing was very important to me. Yet, I¡¯ve got no impression of it now.¡±


    Lily looked at the wooden box and thought for a while. ¡°Perhaps it was because of your poverty?¡±


    Hao Ren gave her a sideways look. ¡°What does being poor have to do with the box?¡±


    ¡°Look at how exquisite this box is. It may have been worth some money back then and it was probably the most valuable thing Battie had in hand, so it was only natural that she instructed her servants to take care of it. At least, it seems more important than a stone.¡±


    ¡°If it was such an important thing, why didn¡¯t I just keep it myself? Why give it to someone instead?¡±


    ¡°Because you were going to sleep,¡± Lily said, looking at Vivian. ¡°Maybe you were afraid of crushing it while you were sleeping, or you were afraid that when you woke up, you would forget what the box was all about. Then you would end up selling, or breaking it. So, you handed it to your own servant and told him that it was important. When you find Rakikh¡¯s descendants in the future, even if you do forget about the box, at least someone will remind you about it, and you won¡¯t sell it for some pennies.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue looked at Lily in awe. ¡°¡­Whoa, I never thought you could be so logical in your thinking.¡±


    Lily stood with arms akimbo as she wagged her tail behind her. ¡°How many times have I said that I was smart?¡±


    Vivian and Lily had never seen eye to eye, but this time she praised Lily. ¡°Doggie may be right. This thing must hold a special meaning¡­ that I gave it to the servant for safekeeping. I must have foreseen that I would totally forget about the significance of this box. I¡¯m going to study it when I get back at home.¡±


    ¡°Before that, we have to first find out if these two stones are keys to open the door of the vengeful spirit.¡± Hao Ren put the two ancient devices into his pocket. ¡°MDT, begin teleportation¡ªI hope Igor has lunch ready.¡±


    The Andrea Castle was celebrating its first peaceful day in 300 years. The servants were running up and down happily, cleaning every corner of the castle. Each window was rubbed sparkling clean. The portraits of the Andrea Family¡¯s ancestors had been dusted and they looked brand new. Even the zombie-faced butler and the gloomy old servant in the garden were carrying out their tasks with smiles on their faces.


    Igor stood in the hall and watched as the servants prepared a hearty lunch. Standing next to him were his own children¡ªAnna and Akim. Their condition was not very good, but even at its worst Akim insisted on strolling around the castle: the poor young man had been locked in the house for years and he no longer wanted to live in the cage.


    ¡°Dad, will those masters come back?¡± Anna looked at her father.


    Igor held his belly and smiled. ¡°Yes, they have some kind of magic that enables them to go anywhere in the world in the blink of an eye. Anna, the next time you meet the witch, remember to greet her. Our entire family is built on¡­¡±


    Before Igor¡¯s voice trailed off, the space next to him suddenly warped. Then, a white light appeared out of nowhere and Vivian¡¯s voice was heard within the white light. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to be nervous about the witch? I¡¯m not going to eat people.¡±


    Igor was shocked. He quickly greeted Vivian, who was waving her hand. However, Vivian said, ¡°Please spare me the meticulous etiquette. We¡¯ve got the second stone. Now, let¡¯s study the vengeful spirit¡¯s door.¡±


    Igor cautiously inquired, ¡°How is the Rakikh Family?¡±


    ¡°Ogyust? He¡¯s fine.¡± Vivian nodded. ¡°But, he¡¯s not coming to meet you. The curse of the evil spirit is over and he plans to start a new life. From now on, your two families don¡¯t have to worry about this anymore.¡±


    ¡°It feels like a dream.¡± Igor sighed internally.


    Lily eyeballed the hearty food on the big, long table as she could not stop drooling. Hao Ren had to hold her back from behind. ¡°I want to eat¡­ I want to eat! I want to eat!¡± she yelled.


    As soon as Hao Ren released his grip, Lily lunged towards the table as if she had not eaten for months. The two naive individuals had probably never seen such a big feast in their entire lives. The generosity of the parvenu was unrivalled.


    After the lunch, Hao Ren wasted no time as he led everyone back underground to study the crack.


    This time, Igor and his children as well as several other old servants followed him to the entrance of the crypt. There was no more hoarfrost on the iron gate separating the human world and the alien realm. It was just like any other door after the chilly vibe dissipated. In awe, Igor looked into the darkness beyond the iron gate. ¡°There¡¯s another world beneath us?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s another dimension, a crack in the real world,¡± said Vivian, speaking into the deep and dark tunnel. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not that you can¡¯t go inside, after all, the evil spirit is gone. But if you do, it¡¯s better to put up sufficient maps and rest stations along the way. The vastness of the crypt is beyond your imagination, and it is as cold as the land of snow outside. If you get lost in here, don¡¯t think of coming back out alive.¡±


    Igor shrugged. ¡°You must be kidding. Who would want to go into such a place?¡±


    As he said this, next to him, Anna looked into the darkness in deep thought.


    Anna remembered those things the vengeful spirit had whispered into her mind. Some of that information may just be useful.

 Chapter 490

    The vengeful spirit¡¯s departure did not restore the other underground dimension to its original form. As the MDT had surmised, the spatial structure there had been distorted for far too long. Now it was anchored between the gaps of reality in a stable state. Even without external reinforcement it could hold itself in that space for millenniums.


    The place was still an endless field of snow, and it was as dark as ever. The spirit¡¯s departure had caused the raging winds and snowstorm to finally die off. Hao Ren tried to recall the correct direction in his head as he walked and mumbled to Vivian, ¡°What a large piece of land here. Seems rather wasteful to just leave it like that¡­¡±


    Vivian did not even manage to respond before Nangong Wuyue quipped, ¡°Mr. Landlord, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re too into your work? A land in an alternate dimension? Who do you plan to rent this to?¡±


    Hao Ren already had something to retort with, ¡°Well, just in case the gods decide to throw me an army or two of giant frost dragons. Given how that goddess operates, it¡¯s not outside the realm of possiblity. I¡¯m just preparing for the eventual need to accommodate anything that may appear from ¡®Animal Planet¡¯.¡±


    Becky and Lily were at the back of the party. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen anything about giant frost dragons on ¡®Animal Planet¡¯¡­¡± Becky tilted her head. ¡°Mr. Landlord¡¯s mind works like a sandbox game, you never know what ideas he might come up with.¡±


    ¡°Your snow town or snow sanctuary won¡¯t be of much use, but we should leave something here. Something like a power generator, or some lighting.¡± A few lightning orbs floated above the ancient vampire¡¯s head as she looked around to plan for the future. ¡°Maybe we should let Igor¡¯s men set up some sort of station and monitoring facilities, or we can just do that ourselves. This place needs to be under surveillance, that¡¯s for sure, especially with the fissure there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get the Petrachelys to manufacture a set of equipment. Those gadgets are much more reliable than man-made one,¡± Hao Ren said as he looked at the faint lilac crack in the sky. ¡°Especially when it comes to that fissure over there¡­¡±


    The spirit¡¯s departure did not affect the fissure¡¯s status. It looked like it was just a gap akin to a door, and had nothing to do with the vengeful spirit¡¯s energy source. The fissure was floating quietly on top of the stone platform in a slow and gentle frequency. It shone, floated, and emitted a weird humming sound.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if these two rocks are keys to anything,¡± Hao Ren muttered as he pulled out the two cursed stones and put them before the veil of light. ¡°Hmm¡­ what should I do next? Open sesame?¡±


    The light veil stood silent as gentle waves rippled across its surface. Hao Ren felt like Lily as he did that.


    ¡°Looks like we need to active those triangular lines on the pyramid-shaped device in sequence.¡± Becky guessed the usage of the device like a grizzled veteran. ¡°Something like opening a vault?¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯ll take ages.¡± Hao Ren laughed drily. ¡°I¡¯m rather curious. If these are really keys, why do they have spatial storage capabilities? These two functions are almost the exact opposite. Have we guessed wrong?¡±


    ¡°Humans have been tripping over themselves to create gadgets beyond their wildest imaginations. A watchmaker from 1885 would never understand why a watch today would show everything else but the time. Don¡¯t limit yourself to what you can see when you¡¯re trying to figure out something beyond your comprehension,¡± Vivian said, almost philosophically. ¡°Perhaps, the vengeful spirits designed their keys to be a storage vault as well?¡±


    Hao Ren found that there was sense in Vivian¡¯s words, but that did not change the fact that he had no idea how the two keys worked.


    ¡°Let me see what they might need¡­ A touch command, voice command¡­ some energy source¡­ Maybe it¡¯s a thumb-print, or iris-scan, but I don¡¯t think the vengeful spirits have anything of the likes.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°MDT, can you scan them?¡±


    ¡°They do have something to do with the fissure, at least in terms of data transmission, but it¡¯s just basic transmission to ensure both sides are functioning as normal,¡± the MDT said as it shot out a ray of blue light and scanned the two small devices. ¡°I think I should increase the power of my scans to see how this works. However, there¡¯s a danger to that. Not everything¡¯s as tough as Imperial-made items, especially when it comes to an alien key. There¡¯s a chance that these two keys are already on their last legs, and my scan could end them.¡±


    ¡°Gotta try regardless.¡± Hao Ren pursed his lips. ¡°Just try not to wipe out anything important inside. If neccessary, I¡¯ll see Raven 12345 for more high tech gadgets.¡±


    Under The MDT¡¯s high-frequency scan, Hao Ren went to work in testing out the devices¡¯ function.


    Rubbing the lines along the triangular device did work. It seemed like the lines were the control ¡°key¡±. The concentric rings on the other spherical device also had a similar function, but they needed to have a finger on one of the rings for it to work. And based on the MDT¡¯s analysis, both actions would need to be performed simultaneously. An almost intricate pairing, it was like trying to get a rhyme out of a complicated musical instrument. Hao Ren had never seen an item with such an odd control method. He guessed that whoever created this had to be some sort of philosophical race¡ªmeaning, they were probably rather full of themselves.


    ¡°A very delicate control scheme with layers of encryption. You can¡¯t decode this using normal data reading methods,¡± the MDT¡¯s voice was filled with awe. ¡°Not particularly advanced, but very clever.¡±


    As Hao Ren was getting rather excited about the prospects of unlocking the keys¡¯ mystery, a young female voice sounded from behind, ¡°You¡¯ll break the thing with your tests.¡±


    Hao Ren had felt someone approaching earlier and he turned back to look. ¡°Anna? What are you doing here?¡±


    It was Igor¡¯s daughter, Anna. The young girl who had just been released from the thralls of sickness was already there. She was wearing a thick fur coat, and in the dark, cold snow plains, her already pale complexion made her appear even more gaunt.


    Even if the blizzard had stopped, for someone to walk down from the underground crypt to the fissure was no easy feat.


    ¡°How did you get here?¡± Vivian was even more surprised. ¡°You knew the way?¡±


    ¡°I¡­. remember something?¡± Anna shrunk back as she eyed the fissure in fear. ¡°The spirit left something in my mind¡­ memories¡­ I knew you were all here.¡±


    Hao Ren and the rest looked at each other. They knew that the spirit had left a rather large data imprint in Anna¡¯s mind, but they never thought it included matters regarding the fissure!


    ¡°You remembered?¡± Nangong Sanba asked, his face filled with emotion.


    Anna nodded and held her hands out before Hao Ren. ¡°Let me see the two keys¡­ I may know how to activate them.¡±


    Hao Ren passed the two ¡°stones¡± to Anna, and the young girl started to touch the mysterious lines along their surface. The latter suddenly let out an almost inaudible hum. Seeing this, Hao Ren was perplexed. ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­. Why did the spirit leave something like this inside a normal person¡¯s head? Was it intentional?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it intentionally fed her knowledge. It was something passive and random, some sort of mental broadcast,¡± Vivian crossed her arms as she tried to explain. ¡°Now we know that the spirit¡¯s an energy field and also a field of consciousness. When you¡¯re in the vicinity of a vengeful spirit, it¡¯s pretty much akin to being inside a living being¡¯s brain. You¡¯ll somehow be compelled to listen to the being¡¯s thoughts. Weaker humans may even be totally reprogrammed. The Andrea Family¡¯s been touching the key for generations, and they were treated as an enemy by the spirit. Plus, having lived in this castle for centuries, they were the most affected by the spirit. That was the source of their insanity. The spirit has no logical functions; it won¡¯t purposely tell you anything. The Andreas were just being ¡®soaked¡¯ within the creature¡¯s mind, to the point that they started to hear its thoughts. The knowledge and memories probably came from there.¡±


    ¡°So, it¡¯s literally information being copy-pasted from the spirit¡¯s brain into theirs,¡± Nangong Sanba added. ¡°And this is really by chance. Every member of the Andrea Family has listened to something different and their insanity has ranged from mild to severe. But because they were bombarded with the memories of the spirit without any warning, most of the victims misunderstood what they saw¡­¡±


    As he said this, he pointed his mouth at Anna, and lowered his voice. ¡°She¡¯s probably seen her ancestors taking out a large amount of gold with the keys, and recalled the legend of the witch. That caused her to unilaterally think that her family¡¯s wealth was stolen, and that it was the cause of the curse. It then worsened her initial sickness.¡±


    As Hao Ren and the group were busy discussing the spirit¡¯s ability to affect the human psyche, Anna¡¯s manipulation of the devices finally began to bear fruit.

 Chapter 491

    Once Anna managed to operate the keys with the preset rules, both keys started to exude a rhythmic resonance. Faint purple light shimmered around the devices, reflecting off the purple light veil within the fissure. As a resonance akin to a wind-chime exuded from the device, the fissure slowly brightened and from it came a bizarre sensation. Hao Ren realized that it was no longer translucent, instead a series of sceneries started to become visible; they could see something like a mountain range, or a row of huge buildings. As the veil shooked, the sceneries blurred¡­


    But the fissure had been activated without question.


    ¡°So¡­ it worked just like that?¡± Hao Ren was in awe of the changes within the fissure. While he was still gawking at the scene beyond the fissure, he took the keys from Anna. It was a 100 % certainty that the stones were indeed keys, and there was no need to call them stones anymore. Anna herself was surprised. She never thought that something she had learned from the vengeful spirit would be useful. ¡°Ohhhhh¡­ it actually worked?¡±


    ¡°Oh you, have more confidence. You opened it alright.¡± Becky patted Anna on the shoulder, almost sending the frail girl into the platform. ¡°So, is the place beyond the fissure my home?¡±


    Lily carefully approached the fissure, and conjured her Frostfire Claws to jab the light veil. She also poked her head to the side to see if her claws went through. When it did, she wagged her tail happily. ¡°It went through!¡±


    It was only then that Anna noticed Lily¡¯s ears and tail. She gasped in surprised. ¡°Woooow!! She has a tail!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been out for a good part of the day already, didn¡¯t you know?¡± Lily¡¯s hands were on her waist as she put on a smug face. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a beauty ain¡¯t it? Much prettier than the country bumpkins in your yard¡­¡±


    Hao Ren took a good moment to realize that the ¡°country bumpkins in the yard¡± referred to the Andrea Family¡¯s huskies. ¡°You sure have nothing else better to do than to compare tails with other huskies, eh?¡±


    Vivian patted Hao Ren on the shoulder. ¡°Well, just like someone who¡¯s made it big in the city brags about their new found wealth when they return to their village, I guess this husky here needed to find something to be smug about in front of her fellow canines too.¡±


    Luckily, Anna had grown up in a perpetually haunted castle and she was less judgemental compared to her peers. She was only interested in looking at Lily¡¯s tails and ears at the moment. She neither shock nor visibly fearful. After the MDT scanned the fissure for a good while, it confirmed that the area on the other side was safe. ¡°It¡¯s passable, and it¡¯s a very safe area. All of you, Lil Pea included can survive easily. Becky however, will need a life collar. The air there has poisonous particles and it¡¯s harmful to humans.¡±


    Hao Ren now realized that the fissure was a very unique portal. It allowed two-way traffic through it, but it also prevented the change of air between the two portal gates. This unique ability was likely designed to allow exploration into worlds with unknown environments. He put his hand through the light veil, and felt thatthe area on the other side was much warmer. ¡°Who¡¯s coming with me?¡±


    Unsurprisingly, everyone stepped forward. Even Nangong Sanba volunteered to join. Hao Ren looked at him and cautioned the demon hunter, ¡°Once we go forward, we¡¯ll be getting into our ¡®special mission¡¯, you sure you want to join us?¡±


    Nangong Sanba looked at Wuyue. ¡°Can my sister come along?¡±


    ¡°Let him,¡± the MDT interjected. ¡°He¡¯s seen quite a bit already and he¡¯s pretty reliable. We need an outsider like him on our side as well. Give him a life collar. The air there could affect him as well.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Hao Ren nodded at Nangong Sanba and threw him a shining silver collar. ¡°Put this around your neck. It¡¯ll ensure your survival in any environment. Becky, you too.¡±


    Nangong Sanba mumbled as he put the collar on, ¡°Why does this thing feels so goddamn wrong¡­¡±


    Lily¡¯s ears perked up as she heard it. She obviously had a different view on wearing collars. She loved collars to bits! But sadly, she did not seem to need the life collar this time around¡­


    ¡°Please wait,¡± Anna called out as she noticed that the group was about to go through the fissure. She stepped forward in haste. ¡°Can you bring me along?¡±


    Vivian smiled as she gently pinched Anna¡¯s cheeks. ¡°You coming all the way here is dangerous enough. You didn¡¯t tell your papa that you came down here, right? Make your way back before he passes out again.¡± Vivian looked at her underling¡¯s granddaughter endearingly. Only God knew how many generations had passed since, and she could not help but want to pamper her.


    Anna never thought that the witch would be so friendly and she stiffened. Nonetheless, she shook her head with much determination. ¡± I want to see what the other world¡¯s like¡­ Papa won¡¯t notice.¡±


    Vivian looked at Anna¡¯s expression, and suddenly realized something. ¡°Because of Tannagost? The vengeful spirit left some impressions of the place in your mind?¡±


    Anna nodded. ¡°Nnn¡­ I don¡¯t remember the exact place, but I think I¡¯ve seen a picture of the other world, and gotten a glimpse of some of the knowledge there. I want to see it for myself, or else the voice won¡¯t truly be gone from my mind.¡±


    Hao Ren talked to the rest for a bit. In the end, he finally took out a collar and gave it to the young girl. ¡°Put it on. No matter what you see over there, don¡¯t panic, and don¡¯t run.¡±


    After everyone collected themselves, they took a deep breath, and stepped through the light veil.


    As they crossed it, a familiar feeling engulfed Hao Ren. His senses were torn away and he felt ephemeral, almost as if the world was from a waking dream. Just as his senses left him, it returned the next second.


    His instincts told him that he had indeed crossed the Wall of Reality, and ¡°arrived¡± in another realm.


    As the faint purple light faded, Hao Ren opened his eyes, and found himself in a wide plaza.


    Looking around, it was obvious that the plaza was man-made. It was a circular plaza about a few hundred meters wide. Circling the plaza, were stone columns that glimmered in gold; they were almost like Roman columns, just as grand and awe-inspiring. Further in the distance, were identical glimmering infrastructures and a tower of unknown use. All of these buildings were upon a hill, and as Hao Ren came to the border of the plaza, he could see rows upon rows of wondrous buildings beyond it.


    However, all these buildings seemed like they had gone through an earth-shattering change. Many of them were already in a collapsed state. Cracks were all over the skyscrapers, and the high towers were in ruin. These cracks glittered under the bright sun, and gave off an atmosphere of grandeur as well as desolation.


    The skies were clear with a faint yellow star hanging up in the air. It was a world much more vibrant that initially expected.


    ¡°Whoaaaa.¡± Lily gawked at the scene before her as she wagged her tail in excitement. ¡°I thought this place would be as dead as a graveyard¡­.¡±


    ¡°This is the home of the vengeful spirits?¡± Nangong Wuyue could not believe her eyes. She never thought that the spirits, who brought nothing but destruction and fear could live in such a wondrous world. ¡°This city¡­ is like the realm of gods¡­¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at Wuyue. ¡°Don¡¯t use that comparison. Our goddess¡¯ realm seems to get wrecked every now and then.¡±


    Lily pointed towards the ruins in the distance. ¡°It¡¯s pretty wrecked over there too!¡±


    Becky almost lost it because of the bunch of awestruck fools. ¡°Can you guys focus on the task at hand? Let¡¯s confirm if this place is the Plane of Dreams!¡±


    Hao Ren tapped the MDT and the latter flew into the air. It came back moments later. ¡°The universe¡¯s background radiation match, the various constants match, but the galactic map needs reconfirmation. I can¡¯t calculate it at the moment. Conclusion: This is the Plane of Dreams. Congratulations adventurers, you have found a stable pathway into the Plane of dreams¡­ One of them.


    Although Hao Ren had already suspected it earlier, he could not help but heave a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank goodness¡­ Looks like Lady Luck is with us today.¡±


    Becky was stunned as she heard the MDT¡¯s report. She started clapping, glee apparent on her face. She went, ¡°Yeaaaahhh!!!¡± before falling backwards. Hao Ren quickly grabbed her as he shouted, ¡°Can someone slap the hysteria out of her?!¡±


    The mercenary¡¯s eyes lit up as she ran about the plaza like she had overdosed on stimulants. ¡°I¡¯m home! I¡¯m home! I¡¯m finally home!!!¡± My gold, my mansion, my knighthood! my¡­¡±


    She snapped out of it halfway through. ¡°¡­Where¡¯s my stuff?¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head as he looked at the greedy mercenary. ¡°Who knows. Your place could be 800 light years away from here. The fissure¡¯s connection to the Plane of Dreams isn¡¯t the same as the one we used back home. So, can you just pipe down, and join us for some tomb raiding?¡±


    Becky stuck her tongue out before joining the rest to explore the lost world.

 Chapter 492

    The group ventured through the desolate city. No one knew how long it had been abandoned, but all were astounded by the wondrous buildings before them.


    Great spires and high walls all had a faint glint of gold. The streets also seemed to be coated in a smooth layer of molten gold. Despite the scenes of desolation, destruction and ruination, it was not hard to imagine what the city looked like in its heyday.


    It was a city from the mythologies, a heroic city made out of bronze and gold. A glorious civilization once stood there, yet today it was silent, a remnant of an age long lost.


    The group arrived at a collapsed, monumental building. It appeared to be a public building for huge gatherings. There were many roads leading to it, and a rather large plaza before it. The building itself was split in two, possibly by a disaster similar to an earthquake. Half of its walls had already turned to rubble, along with its wide interior and intricate floating corridor structure. Lily was in her element as she leaped from wall to wall, collecting some golden pebbles as she went. ¡°Mr. Landlord, look! Good pebbles! Good pebbles, I tell you!¡±


    ¡°How long has this place been abandoned¡­¡± Hao Ren looked around the large, wrecked area. The building materials were clearly different from the ones on Earth, and they had no signs of weathering. Aside from the destruction caused by an external force, everything including the rubble, looked as good as new. ¡°Did the vengeful spirit create this place?¡±


    Anna was carefully flanked on all sides by the party. She was the only one who could unveil the secrets there, and she was aware of the fact too. Hence, she had been frowning hard, trying to recall something from her jumbled memories. Using the desolate city before her as a base, and comparing it to the images the spirit had left in her head, she finally spoke, ¡°Alamanda. This city is called Alamanda, one of the last three cities.¡±


    ¡°What do you remember?¡± Hao Ren looked at Anna in anticipation. He knew that the girl¡¯s memory was key to their investigation of this lost world.


    ¡°Alamanda was one of Tannagost¡¯ last refuge. It was made out of metal casting, and the city was protected by a great barrier.¡± Anna gave her temple a little knock. ¡°Guessing from the scene around us, we¡¯re probably in the city center. The image left in my mind looks different. In my memories, Alamanda was the perfect city. Its skies were eternally painted purple, every building shimmered in gold, and there were many¡­ people.¡±


    ¡°Seems like the scene before the city¡¯s destruction.¡± Vivian rubbed her chin. ¡°The vengeful spirits¡­ a group of spirits wouldn¡¯t create such a city. These buildings were clearly meant for a race with physical bodies. Look at those steps and handrails; their users were probably humanoids.¡±


    ¡°Then there¡¯s the two keys as well. The spirits obviously don¡¯t have fingers, they couldn¡¯t have been using them¡­¡± Hao Ren pulled the keys out from his pockets. He was surprised to see that the two devices slowly changed color, from black to the faint gold of the buildings around them. ¡°Ugh¡­ how did this¡­¡±


    Becky recalled the stone pillars in the snow field. The advertisement board, the public transport signage, the notice boards¡­ The color of the pillars did not match the colors of the city, but after seeing the keys slowly turning to gold, she thought she understood what was happening. ¡°So, this is their original form. They probably oxidized on Earth.¡±


    Lily gave Becky a weird look. ¡°Don¡¯t just throw out terms that you don¡¯t fully understand. Oxidization and deoxidization don¡¯t work like this, right?¡±


    Becky placed her arms on her hips. ¡°For an otherworlder like me to pick up enough vocabulary to start a flame war online isn¡¯t easy you know! Don¡¯t start throwing the dictionary at me!¡±


    Anna and Nangong Sanba were stunned for a moment. They did not understand what the ¡°otherworlder¡± meant. But Hao Ren too did not give them the chance to ask, as he spotted something beneath the rubble in front of them. ¡°Looks like a statue!¡±


    Lily immediately pounced at the opportunity to dig a hole and went forth, howling with excitement. By the time Hao Ren and the rest caught up to her, she was already half way through the rubble. There was indeed a golden statue beneath it. Lily tried to pull the statue out, and as she exerted her strength, she said, ¡°Waaaa! This thing is heavy!¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the human-sized statue in awe. It was a humanoid statue with a lithe figure. Its face was flat but wide, its eye sockets were deep, the ridge of its nose was high, and its arms were long. The figure was clad in a complex and gorgeous dressing. The statue¡¯s arms were overlapping on its abdomen in a very elegant standing posture. The statue was probably a decoration of some sort.


    This was unquestionably how the citizens of the lost world looked like.


    And they looked unquestionably dissimilar to the vengeful spirits¡­ Umm, scratch that, totally different is the correct description. Say¡­ did the spirits have a face to begin with?


    ¡°This is a Tannaean.¡± Anna touched the statue¡¯s face and a sudden nostalgia welled within her. However, she knew the emotion was not hers. It was a gush of emotion, which came from the memories that the spirit had imparted in her. Or perhaps, the spirit was reminiscing on the times when it had a body. ¡°That was the look the people of Tannagost, but they all perished.¡±


    ¡°Tannagost¡­¡± Wuyue blinked. ¡°You¡¯ve mentioned it before. Is that the name of the planet we¡¯re on?¡±


    ¡°Mhmm¡­¡± Anna nodded. ¡°But, I still can¡¯t remember many things. Maybe I¡¯ll be able to once I see more of the ruins.¡±


    Waving his hand, Hao Ren smiled. ¡°Sure, we¡¯ll head farther in¡­. What the heck are you doing, Becky?¡±


    As he turned, Hao Ren saw Becky standing there, staring at the statue in a stupor. The latter seemed to be hypnotized as she stroked the statue¡¯s arm. It took her a while before she yelped, ¡°Oh my God, gooopldddd! Gooooolddd!!!¡±


    Hao Ren was caught by surprise by the volume of Becky¡¯s screech and jumped. ¡°What you saying?!¡±


    ¡°Th-Thi-This is gooolddd!¡± Becky stomped the ground a couple of times before jumping onto the statue to try to drag it away with her. ¡°Gold! Gold! Goooolddd!!¡±


    Lily¡¯s rolled her eyes as she witnessed the situation. ¡°Mr. Landlord! She¡¯s at it again!¡±


    Hao Ren walked towards the statue, and after tapping the statue, he gave the frenzied mercenary a tap as well. ¡°You sure?¡±


    ¡°I may not recognize myself in the mirror at times, but I never mistake gold!¡± Becky still tried to pull the statue with all her strength. Her face was red from the effort. ¡°Gold give me strength¡­. Damn, the laws of physics trump willpower. This thing weighs a ton. How did you pull it out?!¡±


    Lily stepped forward and lifted the statue onto her shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s not that heavy.¡±


    Becky was still hugging the statue as Lily lifted it. From a distance, it looked like the mercenary was picked up by the collar. ¡°Let¡¯s bring this back! I don¡¯t have to worry about money forever! Mr. Landlord you can even buy a whole street with the money!¡±


    To be honest, everyone around Hao Ren was rather confused. It was also too much to process for Vivian, the eternally poor vampire. Nangong Sanba pinched his thigh as he asked, ¡°How ridiculously rich were these people¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re surprised?¡± the MDT¡¯s smug voice broke everyone¡¯s excitement. ¡°Look around you.¡±


    Hao Ren turned his head from left to right, and all he saw were the faint golden buildings.


    ¡°Everything here has a certain amount of gold, but the walls have a lesser gold element. It¡¯s only used as a paint job, while the statue here is pure gold. Gold is not something that resembles wealth on this planet. It¡¯s a very common ore here. Because it¡¯s dense, it has to be used alongside cement or any other type of lighter ores, similar to sand.


    Everyone was speechless.


    ¡°Under the right conditions, you may even run into a planet made out of diamonds or gold somewhere in the universe. Of course, the chances of this happening is miniscule. Gold isn¡¯t released in huge quantities in a supernova. But back to that, under the right conditions¡­.¡±¡ªthe MDT circled around the party¡ª¡±you may find a place like this¡­ Gold everywhere.¡±


    Only then did Hao Ren snap out from his stupor. He massaged his arm and turned to Becky. ¡°Just take a small piece as a momento. Time to get busy.¡±


    Becky was stunned. ¡°Huh?¡±


    The MDT gave Hao Ren a satisfied bump at the back of his head. ¡°Very good.¡±

 Chapter 493

    Gold, the symbol of wealth. In fact, many see it as their raison d¡¯etre, their reason of living. This shiny metal is a rare commodity in most planets throughout the universe. It could drive normal men to greatest of heights or to do the most devious of deeds, but the the Tanneans in the past, gold was something so common that they used it to build their houses and other daily items. It was not in any shape, a valuable item to them.


    If a world was filled to the brim with gold, what was the value of it then?


    If a person could reach a new plateau beyond mortal needs, what is the use of gold to such a person?


    Hao Ren was astounded by the truth behind Alamanda, the Golden City. A land filled with gold was akin to a heavenly city in some a mythological tale. The originators of the tales had used their base desires to describe the most ideal of cities to their eyes. But Hao Ren quickly realised that gold to the Tannaeans, was nothing but a cheap and heavy building material. It was heavily, rough, and not a particularly condusive metal, the only advantage it had was its stability. Hence it was used as a stabliser in building materials after being mixed with cement and other form of metals. Its use was for the cheapest parts of the city, the walls, and roads, or even as material for statues.


    Even Hao Ren had no use for them. He had seen many other civilisations had forswore the need for such base materials. Come to think of it, he did not need them either, they bring more harm than good most of the time.


    ¡°Gooolddd!!! It¡¯s really goooldddd!!¡± Becky was still jumping about in excitement. ¡°Let¡¯s dig the whole place up! Aren¡¯t you interested?¡±


    ¡°Just take a bit, you might use it back home.¡± Hao Ren nodded at Becky. ¡°But don¡¯t overdo it. The tax officials aren¡¯t stupid. Getting rid of a half a tonne worth of gold is no joke. Everyone else too, just take some as souvenirs, but don¡¯t bother dreaming of carrying a tonne back home and call yourself a billionaire. We are not short of money, with a goddess behind us, we¡¯ll have what we want, what we need. Just make sure you don¡¯t attract the attention of the special branch with the amount of gold¡­¡±


    Vivian raised at eyebrow towards Hao Ren, her look incredulous for a good while, before she nodded approvingly. ¡°That¡¯s work Mr. Landlord. I never thought you¡¯d see things this way. I was busy thinking of how to get you to calm down.¡±


    Lily on the other hand did not pay much heed to gold. Her concept of money was rather simple, in fact the only reason she earned a living because pork ribs did not come free. Looking slightly surprised at Vivian, she asked. ¡°Battie you don¡¯t need the gold? I thought you were dirt poor?¡±


    ¡°Even if I had gold with me it¡¯ll go missing somehow. Besides, staying with Mr. Landlord means even if i have the gold I won¡¯t be spending them. So, why do I need it again?


    The others had since recovered from their daze as well, and were not totally consumed by the endless sea of gold. Nangong Sanba too cut a few pieces of gold from the statue, not to sell them of course, but as catalyst for his demon hunting tools, and as repair materials. Becky looked at the rest with unbelieving eyes. Pursing her lips, and tears in her eyes, she followed Nangong Sanba in taking a few tiny pieces from the statue. Her eyes were still watery as she looked at Hao Ren after taking a slice off the statue. ¡°¡­Mr. Landlord¡­ I¡¯m still not done cutting, can we come back a second time?¡±


    Hao Ren was deeply amused by the greedy mercenary lass. ¡°Alright, sure. Take as much as you want, just make sure you can carry them back. I¡¯m not gonna carry it for you now though. Will only store it for you once we leave here.¡±


    Becky jumped in joy as she heard that, and with a blinding flash she took off a couple more chunks of gold. Only then she stood up and caught up with the rest. As she went she turned back to wave at ¡°her¡± golden statue¡­ almost like she was saying farewell to dead relative¡­


    Hao Ren had never seen someone so enamoured by gold before, but at least she was not obtuse about it. Her greed was so transparent and apparent, she did not bother hiding it. Neither did she scheme behind one¡¯s back, nor did she hide her greed behind a mask of virtue. She loved money, but she did not steal or cheat. Even when she stayed at Hao Ren¡¯s place she made sure that her bills were itemised. The lass was even cracking her head on how to earn some cash to pay rent from the first day on Earth.


    Everyone loved Becky the greedy mercenary, but she could be a tad bit too greedy at times.


    ¡°I now understand why the first key had so much gold stored in it.¡± Vivian said as she walked beside Hao Ren. ¡°I first thought the owner was probably some tycoon of sorts, but now most likely he¡¯s just a bricklayer in Alamanda¡­¡±


    Hao Ren raised his eyebrow. ¡°A bricklayer needed to carry gold in his pocket?¡±


    ¡°To sell his wares of course. Like how you have samples in your workbag.¡± Vivian elbowed Hao Ren¡¯s arm. ¡°Don¡¯t fret too much on the details¡­¡±


    ¡°You can tell your papa about this when you go home.¡± Nangong Wuyue suddenly turned towards Anna. ¡°And tell him that this is the witch¡¯s treasure trove. Every piece of it is cursed. You know why we need to tell him such right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s for his own good.¡± Vivian added. ¡°But I think it¡¯s better if we keep Alamanda a secret. Don¡¯t tell him about it. Even if he had no interest in the gold, the people around him might. Secrets have a tendecy to leak, and someone within the castle may be overcome by the allure of the gold and crossing the fissure in their search for gold. They¡¯ll probably perish in the poisonous atmosphere.. but worse¡­¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll set up a few more sealing and monitoring devices. We¡¯ll place a screen around the dais as well, to prevent anyone else from approaching it. Tanngost still have vengeful spirits wandering around, if they were to escape from the fissure it¡¯ll be trouble.


    ¡°We need to be vigilant too, might run into those things.¡± Nangong Sanba gripped his crossbow tightly. This was his first time into another world, and he was much more nervous than others. ¡°Just make sure your girl is find. If shit hits the fan, we might need to depend on her.¡±


    Lil Pea immediately popped out from Hao Ren¡¯s chest pocket, mumbling happily. ¡°Depend on her! Depend on her!


    Seems like the little one was in a good mood.


    Lily could tell the various scents in the air just by sniffing, but she could not detect any living thing near them. Her nerves got the better of her as she mumbled. ¡°Say¡­ the spirits came from here right¡­ They were formerly Tannaeans?¡±


    ¡°Maybe Tanngost had a catastrophic level disaster, and the vengeful spirits are the souls of the dead.¡± Hao Ren purposely used an ominous voice to explain. ¡°Look as this place, there¡¯s no one else. With so many dying at the same time out of fear and horror, it¡¯s no wonder that they became vengeful spirits.¡±


    Lily¡¯s fur immediately bristled. ¡°Can-can you not use a tone like this?!¡±


    Vivian took a sideway glance at the husky. ¡°And there you were, fearless agains the spirits. Now you¡¯re afraid of a little ghost story?¡±


    Lily¡¯s retort came almost immediately, ¡°Of course! I don¡¯t think that much when I fight! Now when I listen to one I¡¯d naturally think about it!¡±


    Hao Ren was rendered speechless with the dumb husky¡¯s logic and attitude while Vivian rolled her eyes in contempt. ¡°What the heck are you afraid of anyway? Even if your nerves were to be tested, it¡¯s not with a ghost story.¡±


    Lily was stunned. ¡°Why?¡±


    Vivian gave a professional look all around the husky, ¡°Dog blood wards off evil. You¡¯re a bloody husky, of course you¡¯d ward off evil, and you¡¯re afraid of ghosts?


    Lily actually demurred for a moment. ¡°¡­That¡¯s rather logical, heh!¡±


    Even Vivian was dumbstruck. ¡°That idiot actually believed it!¡±


    At the same time, Anna¡¯s voice broke the idle banter. ¡°The ¡®vengeful spirits¡¯ that you talk about are not the spirits of the Tannaeans, they were the Tannaeans, Tannaeans that had changed their life form.¡±


    As she spoke, Anna pointed towards a tower complex not too far from them. ¡°I remember more now¡­ The Tannaeans had transformed themselves, a transcendence of sorts and turned the whole race into spirit form. They did not become spirits after death, it was done when they were alive. The tower before us is one of those Tower of Transcendence¡­possibly the last one standing. There should be records on how the Tannaeans transcended¡­ transcended into the ¡®vengeful spirits ¡® you talked about.¡±

 Chapter 494

    After a long time of destruction, Alamanda, the Desolate City of Gold was no longer glorious. Despite the splendor of the ruins, the entire city was filled with broken walls and debris. There were very little buildings in the city that were still intact. Only those that were most important and strong were preserved.


    A key facility called the Tower of Transcendence was one of them.


    This was a pentagon tower with a base circumference of a few hundred meters; the scale was enormous. Other than the door at the bottom, there were no other door and windows in the entire tower. There were only a few bumps and a metal bracket like an antenna across the bright and clean pale gold exterior . Anna followed the messy memory in her head and led them to the high tower¡¯s door. The door was broken and torn apart. It seemed that had something burst out of it and left the huge hole.


    Hao Ren walked in front of them and he was surprised to find that the inside of this windowless building was very bright. There were a lot of mysterious beams of light coming down from above to illuminate the hall as bright as day. Thin dust fog swirled around the beams of light, looking very ethereal. It was not hard to imagine what a sacred place it used to be.


    There was no complex structure on the ground floor of the tower. It was just a magnificent hall. And the most amazing thing was that there were no pillars to support it. Thinking of the height of hundreds of meters of the tower, this ground hall that had no any form of support let them marvel at the advanced construction technology and material science of Tannaean. There was a ring of golden device around the hall. The device was a pillar of a meter or so, the upper surface was tilted, which seemed to be some kind of console panel. Lily patted the pillar curiously but there was no reaction.


    ¡°Forget it. These things, even if they¡¯re not damaged, there¡¯s no energy to start them,¡± said Hao Ren while holding his arms and walking around the hall. Suddenly, he saw some exquisite murals on the walls. ¡°Hey, look at this. Looks like a mural left by the Tannaean.¡±


    Everyone was immediately drawn to it. Hao Ren found the starting point for the murals. He looked at it in amazement: It was not an earth-shattering scene, no hero or mythological image, not an exquisite decorative painting. What was depicted on it was just simple daily things.


    The murals depicted the whole civilization of Tannaean.


    In the first mural, Tannaean lived in the coastal areas. They were an amphibious creature that gradually moved towards a terrestrial life due to some kind of change in the marine environment. They dressed in waterweeds and animal skins, built houses on the coastline, adapted to drought, hunted animals, and ignited the first bonfire of the civilization.


    On the second mural, the scales on Tannaean had faded and the structure of their fingers had evolved. The environment in which they lived had apparently shifted from tidal flats and swamps to drier plains. They built villages on grasslands, rearing livestock in pens, planting and harvesting.


    They built the city, developed metal tools, learned how to smelt and made alloys. They understood the power of the ¡®electricity¡¯ from the natural phenomena and soon merged it with a certain spiritual ability of their own race. In later murals, they were holding a ritual around a towering metal pillar. Lightning struck the pillar, and in their bodies, there was another magical energy that resonated with it.


    They lived, studied, and tempered their spiritual power. Their innate ability to evolve rapidly made it easier for them to gain power from nature. They explored their entire planet, building great information networks and global energy broadcasting systems. They had even developed space technology, yet their greatest strength was still a wondrous skill called ¡®The Power of Soul¡¯. This was the result of their evolving spiritual talents. This wonderful skill was also the only hope for the people to save themselves when the catastrophe came.


    Yes, a great catastrophe. In the late stage of the mural, everything changed. Some kind of unspeakable catastrophe broke out on the planet. The power of the Tannaean was not worth mentioning in front of this calamity. The magnificent city forged by metal was uprooted, and their war weapons had no effect on the enemy. The murals showed the horror of the slaughter of the Tannaean, the flames of war burning across the planet, but the face of the enemy was just frenzied lines. The man who left these murals seemed to have trouble describing their enemy in a logical way. He could only use a cluster of shadows and curves to show some kind of disaster. And hundreds of millions of Tannaean were wiped out by those frantic lines.


    In the end, the remaining survivors retreated to the three cities on the planet. The murals showed the situation of the three cities via exaggerated images: the three cities were molded from metal and enveloped in layers of protective walls and energy shields. Outside the protective layers was boundless chaos and death. Survivors had been living behind the protective walls for years, but the walls had been weakened and eroded by the ravages of disaster, and destruction was inevitable.


    Anna gently touched the lines on the murals and said, ¡°This is the ¡®Origin Scourge¡¯. The power of mortal could not fight against it. In the end, Tannaean was finally aware of the regular pattern of the disaster. They decided to survive by changing their life forms¡ª¡±


    Anna raised her hands and pointed to the last mural.


    The lines on the murals changed to a simple form. The magnificent and complex physical world was hidden away. A man was floating in the air, half of his body had transformed into a misty shadow, which represented the transformation of life form. At the bottom of the scene was a bunch of messy lines, which represented the disaster. This mural seemed to depict the Tannaean who had finally emerged from the disaster after changing his life form.


    Anna sighed. The last piece of memory in her head was pieced together. ¡°They left these murals to record the course of their civilization, because the Tannaean were not sure what would happen after they turned into a spirit, and in order to deal with the worst, they left this simple and straightforward record in many buildings to make sure that other intelligent creatures who visit this planet someday will know what kind of races have lived here before.¡±


    ¡°So this is how the Tannaean turned into Vengeful Spirits,¡± Vivian frowned and shook her head, ¡°But the Vengeful Spirits they turned into is not logical at all. They are even as irrational as natural phenomena, let alone higher intelligence.¡±


    Nangong Sanba scratched his head and asked, ¡°So what¡¯s the catastrophe mention on it?¡±


    Hao Ren gulped. A vague speculation in his mind was gradually formed. He glanced at the scenes depicted on the last few murals, suddenly ran to the exit and yelled, ¡°Follow me!¡±


    They all followed him. Hao Ren led them to the front of a high platform. Anna could not climb such a steep building so Lily put her on her shoulder. They climbed the high platform and came to a position where they could overlook beyond the city walls, and the sight outside of the heavy protective walls of Alamanda became clear.


    Outside the city was a primitive and barren land. It was an unusually frightening sight: the ground was covered with huge ravines and craters as if a giant face was full of potholes. On one side of the city, there was an unprecedented mega-crater, the size was so huge that they almost suspected it to have penetrated the core of the planet. And in the countless ravines and potholes, the most shocking thing that froze their blood was the tentacles.


    The Firstborn.


    ¡°I knew it¡­¡± Hao Ren gulped and said, ¡°The same thing that happened in Holletta had also happened here.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue was startled and whispered, ¡°Oh my¡­¡±


    ¡°The condition of this planet is worse than that of Holletta, the eldest son had apparently completely purged the second son,¡± said Vivian, frowning, looking back at the ruins of Alamanda and said, ¡°Tannaean were extinct.¡±


    Anna and Nangong Sanba saw this horrible thing for the first time. Nangong Sanba was a demon hunter, he could still take it, but not Anna. Anna was startled and almost fainted. She suffered a double fear, one was the human instinct from her, and another from her memory of the Vengeful Spirit. She was now almost half a Tannaean. She almost fainted when she saw the tentacles that had destroyed the entire civilization.


    This was the calamity faced by the Tannaean, the reason why they had to give up their bodies and changed their life forms.

 Chapter 495

    Like many ecological planets in the Plane of Dreams, Tannagost was born due to the sowing of the Seed of Origin. The First Born was buried in the depths of the planet, and the Tannaeans were the second batch of life from the Seed of Origin.


    What happened on that planet of Holletta (the people in Becky¡¯s hometown had not named their planet yet, so Hao Ren could only temporarily refer to it as Holletta) also happened on this planet: the First Born woke up frantically and attacked the Second Borns mercilessly. Unlike those on the planet of Holletta, the Tannaeans had significantly worse luck: the First Born they faced was not controlled by any security device. The planet¡¯s biosphere was reshaped, and the Tannaeans who had created a glorious civilization were killed.


    ¡°Even here¡­¡± Lily already had a phobia of the First Born. She had goosebumps the moment she saw the huge tentacles. ¡°I feel the hairs on my tail standing up!¡±


    ¡°Looks like what I guess is right. The First Born is a common phenomenon of the plane of Dreams. Many of eco-planets are created by the Seed of Origin, and probably all the first life created by the Seed of Origin are the First Born,¡± Hao Ren said, and then gulped. ¡°The goddess of creation is really a great god¡­ How many planets has she transformed?¡±


    ¡°No matter how many planets have been transformed, the point is why the First Born here has also become violent,¡± Vivian said and looked at the sea of tentacles, a large group of bats slowly appeared around her. ¡°We should expand the scope of exploration.¡±


    A large group of bats scattered in all directions, and the next second they had become a bunch of blurry dots in the sky. Lily did not forget to remind Vivian, ¡°Do not forget to take them all back, we don¡¯t need a Hessiana No.2.¡±


    Vivian suddenly shivered, stared at Lily and said, ¡°Can¡¯t you say something nice?¡±


    ¡°Those tentacles seem to be dead.¡± Hao Ren looked at the sea of tentacles and asked, ¡°Shall we go and have a look?¡±


    Vivian nodded, then turned to look at Anna and said, ¡°You have to go back first. The exploration is not just ¡®dangerous¡¯. We are going to face with an ancient creature that is far beyond your imagination, even the remains can be a huge threat.¡±


    Anna was terrified when she saw the horrible tentacles outside the city. And now she finally stopped trying to be brave. So Hao Ren nodded to Lily and said, ¡°You send Anna back, directly back to the entrance of the underground palace. And take this¡­¡± Hao Ren was handing over a silver-white gadget while speaking to Lily. ¡°Put this near the crack. This is the energy sensor. If there¡¯s any Vengeful Spirit passes through the cracks, we¡¯ll know it.¡±


    Lily carried Anna on her shoulder, and soon she was far away from them. Nangong Wuyue shouted to remind Lily, ¡°Run a little slower! Control your speed! Anna is an ordinary person!!¡±


    After Lily had successfully sent Anna away and came back to join them, they sped towards the sea of tentacles. They passed the broken buildings along the way and also saw the ruins of the protective wall. There were 15 layers of thick alloy armor on the periphery of Alamanda. Those arc-shaped armors were more than 10 meters thick. They were not only made from special materials but even molded with the base of the entire city.


    However, even such a protective wall had fallen under the powerful force of the First Born.


    The First Born was rooted in the earth. Part of its body was even deep underground for several kilometers or even dozens of kilometers and supported a whole piece of geological structure. Hao Ren once saw this power in Dragonspine Ridge. When the First Born woke up and stretched its body, it could easily destroy the whole area, no doubt Alamanda also suffered the same fate. The protective wall of the city itself was made of alloy, but the First Born must have created a severe earthquake under it, causing the thick armor plates to become brittle. The First Born¡¯s tentacles were then stabbed along the fragile cracks into the city. On the outer layers of protective walls, Hao Ren saw the giant tentacles that had been pierced deeply into the armor plates. Those tentacles had died and decayed, but it was still frightening.


    And at the outermost layer of the city, there were some tentacles with a special structure that meandering along the protective walls, trying to invade the inside of the city from above. These tentacles, looking like vines, had traces of scorch on them, and at the top of the inner wall, they could see a structure like a weapon fort. This was also the remnant of that terrible catastrophe. Tannaeans¡¯ technological prowess was indeed more powerful than the mage-emperors, at least the Tannaeans was able to hurt the First Born and temporarily block it outside the gate.


    But in the end it was meaningless: almost all 15 layers of armor were breached, and the Tannaeans had completed the transformation of their life form at the very last minute.


    They walked along a wide passageway drilled by tentacles and left Alamanda protected by layers of armor. Hao Ren looked back and found that, from this angle, he could see the shocking situation of the golden city more intuitively. Its walls were strewn with rifts, and the vines of the First Born almost completely encircled it, everything was enveloped in death and eerie atmosphere. Alamanda was like being dragged into the abyss by a demon. And this scene froze their blood.


    ¡°Those should be the wreckage of the shield generator, and there are some weapons towers.¡± Data terminal said while it used a light beam to indicate a mechanical device on the surface of the protective wall. ¡°It¡¯s a pity. This should¡¯ve been a very promising civilization.¡±


    ¡°These tentacles are indeed dead,¡± Vivian said and stooped down to examine a tentacle that spread from the depths of the underground. The tentacles were withered and turned gray and had been dead for a long time. ¡°I don¡¯t feel any breath of life in it¡­ The parts connected to this tentacle were also dead.¡±


    ¡°Look at the plants in the distance,¡± Nangong May said and gazing into a distant hillside, where she could see the dense and slightly golden woods: The woods were growing on the remains of the tentacles. ¡°The woods were probably grown after the biosphere was reshaped.¡±


    The First Born would try to reset the ecosystem of the entire planet after it gone crazy. If it did it, all life in its coverage would be extinct. The First Born of the Tannagost apparently fulfilled this mission. So now any creature that appeared on this planet must have been developed after the biosphere was reshaped. Looking at the trees that thrived on the remains of the tentacles, Hao Ren could roughly guess what had happened after the First Born had destroyed this planet.


    The last part in the chain of creation-madness-destruction-remodeling seemed to be filled.


    ¡°It looks as if the First Born will wither after successfully destroying the biosphere, and then the new ecosystem will be born out of its remains,¡± Hao Ren said, ¡°Since the First Born and the Second Born have consumed the ¡®Lifeblood¡¯ contained in the Seed of Origin, the First Born has acted as the Lifeblood in the process of resetting the biosphere.¡±


    ¡°So after Tannaeans and their biosphere perished, the tentacle was dead,¡± said Lily. She kicked the tentacles at her feet and continued, ¡°Why would it do that? Have no advantage at all¡­ After it destroyed the world, it¡¯s dead as well.¡±


    ¡°Yes, why would it do that?¡± Vivian repeated. ¡°There¡¯s a rumor in Holletta saying that the ancient mage-emperors¡¯ blasphemy angered the First Born. But what about here? What did Tannaeans do? They¡¯re just studying all sorts of poses to get struck by lightning. What¡¯s wrong with that?¡±


    Hao Ren remembered the remains of the First Born at Y¡¯zaks¡¯s hometown and said, ¡°Perhaps they were crazy. After all, the First Born was able to communicate in a normal state and was gentle. The data terminal, check the age of the death of these tentacles.¡±


    Data terminal answered directly, ¡°Don¡¯t have to, just like what you guessed, it¡¯s about the time when the goddess destroyed Holleta.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps all the First Born of the Plane of Dreams had gone mad,¡± said Lily with a slightly trembling voice, ¡°the same thing could have occurred in every planet that was seeded by the Seed of Origin¡­ So the aliens who made a pact with the mage-emperors didn¡¯t come, so the Origin Scourge occurred in Tannagost, so there were so many otherworldlings on Earth: they were not all from Holetta, but from the whole Plane of Dreams¡­ They are all refugees.¡±


    Many of the previous speculations had finally turned out to be true. The problem had to be at the root of all the First Borns¡ªthe goddess of creation.

 Chapter 496

    The goddess of creation had always been the one that Hao Ren was concerned about the most. Every time Hao Ren had a deeper understanding of the Plane of Dreams, he realized that the goddess of creation played a very influential part in it. In the beginning, Hao Ren thought that the goddess of creation was just a mighty mortal, or a primeval creature in Holletta, but now, the goddess of creation was starting to look like a real god.


    She had created ecosystems on countless planets in the Plane of Dreams via sowing. The Seed of Origin she created could breed creatures like the First Born, and her influence spanned along numerous planets across time and space. The power of the goddess could be sensed by the Disciples of Glory. But, the First Borns on different planets seemed to be in a frenzy and it probably had something to do with the goddess of creation.


    ¡°If only we could find more ecological planets. If there are any traces of the First Born and the end of the world on a third planet, our guess is basically correct,¡± Vivian said. She stooped down to pick up a piece of dark gray debris that fell off the tentacles, and twisted it into dust. ¡°I wonder if there are any surviving First Borns¡­ It would be great if we could follow this clue and find the goddess of creation.¡±


    ¡°I saw a planet covered in an endless sea of blood in my vision,¡± Hao Ren mentioned the vision he saw under the influence of the gigantic brain creature. ¡°It should be the place where the goddess of creation is. Maybe we can start with that giant brain¡­¡±


    ¡°The thing is, Holletta has to first be able to catch that cult. Only they know how to summon the giant brain,¡± Nangong Wuyue said. ¡°The Firts Born destroyed the whole of Dragonspine Ridge, and I¡¯m afraid that no clues were left behind. Can the Disciples of Glory find those heretics?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it later. If there¡¯s no other way, we¡¯ll do it ourselves¡­ Or, ask Marshal Ophra to help out,¡± Vivian said as she dusted the dark gray powder off her hands. Upon looking up, she gazed at her surroundings. ¡°Do you guys feel that¡­ something isn¡¯t right with the direction of the wind?¡±


    Hao Ren then realized that there seemed to be something wrong with the atmosphere around them. The strange wind that kept changing speeds was blowing from all directions. There was a chill in the messy wind. Just as everyone was beginning to be aware of this, the wind seemed to realize that they were raising their vigilance, and instantly increased its speed several times. All of a sudden, the surrounding dust was flying around in the air!


    ¡°It¡¯s the vengeful spirit!¡± A layer of colorful magical halo immediately appeared around Becky¡¯s body. She lifted her sword and shouted, ¡°Defense, now!¡±


    The ancient ghosts of Tannagost were still wandering the planet. These strange creatures that had been turned into vengeful spirits, though unconscious, still identified intruders who entered their territory. Apparently, there was a vengeful spirit wandering around Alamanda, and Hao Ren as well as the rest of them were being targeted.


    A misty protective barrier suddenly appeared around Nangong Wuyue and enveloped everyone in its safe protective layer, but the strange wind around it had rapidly evolved into a strong storm. Debris and dust on the ground were rolled up in the air by the storm, forming a tornado up to hundreds of meters in size. As the chaotic wind wall approached them, pale phantoms and bright lightning constantly appeared in the storm.


    However, they had dealt with a vengeful spirit before, and they were all experienced. They started to attack the wind wall. Hao Ren then took his demon-hunting fish daughter whem the storm was slightly weakened. ¡°Lil Pea, get ready¡ªsing!¡±


    The little kid immediately sang, her words all over the place. ¡°@##£¤£¤! ##@£¤@%%¡­ £¤&¡­¡±


    A strange creaking sound came from the storm. The tornado, which was hundreds of meters high abruptly stopped and the sand, gravel as well as dust in the air began to crackle down like hail. Vivian looked at Lil Pea with a weird expression and said, ¡°It really works, but I still find it weird no matter how many times I look at it.¡±


    ¡°Well, when do we ever look normal?¡± Hao Ren was holding Lil Pea by her tail like she was a hand-held loudspeaker. Her singing caused a big hole in the storm wall, whichever direction he was pointing her at. He looked like he was playing happily with his fish daughter. ¡°Although the song has no lyrics, she actually sings it quite well¡­ Lil Pea, next song,¡± he said.


    The MDT hit Hao Ren in the back of his head and said, ¡°Stop playing around. More and more vengeful spirits are coming this way. We should leave now!¡±


    ¡°Which way is safer?¡± Hao Ren immediately yelled¡ªhe was not ready to leave Tannagost. There was still a lot to figure out in this lost world.


    Vivian immediately focused her mind to communicate with the little bats she had released. Then, she clapped her hands and said, ¡°A bat has found a very suspicious relic. Let¡¯s go that way.¡±


    The MDT shouted, ¡°If we rush out by force, we might be caught by the vengeful spirits on the way. Tell me the bat¡¯s approximate position, let¡¯s go there by teleportation.¡±


    Vivian immediately focused her mind on the topographical map that her little bats had provided. She then passed it over to the MDT telepathically. The next second, everyone disappeared from the crumbling storm.


    A second later, they came to a hill, hundreds of kilometers away from Alamanda. The vengeful spirit did not seem to notice this place: it seemed quite calm.


    Lil Pea was still singing in Hao Ren¡¯s hands, but she suddenly realized that the environment had changed. The little kid opened her eyes and saw that the storm had vanished and clapped her hands happily: she thought it was because of her.


    ¡°What is this place¡­?¡± Hao Ren looked around and found that it was a barren hill. Behind him was a peculiar tower-style building, glittering with a light golden luster. ¡°What is this?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. The bats found it half way. Could be one of the relics left behind by the Tannaeans.¡± Vivian beckoned her little bats back into her body and continued, ¡°Looks like it¡¯s intact.¡±


    Lily was surprised. ¡°Why didn¡¯t the First Born tear down this place?¡±


    ¡°The aim of the First Born was to destroy the Second Born¡¯s ecosphere. If there¡¯s no one here, of course, the First Born would be too lazy to care about it,¡± Hao Ren said while he approached the building. It appeared to be a lookout platform. He discovered the gate and found that it was open.


    The Tannaeans who had been stationed in the tower must have evacuated the place when the First Born approached their line of defense. They did not think of returning, so the place was abandoned in a hurry.


    Like all the other buildings belonging to the Tannaeans, the tower also had an unknown source of light to illuminate it. Hao Ren walked in and found that it could actually be a research facility.


    After passing through two gates, they could see that there was an old equipment room inside. All kinds of instruments and equipment occupied almost half the space of the big room. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust, but they did not see any big damages on those devices. The technology of the Tannaeans was very advanced, especially when it came to material science. The things they made were more durable than things made by other mortals.


    ¡°Landlord, look over there.¡± Lily dragged Hao Ren by his sleeve and pointed at a wall not too far away. There was a huge star chart hanging on the wall and also some boards that seemed to be used for keeping a record of events.


    Nangong Wuyue dusted the hanging board with mist and found that it was a complicated planetary motion record along with some confusing formula charts. ¡°This place looks like an observatory, doesn¡¯t it?¡± she asked.


    The MDT was emitting a faint blue light and floating around in the room. It scanned the ancient devices, which had been around for 10,000 years, and suddenly, it emitted a loud whistle. ¡°Yo, I¡¯m a genius. I think I¡¯ve found a readable memory.¡±


    Everybody¡¯s attention was immediately on the MDT, but Hao Ren was attracted by something else.


    He saw something strange on a console of some sort not far away from him. The air there was slightly distorted, and there seemed to be an invisible energy field or gravitational anomaly.


    He walked forward slowly, while the distorted air did not experience any abnormal movement. Seeing this, Hao Ren boldly stretched his hand out.


    A strange memory suddenly materialized in his mind.

 Chapter 497

    Hidden in plain sight under the complex material world, there were many things that far exceeded human comprehension. What the naked eye could see was only the insignificant camouflage of the other world. In the vision of the soul, the other world was much more complicated than what was manifested.


    Since Tannagost was ravaged by a supernatural catastrophe, the planet had been completely transformed. Its material aspect may have been daunting, but the hidden part of it was even more horrifying. Innumerable restless, ancient souls roamed the planet. The tide of energy and information produced by the the First Born had been surging on the planet for 10,000 years, leaving behind countless visible as well as invisible supernatural footprints. The memories of the Tannaeans were divorced from their bodies. They floated along the tide of the planet, distorting and entangling themselves with other information as they became indescribable monsters. However, at certain nodes, the ancient souls, which were still capable of thinking could still be contacted, as long as one was gifted with a certain talent.


    When Hao Ren reached his hand into the distorted air, for a moment, he felt as if his consciousness was being pulled out. At the same time, a massive spiritual force was pouring into his mind and interrupting his perception of the outside world. He felt like he was standing in a vast void, surrounded by chaotic gray haze, and a¡­ No, countless shadows were standing in the depths of the haze, watching him.


    Hao Ren awakened from the shock and instinctively focused on escaping from the experience. He had mastered the mental power to resist spiritual invasion. Just as he was about to make a move, a voice suddenly called out amid the phantoms, ¡°Please don¡¯t be nervous, strangers. We are not malicious.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Hao Ren asked while he looked down at his body. As expected, only his conscious was floating in the chaotic dimension. He could still feel his body in the real world, it was just temporarily disconnected. This reminded him of the experience he had with the gigantic brain creature.


    ¡°We are the aborigines of this planet,¡± the phantoms in the haze spoke. Hao Ren did not know whether the voice was of a male or a female. He could not really perceive the distance from which it was coming from as well. He even had no idea if it was a shadow or an infinite number of overlapping shadows speaking. He could only feel a series of echoes. ¡°We are the Tannaeans.¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned for a moment before he calmly replied, ¡°I expected as much. I thought only mad, vengeful spirits existed on this planet.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, only mad souls exist here,¡± the phantom said steadily. ¡°All the spirits have lost themselves. Strictly speaking, the group of ¡®us¡¯ in front of you are only a set of data. We can no longer call ourselves life forms¡­ We are the memory of all Tannaeans.¡±


    ¡°I know about your change of form.¡± Hao Ren did not pursue the distinction between ¡°memory¡± and ¡°soul¡±. He felt his connection with the chaotic field weakening. Perhaps, Tannaean psychic ability had difficulty connecting with the minds of humans on Earth. ¡°What went wrong? Why couldn¡¯t you escape despite your change in life form? How did you become senseless monsters?¡±


    ¡°We thought that by getting rid of the body, we would be able to escape the ecological disaster. Little did we know that the slaughtering in the material world was only the mildest form of the entire disaster. After leaving the material world, we faced even more terrible distortions and chaos,¡± said the floating phantom. Hao Ren felt another spiritual force approaching. ¡°Stranger, please see for yourself.¡±


    This force was not invasive. It was only showing a memory. After knowing it was safe, Hao Ren began to calm down and look at the ancient memory from 10,000 years ago.


    He discovered that he was standing on a magnificent city wall, surrounded by a magnificent city built with gold. The wind was whistling in his ears. Numerous tall, semi-transparent figures were running around him and shouting, ¡°The third protective wall has been shattered! The robot couldn¡¯t stop the tentacles!¡±


    ¡°Medics, we need medics here. The wounded from the protective wall need medical attention¡­¡±


    ¡°Earthquake, there¡¯s an earthquake again!¡±


    ¡°The tentacles have penetrated the foundation and the protective walls are cracking¡­¡±


    Hao Ren realized that this was a scene from those 10,000 years ago. He was looking at it from the perspective of a soldier, who was standing on the wall.


    He discovered ¡°his¡± perspective slowly moved past the city walls and he looked out the city quiveringly. The trembling revealed an incomprehensible fear in him.


    Beyond the city, the earth was cracking and huge mountains were rolling around like wild creatures. It was a real living thing¡ªthat mountain range was actually part of the First Born¡¯s tentacles!


    The whole world seemed to have been covered by the tentacles as well as giant trees, and the massive First Born was all consuming. In between the tentacles, a dark-red fluid flowed slowly. The substance looked like bone marrow and it decomposed any remaining life residue outside the shelter. The sanctuary was the last surviving starlight in the hellish world: it was teetering, and insignificant as the First Born angrily whipped Alamanda¡¯s last two layers of defense. The entire city¡¯s geological structure was shaking. A large number of tentacles had crossed the wall and spread to the city¡¯s energy shields, almost burying the last light in the city.


    It was an absolutely terrifying, and hellish vision.


    Hao Ren felt his perspective shaking again. Then, the scene of the ¡°transcendence¡± ceremony appeared before him.


    The surviving Tannaeans gathered in the square near the Transcendence Tower and were carried up into the sky by an inexplicable power. The gold tower released a nebula-like electric awn and the Tannaeans¡¯ inherent spiritual power was transcended in resonance. Their spirits were extracted and materialized, then their bodies gradually decomposed into heavenly light spots. At the last moment of of their end days, the Tannaeans finally realized that the spreading tentacles were tracking life signs. They had to completely abandon their own corpses, lest the massacre of the city by the tentacles continued.


    As the last group of people transcended into spiritual bodies, the dome of Alamanda emmitted a splendid glow, which was a lethal radioactive ray. It was the final ¡°life cleansing order¡± set by the Tannaeans. All the regular organisms in the city would rapidly die under the radiation, including the most stubborn single-celled organisms.


    Only by wiping out all sense of life would the First Born¡¯s killing stop.


    From that moment onwards, there was only one creature left on Tannagost¡ªthe overgrown First Born, which had become stronger than ever.


    Hao Ren¡¯s consciousness continued to move forward with the foreign memory. He finally experienced the perspective of the Tannaeans as spiritual creatures. He ¡°noticed¡± that he was gradually rising up into the air, surrounded by countless transluscent spirits. The owner of the memory was looking at the material world and the spiritual world from a new perspective. After adapting to his new ¡°body¡±, he looked into the horizon and saw the surging tentacles as well as the weird, massive creature within.


    A strong sense of panic rose from the memory.


    An enormous shadow of unprecedented horror hovered above the tentacles as a large amount of crazy mental energy quickly spread out from the gaps between the tentacles and grew into a dark tide that enveloped the entire planet. The First Born¡¯s tentacles waved wildly in the dark mud of chaos, as if it was ridiculing the Tannaeans, who thought that they could escape by transforming their life forms.


    No one had ever seen such a thing around the First Born until the Tannaeans turned into spiritual beings. They finally realized that their enemy was far more terrible than expected.


    In the spirit¡¯s vision, the First Born was far more formidable than its physical form suggested.


    ¡°It has an incomparable soul power, even stronger than its tentacles and Red Tide. Unfortunately, we didn¡¯t realize it until we became spiritual entities. This transformation is a one-off, irreversible, and time-critical. We couldn¡¯t even let some people transform first to confirm how it worked. We have suffered a catastrophic disaster.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s consciousness exited the horrific memory. He heard the ¡°collective souls¡± of the Tannaeans speaking to him. ¡°It shattered the ¡®self¡¯ of every Tannaean. It must have been a terrible electromagnetic storm, by which all souls were fused together. Millions of thoughts, memories, and personalities were forcibly fused, becoming¡­¡±


    ¡°Vengeful spirits.¡± Hao Ren finally understood. ¡°The essence of it is, it¡¯s a kind of mix-up.¡±


    ¡°Everything is over now, and only we are left,¡± said the phantom flatly. ¡°We are a memory of falsehood, a copy of the Tannagost Civilization. Perhaps the power of destruction didn¡¯t even think of us as a life form: we are non-material and non-energy creatures, so we¡¯ve survived till this day.¡±


    Hao Ren sighed. ¡°What can I do for you?¡±

 Chapter 498

    Hao Ren knew that the ancient souls did not appear to him just to chinwag. As an inspector, he had the obligation to properly deal with the remnants of the extinct civilization, so he took initiative. ¡°What can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°Stranger, we¡¯re helpless. We can only ask any traveler who happens to pass by for help,¡± said the Tannaean collective souls. ¡°There¡¯s a repository of our civilization in all three shelters, where all our culture, history, technology, and knowledge are stored. Please take them away and bring them to a place where people can understand as well as read them. During our lifetime, us Tannaeans didn¡¯t manage to explore the secrets among the stars. Now, our civilzation has become extinct, and we hope that at the very least, people will know there was once a civilization of Tannaean people, even if only a symbol was left. This is the last wish of the Tannaean people before this collective consciousness loses itself. This memory hopes it can be realized.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen from my workbook that 80 % of extinct civilizations have similar desires before dying. ¡®Preserving one¡¯s own information¡¯ is an instinct of intelligent creatures,¡± Hao Ren said with a sigh. ¡°Okay, tell me the location of the repository, Alamanda¡¯s repository.¡±


    The phantom told him all the details of the Alamanda Repository and expressed gratitude to Hao Ren. However, just before their mental connection was lost, something that had been bothering Hao Ren for suddenly crossed his mind. He knew whom to ask now.


    ¡°I found two strange devices, two keys,¡± Hao Ren tried to describe the two keys he received from Igor and Ogyust. ¡°¡­One is a triangular, another is round. Why do they have a ¡®seven-day curse¡¯ effect? Why can¡¯t people get rid of them after being embroiled? Why do the keys come back in seven days? Why would the person concerned die after leaving the key for more than seven days?¡±


    The collective souls pondered and said, ¡°You must be talking about the ¡®resonance stones¡¯ that we used to control the equipment around us. The triangular one is the ¡®vocal mark¡¯, and the round one is called the ¡®echo stone¡¯. We don¡¯t know how it causes death, but the nature of the inevitable return of the echo stone within seven days is actually normal¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was flabbergasted. ¡°You call that normal? What is it used for?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an anti-theft feature.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    ¡°Newer models of the resonance stone have an identity locking system that will activate the auto-return function if the owner is away at a certain distance for a certain period of time. Entering the device¡¯s serial number and password will cancel this return setting. Of course, it can also be placed in a strong magnetic field, or any other energy field, but its memory will be erased. You won¡¯t need that memory anyway, it¡¯s usually for recording music and photos.


    Again, Hao Ren was at a lost for words.


    The curse that had been agonizing Ogyust for three centuries was a freaking anti-theft system! Hao Ren decided not to tell the poor old man the truth. Having an anal fissure was bad enough, he had better not further aggravate him with this inconvenient truth.


    ¡°Are there any more questions?¡± The soul collective was very patient, but Hao Ren did not really want to say anything for the time being. ¡°No, thank you¡­ I must go back and lick the wounds of my worldview.¡±


    As the chaotic spiritual tide faded, Hao Ren returned to the real world in a daze. He heard that the MDT had found an old, readable memory device¡ªalthough he felt as if he had spent hours in the memories of the Tannaeans, it had actually been seconds in the real world.


    Lily had a very sharp sixth sense. She was the first to feel that something was off with Hao Ren. She twitched her ears and turned her head around. ¡°What happened, Landlord?¡±


    ¡°I met the memory of the Tannaeans.¡± Hao Ren rubbed his forehead, and his mental fatigue quickly subsided. ¡°A fragment of their collective memory¡¯s still floating on this planet, but it¡¯s invisible and intangible. Well, it¡¯s making me dizzy.¡±


    ¡°You saw the memories of other creatures again?¡± Vivian looked at Hao Ren in surprise. ¡°This time it was of the Tannaeans? What did they say?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going back to Alamanda and retrieving something from the city hall.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°But, let¡¯s talk about it later. What have you found?¡±


    ¡°A memory device. It¡¯s 10,000 years old,¡± said Nangong Wuyue as she drew out a pentagon-shaped crystal plate from a device. ¡°The brick said that it¡¯s still readable but it¡¯s badly damaged. We need the equipment onboard the Petrachelys to fix it.¡±


    The MDT made a sharp whistling. ¡°It¡¯s the brick! Don¡¯t follow what the noobie says¡­¡±


    Everyone looked at the flying coaster silently. The latter responded by saying, ¡°¡­What the heck did I just say?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I promised to help retrieve that thing.¡± Hao Ren shook his head and went out. ¡°Think of it as thanking them for their gold even though there isn¡¯t much difference between gold and bricks in this place.¡±


    They then left the ancient observatory. Vivian looked in the direction of Alamanda, the desolate City of Gold, feeling worried. ¡°Vengeful spirits near the city may still be there. Will we be in trouble?¡±


    ¡°The vengeful spirits won¡¯t be bothering us anymore.¡± Hao Ren shook his head. He looked into the sky in the distance. As he focused his eyes, his vision began to change. Lines and colors gradually appeared in the once empty as well as monotonous sky. Magnetic fields, soul fragments, memories, and ripples that were left behind by the vengeful spirits swept across the sky. It was another world that could only be seen from the perspective of the spirits. The ancient memory had brought him something¡ªsomething good he did not expect. The vision of the spirits may come in handy in the future. ¡°I¡¯m now one of them, sort of. The vengeful spirit is able to distinguish between enemy and friend.¡±


    Under the guidance of the ancient memories, Hao Ren led everyone back to Alamanda. He could feel that the vengeful spirits were lingering around him. Even if he did not activate his spiritual vision, he could still feel countless amazing energies watching him from heaven. Those Tannaeans who had lost their consciousness still seemed to retain some semblance of intelligent beings. They circled over the city blindly, staring at the group of strangers who entered the city. Their offensive instincts were suppressed due to some sense of identity.


    There was an almost completely collapsed dome in the city center. It was the city hall of Alamanda. Hao Ren sent out several autonomous robots from his Dimensional Pocket to clean up the metal piles on the ground. They cut open four layers of heavy armor plates and exposed a secret chamber secured by a layer of super-strong alloy.


    A one-and-a-half-meter tall, metal cylinder was taken out. It glittered in a lavender light; this was the repository.


    All the achievements of the entire civilization, and all the information regarding the Tannaeans, including information that they had collected so far from the stone engravings were there. Their writings, art, history, philosophy, and thoughts about the universe as well as themselves were all condensed in the repository. There were countless video materials and drawings, formulas and cognitions of the world left behind by different generations of scientists. The Tannaeans¡¯last words had also been recorded for later generations. The entire civilization was compressed in it.


    Sixty-two centimeters and seventeen kilograms.


    ¡°This is all of it.¡± Hao Ren sighed and placed the cylinder carefully into a metal safe, a standard issue equipment for inspectors. It was used specifically to store special items such as the remnants of a civilization.


    He closed the lid of the safe and typed an annotation on it: ¡°Tannagost Civilization, full information, yet to be coded¡±.


    ¡°I wonder if the information left behind by the humans after their extinction someday will be able to fill this box up,¡± Hao Ren said slyly.


    ¡°Oh, it depends on when the extinction occurs. If humans don¡¯t develop better storage technology, perhaps the volume of information would be very large, filling the entire cabin to the brim. Then, you¡¯ll have to compress it with a translation equipment,¡± replied the MDT. ¡°Stop lamenting. This is the destiny of most civilizations. No matter how brilliant it is, how high its achievements, how many artists, philosophers, leaders, heroes, dictators, politicians it produces¡­ All these things are just a few bytes of information in the end. A lot of things just disappear in the end. For an inspector, whether these civilisations are destroyed by a sudden disaster or a slow whithering, there is no difference. They¡¯re just like patients who die on the hospital bed.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and said, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡±

 Chapter 499

    Regardless of the tragic and terrible disaster that took place here 10,000 years ago, no matter what kind of chaotic power the planet was once shrouded in, it had now become an eternal place of serenity¡ªat least it was the case for the life on this planet.


    After resetting the entire ecosystem, the First Born seemed to have withered after completed its mission. Hao Ren did not know whether this ¡®whithering¡¯ process was a predetermined setting, he needed to find a third planet which was consumed by the First Born in order to determine it. But at least in Tannagost, the First Born had become a wreckage that spread throughout the planet. It fed the third season ecosystem with its body which was filled with nutrition and primitive energy. Its powerful soul energy whithered and vanished with the body. Hao Ren observed the sky with the spiritual vision he had just acquired and found the spiritual residual of the First Born.


    The electromagnetic wave of the vengeful spirit was the only thing floating on this devastated and slowly-recovering planet. The ancient souls who had lost themselves only occasionally remembered the glory of Tannaean Civilization in their flapdoodles. The vengeful spirits would only become frantic when aliens invaded the planet, or they themselves were transmitted through the ancient spatial fissure into the real world. However, as long as no one disturbed them, they were actually incredibly calm.


    ¡°The vengeful spirit is a mixture, an error, and an electromagnetic wave that records a large amount of data. If we could build enough ¡®broadcast¡¯ towers on this planet, it¡¯s possible to re-direct this turbulent energy,¡± Hao Ren led everyone out of the rubble of the city hall. He stood on a mound nearby as he looked at the distant mountains. ¡°Then let¡¯s solve the problem of the vengeful spirit from the root. Do you have any similar devices, MDT?¡±


    ¡°Looks like the basic work has been done very well lately and you start to think on your own.¡± The MDT rarely complimented Hao Ren directly. ¡°There is no directly available equipment, but the R&D host computer of the Petrachelys should be able to design such energy tower. The energy tower requires only a few ultra-high-power filter coils and a suitable computing device. The spacecraft¡¯s synthesis plant and autonomous robots could handle the production and installation jobs.¡±


    Lily wagged her tail and said, ¡°Then will these vengeful spirits be restored back to their original Tannaean selves?¡±


    ¡°No, the Tannaeans have gone extinct. We could only let those vengeful spirits turn into an harmless energy back to the world it belongs.¡± Hao Ren shook his head and then turned and instructed the MDT. ¡°Go and arrange the necessary manufacturing and installation equipment. You are in charge of the onboard plant this time around.¡±


    The MDT took a shot on Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Just like you used to command.¡±


    Hao Ren replied, ¡°¡­Not that I can be serious every time. Couldn¡¯t you jsut let me?¡±


    ¡°I still can¡¯t figure out how the spatial fissure connects to Earth.¡± A thought suddenly crossed Vivian¡¯s mind. ¡°Judging from the technological capability of the Tannaeans, they didn¡¯t have the ability to cross the Wall of Reality.¡±


    ¡°That kind of dimensinal door is originally a short-distance teleporting gatewat used on the surface of the planets. It¡¯s power output is very low,¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°The activity of the First Born might have caused changes to the portals, but anyway, the portals are still under the control of the resonance stone. Anyway, if there¡¯s any unexplained question, we could always attribute it to the First Born.¡±


    Becky took a look at Hao Ren and then Vivian, making sure that they had finished their dicussion before she raised her hand slowly. ¡°Can I say something?¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian spoke in unison, ¡°Yes, please!¡±


    ¡°As the works of tomb-raiding and saving the world have come to an end, is it time to discuss the question of sending me home?¡± Becky rubbed her hands, and her eyes glowed in gold. ¡°Oh¡­ You guys have promised to send me home once a stable door is found! Now are we not in The Plane of Dreams? We don¡¯t have to worry about temporary residence permit which is only valid for half a month anymore! Please quickly think of a way to send me home. There is still a large piece of menor waiting for me to claim.¡±


    Then only Hao Ren realised the issue about Becky. He smacked his forehead and looked at the mercenary girl with a weird expression. ¡°I really didn¡¯t realise that I could send you back so soon. It¡¯s so surreal.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t covet my beauty until you¡¯re not willing to send me back.¡± Becky became nervous and deadpan when she saw Hao Ren¡¯s expression. ¡°You promised to pay for all transportation¡­¡±


    Hao Ren glared at her and said, ¡°Am I a man who doesn¡¯t keep his word? MDT, check how far away Holletta is from here.¡±


    He did not make the decision to send Becky back on a whim. Instead, he realized that all the origins of The First Born¡ªthe secret of the goddess of creation must be revealed quickly, and no doubt that The Disciples of Glory of Holletta must have possessed some clues. Plus he still had to deal with the two sleeping First Borns, he must go and take this opportunity to get everything done once and for all.


    ¡°Well,¡± suddenly the MDT spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s just wait for a moment, the coordinates I set in Holetta was disturbed by the information of the Surface World. It¡¯s not the same as the current state The Plane of Dreams is in now. I need to run some calculations to convert the two¡¯s mapping relationships. Please wait.¡±


    Becky was bouncing off the walls when she thought of her noble manor estate which was already at her fingertips. But anyway, after all the experience of the city of gold, she was more restrained as she only whispered to herself.


    Hao Ren looked at her, from beside her. Looks like Becky would have to re-adapt for a few days more before she could actually go home. Look at her¡ªdoes she even have a bit of bumpkinness in her like she used to be? The way she spoke the earth¡¯s vocabulary¡ªheadline news, paid-for ticket, temporary residence permit¡ªit wasn¡¯t entirely improbable that she would be deemed as someone who was suffered from brain damage after exploring the relics, and sent to mental hospital when she returned to Holletta.


    The MDT had completed the conversion, figuring out the real, relative position between Becky¡¯s hometown and the plane of Tannagost. It flew ove Hao Ren¡¯s head. ¡°Are we teleporting or flying over? We could still catch some sceneries if we fly in spacecraft while finding out other planets along the way. But teleportation will save you time.¡±


    Hao Ren gestured with his mouth telling the MDT to look at Becky who was becoming impatient. ¡°If we go by spacecraft, I¡¯m afraid she would wreck the whole control console.¡±


    ¡°Well, then teleport¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait a second,¡± something suddenly crossed Hao Ren¡¯s mind as he stopped the MDT. ¡°I need to prepare for the future.¡±


    Hao Ren led his clueless partners to the entrance where they had come from, the spatial fissure beneath Andrea Castle. He glanced at the empty square around him and then took out a set of teleportation equipment from his dimensional pocket¡ªthe same type which he used in his own basement. He then summoned several autonomous robots to install the equipment next to the spatial fissure, and set up a simple protective layer around it with a beam barrier so that the entire spatial fissure and teleportation equipment were shrouded in it. No wild life would be able to trespass¡ªif there were any.


    ¡°This is a simple base.¡± Hao Ren clapped his hands in satisfaction. He then scanned the square. ¡°I will renovate the square and turn it into a base next time¡­ at least transforming it into a small station. This is the key entrance to The Plane of Dreams from the real world. It should be built up nicely.¡±


    ¡°Are you addicted with building stuff? You¡¯ve even said you wanted to build an ice town on the snowfield,¡± Vivian said. ¡°It sounds awesome, though. Where is the teleportation equipment? Are we going home?¡±


    ¡®No, it¡¯s still a bit dangerous to use the teleportation equipment to travel directly between the real world and The Plane of Dreams. This teleportation equipment is an escape route in The Plane of Dreams,¡± Hao Ren said of his plan. ¡°I¡¯m going to place the first node in Hollerta. We can expect we will traverse frequently in The Plane of Dreams, leaving a node for each new location will make travel much easier. After all, it¡¯s less efficient and not very comfortable to teleport using the MDT.¡±


    Vivian seemed to have guessed Hao Ren¡¯s long-term plan. She looked at Hao Ren curiously. ¡°You are planning for the future?¡±


    ¡°I have a hunch,¡± Hao Ren smiled. ¡°Just be prepared. We might need it¡­ There may be times when we couldn¡¯t depend on the ad hoc setups. And to be honest, it¡¯s interesting to build houses..¡±


    After leaving behind the teleportation equipment, Hao Ren patted the MDT and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go and surprise Marshal Opra.¡±

 Chapter 500

    The site of Dragonspine Ridge, the remnants of the Blood Lake, or the Great Basin of Beinz¡ªno matter what it was called, these names indicated the tremendous changes after that earth-shattering catastrophe. Now more than two months later, the witnesses who caused these changes had returned. They were expecting to be shocked by the great changes there.


    As the halo of teleportation faded, Hao Ren and the others appeared on the mountains of Dragonspine Ridge. The MDT had recorded the coordinates from when they last left the Plane of Dreams, so they were sent directly back to the same spot. Nangong Sanba felt a little dizzy after the teleportation, but soon after, he looked at the surrounding mountains curiously. ¡°Oh, this is a good place. You explored this place the last time?¡±


    Surprised, Hao Ren glanced at the half-baked demon hunter. ¡°Yeah, you recovered pretty quickly, eh! Didn¡¯t you feel a bit dizzy from the long-distance teleportation?¡±


    Nangong Sanba smiled proudly. ¡°I¡¯ve been trained since young.¡±


    Hao Ren thought Nangong Sanba meant that he had been practicing the teleportation skills of a demon hunter from an early age. But Nangong Sanba glanced at Nangong Wuyue and said, ¡°My sister liked to swing me around with her tail when I was a child, like a fan spinning at the highest speed¡­¡±


    Nangong Wuyue¡¯s face darkened like the underside of a wok. ¡°Brother, you must miss the ¡®Big Windmill¡¯?¡±


    At this time, Lily suddenly shouted not too far away, ¡°Wow! Look at that, Landlord!¡±


    Hao Ren quickly ran over to check it out and his jaw dropped to the ground.


    There was a massive pit in front of him. The entire land that used to be surrounded by Dragonspine Ridge had become a bottomless crater. The region where Beinz Blood Lake and the Gnarled Grove used to be had disappeared. They could not recognize any traces of the previous landscape from the crater. On the steep cliffs surrounding the crater, there were cracks in the rocks, which were still spewing with hot air. There were large black crystals hanging from the mountain on the west side of Dragonspine Ridge. They formed out of a kind of glass substance, which had melted, then solidified. And in the lower part of the huge crater, in the smoky haze, there was a large, overgrown piece of light-blue crystal, which seemed like a newly-formed crystal jungle.


    The entire Beinz region had become a super giant basin. The former sacred lake and the Gnarled Grove had all disappeared. It was now covered with sprawling crystal jungles as well as volcanic glass, and dotted with steam vents and geothermal springs. There had been a geological change.


    ¡°The First Born¡¯s activity had hollowed out the rock formations in the Beinz area. The Petrachelys¡¯ cannon had blow the land into a crater,¡± the MDT so analysed how the landscape formed. ¡°The crystal jungle below must be the by-product of psionic shelling. Psionic energy hit directly at the source that could fundamentally change the structure of matter and even laws within a certain range. Those crystals don¡¯t naturally occur in the universe. They are normal rocks that have been metamorphosed.


    ¡°Is it psionic crystal?¡± Hao Ren asked, worriedly. ¡°If it is, then it¡¯s highly radiative.¡±


    ¡°Relax, unless it¡¯s a specialized radiative weapon, ordinary psionic artillery has no radiative residues, and radiation in the vicinity of the point of bombardment will fall to a safe level within a fraction of a second after the bombardment,¡± replied the MDT as it observed the crystal jungle below. ¡°After all, it is a hassle to clean up the battlefield. The apostle of Xi Ling disciples don¡¯t do thing sloppily.¡±


    ¡°It seems something is moving underneath,¡± Lily had sharp vision. She had spotted some shadows and a few man-made objects. ¡°There are houses too?¡±


    ¡°Someone must be mining the crystal,¡± the MDT had already discovered the movements below earlier, but it thought it was no big deal. ¡°There was not much radiation. Let them be. The locals might have found some uses for the crystals. Though this sort of thing isn¡¯t that common, it does happen. Psionic energy could react with conventional materials, and change them into a variety of bizarre products. Depending on the laws of each world and the specific properties of the materials, occasionally it would produce some weird and strange things. So every time the Emperial army finished a war, there will be a bunch of insterstellar porivateers sending in their mining ships to mine in the battlefield, sometimes fight will break out just to secure some pits. Fortunately, since the establishment of the provisions for the past two years, the situation has become better.¡±


    Hao Ren listened in surprise, thinking that it must be the fight between the immortals. Nangong Sanba was clueless as a dimb bulb. He was tagging along but had not a clue what Hao Ren and his company was doing. He wanted to find someone and ask, but before he could do so Nangong Wuyue had pulled him away and said, ¡°Brother, wait until we go home and ask. Now you just tag along.¡±


    ¡°This place has completely changed¡­ it¡¯s not even known if the knights of the Kingdom are still around,¡± said Hao Ren, who had only realised after the terrifying events in the Beinz region that day, Holletta might have undergone tremendous changes, the Church¡¯s and Kingdom¡¯s Knights might have experienced great changes. ¡°Where do we even find Marshal Opra?¡±


    Just when Becky wanted to give a suggestion, suddenly footsteps were heard from a direction. ¡°Wait a second, someone is coming.¡±


    The MDT suddenly hid into Hao Ren¡¯s pocket while Lil Pea jumped inside Hao Ren¡¯s collar. As it turned out, the figure emerged from the mountain road was not a stranger, but an acquintance, the elderly werewolf who had sought alongside them for some time. It was Marhsal Opra¡¯s general, Elson Ebben.


    The elderly werewolf apparently was not passing by by coincidence. He had spotted Hao Ren and his men from afar. He smiled and said to them, ¡°You guys had really come back, a bunch of strange fellows from the alien country.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know we have another nickname,¡± Hao Ren was in good mood as he met his acquaintance in surprise. He greeted the elderly werewolf back with a smile. ¡°Are you wait for us here?¡±


    Apparently, Elson was waiting for them. But he was still surprised when he saw Hao Ren and the others. He looked curiously at them who had reappeared just as sudden as they disappeared that day. He was very curious at them who had performed a lot of incredible things, but he managed to hold back his questions as he replied Hao Ren¡¯s question ¡°Opra has instructed it. She has expected your reappearance in this place. And to prevent the unnecessary troubles, we have specifically cleared out the vicinity of the main peak of Dragonspine Ridge where the Knights of the Kingdom are stationed. We are expecting you.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue suddenly chimed in. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a waste of manpower for a general to wait here?¡±


    ¡°The Beinz Basin is now the focus of the continent. Both the kingdom and the western tribe are drooling for this place. So it¡¯s necessary to have a general stationed here,¡± Elson shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m conveniently waiting for you guys here. As you know, werewolf has very good senses, we can spot things in the first instant anything appeared in the mountain.¡±


    Lily immediately nodded happily as she heard this, and was proud of her werewolf bloodline. Speaking of the girl, her identity switched seamlessly between husky and werewolf. When she needed to be fashionable, she would say she was a werewolf. When she was hungry, she would identify herself as a husky. She has been doing it so perfectly, and conveniently.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if our ¡®identities¡¯ are okay here,¡± Hao Ren asked with a smile. ¡°Let me just be honest with you, we¡¯re here for a mission and we have to go around a lot. But we don¡¯t want to get into trouble.¡±


    Elson nodded. ¡°Everyone has seen what you all have done in Dragonspine Ridge¡­ Well, Opra and I had witnessed it for a while. With the guarantees of the four masters, I know you wouldn¡¯t have any problems. Before leaving, Opra had instructed that if you come back, I will arrange for you to go to the king¡¯s capital to see her. She has an arrangement. But then again¡­ Why didn¡¯t the four masters join you?¡±


    ¡°They are kind of busy catching wild rabbits,¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°We¡¯re here just to show our face, as we had just helped transcend a race in another place.¡±


    Elson could make of what he said, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Ahem, thst¡¯s just jargons of my profession, forget about it what it means,¡± Hao Ren quickly explained it away as he felt Vivian pinched his back. ¡°Well, if there¡¯s no problem¡­then first take us to the hotel, we shall chat as we walk.¡±

 Chapter 501

    Countless people had witnessed the catastrophe in the Beinz area. News of the end-of-days scene and the violent First Born had spread uncontrollably throughout the world. But the truth behind the event, ??including how everything was turned back to normal, was only known to a small number of people. Only those few, who were present knew the complete story.


    Among them were Marshal Ophra and Elson.


    In the present, the Kingdom of Holletta had successfully blocked out information that was not suitable for public consumption. They carefully crafted parts, which could be disseminated, and sold by the national propaganda machine to the general public, who were eager to know facts. Admittedly this practice was for the benefit of the vast majority of people: the royals needed stability, the Church needed a faithful congregation, and everything would be business-as-usual as long as someone told the people that tomorrow was going to be just another day. Everyone just needed to know what they were supposed to know and the world would continue to be safe. The catastrophic truth would be dealt with by someone who had enough courage, such as a hero or a team of protagonists, or a twenty-five-person exploratory team¡­ Well, pretty much someone like that.


    Elson led Hao Ren and his entourage as they hustled across the rugged mountain path of Dragonspine Ridge to the nearest knight¡¯s garrison. While walking, he told them all the intel he knew. ¡°The incident in the Beinz Diocese was a demonic invasion. Some ancient devil had incited the infidels to invade the most sacred place in the world and contaminate the Gnarled Grove, turning the life forms into monsters. But the devout Bishop Gelton and a group of enlightened missionaries received a revelation from the goddess, and innocent people were evacuated in a timely manner. The power of the goddess then descended in person to end the evil and its ugly servants. Bishop Gelton and all those who died in the incident were declared as saints or heroes of martyrdom. They fought bravely under the goddess¡¯ command and died. That¡¯s what happened.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the official version,¡± Vivian said. ¡°Pretty much the same as what they did on Earth back then¡­¡±


    ¡°The people need a ¡®truth¡¯ that allows them to sleep soundly. Trust me, they¡¯ll like this version of the story better than the real one.¡± The werewolf grinned hoarsely. ¡°The king and the archbishop all know what really happened on that day. They¡¯ve been discussing about the First Born the entire time in the Royal City. There are mountains of complaints every day in the magical messages sent from Ophra.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. It¡¯s the politician¡¯s job to deal with it.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°But, how did you explain the crater? And the crystal jungle below it? A pit several kilometers wide is definitely not a natural phenomenon.¡±


    Elson nodded. ¡°Of course it¡¯s not a natural phenomenon. It¡¯s a miracle. The goddess complimented the brave warriors who died on that day and gave her power to reward the mortals. She used her power to create a crystal jungle in a single breath. The crystals in the jungle are a whole new kind of magic ore. However, the magisters aren¡¯t quite sure if those ores are useful. But they do know the ore contains a lot of magical properties, so the Church¡¯s arguments are tenable. Now, the Takata School and the Academic School have sent out their best mages, and the kingdom as well as the Church have built large laboratories at the bottom of the crater to study the crystals and their uses. They¡¯re going to find out and they better find out.¡±


    ¡°Looks like next time I can¡¯t simply shoot in your planet. You¡¯ve attributed everything to the goddess.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s expression was subtle. ¡°They really are propaganda specialists. They can come out with narratives without even thinking. How do they explain the sacred lake not being sheltered but bombarded by the goddess herself? Hmm, needless to say, I know the explanation must have something to do with miracles.¡±


    Elson smiled in silence and pointed to the camp not far away. ¡°This is the nearest knight¡¯s garrison to the main peak. In order to be able to sense you and meet you in the first instance, my troops and I have been staying here. Don¡¯t talk to the ordinary soldiers when you go in. They don¡¯t know about you.¡±


    ¡°Has Ophra gone back a long time ago? What¡¯s Holletta¡¯s situation now? Are the Royal Knights and Church Knights guarding it here?¡± Lily asked next to him. Before her voice trailed off, Becky, Ophra¡¯s brain-dead fan, who would not hesitate to change her sexual orientation if Ophra ordered so, came up.


    The elderly werewolf was very cautious as he spoke, ¡°First thing¡¯s first, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to tell you, but things are sensitive. Only Ophra can decide how much trust we can place in you. As for Ophra, upon returning to the Royal Capital, she and the surviving archbishops want to go and tell the king as well as the pope about what happened here. Two knights have been guarding Dragonspine Ridge since that day. Now it¡¯s not only a sacred land, but also a forbidden, dangerous area. There are some wandering rock monsters that occasionally appear on the mountain roads. We have to clean them up from time to time. The pope and the king have jointly issued an order prohibiting mercenaries as well as adventurers from entering the mountains. It¡¯s to protect the mountains¡¯ secrets, and¡­¡±


    Vivian chimed in, ¡°¡­and the crystal jungle, right? I know. That may have become a strategic resource.¡±


    Hao Ren was a little speechless when he heard this. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just glass residue? If you will, I can help: find me a land so I can bombard it from the sky using 4/4-beat pattern and create and eight million square kilometres of mines¡­¡±


    Before Hao Ren¡¯s voice trailed off, the MDT whispered in his mind. ¡°Then you¡¯re not far from under the fire squad¡ª creating a crystal jungle with just one shot is more by accident than design. It¡¯s not that every time you can trigger a chain reaction and not hurt the geology.¡±


    Hao Ren complained in his mind. ¡°Yeah, I know the rules. I was just talking nonsense. Is it really necessary to be so serious with me?¡±


    ¡°Then why the heck you take a PDA so seriously?¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    Hao Ren felt that arguing with his tablet computer all day was the greatest sadness in life, and the saddest thing was that he could not win the argument¡­


    Apparently the elderly werewolf Elson did not take Hao Ren¡¯s words seriously. He just smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s better not to repeat what happened that day. I am old and I won¡¯t be able to take it.¡±


    ¡°That depends on how easy the two First Borns could be dealt with,¡± said Hao Ren. ¡°Have the other two First Borns been found?¡±


    ¡°The entrance to the sanctum has already been found. The King is setting up a team to search for a way to securely open the inner door of the sanctum. However, there is not much progress at the moment,¡± Elson nodded. ¡°Ask Ophra for yourself when you meet her. I really can¡¯t disclose too much.¡±


    Elson was obviously worried when he mentioned the ¡®First Born¡¯. Obviously, it was the kind of enemy as powerful a natural disaster which he was unwilling to face even though he had countless battle experience in the battlefield. And he also knew that even if this group of ¡®aliens¡¯ was willing to help, the price to pay would be too high: the complete destruction of Beinz Diocese was an example.


    Seeing the gloomy expression on the elderly werewolf¡¯s face, Hao Ren kept silent.


    He dared not tell him that the maturing First Born was even more terrible than what he saw that day: the tentacles in Beinz Diocese had been in a long slumber and was not completely awake judging from its physical size. Before it could reveal its soul hidden in the material world, it was already exterminated. On Planet Tannagost, there was only a full-grown First Born who had devoured the entire ecosystem, occupying the entire Planet Tannagost and its spiritual power had even enveloped the entire globe. If the sleeping First Born in the crust beneath Holletta was also such a monster, aside from asking Raven 12345¡¯s help, Hao Ren would have no other way to save the life on this planet.


    Elson took them to a resting place and told the subsequent plan. ¡°I¡¯ll send Ophra a message via magic messaging informing her about your arrival. How are you going to meet her? By way of dimensional magic¡­ or should I arrange a carriage for you guys? It¡¯s better not to use the military¡¯s teleportation. You have to keep your head low before meeting Ophra.¡±


    When Becky heard the ¡®dimensional magic¡¯, she immediately jumped to her feet. ¡°Please don¡¯t! Landlord¡¯s a rookie driver!¡±


    Hao Ren was annoyed. ¡°Is it necessary to nag all the times? How many times have you been teleported while on Earth?¡±


    Becky stuck out her tongue and said, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s hard not to nag when I¡¯m here in my hometown. I just want to relive the good old day feeling.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a high-precision map with altitude and precise scale?¡± Hao Ren pulled out his MDT from his pocket. ¡°We can use the map to roughly calculate the coordinates for stealthy teleportation mode. Find a quieter place where we could approuch Ophra as we have some confidential matters to discuss.¡±

 Chapter 502

    They got an accurate map from Elson, and agreed to a meeting with Marshal Ophra in the wilderness outside the capital of Holletta. Hao Ren decided to use a stealthy teleportation mode to avoid as many knights as possible at the blockade near Dragonspine Ridge. After all, they had descended from the sky and appeared in Dragonspine Ridge, which was now a military restricted area.


    But when everyone ended up hanging from a tree, Hao Ren began to realize that he needed to be more cautious when using the stealthy mode. The MDT¡¯s operating manual said, ¡°Use only if you do not know the exact coordinates of the destination, but find it necessary to go there quickly.¡± This mode helped users avoid physical barriers to prevent them from being sent into a wall or tree, but it did not prevent them from being sent up into the air, and hung on a tree.


    Hao Ren murmured as he dangled from the tree, ¡°I think we may as well have had Elson arrange a carriage. We¡¯re not in a hurry anyway¡­¡±


    Also dangling beside him, Lily excitedly said, ¡°This is fun!¡±


    ¡°Wait until the next time you¡¯re sent into a puddle,¡± Vivian¡¯s voice was heard behind them, followed by the flapping of wings. The vampire had transformed into a bat and gotten down from the tree. ¡°Stop dangling up there. Come down and see where we are now. I¡¯ve suddenly lost my trust in the stealthy teleportation.¡±


    They shook themselves hard. As the branches squeaked and snapped, they dropped like flies¡ªliterally. When Nangong Sanba got to his feet, he bragged, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯ve been trained for this since I was young. My sister¡¯s tail can swing higher than this tree. Luckily, it was just a tree we were hanging from this time. Just be careful¡ª¡±


    Hao Ren turned to look at him. ¡°¡­be careful of your sister.¡±


    Nangong Sanba eyeballed him. ¡°I was talking nicely to you. Why did you have to say that?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue bounced up from behind and knocked Nangong Sanba on the head. ¡°Oh, so you¡¯ve been holding a grudge against me all this while for throwing you around with my tail!¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the half-baked demon hunter, who was hugging his head and bending over on the ground. ¡°I told you so. Be careful of your sister,¡± Hao Ren said.


    Lily climbed up a large rock nearby and discovered that they were surrounded by a desolate wilderness. The tree they were hanging on earlier was one of several tall plants within a radiusof several kilometers¡ªwhat luck! On the east, the silhouette of a city could be seen. It had to be the Royal City, where Ophra was waiting for them.


    ¡°The Royal City of Holletta¡­ I heard that it¡¯s very prosperous, but I¡¯ve never had a chance to visit,¡± said Hao Ren as he looked at the silhouette of the city at the end of the horizon. There were a lot of attractions on this planet, but every time he came, if he was not fighting with a rock monsters or trees, he would be bothered by a bunch of scary, creepy and ancient stories. He would not have many chances to visit the famous places. ¡°Isn¡¯t Ophra supposed to be waiting nearby? Elson¡¯s message should have been delivered¡­ Are we early?¡±


    Before Hao Ren¡¯s voice trailed off, a crisp voice was heard behind him. ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve been waiting here for a while. I just saw a bunch of people falling from the tree. I couldn¡¯t imagine those people were actually the heroes who came to save the world.¡±


    Hao Ren turned around and saw Ophra standing there. The valiant and beautiful marshal was still wearing the same outfit, except her standard steel body armor had been switched to soft body armor. She smiled and looked at the foreigners in front of her. She looked surprised as well as amazed. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to appear in such a bizarre way every time. I¡¯m surprised to see you again so soon.¡±


    Hao Ren rubbed his nose and said, ¡°It¡¯s not like I hang on trees every time¡­¡±


    ¡°Follow me. I¡¯ve prepared a carriage. It¡¯s quite a distance from here to the Royal City.¡± said Ophra, raising her hand and pointing into the distance. Hao Ren saw a simple but large carriage by the roadside, enough to carry all of them.


    Everyone rode in the carriage as they made their way to the Royal City. Becky was like a kid in a candy store, tossing and turning on the seat. Ophra looked at her and was puzzled. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± she asked Hao Ren.


    Hao Ren shrugged and replied. ¡°She¡¯s too excited to be in the same car with her idol.¡±


    Becky leered at Ophra, looking like she was about to pounce on her. ¡°Ophra! I¡¯m your brain-dead fan!¡±


    Ophra was shocked. ¡°Brain damage?! Did you hurt your head while you were exploring the other world? I have doctors here¡­¡±


    Hao Ren almost choked. He patted Becky on the shoulder and said, ¡°That¡¯s why I said you needed a few days to readapt to your home town. Look at you, what habits have you learned on Earth? Put your feet down, this isn¡¯t a sofa!¡±


    Ophra curiously looked at Nangong Sanba, who was sitting in the corner of the carriage, looking at the scenery outside. ¡°Is this a member of your team as well?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s Nangong Sanba, a rookie in the team.¡± Hao Ren just treated Nangong Sanba as a new teammate. After all, it seemed that he would like to join his sister in the same department. ¡°He¡¯s still not familiar with this world. Hope you don¡¯t mind if he says something wrong.¡±


    Ophra looked even more curiously at them, which caused goosebumps all over Hao Ren¡¯s skin. ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m just wondering how you guys live your lives. Foreigners who travel through time and space at will must be shouldering special missions. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve seen a lot of things. I can¡¯t imagine that kind of life¡­ but I was a little envious of this mercenary and the four masters. It must have been an incredible adventure. Will the four masters not come back any time soon?¡±


    ¡°They will come back later.¡± Hao Ren smiled. ¡°We¡¯ve found a stable connection that can send the four masters back to this world for good. In fact, the main purpose of our visit here is to send Becky back home.¡±


    Ophra nodded thoughtfully before she bluntly said, ¡°However, before that, I hope you can meet with the pope and the king, not just to present yourselves, but as guests. As you know what¡¯s happening in this world, only you have the ability to solve it. The king and the pope have learned about the happenings in Dragonspine Ridge. They¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time.¡±


    Hao Ren gladly agreed. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve been wanting to find someone who was in charge here to tell me the situation. I was thinking of looking for you, but since I now have the opportunity to meet your king and pope, it¡¯s all the better.¡±


    Something suddenly crossed Becky¡¯s mind. She stood up and said, ¡°Wait a minute! His Majesty? Then, conferment and rewards can be directly performed too, right? His Majesty would personally do it, right?¡±


    Ophra was perplexed. ¡°What conferment? What reward?¡±


    Becky¡¯s eyes were all dollar signs. ¡°The bounty! The bounty of the Orb of the Holy Synod! The manor, title! And box of gold and silver jewelry! That¡¯s what I came for when I first started from the steppe!¡±


    Ophra was even more confused. Engrossed in the topic of her people¡¯s life and death, money matters were the last thing on her mind. Hao Ren could not help but shrug helplessly. ¡°Don¡¯t be surprised. That¡¯s just who she is. Just give her the bounty. The girl is too obsessed.¡±


    Ophra expression said it all. She was dumbfounded !


    Ophra¡¯s reaction was not a surprise. Unlike Becky, not many world-saving heroes from the past till present would ask for a reward. Especially those super-humans who could travel through space and time, Ophra had naturally thought that they were unfettered by materialism. If superman were to send the Pentagon a bill for saving the United State of America, those people would have the same reaction.


    At this moment, the carriage had finally entered the first entrance of the capital of Holletta. The carriage of the Marshal was not subject to the usual checks and passed through without a fuss. Ophra took the opportunity to remind Hao Ren. ¡°The truth about the Dragonspine Ridge event is a secret. People know only the narrative of the church. So I hope you would keep your identity to yourself. Reward will be given to those who deserves it. However, I¡¯m afraid the royalty would not publish the true story behind the reward. I hope you understand.¡±


    Hao Ren was careless and waved his hand. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay. We don¡¯t live here anyway. Just give all to Becky.¡±


    Becky was like a dog with two tails.


    ¡°There¡¯s another reason you need to hide your identity,¡± said Ophra, with a slightly embarrassment on her face. She lifted the window curtain of the carriage and pointed to the outside. ¡°In official propaganda¡­¡±


    Hao Ren turned and looked out of the window. He froze.


    Ophra was heard saying, ¡°¡­you all have died a heroic mercenaries¡­but rest assured that your gravestones and hero statues are all in the front row.¡±


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­..¡±

 Chapter 503

    A group of urban sculptures had recently been erected in the church square of the Royal City¡¯s outer district. The sculptures were of the heroes, who had died in the battle of Dragonspine Ridge two months ago.


    In order to calm the people and strengthen their cohesive belief in the goddess, the Disciples of Glory had painted the events in Dragonspine Ridge as a miracle. In order to give this miracle a stronger appeal, the priests and soldiers who had died or disappeared in the one-day ¡°Holy War¡± were proclaimed as martyrs. Of course, they included Bishop Gelton who sacrificed himself to divine power, and also a group of northern mercenaries who shone in the war. Hao Ren and his team were very active in the evacuation operation. Lily especially got a lot of attention when she appeared in her giant form. Those who escaped the ??Beinz area had a very deep impression of these ¡°mercenaries¡±. So, the upper echolens of the Church met and discussed with Ophra, deciding to declare the martyrdom in the end.


    That was how the group of sculptures came about. Hao Ren looked out from the window of the carriage and saw the sculptures standing on the square outside. There was a scupture of him and Gelton battling the tentacles¡­


    However, those who designed the sculptures seemed to have also taken into consideration the specificities of Hao Ren and his group. Except for the sculptures of Gelton and several others bishops that appeared lifelike, the sculptures of Hao Ren and his group members were intentionally changed to look more handsome and unlike their actual selves.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you first obtain our consent before carving sculptures?¡± Hao Ren looked at Ophra with a forced smile. ¡°Aside from the sculptures, why the martyrdom?¡±


    ¡°It was my suggestion,¡± said Ophra, smiling as she explained. ¡°Are you prepared to lose your privacy as a hero?¡±


    Hao Ren managed a, ¡°Mhmm¡­¡±


    ¡°Anyone who comes out from the Holy War alive will inevitably become the focal point. The image of you killing your way out and leading the refugees in their escape is well-known. If official narrative says that you are still alive, do you know how many people will come to see you?¡± said Ophra, shaking her head with a smile. ¡°Since you ascended to heaven that day, how could the Church find someone to stand in for you? So, the only proper option was to declare you guys martyrs.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue stuck her tongue out and said, ¡°That sounds reasonable, but still weird.¡±


    Hao Ren waved his hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m okay with that. To be honest, this isn¡¯t the first time; the Aerymian elves even got me a sculture that looked like a bull¡¯s eye. At least you guys left me with a better posture¡­¡±


    Although it was a bit weird to hear himself declared dead, Hao Ren was impressed by Ophra¡¯s explanation. The last thing he wanted was to attract too much attention to himself while on a mission there. But Becky looked a bit frustrated: she was realistic. Her greatest goals in life were to get rich and get famous. Now, the Church had proclaimed her as a martyr. She was famous, but the problem was, she was also ¡°dead¡±. She could not show off anymore; there was no point of being famous when she could not even enjoy the fame. Hence, Becky talked to Ophra very nicely, ¡°Marshal Ophra, I would very much appreciate it if you could let the pope change the narrative by saying that the legendary mercenary, Becky fought her way out and came back alive; she isn¡¯t dead.¡±


    Ophra looked at Becky, feeling puzzled. ¡°What¡¯s the point?¡±


    Becky smacked her thigh and said, ¡°Do you know how cool it is to to brag in person?¡±


    Hao Ren pushed Becky and asked, ¡°Why did you smack my thigh?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I smacked the wrong one, you¡¯re sitting too close.¡±


    Ophra looked at the weird saviors of the world, stone-faced. She had been alive for hundreds of years, and she had seen all sorts of great characters. The relics of heroes, tyrants, and good soldiers could occupy an entire wall in her loot room, but she had never seen a style like this. She was astonished for a moment, but began to smile after that. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll discuss with the pope and the king. You guys are really interesting.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother. She¡¯s a bit crazy. She¡¯ll be okay after a while,¡± said Hao Ren hurriedly. ¡°You already have so many things on your plate¡­¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± replied Ophra, smiling at Becky. Ophra¡¯s expression seemed to have taken a sudden change; she had changed from being straight-faced to being approachable. ¡°Really, you guys really are interesting. I remember when I was an adventurer myself, hundreds of years ago. I was exactly like this girl. Hah, so many years putting on a deadpan face, I almost forgot all the bad habits mercenaries and adventurers had. Now it¡¯s all coming back.¡±


    The carriage jolted suddenly. Hao Ren noticed that the noise from the streets outside was far behind them as they had come to a more secluded place. After a while, the driver in front gently knocked on the partition and said, ¡°Marshal, we¡¯ve arrived.¡±


    They alighted and found that the carriage had stopped in front of a large villa. The surrounding area was very quiet, and luxury houses could be seen everywhere. Fabric banners embroidered with family emblems were hung on the side walls of the houses. Obviously, these houses belonged to some prominent familes. There was no doubt that this was an elite district. Those family emblems on the outer walls with huge silk banners indicated that they were of Royal Family lineage or elites of more than six generations entitled to such privilges.


    These elites had their own manor estates and castle in various parts of the country. Their families lived basically outside the royal city. However, there were regulations in the Holletta royal family that required the head of the nobility and their heirs to live in the royal city for a certain period of time each year. These elite areas looked luxurious and very close to the palace. On the surface, it was an honour; in reality, it was a kind of monitoring and deterrence. Several large-scale rebellions and repressions since Holleta¡¯s founding had contributed to the establishment and consolidation of this system.


    The only exception was Ophra; no aristocrat was more senior and prestigious than her. Her status in Holleta had even surpassed the notion of nobility. She was almost a symbol. The royalty did not need to monitor a veteran who had almost single-handedly created the current empire. In fact, there was no way to monitor her: from the Pope to the King and down to the Crown Prince and officers, no one had not been caned by her as a child.


    The only reason Ophra lived in this place was that it was closer to the palace and it was more convenient to go to work.


    Of course Hao Ren had not a clue about all these things, he just thought that the houses in this place were all stylish; much better than his house.


    Servants came out to meet Ophra. She nodded to one of the middle-aged, butler-looked men. ¡°They are my guests. Prepare the best rooms for them to rest. And arrange Bossem to send words to the red-robe Cardinal John: guests of the foreign land have come. Ask them to prepare the dinner.¡±


    Hao Ren followed Ophra into the marshal¡¯s official residence. This extravagant building was typical upper-class Holletta style, with an open vestibule garden and a stone slab path extending from the main building to the gate. The path was roofed and meticulously-maintained flower beds were on both sides. However, what planted in the flower beds was simple; it was a light purple flower.


    ¡°I heard that Marshal Ophra loved purple brassica flower,¡± Becky had never thought that she would actually walk in the hallway of Ophra¡¯s mansion one day, and every step she took was accompanied by a pilgrimage look on her face. While walking, she murmured, ¡°So it¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°Purple brassica flower is the best flower in the world.¡± Ophra laughed. ¡°It¡¯s cold-resistant, drought-tolerant, and not afraid of wind and rain. Unless they are cut off, they will bloom for full 30 days a year, as punctual as a clock. More importantly, this species of flower is only edible, but also a painkiller and anti-inflammatory. It was like a flower of luck to mercenaries and adventurers of hundreds of years ago. This thing grows in the wilderness and near the ruins. It had saved don¡¯t-know-how-many lives.¡±


    As the servants stepped forward to open the door, Ophra led everyone into the hall on the first floor of the villa. ¡°Please make yourselves at home. I¡¯ll let my mento prepare a refreshment, but don¡¯t eat too much; it¡¯s not that you can dine with the king and the Pope everyday.¡±


    Hao Ren looked curiously at the grand but not luxurious furnishings in the hall. Suddenly a row of portraits came into view on the wall not far away. ¡°Who are they?¡±


    ¡°Various kings Holletta,¡± said Ophra as she gestured with her mouth. ¡°Beginning from the time of King Geddon III right up to the father of the current king.¡±


    When Ophra mentioned King Geddon III, Becky realized that she finally had the opportunity to solve a mystery that had been circulating in the gossiping circle of mercenary¡ªthe truth of the story that was told by innumerable playwrights and single maids was standing right in front of her!


    Becky eyeballed with glow in her eyes. ¡°Marshal Ophra! How did you meet Prince Geddon? Why did you promise to help him guard the kingdom for more than four hundred years?¡±


    Ophra was silent for a moment and her face suddenly softened up. ¡°Because the pay in Holletta was high¡­¡±

 Chapter 504

    As Marshal Ophra¡¯s voice trailed off, everyone in the hall was dumbstruck. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Becky¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground: she was in the midst of reconstructing her perception and temporarily refused to believe in reality. It was not until Lily patted the mercenary on the back with her tail that Becky jumped to her feet and said, ¡°That¡¯s it?! You¡¯re¡­ Oh yeah, I know. It¡¯s definitely a secret. You don¡¯t want to talk about it¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± said Ophra, nodding with a smile. ¡°I know what¡¯s going on outside. For hundreds of years, I heard many versions of the story. I minded at first, but now, I could not care less about the bards. In the beginning, what happened between Geddon and I was really simple. When I was an adventurer in the Lawless District, I could barely make ends meet. Then I met Geddon by accident. He couldn¡¯t fight, but he had sharp eyes. He could see that I could fight. So he said to me, ¡®you help me to fight, I would give you my men, plus 20 gold Denars. I thought for a while and said, ¡®That¡¯s a good deal.¡¯ Then I became his commander, but at the time I didn¡¯t know he had more than two-hundred-thousand men. If I had known it earlier I¡¯d have asked him for more.¡±


    Covering his face with his hand, Hao Ren refrained from commenting. He now figured in his heart why Ophra said she had recalled her time as an adventurer when she saw Becky. Meanwhile, Becky was still trying to wrap her brains around what she had heard. She said after a short while, ¡°Then the four hundred years of commitment¡­¡±


    ¡°I told Geddon III that I would stay here as long as I had a stable pay,¡± said Ophra, smiling. ¡°Of course this was the case in the very beginning. Later, when the country had become stable and I became its marshal, staying in the country had become a responsibility and¡­ feelings.¡±


    Ophra glanced at Becky. ¡°But at the very beginning, I did so because of money.¡±


    Putting her head in her hands, Becky said, ¡°I need sometime to make sense of all these.¡±


    Ophra felt the reaction of the mercenary was very interesting. After smiling for a moment, she suddenly asked, ¡°Becky, you are already a hero, you know? The church spares no effort to promote the legendary mercenary who had died a martyr in Beinz.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know,¡± said Becky, raising her head and wondering why Ophra mentioned this suddenly. ¡°It just feels surreal.¡±


    Ophra pointed to Hao Ren and asked Becky, ¡°Why did you follow the foreigners to Dragonspine Ridge?¡±


    ¡°For reward,¡± Becky said matter-of-coursely. ¡°I¡¯d be rich if I found the orb!¡±


    Ophra shrugged. ¡°In the future, your admirers and bards will make up stories that you don¡¯t even believe in. They will glorify you that you were inspired by the Goddess, for love and honor, and guided by prophet, to kill the devil, to embark on a journey to save the world; but the real reason you set foot on that journey was simply because the Church was paying high rewards. So don¡¯t believe what the bards say and what they do is just to get attention. The first battle of most heroes to saving the world is often just to for money.¡±


    Betsy nodded thoughtfully. Ophra looked at the girl with a forced smile. ¡°Of course, this is the first time I¡¯ve ever seen a hero still thinking of money after saving the world. Your purpose is simple enough.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue grunted. ¡°What more could you expect from her?¡±


    They had light refreshment in Ophra¡¯s house. The banquet of the Royal Palace would not begin until the evening, so they were getting some shut-eye in their respective rooms. At sunset, a royal knight dressed in gorgeous armor came to the marshal¡¯s residence. Ophra called everyone out.


    ¡°Mhoren, the king of Holletta, has prepared a banquet in the royal palace to welcome you all and the pope will also be present¡ªboth of them are making a rare appearance in public.¡± On the way to the palace, Ophra briefed them about the meeting. ¡°This is a secret meeting. The banquet will be very moderate because it is essentially a meeting. You can raise any questions. I have already reported what had happened in Dragonspine Ridge to them¡­well, of course all that I knew. In the two months that you had left, the Pope and his Majesty had had several intense discussions. Eventually they decided to give up their stubborn stance. They will give you all the information concerning the Disciples of Glory and the legend of the Goddess. But there is a one condition: you must not shake the foundation of the kingdom and leak these information to the public.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason for us to do that,¡± Vivian nodded. ¡°As an out-of-this-world visitors, we pose no harm for you, because all the worldly interests of your world have nothing to do with us; we¡¯re only interested in The First Born.¡±


    ¡°It was exactly why they decided to give in,¡± said Ophra, sighing. ¡°That two guys are like old souls trapped in young bodies. I¡¯ve been persuading them for half a month.¡±


    Hao Ren could not help but roll his eyes on Ophra¡¯s play-old tone of voice. Then he looked at Vivian who was beside him, thinking there was no one who was more qualified than Vivian saying like that: after all, among those in the car, no one was as old as Vivian¡­


    Vivian looked back at Hao Ren, baring her teeth. ¡°Why¡¯re you staring at me like that? I am still young, all right!¡±


    The carriage drove past the high wall of the palace. Nangong Sanba looked out at the magnificent and exotic architecture outside. The majestic, magic-powered royal palace was the first kind he had ever seen in his entire life; it was something that could be seen only in places where imperial power was dorminant. It was extravagant as much as it was mind-blowing. He turned her head back in and solemnly nodded to Hao Ren, ¡°I¡¯ve decided. I will join your company no matter what. This is too f**king interesting.¡±


    Hao Ren lay his back on a soft chair squinting. ¡°You said like as if you have a choice.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue twitched her mouth and said, ¡°You¡¯ll find it not that interesting when you come with us to the battles.¡±


    Finally, under the protection and supervision of a group of valets, the group of country bumpkins¡ªat least Becky and Nangong Sanba seemed to be so all the while¡ªentered the palace, passed through a long corridor, into a magnificent long hall where they were traversing under the watchful ¡®eyes¡¯ of the sculptures of the previous kings and historical figures for a long while.


    As Ophra said, this was a little secret meeting. It was not luxurious, but its significance was unprecedented.


    In the meeting room, several elderly men and women with serious faces were sitting at a long table. Their identities were not known. Five to six officers who were qualified for this secret meeting had arrived in the palace in time. The rest were either not qualified or too far away.


    Each time Hao Ren and his men came, they appeared out of nowhere. These foreigners who used to appear without notice had bewildered the king and his officers: they were used to follow strict rules in everything, including meeting with foreign envoys and domestic lords. Obviously, this group of people from the outside world did not follow the international law and customary practice. With such a short notice, that was the best preparation they could do.


    As the guests showed up, the VIPs at the table got to their feet and nodded intently. Ophra introduced them out one by one. ¡°His Majesty, Mhoren, the King of Holletta, is currently one of the most intelligent kings in the world; the pope of Disciples of Glory, the highest representative of the authority of God, is one of the most reputable persons in the entire world; Prince Hoffman, who is responsible for assessing the influence of the First Born and what to do if an unexpected disaster occurs; the red-robe Cardinal Orben was one who stationed men guarding the entrance of the other two sacred caves. The last two First Borns are under his supervision.¡±


    Then Ophra proceed to introduce the other people. But Hao Ren didn¡¯t think he needed to remember everyone of them: he was not here to socialize.


    He only remembered the characteristics of several important figures: King Mhoren, who was an old man with a white hair and a little hunchback, seemed to very good in temperament, if it were not for the robe it wore it would be difficult to associate him as the king. The Pope was a alert old man with white hair, wearing an expensive purple and gold robe, his face deadpan, and often fell into a contemplative look. Prince Hoffman was a middle-aged man, slight chubby, and a little bald. The red bishop was a bald middle-aged man, he was the most recognisable figure because of his scriptural and religious symbol tattoo which had even spread up on his face which made the red bishop look a bit frightening. His serious attitude was accompanied by an unapproachable vibe. He was sizing up Hao Ren and his entourage since the moment they entered the door.


    Vivian and Hao Ren shared the same attitude here; they were indifferent. Vivian had seen more great and smarter people whom she had chatted up and then kicked them down in the moat.


    But Becky was very nervous as she bowed to everyone at the scene. The girl had butterflies in her stomach. Most of the people standing in front of her were the figures she had heard since she was young. Before this, she had only heard about their names when she was bragging with people in taverns. But now these great people were standing right in front of her, nodding and smiling at her. The poor mercenary girl had cold sweat trickling down her back as she pinched herself at the back. ¡°Am I dreaming? Hmmm, I don¡¯t feel pain. It¡¯s a dream.¡±


    Lily scolded her and said, ¡°Why are you pinching my tail?¡±


    Vivian facepalmed and sighed. ¡°I knew it would be like this.¡±

 Chapter 505

    Out of her instinct as a citizan of Holletta, Becky was still very nervous in the face of the powerful people, whom she had heard about since she was just a child. However, Hao Ren did not feel that way. He had been to the Helcrown; every single one of Y¡¯zaks¡¯officers was more imposing than all of the ones in front of him at the moment. The protectors of Helcrown could establish law and order with just their faces. Hao Ren¡¯s nerves had since been hardened.


    So he just nodded to His Majesty, Mhoren as he said, ¡°Nice to meet you, Your Majesty.¡±


    Mhoren did not feel offended by their bluntness. Like ordinary elderly folk, he smiled and said, ¡°Please have a seat, save the formality. This is a very special meeting. I hope everyone can be open and honest.¡±


    They then sat down at the long table. Vivian skilfully carried out a small talk with the officers, and Ophra spoke to the king about a few things: she could be reporting some serious business to the king, but Hao Ren had no clue what it was about. Shortly after, the pope and the king looked up and began to ask about the First Born. Just when they were about to open their mouths, Lily who was sitting next to Hao Ren could not help but show a grimace face. ¡°Where¡¯s the meal¡­ When will we start eating?¡±


    Mhoren His Majesty was choked. The old pope, who was straight-faced all this while, was staring at Lily in astonishment. Obviously, they had not expected this. They treated this meeting seriously as some kind of third encounter. From the outset, the state affair was the only things in their mind, the banquet should be rightly put till the end of the meeting. Conversely, Lily had come solely for the dinner¡­


    If it was not that honest people and politicians were always at odd, it must be that the minds of politicians could not keep up with Lily¡¯s appetite.


    ¡°Did I say something wrong?¡± Lily wasn¡¯t stupid. She had noticed the odd atmosphere as she scratched her head and looked around. ¡°I can wait if the meal is not ready yet. Meanwhile, can I have snack or something? Because I didn¡¯t have enough at noon.¡±


    As Lily¡¯s voice trailed off, Becky and the Nangong Wuyue also followed suit and nodded. The two were also hungry. They had had only a couple of cups of tea in the afternoon when they heard that they could dine with the king and the Pope. Grub was their only purpose here.


    Vivian and Hao Ren could only hide their faces in their hands for having such an embarrassing mates.


    Ophra hemmed and glanced up at Mhoren. ¡°That¡¯s why I said don¡¯t use the practice of the court.¡±


    Mhoren looked queer as he told the valets to prepare the meal. Hao Ren sensed that things would be ruined if current atmosphere continued. So he quickly went straight to business before the old pope raised his platinum sceptre and whacked people. ¡°I believe Ophra must have told you about our situation. But let me stress it again: we have come from another world, which is what you call ¡®foreigners¡¯. My task is to deal with all sorts of nasty things, such as the First Born on the planet. Our rule is to not interfere with the development of the civilization, I have no interest in your politics, military, religion, economy or any other things. My only purpose is to solve the problem of the First Born as it¡¯s a threat to the planet.¡±


    Mhoren and the old pope nodded slightly and said that they had learned about it before hand. It was on this premise that this secret meeting was arranged.


    ¡°Now tell me about the two sacred caves. What¡¯s the situation of the two First Borns now?¡±


    ¡°According to intelligence and ancient manuscripts brought back by Marshal Ophra, we did find strong evidence of the existence of the First Born,¡± said Cardinal Orben with a hoarse voice. The scary rune tattoo on his face moved as he spoke. ¡°We had found the outer door and managed to open the first barrier. We had also found a large number of strange tentacles and secret chambers with ancient texts deep in the ground. We also discovered relics of the First Pope. All evidences conclusively point to the existence of the First Born. But we haven¡¯t yet opened the last door, so no one has seen the First Born in person. The biggest progress now is the discovery of only a few tentacles and sarcomas.


    Lily had been slobbering eyeballing the valets serving the grub on the table. She asked curiously as she heard what Cardinal Orben had said, ¡°Why not open the last door? Isn¡¯t the First Born still sleeping?¡±


    ¡°We were worried that we would wake them up,¡± the old pope said. His voice was soft but clear. ¡°I had personally gone and taken a look at those tentacles. It really possesses the primitive energy that created the world in the beginning, beyond the comprehension of mortal. We can¡¯t take any risks. Once another First Born wakes up, no one can summon a pillar of fire from the cloud to destroy that creature.¡±


    Ophra looked at Hao Ren. ¡°So we¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°Very well to be cautious,¡± Hao Ren exhaled. ¡°The sounder the thing sleeps, the better. By the way, how is the safety device?¡±


    ¡°After we learned that the suppressor of the First Born was in Divine Sarcophagus, we had moved it deeper underground, so that they were closer to the First Born,¡± said Prince Hoffman. ¡°but we don¡¯t know their working condition. No one knows how to inspect that device, it¡¯s a great device created by the goddess, no one understands how it works. We only know that the First Born is still asleep now¡­ just asleep for the moment.¡±


    Mhoren sighed. ¡°We have all along misunderstood the functions of the sacred caves and the Divine Sarcophagus. Only a few people know the existence of these things. Had we disclosed these information early or the church scholars studied them, perhaps we would have long discovered the existence of the First Born.¡±


    The old pope shook his head and said, ¡°But it could also mean waking the First Born prematurely. We couldn¡¯t afford that to happen. Cautiousness might have delayed our understanding of the sacred relics, but at least that had avoided an early destruction.¡±


    ¡°The key now is how to solve this problem. Even if the suppressor works well, the situation can only last for less than a year,¡± said Ophra, turning to look at Hao Ren. ¡°At present, it seems that you are the only one capable of eliminating the First Born. But honestly, after examining your ¡®measure¡¯ in the Beinz area¡­ I think it¡¯s better to think of a better solution if possible.¡±


    Prince Hoffman shrugged wackily. ¡°Although it brought us a crystal jungle, it was a bit too overwhelming. And to be honest, the places where the other two First Borns lie aren¡¯t exactly suitable for the Beinz¡¯s method to be employed.¡±


    Hao Ren waved his hand and said: ¡°Rest assured, the orbital bombardment is only the last resort. I¡¯m not willing to use it to risk collateral damage. Now we have several months to consider a more gentle way to deal with the First Borns. In the meantime, I would like to take a look at the site first¡ªsee how the suppressor is doing and how¡¯s the situation of the two First Borns. I hope you can help arrange it.¡±


    Cardinal Orben lowered his head slightly. Some of the weird runes on his forehead emanating a soft glow as he said cautiously, ¡°Of course. But I hope the entire process could be conducted under the supervision of the church. After all, it is our Sacred Land. Inside the cave is not only the First Born, but also the church¡¯s earliest heritage.¡±


    Hao Ren gladly agreed. Then something which he had almost forgotten suddenly crossed his mind. He took out a thick black book from his dimensional pocket. ¡°There¡¯s another thing. It¡¯s sad that the clerics of Disciples of Glory need to go through a sacred ritual known as Branding Ritual to gain the blessing power of the goddess and to grasp the power of divine skills and the ability to dialogue with the goddess. We are curious about this ritual.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s our scripture?¡± A weird expression flashed in Orben¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s an internal secret book for high-ranking clergy¡­ where did you get it from?¡±


    ¡°The four ascetics gave it to me,¡± explained Hao Ren. ¡°They hope that the teachings of the goddess can be spread, and I do know some of the things related to the Disciples of Glory. I guess the ritual isn¡¯t something wicked, is it?¡±


    Originally, in order to learn more about the goddess of creation, Hao Ren had asked for a canonised scripture from Big Beardy. It not only recorded the dogmas of the Disciples of Glory and the legend of the goddess, but also many sacred rituals that only the clergy knew, include the Branding Ritual which each official priest must undergo. It was said that after the ceremony, ordinary people would be able to use the divine skills from the goddess and get in touch with the voice of the goddess.


    Hao Ren used to think that this was just superstitious, but he soon discovered that the four ascetics could really establish connection with the voice of the higher being through meditation. So he was immediately interested in the Branding Ritual.


    Did the Disciples of Glory really have the means to establish contact with the goddess of creation? If this was the case¡­ could they find the whereabouts of the goddess of creation?


    This might be a breakthrough in revealing the veil of the goddess and the First Born. Hao Ren was very much looking forward to this.


    After Cardinal Orben and the Pope heard the request, they were silent.

 Chapter 506

    Hao Ren knew that there was bound to be problem when meeting with the top people of the church, all because religion was a sensitive issue, especially when your request had something to do with their core beliefs, and had nothing to do with your faith in God. A religious fanatic might regard this rash request as an insult. In their view all sacred rituals were born sacred, rightfully existent, effective, divine, and not to be studied by the mortal.


    Of course, the Disciples of Glory was a relatively liberal and open religion. Although their faith in the goddess was extremely firm, they used their conduct instead of force to convert the non-believers. This was reflected in the behaviours of the four ascetics, so Hao Ren felt that his request might be granted. Furthermore, the pope and cardinal were no fools. They should be able to figure which was more important¡ªrigid rules or the safety of the world?


    Perhaps the grassroot believers were more stubborn, but the pope who sat at the highest level must be the most sober one.


    Orben and the pope had discussed quietly for a long time. It seemed there was some disagreement in between. Then the pope raised his head and stared into Hao Ren¡¯s eyes, quietly. His voice lacked of any emotions. ¡°This is a sacred ritual. Since the establishment of the Disciples of Glory, only clergy who had formally become a believer and passed the primary test could partake in the ritual. Although it¡¯s the basic ritual which most grassroot priests will come into contact with, it¡¯s still sacred.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°But obviously the problem of the First Born is even more pressing. This ancient creature is also a goddess¡¯ creation. Its secret would also become the secret of the goddess. Under this premise, we should let go of some of the old tradition.¡±


    ¡°The four masters trust you very much,¡± the pope said softly. ¡°Did you not ask them about the ritual?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded his head. ¡°I did. And I know that in the ritual, sacred substance is fused with human blood. But this sacred substance is only available in the cathedrals. The four masters had only told me about the process. What I¡¯m interested in is the ¡®substance¡¯.¡±


    The Pope was silent for a moment before nodding to Orben. ¡°Bring them to the Sixteenth Temple to see the branding ritual.¡±


    ¡°Would it not violate the teachings?¡±


    ¡°If the church¡¯s heritage has deviated from the truth during the fifth-generation pope, we should then believe in the intuitive guidelines that the goddess has cast in our hearts rather than those incomplete scrolls.¡± The pope squinted slightly. ¡°Take them there. The goddess will permit it.¡±


    Cardinal Orben returned a reverend gesture before he turned to Hao Ren. ¡°The Sixteenth Temple isn¡¯t far away from here.¡±


    Hao Ren was relieved as everything went well. He got to his feet and went with the bald man who had words written all over his face to the Sixteenth Temple. Lily was also holding a roasted chicken drumstick and murmuring indistinctly. ¡°Wait¡­ wait¡­ wait¡­ I¡¯ll wait for me¡­ Why going now¡­¡±


    Hao Ren could tolerate no more the gourmand. He reached out and dragged Lily away. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you be good for something?¡±


    Lily instinctively open her mouth and bite, but was shoved back. Nangong Wuyue saw it and lamented. ¡°You bothered a dog which was having its meal and yet not getting bitten. Landlord, you¡¯ve trained her well.¡±


    Becky was a little better than Lily, but an obvious reluctance was on her face when she lay down the plate: after all, you could not expect an bumpkin girl, who had been drinking, bragging with a bunch of vulgar, violent mercenaries in the tavern for years to show much reservedness before the king. In fact, she did not make much less noise than Lily when she was eating. Before leaving the room, the maiden finally remembered that she had a question to ask. She turned to Mhoren quickly. ¡°Hey, wait, Your Majesty, I almost forgot to ask. It¡¯s about my reward¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was losing patience with them. He stepped forward to grab Becky by her scarf and dragged her away. Before leaving the room, Hao Ren said to Ophra who stayed back in the room. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to arrange for Becky¡¯s reward, she was almost as nutty as a fruitcake now!¡±


    Ophra forced a smile and nodded as those weird fellows finally disappeared out of the doorway.


    The room was quiet for a few seconds before Mhoren suddenly sat upright, his lazy and bossy temperament faded as his eyes flashed with smartness and his face serious. ¡°These people are not the same as I¡¯ve imagined.¡±


    ¡°But as I reported,¡± Ophra glanced up at the king. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you believe me?¡±


    Prince Hoffman took out a handkerchief and wiped the non-existent sweat on his forehead. He looked at the food on the table with a weird expression. ¡°It turns out they do eat human food.¡±


    The other officers in the room suddenly nodded as Prince Hoffman¡¯s words had struck a chord with them. It was not known what kind of image of Hao Ren and his men had been injected in their mind after they heard about the events in the Beinz Diocese. Ophra immediately threw Hoffman a stare. ¡°Imagination is your only strength since young.¡±


    Hoffman shrugged with a forced smile. He said no word. Mhoren tapped the table with his fingers, half-talking to himself and half asking Ophra. ¡°Did they really summon a white light from the sky and destroy the entire Beinz Diocese? I think they are not much different from us human. Irrespective of their image and conduct, I don¡¯t see that devastating power in them.¡±


    Ophra twisted her mouth, thinking that when he was four years old pestering for candy, he did not even look like a king material. But considering there were many officers at the scene, she did not say it out. She just nodded and said, ¡°These people seem to be just an ordinary team in a group they belong to, just like our soldiers, so their behaviours are no different from ordinary people. But the power behind them is incredible.¡±


    ¡°What else do you know about them?¡± Mhoren asked.


    ¡°Not much, you know as much as I know,¡± said Ophra, shaking her head. ¡°They are a team, a powerful force of another world. They have the ability to travel through space and time, are organized and disciplined. I guess they are going to various worlds to solve problems for a sense of mission, just like the way we are solving the problem of the First Borns. The make-up of their team aren¡¯t very clear. The big guy who appeared last time hasn¡¯t come this time. And now there¡¯s new member in their team, which proves that they have some kind of personnel transfer and selection system. One such team will have a leader, and that leader is the man who is called Hao Ren. Besides that, not much else.¡±


    Prince Hoffman¡¯s face looked very serious. ¡°Are you sure they are organized and disciplined?¡±


    Ophra could not help laughing wryly. ¡°Ha-ha¡­ in a sense, yes.¡±


    ¡°Fortunately for now, they and the power behind them are not hostile to us. At least for now they pose no threat,¡± Mhoren closed his eyes slightly. He seemed to be a little tired. ¡°We have too many problems to deal with. Let¡¯s put the problem that we cannot solve to a side. It¡¯s fortunate that those foreigners are willing to help us solve the problem of the First Born.¡±


    ¡°I would like to believe in their intention,¡± said Ophra, laughing. ¡°At least we have four masters and a mercenary little girl mixing with them and they have been doing great. This should prove that these foreigners are not evil.¡±


    Mhoren nodded slightly, but did not speak. After a long silence he only opened his eyes and looked at the pope and asked, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    As always, the Pope¡¯s expression had not changed. It seemed that his thoughts were always in a mysterious and unknown realm while his physical body was only here to convey information. His voice was soft and gentle. ¡°We should focus more on the will of the goddess. The presence of the First Born has already had a great impact on the church¡¯s senior leadership, and the Cult of Origination which those heathens have secretly developed may also break up the belief system we have established over the centuries. This is challenge which Holletta and the civilisations of the world has to face. Let¡¯s try to minimize the impact of these things, let the teachings of the goddess continue to serve as the benchmark for the world to follow. And beyond that, the foreigners¡­ let them be. Since the goddess has no objection, that is what should happen.¡±


    Meanwhile, Hao Ren and his men had already left the palace and on their way to a mysterious place where branding ritual was held.

 Chapter 507

    The grim-faced, red robed cardinal, Orben led Hao Ren and the rest from the palace and through a secret passageway to a facility near the cathedral. Hao Ren looked about curiously at his surroundings and realised that the palace and the cathedral were rather close. In fact, the two buildings are twin structures and was only separated by wall. It was rare to see such an architectural design elsewhere where two powers co-exists side by side. The monarchy and divinity were almost inseparable, and each operated within their domain to rule the country. Holletta¡¯s political system was indeed a rather unique one.


    Night had fallen by then, and the passageway a well hidden path, the silent atmosphere was almost palpable. The pathway was lit by intricate bronze lamps with a gentle white glow. The lamp too cast light upon the silhouettes of the plants alongside the path and from a distance, you could see the great castle walls standing tall against the falling light. Two moons had risen above the Royal Palace¡¯s tallest tower complex, and the red rim of the moons made it looked like a giant was gazing down upon the land.


    Lily was excited under the moonlight. She softly nudged her eyes as she caught the raucous cacophony from the bazaar. The shadow of the moon reflected on her golden iris. She took a deep breath and wagged her tail. ¡°Woaaahhh¡­ fresh air. Like a gentle breeze upon a moonlit night, beckoning the wanderer in me home. I remember the house I had at Beiping, I have the best sights of the moon every middle of the month. Heh, but I left that place after the war and never did I manage to see the moon so beautiful again¡­ This world doesn¡¯t seem all that bad, it at least has one extra moon compared to Earth.


    Everyone around Lily stared at her as if they saw a monster and scared the latter. ¡°Whaa¡­ What¡¯s with the look?¡±


    ¡°Did you eat something wrong earlier?¡± Vivian kept her distance from Lily, almost afraid if the husky would bite at any time. ¡°Why did you turn into a poet all the sudden? And whose verse did you stole?¡±


    Lily bare her fangs and growled as she glared at Vivian. ¡°I am a practitioner of art and literature! Even if you have amnesia you can¡±t be forgetting that right? And stealing? I wrote that myself you know?


    Hao Ren too threw Lily a sideway glance. ¡°I know that you are a practitioner of the arts, but your usual self just doesn¡¯t reflect that¡­. Please warn us in advance before you change personality. Listening to a husky reciting a poem out of nowhere is rather spooky.¡±


    Lily rolled her eyes as she patted her tummy. ¡°I¡¯m stuffed, so I had some inspiration. Most of my works are creating during the after-meal yawns.¡±


    And thus the idle banter persisted throughout the journey. Amazingly, Cardinal Orben, who was leading the party could keep a straight face. The bald faced man¡¯s expression was about as stiff as a wood, and not once did he show a shred of emotion towards the party. Until when the party had arrived at a small chapel-like structure beside the cathedral did he stop and spoke. ¡°This is where the ritual branding and training of the acolytes take place. There¡¯s twenty-two of such facilities city-wide. It is a great honour to be able to undergo the branding in the Royal City.¡±


    Despite being grim-faced, Cardinal Orben was still a courteous host with his explanation.


    The cardinal then gently knocked on the door of the chapel and spoke a few words to the attending priests before heading in. ¡°Come, there¡¯s a new acolyte who is going through the branding. You can see how a commoner receive the goddess¡¯ blessing, and become the bearer of her words and wisdom.¡±


    The party went into the chapel, and the place was brightly lit.


    The Disciples of Glory was a very large organised religion, and had countless members of the clergy. The branding was a process that even the lowliest of acolytes will need to go through. As such, the chapel had someone receiving the ¡®blessing¡¯ almost every hour. The prospective acolytes studied the scripture in this very chapel. Their studies includes the various schools of divinity, training and tests and after meeting a certain standard they will be chosen to undergo the branding in the chapel. Only after that they are given the permission and authority to meet the Pope and take on various holy duties.


    Within the brightly lit chapel, a holy yet bizarre ritual was ongoing. Hao Ren and the group was brought into the hall by a servant boy through a side door. Cardinal Orben signalled for them to stay silent, and to just watch.


    A two meter wide carpet lay in the centre of the room, on it were many mysterious runic symbols that were obscured by a faint gold dye. Amongst the runes were Letta Runes, while the others were Ancient Runes that were even older and more powerful. All these potent runes glowed faintly and projected blurry images of the runes in the air. A young acolyte dressed in hempen robe lay in the middle of a round mat. Around him where three aged priests, each holding a thick scripture in hand as they chanted the holiest of words from the book. The ones that sounded the most arcane to everyone.


    The start of the ritual seems to be when the three priests decided to gang up on the poor acolyte.


    The young acolyte noticed that there were unexpected strangers in entering the hall together with Cardinal Orben and was clearly nervous. The cardinal shook his head towards the young lad, and only then did he renewed his focus on the ritual.


    After completing the chant of a few verses, one of the old priests placed the scripture on the acolyte¡¯s chest. ¡°Blair Laymont, a servant in the goddess¡¯ grace, do you have the strength of mind and body, to see through the veils of evil. Do you have the faith of steel, to serve the goddess with all of your being. Do you have the strongest of wills, to face any and every challenge that comes you way?¡±


    ¡°In her name I swear, with my life, that her will is mine to obey.¡±


    ¡°Now you shall receive the gift of the sacred blood. It is the sweetest of wines the goddess had granted us. It shall cleanse your mortal soul, and allow you to hear her voice, to spread the greatest of truth throughout the world. It shall also test your soul, for should there be darkness within you, you shall be consumed by it. Blair Laymont, now sing her name, for you have transcended.¡±


    Lily¡¯s eyes were wide as she witnessed the ritual. She suddenly started mumbling. ¡°Why does this look some some satanic ritual site¡­.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately covered her mouth as he heard it. The whole shtick of being a practitioner of arts and literature is definitely an illusion. He can never lower his guard against this dumbass! She being able to live so long with that mouth of hers is surely down to pure luck no?


    Then again, it¡¯s pot calling the kettle black for Hao Ren. His mouth was no better , and what Lily verbalised was what that was swimming in his mind¡­


    But thankfully her voice was soft, and even Cardinal Orben did not hear it. While at the same time, the branding ritual had reached it¡¯s finale.


    A serf boy carried a golden ¡®alembic¡¯ towards the old priest officiating the ritual. It was a weird looking container with a long neck, part of it was made out of gold while the other, transparent glass. From the glass you could see liquid, almost like blood swirling in it.


    The old priest pressed the pointed top of the alembic on the acolyte as he prepared to receive the brand. Pressing softly, ¡°May she accepts you into her service.¡±


    There was a hollow needle on the pointed top of the alembic and it punctured the acolyte¡¯s skin. The blood-like liquid glowed so ever slightly as the liquid was being injected into the acolyte¡¯s body.


    At the same time, the runic mat shone as well, the ancient runes of various magical effects activated and reinforced the ritual. The acolyte¡¯s body tightened as lines of gold-red spread across the punctured point, as if his veins were expanding violently. The young acolyte let out a low growl as he shuddered, looking like someone who got electrocuted.


    Something was changing his body structure, especially his brain.


    The process lasted a few minutes before everything calmed down. The young acolyte had successfully received Her ¡®blessing¡¯. He sat up on the mat, his head soaked with sweat, as he opened his eyes again, a mysterious light flashed from it.


    ¡°Her voice is in my head¡­¡± The young acolyte spoke with awe and reverence.


    ¡°This is the ritual branding.¡± Cardinal Orben¡¯s voice broke Hao Ren out of his stupor. ¡°The holy blood will give this young man extraordinary powers. He is now capable of wielding divine abilities only available to those that had received her blessings. He can now hear her voice in his mind.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s inside that alembic?¡± Vivian¡¯s voice was unnaturally serious. ¡°I feel that liquid is somewhat¡­ familiar¡­ Almost like the lifeblood of the First Born.¡±


    Cardinal Orben demurred for a moment, his voice soft. ¡°The upper echelons who had just found out about the First Born too had speculated this, and no small about of fear was raised. But we have received word from the second sacred cavern that it is not the lifeblood of the First Born¡­. it is the blood of origin, something that is more ancient, and more divine¡­


    Hao Ren suddenly knew what it was. ¡°The sample of the Seed of Origins.¡±

 Chapter 508

    The Seed of Origin, the first life form created by the Goddess could be called the progenitor of life in the Plane of Dreams. At least from what information they have at hand for now. Hao Ren had seen something similar to the Seed of Origin in his dreams before. It was a bloody orb and once it comes into contact with a habitable planet it will explosively grow into something like the First Born, creating a whole new ecosystem. The primal blood that flowed from the Seed of Origin carried within it all the required nutrients to sustain the early stages of the ecosystem. The blood of the First Born was probably the closest thing to the primal blood.


    Hao Ren had assumed that the Holletta¡¯s Seed of Origin had already fully withered and all its primal energy had became the First Born and the second ecosystem sphere. He never thought that there were remains of the seed. It was found by the first Pope of the Disciples of Glory, and he used these primal blood to create the first holy warriors of the church and a series of divine abilities.


    ¡°We are still investigating the matter.¡± Cardinal Orben chose his words carefully. ¡°We had found only recently found out where the church¡¯s teaching were slightly.. problematic, and trying to get a full picture of the primal blood from those tattered tomes had proved to be rather difficult. But all in all we can confirm that the holy blood is the primal blood of the Seed of Origin¡­ strictly speaking though, it is just a reproduction of it.


    ¡°Reproduction?¡± Vivian¡¯s eyebrow rose.


    ¡°There were precious little left of the primal blood when it was found.¡± Cardinal Orben explained. ¡°By the time His Excellency the First Pope found the blood, it had almost dried up. But he had managed to figure out a way to maintain the production of the blood. Using external stimuli, the primal blood could recreate itself endlessly. Only that ensured the growth of the church for many more years to come. Otherwise we would have run out of the blood within years.


    ¡°I can probably guess what is the external stimuli that you are referring to.¡± Hao Ren rubbed his chin. ¡°It is probably to mimic the planet¡¯s most primal state. That misled the blood into thinking that there was a reset of the ecosystem, and it started producing again to sustain the ecosystem.¡±


    Cardinal Orben kept silent, the reproduced blood was one of the church¡¯s most vital secrets. Even for a foreigner who had obtained the nod from the Pope and the King themselves, these secrets were too vital to let out. But his silence was a tacit acknowledgement of the fact.


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference between the reproduction and the real thing?¡± Vivian was the expert on matters of ¡®blood¡¯ and her questions were pointed.


    ¡°No difference at all.¡± Cardinal Orben replied. ¡°The primal blood is a great creation of the Goddess. It can replicate itself in totality, thus the reproduction is the real thing. Truth be told, the original blood found had already been used up and the ones we have preserved are reproductions of countless of times. But it still remained pure and powerful, and it¡¯s effects the same as the initial samples.¡±


    ¡°I wish to have a sample.¡± Hao Ren went straight to the point. ¡°To study more about the First Born¡¯s connection to the blood.¡±


    It was only a half-truth. Hao Ren¡¯s real intention was to study the connection between the primal blood and the Goddess herself!


    The life spawned from the Seed of Origin was like an ever-spreading ink on top of water. With the every change of the ecosystem, new life were formed as they grew more distant from their primal form and progenitor. Following this unique backward-push growth of the Plane of Dream¡¯s Tree of Life. Only the most ancient, most primal of lifeforms are the closest to their creator. So the Seed of Origin was arguably even closer to the Goddess than the First Born was. It was probably the closest thing to the Goddess Hao Ren could ever find for now!


    To date all that Hao Ren and his little entourage had managed to find were fossils of all kinds, and yet the Disciples of Glory had managed to preserve a living sample of the Seed of Origin!


    Cardinal Orben had only brought them to see how the ritual branding took place, but he had no plans to hand over the primal blood to a group of outlanders. He demurred upon hearing Hao Ren¡¯s request. ¡°The primal blood is a sacred relic, it¡¯s the church¡¯s most prized relic, even if they are reproductions¡­¡±


    ¡°You just said it.¡± Nangong Wuyue retorted without much thought. ¡°Since it can be reproduced, and you guys probably have tonnes of those, just a small phial wouldn¡¯t hurt¡­.¡±


    ¡°The sanctity of a sacred relic is not determined by it¡¯s amount.¡± Cardinal Orben¡¯s face tightened, but given how rigid his face already was, there was no difference. ¡°The most important thing is that the primal blood had never been handed to an outsider before.¡±


    ¡°And two months ago, the First Born hadn¡¯t appeared.¡± Hao Ren raised an eyebrow. ¡°This is a time of extraordinary events, so you need to be adaptable to survive. Your blood could probably get you a new army, but I can probably find a way to safely neutralise the First Born. After all, the First Born originated from the blood.¡±


    Cardinal Orben kept silent, and Hao Ren simply shrugged. ¡°Just so you know, Eight hours ago I had just performed a funeral ceremony for a civilisation. Their history was six times of yours, and their knowledge surpassed even that of your mage-emperors, but yet they had perished. Perished by the hands of the First Born that there was nothing left of them. What was left of their civilisation was just a data vault that¡¯s about a few kilogrammes heavy, and could just be placed in a safe. Before a power beyond your comprehension, your traditions and rules are nothing. I do not wish to comeback here a year later just to put you lot into another data crate.¡±


    The cardinal was rather conservative, but that was only because he followed the scripture to the word. A fool however, he was not, and after considering the fact that the primal blood indeed were in abundance, he nodded after some deliberation signalling to a serf boy to bring the alembic over.


    ¡°Take it. I pray that the Goddess will can be done through your hands.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled as he took the alembic and stored it into his Dimensional Pocket. ¡°I¡¯ll make good use of it.¡±


    ¡°This is the first time since the founding on the church that the primal blood was given to an unbeliever.¡± Cardinal Orben said, a hint of lament in his voice. ¡°But it is true that the primal blood isn¡¯t something we are short of¡­ but they had never been given outside of the church. This was a tradition that we had held for thousand of yearsa


    ¡°The Disciples of Glory may have a history spanning thousand of years, but in the grand scheme of things, this is but a blink of an eye.¡± Hao Ren grinned. ¡°We are facing a living being that had lived for millions of years. Lets not bother too much about tradition in the face of such a foe.¡±


    Vivian shrugged as she cleared her throat. ¡°Time is a cruel master. It can make many traditions and cultures worthless with the passing of time. So do not use your traditions to fight against something that is even more ancient than you are. Of course, I get the feeling that the Disciples of Glory are not a religion that is stuck in the past, you lot are much more intelligent than most of the religions I had come across.¡±


    Hao Ren had now obtained what he wanted. The primal blood sample was undoubtedly an important and valuable find. After this, he planned to inspect the situation of the other two First Born.


    Before that however, Hao Ren and his gang had to stay in the royal city for two days as Becky had finally obtained what she had been dreaming for. The lass was so darn excited that she would not let Hao Ren go¡­


    Hao Ren did not know how General Ophra had explained to King Mhoren on the question of ¡®even a world-saving hero requires recompense and it won¡¯t come cheap¡¯ but the king had graciously approved a huge sum of reward. The amount was enough to knock Becky out in joy. It was beyond the reward that she would receive for finding the Sacred Orb of the Holy Synod. This lady here had turned into one of the richest mercenary overnight, and at the same time became the world¡¯s most famous mercenary. Indeed, the legendary mercenary. Her counterparts could only obtain such a title after slaying some evil dragon or sealing a demon king, and by the time they had obtained the title, most of them were already dead. Yet, Becky, a wee lass just 23 summers had attained this glorious title.


    It goes to say, being hard carried a really wonderful thing.


    The royal court had awarded her a manor near the royal city, and a castle on the west side of the border. The former was to be her permanent abode while the latter, the symbol of her nobility and power. Becky was now a ranking nobility in a promotion never seen before. She was now a viscountess, and the viscountcy soon gained prominence as her exploits at the Dragonspine Ridge reached the wider public. The incident at the Beinz region had rattled everyone, and even the Pope and the King required something, someone to calm the citizens¡¯ nerves. Mere miracles were not going to suffice, they require a heroic figure, a real living one, and seems like Becky was their answer to that.


    Soon, the story of the legendary mercenary surviving the encounter at Beinz will spread, and Becky will undoubtedly be the focal point of attention.


    But she didn¡¯t seem to pay it much thought, the na?ve-to-the-point-of-silliness lass had still not recovered from her shock. She was deep in her euphoric stupor for a good two hours after being knighted, and finally let this slip:


    ¡°So much money¡­. I think I won¡¯t regret anything if I were to die now¡­¡±


    These were the first words of Viscount Becky after being knighted.

 Chapter 509

    For a country, the cost of creating a hero is never too high, especially when the hero is a real thing. The contribution of the hero and the raise in morale outweighs any cost. King Mhoren had obviously gave this due considerations, and the moment he found that Becky was in Holletta he immediately set out on a plan of action, and first, was to reward her handsomely.


    Becky had finally obtained the lavish manor and knighthood of her dreams, and it was located on the west wing of the royal city where all the nobles congregate. Now everything was real, the manor was refurbished upon received the royal command and was delivered to Becky in its most glorious state. The mercenary lass happily invited Hao Ren and his group to her new place as guests. General Ophra too was invited. The general came as a ¡®comrade in arms¡¯ to congratulate Becky on her new found fame and wealth.


    Before the splendid Holletta-styled manor , Becky excitedly pointed towards the fountain and the gardens around here. ¡°Look at that! And THAT¡­. I always dreamt of staying at a house with a garden! And all of this are MINEEE!!¡±


    Hao Ren knew that it was impossible to calm Becky down in her current state, and just simply smiled as the watch her spazzing out, nodding as he congratulated her. ¡°So congrats! Now fame and wealth are all yours, any plans?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t His Majesty said it? I¡¯m the legendary mercenary from now on!¡± Becky raised her head in glee. ¡°Eat sleep and repeat, then dress up nice to brag to a group of people. This is my speciality. There was this time when I bragged about my exploits and gotten myself a night¡¯s stay by just buying half a mug of malt beer! Even if it¡¯s all hogwash I can still spin a convincing story¡­.¡±


    Hao Ren was dumbstruck, while Nangong Wuyue pinches her forehead and sighed. ¡°Why do I feel that Becky is going to the dogs¡­¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a while and felt that the possibility of Becky could totally go to the dogs with the endless banquets and typical decadence of the nobility was very real. He quickly reminded her. ¡°Don¡¯t take it too easy that you end up being a basket case. That aside, don¡¯t let anyone sell you out. The royal court is using you as a propaganda material, so you need to be sure of your own standing. If you ever get bullied let me know.¡±


    General Ophra looked back at Hao Ren. ¡°Is it right for you to say that in front of me? I¡¯m here in the name of the King to guide you.¡±


    ¡°It IS because you¡¯re here in the name of the King.¡± Hao Ren laughed. ¡°We are more than acquaintance now and you know how Becky is. You also know quite a lot about us so I¡¯m hoping that you¡¯ll help out. This dumb lass over here is about the same as the husky there aside from her ability to earn money, if she were to¡­.¡±


    Lily howled and pounced on Hao Ren before he could finish his sentence. The husky gnawed at Hao Ren¡¯s arm and sparks shot out of his Steel Membrane Shield. Becky wanted to add a punch or two for good measure but soon decided that it was probably futile and just left it as it is. Vivian looking on, hugged her arms and mumbled. ¡°That mouth of his will be his death some day.¡±


    The dumb husky gnawed on Hao Ren¡¯s arm for a good half of a minute before she was satisfied. After releasing her bite she held her jaw that was hurting. Gnashing her teeth as if she held the advantage, ¡°Mr Landlord I¡¯ll really get mad if you do this a¡­AHHH that hurts¡­.¡±


    Vivian rolled her eyes. ¡°Not only you failed to get a bite, you even chipped your fang doing it and you¡¯re now trying to talk big? Do you even know shame?¡±


    ¡°Actually I was shocked to hear that we were paraded as martyrs.¡± Becky chuckled as she looked at the beautiful garden and the three storey manor not too far away. ¡°I was afraid that His Majesty had already planned everything out, and turned my manor into a scenic tomb that was built in the north facing south*¡­. Thank goodness he had not finalise anything or I¡¯ll need to claim the deed to a tomb¡­¡±


    General Ophra was confused by the foreign terminologies that were used but she still managed to get the gist of things. ¡°It¡¯s because none of you had left any ¡®bodies¡¯ that the royal court decided to build a cenotaph for you. Oh, it¡¯s just north of your manor too. There were visitors bringing flowers everyday for the past two months.¡±


    Becky¡¯s face immediately turned green, and Hao Ren and the rest were no better too¡­


    ¡°Of course Becky you can ¡®resurrect¡¯ soon enough.¡± General Ophra did not notice the change in their expression and continued. ¡°The narrative had already been sent. You survived the massive explosion at Beinz and was recovering in a small sanctuary by the Dragonspine Ridge. Three days ago you had returned to the capital and was summoned by the king. You will be given the title of the Legendary Mercenary that is both recognised by the royal court and the church. Your title of ¡®Martyr¡¯ will be revoked, and the church will come up with another holy name for you¡­ probably something along the lines of The Blessed Warrior or the Bastion of the Church¡­. if going by past traditions you probably can choose one out of the two.¡±


    Everyone understood what that meant. It was to calm the nerves of the rattled populace because of the First Born incident (It was publicized as an attack by a evil god). Becky demurred for a while, ¡°So¡­ that means my tomb will be removed soon as well?¡±


    Hao Ren facepalmed. ¡°And ours are already completed¡­.¡±


    ¡°Well, you guys wouldn¡¯t show your faces.¡± Becky snickered as she patted Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder. ¡°No worries my buddies, I will remember to visit your graves often. Say¡­ you like malt beer or honey liqour better? We usually use honey liquor for paying our respects, but mercenaries usually use malt beer¡­¡±


    Hao Ren and the rest all rolled their eyes at Becky, and the thoroughly confused Nangong Sanba, who had witnessed everything finally sighed. ¡°It only take a few days for my world view to be thoroughly demolished¡­ do you guys live on day to day like this?¡±


    ¡°Which dimension traveller nowadays have an intact world view anyway? Plus I¡¯m licensed for interdimensional travel.¡± Hao Ren patted his chest as he sniggered. ¡°I¡¯m known as Aran-Anor, the Sun King in another planet and they had sculpted me a statue that looked like I was ordering an assault. My statue was alright by any standards, Lily is depicted as a guardian beast over there, and her wolf visage is used as a protective ward on each and every house.¡±


    ¡°Awooo?¡±


    Nangong Sanba was swimming in cold sweat now. What he saw in the past two days were enough to totally ruin his world view, and after learning even more of the truth he started doubting his decision to join the group was a good idea. But he did not had time to speak his part because his sister had dragged the rest to see the cenotaph that the Holletaen royal court had built for them¡­


    There are very few people who could pay respects to their own graves¡­ Uh alright, such a scenario is improbable normally, but Hao Ren had managed to pull it off, his entourage had managed to pull that off.


    The newly built war memorial and cemetary for the martyrs at Beinz was on the north side of the capital. It was solemn yet grand, and the obsidian plaques and cenotaph stood in neat rows across the memorial. On it were the engravings of the dead¡¯s brief biography and their greatest accomplishment, fighting an evil god. And like how General Ophra had assured them, Hao Ren and his party¡¯s cenotaph and statues were at the front row¡­ That was the first thing Hao Ren and the rest saw when they arrived at the cemetery was that. Oh how mixed their feelings were¡­


    Becky also quickly found her own cenotaph and happily patted the thick obsidian stele. ¡°Look, look! Built in the north facing south, a scenic grave. Heh!¡±


    Hao Ren could not even look straight. ¡°You could still laugh at this¡­ Right, your tomb will be removed soon. F*ck me, why do I always encounter such bloody weird things.¡±


    Vivian was rather nonchalant about it though. ¡°Actually, once you had lived long enough you¡¯d be immune to this. I slept in coffins all the time, and even slept in a crypt before.¡±


    Lily circled her own cenotaph and was mumbling incoherently. She suddenly squatted down to dig a hole. Wuyue was curious, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Digging a hole. Burn some joss money. To keep me from being poor.¡±


    Vivian whispered softly in Hao Ren¡¯s ear,¡± That¡¯s why I never tried to understand Doggie¡¯s thought process.¡±


    Barely a few seconds later though, something seems to struck Vivian and she went to towards the husky. ¡°Eh, burn some for me as well. It may actually work!¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Hao Ren sighed. ¡°That¡¯s why I never tried to understand the thought process of anyone around me.¡±

 Chapter 510

    Hao Ren and his family happily paid respects to their own graves (no mistake about that) and everyone treated it like some bizarre experience ¨C at least in the books for Lily and Nangong Wuyue. As Hao Ren looked at the majestic, yet solemn obsidian cenotaph, he said to Marshal Ophra, ¡°I actually don¡¯t think we should be placed beside these people. It¡¯s just not right.¡±


    Marshal Ophra took it the wrong way. ¡°But, this is the highest honour that is available according to our traditions. This is only second to the Pope and the king¡­¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that.¡± Hao Ren pointed to the statues close to his cenotaph, the closest to him was Bishop Gelton¡¯s statue. ¡°These, are the real heroes that gave their lives in the Battle of Beinz. They deserve all the praise that you can shower on them, but us¡­ We are still living. I don¡¯t think we have the right to be placed together with them. It just makes me¡­ guilty.¡±


    Marshal Ophra gave Hao Ren a surprised look, it took her a while before she led out a shred of smile. ¡°I never thought you would say this. It¡¯s rare to find people like you. Isn¡¯t it a good thing to be feted as a hero?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not short of that.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°I just feel that this propaganda is just¡­ weird¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d saved many people, the whole world even. Maybe you think that this is part of your duty, and it is just a small matter. But those who survive cannot be allowed to take it lightly, and everyone should convey their gratitude.¡± Marshal Ophra smiled. ¡°This has probably nothing to do with you at all, it¡¯s the matter for us who were lucky to have survived. Regardless¡­ the people must learn to remember heroes. We remember not the truth of a hero, but the ideals and image of one.¡±


    Hao Ren pursed his lips as he looked at Lily and Vivian burning some joss paper for themselves. ¡°Well, not that our heroic image is up to snuff anyway.¡±


    Marshal Ophra gave a stiff nod and turned away. ¡°Let us not dawdle here too long. New visitors are coming.¡±


    A group of brown robed civilians came from behind. They have Hao Ren and the rest a curious glance, and left flowers on Bishop Gelton and Nangong Wuyue¡¯s statue before lowering their heads to pray. A young boy pulled the sleeve of the priest beside him. ¡°Mister, mister, have all these people gone to the goddess¡¯ side?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they had received her summons, and now enjoy eternal peace in heaven.¡± The leading priest bend down and pointed towards Hao Ren¡¯s statue. ¡°All of them are heroes, while nothing were left of them in their fight against the evil god, their spirit will endure long after their bodies had perished¡­¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s face had turned green and he quickly grabbed Lily and Vivian by the collar. ¡°Lets go. I might get depressed if I stay a moment longer.¡±


    The group had returned to Becky¡¯s manor and the servants directly from the Royal Court were cleaning the long walkway before the manor. Marshal Ophra nodded at Becky. ¡°These servants are directly under the Royal Court¡¯s payroll, and there will be a chamberlain to manage your estate as well. You just need to sit and enjoy life. His Majesty too understand your situation. Being a proper noble is a tiresome thing, and you probably won¡¯t get use to it any time soon, so just leave it to the chamberlains and advisors that the court had assigned you. You can ask them anything, or come directly to me. I¡¯m ever glad to speak more with my comrade, on the caveat that I have time.¡±


    Becky had scant reaction when she heard the first part of the sentence, but when she heard the last part she immediately leaped in joy, ¡°Really?! Oh how could I ever thank you¡­ I¡¯m sure someone of your station is bu¡­. Say are you free today? Tomorrow? Or the day after? If not¡­.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately pulled the marshal¡¯s fangirl away. Her fangirling could make one doubt where she actually swings. ¡°Oh stop that. Now that you have the time, use it to read that nobility handbook that they gave you. I heard that you need to learn how to attend a noble banquet within a month, and with your current form you will probably take a year. Attending a royal banquet and boasting there is not the same as you doing it in a inn hugging a barrel of beer¡­¡±


    Becky immediately calmed down after hearing the biggest headache of a question that she had now. Swimming in cold sweat, and then turning towards her manor and the rows upon rows of smartly dressed servants, she scratched her head, embarrassed. ¡°Why does this feel so unreal?¡±


    ¡°All of this is real.¡± Marshal Ophra smiled. ¡°You¡¯ll need to learn how to get used to this. A mercenary becoming a noble is not something easy. You have a lot of quirks to get rid of, and those nobles have mountains of rules and protocols that are as stink like dried turd. It is no easier than fighting the evil god mind you.¡±


    Becky spat her tongue out as she mumbled towards Hao Ren. ¡°I was hard carried in my fight against the evil god¡­.¡±


    Marshal Ophra did not understand the lingo and simply just smiled. Looking up and with a snap of her finger, a servant immediately came with the reins of her horse. ¡°I¡¯ll be off then. Enjoy the new place for tonight, and as agreed, I will come with Cardinal Orben tomorrow, and we¡¯ll head to the sealed grounds.


    As soon as she finished, she smoothly turned her horse around and galloped away, leaving Becky fangirling as she fawned over the marshal¡¯s heroic pose. ¡°She¡¯s just soo cool¡­ No¡­ I need to properly dress up once we get back. I cannot be meeting her in this patched garb anymore.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s for tomorrow.¡± Hao Ren patted Becky on the shoulder and woke the fangirl from her fawning. ¡°Before that thought¡­ lets go to a basement and find a proper place for us to set up the teleporter.¡±


    The Kingdom of Holletta was situated on the most fertile of lands on the continent and it had a long agricultural history. The people of Holletta had a long held tradition of storing food in their cellars or basements and it influenced the kingdom¡¯s architectural designs. Many locals have very large and intricately designed cellars and Becky¡¯s new manor was a typical Holletaean manor, beneath the three storey manor was a two storey cellar.


    Almost as if it was an small underground fortress of sorts.


    Becky was still not familiar with the directions of her place and had to rely on the guidance of the servants to find her way. The grey-haired butler who exudes an aura of calm and reliability led the way to the cellar¡¯s entrance, and he was obviously trying to make a good first impression on his new master. ¡°Mistress, this is the entrance to the cellar, I can lead the way¡­¡±


    It took Becky a moment to realise that the ¡®Mistress¡¯ was her, and she quickly waved her hands. ¡°There¡¯s no need. We¡¯re off doing some private business. Oh right, just to let you know. The lowest level of the cellar is now a forbidden area. No one is to enter without my express permission.¡±


    The butler nodded and stepped away. After seeing the butler in a distance Becky spazzed again. ¡°Mistress hehehehehe. Mistress. I¡¯m a rich person from today! I have no regrets!¡±


    ¡°Right. Just look at you.¡± Even Nangong Wuyue couldn¡¯t stand her and with a snort she headed downstairs.


    The cellar¡¯s design was rather simple and it did not take long for Hao Ren and his ground to reach the wine cellar. Becky froze the moment she stepped into the room and gawked at the various barrels of liquor and wine bottles in the room. There was also a long-necked silver jars on the table, the magically infused stones within them that let out a mesmerising glow, and the smell of sweet liquor filled the room.


    This was part of the reward it seems.


    Becky quickly took a few deep breaths. ¡°HNGHHHH¡­. THIS¡­ THIS IS PARADISE! I never seen so much fine liquor before! My God¡­ this is Holletta Honey Liquor! The Cressyl Flamebrew! And it is stored in a limited edition crystal bottle! Oh my goodness! The Great Southern Malt, a whole barrel of them! This is enough to buy the whole inn I usually patronise. And this silver decanters, Imperial Snow Velvet Wine! The mayor of Lamberg had only two small bottles¡­ and I HAVE SIX BIG ONES!!! HNGGGHHHH!!!¡±


    Becky fell backwards in a fit of euphoria as she sniffed with all her might. Her voice was so distant that she sounded like she was on the other side of River Styx. ¡°This is paradise! I can just drop dead here!¡±


    Hao Ren pulled out the teleportation device and ordered the automatons to install the device in on of the cellar¡¯s corners. Looking up towards Becky, he mumbled. ¡°I never thought you were such an alcoholic.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, there¡¯s no mercenary that doesn¡¯t drink! Liquor makes man brave, and the first time I took a bounty to clear some bandit lair, I depended on the dwarven hot ale to beat the snot out of the sentries by the road.


    Lily immediately sensed something was wrong. ¡°Why did you beat the sentries? I thought you were fighting bandits?¡±


    ¡°Well f*ck, I was drunk and I whacked the wrong dude.¡± Becky got up, slightly embarrassed. ¡°That got me locked up for two months.¡±


    ¡°Right, your glorious past aside.¡± Hao Ren clapped. ¡°The teleportation device is all set up. So your place is now the Space Administration¡¯s substation on Holletta. The direct route of this place is Alamanda on Tannagost. Look after this¡­. actually there¡¯s no big deal if you don¡¯t anyway. The device is encrypted and no one else can use it.¡±


    Looking at the shiny device before her, Becky¡¯s euphoria finally faded away. ¡°Oh right, you guys are heading back to Earth after this, and I¡¯ll be standing guard here.¡±

 Chapter 511

    Everybody was at Becky¡¯s new house that night. To celebrate her dreams coming true, Becky held a grand banquet (actually, she just wanted to enjoy being rich). Hao Ren and the rest of them enjoyed wine and delicacies from Holletta. They had fun until it was almost midnight before they finally went to bed, leaving a mess behind. The next morning, Hao Ren was awakened by Lil Pea¡¯s tail as usual. The little mermaid jumped happily on his chest and said, ¡°Dad! Dad! There¡¯s guests waiting outside! Guests!¡±


    Hao Ren grabbed Lil Pea and dropped the little kid in the water bowl next to him to let her swim. As he sat up on the big, soft bed, his body bounced up from the springy bed. He paused for a moment before he realized that he was in Becky¡¯s house. He tidied up, turned his head and looked out the window. He saw a group of people in the front yard, and he recognized several of them: Marshal Ophra, Cardinal Orben, and several of the archbishops and ministers, whom he saw during the secret meetings two days ago. The rest of them were guards.


    The butler was receiving the honored guests and a servant raced to the main house to inform Becky.


    Hao Ren put on his jacket, ready to go out, but found something wrong with his jacket. ¡°Huh¡­ Where are the buttons?¡±


    Hao Ren heard some noises coming from the basin. He turned and found Lil curling up in the water, pretending to sleep. However, her quick-moving tail told him that she had to be guilty. The little kid could not lie at all. He took Lil Pea out of the water and found that there were a few broken buttons lying quietly on the spot where she was sleeping.


    ¡°I thought it was edible,¡± Lil Pea said as she swished her tail, ¡°but it¡¯s not delicious.¡±


    ¡°Of course! This is plastic! Although it looks like wood, it¡¯s plastic!¡± Hao Ren stared angrily at his growing daughter. ¡°I know you¡¯re growing up, but if you¡¯re hungry, can you eat something normal? You can always wake me up or wake that piece of brick up!¡±


    The MDT immediately hit Hao Ren on the back of his head. ¡°What do you mean? You said I was a coaster yesterday! Come on, let¡¯s fight!¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    When Hao Ren reached the living room, everybody was already there. The guests were chatting with Vivian, but Hao Ren could not find Becky. He then went up to Wuyue and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the new rich girl?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s still sleeping,¡± Nangong Wuyue said and stretched her body and showed her perfect waist. If it were not for her petite figure, she could be a supermodel. ¡°What¡¯re you doing upstairs? I heard you yelling,¡± she asked.


    ¡°I was educating a fish and then fighting with my PDA. The good news is that I won, and the bad news is that I feel fxxking empty after I won,¡± Hao Ren said and covered his forehead, ¡°Can you understand my daily life without subtitles and narration?¡±


    ¡°Well, I can imagine.¡±


    And now, Becky finally appeared at the staircase and kept yawning. It looked like she was dragged out of bed by the housekeeper. She looked at the bunch of honored guests, tried to keep awake and said, ¡°Good morning everyone. Welcome¡­¡±


    Then she missed her footing and fell down the stairs. She finally stopped at Nangong Sanba¡¯s foot, got up and continued, ¡°¡­ Welcome to my house. Ouch, I think I finally wake up.¡±


    Those at the door looked at the legendary mercenary and new aristocrat with a scary look. Most of them had the same thing in their mind: there was such a person among the heroes who saved the kingdom, and she was also the recommended one. It was a disaster. Unfortunately, apart from Becky, there was no one else they could recommend: there were five local heroes in the foreign team, and the other four were said to catching wild rabbits in another world. And the ascetics were never the right person to recommend, so Becky was the only choice¡­


    ¡°What happened to you?¡± Hao Ren muttered while helped Becky up, ¡°Didn¡¯t sleep last night?¡±


    ¡°Too excited to sleep,¡± Becky said and stuck out her tongue and then smiled, ¡°Now you¡¯re staying in my house. I suddenly feel balanced inside¡­ You should come often, don¡¯t be shy, His Majesty is very rich.¡±


    Ophra was walking here. She hurriedly coughed to remind Becky when she heard it. ¡°We have a marshal, two vice ministers and four cabinet ministers here. Let¡¯s talk about business.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to the seal site of the Firstborn, right?¡± Hao Ren nodded and said, ¡°Where exactly? How are we going to get there?¡±


    A poker face suddenly popped out from aside. Cardinal Orben said with an emotionless face, ¡°I negotiated with the Pope and we decided to go to the sacred cavern in the Volcano of Dusk. There seals the Firstborn who is expected to awaken earlier. The time for the liberation of the seal is less than a year, and the situation is more serious. Those tentacles are more active. They should be more suitable for observation.¡±


    ¡°We can use the teleportation facility from Royal Magic Society,¡± a minister in a thick purple robe nodded and said, ¡°His Majesty allow us to use various strategic facilities of the Royal Magic Society this morning. In addition to the long-distance teleportation facility, we can also bring a team of elite wizards.¡±


    To deal with the tentacles of the Firstborn, wizards were obviously more effective than the ordinary warriors. At least wizards had a stronger mind, they were not so easy to go crazy.


    Everybody got excited when they heard that they could use the local teleportation technology of Holletta. Hao Ren had been here for several times but he had never tried the teleportation facility here. So they quickly packed up and followed Ophra to the station of the Royal Magic Association.


    The Royal Magic Association was a building in the northern suburbs of the capital, composed of several towering magic towers. The versatile human wizards and the mages of blood clan, who were good in magic, built this place together. As the oldest country on the continent, there were many ethnic groups in Holletta, and the blood clan was a relatively common ¡®minority¡¯ here.


    The reason why the Royal Magic Association was built outside the capital was not that ordinary people were rejecting magic, but for security. In this world, wizards were inventors and researchers. Their more important role was being a kind of technician. They liked to invent strange things, and all the hard dynamite and alchemy and engineering weapons in the world were their masterpieces. So wherever you go, big magic towers had to be built away from residential areas, because you would not know when the stuff that fell off these towers was an alchemical bomb¡­


    Of course, occasionally, there would be some unlucky wizards falling down from the towers. But don¡¯t investigate the cause. It was nothing weird for strange wizards doing strange stuff.


    Hao Ren and his team passed through a magical curtain and saw the Royal Magic Association hidden under the optical invisible enchantment. The first thing they saw was a tall tower in a weird form. The tower seemed to be broken into a few sections and was divided into several parts, floating aslant in the air. On the whole, it looked as if one-third of the structure in the middle part was missing, but the magic tower was apparently still working. They could see some blurred shadows flashed across the fracture part, which seemed to be human figures.


    ¡°Rudolph¡¯s Tower, created by the Vice President of the association,¡± Ophra explained, ¡°Rudolph belong to an old blood clan, studying space technology, and famous for his daring experimental project. An accident turned his tower into this. The spatial distortion cuts the spatial structure of the tower, causing a part of the tower to float in a different dimension. It seems to be fragmented, but the interior is still seamless, it¡¯s just that when you walk into¡­ It feels weird because some windows and doors will lead to strange places, and Rudolph has not yet designed the new structure of the whole tower. I went in to visit him once, but because the doorplate was wrong, so I had to travel back from the Cressyl Province in the South¡­ I would advise you not go there.¡±


    Before Ophra finished her words, a large group of bats appeared in front of them and turned into a human. He was a middle-aged man in a black suit with a bright smile on his face. ¡°It was just a little accident, lady. And I have warned you that the seventh floor of the magic tower was not very stable recently. I have an apprentice who even dug out his sister¡¯s underwear from his closet. The space is too unstable¡­¡±


    They immediately gave this unreliable vice president the side-eye. Rudolph shrugged and said, ¡°Well, probably it¡¯s not all because of space instability. Puberty is as mysterious as space magic.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s like this,¡± Ophra whispered, ¡°I heard that part of his brain was teleported away while he was studying magic.¡±


    ¡°The blood clan of this world seems more cheerful than those on Earth,¡± Hao Ren muttered.


    Vivian rolled her eyes and said, ¡°Of course. The Earth is so sinister. It¡¯s hard to be happy there.¡±


    ¡°So these are the guests who are going to use the long-distance teleportation facility today?¡± Rudolph said and looked at Hao Ren and his team. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve heard about¡­ But President Catherine advised me not to ask too much, so come with me quickly¡ªthe sun is not good for the skin.¡±

 Chapter 512

    It was the first time Hao Ren had walked into a real magic tower, but the environment there was not as eerie as he had imagined. In fact, it was like a reasonably well planned and neat research facility. There were reference rooms or laboratories on each floor of the tower. The place where the apprentices live was a neat and orderly dormitory. There was even a housemaster who was an old werewolf lady¡­


    There were, of course, many things that matched the word ¡®magic¡¯. For example, the magic lights that floated in the air and the gold brooms that automatically swept the floor. There were also some faint arcane mutants wandered around in the air which were harmless short secondary lives that ran out of the energy wells. However, these things just made the magic tower looking fun and interesting, not looking weird and scary at all.


    ¡°I thought the wizards living in the magic tower were all looked gloomy, and the magic tower was full of cobwebs, covered in old grease, and even the floors were black,¡± Hao Ren muttered, ¡°That¡¯s what I saw in the movie.¡±


    ¡°Even the most traditional wizard won¡¯t be like this,¡± Becky rolled her eyes and said, ¡°and this is an academic facility, a place to do research, how do you work without bright lights?¡±


    Ophra was walking beside Hao Ren and of course, she heard their conversation. She laughed and asked, ¡°Do you know who has the brightest magic tower?¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Hao Ren asked, ¡°The one study the Holy Light?¡±


    Ophra shook her head and said, ¡°The Magic Tower of Master Dubai. It has been brightly lit for a century, and Master Dubai is one of the best necromancers in the world.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Hao Ren was baffled.


    Ophra shrugged and explained, ¡°Because surgery requires a bright light, and a pair of good eyes is also needed to examine the decay of corpses and bones.¡±


    Hao Ren felt like he had learned something that he had never heard before. But Vivian was not surprised and said, ¡°It¡¯s normal. Most of the necromancers on Earth are working in the hospital. Do you know how high-power the shadowless lamps there are?¡±


    ¡°¡­ The fxxk it makes sense!¡±


    Eventually, they were taken to the teleportation hall on the second floor. This was also the ¡®breakpoint¡¯ where the magic tower was drawn into another dimension. The roof of the hall was covered by a fragmented sky. The blue magic energy line was intertwined in the cracks in the sky, maintaining the energy integrity of the magical tower itself. Rudolph clapped his hands to let the guests stop chatting and said, ¡°Thanks to that accident, it costs a lot less than anywhere else to start this teleportation device. Now please stand in the white circle, take your baggage, do not use alchemical items and walk around, there will be a slight dizziness during teleportation, but¡­¡±


    As the white light flashed, they had disappeared.


    Rudolph shrugged and continued, ¡°But you all have gone, so it¡¯s too late to complain.¡±


    A young apprentice, who was responsible for routine maintenance of the teleportation facility came and checked the energy supply of the crystal, muttered as he heard what his mentor just said, ¡°Sir, sometimes you should be serious. After all, you are here the most¡­¡±


    Rudolph gave his apprentice the side-eye and said, ¡°Oh, Searle, you¡¯re right, so let¡¯s have a serious discussion about finding your sister¡¯s underwear from your closet and discussing your puberty.¡±


    The young apprentice suddenly stumbled and said, ¡°This¡­ Sir, you knew it. This is due to the spatial mapping of the seventh-floor dormitory area! ¡±


    ¡°Oh, then let¡¯s talk about spatial mapping, get your homework the day before yesterday, and the exercise books.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Sir, I think my puberty needs your guidance!¡±


    Let¡¯s just ignore the two wizards. Hao Ren and the rest of them had come to the eastern border in seconds, which was thousands of kilometers away from the capital. One of the most disturbing ancient wonders of the world was quietly dormant at the edge of the east of the coastline.


    The Volcano of Dusk, created by the werewolf mage-emperor, Sabur, was another ¡®man-made miracle¡¯ which was equally famous as the Dragonspine Ridge.


    After the bright light of teleportation flashed by, everybody had reached the ¡®Limestone Fortress¡¯, just a short distance from the Mountains of Dusk, and the teleportation point was set in a watchtower in the fortress. Everybody was still feeling dizzy and giddy. It seemed that those ministers would still in the dizzy state for a few minutes, but Hao Ren and his team had already recovered. Lily was wagging her tail and readjusting her balance, muttered, ¡°Not any better than our Mobile Data Terminal.¡±


    The voice of the data terminal immediately appeared in their mind, ¡°But my performance is strong and stable, a one-time teleportation of 20 million light-years is also giving you the same feel! Can the technology of the copycat be compared with the powerful technology of our empire?¡±


    Ophra nodded to the soldiers who came to receive them and then told Hao Ren, ¡°That¡¯s the Volcano of Dusk, a geological spectacle created by another mage-emperor.¡±


    There was a wide lookout on the wall of the room, allowing them to have a clear view of the Volcano of Dusk not far away.


    A gigantic conical volcano stood abruptly in the flat, boulder-strewn wilderness. They did not know its size, but it looked as if it almost blotted out the sky and covered the sun from where they stood. The volcano was all dark as if it was a cool black iron, and in a farther place, they could see a vast expanse of ocean.


    About one-third of the Volcano of Dusk extended to the ocean. Deep underground, part of its obsidian mountain was even integrated with the continental shelf.


    And it was all crimson at the top of this huge black cone.


    Hao Ren could not see the top of the volcano from where he stood, but he could see the blazing red glow burning there. The light even dyed the sky red, and it let them wonder if even the sky was about to be ignited by the red light. There was no lava flowing around the volcano. But even then, the red-hot flame alone was enough to make them feel an unbearable heat coming from the depths of the soul.


    It was as if the sun had fallen into the crater. This was the origin of the name of the Volcano of Dusk.


    Hao Ren did not expect that one of the sacred caverns was actually located at the Volcano of Dusk. The name sounded familiar to him. This was the giant creation created by the ancient mage-emperor, Sanur, who used powerful witchcraft to extract the power of the deep strata. The Volcano of Dusk had never extinguished, compared with the dead Giant Tree of Life and the Dragonspine Ridge that was in a state of silence for a long time. It was still burning up to this day as if it had an incredible vitality. Therefore, they could hardly see anyone here, just an impregnable fortress guarding the formidable ancient miracle.


    There did not expect that there was a Firstborn lying under it.


    But now, knowing that the second sacred cavern was under the Volcano of Dusk, he seemed to know some sort of pattern.


    ¡°The third sacred cavern is located under the ¡®Tree of Life¡¯?¡± Hao Ren looked at Ophra and asked, ¡°Under the Tree of Life created by, the ancient elf-queen, Lorrisa?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ophra answered while nodding slowly.


    Among the many wonders that ancient mage-emperors had created by manpower, the most magnificent were the three wonders, including the Dragonspine Ridge in the western part of the kingdom, the Volcano of Dusk in the eastern part of the kingdom, and the Giant Tree of Life in the south of the kingdom. Holletta was situated on the site of the ancient magic empire, so the three remains were situated within the kingdom.


    The three remains corresponded to three Firstborns.


    And the ancient magic empire was also the ¡®main battlefield¡¯ of the three Firstborns.


    All the clues are logically linked.


    ¡°We have always known the location of the sacred caverns,¡± said Orben with a low voice, ¡°but we don¡¯t know what the sacred caverns really mean. We assume that the sacred caverns are situated just below the three ¡®evil ruins¡¯ because the Goddess imposed the punishment in the three places, or the mage-emperors challenged the Goddess¡¯s authority with the man-made miracle, but the truth is¡ªthey are seals used to suppress the Firstborns.¡±


    ¡°The ancient mage-emperors are innocent. They did not have any blasphemy sins,¡± Hao Ren shook his head and said, ¡°but I¡¯ll explain to you in detail after we go back. Now let¡¯s go and see the sleeping Firstborn. I hope it¡¯s in a deep sleep now.¡±

 Chapter 513

    Vivian had always evaluated the history passed down by short-lived species from the perspective of a long-lived species. These evaluations were always profound and accurate. When looking back at the story of the witch in the Andrea Family, the truth of the family legend had such a huge distortion in just 300 years. One could only imagine the historical record of the Plane of Dreams for the past 10,000 years¡ªthere were several twists and interruptions in the middle. Therefore, it was understandable that there were so many errors in the legends, which had been circulating until the present.


    At this point, even the long-lived species in the Plane of Dreams had no idea what the truth was.


    People always thought it was the study of taboo technology by the Ancient Magical Empire that offended the goddess, and the artificial miracles built by the mage-emperors were a sign of blasphemy. The three wonders, including the Volcano of Dusk had long been seen as an indication of heresy. But, who would have thought that these things were actually used to suppress the First Borns?


    Nonetheless, the effect of the suppression was quite limited.


    At the foot of the Volcano of Dusk was a vast wilderness. It was paved with layers of huge black rocks, which stretched to the eastern coastline. On a small mound in the midst of the wilderness and Limestone Fortress stood an ancient monastery. It appeared to be almost abandoned.


    It was one of the last monasteries belonging to the Disciples of Glory on the eastern side of the kingdom. There were only a few old ascetics inside.


    The mottled walls of the monastery were covered in thistles and thorns. The monastery was surrounded by pieces of stones and sparse salt-tolerant bushes. From the outside, probably no one could imagine that this was the second sacred cavern, the Church of the Watch. They did not delay any longer in Limestone Fortress. After a simple conversation with the guards, Ophra led them directly to the shabby monastery. The entrance to the sacred cave was just below the monastery.


    Lily looked at the dilapidated the ancient monastery with a certain kind of feeling. ¡°This place is really shabby¡­ A fortress, and an old monastery, could they really protect such an important place?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate these ancient facilities,¡± Orben said and shook his head. ¡°The three ancient ruins have a corresponding sacred cavern; the chapel in Beinz Blood Lake, the old monastery of the Volcano of Dusk, and the chapel of the Giant Tree of Life. These three facilities are the oldest and most powerful of the divine nodes. The network of churches in the entire kingdom are providing energy to these three nodes. Although they look dilapidated, even an army can hardly break through their defenses.¡±


    ¡°The chapel in Beinz Blood Lake was ruined in just a moment. After our investigation, we found that the First Born had completely cut off the divine operation of the chapel,¡± Ophra shrugged and said, ¡°It turns out that the First Born¡¯s power is far beyond our understanding. Even the Ancient Magic Empire couldn¡¯t fight it. Our present system is even more useless.¡±


    Orben shook his head and did not speak again. The ascetics of the small monastery opened the entrance that led underground. The entrance was located in the backyard of the monastery. From the outside, it was just a big, ordinary tombstone. Hao Ren guessed that the chapel in Beinz Blood Lake also had such an entrance to the Divine Sarcophagus. However, before he could find the entrance, the whole chapel had been engulfed in the whirlpool.


    The three sacred caverns had the same structure. The First Born slept in a huge underground cave surrounded by a maze-like cavern system. Above this system, there was a layer of man-made rock shells (the builders were those ancient mage-emperors), which supported the upper surface. Just right above the system, a chapel was built (the creator was the first pope of the Disciples of Glory). Under the chapel, there was a security device that constantly ¡°hypnotized¡± the First Born. It was the Divine Sarcophagus.


    The whole structure was like nailing a silver nail into a coffin to prevent the evil spirit from being resurrected. The world had been under the protection of this fragile safety device for 10,000 years.


    They walked down a steep rock corridor and reached the underground of the chapel. It was a medium-sized underground palace, very spacious, but the structure was simple, no decoration, which was a plain practical facility.


    Hao Ren walked behind Orben. When he came out of the corridor, he saw a spacious hall illuminated by a magical glowing stone and a stone altar was placed in the center of the hall. The stone altar was empty, but the slight sunken surface in the center seemed to prove that something had been placed there. And around the hall, there were many grey robes ascetics who were meditating.


    ¡°This is the ascetic group sent from the capital,¡± Ophra explained in a low voice, ¡°The church and the king had sent a lot of men to monitor the movement of the two sacred caverns. But because the minds of ordinary people will be controlled if they are too close to the tentacles, so most of them can only stay in the limestone fortress. Only these ascetics and some high-ranking knights entered the ground. Those knights are in the other crypts.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. He knew that the sleeping place of the First Born was like a huge underground maze. There should be numerous crisscrossing corridors and huge crypt around. The knights and ascetics from the capital should have gone to every crypt and the ascetics here should be responsible for guarding the entrance.


    There was no change in the surface of the Volcano of Dusk, but layers of defense line had been set up under it, which only worked for psychological comfort.


    Orben pointed to the stone altar in the center of the long hall and said, ¡°This was used to place the Divine Sarcophagus, but after opening a layer of the sacred cavern, we moved the Divine Sarcophagus to a deeper place.¡±


    Then he led them across the hall and went on to another, more inclined, downward corridor. Soon everyone walked through a stone wall that looked like it had just been broken, and the road ahead suddenly broadened.


    ¡°We have just passed the outer wall of the underground palace, which we just broke it last month,¡± another bishop looked back at the black stone wall engraved with Letta runes and said, ¡°starting from here we entered the First Born¡¯s sphere of influence.¡±


    Several ministers in the team immediately clenched the magic amulet in their hands. They were just ordinary men. They did not have the strong mind like ascetics or the strong will of those knights. Because of the mission, they entered the territory of the First Born and relied on the blessed amulet to move freely in this underground world.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting hot now,¡± said Nangong Wuyue. She was the first one to sense the subtle change of the surrounding. ¡°And the air smell like¡­ sulfur?¡±


    ¡°We are now under the Volcano of Dusk,¡± Ophra explained with a smile, ¡°The werewolf mage-emperor, Sanur, created the world¡¯s largest and most complex underground lava river under the volcano, so there¡¯re some heat and gas seeping through the cracks in the rocks. But don¡¯t worry, we have confirmed that there is no leakage.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue protected herself with a layer of mist and grumbled, ¡°Tsk¡­ Why I always encounter this kind of thing. I¡¯m starting to lose my scales.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    They walked all the way down the underpass, the farther they went the broader it became. They passed a few forks and some spacious stone chambers. Just as Hao Ren expected, there were three to five high-ranking knights or ascetics stationed at each fork and stone chamber. They built simple and crude camps and defense lines in the underworld, monitoring any movements that could be heard in the maze-like of corridors.


    At the same time, Hao Ren finally saw what he wanted to see: The First Born¡¯s tentacles began to appear on the surrounding wall.


    When Auburn looked at the winding and huge tentacles, his face finally lost the kind of stone-like calm and his poker face even slightly twitched a little bit. As a cardinal who had a strong and firm mind and was very sensitive to the ¡®Lifeblood¡¯ and ¡®The Power of Origins¡¯, he could feel the powerful force and crazy thoughts in these tentacles more clearly than others. He explained to them, ¡°These are the outer tentacles, and only a few of them have the ability to interfere with the mind. You won¡¯t be affected if you avoid them. So it¡¯s safe here, but as we go further we will enter¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll enter the key ¡®organ¡¯ of the First Born, I know, we went in there before,¡± Hao Ren said and nodded, ¡°these tunnels should still be in the outer layer of the cavern, and you had opened the outer crust of the inner zone?¡±


    ¡°Right in front, but it¡¯s not opened by us,¡± Orben nodded and led them to a fork in the road, ¡°It took us 10 days to find the weak spot of the barrier left by the ancient mage-emperor in the tunnel, and it made us uneasy as we found a hole in it. Some of the tentacles of the First Born were spread out of that hole.¡±


    10 minutes later, the team came to the ¡®barrier entrance¡¯. This was a huge round cavern. The walls around the cavern were covered with ancient and sacred writings. These were the seals and messages left by the first pope. Hundreds of ascetics and knights built forts and defense lines in the cave, closely monitoring the tentacles that spread from the west side of the cavern. Hao Ren saw the tentacles coming out of a huge rift, rather than ¡®penetrating¡¯ from the cracks as elsewhere, which indicated that the tentacles were using a more violent approach to break through the barrier, consciously expanding their access.


    But it looked like this was just a short period of ¡®false awakening¡¯. Now those tentacles had fallen asleep again. Judging from the traces around the tentacles, their last ¡®convulsions¡¯ should be many years ago.


    ¡°It¡¯s disturbing. How many things have happened underneath when we¡¯re not aware of it?¡± said Ophra.


    Hao Ren approached the tentacles gingerly. After confirming the tentacles were unresponsive, he stepped on them and climbed along the tentacles to the hole on the wall to see the situation on the other side.


    The other side was the chamber where the First Born was sleeping. He saw a huge stone chamber filled with ominous red light. Countless tentacles converged from all directions to form an organ that looked like a twisted tumor. The organ was dormant and its faint red light was flickering at a very slow rate.


    ¡°The good news is that it¡¯s sleeping very well, and the bad news is that this ¡®tumor¡¯ looks bigger than the one in the Dragonspine Ridge.¡± Hao Ren jumped back to the ground and asked, ¡°Where is the Divine Sarcophagus? I want to analyze how it works.¡±


    Orben pointed to a small stone house in the center of the garrison, said, ¡°Right there.¡±

 Chapter 514

    The so-called Divine Sarcophagus was not actually a coffin but a black box that was one meter in length and less than half a meter in height. The box was made of an unknown material and its surface was engraved with dark red ancient runes. Several straight nicks divided the top half of the box into several large and small polygons, making it look like it was made up of many pieces.


    It was smaller than Hao Ren had expected.


    The room where the Divine Sarcophagus was stored in was located at the center of the cave. Hundreds of knights and ascetics guarded the stone chamber. The stone chamber itself was created by the most powerful earthen magicians, guaranteeing its ability to withstand the attack from the First Born¡¯s tentacles. The four corners of the stone chamber were equipped with powerful instruments that transmitted the magical energy of the monastery around the Divine Sarcophagus. There were also thick scripture blankets on the four walls of the stone chamber. Aside from offering protection, the setting could also amplify the bioelectric signals released by the Divine Sarcophagus: perhaps, the facilities in the stone chamber could still hold the suppression signal for a day or two after the primordial tissue in the box died.


    The stone chamber was not large. Only Hao Ren, Vivian, Ophra, and Cardinal Orben went inside. Hao Ren looked at the black box curiously and placed his hand on it. It felt a little warm, not like cold rock or metal. Of course, it was also possible that the ¡°creature¡± inside the box was heating up the device. He patted his pocket and called the MDT out. ¡°Can you feel it?¡±


    ¡°There are complex signals being released inside the container, including electromagnetic waves of three different frequencies and some other types of clutter.¡± The MDT hovered around the Divine Sarcophagus. ¡°It¡¯s a signal transmitter. It¡¯s constantly releasing a signal to calm the big guy down.¡±


    Cardinal Orben looked curiously at the little blue brick, which was floating in the air. However, considering the incredible power and technology the foreigners had, he did not comment on this seemingly human ¡°alchemy¡±. Ophra asked, ¡°Can you clone this signal?¡±


    ¡°I would at least have to touch it, and get some tissue samples or something.¡± The MDT flickered. ¡°It¡¯s easy to simulate electromagnetic waves released by the Divine Sarcophagus with technology, but this thing involves occultism¡­. I think we should first examine it carefully.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Cardinal Orben. ¡°Can you open it?¡± he asked.


    The runes on Cardinal Orben¡¯s forehead flickered. It was a sign of intense thought. But before he set off, the pope had personally instructed to him to cooperate in the ¡°research activities¡± of the foreigners. After some thought, he nodded and said, ¡°Of course, but please be careful. It is irreplaceable.¡±


    The cardinal placed his hand on the top of the Divine Sarcophagus and whispered an ancient scripture. As his chanting continued, the runes and lines on the surface of the Divine Sarcophagus gradually lit up. Then, the lid of the container broke along those straight lines into a few pieces before slowly floating up and flying apart.


    Inside the container was a big lump of¡­ something that was hard to describe.


    It was a weird, creature-like thing. It was dark red, but mixed with a plant-like green. This bizarre piece of tissue looked like animal embryos connected together from end to end, with a dim light flashing in them. One-third of the container was filled with a thick red fluid, the texture of which quite resembled the lifeblood. The weird living tissue was soaked in it.


    However, despite the fact that the fluid and living tissue looked weird, they were not disgusting. They exuded an incredibly soothing vibe, even a sense of sacredness; this was the material from which life originated. It was even more ancient than the First Born.


    ¡°This is the ¡®Progenitor of Life¡¯,¡± Ophra whispered as though she was afraid of waking the thing up. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯m seeing it.¡±


    ¡°I was fortunate enough to have seen it once, 150 years ago.¡± Cardinal Orben knitted his brows together. ¡°At that time, it was more active than it is now.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s dying,¡± the MDT quickly concluded. ¡°This is an organ that has been cut off¡­ or fallen off during its normal evolutionary process. In any case, it is an incomplete living tissue. The main body has disappeared and this part of the organ is slowly failing.¡±


    Vivian frowned. ¡°What is it supposed to be?¡±


    The MDT scanned the physical makeup of the Progenitor of Life in more detail. ¡°It may be the ganglion of the Seed of Origin, used to give orders and accept commands. I¡¯ve found that it has powerful signal broadcast and reception capabilities, just like a powerful broadcasting antenna. At the same time, it also has a certain ability to think and judge¡­ But, this part of its function has already been suppressed. The Seed of Origin is really wonderful. Its organs can still survive for so long after being shed from the main body¡­¡±


    Hao Ren instantly caught a key phrase. ¡°Accept commands? What kind of commands?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. My job is to only scan. It has a structure similar to an antenna, and seems to be capable of superluminal communication.¡± The MDT descended back onto Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Perhaps it receives commands from the goddess of creation. You said that the Seed of Origin was sown by the goddess to observe space. So, this thing definitely has a communication function. Perhaps, it flew to its destination and sent back photos or videos or something to its maker.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyes were fixated on the lump of living tissue. He originally thought that this thing was just a simple suppressor. Little did he expect it to be the ganglion of the Seed of Origin, much less an antenna!


    More likely than not, it was normal. If the illusion he once saw was true, then the purpose of the goddess sowing the Seed was to observe the starry sky. Therefore, the Seed of Origin had to have the ability to communicate. The antenna that was sealed in the Divine Sarcophagus was the antenna of the Seed!


    But now was definitely not the time to bring this stuff back for studying. Hao Ren shook his head, trying to calm himself down. ¡°First, let¡¯s see if you can clone this thing, or figure out the mechanism that¡¯s inhibiting the First Born.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s make a comprehensive clone, not one that just duplicates the signals. We need a physical clone, and this requires a tissue sample,¡± the MDT said while it moved forward. The cardinal immediately stood in front of the Divine Sarcophagus, blocking the MDT. His facial muscles were tense. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to damage it¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just taking a few tissue samples. That won¡¯t kill it.¡± The MDT went around Orben. ¡°This thing is tougher than you think. Even though it¡¯s dying, it¡¯s still healthier than you.¡±


    The MDT was hovering above the mass of tissue before it stopped and froze. Looking at it for a few seconds, Hao Ren could not help but ask, ¡°Well? Is there a problem?¡±


    The MDT flew back and stuttered, ¡°D-Dang, I forgot I have no hands! I¡¯m just a PDA. I have no probes!¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    In the end, it was the autonomous robot that Hao Ren took out from his Dimensional Pocket who did the collecting of the samples. It then sealed it in a special container, which could keep the living tissues alive. Such containers were standard issue equipment for inspectors, used to capture carbon-based biological specimens in other worlds, or leftovers¡ªwell, there was no mention in the operation manual for the second function, but Hao Ren had developed this usage himself and it worked well.


    Cardinal Orben was now accustomed to the unusual gadgets that Hao Ren used.


    ¡°The equipment on the Petrachelys should be able to clone this thing, but this won¡¯t solve the fundamental problem.¡± With arms akimbo, Hao Ren looked at the giant tentacles by the side of the cave. ¡°I still need to find a way to kill this thing. Once and for all, and¡ª¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s better not to create too much movement.¡± Ophra pointed down at their feet. ¡°This is the west side of the Volcano of Dusk. It¡¯s only a few hundred meters away from the nearest magma column. Every mage-emperor used different techniques to suppress the First Born; in Dragonspine Ridge, the mountain range formed a cage and there were rock monsters; here, they used magma. There are huge magma columns around the First Born¡¯s key organs. The world¡¯s largest magma lake may be deep beneath our feet. A group of elemental flames in the crater of the Volcano of Dusk suppresses the underground fires to prevent them from accidentally erupting or waking up the First Born. If you do something similar like last time¡ª¡±


    ¡°The orbital artillery will destroy the magma system, causing the continental shelf to collapse. At least half of Holletta will be destroyed, and if the volcanic vapor enters the atmosphere, more than one-third of life on the planet will be extinct,¡± the MDT chimed in. ¡°She¡¯s right. My radar shows that the area is completely covered by intricate magma flow. The magma columns and the magma river wrap the First Born like a net. Obviously, this is man-made.¡±


    Hao Ren was wide-mouthed and he said, ¡°Then, I shall use my brain.¡±

 Chapter 515

    The ancient mage-emperors obviously did not know how to effectively suppress the First Born, because they were all defeated. The First Born was forced to fall asleep under the influence of the safety device, and they had not really found a way to kill this primal creature. Therefore, after the First Born fell asleep, the suppressive measures they took were basically a gamble: each mage-emperor chose a different form of sealing in the hopes that they would work.


    The mountainous barriers of Dragonspine Ridge and the lifeless rock monsters were proven to be ineffective, while the Giant Tree of Life was said to have withered. Now, the only seemingly functional and powerful seal was the Volcano of Dusk.


    The volcano was pressing against the First Born. The werewolf mage-emperor, Sanur created under the volcano a web of magma flow and columns, so that they criss-crossed around the First Born¡¯s organs like nails. The deep underground world here was far more complicated than the one in Beinz. The cracks and magma lakes formed a fragile but stable equilibrium, and as soon as the First born woke up, it would trigger the elemental flames in the Volcano of Dusk. The area would collapse and the First Born would fall into the magma deep in the mantle.


    However, Sanur did not try to use this method to kill the sleeping First Born. He knew that merely pushing the monster into the magma was not enough to kill it. Instead, this would only lead to an early awakening. Therefore, Hao Ren speculated that the suppressions used beneath the Volcano of Dusk were just stopgap measures. The mage-emperor was expecting his ¡°allies from the stars¡±, who were destined to never come.


    Hao Ren decided to go into the First Born¡¯s sleeping chamber after collecting the tissue samples and signal frequencies from the Divine Sarcophagus. The area ahead was a place that the average person could absolutely not venture into. Even holding the amulet of the Church, he or she may still be affected by the First Born¡¯s illusion at any time. So this time, he only brought Vivian, Ophra, and Cardinal Orben with him. Everyone else stayed behind in the cavern.


    Becky had wanted to follow: her professional habits as a mercenary made her feel that she ought to go deeper. Additionally, her mental strength was no less stronger than a high-level knight or ascetic, who could move freely in deep caverns. However, Hao Ren did not think it necessary to bring too many people along, so he let her and Lily stay back.


    The four of them got into the sleeping chambers of one of the First Born¡¯s sarcomas through a large crack in the rock barrier. They then groped themselves forward in the cavern system, which extended in all directions. The environment in the deep caverns was several times worse than the outside. The high heat was unbearable and the air was filled with the pungent smell of sulfur. They were very close to the magma column. Also, from time to time, they would hear strange sounds, and see chaotic visions in their minds. This was the First Born sleep-talking, and those who stepped into its viccinity would be involuntarily affected.


    ¡°This guy looks more ¡®mature¡¯ than the one in Dragonspine Ridge. Perhaps he is approaching ¡®adulthood¡¯,¡± said Hao Ren. ¡°I remember the interference of the First Born in Dragonspine Ridge not being this strong. I only heard it occasionally.¡±


    Ophra nodded. ¡°Rumor has it that the evil spirits of the mage-emperors are underneath the Volcano of Dusk. Soldiers in Limestone Fortress often heard strange sounds coming from deep underground, but they didn¡¯t know they were from the First Born.¡±


    After a long while, a huge underground rift appeared before them.


    This black rift stretched out far to both sides beyond their eyes could see. The spot where they were standing on was right in the middle of the rift. Clinging on to the cliffs of the rift, giant tentacles criss-crossed the gap like bridges, while down at the bottom of the rift, dark red magma flowed slowly. There was even a magma waterfall a few hundred meters away from the cavern¡¯s exit and it formed a fiery pillar of fire. The red light emanating from the magma illuminated the hellish underground world. Hao Ren looked up and could only see a faint shadow: it was the roof, which was woven with more tentacles, holding the rock layer above it.


    The air was filled with an unbearable smell, and every breath felt as if their lungs were on fire. Vivian summoned a frosty barrier and barely blocked out the bad air around them. She then released a small bat. The little bat circled around the opposite cliff a few times, and when it came back, it was almost dehydrated like dried meat.


    Vivian snapped the bat back into her body and frowned. ¡°There is no way ahead. Only one tentacle connects to the opposite ramp like a bridge, but the path is very bad and the tentacle is a bit too thin¡­¡± she said.


    ¡°This is a place full of maliciousness.¡± Cardinal Orben took a deep breath as the runes on his skin glittered. ¡°The air is filled with hostility.¡±


    ¡°There is no need to go any deeper. This is pretty much the core area.¡± Hao Ren shook his head and released the MDT. ¡°How¡¯s the scan of the structure coming along?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s completed.¡± The MDT projected a complex scan of the subterranean world, showing an ellipsoidal region of lava, rifts, tentacles, caverns, and a weird mass of biological tissue, which was woven together like a twisted nightmare. ¡°We better go back and find a better solution.¡±


    Hao Ren sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s get the hell out of here.¡±


    The expedition group returned to Limestone Fortress and teleported back to the Royal City.


    They did not go to the Giant Tree of Life, because the situation there was not complicated, and it was much easier to resolve than the one in the Volcano of Dusk. Moreover, in Hao Ren¡¯s action plan, as long as he could deal with the First Born beneath the volcano, the underground cavern beneath the Giant Tree of Life was not going to be a problem.


    Of course, Hao Ren still had to ask Ophra for some information. This was regarding a map that the ascetics of the Disciples of Glory had drawn after spending two months exploring the underground system beneath the Giant Tree of Life, and some historical documents about the Giant Tree. It did not matter if these things were useful or not, they could never have too much information.


    Several other officers and cardinals had returned to their respective work. They each needed to find their own boss, and Ophra as well as Hao Ren had also returned to Becky¡¯s manor. However, the marshal looked a bit worried. ¡°How should I report this?¡±


    ¡°Just assure the king. I have an idea,¡± Hao Ren said with confidence. ¡°In fact, I had several plans in mind when I was in the caverns¡­ But, all plans have a certain risk. The situation in the Volcano of Dusk is very complex. I have to prevent the magma from breaking out.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll go back and study it. We¡¯ll come back immediately as soon as there¡¯s a solution. The next time we come back, the problem of the First Born on this planet should be completely solved,¡± Lily said, sounding like an expert. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m sure Landlord will have a way. He¡¯s a high-tech guy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re leaving now?¡± Ophra looked at them and then at Becky. ¡°Is she staying back?¡±


    ¡°She can¡¯t leave the manor estate here.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°But, it doesn¡¯t make a difference to us as we can travel through space and time just like we¡¯re running out to buy groceries across the street. When we¡¯re not around, please look after Becky. Well, you know this girl has a little brain¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, Becky glared at him and Lily, who was next to him immediately growled in a threatening manner. Hao Ren looked at Lily with a forced smile. ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking about you¡­¡±


    Lily gritted her teeth. ¡°But I know you were going to use me as an example! I know you too well¡ªa cracked bell can never sound well¡­¡±


    Everyone was quiet. Vivian patted Lily on the shoulder. ¡°How do you think you sound right now?¡±


    Lily did not get her drift. ¡°Arf?¡±


    Hao Ren pinched Lily on the ear as he smiled and looked at Ophra. ¡°About the cult, I need you to keep an eye on them. I heard that there¡¯s still no lead on them?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a loose sect, and it¡¯s very likely it¡¯s a cult made up of a dozen small gangs,¡± said Ophra, shaking her head. ¡°We only know they are still active in certain areas, but we have not been able to catch anyone.¡±


    ¡°Take some of them in alive.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°I want to study that gigantic brain they summoned.¡±


    ¡°And remember to pass the letter to the pope and the king,¡± Vivian reminded Ophra. ¡°It contains the truth that we¡¯ve discovered about the First Born ending the world and the mage-emperors being the scapegoat for 10,000 years. Now you guys should right the wrongs of the past. Regardless of whether those bigwigs believe it or not, the mage-emperors are indeed innocent.¡±


    Ophra nodded slightly. ¡°Understood.¡±


    Ophra left discreetly before Hao Ren could send her off, leaving him to bid farewell to Becky. The mercenary was still very reluctant to give up her friends at this time. After all, they had lived together for so long. Even mercenaries had feelings. ¡°You have to come see me often, even after the problem of the First Born is solved. From now on, please bring me along when you¡¯re going somewhere exciting. I still wish to sit in your spaceship and go on adventures. Oh, please don¡¯t forget to bring me some potato chips and Coke the next time you come¡­.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the maiden¡¯s rare expression with much interest. ¡°If you can¡¯t bear to see us go, why don¡¯t you come back with us to Earth?¡±


    Becky jumped a meter back. Clinging on to the door¡¯s pillar, she said, ¡°Drive safe. I¡¯d rather stay here as a parvenu.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    After they left Becky¡¯s manor, Vivian asked, ¡°Are we traveling directly from Alamanda to Andrea Castle? Are we taking the spaceship or teleporting?¡±


    ¡°No, there¡¯s still one thing left.¡± Hao Ren tilted his head slightly to look at the sky. ¡°A ruin we have yet to see.¡±

 Chapter 516

    Whenever night fell, the silver moons hung high in the sky. Standing on the earth in Holletta, watching the night sky was a very different experience from watching it on Earth. The two moons¡ªone big, one small¡ªsprinkled their glow upon the earth. The most striking feature of the primary moon was always its irregular red spot.


    It was the former site of the legendary moon city. During ancient times, the Magic Empire used incredible technology to send humans into space. The mortals at that time were even capable of building cities and factories on the moon. In those years, the moon was as bustling as the earth, with vast fields, magic towers, and large transit stations or landing platforms for ships to transport passengers to and fro, day and night.


    However, when the catastrophic natural disaster struck, the moon and the earth suffered the same fate. Holletta¡¯s ancient manuscripts recorded the terrible scenes witnessed by stargazers on the surface of the earth: a dozen small red spots suddenly appeared on the moon. These red spots then expanded rapidly at a speed that was visible to the naked eye. The silhouette of the city on the moon¡¯s surface seemed to be engulfed by the red spots as quickly as the melting of cheese in a hot oven. The whole moon became blood-red, and it slowly faded after a few days. The last remaining redness was the Great Red Spot. People firmly believed that the Great Red Spot was the same thing as the Beinz Blood Lake.


    But, whether the red spot on the lunar surface was another blood lake or not remained to be seen.


    After bidding farewell to Becky, Hao Ren did not choose to directly teleport back to Alamanda Station. Instead, he released the Petrachelys into the remote wilderness before setting off to the planet¡¯s giant satellite¡ªthe primary moon.


    The space there was dark and vast, and the stars in the Plane of Dreams were just as colorful as the ones in the real world. Among the bright stars, no one knew how many more small worlds, which harbored life had been discovered. As his perspective broadened, Hao Ren was only beginning to consider many things that he had never taken the initiative to think about as he sailed in space. He looked at the twinkling stars and realized that finding all the planets with the Seed of Origin was almost impossible. He had to find some kind of shortcut or pattern, which could perhaps allow him to restore the drifting route originally taken by the Seed of Origin tens of millions of years ago. He could even extrapolate the whereabouts of the goddess of creation.


    ¡°It¡¯s totally silent.¡± Stuck to the control panel of the spacecraft, the MDT lamented, ¡°Just dead silence.¡±


    Vivian looked up, perplexed. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®totally silent¡¯?¡±


    ¡°This universe.¡± The MDT switched on the transmission monitor. ¡°Look at these channels, only our own signal is present. All types and frequencies of local communication channels are silent; electromagnetic waves, gravitational waves, quantum communications, subspace interference¡­ nothing. Just silence. All channels are silent. You don¡¯t feel it, but I feel like I¡¯m floating in a desert. The whole universe is pitch quiet. There are only a few oases that are still lingering like Holletta, which don¡¯t even possess the ability to make their voices heard outside their own star system.¡±


    ¡°The quieter it gets, the more disturbing it becomes. This means, those civilizations that have the ability to go interstellar may be extinct, or else the universe wouldn¡¯t be as silent as this.¡± Hao Ren shook his head. From his Dimensional Pocket, he took out a foot-long, silver-white metal canister, which contained a sample of the tissues taken from the Divine Sarcophagus. ¡°Lily, send this to the lab. The server is ready.¡±


    Lily ran out with the jar. Vivian looked up at Hao Ren and said, ¡°You¡¯re going to clone the Seed of Origin, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ you guessed it?¡± Hao Ren scratched his head. ¡°I thought I managed to hide it from Orben pretty well.¡±


    ¡°Come on. Only bumpkins would believe those statements you made in cohorts with the MDT. You won¡¯t be able to fool me. It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t know what an electromagnetic wave is. As long as you can reproduce the same frequency, carbon-based or silicon-based, who cares?¡± Vivian said. ¡°The purpose for your collection of samples is to study the Seed of Origin.¡±


    ¡°I was afraid that if I had made my intentions clear, Cardinal Orben would not be so willing to cooperate with us, let alone let us have the samples,¡± said Hao Ren, smiling wryly. ¡°The Seed of Origin equals to the goddess. We didn¡¯t know what their bottom line was, so it was better to beat around the bush.¡±


    ¡°But, do you really think it¡¯s that easy to clone the Seed of Origin?¡± Vivian¡¯s brows were pulled together. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a living creature in the conventional sense¡­ Although it seems to have flesh and blood, God knows what we¡¯ll get. Be careful. If things get out of hand, it could become a biohazard.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°I know. The success rate of cloning is probably less than 10 %¡­ but it¡¯s better than nothing. At least we can find out what the Seed of Origin is made up of.¡±


    ¡°Have you gotten any ideas on how to handle the remaining two First Borns?¡± Nangong Wuyue had not interrupted them the entire time, but she chimed in all of a sudden. ¡°It¡¯s said that the Giant Tree of Life is easier to deal with. The critical one is in the Volcano of Dusk. It¡¯s too unstable.¡±


    ¡°There are a few preliminary plans, but I have to wait until I go back and consult with the experts.¡± Hao Ren deliberately kept things suspenseful. Meanwhile, the MDT suddenly chimed in as well, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk now. Here we are at the ruins of the moon.¡±


    The spacecraft had neared the primary moon¡¯s orbit and was rapidly descending. They zoomed past the moon at a height of two or three kilometers above its surface, and saw the ancient but almost unrecognizable face of the ruins.


    The lunar surface was lifeless, gray and white. It was mostly flat and covered with fine debris, while the ruins of the Lunar Kingdom could be seen scattered everywhere. Traces of man-made objects could also be seen amidst the ruins. Some of them were gray debris like buildings or towers, which lay on the ground. But all of these things had been severely corroded. The degree of corrosion even made them appear ¡°melted¡±. The buildings had collapsed and all of their edges or corners were rounded, giving the impression that they had melted like plastic.


    The MDT launched the image recovery system in the spacecraft, trying to restore the original appearance of the ruins. Soon, a holographic projection of a magnificent city covered the real lunar surface. The MDT used a few color patches to color-code different areas of the model. ¡°This should be an exterior wall. It¡¯s completely crushed, and only the base is left. This location was probably a facility like an energy well. This piece is the take-off and landing pad for spacecrafts.¡±


    ¡°The technology of the Ancient Magic Empire appears to be more advanced than we expected. Their lunar station wasn¡¯t just a small station, but a mature space colony. The planet must have undergone a profound ecological transformation.¡± Nangong Wuyue stared at the lunar city simulated on the holographic projection, imagining the planet¡¯s lush greenery under a man-made dome. ¡°Perhaps on top of our heads, there was once a layer of an ecological shield¡­ Brother, can you please stop digging at the chair?¡±


    Nangong Sanba was studying the spacecraft¡¯s seat. He looked up and eyeballed Hao Ren. ¡°Did you really yank out a spaceship from thin air?¡±


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes. ¡°Haven¡¯t you realized by now?¡±


    ¡°Actually, no. Not yet,¡± said Nangong Sanba, looking at Hao Ren in a dumbfounded manner. ¡°Spaceships, alien technology, otherworldly magic; something isn¡¯t right here. Is the nature of your work considered science fiction or magical?¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m a clergyman.¡± Hao Ren nodded with a solemn face. ¡°And if you continue to smash my spaceship, I¡¯ll throw you out¡ªit¡¯s -200 ¡ãC outside. It¡¯s a vacuum.¡±


    Nangong Sanba immediately sat upright, revealing his usual big-tailed wolf appearance. ¡°Of course, as a demon hunter, my ability to adapt is still very strong. What are we doing here by the way? Exploring an extra-terrestrial civilization?¡±


    ¡°Do you still remember the tentacles you saw in the caverns?¡± Hao Ren pointed at an image on the holographic projection. ¡°That thing can destroy a whole ecosystem, and we¡¯re here¡­ to find out how that thing launched a star war.¡±


    The holographic projection showed the scene in front of the spaceship. At the end of the horizon, there was a red piece, which was the Great Red Spot on the moon.


    It was a frozen blood lake.


    ¡°Look at those things by the lake.¡± Lily¡¯s fluffy hair slowly stoodon end above her ears. ¡°They look like tentacles¡­

 Chapter 517

    The Petrachelys slowly decelerated over the ruins on the moon¡¯s surface, scanning every detail of the city. At the same time, it was moving towards the crystal-like, red area. According to data from the remote sensing equipment, the red substance was almost identical to the one from the Beinz Blood Lake.


    The entire red area was extremely vast. It was estimated to be more than six million square kilometers in size and it had an irregular oval shape. The original Beinz Blood Lake seemed to be nothing compare to this. Large amounts of corroded and melted debris were visible at the edge of the red zone. The distortion of the ruins there was more severe than that of other places. It was apparently a result of long-term contact with the red substance. At the border of the red substance and the surrounding ruins, the most striking feature was undoubtedly the tentacles.


    The spacecraft landed on a flat spot by the edge of the red area. Hao Ren got everyone to wear a life-support collar and led several autonomous machines to leave the spacecraft.


    Nangong Sanba jumped on the spot. ¡°This is how it feels like to land on the moon¡­ I feel light.¡±


    ¡°The gravity here is actually greater than the gravity of the moon near my hometown,¡± Hao Ren said. He then looked up at Lily. ¡°May I borrow your Flamejoy?¡±


    Lily fluttered over as she brandished her claws. ¡°Actually, I think I want to rename it and call it the Sword of Damocles¡­¡±


    Vivian and Hao Ren glared at her. ¡°No!¡±


    Lily whined, and moved to the side with her tail between her legs, feeling dejected.


    With the warm Flamejoy in hand, Hao Ren cautiously crossed the boundary between the two areas. He stepped on the frozen red lake, and scratched the ice, collecting some ice flakes as well as melted liquid. The nature of this liquid was almost indistinguishable from that of water. It was not known why the lifeblood had degenerated into this state after completing its task of annihilation and creation of life.


    Then, he returned Lily¡¯s claw before he approached the tentacles by the lakeside. He discovered that these tentacles had been in a withered state for a long time and they were different from what he saw on the earth¡¯s surface: they were more slender, the pattern on their skin was neater, and their texture had a strong sense of metal. It looked like they were from another part of the First Born¡¯s body¡­ or they could be a functional spinoff.


    The MDT flew around and observed the surrounding conditions, speculating the scene after the destruction of the moon¡¯s surface. ¡°The ancient people¡¯s lunar ecosystem may have been completely dependent on an artificial environment. So, the atmosphere and constant temperature were gone after the city¡¯s destruction. The Blood Tide became a large piece of ice once it receded into this area. These tentacles should be the last batch to grow from the Blood Tide before the lunar environment became completely unfit for life. Hence, no new tentacles grew, and as a result, they were all concentrated on the edge of the Blood Tide.¡±


    ¡°Look at the bottom of the lake.¡± Hao Ren lowered his head and pointed at the red, icy surface. With his extraordinary eyesight, he could vaguely see the shadows underneath the thick layer of ice, where human relics and building bases that were decomposed by the Blood Tide lay. They had been immersed in this red liquid and should be completely dissolved by now, but the unusually rapid loss of temperature following the shutdown of the lunar surface¡¯s thermostat had caused the Blood Tide to stop prematurely and turn into red water. Parts that had decomposed halfway were frozen in state.


    These phenomena were not found on any other ecological planets. The special artificial environment of the moon city had retained these valuable chunks for study.


    MDT hit the ice happily. ¡°Oh, this is a good thing! We can take a look at the decomposition process they went through!¡±


    Hao Ren shot the MDT a sideways look. The latter was swiftly spinning on the ice like a drill bit. ¡°Do you realize that you¡¯re just a PDA? I have three autonomous robots here!¡±


    The MDT then came to its senses. It quickly drifted back into the air and said, ¡°Fine, let the autonomous robots do the drilling.¡±


    While waiting for the autonomous robots to bore through the ice, Hao Ren threw the MDT another sideways look. ¡°Please refrain from downloading any more Korean dramas. You will degenerate yourself very quickly by doing so.¡±


    The MDT was angered. ¡°Do you think I like to do it? Your dog likes to watch Korean dramas, Battie likes to watch cooking programmes, the siren likes to watch Animal World, and your daughter likes to watch the Pleasant Goat! No one¡¯s watching the TV at home, but they ask me to show them the Big Bang Theory every evening at 7:30 pm on the coffee table in 3D! After that, you would play DOTA! I have a X-880 Series Thinking Core, full-fledged artificial intelligence, three-meter-wide HD holographic projection as well as 1PB minimum internet speed, andyou use me to play DOTA? My internal storage is filled with your family¡¯s amusing things, and you complain that I¡¯m brain dead? Oh yeah, speaking of which, who was the one who told me to soak in the basin together with a fish, huh?¡±


    Hao Ren was at a lost for words.


    Everyone pretended to hear nothing as they turned their heads away and continued to mind their own business. But actually, they had nothing to do. Lily for example, went to grind stones.


    Vivian looked at the autonomous robots drilling and collecting samples from the ice, she felt she should be able to play a part. She summoned a large swarm of bats. ¡°I¡¯ll check out the nearby tentacles¡­¡±


    Before her voice trailed off, the little bats literally dropped like flies, struggling on the ground. Vivian was rooted to the spot. Hao Ren facepalmed and said, ¡°You did it again¡ªdon¡¯t you know that this place is a vacuum? Bats won¡¯t fly in a vacuum.¡±


    Hao Ren felt it was a miracle that this team could still survive till this day.


    While he was sighing, Nangong Sanba¡¯s voice was suddenly heard on the radio. ¡°Hey, can you hear me? I¡¯ve found something here. I wonder if you are interested to take a look.¡±


    Hao Ren did not expect the half-baked demon hunter was the one who made the first discovery. He quickly went to check it out with the others. Nangong Sanba was standing on a large rock, hand pointing to the edge of the red ice. ¡°There¡¯s seed frozen below¡ªan extra-large seeds.¡±


    Hao Ren took a peek and found that an ellipsoidal thing was at the edge of the ice layer which was relative thin. The thing was about three metres in length and shaped like an olive. The tip had a tentacles sprouting out. He hurriedly commanded an autonomous machine to dig the ¡®seed¡¯ out from the ice as everyone looked on curiously.


    The huge ¡®seed¡¯ looked like a small spaceship with very complicated structure. In addition to the tentacle on top, raised pattern of lines could be seen on the lower half, and between the lines were a few weird meat balls. On waistline of the ¡®seed¡¯, some sharp organs stuck out from crack as if they were some kind of sensors. Undoubtedly, these were made by the First Born, and for some unknown reasons¡ªperhaps because of the end of the lunar ecosystem¡ªthese ¡®seed¡¯ had died before it was activated.


    The MDT flew around the seed and had quickly figured out its structure and basic functions: it was much easier to understand than the Progenitor or The First Born.


    ¡°These raised sarcomas are some kind of antenna operating by gravitational wave communication. They must be used to communicate with the mother First Born on the earth¡¯s surface. These concentric structures are some kind of highly efficient engine, biological tissues which can generate powerful impulses. Judging from its residual structure, it can form a circulating magnetic field around itself. By harnessing the particles of the solar wind, it could propel itself forwards rapidly by throwing the particles backwards. Just like paddling in the water, it can be used within the solar system. The stuff in the middle must be some kind of sensor, perhaps used to capture the reaction of life,¡± said the MDT as it paused for a second. ¡°Also the possibility that the thing possesses some advanced capabilities cannot be ruled out. Its core has an organ of extraordinary mass. Though already deformed, in the high-energy acceleration ring of that organ is still clearly visible. It is either a fusion reactor or a super bomb.¡±


    Hao Ren was a little flabbergasted as he touched the shell of the ¡®seed¡¯. ¡°¡­ was this thing that destroyed the lunar ecosystem?¡±


    ¡°At least this is one of the weapons,¡± the MDT floated up and down. ¡°There is no body of the First Born on the primary moon, so the First Born on the earth¡¯s surface must have attacked the Second Borns on other planets by launching some kind of interplanetary firepower from the earth¡¯s surface. This seed is its battleship¡ªas long as it can make blood, it¡¯s enough to destroy the ecosystem on any planet.¡±

 Chapter 518

    Honestly, Hao Ren was not surprised by the First Born¡¯s space combat capabilities.


    This powerful primitive creature had already demonstrated a small part of its fighting ability. It could control gravity, produce shields, distort space, and know how to use anti-air firepower to destroy targets in the face of meteorite attacks. All signs indicated that the First Born knew what space was all about from the very beginning¡ªat least it knew what ¡®air combat¡¯ was. Plus it had destroyed the lunar city of the Ancient Magic Empire. So of course this monster could take the war to space.


    Only that Hao Ren did not expect that the ¡®space ship¡¯ it created could be so smart.


    After confirming that the ¡®seed¡¯ had completely died, Lily cut through the skin of the seed with his claws, exposing the withered organs below. The shape of those organs was between animals and plants. Although they looked like organs, they were similar to wood fibres. Hao Ren also took a look at the annular structure at the core of the seed. It had a metallic lustre and seemed to contain a lot of minerals. Hao Ren reached out to touch it. It felt dead: its weight on the lunar surface was rather baffling, and was not known what kind of material it was constituted of.


    ¡°It¡¯s a weapon, through-and-through,¡± said Vivian, scratching her chin. ¡°It seems that it¡¯s designed specifically to attack other planets.¡±


    What Vivian said rang a bell as Hao Ren suddenly realized that the First Born was not a weapon when it hatched from the Seed of Origin. It was just a plant responsible for shaping the initial ecological environment. Although powerful, it did not have such meticulous weapon. This seed was obviously a well-designed weapon. It was not be the initial blueprint of the Seed of Origin.


    No doubt that the First Born had designed this thing. It had been capable of designing this weapon despite of its madness. Or was it that some sort of logical thinking remained and was enough for it to complete this wonderful art of destruction despite its madness?


    As Hao Ren spoke of his thoughts, the others were shocked and some began to contemplate. Lily had been wagging her tail for a long while in deep thoughts. She suddenly jabbed on Hao Ren¡¯s stomach and said, ¡°It seems that all civilisations of the universe have been wiped out, including those who had the ability to fly into space.¡±


    Before Lily¡¯s voice trailed off, Hao Ren instinctively bounced two metres backward with cold sweat trickling down his back. ¡°Don¡¯t poke me with this claw! We¡¯re going to kill me!¡±


    Nangong Wuyue reached out her hand giving the ¡®seed¡¯ a little push. She then stuck out her tongue and said, ¡°You¡¯ll surely die if you get marked by this thing. Anyway, is there really not a single survivor in this universe? The universe is so big yet it doesn¡¯t even have someone strong enough to counter this thing?¡±


    The survivors Wuyue mentioned were not like those in Holletta which had retrogressed but the ones who had succeeded in preserving their civilisation and even solved the First Born crisis themselves.


    ¡°The entire universe is dead. All of the channels have only our own reverberations, or broadcasts from the Imperial Data Link,¡± the MDT shook itself. ¡°I don¡¯t think there is any living interstellar civilisation left. The strength disparity between the Second Born and the First Born is too just obvious. The latter¡¯s form of life has an absolute advantage. Unless a race had moved to another galaxy before the First Born went mad, completely cut off the connection with the parent star, and nothing associated with the First Born¡ªnot even a cell¡ªcould be taken, or they would surely get caught and then destroyed.¡±


    Vivian hugs herself as she chimed in. ¡°There is another possibility: there may be survivors. They are hiding and dare not respond to anyone.¡±


    After seeing Hao Ren¡¯s quizzical gaze, Vivian shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t forget how otherworldlings on earth live under persecution by the demon hunters. They hide. They stay in shelters. They make no noise. They don¡¯t not respond to any contact. But the First Born is even more terrible than the demon hunter, so the survivors will have to hide even deeper. There must be some civilisation still out there¡ªalive. As Wuyue said, the universe is so big that there must always be someone who¡¯s strong enough.¡±


    Hao Ren felt a little emotional. He looked up at the stars in the night sky. Planet Holletta was hanging in the middle of the night sky, surrounded by endless glorious stars. A sense of inexplicable feelings came to mind as he thought of the few horrified eyes that might be hidden among the silent, icy planets. They were survivors of the catastrophe. They had a complete record of 10,000 years of history. They might have already demolished their communication equipment¡ªobviously the First Born had the ability to track their signals¡ªand locked themselves in a place that could completely blackout any sign of life. But the survivors would certainly leave some sort of window¡ªunless they wanted to stay in the shelter until the time of the destruction of the universe, otherwise they would always leave a way to perceive the outside world.


    It was like the pigeon that Noah released.


    Hao Ren wanted to leave a broadcasting tower, sending out a ¡®The catastrophic events have ended¡¯ message to elicit those survivors, but he soon realized that this was very risky because he was completely unsure whether the catastrophe was really over!


    The First Born went berserk at the same moment, but not necessarily died at the same time. At least Holletta¡¯s First Born was just in deep sleep. Perhaps there were other First Borns which were still active in this universe. He could not afford to attract the attention of those ancient creatures.


    So in the end he could only shake his head. ¡°I¡¯ll leave behind a proliferation-type passive radar station watching the universe, and capturing all communication signals. The radar station must be a little farther away to prevent attracting the First Born to Holletta.¡±


    The MDT whistled and said, ¡°Roger that!¡±


    A hatch on the upper part of the Petrachelys opened. A silver-white rectangular equipment measuring several metres in length was raised from the garage, which was then turned into a beam of light and disappeared into the vast space. It would be monitoring the area in a long-term basis and continuing to replicate itself, setting up radar stations in more and more distant galaxies until the entire universe was under its observation. Hao Ren had no clue this would work out because he did not read the manual. But he felt that this thing looked pretty high-tech and might work.


    He ordered the autonomous robots send the seed back to the lab on board the spacecraft. After collecting some more samples of tentacles and debris on the lunar surface, they left the place.


    They returned to the Alamanda transit point in Tannagost. Hao Ren tucked away the ship, but leaving behind an autonomous robot. He let the little robot procure materials needed to build a series of protective walls, at least blocking the square, and if possible, reinforcing it into a fortress. The next time he came he would bring some weapons and beefed up the defence capability of Alamanda Transit Plaza.


    The light purple film that connected The Plane of Dreams with Surface World was still emitting a regular glow. This space crack had completely stabilized. As they passed through the film, they immediately felt a cold wind blowing on their faces.


    Before them was the dark and vast snowfield. In the blink of an eye, they were already back in Andrea Castle.


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect to have so many things happened in this trip,¡± Lily tucked her ears and transformed back into the human form. She sounded very happy as she said, ¡°I thought that it would be just a casual trip, little did I expect it took a little more than a week.¡±


    Hao Ren also looked at the snow scene in front of him, his heart filled with emotion. Returning from The Plane of Dreams to the Surface World had always brought about an inexplicable sense of fragmentation. This time, crossing both worlds through the space cracks was no exception.


    Nangong Wuyue was the first jumped off the stone platform. ¡°Let¡¯s go and spook the Andrea family.¡±


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­..¡±


    It was not known whether Nangong Wuyue had a premonition or it was a coincidence, the moment they pushed open the iron door down at the crypt they saw Igor out there. The old man was dusting those old portraits of his family when he heard a sound behind the iron door, thinking that the evil spirit had come back for revenge. As he turned around he saw the witch and the masters who had disappeared for a week. He clapped his hands in surprise. ¡°Hey¡ª¡±


    Then he blacked out again.


    The butler was beside him and Igor passed out and seemed to have got used to this rhythm as he held up his master and performed some acupuncture and the aromatherapy on Igor¡ªas Igor¡¯s condition was quite serious this time. Igor came back on and looked at Hao Ren and several others, dumbfounded. ¡°You¡¯ve been missing for a week¡­I thought something had happened to you guys!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve gone to a faraway place,¡± Vivian smiled. ¡°It was about magic. So please don¡¯t ask.¡±

 Chapter 519

    It seemed that Anna had listened to their instruction, not to reveal to others that there was a space crack in the crypt, leading to gold treasure. Igor did not even know where Hao Ren and his gang had gone to. Now there was no worry that someone might cross that space crack; after Hao Ren returned from the other side, he had installed sensors and crack breakers near the space crack to prevent people from trespassing Tannagost.


    Igor had asked why Becky had not come back. Hao Ren explained that she was visiting her relatives in The Plane of Dreams.


    Instead of accepting Igor¡¯s invitation to stay, they decided to go home. The first thing Hao Ren did was find his official car in the courtyard in front of the castle. The car had been parked there for a week. It was now covered with snow. He patted the roof of the car, thinking self-deprecatingly: in order not to cause a stir, when he came he did not tuck his car back into his dimensional pocket. He had instead parked it in the garden. But little did he expect the vengeful spirit phenomenon in Andrea Castle had become so bad that people were surprised by any supernatural phenomena no more. The fact that the Andrea family was the descendant of Vivian¡¯s younger brother was out of his expectation too. If he had known it earlier, he would not have gone through all the trouble.


    ¡°The crypt,¡± Vivan instructed Igor. ¡°Set up some guard points in different places in the crypt but don¡¯t go too deep. Anna knows something about the dimension, let her decide the position of the sentry posts. We have laid a seal near the door of the vengeful spirit, but if there is still any anomaly, report it to me immediately.¡±


    Igor bowed respectfully and nodded his head, and then carefully asked, ¡°My lord, how can I contact you? Sorry ¡­ our family has lost our traditional occult skills.¡±


    Vivian smacked herself on the forehead. ¡°Oh yes, hold on a second.¡±


    Then she reached her hand into the pocket. Igor suddenly became nervous and serious, wondering what magic prop Vivian was going to take out. It was normal for witch and her human minions to communicate through the black cat¡¯s cry, crow¡¯s shadow, Datura flowers ashes and stuff like that. However after a long while, Vivian had only taken out a small notebook. She tore off a piece of paper and wrote something on it. ¡°Now I have a cell phone, this is my cell phone number; just remember to add prefix 0086.¡±


    Igor asked flabbergastedly, ¡°¡­ isn¡¯t it a magic prop? I remember the ancient books of my ancestors had mentioned about Drops of Blood Debris or something¡­¡±


    Vivian¡¯s brows knit together as she said, ¡°It was a long time ago. One must keep up with the times, you know. Can Drops of Blood Debris send text messages?¡±


    Igor: ¡°¡­..¡±


    A batswoman of 10,000 years old was teaching a modern person to keep up with the times. Only this could happen to him, Hao Ren thought.


    After giving her instructions, they left Andrea Castle by teleporting back home. Y¡¯zaks was sitting in the living room reading the paper. Sitting on a sofa reading the People¡¯s Daily, he looked exactly like a prisoner in a hard labour camp. Sensing the air distortion around him, Y¡¯zaks looked up with a mean smile. ¡°I knew you¡¯re going to come back. What take you so long, uh? Where¡¯s Becky?¡±


    ¡°She has gone back to her hometown,¡± said Hao Ren. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t guess what we found in the lair of the vengeful spirit! It¡¯s a pity that you didn¡¯t go along this time. We¡¯ve found a stable passageway connecting the real world and The Plane of Dreams.¡±


    That was unexpected. Y¡¯zaks was very surprised. ¡°Really? Then tell me everything about it.


    ¡°Before that, mind you guys explain it to me,¡± said Nangong Sanba as he flung himself in the sofa and spread out his hands. ¡°I don¡¯t have clue and my mind is still left behind the other world. Can anyone tell me who you guys are? What organisation? What team? A lone wolf superhero, or a coalition of vengeance seekers? Looks like your team is unlike any forces of the Earth. Shall I join as a public servant or an independent contractor?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue shot her brother a sideways glance. ¡°Brother, you¡¯re too inquisitive.¡±


    ¡°I think I should also explain it to you,¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Are you prepared to the truth? In the future, you¡¯ll need to follow a gang of space-time agents dealing all kind of things all over the world, and in many cases, in the other worlds. Ours is a high risk job, but safety and security measures are aplenty. It¡¯s very exciting, but also very rewarding. You can broaden your horizons, increase your knowledge, and often time get more than worldly return, such as¡­¡±


    Hao Ren took out a golden apple from the dimensional pocket and continued. ¡°Golden Apple, yes, the one in the story where Hercules had tricked Atlas into getting it. But this one¡¯s genuine, with a trademark. I guarantee that it¡¯s as authentic as the stolen peach that the monkey had stolen, 100% from the realm of God. If you are in, you will be able to get these things and to the top of your life.¡±


    Lily blinked. ¡°Why I¡¯ve got the feeling that you talked like an MLMer?¡±


    Nangong Sanba stared at the golden apple in Hao Ren¡¯s hands, none the wiser. He asked instinctively, ¡°What if I don¡¯t join?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think a normal person can resist this. But if you insist not to join¡ªyes, you can,¡± said Hao Ren, taking out a pen from his dimensional pocket again. ¡°Then look at the little lamp here and wait for me to count to three and you will forget everything you see in the other worlds. But truth be told, I don¡¯t know if this thing would work. When my boss handed it to me, it was said to come from Er Li Qiao Wholesale Market, the largest gathering place of fake celestial community. There is a bunch of guys who always uses counterfeit gadgets to make money. So this thing may make you forget a lot more things. It¡¯s said that there is a ten-percent chance of causing gender identity disorder, but rest assured I¡¯ll recommend you some gay website where you can embark on another journey of happiness. You will not remember the women you had loved¡­ Lily, please don¡¯t bite!¡±


    Lily let off her bite and raised her head away from Hao Ren¡¯s arm. ¡°You¡¯ve been talking load of nonsense!¡±


    Cold sweat trickled down Nangong Sanba¡¯s back. He quickly swore. ¡°I solemnly declare that I¡¯m in¡ªby the way, how come I suddenly feel that you are like an illegal organisation¡­¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to find a more legitimate team than us in the whole world,¡± said Nangong Wuyue, sticking out her tongue and giving Hao Ren a shit look. ¡°It¡¯s just that the captain is a little weird making you a little confused.¡±


    ¡°Fine, Wuyue will brief you about the situation of our Space Administration¡¯s EN35 node at Bastard Barrio office. After that, I¡¯ll take you reporting to my superior,¡± said Hao Ren, putting away the pen and letting the siren maiden handle the rest. ¡°I¡¯m going to find Big Beardy. As the door to The Plane of Dreams has now been opened. I have to ask if he wants to go home.¡±


    ¡°He has gone out to classes,¡± Y¡¯zaks stopped Hao Ren. ¡°He¡¯ll be back in the evening.¡±


    Hao Ren asked dumbfoundedly, ¡°What classes?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s giving talk on health, environmental protection and low-carbon life to the backstreet gang of old folks and housewives who,¡± Y¡¯zaks said. ¡°The class that was opened a week ago is now booming¡­ he is fast becoming a friend of women.¡±


    Hao Ren was struck dumb. He could not imagine Big Beardy, the most rustic, boring ascetic had become a hit. But when he heard that the Big Beardy had gathered so many people and giving talk to them, he faintly felt something was not quite right. He quickly went out. ¡°I¡¯ll find him!¡±


    When Hao Ren came to the back street wanting to find someone to ask where the lectures were at, he found that was not necessary: there was a crowd gathered under the big mandarin tree on the eastern side of the street. Eight out of ten were women. Without needing asking, it must be Big Beardy who was preaching there. He hurried over to the clearing where the crowd assembled and saw Big Beardy was sitting on a rock giving his lecture solemnly:


    ¡°¡­so the path of natural harmony is the way of long-term survival. Our predecessors taught us that everything in the world comes from the same place and will die and return to the same place as well. All things are equal and particles of this world. Whether they are rich or poor, what left of them will be just flesh and bones at the end, just like the plants and the tree. Such is the principle of life. Man is made of dust and will return to the earth, so one should be content with life and be happy with what one has. Eat sparingly and you will be fine; sleep soundly and you will be well; dress modestly as that¡¯s all your body needs. If you would like to enjoy yourself, be self-sufficient¡­¡±


    As Big Beardy talked, the housewives just kept nodding their heads. The low-carbon and environmentally-friendly topics were most suitable for their appetite though they understood none of them.


    Suddenly there was a voice from the side. ¡°Hao Ren? You come for the class too?¡±


    Hao Ren turned his head and found the one speaking was an old neighbour, the fat boss who opened a supermarket at the end of the street. He shook his head and said, ¡°I¡¯m here to find someone. You come for the talk too?¡±


    ¡°Who in their right mind would want to listen to this? I¡¯m here to drag my wife back home,¡± said the fat boss, almost crying. ¡°It makes people¡¯s life miserable¡­ she has been bewitched and I¡¯ve had no proper meal at home for days. She even told me that if I wanted to eat meat, I would have to go and catch rabbits in the wild myself.


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­..¡±

 Chapter 520

    Big Beardy¡¯s lectures had finally come to an end. The crowd of old ladies and housewives began a serious discussion session. A woman raised a small booklet and asked, ¡°Master, I came late when you talked about the cycle of life yesterday, could you¡ª¡±


    Big Beardy saw Hao Ren standing behind the crowd. He quickly waved his hand. ¡°Let me explain it tomorrow. When it comes, let it come; when it goes, let it go. Listen to whatever you¡¯ve managed to hear¡ªHi, Mr. Landlord, you¡¯re here!¡±


    Every six out of ten old ladies and housewives in the crowd knew Hao Ren. In the small town of the Southern Suburbs, everyone knew everyone as they had been living in the same town for decades. So, it was normal that people came up to him to say hello. Hao Ren could only smile back at them. Mrs. Zhao, who had acquainted herself with Hao Ren stepped forward and grabbed Hao Ren¡¯s hand. ¡°Hao, you haven¡¯t shown up for quite a while. Where have you been?¡±


    The old lady liked to talk about such trifles.


    Hao Ren smiled at her and said, ¡°I¡¯ve gone to work¡­ My work requires me to travel often.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s good for you to have found a good job,¡± said the old lady, nodding appreciatively. However, she soon became more serious. ¡°But you¡¯re always not at home all day¡­ Don¡¯t forget, you¡¯ve rented out your house. Can you handle it?¡±


    Hao Ren gave a hurried reply and quickly pulled himself away to get to Big Beardy. ¡°How did you come about giving talks here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve actually never thought about it before,¡± Big Beardy said with his hand spread out. ¡°I¡¯ve been keeping your reminder at heart all this while, to not get noticed as best as I can. But a few days ago on the street, I met an old lady who had gastroenteritis. I started to treat her, and shared with her about life cultivation¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, then word spread and you suddenly became a health practitioner in the Southern Suburbs.¡± Hao Ren smacked his head with the palm of his hand. ¡°Those who crave fame never get it, while the one who shunned it became an instant celebrity after helping an old lady on the street.¡±


    Big Beardy shrugged. He did not know what ¡°fame¡± meant. Seeing his response, Hao Ren rolled his eyes at him. ¡°Please think of a way to stop giving talks. No ordinary person can live like an ascetic, you know?¡±


    Big Beardy smiled. ¡°I know. In fact I¡¯ve wanted to stop: truth be told, dealing with these people is much more difficult than studying the ancient scrolls. There are 20 to 30 housewives inviting me to give talks in their homes. I was really annoyed. I had to spend a good part of my energy just to decline them. But I felt that stopping the classes suddenly would be too irresponsible, so I¡¯ve dragged the matter until today.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at this new friend of women with a weird expression before he rushed back home, dragging Big Beardy along. ¡°Let¡¯s get the hell out of here before somebody reports you as a cult leader to the authorities.¡±


    Only when the two of them arrived at front of the house, Hao Ren slowed down and said quietly, ¡°We¡¯ve found a stable passage leading to the Plane of Dreams. Becky had already gone back. Are you planning to go back with the other three masters?¡±


    Big Beardy paused in his step but he caught up quickly. ¡°A stable passage? It was discovered when you went to deal with evil spirit?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. Big Beardy thought for a while and shook his head slightly. ¡°We do have plans to go home, but not in the near future. We have each found ourselves something to do in this world. We should peregrinate to learn as much as possible about this strange world. This will be of great help to our practice, and understanding of the goddess¡¯ creation.¡±


    It gave Hao Ren a headache when he heard what Big Beardy said. But he knew most believers were like this, so he could only try hard to get used to it. Curious of the situation of the other three ascetics, Hao Ren asked, ¡°What are the other three masters doing now?¡±


    Big Beardy squinted slightly, seemingly performing some kind telepathy. A moment later, he opened his eyes and replied, ¡°One is currently in Africa, conquering the lions and the wild elephants, and are busily mediating the disputes between two local tribes these two days¡­ He¡¯s now the new chief of one of the tribes. One is in Antarctica; she is doing ice chiselling in search of the original land, and she has group of seals under her command. The last person is now in India where she seems to have found many like-minded people whom she can spread the gospel of the goddess to.¡±


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­..¡±


    It took a long time for Hao Ren to come to his sense that the three peregrinating ascetics were tougher than he had imagined. He looked at Big Beardy with horrified expression on his face. ¡°What are you doing this for?¡±


    Big Beardy replied flatly. ¡°Peregrinating the world.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s expression was as clue as a dim bulb. ¡°Peregrinating the world? Do you need to go to Africa and become a tribal chief, chiselling in the Antarctic, and go to India to¡­ what the heck? It seems the one who goes to India is the most normal one.¡±


    ¡°Peregrinating around the world would of course include going through all the hardships and obstacles in this world.¡± Big Beardy had no clue why Hao Ren was so surprised. ¡°How can faith be strengthened without challenging one¡¯s survival limit?¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless and practically took a long time to come up with a question. ¡°Wait a second¡­. How did they go so far?! You guys don¡¯t even have a passport!¡±


    Big Beardy nodded and said, ¡°They swam.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    Peregrinating was more like swimming to them.


    ¡°I feel that I can no longer stop you from conquering this world,¡± Hao Ren waved his hand listlessly, and suddenly felt it was easier to bombard the First Born in the other world than to deal with such ascetics. ¡°As long as they don¡¯t make a mess, I don¡¯t care.¡±


    Big Beardy nodded cheerfully. ¡°We have confidence that we won¡¯t¡±


    To be honest, Hao Ren would be willing to believe in the promise of Big Beardy two months ago, but now he really doubted the credibility of their ¡®confidence¡¯. In such a short period of time, one had swum directly to Africa, unified the tribes in the savanna and became the leader of them¡ªhave you ever seen such ascetics appeared anywhere in any scripts? Hao Ren was now very keen to meet the ascetic who seemed to have acquired unusual ¡®combat strength¡¯¡ªin every sense of the word¡ªbut at the same time was afraid that he would be injured by the African tribal chief¡¯s aura of the ascetic. In the end, he could only laugh wryly and go home with Big Beardy.


    ¡°Oh, besides, I¡¯ve also got the ¡®lifeblood¡¯,¡± said Hao Ren as something suddenly crossed his mind. ¡°I¡¯m eager to know whether we can get in touch with the goddess through it. What¡¯s your opinion?¡±


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t believe in the goddess of creation, so you¡¯ll just have to remain respectful.¡± Big Beardy looked indifferent. He was very open-minded now. ¡°But to be honest, I don¡¯t think you will succeed: establishing contact with the goddess requires extreme piety. Even monks who had been trained for years would fail sometimes when trying to establish contact through a whole branding ritual, it would be almost impossible for a pagan who has never studied the Scriptures to obtain the consent of the lifeblood.¡±


    Hao Ren did not say a word. He felt that Big Beardy might not agree to his method of studying the lifeblood. Therefore, he refrained from mentioning it at all.


    Just when the two of them came to the front door of the house, a loud bang suddenly came from behind the house.


    Hao Ren was shocked. He ran around to check out at back of his house. What he saw had him speechless.


    The smoke behind the house had just cleared. Lots of mechanical stuff were strewn all over the place¡ªold cylinders, bearings, gears, and springs. Obviously there had been an explosion of some sort of mechanical device. A little girl clad in a black Gothic dress sat in the middle of the pit created by the explosion, her body was smoked in black dust with a pipe in her hand. When she heard someone approaching, the little girl cleverly turned her head, revealing her two rows of small white teeth. ¡°Whoa, that was exciting!¡±


    Hao Ren had to hold on to the wall beside him to avoid falling. ¡°Y¡¯lisabet¡­ can¡¯t you do something to conquer the world, be a bully, or find some poor individuals and make them your slaves or something?¡±


    The little demon princess thought for a moment and spat out a mouthful of black smoke. ¡°My dad said I had to wait until I finish primary school then I can go conquer the world.¡±


    Hao Ren could only look at her in silence.


    Once again, he found it much easier to deal with the First Born in the other world than to deal with this wonderful bunch of aliens at home!

 Chapter 521

    It seemed that the unusual creatures in Hao Ren¡¯s house were very adaptable beings. After Becky arrived for the first time, she became a fashionable Earth girl through-and-through in less than two months. Y¡¯lisabet on the other hand, knew every street in town in under two months. Some of the old electrical appliances she was toying with were salvaged from some remote corners of the town. Some were picked up from the refuse bins while some were thrown out by the locals.


    The most abundant material in this old residential area was electrical waste. As long as one cared to search, old household appliances were basically thrown out every other day, and Y¡¯lisabet would pester her papa to go out to collect some of these used appliances, which had been thrown away. Technically, Y¡¯zaks had a job now. It was just a payless job.


    Dust was all over the little girl¡¯s face and body. She dropped the broken tube and lunged towards Hao Ren when she saw him. ¡°Uncle Ren, you¡¯ve gone to save the world again? I heard Sister Doggie bragging in the house.¡±


    Before Hao Ren could react, the girl had wrapped her arms around him and transferred the dirt onto his new clothes. Helpless, he looked at Y¡¯lisabet who was covered in oil and soot. Her extravagant gothic dress was smeared with soot as well upon taking a closer look. ¡°Look at how dirty you are. Do you know how troublesome it is to do the laundry?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s always the washing machine!¡± Y¡¯lisabet said happily. ¡°I know how to tear down a washing machine!¡±


    Hao Ren was flabbergasted. ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I mean I know how to use a washing machine!¡±


    It was only later that Hao Ren found out why Y¡¯lisabet took apart and reassembled the appliances. It was to study them. That was how she learned to use the appliances.


    At this time, the back door of the house was pushed open. It was Lily, who heard the explosion and came out to check what had happened. She saw Hao Ren and greeted him happily, ¡°Mr. Landlord, you¡¯re back! What shall we eat tonight? Can we take a walk outside after dinner?¡±


    Hao Ren facepalmed and sighed, thinking that these people had immediately revealed their true selves as soon as they got home.


    Well, actually they never bothered to be pretentious at all even when they were outside.


    Hao Ren dragged Y¡¯lisabet, who by now looked like a briquette, back into the living room. He swiftly handed her to Nangong Wuyue. ¡°Clean her up! I can¡¯t see her face at all. Y¡¯zaks, why don¡¯t you teach your daughter to behave a little?¡±


    Sitting on the couch reading the People¡¯s Daily, Y¡¯zaks looked almost like he had just been released from jail. He turned and smiled helplessly at Hao Ren. ¡°Can you stop Lil Pea from chewing up other people¡¯s furniture when you go out?¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    ¡°Daughters are a father¡¯s weakness.¡± The great demon spread his hands. ¡°And to tell you the truth, my temper is still too good. You won¡¯t believe how other demons teach their children: after the full moon, they would throw their children into the lava lake; the disobedient ones would be flung at the wall, so before the age of three, kids would be tame like a horse. But I didn¡¯t have the heart to do that. Y¡¯lisabet is too weak, she won¡¯t stand for two hours, soaking in the lava¡­¡±


    It sounded paltry when Y¡¯zaks spoke of disciplining a child. Cold sweat was trickling down Hao Ren¡¯s spine just from listening to him. Hao Ren suddenly felt a little fortunate that Y¡¯zaks had not ¡°disciplined¡± Y¡¯lisabet that way. Were those not the same torturing methods used on their enemies?


    He saw Nangong Sanba sitting not far away, burying himself in his thoughts. He raised his hand and said hello, ¡°Did you hear all of that?¡±


    Nangong Sanba looked up, confused. It seemed like he was still in the process of repairing his perception of things, having no mental threads to respond to Hao Ren. He stumbled for a while and finally said, ¡°You¡¯re back! So, what my sister said just now was true?¡±


    Hao Ren smiled wryly as he sat down next to Nangong Sanba. ¡°Of course it¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°You really had a baby fish with the pot, and the husky helped with the delivery?¡±


    Before Hao Ren could sit down, he was shocked by the question. He stumbled to the ground and got up, glaring and looking for the mantis shrimp. Nangong Wuyue did not give him a chance; she quickly excused herself and went into the bathroom with Y¡¯lisabet. ¡°Let me clean her up!¡± she said.


    Hao Ren eyeballed Nangong Sanba. ¡°That. Is. Not. True!¡±


    But before his voice trailed off, Lil Pea had jumped onto the coffee table. The first thing the mermaid did was give the pot (her mom) a hug just as she always did when she came home. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m back!¡± she said joyfully.


    The way Nangong Sanba looked at Hao Ren was like¡­ Hell, just let your imagination run wild, let it be as vicious as you can imagine.


    ¡°F*ck it¡­ I¡¯ll explain it later,¡± said Hao Ren, grabbing Nangong Sanba by the shoulders. ¡°If you pursue this question now, I¡¯ll take out the brainwashing lamp and flash it before your eyes until you forget everything about yourself.¡±


    Nangong Sanba quickly flinched. ¡°I was trying to be funny. After all, my mind is still a little confused. My sister told me about the whole thing. According to her¡­ there¡¯s a real god in this world? It¡¯s not a myth, but the real thing? So, are you a civil servant who¡¯s signed a contract with God?¡±


    With his arms crossed, Hao Ren said, ¡°I¡¯ve mentioned it a long time ago. I¡¯m a clergyman. Although I haven¡¯t been burned on a pyre, I¡¯m the sacred son and a prophet at the same time, at least within the radius of one million light years. I¡¯ve checked¡ªI¡¯m the only inspector in this area so far¡­¡±


    Nangong Sanba did not buy Hao Ren¡¯s story¡ªnot because he did not believe in God, but after all their constant encounters with mysterious incidents, something like this was not a big deal anymore, even if a creator were to descend from heaven. What he really doubted was Hao Ren¡¯s claim to be the right-hand man of God. And more importantly, Hao Ren did not look anything like the way he imagined himself.


    Nangong Sanba could not help asking more questions, but Hao Ren just smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll make an appointment for you. I¡¯ll bring you to the goddess the afternoon after tomorrow. I have a lot of things to report to her too. Anyway, just wait until you meet her.I wont be responsible of lying to you then.¡±


    Nangong Sanba said nothing.


    The bathroom door swung open as Y¡¯lisabet came out clean and nice. Again, she darted into the living room and circled around Y¡¯zaks, trying to get his attention. The latter just smiled and took out a black book. ¡°Go and study this, Principle of Governance.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet¡¯s excitement immediately died down. It was replaced with a crying face before she even took the book from him. Y¡¯zaks said to her, ¡°You¡¯ve been playing all day long. Now go and learn something!¡±


    Seeing her reaction, Hao Ren immediately approached them and took the book in Y¡¯zaks¡¯ hand. ¡°You¡¯ve got to choose the right material that¡¯s appropriate for a child. She¡¯s still young. How can you expect her to understand such deep stuff?¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet was all smiles. She grabbed Hao Ren by his sleeve. ¡°It¡¯s very nice of you, Uncle Ren.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. He took out a thin book from his Dimensional Pocket and told her, ¡°I have something for children. Here¡¯s a set of Olympic Math¡ª¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet suddenly cried. She grabbed the book from her papa¡¯s hand and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take the Principle of Governance.¡±


    After Y¡¯lisabet went back to her room, Hao Ren looked down at the Olympic Math book in his hand and said, ¡°This is what I used when I was in school. I¡¯ve been preserving the book so well¡­¡±


    Lily gave him a sideways look. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s like new, as though you¡¯re a real book lover.¡±


    Hao Ren said nothing. He just laughed wryly. Meanwhile, Vivian came up and sat down beside Nangong Wuyue when she saw her sitting on the couch in a daze.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be okay. We¡¯ll find them.¡± Vivian patted Wuyue on the arm. Having a gentle temperament and a pair of observant eyes, she could see that something was bothering the Nangong siblings.


    They were still worried for their parents.


    They thought that the vengeful spirit in Andrea Castle could shed some light on the whereabouts of their parents. Vivian had even formulated an interrogation plan to ¡°torture¡± information out of the vengeful spirit. They did not expect to come up with nothing after the unveiling of the truth behind the vengeful spirit.


    Vengeful spirits were not evil or grieving spirits and it was impossible to communicate with them. They were only a mixture of electromagnetic waves and energy fields even though they contained a lot of fragmented as well as next-to-impossible-to-read-and-recover memories. Even if they could trace things back to the home of the vengeful spirit, they would only find a desolate planet with no energy response from the sirens on that planet.


    If the Nangongs¡¯ parents were really missing, then they must have been sent to a completely random place by a space anomaly caused by the vengeful spirit. There was fear that any available clues would be useless considering the illogical nature of the vengeful spirit.


    The Nangongs were really disappointed.

 Chapter 522

    Sitting on the sofa in a daze, the Nangong siblings were thinking of their parents. It seemed like it was impossible to get any lead from the vengeful spirit. The memory of the vengeful spirit was bound in an energy field in the form of chaotic debris, and after contacting it, only some vague, random memories could be read. Even a talented child like Anna could not read the details of the vengeful spirit¡¯s memory. Probably nobody could find out where the Nangongs¡¯ parents had been sent.


    What was more, the vengeful spirit had already been smashed by Lil Pea¡¯s voice. Only part of it remained.


    Hao Ren had noticed that Vivian and the Nangong siblings were depressed. He came up and asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about my parents,¡± Nangong Wuyue sighed and continued. ¡°I thought this time there would be some hope¡­ never have I expected the vengeful spirit is just a chaotic natural phenomenon. There¡¯s no lead now.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment, then he took out a small apple box from the dimensional pocket. The box was actually the container used to sealing in the vengeful spirit. It looked just like any other normal box and it was empty. But there were occasional tiny sparks inside which was a phenomenon caused by the rapid turbulence of the vengeful spirit.


    ¡°This is part of the sample¡­ I don¡¯t know if I can analyse anything out of it.¡± Hao Ren said.


    ¡°It¡¯s only fragments,¡± Vivian sighed. ¡°The memory of the vengeful spirit is already confusing enough, now you have here is only some debris¡­ How much valuable information can there be?¡±


    Hao Ren remained silent. The MDT suddenly floated up from the sofa armrest and said, ¡°All of it.¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian spoke in unison, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The whole memory of the vengeful spirit is stored in here,¡± the MDT hovered above the box. ¡°You¡¯re still not correctly understand the life form of vengeful spirit¡ªyou mustn¡¯t think of energy field or spiritual creature as a ¡®substance¡¯ in the ordinary sense. Don¡¯t assume that these fragments are really ¡®fragments¡¯ of the electromagnetic waves. As long as the critical frequencies are not destroyed, every piece of the vengeful spirit contains all of its entire information, just like the exponential repetition of a mathematical model, each component is a complete template, each detail stores the whole information that can be duplicated and expanded indefinitely¡ªthis is the key that enables the vengeful spirit to extend from a small group of white light to hundreds of square kilometres without loss of details. It is self-explanatory, there is no physical limit.¡±


    The MDT¡¯s explanation was very technical. But given Vivian¡¯s long experience mingling with major mathematicians in history, she immediately understood what it was all about. ¡°Ahh, it¡¯s like Roman cauliflower where countless similar bodies make a complete body, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­..¡± He marvelled at the vampire girl¡¯s train of thoughts which seemed to have developed around the kitchen.


    ¡°Though the metaphor is a little weird, it¡¯s apt,¡± the MDT gently landed on top the apple box. ¡°The size of the fragment only affects the vengeful spirit¡¯s strength, and the information it stores will become weak, but the volume of data will not be affected. As long as it¡¯s given sufficient external energy, it can be completely restored to its peak level just like when it was under Andrea Castle. And if the energy environment on Earth is conducive, it can grow further. Of course we don¡¯t need to do that. As soon as it¡¯s slightly recharged, we can try to read its strange electromagnetic wave.¡±


    After listening to all the technical jargons, The Nangong siblings were none the wiser. But when they heard the last sentence, they understood what it was and their eyes lit up. ¡°Then let¡¯s do it now!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just an idea. But knowing how to read it is an entirely different matter,¡± the MDT poured cold water on the idea, trying to calm Nangong siblings down. ¡°This is the most wonderful life form I¡¯ve ever seen. Even the Encyclopaedia of Life Forms in the Imperial Database has no record of this spiritual body. The sublimation technique of Tannaeans and the spiritual field of the First Born together have produced such distorted, weird structure. We need to design a comprehensive reading process in the laboratory, and be careful not to let this thing escape.¡±


    Hao Ren poked the MDT. ¡°Is there a spare lab on the Petrachelys?¡± he asked.


    ¡°All labs are occupied and dedicated to studying and cloning of the Seed of Origin. But some workbenches could be vacated,¡± the MDT rolled up Hao Ren¡¯s arm onto his shoulder. ¡°You want to open a new research line?¡± it asked.


    After obtaining the permission of Hao Ren, the MDT immediately issued an order to the Petrachelys which was parked in the Kuiper Station. Although Hao Ren could tuck the spacecraft in his dimensional pocket for long-term, there were many research projects going on on board the spacecraft. Besides, he often needed to send some autonomous robots to New Aerym or Tannagost, so he had sent the spacecraft to the Kuiper Station when he came back earlier.


    The spacecraft carried out the instruction after receiving a new order. In the lab of the core compartment where analyses of the Seed of Origin group was conducted, agile robotic arms and precision scanners were busily at work. But after the new directives were issued, on some test benches, analysis equipment was transferred to somewhere else while containers that had developed prototypes of strange meat were temporarily sealed and stored by the autonomous robots into the safe. The research host began to simulate a decoding device based on the information on the characteristics of the vengeful spirit sent by the MDT. Very quickly, the on-board processing plant of the Petrachelys began to its works.


    When Hao Ren stepped onto the spacecraft next time, there will be a new set of equipment waiting for him in the lab.


    Now he and Nangong siblings could only wait.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait for two days. There is no readily available decoding device in the world that can communicate with the vengeful spirit, and the Petrachelys needs some time to perform the R&D.¡± While keeping everyone calm, the MDT had not forgotten to brag about. ¡°Fortunately for you, the Imperial science and technology are warm-hearted. The R&D host on the inspector¡¯s spaceship is absolutely more awesome than scientists in Tannagost. All thanks to my wisdom and command.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah?¡± Hao Ren knocked on the outer shell of the MDT and asked, ¡°What reward do you want?¡±


    ¡°I am a noble PDA. A pure PDA. I am not a PDA of poor taste. I am thinking of¡­¡±


    Not waiting for the MDT to finish, Hao Ren took out a sticker from his pocket and stuck it on its shell. ¡°This is for you. I picked it up from the street earlier.¡±


    The MDT swiftly flew up. ¡°What¡­what¡­ what did you just stick on me?! Is it Pleasant Goat or SpongeBob?! Is it Pony? Ouch, you¡¯re so cruel to your own PDA¡­¡±


    Hao Ren held up a mirror in front of the MDT. ¡°See for yourself.¡±


    The MDT suddenly calmed down. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s £¤9.90 price tag. You should tell me earlier. Get this thing off me immediately!¡±


    Amid the teasing and noise, suddenly Lily hurriedly down the stairs and said, ¡°Mr. Landlord, Rollie is missing!¡±


    For some reasons, Lily was currently the person in charge of feeding the cat.


    Of course, for the sake of clarity, we have to clarify that Rollie is the one who is in charge of feeding the fish.


    That¡¯s how well-organised the ecological chain of this family is.


    ¡°Rollie is out?¡± Hao Ren lifted his eyebrows. ¡°Maybe it has gone for a walk. I saw it watching TV in my room in the afternoon.¡±


    Both Vivian and Nangong Wuyue looked at Hao Ren with strange expression on their faces. Vivian reminded him. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s weird that a cat would go into your room and turn on the TV and switch to pet channel on the dot every day?¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment before he began to realise that. ¡°Yeah¡­ Cat¡¯s claws are not quite suitable for operating remote controller.¡±


    Vivian facepalmed and said, ¡°This is not the key!¡±


    She felt that the man beside him must have his worldview ruined as a result of mingling with the otherworldlings for too long.


    Lily took the cat food stumbling down the stairs. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s strolling outside. It usually will be home at this time waiting for its meal to be served.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a long time, recalling the strange behaviour of Rollie the other day. His normal ¡®human awareness¡¯ only began to come back. He now also thought that something was amiss about the cat.

 Chapter 523

    It was nightfall but Rollie was still not home.


    Hao Ren led everyone to scout around the house, a few of Rollie¡¯s favorite hiding spots, and two trees. However, there was no trace of the silly, black and white cat. Initially, everyone thought that the cat may have just strolled a little too far on a whim. But, as time went by, it got really late and the cat was still not home. Vivian became a bit worried.


    ¡°What could have happened to Rollie?¡± Vivian leaned forward and looked out the window. ¡°I heard that there¡¯s been a lot of dog-stealing incidents lately¡­¡±


    Nangong Wuyue was amused. ¡°But Rollie¡¯s a cat,¡± she said.


    ¡°You know what I mean.¡± Vivian waved her hand. ¡°Its daily routine has been pretty normal all this while. Why hasn¡¯t it come home today?¡±


    Among all of them, Hao Ren appeared the calmest. Although he had led everyone on a search, he was not worried at all. ¡°Rest assured, that cat is good for nothing except the fact that it has nine lives. Don¡¯t forget that it¡¯s a stray. It¡¯s been wandering the streets for more than two years. So, I always think that it¡¯s not a big deal at all if it suddenly runs out and doesn¡¯t come back. It may have gone to revisit some memories from its youth.¡±


    ¡°A cat recalling its youthful days?¡± Nangong Wuyue looked at Hao Ren in a weird manner. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just say that it¡¯s gone to find itself?¡±


    At this moment, a commotion was heard outside the doorway, followed by a few loud but low dog cries. Lily scurried to open the door. Hao Ren could see through the gaps around Lily¡¯s body that a group was squatting outside. It had to be the maiden¡¯s paparazzi team.


    When Lily went out to find the cat in the afternoon, she had sent out instructions to her trusted ministers¡ªGreen Bean, Beanbag, Wangcai, Prince Reinhardt and the like to mobilize the entire dog squad in the city. No dog dared to go against the command of the Southern Suburbs Dog King. Dogs without a master came straight to rendezvous, while those with a master faked their illness and joined the others to gather in front of Hao Ren¡¯s house at 8.30 in the evening. Seeing the hoo-ha outside, Hao Ren was a little perplexed. He did not feel the urgency of the matter, but Lily had already taken it to heart.


    Lily, the Dog King of Southern Suburbs, was seen talking to a group of hench-dogs. Making some gestures from time to time, she was probably describing Rollie¡¯s size and breed to all the hench-dog who were lining up in front of her according to seniority. They were taking turns in reporting their findings to her. It seemed that the group had already developed into a disciplined, large-scale organization. Vivian sighed as she hugged herself. ¡°It¡¯d be good to know some foreign languages¡­ I don¡¯t have a clue what they¡¯re woofing about.¡±


    Hao Ren stepped forward and patted Lily on the shoulder. ¡°Is that necessary? Rollie¡¯s just been gone for half a day.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s absolutely necessary.¡± Lily pointed at Beanbag in front. ¡°See for yourself.¡±


    Hao Ren looked down and saw the so-called former Dog King of Southern Suburbs. It had ruled all the strays in the town before Lily came around. Now,it was in an embarrassing state. It had lost a third of its body hair and it had two bloody marks on its face. Not to mention, its front paws were just as bloody as if they had been gnawed by some brutal beast. Beanbag seemed to know that it was a disgraced dog. It whispered a little before it lowered its head and looked away from Hao Ren.


    Hao Ren smacked his mouth and said, ¡°Is it the one that always challenged the Chow Chows. Did it finally meet its match?¡±


    Beanbag was the most outrageous dog in Southern Suburbs. It was notorious for its bullying behavior, especially when it came to Chow Chows.


    ¡°It was beaten by Rollie,¡± Lily said quietly. ¡°Got chased down the street with its tail between its legs.¡±


    Hao Ren was shocked upon hearing that.


    Although he did not have a good rapport with the dogs like Lily, Hao Ren at least knew a thing or two about the goings-on among the strays in the Southern Suburbs. Rollie used to be a bully king among the street cats, but Beanbag was its nemesis. As capable as Rollie was, it was only a cat; at no time would Rollie not be beaten black and blue by Beanbag. So, what Lily said this time had him dumbfounded.


    Lily even repeated it to Hao Ren, in case he did not believe it. ¡°Rollie bit it. This afternoon, when Beanbag bumped into Rollie on South Street, it went to bully Rollie like it always did. Little did it expect Rollie to beat the daylights out of it this time. Rollie was supposedly behaving in a strange manner at that time, as if it was looking for something, and there was a red glow in its eyes¡ªMr. Landlord, did Rollie eat something wrong?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­¡± Hao Ren said hesitantly, but he vaguely began to sense that some supernatural thing had happened to his cat: he had seen far too many supernatural things and could now sense strange events around him. Honestly, he would not be surprised even if Rollie were to suddenly fly back in a UFO, wanting to conquer Earth.


    Lily had further conversations with her hench-dogs. Some of the neighbors began to switch on their lamps; the movement and noise there had probably attracted unnecessary attention. So Lily dismissed the group before she shook her head regrettably. ¡°The last one to spot Rollie was Prince Reinhardt. It saw a cat going into the field. This makes it harder for us to find it.¡±


    Hao Ren blinked his eyes. He could not make out what the nerdy cat was doing this time.


    A cool breeze blew around them as Vivian turned in a vampire. She was circled by a swarm of bats. ¡°Let me help. Rollie¡¯s been in a fight, I¡¯m sure it has the stench of blood on it. My bats can search for bloodstains better than your dogs¡¯ noses, ¡± Vivian said.


    Lily gritted her teeth, feeling displeased. But in the end, she did not say anything.


    Looking at Vivian¡¯s bat swarm disappearing into the night sky, Hao Ren could only hope that those little bats would trace the blood on Rollie. He finally realized that his cat had experienced some unexpected changes¡­ mostly related to the unusual creatures.


    Nangong Sanba looked around and noticed that everyone had serious expressions. He could not help but stand up. ¡°What can I do to help? I¡¯m a demon hunter, I¡¯m good at searching.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just keep your half-baked searching skills to yourself,¡± Nangong Wuyue unceremoniously dismissed her old brother¡¯s enthusiasm.


    Hao Ren also shook his head. ¡°Let¡¯s see what Vivian can come back with. If she can¡¯t find it, no one can. If you have free time, please teach Lil Pea how to use her demon hunter powers.¡±


    After Nangong Sanba came onboard, Lil Pea, the unprecedented demon hunting fish had a personal instructor. Although Nangong Sanba himself was just a half-baked demon hunter, Hao Ren did not intend to make Lil Pea a professional demon hunting fish¡ªjust by looking at her body size, one would know how far the training would get her to. He just needed someone who knew the basics to teach Lil Pea the way to control her natural skills.


    Obviously, Nangong Sanba was at a loss on his first day at work. He sat on the couch, staring at Lil Pea, who was staring back at him on the coffee table. The little mermaid had been an obedient girl all this while, listening to her daddy¡¯s words. She did not run around, but she did not seem to understand what Nangong Sanba was up to. Hence, she just stared at his big face curiously and slapped her tail occasionally, signifying that she was listening.


    Nangong Sanba grabbed his head, feeling that he had to be the first and last instructor ever since the appearance of his species to teach a fish how to harness its power.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start with the basics on how to focus your mental power on weapons. This basic training will let you control your mental power. If you wish to control your other abilities in the future, this basic training is indispensable,¡± said Nangong Sanba as he finally remembered what his father taught him, and likewise, he taught it to Lil Pea. He took out a small crossbow. ¡°This is the weapon of demon hunters. In addition to using it in combat, it¡¯s also a tool for practicing mental power. Look at these symbols; now raise the crossbow and touch your forehead with this silver nail¡­¡±


    Lil Pea obediently picked up the crossbow, which to her was like an oversized crossbow. She found that her head could not even touch the so-called ¡°silver nail¡±: she was small in size, even smaller than the small crossbow.


    Lil Pea tried for a long time and found that there was no way she could do it. She decisively shifted her attention by playing with the trigger and the unloaded string of the crossbow. Before she knew it, she heard a humming sound and was flung half a meter back to the coffee table. The crossbow did not move an inch.


    Nangong Sanba sighed and said, ¡°Well, it looks like I¡¯ll have to design a miniature crossbow for you.¡±

 Chapter 524

    As Becky had since returned home, there was a spare room in the house, and with Nangong Sanba not being able to leave for the moment (he have yet to meet Raven 12345, and that needs to be done before he leaves), thus he stayed the night as Hao Ren¡¯s place. As the new guy in the block, Nangong Sanba went about checking on the backstory of the group. He even met Big Beardy, and after the latter gave him a lecture on low-carbon healthcare and the Goddess¡¯s teaching, Big Beardy dropped the bombshell, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m also a temporary tenant.¡±. That put laid to whatever enthuasiasm Nangong Sanba had.


    Hao Ren did not sleep well last night. He was still thinking about the missing cat. Although Rollie had a history of leaving the house and go crazy for a night or two, and for a former stray cat, not coming home was a normal thing, but there was something rather off about this. Hao Ren was disturbed by the information Lily gave him, and plus the recent encounter with the First Born still weighed heavily on him, he had been having all sorts of dreams during his slumber. First was an invasion by a bunch of alien cats, the next was the scene where the Goddess in the Plane of Dreams sowing the seeds of life, last was him being dragged into the deep and was drowning. The moisture on his nose and lips were almost too real, and as he woke up in shock, he realised it was real. Lil Plea had leapt on his face and fell asleep. The moisture was from her wet tail¡­.


    The MDT laid lazily by the head of the bed, as it explained how Lil Pea ended up on him. ¡°She leapt on to you herself, and it was pointless even if I kept an eye on here. Sides, you¡¯re a father, it¡¯s only right if she decided to trouble you.¡±


    The little rascal was still revising her lessons even while asleep. Between breaths she mumbled what Nangong Sanba had thought her in the day. ¡°Fooohhh¡­kusss..Koonn¡­truu¡­ll¡­.gulugulugu¡­.telly¡­poottt¡­.¡±


    As she mumbled the little mermaid activated her teleportation ability and slammed right into Hao Ren¡¯s jaw. Lil Pea immediately woke up before slapping her tail happily and waving at Hao Ren. ¡°Papa! Awake!¡±


    No wonder Nangong Sanba kept reminding him to not have anything sharp near where Lil Pea was practicing her teleportation. And to keep the windows and any holes which she may go through sealed. Apparently the demon hunter¡¯s ability could be activated even when the user is asleep!


    Hao Ren brought the mermaid downstairs and saw Vivian sitting on the sofa meditating. He knew what the vampire was doing. ¡°Have you found it?¡±


    ¡°All across the area, even the urban area of the Southern Suburbs and part of the town area. I even sent a few bats into the town, but a cat should not have ran that far away.¡± Vivian said as she slowly opened her eyes and messaged her temple. ¡°I did felt some scent of blood, but it¡¯s the trail is broken, almost as if something is happening to the person that is masking the scent¡­. I might have lost it all together.¡±


    As Vivian spoke, the guest hall¡¯s window suddenly opened by itself. A part of the bat swarm had completed their reconntoire and were heading back. Each of the bats had some vegetables in their claws. Vivian stood up to stretch, ¡°That cat aside¡­ I got some of the bats to bring back some vegetables. Let me make you some vegetable stew. You¡¯ve a lot on your mind these few days, time to have something hearty.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded, and was slightly touched by Vivian¡¯s thoughfulness. At that very moment, a crash rang from the second floor, as if a window was forced open and the pots of the windowsill had toppled over.


    Vivian let out a swarm of bats. ¡°Let me see what¡¯s going on.¡±


    The bats quickly went upstairs. Just as Hao Ren was about to ask what was going on, he saw Vivian¡¯s expression changed drastically as the latter stormed upstairs as well.


    Seeing Vivian¡¯s reaction, it was natural for Hao Ren to instictly follow her, but he was stopped at the staircase by Vivian. ¡°Stand back Mr. Landlord, let me check things¡­. Doggie! Doggie, come here! Bring two of your old clothes!¡±


    Lily poked her head out of her room door in a daze, ¡°Ah?¡±


    ¡°The one in your hands will do!¡± Vivian said as she ordered her bats to snatch the a set of casual wear off Lily¡¯s hands. The husky immediately leapt up, ¡°Eh what you¡¯re doing Battie! I was just taking those to wash!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll explain later!¡± Vivian took the clothes and dashed up the second floor without turning back. ¡°You¡¯re pretty hygenic¡­¡±


    Hao Ren could only look on in absolute confusion as the event progressed. He didn¡¯t know what Vivian was up to. It was not until he heard sounds of crashing and shrills that he yelled, ¡°Vivian! What¡¯s going on?!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me! I¡¯m confused myself!¡± Vivian replied. In the between her words were sounds of bare foot stomping the wooden floor. Things finally came to a rest after a crack of thunder, and it sounded like Vivian had shocked somebody down¡­


    A moment later, Vivian¡¯s head popped out of the stairwell, ¡°It¡¯s done¡­ I¡¯ll bring her down. She¡¯s still in a daze..¡±


    As Hao Ren looked on curiously, Vivian carried a person down the stairs.


    It was a petite young lady, about a good head smaller than Lily. She had black hair and very refined features. Even from a distance she was a pretty looker, but it was rather difficult to discern anything with her face covered in soot and part of her hair was bristling due to statis electricity. So she was the one who ate Vivian¡¯s lightning bolt earlier¡­


    This lass of unknown origin was still stunned as she was brought downstairs by Vivian. Everyone in the house too were drawn in by the commotion and got out of their rooms to see what¡¯s what. Hao Ren joined the crowd as he asked, ¡°Who is she¡­?¡±


    The stranger looked up as she heard Hao Ren¡¯s voice and let out a silly smile. Her tail wagging at the back.


    ¡°¡­ A tail?¡± Hao Ren exclaimed.


    He only just realised that the person had a black bushy tail at her back, and on her head a pair of pointed, bushy cat ears! He thought it was just some decoration¡­


    Lily blinked. ¡°What does this ear shape looks so familiar?¡±


    Hao Ren went and poke the lass¡¯ ears and immediately pulled his hands back in shock. ¡°It¡¯s real!¡±


    Lily¡¯s ears too popped up at the same time. ¡°Of course it is! You can tell it just by a glance. My ears are out and about almost every day and you still can¡¯t still a fake a part?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this situation?¡± Hao Ren looked bewilderedly at the lass. He looked on as she slowly recovered from her daze and numbness, and went about nonchalantly towards the cushion by the stairwell and rolled up into a ball. He looked at her struggling with her clothes ¨C it seemed like she wasn¡¯t used to it. A rough guess soon took hold.


    ¡°That can¡¯t be Rollie can¡¯t it?¡±


    The cat girl who was just about to curl up and sleep quickly perked up, as if she heard something important keyword. Her eyes were fixed on Hao Ren, and let out a lazy and nonchalant ¡°Meowwww¡ª¡±


    Seeing the cat girl like this, Hao Ren had no doubt of her identity.


    ¡°She jumped in from the window on the second floor. That¡¯s Rollie¡¯s usual route home.¡± Vivian explained what she saw upstairs. ¡°It¡¯s probably because she had became so big that she knocked aside everything on the windowsill. Putting the clothes on her was a chore too, she even scratched me a few times.¡±


    Vivian showed Hao Ren the white claw marks on the back of her arm. ¡°Then I gave her a shock.¡±


    Nangong Sanba looked on, too stunned to speak. Only after a while that he mumbled to himself. ¡°¡­Is this a case of sudden gene mutation¡­ it¡¯s just too¡­unreal?!¡±


    Hao Ren messaged his temple. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me. I¡¯m just as confused.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks arms was crossed as he stood on the outer circle of the crowd. ¡°Hmm.. her aura is similar, but the change is huge. No wonder Vivian could not locate her. But the key is¡­ how did she turned out like this?¡±


    As everyone around discussed and hypothesised what happened to Rollie, the cat girl too opened her eyes. Seems like she could not sleep under such an enviroment. Her slit-eyes looked around for a bit before landing on Hao Ren again. After a few mewling, Hao Ren pet cat finally spoke her first words:


    ¡°Poop scooper, where¡¯s my food?¡±


    Yes that was it, but then again anything that lived under this roof, even if it was only a cat, it is only normal if it¡¯s weird!

 Chapter 525

    Hao Ren could barely respond to that. To be fair, no one could have prepared for their pet cat suddenly changing into a full grown human. Even for someone like Hao Ren who had seen his fair share, it was too much too soon. And Rollie the cat girl did not seem too happy when dinner was not served to her. She raised her voice. ¡°Poop scooper! Food! Where¡¯s my food?!¡±


    Hao Ren pointed to himself. ¡°What did you call me again?¡±


    ¡°Poop scooper!¡± The cat girl stared at Hao Ren before going on all fours near his leg to scratch his itch. ¡°Alright, rub rub. Can you give me food now? I¡¯ve been running around all day long. I¡¯m hungry¡­¡±


    Hao Ren jumped as Rollie rubbed against him. ¡°You¡¯re really Rollie?!¡±


    ¡°Nya?¡± the cat girl instinctively responded to the word like a flicked switch.


    ¡°How can you spea¡­ No¡­ How did you turn out like this?¡± Hao Ren stammered as he was unsure of what question to ask. ¡°So. you went out last night to transform? Did you eat anything wrong?¡±


    Rollie yawned lazily as she shook her head and insisted on the very one thing on her mind. ¡°Food.¡±


    ¡°Eat! Eat! Eat! That¡¯s all you know!¡± Veins popped all over Hao Ren¡¯s forehead. As he recovered from his initial shock, he realized that even if the cat¡¯s life was upended, deep in her bones was still that lazy dumb cat, who only cared about eating. ¡°Lily, get her some food.¡±


    Lily nodded in a daze before bringing Rollie¡¯s food bowl over. As she passed it to Hao Ren, something popped up in her head. ¡°So, is she still going eat cat food from now on?¡±


    Hao Ren did not have a chance to reply before Rollie darted over to grab her bowl and stuf her face full. She even had the courtesy to thank Lily. ¡°Thanks, big dumb cat.¡±


    ¡°Awooo? I¡¯m not a cat¡­¡±


    ¡°It looks like in the cat¡¯s eyes, there are only three types of living organisms: big, medium and small cats. It then brances out to whether the cat is dumber or slower than her.¡± Hao Ren rolled his eyes. ¡°And you of all people have the cheek to ask that after eating dog food yourself. Why can¡¯t she eat cat food? Her food is much more expensive than the cookies I eat for goodness sake!¡±


    Rollie then looked up at Hao Ren again. ¡°Poop scooper, water.¡±


    Hao Ren finally decided his pride needed defending and he pointed at the cat as he stomped his feet. ¡°First, change the bloody way you address me. I¡¯m your master, god damn it!¡±


    ¡°Oh, poop scooping master, I want water.¡±


    Hao Ren was dumfounded.


    The master and the cat argued for a good part of the day without anyone emerging victorious. The others also tried to talk with Rollie, but they were promptly ignored as the cat was busy eating. She maintained the grace and elegance of a cat, which was to ignore everyone.


    The only progress was, everyone now knew where Hao Ren stood in her eyes. That¡­ Ah¡­ yes, he was the poop scooper.


    Hao Ren had a defeated look on his face as he squatted on the sofa (he probably picked that up from Lily). As he looked at the cat girl rolling about lazily on her cushion, pawing her face as well as rubbing her ears and tail, Hao Ren was conflicted. Sighing deeply, he said to himself, ¡°I remember reading about cat girls in those stories being all cuddly and considerate, and loving their masters to bits. Why did I end up with such a character instead¡ª¡±


    Before he could even finish, Rollie suddenly leaped up and dashed up the staircase before running down again. She repeated that for a few times looking absolutely confused. Hao Ren looked even more defeated as he pulled Nangong Wuyue by her sleeves. ¡°¡­Teach her how to use the toilet¡­ and how to get used to wearing clothes¡­¡±


    Vivian patted Hao Ren on the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ve heard many tales and legends about cat girls, and frankly speaking, the one before you is rather weird. But logically speaking, she¡¯s much more realistic compared to the stories. At the very least, she hates clothes like a typical cat.¡±


    ¡°The question is, how did she transform?¡± Hao Ren facepalmed. ¡°Even the most supernatural of phenonemons have a reason. You can¡¯t simply have a cat transform into a human just because the script demands it¡­ Besides, our place isn¡¯t some enchanted ground¡­¡±


    ¡°Strictly speaking, our place is indeed enchanted ground.¡± Vivian shrugged. ¡°That couplet by the door is worth several heaven¡¯s gates. But I don¡¯t think Rollie¡¯s transformation has anything to do with the Fengshui of this house.¡±


    ¡°But didn¡¯t that cat start developing odd habits a few weeks back?¡± Y¡¯zaks had been silent all this while and only interjected at this moment. ¡°Since when did she like to watch TV? And did she ever read the papers with you before?¡±


    Hao Ren was gobsmacked. ¡°She read the papers?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the papers.¡± Y¡¯zaks nodded. ¡°There was a time when my newspapers went missing and I later saw Rollie lying down by the staircase reading them. She was definitely reading them and not tearing them apart as the papers were neatly stacked beside her. None of it was out of place. But I suppose she didn¡¯t know how to read yet, as she was only looking at the pictures.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s jaw dropped for a good while as he slowly recalled Rollie¡¯s recent unusual behavior. He did not know when it started exactly, but the cat started to watch television and learned how to operate the remote. She could even remember the number of the channel on the top right of the TV screen and hit the corresponding button for the channel. She would also lay by the table and listen in when everyone was eating, as though she took an interest in the topics discussed. Then, she started to read the papers, figure out how the doors and windows worked. Heck, she would even go into the kitchen, not to steal some biscuits, but to see how her food was being made¡­


    There were actual early warning signs before this, but because Rollie was a weird cat to begin with, and had a habit of doing things out of the blue, no one at home paid any attention to it. With Hao Ren cracking his head to solve the issue with the First Born and the other worlds, he never connected the dots, until now.


    Y¡¯lisabet pulled out her precious screwdriver and circled around Rollie before sighing resignedly. ¡°Ahhh¡­ what a shame, she¡¯d be a perfect specimen to study¡­ but there¡¯s nothing to unscrew¡­¡±


    He did not know how the mind of that demon princess worked as well.


    ¡°Seems like the changes to Rollie only happened after the New Year.¡± Vivian demurred. ¡°While she didn¡¯t gain her human form then, it was clear that she was mutating¡­ Let¡¯s ask her later?¡±


    ¡°I suddenly have this feeling that it¡¯ll be rather difficult to talk to my own cat.¡± Hao Ren sighed again. ¡°Did you guys not see her reaction earlier? A bloody runt she is. Say¡­ Why didn¡¯t I feel that way before?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because of the communication barrier that the relationship between master and pet grows. It¡¯s probably a mental thing that makes you think that you¡¯re close,¡± Lily suggested with a rare glint of insight. ¡°Many times, people are able to talk so jovially because they don¡¯t understand that the other party is actually mocking them. Have you forgotten how the Kerbalians first conducted diplomacy?¡±


    Hao Ren sighed again. He realized that what Lily said was true, but he still had to figure out a way to talk to his cat¡­ Perhaps, fish jerky would work?


    By then, Nangong Wuyue had pulled Rollie out from the toilet. The cat girl was walking awkwardly and she had the instinctive urge to go on all fours. However, Wuyue was dragging her along on her feet.


    It appeared that walking straight was a difficult thing for her.


    Wuyue had washed Rollie¡¯s face and tidied her hair. The latter now actually looked the part of a pretty cat girl. Hao Ren noticed that her facial features were a combination of Lily, Vivian and Wuyue¡¯s, while her eye contour resembled Becky¡¯s. Hao Ren wondered if the cat girl had chosen the features of those she had seen on a daily basis for her looks: if she had a hand in manipulating her transformation.


    ¡°Come here.¡± Hao Ren patted the sofa¡¯s armrest. That was Rollie¡¯s favorite resting place, but he quickly realiaed that she was now too big. ¡°Uh, forget about that. Look for somewhere comfortable.¡±


    Rollie meowed and deftly leaped onto the sofa, rolling up into a ball. She started to play with her tail and ears again. Hao Ren pointed at her body and asked. ¡°Do you know what happened to you?¡±


    The cat girl looked down at her tummy, and wiggled her head. ¡°I became a big cat.¡±


    ¡°Do you know how you became like this?¡±


    ¡°Nyooo.¡±


    ¡°Do you know when you became like this?¡±


    ¡°Nyooo.¡±


    ¡°Do you know who I am?¡±


    ¡°Poop scooper!¡±


    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s skip that question. How do you feel now?¡±


    Rollie rolled around on the sofa, her eyes still looking confused. She seemed perplexed with the changes to her body, and was probably unnerved by it. But, she nodded. ¡°Nyothing¡­ You all became small though.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you turned larger.¡± Hao Ren sighed again. ¡°Forget about it. Looks like your intelligence has yet to fully form.You probably won¡¯t be able to explain this at all.¡±

 Chapter 526

    Despite being a human now, Rollie still retained all of the characteristics of a cat; her oddball attitude, her act of curling up, her love for cat food, her love of the cushion and her fondness of calling her master ¡°Poop Scooper¡±.


    The last bit was the saddest part of them all.


    After trying to ¡°communicate¡± with Rollie for a while, Hao Ren was forced to accept that it was his fate to never have anything turn out normally around him. Do not be fooled by the stories of cat girls being cute, cuddly and loveable creatures. After becoming a cat girl, Rollie was still a cat in a human¡¯s body. She lay lazily on the sofa and started to roll about. It did not take long for the seating and cushions to be all over the place. She then began to grumble about being hungry, and wanting someone to play with, or to eat while playing. Seems like turning into a cat girl had only exacerbated her needs and desires by fourfold.


    Hao Ren sighed again. ¡°Why was Rollie not this difficult to deal with back then. Don¡¯t tell me her attitude took a turn for the worse when she transformed?¡±


    Vivian curled her lips. ¡°Pffftt, that¡¯s because you didn¡¯t understand what she said. Did you actually believe that her meowing by your legs was just to greet you?¡±


    The cat girl seated across the tea table looked up at the people around her, and after a stretch, she rumbled. ¡°I want to eat fish jerky! Give me fish jerky!¡±


    Nangong Sanba looked at Hao Ren. ¡°What Vivian said is true. Just treat her as you normally did in the past. So, what would you do when she acted up?


    Hao Ren thought for a moment. ¡°Grab her by the neck and throw her out.¡±


    Everyone present perked up as they heard that. Their eyes jumped between Hao Ren and Rollie. Y¡¯zaks even quipped nonchalantly, ¡°That¡¯s similar to how demons educate their children. Are you sure you still want to throw her out now?¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at Rollie and got up menacingly to grab the cat girl by her neck. The latter quickly shrunk her neck and kept quiet. This was instictive and seeing this, Hao Ren grinned. ¡°Heh, at least I¡¯ve still retained some dignity as a master¡­¡±


    At the same time, Lily was inspecting Rollie, giving the cat a good sniff or two. The cat girl immediately bristled. ¡°Big dumb cat, what are you doing?!¡±


    ¡°I realized something.¡± Lily scratched her head. ¡°Ever since she turned into this, I haven¡¯t been afraid of her anymore¡­¡±


    Rollie¡¯s tail immediately stood up as she gave Lily a menacing growl. The latter was unfazed and even went ahead to pat the cat on her ears. Hao Ren was surprised and puzzled at the same time. ¡°Say¡­ I don¡¯t understand this. You¡¯re a husky, why are you afraid of cats anyway?¡±


    Lily mumbled as she patted Rollie on the head, ¡°How would I know? Even some of the greatest humans are still afraid of cockroaches.¡±


    So that was it, the end of Rollie¡¯s reign of terror on Lily. The dumb cat however, had no clue what just happened.


    Lil Pea was also drawn in by the commotion and she leaped up onto the tea table to join in on the fun. Rollie immediately let out a shrilling meow as she saw the demonic mermaid. She then sat up straight as if awaiting orders. Lil Pea gave the cat girl a confused look. She did not recognize Rollie.


    Hao Ren could only sigh even more. The dumb cat had not learned anything. And after turning into a human, her place in the household hierarchy just fell right to the bottom¡­


    ¡°I think it¡¯s best if I bring this idiot to Raven 12345,¡± Hao Ren said as he got up. He patted Nangong Sanba on the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you along as well. I thought of waiting till tomorrow¡­ but with Rollie¡¯s situation now, I can¡¯t afford any delays. Who knows what she might change into again.¡±


    Everyone at home nodded in agreement. Only Vivian had her arms on her waist. ¡°Eat up before you leave! Look at the time!¡±


    After finishing breakfast, Hao Ren brought the slightly excited Nangong Sanba, and Rollie, who was glued to the sofa straight to heaven.


    A bright flash later, the three of them arrived at the mansion in another universe. Hao Ren was pleased to see that the building had been restored, and there were no signs of the previous destruction. The white walls and blue roof tiles were all brand new, and even the luxurious decorations outside the mansion shimmered brilliantly. A few arcane orbs floated about the mansion, maintaining the place. Well, Raven 12345¡¯s mansion had earned this moment of respite.


    Seems like the crazy goddess¡¯ shopping binge and manic research had come to an end.


    Nangong Sanba was awestruck by the building before him as he teleported in. He quickly realized that the mist surrounding the place was hiding something beyond natural. He guessed it was probably a barrier or something even more advanced shrouding the place. At the same time, Rollie¡¯s eyes were wide open. She was still lazing on the sofa and dozing off before finding herself in an unknown place. Her feline brain could not process the sudden change of location and she went into defensive mode. Between her slightly agitated breath, she mumbled, ¡°Poop scooper, where are we? Don¡¯t be afraid¡­ I¡¯ll protect you¡­¡±


    Hao Ren gave Rollie a surprised look. He never thought the latter would actually say something like that. So the dumb cat had some shred of conscience after all?


    However, he was still livid at the first part of the sentence though. Why the bloody hell was she still calling him Poop Scooper!!


    The arcane servant quickly appeared out of thin air, and led the guests to the goddess¡¯ office. Nangong Sanba gawked at the blue luminiscent servant as he followed it into the mansion. With a low voice he asked Hao Ren, ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°A guardian created by Raven 12345. By normal religion standards, it¡¯s probably a servant of God or something?¡± Hao Ren tried to explain. ¡°It¡¯s duty is to guide visitors, and to serve as the hand of god at certain times in the mortal world.¡±


    The arcane servant led the three of them into a deeper part of the mansion. Hao Ren realized that this was not the usual path he took, and asked the servant, ¡°Is Raven 12345 not in her office?¡±


    The servant replied in a buzzing string of sentence, ¡°The mistress is at the observatory on Stargaze Peak.¡±


    Hao Ren had never heard of the place and thought it was probably some special area within the mansion. The place was far more complicated than it looked and there were many connections to mysterious dimensions from it. There were also structures present that could not have possibly existed within a three dimensional construct. From what Hao Ren knew, the mansion had a 10-storey-tall clock tower, but it was not visible from the outside of the mansion.


    Hence, Hao Ren was not surprised when he heard about this other place.


    As they came to the end of the corridor, the servant pushed open a door with many astronomical symbols etched upon it and signalled the guests to step forward before disappearing.


    Hao Ren stepped through the door and found himself on a mountain peak, which was floating in the middle of space.


    Vast space surrounded him, and many star systems lit the skies. Beneath him was a titanium-colored mountain peak. On top of the peak was a platform and on it, a model of the star systems and many real time infographic holograms were afloat. The place seemed to show every corner of the universe. Meanwhile, while Raven 12345 was standing not too far away from the platform. Her back was facing the ground, and she was looking into the stars. Her silver hair glowed like the stars around her.


    Hao Ren had thought of greeting her as normal before he noticed that the goddess was concentrating on something. He quickly swallowed his words, and even Nangong Sanba as well as Rollie stood at attention.


    ¡°This the observatory of the universe, the closest to the core,¡± Raven 12345¡¯s voice rang. ¡°You can see everything in the universe here, every minute detail.¡±


    ¡°Are¡­ you on official business or something?¡± Hao Ren asked carefully, figuring that he had finally ran into Raven 12345 being serious about her job. So, he should act accordingly.


    ¡°Three hundred years ago, I created a new planet using the starforge and sent it into space. That was the best of my handiwork.¡± Raven 12345 did not respond to Hao Ren¡¯s question directly. She seemed to be mumbling to herself, ¡°Now, the creators of planets are picking the best new planet and I¡¯ve been thinking for the past few days¡­¡±


    Raven 12345 looked up as she stared at the sea of stars. ¡°Where the f*ck did I throw that sorry thing to back then?¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    Hao Ren suddenly realized that his efforts earlier were all for naught. Raven 12345 was still a god damned loon!

 Chapter 527

    The first thing Raven 12345 said revealed her true nature. Hao Ren realized he could never hope for this lunatic of a goddess to play the role of a proper goddess, so he just dropped the formalities. He went forward to greet her with his usual casualness. ¡°Boss, I¡¯ve come back from the Plane of Dreams.¡±


    ¡°I know. You¡¯ve found a stable pathway into the Plane of Dreams? I detected a world crossing distortion, but there were no upheavels in the Plane of Dreams so I figured that you had found the gateway.¡± Raven 12345 turned back. ¡°We don¡¯t know how many leaks like that there are. This is a real hea¡­. Oh, emperor on a pogo stick! What is that?!¡±


    The first thing Raven 12345 saw was Rollie, who was squatting down and pawing her face. Her enchanted eyes immediately told her that this was an unusual creature and it surprised her. Nangong Sanba was rather conflicted when he heard the lady¡¯s reaction. He slowly nudged Hao Ren by the arm. ¡°This is¡­¡±


    ¡°This is the goddess.¡± Hao Ren gritted his teeth as he tried his level best to keep calm while introducing his superior to the two guests. ¡°The gentleman here is Nangong Sanba, Wuyue¡¯s brother. I think you already know his situation. He¡¯ll be joining the crew, so I brought him for introductions. That furry creature squatting on the floor¡­ is Rollie.¡±


    Hao Ren was worried that Raven 12345 may not have understood him, so he added, ¡°This was the cat I had at home¡­¡±


    Raven 12345 looked at Hao Ren as if she was looking at an idiot. ¡°How did your cat turn into that?¡±


    ¡°Beats me. I was just about to ask you that.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°She turned into human out of the blue this morning. She can even speak the human language, but she¡¯s not sure how it all happened. It seems like her mental capacity only grew recently. I was wondering if she gained sapience by some sort of transcendence¡­ Say¡­ surely you can tell, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Nothing escapes my certified goddess eyesight.¡± Raven 12345 placed her hands on her waist. ¡°And to think that you¡¯d assume it was about transcendence. You know how long humans needed to evolve into upright walking creatures? What, you think some wild animal howling at the moon would suddenly mutate into a human? Silly cat, look over here. Look into my eyes.¡±


    Raven 12345¡¯s voice seemed to carry some sort of compelling force as Rollie, who usually could not be arsed to even look at an outsider obediently ran over to the goddess, and stared blankly into her eyes.


    Raven 12345 grabbed Rollie¡¯s dumb face as she inspected the latter. An azure glow flashed across her iris. A moment later, she let out a sigh and turned to Hao Ren. ¡°Seems like something changed after the New Year. Did you feed her anything weird during that time?¡±


    ¡°Anything weird?¡± Hao Ren rubbed his chin. ¡°I don¡¯t remember¡­ F*ck¡­ Was this caused by the apple?¡±


    Only now did Hao Ren remember the ¡°weird¡± thing that he fed Rollie during the New Year, and cold sweat streamed from his forehead. ¡°The Golden Apple! I fed her that. Don¡¯t tell me that apple actually did this?!¡±


    Even Raven 12345 panicked when she heard that and she glared at Hao Ren. ¡°You f*cking did what? You fed the Golden Apple to a cat? The Golden Apple that people killed and died for, the apple that would have caused a thousand-year war if thrown into the mortal world? You f*cking fed it to a cat?!¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s stream of cold sweat had turned into a waterfall at this point. ¡°I never thought it would have such an effect¡­ Didn¡¯t you tell me to just give it to anyone at home?¡±


    ¡°I meant those otherworldlings bunking at your place, not your bloody cat!¡± Raven12345 glared at Hao Ren again. ¡°Just because it¡¯s something given during Chinese New Year you take it for something cheap? Those Golden Apples were the fourth batch, hand raised by the goddess of life herself!¡±


    Hao Ren felt like the Golden Apples really sounded cheap when he heard that last line¡­


    ¡°So, what now?¡± Hao Ren gave Rollie a defeated look. The cat girl was about to doze off now. After rolling on the floor twice, she came close to Hao Ren by habit. She wanted to lay down on the latter¡¯s shoe to nap, but now she was much, much bigger than the last time. She just could not find that sweet spot of yore and in a rage, she started to bite Hao Ren¡¯s pants.


    ¡°I¡¯ll figure something out. She¡¯ll be under your care from now on.¡± Raven 12345 shrugged. ¡°The Golden Apple has fully taken effect and she¡¯s now a totally new life form¡­ almost like the otherwordlings you have back home.


    Hao Ren then pulled Rollie¡¯s collar to stop her from biting his pants as he shook his head. ¡°At the very least, no one at home, Lily included would bite my pants or roll on the floor for days on end¡­¡±


    ¡°Poop Scooper! Put meow down! Put meow down!¡±


    ¡°And none of them would call me Poop Scooper.¡±


    ¡°Just slowly educate her.¡± Raven 12345 shot out a small spark at the cat girl and shocked the latter. ¡°Her intelligence has been fully unlocked. It¡¯s just that she has yet to learn how to get rid of her old habits. She¡¯ll understand anything that you tell her. Just educate her, step by step, and she¡¯ll be used to the human way of life soon enough.¡±


    Hao Ren could only say an emphatic ¡°Oh, alright.¡± Nonetheless, he was still curious. ¡°I can understand if she were to transcend into a human, but how did she learn to speak from day one? This would require some time no? Don¡¯t tell me that the Golden Apple had something in it that gave her maximum intelligence?¡±


    ¡°Actually you hit the jackpot. The real effect of the Golden Apple is to ¡®lifeform template enhancement¡¯. It allows any lifeform to obtain enhancement in every aspect similar to the best lifeform template when gods created mortals. While it does not work as well as direct bioenhancement, its effects is still remarkable given time. Your cat¡¯s intelligence was of course on the low side, but the apple gave it maximum points in intelligence, and it took the chance to learn human language while still a cat. Thus when she became human she only needed some adjustments to speak. Of course, this effect will slowly decrease to the point of a standard normalcy, something like how your medication loses effect with time.


    Hao Ren never thought the Golden Apple had such an effect and simply just nodded as he listened. Something suddenly popped up in his mind. ¡°I understand what you¡¯re saying¡­ but can this actually cure stupidity?¡±


    Raven 12345¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Lily already had two of the apples but she will still gnaw on her tail every morning. Even now and then she¡¯ll drag me out to bring her for a stroll.¡± Hao Ren rubbed his chin. ¡°Not sure if that¡¯s me seeing things¡­ but I think her condition is getting worse.¡±


    Raven 12345 rolled her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s not being stupid. That¡¯s just her normal daily life. Every race have different habits. The Hazzk Swarmkins would see human¡¯s need for cutleries to eat their food as foolishness. For such cultural differences, who is to say who is right?¡±


    Hao Ren had nothing to retort as he suddenly recalled something Lily said sometime back.


    ¡°If a tail is not for gnawing, what use does it has?¡±


    It is true that there is no solution to the question of cultural differences.


    After that, Hao Ren discussed with Raven 12345 on the topic of rearing cats and dogs (no mistake there) at home before bringing up the topic of Nangong Sanba joining the crew.


    ¡°I¡¯ve read the job manual and Inspectors are empowered to, as required after preliminary review could expand his force on the world, and take in new subordinates.¡± Hao Ren patted Nangong Sanba¡¯s shoulder. ¡°His sister is already part of the crew, so I think it is best to just bring her brother along.¡±


    Nangong Sanba was busy staring the stars on the planetary display. And truthly speaking, aside from the lunatic Goddess, the place was surely majestic and divine. He quickly refocused as he heard Hao Ren mentioning his name. ¡°Ah yes, I¡¯d like to join in¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ an outsider who has information about the job. Well, most review requirements have been relaxed and you indeed could gather a few more subordinates like him.¡± Raven 12345 looked at Nangong Sanba and nodded at Hao Ren. ¡°Have you ascertain his capabilities?¡±


    Hao Ren gritted his teeth as the words came stiffly from his mouth. ¡°A reliable demon hunter¡­¡±


    Nangong Sanba sighed. ¡°Even I feel sorry for you.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you say he¡¯s reliable so be it.¡± Raven 12345 could tell what Nangong Sanba was by just a glance. But she just turned a blind eye. ¡°A mixed blood¡­ Interesting, perhaps he is even rarer than a true blue demon hunter.¡±


    After that, Hao Ren something out from his Dimensional Pocket for Raven12345 to see. Something of utmost importance.


    ¡°This is the primal blood.¡± Hao Ren passed a small phial to Raven12345. ¡°The living sample of the Seed of Origin.¡±

 Chapter 528

    Hao Ren separated the Lifeblood sample into several packs, encapsulated in a metal tube that could hold live specimens for a long time. When one opened the shell of the metal tube, one could see the bright red liquid that was sealed in the transparent crystal vial. The strange, life-like red liquid was moving slowly, feeling quite similar to the blood diffusing from the previous Firstborn, but the difference was that the Lifeblood showed a more gentle character, not as violent as the Firstborn¡¯s blood.


    If you touched the Lifeblood directly with your skin, you could even feel a sense of comforting warmth permeating you, like the mother of life.


    Raven 12345 looked at the liquid in the crystal vial with interest and asked, ¡°Living samples? Where did you get that?¡±


    ¡°From the Disciples of Glory. It¡¯s said that their first pope collected it from the sleeping place of the Firstborn. It¡¯s the residual liquid of the Seed of Origin, so theoretically it¡¯s the closest thing to the Goddess in the Plane of Dreams. Also, the Disciples of Glory blessed their new priest with this. After inoculation with the Lifeblood, ordinary people can get various strange abilities, and are said to be able to communicate with the Goddess.¡±


    ¡°They can communicate with the Goddess?¡± Raven 12345 raised her eyebrow and said, ¡°but according to the information I got¡­ The information response of that Goddess of Creation has been collapsed. There¡¯s a very high likelihood that she had fallen into some kind of broken state sleeping in the depths of the universe. Who are they communicating with?¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡± Hao Ren shrugged and said, ¡°Anyway, according to Big Beardy, devout believers will hear the Goddess¡¯s voice in their mind after the inoculation, and may even learn the knowledge from the Goddess in prayer¡ªone-third of the divine system of the Disciples of Glory is said to have been created out of thin air in this almost ¡®tacit divine revelation¡¯ state.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± said Raven 12345 while fiddling with the crystal vial. Then she placed the other hand over it, some pale blue sparks leaping between her fingers. ¡°But I can¡¯t feel anything¡­ There must be something missing, or the information it contains is too weak to be covered by my power. Maybe I need to do some research.¡±


    Hao Ren then handed over a sample of the ¡®Progenitor of Life¡¯ to Raven 12345. He would also be responsible for the researching, and now he gave some samples to Raven for filing purpose. Then, Hao Ren suddenly remembered another thing. ¡°Oh, one more thing¡­¡±


    He removed a metal safe from his dimensional pocket. A line of words was floating above the metal safe: Civilization of Tannagost, all data, yet to be encoded.


    ¡°We have found out the truth of one of the unusual creatures, the Vengeful Spirit,¡± Hao Ren said while handed the safe to Raven 12345, ¡°They came from a planet called Tannagost, which had perished. It¡¯s destroyed by the Firstborn. This is all their data.¡±


    ¡°Tombstone¡­¡± Raven 12345 looked at the silvery-white metal safe and became serious, for the first time there was an inexplicable sense of divine sympathy coming from her like a true Goddess. She stooped and touched the cold metal safe, and said, in a way as if she was talking to both herself and Hao Ren, ¡°you finally come into contact with this.¡±


    ¡°This is the last thing that needs to be handed over to you,¡± Hao Ren said and put the strange feeling aside, looking at the metal safe that was keeping all the data of the civilization of Tannagost and asked, ¡°Where will this be sent?¡±


    ¡°There is a place dedicated to storing such relics,¡± said Raven 12345, ¡°it will be treated properly and the data will be transferred to an infinitely large database. This civilization will not be forgotten, since it left a little trace, the empire is responsible for keeping it.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and then left the wonderful peaks floating in the universe together with Nangong Sanba and ¡®Rollie¡¯.


    Raven 12345 paused for a moment, and then turned and continued to look at the splendid starlight she had been gazing at.


    The distant and magnificent starry sky was still shining bright, seeming to be trying to show the most beautiful side to the Goddess standing on the top of the stars. Those twinkling starlight was sketching all kinds of wonderful picture, looking splendid, and revealing the mysterious and magnificent scenery of the universe.


    However, in the reflection in Raven¡¯s eyes, those bright stars were broken apart little by little, revealing the deep truth hidden beneath the surface. The power of Goddess allowed her to directly observe the unknown part of the universe. The dimensions beyond the mortal understanding and the structures that only mathematical formulae could explain unfolded in her eyes, revealing all secrets. Under the starlight, fine cracks were spreading.


    It was rippling near the boundary of the universe. In some very remote areas where most mortal may never be able to reach, the physical law of the real world was fighting against some kind of erosion from the other world. An awful giant hidden beneath the real world was trying to break free and had achieved initial success. If there were intelligent creatures living in the remote and ice-cold regions, perhaps they would see the unbelievable strange phenomenon in the starry sky above them, and the cosmic background radiation they could observe was showing two distinctly different forms.


    As if there were two universes superimposed on their heads at the same time.


    Raven 12345¡¯s eyes reflected the strange dark shadows at the edge of the universe. Certain phenomena took tens of billions of years to be transmitted to this place through conventional light speed, but she could see everything now.


    ¡°The border area is starting to get tangled.¡± Raven 12345 sighed and narrowed her eyes slightly, and the chaotic ¡®real starlight¡¯ and the bizarre cracks quickly returned to their original position, and the small chaos that took place on the cosmic border was quickly calm down. ¡°Tsk, the cycle is getting shorter,¡± she said.


    Then she snapped her finger and opened a small World Gate beside her. Meanwhile, a blue arcane servant emerged from the air.


    Raven 12345 pointed to the silver box and said, ¡°Take it.¡±


    The arcane servant carried the box without saying a word and walked behind Raven 12345 into the World Gate.


    Raven 12345 came to a special place. This was the void node that lying outside of many universes. It did not belong to any world but an eternal space created by the Xi Ling Celestials. Each node shone like a lighthouse in the void, like a server on a network.


    Because of the different models, the void nodes also had various forms. Raven 12345¡¯s void node was a continent that floated in the dark. There was a huge central management center in the center of the continent, while in other parts there were mountains and rivers and magnificent silvery-white towers. The whole continent had lush jungles and snowy plains, which was built like a complete world. If no one jumped out of this land, probably no one would ever think of that outside of this ¡®world¡¯ was a void.


    Raven 12345 and the arcane servant stood on the tower of central management center. There was a series of observation platforms to see the whole space. She looked to the East and saw several small black spots cruising in the air. They were simple spacecraft driven by steel and magic power, and they were clearly not something that the Xi Ling Celestials had made.


    This model of the void node was so vast and the habitable area was even as big as a planet, so the administrators here created a group of residents on the continent. After years of development, these residents had established their own country and civilization in corner of the lighthouse of the Xi Ling Celestials.


    A young lady in a white dress appeared on the observation platform and said to Raven 12345, ¡°Nimlotte is challenging the sky again. They are interested in the scenery outside the ¡®world¡¯. Several tribal states on the northern snowy plains have just completed an integration war. They seem to be suddenly enlightened and are learning Nimlotte¡¯s magic technology.¡±


    ¡°Are they developing a little too fast?¡± Raven 12345 said and blinked, ¡°They¡¯re created just to make the nodal continent livelier, didn¡¯t expect that they are so gifted.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate their potential, after all, it was made by the Empire,¡± the lady in the white dress said with a smile, ¡°and there¡¯s good news. The Principality of Sanglan sent an expedition to the ¡®Celestial Tower¡¯ a few days ago. They seem to have an interest in the nature of the world. A bunch of inquisitive guys, maybe they¡¯ll find the entrance here soon.¡±


    ¡°Fayna, when are you going to tell them about the situation of this world and what¡¯s happening outside the world?¡± asked Raven 12345, ¡°They need to grow up. You can¡¯t always treat them as children.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait until any one of them figure out the equation of mass-energy,¡± Fayna waved her hand and said, ¡°but why do you have time to come here? Isn¡¯t it nice to be a Goddess?¡±


    ¡°I also have to work,¡± Raven 12345 said and patted the safe in the hands of an arcane servant, ¡°This is for the third sample library.¡±


    Fayna frowned and asked, ¡°Is it a ¡®tombstone¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, yes, it is. Another civilization has died.¡±

 Chapter 529

    Let¡¯s come back to Hao Ren. He had left Raven 12345¡¯s house together with two people (including a cat). He was walking along the only commercial street in the Southern Suburbs. Rollie would not stop looking around and there were times when she almost transformed back into her cat form. But luckily, Hao Ren had been keeping an eye on her.


    It was the first time that the cat girl could observe the old familiar street from a human perspective. After she transformed into a human in the wilderness the previous night, she went home to sleep early in the morning as usual. She did not have the time to go for a stroll on the street.


    ¡°It¡¯s different,¡± the cat girl muttered while she touched her hair uncomfortably. Hao Ren quickly held her hand and warned, ¡°Don¡¯t take off your hat! Don¡¯t wag your tail! If you get exposed, you¡¯ll never be allowed to go out again.¡±


    On the way home, Hao Ren suddenly remembered that he had to get two sets of clothing for Rollie. After all, she could not keep wearing Lily¡¯s clothes, so he took her to the shopping street. In order to prevent the cat girl from exposing her identity, he put a soft, wide-brimmed hat on her head. He then hid her tail with a coat, and also got her to carry a small backpack to cover up. Such a disguise was supposedly enough. Usually, Y¡¯lisabet just wore a hat and contact lenses, and it worked well. However, Hao Ren had apparently underestimated a cat¡¯s nature. A simple act of keeping Rollie walking upright had already drained his energy¡­ This cat was much more difficult to deal with than the demon princess!


    Now he was glad that he had expected Rollie¡¯s inability to control her tail. He had already tied her tail to her back, and he got her to wear a very big shirt, which easily covered the tail.


    But even so, Hao Ren still felt a bit scared the entire time. He was thinking about how easy it was for the cat girl to expose her identity on the street. What was he to do in the future?


    He did not think that he could keep the wild cat girl at home for long. It was difficult enough to control her when she was still a cat, not to mention now when she was a human. The girl had always wanted to go out, but Hao Ren could not just let her walk on the street with her cat ears on her head and a tail behind her. This would surely become a hot topic on social media.


    However, the cat girl was not aware that her owner was worried about her. She was just strolling along the street when she suddenly saw someone selling grilled fish. She got excited and rushed towards it straightaway. By the time Hao Ren saw it, she had already reached the stall and¡­


    Then she found a safe place to squat down. And then, she kept a sharp eye on the customers who were eating grilled fish, waiting for table scraps dropping from them while being ready to flee when someone threw stones at her. She looked so skilled in it that she obviously did it very often.


    Hao Ren stunned for a moment before he could react. ¡°Come back!¡± he yelled.


    But he was too late as the boss of the stall found a beautiful lady rushing to his stall and squatting in front of him. He thought that she wanted to buy grilled fish (although the cat girl¡¯s posture was a little out of ordinary). ¡°Want a grilled fish?¡± he asked and handed her a freshly grilled fish.


    The cat girl thought it was for her, so she quickly grabbed it and stuffed it into her mouth. The next second she spit it out, scratching her throat and crying, ¡°Aargh, it hurts! Hurts so bad!!¡±


    The boss was stunned. He had probably never seen such a sensitive tongue throughout his career and he thought that the girl was sent by the stall selling roasted mutton to disrupt his business. Luckily, Hao Ren and Nangong Sanba kept explaining and apologizing. They also bought some grilled fish from the boss and finally smoothed things out. Then, they quickly dragged the cat girl away and left the place.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know that cats can¡¯t eat things that are too hot?!¡± Hao Ren stomped his foot while he scolded the cat. She was still stupid even after turning into a human. ¡°And, don¡¯t you know that you have to pay for the food!?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± the cat girl said it with pride even though her tears were on the verge of streaming down.


    Hao Ren was angry, but then he thought for a moment and figured it out. Even if Rollie was able to speak the human language, she would not understand the rules of human society.


    And for the first time, she knew that she could not eat anything hot. ¡°So, that¡¯s how ¡®hot¡¯ feels like? The food is very hot, so it hurts to eat? But, why was I never hurt when I was eating before?¡±


    ¡°Because I cooled the food down before I gave it to you, and you could never pick up anything hot on the ground when you roamed outside.¡± Hao Ren rolled his eyes and said, ¡°Can you please listen to me? Did you forget what I¡¯ve just told you? If you¡¯re exposed, you¡¯ll never be allowed to go out again.¡±


    The cat girl was not listening to Hao Ren. She just stuck out her tongue to cool it down as she muttered, ¡°Poop Scooper, I didn¡¯t realize you¡¯ve been treating me so well.¡±


    Hao Ren was furious when he heard ¡°Poop Scooper¡±. ¡°How many times have I told you, stop calling me that! If you know I treat you well, then why can¡¯t you show me some respect?!¡±


    Rollie looked at Hao Ren blankly while he scolded her. She did not understand why Hao Ren was angry, so she rubbed her head against Hao Ren¡¯s elbow and said, ¡°Oh, Poop Scooper, feeling better now? In that case, give me a piece of dried fish!¡±


    Hao Ren was at a lost for words.


    Nangong Sanba suddenly realized something and tried to explained, ¡°Wait, I think¡­ Even if a cat is able to learn and speak the human language, she probably doesn¡¯t understand the concept of commendatory word and derogatory word.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at him curiously and asked, ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t mean to make you angry when she calls you ¡®Poop Scooper¡¯,¡± Nangong Sanba explained, ¡°She just really thinks you¡¯re very good at¡­ scooping poop. In the cat¡¯s worldview, this could be a profession.¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned. ¡°¡­The hell?! Why do I always face such things?¡±


    Rollie kept turning her head to looking around. Then, she scratched Hao Ren¡¯s sleeve and said, ¡°Dried fish. I want dried fish.¡±


    There was nothing else on her mind.


    Hao Ren could only give her the cooled-down grilled fish and said, ¡°Eat this. There¡¯s no dried fish here.¡±


    The cat girl looked at the grilled fish in horror and licked it carefully. After making sure that the fish did not hurt her, she gobbled it right away. Hao Ren watched her eating the fish and felt pity for her. It was not easy for Rollie. After Lil Pea stayed in their house, everybody in the house stopped eating fish. Even if they were preparing saut¨¦ed fish, they had to do it secretly. When Rollie saw a fish, she would keep meowing at it, making sure that the fish would not suddenly jump up and hit her before she dared to eat it.


    Fortunately, her brain evolved after she turned into a human, so she could tell that the grilled fish would not move. Otherwise, she would not have just squatted by the stall. There was a possibility that she would have greeted every single fish on the grill. That scene would have been more frightening, and she would probably be in the psychiatric hospital now.


    ¡°Well, I feel a little regret for bringing her out so fast,¡± Hao Ren complained. ¡°I should have taught her about human common sense first, so that she¡¯s well trained before she goes out.¡±


    ¡°Accidents are more likely to happen that way. You can¡¯t tie her up with a chain. What if she runs out and causes trouble before her training¡¯s over?¡± Nangong Sanba explained, ¡°Might as well take her to the streets for a few times where you can see her. Getting her to be familiar with the environment as soon as possible will probably reduce the likelihood of trouble.¡±


    Hao Ren sighed again. Just as he was about to say something, he suddenly realized that Rollie was gone again. He quickly looked around and found that the girl had run across the road. It appeared that she was trying to put her head in the trash can!


    A sanitation worker stood beside the trash can and he was already stunned by the scene.


    Hao Ren could only ignore the people around them and yelled, ¡°Come back here!¡±


    The cat girl quickly ran back to Hao Ren. Hao Ren lectured her with a straight face, ¡°No more rummaging around in the trash can! No more picking up something to eat on the street!¡­ Wait a minute, why are you getting more and more unstable as you walk?¡±


    The cat girl wriggled her body awkwardly and said, ¡°Because of my tail¡­ It can¡¯t move, so I can¡¯t keep balance when I walk.¡±


    Hao Ren sighed deeply and said, ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s go home now!¡±

 Chapter 530

    On the way back to their house, Hao Ren felt that this short trip with Rollie was completely exhausting. He did not expect it would be so troublesome after this cat turned into a human. The cute and sensible cats portrayed in the stories were all lies. How could he not worry about this girl who had a cat¡¯s logic but was able to move around freely like a human? This cat girl who had just turned into a human did not have the correct worldview at all!


    Hao Ren could hardly remember how many times he had been talking about the same things again and again along the way. ¡°No squatting at people¡¯s feet¡­ Don¡¯t eat anything on the road¡­ Don¡¯t rummage around the trash can¡­ Don¡¯t climb the wall, get off the tree! Let go of that bird! Stay away from the dog¡­ Don¡¯t touch the rubbish¡­ Stand up and walk!¡±


    He felt like he was taking care of a small kid, and that the kid was much more difficult than Lil Pea.


    The cat girl jumped off the wall for the third time. She was as dirty as if she had just returned from the Middle East war zone. She rushed to Hao Ren, bared her teeth and said, ¡°Poop scooper, you¡¯re so annoying.¡±


    Hao Ren had given up correcting what the cat girl called him. He just reminded her feebly, ¡°You have become a human, okay, so from now on you must change the way you live¡­ You understand? Your lifestyle, behavior, and habit. Do you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡±


    ¡°Not something to eat, but I can understand,¡± said the cat girl while wagging her head, ¡°but why are there so many things in human language that have nothing to do with eating?¡±


    Hao Ren stared at her and said, ¡°Why are you asking so much, just do as I say!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so troublesome to become a big cat. Quickly turn me back into a cat,¡± she snorted.


    Hao Ren just ignored her. Well, he too, wished he could do it, but the problem was, shapeshifting was not like playing a video, you could not rewind as you like.


    The three of them reached home and found that there were only Vivian and Lily left in the house. Nangong Wuyue was probably singing in front of a subway or a station or a mall. Big Beardy might also go to the wilderness to challenge nature, and of course, he might be giving lectures to the elderly women in the southern suburbs. Y¡¯zaks might be collecting scrap on the street again. The former demon king was now reduced to jobless and wandering on the street and ended up collecting scrap with the demon princess in the southern suburbs. It was such a sad story, but Y¡¯lisabet was quite happy with it.


    Lily was writing. When she heard noise coming from the door, she turned to asked, ¡°Landlord, you guys are back? Is everything clear?¡±


    Vivian also came to them, looking curiously at Hao Ren and Rollie who was lying beside the couch.


    ¡°Because of the Golden Apple,¡± Hao Ren sighed and roughly told them what he had heard from Raven 12345, and then solemnly reminded them, ¡°If you have any Gold Apples, don¡¯t feed it to the animals. This stuff is too unsafe.¡±


    ¡°Aww¡­¡±Lily was not worried about it: she had already eaten all her apples. She then sniffed around the cat girl, sniffing and muttering, ¡°There is the smell of the street¡­ and grilled fish. You let her walk on the street? She didn¡¯t run around?¡±


    ¡°Of course she did. To be honest, walking her is more troublesome than walking you.¡±


    Lily heard this and immediately smiled happily. She actually took it as a compliment and asked, ¡°Then when can you walk me again? I haven¡¯t been on the street for days!¡±


    ¡°Can you have a little backbone?¡± said Hao Ren.


    After lying on the floor for a while, Rollie looked up lazily and ordered Lily, ¡°Hey big cat, I want to eat now! The grilled fish didn¡¯t fulfill me!¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Lily replied and went to prepare food for the cat girl. Hao Ren was shocked to see this and asked, ¡°Eh, aren¡¯t you no longer afraid of her?¡±


    Lily scratched her hair and said, ¡°Yes, but preparing food for her has become a habit.¡±


    Hao Ren could not believe that this husky would become like this. He thought the husky could finally escape from the food chain of dog < cat < fish in this family, turned out that she was already trapped in it.


    And now Rollie had released her tail from her clothes. She stretched comfortably, then wriggled up the couch, turned on the TV and began to watch the pet channel and yelled, ¡°Poop scooper! I want this toy! And this canned meat! This mat looks good too. Give me a new bed¡­ I want a smaller one¡­ Give me a little fish!¡±


    Anyway, no matter what was she yelling about, the cat girl would not sit there quietly. This was also Rollie¡¯s major feature: Compared to other quiet cats, this one was simply an ADHD patient. When she was a cat, she was either running around outside or fiddling around in the house. But at that time, it was not so annoying: No one could understand what she was talking about!


    It was not the same now. The cat girl could speak human language. Hao Ren finally realized how annoying it could be when a cat could talk.


    However, Hao Ren had accepted it. He could totally ignore this noisy cat and pretended that he did not understand what she was talking about. Anyway, everybody just ignored her when she messed around the house while she was a cat, and she was still content with it. And now everybody ignored her as usual, she should be able to get used to it.


    Vivian looked at the cat girl who was lying on the couch watching TV and suddenly remembered something thing. ¡°Oh, have you decided a new name for her?¡±


    ¡°A new name?¡± Hao Ren was puzzled.


    ¡°For the cat of course. Don¡¯t tell me you are still calling her ¡®Rollie¡¯? Do you think it¡¯s okay to call her that way in public?¡±


    Hao Ren paused for a while and then realized that ¡®Rollie¡¯ had turned into a human now and therefore, she should get a normal name!


    Otherwise, calling her old name in public would get him into trouble. The old men and old ladies in the southern suburbs did not usually pay attention to everything, but if they saw Hao Ren ¡®walking cat¡¯, they must be rushing to call to complain about his domestic violence!


    Thinking of this, he patted the cat girl¡¯s head and said, ¡°Stop watching. I have something to discuss with you.¡±


    Probably he was the first person ever who needed to discuss with the cat before naming the cat.


    The cat girl turned her head and the pointy ears twitched twice, asked, ¡°What¡¯s up? Poop scooper.¡±


    ¡°Whatever¡­¡± Hao Ren sighed and said, ¡°I want to say that it¡¯s time to give you a new name.¡±


    ¡°A new name?¡± The cat girl blinked while asked, ¡°what for?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t call you ¡®Rollie¡¯ now.¡± Hao Ren tried to make this cat understand something about the human world. ¡°Humans cannot be called ¡®Rollie¡¯. If I call you that way, I¡¯ll get a complaint easily.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± the cat girl answered honestly.


    Hao Ren found her good side. Although she was very annoying in all aspects, she was absolutely honest. She was still as innocent as a newborn baby.


    So he and Vivian¡¯s next main task was to get the cat to understand why ¡®Rollie¡¯ was not a normal name. Hao Ren even tried to explain that the name ¡®Rollie¡¯ was a complete misunderstanding in the very beginning. But after they had tried everything to make the cat understand it, Rollie did not actually listen to them: she just pretended to be well-behaved, and soon she already curled up comfortably on the sofa.


    As lazy and stubborn as before.


    Lily brought the cat her food and saw Hao Ren and Vivian was sitting there with a frustrated face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked curiously.


    ¡°Why is it so difficult to change a cat¡¯s name?¡± Hao Ren sighed and complained, ¡°It looks so easy for someone else to get a new name for their pets.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Who needs to discuss with their pets before changing their name? And who would rename their pets under normal circumstances?¡± said Vivian.


    It seemed like what Nangong Sanba said was right. Even if the cat girl now had a human mind, there was no way to solve the problem of her worldview and general knowledge. There was no distinction between commendatory and derogatory words in a cat¡¯s language system. Even if she knew what ¡®Rollie¡¯ meant, she would not find anything wrong to call her that way¡ªjust as she did not think it was a problem to call her owner a poop scooper.


    Hao Ren decided not to discuss with the cat and just finalized the new name first. And this time he quickly came up with a bunch of new names: Hao Meow Meow, Hao Miaow Miaow, Hao Meow Miaow, Hao Miaow Meow. Anyway, his ability to create name was basically like this. The names sounded like a tongue twister when he read them out.


    After he wrote the names on the paper and then proudly showed off to Vivian, Vivian poured cold water on his idea. ¡°Well that¡¯s a lot of names, but do you think she will listen to you?¡±


    ¡°Why not? Let¡¯s try it.¡± Hao Ren said happily and called each name at the back of the cat girl, from the first one to the last one¡­ No response from her.


    Hao Ren could not believe it and tried another name. ¡°Rollie!¡±


    The cat girl immediately sprang from the couch and rubbed herself against Hao Ren¡¯s legs.


    Vivian patted Hao Ren¡¯s arm and said, ¡°I think¡­ or we still call her ¡®Rollie¡¯. We won¡¯t let her go out in the near future anyway.¡±

 Chapter 531

    Hao Ren had no idea how normally nymph came into being. He suspected that it would have to probably undergo a process of worldview-reshaping and developing new habits. Anyway, there was a stupid cat in his house as a reference: everyone spent the whole day trying to help the cat build a new worldview, but none did the trick.


    The cat-maiden was still bigoted as usual, bad behaviours included but are not limited to rolling on the cushions in the living room, wearing shoes on the sofa, squatting on the coffee table, and nagging everyone for dried fish.


    Later, when the others had returned home, they joined the ¡®educating Rollie¡¯ bandwagon. As a result, the cat ran to the roof to find some serenity.


    Without making any headway after a whole day, Hao Ren was drained physically and mentally by cat-maiden. It was only until the time of dinner that he stopped.


    Vivian had prepared a table full of food. The strange family¡ªexcept Big Beardy who was grilling wild rabbit outside¡ªsat around the table starting the most pleasant and enjoyable moment of the day: dinner. Y¡¯lisabet held a bowl that was larger than her head, devouring food in a way that mimicking her dad, and at the same time sharing her fun experience of wandering outside earlier today. There was no temperament of The Princess of the Devil could be observed in her.


    The little girl and Y¡¯zaks had become celebrities in Southern Suburbs. Firstly, Y¡¯zaks¡¯ face was a well-known landmark in part of the town. Several police officers from the local police station had checked the list of criminals before confirming that this big guy was harmless. The surrounding residents slowly warmed up to his demonic look. In contrast, Y¡¯lisabet, who looked like a little angel, was always seen always to follow behind Y¡¯zaks, collecting discarded old home appliances on the street. You could imagine how viral the topic had become in the area.


    The angel and demon combo had become an instant hit of street performing art, even if they were not at it. The fact that they always roamed around town was not helping either.


    Southern Suburbs was originally a quiet, tiny town. The folks were always hungry for topic of interest to quench their boring life. So when Y¡¯zaks and Y¡¯lisabet appeared for the first time, they caused a sensation. Hao Ren did not witness it, but from what he had heard, it was quite lively: the anti-kidnapping squad had come thrice, and the city¡¯s public security bureau had come twice. There was once when the two of them came to an old street intersection, five Liberation Army veterans were tailing them but pretending to be mooching around¡ªbut all them had a walkie-talkies¡­


    Fortunately, the fake ID Raven 12345 gave them were convincing enough.


    In fact, there was no need for Y¡¯zaks to find a job to support his family; let¡¯s not mention the whole demonic city which was more than willing to support the demon king, even the unconditional reimbursement Raven 12345 gave to Hao Ren for the otherworldlings expenses could have easily supported everyone in the family. Collecting old appliances was entirely for his daughter¡¯s interest. And the latter had actually built something out of that hobby. Y¡¯lisabet claimed to have mastered the skill of repairing old washing machines, she was now taking up challenge to repair refrigerators and air conditioners. Her next goal was to rent a store in Southern Suburbs to open an appliance repair shop. She felt that this was the happiest career on earth. After a few years, she intended to start learning about some professional skills such as imperialism¡­


    It was not known how she linked these two things together, probably it was a special logic of the demon princess.


    Anyway, the little girl¡¯s plan was dismissed by her dad from the very beginning: minor was not allowed to register for business permit. Even if she was given an adult identity, the little girl was only a little more than a meter and three¡ªwhile standing on her toes¡­


    While listening to the bragging of the demon princess, Hao Ren Ren looked sideways: a girl with cat¡¯s ear and tail was squatting beside his feet, holding a cat bowl, gobbling food down its neck. In the eyes of the unsuspecting, it looked like a frenzied domestic violence. But there was a chair, she just did not want to use it!


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just sit on the chair and eat?¡± Hao Ren patted her on the head. ¡°And couldn¡¯t you use the normal rice bowl? Didn¡¯t I have prepared a bowl and chopstick for you?¡±


    ¡°Sit is uncomfortable,¡± said the Cat-maiden, without lifting her head. ¡°And there was a familiar odour on the rice bowl. I don¡¯t like to change it. Once changed, the food would become less tasty.¡±


    Lily held her rice bowl and nodded repeatedly. ¡°Well, the second point, I feel the same way. I used to have my own bowl because it had my scent. But I¡¯ve changed. My old rice bowl had become an art and was sold to a Sichuan guy who dealt with collections of Republic of China era for thousands of yuan.¡±


    ¡°Look at you,¡± Vivian sneered at the must-have-own-rice-bowl habit. ¡°This is an animal instinct, looks like you haven¡¯t completely transformed. It was just a rice bowl from the Republic of China¡ªhave you ever used bronze tripod for cooking?¡±


    That was the reason why Hao Ren had always felt it hard to chime in their conversation.


    But Hao Ren was not the only one who found it hard to join in. Nangong Sanba, who was now the personal instructor of demon hunting fish staying temporarily in Hao Ren¡¯s house had hard time interpose. At present, he was still trying to adapt to the group¡¯s way of life, not knowing whose conversation he should butt in to. So he rather gave Lil Pea an impromptu lesson. He pulled out a rune card and pointed it with a chopstick, teaching Lil Pea to read the runes. ¡°This are Letta Runes which every demon hunter must learn. This symbol means ¡®fire¡¯¡­¡±


    Lil Pea patted her tail happily and when reached forward and took a large bite of the rune card. Nangong Sanba was startled.


    ¡°I suggest you don¡¯t teach her using the rune card. If you have to teach her the runes, then you should change your props.¡± Nangong Wuyue looked up and said. ¡°It¡¯s not that you don¡¯t know she likes to eat wood fibre. Oh, by the way, she is biting your chopsticks now.¡±


    When Nangong Sanba came to his senses, the chopstick in his hand had been gnawed in half.


    After the dinner, everyone went to their own business. Rollie had taken the sofa as her territory and began to flip channels looking for her favourite pet show. This time, she was doing it in front of everyone. Hao Ren went up and poke the cat¡¯s head. ¡°You may sleep in Wuyue¡¯s room tonight. Tomorrow I will clean up the room on the westernmost corner on the first floor for you.¡±


    The cat-maiden was confused. ¡°Why is it?¡±


    Hao Ren was more confused by her question this time. ¡°Of course it is your room. You can sleep there. Aren¡¯t without your own room now?¡±


    The cat-maiden pointed her tail to a shadow on the corner of the stairs. ¡°Bed.¡±


    Hao Ren looked up and saw a basket covered with velvet blankets. It was a cat bed Rollie used to sleep in. He forced a smile and said, ¡°That¡¯s for cat. Can you still fit in that bed?¡±


    The cat-maiden hurried over and tried laid herself in the cat bed but she almost broke the basket. She came back up with a crying face. ¡°Oh, I could no longer fit in. I¡¯ll sleep on the blanket tonight, you make me a new bed!¡±


    ¡°No! You have to sleep in bed from now on!¡± Hao Ren eyeballed her. ¡°Sleep in bed. Learn to wear pyjamas. Wash your face in the basin. And not roll on the mat. You must learn all these!¡±


    The cat-maiden began to lose patience as she listened. She yawned lazily, wriggled and climbed up to the cushion beside the stairs before curling herself up and dozed off.


    Hao Ren¡¯s attempt at teaching the cat had failed again.


    Lily suddenly came up to Hao Ren out of nowhere and patted on Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Relax and take it easy. She would eventually learn about human life. Don¡¯t you see I was very dignified and elegant while in front of outsiders?¡±


    Hao Ren eyeballed Lily and said, ¡°Could you please not add to yourself those non-existent settings?¡±


    ¡°I only go bananas in front of acquaintance.¡± With arms across her chest, Lily rolled her eyes before ambling out. ¡°As a senior, I have to share with her my experience.¡±


    Well, after Rollie became a humanoid, she lost her deterrent power against Lily. Now this husky could act like a boss.


    Hao Ren was not interested in the cat and dog affair and went to the basement looking for Vivian: He wanted Vivian¡¯s help to look at the lifeblood samples. The latter certainly had not hit the sack yet.


    As he came to the basement, he found Vivian was sitting on the edge of the bed, holding a finely crafted wooden box in a daze.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Hao Ren casually asked.


    ¡°This is the box that Pavel gave me,¡± Vivian said, lifting the wooden box. ¡°According to him, I gave it to him in a very solemn manner. The box must be very important, but I couldn¡¯t recall anything about it¡­I don¡¯t know what was going on. I always feel that there is something in there.¡±

 Chapter 532

    ¡°Huh?¡± Hao Ren looked curiously at the small wooden box in Vivian¡¯s hand. The thing was glowing with a black and red luster. The fine carving on it was of a 300-year-old European style. Due to its age, the edges of the wooden box had some fine cracks. Aside from that, it was not much different from an ordinary jewelry box from that era. ¡°Maybe this is the only valuable thing you had back then, that¡¯s why you were solem when you passed it to your servant.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I was poor, but I¡¯ve never really cared about stuff like this.¡± Vivian opened the wooden box and looked at the velvet lining inside. ¡°My main concern has always been filling my stomach. What¡¯s so special about this box?¡±


    She put the box under her nose and sniffed it. ¡°There¡¯s a slight stench of blood¡ªmy own blood. It must be a sign. It¡¯s been 300 years, and the stench has thinned out. The runes in the box contain no special information.¡±


    Hao Ren took the box in his hand and shook it slightly. Suddenly, a thought came to his mind. ¡°Perhaps there¡¯s an interlayer¡­ Do you want to take it apart?¡±


    Vivian was a bit hesitant. Actually, she had this idea a few days ago when she received the box, but she could not make up her mind on ripping the box apart: after all, the item looked elegant. She knitted her brows together as she had been struggling internally for a long time before she finally nodded softly. ¡°Instead of preserving it, I think we may find something by ripping it apart. But, be careful not to break the board. Maybe we could put it back together.¡±


    Hao Ren twitched his mouth, knowing that Vivian was experiencing heartache despite saying she did not care.


    Hao Ren put the small wooden box on the table, and took out a small guillotine knife as well as a screwdriver. He then pried open the box very cautiously, lest he would damage the interlayer. After removing a few small planks, he discovered something inside.


    There was really a hollow layer at the bottom of the box.


    ¡°Is something really hidden inside?¡± Surprised, Vivian extended her nail so that she could reach inside the crevice. She then pulled out a yellow-white cloth, which felt like satin along with a blood-red crystal, which was only a few millimeters thick. It was smaller than the size of a thumb.


    Hao Ren looked at it expectantly, he felt that the whole matter was magical: from the three-century-old ancient jewellery boxes, a hidden interlayer, the hidden secret knowledge of the witch, the three-hundred-year-old immortal custodian of the treasure box, and the basement where they did the unboxing; aside from the fact that the witch was a poor bat, everything was jaw dropping.


    Vivian carefully unfolded the strange ¡®fabric¡¯. It was unexpectedly thin and tough, the kind of material which was far beyond the reach of ancient human textile technology. It was nearly three square feet when laid unfolded, letters written in dark red ¡®pigments¡¯ covered a third of the fabric while the rest of the fabric had simple drawings on it and large blank area seemed to be reserved for future use.


    ¡°This is¡­ a fabric used by the Egyptian gods. I remember that Horus once gave me something like this and asked me to help him treating a plague.¡± Vivian looked at the three-square-foot ¡®satin¡¯ thoughtfully. ¡°These fabric was not something that humans of that era could produce.¡±


    Hao Ren found that the colour of the handwriting on the fabric was somewhat strange and inconsistent, not a one-time writing but was written over a course of many years. ¡°Did you write this?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s my handwriting, and the writing materials are of my blood, otherwise it wouldn¡¯t last for so long,¡± Vivian diligently examined the text to find its logical sequence. ¡°¡­My handwriting at that time was really ugly. It¡¯s written in an old language which no one can read today.¡±


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°This is the beginning,¡± Vivian pointed to the corner of the fabric and slowly read it out. ¡°Some records were lost, disappeared with the memory, and could no longer be found. I couldn¡¯t even know for sure what I¡¯ve lost. Keeping records in a dormant place or burying them was unreliable and unattended. They could be damaged by changes in the natural environment, and I wouldn¡¯t be able to remember them after waking up. So I made a duplicate of them before losing everything and put them in custody of my trusted servants, or in a human museum. That way even if I lost my memory, they were at least preserved and might be rediscovered one day.¡±


    Hao Ren frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean these manuscripts. It seems that I have kept other similar text, and saved copies of them. But each time I woke up I would find some of my manuscripts were lost,¡± said Vivian as she tried to recall her memory. ¡°I tried to keep them with me by burying them underground before I hibernated. But I found out at least that if these manuscripts were left unattended, things would went wrong. So in the end I chose to give them to servants, or induce human archaeologists to put them in museums.¡±


    Vivian nodded her head and continued. ¡°Well, though humans are short-lived, they preserve their inheritance in a way better and more reliable than otherworldlings. At least ¡­ it¡¯s more reliable than my memory. Human archaeological system seems to be a good way to save the relics.¡±


    Hao Ren said wryly, ¡°Nowadays, yes. But might not be the case in ancient times. Have you not seen the burning of books and burying of scholars, and fire in the Library of Alexandria?¡±


    Vivian¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°I¡¯ve seen fire in the Library of Alexandria, but the burning of books and burying of scholars wasn¡¯t as serious as said. When Qin Shi Huang burned the books, the only extant copies were spared¡ªhe hid them in his library.¡±


    Hao Ren: ¡°Let¡¯s us read your last words¡­ err, manuscripts.¡±


    Sitting at the table, Vivian worked hard to read the ancient texts written hundreds, or thousands, or even tens of thousands of years ago. No one could understand the symbols. They might be hieroglyphic writing of the early humans, or mysterious text unrecorded in history and only Vivian could remember they were originated from a certain tribe or god. Of course, it also included a small part of Letta Runes. Due to the fact that Letta Runes was not suitable for record-keeping purpose, this language formed just a small part of the manuscript. Vivian knew the meaning of these words, but couldn¡¯t tell where they originated from. It could be said that this was a secret letter that only one person in the world could interpret, it would become a sensation if it had landed in the hand of the archaeologists.


    But that was destined to not fall into the hands of those experts. Now the author was struggling to recall the meaning of those words and interpret them piece by piece:


    ¡°¡­ The following are copied from other old manuscripts and recalled from memory. They may not be as accurate, and the earliest ones could no longer be recalled.¡±


    ¡°¡­Awakened in the wilderness, the place where the sun rose is a beach, and where the sun sets is a mountain range. The glacier has receded and the earth seems to be recovering, breathing more comfortably. Walking in the direction of the warm breeze, you can see the grasslands and the trees are waking, and traces of humans in stone piles. They have survived the winter and are now hunting. I¡¯m regarded as a goddess and received food offerings and began to restore strength.


    ¡°¡­as two hundred seasons went by, the tribe began to fear my longevity and strength. So I left. I moved in the direction of the sun, scaled over the mountain, flew over a vast area, and met the white tower and palace. This place is beyond human skills could attain, perhaps it is a place for people like me to stay.


    ¡°The people in the tower did not welcome me, so I left. I met Amon and Osiris in the wilderness. They were traveling to a place with a large river. They invited me to join them. But I was sleepy, I needed to find a place to rest. Also I have been irritated recently and had been inexplicably fighting with someone, it was best not to join anyone in their journey.


    ¡°Found a safe cave, I laid down a defence perimeter and ready to drop. The final night was a night of full moon. It was bright but I had no energy to watch it.¡±


    ¡°¡­waking up in the cave, cold and snowing outside. Hopefully not a long icing season again. Traces of human settlements were found outside the cave. There were some abandoned stone houses and tools. It seemed that a tribe or a small kingdom had appeared during my hibernation. This time I moved toward the direction of where the sun set and found a large plain with a large-scale human settlement. They were tenacious.


    ¡°Physical strength has recovered. The sense of weakness after a period of slumber had receded. Heading towards the direction of the cold wind, more memories about my strength has come back to mind which seemed to be a good thing. Met Zeus and Hera who was an interesting couples quarrying on the mountain. They were thinking of herd group of humans, but they did not know how to go about it.


    ¡°Physical recovery has been quick. It seems that it has returned to its heyday and has easily defeated a group of beasts and skeleton warriors. But after that there was a strange sense of anger lingering on as if the herds and the masters behind them were my enemies. Probably related to some lost memories¡­.The power continued to increase and finally destroyed the lord of the skeleton warriors that invaded the territory. The anger had slightly subsided, but the drowsiness took over and I needed to find a sleeping place. This time I have chosen to sleep on a hill.¡±


    While translating, Vivian added his own speculations. ¡°The beginning was the late glacial period or later, and the second time was like seven or eight thousand years ago¡­ Zeus had not yet created Mount Olympus. He only paid attention to the human kingdom several thousands of years after that.¡±


    ¡°It seems to be a diary for every time you woke up and hibernated.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s brows knit together. ¡°What did you keep recording that?¡±


    Vivian shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know ¡­ let¡¯s keep reading for now.¡±

 Chapter 533

    The manuscript was not a record of any ancient magic, or lost treasure. In fact, it was only a simple and highly compressed log. Vivian began recording intermittently thousands of years ago. The main content was what she saw and did before she went into hibernation each time and also after she awakened. There were also stories of her activities in the world. Since the manuscript contained some memory recollection in the beginning, its record could actually be traced back more than 10,000 years ago, or even more. Due to the appearance of the Quaternary Ice Age at the beginning of the manuscript, 10,000 years was a conservative estimate.


    However, Vivian had completely forgotten everything. If it had not been for her fortunate reunion with Pavel, the precious non-duplicable information would have been lost forever. Cold sweat trickled down Hao Ren¡¯s spine as he though how close Vivian had come to that. The maiden¡¯s lack of memory made him uneasy.


    Time after time of hibernation and revival, with various key events as nodes, the manuscript recorded the experience of an immortal over the past 10,000 years along a blurry timeline. The primitive appearance of the earth¡¯s Prehistoric Period could be seen in the text. Ancient demons that vanished following the end of the Mythical Era were frequently mentioned in the manuscript.


    Hao Ren¡¯s thoughts seemed to drift back to the age of human ignorance age with Vivian¡¯s voice¡ªto the earth, it was a recent memory, but to the humans, it was an unsearchable era. At that time, humans were just wild creatures who dwelled in the caves while ancient beasts and the invincible nature ruled the earth. The ancient otherworldlings with godlike powers ruled the entire world. Most of them did not even think of establishing theocracy in human society, but their activities had deeply affected the primitive humans at that time. Hence, the humans produced the most primitive and ignorant belief systems in the primitive gods. They were confused between the various natural phenomena and the otherworldings, who could summon nature. Humans deemed them as primordial gods. While Vivian roamed the world aimlessly, she was also deemed as one of the primordial gods on specific occasions and time.


    But every single time, she did not roam the world long enough: the inexplicable drowsiness always haunted her.


    The records on the manuscript continued, and human civilization began to emerge. This was an interesting phenomenon for Vivian.


    ¡°¡­Awakening in a subterranean crevice, the stone chamber in which I slept in had completely sunken deep into the earth as if there had been an earthquake during my hibernation. Fortunately, I did not fall into the underground magma. It¡¯s spring on the surface, and once again everything has become unfamiliar. The place where a big lake was supposed to be has now become a grassland. The soil around it has also become very fertile. Humans have been found to raise herds in the pastureland. They no longer wear animal skins, and their villages have undergone great changes¡ªhouses built of stone and wood seem to be sprouting fast. The clothes on my body are worn out. It is getting increasingly unnecessary to use magic to maintain them. Perhaps, something can be sourced from the humans¡­


    ¡°Additionally, I found the lithograph I left near the place where I hibernated. It recorded the bad feelings I had before going dormant. It is weird. I have no impression of it, but I have still decided to copy it down like I used to. Perhaps, it might be useful in the future.


    ¡°Advancing along a river, more fertile lands and larger human settlements appeared before my eyes. They have increased in large number in the wilderness. It was amazing. There must be something helping them resist the threats around them. Humans can deal with beasts, but not my fellow beings¡­ Upstream, I found a human asylum run by my old friends, Amon and Osiris. They were protecting a human kingdom. This was a very strange, but pleasing encounter. Their attitude towards humans was better than that of my other peers¡­ I think of Zeus, whom I met in the past and¡­ um, was it Hella or Hera? The couple seemed to have similar thoughts, but I have no idea where they are living in now. Perhaps I should go to them. My physical strength is recovering, it is a good time to embark on a journey.


    ¡°¡­I could not find the Zeus couple, because I was lost in a strange place under the red moonlight, feeling irritated. There were hostile villains who hated me. No matter how much I kill, it could only make you even angrier¡­ Maybe there is some kind of illusion here. Anyway, the drowsiness hits again, I must go to sleep.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s brows were pulled together as he seemed to have found something suspicious in between the lines while Vivian continued to translate.


    ¡°¡­waking up in the water, I might have been soaked for a long time. Looks like there was changes during the sleep as water from underground river had poured in. This world is always changing, no matter where you sleep, there is no absolute safety. Even if you bury yourself in the ground to escape the harassment of others and beasts, it is difficult to deal with geological changes. I found the notes I had left before I slept, and it was written about the fighting with people and emotional problems. But as always, I have no impression on the strange emotions of that time, and I can only believe that they really happened. I now have a new way of taking notes and I can have those records on the slate and rags be transferred to the soft yarn that Horus had given me.


    ¡°Remembering the previous plan and setting out to find Zeus and Hera, I remember that they have settled on a high mountain and I should be able to find them referring to the position of the stars. I hope the change of the stars will not be too great.


    ¡°¡­I found Zeus couples and we were happy to meet each other. The humans they sheltered were also very prosperous. The humans have even built huge cities and wonders of stones. Although the buildings have no magic power, they are almost as large as the temple. As if Poseidon was dissatisfied with this, he does not like to see that mankind has the ability to build the same wonders as God.


    ¡°¡­I compiled some previous records in my spare time. I was puzzled by my sleepiness and awakening. Others¡ª including werewolves and wraiths¡ªdo not experience the sleepiness like I do. Then I found some patterns¡­¡±


    ¡°Some patterns¡­¡± Vivian put down the manuscript, her face gloomy. ¡°Mr. Landlord, I feel weird.¡±


    Reading between the lines, Hao Ren had long felt a bizarreness, but those things were vague and difficult to grasp. He looked at Vivian, scratching his chin. ¡°You can¡¯t remember about the manuscript at all?¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Vivian frowned. ¡°But according to the sporadic memories of the manuscript, I had forgotten some of the things recorded in the past, but would always leave behind a fragments of memory so I was only later be able to recollect the bit and pieces and add them in the manuscript. However after the last hibernation¡­ I simply forgot everything, even the manuscript itself.¡±


    ¡°The last time you slept¡­ it was after fighting with the vengeful spirit three hundred years ago,¡± Hao Ren looked at Vivian. ¡°That was the most serious because you had lost the most important part of the memory: You forgot the fact that you had been writing dairy for the last ten thousand years.¡±


    Vivian looked at the manuscript. The simple drawings recorded what she saw on earth during a certain period, but more of all sorts of bizarre monster-like creatures. Every time before Vivian hibernated she would be irritated and angry and exterminate the monsters in battle. Then she would fall into a deep sleep. Before that, she would draw an image of her own enemy as if she wanted to remind herself during the next wake-up to stay vigilant when she met these monsters again.


    Looking at those weird drawings, Vivian whispered while thinking. ¡°In summary, there were two kinds of sleep: one was when I was doing nothing, or when I was about to starve to death because of poverty I would actively choose to sleep through my hard days. This kind of dormancy is controllable, and it looks like there are no sequelae. After waking up, I would only lose a fraction of my memory or did not lose anything at all and without significantly weakening my physical strength. But the manuscript had recorded exactly the second scenario: I would have to sleep when drowsiness hit.¡±


    Hao Ren looked into Vivian¡¯s eyes. ¡°After this uncontrollable drowsiness was over, you would lose a lot of memory and your body will be abnormally weak after waking up?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not really sure,¡± Vivian said, waving and forcing a smile. ¡°The most difficult thing for a person with amnesia is to recall what one have forgotten in the first place. I don¡¯t really have any impression of the many details in this manuscript. And after a few times of waking up from deep sleep, I did feel unusually weak¡­¡±


    ¡°Including the last time,¡± Hao Ren tapped the table with his knuckles. ¡°Your last sleep happened after you destroyed the vengeful spirit. And it was an uncontrollable sleep caused by the sense of drowsiness, so you are now in a state of weakness?¡±


    Vivian looked at herself and said, ¡°But I still feel energetic.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be kidding. People always feel energetic before they die.¡±


    ¡°¡­Mr. Landlord, you¡¯re being caustic.¡±


    Hao Ren hemmed and said, ¡°Well, I mean figuratively. In short, I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve noticed a minute detail: you would experience the same thing every time before you fell asleep!¡±


    Vivian was wide-eyed. ¡°Now I got it; arrogance, anger, getting into conflict with people for no reason, and¡­ the unknown fights I¡¯d gotten into. I¡¯ve no clue of who are the enemies the manuscript mentions. And the drawings look unfamiliar to me.¡±


    ¡°But you were the one who authored the manuscript,¡± Hao Ren stared into Vivian¡¯s eyes. ¡°Are you sure you can¡¯t remember the contents of this part? The last time you had slept was three hundred years ago. Can¡¯t you even remember the phenomenon?¡±

 Chapter 534

    Vivian carefully tried to recall her memories before she shook her head. ¡°I have no impression.¡±


    ¡°Do you remember what happened before you slept 300 years ago?¡± Hao Ren felt like he was now a psychologist. ¡°After you were done with the vengeful spirit, you went into hibernation because of drowsiness. Do you have any impressions of those days?¡±


    Vivian¡¯s brows were knitted together as she struggled to recall. After a while, she shook her head. ¡°I still don¡¯t have any impressions. But I¡¯m sure I forgot about some details before I slept, including giving this box to Pavel. I only remember that I was tired and sleepy after defeating the vengeful spirit. The only thing on my mind that time was to find a quiet place so that I could sleep. I still vaguely remember handing two pieces of stone to two minions, but I have no idea under what circumstances they were given those stones, and what other items I¡¯ve also given out. I totally have no impressions whatsoever.¡±


    Hao Ren drew on the table with his finger and put the information revealed by the manuscript and the clues he gathered. ¡°Now talk about what is known. Just like you said, you had two types of sleep; one is that you went into sleep on your own to get through hard times. Let¡¯s not talk about this type now. The other type is drowsiness and you couldn¡¯t help but sleep, resulting in a substantial weakening of power and amnesia. This type of sleep has one thing in common: you experienced a state of irritability, and it was usually followed by a fight. Sometimes you didn¡¯t even remember who you were battling, but nevertheless you had to fight with someone before you exhausted yourself and fell asleep. After waking up, you forgot about what had happened earlier, especially the negative emotions. You only learned from the manuscript that you were plagued by those negative emotions after waking up.¡±


    Vivian gently nodded and pointed to a sentence near the end of the manuscript. ¡°I have left some comments here, which should have been written seven hundred years ago. It says ¡®I have been confused. A detailed reasoning was carried out seven hundred years ago but it failed to figure out this matter. So I decided to set aside the truth for the time being, and concentrated on keeping a record of every sleep and waking up, hoping to accumulate enough information to crack this strange phenomenon in the future.¡±


    ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t know if this is an important, there was one more thing in common before you slept,¡± said Hao Ren, his hands locked together under his nose, his face serious. ¡°I was only after the restoration of your strength that you started another sleep. The manuscript mentioned that in more than one occasion that after your ¡®full recovery of strength¡¯ you decided to take on a journey or do something. But every time after that you became restless and looked for fight.¡±


    Vivian blinked. ¡°Is my passive sleep related to my recovery of strength? As soon as I recovered my full strength, I would immediately feel drowsy again?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a guess.¡± Hao Ren scratched his chin and his face gloomy. ¡°Anyway, I feel that something is amiss. Your condition¡­ is a bit worrying.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m worried too,¡± said Vivien, compressing her lips anxiously. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what¡¯s going with me¡­ For the first time ever that I feel forgetfulness is bad. I¡¯ve been used to the forgetfulness but now I feel that the most troublesome thing in the world is to have forgot what I have forgot. Even I¡¯ve forgot that I¡¯ve forgot what I¡¯ve forgot¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned, drawing with his finger for a long while trying to figure out what she was saying before he finally looked up. ¡°I think the most troublesome thing in the world is to understand what you¡¯ve just said.¡±


    Revealing her fangs, Vivian said, ¡°I suddenly feel helpless. I can¡¯t believe that I¡¯ve lost control of it.¡±


    Then the two of them were silently for a while before Hao Ren suddenly broke the silence by asking, ¡°You feel sleepy now?¡±


    ¡°A bit,¡± Vivian took a little stretch. When she saw Hao Ren¡¯s reaction, she laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s just a normal drowsiness. I think there¡¯s still some time before the next sleeping cycle hits, at least after my strength has recovered to its heyday. The symptom of my passive sleepiness is very obvious, you should be able to notice my abnormal emotion. Remember to remind me, maybe¡­ maybe this time I could be controlled.¡±


    Hao Ren laughed, confidently patting on his chest. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have high technology¡ªif I can¡¯t figure it out, I can ask the Goddess to treat you. Like the old saying goes: Prolonged illness makes the patient a good doctor. Raven 12345 has had several thousand years of brain damage, treating your amnesia would be just a walk in the park.¡±


    Vivian was almost freaked out, thinking that the goddess couldn¡¯t even cure herself, what made her capable to treat others? But at the end of the day, the vampire maiden still feared the Goddess, she did not say it out.


    But judging from the magical power of Raven 12345, Vivian¡¯s faith in the Goddess had increased a little. As incompetent as the Raven 12345 was, she was still a Goddess and should have no problem treating the mortal.


    If her ¡®amnesia¡¯ was really an illness.


    The two of them continued to discuss the contents of the manuscript, and about the discrepancies between what Vivian had recall and the contents of the manuscript. At last they found out that Vivian¡¯s amnesia had a strong pattern, she would forget everything about the ¡®negative emotions before the hibernation¡¯. The records of these negative emotions in the manuscript were all written before the sleep, and were copied again word-for-word after waking up. For now, there was no discrepancy between her memory and the contents of the manuscript. Also, the authenticity of these records was unquestionable: Vivian would absolutely not be wrong in regard to her own blood.


    Apart from that, there was not much progress made.


    Luckily, though Vivian had completely forgot about the manuscript, she had found it back somehow¡ªit was the luckiest moment for this 10,000-year-old poor vampire.


    Looking at the small wooden box that was ripped apart on the table, Hao Ren could not help but say, ¡°Why did you hide the manuscript in the interlayer of the box? Have we not ripped it apart today, I¡¯m afraid no one¡¯s going to find it.¡±


    Vivian was not surprised. ¡°It¡¯s a safety measure. A three-hundred-year-old jewellery box is still a box no matter how exquisite it is. It would not attract attention when placed alongside your grandma¡¯s old dowry. But thing would be very different for a well-preserved manuscript from the ancient Egyptian era¡ªthe fabric is unknown, the ink is unknown, the text is unknown, carbon isotope detection can trace it back thousands of years ago, who would dare to let it be exposed on the outside? But then I didn¡¯t know that Pavel could live until now. I must be worried that his descendants would be unreliable, so I hid the manuscript in the wooden box.¡±


    Hao Ren was silent for a moment and suddenly stared into Vivian¡¯s eyes. ¡°No matter when your next sleep would be, we must find a way to solve this problem now. I don¡¯t want to suddenly find you in a hibernation and could only say hello to you after a couple of centuries.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± Vivian smiled. ¡°And it¡¯s hard to find a good life like now¡­ I don¡¯t want to forget about everything this time around.¡±


    The two of them felt the atmosphere was a bit boring. Hao Ren steered the conversation away as he pointed to the blood-red crystal that was brought out along with the manuscript: ¡°What is this again?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. There¡¯s no mention in the manuscript.¡± Vivian caressed the crystal with her hand. ¡°But I can feel this thing is a condensation of my blood. The time of making should be three hundred years ago. I must have probably forgot to record it down. By keeping till this day, it must be of something useful.¡±


    Vivian said, shoving the blood-red crystal into her pocket and then looking up at Hao Ren. ¡°Let¡¯s not talking about me. You come here for something?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I want you to see the lifeblood.¡± Hao Ren passed a tube of lifeblood sample to Vivian. ¡°Part of the samples are being nurtured in the spacecraft lab. Please help study this sample by using your blood magic and see if you can find a way to contact the goddess. I have been staring at this thing for a long time but haven¡¯t been able to figure out its relationship with the brainwaves.¡±


    ¡°Is it urgent?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. Things about The Plane of Dreams is a big project.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°Take your time.¡±


    The two of them chat for a while before Hao Ren left the basement and returned to his room.


    He looked out of the window at the moonlight in a daze. He then summoned the MDT that was projecting a movie for him on the table. He said, ¡°Write a report to Raven 12345.¡±

 Chapter 535

    Hao Ren was having a lot of strange dreams tonight.


    He dreamed of the wonderful scenes of the prehistoric times which he read in the Vivian¡¯s manuscript. He dreamed of the primordial humans survived the Ice Age and began hunting and planting on a warmer earth. He dreamed of an unknown change that had opened up the barriers that separated the two world, and sent the otherworldlings in exile on this blue little planet. He also dreamed of deity-like otherworldlings causing great changes in this world, and the frightened ancient people knelt in front of the miracles. He dreamed of the rise of the demon hunters, the collapse of the shrine of the ancient deities, the flourish of human cities, and then the demise of demon-hunters; heavy buildings constructed in rocks and mudstone replacing the light tower of magic, the power of steel and flame driving the world forward; people fought, assimilated, created, destroyed; machines ran and furnace burned, hot weapons replacing knight¡¯s sword as well as eliminating the last remnants of the otherworldlings. This blue planet was ruled by the powerful creatures of the other world for 10,000 years and eventually returned to the hands of the aborigines.


    In each drawing, there was a woman who was always alone, like an unconcerned spectator witnessing from within. She flitted through the fire on the Great Wall, the gates of Troy, the coronation ceremony of Alexander the Great, and the London fire of 1666 aimlessly, watching the rapidly changing world and marvelling at it.


    In the process, she was trapped in the uncontrollable, endless cycle of sleep and awakening like an eternally chaotic incarnation.


    Hao Ren was so disturbed by these chaotic dreams that he woke up early in the morning and then gazed at the ceiling in a daze.


    ¡°What are these dreams about?¡± Hao Ren rubbed his eyes, squirmed trying to sit up. A sudden gust of wind blew from beside him as he was halfway sitting up. He managed to turn his head and saw a figure as agile as a cat pounced at him. He fell back in the bed. A maiden sat on his chest, then jumped up and down excitedly before she smacked Hao Ren¡¯s face with her paw, then lowered her head, biting his nose, pulling his hair and licking his ear¡­


    Hao Ren was startled. It took him a few seconds before he came to his sense and scoffed, ¡°Roll away!¡±


    He forgot these words would only be counterproductive. As always, the maiden became even more excited.


    She had thought Hao Ren was calling her name.


    Hao Ren began to wrestle with his cat as he tried to push it away. It was used to be a common scene where Rollie habitually woke its master up using paws and weight. But now circumstance had obviously changed: the cat-maiden had transcended, and with the help of golden apple, her combat strength had got a big boost. She was no longer a namby-pamby whom Hao Ren could easily push away. He had a hard time now as the cat-maiden thought that Hao Ren was playing with her. The more he resisted the more excited she became, all hell broke loose in the room. Lil Pea who were sleeping in the pot on a small table nearby heard the noise and poked out from the pot and watched the drama in excitement, and cheered on Hao Ren.


    The noise in the room caught the attention of others. Lily pushed the door open. ¡°Mr. Landlord, what the noise is all about¡­¡±


    Seeing Rollie lying on top of Han Ren, Lily was startled. ¡°Wow, not even cat could escape your lascivious grab!¡±


    As we have said many times before, this innocent-looking husky was actually quite dirty-minded.


    Hao Ren blushed. He pushed Rollie off the bed with all his might. ¡°We¡¯re not as what you think, okay? She was the one pinning me on the bed early in the morning.¡±


    Lily¡¯s face became even more amazing. ¡°Oh, Mr. Landlord, you¡¯re the victim!¡±


    Thanks to Lily, her voice had almost alerted everyone in the house in the quiet early morning. To Lil Pea, the drama was more fun than a barrel of monkeys as she splashed and yelled in her pot. Hao Ren managed to stop the chaos brought by the cat and the dog and took them into the living room and hauled them over the coals.


    As naive as Lily was, she was a mentally and worldview matured¡ªwhether she was an adult werewolf was debatable. But Rollie was different. Even though she wore the skin and intelligence of a human, she was still a cat deep inside her, she did not know why Hao Ren was angry, she just felt that the teasing was very interesting, so she had decided to do it again tomorrow and she really wanted to have a dried fish right now.


    To the cat, Hao Ren¡¯s reprimand had just fallen on deaf ear.


    ¡°So you can¡¯t just jump on me like that it in the future, you know?¡± Hao Ren squeezed Rollie¡¯s ear trying to get her behave. ¡°Could you not play with your tail? You have to learn to be a human¡­¡±


    Rollie lowered her head and rubbed Hao Ren¡¯s leg, and placed her tail into Hao Ren¡¯s hand as she knew Hao Ren liked to pinch his tail. ¡°Let you pinch it, so you¡¯re happy.¡±


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°Was she not in your room last night?¡± Hao Ren looked up at Nangong Wuyue. ¡°How did you manage to slip into my room?¡±


    ¡°Do you think anyone can really guard this cat?¡± Nangong Wuyue rolled her eyes. ¡°To make sure she stay in the bed for the first half night isn¡¯t already easy, how did you not realise she had slipped into your room?¡±


    Hao Ren felt that Nangong Wuyue was somehow right. He was speechless.


    ¡°In terms of teaching the cat, there¡¯s still a long way to go.¡± Vivian watched the farce with a smile. She seemed very calm.


    As Hao Ren had stopped preaching, Rollie gave her body a little stretch before going away to find a place to nap.


    Hao Ren let the cat be. He glanced at Vivian and said. ¡°I have already reported your situation to Raven 12345. She should be replying in¡­¡±


    Before he finished, a strange sound was suddenly heard in the living room.


    A blue light flashed out of thin air, and then condensed into a tall humanoid. Everyone was astonished. Rollie turned around under the stairs and looked nervously at the light, her back curled and her tail straightened. If she was still in cat form, the hair on her back must have erected by now. However, when she discovered that the blue light looked familiar, she quickly calmed down and continued squirming on the mat.


    ¡°Big Bluey?¡± Hao Ren looked at the uninvited guest in surprised. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    It was the arcane servant of Raven 12345. This weird energy creature handed a small silver-white pendant to Hao Ren and sounded a series of groans that no one could understand. ¡°The Lord orders me to hand it over to you. This is a talisman capable of suppressing the mental disorder symptom. It¡¯s universal model.¡±


    Hao Ren instinctively looked at Vivian, then took the feathery talisman. The voice of Raven 12345 sounded in his head as soon as he touched the talisman. ¡°Hey, Hao Ren, I¡¯ve read your report regarding the bat-maiden. Now I¡¯m giving you a talisman to calm her brain and prevent narcolepsy. It¡¯s pretty effective. Though it¡¯s a universal model, it will work on the bat. Of course, this is just a stopgap measure. I¡¯ll leave to you to find a safer, permanent solution to her problem. After all, she¡¯s your tenant and you¡¯re responsible for them. Oh, by the way, this time it¡¯s free postage.¡±


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°This thing¡­ is for treating my amnesia?¡± Vivian took the amulet over curiously. ¡°It feels warm.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t cure amnesia,¡± said Hao Ren. ¡°But it seems to be able to prevent you from falling into another uncontrollable sleeping state. So you can avoid more memory loss. It should also suppress your temper before you sleep, probably.¡±


    Vivian hesitated for a while before put the amulet on her neck. ¡°I believe in the Goddess, her strength is always more reliable than you and me.¡±

 Chapter 536

    Lily shook her ears and looked puzzlingly at Hao Ren and Vivian. ¡°What are you two talking about? The glittering feather¡¯s from the goddess? Is it for me?¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t have amnesia.¡± Hao Ren put his hand on Lily¡¯s head and pushed her away. ¡°It¡¯s for Vivian to treat her narcolepsy and amnesia. Can you please take the garbage in the kitchen out?¡±


    Lily grunted and ran to empty the trash. Hao Ren then turned to Vivian. ¡°Is this thing working? How does it feel now?¡±


    ¡°I felt a little hot just now, but the sensation¡¯s gone now.¡± Vivian touched her chest, and took out some stuff that was on her¡ªa Mahogany sword, a cross, a Bagua mirror, a sacred stone,a Bodhi-seed and a dazzling array of stuff as if she had just gotten back from traveling. ¡°It¡¯s probably more useful than these things¡­¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Vivian¡¯s six-pounds worth of sacred objects, rolling his eyes. Hopefully, all these amulets would not make her develop ¡°drug resistance¡± in her body.


    ¡®What the goddess is giving is definitely better than your six pounds of scraps.¡± Hao Ren coughed twice. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you thrown them away? They¡¯re obviously useless.¡±


    Vivian ticked the objects back into her clothes¡ªGod knows how she did it. ¡°At least psychologically, they make me feel better!¡±


    At this time, as Big Bluey had completed his mission and found no further business to attend to, he made a buzzing sound before turning into a beam of light and disappearing into the air. Hao Ren said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to get a reply from Raven 12345 so fast. I thought it would take her a few days before she would give me any reply, but here she is, sending this.¡±


    ¡°But, the amulet seems to only dampen my drowsiness, it¡¯s just a palliative approach.¡± Vivian blinked. ¡°I¡¯ll still feel nervous until the underlying cause of my drowsiness and amnesia is found.¡±


    Of course, this problem needed to be solved. However, both Hao Ren and Vivian had no clue at this point: routine physical examination would not detect the problems. Vivian had lain in the medical pod and the routine examination confirmed thatshe was as fit as a fiddle. Plus, an otherworldling who specialized in Blood Magic, Vivian knew her physical state well. The lethargy and amnesia she experienced were definitely not physical conditions. Hao Ren suspected that this was related to occultism and may even be related to the Plane of Dreams¡ªthe home of all otherworldlings. Obviously, this was not a problem that could be solved in a day or two.


    Moreover, Hao Ren was also concerned about the descriptions he had read from Vivian¡¯s manuscript: before she fell asleep, Vivian had portrayed some weird scenes, such as the earth under the blood-red moonlight, distorted monsters, enemies that were a cross between alien and human. These scenes appeared repeatedly in the manuscripts, and Vivian¡¯s account of them was very vivid and certain. Although she would forget these scenes after she woke up each time, judging from the manuscript, these things had indeed happened.


    However, Vivian was quite certain that except the bloody moon, the distorted beings and other monsters mentioned in the manuscripts did not actually exist. There were no such otherworldlings on Earth. There were no similar wild creatures during the ancient times.


    They only appeared in the manuscripts¡ªwhere did the things Vivian see right before she slept come from? Were they real or just an illusion?


    The truth may have been buried by the long river of history. Even the other ancient ones may not be able to answer: Vivian was a lone wolf and she always found some quiet, secluded place to sleep in. She could not find any former friends who had witnessed the scenes depicted in the manuscript with her.


    Y¡¯zaks and Nangong Sanba were also very curious about what happened to Vivian. Hao Ren and Vivian told them what they read in the manuscript in the basement the day before. The husky heard the story too, but she was not good in reasoning, so she went into the kitchen instead. Vivian also showed them the original manuscript. But of course, nobody at the scene could interpret the lost ancient text. She did that just to show off her own literary heritage, that she could single-handedly create such a literary relic.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that such a thing happened to you.¡± Y¡¯zaks scratched his head. ¡°I¡¯m not good at this complicated and sophisticated knowledge¡­ Demons are only good at simple and crude problem-solving. When it comes to curses and spiritual issues, it¡¯s out of my reach.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ ve read some articles about the ancient times in my father¡¯s collection, and books similar to the encyclopaedia.¡± Nangong Sanba recalled the half-baked, demon-hunter education he received in the past. ¡°The ¡®Encyclopaedia¡¯ has a record of all the otherworldlings and exotic beasts that have ever appeared on Earth. There¡¯s no mention of the monsters described in this manuscript, especially the illustrated ones at the end of the manuscript¡­ In my humble opinion, these things look more like a child¡¯s drawing; pure imagination. They don¡¯t look like they were born out of evolution.¡±


    ¡°An encyclopaedia for the demon hunters?¡± Vivian immediately became interested. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of such a book. Its records of otherworldlings are even more comprehensive than the records the otherworldlings themselves have. Do you have it?¡±


    Nangong Sanba smiled in embarrassment. ¡°It has long since disappeared with my old house. And to tell you the truth, I also don¡¯t remember much of its contents. Although I like books, my father didn¡¯t allow me to go into his study room. The training for demon hunters was very onerous. There wasn¡¯t much time for books¡ª¡±


    Before Nangong Sanba could finish, he was smacked on the head by a serpent tail. Wuyue said, ¡°Stop embarrassing yourself; since when did you not read the many editions of The Golden Lotus every time you ventured into father¡¯s study room? And you have the nerve to say that father didn¡¯t allow you into his room¡­¡±


    Everyone was speechless.


    Holding a small screwdriver in hand, Y¡¯lisabet was passing by, and she overheard their conversation. She stopped in her tracks and curiously asked, ¡°Uncle Ren, what¡¯s The Golden Lotus ?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks quickly carried his daughter away under his armpit. ¡°Kids shouldn¡¯t ask so many questions, you know. Now go and read two pieces of classical literature while you wait for dinner.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet¡¯s cry echoed throughout the room. Hao Ren wiped the cold sweat off his forehead and murmured, ¡°It¡¯s not easy to be a demon princess, eh?¡±


    ¡°In short, this manuscript is strange. From the professional perspective of a demon hunter, the text sounds strange.¡± Nangong Sanba rubbed his head. ¡°I¡¯m very skeptical of all of Vivian¡¯s encounters before her hibernation.¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian nodded spontaneously. The latter kept the manuscript and said, ¡°Things won¡¯t be sussed out anytime soon. Anyway, I have a talisman to keep things under control for now; there won¡¯t be a problem. We have time, at least a couple hundred years. By then, we¡¯ll be able to suss it out.¡±


    To Hao Ren, a couple hundred years seemed like an eternity. He did not feel the urgency at all. So, he got to his feet and was about to go to feed the cat, but he noticed something strange with Rollie.


    The cat-maiden had just come out of the washroom. She was sitting like a statue in the living room, gazing into the washroom in a motionless state. Hao Ren took a gander and was shocked to discover that the maiden was in tears.


    ¡°Silly cat, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    Rollie glanced up at Hao Ren, and suddenly started to bawl as she grabbed at his trousers. ¡°Poop Scooper, are you going to die soon? Please don¡¯t die!¡±


    The silly cat¡¯s crying scared everyone. They came up to her, and some checked Hao Ren out, while some checked the cat out. Vivian patted Rollie on the head and asked, ¡°Why do you say so?¡±


    The cat maiden lifted her finger and pointed in the direction of the washroom. Tears kept running down her cheeks. ¡°I just discovered that I could use the toilet¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was a little puzzled. ¡°So?¡±


    The cat maiden wiped her tears and said, ¡°So you¡¯re going to die, you Poop Scooper. Aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Hao Ren finally came to his senses. He jumped to his feet and raged. ¡°Is that what you see me as? A poop scooper.¡±


    When a cat became human and possessed the logic of a human being, but still retained a cat¡¯s worldview, it made one¡¯s blood run cold.

 Chapter 537

    It turned out that the golden apple could give wisdom to a silly cat, but it could not empower it with cognition. When a cat gained the wisdom of a human but retained a cat¡¯s cognition, the sparks of collision between the worldview of the two species were just spetacular. When she discovered that she could handle the toilet affair on her own and cat litter was no longer needed, reality struck in her not-so-sound mind.


    I don¡¯t need cat litter anymore.


    Because of that, the poop scooper has lost his meaning of existence.


    Hao Ren is dying.


    This magical three-paragraph inference scared the wits out of the naive maiden.


    The silly cat wiped her tears away as she held on to Hao Ren¡¯s trousers, crying. This was no ordinary cat¡¯s reaction. Due to the intelligence and emotional complexity required, ordinary cats would not have had so much affection towards their masters. No ordinary human behaved that way too, because humans who possessed a proper worldview would not take the post of ¡°poop scooper¡± seriously. However, the ordinary demonic cat did. She took it very seriously, and sadly. Her feelings were complicated enough that she could understand the intimate relationship between her master and herself. However, her cognition was just simple enough that she had no clue what mankind did for a living.


    Hao Ren forced a smile after he figured out the logic of Rollie¡¯s thinking. His first reaction was to grab the silly cat by her neck. He was about to spin her around twice, but he hesitated. Then, he decided to slowly explain to the silly cat what kind of complex beings humans were, and that changing cat litter was just a trivial part of human life. Life was definitely not made up of only ¡°preparing food for cats¡± or ¡°changing cat litter¡±.


    But the more he explained it, the sillier he felt; he could not believe that he was actually explaining these things to a cat¡­ This whole thing had been illogical from the beginning. Every word felt utterly ridiculous, but he had to try not to laugh!


    Rollie listened quietly and looked at Hao Ren suspiciously. ¡°You¡¯re not lying lie to me? You¡¯re not dying, are you?¡±


    Hao Ren was almost out of breath. ¡°Why would I die? When will your worldview become normal?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what a ¡®worldview¡¯ is, but what Big Cat does daily is give me food and clean my toilet.¡± The cat girl blinked and her tail finally relaxed. ¡°Does Big Cat have something else to do daily?¡±


    ¡°Since when was my exciting life simplified into two parts in the eyes of a cat?¡± Hao Ren grabbed his head, feeling that his value of life was being challenged. ¡°Can anyone of you who understand the worldview of cats explain this to me?¡±


    Everyone around immediately shied away, declining to have anything to do with the edgy topic.


    Hao Ren held the cat girl up and wiped the tears off her face with his hands. The latter blinked nervously. ¡°Poop Scooper, are you sure you¡¯re not going to die?¡±


    Hao Ren forced a smile. ¡°I¡¯m not going to die¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to die in the very first place.¡±


    The cat girl nodded, feeling assured. ¡°Oh well, then give me a little dried fish.¡±


    Hao Ren replied, ¡°¡­Do you have something else in mind?¡±


    ¡°Whar about a large dried fish?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no fish in the house!¡± said Hao Ren, shooting the silly cat a glare before he took out a piece of ham from his Dimensional Pocket and shoved it in her hand. ¡°Eat this¡­ and tear off the wrapper before you eat!¡±


    The silly cat stuffed the ham into her mouth with the plastic wrapper on. ¡°Why does it taste so bland?¡±


    Hao Ren sighed. He helped the cat girl remove the wrapper and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been doing everything for you since day one. Now, it¡¯s time for you to do everything on your own. You have to solve problems on your own, and learn how to use chopsticks. Don¡¯t eat like a cat anymore.¡±


    While eating, something suddenly crossed the silly cat¡¯s mind. ¡°Poop Scooper, are you thinking of abandoning me? I can find my own food outside, just let me come back home to sleep at night¡­¡±


    With arms akimbo, Hao Ren found the cat irritating, but he was not angry. ¡°Did I say that? What I mean is, from now on, you have to learn to use your current physical form to live. You can now do many things, which I did for you in the past.¡±


    The cat girl nodded with only a vague idea of what Hao Ren meant, but she seemed at ease now. The cat was a sensitive creature; a slight negligence from the family could land her into trouble.


    Hao Ren looked at the silly cat and said, ¡°Also, I have to tell you, please don¡¯t call me by that name again. Look at how messed up your worldview is now.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± said the cat, swallowing down her ham. ¡°I¡¯m Rollie, you¡¯re Poop Scooper. They sound good. It¡¯s not good to change them.¡±


    She stretched her head, rubbing against Hao Ren¡¯s arm as she purred. ¡°Rollie and Poop Scooper are together. I¡¯m very full and not cold, so I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Hao Ren grabbed the silly cat¡¯s head and pushed her away. He could feel that the cat was not as stubborn and lazy as before. In fact, she was very simple: the most complex cat was simpler than any human being. By nature, she would occasionally get annoying. But when one had become familiar with her nature and could communicate with her, anyone would perceive the simple nature of this cat.


    After all, all she cared about was small dried fish¡ªbig dried fish at most.


    Hao Ren pondered for a long while and finally thought of a name that Rollie could accept, a name she had just called him too. ¡°You can just call me Big Cat¡­ At least that¡¯s better than Poop Scooper.¡±


    ¡°But there are too many big cats.¡± The cat girl blinked. ¡°I can¡¯t tell which is which.¡±


    Hao Ren was hapless.


    However, the cat girl thought for a moment and came up with an idea. ¡°I¡¯ll call you Big Big Cat.¡±


    Hao Ren became very interested. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The most powerful big cat,¡± said the cat girl as her eyes glowed. ¡°Because you¡¯re very good in foraging!¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment and realized that it was because he was responsible for buying groceries and bringing food back home¡­ In a cat¡¯s worldview, it was an achievement worthy of the King of Cats accolade.


    Hao Ren breathed a sigh of relief after finally solving the cat¡¯s problem. He turned and found that Vivian as well as the others were staring at him in a quirky manner. He shrugged and said, ¡°I ran out of options. Educating the cat is a gradual process. Bombarding her with too many words will only confuse her.¡±


    ¡°But the name ¡®Big Cat¡¯ doesn¡¯t really go anywhere,¡± Vivian scowled. ¡°Now we¡¯re all big cats.¡±


    Lily squinted at Vivian. ¡°Be grateful. Have I told you that I¡¯ve been called a silly big cat from the beginning?¡±


    Everyone sighed, thinking that the girl was really broad-minded.


    At this time, the MDT suddenly flew over and rammed into Hao Ren. ¡°Still busy with the cat?¡±


    ¡°Just finished.¡± Hao Ren reached for the MDT. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the spacecraft. You may want to see the progress in the laboratory¡¯s cultivation tank.¡±


    Hao Ren was elated. ¡°The Seed of Origin¡¯s been cloned?¡±


    ¡°As badly as you want it, but there are just a few organs.¡±


    Even a few organs were enough to make him feel overjoyed. Hao Ren was going to the spaceship to check out the results. However, there was someone more excited than him: Y¡¯lisabet had just finished her studies and overheard the word ¡°spaceship¡± when she passed through the living room. She suddenly cheered. ¡°I want to go too!¡±


    Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go together and see how the organs of the Seed of Origin look like.¡±


    Vivian knitted her brows together. ¡°It somehow sounds weird when you talk about it. Hey, don¡¯t be in such a hurry, let¡¯s take our breakfast first!¡±


    After breakfast, everyone departed, leaving Rollie at home. Big Beardy was told to keep an eye on the silly cat in case she ran out again. They then teleported to Kuiper Station.


    The entire time it was docked at the bay, the Petrachelys faithfully carried out the remote commands given by its owner. It had already produced the first samples of tissue in the laboratory. These tissue samples were grown from the cells extracted from the Divine Sarcophagus.


    When they arrived at the spaceship¡¯s laboratory, they saw the weird-looking organs moving slowly in a huge crystal container.


    That was if they were indeed the organs of the Seed of Origin.

 Chapter 538

    In the spacious spacecraft laboratory, a series of biological cultivation devices were operating quietly. Each of the large, silver integrated test benches had a big, transparent canister. There was a small amount of red, bloody viscous liquid in the transparent canisters. They were flowing slowly at the bottom as if they were alive and trying to climb up the canister walls. Above the fluid were many biological tissues, which looked like blood vessels and tendons supporting some strange organs.


    That was the results of the cultivation device¡¯s work over the past few days. It used the protocells from the Divine Sarcophagus to create strange life.


    The MDT connected itself to the analytical host computer in the laboratory and reported the progress. ¡°The culture will not continue after this step. These biological tissues will stop growing and they will no longer be functionally differentiated. Their genetic structure is weird and they store information far beyond what they¡¯re supposed to in their current form. However, some factors prevent their genetic information from being revealed. It may be related to the supernatural power of the goddess. Besides, the organs produced by each culture tank are slightly different and may be related to the original location of the extracted protocells. I remember that the protocells were originally harvested from seven different locations of the Progenitors of Life.¡±


    ¡°These are the organs of the Seed of Origin?¡± Lily peeked at the nearest test bench curiously, staring at the weird ¡°meat¡± in the culture tank. They looked somewhat similar to an animal¡¯s flesh tissue, but the colors as well as texture looked a bit like plant fiber. From the surface, they appeared flexible and well-put-together. ¡°Looks slightly¡­¡±


    ¡°Disgusting, isn¡¯t it?¡± Nangong Wuyue said, sticking out her tongue. ¡°Like something from a horror movie.¡±


    Lily licked her lips and said, ¡°Not really. It¡¯s actually appetizing. This is meat!¡±


    Everyone was speechless.


    ¡°Pull her back, don¡¯t let her be in contact with the samples.¡± Cold sweat trickled down Hao Ren¡¯s forehead. He had to let Vivian keep an eye on the husky. ¡°She must be craving for grilled meat so badly!¡±


    Lily was still trying to lunge to the front while being dragged to the back by Vivian. ¡°That¡¯s meat! That really looks like meat! Just let me take a bite!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s us get down to business,¡± Hao Ren wiped the cold sweat off his forehead, then turned to look at the MDT. ¡°Do you think the cultivation results are correct? Is this really part of the Seed of Origin?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± the MDT admitted that this experiment was not so perfect. ¡°The protocells have many incomprehensible self-selection and mutation during the growth process, and finally turned into this. I am not sure these things are the Seed of Origin¡ªit would seem impossible to use the Seed of Origin¡¯s cells to reverse-engineer to its original form. Without the supernatural power of the Goddess, these things are only defective products.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s brow pulled together. ¡°At least there should be something else? At least there¡¯s some understanding about the Seed of Origin.¡±


    The MDT wobbled up and down. ¡°At least we¡¯ve got something. The cells used in the cultivation are from the necrotic ganglion of the Seed of Origin, so these mutated tissues that are now cultivated are also related to neural activity. If they haven¡¯t mutated into this state¡­ they should be part of the brain tissue of the Seed of Origin, or the brain of the seed. These organs have a complex neurotransmission infrastructure and an antenna-like transceiving structure¡ªbut something is wrong with the transceiving structure, it¡¯s not functioning. I¡¯ve activated a sample and its antenna receives only clutter.¡±


    ¡°The part of the brain?¡± Hao Ren looked at the samples in the canister with interest. ¡°Do they have the ability to think if reasonable stimulation is applied?¡±


    ¡°There is a complex reflection mechanism but no sign of intelligence,¡± replied the MDT, and then spoke about a strange phenomenon suddenly. ¡°There is another discovery. Take a look at the Culture Tank Number One.¡±


    As soon as the voice of the MDT trailed off, the top of the culture tank on the Test Bench No. 1 suddenly opened before a green plant was thrown inside. The biological tissue and the red liquid in in the canister sensed the object immediately as they twisted and moved. The green plant was soon swallowed by the red liquid, but after a few moments, the red liquid receded to aside. The plant was intact and even looked healthier than before.


    ¡°This is a living sample,¡± said the MDT. ¡°Now, look at the dead sample again.¡±


    The green plant was removed, and then a bunch of withered grass was thrown inside.


    Once again the red liquid wrapped around the ¡®foreign object¡¯ and within seconds, the grass was digested completely.


    ¡°This is¡­¡± Y¡¯zaks looked in wonder at what was going on in the canister. ¡°Eating?¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet, holding a small screwdriver, tried to get close but she was pulled back by her dad. The little girl protested. ¡°I¡¯m not going to break it! I know this thing is important, I just want to take a look¡­¡±


    No one gave a shit about what the little girl said; she might know that this thing was too important to be messed with, but who could guarantee its safety when it came to a child?


    ¡°It keeps away from living things?¡± Hao Ren had figured out something. ¡°It¡¯s a scavenger.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a scavenger. And taking into consideration that it¡¯s the Seed of Origin¡¯s ganglion, the First Born¡¯s early ¡®console¡¯, I suspect that the Seed of Origin, and even the First Born that had hatched subsequently, were all based on this ganglion¡¯s judgment mechanism to survive, that is ¡®scavenging¡¯,¡± the MDT analysed. ¡°which can be used to determine the patterns of action of the Seed of Origin after its ¡®landing¡¯ and the original form of the First Born: they created lives, evolved the ecological circles, and took the last spot of the food chain, recycling the necrotic organisms and nutrients in the soil to fuel the entire cycle. They were responsible for providing the initial creation and the ultimate recovery of the ecosystem, and the evolution process in between was the job of the Second Borns. That constituted a complete ¡®work¡¯.¡±


    The MDT added, ¡°Besides, it could be fed with silicon minerals, water, sulphides and carbon, which prove that the First Born could adapt to a variety of nutrient environments and create organic matter by itself without the existence of any organic matters.¡±


    ¡°Scavenger. It sounds very gentle,¡± Vivian said thoughtfully.


    ¡°It¡¯s indeed a gentle diet, but it has little to do with its ¡®character,¡¯¡± the MDT explained. ¡°The analysis host computer suspects that this scavenging behaviour was only to ensure that there was no problem during creation, it was to prevent the blood tide from mistakenly consuming its own creation. If it were to grow a complex filtering mechanism to choose which organisms to eat, how much to eat per meal, then it would certainly exhaust too many nerve cells, so the creator of the seed simply set the rule and made it a scavenger, which only fed on the dead, and completely skipped living things. This had protected the ecosystem. The ganglionic suppression of the First Born activity probably started a similar mechanism.¡±


    ¡°But the First Born¡¯s scavenging behaviour has obviously gone out of control. It ate everything.¡± Hao Ren raised his eyebrows. ¡°Or to put it more directly, it deliberately went out of control. It wanted to destroy the ecosystem.¡±


    ¡°The First Born¡¯s initial offensive ability must be coming from its ¡®feeding¡¯ mechanism, but later on in order to destroy the Second Borns, it began to develop various kinds of weapons, such as seed cannons capable of performing space operations. This is obviously completely out of control.¡± The MDT lamented. ¡°Look how perfect it was its initial safety mechanism. Unfortunately, the system had collapsed. This shows that centralized network is not as reliable as distributed network, when the server goes under all the clients are basically useless.¡±


    A surprisingly lament of a PDA.


    ¡°Although there is no way to analyse the causes of the loss of control of the First Born and the whereabouts of the Goddess from these organs, we do have something else.¡± The MDT sighed as it directed an autonomous robot to carry two boxes to Hao Ren. ¡°They¡¯re fresh from the oven.¡±


    The box was opened; one of which contained a silver-white ball with a neat blue pattern on the surface, the other box was filled with transparent containers of pale red liquid.


    ¡°What¡¯s this egg for?¡± Lily leaned forward from behind. ¡°It reminds me of Lil Pea.¡±


    ¡°This is a suppressing signal transmitter.¡± The voice of the MDT sounded helpless. ¡°It can perfectly simulate the signal of the progenitor, and keep the First Born in its sleep. We can put this on the First Born of Holletta, then it wouldn¡¯t care even if we detonate a nuclear bomb on it.¡±


    ¡°What about the other one?¡±


    ¡°An Interfering pheromones, made with those cell samples and lifeblood,¡± the MDT apparently cared more about these substances. ¡°Suppressing signal emitters is a very problematic thing. Once the signal is interrupted, the First Born will wake up. So interference pheromones can be used as a backup safety measure: it can wake up the First Born¡¯s ¡®scavenging mechanism¡¯ in short a time, leaving it impossible to swallow living things.¡±

 Chapter 539

    Interference pheromone was based on the synthesis of lifeblood and progenitor cells. The MDT indicated that the substance could influence the judgment of the First Born in a short time and wake up the original feeding mechanism of the violent creature to avoid living organisms. Obviously this was a very useful thing, especially in the event the suppression signal was interrupted¡ªsuch as the transmitter is shielded, signal interference, interference pheromone could be used as an emergency tranquilizer to calm down the First Born.


    The eradication of the First Born was only a last resort. Hao Ren¡¯s greatest goal was to solve the secret of the Goddess of creation by studying the First Born. Therefore, as long as there were things that could keep the First Born under control, the more the better.


    ¡°How effective are these pheromones?¡± Hao Ren picked up a test-tube-like container with metal caps at both ends and looked at the thin red liquid inside. ¡°How long it lasts?¡±


    ¡°According to calculation, after diluting one thousand times, it still could effectively interfere with the judgment of the First Born¡¯s tentacles and blood tide until it is completely volatilized. The specific volatilization time depends on the surrounding environment. If it is injected directly into the ganglion of the First Born at the highest concentration, the First Born can be instantly paralyzed for at least twenty-four hours,¡± said the MDT, then reminding him. ¡°Of course, this is theoretical value deduced from the First Born samples we have collected before. We haven¡¯t conducted experiment on the living First Born.¡±


    Vivian took out a test tube and looked closely under the light. ¡°With this thing ¡­ and the transmitter, you have full control of the First Born. Mr. Landlord, what are you going to do in Holletta?¡±


    Hao Ren put the test tube back. ¡°I need a living sample of the First Born. It¡¯s better to be complete, so I¡¯m going to move the two First Borns altogether¡ªdig them out of the planet, move to outer space, and then build a laboratory to study them.¡±


    Everyone was shocked by what Hao Ren had just said. All of them did not expect the guy who had been idle several days at home could come out with such a plan. Y¡¯zaks stared at Hao Ren in amazement. ¡°Whoa, looks like I¡¯ve underestimated you; what a might big idea. If I had a military strategist like you back then¡­¡±


    Hao Ren waved his hand hurriedly. ¡°Don¡¯t flatter me. Lanina would kill me for usurping her goose that lays the golden eggs.¡±


    ¡°How are you going to dig that thing out of the planet?¡± Lily asked quickly. ¡°It¡¯s no joke that the things have their tentacles implanted underground almost like a parasite on the planet.¡±


    ¡°Of course not if it was a fully-grown First Born, like the one in Tannagost that had already spread over the entire planet. But the two remaining First Borns of Holletta obviously haven¡¯t grown yet,¡± Hao Ren smiled wryly. ¡°I¡¯ve let the MDT scan the area around Volcano of Dusk; the First Born beneath the volcano had curled itself up into a ball before falling asleep. The size is also about 100 kilometres across around the volcano. It is said that the First Born under the giant tree of life is even smaller.¡±


    Lily grinned and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think you can simply dig it out of the earth judging from its size. I¡¯m good at digging holes, but there¡¯s no way to dig a hole as enormous as that.¡±


    Everyone looked at the husky with a weird expression. Cold sweat trickled down Hao Ren¡¯s forehead as he said, ¡°No worry, I¡¯m not asking you to dig. Let me check if there is such a large-scale construction machinery in Aerym.¡±


    Vivian immediately nodded. ¡°Oh yeah, any of their floating islands is bigger than Holletta¡¯s First Borns.¡±


    ¡°But before we do, we have to get the space facilities ready first. The facility must at least be larger than the two First Borns,¡± said Nangong Wuyue. ¡°Or else there will be no place to plant the First Borns.¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his chin. ¡°Plant? Why did you say so?¡±


    ¡°What difference they¡¯ve got?¡± said the siren girl, wagging her tail¡ªlike Lily, she liked to let her tail out to get some fresh air as long as there was no outsider present. ¡°Isn¡¯t it essentially a hyper-large-scale transplant? The First Born is still somewhat like an animal while it¡¯s awake, but since you are all determined to give it a potion electrotherapy, it¡¯s going to be more like a vegetation.¡±


    The biggest strength of this bunch of creatures was they were wittier in thinking.


    ¡°Let me give you all a friendly reminder,¡± the MDT chimed in. ¡°All construction costs are reimbursable, but there is one restriction: under no circumstances the First Born is allowed to be brought to the Surface World. That thing is dangerous if it¡¯s out of control. What¡¯s more, the entangled information it carries is enough to undermine the stability of the Wall of Reality.¡±


    ¡°The base should be in The Plane of Dreams,¡± said Hao Ren, still scratching his chin. He already had some ideas in mind. ¡°The probable location is there, and the ¡®transplantation¡¯ process is also there. Should I also learn the base design skill or what, shouldn¡¯t I?¡±


    Hao Ren was a little taken aback when he thought of the study materials. He already hated it when was told to study a few spacecraft driving manuals earlier. Now thinking of building a space station made his flesh crawl.


    Fortunately, the MDT shot him a blue ray of contempt (please don¡¯t ask how to tell the blue light means contempt). ¡°Don¡¯t worry about designing the research base, there are experts who would handle that. Like the research system on the Petrachelys, it would be a fool-proofed operation from top to bottom. Your only task is to hang your name on the door of various buildings to ward off the evil spirits.¡±


    Hao Ren began to breathe a sigh of relief when he heard that. ¡°Good. Let me think about it and write a report to Raven. By the way, I¡¯ll have to go to New Aerym in two days and check out Helcrown.¡±


    Little girl Y¡¯lisabet was elated. She jumped to her feet and asked to go back and showed off her T repair skill to Lanina. Hao Ren did not know whether to laugh or to cry looking at the child¡¯s behaviour: every demon princess in movies and anime looked majestic and elegant, even if they were still minors, they could rely on BGM to bring out the royal demeanour. Why this demon princess always held a screwdriver and strolled around was beyond him. She appeared much stronger when she was commanding the entire army on his dad¡¯s behalf back then.


    The MDT suddenly chimed in and diverted the attention of Hao Ren away from the demon princess. ¡°There¡¯s another progress made: the equipment used to analyse the vengeful spirit is ready, just that it¡¯s not yet certain that it can be used.¡±


    As soon as the voice of the MDT trailed off, the excited Nangong siblings spoke in unison. ¡°Really?!¡±


    ¡°Really, but don¡¯t hold your breath,¡± said the MDT with a flat, indifferent voice. ¡°Theoretically, everything is feasible. The performance of the tester may not necessarily be reliable, and we don¡¯t even know what format the memory of the vengeful spirit is stored, and I don¡¯t know if it has a memory deletion mechanism¡ªso don¡¯t get your hopes up too high.¡±


    In saying so, Hao Ren was trying to make it clear to Nangong Wuyue beforehand. ¡°Calm down. Now we have just created a prototype. Since we have a vengeful spirit sample with us, we will be able to make a new decoding device if this one fails. So you let your tail off your brother, he is already suffocating.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue came to her senses and let off her brother. Nangong Sanba staggered on his feet, half-dead. ¡°Thanks for saving my life¡­¡± said Nangong Sanba.


    The MDT led everyone to a large device at the other end of the room and said, ¡°Here it is.¡±


    The massive equipment was obviously newly manufactured, a prototype designed for a single project. It had a silver-white smooth shell without any model plate or logo, was two meters high and five to six meters wide, semi-circular overall and divided into two parts with a central axis. The two parts of the body were recessed in the central axis and formed a semi-bowl shape with tens of centimetres in diameter. Inside the semi-bowl structure were many bright, detector-like stuff, which clearly was the central command.


    ¡°The prototype didn¡¯t go through the aesthetic design process, so it doesn¡¯t look pretty.¡± The MDT hovered over the new device. ¡°We originally wanted to give it the most beautiful coffin-type design, but for the sake of efficiency, we just created an inner liner.¡±


    Hao Ren pulled the MDT to a side and said, ¡°Fortunately, you¡¯ve only created the liner! As if the coffins in the basement at home isn¡¯t scary enough. How to operate this device?¡±


    The MDT flew back and pointed with a beam of light at the recess on the equipment. ¡°See the recess? Pour the vengeful spirit into it.¡±


    Hao Ren: ¡°Pour¡­into it?¡±


    That sounded whimsical!

 Chapter 540

    Hao Ren started up the quirky machine as prompted by the MDT. A sound similar to a wind chime reverberated within the device. The blue lines and light on the surface lit up one by one, making the device glow like a half moon slowly awakening from its slumber: this was not a cold, dead machine machine. In order to communicate with the vengeful spirit, it was inbuilt with many near-supernatural powers. These functions made it look unlike any other technological gadgets.


    But Hao Ren was most gratified that the thing at least did not look like a coffin¡­


    He took the small box which was used to seal the vengeful spirit from his Dimensional Pocket. When the box¡¯s opening was faced towards the recess on the equipment, he saw a faint light coming out from the box and disappearing into the bowl-shaped recess.


    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± Lily was excited, jumping around Hao Ren. Her ears were twitching. ¡°Then what?¡±


    ¡°Looks like there¡¯s movement.¡± Hao Ren pointed at recess the where the luminescent ¡°spots¡± were changing in a certain pattern. With each change, the light in the recess¡ªwhich was the processing core¡ªbecame more condensed. In the beginning, there was only a thin, hallucinatory white mist, but soon the white mist became a ball of light. It was almost as substantial as it appeared and it floated in the air like a jellyfish.


    ¡°This is the captured vengeful spirit.¡± The MDT floated above the device, pointing at the ¡°luminescent jellyfish¡± with a light beam. ¡°First, we¡¯ve got to charge it. This guy¡¯s been sealed for some time, it¡¯s too weak now. If we don¡¯t charge it up, we won¡¯t be able to read it.¡±


    Vivian became worried. ¡°Will it escape?¡±


    As the first person to have fought with the vengeful spirit, she knew how difficult the monster was.


    ¡°No, it¡¯ll be tied up in the energy field safely.¡± The MDT rested on Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Unless, the equipment is disconnected¡ªbut that¡¯s impossible.¡±


    The vengeful spirit was strengthened, or awakened to a certain extent as they spoke. It quickly became active again after being supplied with external energy. However, due to the powerful energy field¡¯s restriction, it was confined in a hemispherical space of only tens of centimeters in size. As a result, it became even more solid like a lump of jelly. The vengeful spirit seemed to have realized that it was trapped, and it began to emit a low, weird whistling sound. Then, there was a fierce turbulence in the fetter. But this was useless. The decoding device could not read a thing.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a look at the thing¡¯s information structure¡­¡± the MDT muttered while it inserted itself into a small console next to the device. There was a small crack just enough to allow the MDT to snap into it. ¡°Look at its frequency and wavelength¡­¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his chin as he looked at the MDT with interest. ¡°You always find a suitable slot for yourself, eh?¡± said Hao Ren.


    ¡°Of course! I¡¯m the most adaptable model. If there¡¯s a hole, I can plug myself in it,¡± the MDT sounded cocky. ¡°Now stop messing around, I¡¯m going to perform a data analysis!¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly became serious and allowed the MDT to show off its capabilities. However, in just a matter of seconds, he heard the laboratory¡¯s analysis host computer prompting, ¡°The second analyzer has begun calculation.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the MDT suspiciously. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re doing the analysis?¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m just giving the command!¡±


    Everyone was speechless.


    Regardless, the equipment was working well. Its surface was glowing and the sweet chiming sound completely suppressed the meaningless whir of the vengeful spirit. A beam of light flew in the processing core, decoding the information from the vengeful spirit. The data stored in the electromagnetic waves, which were constantly changing in shape began to gradually reveal its secrets. The reading process was long and random: sometimes, the device would suddenly extract several meaningful bytes, but the analysis host would discard them, because subsequent data did not match their format. The existence of the vengeful spirit was so wonderful that both their memory and informational expressions were very different from common linguistic structures as well as thinking structures. The analysis host had to establish a set of expression formulas from scratch.


    ¡°There are superficial, emotion-like reactions such as anger and impatience, as well as resistance and adaptability. Nevertheless, these reactions are more of a result of instinct rather than thinking,¡± the MDT reported frankly. ¡°It really doesn¡¯t have the ability to think. It only displayed the activities of a living being under the guidance of a bunch of strange calculation rules. It looks like the Tannaeans wanted to save their thoughts through coding eternally, but the First Born deleted their thinking part. Except, these coding rules are still running.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment and pretended to have understood. ¡°So, what about the vengeful spirit¡¯s memory?¡±


    ¡°There are some fragments. The analysis host is trying to reorganize them.¡± The MDT emitted a bunch of projections. ¡°Look at this one; it¡¯s distorted beyond recognition. This is what the world looks like from the perspective of the vengeful spirit. It¡¯s unlike the perspective of ordinary living things. Without prior interpretation, I¡¯m afraid nobody can read it.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue asked nervously. ¡°Can you interpret it? Can you find news of my parents?¡±


    The MDT knew how to say a word of comfort. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the ontology of the information won¡¯t be destroyed. If a translation fails, you can still try again. As long as the vengeful spirit has been in touch with your parents, and doesn¡¯t possess a memory deletion mechanism, they¡¯ll definitely be found. Theoretically, unless there¡¯s external disturbance, a group of electromagnetic waves won¡¯t automatically erase its memories¡ªso, you can put your brother down now.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue came to her senses again and quickly let go off her brother. Hao Ren stepped forward and held Nangong Sanba up. ¡°It¡¯s not easy for you, eh?¡±


    Nangong Sanba was grateful, again. ¡°Thanks, bro¡­¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly had a feeling that the half-baked demon hunter was scurrying all over the world not just to find his parents and make a living, but also to hide from his sister¡¯s tail¡­. The siren¡¯s habit of coiling people up with her tail was simply terrible!


    Of course, one might ask, what would happen if there was no one around, or if she could not get her hands on a victim at all? Simple¡ªshe would roll herself up into a serpentine ball. How else did she manage to turn into the usual serpent ball?


    The equipment completed scanning the surface information of the vengeful spirit. This strange creature¡¯s incredible information storage method had the analysis host confused as the system sounded in the lab, ¡°Initial scan has ended. No available interpretation rules were found. The host needs to reorganize the calculations to complete the follow-up work.¡±


    Hao Ren asked, ¡°How long will it probably take?¡±


    The analysis host was silent before replying, ¡°¡­Unknown.¡±


    ¡°Relax, it won¡¯t take too long. The analysis host computer¡¯s logic isn¡¯t that flexible. It can¡¯t tell you a probable reply, but I think it should take two or three days.¡± The MDT detached itself from the equipment slot and flew back to Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You can go back and feed the fish, play with the cat, walk the dog, and in two days, the results should be available. You can also go and discuss your big plan with the Aerymian elves¡­¡±


    Hao Ren turned around and looked at the Nangong siblings. The two were obviously a little disappointed. But after learning that there was still a light at the end of the tunnel, they became less nervous and anxious. Nangong Wuyue nodded and said, ¡°Well, in that case, we¡¯ll wait.¡±


    Before leaving, Hao Ren issued new instructions to the Petrachelys; the first was to keep studying the vengeful spirit, and then, to start mass production of the interference pheromone for the First Born¡ªhe was preparing for his next big project.


    Hence, they arrived home after that. The first thing Hao Ren did was rush to check on Rollie: the cat girl had just become a human and she was still ignorant of the human world. He was afraid that she would run out without Big Beardy¡¯s knowledge. As it turned out, the dumb cat was obedient this time. Hao Ren went up to the second floor and found the maiden playing with something in the corner of her room.


    ¡°I¡¯m back,¡± said Hao Ren as he stepped forward and said hello to his cat. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    The cat girl turned her head and snorted lazily before coming up to him with a grin. ¡°Big Boss Cat, you¡¯re good to me, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Hao Ren did not know what she was doing. He just nodded, feeling perplexed. ¡°Yeah¡­ What¡¯s behind you? What are you hiding?¡±


    The cat girl smiled happily and said, ¡°Ta-da! It¡¯s a mouse. For you.¡±


    Hao Ren could only say, ¡°What the heck?¡±

 Chapter 541

    Hao Ren had read about how cats repay kindness from the stories long time back, the traditional version and the cat girl version. The former involves catching rats for the owner while the latter becomes a cute girl who treats her master like a king. He never thought that his cat was the third kind: she had turned into a cute girl, but she still insisted on catching rats¡­


    It was obvious that she was a mishmash of the two orthodox versions, but Hao Ren felt something was off¡­


    But Rollie wouldn¡¯t know what her master was actually thinking, and she actually thought that she had did something commendable. Happily, she ruffled against Hao Ren¡¯s leg. ¡°Boss Cat, Boss Cat! A rat for you to eat! It¡¯s still moving!¡±


    The dumb cat raised her hand to gloat before Hao Ren, in her hands was a big fat rat. The latter was obviously not fully dead, and still let out a faint whisper. Goosebumps immediately ran all over Hao Ren as he recoiled backwards. ¡°Stand there, and don¡¯t move!¡±


    The cat girl gave Hao Ren a puzzled look. ¡°You¡¯re not happy nya?¡±


    ¡°Where did you get that from?¡± Hao Ren kept his distance. ¡°Throw it out now!¡±


    ¡°I caught it on the plains back home. Beardy Cat said I cannot go to town.¡± the dumb cat swung the rat like a pendulum, her face looked rather dejected. ¡°Why don¡¯t you want it? Are you nyangry?¡±


    Hao Ren had thoughts to disciplined the dumb cat, but looking at her innocent face, any anger inside him was immediately extinguished. He knew that the cat girl was still a cat to the bone, and a few days as a human was not enough to teach her all she needs to act like one, and her clumsy actions was all to make him happy. Sighing resignedly, he said, ¡°I¡¯m not angry, but¡­ humans don¡¯t eat rats.¡±


    The cat girl lifted the rat and looked at it. Seeing so Hao Ren quickly added. ¡°You¡¯re not eating it either.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not eating that.¡± The cat girl shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not as tasty as biscuits and fish jerky.¡±


    Hao Ren glared at her. ¡°Then what do you mean by feeding me that?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because you don¡¯t know how to catch a rat!¡± The cat girl¡¯s had that ¡®Duh¡¯ tone to it. ¡°So it¡¯s up to me to catch them for you.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless as he tried to reconcile the fact that he was seen as a weakling in the eyes of a cat¡­


    At the very least, Rollie had threw the rat away and as per her usual habit of following behind Hao Ren around the house ¨C like she was inspecting her own castle. After a circle she reached the hall and went for her cushion by the staircase to snooze. Hao Ren sighed again as he saw it. ¡°Do you really have to sleep here? Didn¡¯t I prepare a room for you?¡±


    Rollie simply just gave him a lazy stretch before curling into a smaller ball.. Her tail wagging at Hao Ren with as she meowed at him.


    That meant, ¡®Your royal highness is sleepy and wants her royal nap, so make yourself scarce¡¯.


    Hao Ren sighed again, as he went upstairs to contact Raven12345.


    For once, the Goddess was actually not skipping work and the line connected immediately. Hao Ren briefed her on the progress of the research on the First Born and also brought up the matter of creating a space station in the Plane of Dreams for long term research of the First Born.


    Raven12345¡¯s voice was chirpy as always. ¡°You¡¯re getting good at this, kiddo. You¡¯re really thinking outside the box now. Guess my choice was right on the money¡­.Go ahead with your plan.


    Hao Ren then carefully posed a few questions than worried him the most. ¡°Will this large migration affect the balance between the Surface World and the Plane of Dreams? Using only a dimensional rift, is it possible to build such a big space station? Can I claim expense for that?


    Truth be told, he was most worried about the third question, and if he did not balance it out with the first two serious question first, the crazy Goddess would probably blessed him with a dimensional thunder strike¡­


    ¡°Hmmm¡­ Your space laboratory is indeed a pretty bold idea¡­ but since you have already found a stable pathway, as long as you ensure all material and personnel goes through that rift, there won¡¯t be any issues. Your Goddess here too will help you strengthen the connection stability of the areas around earth¡­. If anything goes wrong, I¡¯ll back you up.¡± Raven12345 was dependable when it comes to work. ¡°As for the size of the rift that is not a cause of concern. What to you take the Empire for? The Xiling Celestials are the best there is when it comes to dimensional tech. When the time comes, we¡¯ll just compress everything into a small construction cube for you to activate.¡±


    Hao Ren had yet to forget the most pertinent of questions. ¡°So¡­ all of this are borne by the Administration right?¡±


    Raven12345 sniggered. ¡°You sure have a way of asking thing. Reminds me of me in my younger days. Don¡¯t worry, Xiling¡¯s industry and wealth is not just for show. We won¡¯t expect a staff to dig into his own pockets for just a space station. No matter how big the expenses incurred for this endeavour, the Administration will bear the cost. You just need to sign it off.


    Hao Ren was relieved hearing that. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear¡­ and actually, the paint of the wall at my place had chipped and I plan to repaint¡­.¡±


    ¡°You f*cking stand there and don¡¯t move. A blessing is coming your way!¡±


    Hao Ren quickly terminated the call and heaved a sigh of relief after things were settled. He then made his way to the living room, looking for old Y¡¯zaks to discuss the matter of visiting New Aerym and his people. But as he stepped into the room neither the demon or his daughter was there. Vivian and Lily on the other hand were huddled together, as if they were studying something.


    ¡°What are you two up to?¡± Hao Ren was surprised. It was rare sight to see this two bickering duo together peacefully.


    Lily looked up at Hao Ren and let out an excited howl, her tail wagging in excitement. ¡°We are doing science!¡±


    ¡°You? Doing science?¡± Hao Ren was amused by that very notion and walked over to see what the pair was up to. He noticed a few pentagonal crystal plates on the tea table. The plates let out a gentle glow, it was mysterious yet intricate and the MDT was by the side of the plates, as if it was helping to analyse the item. ¡°This is¡­¡±


    ¡°The storage items we could from the planetarium at Tannagost.¡± Lily pushed the crystal plates before Hao Ren. ¡°The MDT said this is still readable¡­ but you were busy with bigger things so this were left collecting dust.¡±


    Hao Ren only remembered the matter when Lily brought it up. The group was chased by the vengeful spirits from Alamanda to an abandoned planetarium. Wuyue and the rest then found this data slates. It was there too that Hao Ren managed to make contact with the collective conciousness of the Tannaeans, and uncovered the mystery behind the vengeful spirits.


    The ancient data slates were indeed valuable research objects but the group soon found an even more valuable object, the Tannagost Data Value, the living sample of the Seed of Origin, the Lifeblood, a living First Born, each and everyone of them an item of extreme interest, and that left the data slates from the planetarium looking a wee bit insignificant.


    Of course, Hao Ren did not totally forgot about it, and he actually had the data slate restored when he brought it back to the Petrachelys and had extracted the data from within. But he soon realised that all of the data entailed reading of the stars and did not seem to have anything to do with the First Born, thus he just left the thing sitting there. That was the last time he touched the thing, and it soon became part of Lily¡¯s treasure.


    Perhaps boredom got the better of the husky as she took the data slate out to study it. This was probably inspired by the research done in the Petrachely¡¯s lab.


    ¡°So what you found?¡± Hao Ren asked casually.


    Lily¡¯s face was however serious. ¡°According to Battie and my professional analysis. Of course mainly me, we think that the last diary entry was just before the First Born¡¯s apocalypse¡­


    Hao Ren had just turned away before he heard that. ¡°Diary? What diary?¡±


    ¡°Astronomical diary entry. Penned by one of the staff at the planetarium.¡± The MDT said as it floated. ¡°As it looked like a normal diary entry, it was not given much attention. I only just remembered it earlier and got Lily to take out the data slate for reanalysis. Well, their professional analysis not withstanding, these two here are merely part of the crowd.¡±


    Lily and Vivian was speechless.

 Chapter 542

    Lily and Vivian glared at the MDT but the latter was unfazed. It had a ¡®Come bite my impenetrable casing¡¯ look to it. Hao Ren on the other hand did not believe for a second that they two was capable of doing science. He knocked on the table to stop Lily¡¯s gnashing and took the pentagonal crystal plate. ¡°What have you found?¡±


    The MDT activated it¡¯s holographic display. ¡°No different than a usual diary, it¡¯s by someone working at the planetarium. I¡¯ve translated the logs, see for yourself.¡±


    Hao Ren read the diary displayed before him and found that it was a report of the movement of stars in diary form. The initial part was about equipment maintenance, weather reports, constellation reports, but towards the end of the report, something caught Hao Ren¡¯s attention:


    ¡°¡­.The nineth night, the sky is clear. The atmosphere stability is excellent. We had discovered an amazing celestial phenomenon. The Arkana I had let out a bright flash. The countour of the star expanded to that of a sun, and the crimson glow radiated one fourth of the skyline. Our scanners had recorded this incredible scene, and the masters think that this is a supernova. He theorised that this could prove that Arkana I is indeed a very ancient star despite its various perimeters do not match your usual stars¡­ Most regrettable is that we were unable to obtain the planet¡¯s data before it went supernova, but perhaps we should be glad that it did explode, so now we could study the planet from it¡¯s radiation¡­.¡±


    This particular line was highlighted by the MDT. Hao Ren turned to the device and asked. ¡°Do you think that this Arkana Supernova has anything to do with the First Born Apocalypse that befell Tannagost?¡±


    ¡°Remember the data vault from Alamanda? That contained every information about the Tannaeans. Based on the records, the first appearance of the First Born¡¯s tendrils was after the third day of the Arkana Supernova.¡± the MDT shut up the holographic display. ¡°Regardless, the supernova was the last major unusual phenomona before the coming of the First Born Apocalypse. Whether they are connected or not, we should pay attention to this celestial event.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s face stiffened, as he feel into a deep thought beside Lily. He suddenly asked. ¡°Have the data vault been connected into the Imperial Data Network?¡±


    ¡°All done, ages ago and it is fully translated and categorised. Connecting to theThird Repository. You can use your authority to activate the data vault of any dead civilisation¡¯s but you can only edit the ones that are under your name.¡±


    ¡°Link me up to the Tannaeans data vault, look for details about Arkana I¡­.hmmm¡­ and any celestial data before the night of the First Born Apocalypse.¡±


    The supernova records in the repository reminded Hao Ren of something. He realised that the First Born or the Goddess of Creation, both came from space. If the apocalypse long ago had some sort of forewarning, it will probably appear as some sort of celestial phenomenon, and it was something he needed to pay attention to.


    The Third Repository was nicknamed ¡®the Graveyard of Civilisations¡¯ and The ¡®Tomb of the Species¡¯. It was a storage device of limitless capacity and specialised in storing the samples and specimens of fallen civilisations within the Xiling Empire¡¯s borders, and most of the samples and specimens came from the inspectors. In their cross-world faring, it was inevitable that they meet many civilisations who had fell, and collecting, documenting the relics and remnants of these civilisations is part and parcel of an Inspector¡¯s job.


    Due to the special nature of the Third Repository, every visitor will need to go through a maximum security mental connection. Hao Ren felt that his spirit was being split into two, just like last time back then at the Dragonspine Ridge where part of his spirit returned to the Surface World. While he could clearly see his living room, a part of his vision was being brought to a very surreal place. Part of his psyche was going through a very vast area, and silhouettes of many figures went past him: They were Inspectors from other universes and they too were visiting the Third Repository. The Inspectors sensed a newcomer had visited the place and some of them turned back to give a friendly greeting. Hao Ren responded in kind. And it wasn¡¯t long before the information he requested was being displayed before him.


    Arkana I, was an ancient star on Tannagost¡¯s ecliptic plane and it was a star that confounded the Tannaean astrologers for milleanias.


    The Tannaean astrologers had called the first star on their ecliptic plane, Arkana. The word meant ¡®red arrow¡¯ in their tongue, and Arkana I was the point of the stars that made the arrowhead. It was crimson all year long and was the brightest star of them all. The Tannaean astrologians had noticed that the crimson hue would wax and wane since astrology was a thing and it lasted until the coming of the First Born. The waxing and waning of the crimson hue differed from your usual stars, and it was the first of many mysteries of the star.


    The second mystery was that the Tannaeans wasn¡¯t event sure till the end of their civilisation if Arkana I was even a star.


    Based on your typical astronomy, aside from the planets within the system, every star that glittered at night should be a star, as plantes do not glow and cannot be seen by the eye under normal circumstances. The Tannaean astrologers had investigated this for over a thousand years, but yet they still could not ascertain what sort of star Arkana I was. Each and every of it perimeters and characteristics was closer to that of a planet. Its temperature was mild, and radiation levels was low, and it did not have any spectral features that a star would have. It was undoubtedly showing characteristics of a solid state planet and there were no trace of light distortion around it. That proved that Arkana I was small, much smaller than your standard star.


    Yet there it lies above Tannagost¡¯s skies and could easily be seen on a clear night.


    The Tannaeans had an almost encylopedic record just specifically for Arkana I, and there was this one remark: This crimson star should not exsit by all accounts. A low density, low temperature star should have been well hidden in the darkness of space, but it was now the brightest star in the sky. This was against everything we know of the stars¡­.


    The last of the mystery was at the end: Unable to determine the distance.


    Arkana I stood majestically in the sky, but the Tannaean astrologers could not determine the exact distance from Tannagost. The data gotten from the most common ways of calculation: Triangular Parallax, Spectral Parallax, and Cepheid Parallax resulted in vastly varying data, resulting in the astrologers not being able to pinpoint the distance. It was like a shadow before the eye, you can see it but you will never find it in the real world.


    And it is because of these mysteries, the argument of Arkana I between the astrologers never stopped. The various schools of thought regarding Arkana I were so closely contested, whether it was a star or a planet, or was it just a mirage?


    And this supernatural star went supernova ten thounsand yearas ago, only to have the First Born¡¯s tendrils to breakthrough the surface on the third day.


    Hao Ren rubbed his eyes as he left the Third Repository. Lily perked as she wagged her tail excitedly, ¡°How was it? How was it?!¡±


    ¡°A very complex, weird star.¡± Hao Ren pressed Lily¡¯s ears, like how he treats a pet dog to get the lass to calm down. He then explained briefly to the rest on what he saw in the repository. ¡°All in all, it did not fit into any natural law, I suspect it really have something to do with the First Born¡­¡±


    As Hao Ren and the rest was talking about Arkana I, a voice suddenly came from the back. ¡°Oh, a discussion I see?¡±


    Hao Ren looked up and saw Big Beardy opening the door as he held a roasted rabbit in the other hand. The sky was dark by then. Time indeed flew by without them noticing. Big Beardy was outside all day long and after finishing his ascetic meditation he made his way back. Vivian slapped her forehead. ¡°Eh, I didn¡¯t see the time¡­ I¡¯ll go make dinner!¡±


    Lily was salivating as she looked at the roasted rabbit in Big Beardy¡¯s hands. Her tail slapping against the sofa armrest like a wardrum. ¡°Mr Landlord, Mr Landlord, are you hungry? I¡¯m sure you want some roasted rabbit right? But you cannot finish it alone right? So¡­.¡±


    Hao Ren buried his face in his hands. ¡°Oh stop it, you¡¯re just making a fool of yourself. Beardy bro, mind sharing some with her?¡±


    Big Beardy laughed heartily as he passed a piece of the roasted rabbit meat to Lily. ¡°What were you guys on about?¡±


    ¡°The matter of Tannagost.¡± Hao Ren told Big Beardy about the weird star that went supernova. ¡°Ten thousand years ago, the skyline of Tannagost was lit up¡­¡±


    Big Beardy had just asked for fun, but after hearing Hao Ren¡¯s description he frowned. ¡°Wait a minute¡­ I may be overthinking this¡­ but the ancient tomes of the Disciples of Glory had something like this too.¡±


    ¡°Huh?!¡± Hao Ren exclaimed.

 Chapter 543

    ¡°A myth that is similar?¡± Hao Ren gave Big Beardy a surprised look. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°A part of the tomes of the Disciples of Glory have records and knowledge learned from other religions. These records are not part of the scripture but every high level clergy would study them, to get a better understanding of what had happened in the past and this includes stories and myths.¡± Big Beardy explained slowly. ¡°I¡¯ve read this from the tomes, that a small sect south of Holetta had propergated the story about the Manular Nova.


    Hao Ren¡¯s ears perked up. ¡°Tell me more.¡±


    ¡°The Manular Nova is as also called the Manular Banestar, it was a story from the south of Holetta and was used as part of the heresy by a heretical sect to influence the people. The stories say that east of the skies lay hidden an ancient banestar that is playing dead. It was called ¡®Manular¡¯, the eye that the Goddess of Creation left to monitor the world after the destruction of the old world. This Banestar was red as blood, and it was engulfed by a flame that burnt for eternity. Ten thousand years ago, the prelude to the Goddess¡¯s destruction of the world was the appearance of the star in the sky, and with Manular¡¯s gaze, the land went ablaze. After the apocalypse, the Goddess closed her eyes, and the Banestar too went back into its slumber in the darkness. But after a period of time, The Manular Nova will reappear like how it did ten thousand years ago, and heralds the end of the world.¡±


    Hao Ren rubbed his chin. ¡°Seems like it¡¯s very close to the records of Tannagost¡­ A supernova?¡±


    ¡°Seems very close indeed.¡± the MDT agreed. ¡°I¡¯ve calculated the calender of Tannagost and Holetta, and the incident happened at the same point of time. The crimson supernova recorded probably refers to the same thing.¡±


    A bold assumption appeared in Hao Ren¡¯s mind, and it seemed plausible with all the evidence that he have as of now. Trying his luck, he hypothesized. ¡°Could that be the Goddess¡¯s real form?¡±


    The MDT seemed to immediately catch on what Hao Ren had in mind. ¡°Based on the scene you saw last time?¡±


    ¡°If what I saw was real, then the Goddess of Creation is probably on an oceanic planet that is covered by a sea of blood. At least the colour matches. Perhaps some sort of supernatural power allowed this planet to be seen like a star elsewhere.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°All this¡­ are just too coincidental. Both Tannagost and Holetta saw a red supernova before they were destroyed. Seems just too fishy to me.¡±


    ¡°But therein lies a problem.¡± The MDT reminded. ¡°Both Holetta and Tannagost are at least billion of light years apart and even light would need billion of years to travel that distance. So that is to say, after Arkana I or Manular went supernova, it would take tens of billions of years for the Holletans and the Tannaeans to see it. If that is the case, the speed with the coming of First Born Apocalypse and the supernova is simply too horrifying.¡±


    ¡°What if the First Born only went on a rampage after being radiated by the crimson light?¡± Hao Ren rubbed his chin.


    The MDT agreed with the theory. ¡°Hmm.. there is a possiblity. If the Goddess of Creation is a real god then anything to do with her may indeed defy the laws of the universe.¡±


    Lily was chomping on the rabbit leg as she listened to Hao Ren and the MDT discussed about the Goddess of Creation. She suddenly looked up. ¡°Can we pinpoint the position with the information we have?¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t be able to triangulate its position with just two points I¡¯m afraid.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°You will need at least four points. And we don¡¯t even know how far the crimson star is from Holetta or Tannagost. We only know that the explosion could be seen from both planets. So we need to look for two other points in space, and base on the supernova¡¯s timing only can we discern where it actually is at. Besides, this is based on the waxing and waning of the glow being on a regulated rhythm, if it is random, then there¡¯s no way to look for it.¡±


    ¡°If it is even there in the first place.¡± The MDT interjected. ¡°Based on the various reports¡­. after the supernova the star was no longer visible. It could very well be totally annihilated.¡±


    ¡°There should be something left.¡± Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°Even just debris will do. At least I¡¯ll gave something to show to Raven12345.¡±


    At the same point, Big Beardy spoke, his voice grim. ¡°You think that the Manular Banestar is the Goddess of Creation herself.¡±


    Hao Ren then remembered he had a member of the clergy beside him and quickly added, ¡°It is just a possible home for the Goddess of Creation¡­. while this may be heresy, but you too know that the history of the Disciples of Glory were spotty, so we need to look at this from all angles. Say¡­ what became of that heretic cult?¡±


    ¡°Them? Heh, after years of doomsay prediction and none of it happening, their heretic pope ran out of ideas and could not come up with an excuse. So he found a convenience excuse to expunge his heretical scriptures, and he was beaten to death in front of his house by a bunch of disenchanted followers. We were lucky to manage to recover two of their tomes.¡±


    Hao Ren had cold sweat running down his forehead. ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s one lesson to not dig your own grave¡­¡±


    ¡°So, this supernova will be included in our future searches and this is at least something on the Goddess of Creation.¡± The MDT¡¯s surface glowed in blue as it included the data regarding the supernova into its system and it then tapped Hao Ren by the shoulder. ¡°Say¡­ you plan should give this star a proper designation? The Tannaeans call it Arkana I, the Holettans call it Manular, we should have a unified term for it.¡±


    Hao Ren rubbed his chin again as he demurred. ¡°This star is red as blood, and it heralds death and destruction. How about we call it the Red Comet?


    Lily smacked him by the arm with her tail. ¡°Copyright infringement.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­. Sparkly Red Star?¡±


    Lily literally bit into the bone of her rabbit leg as she heard that. ¡°Mr Landlord, give it some more thought.¡±


    Cold sweat quickly formed as Hao Ren tried to figure out another name. ¡°If we are to go by Holettan myths, this star is on the east¡­ so shall we call it Eastern Red¡­.¡±


    Lily gave out a long sigh. ¡°Can¡¯t we just call it the Crimson Nova? If you want it to sound cool, just at Nova will do the job¡­¡±


    The MDT quickly recorded the name in file as Lily rolled her eyes at Hao Ren. ¡°Your name ability is worse than a husky.¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned. This dumb lass was previously so indignant when someone called her a doggie, and now she was so proud of her own identity¡­ This is clearly a case of cognitive dissonance!


    So the star that appeared in the legends of both Holletan and Tannaean was named the Crimson Nova. As of now Hao Ren had no way to work on this celestial body, and so just bookmarked it until he could gather more information on the star when he come across them.


    Two days later, a message came from the Petrachelys. The mass production of the disruption formula used to put the First Born into a slumber and the cognitive suppression device (ie an imitation of the Sacred Sacrophagus) had been completed. Hao Ren now planned to visit New Aerym and activate his one billion tenants.


    Y¡¯lisabet new that she was about to go back to see her people, and had woke up early to doll herself up. At least now she looked the part of a princess, rather than the runt who kept having soot on her face. Y¡¯zaks too would be tagging along. He wanted to see how Helcrown was doing.


    Aside from that, Lily and the Nangong siblings too joined the party. The husky was a given, going out without her is nearly impossible. Nangong Sanba wanted to see things for himself. He had never seen the one billion tenants on Hao Ren¡¯s planet, and Hao Ren thought it was high time to show the demon hunter what an ¡®Inspector¡¯ actually do.


    Nangong Wuyue¡¯s reason to visit was rather simple: She missed New Aerym¡¯s vast oceans and planned to go for a long swim, enjoying her life as a mantis shrimp¡­


    The rest stayed home to look after the house. Besides, the teleportation gate to New Aerym was just at the basement. This was not a long voyage in any case, at least for this bunch who had cross-dimension teleportation.


    As Hao Ren led his crew down and was about to activate the teleporter. Rollie appeared out of nowhere. Happily the cat girl circled around Hao Ren. ¡°Boss Cat! Are you going out to play?¡±


    Hao Ren did not understand her, ¡°No, I¡¯m not going to play, I¡¯m going out for some business..¡±


    ¡°Meow? So you are playing business?¡± she seemed to have totally misunderstood him. Happily meowing about, she put on her collar and passed the rope to Hao Ren. ¡°Bring me along! Bring me along~~!¡±


    Hao Ren was taken aback, but something then struck him as he nodded cheerfully ¡°Come on, lets go!¡±

 Chapter 544

    Leaving a teleportation device back on Aerym was indeed a wise move. Hao Ren knew that he would need to commute between Earth and New Aerym from time to time, and using a teleportation device was much simpler than flying a spaceship. It was also easier to walk a cat that way.


    At least, he did not need to worry about the cat girl messing around with the bridge controls.


    As the flash of light faded, the scenery from the basement changed to that of a wide and bright round hall. All around the hall, there were plenty of elvish leaf carvings, while the floor was engraved with the intricate Aerymian emblem: seems like they had arrived to the basement of Hilda¡¯s Royal Palace.


    There were guards within the hall at every single moment, and before the teleporter was activated, they already had advance noticed that important guests were visiting. Hence, by the time Hao Ren and the rest got their bearings, a large group of elves were already coming their way. Among them were guards and ministers, as well as the leader of the group, who was a familiar face: the Queen of the Aerymians, Hilda.


    ¡°I heard that you were coming but I could not prepare much due to time constraints.¡± Hilda smiled with her usual grace. ¡°So, there is another huge project?¡±


    Hao Ren smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s wait till we get to a better place to talk about it. This time it¡¯s much more complicated.¡±


    The queen¡¯s entourage started to chatter amongst themselves while Rollie¡ªher eyes wide¡ªcuriously surveyed her surroundings. With a comprehension ability of a cat, she did not understand how she ended up in a place so different from home after crossing a veil of light. She turned back to look at the direction that she came from and saw the veil of light vanishing after the teleporter shut down. The cat girl was rather frightened. She took a peak at the elven guards as she cowered behind Hao Ren. ¡°We can¡¯t go home¡­.meow¡­.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t run around. I¡¯ll bring you home when the time comes.¡± Hao Ren patted Rollie¡¯s head. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. This is our place.¡±


    The cat girl immediately calmed down when she heard it, and she was amazed by the holding of the ¡®King Cat¡¯: She didn¡¯t know he had such a holding! Upon remembering that she was the number two at Hao Ren¡¯s place her instincts kicked in, she stuffed the leash in Hao Ren¡¯s hand. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything else. Bring me for a walk! Now now!


    Hilda gave the new face a surprised look. ¡°This is¡­¡±


    Hao Ren gave an embarassed look as he took the leash off the dumb cat. ¡°This is my cat¡­. Things are just a bit too complicated, I¡¯ll explain later¡­ Behave yourself! You¡¯re a human now you know? You don¡¯t need a leash when I walk you in the future!¡±


    Nangong Sanba nervously followed the entourage, and he too surveyed the surroundings incessently since arriving. He glanced a the brightly dressed elven guards and the intricate statues and arches along the way. Even though Aerym was still in a difficult rebuilding period, the architecture was still majestic. ¡°My god, are all this Mr Landlord¡¯s property?¡± Nangong Sanba could not help but mumble to himself.


    ¡°All these are the Aerym¡¯s property.¡± Lily laughed. ¡°But the land they stand on is Mr Landlord¡¯s, the whole planet in fact.¡±


    Nangong Sanba thought for a bit before pulling his sister¡¯s arm with his other hand pointing at Hao Ren. His face serious, ¡°Seduce him.¡±


    Wuyue was stunned. ¡°HAH?!¡±


    ¡°Seduce him.¡± Nangong Sanba¡¯s face was serious. ¡°For the glory of our family¡­¡±


    Hao Ren only heard a splash behind him before a white fog temporarily blinded him. By the time he regained his vision he saw the siren had already transformed into her serpentine form, and was spinning her brother with her tail in circles. Nangong Sanba¡¯s was swung around in the air so quickly that his face was a blur. Only his voice could be heard. ¡°I¡±m¡­. just¡­. giving¡­ a ¡­suggestion¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah I forgot,¡± Hilda had already gotten used to the antics of Hao Ren¡¯s crew and was not surprised. She gave the spinning half-baked demon hunter a curious glance. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen him before.. He is?¡±


    ¡°A WINDMILL!!!¡± Wuyue gritted her teeth.


    The Aerymians gave much reverence to the hyperspace teleporter. They see it as an important facility that maintains contact with their ¡®lord¡¯. So the device was placed deep within the palace grounds and the party had to go through level upon levels of guards posts before arriving at the surface. Hilda had intentions to show Hao Ren the city¡¯s development and chose to come out from the Royal Spire¡¯s exit.The group went into the elevator as soon as they reach the surface and reached the top of the spire which could see a good half of the city.


    Standing on a half-moon terrace, Hilda proudly pointed towards the coastal city that had grew in size. ¡°The capital¡¯s basic infrastructure are already working normally. We have dismantled some of the available equipments from the floating islands, while they were old, they were still reliable. We are now building a main trunk road towards the nearest city. Another city is on the northside of the shoreline. There are plenty of edible seaweed and mineral resources by the shallow waters. The days are getting better.


    Hao Ren was totally out of his element. He never thought the day that he would be inspecting a city¡¯s growth like a great leader should. So he could only put up a show, and nodded approvingly. ¡°Hmm, very good, very good indeed¡­¡±


    Rollie was following behind Hao Ren joining in the fun, and as soon she saw the city below was surrounded by trees and greenery, she immediately got excited. She tugged Hao Ren by his sleeve. ¡°Lets go play! Lets go play!¡±


    The reason Hao Ren brought Rollie here was to bring her to a place that she could have fun and shift her attention from leaving home and go out to the streets. The cat girl was so excited that her eyes sparkled. Hao Ren patted the dumb cat¡¯s head. ¡°I¡¯ll go do my business. You can go out to play. Can you find your way back?¡±


    Rollie nodded excitedly. ¡°Yes, yes! I definitely can!¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a bit and was still a bit worried, and he pulled out a tiny locator beacon and placed it on the cat girl¡¯s collar. He then smiled at Hilda. ¡°Send her down with some men, she¡¯ll be happy just running around.¡±


    The guards then escorted the excitable dumb cat off the terrace and Lily, biting her nails threw Rollie a jealous glance. Hao Ren turned towards the dumb husky. ¡°You plan to go down to run about as well?¡±


    Lily¡¯s tail immediately shrunk. ¡°I¡¯m a proper adult¡­. I¡¯m not as childish as that cat¡­.¡±


    Hao Ren gave Lily the glare before turning towards Hilda. ¡°Say¡­ how is Helcrown faring?¡±


    ¡°The Kingdom of Aerym have not interfered with their internal politics, but we have helped them construct a path linking to the mainland, and also adaptation to the local enviroment. We have recently formed our diplomatic corps and are discussing the matter of drawing the borders, trade and economic cooperation. We are happy that they are a very amiable neighbour. As awe can maintain this sort of relationship. I¡¯m sure that everything will work out fine.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks nodded. As the former ruler of Helcrown (in truth, the citizens of Helcrown still sees him as the de facto ruler), he was still concerned about the future of his people, and he knew that living and co-existing with a foreign kingdom on the same planet was a sensitive yet important matter. But he believed that the two kingdoms could co-exist peacefully. The reason was simple. They were only renting, the land was not theirs and there were no reason to fight for it, it¡¯s just a matter of delegating what¡¯s whose¡­.


    Hilda too knoew that Hao Ren was here for serious business and did not bring the rest to inspect the city. After briefing him on the progress of the Kingdom and Helcrown she led them to the Royal Hall. Hao Ren motioned for the MDT to display the already prepared information. ¡°The project this time around isn¡¯t big, but it is tricky: This planet, I shall call it Holetta for now, there are two harmful plantlife hidden in the planet¡¯s crust south of the main continent. I need a few big equipments to excavate the plants and move them off planet. You don¡¯t have to worry about the transportation and placement process that comes later. You just need to arrange for the experts in digging holes.¡±


    ¡°Plantlife?¡± Hilda was surprised. ¡°How big? And you actually need a fleet for this?¡±


    Hao Ren spread his hands open. ¡°The bigger one is about two hundred meters in diameter, the smaller one is at least half the size. And they are buried about hundred meters underground. We need to beware of the lava flow during the excavation process.¡±


    ¡°¡­..Eh?¡±


    Hao Ren sighed. ¡°I know that¡¯s quite a hole to dig¡­.¡±

 Chapter 545

    Hilda was no stranger to the planet of Holletta. Strictly speaking, she was no stranger to the Hollettan Kingdom. After all, she had accidentally dropped in on this kingdom during her time-traveling episode. But at that time, she just went around in a hurry, not knowing the situation of the planet. She did not even know what was went on beyond the plains and the Beinz parish, therefore Hao Ren needed to introduce everything to her. After hearing about the First Born, she was completely stunned.


    Hilda flickered for a few moments before stopping. She folded her hands on her chest and asked Hao Ren earnestly, ¡°Are you sure it is a plant?¡±


    ¡°You can also say that it¡¯s an animal. After all, plants are rarely able to use tens of thousands of tentacles to attack people. But according to its current state, it¡¯s rooted in the depths of the planet¡¯s crust, therefore it¡¯s closer to a plant,¡± Hao Ren explained and sighed, handing a holographic data disk to Hilda. ¡°This is information about the First Born, a variety unique to the Plane of Dreams. You should be thankful that they exist only in the Plane of Dreams.¡±


    Hilda was reading the contents of the data disk, looking more and more surprised. The powerful strange supernatural creature was obviously an eye-opener for Her Majesty, and Hao Ren had to cough to remind her. ¡°Relax, the First Born will not attack this place. You¡¯re flickering too fast.¡±


    As she hastened to calm down, she suddenly remembered the ancient, giant spaceship on New Aerym¡¯s orbit and asked, ¡°Wait, the space fortress that is docked on the synchronous orbit¡­ The shape of those tentacles within it is very similar to these.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the First Born.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s already dead. And not all of the First Borns are menacing. The tentacles on that ancient, giant spaceship are gentle at the very least. But unfortunately, it¡¯s dead.¡±


    Hilda frowned. ¡°We are willing to follow your instructions, but I want to ensure the safety of this course of action¡­ This creature known as the First Born is beyond my knowledge. It is dangerous and is a natural enemy of all life. Are you sure it is safe to dig it out of the planet?¡±


    Hao Ren smiled and said, ¡°Of course I¡¯m sure. We have created nerve suppressors and drugs that will allow the First Born to fall into a deep sleep. Even a nuclear bomb won¡¯t wake it up. You should believe in our technology.¡±


    Hilda thought about her planet, which was created by the Xi Ling Empire. With their technology, it should not be a problem, so she finally nodded. ¡°Alright, please forgive me for the question. I have to be responsible for my people. ¡±


    After Hilda agreed, Hao Ren felt relieved but also a little sorry at the same time. ¡°I feel quite sorry about asking for your help all the time. After all, your planet¡¯s in a difficult situation too¡­¡±


    Hao Ren still saw himself as an ordinary person, so he felt sorry every time he asked for help from the elves of Aerym. However, Hilda did not think of it that way. Her Majesty smiled gracefully and said, ¡°You are the landlord of this planet. Is there a psychological burden in you asking for help from us?¡±


    Hao Ren touched the back of his head and smiled awkwardly. Nangong Wuyue muttered, ¡°Well, don¡¯t let them work too hard. Remember how King Zhou of the Shang Dynasty died, how the First Emperor of Qin died, how the Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty died¡­¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you say something nice?¡± Hao Ren condemned.


    After receiving instructions from Hao Ren, Hilda told them that she needed a little time to gather manpower and prepare those large construction machines. Aerym had lots of large machines. It was a piece of cake to ask them to gouge out a 200-km pit on another planet. After all, they had dismantled their own planet before. Hao Ren remembered that the only stable passage leading to the Plane of Dreams was the spatial rift beneath Andrea Castle, hence the large machinery would not be able to go in. So he reminded Hilda, ¡°Let me know when the equipment are ready. I¡¯ll put them into my Dimensional Pocket.¡±


    Hilda did not understand what he meant by ¡°put them into¡±, but she nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    After talking about the project, Y¡¯zaks and Y¡¯lisabet wanted to visit Helcrown, so Hilda warmly invited all of them aboard the Royal Airship. Currently, the Kingdom of Aerym was rapidly building their infrastructure, and transportation was one of the fastest-growing projects. There were temporary and permanent routes already opened between all the large settlements on the planet. Hilda also personally approved a direct flight route from Minas Elenion to Helcrown.


    Although they could go by teleportation, trying the airship created by the elves looked like a very interesting experience, so they agreed.


    They left the Royal Tower and went to the landing platform. Y¡¯lisabet looked around curiously along the way, and when she went out, she suddenly saw something interesting. ¡°Hmm, you guys engrave your own guardian beast on the door too?¡±


    Hao Ren looked in the direction of the little girl¡¯s finger and found that the gate of the Royal Tower was engraved with the current guardian beast of the Aerymian elves: the left side of the door was engraved with a husky, and the right door was engraved with Lily¡­


    As mentioned before, Lily had been chosen as the guardian of the Kingdom of Aerym, given her mighty look in beast form. This was proof.


    Hao Ren looked at Lily¡¯s image on the door and could not find the right words to say. However, Lily did not feel awkward at all. Lily proudly put her hands on her hips, posing in the same posture as the image on the door and asked, ¡°Landlord, do I look powerful enough to ward off evil spirits?¡±


    Hao Ren covered his forehead, sighed and said, ¡°You¡¯re also an unusual creature.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet blinked while she looked at Lily¡¯s image on the door. Suddenly, she said, ¡°Actually, I think my father¡¯simage more suitable to be engraved on the door. Look at how powerful my dad is, he¡¯ll surely ward off evil spirits¡­¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Y¡¯zaks¡¯ face that could not only ward off evil spirits but also act as a contraceptive. He imagined how it would look like if his face was engraved on the door of every household. He scared himself a little and said, ¡°Forget it. Your dad¡¯s face looks like a wanted criminal. It¡¯s better to draw a husky.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks was speechless.


    Nangong Wuyue poked Hao Ren on the shoulder with the tip of her tail and asked, ¡°And why is it that I can¡¯t speak again?¡±


    The airship had been waiting for them on the landing platform. Lily suddenly remembered something and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Rollie?¡±


    ¡°Oh, my cat!¡± Hao Ren smacked his forehead and turned to Hilda. ¡°Please send someone to look for my cat¡­ Umm, where is she?¡±


    Then, they heard a bright voice saying, ¡°There is no need to find her, she is here.¡±


    Hao Ren looked around and found Vimm standing not too far away. The silly cat was squatting proudly right next to him. When the cat girl saw Hao Ren, she trotted happily towards him and said, ¡°Meow, this place is really good!¡±


    Hao Ren came forward to say hello to Vimm. The young prince regent smiled gently and said, ¡°Sorry, for not coming over to greet all of you earlier. I was in the Heavy Industry Institute.¡±


    ¡°Never mind. Coming here via teleportation is easy anyway,¡± Hao Ren said happily, and asked, ¡°But, how did you meet her?¡±


    Hao Ren asked as he looked at Rollie. The cat girl was squatting there, rubbing her head against his leg. Hao Ren immediately stopped her. ¡°Stand up! How many times have I told you to walk upright¡­¡±


    ¡°She climbed up to the eaves of the Industrial Institute but could not come down. After that, a few guards came to me for help.¡± Vimm shrugged, then asked, ¡°So, this pair of furry ears¡­ Is she also a ¡®werewolf¡¯?¡±


    There were no cats or dogs in Aerym. Vimm thought that the cat girl and Lily were of the same species. Hao Ren hurriedly explained, ¡°No, no, this is a cat¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, so the cats on Earth look like this?¡± asked Vimm.


    ¡°¡­Normal cats don¡¯t look like this, but most of the creatures in my house aren¡¯t normal!¡±


    Vimm pondered about the distinguishing features of the group of people around Hao Ren. He then nodded and said, ¡°Indeed, they all look distinct.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately thought to himself, I didn¡¯t expect the virtuous and sincere prince to say something like that¡­


    After Rollie returned to the team, all of them went aboard the Royal Airship and set off.


    Vimm and Hilda were standing together, watching the Royal Airship disappear into the sky under the escort of several cruisers. Something suddenly crossed Vimm¡¯s mind and he asked, ¡°Mother, did you forget to take your body back?¡±


    Hilda was speechless.


    On the airship, Hao Ren was looking at the curved horizon outside the porthole (the long-distance flight was usually navigated outside the atmospheric layer). At the same time, he was pressing down on Rollie¡¯s head to prevent the cat from going out, and mumbling to himself, ¡°Why do I feel like I¡¯ve forgotten something?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably not important anyway,¡± Lily muttered as she pressed her face against the porthole. ¡°Hey, Landlord, I can see Helcrown!¡±


    Hao Ren gave her the side-eye and said, ¡°We¡¯re outside the atmospheric layer, you can¡¯t see¡­ What the heck?! Really?!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks also saw the situation outside the porthole and was shocked. ¡°Isn¡¯t it docked on the south coast? How did it float to the top of the atmosphere? ¡°

 Chapter 546

    Everyone moved to their nearest porthole and looked at the view outside in surprise. They saw a huge shadow floating in less than dozens of kilometers from the convoy fleet, and the shadow was the Helcrown. The black city, which was supposed to be docked near the southern coastline of the continent, was now floating around the edge of the atmosphere.


    Elizabeth narrowed her eyes and looked at Helcrown, and suddenly exclaimed, ¡°The dome shield is not turned on!¡±


    Hao Ren was shocked: The oxygen was very thin in this position and space was only one step away. If the shield was not turned on, that would be the same as floating in space, and only a small part of the residents had the ability to survive in this situation. A thought flashed through everyone¡¯s mind: something was wrong?!


    ¡°Quickly call the airship control room,¡± Y¡¯zaks said immediately. But as he finished his words, the VIP cabin door was already slid open silently and several elf mages ran in hurriedly, looking anxious and said, ¡°Sun King, the Helcrown is floating in the vicinity of the course¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was baffled before he realized ¡®Sun King¡¯ was him, but now was not the time to correct the name. He hastened to inquire about the situation, ¡°How can the Helcrown drift to this place? Have you been notified?¡±


    ¡°No, we had contact with the terminal tower of Helcrown before we set off and everything was fine over there,¡± the leader of the elf mage team answered anxiously, ¡°shall we change course to see what¡¯s going on there?¡±


    ¡°Of course, now!¡± Hao Ren replied anxiously.


    The convoy fleet immediately changed course towards Helcrown and the huge airship also turned into low-speed mode after a few seconds, slowly approaching the dark, eerie, floating city. The convoy fleet flying in front of the airship were circling several miles from Helcrown. A series of signals were issued, but no response was received.


    ¡°Why do I feel the Helcrown looks weird?¡± Hao Ren suddenly discovered that the outline of Helcrown did not look right. After he thought for a moment, he realized what was going on: Now there was a sun rising from the other side of the horizon and shining on Helcrown, but the reflection of sunlight was blurred everywhere in the city, and the edge of the city was strangely translucent. The news that was soon reported back from the convoy fleet proved his feelings. An observer reported, ¡°We have entered the periphery of the city. This is an illusion.¡±


    ¡°Illusion?¡± Nangong Sanba was surprised to hear the news. ¡°The mirage of the alien planet is so high-tech?¡±


    ¡°No. Mirage doesn¡¯t look like this,¡± Wuyue was occupying three seats alone and hissing to her brother, ¡°maybe the people of Helcrown are studying high technology again, and this is projection technology.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet stepped on the seat and looked at the unreal image of Helcrown and said, ¡°But I don¡¯t remember we have this kind of projection technology in Helcrown.¡±


    The convoy fleet gingerly entered the ¡®city¡¯ that floated in the top of the atmosphere and circled between the shadowy towers. After the actual contact, they were completely certain that the whole city was some kind of very high fidelity image, just the illusion was so much more real than the mirage that it almost identical with the real city, except it did not look right in the sunlight. They could even see the residents on the streets of the city.


    If this was a natural phenomenon, it could only mean that Raven 12345 was high when she was creating the planet.


    Hao Ren let the airship and the convoy fleet back to the course. No matter what the situation was, they would find out after they met Lanina.


    The next step was to accelerate the journey, and the airship quickly reached the southern coastline of the continent. They saw the real Helcrown was docked there. The black giant city had been fixed on the coastal continental shelf. The mages raised a huge stone bridge from the bottom of the sea to connect the city and the coastline. At one end of the bridge, a small market town was being built. Some of the residents in the city were moving to the continent, and they intended to build the first local town on the other side of the bridge.


    Everything looked good as usual. There was no sign of any chaos in the city at all.


    Not far from the new town was the terminal tower of Aerym. There were several glittering characters on the huge square: the North Station of Helcrown. Hao Ren immediately felt those words downgraded the whole city¡­


    Y¡¯zaks¡¯ subordinates heard about his visit and were already waiting for his arrival. The moment Y¡¯zaks had just stepped down the ramp, Lanina immediately came up to greet him, ¡°King, we haven¡¯t seen you for a long time. I¡¯m glad you can come.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet jumped on Lanina and grabbed her demon horns and shook them vigorously. ¡°And me and me!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, and Your Highness¡­¡± Lanina smiled and put Y¡¯lisabet down, touched her little horns and said, ¡°You¡¯re growing up and soon to be a big demon. You can¡¯t behave like a kid anymore after the seventh rings on your horns have grown.


    Y¡¯zaks pulled his daughter back and asked directly, ¡°Is there anything unusual in the city recently?¡±


    ¡°As usual,¡± Lanina said and nodded, but she found that Y¡¯zaks and Hao Ren looked unusually serious. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°We saw an illusion of Helcrown at the top of the atmosphere.¡± Hao Ren roughly told her what they saw and asked, ¡°Have you guys studied anything like this lately? Like a mirage system or something¡­¡±


    Lanina was baffled. ¡°No¡­ We have been busy building new towns and exploiting wasteland recently and almost all of our manpower is in this area.¡±


    ¡°Is it really a natural phenomenon?¡± Y¡¯zaks frowned and glanced at Hao Ren and suggested,¡± or ask the Goddess?¡±


    Hao Ren hesitated. He really did not want to bother the Goddess because of these messy things. After all, she seemed to have a bad habit of giving people her ¡®blessing¡¯ lately, but after hesitation, he had to connect to the heaven hotline: After all, only Raven 12345 knew the situation of the planet.


    The Goddess¡¯s voice sounded fierce as usual, and she seemed to be in a bad mood at the moment. ¡°Who? What¡¯s up? Asking for longevity? No way. Asking to get rich? Get lost. Asking for a baby? Go and see the doctor. Asking for world peace? Go back and read the Bible again¡­¡±


    ¡°Ahem, it¡¯s me¡­ So you¡¯ve been annoyed with prayers lately?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Hao Ren,¡± Raven 12345 sounded better now. ¡°Nothing, just two days ago the pope held a celebration of ¡®3000th Anniversary Prayers Big Bargain¡¯. I was so angry with their crazy requests. Don¡¯t talk about me first. What¡¯s up?¡±


    Hao Ren told her the unusual phenomenon of new Aerym planet carefully, and then asked, ¡°Is this a natural phenomenon? Or is it the surprise you left for the planet?¡±


    Raven 12345 yelled back at once, ¡°What surprise? Do you think creating a planet is a game? The natural laws of the whole universe are the same. Go and check if there¡¯s something out of order in the city, like an oversized holographic projector or something. That¡¯s it, I¡¯m hanging up.¡±


    Hao Ren turned to look at them, shrugged and said, ¡°Not a natural phenomenon. The Goddess suggested that we check the city.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks frowned while pondering. Suddenly, he remembered something and immediately walked ahead of them. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the power furnace.¡±


    Others hurried to catch up. Hao Ren asked, ¡°Do you suspect that there¡¯s a problem with the power furnace?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m familiar with all the things in the city, except for one thing,¡± said Y¡¯zaks. ¡°The core of the power furnace is part of the remains of the Firstborn. It¡¯s the only thing I don¡¯t know much about.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks was two steps faster than all of them. The little Y¡¯lisabet could not catch up with her dad and yelled anxiously, ¡°Dad, wait up¡­¡±


    Finally, the little girl gave up. She just pulled a hook from her pocket and threw it toward Y¡¯zaks, and then she grabbed the rope and crawled to her father¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Phew¡­ Dad, you¡¯re walking too fast.¡±


    The way they get along was always so surprising.


    Soon, they reached the power furnace deep underground and met the technician who was responsible for operating the equipment. Y¡¯zaks waved to interrupt the technician¡¯s salute and said, ¡°No need to salute. Is there a problem with the power furnace?¡±


    ¡°The power furnace is functioning as usual, but its core has been releasing some kind of signal since one hour ago.¡±


    They looked at each other and thought: Something was not right!


    ¡°I knew it. It¡¯s not safe to use that thing,¡± said Y¡¯zaks.

 Chapter 547

    Hao Ren and the others had arrived just in time as the problem regarding the ¡°First Born¡¯s remnant¡± in Helcrown¡¯s energy core only arose an hour ago. However, in the eyes of those in charge of the power reactor, the situation was not as serious: it was just releasing some seemingly harmless, low intensity signals. Plus, these signals had not caused any fluctuations of magic power within a hundred-mile radius. Therefore, the technicians only reported the situation to the technical supervisor, but did not issue a high-level alert.


    If it Hao Ren and the others had not spotted the illusion of Helcrown above the atmosphere when they arrived, no one would have thought that the city was having a situation. On top of that, the illusion would not have been associated with that particular energy core.


    The rotunda where the power reactor was installed was as bright as ever while the energy core was running. The center of the energy extractor constituted of multiple concentric circles, and the bloody red ¡°seed¡± was emitting a light pulse as the energy extractor ran. Technicians stood around the circular platform and carefully observed the large equipment, whose inventor did not even fully understand it. They all recorded its latest readings.


    Holding a boxy alchemy device she took out of nowhere, Y¡¯lisabet shone its light around the energy core. The alchemy device was emitting some noises very much like radio disturbances. She looked professional. ¡°There¡¯s an interference, and then there¡¯s a real interference.¡±


    Hao Ren poked the MDT, which was resting on his shoulder. ¡°Can you detect anything?¡±


    ¡°This thing is releasing electromagnetic waves, similar to brainwave activity.¡± The MDT projected a ray of blue light, pointing to the red ball in the center of the reactor. ¡°Due to environmental restrictions, I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s related to the projection in the air. However, there¡¯s certainly a problem, and the electromagnetic waves are getting stronger.¡±


    The Ethereal technicians had noticed the serious expression on Y¡¯zak¡¯s face and they became nervous. ¡°My King, is the core issue very serious?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t be sure for the time being, but using this thing as the power core is certainly not safe enough¡­¡± Y¡¯zaks turned his head around. ¡°Does the city still have to rely on this power source? Do we have any other alternative energy sources?¡±


    ¡°At present, the city doesn¡¯t need to fly, so the most power-hungry unit is not in use. The magic reactor we previously used should suffice,¡± replied the Ethereal technician. ¡°It¡¯s just that this energy reactor produces more power, and since it hasn¡¯t manifested any problem from the beginning, it¡¯s been in use until today.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks thought for a moment and consulted the other technicians. Then, he turned to Lanina. ¡°Power up the original reactor. We are going to temporarily cut off this core and see how it works.¡±


    Hao Ren also patted the MDT on its case and said, ¡°Get above the atmosphere and keep an eye on Helcrown.¡±


    The MDT hummed and disappeared into the air with a blue light. The energy reactor technicians immediately sprang into action under Lanina¡¯s command.


    There were two energy sources in Helcrown. The one before Hao Ren was actually a new invention. When the city was swallowed up by the space storm and fell into a different dimension, this energy reactor was activated to harness energy from the ¡°seed¡± left behind by the First Born. And above the hall there was an old energy reactor built during Y¡¯zaks¡¯ reign. This old energy reactor could also provide energy supply for the entire city, but due to its energy output, it was not enough to power the city¡¯s flying function, hence it was temporarily shut down. Now that Helcrown was grounded to the surface of the planet, the two energy reactors had no practical difference.


    Hao Ren did not understand what the technicians were doing. He saw that there were some neat lines of runes on the hall¡¯s floor. They were moving and rearranging them into a closed array, and the energy extractor in the middle of the hall was slowly quieting down. The concentric rings began to stop one after another and eventually settled into their respective slots beneath the hall.


    The red ¡°seed¡± was still floating in place under the force of anti-gravity magic. After losing the catalyst of the energy extractor, the red light on its surface gradually turned dark, and the strange humming sound eventually ceased.


    A few seconds later, the MDT sent back a message: the Helcrown projection above the atmosphere had disappeared.


    ¡°Looks like it was caused by this thing.¡± Y¡¯zaks looked at the ball inconceivably. ¡°What the hell is it doing?¡±


    ¡°Before we answer this question, we have to first understand what it is.¡± Nangong Wuyue squirmed and came up to the side of the ball. She observed the lines on it and tried to peek through its translucent leather case to see if there was movement inside. ¡°We used to think that this was the seed that the First Born left behind. But does the First Born really have seeds?¡±


    As soon as the siren¡¯s voice trailed off, Hao Ren thought to himself, Right, as similar as the First Born is to a plant, does it really have seeds?


    Lily thought very hard for a long moment before a thought crossed her mind. ¡°Hey, you know, Mr. Landlord, we¡¯ve already seen the tentacles in Tannagost; they withered and died. Plus, we didn¡¯t find any seeds on that planet.¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°But we didn¡¯t really look for it seriously at that time. God knows if the seed¡¯s hidden somewhere on the planet.¡±


    At this time, a flash of blue light appeared next to Hao Ren. The MDT had teleported back from the edge of the atmosphere. It rested on Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder and spoke like an expert, ¡°In short, this thing is very suspicious. We just scanned the structure within the ball but we haven¡¯t studied it in depth. Now I would recommend disabling this reactor immediately and sending the two red balls for further study¡­¡±


    Hao Ren asked, ¡°What the hell is ¡®red ball¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Just take it figuratively, alright?¡± The MDT hit Hao Ren on the head. ¡°Considering your naming ability, you should just listen to me.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    There was obviously a problem with the ¡°seed of the First Born¡±, which was being used as an energy core. Therefore, the reactor was about to be shut down. Lanina ordered that the spare core¡ªthe red ball the MDT previously mentioned¡ªbe checked and handed to Hao Ren. Hao Ren was quite nervous though: nothing good came out of the First Born; the seed was thought to be dead but it had deceived everyone and almost created a mess. It was fortunate that the problem was discovered soon enough before it caused a real disaster.


    Y¡¯zaks asked nervously if the reactor had problems in the past. Finding out that everything had been normal, he breathed a sigh of relief and vowed not to use any little-known brands of batteries anymore.


    After all the hoo-ha, Hao Ren stared at the two red balls in front of him and said, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re going to let me put these things into the Dimensional Pocket?¡±


    The MDT hovered around Hao Ren and assured him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The Dimensional Pocket is a safe place and I¡¯m not asking you to simply throw them inside. There¡¯s a safe deposit box.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the balls and felt unconvinced. ¡°¡­To be honest, I don¡¯t really like things that have anything to do with the First Born.¡±


    The MDT snorted. ¡°Why are you harping on about this? They¡¯re just two little balls that discharge electromagnetic waves. Are you afraid of the balls?¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a second and gave in. He pinched his nose, frowned, and took out two large safe deposit boxes before directing an autonomous robot to place the two ¡°seeds of the First Born¡± into his Dimensional Pocket for future research purposes.


    After that, he asked Lanina with much concern, ¡°After getting rid of these energy cores, will your city have a blackout?¡±


    Lanina was startled for a moment before she figured what ¡°blackout¡± meant. The succubus smiled charmingly without any conscious effort. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. As long as we don¡¯t activate the flying mechanism, there will be enough energy for the city.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and added, ¡°Unless extremely necessary, don¡¯t¡¯ use any unknown batteries.¡±


    Lanina was silent.


    Y¡¯zaks scratched his head and said, ¡°I actually wanted to say that too.¡±


    As the problem was temporarily resolved, Y¡¯zaks and Y¡¯lisabet could now devote their time to catching up with Lanina. Meanwhile, Nangong Wuyue could not wait to rush to the southern wall of Helcrown to lunge down into the ocean; she could now swim as long as she wanted, because there would not be a spot where she could get ashore before she reached the other side of the city.


    In the meantime, Rollie took the opportunity to hit the streets again, mooching around the unfamiliar city. But the cat was not as shy as other cats; she was a homeless. Her ability to adapt to unfamiliar environments had almost reached a godlike-level.


    Hao Ren also had plans to bring Lily for a few laps around the city, but Raven 12345 had suddenly sent him a message.


    ¡°The building module that you want is here. Set some time aside to collect it from Heaven¡¯s Office.

 Chapter 548

    After receiving Raven 12345¡¯s message, Hao Ren hurried to retrieve his little international buddies¡ªincluding the siren, who had swam to the connection point of the continental shelf, and the cat girl, who had already gotten into the city¡¯s sewer system. It took him about an hour to find the fish and cat before he proceeded to search through all the kitchens in the demon king¡¯s palace to get Lily out¡­


    After gathering everyone in one place, he announced that they were to depart home early. Rollie suddenly dropped to the floor in disappointment, unwilling to get up. Hao Ren felt like he was teaching a kindergarten class: it was annoying.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We have to dig out Holletta¡¯s First Born as soon as we can.¡± Hao Ren tried hard to get the cat girl up, and turned to say goodbye to Lanina. ¡°We¡¯re leaving now. Something¡¯s going on back home¡­ Stop scratching me! Stop scratching me! You still want your dinner, don¡¯t you?¡±


    The silly cat nagged Hao Ren. ¡°No! I haven¡¯t played enough yet. I haven¡¯t played enough yet! You can go home on your own!¡±


    Hao Ren was helpless and calling for help. Nangong Wuyue, who had just returned from her swim in the deep sea, actually took something back. The siren pulled a fish out of thin air like a trick and she handed it over. ¡°It¡¯s for you. Stop whining.¡±


    Seemingly surprised by Wuyue¡¯s catch, Hao Ren said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know there were fish in this world.¡±


    ¡°Of course there are. They¡¯re all near the continental shelf in the area of deep water, quite similar to Earth. The phosphorus content is a little higher here although the fish tastes fine.¡±


    True to a water creature, the siren could detect the carbon, ferrous sulphate, calcium, and vitamin contents in your body just by looking at you.


    The silly cat sniffed the fish and found it very fresh. She immediately talked nervously to the fish. ¡°You¡¯re not going to hit me, are you? If you¡¯re not going to hit me, then I shall eat you¡­¡±


    Lanina looked at the cat in horror. ¡°¡­What¡¯s wrong with her?¡±


    Only then did Hao Ren realize that he had forgotten to introduce the cat girl to her. ¡°Oh, you haven¡¯t actually met her before. Remember Rollie? Yes, the cat. Something unexpected happened, and she¡¯s been like this for the past two days. In the process, Lil Pea¡¯s worldview was shattered. Now, before she eats fish¡ªall fresh fish¡ªshe¡¯ll have to ask permission to make sure she doesn¡¯t get beaten.¡±


    As he spoke, he patted the silly cat and grabbed the fish away from her. ¡°No raw fish! Wait until we get home and I¡¯ll grill it for you¡­¡±


    Y¡¯zaks smiled and took the fish in his hand. When he gave it back to the silly cat a while later, the fish was already cooked. ¡°Now you can have it, it¡¯s grilled.¡±


    Everyone was speechless.


    While they hurried back to Earth, Rollie curiously wandered near the portal immediately after crossing it. She squatted there, trying to check out the base of the portal. She reached out to check if there were any crevices. Her tail rolled into a question mark and she looked up at Hao Ren. ¡°Big Boss Cat, why isn¡¯t it lit up anymore? When will you walk me again?¡±


    Hao Ren was actually thinking about arousing her interest in the world on the other side of the portal. He stepped forward and patted the cat girl on the head. ¡°Isn¡¯t it fun across the portal?¡±


    The silly cat immediately nodded. ¡°Yeah, yeah!¡±


    ¡°I can take you there again. After you¡¯re familiar with the place, I¡¯ll teach you how to use the portal and you can go there yourself.¡± Hao Ren had a bright smile on his face. ¡°But there¡¯s a pre-requisite. Don¡¯t go out into the streets as you pleased¡ªat least, not before you get used to human life.


    The silly cat was suddenly reluctant. She thought about it for a long moment while she sat cross-legged on the ground. In this cat¡¯s worldview, the Southern Suburbs had been her original territory since time immemorial, and there was no reason to just give it up. But the ¡°territory¡± on the other side of the portal was obviously bigger and more interesting. Besides, no one would prevent her from playing there. The temptation was so great that the cat had a hard time making a choice, before she finally nodded reluctantly. ¡°Okay, deal! Now give me a small dried fish.¡±


    Hao Ren blinked and asked, ¡°Haven¡¯t you just eaten a grilled fish?!¡±


    The cat girl showed a coquette face and said, ¡°Come on, just a little dried fish.¡±


    After taking care of the cat and dog, Hao Ren ran to Raven 12345¡¯s mansion to collect his courier package.


    The door to the mansion was closed. An arcane servant then led him to the grove next to the mansion. Hao Ren waited there for a long time before the rustling sound of footsteps was heard. Raven 12345 came out from behind some bushes, carrying a machete on her shoulder. The goddess looked to be in a good mood today as she greeted Hao Ren with a bright smile. ¡°Hey, I was just trimming the flower beds.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the machete on her shoulder. ¡°This machete¡­ haven¡¯t you returned it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve gotten it back again.¡± Raven 12345 wielded the machete cheerfully. ¡°Those fellows aren¡¯t really smart. I took it back with just a simple trick.¡±


    Hao Ren said, ¡°How could you do that?¡±


    Raven 12345 waved her hand carelessly. ¡°Why not? I¡¯ll only return it when she comes. I¡¯m no match for her after all.¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly felt an admiration for his goddess; despite losing the fight, she was dead set on not losing face. He quickly cut the cackle and got down to business. ¡°Where¡¯s the building module that I want?¡±


    Raven 12345 smacked her forehead as if she suddenly realized something. She put away the machete and said, ¡°Oh yes, I almost forgot¡­ Here¡¯s the thing; originally, the administration had sent you a general purpose building module for inspectors to build a personal space station¡­ But let me tell ya, the building module isn¡¯t that reliable at all. Do you know that it was made by a private contractor, and it¡¯s no match against the divine version?


    Hao Ren¡¯s sixth sense told him that all was not right. He instantly gave Raven 12345 a sideways look. ¡°Just tell me what happened.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then, I noticed that the module wasn¡¯t the same as what I¡¯ve seen before. I tried it out for you, just a few minutes ago¡­¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyes twitched. ¡°Alright, I get it¡­ Can you tell me where it is now?¡±


    With her fingers, Raven 12345 pointed in the direction of the grove, where smoke was still bellowing. ¡°Right there in the pit.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    He felt that anyone who could beat this female neuropath would have definitely lost it! She clearly knew that she was a mechanical idiot herself.


    Raven 12345 noticed his long face. She smiled wryly and patted Hao Ren on the shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t fret. I¡¯m a professional with a sense of responsibility and I¡¯ll certainly not delay your work. I¡¯ve already thought of a good alternative for you.¡±


    While she spoke, she snapped her fingers. Shortly after, Hao Ren saw the air beside her suddenly waft with a ripple of light. The light gradually condensed and finally formed into a translucent female figure: it was an exact replica of Raven 12345.


    ¡°The nature of the Plane of Dreams is rather unique. If I travel directly into it or interfere with it for too long, it will cause an imbalance.¡± Raven 12345¡¯s glimmering avatar continued to solidify as she waved to Hao Ren. ¡°So, I¡¯ll send my avatar to go with you. Although it¡¯s just a replica, it¡¯s definitely better than that building module.¡±


    Hao Ren blinked. Little did he expect Raven 12345 to suddenly come up with such an idea. He looked at her in confusion. ¡°You mean you¡¯ll come with me personally and help me build a house?¡±


    Raven 12345 and her avatar nodded in unison while she explained, ¡°I¡¯m not going with you, I¡¯m sending my avatar with you. Do you think a goddess like me has time for such menial jobs? I¡¯m just allocating a working thread for you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡± Hao Ren could not help but speak bluntly. ¡°I¡¯m not questioning your combat strength¡­ but aren¡¯t you not tech-savvy? How do you plan on creating the equipment in the research station?¡±


    Raven 12345 raised her eyebrows and sounded unhappy, ¡°Use your noodle, dude! I¡¯m not tech-savvy, but I¡¯m good in occultism. Do you think I¡¯m just all mouth and no trousers?¡±


    Hao Ren was startled. ¡°Are you planning on producing a research station with occult technology? But, I¡¯ve never used it before.¡±


    ¡°You can just follow the instruction manual. Do you know how a spacecraft works when you fly it? How many people on Earth, who watch TV know how to make monitors? So, stop worrying.¡±


    With arms akimbo, the goddess said, ¡°Do you really want me to help you? I, as a goddess am making time to help you build a house. Why are you still being so picky?¡±


    Hao Ren had no choice. He nodded to show his appreciation. However, something crossed his mind while he was nodding. ¡°That¡¯s not right! Weren¡¯t you the who blew up the equipment in the first place, and now you have no choice but to offer yourself?¡±


    ¡°Ahaha¡­¡±


    ¡°So tell me frankly, are you hiding something from me?¡± Hao Ren looked at the goddess suspiciously. ¡°You¡¯re offering yourself just because the equipment blew up?¡±


    Raven 12345 coughed as she laughed, and shot Hao Ren a glare. ¡°Can you stop imagining things?¡±


    ¡°Just tell me. I have obsessive-compulsive disorder.¡± Hao Ren spread his hand. ¡°I have bees in my bonnet.¡±


    Raven 12345 sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not really a big deal. It¡¯s just for safety reasons: since you want to contain the First Born, it¡¯s better to use a divine container. And, it¡¯s best to use the container that I make.¡±


    Speaking of this, she paused and looked into the distance. ¡°Of course, the most important reason is that the equipment just exploded. If this incident delays your work, it¡¯ll affect my year-end appraisal.¡±


    ¡°¡­I knew it!¡± Hao Ren exclaimed.

 Chapter 549

    Once everything was in place, Hao Ren began his next course of action.


    First, he contacted the Aerymian engineering team, and dispatched the Petrachelys to get the large machinery from the Aerymian elves in advance; then, he contacted Marshal Ophra through Becky to inform her that the ¡°final phase¡± of the First Born saga was about to begin. He gave them time to do the necessary evacuation and public opinion control. Then, he had also contacted Igor through Vivian: the largest ever excavation team in the world would enter the other world through the spatial rift beneath Andrea Castle, it was necessary give the old man a heads-up, lest he passed out again¡­


    Five days later, news came back that the complex engineering preparations needed to make things work were finally ready. All personnel and equipment were in place. Hence, it was time for Hao Ren to open all the necessary portals for the project: from his home to Andrea Castle, from Aerym to Andrea Castle, and from Tannagost to Holletta; a total of three space-time tunnels.


    All parties were ready at the portals nearest to them.


    Rollie and the Nangong siblings stayed back at home while Hao Ren brought the others as they teleported to Andrea Castle. This time, he brought Big Beardy along for one purpose: Hao Ren would inevitably have to deal with the bigwigs of Holletta, especially the Church, where he could encounter a problem later on, so it was more prudent to bring Big Beardy along.


    Big Beady had agreed to go. The master had been staying in Hao Ren¡¯s home and mingling pretty well with everyone. Aside from his pig-headedness in challenging the nature, he was still very easy to talk to.


    Igor led his son and daughter to welcome the witch into their castle. He had the hall specially decorated, and the entire family wore festive costumes. In order to welcome the witch, the old man almost took elite customs and rituals to the highest degree¡ªeven if it seemed superfluous.


    With just a glance, Vivian already noticed that Anna and Akim were in good spirits. She smiled and greeted them before they could do so. ¡°You guys have recovered from the influence of the vengeful spirit, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    Akim was still a bit shy. The young boy, who had been locked up in a room since childhood was not used to talking to strangers. Anna was much more sociable. The noble lady courted Vivian politely. With a smile, she said, ¡°Yes, My Lady. The nightmare has disappeared for a long time. We and our father are recovering very quickly.¡±


    Vivian nodded and asked, ¡°What about those memories?¡±


    ¡°They are still here,¡± said Anna, pointing at her own forehead. ¡°But they have already separated themselves from my normal memory. It feels like watching another person¡¯s stories¡­ Now, I won¡¯t take those weird visions seriously anymore.¡±


    ¡°My Lady,¡± Igor still spoke in a formal manner when he met Vivian, ¡°as per your instruction, I have kept servants in the outskirts of the castle away from the crypt and ordered the guards outside not to be alarmed. Will it be noisy later?¡±


    ¡°Actually, it isn¡¯t too complicated, just a lot of people. I¡¯m worried that things may go wrong.¡± Vivian shook her head. Then she forced a smile. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to call me by that honorific? Look, how nervous the kids have become!¡±


    Igor straightened his body and explained matter-of-factly, ¡°I¡¯ve read those hidden, ancient books. The Blood Clan¡¯s lineage should be hereditary until the bloodline stops, or else the vow would go on forever. This is the rule of the dark world¡­¡±


    As the old man spoke, his face was filled with a rosy glow. He seemed to have done some homework recently, having learned how vampire family members should get along with their own masters¡ªeven if their family was not considered a thoroughbred vampire family, and if the old man himself might not have understood it entirely. For the sake of prudence and his reverence of the witch, he chose to address her using the safest honorific.


    Besides, he may still be young at heart. After all, grown men were always boys at heart, including this 52-year-old.


    As poor as Vivian was, she had a variety of followers. In such a situation, she was absolutely steady, so she just nodded. ¡°Well, let your people guard the entrance of the crypt. Don¡¯t let anyone enter. Mr. Landlord, we shall go now.¡±


    The dark snowfields were as icy as when they left, and the scenery had not changed. The last time they left, Hao Ren had left behind a space stabilizer, and now the stabilizer was working so that the entire space would not change over time. Hao Ren saw some sparkling lights on the edge of the snowfield. He knew that those were the watch posts set up by Igor on the edge of the other dimension. These watch posts were used to observe movements in the snowfields. These posts where the servants of the castle were brave enough to be stationed at, were the closest lines bordering the distorted otherworld. But now those posts should be empty as Igor had already dismissed the guards.


    They came to the lilac-colored spatial rift. Hao Ren found the portal and other equipment he had left there during his last visit. It seemed that these things still worked very well: the volatile energy released by the spatial rift had not affected the operation of these precision devices.


    The MDT flew into the air to act as a communicator. Very quickly, Hilda appeared on the holographic projection. ¡°Aerymian excavation team is ready for teleportation.¡±


    Hao Ren said, ¡°Okay¡­ Oh, wait a second, let me check with Becky if he side is ready to receive.¡±


    Hilda nodded and then asked her questions seriously. ¡°I have a question: Why excavation team, and not engineering or drilling team?¡±


    Hao Ren almost choked himself. He smiled and beat around the bush by saying, ¡°They mean the same thing, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    Then he called Becky, visual of the mercenary girl appeared on the holographic projection. It was only a few days and the girl had already turned herself into a medieval woman, wearing a Holletta aristocratic costumes and with matching hairstyle and a wine cellar in the background¡ªshe was using an integrated communicator-transmitter which was placed in the underground cellar.


    Becky was showing her signature bright smile. ¡°Hey, Mr. Landlord, long time no see!¡±


    Before Hao Ren could say anything, Becky had already ran off at the mouth. ¡°We¡¯re ready here. The Pope and his people are waiting outside. I told them it shouldn¡¯t be disturbed when the door to the otherworld is open. You know, I can¡¯t let them spill my wine¡­How about your side? Is Wuyue okay? Is Lil Pea fine?¡±


    Hao Ren patted his chest and let Lil Pea out to say hello. Meanwhile, Vivian reminded him. ¡°Time is almost up, let¡¯s summon the goddess. You and the goddess will go and put up the platform first.¡±


    Hao Ren couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit of ball-ache. He put Lil Pea back into his pocket before he took out a note from his pocket with a grimacing face and began to read in a semi-dead tone, ¡°The goddess of omnipotence, the wise Creator, the Merciful Guardian, the ruler of the multi-world, who holds the fourteen truths, who transforms, you are one, and you are a many, you are the beginning and end of the law, and come to the world with a thought and mould the world. Please listen to our call, descending and reshaping the truth¡­¡±


    After finishing the chanting, Hao Ren shook his head and looked around and found nothing had happened.


    ¡°Have you chanted wrongly?¡± Y¡¯zaks asked curiously.


    ¡°My foot! She wrote this stuff herself.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s mouth twitched and he shouted out in his mind. ¡°What are you doing? Why are you still not coming?¡±


    The raucous voice of Raven 12345 sounded through everyone¡¯s mind. ¡°That¡¯s cool. Read it again, read it again¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was agitated. ¡°Stop the crap! Come and help!¡±


    Raven 12345¡¯s avatar descended as it came directly from the celestial world and emerged beside Hao Ren. She crossed her arms and started complaining. ¡°You are disrespecting the goddess. As broad-minded as I am, I¡¯m still a goddess¡­¡±


    Hao Ren tossed the note to the side and said, ¡°I can¡¯t really be serious reading the stuff you¡¯ve written. Did you pretend not to hear me?¡±


    ¡°I heard you and it was cool.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Chill out, it¡¯s not easy to be a goddess.¡± Raven 12345 laughed. Although what was here was just her avatar, it was connected with the body synchronously, which meant, the words and demeanour of the avatar were exactly the same with the real Raven. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go and build the container.¡±


    Hao Ren let out a sigh. He nodded to Hill, who was standby on the other side of the communicator. ¡°In the absence of other instructions, you will begin to teleport to Earth after 40 minutes. Vivian will guide you through the space crevasse and enter Tannagost transit station. Then wait for further instruction.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, don¡¯t waste time,¡± Raven 12345 gave Hao Ren a push. ¡°After all, I can only stay for 30 minutes there.¡±

 Chapter 550

    Before the First Born could be removed from the planet, he must first set up the receiving container. The volatile horror monster must be suppressed at any time in a prison. So Hao Ren and Raven 12345¡¯s shadow a.k.a avatar was first teleported into The Plane of Dreams.


    Alamanda, the desolate city of gold, was at dawn at the moment. Arriving on the portal square, Hao Ren saw the first bright ray of sunshine shining from a low angle from the horizon onto the city, scattering its radiance on the ancient ruins. He felt Tannaeans must have a different visual capability from the people of the earth¡ªbecause when the weather is good, their city was just too dazzlingly bright.


    But in any case, starting the project at such glorious moment seemed to be a good sign.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to set up the research station on the orbit of Tannagost,¡± Hao Ren lifted his finger pointing to the sky. ¡°Tannagost is getting a large satellite.¡±


    The planet did not have a large natural satellite like the moon. There were only three tiny rocks orbiting it. The three satellites were too small and obviously not suitable for accommodating the prison of the First Born. Hao Ren believed that once the ¡®container¡¯ was established, it would become the brightest light in the night sky of Tannagost.


    Raven 12345 looked down at her hands, layers of ripples were spreading away from her. She felt somewhere in the depths of the universe¡­ or in a certain frequency, there was a hidden force. This force was reacting to her visit.


    The Goddess groaned. ¡°Tsk, I can¡¯t believe it; it¡¯s already weakened to such extent but there¡¯s still a reaction. That¡¯s freaking sensitive.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± having not heard what she said, Hao Ren turned his head around.


    ¡°Nothing. Let¡¯s waste no time,¡± Raven 12345 waved her hand, grabbing Hao Ren by his clothes and teleported to the synchronized orbit of Tannagost right away.


    After identifying the most ideal location for the ¡®container¡¯, Hao Ren took a few step back. Raven 12345 swiftly snapped his fingers; even though it was in a vacuum, her voice was still spreading like a resounding soul. ¡°Let there be light.¡±


    The dark space was instantly filled with light, it was so overwhelmingly bright that it spread across the entire galaxy.


    ¡°Dang, it¡¯s too bright. I¡¯ll work better in the dark.¡±


    Then the light was turned off and the space returned to darkness.


    Cold sweat trickled down Hao Ren¡¯s forehead as he marvelled: The power of the Goddess was really awesome, but ¡­ was she really serious?


    It did not matter how sceptical Hao Ren was, Raven 12345 had begun to create the foundation of the research station. She was going to create a container with divine property, and the container¡¯s shell must be able to withstand the damaging attack of the First Born perfectly so as to avoid jailbreak. This was actually not a very easy job for her considering her current state.


    She focused her mind, and used her own ideas to bend the rules of the region.


    A light emerged out of nowhere in the space, and Raven 12345 connected her mind with the underlying data of the universe, directly modifying the data to create a miracle that defied any known laws of physics within a limited range. Energy and materials appeared out of thin air, weird crystals began to form in the space and join to create a massive dome.


    She also created a number of crystal-like floating platforms, a massive pit in the centre of the floating platforms, then covered with crystal domes right above, and connected the floating platforms together with huge, gleaming giant beams which enabled exchange of data between platforms and held them in place. In the process of this rapid formation, there were a large number of runes glowing in blue shimmering on their surface, as if life was growing on them.


    It was the most wonderful, spectacular, and magnificent scene Hao Ren had ever seen: crystal mountains emerged in space and grew rapidly. In just a few blinks of an eye, the crystal mountains and domes had grown so massive that they were almost blocking out the sun. And on these rapidly growing crystals and metals, mysterious runes that no one could understand flew, forming the control and computing centre of the entire facility.


    During this entire process, the avatar of Raven 12345 was fading rapidly, the one-off double would soon be gone.


    Bending the rules of the universe was very energy-consuming, especially a special universe like The Plane of Dreams.


    After the main part was completed, Raven 12345 stopped. Now the entire crystal facility had become a giant man-made object, its width was similar to that of the moon, and it was made up of more than a dozen symmetrically distributed misaligned-ellipsoidal domes, which were separated by two half-ellipsoidal structures of different sizes, and the huge container inside was enough to accommodate the First Born. Some of the domes were expandable, which could even fit even larger thing.


    The appearance of this facility had now ceased to change and grow. However, light was still being emitted inside it. It was improving its own structure and ¡®growing¡¯ the necessary research facilities. Raven 12345 looked at her creation with satisfaction. She gently gifted it its initial orbit and reset the position of Tannagost to prevent the sudden emergence of this big guy on the orbit from causing undue influence to the planet¡¯s ecology¡ªafter all, this crystal mountain range was enough to influence the orbit of other planets.


    ¡°Although it was created in a hurry¡­ but it looks good,¡± Raven 12345 boasted. ¡°My design intuition isn¡¯t just a hype, I¡¯d once won the award in the City of Shadows Art Competition, especially¡­ let¡¯s not to talk about that, it reminds me of the lost planet. I wonder where the child is now.¡±


    Keeping his awe of those crystal mountains to himself, Hao Ren drifted up to Raven 12345 and looked at the almost transparent avatar body of Raven. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°What problem you think I¡¯ve got?¡± The Goddess blinked, the realising her situation. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re talking about this. Well, like I said, I won¡¯t be able to get involved in The Dream of Dreams for a long time. This avatar could remain for thirty minutes here was the result of my recent adjustment of the balance of the two universes. Now do understand why as powerful as I am, I have to delegate this job to you?¡±


    Hao Ren frowned. Deep inside, he already had some vague ideas. ¡°What if you get too involved in The Plane of Dreams?¡±


    ¡°Look at the starlight in the distance, and you will know.¡± Raven 12345 shrugged and pointed to the starry sky.


    Only then Hao Ren noticed that the distant stars were showing a strange phenomenon: starlight was distorted, and the various cosmic rays were dragging their long tails and pointing at this direction as if the universe were encapsulated in a spherical glass which made the universe appeared twisted.


    ¡°For now, it¡¯s just an optical distortion. What happens next won¡¯t be just about distortion of starlight but the body of stars itself.¡± Raven 12345¡¯s avatar was getting fainter. She shrugged while saying helplessly. ¡°Do you know that when a normal universe contains a sickly parasitic body, it is a very challenging job to be a God here? It was like on tenterhooks, any intervention of me in The Plane of Dreams¡ªobservation, or even merely staring at it¡ªwas enough to make this universe experiencing spasm. Even with just a little projection of me in here, it is enough to destroy this place in just thirty-one minutes.¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned.


    ¡°¡­So, I must delegate to the right people, now this is called work specialisation.¡± The Goddess waved her hand at Hao Ren. ¡°This is my first time helping you in The Plane of Dreams, and probably the last time too. My involvement in this world ends here, and you take up the rest¡­¡±


    As her words trailed off in Hao Ren¡¯s mind, the avatar of Raven 12345 finally vanished into space. The next moment, the stars of the entire universe were restored back to their respective positions.


    Hao Ren scratched his head while cold sweat ran down his spine.


    The world was only sixty seconds from total destruction a while ago.


    ¡°Dang, that was serious¡­ you should have said it earlier,¡± Hao Ren complained to the empty space, and then muttered curiously, ¡°But¡­ what is the parasitic body about?¡±

 Chapter 551

    Hao Ren was a bit concerned about the last few words of Raven 12345, but he knew that unless the time had come, the goddess would not reveal too much. So he could not help but put this thoughts aside and focus on things on hand.


    The crystal still grew on its own. Like a living thing, it kept improving itself until the will of Raven 12345 was executed perfectly. Hao Ren looked at the buildings and found that internally it was undergoing a series of changes: huge crystal bridges, rifts and plains were growing rapidly, changing positions, while lightning was dancing between those crystal clusters, charging the recently-grown magic equipment. At the same time, some information poured into Hao Ren mind when he reached his hand touching the crystal complex.


    He was startled for a moment before he realized that it was the structural diagram and the activation method of the crystal complex. Of course, only the operation part was involved, knowledge of the underlying principle could not be injected directly into his mind.


    Hao Ren took a step back and looked at the spectacular scenery. He knew that this crystalline mountain range would be his biggest research base in the Plane of Dreams. This was a space station, a container with the highest safety rating, and a prison. From now on, all large samples he collected could be stored here, and the secrets of the First Born would be completely dugged out.


    ¡­Well, not that it was diggable. Saying that just sounded better.


    Hao Ren did not have time to study the operation manual as the MDT suddenly reminded him. ¡°Aerymian elves have begun teleporting.¡±


    The time had come. The elven technicians, led by Hilda, had reached the earth through the portal, and groups of people began to enter the Alamanda Portal through space crack. A sharp whistling sound was reverberating in the dark snowfield below Andrea Castle, a unique phenomenon caused by the sudden increase in energy of the portal and its interference with nearby space crack.


    In the middle of the dark snowfield, near the circular platform where space crack was located, the portal that was in high-power state was lit up again and again. Each time the light column flashed, a dozen elves wearing short robes would appear near the light column. Hilda, who followed the first group arriving at the snowfield, looked around curiously. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the first transit station to be such a place¡­ I feel the spatial structure here is a bit unique.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s voice was heard from behind the elven queen. ¡°This is a different dimension, a distorted point between the earth and the otherworld, and the last dividing line of the Wall of Reality. Passing this snowfield, we will be entering the Plane of Dreams.¡±


    Hilda turned to greet Vivian with a nod, and Lily on the side was raising her voice guiding the elves. ¡°Keep your eyes open, pay attention to your breathing apparatus. I¡¯m talking to you¡ªcheck your breathing apparatus, the atmosphere of Tannagost is toxic! If you start bleeding, it would be too late to check your safety handbook. People, please queue up, people¡­¡±


    The husky was jumping up and down excitedly. She was particularly thrilled during this time: it seemed that the maiden was naturally interested in organizing activities. She felt important. The most happy thing for her to do must be wearing uniforms and armbands to direct traffic at the community parking lot¡­


    Lily finally met Hilda, and her ears stood upright. ¡°You too, Your Majesty the Queen, you¡¯ll have to¡­ Ahh, never mind. Just go ahead of the pack, you¡¯re brighter.¡±


    Hilda was not offended. She just shook her head and smiled before turning and going through the lilac space crack.


    Alamanda, the magnificient desolate city of gold appeared before her.


    ¡°If not for seeing it with my own eyes, I wouldn¡¯t have believed that there is such a planet in this world.¡± Hilda, like other elves, was captivated by the city of gold, and took her a few seconds to realise Hao Ren was next to her. She nodded awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯ve brought my people here.¡±


    ¡°After passing through that portal, you will reach Holletta,¡± said Hao Ren, pointing at the portal not far away with a smile. ¡°It must be a different feel to come back to where you¡¯ve been through before. Becky is expecting you on the other side. I¡¯ll go after you later. Oh yeah, the portal to Holletta here can only let three persons pass at any one time, and when the blue light turns on again, the next three persons can proceed to teleport.¡±


    The elves began to pass the portal as he instructed. Hilda asked curiously. ¡°Is the throughput of this space-time tunnel low?¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°The throughput of the portal in the basement of Beckt¡¯s home is low. When I first installed the portal, I didn¡¯t expect there would be so many people ust it at once. Guys, please pay attention and follow instruction once you¡¯re over there, don¡¯t mess with the bottles and cans around you. They¡¯re Becky¡¯s life!¡±


    Before his voice trailed off, he heard Becky screamed on the other end of the communicator. ¡°Oh no, that¡¯s my century-old imperial mead! My ale¡­ My table! My¡­ My foot¡ªyou stepped on my foot!¡±


    It turned out that using the space-time portal installed in the basement to teleport five hundred persons was not a good idea, even if this basement belonged to a local parvenu. Hao Ren¡¯s plan had a lot of shortcoming and there was mess going on on Becky¡¯s side.


    A few years later, only a handful of witnesses would remember that the ¡®alien allies¡¯ who had saved Holletta were drunk and crawling out of the basement, with a red-eyed Countess chasing from behind¡­


    Anyway, all activities organized by Hao Ren basically would turn into a drama like this.


    Meanwhile, the welcoming team waiting outside the manor was all dumbfounded; as the soldiers, preselected by Ophra and the pope, lining up to welcome their alien guests, bunch of elves scambled out of the mansion as soon as the door was open. Ophra, as if she had expected this, sighed before whispering to her aide beside her. ¡°Go and call the record officer. I¡¯ll need to talk to him about the welcoming script.¡±


    The welcoming team dispatched by Holletta official outside Becky¡¯s manor could only look on as waves of elves scrambled out from the house. The pope whispered to Ophra, asking if these elves were members of the First Born experts as the entire elven team appeared to be more like the crowd at train stations during the Spring Festival. What Hilda had brought were engineers and technicians, not trained soldier¡ªthey possessed professional skills, but not good at queuing in order, so when they came out from the portal, it appeared chaotic. But fortunately, the situation was quickly under control under the guidance of several team leaders. The elven technicians were finally organized into teams and head counting began. Meanwhile, Hao Ren, Hilda and several others who had just been teleported from the dark snowfield were coming out from the back of the groups.


    Becky, looking traumatized, followed Hao Ren from behind and complanined. ¡°My wine¡­ my wine¡­¡±


    Lily patted her on the shoulder and said, ¡°You¡¯re saving the world, don¡¯t harp over the little thing. Remember, you are the chief ticket issuer of Holletta transit station of Space Administration. At worse, you can always talk the king into giving you a new batch of wine.¡±


    Hao Ren led Big Beardy and Hilda before Ophra and others. After a moment of obligatory casual exchange, he introduced the team he had brought along and Hilda to Ophra. ¡°This is the queen of Aerymian elves, Queen Hilda. She is willing to give you a helping hand. Her excavation team will undertake the operation of this mission.


    Ophra had not expect a queen would personally lead the team here, but she was quick to react as her hand crossed her chest and said, ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you, your Majesty the Queen from the otherworld. Please accept my apology if there is an oversight; we have never had this kind of¡­diplomatic experience in our world.¡±


    Hilda nodded reservedly and gracefully. ¡°There¡¯s no need for extra formality. I come on the invitation of the Sun King. Just treat me like any other ordinary guest. Everything is decided by the Sun King.¡±


    Ophra was startled. ¡°The Sun¡­ King? Where is he?¡±


    Hao Ren held his head high and winked but All his expressions had not attracted Ophra¡¯s attention. He finally could not help but say, ¡°It¡¯s right here! I am the Sun¡­ No, I mean, I am the king!¡±


    Ophra and the pope were both stunned. The marshal looked at Hao Ren in surprise. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me before?¡±


    Judging from her reaction, it must be the fault of Hao Ren¡¯s appearance which was so inconsistent the honorific. It lacked realism. Hao Ren nodded with self-aware. ¡°Okay, okay, I know I look somewhat different from the title. Let¡¯s cut the cackle and get down to business. Are all the preparations done?¡±


    Ophra smiled. ¡°You have to believe in our mobilization ability, at least in terms of evacuation ability. Forget about the residents, we¡¯ve even evacuated the wild animals around the seals¡­¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and looked in the direction of Hilda. ¡°Then let¡¯s wait for the bigwigs to finish talking. Get ready for work!¡±

 Chapter 552

    Soon, there was nothing much for Hao Ren to do, because Hilda had already begun the follow-up diplomatic negotiations, and technical negotiations were handled by several leaders from the elven engineering team. Hao Ren¡¯s mission was basically over¡­


    Holletta had already received message from Hao Ren a few days ago. The residents near the Volcano of Dusk and the giant tree of life had already been evacuated. The related propagandas were also on schedule. Hao Ren did not know what kind of comfort words The Disciples of Glory had prepared for the public. Presumably it must have something to do with the Goddess again.


    Hilda and the Pope were exchanging ideas about the two civilizations which were meeting for the first time. Opra took the opportunity to get out. She made a wink at Hao Ren and the two of them came to a quiet place. The marshal looked hesitant. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you inform me ahead of time that there would be a foreign queen visiting? The King should be the one comes and meets in person in accordance to the rules. We¡¯ve thought that all who come to help are your ordinary subordinate¡­¡±


    Hao Ren laughed wryly, then said, ¡°Ahh¡­ I didn¡¯t know Hilda had wanted to come along. She must have had her own considerations. But don¡¯t get yourself so worked up; the elves are here just to work, they don¡¯t care about the formality.¡±


    Opra looked at Hao Ren as if she was sizing him up, making Hao Ren a little nervous. Then Opra said, ¡°The elves called you Sun King, but obviously you¡¯re not of their race. I¡¯m curious what you do in the otherworld. Of course, it¡¯s I¡¯m asking in my personal capacity. You don¡¯t have to tell me if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a secret,¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m like a traffic police and law enforcer responsible for law and order of the area under my jurisdiction. Just that my area of jurisdiction is relatively large. I brought these elves out from another world and I promised them a new land. So now I¡¯m their lord.¡±


    Opra was amazed. ¡°A piece of¡­ land?¡±


    Hao Ren patted his chest and said, ¡°Yeah, can¡¯t you see how big family business is?¡±


    ¡°Sorry but I didn¡¯t see it.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡± Hao Ren was silent for a moment and then steered the conversation away awkwardly. ¡°The operation will cause a scene this time, no less mammoth than the Dragonspine Ridge operation. I hope you have already done your homework.¡±


    ¡°With the experience of the Dragonspine Ridge operation, pacifying the public at home isn¡¯t much a problem. The only problem is the surrounding small countries.¡± Opra smiled slightly. ¡°It¡¯s hard not to expect there will be some opportunists, those barbarians have never believed in the Goddess¡¯ teaching, so they probably would not believe the church¡¯s explanation of the ¡®miracle¡¯. Probably they would think that it¡¯s a manifestation of Holletta having a natural disaster, and then take the opportunity to loot the kingdom. The King has been too soft for too long. Someone always forget the taste of blood.¡±


    Opra said, glancing at Hao Ren. ¡°What do you think about this?¡±


    ¡°Think about what?¡±


    ¡°As a¡­ um, as you say, inspector. Don¡¯t you say that your job is to travel around the world as spokesperson to observe the development of history of all species? Then the war between Holletta and the surrounding barbarians¡­¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°Then you guys can just go at it.¡±


    Opra was startled for a moment. Hao Ren smiled. ¡°I know you are dealing with me on behalf of the king, but regrettably you wouldn¡¯t get the answer you want. Mhoren His Highness thinks that I¡¯ll help out? Because of my relationship with the Kingdom of Holletta that when you go to war with the neighbouring barbarians, there will be soldiers from heaven to help you winning the war. Please, send my words to His Highness the King that I will not intervene because it¡¯s a civil war ¡ª yes, it¡¯s written in my handbook, this is a civil war. The conflict that broke out within the races on your planet is just that you artificially divide the belligerents into ¡®kingdom army¡¯ and the ¡®barbarian army¡¯. We¡¯ll only intervene if this one thing happens:


    Hao Ren said, raising his hand pointing to the sky.


    ¡°Natural disasters, extinct-level natural disasters. My job is only to deal with this, because we want to ensure the diversity of civilizations. As long as diversity is maintained, it doesn¡¯t matter who is the dominant race of the civilization. It¡¯s called natural selection.


    ¡°Of course, if you are really being beaten by others and about to be wiped out, I¡¯ll come and help you to sail through the difficult moment. That¡¯s considered my personal initiative. The last time I did, I had moved 500,000 people.¡±


    As soon as Hao Ren¡¯s voice trailed off, Opra was surprised and for a moment she was unable to give response. A few second later, only then the marshal said with a subtle smile on her face. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s rather expected. We had set up a group of experts and scholars earlier to study way of thinking and action of you and the forces behind you. It seems there are right at least one-third of the time. I will pass your reply on to the King. I hope we won¡¯t leave a bad impression all because of these questions. As you know, it¡¯s a human nature to do thing in our own interest.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled but said nothing, quietly relieving the fact that the MDT had forced him to study of the handbook in the last few days and just happened to have read about this matter, otherwise he would not be able to answer so matter-of-factly.


    Opra kneaded her face, her expression was a little hapless. ¡°I¡¯ve done my part. I wasn¡¯t really used to say those words¡­ I prefer to go into the battlefield, see whom I¡¯m upset with and finish them with just a wave of my sword. Not so much wrestling with words and mind. It¡¯s a pity that there has been no war since many years ago, beside doing some relief works, even the marshal could only go and parade in the streets to fire up the atmosphere, and occasionally serve as a diplomat for Mhoren, which should be the responsible of Hoffman.¡±


    Opra had actually prepared a grander welcoming ceremony under the decree of the king, including a banquet and meeting with other court officers. However, it was clear that the Aerymian elves did not have much interest in these arrangements. Hilda came to Hao Ren. ¡°The handover of technology is over. Could you please first bring my men to the site? Leave the banquet of Holletta aside¡­ at least after the mission is done.¡±


    Hao Ren sensed that Hilda had other arrangements. ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to meet King Mhoren,¡± Hilda grinned with her hand spread open. ¡°What do you think I come for? This is a historic moment where two unfamiliar civilizations come into contact with each other¡ªdon¡¯t you think it¡¯s a big deal?¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his head. ¡°I don¡¯t understand how the mind of politicians work. Go ahead and get your work done. I¡¯ll bring people head over to the giant tree of life. You find me there when you¡¯re done.¡±


    Having said that, Hao Ren strode to the Aerymian elves and clapped his hands. ¡°Attention, people! We¡¯ll go as planned; there will be two teams, Team A and Team B. Team A will head to the Volcano of Dusk, and Team B to the giant tree of life. Now let¡¯s go to your team and receive your gears.¡±


    The elven technicians immediately spring into action as they split into two teams in the vast field outside the manor. Opra and her men looked on curiously what Hao Ren was doing next. They saw the foreigner waved with a stroke of his hand¡­


    Groups of huge alien equipment appeared in the sky like a phantom!


    Those were all gigantic stuff; they were grey and white, each was more than one hundred meters in length, they all looked like a weird ship, was inlaid with huge grey crystals on one end and a strange metal structure on the other. These huge things were suspended in the air that they swarmed the sky in a flash, even the noonday was darkened, and the atmosphere of the estate appeared to be at dusk.


    And after the appearance of these weird ¡°grey white spaceships¡±, more oddly shaped equipment began to emerge one after another.


    The commanders of the elven technicians immediately got busy as commands were issued among the teams. ¡°Team A Group One, board the cutter ship¡­ Team B Group Two, board the cutter ship¡­Team A Group Four, operate the Gravity Tractor. Installation team, check the respective magic connections to ensure that each person controls two sets of gravity generators. Hurry up! And do you best for the honour of the Queen!¡±


    The elven technicians boarded their respective equipment. As the cockpit of each equipment was closed, it emitted a deep roar and the surface was flowing with colours. Before long, the entire sky was full of extra-terrestrial equipment. The Pope was stunned beyond word looking at the spectacular scene.


    But Opra was total cool. The female marshal had witnessed the Dragonspine Ridge event, what unfolded before her now was no matched for what she had seen last time.


    After the convoy of the super excavators were all in place, Hao Ren said to Opra cheerfully, ¡°Now, let¡¯s experience the advanced excavation technology of the aliens!¡±

 Chapter 553

    In order to save time, Hao Ren divided the elven teams into two to conduct excavation work at the Volcano of Dusk and the Giant Tree of Life. Although the situation in the Volcano of Dusk was complicated, the survey data was detailed, so he did not have to worry about it too much. He decided to personally supervise the excavation at the Giant Tree of Life.


    Of course, the main reason for that was because he heard about the place having a spectacular scenery. He decided to snap some photos and post them in the inspector¡¯s forum¡­


    On the Holletta side, people were amazed by the teams that Hao Ren brought in. They were no nonsense individuals and got to work straight away without blinking an eye. So, they also organized themselves quickly and followed the excavation teams. The portal was rendered useless this time, as the size of the elven excavators had exceeded the limit of what could be teleported by current technology. Fortunately, the speed of the elven flying crafts was not slow. It would only take them a couple dozen minutes to cross the entire territory of Holletta.


    After ascertaining the coordinates, the elven aerial excavation team immediately ascended to the air and headed towards its destination. Meanwhile, Hao Ren followed Marshal Ophra to the Giant Tree of Life through the portal. The other team that was heading to the Volcano of Dusk was under the command of the pope.


    It was obviously much faster travelling via the portal. When Hao Ren arrived at the edge of the Giant Tree of Life, the excavation team was still on its way. This gave everyone a little time to enjoy the surrounding scenery.


    The Giant Tree of Life was located in a vibrant and vast mountainous area. The whole area was surrounded by gentle mountains, forming a low-lying basin which was covered with green forest. The Disciples of Glory had a base there. It was an old monastery located on a nearby hill. The building was as old as the churches in the other two sealed lands, and inconspicuous in appearance. It was one of the oldest and most sacred facilities in the world.


    The portal array near the Giant Tree of Life was directly situated next to the monastery: the Royal Knights did not have a garrison there, and the entire Giant Tree of Life was under the sole responsibility of the Disciples of Glory. The king had only set up a few knights there for show. They simply lived in the monastery.


    Compared to the desolate condition of Dragonspine Ridge and the harsh environment of the Volcano of Dusk, the area around the Giant Tree of Life was as lively and pleasant as it got. No one could have linked this place to the terrible ancient legends just by looking at it from the outside. It was probably because of this that Holletta¡¯s surveillance of the Giant Tree of Life was laxer than the other two places, which had Royal Knights and Church Knights stationed at all times. Hao Ren and the rest stood in front of the monastery as they gazed at the surrounding mountains and forest. They felt relaxed. Y¡¯lisabet quickly climbed up to her dad¡¯s shoulder and shouted at the distant mountains. ¡°Big mountains!¡±


    The demon princess was as innocent as one could get¡ªbut only when she was not a demolition monster.


    Seeing the spectacular scenery around them, Lily could not help but run around the hills before she came back down with a handful of stones in her hand. ¡°Mr. Landlord, which one looks better?¡±


    Hao Ren randomly picked one and coaxed her away. He curiously gazed at the mountains and the dome-shaped peaks in the center of the basin (it looked like a volcano and was particularly eye-catching). However, he could not find the so-called Giant Tree of Life. ¡°Ophra, where¡¯s that tree you talked about?¡±


    Ophra lifted her finger and pointed at the center of the basin. ¡°That¡¯s it¡ªthat¡¯s all that remains of it.¡±


    Hao Ren was startled. He realized that she was referring to the strange peak in the center of the basin!


    ¡°What the heck¡­¡± Before Hao Ren could say anything, Lily, who was playing with the stones, exclaimed, ¡°That¡¯s huge!¡±


    Hao Ren focused his eyes and finally saw some clues from the strange peaks: the ¡°mountain¡¯s body¡± appeared to be too smooth, and the upper part appeared to be too even and uniform, to the extent that it was not like a normal mountain. Additionally, there was a large amount of winding ridges in the surrounding wilderness. At first he thought that those tectonic uplifts were mountains, but now he realized that they were actually the giant tree¡¯s roots!


    They were the remains of the Giant Tree of Life, which had been dead for over 10,000 years. The tree¡¯s upper body had long crumbled and decayed, thus forming the soil and rock in the basin. The remaining stump had turned black and it was overgrown with vegetation, dense forests and shrubs, blending into the surrounding mountains.


    Hao Ren inhaled and asked, ¡°This is the tree?¡±


    Before his voice trailed off, Lil Pea poked her head out from under his collar. Seeing the wooden forest, her eyes popped out of her head. ¡°I can eat for a long time! I can eat for a long time! Daddy, I can eat for a long time¡­¡±


    At this moment, a Hollettan army official was standing next to Hao Ren. The officer saw Lil Pea and was stunned. ¡°What is that?¡± he asked.


    But he glanced at Hao Ren, and quickly toned down his impoliteness. His face took a serious turn as he hemmed. ¡°Oh, I apologize. I¡¯ve forgotten that you are a different from us, Hollettan people can¡¯t perform Shadow Clone¡­¡±


    Hao Ren had no chance to explain¡­


    Lil Pea happily squirmed out of his collar. She grabbed Hao Ren by his clothes and pestered, ¡°Daddy, I want to eat, I want to eat!¡±


    The Hollettan officials around them saw this and they were astounded. A few record officers who looked like scholars quickly took out a small notebook and jotted down what they saw. Vivian tried hard no to laugh. She nudged Ophra and said, ¡°Quickly tell them, this thing is neither an avatar of an alien, nor an alien kid!¡±


    Ophra waved at her men authoritatively. ¡°On your feet! Look at how disgraceful all of you are behaving!¡±


    Then, she turned to look at Hao Ren and Lil Pea. Her face was as shocked as a lightning rod. ¡°You two are father and daughter? What did you do to the fish?!¡±


    Before Hao Ren could utter anything, Lily chimed in, ¡°It was with a pot¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh God¡­¡± Ophra said.


    ¡°¡­Can you let me speak?!¡± Hao Ren interjected.


    Fortunately, the confusion did not last long. While they were having fun¡ªat least Lily was¡ªthe sky suddenly burst into a roar.


    The excavation team had finally arrived.


    The MDT, which had been silent for a long time, flew up and projected a hologram in front of Hao Ren. The image of a higher elven engineer appeared.


    ¡°Sun King, all the equipment have arrived.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the giant tree in the center of the basin and nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s get started.¡±


    After a few moments, the engineering equipment in the sky emitted a series of engine roars, and quickly dispersed to a height several hundred meters above the basin in an orderly manner. Meanwhile, two special flying crafts flew towards the center of the basin instead. The two flying crafts circled at a high altitude, and switched on their elemental sensors, before images of the underground were gradually displayed in front of the engineering equipment operators.


    The technical capability of the Aerymian Elves may have generally been behind those of other interstellar civilizations, but they were strong in their own right¡ªexcavation, gravity control, deep scanning; these technologies were instrumental in transforming their planet into a space island chain. It could be said that these individuals with long ears were odd balls of the ¡°magic tree¡±. Except for spacecrafts, they everything else they created pretty much did not match their level of civilization.


    Their elemental sensors, which were capable of penetrating hundreds of kilometers of rock could accurately scan a three-dimensional image of the strata layers. The image of the First Born that was sleeping under the Giant Tree of Life would soon be revealed in the holographic projection through the MDT.


    Hao Ren saw the way the Giant Tree of Life bound the First Born: it entangled the First Born with layers of giant roots, bonding together with it.


    The underground part of the Giant Tree of Life was far more magnificent than the surface part. Deep below the ground, there was a root system that spread nearly 200 km. This root system was entangled into a nearly spherical shape, caging the First Born within it. The tentacles of the First Born were also spread out in all directions, but they were basically held back in a limited area by the roots of the Giant Tree of Life. These two giant creatures were so tightly entangled together that they formed an underground scene of wonder.


    Layer by layer, the hair on Lily¡¯s tail stood on end. ¡°That¡¯s so disgusting¡­¡±


    Vivian¡¯s brows were also knitted together. She nodded and said, ¡°Well, it¡¯s just like a dishwashing ball.¡±


    The bat was once again, speaking from her house-chore perspective.

 Chapter 554

    As the scan deepened, more details were revealed as a visual of the subterrain, where the Giant Tree of Life was located, was presented before the crowd.


    Although a burned stump was all that remained of the Giant Tree of Life, its underground part was a massive wonder. Its entangled roots reigned the underground world within a radius of nearly 200 km. Unlike the other two mage-emperors, Lorrisa the former Elven-Queen had used a completely different method to suppress the First Born. It seemed that she did not want to hurt the First Born with violence. Instead, she chose a ¡°gentler¡± method, which befitted her feminine nature: she had created a cage that fused with the First Born.


    Vivian carefully observed the visual for a few moments and scratched her chin as she murmured to herself, ¡°Looks like these roots mimic the tentacles of the First Born.¡±


    ¡°Well, they are very close in form.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Especially the way they¡¯ve spread and grown. It¡¯s almost a duplicate of the First Born. It seems that Elven Queen Lorrisa had created a creature to mimic the First Born by magic. They¡¯re experts on life; the elves have always been good at this.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet went up and poked at the holographic projection. Due to the height of the hologram, she could only reach it by jumping. Hao Ren curiously asked her, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Zoom in! Zoom in!¡± Y¡¯lisabet continued jumping. ¡°I can¡¯t see!¡±


    The MDT was irritated at once. ¡°Who told you that you need to double-click to enlarge?¡±


    Hao Ren placed her two fingers on the display, pinching to zoom in. ¡°What¡¯s there?¡±


    ¡°Look, these roots are all joined together,¡± said Y¡¯lisabet, pointing a small screwdriver at a spot on the holographic projection. ¡°These roots! You can hardly tell whether they¡¯re roots or tentacles. They¡¯re all connected end to end!¡±


    ¡°Perfect integration.¡± Vivian grinned. ¡°Obviously, this isn¡¯t a simple imitation. Lorrisa had the ability to physically integrate the artificial life she created with the First Born. She may have very well been the only one among the few mage-emperors who¡¯s found the right path.¡±


    ¡°As in, if you can¡¯t fight them, join them?¡± Y¡¯zaks shook his head as he crossed his arms. ¡°I really don¡¯t appreciate this strategy. This is something the weak and minorities like to do. However, I have to admit that I used to be badly tossed by such tactics.¡±


    However, regardless if the Giant Tree of Life created by Lorrisa had fused with the First Born or not, it was evidently a failed product as well: even if the route was correct, there was no way to compensate the disparity in absolute strength between them. The Giant Tree of Life was said to have ignited during the catastrophe. The tree crumbled after it burned for several days. This was apparently the result of a counter-attack before the First Born slept. The power of the Giant Tree of Life had failed to defeat the primordial forces of this world. After being eroded by the First Born, the tree was destroyed in a spontaneous combustion.


    The engineers completed their scanning of the entire underground world and found enough optimal entry points. The cutters, which resembled spaceships were hovering in their respective positions. They began to hit the marked drilling points on the ground with light beams. At the same time, a cruiser flew directly above the Giant Tree of Life and dropped a gray cylinder down. As the cylinder touched the ground, it quickly drilled a hole into the ground and disappeared into it as smoke rose up.


    ¡°The ¡®messenger¡¯ is descending. It¡¯s now descending to the target area of the active brain waves. Three thousand meters to target¡­ two thousand five hundred meters¡­¡±


    ¡°The messenger has arrived at the set depth. Now releasing the ¡®lullaby¡¯ device.¡±


    Hao Ren took out the controller, and carefully entered the confirmation code. He then pressed the ¡°Play¡± button.


    A complicated mix of electromagnetic waves immediately leaked out from beneath. The elven engineer who was responsible for monitoring all system operations reported in, ¡°¡®Lullaby¡¯ has started playing. Test is underway.¡±


    The ¡°lullaby¡± device referred to the signal suppressor manufactured by Hao Ren on his own spacecraft. It was a highly precise and perpetual imitation of the Progenitor of Life. Before the First Born was moved, the device had to be properly planted in it.


    Vivian turned to Ophra. ¡°Bring the Divine Sarcophagus. We¡¯ll try to shield it off.¡±


    Ophra took a deep breath and gestured to the knights as well as the priests behind her with a nod. Escorted by a few ascetics, the Divine Sarcophagus used to suppress the Giant Tree of Life was handed to Hao Ren.


    Hao Ren had already taken out a special container out of his Dimensional Pocket. He carefully placed the Divine Sarcophagus in the container and activated the container¡¯s shielding system.


    For 10,000 years, the suppressor used to keep the First Born asleep was switched off for the first time.


    Within a few seconds, their surroundings were so silent that they could hear a pin drop. Everyone was so nervous as they listened to the movement from the ground. Becky pinched the family emblem on her collar (which she had just custom-ordered two days ago) while she chanted something in her mouth. Lily¡¯s ears stood erect and she overheard it. ¡°¡­copper, coin, paper money, cash, passbook, credit card, Dollar, Euro, Renminbi, copper coin, silver coin, gold shield, OMG, please don¡¯t go wrong. It¡¯s not easy to become a parvenu¡­¡±


    Lily thought for a moment and closed her eyes before she chanted, ¡°Meat, bones, Spicy Strips, meat, bones, Spicy Strips, meat, bones¡­¡±


    It turned out that Lily was even more innocent; her so-called dirty-mindedness was no match for Becky¡¯s money-mindedness.


    After the one-minute test cycle (the time needed to calculate the First Born¡¯s wake-up sign), the underground remained quiet. The voice from the monitor reported the good news with excitement. ¡°Target remains asleep. The ¡®lullaby¡¯ is confirmed to be working.¡±


    Hao Ren breathed a sigh of relief and immediately contacted the other team. ¡°Team A, Team A, this is Team B, the lullaby has passed the test. You can begin work right now. Don¡¯t forget to give the First Born a jab of interference pheromones after it¡¯s dug out.¡±


    Lily shouted happily, ¡°Let¡¯s roll!¡±


    Before firing up the excavation equipment, the head of the engineering team asked, ¡°Sun King, the root of this giant tree is entangled with the target. Should we separate them first?¡±


    Hao Ren thought a moment before waving his hand. ¡°¡­Things may go wrong if we separate them by force. Don¡¯t worry about it, dig it out together!¡±


    In the blink of an eye, the cutters around the basin were fired up at the same time with a loud roar. Hundreds of light beams penetrated the ground at a slanting angle, pulsating like lightning bolts.


    The powerful pyrolytic beams cut through rock layers with ease. Each beam could precisely pierce through any point within a hundred kilometers. Wherever the light beam passed, everything in its way vanished instantly. These obsolete equipment were replicas of older equipment¡ªthe prototypes, which were once used to dismantle the original Aerym planet. They were powerful enough to perform any cutting operation other than cutting neutron stars.


    The pyrolytic beams were invincible as long as the First Born remained asleep.


    Dozens of radiant rays slowly moved around the crater and the whole basin was cut out from the planet. The slip of the rock stratum caused by the separation of the strata would soon show its power: the monastery was located on a hill on the edge of the basin, but vibration could clearly be felt under their feet. Although shocked, the trained knights and priests remained composed. The ascetics, who managed the monastery immediately activated the divine array in the church to stabilize the place, and the soldiers brought by Ophra looked after the records as well as other ordinary officials.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this place isn¡¯t going to collapse,¡± said Y¡¯zaks. His arms were crossed as he looked at Ophra, who was slightly nervous. ¡°The elves have successfully dug an even bigger pit than this, and they¡¯ve even broken up their entire planet, yet everything was fine.¡±


    The cutting beam that shot down from the sky had completed its circle. The rock around the First Born had been cut, and the ring-shaped valley that was left behind had a series of inverted, cone-shaped shafts. Standing on the edge of the rift, a faint red glow could clearly be seen beneath: it was molten rock melted by the powerful pyrolytic beam.


    ¡°Enter the next stage. Blow up the connecting columns.¡±


    Under the order of their commander, 20 armed cruisers immediately descended into the rift where hot air was still rushing out. A moment later, these cruisers re-emerged, followed by a series of thunderous explosions.


    Steam and hot draft rushed up the rift to the surface. The entire basin was as hot as a frying pan.


    The rock column, which had lost its support in the center of the basin was slightly shaken. The rock column holding up the First Born and the Giant Tree of Life lost support and began to slowly tilt to the side. As soon as it touched the surrounding body of the mountain, it would surely cause unprecedented earthquakes and landslides. However, the follow-up equipment were already in place.


    A large number of gravity tractors were hovering above the Giant Tree of Life.


    ¡°Gravity tractors, full power. Pull it out!¡±

 Chapter 555

    The soldiers who had experienced the thrilling scene first-hand would still remember what they saw for many years to come.


    The roar of the engines and the thunderous noise of the evaporating rocks filled the heavens and the earth. The entire basin where the Giant Tree of Life was located was shrouded in hot air and thick fog. The earth was shaking as mountains which had stood for thousands of years began to collapse in the distortion. Countless boulders were rolling down the mountains, while the basin in the centre was slowly rising.


    More than a dozen cylindrical spacecraft hovered over the Giant Tree of Life. The lights of the spacecraft shone down and pulled a 170-kilometre of rock column out of the earth. Inside the rock column was entangled Giant Tree of Life and the First Born.


    As the thing slowly rose, a large number of cruisers came in. Each cruiser had a set of mechanical arm which was holding an anti-gravity generator. The persons who flew the cruisers were skilled engineers, they rose with the rock pillar, and installed the anti-gravity generators in the predetermined positions. Everything was working smoothly according to plan.


    As more and more anti-gravity generators were activated, the ascending speed and stability of the entire mass were enhanced, and a dozen or more cylindrical aircrafts responsible for the initial anti-gravity force started to disengage as two-thirds of them quickly retreated to a distance, while the rest were using their limited anti-gravity beam to maintain the stability of the entire structure.


    After five minutes, the bottom of the mass had still not completely emerged up from the earth, but the upper part had left the air shrouded in dust and fog. Its grotesque appearance could be seen clearly by the distant observers: roots were tangled together like a lump of vines, which had completely eroded the surrounding rocks, leaving no room for soil or stone in the rock column which was entirely occupied by these living tissues. In between the gaps in the tangled roots, there were occasional faint red pulses which were emitted by the deepest organ of the First Born¡ªas the giant creature was still asleep, red pulses underneath the layers of ¡®vines¡¯ appeared faint and weak.


    In the upper part of the mass, the vines clearly appeared like normal roots, which was the main body of the Giant Tree of Life¡ªthe part that had not mutated.


    The formation of the cruisers and the towing ship hovered around the mass, and like leaves in a tornado, they constantly kept making minor corrections and examinations to the mass. Some of the cruisers flew close to the ¡®living tumour¡¯ entangled by the tentacles and pierced some large probes into the First Born¡¯s ganglion, which according to current research understanding, those living tumours were ganglions.


    They were injecting this big guy with an interference pheromone, the most potent tranquilizer in the world, and effective only for the First Born.


    The whole scene was as epic as it could get. And it was like a miracle to the people of Holletta.


    Who has got a better digging skill? The Sun King of Aerymian elves; two hundred drilling rigs against the anal of the earth, five-hundred-man-strong engineering team¡­


    Well, roughly that¡¯s what it means.


    This spectacular scene could be seen 100 kilometres away, not to mention near the basin. A magical shield was shimmering above the priory, blocking out the hot tornado air and steam, and the flying debris in the air slamming on the shield triggering layers of magical ripples. Ophra squinted trying to see the tree stump of the Giant Tree of Life, but it was out of her range of sight. She sighed and appeared a little emotional. ¡°It¡¯s less epic than the light in Dragonspine Ridge, but it¡¯s equally thrilling nonetheless.¡±


    ¡°Dealing with a big guy with a radius of two hundred kilometres, you can¡¯t say it¡¯s not thrilling.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°The needle used for injecting half a tonne of tranquilizers into that thing is already one meter in diameter. Who created this massive monster?¡±


    Lily hugged her arm and said, ¡°Stop saying it, Mr. Landlord, I¡¯ve got my goose bumps up. I¡¯m most afraid of needle¡­¡±


    Vivian looked at the husky maiden in surprise. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were afraid of this? You look fearless in any other days.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s embarrassing, it all happened a few years ago. When I first heard about the rabies vaccine, I thought it was specifically for me¡­ I ¡®borrowed¡¯ two boxes of the vaccine which were expired and after emptying them into my body, I was suffering from allergies, nausea and vomiting for three days.¡±


    Vivian: ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°The progress over the Volcano of Dusk is slightly slower, but it goes very smoothly,¡± Hao Ren had contacted the other team of engineers. Hilda and Big Beardy were accompanying Mhoren inspecting the operation in the Volcano of Dusk.¡±


    ¡°The King personally went to the Volcano of Dusk?¡± Opra was a little surprised. ¡°This is not in his schedule¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he didn¡¯t expect the Queen of Aerym in his schedule as well. It was even more unexpected in your schedule that the engineering team I brought was of such a scale.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°You have to get used to the unscheduled situation.¡±


    After most of the anti-gravity generators had been activated, the entire mass appeared weightless as it climbed in an increasing speed without risking disintegration and causing excessive turbulence. After thirty minutes, the Giant Tree of Life and two-thirds of the basin had become a vague shadow in the sky, while the place where it once lived was now freaking hot hole with heavy smoke billowing and shrouded in dust and fog. No one could see the situation down at the bottom.


    Vivian summoned a gust of wind, but the wind could only bring the fog near the hills away temporarily but not the strong heated air draft rising up from the crater. So it seemed the dust and fog might be here to stay for some time.


    Hao Ren tilted his head skyward, the sky was clear, but the plume from the deep pit of the basin was slowly spreading out. Perhaps plume would engulf the whole area for a few days. ¡°This reminds me of my hometown.¡± He lamented.


    Y¡¯lisabet was sitting on the shoulder of her dad, waving her fist and shouted, ¡°I also miss my hometown!¡±


    Listening on, Opra was surprised. ¡°You have such smoke in your hometown every day?¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°It depends. When the weather is good, you can see the stars. When the weather is bad, you would gasp for air. The situation in Y¡¯zaks¡¯ hometown is even worse. When the weather is bad, they all run towards the mouth of the volcanoes gasping for fresh air.¡±


    Opra said, ¡°¡­ No wonder you guys possess are so strong. So essentially you guys are living in a place where warriors are trained and tested.¡±


    Hao Ren felt that the marshal had misunderstood, but it seemed that he was also unable to clear the misunderstanding.


    An hour later, the first space signal came from Holletta¡¯s synchronous orbit: ¡°Team B logistics has arrived pre-set orbit. ¡®Cargo¡¯ is stable. ¡®Lullaby¡¯ device is working properly!¡±


    After a few minutes, the news that Team A was in orbit was heard too.


    What remained to be done was transport the two living First Borns to Tannagot¡¯s orbit. However, the Aerymian elven spacecraft were not capable of doing this. So the responsibility fell on the Petrachelys.


    Of course, the space expansion installation of Petrachelys had its limit, and at least the storage window was limited. To stuff the First Born with a width of nearly two hundred kilometres into the cargo space would be out of the question, so the Petrachelys would have to use spatial bubble transfer method to send the two living samples onto the orbit of Tannagost.


    After sending the First Born together with the Giant Tree of Life into the predetermined orbit, the Aerymian engineering fleet left as schedule. The Petrachelys appeared near to the two samples piloted by the auto pilot computer. The host computer of the spacecraft launched its warp function and increased the coverage into nearby space.


    Starlight from afar appeared distorted within the space of several hundred kilometres around the spacecraft, as if there was an unprecedentedly large gravitational force that was interfering with the optical phenomena. The starlight was twisted into a circular arc and forming rapidly into a ring. The space was closed up becoming a spatial bubble before the Petrachelys and the two living First Borns vanished in it.


    The next moment, starlight returned to normal, and the spacecraft and the two strange entangled tentacles were gone.


    Hao Ren and the others returned to the capital of Holletta through the portal before the two engineering teams arrived later. Hilda and Big Beardy, who was accompanying the king and the Pope to the Volcano of Dusk, had also arrived through the portal.


    As everyone was back, the first thing Hao Ren had to do was put away those scarily massive engineering equipment, so as to prevent the old guys of the Royal Masters Association getting heart attack (and by the way, to prevent the screwdriver frenzy of Y¡¯lisabet from getting aroused). Hao Ren checked the time: they arrived on the planet earlier in the morning, and now the sun was still hanging on the west side of the horizon; it had been a massive operation but it was accomplished faster than expected.


    Hilda had found Hao Ren, she was all smile. ¡°The operation was finished successfully. I hope we have been of help.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure you were,¡± Hao Ren quickly nodded. ¡°Is your diplomacy going smoothly?¡±


    ¡°What can I say?¡± Hilda grinned and spread out her hand. ¡°We are two worlds apart. Only through your portal we can communicate. So we were just exchanging culture and history and things like that. I might be out of my personal curiosity¡­nothing too serious.¡±


    Meanwhile, Opra came up and interrupted their conversation. ¡°I hate to interrupt you guys but the King invites all the foreign guests to his banquet. I guess you¡¯d have time to join this time?¡±


    Hao Ren smiled and looked at Lily whose eyes were glowing in eagerness. He waved his hand and said, ¡°It would be impolite to decline the invitation especially when there¡¯s so much food to eat. Why not? Think of it as a compensation for our hard work!¡±

 Chapter 556

    The Royal Family of Holletta was holding a grand banquet in honor of their otherworldly friends who had worked tirelessly to avert a catastrophic disaster from happening. It was also to welcome the first alien civilization that visited their planet. The banquet was held on the eastern side of the Royal Palace, in the Vaishamn Hall¡ªit was a special place for hosting foreign envoys and other grand state banquets.


    Originally, the banquet was supposed to be held when the elves arrived. But the pragmatic attitude of the Aerymian Elves had the banquet delayed until the dust settled. Officials of the Royal Court who came to the feast earlier had no choice but to return home and wait. Hao Ren felt sorry for keeping these people waiting. But apparently, that was not what Hilda and her men thought: they put work above all else. On top of that, they already had their meal before they set out. So naturally, the banquet was to be postponed until their work was done.


    The Aerymians were definitely not one of, but the single simplest and most honest elves in the universe.


    The Vaishamn Hall was as grand as it got. The royal feast was dazzling with beautiful decorations all around and splendid costumes worn by its participants. It was much grander than the secret meeting Hao Ren had attended the last time. The observant Vivian very quickly discovered something special about the personnel of the royal feast: aside from the Aerymian Elves who formed the majority, Hollettan people were not many. Some of them were senior officials of the Royal Court and clergies, while others seemed to be trained ¡°escorts¡±. These ¡°escorts¡± dressed in fine attire, were well-mannered, and behaved almost like noblemen. They were responsible for maintaining the atmosphere at the banquet and providing assistance to other nobles. Strictly speaking, they were not considered as guests at the banquet, but specially-trained security agents.


    Regarding the arrival of the Aerymian Elves, the narrative the Disciples of Glory sold to the public was somewhat different. The feast was held with a certain degree of confidentiality.


    Hao Ren snorted after he heard what Vivian said. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s why I¡¯m not keen on meeting politicians; it¡¯s troublesome.¡±


    ¡°Am I also one of your ¡®troublesome¡¯ politicians?¡± Ophra was heard from the side. She attended the feast in her armor. This armor was a ceremonial armor, which was more form than function. The edge of the armor was inlaid with beautiful patterns and lavender ornaments. She smiled and looked at Hao Ren. ¡°But I agree, politicians are troublesome.¡±


    Hao Ren looked up at the marshal. ¡°You¡¯re wearing this to the feast? Besides armor, it¡¯s still armor, eh? You know, it clinks pretty loudly as you walk.¡±


    Ophra shrugged. ¡°Old habits die hard. In the beginning when I first took office, the whole country was at war. I followed King Geddon III, and since then, armor has been my only attire. I¡¯m comfortable this way; it looks the best.¡±


    Lil Pea jumped to the edge of the table and touched Ophra¡¯s armor. ¡°It looks best, it looks best¡­ It¡¯s hard, I can¡¯t go inside. Not good.¡±


    The little one had gotten used to squirming in her dad¡¯s clothes, and she was using that as a benchmark to rate Ophra¡¯s attire. Ophra was not entirely happy, and this gave Hao Ren a little headache: Lil Pea was growing up, and soon, he would not be able to carry her around like that. That morning, he had used a ruler to measure her, and the baby had grown by a centimeter. He wondered how he was going to take care of her when she finally grew into a normal-sized mermaid.


    He figured when that time came, the basin and fish tank at home would certainly not be enough to accommodate her. So, he first had to find a place and dig a bigger pool, then get some timber and other stuff for that purpose¡­ Raising a child was really troublesome, he thought.


    Lily was drooling as she looked at the food on the table. As if she was held back by a leash, she had no choice but to wait. ¡°When can I eat? When can I eat? When¡­¡±


    Y¡¯zaks sat across the table, nodding like butter would not melt in his mouth. ¡°According to human customs, it¡¯s time for the VIP to take the stage, say a few words, and leave the audience hanging before dinner starts.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks was right. Soon enough, Mhoren and the pope stood up one after the other. They thanked Heaven and the earth, they thanked the goddess for creating the world, and they expressed their thanks for the help provided by the strangers from the Otherworld. As if that was not enough, the two men started the whole thanking process all over again. The table where Hao Ren was sitting at was closest to the two old men¡¯s table (because he was a VIP guest). Everyone could not help but be bored to death. Lily laid her head on the table and her eyes almost rolled to the back of her head. ¡°It¡¯s taking forever. Can I just say ¡®you¡¯re welcome and let¡¯s get dinner started¡¯?¡±


    Lily¡¯s voice was by no means soft. Mhoren choked upon hearing her as he was halfway through his thanking. The old king looked at them with a smile, then turned to Hilda and said, ¡°We welcome Your Majesty the Elven Queen to say a few words¡­¡±


    Hilda nodded and stood up, raising her glass to a toast. ¡°Let the dinner begin!¡±


    What a speech¡ªsimple and straight to the point. Meanwhile, those Hollettan court officials, who had wasted no time in getting some shut eye, had expected the elven queen¡¯s speech to be just as long. They were caught by surprise and it took them a while before they came to their senses. Some old men had instinctively raised their hands to give Hilda an applause, but they stopped short of doing so when they realized that her speech was so short. It felt strange. Hoffman rubbed his shiny forehead and whispered to Hilda, ¡°Your Majesty, that¡¯s it?¡±


    Hilda nodded. ¡°That¡¯s it!¡±


    And so, the feast began. In accordance to Hollettan etiquette, they were obliged to keep their foreign guests entertained by carrying on casual conversation with them. However, they soon found that they were not able to keep up with the rhythm of these foreign guests: as soon as Hilda delivered her speech, the elves lowered their heads and had their meal in total silence like obedient soldiers. No one made a sound. No one looked at another person. The elves really liked the food, but they did not waste time in saying appreciative words. They just wolfed down their food, and within minutes, all that was left were clean plates.


    Holding his glass, Prince Hoffman went up to an Aerymian official. All he could do was blink.


    ¡°Aerymians are known for their simplicity and efficiency, as well as their mantra of ¡®waste nothing¡¯,¡± Hao Ren said, looking up and smiling with a fork still in his hand. ¡°The more formal the dinner is, the quicker they eat, because to them, banquets are expensive and a high amount of resources are consumed. Hence, they would rather eat at their own pace. Please don¡¯t be bothered by them.¡±


    Hilda nodded apologetically to King Mhoren. ¡°This is our tradition. Please, do not be offended. We really appreciate your hospitality. It is just that, we are not very good at eating slowly.¡±


    She then pointed at herself. ¡°By the way, because of my unique body, I do not need food.¡±


    Hao Ren was curious when he heard this. He asked, ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to ask you about that. but I forgot: if you can live without food or drink, where do you get your energy from?¡±


    ¡°From the surrounding environment, solar energy and natural radiations.¡± Hilda laughed. ¡°I experimented a bit not too long ago, and it seemed like I could survive in space. However, I got tired after a long while. It may have something to do with the excessive radiation.¡±


    ¡°Oh, solar energy recharging,¡± said Becky. Oil stains were glittering at the corner of her mouth. She still liked to interject at the dining table. ¡°Looks like Vimm can forget about the throne.¡±


    Hao Ren quickly hemmed. ¡°Let¡¯s not discuss that.¡±


    ¡°When the time is right, I will abdicate. I used to say that I was just waiting for him to grow up.¡± Hilda laughed, not minding the topic. ¡°I have already transferred a lot of power to him recently. Otherwise, there would be no way for me to come out as much as I wish.¡±


    Mhoren and Ophra listened to the foreigners, especially the queen herself, speaking about royal succession so casually. They were amazed. They had a hard time imagining how the Aerymian society developed to the way it was today.


    At this time, Lily handed a big portion of barbecue to Hao Ren, holding it right in front of his mouth. ¡°Try this. I think we should try making it at home. You and Battie need to keep the taste in mind and make it for me back home.¡±


    Hao Ren was touched. He had been feeding the dog for so long, and now, the dog was finally returning the favor, he thought.


    All of a sudden, a senior royal knight hurried into the banquet ball and strode towards the pope.


    It caught Hao Ren¡¯s attention.


    He felt suspicious of the knight.

 Chapter 557

    The Royal Knight who suddenly appeared at the banquet wore clergy robes that were lined with armor. And his breastplate had the insignia of a ranked Disciple of Glory. This meant that he was at least on par with the bishops of the realm. Having the authority to enter the palace at will however, meant that he was ranked even higher. The knight headed straight to the Pope as soon as he got into the hall. Two of the cardinals beside the pope stood up to stop him. The knight stopped gingerly before he reported something to the cardinals. The two cardinals then nodded and sat down, giving him the approval for the urgent report.


    Yet Hao Ren found the knight fishy in all aspects. A sense of danger tingled his senses.


    Vivian stood up too as she silently shuffled to a more spacious area by the corner. Y¡¯zaks patted Y¡¯lisabet on her little head as well. ¡°Stay here and don¡¯t move.¡±


    By then, the knight was about 10 m from the pope and the king. Before the latter rose to question him, the knight bowed and reported, ¡°Your Holiness, Your Majesty, I bring news about the Cult of Origination!¡±


    King Mhoren quickly rose. ¡°What? Have we finally found them?¡±


    ¡°We found a coven near the capital. The heretics have already fled, but we managed to gather a list of their members and ritual records.¡± The ranked knight pulled out a scroll from a pouch on his chest. ¡°This is the main information compiled by Cardinal Bluck.¡±


    The pope raised his hand and the scroll flew into his grip. He then opened the scroll to read its contents.


    ¡°Your Holiness¡­¡± The ranked knight waited for a few seconds before he looked at the pope. He noticed that the latter was frozen in place upon reading the scroll. Turning around, he spread his arms open, and in a peculiar high-pitched voice, he proclaimed, ¡°The Pope has returned to the goddess¡¯ side!¡±


    The silence in the hall was palpable as confusion reigned. King Mhoren suddenly shouted. ¡°Seize him!¡±


    The undercover guards, who dotted the hall recovered from their stupor and went into a furore. Most of the attendees quickly drew all sorts of small arms from their dress, and with various enchantments protecting them, they charged at the knight. The Royal Guards outside swarmed into the hall as well. It was a scene of total chaos.


    However, the first to attack was Big Beardy, who sat on the table to the left of the pope. The moment the ascetic monk realized that something was wrong with the pope, he swiftly deployed a few divine spells to protect the pope. Even before the king gave his order, Big Beardy had already began to lunge at the enemy.


    A blast rang out as Big Beardy¡¯s twin fists, enchanted with a faint golden glow, slammed against the knight¡¯s chest. His divine spell created a massive shockwave around him. But the knight did not appear to feel any pain as he gave Big Beardy a maniacal smile. He then lifted his arms to grab the ascetic.


    Big Beardy realized that his attack¡ªmeant to pulverize the target¡¯s innards and bring the battle to a swift end¡ªwas ineffective. The target before him was clearly not human. He immediately pulled back, keeping some distance. At the same time, the charging guards had reached the knight with dozens of blades plunging into him.


    A crackling sound like metal piercing into rotten wood was heard. The rotten blood that bled from the knight¡¯s wounds was so black that it was unnatural. The guards, sensing that things were amiss, prepared to pull back, but their weapons were stuck inside the enemy. They immediately let go of their weapons as they retreated, while the rest of the soldier formed a shield wall in front of King Mhoren and the pope.


    The next second, even more cracking sounds came from the knight¡¯s body as a gush of rotten, blood-like liquid flowed out of his wounds like it was alive. It headed with deadly intention towards the nearest Royal Guard. Another pool of blood splashed against the floor before it made its way towards the heavily guarded King Mhoren, smoke trailing in its wake.


    At that very moment, a blinding flash of lightning swept past them as a swarm of bats appeared out of thin air. They surrounded the knight, and formed an impenetrable shell of bats. Within the shell, lightning struck and a miniature storm formed. As the screeching wind bellowed, the rotten blood seeped out from the gaps between the bats. The blood curled about as it streamed forward, seemingly trying to escape. Yet, its attempts were futile as ice-cold winds formed around the shell, and every strand of blood that attempted to escape froze in the blink of an eye!


    The guests and audience in the hall had only begun to realize what was going on. The ministers fled the hall, while the knights and clergymen with combat prowess swarmed forward to protect the king and pope. The scene was chaotic as shouts and screams of panic rang. Amid the chaos, the Aerym elves deployed their magical barriers to protect their queen, Hao Ren and the rest as well.


    The ¡°storm of bats¡± in the middle of the great hall lasted a good 10 seconds, and as every second passed, the sounds of clashing within the shell grew. Then, with a final violent roar, the shell disintegrated as Vivian reformed mid-air. The vampiress landed beside Hao Ren and her face was pale, almost sick. ¡°¡­That stinks! The blood¡¯s gone bad! I shouldn¡¯t have tasted it!¡±


    Hao Ren almost puked on Vivian¡¯s behalf the moment he heard that¡­


    As the bat swarm went away, the monstrous knight appeared once again before the crowd¡­ His armor was rent and scorch marks were all over his body. The massive loss of blood had caused his form to shrivel, and he was encased in a block of ice. Yet, the ice block was rapidly coming apart and the weapons that were stuck in him had corroded to a point where only their grips remained. This was undoubtedly a monster in the guise of a human, and it was still alive!


    The cracking of the ice continued before the ice block was destroyed by the monster¡¯s enormous strength. The blood within his body was pretty much drained by now, and it seemed that it had lost the ability to control it after being encased in ice. The monster gave up on using the blood to attack, and charged headlong towards Hao Ren.


    ¡°F*ck! It¡¯s coming our way!¡± Hao Ren was disgusted by the creature¡¯s look and immediately responded with a high kick. He seemed to have underestimated the monster¡¯s strength, because even though his kick sent the monster back, his other leg had sunk a good few inches into the ground.


    The monster did not try to attack again after it was kicked. As it growled, it turned to face the closest window. It wanted to escape.


    By now, Hao Ren had drawn his pistol, and just before he pulled the trigger, something sparked in his mind. ¡°Take it alive!¡±


    Lily charged forth with fang and fury the moment the monster tried to escape. As she heard Hao Ren¡¯s request, she quickly retracted her claws. The werehusky deftly leapt about 10 m into the air before she landed in the middle of the monster¡¯s escape route. She then shot out a punch at the monster.


    The monster did not dodge and responded in kind. A massive crash followed as the shockwave shattered the dishes on the nearby tables The ground behind Lily started to crumble as cracks, which streched a few meters formed under her feet.


    ¡°Grrrrrrrr¡ª¡± Lily¡¯s irides glowed as she growled menacingly. Raising her arms again, she charged at the monster once more.


    This was a pure brawl without much finesse. The two beings of immense strength were destroying everything around them. Every time Lily threw a fist, the air around her exploded. Every punch, every jab caused the floor to shake. It was clear that she was the superior melee fighter: she had the hunting instincts of a wol¡­ canine, and her strikes were lightning quick. She could even find time to pick up a loose brick to act as a weapon. Her fighting style was pretty much a random storm of fists and bricks. The monster on the other hand, was sluggish. Perhaps Vivian¡¯s attack had severely damaged it or its physiology. The monster¡¯s reaction was always a step slower than Lily, and it was not long before it was beaten to a pulp.


    After a frantic exchange, Lily drew a distance between herself and the monster. Most of the tables and flooring around them had already been pounded to dust. Lily¡¯s eyes were glowing and she was looking around for something to use as a weapon. But alas, all broken tables and bricks had already been thrown. That left the werehusky in an extremely foul mood.


    The monster realized it was no match against Lily and turned tail to run.


    It ran directly into Y¡¯zaks.


    The next scene was basically something you would want to censor with mosaic. Even in human form, Y¡¯zaks was the best fighter present, and facing the monster knight was nothing to him. Hao Ren only saw the demon king grabbing his opponent by the arm before twisting and cracking its limbs into impropable angles. The monster even tried to use a spell to counter him, but against a demon king¡¯s resistance to spells, the sparks it produced were harmless.


    The demon king threw the immobilized monster to the ground. Before he could speak, a white shadow darted towards the monster. Lily sank her fangs into the monster¡¯s limb, trying to tear it apart. As she tore into the monster, she let out a low growl, ¡°Arrrr¡­ Grrrr¡­¡±


    She was really consumed by battlelust.


    Y¡¯zaks raised an eyebrow. ¡°Trying to one-up?¡±


    Vivian simply shrugged. ¡°A glory hound you might say.¡±


    ¡°Awooo?¡±

 Chapter 558

    Due to not being able to grab a brick towards the end of her fight earlier, Lily was caught up in a battle trance. It drove her to tear into the stricken monster. Her powerful jaw ripped its flesh and bones as she dragged the monster from one end to another. It took Hao Ren some effort to pull the werehusky, who was deep in her battle trance away from the monster, and he almost took a bite for his troubles. The werehusky was not even that protective of her food on normal days. This was a whole new level.


    ¡°Can you stop biting people when you fight?¡± Hao Ren pinched Lily by her ears to get her to settle down. ¡°And you almost bit me!¡±


    The golden glow faded from Lily¡¯s eyes as she cooled down. ¡°Oh¡­ I couldn¡¯t control myself. Got too into it.¡±


    Vivian gave the blood stains by the edge of Lily¡¯s mouth a weird look. A mischevious smile appeared on her face and the latter was unnerved by it. ¡°What are you staring at, Battie?!¡±


    Vivian pointed at Lily¡¯s mouth. ¡°Lick your mouth, take it in.¡±


    ¡°Awoo?¡±


    The werehusky then quickly ran to a corner to puke.


    ¡°I suppose this thing here won¡¯t be going anywhere?¡± Hao Ren carefully went up to the monster. The latter was beaten to a pulp, but it was still alive. Yet, because of its broken limbs and massive loss of blood, it could no longer attack. All Hao Ren saw was a charred human ball attempting to stand up, like it did not feel any pain. The whole thing gave him goosebumps and a few of the Aerymian Elves started to whisper amongst themselves. ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°Is it a local? Doesn¡¯t seem like it.¡±


    ¡°Are there any signs of life¡­¡±


    After confirming that the monster could no longer do any harm, the captain of the Royal Guard declared that the emergency was over. Nonetheless, the soldieres still held their weapons and formed a ring around the hall. At the same time, a cardinal yelled, ¡°Quick, tend to His Holiness!¡±


    The scroll brought by the monster masquerading as a ranked knight was clearly imbued with a curse or some foul magic. The pope was seemingly petrified the moment he read the scroll. It appeared as though his soul had been taken by the scroll. The proclaimation of the pope returning to the goddess caused even more unease. A few of the cardinals made their way to the pope once they broke out of their stupor, however no one dared to do anything rash. The pope was still reading the scroll. His facial expression was stiff, and veins started to pop on his skin. His eyes were lifeless, yet he was still breathing. No one knew what to do.


    But as everyone was fretting about, the pope suddenly shuddered as the light returned to his eyes and the mark of death faded away. Breathing heavily, the old clergyman exhaled deeply.


    A few cardinals quickly stepped forward. ¡°Your Holiness¡­¡±


    ¡°That was vile magic. A evil god was trying to dominate my mind, but it underestimated the faith I have in the goddess.¡± The pope waved his hand, signaling that he was fine. ¡°The heretics think that everyone is as weak-willed as them. They actually thought of using this to test my faith¡­ I am fine. I could still vaguely tell what was going on. What became of the heretic?¡±


    The cardinals and knights escorted the pope to the monster. The latter was still struggling and the moment it noticed that the pope was unharmed, it let out a string of violent screams. That meant it was still capable of cognitive thoughts. The pope frowned as he looked at the monster, sympathy appearing in his eyes. ¡°Poor thing. It was created by the heretics using foul magic¡­ I can feel at least 10 other suffering souls within it. John is one of them.¡±


    Hao Ren asked some of the attendees around him and learned that John was the name of the knight, whom the monster had impersonated. It seemed like the heretics were able to corrupt a ranked Church Knight. Either by force or brainwashing, they turned the pious warrior into a part of the monster.


    King Mhoren ordered the great hall to be sealed off and most of the unrelated personnel were dismissed. The Aerymian Elves were also evacuated to other rest areas in the Royal Palace. The scene quickly calmed down, and aside from Hao Ren and his crew, only the king, the pope, Marshal Ophra, a few cardinals and princes as well as their guards remained.


    ¡°How did the heretics even get in here?¡± Becky, in view of her special status, was not evicted. With a panicked look on her face, she said, ¡°This is the Royal City!¡±


    ¡°Perhaps they have been pushed to the brink,¡± Marshal Ophra¡¯s voice was calm, and it helped ease the nerves of those present. ¡°We have been targeting this Cult of Origination in our recent sweeps. They are a loose organization, and should have no more than a dozen at the core of their cult. However, they have about 10 other splinter cults of various names and sizes. These cults have already taken a heavy beating¡­ Seems like they are now fighting like cornered beasts.¡±


    ¡°It is a shame for the Hollettan royal house that our estemeed guests have been rudely shocked by this ruckus.¡± Anger appeared across King Mhoren¡¯s face. The smiling king had his temper too. ¡°For that, I am deeply sorry. You have witnessed a big disgrace.¡±


    Hao Ren waved the king off. ¡°No worries about that. Anything can happen in the Macr¡­ Ugh, I didn¡¯t mean that. I mean I¡¯ve seen plenty, and I¡¯m very used to such incidents. As for the heretics¡­ what sort of information do you have? I will need them as well.¡±


    Hao Ren had made a request to Ophra before leaving previously. In order for him to search for clues regarding the goddess of creation, he needed to know what the gigantic floating brain was¡ªthe one summoned by the heretics. If it was possible, he would connect with the brain again to glean more information on the ¡°Origin of Life¡±. And in this trip to Holletta, learning more about the heretics was one of Hao Ren¡¯s agendas.


    Marshal Ophra nodded. ¡°We do have some progress on that, but¡­ let¡¯s wait until the end of the banquet.¡±


    Hao Ren surveyed the area and agreed that the ruined hall was not the right place for that.


    Lily had finished puking by then. A distraught look was on her face as she complained, ¡°The blood¡¯s long expired¡­ Can¡¯t it just let a werewolf fight normally?!¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at the werehusky. ¡°No one told you to bite it, right? Don¡¯t be such a dunce. You won¡¯t die from not biting it, right?¡±


    ¡°Fangs and claws are part of a werewolf¡¯s usual combat style.¡± Vivian shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s how a normal werewolf would fight. Doggie¡¯s brick and bladed claw attacks are what you would call heretical.¡±


    Lily¡¯s tail perked up. ¡°That¡¯s right! Biting someone is in a werewolf¡¯s nature! Deal with it!¡±


    Vivian smirked. ¡°Then, lick your mouth again and recall the taste.¡±


    ¡°¡­Urkk!!!¡±


    This time around, even Hao Ren could not stand it. ¡°Vivian, didn¡¯t you taste it earlier too?¡±


    ¡°¡­Urkk!!!¡±


    While he waited for the two supernatural ladies to look for a place to puke, Hao Ren approached the pope. ¡°Are you alright, old man? What¡¯s up with the scroll?¡±


    The pope looked at Hao Ren, and seemed hesitant about allowing Hao Ren to view the dangerous scroll. He quickly realized that this group of outlanders had abilities beyond his understanding. Frowning for a bit, the pope eventually passed the scroll to Hao Ren and cautioned, ¡°Vile magic inhabits this scroll. Please, be careful. It will attack your soul when you read it.¡±


    Hao Ren took the scroll and found that it was similar to a normal piece of paper, albeit its material was rather suspect. It felt neither like paper or skin. Before opening the scroll, he telepathically asked the MDT, ¡°Are there any spiritual barriers in my mind that can withstand this spiritual assault?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. Your spiritual barrier is reinforced by the goddess herself. If that fails, I can help you cast a few more defensive spells.¡± The MDT vibrated in Hao Ren¡¯s pocket, signaling its confidence. ¡°If your spiritual parameters fall below a certain threshold, I¡¯ll knock you out at the first possible moment.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    There was something wrong with the MDT¡¯s protection methods!


    Regardless, Hao Ren felt that he needed to see what was inside the scroll. Not that he was seeking death, but he was curious about what the heretics had conjured up. In this world, there were huge gaps in their history, and their religious teachings were patchy at best. Even the Disciples of Glory had no understanding of the things that happened during ancient times. So, how did a cult made out of riff-raffs gather so much information about the goddess of creation? Even if their cult teachings were suspect, they could somehow summon something that was associated with the goddess. Where did they gain such knowledge?


    Perhaps, a clue or two lay within their spells.


    Hao Ren allowed the MDT to scan the scroll for any rogue data transmissions before he opened the scroll cautiously.


    It was blank.


    Hao Ren had prepared himself for an attack, but realized that it was not forthcoming.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing¡ª¡± He turned the scroll about, but before he could finish, a strange screech came out of the scroll, and it disintegrated.

 Chapter 559

    Hao Ren observed the disintegrated scroll before him as a confused look appeared on his face. He did not know what had exactly happened. ¡°What¡¯s this¡­ Did I tear it apart?¡±


    ¡°An intelligent spiritual signal came from the scroll, but it was destroyed with it.¡± The MDT flew out of Hao Ren¡¯s pocket and scanned his body as well as the pieces of the scroll. It was only after a few sweeps that it realized what was going on. ¡°Ohhhh¡­ I understand now. The attack was imbued with divine power.¡±


    Hao Ren felt goosebumps forming all over his body. ¡°Divine power?!¡±


    ¡°I know this may be a bit much to digest,¡± the MDT suddenly swapped to telephatic speech. ¡°It seems like the scroll carried some sort of divine power, however it is very weak. Perhaps it¡¯s been touched by a real god before and was imbued with a little bit of divinity. But, is enough to inflict indefensible mental damage.¡±


    Hao Ren looked up to find everyone staring at him. The pope and the cardinals¡¯ gazes made him especially uncomfortable. He quickly waved his hand. ¡°Uh, I¡¯m fine¡­ Let me study this further.¡±


    As he spoke, Hao Ren took the MDT to an empty corner. With the tattered remnants of the scroll in his hand, he said, ¡°This is from a real god? Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s a holy relic of the goddess of creation?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the only possibility.¡± The MDT was busy scanning for any remaining traces within the scroll. But by then, whatever energies that were imbued within the scroll had dissipated, and the scroll was nothing but a piece of paper. ¡°Seems like the heretics somehow managed to get their hands on a real holy relic. There¡¯s little wonder why they dared to proceed with the assassination attempt. If it had been successful, they could¡¯ve announced that the pope received divine punishment for turning his back on the goddess¡¯ teaching. But that¡¯s a goner now.¡±


    Hao Ren pursed his lips. ¡°The heretics are certainly capable, however this scroll is really suspect. If it had been your usual enchantment scroll, it wouldn¡¯t be too big of an issue. But, divinity? ¡­Don¡¯t tell me that the goddess has used this before?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly. It showed attributes of a secondary reaction. That means it was used in a ritual related to the goddess. Perhaps an ancient race used it as a ritual item a long time ago.¡± The MDT took the opportunity to impart some knowledge about divinity to Hao Ren. ¡°Divinity is a rather complex concept¡­ It¡¯s an extension of the information projection theory, and information disruption. Divinity doesn¡¯t necessarily require a real god¡¯s touch, and not everything a real god uses will be bestowed with divinity. This requires a rule for the projection, and one of it is rituals. Sometimes, the items used during a ritual by mortals may catch the attention of a god, and it is then bestowed with divinity. It¡¯s not considered a holy artifact of course, but it¡¯s also not something normal. The scroll in your hand is something like that.¡±


    ¡°A ritual item used by an ancient race¡­¡± Hao Ren demurred. ¡°The Ancient Magic Kingdom? That can¡¯t be right¡­ They don¡¯t use Letta Runes, and faith in the goddess back then was not comparable to the present¡­ They probably couldn¡¯t have produced something like this.¡±


    The MDT shook itself. ¡°This scroll is probably not from this planet¡­ Its material is very special; a mix of very complex synthetic fabric. This needs high-level technology and that doesn¡¯t match the technological level of this planet or the Ancient Magic Kingdom. I suspect that this thing came from the same place as the summoned brain.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded, and frowned almost immediately. ¡°So, if this is a holy artifact of the goddess, why did it attack the Pope? I¡¯m pretty sure there¡¯s no one more pious than the Pope?¡±


    ¡°What if it attacks indiscriminately?¡± the MDT suddenly suggested. ¡°The goddess of creation in this world is clearly unstable, and everything related to her seems to go haywire. It¡¯s very hard to determine the volatility of any holy artifact related to her.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded again, and agreed that it was a possibilty. He then took a curious glance at the shredded pieces of paper in his hand. ¡°Why did this thing tear itself apart?¡±


    ¡°Because it used divine powers to attack you.¡± The MDT bumped Hao Ren on the chest. ¡°And you¡¯re an apostle.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re an apostle, the kind that signed a contract. So technically speaking, when the attack happened, it was between the goddess of creation and Madame Raven. And clearly, Madame Raven is ranked way higher than the goddess of creation, thus your rank is higher than the scroll. Divinity is something like hierachy; it¡¯s effective, yet rigid. If a power of lower authority tries to challenge the information signal of something of higher authority, it will only bug out.¡±


    Hao Ren was perplexed, but felt like a big shot because of it. ¡°Why did it sound like I was forced to do this?¡±


    The MDT smashed itself against Hao Ren¡¯s head. ¡°Nonsense! You¡¯re a member of the clergy! And you¡¯re the type that reports directly to a goddess! So, even if you¡¯re a no-good, cocaine-snorting, chain-smoking, womanizing excuse of a human being, you¡¯re still a member of the clergy. Therefore, can you for the love of god have some self-awareness and act like you fit the status?!¡±


    Self-awareness was not Hao Ren¡¯s strong point and he pretty much lost the whole image of a clergyman the moment he said ¡°hi!¡±. ¡°Heh, I never knew¡­ This status actually has some real effects? What can it do aside from trashing that scroll? Hao Ren asked as he pointed at the scroll.


    The MDT pondered for a bit. ¡°Does having a longer designation than most when you print out your ID count?¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    He the stored a few pieces of the scroll into his Dimensional Pocket before he went up to the pope. After some deliberation, he decided to hide the part about ¡°divinity¡± to prevent a large scale collapse of their faith. ¡°This thing only works once. It was ruined the moment you withstood it.¡±


    The pope took the tattered remnants of the scroll and found that it indeed did not pose any further threat. He quickly passed it to one of the cardinals beside him. ¡°Put it aside. I speak for the Church and I apologize to all of you for what happened today. Also, you have my gratitude for assisting us in taking down this heretical creature. Cardinal Malfoy, take this heretic to the penitentiary. Perhaps it can still speak.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks made way to allow a few Church Knights to tie down the still-struggling monster. After some effort, the knights finally managed to secure it before they stuffed it into a cage. Before they left, Y¡¯zaks asked as he frowned, ¡°You plan to interrogate this thing?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll do what we can.¡± The old priest in white robes called Malfoy nodded. ¡°If it can still understand us, I hope it¡¯ll admit its crimes to redeem itself.¡±


    It was clear that even the priests manning the penitentiary were not confident about getting the monster to actually divulge anything useful. This was the headache that the Disciples of Glory faced. Most of the time, the heretics only used such foul amalgamations of blood and flesh, or magical rock monsters to do their bidding. The true perpetrators were never seen. It took multiple sweeps by the Church and Royal Knights to actually threaten the core of the cult. It was the hardest task they had faced so far.


    Y¡¯zaks pondered for a bit before he asked, ¡°What do you think about the interrogation of a soul?¡±


    Hao Ren felt that Y¡¯zaks finally said something befitting his status as a demon king.


    Holletta had a brief understanding of souls, and some who were expectionally powerful could even sense them. However, their understanding and research had not reached the point of extracting a soul to beat it senseless. So, both the pope and Cardinal Malfoy were rather dumbfounded. Y¡¯zaks quickly expalined, ¡°I have the ability to control souls, and if you find it necessary. I can pull out this creature¡¯s soul. If my guess is correct, one of the souls inside is dominant, while the rest are just simply trapped within the shell, Knight John included. Maybe I can still save the innocent. Does that go against your teachings?¡±


    Vivian prodded Hao Ren by the arm. ¡°Seems like ole Y¡¯zaks is doing something befitting a demon king.¡±

 Chapter 560

    Ever since he came to Hao Ren¡¯s place, Y¡¯zaks had never had a chance to showcase what a demon king could do. Aside from going back home to bring his daughter and followers back, most of his time at home was spent eating, sleeping and reading the papers. On most occasions when he went out looking for work, he ended up drinking coffee with the police for scaring the life out of someone. It was only lately that he started to bring his daughter out to look for discarded electronics (and fight off abduction syndicates). His routine was similar to that of a retired elderly¡¯s. But as he mentioned the interrogation of the heretic¡¯s soul, the old demon king finally showed what he could do.


    Heck, he put it across in a way that made it seem like such a thing was as commonplace as drinking water. That was how imposing his aura was.


    The pope¡¯s first reaction to Y¡¯zaks¡¯ suggestion was that of pleasant surprise before he started to frown. It was clear that this was not present in the goddess¡¯ teaching. He also had some reservations about dragging someone¡¯s soul out of its shell: this was a natural reaction. As Y¡¯zaks noticed his reaction, he turned his gaze to the monster that was trapped in the cage. The latter was a hideous amalgamation of flesh and blood made through foul magic. Despite its monstrous combat strength, the magic was inherently unstable. Y¡¯zaks was unsure if the magic holding the monster together was fading or it was the damage dealt to it earlier, but it was clear that the monster was disintegrating very rapidly into a pool of rotten mud.


    ¡°I suggest that you make up your minds fast. This thing here won¡¯t last another two hours.¡± Y¡¯zaks shrugged. ¡°The extraction and interrogation of a spirit is not something evil. It¡¯s the same as interrogating a person. You just remove the risk of the target dying during the interrogation process. This greatly increases the chances of you getting the information you need. The flesh is mortal but a spirit is eternal and can withstand all sorts of stimuli. Another thing, in this process I will also release the souls that are trapped within the monster. Even though their lives are forfeit, they can at least rest in peace.¡±


    The pope was just about to speak before little Y¡¯lisabet interjected, ¡°Don¡¯t fret too much! Heretics aren¡¯t treated with tender loving care during your interrogations, right? So, what¡¯s the difference between torturing a body and a soul? Besides, a soul can¡¯t bleed.¡±


    Becky was hiding in a corner. She understood that being someone who was a hard carry, it was better for her to just keep quiet. But even now she could not help but mutter. ¡°Why do I feel like this father-daughter duo¡¯s going to drop some orange loot¡­¡±


    Lily rolled her eyes. ¡°What? A legendary newspaper roll and a screwdriver?¡±


    The pope had completed his deliberations by then. He went through the teachings of the goddess in his mind and finally gave a nod. ¡°This is not normal¡­ but there¡¯s nothing in the goddess¡¯ teaching that¡¯s against this. The situation demands urgency, so I shall leave it in your good hands.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks gave a satisfied grin and left for the penitentiary with the interrogator-cardinal. Before he left the building, he turned to Hao Ren. ¡°Wait for my good news. It won¡¯t take long before it speaks.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet hopped happily behind her dad. ¡°Papa, wait! I¡¯ll help you poke a few holes in it!¡±


    Everyone there had cold sweat. Demons would be demons alright¡­ Even if they were righteous, they would still do things the demon way!


    Thankfully, there was no taboo about ¡°soul interrogation¡± in Holletta, or else the pope would not have agreed so easily.


    With things as they were, the banquet could no longer continue. King Mhoren extended his apologies to Hao Ren and Hilda again. What happened that day was no small matter for a king, but Hilda and her ministers were unperturbed. The elven queen gave King Mhoren a gentle and graceful smile. ¡°Your Majesty, you do not have to apologize. Accidents do happen and we are used to it. The Hollettan cuisine was certainly exquisite, and you have our thanks.


    Marshal Ophra muttered subsconciously, ¡°What do you mean by you¡¯re used to it?¡±


    Vivian sighed. ¡°The Aerymians have been used to accidents happening since they were young. Outsiders may not understand it, but there¡¯s always a risk of something going wrong, like an explosion, earthquakes, toxic gas emissions, firestorms and the likes while having dinner.¡±


    Marshal Ophra¡¯s eyes widened as she was stunned. Hao Ren chipped in, ¡°Just treat it as they¡¯re in very arduous training to be heroes. You know how things are, I¡¯m not able to explain every detail that conforms to your worldview, so let¡¯s just leave it at that.¡±


    The Aerymians had completed their task on the planet, and the only things that Hao Ren had to to was settle the final details. The elves bade farewell and left Holletta the way they came. Five hundred odd elves went through the teleporter in Becky¡¯s basement like an assembly line, and Marshal Ophra was there to see them off. She looked amazed as she saw the elves simply vanishing. She the n asked Hao Ren, ¡°Since you¡¯re that capable, why don¡¯t you set up a bigger portal? Or, build a bigger teleportation gate¡­¡±


    ¡°I do have those, but that is on a place without a owner, or at my own place.¡± Hao Ren smiled at the general. ¡°If I were to place a teleporter than could send ten thousand men across every minute on your land, others notwithstanding, would you not be concerned?¡±


    Marshal Ophra smiled and did not reply. There were much to be said about this, but there were equally much that cannot be said. The marshal wisely decided to let the topic slide.


    After a short while, Becky had appeared. The mercenary lass was busy directing traffic earlier and now just unfastened her corset without much of a thought as she fanned herself. Looking at Hao Ren as she continued fanning herself. ¡°Mr Landlord, can you bring something for me next time around?¡±


    ¡°What you want?¡±


    Becky¡¯s face turned sour. ¡°There¡¯s no television, or game consoles, or computers or internet here! Having lived here for a while aside from the balls, I have nothing to do but lay with the fish¡­ I¡¯m BORED!¡±


    Hao Ren smirked. ¡°So now you miss the life on Earth?¡±


    Becky almost wanted to cry. ¡°I miss the television set in the living room and Lily¡¯s notebook! Can you please bring a set over next time? I¡¯m not asking for free. I have plenty of moolah! You can take two catties¡­¡±


    Listen to this overnight millionaire¡¯s calculation unit, catties!


    Big Beardy who had been silent tihs whole while suddenly chipped in. ¡°He¡¯ll need to bring a power generator for you as well¡­ and how do you even set up the internet here?¡±


    Hao Ren gave Big Beardy a surprised look. He never thought that the ascetic monk who was detached from all worldly needs could pull out such high tech terms. ¡°Seems like you¡¯ve picked up quite a bit, I thought you¡¯re just busy trying to live your ascetic life!¡±


    Big Beardy grinned. ¡°Electrification is a part of Earth¡¯s system. Deal with it.¡±


    ¡°¡­. Where did you learn that from?¡±


    Lily jumped up and down. ¡°Me! Me!¡±


    ¡°You and your nonsense.¡± Hao Ren glared at the werehusky before turning to Becky. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll bring you a set of home electronics and power generator the next time around. I¡¯ll install a signal converter as well, that¡¯ll solve the internet issue.¡±


    Becky leapt in joy while Hao Ren started imagining Becky will be cooped up in the basement as trying to figure out how to connect the telly to the power generator as she sticks the LAN cable into the teleporter¡¯s control panel in the attempt¡­ He never knew how his imagination could run that wild. Perhaps it was a passive ability.


    The crew decided to take a break at Becky¡¯s place after sending the elves off. Marshal Ophra had ordered her subordinate to retrieve a box from her quarters back in the royal city. And after dismissing the servants, she opened the box in front of Hao Ren. ¡°This is the information that we have managed to gather so far about the Cult of Origination. There¡¯s their religious text and some of their ritual items. The church had kept a copy for themselves. I¡¯ve specially kept this for you.¡±


    Big Beardy immediately made a religious symbol before him. ¡°The Goddess have mercy. May this heretical items do no more harm.¡±


    ¡°These heretics have indeed done quite some damage.¡± Marshal Ophra signed. ¡°But I¡¯m worried that they were just merely the outer layer.¡±


    Hao Ren was looking through some of the documents as he heard what Ophra said. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°This is their creed , the ¡®original text ¡® used by the core members of the cult.¡± Marshal Ophra siad as she picked a thick hard cover book out of the box. ¡°Based on what the creed says, the Cult of Origination is under the control of an even more powerful force. They are just the word bearers.¡±

 Chapter 561

    Hao Ren once dealt with a group of heretics in Dragonspine Ridge. He had seen their scripture at that time, but he did not know the complete structure of the Cult of Origination. He thought that the black book was their original Bible. It now seemed like the structural form of the Cult of Origination was very different from a normal religious organization. The group of heretics that was destroyed in Dragonspine Ridge was just one of its outlying groups. The scripture he got was clearly not the original Bible used by the core personnel. According to Ophra, many things in the original Bible were unique.


    Hao Ren opened the black leather handbook. The handbook was just placed on the table and it gave out an unpleasant vibe as though some kind of evil obsession was still attached to the pages. The black handbook was not printed, instead it was written by hand. The edges of those words had a strange sense of jitter as if the writer had transcribed the crazy characters in a state of extreme agitation. It seemed as though the writer was losing self-control. Hao Ren tried to concentrate on fighting against the page that brought him a sense of exhaustion, and found some of the marked paragraphs under Ophra¡¯s guidance.


    ¡°¡­The Voice of the Master let us praise the true name of the goddess. However, this real name cannot be spoken in human words, only devout believers can recite the name in their hearts¡­ We serve the pure, primitive flesh and blood in order to get closer to the sacred form, so that we can wash away our sins¡­


    ¡°¡­The Voice of the Master fall upon the prophet and tell the prophet in the voice of the soul that the Disciples of Glory are guilty. They have stolen the blood of the goddess to extend their sinful lives. You will go to the mountain of the west and break a branch. Carve it into a stick and it will become the weapon as well as mark that the goddess has given her heir. Then, the judgment of the Disciples of Glory will come. When Manura, the scourge star shines again, the trial will come¡­


    ¡°¡­The mountain men who serve the flesh and blood walk barefoot around the Voice of the Master and the wounds on their bodies are healed again. They are clean because they have cleansed all of their sins with a portion of the flesh and blood. The Voice of the Master told the prophet that he is acting for the goddess. So the prophet commanded the mountain men to pay respects to the sacred statue of the goddess, not to the Voice of the Master, which is right¡­¡±


    The words on the strange book continued to remain jittery. Hao Ren was already having headache after reading a few paragraphs. He rubbed his eyebrows and asked, ¡°How did the heretics read this thing in one breath? The words are all jittery.¡±


    ¡°These blasphemous books have the power to attack one¡¯s mind.¡± Big Beardy glanced at the book but frowned and immediately moved away. ¡°The more pious one is, the easier one will be attacked by the book. Probably, only the heretics who are completely deviated from the teachings of the goddess can read it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s also true that the heretics revered the goddess. Just that, their goddess isn¡¯t so much in line with your goddess.¡± Hao Ren closed the damned book and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the Voice of the Lord?¡±


    ¡°It sounds like a radio station!¡± said Lily.


    ¡°Ahem¡­ It¡¯s definitely not the same as the Campus Radio.¡±


    ¡°This is the difference between the original Bible and the teaching code circulating outside.¡± Ophra just answered Hao Ren¡¯s question, not caring about the Campus Radio remark. ¡°In the original Bible, there is ¡®the Voice of the Master¡¯, whose source is unknown. According to the information available, the Cult of Origination began to develop after it received some kind of revelation from the Voice of the Master. All their actions, including doctrinal codification and the ritual of flesh and blood, are the teachings of the Voice of the Master. But when they faced the outside church, they hid the existence of the ¡®voice¡¯, and pretended that they were following the goddess¡¯s order.¡±


    Hao Ren frowned and asked, ¡°Why do they hide it?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it is also on the order of the Voice of the Master, because it doesn¡¯t want too many people to know of its presence,¡± Ophra said and shook her head. ¡°We¡¯ve only found these things recently, and it¡¯s unclear if the Voice of the Master is a human being. We can just roughly infer that ¡®it¡¯ should be a role similar to a god¡¯s messenger, whom the Cult of Origination regards as the incarnation and mouthpiece of the goddess. Many of their miraculous abilities are also obtained from the Voice of the Master.¡±


    The words ¡°god¡¯s messenger¡± gave Hao Ren the shivers as soon as he heard it. Thinking about it, he seemed to do the same job. Then he suddenly remembered the giant brain he had dealt with in the cavern at the Dragonspine Ridge.


    ¡°Does the Voice of the Master refer to the giant brain?¡± Lily also thought of the same thing. ¡°It seems that the thing is also called ¡®God¡¯s messenger¡¯ by the heretics.¡±


    Hao Ren recalled the situation at that time and got various speculations in his mind. ¡°At that time, at Dragonspine Ridge, the one that the heretics summoned was not the real giant brain, according to Y¡¯zaks, it¡¯s called the befalling¡­ Is it true that those at the top of the Cult of Origination have the ability to summon a real ¡®giant brain monster¡¯?¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t need to summon the real one,¡± Vivian suddenly interrupted. ¡°That kind of giant brain monster should have a strong mental capacity, and can even project its mental power across the universe to other planets. So it only needs to cast its own shadow into a part of the human brain, then it can ¡®appear¡¯ on Holletta out of thin air. I think there should be such a strong type of giant brain monster. ¡±


    Hao Ren gently shook his head and said, ¡°No, I think it is the senior members of the Cult of Origination summoned the real giant brain, or there¡¯s a giant brain accidentally came to this world. Do you remember the scroll that the assassin used to assassinate the Pope at the dinner today? Data Terminal and I analyzed its composition. That thing is not the product of this planet. Probably¡­ There is a giant brain monster hiding on this planet.¡±


    Ophra immediately looked serious and said, ¡°This information is vital. I must inform the king and the Pope now.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Hao Ren nodded and said, ¡°We can¡¯t stay here to help you, so we can only wish you well. According to my speculations, the giant brain will interfere with the mental state of ordinary people, so there should be a mass phenomenon of insomnia, nightmares, and madness in the vicinity of its hiding place. And the key figures of the Cult of Origination are also ordinary people. They can¡¯t live completely away from other people. If they¡¯re with the giant brain, there are definitely traces left behind. You can start with this clue.¡±


    Ophra nodded slightly while Big Beardy stepped forward, looked at Hao Ren and said, ¡°I will stay to assist the Church to deal with this matter. This problem is extraordinary, and I, as a devout believer of goddess, cannot sit idly by.¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his head and asked, ¡°Then, do you need to inform the other three?¡±


    Of the four ascetics, only one stayed, the other three guys had gone and traveled around the world. One was hunting on the African prairies, one was digging ice in Antarctica, and another one was in India competing with locals to challenge the limits of survival. Hao Ren did not know where to find these people.


    Big Beardy shook his head and said, ¡°No need, it¡¯s quite troublesome. Four of us work with one heart. I can do it here without them.¡±


    Well, he was quite sensible¡­


    Hao Ren rummaged through the files in the small box. He wanted more information about how to summon the giant brain, but the related file was not in the box. He asked about this, and Ophra could only shake her head and said, ¡°To summon the kind of monster you said seems to be a very top secret of the Cult of Origination. Only their ¡®bishop-level¡¯ people know the method, and there is no written information circulated, should be passed on by word of mouth. During the arrest, all the bishops had committed suicide, and even if those who were caught alive, they would have been killed before the trial for inexplicable reasons. The sect must have some way of controlling life to keep its members from betrayal. This is by far the biggest problem.¡±


    Hao Ren frowned. If the giant brain was not caught, his investigation into these heretics was meaningless. What he wanted to know was the secret of the goddess of creation. He could not interfere in the sectarian warfare on the Holletta and if he insisted on it, Raven 12345 would give him the ¡°blessing¡± for violating the employee code¡­


    But he also knew that some things took time to solve, so he could only nod and said, ¡°That¡¯s it, at least we have collected the information¡­ Let¡¯s go back and see if Y¡¯zaks has done his job.¡±

 Chapter 562

    Although Hao Ren was curious about the process of the ¡°soul trial¡±, he did not dare to look at the scene in order to protect his heart. Instead, he went to Becky¡¯s house to see the elves off and received some information about the Cult of Origination. The interrogation process was just over when he and the others returned to Helcrown.


    With Ophra leading the way, they went straight to the cathedral and met the pope and several bishops in a simple but very spacious room. The pope looked slightly tired. Today¡¯s assassination was still a shock for him, but after all, with the support of divine power, he recovered quickly. And both Y¡¯zaks and Y¡¯lisabet stood in the room. It seemed that ¡®work¡¯ was completed.


    When Y¡¯lisabet saw Hao Ren, she immediately jumped to greet him excitedly. ¡°Uncle Ren! It¡¯s done! The Rune of Affliction is very useful!¡±


    Hao Ren patted little girl¡¯s exquisite little horns. After a period of getting along, he knew that the little demon liked them to fondle her little horns, which meant intimacy¡ªand then he looked Y¡¯zaks and asked, ¡°Wang, is it really ok to let your daughter learn these?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks also agreed and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a bit late to learn Soul Extraction and Rune of Affliction at this age. But after all, the child¡¯s bloodline was not pure, so she was supposed to learn demon spells later than her peers.¡±


    ¡°¡­ That¡¯s not what I meant. Forget it. Did you get the answer?¡±


    ¡°The monster is an ¡®Abomination¡¯. The Cult of Origination made it using ¡®divine power¡¯. This is similar to necromancy, but what it¡¯s created are living things that are not afraid of various sacred forces, so I suspect that the Cult of Origination really mastered some of the knowledge related to the divine power, but they use it in the evil ways.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks sat on the wide-back chair as he spoke. ¡°Also, the Cult of Origination didn¡¯t know the real situation of the banquet held at the palace today. From the outset, the people of the Disciples of Glory have been keeping the secrets of the Firstborn and us, and have sent false information to some suspicious people, so the Cult of Origination mistakenly thought that today¡¯s imperial feast was just an ordinary noble banquet. Their assassination plans have been planned for more than two months, and have even infiltrated a portion of the royal guard and the higher order monks. They chose to do it today because the King and the Pope were here, and some of the soldiers on duty in the palace were under their control. More importantly, they got some sort of ¡®divine weapon¡¯¡ª that is, the scroll. But they had bad luck. They didn¡¯t expect the banquet was actually hosted to entertain a bunch of alien supermen and so their plan has failed because of us.¡±


    When Lily heard this, she thought she played a big part in it. She wagged her tail happily and said, ¡°So I¡¯m very powerful right!¡±


    ¡°Yes yes yes you¡¯re the best,¡± Hao Ren said and pressed Lily¡¯s head to stop her from jumping.


    Before Lily could say anything, Vivian asked, ¡°You are taking advantage of the mealtime right?¡±


    Ophra looked unusually serious and asked, ¡°They have infiltrated into the Royal Guard and the higher order monks? How did they do this?¡±


    ¡°Because they are good at controlling the mind,¡± answered Y¡¯zaks. ¡°They got many evil spells from an evil god. These heretics were very patient. They didn¡¯t wait to be killed while all of you were closing in on them.


    ¡°The evil god should be the Voice of the Master.¡± Hao Ren immediately recalled the information he had just learned today. ¡°And then? Did you dig out the list of people they¡¯ve infiltrated into from that monster¡¯s soul?¡±


    A white robe cardinal shook his head and said, ¡°No list, that monster is just an assassin, he doesn¡¯t know anything too detailed. And even if we have a list, it¡¯s useless. After the assassination, we went after the guards on duty but found that many of the guards had disappeared. We found the bodies of some guards near the outer wall of the palace. From their posture, we could see that it¡¯s suicide, but it¡¯s possible that they¡¯re forced to commit suicide under mental control, and other missing soldiers should have the same fate. These heretics have the power to control the human minds, which makes every action so watertight that almost none of their men can be caught alive or leak the secret ¨C except this time. We have successfully tortured the soul of the heretic during interrogation.¡±


    Hao Ren touched his chin and said, ¡°So it means¡­ all the people they¡¯ve infiltrated into are dead?¡±


    The pope sighed and replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lily suddenly interrupted, ¡°But how do you know the rest of the guards are not controlled by the heretics?¡±


    Hao Ren did not get it and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t all the guards that were under mind control had already run away?¡±


    ¡°They let some of the abandoned ones go out and grab your attention and pretend that everyone has been evacuated after the incident, so that we don¡¯t suspect the rest of the guards and just roughly check them,¡± Lily said, then shook her head and continued, ¡°but God knows how many of the rest of the guards are still under their control.¡±


    Vivian immediately looked at the husky with surprise. ¡°Oh well, doggie, I didn¡¯t expect that you¡¯re quite smart.¡±


    Lily hugged her arms as she continued to wag her tail, and said, ¡°Of course. After all, I¡¯m a writer. And you know what the spies did when the country was in a mess? I knew it! I tell you¡­¡±


    Hao Ren hurriedly pressed Lily¡¯s mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about irrelevant things¡­ Don¡¯t bite my hand!¡±


    ¡°In short, all soldiers and church monks will be investigated,¡± Ophra said while she put her hand on the hilt, ¡°and the current situation is not as good as we thought. But fortunately, the problem has been exposed. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid it will develop into a disaster.¡±


    ¡°Have you found the lair of the heretics?¡± Hao Ren asked while looking at Y¡¯zaks.


    ¡°They have fled,¡± Y¡¯zaks shrugged and said, ¡°and they are mentally connected.¡±


    Vivian immediately asked, ¡°What about the scroll? Where did the scroll come from? Who sent them? What was it originally for? ¡±


    ¡°This is interesting,¡± Y¡¯zaks laughed and said, ¡°In the soul memory of the Abominations, the scroll came from ¡®somewhere far, far away¡¯, a ¡®great¡¯ creature brought from the goddess to the Cult of Origination. They call that great creature the voice of what?¡±


    Hao Ren reminded, ¡°The Voice of the Master.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks patted his big bald head and said, ¡°Oh yes, the Voice of the Master. I¡¯ve mentioned that it¡¯s certainly not the Campus Radio¡­ You know that, too?¡±


    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s about the same as I guess,¡± Hao Ren laughed and said, ¡°A giant brain has come to this planet, and it has the ability to bring things from its place. But it must not be easy, so the Cult of Origination has only got a scroll so far, and what they can do is summon the giant brain.¡±


    He then looked at the pope and Ophra and said, ¡°I¡¯m quite straightforward ¨C Can you handle this yourself?¡±


    ¡°This is our duty.¡± The pope nodded and said, ¡°Let us deal with it.¡±


    ¡°Then I have to leave now.¡± Hao Ren said and stood up, ¡°I had to deal with something more troublesome than those heretics ¨C the two steel wire balls that were dug out of your planet.¡±


    After leaving the cathedral, they would go to Tannagost via the teleportation portal in the basement of Becky¡¯s house. The whole basement smelled like wine: The elves accidentally knocked down a little wine rack. Becky looked at the wine cellar sadly and said, ¡°I have to let them dig another wine cellar. It¡¯s too unreliable to put my precious wine in the exit.¡±


    ¡°Remember to pay attention to the situation here,¡± Hao Ren reminded Becky before leaving. ¡°You are now a noble, can directly participate in a lot of things. If there is any progress on the investigation of the heretics, please let me know immediately. Also, Big Beardy will stay here, you two can take care of each other, safety first, if you¡¯re no match for them, just run¡­¡±


    Becky nodded repeatedly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m good at it.¡±


    Hao Ren was silent.

 Chapter 563

    A beam of light appeared over the Alamanda teleporting station. After the light faded, Hao Ren and his team appeared on the portal platform. Now that the planet was just in time for the sunset, the sun was already about to fall completely below the horizon. The last rays of light were dispersed on the ruins of the City of Gold as the entire city was enveloped in a dim golden glow.


    Vivian looked up to the sky, there was an irregular silver light in the dim sky, which was becoming clearer as sunlight subsided. The size of the light was slightly smaller than the moon on Earth. The edge of the light was jagged like mountains. She looked at it carefully, and began to notice the neat structure in that silver light. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s the research station?¡±


    Lily looked up and saw the moon had come out. She immediately squatted back on the ground, happily stretched her neck and tilted her head up toward the ¡®moon¡¯ and howled. ¡°I wonder why it doesn¡¯t have that kind of feeling.¡±


    Hao Ren grabbed the ear of the naive maiden and held her up. ¡°This is not the moon, idiot!¡±


    ¡°Actually I¡¯ve been curious, why werewolves are so excited about the moon?¡± Y¡¯zaks scratched his chin quizzically. ¡°I don¡¯t feel any special energy in the moonlight. It¡¯s just the normal reflection of the sunlight.¡±


    Vivian shrugged her shoulder. ¡°God knows why. I haven¡¯t it figured out even though I¡¯ve known werewolves for more than 10,000 years.¡±


    At this time, a buzzing sound suddenly came from the sky in the east. It turned out that the Petrachelys had received the command to come down from its orbit. Hao Ren led everyone on board, and they soon arrived near the crystal-like space facility. Everyone was amazed looking at the spectacular behemoth at close range. Lily looked regretfully and said, ¡°I should¡¯ve followed you to come here earlier! I¡¯ve missed the chance to witness it construction¡­¡±


    Hao Ren ignored her, waiting for the spaceship to slowly approach the docking bay of the space facility. He could visualise the structural layout of this ¡®Crystal City¡¯ in his mind, knew that the docking bay was located in the middle section of the station. The building was a compact structure, the huge control centre was right in the middle section, with compartments for spacecraft docking, material transfer, accommodation and so forth. Connecting with this middle section were many crystal domes which had containers within and were the main working units of the research station.


    Two of the units of work had been activated, but only one First Born had been stuffed into the container. Not only that the First Borns were a very troublesome and bulky, but also brought along with them a large amount of ¡®impurities¡¯ which needed to be cleaned out. Besides, the ¡®lullaby¡¯ system must always be online during the transfer journey, so the process was time-consuming.


    The one which had been contained was the First Born from the Volcano of Dusk, placed in Container No. 1. The other First Born entangled with the giant tree of life had not been settled.


    As the crystal bridge in the docking bay appeared on the screen, Hao Ren let the MDT slow down the spacecraft and then switched on an external monitor. ¡°Look! That is the sample No. 2 that is undergoing containment now.¡±


    Everyone gathered in front of the holographic projection and looked at the spectacular working site in space with interest.


    One hundred kilometres away from the Petrachelys was the entrance to Sealed Container No. 2, where Sample No. 2 was undergoing final stage of containment. The massive First Born was still tangled with the giant tree of life, and the huge rocks and other impurities had been cleaned up. Lumps of amorphous gels with faint glow were moving among the tentacles and roots, cleaning up the remaining impurities and completing a full-body scan of the First Born. The light lumps were the ¡®workers¡¯ of the research station. As Hao Ren did not have a large enough research teams at his disposal, the research facility was inbuilt with its own crew.


    The debris that was cleaned up was mainly rock and soil, but it also contained some of the chemicals that the First Born discharged and epidermis shed during the slow physiological activities from the past 10,000 years. These things were equally valuable. So they would be sent to another workshop on the lower deck of the research station for further decomposing, extracting the useful substance and then dropping them into Tannogost¡¯s atmosphere and let them burn up.


    ¡°The giant tree of life and the Sample No. 2 are tangled together, there¡¯s no way to separate them now. So I¡¯m going to stuff them in the container,¡± Hao Ren pointed to Container No. 2 on the screen, which the shell-shaped crystal dome was opening slowly, revealing a huge space within. ¡°Before putting it in, all connection points between the tentacles and the giant tree of life have been fitted with sensors and nerve blockers. It will be a lot easier to conduct tests later on.¡±


    The dome of Container No. 2 was fully opened, and the entangled First Born and the giant tree of life was slowly pushed into it under the shroud of light. As the sample was completely immersed inside the container, a layer of nearly transparent light film appeared in the gap between the inner wall of the container and the sample, wrapping the sample like a cocoon before a thin, cloud-like liquid was injected and submerged the First Born in it.


    After this last step was completed, the crystal dome slowly began to close.


    The Petrachelys received a report from the research station. ¡°Container No. 2 confirms the operation¡­ The main barrier has been closed, the inert liquid has been injected, the signal transmission test¡­ normal, secondary safety barrier and the external dome are closed. All safety components passed the test. Signals are connected to the central control zone, the research station host takes over the control of the containers. Containment operation is completed.¡±


    Lily sullenly listened to the report and then nodded. ¡°Okay, report confirmed.¡±


    Hao Ren smacked her head and scoffed, ¡°Stop messing around!¡±


    Lily patted the back of the chair with her tail. ¡°It suits the occasion!¡±


    After observing the mega-container¡¯s containment process, the Petrachelys docked at the berth. Everyone alighted from the spacecraft and walked on a gorgeous, rainbow-crystal bridge. Overhead was a near-transparent shield. The space could be seen outside the shield, and on both sides of the bridge were crystal building facilities. Lily was overjoyed seeing the glittering stuff. ¡°Yeah! This place looks beautiful! Way much better than Kuiper Station!¡±


    Vivian also scratched her chin and said, ¡°Look! How normal this thing looks! In wonder why you were given the coffin-looking equipment.¡±


    Hao Ren twitched his mouth and said, ¡°Looks like the Goddess has finally done something normal: at least her sense of aesthetics in building houses is normal.¡±


    As they walked on the crystal bridge, Lily and began to went astray as her eyes full of excitement and curiosity. Hao Ren had been keeping an eye on the husky, he managed to stop her. ¡°What are you doing, Lily?¡±


    Lily¡¯s tail puffed up at once and jumped back. ¡°I just wanted to check if the bridge has rail¡­¡±


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes. ¡°No digging here. I know you want to add two more pieces of crystal to your collection!¡±


    Lily¡¯s ears dropped. ¡°Just one piece, okay?¡±


    Hao Ren was amused by her look. ¡°Don¡¯t mess around, this is a new building¡ªand I don¡¯t think you could knock any stone off this place. This is a prison is holding the First Born.¡±


    ¡°You can go home and check the glass market out, after all those stones are just ornamental, the look the same ¡­¡± said Vivian jokingly.


    Lily flung her tail and ignored them both.


    As everyone came to the central area, something suddenly crossed Hao Ren¡¯s mind. ¡°Oh, I haven¡¯t named this research station.¡±


    As Hao Ren¡¯s voice trailed off, and everyone came to a halt. Vivian and Lily spoke in unison. ¡°Please think again!¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his head. ¡°I haven¡¯t said it yet. I think it should be named¡­¡±


    Vivian placed her hand on Hao Ren¡¯s mouth and said honestly. ¡°Don¡¯t say it yet. Think harder.¡±


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°How good you expect from him when he named his daughter ¡®Lil Pea¡¯, his cat ¡®Rollie¡¯? The MDT hovered into the air. ¡°You can save that. The research station already has a name, CARS¡ªjust floating over your head.¡±


    Hao Ren looked up and saw that an idle screen of some kind of control centre floating on the crystal dome. At the centre of the screen was the name of this research station. He was astonished. ¡°How come Raven has come out with so fantastic name this time?¡±


    ¡°Normal my foot,¡± the MDT hooked up to the host computer of the research station and quickly learned the truth. ¡°Don¡¯t you think this research station looks like an apple core from afar?¡±


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°So its full name is ¡®Crapple Research Station¡¯¡ªthe fusion between Crystal and Apple.¡±


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­I should¡¯ve not asked in the first place!¡±

 Chapter 564

    After working for God for the past year, Hao Ren summed up his experience: for everything to do with Raven 12345, there was always a weird side to it. Her goddess look was all a result of special effects. The smartest way to deal with the Goddess was to not harp on the details. Whatever new gadget she made, used it and don¡¯t ask question then you would be fine. If you had to agonize over the details, then you would be guaranteed a place in the sanatorium by the time you are thirty¡­


    Such was the Goddess who seemed to have a bunch of followers. It must be difficult for the Pope and the bishops who were working for the Goddess, as extraordinary writing skill and exceptional adaptability to embellish Raven 12345 would be required. One always needed to take Raven¡¯s word with a pinch of salt¡ªso Hao Ren had never intended to start a cult or something to worship the neuropathy, he knew his conscience and sense of logic did not allow this thing to happen¡­


    ¡°We will just use the abbreviation,¡± said Hao Ren, glancing at the idle screen in mid-air. ¡°Let¡¯s see how this research station works. The only console I¡¯ve ever used is of the spacecraft, I¡¯ve never seen this mysterious thing before.¡±


    The core area of ??CARS was huge, and Hao Ren did not plan to go to places like warehouses, factories, and residences for the time being. Instead, he led everyone to the control central of the entire facility, where they could monitor all projects of the research station in real time.


    The control centre was a very large ortho-spherical hall. The common technological equipment and metal devices were nowhere to be seen here. Instead, crystal clusters and columns of various forms were in place. These crystals seemed to be a favourite things of Xi Ling Celestials, the entire CARS reflected this notion. The crystal clusters and columns were arranged neatly throughout the hall as if they grew from the ground. They were the main interactive terminals here. A simple mind-matching was all it took for rookie like Hao Ren to completely control the research station.


    In the centre of the control centre was a crystal as giant as a hill, which was part of the host of the facility, and also a huge mind interaction device. There was a constant flows of complex runes and wonderful light on the surface of the crystal. Every time when Hao Ren approached it, he would hear a sweet wind bell, and then he would establish an automatic mental connection with it, so all the interactive information on the host would be flashed in his mind.


    Like most technological devices, these mystical magic devices also supported direct mind connection, which greatly reduced their operational difficulty. Initially, Hao Ren was still worried that he would not be able to control the thing with his half-baked knowledge of magic. However, now it seemed that all roads lead to Rome, and the simplified and easy-to-understand interface was an inevitably the right direction.


    He was very pleased that he did not need to understand the principle of this place before he could use them.


    Lil Pea peeked out of Hao Ren¡¯s collar and looked at the place curiously. She mumbled something in her mouth before she jumped happily to the ground and scurried around. This little one had a strong body as she could simply jumped down from as high as two metres with ease. Hao Ren found his worry was really unnecessary as he sometimes worried that she might flatten her tail from the fall.


    But her tail was flat anyway.


    Seeing the baby fish ran around like headless chicken, Y¡¯lisabet immediately followed her from behind lest Lil Pea lost her way. She had quickly found her position; as the only elder of the two children, she felt she should look after Lil Pea like a big sister. Recently, Y¡¯lisabet was learning changing the aquarium water with Wuyue and was also actively reading aqua cultural books on tropical fish farming and her hard work paid off: her water-changing skills were as good as Hao Ren¡¯s, and Lil Pea said that the aqua cultural book tasted really good.


    Anyway, it was good as long as the two little ones could get along well. The elder one looked after the younger one and it lessened the burden on adults.


    ¡°Don¡¯t run too far, and don¡¯t let Lil Pea bite things here,¡± Hao Ren reminded as the two little ones hopped to the edge of the hall. ¡°And, put your little screwdriver away!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks scratched his head. ¡°Never mind, let me look after them both.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. He then activated the giant crystal in the centre of the hall rather clumsily according to the instructions in his mind to begin to connect to Containers No. 1 and 2.


    The giant crystal emitted a series of crisp sounds as a series of holograms emerged around the crystal. The largest image was the two First Borns. The two colossal giants were now quietly sleeping in a balloon-like vesicle suspended in a nearly transparent inert solution. They looked like a baby sleeping in the womb. Lily looked at the images and couldn¡¯t help but twitch her tongue. ¡°It feels like a horror movie.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re like the antagonists,¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°We¡¯ve never looked normal anyway.¡±


    Vivian said she did not want to give opinion because she did not know much about horror movies¡ªshe was poor before she had ever watched a movie¡­


    The two vessels were not completely calm. After the First Borns were excavated and placed in the containers for easy observation, Hao Ren had noticed the giant tentacles were not completely still. Some of the tentacles, mainly near the ganglions, would occasionally twitch or swing a little. This could be a form of somnambulism.


    But there was worry that these two big guys would suddenly wake up as the ¡®lullaby¡¯ system was still keeping them hypnotised. The nerve signal suppressor was on the bottom of the two containers, and CARS itself had a set of broadcasting devices that covered the entire facility. The Petrachelys had already linked the ¡®Lullaby¡¯ signal source with the broadcasting system as a double security suppression system. Besides, there were huge ¡®syringes¡¯ above the two containers. Once any First Born got out of control, a high concentration of interfering pheromones would be released into those thin inert solutions immediately.


    This was a fool-proof prison. Hao Ren felt that he could use this place to detain and study any dangerous creatures he found while on patrol in various worlds.


    Vivian did not quite understand the charts and data on the holographic projections. She tilted her head sideway and asked Hao Ren, ¡°What research plan do you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°I want to read the First Born¡¯s mind,¡± Hao Ren pointed to the holographic projection of the dark red tissues. ¡°Of course, we all know the First Borns are irrational, probably not capable of thinking at all, but it had been normal once. So I think it still retains some memories before it went crazy. Now that we know nothing about the body structure of the First Borns, we only know that they have some ganglions, so we¡¯re going to them a physical check-up¡­.finding out the functions these organs.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Vivian said, blinking. ¡°That¡¯s epic!¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his chin and nodded slightly. ¡°So we can do something else while waiting for the scan to finish.¡±


    He opened the dimensional pocket before several autonomous robots push two silver-white boxes out.


    Hao Ren stepped forward and switched on the identification device of the safe deposit box. A layer of blue light lit up on the boxes which then gradually opened up with a series of mechanical sound, revealing the large balls which glowed in red.


    These were the two strange spheres that were brought out from Helcrown.


    Up until now, Hao Ren had not figured out what they were for. But it was obviously not a battery. Now that the CARS was running and there was a huge amount of spare computing power, he could just throw the two balls in there for analysis.


    Hao Ren knocked on the shell of the MDT. ¡°Send the two samples to Comprehensive Test Lab No. 1. We¡¯ll be there soon.¡±


    After the autonomous robots took the two balls out of the hall, Lily mumbled as she held up her ears. ¡°You studying the balls?¡±


    Hao Ren was almost choked. ¡°¡­can you be more euphemistic?¡±


    Lily flicked her tail and said, ¡°You studying the eggs.¡±


    Hao Ren: ¡®¡­..¡±


    At this time Vivian interrupted Lily¡¯s train of thought. ¡°Something suddenly crossed my mind: We can check if the First Borns have organ similar to that spheres, perhaps that would shed light on their uses.¡±


    When the penny drops, Hao Ren¡¯s eyes lit up: this is a good idea!

 Chapter 565

    CARS was a comprehensive, large space station with a functional focus on scientific research and storage of dangerous cargo. Besides the large containers used to hold up the First Borns, several large laboratories on the lower decks of the space station could be used for routine researches. The samples collected from the First Borns and the weird stuff collected from other worlds could all be scanned and analysed here. Hao Ren did not have to worry about the limited function of the on-board laboratory of the Petrachelys.


    However, everyone was most satisfied with the architectural style of this place: the design of this building was different from the normal tech equipment that Hao Ren often had seen, its main building material were crystal and a kind of strange ¡®metal¡¯, including in the laboratories. Those light and elegant crystal clusters and arc-shaped metal were work of art. Walking in CARS was like traversing in an art museum. Hao Ren used to complain that Raven 12345 had never done things according to common sense, but this time he could not help but thank the goddess for blowing up the original building module: this new space station looked so much better than a coffin.


    Two red spheres had been sent to the lab quickly and everyone was eager to know what they were. As per Vivian¡¯s suggestion, Hao Ren ordered a quick body scan of the First Borns Containers No. 1 and No. 2. He was now waiting for the result.


    ¡°Guess what it is?¡± Hao Ren became bored while waiting for the scan. He chatted with Vivian casually. ¡°It had created the illusion of Helcrown¡ªis it the organ that the First Born uses for casting spells?¡±


    Vivian gently shook her head, she was tossing a small bat in her hand unconsciously. The two spheres were suspended on the crystal imaging platform not far away as light beams were sweeping around the spheres collecting information and then comparing it with the scan result of the First Borns. The holographic projection in the center of the laboratory showed the scanning progress of Container No. 1 and No. 2 vessels: The image of the First Borns became clearer.


    After a while, the MDT suddenly whistled and said, ¡°Found it!¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡± asked Hao Ren.


    The MDT zoomed in the image on the holographic projection and presented the details in Container No.1. The image of the First Born¡¯s tentacles and tissue lumps showed up, and the most striking feature of those intricately arranged biological tissues was the constant pulsating dim red light. The MDT pointed out a star structure between the red light and sad, ¡°In this position there is a thick connective skin here, and the bioelectric current is very strong. There is a sphere underneath it, exactly like the two red spheres on hand. There are actually more than one¡­¡±


    The MDT zoomed in image a little further, and seven or eight shining red dots appeared on the scanned image. The red dots were all spherical organs, and they were not evenly distributed.


    Lily held her head with her hands and watched for a moment. ¡°One First Born can grow so many balls? Then why did Y¡¯lisabet find only three?¡±


    ¡°Because of malnutrition. Don¡¯t forget that the First Born of the Y¡¯zaks hometown was starved to death,¡± Hao Ren switched the image back, curiously looking at the star-shaped object that emitted a dull red light and connected with many more smaller tentacles to the nearest tissue lumps, and those smaller whiskers were very light in colour, obviously not of a weapon variety. And star-shaped tissues were wrapped in other tentacles and thick skins, which suggested that they were very crucial to the First Borns. ¡°What does this look like?¡±


    ¡°Some kind of nervous center,¡± replied the MDT. ¡°Besides, according to the latest test results, those grey-white tentacles are mostly connected to the mesothelioma, and the mesothelioma has been confirmed a ganglion of the First Born.¡±


    Hao Ren tried to use his noodle while scratching his chin. Then suddenly a thought came to mind. ¡°Wait a second! Can it be the brain of the First Born?¡±


    Lily looked at Hao Ren in horror. ¡°You¡¯ve grown a brain, Mr. Landlord?¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s quite possible,¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°Look! This thing is already as weird as it can get, what¡¯s wrong if this is a thinking organ? You see, we¡¯ve been searching for the First Born¡¯s brain before but we¡¯ve come out with nothing. This thing obviously is intelligent, so its thinking organs must be a little weird. And anyway, this thing connects with many ganglions, it must be related to intelligence.¡±


    ¡°A very good conjecture,¡± the MDT affirmed Hao Ren¡¯s thought. ¡°This creature is too big, so much as that might be difficult for a single brain to control the whole body and nutrients wouldn¡¯t be sufficient¡­ so it uses a distributed brain structure. Anyway let¡¯s first perform a rest on it.¡±


    Container No. 1 soon received an instruction from the MDT. The container was injected with a pale green, thin agent, and then several bright masses of light were absorbed onto the antennae of the First Born. Those tentacles shook slightly and then returned to normal.


    The control module of Container No. 1 cut one of the star tissues off from the surrounding organs, and then started to feed a simulated signal to it.


    ¡°Perhaps it is the brain,¡± said the MDT, reading the feedback data and was surprised. ¡°This thing is amazing. The thought process of the First Born is actually done by three very different organs¡ªthe ganglia, the red spheres, and those grey nerve fibres. These three things are brains, and they are scattered throughout the body.¡±


    Lily glanced at Hao Ren in surprise. ¡°I said so, Mr. Landlord. You really have grown a brain!¡±


    ¡°Stop the crap! This is called talent. It¡¯s not something that you can simply acquire.¡± Hao Ren rubbed Lily¡¯s head and then turned to look at the MDT. ¡°Why have we not seen it the last time we studied the spheres in Helcrown?¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t think of it in this direction,¡± said the MDT as it did a barrel roll in the air. ¡°Hey, this thing sounds really interesting¡­ Well, basically I now understand how the brains of the First Born work.¡±


    Hao Ren listened attentively to the MDT.


    ¡°These spheres are the First Born¡¯s main thinking organ, they bear 70 percent of the brain¡¯s functions. They can be called brain nuclei. There are many, and distributed in various parts of the First Born¡¯s body; those lumps, which are the ganglia, are something that enhance and speed up the signal. Perhaps they also act as a cache, are responsible for relaying commands from the brain to all parts of the body. Since the First Born is too large, it must have such a secondary cache and brainwave amplifier in order to control its own body; those grey and white tentacles are not ordinary nerve fibres, they are actually mutated variations of ganglia. They are capable of logical functions. Their role is to connect several different brains so that the First Born¡¯s thinking process can be coordinated, preventing schizophrenia and brainwave conflicts. The operation of this set of mechanisms is very strange, it is not the same as the various types of known intelligent beings, but it can perfectly solve the problems brought about by the oversized body of the First Born. And more importantly, they have a back-up copy of the eldest son¡¯s memory. I believe that a single brain is also capable of thinking, but its efficiency will be reduced and would be able to control all the tentacles. But if part of the brains are off line, the First Born could still survive on the remaining brain structure, and even to repair the off-line brains ¡­ it¡¯s a perfect computing machine. It has its intranet and can upload and download information between its brains!¡±


    Lily counted with her fingers trying to figure out the logic. She suddenly said in amazement. ¡°Only if I have its ability, I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about the character confusion in writing my novels! I can even fall in love with my four selves!¡±


    Vivian gave out a sideways smile. ¡°Unfortunately, you are still a single dog.¡±


    Lily scoffed back. ¡°Arf¡ª¡±


    ¡°Could you not be quiet for a few minutes in such a serious occasion?¡± Hao Ren glared at the two to quiet them down, then turned to the MDT. ¡°I¡¯ve got it. That means the First Born has a compound brain, and the brain is made up of a combination of brains, and those red spheres are the main organs of thought. Then what was the illusion of Helcrown all about?¡±


    The MDT was silent for a while as blue light surging on its surface. Then it said, ¡°I thinks it was just a dream.¡±


    Hao Ren asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The strength of the First Born¡¯s mind is strong enough to directly trigger natural phenomena. Although it still couldn¡¯t reach the point where it interferes with reality, it can at least create a large-scale illusion,¡± the MDT flew over the two spheres. ¡°These two brain nuclei, although severely damaged, are not dead. They are sleeping and they occasionally dream.¡±

 Chapter 566

    Two red spheres floated on the crystal platform, while red glow surged under their rough, knotted skin. They looked like a pair of weird lava lamps. Some crystal clusters were suspended above the platform and light from the crystal clusters were scanning the electrical signals in the spheres as well as carrying out some harmless, simple stimuli tests.


    Y¡¯zaks looked at the incredibly strange brain with interest¡ªstrictly speaking, they were just a part of the brain. ¡°Why did the First Born leave behind the seed and not the brain when it died?¡±


    ¡°Because the brain is the seed!¡± The MDT seemed to suddenly discover. It switched on a series of holographic projections, which not only displayed the images of the First Borns in Container No. 1 and No. 2. The holograms also showed the First Born remains they brought out from Y¡¯zaks¡¯ hometown, part of the tentacle structure they scanned on the surface of Tannagost, as well as a large number of strange tentacles and living organs. They were simulations of the various forms of the First Born in different stages of growth. ¡°I¡¯ve surmised the findings of the First Borns, and conducted a simulation of their growth. We can consider the First Born on board the shipwreck an infant, the one on Holletta a youth, and the one on Tannagost an adult. Through the comparison of these three stages, I¡¯ve made a surprising discovery: perhaps the First Born was only a ¡®brain nucleus¡¯ at the beginning, and as its size increased, it bred other brains in the body. These brains rely on neural networks to form a whole consciousness. That would be the stage that¡¯s been scanned in Container No. 1 and No. 2. But after a certain period of development, the First Born splits, whereby the brain nucleus splits and grows into a new body. It could also be that only the brain nucleus left, because the red spheres contain a lot of structures that aren¡¯t related to neural activity, and they may develop into embryos. In short, the First Born¡¯s brain is the seed, and its reproduction is extremely interesting. It¡¯s an extremely advanced life form, but it reproduces by adopting an approach to cell division. Each descendant is a complete copy of its predecessor, from the body to the thoughts, all of which are identical. Only after the neural connection is broken can they develop separately. The sample from Holletta should be in the middle stage of its growth, meaning the old body has divided, and the new body is growing a compound brain. The First Born that withered 200,000 years ago died at a young age. So, there¡¯s only one First Born and three brain nuclei atop the wreckage¡­¡±


    The more Hao Ren listened, the more surprised he was. He could not help interrupting at this moment. ¡°So, there are three First Borns on Holletta? And they¡¯re all results of division?¡±


    The number of First Borns on Holletta had always been a great concern, because after they came into contact with the First Born in Y¡¯zaks¡¯ hometown, Hao Ren discovered that the Seed of Origin would only give birth to one individual. Also, the extremely sophisticated ¡°detector¡± created by the goddess of creation could not possibly be without the ability to identify another of its own. This meant that theoretically, a compounded Seed of Origin would not land on a planet (it would be a waste). Hence, why were there three First Borns on Holletta?


    Hao Ren had always thought that there was a defect in the Seed of Origin. But now it did not seem that was the case. The First Born reproduced through division.


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t the First Born on Tannagost divide?¡± Lily snapped forward. ¡°It¡¯s been so huge! It¡¯s covered the entire planet!¡±


    ¡°This is not yet clear,¡± the MDT admitted. ¡°I can only infer its physiological form based on the actual data available, but I can¡¯t know its judgment mechanism in its actions. Perhaps Tannagost was a special experimental venue, so the First Born had chosen to continue to grow here, or it might be that Holletta was very special, and it led to the First Born there to divide into three. We have too few samples at hand, without comparison, there can be no conclusion. ¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s put the reproductive problem of the First Born to a side,¡± Vivian suddenly waved. ¡°And let¡¯s talk about these two spheres. They could create a projection of Helcrown in dream?¡±


    ¡°Dream is just a metaphor,¡± the MDT shook itself a little. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s some kind of neural activity. These two brain nuclei functions are impaired, so they could be severely affected by external stimuli. One of the brain nuclei When Helcrown used one of the brain nuclei as its energy source, large amount of energy was extracted, but in the process its ¡®sensor¡¯ had also spread throughout the city via Helcown power grid. And because of the existence of the city shield, its scan of the city was thorough. Under a certain condition, it began to dream. It dreamed of its own ¡®new body¡¯, and the projection of Helcrown appeared. Do you also remember what you saw at the top of the atmosphere? In the illusion of Helcrown existed before it was brought to Aerym, there was no land bridge next to the city. So it is an afterimage.¡±


    Lily opened her mouth long and wide and marvelled as her ears dipped. ¡°As a novelist, my imagination isn¡¯t as good as a brick¡­. I couldn¡¯t even have that kind imagination!¡±


    ¡°This is not an imagination. It is hard facts and reasonable derivation!¡± The MDT said, pretending it had a big wolf tail. ¡°I have collected the electrical signal pattern of the red spheres and reasoned it out after comparing it with the neural structure of Sample No. 1 and No. 2. After the neural structure.¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his chin in deep thoughts. He suddenly said, ¡°If this is the brain of the First Born¡­ does it mean we have the opportunity to talk with a normal First Born?!¡±


    ¡°I am trying,¡± the MDT beamed its light to the crystal cluster near the two spheres. ¡°But all communication methods have failed so far. The brain¡¯s response to external signals is very weak and there is little logic. Reading by force will not work: The stability of the brain¡¯s nucleus begins to decline after a certain amount of signal stimulation. Perhaps that was why it blew up when Y¡¯lisbet first tested the reactor.¡±


    Hao Ren glanced oddly at Y¡¯lisbet, amazed by the little girl¡¯s guts where she was using the First Born¡¯s brain to power the entire Helcrown for more than half a year! The mere thought of that sent chill down his spine.


    Even Y¡¯zaks had cold sweat trickled down his bare forehead. He patted his daughter¡¯s head and said, ¡°It was lucky that nothing had happened back then.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet had no sense of danger toward the First Born. She was holding Lil Pea and both of them just giggled.


    Vivian shook her head helplessly. ¡°There¡¯s a reason why they both have the same name¡ªthey both dare to die!¡±


    Lily looked at the two kids and then the red spheres again. And she sighed regretfully. ¡°These two brains are too badly damaged and there is no way to communicate¡­ Can we cure them?¡±


    ¡°The previous attempts to cultivate the Seed of Origin and the primitive organs failed. The first creations of the goddess of creation are not ordinary lives. If the divine information of the goddess cannot be solved, there is no way to artificially cultivate or repair these primitive lives,¡± The MDT said regrettably. ¡°At the moment, we can only hope them would self-heal slowly. We can provide them with sufficient external nutrients¡ªsuch as soaking them in lifeblood, but other than that nothing much we can do.¡±


    ¡°So we can only let them sleep?¡± Vivian hugged herself. ¡°Or will they dream again? Perhaps their dreams may reveal something.¡±


    Suddenly, Lily lunged forwards and carefully patted one of the red spheres. ¡°Sleeping beauty, it¡¯s time to wake up!¡±


    Everyone: ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°Not working,¡± Lily scuttled back up to Hao Ren. ¡°Or do you try it yourself?¡±


    Vivian stepped away, trying to keep a distance from Lily. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s all right to do that at all?¡±


    ¡°Why not we say let Mr. Landlord try and see if he could read the brain is thinking. Couldn¡¯t he usually connect with the consciousness of strange creatures sometimes? He used to connect with the gigantic brain,¡± Lily rolled her eyes. ¡°You can¡¯t hold prejudice against me simply because I¡¯m a husky.¡±


    The girl had admitted that she was a husky, without blinking an eye.


    On the other hand, Hao Ren felt that Lily¡¯s suggestion seemed plausible. So he stepped forward. ¡°Then¡­ let¡¯s try it out.¡±

 Chapter 567

    Hao Ren cautiously went up to the side of the red sphere and held his chin. ¡°Say, if I connect with this thing, will I get schizophrenia? The First Born is a creature that can chat with itself.¡±


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be a problem if you¡¯re just connecting with one brain,¡± the MDT said cautiously. ¡°Plus, this is a severely damaged brain. The equipment in the lab can terminate its activities at any time.¡±


    Hao Ren gritted his teeth. He thought of his identity as God¡¯s agent; in theory, his soul should be indestructible. So, he placed his hand on one of the red spheres, and began to focus his mind. Lily, who had been waiting for a long time, started mumbling, ¡°Mr. Landlord, you look like you¡¯re constipated¡­¡±


    Lily¡¯s words made Hao Ren thoroughly give up. He could not help but take his hand off the sphere and say, ¡°Why isn¡¯t there any response?¡±


    ¡°You saw nothing?¡± Vivian stepped forward, feeling concerned. ¡°How did you previously see the memories of the other creatures?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Hao Ren said, scratching his head. ¡°The most I can remember is, when I contacted the gigantic brain, I was touching its tentacles. I just saw its memory naturally. It seemed like a passive interaction.¡±


    ¡°Looks like there¡¯s no use trying without knowing how,¡± Y¡¯zaks said, coming up with his arm wrapped around his body. ¡°First of all, you have to understand the principles behind reading memories. MDT, have you studied this?¡±


    The MDT shook its body. ¡°His weird power manifests randomly. Without real-time monitoring, who can study it? Why don¡¯t you try another posture and see if it works?¡±


    Hao Ren grinned, and put his hands on the sphere again. He tried eight different ways to trigger his ability, including mind focusing, qi circulation, meditation, and even chanting Raven 12345¡¯s name. This last method summoned an inexplicable ball of light in the air, but everything else failed.


    Lily pondered for a moment. She suddenly grabbed Hao Ren¡¯s finger and bit it. However, she screamed in pain because she bit into the Steel membrane Shield. Hao Ren was startled and asked, ¡°Are you out of your mind?¡±


    Lily grumbled and groaned. ¡°I just wanted to try dribbling the your blood over the sphere and see if it works. Ouch, that hurts!¡±


    Hao Ren shot Lily a sideways glance and said, ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t do things like that around here.¡±


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯ve run out of ideas.¡± Hao Ren felt a bit depressed. ¡°Maybe its electromagnetic wave can¡¯t keep up with mine.¡±


    The MDT was rather optimistic. ¡°Maybe the brain nucleus is too weak and it has temporarily lost its connectivity. Let¡¯s think of a way to get recover it. The Petrachelys has catalyzed a lot of lifeblood in the on-board laboratory. We can use it as nutritional supplements.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and agreed as there was no better way.


    The MDT issued a series of instructions, and two transparent crystal tanks, which looked like some kind of biochemical equipment rose up from the floor in the center of the laboratory. The two brain nuclei were carefully transferred into the two large tanks by way of gravitational force. As the crystallized lid of the tanks closed, a red viscous liquid was rapidly injected into one of the tanks and the brain nucleus was completely submerged in it.


    The brain nucleus in the other tank was temporarily submerged in a normal inert solution, because it was not certain yet that the lifeblood could cure the two spheres. The MDT wanted to take precaution.


    As for the lifeblood, it was teleported directly from the Petrachelys. When the spacecraft docked at the berth of CARS, a set of space-time devices could allow the two to perform rapid material exchanges, thus eliminating the hassle of traditional loading and unloading methods.


    The brain nucleus was soaked in the lifeblood, and it seemed like nothing changed. Lily asked a little worriedly, ¡°Is it experiencing blood-type compatibility issues? Should we first give these two brains a blood test?¡±


    ¡°The hole in your brain is no smaller than the landlord¡¯s,¡± Vivian said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. The lifeblood is not real blood, there¡¯s no compatibility issues. The lifeblood is made based on the the Seed of Origin¡¯s body fluid. It¡¯s the purest form of raw nutrient, and there¡¯s no worry about the two brain nuclei getting infected.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the tank and saw no reaction. He could not help but poke the MDT that was drifting around. ¡°Does this even work?¡±


    The MDT carefully checked if there was any reaction in the tank. After a moment of silence, it replied in a relaxed tone of voice, ¡°Oh, looks like it¡¯s begun to absorb it¡­ Something¡¯s being exchanged between the lifeblood and the brain nucleus. However, there¡¯s no signs of recovery yet.¡±


    Hao Ren let out a sigh of relief. It did not matter if it was healed or not, at least there was some reaction.


    Lily could not help yawning at this time. ¡°Mr. Landlord, I¡¯m drowsy. I want to go home and sleep!¡±


    Only then did Hao Ren realize that they had been working the entire day, and it had been a hell of a day. He could not help but yawn himself. He rubbed his eyes, and confirmed that there was no need for him to stay for now. He then breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Let¡¯s go home and get some rest. CARS will run on its own.¡±


    The little girl Y¡¯lisabet was always full of energy. She jumped and yelled, ¡°Uncle Ren, let me help you look after the research station!¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head immediately. ¡°I have a bad feeling when I see the screwdriver in your hand!¡±


    Before they left CARS, Hao Ren issued a work plan for the management host there: it was supposed to continue a deep scan of the two living samples until an accurate and detailed map of the First Borns¡¯ physiology was obtained; perform analysis on the various tissues and organs of the First Borns; determine the function and characteristics of those organs as soon as possible; find a way to establish contact with the First Born¡¯s nervous system; figure out what it was thinking without waking it up; and follow as well as monitor the situation of the two brains. If the lifeblood had a good therapeutic effect without any side effects, the other brain nucleus was to be submerged into the lifeblood.


    All this work could be done by the automated system there. The only thing they needed to do was wait.


    Anyway, this time, everyone had obtained an unprecedented understanding of the First Borns. Before that, Hao Ren never had a living, complete First Born, so there was no way to know its physiological make-up. The remains offered very little information for all it was worth. At least now, he knew where the First Born¡¯s brain was¡ªif all went well, he might even figure out the First Born¡¯s thoughts.


    He may be even able to trace back the memory of the First Born that just hatched from the Seed of Origin, and what kind of commands it received from the goddess of creation at that time.


    Before leaving Tannagost, Hao Ren stood on the high walls of Alamanda as he looked at the huge tentacles stretching out in the open. Some autonomous machines and engineering equipment were working busily around those tentacles. They were the ¡°engineering teams¡± from the Petrachelys.


    These teams would work across the planet for the next few months. They would continue to multiply themselves and build signal towers as well as monitoring equipment. They would solve the problem of the vengeful spirit once and for all, and build bases there. Hao Ren had no idea what these projects would look like in the future, but he knew that more preparations were always good.


    The more he learned about the goddess of creation and the First Borns, the more he had a feeling that something was brewing under the surface of the Plane of Dreams. Hence, he needed a base.


    An autonomous robot flew past him from a distance with shiny pipelines rolled up in its mechanical arms. It was installing an energy dome generator above the Alamanda portal. Hao Ren could imagine that the next time he came, at least the portal square would be as pleasant as Earth.


    However, he would try to adjust the scope of this ecological transformation, not letting it threaten the nature outside the dome: after all, the planet had just escaped the calamity of the First Born.


    After he arranged the engineering works on the planet, Hao Ren led the others, who had all been yawning back to Earth.

 Chapter 568

    A few days after returning to Earth, everything was calm and quiet on the Western Front. Hao Ren was pretty much content with the quietness of his recent days. On top of that, he took the time to study up on the Disciples of Glory, the Cult of Origination, and various inspector knowledge. His time was also occasionally devoted to teasing the cat, fish, and dog. Life was comfortable. He had now adapted to an inspector¡¯s rhythm of life, whereby when things came up, he would work like a dog, and when there was nothing do, he would be as lazy as a cat to balance his life. The good news was, he had both creatures around him and he could observe their habits at any time.


    Just as the past few days, once the first ray of morning sun shone through the window into his room, Hao Ren was woken up by the scratching sounds and a ton of voices outside his door. There was Lily¡¯s howling when she woke up, followed by flapping sounds from Vivian¡¯s bat swarm flying through the open windows into the living room. They had brought back freshly plucked wild vegetables still covered in morning dewdrops, and herbs for tonic food. Then there was the silly cat¡¯s long cry coming through the door. ¡°Big Boss Cat! Big Boss Cat! Where¡¯s my breakfast? Give me my breakfast! Open the door, I know you¡¯re inside. Why have you been locking the door lately? Let me go in and lick you. Why did you lock the door?¡±


    This noise finally woke Lil Pea up, and the small table in Hao Ren¡¯s room began to creak and squeak: Lil Pea was doing stretching exercises in her pot. While Lil Pea was only half way into her workout, half of the pot¡¯s water had already spilled out.


    Hao Ren slowly got changed amid the buzzing noises of the cat, the bat, and the splashing water. It felt like he had been sleeping in a zoo, and the situation looked like a good shooting scene for Animal Planet¡ªas long as the director and audience liked it, the ecological environment in his house was enough to make at least 20 episodes of animal documentary!


    After Lil Pea was done with her water splashing, she leaped over Hao Ren. He held her up in his hand and headed for the door. As soon as he yanked the door open, he saw the silly cat standing at the doorway, looking up at him with watery eyes. ¡°Why did you lock the door?¡± the silly cat asked.


    ¡°Because of this!¡± Hao Ren pointed at the floor by the doorway; wood chips were everywhere. The good old door was scratched almost like a terraced field. ¡°Whenever you wake up early, remember not to scratch the door. Then, I¡¯ll let you in.¡±


    Lil Pea saw the wood chips on the floo and jumped down immediately. She began to savor and eat them up, sounding like a rodent grinding its teeth. Soon the wood chips were gobbled up by the little one. This had been a regular affair lately: the silly cat would get up early in the morning and scratch the door, while Lil Pea would eat the wood chips as breakfast, cleaning up the floor in the process. This saved Hao Ren the trouble of feeding the fish. But in all honesty, Hao Ren would rather not feed the fish this way, because the door would be gone before he knew it!


    However, how could the silly cat understand this? She bluntly said, ¡°I used to wake you up this way. But you¡¯ve changed and been really weird recently. Give me a little dried fish.¡±


    Holding two pieces of wood chips in her hands, Lil Pea looked up at Rollie. The silly cat¡¯s ears twitched and she immediately took a step back. ¡°Maybe a small cookies will do¡­¡±


    ¡°Look at you!¡± Hao Ren picked Lil Pea up from the floor and poked the cat-girl on her head. ¡°Let me teach you one last time: No. Door. Scratching! Don¡¯t your fingers hurt? Do you want me to install a security door in my room?¡±


    The cat-girl thought for a moment and lifted her paw. ¡°That works too. It sounds nice!¡±


    The thought of the screeching sound of metal suddenly gave Hao Ren goose bumps all over his body. He found that he was completely unable to deal with the cat. The good news was, he had never been able to do so in the past, so in a sense, the situation had not gotten worse.


    Vivian was picking through a large amount of wild vegetables and herbs in the living room. Several small bats were flying around her. They were helping her to pick out the rotten leaves, straw sticks and roots, as well as throwing them away. The whole thing looked very efficient and fun. Vivian had developed the habit of sending a swarm of bats out at night before going to bed, leaving only her consciousness behind to issue commands. The next day, the bats would come back with enough harvest to feed the entire family. The maiden who had a hard enough life in the past could always find ways to save Hao Ren a few pennies, although it was not necessary.


    Nevertheless, the dishes she made with these wild vegetables were pretty well-liked, so Hao Ren let her be.


    Lily was squatting and reading a book on the sofa not far away. As usual, she was in her werewolf form in the morning. Hao Ren said hello to her. ¡°Hey Lily, what are you reading?¡±


    However, the maiden did not respond. Hao Ren curiously went up to her and found two thin cords attached to her pointy, hairy ears. The headphones were deeply covered by her fluffy ear.


    Lily suddenly twitched her nose as she picked up Hao Ren¡¯s smell. She turned her head around and greeted him with a smile as she pulled out four ear plugs from her pointy ears under her hair. ¡°You¡¯re awake, Mr. Landlord!¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned. ¡°¡­Four channels?!¡±


    Lily froze for a moment before she came to her senses and bragged, ¡°It¡¯s an amazing stereo! Mr. Landlord, let me tell you, every note feels like it¡¯s being knocked into my head. This headset was built with Y¡¯lisabet¡¯s help, and it sounds fantastic! Do you want to try it?¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head as cold sweat ran down his forehead. ¡°I don¡¯t fancy it¡­ Don¡¯t you find the noise too loud when you¡¯re in werewolf form?¡±


    With arms akimbo, Lily said, ¡°I¡¯m curious¡­ Don¡¯t you feel bored when you have no tail to bite?¡±


    The MDT suddenly came out of nowhere and circled Lily curiously. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s interesting. All kemonomimis1 here are four-channeled. I¡¯ve heard that kemonomimis in other worlds are two-channeled. It¡¯s a really big universe.¡±


    Hao Ren was startled. ¡°There are kemonomimis in the otherworlds?¡±


    ¡°Of course. They are a normal race created by God. Why can¡¯t they breed everywhere?¡± The MDT scoffed at Hao Ren¡¯s shallow knowledge. ¡°The canis protector itself is a two-channeled nine-tailed fox.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s a funny position among the Xi Ling Celestials!¡±


    After breakfast, Y¡¯zaks took his daughter out for a walk. Lily and Nangong Wuyue went out too. Hao Ren had nothing to do, so he stood up and said to the great demon, ¡°Wang, I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Hao Ren conveniently passed Lil Pea to Nangong Sanba, who was immersed in making Letta rune cards at the coffee table. ¡°Continue to impart demon-hunter knowledge into her. Don¡¯t let her eat too many books. The ink will make her fat.¡±


    Nangong Sanba nodded with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve put together the tutorial materials. I can even teach the little one without any tools, but there¡¯s something I want to tell you¡­¡±


    Hao Ren saw Nangong Sanba¡¯s hesitation, so he waved to him. ¡°Whatever it is, please say it.¡±


    ¡°At present, I can still deal with the basic parts of teaching,¡± said Nangong Sanba, pointing to the little mermaid who was jumping on the table. ¡°But, I guess my knowledge will soon be insufficient to teach the kid. She is highly gifted. Besides the fact that her small size is limiting her fighting power, she is actually a fast learner. She could memorize the Letta tunes with just one glance, she¡¯s now better than me at controling her mind power, and she learned the Second Sight skill on her own. She¡¯s a genius, and my half-baked skills won¡¯t be enough to teach her in two months.¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his chin. ¡°What can we do? After all, she derived her strength from the Sacred Relic of Origins. In theory, she has the earliest demon hunter bloodline in her. I guess no one else is purer in ancestry and more talented than her except your ancestors.¡±


    ¡°The demon-hunter is a race that values the bloodline. Although hard work may also create miracles, the role of congenital pureblood cannot be underestimated,¡± said Nangong Sanba, shaking his head finally admitting his inadequacy. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to teach her soon.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Nangong Sanba. ¡°What¡¯s your suggestion?¡±


    ¡°Find a more suitable teacher as soon as possible. A professional demon hunter, not necessarily a purebred one, but at least one with complete knowledge and heritage. Or else, it¡¯ll be a waste of this child¡¯s great talent.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment, then something crossed his mind. ¡°Wait a second, isn¡¯t Lil Pea just a foot long?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°¡­She can learn all she wants, but what¡¯s the point? Only to slap people in their faces?¡± Hao Ren could not help but laugh. ¡°Right now, just teach her how to control her abilities. I don¡¯t expect much from her anyway. I honestly don¡¯t think she can beat anyone other than overpower the vengeful spirit with her singing.¡±


    ¡°¡­Maybe you¡¯re right,¡± Nangong Sanba responded.

 Chapter 569

    When he was at home, Hao Ren had a habit of going out for a stroll. After breakfast, he would take the cat and mooch around town for an hour. Occasionally, he would meet his acquaintances and have a casual chat. For him, this was a blissful life. Although Lily occasionally teased that he was like a retired veteran, Hao Ren could care less because this was the life he enjoyed.


    However, ever since Rollie transformed into a human, this daily affair had become less easy. When he took her out for a walk previously, he did not have to worry about the silly cat. He could just let her run loose, and as soon as she had played enough, she would come back up. But now, things were different: in the short distance between his house and Whitestone Road, Hao Ren had dragged the cat girl up from the ground three times in a row, and he even had to pull her head out of a trash bin once¡­


    Hao Ren had been feeling pretty exhausted lately. He adjusted the wide-brim hat on the cat¡¯s head (used to conceal her ears) and said, ¡°When will you learn to live the human lifestyle?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve learned it, so you should give me small dried fish. I didn¡¯t get to eat at home!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks was walking in front with his daughter on his shoulder. He heard and smiled. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to let Rollie go to Aerym in the future? Why are you still bringing her along?¡±


    ¡°Only if she can stay put at home first.¡± Hao Ren sighed helplessly. ¡°She¡¯ll follow whoever¡¯s going out. If she doesn¡¯t get her way, she¡¯ll scratch the door, or gnaw at the curtains. So instead of letting her go out with Lily and getting herself into trouble, I¡¯ll take care of her personally.¡±


    The cat girl tilted her head, listening. She had actually been showing a little more understanding in recent days. At the very least, she already knew that her demeanor was causing trouble for her master. So, she tried to observe, albeit with the intelligence of a cat. She squatted next to Hao Ren and began to rub his leg. ¡°Big Boss Cat, you¡¯re happy, right? You guys are really troublesome¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    Mooching about near the south of Whitestone Road, there were more people coming out for their morning walk. That aside, the population of the Southern Suburbs had been declining. Whitestone Road and the back-alley business street were the only places with more crowds. Everyone sort of knew one another in this little town, so it was not a surprise that Hao Ren would bump into someone he knew. ¡°Hao Ren, I heard that you were on a business trip two days ago?¡±


    And there were also those who were braver, or just had a somewhat stronger taste. They would be the ones to greet Y¡¯zaks. ¡°Daquan, just got out of the slammer again?¡±


    Basically, those in the second category were local old ladies.


    Of course, they were just joking. Although Y¡¯zaks had caused a lot of trouble in the Southern Suburbs when he first arrived, a year later he had become rather well-known by the locals on Whitestone Road. The elderlies in the neighborhood all knew the big guy with a vicious face but good nature. They had let down their guard after several cautious encounters with him. Y¡¯zaks had been helpful to the neighbors by carrying their cooking gas cylinders, moving a truck-load of bricks, repairing their houses and things like that. He had successfully integrated into the social circle in the Southern Suburbs; considering his notorious face, it was an epic achievement for him.


    Naturally, occasional misunderstandings were still inevitable. There were still people who would call the police when they saw a big guy like Y¡¯zaks for the first time, but one could not blame them. When Hao Ren first brought Y¡¯zaks out, calls to the police station spiked by at least 50 %, so after several misunderstandings like that, the first thing the old ladies on Whitestone Road uttered when they saw Y¡¯zaks was always, ¡°Just got out of the slammer again?¡±


    Sitting on Y¡¯zaks¡¯ shoulders, Y¡¯lisabet giggled. ¡°My dad is so awe-inspiring wherever he goes!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks laughed and could not help but turn to look at Hao Ren. ¡°Looks do matter, eh?¡±


    At this time, the four of them arrived in front of the grocery store at the intersection. Hao Ren looked up and saw the chubby boss sweeping away the water on the road as the road was flooded and its drainage holes were submerged in water. Hao Ren greeted him from a distance. ¡°Hi Boss, washed your car?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s the water pipe. It burst again!¡± Sweat ran down the chubby boss¡¯ forehead as he waved at Hao Ren. ¡°This has happened three times in two days. Something¡¯s wrong with the pumping station. Sometimes there¡¯s no water, sometimes the pressure becomes so high that it just overwhelms the valve.¡±


    A diner who was having breakfast in a nearby stall looked up and said, ¡°At least the pipes around here still flow. My house has gone without water for two days. The strange thing is, my neighbors are still getting water. So, I have no choice but to eat out.¡±


    ¡°Could it be that the water pipe in your house is clogged?¡± Hao Ren swiftly answered. ¡°You¡¯re all getting water from the same main pipe. It¡¯s impossible that you¡¯re the only one without water.¡±


    ¡°God knows what¡¯s going on. It¡¯s not even winter yet, so the pipeline wouldn¡¯t be frozen. Anyway, things have been abnormal lately. When I turn on the tap, I can hear the water flowing in the pipe, but nothing comes out. My brother¡¯s coming by to check it out tomorrow. He¡¯s a plumber.¡±


    At this time, a middle-aged man who was enjoying sweet bean curd at a nearby table suddenly raised his head and sulkily said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with the pumping station. My son¡¯s working there.¡±


    The chubby boss put down his broom and gasped. ¡°Then, what¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°Nobody seems to know what¡¯s going on in the pumping station. My son¡¯s been working overtime for the past two days. He said there¡¯s no problem with the pump, just that the water pressure¡¯s unstable. A back flow occurred once and a pressure pump was fried as a result. ¡°The middle-aged man shook his head and slurped down the last sip of sweet bean curd cleanly from his bowl. ¡°My son said the pumping station¡¯s spooky.¡±


    The stall owner scoffed at him and said, ¡°Lao Zhang, stop it. Now it feels like some sort of ghost sh*t.¡±


    Other diners as well as the chubby boss of the grocery store each cracked a few jokes. They complained about the abnormal water supply during the two days, and Lao Zhang¡¯ superstition before they dispersed. Hao Ren stepped forward and called out to the middle-aged man, who was paying his bill and was about to leave. ¡°Hey bro, did you say that the pumping station¡¯s been a little spooky these past two days? In what way?¡±


    ¡°It was just a joke. Don¡¯t take it seriously.¡± The middle-aged man waved and smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t understand a thing he says about the pumping station.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. He turned around thoughtfully and was about to leave. However, he realized that the silly cat was missing. He quickly looked around and saw the cat girl squatting next to the stall and leering at the owner.


    The stall owner looked helpless and turned to Hao Ren. ¡°Is she your girlfriend? Is this a habit she has?¡±


    Hao Ren choked. He quickly explained, ¡°No, no. She¡¯s my sister¡­ Get back up!¡±


    ¡°I want to eat steamed buns,¡± said the silly cat, turning her head. ¡°I¡¯m hungry. Give me a bun!¡±


    People threw her weird stares and cold sweat started to trickle down Hao Ren¡¯s forehead. He had no choice but to quickly buy two buns for the silly cat. The silly cat had developed a covetous appetite lately¡ªshe just had her breakfast an hour ago!


    Only after they arrived at a secluded place did Y¡¯zaks say, ¡°So, you think there¡¯s a problem?¡±


    ¡°The water supply¡­¡± Hao Ren crossed his arms and nodded lightly. ¡°I think my instincts are usually sharp. Something is amiss. If what they say is true, then it¡¯s all supernatural. Maybe it has something to do with the otherworldlings.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just a rumor. Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Y¡¯zaks said.


    ¡°It¡¯s really not a big deal, but I have too much time on my hands now. Besides, an inspector has to always be observant and keep a sharp intuition.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°Let¡¯s ask Wuyue when she¡¯s back¡ªshe¡¯s in charge of water. Let¡¯s treat it as a community service.¡±


    The cat girl was holding her bun. She looked up at Hao Ren, and then at Y¡¯zaks before she took half of her bun and shoved it to Hao Ren. ¡°So, this one¡¯s for you.¡±


    Hao Ren simply could not understand the cat¡¯s logic. How did her brain work? How did she process information? It was an unsolved mystery. Why did she say ¡°so¡±?


    Hao Ren had been waiting at home before Nangong Wuyue finally returned at noon. He told her what he heard on the streets that day. Wuyue frowned as if something had crossed her mind. ¡°Is the water in other places abnormal too? If that¡¯s the case, it does seem to be a problem.¡±


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


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 Chapter 570

    Nangong Wuyue knited her brows together. ¡°Is the water in other places abnormal too? If that¡¯s the case, it does seem like a problem.¡±


    Hao Ren had no clue. ¡°Huh? What have you found out?¡±


    ¡°Two days ago, houses in the neighborhood have been complaining about irregular water supply. There¡¯s even a family with three water pipes at home; one of which has no more water flow, while the other two still have water. Mr. Lee also complained that while washing vegetables at home, the tap water suddenly stopped and flowed back into the pipe. It scared the hell out of his granny.¡± Nangong Wuyue was sitting on the sofa, playing with Lil Pea while telling them what she had heard outside two days ago. She was a well-behaved girl. Her years of wandering life made her possess an affinity with people, so people in town were familiar with her. ¡°But not every family¡¯s encountering this problem. As the pumping station in this part of the suburbs has its fair share of problems from time to time, the issue hasn¡¯t been widely regarded as mysterious yet.¡±


    Never did Hao Ren expect to find so so many anomalies in this incident. However, the more he thought about it, the more unusual he felt. ¡°There¡¯s no such problem in our house.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s because I¡¯ve been making water so far.¡± The siren waved and created a little water sphere in the air. Lil Pea immediately jumped in and swam in it happily. ¡°The water supply in our house has stopped for two days. I¡¯m the one who¡¯s been keeping the tap flowing.¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his chin. ¡°It appeares to be a supernatural phenomenon. Who¡¯s gonna follow me to the pumping station?¡±


    Lily had just returned home, and she was lying listlessly on the couch. Staring at the TV, she appeared to be watching a dog food commercial. ¡°I¡¯m dog-tired¡­ Plus, I¡¯m already a world savior. Why do I have to work hard like this¡­ I want to watch TV.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with Mr. Landlord.¡± Vivian wiped her hand as she walked out of the kitchen. She then untied her apron and looked at Lily. ¡°You have so little life experience. As an otherworldling, you¡¯re completely unaware of the supernatural phenomena in your surroundings. There could be otherworldings there if not demon hunters. How could a canine have such low territorial awareness?¡±


    The words ¡°territorial awareness¡± struck home and Lily jumped down from the sofa. ¡°I¡¯ll follow! Why have I not realized this?¡±


    Hao Ren was as loose-tongued as ever, saying, ¡°Because you haven¡¯t marked your territory with pee, right?¡±


    Of course Lily got mad at him, because Hao Ren was left with several bite marks on his arms¡ªthe canine maiden had finally found the optimal biting force that would not trigger the Steel Membrane Shield but leave bite marks on his arms.


    Hao Ren fled from Lily in a panic. No one came to his aid. Even Vivian shook her head and said, ¡°How can you say that to a girl? Not to a female, Mr. Landlord.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue patted Hao Ren on the shoulder and said, ¡°You know, you won¡¯t survive more than two episodes in a TV series if you keep being foul-mouthed like this. Listen to me, Mr. Landlord¡ªrepent!¡±


    Hao Ren was at a lost for words.


    Lily snarled at Hao Ren for a long moment before she came up to him and licked the bite marks on his arms. This meant that she was done with the punishment. Meanwhile, Hao Ren was pushing away the silly cat, who came up to lick him without being invited. He looked around and asked, ¡°So, who else is going to the pumping station with me?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue quickly pulled her brother up and said, ¡°My brother¡¯s joining us; I¡¯m familiar with water while my brother has a lot of investigative experience.¡±


    They then left for the only pumping station in the Southern Suburbs. The pumping station was on the northern side of the town, but it was not too far from where they lived. It took them ten minutes to drive there.


    And let us not forget that Hao Ren has a car now.


    Speaking of the pumping station, it was a familiar place to Hao Ren. Since the Southern Suburbs was far from the city, various facilities were lagging behind, and the pressure of the water supply network had become a long-standing problem. Ten years ago, people there made complaints several times, thus the water company set up a pumping station to pressurize the pipe network. Hao Ren remembered when he was in middle school, he liked to sneak out to play at the pumping station. He would peek into the red brick room from the window and watch the water pump rumble. After that, he would tease and fight with the dogs in the yard. It was a time of youth and innocence. The young man who was destined to embark on an extraordinary journey was battle-hardened by the vicious dogs. His greatest wish was to win at least once when he fought the dogs in the yard¡­


    Most of the old courtyard dogs had died, hence he had not been able to make his wish come true.


    The pumping station was surrounded by a brick wall. The large iron gate was left ajar and there was an occasional sound of rumbling heard coming from the pumping room. Hao Ren parked his car in the open space outside the yard. As soon as they walked up to the gate, dogs started to bark as several German Shepherds in chains ran out and charged at the intruders. Their menacing behavior was exactly the same as their predecessors. Hao Ren scoffed at them and said, ¡°B*tch, your forefathers didn¡¯t even dare bark at me!¡±


    Hearing that, Lily immediately barked at the leading German Shepherd and turned to look at Hao Ren. ¡°They said that back then, you were chased by their uncles. You even fled by climbing up the old jujube trees in the courtyard once and you were too afraid to come down for a good whole day.¡±


    Busted, Hao Ren mumbled to himself, ¡°¡­Dang, I forgot that girl speaks foreign languages!¡±


    At this time, a sturdy old German Shepherd strolled out into the yard. It gave a few symbolic barks when it saw Hao Ren. It was as though it still remembered the naughty kid who threw stones into the courtyard from the top of the wall 10 years ago. Hao Ren sighed and lamented about how time flew. Then, he saw someone coming out of the pumping station. It was a young man with an arm cut. He had to be the person in charge of the pumping station.


    ¡°Who are you looking for?¡± the young man asked before he turned and scolded the dogs. ¡°Go back in! Go!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m from town. What¡¯s been happening to the water supply these two days?¡± Hao Ren asked with a smile.


    People in the city may not be accustomed to the life in this outlying suburb where people were accustomed to finding and talking directly with the relevant ¡°unit¡± when there was a problem. Going to the pumping station for water supply problems, the boiler room for heating issues, the substation for power failure; whether it was the inquirer or the inquired, they were all used to it. Such was the unique ¡°community ecology¡± of this developed backwater.


    There had probably been others who came to complain for the past two days. The young man appeared a little impatient and hapless. ¡°The water pressure in the water tower is abnormal, and I can¡¯t do anything about it. People up there have asked for an expert¡¯s assistance, so please go home and wait.¡±


    Hao Ren chatted up the young man while Nangong Wuyue pretended to be a curious bunny. She strolled into the courtyard sneakily, listening carefully to the sound inside the pumps. The young man saw this and quickly reminded her, ¡°Don¡¯t step inside the courtyard. There are dogs inside and they¡¯re on a long leash.¡±


    But he did not realize it when Lily poked her head into the courtyard for a peek. The vicious German Shepherds bowed down to her like they were paying homage to their ancestor.


    Suddenly, there was a creaking noise inside the pumping station, and someone called out. The young man quickly ran back in as he said, ¡°Something¡¯s wrong with the impeller again. I¡¯ve got to go back in to take a look. You guys should go home.¡±


    After the young man went back in, Hao Ren looked at Nangong Wuyue and asked, ¡°What did you find?¡±


    ¡°The water is definitely not normal,¡± said the siren, pointing to a corner of the yard. ¡°It¡¯s obviously a supernatural phenomenon.¡±


    Hao Ren followed the direction of Nangong Wuyue¡¯s finger and found that there was water trickling on the wet concrete wall. But the most incredible thing was, the water was moving up the wall!


    Lily sniffed around and said, ¡°I have a feeling that there¡¯s a problem with the air humidity too¡­ Some places are very dry and some areas are as humid as in front of a waterfall. There seems to be a high moisture content in the air.¡±


    ¡°Is it someone of your fellow race?¡± Hao Ren suddenly thought of the siren¡¯s water manipulation ability, so he turned to look at Wuyue. ¡°Can sirens detect their own?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it has be close enough. And since humans added bleach to the water supply, this sensory talent won¡¯t be very useful in residential areas. Nevertheless, I can try.¡± Nangong Wuyue frowned as she sensed the flow of the abnormal vapor in the air, and found that all abnormal vapors were concentrated towards a certain place.


    She looked up at the water tower 100 m away.


    No one else could see any anomalies in the water tower, but in Nangong Wuyue¡¯s eyes, the water tower was fully covered with fine lines, while numerous water molecules floated around in defiance of the law of nature.


    It looked like the guy at the pumping was right. The water pressure was most unusual in the water tower.

 Chapter 571

    The water tower was right next to the pumping station and surrounded by a patch of wasteland. It was a traditional water tower: a vertical concrete tower with a large storage tank on top. Hao Ren used to climb up its iron ladder when he was a child. Looking back on his juvenile mischief, he found it so unbelievable. Now, karma was hitting him as the fish at home was driving him nuts.


    When they arrived at the water tower, it was unattended. Lily swiftly circled the concrete outer wall and discovered some anomalies: the anti-gravity water flow, and water lines could be seen wafting around at a few inconspicous corners. If not for the deserted and remote nature of the place, as well as the nearby workers not noticing the anomalies while they inspected the water tower, this phenomenon might have attracted the attention of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.


    Hao Ren was glad that he had decided to come. As it turned out, there was indeed a supernatural phenomenon occuring!


    ¡°Sure enough, there¡¯s a smell of my own kind¡­¡± Nangong Wuyue observed everything carefully before she said with her eyes wide open, ¡°How in the world did a siren come here?!¡±


    Hao Ren was delighted to hear of another siren. He had wanted to get acquainted with a normal siren for a long time. The mysterious ocean city across the deep seabed was a great mystery he still remembered to this day. It was the key to interpreting the heterogeneous phenomenon on Earth. However, Nangong Wuyue was of no help in this respect. Normal sirens never walked into this world, and the group of sirens who surfaced a couple of hundred years ago had mostly disappeared. Hence, his progress had gained little headway in this regard.


    Now to his surprise, there was a siren in the Southern Suburbs!


    ¡°The scent¡¯s coming from the reservoir.¡± Nangong Wuyuw¡¯s eyes were filled with light as she focused her sight on the reservoir. ¡°Let¡¯s go up there and take a look.¡±


    Seeing that no one else would come by, Hao Ren and his buddies immediately climbed up the water tower. They looked around the circular iron frame at the top of the water tower and found an opening to the reservoir. Nangong Sanba effortlessly removed the rusted iron lid. Hao Ren was surprised and said, ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t know locksmithing was also a skill among demon hunters.¡±


    ¡°¡­Just a trick of the trade,¡± Nangong Sanba replied.


    The reservoir was a rough, thick barrel with a stainless steel platform on top for maintenance purposes. Looking down from the platform, one could see the glittering water surface below. The MDT turned on its lighting as Hao Ren looked down. But he found nothing.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing in here.¡± Nangong Sanba poked his head in and scanned the water for a long while. ¡°You may have gotten it wrong, Wuyue.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue shook her head and jumped straight down from the stainless steel platform. She stood steadily on the water as she walked around and observed her suroundings carefully. ¡°No¡­ I can feel it. She¡¯s in the water¡­ but it seems like she¡¯s hiding from us.¡±


    Lily thought for a moment before she yelled at the water below. ¡°Hey! Is someone there? We¡¯re not bad people! We¡¯re here for you!¡±


    There were loud echoes and sounds of water, but no one responded to Lily¡¯s cries.


    Vivian frowned and summoned a small swarm of bats with electric lights flashing from them. ¡°Please show yourself and speak with us. We¡¯re not going to hurt you. However, if you keep hiding, I¡¯ll have to send electric current into the water.¡±


    Before Vivian¡¯s voice trailed off, everyone immediately stepped back. Lily pointed at the stainless steel shelves beneath their feet and the iron pipes that extended into the water. ¡°Can you not do this every time, Battie? How many times have you accidentally struck your teammates with your lightning strike?¡±


    But the water in the reservoir was still quiet with only the noise from the pipeline echoing inside.


    Finally, Hao Ren could not help it any longer. He took out a large plastic bottle from his Dimensional Pocket and pretended to tip the bottle to empty its contents into the water below. ¡°Listen, whoever¡¯s in there, if you insist on not coming out, I¡¯m going to empty the vinegar into the water! Yes, you heard right, vinegar!¡±


    Hao Ren had suddenly remembered that Wuyue¡¯s biggest weakness was vinegar. She could be dehydrated for a whole day with just a drop of vinegar. Of course, he could not really tip the bottle¡ªafter all, the water was the residents¡¯ lifeline.


    However, the siren hidden there could not have possibly guessed it. With a burst, the water swelled and quickly condensed into a translucent human figure, who looked like a young girl. A voice was then heard. ¡°Don¡¯t be an a**hole! Since when have I troubled you? I¡¯ve just been sleeping here!¡±


    Hao Ren smiled and put away the bottle of vinegar. ¡°Do you realize that you¡¯ve troubled all the people in town? Fortunately, we¡¯re the ones who¡¯ve come to check on the situation. Othewise, if not the Chinese Academy of Sciences, it would be the demon hunters who¡¯ll be paying you a visit in two days¡¯ time. Then, you would be in bigger trouble!¡±


    The human-shaped body of water floated and looked at them very cautiously. ¡°Who are you? How did you find me? And I can feel my own kind present in this neighborhood¡­ Is it you people?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Nangong Wuyue waved as her body displayed a ripple-like wave. ¡°See, I¡¯m also a siren.¡±


    As soon as Nangong Wuyue revealed herself, the siren became agitated. She leaned her back against the wall of the reservoir, and splashed the water around, sounding extremely angry. ¡°Aren¡¯t you satisfied yet? What¡¯s wrong with you guys that you have to keep pursuing us? What have we done to offend you?¡±


    Hao Ren immediately frowned as he felt something behind her defensive reaction. ¡°What do you mean? Who wants to catch you? Other sirens?¡±


    ¡°Are you playing dumb?¡± The siren looked cautious as she stared at Hao Ren (it was presumably a cautious expression, since she was transparent, it was not very easy to read her face). ¡°You guys traced me here, and brought so many people, aren¡¯t you going to catch me?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue was a little lost on the plot, but the first thing was to clarify the misunderstanding. ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood. We don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. I was born on the shore. You see, I don¡¯t blend into the water like you do.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a terrestrial siren?¡± The water figure cautiously went closer to Nangong Wuyue. ¡°Indeed¡­ there¡¯s a slight impurity in your scent. But, I still can¡¯t believe you. Let me see your pure water.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue nodded. A small droplet of water was divided from her body and it flew towards the other siren before it fused into her body. Only then did the other siren began to let down her guard. ¡°You¡¯re really not a pure siren. Strange, I¡¯ve never expected to see a mixed bred here. So, you¡¯re not here to catch me?¡±


    Hao Ren spread out his hands and said, ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been telling you from the very beginning.¡±


    ¡°Then, why have you come to me?¡± The other siren swam up to them and asked, ¡°How did you find me?¡±


    Hao Ren told her about the abnormalities in the nearby water supply, and the fact that he came to investigate the situation. He then pointed to the reservoir. ¡°Don¡¯t you know what this place is?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± The other siren was surprised by Hao Ren¡¯s question. ¡°Isn¡¯t this just a pond? Have I offended anyone by staying here?¡±


    Hao Ren blinked and turned to look at Nangong Wuyue. ¡°Are all sirens lacking in common sense?¡±


    ¡°How did you think the last group of sirens fall into the love trap set by humans?¡± Nangong Wuyue said, feeling embarrassed. ¡°But to tell you the truth¡­ it¡¯s been over a hundred years, yet she hasn¡¯t grown up. That¡¯s very rare. I think she must have been hiding with some hermits in the mountains.¡±


    The other siren looked at them and was curious about their conversation. ¡°Are you talking bad about me?¡±


    Hao Ren quickly waved his hand. ¡°No, we¡¯re not. Can you get out of here? The situation you¡¯ve caused has caught the attention of the ordinary people. Before long, the demon hunters will sniff you out and come for you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m recuperating here.¡± The other siren shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll go only if you can provide me plenty of water, and it must be living water.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment and looked at Nangong Wuyue. ¡°Do you think the tap water in our house is enough?¡±


    He had an inkling that the siren, who was soaking and recuperating in the reservoir had to be consuming a great amount of water, so he did not think that he could do it. However, Nangong Wuyue nodded without as much as a thought. ¡°It will definitely do. I only need a pot of water for shapeshifting. Yup, it¡¯s enough.¡±


    It turned out that the other siren was not going to use too much water for her healing process. Despite that, the siren was a wild creature who loved clean water, hence she was prone to go where there was lot of clean water.


    And she had discovered a really good place.

 Chapter 572

    The nervous siren had revealed a lot of intriguing information in her words, which obviously had something to do with the mysterious undersea city. Hao Ren decided to bring her back and quiz her no matter what¡ªperhaps the key to entering the undersea city was with this siren.


    Although the siren was a bit nervous, she did not lack in vigilance. She talked with them for a long time before she finally agreed to go with Hao Ren. Lily was a little curious as she asked, ¡°Why are sirens so timid? Shouldn¡¯t creatures like you be fearless?¡±


    ¡°Things like that are personal,¡± Nangong Wuyue replied after she heard what Lily said. ¡°Aren¡¯t you also very timid?¡±


    Lily was speechless.


    After Wuyue told the siren where she would bring her to, the latter began to solidify. A moment of gurgling sounds later, the translucent female figure quickly solidified and colorized. Eventually, she transformed into a girl with big eyes and curly, light brown hair. She slowly climbed up and out of the reservoir, revealing her upper body. It was ¡°dressed¡¯ in a beautiful layer of skin just like Nangong Wuyue¡¯s. Meanwhile, her lower body was the beautiful tail of a sea serpent. Hao Ren noticed that a large part of the scales on her tail had lost its luster. It looked like it was burned by strong acid: no wonder she mentioned that she was still recovering from an injury. Judging from the siren¡¯s state of health, it seemed that her wound was not going to heal anytime soon. Perhaps, the one who inflicted the injury was no ordinary enemy.


    ¡°What happened to you?¡± Nangong Wuyue asked. ¡°Can¡¯t you heal yourself?¡±


    ¡°It was the Queen¡¯s Guard who did this to me. Their water arrows were poisonous, but I¡¯m much better now.¡± The siren looked down at her tail, feeling bad. ¡°It¡¯s just that my clothes are ruined¡­ Such a pretty dress¡­ I don¡¯t even know what I¡¯ve done wrong.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue could not help but ask, ¡°The Queen¡¯s Guard?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know this?¡± The siren was surprised, but quickly came to realization. ¡°Oh yes, you were born on land. The Queen is well, the queen of the sirens and the Queen¡¯s Guard is her royal guard. They wanted to catch me.¡±


    Hao Ren could feel that there was more to this incident. He immediately waved his hand and said, ¡°It looks like things are a bit complicated. This is not the place to talk. Let¡¯s head home¡ªare you afraid of dizziness?¡±


    The siren had no clothes and she could only remain in her siren form. Hao Ren was worried that people would spot her if he were to bring her home the normal way, so he got the MDT to open a portal. The siren froze for a second before saying, ¡°Dizziness? No, no. I used to play in the whirlpool.¡±


    With no worry of causing her any discomfort, Hao Ren threw the MDT out. ¡°Open the door!¡±


    As a white light flashed, everyone returned to the living room before they knew it. The MDT yelled and protested, ¡°Can you not issue such a dubious command? How old are you?¡±


    Meanwhile, Y¡¯zaks and his daughter, Y¡¯lisabet were studying an appliance maintenance booklet in the living room. When they heard movemen, they invariably turned and saw the female stranger behind Hao Ren. Y¡¯lisabet was very surprised. ¡°Hey, didn¡¯t you go to the pumping station, Uncle Ren? Why did you bring back a ¡®new friend¡¯ instead? This¡­ Um, this girl¡¯s also a siren?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story, and I haven¡¯t figured out her background yet. She was staying in the water tower next to the pumping station, and it messed up the water supply in the Southern Suburbs. The whole town has essentially been drinking fish soup for days,¡± Hao Ren said as he gestured to the siren. ¡°Please make yourself at home. This house is a sanctuary. Everyone here isn¡¯t normal. What¡¯s your name? Sorry, I forgot to ask.¡±


    ¡°Shaqira,¡± the siren replied as her eyes darted around the seemingly normal residential building. ¡°This is what you call¡­ a shelter? Looks like an ordinary house. Does it have a fortress and wall on the outside?¡±


    It looked like this Shaqira had really spent some time together with an otherworldling family in a remote mountainous area. If you had heard her speak of her fortress, you would know that it could not have possibly been anywhere near Third Ring Road¡­


    ¡°This is how our shelter looks like,¡± said Hao Ren as his mouth twisted in a quirky manner. ¡°But its defense capability is absolutely reliable. It¡¯s even more reliable than the place you used to hide in. Why don¡¯t you sit down first, I have some questions to ask you.¡±


    ¡°But before that, can you first find me some water ?¡± Shaqira coiled herself up in the middle of the living room as she pointed at the wound on her tail. ¡°I told you that I need a lot of running water. You promised. Please.¡±


    Hao Ren smacked himself on the forehead and pointed at the bathroom. ¡°Lily, get the bathtub ready.¡±


    Before his voice trailed off, the MDT flew over and said, ¡°Are you screwed up in the head? I¡¯ve been wanting to remind you: what do you think the medical pods at home are for?¡±


    ¡°¡­I forgot!¡±


    Shaqira looked at these weirdos curiously. ¡°What are you guys talking about? You¡¯re not going to even give me a pot of water, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°We have a medical treatment chamber that¡¯s more effective than a bathtub here.¡± Nangong Wuyue held Shaqira¡¯s arm cheerfully¡ªit was not every day that she could see her own kind. She had been very excited, and to be able to flaunt the high-tech gadget made her happy even though they were not hers. ¡°Come here; let me show you the high-tech gadget!¡±


    Nangong Wuyue led the clueless Shaqira away. She wanted to resist at first, but relented when she sensed no ill intent in Wuyue. Shaqira was more curious about who these weirdoes were.


    Honestly, everything had gone by too fast and she just could not react in time.


    When Shaqira saw the strange white boxes in the basement, she could not help but lose her composure and ask, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    Hao Ren could not explain too much to the siren, whom he knew little about. Therefore, he just glossed it over. ¡°It¡¯s a type of medical equipment. I¡¯m a shaman, and my approach is a little unconventional. This is what I use to treat different types of injuries.¡±


    Shaqira knitted her brows together. ¡°I don¡¯t go out often, but I¡¯m not stupid¡ªwhen has a shaman ever use such things?¡±


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes as he said, ¡°Well, it¡¯s entirely up to you to believe it or not. I can give you a large basin and you can soak in it, but the thing is, the bathtub won¡¯t work as fast as this thing.¡±


    Shaqira was hesitant. Obviously, she was not ready to trust these strangers, whom she had just met half an hour ago. But at the same time, she could not find a reason why they would want to hurt her. No matter how she looked at it, this weird motley crew did not seem like bad people after all. They just did not have that look in them.


    Nangong Wuyue became a little impatient when she noticed Shaqira hesitating. She patted her fellow siren on the shoulder and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you just treat it as going in for some rest? You can¡¯t die in there anyway. Come on, transform into a fish; this tail of yours won¡¯t fit in there¡­¡±


    Shaqira transformed into a mermaid under Nangong Wuyue¡¯s persistent urging. However, before she jumped in, her sense of caution still got the upper hand. ¡°Wait a second! I really still feel¡ª¡±


    Before Shaqira could finish her sentence, Y¡¯lisabet suddenly lunged from the back and knocked her into the hibernation or medical pod with her head. The poor siren could only scream, and before she managed to raise her tail, she was already inside the casket.


    The demon girl clapped her hands and said, ¡°Stop the crap!¡±


    Hao Ren was startled for a moment before he turned around to look at Y¡¯zaks. ¡°You should really teach your daughter some manners.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks¡¯ face was deadpan as he pinched Y¡¯lisabet¡¯s ear. ¡°Don¡¯t ever knock people with your head again! Don¡¯t you know your horns are getting sharper and sharper?¡±


    The others then spoke in unison, ¡°That¡¯s not the point!¡±


    Hao Ren had been a bit worried that the medical pod would not be able to deal with Shaqira¡¯s injury. Creatures such as the sirens were unique. Conventional therapies may not have been able to deal with their amorphous body. Plus, Shaqira mentioned that her wound was inflicted by a so-called Lethal Water Arrow. Hao Ren had doubs that the medical pod would be able to pinpoint the ¡°lesion¡± after her body transformed. However, it turned out that he did not have to worry about it at all: After three minutes, the lid of the medical pod opened, and Shaqira jumped out, looking as fit as a fiddle.


    ¡°Wow, am I healed?¡± Shaqira looked at her fish tail in surprise. ¡°Even the gray scales are gone!¡±


    Nangong Wuyue smiled, wrapping her arms around herself. ¡°Now you know that I wasn¡¯t lying to you. Please tell us what happened.¡±


    ¡°Oh, give me a minute. I¡¯ll have to turn back into a sea serpent first. Fish tails aren¡¯t particularly stable when standing on land¡­¡±


    It seemed that all sirens had this problem.

 Chapter 573

    Everyone had gathered around in the living room. Shaqira was lying on the sofa, and her body length meant that the entire sofa was completely taken up. Rollie was very unhappy when she saw this. She meowed for a good while to signal that the sofa armrest was her territory. It took Hao Ren a box of cat biscuits to distract her.


    Shaqira took a curious glance at the various unusual creatures at home. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a place like yours. There are so many different races mingling together. Won¡¯t they fight? I¡¯ve heard that werewolves and vampires are mortal enemies.¡±


    Hao Ren pointed at Vivian and Lily. ¡°They did fight when they first arrived, but things have gotten better. A harmonious co-existance is the motto of this place. Regardless of what sort of fight you¡¯ve had outside, once you¡¯re here, you¡¯re family. The lanky guy seating across you is a demon hunter by the way.¡±


    Shaqira¡¯s tail automatically shrunk as she heard that. However, that was the extent of her surprise. ¡°Whoa! How did you do that?¡±


    ¡°Is it me or does the siren not seem to be that afraid of demon hunters?¡± Hao Ren whispered to Vivian as he noticed Shaqira¡¯s reaction.


    Vivian nodded. ¡°I told you before. The sirens are the only race that were not hunted by the demon hunters. Even if they were to meet, its usually without conflict. So to a siren, the demon hunters are just a scary-sounding bunch.¡±


    ¡°So, how did you end up like this?¡± Nangong Wuyue had also transformed into her serpentine form. Perhaps it was easier to gain Shaqira¡¯s trust this way. She used her tail to point at the latter¡¯s. ¡°Why are you hurt? Why are the dwellers of the deep catching their own people? What were the royal guards up to?


    ¡°It¡¯s a long, long tale. Let me start from the beginning.¡± Shaqira took a deep breath as she told her story, ¡°I came to shore 100 years ago amongst the last of my batch. I remembered that there was a war going on back then¡­ It was chaotic. I even got hit by coastal artillery. We followed the instructions of our seniors who had left before us and split up before looking for otherworldlings who were hidden. I first went to South America and lived with a group of werewolves. After that, I came over to Asia¡ª¡±


    Hao Ren interjected. ¡°We already know that part. Did your people still work as a group after that? Do you still keep in touch?¡±


    ¡°We do, but very sporadically.¡± Shaqira¡¯s tail was poking about with Wuyue¡¯s. ¡°We all knew where our batch went, as well as how many met with accidents and where they resurrected. But aside from that, nothing else. We all had our own mission, and that was all we needed to worry about before we waited to be summoned back to sea. I never expected to receive bad news from the deep.¡±


    Hao Ren was intrigued. ¡°What was your mission? Was it about the prophecy of the Day of Return? What is that prophecy about?¡±


    Shaqira looked hesitant, and the sharp-eyed Vivian caught it. ¡°Is it something that you can say? I suppose you can tell us since you¡¯re already spreading the message to the otherworldlings in various sanctuaries. Small as we are here, this is still one of those sanctuaries.¡±


    Shaqira had a rather complicated look on her face. ¡°That¡¯s not it¡­ It¡¯s¡­ I don¡¯t know how to explain it to you. We were only meant to bring word to the rest. The prophecy was passed down to us by the Queen herself, but she never explained the meaning of the prophecy to us.¡±


    Everyone present looked at each other while Shaqira tried to jog her memory. ¡°Umm¡­ Let me recall¡­ The original prophecy was something like this: ¡®The Day of Return is coming, an ancient power from our homeland is summoning its lost kin. The darkness shall end, and a glorious dawn like that of the ancient times awaits all. A gate will open, and you will hear a voice, But before that, rally your kin, and let everyone have the opportunity to bask in the glory of the Day of Return. No one shall be left behind.¡¯ This was what Her Majesty told us. Our task was to bring this word to all otherworldlings on land. Occasionally, we had to explain it based on our own understanding.¡±


    ¡°So, the whole ¡®Day of Return¡¯ is based on these few lines?¡± Hao Ren blinked. ¡°And all of you just memorized these lines without actually finding out what they mean?¡±


    Lily tilted her head as she added, ¡°Some families actually mentioned that your kin were all very mysterious, and the prophecy sounded more like a con-job than anything. So, it was really all down to you guys not being sure on how to explain it?¡±


    Shaqira was not the least bit embarrassed. ¡°Yes, since we didn¡¯t know how to explain, we just went with what we understood. How would I know that the surface races would interpret it that way.¡±


    Vivian was trying to decipher the whole mumbo-jumbo on her head. Looking up at Shaqira, ¡°Where did the Siren Queen find out about the prophecy? Did she only tell you what to say to the surface races and nothing else?¡±


    Shaqira shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. The Queen must have her own reasons. She arranged the rest as well. We are mere servants, we shouldn¡¯t be asking too many questions.¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged. There you go, a typical lackadaisical siren.


    Even Nangong Wuyue was speechless towards her own kin. Her voice was rather stiff, ¡°So, why did the royal guards suddenly want to bring you back? How did you know that they were here to arrest you instead of take you home? Weren¡¯t you waiting for news to return?¡±


    ¡°At the very beginning, we didn¡¯t suspect anything when someone was taken back.¡± Fear suddenly appeared on Shaqira¡¯s face. ¡°But things started to go wrong very quickly: The Queen was taking people back by force. We had already been on land for 100 years, and some of our friends had already gotten so used to living on land. They even had families here. They weren¡¯t willing to go back, yet they were forcibly taken away by the Queen¡¯s guards. This was not the same as what we were told. Supposedly, we could act on our own accord once we got on land, and we could pick the time once we completed our mission and received the summons. No one said anything about being dragged home.¡±


    As Shaqira continued, she shook the tip of her tail. ¡°A few of our friends then started to alert the rest. We aren¡¯t sure of the source of the message though. Maybe it was one of the Queen¡¯s guards who said that the Queen had undergone a massive change. She wanted to open a Gate of Return ahead of time and the captured sirens were being used as sacrifice or fuel¡­ It was just so surreal that I immediately ran. Even then, I almost got caught. Just how unlucky am I? Who did I offend?¡±


    Hao Ren immediately frowned when he heard this.


    Something big had truly happened in the deep. He heard from Vivian before that the sirens were a peaceful race without quarrel with other races, and Shaqira was pretty much the embodiment of that trait. Yet, the Queen, the prophecy and the arrest as well as capture of their kin did not ring ¡°peaceful¡± and ¡°without quarrel¡± to him.


    Lily thought for a bit before she asked, ¡°How was your queen previously? Was there anything weird about her when she asked you to go to shore?¡±


    ¡°The Queen was a very wonderful person; a very wise one.¡± Shaqira rubbed her face. ¡°However, I do remember a few things that were rather weird¡­ The Queen had suddenly ordered the dispatch of messengers without much forewarning. And in the days after the dispatch, she was almost manic. She locked herself in her castle. Her closest confidantes said that she was thinking, and up until the time the last batch left, she never did once step out of the castle¡­ Ugh¡­ why am I telling you this?¡±


    Hao Ren pushed himself forward. ¡°This is important! Maybe we can help you solve this issue. We may be able to help not only you, but also your captured kin.¡±


    Vivian also joined in, ¡°That¡¯s right. Just look around. We have many races here, and we¡¯ll be glad to lend a hand. Tell us everything you know. What unusual actions did the Queen take when she ordered the dispatch¡­ Or, were there any odd happenings in the city you lived in? These are all important.¡±


    Shaqira blinked as she looked at the weirdos around her. She then decided that she would cooperate. She tried to jog her memory once again, and remembered a very important detail. ¡°Oh right! I don¡¯t know if this has to do with anything, but before the Queen ordered the dispatch, we had captured a weird-looking sea monster. The Queen only started to act all weird after the capture.¡±


    ¡°Sea monster?¡± Hao Ren eyes met with Vivian¡¯s. ¡°What kind of sea monster?¡±


    ¡°It was a blob of oddly-shaped red flesh with tentacles.¡± Shaqira tried to draw the shape of the monster in the air. ¡°It looked almost like a swollen brain.¡±

 Chapter 574

    The moment Hao Ren heard Shaqira¡¯s description, he could not help but exclaim, ¡°Did you say a brain?!¡±


    Shaqira was shocked by Hao Ren¡¯s voice and her tail instantly wrapped around Wuyue¡¯s, leading the latter to let out a strange yelp. As she released her grip, she looked at Hao Ren in surprise. ¡°What¡¯s with the brain? What do you know?¡±


    As soon as Hao Ren opened his mouth, a bullet train of questions came out, ¡°How big is the brain? How do its tentacles look like? How did it fight when you engaged it? How did¡ª¡±


    His series of questions had Shaqira in a whirpool of confusion. She motioned for Hao Ren to slow down. ¡°Stop, stop, stop¡­. I can¡¯t digest all of it at once. You mean to say you¡¯ve seen the sea monster before? Do you know where it came from?¡±


    Hao Ren bore a serious look as he nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t just see one, I¡¯ve taken one out myself¡­ Hmm¡­ More like a split body, but frankly speaking, that thing shouldn¡¯t have appeared on Earth.¡±


    Shaqira noticed the grim seriousness on everyone¡¯s face and realized that this was something important. She then proceeded to describe what the monster looked like in detail, and brought up the process of the monster¡¯s subjugation. ¡°The monster suddenly crashed through the aquadome and landed in the middle of the city. No one had seen such a thing before and anyone around it turned delirious. The monster could also attack by casting magic with its tentacles, and the damage was rather considerable. After a while, the Queen and her royal guards came to subdue the monster. They locked it in the cell, but after that, the Queen started acting strange.¡±


    ¡°Your queen and her guards actually caught the thing?¡± Vivian bore a serious expression as well. ¡°How did she do that?¡±


    Shaqira shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. All the information we had were from the soldiers who were present. Seems like the Queen used magic to subdue the brain creature. I wasn¡¯t there though.¡±


    Hao Ren found something rather off at first, but as he heard more and more, the whole thing just seemed awfully suspicious.


    Aside from the part where the pacifist sirens could actually put up enough of a fight to subdue the brain¡ªmaybe there were some combat specialists among her royal gurards who could take the monster on¡ªthe question was, why did the Siren Queen started to act strangely after the monster was defeated?


    Hao Ren had encountered the ¡°brain monster¡± before, and while he knew that the monster was capable of very powerful mental assaults, they would not last long. The attacks could be stopped simply by drawing distance or eliminating the monster itself. Yet, the queen continued to act all strange after the defeat of the monster, and after 100 years, made the odd, but fateful decision to apprehend her own messengers. This led to only one possibility: the queen was still being influenced by the brain monster, and it was worsening.


    ¡°You lot didn¡¯t vanquish the monster, right?¡± The same thing crossed Vivian¡¯s mind and she popped the question before Hao Ren could.


    Shaqira shook her head again. ¡°No, it was still alive when I left 100 years ago. The queen had it locked in the deepest dungeon underneath the city. She said something about studying the monster.¡±


    Vivian gave Hao Ren a motioning glance, and the two went upstairs to the balcony.


    ¡°Looks like the Siren Queen is under the monster¡¯s thrall,¡± Hao Ren spoke solemnly. ¡°The prophecy doesn¡¯t seem to be the siren¡¯s own, but a projection of the monster¡¯s will.¡±


    Vivian nodded softly. ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong¡­ the Day of Return message that¡¯s circulating right now is simply misinformation. The real meaning of ¡®return¡¯ is not what the otherworldlings think. Remember the Cult of Origination back in Holletta? I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s what the ¡®return¡¯ actually means.¡±


    ¡°¡®Return your own flesh and blood, return your life to the goddess. Let the world and all life return to a swill of chaos, hence the sin of life is redeemed,¡¯¡± Hao Ren recalled the insanity that was the Cult of Origination¡¯s scripture. ¡°Both the Siren Queen and the Cult of Origination have that giant brain thingy behind them¡­ Looks like the brain¡¯s goal is to return all of the goddess¡¯ creation back to chaos. But why?¡±


    ¡°Who knows. Their brains were probably way too big for their own good and they lost a few nervous connections in the process?¡± Vivian quipped. ¡°But there are many things still left unexplained. Why did the Siren Queen¡¯s prophecy so muddled? Most otherworldlings made preparations to return home once they heard the prophecy. It¡¯s way different from the whole idea of ¡®return your own flesh and blood¡¯. And how did that brain even come to Earth? Why did it choose the sirens, a reclusive race as its mouthpiece? Why not a race that¡¯s much more influential? No matter what its plan is for the otherworldlings, starting from land is much easier than the sea. Just look at how reliable the sirens were when they first made it to shore¡­¡±


    Hao Ren really took to the last part of what Vivian said. Those harmless Sirens could do anything but plot a scheme. Just looking at how that batch of sirens ended up, and then at Shaqira was proof¡­


    Hao Ren rubbed his chin as he pondered. ¡°Perhaps the Queen wasn¡¯t fully under the monster¡¯s thrall when she made the prophecy. Or, the monster was simply fishing for bigger fish, like how it had created a secret cult back in Holletta. So, it actually underestimated how the otherworldlings on Earth operated and overestimated how effective the sirens were at doing things. As for how it came to Earth¡­¡±


    He thought about it for a moment before his expression turned serious. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that there are other gateways into the Plane of Dreams. And one of them¡¯s in the deep sea.¡±


    Of course, Hao Ren had no explanation as to why the sirens were made the mouthpiece. He had not figured out why Raven 12345 made a silly bugger like him her mouthpiece in the first place¡­


    After a while the two made their way back to the living room and saw Shaqira playfully tail-wrestling with Wuyue. Hao Ren was immediately reminded of snakes doing their thing, and quickly coughed to draw their attention. ¡°Ahem, Shaqira, I have a question. Can you bring us into the deep sea?¡±


    It took Shaqira a good few moments to process that. ¡°The deep sea?¡±


    ¡°The city of the Sirens.¡± Hao Ren made a sincere gesture. ¡°Don¡¯t reject me outright. Hear me out first. That brain monster is a very dangerous creature. It has plans to destroy all life and I¡¯m afraid that your city is in deep peril. I¡¯ve faced that monster before, and I know how it operates. It may have controlled your queen, so you¡¯ll need to bring us there. Perhaps we can do something about it.¡±


    Shaqira was dumbfounded, but seeing Hao Ren¡¯s expression, she knew he was not joking. Upon recalling the things had happened to her, she started to ponder.


    Wuyue used her tail to gently wrap around Shaqira¡¯s. ¡°Believe me, we mean you no harm. Besides, I want to see how my hometown looks like too¡­ Mother always warned me to stay away from the deep sea. She was probably from a few batches earlier than yours. Maybe she had already sensed that something was wrong with the Queen and forbade me from leaving land.


    Hao Ren only recalled the matter the moment Wuyue mentioned it. As a result, this expedition now felt even more important. He looked Shaqira in the eye. ¡°I know that sirens don¡¯t like to be disturbed by outsiders, but the situation demands action. You¡¯ve already been hunted once, if you don¡¯t get to the bottom of this, do you plan on hiding your entire life?¡±


    The rest joined in on talking some sense into her as well. ¡°Lady, listen to me, you need to adapt to your surroundings. Holding on to dead rules and regulations will not get you anywhere.¡±


    A newspaper-wielding demon king was trying to talk sense into a siren. This scene was probably so ludicrous that you would not have seen it anywhere else other than in the telly.


    Shaqira deliberated for a good while before she finally sighed. ¡°You speak sense, and bringing a few outsiders into the city isn¡¯t too big a thing. Nonetheless, I have a question¡­ Can just the few of you¡­ settle this?¡±


    It appeared that the biggest issue was not the laws of the deep, it was Shaqira¡¯s disbelief that this group could be of any help. She did not doubt that something was wrong back home, and she was very aware of it. She was also willing to believe that the group meant her no harm as they had just healed her wounds. She just did not believe that they had any sort of capability to resolve the issue in her city.

 Chapter 575

    While Shaqira may have been naive and ignorant, she still had her basic instincts and logic. She did not feel that a group of strangers whom she had just met possessed the ability to solve the issue in her city. If this had been one of the bigger sanctuaries like those castles or fortified manors governed by the werewolves and vampires, perhaps there would have been some plausibility. A family like that was at least still worth the gamble. Hao Ren¡¯s old civilian house clearly did not look the part of a powerful family institution¡­


    Hao Ren was rather depressed by the fact. He thought that he was someone accomplished, yet he still encountered those who doubted his capabilities. Could Shaqira not see the look and aura of a savior, the look of an apostle in him?


    But then again, there was a demon king with a newspaper in hand teaching his daughter the Chinese alphabet just next to him. It then hit Hao Ren that looks and aura were clearly unreliable.


    Shaqira was an outsider and Hao Ren obviously could not show her too much of an inspector¡¯s abilities. However, he still had a plethora of things that he could show her. Pointing at Y¡¯zaks, Hao Ren boasted, ¡°This is a great demon, and his combat strength can match an entire army. If you don¡¯t believe me, I¡¯ll take you somewhere to see him transform.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks was in the midst of teaching Y¡¯lisabet how to read some Chinese words when he heard that. Looking up with a grin,he said, ¡°Trying to market me again, eh?¡±


    Shaqira was taken aback by Hao Ren¡¯s boasting. Seeing how confident Hao Ren was, she almost believed him, but in the end, she still shook her head. ¡°We¡¯ll be in the deep sea. I don¡¯t think demonic energies will work as well down there.¡±


    ¡°How about this?¡± Hao Ren pointed at Vivian. ¡°The world¡¯s most ancient vampire, the Countess of the Crimson Moon. Every otherworldling, and even demon hunter has to give her face. She walks on both sides of the divide and is a literal walking advertisement board¡­¡±


    Vivian gave Hao Ren a very perplexed look. ¡°Why does that sound weird to me?¡±


    Hao Ren pointed at Vivian¡¯s garbs. ¡°Take that apron off and you¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Shaqira squinted as she tried to recall the name. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that name somewhere before¡­ but I don¡¯t remember. Who is she?¡±


    There was an awkward silence.


    Lily immediately burst into a huge laughing fit as she poked Vivian on the back. ¡°Hahaha, Battie, that title of yours finally has its useless moment, hahahaha¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was also surprised. He thought that Vivian¡¯s title would have been the most influential among all unusual creatures, yet it was ineffective before the siren. To think that this siren had been on land for almost a century and not know the name. Her sisters back home had probably never even heard of the ¡°most ancient of vampires¡±. Shaqira did have some sort of self-awareness and she was rather embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s just that sirens are just a tad slow regarding matters on land. And to be honest things have been advancing so fast on land. When I secretly snuck out to play as a child, humans were still using bow and arrows. The second time I came to shore they had already developed cannons. It¡¯s just impossible to keep track of things.¡±


    Lily then suddenly remembered something, ¡°Say¡­ why do we keep talking about combat strength? Are you guys planning to smash the gates down to get into the city? Shouldn¡¯t we be going incognito to gather information?¡±


    Everyone descended into another awkward silence. It took a while before Wuyue looked resignedly at the ceiling. ¡°So many of us here and the husky ends up being the bright one.¡±


    Shaqira blinked and pondered. She wanted to find out what was happening back home too. As a siren, it was simply normal for her to be worried about the sudden changes back home. She also had plans to go back to check things out, but her natural indecisiveness caused the plan to remain on the back burner. Now that she finally saw a group of weirdos who were so determined, she set her heart to it as well. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take you there.¡±


    The crew rejoiced and Hao Ren let out a sigh of relief as one of the most pertinent issues had been solved. He quickly motioned for Vivian to cook up a storm for a minor celebration before he lifted the basin that Lil Pea was swimming in. ¡°My dear daughter, time to say hello!¡±


    Shaqira was busy answering questions so it took her a while to realize that there was a foot-long mermaid in the living room. Needless to say, she was surprised. ¡°Why has this siren been starved to such an extent? Didn¡¯t you give her any food?¡±


    Lil Pea waved her little arms. ¡°Lil Pea ish not stahving! There is fud evariwear!¡±


    That little rascal was quick on the uptake.


    Hao Ren began to drip in cold sweat as he quickly explained to Shaqira, ¡°She¡¯s not a siren. She¡¯s a mermaid. She was just about that size when she was born¡­ but she¡¯ll grow bigger in time.¡±


    Shaqira gave Lil Pea a curious look before demurring. ¡°This world sure is big. Seems like there¡¯s plenty that I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue shifted her gaze from Shaqira to the rest. She was rather anxious about the trip to the city of the sirens. ¡°So¡­ when do we depart?¡±


    ¡°In two days time. Let Shaqira rest up and heal first. The medi-chamber can only heal the outer wounds, it can¡¯t restore her mana.¡± Hao Ren gestured for Wuyue to calm down. ¡°That aside, find her something to wear. She can¡¯t be taking up so much space in the hall. The space both of you take can fit at least half a dozen people.¡±


    Shaqira quickly waved her hand. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay! I can turn into a mantis shrimp, that won¡¯t take up much space¡­¡±


    Everyone almost spat the contents in their mouth. Hao Ren gawked at Wuyue. ¡°So it¡¯s not just you. Are all sirens like this?¡±


    ¡°How would I know. I¡¯ve never met another siren before. Besides, a mantis shrimp is definitely awesome; small in size, agile, has good defense, and some combat capabilities. Mr. Landlord just¡ª¡±


    Hao Ren adamantly shook his head. ¡°No way. Get her some clothes. Sitting around a giant mantis shrimp while we have dinner is just weird.¡±


    Oddly, Wuyue was somehow insistent on that particular form. ¡°But, we can still keep our faces on!¡±


    Hao Ren cried, ¡°Good god, that¡¯s even more horrifying! Just be the pretty ladies that you are!¡±


    Seeing that Hao Ren was not going to give in, the two pretty sirens slithered back to their rooms to change.


    As Big Beardy had temporarily gone home, the issue of Shaqira¡¯s room was easily resolved. She rested in the room on the second floor for a few days to recover her strength.


    During that period, Vivian was worried that the Queen¡¯s Guard, who were pursuing Shaqira could be closing in on her, so she placed her bats all over town. Along with Wuyue, Lily and her Woofenstein Army (the bunch of stray dogs) placed runic cards in every nook and cranny of the town, forming an impenetrable surveillance network. But after three days, they did not detect anything and the water in the Southern Suburbs was restored to normal without any supernatural phenomenon. It seemed like Shaqira had given them the slip.


    And so, the siren took a few peaceful days to rest up before she left with the rest to the seaside on a fine day.


    This time around, Hao Ren brought Rollie along. He was afraid that the cat girl would simply run amok without supervision, and felt it was safer with her beside him.


    The city of the sirens was located deep within the Pacific ocean. There were no records of it at all, not even unusual creatures had managed to find any trace of the city. Hao Ren¡¯s plan was to drive towards a deserted seaside first. They would then follow Shaqira¡¯s lead to an unknown island near the center of the ocean before they submerged deep into the ¡°Hidden Barrer¡±. The MDT had scanned the area beforehand and was certain that there was no one around to disrupt their work. The island in the middle of the ocean was not your normal natural island. It was a mark left by the sirens who had surfaced, acting as some sort of lighthouse.


    Originally, Hao Ren had planned to just have MDT teleport everyone into the middle of the ocean, but this method was expressedly rejected by Shaqira. The island was shrouded by a special energy field, and only by following a predetermined navigation path could one find the island.


    Lily was also looking forward to hitch a normal car ride for this trip and Hao Ren acceded to her suggestion.


    While on the road, Lily wanted to find out more about the city, so she asked Shaqira, ¡°Hey, tell us more about your city. I heard that it¡¯s invisible?¡±


    Shaqira was still stunned that so many people could fit into the small Northstar. She only recovered once she heard Lily¡¯s voice. Her expression turned serious as she explained the situation regarding the mysterious underwater city.


    ¡°Our city is called Nasaton. It¡¯s not invisible, but it¡¯s within a dimensional gap.¡±

 Chapter 576

    Nasaton was the siren¡¯s city, which was hidden in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It had existed since the dawn of time and the city¡¯s glorious days were even before the Mythological Age on land. Aside from the sirens, no one knew how to get into the city. Not the technologically-advanced humans, or the omnipotent supernatural gods of yore. None had managed to locate Nasaton. Some had theorized that the city was located deep in one of the ocean¡¯s trenches and it was obscured by volcanic activities deep under water. Some had argued that a massive invisible barrier was erected to prevent unwanted guests from poking their heads in. However, all these guesses were quite far off the mark.


    Nasaton was on Earth, but not exactly. It was sandwiched between a dimensional gap that was linked to the real world. The spatial distortion had caused the city to be invisible to all forms of detection methods, and also prevented anyone from actually reaching it. Only the sirens knew how to access the city, and over the last 10,000 years, only a handful of visitors had been allowed into the city. These included otherworldling scholars, and a few lucky humans. It was these visitors who left behind hearsay of the mysterious city¡¯s existence.


    But their stories were pretty much taken as absurd fantasies. They soon devolved into mere myths and legends for the later generations.


    ¡°Inside a dimensional gap?¡± Vivian was very interested upon hearing what Shaqira had said. ¡°How did you build it? It took the Athens Sanctuary many generations to come up with the Shadowy Divide and there was still a way to breach it. How did Nasaton come up with this complete invisiblity?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡± Shaqira shrugged. ¡°The azure water dome was already there when I was born. Apparently, the city¡¯s been resting in the gap since the beginning. No one actually talks about who created the city, and no one has actually bothered to ask as well.¡±


    Hao Ren turned his head slightly towards Shaqira as he drove. ¡°Say¡­ this may be a bit sensitive, but aren¡¯t sirens immortal? Don¡¯t tell me there¡¯s no one back home who¡¯s lived since the founding of the city? Surely they would know?¡±


    ¡°While sirens are indeed immortal, we will still choose a time to ¡®renew¡¯ ourself as we return to the water and come out as a new life,¡± Shaqira roughly explained a siren¡¯s life cycle before she shook her head. ¡°There are a few elders, not much, but they exist. Nonetheless, they¡¯ve never spoken about the origin of the city. One of the rules in Nasaton is that we don¡¯t speak of the past. We simply stay out of conflict and live a peaceful life. We do not interfere with others and allow no interference. That¡¯s how we¡¯ve lived for so long. It seems like the city¡¯s been eternal¡­ until the Queen¡¯s orders to go to land.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯ll ocassionally let outsiders visit your city?¡± Y¡¯lisabet was lying on the seat behind Shaqira¡¯s as she poked her head out. ¡°Are you well informed about the outside world?¡±


    ¡°Rarely. Like I said earlier, there are expections.¡± Shaqira nodded. ¡°We¡¯re also curious about the outside world and we have maintain some communication with those living on land. Long ago, we would send out sentries every few hundred years to learn about the situation on land. The sentries would use a Deepwater Orb to record what was going on to let the rest see¡­ Back in the ancient days, or your Mythological Age, we were even shortly allied with some of the coastal otherworldling familes. However, they were soon wiped out.¡±


    Vivian smiled. ¡°What do you think of the world on land?¡±


    ¡°It was rather dull at first and things were changing very, very slowly. Humans were still using bronze weapons for a good thousand odd years. It was only after two sentry cycles that we saw them moving on to iron. Otherworldlings were progressing even slower than humans. After a millennium, there were still times when our sentries would find them observing humans fighting each other, or fighting beasts to pass their time. Then things went into overdrive. The end of the Mythological Age was a surprise to everyone. The speed in which the demon hunters and humans grew far exceeded the pace of the Mythological Age¡¯s collapse. Every time a new batch of sentries came ashore, they saw new kingdoms and the ruler of the land changed from time to time. Then came machinery and the Industrial Age¡­ While it¡¯s not as grand as Nasaton, the advancement that the humans have made in technology for the last 100 years has been nothing but impressive.¡±


    Vivian nodded. ¡°Yes, I think so too. This world is progressing and advancing faster and faster. The first time I woke up, humans were using bronze. They did so for God knows how long, and when I woke up again, they had moved from windmills to steam engines. Another nap later, they had electricity. Frankly speaking, I don¡¯t dare to sleep nowadays. I¡¯m really afraid that one day I¡¯ll oversleep and wake up to find that humans are all gone; only a few launch towers left standing, and all humans migrated into the stars.¡±


    Hao Ren guffawed. ¡°Wow, seriously? Surely you jest.¡±


    Vivan snorted. ¡°You won¡¯t understand how I feel. But what I said is true. Sleeping is really a waste of time. I knew a fellow vampire called Odrian, and he was one of the lucky few to live through the Mythological Age until recent times. He managed to obtain an ancient relic and was about to go into slumber to absorb its energies. However, he ended up dead in his sleep.¡±


    Lily was shocked. ¡°How does one even do that?¡±


    Vivian shrugged. ¡°He went to Novaya Zemlya back in the 1950s to sleep. It¡¯s been over 40 years since the Soviets lobbed at least a few hundred nuclear warheads on that island. I¡¯m not sure if he was killed in the initial blast or not, but my best guess is that he was probably annihilated on the spot. I¡¯ve never seen him after that, so he¡¯s probably nothing but radioactive dust now.


    Cold sweat was all over Hao Ren¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°That¡¯s to say, trying to go into a trance for a hundred years with a relic is not a good idea now.¡± Vivian sighed. ¡°During the peaceful and idyllic days, it was fine. Doing that now is a death sentence. Human advancement is on steriods and they¡¯ve moved on from sending human waves into a gun line to intercontinental ballistic missiles. You¡¯d probably get blown apart by humans if you try that. And given how maniacal humans can be, I won¡¯t be surprise if they blow Earth up one find day. So, the smartest thing an otherworldling can do now is to read the papers and get ready to run for their lives at the first warning¡­ Why are you guys all quiet?¡±


    Hao Ren patted Vivian on the shoulder. ¡°I think we need to find a cure for your narcolepsy issue.¡±


    Shaqira only looked on in silence. As a siren who had only seen land for the first time 100 years ago, anything she said would have been awkward.


    As dusk fell, the crew reached the designated point. It was a deserted coast, which was littered with shattered rocks. It was far away from the city and had no proper roads. As there were no signs of humans nearby, they did not need to worry about invoking a supernatural phenomenon there. Along the coast were some rock formations that formed a sloping cliffwall, and the signs of erosion on the cliffs were testament to the passing of time. Shaqira sighed as she saw the scene. ¡°I still remember that there were plenty of coastlines like this a hundred years back¡­ Places like this were in abundance when I first came to shore. To find a place like this is very difficult nowadays.¡±


    Hao Ren kept his car and turned to face the ocean as he stretched and took a deep breath. The ocean view was really relaxing and the slightly salty sea breeze was comforting too. Wuyue was also doing the same. She looked excited, but there was a visible shred of anxiousness in her as well.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately picked up on it. ¡°Nervous?¡±


    ¡°That feeling you get when you go back to your hometown for the first time in years.¡± Wuyue smiled. ¡°Mother warned me to stay away from the deep sea since I was young. Perhaps she noticed the change in Nasaton back then. Now I¡¯m about to go against her advice¡­ I hope she won¡¯t be mad at me.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled. ¡°I¡¯m sure she was just worried. If we can ensure your safety, your mother won¡¯t be blaming anyone.¡±


    Rollie was nervous the moment she got down of the car and she stuck close to Vivian by squatting beside her. Her eyes were wide as she stared at the sea, letting out a soft, nervous purr in the process. This was her first time seeing the ocean.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get moving. We can probably rest at the first rest stop before nightfall. If you guys aren¡¯t tired, we can make it all the way to the center of the Pacific.¡± Shaqira squinted as she deciphered the sea breeze. ¡°This is a good day to set out to sea.¡±


    As she said that, a shimmering glow formed around her as she readied herself to bring the group into the ocean. At that very moment, the MDT suddenly darted out of Hao Ren¡¯s pocket. ¡°Wait! A spatial distortion! Someone¡¯s teleporting in!¡±


    Vivian immediately frowned as she sensed the familiar magical frequency from their surroundings.


    ¡°Look out, demon hunters!¡±

 Chapter 577

    The moment Vivian finished her words, everyone immediately raised their guard. The Mobile Data Terminal quickly displayed the spatial waves it sensed in front of Hao Ren. Hao Ren then took his silver lance and gun out of his dimensional pocket and aimed at the open space in front of them.


    Above the open space, the air suddenly twisted and then quickly turned into a shiny oval mirror. Four people strode out from there.


    The leader was a strict-looking man with gray hair and wearing an eyepatch on one eye. Beside him stood a dark-skinned man with bald head, who looked slightly like an Indian. And behind the two were two women. One of them was a tall woman dressed in a simple dress, with brown long hair, and there was a layer of faint green scales on her cheeks that was slowly fading away, while the other woman kept a very conspicuous silvery-white long hair, who was someone they met before¡ªWhite Flame!


    Except for the woman wearing a dress, the other three were dressed in the standard attire of demon hunters: a long black trench coat, a strap on the waist, and a big crossbow on the back. This was obviously a demon-hunter squad.


    The three demon hunters were surprised to find that there were already people on the beach. The one-eyed man and the bald man immediately raised the crossbow, preparing to attack. But when they saw the disparity in the number of people between them and Hao Ren¡¯s team, they did not act blindly but stopped moving with the crossbows in their hand. White Flame was a little surprised after recognized them, her straight face slightly twitched, but she soon calmed down, maintaining the vigilant posture while signaling Hao Ren with her eyes not to greet her rashly. Although she reported to her mentor about the hunting of vengeful spirits after returning from Andrei Castle, she did not tell them about the ¡®Countess of the Crimson Moon¡¯. It was better not to show that they knew each other.


    It also proved that White Flame had kept her promise and did not reveal too much to the other demon hunters.


    Hao Ren also got it. Vivian immediately threw a bat at Lily¡¯s face to stop her from talking: this stupid girl was about to jump excitedly and say hello to White Flame.


    The most stressful person on the scene was Nangong Sanba. This amateur demon hunter pretended to be a professional in the circle of demon hunters was caught red-handed by the real demon hunters. He broke out in a cold sweat and knew that his life of being a demon hunter was ended. From now on, he was going to need two copies of his will when he went out¡­


    Rollie was looking at the sea on the rocky beach. When she saw what was happening in front of her and the reaction of her master(s), she immediately sensed the murderous vibe in the air. She lay down, her tail stood up like an iron rod, the fur on her ears and tail puffed up, and shrieked, ¡°Meow¡ª¡±


    The first battle roar of Hao Ren¡¯s team was actually coming from a cat.


    ¡°It¡¯s a surprise,¡± said the one-eyed man with a watchful face, and even if the situation was unfavorable, he was unafraid and spoke firmly and loudly. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to meet a group of prey here.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re the hunting ones?¡± Vivian was surrounded by a large swarm of bats with lightning in the swarm of bats. Cold winds gusted and dispersed around that even the distant waves directly turned into large snowflakes when they hit the reef. ¡°What the hell are you doing here?¡± asked Vivian.


    Rollie was shivering with cold but she still arched her back, ready to fight. ¡°Meow¡­ Meowoooooo¡­¡±


    A layer of shield-like glowing light rose up around the one-eyed man to protect him from the chilling wind. However, when he saw Vivian, he stunned for a moment. He broke out in a cold sweat and asked, ¡°The lady standing over there¡­ the Countess¡­ Your Excellency?¡±


    Lily was surprised. ¡°Why is he so polite all of a sudden?¡±


    Vivian frowned, trying to recall whether she met this one-eyed man before. Finally, she remembered that he was the most famous one-eyed man among the demon hunters. ¡°Young men are certainly won¡¯t be so polite to me, only the older ones will¡ªbecause they still remember seniority, right Hasse. Boy, what the hell are you doing here?¡±


    Hao Ren looked astonished. ¡°This is the one-eyed Hasse?¡±


    One-eyed Hasse, the famous elder among the Demon Hunters, the old man who existed since the mythological age, was one of the leaders who destroyed Mount Olympus. It was said that this man nearly killed Hesperides. The arrowhead had been stuck in her head for thousands of years.


    A man who sounded like a big shot¡ªbut was still just a ¡®boy¡¯ in Vivian¡¯s eyes. Vivian also knew that her own seniority was a powerful weapon at the moment, so she tried to get the upper hand with her seniority.


    The lady did not care about her age at the moment.


    Hassel¡¯s expression quickly turned odd, which was not awkward, but worried. He did not expect that it would be so unlucky today. He took a short-cut to directly teleport here but ended up falling into the siege, and the worst thing was that there was a world-famous Countess of the Crimson Moon in the siege. Even someone like Hasse had to bow to Vivian respectfully before the fight. How unlucky!


    Vivian was right. The older the demon hunter, the more they valued the issue of seniority, especially the old man from the mythological age. This trait was beyond the grasp of the impetuous young demon hunters.


    The man stood beside Hasse slightly moved forward half a step. The front end of the hand-crossbow on his hand was flashing with silver lights. He saluted Vivian and said, ¡°Your Excellency, I¡¯m Teuton, a master-level demon hunter. I am willing to accept your challenge.¡±


    ¡°The demon hunters nowadays are all such ignorant young people? Are you qualified to ¡®accept¡¯ my challenge? As a junior, you told me that you ¡®Accept the challenge¡¯?!¡± Vivian said. Her tone was cold and fierce.


    Teuton paused for a moment. Hassel immediately let him step back and said, ¡°Don¡¯t act without my consent.¡±


    Vivian slightly nodded and said, ¡°Good.¡±


    Lily had never seen Vivian so fierce and powerful. She immediately pulled Hao Ren¡¯s clothes and whispered, ¡°why do battie suddenly so pretentious?¡±


    Vivian maintained the fierce posture while whispering to the back, ¡°I¡¯m just bluffing, trying to scare them¡ªI can¡¯t beat them now!¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless. In her current state, she could not beat them¡­


    But it¡¯s okay. The three demon hunters were no match for them, but Vivian thought that the best thing to do now was avoiding the fight. Unless it was really necessary, she would not want to come into conflict with Hasse, because the battle between the ¡®Countess of the Crimson Moon¡¯ and the elder of the demon hunter was easy to be interpreted as a declaration of war, and it was going to be a real trouble.


    When one¡¯s reputation reached a certain level, it was hard for the person to represent her alone.


    Hasse apparently also thought of that. He slightly lowered his crossbow, signaling that he did not really want to fight, then frowned and asked, ¡°I wonder why you¡¯re here, Your Excellency?¡±


    ¡°Is that a siren next to you?¡± Vivian looked at the only girl in the four who was not dressed as a demon hunter and had just revealed some features of the siren.


    Hasse nodded slightly and answered, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You also want to go to Nasaton?¡± Lily asked directly.


    ¡°Are you going too? Why are you going there?¡± asked White Flame in surprise while lowered her crossbow.


    ¡°For the investigation,¡± Hao Ren cautiously replied while turning off the beam at the tip of the silvery lance, ¡°We suspect that Nasaton is contaminated by some kind of exogenous creature. What about you guys? In theory, demon hunters are not hunting for sirens, so are you going to investigate or help?¡±


    ¡°If what you say is true, then we have the same purpose,¡± said Hasse, ¡°but I don¡¯t quite believe¡­¡±


    ¡°You should know that I¡¯m different. I don¡¯t like to fight,¡± Vivian suddenly raised her voice to interrupt Hasse, ¡°and so are they. So we may not need to fight today. I have a suggestion, how about we put down our weapons?¡±


    Teuton was a little surprised. He slightly tilted his head and looked at Hasse, who nodded after pondering and said, ¡°Acceptable. But there is a prerequisite: if any of you have any unusual move in the process of approaching Nasaton, the battle will begin.¡±


    ¡°Same goes for you,¡± Vivian smiled and said, ¡°and I¡¯m sure the hunter won¡¯t be you.¡±

 Chapter 578

    In the tense atmosphere, both sides slowly put their weapons aside. Vivian and Hasse also cleared magic power on them to show their sincerity. Hao Ren was the last one to keep his weapon, after confirming that they were really not going to fight.


    ¡°This is not cooperation,¡± Hasse dusted the frost from his wind coat and said, ¡°This is just a temporary ceasefire. I don¡¯t want to start a fight with such an ancient vampire, especially when we are carrying out such a task.¡±


    ¡°Same,¡± Vivian smirked and said, ¡°We can have a good fight on another occasion.¡±


    The battle just now might break out at any moment. In fact, if it were two groups of young people¡ªsuch as the young demon hunters and the new generation of creatures¡ªthe battle would be absolutely unavoidable. However, only people like Vivian and Hasse, who represented their respective camps, would have the possibility of a rational ceasefire. They had too many things to consider, and the battle had become a secondary issue.


    After all, they were all intelligent creatures, and they could communicate with each other. The demon hunters could get along with the sirens because they found that this species was not threatening, so they chose to compromise.


    Phew. I thought we are going to fight,¡± White Flame said while winked at Hao Ren while nobody noticed it.


    ¡°Only animals can¡¯t control their instincts,¡± said Vivian. For some reason, she became very sarcastic in this kind of situation. She laughed while looking at Hasse and said, ¡°Now that our problem is solved. Should we let the two sirens talk? They should know each other.¡±


    Shaqira breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Are you two sure you¡¯re not fighting?¡±


    Having been confirmed by both parties, she immediately patted her chest and walked quickly to another siren. ¡°So you guys living on the land are so troublesome, how many years have passed and you still fighting and killing each other. I have to be cautious when I¡¯m with you guys¡­ Sorma, are you all right?¡±


    The siren together with Hasse was Sorma, apparently, she also experienced something similar to Shaqira, just they did not know how she got the help from demon hunters. Hao Ren found it incredible: Although the sirens and demon hunters did not have any enmity, due to their special identities, both sides were in a state of tension. They were just going their own way without interfering with the other. However, just as Shaqira looked for a group of ¡®unusual creatures¡¯ to help her, Sorma also had her reasons for getting help from demon hunters.


    The two sirens move aside to talk about their recent life and how did they meet the ¡®new friends¡¯, and Nangong Wuyue also join their exciting conversation. However, the other two groups of people were in an awkward situation. After they introduced themselves to each other, they have got nothing else to say. Teuton was a quiet man and White Flame was careful not to reveal her relationship with Hao Ren¡¯s team. Finally, Vivian broke the silence. ¡°I never expect to see demon hunters helping sirens. Aren¡¯t sirens considered as unusual creatures?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re harmless. After all, they have never built any kingdom on Earth, and they have no interference in the world,¡± Hasse said with a straight face, but it sounded more like an excuse, ¡°Since they don¡¯t interfere in the outside world, they are not in the hunting list.¡±


    ¡°You can frankly say that you can¡¯t deal with them. You haven¡¯t answered my question, why would you guys be so kind to help the sirens? You are not such a good man.¡± asked Vivian.


    Hassel¡¯s facial expression changed slightly. After a moment of hesitation, he nodded and said, ¡°Yes. We aren¡¯t helping the siren purely out of kindness. Demon hunters don¡¯t really care about sirens¡¯ fate, but we are interested in the changes that happened in Nasaton. We saved Sorma a few days ago. What happened to her is something we should care about. Of course, I can¡¯t reveal the detail.¡±


    It seemed that Hasse answered Vivian¡¯s question politely, however, Hao Ren realized that Hassel did not reveal any useful information at all. Of course, he did not expect a demon hunter who was wary of everything to be able to talk freely to them. ¡°I don¡¯t care whether you go there for investigating or collecting evidence. Anyway, I hope you¡¯re not going to harm them. Sirens have lived peacefully on this planet for more than 10000 of years. Demon hunters can¡¯t attack their city because of some unwarranted accusations,¡± said Hao Ren when Hassel finished talking.


    ¡°We¡¯re unable to kill sirens anyway,¡± said Hasse.


    At the very least, he sounded very sincere.


    And now Teuton suddenly glanced at Nangong Sanba and asked, ¡°You are¡­¡±


    Nangong Sanba had been keeping his head low, looking at the sands, trying to make himself unnoticeable. When he heard someone was asking about him, he quickly stood straight and said, ¡°I am¡­ err, I¡¯m a wizard!¡±


    Hasse glanced at Nangong Sanba blankly and said, ¡°You¡¯re a demon hunter, with a very weak hunter¡¯s blood, but you¡¯re indeed a demon hunter. Why are you with them?¡±


    Probably he already sensed that Nangong Sanba was a demon hunter, but he waited until now to ask.


    Nangong Sanba was so terrified that he could not stop sweating, but he still straightened his shoulders and answered, ¡°Yes, my ancestor is indeed a demon hunter, but I can¡¯t control what I reincarnated into. You can kill me if you don¡¯t like it, but I reserve the power to make your face bleed¡­¡±


    ¡°Weak mental power, full of weak points, protective spells are flawed,¡± Hasse said, poker-faced, ¡°More importantly, you have no manners, seems like nobody guide you. Don¡¯t you have a mentor?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask too much about his personal affairs,¡± Vivian gave him the side-eye and said, ¡°He just has the demon hunter¡¯s blood in him, but he has nothing to do with your decadent group.¡±


    Hasse looked at Nangong Sanba for a moment without any expression, but apparently, he knew that it was not the right time to ¡®clean up the team¡¯, so he just slightly shook his head and said, ¡°I hope you don¡¯t appear in my hunting ground in the future. You¡¯ll be considered as one of them.¡±


    Hao Ren was wondering how this man could be so firm and tough even when he was surrounded by Hao Ren¡¯s team. Sure enough, most of the demon hunters were as stubborn as a mule.


    They stopped their conversation when the three sirens walked to them. Nangong Sanba was finally relieved when Hassel walked away. He turned and looked at Hao Ren and smiled awkwardly, ¡°I knew I would have to face this one day, but I didn¡¯t expect myself to be so lucky.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll still have to face this someday,¡± Hao Ren said and patted Nangong Sanba on the shoulder, ¡°From now on you can treat yourself as one of the unusual creatures.¡±


    Nangong Sanba forced a smile, shook his head and said, ¡°Well. Anyway, I never take myself as a real demon hunter. I do this just to make ends meet.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks watched this scene with his arms crossed, leaving only one word, ¡°Meaningless.¡±


    ¡°We had a slight delay, but it doesn¡¯t affect us,¡± Shaqira said to Hao Ren while looking at the ebb tide, and then turned to look at the group of people, ¡°We have more people joining us this time¡­ It¡¯s going to be a lively trip.¡±


    The next second, a water curtain rose in front of them, and the three sirens had transformed into glamorous sea snakes. The three beautiful girls were wriggled to the seaside, raising their hands and starting to summon the ancient forces in the ocean.


    Layers of waves rushed to the beach, and then quickly calmed down and smooth like a mirror, and then a sunken, surging strange road appeared in front of them. Just as Moses separated the Red Sea, the ocean rose on both sides of the road and divided into two. Nangong Wuyue first jumped into the sea, and then beckoned the others to follow.


    Lily happily stepped on the bubbles and jumped back and forth two times. ¡°Siren¡¯s magic is so interesting no matter how many times I¡¯ve seen it!¡±


    Rollie was still hesitating on the beach. As a cat, she was afraid of water, and as a cat who could think like a human¡­ she was even more afraid that the water on both sides would suddenly collapse!


    ¡°Meow¡­¡± Her voice was trembling. She looked at Hao Ren, asking for help. Hao Ren then picked up her belt, holding the silly cat and striding into the sea.


    Both sides of the sea slowly closed together, and Rollie¡¯s sorrowful meow disappeared in the depths of the water.

 Chapter 579

    The seawater was wrapping around them as they stood in a peculiar, oval-shaped bubble supported by foam and water. The bubble moved forward at an incredible speed, while Shaqira and Sorma took turns circling the outside the air bubble to keep the magic stabilised. This experience was different from Hao Ren¡¯s previous journey into the deep sea with Nangong Wuyue. The only thing common to both experiences was that Hao Ren had found them equally novel and interesting.


    Rollie was wide-eyed as she looked at the scenery in amazement. In her limited cognition, there was no explanation to this phenomenon. She ran up and down on the ¡®surface¡¯ where the air bubble and water met. Occasionally, there would be some quick moving shadows swept past on the outside¡ªthey were fish from the shallow water or just string of bubbles¡ªand she would rush to it with excitement but was bounced back every time.


    Vivian held the cat-maiden and so that she would quiet down while Hasse looked curiously at this strange ¡®otherworldling¡¯. ¡°What is she?¡±


    ¡°A transcended cat,¡± Hao Ren shrugged his shoulders. ¡°You can consider it an otherworldling according to your method of categorisation. However, she was just an ordinary domestic cat a month ago. So I¡¯m curious, would this seemingly harmless creature that had transformed into a humanoid become your target?¡±


    Teuton pressed against his eyebrows and exchanged a look with Hasse. ¡°Any killer instinctual response?¡±¡±Neither have I.¡±


    Hao Ren had not paid attention to what the two were talking. He had only noticed that Teuton and Hasse always kept a distance of three meters him, and tried not turn their face away while they spoke among themselves. He felt this kind of always-on-guard behaviour and social exclusion was unnecessary especially when they had signed the ceasefire agreement. ¡°You two don¡¯t have to keep a distance and look the other way, do you? You see, White Flame has been braver than you guys.¡±


    Hasse shot Hao Ren a reply while his head turned the other way. ¡°Because White Flame is of the younger generation, she won¡¯t have to resist the strong killer instinct while mingling with you guys. But we must stay away from the otherworldlings to ensure that we don¡¯t lose control¡­¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s face suddenly turned serious. ¡°Wait a second. What do you mean by killing instincts?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know this?¡± Hasse was a little surprised. ¡°Have you ever met any demon hunters before?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d sought with many but not so much about understanding them,¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°What do you mean by killing instinct?¡±


    ¡°The instinctual enmity that demon hunters manifest when they see an alien,¡± Vivian explained. ¡°It will even translate into kill instinct directly, so demon hunters and aliens need only one eye exchange to start a fight. And the process is akin to the way two different races of alien met and fought, but the hostility of demon hunters manifest towards the otherworldlings is more intense and could directly translate into combat strength, so it is called killing instinct.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyes suddenly squinted. ¡°Another ¡®unique phenomenon of Earth¡­ exactly the same as what we discussed before.¡±


    ¡°Hasse, is your killing instinct triggered when you see me? Vivian suddenly glanced up at Hasse. ¡°I vaguely remembered I had dealt with many demon hunters and they manifested a very weak killing instinct when they saw me.¡±


    Hasse cautiously looked at this way and his voice was somewhat confused. ¡°Although it sounds incredible¡­ but my killing instinct at this moment is indeed incredibly calm, and as far as I can recall, I was pretty calm when bumped into you a few times in the past. If not, we wouldn¡¯t be able to reach the ceasefire agreement so easily. It¡¯s the unusual calm of our killing instinct that has prevented us from getting into a fight.¡±


    Hao Ren exhaled softly. He finally understood exactly why there had never been a truce between the aliens and the demon hunters on Earth, but he had been standing side by side with the demon hunters for many times, including this time¡ªalthough the two sides were still suspicious of each other, the suspicion was purely of differences in stance. That was the reason why Hasse had agreed to walk with the otherworldlings temporarily.


    The main reason was not Vivian¡¯s eloquence nor Hasse¡¯s courteousness; these were only trivial factors. There was only one fundamental reason: a certain effective ¡®innate hostility¡¯ mechanism has been in control. Only today that this effective mechanism had created a state of volatility.


    Hao Ren suddenly realized that if he wanted to break the long-standing confrontation between aliens and demon hunters on Earth, now was the opportunity.


    He carefully pushed the cat-maiden forward and said, ¡°Hasse, are you feeling hostile toward her when you look at her?¡±


    Hasse looked at Hao Ren inexplicably. ¡°No. But what for?¡±


    ¡°Just try to do some experiment while we¡¯re here and have nothing else to do,¡± Hao Ren said as he walked up to Hasse. ¡°Do you have any hostility feeling toward me?¡±


    Hasse and Teuton shook their head in unison. However, Hao Ren¡¯s strange move were puzzling them.


    Y¡¯zaks suddenly understood what Hao Ren was trying to do. He took his daughter and went up to Hasse. ¡°Look at us. You feeling hostile?¡±


    Hasse immediately and instinctively reached for his weapon on his waist, but calmed down afterward. ¡°Didn¡¯t feel my killing instinct, but¡­¡±


    Y¡¯zaks was vey at ease as he scratched his face and said, ¡°That¡¯s okay, and normally people would call the police when they saw me.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing, Mr Landlord?¡± As Lily came closer to him trying to catch up what they were doing, Hao Ren suddenly pushed her forward. ¡°What about this?¡±


    Hasse and Teuton took a step back at once. Hao Ren noticed that the muscles under their skin seemed to flutter quickly as if they had lost control. There was even a hint of silver light in his eyes. Although the two had said nothing, it was obvious their reactions came from the weird phenomenon called killing instinct.


    Hasse who was much older in bloodline had a more obvious sign of killing instinct.


    So was Lily: as soon as Hasse and Teuton showed a sense of hostility, her golden eyes quickly turned blood red. Then she shook her head frantically and told the two demon hunters. ¡°I felt like wanting to bite you guys.¡±


    Hao Ren pulled Lily back before he pulled out Lil Pea from his arms. ¡°You don¡¯t feel any killing instinct, do you?¡±


    Hasse could not help but stare with his only eye, and his face was full of surprise. ¡°Has this siren starved while growing up? How can it be so short?¡±


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­..¡±


    Teuton suddenly frowned. ¡°Wait a second. I feel that this little creature has¡­¡±


    Hao Ren immediately put Lil Pea back in his arms. ¡°Oh, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    Anyway, it had turned out that the demon hunters were not hostile to Lil Pea although this little one was by definition a typical ¡®otherworldling¡¯.


    Vivian had watched the whole process of the experiment with her brows pulled together. She had easily summed up what she saw. ¡°You¡¯re a human, Mr, Landlord. Rollie is a cat that had just transcended lately, the Y¡¯zaks and his daughter as well as Lil Pea all come from the ¡®other worlds¡¯, so they won¡¯t trigger demon hunter¡¯s killing instinct. Lily¡­ though she has a weird bloodline, it¡¯s enough to trigger Hasse¡¯s hostility albeit at a lesser degree and both parties could still easily control themselves. Therefore, the trigger is obvious: ¡®local¡¯, it must be a native, and a ¡®standard pedigree¡¯ handed down from The Plane of Dreams ten thousand years ago. Other migrants or the new species won¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°But you are the only one devoid of any explanation,¡± Hao Ren glanced at Vivian. ¡°No one in the Blood Clan can match your purity of bloodline. However, the demon hunters had shown even less killing instinct towards you compared to Lily. You could even chat with them, mind you.¡±


    Vivian spread out her hand and said, ¡°That¡¯s why I appear like a weirdo no matter where I go.¡±


    Hasse looked blankly at them, as he too was confused about his own killing instinct. However, with the limited information he knew it was not enough to figure out why. Therefore, he could not help saying, ¡°What you guys are discussing about?¡±


    Hao Ren looked into Hasse¡¯s eyes and said carefully, ¡°What do you think of killing instinct?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the skill demon hunters rely on for their livelihood, a key to identify their prey, a strong enough killing instinct can even replace the spiritual eyes of demon hunter,¡± said Hasse while looking at White Flame who remained silent all this while. ¡°With the killing instinct, no prey can escape the demon hunter¡¯s pursuit.¡±


    Vivian suddenly asked with a very subtle smile on her face. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, the killing instinct of the new generation of demon hunters is declining, right?¡±


    Hasse scoffed at her with a grunt.


    ¡°You treat this as talent, but have you ever thought it might be something abnormal?¡± Hao Ren looked at Hasse sincerely. ¡°You have never doubted it¡­ Actually, you¡¯re just being controlled by some ¡®instinct¡¯ that shouldn¡¯t have existed in the first place?¡±


    A spark of light flashed in Hasse¡¯s eye. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

 Chapter 580

    Hao Ren and Hasse sat opposite each other in the centre of the air bubble, and the underwater shadows that flashed past them often cast some mottled light spots around them. Hao Ren asked Hasse, ¡°If there is an instinct which will not help your reproduction and evolution from the viewpoint of biological evolution, and it has nothing to do with getting food or increasing the chance of survival, and it just makes you getting hostile towards other intelligent beings in an incomprehensible way. Do you think this ¡®instinct¡¯ is natural or normal?¡±


    Hasse shook his head and about to stand up. Hao Ren stopped him. ¡°This is a serious question. I hope you will take it seriously.¡±


    Hasse said coldly, ¡°Perhaps you are serious, but you don¡¯t understand the importance of killing instincts to a demon-hunter. This is the key to our superiority in the alien war for the past ten thousand years.¡±


    ¡°But if there is no killing instinct, alien war wouldn¡¯t have existed at all¡ªit¡¯s not the key to solving problem, it¡¯s precisely the problem itself,¡± Hao Ren lifted his fingers pointing at White Flame. ¡°This young demon hunter has absolutely different views, because she, like me, is free from the control of killing instincts and able to think calmly. The killing instinct has controlled old demon hunter like you for too long, and even become part of your life so that you don¡¯t even question its rationality.¡±


    Hasse¡¯s ever-deadpan face finally showed an erratic look. ¡°This is the weirdest remark I¡¯ve ever heard¡­ Do you know that you are discussing something that is almost natural? Discuss its rationality is meaningless because it has existed since time immemorial.¡±


    ¡°Then how do you justify the weakening of hostility of new generation of demon hunters towards the aliens?¡± Hao Ren spread out his hand and said, ¡°You have not encountered any genetic diseases. Environmental changes on the earth will not affect this aspect. If killing instinct is a justifiable phenomenon, then is its decline reasonable? If its subsidence is justifiable, what is the meaning of its existence before that?¡±


    Teuton silently watched the arguments between Hao Ren and Hasse. This silent man did not express his opinion. He took an old prayer book out from his robe, sat in a weird position on the edge of the air bubble, and began to study it quietly. It was already a dozen meters deep underwater and the light was dim, but this did not affect the vision of a master demon hunter.


    Sorma was keeping this magical environment intact outside the air bubble. Shaqira came up to Hao Ren and listened curiously to the weird discussion.


    Hasse realized that this seemingly indiscreet young man was not as naive as he had imagined. He had sensed something was more than meets the eyes. The fact that he could survive until today was not entirely because of his fighting ability but also alertness and coolness of an elder. Hasse remained silent for a few seconds before he shook his head slightly, ¡°I can¡¯t answer your questions, but I still insist that it¡¯s pointless to discuss whether or not killing instinct should exist, on the premise that it already exists. Whether it¡¯s the instinct that controls us or we¡¯re using the instinct, it¡¯s a fait accompli and we¡¯re happy to accept as it is.¡±


    Vivian came to Hao Ren¡¯s side and looked at Hasse. ¡°Hasse, you are a smarter demon hunter. I now tell you something as an elder: The innate confrontation between the various otherworldling races is also weakening, including between the werewolves and the Blood Clan. I know you¡¯ve contributed a fair bit of effort during the last trouble at the sanctuary in Athens, and then you should have seen the interracial inhabitancy there. During the mythological era, this was impossible. I have a thought: regardless of the demon hunters or otherworldlings, the essence is the same; we are all supernatural ¡®otherworldings¡¯ to the humans who are the real master of this planet. The so-called killing instinct is no cleverer than the intrinsic hostility between the otherworldlings. This abnormal phenomenon had suddenly emerged tens of thousands of years ago. Now that it has begun to subside, and you have witnessed it yourself. So I suggest that you calm down and think about it and look at the truth behind it.¡±


    White Flame who was meditating in the distant looked up and glanced at them. There seemed to be a flash of light in her eyes, but then she lowered his head again, as if she was indifferent to the discussion here.


    In eye of Hasse, there was a strange glow of light. He took a deep breath and asked, ¡°Is it that you have mastered something¡­ some ancient secret?¡±


    Vivian pondered for a moment before she looked up. ¡°Have you ever wondered if there is a world in which otherworldlings and demon hunters coexist peacefully?¡±


    Hasse¡¯s voice hardened. ¡°¡­ if this is a joke, then we should stop here.¡±


    Hao Ren had his hand spread out. ¡°Okay, let me rephrase: Do you think that demon hunters and otherworldlings are native of this planet? Do you dare to swear to the theory of evolution and stratigraphic pool of fossils and say you are a native of this planet?¡±


    Teuton and White Flame looked up spontaneously; they could no longer pretend to meditate.


    ¡°You mean the ¡®day of return¡¯?¡± Hasse leaned forward slightly. ¡°There are two explanations for the ¡®day of return; the first explanation is the return of alien forces, and the other explanation is just the opposite that the aliens will return to a place called the World of Origin¡­ are you telling me that you¡¯ve found the World of Origin?¡±


    Hao Ren did not answer directly, but shifted the conversation slightly. ¡°There is evidence that all the supernatural races on Earth come from another world. If you have learned evolution, you can certainly accept this argument, and I guess there has been such discussion going on among yourselves. I¡¯m working on this and you may be interested in my results, but only if you¡¯re willing to abandon your prejudices and walk with the aliens.¡±


    After a few moments of pondering, Hasse got to his feet. ¡°Let¡¯s wait for us to complete this trip then we shall talk again.¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head and smiled. The voice of the MDT sounded in his head. ¡°I knew you¡¯d not be able to persuade them.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care, at least I¡¯ve sown a seed of change,¡± Hao Ren also replied in his mind. ¡°The world of demon hunters is a closed circle. It¡¯s not that we can reach out to their senior members and talk to them in a so calm and sensible manner every day, I have to grab the opportunity to plough their mind field while they¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Then how effective do you think your ploughing is?¡±


    ¡°I believe there are still opportunities for us to be in contact with the demon hunters in the future, and it is impossible for them to not discuss the gradual decline of their killing instinct internally. Therefore, as long as Hasse goes back and talk with his men, the situation will soon change,¡± Hao Ren exhaled. ¡°The alien war is almost over.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet, the little girl, was not interested in these discussions. She was lying at the edge of the bubble with Lily and gazed curiously at the ocean scenery outside. This kind of panoramic sea-view experience was new and interesting to her. Sorma, the siren, was swimming around the air bubble and waving at them from the outside. Then a wave of light ripples swayed behind her and she transformed her body into a colourful fish before she swam off chasing a string of bubbles. Y¡¯zaks saw this and was curious. He asked Nangong Wuyue who was just beside him. ¡°How many forms can sirens transform?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue was holding her own snake¡¯s tail in deep thought. The question jolted her. ¡°How many? Countless forms. As water is amorphous.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet darted over and asked, ¡°Can you turn into a coral reef? Crab? Sea urchins?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue flung its tail happily and ready to show off. Hao Ren stopped her immediately. ¡°Can you not tell your Phi Phi Shrimp Theory to anyone who shows the slightest interest?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue: ¡°¡­..¡±


    The air bubble suddenly jolted a bit, and Hao Ren saw the bubble was slowly decelerating judging from the change of light and shadow around him. He got to his feet and looked at Shaqira. ¡°What¡¯s going on outside?¡±


    A light came from above as everyone found that the whole bubble was slowly rising up to the surface of the sea. Sorma poked her head through the water curtain into the air bubble. ¡°Fog¡¯s on the sea surface, it¡¯s a magical fog. Probably there are other sirens controlling the sea. They¡¯re a lot stronger than me.¡±


    They immediately raised their guard, and the bubble had now risen completely to the sea surface.


    Fog filled the air everywhere, blocking out the sky and sunlight. The sea was raging as strange waves, which defied the laws of nature, were building up.


    Accompanying the salty sea breeze was a vague vocal. Hao Ren looked into the direction of the sound, and but he cold nothing.

 Chapter 581

    A layer of weird, thick fog shrouded the entire surface of the sea, and the sky was as dim as dusk. The weird waves, like crushed scales, surged around them. These waves could limit the movement of any ordinary human-made ship and even held the bubble in which they were in its position like a stationary bubble platform. Nangong Wuyue and Shaqira could only swim in the nearby water struggling to keep a limited range of body of water in control to prevent the weird waves from crashing into where they stood.


    A layer of electric light surrounded Vivian as cold air spread out from under her feet and gradually froze the sea surface. ¡°Be alert!¡±


    Lily¡¯s ears flicked as she scanned the dense fog. ¡°Someone is singing.¡±


    Hao Ren was also staring into the fog while he took a silver spear out from the dimensional pocket. ¡°It¡¯s the voice of the siren¡­ Don¡¯t get distracted; be careful of being controlled by the sound. It seems something is out there.¡±


    A large, dark shadow appeared in the dense fog, and it was apparently slowly approaching. Soon the thing appeared before their eyes: tall masts, broken sails, broken ropes, and the crooked bow. Lily held up her head and took a deep breath before let out a long ¡°Oh¡ª¡±¡ªit was a huge ship with three-masts that looked like it had been hundreds of years old. The faint shadow of the broken ship slowly emerged out from the dense fog like a huge phantom floating on the sea.


    As the galleon gradually approached, Lily saw the peeling wood and the cracked windows, a row of neatly arranged square on the side of the hull, and inside many of the squares, there were muzzles of cannon. This style made her think of the old pirate ships in the movie.


    The ship approached at an angle. Hao Ren saw a line of huge letters on its side, which was incredibly legible: Queen of the North. No, it was not that famous shipwreck in history.


    ¡°Phantom ship?¡± Y¡¯zaks looked at the thing with great interest. ¡°This is the phantom ship written in your book? Never have I thought that this thing really exists. How was this thing formed?¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet lifted her little screwdriver and said, ¡°Papa, you threw me there!¡±


    ¡°Knock it off. Be alert. It may be some trick that the siren has produced.¡± Hao Ren dragged the little demon back, while the silver spear in his other hand had a burst of blaze at the tip. ¡°Shaqira, Sorma, do you know what that thing is?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s warning us not to approach, saying that the vortex is about to open¡­¡± Shaqira¡¯s brow knit tightly together as she listened to the song from the phantom ship. The tone of the song was weird, though with the soft and charming voice of the siren, the melody possessed a maddening sense of dissonance. ¡°She has been repeating these words, and sounds unsober.¡±


    Sorma faced the phantom ship and opened up her hands, and waves carried her into the air. She opened her mouth and uttered several syllables that humans could barely imitate. A layer of translucent ripples appeared around her before the ripples moved towards the phantom ship. She was communicating with the ship using the secret whisper of the siren.


    However, after a few seconds of silence, the phantom ship responded not with another song but an attack. In a loud creaking noise, the huge ship quickly adjusted its position to align its side with the ice floe platform. In those broken squares, water vapour was rising as the black muzzles of cannon stuck out and lighted up!


    ¡°Shield!¡± Hao Ren turned to Y¡¯zaks, shouting. Then he turned to point the tip of his silver spear at the phantom ship and shot a beam of lightning-like silver-white flames into the distance.


    In the blink of an eye, a pale green demonic shield shielded the entire ice floe platform. At almost the same time, dozens of pale blue, evil fire-like light shot out from the cannon muzzles of the phantom ship. In a series of explosions of ¡®boom and bang¡¯, those pale blue ¡®cannonballs¡¯ hit the demonic shield and turned into shaved ice and mist: they were not iron and fire but ultra-low temperature ice.


    A large amount of ultra-low temperature ice quickly frozen up the entire ocean around them. As the temperature change rapidly, Shaqira and the Nangong Wuyue quickly lost control of the water body, and the ¡®floor¡¯ below their feet became unstable. Hao Ren¡¯s plasma discharge from the silver spear had also hit the front of the phantom ship at the same time, and a huge fireball erupted!


    However, the shrapnel of the explosion was not wood chips and steel on the ship, but water.


    The phantom ship seemed to be provoked by the counterattack, and a greater number of ice cannons emerged out of nowhere along the side of the hull. Shells landed on them like hailstones!


    Sorma was hit by a swarm of ice and fell from the air. She helped Shaqira and Wuyue regain control of the water body while she shouted, ¡°Attack the mid-section of the ship! Under the second mast! She is crazy. !¡±


    A weird exchange of fire broke out and escalated rapidly. Round and round of strange attacks were launched from the ice floe platform at the phantom ship¡ªgiant bolts from the crossbow of the demon hunter, Y¡¯zaks molten rock, Hao Ren¡¯s plasma discharge, and also Vivian¡¯s massive Lightning Chain and Bat Strike. The phantom ship had felt a great danger from the fierce attack. It tilted its muzzles skyward and began to meet the deadly firepower in a way that did not suit the ship¡¯s purported fighting capability. Numerous huge explosions flared on and over the phantom ship. A large amount of ice flakes and water bust in the air, while the bizarre song of the siren was echoing in the surroundings. The surrounding oceans began to surge as huge waves slammed on the phantom ship. The phantom ship healed its damage with each slap of the waves. Meanwhile, large tsunamis the high of a mountain was slamming in from all sides toward the ice floe platform.


    The MDT showed a super huge cyclone was forming in the nearby sea. Once it formed, it might be one of the biggest storms recorded by humankind ever.


    The moment was like the looming of a natural disaster. Hao Ren had doubt about the combat effectiveness of the siren, but now he finally realised that this seemingly gentle and harmless creature was equally terrible if she went mad: On the ocean, the storm created by the siren on the sea was no different from the force of nature!


    The best way to stop this storm was to destroy the phantom ship before it formed.


    Shaqira tried to control the waters around them as much as possible. ¡°Who the heck has agitated her? Who the heck has agitated her?¡±


    Lily quickly became maniacal amid this fighting. She had no long-range attack skill. She waved her Fire and Ice Claws and chopped off huge piece of ice, which weighed several tonnes from the edge of the ice floe platform. Like the giants that attacked Asgard in the ancient time, Lily threw the huge ice chunks at the phantom ship. The force of each throw was no less powerful than a heavy artillery!


    An ice chunk hit its target. The second mast on the phantom ship crashed down with a groan of noises dragging along the old and messy ropes and sails with it before they burst into a cloud of mist in the air.


    Nangong Sanba shouted amid the chaos. ¡°Don¡¯t take down the platform under our feet!¡±


    Lily was startled. ¡°What?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue rushed up to Lily and froze a huge ice ball out of the seawater. ¡°Your cannonball! I can make enough ice balls for your attack!¡±


    The next second, countless dozen-tonne ice balls shelled the phantom ship at subsonic speed.


    The attack of the non-human creatures was so brutal that even though the phantom ship was at a vantage point on the sea, it quickly lost its superiority. After a few minutes of brutal and indiscriminate bombardment, the restoration speed of phantom ship had failed to catch up with the speed of damage, and the tsunami in all directions weakened as the phantom ship continued to disintegrate into water. Finally, as a white flame rose along the waves onto the hull, a tower of fire rapidly engulfed the phantom ship.


    Amid the burning white flame, the dense fog on the sea began to disperse, the wind had stopped and the warm sunlight showered down on everyone again.


    Nangong Wuyue quickly jumped into the water and spent the better part of the day before surfacing. On her tail was a mermaid that had passed out.


    Shaqira and Sorma pulled the mermaid out of the water onto the ice floe platform. Everyone cautiously surrounded the mermaid in a semi-circle. Only Rollie that had just been scared like a chicken went up and sniffed the tail of the mermaid for a long while before she looked up and said, ¡°You¡¯re not going to hit me, are you?¡±


    Hao Ren pulled Dumb Cat to one side, stepped forward, and tucked the hair that covered the mermaid¡¯s face to the sides. ¡°Do you guys know her?¡±


    Shaqira was greatly surprised when she saw the face of the mermaid. ¡°General Vanessa!¡±


    Of course, Hao Ren did not know her. ¡°General Vanaessa? Which one?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the Queen¡¯s Guard, the head of royal guards of the Queen,¡± Sorma said quickly. ¡°How could she¡­ turn up this way? And shouldn¡¯t she be sitting in Nasaton forever?¡±

 Chapter 582

    Everyone cautiously surrounded the siren general. The latter looked weak and like the mermaid princess in the fairy tale, it was hard to imagine she was the one who had caused the storm just now. The remaining turbulence in the air still reminded them the danger of this siren. There was still a gleam of golden light in the eyes of Lily; she appeared guarded as she bowed slightly. ¡°Would she wake up suddenly and beat everyone up?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s already exhausted. Even if she goes crazy again, not much damage she could do,¡± said Shaqira, checking the status of the siren general. ¡°She has scents of many places in the deep sea, as if she had wandered over a long distance before she made it here. The Shrouded Isle is still a thousand nautical miles from here.¡±


    Nangong Sanba appeared a little shaken. ¡°The sirens could be so brutal when they go mad; I thought they were all peaceful all this while.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks smiled with the corner of his mouth twisted upward. ¡°Am I not usually quite peaceful?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that sirens don¡¯t know how to fight, we just dislike fighting. We do have professional soldiers.¡± Shaqira said without looking. ¡°If necessary, we can set off storms large enough to swallow several kingdoms at the sea; just that we are not fond of the land.¡±


    As soon as Shaqira¡¯s voice trailed off, the siren general¡¯s tail suddenly twitched, then coughed violently. Under the eyes of everyone, the mighty siren slowly opened her eyes: her resilience was equally surprising.


    Sorma immediately stepped forward to help hold Vanaessa up. ¡°General, how do you feel? What happened in the deep sea?¡±


    The siren¡¯s eyes swept across the sky blankly, as if she could not see them. She murmured lifelessly. Hao Ren listened for a long while before he realized the siren was just repeating the same sentence: ¡°¡­ ¡­crazy, our queen has gone crazy¡­ our queen has gone crazy¡­¡±


    Vivian bent over and checked her. ¡°Her state of mind doesn¡¯t seem to be normal.¡±


    ¡°General, can you hear me, general?¡± Shaqira shook the siren general¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m Shaqira, the messenger that set off a hundred years ago. We¡­we were ordered to return to Nasaton. What happened to the deep sea?¡±


    When the siren general heard the name ¡®Nasaton,¡¯ ta light flashed across her eyes. She suddenly forced herself up and held Shaqira¡¯s arms. ¡°Don¡¯t go back! Don¡¯t go near Nasaton! It¡¯s been contaminated! It¡¯s been contaminated! The monster is in control of that place!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why we¡¯re going there; to clean up the contamination,¡± Hao Ren stepped forward and grabbed Vanaessa¡¯s hand. ¡°Tell us about the situation in Nasaton.¡±


    The siren general looked at the stranger puzzlingly. She was sometimes sober and sometimes confused, in an unstable state of mind. A layer of haze floated on her eyes, but she could still instinctively stay awake. She replied as in dream, ¡°¡­ Queen¡­ she¡¯s not our Queen. She has something else in her body. A devil has possessed her body¡­ She ordered all sirens to return and forced us to draw the power of this planet. A giant whirlpool was forming on the protective wall of Nasaton¡­ The monster is constantly occupying the hearts of more sirens. It spreads like a plague in our brains. I¡­ I have it too¡­¡±


    The siren general seemed to choke in her word as if she was strangled. She hugged her head in pain and seemed to be trying to force something out of her brain. ¡°It¡¯s in my mind! It¡¯s here! It knows you¡¯re coming! Go back and don¡¯t go near Nasaton. Escape to the other side of the planet, where there is still a chance to survive¡­¡±


    A big hand suddenly pressed on Vanaessa¡¯s forehead, and the siren¡¯s pain came to an abrupt end, as though she had been put to sleep by hypnosis. Y¡¯zaks pulled back his hand and shrugged innocently. ¡°I really don¡¯t like the idea of demons be blamed for everything. It¡¯s clearly the brain that is controlling the Queen of the Siren.¡±


    ¡°Is she recovering?¡± Nangong Wuyue used the tip of her tail tip to poke the siren general. ¡°You¡¯ve expelled the evil spirit out from her soul?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve just forced her soul to calm down,¡± Y¡¯zaks shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s a noise in her soul that was intertwined with her spiritual world. It¡¯s not so easy to get rid of it. Maybe we need to find Nasaton before we can solve her problem.¡±


    Hao Ren clapped his hands and stood up. ¡°She just said that the monster knew we were coming. I¡¯m afraid we have to hurry up. The brain can gather information through the ¡®chess¡¯ it controls.¡±


    ¡°What should we do?¡± Shaqira looked pale as she glanced down at the siren general who was asleep. ¡°There will be more sirens tracking us down. Are you going to leave the general in this place, are you?¡±


    ¡°This is not my style, but it¡¯s also unwise to bring her with along with us.¡± Hao Ren shook his head and pulled out the MDT. ¡°Send her to the Kuiper shelter and dispatch several ¡®little squids¡¯ (autonomous robots) to take care of her. I hope we¡¯d have done with the things here when she wakes up.¡±


    The siren general was teleported to an unknown location under the watchful eyes of them. Hasse was careless as he saw it as a convenient spatial magic: Human shamans always had a lot of weird magical props and homemade spells. He felt that it was not surprising that a shaman who could walk with the Countess of the Crimson Moon must have his strength.


    He instead glanced curiously at Vivian. ¡°Your power seems to have declined slightly, Countess?¡±


    Vivian¡¯s expression stiffened up and smiled slyly. ¡°It¡¯s just fatigue, fatigue¡­¡±


    Hasse did not ask further but said indifferently, ¡°You look completely different from when you came and wreaked havoc in the European headquarter of the demon hunters back then.¡±


    Vivian was a bit dumbfounded. ¡°When did I wreak havoc in your European headquarter?¡±


    At this time, a blue light flashed in Hao Ren¡¯s pocket as the MDT had completed the escort mission. He patted his pocket and interrupted the conversation surrounding the old grudges of the two. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this now, we need to move quickly. Shaqira, Sorma, please speed up.¡±


    The ice floe platform quickly melted into a bubble. They returned to the water to continue their journey. This time, the air bubble moved much faster than before. With the help of magic, the air bubble moved at several times of the speed of sound. At this speed, they should be arriving The Shrouded Isle in no time.


    Hao Ren looked up at the shadows and lights gliding past them. He recalled the battle that had just happened a while ago and felt curious. ¡°Where did the ghost ship come from? Do you think the sirens could summon the human shipwreck as a weapon?¡±


    Shaqira shook her head immediately. ¡°No, it was General Vanaessa. That was her combat form.¡±


    Lily was shocked. ¡°What? You guys can become¡­ that kind of thing?¡±


    ¡°How many times have I said that the water is amorphous?¡± Nangong Wuyue seemed to be frustrated with the lack of the imagination of them. ¡°We use water to shape our bodies, so anything that we have seen and completely submerged in water can be imitated. If necessary, we can also turn into reefs, corals, marine beasts, and of course, shipwrecks¡ªall it takes is use water to sense its details.


    Hao Ren was stunned, as he had never imagined these things.


    Nangong Wuyue raised a finger and said, ¡°If necessary, I can even transform into Kursk or Bismarck¡ªbecause I have seen them in the water¡ªbut not warships in active service. I at most can transformed into their structure below the waterline. However, it¡¯s somewhat meaningless, as I can¡¯t understand the operation principle of that kind of thing. Therefore, in the end I still have to rely on my water magic in combat; even if I change into a nuclear submarine I wouldn¡¯t be able to shoot out missiles and torpedoes. Only those who have real strength could become super warship and siren like me¡­ mantis shrimp would be good enough.¡±


    The atmosphere was so silent that you could hear a pin drop. Hao Ren scratched his chin for a long moment before he suddenly figured out something. ¡°Wait a second. If that¡¯s the case, those phantom ships recorded in human history are¡­¡±


    ¡°There are sirens that came out on patrol,¡± said Shaqira, poking her head into the bubble from outside. ¡°Some people in Northern Europe like to say that siren had deluded the captain, ate the crew and controlled the empty ship and found more victims at sea. However, the actual situation is a bit different: the phantom ship is the siren itself, we use water to shape our body into that object, but we¡¯ve never harmed anyone, we just find the sunken ships interesting, that¡¯s all about it. Sorma, it¡¯s your shift now.¡±


    Everyone was speechless.


    Lily held her arms and pondered for a while. The she suddenly grabbed Nangong Wuyue¡¯s tail and said, ¡°When on the way back, can you change into USS Lexington?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue rolled her eyes. ¡°¡­oh god, spare me!¡±


    After swimming in the water for some time, Sorma finally came back in and reported to everyone. ¡°We¡¯re near The Shrouded Isle.¡±

 Chapter 583

    The air bubble slowly rose to the surface of the sea. As the surrounding seawater receded, Hao Ren found himself in an unusually calm water. He looked around and noticed that there was a dark, turtle-shaped isle not far from the left front. There was nothing on the small isle, but the isle was clear, airy, and not shrouded by any fog, as he had thought.


    ¡°You called this place The Shrouded Isle?¡± Lily looked at the black isle with surprise as they slowly approached. ¡°Looks like there is no fog.¡±


    ¡°Look around,¡± said Shaqira, pointing at the sea around with the tip of her tail. ¡°You see any reference? Even a wave?¡±


    Vivian¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Nothing at all¡­ This water surface is unbelievably calm, not even a ripple can be seen!¡±


    The entire visible area of the sea was so calm to the point of bizarre. From afar, there was not a single object of reference on the sea. The seawater was calm like a perfectly polished mirror without the slightest wrinkles. Skylight was uniform in any direction, and the sun was in the top centre of the sky as if its position had been precisely calculation. The sunlight shone evenly which added even more bizarreness to this water.


    The small black island not far away was the only alien colour between the sea and the sky. Other than that, the entire world seemed to be a monotonous blue and white, and the boundaries between the sky and the sea were vivid. This was undoubtedly not a natural phenomenon.


    ¡°Are we still on Earth?¡± Hao Ren patted on his pocket and said in an almost murmuring voice. The voice of the MDT then rang in his mind. ¡°Checking the coordinates¡­ The current position is still on Earth. Only that there is a layer of something similar to the enchantment that had changed the natural landscape in the area. It has obvious artificially traces of encryption, but we have already entered it once, I have confidence to crack the law of entry into this place.¡±


    ¡°This is the Shrouded Isle. The fog isn¡¯t on the isle but in the entire space,¡± Sorma swam around them, introducing the only entrance to the world of the sirens. ¡°Only passing through several right nodes that can we see The Shrouded Isle which is right in front of you. Any other route would lead to an everlasting dense fog when approaching this area of water. Even the most advanced ships of humankind will find themselves sailing around in a large circle before they have to double back. Many seafarers are not easily fooled; they have recorded the dense fog in this area, so we have to change the pattern and induced position of the dense fog from time to time. Those explorers are difficult people; we don¡¯t know what makes them so interested to come to knock on our door.¡±


    ¡°Only diving from the shore on the side of The Shrouded Isle can we enter Nasaton. The water body around the isle is the most critical ¡®node¡¯ to go to Nasaton,¡± said Shaqira, who swam over to hold Nangong Wuyue¡¯s hand. ¡°Little sister, remember the current information that have just passed?¡±


    As a siren, Nangong Wuyue was able to sense the ¡®route¡¯. She nodded and looked surprised. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that my hometown was so well hidden¡­ It¡¯s so much more awesome than I¡¯ve thought. No wonder I couldn¡¯t find the City of the Sirens before.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps your mother kept you away from Nasaton was to protect you. But being unable to return to your hometown is also unfortunate,¡± Sorma had also swum up. ¡°From now on, you can freely go in and out of this place, bring along those of your friends who are here today but not others. Though Nasaton seems to be in trouble now, you¡¯re welcomed home anyway, young sister.¡±


    The three sirens turned and leapt into the water. Their scales glittered in golden light under the sunlight. Lil Pea poked her head out of Hao Ren¡¯s collar and observed the outside world before she jumped down joyously and tried to catch up with the three ¡®sisters¡¯. From time to time, the little one jumped out of the water with excitement along the way, like a dolphin twirling in the air and said hello to everyone. ¡°Water! Lots of water! I like this place!¡±


    This vast expanse of sea seemed to have given the little one a sense of familiarity with her hometown. She had been unusually excited since a while ago.


    Hao Ren, on the other hand, stepped on the foam and water under his feet following closely behind the three sirens as they slowly approaching the black island. Nangong Sanba looked at the island and seemed to have noticed something that arouse his interest. He raised his hand and said loudly to the sirens in the distance, ¡°Can we go to check out the island?¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Shaqira¡¯s voice was heard from the front. ¡°But don¡¯t stay there for too long!¡±


    They set their foot on the black turtleback island, which was not recorded on any chart, and its shape was not exactly a natural creation as if the whole island was formed as a whole piece of metal device with huge but no-so-deep grooves covered the surface. Lily bent down, touched the black cold ¡®floor¡¯, and exclaimed in shock. ¡°It¡¯s warm!¡±


    ¡°There is an energy reaction in the depths of the island,¡± the voice of the MDT rang in the minds of Hao Ren and others. ¡°It is a part of a giant spherical device that is exposed to the water. The sphere floats in the water and I have found that there are one-hundred thirty-five pipelines connected to the bottom of the sea, which may be a system that interacts with the thermal energy of the seabed. This device itself is the source of the fog enchantment.¡±


    There were also some sparsely distributed artificial things on the black island, which shaped like corals clumping out of the ground, but their surface is glimmering with fluorescence light. Y¡¯lisabet curiously poked one of the ¡®corals¡¯ and it immediately emitted a melodious sound of the wind chime.


    Then the face of the little girl was burned black and blue.


    Y¡¯lisabet was joyous. ¡°This is so fun!¡±


    ¡°I thought sirens would only use magic¡­¡± Hao Ren looked at it all in surprise. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect they also made this kind of thing.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t they have automatic facility and magic at the same time?¡± Vivian asked. ¡°And as a race that hasn¡¯t been disturbed by the outside world has been developing in the deep sea for ten thousand years, how could they not have built something to watch their backyard. After all, they are the earliest civilization of the planet in a sense.¡±


    At this time, a sound of water came from behind them. Shaqira got onto shore and called everyone. ¡°Are you guys ready to dive?¡±


    They took the air bubble and went down the deep sea. During the descent, Hao Ren and others kept their eyes into the direction of The Shrouded Isle and saw what the MDT had described about how the ¡®isle¡¯ really looked like underwater. It was a huge sphere, and its part below the waterline was more complicated. Below the centre line of the sphere were many protruding glimmering lights that appear to be dimming with a certain rhythm as if responding to the undersea current. At the bottom of this giant sphere was a large number of black lines like deep-sea cables, which were scattered deep into the water and eventually disappear into the endless darkness.


    This was not a technological invention, but a huge magic device¡ªbut for the earth¡¯s civilizations, it was no different from advanced alien technology.


    When the air bubble submerged down to a certain depth, it changed course and began to move in a direction away from The Shrouded Isle. Hao Ren had noticed some bright light flashed from time to time on the outside. It could be a bioluminescent deep-sea creature, or simply some kind of ¡®signpost¡¯ set by the sirens. Lil Pea had found it interesting to wandering outside and was now swimming around the outer wall of the air bubble. From time to time, she would leap in and out of the opening in the water barrier, and Rollie would lay besides the opening guarding carefully. She was responsible for preventing Lil Pea from falling. This cat knew that if she did not take good care of the fish, the fish would not just beat her but also not give her small dried fish for the rest of her life¡­


    ¡°We should be now crossing over to a spatial layer,¡± Y¡¯zaks suddenly sensed something as he looked up at the dark water wall above him. ¡°I feel something has changed¡­ The magic of the sirens is brilliant; they have made the spatial layer so smooth and almost imperceptible.¡±


    ¡°So people who accidentally stumbled into it could hardly get out of it by themselves. You would have entered into an endless water world before you know it,¡± said Shaqira who was next to him. ¡°Though we have never provoked anyone by living peacefully in our little kingdom, every year there are still many careless adventurers trespass into here. They would certainly get lost in this layered and invisible deep-sea maze. We¡¯ve sent many sirens to patrol the area and tried our best to help, but inevitably, there will be some unfortunate ones. However, I¡¯ve been away from here for a hundred years, and I don¡¯t know if there have been humans here since then.¡±


    At this time, a flash of light appeared on the front of the air bubble, and Sorma¡¯s voice was heard from the front. ¡°You can now see the wall of Nasaton.¡±

 Chapter 584

    A group of light gradually appeared before them as they gathered in front curiously looking at the distant scenery. As their preternatural eyes adapted to the surrounding environment, the mysterious deep-sea scenery finally appeared before their eyes.


    Lily and Y¡¯lisabet could not hold back their awe and let out their exclamation. ¡°Wow¡ª¡±


    Flat white sands of the deep sea spreading endlessly, and a large number of spherical devices that shimmered and dangled in the water forming strips of light like roads. In the centre of these lights was a huge city.


    The city was of oval shape and looked like a gorgeous shell piled up on top of each other. At the edge of the city was towering glowing wall. The wall was made of some white artificial material with a light-green crystal decoration. On every side of the wall was inwardly inclined half-moon-shaped guard plate. Light was shining out of the half-moon shields and eventually extended into a shield-like enclosure that shrouded the entire city. On the inner side of the city wall were a large number of tower structures of different heights. These ¡®towers¡¯ were beautifully shaped like some artistically exaggerated shellfish. Each tower was inlaid with a huge luminous pearl. The light they emitted illuminated the city and the waters around the city.


    Those who first saw this deep-sea city were amazed at the fact that there was such a wonderful scenery on the seabed. Hao Ren started to analyse the city as if his occupational habit had struck again. ¡°Totally sealed structures. Those metal guards and shield completely shrouded Nasaton. It seems like¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Vivian asked her.


    ¡°Not quite like a normal city,¡± Hao Ren shook his head slightly. ¡°A closed city like this is difficult to expand. They have to demolish the old walls if they want to expand the city, or they planned the eternal form of the city from the very beginning with no plan expand it? Sirens are water creatures, and their city is full of water. So why is it necessary to shroud Nasaton with this shield?¡±


    ¡°Defend against enemies?¡± Vivian¡¯s brow knit together. ¡°There had been many such closed city-states in ancient times, and the otherworldings¡±divine city¡¯ was also accustomed to using shields to protect themselves. Of course, modern humans no longer use wall to protect themselves.¡±


    ¡°Even city walls wouldn¡¯t have to be so tightly wrapped, and why would a group of queens of the deep-sea need to guard against enemies from the outside?¡± Hao Ren asked. ¡°Which races from the surface could come to this place? Which small creature that could come to this place and threaten the sirens?¡±


    ¡°It will be all clear when we go in.¡± Y¡¯zaks interrupted his discussions with Vivian. ¡°We¡¯re in approaching the seabed.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and took out several life-support collars from his dimensional pocket and distributed to each of them. ¡°Use this, just in case the sirens in Nasaton not welcome us.¡±


    Then he looked up at Hasse. ¡°You guys need this, no? This thing will allow you to breathe in the water. In case thing goes wrong, Shaqira and Sorma may have no time to look after you.¡±


    ¡°Demon hunters are capable of operating in deep water,¡± said Hasse. ¡°I¡¯m not used to these things.¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged his shoulders, motioned Rollie over, and put the collar on her. He suddenly felt as if he should not bring along Dumb Cat: though she had eaten the golden apple, theoretically, she should have a bit of supernatural ability, but this fellow¡­ I¡¯m not sure. This fellow had not even had as much experience as Lil Pea.


    However, after thinking for a moment that if there was any situation, he could just throw this Dumb Cat into the portal and teleported it to the Petrachelys, or he could even throw her into his dimensional pocket away from danger. Therefore, he worried no more.


    Rollie touched the new collar on her neck happily. She thought it was a gift for herself. Seeing her expression, Hao Ren knew that it would be impossible to get the collar back later. The cat-maiden nudged Hao Ren¡¯s arm and said, ¡°You¡¯re wearing the collar too, Big Boss Cat? You know this is fun too? I will have to walk you in future?¡±


    Hao Ren showed no time to bother with the cat. He pushed the cat-maiden away and said to her, ¡°Remember what I¡¯ve told you before leaving home? We¡¯re going for an adventure; you would listen to me and follow what I do. If worse comes to worst I¡¯m going to send you back home.¡±


    The cat-maiden quickly nodded.


    The water bubble slowed down and slowly came near to the mysterious city of the deep sea and hovered over the lamp strips. The water bubble broke silently and the seawater began to pour in but was isolated by their personal body shields or magical effects. Shaqira quietly swam to a large black rock nearby, motioning everyone to come. Through some magical trick, she made it possible for everyone to talk to each other in the water. ¡°Look at the glowing lights in front? It¡¯s the dividing line between the city and the wilderness. Usually there should be a lot of sirens out of here¡­ but now nobody is here.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s an air of tension around here; I can smell a certain negative scent,¡± Y¡¯zaks frowned. ¡°Perhaps your queen is forbidding the sirens to come out.¡±


    Lily stretched her neck and looked up for a long while before she suddenly pointed to space above Nasaton. ¡°What is that?¡±


    Hao Ren looked in the direction where Lily was pointing and saw a layer of light-blue film over the city, and there was a massive maelstrom just outside the film¡ªthe maelstrom was translucent like a projection, but the MDT said after performing a remote sensing that the phantom maelstrom was gradually materializing. It could have been there for a month, and the day of its complete transformation might be around the corner.


    The scale of the maelstrom was almost the size of the city below. Hao Ren looked at the weird phenomenon in awe, and could not imagine what this thing was for, but it was clear that only a lunatic would make such a thing in his own backyard!


    ¡°That¡­that¡¯s the location of the protective wall!¡± Shaqira saw also stunned seeing the maelstrom. Bubbles were foaming out of her mouth when she spoke. ¡°There is a portal outside the protective wall?¡±


    ¡°Your general had mentioned a maelstrom before she passed out. I¡¯m afraid this is it,¡± White Flame suddenly said from behind. She was silent all the while to maintain her ¡®normal¡¯ demon hunter demeanour, but this time, she could not help but asked, ¡°What are you going to do to?¡±


    ¡°God knows,¡± said Sorma as she came out from her horror. ¡°No, we must enter the city immediately. The maelstrom needs the magical power of a large number of people to form; the Queen must be drawing a lot of energy from the planet¡­ No, it could be worse¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, so now anyone has any plan?¡± Y¡¯zaks hummed and said, ¡°Nasaton should now be heavily guarded. We must quietly enter the city and then quickly capture the Queen of Sirens without alarming the guards, if possible. It¡¯s best to hold up all her close officials. We also need to prevent them from launching something that would blow everyone up indiscriminately, such as detonating the maelstrom. I can feel the power of that maelstrom. It¡¯s no less destructive than the curse that tore Helcrown apart from the Obsidian Plain. Once it blows, it¡¯s hard to say how many of us would survive; probably we don¡¯t even have time to react.¡±


    ¡°Besides, we also have to control that gigantic brain,¡± Hao Ren reminded. ¡°This is the most important thing. The Queen of the Sirens is just a puppet, and no one knows there are how many such puppets out there.¡±


    Hasse had been listening indifferently, but when he learned that these aliens really wanted to stop the crisis, he also joined the discussion. ¡°The most appropriate solution is to control all of them at the same time or, even better, kill the brain immediately and capture the Queen alive. I just overheard Shaqira said that you had an encounter with the gigantic brain before. You know what it is? How powerful is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a kind of monster from ¡­ an alien planet. It floats and moves at a speed human could barely attain. With its dozen of tentacles and strong physical strength, it could perform spatial spells. However, the nastiest thing is its mind control ability, where it can shakes even the strongest will, and the longer the fight is, the severe the influence will be,¡± Hao Ren chose the most careful wordings to explain. ¡°I¡¯ve just killed the¡­ avatar-like one. I don¡¯t know how strong the real one can be.¡±


    Hasse listened quietly before he finally nodded his head and said, ¡°Looks like head-on attack would be a problem. Surprise attack is the way, if can.¡±


    ¡°The biggest problem now is how to get into the city,¡± Hao Ren exhaled, looking up at Nasaton. He then turned to look at Shaqira for a moment. ¡°Now it¡¯s all your show.¡±

 Chapter 585

    Shaqira peeked from behind the black boulder and looked into the Nasaton¡¯s direction; her facial expression was getting worse. After a moment, she turned around her head and said, ¡°That¡¯s unexpected¡­ I¡¯m afraid getting in isn¡¯t going to be easy.¡±


    The corner of Hao Ren¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°See the light blue barrier outside the walls of the city?¡± Shaqira pointed shield of Nasaton with the tip of her tail. ¡°That¡¯s the city¡¯s aqua dome, and The Tarani Crystals on the wall are glowing. That shows that the aqua dome has been possessed. In this case, the shield is connected mentally with the Queen. Anything that passes through the aqua dome the queen will feel it. She will find that you¡¯re not siren, and then she would use the aqua film to cut the intruder into pieces.¡±


    Lil¡¯s was wide-mouthed. ¡°¡­how it works?¡±


    ¡°Water is amorphous, it can turns into the shape of a human, or a city. The Tarani Crystals can enlarge the mental power of the Queen and make the aqua dome an extension of her body. This is the key to her ability to control the entire city,¡± said Sorma before she sighed again. ¡°This was supposed to be the last resort for the Queen to protect the city when the city was in danger, but little did we expect it¡¯s been used to confine its own people now.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks scratched his chin. ¡°This kind of thing will consume a lot of energy. Can the queen always connect her mind to the aqua dome? Doesn¡¯t she even need rest?¡±


    Shaqira shook her head. ¡°The Torrent Core bears most of the magical energy consumption. The queen is standing above the Torrent Core. Her magic and energy are endless. Oh, the Torrent Core is the energy core of the city. It¡¯s located inside the royal palace.¡±


    Hao Ren smacked on the forehead. ¡°My god, why did you people create so many high-tech thingies? Can you just be a mermaid?¡±


    At this time, Lil Pea bravely swam to the outside. Looking from afar, she appeared like a small fish thanks to her small size. She swam low on the sands to the back of another boulder before she suddenly turned back as if she had seen something. Dad-dee, there¡¯s something there! A big boat!¡±


    The little one could not say it clear enough. No one could make head or tail of what she meant. Therefore, they decided to go and check it out for themselves. Shaqira controlled the current to form a barrier that could interfere with the perceptive ability of the sirens to a certain extent, shielding the team as they moved to the back of the boulders. Lil Pea immediately nudged Hao Ren. ¡°That!¡±


    ¡°Oh my god¡­¡± Hao Ren was surprised by what he saw on the distant beach. ¡°How did that thing come here?¡±


    A black steel object with a rusty, ruinous, wreckage was lying on a sand bank a few hundred meters away. It had a huge hole in the middle, and this hole could be the reason it sank. In addition, the porthole, thruster, tail rudder, and superstructure were still clearly visible. Nangong Wuyue stared at the torpedo launch tube on the front of the thing for a long moment before she pouted. ¡°It¡¯s a Soviet submarine. Model unknown.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever seen this thing?¡± asked Shaqira, surprised. She had been hiding in the mountains after she surfaced. She knew very little about modern human weapons such as submarine and warships¡ªexcept coastal artilleries.


    ¡°I saw it a few times while swimming, but I didn¡¯t dare to get near,¡± Nangong Wuyue nodded. ¡°This thing might have got lost at the nearby sea and wandered here by accident. Such an old submarine wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand the water pressure in the deep sea.


    ¡°It was dragged here,¡± said Nangong Sanba, who suddenly pointed to the sand bank behind the old submarine. There was a huge gully behind it and according to the water and grass near the gully; it might have been lying here for many years. ¡°Do sirens like to collect human ships?¡±


    ¡°No, usually we will throw these things into the trenches, or push them onto the coastline of humans¡ªdepending on whether we¡¯re able to move them,¡± Shaqira shook her head, then flinched abruptly. ¡°Wait a second, somebody is coming!¡±


    They quickly hid themselves. The water body in front of the submarine suddenly warped before a stream of water quickly converged into a figure; it was a siren in the form of a sea snake. The siren¡¯s hand held a polearm glowing in bright blue light, with a gigantic aquamarine in the middle of the crescent blades. She raised her polearm in front of the submarine and began to sing an old incantation in a weird and creepy tone before she stuck the polearm in the sand. ¡°Get up, it¡¯s time to work!¡±


    A cloud of smoke-like dust immediately circled around the submarine. Then there were dozens of shadows coming out of the hole in the submarine and the nearby sand. These figures were wrapped in tattered military uniforms that looked more like shrouds. Although the figures were physically intact, the skin and muscles were blue and grey as in dead body. Some of them had also swollen and weird wounds from which fine sand was flowing out.


    Hao Ren stared at all of this in shock. Undoubtedly, these soldiers were not normal living people. Their chests were inlaid with a grey-blue crystal, which was why they could move.


    These controlled fighters stared blankly at the siren. Their muscles twitched slightly as if the rebellious thoughts remained tenaciously deep inside them. However, the crystals on their chests continued to resonate with the polearm in the hand of the siren. These people were unable to resist. The siren standing in front of them was obviously not free either: her eyes were dark and the expression on her face was stiff like the dead. This suggested that her condition was far more serious than that of the siren general. This siren had thoroughly lost its freewill, and now become a remote-controlled machine that faithfully carried out orders.


    The siren raised the polearm and swam into the distance. ¡°Get to work.¡±


    This horrifying group of figures left the submarine. Hao Ren, who was hiding in the shadows, awed there for a long moment until Shaqira gritted her teeth and broke the silence. ¡°How could the Queen allow this? This isn¡¯t in keeping with the tradition of the sirens!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the queen. It¡¯s that brain.¡± Vivian placed her hand on Shaqira¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We¡¯d better go and take a look at it. I got a weird feeling of the work that the siren mentioned.¡±


    Shaqira nodded silently and followed the scent left behind by the siren in the water.


    They followed from far behind the ¡®dead squad,¡¯ and after a short swim along the beach, they turned into a beach with many grey and white porous rocks. It was already very close to the outer wall of Nasaton. They must be careful not get spotted by the sentries on the high walls of the city, but the white porous rocks around them could act as cover. Vivian suddenly frowned. ¡°I could sense the smell is much stronger here.¡±


    ¡°I felt it too, it was the smell of the dead,¡± Hasse whispered. ¡°Keep your eyes open.¡±


    Rollie had been following Hao Ren from behind obediently. She must have grown up a lot. After a short swim, she suddenly poked Hao Ren¡¯s arm. ¡°Big Big Cat, there.¡±


    Hao Ren ducked and peeked from behind a porous rock and was shocked to see a large construction site!


    There was a large open area surrounded by porous rocks, where construction works were on going. The dead were working under the supervision of the siren. They were World War II sailors in tattered a variety of military uniforms, dark blue skin with stiff faces. Their chests were inlaid with grey and blue, spooky crystals. Hao Ren could barely recognize the clothes. However, Lily had recognized some as the British, the Soviets and the Americans¡ªthey were all the Allied soldiers.


    Considering that, there had never been eyewitness¡¯ reports of sirens attacking human warships, these soldiers should have sunk into the sea during the war and been ¡®collected¡¯ by the sirens.


    A dozen or so sirens holding polearms were patrolling the nearby space. Under their watch, the dead were assembling some metal twigs that shaped like corals and installing them in some huge, deeply buried, silver-white pillars in the ground. The silver-white pillars spread far out to the other end of the site, and appeared neat like a weird metal forest.


    The MDT had read an amazing energy level from those devices.


    ¡°These things can cross the spatial layer, and their lower portion must be nailed deep in the earth,¡± said Y¡¯zaks, whose voice sounded serious. ¡°They are extracting the energy of the earth¡¯s core¡­ But I can feel its energy flow isn¡¯t complete, there should be some other devices connected to them.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯re not only dead people here,¡± said Nangong Sanba, who suddenly pointed to the other side of the open space. ¡°Look over there.¡±


    Looking into the direction Nangong Sanba was pointing, another group of slaves were working under the watch of the sirens¡ªit was a group of aliens, sturdy werewolves, pale vampires, and shadelings with dark and twisted limbs.


    Obviously, they were all living people.

 Chapter 586

    The ¡°porous rock site¡± was a large area where more than a dozen teams were busily installing energy broadcast antennas and extraction devices. Each such team had a siren supervising and dozens of slave labourers. Due to the huge rocks and complex terrain in the area, there were many monitoring blind spots. It seemed the sirens were not very alert too because they did not seem to think that enemies would appear suddenly near their homes. Their carelessness gave the enemy a chance.


    A pale vampire, whose teammates were busy on the edge of the site, was assembling metal twigs under the watch of the siren supervisor. The vampire looked at the sirens holding a crystal polearm swimming slowly in the distance, but he had more will of revolt. He knew no one could escape from this place, even though the open waters were just twenty meters away behind him. Even if the siren wet to let them go, no one could make it out through the layered, invisible maze and reach the surface alive. He looked around; there were two werewolves in his team. This situation was depressing to a Blood Clan. However, after the initial days of conflict, all races in the teams had come to grip with reality. He was now standing with the werewolves in peace, and even the deceitful shadelings would no longer think of doing anything stupid.


    The siren supervisor glanced at him expressionlessly. The vampire and the two werewolves bluntly glared at the siren but did not stop the work at hand. The supervisor was only to check on their pace of work and indifferent to their impertinent gaze. She nodded with satisfaction before moving on to another rock like a snake.


    ¡°Brainless idiot.¡± The two werewolves whispered in unison.


    The vampire lowered his head and focused on the most delicate step of the assembly process, but at this moment, a strange female voice suddenly sounded in his mind. ¡°Which family are you from, young Blood Clan?¡±


    The vampire looked around crawly. He noticed something strange in the shadow of the boulder in the distance, but the voice in his head stopped him. ¡°Keep doing what you¡¯re doing, young Blood Clan. Just answer a few questions; I¡¯ll see if we can find a way to help you.¡±


    The young Blood Clan felt the power of the higher Blood Clan from the voice that directly went into his mind. He respectfully asked in his mind. ¡°Who are you, my elder? I¡¯m Bruce from the Nordic Abram family.¡±


    ¡°You should have seen my name in your family genealogy. I¡¯m Vivian, the elder of Blood Clan.¡±


    After a few minutes of exchange, Vivian turned her head around and Lily immediately came up to her. ¡°Battie, what is the situation? What happened to these people? How did they get here?¡±


    Vivian nodded. ¡°As expected, it¡¯s about the day of return. Many otherworldling families believed in the day of return and then gathered all the races together before they were held up and sent here. However, the number of those being held is not many so far. These Blood Clans and werewolves were only captured in the past recent years. Looks like the Queen of the Sirens had only lost her mind completely a few years back; she has not managed to launch a large-scale attack on the surface.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fortunate that we¡¯ve found out early,¡± said Shaqira, forcing a smile. ¡°What are they doing here?¡±


    ¡°Feeding energy to the maelstrom; that growing thing is devouring the energy of the planet every day,¡± replied Vivian. ¡°These metal pillars are only part of the system, and the rest of their components are inside the city of Nasaton. The sirens have built a huge magic device to control the energy collected. Those sirens yet fully controlled were forbidden from going out. They were used as the ¡®stabilizer¡¯ of the magic device that drew energy from them. The situation inside is not much better than the slave labourers outside.¡±


    ¡°I did not expect the deep sea has deteriorated to this extent,¡± said Hasse. ¡°Have you found a way to enter Nasaton?¡±


    ¡°Of course, and it¡¯s surprisingly simple,¡± Vivian smiled. ¡°Follow behind the human soldiers; Nasaton is open once a day, as those dead soldiers are sent to a facility in the city centre where the crystal in their chests would be recharged. During this process, the dome will not respond to foreign living beings, so we entered.¡±


    Hao Ren was surprised. ¡°Is it as simple as that? The sirens won¡¯t do anything?¡±


    ¡°See the eyes of the siren?¡± Vivian pointed to a siren, which was patrolling on the edge of the open space. ¡°Its eyes had completely turned black. This is a possessed siren. They have lost their ability to think and could only act on according to their natural instinct. A few years back, a revolt broke out in Nasaton, since then, all the out-going personnel were replaced by these completely possessed sirens. They are stronger than the ordinary sirens, more obedient to the command of that gigantic brain, but the downside is that they lack intelligence and it¡¯s easy to trick them. All we have to do is to grab some sand from the sand bank near the submarine, hold it in the hand, and then follow the slaves into the city. While doing this, don¡¯t get in the way of the siren overseers and they won¡¯t alert the gigantic brain, as they will only treat us as workers on the construction site. Of course, what¡¯s going to happen next once we¡¯re in is hard to tell, so, improvise¡ªour primary goal is to enter the city.¡±


    Lily shook her ear. ¡°I can¡¯t fathom it¡­wouldn¡¯t that gigantic brain be afraid intruders?¡±


    Vivian smiled. ¡°Well, common sense tells that no one would be able to find Nasaton. The city doesn¡¯t need to be fortified. The loophole is quite normal.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and said to Vivian. ¡°Well, you and Lily stay on guard here. Let¡¯s us go to the submarine first.¡±


    Though a day in Nasaton was two hours shorter than the surface world, it felt that time crawled. Vivian had learned as much as possible the situation in the city of Nasaton through the mind exchanges with several Blood Clans. However, these slave labourers also knew little about the city. It seemed that they could not possibly rely on this information to get the safest infiltration method. Therefore, they had no choice but decide to let Shaqira lead the way.


    The first team of dead soldiers had completed their work today. A sirens overseer ordered the dead back to Nasaton, and the other nearby dead leaving the site. When the last group of people left the site, the small team quickly followed closely from behind.


    Following the dead of the Second World War, Hao Ren and others passed through the city shield without incident.


    In front of them was an elegant and peculiar city of the deep sea¡ª


    Nasaton had an incredible sense of ¡®wholeness¡¯. All buildings here seemed to be a part of a larger facility. The city¡¯s ground was like single piece of cast and all buildings were ¡®installed¡¯ on this piece of ground. Most of the things here appeared like shells and corals. The elegantly curves of the houses and the towering coral towers of different heights gave the impression that this was a deep-sea palace in the fairy tales¡ªalthough weird, it was exquisite like a piece of artwork.


    Only now that this elegant city had become dead and gloomy. All doors and windows were shut, streets devoid of any siren activities, and the clear seawater was filled with a depressing air as quiet and dull as a ghost town.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that when I left¡­¡± Shaqira looked sadly at the state of the city. ¡°It used to be a lively and peaceful place. The sirens always like to swim around these pillars and sing¡­ but now all has changed.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everything will be fine as soon as we kill that monster brain,¡± Hao Ren comforted the depressed siren. ¡°The situation isn¡¯t too bad. Though they are under control, at least they¡¯re alive.¡±


    In order to avoid bumping into other patrolling sirens with higher thinking ability, they did not follow the dead into the city centre. Instead, they turned into another road to their destination: the Palace.


    Shaqira had remembered some of the most inaccessible paths in the city. These places were close to the water-circulation pipeline of Nasaton. Usually no one would have noticed and it was much safer to move from here.


    They were now advancing along a huge alloy pipe, which was buried in a groove that was more than ten meters wide. The groove itself was the best cover. Shaqira led the way as she touched the pipe around her. ¡°When I was young, I would usually sneak out and play around the pipes, climb into the water inlet, and then transform into a gush of water inside, and circle the city before spouting out from the outlet on the other side of the city.¡±


    Hao Ren was attracted by something else.


    He looked at a nameplate on the pipe trough, which was written in twisty siren language. The translation was like this: Nasaton. Fourth Water Circulation Pipe. 3-Bar Pressure.


    On the way earlier, he also saw more signs that could tell about the city. He finally figured out it was from those nameplates and simple maps of the facilities.


    ¡°Your city is a spaceship?¡±

 Chapter 587

    Hao Ren was stunned beyond word. ¡°Your city is a spaceship?¡±


    Shaqira and Sorma looked puzzled. The latter froze for a while before she asked, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know your own city?¡± The siren¡¯s response surprised Hao Ren. He pointed to the nameplates on the pipe next to him. ¡°Look at this, the Nasaton. This is obviously the naming scheme of a spacecraft. We have just passed a facility called a resonant wheel. Its written operating instructions indicate that it¡¯s a device used to offset the changes in water pressure during the acceleration process. Besides, there is this thin pipe on your left where its sign indicates that it leads to the engine compartment¡ªwhy would a city need an engine? Only vehicles have this thing.¡±


    Shaqira froze for a long while before she came to her sense and grabbed Hao Ren¡¯s arm suddenly. ¡°You know the siren script? You know what these things mean? Where did you learn it from?¡±


    Hao Ren and other people looked at each other while Y¡¯zaks was wide-eyed. ¡°What do you mean? Don¡¯t you know your own language?¡±


    Shaqira shook her head. ¡°Nobody knows what these signs in the city mean. We might have used this written language before but for some unknown reasons it was lost. The sirens responsible for maintaining the city probably only know how to operate some key equipment. The Queen and some scholars are said to be able to recognise some of these ancient texts, but not much.¡±


    It was much unexpected. Hao Ren felt it incredible. ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe it¡­ have you not cracked your own written language for the past ten thousand years?¡±


    ¡°Cracked a part of it, but the grammar of these ancient texts is very unique, and it¡¯s very difficult to understand them, especially if they are used in a jargon, they¡¯re totally incomprehensible,¡± said Shaqira, looking embarrassed. ¡°Now the language we use was reconstructed based on the ancient texts thousands of years ago. Apart from the glyphs, there¡¯s no connection with what is written in the signs in terms of meaning, but it was good enough for daily use¡ªonly the professional scholars continue to study these symbols in the city. The ordinary sirens have no interest in them.¡±


    ¡°The symptoms of amnesia as a result of crossing to Earth,¡± Vivian said in a whisper, pulling Hao Ren¡¯s sleeve. ¡°There are similar phenomena in other aliens.¡±


    Yes, this was exactly the weird condition experienced by all aliens on Earth, including the demon hunters. After they came to Earth from The Plane of Dreams, they suffered from memory loss as if it was erased from their minds. Not only had they completely forgotten their memory about The Plane of Dreams, there also existed some bizarre innate memories, such as hostility towards the otherworldlings. This kind of memory erasure seemed to be random: some races still remembered the Letta Runes, some remembered their own written language, some remembered more or less their production techniques, some were said to have degenerated into primitive animals during the mythical era. The memory erasure of each race was not the same, and what the sirens had forgotten was undoubtedly their writing and everything about the city.


    It was hard to tell as to what extra memory or racial instinct they had.


    No wonder they did not even know how the city was built: The city was already there before the sirens ¡®got¡¯ their memories, and Nasaton seemed to exist in the deep sea matter-of-coursely. The sirens were following some vague instincts to thrive here, fumbling with the equipment that, theoretically, they had made themselves, but otherwise they knew nothing about their homeland.


    It was hard for outsiders to imagine what kind of lifestyle it was, but it was clear that they were already accustomed to it all.


    ¡°Compared with other aliens, the sirens are really the most amazing race,¡± Hao Ren looked at this incredible city in disbelief. After he found out the city was a spaceship, the many doubts about the city were resolved instantaneously, which included its weird, completely enclosed structure and architectural arrangement. ¡°You actually landed on this planet with a space fortress? You know how to operate these equipment¡­ don¡¯t know what these written instructions mean on them? It¡¯s incredible that you¡¯re essentially challenging the cognitive rules of a smart race.¡±


    Shaqira looked puzzled. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if this is a compliment or something else.¡±


    ¡°At least it¡¯s not malicious,¡± Hao Ren hurriedly waved his hand. ¡°I¡¯ve seen many different otherworldlings. You people are the most incredible race. Obviously, your advanced technology ¡­ or advanced magic has played a big role. You people have done very well compared to other aliens on Earth.¡±


    Hasse looked on quietly. His face showed not much animation. However, the gleaming of his eye suggested that this old demon hunter was not as calm as he pretended to be. He patted the pipeline next to him. ¡°That is to say, Nasaton is a spaceship from an alien planet? The siren came from another planet?¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°More distant than other planet ¡­ but there¡¯s nothing wrong with your understanding.¡±


    White Flame finally could not hold back but asked, ¡°What about us?¡±


    ¡°Oh, looks like you finally believe what I said earlier,¡± Hao Ren laughed cheerfully. ¡°I¡¯ve said before that except for shamans and witches, all alien races are not indigenous to Earth. You people come from almost every corner of the universe¡ªbut now you all fight among yourselves on Earth like some headless chickens. Look at this spacecraft; do you still think that demon hunters¡¯ killing instinct is a natural phenomenon? You¡¯re not even sure if you and the other aliens are from the same planet, where does the sense of hostility come from?¡±


    Hasse silently sinking into deep thoughts, and Teuton touched the metal groove around him and said, ¡°Incredible.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s put the problems of siren language and the otherworldlings to a side for now. How far is it the palace from here?¡± asked Y¡¯zaks, suddenly interrupting the conversation.


    Shaqira pointed forward. ¡°Going along this channel until the end, turn left and you will enter a passageway that lead directly to a building next to the palace zone. However, I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not as easy as it seems; there must be guards in there.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue moved its attention away from the nearby facilities. ¡°Let¡¯s keep going. Time waits no one.¡±


    With Shaqira and Sorma leading the way, they quickly swam in the direction of the passageway. Lily suddenly smelled something at the corner near the channel. ¡°Wait, there¡¯s someone up there!¡±


    They hurriedly hid themselves under the main pipeline, and then a team of sirens was swimming a dozen meters above the pipeline. More than a dozen grey-eyed sirens armed with tridents escorted dozens of their compatriots, which were in mermaid form, looked weak, and trapped in bubbles.


    A siren soldier seemed to have sensed something, as she looked down at the channel. Sorma quickly tightened his control over the current, and completely shrouded their breath. A moment later, the siren soldier left to keep up with the team.


    Lily said, ¡°I can fight ten!¡±


    ¡°But there are at least a hundred thousand of sirens controlled by the gigantic brains in the city, not to mention the mighty Queen of the Sirens.¡± Hao Ren smacked the back of her head and said, ¡°Stop talking. Let¡¯s move.¡±


    The team moved toward the passageway again. Vivian whispered about the team she had just encountered. ¡°The siren¡¯s eyes have not yet completely changed their colours. This shows that their minds are relatively sound. They should be puppets responsible for patrolling the city. We¡¯ll be in trouble if get spotted by them.¡±


    ¡°They were probably escorted ordinary sirens to extract their energy, or send them for brainwashing,¡± Nangong Sanba¡¯s face gloomy. ¡°I reckon there will be more sentinels; is there any other safer route?¡±


    Shaqira shook her head. ¡°The secret passage is the only possible way; there are sentries in other places, and even sensors.¡±


    They proceeded ahead and encountered two patrolling soldiers on the road. However, Shaqira, who was particularly familiar with the area, and Sorma, who was good at shrouding their breath, eventually passed through without incident. They found the secret passage leading to the imperial palace area: it was beneath a metal ramp, wider than expected with several small pipes extending along the passage.


    Above the entrance was a sign which read: 7th Resonance Maintenance Tunnel¡±.


    Hao Ren followed Shaqira and swam into the passageway, but moving for quite a long distance, Sorma suddenly stopped everyone. ¡°Wait a second! There is a sentry in front!¡±

 Chapter 588

    At the end of the dark channel was a shell-like gate, but in front of the gate were two armed siren sentries. Hao Ren hid behind a bundle of pipes and looked up at the guards in the distance. ¡°I wondered if they would allow us to pass¡­ and they don¡¯t look puppets which have lost their thinking ability.¡±


    Hasse carefully drew this crossbow. ¡°Looks like a fight is inevitable. I¡¯m confident I can remove them in an instant and make little noise.¡±


    Shaqira quickly stopped him. ¡°Wait a second!¡±


    ¡°No, we must act now,¡± Hasse seemed to have misunderstood Shaqira. ¡°These sirens are under control. Now they are enemies.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean. If you kill them here, they will soon be resurrected elsewhere in the palace and attract a large group of guards,¡± Shaqira shook her hands slightly. ¡°It¡¯s very difficult to completely kill a siren if there isn¡¯t enough preparation which requires a complicated sealing ceremony.¡±


    Lily pulled her ears and said, ¡°Arf¡ªso why do you people evolve to become like this?¡±


    However, the ¡®seal¡¯ had reminded Hao Ren of something. He quickly observed his surroundings and gestured with his hand saying that he had an idea. ¡°Step back. Shaqira, can draw them over here?¡±


    Shaqira had no idea what it was about, but she still nodded, and when the others had stepped back, she opened her mouth in the direction of the two sentries but they heard nothing. However, the two sirens were alert. The two looked at each other before writhing toward the corner where Hao Ren was hiding.


    As the two sirens moved a little bit closer, Hao Ren tensed up. The two siren sentinels apparently had sensed the breath of strangers from the water from five meters away. Their expression slightly changed before wielding their tridents high!


    Hao Ren rushed out of the corner, his movement was quick and powerful as if he had launched himself from a spring. This shocked the two siren sentries. However, when they realised what was going on, Hao Ren had caught them by their tails. With just a swoop, the two sirens were gone.


    Hao Ren dusted his hand as his mouth spat out a series of bubbles. ¡°Done.¡±


    Shaqira was stunned. ¡°Where have you thrown them to?¡±


    ¡°In the dimensional pocket,¡± Hao Ren shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Now they¡¯re fighting with two mechanical arms. Oh, there¡¯ve been tied up¡­¡±


    Shaqira: ¡°What?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue looked at Hao Ren¡¯s hand quirkily. ¡°Wait, why do I feel that your move is a little familiar?¡±


    Hao Ren smiled wryly and said, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s how I usually drag you back up when you crawled around the house.¡±


    Everyone: ¡°¡­..¡±


    Vivian patted on Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Let¡¯s move. The monster brain might soon discover that it has lost two chess, and send someone to investigate. We better get moving.¡±


    They quickly swam toward the gate, and this time they finally got lucky: The gate was not locked, and Shaqira and Sorma pulled the lever next to the gate and the gate slid open to the side producing a string of bubbles in the process.


    Hao Ren took the lead and swam in. As he crossed the gate, he was taken aback by what he saw. ¡°What the heck¡­ look!¡±


    Behind the gate was a fan-shaped hall. In the centre of the hall, a spherical luminous object like a super-giant pearl was suspended in there. Under the illumination of this luminous object, they saw many rectangular platforms neatly lay around the hall. On each platform there was a ¡®person¡¯ lying lifelessly. Their skin was dark grey and stiff, wearing tattered World War II soldier uniforms and their chests were inlaid with grey-blue weird crystals.


    They were WWII allied soldiers!


    Vivian came in following Hao Ren¡¯s exclamation. She was surprised by what she saw. ¡°The dead? Are they charged being charged here?¡±


    ¡°Looks like this resonance chamber is the place where they can charge up their crystals,¡± said Hasse, pointing to the grey-blue crystals on the dead¡¯s chest. The crystals echoed with the glowing sphere in the centre of the hall, and pulsated with light. ¡°These bodies seem to be asleep.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet looked curiously at the glowing sphere, and underneath it was a mysterious rune platform. She wielded her a small screwdriver and swam up about to poke the sphere, someone plucked her up and said, ¡°I¡¯ve told you don¡¯t touch anything here!¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet waved her limps in mid-air and called out. ¡°Uncle Ren, there¡¯s a thing stuck here! There¡¯s something stuck here!¡±


    Then only they saw a large piece of crystal was embedded in the centre of the Rune platform below the glowing sphere. The crystal looked a little familiar. White Flame scratched his chin for a moment and suddenly it crossed her mind. ¡°Look at the shape, seems like it¡¯s the same crystals that were inlaid on the polearm of the sirens.¡±


    This only reminded them of the strange weapons of the siren overseers outside the city. The weapon was like a polearm, but the most striking feature if it was the sapphire-like object on the crescent blade, making it more like a wand than weapon. Moreover, only the siren supervising the ¡®dead¡¯ had this sapphire, the sirens who guarded the alien slave labourers had only normal polearms.


    The crystal and the sapphire were almost the same in shape and colour, even their surface rune lines were similar, but this crystal was much larger. Vivian suddenly realised what it was. ¡°Is it this thing is controlling the dead? Is this a master controller?¡±


    When Shaqira heard this, she immediately reached out to touch the crystal. ¡°Then we must destroy it!¡±


    Nangong Wuyue immediately stopped her. ¡°Don¡¯t do that! What if this isn¡¯t a controller but an alarm?¡±


    Shaqira suddenly hesitated, and Hao Ren stepped forward and wanted to pull her hand back. ¡°Wait a minute. Let the MDT do a scan to determine what this thing is all about.¡±


    Before his voice trailed off, his hand accidentally touched a corner of the crystal. Cracks quickly spread on the surface of the crystal before turning into a pile of debris.


    Hao Ren was rooted to the spot. ¡°Wait¡­ I didn¡¯t do anything!¡±


    Vivian was also stunned, then she smacked on her forehead. ¡°It¡¯s your anti-devil ability that works intermittently.¡±


    ¡°Oh shit,¡± Hao Ren felt that fate had failed him again. ¡°This ability¡­ oh, wait! They¡¯re moving!¡±


    The breaking of the ¡®master-controller crystal¡¯ had not triggered any alarm, but it produced an even more unexpected result: With a strange sound like wind chimes, the sleeping dead around the hall began to wake up one by one as the a strange wind chime sound echoed in the air.


    It was horrible, as the World War II souls, which looked like zombies, woke up one by one, adjusted their balance with their stiff postures, and checked their state in confusion, before they turned their gaze to Hao Ren. Pairs of distorted eyes stared at Hao Ren, causing cold sweat to trickle down his forehead¡ªof course he was under water but he could still feel his sweat. That speaks a lot about how scared he was.


    Of course, Hao Ren was not actually afraid of these zombies; he just felt that the atmosphere was too creepy!


    Lily and Rollie had their hair puffed up; one of them had the tail between her legs while the other one bent her body up like an arc as they stepped back. The others were on guard. Only the naive Lil Pea happily swam out to greet the uncle zombies but Nangong Wuyue was holding her back. Hao Ren looked bizarrely at these staggering World War II souls. He slyly raised his hand and waved to them. ¡°Hi there! We are not bad people¡­ We just want to help.¡±


    He spoke alternately in English, French, and Russian. Hasse was surprised. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you¡¯re multilingual!¡±


    Hao Ren just shrugged but said nothing. Instead, he looked at the World War II soldier who was a Soviet submarine commander was wearing a military uniform that happened to be near to him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disturb you. We were just passing by and saw you being enchanted and unable to rest in peace. We just want to help. I didn¡¯t mean to screw the operation steps.¡±


    The allied army officer tilted his head slightly, seeming to make his stiff brain recover. Then he looked down at the grey-blue gemstone on his chest before suddenly raising his arm high, as if he was cheering in silent.


    Hao Ren: ¡°?¡±

 Chapter 589

    The Soviet submariner captain¡¯s movement was as if a signal as the Allied soldiers around him too checked their body before making the same odd gesture. Their hands were waving in the air as they shook their body. It took Hao Ren a while before he realised what was going on. The soldiers were indeed cheering by throwing their hands in the air, they were glad that they had escaped the nightmare.


    But they could not speak as their vocal cords had already stiffen and they did not know any other way to speak.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ seems like you lot are pretty happy.¡± Hao Ren smiled stiffly. ¡°So¡­ can you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡±


    A submariner gestured clumsily and Hao Ren knew immediately that the soldier understood him and they had regained their thoughts. Vivian was amazed by the scene and realised that they have something really valuable before them. ¡°Wait, so this is to say that you remember what happened when you were under control?¡±


    The submariner captain nodded as he made an indignant gesture.


    Hao Ren continued. ¡°So you have seen us moving about then? It¡¯s just that you were not able to move at your own will?¡±


    The captain nodded again and if Hao Ren was not wrong, his stiff motions was probably a gesture of thanks.


    ¡°This is just too troublesome.¡± Vivian turned around. ¡°Can anyone use necromancy? It¡¯ll be easier to figure out what is going on in their minds.¡±


    At that moment, Teuton stepped up. ¡°I¡¯m well versed with necromancy and a few common human languages. These dead here are probably no different than your usual spirits. I can give it a try.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, I almost forgot that you existed before you spoke.¡± Hao Ren ruffled his hair, slightly embarrassed. ¡°Give it a go then. But be quick, we have already made quite a ruckus, sentries will be coming soon.


    Teuton nodded and came before the Allied navy crews, chanting some ancient spells with his head down. Black markings soon appeared around his eyes as the marks symbolised the darker parts of a life¡¯s cycle. He then looked up as he took half a step back. ¡°It¡¯s done. I shall be your means of communication. Speak.¡±


    Vivian immediately threw out the first question. ¡°What has become of the Queen? And what is happening in the palace area?¡±


    Hao Ren did not place much hope in getting answers to the questions but he soon realised why Vivian thought they might hold key information in getting into the place. The navy men had knowledge of Nasaton beyon anyone¡¯s imagination as they were the city¡¯s most ¡®loyal¡¯ of servants. They were pawns that could easily be controlled compared to the Sirens who resisted at very opportunity. So the brain monster had let the dead do most of the jobs, including maintenance of the palace area and sentry duty at times. Some of the navy men were even posted to the dungeons beneath the palace and the monster was being ¡®locked¡¯ there. It seems like the latter was being very cautious. It did not let ordinary Sirens any chance to approach it and for the longest period of time the dungeon was only manned by the dead navy crews.


    And this situation lasted until enough Sirens were thoroughly brainwashed to replace the walking dead.


    And from the very beginning, the dead were being controlled directly via the domination crystal. During the time where the Sirens were not fully under thrall, the monster had used the crystal to order the dead about. It was only two years back did the Sirens replace the dead as his guards.


    The submariner captain was called Ivan, and he went into the palace before as a labourer and have seen the monster with his own eyes. Through Teuton he had described what he saw and the details were pretty lurid.


    Before Teuton¡¯s necromantic ability faded away, Vivian had tried to understand what was going on in the palace, and as she looked to the other side of the hall, ¡°Based on what Ivan said, there is a water circulatory pipeline that leads straight into the palace. The entrance is just beyond that door.¡±


    ¡°How about the soldiers?¡± Hao Ren looked at the dead navy crews before him. ¡°Leave them here?¡±


    At that very moment, the soldiers did something totally unexpected. With their leaders orders, the soldiers put their hands on their chest as they forcibly ripped the greyish crystal out!


    A series of cracks rang out as the soldiers destroyed the crystal that controlled and sustained them. Fine sand flowed from the wound on their chest like blood as the soldiers quickly weakened, yet they stood firm. Ivan came before Hao Ren and motioned towards the giant door on the side of the hall and nodded without a sound.


    ¡°They need to destroy the crystal to find peace.¡± Teuton had reactivated his necromancy ability. ¡°Before that, they will lead the way.¡±


    Ivan nodded as his skin disintegrated rapidly and fine sand gushed out of the wounds. But with much effort, he broke his stiffening face into a smile. This was their last mission, with their own free will.


    Hao Ren did not dither and turned towards the door. ¡°No time to lose!¡±


    A few hundred soldiers surged forward as they led the way. The party went through dozens of blast doors and tunnels as they charged towards the Siren Queen¡¯s palace. They had circumvented pathways that were easily defended and after going through many inspection tunnels and circulatory pipelines, their destination was just before them.


    A sharp siren wail rang from afar. Sorma quickly reminded the rest. ¡°That¡¯s the warning siren. The sentries must have seen what happened back there.¡±


    Shaqira increased the flow of water to hasten everyone¡¯s movement speed. ¡°Quickly! The palace is just in front!¡±


    Hao Ren noticed from the signboards in the tunnel that he was fast approach the ¡®Core Command Chamber¡¯. He then looked around him and he saw the group of disintegrating soldiers, a mixture of feelings almost overwhelmed him. The soldiers¡¯ body were falling apart by the minute and fine sand flowed out from each wound marks, leaving a trail behind the party. There were soldiers who dropped out of the group as they withered into fine sand, leaving only their rotten uniform. The party was large when they departed, and now, less than a third remained. A few hundred soldiers had simply dissolved into fine sand after losing their sustenance.


    Shaqira approached Ivan, her voice sombre. ¡°I¡­ apologise on behalf of my kin¡­¡±


    Ivan¡¯s body too was falling apart and was almost just a skeleton. Yet he tried hard to smile as he shook his head. Teuton¡¯s voice came from behind. ¡°They have seen how the Sirens was being gradually controlled. Even though they had lost control of their body, they knew who was the culprit of all this mess.¡±


    Shaqira looked down. ¡°Thank you. That¡­. eases my heart.¡±


    Ivan nodded and moved quickly with another Allied army officer towards the last blast door.


    Just meters before the blast door, Ivan¡¯s body fell apart, and turned into sand.


    A British officer passing by lowered his head as he paid respects before he too headed towards the door.


    Beyond the blast doors was a rest area and a dozen of shocked Siren guards turned to look at the raiding party in horror.


    The first Siren was the first to recover as she raised her trident and let out a piercing shriek. A visible shockwave blasted out from the Siren as a few soldiers charged at her. Their bodies were immediately destroyed as they were torn apart by the shockwave into clouds of sand but their still intact head still darted forward and actually bite the Siren¡¯s wrist before fully disintegrating!


    The cloud of dust and sudden attack had somewhat slowed the Siren¡¯s reaction. Hao Ren lead the team into the fray. ¡°End this quick!¡±


    A chaotic scene of battle erupted as shrieks and explosions rang out from the narrow pipeline. Everyone knew that the sentries had already raised the alarm so they had little to lose by going loud, and fought with everything they had.


    The battle lasted barely over a minute, and the last siren was evaporated by White Flame¡¯s searing holy flames. The surrounding air had the smell of boiling water and floating dust. Hao Ren only managed to send a few of the sirens into his Dimensional Pocket while the rest were simply killed. That means they will be resurrected nearby soon and will probably lead a torrent of guards to block the path.


    Most of the soldiers had fallen and only a few soldiers and officers remained behind them. They had ran out of strength to lead the way and most of their comrades had turned into dust in the pipeline. They too realise that their long service had finally came to an end. They made a few more steps before stopping in the tunnel.


    Two Allied officers lay slumped by the side of the tunnel as their bodies were coming apart uncontrollably. A captain stiffly motioned as he tried to say something and Teuton immediately activated his necromancy spell again. But even he could not understand what the two disintegrating soldiers were trying to say.


    But Hao Ren quickly caught the gestures and understood what the soldier was trying to say.


    He bent down as he held the captain¡¯s hands. ¡°You¡¯ve won. The Jerry¡¯s are done for.¡±


    He then turned towards the last Soviet soldier. ¡°Leningrad stands.¡±


    The two soldiers nodded, their faces satisfied and they returned to dust.

 Chapter 590

    The tunnel towards the palace was just before their eyes. This place was the core of Nasaton and should have been brilliantly lit, but yet it stood in a gloomy darkness and the giant bulkhead and tunnels were seemingly smothered by the darkness that permeated from the deep abyss. Leaving a pathway without end before the group.


    Y¡¯zaks looked at the two tattered uniforms behind him. ¡°We¡¯ll be on our own now.¡±


    Shaqira nodded without a sound and lead the group.


    They soon passed another series of tunnels and blast doors and the foreboding atmosphere was more and more obvious. The brain monster had made this place its lair for far too long and had changed the entire atmosphere of the palace. Anyone stepping into the place was seemingly being watched by countless of hateful gaze. The siren wail was heard again from afar and most of the palace guards knew by now that there are intruders as the blast doors were sealed one by one. It was just a matter of time before they reached the palace grounds proper. Battle was imminent.


    Hao Ren followed Shaqira through the last door and entered a wide domed hall. This was a resplendent hall made out of white metal and light green crystals. A shining pearl hug from the dome as lines upon lines of light shone through the stained glass dome. It was almost as if the rainbows were dancing in the water.


    But the group had no time to gawk and the awesome throne room as the door behind them sealed shut and a wave of Siren guards dashed out from the top of the dome!


    The siren guards were in their serpentine form and fanned about the group to surround them. Behind the serpents were a group of mermaid soldiers. They held position as soon as the encirclement was complete. Raising their enchanted tridents, they blast out a series of soul-shattering shrieks.


    Vivian was preparing a cloud of icicles to attack but the shrikes immediately shook her and with her spell forcibly broken a ring of ice from around the group. The shrieks too had disrupted Y¡¯lisabet and Teuton¡¯s spellcasting. Only Y¡¯zaks the demon lord could withstand the mental assault and throw a three meter wide molten fireball towards the sirens. The fireball drew steam as it sped through the water before colliding with the Sirens and smashing through the dome.


    This was just the start of things, as Hao Ren pointed his silver spear to fight his way out, a massive rumble came from all across the room. As the green crystals around the room sunk, a new wave of enemies appeared. These group were glad in massive shell carapace and were about the side of a battle tank. Their limbs shone with menacing glow of magic and cold light permeated from their appendages.


    Hao Ren gasped in horror and turned back towards Shaqira, ¡°What the hell are those?!¡±


    The Siren was deploying a shield to ward off the shrieks as she yelled back. ¡°Mantis shrimp form! And also crab form!


    Lily with her Frostfire Claws deployed, could only looked on apathetically, ¡°You can this monster of a tank¡­. mantis shrimps?!¡±


    Hao Ren looked around him and was at least glad that the giant sea monsters at least did not have a human face on them. That at the very least left the mantis as only ¡®fearsome¡¯. He then turned towards Wuyue and yelled. ¡°You are forbidden to change into this form from now on! It¡¯s just god damn weird if when you guys change into that!¡±


    Wuyue had bravely curled into a ball behind the team as she maintained the barrier. She immediately yelled back. ¡°Is this the time for that?!¡±


    As the three siren¡¯s magical barrier had managed to block out the mind rending shrieks, Vivian took the opportunity to counter attack. A swarm of bats with cold light on them darted towards the sirens encircling them midair. A few meters before the siren guards the bats spread out as they turned into a torrent of freezing wind to assault the enemy lines. The sudden drop in temperature below freezing point had turned many of the sirens into ice blocks and they fell limply onto the ground. Lily too had swung her Frostfire claws towards the awesome looking¡­. mantis shrimps. Alright, alright, even though they are mantis shrimps, they were still the size of a MBT! This was no joking matter!


    Even though everyone present were capable combatants, even Rollie using the powers of the Golden Apple had managed to score some scratch and bites on the trident wielding sirens but alas, fighting in the Siren¡¯s own turf was a disadvantage as spells were affected by the flow of water and had to be even more carefully deployed to avoid friendly fire. It was disheartening to say the least. Yet, after getting the hold of things, they managed to suppress the attacking sirens.


    It was a chaotic battle, and even Y¡¯lisabet was showcasing her prowess as she joined the fray with powerful demonic magics. No one had seen how this little brat fought and today everyone learnt that the adage like father like child rang true, at least for this father-daughter pair. The little runt of a demon had cast spells with just a bare hands without the need of any incantation as a storm of sulphuric flame and dark arrows rained upon the enemy. Looking at her bright radiant look, it was clear as day that she was relishing the moment.


    But they could not waste their time on mere sentries and based on the navy men¡¯s intel, the hall was the final obstacle before the Queen¡¯s personal chambers. The Queen was just behind the blast door across the hall. In order to maintain Nasaton¡¯s energy flow, the Siren Queen could not go too far from her chamber and the prize was just right in front of Hao Ren.


    ¡°Charge!¡± Hao Ren threw a graviton grenade and the force of the blast blew the mantis shrimp tank and the siren mages on it aside. Leading the charge, he yelled. ¡°Take the Queen and it¡¯ll all be over!¡±


    Two serpentine sirens charged with tridents towards the group but they were intercepted by Y¡¯zaks as he tied their tails together before flinging the sirens like a flail towards another group of sirens, and scattering them. He pointed towards the other direction pf the hall. ¡°As Ivan said, that is probably the entrance to the dungeons. Lets split up!¡±


    ¡°You, Ylisabet, the three demon hundres, and the Nangong siblings stay here and deal with the Queen. The rest of you follow me to the dungeons. Shaqira, Sorma, chose a team!¡± Hao Ren quickly assigned the teams their objectives. He may look a bit flustered but he had actually planned this ahead. He was the only person with experience to face the monster and it was natural that he needed there. It was said that the Siren Queen too was a force to be reckoned with and thus he left Y¡¯zaks and the three demon hunters to see things through. The rest was just to balance out the numbers.


    Shaqira and Sorma was to be the guide. Even if they did not know the exact path, they were still familiar with the place.


    As to how to face the monster, despite Hasse¡¯s suggestion of an sneak attack, Hao Ren felt that a frontal assault was more feasible. He thought that against a monster that has mental sensory ability, chances of a successful sneak attack was very low.


    No one had any objections and Y¡¯zaks blew open the blast door with a bolt of sulphuric flame. The heavy alloy blast door shuddered under the blast as the explosion rang in everyone¡¯s ears. The second attack came in the form of Y¡¯lisabet¡¯s own sulphuric flame as the door still shook and the second blast blew the blast door into smithereens.


    By that time, most of the sentries had been vanquished and the surviving spellcasters and sea monsters could not do much against the invaders. Hasse quickly used his hand crossbow to take out the survivors as he cast a sealing spell to slow the resurrection of the sirens. He then made his way behind Y¡¯zaks into the palace.


    Hao Ren lead his own team towards the other entrance on the far side of the hall.


    A wall of water suddenly appeared before the entrance and Rollie was just about to attack it before Hao Ren yanked the dumb cat back. ¡°What a time for you to be brave eh? Lily, attack!¡±


    Lily let out a howl in ascent as she caught the edge of the closing water screen and started pulling the door apart. As her feet sank a few inches into the ground, the werehusky tore the entire door down.


    Hao Ren rubbed his face. This was sure to make a lot of noise¡­


    Beyond the water screen was a dark and foreboding tunnel leading towards the far side. There were only dim lights along the way. The place seemed like an abandoned waterway and according to Ivan¡¯s reports, this was the closest, most direct pathway from the outer palace. Only a few sentries stood in their way before the dungeons where the monster resides.

 Chapter 591

    The dungeon where the monster was held was beneath the Queen¡¯s Palace. It was strictly speaking not a prison, but a rather well fortified basement. As a migrant spacecraft, the only had a few brigs to hold unruly passengers or criminals and most were severely lacking in security details. So the queen had ordered the monster be kept to the cell under palace. This was the strongest, most secure cell in the whole city, but alas the monster was just right below the Queen¡¯s Palace, and the effects were telling.


    Shaqira was seconded to the monster¡¯s cell team. She and Hao Ren led the way through the dimly lit tunnel and after confirming that the way was clear did they call the rest down. Vivian looked around the dimly lit old tunnels and the bubbles coming out of the contact grooves. Frowning hard,she said. ¡°This look like a place that had not seen foot falls for ages, and the designs also don¡¯t look like your normal corridors.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a water pressure regulator pipe. It wasn¡¯t meant to be the dungeon¡¯s entrance.¡± Shaqira was rather familiar with the place. ¡°The real entrance is supposedly somewhere inside the castle. This was something like a ventilation duct and after the dead left this place, no one had stepped foot since.¡±


    Vivian felt a sense of irony. ¡°The monster was only locked up here in name, but it had instead became the monster¡¯s fortress and the ones that had lost their freedom were the guards outside. Anything that have to do with the Plane of Dreams sure is scary.¡±


    Shaqira turned her head around to ask out of curiosity. ¡°What¡¯s the Plane of Dreams?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you have gander when we have a chance.¡± Hao Ren replied, and he too was curious about something. ¡°Say.. what were you doing back then in Nasaton? Why are you that familiar with the palace grounds?¡±


    Shaqira smiled, ¡°I was one of the palace guards¡­ ugh¡­ the outer wall ones. Nothing like the Queen¡¯s Guards. But when I was a guard I was still allowed to move in and out of the palace grounds, so I have some knowledge of the lay of the land, and I also know where the closest security posts are. Sorma was a technician in charge of maintaining the palace¡¯s magical machineries. She herself is a high level aquamancer.¡±


    Lily¡¯s ears shook. ¡°A guard and an engineer? How did you guys pick the messengers back then?¡±


    Shaqira shrugged. ¡°Drawing lots, randomly chosen, volunteers.. all sorts of matter before we went ashore. I myself was confused for a good while after I came to shore, as it was chaotic when we left.¡±


    Lily spoke directly, ¡°Frankly speaking when your Queen had you draw lots for such an important endeavour you should have noticed that something was wrong with her.¡±


    Hao Ren rubbed his chin. ¡°Well, Raven12345 would do that sort of lottery thing alright. I¡¯ve heard that when she made New Aerym it was all through dice rolls.¡±


    ¡°Well, do you think even for a moment that your Goddess was even sane?¡±


    Lily immediately shrunk her head and ran behind Hao Ren as she finished. The husky was afraid that she might be struck by a bolt of divine retribution. But after a while nary a spark appeared. Hao Ren patted her on the head. ¡°Don¡¯t fret, stating facts is fine.¡±


    This was Hao Ren¡¯s team¡¯s tradition: No one was badmouthing about another.


    As the team navigated through the dim tunnel, another team was blasting their way through the defences into the palace proper. The ruckus made was far far greater than what Hao Ren¡¯s team was doing.


    ¡°KABOOM!¡± A blast screeched across the field as a scorching hot sulphuric flame blew apart two shrieking sirens alongside a hole in the wall. Water started gushing out from the gap and the air was filled with sulphur. Y¡¯lisabet held a giant fireball half her size with both her hands above her and flung it towards the enemy as she complained. ¡°It¡¯s boring fighting in water! It¡¯s just not as powerful!¡±


    Nangong Sanba was busy firing and reloading his crossbow as he looked at Y¡¯lisabet throwing the big fireball away. ¡°You¡¯re saying that is not powerful enough?!¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet had not conjured another giant fireball, but she had forgo the flinging part. She held in front of her and charged directly into the cluster of enemies like a homing missile, striking anything that was in the way of the fireball. The fireballs created by demonic magic had a core that was harder than adamantium, and anyone that came it contact with it simply vaporised. That was how terrifying it was. This sort of fighting style too would probably have human mages wet their pants, and even fewer demons would fight like this. Only Y¡¯lisabet, the ¡®weak and sickly¡¯ demon princess who had put all her ability points into INT could conjure such a powerful spell!


    They were trying to break through the last line of defence of the Queen¡¯s Guard and after the sirens wailed more and more guards swarmed forth to protect their queen. They had no idea how many sirens they had taken out so far, and no idea how many had resurrected to fight again. Only Hasse and White Flame had any success in curbing the siren¡¯s resurrection ability. The latter could swiftly cast sealing techniques in his attack while the latter¡¯s holy flames could do massive spiritual damage.


    Regardless, it was Y¡¯zaks whose overwhelming combat ability that was the driving force had broke through until the point that they could see the Queen¡¯s Chambers before them. Hasse too had felt a foreboding aura permeating from the gate. It was not a magical effect or anything, but simply an old demon hunter¡¯s natural instincts at work.


    Finally, following Y¡¯zaks massive blow against that shattered the last door of the chamber, the siren guards suddenly dispersed as if they had been ordered to. And the room was empty.


    ¡°Why did they retreat?¡± Nangong Sanba panted and after he was sure that the enemy was gone that he started acting bellicose as he stylished hung his crossbow over his shoulder. ¡°Pffft, I thought they were elites, but they fight no better than grunts¡­¡±


    Wuyue was healing Nangong Sanba¡¯s wounds as she grumbled. ¡°Can you stop acting? Just look at your injuries!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks too was surprised at the sudden retreat and reminded everyone. ¡°Eyes sharp! Something¡¯s wrong.¡±


    Hasse had chanted a few incantations before the wrecked palace door and once he was sure that there were no traps or hidden troops that he pushed the door open carefully.


    The door immediately crumbled as soon as the demon hunter touched it and the group raised their weapons or prepared their spells as they stepped into the palace cautiously.


    It was nothing but an eerie silence, and through the dimly lit lights, it was plain to all that this was a very huge, luxurious room that had many contraptions and furnitures of unknown use. Seems like the battle outside had not affected the room as it maintained its serenity, almost as if it¡¯s a different world altogether.


    A figure appeared from the dim shadows and Hasse immediately drew his crossbow. ¡°Beware!¡±


    ¡°You¡­..have¡­ come¡­.¡±


    A screeching voice came from all four corners as the figure swam towards the group. She was a Siren in mermaid form, her looks was majestic and her eyes bright.


    Sorma was maintaining the water barrier around the ground and subconsciously muttered, ¡°Your Highness¡­¡±


    The Siren Queen floating quietly on the water, her movements was weirdly stiff. She turned around to look at her enemies, without showing much aggression of her own, she was however curious. ¡°You¡­ are all¡­different¡­. I cannot¡­ tell¡­.¡±


    She stiffly lifted her arms as she pointed at Y¡¯zaks and Y¡¯lisabet, ¡°What¡­ are¡­ you..two?¡±


    Hasse immediately frowned. ¡°Wait a minute¡­ why do I feel this Siren is different from the other enthralled Sirens?¡±


    At the very same moment, a few hundred meters beneath the Queen¡¯s Chamber, Hao Ren had also reached the last compartment door.


    A giant block of ice was falling slowly to the group as two sirens, their eyes black were entombed within. Vivian slapped her hands together. ¡°I think sealing them in ice works rather well. At least they won¡¯t be resurrecting any time soon.¡±


    ¡°It looks awful here.¡± Hoa Ren touched the old, battered alloy compartment door as he looked around. This area had a dreadful aura to it and no normal person would stay here. ¡°The monster did not moved itself even after taking control of Nasaton¡­. seeing this place I might actually believe it was still in captivity.¡±


    ¡°Different views I guess.¡± Lily wagged her tail. ¡°Lets open it up.¡±


    ¡®Y¡¯zaks and the rest facing the Queen probably won¡¯t need to worry too much about mental attacks.¡± Hao Ren smiled as he headed towards the door. ¡°We on the other hand, need to stay sharp.¡±


    A slash from the cutting laser later, the door came apart without a sound.


    Hao Ren saw the giant brain monster again. It was curled up in the middle of the room as the skin rippled with the water flow. As the door fell apart, the monster reacted as it floated and all its tentacles facing the newcomers in a defensive posture.


    Hao Ren immediately frowned. ¡°Wait a minute¡­ why do I feel this monster is different from the others?¡±

 Chapter 592

    Hao Ren had instincively sensed that the brain monster gave him a weird and uncanny feeling, but he wasn¡¯t sure if he was just seeing things. The only thing he could do was to stay on high alert, focus and prepare to face any incoming mental assault.


    The brain looked pretty similar to the one he saw back on Dragonspine Ridge, it was a mess of meat and blood in a grosteque shape as it floated with its array of tentacles. Hao Ren could not tell from its appearance if it was the main body or was just another clone. It cautiously eyed the intruders as its tentacles retreated into a defensive posture. A bizzarre numbing aura descended on the party, as if a powerful electromagnetic field was sweeping across the area.


    ¡°Charge! Take it alive!¡± Hao Ren ordered.


    If at all possible, Hao Ren wanted to take the monster alive. Even if taking it out would have solved Nasaton¡¯s troubles, having a living sample is even more attractive. He could not lay all his hopes on the Holettean knights capturing one. What if General Ophra¡¯s side fails to capture one?


    A white shadow charged forward as Lily, the team¡¯s berserker took the lead. The husky berserker swung her Frostfire Claws towards the monster while the latter raised its tentacles in response. There was a layer of glowing light upon the appendages and they managed to block Lily¡¯s twin claw attack. But Lily still had managed to blast the monster at least ten-meters back, by sheer force.


    The monster let out a chilling shriek as it retreated backwards. Vivian had already starting conjuring a powerful storm of ice to attack. The vampire actually would prefer to use lightning bolts to fight but they were under water, and a bolt could easily resulted in a penta team kill.


    As Vivian was just about to fling her spell, another shadow darted towards the monster. It was that dumb cat. Roillie had followed Hao Ren and his party fighting their way in and have finally realised what everyone else were doing. This naive cat too decided to partake in the bloodletting, just like how she led her pack of cats against the stray dogs. Letting out a growl as she charged, the cat scratched the brain¡¯s tentacles and outer skin; using her agililty to dodge the incoming attacks. She then turned around to bite the end of one of the tentacles. The cat girl was brave in combat but that scared Hao Ren shitless: This cat could hold her own against the siren guards, but she decided to rush the monster head on now?!


    ¡°Dumb cat, get back!¡± Hao Ren dashed forward with his spear yelling at Rollie. He fought off a few attacking tentacles before Rollie let go of the tentacle and happily ran back to her master. At this chaotic moment, Hao Ren¡¯s fingers and the monster¡¯s tentacles touched.


    His expression changed immediately.


    Chillwind had gradually spread across the room and Vivian¡¯s spell had reach the apex of its strength. An ice drill made out of bats was swirling in the air as the tip pointed towards the monster. The bats contained condensed magics that were capable of turning steel into powder. Vivian was just waiting for Hao Ren and Rollie to get out of the way before launching her attack. Just as she was about to unleash hell, she heard Hao Ren yelled. ¡°Ceasefire! Ceasefire!¡±


    Lily had already readied herself for a second attack and almost pulled a muscle as she stopped suddenly at Hao Ren¡¯s beckon. Vivian too was frozen by her dissipating magics as her bats fell onto the ground like hail. Shaqira too was shocked as she turned towards Hao Ren. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Hao Ren was about three meters away from the monster as he dragged Rollie away. He quickly motioned to ceasefire before the monster as he yelled into the communicator on the Lifehoop. ¡°Y¡¯zaks! Sanba! Watch out! The monster is over your side!¡±


    A series of chaotic explosion and electricity rang from the communicator before Y¡¯lisabet¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°Nangong Sanba had passed out! Wuyue is wounded too! Papa is fighting that demon hunter called Teuton, and we are¡­.¡±


    Another loud bang later, Y¡¯lisabet¡¯s voice resumed. ¡°We are facing the Queen! We can still hold on!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll reinforce you in a bit!¡± Hao Ren shouted before turning back to the rest. ¡°The monster had swapped bodies with the Queen!¡±


    Shaqira was so shocked that she was as straight as a pole. ¡°WHAT?!¡±


    Hao Ren pointed towards the unusual brain monster in the center of the room. ¡°The monster did not control the Queen. Its psychic abilities is even stronger than anticipated! That bastard had swapped bodies with the Queen and your Queen is now trapped in that body!¡±


    The brain monster took half a step back before relaxing its stance. It could not display much emotions or information but it was undoubtedly a gesture of peace.


    Vivian and Lily stood there gawking. They never expected the monster to had such a trump card. Shaqira too was gawking, as she did not believe her Queen was trapped in the monster¡¯s body. Rollie was gawking as well, only because she saw the rest gawking.


    ¡°You sure?¡± It took Vivian a few seconds to recover before she popped the question.


    ¡°I managed to connect with the brain again.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Someone stay back to look afer the Queen, the rest follow me to back Y¡¯zaks up!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay!¡± Shaqira immediately volunteered.


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°See to your Queen. She is extremely weak now, but she is recovering. Take this collar, its shields can protect you somewhat. Don¡¯t change shape at random, it won¡¯t be able to react to it.¡±


    Hao Ren quickly briefed Shaqira on what needed to be done and the Siren nodded even if she did not fully understood it. She then stayed with the monster while the rest quickly ran towards the palace above ground.


    Just as they left, Vivian asked. ¡°Wait¡­ If the monster could transfer its conciousness unto another body, how do we even catch it? How do we stop it from taking over someone else¡­ like our own body?¡±


    Hao Ren was slightly horrified by the thought and Vivian had posed a very real and scary question. He never thought the brain monster was such a crafty adversary and it seemed like the one he took out back on Dragonspine Ridge is really just a clone and the real body had abilities that normal humans could not fight against!


    He patted his chest pocket. ¡°MDT, what¡¯s the risk of that monster taking over our bodies?¡±


    ¡°Insufficient data, unable to determine.But going through that monster¡¯s biological scans, its mental power cannot take over your bodies instantly. All of you have mental resistance that is beyond normal humans, and any attempt to invade your conciousness will take a very long time to succeed. The weakest is probably Lil Pea annd Rollie, one is still a toddler and another naive.¡±


    ¡°Rollie, take care of Lil Pea, wait at the dungeon until we return.¡± Hao Ren immediately placed the little mermaid in Rollie¡¯s paws as he got them to return to the dungeon. He then turned around, ¡°So¡­ if the monster¡¯s mental powers have such limitations, how did it came to take over the Queen? Don¡¯t tell me the Siren Queen¡¯s resistance is weaker than us?¡±


    ¡°It probably used a hundred years!¡± Lily reminded.


    Hao Ren only then realised the fact and nodded. He then led Vivian and Lily towards the surface as he rummaged through his Dimensional Pocket. He first threw the two sirens that had been tied into pretzel before looking for something that could defend against mental domination from his array of equipment.


    As an Inspector, having a certain robot cat-like pocket is the most basic of skills.


    Just before they reached the exit of the tunnel, Hao Ren found the item he needed. It was a colourful prismatic crystal.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Lily looked in amazement of the ¡®pretty stone¡¯ in Hao Ren¡¯s hand. ¡°Can I have¡­¡±


    ¡°No, this is important.¡± Hao Ren pulled a distance away from Lily. ¡°This is a defensive crystal taken from Crapple. It was originally used to study the First Born, but as I was thinking¡­ As strong as the brain monster is, is it stronger than a First Born?¡±


    The MDT had only one thing to say about that. ¡°Well done~¡±

 Chapter 593

    Ever since Hao Ren started to have frequent contact with the First Born, he knew that he had to increase his resistance to mental attacks because the tentacles had no mercy and that it understood all the weaknesses of all creatures. Strong shields and strong armor might make a man as bulletproof as a superman, but a fragile heart was always the most difficult soft spot to protect. It was a hard thing to get armed, and once it was broken, it would be beyond redemption. Hao Ren had acquired a far more resilient mind after physical intensification and long-term training, but he knew that he still needed some things to keep alive: One¡¯s mental strength was a hard indicator, once it was broken, even the most powerful warriors could not save themselves, so he needed some powerful equipment to protect him.


    The Crapple Research Station had provided him with help in this regard: The prison, which was designed to deal with the First Born, was filled with structures that could isolate the mental attack. Its main container was covered with protective crystals that could isolate any unauthorized mental activity. Even if the First Born woke up, its mental roar could not reach the space station.


    When Hao Ren left the Crapple Research Station, he just took something he felt would be useful, and now it seemed that it turned out to be a great help for him. Unfortunately, he only took a piece of protective crystal¡ªhe could only hope that the power in the thing was strong enough.


    And it should be: Theoretically, below the gods, no mental strength of any mortal species could exceed that of the First Born.


    Hao Ren, Lily, and Vivian quickly returned to the front gate of the palace. The gate was already broken. A hot corridor stretched out behind the gate. The surrounding water echoed with restless, active magic. They dared not delay and rushed directly into the palace, but they also did not let down their guards along the way. They were in the deep water which belonged to the sirens. Only God knows whether the giant brain that occupied the Queen had learned the power to control water. It was better to stay alert here.


    After crossing several doors, Lily suddenly pointed to the front and exclaimed, ¡°Look! Sirens!¡±


    Hao Ren was holding a silver lance in front of him. He saw more than ten sirens lying on the ground not far ahead. Judging by the style of their dress and the trident on their hands, they should be the members of the Queen¡¯s Guard¡ªthe ones most severely controlled by the giant brain. Hao Ren walked over and gingerly moved the body of one of the sirens with his lance, and found that she did not have any wounds on her body. She just stared blankly into space, lying there as if she lost her soul.


    ¡°The giant brain may be gathering its power,¡± Vivian immediately responded, ¡°The puppets in the city have probably lost their ability to act!¡±


    Hao Ren lifted the lance, swimming pass the ¡®corpses¡¯ and to the depths of the palace.


    As they were about to reach the Queen¡¯s bedroom, they could already hear the noise of explosions and the shrill sound of a certain spell, together with strange hissing noises. Three of them immediately felt the surrounding water was filled with an electric field that made their skin tingle. The reaction of the electric field was much stronger than the one they felt in the underground chamber the last time: The body of that giant brain monster was right here!


    Another burst of explosions came from the front. Hao Ren saw a small figure flew out together with the shock wave, he quickly moved forward to catch it and found that it was Y¡¯lisabet.


    The little demon was blackened by smoke, but she did not suffer from anything major injury, just a little confused. She was shaking her head for some time in Hao Ren¡¯s arms before she realized where she was now, and there was a moment that she even wanted to attack Lily next to her, but fortunately, she managed to calm down in time.


    ¡°It¡¯s thrilling!¡± The little girl opened her mouth and spat out dark smoke, then coughed and said, ¡°Uncle Ren, quickly go and help them. Now only left my dad and two hunters are not being controlled! Just now I wanted to pull sister and brother Nangong out, but I accidentally blew myself up!¡±


    Hao Ren then immediately clenched the protective crystal and rushed in, at the same time, he did not forget to remind Lily and Vivian, ¡°Stay close to me! Try to be near the protective crystal!¡±


    As soon as he rushed into the palace, Hao Ren felt a terrible heat wave hitting him. He turned to see a five-meter-tall lava demon standing in the middle of the room. It was Y¡¯zaks in his original form.


    The roof of the palace had been blown up. There was nothing intact in the surroundings except a broken wall. The most eye-catching thing on the scene was Y¡¯zaks huge body. And not far ahead of him was a turbulent water flow, which twisted and distorted into strange forms, and at its core, a woman¡¯s posture was dimly visible. It was the Queen of Sirens, whose body was already occupied by the giant brain. The raging water flow was surrounded by whirlpools that were strong enough to tear up the steel, accompanied by a strong electric field, water stream as sharp as waterjet, a pervasive mental attack and other magic that were pouring on Y¡¯zaks at the same time. Y¡¯zaks remained sober and was still fighting, but apparently, his fighting power had been weakened in the deepwater and, together with the unexpected mental attack, the tough man was suppressed for the first time.


    The giant demon waved and crushed the whirlpool that was pouring on him. The molten lava on his arm kept turning into pieces of iron and obsidian and dropping on the ground. He was almost completely covered in bubbles and smoke. ¡°Take the others away first!¡± he yelled.


    The turbulent water flow immediately noticed the new enemy on the battlefield. For a moment Hao Ren felt that the water in his body was about to gush out of the body as if it was out of control, but then the shield system reacted and stop the deadly attack. Hao Ren calmed down and then found that there were some bright lights flashing in the smoke behind Y¡¯zaks.


    He rushed over there with Lily and Vivian and found the three demon hunters were in the scuffle. Hasse and White Flame were working together to suppress Teuton that had lost control. The quiet, tall demon hunter¡¯s eyes were clouded with murky shadow, and he was waving two strange machetes to attack whoever within sight. The blade was shining with magic lights. Each time the blade fell, it left behind a sharp mark in the water lasted for several seconds and some of the scattered pieces of rock metal that fell into the sharp marks would be split in half instantly. Hasse was using a crossbow to control Teuton¡¯s action. The small crossbow was constantly flashing on those two machetes to limit Tutani¡¯s attack to a very small range. And White Flame, though she was helping, apparently her condition was not very good: her eyes were also clouded with murky shadow, and the white flames sprang up constantly around her, for a moment she would attack Teuton or the Queen, but the next moment she would attack in the direction of Hasse.


    Even if she was a rare genius in thousands of years, the mental strength of White Flame was still too weak.


    ¡°Get out of here and stay away from here!¡± Hao Ren yelled at Hasse, and at the same time, a strong sense of danger hit him. He quickly dodged and saw that the place he just stood looked like it was being cut into pieces by countless blades, and he was totally shocked: The attack was intangible. It was high-pressure high-speed waterjet that was condensed in the water. It was such a close shave.


    Y¡¯zaks suddenly roared and summoned his magic sword and chopped at the direction of the siren Queen, which interrupted the giant brain¡¯s attack and blew up the walls. Teuton also regained control of his mind at once. Hasse saw it, immediately motioned White Flame to leave this place with Teuton, he then turned to Y¡¯zaks and said, ¡°I can resist the mental attack. You go to help the mixed-blood siblings.¡±


    At this time, Hao Ren found where the two Nangong was. They were in the corner of the remaining walls and there was a big bubble. He rushed over there with the protective crystal and saw Nangong Sanba was lying unconscious in the bubble. His clothes were torn, but he did not have any visible wounds, and Nangong Wuyue was frantically casting various healing spells on him. Nangong Sanba¡¯s injury was obviously healed by this overdose treatment.


    Vivian immediately caught Wuyue¡¯s tail and said, ¡°Wuyue, take your brother out, the farther the better.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue turned her head and hissed at Vivian strangely, and then cast a lot of healing spells on her.


    Lily pointed to Wuyue¡¯s eyes and shouted, ¡°She¡¯s also being controlled!¡±


    Hao Ren just noticed that Nangong Wuyue¡¯s situation was exactly the same as Teuton. Her eyes were clouded with murky shadow, and she was in a confused state of mind. However, he soon realized something really funny¡ª


    This siren¡­ only knew healing spells!


    Nangong Wuyue had already lost her mind and had no idea what was happening around her. Under the control of the mental attack, she was casting all the spells she knew crazily, including the Healing Ring and the Surging Current like it was free. She was treating her brother, and now Hao Ren, Lily, and Vivian were also being covered by the healing spells. At the same time, Wuyue pulled back her tail from Vivian¡¯s hand, hissing fiercely while kept poking Hao Ren in the arm with the tip of her tail¡­ which was totally powerless.


    A siren who only knew healing spells was still harmless even when she was under mind control¡­


    Lily looked at the healing glow that kept flickering on her body and stretched comfortably. ¡°Why do I feel that Wuyue is more useful now than before?¡± she asked.


    Vivian rolled her eyes and said, ¡°Well, at least she was not so timid when she was losing her mind, but she¡¯s still not a threat.¡±


    Wuyue shook her head, and then kept on poking Hao Ren in the arm with her tail¡­

 Chapter 594

    Having a low combat power was also a good thing for Nangong Wuyue, at least she could not hurt people even if she had lost control. All she could do was just kept casting healing spells on people around her. Guess the giant brain monster did not see it coming.


    ¡°Vivian, Lily, bring the siblings out,¡± Hao Ren told them while dodging Wuyue¡¯s tail. He then held up the silver lance and rushed to Y¡¯zaks and yelled, ¡°I¡¯m coming to help you!¡±


    Wuyue was hissing while turned to Hao Ren and then throwing lots of supplementary spells like Aquatic Barrier and Living Water Restoration at him. Lily grasped Wuyue¡¯s tail and dragged her out of there, ignoring that Wuyue was still struggling and yelling. She was like a little harmless snake, and Lily directly dragged her away without needing the slightest effort.


    Meanwhile, Vivian released a swarm of bats and moved the unconscious Nangong Sanba out of from this place.


    ¡®The Queen of the Sirens¡¯ noticed the new enemy joining the battlefield. She emitted a burst of hissing sound that itched and irritated the roots of Hao Ren¡¯s teeth. Hao Ren immediately felt difficult to move, as if he was surrounded by a layer of extremely strong glue that was coagulating rapidly, and his shield capacity began to slowly decline. The giant brain monster had mastered the various spells of the sirens in the centuries-long physical dominance confrontation. It was now increasing the water pressure around Hao Ren, and it almost caused him to have the illusion that water had solidified!


    ¡°Heck! It doesn¡¯t feel good¡­¡± As the shield capacity dropped rapidly, Hao Ren felt a sense of pain and oppression coming from all directions that he almost lost consciousness. He felt that his eyes were bloodshot as the scene before him was being quickly covered with a layer of light red. At the same time, the water around him was surging, tearing and grinding him into powder.


    Hao Ren used up all his strength but could barely move in the current. Now he was surprised that Hesse had been fighting in this situation. It seemed that he had underestimated the power of this demon hunter. The water pressure had already reached the level that could not handle by the ordinary creatures.


    Y¡¯zaks was waving the enchanted sword and stirring up a hot whirlpool, rushing toward the siren queen. He did not care about the water jet that kept slashing his skin. The water jet was slashing his rock-solid skin and left him with countless fine wounds. The scorching hot lava and molten iron were gushing out of the wounds, making him look like a scorching hot giant statue in the water. The brain monster, which occupied the body of the siren queen, was apparently startled by the way it was attacked. It immediately dodged the attack, and Hao Ren seized this opportunity, raised the lance and threw at the siren queen.


    The ¡®Queen of the Siren¡¯ dodged the attack in the nick of time. The glowing silver-white light hit a distant tower, and the tower slowly collapsed along with a dull roar.


    ¡°I hope that after all the dust is settled, I don¡¯t have to pay the repair fee¡­¡± Hao Ren then shook his head, wiped the blood from his nostrils, lifted the protective crystal, and dashed to the ¡®Queen of the Siren¡¯.


    It seemed that the monster had sensed the threat coming from the protective crystal. A sharp roar came from the living water and a shock wave attack Hao Ren head-on. Hao Ren felt everything around him was boiling, and the whole building behind him began to fall apart in the loud high unpleasant cry. The magnificent walls and the spaceship circulating pipeline that had lasted for thousands of years burst from the inside as if they had been hit by a projectile. Countless huge building pieces were falling from above. Hao Ren was trying his best to dodge the falling pieces in this crumbling world. From the corner of his eyes, he saw a flash of lightning rushing out of the smoke below. It was a huge crossbow with a powerful holy flame, and it was rushing to the Queen¡¯s protective living water with an indomitable force.


    The crossbow caused a big hole on the living water protective barrier. The body of the Queen seemed to have been torn apart at that moment, but the next second she was resurrected, then she stormed out of the siege, toward a distant tower, trying to flee. However, Y¡¯zaks was already waiting for it. A barrier full of green magic runes suddenly appeared in the air, and the Queen crashed right into it.


    Hao Ren was already very close to it. He felt that the protective crystal in his hands was gradually emitting heat. After sensing an aggressive mental energy, it automatically launched a built-in defense program. The intensity of the electric field in the surrounding water was finally weakened and a strange buzzing hiss faded from his mind. And the siren, under the shackles of the evil-energy barrier, hissing and screaming sharply while holding her head and transforming rapidly as if she was out of control. For a second she turned into a strange woman covered with scales, the next second she turned into the sea snake, and then turned back to the mermaid form.


    The crystal was weakening the mental activity of this hostile soul in the same way of dealing with the First Born, and the weakening of mental activity meant that its control over the stolen body was decreasing.


    At this time, a big hand covered with lava and sulfur suddenly stretched out and grabbed the tail of the Queen and spun her rapidly, and then threw her over to Hao Ren.


    Hao Ren put the protective crystal on the forehead of the Queen, then looked up at Y¡¯zaks and said, ¡°That¡¯s a skillful spin.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks grinned and said, ¡°This is how I used to dry Y¡¯lisabet after I bathed her. This is how we demons do.¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not easy to be your daughter!¡±


    The Queen¡¯s body, under the impact of the protective crystal, had been twitching and eventually lost consciousness. And the good thing was that her body had stopped transforming, which allowed Hao Ren to tie her up. Then Y¡¯zaks transformed back to the human form, came to Hao Ren and asked, ¡°So this is done?¡±


    ¡°Sort of, but then we have to find a way to ¡®swap¡¯ them back.¡± Hao Ren looked at the siren queen, who was tied up by her own tail and then tied up again with a bunch of alloy ropes, then turned on the communicator. ¡°Rollie, Shaqira, it¡¯s done, bring out the giant brain.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Hasse carried the big crossbow, swimming to Hao Ren and asked, ¡°How did the Queen of Sirens have such a strong mental control power? I thought you said only the brain monster could do that?¡±


    Hao Ren patted the snake ball and said, ¡°Because the brain monster is in her body. That thing can exchange its own consciousness with other people, even the Queen. You should be thankful that your brain is strong enough, otherwise, at the critical moment it will certainly do whatever it takes to take you as a second container.¡±


    ¡°Why me?¡±


    ¡°The persons closest to that thing are you and Y¡¯zaks,¡± Hao Ren said and pointing to the big demon next to him, ¡°look at his face, if you¡¯re the brain monster, would you?¡±


    Hasse unconsciously touched his face and nodded slightly.


    Although Hao Ren¡¯s team loved to make fun of the person who was not around, Y¡¯zaks seemed to be an exception.


    Three of them dragged the Queen who had already lost consciousness and swam back. At the same time, there were huge pieces of building debris falling down, and the water was filled with dust, oil droplets, sand and the smell of sulfur. The building beneath was a mess, and the Queen¡¯s bedchamber had been ruined. At least three facilities outside the palace had been blown to pieces. The destructive power of a few minutes of fighting had almost completely destroyed the core control area of Nasaton.


    Hao Ren noticed that the latter part of the Queen¡¯s Palace was a bridge-like place (where there were many channels and light belts extending to other places), and now there were only a few sections of platforms left, sparking and swaying in the water. He felt sorry and said, ¡°It looks like Nasaton can¡¯t fly again ¡­ Unless someone can find the blueprint.¡±


    ¡°Err, I think we¡¯ve ruined this place,¡± Y¡¯zaks said while scratching his head.


    Hao Ren looked at the scars on Y¡¯zaks that were healing rapidly and asked, ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°Just some cuts, it doesn¡¯t matter¡± Y¡¯zaks grinned and said, ¡°The Queen is a powerful enemy, fighting in her place is really difficult, but how to say it¡­ I¡¯m a little bit more powerful.¡±


    Outside the Queen¡¯s bedchamber, which had been destroyed, everyone was reunited, and Shaqira and Rollie had brought the brain monster that looked clumsy and stiff.


    Hasse looked at the peculiar creature in amazement and marveled at its strange form. ¡°This¡­ Where¡¯s its mouth?¡±


    ¡°I advise you not to stare at it so rudely. The Queen¡¯s soul is trapped inside.¡± Hao Ren reminded Hasse, and then turned to the brain monster and asked, ¡°Your Majesty, you know how to reverse this swapping process?¡±

 Chapter 595

    After hearing what Hao Ren said, the ¡°brain monster¡± fluttered a bit and floated up in the air. It looked very weak. Of course, it could be that it could not adapt to this abnormal body at all. The tentacle underneath the ¡®brain monster¡¯ touched the ¡®Queen of the Sirens¡¯ a few times. Hao Ren felt that the real Queen¡¯s must have missed her own body.


    ¡°Is there a way to reverse this process?¡± Vivian also asked.


    Hao Ren put his hand on the tentacle underneath the gigantic brain, and he successfully read the thoughts of ??the brain again. He had now more or less grasped how his bizarre ¡®shared mind¡¯ ability worked; its working was not random but only effective with specific targets. The truly stable connection so far had been with this gigantic brain.


    After a few moments, he let off his hand. ¡°It¡¯s reversible. The brain monster¡¯s will is very weak now, and the Queen of the Sirens has roughly found a way to regain her body through years of study. Now everyone please take a step back, the process must not be interrupted.¡±


    Everyone backed off while Shaqira and Sorma were setting up a water barrier to prevent interference from outside. Hao Ren placed the protective crystal on the open space between the Queen of the Sirens and the brain monster, and then they moved outside the barrier.


    The gigantic brain reached out its tentacles and formed a fan-shaped encirclement around the Siren Queen, and a series of faint blue sparks were jumping in between those tentacles. The two minds began to trade places, back to where they were supposed to be. Shaqira was slightly worried when seeing that. ¡°Are you sure¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m as sure as eggs that the soul inside the brain is of your queen.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°I know you¡¯re anxious, but can you please not use your tail to roll my up cat?¡±


    Rollie could barely voice her protest. ¡°Meow¡­ meow, I¡¯ll not eat dried fish again. Can you let me go?¡±


    Meanwhile, Hasse frowned and asked, ¡°How long does this process take?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve no idea. I didn¡¯t ask just yet, but it shouldn¡¯t be long. After all, the consciousness of the brain monster no longer resists,¡± said Hao Ren, turning to look at his side. Nangong Wuyue was shaking her head as the girl finally awakened completely while Nangong Sanba was still unconscious. ¡°You¡¯re awake? How do you feel? You¡¯ve come back?¡±


    The confusion in Nangong Wuyue¡¯s eyes quickly faded. However, she could still vaguely remember the state of mind during the chaos, and felt horrific. ¡°Wait a minute! It¡¯s all over? The queen¡¯s been subdued? What about the brain monster?¡±


    Hao Ren said with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s all over. Now they are restoring their minds.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue had not look at what was going on between the tentacles and the queen. She grabbed Hao Ren¡¯s arm and asked, ¡°Wait, now I remember¡­ I didn¡¯t hurt anyone, did I? I didn¡¯t fight with you people, right?¡±


    There was a bizarre expression on Hao Ren and Lily¡¯s face. The two were too embarrassed to tell inept siren that she was the safest one during the period of control. With her half-depleted strength, she had protected everyone. When Nangong Wuyue became more and more tense, Lily explained to her in a euphemistic way. ¡°At that time, you were using the tip of your tail attacking us mercilessly but luckily you hadn¡¯t even managed to cut through our clothes. Then I dragged you here.¡±


    Hao Ren patted on the shoulders of the siren maiden to comfort her. ¡°This is a good thing. You see how much trouble your compatriots who could fight have caused. If they were as inept as you were, you would have spared us a lot of trouble. But then, I remember that during the battle of Dragonspine Ridge, you were slapping the enemies your tail. Why were you jabbing with your tail when you fell into a state of violence?


    Nangong Wuyue said, ¡°¡­can you not discuss this?¡±


    ¡°Ahem, so how is your brother doing?¡± Hao Ren finally knew he was a miserable comforter; he quickly changed the subject.


    ¡°He will probably wake up in a while,¡± said Wuyue, glancing at her brother. ¡°After he found himself being control, he immediately cast himself a dozen drowsiness spells and then hit his head against the pillars of the palace.¡±


    Hasse sighed. ¡°Although half-baked, he was at least decisive.¡±


    Hao Ren rubbed his nose. It was somewhat dangerous just now, he thought. Many of them were down, fortunately, things had been resolved. Their bodily injuries would heal quickly; however, the trauma would linger on in their mind for a few more days.


    At this time, a sudden burst of magical power came from not far away. Hao Ren looked up and saw that gigantic brain was chaotically falling on the ground, and the siren queen was struggling to stand up. Shaqira rushed to her. ¡°Your Majesty, you are back?¡±


    The siren queen shook her head then nodded in a state of confusion. Sorma immediately turned and called out Hao Ren. ¡°Her Majesty the Queen has recovered! Please unlock her chain.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute,¡± Hao Ren swam up and looked at the face of the Queen. She was a gentle woman with a graceful and elegant smile. However, there was no way to see from her appearance which soul was in her. ¡°I need to test to see if the brain monster has completely left the body.¡±


    The siren queen nodded silently as Hao Ren took out the MDT. ¡°Compare the soul samples to see if it was in the same brain frequency of the brain monster.¡±


    The MDT made two laps around the siren queen, and then emitted a buzzing sound. ¡°Comparison is completed. The exchange is successful.¡±


    Hao Ren released the restraint device on the queen and reached out his hand to this elegant woman. ¡°Welcome back, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your help,¡± the siren queen nodded slightly, despite the irresistible excitement in her eyes, she still tried to remain very calm. However, when she saw the unconscious gigantic brain, she still felt emotional. ¡°It was a dark day¡­ I¡¯ve never expected that I could escape from that terrible container. It feels so good to be back in my body.¡±


    Hao Ren left the siren queen to Shaqira and Sorma, they might want to catch up with old times. Meanwhile, he went to recover the living brain monster as specimen. He took a cylindrical container out from the dimensional pocket, which specialized in storing medium-sized biological specimens. He labelled the container, and then let the autonomous robot throw the gigantic brain into it together with the protective crystal: this was to ensure that the brain would remain in deep sleep until it was sent to CARS. He let out a long sigh as he felt a sense of accomplishment. The MDT also sighed on his shoulder. ¡°Normally the protagonist would bring back truckload of treasure and weapons as trophy after winning a war; however, you only bring back a pork belly.¡±


    Hao Ren choked hearing that. ¡°*Cough cough¡ª* Can you not be so disgusting?¡±


    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s still another thing.¡± Hao Ren suddenly smacked his head. ¡°Bring back the siren general as well. As the brain wave of the brain monster has been isolated, those controlled sirens should¡¯ve recovered.¡±


    The MDT went. Others were examining their injuries and losses. As the barrier was turned off, Y¡¯lisabet began to swirl in the water to clean herself up. Lil Pea was swimming in and out of the broken walls curiously while Rollie followed her from behind, looking after the mermaid to prevent her from getting hurt by the falling debris. There were movements all around them as a large number of sirens began to gather. Most of them were members of the Queen¡¯s Guard. Many of the sirens who had just gotten free from control looked back and stared at the destroyed palace. Other sirens fixed their eyes on the maelstrom above the big protective wall.


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep it to another time,¡± Hao Ren interrupted the conversation between the siren queen and Shaqira. ¡°We need to figure out what this maelstrom is all about. What does it do, actually?¡±


    The siren queen looked up at the maelstrom. ¡°It¡¯s a portal, leading to¡­¡±


    Lily chimed in. ¡°The Plane of Dreams?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s The Plane of Dreams?¡±


    ¡°It is your home, another universe,¡± Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll explain this later. I might¡¯ve figured out the plan of the brain monster. The key now is how to turn off this maelstrom. Do you have a switch or something?¡±


    The Queen looked at the maelstrom grimly for a long moment before she slowly shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t turn it off. It has absorbed too much energy. Now it has become a self-growing thing. Even if we cut off the energy supply, it will continue to swell until it successfully opens the channel.¡±


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­Holy molly!¡±

 Chapter 596

    Nasaton, the city of sirens was about to awaken from 100 years of chaos and darkness, but before that, it had to find ways to sort out the messit was facing. The palace area and the control cabin in the city center were turned into ruins during. the explosion. A large bright fire and continuous energy turbulence seemed to shine on the ruins like a moving torch. Sirens continued to emerge from buildings throughout the city. Many of them had just recovered from their deranged state and had begun to release their imprisoned compatriots. The queen and her court officials probably had to work very hard to maintain social order, but this was nothing compared to the maelstrom above the wall.


    ¡°I can still remember the moment of struggle with that monster. Some of its sporadic plans sometimes appear in my mind through the mental connection we share,¡± said the siren queen as she looked very uncomfortably at the maelstrom. ¡°It used a fusion of our magic skills and a mystical technology to create this huge portal. Nasaton¡¯s energy core and a whole set of extraction equipment for Earth¡¯s core energy provided it with initial power. It works like a creature, after it has grown to a certain stage, it will start to self-sustain¡­ It will be unstoppable like inertia. Anyway, it was not designed with an emergency kill switch.¡±


    Shaqira brooded. ¡°Once the maelstrom collapses¡­ will it destroy Nasaton? Will it blow a hole in the bottom of the Pacific Ocean and destroy the planet?¡±


    ¡°No, it will be worse than that,¡± Hao Ren said as he read the scan report from the MDT. ¡°It won¡¯t just blow up the earth; it will also blow up the entire real world. It¡¯s a bigger hole, big enough to make the real world and another universe annihilate each other. Of course, the situation could be slightly less severe. For example, the scope of the disaster could only be confined within the Milk Way¡­¡±


    Sorma asked, ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°There is no difference. We all die anyway.¡±


    The MDT projected a hologram of the maelstrom. Next to it were complex energy charts and radial lines, which showed the energy structure around the giant portal. ¡°The Siren Queen is right. It has become self-sustaining; cutting energy supply will only make its growth slower. This thing¡¯s joined to the city¡¯s great wall; I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any way to pry it off.¡±


    ¡°Then cut off the energy supply first. At least it¡¯ll buy us some time,¡± Y¡¯zaks said sulkily.


    The siren queen thought for a moment before she turned and said, ¡°Follow me to the energy core.¡±


    Just as she swam a few meters away, she suddenly turned and spoke to the confused General Vanaessa, who had just returned from the Petrachelys. ¡°Vanaessa, bring your people to free those aliens, and pacify them first. I will later meet with them personally, for this time we have created too huge a trouble.¡±


    Vanaessa nodded in a confused manner and looked up at Hao Ren. ¡°I remember I was sent to a very strange place with many mechanical tentacles¡­¡±


    ¡°Vanaessa, go and get things done,¡± the queen urged from behind. ¡°There are more people who are more confused than you are. Please don¡¯t mention the tentacles for now¡­ It¡¯s not a pleasant word.¡±


    The siren queen led them to the energy core of Nasaton. On the way, she met many sirens who had just regained consciousness, and they came up to her for instructions. She quickly and systematically assigned tasks along the way, which included doing head counts, releasing the captured citizens, restoring the functions of core control zones and counting their losses. She did it so skilfully that one was unable to tell that she had once been trapped in chaos for centuries. ¡°Your Queen is a very strong person, and she looks very smart,¡± Hao Ren said admirably.


    ¡°She¡¯s always been this way, but she¡¯s a person who¡¯s easy to get along with nonetheless.¡± Shaqira, who was swimming beside Hao Ren looked happy. ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other for 100 years¡­ It¡¯s good that everything¡¯s back to normal now.¡±


    They came to a shell-shaped building behind the palace ruins. The building had a number of columnar facilities that protruded from the ground. They looked like large, U-shaped connectors. Outside these facilities, there was a layer of alloy heads, the sides of which were arc-shaped crystal walls that could be opened. They were reminiscent of artistically designed elevators. They followed the siren queen into one of the installations before the circular floor under their feet suddenly disappeared and a brightly lit duct appeared before their eyes.


    A powerful pressurized stream pushed them into the pipeline. Hao Ren found that the water was carrying him somewhere.


    ¡°This is our elevator¡ªit¡¯s also the city¡¯s transportation system,¡± said Shaqira with a bright smile. ¡°This is a large transit station. The currents can take you to many places. Well, ordinary races may not be able to stand it, but it¡¯s very comfortable for the sirens.¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ so far, so good,¡± said Lily, scratching her chin. ¡°But, I do feel like we¡¯re being flushed down the toilet.¡±


    Everyone immediately glared at the husky.


    Nangong Wuyue was following closely behind the siren queen. She could not help but carefully ask, ¡°My Queen, do you know a siren named Elssa?¡±


    ¡°Elssa?¡± The siren queen turned and knitted her brows together. ¡°Who is she?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s my mother,¡± said Nangong Wuyue quickly. ¡°I¡¯ve asked Shaqira and Sorma. They all have no impression of the name, but my mother has to be one of the siren messengers who went ashore.¡±


    The selection of messengers to the surface in the beginning was very confusing. The siren queen had selected the messengers on a whim, and many messengers did not even register when they landed. Therefore, the messengers themselves were not quite sure who else was on the list. Shaqira and Sorma had never heard the name of the Nangong siblings¡¯ mother.


    ¡°Elssa¡­ I remember her; a queer girl with bad temper. She was so bold that she always went to the open sea and brought back some weird human relics. She liked the Vikings very much.¡± The queen could remember the name of this ordinary siren. ¡°How is she now?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s¡­ missing, together with my father. A vengeful spirit attacked our secluded home and our entire home disappeared out of thin air,¡± Nangong Wuyue voice sunk. ¡°This is my brother. Our father is a demon hunter.¡±


    ¡°¡­Looks like a lot of things happened on the surface,¡± said the siren queen as she looked in amazement at the siblings, who were eye-catching no matter where they were. ¡°Oh, sirens have no prejudice against demon hunters. I feel sorry for what the both of you have gone through, but I believe Elssa is still alive. As a siren, she must have been reborn somewhere.¡±


    At this time, the current in the pipeline slowed down rapidly, and a stream of water in the opposite direction rushed from under their feet. At the same time, a large number of precise and powerful little whirlpools appeared on the walls of the pipeline, holding them in position. An arc-shaped opening appeared on the side of the pipe and a light shone through the gap.


    ¡°This is the source of energy for Nasaton. We call it the Torrent Core,¡± the siren queen said as she pointed to a ball of bright light.


    There was a huge, fan-shaped hall, which resembled a shell cavity outside the pipeline. Neat vertical pipes and ridges lined the walls, while a bright but not glaring blue and white light filled the hall. This light came from the wonderful object in the center of the hall: it was a big sphere with a diameter of more than 10 m. There was a ripple-like pattern on its surface, and it was as clear as crystal internally. Around the huge crystal, more than a dozen transparent pipes passed vertically through the ceiling and the ground. Light flowed out of them like water.


    This was the source of Nasaton¡¯s energy¡ªit was incredible, as it had been running for more than 10,000 years. It was a remarkable achievement for mortals like the sirens.


    ¡°This is directly beneath the palace. There was originally a main pipe extending from this place directly into my palace.¡± The siren queen pointed to a pipe at the front of the Torrent Core. The pipe was currently in a dim state. ¡°I can absorb the power of the energy core there and perform a series of emergency controls on it. But now the pipeline¡¯s been blown up, so we can only use the backup system here to cut off its connection to the wall.¡±


    ¡°You want to shut down the wall?¡± Shaqira was shocked.

 Chapter 597

    ¡°You want to shut down the wall?¡± Shaqira could not believe her ears.


    The siren queen nodded and said, ¡°The structure of the portal is very special. It is completely integrated with the wall. In fact, its contortions are directly based on the energy of the large wall. To interrupt the energy supply of the portal, the wall must be shut down.¡±


    Hasse, who had been looking on coldly suddenly asked, ¡°What are the consequences of shutting down the wall?¡±


    Shaqira thought for a while and shook her head slightly. ¡°The wall isn¡¯t just a protective barrier; it¡¯s also the foundation of Nasaton¡¯s hidden system. It controls the space surrounding the deep-sea city. Once the wall goes down, the siren city will appear as a natural position on the Pacific Ocean¡¯s seabed. Humans and aliens will likely detect it¡ªthey could invade us if they¡¯re willing to pay the price. We¡¯ll lose the most important defense mechanism we¡¯ve had for the past 10,000 years.¡±


    The siren queen placed her hand on a crystallized pipeline next to the Torrent Core, which immediately emitted a pleasing resonance. The queen tilted her head slightly and said, ¡°I know what it means to make this decision, but that maelstrom is becoming more and more powerful. If we do not cut off the energy supply, it will reach a critical point within five days. If we cut it off, we will at least buy ourselves one month¡¯s worth of time. In any case, either both Nasaton and the earth gets destroyed by the maelstrom, or we let Nasaton be exposed to the world temporarily, which is at least a relatively better choice.¡±


    ¡°Not only will the earth be destroyed, the whole universe will be dead,¡± Hao Ren tried hard to emphasize the danger, but he did it mostly because he was just naturally the mouthy type.


    ¡°Shutting down the wall will only cause a temporary lost of the cloak, right? There may not necessarily be people looking for trouble during this time.¡± Lily looked at them as she held up her hand and gave her piece of opinion. ¡°At least I haven¡¯t heard of any plans from the humans to explore the Pacific Ocean recently. We just need to find a way to solve the maelstrom problem and restart the wall before that. What do you guys think?¡±


    ¡°I have the same thought.¡± The siren queen nodded. ¡°For 10,000 years, even the aliens of the Mythological Era rarely had the ability to come to such depths of the Pacific Ocean. Even for today¡¯s aliens and humans, to explore Nasaton is no child¡¯s play. We only need to close the wall for a month. A month later we either turn off the maelstrom or everyone dies¡­¡±


    ¡°There is only one worry.¡± Vivian suddenly looked up at Hasse. ¡°At present, there is a group who can make it into the Pacific Ocean, and they¡¯re strong enough to threaten the city. No matter how good your resurrection ability is, you can¡¯t fight their seals.¡±


    Hasse shrugged. ¡°You mean the demon hunters? I don¡¯t think our credibility is that bad. We¡¯re not going to bully the harmless sirens.¡±


    ¡°The main reason why you haven¡¯t done it is because you¡¯ve never found Nasaton. You couldn¡¯t do damage to the sirens¡¯ foundation, hence the reason why you didn¡¯t want to provoke these seemingly immortal aliens. However, if Nasaton were to be exposed, things would be different. Hasse, as my junior, can you swear to me that no killing instinct arose in you at all when you saw the sirens?¡±


    Hasse was silent. He suddenly stood up and pointed at the maelstrom image projected by the MDT. ¡°Okay, in the face of this threat, we will be honest with you. My two apprentices and I assure you that we will shut our mouths regarding the shutting down of Nasaton¡¯s defense wall. If they detect Nasaton from other sources, we will also do everything in our power to stop them here for a month, including the most routine exploration activities.¡±


    Teuton nodded. ¡°The three of us have the influence.¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian looked at each other. Then, he smacked his head as something crossed his mind. He grabbed the MDT that was acting as a projector. ¡°Patch me through to Raven 12345 and turn on the loudspeaker.¡±


    The demon hunter had no clue what Hao Ren was doing. A hymn-like tone came ringing from the MDT, followed by the voice of a screaming female. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Hey Madam, I¡¯m in the city of the sirens, and someone here is about to make an oath,¡± Hao Ren said. Summing up things in one sentence, he then pointed the MDT at Hasse. ¡°Repeat what you¡¯ve just said.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Hasse asked with a cautious look.


    Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°Repeat it in front of this witness. Don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t mean what you just said.¡±


    Hasse grunted. He did not feel any curse or spiritual power coming from the strange ¡°communication device¡±, so he calmly repeated his promise. When he finished, Hao Ren took the MDT back and telepathically asked, ¡°Madam, you got it?¡±


    Raven 12345¡¯s voice rang in his mind. ¡°Yup. Remember to remind them not to break the promise. I¡¯m not the one who¡¯s going to carry out the punishment. It¡¯ll be an automatic execution of the law of heaven and earth. It¡¯s not a joke.¡±


    Hao Ren turned off the transmission and turned to Hasse. ¡°Whether you believe it or not, this witness has power unlike anything you¡¯ve seen before. So, don¡¯t let any outside demon hunters disturb Nasaton besides the ones present today.¡±


    Hasse grunted. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. My promise is more reliable than anything.¡±


    Vivian nodded to the siren queen. ¡°Shut down the wall; let¡¯s figure out a way within this one month.¡±


    The siren queen placed her hand on the two crystalline pipelines near the core of the Torrent Core and began to issue a series of melodic voice signals. A weird resonance then spread from the nodes in the depths of Nasaton. Flowing light appeared across the surface of the gigantic sphere in the center of the hall as the light in some of the pipelines gradually dimmed. The wall above Nasaton began to flicker. Many of the sirens who were cleaning up the rubble in the city had sensed a strange sensation in the water. They looked up at the wall, which had never been shut down for more than 10,000 years. Many anxious sirens began to wander around to find out what was happening. Those who knew the truth or guessed it immediately called everyone to get back to work. On the outskirts of the city, General Vanaessa was having negotiations with some werewolves who had just been freed. The strange changes to the wall had attracted her attention. Seeing the water film gradually disappear, she sighed. ¡°One hundred years of confusion¡­ ¡±


    At the energy station in Nasaton, Hao Ren and the MDT kept their eyes on the the Torrent Core¡¯s operation data. They found an interesting phenomenon.


    ¡°There¡¯s a crack¡­ an invisible crack in your energy network,¡± the MDT¡¯s radar had detected the interaction between the Torrent Core and the wall. It projected a large hologram of the entire city of Nasaton. ¡°Is your city¡¯s energy of a broadcast type?¡±


    As Sorma was a city technician in the past, Sorma was very familiar with this aspect. ¡°Yes, the Torrent Core is connected to the 227 towers around the city. These relay towers can broadcast magic power throughout the entire city and their broadcast limit is the wall.¡±


    ¡°The model is completed,¡± the MDT whistled loudly. The hologram flickered a moment before a large number of staggered lines appeared over the city¡¯s model. The converging lines were most dense at the top of the wall, where the maelstrom was located. Just below the maelstrom, there was a crack marked in lavender color.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Shaqira asked in surprise.


    ¡°A rift. An unstable but invidible spatial channel,¡± the MDT explained. ¡°Your spaceship was definitely damaged when it landed on Earth. Although it seems that its energy core is still operating normally, there¡¯s an abnormal turbulence at the top of the broadcast field. It¡¯s leading to the instability of the space there, and in the unlikely event, it could connect to the Plane of Dreams¡ªundoubtedly, that¡¯s how the brain monster came in. Its plan was also very simple: to expand the rift and stabilize it. So, it allowed the sirens to create a giant portal at the top of the wall¡­ When the center of the maelstrom grew to completely merge with that rift, the portal would then open.¡±

 Chapter 598

    The ancient, deep-sea city of Nasaton was shutting down the large protective wall for the first time in 10,000 years. The translucent film above the city slowly crumbled and receded from the apex as well as spatial layer. At long last, the layered, invisible labyrinth was gone. With the shutting down of the wall, the maelstrom directly above the city gradually lost its energy supply. Its edge shook slightly and it began to spin at a slower speed. However, just as the siren queen had predicted, the maelstrom did not disappear. It was still unstoppable, still growing, albeit slowly.


    Hao Ren led everyone back to the city¡¯s surface (in the deep sea, the word ¡°surface¡± seems a bit weird). He looked at the maelstrom above, and it felt like the maelstrom could fall down at any time and consume them all. ¡°Now we have a month to shut this thing down. I think it¡¯ll directly affect my year-end bonus this year¡­ So, who of you has a better solution?¡±


    ¡°Blow it up,¡± said the MDT without hesitation.


    Hao Ren thought for a moment before he reached and grabbed Lil Pea and held her in front of the MDT. ¡°You have thirty seconds to explain it clearly or else you would have to play with her for the whole day.¡±


    The MDT took several ¡®steps¡¯ back. ¡°Put down the fish! I¡¯m not kidding!¡±


    Lil Pea clapped happily. ¡°No kidding! No kidding!¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Hao Ren let Lil Pea loose to swim in circles as he looked up at the MDT. ¡°Are you really going to blow up this maelstrom? To be honest, I don¡¯t think this thing will go away easily; it has accumulated the energy of Nasaton and of the earth. Once these energies are released¡­¡±


    ¡°Once they¡¯re released it, you would become the most wanted man of this century. Like in movie, the superheroes would shoot you for an hour, and when you resurrect in the next episode the same process repeats,¡± the MDT circled around Hao Ren. ¡°However, theoretically we can deflect the energy other places, such as the void. We can detonate concurrently at both ends of the maelstrom and destroy its structural stability, so that its energy will be concentrated in the centre, and its ¡®centre¡¯ is located in the rift between the surface world and The Plane of Dreams, the energy will be deflected into the void. Of course, this requires a little bit of precision¡­ but once it¡¯s successful, we will not only be able to solve the problem of this maelstrom, but the power it generates will also push The Plane of Dreams and the surface world a little bit apart. That essentially will reinforce the Wall of Reality¡ªspeaking of taking two birds with one stone.¡±


    Hao Ren listened carefully and tried hard visualise it in his mind pretending he knew it like a pro. ¡°Although I don¡¯t really understand it, it sounds very cool. What do you mean when you said you¡¯re going to detonate at both ends of the maelstrom concurrently? The other side is in¡­¡±


    Nangong Wuyue who was listening suddenly chimed in. ¡°The Plane of Dreams?¡±


    The MDT floated up and down. ¡°Yes, the Plane of Dreams. According to observations, this portal has already begun to take shape, and its other end should have opened somewhere in The Plane of Dreams. We will set explosions on both The Plane of Dreams and the surface world concurrently, and then it would be gone before you know it.¡±


    Hao Ren looked around and nodded. ¡°I think this is feasible.¡±


    Lily scratched her chin and thought for a moment. ¡°But I don¡¯t really understand.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I too don¡¯t understand,¡± Hao Ren waved. ¡°All in all, we¡¯re going to blow it up at the same time on both sides of the maelstrom, and we don¡¯t need to know how it work, after all, we haven¡¯t been able to understand how things work. How do we know the position of the other end of the maelstrom?¡±


    Hasse and the other two demon hunters looked on with excitement. White Flame suddenly could not help but mutter. ¡°Can you really save the world like this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s said that they always do this every time they save the world.¡± Nangong Sanba smiled as he spread out his hand. ¡°It¡¯s like having special effects¡­¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re not helping, please go away.¡± Vivian shot them a sideways look. ¡°We¡¯re discussing how to save the world, you know.¡±


    Hasse¡¯s stiff facial muscle twitched a little, his only eye filled with a strange light. ¡°Will you take time to explain to me what is happening after you all are done? I am interested in you people¡­¡±


    Hao Ren waved his hand calmly signalling he had heard him. The old obstinate demon hunter whose only concern was hunting the demons had taken the bait. His effort seemed to begin to pay off as the demon hunter was taking initiative to explore what had once happened in The Plane of Dreams, much effective than to convince him. Hao Ren had loosen the first brick of obstinacy of the world¡¯s most stubborn demon hunter.


    Moreover, judging by Hasse¡¯s tone of voice, this brick was rocking quite violently.


    ¡°Can you put a detector on the other side?¡± Vivian summoned a bat and made a throwing gesture in the direction of the maelstrom. ¡°I think that portal is almost open. Maybe there is a crack or something we can squeeze through. We use a detector to find out the coordinate on the other side, and then enter The Plane of Dreams from somewhere else to find the other side of the maelstrom¡­¡±


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t,¡± the MDT quickly dismissed her suggestion. ¡°We must do everything possible to prevent ¡®information¡¯ from crossing the Wall of Reality. You must remember that ¡®information is everything¡¯ and sending a detector with a signal sending function to the opposite side is more dangerous than shooting at it in the face. If possible, don¡¯t let even a stone to pass through it, let alone a detector.¡±


    ¡°Then how do we know where the other end of the portal is in The Plane of Dreams?¡± Y¡¯zaks asked sulkily. ¡°The universe is such a big place; are we going to sweep slowly with a radar?¡±


    The MDT rocking slightly. ¡°So the biggest difficulty with this plan is to determine the location of the other side of the portal: we must find it within a month, and then throw explosives into it. Everything else is much easier.¡±


    The siren queen was listening attentively, trying to keep up with the rhythm of their topic. Although she could not understand many things, she could still guess what these people wanted to do. ¡°You want to know where the Maelstrom leads to?¡±


    Lily¡¯s ear suddenly stood erect. ¡°You know the answer, my Queen?¡±


    ¡°Call me Katreina. You all are my distinguished guests. You don¡¯t have to be over courteous in the city of the sirens,¡± said the siren queen. ¡°If I¡¯ve not guessed it wrongly, the maelstrom probably leads to our hometown.¡±


    ¡°I know, The Plane of Dreams¡­¡± Hao Ren said, but then he suddenly came to his sense, ¡°Wait a second, do you mean the sirens¡¯ original planet?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know exactly where we¡¯ve come from, but we vaguely know that we are from a very distant place¡ªand it¡¯s definitely not here,¡± said the siren queen, nodding. ¡°The water inside the aqua dome of Nasaton is slightly different from the water on this planet. Of course, the chemical composition is the same, but the siren can appreciate some very subtle differences: we believe that the water inside the aqua dome comes from our hometown.¡±


    Hao Ren looked up at the aqua dome over the city. After the wall was shut down, the city had still a barrier, which was Nasaton¡¯s very own dome shield. This shield shielded the entire city from the outside world. It had not lost a single drop of its internal water body for the past 10,000 years. Instead, the water was constantly going through a recirculation cycle. This was how the city¡¯s ecosystem worked.


    The entire city was a huge space fortress. It still maintained a very good airtightness until today.


    ¡°You feel the same smell inside the aqua dome from the maelstrom?¡± Lily asked, blinking.


    Katreina closed her eyes slightly and said, ¡°Yes, and probably that smell was the reason why the monster had taken the sirens so easily¡ªwe were eager to return to our hometown, and then when the maelstrom emitted the smell of our hometown, the siren unconsciously gave up resistance¡­ we were homesick.¡±


    The atmosphere now was a bit gloomy. Vivian clashed her hand. ¡°Well, we now have a target: to find the position of the siren¡¯s planet in The Plane of Dreams. However, it¡¯s weird that I feel that the level of difficulty has not lessened much?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue forced a force. ¡°From a needle in a haystack to pea in a haystack¡ªthere¡¯s not much different. God knows where our planet of origin is!¡±


    Lil Pea overheard someone seemingly calling her name. She quickly swam over in the arms Wuyue, hovered there, and stopped moving: she was waiting for someone to pick herself up.


    Hao Ren scratched his chin, and an idea came to mind. ¡°¡®Someone¡¯ knows. Nasaton is an interstellar spacecraft. It knows where it came from!¡±

 Chapter 599

    Regardless of what happened when the unusual creatures came to Earth from the Plane of Dreams more than 10,000 years ago, they all forgot their hometown and everything in the past. The same applied to the sirens. Hao Ren could imagine the scene in the city back then: Nasaton fell through the huge spatial rift, crashed down to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, and took root in the deep sea. When the sirens woke up in the ¡°unfamiliar¡± starship city, they were confused and helpless. They did not know who built the city, or the true functions of the city. They only knew everything was as it was when they woke up. Today, their greatest achievements were only having mastered the life-support system, part of the defense system and maintaining them. They knew nothing about navigation, flight, and the navigation databases of the starship city.


    The reason was simple; these systems involved complex core systems. They were not as simple as pulling some levers and pressing some buttons in order to operate them. The sirens did not understand the writings on the system.


    However, Hao Ren believed that the ancient operating system had to have recorded some information on the sirens¡¯ mother star.


    ¡°This is a colonial ship, and it could very well be an escape spacecraft. In any case, it was not used for sightseeing in the galaxy.¡± Hao Ren pointed at the magnificent facilities around him. The look on his face was that of a greedy real estate agent. ¡°According to the most basic rules of interplanetary navigation and the manufacturing habits of navigation systems for the vast majority of intelligent organisms, such a spacecraft usually contains logs of the relative position of its parent planet in the universe. Marking the coordinates of a planet are the basics. The current people of Earth certainly know, so the sirens who created this spacecraft would also have certainly known. If I¡¯m not mistaken, there should be a database in the spacecraft, a dedicated storage of the star map. In accordance to the power output of the Torrent Core, the starship should have had a Class II space warp capability when it was in good condition. So, the range of the star map will be large enough for us to find its starting position in the universe.¡±


    Everyone had their eyes on the siren queen. The latter thought for a long time with both her hands spread out. Her tail was rolled into a question mark in the air. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Everyone was speechless.


    ¡°Umm¡­¡± Hao Ren, who had been pretending to be an expert the entire time almost choked. ¡°Dang¡­ In theory, you should be the captain of this ship¡­. Well, I don¡¯t want to confuse you. Does Nasaton have a place like a central control room where there are a lot of display equipment like a bunch of buttons, an operating console, and many seemingly useless blinking lights? You may not know what they are, but they¡¯re obviously very important¡ªis there such a room?¡±


    The siren queen lifted her finger and pointed at the ruins of the palace. ¡°It¡¯s over there.¡±


    ¡°We blew up the bridge.¡± Y¡¯zaks shrugged his shoulders. ¡°The palace is the bridge.¡±


    Hao Ren smacked himself on the forehead. ¡°I forgot.¡±


    ¡°Another deadlock?¡± White Flame asked curiously. After her mentor showed his curiosity towards the unusual creatures, she could finally ask questions openly.


    ¡°No, we don¡¯t need the bridge.¡± Hao Ren searched the Starship Structure and Spacecraft Design Guide in his mind. ¡°The database could not have been placed on the bridge. It has to be in the core cabin of the spacecraft, which is safer. The bridge is just a bunch of operating terminals. We find the cabling route, we find the database. Everyone, split up, and see if you can find the main structure of the bridge from the rubble. Then, sort out the main line.¡±


    ¡°This is a laborious job,¡± the siren queen responded. ¡°We¡¯ll get people to clean up the ruins.¡±


    Vivian nodded. ¡°Well, let¡¯s do it. Everyone will have something to do, and it will help restore the spirit.¡±


    Shaqira as well as Sorma immediately went to gather the overseers. They conveyed the queen¡¯s decree so that they would bring other sirens to clean up the ruins. Hordes of sirens soon gathered and some brought equipment they had salvaged. The atmosphere became lively again as the sirens enthusiastically cleared out the debris and rubble. The sirens came in various shapes; mermaids, sea serpents, mantis shrimps, and king squids. There were even two sea urchins larger than a tank, who were rolling around¡ªno one was sure what they were doing. They were probably slacking off, but trying to look busy.


    Hao Ren led his small group of friends as they watched and marveled at the ways these sirens worked. He could not actually tell if the sirens were working or fighting.


    Lily stretched her neck and observed for a long time. Then she exclaimed, ¡°It¡¯s fascinating to see a race contain so much diversity.¡±


    ¡°Look at these Type-59 mantis shrimps and Type-99 sea urchins¡­ Tsk, tsk.¡± Hao Ren turned his head to look at Nangong Wuyue and said, ¡°Be frank with me, do you want to become like that?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue lowered her head in thought as she poked a small stone with the tip of her tail. ¡°I can¡¯t fight anyway. I can¡¯t fight anyway¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was at a lost for words.


    Water was a powerful element, especially in the deep-sea city where the sirens could maximize their power. The huge ruins and broken walls were being pushed around by Type-59 mantis shrimps and sea crabs. The large area of ruins was quickly cleared out, revealing the original layout. Hao Ren took the MDT and began to search for the original framework of the bridge in the cleared out area. The siren queen followed him, recalling from memory the functions of each section of the ruins before the collapse.


    While the clean-up work was on going, a group of special helpers suddenly came.


    It was a group of unusual creatures¡ªBlood Clan members, werewolves, shadelings, and a few short people of an unknown race. These people came over and immediately began to work without saying a word. Shaqira looked at them in surprise. ¡°You guys¡­¡±


    A werewolf holding a broken pillar walked past and ginned at her. ¡°We heard from the siren general that the ruins need to be cleared out. Since we¡¯re free, we may as well help out. After all, you¡¯re not going to send us back to shore any time soon.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t want to help, but the elder sent us¡­ Who would dare disobey her?¡± said a Blood Clan member, who shrugged and glanced in Vivian¡¯s direction with reverence.


    Hao Ren gave Vivian a surprised look, and the latter waved her hands indifferently. ¡°What? I just sent a bat to say something to them.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect them to be so generous.¡± Y¡¯zaks scratched his chin. ¡°I thought they would at least ask for some compensation, or something from the sirens.¡±


    ¡°Most of the otherworldlings don¡¯t care about that. We prefer forthrightness.¡± Vivian smiled. ¡°Since it became clear that the sirens have also been victims, we can¡¯t blame them. Survivors from the Mythological Era are practical people.¡±


    ¡°Of course, there will certainly be some who are more hot-headed,¡± said Sorma as she lifted herself up and looked into the distance. A violent vortex was in that direction and a vague noise was heard. It seemed that a conflict had broken out. ¡°I¡¯ll see what¡¯s going on.¡±


    Vivian shook her head. ¡°After all, they are of different races, have different code of conducts and behavioural standards. Disunity is common.¡±


    White Flame whispered. ¡°It seems that the otherworldlings are facing great social problems.¡±


    ¡°No, our biggest social problem is that we have almost no society,¡± said Vivian, glancing at White Flame. ¡°Thanks to you.¡±


    Hasse shrugged and said nothing.


    The MDT glided past a collapsed metal post and scanned it with light, rendering the outlines of the hidden pipeline structure beneath the ground. It suddenly whistled. ¡°Found it!¡±


    Everyone immediately stopped what they were doing and came over. Hao Ren saw the MDT¡¯s light shining on a device that looked like a palace pillar. He stepped forward, cleared the debris around the device, and found that there were a lot of pipes and cables hidden below.


    ¡°This must be the place where the navigators worked back then. I¡¯ve detected a large number of cables leading to a central node.¡± As the MDT spoke, it approached those cables, its hologram showed the connections and cracking progress bar.


    The siren queen looked on in amazement for a long while before she spread out her hands. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I often curled up on the pillar and slept on it. I didn¡¯t know what it was.¡±


    Hao Ren remained silent.


    ¡°I found the navigation log,¡± after waiting for a long time, the MDT finally reported the good news, ¡°Io, the name of the siren¡¯s planet is Io.¡±

 Chapter 600

    The sirens must be having a superb technology, much more advanced than the Tannaeans, for Nasaton to be able to remain in good condition after 10,000 years, and its database to be readable after unmaintained for so long. The MDT activated the spacecraft database by applying stimuli to the cables and scanning the wave feeds, and finally found the storage location of the navigation logs. On an ancient star map, a planet named Io was marked in the most striking place, where there were six Type Ia supernovae around it to tell its location.


    Undoubtedly, this was the planet everyone was looking for.


    ¡°Do you have any impression of this name?¡± Hao Ren looked at the holographic star chart projected by the MDT and asked the siren queen casually.


    ¡°I hope I could remember even the slightest thing¡­¡± The siren queen shook her head in regret. ¡°But we know nothing about our hometown.¡±


    Hao Ren knocked on the shell of the MDT. ¡°Copy the star map and duplicate the navigation log of the spacecraft. It may come in handy later. Lily, go and find out where Rollie has gone, we¡¯re ready to go.¡±


    Shaqira swam up and asked, ¡°You¡¯re going to leave?¡±


    ¡°There is one last thing to do before leaving,¡± Hao Ren looked up over the city; the maelstrom was still running quietly. The centre of the maelstrom was brewing with a hazy light. ¡°Let¡¯s prepare the explosives on this side. Katreina, you¡¯d better bring some people with me. There are some things I want to explain to you.¡±


    The siren queen immediately reacted by calling her people. ¡°Vanaessa! Sorma! Go and gather the elite soldiers and engineers, we¡¯re going to the maelstrom!¡±


    When Hasse saw everyone was going, he could not help but asked, ¡°Can I observe on the side?¡±


    Vivian glanced at Hasse and said, ¡°Come if your worldview is tough enough.¡±


    Hundreds of siren soldiers and engineers quickly gathered. They were all elites who just had out of the control of the brain monster. They were eager to find something to divert their attention away from the upset feelings. Hao Ren led them go near the maelstrom cautiously. As they drew closer, they could feel the pressure the massive portal was releasing.


    The ubiquitous maelstrom occupied their entire field of vision, as if what was left in the heaven and earth was only the water that was capable of devouring all things. It looked like the entire sky was being distorted and converging into a broad passageway. Nangong Wuyue looked straight up at the centre of the maelstrom, even her tail had unconsciously rolled into the same shape of a maelstrom. ¡°This thing is¡­so massive¡­¡±


    ¡°To tell the truth, watching the World Gate is less intense,¡± Hao Ren shook his head, trying to shake off the dizziness brought by the maelstrom. ¡°The scale of this thing is just enough to make people giddy. Well, everyone stops here. It¡¯s time to witness the moment of miracle.¡±


    Everyone stopped. Hao Ren moved forward and then opened up his dimensional pocket.


    A light blue space crack appeared in mid-air and quickly expanded to as large as 100 meters across. In the space crack there was a silver-white metallic glow, it was a cube with a side length of tens of meters, a surface with blue lines and a series of bright red spots. The cube looked simple and unpretentious, but people with a certain level of strength could immediately feel the enormous energy contained within this thing.


    Hao Ren approached the control panel on the side of the cube and made a few gestures, the latter immediately emitted a soft sound, followed by a circle of thrusting light at the bottom, pushing the huge metal cube to the centre of the maelstrom, and finally remained steady there.


    The covers around the cube opened, exposing a group of crystallized cylinders that glowed with blue light. The cold sensation was especially daunting.


    ¡°The Petrachelys has a full range of functions. Not only the main gun, but also a bomb warehouse and bomb factory. This thing has just rolled out from the factory.¡± Hao Ren cheerfully watched the cube that was suspended in the middle of the maelstrom quietly. Lights started to flash in a regular pattern, which was the signal telling the completion of the deployment process. ¡°In the manual, this thing is called the Housekeeping Cleaning Assistant. It can effectively clean a large area, and the power is highly controllable. Each charge tube can be intelligently triggered individually. This should be enough.¡±


    The MDT made a loud whistle. ¡°No matter what is the problem, a bomb can always solve your problems¡ªif one does not work, then use two. If you cannot solve the problem that means you have not enough bombs; it¡¯s a universal truth.¡±


    Lily kept a distance from Hao Ren, exaggeratedly. Mr. Landlord, I found that you feel particularly dangerous just after touching these munitions.¡±


    Hasse pointed to the cube. ¡°I would like to ask¡ª are you sure this thing is made by¡­ alien or human?¡±


    ¡°Look at under your feet,¡± said Vivian, holding her hands in her arms and gesturing with her head at Nasaton below. ¡°An alien spaceship with a history of at least fifteen thousand years is lying here and you never thought that the siren is different from other aliens. The world is big place. You still don¡¯t know many things. Is it so strange for us to yank out some alien munitions?¡±


    Hasse felt that there was something amiss in what Vivian had just said, but he did not know how to put forward his argument, so he could only say, ¡°Surely, my elder is very knowledgeable.¡±


    ¡°This thing will hover at this side of the maelstrom, and once we¡¯ve set up another bomb on the other side, they will pull nearly to each other and then boom! If the model put forward by the MDT was correct, the energy of the explosion will be completely absorbed by the maelstrom. So Nasaton and the entire world will be safe,¡± Hao Ren looked at the siren queen. ¡°Success is guaranteed. However, your soldiers should guard this place for before I issue a detonation warning; make sure you don¡¯t let anything fall into the maelstrom. Also, monitor the energy readings around the maelstrom. If there is an abnormal surge, let me know immediately. I have Plan B.¡±


    Lily was as blunt as usual. ¡°Why I don¡¯t not know there are Plan B?¡±


    Hao Ren grinned. ¡°Look for Raven 12345 for a ¡®blessing¡¯¡­¡±


    When the siren queen heard Hao Ren¡¯s instructions, she nodded solemnly, but she appeared to be a bit worried. ¡°I don¡¯t feel it safe putting an explosive over our heads¡­¡±


    Y¡¯zaks said faintly, ¡°Relax, the maelstrom you¡¯ve got for yourself is no less powerful than the bomb, and mind you, it has been hanging over your head for months.¡±


    The siren queen: ¡°¡­..¡±


    After setting up the bomb on this side of the maelstrom, Hao Ren was ready to lead people to leave Nasaton.


    The spatial layer and the invisible labyrinths that used to shelter the entire city had been temporarily disabled. They rose up unimpeded from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean to the Shrouded Isle located diagonally just above the city. Now that the enchantment around the island had also been shut down, the sea and the sky around the island had returned to normal.


    The water was wavy and foaming with bubbles as groups of people began to resurface¡ªnot only Hao Ren and his entourage but also those otherworldlings that had just gained their freedom.


    ¡°From now on, no one is going to believe in the day of return shit,¡± said Shaqira, looking at the aliens who left the waters under the protection of other sirens. She breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°A hundred years of chaos has finally ended.¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head and sighed. ¡°But it¡¯s going to take a long time for the aftermath to settle.¡±


    Groups of otherworldlings that were prisoners in Nasaton left the Shrouded Isle in batches under the escort of the sirens that used to escort him. When all had finally left, Hao Ren and the rest began to depart. However, the siren queen suddenly emerged from the water. ¡°Wait a minute, I will go with you.¡±


    ¡°You?¡± Y¡¯zaks¡¯ eyebrows twitched. ¡°Don¡¯t you need to take care of the city?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got the follow-up works arranged. Siren is a much disciplined species, as long as the work instructions are clear there will be no supervision needed,¡± the siren queen looked determined. ¡°It¡¯s not that I can go back to my hometown everyday¡ªI know that you have the ability to go to The Plane of Dreams. I won¡¯t ask too many questions. I hope you people can take me along. At least I can tell everyone how the hometown looks like when I¡¯m back.¡±


    Hao Ren thought with his brows pulled together. He finally nodded. ¡°Well, the trip should not take too long. What about you both¡ªShaqira and Sorma?¡±


    Shaqira and Sorma looked at each other and nodded in unison. ¡°We will tag along.¡±


    Hao Ren said, ¡°Okay, well, the ship is big enough.¡±


    Hasse looked at them, and he finally squeezed a little smile out of his stiff expression. ¡°Can I hitch a ride home in your ship?¡±


    Lily¡¯s ears stood up in an instant when she heard the word ¡®ship¡¯. ¡°Oh right! Why not you transform into the Lexington, Nangong Wuyue?¡±


    Wuyue was startled. ¡°You haven¡¯t forgotten!¡±

 Chapter 601

    Wuyue looked at Lily awkwardly. ¡°Are you sure you want me to turn into an aircraft carrier?¡±


    The canine maiden was serious, and this time she was all excited. ¡°Of course, of course! I¡¯ve never sat in an aircraft carrier and I saw it on TV before! Now that I know you can transform into one, I¡¯m really looking forward to it¡ªsurely you¡¯d also want it, wouldn¡¯t you, Mr. Landlord?¡±


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes. ¡°Why are you dragging me into this?¡±


    Wuyue pursed her lips. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll do my best. However, I can only swim for a while. When sirens turn into ships, it¡¯s more form than function, and only for entertainment purposes. Moreover, I have to maintain a large cloud, lest human satellites spot me¡­¡±


    Lily spun her tail excitedly. ¡°Hurry up!¡±


    Nangong Sanba also joined in on the fun. ¡°Do it, Sis. I¡¯d like to see it too.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue could not help but glance at the siren queen, who even gave her an encouraging look. Therefore, the siren maiden could only turn and jump into the water. At this point, even Hao Ren and Vivian could not curb their own curiosity. They had seen General Vanaessa¡¯s phantom ship, and they were especially excited about what their very own siren could do. Though one had to admit that this was rather frivolous, after re-emerging from the deep sea, they needed to have fun and relax themselves.


    After a moment, they started to hear a thunderous roar coming from the deep waters as if something massive was rising out of it. Soon, the sea before them billowed with bubbles, and a massive steel figure began to rise like a spectacular waterfall.


    It was an old aircraft carrier¡ªrust, seagrass, corals, and unknown sediments were all over it. The ship¡¯s hull had massive holes and tears from explosions too.


    Halfway through her excitement, Lily froze as she wagged her tail and stared. ¡°Why is it so different from what I imagined?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue¡¯s voice came from somewhere within the aircraft carrier, ¡°This is the USS Lexington¡ªafter it sank. I¡¯ve told you before that sirens can only take the form of things that are completely submerged in water. This was how the USS Lexington looked when I first saw it. Don¡¯t even getme started with the Titanic yet¡ªthat¡¯s even more horrible.¡±


    Vivian patted Lily on the shoulder. ¡°We¡¯ll go first. You can take your time and enjoy the cruise on board the aircraft carrier.¡±


    Then Vivian hurried the others to run off quickly. Shaqira immediately got the hint. She opened up an air bubble, enveloped everyone inside, and took off at 50 mph. A few seconds later, Lily¡¯s voice came from the back. The poor husky was paddling and chasing after them. ¡°Wait for me! You guys! Wait for me! I¡¯ll have nightmares if I get on that ship!¡±


    After they swam off, the old aircraft carrier came to its senses and blared its horn¡ªWuyue¡¯s voice blasted through the sky. ¡°Don¡¯t you guys want to come on board?¡±


    Long story short, in the end, everyone ended up riding in the air bubble and they got back to the deserted coast where they had originally come from. Nangong Wuyue was feeling a bit depressed. ¡°I finally changed into a shipwreck and you people didn¡¯t even show me your support¡­¡±


    Nangong Sanba twitched his mouth. ¡°Because that look was simply unpalatable. It was too freaking realistic¡­¡±


    The siren queen looked at the land and gave herself a stretch. She could not help but sigh and say, ¡°The last time I came ashore was like 1,000 years ago¡­ and that was just out of curiosity. I have no idea how much the world has changed.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s been massive changes. Humans have at least acquired a dozen new ways to kill themselves. I even think that compared to their spirit of asking for trouble, putting a maelstrom over your own head is just child¡¯s play,¡± said Hao Ren, grinning. He then turned to look at Hasse. ¡°Well, we¡¯ve landed. What¡¯s your plan now¡ªfollow us on an eye-opening trip or report back?¡±


    Hasse thought for a while and gave Hao Ren a surprising answer. ¡°Maybe next time. I have to report back to demon hunters¡¯ headquarters.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you interested in the Otherworld?¡±


    ¡°Of course I am.¡± Hasse¡¯s face was still deadpan. ¡°But interest can only be interest. For now, it¡¯s less important. Don¡¯t forget, I still have a promise to keep; I need to make sure that no demon hunters invade Nasaton before you blow that maelstrom up. For that, I must go back.¡±


    Hao Ren smacked himself on the forehead. ¡°Well, I almost forgot. In that case, I wish you all the best. Don¡¯t always pull a straight face the next time we meet. In a sense, we¡¯re now comrades after all. At least, try not to be a stickler for the differences between demon hunters and otherworldlings when we¡¯re together. I¡¯m looking forward to seeing you someday.¡±


    Hasse glanced at Vivian and nodded slightly. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it, but I can¡¯t help it when it comes to my straight face.¡±


    Vivian was perplexed. ¡°Still as stubborn?¡±


    Hasse looked at Vivian strangely. He lifted his finger and pointed at his blinded eye. ¡°My elder, have you forgotten that you blinded my eye with a Blood Curse and partially paralyzed my face?¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Vivien was dumbfounded. ¡°When did I blind you with a curse? Hasn¡¯t your eye been blind all this while?¡±


    Hasse was angry, and his reaction was not fake in the very least. ¡°..Mmy elder, the war between the demon hunters and the otherworldlings has existed since time immemorial. The situation was even more intense during the Mythological Age, so I¡¯ve never borne a grudge against you for the scars you caused me. But it¡¯s inappropriate for you to pretend to not know¡ªhave you forgotten your raid of the assembly on the demon hunters?¡±


    Vivian was baffled. ¡°You¡¯ve reminded me of a question I¡¯ve been wanting to ask: When did I raid your headquarters?¡±


    Hao Ren had only been listening, but something suddenly crossed his mind. ¡°Wait a minute! How did that happen? You two care to tell me?¡±


    A light flashed across Hasse¡¯s eyes as he felt the seriousness in Hao Ren and Vivian¡¯s tone. He had also noticed from Hao Ren¡¯s expression that there was more than met the eye. He knitted his brows tightly together as he looked up at Vivian and recalled, ¡°¡­In the early days of Olympus, in the middle of a forest in the Middle East, you raided our headquarters. I was ordered to intercept but I was instantly defeated by you and lost one of my eyes as a result. After the end of the Olympian Era, you started a melee fight with a group of European shadelings, and the fallout destroyed a branch of the demon hunters. At that time, I was in said branch, but I managed to withdraw in time. After that, I only heard about your several moody ¡®combat records¡¯. The last time I witnessed you in person was in 1426 when you bafflingly took to Egypt. The victims were the remnants of an undead tribe, besides 20 demon hunters, a wizard priory, a group of lions and¡­ ¡±


    Hasse paused with a weird look on his face before he continued, ¡°¡­a large group of rats. The last scene I saw was of you battling with a group of rats and you looked serious. Those otherworldlings and demon hunters, whom you had injured escaped under your nose. In the end, you were chased by the rats and you fled from the plains.¡±


    Rollie looked at Vivian, feeling confused. ¡°You¡¯re a novice? I can teach you how to catch rats!¡±


    ¡°Knock it off. Here¡¯s a little dried fish, move aside.¡± Hao Ren dragged the silly cat away and looked at Vivian seriously. ¡°Ring any bells?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ Not at all.¡± Vivian¡¯s facial expression took a change. ¡°But I remember in 1426¡­ I took a deep sleep that year!¡±


    ¡°Why hasn¡¯t anyone mentioned these things to her before?¡± asked Hao Ren, staring at Hasse. ¡°Haven¡¯t any of the wretches, whom she tortured mentioned these things to her?¡±


    Hasse found it incomprehensible. ¡°Who would want to bring it up? Moodiness is common among the ancients. The countess is already the most gentle of all the ancients, at least she only goes mad once every few hundred years. And facing such an ancient one¡­ few people would dare ask her for an explanation, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Hao Ren felt that it made sense. It was not about two people getting drunk, fighting, and then questioning each other the next day. This ancient vampire had thousands of years of combat experience; whoever escaped from her would only question which brainless dude in their family had provoked her, and would never think of asking, ¡°Why did you attack me?¡± to Vivian¡¯s face. What if the moody elder decided to beat you again when she felt happy? Or what if she beat you up even harder when she was unhappy? Hao Ren thought.


    After all, the unusual creature societies were unlike humans; a cat-and-dog life was common to all unusual creatures.

 Chapter 602

    Vivian gently massaged her temples with her fingers and spoke nothing for a long time. Hasse was curious as he kept looking at Hao Ren then at Vivian. ¡°Can anyone explain to me what happened?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about Vivian¡¯s memory and her disorientation,¡± Hao Ren said. He was unsure if he should tell Hasse, so he just gave a cursory response. ¡°She sometimes would become disoriented and have no impression of what happened.¡±


    Vivian suddenly looked up at Hao Ren. ¡°Where¡¯s my manuscript?¡±


    The dimensional pocket had become a conveninet storage where they usually put their important but rarely used stuff in Hao Ren¡¯s custody. The ancient manuscript that contained more than 10,000 years of Vivian¡¯s past was in the dimensional pocket. Hao Ren took out a piece of white cloth written with symbols from the dimensional pocket and unfolded it on a nearby flat rock. Vivian immediately came up and examined it carefully.


    The rest of them also stopped what they were doing and came up to take a gander.


    ¡°¡­the early Middle East of Olympus period¡­Europe after the Olympus period¡­Egypt in 1426¡­it coincides in terms of time and place, and each and every battle,¡± Vivian¡¯s finger moved quickly across the symbols and drawings, the time and place of which matched with Hasse¡¯s statement. ¡°Things that happened every time before I hibernated¡­¡±


    Lily looked at Vivian worriedly. ¡°Are you at it again, Battie?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No, I just try to figure out what I was doing in the past,¡± Vivian suddenly raised her head and turned to Hao Ren. ¡°Is it all ¡­ hallucination? Or is it something else controlling my mind?¡±


    The most unexplainable part of Vivian¡¯s hibernating cycle was her ¡®combat record.¡¯ According to the manuscript, every time before the hibernation, she would bitterly fight a group of distorted otherworldling creatures. Though Vivian had no memory of this, the manuscript records appeared exceptionally realistic. Hao Ren had always thought that this was only a problem of her memory, but the situation was making a surprising turn.


    If Hasse was right, then Vivian could have actually fought with the demon hunters and otherworldling, and rats too.


    Now thing only got confusing.


    Hao Ren scratched his chin and asked, ¡°No one could tell what happened to her back then. Hasse, since you were a witness, did your notice anything unusual about Vivian when she went amok?¡±


    Hasse¡¯s face still deadpan. If not for his stiff muscles, his face would have looked sardonic by now. ¡°Unusual? Who would still study her expression when she burned the entire with her Lightning Strike? I only know that whenever young people questioned whether the Countess of the Crimson Moon was worthy of its name, the elders would always use these historical materials to teach them. Of course, the rats were not included.¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian looked at Hasse with a solemn face. Hasse¡¯s brows knit together in deep thought. Only after a long while, he nodded and said, ¡°Of course, anyone who have dealt with the Countess would definitely feel something was wrong. She is a peace-loving, gentle and hardly in conflict with anyone though she was moody occassionally. So when she went berserk, people found it unbelievable. We thought that someone might have rubbed her the wrong way. After all, no one is perfect, person do get angry about things sometimes. But now it looks like the truth is still out there.¡±


    ¡°Of course the truth is still out there!¡± Hao Ren sighed, shaking his head. ¡°Do you think any higher Blood Clan in their right mind will fight with a bunch of rats¡ªand lost it?¡±


    Vivian looked at Hasse¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, looks like I¡¯m really responsible for the lost of your eye. I¡¯ll help you cure it if given a chance in the future¡ªif you¡¯re willing to accept help from an otherworldling.¡±


    Even Teuton who was taciturn, and White Flame who had been trying hard to stay in the background were stunned, let alone Hasse. Incredulously, Hasse said, ¡°You¡­ apologize to me?¡±


    ¡°Why are you so surprised? I¡¯m even more surprised by your big-heartedness,¡± Hao Ren said weirdly pointing at Hasse¡¯s only eye. ¡°You look as if you couldn¡¯t care less even the enemy who has blinded you is in right front of you.¡±


    Hasse shrugged and said nothing; no one knew what was in his mind. These long-lived creatures had a very different worldview. Their views on hatred and memory were bewildering normal people. So, Hao Ren always found it hard to strike up a conversation with them on similar topics.


    The conversation ended. Hasse left with the other two demon hunters. Vivian rubbed her forehead and asked, ¡°Mr. Landlord, do you know what I was doing?¡±


    Hao Ren pulled his brows together. ¡°You obviously lost your judgement before the hibernation, and it was serious. You would see normal people and animals as monsters. Every fight mentioned in the manuscript is true. God knows how many people you have offended¡­¡±


    Lily raised her hand, reminding. ¡°The rats too!¡±


    Burying her face in her hands, Vivian said, ¡°Don¡¯t mention the rat again! At least, I won every other fight!¡±


    Hao Ren waved his hand and said, ¡°Okay, okay, let¡¯s not mention the rats. Now I know how you got your prominence. I had thought it was based on seniority.¡±


    Vivian pasted a smile. ¡°I too have never thought about that before. I thought that they feared me was because I was the most senior of them all. How could I have known that it was because had beaten them in the past? I feel so bad now.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks had probably understood the circumstances of the events. He sulkily asked, ¡°Honestly, has anyone pointed this out to you in the past? Don¡¯t you have friends?¡±


    ¡°I do, but we¡¯re not really close, much less with others,¡± Vivian shook her head. ¡°More importantly, convenient alliances and frequent break-ups have been a norm during the perennial war among the otherwordlings. No one would make a fuss out of that¡ªeven if it is most ancient ones. Of course, it¡¯s possible that someone might have mentioned this to me, but I¡¯ve forgot¡­¡±


    Hao Ren smacked himself on the forehead as he felt that the last phrase was probably true.


    He tucked away the manuscript, looked at the sunset, and sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s go home. We can¡¯t do anything without more fresh leads. We have enough headaches to deal with now.¡±


    Their next destination was the Plane of Dreams. Their target was to locate Io, the planet of the sirens. However, before that they got fully prepared. Considering that a brain monster had come to this world through the space crack, Hao Ren suspected that more such monsters had already gathered on Io. Perhaps the brain monsters had assembled an army near the space crack waiting for their compatriot on this side to open the door to invade the surface world. He must respond in advance.


    If there was really an army on the other side, the maelstrom was not the only thing that they needed to blow up; they might even need a higher level of armed support to deal with the situation.


    After returning home, Hao Ren immediately submitted a report of the Nasaton incident to Raven 12345 before he checked the munitions of the Petrachelys. At the same time, he also sent the MDT to New Aerym to restock his conventional arsenal.


    With three more sirens, the already crowded living space in his house became packed to the gills. After letting the three sirens spend a night in Nangong Wuyue¡¯s room, they set off to Andrea Castle the next morning.


    But Hao Ren would not let Dumb Cat follow him this time.


    ¡°Big Boss Cat, do you really want to leave me at home?¡± The cat maiden squatted in front of the MDT and looked at Hao Ren with a sad face and drooped tail and ears. ¡°I was very obedient, wasn¡¯t I?¡±


    Indeed, the cat-maiden had been a good during the Nasaton¡¯s mission. She was obedient and brave enough to fight. She did not went up to savor the mermaids though Hao Ren had been worried about this initially. But this time he was not going to take this cat to Io anyway¡ªthe reason was simple: compared to Nasaton, which was only a city where the situation was more controllable, Io was a far more dangerous place.


    The cat was not be able to cope with the situation.


    Dumb Cat would stay back with Lil Pea. Y¡¯lisabet would stay behind too as she was tasked with keeping an eye on the cat and the fish. Despite of being only a child, the little demon had stood in as a commander during the absence of Y¡¯zaks previously. Sometimes, she was more dependable than other adults were.


    ¡°You stay at home and take care of Lil Pea,¡± Nangong Wuyue said, bending down and patted Rollie on the head. ¡°If you listen to Y¡¯lisabet, we will take you out more often.¡±


    Hao Ren also stepped forward and petted the cat. ¡°Have you not learned how to make Bibimbap? This time, learn how to wash the dishes and clean the table from Y¡¯lisabet. When I come back, I¡¯m going to ask Y¡¯lisabet how well you have done. If you do well, I¡¯ll let you eat grilled fish for a week.¡±


    The demon girl immediately patted her chest and pledged, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Uncle Ren, you can trust me! Remember to bring me some machine parts from Io!¡±


    The cat-maiden looked at Hao Ren and knew that her master was very firm this time. She had no choice but nodded her head in frustration before turning to the Nangong Wuyue. ¡°Then can you turn into a fish and let me lick? When I am finished, I¡¯ll be a good girl and stay home,¡± she said, making her last request.


    Wuyue was struck dumb.


    Hao Ren turned his face way and said, ¡°Just let her lick.¡±


    Wuyue looked up at the sky and lamented, ¡°What kind of family is this?¡±

 Chapter 603

    Lil Pea sat on the dumb cat¡¯s head, waving her little arm and saying goodbye to her daddy. The little one now understood the reason why Hao Ren and the other adults in the family often had to travel. With her rapidly growing mind, she was now not as stubborn and clingy as before. If necessary, the little one would stay at home obediently. As long as someone was keeping an eye on her and keeping her out of trouble, Hao Ren could leave her at home in peace.


    The cat girl cautiously allowed the fish to sit on her head; she was licking her mouth, enjoying the aftertaste of Wuyue¡¯s tail. She meowed at Hao Ren, who had walked into the teleportation light beam as if she was saying her final goodbye.


    In a flash, Hao Ren and the others found themselves standing in the dark, snow-covered hinterland.


    A large, lavender-colored spatial rift was in the air, and several silvery-white, light-emitting devices surrounded it. There were alarms and a light beam generator around these devices, which illuminated the surrounding snowfield.


    There was nothing else there.


    ¡°I think that instead of thinking about building a frosty town in other parts of the snowfield, it¡¯d be better to renovate the place around the spatial rift; not a fortress, but at least a shelter.¡± Vivian stomped the snow off her boots. ¡°While the nearby Alamanda has almost developed into a capital airport, the portal here still looks like a bicycle shed.¡±


    The strange coldness of the dark snowfield rushed in from all directions. The three sirens, including the queen, were all frozen. They were not as accustomed to their human form as Nangong Wuyue was. When they arrived, they were all in their sea serpent form. By now, a thin layer of ice had covered their tails, and it made a crackling sound when they moved. Shaqira hugged her shoulders and looked around. ¡°What is this place? The water element here¡­ is weird. It¡¯s difficult to manipulate, and the chill they carry is colder than ordinary ice and snow.¡±


    ¡°This is the entrance to the Plane of Dreams,¡± said Hao Ren, lifting his hand and pointing at the spatial rift. ¡°This is a buffer zone between the real world andthe Plane of Dreams. The atmosphere of the Otherworld is distorting everything around this place, hence the weirdness.¡±


    The siren queen curved her tail into a question mark. ¡°We¡¯ll reach our homeworld after we cross this rift?¡±


    ¡°No, we still need to calculate the coordinates, probe, navigate, and check for hidden dangers. This is an adventure. Although it¡¯s your homeworld, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s safe now.¡± Hao Ren shrugged and crossed the spatial rift. ¡°Let¡¯s go and take a look.¡±


    All of them followed Hao Ren and passed through the gateway. A different scene compared to the dark snowfield suddenly appeared before their eyes.


    It was a brand new silver hall.


    The spatial rift was right in the center of the hall. The lavender light illuminated a dozen meters into its surroundings. The hall had a circular wall made of natural, silver-white metal. The wall was more than 10 m high, and it gradually formed into an arc as it rose. The clear sky could be seen through the translucent light-blue energy shield above. The floor was a magnificent gold color, which was the only original structure preserved in this transit station¡ªAlamanda Square.


    Some advanced, newly installed equipment were at the side of the hall. Several autonomous robots were flying around, debugging the equipment. One of the autonomous robot had sensed the return of its owner and emitted a string of sounds to report the progress of their work. Hao Ren tapped the mechanical squid on its shell and said, ¡°Looks like work is progressing well. The station is almost completed¡­ Oh, is the nearby radio tower also completed?¡±


    The siren queen suddenly screamed and bounced several meters back when she saw the mechanical squids. She cautiously said, ¡°What are those?!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re my workers¡­ Katreina, you don¡¯t have to be so nervous.¡± Hao Ren could not help but laugh at the sight of the siren queen¡¯s reaction. ¡°They¡¯re very nice guys. They¡¯re just working here. This station was in ruins. If it weren¡¯t for them, you probably wouldn¡¯t be able to breathe the air here today.¡±


    The siren queen regained her composure but was still guarded. ¡°I just can¡¯t get over those tentacles¡­ especially the ones with tentacles right under their head.¡±


    Lily was dumbfounded. ¡°Then, would you freak out when you transform into a giant squid?¡±


    The siren queen froze for a moment; a sense of frustration suddenly hit her. ¡°Gosh, my life has forever lost a possibility¡­¡±


    Vivian was shocked. ¡°Looks like she suffers from a pretty serious psychological trauma.¡±


    Hao Ren looked around, feeling like he had forgotten something. After thinking for a long while, he suddenly realized it. ¡°Dang it! I¡¯ve forgotten to inform Becky! You guys, please wait a minute¡ª¡±


    Hao Ren quickly switched on the radio. In order to keep abreast with Holletta¡¯s situation, he had requested Becky to carry a radio. Becky¡¯s voice came through the radio after several rings. ¡°Hello, Mr. Landlord?¡±


    ¡°What are you doing over there?¡±


    ¡°Me? I¡¯m participating in an event. It¡¯s awesome. Is something up?¡±


    ¡°Something important,¡± said Hao Ren quickly. ¡°Have you obtained the brain monster on your side?¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Becky¡¯s voice suddenly sounded serious. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Hao Ren breathed a sigh of relief and said, ¡°Tell Ophra, let the sleeping dog lie, and don¡¯t try to go after it alone! That thing has an overwhelming mind-control power that must be contained with special means. Inform me immediately when you lock on its position, understand?¡±


    Becky quickly responded. ¡°Got it. By the way, what are you doing right now, Mr. Landlord?¡±


    Hao Ren let out a long sigh. ¡°We¡¯re going to blow something up.¡±


    Becky suddenly sounded excited. ¡°Blow something? I like that! A balloon or trumpet?¡±


    Hao Ren almost choked. ¡°I mean blow up!¡±


    Becky said, ¡°Wow¡­ What an exciting life, Mr. Landlord.¡±


    Hao Ren ended the radio transmission and pursed his lips. ¡°That girl¡­ Let¡¯s go, we have no time to waste.¡±


    He released the Petrachelys from his portable space and brought them on board. The spacecraft then climbed directly overhead through the transparent shield above the Alamanda transit station. The desolate City of Gold could be seen underneath as the spacecraft rose. Images of construction works in the city were fed through the external camera into the cabin. Several silvery white spire devices outside the city walls had begun operation. The projects that Hao Ren had left behind were being carried out effectively as autonomous robots and construction equipment were working around the clock. The planet was now developing to become a real base.


    The siren queen and her two followers looked in amazement on the bridge. They had learned from the holograms that they were now in the relic of another civilization, which was being transformed into a large one fortress. Shaqira could not help but look at Hao Ren. ¡°What is this place?¡±


    ¡°Tannagost, another ruined civilization. What they had encountered was far worse than you had¡ªthey didn¡¯t managed to launch their escape ships when the disaster struck, and their chosen self-rescue technology didn¡¯t work, and they became extinct. The only thing left in this planet is the hollow echo, which the spires are trying to eliminate. But this has little to do with you.¡±


    Shaqira poked the seat in front with her tail. ¡°Do you know what happened to this universe?¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Than¡­ who are you?¡± Shaqira finally could not hold back. ¡°Of course you don¡¯t have to answer me. I¡¯m just too curious. The ability of you people is completely beyond any humanity and aliens.¡±


    The spacecraft gradually moved away from the atmosphere. Tannagost¡¯s pale gold and grey-green surface appeared smaller and looking from the monitor. The glow of CARS was rising from the other side of the horizon like a silver moon. Hao Ren gazed at the splendid scene in space and call up the star map. ¡°It¡¯s a long story. Let¡¯s talk about that later while during the journey. MDT, start calibrating the star map.¡±


    Although the star map stored in the Nasaton database was reliable, it did not in fact conform to the requirement of the interstellar travel. The siren back then had not achieved the technological level by which they could travel to any point of the universe as they wished. Their star map could only mark the range that they could explore¡ªcompared with the entire space. That was just like a grain of sand on the beach.


    Marking the position of a star in the universe is a complicated subject. You could use a few supernovae and connect them together to determine the position of a particular star, or you could detect enough stars to build a complex three-dimensional coordinate system. However, you would still face a problem: the universe is too vast, and it changes every moment. As the stars move, form and die, the coordinates of any star will become increasingly inaccurate over time. The Xi Ling Celestials could scan a snapshot of the entire universe through something like a sovereign hub, so they did not have to worry about this. However, ordinary races would not be able to do that. They must think of ways to counteract this ¡®star map shift,¡¯ and one of the ways was to map as much as possible the entire space, as enough celestial bodies and a large enough span of stars would give them more backup links to determine the location of a star.


    However, the siren¡¯s star map was a primary star map. It might have already not that accurate at in the beginning, after 10,000 years, its accuracy had been greatly reduced. Therefore, the MDT needed to recalibrate the starlight, overlay the current map of the universe with the old star map then they would be able to determine the location of Io.

 Chapter 604

    In deep space, starlight was the only companion to the boundless darkness. A bright silver arc suddenly swept across the darkness as the Petrachelys jumped in and out of the sparial rift as part of its star chart calibration sequence.


    The Petrachelys followed a general direction while it headed towards Io, using warp jumps and regular flight alternately. Soon after the voyage neared its end. The spacecraft¡¯s navigation system had recalibrated the star lens two days ago and entered the star chart from Nasaton into its navigation program. After some comparisons, the ship¡¯s host found a star region where the siren¡¯s home planet was probably located. The spacecraft was now heading in that direction.


    Since the siren¡¯s star chart was not accurate, and the drift of celestial bodies over 10,000 years had seriously affected the reliability of teleportation, the spacecraft would not be able to reach the coordinates directly. For safety reasons and in order to collect as much information as possible of the universe, the Navigation Assistant recommended that the spacecraft performed a series of warp jumps and subluminal flight alternately. Although it would probably take a slightly longer time, the delay caused no harm.


    The spacecraft was now flying in a monotonous and boring region of the universe. It was cold, and empty with some extremely thin but radioactive clouds. Apart from the far-away starlight and a bright, star-forming nebula, there was nothing else. Hao Ren sat in his captain¡¯s seat, staring at some documents in boredom, while enduring Lily¡¯s occasional crazy howls.


    He was not the rookie who first came into contact with the sea of stars a year ago; the scenery of starlight no longer attracted his interest. Of course, the sight of the universe was still as spectacular as ever, but he had something more important to do.


    He was studying the data extracted from the computer in Nasaton.


    ¡°Io¡­ the planet of water. Ocean covers one hundred-percent of your home planet, where huge ice floes and storm clouds formed in an annually cycle. The ecosystems started out in the deep sea. Only until your ancestors built an outpost on the first ice floe that you all knew the concept of ¡®atmosphere¡¯,¡± Hao Ren said while holding the MDT and looking at the siren queen. ¡°Such is the fun of exploration¡ªthe universe is so big place that you will always find some strange places out there.¡±


    The siren queen looked at the star chart on the navigation computer screen, feeling very incredible. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. I¡¯m here at this moment. I lived with my people in the deep sea for ten thousand years. We thought that living in the deep sea is the nature of the sirens, but our ancestors had studied the secrets of the stars. Do you often do this kind of travel?¡±


    ¡°Almost. We are experts,¡± Lily said, leaning on the seat back and wagging her tail. ¡°Have you ever heard of space dog? Let me tell ya¡­¡±


    Hao Ren knew that the husky was going to spew nonsense. He tucked the MDT back into his pocket and headed to the door. ¡°I¡¯m going to the lab.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue had curled up in a ball with Shaqira and Sorma resting on the flight deck. She suddenly opened his eyes and pulled herself out. ¡°Wait, I¡¯m going with you. It¡¯s boring here.¡±


    Hao Ren looked stupefyingly at the snake-maiden who crawled and rollied up before him. He then glanced at Shaqira and Sorma, who were curling into new ball. ¡°It¡¯s really hard to understand the culture of the sirens¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the symbol of friendship!¡± Nangong Wuyue shook the tip of her tail in the air like a rattlesnake. ¡°I just learned from them!¡±


    After Hao Ren and Nangong Wuyue left the flight deck, Shaqira and Sorma looked at each other and said, ¡°She still needs to familiarize with this way of resting.¡±¡±Yeah, she¡¯s too loose and will fall out after asleep.¡±¡±No, I mean she had just tied me up with her.¡± ¡°Oh, that was me. I was having a nightmare.¡±


    Nangong Sanba was holding a magazine pretending to be reading. He suddenly put the book on his face and said, ¡°The world is just too amazing¡­¡±


    Hao Ren brought Wuyue leaving the flight deck and went to the laboratory through the central isle. Various equipment and platforms used in the First Born research used to occupy the laboratory, but now the research project had been transferred to the CARS, the laboratory became empty now. There were only two remaining projects running here: one was the Vengeful-Spirit Scanner¡¯ that had yet completed the decoding process, and the other was a large restraint instrument, which was brand new, in the center of the laboratory.


    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s still trying to study the memory code of the vengeful spirit,¡± said Hao Ren as he and Wuyue walked past a set of scanner. He saw the instrument flashing with a regular glimmer. The glow in the groove in the center of the instrument had not changed compared with last time. ¡°I hope this gadget could quickly come out with result.¡±


    Wuyue glimpsed at the vengeful spirit. She felt a sense of uneasiness. She quickly turned to look at the center of the lab. ¡°Are you sure it won¡¯t suddenly get out of control?¡±


    In the center of the laboratory was a large transparent container. It was a crystallized vertical pipe that reached nearly ten meters in diameter and emitted a faint blue light. There were various sensors and recording devices around the container. There was a weird creature, a lump of swollen meat that almost looked like a brain, was suspended inside the container.


    It was the brain monster that Hao Ren had captured in Nasaton.


    ¡°The protective crystal ulluminates this thing for twenty-four hours a day. It can¡¯t escape,¡± said Hao Ren as he pointed to the bottom of the container, which was inlaid with a colourful diamond-shaped crystal. The crystal shone light on the giant brain, causing it to twitch from time to time. ¡°It¡¯d be fine as long as it doesn¡¯t collapse inside.¡±


    Wuyue curiously pressed her face on the container looking at the brain inside. ¡°I heard this thing would eat anything.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve successfully tested it with several organic compounds,¡± Hao Ren said, nodding. There was a robotic arm handing meat to the brain, which grabbed it with its tentacles before absorbing it in the blink of an eye. ¡°It uses tentacles to eat. The tip of the tentacle secretes a super corrosive, digestive fluid, and open a series of fine ¡®teeth¡¯ to catch its prey. Hasse used to ask where its mouth was: it¡¯s the tentacles. I now feed this guy according to the recipe given by the sirens. It needs to eat four to five times a day; plants and meat could be used. However, according to Katreina¡¯s memory¡­ it likes raw meat more. But don¡¯t mention this in front of her,¡± he said.


    Wuyue stuck out her tongue. ¡°¡­ then I¡¯m not going to ask about its excretion process,¡± she said.


    ¡°Before we get to the station, I will try to communicate with it again,¡± Hao Ren said as he started a device next to the container.


    There was an invisible traction field in the container that bound the brain monster, which was slowly pushed to the edge of the container and one of its tentacles was fixed to a silver-white cylinder. A similar cylinder had also risen up in front of Hao Ren and the hologram above the cylinder showed the words ¡®Connection Ready.¡¯


    He did not want to get into direct physical contact with the tentacles to read the thoughts of the brain every time, so he had ordered the design of this device. This device replaced direct physical contact with the subject. It not only sustained a perfect mental connection function, but also enhanced the connection and record the data during the connection. In other words, Hao Ren could now not only see the memory of the brain monster but also visually record it. Although the recorded data was always severely distorted, it was an important function nonetheless.


    In this way, he could rewind the video to find the footages that appeared in his subconscious mind but were ignored by the conscious mind.


    Hao Ren placed his hand on the top of the silver-white cylinder, and a wave of strange thoughts immediately came into his mind.


    The chaotic red, the cloudy sky, the slanting falling starlight, and all kinds of grotesque sights came into his field of vision as if they were all real. Hao Ren realized that he was on a certain doomed foreign planet. However, this was not what he wanted.


    A mushroom cloud rose beside him, and countless horrifying shadows came from all directions as if to rip him apart. he stayed in the illusion for only a few seconds and began to be baptized by the horrifying images. There was a bust of rumbling and incomprehensible screams in his mind. The screams and the surrounding scenes seemed to join forces to bring the world¡¯s most horrifying thoughts into the minds of the invaders, using fear¡ªthe inborn weakness of mortals¡ªto drive the invaders out of its ??spiritual world. Hao Ren stood in the illusion of a star-studded alien scene. He watched the strange things tearing his body in pieces, over and over again. He looked up at the starry sky that was constantly falling, and called out aloud from the depths of his heart.


    ¡°You know it¡¯s useless! Come out and talk to me face to face!¡±


    There was only an empty echo that came from all directions in the chaos of the mind. the brain monster refused to answer any further prying questions.


    Yes, this complete brain monster had the ability to build a mental barrier. Even if Hao Ren could directly peer into its memory, it was difficult to maneuver.

 Chapter 605

    In the world created by the monster, it was doomsday and the earth and sky was coming apart.


    Beneath Hao Ren¡¯s feet was a piece of land soaked in blood. Fissures started forming as under the violent quakes as poisonous steam broke through the surface. A endless storm blew as lightning and brimstone scorched the earth. A series of horrifying howl rang across the place and the sheer force alone could drive a man insane. After the storm subsided, the rain of brimstone became a full fledge storm as massive blocks of flaming rocks smashed against the ground, causing it to rupture in a burst of lava. Just as the spewing lava formed into a giant molten wolf. Hao Ren found himself in a desolate planet that was being torn part as countless of comets smashed against the land around him.


    Various doomsday scenes played around him, and it changed wildly without any rhythm, almost as if the scenes were drawn from human¡¯s impression of what an apocalypse would look like. Each and every scene was bone chilling at their own right, and within the visions of doom countless of bizzare and horrifying scenes played out: like giant flaming corpse ravaging the land. This was almost like the depiction of hell in some religious stories, but the difference is that the depiction of hell was too scare people away from sinning, while this was clearly a defensive mechanism against an intruder.


    Hao Ren stood before a soon to erupt volcano and before him was a wave of scorching toxic steam and brimstone. Truth be told, it was rather scary but his mental resistance had been bolstered by the psychic screen and his experience so far had prepared him to at least not fall apart under such an onslaught. He looked up to the sky and roared at the invisible person pulling this stunt. ¡°Aren¡¯t you bored by now? If you really want me to stay away, in the future then answer my questions!¡±


    A mocking roar came in reply from the skies as the volcano burst into life. The burning volcanic ashes then turned into a rain of piercing blades.


    ¡°You should be well aware now that your powers are weakened by the crystals. Your illusions won¡¯t hurt me, and my resistance is even higher than yours.¡± Hao Ren said as he sat cross-legged on the ground, letting the blades sink into him. ¡°It¡¯s the reverse now, its now my psyche is invading yours. Your attempts at a stand off will just bore both of us. I cannot peer into your conciousness, but can you at least talk to me? I believe you are able of understanding human language and psyche.¡±


    Another thunderous roar came from the depths of the earth as rainfall replaced the volcanic smog and completely blocked out Hao Ren¡¯s vision.


    It was the same as the last few attempts when Hao Ren tried to forcibly connect with the brain, all his attempts were thwarted by the falling rain as the monster would not respond to him any further. All the visions of catastrophe and the howls of terror had ceased, and in their place, an endless rain that kept pouring and pouring, until Hao Ren gave up.


    But Hao Ren still wanted to give it a try. He knew that the monster would never relinquish its hostility towards him, and had never carried hope that the monster would actually ¡®sit down and talk¡¯. He only wanted the monster to show its true face, even just a word, even if just a curse, he could use it to track the monster¡¯s mental activity. Yet the monster seems to be vary of this and had yet to raise to the bait.


    Hao Ren sat in the middle of the rain, and looked like he was talking to himself. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve seen many many races and species, some even more curious than you, I¡¯ve seen a living, breathing, thinking Mimosa plant. You¡¯re nothing special, just simply throwing visions of death is not enough to make you special. You are no different than a slug in my eyes, just a slug with some secrets¡­.¡±


    The rain kept on pouring.


    ¡°Why are you so hostile to the other races? Let me rephrase that, why bring death and destruction where ever you go? Your kin had messed about with the peole of Holetta, you had brought chaos to the Sirens, you even sought to sow discord amongst the supernaturals on earth¡­ What are you trying to achieve?¡±


    The rain still poured, but it had gradually turned rain, almost like it was raining blood.


    ¡°What are you to a First Born? Oh, you may not call them that, but you know what I mean. I¡¯m pretty sure that you and the First Borns are not the same type of creatures. But there¡¯s a niggling thought within me that you two are interrelated. Both of you work the same way¡­. and harbours the same hatred to all things living. Are you distant relatives?¡±


    The rain had now turned into a fullfledge bloodstorm, and the vicious roars thundered again.


    Hao Ren was surprised, and elated that he somehow had managed to elicit a reaction from the monster.


    ¡°Ah, seems like you¡¯re pretty sensitive about this topic. Maybe we can go further.¡± Hao Ren raised his hand to collect some of the rain water. It was as red as blood, with some suspiciously similar stickiness to it. ¡°This reminds me of the lifeblood. The Disciples of Glory believed that the lifeblood is the Goddess¡¯ own blood and with it they are made whole. Despite them not having seen the Goddess before, yet they spoke her words with conviction. So lets talk about the Goddess of Creation? The one had gave life¡­.¡±


    Before he could finish however, another thunderous crack shattered the skies as Hao Ren felt an uncontrollable rage and hostility was coming from all directions towards him. The ravenous energies had perhaps collided the defensive crystal¡¯s suppression effects, as Hao Ren felt his mental state being shaken. Within the violent explosions, he could make out a violent roar, ¡°¡­.Treacherous child¡­ you DARE speak of Mother?¡±


    The land then came apart.


    Great chasms formed in the hundreds as the entire land buckled, as if the plain was build with a layer of thin rocks above the abyss. Now the entire surface was collapsing inwards as everything was swallowed by the swirling void.


    A overwhelming sense of falling descended upon Hao Ren as he felt his conciousness was just about to leave the place. Just before he fully woke, he looked down and saw a faint glow in the abyss.


    There were nothing in the light, but it was warm.


    Hao Ren opened his eyes abruptly as he stood in the laboratory. Before him was the floating brain within the sealing container. The latter has floating there without any movement, but there is still an undiguised, unbridled hatred coming from the monster.


    ¡°It kicked me out again.¡± Hao Ren took a deep breath, ¡°This is the fourth time.¡±


    ¡°Seems like you managed to stay connected for a few seconds longer.¡± Wuyue gave Hao Ren a curious look. ¡°Any luck?¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his head. ¡°Just a sentence, and an unknown light. The moment I spoke about the Goddess the monster was instantly enraged and destroyed the virtual world it had created. It seems to call the Goddess ¡®Mother¡¯, and it called me a treacherous child¡­ I think it may have mistaken me for the Second Born in the Plane of Dreams.¡±


    ¡°Treacherous child? So was this about the Second Born¡¯s betrayal of the Goddess?¡± Wuyue¡¯s tailed swung about. ¡°Didn¡¯t we cleared that up? Holetta¡¯s apocalypse was caused by the First Born, and had nothing to do with the experiments of the Mage-Emperors no?¡±


    Hao Ren frowned as he ran through his thought before something struck him. ¡°May be the Second Born are not just limited to Holetta!¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­. aside from that?¡± Wuyue too scratched her head. ¡°What about the light?¡±


    ¡°Beats me. It seems like it is in the conciousness of the monster but it was not making it easy to discern what it is. I only felt a very warm and peaceful aura from it¡­ Maybe it¡¯s some ancient memory, before the Goddess¡¯ fall¡­ Ugh¡­. I have no idea.¡±


    Hao Ren and Wuyue continued to talk about the scenes that appeared in the monster¡¯s mind before setting a transcriber to record all of the images. Hao Ren hoped he could catch something that he had missed by going through the images again. But all of it were merely visions of doom, and nothing particular stood out.


    Seems like the monster¡¯s outer conciousness does not contain that much secrets.


    Hao Ren could only sigh as he reviewed the pictures again ¡°The real body is really much stronger than its clones and its defenses against memory reading is really high. Looks like we still have a long way to go before¡­¡±


    As Hao Ren was just about to finish, the MDT spoke. ¡°The last warp jump is in two minutes. We will arrive in Io soon.¡±


    ¡°Lets get back to the bridge.¡± Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°We¡¯ll leave the brain monster for later.¡±

 Chapter 606

    A blast of bright light pierced through the darkness as the Petrachelys completed its hyperspace warp jump and entered a whole new galaxy.


    The holographic display showed the scene captured by the surveillance optics outside the ship and created a star map via circular hologram on the bridge. Hao Ren saw the system before him. It was slightly greyish, meaning that the system was surrounding by a massive cluster of Oort cloud. While the star map showed a straight continuous bright belt, and in the belt were countless of individual lights, as if thousands upon thousands of stars had congregated there. It seems like the place was a cradle of stars, and it was churning out new stars every moment, and launching them towards the galaxy.


    ¡°Such a¡­.magnificent place.¡±, Y¡¯zaks said as he momentarily turned away from his papers as soon as they arrived. He looked around. ¡°Seems like the Siren¡¯s home galaxy is still young.¡±


    ¡°Io is just right in front of us. Apporaching destination.¡± the MDT voice was broadcasted through the comms system. ¡°Just a few more¡­. Alright, you can see it now.¡±


    Before the holographic display, a dim-looking planet was quickly expanding into view. It was totally covered by ocean mass and the planet was in a perpetual blue hue. Only a few white clusters appeared on the northern hemisphere of the planet. They were floating glaciers. The southern hemisphere was canvassed by a massive layer of clod and based on Nasaton¡¯s records, the clouds were an atmopsheric phenomenon that cycles year by year across the face of the planet. The Sirens of yore called it the ¡®Sky Curtain.¡¯


    The Sun wasa facing the side of the Petrachelys and Io as it shone across the planet¡¯s surface, giving it a glistening sheen.


    ¡°So this is the Siren¡¯s home planet¡­.¡± Lily said as she lay back on the bridge seat. Turning around she looked at the Siren Queen, ¡°That¡¯s your old home.¡±


    Shaqira and Sorma stared unblinkingly towards at the holographic display. The sea covered planet was the only thing in their eyes now. It took a while before Hao Ren asked, ¡°So¡­ how do you feel now?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know¡­¡± Shaqira looked rather confused. ¡°I thought I would be very excited, but I don¡¯t feel anything special about the planet when I see it¡­ Almost as if I can¡¯t even fathom this was the place of my birth.¡±


    Nangong Sanba stood up as he tidied up his black long coat and struck a pose as if to give some motivational speech. ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re in space. A homeland is grass and water, it¡¯s the streets, the cacophony of activities in the streets. If you don¡¯t experience these, it¡¯s not truly homecoming. Besides, seeing a 3D model of your planet is hardly a way for you to experience¡­.¡±


    Wuyue raised her head and threw a glance at her brother. ¡°Can you stop acting cool, brother? That motivation speech is just so drab¡­ and if I remember correctly you had used it twenty years ago, with some old Chinese folks. You even got two white jade rings from them.¡±


    ¡°¡­. And why did you conveninently left out the fact I could three evil spirits for the old man!?¡±


    Seeing these two siblings bicker is definitely much more fun that seeing Wuyue prodding the floor panel with her tail.


    The Petrachelys soon arrived on Io as turned towards the sun facing side of the planet. As this planet had no landmass, there were no proper landing points and Hao Ren decided to park the ship on a piece of floating glacier. Just as the ship were making the final approach, a flicker of light blinked on the holographic display. Hao Ren looked towards the light and noted that there was something floating on the northern hemisphere of Io and he immediately changed course towards it.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Lily¡¯s ears perked up as she entered her curious husky mode. ¡°Seems like a space station?¡±


    The Petrachelys were closing in on the space station that emitted the flickering strobes anda curved outline started forming. It was almost like a massive city that looked like it had layers upon layers of shells on it. Around the place were a circle of crystal-encrusted high walls, but there were nothing above the city. It seems like it was supposed to be a energy barrier of sorts but its gone now.


    Hao Ren felt that it looked very familiar and was immediately reminded, ¡°Doesn¡¯t this look almost the same as the Nasaton?¡±


    ¡°I almost couldn¡¯t recognise it from above!¡± Vivian was surprised. ¡°So¡­ this is the other migrant ship? Why didn¡¯t it launched?¡±


    ¡°Approach it slowly. MDT, run through the database we had previously copied from Nasaton¡¯s data vault. See if there¡¯s any sister ships for Nasaton or something.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s previous attention were all drawn on Io and the Siren¡¯s fragmented history and he overlooked many items that were taken from Nasaton¡¯s datavault. Now that he had seen another migrant ship, he realised that he needed to check if the Sirens had built any other escape vessels and their subsequent fate.¡±


    The Petrachelys was closing in on the spaceship that looked like Nasaton and the MDT¡¯s voice rang. ¡°Scanning through the datavault¡­ There are three sister ships for Nasaton, The Zalazarn, The Antwern and the Palasion. The Antwern had undergone special modification, and has a signature alloy core tower. The other ships are similar to the Nasaton, seems like they were built from the same blueprint.


    ¡°So that should be one of the mass-produced designs then.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s interest was immediately piqued. ¡°Any signs of threats?¡±


    ¡°The initial scans shows that there are no signs of life onboard, but cannot discount the possiblity of any difficult to recognise alien life forms.


    The Petrachelys may be a very advanced spacecraft, but it was only a few hundred meters long. Beside the massive hulk it was like a speck of dust. Hao Ren let the ship slowly maneuver its way above the derelict as he paid full attention is checking out the ship¡¯s status. The derelict had clearly inert and now floated aimlessly on Io¡¯s orbit, rotating slowly as it went. The Siren Queen looked on for a moment before saying. ¡°It doesn¡¯t have a water dome.¡±


    ¡°Forget the water dome, it¡¯s dry as a husk.¡± Lily mumbled as she shook her head.


    The ship¡¯s barrier had deactivated and there were many signs of damage on the outer walls. The water that once flow through the spacecraft had long evaporated. Many of the internal structures and facilites were exposed to the dry vacuum as it was mercilessly degraded by the scorching sun and cosmic radiation.


    Hao Ren saw a series of post-explosion rents on the rear of the ship and this was undoubtedly the main reason why the ship had lost all functions. But who was the culprit?


    Was it the brain monster, or the First Born?


    Hao ren looked towards the control dias, ¡°Eh, brick, have you detected the teleportation gate?¡±


    ¡°No. It could be located deep in the ocean, or it is also hidden within a dimensional gap like Nasaton. I need to run a thorough planetary scan. And let me remind you that I¡¯m a MDT, you cannot just come up with a nickname¡­¡±


    ¡°Any signs of the brain monster?¡±


    ¡°Will need to run a scan to determine that too. I¡¯m not done yet, you need to respect the worth of a PDA¡­¡±


    ¡°Go on then. Place a few more scouting drones. The brain monster might already be waiting for us down there.¡± Hao Ren said as he headed towards the bridge door. ¡°I¡¯ll lead a party to check on the derelict. To confirm the cause of explosion. I¡¯ll be back in a jiffy.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Sure. But I still want to stress the fact that I¡¯m an MDT¡­¡±


    Hao Ren had totally ignored the MDT and marched towards the teleporter. As he walked he asked. ¡°So who¡¯s coming? Bring your lifehoop with you.¡±


    Lily immediately leapt up to follow, ¡°Mr Landlord wait! I¡¯ll come. Say, I¡¯ve put a bell on the collar, is it cute¡­.¡±


    Vivian sighed as she too followed. ¡°I¡¯ll go, just the two of you alone worry me to death.¡±


    The trio then left the Petrachelys as they were teleported towards the outer wall of the derelict. After letting out a few signal flares the Petrachelys had disappeared swiftly into the horizon. It was going to do a full scan on Io.


    The derelict had no power, and it was without question it did not had artificial gravity as well. Exploring the place would need some measure of skill. Hao Ren demurred as he tried to plan the best path towards the explosion area as he reminded the two ladies through the comms. ¡°Be careful out there. Don¡¯t run into the pillars, neither of you are still used to movement in space.¡±


    Just as he finished his sentence Lily had already darted ahead excitedly and crashed headlong into one of the thick alloy pillars, her head was stuck in it for a good while¡­


    ¡°Well¡­ crashing into one isn¡¯t a problem then.¡±

 Chapter 607

    Hao Ren led the two ladies carefully as they navigated through the derelict space. They passed by a massive white spire and a wall encrusted with crystals. These structures had been at the mercy of the cosmic rays for over 10,000 years, yet they still looked pristine as ever. Perhaps it was a testament of the technological level that the sirens of yore possessed.


    ¡°This seems to be a water world of its own right.¡± Vivian looked at the structure in awe. There was supposed to be a water dome over the structure, but as the engines shut down, so did the dome. The water-filled deck had since dried up as a result. ¡°If there¡¯s no water at all, the sirens can¡¯t resurrect themselves.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s so much wonder in the world,¡± Lily said as she grabbed on to one of the support rails to push herself past Hao Ren. ¡°Human ships need oxygen, while the sirens¡¯ need water¡­ What¡¯s that in front?¡±


    The three soon came before a damaged alloy wall. There was a massive outward gash on it, clearly the result of a destructive shockwave. Hao Ren immediately rushed ahead. ¡°Found it. Looks like this is the point of explosion.¡±


    The inside of the gash was pitch black, and without air to refract light, the internal structure could not be illuminated by the sunlight. They could just vaguely see some complicated tubes and grid structures. Hao Ren threw a few luminence orbs into the rent, and only with the floating orbs could they see what was inside: a ruined tunnel with a massive pile of twisted metal, which lay mangled along the wall. Along the tunnel you could see web-like impact marks, meaning that there was a massive explosion in the area.


    Hao Ren led the way as he went through the rent, hoping to find the reason for the starship¡¯s destruction from the ruins. Lily and Vivian followed closely.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like an internal explosion.¡± Hao Ren pointed at the torn tubes. ¡°I remember that Nasaton has similar water tubes. These are low-pressure circulation tubes, and having this many tubes means that this place was also low in pressure. Even if the pump had busted, the explosion would not have been at such a scale. The thick, protective walls here were literally blown apart.¡±


    Vivian followed Hao Ren slowly and a small piece of metal flew past her eyes. On it was a series of curved siren writings, ¡°Zalazarn: Sixth Low-Pressure Pump¡±.


    Hao Ren saw the small metal plate too. He shook his head as he sighed. ¡°The Zalazarn. It blew up in orbit. Not sure what happened to the sister ships. Hopefully they managed to take off.¡±


    Vivian looked at the dark tunnel that extended endlessly before her and decided to fling out a few bat familiars to scout ahead. She conjured a few of them out of thin air and the little bats flapped their wings in position. Hao Ren could not stand the scene and quipped, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you before? Your bats are useless in space. You sure are forgetful aren¡¯t you¡­¡±


    ¡°I know, so I¡¯ve improvised,¡± Vivian said as she pulled out a sling from her pocket and placed one of the bats on it before shooting it ahead. The bat flew towards the dark tunnel like a projectile. ¡°See, it does fly!¡±


    Hao Ren gawked as he looked at Vivian shooting her bats one by one into various corners of the tunnel. He felt that everything he knew was crumbling before him. ¡°You-You¡¯re actually willing to do that to your doppelgangers?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s just a minor dizziness to deal with at the start, but I¡¯m used to it now!¡± Vivian proudly crossed her arms across her chest. ¡°I¡¯ve been following you to all sorts of weird places, how can I survive if I don¡¯t learn new skills.¡±


    Hao Ren was instantly reminded of Lily¡¯s five-year-long brick throwing practice. So, this bat was pretty much no different than the husky. Both of them were unusual creatures who had lived through almost every facet of human history and they could now focus on things that were just outrageously useless. Do not be fooled by Vivian¡¯s usual calm and measured demeanor. The only reason she was such was because she had done almost every foolish thing one could do in a lifetime!


    Now that she had stepped into space, the vampire had opened the gates to a different frontier¡­ She had started to use her brains again.


    Well regardless, Vivian¡¯s little bats were at least more useful than Lily¡¯s bricks. Very soon, streams of blood started to come back towards Vivian. The latter frowned as she pointed in a direction. ¡°Something¡¯s over there. It doesn¡¯t seem like it belongs in a tunnel.¡±


    Vivian was pointing at a mangled mess in the shape of a web. That was supposed to be a location where the tubes intersected and they were covered by a layer of alloy mesh. The explosion had blown the mesh into a shape akin to a fish net. Lily was intrigued by it and she dashed forward. ¡°I¡¯ll go have a look!¡±


    ¡°Be careful!¡± Hao Ren yelled as he saw the husky running towards the mess clumsily.


    Lily waved her hand in response before crashing headlong into the alloy mesh. Almost half her body sank into the mesh pile and her legs were thrashing about as she tried to extricate herself out of her predicament. Hao Ren and Vivian immediately went ahead to pull her out as he lectured her. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to be careful?¡±


    Vivian even had the time to sneer ar Lily. ¡°Well, that¡¯s what you get for being doggone stubborn¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­You sure have picked up some weird speaking habits,¡± Hao Ren quipped.


    ¡°I managed to get hold of something.¡± Lily seemingly ignored Vivian as she sheepishly tidied herself before looking back at the mangled mesh. She then pulled out a piece of black metal. ¡°Ah, here it is!¡±


    Hao Ren took the metal block from the husky. ¡°What is this?¡±


    It was a black tube about half a meter long. There were unknown marks on the surface. Hao Ren could not tell what its use was at first glance. After looking at it for a good while, he could only form the conclusion that it was not siren-made based on the style and material. He then knocked the tube against the pipe beside him. ¡°Feels a bit hard¡­ Hmm?¡±


    As the tube struck the pipe, one end of the tube started to glow red, and the next second, the whole tube started to light up. An immenent sense of danger ovewhelmed him!


    ¡°F*ck!¡± Hao Ren screamed as he threw the now scorching hot tube towards the far end of the tunnel. He deployed his shield as he pushed Vivian and Lily into the nearest corner, using his body as cover to protect the ladies. At that very moment, a sudden flash of light burst from behind them.


    The next second, a storm of metal fragments smashed against him and Hao Ren could even hear the rhythm of the onslaught. The Steel Membrane Shield blocked all of the fragments but could not dissipate all of the blast force, and Hao Ren was in a daze as the blast hit him in the head. Thankfully, it barely lasted a moment and due to the fact that they were in a vacuum, no follow-up shockwave came. It was nothing but silence after the storm died off.


    It took Lily a while to react before she looked down and started to scream. ¡°Awoooouch! Ouch! Mr. Landlord, you¡¯re stepping on my tail! Awooouch!¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Vivian checked herself before giving Hao Ren a rather bashful look. ¡°Never thought I¡¯d be protected by¡­ Can you shut up, Doggie?!¡±


    Lily hugged her tail as she licked it rather dejectedly. ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    ¡°What was that?¡± Vivian looked at the other end of the tunnel in a slightly fearful manner. A giant spherical hole had been torn on the wall as molten metal floated around. The bomb was very powerful for its size. ¡°A bomb?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ A shell. A dud from 10,000 years ago.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s face was grim. ¡°Perhaps part of a cluster shell. It doesn¡¯t look like your standard warhead.¡±


    Lily immediately realized the gravity of things. ¡°So that means¡­¡±


    ¡°The Zalazarn was blown apart by cannon fire.¡± Vivian¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Io¡¯s destruction wasn¡¯t caused by the First Born.¡±


    Lily scratched her head. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s those brain monsters? Can they actually manufacture cannons?¡±


    Even Hao Ren could not answer the question. As he was about to further investigate the starship, which had been blow apart, the MDT¡¯s voice came from the communicator. ¡°Boss, the scan¡¯s complete. There¡¯s an energy focal point deep in the ocean. When are you coming back?¡±


    Hao Ren motioned. ¡°Let¡¯s solve the teleportation gate issue first.¡±

 Chapter 608

    Hao Ren led Lily as well as Vivian back to the Petrachelys, and as the frigate slowly descended into Io¡¯s orbit, Y¡¯zaks asked about their findings in the derelict spaceship.


    The siren queen immediately came forward to listen too.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Zalazarn. She couldn¡¯t escape and was destroyed in orbit.¡± Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°The starship¡¯s rear wing and the lower pipe intersection area had massive penetrating rents. They were about a few kilometers long. These were from cannon fire. We even found one of the duds inside the ship, and that bloody thing almost ruined my hairstyle.¡±


    ¡°Cannon fire?¡± Y¡¯zaks never considered such a possibility. ¡°So the one that destroyed the siren¡¯s civilization wasn¡¯t the First Born or the brain monsters, but a¡­ mortal race that uses cannon fire?¡±


    ¡°Both the First Borns and brain monsters are mortal races too. They¡¯re strong for sure, but technically, they¡¯re still ¡®mortal¡¯.¡± Hao Ren had to first correct Y¡¯zaks in line with his position as the ¡°First Pope recognized by a real god cum traffic officer cum police¡±. ¡°Of course, I understand what you mean¡­ The cannon fire means that the race isn¡¯t a First Born, and it certainly isn¡¯t the brain monster. Those monsters don¡¯t even bother putting on clothes, I doubt they¡¯d use any form of transport.¡±


    ¡°Whether they destroyed Io or not, at the very least, we now know that the Zalazarn was taken down by cannon fire,¡± Vivian quipped. ¡°Haih¡­ this is not good news, and things are getting more and more complicated. We¡¯re already deep in the mire with the First Born and the brain monster. Now there¡¯s another unknown advanced, space-faring race? Who knows if they have anything to do with the First Born.¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°As the very leastm we have more information to work with now. Think about it this way, the more confused we are, the closer we are to the truth. The Plane of Dreams is that big. If everything was clear cut, I¡¯d actually suspect we¡¯re going in the wrong direction.¡±


    Lily turned her head to the right as she looked at Hao Ren and Vivian. Appearing heartbroken, she tapped Hao Ren on the back with her tail. ¡°I don¡¯t care about the rest¡­ Mr. Landlord you stepped on my tail¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    The Petrachelys broke through the atmosphere as it went full speed towards the ocean. It did not stop at the clear upper level of the atmosphere and charged straight into the storm clouds. The surveillence cameras outside the frigate displayed a rainstorm that was outright scary. The volume of heavy rain made it seem as though the sea and sky had turned upside down. Vision was very poor as the rain rendered whatever visibility they had into a gray veil while massive lightning bolts criss-crossed among the clouds. This was followed by ear-ringing thunder, which split through the clouds, giving everyone an impression that the sky itself was connected to another aquatic world. Now that many gaps had formed, it looked like it was threatening to fall directly into Io.


    ¡°Uh¡­ the weather is sure unlike your gentle nature.¡± Nangong Sanba gasped as he looked at the rainstorm outside and started to mumble to Sorma, who was beside him. ¡°This rain doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯s going to stop at all.¡±


    ¡°It never has.¡± Hao Ren turned back to look at Nangong Sanba. ¡°Io is being encompassed by a seemingly eternal rainfall. There are rainstorms at times, snowstorms during others; it all depends on the sun¡¯s position. The closer it is towards the equator, there won¡¯t be winter, so there will only be rainstorms. This rain has been ongoing for millions of years since the planet cooled, and it will continue to fall. The whole planet has less than 10 times of clear weather, and that¡¯s only limited to a few areas.¡±


    Nangong Sanba gawked before he made some weird gestures with his hand. ¡°Ugh¡­ so, how does the water circulate then?¡±


    ¡°Storms.¡± Hao Ren pointed at one of the holographic displays. ¡°Giant tornados, waves that are thousands of meters tall; these are as common as rain, and they¡¯ve been ongoing for years on end.¡±


    On the holographic display, a massive water spout extended all the way into the clouds. This was a hurricane of sea water, which had been sucked into the air. It was a hundred times more massive and awe-inspiring than the ones people saw on Earth. Millions of gallons of water were sucked into the clouds by a shapeless straw and that was how Io¡¯s massive rainstorm had been maintained for eons.


    With such a storm buffeting the surface, it was any wonder that one would find any form of life on the planet¡¯s surface. The only possible cradle of life was deep within the ocean as it was the only place unaffected by the storms.


    ¡°Any signs of hostiles during your scans?¡± Hoa Ren looked at the control dais.


    ¡°I swear by the six points of my shells, negative.¡± the MDT said as a ¡°clack¡± followed after it sprang out from the dock. ¡°Switching to auto pilot¡­ Of course, scans can only tell us so much. If one or two brain monsters are hiding out there, there¡¯s no way to locate them. But you don¡¯t have to worry about any brain monster army. There are no large hostile signatures or any signs of the First Born. So, we don¡¯t need to rain hell on this planet, although it sounds like a cool idea.¡±


    The frigate slowly approached the sea¡¯s surface and the planet bared its fangs towards the new visitor with churning waves and crackling storms. The entire world was shrouded in grey by the rain and waves, and amongst the rainstorm, Hao Ren noticed something odd in the distance. ¡°Over there. Something¡¯s sticking out.¡±


    A silver-greyish metal platform stood out in the middle of the ocean as several massive alloy frames held it firmly hundreds of meters above sea level and such small level of waves could barely even do anything to the upper part of the platform. (In Io, waves around hundred meters tall are considered small). The platform was enormous and could land at least ten other Petrachelyses. There were many other sealed buildings on the platform and there were pipes between each buildings. The buildings seemed to be ancient, Nasaton was still pristine even after ten thousand years under water, but the platform was badly worn out, and looked like it was abandoned long long ago.


    ¡°This is a¡­¡± Hao Ren immediately flipped through the Nasaton database for information, but to his dismay he could that the data that they had copied did not include the civilisation database. There were nothing mentioned about the platform in the datavault they had. ¡°¡­ Can¡¯t find anything. Probably a landing platform?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s a sea-borne observatory. Used to monitor the ¡® world in the skies¡¯. Vivian pointed towards a few large characters on one of the pillars supporting the platform. ¡°Don¡¯t just bury your face in the books, it¡¯s written right there.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°Sure isn¡¯t easy for the Sirens to build such an enormous observatory. This thing needed to go through at least tens of kilometers of water to reach the surfance. The foundation is rooted deep in the seabed.¡± The MDT¡¯s voice had the tone of amazement. ¡°And this seabed is already on the shallower part of the sea. Io¡¯s depth is much more considerable than what¡¯s on Earth.¡±


    The ship circled the platform and when it earned the other end of the platform, everyone saw a gigantic plaque-like metal frame, and the words on it was clear as ever. It chronicled the history of the platform:


    ¡°Ewenna Observatory. Build in year 13076 in memory of the Stargazer Ewenna, in memory of the Siren¡¯s first sighting of the stars. Our eternal thanks for her effort in persevering for seven hundred years, and welcomed the first clear sky in our history.¡±


    ¡°This was the place the Sirens first saw the stars.¡± Hao Rem immediately realised as he looked at the thick clouds above Io¡¯s sky. ¡°They had waited for hundreds of years before seeing the stars for the first time.¡±


    Lily hugged her arms as she said. ¡°I think they must have been surprised to see the stars, perhaps fearful as well. That Ewenna person must have been describing the clouds before it cleared, and the stars appeared. That led them to realise that there were many other things beyond the clouds. Before that, they had never thought what was beyond their ¡®world¡¯.


    The Siren Queen looked at the solitary platform in the middle of the storm and sighed softly. ¡°This is an important part of our history¡­ but I can¡¯t even read the words¡­¡±


    Hao Ren smiled. ¡°No worries, we will help you rediscover the writings when the time comes.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue looked down at the platform that had stood the test of time. ¡°So the energy source is beneath the platform?¡±


    ¡°Right underneath¡± the MDT replied as the Petrachelys submerged into the water. ¡°I¡¯ll put the weapon systems on standby. While there are no signs of hostiles here, it¡¯s hard to say if the Sirens had left any defensive fortifications online.¡±

 Chapter 609

    Petrachelys was submerging silently and quickly in the water, leaving the storm behind. The footage from the external monitor was converted to several large holographic projections. These holographic projections formed an immersive scene as if the heavy armor around the bridge had disappeared, and they could directly experience the feeling of immersion in the deep sea.


    The sea above them was fading away, and soon they could only see some light flickering from above, which was the endless lightning thunderstorm of Io illuminating the stormy star. In the past, the first new energy that the sirens of this planet came into contact with the ¡®Air World¡¯ was lightning. And it was more than 1000 years after Iwenna discovered the starry sky when the sirens experienced the ¡®sunlight¡¯ for the first time.


    Too bad, these historical details had been submerged in the surging waves of Io. Maybe no one would ever know again.


    As they were getting deeper into the deep sea, the turbulence of the currents began to calm down and those violent waves seemed to be isolated to another world. The darkness grew more and more heavily from all directions, but there was a wonderful sense of relief as the darkness poured in. Lily hugged her shoulder, jumping around Hao Ren and said, ¡°Aww aww¡­ It triggers my deep sea phobia¡­¡±


    Vivian pushed her aside and said, ¡°Stop acting, your simple brain can¡¯t get that complicated problem.¡±


    ¡°The deeper the sea the calmer it is¡­¡± Shaqira sat at the front end of the bridge, gazing into the deep darkness. ¡°When was the first time our ancestors swam up from the deep sea? Why would they think of leaving a safe and peaceful deep sea? How did it feel to see the storm on the surface of the sea for the first time? Is it a new surprise? Or terrified?¡±


    ¡°Races with history can touch the path of the ancestors through their own history books, but even when we get back to our hometown, we can only guess how we used to live here,¡± the Siren Queen said and shook her head, ¡°When I returned here, there¡¯s no surprise, only emptiness.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll feel better when you see the remains in the deep sea. I think those relics should be similar to the scenery of Nasaton,¡± said Vivian while looking at the Siren Queen, ¡°Actually, sirens are better than those living on the land. At least you¡¯re trying to keep your culture and think about where you come from. Those living on the land don¡¯t care about that anymore. For more than 10000 of years, everyone has lived like wild animals.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Vivian oddly and asked, ¡°Vivian, are you sure it¡¯s ok to keep criticizing them like this?¡±


    Vivian crossed her arms and said, ¡°As someone who is older and elder than them, can¡¯t I be disappointed in them?¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless. He could only turn to the data terminal and said, ¡°Leave a detector for every kilometer as we go deeper. We can¡¯t waste this chance. Have to do ecological research on this planet or something.¡±


    A passage was opened at the top of the Petrachelys and a small detector rushed out of it, leaving a tiny light in the dark deep sea. At this moment, the spacecraft (maybe it¡¯s more suitable to call it a submarine?) had submerged into complete darkness, and there was no slightest source of light except for the light on the spacecraft. However, the spacecraft¡¯s external monitor was not built based on the optical basis, so the darkness here did not affect them observing outside. After the spacecraft submerging deeper, some animals of odd shapes began to appear in the water. Some of them were slender as fish, and some were like some kind of triangular crustaceans. These creatures had lived peacefully here for many years, but now they were suddenly disturbed by a silvery white monster from somewhere far, far away, they were frightened and immediately scattered in all directions. However, there were also some small, daring aquatic animals moving closer to the Petrachelys, probably they thought that this huge thing was edible?


    Nangong Wuyue looked at the scenery outside with eager eyes, moving her tail unconsciously and said, ¡°I wish to¡­ Go out for a swim.¡±


    The Siren Queen and the other sirens were immediately intrigued by this idea. Sorma raised her tail happily and said, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a good idea! Perhaps swimming in the water of our hometown for a while will give us a different feeling!¡±


    Hao Ren tested the water quality here, confirming that there were no more toxic substances in it, and then agreed to their request. Petrachelys then opened the door, and four slender figures quickly rushed out from it.


    Nangong Wuyue was swimming merrily in the water, dragging her long tail circling around the spacecraft. The other three sirens were curiously chasing the grotesque deep-water creatures in the water. The faint glow of Petrachelys shone upon the graceful shape of the sirens as if it were a wonderful scene that only existed in a fairy tale. Hao Ren turned on the communicator and heard Nangong Wuyue¡¯s cheerful voice. ¡°Eh! Landlord, these crustaceans are chewing on the spacecraft¡¯s numbers¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t swim too far, be careful don¡¯t get lost.¡± Hao Ren smiled then asked, ¡°Katreina, how do you feel now?¡±


    ¡°This water¡­ Incredible. I can feel that there¡¯s a wonderful intimacy in it. I don¡¯t know how to describe it to you, but only the siren can feel the magic here. It¡¯s really good!¡±


    Shaqira sped down a, and then turned to the spacecraft and waved. ¡°Light! There¡¯s light down there! We seem to be arriving at the bottom of the sea!¡±


    Petrachelys hummed and began to go deeper quickly. A faint halo soon appeared beneath the ship.


    What appeared in the halo was a vast expanse of man-made ruins.


    On the flat expanse of the deep sea, the endless buildings of sirens were extending to the end of sight. The buildings were of high and low, distributed orderly, and constructed in a white and light green man-made material, with shapes like they were piling up with a variety of shells and corals. They looked elegant, exquisite, and full of inexplicable mysterious atmosphere. And the things that were shining between the buildings were a large number of glowing algae. These algae grew luxuriantly in the crevice of buildings that have been abandoned for more than ten thousand years, emitting a soft, mysterious pale blue, pale pink glow. The entire city of sirens, and even the entire seabed was thus far from darkness.


    Today, more than 10000 years after the artificial lights of the sirens had been extinguished, the primitive light from nature had again illuminated the deep sea.


    This was an ancient kingdom hidden in the deep sea. Its endless stretches of land covered almost the outer rock layers of the entire planet. Over the kingdom, it was a thick sea with an average thickness of more than 10 kilometers. The kingdom in the deep sea was far beyond the description you read on many fairy tales and myths that for a moment Hao Ren did not know how to describe the place.


    All he knew was that when looking at this planet from the sky, no one would have expected such a lost kingdom to be hidden beneath the endless storms and the grayish-blue ocean.


    ¡°According to the database records of Nasaton, here should be the capital of sirens,¡± data terminal said while matching the information, ¡°Evadurant. It looks like the teleportation portal was opened in this place.¡±


    ¡°The energy environment here is very chaotic.¡± Hao Ren turned on the radar and found that there was a large energy vortex in the vicinity, but all the details were interfered by a strong background noise. ¡°The two worlds should have already interfered with each other. The radar is very confusing here. It¡¯s like sleepwalking between two worlds.¡±


    The data terminal was operating other devices. ¡°It should be around here. Start the conventional wave radar with optical observation. The whirlpool is so big. It¡¯s not too hard to find.¡±


    ¡°Let us help you.¡± The voice of the Queen came from the communicator. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if we encounter any dangerous situation, we will return immediately.¡±


    The four sirens were swimming in four directions to the depths of Evadurant (the ancient capital in the deep sea). At the same time, Petrachelys also began to search slowly. The teleportation portal seriously interfered with the nature of this place. The distortion involved the origin of the world, so even if Hao Ren was navigating a super advanced spacecraft, he would not dare to act recklessly.


    ¡°Actually I can also help to explore the¡­¡± Vivian muttered to herself.


    Lily looked at her in surprise. ¡°Oh battie, your little bats can swim as well?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you two just sit quietly for a while?¡±


    Suddenly, Nangong Sanba saw something on the holographic projection and shouted, ¡°Look! What¡¯s that?!¡±


    The holographic projection immediately magnified the picture, and a huge, dark, strange object appeared before them.


    Hao Ren was shocked when he saw the clearer picture. ¡°This is¡­ a spacecraft?¡±

 Chapter 610

    A huge black wreckage lay ahead, and the lush, glowing deep-sea plants surrounding it revealed the details of the wreckage. It was about 10-km long and it had a slender body as well as a large number of crystalline sheet metal distributed around it. The crystalline sheets of metal were of different sizes, ranging from about dozens of meters to even hundreds of meters wide. They were spread like petals or sails along the axis of the wreckage and in all directions. On the back of the wreckage, there were some strange metallic structures, which had swelled up. Something like radiator grids were arranged neatly on it.


    The wreckage lay on the seabed, and it was supported by a large number of buildings so it did not completely collapse. Some of its crystalline sheet metal were probably smashed in the process of falling. They ended up broken apart and scattered all around. They did not see any interpretable markings on the wreckage, except for a large, abstract symbol that resembled the sun. It was on one of the black crystalline sheets, but they did not know what it meant.


    Hao Ren knew that it was a spacecraft the moment he saw it. This was a result of him taking some time to study those educational manuals diligently. After a further scan, the MDT came to a more precise conclusion, ¡°It¡¯s a spacecraft, but its materials are completely different from that of the sirens¡¯ spacecraft.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s obvious. The style isn¡¯t the same as well,¡± Hao Ren said as he slowly navigated the Petrachelys closer to the wreckage. As they approached the wreckage, the steel monster of more than 10 km long gave them an even greater impression. Its bizarre ¡°petal¡± structure and black paint were impressive. ¡°This thing¡¯s really big¡­ Is it a battleship or a common spaceship?¡±


    ¡°I assure you that it¡¯s not a coincidence that a common spacecraft crashed on this place. And judging from its structure, it¡¯s more like a battleship,¡± the MDT said while it circled Hao Ren¡¯s head. ¡°Well, not bad. I didn¡¯t expect you to already be so skilled at navigating a spacecraft. I thought I¡¯d have to assist you my entire life.¡±


    Hao Ren waved his hand to push the MDT aside. ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve studied the instructions too. I can¡¯t operate it in a battle, but I can still do something simple, like move it.¡±


    The gigantic black wreckage was obviously not built by sirens. This made Hao Ren think of the Zalazarn, which blew up in orbit, and he doubted if this spaceship was the alien warship that attacked Io. However, there was one more question that could not be explained: why did it crash there?


    The small and light Petrachelys quickly traveled through the crystalline sheet metal. Several small detectors were released to look for an entrance. Suddenly, Nangong Wuyue¡¯s voice sounded in the communicator. ¡°Landlord! We found something!¡±


    ¡°You found the teleportation portal?¡±


    ¡°No, I found another fugitive ship,¡± Nangong Wuyue quickly said. ¡°It¡¯s blown up and torn apart. There¡¯s another strange thing here¡­ It¡¯s really huge!¡±


    Hao Ren immediately navigated the spacecraft and said, ¡°Stay there, don¡¯t move. I¡¯m tracking your position.¡±


    The siren¡¯s speed was staggeringly fast in the water. In just one or two hours they had already swum for hundreds of kilometers respectively. Hao Ren found Nangong Wuyue on the edge of Evadurant. She waved to the spacecraft, raised her hand and pointed to a huge relic outside the city.


    That was another immigrant starship. It lay still there, close to the city of Evadurant. Because of its large size, it looked like another city lying on the seabed. This ¡®city¡¯ had been torn apart, more miserable than the Zalazarn on the orbital station. A huge tear stretched across the entire starship, almost breaking it in half. And countless shattered wreckage was scattered radially around there.


    ¡°This is the Palasion.¡± Hao Ren concluded when he found the wreckage to be the same model as the wreckage of the orbital station, ¡°We¡¯ve found the ship¡­ It didn¡¯t escape. It was blown up directly on the launch pad. ¡±


    If there was no interference of the ¡°Wall of Reality¡± that caused the entire region in the cloudy state and the poor ¡°visibility¡±, Hao Ren could confirm the structure of the seabed from high altitude. He would see the Evadurant in the middle of a plain, and the four large platforms comparable to the size of the city distributed symmetrically around the capital of sirens. It was the launch pad that launched the ark.


    There used to be four starships there. Now, Nasaton had settled down on earth, the Zalazarn was floating alone in Io¡¯s higher orbit, and the Palasion was lying there miserably, torn apart by some powerful force. The huge starship was left with only broken walls.


    And the Antwern, which was said to be specially designed¡­ Its launch pad was empty, and no one knew where it had gone to.


    ¡°The whereabouts of the three exiled spacecraft, including Nasaton, have been confirmed,¡± Y¡¯zaks counted silently and said. ¡°And the last one, Antwern, right? Haven¡¯t found it yet.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it had been blown up somewhere, too, but I sincerely hope that it was successfully launched, and had landed safely somewhere, just like Nasaton,¡± Vivian said, shaking her head and sighed, ¡°From the wreckage, we can see that how hard those sirens had tried¡­ Too bad.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the ¡®strange thing¡¯ that Wuyue mentioned?¡± Nangong Sanba pointed to a dark shadow near the wreckage, ¡°It looks like¡­ another black spacecraft.¡±


    ¡°Well, yes, it¡¯s the same model as the unidentified spacecraft we just found,¡± Hao Ren turned the external monitor and magnified the shadow, and found that it was also a black giant spacecraft. It was more than 10 kilometers long, with distinctive, sail-like crystal sheet metals arranged neatly on it. It lay still beside the ruins of the Palasion and pointed a series of gun muzzle-like structures towards the ruins as if it was still firing at the last minute before it crashed, perished together. ¡°I think¡­ We need to take the spaceship back as a sample.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± the MDT said, ¡°This unidentified spacecraft is closely related to the destruction of Io, and should be sampled and analyzed.¡±


    ¡°How many gravity regulators do we have?¡± Hao Ren tapped on the MDT and asked. ¡°I remember we left a lot of gravity regulators with us when we helped Wang to move home, should be enough to lift this thing from the sea to outer space.¡±


    The MDT did a simple calculation and said, ¡°The quantity is sufficient, but we need a towing ship. Petrachelys can do it.¡±


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get it out of the water now.¡± Hao Ren decided immediately. ¡°I don¡¯t want any accident to happen and damage the sample later.¡±


    Suddenly, the voice of the Queen came from the communicator. ¡°Hello? Hello? Can you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Katreina?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I found the teleportation portal¡­ It¡¯s very messy. I can¡¯t get closer.¡±


    ¡°The main course is coming.¡± Hao Ren looked at the people around him, and then glanced at the wreckage of the huge black battleship on the holographic projection. He weighed then nodded, and said, ¡°Data Terminal, you¡¯ll handle the spacecraft. Get it out of the water. Now give me an integrated engineering machine. I send the explosives to the teleportation portal.¡±


    Lily jumped excitedly and asked, ¡°Landlord, can I go with you?¡±


    Hao Ren pinned her down and said, ¡°You¡¯re too slow, just stay on the spacecraft. Vivian, you stay here as well. I¡¯m just going to place a bomb. I¡¯m familiar with this, shouldn¡¯t have any problem.¡±


    Then he beckoned to Y¡¯zaks and said, ¡°You come and give me a hand. Help me to cope with any accidents. And the rest, including Wuyue, stay on the spacecraft until I detonate the bomb.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Lily said bitterly. Everyone agreed but Lily. All Huskies had the similar reaction when they were left at home. She glanced at the control desk and asked, ¡°Then can I¡­¡±


    ¡°Cannot,¡± Hao Ren pinned her back to her chair. ¡°Don¡¯t press anything. MDT, lock the operating system. Limit the access to everything except for movie player and Super Mario.¡±


    After distributing the tasks, Hao Ren and Y¡¯zaks left the bridge together.


    Petrachelys began to approach the black spacecraft lying at the bottom of the sea. Many doors were opened on one side of it and lots of autonomous robots coming out and pushing the anti-gravity devices and swimming to the wreckage, preparing for related installation and operation. Meanwhile, the second half of the Petrachelys opened another gate, and a small probe of about 10 m flew out of it.


    A silver shiny cube was pushed in front of the probe ¡ª it was the fiery gift that Hao Ren had prepared for the teleportation portal.

 Chapter 611

    A horde of autonomous robots had installed hundreds of anti-gravity devices in all corners of the black battleship, and ready to lift it out of the water. The battleship was much smaller than the space fortress that they had hauled back from Y¡¯zaks¡¯ hometown earlier. It had many protruding structures which were suitable for pendant installation. So the installation process of anti-gravity devices was completed very quickly. Then sporadic light dots began to light up on the surface of the black battleship as it left the bottom of the sea.


    The Petrachelys lifted the behemoth up. They picked up speed as they rose. The small spaceship with only a few hundred meters in length hauling a metal monster of more than ten kilometers long looked a little weird, but the whole process was actually not difficult: the anti-gravity devices were doing all the heavy lifting, the tug vessel was just guiding the direction.


    The black battleship left the seabed and quickly rose toward the surface. Meanwhile, Hao Ren and Y¡¯zaks had already arrived on the other side of the Evadurant city ruins in an engineering ship. They joined Shaqira and Sorma on the way and found the location of the siren queen by tracing her radio signal.


    The engineering ship emitted a blue light as it anchored in the seawater. The sea surface was wavy and having a very strong energy field disturbance. Clearly, they were near to the most distorted spot in the world. Hao Ren got out of the ship and looked around. The shadow of the maelstrom was not far ahead. Though it was just a shadow, its presence was hard to ignore.


    But there was no trace of the siren queen nearby.


    Hao Ren got nervous and quickly called out in the radio. ¡°Katreina, we are here, where are you?¡±


    ¡°I see you.¡± A slightly dull voice was heard over the radio. ¡°I¡¯m standing on your left. Do you see the big rock? I¡¯m right behind it. There was a strong current here just now, so I hid.¡±


    Turning his head around, Hao Ren was shocked: not far away behind a rock, there was a mantis shrimp as big as a tank clinging on the rock and waving its claw in the air as if saying it was Katreina!


    Hao Ren smacked himself on the forehead. ¡°My queen, would you please formshirt back to normal?¡±


    Waving its claw and after a moment of lapping in the water, the mantis shrimp had transformed back into a beautiful girl. But, the picture of a mantis shrimp still lingered in the minds of Hao Ren and Y¡¯zaks. She swam voluptuously up to them. Looking at the strange engineering ship, she asked in amazement, ¡°Hey¡­ you have such a strange thing! Is this a carrier-based spacecraft?¡±


    Hao Ren squinted at the siren queen. ¡°I¡¯m curious, how do you develop your aesthetics? Don¡¯t you feel that those forms would affect your image?¡±


    The siren queen shrugged. ¡°There is no man around us, so everyone just simply grow.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    In the mind of the sirens, beautiful girl and mantis shrimp had really no difference.


    As the least qualified person to talk about looks at the scene, Y¡¯zaks could not care less. His brows knit together looking at the huge portal. ¡°The situation around this maelstrom is even more unstable than Nasaton. The water flow and energy here are turbulent. But shoudn¡¯t the energy levels at both ends of the portal the same?¡±


    ¡°They are the same, but tolerance of the two worlds can be inconsistent,¡± said Hao Ren while fiddling with the silver-white cube bomb, setting the detonation level and remote control program. ¡°Now you see? The Plane of Dreams is more fragile than the surface world. I heard Raven 12345 said that this universe is not that ¡®healthy¡¯, its laws are not perfect. The reaction here is stronger than in the surface world after problem developed in the Wall of Reality.¡±


    There was a slight humming sound in the bomb as the detonation procedure was set.


    Hao Ren patted the casing of the bomb and said, ¡°We don¡¯t have to worry about the complicated principles. We just need to blow up this place. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    The surface of the cube bomb was flowing with a stream of light. As its alloy shield opened, it revealed the flashing blue charging tube isnide. Then the entire bomb was detached from the engineering ship and slowly drifted towards the center of the maelstrom. The surrounding water was turbulent, but this did not affect the stability of the bomb movement. As a ¡®home cleaner¡¯ with ¡®accurate destaining and spot cleaning¡¯ as its selling points, this stuff came with three sets of stabilizers, there was no worry that the current would wash it away.


    However, Hao Ren still felt that something must be wrong with the operating manual of this bomb.


    After the bomb was anchored in the center of the maelstrom and ready signal was received, Hao Ren brought Y¡¯zaks back to the engineering ship while telling the three sirens. ¡°Everyone, take cover! When the maelstrom collapses, it would create a bit of torrent!¡±


    The three sirens immediately swam over and wrapped their tails around the metal bracket at the rear of the engineering ship. Shaqira waved her hand and said, ¡°We¡¯ve ready, let¡¯s go!¡±


    That way would save them a lot of hassle.


    The engineering ship quickly moved out with three sirens dangling from behind. It only stoppped after going several kilometers. Though according to the MDT¡¯s calculation, most of the energy from the explosion would be absorbed by the maelstrom itself, but it was far from safe. Keeping a distance was necessary. After hiding behind an old city wall, Hao Ren was connected to Nasaton through the radio while keeping an eye on the maelstrom. ¡°Vanaessa, Vanaessa. Hao Ren¡¯s calling the siren general¡­¡±


    There was a burst of interference in the radio and then Vanaessa¡¯s voice came through. ¡°Roger. Is the detonation countdown completed?¡±


    ¡°The bomb here is already installed,¡± Hao Ren said as he looked up at the siren queen. ¡°Your Queen is watching. What is your situation? Is the reading within the threshold?¡±


    Before leaving, Hao Ren had given sirens who stayed back in Nasaton a series of readings to be tested to ensure that maelstrom portal could be safely blown up. At this time, Vanaessa had gotten confirmation from the technicians beside her. ¡°Everything is normal. You can detonate at any time.¡±


    ¡°Roger. Bring your people retreating into the city. I will remotely detonate the two bombs in ten minutes. I wish everything goes well.¡±


    Soon after, the MDT also called in from space. ¡°Boss, we¡¯re ready here too. The sample has been docked in the synchronous orbit.¡±


    ¡°Roger,¡± replied Hao Ren. Checking the time, he nodded to Shaqira and two others. ¡°Be prepared¡­Detonate immediately!¡±


    The three sirens tied their tails together and nodding their heads to indicate that they were already tied together: their way of doing thing was full of siren uniqueness.


    Hao Ren counted down from ten in his mind and pressed the detonation button.


    Y¡¯zaks looked into the distance and saw a sudden burst of light in the center of the maelstrom, as if a starlight in the night sky. In the next second, the light suddenly burst into a huge ball of light. The maelstrom was violently torn apart by the huge light ball, and then began to implode, as if a black hole devouring everything, and also as if the shrinking galaxy. The entire maelstrom shrank into a vague sphere in just a few seconds, and finally burst.


    After a while, a loud noise and a strong torrent of water reached the place where everyone was hiding.


    The three sirens opened an enchantment to shield everyone from the impact of the torrent. Gravel of the deep sea and building wreckage swept past the enchantment like leaves in the wind. it took half a minutes for it to subside, and after everything quieted down, there was only a stream of muddy water wandering around.


    The maelstrom in the distance had disappeared.


    ¡°I knew that keeping a distance this far was the smartest choice,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s done. It¡¯s easier than expected.¡±


    Soon, Vanaessa had sent in the news. The portal over Nasaton had disappeared, and according to instrument test, the mutual interference between the two worlds was rapidly disappearing.


    ¡°Phew¡­ everything went as planned,¡± the siren queen exhaled and spurted out a string of bubbles. But she suddenly frowned. ¡°Wait a minute¡­ Why is the current getting stronger and stronger?¡±


    The turbid water flowing around them had not disappeared. Instead, it became much stronge. At the same time, Hao Ren felt a strange chill in the water. The chill gathered from all directions as if consciously. In the chill, he seemed to have heard a scream of anger and hostility.


    In that short tenth of a second, countless inexplicable footages flashed across his mind.


    A strong sense of crisis began to sink in.

 Chapter 612

    The explosion the MDT carried out had succeeded in destroying the portal, and now the deep-sea maelstrom had gone. However, that was not the end¡ªsomething was wrong with the water body.


    The waves of riptide began to gather from all directions, which appeared odd, as it was different from normal water activities. Sea temperature fell rapidly, which again was odd, unnatural phenomenon. The siren queen raised her head in alarm. Scales below her cheeks glimmered in pale-blue light. She had sensed something. ¡°There is something out there¡­ something¡¯s awakening¡­ A consciousness is watching us!¡±


    Hao Ren quickly picked up the radio. ¡°MDT! Something¡¯s wrong here. What can you see?¡±


    There was interference in the radio. ¡°The sea is changing shape¡­ two streams of cold air are forming in the north and south poles at the same time. The sea is behaving weirdly. Something¡¯s on your way! Get the hell out of there quickly!¡± the MDT told.


    Hao Ren had noticed that as well. It was a freezing current coming out of nowhere. It froze the water body on its path in just the blink of an eye. Now the freezing riptide was just a few hundred meters away from them!


    ¡°Get the hell out of here!¡± Hao Ren shouted. He was forced to abandon the engineering ship and grabbed Shaqira who was next to him and rushed back up to the surface. ¡°MDT, send us out now!¡±


    There was still a strong interference in the radio as the MDT replied. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t! Coordinates misaliged! The Wall of Reality hasn¡¯t completely restored yet. Teleportation is interrupted!¡±


    ¡°Dang it¡­¡± Hao Ren turned to looked back across his shoulder. ¡°Give me a solution! There¡¯s a minus-200-degree ice storm up on our tail. The water pressure is going to crush my shield!¡±


    ¡°Keep going. Get out of the sea. Once you¡¯re away from the collapse point of the Wall of Reality, I¡¯ll be able to send you out,¡± said the MDT quickly. ¡°Move as fast as you could. The water surface has begun to freeze up. Something¡¯s not right!¡±


    ¡°Dang you! Of course nothing¡¯s right here!¡± scoffed Hao Ren while rushing with Y¡¯zaks and the three sirens up to the surface as quickly as they could. Behind them was a bizarre swath of ice half a kilometre in width. An invisible freezing current could freeze steel into metallic powder in an instant. Soon, Hao Ren quickly realized that this freezing current was not the worst: in fact, the entire ocean was freezing up!


    As icicle formed in the water, sharp ice crystals were crushing on their shields and enchantments like bullet rain. At the same time, as the water pressure rose, they felt the water was dragging them down despite that fact that they were actually rising. Out of nowhere, a strong, imminent sense of drowning hit, Hao Ren finally experienced what deep-sea phobia was like.


    ¡°We almost lose control of the water!¡± Shaqira warned. A thin layer of ice crystals had covered her tail as she struggled to maintain the water enchantment. Hao Ren and Y¡¯zaks had to rely entirely on the three sirens underwater. Now they had slowed down significantly. ¡°Something much stronger is in control of the sea¡­ it doesn¡¯t listen to our command anymore!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks roared and he suddenly burst into flame as magma and molten iron erupted from his body. The heat instantly melted a large area of ice. He had turned into a giant magma demon and used his dark-green Demonic Barrier covering the water enchantment of the sirens. This reduced the pressure on the sirens.


    Y¡¯zaks turned his head around and said to the siren queen in a loud voice, ¡°Bring us back up to the surface; I¡¯ll handle the water pressure and the cold.¡±


    Despite of that, the great demon could only drive the freezing ice out to a certain limit as the entire ocean had almost frozen completely. Water froze in from all directions and blocked their escape route. Looking up, under the illumination of Y¡¯zaks demonic flame, Hao Ren saw glacier was forming in the water. Recalling what the MDT had said just now, an incredible reality suddenly struck him:


    The entire planet of Io was rapidly freezing up!


    As unbelievable as it was, Hao Ren believed that the planet (or some ancient consciousness on the planet) had awakened. It was trying to trap the intruders. The glaciers that contained a powerful energy were not a natural phenomenon; this power force was not going to allow the intruders from escaping!


    Hao Ren took out his gun from the dimensional pocket. However, he quickly realized that the radiation produced by the gun would contaminate the entire water body and even poison the sirens and the demon. So he chose to use the Graviton Grenades. He threw the grenades out at the glacier and called out over the radio. ¡°Can¡¯t you send us out yet?¡±


    ¡°In a bit!¡± The voice of the MDT sounded as hurried. ¡°Something slows down the Wall of Reality¡¯s recovery. Now the noise from the friction between both worlds prevents me from locating your position. We¡¯re talking about the natural forces of two universes! Give me a minute!¡±


    Huge ice shards crushed on their shields. Sorma and Shaqira screamed in fear; they had completely lost control of the water.


    The scales on the siren queen were glimmered with light. Using her powerful magic, she tried to regain control of the water from the sea and she succeeded. They could not afford to stop; stopping even for just a few seconds, they would be trapped and frozen in an instant.


    ¡°Hurry up!¡± Hao Ren struggled to clear a way. He yelled over the radio. ¡°I think I¡¯ll be frozen with the three fish in a few minutes! Only Y¡¯zaks is free from ice, for now!¡±


    An even more powerful freezing current and riptide began to bring down the Demonic Barrier. It was the power of the entire ocean of Io. With each wave of impact, the current was powerful enough to flatten any mountain on the surface. It was impossible for Y¡¯zaks to fight the forces of nature no matter how strong he was. His Demonic Barrier dimmed.


    The great demon¡¯s voice rumbled from behind Hao Ren. ¡°I feel the ocean is filled with anger, hatred and resentment¡­ that negative energy feels very familiar. It shouldn¡¯t be here!¡±


    Hao Ren cleared a passage by blowing up the underwater glacier, which barely allowed them to pass through. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°I said that negative energy sounds very familiar!¡± Y¡¯zaks rumbled again. ¡°It¡¯s the restless spirit! This ocean is filled with their cry! I¡¯ve heard it many times in the spirit furnace in Serathon!¡±


    Hao Ren froze for a moment; he was shocked. ¡°Is there such a wicked restless spirit in this world?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I said it shouldn¡¯t be here!¡± said Y¡¯zaks loudly.


    Before Hao Ren could say anything more, a deafening boom came from above, everyone froze.


    ¡°Boom¡ª¡±


    The continuous loud booms reverberated across the frozen sea like the sound of a large bell, like a hammer pounding on a solid ice ball, and like the world was tumbling down.


    The surrounding seawater had completely frozen; no route of escape for them, however the slightest. Even the power of the sirens would make no different in such circumstances. However, just as the boom continued, the heavy ice above them began to crack open.


    ¡°Boom¡ª¡±


    Another boom. Then Hao Ren began to notice flashes of light above the thick ice¡ªit came from the explosion.


    It did not matter what the explosion was; now there was an escape route.


    Hao Ren threw out two Graviton Grenades to blow a wider fissure in the glacier. He led everyone climb before the fissure closed again. ¡°Everyone! After me!¡±


    Finally, after getting out of the glacier, the interference caused by the collapse of the Wall of Reality declined. In a flash of light, they were teleported out of the planet, which was now a frozen hell.

 Chapter 613

    Io, the planet of water, was undergoing a tremendous change. Looking down from space, almost no one would have believed what they were seeing: the ocean that covered the entire planet had quickly turned white. Thousands of white spots appeared on the ocean of ??Io and rapidly turned the ocean into ice, defying the known law of nature. Waves, thousands of meters high froze mid-air instantaneously while whirlpools turned into ice caves. The freezing storm carried thousands of tons of ice and snow into the air before raining back down on the glaciers that had just formed. The planet was becoming a frozen hell. Lily was shocked looking down from the Petrachelys in space.


    The holographic projection in the centre of the flight deck showed the radar images under the ocean of Io. However, the visual was blurry as noise of interference oscillated on the images. The interference was the result of the topical collapse of the Wall of Reality. Though the instantaneous double explosions had closed the portal, the effect of the collapse of the Wall of Reality remained. A certain powerful force was amplifying the interference. Lily had no idea what these images meant, but she knew something was amiss. Her hair puffed up. ¡°Please quickly think of a way, MDT! Drop me down there if can, I¡¯m going for Mr. Landlord!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me! You can¡¯t possibly dig through the dozen kilometres of ice,¡± Vivian grabbed Lily who became panic. ¡°MDT, what else we can do here?¡±


    The MDT did not say a word. It quietly activated the weapon system of the Petrachelys.


    The belly of the spacecraft slid open, exposing two rows of subcannons flashing in blue light. The holographic projection on the flight deck showed the visual of the ocean of Io as the MDT scanned the ocean surface. Then it found the traces of Graviton Grenades explosions, did a little bit of calculation before firing the subcannons.


    The spacecraft¡¯s ¡®air-to-surface attack restrictions (ASAR)¡¯ had been turned off earlier as the spacecraft had determined that Planet Io contained no civilization. The MDT would not be able to use the subconnons without higher-level authorisation if ASAR was active.


    Light beams shot across the space silently before mushroom clouds of vaporised ice rose up from the white surface of Io. The bombardment had created a temporary escape route in the heavy ice.


    A moment later, the door to the flight deck slid open silently. Hao Ren¡¯s trembling voice was heard. ¡°We¡­ we made it¡­ anyone kindly help knock the ice off my body?¡±


    He staggered into the flight deck, covered in ice. Behind him, Y¡¯zaks¡¯ baldhead poked out from cloud of water vapour like a glaring eye. ¡°Help the sirens; they are frozen like ice-cream. Wuyue, you know what to do, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Lily lunged at Hao Ren, scraping the ice off Hao Ren¡¯s body. ¡°Mr. Landlord, you scared the hell out of me. You¡¯ve scared the hell out of me! I thought I wouldn¡¯t be able to eat the braised pork that you make anymore!¡±


    Ice fell off his body to the ground. Hao Ren finally regained mobility and stared blankly at Lily. ¡°How could you still think of braised pork in such situation?¡±


    Lily rubbed her nose. ¡°I¡¯ve also thought of noodles¡­ and spare ribs.¡±


    Vivian exhaled; relieved to see Hao Ren was back. She consoled him with a smile. ¡°You should be grateful that the husky sees you as important as her food; you mean a world to her.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue came up, checking if Hao Ren and Y¡¯zaks was all right before she saw the three sirens behind Y¡¯zaks. ¡°Queen, Shaqira, and¡­ oh well, no wonder you called them an ¡®ice cream bar¡¯.¡±


    Outside the doorway, the three frozen sirens lay on the floor like ice cream bars. Carrying them manoeuvring around the corners in the corridor had been quite a challenge; it took Y¡¯zaks and Hao Ren considerable effort to bring the three ice-cream bars from the on-board portal to the flight deck.


    Wuyue came up, knocked on the ice that covered Shaqira. ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked.


    Shaqira blinked and tried to spit some bubbles. Apparently, she could not; there had no liquid water in side.


    The siren queen struggled to move her tail. Her tail tipped up a little.


    ¡°Hey, easy. It¡¯ll take a while to thaw,¡± Wuyue got up to her feet. ¡°You all will be fine.¡±


    Hao Ren carried the three sirens that looked like flagpoles into the flight deck, found a space near the wall, tied them into a bonfire tripod, and let Y¡¯zaks grill them with fire. Hao Ren then looked up at console. ¡°How did you break the ice?¡±


    The MDT said with a lackadaisical voice. ¡°A desperate measure.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the console, and was shocked. ¡°What the heck! You used the subconnons?¡±


    ¡°Cool man. Desperate times call for desperate measures. You as an inspector know that!¡± The MDT said wryly. ¡°It¡¯s just the self-defence subconnons. It was a calculated targeting, completely safe. There wouldn¡¯t be a problem even if the shots hit the spot where you were as I calculated that ice layer overhead could withstand the hit.¡±


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­Dang it, I¡¯ve just cheated death!¡±


    ¡°What have just happened?¡± asked Nangong Sanba, shocked. He had witnessed the planet freezing, the orbital bombing of the planet; he could no longer pretending to be smart.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Hao Ren spread out his hand. ¡°Looks like we¡¯ve have awakened something. Suddenly the ocean turned against us¡ª¡±


    Before Hao Ren could finish his sentence, Vivian screamed. ¡°Look! Io¡¯s ice is melting! Something is coming up!¡±


    Everyone rushed over to the monitor and saw yet another incredible phenomenon on the surface of Io: the planet that had turned into an icy sphere a while ago began to thaw. The thawing process this time was quicker than the freezing process. Hundreds of thousands of kilometres of fissures quickly spread across the planet. The gigantic glaciers began to tumble into the sea and water surged up from below and covered the planet in the blink of an eye. As Io thawed, something shocking emerged.


    It was a face.


    A lifelike female face on the planet.


    The creepy face was entirely composed of seawater, which spanned from the southern hemisphere to the northern hemisphere. It changed its fine details constantly as the water moved. However, ¡®her¡¯ eyes affixed to the Petrachelys in space, full of insanity and paranoid.


    ¡®She¡¯ opened her mouth. Immediately ice swords shooting out of the sea on both sides of the face at the Petrachelys like anti-aircraft fire. At the same time, in a frightening manner, seawater in other part of Io began to rise and form a strange ¡®arm¡¯ reaching out into space as if it was trying to grab the spacecraft in the orbit.


    However, because of the distance, the ¡®icy anti-air artillery¡¯ and water arm could not keep up with the spacecraft. The Petrachelys with the black spacecraft wreckage behind it had dodged every attack, but everyone on-board was still scared to death. Lily clutched Hao Ren¡¯s arm and cried, ¡°nnn¡­nnn¡­nnn¡­ what¡¯s that thing?¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s body shield began to flicker as he tried to break free from Lily¡¯s grab. ¡°How would I know?¡±


    Suddenly they heard a loud crash; the siren queen, Shakira, and Soma finally thawed. They looked around in surprise. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you people screaming?¡±


    ¡°What is that thing down there?¡± Nangong Sanba pointed to the images on the hologram. ¡°Can anyone tell me what is in the water?¡±


    The siren queen turned around, stunned. ¡°This is¡­ Eva?¡±

 Chapter 614

    Surprised, Hao Ren looked at the siren queen who was standing next to him. ¡°Eva? What is Eva?¡±


    ¡°In our legend, we believe that the ocean¡¯s original consciousness created the siren race. The original consciousness is called Eva and all sirens are pieces of Eva. Eva is asleep in the ¡®Mother Water¡¯; every wave and tsunami in the sea is Eva¡¯s breath, and every lightning strike on the water is Eva¡¯s gaze,¡± the siren queen explained. Her voice was reverend. She came closer to look at the hologram. ¡°No known scripture has ever described Eva¡¯s appearance, but if she really exists¡­ I believe she would look like this. Most sirens imagine Eva like this.¡±


    Io¡¯s surface was turbulent, and the ¡°she¡± looked even angrier. A great amount of seawater had left the surface of the planet and extended into space forming a frighteningly strange arm.


    Hao Ren was using an instrument to scan the energy flow in the ocean. ¡°Ancient legend? You¡¯ve forgotten everything about your homeworld, yet you still remember this Eva?¡± Hao Ren asked in surprise.


    ¡°Because the legend itself only came about after we arrived on Earth.¡± The siren queen shook her head. ¡°Perhaps some memories of our homeworld were still in our subconscious until they imperceptibly became about Eva¡­¡±


    Vivian knitted her brows together. ¡°That means you don¡¯t really know what it is?¡±


    ¡°Whatever she is, she¡¯s obviously angry now¡­¡± Hao Ren said quickly. ¡°Her attack is incoming!¡±


    The ice flying out of Io¡¯s surface accelerated to subluminal speed under the influence of some supernatural forces. It began to bombard the Petrachelys¡¯ shield, and shattered into millions of ice shards. It looked like a scene inside a comet¡¯s tail. The ship¡¯s shield glinted, but it was stable. Hao Ren let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Phew¡­ looks like the attack has done little damage.¡±


    The MDT shouted, ¡°But our samples have been smashed!¡±


    ¡°Oh sh*t!¡± Hao Ren turned around and was astonished: the black battleship, which he worked so hard to bring out from the seabed was in the line of fire. The shells traveling at subliminal speed hit the black crystal slabs on the spacecraft, sending debris flying into deep space. ¡°Get it out of there quickly!¡±


    As soon as his voice trailed off, he saw a light flash in the belly of the black battleship. The light burst out in an explosion, shattering the wreckage, which was dozens of kilometers like a string of exploding firecrackers.


    Hao Ren remembered the warhead that exploded in the Zalazarn wreckage. He knew the black battleship¡¯s arsenal had been hit.


    Debris from the explosion crashed onto the Petrachelys¡¯ shield. Lily murmured, ¡°¡­It¡¯s too late to get out of there.¡±


    Even after the black battleship shattered into pieces, Io-Eva¡¯s attack did not stop one bit. Instead, it launched more ice shells towards the Petrachelys at subluminal speed. Obviously, the Petrachelys now became ¡°her¡± sole target. Hao Ren scrambled to check the spacecraft¡¯s shield life; the capacity was dropping. He immediately ordered an evasive maneuver while he yelled to the MDT, ¡°Have you found out what that thing is?¡±


    ¡°Boss, you may not believe this¡­¡± The MDT paused its voice for a moment. ¡°But, she looks like a siren.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a siren; super huge, super powerful, and as large as a planet¡­ A siren,¡± the MDT sounded less mouthy this time. ¡°I have a record of the characteristic spectrum of the sirens. I can now confirm that she¡¯s a siren. The whole Io is a siren!¡±


    Shaqira and Sorma hugged each other, horrified (they were literally curled up into a ball). Something seemed to have crossed Nangong Wuyue¡¯s mind as she muttered to herself, ¡°Water is amorphous¡­ ¡±


    Meanwhile, the siren queen nodded. ¡°This is Eva.¡±


    Io-Eva¡¯s violent attacks continued. The tiny Petrachelys was dodging the furious attacks from the planet like a moth. The planet completely distorted into an appalling face. Aside from the face, two-thirds of its water had also shot far out into space, forming countless arms and tentacles that looked almost like corals, from which the dense, subluminal-speed ice missiles were launched to envelope the entire space. The ocean had come off the planet, exposing the solid, ancient surface of the planet below. The siren kingdom of thousands of years of history and the even more ancient submarine shoals were exposed on the ¡®surface¡¯, and received sunshine for the first time since the planet¡¯s formation. It was a weird phenomenon to the extreme, beyond the description of common sense, and only the wildest and most absurd primitive myths would ever describe.


    However, it was what Hao Ren must face now.


    ¡°I need to warn you,¡± the MDT shouted amid a series of alarm sounds. ¡°This siren is resorting to magic now. She is becoming cleverer! She¡¯s probably completely awake!¡±


    Outside the spacecraft, aside from the subluminal-speed ice missiles, the arms of water that extended into space were emitting a glow. Then a large amount of laser-like beams hit the Petrachelys and immediately triggered the alarm system throughout the spacecraft: The recharging rate of the shield had fallen below the discharge rate, power reactor was about to reach its limit.


    Hao Ren turned and asked the siren queen loudly. ¡°Will you mind if I open fire at your god?¡±


    The siren queen froze for a moment before she responded, ¡°I¡­ Well, okay, since we have no other choice¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your cooperation.¡± Hao Ren quickly launched the control console. ¡°All weapons online!¡±


    The main cannon and subcannons extended under the weapons bay before firing indiscriminately at the arms of water. The water arms broke into splashes before they reformed. The water arms reformed so fast that they overwhelmed the Petrachelys¡¯ subcannons.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a warship¡­ We can¡¯t fight it here!¡± Nangong Wuyue had curled herself up into a ball in the corner. ¡°Can we find another strategy?¡±


    Hao Ren checked the shield¡¯s capacity; he knew that the Petrachelys could turn around and fled, but the shield could still hold on for some time. He looked at Io-Eva, and felt that he should not flee just yet.


    He wanted to find out wt this ¡®siren¡¯ was.


    Y¡¯zaks suddenly said thoughtfully. ¡°Perhaps ¡­ this was the siren that had not managed to escape, that remained in Io.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°The collective soul phenomenon,¡± Y¡¯zaks pointed to the furious planet. ¡°For some talented, intelligent race, when they are faced with a catastrophic disaster, there is a chance that the sense of crisis of the race will spawn an instinct. Their spirituality will resonate with something similar to the collective consciousness. The collective consciousness will strive to avoid a total extinction. Even if individuals of this race haven¡¯t perceived its existence, it still produces various miracles¡ªthis is why when crisis hits, some races will suddenly inspire certain natural talents of survival. It¡¯s not from the power of individual geniuses, but the will to live of the entire race.¡±


    Speaking of this, Y¡¯zaks turned his head around and looked at the four sirens on board (which had curled into a ball). ¡°This phenomenon happens to sirens most likely because they are amorphous, which means the relationship between their soul and flesh isn¡¯t rigid. They also have an immortal characteristic, meaning that their souls are tougher than the flesh. The spirituality of such creatures can easily be detached and produced¡­¡±


    Hao Ren turned to look at the holographic projection. ¡°¡­Eva.¡±


    ¡°What happened to her?¡± Vivian asked loudly.


    ¡°The spirit of the race became a restless soul,¡± Y¡¯zaks¡¯ voice was low. ¡°She failed to prevent the end of days. Her components died on the planet, so she directly transformed into a massive restless soul. Because of the immortality of sirens, this restless soul fully retained the powers of a living soul.¡±


    Explosions never stopped outside the spacecraft as high-energy beams constantly struck the shield. Hao Ren looked at the alarm message on the console. ¡°Well, MDT, how much time do we have?¡±


    ¡°An hour. We¡¯re dealing with a whole race plus a whole planet. It¡¯s impossible for such a small spacecraft to hold up for too long,¡± replied the MDT. ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°I want to talk to Eva.¡± Hao Ren got to his feet. ¡°This restless soul was the prime witness of the catastrophe that happened 10,000 years ago.¡±

 Chapter 615

    As soon as Hao Ren¡¯s voice trailed off, everyone looked at him as if he was mad. Stupefied, Nangong Wuyue said, ¡°Are you crazy?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not kidding.¡± Hao Ren stood in front of the holographic projection and watched the siren spirit named Eva roar silently in space. ¡°She was the sole witness of the catastrophe 10,000 years ago. She can tell us who attacked Io. Now that we¡¯ve lost the battleship sample, she¡¯s the only lead¡­¡± He paused, and pointed his fingers into space. ¡°I always thought the First Borns were the cause of the catastrophic disasters in the universe, but now it looks like there¡¯s something else. We must find out exactly what this is all about¡ªplus, the brain monster tried to open a fissure to the surface world from here. There must be something special about Io. I¡¯m not going to leave without doing something.¡±


    Vivian frowned as she stared into Hao Ren¡¯s eyes. ¡°I know how important this is, but do you think you can talk to Eva? This¡­¡±


    She turned and glanced at the visual on the holographic projection. ¡°This ¡®god¡¯ doesn¡¯t seem to be open for communication. She¡¯s now just a restless soul; she is mindless. Even if she has intelligence, how do you talk to such a¡­ ¡®creature¡¯? Her face is as wide as the planet! Are you going to stand in the middle of the ocean and speak with her?¡±


    ¡°When the ocean started to freeze, a vast amount of information rushed into my head for a short while.¡± Hao Ren gave his head a little knock. ¡°I wonder if it lasted even a second¡­ However, I¡¯m sure it was a memory related to the siren. Therefore, I think Eva and I are also able to communicate like I did with the brain monster. Anyway, just let me try. If it doesn¡¯t work, then we can flee.¡±


    Lily and Vivian looked at each other. They could not help but mutter, ¡°Mr. Landlord, you truly are Lil Pea¡¯s father; both of you are daredevils. How are you going to establish the connection? Are you going to jump into the water again? What if this time you really get trapped?¡±


    Hao Ren took a few breaths before he nodded. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll make the jump but I need a few sirens to help me control the currents in the ocean. With no more interference below, if the communication with her fails, I can be teleported back up immediately. At the very least, I won¡¯t be trapped or frozen.¡±


    The MDT shook in a buzz before it reluctantly said, ¡°According to my calculations, you do have a certain chance of success, but I still have to say that this is against safety protocol!¡±


    Hao Ren hit the console with his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh! The first clause of the safety protocol in the manual clearly states that this line of work is never safe. If you really want to help, please keep firing in space. I¡¯ll give you access to weapons control. Your job is to create a distraction so that I can go down there safely.¡±


    The MDT remained silent for a while before it made a cartoonish ¡°okay¡± gesture on the holographic projection. ¡°You have 55 minutes.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately turned and motioned to Shaqira as well as the other three sirens. ¡°Katreina, Shaqira, Sorma, I want to negotiate with your ¡®god¡¯. Would you like to help?¡±


    ¡°You bet. It¡¯s a once-in-a-lifetime chance.¡± The siren queen stepped forward without hesitation. ¡°There¡¯s nothing better than going close to Eva.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue followed suit and said, ¡°I¡¯m going too. I¡¯m a siren, and I¡¯ll show my worth of the bloodline I carry.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded then turned to look at the others. ¡°You guys just stay on the spaceship. I¡¯ll go now. There¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡±


    The Petrachelys quickly maneuvered around the water arms in space. After calculating a series of trajectories, it reached the perigee. A flash of white light beamed down onto the planet.


    Hao Ren and the sirens were standing above the ocean of ??Io.


    The ocean was turbulent as endless strange waves surged, forming a spectacular scene. The thick clouds in the sky had disappeared. Eva¡¯s activities had torn the planet¡¯s high-altitude clouds apart and disrupted the original atmosphere. It caused a weird, ¡°clear sky¡± phenomenon. The sun shone on the ocean amid the turbulence of the atmosphere and water. Io¡¯s natural order was completely out of balance while the violent soul relentlessly showed its power.


    Nangong Wuyue looked at the scene in horror. She saw a magnificent peak of water rising in the distance, and a giant column of water, which looked like a pillar to heaven reaching out into space. She struggled to take her eyes off the horrifying scenario and focused instead on controlling the water with the other three sirens. This time it was more difficult.


    ¡°You¡¯re good to go,¡± said the siren queen. ¡°Please hurry up. This is very strenuous!¡±


    Hao Ren nodded to Shaqira and Sorma, who was next to her before he slowly lowered himself into the water.


    Calming his emotions, and getting himself focused, Hao Ren tried to recreate the previous momentary state of connection. Having done it before with the brain monster, Hao Ren had already figured out how to make such a connection. Emotions such as nervousness and alertness were unnecessary. Only a calm and focused mind could make the connection more stable.


    He felt his consciousness slowly sinking into chaos, which was not the same as his connection with the brain monster. However, he knew the connection was successful.


    The chaos was Eva¡¯s memory.


    However, after the chaos was over, what he saw was not the scene of Io¡¯s destruction, but a serene and peaceful primeval seafloor.


    Hao Ren¡¯s mind was walking across the deep sea in ancient times. He saw an endless stretch of sand and gravel spread out before his eyes. Above it was an endless dark sea. Luminous primitive algae and deep-water fish lived in peace along the seafloor, oblivious to the outside world.


    Sirens were born in this serene and peaceful deep-sea paradise. Initially, they were slow and torpid omnivorous creatures, covered in scales. They had human bodies, they were skilled in mimicry, and acquired a form that was a fusion between elemental and carbon-based creatures in the planet¡¯s magical environment. They lived in the caves that they dug out from the sand and relied on luminous algae as well as slow-footed shellfish to survive. The sirens developed in the primitive conditions, acquired wisdom, and formed its own fragile primitive but interesting ancient society.


    Their earliest tools were shells of deep-water shellfish, which they had eaten. They polished the shells for digging sand and cutting seaweed. They subsequently made use of corals, rocks, and iron-rich meteorite residues that occasionally fell from the sky. When the meteorite in space crashed into Io, it burned in the atmosphere, and rapidly cooled in the seawater, so it became stronger. This was the miracle of a natural forging process. Every iron-containing meteorite, which fell into the deep sea through this process was a treasure to the sirens. They called these meteorites the ¡°Heart of the Black Water¡±¡ªbecause they thought the endless dark ocean above was the boundary of the world. Beyond that boundary was an even darker, more chaotic endless body of water, and the forged, iron-filled meteorite was the foundation of the world. Their earliest primitive religion revolved around the water and these ferrous meteorites.


    They worshiped the deep waters, submerged volcanoes, and ferrous meteorite. They once thought that the meteorite from the ¡°sky¡± was a sign that the world¡¯s outer shell was wearing down and collapsing. They felt wary and sent the brave ones to get the meteorite back to the upper level (they hoped to extend the world¡¯s lifespan in this way). However, due to their inability to adapt to the low-water-pressure environment, every expedition failed. They later realized that the ferrous meteorite was a blessing from the ¡°upper water¡±, and so the siren¡¯s Meteoric Iron period began 60,000 years after the first siren used seashells as tools.


    The sirens learned other means of acquiring metal and replacing corrosion-prone iron tools many years later.


    Hao Ren¡¯s consciousness constantly leaped into Eva¡¯s memory. He was unable to leave, and he had no intention of leaving. He finally knew what Eva wanted.


    She was showing him the history of the siren race.


    Hao Ren was happy to be right in the center of this ancient memory.

 Chapter 616

    Hao Ren was completely immersed in the spiritual world. His consciousness continued to sink into the chaotic power. The siren¡¯s most ancient historical memory emerged from the chaos, and it became clearer as well as more personal.


    He saw that the intelligent creatures living in the deep sea had opened their minds. They were surprised and awed as they studied the ferrous meteorite, which occasionally fell from the dark, learning how the solid stones formed. They excavated silt and weaved seagrass; they built their homes in the dark water world where algae shimmered, and they were fully curious about everything. In the 5,000th year of the Meteoric Iron Age, they finally learned how to separate metals from the deep-sea rocks that they had dug out. In a place where fire did not exist, they used the power of water and chemistry.


    Using water to crush the ore, and elemental methods to refine metals as well as produce alloy that did not rust, the sirens freed themselves from the limitation of the celestial rock. They invented new metal tools with their own hands, built up the oldest dynasty, and wrote the first page of their history on the alloys that lasted.


    While this young civilization learned to walk in the deep sea, their nurturer¡ªthe endless ocean of ??Io¡ªcovered the kingdom. The sirens held the endless dark water above in awe, but they were also full of curiosity. It was an inevitable stage that all intelligent races experienced: They were eager to know what lay beyond the darkness.


    When the first siren became interested and stepped out to explore, a thousand years had passed since the establishment of the first dynasty.


    However, the shallow water was dangerous. The deep-sea environment was very different; the water pressure was huge there¡ªa particularly comfortable environment for the sirens. But that was not the case in shallow water. Ancient admonition of the sirens had warned young adventurers that only ¡°nothingness¡± was beyond the endless dark sea. The closer one got to the ¡°edge of the world¡±, the less dense matter would become until everything came apart. This applied to the sirens as well. The brave ones who attempted to send the ferrous iron back to the ¡°edge of the world¡±, but never came back during the Tribal Era. No siren had ever made it to the other side of the mysterious dark waters.


    Nevertheless, the passion of exploration would keep burning once ignited. The young scholars continued to study ways to get to the edge of the world. They continued to improve their elemental magic, using it to change their physique, and adapting themselves to the low water pressure. They continued to send batch after batch of explorers, and resolutely crossed the darkness, which hung over their head.


    Adventurers who made it back alive brought with them incredible things: animals and plants living in the upper waters. This allowed scholars to believe that there was a viable, prosperous world beyond the dark seabed.


    Two thousand years after the establishment of the first dynasty, a young siren led her little expedition team to challenge this limit. They had spent a hundred years transforming their physique, and three full days applying various protective magic onto themselves before they marched into the dark sea. They swam the farthest distance, crossed waters that no one had ever set foot in before, leaving those wonderful animals and plants of the shallow waters behind. As they continued to rise, they felt the water element, which made up their bodies become increasingly unstable. However, an even more incredible phenomenon appeared overhead.


    Beyond the dark sea, there was light.


    They realized that the ¡°light¡± phenomenon was not unique to the deep sea.


    They were excited for their new discovery. They headed towards the surface, completely ignoring the changes to the water element in their bodies. They swam with all their might towards the bright world that they had never seen before, and finally crossed the ¡°material boundary¡±. At that time, they were still unaware that the boundary was the ¡°water¡¯s surface.¡±


    An immensely vast, bright, and restless world appeared before the explorers¡¯ eyes.


    However, they managed to catch a glimpse of it before their bodies vaporized into the air due to immense internal pressure.


    Elemental creatures had no conventional physical body, and they were not able to maintain their high-pressure state in the air without mastering the proper control techniques.


    It was hundreds of years later when the sirens finally mastered the way to live in the world of air.


    Hao Ren¡¯s mind was in a state of wonder. He was walking through the entire history of the sirens. However, he hardly felt time flowing as if this memory of thousands of years was laid bare before him. Everything was clear in a glance. He saw the sirens finally coming to the world above sea level, and carefully exploring the world of air they once deemed ¡°empty, vast, and unstable¡±. He could feel Eva¡¯s thoughts; he understood what the siren was thinking.


    The sirens once again spent thousands of years to build a stable channel and various observation platforms, which could reach the ocean¡¯s surface. As ocean covered the entire planet, they had to put in 10 times more effort than other races before they could see the sky. They had extraordinary patience, which no other race could imagine in adapting to the storms and lightning on the surface. They even modified their own life forms. The most outstanding observer of them, Iwenna had waited on the platform for 700 years before she saw the first clear sky. When the vast ¡°starry sky¡± appeared before them, everyone was shocked beyond words.


    But it was not until 1,700 years later that they finally knew not only was there sky behind the clouds, there was also a sun: it was the second time the sky was clear.


    It was even much later that they finally figured out the concept of ¡°day and night¡±.


    In everything that they did, the sirens spent more effort than other races. The unique natural environment of the planet made it impossible for them to understand what they should study and what they were studying. Lightning, ocean, waves, and the volatile atmosphere made it even more difficult for any primitive race to rise above sea level. They needed to devote more energy to adjusting their physique as their form of deep sea elemental creatures became a restriction. They consumed more energy in modifying their physiques than observing the world.


    However, that did not stop them from exploring. Their actions had no higher purpose and meaning. They did not even have the concept of space.


    They just wanted to go out there and see if other places had the same ocean as their homeworld.


    The sirens only created the first flying craft that could traverse Io¡¯s storm 4,000 years after Iwenna observed the sky¡ªin an environment where it was impossible for fire to exist, lightning and storm were a constant, and even aerodynamic study was impossible, it was not easy to make a flying craft. Of course, one may say that they were of lower intelligence, but who cared?


    As long as they could see the stars, they were very happy about it.


    Hao Ren felt his consciousness beginning to float up. He had seen the sirens¡¯ space age and the effort of these magical creatures to launch a probe to explore the ocean on other planets. He also saw them building observation stations in the orbit of their home planet to peek into the wider universe, then¡­


    A group of unknown battleships suddenly landed on Io. The inexplicable, chaotic war caused the siren kingdom to fall apart, and an energy storm weapon like an EMP swept across the planet, destroying the siren civilization.


    The destruction was inexplicable.


    The storm on the ocean of ??Io intensified. Lightning struck down from the sky, and the ice-carrying sea raged. Shaqira and the three other sirens kept a small area of water under their control. She looked into the water and said, ¡°Is Hao Ren done yet? I don¡¯t feel Eva calming down at all!¡±


    Nangong Wuyue quickly dived into water, checking. She re-emerged after a while. ¡°He¡¯s still connected! I¡¯ve seen him connecting with the brain monster a few times. I know how it looks like¡­ It¡¯s going well!¡±


    Sorma muttered, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going well.¡±


    After another wave of turmoil, a mountainous tsunami came in their direction. The siren queen lifted both hands and stopped the tsunami in its course. Just as she was about to check on Hao Ren, he suddenly came up from the water.


    As Hao Ren opened his eyes, he saw violent storms and towering waves; he froze. It was not until Nangong Wuyue swam up to him that he murmured, ¡°She¡¯s crying.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Nangong Wuyue did not hear him clearly.


    ¡°She¡¯s crying,¡± Hao Ren looked up at the arms that were reaching into space. ¡°Eva, she¡¯s crying. She¡¯s only a child.¡±


    The sound of the storm whistled in their ears, and angry roars filled the air. Endless anger, annoyance, and hatred filled the storm as if they were physically there to destroy anyone in it. This tim however, Hao Ren felt something else amid the violent air: Eva¡¯s cry.


    Looking from the perspective of a civilization, Eva was only a child. She was helpless and was unprepared for the world. She had just begun to learn about the vastness of the world when everything ended so unreasonably and abruptly.


    It took her so long to climb out of the cradle; she had such an extraordinary patience that no other race could have possessed. It took a long time to see the world above. She had to spend 10 times the effort to achieve what she wanted although she may not have been aware of it. Despite that, she overcame the ocean, which was dozens of kilometers deep, the ever-turbulent atmosphere, and the permanent clouds that were thousands of years old. However, everything suddenly stopped without any explanation.


    Before Eva could find out what happened, she died in her cradle.


    She refused to accept this reality. Her immortal soul allowed her to survive the destruction, and lived in the form of ¡°reverberation¡± on the planet. Like a kid whose toy was taken away, she was confused and she cried as she displayed her tantrum.


    ¡°I never thought the consciousness of a race could become like this¡­¡± Hao Ren had no words for what he saw and felt. He shook his head as he looked at Shaqira and others. ¡°The premature end of a civilization actually happens everywhere, but there are very few individuals like Eva. She¡¯s feeling helpless and very sad for her own destruction. She¡¯s just venting out her dissatisfaction¡­ and maybe this could be the last time.¡±


    ¡°Then, what should we do?¡± The siren queen looked blankly at Hao Ren. ¡°Is there anything I can do to help her?¡±


    At this time, the voice of the MDT suddenly sounded over the radio, ¡°Are you done yet? Things aren¡¯t going good here!¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the siren queen, and then at Nangong Wuyue. He nodded heavily. ¡°Give me a few more minutes. Both of you, I need your help.¡±


    ¡°How can we help?¡± the two said in unison.


    ¡°Just stay by my side.¡± Hao Ren reached for the siren queen and Nangong Wuyue¡¯s hand. ¡°Let our minds connect together so that Eva can sense your presence.¡±


    Having said this, and ignoring the puzzled look of the two sirens, Hao Ren once again established a connection with Eva.


    The sense of chaos hit again, and this time Hao Ren sensed Eva¡¯s consciousness more clearly. It was a quasi-realistic feeling, almost impossible to differentiate between a consciousness, or just a memory with a tendency. However, Hao Ren was willing to believe that it was a consciousness. Amid the chaos, he could barely feel Nangong Wuyue and the siren queen, which was the only problem now: the two sirens did not possess the ability to make direct spiritual connection. Could Eva who was in a frenzy sense their presence?


    ¡°Eva!¡± Hao Ren focused his mind and called out to her telepathically. However, he soon realized that the sirens were the ones who came up with the name ¡°Eva¡±. The siren spirit herself probably did not even know what the name meant: She did not manage to give herself a name.


    Miraculously, the chaotic spiritual force seemed to react to the name. Hao Ren felt something watching him.


    Perhaps the legend of Eva had existed before the sirens fled Io, so she, as a collective spirit of the sirens, knew that her name was ¡°Eva¡±.


    Once again, Hao Ren focused his mind. ¡°Eva, I know you can hear me¡­ Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m not going to hurt you. I just want to help. I know what you¡¯ve gone through. I sympathize with you. Many civilizations have succumbed to the same fate and died, but you haven¡¯t¡­¡±


    A violent thought suddenly struck. There was uneasiness in the chaotic thought.


    ¡°Okay, okay, let¡¯s not talk about this¡­¡± Hao Ren quickly rephrased. ¡°Eva, Eva, quiet down. I just want to show you something. In fact, you didn¡¯t fail in a sense; you¡¯ve lived on and gone further than anyone else. Eva, through me, you should be able to sense the presence of your two compatriots¡­¡±


    Hao Ren stopped talking and minimized his own sense of presence so that Eva could feel the existence of the other two sirens. Because of the turmoil, Eva had lost the ability to feel the presence of other sirens, so Hao Ren had to allow himself to become Eva¡¯s intermediary.


    He felt that this would work.


    Eva gradually calmed down and curiously watched them.


    ¡°An ark had successfully fled from Io and reached another world,¡± said Hao Ren silently to Eva. ¡°I¡¯m an ambassador of that world. My duty is to supervise and evaluate the development of civilizations. I want to tell you that the siren civilization is still there. You¡¯ve lived on in another world. Have you noticed a very unique siren beside me? She is of the siren pedigree, but she has a special aura in her¡ªshe was born in that world, which proves that you have taken root in another world¡­¡±


    The MDT called in over the radio. ¡°Boss, the situation¡¯s getting better! The water is slowly receding!¡±


    Hao Ren did not respond, but continued to talk with Eva. ¡°Eva, don¡¯t be sad. Don¡¯t cry. The worst is over and everything will be better.¡±


    A light appeared in the darkness of chaos. A vague figure emerged. Hao Ren looked at the mirage in astonishment as he heard a voice ringing in his ears. ¡°¡­Is an ocean present over there?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s big, it¡¯s beautiful. We also have land there¡ªrocks and soil that stand out on the sea. The sirens would occasionally go up to play on land, but they spend most of their time in the ocean.¡±


    ¡°Are they happy?¡±


    ¡°They are peaceful and carefree. There have been some minor problems recently, but I¡¯ve solved that. You see, I¡¯ve brought them back to see you.¡±


    An eternity later, the light slowly disappeared followed by a sigh. ¡°Thank you, I can finally sleep¡­¡±


    All the illusions went away like a receding tidal wave. Hao Ren opened his eyes and saw that the storm had stopped and the sky was clear. Io had finally ushered in a rare clear, blue sky.


    Staring at the stars in the sky, one could not help but think of Iwenna, the siren who stood on the ancient observation platform and watched the sky in amazement.


    These stars must have frightened her.


    A trillion ton of seawater began to pour back down to Io as Eva used up her last drop of strength. The scene looked astounding in space. Hao Ren could not see it from the surface of the planet, but he could still imagine it.


    A water arc slowly descended before Hao Ren and the sirens. Shaqira then pointed at it in surprise. ¡°Look! There are living creatures!¡±


    A pale golden fish jumped out of the water arc, flinging its tail mid-air before returning to the ocean.


    It had miraculously survived the terrible space excursion and finally returned home safely.


    Hao Ren exhaled and looked down at the calm sea below his feet.


    ¡°Good night, Eva.¡±

 Chapter 617

    ??Io¡¯s ocean finally descended back to the surface of the planet. The arms that reached into space retracted slowly like a baby crouching into its mother¡¯s arms.


    The drastic change had completely renewed the atmosphere and ocean conditions of the planet. Even the inclination of the planet¡¯s axis was slightly altered. The constant storm and rain had stopped, only clear sky appeared. Under the starlight, the planet shone like a magnificent jewel in space.


    There would be no more storms; there would be no more clouds that only disappeared once every several thousand years. According to the calculation of the spacecraft¡¯s on-board host computer, Io had rebuilt its balance. It would usher in a real, long lasting clear sky. Perhaps occasionally there would be some wind and rain, but it would be mild ones. It was Eva¡¯s last gift to the planet.


    The Petrachelys flew slowly over the calm and sparkling ocean of ??Io. It crossed over the horizon that divided the day and night. The stars flew past them as the sun rose slowly from the other side of the ocean. Capillary waves gently moved along the ocean below the spacecraft. From time to time, some surviving marine creatures would jump out from the waves, seemingly marking the beginning of a new world. Hao Ren stood on the observation platform at the front of the Petrachelys and looked at the vast expanse of ocean. He remembered the arms that stretched out into space¡ªhaving had a spiritual connection with Eva, he apparently began to think more like a siren. He started to have a completely different and new understanding of those water arms.


    The truth was simple. Everything happened for a simple reason: a child was stretching its hands out of the cradle.


    ¡°Less than 10 % of its living things survived, including the microbes.¡± Lily walked up behind the observation platform. ¡°As the MDT mentioned, the planet¡¯s ecosystem needs a revamp. What are you looking at, Mr. Landlord?¡±


    ¡°A new world.¡± Hao Ren smiled. ¡°Only 10 % survived? Then we should be grateful for that 10 %, which made it through the disaster. The planet doesn¡¯t have to start from zero. It will rebuild itself, and possibly even new intelligent creatures will emerge.¡±


    Lily greeted the ocean breeze with a giggle. ¡°That may take another 10,000 years.¡±


    ¡°That was a scary situation,¡± said Hao Ren. Recalling the thrilling scenes, he was emotional. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t underestimate any race; even the warm-hearted sirens are able to destroy a planet.¡±


    Lily stuck her tongue out. ¡°I was almost scared to death at that time. There was no place to run¡­¡±


    Hao Ren looked at her in surprise. ¡°So, you finally admit that you were scared?¡±


    Lily held her head up high. ¡°I¡¯m always brave! The fright was just a strategy!¡±


    Hao Ren twitched his lips and looked down at the ocean below. The problem of Io was solved. The planet was anew, its biosphere would reshape itself, and new life would emerge from the calm ocean. As for Eva, she was asleep. But as a collective consciousness, she would wake up one day. As long as the sirens thrived, Eva would always live in the souls of the sirens. Should peace finally come to the Plane of Dreams, and the sirens returned to the ocean, then perhaps a new Eva inheriting the will of the old days would be born.


    Meanwhile, outside of Io, another problem was creeping up.


    Hao Ren led Lily back to the flight deck and assembled everyone to discuss their next course of action.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen from Eva the process of the siren civilization¡¯s destruction. To tell you the truth, there are many unexplained questions. It¡¯s more complicated than we thought.¡± Hao Ren flung himself into his captain¡¯s chair. He felt just like a veteran cadre in a meeting, except for the fact that he did not have an enamel teacup in his hand. ¡°Let me start from the beginning. Firstly, the origin of the species on this planet is unlike any other. It has nothing to do with the First Born.¡±


    Everyone looked at each other. Nangong Wuyue gaped and asked, ¡°¡­The sirens were born naturally?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they were originally unique elemental creatures, who had most of the characteristics of ordinary creatures. Sirens were born from the power of the deep sea and had nothing to do with the ¡®sowing¡¯ of the First Born. Therefore, there is no Seed of Origin on this planet. The destruction of the world was not the doing of the First Born,¡± Hao Ren nodded and turned on the holographic projection beside him. The visual was taken in the deep sea earlier and it showed a black unidentified battleship. ¡°The siren civilization was destroyed by this type of battleship more than 10,000 years ago. It was similar to an EMP, but it was a very powerful weapon of global destruction. I saw a thunderstorm sweeping across the planet; the ecological destruction was comparable to what happened today. A siren¡¯s immortality isn¡¯t indestructible. You¡¯ll die when your soul is under attack, but you can last longer than other ordinary races. That¡¯s why Eva survived after the entire race was wiped out.¡±


    Lily gaped as she looked at the hologram. ¡°¡­Mr. Landlord, there¡¯s something more to this, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The husky was observant, staring into Hao Ren¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Yes, this is the crux of the problem: According to what I¡¯ve seen, Io wasn¡¯t the target of the black battleships in the first place!¡±


    Everyone went quiet like a church mouse.


    Hao Ren recalled what he saw in Eva¡¯s memory. ¡°At first, the black battleships flew past Io. I¡¯m sure they noticed the existence of the siren civilization, but they just didn¡¯t bother. After a while, the group of black battleships suddenly returned. They hovered in the orbit where Io was located and behaved abnormally for half a month. The sirens tried to communicate with these battleships, but there was no response. So, there¡¯s no way to know what happened inside these black battleships. In the end, these battleships began to fight among themselves. They opened fire at each other. After a long while of fighting, it seemed like they suddenly reached an agreement and stopped attacking one another. Instead, they turned around and destroyed the siren civilization. That¡¯s what happened back then.¡±


    Everyone was shocked beyond words. Nangong Sanba thought for a long moment, but still could not wrap his brain around it. ¡°I think they went crazy.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it was infighting?¡± Lily began to reason with her writer¡¯s logic. ¡°Perhaps the black battleships had no intention of destroying Io initially, but they changed their minds. The ¡®destruction¡¯ faction and the ¡®passer-by¡¯ faction fought before they reached an agreement. That¡¯s probably the case.¡±


    ¡°But you can¡¯t explain why they went in circles around the orbit for half a month. You also can¡¯t explain the chaotic infighting. They weren¡¯t divided into two factions; they were firing indiscriminately among themselves. Everyone seemed to dislike the other so much. However, things took a sudden change when they suddenly appeared united. I just don¡¯t understand what sort of factional dispute could cause this chaos. This chaotic multi-cornered relationship could only happen in Korean drama.¡±


    ¡°Them hovering for half a month could¡¯ve been the time negotiations were going on. All the spaceships firing at each other could¡¯ve been when there were further divisions,¡± said Lily, snapping her fingers. ¡°Anyway, if needed, I can make you a dozen scripts to make it sound normal. What¡¯s more, reality is always much more bizarre than fiction. We only need to know that they fought, but we don¡¯t need to know why.¡±


    Shaqira probably understood what was happening as she let out a long sigh. ¡°Who have we offended?¡±


    ¡°Ahem, the key is to find out where these black ships came from,¡± said Nangong Sanba, who hemmed and sat up, trying to make himself look like an expert. ¡°By the way, Mr. Landlord, is this kind of thing under your responsibility?¡±


    Hao Ren spread out his hand and said, ¡°Civilization extinction is a major issue. I have to at least ascertain the truth and create a record of it. However, those black battleships provide little leads and the sample was blown up. The wreckages of those battleships at the bottom of the deep sea may have been ripped into pieces by Eva¡¯s tantrum earlier. It¡¯s difficult to find out the truth now. I still can¡¯t figure out how the brain monster is related to this incident. The brain monster on Earth¡ª¡±


    Before Hao Ren could finish his sentence, he suddenly heard the MDT calling out on the console. ¡°Hey! I¡¯ve found something cool in the orbit. Interested to take a look?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks was sitting near the MDT. He turned his head around and asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°A piece of wreckage; must be a remnant of the black battleship,¡± the MDT said excitedly. ¡°That sample wasn¡¯t completely destroyed; some of the more solid sections survived the explosion. According to the battleship manufacturing standard, this section of the cabin is either a power reactor or a core database, or¡­ a storage of escape pods!¡±


    Hao Ren jumped to his feet and said, ¡°Let¡¯s check it out!¡±

 Chapter 618

    The Petrachelys quickly left the ocean and arrived near Io¡¯s synchronized orbit.


    A large number of ice and rock brought up from the bottom of the sea, as well as building debris floated in space in the aftermath. Eva had not been able to pull everything back down into the ocean. What remained in space was an eternal commemoration of her destruction. According to the MDT¡¯s deduction, the ice, rocks, and metal fragments would float in space for tens of thousands of years, and eventually form a ring around Io. If new intelligent life were to evolve on Io someday, they would certainly be curious about how the ring formed around their home planet.


    Hao Ren allowed the MDT to pilot the spacecraft and it maneuvered agilely around the debris, zooming past the large black crystals. These crystals were fragments from the black battleship, which had exploded earlier.


    ¡°This is it.¡± The MDT stopped the spacecraft in front of the large wreckage. ¡°The largest piece of the wreckage with a completely-intact frame structure. Radar scans show that there¡¯s an enclosed space inside. That¡¯s a surprise.¡±


    The Petrachelys slowly went around examining the wreckage, which was about two to three kilometers long. It seemed to be a rear section of the black battleship and it had neatly-broken-out sections on both ends. This showed that the special cabin section had joint sections designed to break in case of emergency. This section of the wreckage was originally fitted with some black, sail-like crystal panels. But after the explosion, only several broken brackets remained.


    ¡°Looks like there¡¯s an entrance.¡± Y¡¯zaks pointed to a raised section at the upper part of the wreckage. ¡°Look at the exposed pipes.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s send an autonomous robot to check it out. If it leads to the interior, we¡¯ll go in from there.¡±


    An ejection window on the side of the Petrachelys opened, and a small mechanical squid flew out towards the wreckage. It then went into the wreckage from the opening. Soon, the autonomous robot reported that the inside was safe and the passage was unobstructed. From the visual, the interior was very large.


    ¡°Lily, Wang, you two come in with me,¡± Hao Ren turned around and said.


    Lily jumped out of her chair in excitement. ¡°Yahoo! But, I¡¯m curious as to why you¡¯re finally letting me tag along this time, Mr. Landlord?¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged and said, ¡°Because I may need your help¡ªyou can dig a lot faster.¡±


    Lily saw this as a compliment. She nodded gleefully and followed them out.


    The three of them entered through the route the autonomous robot had taken earlier, and soon caught up with the mechanical squid inside. The body of autonomous mechanical tentacles reported to Hao Ren before it illuminated the surroundings with its light.


    Their surroundings were cluttered and old, full of traces of corrosion. It appeared that the battleship had suffered serious leakage when it sank to the bottom of the ocean. The interior was not as black as it looked, and most of its walls or interior were gray and white with a plastic, glossy finish. The space where the trio were in was large. One side of the bulkhead (Hao Ren thought it was a ceiling) had exposed broken pipes and cables.


    Lily raised her Flamejoy and tapped on the bulkhead near her. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re inside a duct, but this place is huge.¡±


    ¡°Not only is the place huge, everything in it seems kinda outrageously oversized,¡± said Hao Ren slyly. Looking around and drifting to the nearest bulkhead, he touched a weird disc with a belted shaft, which was a few meters in diameter. ¡°This looks like a valve¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Y¡¯zaks gaped. ¡°A valve this big? I can¡¯t even hold it in my hand!¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°At least the shape says that it is.¡±


    The trio explored a little, and quickly discovered that everything there was strange¡ªthere was a valve of a few meters across, a joystick over two meters long, and a button larger than the Xinhua Dictionary. All these things were odd for their sizes. As for the other gadgets of which their functions were unknown, they were equally oversized.


    Lily grabbed a joystick that was taller than she was and pried, ¡°Did this spacecraft belong to giants?¡±


    ¡°With things in these sizes, I can¡¯t even really get used to them even if I transform back into my original form.¡± Y¡¯zaks ran his hand over a console where there was a row of huge buttons. ¡°My fingers will definitely be cramped. You¡¯ll have to swing your arms around in order to type on the keyboard.¡±


    Hao Ren was surprised. ¡°You¡¯ve learned how to type as well?¡±


    The question startled Y¡¯zaks. ¡°¡­Are you chasing rabbits?¡±


    After fiddling with the joystick for a long while, Lily suddenly triggered something. The oversized metal stick stumbled to the side and the wall behind it became ajar.


    Lily lifted her head and looked at the wall, her tail wagging gently. ¡°Oh, gosh¡­ Could this be a door?¡±


    ¡°A dozen-meters-tall door¡­¡± Hao Ren was stunned. ¡°Lily, dig!¡±


    The husky maiden began to dig the alloy door. Sparks and ice flew as she dug. Soon, the gap on the heavy alloy gates became large enough for even Y¡¯zaks to pass through. Lily was the first one to sneak past the gap and the next second, Hao Ren heard the husky squeak over the radio, ¡°My god¡ª¡±


    Hao Ren and Y¡¯zaks hurried in; what they saw had them rooted to the spot.


    Behind the door was what looked like a flight deck. A huge console and four giant seats were in the center of the cabin, while the four dead bodies of the crew were floating mid-air.


    When Lily got in, she actually ran into one of the dead bodies, hitting herself on the head. The giant¡¯s head was bigger than her!


    The husky struggled for a while before she regained control of her body and fled back up to Hao Ren. ¡°It¡¯s really a giant! It scared the hell of out me!¡±


    Hao Ren patted the husky on her head before he flew close to the bodies of the giants, looking at them in awe. The four crew members were wearing some kind of black leather uniform and they were hugging their heads tightly as if they had an extreme headache before they died. Apart from their body size, their faces closely resembled that of humans. Their skin was dark red¡ªhowever, it was unknown if this was their original skin color.


    Hao Ren could roughly figure that the aliens were at least 16 m in height. They were truly a giant race!


    ¡°No signs of decay, no traces of dehydration or swelling. They look like they died not too long ago,¡± said Y¡¯zaks, flipping one of the bodies around. ¡°Unbelievable¡­ Mortals rarely have such a strong body, but these bodies have lasted for so long; it¡¯s immortal like Buddha in a sense.¡±


    Hao Ren was shocked once again. ¡°You¡¯ve even studied Buddhism?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks could not help but say, ¡°You can¡¯t be serious?¡±


    As Hao Ren and Y¡¯zaks busily examined the bodies, Lily plucked up her courage and came up to help. She went around one of the bodies for a long while before suddenly summoning her Ice and Fire Claws. She began to cut the dead giant¡¯s hair, and Hao Ren asked dumbfoundedly, ¡°What are you doing? Shaving their hair?¡±


    ¡°Shaving my foot!¡± Lily scoffed, exposing her teeth. ¡°See this? This could be the cause of death!¡±


    Hao Ren went up to look. He found that the back of the giant¡¯s skull was bulging abnormally, and there was a strange bump on the scalp. He reached out and touched it. ¡°It feels like¡­ the skull is pushed out. Certainly, this was not the case when they were healthy. The skin here is stretched abnormally.¡±


    ¡°Could it be a brain disease?¡± Y¡¯zaks scratched his chin. ¡°That¡¯s why they behaved so weirdly on Io? Could a brain disease cause them to open fire at each other and destroy Io?¡±


    Lily seemed to be smarter this time. ¡°Could it be that the brain monster was controlling them? That¡¯s why they attacked the sirens?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s unclear at this point. The bodies must be sent back for examination.¡± Hao Ren shook his head, and picked up the radio. ¡°MDT, we¡¯ve found something¡­¡±

 Chapter 619

    The Petrachelys, Laboratory Section.


    Four dead bodies were safely brought back to the spacecraft¡¯s on-board laboratory and immediately transferred to the sealed containers, which were equipped with scanning capabilities. These giant humanoids like the ones found in mythology were suspended mid-air in the anti-gravity field as a light blue halo swept across their bodies¡ªan instrument was scanning the structure of their bodies.


    ¡°We found them, the pilots of the black battleship, a giant race.¡± Hao Ren pointed to one of the containers. ¡°Aside from their skin color and body size, they¡¯re basically no different from humans. However, their bodies are definitely not ordinary. They¡¯ve been soaking at the bottom of the ocean in Io for more than 10,000 years, yet there are no signs of decay and they look like they¡¯ve just died.¡±


    Nangong Sanba raised his head. ¡°Hey¡­ these guys are really big. No wonder their spacecraft was made in a huge, exaggerated size.¡±


    ¡°That leads me to think of the ¡®bomb¡¯ that we picked up on the Zalazarn.¡± Vivian suddenly gave Hao Ren¡¯s arm a nudge. ¡°At first, we thought it was a shell, but judging from the size of these giants now, I¡¯m afraid that it could actually be a bullet, grenade or something else.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment. ¡°Could it also be a bomblet of cluster bomb?¡±


    Lily poked them both on their arms. ¡°What¡¯s the purpose of knowing this?¡±


    The MDT flew around the containers a few times and projected a hologram. ¡°They have two sets of each important organ in their bodies; their bones are rich in metal elements; the bone plates in their abdominal and chest cavity are semi-closed like an armor; somatic cells are extremely strong, and almost at the limit of natural evolution. To be honest, I suspect that their off-the-charts physique aren¡¯t the result of evolution.¡±


    ¡°Why did they want to destroy Io?¡± Shaqira looked up at the giants with red skin. The scales below her cheeks shimmerws and her tail swished in the air in agitation. ¡°Who have we offended again?¡±


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s about the brain monster.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°MDT, check if they¡¯ve been influenced by the brain monster. If so, there must be some signs of damage in their brains¡­¡±


    ¡°About that¡­¡± the MDT sounded wry. ¡°I have a different thought.¡±


    Everyone was all ears as the MDT displayed a new set of holograms in the air. ¡°Let¡¯s be mentally prepared. The visuals and the corresponding associative effects may be disturbing.¡±


    The hologram showed the images of the giants¡¯ heads and their brain structures very clearly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t they look familiar?¡± The MDT hovered in front of Hao Ren.


    Lily was wide-eyed and exclaimed in shock, ¡°Their brains¡­¡±


    ¡°Those are obviously lesions. The brain¡¯s expanded so much that it almost pushed the skull open, and there is a clear separation between the brain tissue and the surrounding flesh. There are some abnormal structures appearing in the lower part of the brain, which should only be the intermediate phase of the lesion process, not the final form,¡± said the MDT while it started a simulation of the evolutionary process. The giant¡¯s skull, hair, skin and other structures were peeled off layer-by-layer in the hologram, showing the state of the brain. Subsequently, the brain slowly morphed. ¡°If this lesion continues, then some of their brain structures will swallow, extract, and distort the organs in their chest. There will also be some unpredictable conditions. I can only simulate so much, but that¡¯s the outcome¡­¡±


    As the simulation ended, the visual of an irregular mass of meat appeared. It had the appearance of a brain, and on its lower part, there were many bizarre tentacles.


    ¡°The brain monster¡­¡± Hao Ren mumbled to himself. ¡°¡­Vivian, you don¡¯t have to cook me dinner tonight.¡±


    Nangong Sanba held his chest and said, ¡°Me too.¡±


    Lily¡¯s ears stood up straight. ¡°Awesome! Could you give their portions to me, Battie?¡±


    Everyone stared at the amazing husky. She was not self-conscious at all. ¡°Why are you people staring at me like that? Whatever it is, eating is the most important of all. Who knows if we might come across something even more disgusting? By then, are you people going to starve yourself to death simply because things are gross? Look how short-sighted you people are.¡±


    Vivian smacked herself on the head. ¡°The husky always become so wise on such bizarre things.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks was also a little stunned, looking at the brain monster simulation. As a great demon, he had seen and experienced enough. However, never in his life had he seen such an amazing ¡°evolutionary phenomenon¡±. He scratched his head and said, ¡°Could it be that the brain monsters are the result of the mutation of the giants¡¯ brains?¡±


    ¡°Probably¡­ It could be a mutation, or it could also be a lesion, or something else. Let¡¯s say, the brains themselves are a parasite that reside in the giants. After the death of the physical body, they try to come out and survive on their own.¡± The MDT swung from side to side in the air. ¡°Don¡¯t be surprised; there¡¯s a creature called the ¡®X-Blood¡¯. They exist in a liquid form, living as parasites in other organisms as blood. They are the main inhabitants of the Wycathe Civilization Sphere. How wonderful is the world!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks¡¯ mind went blank for a long while before he muttered to himself, ¡°That¡¯s a masterpiece of Mother Nature¡­¡±


    Lily blinked. ¡°That is to say, the giants have no brains and thoughts; they¡¯re actually the ¡®vessel¡¯ of the brain?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a real novelist, very quick-witted. However, what I said is just hypothetical; the possibility is remote.¡± The MDT shook. ¡°I¡¯ve just examined the genetic factors of the brain and other tissues; they have a high consistency, so I¡¯ve ruled out the possibility of parasitism. The brain¡¯s breakaway to change into a brain monster should be the result of some kind of mutation. In the eyes of most intelligent beings in the world, this is a horrifying mutation and not of natural evolution. Anyway, this is the biggest brain hole I¡¯ve ever seen in my life¡­¡±


    ¡°Judging from the brain¡¯s condition, the mutation happened before they attacked Io,¡± Nangong Sanba guessed. ¡°That is, the giants were still themselves when they happened to pass by Io. However, when their brains got out of control, they turned back to Io and launched the attack. After the destruction of Io, some of the surviving giants became brain monsters¡ªthe one on Earth is one of them.


    Hao Ren immediately came to his senses. ¡°If the brain monsters came from the giants, then the brain monster in Holletta must have come from the same source!¡±


    ¡°That means, all members of this giant race mutated into the big brains?¡± Vivian finally figured out what Hao Ren meant. These giants in front of them had passed by Io in their spacecrafts, a few billion light years away from Holletta. The brain monsters, which mutated in the spacecrafts should theoretically not have appeared in Holletta. So, there was only one possibility: the same terrible thing had happened to giant races elsewhere in the universe, hence the reason the brain monsters appeared in Holletta!


    Even the siren queen was not bothered to study why these giants wanted to destroy Io; she was very stunned by the creepy mutation. ¡°What happened to the giants?¡±


    Hao Ren grabbed the MDT. ¡°I¡¯m going over to the lab next door to check on them!¡±


    The MDT protested, ¡°Hey, be more gentle! Can you be more professional while using an instrument of precision like me? You¡¯re holding me upside down! Damn you, you¡¯ve hit my left corner on the door frame!¡±


    After Hao Ren rushed out with the MDT, Lily looked at Vivian and said, ¡°I feel that the PDA¡¯s illness is getting worse.¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be so bad if hadn¡¯t used it to watch too many Korean dramas.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re blaming me?¡±


    Since the giants were an accidental discovery, they did not manage to create enough space for the samples in the main laboratory. Therefore, they had to place the samples in a spare lab. It was separated by a wall from the main laboratory, where the brain monsters were being kept. Hao Ren brought the MDT next door, and activated the container tube in the center of the room. The container¡¯s silver protective alloy shield slowly descended. The giant brain was still floating in the container.


    ¡°Hey, Big Head!¡± Hao Ren did not connect with it telepathically; there was no need for that this time. ¡°I¡¯m about to show you something!¡±


    As he spoke, he began to project the holograms from the MDT and zoomed in on the images of the giants for the giant brain to see.


    ¡°Look at these people. Don¡¯t you know them?¡±


    Hao Ren thought that the giant brain would surely have some kind of reaction this time, unlike the uncooperative attitude it had towards the violent and non-violent stimulations used previously. However, the giant brain did not budge.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Hao Ren stepped forward and tapped the cylinder. ¡°Is it dead?¡±


    The MDT started the instrument to examine the brain. All of a sudden, it whistled. ¡°It¡¯s gone!¡±

 Chapter 620

    Hao Ren was shocked to hear the MDT¡¯s screams. ¡°Gone? Isn¡¯t it here?¡±


    ¡°Its consciousness is gone!¡± The MDT hit the container¡¯s shell with its sharp corner. ¡°Only the vessel is left, its consciousness has disappeared! There¡¯s nothing left in it, and its now nothing but a lump of pork belly!¡±


    Hao Ren grabbed the MDT. ¡°Can you please not be so disgusting at this moment? Can you trace where it went?¡±


    ¡°No, we never expected it to be capable of this.¡± The MDT connected itself to the lab¡¯s host and instantly retrieved all the monitoring logs. ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t see it coming; the capability of the brain monster¡¯s mind has reached its apex. They don¡¯t necessarily need another body in order to transfer their consciousness. This guy must have uploaded his soul through some kind of wireless connection¡­ We thought the protective crystal was perfectly secure, but it could only stop the brain monster from invading the body of others, not stop its consciousness from slipping out.¡±


    ¡°Must have been the seal. It wasn¡¯t tight enough¡­¡± Hao Ren frowned, and he was surprised at the monster¡¯s incredible way of escape. However, with his vast experience, he quickly accepted the fact and began to reason with logic. ¡°Wait a minute¡­ If it could escape this place by uploading its consciousness, why did it wait until now? Wouldn¡¯t it have been the best time to escape when we went to the Plane of Dreams?¡±


    Light flickered on the MDT as a large amount of data flashed across the hologram. ¡°It was probably waiting for the perfect opportunity because the monitoring in the lab¡¯s very strict. Any unauthorized information flow can easily be monitored¡­ Oh yeah, it was when Eva went crazy!¡±


    Suddenly everything made sense to Hao Ren.


    When Eva went berserk, the Petrachelys transferred almost all the energy from its power reactor to power the shield and the engine. At that time, the facilities in other parts of the spacecraft were running with minimum power. Most of the instruments in the laboratory were shut down, leaving only the necessary security procedures to monitor the instruments there. The brain monster must have escaped during that moment.


    ¡°We need to improve our assessment of the brain monster¡¯s perception. It has the ability to perceive the weakening of these monitoring instruments.¡± Hao Ren pulled his hair, looking depressed. ¡°We can no longer use this conventional laboratory to hold the brain monsters. They must be locked in sealed containers like the ones in CARS.¡±


    The MDT shook its body. ¡°Let¡¯s wait until you catch another brain.¡±


    ¡°I hope things are fine on Ophra¡¯s side.¡± Hao Ren shrugged helplessly. ¡°Damn it! When it rains it pours¡ªso many thing to settle. I have many reports to write¡­ I feel that these brain monsters are harder to deal with than the First Borns.¡±


    At this time, the lab door slid open silently and Lily tiptoed in. When she found no one driving her out, she immediately came up to Hao Ren. ¡°I want to join the party¡­ Umm.. I mean I want to help. What reaction did the brain monster give?¡±


    Vivian also walked up to Lily from behind. She helplessly rolled her eyes at the husky; apparently, she was brought there rather unwillingly.


    Hao Ren spread out his hand and said, ¡°There was no response. It¡¯s gone.¡±


    He told them about the situation so that the two maidens may also be surprised. Lily¡¯s ears drooped. ¡°I thought I could join the fun here. Then what should we do? Is the brain useless now?¡±


    Vivian touched the container thoughtfully and looked at the brain monster as she nodded. ¡°Actually, I was about to say that I could make brain custard¡­¡±


    While Hao Ren was in a state of dismay about his recent job performance, Vivian¡¯s words almost had Hao Ren tumbling on the floor. ¡°Vivi-Vivian! I told you I¡¯m not having dinner tonight, what more do you want?¡±


    Lily glanced at Battie and then at the brain monster. ¡°This ¡­ is too challenging even for me.¡±


    Vivian shrugged. ¡°I was just joking. I¡¯m not a freak. I don¡¯t even eat people, less a giant¡¯s brain.¡±


    Hao Ren breathed a sigh of relief. He then turned to look at the brain monster¡¯s corpse. ¡°This brain¡¯s mutated so much that if not for the simulation, no one would believe it was once a humanoid.¡±


    After much contemplation, Hao Ren decided to put the brain monster into a containment box and tuck it away in his Dimensional Pocket. He decided to take it to Raven 12345¡ªat least that was something.


    He then announced that the mission in Io was accomplished, and they were ready to go home.


    As per protocol, he left a portal behind in Io. The planet was landless; the remains of a few on-sea platforms were also destroyed when Eva went amok. Therefore, the portal was laid in the deep sea and a protective, metal cabin shrouded it from the outside. It could expand if necessary.


    The Petrachelys finally left Io¡¯s orbit. They watched the sparkling aquatic planet slowly fall behind them and turn into a crystal blue sphere before the spacecraft went into hyperspace. The siren queen, Shaqira, and Sorma stayed on the observation platform at the back of the spacecraft even though their home planet had faded out of sight and into the darkness. Hao Ren and Nangong Wuyue came to look for them on the platform as the trio stared into the distant space.


    Hao Ren casually asked, ¡°What happened? Feel like you wanna stay back?¡±


    ¡°A little,¡± said the siren queen, sighing. ¡°When I was in the ocean of ??Io, I felt a wonderful sense of peace, which I¡¯ve never felt on Earth¡ªnot even in the aqua dome of Nasaton. Looks like sirens are a race of people who remember the scent of their homeworld¡­ After all, we are from that planet.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue swayed her tail gently and wrapped it around Hao Ren¡¯s arm. ¡°I feel the same too, but not as strong as the queen does.¡±


    Shaqira looked at Hao Ren expectantly. ¡°Can we stay? Or, we can go back to inform the sirens in Nasaton, and bring whoever¡¯s willing to return home. They can rebuild their home in Io. The planet needs to be rebuilt.¡±


    ¡°I understand how you feel, but this is not something I can decide.¡± Hao Ren spread out his hand. ¡°The surface world and the Plane of Dreams are in a fragile equilibrium. Every time we cross the Wall of Reality, strict monitoring must be in place. Of course, theoretically it is safe to enter the Plane of Dreams from the rift in Alamanda, but I cannot guarantee the same level of safety when hundreds of thousands of immigrants are crossing over. What¡¯s more, there¡¯s a hidden danger: the situation in the Plane of Dreams isn¡¯t that stable.¡±


    Seeing the disappointment on Shaqira and Sorma¡¯s faces, Hao Ren sighed. ¡°You think the brain monster that Nasaton encountered was a big enough crisis? I tell you the truth; there are things far more dangerous than the brain monster here, and their hatred for all creatures is stronger than the brain monsters. Now, I haven¡¯t figured out the limits of their capability and their pattern of behaviour. Therefore, I don¡¯t rule out the possibility of them invading Io. Of course, they may not be able to find Io, but for the sake of safety, I still don¡¯t recommend that you come back.¡±


    There was something Hao Ren did not mention: he did not want to cause more trouble as he aleady had enough of it. The First Born having its eyes on migrating sirens would undoubtedly be the biggest problem of all. He had so many things to do and so little time. Having to work like a dog, he felt like he was going to drop dead anytime.


    Nevertheless, he really understood how these mermaid beauties and serpents felt. If the Plane of Dreams became peaceful in the future, he would be happy to help these girls move back. He had moved a billion people before after all¡­


    After listening to what Hao Ren said, the siren queen nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to trouble you.¡±


    No one spoke a word until they arrived at the Alamanda Transit Station. After tucking away the Petrachelys, they returned to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean through Andrea Castle.


    The state of emergency in Nasaton had been lifted and the deep sea city was undergoing intense refurbishment as well as restoration. The chaos and fierce battles of the past had ravaged the many facilities in the city. It was not so much the collapse of the imperial palace but the equipment, which had not been maintained according to regulations for a hundred years that was the most terrible. Almost the entire city needed to be thoroughly overhauled. Anyway, bad times were over, and things would soon become better there.


    ¡°The first thing to do is restart the great protective wall.¡± The siren queen looked at the ocean above, spitting a bunch of bubbles briskly. She finally snapped out of her longing for Io. ¡°I don¡¯t particularly find it safe to let the city be exposed like this¡­ The sirens are a cautious race.¡±


    Nangong Sanba nodded. ¡°Well, I know, you¡¯re scared.¡±


    Instantly, his sister flung him away.


    ¡°Seriously, aren¡¯t you going to stay here for a few more days?¡± Shaqira looked at Hao Ren. ¡°If you¡¯re not accustomed to living underwater, we can create a dry area for you. Everyone in Nasaton hopes to see you. Some would even like to apologize and thank you¡ªboth the soldiers, who were controlled and the people who were rescued.


    Hao Ren laughed and looked up. Maybe next time¡­ I have a lot more work to do. Oh, yes, this is for you.¡±


    Hao Ren handed the siren queen a shiny, silver-white metal plate.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°Your history and related writings.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Part of it was drawn from Eva¡¯s memory. Part of it was from translated words. I think you definitely need this. It¡¯s simple to use. All you need is a mental connection, and it has a holographic projection function.¡±


    The siren queen solemnly thanked him by placing the data plate on her chest. ¡°Thank you. From now on, in every generation, you will be remembered as the best friends of the siren race.¡±

 Chapter 621

    After saying their farewells to the sirens in Nasaton, Hao Ren and his crew headed back home.


    Hao Ren was really worried that something would go wrong at home, as this time around, the ones staying back and looking after the house were the trio of rascals. A dare-devil baby mermaid, a dumb cat with a brain full of fish jerky, and a demon loli, who was habitual dismantler; Hao Ren dared not imagine what would happen when the three of them were together. Thankfully, Y¡¯lisabet did not disappoint. The little demonic runt had dusted off her skills as a commander of Helcrown and managed to put the fish as well as the cat on tabs. Everything at home was a-okay.


    Except¡­ all of the electrical items were dismantled and reassembled.


    After confirming that everything at home was fine (at least on the surface), the first thing everyone did was to sleep to their heart¡¯s content. They temporarily let loose the tension from the incident on Io, the giants, the brain monsters and a whole bunch of crap. After that, it was back to normal for everyone. They were seasoned veterans by now, and were used to how things work.


    Hao Ren actually wanted to take a few more days off, but he could not afford himself such a luxury; he had a boatload of reports to prepare and had to organize another truckload of newly-obtained information, so he was up and about since morning. A year into his job, Hao Ren had adopted the very good habit of recording everything he had encountered down, right to the minute detail; any information he collected had to be included in the report or his work journal. That was the only way to prevent himself from scratching his head later down the line. Now, most of the things he had encountered were ¡°beyond natural¡±, and this domain was still unknown waters. Even the most basic of knowledge was very difficult to digest, not to mention the misinformation that could follow. If he did not have enough wisdom, or natural ability for the job, he had to compensate for it with good ol¡¯ hardwork.


    After getting the reports done, Hao Ren planned to pay Raven 12345 a visit; there were just too many things that he needed to inform her.


    Rollie was still curled up like a ball on the sofa as she nudged him on the waist with her head. She let out a series of slow growls to ease her boredom. Her old form would only previously take up one seat at the most, but her current form easily occupied two thirds of the sofa. With Hao Ren in tow, there was pretty much no place left for anyone else. So, Lily had to squat on the seating pillow next to the sofa as she shuffled the channels for Animal Planet. As she went through the motion, she started to mumble, ¡°Mr. Landlord¡­ I just realized something.¡±


    Hao Ren was still doing his report, and he responded without even raising his head. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°¡­It seems like I¡¯m the only one paying rent, right?¡± Lily¡¯s ears twitched as she gave Hao Ren a blank look. ¡°Seems like I¡¯m on the losing end of things?¡±


    As she finished, Y¡¯zaks, who was reading the paper; Vivian, who was cleaning the table; Nangong Wuyue, who was putting some ointment on her tail; and Nangong Sanba, who was teaching Lil Pea to read Letta runes all became quiet as they threw each other an awkward glance. It was finally Hao Ren who broke the silence as he patted the husky on the head. ¡°It took you a year to think this through?¡±


    Lily¡¯s ears dropped. ¡°Am I that slow¡­ Say, Mr. Landlord, am I losing out on something?¡±


    Hao Ren ruffled the husky¡¯s head. ¡°No worries, I¡¯ve already converted your monthly rent into the purchase of ribs. Where did you think those extra 10 kg of ribs you¡¯ve been having each month come from?¡±


    Lily suddenly thought that she was not losing out on anything and promptly forgot about the matter. She gave Hao Ren¡¯s fingers a satisfied lick before continuing to watch TV. Rollie opened her eyes as she nudged Hao Ren¡¯s arm. ¡°Nyaaaa can¡¯t stand her¡­.¡±


    Lil Pea too flapped her tail excitedly. ¡°Cant stand her, can¡¯t stand her!¡±


    ¡°Say.. How is Lil Pea faring in her studies?¡± Hao Ren looked at Nangong Sanba as he heard Lil Pea¡¯s voice.


    ¡°She now recognizes most of the Letta Runes. Her memory is incredible, and her talents are pretty good, I think she can complete everything by the end of this month.¡± Nangong Sanba was a rather proud of his teaching progeess. In the face of a group of otherworldlings, that was the only part that he could brag about. ¡°Wanna see her holy flame? She can cast it without incantation!¡±


    Hao Ren was instantly intrigued. ¡°Let me have a look!¡±


    Lil Pea realized that this was her time, and happily tapped her tail on the table. She lifted her tiny hands as she rubbed it, a spark later a little white ball of fire appeared. Nangong Sanba motioned for Lil Plea to stay still before pulling out a cigar from his pocket and rolled the tip on the flame. Taking a deep breath, he said. ¡°Still a cigar lit with holy flame taste the best¡­¡±


    Hao Ren gawked, ¡°¡­ So after a good month, you taught her to be a bloody lighter?¡±


    Lil Pea excited bounced before Hao Ren before proudly showing him the ball of fire, ¡°Daddy, need a light?¡±


    Lily started coughing as she smelt the cigar fumes and Sanba immediately killed the fire before shrugging. ¡°You know your daughter is just an inch long, with that size what can she by aside from a lighter?¡±


    Lil Pea was still bouncing about with that ball of holy flame in her hand, asking everyone if they needed a lighter. She was literally a walking lighter at the point. At the same time, Vivian saw the clock and realized that it was time for lunch. She picked the little mermaid up as she headed towards the kitchen. ¡°You¡¯d be of use in the kitchen, the kitchen lighter is broken.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Hao Ren blinked before turning towards Nangong Sanba with a ¡®You did good¡¯ look on his face. ¡°Well, that¡¯s something at least. By the way, didn¡¯t you say that you wanted to make a set of equipment for Lil Pea, something about improving her rate of learning. Had you made it?¡±


    Nangong Sanba gave a satisfied smile. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to remind me that. I¡¯ve made them long ago, a small crossbow and practice sword, and a weapon case. Hehehe, they were pretty fiddly to make. Had to use a magnifying glass to carve the Letta Runes on the weapon, took me a whole night.¡±


    ¡°Oh oh, how is she faring with them?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t got the chance to show her yet.¡± Nangong Sanba grinned as he rubbed his hands together. ¡°I plan to give us a surprise later.¡±


    Vivian was done with Lil Pea helping her lighting the stove and the little mermaid had bounced her way from the kitchen back to the hall. Hao Ren motioned to the little rascal at the distance. ¡°Come here, Lil Pea. Uncle Sanba has something nice for you!¡±


    Lil Pea perked up immediately as she heard that and happily bounced her way on to the tea table as she tapped her tail. ¡°Sumting nais! Sumting nais!¡±


    Nangong Sanba smiled as he pulled a small intricate box from his coat, his face serious. ¡°Lil Pea, while you are only an inch long, you had a glorious and pure bloodline running in you. You are the world¡¯s one and only demon hunting fish, and you need your own personalized equipment. May these equipment lead you on the path to cleanse all evil, and be your courage, your blade, your armor and your safeguard, you need¡­.¡±


    Before Nangong Sanba could finish, Wuyue had slapped her tail on the back on his h ead. ¡°Brother! You don¡¯t have to act all haughty before us right?¡±


    Nangong Sanba looked defeated as he clutched the back of his head. ¡°I¡¯m not acting! I was being all serious you know! This is a demon hunter¡¯s rites for an initiate getting his first gear. I even simplified the benediction process, Lil Pea is soaked in the water most of the time anyway.¡±


    ¡°Alright alright, just look at you, being all proud for being a teacher to a one inch demon hunter mermaid. Even just saying that embarass me.¡± Hao Ren pulled the small box before Lil Pea. ¡°Have a look, see if you like it?¡±


    Lil Pea gave Hao Ren a perplexed look, before looking at Nangong Sanba, before giving the intricate box a sniff as she gingerly opened the box.


    It was a set of demon hunting equipment in it, specially tailored for Lil Pea¡¯s size. A pen-cap sized little crossbow, a set of five exorcist throwing knifes, and a little wooden sword and runic tome. All of them for training.


    Lil Pea was very happy with the gifts and proceeded to eat them.


    Alright, that was her plan at least, but as she put the sword in her mouth Hao Ren immediately stopped her, with cold sweat on his head. ¡°Say¡­ I was feeling that something was off¡­ Sanba why did you made them using wood?¡±


    ¡°For training pur¡­¡± Nangong Sanba too had realized the problem with the material used. (Well, Lil Pea had a rather odd diet, and without a powerful cognitive ability most people would not realize what she would actually bite and eat) but the demon hunter had no other choice. ¡°A demon hunter¡¯s own powers would enhance their weapons¡¯ strength. A crossbow bolt would hit like a rifle round, so when we train we would use wooden weapons that were anointed with blessed oil. Their magic adaptability is similar to holy silver, but would not enhance the weapon¡¯s strength, that¡¯ll at prevent trainees from hurting themselves¡­¡±


    At the same time Lil Pea was struggling in Hao Ren¡¯s palm as she squealed. ¡°Food, food¡­ Daddy let me eat¡­.¡±


    Hao Ren looked resignedly at Nangong Sanba, ¡°I think you still have a long way to go with your education plan.¡±

 Chapter 622

    ¡°Yes, yes, just like that. Focus all on your weapon, be one with it, it is the extension of your arm. Relax, relax¡­. Hey! Don¡¯t eat it! Aim with it! And don¡¯t eat your beltbuckle! Don¡¯t eat your weapon case! My goodness why is this child¡­¡±


    Nangong Sanba scrambled to save the crossbow and weapon case from Lil Pea¡¯s jaws, but he only managed to save just that much. The wooden practice sword still stuck out like a toothpick from the little mermaid¡¯s mouth as she dashed towards the adults with a silly grin while tapping her tail on the tea table. ¡°More!¡±


    This was Lil Pea¡¯s second day of weapon practice. The little rascal seems to not really understand what the delicious things really are, but under the adult¡¯s guidance, she finally could hold herself from biting her own equipment ¨C for a few minutes at most. Hao Ren prodded Lil Pea¡¯s tail with the tip of his finger. ¡°Sanba, make her a set of real equipment. Honestly, this child here is much stronger than you in terms of demon hunting abilities. If a half-baked one like you won¡¯t hurt yourself, she will be fine.¡±


    Nangong Sanba carefully tidied up the weapon case which Lil Pea had messed up as he have Hao Ren a serious look, ¡°Please call me by my full name or just Nangong, Sanba* itself will cause a lot of misunderstanding. That aside, I think you are right.¡±


    Lil Pea hugged Hao Ren¡¯s finger as she gave it a peck before bouncing on the tea table looking for food. The growing little mermaid was every hungry and yet no one knew where the wooden fibre that she ate had gone too as she showed no signs of getting fat. The demon hunting mermaid that is destinied to be someone great is still a mischevious little mermaid, but she had already shown that she had what it takes to be an excellent demon hunter: The little rascal was happily hopping amongst her new toys and worked hard to leave a bite mark on everything there.


    Nangong Sanba had by then given up saving the wooden training equipments, he had decided to make a proper set for her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll head over to Raven 12345¡¯s place.¡± Hao Ren said as he grabbed the MDT that was playing some shows and stuffed it into his pocket. ¡°I won¡¯t be back for lunch.¡±


    Lily was halfway through watching the channel as she leapt up. ¡°Eh eh, Mr Landlord¡­ I¡¯m not done yet¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop watching those mindless dramas, and do something more productive.¡± Hao Ren said as he poked Lily¡¯s forehead. ¡°If I¡¯m not back by then remember to bring the cat for a walk. Aerym would do, don¡¯t let her run about here.¡±


    Lily pouted, ¡°It¡¯s no fun walking a cat around, it does not understand the joy of running about the plains.¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged, ¡°Then let her walk you instead, you go do your running stuff while she watches you.¡±


    Lily rolled her eyes immediately. ¡°Ugh¡­why you¡­ alright alright, I¡¯ll bring the cat for a walk. Remember to get me some hot buns when you come back, the ones from Old Zhao at the back lane.¡±


    Hao Ren checked the MDT and the sample inside his Dimensional Pocket before directly teleporting into Raven 12345¡¯s turf.


    Raven 12345 seemed to know that Hao Ren would look for her today and she was waiting for him before her mansion. The moment Hao Ren appeared she broke into a huge smile to welcome him. ¡°You¡¯re here. Have you eaten? Or you¡¯ll be leaving after a while? You won¡¯t be staying here for lunch right?¡±


    ¡°Boss, have some decency won¡¯t hurt.¡± Hao Ren was already used to the crazy Goddess¡¯ antics and he could not be bothered to play along. ¡°I¡¯ll be staying for lunch, not a big eater anyway. I¡¯m here for¡­¡±


    ¡°I know, I¡¯ve read your reports.¡± Raven 12345¡¯s playful expression immediately gave way to a serious look. ¡°Follow me, let me see the samples.¡±


    Hao Ren was taken by Raven 12345 via teleportation into a place that he had never seen before. It was a wide area, with the crystalline floor having the etchings of the galatic map as a faint gold decorative pillars standing about hundred meters apart throughout the room. On the top part of the room stood a magnificent dome. All these decorations implied that this was a room-type dimesnion, yet Hao Ren could not see the edge of the place even after taking a good look, as if this place was an endless luxurious hall. Well, it either could be massively big, or this dimensional structure is not normal.


    Hao Ren knew he was still inside Raven 12345¡¯s mansion: With his repeated visits as his job demanded, he was getting familiar with the real face of this seemingly unorthodox ¡®heaven¡¯, yet he more he knew he more he realized that he doesn¡¯t know the place at all. The building¡¯s interior had many wondrous, illogical spatial structure, some other places could not even be described. The mansion too had inumerable rooms and countless of sights, everytime you open a door you would see continent open itself before you (according to Raven 12345 that¡¯s her monitoring room), some other corridors lead right straight to the stars.


    So the existance of an endless hall is nothing weird.


    ¡°This is my repository, basement, uh¡­.I use it to store certain things.¡± Raven 12345 waved her hand, and as she waved, the pillars started vibrating as a screen started forming all along the pillars and it looked like many items were stored within. ¡°Placing the sample here would be better, take it out and let me have a look.¡±


    Hao Ren opened his Dimensional Pocket and put the two storage container before Raven 12345. One of the container was a square box that held the giant brain while another was a ten-meter long transparent crystalline container, and in it lay a giant¡¯s body.


    There were four of those, and Hao Ren kept three for himself to research and the last one was given to Raven 12345.


    ¡°Everything about Io¡¯s in the report, so I don¡¯t have to repeat that. Just say that the Siren¡¯s issue is resolved and Io¡¯s ecosystem had also restarted.¡± Hao Ren pointed towards the brain. ¡°The problem is this¡­ The monster that attacked Io, and it was the brain of the giants¡­ a mutation¡­¡±


    Raven 12345 nodded without a sound. She circled around the soulless brain that still maintained its biological functions before taking a curious glance at the floating corpse of the giant. With a wave of her hand, the giant was pulled out of the container, and floated about a meter from the ground.


    ¡°Frankly speaking, this mutation had really challenged how I see thing.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°I thought I have seen aplenty¡­ but for a living brain to detach from its body and live on, and then mutate into another being¡­ The brain can feed using its tentacles, and have its own biological functions. If not for me seeing it myself, I would not have believed that this was just an organ of another living being.¡±


    ¡°Some races had abilities to manipulate flesh and body, but this only happens to races that choose such an evolution path.¡± Raven 12345 spoke slowly, as her hand swept slowly across the giant¡¯s head, as minute electrical current jumped along her fingers. ¡°But this giants¡­ they clearly have both technical expertise and a very excellent biological evolution ability. The former would need their own race¡¯s advancement, the latter¡­¡±


    Raven 12345 touched the temple of the giant as a flash of light quickly spread throughout the body.


    ¡°The latter came from divine blessing. If they have such an excellent natural ability, and could maintain it despite using technologically advanced tools, its no surprise if they could create such an mutation that you have mentioned.¡±


    ¡°Y¡¯zaks said that the giant¡¯s physique is perfect, perfect till the point of unnatural, an undying body from birth.¡± Hao Ren vaguely knew where the key point of the problem lies. ¡°You think this could happen in the natural world?¡±


    Raven 12345 retracted her hand. ¡°Possible, but very very miniscule chances. I don¡¯t think we had stumbled upon one like that. The chances of you meeting me, the great Goddess herself is already a miniscule percentile. It¡¯ll be unfair if you keep striking jackpot.¡±


    ¡°Boss, is it even okay for you to say that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s FINE.¡± Raven 12345 snapped her fingers nonchalantly. ¡°So all in all, the giant have a perfect physical body, and its genetical inprint has no defects or any useless information. So even if an organ were to mutate it will have enormous power. This attributes were akin to perfect first sample, and this means that this means they are very close to the Seed of Origin.¡±


    In the Plane of Dreams, anything closer towards the Goddess¡¯ bloodline, the stronger they are.


    Hao Ren rubbed his chin as something dawned upon him. ¡°So, is it possible that these giants are another form of the First Born? A form that forsook the tentacle monster form and took a humanoid superhuman form?¡±


    Raven 12345¡¯s eyes gleamed. ¡°Who knows¡­¡±

 Chapter 623

    In the Plane of Dreams, aside from the Siren¡¯s natural evolution, all other living beings revolves around the bloodline.


    With the Goddess of Creation as the seed of all life, and the subsequent evolutions were akin to steps. Anything that is the closest to the Goddess is the strongest and most perfect. The first batch of primal beings had apocalyptic abilities and were almost godlike, they too had the ability to communicate with the Goddess, while the Second Born were no different that humans on Earth, if a wee bit stronger, but their ability compared with the First Born was earth and heaven.


    This bloodline could be used to determine an unknown species¡¯ ¡®birth¡¯ or their evolution period. Based on the information they had with the giant¡¯s unnnatural physique, Hao Ren boldly guessed that they are another form of the First Born, while not matching them exactly in strength, they are still a far superior race.


    Recalling the brain monster¡¯s abilities, Hao Ren was afraid that this giants have the ability to control spatial magics from birth, and they had a very strong control over souls.


    ¡°I thought that all primal lifeforms were the same as the First Born, using their unnatural form and physique to survive.¡± Hao Ren said as he bend down to check on the bloated scar at the back of the giant¡¯s head. ¡°I never thought that they would close the same path of civilisation as other races.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute.. This¡­ does not seem like they were evovled from the Seed of Origin.¡± Raven12345 suddenly frowned. ¡°I anaylsed the Lifeblood samples that you had brought back and after simulating it, there¡¯s a gap between the Lifeblood and the giants.¡±


    ¡°Not the Seed of Origin.¡± Hao Ren was stunned. ¡°So does that mean the giants were not created by the Goddess in the Plane of Dreams?¡±


    Raven12345 squinted. ¡°No, they were created by the Goddess, but not through the Seed of Origin. I suspect that the Goddess had personally created these giants, not via germination, but directly.


    Hao Ren was curious. ¡°How did you arrive at that?¡±


    Raven12345 hugged her arm. ¡°A Goddess¡¯ intuition.¡±


    Hao Ren had nothing to add. But he remembered something at the moment, and pulled out from his Dimensional Pocket a few shreds of paper. ¡°Oh right. I found this when I last went to the Plane of Dreams. It¡¯s a piece from a scroll, and the Cult of Origination had planned to use it to assassinate the Pope. The MDT detected that the scroll contains divinity, and suspect that it was used in a ritual for the Goddess of Creation. And oh, that thing was brought to Holetta by the brain monster.¡±


    Raven12345 was instantly piqued as soon as she saw the paper shreds. ¡°Now that¡¯s something¡­. let me have a look.¡±


    As she sifted through the shreds of paperr, she asked offhandedly. ¡°What did you think?¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°I initially thought that the monster had gotten it from some other races as it gave me the impression it did not know how to operate tools, but now I think that the giants may have used this; they had worshipped the Goddess after all, and they are even more closely linked to the Goddess than others.


    Raven12345 raised an eyebrow. ¡°How big was the scroll?¡±


    Hao Ren gestured in the air. ¡°About a foot long?


    ¡°Well, just look how big the giant¡¯s fingers are.¡±


    ¡°¡­Ahem..¡±


    ¡°The scroll was not used by the giants, but you are right on one thing. The scroll does have some divinity.¡± Raven12345 passed the paper shreds to Hao Ren but she kept one for herself. ¡°This is the most important sample, I¡¯ll take one to analyse.¡±


    After he was done briefing Raven12345 about the giants, the brain monster and the scroll, Hao Ren brought up the matter regarding the Sirens wish to back to their homeplanet. While he did not ascent to the Siren Queen¡¯s request, he wanted to ask Raven12345¡¯s opinion now that he have the chance.


    ¡°You¡¯re response was the right one.¡± Raven12345 nodded. ¡°Letting a whole race return to the Plane of Dreams is risky, even if the stable rift on the Wall of Reality might not be able to sustain such a shock. And now regardless¡­. there¡¯s a lot of things going on in the Plane of Dreams, if possible we should not let it take any more beatings.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded solemnly. After demurring for a moment, he decided to ask a question; and that question had been plaguing him for a long while. ¡°I actually have something to ask you, but I don¡¯t know whether it is appropriate.¡±


    ¡°Then let it be. I¡¯m just about to cook.¡±


    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s about the Goddess of Creation. You said before that she had divinity in her, so I went to dig further and realised that ¡®divinity¡¯ is not something that can be simply defined, and being ¡®chosen by a real God¡¯ is not something anyone could cook up. Under most circumstnaces the Gods in most worldy are simply just creatures with extraordinary abilities. Even if they could manipulate natural laws or create worlds, under the three great pantheons¡¯ rules they are not real ¡®Gods¡¯, simply because they lack the trait of being able to ¡®interfere with information¡¯, simply put they are not able to be the focal point of information¡­¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s blabber was actually just him regurgitating the information he had gotten from Raven12345 or the data vault , but at that point of time he didn¡¯t understand the significance or the meaning of it and now he was able to sniff out something odd from the information.¡±


    Raven12345 glanced at him. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying that, you had mentioned that the Goddess of Creation is real god.¡± Hao Ren motioned. ¡°Is she part of the three great pantheons? Or to make it simpler¡­ Is she part of the Xiling Celestials? Maybe someone you know?¡±


    Raven12345 raised her hand. ¡°Lets stop here. Lunch is on me.¡±


    ¡°¡­You do realise that your attempt to divert the conversation is so stiff?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s how your honest, direct and sincere Goddess roll, take it or leave it.¡± Raven12345 placed her hands on her waist before letting out a deep sigh. ¡°Aihh¡­ The main thing is I¡¯m not able to answer your question, because we are still investigating as well. We are not even sure who she is.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyes widen. ¡°So there¡¯s a possiblity?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and it is not just possible, our Data Network¡¯s mainframe had already locked on to the fact that the Goddess may either be from the Xiling Celestials or the Galacticus Pantheons, but they are not able to narrow down exactly to who this Goddess is.¡± Raven12345 shrugged. ¡°We have gone through the name list as well and were not able to confirm anything. Even our history had no Goddess who had fallen in the locale, so the possibility of the a Goddess being resurrected, or reborn, or reassembled had been discredited.¡±


    Hao Ren blinked. ¡°And the Goddess of Creation is someone on the same level as you¡­ You think I can solve this?¡±


    Raven12345 patted Hao Ren on the shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the organisation has plans in place when they chose you. You need to have faith in us. Because even if you don¡¯t you are not allowed to quiet. So lets leave that aside and have a bowl of noodles.¡±


    Hao Ren knew anything he wants to say now will fall on deaf ears and simply sighed. ¡°I thought you said no lunch served?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind.¡± Raven12345 grinned. ¡°Be happy you, this garlic is planted personally by the Goddess of Life¡­¡±


    ¡°The Goddess of Life plants garlic?¡± Hao Ren was shocked.¡±


    ¡°Why not? Her garden have everything. I¡¯ve been there before, rows upon rows of various vegetables. The first row was a whole row of garlic and at the back rows of anise¡­ by the side is chives¡­ Oh the most of the lot are chives, because the Ravens love chives.¡±


    Hao Ren was utterly dumbfounded by now. ¡°Why do I feel that its like a vegetable garden¡­. How about the golden apples?¡±


    ¡°Windbreaks.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Hao Ren felt that he could never be able to figure out how the Celestial World would be like. But based on what he have heard, it will probably look no different than the Southern Suburbs¡­


    So Hao Ren had lunch at Raven12345¡¯s place and tried the vaunted garlic that was personally cultivated and blessed by the Goddess of Life, and he thought¡­. it was pretty normal. The crazy Goddess had put a spoonful too much salt when she boiled the broth. The first mouth he had was to have his tastebuds assaulted. The only good news was he managed to get another two bowls of noodle soup, almost stuffing himself to death.


    After Hao Ren left her place, Raven12345 went back to her own office as she looked at the shred of paper from the scroll. Her expression was deep in thought.


    ¡°It really went towards the worst possible path.¡± she muttered. ¡°Say¡­ Hao Ren¡­¡±


    Raven12345 carefully kept the paper shred and pulled a small crystal pylon towards her. She gently put her fingers on the pylon surface. ¡°Lord Mother, I beseech your powers once more, guide me on the right path¡­¡±


    After a few muttering, the crystal pylon glowed softly before an image was conjured in the air, and it was Hao Ren¡¯s face.


    ¡°What¡¯s so special about him?¡± Raven12345 scratched her face as she flipped the pylon about. ¡°¡­ F*ck, don¡¯t tell me this is broken?¡±


    At the same time Hao Ren was walking on the old road on the Southern Suburbs and he suddenly let out a huge sneeze. Feeling a little perplexed, he thought tyo himself. ¡°I can still catch a cold with this body?¡±


    He then looked up as he tried to remember if he had forgotten anything. After he was sure that he had not left anything out, he happily walked back home.

 Chapter 624

    Before Hao Ren could even pull out his keys, the front door opened. It was Lily who had heard his footsteps and came to open the door. Like any ordinary husky, the lass here could hear whose footsteps it was from the street while she was lazing about.


    ¡°Mr. Landlord, where are my buns?¡± Lily looked at Hao Ren with anticipation before she circled him to look for the hidden buns. ¡°I just got back from walking the cat, so where are my buns?¡±


    Hao Ren finally realized why he felt like he had missed something out earlier: he had forgotten about Lily¡¯s buns!


    ¡°Umm¡­ That¡­¡± He awkwardly looked at the starry-eyed werehusky. ¡°Actually¡­¡±


    Lily¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°Did you forget them, Mr. Landlord?¡±


    Hao Ren tapped his head as he quickly thought of a plan to stop Lily from biting him. He pulled out a pack of snacks from his Dimensional Pocket. ¡°Old Zhao¡¯s closed for business today, so I got you a pack of chocolates.¡±


    After he passed the packet of chocolates to Lily, Hao Ren quickly went inside, leaving her as she stood by the door in a dumbfounded manner. It took a good few moments for the werehusky to react. ¡°What the hell are you doing Mr. Landlord! I can¡¯t eat chocolate! I¡¯ll get diarrhea!¡±


    Vivian was watching the telly as she heard the commotion by the front door. She turned to Nangong Wuyue and said, ¡°Like I¡¯ve said many times, Doggie will forever be Doggie¡­¡±


    Hao Ren approached the sofa and patted Rollie to get her to move aside. He exhaled as he sat. ¡°Is Y¡¯zaks out with his daughter?¡±


    Wuyue had a couple of rags on her tail as she was mopping the floor. ¡°Oh, Auntie Zhao¡¯s fridge was broken, so Y¡¯zaks brought Y¡¯lisabet to repair it. Rollie, lift your tail up, I¡¯m mopping.¡±


    ¡°Y¡¯lisabet knows how to repair refrigerators now?¡± Hao Ren said while he pulled Rollie¡¯s tail up. Awe was apparent on his face. ¡°That brat¡¯s sure learning fast. I still remember back when she just came, she was poking around with her screwdriver. But¡­ she¡¯s just out to repair the fridge, right? Why does Y¡¯zaks have to follow?¡±


    ¡°The father is a worrywart. He¡¯s afraid that Old Zhao¡¯s place may have demon hunters hiding within it, so he went to keep an eye on her.¡±


    Hao Ren laughed out loud. ¡°That¡¯s some imaginative thinking¡­¡±


    Wuyue shrugged. ¡°Probably the paranoia of a former king. There are daggers in the shadow after him, and his daughter¡¯s next in line. So,his logic isn¡¯t too far-fetched.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s your brother?¡± Hao Ren looked around and found that Nangong Sanba was not at home. He was usually teaching Lil Pea how to read Letta runes at this time.


    ¡°He went to town.¡± Nangong Wuyue used the tip of her tail to wipe the space underneath the sofa. ¡°Remember the two demon hunters who were educated by our goddess? Brother went to speak to them, and get some information about the organization.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled once he heard that, and was pleased with his results. That organization was said to be the most difficult to breach, and in their long war against the otherworldlings, the organization had never been compromised; but now, there was a breach in their impregnable wall. Regardless of Nangong Sanba who was totally in league with them, or Zhao Xi and Liu Sheng who were cooperating discreetly (the two demon hunters stationed in the city were ¡®educated¡¯ by Raven 12345), or the wavering White Flame, there were gaps and breaches within the organization. While it may be small, it would certainly be a deciding factor when the time came.


    Needless to say, Hao Ren would not be claiming the credit for everything. He knew that the shaking of the demon hunters¡¯ foundation was not due to outside forces, but the fact that their ¡®hunter¡¯s instinct¡¯ was fading away. No one knew what the cause was, but without a doubt, this was something inevitable with the passing of time. Even without Raven 12345¡¯s intervention, the demon hunters would sooner or later cease their hunt.


    For him, it was to end the hunt sooner rather than later.


    Lil Pea was bouncing about on the tea table as she bit into a small piece of wood, her hand still holding on to her ¡®toy crossbow¡¯. The little rascal still could not control her hunger, but at least she knew that the crossbow was not to be eaten. She tapped Hao Ren with her tail to say hi before she lifted her crossbow and took aim at an apple not too far away. With a pull of the trigger, countless silver needles shot out towards the target. The little mermaid then scampered down the table to the floor.


    Her tail was slippery and soaking wet¡­


    Hao Ren laughed as he picked Lil Pea up from the floor and looked at his daughter happily performing her fireball and lightning tricks. The little sparks were pretty much harmless, yet the little one was enjoying herself. Hao Ren nodded, and felt that this was how life was supposed to be.


    It was much better that running back and forth trying to save worlds.


    However, Hao Ren was fated to never be able to relax for too long, as the MDT floated over. ¡°I¡¯ve gotten an all-channel broadcast for this universe. Something that I think is important.¡±


    ¡°The local universe channel?¡± Hao Ren was stunned. He was so held up by his work that he had not been paying attention to the local channel for a good while. Only at times did he scroll through some hilarious pictures sent from other planets to ease his boredom. ¡°What¡¯s the deal?¡±


    ¡°This is from Saint Suir IV. The local inspector managed to capture a vengeful spirit, and is looking for someone to help with the research.¡±


    Hao Ren unconciously tightened his grip and Lil Pea immediately popped out of his hand, while Nangong Wuyue stabbed her tail into the sofa in shock. By the time she recovered and pulled it out, a spring was still stuck on her tail. ¡°¡­Mr. Landlord¡­ I broke the sofa.¡±


    ¡°No worries, I¡¯ll submit a claim later. MDT, show me the message.¡±


    The MDT floated before Hao Ren and projected the broadcast through its holographic display. ¡± Non-Encrypted Report¡ªLocal Universe Channel. Origin Point: Saint Sur IV. All Spectrum Broadcast. The local inspector has captured a spiritual being three imperial days ago. Based on the information in the data vault, the being has been determined to be a vengeful spirit. The being is hostile, uncontrollable and cannot be communicated with. It is also very aggresive and is a high risk against all living beings. Seeking assistance from the local universe for any experienced inspectors or qualified civilian groups to anaylze the being¡¯s information structure. As per security rules, any interested party needs to have at least D-level clearance. Report over.¡±


    Hao Ren ruffled his hair. ¡°Say¡­ why didn¡¯t we do the same thing when we caught that spirit¡ªlook for help?¡±


    The MDT shook. ¡°You didn¡¯t mention it, and I felt that it was pretty pointless back then. A vengeful spirit is a very difficult being to capture and it¡¯s usually killed on sight. You¡¯re the first person to actually capture one and attempt to analyze it.¡±


    Hao Ren turned his head back and saw Nangong Wuyue looking at him anticipatingly. The spring was still stuck on her tail.


    ¡°Prepare to reply. D-level encryption.¡±


    A moment later, a response was relayed through Kuiper Station.


    ¡± D-level Encryption Report. The following content requires viewing authorization. Local Universe Channel. Origin point¡ªThe Milky Way-Kuiper Station. From Suharr Satelite Base to Saint Sur IV. The local inspector has managed to capture a vengeful spirit before and is experienced in its analysis. Most willing to help, please see attachment for more information. Report over.¡±


    The reply from Saint Sur IV came very quickly. The unknown inspector thanked Hao Ren and welcomed him to visit his place.


    ¡°Right, so let¡¯s go on another voyage. Let¡¯s see what we can find there. If we can find someone to help, we might be able to solve the mystery of the vengeful spirit that we¡¯ve captured,¡± Hao Ren muttered. ¡°Say¡­ is this the first time I¡¯m meeting another inspector?¡±


    ¡°The very first. But most of the time inspectors don¡¯t meet at all.¡± The MDT shook again. ¡°They have their own area of responsibility, and without any urgent issues, they never call for a meeting.¡±


    ¡°Do we need to prepare anything?¡± Hao Ren was rather excited about the upcoming visit, but also a little nervous. This was the first time since he had taken up the job that he would be meeting another civil servant from another district. He had to appear professional.


    The MDT thought for a bit. ¡°¡­Bring some souvenirs? I think the local stewed pork trotter is pretty good.¡±


    The moment Hao Ren heard that, he knew that he did not need to fret too much about preparations.

 Chapter 625

    Since Hao Ren was going to another planet¡ªSaint Sur IV, he did some research, getting a rough idea about it.


    Saint Sur IV was an ecological planet located in the marginal region. Its development was similar to that of Earth. As the region did not have a developed space civilization that was big enough, the whole area did not belong to any civilization circle. Thus, Saint Sur IV was recorded as a single planet in the universe¡¯s solar system. The planet had a period of advanced civilization, but it was later destroyed by a sudden outbreak of civil war. When the Empire set its inspectors on the planet, it had already ushered in a second civilization dominated by swords and magic. The mysterious ancient ruins and the wonderful, messy history of the two civilizations were the greatest features of the planet. Saint Sur, in the local language, meant ¡®the land of the ancestors¡¯ and ¡®heritage¡¯. The number ¡°IV¡± was added by Raven 12345 personally when she was filing the planet.


    She thought that adding numbers to the name would make it look like it was of a higher rank¡ªbecause she had numbers in her name too.


    Anyway, that was the way the crazy goddess handled things.


    Saint Sur IV itself was not famous in the universe. The civilization it carried would probably take at least 2,000 years to enter the star stage even if it developed normally. However, the most special part of the planet was its position next to a famous facility called Suharr, a satellite base. The satellite base was a giant space station left by the ancient civilization called ¡°Suharr¡±, which was said to be the size of a small planet. The ancient civilization was prosperous before the Empire took over the universe. However later, for unknown reasons, the superb ancient civilization vanished overnight. It only left behind countless advanced ruins and mysterious descendants, who were scattered across several remote, isolated planets. The descendants knew nothing about their ancestors, and the advanced facilities they left behind in space had become the objects of later civilizations.


    It was said that the first civilization of Saint Sur IV was an experimental product that Suharr developed millions of years ago. But, who knows? There were lots of tales like this in the universe, and the Empire had no interest in it.


    The Fairy Void Consortium had paid a huge price to repair the Suharr Satellite Base, which was floating in the Saint Sur IV galaxy. They also installed the most powerful broadcast antenna system in the entire universe in the ancient space facility (excluding the big ones that were set up by the Empire), thus monopolizing the civil data communications within dozens of galaxies. Although the Empire¡¯s communications network did not connect to the Suharr Satellite Base, Suharr, as a ¡°landmark facility¡±, was frequently mentioned during the relaying of data. The head of the satellite base was also one of the liaisons of the Fairy Void Consortium and the Empire in the area.


    Therefore, everybody in the galaxy knew the Suharr Satellite Base.


    ¡°We can look around the place when we get there. Saint Sur IV¡¯s scenery and its two civilizations are very famous,¡± the MDT spoke like an agent from a travel agency. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯re not in a hurry.¡±


    Lily jumped excitedly while she sniffed the chocolate in her hand. ¡°Mr. Landlord, do you need a bodyguard? You know, the kind of bodyguard who writes books.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just meeting my colleague, why do I need a bodyguard?¡± Hao Ren said and shoved Lily¡¯s head. ¡°And you know you can¡¯t eat chocolate, so why do you keep sniffing it and torturing yourself?¡±


    ¡°Then, do you need a dog? You know, the kind that can write.¡± Lily still did not give up.


    She did not mind being teased about her husky breed now, especially when she was with Hao Ren. This would not have happened a year ago.


    ¡°I want to go too. I wish to see anything related to the vengeful spirits,¡± Nangong Wuyue said as she swayed her tail with the spring still stuck to the tip.


    ¡°Meow.¡± Rollie looked up lazily. She rubbed her head against Hao Ren¡¯s arm and said, ¡°I want to go too. It¡¯s so boring staying at home.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay¡­ All of you can come with me.¡± Hao Ren had no way to reject them and thought that it was good to have the opportunity to bring them out. After all, they had all been quite stressed due to the previous incident. ¡°Vivian, are you coming?¡±


    Vivian smiled and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll stay. Somebody has to look after the house. Maybe next time.¡±


    When they had a task that involved fighting, Vivian was always the first to go with Hao Ren. However, she was willing to stay at home and look after the house when they got the chance to take a vacation. She was such a thoughtful girl!


    At this moment, someone opened the door, and they heard Y¡¯lisabet chattering happily. Y¡¯zaks and his daughter were back. As soon as he entered the house, he saw everybody gathered together. He wondered and asked curiously, ¡°What are you guys doing?¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet was surprised to see the spring on the tip of Wuyue¡¯s tail and asked, ¡°Ah, Sis, are you pretending to be a rattlesnake?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue just realized that the spring was still on the tip of her tail. She quickly pulled it out and put it back into the hole in the sofa. Regardless, the tip of her tail still looked like that of a rattlesnake¡¯s¡­


    Hao Ren then told Y¡¯zaks the news. Y¡¯zaks waved his hand and said, ¡°You guys go ahead. I¡¯m not interested.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet was already holding Lil Pea in her hands and chatting with her. ¡°¡­That time, the moment my dad entered the door, a man wearing a priest¡¯s robe suddenly jumped out of nowhere and yelled at my dad. He called my dad a ¡®demon¡¯, and my dad killed him right away. The wine was still warm¡­ Then, me, my dad, and an old lady protected the monk, Tang Sanzang as we traveled to the West¡­¡±


    Lil Pea was fascinated by the story, raising her little hands and screaming loudly.


    ¡°¡­Wang, if you don¡¯t know how to educate your daughter, let Nangong Sanba do it. That guy, though not a good demon hunter, does a good job when it comes to educating Lil Pea. At least Lil Pea doesn¡¯t make up stories like you do,¡± said Hao Ren.


    Y¡¯zaks was speechless.


    They told Nangong Sanba about the second vengeful spirit when he got home, and of course, he wanted to go with them as well. Therefore, they left for Saint Sur IV early in the morning the next morning.


    They came to a star system shrouded in dark clouds. A young, reddish-orange star shone brightly in the area, which consisted of 23 planets. However, only Saint Sur IV was in a habitable zone, and half of the 22 planets were so close to their own sun that they were scorching hot. Meanwhile, the remaining 11 planets were forever frozen. The Suharr Satellite Base was at the transition point between Saint Sur IV and the 13th planet. Its space anchor technology kept the huge space station and the star in a constant relative position.


    It was a huge, gray, standard icosidodecahedron space station almost one-third of Earth¡¯s size. A huge relay antenna stood on each of its bright new surfaces. Therefore, it shone brighter than all the other stars in the night sky.


    Needless to say, this star with the unique ¡°trajectory¡± had always been a mystery to the residents of Saint Sur. But because it had been hanging above Saint Sur since the beginning of civilization, the Fairy Void Consortium had evaded a series of regulations. For example, ¡°limiting information access to low-level civilizations¡±. Those profiteers did not have to disguise the giant space station, so the cost they saved was the envy of the business community in the entire universe.


    The spacecraft began to slow down within the stellar system. As they approached the Suharr Satellite Base, Hao Ren received greetings from the head of the satellite base. ¡°It is an honor to have the inspector visit this place. Would you like to get a Fairy Void Consortium souvenir kit? You can¡¯t miss this. We give inspectors the best discount.¡±


    ¡°No, thanks.¡± Hao Ren had heard about the Fairy Void Consortium¡¯s salesmen. He declined and changed the subject, ¡°Has there been any news in this place recently?¡±


    He read the information published by the local inspector and found that the vengeful spirit was captured in space, hence he asked.


    ¡°News? This place has news every day, but it¡¯s certainly not what you¡¯re interested in. Well, there¡¯s one thing, the people of Sandurant are complaining again that the radiation from our large antennas is harming their health¡ªtheir planet is two billion light years away from the space station! Let¡¯s not talk about that¡­ Would you like to get a souvenir kit?¡±


    ¡°Actually, do your antennas have high radiation?¡± Hao Ren looked at the giant antenna towers on the Suharr Satellite Base and asked.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t exceed that of a normal sun anyway. After we took over this place, it¡¯s been working for 1,000 years, and all procedures are in line with the standard,¡± the head of the station replied. He then asked, ¡°Would you like to get a souvenir kit?¡±


    Hao Ren felt some regret and thought that he should not have contacted Suharr in the first place. ¡°¡­No, thanks. I¡¯m going to work first.¡±


    ¡°All right, good luck with your work. Would you like to get a souvenir kit when you come back?¡±


    Hao Ren hastened to accelerate his spacecraft, rushing to Saint Sur IV. A giant projection was deployed from the Suharr Satellite Base, sparkling behind the spacecraft¡ª ¡°Don¡¯t forget to buy a souvenir kit!¡±


    True to its reputation, the Fairy Void Consortium was a skilled profiteer.

 Chapter 626

    Saint Sur IV was a planet that had not yet entered the interstellar age despite being in the center of space exploration. Hence, Hao Ren¡¯s group needed to keep a low profile of their visit there. Hao Ren parked his spacecraft in the orbit, and they teleported directly to the planet. The inspector stationed in the area had given him the coordinates, but when they arrived, Hao Ren found that they were not in a town¡ªit was far from anything that looked like a residential district. It was a mountainous area, barren and primitive. It looked remote and uninhabitable.


    It was bare with high, dangerous mountains and lofty hills surrounding it. They could not estimate how large the mountainous area was. There were rare plants between the gray and white rocks, while some trees, like pine and cypress, were gathered below the hillside. The degree of desolation in the whole area was surprising. Lily climbed up a big stone on top the mountain and looked into the distance. She then shouted, ¡°There¡¯s no one! Landlord, have we come to the wrong place?¡±


    ¡°This is the exact address given to me by the inspector.¡± Hao Ren was stunned too. This wilderness did not look like a suitable place to live. Could that inspector be a hermit?


    But just as he was about to contact his colleague, Lily suddenly jumped down from the rock and exclaimed, ¡°Hey, something big¡¯s coming! It¡¯s flying out from the back of the mountain!¡±


    ¡°What¡­¡± He was stunned when he saw a surprising group of creatures flying over the hills from afar.


    A few giant dragons were flying over the mountain!


    The giant creatures in the large group were more than 10 m long. They were covered in thick scales that were either dark or pale blue. It made them look like a group of heavy forts flying in the air. They had wings that were as huge as the ones possessed by the Western dragons, and they had a sort of primitive, savage deterrent force to them. As the dragons flew towards his side, Hao Ren saw plenty of terrified wild animals running out of the mountains below. This was probably the powerful, legendary force of dragons.


    ¡°There really are dragons in the world¡­¡± Hao Ren was surprised, but apart from feeling surprised, he did not have any other feelings. He just did not expect to see real ¡°giant dragons¡±, which only appeared in myths and legends to appear in this world. However, he had seen many strange creatures during his adventures in other worlds, and some of them were even more ferocious or powerful than dragons¡ªthe tough guy who studied human society by reading the People¡¯s Daily at home every day was one of them. So, Hao Ren did not feel much when he saw the dragons flying towards them, just a sense of surprise that ¡°he finally saw something rare¡±.


    However, the rest of them were quite timid: Lily tucked her tail and hid behind Hao Ren, Nangong Wuyue coiled into a ball, and Rollie ran everywhere like crazy. But when she could not find a place to hide, she simply threw her face into Lily¡¯s tail, pretending that she was already well hidden. Only Nangong Sanba took out his crossbow and went on high alert. ¡°Let¡¯s try not to clash with these guys¡­ Legend has it that the dragons are very hard to deal with and unreasonable,¡± he said.


    Hao Ren looked at the four people he brought along, and suddenly realized a sad thing: He brought the three most useless ones in the family with him, and the only one who was brave enough to fight was just an amateur.


    Nonetheless, he did not really care about it. The purpose of this trip was to visit the inspector there, and he did not plan to have any dealings with the native life of Saint Sur IV. He would just try to avoid them.


    However, as he was thinking about avoiding them, the situation went the other way round¡ªbecause, those fierce-looking dragons were actually flying straight at them. As those dragons exchanged short glances with each other, it was obvious that they were there for them.


    ¡°What?! They¡¯re targeting us.¡± It gave Hao Ren a headache, but there was nothing he could do now. He had no idea why these dragons were coming for them, so he just stood there and waited. At the same time, he tried to calm Nangong Sanba down, ¡°Don¡¯t be so nervous. Although the dragons have a strange temper, it¡¯s not like they can¡¯t communicate. And do you think the little firepower you have is sufficient to fight the dragons?¡±


    Nangong Sanba kept his crossbow and said, ¡°Oh, I was just trying to look tough.¡±


    While they were talking to each other, the dragons had appeared in front of them. The shadows they cast were so huge that it looked as if the sky was falling. With a gale that almost swept them away, the dragons descended on the rocks nearby. A dragon covered in pale green scales turned its head to Hao Ren. He looked at them from top to bottom and said, ¡°¡­Strange clothes, unfamiliar faces, outsiders. Looks like these are the ones. Please come with us.¡±


    Hao Ren was clueless.


    ¡­


    The wild, inaccessible mountain range was regarded as the top in the list of four forbidden lands in Saint Sur IV. Withered Skull Desert and Banefog Lake in the northern continent as well as Thunder Peak nearby could not even compare to ¡°the Dragon¡¯s Lair¡±. In the world of sword and magic, humans had successfully explored three of the four forbidden lands. Even though there were only a few survivors, at least someone managed to get in and out of those places, but not this place.


    Mainly because the Dragon¡¯s Lair was the place where the world¡¯s most powerful overlord settled in. The kingdom of dragons was hidden in the barren, lofty mountains and high ranges.


    Pyroxene Peak in the hinterland of the Dragon¡¯s Lair was a huge hidden fortress. This magnificent mountain had been completely transformed by the power of magic. The dragons spent thousands of years emptying and consolidating the entire mountain. They even put part of the mountain into a different dimension to make their kingdom more impregnable. A huge cavern, as well as countless magnificent, ancient palaces and castles, were now hidden beneath its heavy, rocky crust. Those rugged buildings were more sacred and grandeur than any city ever built by the human kingdoms in the world.


    If someone flew over Pyroxene Peak, he would see that there was a huge funnel-shaped entrance at the top of the gleaming mountain. That was the only access to the Kingdom of Dragons.


    But in that world, no one dared to ¡°fly¡± there, except the dragons.


    Galazur, the Queen of Dragons, was the ruler of the kingdom. She was the most powerful and wise dragon of all time and she was famous throughout the world for taking the lead in fair trade with the human kingdom. Before that, if the dragon clan wanted human jewels, they would just rob them. Galazur had ruled the dragon kingdom for 2,000 years, but everyone firmly believed that her rule was just beginning. For the next 2,000 years or more, she would be the most powerful monarch in the world.


    Due to her identity, the ruler became the most mysterious existence in the world. In the ballads of human bards, Galazur was as dazzling as a star and she sat on a throne in the heart of Pyroxene Peak. Her every breath made the whole mountain rumble, her scales were studded with the oldest and most expensive jewels in the world. Galazur never slept and watched over her kingdom. Every mortal who entered the Dragon¡¯s Lair could not escape her eyes. Bards loved to make up tales of warriors killing dragons, but they dared not mention Galazur even once in such stories.


    These legends were somewhat true. Galazur was indeed a splendid golden dragon, and her throne was located in the heart of Pyroxene Peak. On top of that, she did snore when she slept.


    The dragon queen was waiting for her guests on her throne that day. She was the only one in the vast and magnificent palace. The mountain range was rich in pyroxene (not the same as the mineral on Earth, but a kind of magical mineral that glows), of which its purest raw core was consecrated to the dragon queen and inlaid in the hall before her. It made the place as bright as day.


    A young, giant dragon flew into the hall and turned into a human in front of Galazur. He bowed and said, ¡°My Lady, the people in your prophecy have appeared.¡±


    Galazur nodded and said, ¡°Let them in.¡± Her voice was as loud as thunder.


    Several dragons flew into the hall, bringing Hao Ren and the others. These young dragons seemed unwilling, because ¡°humans¡± were riding on their backs.


    ¡°All of you may leave the hall now,¡± Galazur ordered majestically. ¡°Choverey, you too.¡±


    The dragons had some questions, but no one dared to ask, so they left the hall looking puzzled.


    Hao Ren raised his gaze at the golden dragon, which was more than 10 m high. He was full of surprise. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me you were a dragon before I came.¡±


    Galazur glanced at the closed stone door. Once she confirmed that no one would come in, she immediately slouched, stretched her body and trotted down from the throne. ¡°It¡¯s so uncomfortable to maintain this posture all day¡­ You also didn¡¯t tell me that you were a human before you came here.¡±


    Hao Ren was almost blown away by the ¡°dragon¡¯s roar¡±. ¡°I thought inspectors were all human-like races¡­ Can you tilt your head when you talk? The wind is too strong!¡±


    The dragon queen tilted her head and looked at the people in front of her with her huge, dark yellow eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about other things¡­ Did you bring this dish called ¡®stewed pork trotter¡¯? I¡¯ve heard that your world has it. I haven¡¯t had a good meal in a long time!¡±


    Everyone was stunned, except for Hao Ren.

 Chapter 627

    The Dragon¡¯s Court entrance within Pyroxene Peak was closed as Galazur had ordered the closure of all the palace gates and forbade any dragon from disturbing her. However, not many dragons found this peculiar because they knew the odd dragon queen often shut herself inside the palace, sometimes for a week and even half a month. The dragons were already accustomed to it. Anyway, these little quirks did not affect Galazur as a great ruler.


    Galazur was now sitting in the palace hall enjoying her food. For her guests¡¯ benefit, she turned into a humanoid, who was neither ugly nor pretty, but unusually tall. There was nothing special about her except for the crown on her head. The dragons on that planet did not care about their appearance. They shapeshifted into humanoids only for the purpose of socializing with other races. Even Galazur herself did not care about her own demeanor: she was having mouthfuls of ¡°Earth¡¯s specialties¡±, which Hao Ren had brought for her. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, my dietitians are really annoying. Their heads are full of weeds, and sometimes mixed with stones¡ªdo you believe that nutritional imbalance shortens a dragon¡¯s lifespan? Even the goddess has given me her blessing¡­ but those idiots just simply don¡¯t get it. They won¡¯t let me eat as I like. By the way, this ¡®Spicy Stick¡¯ tastes really good, although it¡¯s not meat¡­¡±


    Cold sweat trickled down Hao Ren¡¯s forehead. He felt lucky for the dragon was now in humanoid form, otherwise, the dozen-pound snacks he brought for her would not have been enough.


    Lily was squatting beside Hao Ren, staring at the tall woman in front of her. ¡°Ga-Galazur, right? I¡¯ve never seen a dragon before in my life! You looked great!¡±


    ¡°When you¡¯re on the throne, ¡®image¡¯ is important. How else are you going to rule over the kingdom?¡± said Galazur, waving her hand. ¡°But, it¡¯s actually boring here. The Kingdom of Dragons is a boring place; there¡¯s nothing much to do except sit on the throne every day. I like my job now as an inspector; I can go places. The world outside is a lot more interesting than this tiny place.¡±


    Hao Ren cast his eyes on Galazur, sizing her up. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind me asking: how did you become an inspector?¡±


    Galazur began to recall. ¡°It happened thousands of years ago. While I was patrolling my territory, lightning suddenly struck out of nowhere and nearly killed me. I heard a faint voice saying, ¡®Damn, I missed.¡¯ When I woke up, I saw a goddess standing in front of me. She told me that would grant me a wish¡­¡±


    Hao Ren immediately knew. It sounded all too familiar¡ªRaven 12345. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead. He asked, ¡°Then, what did you wish for? To go places, or attain power?¡±


    ¡°None of them. Back then, I was more boring than I am now. I felt she that had offended the dignity of dragons, and that she was a liar¡ªso I bit her.¡± Galazur sighed. ¡°Before I knew it, a second lightning struck me; I was half-dead¡­ After that, I learned it was called ¡®God¡¯s punishment¡¯.¡±


    Lily rubbed her mouth and muttered, ¡°The lesson is to not simply bite people. Case in point, my broken teeth from biting Mr. Landlord.¡±


    ¡°Then, I became aware that there was a god in this universe¡ªpreviously, the dragon race saw the ¡®gods¡¯ that humans worshipped as mere natural phenomena.¡± Galazur smiled. ¡°When I told her that I wished to go places, she told me she needed a helper to monitor this area, hence I became her inspector. What about you? I heard that you¡¯re new, but your ass-kicking stories have been making their rounds among many seniors, especially the story of you helping an entire civilization to migrate from one world to another by circumventing the loophole. It was a hot topic on the Local Universe Channel for more than two weeks.¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his chin, feeling a bit embarrassed. ¡°In the beginning, I was just as confused as you were. In fact, I was just looking for a job¡­¡±


    He recalled how he took up the job and chatted with his counterpart. Although Galazur¡¯s stature as a queen was hard to ignore, the atmosphere was closer to employees gossiping in the office. Hao Ren began to get a deeper understanding of the existence of this unique community known as the ¡°inspectors¡± in the universe, or even in the multiverse.


    It was a ¡°borderless¡± group in a true sense. Whoever that was selected and deemed suitable by the Xi Ling Celestials could become an inspector, irrespective of race, origin, occupation, or identity. Religious beliefs and all secular distinctions were meaningless as far as inspectors were concerned. The moment you signed the labor contract, ¡°inspector¡± was your only identity.


    ¡°You¡¯ll meet more interesting guys in the future,¡± said Galazur as she licked her fingers. ¡°The inspectors in Weimaer Civilization Sphere are elemental creatures who look like soft masses of air. When I was on missions in other universes, I saw even more weird people. The Xi Ling Celestials are a lot bigger than you think. There¡¯s endless knowledge, and space waiting for you to explore, and the speed at which space is expanding is faster than you could ever travel.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded in approval. He looked up at the magnificent palace around him. ¡°Looks like your place is much more glamorous¡ªI only stay in an old, for-rent house.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you also the governor and Sun King of New Aerym?¡± reminded Galazur as she looked up with a wry smile.


    Blinking, Hao Ren said, ¡°Oh yes, that¡¯s true. I always forget about that identity as it feels surreal.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s normal. After becoming an inspector, secular status, position and reputation always feel unreal, because they¡¯re¡­ not worth mentioning,¡± said the dragon queen, looking around at her palace. ¡°But, I still have to take good care of my kingdom and that¡¯s another feeling.¡±


    Listening to the conversation between the two inspectors, Nangong Wuyue did not have a chance to chime in. She finally could not help but remind them, ¡°When are we going to see the vengeful spirit?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no rush. It¡¯s being suppressed in the core area of Thunder Peak; it won¡¯t be able to escape,¡± said Galazur. She motioned with her hand and a blue light swept across the hall¡ªit was an MDT. ¡°Let me check the monitoring cameras in Thunder Peak¡­ Well, everything looks to be very good.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s MDT became excited. It slipped out of his pocket and gave a greeting, ¡°Hi, how are you?¡±


    The MDT in Galazur¡¯s hand was startled for a moment before it responded slowly. It was a soft, neutral voice, and completely composed. ¡°Hello, my friend.¡±


    ¡°I have never seen my compatriots since they left the production line,¡± said Hao Ren¡¯s MDT, flying around excitedly. ¡°Which production line are you from? What model are you? The pattern on your case is so nice¡­ I wish I had the same one.¡±


    ¡°EV-355V-15BC, General X-16, pattern status is unknown,¡± Galazur¡¯s MDT replied slowly, and aptly.


    ¡°Would you like to chat when they get busy? I¡¯m telling you, my master is so boring¡ª¡±


    ¡°Request rejected. Unworthy behavior.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re more like an introvert? That¡¯s okay, I¡¯m talkative. You can just listen¡­¡±


    ¡°Request denied. Unworthy behavior. It is recommended that you check your logic database. Your personality does not meet standard MDT behavior.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s MDT flew around the other MDT several times, but all it got in return was ¡°Request denied. Unworthy behavior¡±, and repeated questions about its logic database. Hao Ren looked on before burying his face in his hand. Galazur¡¯s eyebrows twisted a little in curiosity. ¡°Why is your MDT so talkative?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been like that since day one. Something seems to be wrong with its brain,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°I suspect that the goddess has broken it. Despite that, it¡¯s pretty steady when it comes to work¡­ most of the time.¡±


    Galazur¡¯s brows were knitted together. ¡°An MDT with brain damage? I¡¯ve never seen it before¡­ and I haven¡¯t heard of any kind of failure that would lead to changes in personality.¡±


    At this time, Rollie who was wandering about on all fours had seemingly discovered something. She raised her head and meowed several times at Galazur¡¯s throne. Hao Ren looked at her curiously before he saw something behind the throne. A yellow cat that looked like a tiger was meowing back at Rollie.


    ¡°This is my cat,¡± Galazur said with a smile, beckoning the big yellow cat. ¡°I picked it up while I was on a mission in¡­ Oh yes, near the Kerbal Civilization Sphere.¡±


    The yellow cat trod over and darted around Galazur¡¯s arms. It then lowered its head to grab the snacks on the ground.


    Lily quickly came up to Hao Ren.


    ¡°What¡¯s its name?¡± Nangong Wuyue looked at the yellow cat with bright eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s called ¡®Cat¡¯,¡± Galazur said.


    Everyone was at a lost for words.


    Nangong Sanba looked at Hao Ren wryly. ¡°Are all inspectors the same?¡±


    Hao Ren was left speechless.

 Chapter 628

    Rollie meowed a few times before she reached out curiously and grabbed the cat by its neck. She held it up and asked, ¡°Which street did you come from? What breed are you? The pattern on your head looks so cool. I wish I had it too.¡±


    She learned this from the MDT.


    It was obvious that the yellow cat was not blessed by a golden apple. It looked at Rollie in confusion. She had a pair of ears like the ones it had, but she was very different in other aspects. Soon, it recognized the silly cat¡¯s smell and language, realizing that they were of the same race; it began to show her respect¡ªwell, it was not necessarily because of her smell and language. Not like one could figure out the worldview of these cats. Even Hao Ren had yet to figure out how the strays in the Southern Suburbs got along so well with Lily.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t this cat fear you?¡± Nangong Wuyue reached down to scratch the yellow cat¡¯s chin as she looked up at Galazur. ¡°Where is your sense of authority? Ordinary animals should have jumped out of their skins in front of a dragon.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why.¡± Galazur shook her head. ¡°From the day it was adopted, it has never been afraid of any dragon. It even ran around my palace and snatched food from the dragon guards, so it¡¯s famous around here. Dragons think it¡¯s an interesting creature and come to feed it.¡±


    Hao Ren also began to wonder if inspectors had some commonalities, that they would invariably encounter bizarre things. The big yellow cat was even more talented than a pre-transcendent Rollie. He patted the yellow cat on the head. ¡°Does it have any special ability?¡±


    The cat girl immediately lowered her head and meowed at the big yellow cat. She then looked back up. ¡°It has no special ability. It¡¯s just too stupid to feel fear.¡±


    Everyone was speechless.


    Galazur looked up at a golden disc that was hung at the top of the hall. ¡°Well, let¡¯s end this for now; it¡¯s time to go out for a stretch. I¡¯ll take you to Thunder Peak¡ªthat place is quite a distance from here. I¡¯ll fly you there, and before that, I¡¯ll give you a tour of my kingdom.¡±


    With a twinkling, majestic sound, Galazur turned into a golden dragon and the palace¡¯s heavy stone doors swung open. The dragon soldiers who were on guard outside the palace immediately bowed their head as the dragon queen emerged.


    ¡°I¡¯m going out with these strangers,¡± said Galazur in a majestic voice. Her voice reverberated throughout the mountains. No one would have thought that she just had a mouthful of pork knuckles and stewed pork trotter a while ago. ¡°Guard the palace; do not let anyone in before I return.¡±


    A dragon guard saw the people behind the dragon queen: Hao Ren and the others were busily climbing up onto Galazur¡¯s back. The young dragon was shocked. ¡°My Lady, these creatures¡­ ¡±


    Galazur shot the guards a stern look. ¡°They come from above and we have known each other for a long time. Ask no more about them. That is an order.¡±


    The dragon guard immediately lowered his head in awe, before carefully retreating.


    Galazur used her tail to help Hao Ren and the others up on her back. She then leaped up from the massive square in front of the palace and hovered over the air.


    Lily lay on the dragon¡¯s scale, looking down from the back of the dragon¡¯s shoulder. She saw row upon row of palace buildings, all of which were not of human scale. Galazur¡¯s palace was the most magical: like an oval-shaped nest floating inside a large cave, it was suspended by a dense mist of light with only a few thin air bridges connecting it to the distant cliffs. Underneath the palace was a sea of clouds.


    Galazur told them about the place, that the lower part of Pyroxene Peak was linked to a different dimension. No human wisdom was able to pierce its secrets. Bards liked to write about the place, describing how all the treasure that the dragons¡¯ family had collected over thousands of years lay underneath the clouds. It was a vast treasure house with enough to cover the entire land of the human kingdom in half a meter thick of gold. Bards: they were always neurotic.


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s a place to store and hatch dragon eggs.¡± In order to let her guests get a better view of her kingdom, Galazur deliberately circled it a few more times. ¡°Dragon will not put gold jewels in places like the treasure house. We would never let those precious stones out of sight; we made beds out of them, or had them inlaid in our bodies.¡±


    ¡°You still do that?¡± Hao Ren laughed as though he had remembered something.


    ¡°Of course we don¡¯t do that anymore,¡± said Galazur, shaking her head. ¡°In my fourth year as an inspector, my worldview was totally shattered; I bumped into a planet entirely made of diamonds during a mission. From that day onwards, my worldview became upside down. Now, I no longer collect jewelry, instead I collect food. I don¡¯t believe that there¡¯s a planet of sauced beef and barbecue cheese in the universe!¡±


    ¡°How did the bards find out about the Kingdom of Dragons?¡± Lily was being logical. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say humans were forbidden in this place?¡±


    ¡°It was the dragons who spread news of it,¡± said Galazur, looking a bit helpless. ¡°The young dragons were unable to resist the temptation. They often turned into humans and went out to play¡­ or you may call it experiencing the world. They were the ones responsible for leaking news about the dragon kingdom. They loved to look like bards because they thought it was romantic and¡­¡±


    ¡°And it feels better in the first-person perspective.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°I feel you; I also know one who has the same problem.¡±


    Galazur emitted a dull sound as if she was laughing. She then turned around and flew upwards, flying out of the exit at the top of Pyroxene Peak into the sky.


    She rose higher and higher until she was above the clouds before she flew in a fixed direction. Lily nervously held on to a rugged bone on the dragon¡¯s shoulder, looking scared. Nangong Wuyue marveled at Galazur¡¯s flying skills. ¡°Are you relying solely on your wings to fly? The speed¡­ and the surrounding air flow are very strange.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the power of magic, a dragon¡¯s inborn skill,¡± the dragon rumbled from the front. ¡°With special training, we can even fly in a vacuum. The dragons are the only race on this planet who have the ability to enter space. Unfortunately, we cannot stand the cosmic radiation. That¡¯s why Saint Sur IV is still blank in terms of its aerospace capability. Anyway, we take it slowly; after all, this planet is still young.¡±


    Galazur flew at a very high altitude, using the clouds as a cover to avoid causing panic on the ground. After all, a dragon queen flying overhead was no small matter for the races in that world. It was easy for a few nervous magicians to stun her with their fireballs, which were not very pleasant.


    Soon, Hao Ren saw the scenery before him change.


    A large group of dark clouds, like pillars of smoke, appeared on the horizon. The clouds were circling and swirling around an axis with some occasional lightning. The whole thing looked strange but magnificent.


    Needless to say, that was what Galazur referred to as Thunder Peak.


    ¡°It took me a while to catch that vengeful spirit. It took shape in the space between Saint Sur IV and the Suharr Satellite Base. I don¡¯t know why it was attracted to the gravitational equilibrium there, but when I noticed someone in space was interfering with the signal between Saint Sur IV and the satellite station, I went to check it out before capturing this thing.¡± Galazur slowly descended and headed towards Thunder peak. ¡°That thing was nasty. A few pieces of my scales were burned when I tried to capture it. I finally got it using a strong magnetic field.¡±


    The dragon flew through a thick cloud before a magnificent black ¡°peak¡± appeared before their eyes.


    The peak was about several thousand meters high and it was formed by a series of cylindrical columns. Several rings of rock, which emitted blue light were circling the mountainside. There were bursts of intense lightning between the rings and the black pillars of Thunder Peak. Hao Ren stared at it for a long time, yet he still could not help but ask, ¡°Is this thing a mountain?¡±


    ¡°Humans and dwarves in Saint Sur IV call it Thunder Peak because they couldn¡¯t think of any other name,¡± said Galazur, smiling sulkily. ¡°But it is certainly not a mountain. It was left behind by the first civilization. It¡¯s a massive fusion reactor, which has been operating for nearly 20,000 years and counting. This thing used to provide energy for the entire planet. Now it¡¯s just a pile of huge rocks constantly generating thunder and lightning.

 Chapter 629

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Thunder and lightning filled Thunder Peak as endless thunderstorms continuously raged across the mountain. The closer they got to the massive cylinders of black stone, the more they could feel the massive pressure brought on by the huge, ancient equipment.


    Galazur swooped past the floating rings of rock, while Lily poked her head out and saw some houses as well as spires on one of the rings of rock. The houses and spires looked like a mini town protected from the thunderstorms outside by a thin layer of hemispherical shields. She curiously asked, ¡°Is there someone living there?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the base belonging to the magicians of Quilcidora. Quilcidora is the magic city on this continent. Most of the people in the city are magicians. They are the only mortal race who have successfully explored the periphery of Thunder Peak and built a base here,¡± replied Galazur in a loud voice. ¡°But they can only establish their base on the first magnetic ring; the environment is much worse farther inside, where only dragons can enter.¡±


    ¡°What are they doing in this place?¡± Nangong Sanba was a bit puzzled.


    ¡°To study magic. The first magnetic ring is an endless treasure house for electromancers. They built their magic towers here to collect lightning and analyze the elemental powers of Thunder Peak. They are all very adventurous and that deserves our respect. People are dying here every year, but the magicians just keep coming.¡±


    Hao Ren asked loudly, ¡°You wanna say hello to them?¡±


    ¡°Say hello? Many people would have sleepless nights if a dragon queen were to visit them unsolicited,¡± said Galazur, shaking her head. ¡°They already see us, but it¡¯s nota problem since we¡¯re flying far away. Everyone, please hold on tightly, we¡¯re going to pass through the space between the second magnetic ring and the cooling tower!¡±


    The golden dragon roared as a layer of translucent film, which looked like a magic shield was triggered on her body. She then headed directly into the forest of thunder and lightning. There were a few beams of light flashing in the Quilcidora base on the first ring of rocks. It was a gesture of tribute by the magicians. A few old wizards with white hair were measuring lightning readings from Thunder Peak on the platform at the top of the magic tower. They looked in astonishment as the golden dragon, possibly the most powerful creature in the world, bolted into the thunderstorm. ¡°The dragon queen is here again?¡±


    ¡°I remember her coming a few days ago¡ªis she building a nest in Thunder Peak?¡±


    ¡°I hope not¡­ by the way, I just saw a few people on her back¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, your eye drops are on the rack. Get it yourself.¡±


    Meanwhile, Hao Ren and the others had already entered the inner layer of Thunder Peak. Amid the ubiquitous thunderstorms, the golden dragon maneuvered along the gaps between the black pillars. Lily looked at the spectacular scenery and could not help but exclaim in awe.


    Hao Ren reached to touch Lily¡¯s tail. Her beautiful silver-white tail had completely puffed up. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of static in this place.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch my tail, it¡¯s ticklish.¡± Lily wagged her tail as the bright lightning was reflected in her eyes. ¡°Is this giant generator even safe?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not. So the first thing I did when I became an inspector a few thousand years ago was to secretly engage the Fairy Void Consortium. I got them to send their engineers to modify the core of the reactor in Thunder Peak, eliminating the hidden dangers while ensuring the mountain¡¯s safety. Otherwise, this relic of the previous civilization may have blown up and destroyed half of the continent,¡± Galazur¡¯s voice sounded a bit depressed. ¡°Those cunning businessmen¡­ charged an exorbitant price for merely repairing a reactor core.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded sympathetically. From her words, he could feel his colleague.


    Rollie looked at the lightning and thunder in awe and fear. She involuntarily snuggled up to Lily. The two long-haired creatures appeared even lovelier now as the static made their fur puffier than usual. Of course, Lily was the most eye-catching as the static caused her tail to puff up to the size of a person.


    They were now inside the giant reactor. This was a forbidden place where no one in the world except a few dragons could enter. High-voltage power was only an insignificant risk factor there; there were many more deadly things. This fusion reactor was unlike any facilities designed by humans on Earth; it was magic-driven, and it broke down mineral rocks in its base during operation. This led to highly toxic gases accumulating internally; at the same time, the unique electromagnetic environment also caused almost all magic to backfire. This phenomenon was also known as Mage Purgatory. If lucky warriors could only withstand the environment for a few moments, then the mages¡¯ only reward would be instant death. The reactor¡¯s strong electromagnetic environment would instantly ignite the magical energy in their body and explode.


    ¡°Interestingly, the operating principle of a famous forbidden curse by a human mage called Laven¡¯s Forbidden Magic Field, is very similar to this reactor,¡± Galazur told her new friends about various things in the world. Perhaps the dragon was bored; when she found someone to chat with she became particularly talkative. ¡°Using a strong magnetic field to trigger a wide range of magical backlash is very different from using usual human or elven magic. So, I suspect there was once a lucky magician who managed to circle the inside of Thunder Peak¡­ Of course, it¡¯s just a guess. Oh, we¡¯ve arrived.¡±


    The golden dragon flew them into a brightly lit hall. Well, it was not a hall per se; they were at the bottom of a huge hollow tube, surrounded by a circle of walls with closed ends at the top. The walls were lined with neat pipes and metal rails, while in the center, a light beam ran through the entire pipe. The floor of the hall was made of a kind of transparent material, which was inlaid with a complex structure of metal lines. Those metal lines were obviously not just for decoration. They were probably magic symbols of some sort.


    Lily looked down and saw a large number of giant discs spinning slowly. She also saw a fireball that looked like the sun below the transparent floor. She pondered for a moment, and her legs shivered. She then decided to crawl instead of walk¡­


    There was no thunder, or lightning in there. Electrical energy was transmitted from the side tubes to the guide rails, leaving the core area very calm and quiet.


    ¡°The temperature below reaches millions of degrees, but we won¡¯t be able to feel it. The insulation consists only of two layers of crystalline material, which are a few millimeters thick,¡± said Galazur, who looked emotional. ¡°This planet once had a very advanced civilization. Unfortunately, it ended prematurely. Life is hard¡­ Okay, let¡¯s not talk about that. Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to the vengeful spirit.¡±


    Galazur pointed her chin at the center of the hall. Next to the gigantic light beam, there were several magic stones suspended in the air. Those magic stones took energy from the light beam to form a strong magnetic field. On the inside of the magnetic field, there was a restrained, raging being.


    The MDT immediately flew back and forth, checking. ¡°¡­Well, it¡¯s very energetic. It looks better than the one we caught.¡±


    ¡°Better?¡± That caught Hao Ren¡¯s attention. It was definitely the best news he had heard. ¡°That means it¡¯s easier to read it?¡±


    ¡°In theory, yes. It depends on the data.¡± The MDT shook a little. ¡°But it should be easier to deal with than the one we caught. You know, your daughter almost shattered it with her hum. But this one here is clearly still intact.¡±


    ¡°Have you tried to analyze it?¡± Hao Ren looked up at Galazur.


    The dragon queen transformed back into her humanoid form before she came up and entered some signals using the dragon runes next to the magic stones. ¡°I tried a few times, but with little success. My MDT isn¡¯t very good at decoding¡­ Is it true that you¡¯ve invented an instrument that can communicate with the vengeful spirit?¡±


    Hao Ren did not say a word. The MDT immediately rose up proudly. ¡°I was the one who came up with the ingenious design¡­¡±


    Hao Ren flicked it aside. ¡°Go and play with your friend¡ªOh, I do have the special equipment here, but it¡¯s on my spaceship. Let me take it out.¡±


    The MDT was upset, but went up to Galazur¡¯s MDT, albeit unwillingly. ¡°You see, he¡¯s really boring¡­ You wanna talk?¡±


    ¡°Request denied. Unworthy behavior. It is recommended that you check your logic database.¡±


    ¡°Damn, you¡¯re not that smart either.¡±

 Chapter 630

    While the two MDTs were ¡°happily¡± exchanging their feelings, Hao Ren was beginning to bust his buns.


    Originally, the Petrachelys only had one instrument to analyze the vengeful spirit, but immediately after learning about Saint Sur IV, he immediately ordered the onboard factory to work overtime to roll out a new instrument. It did not take the shipboard plant long to manufacture it as he had the blueprint. Hao Ren took the new instrument out of his Dimensional Pocket, installed the energy core and calibrated it. The device gave off a soft buzzing sound, and the bowl-shaped groove in the center of the instrument began to shimmer.


    ¡°Now place the vengeful spirit in here. You¡¯ll then be able to read its data.¡± Hao Ren pointed to the instrument. ¡°But as per our last tests, the data reading will be very confusing. It will include not only the memory of the vengeful spirit, but also its own ¡®existing information¡¯. It¡¯s like a messy hard drive, where all stored data and system files have been scrambled into garbled characters. It won¡¯t make sense when you read them.¡±


    Galazur looked with great interest at the instrument Hao Ren took out. ¡°This thing looks sophisticated¡­ No harm trying.¡±


    She controlled the magic stones, and the strong magnetic field dragged the vengeful spirit towards the analyzer like an invisible container. With great caution, the irascible light was transferred into the groove without much hassle.


    The instrument¡¯s analysis module immediately went online and began to read the information from the vengeful spirit with a buzz.


    Nangong Wuyue watched anxiously. Anything related to the vengeful spirit invariably reminded her of her missing parents, so she was particularly nervous in that moment. The people around her had long known about her issues; they all stepped back from her instinctively, lest they were caught by her tail¡­


    Rollie roamed around unsteadily on one leg, staring at the lights on the instrument. The electrostatic environment made her feel nervous and restrained. Hao Ren had noticed the cat¡¯s reaction; he reached out and held her head. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±


    Thanks to the previous vengeful-spirit decoding program, the instrument was now working a lot smoother. Besides, the vengeful spirit sample Galazur provided was better than the one caught by Hao Ren in terms of ¡°health¡±. Soon enough, some information was extracted. The hologram on the analyzer began to display some bizarre images and characters, which flashed by quickly, giving off a high-tech feeling. But as always, it was all useless.


    ¡°I knew it would turn out like this.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°The same happened when it read the other vengeful spirit. It¡¯s all garbled codes.¡±


    Galazur looked at the garbled symbols thoughtfully and suddenly said, ¡°Wait a second, these may not be garbled codes.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately looked up at her.


    ¡°Although I don¡¯t have as much experience as you have in dealing with the vengeful spirit, I have more experience in other aspects,¡± said Galazur, pointing at the garbled symbols. ¡°Look at these symbols¡­ Although they appear messy, there are repetitive points just like markers. Look at these chaotic images. They¡¯re sequential, meaning that they should be able to form a video clip.¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his chin. ¡°Well, I had the same thought too, but it doesn¡¯t make sense to label and connect these continuous, repetitive images. It¡¯s still a mess. At most, it changes from a static mosaic to an animated mosaic. What¡¯s the difference?¡±


    Galazur shook her head. ¡°At least it proves that the information is not meaningless. The existence of a pattern means there¡¯s information. The problem isn¡¯t in the data, but how we interpret it.¡±


    Hao Ren quietly waited for her next sentence as Galazur closed her eyes and meditated. The dragon had been an inspector for thousands of years, seen enough worlds and races. Her extensive knowledge was the most valuable asset. After a moment of recollection, the dragon queen opened her eyes and continued, ¡°I¡¯m reminded of a strange race I encountered previously. They were infected with a very special condition called ¡®non-linear memory¡¯.¡±


    Lily ears stood on end. ¡°Non-linear?¡±


    As she was straight-minded herself, she was particularly sensitive when she heard the word ¡°non-linear¡±.


    ¡°Yes, non-linear.¡± Galazur nodded. ¡°It¡¯s also known as ¡®disorderly memory¡¯, where memory is in no particular order, and there¡¯s no concept of time. The patient¡¯s memory is just like a plane, and all information is stored on the same plane. Yesterday¡¯s memory is mixed with today¡¯s; things from childhood are mixed with things from adulthood. When the condition is mild, you can still identify the memory in terms of the year. However, when it gets worse, it¡¯s a complete mess, with the memory of one second mixing with the next, byte by byte. Do you know the consequences of this?¡±


    Hao Ren tried to imagine, and cold sweat started to trickle down his forehead. ¡°They can¡¯t think at all.¡±


    ¡°Yes, the essence of this disease is the lost of the ability to organize memory. Hence, the patient will feel that everything is happening at the same time. From their first fall when they were young to every detail in their adulthood, they will all be piled together. Patients in the late-stage will end up bedridden like a turnip. Their brains will be stuffed with memories, but because of the lack of an index, they can¡¯t do anything, not even knowing what they¡¯re thinking themselves.¡±


    Hao Ren thought of the files on a computer¡¯s hard disk: files, which were originally arranged by the date of creation suddenly losing all their timestamps, and the whole folder becoming a mess. He knew what Galazur was trying to convey. ¡°You¡¯re saying that vengeful spirit¡¯s memory is non-linear?¡±


    ¡°I suspect it, but I¡¯m not sure,¡± said Galazur, frowning. ¡°The race I mentioned had this illness that produced non-linear memory. If this is congenital, how do they live? I can¡¯t imagine how they think with a non-linear memory.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that they¡¯re ¡®vengeful spirits¡¯,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°They¡¯re actually dead. The First Born has destroyed the conscience as well as the sorting mechanism of these spiritual creatures, leading to the disorderly accumulation of all their information. We should first think of ways to create an index table for them, then we can reorganize the useful information instead of crack the code.¡±


    ¡°How do we go about it?¡± Galazur looked at Hao Ren. ¡°Restructuring this information without an index is as difficult as reconstructing a city from yellow sand.¡±


    Hao Ren had no idea what to do. His knowledge was not as good as that of Galazur¡¯s in the field. The MDT suddenly came up to them. ¡°It¡¯s not necessary to use the timetable for indexing. I can try some other algorithms¡ªat least it¡¯s something for now.¡±


    Hao Ren stepped back from the console. ¡°Well, you can try it.¡±


    The MDT inserted itself into the analyzer¡¯s console. It flickered in a blue light as data and images quickly flashed past in its holographic projections. Then something came up; some symbols were extracted, and a brand new entry was created. Hao Ren did not understand what it was trying to do, but he knew that the MDT was trying to compile a directory for the memory of the vengeful spirit.


    This list did not necessarily have to be arranged chronologically. It could have been sorted based on size, or similarity between the data packages. For a creature that had died more than 10,000 years ago, the timestamp of each event it went through was not important, but rather the events themselves were.


    ¡°Looks like it works,¡± said Nangong Sanba, looking serious.


    Hao Ren looked at the holographic projection, wide-eyed. ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t. I was just guessing. Yeah, I¡¯m toffee-nosed.¡±


    He was met with silence.


    However, Nangong Sanba had guessed right; the new algorithm worked.


    The blue light from the MDT was switched off as it popped out of the slot. It was elated. ¡°It¡¯s done. I¡¯ve reset the search method. Our previous idea of decoding is problematic. What it needs is not decoding at all.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the analyzer in surprise. ¡°Can you read it now?¡±


    ¡°Reading it¡­ As the algorithm isn¡¯t perfect yet, reading speed and accuracy won¡¯t be great, but it¡¯s better than nothing,¡± said the MDT happily and proudly. ¡°Now we can start with the first sample.¡±

 Chapter 631

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The main purpose of Hao Ren¡¯s visit to Saint Sur IV was to get his hands on the vengeful spirit. This purpose was finally achieved, and Galazur had her hands on the instrument as well as the technology needed to analyze the vengeful spirit. Everyone was happy.


    ¡°I have to go now,¡± Hao Ren told his newly-acquainted colleague, whom he had just met for barely a day. ¡°I¡¯ll leave the analysis instrument to you. If you find any new information, you know where to find me. I¡¯m working on the Plane of Dreams case.¡±


    Galazur was a bit surprised. ¡°In such a hurry?¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at the Nangong siblings next to him. ¡°I need to help these two find their parents who were taken away by the vengeful spirit. I¡¯m here to find clues to read the vengeful spirit¡¯s memory, and now that things are done, you have to return quickly.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue dragged her brother along and they bowed to express their gratitude to Galazur. They felt emotional, as for the first time in many years, they finally saw hope in finding their parents. Galazur raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°What¡¯s the hurry? You¡¯ve come so far from the first galaxy, at least be my guest today. Don¡¯t let people get the impression that the Kingdom of Dragons is slighting our guests.¡±


    With her arms akimbo, she stood upright. ¡°I¡¯m teling you, you¡¯re very lucky; us dragons are rarely this hospitable¡ªit¡¯s been 600 years since we last invited guests for dinner.¡±


    The Nangong siblings looked at each other and nodded slightly. Then Wuyue said to Hao Ren with a smile. ¡°In that case¡­ we should accept the invitation gracefully.¡±


    Lily blinked as she looked around. Knowing that the invitation was the real deal, she excitedly pulled on Hao Ren¡¯s sleeve, urging, ¡°Let¡¯s go eat!¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the husky helplessly, spreading out his hand as he said to Galazur, ¡°Considering your hospitality, it¡¯d be ungracious of me to not accept your invitation.¡±


    Galazur brought them back to Pyroxene Peak and ordered that a banquet be prepared in honor of her friends. The banquet was to be held in the massive square at the foothill of Pyroxene Peak. The old square was where the dragons regularly met. Its grandness exceeded all human imaginations. Hao Ren felt like he was standing on an airport runway eating barbecue. No matter which direction he looked in, it was an endless flat boulder. It was said that the dragons created the square by levelling an entire mountain. Looking at the towering mountains and cliffs surrounding the square, Hao Ren could not help but believe that the legend was true.


    This was a new and interesting experience for everyone: They were on the land of an alien planet, surrounded by grand and magnificent dragon peaks. They were also joined by a group of dragons in a feast. Such a scene only appeared in mythical stories. Lily was especially excited. Although she had participated in various foreign feasts in Holletta, New Aerym, and Helcrown before, none of them could match the grandeur here. The reason was simple¡ªlooking at the huge dragons and eating with them was an adventurous as well as thrilling experience!


    Curiosity was in the husky¡¯s blood, and she had now quenched it.


    The dragons were of course curious about the guests at the banquet. Hao Ren had attracted the eyes of many young dragons on the way. However, the dragon queen had supreme authority there. So, when Galazur ordered them to entertain her guest, even if her guest was just a cat, no one would question it. Hence, the dragons just looked at the guests with curious eyes before they turned to enjoy the banquet.


    ¡°Dragons like to party, at least on this planet,¡± said Galazur, who accompanied the guests in her human form. She smiled and pointed at the huge creatures around them. ¡°As long as ther¡¯s a party, these guys won¡¯t ask questions. They don¡¯t care who you¡¯re entertaining or why you¡¯re holding a banquet, as long as there¡¯s a place to eat and have fun.¡±


    Lily was having a mouthful of barbeque. Gravy dripped down her mouth as she muttered, ¡°Mmm¡­ I like this lifestyle!¡±


    Hao Ren was sitting on the floor like everyone else. It was a unique experience to eat among the creatures who were a dozen meters tall. He began to see things in Lil Pea¡¯s perspective¡ªat least he now understood how the little mermaid felt as she saw the world on the dinner table. He looked at the food in front of him and noticed that the dragons¡¯ diet was unexpectedly¡­ simple. Aside from meat, there was more meat, and all of it was cooked in barbecue style. It looked like these rugged creatures did not waste much time in studying food culture, which made him understand the reasons why Galazur enjoyed the snacks so much earlier. It seemed like this was not entirely her dietitian¡¯s problem¡­


    ¡°Roasted whole elephants, roasted whole cows, roasted whole camels, roasted whole whales, and¡­ I can¡¯t even recognize it all,¡± said the Nangong Sanba, looking wide-eyed at the huge bonfires and huge pieces of meat everywhere. The dragon feast was a curious journey. ¡°Should I be relieved to learn that these are at least cooked?¡±


    Galazur smiled and shook her head. ¡°Actually, some of the more traditional dragons still prefer raw meat¡­ Of course, they would season it with salt.¡±


    While she spoke, she raised a half-barbecued piece of meat and spewed out flames to cook it. After it was done, she stuffed it in her mouth. ¡°But, I prefer cooked meat.¡±


    Nagong Sanba¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground.


    Rollie was walking around a huge roasted whole elephant. The cat girl had a hard time deciding where she should bite first. She meowed for a while, but no one came to help. She had no choice but to help herself by lunging at the mountain of meat¡ªthe dumb cat had decided to dig a hole and eat it from the inside out.


    Galazur had little interest in the food. She also saw that Hao Ren did not seem to like the greasy barbecued meat too, so she beckoned him to a quiet place. Looking at the sunset, the dragon queen said very casually, ¡°I learned from the General Data Network that you¡¯re now fully responsible for the Plane of Dreams?¡±


    ¡°The goddess assigned it to me.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°To tell you the truth, I¡¯m still confused; from the moment I took up this job till today, everything¡¯s been a little like boiling the ocean. But fortunately, all missions have been successfully completed.¡±


    ¡°No one¡¯s ever been responsible for the Plane of Dreams before,¡± said Galazur, leaning against a huge stone pillar. Her slightly curled long hair glowed under the glorious evening sun. ¡°The work of an inspector is rather disorganized. We¡¯re often required to deal with emergency situations, so the goddess generally doesn¡¯t give us fixed, long-term tasks.¡±


    Hao Ren sensed a deeper meaning to what Galazur said. ¡°You mean there¡¯s a problem with this mission?¡±


    ¡°A mission is a mission. I think the goddess has a good reason for her arrangement,¡± said Galazur, who spat out a little flame. ¡°It¡¯s just that the Plane of Dreams is¡­ special. You should be careful, and not just focus all your attention on the mission itself, because sometimes revelations come from where the place you least expect.¡±


    Galazur spoke with a smile, ¡°Sometimes in order to show that we¡¯re worth our salt, we need to go above and beyond the call of duty.¡±


    ¡°Do you know something about the Plane of Dreams?¡± Hao Ren asked curiously.


    ¡°Every inspector knows about the Plane of Dreams, but nobody except you really tries to understand that world. It¡¯s a very unstable place, where there is a constant mutual interference with the real world. We wouldn¡¯t go there if it¡¯s not necessary. I went in there once hundreds of years ago to track an anomalous space phenomenon¡­ I used a very complicated conversion instrument and only stayed there for a few hours. It rejects foreign matters, just like other regular alien worlds.¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly found that something was wrong. ¡°Rejects foreign matters? Why didn¡¯t I feel it?¡±


    He told her about his experience of entering the Plane of Dreams, and the stable portal he found. He had never felt any difference between the Plane of Dreams and the Surface World. On the contrary, the relationship between the two worlds was so close that the mutual influence had become very common.


    Galazur blinked after she listened to Hao Ren¡¯s narrative. ¡°Looks like a lot¡¯s happened to the Plane of Dreams recently¡­ It gives me the feeling that the process of convergence is accelerating.¡±


    ¡°Raven said that this is resulting from the gradual collapse of the Wall of Reality.¡± Scratching his chin, Hao Ren continued, ¡°But it¡¯s not yet certain what the problem is with the Wall of Reality.¡±


    Galazur frowned for a moment and suddenly said, ¡°The relationship between the Plane of Dreams and the Surface World has been stable for more than 10,000 years. The accelerated collapse of the Wall of Reality has just happened in recent years¡­ It doesn¡¯t look like a natural phenomenon.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s man-made?¡± Hao Ren raised his eyebrows. ¡°I suspected it, however it didn¡¯t seem to be the case after I checked out a few clues. It looks like no mortal race, including the First Born, has the ability to influence the operation of the Wall of Reality, unless¡ª¡±


    Before Hao Ren could finish his sentence, the MDT suddenly called out to him telepathically. ¡°Boss, there¡¯s news from the spacecraft¡¯s laboratory!¡±

 Chapter 632

    After he received the notification from the MDT, Hao Ren had to cut his dinner short and leave the banquet. He excused himself before heading straight back to the Petrachelys, which was in Saint Sur IV¡¯s orbit. In the spaceship¡¯s laboratory, the analysis of the vengeful spirit was completed. A messy but readable report was presented before everyone¡¯s eyes.


    The MDT plugged itself into the laboratory¡¯s host computer, buzzing away. ¡°Things are still confusing, but it¡¯s a matter of post-processing. Most of the vengeful spirit¡¯s memories have been successfully recovered.¡±


    Nangong Sanba immediately stepped forward. ¡°Have you found our parents¡¯ whereabouts?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ve called you people in. There are too many people appearing in the vengeful spirit¡¯s memory. The host doesn¡¯t know who your parents are.¡± The MDT pointed to an autonomous robot next to the analyzer with a light beam. ¡°Can either one of you two please step forward as the system needs to extract your memory to compare with the images appearing in the vengeful spirit¡¯s memory? Don¡¯t worry. The autonomous robots are safe. Their tentacles won¡¯t pose any health hazards¡­ well, except psychological ones.¡±


    Nangong Sanba glanced at the mechanical squid that was waving its tentacles. ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t there a more normal instrument on board? Alternatively, you can just let me look at the vengeful spirit¡¯s memory. Freeze the visual when I spot my parents¡­¡±


    ¡°Aside from the mechanical squid, what we have is the electronic coffin, which you two are even more allergic to,¡± the MDT sounded as b*tchy as ever. ¡°And do you know how large the volume of the vengeful spirit¡¯s memory is? In human years, this thing has at lived ¡®lived¡¯ more than 15,000 years. Are you prepared to live in the lab for the rest of your life to look through these memories?¡±


    Wuyue slapped her brother in the back of the head using her tail. ¡°Just cut the cackle and do it.¡±


    Nangong Sanba bit his lip and climbed into the chair next to the autonomous robot. ¡°I¡¯m ready. By the way, would it stick a tube or something into the back of my head?¡±


    Before Nangong Sanba¡¯s voice trailed off, the autonomous robot had already lifted its tentacles to tap his temples. Meanwhile, another one of its tentacles scanned the back of his head with a small scanning device. A moment later, images of Nangong Sanba appeared on a hologram. He looked surprised. ¡°Where-Where am I right now?¡±


    The MDT explained, ¡°It¡¯s a secure interface. It¡¯s necessary to extract your memory and compare it with another memory, which would create a high load on the mortal brain. So, we have to first transfer your consciousness to the laboratory instrument. After that, you have nothing else to do, the system will do everything automatically.¡±


    ¡°Cool stuff,¡± said Nangong Sanba, looking very relaxed. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the legendary virtual reality reconstruction stuff? It doesn¡¯t feel any different from the real world. Hey, Mr. Landlord, do you have AV in your PC?¡±


    Everyone was wide eyed. Wuyue crept up to her brother as her tail emitted a rattling sound. The MDT¡¯s b*tchy voice then sounded, ¡°Be mindful of what you think¡­ During the extraction of consciousness, you¡¯re vulnerable to exposing your subconscious mind. Of course, it¡¯s a bit too late as we speak.¡±


    Nangong Sanba was still not getting the drift. Hao Ren buried his face in his hand and sighed: it looked like the dude was going to get a mega windmill ride today.


    While Nangong Sanba rattled on, the instruments in the lab worked to compare his human memory to that of the vengeful spirit to find the whereabouts of the missing couple from 100 years ago. It was a job of precision. In the vengeful spirit¡¯s 15,000-year memory, they were only looking for what happened on that one particular day.


    Nangong Sanba was relaxed and even cracking jokes during the entire memory extraction procedure. However, if it was not to find their parents, no one may have wanted to go through the ¡°memory extraction¡± procedure. After all, it sounded scary.


    After a long wait, the MDT suddenly whistled. ¡°Stop! Found it!¡±


    Wuyue immediately released her tail from her brother¡¯s neck and crawled over. ¡°Let me see!¡±


    The MDT began to flip the images in the hologram. ¡°Are they your parents?¡±


    Appearing on the visual was a blurry imagery of a man and a woman in front of a farmhouse. The visual was distorted. The couple seemed to be on alert. It seemed that this was the moment their parents first encountered the vengeful spirit.


    Despite the vague images, Nangong Wuyue immediately recognized it. She pursed her mouth, and choked before she nodded. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s them! Can you find out where the vengeful spirit brought them to?¡±


    The images flipped quickly. In a series of constantly shaking, distorted and oscillating images, they saw the short battle from a hundred years ago. The couple in the visual was in a fierce confrontation, but the last scenes in the visual were completely filled with static. When the visual finally came back up, the farmhouse and the couple had disappeared. The perspective turned upwards, and a starry sky appeared before them.


    However, the visual of the starry sky was also very blurry, but the perspective was more stable and clearer than that in the previous battle scene.


    Lily turned her head to look at Hao Ren and then at the MDT. ¡°That¡¯s it? Just a bunch of stars?¡±


    ¡®¡±What do you expect? A set of coordinates?¡± The MDT asked back. ¡°It¡¯s already a pleasant surprise to be able to see the stars; otherwise we have to use information extraction to determine where the vengeful spirit had gone to. Now we can use this starry sky to find out the location¡­ Starlight is a valid location reference in the universe, at least within a short period of time. One hundred years will not make much of a difference in cosmic terms as long as we find where this scene is in the universe.¡±


    Rollie curiously watched them as they worked with a bunch of weird instruments. She then reached out to tug Hao Ren by the sleeve, demanding, ¡°Dried fish, please¡­¡±


    Only then did Hao Ren notice Rollie. He was taken aback. ¡°How did she come in? Why is she so dirty?¡±


    The cat girl looked like a drowned mouse. Not only was she covered in oil, there were also dust and dirt stains on her face. She looked very much like a stray. However, she did not mind at all albeit a slight feeling of discomfort. She pulled up her clothes, licked her hands and cleaned up her face.


    Lily flicked her tail and stood up. ¡°She buried herself in the roasted elephant. It took me some time to drag her out.¡±


    ¡°Take her away to the shower!¡± Hao Ren waved his hand and turned to look at the MDT. ¡°Can you find out where this sky is?¡±


    ¡°The host computer of Sovereign Hub K3 keeps a record of all the celestial bodies in the universe. We can request a visit there to find out where the scene of the starry sky¡¯s from.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±


    In just a moment, the MDT was granted access to the sovereign hub¡¯s data interface, and it began to search through the snapshots of the universe.


    Hao Ren never expected that he would one day use the function of a sovereign hub. He was very impressed with the three bases of the planet¡ªthe law of the heavens and the universe was running in the giant, fabricated celestial body. He had always assumed that he would never have the chance to get his hands on such a level of technology. Now, the inspector profession seemed to hold endless possibilities. No one could tell for sure what one would come into contact with in the mess of everyday tasks.


    ¡°Strange¡­¡± The MDT was puzzled. ¡°K3 has traversed all the celestial bodies of this universe, but no such stars were found.¡±


    Hao Ren blinked. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°This may not be a scene from this universe.¡± The MDT was a bit disappointed. ¡°I have a very bad feeling¡­¡±


    Nangong Wuyue¡¯s tail suddenly stiffened. ¡°Could it be in¡­ the Plane of Dreams?!¡±


    ¡°The vengeful spirit brought them to the Plane of Dreams?¡± Hao Ren was equally surprised. He reached for the tip of Wuyue¡¯s tail. ¡°Relax¡­ Can you not curl it around my legs?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible¡ªlet¡¯s not discuss how that¡¯s possible since the vengeful spirit itself has a lot to do with the Plane of Dreams.¡± The MDT suddenly popped itself out of the slot. ¡°That one probe we released has already flowed a few billion light years away. It has roughly mapped the distribution of the celestial bodies along the way, so it¡¯s time to gamble on it¡ªlet¡¯s hope that the Nangongs¡¯ parents are on some planet within those few billions of light years.¡±

 Chapter 633

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren regarded himself as a man of knowledge. Well, that was subjective, but he was indeed a man of vision.


    He had made some arrangements the last time he left the Plane of Dreams. However, he never expected that these arrangements would one day be used to find someone. At that time, in order to explore space in the Plane of Dreams and draw a star chart, he ordered the Petrachelys to send out a batch of self-multiplying probes. These probes could continue to replicate themselves as needed and think using their super-light antenna network. They could plan their best exploration routes on their own, continue to move deeper into space, map all the objects they encounter along the way, and build a small observatory station at certain intervals to form an advanced drone network.


    The operating protocol of the probes was to first send a group of high-speed units to rapidly scan the space. They would then dispatch high-precision units to gradually fill in the details so that Hao Ren could grasp the distribution of celestial objects in the Plane of Dreams.


    After some time, the drones did come back with a set of preliminary star charts, which only included the distribution data of major celestial bodies within a certain range. To find out if these celestial bodies had signs of life, specific scans were needed, and they were not so easy to do. It required subsequent slow-speed probes to make accurate observations. So far, the drones dispatched by Hao Ren were still conducting preliminary charting works. After that, they would carry out the life detection stage. It was not until a few days ago that the drones returned the first star chart. The star chart was now coming in handy.


    The fastest probes had now completed mapping the stars that were billions of light-years from Holletta.


    The MDT then retrieved the preliminary star chart. It tried to find if there was a point within its range that observed the same starry sky, which coincided with the memory of the vengeful spirit.


    Nangong Wuyue waited anxiously during the process. Meanwhile, Nangong Sanba was done with the memory extraction procedure. He joined his sister in keeping an eye on the search progress. He was fortunate enough to escape her mega-windmill punishment this time. Hao Ren consoled them, ¡°Don¡¯t worry; those drones are on the way into outer space. They¡¯ve covered a vast area of it, and sooner or later, we¡¯ll find your parents.¡±


    Wuyue gently poked Hao Ren in the leg using her tail. ¡°It¡¯s okay. After all, we¡¯ve been waiting for over a hundred years.¡±


    The lab door silently slid open and Lily sneaked in with the freshly cleaned cat. The dumb cat¡¯s hair was still a little wet, and both of their clothes were almost soaked¡­ Yeah, it was truly not easy to bathe a cat.


    ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± the husky sensed the serious atmosphere and immediately swallowed her words before she asked Hao Ren in a whisper.


    Rollie cleaned her face with her paws and said, ¡°Surely they¡¯re looking for a way to get me some dried fish.¡±


    Hao Ren patted Rollie on the head. Just as he was about to say something, the MDT interrupted. ¡°¡­I¡¯ve found what highly seems to be the place, but¡­¡±


    Nangong Sanba chimed in immediately, asking, ¡°But what?¡±


    The MDT retrieved the hologram, which showed an empty space; a probe had sent in the visual from the Plane of Dreams. ¡°A drone drew the chart while it passed through the spot in space. The location and characteristics of these stars are the same as those in the vengeful spirit¡¯s memory. However, the problem is¡­ there are no celestial bodies in this spot.¡±


    ¡°No celestial bodies?!¡± Nangong Wuyue shouted. Then something crossed her mind. ¡°Have my parents been sent into space?¡±


    The MDT wobbled a little and said, ¡°Logically speaking, this shouldn¡¯t happen. Teleportation usually requires objects with mass as the destination. This is caused by gravity¡¯s disturbance to space. Right now, this location is a bit strange¡­ There¡¯s nothing there, no celestial body, only a cloud of debris, which suggests that there was a big explosion many years ago. The information returned by the drone is limited. That¡¯s as much as I can tell.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s mind was blank and he remained silent for a long while before he finally patted Wuyue on the shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, at least your parents weren¡¯t sent to the sun¡­¡±


    Lily shot Hao Ren a sideways glance. ¡°How many times has Battie reminded you; don¡¯t console anyone if you don¡¯t know what to say. You really need a good beating for that.¡±


    Embarrassed, Hao Ren said, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s not think about that for now. Shall we go check out the actual situation? The star chart won¡¯t lie; the vengeful spirit has certainly been there. Let¡¯s go back and talk to the others. We need to set off to the Plane of Dreams as soon as possible.¡±


    The Nangong siblings said nothing but nodded silently. They were not in the mood at that moment.


    The tense atmosphere even made the dumb cat quiet down. She found an inconspicuous spot and squatted there, carefully rubbing her face with her paws while muttering, ¡°Big Boss Cat is not happy. I don¡¯t want any dried fish now¡­¡±


    No one spoke a word after that. Hao Ren picked up the radio and told Galazur about the situation. Then, they went back to Earth through the space warp.


    When they finally got home, it was already midnight on Earth; Y¡¯lisabet and Y¡¯zaks were sleeping soundly. Vivian was the only one still staring at the idiot box, singing and knitting her scarf. When the vampire maiden saw them coming out of the basement, she greeted them with a big smile. ¡°Ahh, you¡¯re back! Have you had your dinner? I made some sticky soup in the evening.¡±


    Hao Ren waved his hand as if to say that they already had their dinner outside. He then sat down next to Vivian. ¡°We¡¯ve cracked the code of the vengeful spirit¡¯s memory, which may lead us to the Nangongs¡¯ parents.¡±


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s good.¡± Vivian stopped the work in her hand as she sensed that there was something more. ¡°Is there an issue?¡±


    ¡°They could be somewhere in the Plane of Dreams. The drones I dispatched before happened to find a highly probable star region,¡± Hao Ren told her about the situation. ¡°¡­The problem is, there aren¡¯t any celestial bodies there.¡±


    ¡°That can only be verified by going there,¡± said Vivian, rubbing her fingers against her chin. ¡°Can we leave tomorrow?¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the Nangong siblings. ¡°Let¡¯s have a good rest tonight. We¡¯ll depart tomorrow.¡±


    The next day, Y¡¯zaks and his daughter learned about the vengeful spirit¡¯s memory and volunteered to go with them. Taking into account that they were travelling by spaceship this time, someone may need to stay back on board when needed, Hao Ren decided to bring along everyone in the family, including the cat and the fish. So, he did not have to worry about the two making a mess at home while he was away. He called Raven 12345, and confirming that she had no new mission for him, he set out with his own team.


    The Petrachelys flew through the vast expanse of space. The spacecraft glowed in a faint light as starlight shone on its silvery-white body. Flying along the drone¡¯s flight path, the spacecraft knew that it was fast approaching its destination.


    At 0.3 light-years from the target, the spacecraft decelerated temporarily for the first time as it jumped out from a space warp and moved closer to a silver-white structure in space.


    The structure was small, only one-third the size of the Petrachelys. It looked like a section of a short and thick tower in space. Suspended above it were four symmetrically distributed crystal plates. There were also some small, floating bastions around the structure. The bastions contained the small outpost¡¯s defensive weapons, which were powerful enough to deal with any wandering celestial objects and invaders (if any). In the case of greater threats, the entire outpost would just move away. After all, it was just a broadcast antenna; it did not have to fight with the enemy head-on.


    This outpost was one of the results of the drones released by Hao Ren. While the drones continuously moved into deep space, they were also building a huge network along the way. They could multiply themselves and look for suitable celestial bodies in the universe to build production bases. They would also build signal relay stations in space, which was the current structure according to a blueprint.


    Together, these things formed an autonomous drone cluster. Although there were not many things the simple, low-tech drones could do, they played an important function in helping inspectors with their exploratory mission.


    A light beam connected the Petrachelys to the outpost¡¯s structure as the Petrachelys read the latest observation data from the structure. The crystal plate at the top of the structure turned to face deep space; it was contacting the drones that were hustling through space, and relaying information back to its owner.


    On the flight deck of the Petrachelys, the MDT relayed the observation report from the outpost. ¡°Two probes have been ordered to return, providing us with more precise navigation of the constellations in this area. There are no celestial bodies in the target area¡­ only a pile of ashes.¡±


    ¡°Ashes? What ashes?¡± Vivian asked curiously.


    ¡°Solar ashes.¡±

 Chapter 634

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°Solar ashes,¡± the MDT responded briefly.


    ¡°A pile of solar ashes?¡± Hao Ren was a little surprised. ¡°From a dead star? What else?¡±


    ¡°Not much; no planets, no asteroid belts, and no artificial celestial objects. The drone network has compared it with the image in the vengeful spirit¡¯s memory and found the spot where a similar starry region could be observed. It matched 99.99 % of the star chart. This only means that the vengeful spirit was looking at it from the same spot¡ªbut this spot is now empty. The nearest object is a dead star. The good news is, the dead star isn¡¯t far from this location, just about two astronomical units away. So the Nangong couple hasn¡¯t fallen into the sun, instead they¡¯re on some other planet circling the sun. The only question is: where is this planet?¡±


    Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.


    Lily sat back in her seat and said, ¡°Let¡¯s check it out then.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. He commanded the spacecraft to disconnect from the outpost and retracted its contact beam. It faded into a silver light as it flew away and disappeared into deep space. The tiny outpost re-adjusted the angle of its crystal plates and resumed its routine operation.


    The spacecraft arrived at its destination after a short voyage. The observatory platform on the upper deck of the Petrachelys extended out slowly. As the shade lowered, the scenery outside appeared before their eyes. It was dark and vast.


    The MDT pointed to a direction in space with a light beam. A faint dot of light, as small as an egg, was out there. ¡°That¡¯s the ash, a dead star. It didn¡¯t turn into a black hole. Its core is still emanating heat. Apart from that, there¡¯s pretty much nothing left. This space is filled with fragments of the star¡ªgases, shrapnel and things like that, which we can ignore.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. He could see that the cosmic background had an abnormal grayish-brown color. This consisted of the dust and gases left behind by the explosion of the star. Since the dust and gases had spread out so far, the spot that they were in had to be within the blast zone. If there any planets existed in the region, they would have been blown away by the supernova.


    But even if the planet shattered, there would surely be debris.


    The MDT emitted a series of beeps. ¡°Checked. There¡¯s nothing left.¡±


    ¡°Is it possible to widen the search area?¡± Hao Ren looked at the distant star. ¡°When the star exploded, the shockwave may have blown the celestial body out of the way.¡±


    ¡°You think I never thought of that?¡± The MDY shook its body. ¡°Let me remind you that according to calculations, the star you see now has exploded more than 10,000 years ago. Even if it blew away its own planet, it happened way back then. The star region in the vengeful spirit¡¯s memory was only a hundred years old; during which this spot was as calm as a millpond. So, if we can¡¯t find anything here right now, more often than not, you wouldn¡¯t find anything here a hundred years ago.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks suddenly came up and said, ¡°Unless, the planet here ran away on its own a hundred years ago.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet emulated her papa¡¯s usual style, crossing both arms and nodding. ¡°What my papa says makes sense.¡±


    Vivian waved her hand at the little girl. ¡°Do you even understand what your papa said?¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet held her head high and replied, ¡°Whatever my papa says always makes sense! This is the law of nature!¡±


    Just as Hao Ren was about to say something, a ring of light suddenly appeared in the space near the spaceship. A small rectangular object emitting a silver light jumped out of the ring and approached the Petrachelys silently. Hao Ren recognized the object; it was the probe that he had released earlier. However, he damned sure it was not one of the batch. This one was one of latter generation¡ªa cloned probe multiplied by the original probe, responsible for mapping the universe in this region. The smart drone had sensed the position of its master. It flew directly to the observatory platform. The rear section of the drone swung open on both sides before a small metal device came out of its belly. The device came into the observatory through the shield and landed before them.


    Lily grabbed the gizmo but found it had some components missing. The thing obviously not made in Xi Ling Celestials.


    Hao Ren was surprised. ¡°Where does it come from?¡±


    The MDT went up and ¡®talked¡¯ with the probe. Then it said, ¡°It came from several light years away, in space. This thing was flying at 3% the speed of light.¡±


    A thought came to Hao Ren¡¯s mind. He ordered. ¡°Track in that direction!¡±


    The drone lighted up in blue before it flew away and disappeared before their eyes. The MDT brought up a hologram showing a real-time radar visual transmitted by the probe. The visual began with the probe rapidly pulling away from the Petrachelys and flying out into deep space. A moment later, the MDT suddenly sounded a loud whistle; a bright red dot appeared in the visual. ¡°The probe has found a planet! However, the planet is flying away from us with the help of a bunch of thrusters, in at least eight light years away from us¡­ ¡±


    Everyone was stunned beyond word. Their eyes landed on Y¡¯zaks in unison. Y¡¯zaks scratching his big baldhead, smiling. ¡°It really could run away on its own¡­¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet¡¯s arms still crossed. She proclaimed proudly, ¡°See¡ªmy dad is always right.¡±


    The Petrachelys immediately traced the signal from the probe and caught up with the flyaway planet. What they saw had their jaws dropped to the ground.


    The dim, grey planet was moving across space, alone. Neat and huge gullies filled its surface. The gullies were the marks left behind by the massive reconstruction works. In spot where those gullies converged were propellers symmetrically arranged along the axis. These propellers were as large as mountains, and they looked incredibly huge even from space. Some of them are in operation, thrusting out several hundred thousand miles of jet flames pushing the planet away in a gradual acceleration.


    The technology that was driving the planet away looked ¡®primitive¡¯. It was the same propulsion technology as thruster. Technologically, it was light years behind the Coordinate Propulsion Technology of many interstellar civilisations. However, this simple and crude propulsion method had given the entire planet a jaw-dropping sense of raw power.


    The Petrachelys flew parallel to the grey planet. Hao Ren looked down from the observatory at the planet below. ¡°Why didn¡¯t the probes detect this planet?¡±


    ¡°The earlier batch of drones are primarily tasked to drawing up the star chart. The larger sources of gravity and light had overshadowed the planets and smaller objects in space,¡± explained the MDT. ¡°Besides, this particular planet here was traversing along the flight boundary, which was a blind spot, of the two probes. So this could be an oversight. After all, this planet doesn¡¯t emit light, is not massive, and has very low infrared signature.¡±


    Rollie lay on the side of the observatory and meowed in awe. Her tail swung in the air. ¡°That¡¯s what Boss Cat looking for?¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡± Vivian also turned and asked.


    The MDT was measuring the trajectory of the rogue planet. By using the trajectory and speed of acceleration of the planet, it could trace it back to its original location of one hundred years ago. However, this required a complex calculation and the result was only an approximation of an ideal condition¡ªstars was a constantly changing reference system. The celestial bodies in motion involved many reverse calculations. Fortunately, the time span that the MDT needed for calculation was only a hundred years. Within those hundred years, the relative position of the stars would not change much.


    ¡°Firstly, we need to assume that the planet has been maintaining its current rate of acceleration after breaking away from the star system, and we assume that it has not changed its course for 100 years and it has not been captured by other large-mass objects. Finally, after considering the perturbation of nearby gravitational sources¡­¡± The MDT muttered as it calculated. Hao Ren began to run out of patience. ¡°Please get straight to the point.¡±


    ¡°Oh, this should be the planet we¡¯ve been looking for,¡± said the MDT, smacking on Hao Ren¡¯s forehead. ¡°One hundred years ago it should be several dozens of astronomical units away from the coordinate that we originally calculated. In interstellar term, this deviation is almost negligible.¡±


    Lily poked the waist of Nangong Wuyue. ¡°Your daddy and mommy should be down there. Probably.¡±

 Chapter 635

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The Petrachelys did not land on the planet; it cautiously circled the planet a few times and learned as much as it could before they touched down. It was a strange flying planet, traveling alone in space.


    At first glance, the planet was flying with the help of a series of massive thrusters. There were more than 160 huge engine nozzles as big as mountains on its surface, but only a quarter of them were fired up. Behind the planet, there were plasmic exhaust flames, which went as far as a thousand kilometers. Together, they looked like a weird but huge comet with a tail, creating a spectacular scene in space. Except for those huge thrusters and exhaust flames, the rest of the planet was lifeless¡ªno vegetation was visible on the surface, while the oceans and lands were frozen over with ice that had not melted for years. Ninety percent of the planet was dark. The only bright area was around the giant thrusters, as it was seemingly illuminated by the exhaust flames.


    Zombie planet , Hao Ren thought.


    It was like a zombie of the celestial world. It was dead but the thrusters were still faithfully carrying out orders to fly the planet away.


    ¡°There are only traces of life on the surface of the planet: lower organisms, algae, or other single-celled creatures were detected,¡± the MDT¡¯s voice interrupted Hao Ren¡¯s thoughts. ¡°No traces of large, advanced life forms have been found. They may be of course buried underground. There is a shield layer on the surface of the planet, which may have formed from the geomagnetic field. This could be the reason why it survived the supernova more than 10,000 years ago.¡±


    ¡°Any other dangerous things?¡± Vivian turned around and asked.


    Light flashed on the MDT as it tried to pull more information from the spacecraft¡¯s radar system. ¡°Nothing yet,¡± the MDT replied.


    Hao Ren had a thought. ¡°Y¡¯lisabet, stay on the spacecraft with the cat and fish. The rest, follow me. Let¡¯s check out the planet down there. MDT, you stay too. You¡¯re going to keep the spacecraft in the orbit and back us up from space if something happens down there.¡±


    Hao Ren had learned from his last encounter in Io. He realized the importance of support and reinforcement. Whenever he went out to explore an unfamiliar planet, leaving behind a support team in space could be useful¡ªhad he gone ahead without the MDT¡¯s support in the orbit of Io, he would have been trapped and frozen in the ice.


    The MDT immediately knew the importance of its role. Shaking its body, the MDT proudly said, ¡°You got it!¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet pursed her lips, feeling upset. She looked at the dumb cat who was lying on the ground, and Lil Pea, who was yawning on the dumb cat¡¯s head. Feeling slighted, she said, ¡°Am I just your daughter and the cat¡¯s nanny? I can help too!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks flicked his daughter with his finger, landing her five meters away. ¡°Listen to your uncle and stay back in the spaceship.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet gave in, running back and crying. ¡°Alright¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was wide-eyed. Though he knew that the way demons raised their kids were a little crazy, he still found it a miracle for Y¡¯lisabet to survive to this day. The little girl was tough! Imagine that: when Y¡¯zaks flicked her away, he could hear a sonic boom.


    The spacecraft found an open landing spot on the equator of the rogue planet. It hovered above it and teleported everyone directly onto the planet surface.


    The planet was covered in badlands. They walked out of the teleportation beam and saw the endless snowfields, bare hills, and dark sky. The idle thrusters stuck out like faint shadows in the distance. Behind the shadows was light, which came from the plasmic exhaust flames. Those were the only things on the planet that were worth seeing.


    Their surroundings were quiet. Weird, low-pitched roars that were extremely weak and indiscernible seemingly came from the massive thrusters in the distance. The thin atmosphere prevented sound from traveling far. With their superhuman senses, they could only hear the sound ever so vaguely. In fact, the planet retained its atmosphere, but the ultra-low temperature had turned gases into solid ice on the surface of the planet. Essentially, Hao Ren was standing on solidified carbon dioxide and many other gases.


    The spacecraft had scanned the environment below before they landed. Except special guys like Hao Ren and Y¡¯zaks, the others were wearing life-support collars. Lily stomped her feet on the ground and sent gray dust flying. ¡°Looks like no one¡¯s been here.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue looked into the distant darkness. She could hardly hide the worry on her face. Nangong Sanba was scratching his jaw, frowning. Vivian looked at them and knew that the two were feeling hopeless. Trying to remind them, Vivian said, ¡°Can sirens and demon hunters survive in this environment? If so, for how long?¡±


    Only then did Wuyue realize that her parents may have survived on the planet. She carefully took off her life-support collar and knitted her brows together. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ uncomfortable, but not life-threatening. We could survive for a long period, relying solely on heat energy and liquid water¡ªif we can find a source. The planet has a magnetic field, so it would shield us from cosmic radiations. My mom will be able to live in this environment.¡±


    ¡°For a hundred years?¡± asked Lily.


    Wuyue frowned. ¡°¡­Theoretically, yes. Sirens can live as long as there is water, but here¡­ maybe mom survived the hundred-year journey in space by hibernating in a frozen state. At most, she¡¯ll lose some memory and energy. Sirens are like water; we can exist in three different states. Sometimes when the environment turns extreme, sirens survive by changing into one of the three states.¡±


    Awed by the siren ability, Lily could imagine the sight of Nangong Wuyue melting, and evaporating according to the different seasons. It suddenly felt magical and horrific at the same time.


    Nangong Sanba was still scratching his jaw in deep thought. ¡°Dad isn¡¯t as strong as the other demon hunters. He may not be able to survive this place, but with mom¡¯s help, he may have been able to make it through these hundred years. Demon hunters have some surviving skills in extreme conditions too.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, if they¡¯ve survived on this planet, they would have surely gone in that direction.¡± Y¡¯zaks pointed into the distance, where several huge flares were rising from the horizon. ¡°The thrusters. That¡¯s the only place on the whole planet with heat and liquid water.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately yanked out his official ride from his Dimensional Pocket¡ªthe tiny Northstar. ¡°Climb in. We¡¯re going to the thrusters.¡±


    The little Northstar hustled across the icy planet, kicking up large amounts of eye-catching ice and snow in its path. The whole scene looked like a group of white monsters running on the ground. Hao Ren did not travel by teleportation or flight. He wanted to see the surroundings as he was very interested in the planet.


    Much of the scenery was monotonous. Only boundless white and grey greeted them, but something strange began to appear as they approached the thrusters. The massive, dark nozzles and steel scaffolds stuck out of the snow as though they had actually grown out of the earth. One was reminded of vines surrounding its fruits, and thousands of roots propping up giant trees. The size of the pipes and scaffolds was massive. From their appearance, one could not help but think of the First Born. They spread across the dark earth, looking strange under the starlight.


    Their car passed silently under a huge steel scaffold. Lily poked her head out of the window, watching in surprise as mentally repressive black shadows flew past above her. As a young, literary woman, she suddenly felt a little sad.


    While these things still worked, where was their maker?

 Chapter 636

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren was driving his official ride, which could form-shift into anything but Optimus Prime, hustling on the desolate planet. Looking out at the ancient, old-fashioned but massive steel structure flew past made one could not help but feel depressed. They were now passing by an idle mega-thruster. The thruster looked like a weird extinct volcano; it had the shape of a peak like a mountain, and huge piping and steel structure on the outside, some old and mottled marks scattered on the ¡®peak¡¯, probably rust developed during the period when the atmosphere was still abundant.


    Lily lay her head on the window frame looking out. She said, ¡°The machine is alive, but the people are dead¡­ Who made these things?¡±


    ¡°No advanced life is detected yet. Only a few microorganisms barely survive in the extreme underground environment,¡± said Hao Ren, checking the car¡¯s instrument cluster, which should display various readings like oil level and mileage, was virtual cockpit instead fill with complex radar chart and a communication interface with the Petrachelys. ¡°Humans may have died out on this planet¡­ or they might be hiding in some shelters. Just that we haven¡¯t found it yet.¡±


    ¡°The second scenario is less probable,¡± said Vivian, shaking her head. ¡°It¡¯s just my intuition.¡±


    ¡°You mean the thrusters run by themselves? Hao Ren turned to look at Vivian.


    Still shaking her head, Vivian said, ¡°I don¡¯t know about the thrusters. I just feel that this place is haunted with a smell of death¡­ The Blood Clan can sense it.¡±


    They did not stay long at the idle thruster. After making a round around it and snapping a few images, they left the massive thruster behind them and continued their journey. After passing by more massive pipelines and steel structure, they began to see some other sporadic structure that looked like sentry towers and bunkers¡ªone could not help but think of a military base. It seemed there had been war on the planet before the huge thrusters were even completed.


    Only that thick snow had buried the traces, and only structure on the higher ground stood out of the icy layer. Unless they stop and do a detailed scan, it is difficult to know what lies beneath the thick solid carbon dioxide and normal liquid ice.


    As the car continued to move on, the surroundings began to warm up. Three massive thrusters shooting out bluish white flares into the space on the horizon. The thermal radiation of the plasma flares was warming up the area, allowing carbon dioxide to return to the atmosphere. It even melted the normal ice and snow, exposing the dirt and gravel on the ground.


    From time to time, sand and stone chips hitting the car producing some crackling sound outside as strong wind blew up the gravel and debris. The heat from the mega-thrusters had caused the nearby dry ice returning to the atmosphere, creating a convection process on this part of the planet.


    The thrusters were so massive that they even caused weather-like phenomena during their operation. However, the scope of these phenomena was limited to space around the active thrusters. After crossing these ¡®weather rings¡¯, the air became quiet and dead again.


    After driving for some time, they accidentally stumbled upon the remains of a city.


    The city was situated on a high ground, and due to its proximity to an active thruster, the heat of the plasma flare had melted the ice and snow in the city. The Nangong siblings urged Hao Ren to enter the city. As they drove along the street, they saw high-rises everywhere. Though architecturally very different from that of the earth, one could know there had once been an advanced civilisation existed by looking at the exquisite and high-tech architecture here.


    Unlike those dark thrusters, the city was once filled with colours¡ªfrom the detailed decorations on the buildings, colourful arts like commercial billboards to roofs, squares, and streets. Hao Ren drove through a twin tower, which looked like a pair of symmetric sprouts of plant and connected by elegantly designed arch sky-bridge.


    Such architectures were everywhere in the city. They were varied in style; some elegant, some rough like those huge thrusters, and some were unknown as to their uses. Lily looked at the old buildings, wide-mouthed, as she was imagining on a sunny day, a normal busy day in this alien city, buildings were full of colours, people walking leisurely in the streets, and flying crafts traversing the air between the high-rises.. All these imaginations suddenly receded like a tidal wave, everything turned into grey, and death.


    Those empty buildings stood lifelessly in the darkness, silently facing the distant stars, and greeting the uninvited guests with their ghostly face.


    In the background of the city, massive plasma flares piercing through night sky breaking the space in half.


    ¡°There is no signs of life,¡± Hao Ren checked the radar screen in his car. ¡°The city has been abandoned for so long. Ten thousand years at the very least.¡±


    What Hao Ren said was no drivel. He had the knowledge to back up his claim. He felt that the city was just a temporary settlement prior to the completion of the thrusters. As when the thrusters fired up, the planet would leave its orbit into space, and the inhabitants of this planet obviously had no ability to maintain the planet¡¯s atmosphere after leaving the sun. They must abandon the city on the surface after the completion of the thrusters and move underground or into some hibernation facilities.


    Had the thrusters not started ten thousand years ago, then everything would be simpler: the inhabitants of the city would have died in the catastrophe of supernova.


    Vivian asked in a whisper. ¡°Why do you think they wanted to transform their planet into this?¡±


    ¡°Obviously for survival,¡± said Hao Ren, gazing at the huge plasma flares in the distance. ¡°I guess it was the First Born¡­ if not the brain monster, which was responsible for the catastrophes. Apart from an extinction level of event, what else could make a race to embark on a run with their planet?¡±


    Lily lied her head on the backrest of Hao Ren¡¯s seat, eyes rolling in deep thought. She then shook her head and said, ¡°Obviously something went wrong during their escape.¡±


    Amazed by the husky quick wit, Vivian asked, ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    ¡°Because this planet only started its journey a hundred years ago,¡± replied Lily, shaking her ears. ¡°It was a hundred years ago that the vengeful spirit kidnapped the Nangong couple and sent them onto this planet, the sight of the stars in the vengeful spirit¡¯s memory clearly suggests that the planet was still in its own solar system a hundred years ago while the catastrophic disaster of the universe had already happened ten thousand years ago. So this planet¡¯s escape plan had obviously failed. Hey, didn¡¯t you think of this, did you?¡±


    ¡°Whoa, honestly, I¡¯ve not thought about that before, really, but you did,¡± replied Vivian, honestly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not stupid, okay!¡± rolling her eyes, Lily flung herself into the seat, ignoring Battie.


    Hao Ren smiled and watched the two quarrelling. ¡°Lilly is right. If this planet was to flee, it should have set off before ten thousand years ago. So something must had happened that it was stranded in its own solar system for ten thousand years ago. It wasn¡¯t until the Nangong couple were brought here that the thrusters suddenly fired up¡­ The problem probably came about a hundred years ago.¡±


    They lingered in the city for quite a while but disappointment eventually set in. There was no sign of advanced life form here, nor was there any trace of recent human activity. Although the city was in a relatively warm environment and liquid water and moss-like basic plants existed, Nangong siblings¡¯ parents were not here.


    However, the Nangong siblings were still holding on their hope: the environment in the city could clearly sustain life of sirens and demon hunters, though comfortable, but feasible. Furthermore, there might be more than one such ¡®liveable¡¯ region. Area surrounding each active thruster could provide enough life-sustaining condition. They could not find any in this city; they could still look into another.


    Until they combed the entire planet.

 Chapter 637

    The crew moved on once again and left behind the dead city.


    The world that was veiled in darkness gave everyone a foreboding feeling, but thankfully the darkness was slowly fading away. A huge, operating plasma reactor was in front of them and the radiant glow from the engines lit the skyline and broke the veil of darkness.


    Vivian suggested that they checkout the area near the reactor, and Hao Ren let the car¡¯s autopilot system to determine the best route forward as they went along a slope up the metallic mountain range. As they close in on the reactor, the details of the facility appeared before them. Hao Ren saw on the facility¡¯s conical shape had many other spiralling roads etched on surface, a faint light was darting along the road as the pinnacle of the reactor spew light that stretched on miles on end, until they see a steel bridge of the far end, not knowing exactly what it is for.


    As they were half way through the rector¡¯s side, the Northstar¡¯s computer suddenly beeped. At the same time, Y¡¯zaks frowned as well. ¡°Seems like there¡¯s something up ahead.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately stopped the car by the road side and Lily immediately leaped on all fours as she sneakily crawled forward to scout ahead. She was lying down on a giant metallic board as she popped her head out before turning back to the rest, motioning earnestly.


    The group immediately went towards her as Lily pointed towards the road, her voice hushed. ¡°Look, a supply convoy!¡±


    Hao Ren looked dumbfoundedly at the straight road that stretched towards the top of the reactor. The road was lined with strobes that glow in light blue, probably serving as some sort of guiding mechanism as lines along lines of transport vehicles back and forth on the road in a very regulated manner.


    ¡°There¡¯s no signs of life¡­¡± Vivian frowned before tossing one of her bats towards a transport truck. Due to the reactor¡¯s operation, the atmopshere around the area was not stable, and Vivian¡¯s little bats finally had some use.


    Speaking of which, she had not used her bat sensor for quite some time already¡­


    The little bat struggled against the wind as it went forward before latching on unceremoniously onto the roof of one of the trucks. It looked about on top of the roof as it skittered about looking for a gap. Any zoologist seeing this would probably start questioning themselves if they were to see a bat doing that. But alas, the bat returned disappointedly as the entire vehicle was sealed except for the cargo hold.


    ¡°It¡¯s a hopper on the back, and is filled with something that looked like fuel for the reactor.¡± Vivian said as she assimilated the bat back into herself, frowning as she went. ¡°There are no entrance, no signs of life as well. Seems like it is automated.¡±


    Hao Ren pondered for a bit before making a rather daring decision. They were to tail the cargo transport.


    Lily too had mustered her courage as she scampered about the vehicles, and realised that there were no reaction to her antics. Neither were there any patrol robots or the likes on the tracks. Thus all of them concured that the automated system was ¡®blind¡¯. Hao Ren and the rest got into the car and started tailing one of the trucks that left the reactor. As they went through the steel roads for a good while, and a few corners later a steel forest-like facilities appeared before them.


    The steel forest was blocked by a mountain range prior, and no one had saw it on their way up.


    Hao Ren carefully drove the car into the area as massive clanking rang around him. The area was filled to be brim with black, massive machinery or buildings, as if the city itself was a factory proper. Large number of trucks and other vehicles followed the track from the reactor to here as they zipped through the steel forest. Large mechanical arms raised and lowered as it coordinated with the arriving trucks and filling the hoppers without even ceasing for a moment.


    A thunderous noise came from above and the startled Wuyue looked up, what she saw was a ten square meter odd steel block was moving across the air with the help of thrusters as it slowly slot itself into a ¡®mountain block¡¯ not too far away. By the looks of things, it was probaby an automated storage system.


    The whole factory city was in full throttle as the whirring of machines and passing of vehicles was all over the place. Under the guiding strobes and high-powered lighting system, the area was as bright as day. But¡­ there were no one here.


    Hao Ren led everyone out of the car and they investigated this bizzare area before them. They did not worry about an alarm system summoning guards. They did not expect to see anyone here in the first place. Y¡¯zaks even planned to pull a meteor down to blow the place up in hopes to startle the locals into appearing, but that plan was nipped in the bud by the rest.


    Lily drew her Frostfire claws as she led the team on high alert, sniffing as she went. ¡°There¡¯s only steel and oil scent here¡­¡±


    The group passed by an operational manufacturing dias and beside it was a control room-like facility, and the door was ajar. Nangong Sanba raised his crossbow as he cautiously approached the door to check what¡¯s behind it, only to find a room with lit lights and grumbling machineries.


    ¡°No one here.¡± Nangong Sanba came out of the control room as he shook his head. ¡°The entire system is automated.¡±


    Hao Ren sighed. ¡°Forget about it. I think the entire planet is automated.¡±


    But just as he spoke, a sharp wail came from behind them!


    Hao Ren immediately turned back in alarm, but what he saw was a small inverted triangle machine coming at top speed towards them. The machine seemed to be a patrol bot as it swiftly circled the group while letting out a series of buzz, before finally speaking normally. ¡°Civilians detected.¡±


    Nangong Sanba responded unconciously. ¡°Pardon me?¡±


    A series of buzzing noise came from the robot again as it spoke. ¡°Civilian detected. Condition excellent. Please follow me towards the examination station. You may access the shelter after decontamination.¡±


    As it finished, the robot turned towards another direction and sped on. After a few moments it turned back to realise that Hao Ren and his group have yet to move. ¡°Civilians, please follow me towards the examination station. If not, coercive measures will be taken.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks had formed a kill curse in his hand as he pondered if he should blast the robot to smithereens or not. Hao Ren motioned for him to stand down. ¡°Lets follow and see what that robot is up to.¡±


    The group then followed the robot as they navigated through the area and headed towards the deep end of the steel forest. Passing through even more automated factories and machineries as they went, they too saw even more unmanned vehicles and and transfer platforms moving about. The scene was so bizzare as if even when their masters had long gone, the machines was programmed to continue working tirelessly. Finally the group was brought into a rectangular building and only then the noise outside was dampened.


    The building was clean and well lit. The first half of it was a giant hall, and the scale of it reminds Hao Ren of a departure hall at the airport. There were advanced robots busying themselves in the hall, cleaning and maintaining the place.


    Lily quickly retracted her claws, worrying if she would dirty the place. At the very least, she was better than most normal huskies in this respect. ¡°I never thought the planet has a place like this.¡±


    ¡°A sealed man-made facility could always lead someone to forget about what¡¯s going on outside.¡± Vivian said as she realised something. ¡°I remember sleeping in the old king¡¯s tomb before and waking up to find my surroundings not changing much, and the world was still the same. But as it stepped out of the tomb, the country itself had already been blown to bits¡­ If someone had lived here for ten thounsand years, he would probably not even know how the world had changed outside.¡±


    Things that mades Vivian sigh was always things that no one knew how to respond. So Hao Ren could only shrug as he followed the robot towards the hall. Just as they approached the door on the far end of the hall. The sidewall lit up and a human silhouette appeared on it!

 Chapter 638

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    As the group was just about to pass through the hall¡¯s door, a wall panel closest to them suddenly lit up and a human figure appeared on the screen. Hao Ren and the rest immediately reacted with alarm as they looked at the figure on the screen. It was a white-haired, dignified middle-aged man. He wore a smart black uniform with golden linings. Two rows of big gold buttons ran across the length from his neck to the belt.


    The man on the screen looked at Hao Ren and his group, surprise apparent in his eyes. ¡°How were you people outside?¡±


    Hao Ren had already reconciled the fact that this planet had no inhabitants, a planetary level ghost city, yet on the screen was someone alive and that shocked the jimmies out of him. ¡°Oh f*ck me¡­. There¡¯s still someone on the planet?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s still someone?¡± The middle aged man on the screen was perplexed. ¡°What are you talking about? Did you all left the sanctuary? Or did you came from other areas?¡±


    Vivian immediately caught on and coughed softly. ¡°We¡­ we came from other place. The last place may have some problems and we got lost here.¡±


    She purposedly kept things vague out of caution, and tried to muddle the group¡¯s origins. The man on the screen however did not pay too much attention and simply nodded. ¡°Very well, the most important thing is that you are back in a safe area. I hope that you all were not harmed by the reactor¡¯s radiation. The guiding robot will bring you to the sanctuary, and the civil officers will be checking on your situation.¡±


    As he finished, the screen on the wall faded and returned into a proper wall. Hao Ren and the rest looked at each other, and was curious about the sudden appearance of the man, yet they could not tell what was amiss.


    ¡°There¡¯s still someone on the planet?¡± Lily muttered, her face incredulous.


    Vivian rubbed her chin. ¡°Based on what the man said, there seems to be a sanctuary of sorts¡­ I never thought that we would actually run into survivors!¡±


    Under the guidance robot¡¯s lead, the group went past the hall and entered a long corridor that was lit with red light. The robot advised that they would complete the contamination process at the end of the tunne. As he walked Hao Ren mumbled. ¡°Something¡¯s not right¡­¡±


    ¡°It is not right.¡± Vivian remembered the previous discussion. ¡°The planet¡¯s sun that went supernova ten thousand years ago, but the planetary reactor was only activated a hundred years ago, so technically speaking that any survivors would¡¯ve already missed the escape window. Even if some survived, why none of them took flight? Don¡¯t tell me they had slumbered on a frozen iceball of a planet for a millenia?¡±


    ¡°You think people sleeps like you?¡± Lily quipped, her words venomous.


    This husky just couldn¡¯t help herself on taking a jab at her mortal enemy even in the most inopportune of times.


    Nangong Wuyue had a complicated look on her face, a mixture of anticipation and fear. ¡°Will my parents be in the sanctuary?¡±


    Hao Ren immediately realised the possibility. ¡°Yes! If there is a shelter there, your parents might be brought into there as well, just like us!¡±


    Everyone thought that is was plausible and hastened their step across the corridor. As they reached the end of it, another guidance robot was waiting for them. The little robot opened the semi-circle hatch at the end of the tunnel as a special room appeared before them.


    There were nothing in the empty room, only a tubular platform stood in the middle. At the front of the tube was a semi-transparent glass door, and through it an elevator-like mechanism was seen. Seems like the sanctuary was underground.


    As to arrive at the shelter without a hitch, Hao Ren and the rest were very cooperative as they waited quietly for the robot to activate the elevator and ushered them into it. As everyone stepped into the elevator, something caught Hao Ren attention.


    It was a long, serpentine tail¡­ Wuyue¡¯s


    ¡°Wait a minute¡± Hao Ren raised an eyebrow as something ran through his mind. ¡°Wuyue, you have been in this shape since just now?¡±


    Wuyue did not understand the question and simply wiggled her tail as she coiled into a more comfortable form. (With a narrow place like an elevator, her serpentine form would be takig up quite a lot of space, but she did not had the chance to change into other form) ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s with it?¡±


    ¡°¡­ What man on the screen did not seem to be alarmed by your form.¡± Lily too realised what Hao Ren was talking about as she touched her ears and tail. ¡°My form too¡­¡±


    Wuyue¡¯s tail immediately coiled into a tighter form as she got nervous. ¡°Can it be a trap?¡±


    By then the elevator door had closed and the platform descended with increasing speed. Hao Ren saw the metallic frame and machinery levels that flashed across, and gritted his teeth. ¡°Well, forget about that. We¡¯ll see when the time comes. Just stay alert, but don¡¯t make any unnecessary movements unless its an emergency.¡±


    Lily nodded as she drew her Frostfire Claws. ¡°No worries Mr Landlord, I will protect you!¡±


    Vivian immediately pushed the husky aside. ¡°You fool, keep your claws. This is an elevator¡­ AHHH my shirt! One of my two only good shirt!¡±


    ¡°Can you two bloody behave?¡± Hao Ren have the two bickering fools an exasperated look as he shuffled into a corner to cool down. Y¡¯zaks looked down on the floor of the elevator platform: The floor was made out of transparent glass and one could see what was going on beneath them. Only towards the far end of the elevator tube could someone see faint source of light. ¡°Seems like the sanctuary is somewhere really deep underground.¡±


    ¡°Or to use the geothermal energies to maintain the ecosystem.¡± Hao Ren thought. ¡°The most common way of a low tech-level civilisation to survive.¡±


    The elevator did not seem to have an end as the party had been in there on alert for agood while. Lily¡¯s serious demeanour didn¡¯t last five minutes before she squatted on the floor and started drawing figures on the floor. By the time she finished a sketch of three puppies only did everyone felt a shudder as the sound of the mechanism locking itself came from outside.


    Y¡¯zaks looked up as he spoke. ¡°Seems like about ten kilometers deep¡­ Seems like you are right, they are using the lava to maintain the heat level of the sanctuary.¡±


    With a hiss, the elevator door opened. Nangong Sanba immediately threw out a small runic card and the card turned into a human silhouette that took a few steps. Seeing that no traps or whatsoever was triggered, he then lifted his crossbow as he carefully moved out. ¡°All clear, lets move.¡±


    ¡°Your brother seems to be reliable at times.¡± Vivian quipped.


    Wuyue pouted. ¡°If he did not have even such basic demon hunting skills, he¡¯d probably be dead somewhere in a haunted castle¡­¡±


    Wuyue¡¯s own sentence was cut short by her own yelp. As the group got out of the elevator, the scenery that greeted them left all of them stunned.


    Beyond the elevator was not a foreboding steel sanctuary, and neither was it layers upon layers of small habitat blocks akin to a prison. It was a huge, proper city!¡±


    A wide and clean road stretched miles on end, as buildings of various shapes and sizes made up the rows alogn the street. Between them were lush greeneries and decorative structures. Turning back, Hao Ren realised that the elevator they took earlier was actually a pillar connecting the sanctuary to the surface of the planet. The elevator stood in the centre of a plaza that intersected with a few trunk roads. And from afar, Hao Ren could see a few other similar pillar.


    Seems like the entrance and exit is not restricted to the one they came from.


    Lily gawked for a good while before she managed to speak. ¡°¡­. For a sanctuary¡­. this place is pretty grand!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks looked up again, and noticed that the city was not shrouded in darkness, conversely it was very well lit by seemingly powerful lights. Blinking hard, the demon saw from the gaps between ¡®web of light¡¯ massive rock roof and equally massive supporting metal structures. ¡°Above the place is lava¡­ This is a giant cavern. Not sure if it s excavated or formed naturally.¡±


    Vivian looked at the rock dome above here as she muttered. ¡°Cavern eh¡­.¡±


    Hao Ren quipped without even thinking. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you are gonna take a nap here.¡±


    Vivian immediately recoiled as she shook her head. ¡°No worries, I can control myself!¡±


    Turning away, Lily spat. ¡°Pffftt, Battie.¡±

 Chapter 639

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren and his group had finally reached the sanctuary deep within the planet¡¯s crust. After their initial awe, they quickly realized that the city was uninhabited like everywhere else.


    There were no pedestrians on the street, and while the buildings were lit, there were no signs of any living being behind the windows. There were vehicles running in the air and on the streets, but when Y¡¯zaks hailed one to stop, it was an unmanned vehicle.


    ¡°So?¡± Lily turned around to look at the vibrant yet empty city. ¡°Where are the supposed survivors?¡±


    Nangong Sanba was dumbfounded. Looking up to the sky, he shouted in hopes of getting the attention of any ¡°observer¡± who may exist. ¡°Hello! We¡¯re in the sanctuary! What¡¯s next? There¡¯s no one here!¡±


    No one appeared, and the only sound was from the engines of the vehicles speeding through the air.


    ¡°This planet is getting weirder by the minute,¡± Hao Ren recalled the middle-aged man on the screen as he muttered to himself. ¡°Didn¡¯t the guy say we would meet some civil officers down here¡­¡±


    ¡°Not sure what that man¡¯s trying to do.¡± Vivian summoned a swarm of bats and got them to fly all over the place while she took a few careful steps forward. ¡°He has no beef with us¡­ He won¡¯t be pulling such a massive prank.¡±


    The group walked about the bizarre sanctuary, scouting the place out. They followed the lights and the busiest roads in hopes to find any survivors living there. Hao Ren knew that there were survivors in that place; the man who appeared on the screen was unquestionably one. However, no one knew what happened as there were nary a person in the city.


    Were the survivors hiding?


    Nangong Sanba looked around as he observed the place. He may be half-baked when it comes to combat, but because of being half-baked, his observation and deduction skills are well honed. He was like a seasoned hunter now analysing tracks. ¡°The streets are clean, everything is well maintained, and does not look like it was desolate for a millenia. The city is within a cavern and logically speaking should be coated in dust. But look at this railings¡­ they are as good as new.¡±


    ¡°Because there¡¯s ¡®someone¡¯ wiping them all the time.¡± Nagong Wuyue patted her brother¡¯s shoulder and pointed towards a floating robot not too far away cleaning earnestly. The robot too was an inverted triangle and its job was probably to keep the street spick and span. It had a versatile mechanical arm holding a brush while another was spraying mist. Noticing that someone was closing in, the robot flew towards them and circled Hao Ren and his group.


    Lily¡¯s nerves tightened but she quickly realised that the robot was harmless. She stretched her hand out and gave it a knock on the outer shell. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to be able to speak¡­¡±


    As Lily finished, a short and bright melody played from the robot, and a cheerful male voice came from it. ¡°Vjekally Limited. The specialist in cleaning products. Giving you and your family the best cleaning service. The new household robot Alpha 3 is now available for purchase¡­¡±


    The music and the voice repeated itself again. ¡°Vjekally Limited. The specialist in cleaning products. Giving you and your family¡­¡±


    As it finished the last sentence of the broadcast, the robot left the group and started cleaning the streets again.


    ¡°Seems like just a pre-recorded advertisement.¡± Vivian shrugged. ¡°But at least there¡¯s some ¡®humanity¡¯ in that.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks demurred. ¡°A robotics company. There should be someone running it.¡±


    Over on the next street, they reached a building that looked like a shopping complex. The building¡¯s exterior was bright and exuberant and a big mascot even stood by the entrance. The giant screen above the entrance played a rather obnoxious cartoon. While culturally distinct from Earth, it was rather obvious it was some kind of advertisement. Hao Ren led the group into the shopping mall and was greeted by an empty concourse that had rows upon rows of equally empty shoplots.


    ¡°This is rather unnerving.¡± Lily mumbled beside Hao Ren.


    A melody soon placed from nearby and as Hao Ren turned towards the source, he saw a digital billboard that was attached to the wall. After the music ended, a video with scores of men and women appeared with the background sound going. ¡°¡­.Our strength is needed for a comfortable sanctuary. Lets us join hand in hands to create a peaceful home¡­.¡±


    Wuyue slithered towards the screen as she looked about. Hao Ren was not sure what she even pressed before the screen suddenly changed and a stiff-looking man appeared in the middle of the screen. ¡°¡­ Bringing you the latest news of the sanctuary. The investigation of the fire at Danding station has been completed. The sanctuary manager annouced that the incident was caused by an electrical short circuit in a grocery store¡¯s warehouse¡­. The reactor maintenance team had completed their work and the planet¡¯s thrust is stable. The President extends his thanks to the tireless workers. According the Presidential spokesperson, the planetary ark is closing in on a ¡®resupply zone¡¯, and before us is a very rich asteroid belt. The ark will perform its first deceleration since launch and after reaching level two navigation speed only will the resupply starts. The required time to decelerate until target speed will take about a year. We will be able to extract sufficient resources from the asteroid belt to feed the reactor. During deceleration the sanctuaraies may experience minor shakings. Please stay calm should that happen¡­¡±


    It seemed like it was a news bulletin. Hao Ren immediately thought of something as soon as he heard the last part of the message and contacted the MDT which was standing by in orbit. ¡°MDT, scan the planet¡¯s flight path. Is there an asteroid belt before it?¡±


    The MDT¡¯s reply came swiftly. ¡°There is an asteroid belt in front of it. Perhaps from other celestial bodies. It is a rather huge one. What about it?¡±


    ¡°¡­We are watching extraterrestial news broadcast.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± The MDT did not understand.


    Hao Ren cut the communication and turned towards the rest. ¡°There is an asteroid belt in the navigation path¡­ This is not mere recordings.¡±


    Vivian looked at the screen which was still playing the news. ¡°¡­So that is to mean that the news are current. There¡¯s really someone broadcasting this.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the empty concourse. ¡°Yes, yet there are no one here.¡±


    Nangong Sanba suddenly frowned as an bizzare expression appeared on his face. ¡°Wait a minute! I¡¯m feeling some aura¡­¡±


    As he spoke, Nangong Wuyue rose up as well. She use her long serpentine tail to push herself about two to three meters in to the air as she gazed in a particular direction. ¡°¡­Water element¡­ it¡¯s water¡­!¡±


    Everyone looked at each other in shock, and realised what was going on!


    Nangong Sanba kneeled down as he pressed the ground. Using his demon hunting ability to trace the movement of aura in the area. He suddenly looked up towards the deep part of the shopping complex. ¡°Over there!¡±


    The two siblings exchanged glances as shock and elation ran across their faces and the both ofd them dashed towards the source of the aura. Hao Ren and the rest were a step slower but caught up with the Nangong siblings. The group sprinted across the empty concourse as if fearing a step later would lose them their target. They finally came to a stop before a shop filled with groceries and slowed their breathing as they look out for any signs of activity.


    The Nangong siblings did not dare to take a step further. They just looked slackly at the shop, and their breathing seemed to have stopped.


    Behind a shelve, two figures was moving. A feminine arm flashed across the gap between the shelves as she took a few items.


    The two figures seemed to also have sensed something as they stopped at the smae time before coming out from behind the shelf.


    Updated by BOXNOVEL


    Nangong Wuyue held her brother¡¯s hand tightly as she looked she might faint any time soon. Her voice shivering. ¡°Mom.. Dad?¡±


    They found them at last.

 Chapter 640

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The couple standing before Hao Ren looked very young, the lady was dressed in a dark blue skirt of unknown material and her long hair was tied up high. Her eyes looked very similar to Nangong Wuyue while the man wore a black longcoat, and under his coat was the trademark demon hunter wide belt. A silver dagger hung from the belt and aside from that there were no crossbow or any other weapons. His facial features was about fifty percent of Nangong Sanba¡¯s. Due to Siren¡¯s unique ¡®selective genetic transfer¡¯, the Nangong siblings each share their parent¡¯s look.


    As otherworldings themselves, the couple had not aged in the past hundred years. They still looked youthful, but more matured than their offsprings. They were surprised to see a large group of people before them, and panicked even, and as they heard Wuyue¡¯s voice they were immediately stunned.


    ¡°Mom, Dad! It¡¯s us!¡± Wuyue pulled her brother as she ran ahead. ¡°I¡¯m Wuyue! Me and brother have been looking for you!¡±


    ¡°Wuyue? Sanba?!¡± The male demon hunter could not believe his eyes as he looked at the two youngsters, his steps shaky. He never thought that he¡¯d encounter anyone else here, and didn¡¯t dare to think that he would meet his flesh and blood appearing before his eyes. ¡°You¡­ how did you arrive here?¡±


    ¡°We had caught the vengeful spirit from that time and Mr Landlord had managed to find out this place from its memories.¡± Sanba tried to compose himself as he explained. ¡°All here are our friends. It¡¯s through their help that we managed to find this place. Mom, Dad¡­ have you been living here for the past hundred years?¡±


    The reunion was certainly touching, but Hao Ren felt awkward as an outsider. Seeing that the family of four was so excited to see each other, he feigned a light cough. ¡°So¡­ all of you go catch up on old times, we¡¯ll go somewhere else¡­ lets meet at the entrance of the mall.¡±


    Nangong Sanba nodded appreciatively, but words failed him. Hao Ren smiled back as he motioned for him to carry on and dragged Lily by the arm away from the four.


    ¡°They were finally reunited, it¡¯s sure worth coming all the way here.¡± Vivian said as she walked along the empty mall. Stretching her neck to look far ahead, she continued. ¡°They would probably need plenty of time to catch up. Our main objective can be considered achieved now.¡±


    The brutish Y¡¯zaks too had a rare expression on his face. He recall his own adventure not too long ago and broke into a smile. ¡°I can understand¡­ I too had experienced this a while back.¡±


    Hao Ren ruffled his hair, sightly embarassed. ¡°Why do I feel embarassed now¡­¡±


    Lily took a stab at Hao Ren. ¡°No one is even praising you yet! Too soon too soon!¡±


    Without much notice, the group had reached the second floor of the mall. It was empty as ever, but the rows of shelves were fully stocked. The cashier counter and shelves were spotless. Lily simply grabbed one of the packets on the shelve and after confirming that it was food, she immediately stuffed it into her mouth. Vivian immediately reminded her. ¡°Eh, be careful! Don¡¯t just anyhow eat anything here! It¡¯s unknown¡­¡±


    Lily took another big chomp before rolling her eyes at Vivian. ¡°Are you stupid? Mr and Mrs Nangong had lived here for a hundred years. Of course this is edible!¡± As she said, she pulled something that looked like prawn crackers and stuffed it into Hao Ren¡¯s mouth. ¡°Mr Landlord give it a try! It tastes like fried rings!¡±


    Hao Ren was conflicted as he was fed by a dog. Why does Lily only show a spark of brilliance on things like this¡­


    ¡°Not sure what¡¯s the date of this place¡­ but all of this are pretty recent products.¡± Y¡¯zaks attention was on something else. He tried to take Lily¡¯s snacks to check the date but just as he lifted his hands, the werehusky started letting out a threatening growl, her eyes locked onto Y¡¯zaks big arms and her fangs bared. The great demon could only shrug as he saw that. ¡°What an obvious reaction. Fine, I¡¯ll get one myself.¡±


    Vivian gave both Lily and Hao Ren an odd look. ¡°Well, you really taught her well.¡±


    At the same moment a soft beep came from not too far away as the wall opened a hidden hatch. A little automated van came out from it. The van was filled with plenty of different products. It ignored the curious crowd inside the shop as it came to the shelf. A floating-plate like device started raising out from the van and started restocking the shelf: The two packets of snacks Lily and Y¡¯zaks had taken.


    Seeing so, Vivian also grabbed one from the shelf and with a buzz from the van, the floating plate started restocking again at haste.


    ¡°It¡¯s all automated.¡± Vivian said as she looked at the packet in her hand. ¡°But are there actually anyone coming here to ¡®buy¡¯ things?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks smiled. ¡°At least two person.¡±


    Ten minutes later, the group met at the entrance of the mall. The Nangongs seemed to have recovered from the initial euphoria of reunion. Granted, that will probably take a few days to fully fade away. Wuyue then introduced her new friends to her parents, but before she could put two full sentence in, Lily¡¯s rapid fire interjection had it done it mere moments. That was how she operate.


    ¡°We have heard how you came over here.¡± Nangong Wuyue¡¯s mother, Ayesha smiled as she took a deep bow at Hao Ren. ¡°We are forever in your debt, while we are not sure what both of us can help, but if you ever need anything, please let us know.¡±


    Ayesha¡¯s husband too nodded. ¡°I heard that you are investigating the place. We have also lived here for a hundred years, we can probably be of some help.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks was glad to hear that. ¡°That is great. Sanba¡¯s Dad right? We¡­¡±


    The great demon had never paid any attention on how to address someone. Nangong Sanba¡¯s father smiled as he waved his head. ¡°That¡¯s sounds weird¡­. This lowly one is Nangong Wudi*, I shall be in your care.¡±


    An awkward silence descended upon the place as Hao Ren¡¯s stiffened face took a good while to recover. This uncle¡¯s damn is just too damn awe-inspiring!


    He then patted Nangong Sanba by the shoulder as he spoke with a hushed voice. ¡°Is that his stage name or something?¡±


    Nangong Sanba¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°His real name¡±


    ¡°Your family¡¯s name sense is only for the boys?¡±


    Venom seeped from Nangong Sanba¡¯s clenched teeth. ¡°Hush you.¡±


    Nangong Wudi did not see anything wrong with his name. The awe-inspiring-pretty-much-in-name only demon hunter who was just as half-baked as his son smiled as he motioned to the rest. ¡°This is not a place to chat. I¡¯ll bring you to our temporary abode.¡±


    Lily was surprised. ¡°You have a house here?¡±


    Ayesha smiled warmly as she pointed towards the vast city. ¡°There are houses everywhere.¡±


    Everyone then knew what was going on.


    Mr and Mrs Nangong¡¯s place was a distance from the shopping complex, about a few streets away. They casually led the group to the roadside as they hailed a floating bus. Like how everything in the city was, it was unmanned.


    The bus drove effortlessly under its automated system as it followed an arrow up a slope towards the residential zone. All along the floating bus¡¯ path was a glowing guidance tape, probably to prevent collision agains other airborne vehicles. Hao Ren sat at the front most seat as he looked at the driver¡¯s seat: It was nothing but a bunch of flickering meters and a sterling and drive shaft that was being operated automatically. There was a seat behind the driver¡¯s panel. It seemed like this automobile was designed with a driver in mind, and the autopilot was just another mode.


    ( Updated by BOXNOVEL )


    The screens inside the bus played some rather dull advertisements, a large group of children was surrounding an oddly shaped amusement faciltity as they jumped about. The subtitles beneath indicated that it was an advertisement for a newly opened amusment park.


    The world within the screen was lively and vibrant, the world outside the screen was quiet and dull.


    The childrens laughter and melody played from the advertisement filled cabin, but that only served to unnerve them all.

 Chapter 641

    The levitating car stopped near a high-rise residential area and the Nangong couple took everyone to their temporary residence. They brought the guests into the living room. Ayesha brought the food she bought from the mall today to the kitchen while Nangong Wudi was sitting on the big sofa with the guests, ready to answer a series of questions.


    Hao Ren looked around the furnishings. Obviously, the natives of this planet were highly similar to the people on Earth, and their civilization was somewhat similar to that of the Earth. The furnishings in the room were strange, but they could guess most of their functions easily. The house was clean and tidy, and all kinds things were placed in the position that was easy to get, they could see that the people living here had made it a safe and comfortable home. As a place for a pair of stranded couples to spend a hundred years together, this place was surprisingly good.


    ¡°Most of it was tidied up by Ayesha. There are a lot of strange things here, thanks to the wisdom of my wife, otherwise, I really don¡¯t know what to do.¡± Nangong Wudi smiled and explained when he noticed that they were looking around, ¡°When we first came here, we were very busy for a while. It still makes me laugh when I think back to what happened at that time.¡±


    Hao Ren noticed that the manner of speaking of Nangong Wudi was a little odd. He thought for a moment and realized that it was the traditional Chinese country gentleman¡¯s usual tone of more than 100 years ago. This man had left the Earth for about 100 years. Cutting off from the outside world allowed him to keep the way of speaking in those years. This situation could also be seen in those who had been staying in shelters all year round. When he was in the sanctuary of Athens, he saw a lot of old vampires and old werewolves who spoke and behaved like they were still in the Medieval Period.


    ¡°Dad, how did you and mom get here? And how did you find this sanctuary?¡± Nangong Sanba could not wait to ask.


    Nangong Wudi smiled and explained, ¡°I can¡¯t explain exactly how we came here. All I remember was that we were covered by the light of Vengeful Spirit. We were dazzled by the strong light and it made us feel dizzy. When we woke up, we already came to a dark and icy underworld¡­ Oh, we¡¯re actually on the ground. Your mother and I were struggling to survive in the snow. But it¡¯s really difficult to survive in the snow, and your mother still needed to sustain my life with her mist. We took the risk to walk through the snow, and about 10 days later, we still couldn¡¯t see the end of the snow, but suddenly, the earth trembled and the mountains swayed for a while as if the sky was falling and the earth was crumbling. Another day or two later, we saw that the steel mountain nearby was suddenly shining brightly.


    Hao Ren suddenly interrupted, ¡°Wait a minute, you mean, when you first came to this world, those engines¡­ I mean, the beams of light had not yet appeared. It only appeared sometime after you got here?¡±


    Nangong Wudi nodded and said, ¡°Yes. Then two of us walked towards the light, and soon we found the city made of iron and steel and things made of delicate mechanism. And then an automaton took us to this place.¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian exchanged a glance and said, ¡°¡­It¡¯s the same as I guess. Before that, this planet remained in its own solar system. It was after the Nangong couple came to this planet that something was activated to make the planet sail.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not necessarily activated by them, but they happened to be here at the right time,¡± Vivian said while touching her chin, and then looked at Nangong Wudi and asked, ¡°Was there a frequent earthquake after you saw the light? And did you sometimes feel like you¡¯re in a weightless environment¡­ like your feet couldn¡¯t touch the ground or you couldn¡¯t walk properly?


    Nangong Wudi nodded and told them of what had happened and they found that this basically corresponded to the phenomenon when the planet set sail. Although the natives of this planet had created the ¡®Planet Ark¡¯ such an amazing thing, they were not advanced at some level of science and technology. For example, they did not know how to make an anti-gravity device or deal with the inertia problem of a spacecraft during acceleration, but could only rely on a long acceleration or deceleration or a variety of damping devices to solve the problem.


    Nangong Wudi¡¯s memory completely confirmed Hao Ren¡¯s speculation about the time that this planet set sail.


    ¡°Dad, do you have a hard life here?¡± Nangong Wuyue almost cried.


    ¡°We met some difficulties in the beginning,¡± Nangong Wudi said and gave her a warm smile. ¡°But we soon got used to it. It¡¯s so convenient here. We got everything we need here. And to be honest, things here are a lot easier to use. Our life is good here, just¡­ a little lonely.¡±


    He tried to make it sound light, but everyone could guess that he and Ayesha had a lot of trouble when they first came to this world. They had no guidance, they were nervous and afraid, and they could not even understand the language here. This fully automated, advanced world was probably a scary place for a man of 100 years ago. Nangong Wuyue¡¯s mother should be the quickest one to adapt here. She was a siren after all, and Nasaton, the city of the sirens itself was an advanced starship. Therefore, she was not unfamiliar with the automatic facilities here. At least she was no stranger to this kind of world.


    But the biggest difficulty was: It was a little lonely.


    ¡°Have you met anyone else here?¡± Lily asked while hugging her knees.


    ¡°No.¡± Nangong Wudi looked serious. ¡°I know what you want to ask. My wife and I have been around the whole town, and there¡¯s no one here but us. But we often see some figures appearing on the screen, and new products often appear in the shops.¡±


    ¡°Outside of the city? Have you ever been to other cities?¡± asked Y¡¯zaks.


    Nangong Wudi¡¯s answer was way beyond their expectation. ¡°We can¡¯t get out. We can¡¯t get out after we come in, and to be honest, we don¡¯t know the way to the other cities, and we don¡¯t even know if there are any other cities.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t get out?¡± They looked at each other, and Vivian broke the silence, ¡°How? Somebody stop you or?¡±


    ¡°The way out of the city is blocked. That¡¯s the tower you left when you came down, didn¡¯t you go back and see? It should not be opened again. The outer layer of the city is stones and steels, covering the whole city tightly. There¡¯re some places looking like the city gates, but they¡¯re closed.¡±


    Hao Ren frowned and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you try to get out by force?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we did, but then we were stopped by the automaton,¡± Nangong Wudi said and grinned, ¡°Ayesha and I didn¡¯t try to break through the gate again. After all, this place is so weird. It¡¯s hard to survive outside where it¡¯s all ice and snow. In this city, we can at least live well. In order to be safe, we settle down here.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s expression turned serious.


    The city was blocked, and the lifts and police robots in the periphery of the city carried out a planned blockade¡ªmeaning that people were banned from leaving in the city. He thought of the middle-aged man who appeared on the big screen, and the apparently newly-created news. These clues point to a group of mysterious people hiding behind the scenes, perhaps the real owners of the planet. But why would they do that?


    A lot of ideas flashed through his mind. Hao Ren suddenly felt that this empty ¡®ghost town¡¯ was likely to be an observed laboratory. The real natives and the sanctuary were probably somewhere else. In this way, many situations that did not feel right could be explained clearly.


    But what was the point of doing this?


    Hao Ren called the spacecraft waiting in orbit. The voice of the data terminal soon appeared in his mind. ¡°Boss, found anything?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve found Nangong parents,¡± Hao Ren first reported the good news, ¡°But that¡¯s not the point. Now please increase the radar power, scanning the life signals on the planet in the deeper layer and looking for facilities such as large shelter. I suspect that the survivors of this planet are hidden deeper in the ground, and there is something wrong with their behavior.¡±


    ¡°Ok, anything else?¡±


    ¡°Be careful. Try to avoid any conflicts.¡± Hao Ren did not forget his code of practice. ¡°If not necessary, do not use any force against other civilizations.¡±


    The actions of inspectors should be maintained at the ¡®civil¡¯ level as far as possible. Although there was no clear definition of the term ¡®civil¡¯ in Xi Ling Empire, they certainly could not start a war on other civilizations without careful consideration, especially when the planet itself was an observation specimen full of civilized achievement.

 Chapter 642

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    While preparing the spacecraft to scan the entire planet, Hao Ren knew they had to do something.


    Many details could be hidden in the unnoticeable corners. The spacecraft might be able to find the stronghold hidden under the earth¡¯s crust, but it may not be able to find clues left by the survivors of the doomsday.


    They sat in the living room in a circle to discuss the status of the strange planet. Vivian put her hands on the tea table while expressing her opinion. ¡°The biggest problem now is why the native people of this planet are hiding, and why they leave such a strange city to trap outsiders.¡±


    The live updates news, entertainment programs on TV, and products that had recently been produced and the ads. These showed that the human society of this planet was still working and they were just hiding somewhere unknown. And now, the empty city was more like a closed observation room. Whether it was the Nangong couple who came here 100 years ago, or Hao Ren and his companions who had just reached here, everyone seemed to have been treated as an observation sample. Hao Ren told them his speculation and got all the support, especially Lily¡ªthis Husky had just watched a lot of sci-fi movies before coming here, and now her head was full of conspiracy theories.


    ¡°They must have their own purpose, because it¡¯s expensive to keep the city running,¡± Y¡¯zaks said, knocked on the table and continued, ¡°Look at the supplies, the energy of the city, the robots for maintenance, and the stuff in the mall¡ªmost of which have been put there until expired and thrown away. They maintain the normal operation of such a big city, but only to feed two people. This is certainly not a joke.¡±


    Lily looked around and suggested, ¡°I think that firstly, we should try to send our message to the natives of this planet. They surely can see us, right? Then we just ask them directly what they want. If they don¡¯t respond, then we try to get out of here by force. Let¡¯s see what¡¯s the reaction of the defense system in this place. And if we have no any other option, we can only fight with them¡­ That¡¯s better than no progress.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the husky girl with a little surprised. ¡°Good, I¡¯ve never thought that you could come up with such a constructive plan. Not a coward this time?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m actually quite smart, okay?¡± Lily kicked Hao Ren under the table.


    Vivian glanced at Lily and asked, ¡°Okay, how are you going to talk to the natives here? Go to the balcony and howl at the sky?¡±


    Without hesitation, Lily stood up and walked straight to the balcony, leaving everybody looking at each other. Vivian shrugged and said, ¡°I forgot that this is what she usually does when she has nothing to do. No pressure at all.¡±


    Before Vivian finished her words, a loud, shrilling howl was coming from the balcony. ¡°Awwwwooooo¡ª¡±


    Hao Ren yelled at the balcony, ¡°Speak human language!¡±


    Lily just realized what she was doing, then immediately yelling at the natives of this planet, hoping to make them come out. A few minutes later, she trotted into the living room and said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t work. Nobody responds. Let¡¯s carry out Plan B.¡±


    Nangong Wudi had been watching this crazy bunch of people. ¡°This girl has a good voice¡­¡±


    ¡°If the city is an observation room, there must be someone watching our movement. They must be watching Lily just now,¡± said Y¡¯zaks. Although what Lily just did leave Y¡¯zaks a little speechless, he had to admit that it really meant something. ¡°Now we can think about breaking through the city checkpoint. This can probably force the locals out.¡±


    Everybody nodded. But just as they were ready to go out, Ayesha¡¯s voice was coming from the kitchen, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we eat first before going out?¡±


    Ayesha was standing at the kitchen door with a large tray with a smile on her face. Her lower body also turned into a snake tail. At the end of her tail was a steaming cauldron, with a peculiar smell of rice coming out of it. It seemed that Wuyue¡¯s ability to create all kinds of strange uses of the tail, including those unusual ways to do housework using her tail, was inherited from her mother.


    Nangong Wudi immediately stood up and said, ¡°Come on, it¡¯s hard for us to get together. Let¡¯s sit down and try my wife¡¯s cooking first. Anyway, we have been waiting for a hundred years. We can wait.¡±


    Elsa placed the steaming dishes on the table. The small table could not accommodate so many people, and half of them simply ate at the side table. There were plenty of dishes on the table, and most of them were unheard of. But fortunately, they all tasted good. Everybody enjoyed the meal, especially Lily. The entire world stopped when she was eating. Hao Ren even had to watch her and pass her water at any time: This was the tacit understanding they had after living together for over a year.


    Wuyue looked at the table of food and her parents sitting beside her, almost on the verge of tears and said, ¡°We haven¡¯t had dinner together for a long time¡­¡±


    Ayesha looked at her children, getting emotional. ¡°When mom and dad left, two of you were still little kids¡­ Now you¡¯re all grown up. What have you been doing over the years?¡±


    ¡°We had been looking for you all over the world. I was a singer, and brother worked as a demon hunter,¡± Nangong Wuyue said while poking the rice in the bowl, ¡°100 years had passed and we still had no clue, until I met the landlord¡­¡±


    Hao Ren turned to Nangong Wudi and asked, ¡°How do you learn the language of this planet?¡±


    He and his friends were assisted by translation plug-ins, and could quickly grasp any language and text, but he wondered how the Nangong couple learned it.


    ¡°Read books, listen to the radio, watch the TV¡­¡± Nangong Wudi said, pointing to the TV on the wall, ¡°Although there¡¯s no one in the city, we can still see these things. 100 years of time is enough for us to learn the language here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, watch TV!¡± Lily threw away the chopsticks excitedly and ran to the ¡®TV¡¯. It took her some time to figure out how to turn on the TV. ¡°Be careful, don¡¯t break it!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ok,¡± Nangong Wudi smiled and said, ¡°when we first arrived here, we also broke a lot of things, and we even burned a house while preparing a meal. Haha. And there¡¯re always some automatons come to clean it up afterward. ¡±


    ¡°The cost of living of you two is quite high¡­¡± said Hao Ren.


    Lily kept changing the TV channels, from news to advertisement to entertainment, dramas, and movies, as if there was a thriving world outside. She then returned to the table and sat down, biting her chopsticks and muttering, ¡°I¡¯ve written a novel before, about a man trapped in a house. The house had no doors, no windows, only a mountain of cans and a TV. The man was born in the house and grew up in the house. All he could do was watching TV, watching the busy world on TV, news and current affairs, and learning about the world from the TV. He knew from TV that he was living in a big city and that the country he lived in was fighting with another country. Suddenly, one day, the TV broke down. He smashed the wall and came out of the house¡­¡±


    ¡°And then?¡± Vivian was curious about the story. ¡°You can actually write something so deep?¡±


    ¡°Then? Then he fell straight down and down, endlessly. His room was the only thing in that world. There¡¯s nothing outside the room. Just void,¡± Lily said while biting the chopsticks, ¡°It¡¯s a thriller.¡±


    ¡°The story is not funny at all,¡± Vivian said while eating.


    Hao Ren pondered for a moment after hearing Lily¡¯s story. He then shook his head, pointed to the screen on the wall and said, ¡°But the TV in your story doesn¡¯t show real news, and ¡®the man in the room¡¯ is not being observed.¡±


    The news was being broadcast ion the TV, announcing that the ¡®Department of Security¡¯ and the ¡®Department of Development Affairs¡¯ was ready for the Planet Ark to decelerate. A news presenter with a straight face was urging residents not to get close to the places that collapsed easily to cope with the shock caused by the first switching of engines of the planet.


    At the same time, Petrachelys also brought them the news: The propulsion engine of this planet was reducing its power, while several engine valves in the thrust reversal system were showing signs of preheating.


    This was the difference between Lily¡¯s story and this city: Someone made this ¡®glass house¡¯.


    Y¡¯zaks frowned while watching the news and suddenly stood up.


    While everybody was puzzled, he came to the window, pointing to the tall buildings in the distance.


    The next second, a huge fireball exploded in the city, rumbling like thunder.

 Chapter 643

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    A huge fireball rose up on the other side of the city. Sound from the explosion reverberating in the cavernous city. Looking at Y¡¯zaks, astounded, Hao Ren asked, ¡°What are you doing, Y¡¯zaks?¡±


    ¡°Create some headline,¡± Y¡¯zaks turned his head and pointed at the TV on the wall. ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see if there will be any news.¡±


    The Nangong Wudi and Ayesha stared at the fire at the far end of the city for like a century before they ¡®wowed¡¯ in unison. Ayesha whispered, ¡°We hadn¡¯t been dare to cause such a noise.¡±


    Nothing happened in the ten minutes after the explosion, until the fireball dissipated and the demonic fire began to swallow up the buildings near the explosion centre they heard sirens coming from afar. Elliptical aircrafts with flashing strobe lights were rushing to the scene along the steel girders of the city¡¯s dome. Hao Ren stood on the balcony, using his super vision he could see the situation in the explosion site beyond what ordinary people could see: there were machines and equipment scrambling to put out the fire, roads leading to the scene were condoned off, as robots were redirecting traffic at the intersections. Traffic took a detour under the command of those robots. Hao Ren¡¯s attention quickly shifted from the fire to those detouring vehicles. A thought suddenly came to his mind; since there was an unmanned system controlling those vehicles, the traffic coordination should be running smoothly, why did they even need the robots to direct traffic at the intersections?


    Was it just the stupid interest of the city¡¯s planners (or should we call them the ¡®watchers outside the glasshouse¡¯) in simulating the human society here?


    ¡°We can act tomorrow,¡± said Y¡¯zaks, who came up from behind and said beside Hao Ren. ¡°Let¡¯s wait for one day and see what comes out in tomorrow¡¯s news. I want to confirm something.¡±


    The place had ample rooms and it was easy to make a comfortable stay. Hao Ren and his team spent the first night in this spooky city but they did not sleep very well: from after midnight, sirens were blaring from other neighbourhoods, it seemed that the fireball of Y¡¯zaks had created more chaos than expected. The next morning, Lily was complaining that she did not sleep well last night, but to be honest, Hao Ren was very sceptical: supposedly, no one was least susceptible to insomnia than the husky¡­ How does the husky¡¯s brain support such complex symptoms as insomnia?


    Everyone stayed in the house; did not know whether to wind a watch or bark at the moon except watching the news report that might popped up at any moment, and soon what they had been waiting for finally came out.


    The morning news broadcaster was a woman in a beige short dress with an onscreen professional smile. She read out the script with a hint of nervousness on her face. ¡°¡­Breaking news. Yesterday night, a massive mysterious explosion broke out around Riverdeep Station, instantly destroying four residential buildings. The fire ensuing the explosion has also destroyed a dozen other buildings; the entire block of street was damaged as a result. After a frantic overnight effort by the fire department, the fire has been kept from spreading but it is still burning¡­¡±


    Lily patted on Y¡¯zaks back and said, ¡°Hey, Biggie, looks like you have really caused a scene.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks quietly lifted his chin. ¡°Don¡¯t worry; just pay attention if something is wrong.¡±


    Now, the broadcaster on the TV had finished reading the script. Suddenly the camera flicked to the side. ¡°¡­ We are connecting with the director of the Fire Department of Riverdeep Station, Mr. Veanromme. Now, Mr. Veanromme please tell us the progress on the investigation of the explosion.¡±


    A tall, bald-headed man appeared in front of the camera. ¡°¡­so far we have not determined the cause of the explosion. The last visual sent back by the CCTV at the scene shows that the explosion suddenly happened out of thin air. A huge fireball first formed in the air and then it destroyed the signal at the scene¡­¡±


    After Veanromme spoke for a long moment, the camera turned to a black-skinned old man with grey hair, a voice narrated. ¡°Riverdeep Station commander, Loken commented about this explosion¡­¡±


    Everyone wide-eyed in front of the TV, blinking.


    Y¡¯zaks turned around. ¡°I guess the city where we are staying is called Reverdeep Station.¡±


    Hao Ren pointed at the figure appearing on the TV screen as he looked at the Nangong couple. ¡°This is the commander and officials of Riverdeep Station¡­ When did this empty city get a mayor?¡±


    The Nangong Wudi opened his mouth and waved his hand. ¡°We have never heard of them.¡±


    At this time, a sound was heard from outside the door, everyone stayed quiet while Lily tiptoed over to open the door. A moment later, she came back in to the living room with a newspaper still smelled fresh with ink. ¡°It¡¯s today¡¯s newspaper¡­ The front-page headline is the news of the explosion. The photo of the city¡¯s fire department director is up there. The caption says the VIPs have come to the scene to supervise the disaster relief works¡­¡±


    Nangong Sanba took the newspaper over and gently squeezed the paper. ¡°Fresh out from the printer.¡±


    They looked at the newspaper and TV; a chill ran up their spines: the faces, the world that looked so normal. Hao Ren suddenly realised that he should take a second guess.


    ¡°The ¡®people¡¯ are simulating the existence of human society,¡± Y¡¯zaks reached out his hand and switched off the noisy TV. ¡°They¡¯re pretending that the world is still alive.¡±


    Lily blinked, asking, ¡°Who are ¡®they¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Then you have to find the one who produced the program and newspaper,¡± Hao Ren took a deep breath. ¡°Let¡¯s gear up. We¡¯re going out and make some noise.¡±


    Everyone had a tacit understanding. As soon as Hao Ren made his decision, everyone was ready for action. They walked out the door, and Nangong was following from behind before she turned to her parents, ¡°Dad, mom, come on, this should be your last day in this city.¡±


    The Nangong couple stared at each other and smiled. Nangong Wudi called out at them who were already out in the doorway. ¡°Give me a minute, let me put on my outfit.¡±


    The Nangong couple have been living in this city for a hundred years. They had the chance to discover many secrets; they should have vaguely realised the truth. It was just that unlike Hao Ren, they had no way to escape. Compared to the hostile surface of the planet, this strange, false city was their only safe sanctuary¡ªso safe that they had never thought of busting the bubble of the fake city here.


    Now, a bunch of guys who could come and go freely was here, the veil of the fake glasshouse will soon be opened.


    Hao Ren was leading the way out in the neighbourhood as they walked down the street headed to the end of the city. The lights on the city dome lit up one after another, simulating the arrival of the morning sun. More and more small robots came out on the streets as if it was morning rush hour. They were cleaning the streetlights, railings, and streets, even the garbage that did not exist, checking every empty trashcan on the sidewalks, making everywhere look bustling with activities.


    They hustled along the main street of the city where electronic billboards neatly lined the street on both sides. The billboards suddenly lit up and began to play a commercial of a bustling and prosperous era of peace and prosperity. The laughter in the speakers and the pleasant smile on the screens seemed to surrounding them.


    The roadside billboards exclaimed, ¡°¡­ The sanctuary provides you and your family the most meticulous safety. We have protective layers of rock and steel of up to ten kilometres thick, shielding you from the ice and vacuum of the surface world, letting you live in a safe and comfortable new paradise¡­¡±


    A taxi was blasting a voice when it came near them. ¡°¡­Who would want to leave the safety of home and go to the uncertain world? Give up your naive thoughts. You can hop on a taxi and go to the new recreational plaza downtown where you could spend you day there. You will realise that it is more comfortable than the snow and ice¡­¡±


    A little cleaner robot happily circling the feet of Hao Ren. ¡°Vjekally Limited, we¡¯re a cleaning equipment manufacturer providing the most meticulous cleaning services for you and your loved ones¡ªcan you imagine the world without Vjekally Limited? You need Vjekally, everything here, and a home that is always clean and comfortable!¡±


    More and more robots and vehicles came out on the streets, as if the entire world was pouring in. Hao Ren stopped the taxi next to him, poking his head into it and looking at the bunch of flashing lights on the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Would you like to take us leaving this city?¡±


    The taxi console lights dimmed immediately, saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, the vehicle is down.¡±


    Hao Ren took out his silver spear and gun from the dimensional pocket, winking at Vivian beside him. ¡°It seems no one will let us take a ride.¡±


    A horde of robotic army began to gather in front of them.

 Chapter 644

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    More and more vehicles and various robots came out on the streets of the city, as if they were coming for them from all over the city. However, they had not shown hostility or intention to stop them from leaving. They just followed Hao Ren and his team while continuing to clamour. The robots even continued their work, cleaning the lampposts and guardrails, and streets that were clearly spotless, and tightening the screws under the street billboards repeatedly. They had to keep on doing these activities under any circumstances for the sole purpose of maintaining the city in a ¡®living¡¯, pretending that their master was still alive in this world.


    Hao Ren had vaguely felt that there was no survivor on the planet.


    A flying-disk-shaped, window cleaner robot flew around Y¡¯zaks while calling out in a pleasant voice of a woman. ¡°Citizens, do your apartments require exterior maintenance? Do you want to clean the outside your glass window? The Vjekally Limited R-33 is ready to help.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks patiently shoved the little robot aside, saying, ¡°No, we are leaving the city.¡±


    ¡°Citizens, your choice is very irrational, leaving the shelter means death, the outside environment is not suitable for human,¡± the roadside billboards said loudly. As Hao Ren and his team kept moving, the voice followed them, saying, ¡°There are cold, vacuum, and the toxic air near the thrusters. You will only survive for two hours in a protective clothing. Why not wait quietly in the sanctuary? In a thousand years, we will arrive in a peaceful new home. The planet will thaw, everything will revive, and life will come back on the planet; and you¡­your future generations will live peacefully in this world.¡±


    ¡°You finally say something more meaningful,¡± said Y¡¯zaks, turning his head to the electronic billboard. ¡°But it has nothing to do with us. If the mastermind behind you still retain a bit of logic and intelligence, it should come out and talk to us now.¡±


    The electronic billboard was playing a public service ad of happy family, which Hao Ren had seen it once on the bus yesterday. As soon as Y¡¯zaks¡¯ voice trailed off, the little boy¡¯s face turned into sadness in the ad, he wrung his hands, as he appeared to stand in the centre of the screen. ¡°If you leave the city, you will get hurt.¡±


    ¡°I knew that these ads were something wrong in the first place.¡± Y¡¯zaks grinned when he noticed something bizarre on the screen.


    Hao Ren contacted his spacecraft in the orbit. ¡°MDT, how about the scan? Any results?¡±


    ¡°I have scanned the whole planet and found no shelter that meets your requirements.¡± The voice of the MDT sounded in his mind. ¡°However, I¡¯ve discovered something else. There is a structure similar to energy node deep inside the planet. The energy flows around the planet are converging in that spot, as if it¡¯s the heart of the planet. If you are looking for something, you should go there to check it out¡±


    ¡°Tell me where it is,¡± Hao Ren said quickly. ¡°Also check the geological cavities around us. I need navigation, a rough guide.¡±


    The MDT quickly sent the location of the energy node into Hao Ren¡¯s head. He could not help but whistled. ¡°Awesome ¨C just near the core.¡±


    They arrived at the last intersection leading to the city¡¯s border. In the memory of the Nangong couple, the largest hatch was just a stone¡¯s throw away. However, a row of tall robotic guards stood in the middle of the road, with traffic management signs on their bodies.


    The robotic guard in the middle gestured to Hao Ren. ¡°Citizens, no passing through. Accident ahead. Road is congested. Dangerous.¡±


    A large number of vehicles came from all directions, huddled together at the intersection and all the roads around them, horns blaring loudly. A large number of robots were weaving in the traffic aimlessly, and doing their ¡®works¡¯ in a ridiculous way.


    Hao Ren knew that these robots would not allow residents in the city to leave this place; they were doing their best to maintain the ¡®normal¡¯ order as if a strong, solid logic was controlling all these robots.


    The kind of abnormal behaviour was unlike the result of human control but some sort of bugs in the software.


    Hao Ren smiled and reached out to pat on the steel chest of the robotic cop. ¡°I know there¡¯s someone behind you¡ªit might be a madman, or it might be a buggy computer brain but I just want to talk to him.¡±


    The robotic cop was silent for a few seconds before it repeated the same words. ¡°. ¡°Citizens, no passing through. Accident ahead. Road is congested. Dangerous.¡±


    Hao Ren sighed. ¡°We come in peace¡ªjust want to know what¡¯s wrong with this planet.¡±


    While saying, he looked at the vehicles and robots that were jammed on the road. Suddenly, he raised his voice and said loudly to the mind behind the machines. ¡°Listen, I know you are listening. You should know that we are from the space and there is an advanced spaceship hovering over the planet. We come in peace. If you are in trouble, you can tell me and I¡¯d be happy to help¡ªprovided we can talk openly and honestly.¡±


    No one jumped out to respond to him. Lily muttered next to him. ¡°It won¡¯t work. Didn¡¯t I howl a couple of times on the balcony before?¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°But I think it works.¡±


    The machines that clogged the street did not disperse, but no more robots coming. It fell into a strange silence. The little robots weaving in the traffic had also stopped their work and looking at them quietly. For the first time, Hao Ren had experienced being ¡®stared at¡¯ by a group of machines; it was so weird that it was almost no difference from the gaze of people.


    Vivian tried to go ahead. The eyes of all robots on the streets immediately followed her, steel bearings squeaking but apart from that, there was no robots stopped her.


    It was a weird compromise, unlike human behaviour.


    They began to move again in the traffic, sounds of the steel heads turning followed wherever they went like a horror movie. Hao Ren was walking past a small cleaner robot, which looked up and spoke in a voice of a man happily, Vjekally¡ª¡±


    Vjekally Limited, specialist in cleaning equipment. I got it.¡± Hao Ren smiled and knocked on the head of the small robot.


    They had come in front of the city¡¯s outermost hatch.


    A huge steel city wall surrounded the city. The upper wall joined directly with the rock domes of the cave while the circular hatch of a dozen-metre-across was set on this wall. Hao Ren stepped forward, knocked on the hatch, and then turned to look at the robot that was watching beside him. ¡°I guess you¡¯re not going to help me open the door, are you?¡±


    The robot did not say a word; the light in its electronic eye looked elusive.


    Hao Ren took out his silver spear, a white plasma flame broke out on the tip. He started cutting the hatch; sparks were seen dancing in the reflection of the eyes of the robots. However, the robots only looked on silently, did not help nor stop him.


    It was as if their system hung.


    When a hole was finally cut out on the hatch, Hao Ren felt a gust of strange air rushing in. He handed two life-support collars to Nangong Wudi and Ayesha. ¡°Put this on. It could save your life in the harsh environment. I suspect that the life-support system is just limited to inside the city, the outside world might be very inhospitable.¡±


    He had quickly widened the hole, large enough for two to pass through side-by-side. Hao Ren stomped his foot on the red-hot iron. It fell off instantly revealing a deep, long passageway. There was dim yellow light in the passageway, and some old machinery abandoned inside years.


    Hao Ren checked the navigation map in his mind. ¡°Move ahead from here and after a traffic hub, there will be a series of downward passages. Our final destination is near the core, where there should be something waiting for us.¡±


    ¡°Have you thought of a script?¡± Vivian shot him a glance.


    Hao Ren med the way by jumping into the tunnel. ¡°You have to trust my skill in improvising!¡±


    The others followed inside. Vivian shook her head and sighed. ¡°I would trust you for anything but this¡­¡±

 Chapter 645

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The city was far behind them now. Before them was only a deep tunnel spreading ahead. Looking back at the direction from where they had come from, there was only a faint light dot in the far distant, which only people with supervision could see.


    The air was turbid almost to the point of being poisonous. Clearly, Hao Ren had chosen an exit that had never been opened: the air behind the hatch had never been scavenged.


    The tunnel was very wide, mostly structurally sound, and not as narrow and dilapidated as thought. It was only rather old and dirty, and thick dust everywhere. Traces of years of erosion were apparent. Clearly, compared to the enclosed city, this place lacked the necessary clean ups.


    There were steel rails running parallel to the tunnel, though different from the railway on Earth, it was obviously a track for some kind of large transportation vehicles. If accident had never happened to this planet, this tunnel must be a busy subway line¡ªit connected the city with a major transportation hub. It was an important thoroughfare but now just a cave that had been abandoned for 10,000 years. Aside from inches of dust accumulating, there were old machinery that might or might not operational anymore inside.


    The tunnel ceiling was inlaid with a dim array of lights. Eighty-nine percent of them were working properly. These lights were the only thing that could prove that the tunnel was not completely abandoned. In the dim surroundings, Hao Ren saw piles of unused machinery on both sides, including rusty cars and dusty robots. Lily went up and checked, then scurried back, reporting. ¡°The model is different from the ones in the city. A little more primitive.¡±


    ¡°That is to say, those machines in the city are evolutionary versions,¡± Hao Ren nodded slightly. ¡°It seems that some kind of ¡®research and development¡¯ is really going on. They¡¯re updating the machines¡­ which requires innovation.¡±


    ¡°These machines should be abandoned before the flight¡­ or perhaps even earlier, such as ten thousand years ago,¡± said Y¡¯zaks, looking at the rusting metal on the way. ¡°It seems that these things were abandoned in a sudden. There must have been a situation.¡±


    A red light suddenly flashed across Vivian¡¯s eyes in the dimly lit environment. She saw things she was interested in from a pile of debris. Several small bats flew over, raked through the debris, and found a little metal plate. Hao Ren took the metal plate from the small bat. There were a figure engraved on it, which was of a middle-aged man with a serious expression and meticulous clothes. At one glance, he felt that this face was rather familiar and then it crossed his mind: the middle-aged man whom he saw on the wall before he entered the sanctuary!


    It was the first stranger he saw on this planet.


    Nangong Wudi came up and took a gander of it. He looked slightly surprised. ¡°This man could be the commander.¡±


    ¡°Commander?¡± Waving the metal plate in his hand, Hao Ren asked, ¡°You know him?¡±


    ¡°He would appear on the screen, that¡¯s the TV you were talking about,¡± said Nangong Wudi, nodding. ¡°Besides from major events, he would only appear once a year. He is the highest official here, so I have a deep impression of him.¡±


    ¡°The highest official on this planet?¡± Hao Ren swept the dust off the metal plate. ¡°He appeared on the big screen, but on the bottom of the plate is his year of birth and death, and the caption says ¡®In Deep Sorrow.¡¯ Supposedly only a person who has died would only be described as such?¡±


    ¡°The commander is dead?¡± Vivian looked at the commemorative plate in surprise. ¡°¡­Looks like there is more to the person we saw on the screen than meets the eye.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and led everyone move deeper into the tunnel.


    After do-not-know-how-long, they arrived the end of the tunnel to a large, cave-like cavern that looked like a subway interchange.


    The large cavern was generally oval. Round tunnel entrances and exits were on all sides of the cave. Each entrance and exit was the same with rails extending out. At the intersection of these railroad tracks, there was a huge dish-shaped building, which undoubtedly the hub of the subway of this planet. Supposedly, the round tunnels were leading to other cities.


    The group cautiously stepped into the dish-shaped building. This ancient facility was still structurally sound. It was not known whether that the power supply was offline or lighting fixture were broken, it was pitch-dark inside. Lily raised her Flamejoy lighting up the interior. Under the illumination of the flickering flame, they saw the criss-crossing railroad tracks, scheduling platform full of debris, and the severely damaged control hut.


    Several small bats flew into the darkness. They hit something unknown before the ¡®subway station¡¯ suddenly reverberated with a sound of machines. To the shock of everyone, the lights on the ceiling suddenly turned on.


    Confirming that only the lighting system was activated, only Hao Ren began to breathe a sigh of relief and began to look around curiously. Suddenly, a group of complicated sculptures standing in front of the railroad intersection caught his attention.


    The sculptures presented a group of strange humans. They huddled in a circle, holding their hands up towards the sky, and floating above their heads a grotesque object, a bunch of radial metal rods, seemingly to mimic the appearance of a glow, a lightning or something. Vivian looked at the sculptures and said, ¡°Looks like it¡¯s a representation of a third contact.¡±


    Hao Ren did not say anything, just bent down and gently brushed off the thick dust on the base of the sculptures. Unexpectedly, he found some embossed writings on it; the texts remained on the special alloy after 10,000 years had passed. It read, ¡°The warning from The Denizens of the Stars is forever remembered and appreciated.¡±


    ¡°The Denizens of the Stars?¡± Lily said curiously. ¡°The alien?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue frowned in thought, ¡°Is it that the so-called The Denizens of the Stars came and warned the humans on this planet before they built the ark?¡±


    Hao Ren still did not say anything, just staring blankly at the word ¡®The Denizens of the Stars¡¯. He felt a sense of d¨¦j¨¤vu; he had seen similar things in other places. ¡°Allies from the stars! Do you still remember that this race was mentioned on Holletta planet?¡±


    The others started to recall. Nangong Wuyue¡¯s eyes blinking in disbelief. ¡°Do you mean The Denizens of the Stars mentioned here are the same as Holletta¡¯s Allies from the stars?¡±


    ¡°Just guessing,¡± Hao Ren got to his feet and looked at the abstract lines above the sculptures. ¡°A lot of the things on The Plane of Dreams are interconnected. So far, on any planet, events don¡¯t happened in isolation.¡±


    Lily looked back at the sculptures for a long time before something suddenly came to mind. ¡°The Denizens of the Stars are like sea urchins.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue solemnly corrected her. ¡°Sea urchin looks not like this¡ªlet me show you if you don¡¯t believe me¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up you two,¡± scoffed Vivian, shooting the dog and the fish a glare. ¡°Let¡¯s move. There may be more clues up ahead.¡±


    They searched around the building and finally found a space beneath the floor. The underground space was unusually huge, almost equal to the size of the dish above it. In the centre was a large facility that was composed of a number of arc-shaped structures, like a lift shaft. Lily ran over and poked her head out looking down before she squatted on the floor and crawled back up. ¡°That thing is so deep!¡±


    The ¡®lift shaft¡¯ was more than ten metres in diameter, dropping straight down into the endless darkness below. There were still alloy rails on four sides of the shaft but the lift was gone.


    Of course, even if the lift was still here, it might not be operational given lack of maintenance of this place.


    Vivian summoned a tiny bat and dropped it down into the shaft, waiting for a good long while before she shrugged. ¡°It haven¡¯t gotten to the bottom.¡±


    Lily raised her hand and shouted. ¡°I¡¯m not going to jump! No way! Don¡¯t force me into it, I will bite you!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not needed,¡± Hao Ren rolled his eyes. ¡°Vivian, you go down with me. The other just stay put.¡±

 Chapter 646

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The rest of them camped beside the lift shaft and stayed in contact with Hao Ren. Meanwhile, Hao Ren and Vivian had already entered the dark ancient cavern.


    The light above quickly turned into a little dot as they dropped and were still dropping. Holding Hao Ren by his waist and let Hao Ren use his spear to illuminate the way ahead as they steadily descended. He looked at the steel frames and guide rails flying past him, the flapping sound of Vivian¡¯s bat wings echoed in his ears. ¡°We have not flown together for quite a long time.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, after following you to all the bizarre places, if it wasn¡¯t space it was water, I have almost forgotten how to use my wings,¡± said Vivian from above, slightly adjusting her wing angles to make their descent down the shaft in a circling motion. ¡°I still remember the first time you flew with me you were getting air sick¡­ Err, probably not airsick, it was I who got giddy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me. I was only shocked when you took me to the sky without warning. No layman has ever experienced it, you know,¡± said Hao Ren, moving his body slightly, the tactile sensation on his back made him difficult to concentrate. Vivian had immediately noticed it. She laughed slyly. ¡°Still couldn¡¯t get used to it after flying together so many times?¡±


    Hao Ren compressed his lips. ¡°No matter what, you are still a pretty girl.¡±


    ¡°¡­I never really thought about this, you know that I used to having difficulty filling my stomach,¡± said Vivian, blinking. Suddenly, a faint light appeared in front. She said, ¡°Mr. Landlord, looks like we have almost reached the bottom.¡±


    Soon, the two landed on a ring of alloy platform. The platform circled the shaft walls with a few-metre opening in the centre. The faint red light shone up from under the opening. Hao Ren got to the edge of the opening, poking his head over the railing and peeking down, to his surprise; he saw a pool of magma at the bottom.


    ¡°Could that be the core of the earth?¡± Vivian also took a glance, wide-eyed. ¡°We have come to this deep?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not necessarily the centre of the earth, but it should be very close,¡± Hao Ren looked at the dim red light that was moving slowly. The planet¡¯s core temperature was already declining; the magma flow near to the planet¡¯s core appeared weak and slow. However, the magma flow was a hellish place to be in. If not for the insulation technology, the metal platform might have melt. ¡°This should be the energy source of the entire system. A heat exchange system between the core and the surface¡­ It¡¯s an engineering feat.¡±


    ¡°The senile old men on Earth should really come here to take a look¡­¡± said Vivian. ¡°By the way, why am I feeling a sense of weightlessness under my feet?¡±


    Hao Ren took a few steps. ¡°The gravity is weaker here. We have reached the deepest part of the system where the gravity is probably less than one-fifth of the surface. Let¡¯s look around; there should be an entrance nearby. The MDT has found a hollow space that looks like a control centre during the scanning.¡±


    Vivian lifted her finger pointing across the circular platform. ¡°You mean that?¡±


    Hao Ren looked up and saw a heavy hatch with reflective metal lustre standing quietly across the platform. The weak light flashing beside the door seemed to suggest that the system behind the door was still running.


    The two came in front of the entrance. Hao Ren looked at the flashing lights on the panel beside the door frame, exhaling. ¡°We have already come this far and it¡¯s enough to prove our sincerity. Is it still necessary to shut the door before us?¡±


    Supposedly, no one should be responding to him, but the hatch responded. In a series of hissing sound, the circular hatch retreated a little before it rolled to a side. Hao Ren and Vivian stepped inside.


    They passed through a long, safe tunnel before emerging into a rotunda.


    A huge, cylindrical instrument lined with tubes was in the centre of the rotunda, extending up a dozen meters high to the dome while dim light flew in the tubes on the outside. Thick cables extended out like vine from the bottom of the cylinder on the floor before reaching into the machines around the rotunda. There was no lighting in the rotunda except the light emitted by the machines themselves, allowing them to see the ancient instruments in shadows albeit vaguely. A deep, compound humming echoes in the space like an inorganic breathing.


    Hao Ren stared at the cylinder in front of him. This should be the host of the ark. He could feel that this is the heart of the planet, and the countless things, abstract and invisible, all spread from here out to the entire planet. He took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯ve come. Why don¡¯t you say something?¡±


    The machines remained silent for a few seconds before a deep, cold synthesised voice came out from the cylinder. ¡°My mission is to manage the ark and bring the creators to a new home safely. I was created and they gave me mind, logic, goals¡­ The existence of the entire system is to ensure the survival of the civilisation on this. This is the only thing I know that I should do.¡±


    Hao Ren stared at the host, as if he was looking at a living person. ¡°What happened here?¡±


    ¡°Before the ark set sail, the civilisation was already extinct.¡±


    A screen on the wall lit up. A crystal-clear, aqua blue planet that glowed in space appeared on the screen. Immediately, the sun exploded in the corner of the image, the highly charged solar particles blew over the surface of the planet, but a powerful shield had protected the planet from being ripped apart; it survived. Yet after surviving the supernova, something abnormal began to happen to the planet. Hao Ren had not seen what the nature of the disaster was, but the lights on the planet was dimming with an alarming rate until the planet went completely dark and silent.


    As time goes by, the sun cooled and the planet froze. A layer of white covered the planet, and the entire world was lifeless. Artificial light had never been seen ever since.


    Vivian turned to look at the host. ¡°Who did it?¡±


    ¡°An indescribable creature. The creators called it a natural disaster,¡± the synthesised voice of the ark¡¯s host reverberated in the rotunda. The screen flashed. A weird object of combination of a myriad of tentacles, roots, plants, meat appeared on the screen. It was difficult to describe how weird the thing was; only a sense of terror that seemed to evoke biological instincts pervaded through the ever-twisting roots. ¡°It destroyed the civilisation on the ark after it died.¡±


    As it turned out, the thing on the screen was none other than the First Born. But Hao Ren was still surprised when he heard what the ark host had said. ¡°After it died? You killed it?¡±


    ¡°It came out of the ground, but the creators succeeded in detaching this creature from the planet with the help of The Denizens of the Stars and pushing it into the sun¡ªthen The Denizens of the Stars blew up the sun. The creature was blown and burned into ashes. However, something unknown remained on the planet. It eventually destroyed the entire civilisation.¡±


    ¡°Something unknown?¡± Hao Ren felt a little confused until Vivian reminded him in a whisper. ¡°Tannagost had a similar incident before.¡±


    It then dawned on him. Hao Ren asked, ¡°Is the soul of the First Born?!¡±


    The ark host had not responded. It seemed that it could not understand what ¡®soul¡¯ meant. However, Hao Ren had already guessed what happened back then:      ( Updated by BOX NOVEL.COM)


    Although the aborigines of this planet had not been able to surpass the technological level of the First Born, with the help of The Denizens of the Stars they did achieve something the other Second Borns had not been able to do: they succeeded in killing the First Born at the cost of their own sun. However, this had not been able to save their own fate¡ªthe First Born had used its soul to exterminate everyone on the planet!


    This soul should have dissipated. The radar of the Petrachelys had not detected any sign that the First Born was still on the planet. It was also because the First Born had dissipated, no one had ever found evidence of the existence of the First Born.


    Hao Ren had finally pieced the pieces together. He stared at the ark host with a serious look. ¡°Who is Denizens of the Stars?¡±

 Chapter 647

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The Denizens of the Stars¡ªthat was what the humans called these mysterious beings from deep space. In Holletta, the ancient mage emperors called them ¡°allies from the stars¡±. These mysterious beings had their own name for their race. However, due to their unusual language and vocabulary structure, ordinary races had difficulty in accurately translating the name of the race, literally or figuratively. So, those who had met this mysterious race had chosen to call them according to their own customary way.


    The image of the Denizens of the Stars was an amorphous beam of bright light where stars and lightning abound. Some believed that the most primitive and purest light of the universe formed these creatures, which represented purity and the light of the world. They either possessed weird technologies, which no human could ever comprehend, or just magic, which they used to create all sorts of miracles. Some people even believed that the Denizens of the Stars possessed some kind of power beyond the physical world, thus they could affect fate, karma and things like that. The Denizens of the Stars initially established communication with humans on the planet through a spiritual connection. They then came to the planet through a strange optical phenomenon beyond the laws of Physics. They soon demonstrated their incredible power, strength, and quality.


    The Denizens of the Stars had warned the locals of the First Born¡¯s awakening and informed them of a catastrophe beyond their imagination, which could overturn the entire universe. At first, the humans on the planet did not believe in these warnings, but the Denizens of the Stars quickly proved everything through a series of precise predictions and the excavation of the First Born¡¯s tentacles from deep underground. They helped the indigenous people on the planet prepare for the catastrophe. This included coming up with plans to go up against the First Born and a special shield to protect the planet once the sun exploded¡ªall these things came from the hands of the unique and glorious creatures.


    ¡°That¡¯s to say, they came to this planet from the deep universe, gave you an early warning, guided you to transform the planet into an ark, helped you kick the First Born into the sun and blew it up, and also helped you build a planetary shield¡ªall things that were beyond what your science and technology could do,¡± said Hao Ren after he listened to the narrative of the ark¡¯s host. His brows were knitted together. ¡°¡­Yet, they still failed. The Denizens of the Stars did not know that the First Born¡¯s soul could continue to survive after the death of its body and have the capacity to destroy the entire ecosystem. So, what happened to the Denizens of the Stars?¡±


    ¡°They went back into the light,¡± the ark¡¯s host replied with a monotoned voice and showed a visual of the planet¡¯s last moment on a nearby machine. Hao Ren saw a thin and dim red glow shrouding the planet as the distant sun expanded rapidly before shattering into dust. People on the planet seemed to be holding a celebration. However, when the sun expanded to a third of the sky, the celebrating crowd began to fall down one after another.


    At this time, a few strange lights burst out from the crowd. Dots of light were in what seemed like twisted lightning and jelly, reminding one of the interior of a house. The lights shuddered violently towards the sky before they eventually disappeared into huge beams of light.


    Those lights were the Denizens of the Stars. Hao Ren believed that the last beams of light were their last moments before their death.


    The allies from the stars¡ªthe ancient people of Holletta believed that these mysterious creatures from the deep universe would help them against the First Born, as they seemed to possess powers beyond the normal mortal race; at least, they had the means to kill the First Born¡¯s flesh. However, it turned out that such level of strength was still not enough, and the Denizens of the Stars died on the ark planet.


    The visual froze at the scene where the light beams disappeared. Vivian looked at the screen thoughtfully. ¡°This light-like race was like a rescuer in space. Although their aerospace technology was very advanced and they could probably protect themselves from the First Born¡¯s attacks, in terms of helping other races, I¡¯m afraid, they were less than successful.¡±


    Hao Ren sighed and asked the ark¡¯s host several questions. The truth of the incident had finally come to light.


    The original plan of the Denizens of the Stars and the planet¡¯s indigenous peoples was to escape with the ark after they had used the sun to destroy the First Born. Then, they would find a habitable zone for the planet. However, on the day they were about to set sail, the civilization was exterminated all of sudden. For more than 10,000 years, the planet quietly slept in its home galaxy, dead. But there were still other ¡°living¡± things on the planet¡ªthe machines left behind by the humans still waited silently in the darkness. They had never forgotten the purpose of their existence; they had never given up on the 10,000-year-old ancient plan.


    During the planet¡¯s 10,000-year slumber, the ark¡¯s host kept its operations minimal while it scanned the planet repeatedly for signs of life¡ªit continuously searched for survivors on the planet under the guidance of the established procedures. Even if only one person survived, it was significant to the ark¡¯s existence.


    If it had been humans, they would have given up long ago. But these machines, from the day they were created, had never known the meaning of giving up.


    Now, all was clear to Vivian. ¡°The Nangongs restarted the ark¡¯s sailing protocol?¡±


    The ark¡¯s host replied in an affirmative manner.


    ¡°So, the TV, newspapers, advertisements, names of people and places¡­ All these details of human society were just a simulation?¡±


    The ark¡¯s host responded with a sentence, ¡°The civilization of the creator must live on.¡±


    Hao Ren felt that the host¡¯s understanding of ¡°civilization¡± seemed to be a little problematic, but he did not know if he was in any position to correct the ¡°problem¡±. The machine before him was only using its programmed logic to accomplish its mission. It may not have really understood what a civilization was and what the creators wanted to preserve. No AI could understand the abstract will of humans. The ark¡¯s host did not understand all of these things.


    However, it carried out its old directives stubbornly for 10,000 years¡ªby the way of a machine.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re not going to let the people in the city leave.¡± Hao Ren sighed. ¡°But, you also know that we¡¯re not your creators¡ªit doesn¡¯t make much sense for you to take us with you.¡±


    The ark¡¯s host remained silent for a long while before it repeated the same sentence with an emotionless voice, ¡°The civilization of the creator must live on.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your next plan?¡± asked Vivian. ¡°You got us to come here. This proves that you¡¯re also hesitant. You actually understand that you can¡¯t continue to maintain this stalemate¡ªit¡¯s an illusion. It¡¯s meaningless.¡±


    Hao Ren also stared at the supercomputer in the center of the rotunda. Although he could not see any emotions in the host¡¯s steel body, he could vaguely feel that the AI was now as confused as a human. Something that did not belong to its system was prompting it to seek change.


    After a long silence, the ark¡¯s host asked, ¡°Where are you from?¡±


    ¡°You have antennae on the surface, right? Point them to space where there¡¯s a silver-white spaceship,¡± Hao Ren said, connecting to the MDT telepathically. ¡°MDT, start a transmission to the planet. Tell it about the Space Administration.¡±


    The lights on the ark¡¯s host flickered as it listened quietly to the broadcast from space. Hao Ren and Vivian waited patiently next to it. A few minutes later, a human sigh came from the host. ¡°Now I understand.¡±


    Half an hour later, Hao Ren and the others were back on board the Petrachelys in space.


    He only brought back two things from the ark planet.


    One of them was a square, black metal box, which was half-a-man tall. It was a library containing most of the information on the ark¡¯s civilization. The ark¡¯s host had tried its best to understand what civilization meant and eventually developed the necessary database, hoping that someday, someone would take it to a faraway place. Just like most civilizations when they were faced with extinction, the ark chose to leave a message behind. It was the only way to commemorate its creator.


    The other thing was a foot-high transparent jar filled with some greyish-green substance. This was the second thing the ark¡¯s host hoped that Hao Ren would take away: they were mosses, which had been scraped off the condensation tubes.


    It was a sample of organic life on the planet.


    The ark explained, ¡°Some of the creator-scholars had extrapolated the failure of the entire plan and envisioned some alternatives: if they couldn¡¯t keep humans, they would save some animals. If they couldn¡¯t keep animals, they would save some plants. If all of them could not be saved, they would save some cells. Please take these samples away. Let them survive and spread out, then my mission will be completed.¡±


    The Petrachelys, shrouded in a blue glow, slowly left the ark planet¡¯s orbit. The greyish-white, rogue planet slowly disappeared from their view.


    In the ark¡¯s sanctuary, lights began to dim as the day was now over. After dusk, another civilization would fall into the darkness for good. Unmanned vehicles slowly parked themselves on the side of the streets, while robots stopped working and began to shut down one after another. On the electronic billboards of buildings, a uniformed and middle-aged man with gray hair looked at the empty city, delivering his last good night greeting to his world. ¡°Citizens, the sanctuary will soon be closed. Thank you, everyone. Goodbye.¡±/ boxnovel.com


    When the space warp obscured the last light in space, everyone began to turn their gazes away from the holographic image. Rollie curiously looked at the black metal box, which Hao Ren had brought back with him. She went up to it and pushed her head against the box. ¡°It¡¯s so heavy.¡±


    Hao Ren sighed. ¡°Yes, heavy indeed.¡±

 Chapter 648

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The Petrachelys was travelling in warped space, surrounded by endless darkness in an enclosed space. On the flight deck, Nangong Wudi and Ayesha¡¯s eyes darting around in amazement. Everything here interested them¨Cthey had seen the powerful autonomous machines on the planet of the Ark, and obviously, the installations on the Petrachelys were even more incredible¡­ especially the ultra-realistic holographic projections and the dinky MDT.


    ¡°You came in this?¡± Ayesha looked at her daughter. ¡°How far can this thing go?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t measure in mathematical term,¡± said Nangong Wuyue. Huddling around her mom, her long snake tail curled around Ayesha as she smiled happily. ¡°You and dad would be shocked if I told you that we used to travel to other universe in, even experience the battlefields of the different worlds in this spaceship.¡±


    Ayesha gently stroked Nangong Wuyue¡¯s hair with a mild and contented smile on her face. ¡°You have really grown up¡­¡±


    Looking at them, Nangong Wudi also smiled. Then a sudden sound of water on the table not far away. He looked into that direction and saw a basin on the table. A super tiny mermaid was resting her head on the edge of the basin, looking at the strangers on the flight deck curiously: it was Lil Pea; she had waked up.


    Nangong Wudi was shocked. ¡°What is that thing?!¡±


    Lil Pea was startled too. She pulled back and then cautiously probed out to check the surroundings. Only after she was assured that everything was fine, the little one jumped out of the basin and toddled towards Hao Ren. ¡°Dad-dee! You¡¯re back!¡±


    This time, not only Nangong Wudi but also Ayesha was wide-eyed. She frowned and grabbed Wuyue¡¯s arm. ¡°You married? Why have you not told us?!¡±


    Then she pointed at Lil Pea in surprise. ¡°Why does the child so tiny? Have you not let her eat anything?¡±


    The moment Lil Pea jumped out, Hao Ren already knew what reaction Nangong parents would be. After so many awkward moments, he had developed an intuition of how to deal with the awkward moment. Anyway, when he heard Ayesha¡¯s scream, he still almost banged his head on the table. ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand. She¡¯s not the same thing as the siren! She¡¯s a mermaid, coming from another world.¡±


    Lil Pea could not care less. She hopped up to Hao Ren, jumped onto his arm, and dangled on it steadily. Then she snored: it was less than a minute after she woke up before she fell asleep again.


    Just when Nangong Wudi was about to get to his feet to come to Hao Ren, he had to hold back the word ¡®son-in-law¡¯ on his lips when he heard Hao Ren¡¯s explanations. Ayesha stared at Lil Pea then Hao Ren before her eyes finally landed on her own daughter. ¡°This is not¡­¡±


    Nangong Wuyue was almost all tears. Her tail rattled like a rattlesnake. ¡°Mom! Can you not always be so imaginative? Is siren so tiny?¡±


    ¡°Water is amorphous. When you just gave birth to you, you were just a little ball. Only after two years later you learned how to formshift into a humanoid¡­¡±


    Nangong Wuyue turned her head away embarrassingly. ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it. I was born on land; there was no other siren child around me, it was normal to start late.¡±


    Suddenly, everyone on the flight deck looked at the mother-daughter combo in horror. The magical life form of the sirens had amazed them. Hao Ren could not bear to imagine how kindergarten of the sirens looked like. Meanwhile, Vivian reached out her hand and jabbed the sloppy little face of Lil Pea who was snoring like a pig and muttered. ¡°What happen to the child lately? She has been having five meals and sleeping for more than a dozen hours a day.¡±


    Lily put a small piece of wood in Lil Pea¡¯s mouth and watched her gnawing in her sleep. ¡°And she has grown so rapidly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve asked Raven 12345 before, she said that it was absolutely normal,¡± said Hao Ren, reaching to held Lil Pea to prevent her from slipping from his arm. She swung her tail in response. ¡°It is said that this type of mermaid has several special stages of growth, eating and sleeping on a massive amount at a time. It¡¯s okay, as long as she¡¯s healthy.¡±


    Lily let out a ¡®woof¡¯ sound. She finally could not help but think of the planet of the Ark. ¡°Mr. Landlord, what do you think will happen to the Ark at last?¡±


    Before the Petrachelys entered the warp jump, the last image of the planet of the Ark was it dragging its long tail of flames flying into the deep universe. The Ark had not yet reached its destination. Although the sanctuary had been closed, the other systems of the Ark were still running. Its long journey of thousand years had just begun. Lily was worried about the future fate of the Ark¡ª especially after learning about the Ark host, she was only more concerned.


    ¡°After I took the database and the life samples away, the Ark host would adjust its mission plan. It will continue to follow the established route,¡± Hao Ren was speaking of his interaction with the supercomputer at the control centre. ¡°Its creator had chosen a new home ten thousand years ago. Now the Ark had decided to continue this mission. If all goes well, it will reach its destination after a thousand years.¡±


    ¡°And then what?¡± asked Lily, looking into Hao Ren¡¯s eyes. ¡°Isn¡¯t there no one on the Ark anymore?¡±


    ¡°And then?¡± Hao Ren picked up the glass jar containing the moss sample and shook it gently. ¡°Indeed there is no one on the Ark, but there is still this. The sun will melt the ice and snow, and then it¡¯s a new beginning.¡±


    The fact that the Ark host allowed Hao Ren to take these life samples away did not mean that it had given up his mission; it was only to increase the chances of survival of these living things and allow them to spread as far as possible. The Ark host had summed up this experience after the destruction of the parent star civilisation: do not put all lives into one basket.


    After Hao Ren took the life samples, the Ark would continue its journey and let the creator¡¯s world wake up in another star system¡ªeven if the creator were no longer there, it would still decide to let the planet come to life again.


    This was the ¡®solution¡¯ that the Ark host had found for its own mission after sharing it with Hao Ren.


    No matter how many difficulties or obstacles the mission would encounter, no matter how tortuous and difficult the journey was, the Ark had a mission. To complete the mission, the machines would never give up.


    Vivian looked at the small jar of moss. ¡°Where are you going to put these samples?¡±


    ¡°Life should be able to multiply to be of meaning. Putting it in the specimen library for ten thousand years it is still a specimen.¡± Hao Ren got to his feet and came to the front of the flight deck. As the Petrachelys was gradually leaving the warped space, the visual on the monitor gradually became clearer. ¡°I¡¯ve done a mock test. The mosses will survive in a place, and that place¡­¡±


    The Petrachelys had jumped out from the warped space; a clear blue ocean came into sight.


    ¡°¡­happens to need more variety of species.¡±


    Io¡¯s ocean glittered in the sun, waves dancing in sparkling light.


    The Petrachelys slowly descended and penetrated the fresh atmosphere and clouds over Io before it hovered above the calm ocean. This once a violent and dangerous world was now incredibly calm as the waves gently moved below the spacecraft like the gentle breathing of a baby.


    Ayesha and Nangong Wuyue formed a platform for everyone to stand on the water. They alighted from the spacecraft. After a short nap, Lil Pea was all-active again as she swam happily in the waves, jumping out of the water like a happy little fish to greet everyone from time to time. Rollie was curiously dipping her tail into the water seemingly to try fishing.


    Ayesha looked at the sea in awe as she had heard about Io from Wuyue. ¡°Here¡­ is place of birth of the sirens?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we were with the Queen of the sirens the last time we were here,¡± smiled Wuyue. ¡°When we get back, you have to meet with the Queen first. There are many people in Nasaton worrying about your whereabouts.¡±


    ¡°Nasaton¡­¡± Ayesha lamenting. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard about it for a century.¡±


    Hao Ren opened the jar and sprinkled the mosses on to the ocean. At the same time, he also sprinkled a large amount of crystal-green powder that he had synthesised in the lab that would help the smooth transformation of the moss crumbs.


    ¡°They are a wonderful thing. Although they are mosses, they are completely different from those on Earth,¡± said the MDT as it landed on Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder. ¡°They will soon adapt to marine life and may become a kind of seaweed¡­ the wonder of life is that it is incredible.¡±


    ¡°Eva, I¡¯ve brought you some new friends,¡± Hao Ren stooped down and dipped his hands into the ocean. ¡°Take care of them.¡±


    The ocean did not reply, but a surge of soft wave seemed to be her response.

 Chapter 649

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The green crumbs gradually disappeared in the ocean of ??Io, and eventually integrated into the undulating waves. Vivian looked at the crystal foam on the ocean in thought. ¡°How many of them could survive?¡±


    ¡°Life is a very tenacious thing and it¡¯s incredible,¡± the MDT replied melancholily. ¡°They are difficult to come into being, but they are born they are difficult to go away. No matter what the danger they face, they will always do their best to leave a seed, even if only a few cells are left, one day it will multiply again. Civilisation may fade away, but life¡­ except due to real end of the world, there is hardly anything that can really wipe them out.¡±


    Lil Pea splashed through the waves. From time to time, she leapt out from the water and her beautiful fish¡¯s tail glistened in golden red in the sun. Hao Ren smiled pointing at the little mermaid. ¡°Sometimes even the end of the world couldn¡¯t completely extinguish life.¡±


    In the next tens of thousands of years, or perhaps hundreds of thousands of years, perhaps there would be new species emerging in Io. They would carry the DNA from a different planet and come into harmony with the host planet. Prior to the release of the seeds, Hao Ren had let the MDT conduct many sophisticated extrapolations to ensure that the alien species would not cause harm to the existing Io¡¯s fragile ecosystem. He had full confidence in this release.


    Watching the fingerling enjoying the ocean for a moment, Hao Ren beckoned to the mermaid. ¡°Lil Pea, it¡¯s time to go home!¡±


    The little mermaid was in a mirthful laughter as she swam towards Hao Ren before jumping into his arms, her wet body rubbing against him. Hao Ren had been accustomed to it: Since rearing the fish, wetting his clothes had become a norm. He was fortunate that Lil Pea was only jumping into his arms, not his pant; otherwise, he would have a hard time explaining the wetting of his pant had nothing to do with his kidney¡­


    No one spoke a word during the return journey. Very quickly, the Petrachelys arrived at Alamanda base in Tannagost. The Nangong couple seemed very nervous when they passed through the lilac crack: They could not believe that they could return to Earth just by walking through a crack. As they crossed the space crack into the other side, an endless dark snowfield appeared in front of their eyes. Ayesha was in shock. ¡°The earth has also become like this?!¡±


    She had related it to the surface of the planet of the Ark¡ªindeed, if you ignore the oxygen issue, there is really no difference between the basement of Igor¡¯s house and the surface of the rogue planet¡­ You cannot really imagine the life of the rich; just look at the basement, it looks just like the surface of an alien planet.


    Nangong Wuyue mirthfully told her parents about the dark snowfield. Nangong Wudi quivered in fear when he learned that this place was actually the creation of the vengeful spirit that kidnapped them. ¡°I have never thought that that thing was so powerful. It¡¯s fortunate enough for us to have survived it.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled but said nothing. He just led the people out of the dark snowfield and went up to say hello to Igor. Igor was not so surprised now to find the adventurers emerged suddenly from the basement. The most obvious improvement was that this time the old man did not pass out even when Vivian appeared to him suddenly. They stayed in Andrea Castle for a day and regained their energy before they set off again to return to their home in Southern Suburbs.


    Nangong Wudi was a little surprised when he saw the old house. He turned to look at Hao Ren. ¡°There is a huge contrast between your house and your ability. How could you even be poorer than your own man?¡±


    He mistook the Andrea family he met yesterday as Hao Ren¡¯s own man¡ªbut this misunderstanding was not entirely wrong. After all, they were Vivian¡¯s family. Now Vivian was a full-time babysitter in Hao Ren¡¯s home.


    ¡°You were expecting me to live in a palace, weren¡¯t you?¡± Hao Ren laughed. He took out his key, turned the nob and entered the house. ¡°My house is indeed a bit old. It can¡¯t be compared with the lavishness of the city you were at on the Ark, but at least it is clean enough, Vivian cleans it all day.¡±


    Nangong Wudi explained while he followed from behind. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to ridicule. I just think that¡­ Hey, most great people are weird. I perfectly understand that.¡±


    Everyone began their usual daily chores. Vivian rolled up her sleeves and wiped the tables; Wuyue formshifted into a sea snake to mop the floor; Y¡¯lisabet went into the kitchen for a while before she ran out with a liquefied natural gas tank on her head recklessly. ¡°Forgot to refill the cooking gas before we left home. I¡¯ll now get it done!¡±


    Lily was startled and quickly stopped her. ¡°You don¡¯t go! Let your papa go! People would think you¡¯re abusing the child here!¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet¡¯s lips compressed and tossed the one-meter-high liquefied natural gas tank to Y¡¯zaks. ¡°Papa, get it refilled!¡±


    Hao Ren watched from a side, his heart shuddering; the freaking child really left people speechless.


    However, the even more reckless freaking child was right behind. Lil Pea was somehow turned on by the gas tank, she excited jumped down by the table and toddled excitedly towards Y¡¯zaks with a handful of sacred flame. ¡°Uncle Bulky, let me help you light it up¡­¡±


    Lucky for everyone, Y¡¯zaks immediately rushed for the door with the gas tank: He was not prepared to let her blow up the house just yet.


    Lil Pea did not know what to do with the flame. She turned to look at the Nangong Wudi. ¡°Uncle, do you want to light your ciggy?¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at Vivian who was wide-eyed. ¡°Could you use the normal igniter for cooking next time? This child is now excited about lighting up the cooking gas tank¡­¡±


    Lil Pea toddled up to Hao Ren. ¡°Dad-dee, do you want to light your ciggy?¡±


    Everyone glared angrily at Nangong Sanba. The latter pointed to himself and protested. ¡°Is it even my fault for her turning into a lighter?¡±


    Lily looked at Hao Ren. ¡°Then it must be Mr. Landlord¡¯s fault.¡±


    Hao Ren planted his face in his hands, hapless. ¡°Why the house turn into a mess just minutes after we¡¯re back?¡±


    Ayesha smiled and looked at this weird family, the daily of which no one could have imagined. She also turned her eyes on the furnishings in the living room, be it the LCD TV on the cabinet or the laptop that Lily was fiddling with was hugely different from that of her memories of a hundred years ago. Although having not seen the rest of the world yet, Ayesha still realised that times changed and the world with time. She sighed, feeling emotional. ¡°A hundred years ¡­ we are out of touch with the world for too long, I am afraid we have to adapt again.¡±


    ¡°The country was still embroiled in fighting when we left, but now it is peaceful.¡± Nangong Wudi looked at the scene outside the window. ¡°And it looks more prosperous than before. Given a chance, I would want to go out and see for myself. Even though we¡¯re hermits, we should learn the rules of the world.¡±


    ¡°First of all, dad, you have to change the way you speak,¡± smiled Nangong Sanba. ¡°Your way you speak is so yesteryears. It simply sounds weird.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue chimed in. ¡°That¡¯s right; this is something that has to be changed. If you found it hard to change your way of speaking right now, at least you could keep your beard and long hair, and then I¡¯ll buy you a XXL clothes so you can pretend to be an artist.¡±


    Nangong Wudi laughed. ¡°Up to you. However, we are not humans. We could not care less about the life cycles of this world. No big deal. If necessary, we could always find a place in the wilderness it¡¯s a big deal to find a wilderness and be a hermit again¡­¡±


    Wuyue gave her dad a sideways glance and said, ¡°Dad, you need to quickly adapt¡ªnow that wilderness has been outsourced to someone else¡­¡±


    Nangong Wudi. ¡°What is outsource?¡±


    Hao Ren interjected. ¡°And there were some unlucky hermits nuked more than a hundred times.¡±


    Nangong Wudi was all confused. ¡°What is nuked?¡±


    At least, it was Vivian also put an end to this kind of conversation. ¡°The best thing to do now is to come out from isolation. Humanity is getting more powerful, they could even fly an aircraft to Mars. No demon hunters and otherworldlings could escape from the changing world. The world will leave those who live like an ostrich behind. The most stubborn old-fashioned guys in the sanctuary in Athens had already pushing for their apparel products to enter the human market. I feel that you two have much to learn. I¡¯ve seen enough. Humans have developed so fast that you would find hard to catch up now¡­¡±


    Lily curled herself on the sofa with her laptop in her hand and her lips compressed. ¡°The old lady begins to lecture again¡­¡±


    Nangong Wudi and Ayesha looked at each other: They felt an aura that only the elder could have possessed; they could not help but remained silent while Vivian lectured.


    Vivian¡¯s arms akimbo and shot Lily a glare. ¡°I tell you what, Doggie, no spare ribs for you today!¡±


    ¡°Nothing decent will come out from a filthy mouth¡­ I¡¯m still young¡­,¡± the vampire maiden kept mumbling as she walked into the kitchen, leaving everyone in the living hall staring at each other, speechless.

 Chapter 650

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After lunch, Hao Ren asked the Nangong couple about their plans.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure the old place where you lived was definitely gone,¡± Hao Ren held the Nangong couple to sit on the couch and talk about their plans. ¡°And you guys are unfamiliar with this world now, you need to learn a lot of things. So I suggest that you stay here. Although the house is little old, there are still enough rooms for you two. Furthermore, you two have separated from your children for so many years; you should spend more time together.¡±


    There was an empty room in the house, which was initially cleared out for Rollie but she just stubbornly refused to sleep in¡ªand certainly much less to be willing to make her own bed. She still insisted on sleeping on the mat in the living room. No one in the house could handle this cat; naturally, the room is vacant as a result.


    The Nangong couple glanced at their children. Of course, they would like to be with their children. However, the old couple were a little cautious. Nangong Wudi placed his hands on his knees. ¡°Is this¡­ all right? You have been so kind to us and we already owe you so much. We would not want to bother you again.¡±


    Ayesha also nodded. ¡°Right. We can bring Wuyue and Sanba back to our house. I know the house is gone, but we can rebuild it.¡±


    Lily made a sound by knocking on her notebook. She said without looking at them, ¡°Don¡¯t think about it. I just checked; the place where you used to live now have been developed into scenic spot, you have to pay sixty bucks just for the entrance fee, and most famous attraction is the circular hole on the rocky hill¡­ I suspect it was your house.¡±


    The Nangong couple suddenly stared at each other for a long moment before Ayesha forced a smile, spread out her hand and lamented, ¡°Really, nothing stays unchanged, the ruins of our house has turned into a treasure.¡±


    Vivian twitched her mouth. ¡°No big deal, young people. I even had a beaded ring being kept in the Museum of Prehistoric Humanity. Whom should I seek for recourse? Furthermore, I still have two bracelets that I couldn¡¯t retrieve in the tomb of Cleopatra.¡±


    Nangong Wudi had not managed to ask the background of this group of people around Hao Ren. Now when he heard what Vivian said, he was startled. ¡°Prehistoric human? May I ask¡ªdo you have any appellation?¡±


    ¡°Some people call her Countess of the Crimson Moon, but I think the moniker is too long. I¡¯m advising her to change to Moonlight Warrior¡ª¡± Lily chimed in before Vivian could say anything. However, before Lily could finished saying, a little bat already stuck in her face. The husky maiden shrugged. ¡°The only problem is she is not willing to change.¡±


    Nangong Wudi was shocked hearing the moniker. He stared at Vivian like an about¨Cto-retired old archaeologist discovering a living cave man. ¡°The Count of the Crimson Moon¡­ the world¡¯s oldest vampire?! Really?!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t particularly like your overplayed reactions, especially this kind of stare,¡± Vivian¡¯s brows knit together. ¡°It feels like I¡¯m becoming a rare animal in an exhibition. I just live a little longer than you.¡±


    ¡°A little longer?¡± Nangong Wudi instinctively took a step back. This was the natural reaction as a demon hunter when he saw the most senior (in theory, the strongest; in practice, hahaha) otherworldling in the world. ¡°Comparing to your Excellency, whether it¡¯s demon hunters or otherworldlings, they have all returned to the soil but you are the predecessor of all intelligent creatures in the world! This is really¡­ something I have never dared to think about that I could actually see you in person¡­¡±


    Vivian said, ¡°How come I feel that I¡¯m more like a rare animal? By the way, why are you keeping away from me? I¡¯m not going to eat you.¡±


    Nangong Wudi looked Vivienne, shocked. He felt very strange as he turned his eyes on Hao Ren. ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect that the oldest vampire would live in this place¡ªyou never know, really. May I also know the appellations of the other ladies and gentlemen?¡±


    Hao Ren looked around. ¡°The rest of them aren¡¯t worth mentioning. Even if I was to tell, you¡¯re not going to know who they are. Y¡¯zaks and the little demon come from a different world. They used to be demon king and princess that had nearly crushed the world. I¡¯m a titular king in a place called Aerym, and renting out a big manor estate there. A monk, the like of Master Xuanzang, is also among us; he is from another world but has gone back to his hometown these few days. Even the lighter-fish going around helping people to light their ciggies is a pedigree¡­ but let¡¯s not talk about her since she is still a baby.¡±


    Nangong Wudi knew that Hao Ren was telling the truth. Though at a glance those in the house were all ordinary looking males and females, he knew he could not underestimate them all¡ªnone of them was normal. There was little wonder why oldest vampire on earth was staying so low-key in this small shelter. She suddenly looked at Lily respectfully. ¡°I wonder where the werewolf from? The royal family in Europe or the reclusive family of Latin America?¡±


    Vivian squinted at Lily. ¡°She has the simplest composition¡ªa husky.¡±


    Lily let out a reflexive threatening growl, but sadly, she soon realised that she could not refute that statement. The husky could only lowered her head, pulled Hao Ren¡¯s sleeves and said aggrievedly, ¡°¡­beside, I¡¯m also a Pekingese¡­¡±


    That is literally the worse comes to worst.


    It was a chaotic family. The Nangong couple put aside their intention of going home together with the Nangong siblings. The couple had realised that the world had really changed with time in a way that was beyond their expectation. The way of life and common sense of a hundred years ago were no longer applicable. They needed to slowly reintegrate into this world¡ªand before that, if you did not want to get into trouble or spotted by the demon hunters, they were better to stay in Hao Ren¡¯s shelter.


    Of course, they also did not intend to stay for long: although there was a room for them, obviously the house was pretty crowded already. The Nangong couple felt that it was somewhat inconvenient for the two of them to live with a group of youngsters. They decided to adapt to the environment here first before they looked for and moved to a rented house in the neighbourhood. This would be convenient for everyone. They could still meet one another regularly. Hao Ren had no objection to that. He knew Southern Suburbs inside out. If they could really find some place to stay outside, the low-key Nangong couple would do fine in this peaceful town. So he let them.


    Of course, the Nangong siblings were all supportive of it: the two siblings had been searching for their parents for a full hundred years. Now they finally reunited with their parents, and foresaw that they were going to be separated again, they had nothing much to ask for. Nangong Wuyue was happily clinging to Ayesha, rubbing her mom¡¯s arm with the tip of her tail. Seeing that, tough guy like Y¡¯zaks could not help but whispered, ¡°Hey, a family is better than anything else. It reminds me of a story of the humanity, which was very emotional¡­¡±


    Hao Ren asked curiously, ¡°What story? Chen Xiang?¡±


    ¡°Little tadpoles looking mama. But this one here is a 3D deluxe version.¡±


    Hao Ren said, ¡°¡­We have at least one worldview not quite right.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks shrugged. ¡°You still have the nerve to talk about worldview with a demon from another world?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks sashayed away, leaving behind Hao Ren dumbstruck. Hao Ren pouted haplessly, then beckoned to Wuyue and her mom. ¡°The two tadpoles over there, haven¡¯t you finished yet?¡±


    Wuyue swung her tail vigorously. ¡°Why are you calling us tadpoles? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Can I borrow your parents for a while; I¡¯m taking them to see Raven. After all, the Space Administration is the one undertaking this case,¡± said Hao Ren as he got to his feet. ¡°I also have to send in the database. By the way, I got the feeling that I¡¯m more like a coroner than an inspector; there have been so many tombstones lately¡­¡±


    The MDT quietly replied, ¡°It¡¯s normal. The progress of civilisations has always been with dead bodies. Those who could continue to walk on are few and between. So far, only one has made it to the end. You as an inspector must have this mental readiness: you could almost never witness a truly perfect world, even your own universe, which is in fact full of holes.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment and sighed. ¡°A ship of thieves¡­¡±


    Hao Ren who could chat with a brick puzzled the Nangong couple. They asked in unison, ¡°Where go?¡±


    ¡°Bring you to see God¡ªdon¡¯t worry, we¡¯re going there, alive.¡±

 Chapter 651

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    While the Nangong couple were still curiously studying the furnishings in Raven¡¯s mansion, Hao Ren had already finished debrief with his Goddess. ¡°¡­this is what happened, and so here they are,¡± said Hao Ren.


    Raven 12345 looked thoughtfully at the black metal box that Hao Ren had brought. ¡°Another has died¡­ and it was also destroyed by the First Born. Did you say this time that there was a race called The Denizens of the Stars?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°The people on the Ark called them The Denizens of the Stars while people in Holletta called them ¡®allies from the starts¡¯ but the basic meaning is almost the same. They all refer to space visitors. But what we have collected so far are just imagery, it is not known whether there are still Denizens of the Stars survivors in The Plane of Dreams or not.¡±


    Raven 12345 looked at the images of The Denizens of the Stars on the hologram the MDT was projecting. The images was taken from the Ark host earlier. Then she found something. ¡°It seems to be an energy body, a spirit with no physical element.¡±


    Hao Ren had felt that Raven still had something more to say. ¡°So what?¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s not as if it was bred from the Seed of Origin. I have analysed the lifeblood sample that you brought in and found that only the carbon-based and the sulphur-based creatures could evolve according to the pre-set template of the Seed of Origin. It could also absorb the semiconductor minerals contained in the planet to make silicon-based ecosystems ¨C but they are all physical life forms. These Denizens of the Stars should be a naturally occurring species.¡±


    ¡°The sirens on Io were also born naturally,¡± it reminded Hao Ren of the ocean planet. There had been no trace of the First Born on the ocean planet. So he and Raven 12345 both came to the same conclusion that the siren was a natural race. .


    Raven 12345 slightly nodded. ¡°Yes, the siren is naturally produced and obviously not as developed as the Denizens of the Stars. Of course, Io¡¯s environment had made it hard for the siren civilisation to develop. However, species with a physical body would develop faster than spiritual creatures. This is because spiritual creatures are inherently weak in their relations with the physical world. They are slow to respond to the physical domain. Therefore, they are less motivated to develop and they don¡¯t like to pay attention to changes in the real world. Spiritual creatures will develop pure spiritual civilisation, and they will always immerse themselves in it until the day they die. So even though they are naturally gifted beyond the physical life, their civilisation is developing at a much slower pace than ordinary species, and this delay has greater impact than the ocean environment of Io.¡±


    ¡°And the Denizens of the Stars are obviously more advanced than the sirens¡­¡± Hao Ren finally understood what Raven 12345 was trying to say. ¡°This race must be very old?¡±


    ¡°Very, very, very old¡­¡± Raven 12345 looked at the holographic projection next to her, her brows furrowed slightly. ¡°They were able to go to warn the various Second Born civilisations in the universe ten thousand years ago, which shows that they are more advanced than all the Second Borns. Judging from the fact that they know how to destroy the first Born¡¯s body, I suspect that the history of the Denizens of the Stars could even be traced back to the time of the first sowing by the goddess of creation, or even earlier.¡±


    Hao Ren was surprised. ¡°Can it be so old?¡±


    ¡°You bet. Don¡¯t underestimate the retardedness of the spiritual creatures,¡± Ravens 12345 twitched her mouth. ¡°They sometimes could even sleep for a million years on the spur of the moment, and their purpose is just to study ¡®sleep¡¯. Of course, this retardedness is just confined to the natural spiritual creatures. Spiritual creatures transcended from the physical species would not have this feature and they could develop very quickly.¡±


    Those words of Raven had reminded Hao Ren something. ¡°What if the Denizens of the Stars are transcended from ordinary-creatures?¡±


    ¡°They are not,¡± Ravens 12345 lifted his finger pointing at the holographic projection. ¡°Can you see the little light spots in its body? This is a trace of the energy nodes left over from the evolutionary process, which is unnecessary for higher spiritual creatures. The thing is that the evolution of spiritual creatures does not follow the Use and Disuse Theory, so these evolutionary characteristics will stay with them forever. And the spiritual creatures transcended from the ordinary creatures have not gone through an evolutionary process, so their bodies will not have this ¡®noise¡¯.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment before he asked, ¡°How can there be the same light spots in the Big Bluey? Did you not create them?¡±


    Raven 12345 shrugged. ¡°Well, I added it. It look cool.¡±


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­¡±


    He should not have asked such an obvious question! Had he not known this female psycho well enough after so long?


    ¡°Okay, okay, I got it. In short, what you mean is that these Denizens of the Stars should be even older than the Seed of Origin, and maybe even a species of the same period as the Goddess of Creation?¡± Hao Ren exhaled. ¡°If that¡¯s true, then they might know what happened to the Goddess of Creation in the past!¡±


    Having a deeper understanding of the Denizens of the Stars, Hao Ren had unwittingly treated them as ¡®human¡¯.


    ¡°I suspect that these guys are still alive,¡± Raven 12345¡¯s mouth twisted slightly upward. ¡°Spiritual creatures won¡¯t just die so easily. They are masters of parapsychology and spiritual power. The First Born is subject to its own physical form not matter how strong it is. So the spiritual creatures could easily find a weak spot in the First Born¡¯s spiritual attack, and survive. They are not afraid of the First Born, but they couldn¡¯t really kill it either. So they must have gone into hiding now.¡±


    ¡°So I have to find a way to find them out?¡±


    ¡°As you please,¡± said Raven 12345, shaking her hands in a way that without regard of her own image. ¡°When I look for you, I¡¯m expecting you to solve problem for me. So do whatever is necessary. Oh, by the way, you want to have a bowl of soup noodles?¡±


    Hao Ren shocked. ¡°Why are you so generous recently? You didn¡¯t even give me a glass of water last time.¡±


    Raven 12345 waved with a wry smile. ¡°I have cooked extra and eaten noodles for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the past three days and yet not finished. The two of you want some?¡± beckoned Raven to the couple.


    After their first meeting with God, the Nangong couple went home with a stomach full of soup noodle. Their only impression of heaven was that the bowl was really big¡­


    Hao Ren, who was a pope in name, felt very saddened by this fact: the soup was really salty! How could they just remember how big the bowl was?


    The whole world was peaceful for three days.


    How was he going to find the Denizens of the Stars? Hao Ren still had no clue. The universe in The Plane of Dreams was vast, but he could not use the powerful deep-space radar to scan all the constellations. He had to rely on the self-multiplying drones to explore slowly and that would take a lifetime. Plus, the Denizens of Stars must have certainly been hiding in deep space in order to avoid the First Born, finding them would not be easy.


    Hao Ren told his family members about the problem. They did some brainstorming and came up with some suggestions that were mostly crap.


    Lily smacking herself on the head before coming up with an idea. She had proposed for a universe-wide missing-person notice in the universe of The Plane of Dreams. Vivian had almost wanted to bury her alive with her little bats¡ªbecause the only outcome of doing so would be that all the First Borns and brain monsters in the universe would be alarmed and hunting for the survivors of the catastrophe of extinction.


    Even as brainy as Lily was, she could only come up with such crappy idea, much less the others who clearly were not as imaginative as Lily.


    So at the end of the day, Hao Ren could not help but let nature take its course.


    Putting the matter on the backburner, Hao Ren began to study the information he got from the Ark host.


    The database had been handed over to Raven 12345, and as an inspector who handled the case, Hao Ren would go through the information several times albeit only briefly but at least it would help him understand more. He did this because he felt that he needed to do a good job. He felt it necessary at least to find out the truth of the civilisations that he had personally sent off in memorial of the dead.


    ¡°I feel more and more like a palliative care quack,¡± mumbled Hao Ren while connecting to the database. During this kind of virtual connection, only the MDT still have an uninterrupted mind connection with him.


    The voice of the MDT ringed in Hao Ren¡¯s head. ¡°So you still think that your Pope title is just in name only? Let me tell you, everything was serious from the beginning¡ªjust as the pastor listens to the penitence of a dying person and soothes his soul, the Pope on the side of God is also responsible for sending off the stillborn civilisations. Everyone has his or her duty. However, when you just took office, you were as clueless as you appeared. Now¡­ have you understood?¡±


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve been conned,¡± Hao Ren sighed. ¡°Anyway, you¡¯re right. At first, I thought it was just some title and position but now I found that it is not just real but f**king real. But did you really tell me that before?¡±


    ¡°Casually, yes.¡±


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­¡±


    The link has been established and the database of the Ark Civilisation was laid bare in Hao Ren¡¯s mind.

 Chapter 652

    In the spiritual space formed by virtual links, it was bustling with activity as the figures of inspectors from various parts of the world were shuttling through this chaotic space. Many were reviewing the innumerable materials of civilisations the entire macro world. Hao Ren was one of them.


    The database of the Ark civilisation was laid bare in his head with vast amount of information flooding his mind.


    Having had the experience with the Tannagost database, Hao Ren was already familiar with such ultra-high-bandwidth virtual connections and was no longer as over-excited as when he first made the link. He just stayed focused and slowly navigated through the vast amount of information looking for the things that were most representative of a civilisation ¨C history, art, law, religion, and social models. Any civilisation that had left the ¡®Doomsday Database¡¯ would meticulously categorise things and place them in the most easily accessible location, just as plants leaving behind seeds, animals leaving behind their offspring, ¡®preserving their own information¡¯ was an instinct of all living things.


    Witnessing a civilisation coming out from ignorance, stepping into space amid the flames, steel, war and peace, and finally disappearing in the night sky like fireworks was not a pleasant experience. Very quickly, Hao Ren had finished with the history section and begun to focus on the logs before the destruction of the Ark civilisation.


    The people who left these logs apparently realised that their civilisation was teetering on the edge of destruction, they recorded in detail all the things that happened in the last days, especially the anomalies¡ªthe shaking of the earth, the changes in the sky, the magnetic field, and the sun etc. Everything had been recorded with great care. Like a dying victim in a murder, trying to leave behind as much evidence as possible, if things came to the point of no return, someone could help them find out the truth of the murder. Many of these clues were not of help, because the level of civilisation of the race that left behind the log was low, their understanding of the First Born was still superficial, and they did not know what clues were most useful, but Hao Ren still found something of great concern. It was a diary left behind by a scientist, reserved for the people to come.


    ¡°¡­re-compiling the astronomical records before the arrival of The Denizens of the Stars and found the record of the observations of a red supernova ¡®Eaton¡¯. This mystical object is one of the most bewildering phenomena to our race. It hangs in the emptiest sky and always maintains the same brightness, and no observation of it has ever determined the distance of this star. Its characteristics do not meet the standard of stars, and planet should not be so bright¡­ Before the arrival of the Denizens of the Stars, ¡®Eaton¡¯ had exploded mysteriously and became the brightest star in the night sky before it disappeared completely in the universe¡­ No technology could determine the cause of Eaton¡¯s explosion and disappearance¡­ These data may be of great value and should be preserved¡­¡±


    ¡°The red new star¡­¡± Hao Ren could not help but temporarily withdraw from the linkage. ¡°As expected, there is also a record of the star here.¡±


    The voice of the MDT sounded in his head. ¡°Have you found a record of the red star in Io before?¡±


    ¡°The ancient instruments of Io was destroyed by the tsunami. Nasaton was just a colonial ship. The database was incomplete and there was no information of the red star.¡± Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°But I have good reason to believe that the siren had seen a red star¡ªbut not sure if they had seen it exploded.¡±


    ¡°This star seems to be visible in any part of The Plane of Dreams and is equally bright from whatever viewing angle,¡± the MDT sounded very seriously. ¡°This defies the optical rules. If so, maybe even if we could find the fourth observation point there is no way to confirm the position of the red star. When it doesn¡¯t conform to the laws of observation, then we won¡¯t be able to measure the distance. It could be at any point in the universe.¡±


    Hao Ren had also thought of this, but he was out of option. ¡°Wait until we find the fourth observation point, if we can find it. Anyway, the Goddess of Creation is definitely related to the explosion of the star¡­ maybe she had exploded together with it.¡±


    Putting these things on the backburner, Hao Ren continued to browse the database. This time he began to concentrate on finding out information about The Denizens of the Stars, and they were abundant in the database.


    According to the description of aborigines of the Ark, The Denizens of the Stars not only was an amazing life form, but also possessed a special way of thinking and communication. They could not speak; they communicated with one another through telepathy¡ªbut communicating in telepathy required special talents, and the Aborigines seemed to be not very good at it, so they had difficulty understanding the overly complicated words of The Denizens of the Stars.


    Some scribes who were known as ¡®spirit whisperer¡¯ specifically responsible for dialogue with The Denizens of the Stars had each of their exchanges with The Denizens of the Stars recorded in the database. A spirit whisperer named Freeman seemed to be a leading expert of telepathy had left behind the clearest record of his conversation. Hao Ren had found the record, which read something like this:


    [Freeman: ¡°¡­How did you come here from such a great distance?¡±


    The Denizens of the Stars: ¡°(a string of complicated thoughts, could be some sort of technical explanation, but incomprehensible) ¡­The universes are interconnected, we use this connection to jump, like data transfer in your computer system, but much faster.¡±


    Freeman: ¡°¡­sorry I don¡¯t understand these things, but I will record them truthfully. Does the kind of ¡®natural disaster¡¯ you mentioned appear everywhere in the universe? Is it a common phenomenon?¡±


    The Denizens of the Stars: ¡°(seems to manifest a pronounced mood swings) It should not have happened, but a shameful (unrecognisable thought) has caused this catastrophe. Now that it has spread throughout the universe, we cannot even predict to what extend it will develop but only minimise its harm.¡±


    Freeman: ¡°Is it a human-induced disaster?¡±


    The Denizens of the Stars: ¡°(Mood swings) It is human-induced. The roots of this universe are disturbed, seriously damaged by a group of unreasonable creatures¡­ (An incomprehensible thought) but I cannot explain to you, you would not understand.¡±


    Freeman: ¡°What is the origin of the universe?¡±


    The Denizens of the Stars: ¡°Ninety percent of the lives in the universe is rooted in Him (then another completely incomprehensible thought) ¡­ It is impossible to explain to you. We are deeply influenced by this root, which makes it impossible for us to describe it to ordinary races His form of existence. In your understanding, He should be similar to a deity.¡±


    This was followed by some unstructured conversations. At least, Freeman asked, ¡°Is the disaster the result of someone attacking the ¡®goddess¡¯?¡±


    The Denizens of the Stars: ¡°They killed Her.¡±


    Hao Ren completely pulled his mind out from the database and looked shocked.


    ¡°Someone killed the Goddess of Creation?¡± Hao Ren felt unbelievable. ¡°And it looks the work of a group of mortals?¡±


    ¡°The Denizens of the Stars say so,¡± the voice of the MDT also shuddered markedly. ¡°I think they would not fabricate these things out of thin air.¡±


    ¡°This information is¡­ unexpected.¡± Hao Ren took a long whole to digest the facts. He had never expected there was such mind-blowing truth hidden in the Ark database. Whether it was the truth or not, at least it was an astonishing clue. Suddenly the admonishment of the dragon queen Galazur came to mind: ¡°Do not ignore the little clues around you, because things happen when it least expect it.¡±


    However, the records in the database stopped there. The exchanges between the spirit whisperer and the Denizens of the Stars were not smooth, and they were not paying too much attention to the problems of the origin and religion of the universe when the end of the world was imminent. They were more concerned about the technical details of the Ark. Hao Ren read repeatedly the log books many times and found no details of the ¡®mortal killing Goddess¡¯ incident. Either that no one asked, or the Denizens of the Stars had tried to answer but no one could understand.


    ¡°What a f**king problem of language barrier¡­¡± Hao Ren felt a pain in his eggs. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t The Denizens of the Stars study interstellar languages?¡±


    ¡°It seems that only by finding them can we find out the truth.¡± The MDT sounding regrettable too. ¡°I always feel that there is a dark side to it¡­¡±


    Hao Ren sighed. ¡°Nonsense. Even the Goddess has died. Do you really think there¡¯s no dark side behind all of these?¡±


    After several unsuccessful searches, Hao Ren decided to pull his plug from the virtual link, and then compiled the information into a report and gave it to Raven 12345.


    Raven 12345 took this information very seriously, but there would be no new instructions in the short term. So what is next? That Hao Ren himself would have to investigate it out slowly.

 Chapter 653

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren did not hide the shocking discovery that he had found on the Ark¡¯s data vault. Everyone, Vivian included was shaken by the truth.


    The creator of life in the Plane of Dreams, the giver of life to ninety percent of life in the Plane of Dreams, the almighty Goddess of Creation, was killed. By mortals no less!


    Of course, the Ark¡¯s data vault had only limited information, and the details of what happened ten thousand years was still murky, the whole idea of the denizens of the stars too were unproven. But regardless, Hao Ren had managed a breakthrough in the investigation of the Goddess of Creation and the destruction of worlds. It is just that the progress was heading in a rather uncomfortable direction.


    ¡°I¡­am not sure how am I supposed to tell Big Beardy this.¡± Hao Ren sighed as he relayed the whole thing to everyone at home. ¡°As open-minded as he is¡­ I think he¡¯ll probably off himself when he hears this.¡±


    ¡°Then lets keep this under wraps.¡± Vivian raised an eyebrow. ¡°Lets us at least find the remnants of the Goddess before we say anything. I think a Goddess as capable as her should leave something behind even after she died.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks nodded in agreement. ¡°Yes. The Goddess may have fallen, but her powers are still active. The divine abilities of the Disciples of Glory and the resonance of their belief are real. Besides, the death of a powerful being over at my place will probably leave some unusual phenomenon or trail behind that could last for ages. A Goddess her stature shouldn¡¯t lose to those country bumpkins at the very least.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet was sitting her papa¡¯s shoulder tinkering with a mini radio at the time, and as Y¡¯zaks finished she quipped happily. ¡°So that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t not believe that papa had died. A powerful king like papa if he was to die would probably curse an entire race to their doom, and that¡¯s normal. The Allied Army were well prepared for one of the component race to perish at such a curse, but nothing happened after half a year. So that¡¯s how I came to believe that papa was still alive¡­¡±


    Hao Ren gave Y¡¯zaks an odd look. ¡°¡­ Your daughter¡¯s thought process sure is something.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks awkwardly rubbed his bald head. ¡°My bad, my bad¡­¡±


    After visiting Nasaton upon arriving back to Earth, the Mr and Mrs Nangong stayed at Hao Ren¡¯s place. And just with a blink of an eye, half a month have passed, and the searing summer heat was now at full force. The hot summer day had left Hao Ren sleepy, and the free days had left the somewhat intrepid adventurer now bored. Knowing how sudden he may get a new assignment, Hao Ren could only stay at home, spend time with the zoo-like household of his.


    Lily was still up to her old routine. After breakfast she would be out and about giving the local stray dogs veterinary check-ups. According to her, this was a peak period for contagious diseases to spread, and she wanted to give the strays vaccination to ensure that her Army of Woofenstein is at peak performance. But no one could see the combat strength of that ragtag bunch, aside from them lining up more neatly than ever when Lily does a roll call.


    Despite lugging her medical box outside for a good part of the day, Lily was still energetic when she got home by lunch. Tossing the box aside, she immediately flopped by the window to stare at the scenery. AT the same time, a old yellow dog was outside panting to cool itself. Lily titled her head before sticking her tongue out as well. ¡°Heh.. heh¡­ hehh¡­¡±


    Vivian was in the hall reading as she heard the noise. Her expression incredulous. ¡°Would you look at that.¡±


    Lily had not registered Vivian¡¯s presence and belatedly realised that her mortal enemy was just seating right across her. She immediately stopped panting as her expression stiffened. ¡°I was just having some fun. Say, where¡¯s Wuyue? I want her to make some ice cubes to chill.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s twiddled her fingers. ¡°You want ice cubes? To chill? Don¡¯t move then. I¡¯ll give you something to remember.¡±


    Lily immediately bounced backwards. ¡°Hey, did I even antagonised you?¡±


    ¡°Vivian, turn on the AC. It is rather hot today.¡± Hao Ren was seated not too far away twiddling with the MDT (he was actually playing DOTA). After hearing the bat and the dog¡¯s argument he added. ¡°Wuyue and her parents are out. They wanted to get to know the lay of the land and see if there¡¯s anyway to earn a living in the modern era. After half a month watching TV, they are probably anxious about assimilating back into the society.¡±


    Vivian shrugged and with a snap of her finger, cold mist started appearing around her as cool air quickly cool the entire house down. The electricity bill saved from this walking AC throughout the summer could cover her rent.


    Lily took a few deep breath as she felt the cold air and gave a sigh of relief. ¡°Well, there¡¯s at least something Battie can do right¡­. Say, just look at the Nangongs, and then yourself, even the two elders know that they need to earn a liv¡­.¡±


    Before she could finish, Lily only saw a gust of frostwind coming at her and the careless werehusky was turned into an ice block.


    Vivian looked back down to continue reading. ¡°Hush, you and your nonsense. Even Mr Landlord hasn¡¯t said anything.¡±


    Hao Ren quickly went ahead to clear the ice off Lily¡¯s body before turning towards Vivian with a curious question in mind. ¡°You¡¯ve been reading that since morning, what is it about?¡±


    ¡°Received it two days ago from Athens. Not sure where Hessiana got her hands on these ancient tomes.¡± Vivian said as she lifted the ancient looking black leather tome. ¡°Not sure who the author was, probably from the middle ages. It¡¯s written in Latin. To humans, it¡¯s probably some heretical nonsense¡­ but I think it has something to do with me.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s interest was piqued as he went to have a look. He saw four solitary words on the black leather cover of the tome: Spiritus Malignos et Mythologos, the discussion of evil spirits and mythology. There was nothing about the author at all.


    Vivian turned the tome open and Hao Ren noticed that the ancient tome was still well-preserved, the writings were still clear on the yellowed pages which were inscribed with the very distinctive dark ages art style. The edge of the pages were framed with intricate patterns. In on of the drawing was a group of people around a bonfire while the smokes above detailed a devil was taking a peep. These reminded him vividly of the dark ages, of the heretical lunatics, the superstition, the heresy that spread from all corners of the land. It was clear that, regardless of the time, this is not a ¡®normal¡¯ work.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure that this thing had lasted all the way from the middle ages?¡± Hao Ren touched the pages out of curiosity, but a sense of dread immediately overwhelmed him as his fingers felt the texture of the page. This was not your normal piece of paper. ¡°F*ck¡­ is this¡­.¡±


    ¡°No worries, that¡¯s not human skin.¡± Vivian tapped on the page. ¡°It¡¯s the skin of a black goat that is cured with magic. So it¡¯s not the same as your goatskin books. I¡¯ve never seen these sort of method for a long time¡­ Making these would need one to raise a black goat in the darkest of caves that will never see sunlight, and the sacrifice would need to be made on a moonless night. The subsequent curing and processing of the skin must also be done personally by the sorcerer. Ahh¡­ such tedious stuff.¡±


    Hao Ren was perplexed as he listened to the whole mumbo jumbo regarding ancient sorcery, and he failed to understand why. ¡°That tedious? Why?¡±


    ¡°Well first, it could last a thousand years or longer.¡± Vivian picked up the book. ¡°Next, using magic to cure the pages is an imprint. To mark that the book is a real grimoires, not some knock-off copy-pasted nonsense that swindlers tries to paddle. These sort of grimoires were popular back then. Even with religious suppression, many people, nobles included were enthusiastic about collecting these sort of tomes to show how ¡®learned¡¯ they are. But most of the time what they have are fakes as only a real sorcerer, otherworldlings, demon hunters or clerics would be able to tell and obtain a real one. Lastly¡­. books back then were very expensive stuff and nobles would use expensive vellum to write, and to put gold ringlets on books, or to add scents to the ink that they use to increase the ¡®value¡¯ and ¡®class¡¯ of the books. And those sorcerers could not help themselves but to indulge in it as well, so they kept coming up with more ridiculous ways to create their grimoires, as a living proof of their knowledge and mastery.¡±


    Vivian then added. ¡°Of course, I think that anyone who does that are just plain idiots. This will leave a very visible trail for the demon hunters, and if they were to get their hands on the grimoire, the author¡¯s lifespan is drastically shortened.¡±


    ¡°So they were using their lives to act cool?¡± Hao Ren summarised with a stunned look.

 Chapter 654

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren never thought that he would have such an experience before: studying a grimoire from the Middle Ages with a 10,000-year-old vampire. This should have rightfully been confined to the silver screens. It was one of those scenes in paranormal or occult-type movies where the grimoire was studied in a dark, unlit basement. Yet, this ancient tome was being studied in broad daylight in a living room, and the person studying it was a reigning pope with a six-pointed amulet to ward off evil. There was also a frozen husky beside him¡­ The author of the book would have never thought that his work would be studied in such a setting.


    Vivian mentioned the various extraordinary happenings in human history as if it happened before her very eyes. At the time when ¡°books¡± were a rare commodity, she was out and about between Europe and Asia. It was a time where clashes between the sorcerers and the Church were at their fiercest. The otherworldings whose powers had already waned by then had all retreated to their various sanctuaries, while the humans that had obtained forbidden knowledge, the sorcerers grew while the church was looking away. Almost half of the grimoires in the world were from that age, and Vivian had seen a few herself.


    This was not one of them.


    She gently pressed her finger against the magically cured pages as she recalled what happened back then. ¡°The wrold was chaotic back then. Occult and superstition reigned throughout the land. The church hierachy too took a heavy handed away to suppress it. It was miserable for those at the lower rungs of society. Sorcery came about during the end of the Age of Mythlogy. They were simply thralls of the otherworldlings or heralds of the ¡®Gods that ruled men¡¯. Their position in society was however high, and they were regarded as priests or apostles. But as the Age of Mythology came crashing down, they splintered off into a sect of their own. They then absorbed many clerics whose faith were weak or nobles who had lost hope due to the war. As the church and the demon hunters were flushing out the remnants of the otherworldlings, these group took the chance to spread their influence. The peasents were easily enthralled by sorcery, while the high clerics who could dispel such magics were woefully little. The demon hunters¡­ well they never quite bothered with the plight of the humans. So within a short period of time, sorcerers and witches were rampant.   U.p..dated b.y Box novel. com


    ¡°I remember there was a time like this mentioned in the history books.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°But they sure don¡¯t sound anywhere close to your version.¡±


    ¡°The grimoires started gaining prominence then.¡± Vivian sniggered. ¡°A book like this could easily cause two nobles to declare war against each other. Because many of the magics in the grimoires could be learned by humans, as long as a price is paid, in human life. And it was a time where leaders were willing to pay any currency, lives included to get what they want. I remember wandering about in the towns in Europe and there were many sorcerers or witches either hung or burnt, most of them were fakes though. They only wanted to make some money through the fake grimoires, and not every noble have the guts to receive such a thing, at least not in public. Doggie, how long do you plan to pretend that you are an ice scuplture?¡±


    Lily shook her head with force as she shed the ice flakes from her hair. ¡°I was just waiting to see when you¡¯d grow a conscience! Hssshhh¡­.coooooldddd¡­..¡±


    Vivian glared at Lily. ¡°What? A sleigh puller like you are telling me that you are afraid of the cold?¡±


    Lily bared her fangs in response before shrugging. ¡°Continue your tale. I¡¯m rather interested. Never lived through that era.¡±


    ¡°Nothing much of note or importance happened that time. The whole of Europe was a mess, only the conflict between church and the heretics was something of note at first, but it got stale after a while.¡± Vivian said as she pushed the book forward on the tea table. ¡°This thing that caught my attention was a record of a ritual, and no matter how I look at it I feel that it has something to do with me.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What ritual?¡± Hao Ren was curious.


    Vivian turned the book open and flipped to a page with an insert art. The drawing had a oddly shaped five pointed star and there were many ritual items on each corner of the star. On the top of the star was a feminine figure with fangs bared. Her hands were open as they pointed towards the two devotees who were on all their knees. Towards the corner of the drawing, there was a castle-like structure.


    Lily pointed towards the lady figure. ¡°You mean to say that¡¯s you?¡±


    Vivian¡¯s expression was conflicted. ¡°In some ways¡­ I might actually say yes¡­¡±


    ¡°But why it is drawn like Sun Wukong?¡± Lily interjected almost immediately.


    Vivian smashed a small bat into Lily¡¯s face. ¡°That¡¯s why I was not willing to discuss anything with you! Your mouth is more and more like Mr. Landlords!¡±


    ¡°Why did I ended up in your crosshairs too¡­¡± Hao Ren shrugged as he took gave Vivian an innocent look before lowering his head to look at the picture. ¡°What does this picture mean?¡±


    ¡°The ritual to summon the King of Blood¡± Vivian pointed to the line beneath the picture. ¡°Based on the picture of the five-pointed star, in sequence was the black goatskin, dried mistletoes, bat fangs, limestone and the ashes of a woman¡¯s hair. The ritual was to be conducted on a full moon night. The person stands opposite the magical matrix and cut their fingers at the same time to let out blood. After the third drop, the King of Blood will appear. The King will then cast his spell on the two ritualists, and kill one of them, thus transferring half of the person¡¯s lifespan to another, and taking the other half as tribute.¡±


    Lily¡¯s ears perked up as she listened intently, before blurting out. ¡°What nonsense is this? What¡¯s the end goal for all this mumbojumbo?¡±


    ¡°Sorcerers loves to record things like this.¡± Vivian shrugged. ¡°But now all of these are lost. Back in those days however, it was very common.¡±


    ¡°Why do you think the King of Blood refers to you?¡± Hao Ren gave Vivian a perplexed look.


    ¡°While the drawing is rather horrid, see this¡­¡± Vivian pointed towards the lady in the picture, a cross was hanging from her chest. ¡°At least this was clear, the only vampire that would wear a cross was me. The creator of this grimoire was a very diligent sorcerer, so this drawings must have some basis. Even normal sorcerers would not put a cross on a vampire for no reason as that risk them being seen as lunatics by their peers. The only possible reason is that, the author of the grimoire have met me before.¡±


    ¡°Have you?¡± Hao Ren looked up and asked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t remember.¡± Vivian pursed her lips.


    Lily gave Vivian an odd look. ¡°I can understand the rest, but why are you cracking your head on something nonsensical as this? Don¡¯t tell me you wanted to be the ruler of the world back then?¡±


    ¡°How would I know?¡± Vivian rolled her eyes. ¡°Sorcerers are normal humans by birth. Their magical system differs from the otherworldlings. Who knows what this ritual is based on. Hessiana simply thought that the book was rather interesting so she sent it to me. Even she doesn¡¯t know how the author was.¡±


    In that dark age of occult and superstition, grimoires were very common, and there were no obvious way to catalog them. Most of them exchange hands in the shadows. The rituals that is inscribed to summon demons or other form spirits have been lost to time, and those that survived had been so muddled by local superstition that it¡¯s practically worthless. Vivian was simply curious when she got hold of the grimoire, but Hao Ren¡¯s curiosity was even more obvious. ¡°Let¡¯s give this a try?¡±


    Vivian was stunned. ¡°Try what?¡±


    It was only on such fun-making schemes does Lily reacts fast and she quickly caught on to Hao Ren¡¯s meaning. ¡°Summoning you of course!¡±


    ¡°¡­Crazy.¡± Vivian rolled her eyes as she turned toward the kitchen. ¡°I¡¯ll prepare lunch. Leave me out of your insane schemes.¡±


    No one knew where Lil Pea came from as she bounced happily after Vivian. ¡°I¡¯ll light the fire! Light the fire!¡±


    ¡°Keep her away from the gas tank!¡± Hao Ren quickly reminded Vivian before turning towards Lily. With a hushed voice. ¡°So we try that summoning ritual?¡±


    Lily nodded excitedly. ¡°Hmm, hmm!¡±


    ¡°But it says that you need a full moon night to summon.¡± Hao Ren frowned. ¡°That¡¯s a rather troublesome requirement.¡±


    Lily wagged her tail in excitement. ¡°It¡¯s a full moon tonight. I¡¯ve been excited for a few days now¡­¡±


    No wonder the husky was so energetic today!

 Chapter 655

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The first thing the Nangong siblings saw after coming back home with their parents was to see Hao Ren and Lily huddled together studying something. As a veteran demon hunter, Nangong Wudi immediately sensed the presence of some fluctuating magics. Looking at the tea table, he asked. ¡°What are you two looking at.¡±


    ¡°A grimoire.¡± Lily shook her tail excitedly. ¡°Little Battie sent Battie a book, and Battie was drawn like Sun Wukong in it¡­¡±


    There¡¯s no changing the husky¡¯s way of doing things.


    Nangong Sanba let out yawn as he threw himself on the soba as he felt the cold breeze in the air he took a deep breath. ¡°That feels good¡­. This air-conditioning is much better than my sisters. She almost turned me into a popsicle when I just asked for a small one earlier¡­¡±


    ¡°Say, have you managed to get anything from the trip?¡± Hao Ren smiled and Nangong Wuyue. ¡°Have uncle and auntie found a way to earn a living?¡±


    He was just asking out of courtesy but he never thought Ayesha actually nodded. ¡°Yes. There¡¯s a shop selling shaobing that is going to close. The owners of the shop is moving to the city to live with their children. We are preparing to buy that shop down. I have some culinary skills, perhaps we can start selling breakfast or something.¡±


    Hao Ren was surprised. He never thought that Mr and Mrs Nangong were such determined characters. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s fast¡­ But have you gotten used to the modern society? Like the currency, or the local laws on opening a shop and whatnot?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no issues with the lifestyle.¡± Nangong Wudi smiled. ¡°When me and my wife was in the sanctuary, wasn¡¯t the place there even more high-tech than Earth? We have managed somehow. As for money and opening shops, it¡¯s even simpler. Hawking and paddling goods have been around for thousand of years and have never changed. Would be rather simple to pick up.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a bit a nodded. While the two had indeed been detached from human society for a good hundred years, they had been living in a highly advanced sanctuary for the same amount of time. So it was a simple matter for them to operate all the modern electronics and there was not much issue in adapting back to modern life on Earth. But Hao Ren still decided to mention it. ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t have to worry about the cost of living. You can live here and everything will be taken care of. The Space Administration will be bearing the cost.¡±


    Ayesha shook her head. ¡°No, we just can¡¯t stay idle. We need to do something so that we feel alive. It¡¯s different than you youngsters¡­¡±


    Lily immediately pointed towards the kitchen and with a whisper. ¡°Don¡¯t mention that, there¡¯s a ten thousand year old freeloader there.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s voice responded almost just as quick. ¡°Doggie, are you gossiping about me?!¡±


    Lily¡¯s ears shuddered. ¡°Why is Battie¡¯s ears even more sensitive than mine¡­¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Nangong Wudi. ¡°So you are starting a business. Do you have enough for capital? I can help with that.¡±


    ¡°No worries.¡± Nangong Wudi smiled as he pulled out a dense cloth sack from his coat. ¡°I still have some silver coins and gold nuggets from back then. I suppose that even today, such things are worth something right? Demon hunters aren¡¯t usually broke.¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°Won¡¯t do. I¡¯ll help with the capital then. Lugging that amount of gold these days is just asking for trouble.¡±


    Nangong Wudi then passed the sack of gold and silver to Hao Ren. ¡°Then it¡¯s all yours. I have no use for them anyway. Please don¡¯t refuse it, both me and my wife owe you our lives. These are not something that can be repaid with just a sack of gold.¡±


    With Nangong Wudi already putting things that way, Hao Ren had nothing to say. He took the dense sack wondering what he should do with it. Bereft of any ideas, he simply threw it into his Dimensional Pocket. It was Lily who was staring at the sack, mumbling to herself. ¡°I want a piece to grind my teeth¡­¡±


    Hao Ren glared at her. ¡°Using gold to grind your teeth, guess you too have a death wish.¡±


    By that time Nangong Wuyue had already started studying the book on the teatable. While she was not a demon hunter, she could sense the faint magical resonence from the pages. Turning the grimoire from the middle ages around, she saw the pictures and the Latin written in cursive. The book reeks of foul heresy between the lines, and the blasphemous magical knowledge that was inscribed throughout the book simply made anyone reading it uncomfortable. Frowning hard, she asked. ¡°What is this? Why are you studying that?¡±


    ¡°Oh oh! We are planning to summon Battie!¡± Lily, excitable as ever quickly explained the origins of the book to Wuyue. ¡°Battie doesn¡¯t want to muck with it but we could do something with it. Tonight is a full moon anyway¡­. so wanna give it a try?¡±


    Wuyue have Lily a confused look. ¡°You¡­ Vivian¡¯s here, so what¡¯s the point of a summoning ritual? Besides, do such a nonsensical ritual even work?¡±


    ¡°I think that this ritual actually has something to it.¡± Lily rubbed her cheeks. ¡°And don¡¯t you think it¡¯s pretty interesting? If it really works we might be able to pull Battie out of her room¡­ and give her a scare!¡±


    No one present knew what to say about the husky¡¯s thought process.


    Regardless, the grimoire had indeed piqued everyone¡¯s interest. A grimoire that contain information on how to summon an evil spirit, and that ¡®evil spirit¡¯ is someone they knew. If this were to happen to anyone, it would be something new. And thinking how Vivian was up and about running all over the place since the dawn of time, her appearance in ancient tomes or some religious rituals is not hard to imagine. Imagination is one thing, but seeing it happening is another. Imagine someone who was studying a paranormal activity actually running into one?


    ¡°What are you guys on about?¡± Vivian said as she noticed the group studying the grimoire as she came out of the kitchen holding the rice pot in hand. Frowning, she continued. ¡°What¡¯s the point of studying that useless tome anyway, it¡¯s just a book written by some fools with loose screws in their head to ek out a living, and now there¡¯s no value to it but putting it in the shelves. So put a stop to that and come eat. Doggie, go get Y¡¯zaks and Y¡¯lisabet back. They are fixing the motorcycle at the back.¡±


    The motorcycle Y¡¯zaks and Y¡¯lisabet were fixing was Hao Ren¡¯s old junk of a bike. Two days ago Y¡¯zaks took Y¡¯lisabety for a ride, but due to the mismatch of body type and them not knowing that the bike were already rickety at some places, the moment he got on and slammed the ignition, one third of the bike¡¯s frame flew away, with Y¡¯lisabet in tow¡­. While Hao Ren wasn¡¯t too concerned about that junk of a bike, the two demons were rather determined to fix the bike. Their progress so far was to successfully dismantle the remaining two-thirds of the bike, and Y¡¯lisabet wanted to put a demonic engine on it.


    Because the original engine was destroyed by her dad.


    And with that, the demonic way of life is really precarious.


    Thus the day passed peacefully and dusk came, with the full moon in tow.


    While Vivian herself was not interested with the summoning ritual written in the grimoire, but with Lily¡¯s urging, everyone decided to give it a try.


    The night was clear and the full moon hung high. A full moon was the perfect time to perform those evil rituals, mumbo-jumbo it may be. And the ritual side was behind the house. It was an empty field and would not create a commotion that could scare the neighbours.


    Lily was like an excited kid lighting fireworks and was the first to go to the ritual site. By the time the rest got there she had already prepared the summoning circle and had placed most of the ritual items. The werehusky excitedly circled the summoing circle as she look at the full moon with a dumb laugh. Nangong Wudi was perplexed as he saw the situation. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡±


    ¡°Werewolf wannabe syndrome. Had been like this ever since.¡± Hao Ren quipped as he turned to look at the back of the house. Vivian was still inside the house. She was actually in the dark of their plans. Lily had gotten her to give Rollie a bath, and knowing how that dumb cat would react, they expect Vivian to be to preoccupied to notice what was happening outside.


    No one actually told Vivian of the plan to test the summoning ritual, and that was of course Lily¡¯s idea. The husky had planned to keep any possible intereference at minimal and to test the summoning ritual when Vivian is totally defenceless.


    ¡°To think that I¡¯d actually joined in on this.¡± Hao Ren spoke wit a sense of self-mockery. It was true that the past few peaceful days and got him about as bored as Lily was. He flipped the grimoire open and studied the picture with the aid of the moonlight.¡± Heh, now that you mention it, it does look like Wukong¡­¡±


    As the moonlight glowed upon the goatskin pages, a faint blood colour slowly appeared in the middle of the bright moon.

 Chapter 656

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    It was the middle of summer, and yet the northern area of the suburbs was still cool. A group of people was assembled at the empty field behind the house, lighting candles, drawing the summoning circle and setting up the ritual items. It looked it some sort of heretical gathering. Hao Ren looked on as Lily was busying herself with the preparation. ¡°If someone were to see us pulling this stunt, who you think would come first, the police or the mental hospital staff?¡±


    ¡°Probably the mental hospital.¡± Wuyue said as she lifted a leg and shook her body. Even when she was in human form she could not shake off her habits of being a snake. ¡°If I was a normal person and saw a bunch of middle aged people summoning a vampire with a serious look on their face, I¡¯ll definitely call the mental hospital¡­¡±


    Nangong Wudi suddenly sighed. ¡°Never thought that I, a demon hunter would actually join in on this. In the past, this is demonic.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Lily spat back without a tongue. ¡°You are already married to one no? Don¡¯t be so uptight.¡±


    Lily said as she prepared the summoning circle. No one knew where she gotten the limestone from as she drew a crooked five pointed star summoning circle. The more Hao Ren saw it the more awkward it felt. ¡°You think it¡¯ll work? Your five pointed stars have four crooked points¡­ and the last one is a curved edge?¡±


    ¡°Whatever works!¡± Lily was clearly excited. ¡°I have placed the ritual items, now lets get someone to bleed.¡±


    Hao Ren gave the items that Lily had placed on the five pointed star a suspicious look. ¡°Where did you get all of these from? Will they work?¡±


    ¡°Of course they will. I gathered them myself.¡± Lily pointed towards the items on each corner of the summoning circle. ¡°The dried mistletoe leaf is from my own specimen collection that I made while travelling, the bat fangs I got them from the wild. The limestone¡¯s a plenty here, the ashes of a woman¡¯s hair is mine¡­It hurts me to even do that.¡±


    Hao Ren was flabbergasted as he heard before remembering that one of the ritual items was a black mountain goat skin, but he only saw a petite leather shoe on it. ¡°¡­I thought we need black goat skin? Where did you get the shoe from?¡±


    ¡°The shoe is mine, and at any case the shoe box says it¡¯s mountain goat skin¡­. Come to think of it there should not be any difference between that and a black mountain goat skin.¡±


    Even Y¡¯lisabet who came to join in on the fun was stunned. The little brat facepalmed. ¡°If she could really summon something that¡¯ll be quite an achievement.¡±


    Nangong Wudi continued to sigh. ¡°If all sorcerers were like her, demon hunters would have a very easy time¡­¡±


    Hao Ren initially a little worried about testing the grimoire. He was afraid that it might actually summon some ungodly beings out into the open. While not much of a threat, but it will still be a problem. But after seeing how Lily¡¯s doing things he swallowed his worries whole. With how the husky was doing things, even if she were to set up this in the middle of town, the only thing that she will be summoning is the city¡¯s enviromental officers¡­


    ¡°Let me see¡­¡± Lily grabbed on to Hao Ren¡¯s arm as she peeked at the illustration. ¡°Hmm.. the positioning is correct¡­ the summoning circle¡­ seems alright¡­ the moon is full¡­ oohhhh, everything is ready. So lets give it a try, Mr Landlord?¡±


    As Hao Ren just about to step forward, Nangong Sanba could not help but to warn him. ¡°You sure you¡¯re gonna go ahead with this summoning ritual?¡±


    While the grimoire may be some gibberish nonsense to a common man, it is no plaything in the eyes of a demon hunter. The grimoire from the dark ages contained real heretical and forbidden knowledge. Every demonic or divine name on it resonated with the power of a living otherworldling or the remnants of their powers, and such rituals usually ends up creating more trouble. Such tomes were prevalent a few hundred yearas back, and many a kingdom or fortress was destroyed due to the uncontrolled use of such tomes; there were even records of large scale catastrophies linked to the grimoires. Not to mention quite a few nobles or heretics seeking hidden knowledge were possessed by evil spirits when they opened the grimoire. There¡¯s no absolutely safe way to handle these things.


    Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°With Lily¡¯s childsplay of a ritual, what can she summon anyway? And this ritual was supposed to summon Vivian¡­¡±


    Nangong Sanba pondered for a moment before keeping quiet.


    Hao Ren and Lily stood on the opposite corner of the summoning circle. Baring her fangs, Lily looked at hger finger. ¡°So I really need to bleed myself¡­ I feel its such a waste all of a sudden.¡±


    ¡°Fine by me.¡± Hao Ren had already shut off part of his shield and had also lowered the reinforcing nanomachines within his body to bleed himself. ¡°You only need three drops.¡±


    Lily replied with a ¡°Oh¡± before giving her finger tip a bite. Hao Ren followed suit at the same time.


    Fresh blood dropped on the floor and Hao Ren looked at the summon circle before him. The crooked five pointed star did not stir. ¡°Seems like it failed. It was a whole load of nonsense I tell you.¡±


    Lily showed her fingers as she retorted. ¡°That¡¯s because my skin regenerated before a drop even left the wound!¡±


    Everyone present was stunned as Hao Ren spoke under his breath. Her werewolf constitution actually showed its prowess now!


    ¡°Lets try again!¡± Lily excitedly wagged her tail. ¡°I¡¯ll bite harder!¡±


    Hao Ren went along as they tried again, and it was only to proof that the husky had no control of her regenerative ability. As she bit her finger tip, and before she could pull her fangs out, the wound had sealed itself. This situation left everyone in tickles. Even Nangong Wuyue couldn¡¯t help but take a jab. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ll also face problems in performing a blood pact with someone.¡±


    Lily stared stupidly at her finger before clenching her teeth and turning back to run into the house to get a straw. ¡°Lets try again Mr Landlord! I¡¯ll stick a straw in once I bite, I don¡¯t believe it¡¯ll keep regenerating!¡±


    Cold sweat immediately appeared on Hao Ren¡¯s forehead as he pushed the crazy husky aside asking for volunteers. ¡°Anyone wanna take her place? Or else this husky will stick a straw in her.¡±


    Nangong Sanba looked about before stepping forward with some self-awareness. ¡°Seems like it¡¯s only me then.¡±


    The half-baked demon hunter¡¯s regenerative abilities was not as overpowered as the werewolf and the summoning ritual¡¯s last step was completed. Yet, when the third drop of blood hit the floor, the summoning circle still did not stir. There were no magical aura around, nor any supernatural phenomenon occuring that they could see. And of course. Vivian was still at home.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t work?¡± Lily flipped the grimoire about. ¡°There¡¯s magic in it. It shouldn¡¯t be fake. I heard from Battie that sorcerers back then, as unreliable as they were, will not inscribe a useless spell in a book. Their grimoires were their legacy.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks crossed his arms as he shook his head. ¡°If you were to draw the four other points of the star properly it should probably work¡­ they are all wavy. You think a magical circle can be drawn at whim?¡±


    ¡°Is it because that the ritual requires human blood?¡± Lily was still studying the girimoire, refusing to believe it was her crooked summoning circle being the cause of failure. ¡°Lets get humans to try this out?¡±


    Hao Ren looked about before something dawned upon him. There was no humans around him!


    His place was a veritable zoo of otherworldlings¡­


    ¡°This¡­¡± Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°We have everything here but humans.¡±


    ¡°Then forget it.¡± Lily looked down dejectedly as she passed the grimoire to Hao Ren. ¡°Maybe try this again when we somehow manage to get two packets of human blood from the hospital.¡±


    Hao Ren felt that none of the husky¡¯s suggestions today actually made any sense, but remembering that it was a full moon, he didn¡¯t dare to hope that the husky would be maintaining her logical thought process. He took the grimoire from her and simply flipped a few pages open. ¡°Yeah¡­ the book is real.¡±


    What Hao Ren did not notice that, he was standing right in the center of the circle, and as the grimoire opened, the light of the full moon shone upon the illustration of the ¡®Summoning of the Blood King¡¯.


    Cold air started forming on the pages of the grimoire as an eerie red glow started eminating from the pages of the grimoire and started spreading.


    The summoning ritual did not fail. It was missing an important requirement. The book being on the energy focal point!


    And now, the ritual activated.

 Chapter 657

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren did not react immediately when something went wrong with the magical book. That was until he felt the chill air with the smell of blood coming from the book. He was horrified and quickly threw it away. ¡°What the hell is this?¡±


    When the book hit the ground, it opened, facing the moonlight. The illustration of the ¡°Summoning of the Blood King¡± was almost completely covered in red. The red was moving like a surging blood as if the book was bleeding and the blood covered the pages. It was absolutely terrifying.


    At the same time, the summoning circle suddenly changed. The patterns Lily draw just now, began to distort and change the shape, quickly correcting itself into the complete form as if it had come to life, and the ritual items ignited themselves without fire, turning into a pale flame floating in the air. Lily immediately jumped and yelled, ¡°Oops, shoes! My shoes!¡±


    ¡°Are you still thinking about this at such a critical moment?!¡± Hao Ren immediately jumped out of the summoning circle when he heard Lily yelling, and slapped her on the back of the head and said, ¡°Something¡¯s wrong!¡±


    The Nangong family reacted immediately as it happened. Nangong Sanba and Nangong Wudi immediately took out the crossbow and silver dagger, making them look like ace hunters regardless of their combat power. Meanwhile, Nangong Wuyue and Ayesha had already twisted together and hidden at the corner. Now that Hao Ren knew from whom Wuyue inherited the cowardice.


    Suddenly, the summoning circle was changing rapidly. The moment they realized what was happening, blood mist was already permeated from the pages, twisting and growing larger and larger in the air. It looked like an evil spirit sealed in the book was struggling to free itself, and it also looked like the strange wicked book was spouting a lot of blood.


    Y¡¯zaks saw it and stretched out his hand into the summoning circle without hesitation. As he was ready to ruin the strange book, a shrill sound was coming from the blood mist¡ªthe summoning ritual seemed to have been completed.


    Y¡¯zaks immediately stepped back and protected his daughter while observing the changes of the blood mist attentively.


    The blood mist was pumping like the heartbeat, and the next second it suddenly shrank into a figure. At this moment, Hao Ren already took out his silver lance, ready to strike the blood mist with plasma flames. However, when they saw the figure in the blood mist clearly, they all stunned.


    It was¡­ Vivian!


    The ¡®Vivian¡¯ appeared in the blood mist was wearing a long black dress, looking like an aristocrat who was ready to attend the banquet. She was standing in the air with her eyes closed tightly, and her long blood red hair was dancing in the air without wind.


    ¡°What are you doing, battie?¡± Lily was holding her Frostfire Claws, fully alert. However, she got angry at once when she saw that the figure in the blood mist was actually Vivian and scolded, ¡°just pulling you out of the house, do you have to act so odd to scare¡­¡±


    Before the husky finished her word, the red-haired Vivian already opened her eyes slightly. The pair of eyes glowing with dim light stopped on Lily for a little while, looking a little impatience. Hao Ren suddenly felt the danger at that very instant and hurriedly pushed Lily aside. ¡°Be careful!¡±


    A dark red light appeared out of nowhere in the spot where Lily just stood. After a flash of red light, the plants on that spot had withered, and the hard rocks instantly turned into ashes.


    ¡°OMG!!¡± The hair on Lily¡¯s tail all stood straight up at once.


    ¡°This is not Vivian!¡± The data terminal suddenly came out of Hao Ren¡¯s pocket and said, ¡°Be careful! Avoid anything coming from her!¡±


    And now, ¡®Vivian¡¯ seemed to have been awakened from the chaotic state. She tilted her head stiffly, finally opened her eyes, and a strange voice coming from her throat. She looked down at the people outside the summoning circle and said several syllables in a hoarse voice. Hao Ren focused on it and could barely understand what she was saying. She said, ¡°Come back¡­¡±


    And as she said it, the earth was suddenly shrouded in red lights coming from the moon!


    Where the red light shone, the trees withered, the stones turned into ashes, and even smoke was coming from Y¡¯zaks¡¯s skin. Hao Ren raised his lance, ready to fight, but suddenly he saw lights coming from the residential area, so he quickly shouted, ¡°Lead her to the moors!¡±


    Hao Ren then rushed to the red-haired Vivian in the air without hesitation, trying to stab her with the plasma lance in his hand. However, the attack did not work: She seemed to have expected the attack from the start and dodged it in the air like she was weightless. The lance just left a scar on her arm, and just tilted her head like nothing happened, and pointed to Hao Ren and said, ¡°Come back ¡­¡±


    Hao Ren did not expect the attack to cause any harm to her. He just wanted to draw her attention. After confirming that the hatred had shifted to him, he turned to the depths of the wilderness, running and shouting at the data terminal, ¡°We need to get a good place to fight! I¡¯m worried that here isn¡¯t enough for her!¡±


    A red light was split from the moonlight, shining on Hao Ren¡¯s shield. He immediately felt the weight, aware that there was a lot of incomprehensible power in this attack, and that a simple shield could only counteract some of the power. But there was no time to analyze too much. He could only keep running forward!


    At this moment, the red-haired Vivian looked at the scar on her arm. A strange hissing sound was coming from her throat and then she immediately chased after Hao Ren.


    ¡°Landlord finally got her attention,¡± said Lily.


    Nangong Sanba and Nangong Wudi took out a few spell cards and threw them away in all directions. These spell cards were burnt in the air without fire and quickly formed a nearly transparent wall. The invisible force pervaded and interfered with the sensing capability of the ordinary people¡¯s of this area. The residents who turned on the lights in the distance soon calmed down. And after this, Nangong Sanba, Nangong Wudi and the rest of them immediately chased after the red-haired Vivian.


    This bizarre team was running to the depths of the wilderness. The devil, who looked exactly the same as Vivian but was manic and weird, kept attacking all living things in her sight, leaving a lot of withered plants and ashes of rocks along the way. Hao Ren was carrying the shield and attracting the devil, and at the same time, secretly startled and thought: The devil¡¯s power seemed similar to Vivian, but was more dangerous.


    Her power seemed to be able to transform objects directly into decay and dead!


    After confirming that he was far from the residential area, Hao Ren stopped, looked at the dark horizon in the distance and breathed a sigh of relief. He then raised his lance and turned toward the red-haired Vivian. At the same time, other people had also arrived. Needless to say, they had already besieged ¡®Vivian¡¯. All kinds of attacks were throwing at the ¡®Vivian¡¯ under siege.


    The Demonic Flare, silver crossbow, exorcism cards, the Plasma Flare, as well as the fierce Frostfire Blades. There were no flaws in the attack and the red-haired Vivian looked like there was no way of escape. However, the moment the attack fell on her, something unexpected happened:


    The evil spirit suddenly turned into a red light, blended into the moonlight, and then disappeared into thin air.


    Lily stopped suddenly, holding her Frostfire Claws, looking around and asked, ¡°Did she run away?¡±


    ¡°Not so easy¡­¡± Hao Ren said and frowned. Suddenly, he noticed the moonlight was reddening, and the reddish moonlight was shining on everyone. He then noticed that his skin was turning death-like gray. ¡°Moonlight! Beware of the moonlight!¡±

 Chapter 658

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Where the moonlight shone, the Countess of the Crimson Moon would be there.


    However, only a few people had personally encountered the moonlight of the Countess of the Crimson Moon, and there were even fewer people who could escape from it. Therefore, no one had ever been able to tell what kind of ability the oldest vampire had, and no one knew what her real fighting style was¡ªthey could only speculate on her strength through ambiguous and vague descriptions left by their predecessors.


    In the crimson moonlight, all life was withering away, and even those inanimate things began to decay. Plants withered and fell, and the bare ground was also stained with a lifeless black. A faint, almost indistinguishable sound was echoing in the moonlight. The noise made them dizzy and unable to concentrate. They heard the sound of birds flapping their wings in the woods. The flock was also disturbed by the crimson moonlight. Hao Ren saw a flock of sparrows flying out of the woods and then fell to the ground. It was terrifying.


    And after the moonlight had enveloped the earth, the figure of the red-haired Vivian finally emerged. She appeared from the moonlight and kept skipping in it so they could not capture her. She bellowed and attacked every one of them randomly, and kept on appearing and disappearing mysteriously. Nangong Sanba and Nangong Wudi raised their crossbows and fired at her repeatedly. Bang! Bang! The trajectories of silver arrows were crisscrossing into a light net in the air, but the arrows could only brush past the devil. After seeing the enemy¡¯s way of dodging the arrows, the experienced Nangong Wudi suddenly realized a terrifying possibility: This devil probably could partly sense the opponent¡¯s mind! Her attack and defense were exactly like a rehearsed play, and their attacks were just to cooperate with her!


    Their energy was severely depleted while fighting in the moonlight. Even the healthiest Lily quickly felt a sense of dizziness coming from the depths of her mind. She was shaking as if she was about to fall under the red moon. The gray and crimson air was swirling up from her body toward the moonlight. ¡°Landlord¡­ I¡¯m a little cold¡­¡±


    Y¡¯zaks was burning in roaring flames to resist the strange moonlight, and he held up the Demonic Barrier to shield all of them, but the shield had limited power¡ªthe attack of the moonlight was beyond all magic and curse, even Y¡¯zaks did not know how to deal with it. ¡°We must find a way to avoid the moonlight! And we have to lure that devil farther away¡­ The moonlight is going to spread to the urban area!¡±


    ¡°Data terminal, find a place where the moon can¡¯t reach!¡± Hao Ren shouted while jumping aside. At the same time as he jumped, another light hit the spot where he had just stood, and a vast expanse of ground was directly turned into a dead land. ¡°And send everyone and this devil away!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying!¡± The Mobile Data Terminal was running around in the air while shouting, ¡°The devil kept moving around, I can¡¯t target it¡­ Fxxx!¡±


    The red-hair Vivian appeared again in the moonlight. The data terminal was already covered in blue light, immediately rushed to her. ¡°Watch me!¡±


    Bang! The data terminal finally hit the red-hair Vivian on the back of her head. The first effective attack turned out to be a brick- tactic from this data terminal. Hao Ren was almost stunned, and so did the devil. Data terminal would not let go of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It immediately shouted, ¡°Open the door!¡±


    A beam of light of teleportation that reached the sky suddenly lit up and all of them disappeared together with the devil.


    The crimson moonlight in the sky flickered, and then suddenly disappeared, and the moors returned to silence again.


    Hao Ren quickly recovered from the momentary dizziness. He shook his head, then immediately clenched his lance and stabbed to the side, feeling that he had stabbed something. He jumped away before the counterattack struck him. The devil was flying in the air not far away, and one of her arms was almost completely cut off by the light blade!


    The devil roared angrily, trying to summon the moonlight again, but this time her effort was futile: there was no moon here.


    Hao Ren just had a chance to look around. He saw a vast expanse of red wasteland, while the others were not far away, confronting the devil tensely. Lily was holding the Frostfire Blades, ready to attack. She kept coughing and asked, ¡°Where is this place¡­ It makes me a little uncomfortable.¡±


    ¡°Mars!¡± The voice of the data terminal came from the air.


    They quickly put on their life collars (Hao Ren gave them one and let them carry it with them everywhere they went). Lily was waving her Frostfire Blades happily, mocking the devil in front of her. ¡°Ah ha! Let¡¯s see where you find the moon this time! There¡¯s nothing here!¡±


    The devil glanced at Lily, ignoring her mockery. She just raised her finger and said, ¡°Come back ¡­¡±


    Lily¡¯s hair was all standing up and she immediately jumped away. And a black dent appeared in the ground where she was standing just now and hundreds of meters behind it, as if the earth was festering.


    ¡°She¡¯s still stronger than you even without the moonlight!¡± Hao Ren reminded Lily loudly, then turning to the rest of them and said, ¡°Now she has no way to be invisible, everybody, go!¡±


    Without hesitation, all of them attacked her immediately.


    All kinds of attacks were throwing at her from all directions that the red-hair Vivian had nowhere to run. But even in that situation, she was not panicked as if she had no feeling. She was hit by a series of attacks. And before she was hit by Y¡¯zaks¡¯s Demonic Flare, she glanced at Hao Ren without any expression and said, ¡°¡­ You? Come back ¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was breaking out in a cold sweat. The moment the devil looked at him, he sensed that his shield capacity was falling rapidly like a dam had burst. After he avoided her eyes, he wondered: What did ¡®come back¡¯ mean?


    The devil, however, clearly would not answer his question. She was wounded in a series of attacks, but still, there was blood mist coming out of her wounds to heal those wounds. She ignored the wounds and floated in the air, preparing to launch a second attack. Y¡¯zaks frowned at her state, nodded and said, ¡°Her speed of recovery has slowed down. Our attacks work!¡±


    Hao Ren gritted his teeth, clenched his silver lance in his hand and said, ¡°Be sure to catch her alive! We have to figure out what¡¯s going on here!¡±


    And as he was ready to fight, the devil in the air rushed towards them again!


    The red-hair Vivian was surrounded by blood mist. Where she passed, not only did the earth begin to rot, the air was also rapidly filled with the eerie mist as if the world was eroding. Her strength was increasing, or recovering over time. Hao Ren knew that he could not delay, so he set the plasma flame of the lance straight to the maximum and then rushed to the devil without hesitation.


    He was going to give the devil a head-on strike and then Y¡¯zaks would release the Demonic Seal while the devil was healing the wound. If it did not work, he would have to use his dimensional pocket¡­ Although this might destroy a lot of things in the dimensional pocket, he did not want to let this strange and suspicious devil run away!


    But just as he was about to race to the devil, a black figure suddenly appeared.


    Vivian appeared from a red light, looking bewildered. She was still wearing an apron, with a pan in her hand, looking as if she had just stepped out of the kitchen. ¡°What are you doing?¡± She asked, looking surprised.


    Hao Ren pointed at Vivian¡¯s back and shouted, ¡°Watch your back!¡±


    Vivian felt that something was not right behind her. She turned around and saw a figure surrounded by red mists was racing toward her. Before she could discern and think carefully, she raised her hand, and the frying pan hit the devil right on the face.


    Bang! The devil was directly knocked down by a pan¡­

 Chapter 659

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    There was a loud bang. It was not easy to hear any sound in Mars given its thin atmosphere. With the swing of a pan, Vivian hit the mysterious red-mist spirit and sent it flying before it landed ten metres away, leaving a trail of decay and corrosion on the ground. Vivian had not yet fully grasped what was happening, she just reacted out of reflexes. She was in shock. ¡°What is this?!¡±


    She was coughing. The air of Mars made it difficult for her to breathe. Though not deadly, it was an uncomfortable environment for the otherworldling like her. ¡°*Cough cough*. Why is this place be so terrible? Where are we now?¡±


    ¡°Put the life-support collar on!¡± reminded Hao Ren loudly, but he had no time it to her. ¡°Watch out! That thing¡¯s coming again!¡±


    The strike of the pan had not injured the evil spirit; after crashing down and flipping a few times on the ground, the evil spirit bounced back up in the air. Its red long hair fluttered despite the still air, the chill and blood mist around her were forming into a storm. However, she was not as unbridled as before. Facing Vivian, her dark eyes finally revealed a hint of shaken confidence; she flew around and rumbled angrily in the air, as if she was in a state of great hysteria. Everyone was confused about this situation but had not dared to do anything. They just watched as the monster went bananas. Meanwhile, Vivian¡¯s eyebrows pulled together before she shape-shifted into a vampire the same chill air and blood mist around her. ¡°¡­What is this? Where did you find this thing?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know! It just came out of the magic book!¡± Lily shouted. ¡°I have wanted to ask what¡¯s happening¡ªwhy is that thing looks exactly like you? You have another clone other than Hessian?¡±


    ¡°Looks exactly like me?¡± Vivian was dumbstruck looking at the evil spirit that was flying aimlessly not far away. ¡°How do you know it looks like me? That thing is faceless!¡±


    Holding a spear in his hand and was ready for another round, Hao Ren was dumbfounded when he heard what Vivian said. ¡°What did you just say? Faceless?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± replied Vivian, pointing her finger to the faceless figure she saw. ¡°It¡¯s a shadow, it¡¯s faceless. I¡¯ve never seen otherworldling like this!¡±


    Everyone was surprised. They invariably looked at the red-haired ¡®Vivian¡¯ who clearly had a face. Vivian was the only one seeing otherwise: to her, that thing was just a dancing mist with the figure of a human!


    They had no time to figure out the details. The evil spirit seemed to have suddenly regained its consciousness. It was charging at them again, more ferociously. If her previous attack was somewhat elegant and gentle, then now she was simply a bloodthirsty beast in pursuit of the destruction. Sensing the dire situation, Hao Ren immediately stood in front of them. ¡°Save your breath, let¡¯s finish it off first!¡±


    Hao Ren used his the silver spear¡¯s plasma flare wounded the evil spirit, but he quickly felt his vitality was drained from his body when the evil spirit touched him. He swiftly dodged the thing in mid-air while Lily wielding her Frostfire Claws came up in his place. Behind them were Y¡¯zaks and the Nangong father and son duet who were ready for a spell offensive.


    The evil spirit was so powerful and strange that wherever her eyes landed and fingers pointed would leave a trail of destruction. Even the Steel Membrane Shield could not hold much longer. Fortunately, Hao Ren had drawn the monster away from populated areas before he let the MDT teleport them to this desolate place or else when the red moon shone, it was going to be a catastrophe!


    Although Vivian had not figure out the situation, the tacit understanding among the team members had enabled her to react quickly. While Lily was wielding her Frostfire Claws engaging the enemy, Vivian began to summon a powerful lightning storm as large group of bats was circling in the air creating two tornadoes simultaneously. Hovering in mid-air, Vivian ordered the two tornadoes to converge. Meanwhile, she could see in her peripheral vision that Lily thrusted her claw into the enemy¡¯s body. ¡°Doggie, hold that thing up!¡± Vivian shouted.


    Lily had no clue what Vivian¡¯s intent was but she obliged by lifting her claw together with the spirit up. The next moment she knew it, a thunderbolt had struck her.


    A powerful current ran through the body of the evil spirit and down the Frostfire Claws, Lily instantly lit up like a torch. She dropped and looked like a chow chow¡ªin dark hair. The husky was furious. ¡°Battie! You¡¯re psychopath!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve done the math. You will be fine!¡± Vivian felt no guilt¡ªshe had absolute confidence in her ability to control the precise amount of force to use.


    Meanwhile, the evil spirit took 99% of the force of Lightning Storm. Just like what the pan did to her, she was blown hundreds of metres out before disintegrating in the air in a violent burst of red mist. She suffered a heavier blow this time. Immediately, Y¡¯zaks had observed something. ¡°Let Vivian deal with it! She could control this monster!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure¡­¡± Vivian charged at the spirit with her swarm of bats. ¡°¡­but you can count on me!¡±


    Seeing the swarm of bats flew towards her, the red-haired ¡®Vivian¡¯ wailed as if she was frightened. The ground began to decay, blacken, and char under the corrosive blood mist. An unstable magical energy filled the air. Vivian (the genuine one) seemed to be ignorant of all these. She went directly for the enemy.


    The Lighting Storm was busting with lightning and ear-splitting explosions for a while. Soon, all these died down quickly as the bats came back into Vivian¡¯s body. She looked at the scorched pit on the ground, frowning. ¡°Is she dead yet?¡±


    ¡°Dead?¡± Hao Ren was shocked. He came up. ¡°I was thinking to capture her alive¡­¡±


    A dark pit was what was left after the battle of the two ¡®Vivians¡¯. The evil spirit was nowhere to be seen except a pool of red liquid flowing slowly at the bottom of the pit, as if the stubborn thing was still alive. Lily tossed a small rock into the red liquid cautiously, but there was no reaction.


    The liquid gradually subsided, as if it had lost its last trace of vitality before it turned into a pool of blood, like the residue of blood magic.


    Gaping into the pit for a long while, Nangong Sanba began to feel a chill ran up his spine. ¡°What is that thing?¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s brows knit together and went down the pit. Taking out a small metal tube and collecting the liquid, he said, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ but guts feeling tells me that it¡¯s wise to collect some samples if you don¡¯t know what it is.¡±


    Vivian found the pan on the gravel that she had thrown out, saddened by the dent on the pan. ¡°I was thinking to make Rollie some egg cake¡­ by the way, what were you guys doing? Why did you guys start a fight with that thing? Where is this place?¡±


    ¡°Before I answer your question, may I know how you come here?¡± Hao Ren was even more perplexed than Vivian was. ¡°Do you know how far this place from home?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Vivian, shrugging. ¡°After bathing Rollie at home, she demanded egg cake. So I went into the kitchen to make egg cake. And I realised that you guys had gone. I went out to look for you and saw a glowing pentagram circle behind the house. I went up to check out the thing, there next thing I knew, I was already here.¡±


    Done with the explaining, Vivian frowned and looked at the desolate world around her. ¡°What the hell¡­ It feels like an alien planet.¡±


    ¡°You got it right. This is really an alien planet,¡± said Hao Ren, and then purged his mouth. He was at a loss of how where to begin. ¡°This is Mars.¡±


    Vivian. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story,¡± said Hao Ren, scratching his head. He knew it was not only because of Lily¡¯s recklessness but also he had to take part of the blame for causing this. ¡°You still remember that magic book¡­ Actually Lily and I was doing a test.¡±


    Vivian was stunned.


    Just when she was about to ask, Lily suddenly beckoned to them on the side of the hill. ¡°Can you people please talk later? There¡¯s a situation here!¡±


    Nangong Sanba looked up. ¡°What situation?¡±


    Like a brigand spotter, Lily sticking out her head on the hillside. ¡°Dang it! Looks like there is a rover¡­¡±

 Chapter 660

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    A man-made probe the size of a car was slowly moving on the red surface of Mars. It moved so slowly that is was almost limping¡ªdue to the distance between Mars and Earth, the time lag in controlling things such as rover remotely could be very huge. It must move at a very slow pace to prevent accidents from happening. However, while the rover was slow, it had been busy. The front-mounted camera was snapping photos as it went. Now it was moving toward Hao Ren and his team¡¯s direction.


    Considering the speed of the rover and the distance between it and the hillside, it might take the little guy a long time before it got here, but it would eventually reach the rolling slope as long as it did not change its course halfway.


    Hao Ren looked over his shoulder at the scotched marks on the ground behind him and the vitreous crystals that the Plasma Flare and Demonic Flare had caused, as well as all the debris. He was wondering. ¡°Why this thing happened to us? How could we stumble into a probe in place as big as Mars?¡±


    ¡°No matter what; you¡¯ve got to pick up the mess,¡± the MDT snorted. ¡°This is an untouched planet. The humans on Earth will be sending send more probes eventually. You think you can get away with it by leaving the mess behind? Before the rover reaches here, clean up the scene but remember not to damage the rover. That thing is protected by the imperial law.¡±


    Nangong Sanba turned around and looked at the mess. ¡°How do we even clean up this mess? Shall we scoop the entire place away?¡±


    ¡°There are two options now,¡± Lily said. ¡°One; scoop the hell of out here. Two; find an LCD TV, play a Mars video, and I¡¯ll carry the TV in front of the rover¡¯s camera¡­¡±


    Hao Ren could not believe Lily¡¯s ingeniousness; she was beyond repair.


    ¡°Taking into account the conscientiousness and precision of science, we must ensure that all clues here are eliminated,¡± said Y¡¯zaks, rolling up his sleeve. ¡°I¡¯m an expert in this field, so I will handle this with surgical precision¡­¡±


    Staring at the runes on Y¡¯zaks arms, cold sweat trickled down Hao Ren¡¯s forehead. ¡°Are you sure it will be accurate enough? Sound not very convincing to me¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish talking, a light appeared in the sky, a meteorite was crashing down at an angle from the sky. A loud boom was heard followed by a small mushroom cloud rose up slowly into the sky. It was done.


    Y¡¯zaks had figured the precise impact force and angle of the meteorite. The rover was outside the impact zone. Traces of evidence were completely destroyed, including the blood stain (of the evil spirit) had vaporised. The vapour had mixed with meteorite steam and other space gases and instantaneously blown away by the shock waves. It could never be detected.


    Of course, the rover must have seen the moment of the falling meteorite, but that easier to explain away as a normal meteorite strike than trying to justify there had been aliens fighting on Mars. To be honest, Hao Ren and his group could not care less about this issue now.


    They must find out what that thing was, and the relationship between that thing and Vivian.


    They double-checked everything making sure no evidence was left behind. And then they quickly left for home. The first thing Hao Ren did when back in his house was to check out the Summoning Circle. What was left behind the house was only a piece of scorched land in the open, and some white ashes. Looks like the Summoning Circle that Lily built had self-destructed when it ran out of energy. The husky stared at the ashes, almost crying. ¡°My shoes¡­ I was planning to wear it this winter¡­¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you not whine about that now,¡± said Hao Ren, dragging Lily back into the house by her tail. ¡°Let¡¯s first see Vivian¡¯s condition.¡±


    Siting on the sofa and surrounded by everyone, Vivian was baffled by what had happened this evening. It were Lily and Hao Ren who sneaked out, conducted that freaking test and dragged her into this. The vampire maiden now felt she had gotten herself at the wrong end of it. She checked herself making sure she was all right. ¡°I feel completely fine¡­ just a little tired. That thing was really badass.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± said Hao Ren, pursing his mouth. ¡°She challenged us all singlehandedly and had almost succeeded. Had I not cut her off from the moonlight, I¡¯m afraid everyone would be in trouble. Only you ¨C Vivian. You could hurt her. Is something going on between you and her?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying that it was the experiment of the summoning ritual that had brought ¡®her¡¯ out?¡± Vivian frowned, eyes on Lily. ¡°Didn¡¯t I told you that don¡¯t try to study those mystic things? What for aside from getting us all into trouble?¡±


    Lily spat her tongue out, pointing her finger at Hao Ren conveniently. ¡°I¡¯ve said long ago that it was Mr. Landlord¡¯s fault¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t kid me. Mr. Landlord might be whimsical at time, but without you, thing would not come to as such,¡± Vivian had known the husky and Hao Ren¡¯s characters for a long time. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this. Did you say that the evil spirit looks like me?¡±


    ¡°Spitting image,¡± said Y¡¯zaks, hissing. Her was always more truthful. ¡°Only the colour of the hair and her aura are different. Couldn¡¯t you see her face?¡±


    Even Y¡¯zaks had seen the face of that thing, so most likely it was true. Vivian¡¯s brows knit tightly together, perlexed. ¡°Spitting image? I don¡¯t know what was going on. All I saw was just a figure, red in the dark, like a shadow. Its face was as blurry as it could get, I didn¡¯t even know whether its was a man or woman, less so the look.¡±


    ¡°This precisely shows that the evil spirit has something to do with you,¡± Hao Ren looked at Vivian, face serious. ¡°Only you that couldn¡¯t see its face, or that the evil spirit was hiding from you, or that there was some kind of mutual interference between you two so much as that the evil spirit was also confused when she saw you.¡±


    ¡°Battie could hurt her! By using a skillet!¡± Lily blurted. ¡°If that is no connection, then I don¡¯t know what is.¡±


    Though Hao Ren was rendered speechless by how Lily saying things, he must admit that Vivian¡¯s reaction at that time was no less stunning, especially when she smashed the evil spirit with a skillet and blew it twenty metres out¡ªher skillet skill could rival that of the Sword of Heaven.


    Vivian was still in heartache for her losses today. ¡°That was a good skillet¡­¡±


    Hao Ren took the small blood sample out from the dimensional pocket. The tube was a dedicated bio sample container with transparent crystal shell on both sides to facilitate the observation of the sample inside. Now the viscous liquid inside had completely calmed down, looked just like normal blood. He twisted the bottom of the metal tube where there from a dedicated sampling port that prevented back-flowing contamination, and dripped a drop of blood sample into a petri dish and handed it to Vivian. ¡°Please analyse it see if it¡¯s blood.¡±


    Vivian took the blood, sniffed it under her nose, and stuck out his tongue to taste it. Hao Ren hurriedly reminded her, ¡°Careful! This thing is of unknown origin!¡±


    Vivian thought he was right. She divided a small bat from her body and tasted the blood inside the petri dish. She frowned. ¡°It¡¯s blood¡­ but it¡¯s strange. I can¡¯t tell what species it is. It¡¯s been changing.¡±


    ¡°Change?¡± Hao Ren looked at the sample container in his hand. ¡°Is this thing still alive?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s dead. There isn¡¯t a single breath of life is left,¡± Vivian and the little bat sucked their mouth in unison, seemingly sharing the same sense of taste. ¡°But it¡¯s still changing in the state of death. It¡¯s constantly transforming into the blood of other creatures¡­ no, not right. It just feels like other creatures, but in reality, it is just a type of disguise. The blood¡¯s original characteristics are unknown; it only shows similar characteristics of biological blood.¡±


    ¡°How could this thing even exist?¡± Hao Ren knew not much about blood magic, but he still could recognise what Vivian said did not make sense. ¡°You mean this thing is not really blood?¡±


    ¡°Could ordinary blood turn into a person and fight with you?¡± Vivian rolled her eyes at Hao Ren. ¡°Anyway, I have to ask Hessiana about the origin of this magic book. Wizard who left this behind must not some ordinary fellow, but I have never heard of any wizard who has such a high attainments in blood magic.¡±


    Vivian did not believe the ¡®summoning ritual¡¯ recorded in the magic book. She felt that it was more like a seal. The book contained a magical creature based on blood magic. The so-called ¡®summoning ritual¡¯ Lily and Hao Ren performed had accidentally release the creature.


    Anyway, it seemed that Hessiana would soon had her wish granted: Vivian was going to look for her.


    Her visit was going to be punitory in nature, though¡­

 Chapter 661

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Due to that freaking summoning ritual, it was already two o¡¯clock in the morning when Vivian finally finished analyzing the blood sample. Unable to fight her biological clock, Lily was already sleeping like a log on the sofa, sucking her mouth occasionally as if she was dreaming about something delicious. In fact, it was an achievement for Lily to stay up so late. Hao Ren could still remember the husky¡¯s heroic skill back when she ran while asleep during a business trip abroad. She was following them around to different time zones, yet making no fuss about it. Lily had certainly come a long way.


    ¡°Let her sleep here tonight.¡± Hao Ren looked at Lily, curling up into a meatball on the sofa. ¡°She¡¯s in deep sleep. She¡¯s prone to bite if you disturb her now.¡±


    Nangong Sanba yawned and said, ¡°I got to hit the sack too. If there¡¯s anything else, we¡¯ll talk about it tomorrow.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue and Ayesha nodded. ¡°We¡¯re tired too¡­¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the two marine creatures bizarrely. During the battle earlier, the two of them had curled up in a ball and hid in a corner. On Mars, they even blended into the background. Now, they still had the nerve to complain.


    After Y¡¯zaks also brought his daughter back into the room, Hao Ren mumbled as he scratched his jaw. ¡°Actually, I have a question of concern.¡±


    Vivian did not sleep much at night. At this time, she was still there with Hao Ren. ¡°What question?¡±


    ¡°The evil spirit kept repeating some puzzling words before she was killed; she said, ¡®come back, come back¡¯ and nothing else.¡± Hao Ren became even more curious. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if the evil spirit had a mind of its own, or just a magical summoned object.¡±


    ¡°Come back?¡± Vivian¡¯s brows were knitted together as she also felt the same. ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°Judging from the phrase, it sounds like a ghost call. I¡¯m not kidding, the evil spirit looks exactly like you, but a version of you on drugs in terms of her aura. You really don¡¯t remember having another doppelganger other than Hessiana? Maybe aside from transcended bats, your blood transcended too?¡±


    Goosebumps instantly popped up on Vivian¡¯s skin. ¡°Stop that. One Hessiana is already annoying enough; two would be the end of my world.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll stop here. I¡¯ll wait until you find Hessiana to confirm the origins of the magic book.¡± Hao Ren exhaled, got to his feet, and did a stretch as he yawned. ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep now, you should too.¡±


    Hao Ren lay in bed after he returned to his room. He suddenly heard water splashing on the side table. Lil Pea quietly poked her head out of the pot and said. ¡°Daddyyy, you¡¯re back!¡±


    Hao Ren was surprised that the little one was still awake at this time. ¡°Haven¡¯t slept yet? Did I wake you?¡±


    Lil Pea was in her growing stage, so she basically spent most of her time eating and sleeping. She would usually get sleepy after dinner. Before everyone went out to perform the freaking ¡°summoning ritual¡±, the little one had already fallen asleep. However, she was now awake. The little one gently paddled in the water, and her voice sounded unusually serious, ¡°I was dreaming! Dad-dy, do you think I¡¯ll be just like all of you when I grow up?¡±


    Hao Ren was startled for a moment. ¡°The same?¡±


    ¡°Just like all of you,¡± said Lil Pea, gesturing with her little arms and fingers in the air, trying to express herself clearly. ¡°Becoming as big as Daddy, fish sister, and also doggie sister to be able to run around!¡±


    Only then did Hao Ren understand what the little one was thinking. His first reaction was surprise. He did not expect Lil Pea¡¯s mental development to be so fast. She was only less than a year old and she already realized how different she was from others. He had to be extra careful about how he said things and explained to a fish something that was a bit above her understanding. ¡°Well¡­ you¡¯ll surely grow up. You may grow as big as Daddy, but by then, you¡¯ll still be a little different from others¡­¡±


    ¡°Different?¡± Lil Pea¡¯s eyes glittered in the dark, ¡°Why?¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment and said, ¡°Look, your doggie sister has a hairy big tail, battie sister can fly, fish sister can turn into a snake, big uncle can catch fire¡­ Aren¡¯t all of them different? Our family composition is unique. We¡¯re all different, so you¡¯re going to be very special¡­ Well, I mean unique. That¡¯s what it is.¡±


    ¡°Is unique good?¡± Lil Pea asked curiously.


    Hao Ren nodded energetically. ¡°It is good! Personality is the in thing now! You¡¯re going to stick out if you have a unique personality. Just look at how awesome your big uncle is¡ªthat¡¯s simply because he stands like a scenic tower¡­¡±


    ¡°Then, am I different from you, Daddy?¡± asked Lil Pea, in hot pursuit. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t Daddy and I be the same?¡±


    Cold sweat immediately ran down Hao Ren¡¯s forehead. He felt that he was not under such great mental pressure even when he fought the monster on Mars. Was the little one suddenly enlightened or something, that she suddenly came up with so many sharp questions? ¡°Umm¡­ You have to learn to understand this question. In theory, any father and daughter will certainly not look the same after growing up, but I guess you¡¯re definitely not asking that¡­¡±


    Lil Pea stared at Hao Ren with her bright little eyes. Her face looked the most innocent, and she was full of curiosity as well as anticipation. Hao Ren could not help but surrender. He spread out his hand and said, ¡°Yes, when you grow up, you won¡¯t be the same as Daddy. Daddy doesn¡¯t know if you¡¯ll grow a pair of legs next time, but Daddy does know that Daddy won¡¯t grow a tail in his entire lifetime¡ªhowever, that¡¯s not important. The important thing is, I¡¯m your Daddy and the goddess has our record. So, in case even if the universe is destroyed, I¡¯m still your Daddy.¡±


    Lil Peas blinked. Many things were still beyond her understanding. However, it seemed that she got the answer she wanted. So, the little one shook her body in satisfaction before splashing back into the water to sleep, leaving Hao Ren alone, who quietly breathed a sigh of relief. The sharp questions of the little one had finally ended.


    He suddenly realized another thing: the accelerated developmental talent of Lil Pea¡¯s race¡­ seemed to be showing its power.


    He had to begin considering the issue of the mermaid¡¯s growing mental maturity.


    Hao Ren still got up on time the next day despite sleeping pretty late the previous night. As his mental strength increased, he was able to recover his energy more quickly than before; sleep was gradually becoming a controllable and customizable thing. The first thing he saw in the morning was Lil Pea working out on the edge of a small table. The little one was stretching her arms and playing with her tail excitedly. When she saw that Hao Ren had woken up, she immediately jumped onto the bed and slapped her tail to greet Hao Ren. ¡°Good morning, Daddy!¡±


    Hao Ren was little startled before he found that Lil Pea looking like a happy bunny did not seem to have any confusion from those questions last night. He could not help but sigh of relief and gently knocked on the little one¡¯s head. ¡°Good morning¡ªand when are you going to remember not to come onto my bed? You do know you¡¯re wet, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Lil Pea clapped her tail happily. ¡°Got it!¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the watermarks on the mat; luckily, it was summer, he would not have to dry the mat and quilt outside¡ªif neighbors spotted him doing that, he would have a hard time explaining the question of a big man¡¯s quilt with a water stain on it all day long!


    It was probably much easier to explain why his pants were wet every day¡­


    As soon as Hao Ren stepped out of his room, he saw Vivian making a phone call in the living room; she seemed to be a bit emotionally agitated. ¡°¡­This is no small trouble. You have to quickly find out exactly who wrote the book and passed it down¡­ Okay, I get what you mean, I¡¯m not complaining about anything else¡­ It would be the best help if you could help me investigate it¡­ Absolutely not, you stay home! Don¡¯t bet on this¡­ I¡¯m fine. You take good care of yourself. Mr. Landlord? He¡¯s fine. I followed him on a business trip a few days ago¡­ You could have used your energy to help me investigate the magic book!¡±


    ¡°You spoke with Hessiana?¡± asked Hao Ren after Vivian hung up.


    Vivian looked at her mobile phone, her heart aching. ¡°¡­International roaming¡­ This life is too extravagant¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of your phone bill.¡± Hao Ren rolled his eyes. ¡°What about the magic book?¡±


    ¡°She said she¡¯ll investigate, but she also didn¡¯t know who wrote the magic book. It was a tribute to her from a member of her man¡¯s family. It was an antique bought from a black-market auction. There¡¯s no way to find out its origin.¡± Vivian sighed and suddenly said, ¡°I have something else for you to see.¡±

 Chapter 662

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Amid Hao Ren¡¯s bewilderment, Vivian took him to the open space at the back of the house. The ashes from the summoning ritual the day before had been cleaned up. There were only a few traces of char on the spot, and next to the spot was a tarpaulin shed, under which his old motorcycle was parked: it was the result of three days¡¯ worth of elbow grease from Y¡¯zaks and his daughter. Hao Ren stared at it for a long while before he finally recognized the parts in the motorcycle¡­


    He looked at the burning demonic engine, wondering if he could take the two-wheeler onto the street; the traffic police would definitely raise their eyebrows¡­


    ¡°What do you want me to see?¡± Hao Ren took his eyes off his old junk and looked at Vivian curiously.


    Vivian did not say a word but raised her hand, pointing at a rock on the side; silently, the rock immediately weathered into sand before Hao Ren¡¯s eyes. Even the grass next to it withered and died in an instant.


    Vivian knitted her brows. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s not easy to control. I intended to only demonstrate it with the rock.¡±


    Hao Ren was wide-eyed. He turned and looked at his side; he could still see the aftermath of the chaos left behind last night: large patches of vegetation had withered and sandstone had weathered¡ªthe same thing Vivian just demonstrated. It was of that evil spirit¡¯s power!


    ¡°What happened to you?!¡± Hao Ren looked at Vivian, shocked. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the ability of that ghost last night?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on,¡± said Vivian. ¡°I seem to have suddenly acquired this ability. It was probably after returning from Mars yesterday that my head felt heavy, but I thought I was just tired¡­ Now, it looks like that was the moment the change occurred.¡±


    Hao Ren did not know what to say, but things were already very clear: Vivian had acquired the ability of the evil spirit after she killed it last night!


    Both of them felt something was amiss. They had to figure it out. Vivian demonstrated her newfound ability repeatedly; she could destroy things with her fingers without having to touch them just like the evil spirit did the previous night. She could also release a visible red light to increase the power of her attack. Obviously, the first type of attack was more dangerous. Hao Ren frowned as he looked at Vivian. ¡°How do you feel with this ability?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just like instinct,¡± said Vivian. ¡°I was just shocked when I first used it¡ªI just wanted to tell you that I broke Rollie¡¯s bowl¡­¡±


    Clutching his forehead, Hao Ren said, ¡°I¡¯ll deal with the dumb cat. It seems that you don¡¯t know how you got this ability¡­ Could it be that you have absorbed the enemy¡¯s power after killing it? Or something stick on you?¡±


    Vivian as a little nervous hearing that. ¡°The last time I checked, my physique is fine. But I think it would be better to get a full body check in the medical pod.¡±


    ¡°Well, you cannot be too careful,¡± Hao Ren nodded, but he still could not help but recall the melee last night. Images from his memory flashed in his mind. The memory of the crimson moon and also the ubiquitous ¡®crimson moon¡¯ caught his attention. ¡°Can I ask you something?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°About the ¡®crimson moon¡¯,¡± Hao Ren stared into Vivian¡¯s eyes. ¡°The biggest threat we faced when fighting the evil spirits yesterday came from the crimson moon. I know your appellation is called Countess of the Crimson Moon, so I would like to know more about this ability. But of course, you don¡¯t have to tell me if it¡¯s a secret.¡±


    ¡°Nothing that I can¡¯t tell,¡± replied Vivian, waving her hand casually. ¡°It¡¯s not even a secret. I¡¯ve never kept it as a secret. Only because of people who had seen the crimson moon had all died, it became a mystery¡­¡±


    On hearing that, a chill ran up Hao Ren¡¯s spine. ¡°As if you¡¯re not mysterious enough?!¡±


    Vivian smiled. ¡°The crimson moon is my natural ability. I don¡¯t know why other Blood Clans couldn¡¯t do this; maybe they are not pure enough? Whatever it is, I can make use of the power of the moonlight, and I¡¯m also able to use create moonlight in a moonless night. I feel that the moonlight ability of that evil spirit has a lot of similarity with mine, like you said. I can also make use of the moonlight to perform shadow shift, become stealthy, or transfer my power to the moon and shine on the entire battlefield. Other than that, my moonlight is not corrosive nor possesses life-withering effect. Yeah, it is more like a medium by which I can do something or enhance my own ability, but the crimson moon itself contains no special power.¡±


    Vivian was proud when speaking of her fame skill. She had no hesitation expressing this sense of pride and prestige as the oldest vampire. Hao Ren believed that the real Crimson Moon must be much more powerful than what Vivian had described¡ªVivian did not usually like to boast about herself, her description of the crimson moon must had been more conservative. In any case, according to Vivian¡¯s description, only part of her crimson moon characteristics were consistent with the evil spirit of last night.


    ¡°Do you still think that evil spirit is a part of me?¡± Vivian noticed Hao Ren had fallen into thought; she could not help but ask.


    ¡°Somewhat,¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°There are many similarities in both moonlight abilities, but some part of her ability are what you¡¯re lacking, and after you killed her, you have somehow ¡®absorbed¡¯ these new skills¡­ could it be that last night¡¯s evil spirit was actually a part of your lost ability? Someone stole and sealed your ability when you were asleep or at the weakest moment, so she was similar to you, but her ability was different, and it was you who had completely crushed and absorbed her¡­ Well, this theory sounds convincing. Isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Vivian¡¯s lips pursed. ¡°You don¡¯t feel embarrassed at all for all that boasting. However, what you said does make sense. These phenomena look exactly like what you¡¯ve guessed. I¡¯m feeling helpless: I¡¯m the most ignorant one after so much had happened. I don¡¯t even know who and when about that magic book¡­ and ironically its author apparently had seen me in person before.¡±


    Vivian looked lonely on her face whenever she talked about her lost memories. The feeling of being unable to control herself made the ancient vampire very frustrated. She looked down at her hands. ¡°How much have I lost?¡±


    Noticing the frustration on Vivian¡¯s face, Hao Ren quickly steered away the conversation. ¡°Ahem, let¡¯s not delve in about the past. Regarding your moon, did you say that you could summon a moonlight in a moonless night? Is it really out of thin air?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Vivian nodded. ¡°That¡¯s really what ¡®summoning the crimson moon¡¯ is about. If I could only perform the summoning during certain time and place, I would have been dead many times. However, summoning the Crimson Moon is very exhausting and not easy to control. I rarely use this trick.¡±


    Hao Ren believed so. After all, he had only seen Vivian did it once when they first met Y¡¯zaks. After that, Vivian had never summoned her moon, presumably, too exhausting. However, he also dared to say that, when Vivian was in her full power cycle, she had definitely made the crimson moon shone more than once.


    Unfortunately, the countess vampire had forgotten all that.


    ¡°If you were cast on Mars, can you summon the Crimson Moon?¡± asked Hao Ren, wanting to confirm his suspicion.


    Vivian nodded affirmatively. ¡°Of course I could. My crimson moon is not actually a real moon. It¡¯s a magic. Though I have never gone up there to check it out myself, I guess it should be something like a projection.¡±


    ¡°Last night, the ¡®red-haired you¡¯ could only use the moon on Earth to create her moonlight,¡± said Hao Ren. ¡°She could do nothing after cast to Mars. This shows that at least in terms of Crimson Moon ability, she was still not perfect.¡±


    Red-haired Vivian¡¯s Crimson Moon had some powerful special abilities, but ¡®must borrow the real moonlight to make it effective¡¯, this ability was obviously like a defective product. Knowing about this clue, Hao Ren could only be more convinced that the evil spirit he met last night was actually part of Vivian¡¯s ability.


    Vivian massaged her forehead; things were making her anxious. ¡°Do you think I have more abilities sealed in other places?¡±


    With a heavy heart, Hao Ren exhaled. ¡°I don¡¯t rule out this possibility.¡±

 Chapter 663

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°I think you should name your skill,¡± Hao Ren said, looking at Vivian after speculating about the red-haired version of her.


    ¡°A name?¡± The vampire maiden looked down at her hand. She felt that what Hao Ren said did make sense. ¡°Hmm¡­ I think I should. After all, the skill does look really cool. How about Finger of Withering?¡±


    Finger of Withering; inflicting 99,999 points of real damage to its target and bringing death as well as destruction right up to the 18th generation of ancestors and even their tombs. Hao Ren felt that the name was totally apt and cool as hell. He looked at Vivian in surprise. ¡°I never thought that you could come up with such a cool name for your skill, considering you¡¯re such a low-key person.¡±


    ¡°You think everyone¡¯s as awful as you?¡± scoffed Vivian, rolling her eyes. ¡°And to be honest, I can¡¯t see what¡¯s so cool about the name. Don¡¯t even get me started with Big Guy¡¯s Finger of Death. I¡¯ve asked; when he first started using the name. It was only to indicate that it killed whoever it touched. He had never thought about its coolness¡­¡±


    Therefore, Hao Ren began to understand how the minds of the strong worked.


    When the two returned to the living room, Hao Ren still could not help but ask, ¡°By the way, have you experienced any psychological side effects such as irritability or aggression after you ¡®absorbed¡¯ the evil spirit? I remember novels and movies all depicting this. Just in case.¡±


    ¡°I feel nothing.¡± Vivian looked down at her body. ¡°Maybe these amulets did their job?¡±


    Meanwhile, Lily had just returned from strolling outside and was watching the TV on the couch. She raised her head and asked when she saw Hao Ren as well as Vivian coming in from the back door. ¡°Where have you two been?¡±


    Hao Ren told her about the development of the ¡°new feature¡± in Vivian. That became breaking news.


    ¡°You slurped that thing up?¡± Lily looked at Vivian like she was a monster. ¡°How could you eat so indiscriminately?¡±


    Vivien glared at the husky. ¡°You still have the nerve to talk about my diet?¡±


    Experienced and well-informed, Y¡¯zaks took things seriously. ¡°It sounds like an absorption of power fragments¡­ Mr. Landlord¡¯s speculation makes sense. Something similar happened in my world. The power of the strong sometimes materializes and separates. If someone stole and sealed it, then recovered it later, the same symptom Vivian¡¯s experiencing now would happen. However, I haven¡¯t heard of fragmented power separated from the body having the ability to evolve into a humanoid.¡±


    Hao Ren turned around and looked at Battie. ¡°When it comes to Vivian, anything is possible. Even her bat doppelgangers have almost evolved into perfection. What¡¯s more, this book was brought by her little bats.¡±


    Lily listened to their conversation for a long while, eyes blinking. Suddenly, she clapped her hands. ¡°If there are clues in the book, let¡¯s just try all the other rituals in it. Maybe we can summon more¡ª¡±


    Before Lily could finish presenting her freaking ideas, Vivian her face with a bat. ¡°You still have the nerve to say that! Don¡¯t get me started with what you did last night; the summoning ritual? If it weren¡¯t for you, things wouldn¡¯t have gotten so out of hand. You know, this time¡ª¡±


    Without waiting for Vivian to finish, Lily covered her eyes and yelled back. ¡°Why are you picking on me again? Was Mr. Landlord not the first one who wanted to perform the summoning ritual yesterday? And haven¡¯t you already given me an earful last night?¡±


    ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll ever learn even after I¡¯ve scolded you so many times? Do you think that I¡¯ve never studied how to deal with a husky in the past year? You have the nerve to blame it all on Mr. Landlord¡­ Oh, Mr. Landlord, you too, please sit down, I have to tell you off too! Please don¡¯t touch anything of unknown origin in the future. I¡¯ve told you many times; such paranormal beings are very nasty to deal with. Don¡¯t ever look down on the antiquated wizards on Earth. Sometimes, these things¡­¡±


    Hao Ren had thought that with Lily being the lightning rod, he could safely stay clear of the line of fire. Little did he expect Vivian to suddenly switch her target and train her gun on him. Hao Ren and the husky sat side by side on the sofa and soon fell into a state of madness. While Vivian lectured the two freaking rascals, Nangong Wuyue happened to pass by not far away. The siren maiden nervously glanced over the living room before she patted herself on the chest. ¡°Luckily, I don¡¯t play around with such ancient things.¡±


    ¡°That snake over there, you come here too! You were too timid last night. You should¡¯ve at least¡­¡±


    Sensing the atmosphere, Y¡¯zaks lifted his legs, ran off to the corner of the living room and pulled out a motorcycle repair manual. He then called on his daughter to study together. Y¡¯lisabet said in a lowered voice, ¡°Papa, we didn¡¯t provoke her yesterday, right?¡±


    ¡°Shh! Don¡¯t make a sound, eyes on the book.¡±


    It was noon when Vivian finished lecturing the hapless ones. Had Vivian not remembered it was lunchtime, she would have chanted until the evening. After the lunch, Hao Ren summoned the MDT. He was ready to report what happened last night to Raven 12345: He felt that there was more to the matter than meets the eye. It was best to let neuropath know be it big or small. However, just before he had managed to dial the heaven hotline, a message unexpectedly popped up:


    ¡°Mr. Landlord! We¡¯ve found the lair of The Cult of Origination. Please come and help ¨C Becky.¡±


    Hao Ren was startled for a moment, before he realized the matter: he had been busy lately, and there had been no news from Holletta for over half a month, he had almost forgotten about the brain monster!


    While helping Vivian cleaned up after lunch, Ayesha felt as if something was going on, she curiously asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Oh, we have found the lair of The Cult of Origination. The other brain monster might be hiding there,¡± said Hao Ren, rubbing his hands as he got to his feet. He must not let thing go wrong this time. Ayesha and Nangong Wudi seemed to be unable to make heads or tails of it, Hao Ren only realised that the two of them had not been to Holletta yet. ¡°It¡¯s another planet, in The Plane of Dreams too. I have to go over there.¡±


    After telling the other about the news, they all got up immediately; everyone was in high spirit and ready to fight. Even Rollie raised her claw and waved frantically as she meowed. Of course, she had no clue what was going on, but she thought if she could get people¡¯s attention, she might get to eat some dried fish. Y¡¯zaks still remembered how the brain monster escaped last time, he reminded. ¡°This time we must not let it slip away after capturing it.¡±


    ¡°Then we have to capture it first.¡± Hao Ren smiled. He decided to hold back his report to Raven 12345 until he got the brain monster. Just to save some hassle. He sent a reply to Becky. ¡°I got your message. Let Ophra monitor it. Don¡¯t try to come into contact with it to void being mind-controlled.¡±


    Then he assembled his ¡®battalion¡¯ and headed overs to Holletta.


    Holletta Kingdom, in Becky¡¯s big house.


    As before, they all emerged from the basement of Becky¡¯s house. As soon as Hao Ren arrived, he found the basement was different: The entire wine cellar had been removed; the piles of casks and bottles, and exquisite high-end wine tools were nowhere to be found. The portal was placed in the centre of the wine cellar and the basement looked very spacious after stuff were removed.


    Lily sniffling. ¡°There is still a scent of wine, but where¡¯s the wine?¡±


    Becky¡¯s voice came from the direction of the cellar door. ¡°Of course I moved them all away; I don¡¯t want them to meet the same fate again like last time, I still feel the pain, you know. It was my entire two-month-worth of wine, all went down the drain.¡±


    Hao Ren let out a smile when he heard the familiar and spirited voice. He cheerfully looked up and saw Becky standing right there in a special knight costume, with an escort. She was all smile looking down at them. It had been a long time. Hao Ren went up enthusiastically to say hello. ¡°Hey, look at you look ¡­ cool, eh? Why are you not wearing a noble dress?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± said Becky, waving her hand. Like a mercenary, she was still as carefree as ever. ¡°You need two hours to that thing on, and two hours to take it off; it walks like being tied up with a rope and the worse thing is you will soak in your own sweat in no time. I wonder if those aristocratic dresses are designed to make people reminiscing the past hardships to remind them of their happiness today. Anyway, after wearing those dresses a few times in banquets, I would never wear them again.¡±


    When Ayesha and Nangong Wudi came up from behind, Becky looked at these new faces in surprise. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen them before. New friends?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re parents of the Nangong siblings,¡± said Vivian with a smile. ¡°Just found them not long ago.¡±


    As if she had found her own family, Becky stepped forward shaking the hands of Nangong siblings. ¡°Oh! Congratulations¡­¡±


    Hao Ren hemmed and pointed at Lil Pea who was swinging her head in his collar. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here first before catching up with one another. It smells of wine here, Lil Pea is getting woozy.¡±

 Chapter 664

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    As a one-foot-long baby fish, the maximum liquor Lil Pea could withstand was between one to two drops. The basement in Becky¡¯s house had once stacked at least ten tons of spirits, and even if the vats had been removed, there was a still a strong wine smell. Lil Pea had become woozy in no time. When she finally left the basement, she was still groggy for a long while. She raised a pair of sacred flame and giggled, offering to the flames to anyone she saw. At last, Nangong Wuyue found herself out of option. She summoned an aqua sphere and put the little one inside.


    Seeing Lil Pea making flame with her hands, Becky felt it incredible. ¡°Mr. Landlord, look like your daughter has learned many things, eh? Sanba taught her?¡±


    Hao Ren forced a smile and looked around Becky¡¯s living room. The last time he was here was more than a month ago. However, due to the busy schedule and a series of major incidents, he felt time crawled. He felt at home when he finally saw the familiar Holletta style surroundings and the mercenary girl. There were some changes in Becky¡¯s house; the most eye-catching one was the addition of a 42-inch LCD TV in the centre of the living room, and a laptop on the writing desk next to the TV. When these two things were sitting among a pile of exotic furniture, the contrast was nothing short of artistic¡­


    Meanwhile, Becky had already informed Ophra of the arrival of the ¡®reinforcements¡¯ through a dedicated magic communication device. She turned to greet them. ¡°Everyone please take a seat as we are waiting for Marshal Ophra to arrive. It¡¯s a big deal this time. Let¡¯s lay out our plans before we do anything.¡±


    Everyone was seated and the maid brought refreshments to everyone. The maroon-haired maid should have only come to work at Becky¡¯s home recently, was an unfamiliar face. She seemed to be very curious for the strange guests that emerged out of the basement. From time to time, she quietly observed these people with the corner of her eyes as they chatted jovially with the ¡®Legend Mercenary¡¯. Hao Ren gave the maid a friendly. He then pointed to the TV and computer in the living room. ¡°You have a colourful life there. So have you got used to using them?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, now my life depends on them,¡± Becky smiled. ¡°Thank you for sending these things. Otherwise, the life of the nobles here is totally horrible¡­ there are feasts and cocktail parties all the time, sometimes the king would summon me to discuss some real serious businesses that I couldn¡¯t understand. It¡¯s not as fun as going to the ruins and risking our lives in the past.¡±


    ¡°Who was the one who busting with excitement for being a noble back then?¡± Lily teased. ¡°And boasting for hours in banquets all the time without needing to drink a single drop of water.¡±


    Becky twisted the corner of her lips. ¡°The excitement has worn off. Now I¡¯d rather watch the cartoons than going to those parties.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks was studying Becky¡¯s TV and computer curiously. He noticed that they were placed on the modified traditional Holletta furniture but to accommodate cabling and parts they were carefully modified so that cables could be routed from the underside of furniture to a sparkling alchemy device nearby. Y¡¯zaks was full of curiosity. ¡°You didn¡¯t use the generator that we gave to you? Why did you change the equipment?¡±


    ¡°The generator was too noisy and it had got a little problem. The dark elven technicians have not been able to fix after fiddling with it for days. So I got myself something more innovative,¡¯ said Becky proudly. ¡°This thing is linked to a magical circle behind the house. I asked the vice president of the Magicians Association to make it, modify the magic formula of the lightning trap, and improve the energy cycle and the supply mechanism so that it could produce a stable current output. Then using druse to produce the voltage regulator and transformer, coupled with an alchemical AC-DC converter¡­ the power supply problem is solved.¡±


    Hao Ren was dumbfounded. He did not understand how that magic worked, but he could somehow see that Becky seemed to have done an incredible thing!


    Just as he expected, Becky continued. ¡°We also have many awesome alchemy technologies here, such as in long-distance communication, public lighting, ventilation ducts and drainage pumps used in mines. However, their applications are not that common. But this energy conversion system that I and the vice president made and some scholars call it an¡­ Controllability of Energy Standard. The king is going to allocate fund to study this thing¡­ Why are you people staring at me?¡±


    Lily sized up Becky, saying, ¡°Finally someone has done what traverser should do. So apparently you are the protagonist?¡±


    Becky was confused. ¡°?¡±


    Meanwhile, Hao Ren was lamenting quietly. He had been going around the worlds with his bunch of weirdoes, travelling to countless alien planets. By that standard of traversers, they were already at the apex of that definition, yet they had not done a single thing a traverser supposedly should do¡ªbuilding alien infrastructure, conquering the world, holding alien exercises, and even spreading the paper- and glass-making and metallurgy. Hao Ren had all the while thought that his was the true traverser style; little did he expect to see the real template of traverser was actually Becky herself. He could not help but recall the moment when Becky arrived at his home and said she would like to start an inter-world trade and then built up her influence¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re on the wrong boat,¡± Hao Ren sighed as he patted on Becky¡¯s shoulder, lamenting. ¡°You would at least be a protagonist in any other team, and live to the end of the script.¡±


    Becky still could not make head or tail of it. ¡°?¡±


    Bored, Nangong Wuyue went to fiddle with Becky¡¯s laptop, was curious to know what website on earth a person in the otherworld would surf. After scrolling a few pages, she shouted, ¡°What are you doing browsing Taobao in this world?¡±


    Becky pasted a smile. ¡°Just for fun¡­ Can you bring over some food factories the next time you come?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that now. Shall we focus on the matter of The Cult of Origination?¡± Hao Ren smiled and motioned Becky to be more serious. ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard anything on your side? Any progress?¡±


    Speaking of The Cult of Origination, Becky turned serious. She sat up straight and made a wink at the servants in the living room. The servants immediately closed the door and left. Then only Becky said, ¡°Let¡¯s me start from the beginning. After you left, the whole continent started a campaign to hunt The Cult of Origination and similar cults. Not only Holletta was at it, but also the Northern Empire and the surrounding tribal countries were doing the same.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite a scale,¡± Vivian was a bit surprised. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it supposed to be confined to Holletta?¡±


    ¡°That was because two major events were attracting the attention of all people in the world. The first event was the two ¡®miracles¡¯ that you had done i.e. the lifting The Volcano of Dusk and the giant trees of life into the sky. The Disciples of Glory took that opportunity to viral the saying that the power of the Goddess had returned to the world and began to punish the heretics; they took this opportunity to launch a crusade against The Cult of Origination. The second event was the royal city assassination incident. The after narrative of this incident was that the Goddess had intervened directly with her divine power to protect the Pope, and thwarted the spell of the cult instantly. However, this incident still shocked the countries in the world. As you know, Disciples of Glory is the only recognised Orthodox Church in the world. The Pope is deemed the pope of the whole world. His assassination has shocked the believers all over the world. Whether they like it or not, all countries in the world started hunting The Cult of Origination,¡± said Becky, revealing a smile. ¡°The incident has transpired in a way a little beyond our expectation, but the overall it¡¯s in the right direction. The Cult of Origination has developed their influence outside the Kingdom of Holletta. They remained mainly active in Holletta because most of the relics of the Goddess are in the kingdom, but they have also established a number of strongholds outside¡­¡±


    Speaking of this, Becky took out a large map from under the table. She laid the map open. There were many small dots on the map. Becky pointed to the marks. ¡°The Northern Empire has discovered that a spinoff of The Cult of Origination, The Holy Church of Origins, has spread to Darzin Province. There are secret altars and activities of The Church of Origin in the werewolf tribal nation, the dark elven enclaves, and Eventide, the city of the Blood Clan. To tell the truth, even the Pope was shocked. Marshal Ophra has also lamented that The Cult of Origination has becoming scarier than ever that they are like a thousand-year-old thorn (a plant native to Holletta); the part above the ground may not be very obvious, but down underground is an endless web of roots. But fortunately, people all over the world are joining effort together; they have almost done digging up the roots.¡±


    Lily looked at the map and said, ¡°Becky, long time no see and you look like an expert with the map.¡±


    Becky scratched her hair and smirked. ¡°With this prop in hand, it¡¯s easier to get close to her when she is here.¡±


    Hao Ren had expected this. He could not help but sigh. ¡°You are really persistent, eh? I think you two should just become lezzies.¡±


    Becky flush. ¡°Marshal Ophra is an ancient species, highly drug-resistant, and it¡¯s not easy to drug her¡­¡±


    Everyone was shocked beyond words.

 Chapter 665

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    It seemed that Becky still had a long way to go before she could become a qualified noble. Of course, considering her headstrong mercenary habits, she would probably have to spend a lifetime before she could achieve that. As the lesbo topic subsided, they were afraid that the freaky maiden would come up with some other eye-popping thing, so they quickly focused on the cult issue.


    In fact, to be honest, Hao Ren was not interested in the Cult of Origination¡¯s sphere of influence and the religious situation in that world. He just wanted to capture the brain monster. Ophra had yet to come as Becky continued to flap her lips. In the end, he just listened.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the lair of the Cult of Origination?¡± Hao Ren asked curiously.


    Becky pointed at the map. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have guessed it¡­ It¡¯s in the mountains, farther west of the Beinz Diocese across the Virulent Flatlands. It¡¯s the sacred mountain of the werewolf tribe.¡±


    Lily was surprised. ¡°¡­Next to the Blood Lake?!¡±


    ¡°Yes, next to the Blood Lake, but deeper into the mountains, inside the territory of the werewolf tribe and hidden in the mountains. The mountains there are natural barriers and camouflage. Sacred Mountain is important to Werewolf tribal countries; they forbid outsiders from coming near to it. Therefore, we never thought that those cults have been hiding in the mountains. They actually dug underground tunnels and built a mountain fortress under the nose of the werewolves and the church.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks pointed with his finger at the Beinz Blood Lake (now renamed Beinz Crystal Mine) on the map. ¡°So Mr. Landlord had almost blown the lair of the cults up with his cannon that day?¡±


    ¡°But he missed,¡± said Becky, spreading out her hand. ¡°Reality is always more dramatic than stories. Those cultists understand that the most dangerous place is the safest place, they have eyes in the church, some of them even disguise as high-ranking ascetics of The Disciples of Glory. Therefore, they know the setup of the diocese inside out. This allows them to be safely hiding under the nose of the church.¡±


    It might sound ridiculous that the cult¡¯s headquarter was hidden right next to the Beinz Diocese. However, when you think about it, you would find it to be very clever: the Beinz Diocese was the most special place in the world, it was sparsely populated and the Virulent Flatlands and the Gnarled Grove were not easy to get across. Although it was a major diocese, it was difficult to monitor because of all kinds of natural dangers. The area also adjoined the werewolf tribal state, limiting the activity of The Disciples of Glory there. The Cult of Origination only needed to take this natural environment to their advantage and hide themselves in places where the church would not normally pay attention. This meant that they had essentially evaded the possibility of being detected.


    Apart from that, considering that the Cult of Origination and the goddess had an inexplicable relationship, Hao Ren suspected that those cults hiding beside the Blood Lake were not just for concealment¡ªthe sanctity of the Blood Lake itself was also one of the reasons.


    Though the Disciples of Glory did not want to admit it, Hao Ren and others knew well that the Disciples of Glory and the Cult of Origination were actually worshipping the same god; the sacred place and foundation of the former were also the pillar of the latter¡¯s belief.


    Lily¡¯s thinking was not so sophisticated. When she learned that the cult was hiding next to the Blood Lake, she was amazed. ¡°What a pity, had Mr. Landlord used a bigger gun back then, I think that would have saved us all the trouble. Were the cult members traumatized?¡±


    Hao Ren gave Lily a sideways glance. ¡°Stop larking about. Had the shot not been accurate, your werewolf friends would have been extinct.¡±


    Lily gave it a little thought before she spat her tongue out and said nothing since then.


    They suddenly heard the sound of a carriage outside. Then a servant came in and said, ¡°Madam, Her Excellency has arrived.¡±


    Becky happily got to her feet. ¡°Marshal Ophra has come! Let¡¯s get out meeting her¡­¡±


    They came out into the courtyard and saw groups of armored knights and monks dressed in grey robes waiting in line in front of the promenade. The one in front was none other than Ophra and Big Beardy the ascetic, whom Hao Ren had not seen for a long time. Ophra now looked even more valiant; it seemed that the battle with the cults had made the marshal looked more energetic. Meanwhile, Big Beardy looked little changed; only his robe seemed to be more tattered, and his beard had grown messier.


    Seeing his old acquaintances, Hao Ren ran up to them. He then introduced Nangong couple who came here for the first time to them. Big Beardy nodded, all smiling. ¡°Congratulations for the reunion. I¡¯m happy for you.¡±


    ¡°How are you doing here?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s eye running on Big Beardy from head to toe, examining him. ¡°Did you get used to life in your hometown?¡±


    ¡°Everywhere is the same, as the glory of the goddess is omnipresent.¡± Big Beardy was still as poker-faced as ever. ¡°As long as we live in the grace of the goddess, it doesn¡¯t matter where I go.¡±


    After exchanging their usual shit, Hao Ren nodded solemnly at Ophra. ¡°Becky has briefed me the situation. How is the status in the front line now?¡±


    Ophra turned and pointed to the large carriage behind her. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the Mage Tower. I will tell you in detail on the way.¡±


    After everyone had climbed on-board the carriage and there were no other people around them, Ophra began to explain the situation on the battlefront. ¡°The Knights of the Church and the Royal Knights have surrounded the Western Mountains. His Majesty the King had also secured the cooperation of the werewolf tribe through diplomatic channels. The tribal states have sealed off all the mountain roads, the cults won¡¯t be able to get out. In the past two days, several battles have broken out in the Western Mountains, but the Knights had the upper hand by surrounding the mountain range earlier, the cults inside the mountains had not managed to gather their forces nor been able to seek outside help. I don¡¯t think they are a problem now.¡±


    Ophra said with a confident tone of voice, her face full of valiance befitting an all-conquering general. Hao Ren asked cautiously, ¡°You didn¡¯t go too far into the place, did you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I remember your warnings,¡± said Ophra, nodding with a smile. ¡°And some of the soldiers did have frequent hallucinations or nightmares after entering the mountains. We have drawn a rough mind-control distribution map based on the locations of the soldiers experiencing the hallucinations. This would prevent anyone from entering the monster¡¯s mind-control range.¡±


    Big Beardy chimed in. ¡°The Pope has shield the entire mountain range with surveillance occult, but there is an area in the hinterland of the mountain range that even the occult fails to penetrate. We suspect that the monster is hiding in a place no divine magic could reach.¡±


    Vivian was listening quietly as she scratched her chin. She asked suddenly, ¡°Why didn¡¯t the brain monster flee? Its mind-control field could cover a large area, if it moves; wouldn¡¯t it be a great problem for you?¡±


    Hearing this, Ophra¡¯s face turned serious. Obviously, Vivian was not the only one had thought of this. ¡°This is indeed strange. We had thought of it before, if the monster senses thing¡¯s not looking up for it and decides to flee, or banks on his mind-control power to launch a pre-emptive attack, what should we do? However, it has been two days since we encircled the mountains. The monster has never moved and the energy distribution in the entire mountain has not changed¡­ I don¡¯t know what it is thinking.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks asked in a deep voice, ¡°Are you sure that is the lair of the cult? Are you sure that brain monster is in the mountains?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure of it, otherwise I won¡¯t ask you to come over,¡± Ophra nodded forcefully. ¡°The pope¡¯s divine magic won¡¯t be wrong. He has confirmed that there is an impenetrable energy field deep in the mountain. If not the power of the monster, there is no other explanation.¡±


    ¡°Could have something trapped it¡­ or something has happened to the brain monster, causing it to lose mobility temporarily?¡± Vivian frowned as she looked at Hao Ren. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°We will know when we get there,¡± Hao Ren purged his mouth. ¡°I have a bad feeling¡­ the brain monster is not a fool; when it still holds the fort despite the situation, there must be something very wrong.¡±


    Everyone sank into deep thought. After a while, the group had arrived at the Mage Tower on the north side of the royal city. The strange, suspended tower still stood high in the air despite its middle part was broken. It even looked brighter than before. Light was flashing in the space crack above the tower as the tower gave out a soft buzz. A large number of ad-hoc magical devices surrounded the Mage Tower. These quadrangular prisms stood several meters tall forming a circle with magic apprentices keeping them in operation. The prisms were providing additional energy for the Mage Tower: high-ranking monks and knights kept coming from the royal city to the Beinz Diocese for the past two days, the large portal of the mage tower was running at full capacity and required extra energy supply to withstand the load.


    They did not stay in the royal city. Instead, after briefly meeting the vice president of the Mage Association, they headed to Beinz Diocese through the portal.

 Chapter 666

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Since the disappearance of the Orb of the Holy Synod a year ago, the Beinz Diocese seemed to have fallen in a state of trouble. In just one year, a series of major events had happened on this supernaturally distorted land¡ªthe collapse of the Dragonspine Ridge, the siege of the Rock Giants, the revival of the First Born, the destruction of the diocese, the death of a bishop, and finally the entire sacred lake was turned into a giant crystal mine by orbital bombardment. If each of the events that had happened in this small area were to happen in other places, they would have been recorded in history. Today, the diocese once listed as a sacred land had changed beyond recognition. Almost all the civilian settlements had evacuated. Only the Knight Bases and temporary monasteries remained. The population here was still about the same as a year ago. However, the composition of the population was almost 100% soldiers and monks. Even the gutsy mercenaries of the past had now kept a distance from this place.


    However, the trouble of the Beinz Diocese was not over yet; it was not long after the mining operation and utilization of the crystal pit started, the land had once again become the battlefield of the Holy War between the Disciples of Glory and the Cult of Origination.


    Today, the Beinz diocese and the west side of the diocese, which did not belong to the sphere of Holletta¡¯s influence, had become the battlefront for the Disciples of Glory and the cults. This area was centred on the crystal mine pit. On the eastern side of the pit was the remnant of Dragonespine Ridge, the main forces of the Knights of the Church and the Knights of the Kingdom were stationed there. The high peaks on the west side of the pit were the Werewolf tribal territory. Hidden beneath those peaks were secret fortress that The Cult of Origination had built over the years. The Werewolf tribal state was extremely angry with these infidels hidden under their nose and regarded this insult as an insult. Therefore, their belligerence towards the Cult of Origination was no less weak compared to the fanatical believers of the Disciples of Glory in the east side of the pit.


    In terms of strength, the cults hidden in Sacrad Mountain were overwhelmingly disadvantageous. They were surrounded and there was no aid forthcoming. The fearsome snow wolf cavalry and the two battalion of knights sealed off all roads around the western mountains. However, the cults had not shown any signs of backing down, they were dauntless, determined to kill any intruders who enter the mountains. This kind of self-confidence could be the result of a kind of mind control, or it could be that they really believed that by dying a martyr in a holy war, their fresh and blood would return to the Goddess in glory¡ªyou cannot argue fanaticism with reason.


    The group set out from the royal city to the Knights¡¯ camp in the Beinz diocese through the portal. As the glow of the portal dimmed, Hao Ren found himself in a wide hexagonal hall. The walls around the hall were crystal-like and radiant with magic. The ground on the centre of the hall depicted a huge and complicated teleportation circle. There were three-member guards in each corner of the hall, which consisted of a high-ranking mage in a Master robe, and two elite knights with bright armour and magic patterns floating on their armours.


    The place was heavily guarded like an important military base.


    Lily saw a knight in the corner of the hall had a pair of ear on the head. She waved happily at him and said hello. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m a fellow werewolf too¡ªof husky variety¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop howling. People are standing guard,¡± Hao Ren quickly dragged Lily back. He then looked around. ¡°This place is gorgeous¡­ I thought the frontline of the diocese was a messy pigpen with cowhide tents and all that¡­¡±


    Ophra laughed. ¡°Of course there are such places, but they are in the bases on the ground. Come on. Let me show you something. Though all-powerful alien like you may not find it clever, in my opinion it is a miracle. Allow me show off once.¡±


    ¡°The ground base?¡± Hao Ren muttered quietly before following Ophra walked out of the teleporting hall.


    He was startled by what he saw when he stepped outside.


    It was magnificently shining fortress.


    A huge crescent square stretched out before his eyes. Elite knights and magic soldiers were lining up on the square. Neatly arranged, tall buildings with thick walls on the periphery surrounded the square in the centre. Between the buildings were elegant-looking magical minarets. The bright light at the top of the minarets were dancing as they communicated with each other, suggesting that the whole complex might be an energy system: it was rare to see such a massive energy supply system in this world.


    Staring in awe at the square and things around it, Hao Ren found that the building materials of these structures were not the same as the ordinary Holletta buildings. The material was obviously man-made and very high-end. They were smoother than rocks, more exquisite than bricks with a layer of shimmering crystal shell on the smooth surface, giving a feeling of glaze. Hao Ren had never seen anything like this on the planet.


    The designs and arrangement of the buildings reminded them of a military installation. At first glance, they had thought that they had come a fortress. However, in this completely abandoned Beinz diocese filled with cliffs and pits, there seemed to be no place for building such a military base.


    Stretching her neck and looking around, Lily suddenly found that the landscape was somewhat out of place: there was not any mountains; in the mountainous Beinz area, mountains should be everywhere. She asked in surprise. ¡°Where are the mountains?¡±


    ¡°Below us,¡± said Ophra, smiling as she took them onto a circular platform beside the Crescent Square. There was railing around a hole in the centre of the platform. Hao Ren looked down and was surprised to discover that down below was the crystal pit that his orbital bombardment had created, and the place he stood was obviously flying in the air!


    ¡°Welcome to Hodithus¡ªour aerial fortress, which The Pope and the twelve Royal Mages had personally involved in its design and construction, and it took only less than a month to get it up from the ground,¡± said Ophra, voice full of praise. ¡°This is the most amazing thing I¡¯ve ever seen¡­ Of course, I¡¯m talking about manmade thing.¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­¡± Lily was wide-eyed for a long moment before she exclaimed in awe. ¡°Cool!¡±


    ¡°Is it cooler compared to yours?¡± Ophra laughed. ¡°This is the coolest thing I¡¯ve ever seen in my life, but I heard from Becky that there are things that are far beyond human imagination in other worlds, more magnificent miracles, and even cities that fly between the stars. Although I haven¡¯t seen them yet, I can imagine that. Compared with those things, Hodithus is too primitive.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still very cool!¡± Lily yelped. ¡°Magic Floating City! This name sounds like it!¡±


    ¡°This husky always overreacts,¡± said Vivian, pressing Lily¡¯s head to calm her down, but she herself was in awe too. ¡°How did you do that? I know about your magic technology¡­ it seems your air force is still consisted of griffins and a flying magicians. The only dwarven steam-powered aircraft needs refuelling every one hundred kilometres. How could you suddenly create the Floating City?


    ¡°Thank to the pit below,¡± Ophra pointed at the pit beneath them. ¡°The crystals, they are magical: with just a proper handling, they can maintain a certain magical effect for a long time, so we have created a long-lasting floating stones¡ªthe shiny bricks that you see is. The ¡°enamels¡± on the surface of those bricks are made of crystal dust. The entire floating fortress is made of floating stone. The hundreds of magical arrays on the outer walls keep the fortress in position and provide power. It requires a hundred higher-level magicians and thousands of magic apprentices to control. At present, we are still not very clear about the usage and battle tactics of this floating fortress, but anyway, it is already one of Holletta¡¯s symbols of power. At least I think so.¡±


    ¡°With that crystals?¡± Hao Ren had never expected that the crystal mines could have been so useful. ¡°I already knew there bound to create problems with orbital bombardment.¡±


    Ophra looked at Hao Ren. ¡°Is leaving us these crystal mines in violation of your organisation¡¯s protocol?¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment and poked at the MDT that was on his shoulder. ¡°I remember we have not breaking any rules, have we? ¨CAccording to the situation at that time.¡±


    The MDT knocked on Hao Ren¡¯s head. ¡°Do you have to ask me about this thing? Has your employee¡¯s handbook gone to the dog?¡±


    Lily¡¯s ears stood erect. ¡°Nonsense, Mr. Landlord has never let me read his handbook!¡±


    Everyone: ¡°¡­¡±


    Hao Ren blinked and said, ¡°¡­ well, I think it is not against the protocol. Although it seems to have affected your development, but it was done to prevent your civilisation from becoming extinct. I remember this as an exception.¡±


    What Hao Ren had not mentioned was that the invention of a magic floating city by a planetary civilisation might seem to be a major event, but probably, no one in the Space Administration would blink an eye, much less in violation of the rules¡­


    The magic floating city of Hodeceus was occupying the sky in the Beinz area, like a monster looking down at Sacred Mountain where the cults were hiding. Meanwhile, what was the brain monster that seemed to be in a desperation was up to?

 Chapter 667

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The huge aerial fortress was hovering directly above the crystal pit. A miraculous facility resembling a small town, it had an inverted cone-shaped base and two layers of solid ring-shaped wall. There were dozens of magic towers between the two city walls providing shield protection for the fortress. It looked spectacular, of course, but there were also many flaws. Hao Ren could see that this fortress idea was very simple-minded: it was simply a fortress lifted up in the air; other than the turrets, it had no escort fleet nor anti-aircraft weapons. It might be a very powerful weapon on this planet, but was far from being invincible. This monster of Holletta¡¯s invention was just a rudimentary design; it still had a long way to go before becoming a mature strategic application. However, this aerial fortress was still an inspiring invention.


    Ophra had introduced to them the construction process of the aerial fortress. The foundation of the Hodeceus came from Dragonspine Ridge: After the main peak of the mountains collapsed, the remaining peaks began to teeter. The Pope boldly used his divine skills to cut off the top of one of the peaks and then turned it upside down and moved it to the crystal pit for processing as the base of Hodeceus. The mine pit was closed for nearly a month. Many brilliant magicians had entered the mine under the leadership of twelve masters of magicians. Working like masonry artisans, they rebuilt the peak. To ensure confidentiality, the entire construction process did not involve any ordinary workers. A month later, which was just a few days ago, the magical fog above the crystal pits was resolved and Hodeceus rose into the air before the stunned faces of the world.


    It was also because of the ascension of Hodeceus that shook the highest echelons of the Cult of Origination. These elusive cults had finally made a mistake and given way their whereabouts. The Knights found that the cults were hiding in the mountains in the west.


    Perhaps even the Pope of the Disciples of Glory and the twelve master magicians who built Hodeceus could not have imagined that the first battle after the sky fortress floated up was actually a holy war between the Disciples of Glory and the cults, and the battlefield was just right next to the crystal pit. This was once the sacred lake, where Hodeceus completed its final assembly. It was also the western fortress of the church and at the same time at the edge of the sacred land of the werewolf tribal state and the lair of the cults. If one did not experience this personally, no one would believe that all these things had actually come together at the same place at the same time. While the church was shocked by the hidden lair of the cult under their nose, Hao Ren also had deep suspicion about the conspiracy of The Cult of Origination and of the brain monster. In any case, hiding in such a place called for great courage, and the risk was always equal return. The greater the risk The Cult of Origination took their conspiracy would be bigger. So when Hao Ren saw Hodeceus, he did not feel relieved for their increased combat strength, instead he became even more worried.


    Despite the floating city was hovering over their heads, the cults did not flee, which meant that their conspiracy and their back support had enough strength to offset pressure brought by the floating city.


    The Knights stationed on Hodeceus were in high spirits, it was hard to tell how many commanders could calm down and ponder about these hidden dangers, but Ophra must be already on guard. After giving them a tour on the fortress, she headed over to the command centre of the floating city with her team to discuss about the sacred mountain offensive. The design of Hodeceus was very simple. There were two walls, a barracks, and an air defence mortar. The inner layer was a training ground, a gryphon platform, an arsenal, and a magic reactor and the like. The command centre was located on an artificial hillock in the centre of the floating city overlooking two-thirds of the fortress.


    In the command centre, Hao Ren and his entourage saw the commanders here. Some of them were familiar faces: Elson, the old werewolf, Cardinal Orben, the kings¡¯ chief advisor Prince Hoffman, and several others high-ranking officers and church leaders he had met before. In the face of other strange faces, Hao Ren and his entourage also nodded to other¡ªit did not matter if they were strangers to them, they just pretended to be acquainted; it was basically a pretentious occasion¨Cpretending to know each other and pretending to be supportive.


    When the group of ¡®outsiders¡¯ came into the command centre, everyone in the meeting became as quiet as a church mouse. Ophra pointed to a burly man at the table and took the opportunity to introduce him. ¡°This is Uruk, the leader from the werewolf tribe. He and his werewolf cavalry would lead you into the Sacred Mountain.¡±


    Hao Ren and his entourage¡¯s sights landed on the werewolf leader. He was the most eye-catching person in the meeting, not only burly and tall, but also wearing a costume, unlike Holletta style, of rough fabric decorated with leather ornament, and an animal-teeth necklace on his neck. This made him look like a fearless, nomadic leader. Uruk was in the form of a werewolf. The black hair on the cheeks and the wolf ears on top of his head make him look ferocious and rough. When he saw Hao Ren, he opened his mouth to reveal a row of sharp teeth that glittered with coldness. ¡°So the people we have been waiting for have finally arrived¡ªyou have a way to get ordinary people into the mountains?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°I have a type of protective crystal that allows ordinary people to resist the mind control of the brain monster.¡±


    Uruk nodded, got to his feet and walked out. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get started.¡±


    Hao Ren had thought of holding discussion of them, but the hasty werewolf shocked him. ¡°Please wait a second¡ªyou just go like this? Don¡¯t you want to discuss about the plan?¡±


    ¡°We have discussed the detailed plan,¡± Uruk pointed to the Holletta people at the scene. ¡°Move swift as the wind is the best way to solve all the problems. We werewolves don¡¯t like foreigners staying in their sacred mountains for too long, the sooner this matter is resolved, the better.¡±


    Uruk left the room after uttering the words, leaving Hao Ren and the other looking at each other. Lily had been holding up her hand for a long time wanting to say hello to her fellow species but not a chance to interpose. ¡°How could he be so rash?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how he is,¡± said Ophra, rubbing his eyebrows. ¡°Please don¡¯t be offended, the werewolves are all friendly people, Uruk too, except that he is a bit special. I have met him for more than once; he will be waiting outside patiently.¡±


    Elson beckoned to Hao Ren. ¡°Don¡¯t bother about that guy, his wife gave him only two days. Come! Let me brief you about the route in the mountains.¡±


    Hao Ren had wanted to ask what ¡®His wife gave him only two days¡¯ meant. However, this was not the right time to ask, obviously. He motioned his men to come up closer to look at the map. They stood in a circle at the conference table. Elson patted on the table and a map instantly appeared in the centre of the table. It was like shrank version of the actual terrain with clouds and the mountains. Lil Pea saw this and jumped out from the collar of Hao Ren immediately¡ªas she thought that, the water on the map was real¡­


    The little mermaid fell flat on the table before Hao Ren picked her up and shoved her back into his clothes hurriedly, nodding to everyone around embarrassingly. ¡°Please carry on, please carry on¡­¡±


    Elson did not mind it by waving his hand, and then pointed to the snow-capped peak in the middle of the map. ¡°This is the Sacred Mountain of the werewolf¡­¡±


    Hao Ren had heard about the name for more than once, naturally from Ophra out of curiosity. He knew that the Sacred Mountain was a vital sacred place for the werewolf tribal state. Many years ago, the werewolves migrated from the southern part of the mainland to the west because of a plague. After crossing the mountain, the plague that infected their community miraculously disappeared. At that time, the werewolf ancestors thought that this magical mountain had sheltered their people and thus called it the Sacred Mountain. Since then, years had passed and the plague became an inconspicuous incident in the history books. The sacred nature of Sacred Mountain had become increasingly unshakable in the werewolf tribe.


    The werewolves did not allow outsiders to set foot on Sacred Mountain because they believed that Sacred Mountain had shielded the werewolves from affliction for thousands of years and that foreigners stepping into the mountains would destroy the ¡®sacred barrier¡¯ and allow all kinds of disasters that were blocked by Sacred Mountain to make a comeback. In order to protect Sacred Mountain, the werewolf tribal state had been maintaining a strong wolf cavalry unit, and this unit had never let down their guard for thousands of years¡ªbut they did not expect that there would be pagans who could elude the wolf cavalry and remained under their radar for so long.

 Chapter 668

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Sacred Mountain towered into the clouds and consisted of three peaks. The highest peak was even more majestic than the former main peak of Dragonspine Ridge. Due to the extremely high terrain, snow and ice capped the mountain all year round. The mountain¡¯s steep terrain would turn people away, while courageous werewolves treated it as a training ground for the young in their tribe. When young werewolves entered adulthood, they would set off alone, carrying only three days of rations to scale the mountain. Only those who successfully crossed the mountain and brought a specific prey back from the eastern side would be acknowledged as being able to become independent. The highest peak of Sacred Mountain, the Sunburn Peak was the goal for the best of the young werewolves. The youngest werewolves who were the bravest¡ªor sometimes the stupidest and boldest¡ªwould climb the summit with their bare hands and take a piece of mountain rock. It was a symbol of heroism. The mountain rock would then be inlaid in the tribe¡¯s totem pole by the elders and become a lifetime of glory for the werewolf. It was said that hundreds of the best werewolves challenged the peak each year, but only less than 30% of them were successful. Under the unremitting efforts of these brave werewolves for thousands of years, the elevation of Sacred Mountain was now almost two metres lower than when the werewolves first migrated there.


    In fact, it was also said that at one point, the werewolf tribal leaders had discussed on whether to control the enthusiasm of the young. The overzealous pups had been trying to dig the rocks from the top of Sacred Mountain all day, and they were quickly rounding off the top of the mountain.


    Eighty percent of the werewolves on Planet Holletta lived near Sacred Mountain. The majestic mountain and surrounding vast lands were enough to accommodate the large number of werewolves, who formed a tribal society. Each tribe had its own leader, and all the leaders formed a tribal council, which became the ruling class of the werewolves. It was said that this social form had been in existence since the Ancient Magic Kingdom, perfectly fitting the tradition of the werewolves: it paid attention to both bloodline and unity. Therefore, the tribal state system had brought about stability for the werewolf society for thousands of years. They became an ancient nation that was comparable to the Kingdom of Holletta.


    Uruk, who was sent by the werewolf tribal nation to liaise with Holletta, was one of such tribal chiefs. His tribe lived on the side of Sacred Mountain and built a large city there. His werewolf cavalry was not the most elite of the werewolf nation, but it was the largest. Therefore, Uruk could become the representative of mountain rangers of Sacred Mountain and assume the responsibility of the commander of this joint operation.


    Well-equipped elite knights and magic soldiers departed from Hodeceus and divided into three teams to enter Sacred Mountains and join the werewolf soldiers waiting there. Next, they would enter Sacred Mountain under the guidance of werewolves, and the soldiers would divide into three teams got deep into the mountain separately. Hao Ren and Ophra team was travelling with the largest main forces. The werewolf-General Elson, and Cardinal Orben led the other two teams. As Big Beardy was an ascetic, so he was in the third team.


    The Knights had quickly come to the rendezvous point, joining the werewolves. Lily stood on a boulder and took a deep breath. ¡°Ahh¡ªthe air of my hometown¡­¡±


    Nangong Sanba looked at Lily, whispering to Hao Ren. ¡°Is she sure that Holletta is her hometown?¡±


    ¡°We couldn¡¯t help it. There is no origin of werewolves other than The Plane of Dreams, and I¡¯ve not found another case of transcendence of husky.¡± Hao Ren forced a smile. ¡°So let¡¯s just assume that Holletta is her home.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue had shape-shifted into a snake. Her upper body rose to a height of nearly three metres, allowing her to have a better view of the situation ahead in the mountain road. ¡°Uruk has said he would be waiting here ahead of time. Why is he not here yet?¡±


    A werewolf aide-de-camp beside Ophra took said, ¡°Chief Uruk is coming with his battle wolves. He should be here anytime.¡±


    As soon as the voice of the werewolf aide-de-camp trailed off, Nangong Wuyue said with a loud voice up in the air. ¡°Oh oh oh, see! That¡¯s a werewolf cavalry!¡±


    Dust billowing from a distant mountain trails. Then the sound of heavy footsteps was heard from within the dust. Dozens of black figures galloped from a distance. Uruk was leading a team of fully armed werewolf fighters come up before them. These warriors were all wearing rough black leather armour, with a huge cavalry sabre behind them, and an animal teeth necklace as an ornament and kill record on their necks. There was not any heavy armour. Their rides were the huge black wolves¡ªa kind of savage beast with bone plate on the waist and several sizes bigger than Earth¡¯s wolves. Because of their special body skeleton, these wolves were rideable.


    Dozens of werewolf cavalry soldiers ran from afar and stopped at less than ten metres in front of the Knights. Each wolf had no extra moves, and all stopped in a straight-line formation. Their uniformity of movement was unimaginable given the fact that it was a group of untamed beasts. The werewolves lived with their war wolves all year round. The talent of the werewolves allowed them to communicate with these beasts with no difficulty. Therefore, they matched with each other and became the most powerful ground unit in the world. Seeing it for the first time today, they were sure enough¡­well, very neat.


    Hao Ren was only a layman, he could only see that they were ¡®very neat¡¯.


    The werewolf cavalry was in back attire, which looked like a camouflage in night combat. In reality, their black armours and black wolves had nothing to do with camouflage but were just their traditional battle outfit. Even when they went into the snow-capped mountain, they would still wearing this contrasting outfit. This had to do with the customs and practices of the werewolves. It was hard to explain it to outsiders.


    Uruk came up to Ophra riding his battle wolf. ¡°You can¡¯t control the wolf. You can only go on foot in the mountains. To be honest, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea¡ªthe Knights are very powerful but as an infantry, I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    Ophra smiled indifferently. ¡°Do you think that the knights I personally brought out could only riding on horseback? We had even knocked down the two hundred thousand barbarians in the swamp from the south. Let¡¯s move. Hope your werewolf cavalry¡¯s nose is as powerful as said in the legend to sniffing out the cults off the cracks in the rocks.¡±


    Uruk smiled as if Ophra¡¯s give-not-shit answer had impressed him. Before he ordered the forces to move on, Hao Ren asked hurriedly, ¡°Everyone, check your protective crystals. Have you all put it on?¡±


    Ophra turned and waved to the Knights. ¡°All squadron commanders, check that all the soldiers have the protective crystals by raising up their hands, report if anyone loses it.¡±


    Uruk also said to his cavalry. ¡°Check your crystal! It¡¯s a life-saving gadget!¡±


    The soldiers raised their protective crystals before they set off. Hao Ren had brought the crystals out from Crapple Research Station, CARS. These crystals were piling up at CARS; thousands of pieces could be knocked off from any surfaces there. So Hao Ren had simply given one to each soldier. Ophra took out her own crystal and looked at it. ¡°Unbelievable¡­ such a small stone could suppress the mind control power of the brain monster. Even the mentally strongest cardinal we had sent failed to even reach the main peak.¡±


    The wolf Uruk was riding had been staring at Hao Ren curiously since the beginning. Now it could not help but spurted and then murmured in a human language. ¡°Wait a second. Are you be a hard man?¡±


    Hao Ren was a little baffled by how the wolf addressed him. When he remembered the wolf that spoke, he was staggered. ¡°¡­ Alpha? The one on the steppe?¡±


    The black wolf sized him and his entourage up, appearing surprised as well. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s really you. I was not so sure at first. It¡¯s so difficult to differentiate you humans, I couldn¡¯t even tell the gender of your people. Thanks to your smell, it hasn¡¯t changed. Why did you come here?¡±


    Hao Ren and his little buddies¡ªwho had previously met the alpha wolf¡ªwere all shocked. They had never thought to see the alpha wolf here. Lily sniffled and asked, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s really you. I have also wanted to ask you too¡ªhow did you come here? Aren¡¯t you staying in the steppe?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a long story¡­a gust of wind was blowing on the steppe, the seasons had changed, many animals had migrated, and wolves had to look for new dwelling place. Fortunately, with my great wisdom, I brought my fellow wolves and found a new home here¡­¡±


    Everyone, from the generals to the soldiers, were all footed to the spot. Even Uruk was wide-eyed; he was experiencing in the awkward most situation in his life:


    He as the commander was left out in the cold while everyone, including his ride was chatting with the others¡­

 Chapter 669

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    No one seemed to have noticed Uruk¡¯s awkwardness. Despite being in despair, the leader of the pack continued to chat with his old acquaintance. Hao Ren still remembered the first time he entered the Plane of Dreams, where he wandered about aimlessly. Due to that, he had some fondness for the alpha wolf, the first being he met in the area. After a while, Hao Ren understood why the alpha wolf had moved from the great plains to the snowy mountains. These places were not nearby, and the difference in the environment was like heaven and earth. If not for necessity, the wolf pack would not have moved.


    Basically, the climate in the steppe had changed.


    The collapse of Dragonspine Ridge had a more pronounced effect than initially thought. After the collapse of the range, the western side of the mountain had lost its barrier and humidity flooded straight into the Sacred Mountains and coastal area around it. At the same time, the seasonal ocean wind also came blowing unimpeded into the plains, bringing lower temperature and salinity into the area. Many of the plant life along the western coast of the plain could not adapt to the changes and the shortage of grazing options forced the herbivores to move into the Northern Kingdom to look for fresh grazing grounds. Thus, the hunters on the plains had to move in order to hunt too, and they went northwards or eastwards after their prey. The alpha wolf however, led his kin in the other direction. He came directly to the Sacred Mountain. As the alpha wolf had intelligence beyond most animals, he concluded that trying to get a piece of a pie in an already reduced herd of preys was not a good idea. Plus, with the arduous journey to the north, his pack may not fare as well as others. Thus, it decided to come to the west.


    While the number of prey were also reduced on the western plains, it was not to the point where it would cause starvation. Many more resilient preys still remained, and comparatively, the situation was better than that of the north. Furthermore, the werewolves also lived in these lands. While distinctly different, everyone knew that the two distant kins were close. The alpha wolf had pondered hard for a place where his pack could stay and after a good while, he decided to bring his pack to Uruk¡¯s tribe.


    And after scaring the hide out of the local werewolf tribe, the intelligent, talking wolves joined them.


    Hao Ren never thought that while he was out saving worlds, the wolf pack had an adventure of their own as well. He gave the alpha wolf a weird look. ¡°I understand what you¡¯re on about, but aren¡¯t you plain wolves? Can you adapt to life here?¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± The confusion was apparent on the alpha wolf¡¯s face. ¡°We just happened to live in the plains, but our kind lives in the mountains too.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately realized that he was working under the assumption that the wolves there operated the same as the ones on Earth.


    The pack of talking wolves had shocked their humanoid kin as the alpha wolf had led his pack in relative seclusion. Even when they met humans, they had never shown that special ability of theirs. Everyone knew that the mages of yore had created many animals, but no one had seen such engineered offsprings; the werewolves included. But it did not take too long for them to gain each other¡¯s trust, and the path the alpha wolf took was right, as communicating with the werewolves was much easier than humans.


    Hao Ren and the alpha wolf chatted for a while before it got on Uruk¡¯s nerves. He stuck his neck out with a weird expression before blurting out, ¡°Are you two done?¡±


    The alpha wolf looked back at Uruk. ¡°What hurry are you in? It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve met an acquaintance¡­¡±


    Uruk was speechless. Whatever Uruk had meant to say was now stuck in his throat as his pumped-up soldiers gathered around him. Seeing the situation, Hao Ren waved his hand to save face. ¡°Alright, alright, time to work, time to work.¡±


    The alpha wolf let out a grunt as Uruk lowered himself to his mount. ¡°So¡­ let¡¯s go?¡±


    As the werewolf cavalry turned to leave, Hao Ren and the rest followed from behind. Nangong Wudi was impressed. ¡°Never in my life have I seen someone having to discuss with his mount before taking off¡­¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the MDT, which was lying on his shoulder before quipping, ¡°Have you seen someone having to discuss with his own PDA before tuning into a channel?¡±


    Ophra looked dumbfounded throughout the whole process and felt that Hao Ren as well as his crew were the most remarkable group she had ever seen in her life. ¡°You sure have many interesting things happening around you, eh?¡±


    Hao Ren sighed. ¡°Next time, don¡¯t believe the job ads by the roadside when you¡¯re out looking for a job.¡±


    Ophra was utterly confused. ¡°Huh?¡±


    With the werewolf cavalry leading the way, the Hollettan soldiers carefully marched into the sacred yet mysterious ancient mountain, following a winding mountain path deep into the heart of the mountain. The mountain path was treacherous and many places did not have a path so to speak. The foot soldiers could only trudge on slowly, and even the cavalry moved at a slow pace. Hao Ren walked next to Uruk, surveying the area as he asked, ¡°How does it feel, having a war wolf who can talk?¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s prior impression of Uruk was that he was not approachable, but he was actually not someone who shied away from talking. After pondering for a bit, he replied, sounding slightly dejected. ¡°It was a fresh experience, and having such an intelligent war wolf as a partner is pretty great.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately knew a pivot was coming. ¡°So you found out belatedly that things were not that rosy?¡±


    Uruk¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°¡­ It could talk better than me, and to anyone within sight¡­¡±


    The werewolf was not even done complaining yet. There was aplenty after all. His mount had better oratory skills than him, it even knew astrology, geomancy, history and current happenings (at least by the standard of a wolf). It will give thanks to nature for every meal. It demanded that it sleeps north facing south. Even before going out on a hunt it would insist on performing its morning aerobics, but most fascinatingly, this wolf READS! Like its life depended on it! It had actually took the chieftain¡¯s mark without Uruk noticing to the library to get itself a lifetime pass. If not for the library only accepting signatures and not paw marks, it might have succeeded!


    At this point, even a chieftain of Uruk¡¯s stature had some grumbles of his own. Sighing deeply he continued. ¡°It even argued with the tribe¡¯s shaman a few days ago and the shaman has locked himself in to rethink life .¡±


    Hao Ren did not pretend to know what life was in a werewolf tribal nation, but he could totally imagine what the alpha wolf did. It was plain obvious from Uruk¡¯s expression. He looked sympathetically at Uruk, knowing that ¡®having a mount that has a sharper wit than you¡¯ is something rather depressing. He grinned in reply. ¡°I know. I know. But you need to take this into account. It is smart, and willing to be your mount. That¡¯s not a common thing to encounter.¡±


    Uruk look at Hao Ren. ¡°You may be right, but I don¡¯t think any normal person would understand me. Have you lost an argument to your horse before?¡±


    Hao Ren sighed as he picked up his MDT. ¡°You see¡­ this is my.. hmmm¡­ notebook. Something similar to your recording stones. MDT, play a tune or two, get the mood going.¡±


    ¡°You silly sod. Go select it yourself. How do I know what you want to listen.¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°There you go.¡±


    Uruk gave the MDT a perplexed look before his expression changed. ¡°You and I can be good friends.¡±


    Hao Ren was surprised to find that the werewolf chieftain actually had a sense of humor.


    The rest looked on as Hao Ren and Uruk chatted away and were all rather surprised as well. Lily nudged Ophra by the arm. ¡± I realized that Mr. Landlord is really good at socializing. Uruk and I are the same kind and I¡¯ve not found the opportunity to speak to him yet.¡±


    Becky extended her neck to have a look at the two. ¡°What are they talking to excitedly about?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks summarised it succinctly. ¡°Perspective.¡±


    Nangong Sanba looked at the demon. ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°The only thing that one can talk so excitedly to him is perspective.¡±


    As Uruk and Hao Ren chatted as the walked, the group was nearing the area that was designated as a ¡®Mind Control Danger Zone¡¯.


    In the fork in front of them, Hao Ren saw a tribal flag standing solitarily by the side of the mountain path. On it was a very obvious red mark. Uruk immediately stopped the chatter as his face turned serious. ¡°Before us is the danger zone. Be alert.¡±

 Chapter 670

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    As Hao Ren and the accompanying troops stepped on the Sacred Mountain¡¯s main peak, two other battalions also entered the area via different entrances.


    As the sweep for the last of the heretics came into full swing, thousands of Royal as well as Church Knights quickly fanned out through the various mountain passes, forming hundreds of search and destroy parties. Each party was led by members of the werewolf cavalry. With the main search parties in the mountain, more regular soldiers set up checkpoints on every mountain path leading in or out of the mountains to prevent any cult members from escaping.


    In the skies above the Sacred Mountain, a shadowy magical eye floated quietly. Countless invisible strands ran from the magical eye as it encompassed the entire region. This was a massive, divine area spell cast by the pope himself. Using the spell, the pope could scan the movement of everything within the mountain range, even the lightest footsteps of a mountain rabbit. Only the unusual dimension deep within the mountain was beyond his sight.


    Hodeceus floated above the eastern part of the crystal mine, facing the Sacred Mountain directly; almost like a standoff between two primal beasts. The shield-like bastion in the front of the flying fortress radiated with magical light. A part of the crystalline wall retracted into the interior of the fortress as massive arcane cannons reared their head, glowing majestically. The cannons then synchronized with the magical inscriptions on the wall of the fortress. They were Hodeceus¡¯ most potent weaponry.


    The cannons were coldly aimed at the Sacred Mountain as the mages directing them could not help but wipe cold sweat off their foreheads. Within Hodeceus¡¯ command center, a few mages were monitoring the fortress and the Sacred Mountain for any signs of movement through water screen. Prince Hoffman¡¯s shiny bald head was even more apparent as he wiped his sweat off and shook his head at the crowd around him. ¡°If we really fire that thing, the world is going to hell.¡±


    ¡°Hence why we can only pray. Pray that the goddess will guide our hands against firing towards the Sacred Mountain.¡± A bishop placed his hand on his head as he prayed. ¡°Goddess have mercy. May our brave knights succeed in their quest to rid us of the heretics and their evil patron.¡±


    Beneath the command center was an even more secretive room. It was a plain simple room with many sacred relics and religious texts of the Disciples of Glory. The pope was standing in the middle of it, meditating. He gently opened his eyes as golden light radiated from his left eye, and within the reflection was every movement within the mountain, including the search parties sweeping through the area. His left eye was looking at a portrait not too far away from him. The portrait was made up of a series of crisscrossing red and black lines. It was the symbol used by the Disciples of Glory to depict the goddess.


    While the portrait looked like it was a simple canvas portrait without any magical enchantment, there were microscopic movements, as though it was alive. It was actually forming into various mystical shapes. The red lines in the middle of the portrait suddenly expanded in the pope¡¯s eyes, transmitting a very cryptic will from the goddess.


    ¡°A warning¡­¡± The pope mumbled, as though he heard the goddess¡¯ voice. ¡°We have already obtained such a powerful flying fortress¡­ what are you trying to warn us against?¡±


    At the same time, within the Sacred Mountain, Hao Ren and his group had stepped into the snow-covered area.


    The knightly orders had also split into about a dozen small combat teams as planned. With the werewolf cavalry leading the way, they started scouring the mountain. They were now constantly communicating using arcane magic as they went. Hao Ren and the rest followed Uruk towards the deepest part of the mountain. The plan was to have the knights engage the cultists of the Cult of Origination while Hao Ren and his spearhead charge into the epicenter of the psychokinetic field to capture the brain monster. But oddly enough, there were no signs of heretics this deep into the mountains, despite some traces of activity. It was less likely for actual combat to break out.


    Vivian took out her protective crystal and noticed that the crystal was emanating a gentle glow. ¡°There is psychological disturbance here¡­We have probably already entered the monster¡¯s domain. Why aren¡¯t any enemies before us?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t even see a shadow of any heretics.¡± Hao Ren too was perplexed. ¡°Uruk, didn¡¯t your men faced resistance before when they scoured the mountains? Why is today so quiet?¡±


    ¡°They did come by.¡± Uruk had already dismounted from his war wolf. He got on all fours as he sniffed the air. ¡°There¡¯s still remnants of human scent. Outsiders, but from a day ago.¡±


    ¡°The mountain has been sealed off. Even if they were to fly it¡¯s unlikely for them to escape.¡± A slight clattering of armor announced her presence as Lady Ophra approached. ¡°Seems like they have all gone hiding.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks looked at the mountain range before throwing Uruk a curious glance. ¡°Say¡­ haven¡¯t your kin been monitoring this mountain and yet never once detected the trace of the heretics before this? They had even managed to build a base inside the place¡­ That¡¯s rather incredible.¡±


    As the topic pivoted to that, Uruk, as the leader of the werewolf cavalry, had a very complicated expression. He shook his head. ¡°This is a disgrace, but truthfully, I still don¡¯t believe something like this could happen¡­ Our patrols roam the land every day and we have went through all the paths in the mountains, yet we have never seen any outsiders¡­.Unfathomable¡­ truly unfathomable. I don¡¯t know how to even begin explaining this.¡±


    Something came into Hao Ren¡¯s mind as Uruk spoke, it was a brief flash of thought and Hao Ren could not actually grasp it.


    Uruk continued to lead the rest into the mountain as the path appeared more and more treacherous. He had to rely on his experience to pick the safe path up the mountain, to avoid a potential avalanche. The 200-year-old werewolf knew the place like the back of his hand. He had the confidence to find his way back home even while blindfolded. But as he headed deeper, something did not felt right.


    Nangong Sanba noticed Uruk slowing down as his expression turned grim. Nervous, the demon hunter asked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Uruk frowned as he looked at the path before him before taking a few more steps. After reaching a fork he scratched his head, looking like a lost tourist. Circling around for a bit, the werewolf looked up towards the familiar Scorching Peak. ¡°The direction is correct¡­¡±


    ¡°This path isn¡¯t as I remembered!¡± Uruk finally turned back to inform the rest, incredulity was pronounced in his voice. ¡°There should not be a fork here¡­ I have gone through this path hundreds of times. I don¡¯t remember seeing a path leading into the valley.¡±


    As he spoke, he frowned again as he looked towards the valley. ¡°¡­That¡¯s not right¡­ I don¡¯t even remember a valley being here.¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡± Lady Ophra asked, her voice exasperated. ¡°A werewolf can actually get lost in the Sacred Mountain?¡±


    ¡°I have no clue.¡± Uruk pointed towards the fork. ¡°I¡¯m very familiar of the path on this side of the fork, but I have no inkling of the path on the other side.¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly remembered something. ¡°Wait, you remember what was on the right side of the fork? Rock formation? Valleys? Or something else?¡±


    Uruk frowned again as he demurred and was shocked that he had no memory of what was on the right side of the fork.


    No rock formation, no valleys, nothing, as he tried to recall he realized that he had never deigned to see what was on the right side of the path that he frequented. There was nothing in his memory!


    ¡°I think I know what¡¯s going on now.¡± Hao Ren knew the answer as he saw Uruk¡¯s expression. ¡°I doubt any other werewolf have seen this path either. Your senses have been disrupted.¡±


    Uruk was stunned.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that the entire mountain was under the disruptive effect.¡± Hao Ren looked at everyone around him. ¡°Everyone passing by here would have their senses distorted to ignore what is on the other side of the road. Even if you were to think back then nothing amiss will arise. The brain monster has already ¡®taken¡¯ this entire place from the ¡®sight¡¯ of the mortal races. And that¡¯s why the heretics could be so brazen and set up camp here.¡±


    A faint expression of shock appeared on Lady Ophra¡¯s face. ¡°¡­How long has this disruption has been going on?¡±


    ¡°Humans won¡¯t actually know when they start sleeping.¡± Vivian suddenly spoke as she looked at Uruk. ¡°Since the dawn of the history of the werewolves, have you actually seen this valley within the Sacred Mountain? Do your maps cover this region?¡±


    Uruk turned silent as a foreboding chill started engulfing Becky.

 Chapter 671

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The search and destroy parties had entered the deepest areas of the mountain, and the leading werewolf cavalry suddenly found themselves stepping into foreign land.


    This was their homeland, yet it was absolutely alien to them.


    Hao Ren remained silent as he followed Uruk from behind, while a dozen knights and clerics looked out for any threats. Everybody was tensed, but there were still no signs of hostile contact.


    ¡°Other units have also responded,¡± Uruk grumbled, his ears shuddering. The werewolf¡¯s unique communication technique could let them keep in touch across the mountain. ¡°A few teams are heading towards the valley and none of them remembered this mountain path.


    It was just as Hao Ren predicted. The monster¡¯s had used some sort mental disruption or sense distortion ability to hide this valley and for most living beings with cognitive abilities, this was akin to a piece of the mountain being excavated and those under the influence was none the wiser. No one could say when this disruption had started, but there was something unsettling. No written history from the times the werewolves moved to the Sacred Mountains until today made any mention of this valley, neither did their maps.


    A knight of the party could not digest what was going on and blurted out. ¡°Why did this valley appeared all of the sudden?¡±


    Uruk threw him a glance. ¡°It¡¯s because of the protective crystals. This was the first time someone stepped into the area without having their senses disrupted.¡±


    As they went further ahead, Lily suddenly shouted as she pointed forward. ¡°Something¡¯s up ahead!¡±


    Hao Ren turned towards the direction Lily was pointing and saw half of a stone pillar sticking out on the side of the snow-covered mountain. It seems like the remnant of a manmade item. He went ahead to have a look a noted it was a black obelisk and on it was a series of runic inscriptions. An accompanying cleric immediately recognised the words. ¡°A mark left by the heretics.¡±


    ¡°This thing had been lying in the open for a long while.¡± Y¡¯zaks said as he touched the almost fully eroded inscription. ¡°Can you run a scan?¡±


    The MDT floated ahead as it scanned the obelisk. ¡°There is dried paint on the inscriptions. This is about three to four thousand years ago.¡±


    If the obelisk was about three to four thousand years old, then the valley and everything within in is probably even older. Lady Ophra looked dumbfoundedly at the obelisk before something dawned upon her. The fact that how the heretics had flourished unknowingly under the noses of the Disciples of Glory.


    It is because that they were here all this while!


    ¡°Their history is beyond the Disciples of Glory.¡± Hao Ren slapped his hands as he got up. ¡°They were here before the migration of the werewolves, before the founding of the Kingdom of Holetta, before the Disciples of Glory was first sanctified. The valley was already being shielded by the monster¡¯s powers. They did not expand under the nose of the Disciples of Glory, rather it is otherwise: The Disciples of Glory and the Kingdom of Holetta grew under the noses of the heretics.


    Lady Ophra¡¯s expression was conflicted. She had no way to accept the fact of the matter. This was even more outlandish than the saying that the heretics were hiding within the Beinz diocese. Even the usual thick-headed Becky felt that this was a little too surreal. ¡°The Cult of Origination is more ancient than the Disciples of Glory? Then this world was theirs to begin with! Why weren¡¯t they doing anything for the past thusand of years?¡±


    Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°How would I know what they were up to. We are just basing in on cold-hard data here. At least from the start of the werewolf migration that the inner sanctum of the Sacred Mountain was already under the disruptive spell.¡±


    Vivian rubbed her chin as she demurred. ¡°For something to stay incognito for a thousand of years only to rear their heads of late, there must be something on to that. Perhaps they had some long term plans that needed thousands of years to realise and the change of events in the past years had forced them to react. Possibly osmething to do with the Goddess.¡±


    Lady Ophra frowned and was still in disbelief. The fact that the heretics were hiding out in the Sacred Mountain for thousand of years was a seismic shock to what she had known. Thousands of years¡­ if these were mere mortal race, how many generations had passed?


    When did the heretics started congregating here? Where did they came from? How did they live here? How did their doctrine spread? How did they kept contact with the outside world? What had kept them hidden for a thousand of years and yet they could still maintain the fervor of their cause? Was it due to the influence of the brain monster? Or something els


    ¡°Move on.¡± Lady Ophra shook her head as she ordered her knights. ¡°Stay focused. Report the moment if you detect any illusions or psychological effects.¡±


    Even though she was holding on to the protective crystal, her unease was apparent. Mental control was not something that you can defend against, and as such was a terrifying weapon. The terrifying part is not only that it will corrupt someone totally, the fact that the victim would not be aware of it was even more chilling. A sleeping person would not realise when did he fell asleep, and for a victim of mental control, he is most vulnerable when he feels that he is well prepared for it.


    Any accomplished mind control masters knew this trick: Controlling your prey is the easiest when the prey is under the illusion that it was free. And any masters of the arts of mental defence would always remind their students: The moment when you look down upon your foe, it usually means you had already lost.


    Uruk and the few of the cavalrymen beside him went ahead with a grim expression. The path before them was foreign to them as there were many unknown paths and scenery. Even when they were walking within their own homeland, they were as lost as a foreigner. The only advantage they had was their accustomisation to the local enviroment and lay of the land. They would probably have an advantage if attacked but god knows if that is actually worth anything.


    ¡°Why do I feel like the brain monster here is much more powerful than the one at Nasaton?¡± Lily mumbled as she got beside Hao Ren. ¡°The monster at Nasaton needed a very long time to control others unnoticed. Why does the one here seem to be able to mess with everyone from the outset?¡±


    ¡°Maybe it had set up something here.¡± Hao Ren added. ¡°A few thousand years you know, it¡¯ll probably manage to dig up an Epang Palace* with its tentacles alone.¡±


    Lily thought for a bit before poking Vivian on the arm. ¡°Battie, do you know how to walk inside the Epang Palace?¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian decided to both ignore the husky that was beyond cure.


    Uruk suddenly stopped his steps, his ears shuddered under the chill wind as his nostrils expanded. A faint wiff of foul scent came from nowhere. ¡°Beware¡­ something unclean is abound.¡±


    Lady Ophra immediately drew her longsword as the enchanted blade was ablaze with holy fire. Nangong Sanba and Nangong Wudi too squinted as they activated their special demon hunting ability. Within the demon hunter¡¯s spectral sight everything on the snow-covered valley was layered with a light blue outline, and any unclean matter within the sight have no where to hide.


    But the first one to detect the enemy was not a combat specialist, but a hyperactive dumb cat that was running here and there since she had entired the valley. Rollie suddenly let out a yelp before darting out from behind a rock not too far away. ¡°Meooowwww¡ª Meownster!¡±


    Just as Rollie dashed back to the group, a humanoid monster came from behind the rocks!


    Well, ¡®humanoid¡¯ was a misnomer, as the monster had already log discarded any vestige of humanity. It was a giant, rotten monster, with wound marks and mismatched body parts, almost like a few corpse was stitched together to form the monster. It was also clad with a oddly shaped vest that was pitch black with plenty of onyx crystals chips on it. Electricity ran across the surface and it was clearly not something that the Holettaeans would be able to produce.


    As the first ¡®stitched horror¡¯ appeared, rustling came from all over the place as a horde of monsters appeared out of nowwwhere, and had surrounded the group.


    Hao Ren had no idea how did these monsters eluded their notice but there wwas no time to think. He pulled out his spear and pistol out from his Dimensional Pocket and lead the charge. ¡°Take them down!¡±

 Chapter 672

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    A chaotic fight soon ensued as the stiched horrors that appeared out of nowhere roared like enraged beasts before charging towards the knights and clerics. Even though their frames were gigantic and their bodies were a tattered mess, their speed and strength were beyond belief. A fully armoured Royal Knight raised his shield to block the attack, only to be sent flying 10 m back. He went crashing deep into the mountainside as a result. Seeing this, Marshal Ophra dropped an order, ¡°Don¡¯t face it head-on! Anti-giant formation, now!¡±


    Immediately after the order, the knights quickly switched their formation. The frontline changed into a three-man team as they tried to take down that abomination of stitched flesh. The clerics got to work too as they prepared their divine spells. No matter what kind of monsters they were, the divine spells would probably work against them.


    Hao Ren swung his spear about as he charged towards the closest foe, and just as he closed the distance a nauseating stench assaulted him. It was the rotting smell of the decomposing corpses. He held his breath as he plunged his spear through the enemy before leaping sideways. ¡°F*ck me! They are walking biological weapons!¡±


    Lily had already cooked up a storm of fire and ice with her Frostfire Claws. As she dashed out from the cloud of steam, it was like a Chinese celestials descending from heavens. As the white fog dispersed, the white furred husky jumped as she grumbled. ¡°Just my luck to have such a sensitive nose!¡±


    Rollie was darting about the battlefield. There were plenty of foes abound but she did not dare engage them. The dumb cat finally decided enough was enough and clambered up a withered tree and stayed there. As she stayed perched on the tree, she still managed to warn the rest. ¡°There¡¯s more meownsters! From underground!¡±


    ¡°From underground?¡± Hao Ren was surprised. Y¡¯zaks at the same time had just blasted one of the stitched horror down the cliff with a punch. It was a cakewalk for him against these monsters. As he had time, he hailed Hao Ren. ¡°Go down to have a look. I can take this on solo.¡±


    Hao Ren responded with a ¡®Oh¡¯ as he dashed towards the position where Rollie pointed. Lily too followed behind. ¡°Wait up! I¡¯ll protect you!¡±


    She could not stand the stench anymore.


    Hao Ren swiftly dispatched a few stitched horrors that was in the way with his spear before using his pistol to turn a few more approaching foes into crystal dust. He soon spotted the burrow where the monster came from and the scene shocked him and Lily. There was at least a dozen big holes in the ground and the holes were tunnels that had a metallic hue to it; and the exitway was a petal-like gate created out of onyx-coloured crystals. The stitched horrors had came through these tunnels to the surface. Lily looked at exitway that seemingly should only exists in a ultra-modern sci-fi setting. ¡°This thing sure doesn¡¯t fit Holetta¡¯s architecture eh?¡±


    As she spoke one of the metallic doors opened and a stitched horror that had electricity running across it leapt out of the exitway. It immediately noticed Hao Ren ad Lily and charged towards them after a bone-shattering roar. The electricity danced across the onyx crystal vest and made the monster looked like a charging thunderbolt. Lily saw the smelly excuse of a creature charging towards her and immediately picked up a rock weighing half a tonne without thinking before flinging it towards the monster. A thunderous crack later the monster was destroyed. Hao Ren took a peak and only saw a pool of blood¡­


    ¡°Calm down.¡± Hao Ren looked at the werehusky before charging towards the gateway. He noticed that the bottom part of the exit was a metal exit catapult that is borrowed deep into the earth. The all too familiar stench came from the tunnel, and it was apparent that the tunnel led deep underground.


    ¡°Stand back.¡± Hao Rem motioned for Lily to find cover before taking a shining tube from his Dimensional Pocket. He gave both ends of the tube a twist to unlock the safety and start the countdown before lobbing it into the tunnel. The tube was a kind of bomb, and the difference of it to a graviton bomb is that its explosion will not cause a spatial distortion, rather it will release a powerful electromagnetic pulse. Hao Ren noticed that the electrified vest on the monster had something to do with how they move, and figured that this was not your cookie cutter undead, but a half flesh half mechanical monster that acts based on electric transmission. A electromagnetic pulse would probably ruin their day.


    A bright flash of light came from deep within the tunnel as the tube exploded. Hao Ren heard a few thuds following the blast. As the din faded smoke started coming out of the tunnel, and a few other tunnels nearby. It seems like the tunnels were interconnected underground.


    After a moment Hao Ren realised that all machine activity had ceased and no monsters had appeared from the tunnel. It seems like the electromagnetic pulse had wrecked the tunnel¡¯s function but how many of stitched horrors were taken out was still unknown to him.


    The other stitched horrors that had popped up earlier were easily dispatched by Y¡¯zaks and the rest. Lady Ophra led the party as they rushed to Hao Ren¡¯s side. ¡°You¡­ have you taken them out?¡±


    Vivian saw the corpses strewn around Hao Ren and the few smoking holes as she blinked. ¡°I was just about to let you know that using high voltage electricity works well against them. They¡¯re finished when their vest shortcircuits.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet kicked on of the dead stitched horrors with her tiny leg. ¡°See if your vest save you now huh?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue too had appeared from whatever hole she managed to hide in. The siren was assured that the fighting was over before collecting whatever courage she had and come to Hao Ren¡¯s side. The first thing that caugh her attention was the smoking tunnels. ¡°What is that? Did the heretics made this?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think the heretics have such craftsmanship, and even if they had they would not have the technology. You see the connectiors and the lever of the gate? Those are some pretty advance hydraulics.¡± Hao Ren pointed towards a part of the metal gate. ¡°This is probably by the brain monster¡­ I have a bad feeling.¡±


    The MDT floated forward to scan the area. It was only a PDA and with the Sacred Mountain being shrouded in a weird energy field, its radar could only tell that there was a big hole underneath and nothing else appeared on the scan.¡±


    ¡°Seems like the nest of the Cult of Origination is underneath.¡± Hao Ren looked at threst. ¡°Lets look for any other entrances¡­ If no, we¡¯ll have to go through here¡±


    Lily suddenly remembered the rancid smelling stitched horror had came out from the tunnel and her fur immediately stood up. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s a good idea Mr Landlord?¡±


    ¡°Not a good one, but it¡¯s at least one.¡± Hao Ren gave Lily a glance. ¡°You can activate the lifehoop later no? Just treat it like it¡¯s outerspace. Vivian, throw a bat in, scout the place out for some place for us to set foot.¡±


    Lily mumbled as she followed. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that we¡¯ll fall into a sea of corpse and blood. Don¡¯t blame me if you puke out what you had for the reunion dinner.¡±


    Hao Ren had not thought that far and he had the urge to puke when Lily mentioned it¡­


    Vivian summoned a bat and threw it down the tunnel before quinting as she focused. A moment later she nodded at Hao Ren. ¡°The bat got lost.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Then why are you nodding?¡±


    ¡°Was trying to act all cool.¡± Vivian turned away, slightly embarassed. ¡°Don¡¯t blame me, it¡¯s a maze down there and many of the pathways intersects, like an ant¡¯s nest. And my bat did not carry the protective crystal. It got dizzy a few seconds in, and I was lucky I managed to dismiss it before it got mind controlled.¡±


    ¡°Alright, regardless if there¡¯s anything down there or not, if it¡¯s that well interconnected, we should have a look. What are you doing, Lily?¡±


    Lily was scampering up a rock before laying on it as she sniffed the place out. ¡°Looking for a normal entrance!¡±


    Hao Ren had indeed asked the rest to look for other entrance and having said that, he knew that the brain monster would not let the entrance to its sanctum be found that easily. Thus he simply rolled his eyes at Lily. ¡°So.. you found one?¡±


    Lily stepped before the tunnel that still bore the stench, her expression dauntless. ¡°Fame and glory is only gained through mortal perils, and you think mere stench would hold this werewolf back!?¡±


    ¡°Take that lifehoop off and repeat that again.¡± Vivian shot back with an incredulous look.


    ¡°¡­¡±

 Chapter 673

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    To keep it safe, Vivian threw a little bat down there again. This time, she allowed the little bat to fly down with a small piece of protective crystal. Looking at the little one flying unsteadily into the passage, Hao Ren worried that it would hit the wall, but luckily, it reached the bottom smoothly.


    There was an interconnected tunnel world under the metal pipe, which structure was as complex as an ant¡¯s nest. Vivian found the chimeras¡¯ route based on the traces of blood on the pipe and she also discovered a lot of the monsters that died in the pipe. They died together with their upper bodies all burnt and the cause of the burning was a short circuit fault in their black electric vests. It seemed that the electromagnetic pulse bomb thrown by Hao Ren worked. Not only did it blow up the mechanical control parts of the metal pipe, it also killed a large number of monsters that were rushing out, and blocked some of their exits.


    But Vivian¡¯s little bat also found the sound of mechanical friction coming from certain branches of the pipeline, which might be gradually resuming operations. If the pipeline system had the ability to maintain and clean itself, then other monsters should soon find new exits and gush out.


    Hao Ren decided to dash in before those pipeline systems resumed operation. And in order to give everyone enough time and to cause more trouble to the underground facility, he threw several EMP bombs into another pipeline.


    After the bombs exploded in the depths of the underground, Hao Ren nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s cleaned up, let¡¯s go down. I go first.¡±


    Uruk frowned. This was something he had never seen before. He instinctively felt that there was a nasty smell coming from the depths of the tunnel, but he did not hesitate and flinch. Anyway, a group of unclean fellows dug a hole deep in the depths of the werewolf¡¯s sacred mountain, and he could not leave it alone. The wolf king looked around and then asked, ¡°You all ready to go? I don¡¯t have to go down there, do I?¡±


    Uruk stared at the wolf king and asked, ¡°How can you get cold feet now?¡±


    The wolf king bared his teeth and said, ¡°Look at my four claws! What do you want me to do with them?¡±


    Uruk felt that what wolf king said was quite reasonable, and he had nothing to say.


    ¡°You and other wolves just guard outside,¡± Hao Ren told the Wolf King. ¡°I give you leave a communicator, immediately inform us if anything happens, just speak to it. The other soldiers should reach here soon, let them come down. Someone will be waiting for them. Ophra, is that all right?¡±


    Hao Ren realized that there was a real commander here when he finished speaking. Ophra did not mind at all. She waved her hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s do it. I know, now you are familiar with this situation, and I don¡¯t know what to start with if you let me do it.¡±


    After Hao Ren hung the communicator on the wolf king¡¯s neck and made sure everything was ready, he jumped into the deep, dark mechanical pipe at once.


    The pipe sloped downward, but it still allowed them to walk and would not tumble down as long as they walked carefully. The pipe was more spacious than imagined and that allowed them to stand upright. It looked actually more like a cylindrical corridor than a pipe. Hao Ren was observing the metal wall around him while walking. The metal used was obviously not made by the technology of Holletta, and its fine structure was far beyond the technical level of this planet. The more he looked, the more he was startled: the existence of these high-tech things could only explain one problem, which was, what was hidden in the sacred mountain was not just the lair of The Disciples of Glory!


    Did a cult formed by the locals need such a high-tech base?


    ¡°That brain monster has been lurking on this planet for at least thousands of years.¡± Vivian was also thinking about a similar question. ¡°The underground base was probably built slowly by it, which means it has at least a certain amount of industrial equipment on hand.¡±


    Hao Ren just nodded silently.


    The situation was far beyond his speculation in the beginning. At first he thought that there was only one brain monster had come to this planet by coincidence and organized a group of locals to form the Cult of Origination, all of which probably had happened in recent years, but now the fact was in the opposite way: the brain monster had actually been dormant in this world for thousands of years. It built an astonishing underground base in this sacred mountain, and the Cult of Origination¡­


    Might just be a small, insignificant group that came with the underground base.


    ¡°There is very strong interference here.¡± The voice of the data terminal awakened Hao Ren from his thought. ¡°The source of interference is still somewhere deeper. But I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s the power of the base or anything else.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and have a look, there¡¯s no more option anyway,¡± said Hao Ren.


    Y¡¯zaks had to stoop to walk here and it was really hard for him. Y¡¯lisabet could not help saying, ¡°Dad, why didn¡¯t you just shrink the body a little bit smaller at the beginning?¡±


    ¡°When I transformed into human form for the first time, I met a Quibiss tribesman. I thought it was the standard height of human beings¡­ Now I can¡¯t change it even if I want to¡­¡±


    Soon they reached the first fork that Vivian had ascertained. Lily pointed at the intersection and shouted, ¡°Look over there!¡±


    Several foul-smelling flesh monsters were lying dead in one of the pipes. Their black vests burst from the overload of the circuit, and their entire upper bodies were almost cooked. The surrounding walls also had traces of strong electric arc ablation. This was the masterpiece of the EMP bomb.


    Hao Ren found them disgusting but still, he went and turned over one of the monster¡¯s black vest. The thing had broken into pieces, a little flip would make it fall off. Hao Ren found that this thing consisted of layers of materials looking like flexible plastic. Its outer layer was inlaid with black crystals, and the inner layer was a large number of wires. There was also a shiny needle structure on the other side of the body. These needles were probably pricked directly into the muscles of the monster and they were the source of power and control of these flesh monsters.


    ¡°Biological and mechanical combination, and looks like an industrial product, mass-produced.¡± The data terminal quickly made a judgment. ¡°It¡¯s not the same ¡®knight¡¯ that we saw at the king¡¯s banquet last time.¡±


    ¡°The question is, where did the ¡®materials¡¯ of these monsters come from?¡± Lily frowned and poked the arm of one of the chimeras with Flamejoy. ¡°They seem to be pieced together by human organs, and many organs have been modified¡­ It¡¯s going to take a lot of bodies, right?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue muttered cautiously, ¡°Would it be those missing heretics?¡±


    Hao Ren immediately remembered that he did not meet any heretic since he entered the mountain and felt that the possibility could not be ignored. ¡°This is¡­ very likely!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it,¡± said Ophra, frowning, ¡°The devil has made his followers into such a monster?¡±


    ¡°The brain monster didn¡¯t treat humans as his followers,¡± Hao Ren said, threw away the vest fragments, stood up, clapped his hands and continued, ¡°the brain monster and the Firstborn have the same belief, that is, all life deserves to die, but the brain monster is smarter, it will try to let his prey kill each other first.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks stepped forward and waved his hand over a chimera, and saw a blurred, translucent thing in his hand. The thing struggled in his palm until it dissipated. Y¡¯zaks shook his head and said, ¡°But these heretics were transformed into monsters in a conscious and voluntary state.¡±


    All of them fell silent. Ophra could only sigh and said, ¡°What an incomprehensible belief.¡±


    Ophra left two soldiers at the first fork, and then they continued to move forward. They avoided the pipeline, which could lead them to the ¡®flesh monster factory¡¯, and chose a direction with little smell of blood. As they went deeper, more lights appeared in the pipe, which seemed to prove that they were on the right path: they were approaching the deep part of the underground facility.


    Just as the team arrived at another fork, a mechanical noise suddenly came from somewhere nearby.


    Lily had sensitive ears. She immediately turned her pointed ear to the direction of the voice and said, ¡°Over there!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks immediately straightened up and said, ¡°Everybody¡ª¡± Bang!


    Y¡¯lisabet looked up and found that her father¡¯s head was stuck in the ceiling. She sighed and said, ¡°So dad, why didn¡¯t you just make yourself smaller?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks¡¯s voice came from behind a layer of steel. ¡°Stop it. Pull me out first¡­¡±

 Chapter 674

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    *Boom!*


    Y¡¯zaks pulled his head out of the wall, together with some debris and stones. He spat them out and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight in this place. I can easily cause the entire tunnel to collapse.¡±


    Uruk looked at the enormous man with a strange expression and found that he was preety much squatting. ¡°Can you still fight?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate him. He can beat everyone here even if he¡¯s lying on the ground, let alone when he¡¯s squatting,¡± said Nangong Wuyue.


    Hao Ren waved his hand and said, ¡°Stop mumbling about. Be careful of your surroundings.¡±


    The mechanical sound came from a branch pipe on the left. Everyone was on guard, but they did not find any enemy. It sounded just like the operational workings of a transmission device. Nangong Sanba went up and took a quick look cautiously. He then waved to everyone and said, ¡°There¡¯s a gate here!¡±


    Everyone rushed there and saw a brighter light at the end of the pipe, and the mechanical sound was coming from that direction. It seemed to be an exit.


    After confirming that no enemies were lying in ambush, Hao Ren was holding the shield and led the team through the long tunnel. They came out of a circular gate and then found themselves in an unusually broad, tall corridor. It was a square and solemn corridor, with a width of more than ten meters and a height of more than ten meters. And if you looked up, it would almost make you feel dizzy. The corridor was brightly lit. The walls were cast with some kind of grayish white metal, while the bare rock could be seen where the metal was not covered. It seemed to be a place that was not completely finished yet.


    Y¡¯zaks was stretching his arms. He was happy to come out of the narrow cramped pipe. ¡°Finally I don¡¯t have to cramp inside¡­ Errr, this place is a little too wide.¡±


    This huge corridor was clearly not made for humans. Hao Ren immediately remembered the kind of giant that he had discovered on Io. He knew that the brain monster was the result of the mutation of that kind of giant. However, the brain monster had lost its body, does it still need to live in a lair of this size?


    Uruk was stunned at the scene before his eyes. ¡°There¡¯s such a thing in the depths of the sacred mountain?¡±


    ¡°These things may have existed before you came here,¡± Vivian looked at Uruk and said, ¡°I can understand how you feel. In a sense, the brain monster and his servants should be the natives of this place. And you all just moved here thousands of years ago.¡±


    Uruk waved his hand. Apparently, he did not want to talk about this topic. Ophra ordered the knights around her, ¡°You guys, go and check the situation in front and back in a moment. The rest of you, stay here and rest for a while and wait for other soldiers. We don¡¯t know the situation here, better not go too fast.¡±


    Hao Ren agreed with the arrangement, but the size of the underground stronghold made him feel anxious. He was holding the data terminal scanning everywhere. Lily saw it and asked curiously, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°The space here is surprisingly large,¡± Hao Ren said while looking at the results of the data terminal. Although the powerful energy disturbances in the mountains had reduced the accuracy of the data terminal, it still managed to collect some data as they went deeper. ¡°There is a huge hole in the area hundreds of meters away from here¡­ but can¡¯t detect its boundary.¡±


    Lily stuck out her tongue and asked, ¡°Is it possible that this mountain is hollow inside?¡±


    Hao Ren was just about to say something, and suddenly, they heard noises coming from the end of the corridor. The knights who had just gone to check the situation in front were retreating while fighting from the corner of the corridor. The thing that was fighting with them was the chimera that they saw on the ground before!


    As soon as Ophra saw this, she drew her sword and rushed forward without hesitation. The long sword was blazing in holy flame. The female marshal¡¯s silhouette flashed in the air like a shadow and a couple of chimeras were burnt to ashes by the holy flame before they could react. Several of the knights reported loudly before they could catch their breath, ¡°A lot of monsters are coming out of the gates. They seem to be blocking this place!¡±


    As soon as the knights had finished speaking, the alarm went off, and then came the sound of mechanical friction coming from every corner, sounding like more mechanical gates had opened. Everyone immediately understood what was going on: the base¡¯s controller sounded the alarm and began releasing the chimeras to stop the intruders.


    The defense system of the entire underground stronghold was activated and quickly targeted the site of the invasion. More gates were slowly opened, as well as the exits for counterattacking in the corridors. A large number of chimeras roared out of the bio-modification factory hidden deep underground. And as these defenses were activated, they heard voices in the pipe behind them: more Knights had finally arrived.


    ¡°Good.¡± Ophra nodded to Elson and said, ¡°It seems that the defenses here have been activated. All we need to do is to rush in. Bring your men and come with me.¡±


    In fact, Hao Ren was not surprised at the activation of the defense system, because this was the inevitable thing. The brain monster that could sense their minds must be able to sense that someone had invaded his territory. The only thing Hao Ren felt strange was why the alarm did not go off until now. The brain monster¡¯s slow reaction made him feel weird. He expected that they should have been attacked fiercely when they entered the underground stronghold.


    ¡°Data terminal, try to navigate as far as possible.¡± Hao Ren put his doubt aside and threw the data terminal in the air. ¡°Take us to the depths.¡±


    The data terminal would not talk much in this kind of situation. It whistled, and then dashed to the front.


    All of them immediately followed the blue lightning blue. The knights raised their swords. The mages were surrounded by the brilliance of magic. The priests held the holy object and the Bible aloft. This ¡®cleansing force¡¯, driven by faith and justice, ignored the eerie alien surroundings. They left all doubts behind and charged at the end of the corridor that was blocked by monsters.


    The data terminal tried to eliminate the ubiquitous energy disturbances in the underground stronghold as much as possible. It tried to trace out the road map to the depths of the cavern, leading the team swiftly through the gates blocked by monsters. However, sometimes there were some errors in the navigation: Some sort of automatic system in this stronghold seemed to be aware of the existence of data terminal. It was consciously using strong interference to disturb the route. But those errors did not affect Hao Ren¡¯s team. When they saw a thick wall in front of them, and the road was right behind the wall, they would not find another route. Y¡¯lisabet threw a super hell lava ball two times larger than her at the wall. And the wall was gone.


    That¡¯s right. This was how they dealt with a maze. They did not care about the gates or the obstacles.


    Over time, more backup soldiers penetrated the area through several tunnels. The new soldiers were ordered to take a different route to sweep away the chimeras, while also relieving pressure on the main forces. Soon, the underground stronghold was filled with explosions and shouting. But the other troops did not move as fast as Hao Ren¡¯s team, so most of them stopped at the outer corridor blocked by layers of alloy gates. In the end, only Hao Ren¡¯s team got into the core of the underground stronghold.


    The monsters were constantly coming out of all corners. The knights formed a defensive line on both flanks, resisting the monsters and ensuring that the team could maintain the tempo of bombardment and able to march quickly. Meanwhile, Ayesha and Nangong Wuyue, as powerful healers, were constantly healing the wounds of the knights and dispelling the poisonous stench of the chimeras. Watching Y¡¯zaks and Y¡¯lisabet were bombing the way in front of them, they got a little worried and asked, ¡°What if the sacred mountain collapses?¡±


    ¡°Do you think that since the brain monster has dug such a huge hole in the sacred mountain, how could it forget to reinforce the outer frame?¡± Hao Ren replied loudly in the explosion, ¡°The sacred mountain has been hollow for several thousand years, it will not collapse!¡±


    Bang! As soon as he finished talking, they felt the ground was shaking as if it was crumbling.


    ¡°Landlord! Look what you¡¯ve just said¡­¡± Lily immediately screamed.


    Hao Ren was also startled, but soon he realized that something was not right. ¡°Wait a minute, the mountain is not collapsing! It doesn¡¯t sound like earthquake¡­¡±


    The loud crash lasted only a few seconds, and the quake around them soon calmed down. But after a while, a similar quake and loud noise came again!


    As Hao Ren said, it did not sound like the sacred mountain was going to collapse, but it was definitely not a good phenomenon!


    They heard roars of chimeras coming from the front. Hao Ren saw a heavy gate at the end of the corridor that seemed unable to close. He immediately lifted his lance and strode forward. ¡°Hurry up!¡±


    They went through several gates and a few corners, and the space around them seemed more and more spacious, making them wonder if the whole mountain had been hollowed out. And that weird quake sound was still going on and on and on, sounded as if some super huge device was warming up and ready to start. Suddenly, a thought flashed through Hao Ren¡¯s mind. At the same time, he found that he came to the end of the corridor.


    At the end of the corridor, there was a platform hanging in the air. A shockingly huge cavern was in front of them, and they were stunned by the thing in the middle of the cavern.


    Hao Ren now knew what the brain monster was doing in the sacred mountains for tens of thousands of years.


    ¡°He¡¯s fixing the spaceship¡­ and it¡¯s fixed¡­¡± said Lily.


    Rollie also glanced at it, and then immediately rolled up into a ball at Hao Ren¡¯s foot and said, ¡°We¡¯re going to die meow!¡±

 Chapter 675

?

 Chapter 676

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Whether it was Hao Ren¡¯s quick wit or his acumen as an inspector, whereby he could foresee circumstances that other laymen could not, everybody was safe thanks to him. When several dozen tons of rocks fell from the sky like a rainstorm, everyone including the soldiers who had just emerged on the other platforms managed to retreat into the corridor safely. Rocks were either raining down into the bottom of the cavern or rolling down the mountain. The young and brave werewolves used to carry the rocks down the peak by hand for thousands of years, however witnessing the rocks crumbling down the mountain in such a manner was totally beyond their imagination. Uruk watched on and there was a flash in his eyes. No one knew what was in his mind. Becky was next to him and she thought he was worried about his tribe, who was living around the Sacred Mountain. She consoled him by saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the werewolves are very alert and strong. I¡¯m sure they must have evacuated safely.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not worried about that.¡± Uruk shook his head. ¡°The main peak of the Sacred Mountain has no tribal settlement. We all live on the two side peaks and in the mountains west of the Sacred Mountain. I just can¡¯t believe the Sacred Mountain is collapsing¡­ You probably don¡¯t understand the significance of this mountain to us.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks looked up at the ceiling of the corridor. As the mountain shook, sand fell through the gaps of the metal panels on the corridor¡¯s ceiling. However, the shaking was gradually reducing. Clearly, the greatest wave of falling rock had ended. The machinery inside the Sacred Mountain had also stopped running. Y¡¯zaks turned to look at Uruk and said, ¡°It¡¯s over. Don¡¯t worry. The mountain will not collapse entirely. It may have just changed its shape.¡±


    Uruk could only trust what he said.


    At this time, Hao Ren¡¯s MDT suddenly vibrated. A panic-stricken voice was heard over the radio. ¡°Hey, hello¡ªHard Man? Hard Man, can you hear me? Anyone there?¡±


    Then, it crossed Hao Ren¡¯s mind that the alpha and other battle wolves were still on the slopes of the main peak of the Sacred Mountain. He quickly replied, ¡°I hear you. What¡¯s the situation on your side? Is anyone hurt?¡±


    ¡°It scared me to death,¡± the alpha wolf¡¯s voice sounded loud and clear, although a bit panicky. ¡°What just happened? Rocks were floating around and raining down all at once¡­ Thanks to our exceptional hearing ability, when we heard some strange noises, we quickly ran down the mountain and hid in a col. Oh, there was a hapless guy who got his leg broken by a falling rock. He¡¯s wailing in pain. He needs medical attention.¡±


    Knowing the alpha wolf was all right, Hao Ren and Uruk breathed a sigh of relief. The alpha wolf continued, ¡°What¡¯s that flying thing? That thing¡¯s getting brighter; I feel a tickling sensation¡­¡±


    ¡°Getting brighter?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s heart missed a beat. Suddenly, the scenes in Eva¡¯s memory came to mind. He ran out of the corridor with his Steel Membrane Shield turned on, ignoring the still falling rocks. The platform that they were on before was half smashed. Hao Ren could only balance himself on a shaky steel beam. He looked up and saw that the black battleship hovering in the sky had seemingly stopped its ascension. An electric glow slowly appeared on the black crystal plates that were stacked on top of each other at the rear section of the battleship. It made it look like a weirdly huge firefly.


    However, this ¡°firefly¡± possessed a kind of destructive power. As the light lit up the sky, a strange energy, which almost felt like a static charge filled the Sacred Mountain and even the entirety of the Beinz Diocese. Everyone was feeling an itching sensation on their skin. The crystal ore in the crystal pit gradually emanated a fluorescent glow. Lily grabbed her tail, trying to rub down her fluffy fur. Rollie was stroking her tail frantically just like Lily. Nangong Wuyue and Ayesha looked at each other as an inexplicable fear rose from their cores, rendering them helpless.


    Hao Ren had also felt the same fear, but this fear was not his, but a leftover memory from Eva. Ten thousand years ago, a black battleship realized its EMP energy and destroyed Io. The last scene of that memory was strikingly similar to the black battleship before them now.


    Obviously, the brain monster had no intention to get away. It wanted to destroy the planet¡¯s ecosystem. It had been planning it for so long. Its ultimate goal remained unchanged: it wanted to reset the planet¡¯s ecosystem.


    ¡°Damn it! It¡¯s going to use its EMP weapon!¡± Hao Ren¡¯s blood ran cold as the situation suddenly got out of his control. ¡°MDT, move the Petrachelys into orbit and get ready to strike.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you want to do that? Even if we can destroy that thing with one shot, the explosion could destroy the entire western part of the continent.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s better than a global destruction!¡± Blood veins almost burst out of his skin. He called Ophra. ¡°Inform everyone to evacuate. Don¡¯t be stingy¡ªuse the portal! Run as far and as fast as you can. This thing¡ª¡±


    Before Hao Ren¡¯s voice trailed off, a sudden high-altitude explosion interrupted him.


    Light was bursting out from the black battleship as an uncountable number of colorful flares and insect-like dots were shot from the eastern sky, hitting the black battleship. The explosions seemed to slow down the black battleship¡¯s energy charging. Hao Ren had no idea what was happening, but it did not take him long to figure it out¡ªHodeceus was firing at the monster.


    Hollettans in the floating fortress were in shock. They had never seen such things before. They did not even know if that thing was a creation of the devil or a miracle from the goddess sent to destroy the devil. Only when they received intelligence from the frontline that they realized an evil weapon was threatening the existence of their world. So, they launched the attack without hesitation.


    The master mages of Hodeceus were not worried about hitting the Sacred Mountain. They were training all their magic cannons on the black battleship, which was still in the midst of charging, thus unlikely to dodge their attacks. Thousands of magic cannons and fixed siege guns radiating in magical glow fired colorful magic bullets as well as specially crafted wind-magic arrowheads. They were tipped with the most powerful explosives Holletta had ever produced. Although these explosives looked like child¡¯s play in the eyes of the highly-advanced alien battleship, the indigenous people of this planet were not about to give up.


    ¡°Will that even work?¡± Ophra mumbled as she looked up at the light bursting on the black spaceship.


    ¡°It won¡¯t work, but they¡¯re brave enough,¡± said Hao Ren, before he, the MDT and all his tenants disappeared in flash of light, leaving behind a voice still echoing in the air. ¡°We¡¯ll solve this in space.¡±


    Uruk looked around. ¡°Where are they? Have they fled?¡±


    ¡°No, they¡¯re solving the problem,¡± said Ophra, turning to leave. ¡°Everybody, evacuate! Quick!¡±


    Hao Ren was prepping his main cannon and trying to draw the black spacecraft into space. He released some engineering drones to harass the enemy, and provocatively trained all radars on it. It was hard to say if these actions worked at all. He may have been a good diversion target as a person but clearly, his spacecraft was not. The radar trick just did not seem to work.


    Meanwhile, Hodeceus had not stopped its attack. Though the Hollettans knew their firepower was no match for the monstrous battleship, they held on to their faith. Perhaps it was purely fanatical faith, but no soldier flinched. The main magic circle of Hodeceus was running at full power. The entire floating fortress was glowing in a golden light as the loud firing sounds of the magical cannons seemed to tear the sky apart. The black spaceship seemingly noticed the annoying piece of floating rock. An auxiliary cannon on its upper deck returned fire at Hodeceus. Flames erupted above Hodeceus as enemy fire hit its shield. The shield was on the verge of collapse.


    ¡°Keep firing!¡± said a magician who was commanding a giant gun. ¡°Our mission is to shoot. Don¡¯t worry about anything else!¡±


    Amid the explosion and rumbling, a beam of light suddenly rose from the center of Hodeceus.


    Some monks turned their eyes on the light pillar in unison as if they shared the same mind. What they saw surprised them; the pope was in the pillar of light.


    The pope, whose body was slightly stooped, squinted at the black battleship because the bright light from the battleship almost blinded his vision. A protective divine shield shrouded him while he clutched a scripture tightly in his hands. He whispered something and made a move that caught everyone by surprise.


    He was stepping out and walking towards the black battleship.

 Chapter 677

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Seeing the Pope¡¯s actions, Huffman, who was inside the command centre was shocked. ¡°What does the Pope intend to do?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± A high-ranking bishop was just as clueless. ¡°The Pope has been studying the changes in the iconography; he should be in the sacred chamber¡­¡±


    The Pope had already stepped out of the light pillar at this point. He looked calm and peaceful as he walked step by step towards the light in the distance. It was like an old man coming out for a walk after dinner. The charge of the Black Battleship and the light from Hodeceus¡¯ shield cast a glorious glow on him. His coarse robes fluttered in the turbulent wind of the explosions. As he looked down at the Sacred Scripture in his hand, he sighed. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s why!¡±


    He then faded into a light beam and flew straight towards the black spacecraft.


    Screams of disbelief and awe erupted from Hodeceus.


    Although the incoming object was only a tiny human, the black spacecraft sensed the threat. The black spacecraft immediately activated layers of electric glows to stop the old man¡¯s advances. The divine shield of the pope disintegrated and restored itself again under the powerful beating of the electric glow. The light barrier had only managed to slow the pope down. The Pope charged on. At last, he almost was almost within reach of the black spacecraft, but he was inching now.


    Despite of that, the old man remained steady and calm as he inched very slowly in the lightning storm. When the pope was about to touch the black spacecraft, he heard a loud voice in his head; a strong and angry mind had broken into his spiritual world. Although he could not hear it clearly, he knew the voice was angrily questioning his intention.


    The Pope raised his head, the wrinkles on his face increased rapidly. He became as old as a dying man did. He asked, ¡°I come to confess my sin.¡±


    Thunders and lightning struck from all direction, as if the world was going to end. The Pope had sensed a thousand-year fury in the lightning. He stood silently, doing his best to negotiate with the voice in his mind. He then let off and spread out his hands, as if a prophet was welcoming the end day. ¡°Then take me.¡±


    A super bright glow appeared on the surface of the black spaceship. The charging light on the rear section of the spacecraft dimmed rapidly. When all the lights had dissipated, the pope was gone.


    A high-ranking bishop stood on the tall tower of Hodeceus had seen everything that had happened. He shouted in horror. ¡°The Pope has died!¡±


    The soldiers in the Hodeceus fortress were silent for a few seconds, in shock. They then fired the artillery; endless magic shells and bolts hit the black battleships. But the latter had shown no intention of retaliation. The battleship just hovered quietly in the sky for a moment before it suddenly accelerated into the space.


    Hodeceus was just a rudimentary flying craft. In the face of an interstellar spacecraft, it could only watch in awe as the alien spacecraft flew away.


    The patrol frigate, Petrachelys, was quietly waiting for the black battleship in orbit. Everyone on the flight deck knew exactly what was happening on the surface of the planet. However, Hao Ren did not know how the pope convinced the black battleship to have its global electromagnetic storm aborted. He guessed the pope might have learned some secrets relative to the goddess before his death. But now the pope was dead, the only way to find out the secret was to look for the owner of the black battleship.


    After the black battleship left the atmosphere, it immediately bumped into the Petrachelys that was waiting in space. The two spaceships was facing off each other across a distance of tens of thousands of kilometres. The small silver-white Petrachelys looked so tiny compared to the kilometres-long black battleship. However, the frigate¡¯ threat level and firepower were hard to ignore.


    The black battleship hesitated before a warped vortex suddenly appeared in front of it. Looks like it intended to flee the scene via the portal. However, the portal collapsed less than a second after it appeared.


    The gravitational trap generator had signalled that the interference was successful. Hao Ren switched on the radio trying to talk to the black battleship on the open channel. ¡°Please be informed that the gravitational trap generators around this region of space have been activated, any super-light navigation modes are being blocked. We are now¡ª¡±


    Before he finished speaking, light burst out of the black spacecraft. Hundreds of cannon and submachine guns were firing at the Petrachelys.


    The artillery of the Black Battleship bombarded the shield of the Petrachelys, agitating a series of ripple on the surface. The Petrachelys shook albeit slightly. The MDT whistled and said, ¡°Oh, that thing is more powerful than I have expected. Looks like it has a first-class combat strength.¡±


    ¡°I have given out warnings in line with the protocol.¡± Hao Ren frowned, and threw the captain¡¯s handbook on the console. ¡°Activate high-speed manoeuvrability and interference devices. Counterattack with the subconnons. Don¡¯t let that thing get away!¡±


    As the MDT entered the commands, it asked, ¡°Do you want to finish it off completely or half dead?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t kill it, of course!¡± Hao Ren put his hands on the console. ¡°I want it alive, if possible.¡±


    ¡°Roger that!¡±


    A blurry glow was shrouding the Petrachelys before it faded into an elusive ghost-like shadow. The frigate was performing a series of warp jump to avoid being locked by the black spaceship¡¯s radar, and at the same time, several subcannons extended out from the belly of the Petrachelys. It wanted to retaliate.


    The Black Battleship was a piece of high-tech machine of this universe. It was capable of bringing total destruction to a planet. Even civilisation such as Io that had a developed space technology was merely a sitting duck. Though the black battleship was posing a certain level of threat to the civilian-grade inspector frigate, the Petrachelys had psionic energy. Each attack it made could cause destructive impact on everything, including materials, energy, space, physical law, and every other thing. Even the biggest black battleship was no match for this kind of absolute advantage.


    The black spacecraft had nowhere to hide before the psionic weapons. The shield of the black battleship flashed in light. The psionic shelling had overloaded the black crystal plates as smaller explosions had spread across the outer shell of the black battleship. The most badly damaged parts were identified as the engines and warp installations. A string of dazzling light burst out in the middle of the black battleship, cutting off more than half of the spacecraft¡¯s power supply while blowing two sets of warp drive off. Despite of that, the black battleship had never stopped its attack until all its systems went dead.


    Hao Ren pressed his hands on the console. He stared at the enemy ship on the holographic projection. ¡°I might not be able to do anything about you on the planet but not here in space¡­¡±


    The MDT chimed in loudly. ¡°This¡¯ my territory!¡±


    The intense shelling lasted for a short few minutes before the black spacecraft quickly went silent. The MDT played it well this time. It had accurately found the weakness that they could exploit to render the enemy defenceless but not completely blow it up. After the shelling stopped, the black battleship floated silently in space. Half of the black crystal plates shattered by overload. Burned holes with occasional sparks and electric arcs dotted the battleships.


    The MDT used the shipborne radar to assess the energy response inside enemy ship. This was to determine whether the enemy was faking its ¡®death¡¯. However, repeated scans had confirmed that the black battleship was indeed ¡®dead¡¯. ¡°Target has lost mobility. Life is detected inside.¡±


    Lily was rooted to the spot and speechless for a moment before she said, ¡°That¡¯s exciting!¡±


    Most of them on the flight deck appeared to having the same expression. These guys were experiencing this kind of battle for the first time in their life.


    Like everyone else, Hao Ren was still immersed in the intense excitement of his first space battle with a hostile spacecraft. However, he had no time to wonder. He immediately checked the condition of the Petrachelys, which to his relief had only suffered minor damages. He immediately ordered to approach the black battleship of the brain-monster.


    A sense of anticipation filled them as if they were about to unveil the long-awaited secret.

 Chapter 678

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The compact-sized Petrachelys was approaching the black battleship as it floated silently in space. It did not look as menacing as before. Now, it was more like a dying behemoth, lingering quietly in the cold darkness with occasional bursts of sparks and electric arcs on its surface. The sail-like crystal plates in its middle section had completely been stripped away as a huge breach almost tore the spacecraft apart. Surrounding the area of the breach were red-hot metals that had yet to completely cool down. Inside the hole, there were some blast doors and safety mechanisms, which were half-closed. The safety installations had tried to seal off the compartments to prevent air leakage, but the breach was just too big. Gases and debris were being sucked out from the hole like blood splattering out from one¡¯s veins.


    However, Hao Ren was not worried whether the brain monster would die from the air leakage. He had studied the monster¡¯s physique and he knew that it could survive for a long period in a vacuum environment. The airtight environment of the black spacecraft may have served to increase its level of comfort, or it could simply be a habit of the brain monster a.k.a the giant to create such a design.


    ¡°The enemy¡¯s energy network is in disarray. Initially observation suggests that its artillery has lost its counterattack capability. Self-destruction is ruled out.¡± The MDT carefully checked the data. After all, the black battleship was a pretty advanced piece of machine; if it chose to blow itself up together with its enemy, practically, the Petrachelys could do nothing about it given their close proximity right now. ¡°I have found a way in through the breach. Below the breach is a large bay, the central bay of the spacecraft.¡±


    ¡°Wang, Vivian, Lily, and Uncle Wudi, follow me inside.¡± Hao Ren quickly chose his teammates. He did not select them at whim. Y¡¯zaks and Vivian were fighters, good in attack and defence. Though shaky at times, Lily was a formidable fighter too when the situation called for it and would not hesitate in protecting her master¡ªprovided that she did not mess up in the first place. Nangong Wudi, the half-baked demon hunter, might not be a good fighter, but he was an experienced hunter with superb hunting skill and intuition, these qualities were especially useful in an unknown environment.


    The other guys understood the importance of having the right persons for the job. No one objected to this arrangement. Rollie came up and jumped in Hao Ren¡¯s arm. ¡°Please come back quickly and take me home¡­¡±


    She had been frightened the hell out of her lately.


    Hao Ren nodded. He and his small team left the flight deck. After a short while, they had arrived on the surface of the black battleship by way of warp eject.


    The breach caused by the psionic cannon fire lay horizontally in front of their eyes. It appeared small when looking from afar. When they finally came close to it, Lily found it so large so that she could throw a house straight into it. The black metal sheets surrounding the breach curled outward toward the space as air carrying metal shrapnel was still leaking from within. Lily balanced herself in the airstream as she poked her head down and looked. ¡°There is light down there.¡±


    ¡°Power is still available in some parts of the spaceship,¡± Hao Ren checked his shield¡¯s capacity, making sure it was at a healthy level before he plunged into the breach with a spear in his hand. ¡°Everyone, keep up with me. But be careful not to touch anything.¡±


    They cautiously manoeuvred around the fractured metals through the breach, and avoided the severed cables and support frames. A half-closed door appeared before them. The door mechanism had suffered damage but not completely. Something stuck somewhere as the door was still making attempt to shut itself close. Y¡¯zaks went up and held the door in place to prevent it from shutting close suddenly as the others quickly squeezed through it.


    They came into a super-wide, huge, long, and slanted passageway. It was already twisted in shape; metal plates in some places had even fallen off; miraculously, lights in the passageway were still functioning, allowing them to see clearly.


    ¡°There is a slight gravity,¡± Hao Ren was finding himself falling, and eventually he landed on the floor. His standing position was not a comfortable one because the gravitational field in the passageway was inclined, at least thirty degree to the floor. ¡°The gravity generator has not completely shut down ¡­ Seeing the world in this perspective is making me dizzy. Be careful of the gravity under the feet. The system is damaged, the force and direction of gravity may change abruptly. So just watch out.¡±


    Lily was not worried about this at all. She had never been able to react quickly enough to thing.


    ¡°Did we puncture this?¡± said Vivian, as she walked past a hole on the wall of the passageway and saw the situation on the other side. Old and messy cables and wires entangled with equipment. The tattered condition suggested that this place had been abandoned for a long time. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like a cannon fire damage.¡±


    After a brief examination, Hao Ren said, ¡°Hmmm¡­ the damage is not caused by the artillery; there is no entry hole on the opposite side. It should be already like that in the first place. Looks like the repair was not completed on the spaceship. The brain-monster might have lifted off the spaceship ahead of schedule when it realised it had lost control of the situation.¡±


    Vivian scratched her chin and said, ¡°No wonder the Petrachelys could take it down so easily. You know, this battleship was powerful enough to wipe all lives in Io.¡±


    Hao Ren pursed his lips. ¡°Whatever, as long as we incapacitated it.¡±


    ¡°The brain-monster should have sensed our presence¡ªif it is still alive,¡± Y¡¯zaks reminded. ¡°Don¡¯t remove the protective crystal.¡±


    They checked the status of their protective crystals before proceeding cautiously. The size of this spacecraft was surprisingly massive. If they wandered aimlessly, they would not be able to find the brain monster in time. However, with the help of the Petrachelys to provide navigation feed, the exploration team was able to know where they should be going. Now that the system of the spacecraft was down and that brain-monster might have been badly injured too, nothing would stop them from catching the brain monster.


    After a while of walking, Nangong Wudi stopped suddenly. His eyes shimmered. In the special vision of the demon hunter, he saw a faint shadow floating ahead in the passageway. The imaginary shadow looked like a man in a robe.


    ¡°What happened?¡± asked Hao Ren as he had noticed the reaction of Nangong Wudi.


    ¡°There is a soul out there, but it¡¯s weak, only demon hunter can see it,¡± said Nangong Wudi, reaching his hand into his pocket and took out a few rune cards. ¡°Take them. The rune can enhance your vision and see the soul.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks did not take it. ¡°I don¡¯t need it. I can see souls. It¡¯s my area of ??expertise.¡±


    Hao Ren took the rune card and now he could see a figure standing in the passageway. He looked at the translucent shadow in horror before he finally recognised the plain robe and hair of the figure. ¡°Pope? You¡¯re still here?¡±


    This soul in the black battleship was none other than the Pope, who had prevented a global EMP catastrophe and died a martyr a while ago!


    However, the pope who was now a soul looked different from when he was alive. He now looked even older and seriously stooped. The effect of aging was obvious despite being a soul now. When the pope saw Hao Ren and his entourage, he sluggishly froze for a while as if his ethereal body form had affected his thinking somewhat, but at last he recalled who these people were. Hao Ren heard an old voice spoke into his mind, ¡°You are able to come this far¡­ I¡¯ve underestimated you alien people.¡±


    ¡°How did you get here, Pope?¡± asked Lily simple-mindedly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you dead?¡±


    ¡°Dead? Oh, oh, in fact I¡¯m,¡± the Pope nodded slowly. ¡°I can hear the goddess is calling me¡­ Looks like I don¡¯t have much time here. This is an incredible place, vast and wonderful¡­ so many truths and secrets in the world. It¡¯s a pity that I don¡¯t have time to study these things¡­ But I think the Goddess will enlighten me¡­¡±


    The Pope slowly fading away. Hao Ren quickly seized the last moment by asking, ¡°We are here to catch that monster. Do you know what¡¯s going on here?¡±


    ¡°It is in front, right behind that door,¡± the pope lifted his fingers, which had become almost transparent, pointing to the end of the passageway. ¡°But don¡¯t call him a monster. We mortals owe it to him. We owe it to the goddess. I think I don¡¯t deserve to beg for his forgiveness, but you ¡­ you aliens may be able to talk with him.¡±


    ¡°Owe it to him?¡± Hao Ren froze. But just when he was to ask more questions, the pope had completely gone, leaving only his last words echoing in the mind. ¡°The goddess is calling me¡­ goodbye foreigners¡­¡±

 Chapter 679

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The compact-sized Petrachelys was approaching the black battleship as it floated silently in space. It did not look as menacing as before. Now, it was more like a dying behemoth, lingering quietly in the cold darkness with occasional bursts of sparks and electric arcs on its surface. The sail-like crystal plates in its middle section had completely been stripped away as a huge breach almost tore the spacecraft apart. Surrounding the area of the breach were red-hot metals that had yet to completely cool down. Inside the hole, there were some blast doors and safety mechanisms, which were half-closed. The safety installations had tried to seal off the compartments to prevent air leakage, but the breach was just too big. Gases and debris were being sucked out from the hole like blood splattering out from one¡¯s veins.


    However, Hao Ren was not worried whether the brain monster would die from the air leakage. He had studied the monster¡¯s physique and he knew that it could survive for a long period in a vacuum environment. The airtight environment of the black spacecraft may have served to increase its level of comfort, or it could simply be a habit of the brain monster a.k.a the giant to create such a design.


    ¡°The enemy¡¯s energy network is in disarray. Initially observation suggests that its artillery has lost its counterattack capability. Self-destruction is ruled out.¡± The MDT carefully checked the data. After all, the black battleship was a pretty advanced piece of machine; if it chose to blow itself up together with its enemy, practically, the Petrachelys could do nothing about it given their close proximity right now. ¡°I have found a way in through the breach. Below the breach is a large bay, the central bay of the spacecraft.¡±


    ¡°Wang, Vivian, Lily, and Uncle Wudi, follow me inside.¡± Hao Ren quickly chose his teammates. He did not select them at whim. Y¡¯zaks and Vivian were fighters, good in attack and defence. Though shaky at times, Lily was a formidable fighter too when the situation called for it and would not hesitate in protecting her master¡ªprovided that she did not mess up in the first place. Nangong Wudi, the half-baked demon hunter, might not be a good fighter, but he was an experienced hunter with superb hunting skill and intuition, these qualities were especially useful in an unknown environment.


    The other guys understood the importance of having the right persons for the job. No one objected to this arrangement. Rollie came up and jumped in Hao Ren¡¯s arm. ¡°Please come back quickly and take me home¡­¡±


    She had been frightened the hell out of her lately.


    Hao Ren nodded. He and his small team left the flight deck. After a short while, they had arrived on the surface of the black battleship by way of warp eject.


    The breach caused by the psionic cannon fire lay horizontally in front of their eyes. It appeared small when looking from afar. When they finally came close to it, Lily found it so large so that she could throw a house straight into it. The black metal sheets surrounding the breach curled outward toward the space as air carrying metal shrapnel was still leaking from within. Lily balanced herself in the airstream as she poked her head down and looked. ¡°There is light down there.¡±


    ¡°Power is still available in some parts of the spaceship,¡± Hao Ren checked his shield¡¯s capacity, making sure it was at a healthy level before he plunged into the breach with a spear in his hand. ¡°Everyone, keep up with me. But be careful not to touch anything.¡±


    They cautiously manoeuvred around the fractured metals through the breach, and avoided the severed cables and support frames. A half-closed door appeared before them. The door mechanism had suffered damage but not completely. Something stuck somewhere as the door was still making attempt to shut itself close. Y¡¯zaks went up and held the door in place to prevent it from shutting close suddenly as the others quickly squeezed through it.


    They came into a super-wide, huge, long, and slanted passageway. It was already twisted in shape; metal plates in some places had even fallen off; miraculously, lights in the passageway were still functioning, allowing them to see clearly.


    ¡°There is a slight gravity,¡± Hao Ren was finding himself falling, and eventually he landed on the floor. His standing position was not a comfortable one because the gravitational field in the passageway was inclined, at least thirty degree to the floor. ¡°The gravity generator has not completely shut down ¡­ Seeing the world in this perspective is making me dizzy. Be careful of the gravity under the feet. The system is damaged, the force and direction of gravity may change abruptly. So just watch out.¡±


    Lily was not worried about this at all. She had never been able to react quickly enough to thing.


    ¡°Did we puncture this?¡± said Vivian, as she walked past a hole on the wall of the passageway and saw the situation on the other side. Old and messy cables and wires entangled with equipment. The tattered condition suggested that this place had been abandoned for a long time. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like a cannon fire damage.¡±


    After a brief examination, Hao Ren said, ¡°Hmmm¡­ the damage is not caused by the artillery; there is no entry hole on the opposite side. It should be already like that in the first place. Looks like the repair was not completed on the spaceship. The brain-monster might have lifted off the spaceship ahead of schedule when it realised it had lost control of the situation.¡±


    Vivian scratched her chin and said, ¡°No wonder the Petrachelys could take it down so easily. You know, this battleship was powerful enough to wipe all lives in Io.¡±


    Hao Ren pursed his lips. ¡°Whatever, as long as we incapacitated it.¡±


    ¡°The brain-monster should have sensed our presence¡ªif it is still alive,¡± Y¡¯zaks reminded. ¡°Don¡¯t remove the protective crystal.¡±


    They checked the status of their protective crystals before proceeding cautiously. The size of this spacecraft was surprisingly massive. If they wandered aimlessly, they would not be able to find the brain monster in time. However, with the help of the Petrachelys to provide navigation feed, the exploration team was able to know where they should be going. Now that the system of the spacecraft was down and that brain-monster might have been badly injured too, nothing would stop them from catching the brain monster.


    After a while of walking, Nangong Wudi stopped suddenly. His eyes shimmered. In the special vision of the demon hunter, he saw a faint shadow floating ahead in the passageway. The imaginary shadow looked like a man in a robe.


    ¡°What happened?¡± asked Hao Ren as he had noticed the reaction of Nangong Wudi.


    ¡°There is a soul out there, but it¡¯s weak, only demon hunter can see it,¡± said Nangong Wudi, reaching his hand into his pocket and took out a few rune cards. ¡°Take them. The rune can enhance your vision and see the soul.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks did not take it. ¡°I don¡¯t need it. I can see souls. It¡¯s my area of ??expertise.¡±


    Hao Ren took the rune card and now he could see a figure standing in the passageway. He looked at the translucent shadow in horror before he finally recognised the plain robe and hair of the figure. ¡°Pope? You¡¯re still here?¡±


    This soul in the black battleship was none other than the Pope, who had prevented a global EMP catastrophe and died a martyr a while ago!


    However, the pope who was now a soul looked different from when he was alive. He now looked even older and seriously stooped. The effect of aging was obvious despite being a soul now. When the pope saw Hao Ren and his entourage, he sluggishly froze for a while as if his ethereal body form had affected his thinking somewhat, but at last he recalled who these people were. Hao Ren heard an old voice spoke into his mind, ¡°You are able to come this far¡­ I¡¯ve underestimated you alien people.¡±


    ¡°How did you get here, Pope?¡± asked Lily simple-mindedly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you dead?¡±


    ¡°Dead? Oh, oh, in fact I¡¯m,¡± the Pope nodded slowly. ¡°I can hear the goddess is calling me¡­ Looks like I don¡¯t have much time here. This is an incredible place, vast and wonderful¡­ so many truths and secrets in the world. It¡¯s a pity that I don¡¯t have time to study these things¡­ But I think the Goddess will enlighten me¡­¡±


    The Pope slowly fading away. Hao Ren quickly seized the last moment by asking, ¡°We are here to catch that monster. Do you know what¡¯s going on here?¡±


    ¡°It is in front, right behind that door,¡± the pope lifted his fingers, which had become almost transparent, pointing to the end of the passageway. ¡°But don¡¯t call him a monster. We mortals owe it to him. We owe it to the goddess. I think I don¡¯t deserve to beg for his forgiveness, but you ¡­ you aliens may be able to talk with him.¡±


    ¡°Owe it to him?¡± Hao Ren froze. But just when he was to ask more questions, the pope had completely gone, leaving only his last words echoing in the mind. ¡°The goddess is calling me¡­ goodbye foreigners¡­¡±

 Chapter 680

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The giant looked at Hao Ren in anger, not appearing to be very cooperative.


    However, Hao Ren still felt that he was making great progress because this time, he had accidentally caught a giant who had yet to turn into a brain monster. This giant was obviously easier to talk to than the other brain monsters. Probably due to the fact that the unmutated giant still possessed some of its sanity. Compared to his previous attempts to talk to the mute brain monsters, this giant was shouting at him.


    Considering all things, a shouting match was still an achievement.


    Lily could not help but step up to the giant and say, ¡°Hey, super big guy! We want to ask you a few questions!¡±


    Demonic runes were restraining the giant and it did not even have the ability to self-destruct. However, it was being b*tchy. ¡°Just let me die, or shut up.¡±


    Lily was jumping around trying to dodge saliva that was spurting out of the giant¡¯s mouth (generally, other novels do not mention details like this). She yelled, ¡°Don¡¯t do it, we¡¯re not going to hurt you! We just want to know about the situation here¡­¡±


    Vivian buried her face in her hands, turned away and said, ¡°After smashing up its spaceship, this doesn¡¯t sound very convincing.¡±


    Hao Ren knitted his brows together as he glanced at the giant. Suddenly, he waved his hand and said, ¡°Never mind. Bring it to the Crapple Research Station. We won¡¯t make the same mistake again.¡±


    With the experience of the last brain monster¡¯s ¡°jailbreak¡±, Hao Ren knew that this creature of incredibly strong mind power was very difficult to contain. Their intangible mind power was especially handy in exploiting security flaws. Although the giant had lost all of its strength and was unable to escape, out of caution, Hao Ren still decided to send it over to CARS. At least there, no souls could ever escape no matter how powerful they were.


    The Petrachelys and the black spacecraft were now in Holletta¡¯s orbit, while CARS was on the other side of Holletta. The distance between the two was very close, so it did not take much effort to transfer the giant to its new cage. A group of autonomous robots pushed the giant, which was retained by the demonic chain into a cylindrical container that was reinforced with layers of crystal and energy barriers. The container was a dedicated vessel to collect all kinds of dangerous creatures. Not only could it block mind powers, but it was also very strong structurally¡ªat least, no mortal race in that universe could break through its barrier.


    The container was massive. A dozen-meter-tall creature looked like a human inside a typical room. The giant looked at the crystal structure and advanced instruments around it. Its eyes finally exuded a little sense of curiosity, perplexed at the existence of such an advanced race that was capable of building such things in the universe. It became angry again. ¡°You treacherous child! Did you steal the power of your mother? How was this cage made?¡±


    ¡°Tell me how I can make you understand?¡± Hao Ren spread out his hand haplessly as he stood outside the container facing the giant. ¡°I¡¯ve come from another universe. I know nothing about this world. But knowing that you and a bunch of tentacle-monsters were ravaging this world, I¡¯m curious to know why. I don¡¯t care what your reasons are. What you did is a serious violation of the laws of the Empire. Of course, if you¡¯re cooperative, I can appeal for more leniency.¡±


    The giant cracked up upon hearing what Hao Ren said. It sat cross-legged on the floor, and with a mocking expression on its face, it leaned over and looked at the ¡°little human¡± in front of him. ¡°From another universe? Are you saying that you have nothing to do with those traitors? Ick¡ª¡±


    The giant spat and turned to stare at Hao Ren. ¡°I can smell the stench of them on you even behind this layer of crystal.¡±


    Becoming a target of scorn had Hao Ren baffled. He turned to look at Lily and Vivian next to him. ¡°To be honest, you¡¯re not wrong to say that these two individuals beside me are in some way related to the people in the Plane of Dreams, but I¡¯m an Earthling through-and-through¡­¡±


    The giant said nothing as if it was too lazy to entertain its ¡°enemy¡±. As kind-hearted as Hao Ren was, facing such a mulish guy was really upsetting. But he could not do anything about it except stare back at the giant in the cage. He thought about how he should deal with the guy? Torture? The giant would definitely not budge. Threats? He had nothing in hand to coerce it. Reason? Hao Ren did not even believe he was capable of that. The only time he knew things would unfold exactly as he said was when he swore and became a mouthpiece¡­


    ¡°To tell you the truth, I think you better cooperate with me.¡± Hao Ren persuaded it with one last-ditch effort. ¡°You may feel that you are strong-willed and firm in belief, but the guy who is a lot more powerful than you are has been caught by us. Its fate is worse than yours¡ªit¡¯s been thrown into a jar and become a research sample. You can see it for yourself if you don¡¯t believe what I say.¡±


    While saying, Hao Ren activated the holographic projection device next to the container. The images of the First Borns in Container 1 and 2 immediately popped up. The two giant tentacles were immersed in a thin medium solution. It seemed that nothing had changed since they were first incarcerated here. The only things that were obviously different were the additional complicated test instruments and reinforced restraints on the tentacles and some tissue nodes: as the creatures always convulsed in sleep, Hao Ren was worried that they would damage the test instruments in the container.


    ¡°How can you treat our siblings like this?¡± The giant was finally moved. It looked even more irritated now. ¡°You¡¯re treacherous! They are your siblings!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it. They wanted to destroy the world,¡± Hao Ren sighed. ¡°As the survival of the world was at stake, I couldn¡¯t just watch them wipe off the entire ecosystem.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks hugged his arms. He looked on before he took two steps forward and said to the prisoner in the cage, ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re being so stubborn, but we¡¯ll make you speak today. If necessary, I will consider interrogating your soul directly. It¡¯s your freedom to remain silent, but I will have ways to make you talk. Don¡¯t test my patience. Now I can see that the strength of your soul is just as good as any mortal.¡±


    The giant seemed beginning to notice Y¡¯zaks. It looked down at him, said with a surprised voice. ¡°Hmmm, you¡¯re a strange creature, one that I¡¯ve never seen before.¡±


    Hao Ren was a bit puzzled. He looked at Y¡¯zaks. ¡°What does it mean?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks had not fully grasped what it meant. He looked around at the others, pointed to his nose, and asked the giant, ¡°Am I not the same with them?¡±


    The giant snorted. ¡°Yet another ignorant one.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very cocky,¡± said Y¡¯zaks, laughing. ¡°Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have time to study what was wrong between you and me. Now tell us: what the explosion of the new red star aka the star of the goddess of creation was all about? What about the loss of control of the First Borns? What happened to you guys?¡±


    The giant suddenly staggered to its feet when it heard the word ¡°goddess of creation¡±. It pressed against the inner wall of the crystal container and asked, ¡°These are what you want to know?¡±


    ¡°We want to know the truth,¡± Hao Ren looked into the giant¡¯s eyes, calmly. ¡°Believe it or not, we really don¡¯t know anything about it, and we¡¯re not in cohort with the Second Borns like you have mentioned. This universe has a problem, a very serious problem. A true goddess who created all things was killed, and now I must investigate what had happened back then, if possible, I would also want to trace the murderer down. Probably you think the smell on our bodies is similar to the treacherous children. But we are not together.¡±


    The giant stared deadly at Hao Ren. Suddenly it giggled. ¡°Oh, I believe you know nothing about that. But I don¡¯t think that you are not descendants of the treacherous children. Of all of you¡­¡±


    The giant looked around before its eyes landed on Y¡¯zaks. ¡°¡­only he is clean.¡±


    Then he glanced at Vivian once again, albeit bizarrely. ¡°And this one¡­ I can¡¯t really tell.¡±


    Lily was as clueless as a tub of crap on a rainy day. ¡°What are you talking about? You mean you can see where their ancestors came from?¡±


    ¡°Of course I can,¡± said the giant. ¡°Because we used to help our mother copy every detail of intelligent species before she was murdered by the treacherous children.¡±


    ¡°Did the mortals really collude with them and murder the true goddess?¡± Hao Ren realized he was finally peering into the truth. He was excited. ¡°Who did it?¡±


    ¡°Everyone other than the ancient ones.¡± The giant gritted its teeth. ¡°All intelligent creatures!¡±

 Chapter 681

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°Every intelligent creature.¡±


    As if to emphasise this point, the giant gritted its teeth and repeated the sentence.


    ¡°Of the entire universe?¡± It was unbelievable and Hao Ren sincerely found the accusation illogical. ¡°Including those from primitive planets that never even possessed space technology? They were part of the conspirators?¡±


    ¡°No one is clean. They¡¯re all involved whether it¡¯s directly or indirectly,¡± the giant replied with a rumbling voice. Then, he stared at Hao Ren and the rest for a long time. ¡°Since you¡¯re so keen to know, listen carefully to how your forefathers committed the sin.¡±


    ¡°I told you I¡¯m from Earth¡­¡± Hao Ren forced a smile, and then sighed. ¡°Well, as you say, I really want to know.¡±


    Just as Hao Ren expected, the giant was easier to talk to than the mute brain monsters.


    Although the giant had a great deal of hatred towards the ordinary races, it was obviously rational, controllable, or in other words, its anger had a ¡°human¡± side to it. The anger of the brain-monsters was more like the natural impulse of a beast whose fury was uncontrollable and devoid of human nature, their hatred towards the mortals was unconditional and uncompromising; hence, the attempts of Hao Ren to talk to the brain-monsters were futile.


    The reasons for this change were unclear, but it must be relative to the changes in their forms of existence. It was safe to say that individual giants that had mutated into brain-monsters had turned into another different species. Hao Ren had no clue if the giant in front of him was still treating its own race that had mutated into brain-monsters as his own kind. Of course, Hao Ren could not ask now.


    The giant sat back down in the centre of the container, leg-crossed and expressionless as it told the memory of the world¡¯s oldest period in a low and strange voice. ¡°In the beginning, the world was desolate, and only a few planets had produced primitive life. The stars were silent and lifeless. Our mother first appeared in this world, she settled in the centre of the universe, and created the lifeblood¡ªa substance that could make life. It was the extension of her strength and body, and could be seen as part of her.


    ¡°Many years later, mother gradually became curious about the universe and began to explore the entire world. She quickly became dissatisfied with the desolation of the universe, so she created the first batch of seeds as an extension of her senses, and element of life for the universe. She sent them into the space.


    ¡°The elder brothers, who were born from the seed, were the First Guardians. They quickly had sent back knowledge of the stars. Mother was satisfied and happy with the development. In order to store more information, she had created us out of the depth of lifeblood during the incubation of the Seed of Origin.


    ¡°We are the second batch of the First Guardians and living with our mother since the beginning. Our job was to collect and sort out all intelligence obtained from the stars and to protect the safety of our mother. At that time, all we needed to guard against were just some wandering objects in the universe.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks said in a low voice, ¡°But then there was a rebellion?¡±


    ¡°A race, talented race, had lost control in the course of their development,¡± the giants clenched its fists. ¡°Mother had never interfered with the development of those children; she did not let us interfere as well. She paid all her attention in the novelty and mysteries of the universe itself, so those little creatures that hatched from the seeds multiplied unimpededly. Some of them had grown so powerful that they even started to eye the origin of the universe. When they realised they already was the most powerful species in the universe, they began to challenge those above the mortals, and there was only one such target¡­ mother.¡±


    Lily¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°So they revolted against the Goddess of Creation just for this?¡±


    ¡°They thought that as long as the old god of the universe was destroyed, they could take her place. They had proposed a ridiculous theory of life hierarchy, and thought that all lives in the universe were predetermined on the hierarchy, and that each level of the hierarchy was not expandable nor shrinkable. Whenever life on one level died, a new one from the lower hierarchy would step up the ladder and replace the dying one. New life would be born at the lowest hierarchy to supplement this cycle. They plucked this stupid theory out of thin air and firmly believed in it. So when they became the most powerful mortal species, they decided to make themselves God.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyebrows pulled together. ¡°So the way to become God is to kill the existing one. Didn¡¯t they know who created them?¡±


    ¡°They did know, because they were once one of the closest mortal species to mother,¡± said the giant with a deeply sarcastic tone of voice. ¡°It was because they had known so much that they became so powerful. They knew more about the mother¡¯s secret than anyone else did. They had once disguised themselves as mother¡¯s most loyal children and fooled everyone else¡­including us. After that, they became even stronger with the knowledge and power they had stolen. When the obtuse guardians like us finally realised that something had gone wrong, they already possessed the ability to destroy everything.¡±


    Lily still felt it a bit inconceivable. ¡°Were the mortals really capable of killing the true God?¡±


    ¡°What if the power of these mortals was derived from the true God?¡± The giant looked at her emotionlessly. ¡°They could do anything for the sake of power then.¡±


    ¡°They finally revolted against the Goddess of Creation and succeeded,¡± Vivian frowned. ¡°But as you said, they were doing it alone as a race. What does it have to do with civilisations on other planets?¡±


    The giant appeared angry, and stomped its fist on the floor. ¡°When the mother needed strength, those¡­ those treacherous children all turned a blind eye!¡±


    Hao Ren immediately realised this was the key to the reason why the First Borns and the guardian-giants hated all civilisations so much. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Mother had never expected she would be attacked by her own children. She had never done anything to hurt them. So before she realised it, she was already down. In her last breath, she sent a distress call to all seeds in the universe. Those little creatures hatched from the seeds could hear her voice and respond as long as they knew the name of the Goddess of Creation. The response was enough to allow mother to breathe. But mother had been waiting and waiting and yet no one had responded¡­¡±


    The giant lowered its head, its voice low. ¡°That was the darkest day of the universe. All the stars should be dimming I shame. The creator of sentient beings were calling for help in the centre of the universe but the things she created were keeping silent in the shadow, drinking the blood of the Creator¡­ They don¡¯t deserve to live.¡±


    There was a moment of silence. Then Y¡¯zaks suddenly asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t those races respond?¡±


    ¡°Because the treacherous children had made an arrogant pledge,¡± the giant gritted its teeth again. ¡°Those traitors had been planning everything many years ago. They secretly called themselves God and promised to other races that when the old god of the universe fell, the first mortal who surrendered to them would receive the same God-like immortality. They also used the power from the lifeblood as bait, making use of knowledge, power, wealth, and other things that could corrupt the mortals to strengthen their bewitchment. When mother were finally in danger, those greedy mortals were all silent¡ªbecause by doing nothing, they would get what their desires fulfilled. In their own logic, this silence was not a sin.¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly thought of the forbidden technology of the ancient Magical Empire and those perfect species that were created with The Sacred Relic of Origins. When he first learned that the Goddess of Creation was from the deep universe and that Holletta was just a planetary civilisation, he once thought that the forbidden technology had nothing to do with the end of day catastrophe. Now he suddenly realised that those things might be the cause of the planet¡¯s destruction.


    Because this technology was most likely to come from those treacherous children.


    The Magical Emperors of the ancient civilisations might not be able to pose a threat to the Goddess in the deep universe, but they had still made a big mistake¡ªthat was when their creator needed help, they turned a blind eye.


    They did not know whether what this giant said was hundred-percent truthful, but when they thought of it, there was no reason the giant would want to fool them. No matter how much incredible the story was, at least one thing was for sure:


    What happened ten thousand years ago was indeed a sinister conspiracy. No races in this universe could really get off the hook.

 Chapter 682

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Things were progressing more smoothly than expected. Hao Ren found the information he had obtained in just half an hour was more than what he had collected for the past few months in the Plane of Dreams. However, the truth that the intelligence revealed was not so pleasant.


    Thousands and thousands of years ago, a terrible conspiracy led the world to its current state today. Without listening to it with one¡¯s own ears, no one would have thought that there would be a race so daring to commit such treachery; murdering the creator of all sentient beings and even conspiring to steal the religions of the entire universe. There were probably many ways for the mortals to pursue their divine power, but one thing was sure, the mad murderers of 10,000 years ago had chosen the worst method.


    After listening to this piece of history, Lily lowered her head and thought for a long time before suddenly finding something suspicious. ¡°Wait a minute, if the goddess had really called for help and the mortals had refused to do so, then there must be some records. When he went to the Ark Planet and Tannagost, there seemed to be no such information, neither Io.¡±


    ¡°Siren is a naturally occurred species, not a creation of the goddess,¡± said Hao Ren as he had also thought of this. ¡°But the other two places you have mentioned are indeed ¡­ not only there is no record of the event but also the religion of the goddess!¡±


    Hao Ren had already all the information about Tannagost and the Ark planet, so he was familiar with the history of these two civilisations. He knew that Tannagost had only hallow and ancient legend about the creator of life. The ark planet had no religion in the conventional sense after it entered the interstellar era. The databases of the two planets did not mention anything about the murder that took place ten thousand years ago. Although this was indeed not something glamourous enough to be recorded in history books, at least there should be some clues.


    Upon hearing the conversations between Lily and Hao Ren, the giant said in a deadpan voice, ¡°Indeed, some races had not heard mother¡¯s distress call because they had forgotten who created them, and they even dismissed their own creator as an absurd story. These people has lost the ability to listen to their mother¡¯s voice.¡±


    Something suddenly crossed Hao Ren¡¯s mind. He remembered an extremely important phrase in the sacred book of the Disciples of Glory: Those who forget God will lose their rights to revelation.


    ¡°Okay, they indeed did not hear it. This might be regarded as forgetting one¡¯s root. But is forgetting one¡¯s root a sin worthy of genocide?¡± Nangong Wudi, who was silent all this while, could not help questioning. He looked up at the giant. ¡°At least it¡¯s not a crime worthy of death, right? They didn¡¯t even know what happened in the deep universe. Why did they have to be killed?¡±


    The giant looked down at the little creature in front, suddenly lifting its finger to point to its own head. ¡°Have you not found that I am different from my other siblings?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, I almost forgot to ask you about this!¡± said Hao Ren as the thought suddenly came to mind. ¡°You know that you have some compatriots that have turned into¡­ that thing, don¡¯t you?¡±


    The voice of the giant was rather calm this time. ¡°Do you think how many more guardians could retain the humanity like me? Anger and despair have caused my brothers and sisters abandoning all human nature and reasoning, even the body mother has endowed us in order to correct this cosmic mistake. In the eyes of my fellow compatriots, the birth of the mortals is the greatest sin; they are greedy, short sighted, cunning and deceitful. They would slay their own mother for just a little enticement. They would wash their dirty linens in public. This virus-like phenomenon must be corrected. My compatriots believe that all mortal races must perish before they commit their second evil deed.¡±


    ¡°You mean that your compatriots have gone mad, including the First Borns and the brain-monsters, so they are only bringing destruction to all species indiscriminately.¡± Hao Ren looked into the giant¡¯s eyes. ¡°But you¡¯re different from them, right?¡±


    The giant said nothing. It seemed to have agreed in silence.


    ¡°No wonder I¡¯ve never succeeded trying to communicate with the First Borns, I mean the First Guardians as you call them,¡± said Hao Ren, sighing. ¡°I knew they were completely mad. I¡¯m very lucky to have met you¡ªone that has not gone mad¡­ but do you still want to destroy Holletta?¡±


    The giant was agitated hearing this. ¡°The mortals on this planet are guilty; they should be put to death! They are one of the treacherous children who watched mother killed and yet did nothing!¡±


    Everyone suddenly recalled what the soul of the pope had said. Those words sounded inexplicable, but they now seemed to make sense.


    The pope must have discovered something before he died!


    ¡°But why did you let them live at last?¡± Vivian¡¯s brows knit together. ¡°Why? Because of the self-sacrifice of a human?¡±


    The giant dropped its shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t have to answer you.¡±


    ¡°Feeling embarrassed to answer it, isn¡¯t it? I can see that. You do have feelings. It¡¯s a good thing. At least you¡¯re not a monster like your siblings,¡± Vivian suddenly laughed. ¡°You are different from the First Borns and brain-monsters. You actually know that such blind revenge makes no sense, especially since the early treacherous children have died. Now the rest are either their offspring or simply passers-by who have nothing to do with them. Vengeance has made no sense now. I guess the Pope must have spoken with you before he died. Did you stop the massacre because of his advice?¡±


    The giant stared deadly at Vivian, face angry. ¡°How dare you judge the belief of a First Guardian?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say you were disloyal to the goddess of creation. I just said that you are more like a sensible living person,¡± Vivian shook her head and continued. ¡°Isn¡¯t it good to have reason ability and feelings? Although they always produce unexpected changes when the two mixed, they are precisely the characteristics of a spiritual person. To be honest, I can understand the physical transmutation of the First Borns and brain-monsters, and even admire and sympathise with their current condition, but I could never agree with them. Extremism and uncontrollability are no good.¡±


    The giant giggled. ¡°It is these two things that let those damned treacherous children murder their mother.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, you shouldn¡¯t hate all mortals because of this.¡± Hao Ren smiled. ¡°Well, I know you don¡¯t want to talk about this. Can I ask what happen to the treacherous guys now? Are they really God now?¡±


    At this time, a sense of comfort finally appeared on the giant¡¯s face. ¡°Heck, they got their due retribution. Their stupid life hierarchy theory is simply the product of nightmare, and their minds are not worthy of carrying the power of the mother. When the creator of life died, the treacherous children would die by way of genocide as punishment, and the entire species would disappear instantaneously no matter where they hide in the universe.¡±


    ¡°If so, the murderer-race has all died?¡± Y¡¯zaks appeared surprised. ¡°What about the Planet of the goddess?¡±


    The giant threw him a glance and then smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t you even think about it. Nobody can get to that place. Mother¡¯s place is in a location you can¡¯t never understand. If it wasn¡¯t for the treacherous children stealing mother¡¯s secret, they could not never approach the space. After mother died, the battlefield had been forever banished to the deepest chaos of the universe. No one can find it.¡±


    Lily was quick to ask, ¡°In other words, even you couldn¡¯t go back?¡±


    Once again, the giant chose to remain silent. That was an admission by the default, again.


    After a moment of silence, Hao Ren looked up. ¡°I have another question.¡±


    ¡°You seem to have a lot of questions,¡± the giant looked at him, emotionlessly. ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe that I have answered you so many questions¡­ All right, ask while I still have patience.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it, it¡¯s not like I can always find someone who can talk with,¡± Hao Ren shook his head and continued. ¡°How did you manage to stay awake and not mutate?¡±


    The giant was silent for a moment and finally spoke in a nearly grievous voice. ¡°Maybe there are other First Guardians who maintain their sanity as I do because mother has given us a mission at the last moment before she fell!¡±


    They all spoke in unison. ¡°Mission?¡±


    ¡°She asked us to activate the security protocol of the seeds of life. Before the big crash, she had seen the guardians starting to mutate. She hurried us to start the security lock to prevent a larger-scale ecological extinction,¡± said the giant. Suddenly, with all his strength, he punched on the crystal floor with his fist; it almost uttered the last few words in a fury. ¡°I still remember that her last words: ¡®Go and save them¡¯!¡±

 Chapter 683

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    At the final moment of the mass extinction 10,000 years ago, the safety protocols in some of the Seeds of Origin suddenly began to force the out-of-control First Borns into sleep. Hence, a small part of the races in the universe survived. The residents of Holletta were one of those survivors. Although Hao Ren had not seen more survivors yet, he thought there had to be more planets that survived the First Born like Holletta. They could be hiding somewhere in the universe, waiting to be discovered.


    However, the security protocol was not an inbuilt mechanism, or homemade, self-help measure created by the mage emperors. Instead, the giant and some of its siblings were the safety protocol. These guardians¡ªwho watched as their mother was killed by the mortals, and whose hearts were still filled with hatred¡ªwere the ones to initiate the safety switch at the core of the Seeds of Origin in the centre of the universe. This safety protocol managed to protect a small part of the mortal civilisation from extinction.


    In the eyes of the guardians, the phenomenon of the ¡®mortal race¡¯ was the culprit that caused the death of their mother. They could no longer believe in the loyalty and morality of any mortal species, nor were they willing to distinguish between the good people and the bad ones. This was the reason that caused all guardians to fall into madness and transmutation. But the last commandment of the Goddess had forced some of the guardians to remain in their sanity¡ªeven though they were filled with anger and grief, they still took the mother¡¯s order as first priority. So there was it, the sane giant that had survived before Hao Ren.


    This was the truth of ten thousands of years ago. The truth was unexpectedly astounding despite all the wild guesses earlier.


    ¡°No mortal races deserve to be saved,¡± the giant lowered its head and its voice seemed to be coming from his chest. ¡°But this was the last instruction before mother¡¯s death. We must carry it out without question. So we started the security protocol. After the Star of Creation was pushed into the darkness by the big bang, all Seeds of Origin and their first generation of offspring entered into sealed status. Our mad brothers remained in sleep since then. But at that time, there was not many lives left in the universe.¡±


    Hao Ren speculated that the Star of Creation that was pushed into the darkness by the Big Bang was supposed to be the red nova. It was the instant when the treacherous children killed the Goddess of Creation. All event timelines had now perfectly aligned.


    ¡°After that?¡± Vivian looked at the giant curiously. ¡°How did the sane guardians survive all this while?¡±


    ¡°We were all separated,¡± the giant shook its head. ¡°Some of the guardians wanted to find mother¡¯s body. They set out to search in the darkness but there had been no news from them ever since. Some of them were sleeping in various corners of the universe, as a mean to burying themselves. Mother is gone, most of my compatriots have also mutated, and the rest of the guardians have realised that they have lost their purpose of existence, so we all fall apart¡­¡±


    The giant slowly recounted the last days of those guardians and mentioned the reason they came to Holletta. After bidding farewell to its siblings, it drove its spaceship, which had been badly damaged in the war, drifting aimlessly in the universe for thousands of years. It had originally thought that it would die in the aimless drift. It would wait for the spaceship to lose its control before he would find a star and end its own life. He believed that many guardians who were as clear as it must have chosen the same route. But just before he was about to reach the end of the drift, he discovered a planet: Holletta.


    The giant had realised that when the safety protocol of the Seeds of Origin was started, not only the ¡®innocent¡¯ who did not know what had happened but also the treacherous aficionados who refused to help the mother had survived. So, it changed its plan.


    Since the enemies of the day had not all died, it was necessary to continue the revenge.


    ¡°When I first discovered this planet, the entire world had not recovered from the blood-tide catastrophe,¡± recounted the giant whose mood seemed to be calmer. It told of its story of its first arrival in Holletta, in an emotionless voice. ¡°There were tentacles of the First Guardians and the ruins of human kingdoms everywhere. Even so, there were still many mortals surviving in the world. They survived in the ruins and the wilderness. The civilisation had fallen back to the primitive era. Anyway, they were still alive and shamelessly covering up their sins of the past. I had been observing in the orbit for several years, watching them burning down their religious scriptures, teaching the new-borns with a twisted version of history, and constantly killing the remnants of the introspectionists in the society, even completely burying the memory about the Goddess of Creation, as if they would be able to wash away their sins this way. They were living in fear and guilt. I lurked on the planet by the cover of a meteorite impact. I needed time to repair the weapons on the spacecraft and I needed to recover from my injuries¡­¡±


    ¡°So you have waited it out for thousands of years,¡± Hao Ren could not help but say, ¡°You have witnessed the reconstruction of the Hollettan civilisation.¡±


    ¡°There are a lot of things that I have witnessed with my own eyes,¡± said the giant with a sense of ambivalence in its voice. ¡°Yes, this is the root cause of my hesitation. I didn¡¯t expect them to regain their faith in the Goddess of Creation; neither did I expect them to be able to recover so many things from the thin inborn memory and historical fragments. The early executioners had died one by one. The psychological pressure and curses from the origin of the world made those who could have lived a very long life died prematurely. After they died, their offspring inherited this world and began to worship the Goddess of Creation. I soon discovered that the world of the mortals was changing faster than I expected, and before I could take the revenge to them, the entire era had passed.¡±


    ¡°So after you have fixed the spacecraft, you became very embarrassed.¡± Hao Ren could not help but sigh for the giant. He looked up, but he saw endless contradictions, entanglement, and confusion in the massive figure of the giant. The giant was struggling in the countless shadows of its past, judging anything and everything relative to it purely based on right and wrong. It did persist in destroying the civilisation on Planet Holletta, but he had abandoned the idea at the same time. He had spent thousands of years to prepare the weapons and destruction plans, but these actions seemed more driven by pure mania than anything else did:


    The giant knew that now revenge had made no sense, but without doing so, it would lose its purpose of existence.


    Lily wanted to break this uncomfortable silence. So she raised the question about the Cult of Origination. ¡°Were you the one who set up the cult?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t actively organize any cult,¡± the giant shook his head. ¡°They spontaneously set it up. I had slept for a short time to recover my energy when I first landed on this planet. It was during that time some humans had discovered the cavern where I was hiding the spacecraft. The thoughts that I leaked out from my mind during my dreams had affected the minds of these humans. They knew about the Goddess of Creation and the treacherous children. Their becoming of Cult of Origination fanatics had even surprised me. I had never expected that even human beings would become as angry as the guardians would after they learned the truth, and they would even be willing to kill their fellow compatriots for this. Anyway, I did feel happy for their action, and I did not stop them. I had even opened up part of the structure in the cavern for them and their descendants, and taught them some knowledge so that they could help maintain my base¡­ This is all.¡±


    There was no need for the giant to lie now. Its words were highly credible. It appeared that the giant was indeed the mastermind of the Cult of Origination, and more like a symbolic spiritual leader. The faith of the Cult of Origination arose spontaneously after they encountered the mind of the giant. This also explained what the Cult of Origination was like in terms of the biological transformation between magic and technology: the giant should have no intention to study the biotech stuff of the tiny mortals; the believers must have sussed it out themselves in the course of thousands of years. Naturally, their technology could never match the one in the giant¡¯s warship and base.


    ¡°The Cult of Origination had tried to use a type of scroll to assassinate the pope.¡± Hao Ren took out the fragment of the divine scroll from his dimensional pocket. ¡°This is it. Did you give them this?¡±


    The giant looked down and said, ¡°Yes, but what I gave was just raw material. This material was created on a satellite of the Star of Creation and blessed by mother. The Cult of Origination used this ancient material and made it into sacred item. I don¡¯t know the specific usage. I don¡¯t pay attention to these things.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the scroll fragment in his hand. ¡°No wonder this thing has a divine characteristic¡­¡±

 Chapter 684

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren did not expect to actually extract so much information from the giant. In the beginning, the giant¡¯s attitude made him think that it was acting like a mule¡ªit was obstinate. However, without realising, perhaps he had unwittingly struck a chord with the giant; it decided to divulge everything. Maybe Hao Ren and his companions all just happened to ask questions that the giant was willing to answer. Had he dived rashly into questions about the goddess¡¯ power and whereabouts of the inheritance, Hao Ren believed that he would have hit a wall.


    It was precisely because his questions were all about finding out the truth, that the giant became cooperative and trusted him.


    ¡°Thank you for your patience, really,¡± Hao Ren pondered for a moment and could not think of any further questions at the moment, so he sincerely thanked the giant. ¡°I initially thought that you wouldn¡¯t cooperate.¡±


    ¡°I still don¡¯t trust you,¡± said the giant indifferently. But after a while of interaction, the giant no longer showed obvious hostility. ¡°But this does not prevent me from telling you the truths. You should know what happened; every life in this world should know. Forget will not wash away sins of the past.¡±


    Everyone could see that this giant was actually in a dilemma. It was rational, not as blind as other mutated guardians were, and knew that taking revenge on the offspring of the treacherous children was meaningless; but when it saw that the blood of the traitors still flowing in the mortals, it could not help itself with the guilt in its heart. It could let go the meaningless hatred in its mind, but it could not forget the death of its mother in its heart. It had been living in this contradiction for thousands of years, and it was no surprise for what he had done.


    Hao Ren was glad that he had stopped the giant in time before it wiped out Holletta¡¯s civilisation. Otherwise, he and his team would probably not the only one regretting.


    ¡°Well, wait a minute. Do you know the problem of the Wall of Reality?¡± asked Hao Ren as the matter suddenly came to mind. ¡°Do you know about the mass crossing?¡±


    ¡°The Wall of Reality?¡± the giant frowned. It felt that these people seemed to know a lot more than it knew. ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°It is a barrier that separates this universe from another ¡®twin universe¡¯.¡± replied Hao Ren. He saw the giant¡¯s expression and immediately knew that his guess was not quite accurate. ¡°We have come from the other side of the Wall of Reality. In theory, there is no interaction between the two universes, but ten thousand years ago, there was a mass crossing of ¡®otherworldlings¡¯ through this barrier¡­¡±


    Hao Ren briefly explained the Wall of Reality to the giant. But the giant¡¯s brows still knit together; it was confused. ¡°I don¡¯t know this kind of thing. If this phenomenon really exists in the universe, mother would have certainly told us. She knew most of the truths in this world.¡±


    Vivian scratched her chin and said, ¡°Well, let¡¯s not talk about the Wall of Reality, let¡¯s talk about the otherworldlings. From a time point of view, the crossing of otherworldlings, lunacy of the First Borns, fall of the Goddess, massive failure of the Wall of Reality were all happened in the same period and seemed to be interrelated. Do you think this was be the impact of the Goddess¡¯ fall that destroyed the structure of time and space? Some kind of powerful energy ¡­ or shock waves and the like.¡±


    The giant could not give an answer, because all the guardians had fallen into great confusion when the Goddess fell, and the Star of Creation in the deep universe was also in great turmoil. At that time, it was impossible to observe the abstract and difficult-to-perceive phenomenon of the Wall of Reality. And there was a more important reason: the giant was not willing to recall that particular moment. Hao Ren knew this. That was why he had stopped Vivian from pursuing the question.


    Hao Ren could not think of any more questions now. So he decided to leave; there were many things he needed to deal with in Holletta. But before he left, he looked at the giant in conundrum. ¡°What should I do with you?¡±


    The giant looked at the crystal container around him. He knew it was a cage, but he was calm. ¡°As you wish, I don¡¯t care about anything else.¡±


    ¡°At first, I was trying to lock you up as a prisoner,¡± said Hao Ren, spreading out his hand predicamentally. ¡°After all, you were too dangerous. But now I feel like you are not so uncontrollable¡­ locking you up seems to be a bit inhumane.¡±


    ¡°Are you letting me go?¡± the giant asked indifferently.


    Hao Ren was silent for a moment and shook his head slightly. Then he fiddled with the holographic panel near him. The crystal wall encaging the giant disappeared silently in the air. At the same time, light barrier popped up at all the passageways around the crystal hall,¡± I can¡¯t let you go because I can¡¯t control you. But you can move around freely in this hall and rooms next to the hall. Though your space of activity is limited, at least it is better than living in a cage. The arcane colloids and autonomous robots will take care of your needs. If you feel bored, you can also request for something like movies and other entertainment¡­ I can only provide you these things for now, but after things have shown some progress, I will come back again. I hope we can finally find an amiable solution.¡±


    After learning such much truth, he was no longer hostile to this giant.


    The giant seemed indifferent to Hao Ren¡¯s arrangements. In fact, its face had been expressionless all this while. Apart from showing some excitement about its ¡®mother¡¯, its feelings were almost as good as a zombie. ¡°That¡¯s good enough,¡± replied the giant.


    Hao Ren led the others out of the hall. Before closing the door behind him, he glanced over his shoulder at the centre of the hall. The giant had already sat down in the same spot. Although the encaging barrier had disappeared, he seemed to be not going anywhere.


    The huge figure was sitting so motionlessly that there was almost an illusion that it would sit still forever.


    Crapple Research Station had a new prisoner, or was it really a prisoner?


    ¡°Let¡¯s observe the giant for a while,¡± Hao Ren sighed. ¡°I have a hunch that it will not be held for too long.¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not crazy anymore. It¡¯s just a bit dangerous,¡± said Lily, pursing her mouth. ¡°How much you think what it said is true, Mr. Landlord?¡±


    Hao Ren replied, ¡°I think they are all true.¡±


    Lily blinked. ¡°You trust him so much?¡±


    ¡°I was using twenty polygraphs,¡± Hao Ren waved. ¡°Of course it doesn¡¯t matter. More importantly, my gut feeling tells me that what the super big guy said is credible. After all, all the timelines add up, and all information that we have on hand also add up¡ªthis second point is the key: you can tell a perfect lie, but you can¡¯t tell a lie that perfectly match the evidence.¡±


    ¡°Is that your intuition?¡± asked Lily, sizing up Hao Ren. ¡°Can that thing be trusted?¡±


    Not waiting for Hao Ren to answer, Vivian quickly chimed in. ¡°I think you better believe it. Have you forgot he is a freaking harbinger?¡±


    Hao Ren had wanted to argue that his intuition was not of a harbinger but of God¡¯s spokesperson. However, the argument seemed not very convincing. So he decided to shut up.


    After they got back on-board the spacecraft, Lily told her small partners who had been staying on board about all that had taken place in CARS. They needed time to digest such a large volume of information though. Hao Ren knocked on his own forehead. ¡°I only realise I still have so many questions yet to ask after coming back here.¡±


    As Lily had finished sharing her excitement, she turned and asked, ¡°What have you forgot? I think that¡¯s pretty all about it.¡±


    ¡°There are still many more, such as could we still be able to contact the other guardians, what to do if we have contacted the other guardians, how many races were keeping ¡®silence¡¯ when the goddess was assassinated, and how many races survived, and the most important thing is¡­ who is visitors from the stars?¡± Hao Ren shook his head regretfully. ¡°And I have even forgot to ask its name. Maybe I should have a to-do list next time.¡±


    Lily tapped her lip with her finger. ¡°Hmmm, that¡¯s a lot of questions. But I think you should wait until next time. Now we should hurry over to Holletta; the pope is dead, the sacred mountain is blown, and the Cult of Origination is exposed. We don¡¯t know what¡¯s the situation right now.¡±


    Lily was right; Holletta was a real mess now. But all those messes would soon look like a flea on a camel.


    Because Hao Ren was bringing them a far more explosive news¡ª the truth about the fall of the Goddess ten thousand years ago.

 Chapter 685

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hodeceus floated silently by the side of the crystal mine, which faced the now drastically changed Sacred Mountain. The seismic ¡°remodelling¡± had since died down, yet the real chaos was just about to begin. The knights and werewolf cavalry who successfully retreated under Marshal Ophra¡¯s lead had returned to the main camp in Hodeceus. They rendezvoused with the other generals and cardinals who were manning the floating fortress. But as they sought to finalise their next course of action, the various factions fell victim to infighting.


    Before Ophra could even take off her cuirass, she, Uruk, and a few other leaders¡ªstill drenched in the enemy¡¯s blood¡ªsat at the front of a long table. She appeared like the goddess of war as she sat there and looked on at the rather rowdy atmosphere. The seat next to her belonged to the Pope and it was now empty.


    ¡°The Pope has been martyred.¡± Cardinal Orben looked at the seat beside Ophra. His rune covered face was rather emotionless, but there was a tinge of dignified stiffness. ¡°The Pope could not have possibly survivef that explosion. Plus, there was no trace of his spirit after that.


    The meeting hall door was pushed open as a robed figure walked swiftly into the room. He was a cardinal, one of those who had to calm the nerves of the ordinary soldiers and believers with the a few other clergy. The clamour outside was obviously weighing on him. ¡°Things are still a flux outside. The Pope¡¯s martyrdom shook the faith of many, plus the fact tha even with his sacrifice that the evil god had managed to escape without a scratch. We need to come up with an explanation for this.¡±


    ¡°What about the Goddess? Anything from her?¡± Ophra turned towards Big Beardy who was seated silently on the side of the table. From the moment the Pope had martyred, the pious ascetic was deep in thought, trying to communcate with the Goddess. She was hoping that with the ascetic¡¯s special mental ability to mend the connection with the Goddess and the long prayers would bear some fruit.


    Big Beard open his eyes slightly as he looked at the marshal. ¡°Her voice is blurry, but it is certain that the Pope had spoken with her before his martyrdom. His action is probably in line with her will.¡±


    Cardinal Orben immediately nodded. ¡°Alright, we can start from there at least¡­¡±


    ¡°The explaination can come later. The most pressing matter is how do we tell His Majesty.¡± Prince Hoffman suddenly interjected. His head was glistening from sweat but this time around, he did not bother wiping it off. ¡°His Majesty needs to know if the kingdom is still safe. That black thing had escaped, unscathed I must add. You can spin it to say that it was the Goddess¡¯ wrath that scared it away, that will only work for the masses. His Majesty needs an even clearer answer. Will the thing come back? And if it does, how do we face it?¡±


    The question Prince Hoffman asked was piercing, a stark contrast of the smiling bald guy character he is known for. This was however the way he operates, and as he finished his sentence Uruk spoke.


    ¡°It¡¯s a mess at our place as well. The collapse of the Sacred Mountain is a massive shock to the tribes, and we also need to explain how an evil god was hiding in the mountains all these while. So, for a time, the tribe nations will be recalling the mercenary companies in Holetta.¡±


    Due to their fierce nature and martial talents, the werewolf tribes were able to export their fine troops and commanders as an important means of revenue. Their mercenaries can be found on all corners across the south of the continent. Furthermore, the tribal nation had excellent relations with the Kingdom of Holetta, even during the time of Kayton the Third¡¯s uprising, he had a loyal band of werewolf warriors with him. As such, even the Holettaen¡¯s standard army had many werewolf bands in it, some of them even hold office in the army.


    Ophra frowned. ¡°That¡¯ll affect Holetta¡¯s security, and goes against the previous accord.¡±


    ¡°We will not void the accord, but the situation demands it.¡± Uruk¡¯s expression stiffened, his voice stern. ¡°We are only reassigning a part of the soldiers, to solve our urgent need for manpower. After the peak had collapsed many towns within the vicinty was affected, and many other places are at risk of avalanches and aftershocks.¡±


    Uruk gave Ophra a glance as he left the last part out: Holetta is mighty kingdom, surely this won¡¯t affect you?


    As Uruk finished the generals and cardinals present too started discussing the situation. Some was doubtful of morale, some was worried about doctrines, some was talking about diplomacy, or to amend the map and texts because there was a need to measure the highest peak of the southern continent again¡­When Lady Ophra heard the last part, she buried her face in her palm as she massaged her temple. If at all possible, she did not want to get involved in this as she only belatedly realised that she had gathered a rabble here at haste and in this situation, it was quite literally too many cooks spoils the broth.


    ¡°My word¡­ I¡¯m really b ad at this.¡± The Lady Marshal shook her head. ¡°Even whe the king died it wasn¡¯t that chaotic¡­¡±


    The sweatdrops from Prince Hoffman¡¯s bald head really streamed down this time. ¡°Marshal¡­ this¡­ is not the time for that¡­¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Ophra sighed as she looked up and slammed the time. ¡°SILENCE!¡±


    Perhaps the hall was too big and this was the first time her slamming the table was not effective. A few ministers were still having a heated discussion with their fellow generals. Seeing how it was, Lady Ophra took her longsword out, still sheathed as she slammed the table again. ¡°SILE¡­¡±


    Before she could finished, a crash followed and the table shattered into pieces.


    A few of the ministers immediately followed the table and crashed to the ground: They were too engrossed with their arguments and were pretty much on the table already.


    Lady Ophra blinked, as she shuffled awkwardly. ¡°The table sure is fragile?¡±


    The old werewolf Elson rolled his eyes. ¡°Oh stop with your excuses. This is not the first time.¡±


    ¡°Well that¡¯s that.¡± Ophra waved it off. ¡°It doesn¡¯t affect anything anyway, and at least will stop you lot from continuing your crap. Do I need to even remind you lot? This is Hodeceus! The kingdom¡¯s most powerful floating fortress. Even the lowliest of soldiers here are the elites of the country! Elites, hah! Just look at you lot. Panicking over something like this? And you deemed yourself worthy to step foot on here?¡±


    After having their ego bruised by the Lady Marshal¡¯s terse words, the hall fell silent. Lady Ophra gave a nod of satisfaction. ¡°That¡¯s more like it. Lets lay things out, and solve it one by one. We¡¯ll do what we can, what we must and I frankly don¡¯t give two hoots about who¡¯s losing what. Everything won¡¯t matter when that Black Fortress comes back again.¡±


    Having said her piece, she tuirned towards Uruk and Cardinal Orben. ¡°My apologies. I may have overstepped my boundries. I have no control over the church or other nations but let me remind you lot. Before that Black Fortress, your religion or nationality does not matter.¡±


    Cardinal Orben¡¯s expression changed immediately the moment the missing Black Fortress was mentioned. ¡°The key problem is still that evil god¡¯s weapon. It is an awesome weapon, and even the Pope¡¯s martyrdom could not destroy it, only to drive it away. If it was to make a comeback, our efforts are in vain.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the outsiders have gone to solve this?¡± Prince Hoffman looked that Ophra. ¡°Why are there no news till now?¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± Ophra was at a loss of words to explain. ¡°They¡¯ll probably be in touch soon. If anyone could do it, it is them. After all, they were the one who took out the First Born.¡±


    Even as she said that, Ophra was not fully confident. She only have a vague knowledge of Hao Ren and his crew¡¯s powers and background, and she had no idea how the ¡® Black Fortress¡¯ even came about. She only relied on her experience with them solving issues in the past to trust them with the job of destroying that monstrosity. She wondered if she should call for Becky, that silly mercenary had spent the most time with the outsiders, and knew more about them than Big Beardy. As she pondered on the idea a flash of light appeared in the middle of the hall.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the Black Spaceship.¡± Hao Ren led his crew out of the white light. ¡°I¡¯ve more important things to tell you all.¡±

 Chapter 686

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren led his crew through the curtain of light and into the meeting hall. The first thing he saw was a bunch of eminent individuals with worried looks on their faces. There were generals, ministers, cardinals and even Uruk, the representative of the werewolf tribes. Basically, almost every single person he had met before was in the hall.


    Lily looked at the broken table, which was surrounded by everyone. The atmosphere felt more like a memorial service than anything. ¡°That table must have been expensive?¡± the husky asked, feeling rather bewildered.


    Given how her thought process worked, Hao Ren and the rest could not even be bothered.


    ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± It was literally a case of speaking of the devil as Ophra was just contemplating about looking for Becky before these bunch of outsiders popped out of nowhere. ¡°That black¡­¡±


    ¡°Spaceship. That was the ¡®spaceship¡¯ I told you about before.¡± Hao Ren waved. ¡°That¡¯s a done deal. The ship is destroyed so you don¡¯t have to worry about it coming back for revenge. The pilot has also been taken prisoner and is now captive in a very secure cell. Even if it was a god there¡¯s no escape.¡±


    A few ministers who understood the outsiders immediately let out a sigh of relief as they heard that. As if they had escaped apocalypse again. The moment the black spaceship escaped, everyone¡¯s gut fell and the whole meeting prior revolved around whether the evil god would make a comeback. That left them in a lurch on what to say to calm the nerves or what to do to defend against it. Now that the threat of the evil god¡¯s retaliation has been neutralised, everyone could finally calm down a little.


    Ophra however noticed that things were not that simple from Hao Ren and Vivian¡¯s looks. Frowning, she asked. ¡°There¡¯s trouble following?¡±


    ¡°Trouble from eons ago.¡± Hao Ren looked around as he noticed Cardinal Orben and a few other familar cardinals while the centre seat was empty, he immediately realised that the seat was probably the Pope¡¯s. ¡°I suppose the clerance of everyone here is high enough?¡±


    Ophra was troubled. ¡°You¡­ What have you discovered?¡±


    The first time Hao Ren appeared, he had brought news of the First Born, and disclosed the Disciple of Glory¡¯s tenuous founding. Ophra remembered that like yesterday and her gut feeling told her that these group of outsiders were bringing more news regarding the Goddess. They had encountered a ¡®evil god¡¯ afterall.


    ¡°We have managed to get in touch with the lord of the black spaceship and found out a few new things.¡± Hao Ren looked at Cardinal Orben. ¡°This has something to do with your faith¡­ Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not heresy, but something even more profound. So I need your assurance that everyone present is reliable, and won¡¯t let this secret slip. After I¡¯m done, you can decide on what to do with the information, or to choose to trust me or not.¡±


    Cardinal Orben nodded in understanding. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the guards and scribes.


    Ophra noticed that Hao Ren¡¯s serious demeanour mean that he is going to say was no laughing matter. This was also not the first time he had used some otherworldy powers to save her world. She trusted the outsiders. Sweeping through the remaining personel in the hall, she nodded softly. ¡°This are all the core members of the kingdom; the generals, the ministers, cardinal¡¯s and the king¡¯s right hand. They are all trustworthy persons and their loyalty beyond doubt, but¡­¡±


    Her gaze fell on Uruk and the latter immediately realised the gravity of things. ¡°Oh, right. I¡¯m an outlander too, I¡¯ll make my exit then¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°This matter not only involves the Kingdom of Holetta but every living being on this planet.¡±


    Cardinal Orben finally could sense danger from Hao Ren¡¯s demeanour and he stood up. ¡°I need your confirmation, that your announcement will or not shake the foundations of the Disciples of Glory. If this massively affects the religion, I hope that you will let us know first before announcing it to the rest.¡±


    The cardinal has their own worries, and even if the Kingdom of Holetta had a unique symbiotic executive and religious structure where both the royalty and the church ruled the society. But on certain matters, they have their own domain of control.


    Ophra gave the cardinal a disapproving glance but she did not say anything. The Marshal hated politics and religion, and for someone her age and experience, she had enough of such petty squabbles. Hao Ren, surprisingly waved the cardinal off. ¡°No, this does not just affect your religion.¡±


    He did not wish for one party to have a monopoly of the information only to gave it buried or manipulated.


    ¡°Right. So everyone take an oath.¡± Ophra did not give anyone else a chance to speak. She stood up and her sword drawn. ¡°In the name of His Majesty, the Goddess and family, unless we have a two thirds majority, nothing said in this room is to be shared with anyone outside. Aside from His Majesty.¡±


    This was the famous ¡®Secret Council of Hodeceus¡¯ recorded in history books in the future. Its special nature captured the imagination of the people; the persons involved were unusual, not only the military, the government or church was present, a werewolf cheiftain and a few outlanders were involved as well; the contents of the meeting was of the highest secrecy and it took about a hundred years for the royal court and the church to slowly disclose the matter to the world, and the revelation changed the entire planet¡¯s culture and history. The people of later times used their imagination to wax lyrical of the scret council. Some of them depicted a solemn roundtable meeting in a scary underground hall. But in truth, Hao Ren and the group of officials were discussing the matter around a broken table.


    ¡°First thing first.¡± Hao Ren looked at Cardinal Orben solemnly. ¡°The lord of the Black Spaceship was not a ¡®evil god¡¯. His real identity is a guardian. The guardian of the Goddess.


    A furore immediately exploded in the room as Prince Hoffman clutched his chest. ¡°¡­I should not have came here today¡­¡±


    Vivian motioned towards the cardinals to calm down. ¡°Don¡¯t get so agitated yet. If I¡¯m not wrong, your ancestors have a hand in the Goddess¡¯ death. Yes, indirectly too. Alright, now you can get agitated.¡±


    Hao Ren wondered if Vivian did that on purpose. She really had that side to her afterall!


    The truth of what happened ten thousand years ago was complex and convoluted and there were many things that needed clarification before the locals could understand it. Hao Ren took a good while to explain things to them and the whole tale could be summarised as such:


    The Goddess of Creation had created life in the universe and what happened inbetween is immaterial at the moment. Ten thousand years ago, a group of mortals who probably got too full of themselves with their technological advancement and their invincibility drove them to seek out godhood. So thus was their plan, to be a god, they need to kill a good. Through lies and deception, they managed to steal a part of the Goddess¡¯ powers, and had managed to convince their ¡®mortal brethrens¡¯ that had a special link with the Goddess to their side. Everything was in place.


    So in the dark of night, they commited matricide.


    The brethrens that were convinced by the usurpers heard the Goddess¡¯ cry for help, but as they were too yearning a piece of the divine powers, chose to collectively keep quiet.


    At the end of this tragedy, the guardians who witnessed it decided that leaving the mortal races alive was a mistake and they had since been ¡®correcting¡¯ that ¡®mistake¡¯. And that was the truth of the apocalypse that befell many worlds.


    But the Goddess, before her death had managed to order a few of her guaridans to activate the safety protocols of the Seed of Life. Her wish was to preserve her children, and that was the truth behind the slumber of the First Born on many planets.


    ¡°And¡­ I¡¯m done.¡± Two hours later, Hao Ren finally heaved a long breath as he pulled out a water bottle from his Dimensional Pocket. As he opened the bottle he looked at Cardinal Orben. ¡°So it¡¯s up to you on how you want to tell this to the masses.¡±


    The silence in the hall was palpable. Throughout the two hours, only Hao Ren and his crew spoke, while the rest kept a stupified silence. It took a long while before a cardinal broke the awkward silence as he leapt up from his chair, his leap actually almost took him above a table. ¡°Non..nonsense! This.. this is preposterous! Illogical! And¡­¡±


    ¡°And it does not fit your current historical narrative?¡± Hao Ren knew what the cardinal was going to say. ¡°Actually it does fit. The brazenness of mortals angered the Goddess, leading to the Goddess condemning worlds in a sea of fire. This is in the creed of the Disciples of Glory. And the truth is not too far from that, just on a larger scale, and more extreme and¡­ harder to swallow. I know it¡¯s hard to believe that your Goddess is dead, and even harder to believe that she was killed by your own ancestors. But it¡¯s the truth. I have no reason to lie to you. I could have just left you lot blind to the truth and leave, but I strongly believed that you have the right to know of your history and that¡¯s why I opted to tell you this much.


    The MDT who had kept silence for all these while suddenly popped up, summarising everything. ¡°Mother had treated you well, and you lot stabbed her in the back. All the conflict and misery started from this.¡±

 Chapter 687

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    While the MDT¡¯s mouth (if you could call it one) invited a punch everytime it spoke, it was undeniable that it could always wrap things up nicely. The blood curling scheme 10,000 years ago and the following apocalypse could be summed up in one word: Matricide.


    The giant was probably not lying. But of course, even if was not lying, what he knew was probably not the whole truth as well. Nonetheless, that did not affect the clarity of events and there were no credible witnesses other than the guardian at this point. Hao Ren looked at scene as he found it to be an awkward yet tense atmosphere. Even though the room was silent, an invisible unrest was boiling within.


    Before things exploded, Hao Ren stood up. ¡°I know many of you can¡¯t really believe what I just said, so if you need details, just ask. But if you want to verify the authenticity of my words, then forget about it. I¡¯m just passing on what I know, it¡¯s up to you to believe it or not.¡±


    Cardinal Orben looked up, the runic tatoo on his face flickered, his voice clam. ¡°You know what those these truth means?¡±


    ¡°The Goddess is dead. And for a religion, this is probably the fatal blow.¡± Hao Ren sighed. ¡°I can imagine the other effects as well. Like the Cult of Origination was the true believer, the unpaid debt of sin, the creed of the church is heretical¡­ Pffttt¡­ If we were to go by facts alone, the heretics are in the right.¡±


    The Cult of Origination¡¯s beliefs were much closer to the truth than the Disciples of Glory. This was probably the biggest irony. As usual, Cardinal Orben¡¯s expression was stiff, and it was difficult to tell what he was actually thinking. The stoic cardinal spoke, very slowly. ¡°If the guardians were to return to exact retribution, what do we do?¡±


    Lily rubbed her face. ¡°Oh right. There¡¯s this question as well¡­ If following your creed, I guess you¡¯ll probably need to surrender to your heads.¡±


    If one were to stick to the creed. the brain monster and the First Born were the guardians of the Goddess, playing a role much akin to the apostles in the sacred texts. And historically, their actions against the mortal races were justified retribution. Thus the clergy found themselves in a very difficult situation. Lily pondered for a bit before letting out a deep sigh. ¡°Why does this look like some drawn out family drama¡­. despite how serious the thing is.¡±


    ¡°It was a family drama from the begining.¡± Hao Ren ruffled his hair before looking at the cardinal. ¡°I¡¯m an outlander, so I won¡¯t say much about your creed. But I still need to state my opinion. While the ones that abandoned the Goddess was your ancestors, but their offsprings should not carry the burden of sin. And that sane guardian too had abandoned his retribution towards you lot no? I see that as some sort of forgiveness, how you want to take that I leave it up to you. But if any of those crazed brain monsaters or First Born were to return, don¡¯t take them as a guardian anymore. They had lost their sanity long ago.¡±


    ¡°Cardinal Orben. Can we take this as the truth?¡± A cardinal sitted by the corner rose up to ask. He was still in disbelief of the news the outlander brought. His reaction was understandable and he was not alone. Everyone present would not so simply take Hao Ren¡¯s words at face value and a few of the cardinals rose as well, to either question Hao Ren, or to state their views. But from their questions, Hao Ren knew that the seeds of doubt had been planted with in them.


    Hao Ren managed to answer a few questions before Cardinal Orben motioned for the meaningless argument to cease. ¡°Enough. This sort of argument is a waste of time. Outsiders, I believe that you do not need to lie to us. But I have a question. If as you said, the Goddess is dead. Then whose voice is it that our believers hears in our meditation?¡±


    Hao Ren recoiled slightly. This question was bound to be asked!


    After his conversation with the giant he did thought of this. The reason that the Disciples of Glory could spread across the world and become the dominant pillar of faith for all civilisations there was not because of their missionaries, but because they have real divine powers. The faithful could communicate with a higher being akin to the Goddess in their meditations, and they could obtain an inexplicable, almost supernatural powers from prayer and faith alone. Some of the higher clergies too had managed to obtain knowledge beyond this planet¡¯s era, and the application of the knowledge made the Disciples of Glroy not only a religious organisation, it also became the world¡¯s foremost industrial power. This sort of advancement is not something mere words and spells could conjure.


    So if the Goddess is dead, where does this ¡®gifts and blessings¡¯ came from?


    ¡°The death of a real God is different from humans.¡± Hao Ren rubbed his chin as he tried his best to explain the death of a god. ¡°A real god affects the rules and laws of the universe and their death is enough to affect the basic functioning laws of the universe. These ¡®echoes¡¯ that had responded to you is probably not the Goddess herself, but probably a shred of her powers, her will that remained after her death. That aside, since the founding of the Disciples of Glory, no one could hear her voice clearly right?¡±


    As he said that he looked at Big Beardy. Whilst the rest might not understand it. This ascetic had met Raven12345 in person and he knew what is like when a real God responds to the prayers of a faithful¡­ While.. while their methods may differ, the clarity is at least guaranteed.


    Big Beardy nodded towards Cardinal Orben. The latter, seeing that even the most pious of ascetics was in agreement, demurred. ¡°Perhaps so.¡±


    ¡°Can an unbeliever understand what it means to have faith in the Goddess?¡± A cardinal asked as he threw a still-suspicious look at Hao Ren. There was no ill-intentions, but a question someone who was in the clergy is bound to ask.


    Hao Ren wanted to bring out the fact that he was a proper Pope himself to see who is actually the real clergy, but Raven12345 antics immediately flashed across his mind and he nipped the idea at its bud and stay silent¡­


    He just could not bring himself to say ¡°I too am a believer of a great Goddess¡± with a straight face. Not even the dogs would believe him.


    But what was not expected was that Cardinal Orben actually spoke for him. ¡°I believe that the information the outlanders had brought is reliable.¡±


    A few cardinals immediately protested but Cardinal Orben waved them off with authority. ¡°By the creed, in the event of the Pope¡¯s martyrdom, I will take over as an interim. So the arguments of this matter stops here. I will explain the situation later. But before that, outlanders, can you follow me?¡±


    Hao Ren did not know what business the cardinal had with him, but he knoew that based on the cardinal¡¯s personality, he was not the type to look for someone for nothing. So he rose, ¡°Alright, so, just me or all of us?¡±


    Cardinal Orben looked at Hao Ren and his crew before nodding. ¡°Come.¡±


    Hao Ren and the rest left the hall with the cardinal, not knowing what to expect, leaving the generals, ministers and other cardinals looking at each other. After a veil of silence descended for a moment, Prince Hoffman turned towards Marshal Ophra. ¡°So, do we continue?¡±


    Ophra, looking totally exhausted, laid back on the chair as she waved him off. ¡°Lets not talk about what was going on before, and see what we can do about the public announcement. This will take a good while doesn¡¯t it¡­. I really regret smashing that table apart.¡±


    Prince Hoffman was dumbfounded. ¡°Ah?¡±


    ¡°I want to find a place to lie down.¡± Ophra messaged her temple. ¡°Or you guys can continue while I look for a place to play dead.¡±


    ¡°Marshall, please be serious!¡±


    At the same time, Hao Ren and the rest had left the hall with Cardinal Orben and were going along a dark path towards the inner sanctum of the floating fortress.


    They came before a simple, dark room.


    ¡°This is¡­¡± Nangong Wuyue looked about before noticing the religious symbols of the Disciples of Glory hanging on the world. ¡°A prayer room?¡±


    ¡°The Pope was here all these while mediating before his martyrdom.¡± Cardinal Orben nodded as he lead them into the room. Pointing towards the sacred portrait in the middle of the room. ¡°He was facing the portrait meditating for a few hours.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately realisedsomething. ¡°What did he left behind?¡±

 Chapter 688

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    If not for the Pope¡¯s glorious martrydom, the fate of the civilisations in Holletta would have been very different.


    Even though the giant that Hao Ren captured was still of sound mind, he still bore thoughts of annihilating Hollettan Civilisation. And at that point of time, the guardian was threading on a very fine line between mercy or destruction for the planet. The Pope¡¯s sacrifice pushed the giant away from the brink, and allowed him to let go of the futile need for vengeance as well as retribution. The mention of such a great elder only evoked respect from Hao Ren.


    The simple room was not decorated. There were only a few religious iconography and relics as well as some simple furniture. A simple table stacked with draft papers stood at the side of the room, while the unique, black and red sacred portrait was hung in the middle of the room. Aside from that there was nothing else. Cardinal Orben was the last person to visit the room before the Pope¡¯s martyrdom, and based on the church¡¯s doctrine, he was the person to take control of the papacy in the event of the Pope¡¯s demise. He immediately went to gather up the Pope¡¯s belongings after the latter was martyred.


    ¡°The Pope seems to have realised the Goddess¡¯ will from the sacred portrait.¡± Cardinal Orben pointed to the oil painting in the middle of the room. ¡°She warned us that no matter what happen, we must take stock ofd things as everything happens for a reason.¡±


    He then took a piece of goatskin parchment on the table and handed it to Hao Ren. ¡°This was the note that His Holiness left behind. No one have seen it yet, it¡¯s meant for you.¡±


    Hao Ren took the parchment almost reactively, and realised that the writing was still new and the smell of the ink of was still present. He asked out of curiousity. ¡°You¡¯re letting us see it before the other cardinals?¡±


    ¡°His Holiness had specifically instructed me on this.¡± Cardinal Orben spread his hand open, gesturing towards the note that he found when he came to sort out the late Pope¡¯s belongings. ¡°Under the Goddess¡¯ grace, he had seen everything and he mentioned if the outlanders were to talk about an unholy plot of deicide, I am to pass this note to you. Iti s because the Her grace had already appeared upon you. Have a look, it is meant for all of you.¡±


    Hao Ren was just about to read the note as he heard what Cardinal Orben had no say. He never thought that the Pope had left this behind before his martyrdom! Perhaps the old man had forsaw in the last moments of his life that the outlanders will find out the truth ten thousand years ago from the guardians? Or¡­ there is a real goddess telling him that, and guided him to leave these behind?¡±


    Regardless of what it is, Hao Ren now knew that this note was something special and an unknown sense of urgency was compelling him to read it post haste:


    ¡°Outlanders, by the time you read this letter, I have already answered Her call. It is regretful that I have to use such a way to tell you a few things. But time is not on my side, and pardon my methods.


    Under the vision the Goddess have gave me, I saw your coming. The leader of the outlanders, Hao Ren. I could not describe what I saw then, as it was beyond the comprehension of mortals. I saw light, fire, stars and you in the middle and her blessing was coursing around you. This is a sign, her way to transmit her will. You are a chosen one, and you and your friends are closely intertwinned with Her. Even if time does not allow my the luxury to divulge everything, but I¡¯m confident of my judgement, and if I am right, you will be finding out a truth.


    The horrible truth, the inexcusable sin that our ancestors had committed ten thousand years ago. A sin so heinous its beyond description¡­¡±


    The latter part of the note was about the deicide ten thousand years ago. No one know how the Pope had ¡®learned¡¯ the truth, and even that his description was vague and full of contradictions, but yet Hao Ren could see that what the Pope was trying to tell was the same story as what the giant had told him.


    He had already knew this part of the story and after that he skimmed through the rest of the note before coming to the end of the note. The last few lines had him in a deep frown.


    ¡°The sins of the pass cannot be simply forgiven, like dawn always follows the darkest of nights, in disaster hope is born. In my lucid dreams I saw when her powers was separated during the heinous betrayal in the skies, she had turned into a form beyond mortal comprehension and is deep asleep somewhere in the universe. She had shown her guiding hands to let me understand the undying nature of Gods, and the betrayal of the Treacherous Children had only put her in deep slumber, true deicide was beyond them.


    In all this time, the prayers of the Disciples of Glory had never fallen on deaf ears, we always fell that there was a great will that was protecting all life. This is her power, and thus we must believe, that she is not lost to us. Part of her is still hidden away somewhere.


    If her miracles still dances across the land, her glory too will once again, return to this world.


    Outlanders, I was inspired by her omen, and yet I know very clearly, that our world, our civilisation could scarely meet her expectations, but I saw in all of you, a path to realising this. Perhaps, in the sea of stars lies the answer to all. In her vision, you stood in the halo of stars, so I beg you, please listen to my final plea: Look for her, wake our Mother.


    If this letter could reach you. Then it is indeed divine providence.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s expression was serious as he read the last of the note before Lily snatched it away. ¡°Let me see! Let me see!¡±


    Lily and Nangong Wuyue, alongside ¡®the purely just to make up the numbers¡¯ Rollie huddled on the table to read the note. From Hao Ren¡¯s vision, only three different tails were tagging about Vivian looked on by the side for a while before poking Lily¡¯s back with her nails. ¡°So what¡¯s in it?¡±


    ¡°Nothing really¡­¡± Lily wagged her tail. ¡°What the Pope said was pretty much the same to what we guessed. It¡¯s about the Goddess¡¯s echo.¡±


    ¡°No, if it was just an echo he would not had taken such a trouble to write this.¡± Y¡¯zaks said, his voice deep as he crossed his arms. Using his height, he peeked over the three lass and had finished reading the note without as much as turning his head. ¡°Based on what¡¯s on the note, the Pope had managed to connect with the Goddess with clarity during his meditation. He probably had managed to get in touch with the real thing¡­ the slumbering Goddess herself.¡±


    ¡°You mean the Goddess is alive?¡± Lily¡¯s eyes widen. ¡°Not an echo, but really really¡­ alive?!¡±


    Vivian glanced at the husky as she pointed to the lines of the parchment. ¡°Read properly, Doggie. Even the Pope had said it himself. ¡®She had turned into a form beyond mortal comprehension and is deep asleep somewhere in the universe¡¯ . If he could use the word ¡®slumber¡¯, means he had really seen the Goddess himself. Remember, nothing in the canon of the Disciples of Glory mention anything about the Goddess¡¯s predicament.¡±


    Lily did not even listened to what Vivian had to say. She was staring back fiercely. ¡°I¡¯m still reading!¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°Why does this husky does not think like how normal people do¡­¡± Hao Ren sighed as he facepalmed before he kept the parchment. ¡°All in all, this needs to be taken seriously. No matter the Pope means the way Y¡¯zaks think he means. We should look into where her whereabouts is.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s goal from the start was to look for the fallen Goddess¡¯ whereabout and when he found out that the Goddess had fell ten thousand years ago he was actually considering to abandon the search. Yet when he saw the Pope¡¯s writings, hope lit again with him. Real Gods are eternal!


    He was rattled by the brutality of the Treacherous Children and had thought that the Goddess was so thoroughly destroyed that only a shred of her spirit was left. Now when he had the time to think things through, many question marks started popping up. Based on the giant¡¯s story there was no ¡®witness¡¯ when she was ¡®killed¡¯, because the Goddess and the Star of Origin was sent into the ¡®Dark Zone¡¯ in the ensuing explosion. If the guardians that were caught in the explosion could not have survive that, those afar could technically only looked on, so no one had actually witness her death.


    This meant that she could still be alive!


    ¡°A shame that his Holiness is dead.¡± Nangong Wudi sighed. ¡°If not we could ask him what he saw in his meditation. I¡¯m sure that what he saw was not that simple, but there¡¯s plenty of things that cannot be described with just words alone.¡±


    ¡°I now do hope that all of the creed the Disciples of Glory follows are real.¡± Y¡¯zaks sighed. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, the Pope¡¯s spirit will return to the Goddess. To him, this is probably the biggest consolation. Such an admirable human, giving his life for his beliefs, that reminds me of an old friend..¡±


    Cardinal Orben¡¯s was expressionless as he made a religious gesture. ¡°His Holiness¡¯s spirit will definitely return to Her. Please do not doubt this.¡±


    ¡°Doubt or not,¡± Hao Ren nodded at the cardinal with a smile. ¡°I have promised to look into this and we will continue investigating, until we find your Goddess and rouse her from her slumber ¨C If she is just asleep that is.¡±


    Lily blinked as she turned towards Hao Ren. ¡°Is it because of a divine guidance?¡±


    Hao Ren pursed his lips. ¡°It¡¯s the job manual¡¯s guidance¡­¡±

 Chapter 689

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren found Becky doing nothing at a military officer¡¯s rest camp in the floating city of Hodeceus. She was not ranked high enough to participate in high-level meetings, so she hung around in the base. Taking advantage of her aristocratic and mercenary status, she was happy to enjoy the meals there. Becky was feasting happily at a table full of fine gourmet food and wine on her own when they found her.


    Anyone who was left alone in such a way would have definitely felt depressed, but not this carefree mercenary maiden. Hao Ren suspected that she would have not even cared if she were sold as a slave, as long as there was good food and wine for her.


    However, there was a caveat¡ªshe had to be the one counting the money. She liked counting money.


    When Becky saw them coming, she cheerfully greeted them, as usual, in a loud voice. Hao Ren looked at the dinner table. ¡°Good life you¡¯ve got here! Are you planning to die from gorging?¡±


    ¡°All these are for you guys,¡± said Becky, clapping her hands and laughing. ¡°But I couldn¡¯t wait. So I first tasted two drumsticks, four cakes and two bottles of wine. Welcome, saviours for saving the world again!¡±


    Lily looked at Becky, wide-eyed and impressed. ¡°Your appetite has almost caught up with me. Good job!¡±


    ¡°I enjoy life when things are happening. I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s good things or bad things, because ignorance is a bliss¡­ after a good fight today and smelling blood, the habits of mercenary came back out again,¡± Becky waved her hand. ¡°Enjoy food while you can, because you don¡¯t know what¡¯s gonna happen tomorrow.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet gently pulled Hao Ren¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Uncle Ren, what¡¯s the phrase after ¡®I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s good things or bad things¡¯?¡±


    Hao Ren face deadpan. ¡°Don¡¯t learn from her. She is an ignorant fool.¡±


    Ignorance notwithstanding, Becky¡¯s attitude towards life was an inviable one. Ren could not help thinking that if the world was going to end today, Becky could probably the only one die a happy ghost¡ªor die from gorging.


    ¡°What ignorant fool?¡± Becky had overheard them. ¡°Little girl, let me teach you how to smash a stone block on the chest later. I¡¯ve got skill¡­ Okay, okay, okay, I¡¯m just kidding. Come and eat. Look at you people, looks travel-worn and weary. You all going somewhere?¡±


    Only then Hao Ren realised he was hungry, he had been working non-stop, exerting high-intensity physical work for most of the day. He had not eaten anything yet. Much so, for Lily who was next to him. Her mind wandering when she smelt the food. Squatting at the table and snatching up food like a starving dog, she could swallow a whole drumstick in the blink of an eye¡ªtogether with the bone.


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving soon,¡± Hao Ren sat down beside Becky, helping himself on the food. ¡°A lot of things have happened. I have write a report. Take it slow, Lily. No one is taking your food¡­ at least you got to spit out the bones, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Lily looked up, half of a bone still hanging out of her mouth. She chewed it before swallowing everything down. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Forget it. Do as you please.¡± Hao Ren smiled and shook his head. He placed Lil Pea on the table, gave her a few pieces of wood chips, and chatted with Becky about life in Holletta while eating. The carefree mercenary maiden had not changed; she was extremely slow on the uptake when it had nothing to do with money. She did not even feel the change of atmosphere in the floating city. Even if when she heard about the pope¡¯s martyrdom, she just sighed in silence. ¡°Oh¡­ I can¡¯t believe it¡­¡±


    Her mind just did not work on higher consciousness or situation analysis.


    Chatting with Becky seemed to bring back the fond memory of old times. This amazing maiden did not changed much no matter where she went. She was thought to be adaptable, but now it seemed that she was simply too dumb to change. Nangong Wuyue could not help but sigh. ¡°Sometimes I really envy you. Anyone possesses the same attitude towards life would be a lot happier, Mr. Landlord will not be worrying about all these things all day long.¡±


    ¡°Is this a compliment?¡± Becky burped, patting her belly. ¡°Thank you for that. Life should be simple. If you can solve your problem, then what is the need of worrying? If you cannot solve it, then what is the use of worrying? This is what the Goddess taught me. Oh, I mean your Goddess.¡±


    Becky did some stretching before continuing. ¡°I feel at ease talking to you guys. Entertaining the bunch of mumpsimuses at the functions has been such a stress, especially when the housekeeper is squally¡­¡±


    Hao Ren forced a smile. Apparently, working in Becky¡¯s mansion was no fun at all.


    While Becky grumbled unabashedly, a voice suddenly spoke from behind them. ¡°You need to get used to the life of nobility. At least try to understand your housekeeper, he can¡¯t really let you go to the pub and fight with the gangs, tarnishing the good name of the legendary mercenary.¡±


    Becky turned her head around, her muscle stiffened as she got to her feet. ¡°Marshal ¡­ Marshal Ophra! You¡­ you are here!? Have you eaten yet? Do you want some drink? You have any instructions for me? Have some ale, or pastry? What about a massage¡­¡±


    Ophra waved her hand. ¡°No thanks. I¡¯m not ready to eat your stuff yet; God knows what you¡¯ve added inside again.¡±


    Marshal Ophra¡¯s words reminded Hao Ren about Becky¡¯s attempt to drug her idol surreptitiously earlier. He pasted a smile on his face and whispered to Becky. ¡°You¡¯ve got busted?¡±


    With demon-hunter bloodline in her, Ophra had a good hearing ability that was sharper then Lily¡¯s. She overheard what Hao Ren had said. She laughed. ¡°How could she not blow it when she was doing it so obviously? The tea she made looked like a sludge¡­¡±


    Everyone looked at Becky, wide-eyed. Becky blushed but still tried to explain. ¡°I was too nervous at that time and poured everything inside.¡±


    Lily asked, ¡°And then what?¡± her face full of anticipation.


    ¡°Then?¡± Marshal Ophra smiled and scratched her chin. ¡°You know I¡¯m drug-resistant anyway. So I took it. It was kind of chewy.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s jaw almost dropped to the ground. Chewing knockout drops was eye-popping enough but making tea-knockout-drops chewy was unprecedented.


    Lily looked at the idol and the braindead fan combo, suggesting seriously, ¡°I think you both would make a perfect lesbian couple.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue poked Hao Ren with her tail-tip, and her voice was almost a whisper. ¡°Would it be all right to discuss this topic here? It sounds like an age-restricted topic¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± said Ophra as a thought suddenly came to mind. She looked at Hao Ren. ¡°I came here to ask you something.¡±


    Hao Ren had noticed Ophra¡¯s tense expression. He could not help but got anxious as well. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°You all ¡­ or more strictly speaking, you, would you like to try to obtain the blessing of the church like the believers of the Disciples of Glory, and listen to the voice of the Goddess?¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned. He did not expect Ophra would mention this suddenly. He only shook his head after a few seconds. ¡°Do you mean let me become one of them? This is absurd. I have no problem with your faith, but I am attached to another organisation.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps I should put it another way,¡± said Ophra, seriously looking into Hao Ren¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not saying you¡¯re to join the church but just trying out the Branding Ritual.¡±


    ¡°Branding?¡± Hao Ren froze. He then remembered that this was exactly the ritual that new official clergymen of the Disciples of Glory needed to go through. It was a lifeblood injection and spiritual shaping process, which would let them resonate with the power of the Goddess somewhere in the universe. It was said that the priests after the ritual would be able to communicate with the Goddess. But he did not know why Ophra suddenly told him this. ¡°Why are you telling me this? Is it because we have helped solve your problems, the church decided to ¡®reward¡¯ me this way? If so then thanks, but no thanks.¡±


    ¡°I will let the master speak to you,¡± said Ophra, raising her finger pointing to the back of the crowd.


    Hao Ren saw Big Beardy was walking up from behind.

 Chapter 690

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Big Beardy just emerged from the high-level monk conference, but he was still in his humble rags and canvas shoes. Like an old man just getting out of a refugee camp, he looked nothing like a senior ascetic who was equally ranked as the bishop. In fact, Hao Ren had no clue about the ascetics¡¯ ranking in the church at first. He only learned later that these ascetics were highly regarded in the church. Not only did report directly to the pope, they were also qualified for top decision-making in matters pertaining to the church if necessary. It was all due to their unquestionable loyalty to the goddess. They were also the best adapted to the goddess¡¯ decree, and had strongest spiritual resonance with the goddess. The devout ascetics were considered to be the guards of the goddess, so Big Beardy was allowed to participate in bishop-level meetings.


    However Becky did not have much grasp of this concept. Her impression of Big Beardy consisted of him being an approachable gentleman and her former housemate. She got up to her feet and greeted him, ¡°Hi Uncle, just after the meeting? Do you want to eat something?¡±


    Bug Beardy smiled and nodded to Becky, thanked her and gently declined her invitation. He then looked at Hao Ren and Ophra. ¡°Have you guys talked over it?¡±


    ¡°You mean the Branding Ritual?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s brows knit together. ¡°Why would the church want to do that?¡±


    ¡°Of course there are some religious considerations,¡± Big Beardy nodded, he was emotionless. ¡°Whether it¡¯s the handwritten order left by the pope or your actions in several incidents, it¡¯s hard not to associate you people with the will of the goddess. The high-ranking bishops think that there¡¯s a meaning for the coming of foreigners to this world. Although you are not believer, the goddess¡¯ guidance has brought you here¡­ so the bishops hope that some of you could accept the Branding Ritual.¡±


    Hao Ren looked into Big Beardy¡¯s eyes. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°You can try. Establishing a connection with the goddess is definitely the way if you want to find out things about her. But to tell the truth, I don¡¯t know how effective it is¡­ The connection between the goddess and us is not just in the blood, it also calls for piety and faith. Only people who really worship the goddess in the heart can hear her teachings. And you¡­¡± Big Beardy looked at Hao Ren with a forced smile. ¡°I always feel that you don¡¯t even believe in your own god.¡±


    Hao Ren must be out of his mind if he were to worship the lunatic Goddess. He kept a stiff upper lip while smiling and waving his hand. ¡°I understand that. To be honest, I¡¯m also very interested in your Branding Ritual. In fact, when I last came, I had wanted to try it but was thinking that this was a formal cleric ritual, it would probably not open to outsider. So I didn¡¯t ask.¡±


    Ophra was surprised. ¡°You mean you agree?¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute. I need to get consent from the top,¡± Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°I¡¯m still attached to other organisation¡­ you know?¡±


    Though at this crucial moment, he still remembered he was a ¡®Pope¡¯ albeit appellatively, he obviously was unaware that what he was going to partake was a solemn ceremony for the believers. A spokesperson of a god was going to establish a connection with another god through a religious ritual was enough to freak the ordinary believers out. Yet, he was naive enough to want to discuss with his God¡­


    Ophra was constrained by her knowledge of her own world. She did not anticipate Hao Ren to have agreed so quickly. She looked at Hao Ren, wide-eyed, as if he was some kind of rare creature. Then she asked Big Beardy, ¡°¡­Is it really possible to discuss this thing with his own god?¡±


    Big Beardy did not really know how to answer that question. But he tried to make it sounding serious. ¡°¡­it¡¯s acceptable to his god.¡±


    At this time, Hao Ren had let the MDT contact Raven 12345. Her groggy voice sounded in his head. ¡°Hao Ren? What the heck are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you woke up yet at this hour?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me! You must have gone to overseas, aren¡¯t you? Do you know there is something called Time Zone?¡± Raven 12345¡¯s voice still sounded so cordial. ¡°Get straight to the point. Why are you calling?¡±


    Hao Ren looked nervous on his face. ¡°I am planning to experience the conversion ritual to some other god.¡±


    ¡°Flop¡ª¡±


    Hao Ren heard an indiscernible voice at the other end, before Raven 12345¡¯s shouting voice reverberated in his mind. ¡°What the heck? Did I not treat you well so that you want to job-hop so quickly? Are you competing with your own daughter?¡±


    Hao Ren quickly realized there was a problem with his statement. He quickly cleared up the misunderstanding.


    ¡°I was thinking ¡®What?¡¯¡± said Raven 12345, letting out a sigh of relief. ¡°You¡¯re not jumping ship, are you? It¡¯s nothing more than goddamn radio test. All right, go ahead.¡±


    The Goddess was still babbling, not knowing she was still on the line. ¡°That almost scared me. I¡¯ve never seen any popes quit in the hundreds of millions of years of history of the three great celestials. This one called up and told me he wanted to quit? I almost thought that I would I would be hung out to dry again¡­ Oh, f**k, it¡¯s still online?¡±


    Then the spiritual connection ended abruptly.


    Lily looked curiously at Hao Ren, whose face changed colours every other second. ¡°Did the Goddess give you her blessing, Mr. Landlord?¡±


    Hao Ren turned his head, forcing a smile. ¡°I tell you what, I could never believe in her in my life¡­¡±


    Lily: ¡°?¡±


    After a short preparation, Hao Ren and Big Beardy arrived at a monastery in the floating city. The design of this aerial fortress was entirely in accordance with military arrangement. It had not only military barracks and academy but also church facilities such as monasteries. Although they were small, they were sufficient for most daily usage.


    Hao Ren had no particular excitement about the Branding Ritual¡ªperhaps it was a sacred and glorious blessing ceremony to the Hollettans and a performance of the Goddess to bring her own grace to the mortal. But to Hao Ren, it was just another experiment indistinguishable from what he had conducted in the spacecraft¡¯s laboratory. In fact, even without the help of Big Beardy, he had also intended to try ¡®inoculating¡¯ the lifeblood on board the spacecraft to see what he could hear.


    He had the lifeblood sample, professional books of the Disciples of Glory, and comprehensive medical equipment. Even if there was a slight rejection, he was not worried.


    But of course, now it was even better. There were professional religious figures; the success rate should be much higher.


    ¡°Why you seem not nervous at all?¡± Ophra came up, puzzled by how calm Hao Ren was. ¡°As if there is no hesitation and conflict¡­ I mean, aren¡¯t you following another God? I heard about your world from the Master.¡±


    Watching Big Beardy preparing the incense and lifeblood container not far away, Hao Ren said, ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. In our world, every child receives no less than a dozen jabs of vaccination since born.¡±


    Ophra was wide-eyed. ¡°Your world has such a passion for religion?¡±


    Speaking about cultural difference.


    Hao Ren looked around. Other than his friends, the only followers of the Disciples of Glory were Big Beardy and Cardinal Orben, which was somewhat weird to him. He asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t this ritual involving many people and scripture chanting and all that¡­ why it looks so casual here?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to convert?¡± said Big Beardy, smiling. ¡°Things like scripture chanting are on the one hand to subconsciously strengthen the spiritual connection between believers and the Goddess, and on the other hand, they are admonitions for the new converts. But since you just want to test the lifeblood connection, those parts are unnecessary. And to be honest¡­ I don¡¯t think by just reading you some prayers will make you change your belief.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet said, ¡°This sounds like words not coming from a fanatic.¡±


    ¡°We are devout believers, but the Goddess forbids us from becoming fanatics,¡± said Cardinal Orben with a deadpan face. It was not required of the interim pope to come to such a ceremony, but this time is was a special case; it was the first time a pagan receiving Branding Ritual since the founding of the Disciples of Glory. Because of many considerations, including that he was the person giving the approval for the ritual, he felt he had to supervise the event himself. ¡°The Goddess teaches us to be alert to extremist ideology, which must be rejected. God¡¯s love should be spread to the world, not bluntly but in a gentle manner.


    ¡°Well, I like what you say,¡± Y¡¯lisabet hugged herself, and nodded like an adult. ¡°Humans in our world believe in a myriad of bright gods, and gods of creations and all that. One is more fanatic than the other as if they are afraid that people don¡¯t know their god is the most powerful¡­ that¡¯s diffident.¡±


    Big Beardy ignited the incense, which had a mental-strengthening effect. He held the strange vessel containing lifeblood and came up to Hao Ren. ¡°Are you ready to listen to the voice of the Goddess?¡±


    ¡°Let it come. I wish she could tell me something.¡±

 Chapter 691

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren looked at the weird container in Big Beardy¡¯s hand, feeling a little nervous. ¡°Should I lie on the floor, topless?¡±


    ¡°Just sit here,¡± Big Beardy said, slightly smiling. ¡°It¡¯s merely an inoculation of the lifeblood. But, I still suggest that you concentrate and try to call out to our goddess in your mind. Although it is difficult to say how effective it¡¯ll be without genuine faith, I suppose it will still help however slightly.¡±


    Hao Ren gritted his teeth and nodded at the MDT next to him. ¡°Help monitor my physical condition. If something unexpected happens¡ª¡±


    The MDT¡¯s voice was particularly full of anticipation. ¡°Rest assured, I¡¯ll knock you out the moment something goes wrong.¡±


    Hao Ren had always felt that the MDT sounded a little evil to his ear. Big Beardy had set up the container with a sharp needle on his forehead. He felt a cool sensation but nothing had happened.


    Big Beardy hemmed twice. ¡°Can you deactivate the shield for the moment?¡±


    Hao Ren smacked on the back of his head. ¡°Oh, I forgot.¡±


    The lifeblood permeated his skin with the needle. A warm and wonderful sensation began to pervade from his forehead.


    The fluid, true to its name, contained an eternal and original vitality. It was not cold or felt foreign. On the contrary, when it penetrated the skin, Hao Ren almost felt that his body was actively welcoming the foreign substance. A mild and slightly itchy sensation spread under the skin and gradually flew to his limbs. Then there was a thought flashed across his mind:


    He was getting gutsy by the day. Injecting oneself with an unknown microorganism was a freaking red-flag endeavor, which was an unimaginable to him a year ago. But now he was enjoying the experiment.


    When the thought popped up in his mind, Hao Ren had a moment of hesitation: Why would he look forward to inject the lifeblood into his own body? Was this in line with their own cautious character? The urge to carry out the Branding Ritual seemed to have arisen from the time when he first saw the ritual¡­ Was this impulse just a curiosity?


    Hao Ren felt his spirit was slowly diverging. A sense of expectation of the lifeblood and a sense of security that seemingly came from returning to his mother¡¯s arms came at the same time. This not only diluted the doubt he just had, but he also felt a sense of delight and satisfaction.


    The holographic projection of the MDT showed the spread of the lifeblood in Hao Ren¡¯s body. It appeared to be expanding like a mist, unhurriedly but vigorously. Lily looked on, nervous. She could not groaning in her throat. ¡°Is this okay? I feel like it¡¯s some illegal medical experiment on television?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a temporary vaccination test,¡± the MDT sounded indifferently. ¡°Don¡¯t be worried, this guy¡¯s reinforced genes will soon break down foreign substance. Before that, we will see what he can ¡®listen¡¯¡­ huh?¡±


    The MDT seemed to be surprised suddenly. Everyone saw something anomalous: In the holographic projection, the lifeblood that had gradually spread in Hao Ren¡¯s body had disappeared suddenly.


    Vivian pulled her brows together; a dark shade of shadow appeared on her face but had quickly subsided. She had recalled a similar incident in the past.


    Lily stretched out her hand to poke the MDT. ¡°Did you sensor malfunction?¡±


    ¡°Bullshit. I am working perfectly,¡± the MDT shook a few times, before quickly flying around Hao Ren. ¡°It¡¯s gone¡­ No. It seems it has all been absorbed in a flash. Hey, Big Beardy, is this normal?¡±


    Meanwhile, Big Beardy and Cardinal Orben were both perplexed. Obviously, this was something abnormal. Cardinal Orben immediately came over and examined Hao Ren. ¡°This has never happened before¡­ Whoever does this, there must be a long adaptation period after the inoculation. The body should have shown obvious changes¡­ Foreigner, how are you feeling now?¡±


    Hao Ren had only withdrawn from the inexplicable experience. He looked down at his hands. ¡°Nothing has changed. Is this over?¡±


    ¡°The lifeblood has disappeared in your body.¡± The MDT replayed the visual. ¡°It seems it was absorbed in just a split second, and your body has shown no changes, and there is no trace of the lifeblood.¡±


    ¡°Absorbed?¡± Hao Ren blinked. ¡°But I felt it hadn¡¯t started yet.¡±


    Big Beardy holding the container thought for a long time. He then gritted his teeth. ¡°Try again!¡±


    Without waiting for Hao Ren¡¯s response, Big Beardy had already pricked the needle on the container to his forehead. After a moment, the MDT screamed again. ¡°It has been absorbed!¡±


    Seeing Big Beardy¡¯s itchiness for another try, cold sweat trickled down Hao Ren¡¯s forehead. He quickly waved his hand. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Don¡¯t do it again. It¡¯s not normal saline drips, okay!¡±


    Big Beardy reluctantly put the container aside. Lily jumped up to them in excitement. ¡°So now what that mean?¡±


    ¡°I only knew that there had been a similar situation before,¡± Vivian bit her lower lip as she began to tell Hao Ren¡¯s bizarre physique. ¡°He was immune to some magic. He used to absorb my blood when I used blood magic on him last time.¡±


    ¡°He even absorbed vampire¡¯s blood sucks?¡± Nangong Wuyue looked at Hao Ren in shock. ¡°Who are you two?¡±


    Vivian turned her face away, embarrassed. ¡°I admit I¡¯m not that really good in this thing.¡±


    ¡°Forget about your recipe problem,¡± Hao Ren waved them off. ¡°The key to the problem now is what happened to me. Could it be that my magic-immune body works on the lifeblood too?¡±


    ¡°It could be a matter of divine conflict,¡± said the MDT very quietly. ¡°If it is the life blood¡¯s divine part that has an effect on other creatures, then it will surely conflict with the divinity of your body, so neutralisation is possible.¡±


    The MDT had mentioned ¡®neutralisation¡¯ rather than ¡®consumed¡¯ because it was to take care of the feeling of the Disciples of Glory believers. But Hao Ren understood the meaning. He realised that the Goddess of Creation of this universe was divinely weaker than the lunatic Goddess was. So, the divine power of the former did not affect him. This was something to be proud of, but now it had obvious affected his work unexpectedly.


    ¡°But how are you going to explain this,¡± Y¡¯zaks knew a thing or two about the ¡®divinity¡¯ knowledge out of curiosity. He felt that something was wrong. ¡°The lifeblood here is a later reproduction from the Seed of Origin, a substance of many generations. Its connection with the Goddess of Creation should have weakened considerably. And we apply the logic that all lives in the world are born from the lifeblood, and the lifeblood is divine, and then are flies and mosquitoes divine too? If so, when Mr. Landlord landed on this planet earlier, there would have been explosion here.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s eyebrows knit together. ¡°But if this is not the case, how do you explain the disappearance of the lifeblood in Mr. Landlord¡¯s body?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue crawled around Hao Ren curiously, (as she was in the form of a sea snake right now). ¡°Leave that for a moment. Could you hear anything from the Goddess if you focus your mind?¡±


    Hao Ren thought it made sense. He immediately closed his eyes and focused his mind, silently calling the Goddess of Creation who might be somewhere in the universe. Everyone remained silent not to interrupt him. The room became so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.


    A faint sound came from nowhere. ¡°Crunch¡­crunch¡­ crunch¡­¡±


    Hao Ren opened his eyes and felt a bit confused. ¡°I heard a strange crunch.¡±


    Lily raised her hand. ¡°Me too!¡±


    Hao Ren checked around and was surprised to find the little mermaid was chewing the table leg not far away. ¡°¡­ Lil Pea are gnawing the table!¡±


    After some chasing around, the slippery Lil Pea was finally captured. And needless to say, Hao Ren¡¯s attempt to listen to the Goddess failed.


    He could not carry out the Branding Ritual. Not only that, he could not even make any contact with the lifeblood.


    Big Beardy and Cardinal Orben had tried several times with other methods. The last time they smeared the lifeblood on the skin of Hao Ren. But the lifeblood was quickly sucked dry, leaving no trace behind.


    ¡°Speaking of it¡­ I had never come into direct contact with the lifeblood. I had been observing it through the shield of the container or using a glove.¡± Hao Ren looked at the back of his hand in a daze. A few seconds ago, there were still some warm red fluid on it. ¡°Only now I have discovered this phenomenon.¡±


    ¡°But I seem to have no such problem.¡± Lily raised her hand, offering her thought. She had volunteered to do the experimented too but the lifeblood had not disappeared on her.


    Other than that, Lily had not established whatsoever spiritual connection with the goddess.


    So their attempts had failed.

 Chapter 692

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    In the end, no one was able to produce any results with the ¡°branding¡±.


    Y¡¯zaks¡¯ demonic bloodline rejected the lifeblood; none of the inoculations were possible. Vivian¡¯s Blood Clan lineage meant that she was immune to all foreign bloods. Nangong Wuyue and Ayesha, who were elemental species among the sirens also rejected the lifeblood. The substance only stayed a little while in their bodies. The others, like Lily showed neither acceptance nor rejection towards the lifeblood.


    But, none of them could directly make the lifeblood vanish from their body like Hao Ren did.


    ¡°Looks like there must be devout faith and long-term spiritual training in order to make contact with the goddess.¡± Big Beardy looked at Lily and shook his head. Then he turned to look at Hao Ren. ¡°As far as you are concerned, I have no explanation for it. Maybe your God can give you the answer.¡±


    ¡°Okay, never mind,¡± said Hao Ren, not upset at all. ¡°I¡¯ve had a lot of bizarre things happened to me. Anyway, I¡¯m really appreciate for what you¡¯ve done, and I know by performing the Branding Rituals on the otherworldlings, you have broken the rules.¡±


    Cardinal Orben still looked emotionless. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I think it all happened for a reason. The goddess would be happy to bring her blessing upon you guys.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled at the cardinal. But before he turned and left, he asked Big Beardy what he might be doing next.


    ¡°We have solved the cult problem. The First Born is no longer a threat. Do you still like to stay?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    Big Beardy nodded indifferently. ¡°The Pope has died; it¡¯s a time of turbulence. We need to calm and guide the believers. And the truth of the death of the goddess¡­ I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t leave now. When you see the other three, let them come back. I need them here.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to go and look for them?¡± asked Hao Ren. ¡°They might be travelling all over the country.¡±


    Big Beardy shook his head. ¡°No. The goddess will guide the way of the ascetics. If they come, it is the will of the goddess. If they do not come, then the goddess will have something else for them.¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his head. To him, religion was beyond common sense, very much like Raven 12345¡­


    Bidding farewell to his Hollettan friends, they headed over to CARS to check out the giant before returning to Earth.


    Hao Ren had not much time at home. After a night of rest, he immediately went to report to Raven 12345.


    With a flash of the light, Hao Ren and the MDT had found themselves emerged in front of a gorgeous house suspended in an unknown space. They vaguely felt something was wrong.


    The usual clear blue sky was no more. It was dim and gloomy; the lush green in the garden had withered completely withered; the fountains had dried up, leaving only the a few water elements still wandering in the dry pool. Gusts of cold, strange wind, which filled with smell of decay, blew from all directions. If was almost like the advent of late autumn, everything was so dead. Hao Ren was shocked. ¡°Has the goddess broken something again?¡±


    ¡°Most like she has got the heaven a change of theme,¡± said the MDT. ¡°Do you think this landscape has quite a feel to it? It must be intentional.¡±


    ¡°Doing such a miserable and disastrous theme intentionally? Did she need to ruin her own garden just to get the autumn theme?¡± Hao Ren looked queerly at the weird exotic plants that had withered on both sides of the road. ¡°And it doesn¡¯t look quite like Raven 12345¡¯s aesthetic taste¡­¡±


    As soon as his voice trailed off, he heard the Raven 12345¡¯s voice, loud and energetic. ¡°Of course it¡¯s not true. I¡¯ve just done something stupid.¡±


    Hao Ren looked into the direction where her voice came from and saw the goddess reeling out from behind a shriveled bush, hair covered with pieces of grass, as if she just crept out from underground. He was taken aback. ¡°What happened to you?¡±


    ¡°Just did a little experiment and yeah, I blew it,¡± said the Ravens 12345, waving carelessly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve got years of experience¡­¡±


    Just when Hao Ren was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Raven 12345 continued. ¡°¡­screwing up the experiment.¡±


    ¡°I knew it!¡±


    ¡°You will get used to it,¡± said Raven 12345. As always, she was just fooling around before she quickly steered the conversation away. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about my garden. Are you just back from The Plane of Dreams? If I¡¯m not mistaken, you have made an incredible discovery?¡±


    Hao Ren marveled at Raven 12345¡¯s intuition. He told everything about his find in the Plane of Dreams as he followed her deep into the garden behind her. Even the death of the goddess had the lunatic goddess become serious. No more gagging around. She listened attentively, nodded her head, and occasionally asked some questions. Obviously, the seriousness of the matter had her attention.


    The two of them were treading along the trail covered with deciduous leaves and grass. They soon came to the middle of the garden where Hao Ren was also familiar and Raven 12345 often cooked her noodles on a pot on this small open space¡­ No, Hao Ren could not help it. There was nothing classy about this goddess.


    In fact, the MDT was right; the withered ¡®Heavenly Garden¡¯ was beautiful when looking from a certain perspective. But Hao Ren still had no mood for this. He only saw that the vacant land that was blossoming in the past had become a dying scene like the other places. That the three green walls that used to be covered with flowering vines had only a few withered vines left. That the shrubs and flowers next to the walls were left with messy branches. That the dried leaves had covered the carved round table.


    Obviously, everything here had just withered. Raven 12345 had not the time to clean up, much less rebuild her garden.


    ¡°Although you have shifted the topic, but I still want to ask ¡­ Is this really just an experimental accident?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s brows knit together as he looked at the scene. ¡°What experimental accident that could make the goddess¡¯ garden wither?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a little accident,¡± Raven 12345 let Hao Ren sit on a chair. She swept away the dried leaves on the chair with her hand and flung herself in it without a fuss. ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I will get it restored in a while, just a matter of seconds. Did you say that a group of mortals murdered the goddess of the Plane of Dreams? How powerful was that mortals?¡±


    ¡°The Guardian did not make it clear, but according to his description, those mortals who were capable of defeating the space-time defense of the goddess, attacking the ¡®kingdom¡¯ in a special dimension, and resistant to the occult to some extent. So they must have mastered the probability weapons and stolen the power of the goddess¡­ I still couldn¡¯t figure out the ¡®stealing¡¯ part, but I guess it all comes from the lifeblood. Probably they had created their own ¡®divine technique¡¯ with lifeblood.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make too detailed speculation when there is lack of more information,¡± Raven 12345 had rarely given Hao Ren advice, except this time. ¡°It¡¯s not so easy to duplicate ¡®divine technique¡¯. God¡¯s power is not just ¡®power¡¯ per se. God¡¯s governance of the world is like how humans manage their computer systems, and the mortal resistance to God is just as difficult as a computer program to kill the operator sitting in front of the computer. That¡¯s how you can draw the analogy.¡±


    Hao Ren fell into deep thought for a long moment before he said, ¡°How could this be possible?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible as long as the conditions are there. But the rate of success is just a little better than zero. So I don¡¯t think an indigenous race in the Plane of Dreams cold really beat such an odd,¡± said Raven 12345, sitting still, her face serious. ¡°Unless the goddess they were plotting to kill had an obvious weakness; one that is half-baked, without an orthodox education, has no clue how to apply their divine power, and lame governing skill. Then, it is not so difficult to kill such a God.¡±


    Hao Ren was surprised. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the goddess of the Plane of Dreams was a true God? Of Xi Ling Celestials or the Galacticus Lords?¡±


    ¡°Her true God identity is confirmed, but which pantheon she belonged to is still a mystery,¡± said Raven 12345, scratching her head, looking a little awkward. ¡°So I can¡¯t really answer your question. Just tell me everything about the death of the goddess. I want every details of her death.¡±


    Hao Ren told everything he knew about the story of ¡®The murder of mother by her treacherous children¡¯ to his boss until Raven 12345 interjected. ¡°Wait a second! You said that the goddess was crying out to her own people for help when she was dying so that her people would provide her power through their prayer?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Yeah. Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°Of course there¡¯s a problem!¡± Raven 12345 knocked on the table. ¡°A true God does not need the prayers of the believers to provide power¡ªbecause mortal prayers are useless to us!¡±

 Chapter 693

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren vaguely remembered Raven 12345 once giving him a lesson in this respect. However, everyone knew that he slept through the lesson. He was pathetic when it came to study motivation.


    So, he put on an act. ¡°Did you?¡±


    ¡°I remember telling you this before, or did I mess up? Fortunately, Raven 12345¡¯s memory did not serve her well and she had given up on treatment. She wondered for a while and said, ¡°Anyway, a true god doesn¡¯t need help from believers. Whether it¡¯s the Galacticus Lords, Xi Ling Celestials, or the distant Xylonic Pantheon and fellows opposite the void, external help is not needed. That¡¯s we are the origins ourselves. We are the origin of all evolution, we control everything in the universe and we create things out of nothing. If you were a money-printing machine yourself, would you still need your salary?¡±


    Raven 12345 paused for a second and then continued. ¡°One more reason; the ¡®power¡¯ we use is very different from what the ordinary races think. For example, the secondary psionic energy that I let youuse, you find it unreal because it works on all things in all dimensions at the same time, and it unconditionally affects everything in the universe. But the power the celestials use is at another level. The prayer of the believers is mere mortal power. They couldn¡¯t recharge their power source.¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his jaw. ¡°So it¡¯s like lighting up a nuclear reactor with a torch.¡±


    ¡°The Goddess of the Plane of Dreams possessed the characteristics of a true God, but she needed the prayers of the believers to give her strength¡­¡± Raven 12345¡¯s brows knit together. ¡°There seems to be only two possibilities; either her ¡°true-god¡± characteristics were fake and we were all wrong from the beginning, or she was a true god but she did not know how to control her power. She had the divinity of a god, but she did not know how to use it. She was running in the lower power cycle all this while¡­ so much so that she needed help from believers.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Raven 12345 expectantly. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Raven 12345 beat on the chest. ¡°I swear on my dignity, I would say it¡¯s the second scenario.¡±


    ¡°¡­You serious?¡±


    ¡°Trust me. You don¡¯t have anyone else to trust, do you?¡± Raven 12345 raised a finger and waved it in front of Hao Ren¡¯s eyes. ¡°It must have been the second scenario. After losing her memory and forgetting her own skills, she had to fumble through the basics and learn from scratch¡­¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s face suddenly became solemn. ¡°This happened in the celestial world too?¡±


    The goddess¡¯ answer was rather anticlimax. ¡°None I¡¯ve heard of. But I have seen it on TV.¡±


    Hao Ren could no longer stand it. ¡°Dang you! Can¡¯t you be more serious¡ª¡±


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the goddess with his lightning-fried hair. The goddess shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. It was the will of the universe to punish you.¡±


    Hao Ren had given up arguing. He endured the nonsensicality of the Goddess and began to consider seriously the possibility that the Goddess of Creation had lost her power because she lost her memory. After all, according to Raven, true Gods always knew how to replenish their powers in a more advanced way. While the Goddess of the Plane of Dreams possessed a true god¡¯s characteristics, she was still dependent on the believer¡¯s prayer for help. That only reinforced the view that she was a half-baked Goddess.


    After all, Hao Ren, too, did not want to believe that his and Raven 12345¡¯s analyses were wrong.


    The matter was so concluded, for now. Hao Ren folded his arms across his chest. ¡°I¡¯ve another question. It¡¯s about the silence from all the races on the distress call of the Goddess of the Plane of Dreams. The guardian claims that the treacherous children had incited rebellion among the mortal races so that they could gain the power of eternal life after the Goddess died. But I¡¯ve pondered that point for quite a while¡­¡±


    ¡°There are always some bad apple in every bunch, and by the same token, not all children in the family are scoundrels,¡± said Raven 12345. She knew exactly what was vexing Hao Ren. ¡°The Plane of Dreams is a very broad universe. According to my analysis about the goddess¡¯ ability, if she were really obsessed with exploring the universe, she would have at least sown hundreds of thousand, if not millions of civilisations. And those who still remembered their mother was still by the tens of thousands. It¡¯s impossible that no children have ever remembered her name.¡±


    ¡°Although how you put that across is a bit weird¡­but basically that¡¯s how it is.¡±


    ¡°The goddess did call for help, and according to record, the Hollettans did indeed receive the distress call. After the deicidal incident, they willfully altered the history by hiding their sins against the creator,¡± Raven 12345 tapped her finger on the round table as if she was knocking out the key points. ¡°These points are all consistent with the Guardian¡¯s statement. But there¡¯s a problem that you can¡¯t verify just as the guardian couldn¡¯t¡ªthere¡¯s no way to confirm that the other planets have heard the distress call.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s face turned somber. ¡°You mean¡­¡±


    ¡°Without adequate information, give them the benefit of the doubt. As long as it is logical, it is possible,¡± Raven 12345 said, lecturing her immature assistant, ¡°The distress call could have been intercepted, or the power of the goddess was so weak that her message had only reached to a limited range of the universe, or the mortal races had heard the distress call and responded but their prayers were intercepted. So the guardian mistakenly thought that all races had betrayed the goddess. There could have even more ridiculous possibilities out there, as long as you dared to think. After all, time has scraped away the truth.¡±


    The Goddess words had opened Hao Ren¡¯s eyes. He finally knew what was going on in his f*cked up mind all day long yesterday. He knocked on his head. ¡°What is wrong with my imagination¡­¡±


    Raven 12345 looked at Hao Ren, giggling. ¡°You¡¯ve stressed yourself too much. You can¡¯t be creative and make sound judgment when you¡¯re stressed out.¡±


    Hao Ren was surprised. ¡°How do you know? The intuition of God?¡±


    ¡°Intuition my foot! By just looking at your face, I¡¯ve already known you had a sleepless night last night. Try to pray when you can¡¯t sleep, I don¡¯t expect you to have faith in me¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was very touched. He did not expect the Goddess was so concerned for him. But Raven continued. ¡°But I hope you can trust my lullaby. It was my mistake to have sung it out of tune last time. Let¡¯s try again next time¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, God, shall we stick to business, please¡± Hao Ren wiped the cold sweat off his forehead and steered away from the conversation. ¡°What you said is possible. But how could have the guardian never thought of that? Had he done a little investigation in his head, he should have realised it was impossible for all mortals to be in betrayal of the Goddess at the same time¡­¡±


    Raven 12345 stared straight into Hao Ren¡¯s eyes until a chill ran up his spine. ¡°You mean he should be calm when his mother was blown up before him?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°The guardian giants you mentioned might be stronger in power than the ordinary mortals, but I know them. They are only mortals, albeit stronger, in my eyes,¡± Raven 12345 exhaled. ¡°Sensual, fragile, capable of emotions and humanity, have weak concepts of good and evil and attitudes, and more importantly, none of the above are controllable¡­ except for the divine nature, they are not much different from mortals.¡±


    Raven 12345 paused again before she sighed as if talking to herself this time. ¡°Anyway, the situation at that time must have been so chaotic that investigation was impossible. The entire kingdom of Godwas blown away, the First Born¡¯s network collapsed, every mortal species was devastated by natural disasters, and the heart of the universe was in a mess¡­ The guardians who survived could have donenothing to investigate. Even today, even the slightest clues must have been scraped clean by the passing of time.¡±


    After a few seconds of silence, Hao Ren nodded. ¡°No matter what, he should calm down now. After all, ten thousand years have passed, and I have talked with him a lot ¡­ I¡¯ll tell him about this when we meet next. Well, I hope he would listen.¡±


    ¡°You have other questions, don¡¯t you?¡± Raven 12345 asked, looking into Hao Ren¡¯s eyes, smiling. ¡°You looks hesitant. It¡¯s okay, you can ask anything you like. Worse comes to worst, there would be only lightning strike, but you will survive.¡±


    ¡°You are such a¡­¡± Hao Ren shook his head helplessly, unsure of his Goddess¡¯ intention. ¡°In fact, yes, Ihave a question that I don¡¯t know whether I should ask. But I will still ask¡ª what would you do if your creation decides to forsake you one day?¡±

 Chapter 694

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°What would you do if your creation decides to forsake you one day?¡±


    Hao Ren looked straight into Raven 12345¡¯s eyes. He hesitated for a long time before opening his mouth, but he finally said it. He felt a sense of relief as he waited for an answer from the genuine goddess, whose unbelievably beautiful eyes glimmered in a mysterious light. After a moment, Raven 12345¡¯s eyes curved up slightly and she smiled. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®forsake¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­¡± Hao Ren was a bit stuck. He suddenly realised he had been too rash. He did not even understand the many key definitions or criteria in mind. ¡°Probably¡­ not trusting you, denying that you¡¯re their creator, or simply worshipping other gods and the like.¡±


    ¡°Oh, looks like the ¡®creation¡¯ you¡¯re talking about here is intelligent life,¡± Raven 12345 said, snapping her fingers. Suddenly, the surrounding landscape turned upside down, the withered heavenly garden vanished in a flash, and the starry sky and empty space suddenly appeared as if it was a scene in a dream. A sense of weightlessness hit him. He found himself was already standing in space when he finally got a grasp of what happened. Some planets were rapidly zooming in, even though he did not feel he was moving. He realised that he was flying across space with Raven 12345.


    ¡°Creation¡­ Although I haven¡¯t created the universe yet, I usually like to make some objects such as stars and planets, as well as larger nebulae. I think these things are creations, but they obviously won¡¯t produce what you call ¡®forsaking the creator¡¯ idea.¡± Raven 12345 led Hao Ren flying past some stars, and gradually approaching a grey-blue planet. ¡°During my free time, I also made some life¡­ Sometimes from scratch, letting life evolve from a single cell organism. Sometimes as in the mythical story of humanity, creating a complete ecological circle, and planning everything for them so that they could start multiply and evolve right away. The former takes a long time to evolve and the latter will become as lively as the earth in just a short period. This is a very interesting work, not just a research project.¡±


    The surface of the planet zoomed in quickly before Hao Ren. He saw the planet was already full of vitality. A civilisation of swords and magic was multiplying on the surface. He could see soldiers riding on demi-dragons patrolling the lower atmosphere. Chargehands were hurrying some tall demi-humans to finish the construction of the walls. While the world¡¯s north pole had a magnificent tower, where several groups of army wearing different costumes fighting nearby. The thunderstorms that magicians had created were clearly visible in space.


    ¡°Oh, the four northern nations are fighting for Etainnia Tower. They believe that this tower will lead to the origin of the world. The power in the tower could fulfil any of the mortal wishes, including even eternal life, but soon they will find themselves making a ridiculous mistake¡­ This tower is just a weather controller and it has been abandoned for a long time. The equipment has been removed. Now it is only a stone shell.¡±


    It was the first time Hao Ren observed a civilisation from this perspective, and a true God narrated next to him. A weird feeling rose from within his heart, but he quickly returned to his normal state of mind. ¡°You created this place?¡±


    ¡°Yep. Thousands of years ago, completed with planet and the entire ecosystem,¡± Raven 12345 laughed. ¡°No earlier history and no biological evolution. This ¡®worldview¡¯ may be scientifically challenging in the eyes of the humans on Earth. But in reality, there are more than one such planet. The aborigines on these planets still live very well. As long as they can develop smoothly, sooner or later they will gain more knowledge from other planets.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Raven 12345 curiously. ¡°What all these have got to do with my question?¡±


    The goddess smiled. ¡°Everything¡ª atheism is the predominant belief on this planet. They took down my temple many years ago. Of course, I had never contacted them even when the temple was still there. After all, they were doing very well, there was no need for intervene. So strictly speaking, they don¡¯t even know my existence. The original temple was just¡­hahaha, some weird stuff.¡±


    Hao Ren nearly fainted.


    ¡°Is it so incredible?¡± Raven 12345 smirked at Hao Ren¡¯s miserable reaction. ¡°A world of swords and magic is more atheistic than many science-orientated planets. The reason is simple: They were exposed to supernatural power a bit earlier, and they had special talent. So from a long time ago they already had control some of the natural forces though a bit weak. They had got rid of the fear of natural forces and seen thunder in nature as merely a more powerful version of their lightning skill. They no longer believe the one living in heaven is God but a very powerful magician.¡±


    ¡°¡­that¡¯s incredible.¡± Hao Ren did not know what to say; he was in awe.


    ¡°This is the interesting part of genesis, because it is difficult to foresee how the things you have created would evolve. Sometimes two almost identical worlds will take on completely different paths of development; the biological ¡®intellectuality¡¯ is the reason for the difference. After all, the way that many races think is different.¡±


    Hao Ren had some doubts. ¡°You didn¡¯t reveal yourself that you are the true God?¡±


    ¡°Why should I?¡± Raven 12345 hugged her arms. ¡°They can solve their own problems in life; they don¡¯t need God. There is no problem with the operation of this planet, so I don¡¯t need to show up. Since neither side has the need for contact, should I reveal myself just to show off the fact that I created the planet? I¡¯m very busy, you know¡ªand Xi Ling disciples despise cheap behaviour.¡±


    What she said was so reasonable, matter-of-coursely. But Hao Ren still felt it unbelievable. After all, there was quite a variation in the image of many gods of the worlds. Raven 12345 could read his dilemma. But she just smiled indifferently. ¡°Everything happens for a reason. Some races establish contact with God because they have this need. Some races rely on atheism to maintain their society; they have come to this stage of development. The civilisation on this planet may one day realise that there is a true God in this universe¡ªfor example, when they explore the deep universe and find the corrective traces, or when they discover the artificiality of the planet. But that would take a long time and their understanding of God will be very different from other races then¡­ but anyway, that¡¯s their problem.¡±


    Raven 12345 paused, and shook her head slightly. ¡°I did not create life to let anyone worship me, and I believe that neither the Goddess of the Plane of Dreams did so. Even though she looked half-baked, from your description, I can see her simple sense of purpose in creating life: on the one hand to explore the universe, on the other hand¡­ simply to make the surroundings a little more exciting.¡±


    ¡°I think I get it,¡± Hao Ren got the drift. ¡°It seems that to the true God, the forsaking of the mortal is a false proposition in itself¡­ or it is something non-existent.¡±


    ¡°No expectations, no disappointments. Sometimes gods are not just tolerant toward people but also simply a matter of different values. So they don¡¯t feel that humanity has forsaken or offended them. After all, religion is a humanly social activity, and God¡­ is just a mascot to sizzling up the atmosphere of their activities, and would only do them some favour when feeling sorry for them. Anyway, that¡¯s my personal opinion. But I¡¯m not going to discuss about the Galacticus Lords, they are a little different culturally.¡± Raven 12345 pasted a smile on her face and spread out her hand. ¡°Last year, at a whim I compiled all the prayers from the entire universe. Guess what was the most religious and heartfelt prayer of all of them?¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head; how was he going to know?


    ¡°¡®Thank Goddess for the ten-day holiday¡¯¡ªa child¡¯s prayer!¡± Ravens 12345 forced a smile. ¡°They celebrated religious festival once a year and the school closed for that celebration.¡±


    ¡°¡­ That is too realistic!¡±


    ¡°Most people are very realistic, especially when they know that praying to God would not help them realise their desire to conquer the world and achieve immortality, they rather pay more attention to those things that give them real benefits,¡± Raven 12345 said, waving her hand and suddenly dragging Hao Ren flying to a side. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here. A dark elf has just assembled a telescope and is now trying out for the first time. It is looking in our direction.¡±


    Raven 12345 only stopped after flying out a distance. She squinted at a star on the horizon; on the surface of the planet below, an elf was watching the same starry sky with the telescope.


    Raven 12345 thought for a moment. She then gently moved her fingers; the pattern of the starlight was temporarily changed. The starry sky seen from the planet suddenly became brighter, though it was barely noticeable to the naked eye but enough to give a little surprise to the stargazer.


    ¡°Let it see more clearly. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s always a perfectly clear sky,¡± said the goddess with a wry smile on her face. ¡°Anyway, they haven¡¯t accurately calculated the interference of the atmosphere with the starlight.¡±

 Chapter 695

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After leaving the planet that Raven 12345 created, the two of them continued to loiter among the stars and carry on with their conversations telepathically. Hao Ren did not expect the slaphappy goddess to be so exquisite. He expressed how pleasantly surprised he was, but the goddess just smiled carelessly. ¡°Aha, I may be bold and rough, but I¡¯m no slack when it comes to work.¡±


    ¡°Does a mortal¡¯s religious attitude not matter to God?¡±


    ¡°How should I put it¡­? This is a very complicated issue. It could be a yes or no. It depends on the civilised form of the mortal race and whether the civilisation needs a religion,¡± Raven 12345 said slowly. It appeared that she was trying to find the best words to use in order for Hao Ren to understand the concept. ¡°Xi Ling Celestials ¡®value supremacism¡¯. Only valuable things make sense. This value is varied, but basically it is to maintain the stability of a world and its cultural diversity.¡±


    ¡°Are the Galacticus Lords the same?¡± Hao Ren suddenly became interested in another celestial system.


    ¡°Not quite the same, they are more¡­ well, emotional,¡± Raven 12345 shook her head. ¡°Let me put it this way; they are milder than Xi Ling Celestials. And even Xi Ling Celestials was different more than ten thousand years ago, we were more rational, and in the eyes of many ordinary races, we were a little bit stereotypically detached from humanity. But there have been changes since. Bah, it¡¯s all history; you don¡¯t have to delve into it. It¡¯s not that I could explain it all in a few sentences.¡±


    Hao Ren did not really understand what she meant, he did not pursue further. ¡°Oh¡­ Well, if that¡¯s the case, if the races in the Plane of Dreams don¡¯t believe in the Goddess, or believe in other gods, aren¡¯t they wrong in the eyes of most true gods?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not. Because it¡¯s a proposition that has no judgment value. It is as if discussing how nice or bad a house is without having a house at all. It is meaningless to discuss mortal offerings when God really does not need mortal worship in the first place,¡± Raven 12345 said, and suddenly switched the topic. ¡°But the Goddess of the Plane of Dreams was a bit special; her ability as a true God was incomplete. So it¡¯s worthy of studying it in detail. Please take note that what I told you today is based on the rules of judgement of the Galacticus Lords and Xi Ling Celestials standard value systems.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment. He found that the relationships between the Goddess, the Second Born, the guardian, and the First Born in the Plane of Dreams were still a mess. He realised that even after talking with Raven 12345, he could not understand things in the Plane of Dreams based on simple, general rule. He only scratched his head. ¡°That¡¯s a real mess¡­¡±


    Raven knew what he was thinking. She patted on Hao Ren shoulder and said, ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. The diversity of civilisations is the highest priority. The First Borns and brain-monsters have gone crazy. They are threats to the diversity of civilisations. So you should kill whatever should be killed. The guardians are still awake, leave alone those should be left alone. And the mortal race¡­ is all about the prior generations; don¡¯t leave it to the later generations to shoulder the responsibility.¡±


    The starry sky faded. A sense of weight came back. In the blink of an eye, Hao Ren had returned to the withered garden, sitting in front of him was the smiling Goddess.


    ¡°I feel sorry for those guardians that have gone mad,¡± Hao Ren looked at the dried leaves on the table and lamented. ¡°But what can I do?¡±


    After debrief what had transpired in the Plane of Dreams, the last command of the Goddess of Creation that the guardian had mentioned cut across Hao Ren¡¯s brain. ¡°Speaking of that, the Goddess had also let the guardians activate the security protocol before she died. If not for this command, I¡¯m afraid the extinction in the Plane of Dreams would be much worse than it is today. But I don¡¯t quite get it¡­ Hadn¡¯t she hated them?¡±


    Raven 12345 blinked slightly. ¡°Probably there were hate and anger, but there were also the instincts to protect one¡¯s creation.¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his chin. ¡°The instinct to protect? That Goddess usually did not seem to interfere with the mortal civilisation¡­¡±


    ¡°Non-interference doesn¡¯t mean not to care,¡± Raven 12345 gently shook her head. ¡°Do you know what kind of experience it is to create a species? This job involves a lot of energy. Whether or not you actively interfere in them, they will continue to dangle before your eyes. You have to watch them grow from scratch little by little. In the course of millions of years or even tens of millions of years, you watch the little algae in the water, watch the single cells became multi-celled, watch the primitive amphibians creeping up and down on the mudflats, and see more and more colours appearing in the bare stones and sand. Suddenly, the bizarre creatures occupy your whole field of vision. One of two of the smartest creatures are doing something that surprises you. You are pleasantly surprised to find that those molecules that you have once thrown into the sea have learned to write and clothe themselves. They began to observe the world just as you observe them. They make some stupid mistakes, but there are always individuals who try to remedy them. They are weak, very weak but always try to survive¡­ until they understand the earth and the sky and even begin to understand the stars. They even begin to study how to create new life as you did. You realise that everything began from the few seeds in the sea¡­ Do you know how wonderful this process is?¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the eyes of Raven 12345. The shimmering glare in those eyes aroused an indescribable feeling in him.


    The Goddess smiled and seemed to be immersed in the achievement of a certain creation. ¡°I have not seen an evolutionary process that starts from scratch because I was born only after the new empire was promoted as God. But even the races I created out of the primitive people, they gave me pleasant surprises. They might suffer setbacks for one reason or another, but I¡¯m sure if anyone try to exterminate them, I swear to my head that I will find them and I will kill them even if they hide in the void.¡±


    Hao Ren exhaled after a long while. ¡°It¡¯s really like a mother.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll only feel the wonderfulness of things when you experience it,¡± Raven 12345 raised her finger and waved it again in front of Hao Ren. ¡°Sometimes I wonder; we have never even thought about this before we became celestials¡­ ¡±


    ¡°But what if what you have created is a treacherous child?¡± Hao Ren suddenly asked.


    He immediately felt his question was a bit inappropriate that he should not spoil the atmosphere. But the answer of the Goddess was unexpectedly straightforward and without hesitation. ¡°I promise I will not kill them, but I will make sure they learned the lesson the hard way. Do you think a loving mother like me would spare them the necessary whip?¡±


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°The Galacticus Lords and Xi Ling Celestials are similar in that they treat their creations like own children. The only difference is we are even more willing to whip our children.¡± Raven 12345 rolled her sleeves up. The poetic images that she projected a while ago shattered like glass falling onto the ground. ¡°Punishment is a necessary to instil discipline. So I suspect that the Goddess of the Plane of Dreams is not Xi Ling Celestials, not characteristically. Even though she had lost her memory, she should not have been bullied by her children like this. Most likely she is of the Galacticus Lords.¡±


    Cold sweat was trickling down Hao Ren¡¯s forehead. ¡°Okay, okay, I know. Would you please not roll your sleeves up? You¡¯re spoiling your hard found good image¡­ Oh yeah! I have something for you!¡±


    The Goddess was startled. ¡°What? You¡¯re not finished yet?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about Vivian,¡± Hao Ren said, pasting a smile. ¡°I should have reported earlier, but the emergency situation of the Plane of Dreams had prevented me to do so. A while ago, we got a magic book that recorded the method of summoning the King of Blood. Later Vivian discovered that she was the King of Blood. When we tried to summon¡­¡±


    Hao Ren reached into his dimensional pocket for a tube of blood sample. ¡°A monster came out. It was identical to Vivian, but turned into a pool of menstrual flow after the thing died.¡±


    Raven 12345¡¯s face suddenly turned solemn. But she still sounded cocky. ¡°The way you describe it does sound like my style. Let me take a look¡­ well¡­ this is it.¡±


    ¡°What do you see?¡± Hao Ren anxiously asked.


    Raven 12345 looked up. ¡°This blood sample was the residue of that ¡®monster¡¯? Free of contamination?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Yep. Is there a problem?¡±


    He noticed that Raven 12345 did not seem surprised at all. He could not help but wondered. But before he could ask, what Raven said subsequently baffled him even more.


    Raven 12345 shook the sample in her hand. ¡°This is the lifeblood.¡±


    Hao Ren was taken aback. ¡°Lifeblood? It can¡¯t be. I have a lifeblood sample over there, instrument analysis¡ª¡±


    ¡°You instrument couldn¡¯t detect it,¡± Raven 12345 looked up at the MDT on Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Because the lifeblood sample is dead. It has completely changed. You can only confirm its true nature through its information characteristics.¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned

 Chapter 696

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The blood sample stayed quietly in the tube just like any other liquid¡ªit was probably strange to describe the liquid as ¡°quiet¡±, but it would not have been difficult to imagine why if you saw the living lifeblood. Raven 12345 was holding the tube up to her eyes and shaking it gently. The red liquid refracted light into a rainbow of colors under the skylight. It looked like blood, but one with a strange texture.


    ¡°Dead lifeblood is very different from living lifeblood,¡± Raven 12345 said. With a snap of her fingers, the tube broke apart and floated steadily up into the air. The liquid formed into a sphere and stayed right there as if it was in space. ¡°No wonder you couldn¡¯t recognize it. This is a wonderful substance. Once it goes from life to death, its basic structure will start to transform dramatically into something else.¡±


    Hao Ren watched but could not wrap his brain around it. He had certainly seen ¡°living¡± lifeblood before. The red viscous liquid crept and moved on its own like a living thing. Even when it was calm, it would always stay at a certain temperature and have a clear breath of life, unlike the one before him now. To tell the truth, when he first collected the blood sample, he was wondering whether it was related to the lifeblood. However, instrumental tests showed that it was a distinct chemical substance and no living cells were found inside. It seemed he had underestimated the mystery of this thing.


    ¡°Lifeblood could die?¡± Hao Ren had a ton of questions in his mind but did not know where to begin. He picked one not as hard. ¡°I have tried various methods to process the lifeblood, including radiation and temperature variations. Other than turning into ashes under ultra-high temperature and crystalizing by psionic energy, it never lost its vitality¡­¡±


    Raven 12345 restored the tube and the sample, and tossed it up and down in her hand. ¡°So this must be the first time you see dead lifeblood. I can understand your surprise.¡±


    ¡°Why did the evil spirit become lifeblood after it died?¡± Hao Ren could not wait to get the answer. ¡°She looked exactly like Vivian! Does¡­does Vivian also have something to do with the lifeblood?¡±


    Raven 12345 looked into Hao Ren¡¯s eyes and remained silent for a few seconds as if she was pondering something. At last, she shook her head slightly and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid there is. But you should focus your attention on the Plane of Dreams for the time being.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Are you hiding something from me?¡±


    He did not expect to get an answer; the Goddess was always tight-lipped during the critical moment despite she looked like a madcap. Surprisingly, Raven 12345 was very frank this time. ¡°Yep,¡± she answered.


    This lunatic even had the nerve to admit that! Hao Ren did not know how to react. ¡°What is¡ª¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you.¡±


    Hao Ren forced a smile. ¡°I haven¡¯t asked anything yet¡­¡±


    ¡°If I refuse to answer only after you have asked, that would sound embarrassing,¡± Raven 12345 said and let out a sigh. ¡°I can divulge a little though¡ªVivian is a very special existence. She is different from all otherworldlings¡­ She couldn¡¯t even be considered as one of them.¡±


    Hao Ren remained silent; he knew Raven had not finished yet. Sure enough, after pausing for a moment, Raven continued, ¡°In fact, I started paying attention to Vivian long ago, much earlier than you think¡­ Although only intermittent observations, I still found her different; she is closely related to the lifeblood and the Goddess of the Plane of Dreams.¡±


    Hao Ren was wide-mouthed. ¡°Are you telling me that Vivian is actually the reincarnation of the Goddess of the Plane of Dreams?¡±


    ¡°Of course¡ªnot,¡± said Raven 12345 wittily. ¡°I knew there was no deity in her long ago. She is not a Goddess of Creation who has lost her memory nor a reincarnation of her. A few days ago, I¡¯ve successfully traced the timeline of the Wall of Reality and the time when Vivian entered this universe¡­¡±


    Hao Ren blinked. ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°She is indeed the first one to come to Earth, earlier than the time of death of the Goddess of Creation.¡±


    Hao Ren was really stunned this time. He did not expect Raven could have known so many things. ¡°You know the specific time of death of the Goddess of Creation?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t witness it personally, but I can still determine the moment of major historical events by tracing back the signs of the impact left on the Wall of Reality.¡± Raven spread out her hands and drew an amazing virtual image in the air, like a wall splitting light into two. ¡°For your ease of understanding, I use this to represent the Wall of Reality and the two universes. I found a series of successive collapse points here, and the information is ambiguous. They are the biggest source of damage to the entire wall. The most important historical event in the Plane of Dreams is only the moment when the goddess fell. So, these collapses must only happen when the goddess fell¡­¡±


    In the simulation, the cracks on the Wall of Reality was marked in red. In real life, the Wall of Reality was not a three-dimensional and physically visible wall. Hao Ren knew it. He examined the cracks marked in red carefully because these little details represented the moment of the fall of the Goddess.


    ¡°Though these cracks formed within relatively close intervals, it is still possible to tell that they formed at different times.¡± Raven 12345 pointed to a small crevice in the Wall of Reality. ¡°The cracks appeared about forty-eight hours before the goddess fell. The timestamp of Vivian¡¯s existence in this universe began at the exact same moment.¡±


    Hao Ren felt cold sweat trickling down his forehead. He just realized he was listening to the most ancient secret. ¡°In other words, at least 48 hours before the goddess fell, Vivian was already on Earth?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, so she could never be the Goddess of Creation, and not a reincarnation or things like that, because the Goddess of Creation was still alive when Vivian arrived on Earth and probably fighting with the treacherous children until her death.¡± Raven 12345 looked into Hao Ren¡¯s eyes. ¡°My calculation won¡¯t be wrong. Ten thousand years may seem long for you, but it is not long enough for me to make a mistake. The damaged marks on the Wall of Reality are clear¡­ at least very clear to me.¡±


    ¡°But you said that Vivian is related to the lifeblood and the Goddess¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you must have already known why,¡± Raven 12345 pointed at the blood sample in her hand. ¡°The evil spirit on Earth that looked exactly the same as her formed from the lifeblood. But I¡¯m still investigating her relationship with the Goddess. I can only confirm that the information stream on her is far beyond ordinary creatures. That amount of information is not something that a single individual should have possessed, and that information has until now been pointing to the Plane of Dreams. The information link between ordinary aliens and the Plane of Dreams would be lost after they crossed over. But Vivian seems to remain the same as when she had just passed through it. Her connection with the Plane of Dreams has not been interrupted.¡±


    ¡°Oh, hold on a second¡­¡± Hao Ren waved his hand frantically, interrupting Raven. He had a crappy understanding of the Grand Unification Theory. Every time the MDT tried to teach him about this, it was like rocket science to him. Now he was no less confused. ¡°Information stream is a bit out of my depth; can you explain it in human language?¡±


    Raven 12345 glanced at Hao Ren, and then sighed. ¡°I knew it. It is not hard to understand, really. Think of this universe as a virtual program that runs on your computer. Because in the Grand Unification Theory, everything in the world is a stack of information, the extensive descriptions and relationship formulas between each other ensure the operation of all things in the universe, and allow the universe to determine the authenticity of each. This is how the whole world works. In this case, humans¡ªand everything else¡ªcan be seen as a set of data.¡±


    Raven 12345 paused for a while, and then continued, ¡°Under normal circumstances, the same level of things should have roughly the same amount of data. Emperors and officials, heroes and laymen, and even the ¡®Gods¡¯ which were worshiped during the Earth¡¯s mythical era are only 1KB worth of data¡ªthe same storage space any one worm in this world occupies, in the eyes of the world management system.¡±


    ¡°So small?¡±


    ¡°Well, figuratively speaking of course. But that¡¯s how it seems. After all, whether the power of a virtual character in the computer is 9999 or 00000 can only affect the ¡®world¡¯ within the program itself, it is only two numbers that occupy the same storage space.¡±


    ¡°So Vivian¡¯s amount of information¡­¡±


    ¡°Almost at the limit that a mortal can carry,¡± Ravens 12345 shook her head. ¡°Figuratively speaking, it is on the verge of spilling over.¡±

 Chapter 697

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Cold sweat began to trickle down his forehead again. Although he could not wrap his head around many things that Raven 12345 said, he could sense that many of them were pretty nasty. ¡°On the verge of spilling over? What does that¡­ mean?¡±


    ¡°She has a large amount of information that looks like garbled characters. It¡¯s a small file with only two lines of text, but a dozen GB of volume.¡± Raven 12345 had been trying to explain what happened to Vivian in words that Hao Ren could understand. ¡°The extra information could be anything¡ªher memory of the Plane of Dreams, her massive inner personality, her implicit curse, or¡­ symbols that some half-baked goddess left on her. But before that information comes into effect, nobody can tell what it is. At this moment, I can only say that the information is harmless¡­ at least ever since I began to pay attention to this matter. There hasn¡¯t been any undue effect so far.¡±


    ¡°Just like the cause and effect entanglement that some people talk about?¡± Hao Ren frowned. ¡°Nonetheless, it¡¯s definitely not a good thing to have so many extra things in the body. Any way to get rid of them?¡±


    ¡°You are not even sure what that information is, and how dare you decide to remove it?¡± Raven 12345 glanced at Hao Ren. ¡°That¡¯s why I suspect Vivian has some connection with the Goddess of the Plane of Dreams. The information tangled up in her body has exceeded the ¡®regulation¡¯ of mortal species and is more Gold-like. Although she is no divine, the complexity doesn¡¯t help but let people think so. Perhaps God makes her. Maybe¡­ Well, forget it, you won¡¯t understand it anyway.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps she a God¡¯s creation is buried inside her, isn¡¯t it?¡± Hao Ren suddenly hit the nail on the head as he had guessed what the Goddess wanted to say. ¡°Why are you only telling me this now?¡±


    Raven 12345 stated directly into Hao Ren¡¯s eyes. ¡°You seem to care a lot about her.¡±


    Hao Ren was startled. His voice was became somewhat unnatural. ¡°Err¡­ yes, a bit. After all, we have been together for so long, you can¡¯t really say we don¡¯t care about each other at all.¡±


    ¡°There are things I do know better than you, including Vivian,¡± Raven 12345 lowered her head slightly. ¡°But I hope you better believe it: I didn¡¯t tell you that was because I want to protect both of you.¡±


    Hao Ren forced a smile and shrugged his shoulders. ¡°This sounds like a classic excuse. Why not you talk about the benefits of not telling us?¡±


    Raven 12345 ignored him. ¡°If the ¡®truth¡¯ would cause the information she carries to overflow? What if the excessive information Vivian carries is a seal and the key to unsealing it lies in her memory or her self-awareness? Or what if she possesses the hidden ability to retrieve keywords from the memories of people around her? I can¡¯t unpack her information right now, so I¡¯m not sure the information I have now could be a trigger. So I have to be careful.¡±


    Hao Ren was dumbfounded. ¡°It sounds like something out of Arabian Nights.¡±


    ¡°But this kind of thing could really happen,¡± Raven 12345 was very serious. ¡°I have seen enough things. The universe is vast place. Dangers you don¡¯t know are everywhere.¡±


    Hao Ren was silent for a moment as he realised that he could only believe what the Goddess said now. But he also had doubts. ¡°Then is it okay for you to tell me this?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you anything substantive,¡± Raven 12345 blinked, she sounded freaking sarcastic. ¡°I believe that even if Vivian knew what I told you today, she wouldn¡¯t ¡®overspill¡¯. I have calculated it perfectly.¡±


    Hao Ren raised his hand and surrendered himself. ¡°Okay, okay, let¡¯s assume that you¡¯re right. But then again, I thought that Goddess should know all, and I¡¯m surprised that you don¡¯t know so many things.¡±


    Raven 12345 pursed her lips. ¡°That depends on what knowledge. Within the scope of mortals¡¯ knowledge, true God is indeed omniscient and omnipotent, because everything those mortals can perceive is a ¡®subset¡¯ of the episode of the true God, but outside this range, for example, it involves another real God¡­ I¡¯m just like you, I can only explore.¡±


    The two of them were silent for a while, and then almost spoke simultaneously,


    ¡°Is the excess information harmful to Vivian?¡±¡±Don¡¯t worry about the girl for now.¡±


    ¡°I knew you were going to ask this,¡± Raven 12345 said, ploughing her hair in an unsightly manner, as if a decadent who only ventured outside once every two months. She yelled in a lazy tone of voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I love my people, I treat my soldiers like my children¡­ whatever it is, I will not let you fall into danger. The excess information had been with Vivian for more than ten thousand years. But there have been no problems in the past, it should be just fine in for now as well. As long as you find the whereabouts of the Goddess of the Plane of Dreams, I guess the maiden would be fine.¡±


    Hao Ren could only hope things would go as per what the Goddess said. Just when he fell into silence, Raven 12345 reminded him. ¡°Although theoretically there will be no any problem, but don¡¯t you ever try to mention this to Vivian. Mental pressure may cause those information spillovers.¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly came to his sense and nodded heavily. ¡°Got it. I won¡¯t tell her.¡±


    Raven 12345 smiled, and patted his shoulder with the same force the iron man would normally unleash on the villains. ¡°Good! You too, don¡¯t fall into mental quagmire. I¡¯ll keep investigating. If there¡¯s anything¡­ I¡¯ll tell you in the first instance. I know how it feels when something is hanging around your head.¡±


    ¡°I trust you,¡± Hao Ren forced a smile, temporarily set the matter aside. Then a question that flashed across his mind during the conversation earlier came to mind. ¡°Wait a second. You have mentioned Vivian came to Earth 48 hours before the Goddess of Creation fell. That is to say, the first hole in the Wall of Reality had appeared before the large-scale cracks happened. Is it not the fallen of the Goddess the cause of the arrival of otherworldlings to Earth?¡±


    ¡°I have the same question,¡± Raven 12345 unconsciously drew a circle with her finger on the round table. ¡°To tell the truth, I was startled when I finished tracing the timeline. Though I was not aware of the deicidal incident at that time, I have always guessed that something might have happened to the Goddess of Creation that damages the Wall of Reality. But now it seems that the damage has already occurred before the deicide. The deicidal incident had only aggravated the size of the fissure. Although the two events happened just 48-hour apart, there was a time difference.¡±


    ¡°Could it be that during the brutal battle, the Goddess of the Plane of Dreams was hanging on for a very long time¡ªfrom the beginning of the brutal assault to her death, she bored a hole in the Wall of Reality and threw as many otherworldlings as possible to the other side while installing a compressed file on Vivian¡­¡±


    Raven 12345 looked at Hao Ren with a wacky look. ¡°She did so many things at once? She wasn¡¯t growing but dying at that moment, you know?¡±


    Only the Goddess could come up with such an analogy.


    ¡°Okay, I also know my theory is too far-fetched,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°According to what the guardian said at the time, the Goddess couldn¡¯t do so many things at the same time considering her circumstance right before her death. And also it looks like the Goddess didn¡¯t even know the existence of the Wall of Reality either.¡±


    Raven 12345 suddenly looked at the sky. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s getting late. Do you want to stay for dinner?¡±


    ¡°Still need to look at the sky to know the time in this place?¡± Hao Ren squinted at his goddess. ¡°And you¡¯re now on leave. You didn¡¯t even cook noodles today. Are you expecting me to drink just cold plain water? I better go home and eat Vivian¡¯s home-cooked food.¡±


    Raven 12345 giggled. ¡°Good. You had better leave now. Saving me the hassle of cooking you dinner.¡±


    Hao Ren got up and said goodbye. As the MDT opened up the portal, Raven 12345 suddenly said, ¡°Remember, don¡¯t tell her too much when you get back there. Trust me, nothing will happen.¡±


    ¡°Then I also hope that you can solve the case as soon as possible so that I can have peace of mind.¡±


    After Hao Ren disappeared in the teleporting light, Raven 12345 breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°It¡¯s hard to appease workers nowadays¡­¡±


    Before her voice trailed off, a ring of light had appeared under her feet. The next moment she knew it, she had already come to an empty space.


    It was the room located in the lower part of the mansion, separated by a myriad of columns, and as wide as an endless, marvellous hall, the goddess¡¯ storage room.


    Raven 12345 snapped her fingers slightly. The two pillars in front of her began to ripple. Under this illusionary wave, some neatly arranged things slowly emerged.


    As the elusive ripples subsided, those things emerged one by one: they were coffin-like crystal containers. Dozens of them lined up in a row, suspended, and tilted at an angle in mid-air. Through a transparent lid, one could clearly see the content inside.


    Each container contained a girl who was quietly sleeping inside. Each of them has exactly the same looks, same long red hair, same exquisite facial features, as well as the beautiful features of Eurasian, and the pale, almost perfect, beautiful, porcelain-like skin.


    Vivian, there were more than twenty Vivians slept here.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ever create trouble again¡­¡± Raven 12345 sighed. She grumbled but still examined each container carefully. ¡°Suddenly throwing tantrums and destroying my garden¡­ Now it seems they are slept again.¡±


    After making sure all sleeping individuals were safe, she came to the last crystal container, which was empty.


    Raven 12345 quietly watched for a while and put the blood sample that Hao Ren had collected before into the empty container. ¡°Well, this one¡­represents the fallen.¡±

 Chapter 698

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Actually, Hao Ren already had a vague feeling that the vampire maiden possessed many secrets earlier on. This was not only his intuition at work, but there were many signs that were hard to ignore.


    Frequent sleep and loss of memory, a completely different habit from that of a normal Blood Clan member, a series of abilities that only she herself could master, and her weird ¡°body¡±, which could divide itself into transcendent bats. All of this was enough to make Vivian a particularly special individual. What made it even more interesting was the sculpture they found in the ruins of Olympus, and the recent ¡°evil spirit¡± incident. With so many incidents, who would not have suspected it?


    However, Vivian had lived for over 10,000 years and she seemed completely fine.


    After leaving Raven 12345¡¯s place, Hao Ren had not felt much relaxed. The excess information that Vivian had bothered him very much. He couldn¡¯t help thinking about the ¡®entangled causality¡¯ argument. In most stories, entangled causality might not seem like a good thing.


    The ¡®causality¡¯ entangling Vivian all seemed to point to the Plane of Dreams. Perhaps after revealing the secret of the Plane of Dreams, everything would become clear.


    ¡°My advice is that don¡¯t let yourself fall into the quandary for too long,¡± the voice of MDT woke him up from his deep thoughts. ¡°People would be suspicious of you if you keep looking that way. Entangled causality¡­. Sounds scary but it is nothing more than getting you entangled in troubles. As long as you have enough ability to solve problem, entangled causality is usually not fatal. Or you have no self-confidence?¡±


    Hao Ren looked up and saw the doorstep of his house not far ahead. He patted his face and threw aside the things that he could not solve for a moment. ¡°Screw it! Problems are meant to be solved!¡±


    The MDT buzzed into his head. ¡°This is it!¡±


    Pushing the door open and stepping into the house, the oncoming cool breeze carried the heat and upset feeling that had accumulated along the way away. Hao Ren took a deep breath and felt that he was like standing in front of a waterfall¡ªit was very pleasant. He flung himself into the sofa contentedly. His eyes closed as he sighed. ¡°Good to be home¡­¡±


    Before his voice trailed off, he heard a meow, followed by a flash of cold light in his peripheral vision. Something scratched his face. He scrambled to the side, only to see that Rollie was sulking angrily on the arm of the sofa, and her tail rested on where he had just sat¡ªobviously, he had sat on the cat¡¯s tail.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t see you¡­ Hey, wait a second. How many times have I told you, don¡¯t ever squat on the handrails! Do you know how heavy you are now?¡±


    Rollie stared at Hao Ren, baring her teeth before she turned away and continued fiddling with the remote control.


    The MDT¡¯s voice came from the side. ¡°You¡¯ve come to a situation where you found yourself were forced to apologise to your own pet, and the most humiliating was she seemed to not give you a hoot.¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    However, he was thankful to Dumb Cat; Hao Ren had completely come out from his stress and anxiety. He did not have to worry that other family members would see how messed up he was. He sighed, shook his head, stepped forward to push Rollie¡¯s tail to one side, and then sat in his usual customary position and turned to discuss with his cat. ¡°Can I watch TV?¡±


    Dumb Cat hid the TV remote control under her clothes. ¡°No.¡±


    Hao Ren sullenly buried his face in his hand. He did not only have to apologise to his pet, but also even have to get his pet¡¯s permission in order to watch the TV. Right now, he really missed the time when Rollie had not transcended. At that time, the cat was so much easier to deal with; he would just have to grab the cat by its neck and throw her outside¡­


    He could not help turning around and staring at the cat-maiden, as if looking for the right angle and position where he needed to grab and toss her away. But he quickly sighed: now the shoe was in the other foot, there is no way for him to do that already. If he were to slap the cat now, probably all the anti-animal cruelty, feminist, and human rights organisations would show up protesting in his doorstep.


    Rollie felt an unexplained chill behind her neck. She was scared a little and looked at Hao Ren with a puzzled look. Her eyes were reflecting her master¡¯s lazy face. ¡°Big boss Cat, were you in bad mood? Are you okay now?¡±


    It was called animal¡¯s intuition. The demonic cat who had yet fully shed her animal instinct could already feel the slight changes in Hao Ren¡¯s mood. The cat-maiden¡¯s concern for him had pleasantly surprised Hao Ren. He could not help but smile back, reached out, and cuddled her ear. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so I will get little dried fish today?¡±


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­¡±


    Every time his impression about Dumb Cat changed, it would be ruined by her dried-fish obsession.


    At this time, Vivian was rubbing her hands as she walked out from the kitchen. She had sensed the Hao Ren was back home so she came out to meet him. ¡°You¡¯re back! I thought that the Goddess would ask you to stay for dinner. Dinner will be ready in a short while. Doggie and I had gone out to the market just now.¡±


    Seeing Vivian, Hao Ren still could not help but think of what Raven 12345 had said to him. He instinctively took a few glances at the vampire maiden, as if he wanted to ¡®see¡¯ what information she was carrying in her body. Of course doing that made no sense.


    ¡°Why are you staring at me like that? Oil on my face?¡± Vivian was baffled, wiping her face with the back of her hand.


    Hao Ren quickly came out from his thought and steered away from the subject. ¡°Oh, nothing. I just want to say you look good in this dress.¡±


    Vivian was even more baffled. She looked down at her body; apart from an old dress, there was a new apron that she sewed it herself. So she was rightly mistaken. ¡°Oh, you like the apron¡­¡±


    Hao Ren did not know what the maiden was thinking. He looked her. She was in her human form. There was no ice and cool air. He was a little surprised. ¡°Are you not responsible for making cool air today?¡±


    Vivian lifted her finger and pointed in the direction of the stairs. ¡°They are the one on duty today. The two girls want us experience icy ocean breeze.¡±


    Hao Ren did not notice anything else in the living at first. Now when he looked up the stairs he was shocked. Two giant snake tails were lying on the stairs all the way down from the upper floor. He looked up. It Nangong Wuyue and Ayesha were lying side-by-side on the stairs baring their tails, which covered the entire stairway and emanated a humidly cool breeze that wafted through the entire house. Now he only realised the unusual humid cool air that differed from the dry and cold air that Vivian usually made.


    ¡°The house looks like a zoo all day,¡± looking at this bizarre scene, Hao Ren¡¯s various geeks in movies began to roll out in his mind. ¡°For the unaware, they would jump out of their skin if they see this¡­ By the way, why do you guys have to lie on the stairs just to make some cool air?¡±


    The tail on the ground floor that belonged Nangong Wuyue lifted up and waved as her voice was heard from the first floor. ¡°It¡¯s therapeutics. Lying on a slope and stretching tail cures insomnia, mom taught me that. She said it is called Gravity Therapy.¡±


    Hao Ren was startled for a moment, he was thinking he had better not to dive deep into the habits of the demonic girls. But he still asked quietly, ¡°How should people get up the stairs?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue kept swinging her tail. ¡°Mr. Landlord, let¡¯s try it. I can roll you up. It¡¯s definitely better than the elevator.¡±


    ¡°Then what about getting down the stairs?¡±


    As soon as his voice fell, he saw Y¡¯lisabet jumping on the landing on the first floor. The little girl motioned to the two sirens before she sat down directly on Ayesha¡¯s tail, and screamed excitedly while sliding all the way down. These unusual creatures¡¯ outside-the-box creativity made him speechless and impressed, for better or worse. He thought that he wouldn¡¯t be surprised if one day his house¡¯s stairs could transcended as well.


    As he was thinking, Y¡¯lisabet already cheerfully let Nangong Wuyue roll her up the first floor as she screamed in excitement. He quickly could only correct what he thought: it could be a transcending slide.


    No matter how much trouble the outside world was wait for him, Hao Ren¡¯s house was having another peaceful day as always.


    At least for now.

 Chapter 699

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After a few days of rest at home, the Nangongs started to work on their previous plans: it was the day their small restaurant would be opened for business.


    As planned, they wanted to reintegrate themselves into society, find a livelihood and live a low-key existence¡ªthis was their dream life.


    The two of them had found a shop on the corner of the street and made all the preparations to open a small restaurant. However, many things cropped up and they had to delay their plans as well as travel around with Hao Ren. Now that everything was settled, they could finally focus on their dream. Naturally, Nangong Wuyue and Nangong Sanba were excited to help their parents. And since the others were also idle at home, they decided to help the duo.


    The premise, located at the street corner, was originally a converted single-story shop. The layout before the conversion included a rest room for shop owner, and a relatively spacious place for counters and shelves. The owner made an extension to the front of the shop with a coloured steel sheet to expand the shop space. It was precisely because of this layout that the Nangong couple decided to rent this place. The place where the counter was originally placed could be used as a kitchen, while the front extension was just nice for the dining space. Perfect for a small restaurant.


    Nangong Wudi had come to the premise early in the morning, standing in front of the shop and lamenting. ¡°I did not expect my dream can come true¡­ Ayesha and I first had this idea while retiring in the mountains a hundred years ago. We thought when the world finally was peaceful we would settle down in a peaceful place, open a small shop, sell groceries or food. But we were taken to another world for more than a hundred years¡­ And now we¡¯re back and our dream has come true.¡±


    Nangong Sanba stared at his dad, feeling surprise. ¡°Dad, I didn¡¯t know you have a dream.¡±


    ¡°I had two dreams. The first dream was to be the world¡¯s best fighter, fighting the evils and make the world a better place. The second dream was to open a small shop.¡± Nangong Wudi was earnest in his voice. ¡°After I met your mother, all was left was the second dream.¡±


    Hao Ren was listening on. Nangong Wudi¡¯s name not only had a character, but his vows were also full of character vis-¨¤-vis the two seemingly mutually exclusive dreams.


    Lily asked loudly, ¡°Uncle, now you finally talk like a present day human. No more ¡®yours truly¡¯, eh?¡±


    In fact, Lily was just as old as Nangong Wudi was, but the husky was curious, imaginative and impulsive. You would get mad if you try to rank the otherworldlings in Hao Ren¡¯s house based on their seniority. So no on batted an eye even if she barked like a dog, which by the way, she was.


    Nangong Wudi smiled. ¡°Old habits die hard, but I did change a lot. But then again, the world has changed a lot too. I have no problem conversing with people but it beats me when it comes to uncommon words. Speaking of it, I can¡¯t even understand your novels. Even if I could recognise the simplified characters, the modern terms like ¡®homo¡¯ are just beyond me¡ª


    Before Nangong Wudi could finish his sentence, Lily interrupted him with a loud howl. She leaped up a metre high as if someone had stepped on her tail. As loud as her howl was, there was no way she could bury the word that Nangong Wudi had uttered. Everyone suddenly looked at Lily with an odd look on the faces. Hao Ren instinctively kept a two-metre distance away as he asked, ¡°Lily¡­ looks like your writings have become wilder¡­¡±


    ¡°Leave me alone!¡± Lily was embarrassed. ¡°It¡¯s necessary to make the story flow!¡±


    Now, even Nangong Sanba had taken three metres back. ¡°It sounds dangerous.¡±


    Lily glared at Hao Ren and then Nangong Sanba. Her arms akimbo. ¡°Maybe I should include you two as the characters in my book!¡±


    Hao Ren and Nangong Sanba quickly toned down their reaction and complimented the husky as open-minded and kind. Meanwhile, Nangong Wudi pretended to have lost the plot, lowered his head and gossiped with his wife. ¡°Ayesha, do you know¡­¡±


    ¡°Dad! Stop it!¡± Nangong Wuyue said as she turned and walked into the shop. ¡°Come and help me out!¡±


    A few days ago, Hao Ren had helped the Nangong couple hire a renovation guy to make some minor changes to the shop and installed the essential equipment such as cookers and freezers. They also had the needed ingredients ready yesterday. Today, they were here just to lay out the tables and chairs and having some fun at the same time. Initially, the Nangong couple had only planned to sell breakfast, but after seeing the shop, they decided to open a restaurant. So today¡¯s opening hour would be set at noon. As it was already late morning, the couple wasted no time preparing for the grand opening. Lily jumped around and issued orders. ¡°Hurry up! Mr. Landlord and Sanba, clean up the table! Battie, you help aunt prepare the dishes! Wuyue, clean the glass! Big¡­ Big Guy, you can¡¯t stay inside, it¡¯s too cramp here. Go outside to serve the guests. I have gone around the town yesterday and told everyone about the opening today. Many of them will come¡­ By the way, oh, firecrackers, firecrackers, I want to play firecrackers!¡±


    Ordered by Lily to work, Hao Ren forced a smile and blinked at Vivian who was passing by him. ¡°That girl is going crazy again.¡±


    Vivian pursed her mouth and said, ¡°A dog that likes firecrackers¡­ something must have gone wrong during the evolution.¡±


    Everyone was busily preparing for the restaurant¡¯s first day opening. However, there were really not many things to do: the preparations that need to be done starting from a few days ago had basically completed by yesterday. Today, everyone was here to have fun more than working. Lily¡¯s rapturousness said it all: the husky did not even have the idea of work in her mind. When the tables and chairs were set, and the various cold dishes were put into the freezer, Lily immediately ran to the back room before coming out with a large box of firecrackers. She was as happy as a child was when holding the firecrackers in her arms. She said with a ten-thousand-watt smile on her face. ¡°Mr. Landlord, let¡¯s play firecrackers together!¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the direction of the kitchen. Ayesha and Vivian were sorting things inside. After all, they were doing this for the first time. This kitchen was new to them. They were unfamiliar with it. They had forgotten where they kept the ingredients and spices that they had prepared last night at. Fortunately, Nangong Wuyue could not bear watching the mess in the kitchen. She quickly went it to help, sorted everything out and returned things to where they should belong. Now everything nice and tidy. The siren was good at nothing except her good memory, which was obviously better than the two in the kitchen.


    ¡°Probably not much a problem¡­¡± Hao Ren said. But before he knew it, Lily already dragged her outside excitedly.


    Nangong Wudi looked at the still empty street. ¡°I¡¯m nervous suddenly¡­ where are the guests?¡±


    Nangong Sanba smiled and said to his dad. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Though Southern Suburb has not many residents, they are all warm and hospitable. Lily had informed her neighbours yesterday, they would surely come and show us support no matter what.¡±


    Suddenly, the crackle of the firecrackers tore through the air outside the restaurant. Lily had ignited the string of firecrackers for the opening ceremony.


    Nangong Wudi and Nangong Sanba glanced at each other before they skipped to the outside.


    Smell of gunpowder and smoke rose as the loud crackles continued. Then was a ¡®double kicks¡¯¡ªa type of two-stage firework that shot into the sky and popped in the air. Lily holding a lighter in her hand running around Hao Ren happily. She shouted cheerfully. ¡°The restaurant is open now!¡±


    Hao Ren smiled and looked at the happy maiden who appeared happier than the owner of the restaurant was. ¡°I think you don¡¯t need the firecrackers; you¡¯re noisy enough.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet looked on, covering her head in her hands. For the first time in her life, she was seeing the earthly customs, which apparently startled her. ¡°Wow! I didn¡¯t know that you guys¡¯ customs are so rugged!¡±


    Hao Ren looked the little demon, puzzled. ¡°What does it have to do with rugged customs?¡±


    ¡°Crazily lots of explosives¡ª¡± Y¡¯lisabet pointed to the smoky atmosphere. ¡°Even demons don¡¯t celebrate like this!¡±


    Hao Ren did not know how to react. He was speechless for a long moment before he patted the little demon on the head and said, ¡°You will see something more amazing during the New Year celebration, which if according to your standards, the firepower we used during the New Year is enough for start a skirmish.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet: ¡°?¡±

 Chapter 700

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Before lighting up all the firecrackers outside, Lily ran back inside to the back room and moved a new box of firecrackers out again. Hao Ren was terribly shocked. He had tasked Lily with buying some firecrackers two days ago, hence he expected that the maiden would be having a field day. Nonetheless, it seemed like he had been too optimistic. The husky bought so many firecrackers that it looked like she was going to war. How much did she actually buy?


    The smoke from the firecrackers had turned Lily¡¯s face black. She overheard Hao Ren¡¯s mumbling, yet was still as happy as ever. ¡°Just let me be. It¡¯s not like I can play like this every day. It¡¯s to celebrate Uncle and Auntie Nangong¡¯s return to modern society. You wanna give it a try, Y¡¯lisabet?¡±


    The demoness joined the husky.


    As the two maidens happily lighting up the firecrackers, Nangong Wudi looked anxious on his face as he glanced into the street. ¡°Where are our guests?¡±


    Hao Ren had also felt something was not quite right. He tipped his toes and looked into the distance, but only saw the empty streets. Not to mention the neighbours who had promised to come, not a soul was seen on the streets. Nangong Sanba¡¯s brows knit together as he comforted his dad. ¡°At least there should be some onlookers, isn¡¯t it? Can¡¯t believe that we¡¯re having a bad start.¡±


    ¡°I go and check it out.¡± Hao Ren waved at the Nangongs and strode down the street.


    However, not even half way on his way, he saw several figures coming from the far end of the street. Leading in front was the elderly Mrs. Lee. Hao Ren hurried up to her. Before he could say anything, the old lady said, ¡°I knew you must be here. But why do you let Daquan stop people at the junction there?¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his head, perplexed. As the old lady walked past him, the chubby boss of the supermarket, whose smiling face was as bright as ever, came up to him and said, ¡°Lily had sent me invitation yesterday. I¡¯ve brought along my daughter-in-law. But how did you get Daquan to stop people at the junction?¡±


    Hao Ren knew Lily had put in a lot of hard work. The maiden had been hanging around the town all this while and become familiar with all the neighbours. People in Southern Suburbs liked to keep dogs, so Lily could approach them easily as a veterinarian. Yesterday, she also told the all the neighbours about the opening of Nangongs¡¯ restaurant while she went door to door pretending to give immunisation to their dogs. He sighed a little and was pleased that the husky had been of great help at the needing moment as he greeted the neighbours who had come for the restaurant opening. At this time, there was a person coming up, it was the young man operating the mobile phone shop in the business district. ¡°Hey, Hao Ren, good to see you. By the way, why do you let Daquan stop people at the junction?¡±


    Hao Ren could not stand it any longer. He said to his neighbours, ¡°Please head over the restaurant where smoke is rising. You all will be able to get in when Lily finishes with the firecrackers. I have to go to the intersection to see what¡¯s going on!¡±


    He then dashed down the street. When he got there, his jaw almost dropped to the ground: he saw crowds of trembling passers-by and neighbours stopped in their track as a towering bald man was standing in the middle of the junction greeted them with his big mouth. ¡°Come here. Why are you people keeping so far away? Since you have come so far, follow me to the restaurant that is the only one in town¡­¡±


    Who would dare to come near when a vicious guy was standing right in the middle? Some took a detour, some were standing by, and a few of them even took out their phones, recorded, and uploaded to video to Weibo. Hao Ren was shocked and in disbelief. ¡°Wang! What are you doing here?¡±


    The one threatening people at the junction was none other than Y¡¯zaks, who turned around and smiled at Hao Ren. ¡°Isn¡¯t Lily letting me out to get the guests in? I wondered how many guests I could get by just standing at the shopfront. So I decided to come here at the intersection¡­¡±


    Hao Ren almost blew his gasket. ¡°I knew I shouldn¡¯t count on the husky! How could get you to do this?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks rubbed the back of his head. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m more eye-catching.¡±


    Hao Ren had a head full of cold sweat. ¡°Wang, you had better go back and look after your daughter, she is fiddling with the firecrackers with Lily right now. Don¡¯t let her blow up the building.¡±


    After Y¡¯zaks withdrawn, things at the junction started to return to normal. Before that, people were scared; they didn¡¯t know who the wicked guy blocking their way was. Only those who knew him, or had seen his face before dared to come near him. Now the road is open and the people are coming back. Hao Ren let out a sigh of relief as he saw more people heading in the direction of the restaurant. He could hear some voices saying, ¡°Is it a scam?¡±¡±Don¡¯t be funny, you have read too many storybooks. There¡¯s no scam in this town.¡±¡±Didn¡¯t you freak out just now?¡±¡±Nonsense, I just freaking thought there was going to be a fight¡­¡±


    Hao Ren let out a sigh again. It was the dumbest idea to let Y¡¯zaks do the guest-greeting role. Didn¡¯t Lily know that the Y¡¯zaks was more of a roadblock than an advertisement billboard on the street?


    Amid the chaotic dramas, Nangong couple¡¯s restaurant had finally opened.


    Shaking his head and walking back to the restaurant, Hao Ren found that Lily had finally finished the two boxes of firecrackers. Y¡¯lisabet and her were now picking up the unexploded firecrackers and lighted them up one by one. It seemed the smoke would not disperse so quickly anytime soon. He could vaguely see in front of the restaurant, Nangong Sanba and his sister were welcoming the guests into the restaurant. He could not help but sigh, yet again. ¡°It freaking looks like Tiananmen Square¡­¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet ran up with firecracker in her hand. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I was saying some husky had gone crazy with the firecrackers!¡± Hao Ren rolled his eyes. ¡°Why is there so much smoke?¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet raised her hands in the air, jumping left and right. ¡°I¡¯ve mixed the last half box of firecrackers with sulphur!¡±


    Cold sweat trickled down Hao Ren¡¯s spine. Before he could feel it lucky to have the restaurant not blown up, he heard the little demon girl¡¯s excited voice. ¡°This ¡®firecracker¡¯ is really fun. Uncle Ren says your New Year celebration is even livelier than this. That¡¯s so exciting!¡±


    Hao Ren gritted his teeth. ¡°The next time I will bring you to the Middle East, and then you can hear what you want all day long!¡±


    The shop entrance suddenly opened as Vivian walked out as if she was emerging from a cloud. ¡°Have you had enough fun outside? Let¡¯s get inside and help!¡±


    On the first day of the restaurant opening, the Nangong couple who had never run a restaurant before seemed to have been overwhelmed. No one had expected that Lily could bring so many neighbours. While the supportive residents of Southern Suburb were full of the milk of human kindness, it was a backbreaking work to the rookies. As soon as Hao Ren stepped inside, he saw Nangong Wuyue was holding a plate running around between the tables, yelling, ¡°Table Three, add a cold dish¡ªany cold dish¡­ Table Four, check! Table Two¡¯s noodles ready? Oh, Table One, bean curd stick fry meat¡­ Huh? No? You wanna try it? Bean curd stick fry meat tastes good¡­ Who ordered saut¨¦ed chicken cubes with dried chilli? Which table ordered it? I¡¯ll eat it if nobody wants it¡­¡±


    Lily just skipped inside and immediately yelled. ¡°I¡¯ll help you eat!¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned. ¡°¡­Will this restaurant survive?¡±


    A voice came from the side. ¡°It¡¯s a free and sloppy species. What do you expect when they open a restaurant?¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily. Vivian is a no slacker¡­eh?¡± Hao Ren chimed in instinctively. But he suddenly came to his sense. He turned around and was shocked to a man and a woman at the table next to him. The man dressed in a suit that was a bit rustic, common face like any other white collars. The woman¡¯s face was deadpan with a striking scar on her face that looked pretty, but her scar and emotionlessness still made her look a bit weird.


    Hao Ren was shocked. ¡°You two¡­¡±


    ¡°Surprised?¡± the man in suit waved and smiled at him. ¡°We¡¯re just passing by, on time to join the party.¡±


    ¡°Who are you guys?¡±


    The woman with scar was having her drink with a cool face. She suddenly coughed.


    ¡°Liu Sheng,¡± the man in the suit forced a smile, pointing at himself and then his partner. ¡°Zhao Xi. You¡¯re doing very well now, so well that you don¡¯t even remember our names.¡±

 Chapter 701

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren looked around and found that no one was paying him any attention, so he sat down next to Liu Sheng. ¡°What made you the both of you come here?¡±


    ¡°Like I said, we were passing by,¡± said Liu Sheng. He smiled and nodded as he raised his hand, placing a sensory-jamming Letta rune card on the table. He then flipped it to block the attention of regular people from the corner they were sitting in. ¡°We¡¯ve lived in this area for some time before, and we just came back today to take a look. I didn¡¯t expect to see you here¡­ opening a restaurant.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not mine. It belongs to my two friends.¡± Hao Ren peered at Liu Sheng, but he was not suspicious about him and his partner. Although they were demon hunters, they were harmless after Raven 12345 carefully ¡°educated¡± them. He was just surprised that the two popped out of nowhere. ¡°Passing by, really?¡±


    Liu Sheng smiled and was quiet for a few seconds before he said, ¡°Okay, actually we have something that we need to see you, but let¡¯s not talk about it now. In fact, we¡¯re passing by. At least before we come to this little restaurant, we have never thought of you guys own this place. We were thinking about how we can find you.¡±


    ¡°Today is the grand opening day,¡± Hao Ren looked back at the busy restaurant, shaking his head and sighing. ¡°We¡¯re all rookies. Look at all the mess. Luckily, most of them are neighbours. Everyone is magnanimous. Let them be.¡±


    Hao Ren did not need to divulge so much about the Nangong couple to the two thoroughbred demon hunters. After all, they were mere acquaintances. Meanwhile Zhao Xi started guessing. ¡°I saw there are a couple at the back¡­ are they the bosses? Otherworldings that plan to settle down in the human society?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with otherworldlings settling down?¡± Hao Ren glanced at her. ¡°They are not really monsters, especially those that have survived in modern society. Many otherworldlings actually want peace and stability; it¡¯s you people that don¡¯t give them the opportunity.¡±


    ¡°We know,¡± Liu Sheng nodded. ¡°We had long no prejudice. It¡¯s only a rare feeling to see otherworldlings settling down in human society peacefully. After all, the otherworldlings that we saw before either were in the mountains or controlling a large group of human slaves and hiding in their lairs in the city, or they were just like those ancient otherworldlings that the ancient books described as wreaking havoc in the world. I have never seen this before. They look little different from humans.¡±


    Hao Ren realised something was not right. ¡°Wait a second. Can¡¯t you see the race of the couple at the back?¡±


    Demon hunters were excellent hunters, especially in dealing with the otherworldlings. They could even judge their opponents¡¯ racial and approximate abilities simply by intuition. This was also how they could finally defeat the otherworldlings and end the Mythical Era. Liu Sheng and his partner should be able to recognise the race of the couple at a glance! But, their reaction obviously showed that they had not.


    Not being able to recognise Nangong Wudi was understandable given that fact that their instinct was ineffective to use on their own kind. Moreover, demon hunters were good at concealing their own smell. If one did not actively reveal oneself, no one could identify it. The only person who did that was Hessel who by virtual of his extraordinary ability identified Nangong Sanba with just a glance. But Liu Sheng and Zhao Xi should be able to identify Ayesha the siren, no? Siren was rarely seen on the surface. No matter who saw it their first reaction would be surprise and then asking questions. The reaction of Liu Sheng clearly showed that he did not recognised him. Perhaps he was thinking that the Nangong couple were just some ordinary terrestrial aliens.


    Hearing the words of Hao Ren, Liu Sheng was stunned, and then he laughed helplessly. ¡°You have sharp eyes¡­ that¡¯s one of the reasons why I come to you today.¡±


    Hao Ren realised that the two really did not come just to say hello. He leaned forward. ¡°So, what is it?¡±


    ¡°Our killing instincts have disappeared.¡± Zhao Xi¡¯s face still emotionless and her voice flat.


    Hao Ren could not believe his ears. ¡°What?¡±


    Lily¡¯s voice suddenly came from behind. ¡°Mr. Landlord you are slacking here! Battie ask you to help¡­ Whoa!¡±


    Lily finally saw the two demon hunters sitting in the restaurant. She jumped a distance back. ¡°Why did you come here?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Didn¡¯t we have stopped fighting for a long time?¡± Liu Sheng smiled and looked at the werewolf girl who had once fought with them. ¡°Just treat us as any other guests. We¡¯re here to talk.¡±


    Lily¡¯s wolf (dog) ears had almost popped out. She nodded and put a menu on the table. ¡°Place your order then. As part of our grand opening, all meals are 30% off, beer is free, order of thirty eight yuan or more will come with two complimentary cold dishes.¡±


    The husky was as plainspoken as ever. She was actually treating the two demon hunters as diners.


    Liu Sheng did not expect the maiden to be so honest. He was startled for a while before he took the menu and began ordering. ¡°Duck beans¡­¡±


    Lily said, ¡°It is not available yet. I wrote that dish in the menu in a haste. I have asked; no one could cook that dish.¡±


    ¡°¡­What about stew carp?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t make stew fish today. Mr. Landlord¡¯s daughter is in the kitchen right now.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡± Liu Sheng was stunned a little. ¡°Then I would like a saut¨¦ed chicken with dried chilli.¡±


    ¡°The chicken is gone, but there are eggplants. I can ask Battie to do it a little bit creatively. Maybe she can do that¡­¡±


    Liu Sheng looked up and stared at Lily. ¡°Have we not made a truce? I¡¯m not here looking for trouble. Why you still have a bone to pick with me?¡±


    Hao Ren raised his hand and stopped Liu Sheng. ¡°Look at this girl¡¯s eyes. Is she deliberately finding fault? She is really not.¡±


    Lily stared at him and his face with her innocent eyes. Liu Sheng suddenly became aware that this creature in front of him was probably not in any way capable of mordancy in her entire life. So he forced a smile and shrugged. ¡°Okay, one stewed pork ribs, and two cold dishes with two bowls of rice.¡±


    Lily blinked. ¡°Ribs are gone too¡ªwould you like stewed chicken instead?¡±


    Liu Sheng looked at her awkwardly. ¡°All right, let¡¯s get that. We¡¯re really hungry now.¡±


    Lily nodded and just about to leave, Hao Ren stopped her. ¡°Oh wait a second. I don¡¯t see many have ordered pork ribs. Why it¡¯s gone?¡±


    Lily smiled like a Cheshire cat. ¡°I saw the balance pork ribs and thought that no one¡¯s going to order, so I ate them all!¡±


    After Lily went away, Hao Ren immediately buried his face in his hand. ¡°I am really worried that the restaurant is not going to survive. Is otherworldling suitable to run food business at all?¡±


    ¡°By the look of it¡­ it¡¯s a dicey business.¡±


    Hao Ren let out a sigh, thinking that he should not expect too much from a bunch of unrestrained and slack demons running a restaurant business in human society. Lily could endure and serve food to diners normally was already an extraordinary achievement considering her greedy-guts. He shook his head and set the issue aside. He then looked up at Liu Sheng and Zhao Xi. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about your situation. What happened that caused your killing instincts to vanish?¡±


    ¡°Literally,¡± Liu Sheng carefully checked his surroundings. Despite the fact that the rune energy was dispelling the attention of ordinary people, he was still instinctively very cautious. ¡°It¡¯s not clear when it started, probably in the last one or two months. It didn¡¯t disappear at once but bit-by-bit. When we finally discovered it, we felt we had completely lost it already.¡±


    Zhao Xi added, ¡°We bumped into a wandering shadeling a while ago. It was only then that we realised our killing instinct had completely gone. Before that, we just felt our senses a bit dull but we didn¡¯t suspect anything.¡±


    Killing instincts were only triggered when faced with otherworldlings. If they met with non-otherworldlings, even though the killing instinct had gone, they would not be able to feel it. So, it was not difficult imagine Zhao Xi¡¯s situation.


    ¡°A large part of our ability to identify otherworldlings and alertness is based on the killing instincts,¡± Liu Sheng said, his face gloomy. ¡°After we came back from ¡®God,¡¯ our killing instincts were still there but we mindful supressed this instinct when we met otherworldlings. But now¡­¡±


    Liu Sheng paused for a moment. He then pasted a smile and spread out his hand. ¡°We are now truly having no hostility toward otherworldlings.¡±

 Chapter 702

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Killing instinct. This specifically referred to the killing awareness and pre-battle response that demon hunters involuntarily had in the face of unusual creatures. Demon hunters regarded it as a useful talent, because killing instinct allowed them enter into combat mode extremely fast. This made them merciless and unhesitant when faced against the unusual creatures. More importantly, killing instinct is fundamental to many of the demon hunters¡¯ perceptive abilities; 80% of their ability to identify and predict the movements of unusual creatures are based on killing instinct.


    Of course, skilled demon hunters could smell any strange odours from the crowd even if they lose this instinct, just like Liu Sheng and Zhao Xi. They could sense the presence of unusual creatures, but they could neither accurately perceive their opponent¡¯s race or strength, nor trigger any pre-combat response.


    Hao Ren frowned as he looked at Liu Sheng. ¡°What happened before the killing instinct disappeared?¡±


    ¡°Without any warning, it just began to fade suddenly. And to tell the truth¡­ We are not even sure when it first began. We can only judge it roughly a month ago.¡± Liu Sheng crossed his hands resting them on the table, and seemed worried. ¡°Killing instinct would only arose when faced with otherworldlings.¡±


    ¡°Why you come to me?¡± Hao Ren asked, as he was curious that though they had reached a truce, demon hunters were more suspicious to his tenants, he did not know why Liu Sheng did not turn to his organisation but him.


    Liu Sheng did not hide his own thoughts though. ¡°I know your background and you surely know a lot of things. I¡¯m afraid that finding help from you is better than from our own people. Besides, we did look for the regional senior demon hunter, but¡­¡±


    After a moment of hesitation, Liu Sheng said, ¡°The vanishing of killing instinct is not an isolated case¡­ I am afraid it is out of our own control.¡±


    Hao Ren eyes wide open. ¡°Not only your killing instincts?¡±


    ¡°The regional senior did not elaborate, but he mentioned that ¡®the situation isn¡¯t good¡¯. As far as I know, many elderly people in the race suddenly went active and began to travel a lot. I¡¯m afraid all of them are having the same problem,¡± Liu Sheng¡¯s brows knit tightly together. ¡°I had actually hesitated for a long time before I came to you. After all, I didn¡¯t want the interests of the collective demon hunter group be compromised. Now it seems¡­ I am afraid that this is the time to worry about that. Only the one behind you can help solve this problem.¡±


    Hao Ren sucked his teeth; Liu Sheng must still misunderstood him. ¡°Firstly, I¡¯m not hostile to demon hunters, so what make me want to hurt the collective interest of the demon hunters? Secondly, the one is behind me is indeed all mighty, but I wonder if she will want to get involved in your problem personally¡­ But I¡¯ll try to investigate, don¡¯t worry. You¡¯d better tell me everything about the reactions after the killing instinct vanished. Oh, by the way, also your estimate of how many demon hunters you think are affected.¡±


    Liu Sheng and Zhao Xi exchanged a look. They then nodded to each other before telling the details to Hao Ren. While they were talking, Lily came up holding an extra-large tray ready to serve the food. Her face happy. ¡°Yeah! Your food is ready! Mr. Landlord, move your arm, and the casserole is hot¡­ Besides Battie also let me bring you a bowl of rice. Too many guests today, we¡¯re not going home but having lunch here.¡±


    Apparently, Lily had got into the groove now. She swiftly served up three big bowls of rice and a hot casserole and two cold dishes on the table while happily explaining to the guests. ¡°This casserole chicken is ours signature dish, let it bake for a minute upon served, you can smell the aroma several blocks down the street when you open the lid¡­ By the way, these two cold dishes are free of charge. Enjoy the food.¡±


    Hao Ren looked down and saw two identical cucumber slices on the table. ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you say two kinds of cold dishes? Did you get it wrong?¡±


    Lily shook her hand carelessly. ¡°The portion is too large, so I split them into two plates. Let¡¯s just treat it as two dishes. If you really can¡¯t accept it, then treat one of them as cucumber slices, and the other one as sliced cucumber¡­¡±


    When the husky finished talking, she turned around and walked away without even giving them a reaction time. After a while, Hao Ren heard her entertaining guests at a nearby table. ¡°¡­this butterball is our signature dish, you can smell its aroma several blocks down the street¡­¡±¡±This tomato scrambled egg is our signature dish; you can smell its aroma several blocks down the street¡­¡±¡±This¡­ Mr. Zhao, you don¡¯t want anything else? Okay¡­ this peanut is our signature dish¡­¡±


    Liu Sheng stared at the werewolf maiden who was happily running around in the restaurant but talking like she was drowning in a verbal Niagara Falls. ¡°Oh, she is a specialist¡ªknowing only one catchphrase?¡±


    Hao Ren buried his face in his hand. ¡°I guess this restaurant will soon be famous far and wide, and this style of operation is a special feature.¡±


    Liu Sheng shook his head with a smile, and reached out to open the lid of the casserole. ¡°This is not bad, so much better than what I thought¡­ this dish is rather out of my expectation, it is quite authentic and aromatic, it smells¡ª¡±¡±Bang!¡±


    Before he could look inside the pot, the lid had quickly closed again. Hao Ren was dumbfounded. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Liu Sheng¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°I was too nervous recently. Probably it¡¯s hallucinations.¡±


    Zhao Xi looked at her senior. Feeling weird, she reached and lifted the lid and quickly took a glance. The lid closed back again. ¡°¡­something weird.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s brows pulled together. He opened the lid of the casserole, and saw Lil Pea holding a green garlic said hello to him happily. ¡°Dad-dee¡­¡±¡±Bang!¡±


    Hao Ren closed the lid and took the casserole back to the kitchen. ¡°You guys wait for a minute, I get it replaced. The chef stewed the wrong thing.¡±


    Liu Sheng and Zhao Xi looked at each other, speechless.


    The kitchen looked like a dog¡¯s breakfast. Vivian and Ayesha were busy inside. It was not that they could not cook but rather not used to the rhythm of cooking in a restaurant. There were the jingling of the pots and pans, and the shouts of the women. ¡°Vivian, give me the salt¡­¡±¡±Doggie, take the two dishes to the table near the entrance.¡±¡±Where is your brother, Wuyue?¡±¡±Hey, where¡¯s my chopper¡­ Wudi, bring me your silver dagger. Nonsense! Didn¡¯t you use it to peel apple yesterday?¡±¡±Y¡¯lisabet, did you see Lil Pea? Was she not in this pot just now¡­¡±


    Hao Ren put the casserole aside. ¡°Lil Pea¡¯s here. You guys stewed her?¡±


    Vivian turned and looked. Her jaw dropped to the ground.


    The little mermaid might have jumped into the pot herself during such hectic moment. Hao Ren did not want to add more chaos to the scene. He took Lil Pea to the sink himself and rinsed her. She still smelled aniseed after three times of rinsing¡­


    Lily passed by. She sniffed at the tail of Lil Pea. ¡°I can eat two bowls of rice while licking her. You should using the detergent, Mr. Landlord.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me. She will get gippy tummy when swallow.¡± Hao Ren looked at Lily. He quickly placed Lil Pea in the fish tank and shoved it into the dimensional pocket. ¡°I¡¯d better not let her out and add more chaos. I was thinking to let her catch some fresh air, as it¡¯s grand opening today. Apparent I couldn¡¯t stand the pace.¡±


    ¡°Business is good today,¡± Nangong Wudi said, looking at the hive of activity. ¡°At first, I still thought what if there were no customers, what would we do? Now looks like we are ill-prepared.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s first day of opening, it should be lively. At least neighbours from several blocks away have also come to show us support,¡± Nangong Wuyue said, grinning. ¡°But today we¡¯re not going to earn much. Grand opening promotion notwithstanding, Lily is giving away side dishes¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, if she can remember to collect money for the food, it will be fine,¡± Ayesha said, her arms akimbo. ¡°We won¡¯t be losing money anyway. But also not going to have stellar profit too.¡±


    Demons running a restaurant¡ªit was a hell of a mess.


    At this time, Vivian sudden took Hao Ren to the side. ¡°I heard Lily said that the two demon hunters have come.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they have things to discuss,¡± Hao Ren whispered. ¡°After the lunch rush hour, let us sit down and talk. I suspect that it may be related to the phenomena of innate hostility of otherworldlings on Earth.¡±


    Vivian leaned forward and checked the corner of the restaurant outside. Liu Sheng and Zhao Xi looked up and nodded back politely.


    ¡°You keep them company. Let me finish my job first,¡± Vivian pushed Hao Ren a little, and then laughed. ¡°Running a restaurant really needs a serious amount of elbow grease, it¡¯s tiring. We can¡¯t have lunch together today but I will make something special tonight.¡±


    ¡°You take care,¡± Hao Ren said, pointing at Y¡¯lisabet, who was squatting in the corner, before leaving the kitchen. ¡°And don¡¯t let her play around here. Did you not see she is dismantling the freezer?¡±


    ¡°¡­Wang, come look after your daughter!¡± everyone said.

 Chapter 703

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    It was true that Liu Sheng was prejudiced against unusual creatures. But at least, he was right on one front¡ªHao Ren¡¯s otherworldling buddies simply did not cut it. They were square pegs in a round hole in terms of running a restaurant business. Needless to say, Lily was a dead loss. The Nangong siblings were not that reliable as well. Y¡¯lisabet was a purebred wrecker, whose father was not of much help either. The Nangongs may have been head and shoulders above the rest, but they were still pen pushers. Vivian was the only class act. But unfortunately, she could only cook dishes in the kitchen. Everyone was afraid to let her dip into the cash drawer, lest the Nangongs¡¯ life savings went down the drain¡­


    Anyway, Hao Ren did not expect too much from a bunch of demons running the restaurant, or that it would even make money. He was supportive of the couple in opening the restaurant, because it could keep them occupied. As for the rest of the family, they could come and help since they were idle at home. However, they had their own stuff to do most of the time. Hao Ren at least had to travel to various parts of the worlds, and bring along a few fighters with him at any one time.


    As far as the restaurant was concerned, although it was a hell of a busy day for the couple, once they got a foot in the door, and with the help of their children, they should be fine.


    But in any case, looking at the hustle and bustle in the restaurant, Hao Ren still could not help but ponder how the small restaurant would be looking up in the future¡­


    The lunch rush was finally over as diners gradually left. Lily and Nangong Wuyue were standing at the doorway thanking the leaving patrons. There was a broad smile on the maidens¡¯ faces. Seven out of ten patrons were neighbours whom they knew personally and Lily had invited. So it was only proper that they did the courteous thing at the door.


    Southern Suburbs was such a small place. Today, it had only less than half of its yesteryears¡¯ population. Most of the residents in town knew each other by names. The difficulty part of running a business here was the so-called ¡®local community market¡¯. Fortunately, everyone had been accustomed to the environment¡ªeveryone bought from everyone, which was the norm.


    Lily had already hit her stride for a long time. Now she squatted at the doorway. ¡°Please come again, Lao Zhang! Bring along your shaggy dog yo~~¡±


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes. ¡°Are you kidding me? Bring dogs to the restaurant?¡±


    Vivian rubbed her hands on the apron as she came up from behind. ¡°People are saving the world with the dogs. Why no dog in the restaurant?¡±


    Lily thought for a moment, and became furious. ¡°Battie! Are you talking about me?¡±


    A leaving neighbour offered Nangong Wudi an advice at the doorway, ¡°Your woman really makes a good chef. I will come back next time. But please get the menu right; don¡¯t include dishes that you can¡¯t make in the menu¡­¡±


    Some even suggested to Hao Ren. ¡°I think you¡¯d better help out in the restaurant. Don¡¯t go out all day. You¡¯re renting out your big house; you really feel safe to leave it like that while you¡¯re away?¡±


    Some offered a piece of advice to Y¡¯zaks. ¡°Daquan¡­ it¡¯s just a small restaurant, does it needs you to be a security guard here?¡±


    When most of the patrons had left, Nangong Sanba took out the cash register. He knew at a glance that it probably not much of a profit today. ¡°Hmm¡­We have broken even but by not much. Discount notwithstanding, the main thing is most sales are of cheap dishes.¡±


    ¡°Stop talking rubbish! How much is a bunch of old people willing to spend?¡± Nangong Wuyue rolled her eyes. ¡°Only peanut¡¯s the most sellable dish. Those elderly would just order a plate of peanuts and they could tittle-tattle for hours. I feel that this restaurant is more like an old folks¡¯ club.¡±


    There were few young people in Southern Suburbs. Most people had already moved out and work in the city. Almost two-thirds of the residents were old folks. It was crowded today, but to be honest, most sales were made from the cheap items in menu. Even the leftover braised ribs in the kitchen had gone into Lily¡¯s stomach. But Nangong Wudi did not really mind. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how much we earn, after all we¡¯re not here to get rich. We¡¯re just looking for something to do.¡±


    Ayesha nodded too. Hao Ren became at ease, as long as the two of them were happy.


    At this time, a long forgotten voice finally sounded in the corner. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, you all have time now already? We should talk about our problem now. Shall we?¡±


    Hao Ren looked up and was surprised. ¡°Liu Sheng. You two are still here?¡±


    Liu Sheng was holding a piece of cucumber with chopsticks in the air. ¡°Are you not asking us to wait?¡±


    Hao Ren smacked on the forehead. ¡°Oh, I forgot. Come on, everyone. Let¡¯s discuss business.¡±


    Liu Sheng held a rune card in his hand. ¡°Do you mind if I temporarily block out your customers? We need some privacy.¡±


    Hao Ren took the card and gave it to Lily. ¡°Stick it on the front door. No entry for the moment.¡±


    They sat in circle at the table. Hao Ren pointed at the two demon hunters and began introducing them to the Nangong couple. ¡°Let me introduce. This is Liu Sheng, senior demon hunter. This one is Zhao Xi, student to Liu Sheng. They are the heads of the town¡¯s demon hunter organization. But they are friends at the moment.¡±


    A strange look flashed across Nangong Wudi¡¯s face. But seeing the expressions on the faces of other people around him, he became restrained. And Hao Ren also introduced them to the demon hunters. ¡°Nangong Wudi, ex-demon hunter. Ayesha, siren.¡±


    Liu Sheng and Zhao Xi looked at the strange couple. They were not surprised. After all, Raven 12345 had taught them well. Liu Sheng shook his head and smiled. ¡°The membership of your group is getting really¡­ messy.¡±


    ¡°Cut the cackle. Let¡¯s talk about the killing instinct¡­¡±


    The two demon hunters immediately recounted their story about the vanishing of the killing instinct and the possible same phenomenon happening among the demon hunter community. Everyone fell into deep silence. Hao Ren glanced at the Nangong Wudi. ¡°You have killing instinct?¡±


    ¡°Used to. But it was already very weak from the beginning,¡± Nangong Wudi said. This was the first time he mentioned about his own killing instinct in front of his otherworldling friends. ¡°Demon hunter is a race deeply influenced by bloodline. We also have a lot of training to strengthen the strength of our bloodline. I was not very strong in the bloodline from the very beginning, and the acquired training I received wasn¡¯t comprehensive ¡­ so my killing instinct was not that strong.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s to say, at least it¡¯s been there, right? But because it¡¯s weak, it¡¯s very easy to be supressed by your mind,¡± Vivian scratched her chin. ¡°Can you still feel the killing instinct now?¡±


    ¡°It has been absence for a hundred years,¡± Nangong Wudi said. ¡°It¡¯s like covered a man¡¯s eyes for a hundred years. The ability has completely degenerated. I don¡¯t have any feeling of hostility towards otherworldlings now. But I¡¯m not certain whether it began degenerating in the past one hundred years or has faded as recently as them two.¡±


    Vivian hummed and gently shook her head. ¡°Looks like you can¡¯t be a specimen, because you¡¯re not representative enough. If we can get in contact with White Flame, We would be able to get more information.¡±


    ¡°But what do you think she can tell us?¡± Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°I would rather like you to contact Hessiana.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s brows knit together slight. ¡°Hessiana?¡±


    ¡°To put it bluntly, the killing instinct of demon hunters and the inborn hostility between the otherworldlings are the same thing,¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°If this ¡®instinct degeneration¡¯ happened on Liu Sheng and Zhao Xi is not an isolated case, then I am afraid that this phenomenon is not limited to demon hunter race. But I heard a Blood Clan once said at the Athens sanctuary that there was also a sign of easing of relationship between the young generations of otherworldlings¡ªthis is rather similar to the weakening of killing instinct in various generations of demon hunters.¡±


    ¡°Now the phenomenon had been occurring in the demon hunter community, so you suspect the same is happening in the otherworldling circles?¡± Vivian frowned and took out her cell. ¡°To be honest¡­ I¡¯m not really keen to call that bitch. She is a real pest.¡±


    Hao Ren also knew about annoying character of Hessiana. But he could only laugh wryly. ¡°We have no choice but to bother you as we really don¡¯t know any other sanctuaries.¡±


    While Vivian was making the call, Liu Sheng asked, ¡°You mentioned White Flame just now¡­ It this White Flame the demon-hunter?¡±


    Hao Ren was startled by the question. But he knew what Liu Sheng meant. ¡°Can there be any other? It is exactly the one white-haired girl who burned people as if they were garbage.¡±


    This time, even Zhao Xi¡¯s poker face was showing a hint of surprise. ¡°You guys even drag her through the mire?¡±


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­what do you mean by dragging her through the mire? We¡¯ve only met a few times. She¡¯s not like you two.¡±


    After a while, Vivian put down her cell and looked at Hao Ren. ¡°You guess it right¡ª otherworldlings in the Athens sanctuary are also experiencing disappearance of hostility.¡±

 Chapter 704

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    As Hao Ren predicted, it was not only demon hunters, whose hunting instincts were devolving. The natural hostility between the unusual creatures were also fading away. Even before that, the younger generations had already displayed a remarkable lack of hostility towards each other. But even that was a moot point now as the sense of hostility did not just reduce, but completely dissipated away.


    Based on what Hessiana said, there were quite a number of youngsters within the Athens sanctuary who exhibited such a change and the most obvious signs appeared among those who were below 200 years old. For races that lived for a very long time, 200-year-olds were still looked upon as children. Even then, those who were above 200 years old showed a reduce sense of hostility too, but their numbers were still low and not fully accounted for yet. This phenomenon seemed to have transcended racial lines; vampire, or werewolf; halfling or shadeling, every race in the sanctuary encountered this and their numbers were roughly equal.


    ¡°The way Hessiana put it as though it was a plague or something.¡± Vivian muttered as she fiddled with her phone. ¡°Things are getting rather chaotic there and a few of the big families have stopped their younglings from heading out. Hesperides and a few other Ancients are trying to bring things under control.


    ¡°A plague? Isn¡¯t this a good thing?¡± Hao Ren could not comprehend. ¡°They had buried the hatchet to co-exist before right? Now that the natural hostility had gone, shouldn¡¯t things turn for the better? Why are they having a lockdown?¡±


    Vivian took a glance at Hao Ren, ¡°If the hostility had dissipated from everyone, then sure why not. The key issue is that this had only happened to a part of the otherworldlings. This is similar to how the Demon Hunters losing their Hunters Instinct, and it will lessen their sense towards other creatures and awareness towards hostilities. The sanctuary is not some child¡¯s playground, and having youngsters who has no sense of danger walking about is no laughing matter.¡±


    Lily shook her head as she took a stab. ¡°Then I¡¯m even more confused now, the fall of the Mythological Age was so long ago and each and every otherworldling¡¯s power and influence had receded to this stage and yet they are still at each other¡¯s throat¡­ Is self-control such a foreign concept to them?¡±


    Hao Ren glared at the dumb husky. ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say. You still bristle when you see a demon hunter. And if you are that able, control your appetite for pork ribs would you?¡±


    Lily immediately decided to shut up.


    ¡°Seems like this phenomenon is happening to everyone but the humans.¡± Vivian wore a serious expression as she stroke her chin. ¡°Based on that Hessiana said, they had also received reports from other sanctuaries through secure communication channels and it seems like it is happening world wide, and at a very alarming pace. She is worried that not only the younglings will be lose their natural sense of hostility, even the elders and Ancients will suffer the same fate¡­ and in a few years time, no otherworldlings will have any hostilities with each other.¡±


    ¡°Aside from the Sirens.¡± Ayesha interjected. ¡°We never had this natural ¡®sense of hostility¡¯, and our relations with almost everyone is cordial.¡±


    Something suddenly sparked in Nangong Sanba¡¯s mind. ¡°Oh right. That¡¯s this one thing that I¡¯ve never understood, why does only the Sirens are an exception?¡±


    Hao Ren had some guesses on the matter. ¡°The only difference between the Sirens and the other otherworldlings on Earth is that the Sirens have nothing to do with the Goddess. They are a being formed naturally¡­ The cause is probably that. The ¡®natural hostility¡¯ is something that comes with the Goddess¡¯ creation and almost everything we encountered have something to do with her, most of the time.¡±


    Vivian was almost impressed by Hao Ren¡¯s theory that was based on sound logic, before kicking him in the rear.


    Nangong Wuyue looked around before tapping the table happily. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s good news after all. So by this, peace will come after a few years? The ten thousand year long inter-otherworldlings war can finally come to an end?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it will be marginally peaceful, but things won¡¯t be as smooth as you imagine.¡± Vivian shook her head. ¡°The origin of the conflict was perhaps the ¡®natural hostility¡¯ but from then until now, the war is no longer about natural instincts. A conflict of ten thousand years would have all parties nursing grudges and blood debts, and even without the natural hostility urging them on the battles will still last for many more years.¡±


    ¡°Hatred is not something you can end in a day, especially the one between the Demon Hunters and the otherworldlings.¡± Hao Ren nodded in agreement, before turning his gaze on Liu Sheng and Zhao Xi. ¡°But coming back to that, we got to thank the Demon Hunters for their brutal efforts in forcing the otherworldling¡¯s into hiding in the sanctuaries. And if the interracial hostilities were to end, the otherworldlings will probably be the most united of factionsin the world.¡±


    It was apparent that this never crossed Liu Sheng and Zhao Xi¡¯s mind before and as they reacted slightly belatedly to Hao Ren, uneasiness was apparent in their eyes. They now realise the outcome if things were to go on as it is:


    The splintered otherworldlings would reunite as a singular force and the demon hunters¡¯ previous efforts in maintaining this disunity will unravel. This will certainly put them in a numerical disadvantage and if the otherworldlings were to counterattack from all of their hidden sanctuaries, the Mythological Age will surely return!


    And this time around, there will be no one to end it.


    ¡°Oh don¡¯t you worry too much.¡± Vivian noticed the change in Liu Sheng¡¯s expression and smiled as she gently shook her head. ¡°Those old coots aren¡¯t stupid for one. They will soon realise that their time has passed, and that humans today are no longer the obedient thralls of yore. If the otherworldlings is bend on reconquest¡­ the only thing they¡¯ll get is scorched earth. A barren, desolate Earth.¡±


    Humans had the weakest constitution amongst all intelligent races on Earth, but they are the most fanatical and the most dangerous of the lot. Even Y¡¯zaks was impressed by them. He had never met any other lifeform that was so desperately looking for more ways to expand their strength and to blow their home to kingdom come many times over even after they had already found a way to do so. Facing the humans today, neither the otherworldlings nor the demon hunters could say with confidence that they could reign over the world again. It¡¯s not that they do not have the capability to annihilate humanity, it¡¯s more to the fact that no one can be sure someone somewhere going trigger happy and taking the whole ecosystem with him to the grave.


    Y¡¯zaks then grinned widely. ¡°They are like those lunatics with forbidden spells. Even if you have confidence to overcome them in any circumstances, they too have confidence to take you down with them in any circumstances.¡±


    ¡°But even if those old coots could figure this out, there¡¯s no guarantee the elders of other families would be that wise,¡± Vivian¡¯s turned deep and serious. ¡°How about this, I¡¯ll contact the Ancients that I know and to let them in on this information. We¡¯ll start monitoring the movements of all the otherworldling families in the world. I believe that those families that still pay any attention to bloodlines and seniority would listen when those old bastards speak.¡±


    Lily took a sideway glance at Vivian. ¡°You sound just like an old coot yourself in these mom¡­. AHHH Don¡¯t pull my ear!¡±


    ¡°Controlling and monitoring the families is simply an appeal to authority, and it is not possible to keep every faction under tabs. Confusion and disturbance is bound to happen.¡± Nangong Sanba said. ¡°Most importantly, this is just band aid measure and ignores the cause. We are on the back foot before we understand the cause of the natural hostility and its disappearance.¡±


    ¡°We also don¡¯t know how long can this delicate balance hold.¡± Liu Sheng had many questions about what Hao Ren and his crew had talked about, but he too has his own thoughts. ¡°There¡¯s many unknown factors in the world, and the current stalemate is all smoke and mirrors with maximum pressure. This¡­¡±


    ¡°This is not something for the long run. It will unravel someday sooner or later.¡± Hao Ren looked back at Liu Sheng. ¡°But it is not now.¡±


    Everyone present discussed the matter for a good while. After reaching an impasse Liu Sheng and Zhao Xi bade their farewells. Before they left however, they had agreed to a few of Hao Ren¡¯s request. Basically to be his eyes and ears, and to let him know when there is a significant movement in the inner circle of the Demon Hunters. For Liu Sheng and Zhao Xi, as long as what they do did not endanger their brethren, they had no objections working with Hao Ren.


    ¡°If there¡¯s a chance to contact Hasse, that will be better.¡± Vivian said as she clutched her arm looking into the sky in the distance. ¡°Honestly, this is a good time for an ¡®upheaval¡¯¡­ But I don¡¯t fancy the thought of worldwide chaos. If the Demon Hunters could cooperate¡­ this would probably be a little bit easier.¡±


    Hao Ren kept quiet as he stood beside Vivian pondering the same matter.


    The disappearance of the natural hostilities between otherworldlings¡­ Does it have something to do with his more frequent activities in the Plane of Dreams?

 Chapter 705

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Regardless of what was happening to the unusual creatures on Earth, the days still had to go on.


    The Nangongs¡¯ little restaurant had started operating and the two seemed to learned much from the ensuing chaos during their first two days of business. They were beginning to get a hang of things. Silly mistakes, which came with the chaotic launch had gradually lessened and even if the number of helpers were reduced, they could still manage somehow. Rhe Nangong siblings were practically reporting for work everyday now and everyone else at home would just pop by if they were free. At least, all of them found something to do during their free time.


    Vivian went about her ways (basically getting Hessiana to do the legwork) and managed to get in touch with a few old friends. As more information came in, it was safe to surmise that the ¡°natural hostility¡± was fading away all across the world. It transcended race, distance and environment almost as if it was an automated process; a programme that kicked in automatically into the psyche of each and every feuding unusual creature after 10,000 years of conflict. Vivian gathered the thoughts of the surviving Ancients and as she predicted, the old coots who survived the fall of the Mythological Era were a smart and cautious bunch. They had already started monitoring the movement of hidden families all across the world to prevent events from spiralling out of control. With Vivian, the most venerable of Ancients leading, her fellow Ancients agreed to keep in touch, and face the upcoming changes that this phenomenon may bring.


    Truthfully, the disappearance of the natural hostility was even more worrying than the ¡®Day of Return¡¯ prophecy as the latter was simply just soothsaying without much credence, and it did not change the two most teething issues the otherworldling face: Interfactional fracture and attrition. But now, a phenomenon that could be seen is happening before them, without any recourse or control over the speed it was spreading. Any being would be very pressured by this sudden change.


    Vivian had spoken to Hessiana again today and as she put down the phone, Hao Ren started mumbling. ¡°It¡¯s sort of funny you know. When we first started off we were wondering how awesome it would be if all the otherworldlings stop being at each other¡¯s throat and usher world peace, but now that it is happening, everyone is acting like world war three is upon us.¡±


    ¡°Because that was no world peace to begin with.¡± Vivian had a complicated sigh. ¡°I wanted to end the interracial conflicts, but not like this¡­. If things goes out of control, the balance will be destroyed and there will be nothing but chaos.¡±


    Lily was clutching her notebook as she was checking for information. Upon hearing the two speaking she quipped. ¡°Things have already went that way and if the otherworldlings wants to usher a new Mythological Age then world war three is inevitable. Say¡­ Won¡¯t the setting of modern firearms against magic for World War Three cool? Doesn¡¯t it, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    Vivian glared at the werehusky. ¡°Can you just keep your imagination from running wild at inopportune moments? This is not a joking matter.¡±


    Lily bore her fangs. ¡°It¡¯s just my writer¡¯s imagination being agile. Is that wrong?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already submitted the report.¡± Hao Ren said as he ruffled Lily¡¯s hair to get the husky to pipe down. ¡°Raven said she¡¯s not interfering in this¡­ I have full authority.¡±


    ¡°Already knew she¡¯d say that.¡± Vivian shrugged. ¡°Her job is to maintain the balance of the universe after all¡­ Local issues is up to us then.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks put down his papers, his face bore a deep in thought expression. ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering. What is this natural hostility?¡±


    ¡°Every otherworldling have that natural hostility against each other while the demon hunters have their Hunter¡¯s instinct. These phenomenon are technically the same thing. And for the natural life on Earth this is mostly formed by the living being¡¯s own pheromones.¡± Lily looked up as she explained with a serious look. ¡°But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that simple with the otherworldlings¡­ many races came from the Plane of Dreams, and from different planets to boot. Lets not even start the talk about pheromones, most of them can¡¯t even use their five senses properly.¡±


    Hao Ren was pleasently surprised. ¡°You seem to know a lot?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, I¡¯m just too lazy think and open my mouth most of the time.¡± Lily rolled her eyes at Hao Ren. ¡°If you want to be serious, I¡¯m the most educated amongst all of us. I had graduated from the University of Beijing a couple of times already!¡±


    Hao Ren was brought to his knees by the revelation. ¡°F*ck me! Graduated a few times? What were you doing there?¡±


    ¡°It was a chaotic time there, so I just found a safe haven.¡± Lily pursed her lips. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. I was brimming with energy back then.¡±


    Hao Ren gave Lily a unbelieving look. His gut instinct tells him that the husky was blowing her own trumpet, but he did not dare to verbalise it. Despite how unreliable she may be, Lily had survived for a few hundred years and she had made a name for herself in those chaotic days. Even her abilities, if she had the heart for it, her being one of the prominent persons in the society or the underworld is not too far-fetched an idea¡­


    Even more so, Lily had lived under the impression that she was a werewolf, and now that she found that she was a husky instead her worldview had never been the same.


    Hao Ren dare not venture any further with this train of thought and stiffly tried to change the topic. ¡°Why do you think that the natural hostility would suddenly disappear?¡±


    ¡°Maybe it has something to do with our activities in the Plane of Dreans¡­ or¡­.¡± Y¡¯zaks frowned. ¡°Not sure if I¡¯m thinking too much into this¡­ I suspect this is a countdown timer.¡±


    ¡°A countdown timer?¡± Everyone exclaimed.


    ¡°The otherworldlings only developed this natural hostility against each other after coming to Earth. Didn¡¯t we agreed in our last discussion that there was ¡®someone¡¯ messing with their blood?¡± Y¡¯zaks nodded. ¡°If this is manmade, then this phenomenon is probably part of a ¡®plan¡¯. This could be a countdown timer that lasted for ten thousand years, or perhaps a prerequisite has been met and had triggered a switch in the blood of the otherworldlings¡­ Regardless, this doesn¡¯t sound natural at all.¡±


    Vivian nodded softly. ¡°I will contact my friends. Will get them to gather more information on the movements of the supernaturals and demon hunters aside from monitoring the big families. We¡¯ll see if this was caused by some ancient relic or something, else our only explaination would be that it is a countdown timer.¡±


    Hao Ren gave an emphatic ¡®Oh¡¯ before looking up at the clock. It was half past two in the afternoon, and he was suddenly assailed by drowsiness. ¡°Haaaaa¡­. You guys go busy yourself with whatever. I¡¯ll take a nap until dinner time. Need to catch up on my sleep.¡±


    Vivian looked at him. ¡°What¡¯s with sleeping at this hour?¡±


    ¡°Have insomnia lately, and I didn¡¯t really sleep last night.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand as he walked to his room. ¡°Might as well try to get a snooze while I¡¯m sleepy.¡±


    After Hao Ren went to bed, Lily mumbled to herself. ¡°Mr Landlord seems to have insomnia for the last two days eh?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it is stress. And he has been at the forefront of things alone everytime something happens.¡± Vivian looked at Hao Ren¡¯s room. ¡°A shame that my calming spells has no effect on him¡­ I¡¯ll go get some herbs later then.¡±


    Hao Ren had no idea that he had a herbal concoction waiting for him as he was already on his bed trying to sleep. Perhaps it was stress, or that his body was out of whack, his sleep had been very disturbed for the past three days.


    His slumber for the past three days was a dreamless, light sleep and everytime he was just about to get cosy his brain was being covered by a dense and ceaseless fog. Broken transmission ran wild in his head and he was in the state of half-asleep half-awake without him being able to do anything about it. Given now that he was feeling sleepy enough, Hao Ren was hopeful that he could finally rid himself of the insomnia.


    As he lay on his bed, he looked up at the MDT which was laying on the top of his bedframe. ¡°I¡¯m gonna sleep. Get the protection up and running.¡±


    ¡°Up your a*s.¡±


    Seems like the MDT was at least in a good shape. This was what Hao Ren thought before he slept.


    The next moment he was awakened by a large explosion and raking gunfire.


    Hao Ren opened his eyes and found himself not in his room, but a unfamiliar, bullet riddled street. Everywhere was fallen buildings and the carnage wrought by destruction. The streetside was literred with ammo casings and corpses. It was like a battlefield.


    A series of explowsion and gunfire rang from a far.


    The scene before him shocked Hao Ren, but he did not stand there like an idiot. His experience for the past year had thought him something at least and he immediately found cover to hide and tried to determine wherether whatever he is seeing was a dream, or reality.

 Chapter 706

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren looked out for any movement as he stayed undercover. While he had not seen any hostiles yet, he was sure that this was not some peaceful utopia based on the gunfire in the distance. Staying incognito while he tried to get his bearings was essential for survival.


    The streets around him were ruined and the buildings were mostly piles of collapsed wreckage. Bullet holes were clearly visible on the walls and street surface as well. Some corners of the street were piled up with twisted metal. It was a carnage all over the place. The dark grey sky hinted that it was about to rain, but the dry, cold air reminded Hao Ren that those were not rain clouds, but clouds of dust high above. A soft breeze blew and with it came the smell of gunsmoke, alongside a horrible chemical whiff.


    ¡°The f*ck is going on? Did World War Three actually start?¡± Hao Ren mumbled as he tried to refocus himself. Going deep into his own thoughts, he checked his status and realised that he was not dreaming.


    ¡°¡­This cannot be a dream¡­¡± he mumbled yet again. ¡°The details are too perfect¡­ Am I transported to somewhere in the Plane of Dreams again?¡±


    Most people would be hard pressed to tell where they are once they fall asleep as the brain would naturally reconstruct the details of the dream to be as close to reality, but Hao Ren had already undergone reconstruction of his body, and he had also undergone mental training which allows him to stay awake even in his dream, and he could easily tell a dream from reality plus his brain too was reinforced against many illusion spells. But even as he had managed to ascertain his status, something still plagued Hao Ren. He felt that he had entered the Plane of Dreams, but this time around there was unusual dissonance that he just could not put his fingers on.


    ¡°MDT, can you hear me?¡± Hao Ren activated his mental link as he called the MDT. He knew that the MDT was connected to him twenty four seven, even when Hao Ren was asleep. ¡°Things are rather strange here¡­¡±


    The MDT¡¯s voice came after a few seconds delay. ¡°Roger. You¡¯re loud and clear, But things are also rather strange on my end here¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re inside as well?¡± Hao Ren spoke in his mind as he moved carefully towards the nearest building. He was hoping to get on high ground to have a better view. ¡°Is this the Plane of Dreams.¡±


    The MDT¡¯s voice was distant yet near. ¡°Probably. But this translocation is just too sudden. I was ¡®pulled in¡¯ by your mental powers. Did not have enough time to record the ¡®diving¡¯. Besides, the area here is just weird that I can¡¯t even describe¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ so I¡¯ve entered the Plane of Dreams while asleep again.¡± Hao Ren pursed his lips. He turn towards a high tower building and while it was damaged, the structure was still sound. He decided to go up the tower for a look. ¡°I thought I would never need to get into the Plane of Dreams this way again¡­It¡¯s a been about a year since.¡±


    ¡°Technically speaking this should not have happened. Your mental strength is already very strong and controllable. Unchecked dives into the dream should not happen anymore. Besides, I¡¯m connected with you and that is as good a firewall you can have¡­ there should at least been some warning.¡±


    ¡°Shit happens I guess. Say, don¡¯t you think this place is just weird? Maybe its because we entered the Plane of Dream in spiritual form again?¡± Hao Ren theorised. ¡°Ever since we had found a stable entryway in Tannagost we had been going into the Plane of Dream physically. I almost forgot how it was like to go in as a spiritual body.¡±


    The MDT¡¯s voice was delayed by a few seconds. ¡°Insufficient data, unable to confirm.¡±


    Hao Ren had gotten up to the third floor by then as he took a peek down the streets below. ¡°Why are you so serious? And¡­ this place sure isn¡¯t¡­ welcoming.¡±


    As he stood on the balcony facing the city, everything in sight was riddled by bullets and seemingly every street bore marks of destruction. The city had either being hit by a massive bomb, or undergone a long gruelling urban warfare to be rendered to this sorry state.


    The MDT¡¯s voice was still coming in, albeit delayed. ¡°I need to focus some computing powers to analyse the situation here.¡±


    ¡°Right. Do your thing.¡± Hao Ren replied. ¡°But before that, can you confirm the location of this place? How far is this from Holetta? Can we contact CARS or our base at Alamanda?


    ¡°Insufficient data, but I can confirm that we are in the Plane of Dreams. Unable to confirm current location. The signal from CARS and Alamanda is working fine but unable to decipher the physical address. Maybe there is some unexpected intereference or data chain error.¡±


    ¡°Or we are really just too far away.¡± Hao Ren looked up at the dark and dreary sky, trying to see the stars that was beyond the cloud of dust. ¡°Or maybe this place is in some special galactic zone.¡±


    In a universe where a real God went kaboom, a few zone with an anomolous spatial flux is not something out of the realm of possibility and Hao Ren was thankful that he entered the place in a spiritual body and could extricate himself at any time should there be danger.


    Yet something had now started bugging him. Why and how on earth did he ended up here?


    His first foray into the Plane of Dream was through this sort of ¡®diving¡¯ and this was not new to him. But as he had tested, diving into the Plane of Dream from the Surface World will never fail to place him back on Holetta as it seems that Holetta and the Surface World has some sort of reflective connection, or that one of the tear on the Wall of Reality was projected on Holetta.


    But this time around, he came to a totally foreign planet, and it seems like it was light years away from Holetta.


    Having no idea how that happened, Hao Ren threw the question to the MDT. ¡°MDT, what do you think?¡±


    The MDT pondered for a bit. ¡°¡­ If pessimistically, this phenomenon would mean that the rift in the Wall of Reality is widening. Initially you were only able to enter Holetta from the Surface World when you dream but now¡­. seems like many other places are now connected to the Surface World.¡±


    A chill ran down Hao Ren¡¯s gut. ¡°Then what¡¯s on the bright side?¡±


    ¡°Optimisically, it¡¯s you going bonkers and thus ejected yourself randomly.¡±


    ¡°Your mum!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m from a production line, and my mother is a massive circuit board detector. Please mind your orientation. My mother is leagues tougher than you have any right to be.¡±


    After seeing the MDT retorting so energetically, Hao Ren heaved a sigh of relief. Seems like that tool had also recovered from the post-teleportation stupor.


    ¡°We are not out of the woods yet.¡± The MDT sensed Hao Ren¡¯s thoughts and let out a seemingly defeated message. ¡°There was a data conversion error when I entered the Plane of Dream. I am now immobile. Please come and pick me up.¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°How do I know? You¡¯re the one that dived in.¡±


    ¡°Right, right. Where should I pick you up?¡±


    The MDT transferred the navigation details into Hao Ren¡¯s head and the latter used his telepathic senses to head to the direction. As he looked, he saw greens smoke coming from the street with gunfire rining about.


    That tool really chose a ¡®nice¡¯ place to land.


    Hao Ren sighed while he shook his head and leapt three stories down as he ran towards the street.


    As he approached the firefight zone, he saw a few bodies: Their uniform was irregular, with a mix of male and female, all of them were equipped with small calibre weapons, and based on their wounds, they were the recent dead.


    By the time he reached the street where the MDT had beaconed, the fighting was over.


    The stentch of gunpowder mixed with blood was permeating in the air. The soldiers had all either retreated or lay dead. He only saw a few destroyed equipment and a few corpses behind some cover. Seems like they did not have time to clear the corpses, and this was quite obvious the losing party.


    Hao Ren looked left and right and did not see any living being. There was a couple of bodies behind a cement block not too far from him. Hao Ren walked towards the bodies and bend down to check things out.


    ¡°Gunpowder weapons but much much more advanced than Earth.¡± Hao Ren looked at the equipment as he mumbled to himself. ¡°Oh, the gun has some electronic support devices attached to it¡­ probably aim asisstance¡­. Ohhh¡­. it¡¯s linked to the combat gear¡­¡±


    Hao Ren picked up on of the rifle and a projection immediately appeared. Invalid user. Weapon locked.


    ¡°¡­And it actually has user recognition.¡±


    At the very moment, a bright voice from behind had Hao Ren freeze. ¡°Don¡¯t move! You, there! Put your hands behind your head. And turn towards me slowly!¡±

 Chapter 707

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    As he heard the voice behind him, Hao Ren could only shake his head as he stood up. He saw a small group of soldiers standing about 10 m away from him; half a dozen rifles were pointed at him.


    There were seven of them, and all were clad in uniformed, greyish black combat gear. They had all sorts of equipment, but it was clear that they were armed to the teeth. However, the surprising thing was the leader of the group who stood ahead of the rest. She looked 16 or 17 years old based on his first glance. Hao Ren was not sure if it was her extremely fine features, or she was really just a girl scout. She was holding a rifle, which was aimed at Hao Ren. Her grey hair was tied into a ponytail and her facial expression was stiff. Aside from the typical caution a soldier would have, Hao Ren could not read her expression at all.


    Needless to say, Hao Ren was surprised that this was a place where children were also combatants, but after some thought, this was probably nothing to be surprised about. He spread his hands open to indiciate that he was not a threat. ¡°Finally, the living¡­ Don¡¯t be so tensed.. I¡¯m just a passerby.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± the MDT¡¯s voice rang in Hao Ren¡¯s head. ¡°I sense that you are close by. Why aren¡¯t you helping me?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you sense the movement around me?¡± Hao Ren kept an eye on the soldiers as he answerewd the MDT.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what when wrong, but my senses are very sluggish.¡± the MDT sounded very defeated. ¡°I think something went wrong with the teleportation. It feels like only half of my conciousness was transferred over. I¡¯m trying to reboot some of my systems.¡±


    Hao Ren gave a mental ¡®Oh¡¯ before noticing the ¡®girl scout¡¯ was pointing towards him with her rifle. Her fellow soldiers fanned out towards him from both sides. With a stiff look, she asked. ¡°Name yourself. Are you a mercenary or a scavenger? Are you a natural or an evolved?¡±


    Hao Ren had no idea what she was talking about, but in order to learn more of the place, he tried to talk with the soldiers before him. ¡°I have no idea what are you talking, I¡¯m just passing through. Would¡¯ve stayed away if I knew there was fighting here.¡±


    ¡°Good luck finding someplace without any fighting.¡± A soldier in a full helmet laughed. A slight echo followed his voice. He then used a device attached to his rifle to give Hao Ren a scan before turning back towards the girl. ¡°Nolan, seems like a civilian.¡±


    ¡°A civilian?¡± the girl named Nolan finally had some form of expression on her face. She frowned as she came to check things out. Hao Ren noticed that her gloves have some micro-device that was glittering. Nolan swiped the device two meters away from him: seems like it was a high-grade scanner. ¡°No signs of combat nerve, there¡¯s not even the most basic of microchips?¡± Nolan gave Hao Ren a shocked look, her grip on her rifle tightened. ¡°Are you a hardline natural?¡±


    Hao Ren was trying to process what the mercenaries were on about on the fly as he tried to lower their guard against him. ¡°I¡¯m probably what you call a natural, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯m a hardliner¡­¡±


    No matter which world it is, hardliners are not welcomed. This Hao Ren could at least be very sure of.


    ¡°Hardline or not.¡± Nolan glanced at Hao Ren. ¡°Civilians should not be here. But us mercs don¡¯t care too much, just that you are not a combantant is fine. It¡¯s dangerous here, leave. If you can make your way in here, you can get out too.¡±


    Nolan said as she turned towards her squad to leave. Seeing so, Hao Ren called out to them. ¡°Eh, wait up! Can I come along?¡±


    A soldier lifted his rifle slowly as he gave Hao Ren a suspicious look.


    Seems like all of them are rather twitchy. How long has this battle has been going on?


    Hao Ren immediately gestured that he meant no hostility as he tried to cook up some stories to approach the mercenaries (based on what Nolan said, these group are one of the mercs). ¡°Those that came with me are all dead, I won¡¯t be able to get out of here alive.¡±


    ¡°Our service is not free.¡± Nolan said as she pointed towards the logo on her chest. ¡°The Righteous Grey Fox¡¯ company. If your price is right, we can do business. Since you actually dare to show up here, you probably know how we operate.¡±


    Hao Ren heaved a sigh of relief. His instincts have been right. Mercenaries are one of the easiest group to approach, if your price is right.


    This was what he learned from Becky.


    And Becky even specifically mentioned this to him: If you ever end up in a foreign world, as long as your actions are not too suspicious, getting a mercenary band as your entry point is possibily the smartest move. As long as the price is right, or not meeting anything that would lead them to turn on you, mercenaries are the best bodyguards and guides. They won¡¯t ask too many questions, and as long as the employer is not a bumbling halfwit, they would be glad to entertain their employer¡¯s whims, as long as the price is right.


    Of course, this is incumbent on the mercenaries having some work ethics.


    Hao Ren spread his hand open. ¡°I don¡¯t have cash with me, but does other things work?¡±


    ¡°Jewellery? Gold?¡± Nolan gave Hao Ren a distrusting look. ¡°An escapee with money? Alright, that¡¯s fine. But those things are harder to get rid off, so give me a price that works.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately pretend to fumble in his pocket before pulling out a piece of gold and throwing it towards Nolan. It was a piece he took from Tannagost.


    Nolan and her men were all stunned. All of them eyed Hao Ren as the solder in the full face helmet spoke. ¡°You¡­ You are out and about with this nugget of gold?¡±


    Only after the question was popped did Hao Ren belatedly realise that his actions were not normal. A person who had not bring anything with him but having half a catty of gold with him? That¡¯s not something a normal person would do¡­


    But he had no way to weasel himself out this time around. He nodded stiffly. ¡°Things are a bit complicated, and there¡¯s no easy way to explain this. So¡­ does this suffice?¡±


    Nolan nodded as she lifted her rifle. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you are plain naive or what¡­ What makes you think that it would not be easier just to shoot you dead and take your gold?¡±


    The soldiers all started chuckling, a few of them had lifted their rifles.


    Hao Ren had thought of this happening when he pulled the gold nugget out, but he never thought things would actually progress the old fashioned way. ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case, feel free to shoot. But I think that after the first shot you¡¯d find the gate to a new world opening, but I must add, you guys sure have no creativity.¡±


    ¡°Wew, you¡¯re actually not afraid?¡± Nolan stared back at Hao Ren before pursing her lips and putting the gun down. ¡°Meh, there¡¯s no fun teasing you then. Right, lets go. I¡¯ve said, we are the righteous ¡®Grey Fox¡¯. You and your gold nugget is in good hands. If you ran into others, you might not be as lucky- Mr Naive Riche.¡±


    This time around, it was Hao Ren¡¯s turn to be surprised. But seeing how this group of mercs keeping to their creed was indeed a fortunate thing, for Hao Ren and them.


    Nolan only then started inspecting the gold nugget. Normal person would not have brought such an item to pay for anything hence her first impression that it was a fake. But after some checks, she found that it was the real deal, yet she was perplexed. ¡°Why is there so many tooth marks on this?¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a bit and realised he could not tell Nolan that it was the work of the husky back home¡­


    The mercenaries prepared to leave and Nolan gave her new employer a hand signal for him to follow. Hao Ren suddenyl remembered something as he called out. ¡°A mooment, I¡¯ve dropped something, it¡¯s just close by.¡±


    Nolan gave a slightly disgruntled look. ¡°Quickly! Don¡¯t tarry!¡±


    Hao Ren waved back as he ran towards the rubble about ten odd meters away based on the signal that the MDT was broadcasting. The soldiers too followed out of curiosity.


    Before him was a series of collapsed buildings and the carters nearby was still warm. It seems like they were only destroyed not too long ago. Hao Ren could feel that the signal came from within. That brick sure had chosen a nice place to land.


    Hao Ren bent down to move the shattered cement blocks away. ¡°That thing you¡¯re looking for, it¡¯s underneath there?¡± Nolan asked.


    Hao Ren gave a silent nod as he tried to dig through the rubble as humanly as possible. Two of the mercenaries were kind souls and went ahead to help him. It didn¡¯t take long for a big enough hole to be cleared and the MDT¡¯s signal was before him.


    But yet, Hao Ren was stunned by the sight within the ruins.


    It was not his flying brick.


    It was a person.

 Chapter 708

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    When the two mercenaries removed the last piece of broken cement board, they saw something underneath.


    The tall mercenary standing in front looked down and patted Hao Ren on the shoulder as he sighed. ¡°It¡¯s such a ridiculous era, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    A blonde girl had been crushed under the rubble; she was long dead. She had suffered from blood clots and penetrating trauma in her chest as well as abdomen. One could see through her wound to the other side of the ground. Flesh and blood surrounded the wound. There were also some cable-like objects, and upon closer look, the cables were actually growing together with her flesh. The maiden lay under the rubble, and her hollow eyes were wide open. It seemed that she was still looking up at the sky before she died. Her long hair, which was soaked in blood stuck to her face, adding to the bleakness of her death.


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    He found that the MDT¡¯s navigation signal came from the corpse. It was clear and accurate.


    ¡°MDT, do you know what you¡¯ve become?¡±


    ¡°How the hell would I know?¡± the MDT still sounded b*tchy. ¡°Dang it. All services have been rebooted, but I¡¯m still unable to connect to the sensors. How did you come in this time? Why is it different from the previous teleportation?¡±


    ¡°¡­I guess this has to do with the changes in your sensory model. You¡¯re now a¡­ dead body.¡±


    The MDT¡¯s scream cut through his brain. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Hao Ren did not know how to explain it. He could only shake his head and sigh. He bent down, trying to get the body of the human or maybe cyborg, out of the rubble. He beckoned to a soldier next to him. ¡°Can you help lift the steel beam up¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Nolan looked at the scene, her face somber. Her fingers were pale because she clutched the rifle with too much force. ¡°You got it. Ulyanov, Carl, help him.¡± She then turned to Hao Ren and said, ¡°My condolences.¡±


    Hao Ren did not catch what she said as he was too focused on shifting the body below without causing more damage. After much effort, they finally pulled the blonde girl¡¯s body out together. Hao Ren took off his coat and covered the wound on the body. Then, he carried her on his back before he looked up at Nolan and smiled slightly. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I don¡¯t know the way.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s face was stained with blood, and his smile looked extremely bizarre¡ªat least, that was how Nolan felt. She had seen many hysterical expressions on the battlefield, of those who lost their loved ones, those of anger, craziness, or desperation; but, no one looked like this guy, whose face was stained with blood. He still smiled like the dead body did not concern him. She felt a certain madness in him.


    In fact, Hao Ren really wanted to laugh¡­


    The mercenary wearing a full-faced helmet could not help but speak. His name was Ulyanov. ¡°You want to take her away?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Hao Ren nodded bluntly. ¡°It took me a while to find this fellow.¡±


    ¡°I understand your feelings, but you need to bury her,¡± Nolan said. She looked calm. ¡°She is dead. Can¡¯t you see it?¡±


    Hao Ren froze for a moment, then realized they had a misunderstanding. However, he could not explain the situation at all. He could only smile. ¡°I have to carry this body for some special reasons. And to be honest, she¡¯s not dead yet. Believe it or not, I¡¯m still chatting with her.¡±


    It was better for him not to say it. All eyes were on him at that moment¡ªthings had gotten even more complicated. Several mercenaries who were accustomed to the sight of life and death could not help but look away. They had to be thinking that this man was very sad. He lost his loved one; he had probably gone crazy¡­


    Ulyanov¡¯s face was covered with his helmet, but he patted Hao Ren on the shoulder. His voice was low, ¡°You need to accept reality, or you¡¯re not going to hold on for long.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a long moment but could not come out with a way to explain why he was doing what he was doing. In the end, he could only speak with a sullen face, implying that he was determined, ¡°No matter what you say, I need to take her with me. You don¡¯t have to worry. I will carry her myself. I¡¯ll definitely not slow you down.¡±


    The mercenaries looked at him in sympathy. Hao Ren¡¯s blood froze, and he could not think of anything else. He could only get into a shouting match with the culprit telepathically, ¡°You retard! I¡¯m now thrown into the character of the tragic man, and to my horror, my match is you¡ªa freaking brick!¡±


    The MDT could not see the scene, but it could gauge the situation from its mental connection with Hao Ren. It still sounded b*tchy, ¡°Take it easy. Maybe this is still not the worst situation.¡±


    ¡°Could it be any worse?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps you could pass as a necrophile¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was distraught, and he was tempted to throw the body off his back¡ªjust like how he would usually throw bricks. But he was wary that such an impulse would lead to an even greater misunderstanding, so he could only bite his tongue. ¡°You can be b*tchy, but every time you swear, you¡¯ll have to account for it when I get back!¡±


    The MDT finally quieted down. Nonetheless, Hao Ren could only enjoy half a second of serenity in his mind because the mercenaries standing next to him had no idea why he was so adamant on carrying the female corpse with him. Based on their logic, it had to be something like a 200,000-word tragic love story.


    Oh, of course, they could also interpret him as a necrophile¡­


    The disgruntled look on the face of the tall mercenary, whose name was Carl, obviously indicated that it was not smart for him to bear the load on the move. However, Nolan waved her hand at the soldier. ¡°Leave him alone! Let him carry her.¡±


    Carl frowned. ¡°If you meet rogues or rangers¡­¡±


    Nolan glanced at Hao Ren and walked away. ¡°The exfiltration vehicle will arrive soon. Don¡¯t get into a fight before that. You two new recruits, check and see if there¡¯s anything we can reuse. Others, come with me. Get ready to move.¡±


    The mercenaries responded in a series of scattered voices. The two young men ran to the dead soldiers and retrieved a few pieces of equipment. The equipment showed ¡°Access Denied¡± on their panels but Ulyanov took them and fiddled with them for a while. ¡°Bring them back to the professor for a reset. Human stuff, easy peasy.¡±


    It seemed that despite the weapons were identity-authentication-enabled it could not stop from being hacked. The mercenaries on the battlefield were good hackers.


    Hao Ren carried the MDT that had turned into a girl¡¯s corpse (how strange it is) on his back and followed the mercenaries embarking on a journey crossing the war-torn city. He was trying to understand the current situation of the planet and see whether there were signs of the First Born or other guardians. So he was listening to the conversation of the mercenaries and trying to piece the information together, at the same time preventing himself from reacting or saying something suspicious unwittingly.


    But his silence backfired. People began to misinterpret his quietude with some imagination¡ªespecially the tear-jerking scene of him carrying the body of a blond girl who had died tragically. Ulyanov deliberately walked beside Hao Ren; the mercenary, who had never revealed his face, seemed to be the most warm-hearted of the seven-member team. He asked casually, ¡°How did you two meet each other?¡±


    Hao Ren was talking with the MDT in his mind, discussing why it had turned into a corpse. Hearing Ulyanov¡¯s question, he said, ¡°It¡¯s part of the perks.¡±


    Ulyanov was startled and then sighed unnaturally. ¡°You guys truly came from the ultra-conservative jurisdiction of the Naturals¡­ never did I expect the persecution of the second generation Evolved was so serious already¡­¡±


    Then he looked at the corpse of the young girl on the back of Hao Ren. ¡°But then you are willing to do so much for her¡­ It seems that everything is possible in this world.¡±


    Hao Ren could not bear to imagine how much imagination this soldier had in his mind. But he could not help it. He did not know how to explain his rational of doing what he was doing. He could only let their imagination ran wild and he could not have cared less.


    Hao Ren¡¯s silence deepened the mercenary¡¯s misunderstandings. The mercenary smiled and his voice hoarse. ¡°Everyone is struggling in this difficult time, isn¡¯t it? Looks like you decided to flee your homeland because you couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. Only then did you decide to flee¡­ But unfortunately, Lawless District is more dangerous than you imagine. Life in the extremist city is hard but as long as you can obey them, you will live. But here, accident¡­¡±


    Ulyanov glimpsed the bloodstained blonde hair on the shoulders of Hao Ren in his peripheral vision. He immediately held his tongue. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I talk too much.¡±


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­¡±


    For the first time in his life, he became the subject of gossip.


    And the object was a brick.


    He felt like he would rather die.

 Chapter 709

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    In the war-torn city, a small team of mercenaries and a ¡°civilian¡± weaved through the streets under the cover of surrounding buildings. They avoided the hot zone where sporadic gunshots were occasionally heard. Their route seemed to be safe, at least for the time being.


    Nolan glanced over her shoulder at the ¡°civilian¡±, who had been carrying the dead blonde girl on his back for quite a distance on foot. He did not fall behind at all. She wondered what fuelled his tenacity. Was it his physical strength, or determination? Or was she to blame it on this troubled world?


    ¡°I thought he wouldn¡¯t even make it through one kilometre,¡± a mercenary recruit who reclaimed weapons from the dead soldiers whispered to his companion. ¡°Tsk, I lost. I owe you.¡±


    His companion muttered, ¡°Speaking of the girl, she looks like a second-generation Evolved. This is the first time I saw a Natural having a relationship with a second-generation Evolved.¡±


    Nolan gave the two men a reproving stare. ¡°Shut up and hurry up,¡± she chided.


    Meanwhile, Hao Ren, who was seemingly silent, was actually talking with his MDT. The MDT was giving his two cents about the gossip. ¡°In fact, this isn¡¯t the first time you get involved in a gossip. Remember the pot in your house, and how Hessiana think about you? You still think you¡¯re so innocent?¡±


    The MDT was such an annoyance. Hao Ren did not want to argue with it. ¡°Cut the cackle, would you? You¡¯d better to go and figure out what¡¯s wrong with you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve tried. It came up nothing,¡± the MDT was rather frank. ¡°I¡¯m a logical machine, built to run quantifiable data. For intuitive stuff, you should look for Lily¡ªshe has an imaginative mind at least.¡±


    Hao Ren sighed in his mind. ¡°It¡¯s either you had met interference and turned in this image while entering the Plane of Dream, or you¡¯re having a walk-in where your thoughts had possessed another person here. Looks like the latter is more probable.¡±


    Before the discovery of the Tannagost fissure, they had to enter the Plane of Dream through dream, on which they had conducted many studies. When a spiritual body enters the Plane of Dreams, the physical body remains in the surface world; it would create a phenomenon similar to the avatar like what happened to the MDT here. And the image of avatar is usually dependent on self-cognition. So a schizophrenic person who enters the Plane of Dreams through dreaming might not recognise himself or herself. But Hao Ren did not think that a mobile data terminal was capable of schizophrenic. Even if it could, there was no way the MDT could turn up as a blonde, not to mention a dead one.


    Judging from all the above, the chances of a ¡®walk-in¡¯ was more probable. Perhaps the moment the MDT entered this world, the blonde happened to have just died and there happened to be some kind of resonance between the two¡­ Was it not written in the book?


    The MDT thought for a moment and said, ¡°It is all speculation. There¡¯s no data to back that up. I don¡¯t work in a subjective way. All I know is that something is wrong; I¡¯m still unable to perceive thing and move. The body is useless¡­¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. Putting Windows into your brain and yet you expect it to run properly? You should be already grateful you could still bicker with me.¡± Hao Ren seemed to have more grumble than the MDT had. ¡°Don¡¯t even let me begin with the weight that I have to carry on my back! It¡¯s not like I can simply shove you in my front pocket or the dimensional pocket in front of so many people¡­¡±


    No one realised he was talking with the MDT in his mind. Ulyanov turned his head and looked curiously at the man who was ¡®quiet¡¯ along the way. ¡°You were planning to go through the Lawless District into Ground Zero, or Black Street?¡±


    Hao Ren had no idea what the places were. But he also could not appear too ignorant. So he asked back, ¡°What is the situation of the two places?¡±


    ¡°Not places that you would want to go,¡± another mercenary chimed in. ¡°Ground Zero is a little better, and someone is managing the city. Right now, the Evolved are in charge, but the Naturals can still survive but getting in is a problem. Unless you have money or skills, they will find fault with you. But if you can fight, you can join their city guards. Black Street is laxer than Ground Zero; anyone can enter but how long you can survive depends all on your luck. The Naturals and the Evolved have little difference; their lives are cheap in there.¡±


    Then Ulyanov added, sounding sullen. ¡°By the way, we ¡®grey fox¡¯ is doing business in Black Street.¡±


    ¡°I suggest you go to a Zero City,¡± Nolan said in front without looking back. ¡°You would not survive more than three days in Black Street; your gold will cost your life. But you can hand over all your property to the city management committee in Zero City and in return, you should be able to get the right to live for three years. Three years, you should be able to find a way out then.¡±


    Hao Ren tried to digest what he had heard. His mind was outlining the map of power distribution of the nearby area and the status quo of this world. But in Ulyanov¡¯s eyes, Hao Ren¡¯s silence meant another thing. The soldier patted Hao Ren on the shoulder. ¡°Get a grasp of the reality. After crossing the Grey River, you have to play by the rules.¡±


    Nolan suddenly stopped in front. She signalled the mercenaries behind her to be on guard. They quickly hid behind a partly collapsed concrete wall. From behind the ruins, Hao Ren saw a distorted air on the open space not far ahead. He focused his eyes and now he could tell the distorted air was actually a layer of optical disguise.


    Nolan half-crawled in the shadow, her hand pressing the comm in her ear as if she was talking with someone. A moment later, she motioned everyone to relax as she stepped out of the shadow and waved into the direction of the open space in front of her.


    The optical camouflage above the open space disappeared like a ring of water curtains falling to the ground as a large armoured truck appeared before everyone¡¯s eyes. Hao Ren quickly noticed the front of the truck had the same insignia as Nolan had on her uniform. Looks like this was the extraction team.


    ¡°Follow me.¡± Nolan gestured with her hand as she moved out in front. Just when Hao Ren was about to get out, battle-hardened intuition suddenly sounded an alarm!


    ¡°Ambush!¡± He and Nolan almost shouted out at in unison. As soon as their shouts trailed off, gunshots were heard!


    Bullets flew in from all directions from nearby buildings without warning. The intense gunfire sounded like a torrential rain. The mercenaries had quickly come to their senses and scrambled for cover. Nolan was far too out in the open, no way could she make back up. She clenched her teeth and quickly ran at the armoured truck, looks like she wanted to use the truck as cover.


    Hao Ren had put down ¡®corpse¡¯ on his back and was waiting for an opportunity to fight back. At this moment, in the corner of his eyes, he suddenly saw the truck door opened and an arm was sticking out a gun pointing at Nolan.


    In a split second, Hao Ren took out a hard object from the dimensional pocket and threw into the direction of the truck, knocking off the pistol. Nolan fired a shot and killed the enemy instantly before she jumped as agile a monkey into the truck. Ear-shattering gunfire and explosions pierced through the air. Judging from the situation, Hao Ren decided to tuck away his psionic gun and plasma spear because they were too eye-catching for the occasion before sneaking out toward a nearby building. Ulyanov shouted from the back. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Hao Ren did not reply. He half-crept and then disappeared in the shadow of a building.


    A moment later, there was a scream before an enemy sniper was thrown off the top of a building and died instantly.


    Hao Ren poked his head out from the edge of the roof as he beckoned to the mercenaries, wondering if this stayed within the limit of what a human should be able to perform¡­


    Ulyanov looked in horror, could not believe that Hao Ren was actually a civilian. At the same time, a sound was heard coming from the open space. The roof of the truck rose up slowly as a truck-mount weapon rose from below. Nolan was standing behind the quad-barrel heavy guns and pointing at the nearby buildings.


    Nolan¡¯s face lacking emotion as she pressed her finger on the ¡®fire¡¯ button, emptying all the bullets in the quad-barrelled gun into the surrounding building.

 Chapter 710

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The short but brutal ambush battle finally ended. Realising that they could not gain an upper hand, some of the members of the enemy had retreated. Hao Ren returned to the mercenary group and saw Nolan jumping down from the truck, which was mounted with the heavy machine gun. The girl, who was seemingly just a teenager was still expressionless as if everything that happened was just make believe; she never once showed sings of panic or anger.


    ¡°Khiton¡¯s a turncoat. He¡¯s defected to the rangers,¡± Nolan informed her teammates about what happened in the truck flatly. ¡°It was my oversight.¡±


    Hao Ren remembered the scene where she fired back with the rotary machine gun on the truck amid heavy enemy fire. She was brave but reckless, and she could have been killed by exposing herself in the rain of bullets. As an outsider, Hao Ren did not want to comment, so he just nodded with a wry smile. ¡°You¡¯re impressive.¡±


    ¡°Our leader is fearless in the battlefield. But she can always come out of it alive. It¡¯s the luck of the grey fox.¡± Ulyanov said with a sullen voice.


    Nolan shook his head. ¡°There have been times when I was that lucky, just that you guys didn¡¯t remember¡­ Well, let¡¯s not talk about this. Are you really a civilian?¡±


    Nolan was of course talking to Hao Ren. As her voice trailed off, the mercenaries cast their suspicious eyes on Hao Ren. Though Hao Ren had not perform any superhuman manoeuvre, to be able to sneak up under the nose of enemy and singlehandedly take out several armed soldiers was surreal enough. Ulyanov nodded to Nolan. ¡°He knows how to fight, he knows how to advance using cover, and his movement are all very professional. He is no rookie on the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°You really want me to explain¡­ I can make a few excuses,¡± Hao Ren put his cards on the table, thinking that if worse comes to worst, he could go alone anytime. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to tell you anyway.¡±


    ¡°Forget it. I¡¯m not interested in your skill,¡± Nolan looked at Hao Ren for a while. She shook her head as she handed over something to him. ¡°Thank you for helping us. Take it. It¡¯s your gold. You deserve it.¡±


    Hao Ren took the gold matter-of-coursely. Then Nolan took out another god bar. ¡°And this is the gold that you threw out¡­ I¡¯m curious how rich you really are. Do you usually use gold bar as weapon?¡±


    Hao Ren finally knew what kind of concealed weapon he had taken out from the dimensional pocket¡­


    The mercenaries looked at Hao Ren as if he was an extra-terrestrial creature. Unarmed and loitering in Lawless District, without regard to his own safety, carrying around quarter-pound golds, and using them to pay for things and as weapon. Everyone thought that he was a moneybag with no brain but took out several professional soldiers with bare hands¡­ Where did this freaking oddball come from? What was actually wrong with his brain?


    Hao Ren knew that the more he explained the more trouble it would cause. So he had better not saying anything but putting out an innocent smile. He then bent over and picked up the blonde¡ªthe temporary body of the MDT. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here quickly. It¡¯s not safe here.¡±


    ¡°You still take her with you?¡± Ulyanov asked, astonished.


    Hao Ren nodded with a forced smile. ¡°Of course, if I leave this fellow behind, it will annoy me to death.¡±


    Nolan was wide-eyed, holding back the words ¡°she is dead¡± that were already on the edge of her lips. Others also exchanged a look, probably with some speculations on their minds: this man must have probably been mad.


    The mercenaries took the truck and left the place with Nolan at the wheel. The truck was a modified armoured carrier. As the heavy machine gun had risen to the roof, the cabin became very spacious. Hao Ren saw a body lying in the carriage cabin, brain splattered. It must be Khiton; the traitor Nolan had mentioned. Khiton was supposed to meet and extract them, but for some unknown reason he hooked up with the enemy.


    It seemed that the situation in Lawless District was more chaotic than imagined.


    ¡°The two recruits are dead,¡± Nolan¡¯s voice came from the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Khiton is also dead. We have suffered huge losses in other teams too. We must find ways to get more recruits.¡±


    ¡°Tsk, I still like those two new recruits,¡± the only female mercenary in the team except Nolan said as she spat on the ground. ¡°They were both good men¡­but what a waste; I was thinking to get laid with them tonight.¡±


    Hao Ren choked, coughing uncontrollably. It seemed this woman was quite open-minded.


    Other than Nolan, who drove in front, there were only four mercenaries in the carriage. The two young recruits tasked with weapon retrieval from the battlefield were dead. Enemy¡¯s large-calibre firepower hit them directly on their bodies; so bad the condition of their bodies that it was totally irrecoverable. The only thing recovered were their dog tags. The mercenaries talked about their dead comrades, other than a little forlorn and sad, there was nothing much. To these people, death was commonplace especially on the battlefield like the chaotic Lawless District.


    Hao Ren looked at Nolan, through the bulletproof window that separated the carriage and the driver. Something suddenly crossed his mind. He kicked Khiton¡¯s body with his leg. ¡°Why didn¡¯t this traitor shoot us using the heavy machine gun on board? We would be dead if he did.¡±


    Nolan lifted one hand, pulled her hair up from behind her head, and said without looking back. ¡°All the heavy weapons in this vehicle need my physical connection to be operational.¡±


    As she pulled up her grey long hair, Hao Ren saw a piece of mirror-like plate inlaid on the back of Nolan¡¯s neck. There was a groove on the edge of the plate, which suggested the plate was openable.


    He remembered he had learned something this world. So he asked hesitantly, ¡°Are you the second generation Evolved?¡±


    ¡°Now the schools of extremist Naturals don¡¯t teach that anymore?¡± Nolan¡¯s voice sounded helpless. ¡°Only the first generation of Evolved have this kind of visible modification, the second generation of Evolved have the electronic parts implanted in the body as soon as they are born; it¡¯s not visible from the outside.¡±


    Ulyanov pointed to the blonde¡¯s dead body beside Hao Ren. ¡°Isn¡¯t your girlfriend the second generation? Didn¡¯t she tell you about it?¡±


    ¡°She is not my girlfriend¡­¡± Hao Ren forced a smile on his face. ¡°In fact¡­ Well, think whatever you like. I too am confused.¡±


    The vehicle gradually left the ravaged city out to the suburbs, which was even more battered. Through the narrow bulletproof side window, Hao Ren could see the deserted land, barely any plants left. The ground was full with pits and signs of corrosion as if the place had once been bathed in thick acid. Looking at the destruction, he wondered how far the war had spread in this world. If words leaked from the mercenaries were anything to go by, he might not be able to find a single inch of land where war had not ravaged. Even the ¡®peaceful city-states¡¯ where the common people lived in, was in fact only serving as food-producing base for a certain legion, and surviving under the protection of the army.


    Hao Ren felt something weighted down his shoulders. He turned around and saw the blonde¡¯s body had fallen on him, apparently shaken by the bumpy ride. He used his hands to hold the stranger girl whom others were mistaken as his lover. He felt a little emotional as he began to wonder what kind of person the girl whom the MDT was ¡®parasitizing¡¯ was, where she came from, and why she appeared in this chaotic battlefield and eventually died.


    It was only his cranky thoughts.


    ¡°How long have we been ¡®dreaming¡¯?¡± Hao Ren asked casually in his mind. ¡°Do the family members know what¡¯s going on here?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s has been over four hours, Vivian just tried to wake you up, but I stopped her,¡± the MDT replied, sounding listless, probably was bored being trapped in a stranger body. ¡°You¡¯d better stay a little longer to explore a little more here. To be honest, you don¡¯t want to disappear suddenly in front of these people, do you?¡±


    The MDT was still retaining control on its own body in the surface world when it entered the Plane of Dreams. So it could also serve as parrot between both worlds.


    ¡°What¡¯s your future plan?¡± Ulyanov¡¯s voice suddenly interrupted Hao Ren¡¯s thoughts.

 Chapter 711

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°Future plan?¡± Hao Ren turned to look at Ulyanov or more accurately, the helmet that covered his face. ¡°I haven¡¯t really thought about it. I¡¯ll just take it as it comes. Maybe I¡¯ll find a place to settle down after all of this is over.¡±


    Ulyanov cleared his throat and asked in a whisper, ¡°Where did you learn your fighting skills?¡±


    He thought that Hao Ren was just a wealthy, retarded civilian, who lacked a sense of survival in the wasteland. But after witnessing his fighting skills, he began to have a keen interest towards Hao Ren¡¯s background. Without biochemical re-engineering and electronic aids, it was rare to gain combat strength more powerful than that of regular soldiers, even in Lawless District. Feeling Ulyanov¡¯s curious eyes behind the full-face mask, Hao Ren tilted his head slightly. ¡°I used to fight on the battlefield, but don¡¯t ask why.¡±


    ¡°Mercenary?¡± Ulyanov sized him up. ¡°You don¡¯t smell like the regular forces.¡±


    ¡°Sort of,¡± Hao Ren said quietly, pretending to comb the blond hair of the girl, as he wanted to end the conversation. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about the past.¡±


    Sitting across the carriage, the reticent Carl said gruffly suddenly, ¡°Ulyanov, you talk too much.¡±


    The armoured vehicle moved along the deserted and vast wilderness. Man-made structures finally appeared ahead. Hao Ren peeked through the side window and saw the cemented ground on both sides of the road. Half-fallen streetlights and electricity poles zoomed past the windows from time to time. He felt he had come back to the human world. A screen on the front of the carriage suddenly lighted up displaying the scene of the road ahead. Rows of factory-like buildings and huge smokes began to appear. Sandwiched between the tall buildings were large number of Lego-like simple houses.


    Haze was engulfing the entire building complex, and smoke rose from the top of the town to the sky above that was just as hazy, as if the polluting smoke from the factories had spread to the entire world. Ulyanov saw the scene outside and coughed instinctively. ¡°It makes me sick by just looking at it.¡±


    ¡°You could still feel the haze with your throat now?¡± His female teammate laughed. ¡°I thought it¡¯s just a plastic prosthetic?¡±


    ¡°Vainesa, no one would take you as a dumb if you keep your mouth shut,¡± Ulyanov snorted, glancing behind the mask. He then turned to Hao Ren. ¡°Right head is part of the Black Street, which basically relies on these factories. The factories provide electricity and products to Zero City, and Black Street¡¯s labourers got food and medicines in return. To tell the truth, this place is not suitable for the rich like you, and you¡¯d better go to Zero City. After all, what you have is money.¡±


    ¡°You will quickly lose your money and life if you stay in Black Street,¡± the arrogant mercenary, Vainesa, mocked Hao Ren. ¡°The ¡®rules¡¯ of Black Street will get to you no matter how skilful you are. The lowlifes here have ten thousand tricks up their sleeves to set the simple-minded chap like you up.¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged. Looks like he was just a typical stupid moneybag in the eyes of the woman. But he did not try to explain himself but gaze out at the buildings coming up ahead. ¡°Black Street. ¡­isn¡¯t it a street?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Ulyanov shook his head. ¡°It couldn¡¯t help that people who come for the first time will mistake it as a street. Black Street is a relatively large town, about the size of a city, which originally was just a street. People here used to call it Black Street but before the war, it was called New Bay¡­ Now not people still remember the old name.¡±


    ¡°Only the old boys remember this kind of thing,¡± Vainesa spread out her arms and leaned back in her seat, looking up at the roof. ¡°New Land, Rift Valley, Pearl City¡­ New Anka City now exist only in history books. Probably even the history books will soon go extinct. But who care?¡±


    ¡°Zero City isn¡¯t far away from Black Street,¡± Ulyanov said to Hao Ren. ¡°Our base is on the edge of Black Street. We can take you to the vicinity of the Zero City then you¡¯re on your own.¡±


    Hao Ren did not reply. He was reckoning in his mind. Nolan¡¯s voice suddenly came from the front. ¡°If you¡¯ve no place to go, you can come to our place if you want.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Hao Ren looked up at the back of Nolan in the cab. ¡°You let me in?¡±


    ¡°Though Zero City is safer, it may not necessarily suitable for you,¡± said Nolan. ¡°They will take away all your property in exchange for just a few years of ¡®citizen rights,¡¯ and you will have to work like dog for the city council for survival. The place is safe, but there is nothing more other than that. I think¡­ you don¡¯t like that kind of life, do you? Otherwise you wouldn¡¯t have to flee the city of the Naturals.¡±


    After discovering that Hao Ren could fight, the mercenary leader was eager to recruit him. This was a normal reaction given that her team was urgently in need of new blood. Though Hao Ren wanted to investigate the situation in the world, he did not want to get himself on a leash by joining any groups. So he declined politely. ¡°Never mind. I¡¯m not interested in being a soldier.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is it?¡± Nolan said casually, and then she said no more.


    ¡°But I¡¯ll really have no place to go right now,¡± Hao Ren said, thinking he should find a place to stay. ¡°Can I stay at your place temporarily? Of course, I will pay for it.¡±


    He did not expect the mercenaries would welcome him. But Nolan¡¯s reply surprised him. ¡°You can stay for a few days, and I don¡¯t need your money. You saved my life, treat it as reciprocity.¡±


    Hao Ren was a bit surprised. ¡°Is your place a military garrison? Don¡¯t you need to conduct background check on outside visitor?¡±


    Nolan waved her hand in front of the carriage window. ¡°Do you want to live here?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to kill me?¡±


    ¡°Why should I?¡±


    ¡°Then background check is over.¡±


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you think I should investigate?¡± Nolan¡¯s voice was still flat, but this time with a slight sarcasm. ¡°Fill up questionnaire? Check your credentials? Check if you have any criminal history in the citizen registry? Oh, come on! Forget about that shit. This is Lawless District, most people just want to want to survive here. No one cares what you used to do, as long as you don¡¯t stab me in the back¡ªeven if it¡¯s just temporary.¡±


    Hao Ren stunned, was surprised that he had just found a place to stay in this world so quickly. It was a bit surreal.


    Nolan did not speak again but continued to drive at ease. Soon, the armoured truck arrived at the checkpoint in Black Street. After passing through several sentry points, they finally arrived in front of an old barracks.


    Hao Ren picked up the MDT¡ªthe corpse and jumped out of the truck after the mercenaries. The filthy air around him choked his breath as soon as he was outside. The air quality in this place was even worse than the previous city ruins. It seemed that permanent haze was shrouding the entire Black Street. He coughed, licked his mouth, and weirdly found that the air here was actually somewhat ¡®chewy¡¯.


    A few soldiers were walking around in space between the barracks. Some buildings were painted with grey fox insignia on the outer walls with inferior paint. This was where Nolan¡¯s small team stationed. Although there are sentry posts around the base, there was no sign of usual serious security measure a military base should have. It was more like an armed refugee camp.


    Here, fighting was not a remote matter; it was an everyday life, which probably made this scene as it was.


    Two mercenaries, who looked like commanding officers, stepped forward to greet Nolan. Nolan casually talked to them, citing the ambushes and losses suffered today. Then she ordered to drag Khiton¡¯s body out. ¡°Dry him and hung the body outside at the intersection. Spray a grey fox¡¯s mark on it and make more visible. I don¡¯t want any of the new recruits being bought over the Rangers again. There¡¯s nothing stupider than defecting to other mercenary groups or rangers.


    The two officers immediately ordered the soldiers to carry out the task. Before the Khiton¡¯s body was taken away, Nolan bent down and said regretfully to the traitor whose face was almost completely blown off. ¡°What a pity. You used to be a poet. But now you have become a¡­¡±


    Hao Ren who had just been shocked by young Nolan¡¯s ruthlessness was now surprised. ¡°Are there still poets in this era?¡±


    Ulyanov said sulkily, ¡°Sometimes, our boss might say things a bit bafflingly¡ªKhiton grew up in a slum, how he learnt poetry?¡±


    Hao Ren let out a sigh. Nolan turned around and said, ¡°All right, people. Go back and get some rest. You¡­ Hao Ren, right? You follow Ulyanov. There is a room next to his. It used to be Khiton¡¯s room. Now you can use it.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and turned to leave. But Ulyanov could not help but said, ¡°I don¡¯t mind there¡¯s a person in the next room, but the body¡­¡±


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­¡±


    He looked down at the body in his arms. The MDT-turned-corpse was still as lifeless as before. It seemed there was little sign of revival.


    Of course, from biological perspective, it was impossible for ¡®her¡¯ to move again.

 Chapter 712

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren looked down at the blonde girl in his arms. Her body was cold and unresponsive. He shook her gently, and the latter¡¯s arm hung down lifelessly. Hao Ren sighed. ¡°¡­She¡¯s not moving.¡±


    Even Nolan, who had always maintained a stone face seemed unable to bear with the scene. She went over to him, lowered her head and said in a low voice, ¡°I understand how you feel, but she¡¯s really dead, and we must bury her. This is for both of your sakes. You¡¯ll drive yourself crazy if you don¡¯t let go.¡±


    Hao Ren was in a state of panic, almost tearful. But he could not cry, lest all hell broke loose. He could not tell the others ¡°because my tablet¡¯s possessing this girl, I have to hold on to her like I¡¯m a necrophile¡±. In a worst-case scenario, he would have to accept being mistaken as someone going insane due to grief. He had no choice but to say, ¡°Stop persuading me. I really can¡¯t put her down¡­¡±


    The MDT was still being b*tchy though. ¡°This is what you get for throwing me like a brick. Talk about karma!¡±


    As far as the misunderstanding was concerned, Hao Ren could have done nothing to let them think otherwise. Nolan looked at him sympathetically, her eyes full of compassion. ¡°You¡­ Well, Ulyanov, please bear with it for now. I¡¯ll ask the ¡®doctor¡¯ to go over, at least to do something about this¡­ girl.¡±


    Hao Ren guessed that they were talking about embalming the corpse. However, he found the subject too strange, so he said nothing. He followed the dejected Ulyanov and left. While he was still not far away, he heard another mercenary talking to Nolan. The mercenary apparently did not understand Nolan¡¯s decision. ¡°Boss, are you really letting him stay among us with a corpse?¡±


    Nolan¡¯s voice was listless. ¡°It won¡¯t be long. I can tell that he¡¯ll leave.¡±


    The mercenary still did not give up. ¡°But¡­ Boss, you may not like it but I¡¯d still like to say, I haven¡¯t seen anything so strange in my life¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± said Nolan, interrupting her subordinate. ¡°You haven¡¯t seen such things before but I have. I¡¯ve seen far crazier things. He¡¯s already come to this state; let him stay in denial for a moment. In times like this, being able to dream is also kind of a blessing.¡±


    Hao Ren carried the MDT as he staggered along, tears rolling down in his heart. He knew exactly what kind of image he had in the eyes of the outsiders¡ªan insane, paranoid, schizophrenic man and a necrophile in a tragic love story¡­


    He could not help but salute Ulyanov. ¡°Sincerely, you are a man.¡±


    The act of accepting a dead body lying next door was not for the faint-hearted. The helmet-man had to be extremely gracious.


    But little did Hao Ren expect Ulyanov to nod back at him in admiration. ¡°No. You are. I never thought this world could still have a man like you. You are a real man¡­ She must have been happy when she was alive.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s face began to twist like a stir-fry. He ground his teeth and said to Ulyanov, ¡°Let me tell you a story¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m all ears.¡±


    ¡°I have a tablet computer; it¡¯s cocky, b*tchy, and annoying like no other. One day it suddenly got its wires crossed and it ¡®walked-in¡¯ a blonde girl whom I¡¯ve never met. Now I¡¯m running around with this dead girl, being seen as mad, paranoid, schizophrenic, and necrophilous. But actually¡­ Oh, please don¡¯t go away!¡±


    It turned out that no amount of explanation could clear the air.


    Ulyanov led Hao Ren to the room assigned to him. It was a small, metal-cast room, which was silver-gray in color. Almost all buildings in the barracks consisted of these prefab ¡°iron boxes¡±¡ªmonotonous and stress-inducing but much better than the makeshift iron-sheet slums in Black Street. The small room was plainly furnished with only a simple bed that was foldable into the wall, and a table as well as a chair that were also foldable into the floor. On the table were some personal effects of the previous occupant, and in the corner of the room was a small box. Other than that, there was nothing else.


    It seemed that the furniture in the entire room could be folded into the four walls. It was something like a refugee camp or an alien cabin, unlikely designed for ground forces. For ordinary usage, the foldable design seemed unnecessary.


    Ulyanov noticed Hao Ren¡¯s curiosity. He sighed. ¡°These ¡®grey boxes¡¯ were all dug out from the space base in Old Alto. They should have been launched into Torm to become the first extra-terrestrial colonial city of humankind. But after the war, everything was destroyed, including the space base and the naive scientists¡­ Now, only these grey boxes are left, occupied by those poor guys who¡¯ll never get to see the stars again.¡±


    Scratching his shiny black visor, Ulyanov waved his hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s get inside. I¡¯ll be next door.¡±


    After Ulyanov left, and Hao Ren dropped the MDT-turned-girl (the dead version) on the bed. He checked the room to make sure there was nothing suspicious. Khiton, who once lived there, seemed to be a very tidy person. The room was spotless, and everything was neatly arranged. It was hard to imagine that an underbred mercenary once stayed there. Hao Ren came to the metal folding table and saw an old diary on it. He picked it up.


    Nolan did not seem to be worried that an outsider would steal the secrets of the mercenary forces, or that there would be confidential information in Khiton¡¯s room. Either way, she did not send people to clean up his personal effects in advance. Hao Ren could now peek at what the mutinous mercenary left behind.


    Unfortunately, the diary was filled with some boring content of the monotonous and routine life of a mercenary. The records of the diary were also intermittent, and the ugly handwriting gave the impression that the author hated writing the diary but forced himself to do so. Hao Ren could not help thinking of what Ulyanov had said: Khiton grew up in the slums and he did not get much education.


    The MDT sensed what Hao Ren was doing through their mental connection, and it was puzzled. ¡°What does a mutinous mercenary like him have that would interest you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just bored.¡± Hao Ren flipped through the diary quickly, and came to the first few pages. ¡°I just want to know about this world¡­¡±


    It was mentioned at the beginning of the diary that Nolan had recommended the author to develop the habit of writing a diary so that he could leave behind a memory of his existence in the world.


    ¡°Khiton seemed to be a loyal man a long time ago,¡± Hao Ren said, frowning. ¡°He started this diary on Nolan¡¯s suggestion. He was an unrefined man who had never been to school. He didn¡¯t like it but because of Nolan, he insisted on writing a journal for a year.¡±


    ¡°But in the end, he turned,¡± the MDT muttered in his mind. ¡°Carbon-based creatures are fickle.¡±


    Hao Ren did not say anything but quickly flipped the diary to the last few pages. He discovered that the author had displayed nonsensical behavior in the last few pages of his diary. Khiton mentioned mad dreams, endless pain, and living a lie. He appeared to believe that he was stuck in a huge fraud, and at the center of the fraud was Nolan, the leader of the ¡°Grey Fox¡±. These parts of the text were confusing to read, even the grammar was upside down, to the point of being barely legible.


    In the last few paragraphs of the diary, Khiton wrote in a lunatic tone.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s all a scam. All fake. The entire world, most of my life, all fake! This world is certainly not this. There is a problem somewhere¡­ I wake myself up like I wake up from bed  but I want to look for a way¡­ Perhaps Nolan is the key. She seems to know the real situation of the world, so she is key! I don¡¯t have much time¡­¡±


    This was the last piece of information that the mercenary Khiton left behind before the mutiny.


    Hao Ren was puzzled. He thought of the First Born or brain monster¡¯s mental interference in humans, yet Khiton¡¯s situation did not seem to be the same. If the guardian had made Khiton mentally deranged and caused him to defect, then he should not have been the only one affected. His partners who were with him would also not be spared.


    He shook his head and threw the diary aside before he turned to look at the other thing on the table.


    It looked like a personal computer or another electronic device. It did not matter what it was, it just seemed like something he could use to search for information.


    ¡°MDT, help me hack into it¡­¡± By habit, Hao Ren wanted to let the MDT hack the database in the device. However, he quickly saw the young girl¡¯s body lying on the bed and he instantly lost heart. ¡°Dang it! Things always get botched up at the critical moment¡­ I¡¯ll do it myself.¡±

 Chapter 713

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren fiddled with the ¡°personal computer¡± on the table for a moment and figured out its basic operation. It was similar to a laptop, but its keyboard¡¯s function and system¡¯s architecture were very different. If not for his inbuilt translation plug-in and vast experience, it may have taken him a lot longer to suss things out.


    He opened many programs by mistake before he thought he finally found a browser-like feature. And to his surprise, the ¡°computer¡± was actually connected to the Internet!


    ¡°I have no idea how this world maintains its Internet.¡± Hao Ren stared at the screen as it slowly refreshed its text. He muttered, ¡°Is someone actually coming to this place to collect the Internet fee?¡±


    The MDT could see the computer screen through Hao Ren¡¯s eyes, so it began to gab, ¡°The service provider crew rolling in an armored car with a light machine gun coming to repair your optical cables: don¡¯t you think that¡¯s strange?¡±


    ¡°If you have so much time, why don¡¯t you help me come up with a few keywords?¡± Hao Ren rubbed his fingers. ¡°It¡¯s so much easier to get information from this thing than from the locals.¡±


    The MDT casually said, ¡°Natural, first-generation Evolved, second-generation Evolved, the war, the world¡¯s situation¡ªthese should be enough.¡±


    Hao Ren clumsily searched using the unfamiliar computer. Now he had all the information he wanted before him.


    The global war had raged on for three generations.


    Humans of this world called the planet, Zorm, which meant Earth in the Surface World. However, for differentiation purposes, the transliteration of local language was applied here. The last peaceful period of Planet Zorm ended more than 60 years ago.


    Some old people used to refer that period as the Garden Era. It was a peaceful and prosperous world and probably the last glimmer of glory in human history. During that era, humankind ushered in an explosive development of science and technology. The emergence of two technologies were seen as panacea to all problems and hidden dangers on this planet: One was the reliable nanotechnology, which originated from the national consortium in the northern hemisphere. Scientists believed that the newly emerging Nanomachine Swarm would solve all problems including environmental pollution, human diseases, and natural transformation and even spearhead extra-terrestrial colonisation; the other technology was the evolutionary biochemical plug-in, a mechanical device that could completely coexist with biological tissues in the human body. The mechanical device could even grow synchronously with the host¡¯s congenital organs relying on cell energy for life-long operation.


    The original intention of Nanomachine Swarm development was to solve environmental and medical problems. Scientists had hoped that these cutting-edge robots could be used to decompose pollutants and treat damage in human body. Biochemical plug-ins were the basis for the leap-forward transformation of human bodies. With the aid of modern medicine, human race had overcome the natural law of survival of the fittest. Evolution had long been stagnant. Science and technology had progressed tremendously, and the human body seemed primitive. Scientists believed that biochemical plug-ins would bring humanity to the forefront of evolution again. The ultimate form of this plug-in was to becoming part of the human body to change the human form of life fundamentally.


    Undoubtedly, during the last peaceful period of Zorm, the entire world began to immerse in euphoria and self-confidence. Although there were cautious conservatives who questioned the new technologies, the cheers of people around the world had quickly overwhelmed the voice of this minority.


    As technology matured, the Evolved officially emerged. They were new type of humans with various kind of implanted plug-ins. Devices such as nerve-enhanced strands, auxiliary memory chips, and neuro-computer interface had enabled them to acquire capabilities that ordinary humans had never seen before. The new humans were known as the Modified, but due to the biological and evolutionary nature of the plug-ins with the hosts, the first humans receiving plug-in transplants described themselves as the Evolved.


    Like in many stories, the purebred Naturals and the Evolved were in conflict since the beginning. The Evolved who had an innate advantage occupied the living space of the Naturals. So the Naturals with their large population and control of social resources had made harsh restrictions on the Evolved. However, such conflict was foreseen from the very beginning. Sociologists and scientists had believed that this was a normal ¡®labour pain of social changes.¡¯ So, human society was carrying on life as usual.


    It was not until sixty-five years later that disaster broke out in the northern hemisphere and triggered the war that had raged on until now, until there was no more prosperity on Zorm.


    The disaster had certainly caught Hao Ren¡¯s interest. But there were many contradictions. War had destroyed the truth of sixty-five years ago. All parties in the war recorded and publicised their own version of history of the war to their advantage. In the end, Hao Ren had only figured out a few clues: What caused the war seemed manifold, including food pollution, financial crisis, and the riot of the Evolved. The fatally direct cause was the out-of-control accident of the Nanomachine Swarm.


    Sixty-five years ago, the largest Nanomachine Swarm command centre in the northern hemisphere was attacked. Three giant computers called Masters shut down. The shutdown led directly to the loss of control over the sea of Nanomachine Swarm surrounding the command centre. An unknown reason had caused the failure of safety mechanism in the fleet. The micro robots, which were originally used to decompose inorganic waste and purify water, had flowed to surrounding cities and dissolved the three largest cities in the world at that time¡ªincluding the capital of a country.


    The sixty-five-year war started against this backdrop. It had been very confusing since the beginning.


    The investigation results of the incident were sealed in history. But, there were many rumours on the internet. It was said that there was tangible evidence to prove that the Evolved radicals initiated the attack. They used the special brain chip function of the Evolved to gain direct control of some of the Nanomachine Swam. The purpose was to release the runaway Nanomachine Swarm to massacre the Naturals. After destroying the Naturals¡¯ demographic and social resources advantages, they used the Nanomachine Swarm to build a nation of new humans on the ruins. But, the Evolved who started the attack had all died from brain overload in the Masters room because the computing power needed to control the fleet was too high. Other rumours had it that a certain country in the southern hemisphere or an extremist religious group initiated the attack¡­ In short, there were many kinds of theories but only one conclusion stood: The loss of control of the Nanomachine Swarm destroyed the balance of powers in the northern hemisphere, resulting in a large number of second-tier countries taking advantage of the situation to exert their influence. As a result, the conflict between the Naturals and the Evolved intensified. With subsequent series of events, the war spread out everywhere in an uncontrollable manner.


    No one could have imagined this war would last for sixty-five years. It had almost destroyed the orders of the planet. A deformed human civilisation on its last legs still lived on, but its original form had long gone.


    After learning the cause and current situation of the planet, Hao Ren began to delve into the details on the Evolved. And he finally figured out what happened to the first- and second-generation Evolved.


    The difference between the two generations of Evolved was not the literal ¡®generational gap¡±, but rather in the transformation techniques that they each used. The technological basis of the Evolved was biochemical plug-in. Early biochemical plug-ins could only use on mature individuals. Implantation surgery usually occurred after the age of 14, or even later at 18 years of age, so the degree of transformation was limited, usually involving topical limb strengthening, and the obvious surgical marks that was visible on the body. The socket on the back of Nolan¡¯s head was such example. Because this transformation technique was more primitive, people adopting this transformation were called ¡®first-generation Evolved.


    There were still new ¡®first-generation Evolved appeared today. They were usually mercenaries who had to get this enhancement in order to survive on the battlefield or to repair the fatal disability in their bodies.


    The second-generation Evolved were humans that used more advanced implantation techniques. They emerged after the outbreak of the war, were the ¡®high-tech achievement¡¯ the extremist Evolved developed after they came into power. Unlike the first generation, these people were transformed when they were still embryos.


    Human beings seemed to have assumed the role of the Creator. They developed a ¡®mechanical core¡¯ with ¡®genetic information¡¯ and implanted the bean-sized mechanical cores into human embryos. New-borns were cyborg. The enhanced strands grown in the core of the mechanical system would grow alongside the human body. The process was so harmonious that as if the mechanical system was part of the human body.


    These people were the second-generation Evolved.


    Hao Ren looked at the blonde lying quietly on the bed. He thought of the cables in the body that seemed alien but were completely integrated with the fresh and blood.


    ¡°You are now the second-generation Evolved,¡± Hao Ren poked at the face of the MDT (tentative version). ¡°Because there is no mechanical plugins on me, I look like a purebred Natural to the locals. No wonder they were so surprised to see us together. We are an unlikely couple.¡±


    ¡°Actually, the level of your body enhancement is higher than anyone else,¡± the MDT muttered. ¡°But I¡¯m still stuck in a lifeless tattered shell with a goddamn hole!¡±


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes. ¡°Please respect the deceased and stop complaining. The death of the girl is already tragic enough, yet you are occupying her body¡­¡±


    The MDT yelled, ¡°Then should I try it on you?¡±


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­¡±

 Chapter 714

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After the collapse of civilisation, humans turned into wild beasts draped in armour and weaponry. The old world order was no more. Humans returned to a dog-eat-dog era under the disguise of modern technology and wisdom. The human civilisation on the planet of Zorm was in constant tribal warfare; tens of thousands of city-states, warlords, independent kingdoms, predatory regiments, and government-in-exiles had torn the world apart. They spent 6,000 years developing from the Bronze Age to the Nano Era, but it took them only 60 years to disintegrate. Human civilisation had no tomorrow.


    Hao Ren found that he was now in the northern hemisphere of the planet, one of the major areas where war first broke out. A few hundred kilometres away from there, the Nanomachine Swarm had gone out of control and turned the area into what was known as the Grey River. No one knew exactly how the catastrophe of the Nanomachine Swarm ended. But in this wilderness, the scars left behind by the horrific machines remained. When Hao Ren arrived in the vehicle, he noticed that the wilderness was full of corrosion marks and weird crystal pits.


    This was not a wilderness but a melted city.


    Several factions of human attacking each other at the beginning of the war. The Evolved had formed a new human legion while the Natural was split into several large countries. As the war raged on, more factions continued to form and regroup. The world order was completely unsustainable. It became a chaotic fight. Now the second-generation Evolved had split into many legions and states. The extremist Naturals could barely hold on their grip in the old country. Sandwiched among them were the more moderate Naturals and the first-generation Evolved minority. Most of these humans were mercenaries and free agents. True civilian organisations had disappeared ten years ago. Today¡¯s civilians were merely ancillary products of the Great Legion. Anyone with a weapon was a soldier.


    Hao Ren checked some of the branches of the Natural. He found that these Naturals had further split into subcategories. Because biochemical plugins were so convenient, and the physical weakness of purebred Naturals was too obvious that many Naturals had chosen to implant biochemical plugins in themselves though in a smaller scale. The only difference between them and the Evolved was that they absolutely would not meddle with their brain nerves. This ¡®brain purity¡¯ was the only difference between the Naturals and Evolved today. The Naturals had many branches such as the reformist school, pure blood school, fusion school, and neutral school categorised by the degree of their body transformation, but they still belonged to the same camp.


    Hao Ren was deemed a purebred natural because there was no biochemical plug-in detected in him.


    ¡°It¡¯s a total mess¡­¡± Hao Ren shook his head. His head spun reading the information. ¡°The Natural, Evolved, world war, and Nano disasters¡­ more like it was a man-made disaster.¡±


    ¡°But you can¡¯t rule out the ¡®Guardians played a hand here,¡± the MDT said in his mind. ¡°There is no record of subterranean tentacles, so the involvement of the First Born is small. Considering that most of the incidents were the chain reaction of the problems within human society, I tend to think that some brain monster was lurking on the planet.¡±


    Hao Ren pinched his chin and fell into deep thought. ¡°Was it a moderate like the giant¡­ or a completely mutated lunatic?¡±


    ¡°Either way is possible. A sane giant could also attack the mortal races. After all, the pain of losing their mother would cause them losing their rational mind,¡± the MDT cautioned, ¡°because we don¡¯t know the state of mind of the guardian. I suggest keeping it low profile for the time being. We must determine the planet¡¯s coordinates and set up a defensive position in the orbit, and then we draw out the enemies and take them out. What do you think?¡±


    The MDT made the recommendations based on experience in Holletta. It was a normal countermeasure. Somehow, Hao Ren felt that there was something more than meets the eye. It was not that he had any evidence but his mere gut feeling.


    He thought for a moment. He then typing a new set of keywords in the search bar: God of Creation, Goddess, Origin of Life, and Religious Legends.


    The information that the keywords brought up all pointed to the pre-war era. No one cared about the ancient religious system after the war. The newly emerging religions were all extremist organisations full of whimsy. Humans on this planet no longer had time for things like ¡®origin of life.¡¯


    ¡°¡­ About the religious stories of the origin of life; many terms that are consistent with the goddess and the seeding of life theory,¡± Hao Ren frowned. ¡°I¡¯m almost certain that the Goddess created the ecosystem! Religions still existed until the war broke out!¡±


    ¡°Until the war broke out? Sixty-five years ago?¡± the MDT was surprised. ¡°The planet escaped the ecological extinction ten thousand years ago?¡±


    The religious stories resembling the Goddess of Creation meant that the planet¡¯s ecosystem had the bloodline of the Goddess. The existence of the Goddess¡¯ bloodline meant that after the deicide, the mad guardians would unleash their wrath on this planet. Yet, the planet was still developing prosperously until sixty-five years ago¡­ Could have the guardians missed this place?


    ¡°It¡¯s also possible that it survived the first wave of attacks just like Holletta,¡± Hao Ren shook his head. Finding no further worthwhile information, he switched off the computer. ¡°But anyway, since this the Goddess had sown on this planet¡­ the First Born must be hiding underground.¡±


    The MDT said, its voice a pitch higher, ¡°Next we got to find the tentacle monster!¡±


    ¡°You sound very excited.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m bored to death in this body, desperately needing some action and explosions, the MDT groaned.


    ¡°Still not getting used to it?¡± Hao Ren turned to the bed. He bent over to check the body of the MDT, but the latter still looked like a corpse of a girl. ¡°Is it so difficult to change your sensory mode? Can¡¯t you adapt to the senses of humankind?¡±


    ¡°You make it sounds like very easy,¡± the MDT was still bitchy, a stark contrast to the pitiable body. ¡°Put your brain into the stomach of a slime. Try to adapt and see what happen?¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment. He could not do that but he knew someone had done that before. Nangong Wuyue and Ayesha had once turned into a slime trampoline to let Y¡¯lisabet play with it.


    He shook the funny picture off his mind. Swiping the blonde hair away from the dead girl¡¯s forehead, he said, ¡°Oh, you look so much better in this body. She¡¯s pretty¡­¡±


    The MDT warned, ¡°What you want to do? I warn you, respect the deceased! The body¡¯s soul is essentially a PDA now. If you want to do that, at least let me get out first¡­¡±


    Hao Ren felt like wanting to give the MDT a slap. ¡°Are you freaking out of your mind? I just want to clean up your face!¡±


    The MDT shut up. Hao Ren reached into the dimensional pocket for a paper towel. He then carefully cleaned the blond girl¡¯s face that was stained with dirt and bloody hair. He did not know how the girl died, nor he know how to make sense of this strange situation. But he believed that thing happened for a reason. At least the MDT was stuck in it, he had to take care of the body.


    ¡°But there is a problem; the body will rot,¡± the MDT sensed what was in Hao Ren¡¯s mind. ¡°When nature takes its place, you will find yourself getting an extreme ¡®taste¡¯ in the next few days. People will think you are a perverted necrophile instead of a pathetic necrophile earlier. You will eventually evolve into a pure pervert¡­¡±


    Hao Ren did not want to argue about that. ¡°Didn¡¯t Nolan say she will send a ¡®doctor¡¯? I guess she is sending an embalmer. Think about it: You¡¯re in the body, not me. Who would more likely get an extreme taste for the next couple of days?¡±


    ¡°So what? I¡¯m just a PDA. I don¡¯t think the same way as you do.¡±


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­¡±


    In any case, this was definitely the single oddest situation since he took up the job.

 Chapter 715

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The mad, wretched man¡ªthat was what Nolan¡¯s men began to call the stranger, who was holding on to a woman¡¯s body. Although Hao Ren had only been there for less than two hours, he was already famous in the base. He had no idea who made the story up, and which big mouth spread it out, but he managed to attract stares for all the wrong reasons.


    However, Hao Ren did not have time for this. He was busy studying the MDT-possessed body. This is not what your dirty mind is thinking of course. He wanted to know how this second-generation of the Evolved ended up becoming the carrier for the MDT. The Plane of Dreams was a real world; everything that happened in there had to follow the laws of nature. Since the MDT¡¯s awareness could leech off the corpse, the corpse and the MDT¡¯s consciousness had to have some kind of compatibility.


    Finding out this compatibility would probably allow the MDT to restore its sensory ability.


    Hao Ren cautiously took the cloth that he used as bandage off the blonde. The fatal through-and through wound on the abdomen was still gross. The blood had dried up, the silver and white, half-fresh half-machine cables that grew with the body was clear visible. Hao Ren had tried not to look at other part of the body. Anyway, considering the scary wound, he did not have much appetite for other thing.


    The MDT still had not recovered its sensory ability, but it had an audio-visual sharing with Hao Ren. It was now seeing through Hao Ren¡¯s eyes its current appearance. Even a machine that had a problematic worldview found the experience novel and interesting.


    ¡°I guess the chip in the second generation Evolved¡¯s brain works with her artificial nerves,¡± Hao Ren put on his glove and carefully examined the broken tubes. ¡°The operating mode of these parts should be closer to the machine. Your consciousness may survive in them.¡±


    ¡°I think you are a pervert,¡± the MDT scolded Hao Ren for his eyes were darting across the girl¡¯s body. ¡°You¡¯re essentially molesting her; sadomasochistic¡­ your hand is in my stomach!¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re helping, just shut up,¡± Hao Ren muttered. But in the eyes of the others, he seemed to be talking to himself. ¡°Look at these tubes. They really grow with the body¡ªthe ultimate form of mechanical devices, as if they are biological¡­¡±


    The MDT began to make frivolous comments. ¡°Do you think my titties are too small? Hey, the nipples are black, aren¡¯t they? I don¡¯t like black. Is there any chance to help change them to blue ones?¡±


    ¡°Get the hell out of here! Who is the pervert here?¡± How Hao Ren wished he could whack the freaking PDA. ¡°And they¡¯re not your titties!¡±


    ¡°For now, they are! And you dare to say that you didn¡¯t see it? Stop denying. We¡¯re sharing the same pair of eyes. I even know how fast you blink.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that I have such a PDA¡­¡± Hao Ren said haplessly. ¡°I have just reconnected a few broken lines. Do you feel anything?¡±


    ¡°I feel nothing. I don¡¯t know how human feels. I think I need to remind you; this body is already dead. Can¡¯t you see that there is not a single electrical signal in the cables? The biological and mechanical parts of this body have ceased to function. Connecting the dead cables together would make no difference.¡±


    Hao Ren sighed. ¡°I know that in theory a dead body wouldn¡¯t carry soul. But let¡¯s call a spade a spade; aren¡¯t you in her body right now? And the undead like zombie moves? This shows that dead body can also move.¡±


    ¡°The undead has its own special energy circulation. Their blood vessels no longer pulsate, but they have other circulation and metabolism, such as magical powers or alchemical drugs. So, in a broad sense, the undead¡¯s body is still ¡®alive¡¯,¡± the MDT sounded serious this time. ¡°But the physical condition of the body in front of you is different. She is completely dead. She has stopped working. At least I can see through your eyes. There is no activity in the body¡­¡±


    ¡°Right, I just tested the signals on these lines. They are broken. I really can¡¯t explain where you are living in her now.¡± Hao Ren sighed and got to his feet. ¡°So let¡¯s go back to the starting point and scan again. This time I¡¯ll check the brain, maybe there is a chip that is using the remaining cellular energy to keep it working but just off-line¡ª¡±


    But before Hao Ren finished his sentence, someone knocked on the door. He looked up and saw a dark-skinned, middle-aged woman was standing outside, staring in.


    ¡°The door is not closed,¡± the middle-aged woman said.


    Hao Ren quickly took his hand out of the MDT¡¯s stomach (which sounds strange) and suddenly realised that he had been talking to the MDT for a while, not only in his mind but also out of his mouth. He rubbed his hands and said, ¡°You hear everything?¡±


    ¡°Just the last few sentences,¡± the middle-aged woman said. She reached into her pocket, took out a cheap ciggy, put it into her mouth, lit up and took a few shots. ¡°But I¡¯m not interested in what you said. I¡¯m a doctor. Nolan asked me to handle a ¡­ to see your girlfriend.¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his head. ¡°I¡¯m not crazy. I just talked to it a little.¡±


    The MDT did not seem to shut up yet. ¡°Do you think chatting with a dead body is not mad?¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Hao Ren shouted in his mind.


    The middle-aged woman looked at him with a strange sympathy. She had already heard about this man from Nolan, just as other mercenaries who had made up a perception of him¡ªshe thought that Hao Ren was just a poor guy who did not want to accept the tragic death of his spouse and thus became crazy. She did not say much but picked up a small black box next to her feet and walked into the room. ¡°Do you mind if I interrupt your solitude for a moment? I need to give your girlfriend a jab.¡±


    Hao Ren said with a hapless face. ¡°Just do whatever you like but please don¡¯t say she¡¯s my girlfriend, could you?¡±


    The ¡®doctor¡¯ had nothing in common with what Hao Ren had imagined in his mind. She did not wear a white coat, nor did she bring any medical apparatus. She even had cigarettes in her mouth. She was wearing the same grey and black combat suit as the other mercenaries. She had a stone face that looked like she had gone through a lot of hardship. She looked like a through-and through soldier except that she did not carry any weapon. No one would have a second thought she was as good as other soldiers if she took up a gun. Hao Ren watched as the woman removed a silvery, pistol-like vacuum syringe from her black suitcase. He asked, ¡°Does doctors here all dress up like this?¡±


    ¡°You doubt my qualifications?¡± The woman took out a metal tube from the small compartment in the box and stuffed it into the vacuum syringe. ¡°Well, I admit that I don¡¯t have a practicing license. After all, the last professional licensing agency in the world was closed more than 20 years ago. But I have handled more than hundreds of wounded people, which is more important than having a licence.¡±


    As she spoke, she pressed the vacuum syringe against the neck of the MDT and injected something into the body. Hao Ren looked on. He did not know why she gave a corpse an injection. He even suspected that the ¡®doctor¡¯ that Nolan sent was playing along with his ¡®schizophrenia¡¯. ¡°What did you give her?¡±


    ¡°Nanomachine Swarm,¡± the ¡®doctor¡¯ said. ¡°The simplest model. They will guarantee that the body will not rot within a month, but will exhaust their energy after a month¡­ Oops! Nolan told not to mention ¡®rot¡¯ in front of you¡­¡±


    Hao Ren twisted his mouth and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­ But then, isn¡¯t Nanomachine Swarm a very dangerous thing?¡±


    He remembered the information he had previously seen on the Internet. But at that time, he did not have time to read about the fate of nanotechnology after the accident. He thought that the technology had been sealed.


    ¡°In the eyes of ultra-conservative Naturals, probably all thing high-tech deserve to die, right?¡± The doctor shot Hao Ren a glance. ¡°But without Nanomachine Swarm, 99% of people in the world will die of hunger and suffocation. Do you think there are still lands that can grow vegetation? Where do you think the oxygen you breathe comes from? You should be grateful to the Nanomachine Swarm, at least they feed humans.¡±

 Chapter 716

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The uncontrollable rampage of the Nanomachine Swarm was one of the triggers that led to the collapse of the planet¡¯s civilisation. The Nanomachine Swarm was indeed a taboo technology,but nothing stayed unchanged in this world. Something that triggered war in the past had become the last lifeline humans could depend in the present. Global war had destroyed the original production system and pushed the planet¡¯s ecology to the verge of extinction, and as more and more people became involved in the war, the original agricultural as well as industrial models could no longer support humankind¡¯s survival needs. Hence, they restarted the Nanomachine Swarm. They made a series of better-than-nothing security improvements and made the Nanomachine Swarm the cornerstone of human survival. The Nanomachine Swarm provided food, air as well as medicine, and it was the basis of industrialisation. Ninety percent of human beings in this world depended on the Nanomachine Swarm for survival.


    Scientists who once invented the Nanomachine Swarm finally achieved their long-cherished wish: the fleet reshaped the entire society, took on all the work from the environment to the industry, and became the planet¡¯s new lifeline¡ªbut only after the collapse of civilisation.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need any clever technologies to be a doctor in this place,¡± the middle-aged woman said, looking through a small window on the syringe to check if the Nanomachine Swarm was working. ¡°We only need to know how to use syringe and perform amputation. If these two measures don¡¯t work, then the only choice would be to resign to fate. But I¡¯m guessing that the city that you were living in was better? I¡¯ve heard that the ultra-conservative Naturals occupy the last few natural environment in the world. Does your food came from the ground?¡±


    Hao Ren did not want to answer her question directly. ¡°I have left the place. I don¡¯t feel like talking about things over there.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know when you¡¯ll start regretting your decision,¡± the ¡®doctor¡¯ shook her head and put away her tools. ¡°Maybe you have never regretted. Oh yeah, would you like a shot? Free of charge. It¡¯s not that I can meet people like you every day in this era.¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned. ¡°A shot? I¡¯m not injured¡­¡±


    ¡°Tranquiliser,¡± the ¡®doctor¡¯ pointed to her own head. ¡°You may need it.¡±


    Hao Ren forced a smile. ¡°Thanks, but no thanks. I¡¯m not mad¡­ really.¡±


    The ¡®doctor¡¯ shook her head, threw the cigarette butt on the ground, and stamped it off with her foot. Before leaving, he bent over and casually examined the girl¡¯s wound. But quickly she was wide-eyed. ¡°Did someone give her Nano-fleet injection a few hours ago?¡±


    Hao Ren had no clue what why she said so. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°The wound has no signs of decomposing,¡± the ¡®doctor¡¯ said, pointing at the wound on the girl¡¯s abdomen. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see? The Nano-fleet I just injected can only maintain her current physical condition. But judging from the condition of the wound, the tissues have stopped deteriorating a few hours ago.¡±


    Hao Ren did not understand what she meant. But he quickly came to his senses and asked, ¡°You mean her body has never decomposed?¡±


    ¡°Something¡¯s not right¡­ it¡¯s like time has stood still,¡± the ¡®doctor¡¯ did not address Hao Ren¡¯s question. She bent down again and carefully examined the condition of flesh around the wound. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s done even better than the best Nanomachine Swarm could do. Where did you give her the injection and why did you not say it before?¡±


    Hao Ren had never known the girl¡¯s body never deteriorated, but if he so said he would draw suspicion to himself. So he tried to sway the conversation. ¡°Would they be a problem since you gave her another jab just now?¡±


    The ¡®doctor¡¯ shook her head. ¡°The medical Nanomachine Swarm would intelligently adjust to the condition. There¡¯s no danger of conflict or poisoning. Just that it wasted one precious dose. It¡¯s an anti-¡­ it¡¯s rarely used.¡±


    Hao Ren did not seem to understand what she said. But he thanked the ¡®doctor¡¯ anyway. The ¡®doctor¡¯ waved her hand listlessly. ¡°I¡¯m just doing my job. Oh yeah, by the way, I leave you some bandage, you can wrap her wound up yourself¡ªit¡¯s not appropriate to expose her wound like that. I need to go back and sleep now.¡±


    She threw a pack of soft tool kit to Hao Ren, and was all yawning as she left, without a hint of professionalism of a medical practitioner. After the doctor left, the MDT spoke again. ¡°It feels creepy¡­what has she done to the body?¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the girl in bed sideways. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say that you don¡¯t think like us do and don¡¯t care about this body? Now what? Scared?¡±


    Hao Ren opened the tool kit given by the ¡®doctor¡¯. Inside the package were thick, transparent films like that of a food wrap instead of the kind of bandage he had imagined. He glanced at the MDT, thinking that it was not appropriate to leave the wound just like that. But he was at a loss. ¡°How am I supposed to use this ¡®film¡¯?¡±


    The MDT said, ¡°Maybe you can try to apply it on my stomach like a duct tape¡­¡±


    ¡°What if it doesn¡¯t stick?¡±


    ¡°Just add some glue.¡±


    Hao Ren was now doubtless that the MDT truly thought differently from human beings.


    Fortunately, the film was simpler to use than he had expected. After studying the instruction on the packaging, Hao Ren treated the wound, and then peeled off the protective layer of the film and directly applied it on the wound in MDT¡¯s belly. A moment later, the transparent layer wriggled and blended in with the skin as if it was a part of the skin in just a few seconds. The wound healed perfectly.


    Those not in the know would not know that inside the abdomen was still a mess.


    ¡°If used on a living person, this thing would make use of cellular energy to metabolise itself and slowly guide the normal skin cells to replace the artificial colloids in the epidermis. It will completely turn into normal skin within two days. But if it were used in corpses, it was only an aesthetic procedure,¡± Hao Ren patted the belly of the MDT. ¡°Good stuff for treating external injury. It¡¯s a pity that it was born out of the war.¡±


    ¡°Get you hand off me, pervert! Dress me up, you necrophilia! It would be sexual assault if you do that after the wound heals¡­¡±


    ¡°My foot!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d better think what to do next,¡± the MDT wisely steered away from the conversation before Hao Ren lost control of himself. ¡°We can¡¯t stay in this world forever. Don¡¯t forget that we come here through the dream. You¡¯re almost time to wake up¡ªLily is expecting you for dinner.¡±


    Hao Ren did not forget that he entered the Plane of Dreams through his dream, not the hibernation pod. He had limited time. He turned and looked around the small room, thinking that it would raise suspicion if he and the MDT were to get out from this dimension just like that. Scratching his jaw in thought, he then said, ¡°We should try our best to maintain our presence before the mercenaries, but at the same time, we need to find reasonable excuses to leave the base. I don¡¯t know if we can come and go freely here. But in theory, these organised mercenaries should be more cautious. If we come in and out of the base too frequently, they would treat us as spies.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not ¡®us¡¯, it¡¯s you,¡± the MDT said, sounding indifferently as if it did not concern it at all. ¡°I¡¯m just a corpse. Isn¡¯t Ulyanov next door? You can go over, say hello, and then make up some excuses, such telling him that it¡¯s the time of the month again, you need to get out for a stroll. Then you disappear for the whole day¡­¡±


    Hao Ren felt like whacking the MDT. But facing with a girl¡ªand a dead one, he could only groan inwardly and walk toward the door. ¡°Wait here. I have job to do.¡±


    Ulyanov¡¯s room was just next door.


    The whole barracks were assembled using grey boxes on alloy frame with internal partitions dividing the grey box into two rows of room with corridor in the middle. It looked clean and tidy for mercenary standard. The door of Ulyanov¡¯s room door had a UFO graffiti that looked like a child¡¯s work on it. It was hard to miss.


    Hao Ren knocked on the door a couple of time. It was only after a while that a coarse and low voice replied, ¡°Come in. The door is not locked.¡±


    Hao Ren pushed the door open and went in. ¡°Ulyanov, let me ask you something¡­ holy shit!¡±


    Ulyanov looked up. ¡°My face looks scary, isn¡¯t it?¡±

 Chapter 717

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Ulyanov wore his full face helmet all the time except when he was back in the base. The helmet was part of his signature appearance. He wore the helmet not to look cool, or use it as armour. He wore it to keep himself alive, and cover up his horrifying face.


    A man with a face even a mother could not love sat behind a desk and fiddled with his equipment. His face was hardly human; large patches of skin were gone, and metal grew within his exposed muscles and bones. Electronic circuits connected to one of his eyeballs, preventing it from dropping off. A metal tube with a valve was fixed where his nose once was. From it, another tube connected it to a cylinder next to the desk. What was left of his teeth was just a row of metal.


    Under the helmet, Ulyanov¡¯s true, hidden face was that of a cyborg¡ªa combination of man and machine. It was so strange and terrifying that even Hao Ren was shocked despite having seen many strange things before.


    ¡°You are¡­¡± Hao Ren could not hide his surprise. ¡°What happened to you?¡±


    ¡°Sixty-five years ago, I worked near the sea of Nano studying whether the Nanomachine Swarm could be used to develop space colonies,¡± the remaining muscles on Ulyanov¡¯s face twitching with the flexible metal, seemingly smiling at Hao Ren. But the smile was even more terrible than Y¡¯zaks was. ¡°I didn¡¯t manage to escape when the Masters computer hung. One third of my body melted.¡±


    While saying, Ulyanov opened his coat slightly, revealing a transparent chest plate underneath. Malformed internal and artificial organs slowly pulsating in a pale pink solution, as if a cyborg walking out from a horror movie.


    ¡°I am one of the few survivors of the disaster. May the longest living one too,¡± said Ulyanov, pointing to the bed next to him to motion Hao Ren to sit down. ¡°Ahh, you probably won¡¯t be interested about this. You find me for something?¡±


    Hao Ren had just recovered from shock. He as suddenly lost for words. He sat down on the bed nervously and then said, ¡°I just want to ask¡­ Who should I inform if I need to leave the base?¡±


    ¡°Leave the base?¡± Ulyanov¡¯s voice puzzled. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Just take a stroll, and check out my new home,¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°And I can¡¯t keep bothering you all the time. I¡¯m not planning to join any group. I¡¯ll leave when the time comes.¡±


    ¡°I know Nolan¡¯s character. She probably wouldn¡¯t mind if you stayed here because she couldn¡¯t have cared less,¡± Ulyanov said with a coarse voice, which was not coming out from his mouth but a resonance tube in his throat. His vocal cords had become part of the Nanomachine Swarm decades ago. Now, machine had replaced more than half of his physiological functions. ¡°I understand your circumstances. I can go out with you if you don¡¯t mind; it¡¯s my downtime, and furthermore, this place isn¡¯t that safe.¡±


    ¡°No, no, I don¡¯t want to bother you. I was a soldier. I can take care of myself,¡± Hao Ren waved his hand frantically. ¡°I¡¯m here to find out what else I need to do in order to leave the base. After all, this is a military base.¡±


    Ulyanov laughed silently. ¡°Relax. Grey Fox doesn¡¯t have so many rules, because Nolan is the only rule here. As long as you don¡¯t get into trouble with her, no one will bother you.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded slightly. Ulyanov took something from his pocket and tossed it to Hao Ren. ¡°Take it. Even if you were not one of us, the Grey Fox identity would save you a lot of trouble. You need to have ¡®military background¡¯ to be deemed a human; those without an identity are just ¡®slags¡¯ from the factory.¡±


    Hao Ren caught the metal plate from Ulyanov. It was a dog tag laser-etched with an insignia of the Grey Fox mercenary regiment. In the chaos of Black Street, a strict set of rule divided and governed people by hierarchy. The leaders and cadres from Zero City were first-class humans. Soldiers and brokers of military background were ¡®citizens¡¯. Those without an identity and combat ability were labourers; they were slugs, whose laborious job the Nanomachine Swarm could not replace, working in the filthy factories, and suffering from respiratory and other pollution-related diseases. They relied on coarse food and anaesthetic that Nanomachine Swarm produced to keep them living their short life.


    Without a military guarantee, visitors who came to Black Street would be sent to the factories in three days. Those who could come out in one piece were rarer than hen¡¯s teeth. Even if they could escape this, surviving in the slums of Black Street was no better than the ¡®slugs¡¯ in the factories.


    This was the human society after the collapse of civilisation.


    Hao Ren had learned a thing or two about Black Street from the internet. He knew about the rules and environment, so he knew that the dog tag was actually a gift from Nolan. To an outsider, this was an extremely valuable item. He carefully kept the dog tag in his pocket and then looked at Ulyanov curiously. ¡°Are other mercenary groups just as amiable as you are?¡±


    ¡°Other?¡± Ulyanov laughed, his course voice sounding like a broken old bellows. ¡°You either join them or be thrown into the factories. Most mercenary groups are also human traffickers. You should be grateful that you have met Nolan. She is the toughest and most unruly mercenary here. She set the rules herself; she is the rule. Anyone who get her approval, that person would be safe in Black Street; people respect her.¡±


    Nolan¡¯s face flashed across Hao Ren¡¯s mind; the grey-haired, emotionless mercenary girl, whose eyes had cast an indelible impression in Hao Ren. Whenever he thought of her, he thought of the indescribable alienation and vicissitudes in her eyes, as if a detached person who saw through the world looking at life like an unconcerned spectator. Goose bumps would rose from his back every time he thought of these details. He believed that he had seen in Nolan¡¯s eyes something that did not belong to her theoretically. ¡°Nolan¡­how old is she?¡±


    ¡°Seventeen, at most eighteen,¡± Ulyanov said as he looked at Hao Ren¡¯s eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t ask any more. That is all I know. The warlords in this place fear Nolan; they fear her age. It was said that she assassinated two mercenary heads, barehanded, in the cruellest way when she was thirteen. Perhaps you might think you saved her from Khiton, but in fact Nolan has more than one hundred ways to kill all the ambushers she met today.¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned. ¡°Is she a superwoman?¡±


    ¡°Some say she is actually a ¡®third-generation Evolved¡¯ but disguising as first generation. Some say she was actually a soldier created before the Far East Alliance fell. You can search for War Men¡¯s Plan¡¯, it was as real as it could get,¡± Ulyanov shook his head, put the adjusted breath filter back into the helmet, removed the breathing tube from his nose and put on the helmet again. ¡°But I suggest that you better don¡¯t believe it and don¡¯t ask Nolan to ask it too. Though she is usually very good-tempered, you don¡¯t want to anger her because she is unbeatable. Ahh¡­ It feels so good to have the helmet back on my face again.¡±


    After putting on his helmet, Ulyanov connected several wires extending from his jacket to his helmet. He then pulled up the alloy zip on his coat, covering himself up from head to toe becoming a biker-like weird soldier. His helmet provided him with a breathing assistance and continuously released electrical signals to ensure that his severely damaged brain could continue to function. He had a layer of armour beneath his coat that released another signal to suppress the Nanomachine Swarm remnants to prevent those lethal little things from completely cut off his spine. These devices and the artificial organs in the body together formed a strangely deformed body that had prolonged his life for sixty-five years. As long as his brain lived, the body would continue to live longer than any human being could.


    Sixty-five years ago, he lost one-third of his body. Sixty-five years later, eighty percent of his body had been renewed and transformed. This level of transformation was unique even in the second generation Evolved. It was difficult to say whether Ulyanov was still a human or a cyborg. But one thing was certain was that this old soldier was still alive until this day.


    Why did he insist on living to this day?


    Hao Ren looked at Ulyanov¡¯s not so burly body. He knew that this disfigured veteran soldier certainly had more stories. But, he had not the opportunity to get to know more. He thanked Ulyanov for telling him so many things today before he left.

 Chapter 718

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren threw the MDT cum dead body into his Dimensional Pocket. He did not want anything to happen to the carrier while he was away from the Plane of Dreams. After he deliberately greeted several mercenaries, he left Grey Fox with swagger.


    He was not worried about someone finding the body in the room missing: Firstly, he would only be away for a day, so the mercenaries would not break into his room. Secondly, he had left an autonomous robot behind in the room. If someone broke in, the robot would alert him immediately as it delayed the intruder for a while. He would be able to sneak back in time.


    But, his hunch told him that these things were probably not going to happen after all.


    After leaving the base, Hao Ren came to a junction leading to the town where Khiton¡¯s body was hanging from a lamppost with a huge sign below read ¡®This Is What Happened to Those Who Betrays Grey Fox.¡¯


    ¡°I still couldn¡¯t believe Nolan was only seventeen,¡± Hao Ren muttered in a low voice, passing by below Khiton¡¯s body. ¡°Since Ulyanov could live so long with the help of artificial organs, Nolan¡¯s age mightn¡¯t be her real age.¡±


    ¡°Only if I can fully function,¡± the MDT spoke in his head. ¡°I¡¯d be able to scan the girl and know what she is up to. Unfortunately, I can¡¯t even figure out my own body right now¡­¡±


    Hao Ren walked down the street full of potholes into the town. After passing through the last sentry post of Grey Fox, he made a turn into a winding alley. There were only three places in Black Street: factories, barracks, and slums. He was now near the borders of the slums. A pungent odour filled the air. Rusted tin houses had old clothes that were almost like rags hanging on them. The streets were always wet. Dirty and toxic sewage leaking from the factory pipes flew out in the open. Hao Ren had to weave along carefully. He noticed someone in the nearby tin house was peeking out; trepidatious eyes peered from behind windows because someone in clean and tidy dress with a mercenary dog tag was intruding into their neighbourhood. They sensed something was not good.


    Hao Ren ignored the snoops and finally found a quiet corner. Making sure no one saw him, he whispered. ¡°Get me out.¡±


    The vertigo and weightlessness struck. He felt a moment of blackout before waking up on his familiar bed. He opened his eyes and saw the ceiling of his bedroom. Although he only stayed in the dream for over half a day, there was a stark difference between the two worlds. When he saw his home and became a little emotion: Home is the best place in the world.


    It was nightfall. There was no light in the room. It was dark even in the living hall. Probably everyone had felt asleep. Hao Ren fumbled to find the light switch. As soon as he got himself up, a pair of golden eyes glowed in the dark staring at him. ¡°You¡¯re awake! Mr. Landlord!¡±


    Shocked, he looked carefully at it and only found Lily was in front of him. There was nothing wrong with the werewolf maiden except her pair of golden eyes that glowed in the dark, almost like a pair of will-o¡¯-the-wisp! He reached out and pressed his hand on the furry head of Lily. ¡°Are you out of your mind? What are you doing here in my room in the middle of the night?¡±


    Lily pushed his hand away, arms akimbo staring at him. ¡°I was waiting for you for dinner!¡±


    Hao Ren turned the light on and saw the steaming hot food that seemingly had been reheated multiple times was on the small table next to him. He looked at Lily, who could no longer hold her eyes open, feeling surprised and touched. ¡°I¡¯ve never thought of¡­ Thank you. Where did Vivian go?¡±


    He could totally understand it if it was Vivian waiting for him, but he could not fathom it¡ªwhy Lily? Thoughtfulness had never been part of the husky. Her mind did not work that way. Now, her arms still akimbo. ¡°Battie is taking a night stroll outside. She asked me to wait here. And I have reheated the meal for you, the MDT had just informed me that you were about to wake up.¡±


    Knowing Vivian had arranged the meal, Hao Ren felt his worldview normalised again. The husky just would not that that on her own initiative. He suddenly felt he was starving. He had gone without a single drop of water from noon to midnight. But when he came to the table, he froze. ¡°What happened to this bun?¡±


    Lily turned her head away. ¡°I took a bite¡­¡±


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­¡±


    Lily gritted her teeth and took out a pack of spicy strips from her pocket. She gave it to Hao Ren. ¡°For you. It¡¯s so much more delicious than the steamed bun.¡±


    Hao Ren took the spicy strip with a forced smile, thinking that she was truly a straightforward maiden. While having his late dinner, Hao Ren glanced out the window at the night sky. ¡°What time is it now?¡±


    Lily sat down on the bedside, swinging her legs boringly as she yawned. ¡°Half past ten. So you had gone to the Plane of Dreams again? The MDT said that you were exploring a new world. How does it look like?¡±


    Lily¡¯s eyes glowed as the sleepiness in her eyes quickly disappeared. Her normal biological clock would have her drowsing after ten at night, but weirdly, she had not. So there was more to keep the dinner warm for Hao Ren than meets the eye. She was waiting for stories.


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes. ¡°Let me finish eating first. I¡¯m starving. Can you stop sweeping the bed with your tail? Do you know hard difficult it is to clean up the hair?¡±


    After he finished eating, Lily graciously cleaned the table up. Meanwhile, Vivian just happened to come back from outside. The three of them in Hao Ren¡¯s room. Hao Ren knocked the MDT that still played dead on the bedside table. ¡°Wake up, wake up! You¡¯re just a freaking PDA; don¡¯t pretend you¡¯re still in a trauma!¡±


    The MDT had not been moving since returning to the surface world though the flickering lights on it suggested that it was alive and kicking. It was not until Hao Ren poked it that it staggered to get up. ¡°Phew¡­ my previous and perfect body! Got it back finally! I was just enjoying it just now!¡±


    Hao Ren felt goose bumps rose on his skin. ¡°You found like a sexual pervert.¡±


    The MDT was pissed. ¡°It¡¯s better than necrophilia.¡±


    Lily suddenly looked at Hao Ren with an odd expression. ¡°Necrophilia? What were you doing in the Plane of Dreams, Mr. Landlord?¡±


    The quizzical sights of Lily and Vivian jittered Hao Ren. He could not help thinking of how the MDT had turned into a dead girl in the Plane of Dreams, and how people mistook the brick as his girlfriend. It was such a ball-ache as he thought of it. He buried his face in his hand. ¡°On, don¡¯t mention it, I screwed the pooch¡­¡±


    As his voice trailed off, a silver light flashed across the room. Lily had gone hiding under the bed, only leaving her head poking out cautiously. ¡°Mr¡­ Mr. Landlord, bachelor dog has dignity too! You can¡¯t take advantage of¡­¡±


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­¡±


    He stepped forward, grabbed Lily by the ear, and pulled her out from under the bed. ¡°Sit still here! I¡¯m saying that I screwed up things in the Plane of Dreams. Hey¡­ please don¡¯t bite!¡±


    Biting in Hao Ren¡¯s wrist, Lily voice mumbled in her throat. ¡°But it¡¯s sexual harassing!¡±


    Vivian folded her arms across her chest, watching in excitement. She let Lily gnaw on Hao Ren¡¯s wrist for a moment before she opened her mouth. ¡°Me. Landlord, for so long you have been living with a bunch of demons, haven¡¯t you learned?¡±


    Hao Ren forced Lily into a chair. Vivian¡¯s interruption had made forgetting about the frustration for now. He began to narrate his and the MDT¡¯s encounters in the Plane of Dreams, most importantly, about the suspicious things during the operation. He wanted to know Vivian and Lily¡¯s thoughts on this.


    Lily¡¯s might look like a sloth, but mentally, she was no slowcoach at all. She was witty, able to offer better suggestions to difficult questions than Vivian could sometimes.


    There had been many question marks raised for their voyage in the ¡®dream.¡¯ Whether it was into a strange planet or dream, the sudden, uncontrolled teleportation was abnormal. The strangest of all was what had happened to the MDT¡ªa highly sophisticated gadget that was even more reliable than the human brain had had a mental abnormalities.


    Hao Ren poked at the MDT floating in front of his eyes. ¡°But I do think that this bugger has never been normal since day one. So nothing would surprise me anymore.¡±


    The MDT suddenly hit on Hao Ren¡¯s head in protest.


    ¡°Please be reminded that you¡¯re no longer a girl now. I wouldn¡¯t think twice to hit you back!¡± Hao Ren snorted.


    Lily looked at Hao Ren curiously. ¡°Mr. Landlord, you said you have got a mercenary dog ??tag? Could you let me take a look?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking, but you¡¯re weird,¡± Hao Ren said, reaching for the identity tag he had should have brought out from the Plane of Dreams. ¡°This is¡­ Oh wait, where is my dog tag?¡±

 Chapter 719

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren clearly remembered he had brought out the Gray Fox dog tag. According to his previous experiences in the Plane of Dreams, a spiritual body entering the world could still carry personal belongings through the Wall of Reality¡ªan incredible and truly unique feature of the Plane of Dreams. He had discussed this phenomenon with the MDT and thought that things probably occurred at the information level. The instant one crossed the Wall of Reality, both the spiritual body in the surface world and the Plane of Dreams would experience changes simultaneously. Whether it was addition or reduction in mass, the whole process was akin to cloud synchronization. However, when he carefully examined himself, he discovered that the dog tag was gone.


    ¡°Could you have dropped it somewhere in the slums?¡± The MDT hovered over to him and scanned him with a blue light beam. ¡°There¡¯s no metal tag on your body.¡±


    ¡°I remember hanging it here,¡± Hao Ren said, pointing to his chest. ¡°I was touching it before I ¡®logged out¡¯¡­ Oh yeah, I even took off my shirt and bandaged your wound with it in the Plane of Dreams. It seems that there were no traces left on the clothes.¡±


    If experience were anything to go by, things such as mud or injury the dreamer picked up from the Plane of Dreams would appear on the dreamer¡¯ body upon returning to the surface world. But Hao Ren had found nothing unusual.


    ¡°Could there a problem during log-out?¡± Vivian pulled her brows together. ¡°Interference and the like?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ Oh wait!¡± something crossed Hao Ren¡¯s mind. He quickly checked his dimensional pocket. He remembered before leaving the Plane of Dreams, he had the MDT¡¯s new body in the dimensional pocket. The dimensional pocket that was made using the Empire technology should be more reliable compared to carrying things in the hands.


    But after searching high and low inside, Hao Ren faced with another the unexplained situation. ¡°It¡¯s gone. MDT, your new body is gone.¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t miss the shell,¡± blue light on the MDT flashed rapidly. ¡°But this phenomenon is alarming¡­ Now, it seems that you haven¡¯t brought anything out from there. Right?¡±


    ¡°What happened in the Plane of Dreams didn¡¯t seem to affect the surface world,¡± Hao Ren looked down at his hands, puzzled. ¡°But that hadn¡¯t affected anything I brought in from the surface world; gold was still gold.¡±


    Lily and Vivian all leaned over, amazed by what had happened. Lily¡¯s tail shook excitedly. ¡°You have met many strange things this time?¡± she asked.


    ¡°The mapping relationship between the Plane of Dreams and the real world could have changed, and the change had been bigger than we thought,¡± Hao Ren said while taking the MDT in his hand. ¡°Contact the drones. I need the most recent cosmic background radiation readings of the Plane of Dreams and any other data that may be useful to see if there is any significant change from the previous period.¡±


    The MDT was no slack this time. It quickly switched on the hologram. A continually changing human face appeared in the visual. As already mentioned before, the drones that Hao Ren had released were rapidly multiplying in the universe of the Plane of Dreams. The human face in the hologram was just the consciousness of the drone clusters, or simply put, the interacting ¡®interface¡¯ the drone clusters used to communicate with their creator. Hao Ren had set up such an image for the drone clusters not long ago because he felt that his sentinels should have a more appealing appearance rather than a pile of cold and boring charts. At least a holographic human face looked so much better than a bunch of figures and graphs.


    ¡°Good evening, inspector,¡± the holographic human greeted him with a stone face, voice emotionless. ¡°The drone clusters are functioning properly. Would you like to check the recent expansion parameters?¡±


    ¡°No, I need something else,¡± Hao Ren said, letting the MDT transfer the data package.


    ¡°Understood. Now searching, please wait,¡± the drone¡¯s parent consciousness replied and remained silent for a few seconds. ¡°Data has been sent. The drone clusters found that there is no observable variation in the universe. All distortion readings of the basic parameters are within the acceptable range.¡±


    ¡°No changes?¡± Hao Ren could not fully understand the complex data report, but he could still see that the two curves in the chart at least looked the same. ¡°How about the mapping relationship between the Plane of Dreams and the surface world? Is there a change?¡±


    ¡°The Wall of Reality is a virtual barrier. The drones cannot observe it. The drone clusters apologies.¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned. He slowly waved his hand to the drones¡¯ consciousness. ¡°Well, continue with your observation mission.¡±


    The holographic projection dimmed, and the voice of the MDT sounded. ¡°At least from these observations, there has been no change in the Plane of Dreams recently. If there has a major fluctuation in the mapping relationship of the Wall of Reality, it would have surely shown up in the basic parameter readings of the Plane of Dreams, which, after all, means that the laws of physics of both worlds collide again.¡±


    Hao Ren folded his arms across his chest, not a word he said. His head was full of questions. At this time, Lily suddenly said, ¡°Why not you do some experiment?¡±


    ¡°Experiment?¡± Hao Ren looked at Lily, thinking that maybe the witty maiden had thought of something.


    ¡°Go to Holletta, let the hibernation pod preselect a location, enter with your spiritual body, and then see if you can bring something out from inside,¡± Lily said as she stared at Hao Ren with scornful eyes. ¡°Even I could think of this. I wonder why no you?¡±


    Hao Ren smacked on his forehead. ¡°¡­My brain jammed!¡±


    Now that if he entered through the dream, he would invariably enter to the war-torn Zorm. But the hibernation pod had the record of the ¡®dream channel¡¯ to Holletta; it could preselect the destination and send Hao Ren to Holletta. Through the ¡®dream channel.¡¯


    Hao Ren decided to take a jump. He was going to do the test according to Lily¡¯s suggestion. But Vivian was somewhat worried. ¡°Do you want to do it tomorrow? You have done the ¡®teleporting¡¯ once today, are you okay to do that again?¡±


    Lily held Hao Ren¡¯s arm and said, ¡°She is right, Mr. Landlord. Let¡¯s do it tomorrow! I feel so sorry about your black eyes.¡±


    Then she yawned so hard that she was almost teary.


    ¡°I see. You¡¯re the one sleepy,¡± Hao Ren said, poking Lily¡¯s forehead with his finger and hurrying her back to her room to sleep. ¡°You go to sleep. Vivian will be here watching. I¡¯m just doing a test bringing back some random stuff. No big deal.¡±


    Lily forced her eyes to stay open. ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait until you finish¡­¡± yawning again.


    The loyalty of a dog touched his heart. So Hao Ren decided to get it done quickly.


    Hao Ren took the MDT with him and came to the basement with the two girls. Setting the working mode of the hibernation pod, he lamented before lying down inside. ¡°I haven¡¯t used this pod for a long time. Since we found the Tannagost crack, we have been entering physically.¡±


    Lily nodded and then slept-standing up before Hao Ren¡¯s eyes.


    The lid of the hibernation pod slowly closed, but reopened in less than a few minutes: As what Hao Ren had said, he had gone for just a while. Probably he just simply grabbed whatever within reach and headed home.


    Vivian came up. ¡°How?¡±


    Hao Ren sat up in the ¡®coffin¡¯ with a subtle smile on his face. He then raised his hand, holding a beautiful crystal cup.


    ¡°I borrowed it from Becky,¡± Hao Ren said, looking puzzlingly at the cup he had just brought out of the Plane of Dreams. ¡°I could bring things out from Holletta.¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian were confused, but not Lily, who slept standing up. They both could not believe it and retried multiple times. With the help of the hibernation pod, Hao Ren had gone to different parts of the Plane of Dreams, including the steppe in Holletta, Tannagost, Io and an asteroid that just happened to fly by Io. Hao Ren ¡®logged out¡¯ from these different places back to the real world, bringing out a variety of bizarre stuff, including plants from the steppe, gold nuggets of Tannagost, and seawater of Io. Crossing the Wall of Reality with those things was reasonably easy.


    Except that, he could not take anything away from Zorm.


    In the last test, Hao Ren returned briefly to the planet of Zorm and found the Gray Fox dog tag there miraculously. He was still in the same attire the time he left the slum. This time, he held a piece of broken metal he had picked up in the slum. But his hand was empty upon returning to the surface world.


    Things on the planet Zorm could not come to the surface world. Some power seemed to have sealed off the information from leaking out from the planet.

 Chapter 720

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 Chapter 721

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren¡¯s backup plans stemmed from his boundless imagination. But first, he had to understand more of the planet Zorm¡¯s conditions. He knew he could not be away for too long, lest Nolan and the other mercenaries got suspicious of him. Thus, he decided to return to the Plane of Dreams in the afternoon.


    His inability to locate the correct location of the planet Zorm in the Plane of Dreams meant that he could not use the ¡°stable door¡± of the Tannagost crack. So, he decided to use the hibernation pod in the basement. This time, he wanted to bring a few helpers so that they could spread out to gather intelligence separately. After all, he would not be able to collect much information by staying in the mercenary base.


    ¡°Sanba, Wang, and Vivian follow me.¡± Hao Ren selected them because Nangong Sanba was an experienced demon hunter, Y¡¯zaks was cool-headed as well as a good fighter, while Vivian had tens of thousands of years of wisdom and alertness. The natives of planet Zorm were unfamiliar with supernatural powers, and the three of them would be able to handle any situation even without their psychic abilities. In case of an emergency, they could cut off their connection with the Plane of Dreams and return safely to Earth. After all, they were only entering spiritually.


    As the hibernation pods opened slowly, Hao Ren smiled. ¡°I have never expected this¡­ I thought since we¡¯ve found the Tannagost crack I don¡¯t have to use this coffin again.¡±


    The MDT did the setting on the hibernation pods and then stayed on Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I have issued instructions to the drones. After we arrive at Zorm and plant the beacon, the drones will capture our position from the outside. If we still couldn¡¯t find navigation signals, then we use your backup plans.¡±


    Vivian could not wait to be the first to lie down in the coffin. Y¡¯zaks and Nangong Sanba were next. Hao Ren sat in the hibernation pod and left Lily some instructions. ¡°When we are away a few days, half a month at most. We probably won¡¯t awaken during this time. You and Wuyue, please look after the house and don¡¯t create trouble. Got it?¡±


    Lily patted her chest and said, ¡°You got it, Mr. Landlord! Wuyue¡¯s parents are watching me; I¡¯m not going to create trouble.¡±


    Hao Ren was not sure whether he should compliment Lily, but it seemed the husky was proud of it.


    Rollie was lying beside the hibernation pod staring at Hao Ren and meowed occasionally. Meanwhile, Y¡¯lisabet was talking to her papa who was in the other hibernation pod. The strange atmosphere gave Hao Ren goosebumps. He quickly waved them off. ¡°Get out of here now; this is not the final journey as in the funeral. Wuyue, don¡¯t forget to clean up the basement! At least wipe the dust off the coffins¡­¡±


    Nangong Wuyue patted Hao Ren¡¯s ¡®coffin¡¯ with her tail. ¡°Okay, quickly lie down. Don¡¯t say anything if you don¡¯t know what to say.¡±


    As the cover of the hibernation pod slowly closed, he felt a sense of darkness and the familiar phenomenon of spirit escaping the body. When all these faded away, a strong foul smell hit his nostrils. He opened his eyes and found himself standing in the corner of the slums of Black Street. The air in Black Street was so unbearable that he almost wanted to come back out.


    ¡°This is hell,¡± Hao Ren said, pursing his nose. He then continued without looking back. ¡°Look, this is the place. We¡¯re going to split up. You know this side. Eh? Where are they?¡±


    Hao Ren turned his head and was stunned to find that Vivian and others who should have followed him were not there. He was alone on the little space.


    He froze for a moment before quickly calling the MDT in his mind. ¡°MDT, something¡¯s wrong. Transmission error. Vivian and the others have not come in¡­¡±


    Halfway through the call, he heard Vivian¡¯s voice on another channel in his mind. ¡°Mr. Landlord, has our transmission gone wrong?¡±


    He combined the calls into one channel and said, ¡°Vivian? What about to the others? Are they with you? Where are you now?¡±


    ¡°Holletta, on the wasteland near the royal city,¡± Vivian¡¯s voice sounded slightly distorted but was clear enough. ¡°It¡¯s the default coordinates of the mind. Big Guy and Sanba are with me. We are now in Holletta.¡±


    Hao Ren froze for a moment, and then checked the surroundings as he came out from the corner. ¡°MDT, check the parameters of the equipment, was it that their hibernation pod settings not changed?¡±


    ¡°The equipment parameters are fine; their three hibernation pods have the same spiritual path as you do. But for some unknown reason, the parameters became invalid during the mental dive. They have gone to Holletta following the previous default coordinate.¡±


    It was an unexpected situation. Hao Ren immediately asked the three of them to return to the surface world, and then let the MDT remotely perform another teleportation with the hibernation pods. But the result remained unchanged: Vivian and the others had gone to Holletta again.


    ¡°Try again?¡± Vivian asked over the comm. ¡°Perhaps the Wall of Reality is steady today?¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a while and said, ¡°Don¡¯t try again. I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s a deeper problem than that. It looks like other than me and the MDT; no one could come in.¡±


    ¡°Are you still want to proceed with the investigation?¡± Vivian said, her voice sounded concerned. ¡°Would there be problems at your side?¡±


    ¡°Everything is fine here,¡± Hao Ren replied, trying to make her feel at ease. ¡°You three can go home and help me look after the house. Hell, it looks like the Goddess is not giving me a break yet. I¡¯ll have to get done all by myself.¡±


    Hearing him self-deprecating, Vivian knew that Hao Ren would be okay. She said with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t complain. Now the Goddess is your boss. Be careful over there. We are going home now.¡±


    Hao Ren exhaled after the communication ended, thinking he had to go it all alone again in this world for the next few days. But then again, he had been alone here before ¡ª no big deal. Still, the situation puzzled him. ¡°MDT, what do you think has happened?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the only person who could reach the planet through mental projection, and I can tag along as a ¡®mental attachment¡¯ albeit in an incomplete state. Other than that, no one else could do it.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the key reason? Why is this happening?¡± Hao Ren frowned, looking up at the grey sky above. ¡°Is there any filtering or recognition mechanism for this planet, those do not meet the conditions will be blocked out?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve no enough information, and I can¡¯t tell. We first guessed that there was a problem with planet Zorm, but now it seems that the problem is with you,¡± the MDT said, sounding happy and completely ignoring that Hao Ren¡¯s face had turned sullen. ¡°Think positive. Maybe it is just something wrong with your head? By the way, when are you going to let me out of your dimensional pocket?¡±


    ¡°Dimensional pocket?¡± Hao Ren froze for a moment, before realizing that the MDT had been talking to him in spiritual connection. The piece of brick had failed to come through in one piece again. He quickly checked his dimensional pocket and was surprised to find the MDT was lying in the form of a corpse inside.


    ¡°The body was indeed gone when I was in the surface world,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°But when I come to Zorm, the body appears inexplicably. The dimensional pocket is God-encrypted; no worldly power should affect its content. So how exactly this body¡­¡±


    ¡°When exactly are you going to let me out?¡± the MDT groaned. ¡°I¡¯m dying in here!¡±


    ¡°Stop yelling!¡± Hao Ren yelled back in his mind. ¡°All your senses in the corpse have stopped working, mind you? What can you still feel?¡±


    ¡°Oh, maybe that¡¯s all in my mind. You can keep exploring. Let me share with you the story of Alibaba and the forty dwarfs¡­¡±


    Hao Ren shut the noisy gadget inside, leaving only an emergency channel open. Serenity finally returned to his world.


    The dirty streets of the slums stretched out in front of his eyes. He knew many wary eyes were peering at him behind windows and doors. He weaved uncomfortably through the terrible streets as his mind still remembered the location of Grey Fox mercenary base. But for the time being, he was not going back there.


    He wanted to explore this messy neighborhood and learned more about it.

 Chapter 722

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The factories in Black Street operated day and night; the dense black smoke from the towering chimneys shrouded the entire city. When standing at a higher point in town, one could even see the haze descending slowly from the sky like a veil. The smoke left a coat of gray and black soot in the neighborhood. That was one of the things that gave Black Street its name. In the modern world of the Nanomachine Swarm, many heavy industries were still unable to get rid of traditional production methods due to technical limitations.


    In Black Street, large machinery and arms factories were the biggest industries.


    Hao Ren exited the crowded slum and saw the towering factory buildings lining the streets. There were giant reactor towers and pressure vessels in the urban areas. He could hear the roar of the machines coming from the nearby factories as he walked along the street. Meanwhile, people were hustling along the sidewalks on both sides of the road. Most of them were the poor, emotionless and dressed in shabby clothing. They had just finished their synthetic food, and they were now flocking like ants to the factory¡ªthe mechanical beast, which engulfed and kept them alive at the same time. Some people used rags to cover their faces to protect themselves from the dust in the air. But the dirty rags were not any cleaner than the air they breathed. The atmosphere was slowly contaminating and irreversibly destroying their lungs. They had to rely on the Nanomachine Swarm to prolong their lives after the age of 30 or 40. After that, they would quickly die.


    ¡°Since the Nanomachine Swarm are still in use, why didn¡¯t anyone think of using these things to solve the pollution problem in the city?¡± Hao Ren murmured to himself.


    A loud, low voice came from the side. ¡°Solve the pollution? People who thought this way had all died decades ago. Now it is an era where people only live day to day.¡±


    Hao Ren turned his head and surprised to see Ulyanov behind him. ¡°Hey, when did you come here?¡±


    ¡°This is where I come often. I know the slum very well,¡± Ulyanov looked up at the factories not far away. ¡°Yesterday someone reported that after you left the base, you disappeared into the alleys of the slums. Nolan let me come to collect your body. It¡¯s a surprise to see you on the main street. Well, it looks like you have survived your first night in the dark alleys. What makes you so interested here?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, just mooching around,¡± Hao Ren knew that Ulyanov was still suspicious of him, so he answered casually. ¡°I have told you before; I can¡¯t always stay with you guys, I need to find a place to stay. Don¡¯t worry; whatever I do I¡¯m not an enemy of Gray Fox.¡±


    ¡°Nolan couldn¡¯t care less. I¡¯m just busy body here,¡± Ulyanov said. ¡°It¡¯s better not to come to this place. Many people here are no fans of Gray Fox. You¡¯ll get yourself into trouble.¡±


    Hao Ren gestured with his hand as if saying he understood. ¡°Tell me: is there any additional cost for solving the urban pollution with Nanomachine Swarm? Is the thing not self-sufficient?¡±


    ¡°The Nanomachine Swarm is indeed self-sufficient, but the control center is costly, and the bigger cost is these¡ª¡± Ulyanov said, raising his hand pointing to the poor people from the slums. ¡°The factories don¡¯t need healthy men to operate the machines. The city does not need the elderly. The mission of these slags is work in the factory until they are forty-five years old. The owners of the factories don¡¯t like strong and smart workers; it would be best if the workers are illiterate and no retirement needs. So there is no need to let them live for too long. As for the factory owners and warlords, they have their own ecological houses, isolated from the outside world. They have also said that there will also be a meadow, cheap and quickl to build, for the people to enjoy.¡±


    Hao Ren listened on, wide-eyed. As an earthling, he could not understand this thinking. ¡°Maintain this status quo? Isn¡¯t it a little too short-sighted?¡±


    ¡°Short-sighted? What is your long-term vision?¡± Ulyanov laughed hoarsely. ¡°To improve the environment and To recreate a vibrant and sustainable society? I remember that many people had the same thinking decades ago. But it turned out that no one could live long enough accomplish these goals. Someone says that every regime in the world could only last for an average of four and a half years, no one will invest in business longer than this cycle.¡±


    As Ulyanov finished, he patted Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Short-sightedness is necessary because most people cannot live beyond what they could see.¡±


    Hao Ren blurted out. ¡°But you live long enough¡­¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m just alive,¡± Ulyanov turned. ¡°Since I the injury, I could no longer bleed but only electrolyte and nutrient medium. My goal is simple¡ªto be alive. This kind of person would live long enough.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless. In a world of chaos, thinkers and enlighteners might be the first to die because they were using the energy for survival in other things, such as dreams. The MDT suddenly mumbled in his mind. ¡°This is why grasses can transcend into immortals while fruits and vegetables have not the chance to even dream: they make wishes in the morning, but people stewed them in the afternoon. Who can still have dreams when they cannot even live long enough to see dreams come true?¡±


    Let us give credit where credit is due; as bitchy as the MDT was; it did make a pretty good conclusion.


    Hao Ren followed Ulyanov back to the Gray Fox base. While they were turning into a corner and nobody was looking, he reached into his dimensional pocket and quickly yanked out a silver-gray gadget. The tiny device looked like an inconspicuous metal toad, but it landed quietly on the ground and quickly slid into a dark corner. It was a beacon transmitter that Hao Ren had produced on-board factory on the Petrachelys in the morning. The beacon would automatically find the weakest spot to unfold itself and then transmit a powerful navigation signal into space. As long as Zorm was in the Plane of Dreams, the drone clusters would be able to pick up the signal and find it.


    Even it was tens of billions of light years away.


    But things would get more complicated if the distance were not purely physical. And it did seem so.


    He had no problem contacting CARS and the drone clusters from the planet Zorm, which meant that the data link is stable. But the problem was that he could not trace the exact location where the signal came from. It was like hiding its IP address to stay anonymous. Meanwhile, CARS and the drone clusters were unable to resolve this anonymity unidirectionally. That was why Hao Ren had to plant an active beacon transmitter on planet Zorm. He had also considered that the beacon might fail, and when this happened, he would consider releasing a probe from here to see if it could navigate its way through space and reach the regular universe, and if so, at least that meant space was continuous. If not, he could figure out the extent of the distortion. It was one of the backup plans.


    After leaving the factory district, Hao Ren looked back at the towering black buildings. ¡°This place is depressing.¡±


    ¡°Maybe. At least people can still live on here. The factory is the only choice for most people, the wasteland outside is worse,¡± Ulyanov seemed to be sighing, or maybe he was laughing silently. ¡°The only hope for the ¡®slags¡¯ here is becoming cannon fodder for some mercenary group. As long as they can survive for a few weeks, they will be able to live like a normal human being; all their diseases would heal. You know, it is simple to cure their lung and blood diseases¡ªas simple as a tube of Nanomachine Swarm and thirty-minute time. But this is the most precious resource of Black Street. There are limited rations. Everyone in slums is willing to trade for this treatment opportunity with all they have. So I¡¯m still very curious about the reason for Khiton¡¯s treachery. When Nolan pulled him out of the ghetto, his lungs were almost gone; his blood had accumulated forty years of toxins and failed, inferior Nanomachines. A typical slug, without being selected as cannon fodder, Nolan gave him the opportunity to live yet he turned out to be a traitor.¡±


    Hao Ren remembered Khiton¡¯s diary, which he had seen. He whispered. ¡°Probably he was brainwashed or something.¡±


    ¡°The Rangers brainwashed him? Ulyanov laughed. ¡°Yeah, maybe. He was simple-minded.¡±


    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The next day, Hao Ren called everyone to the living room and told them about his experience the day before as well as the series of tests he conducted at night.


    ¡°This planet called Zorm is strange. I still can¡¯t figure out its location in the Plane of Dreams. It¡¯s a region in the universe that we haven¡¯t explored before. I haven¡¯t had time to study the sky there, but there were interferences and delays when contacting CARS from there. I think there¡¯s a great physical distance between the two,¡± Hao Ren said as he sat on the sofa, divulging his suspicions. ¡°Other than its unknown location, its mapping relationship with the Surface World seems abnormal too. You can¡¯t bring things out to the Surface World, but you can bring things in. Activities in Zorm don¡¯t affect the body in the Surface World. It seems that information flow is unidirectional; you can¡¯t teleport from Zorm to other planets in the Plane of Dreams because there are no exact coordinates. And most importantly, the MDT turns into a dead body there.¡±


    ¡°The connection between the rest of the Plane of Dreams and the Surface World is normal. There are no changes in the parameters of the universe,¡± the MDT chimed in. ¡°We can rule out the possibility of sudden changes in the Wall of Reality. Now it seems that all anomalies are within planet Zorm or the space around it.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue was curled up like a snake next to the coffee table. She shook her body when Hao Ren and the MDT finished speaking. ¡°Who can understand what the two of you just said?¡±


    Hao Ren waved his hand and said, ¡°That¡¯s the reason why I asked everyone to join the meeting and be serious. At least there might be some progress.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather do something simple and crude instead of studying these things,¡± Lily said, slumping at the coffee table. ¡°Like getting in on some action on the battlefield. I won¡¯t flinch if there¡¯s a fight,¡± the shameless maiden admitted.


    ¡°There are probably many occasions where you need to fight. But there, war is fought with weapons. There are no aliens and magic in that world. You probably won¡¯t be able to do anything there.¡± Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re going to set off panic or become a celebrity because the humans there have never seen anyone who can transform into a five-meter husky. You¡¯ll be a superstar.¡±


    Lily thought for a moment and then continued to slough at the table. ¡°I¡¯m not going. It¡¯s no fun.¡±


    ¡°Most likely, the unusual space in the Plane of Dreams is related to the goddess,¡± Y¡¯zaks guessed, scratching his jaw. ¡°Could planet Zorm be next to the battlefield where the deicide happened? Or maybe, the deicidal event brought it into some sort of vortex?¡±


    Hao Ren frowned. ¡°You¡¯re saying that the impact of the goddess¡¯ death sealed off the space around Zorm and changed the law of the universe there?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks nodded slightly. Despite his rugged appearance, the great demon had a scientific aptitude better than anyone else¡¯s. He could talk about the universe like a real astrophysicist. ¡°According to the guardian, the explosion of the Star of Creation flung the entire battlefield into a place called ¡®the Dark Region¡¯. We guessed that the Dark Region is an abnormal spatial structure. It¡¯s unpredictable, discontinuous and incompatible with the regular universe. Although no one has seen it, doesn¡¯t it seem similar to the situation on Zorm? Perhaps the place you went to is where the goddess fell!¡±


    The words struck Hao Ren like lightning. There was a real sense of anticipation in him, which he found hard to ignore. But he quickly calmed down from the excitement. He had a gut feeling that the Dark Region or the ¡°death place of God¡± was not a place that one could easily reach. If one could go to the place where the goddess fell by just dreaming, then the explosion of the Star of Creation 10,000 years ago was child¡¯s play.


    However, Y¡¯zaks¡¯ conjecture sounded reasonable. At the very least, Hao Ren was willing to believe that the state of Zorm was somehow related to the fall of the goddess. He remembered the information he had found on the Internet in Zorm. ¡°On the planet of Zorm, legend has it that there was a religion that involved worshiping the Creator until the war broke out. As science and technology developed, they treated Creator-worshiping as purely spiritual sustenance. Regardless, the religious system remained. But puzzlingly, after the fall of the goddess, planet Zorm escaped all ecological disasters. The First Born did not find them, and the guardian giants did not come after them. I checked their data; there wasn¡¯t even an ¡®underground tentacles¡¯ entry on the Internet there.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks whispered, ¡°Even the Hollettans didn¡¯t know there was a First Born on their planet before we went there.¡±


    ¡°But at least the Hollettans knew that there was a catastrophe 10,000 years ago. As long as there are survivors, it¡¯s impossible to have no record of the event,¡± Hao Ren said, as he had long thought of this. ¡°Moreover, the technological strength of Zorm before the war was significantly higher than that of Holletta¡¯s. Their industrial system required a large number of minerals. A large number of minerals means that they would have dug deep into the ground¡ªcould it be possible for them to not bump into any tentacles of the First Born in the earth after digging for 10,000 years?¡±


    Everyone looked at each other. No one could answer the question.


    At last, Vivian sighed and broke the silence, ¡°The samples of civilization we found in the Plane of Dreams are still too little to compare with the entire universe. We won¡¯t be able to establish any rules at all, so we shouldn¡¯t be surprised no matter what happens. To put it plainly, we haven¡¯t yet reached the point where we can have an inference.¡±


    The MDT interjected, ¡°The job of an inspector can¡¯t afford to work on inference alone.¡±


    Hao Ren bit his nails and thought for a moment. Something else suddenly came to mind. ¡°Vivian, do you think there will be anything big coming up soon regarding the vanishing hostility among the otherworldlings?¡±


    Vivian held her arms and leaned on the sofa. ¡°Nothing will happen even for the next one year. I¡¯ve given my old buddies a heads up. They¡¯ll keep an eye on the bunnies and the pups. Even the demon hunters aren¡¯t fools.¡±


    She continued, ¡°And most of the otherworldly races are already very weak from starvation. Even if they want to fight, they need to get more nutrition and gain a bit fat first.¡±


    ¡°Thanks to the demon hunters, it seems that the otherworldlings won¡¯t be able to make a comeback any time soon.¡± Hao Ren grinned. ¡°Since nothing¡¯s going to happen on Earth for a while, I¡¯m going to focus my attention on Zorm for now.¡±


    Then Hao Ren returned to the basement with the MDT. He connected the MDT to the hibernation pod that he was doing the tests with the day before and switched on the navigation system of the Petrachelys. He wanted to extract his spiritual navigation information on Zorm and convert it into real physical coordinates in the universe of the Plane of Dreams. With the coordinates, he could enter the Plane of Dreams physically through the Tannagost spatial rift, then fly the Petrachelys directly to planet Zorm. By then, whatever alien dimension there was would be laid bare before him.


    But as expected, things were not as smooth sailing as he wanted them to be.


    ¡°The conversion failed. Place not found,¡± the MDT gave its simple reply.


    Hao Ren was wide-eyed. ¡°Place not found? It¡¯s not a problem of the coordinates?¡±


    The holographic image, which the MDT projected showed a set of complex data and graphs¡ªit was the trajectory Hao Ren had left behind on the previous day when he entered the Plane of Dreams through his dream. ¡°I got an outrageous coordinate. Theoretically, it¡¯s impossible for this coordinate to exist in the material world. Following this coordinate will only lead you into a void.¡±


    ¡°In other words¡­ there¡¯s no way to get there through the rift in Tannagost, right?¡± Hao Ren said. He could feel his tooth aching now. ¡°Could it be that the planet isn¡¯t in the Plane of Dreams?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m certain that it¡¯s still related to the ¡®spiritual trajectory¡¯. Something interfered with the route to Zorm in your dream, so I couldn¡¯t calculate the exact coordinates of the planet.¡± The MDT read the report to the letter, and this time, it began to show that it could contribute meaningfully. ¡°Since this didn¡¯t work, I have another suggestion¡ªthe next time you enter Zorm, plant a beacon transmitter there and lead the Petrachelys using the navigation signal. If this fails, it means that Zorm is in an encrypted space that you and I can¡¯t decode. You can then apply for a higher level of technical support.¡±


    Hao Ren blinked. ¡°There¡¯s advanced technical support?¡±


    ¡°Of course. The Empire will provide sufficient technical support for inspectors. But usually, the technical support the Empire sends is just explosives of various kinds, and occasionally, engineers who are good at making explosives.¡±


    ¡°¡­So, in the eyes of the Xi Ling Celestials, blowing things up is the only way to solve problems?¡±


    The MDT looked emotionless¡ªof course, how can you expect a machine to show emotion? ¡°Blowing the problem up is indeed an effective means of problem-solving.¡±


    ¡°Forget it. I¡¯m not counting on the Empire¡¯s technical support.¡± Hao Ren sighed, burying his face in his hand. ¡°And to tell you the truth, I have a lot of backup plans myself.¡±

 Chapter 723

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren had returned to the Grey Fox base and his return did not seem to attract much attention. Only a few people he had previously come across nodded back at him as a greeting. The base was still like the day before. Soldiers moved about listlessly, and the place lacked the general disciplined air of a proper military installation.


    ¡°Mercenaries are a carefree lot, and you¡¯ll never be able to instill the same military discipline in them.¡± Ulyanov pointed towards the wandering soldiers. ¡°Of course, there are companies that operate like a standard military unit, but us Grey Fox don¡¯t bother too much about that. We are few in numbers, but each of us are tempered by the fire of combat, and everyone is a skilled killer. The battlefield is the best training ground, and everyone who survives so far are all elites, of course¡­ a bunch of very troublesome elites.¡±


    As he said this, Ulyanov turned to face Hao Ren. ¡°You have combat experience with the military, you¡¯ll fit right in.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still trying to get me to join?¡± Hao Ren grinned. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll consider it. If there¡¯s no other way to earn a living other than fighting, I will be a mercenary myself.¡±


    Hao Ren just said it in jest and Ulyanov cannot tell whether Hao Ren meant it or not. The old mercenary still patted Hao Ren on the shoulder. ¡°I really hope we¡¯ll have a chance to fight together someday. You¡¯re pretty good, but I¡¯m not sure of your skill with the gun.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled before noticing a commotion from the empty field. It seemed like there was quite a crowd there. Hao Ren looked over and saw a group of mercenaries were gathered around. ¡°What¡¯s over there?¡±


    ¡°The training grounds¡­ seems like Nolan is beating some sense into the newbies.¡± Ulyanov quipped nonchalantly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you interested in Nolan? Lets go have a look.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s interest was piqued and since he had nothing else better to do, he followed Ulyanov to see what was up.


    There was a flat ground in the camp that was cordoned off by a wired fence. This was were the mercenaries train for melee combat or other things. While it is by definition a training area, for the listless mercenaries this was the place where they pass their time; either a old timer drilling the greenhorns, or a bunch of drunkards beating each other up. This was the training ground¡¯s real purpose. Regardless of what happened, the bored soldiers would converge on the area to join in on the fun; and today¡¯s fun was much more interesting: Nolan was beating sense into a few headstrong new meats.


    Hao Ren and Ulyanov made their way through the crowd and just as they reached the front a black silhouette flew towards them. The crowd immediately backed away and a bull-like bloke rolled before Hao Ren¡¯s leg. He looked to be fine and seemed he was thrown over.


    Nolan¡¯s crisp voice followed. ¡°You¡¯re base is not stable enough. That¡¯s you falling over yourself again.¡±


    Hao Ren looked up and saw the seventeen year old mercenary captain standing smartly in the middle of the field. Nolan was wearing a dark green military tank top and her grey hair was tied into a single ponytail. Her frame was lithe, but it exudes strength beneath, plus that she was slightly drenched in sweat, she looked even more imposing. Before her lay a few strong-looking men on the ground. They did not seemed have any injuries, but their egos was probably very well bruised.


    Nolan was expressionless, and seemed a little bored. ¡°Are you guys done? If you are, then go park your ass back in the brig.¡±


    A soldier got up from the ground, and seemed like he was not done. After kicking the air for a bit, he charged towards Nolan again.


    The grey haired lass just looked impassionedly at the soldier and only stepped aside at the very last moment before the soldier collided with her. At the same time she jabbed her finger into the joint of the bumbling idiot, her accuracy impeccable. The latter let out a odd yelp before losing his balance and tumbled forward.


    The whole process was akin to seeing an adult toying with a child, but the roles were seemingly reversed. The one being toyed was a thirty year old muscleman, and Nolan was a teenage lass.


    ¡°A technical type.¡± The MDT had used Hao Ren¡¯s eyes to witness the scene as it started mumbling in his head. ¡°Her attack is impeccable, her accuracy and timing was down to the miliseconds. Not sure if it was due to her strengthening. Even that, she would need to be very experienced to pull that off.¡±


    Hao Ren raised his eyebrows. ¡°And you¡¯re suddenly a combat expert?¡±


    ¡°I have a repository of tomes beyond time, and I¡¯m well versed with everything under the sky, from astrology to geomancy, mere human knowledge is¡­¡±


    ¡°Speak human language, or I¡¯ll hurt you.¡±


    ¡°Lily had used me to download some sixty Kungfu movies¡­¡±


    Hao Ren and the MDT chatted another bloke was floored by Nolan. The soldiers forming the crowd then started jeering. ¡°Know your place! Even ten of you is no match for Big Boss!¡±¡±Stop making a fool of yourself, even the second generations are no match for her!¡±¡±There¡¯s no one here who had survived Big Boss¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s that good all these while?¡± Hao Ren turned towards Ulyanov.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone defeated her in CQC before. In fact¡­ I¡¯ve never seen her lost in anything before.¡± Ulyanov shook his head. ¡°Fighting techniques, shooting skills, driving even programming and someother miscelleanous stuff, there was nothing that she don¡¯t know. The automated system in this base was first designed by her and the security AI was written by her. She was even the first doctor and machinist. Aside from raw strength, there¡¯s no one that could beat her.¡±


    Hao Ren frowned. ¡°A main character archetype.¡±


    Ulyanov was stunned, and at the very moment, Nolan had also noticed Hao Ren¡¯s presence. She motioned for the roughed up soldiers to leave as she walked towards Hao Ren. ¡°You¡¯re back? I¡¯d thought you¡¯d be dead somewhere in a hovel.¡±


    ¡°Heh, thanks to you, I¡¯m doing rather fine.¡± Hao Ren rolled his eyes. She really did not hold back when she speaks. ¡°Never thought you¡¯re that good.¡±


    Nolan pursed her lips, as if trying to surpress a smile. ¡°Are you itching for some as well?¡±


    Hao Ren was taken aback and wanted to decline. He knew his body was beyond mortal, and he will not be able to hide it once in contact. But as Nolan spoke, the soldiers started cheering. These group of scoundrels had always been like this, as long there was fun to be had, they did not care who was on the receiving end of their Boss, and there was a new challenger, and more fun to be had. Nolan did not step back when she saw the reaction. Patting H ao Ren on the shoulder. ¡°Alright. Lets roll then. I remember you¡¯re rather capable.¡±


    Hao Ren was flustered. ¡°Can we not? I¡¯m just here to say hi¡­¡±


    The crowd cheered even louder, and seems like there was no escape.


    At the same time the MDT spoke. ¡°Go a few rounds with her.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Hao Ren had no idea what was on the MDT¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Data collection.¡± The MDT was serious. ¡°I want to calculate how strong can the ¡®Evolved¡¯ in this world be. And see what is different with Nolan. From what others had said, it seems like her abilities are beyond natural. And with her age, it is difficult to belief that this is pure effort. So she is probably hiding some superhuman ability.. or she had been exposed to supernatural powers.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately got serious. ¡°You mean to say¡­¡±


    ¡°Remember Hilton¡¯s diary? It mentioned that Nolan is the ¡®Heart of the Lie¡¯. He probably have discovered something. Perhaps this lass had a brush with the Guardians before, or she is probably a ¡® Prophet¡¯.¡± The MDT theorised calmly. ¡°Regardless, aren¡¯t you interested in her?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Nolan noticed that Hao Ren was spacing out and asked out of curiosity.


    Hao Ren immediately recovered and from Nolan¡¯s clear, distant eyes, he could not find anything that indicates she was touched by the madness of the First Born. Any mortal that had a brush with the First Born or the brain monsters would not be able to stay sane. And from this he doubted that Nolan was a fanatical follower of a Guardian. But her distant eyes was not something a teenage girl should have. The MDT was right. She was a person of interest.¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡­ So lets get this on.¡± Hao Ren smiled as he headed into the ring.

 Chapter 724

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren and Nolan stood face to face in the ring, and a crowd of mercenaries surrounded them.


    Hao Ren did not know how things developed to this point, and to be entirely honest, he did not like being the center of attention in a crowd. He had enough of that, and all he wanted was to investigate things peacefully. But what the MDT said was right, this Nolan girl had many suspicious traits to her, and even if she did not look like someone touched by the guardians, she was well-equipped with abilities beyond her years as well as stature.


    Melee combat was the best way to test things out. If Nolan was ever touched by supernatural powers before, Hao Ren was confident he could tell it right away. He was by now a ¡°regular¡± with his meetings with the guardians.


    Yes, he wanted to test her. To see if she would display any sort of superhuman strength under duress.


    Nolan held one of her hand out in an inviting motion. ¡°You¡¯re the guest. You start first.¡±


    Hao Ren frowned as he pondered how to not let Nolan discover his unusual strength and abilities while forcing the young lass to unleash her hidden powers. He came to the conclusion that he needed to turn off his Steel Membrane Shield first. He would be hard-pressed to explain things if sparks started to fly when combat was in full motion.


    After turning off his shield, Hao Ren stepped forward swiftly and carefully as he led out a straight jab. He had never received any proper melee training, but his bio-enhancement had improved his ability to control every ounce of his strength like a proper grandmaster. He too had a reaction and speed that is beyond normal humans, and the experience gained from the past year under various dangerous situation; Hao Ren was not your run off the mill newbie, he was pretty certain he could take on Nolan with his superhuman body.


    But the very next motion, Hao Ren found out to his dismay that Nolan had dodged his attack with an almost impossibly precise angle, and at the same time, he felt a sudden pain under his arm: Nolan had used the very moment when Hao Ren¡¯s jab blocked his line of sight to launch a sneak attack and hit him under the arm with a knife-edge finger stab.


    As the pain bit into his arm, Hao Ren immediately recoiled backward. The pain dissipated almost instantly. While Hao Ren had turned off all his defensive techniques, his enhanced body was not something Nolan could harm with mere fist and kicks. Hao Ren reckoned that even at full strength she would only inflict some momentary pain on him. Yet, Hao Ren was surprised. With just a few swift exchanges, he discovered something really scary: Nolan¡¯s melee combat ability was terrifying, almost to the point of precognition. His every movement seemed to have been read many times in Nolan¡¯s mind, and just as he had raised his hand, she was already preparing a counter-move!


    Was this pure technique? Or was it some sort of precognitive ability? Or was it simply experience?


    Nolan too looked at Hao Ren rather suspiciously. She did not detect her opponent¡¯s unusual physical attributes, yet from her experience, she knew he was a relative newbie in terms of melee combat. Despite his very fast reaction and reflexes, and that he could probably intimidate most by presence alone, this did not work with Nolan. She knew from a glance Hao Ren¡¯s weakness underneath the shroud of his other abilities.


    Was he a real Natural?


    The soldiers, of course, could not tell what was going on. They were simply yelling at the top of their lungs to cheer for their leader. Some even stared jeering after seeing the rather mundane fight. Yet Nolan and Hao Ren quickly refocused. Hao Ren knew now that Nolan was not as easy a target he originally envisaged and Nolan was beginning to be suspicious of Hao Ren¡¯s ¡®Natural¡¯ status.


    No Naturals that had not undergone some form of body reconfiguration had that sort of reaction ability and physical strength.


    The two got into position again and started to exchange blows. This time around, both of them did not hold back and the ring immediately rang with a crescendo of clashes. Most of the sound was not due to direct contact, rather it was the burst of air when a strike failed to land. Both of them realized that their foe was not your usual fighter, and was trying their best to avoid a head-on clash. While their exchange was swift and colorful, there was very little physical contact. The rowdy crowd too had gone quiet: The fight was quite beyond them now.


    One with a superhuman physique and another a monstrous veteran; a real fight between this two was not something your usual grunts would be able to comprehend.


    They only saw Hao Ren and Nolan darted around the ring, neither with a specific style or moveset. But every attack or defense was swift and crisp. There were no telegraphed attacks, only a simple strike after some misdirection. This was a technical fight without many crowd-wowing moves, but it was the most practical thing to do in a fight. Some of the mercenaries could not appreciate that, while a few more senior ones started mumbling amongst themselves.


    ¡°Seems like Big Boss was not even serious with us?¡±


    ¡°I think she is serious in handing my ass to me¡­¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, you¡¯re only serious when you are getting your ass handed to you.¡±


    Ulyanov silently looked on as the bout continued. His masked obscured his expression. ¡°Is this guy really a Natural?¡±


    Sweat covered Hao Ren¡¯s covered, but he was much more nervous than he let on. He knew now the gulf in experience and technique between him and the young lass. While he knew not how she managed it, Hao Ren had to go all out while trying not to activate his supernatural abilities under Nolan¡¯s relentless onslaught. He was wholly reliant on his supernatural strengths to even keep pace with her, and his raw strength and speed was his only weapon against the difference in skill level.


    He could not read her moves and he relied on sheer instinctual reaction to keep up with Nolan. That was the situation Hao Ren was in.


    Nolan too was sweating, but her face expressionless as ever. Any surprise she had was well hidden away under her icy stares. Her ponytail had come undone during the fight ad her drenched hair was sticking on her face. She, however, did not have the luxury to tuck it back. It was not the first time she had made contact with her opponent, and her strikes were targeted at the joints and nerves, places that could immediately incapacitate someone. But neither of the attacks worked against Hao Ren. Nolan had no idea why, but she could only fight on to find out.


    A few feints later, Nolan tried for another attack. This time she was determined to bring Hao Ren down and she suddenly lashed out with a powerful back kick. Hao Ren was not prepared for the move, and subconsciously the word ¡°defense¡± sprang in his mind.


    Just as it did, a faint glow appeared all over his body.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Just as Hao Ren cursed, Nolan¡¯s kick was already upon him. He quickly tried to disengage his barrier, but it was too late.


    A solid thud later, Hao Ren was sent backward while Nolan was teetering as she lost her balance. Only at the very last moment, she managed to stabilize herself, her leg hanging awkwardly.


    None of the soldiers knew what happened, the exchange happened so fast that no one saw what happened.


    Hao Ren immediately went forward to give Nolan a hand. He saw that she was wavering and feared that she would fall. Just before Hao Ren could offer his hand, Nolan had placed hers on his shoulder. To the others, it seems like a normal greeting after a bout, and she used this opportunity to maintain her balance.


    ¡°It¡¯s a draw,¡± Nolan said, impassionately to the rest as she waved her hand. ¡°I¡¯m done for today. Dismissed.¡±


    A commotion rang through the crowd but the Big Boss words still carried weight, and the beaten grunts left after some grumbling. Only one person remained in the ring, it was not Ulyanov, but a brown-skinned, middle-aged lady. A doctor.


    ¡°Bring me over there,¡± Nolan whispered to Hao Ren as she pointed to a pile of discarded metal not too far away.


    The two came to the resting place and the ¡®doctor¡¯ followed without a sound. Nolan still kept her undiscernable expression and even as she struggled to walk she kept the dignified air about her. But as she sat down, she finally let out a hiss of pain. The ¡®doctor¡¯ did not say anything as she pulled out a syringe and injected a vial of restorative nanomachines on the base of Nolan¡¯s foot. It was clearly swollen by now.


    ¡°A light fracture. It¡¯ll take about 15 minutes to heal,¡± the doctor said after injecting Nolan before leaving without asking anything further.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    Nolan¡¯s voice rang next to him.

 Chapter 725

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    During the last bout, Hao Ren had deactivated his Steel Membrane Shield just at the very last minute. He believed that the sudden flicker would look like sweat reflected under the sunlight. However, without a doubt, Nolan had noticed that something was off: She kicked into a shield, which felt harder than titantium.


    Looking deep into Nolan¡¯s eyes, Hao Ren was suddenly overwhelmed by a feeling of being seen through. He could not believe the girl before him was merely 17 to 18 years old: Her eyes gave out a sense of pressure that would not pale in the face of a serious Vivian. But he quickly calmed himself down and pretended to relax. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sure bad at changing the topic.¡± Nolan said bluntly. ¡°What was that? That was not something possible even with bio-enhancement. And you are a Natural.¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly remembered a fool-proof excuse that he read from the novels. ¡°Have you heard of Qigong Kungfu¡­.¡±


    He was just about to weave a story that he was a undercover professional, a skill learned from a master stemmed from a favour given long ago, but Nolan reacted even faster than he could. ¡°Qigong? I¡¯ve heard of that. I¡¯ve also sparred with masters of the martial arts before, they were indeed really good, but that was definitely not Qigong. I saw my kick landing on a light screen.¡±


    Nolan¡¯s expression was no different than a rock as she said that. It was obvious she was not buying it. Hao Ren was at loss for words. Wasn¡¯t this a fool-proof excuse? Apparently the lass actually defeated a Qigong master before..


    Her observation too was sharp, and the presence of the shield did not escape her thus trying to pass it off as some sort of combat technique is now not possible. Even the most accomplished masters in this world would not be able to produce a barrier out of thin air. Thus Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°Alright, alright. It¡¯s actually some technological equipment, a barrier generator of sorts.¡±


    ¡°An equipment?¡± Nolan frowned. Seemed like she could at least buy this now. ¡°Why have I not heard of this?¡±


    ¡°No Naturals asked to be born weaker than an Evolved.¡± Hao Ren finally found something that he could weave his bullshit. ¡°The city I¡¯m from are researching for equipment that could improve the combat capabilities of the Naturals. I took a set when I left. But don¡¯t bother asking, we don¡¯t know each other that well yet, I won¡¯t give it to you.¡±


    As Hao Ren bullshitted he tried to run through the various possible scenarios that he might encounter. One after another ran through his mind and he did not plan to dwell on things if she did not buy it. But he never expected Nolan to have so little to say on the matter. ¡°Oh, so it seems. That means technology is still advancing¡­¡±


    Hao Ren immediately swallowed whatever he was about to say down as he discussed with the MDT in his mind. ¡°Did you record Nolan¡¯s movements earlier? What you think?¡±


    ¡°Many of my modules are still offline, so I couldn¡¯t scan her energy signatures, but based on her combat ability it was within the realms of normal human mbeings. Her strength and speed is humanlike, but she have reached the pinnacle in terms of skills and experience. She seemed to be very well versed in any form of combat, and her poise shows that she is very experienced in facing foes.¡±


    ¡°I think she is really all skill and experience.¡± It was a rare moment when Hao Ren concurred with the MDT. ¡°I did not sense any supernatural abilities earlier either, so Nolan probably has nothing to do with the Guardians. Her abilities are humanlike, with a few add-ons and enhancements.¡±


    ¡°Therein lies the problem. She¡¯s only seventeen.¡± the MDT reminded Hao Ren. ¡°Even if she started learning kungfu in the womb, and practiced Muay Thai from birth, she should not have skills of this level. Even if Lily was here, and both of them were to fight on the same terms, that husky would be on the losing side.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s gut immediately tightened. ¡°That strong?¡±


    ¡°I have records of all your combat data. While my sensors are down, I can still calculate and simulate things.¡±


    Nolan noticed Hao Ren was deep in thought and prodded him with a casual question. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°How are you that strong?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    He knew that Nolan needed a few more moments before she fully recovers. Even the potent nanomachine rejuvenants could not heal her immediately. So Hao Ren decided that now was a good time to better understand Nolan, and asked her whatever he could.


    ¡°Must there be a reason for being strong?¡± Nolan looked apathetically at Hao Ren.


    Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°Unless your combat ability is directly downloaded from a brain chip. But as far as I know this world doesn¡¯t have that sort of technology. Even the second generation Evolved could only temporarily store what they¡¯ve read in their minds and not directly translate them into experience. Where did you learn how to fight like that?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for me to answer that.¡± Nolan stood up, slightly wobbly as she seemed to have lost interest in the topic. ¡°I still have something to do, you¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was caught off guard and immediately called on Nolan. ¡°Wait up. I have something to pass to you. I found this in Hilton¡¯s room.¡±


    As he said that, Hao Ren¡¯s hand ruffled his chest pocket and pulled out from his Dimensional Pocket Hilton¡¯s diary and passed it over to Nolan. ¡°What¡¯s that? Hilton¡¯s diary?¡±


    ¡°While I don¡¯t know Hilton, this was probably the reason of his betrayal.¡± Hao Ren pointed at the diary. ¡°Look at the last few pages.¡±


    Nolan frowned as she opened the diary, and after a few flips she closed the book. A flash of doubt appeared on her face. Looking at Hao Ren, she asked. ¡°Have you seen what¡¯s in the book?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°But I didn¡¯t understand anything, seems like a madman¡¯s rambling.¡±


    ¡°Madmans¡­¡± Nolan muttered. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s quite the opposite. He probably got too close to the waking world.¡±


    Hao Ren raised an eyebrow at Nolan. ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. Nothing to do with you either.¡± Nolan shook her head as she kept the diary. ¡°Thank you for bringing this to me. But keep it a secret from others, this will cause unnecessary trouble.¡±


    As she said, Nolan turned to leave. ¡°Do you know what¡¯s actually going on?¡± Hao Ren called from behind.


    Nolan kept silent as Hao Ren continued his question. ¡°What is the nightmare that Hilton talked about. Is it a mental echo, or something real? He said that this world is fake, is there an actual ¡®real¡¯ world? Are you¡­¡±


    Nolan suddenly turn around and looked at Hao Ren straight in the eyes. ¡°Do you know what you were doing in your past life?¡±


    Hao Ren was dumbstruck by this odd question, and answered by instinct. ¡°This¡­ How would anyone know their past life?¡±


    A light within Nolan¡¯s eyes quickly faded away and she turned away. ¡°You should know. Using your imagination to escape reality is not a reliable refuge.¡±


    As she said that, the grey-haired lass walked on and left the place.


    Hao Ren looked as Nolan¡¯s figure disappeared into the distance. He rubbed his chin as he muttered to the MDT. ¡°Actually.. I¡¯m guessing that¡­¡±


    ¡°Samsara? A system reboot? You¡¯re suspecting that this world is trapped in a continuous cycle? Or you¡¯re suspecting that Nolan is the herald of those nanomachines?¡± The MDT knew what Hao Ren was thinking, but it did not agree with ¡®guessing¡¯. You can place thousands of possible guesses to explain something, but without solid proof, do not entertain the ¡®guesses¡¯ to much as it may cloud your perceptions.¡±


    ¡°I know. I still remember what¡¯s in the Inspector¡¯s handbook.¡± Hao Ren let out a breath. ¡°Section seven, line five. There¡¯s always an explaination to everything, but before the truth is known do not explain anything. Lets leave that behind and go fix that body of yours.¡±


    The MDT immediately let out a defeated voice. ¡°I don¡¯t like that topic at all.¡±


    Hao Ren almost instantenously rolled his eyes. ¡°Oh stop complaining. You¡¯re just laying there while I¡¯m out here doing the hard work.¡±


    ¡°I still don¡¯t like that topic.¡± The MDT let out a very human sigh in Hao Ren¡¯s mind. ¡°My body is now vulnerable, and if not for existing laws you might do something funny to it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Like your mother I would!¡±


    The two bickered as Hao Ren made his way back to his quarters. As as he expected, no one had went into the room since the day they left.


    And naturally, no one realised the disappearance of the corpse princess.


    Hao Ren started looking around as he stepped into the room, and after a while only did he manage to find the droid that he had left behind. The droid seemed to be a stunned stupor since it was left there and only belated reacted and went back into the Dimensional Pocket after Hao Ren motioned to it. Hao Ren then threw the corpse back on the bed as he tried to check for any changes to the body.


    ¡°Wait a minute!¡± The MDT roared as it was thrown. ¡°I¡­ I think I saw something.¡±


    Hao Ren did not need the MDT¡¯s protest to remind me of the change that he witnessed. As he pulled the blonde girl out from the Dimensional Pocket, he saw the latter blinked so ever slightly.

 Chapter 726

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    A blinking corpse. Most people would probably faint the moment they saw one, but thankfully Hao Ren¡¯s mental strength was titanium by now and he was unfazed by the experience. He lay the body on the bed before going ahead to inspect it. By now, the latter had returned to the ghastly gauntess from before as she lay there with her lifeless eyes half-opened. From this angle, she still looked no different than your usual corpse, and the blinking was probably just an illusion.


    But something indeed happened while the MDT continued to harp about some parts of its sensory functions coming online.


    ¡°There¡¯s some light, very blurry, but I did see something.¡± The MDT sounded very happy. ¡°And now that I can see¡­ I think my sense of touch has returned. But this is still weird, probably because my motor functions is not working.¡±


    Hao Ren waved his hand before the corpse princess. ¡°How¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Oh oh! There¡¯s a shadow. I saw a shadow!¡± the MDT¡¯s voice came immediately. ¡°But why can¡¯t I see clearly?¡±


    Hao Ren used his hands to pry the eyelids open. ¡°Can you see anything now?¡±


    The MDT was pleasently surprised. ¡°Oh Oh! I saw something. That¡¯s really cool. How did you do that?¡±


    Hao Ren used his fingers to hold the eyelids open as he moved his face close. ¡°That¡¯s because you were squinting! Open your eyes!¡±


    As he let his hands go, the blonde lass¡¯ eyelids went back to its original half-opened state. The MDT gave it a few tries but it was fruitless. ¡°Say¡­ how do you open your eyes?¡±


    ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you blink earlier?¡±


    ¡°That was not by me!¡± the MDT retorted. ¡°I never had an eyelid to speak of since I came off the assembly line! How the hell would I know how to control them.¡±


    Hao Ren opened his mouth before finding himself at a loss for words. He pulled out a roll of cellophene tape from his Dimensional Pocket and used it to forcibly keep the eyes open. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ve opened it for you. Get used to this sensation, and figure out a way to control it. Pronto.¡±


    Hao Ren felt that since he came to this world his interaction with the MDT had gotten into the uncanny valley.


    The MDT gave a emphatic ¡°Oh¡± as it started to activate the motor system that was incompatible with its systems. As it struggled to get it working, it grumbled. ¡°It¡¯s such a pain to control this body¡­ humanoid bodies have so many messy parts. I can¡¯t even begin to fathom how much brain power you guys need to even walk straight¡­ OH OH! My sight is moving! My sight is moving! Earthquake! Earthquake!¡±


    Hao Ren looked over. ¡°Quake your ass. That¡¯s your eyeballs moving. What were you doing when you¡¯re supposed to practice blinking?¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ such clunky controls. My usual optometry sensors is spherical and have an innate 360 view of everything. It¡¯s much much simpler.¡± The MDT rolled the eyesballs around, and this scene, happening on a stiff corpse was even more eerier than usual. ¡°I think I have managed to get hold of the signals when the eyes open. Pull off the tape¡­ uh¡­ softer¡­ my body is fragile¡­¡±


    Hao Ren pulled the tape off and saw the corpse princess blinking slowly. Her eyelids were shuddering, indicating that the MDT was still struggling with the controls. After a few tries later, the MDT seemed to have grasped the technique, ¡®she¡¯ opened her eyes wide as ¡®she¡¯ curiously absorbed the scenery before her. Her eyeballs darted about agilely before her vision landed on Hao Ren. ¡°Oh oh, partner, so that¡¯s how you look like with human eyes¡­ heh, such low res image.¡±


    Hao Ren was curious on how the MDT saw him usually. ¡°So how did I look like normally? Is it very different from now?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult to explain. Our sensory organs are different afet all. The corpse princess blinked (it was the only part that was movable). ¡°If you want a comparison¡­ it¡¯s like being so used games in 4K resolution than suddenly going back to play Tetris on a brick games device. It feels like your entire polygon count dropping considerably.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The MDT was not done yet. ¡°Heh, it feels like I¡¯m seeing you covered in mosaic. But that¡¯s better than nothing I guess.¡±


    Hao Ren ignored the MDT¡¯s lackadasical attitude and focused on observing the latter¡¯s facial expression as he tried to look for more traces of recovery. ¡°Can you move anything else other than the eyes? Any other parts that works?¡±


    ¡°My listening ability is restored, just realised that.¡± The MDT was checking its body functions. ¡°Seems like a part of my sense of touch is restored, but there is still a huge amount of signals floating about chaotically, I can¡¯t even be sure where did the signals came from, so that¡¯s that. Aside from that¡­¡±


    The MDT thought for a good while before starting to sound defeated again. ¡°And there¡¯s a whole bunch of odd signals, probably some human perception signal, like hot, cold, pain and the likes. But I don¡¯t understand them. These signals are no where near the level of clarity my sensors are about to receive. It almost feel like I¡¯m in a storm of signals, and there¡¯s nothing but noise everywhere.¡±


    Hao Ren frowned, and even thought he will never understand what the MDT was feeling, base on its description he realised that dropping a soul into an incompatible vessel was very problematic. The MDT was trying to adapt to a new vessel that it clearly saw was critically ¡®inferior¡¯. For it, all of the sensors of this new ¡®shell¡¯ was as good as defective, and none of it could transmit ¡®proper¡¯ data to it and this was foreign territory for this AI.


    ¡°Why did your sensory organs recovered anyway?¡± As the MDT was struggling against the vague signal Hao Ren murmured, almost as if speaking to himself. ¡°This body should¡¯ve been a dead corpse, and entire nervous system should have shut down¡­ So how does your organs even work?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea, I only know that this body is very clunky.¡± The MDT grumbled. ¡°And don¡¯t even think of opening me up. It took me a lot of effort to even get this going, don¡¯t go prodding around, you might wreck something by accident.¡±


    Hao Ren gave the corpse a glance. ¡°Just lay there. And this body of yours would need a surgery if I were to open it up and I have no idea how to perform one.¡±


    No matter how did the MDT was recovering its functions within a corpose, and why did this corpse suddenly regain its conciousness, it was at least a good sign. The MDT had made progress in controlling the blinking of the eye, and it fully restoring its functions was probably not too far-fetched. At least by that time Hao Ren did not have to be that corpse-lugging necrophile.


    But before that, there was a bigger problem. How would he even begin to explain to the mercenaries that the corpse had came back alive?!


    The MDT shot out a random idea. ¡°Just tell them it was a misdiagnosis last time around and that I was still alive, just in a death-like state.¡±


    Hao Ren glared back. ¡°What the bloody hell, people would have call bullshit? Who would¡¯ve believed me if I were to say that?¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you been claiming that all these while?¡±


    ¡°When I said it last time, people simply thought I was a lunatic. But if you were to go out and about it¡¯ll be them going crazy.¡± Hao Ren buried his face into his palm. ¡°Forget it. Just continue to pretend to be a corpse. Only move when no one¡¯s around.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll work. It¡¯s still to early for that anyway. I can¡¯t even mastered the art of blinking.¡± The MDT said as it blinked and eyeballs darted about. ¡°Oh right, those beacons you placed before, any thing from those?¡±


    ¡°I was planning to check them out when I returned here, but you got in the way.¡±


    Hao Ren said as he pulled out a communication device with full holographic display. It could communicate with the exploring droids, but as it did not come with its own AI, it was not as user-friendly as the MDT.


    Hao Ren turn back as he looked at the corpse/MDT as he sighed inwards: Really shitty luck to run into this scenario.


    After he activated the device and entired the data, Hao Ren was connected with the droids. As this was a rather simple process, Hao Ren could still do it without help, after the system went online he received the echoing signals from the droids. Despite the massive interference, the system managed to establish a stable contact with the droids.


    He then sent out a command to the droids to look for the beacons. The beacon launcher he realised that the slum had already been fully deployed and should by now be eminating some powerful navigation signals in space.


    ¡°Search fail. Unable to locate the beacon.¡±


    The droids replied in a mechanical tone.

 Chapter 727

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± the MDT stopped tossing its eyes around and asked through their mental connection.


    ¡°Something¡¯s blocking the beacon,¡± Hao Ren said, looking dead serious. ¡°The drone clusters have not received any navigation signals.¡±


    ¡°No navigation signals? Was there no communication established at all, or just no navigation information received?¡±


    A few minutes ago, the drone clusters had received messages from some beacons irregular intervals. But, there was no navigational data in those messages. Signal was lost entirely soon after.


    Hao Ren frowned slightly. ¡°Our beacon transmitter has stopped working. But I can still contact it from here. It is on the tallest building in Black Street, but the system shows channel failure between the beacon and the outer universe. The communication between the drone clusters and the beacon only lasted four and a half minutes, and there were hardly any useful signals.¡±


    The MDT thought for a moment and said, ¡°Hold me up!¡±


    Hao Ren put ¡®her¡¯ in front of the comm so that ¡®she¡¯ could see the displayed parameters. The MDT looked frustrated after looking at it. ¡°I just realized I don¡¯t even have a slot now. There is no way I can connect to the thing¡­¡±


    ¡°Can it get more absurd than this?¡± Hao Ren was agitated.


    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s impossible to navigate using the beacon,¡± the MDT ignored Hao Ren¡¯s anger. ¡°There is still no way to determine the location of Planet Zorm. What are you going to do next?¡±


    ¡°Launch the probe,¡± Hao Ren replied without hesitation. ¡°If there is a layer of distorted space shrouding Zorm, then this space should have a physical limit. We can launch the probe into space and see how far it would go. If this doesn¡¯t work, then I will bring in the Petrachelys and fly it out from here.¡±


    The two of them began to study the best way to launch the probe; they did not want to attract unnecessary attention. They were going to leave the mercenary base in the evening and launch the probe in the suburbs, of course, all under some pretenses. Just when they were about to finish the discussion, a loud noise suddenly came from outside the barracks.


    Hao Ren peeked through the alloy shutters on the side window. Mercenaries were running around as a bullet-laden armored vehicle was rolling in from the main gate. Then it ground to a halt. A tall man with the body of a bodybuilder jumped down from the vehicle. Hao Ren instantly recognized the man¡ªthe mercenary whom he met on the first day, Carl.


    ¡°Looks like they have another operation.¡± Hao Ren whispered. ¡°Look! Nolan is here too.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t see! You have to carry me out on your back and act like a necrophile again!¡±


    ¡°Wait in the room,¡± Hao Ren said to the MDT. ¡°I go and check out the situation.¡±


    He dashed out leaving the MDT in the room. The MDT¡¯s voice echoed in his mind. ¡°Connect me to your vision, please! Are you letting me staring at the ceiling here? Hey, you necrophile! Don¡¯t go! Be professional!¡±


    Hao Ren saw Ulyanov was standing there. He came up from behind and patted on Ulyanov¡¯s shoulder. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Carl has returned from Zero City. He might have come back with a deal,¡± Ulyanov said without looking at him. ¡°He is the liaison officer between Zero City and us.¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at Carl. He was surprised that the rugged guy was a Gray Fox diplomat¡ªNolan must have chosen Carl for the post based on metaphysics.


    All mercenaries stood to aside as Nolan came out from behind the crowd. Hao Ren noticed she was still staggering slightly in her step. But other than that, her bone fracture seemed to have healed thanks to the wonder of Nano-medical technology.


    ¡°Boss, White River Consortium offers us a deal,¡± said Carl, his head bowed slightly. ¡°They ask us to escort a few people.¡±


    ¡°Escort?¡± Nolan raised her eyebrows. ¡°The old fart called you over just for this? Have all his men died?¡±


    ¡°What is White River Consortium?¡± Hao Ren asked Ulyanov next to him in a whisper. ¡°A ladyboy headquarters?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    One of the mercenaries said, ¡°White River Consortium is one of the biggest gangs in Zero City. They control a quarter of the Zero City guards. By right, they don¡¯t need help from the mercenary in any military operations in the Zero City metropolis and Black street.¡±


    Carl replied to Nolan, ¡°Their operation is not within the bound of Zero City and Black Street this time. They can¡¯t deploy their guard this time around.¡±


    ¡°Target destination?¡± Nolan asked cautiously.


    ¡°The Northern Ring Tower.¡±


    There was a sudden outcry among the mercenaries when they heard the place¡¯s name. Nolan waved her hand and dismissed it quickly. ¡°We¡¯re not going to take this job.¡±


    Almost at the same time as Nolan¡¯s voice trailed off, another gruff voice said, ¡°I will.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Ulyanov in astonishment: it was Ulyanov speaking.


    ¡°Are you sure you want to go to the Northern Ring Tower?¡± Nolan looked at Ulyanov; her gray eyes lacked emotion. ¡°That place is a life-forbidding zone.¡±


    ¡°But you came out alive, and more than once,¡± Ulyanov said, staring at Nolan through his visor. ¡°Gray Fox knows the safest route. Otherwise, White River Consortium wouldn¡¯t have looked for us to do the job for them.¡±


    ¡°You know this is business, don¡¯t you?¡± said Nolan, raising her arms and folding across her chest. ¡°I can¡¯t afford to lose money in any deal. I have been to the place three times and lost money three times. The most tragic one was only three persons came back alive. So I¡¯m not going to take this job.¡±


    Carl suddenly said, ¡°White River Consortium is offering good money for it.¡±


    Nolan¡¯s eyebrows twitched as Carl bent down and whispered into her ear. Hao Ren took this opportunity and asked Ulyanov, ¡°What¡­I mean is: where is the Northern Ring Tower? Why are you so adamant to go there?¡±


    Hao Ren thought that the Northern Ring Tower was a thing. But he quickly realized his mistake when he noticed the reactions of the mercenaries. He quickly rephrased so not to appear like an ignorant.


    Ulyanov remained silent for a moment before he said, ¡°None of your business. I go there and have a look.¡±


    Ulyanov not quite acquainted with Hao Ren yet. He did not want to elaborate.


    Hao Ren felt a little disappointed. Suddenly the MDT spoke in his mind. ¡°Northern Ring Tower? Do you want me to search information of it?¡±


    ¡°You?¡± Hao Ren hesitated for a moment. ¡°What can you do now? You can¡¯t do shit except moving your eyeballs.¡±


    ¡°I stood up just now. One of the legs is working¡­¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly choked and coughed. All eyes suddenly stared at him. He quickly waved his hand, apologized, and looked down to conceal the surprised look on his face. ¡°You could get up? You¡¯ve mastered the ability to move in such a short time?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a genius, right?¡± the MDT said with a boastful voice. ¡°I have written a dozen drivers using programming language. Now the body can move. By the way, do you want me to look for information? I can almost reach the laptop now.¡±


    ¡°Do it.¡±


    As Carl finished whispering to Nolan, she brooded. After a long while, she looked at the mercenaries around her. ¡°Okay, you¡¯re free to choose whether to join this mission. Anyone who could come back alive will get an eco-home in Zero City as a reward.¡±


    It was the White River Consortium that made this offer.


    Hao Ren had no clue how much an eco-home worth. But judging from the reactions of the mercenaries probably is worth a lot.


    The MDT had gotten something. ¡°Found it. The Northern Ring Tower was the control center when the Nanomachine Swarms lost control sixty-five years ago. That place is still intact, and Three-Master Computers are still buried underneath!¡±

 Chapter 728

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The loss of control of the Nanomachine Swarm 65 years ago¡­


    The war had been raging on for so long that it was almost impossible to explain what it was all about. It was also impossible to understand who the first provoker of the war was. But, there was at least some consensus among the people that the Nanomachine Swarm, which went berserk, was absolutely the deadliest cause.


    The Nanomachine Swarm in the Northern Hemisphere had eroded the protective walls, instantly annihilating three nearby cities. The area that the Nanomachine Swarm ravaged remained a dead zone until now. As the soil and environment changed, no plants could grow. There were highly toxic chemicals and remnants of the Nanomachine Swarm in the water. Less than half of the adventurers who ventured into that area of death came back alive.


    But the incredible thing was although the Nanomachine Swarm had melted everything around them, one place survived; that was the Northern Ring Tower in the middle of the Nano sea. No one could explain this phenomenon. That was where Nolan was going.


    No one in his or her right mind would want to go there. The land that the Nanomachine Swarm destroyed had become a wasteland, worthless. Except for a few powerful forces with particular interest for the pre-war technology, few ventured to the ruins in the north. The biggest problem in getting to the ruins was lack of guidance. Very few people could go to the ruins and come back alive; Nolan was one of them. Such guides were expensive to hire. Most of the time there was a high offer but no taker. Not everyone was keen to trade life for money.


    Nolan told them about the offer White River Consortium made. The mercenaries were tempted, but the chances of dying were even more daunting. Nolan also knew this. So she made it a voluntary mission and let her men decide whether for themselves. Ulyanov was the first to offer himself. Others were merely whispering among themselves. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Hao Ren had the information about the Northern Ring Tower. He knew the stories of Ulyanov and the place; this man was the sole survivor of the accident sixty-five years ago. Perhaps he still had some unfinished business there.


    Hao Ren stepped forward after Ulyanov. ¡°Count me in too.¡±


    Nolan looked at Hao Ren in surprise. ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m also interested in the Northern Ring Tower,¡± Hao Ren smiled. ¡°You¡¯re short of manpower, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°But you are not a mercenary,¡± Nolan pulled her brows together. ¡°I thought you¡¯re not interested in becoming a mercenary?¡±


    Hao Ren brushed it off. ¡°I don¡¯t like being controlled. This time I will merely work as a partner. What do you say? I can take care of myself, and I will not become a liability. Maybe you should treat me as one more luggage¡­¡±


    Nolan probably had never met someone so daredevil. There was even a surprised look at her emotionless face. ¡°You sound like it¡¯s a walk in the park. Do you know where Northern Ring Tower is?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Yeah. I know I¡¯m dicing with death, but I¡¯m not afraid. When things turn ugly, you just run, don¡¯t wait for me. Do we have a deal? Or you want me to give you a black-and-white guarantee that I will not hold you responsible for my death and things like that?¡±


    Nolan eyeballed Hao Ren, sizing him up. Then, there was a sense of enlightenment on her face. ¡°Oh, I figure; you¡¯re looking forward to death, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­¡±


    Hao Ren thought he would convince Nolan to let him tag along. But it seemed that the misunderstanding had also deepened.


    Ulyanov patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re a good man. But you don¡¯t have to waste your lives this way. You still have a long way ahead, life is¡ª¡±


    Hao Ren snapped, ¡°Why do you still think that I¡¯m mad? I want to help, can¡¯t I?¡±


    He then kept nagging Nolan for quite a while until she finally gave in. She let him become her ¡®outsourced personnel¡¯. But Hao Ren still kept nagging, but only in his mind, for earlier refusal to take him in despite him giving a too-good-to-be-true offer.


    But Nolan felt more bizarre than Hao Ren did; among the many daredevils she had met, this one was a rare type. Love blinds; the pain of losing the loved one caused him looking for a death wish. She had no choice but to help him fulfill his desires.


    But Hao Ren could not read her mind. Had he learned what Nolan was thinking, he would have gotten furious.


    Seeing that her other men were still hesitating, Nolan waved her hand and dismissed them. ¡°Go back and think about it. Carl, give me a list before nightfall. I will decide on the list before noon tomorrow, and we depart in the afternoon.¡±


    As the mercenaries dispersed, Hao Ren and Ulyanov walked back to the barracks. Perhaps they were soon to become brothers in arms; Ulyanov began to have more trust in Hao Ren. He patted Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°You still have time. Go back and think about whether you want to waste your life. Nolan will not say anything even if you quit tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°You sound like I¡¯d certainly die,¡± said Hao Ren, forcing a smile as he looked at Ulyanov through his shiny visor. ¡°I know you think that I want to end my life because my wife has died¡­ I cannot explain it now. But don¡¯t worry; I value my life more than anyone else does. I want to find out something I¡¯m concerned about in the Northern Ring Tower. As dangerous as it is I¡¯m sure I will make it back in one piece.¡±


    ¡°Before I met Nolan, I had gone into that place once while I was still the head of a small mercenary organization,¡± Ulyanov paused and then continued. ¡°Most of our men died before we could make it to the border. Don¡¯t underestimate that place; the ruins devoured many people each year.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Ulyanov. ¡°If so, why do you still want to go?¡±


    He had asked this question before, but Ulyanov did not answer him at that time. Now that the two were about to embark on the dangerous journey together, so Ulyanov confided, ¡°As I said, sixty-five years ago, I was a researcher working near a Nanomachine Swarm.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and waited for Ulyanov to continue.


    ¡°My wife was the operator of Master Computers,¡± Ulyanov said slowly. ¡°When the swarm got out of control, Northern Ring Tower automatically sealed itself off. All the staff were unable to get out. But the Nanomachines didn¡¯t invade the ring tower either. So they survived.¡±


    Hao Ren was wide-eyed. ¡°Oh, you mean you want to¡­¡±


    ¡°Find her personal effects¡­ or body,¡± Ulyanov shook his head. ¡°They must be there.¡±


    Then, Ulyanov left without looking back, leaving Hao Ren bewildered.


    The voice of the MDT sounded in his mind. ¡°He is the real man as opposed to you. He probably lives to wait for this moment.¡±


    Hao Ren did not feel like to bicker. He just returned to his room in silence.


    As soon as he opened the door, he heard a grizzly mysterious female voice inside. ¡°Hey, partner, welcome back.¡±


    Hao Ren was shocked. A blonde was leaning at the corner, sitting up not far in front of him.


    The young girl, stained with blood, looked pale. Although half of her body was paralyzed, she still tried to balance herself and sit up.


    Next to her was Khiton¡¯s laptop. She was struggling with the keyboard as she could only move one of her hands.


    She looked miserable and pitiful. If not for Hao Ren knew ¡®she¡¯ was a brick, he would have sympathy overflown.


    The blonde tilted her head slightly as if she wants to look up at Hao Ren, but soon she gave up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, the drivers seem a little buggy, and I still couldn¡¯t lift my head.¡±


    Hao Ren quickly closed the door behind him for fear that someone might discover the girl faking her death. He came up before the MDT. ¡°Can you speak?¡±


    ¡°A little,¡± said the MDT. Its voice was strange and intermittent, sounding like a child who had just learned to speak. ¡°The body is tough to control, and I fell several times while trying to get up. But I did learn how to crawl.¡±


    She struggled to climb up the bed next to her as only one of her arms, and one of her legs were moveable. ¡°Let me examine your body.¡± Hao Ren held her.


    The girl screamed. ¡°How can you do that to your PDA?¡±


    ¡°Damn it¡ªI need to figure out how you¡¯ve got it working!¡±

 Chapter 729

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After the examination, Hao Ren looked up at the blonde girl. ¡°No heartbeat; your body¡¯s cold. But, external wounds have healed. It must be the medical film. Theoretically, the body¡¯s dead.¡±


    The blonde girl used her only free hand to cover her chest, feeling ashamed. ¡°Are you done fondling me yet?¡±


    ¡°If you still make a fuss, I¡¯ll strap you to the probe and launch you into outer space!¡± Hao Ren smacked her on the forehead. ¡°Where on Earth did you get your dirty mind?¡±


    The MDT wielded its arm. ¡°Do you know how much porn is in my memory? Do I look like I lack any of the materials?¡±


    Speechless.


    Hao Ren was rooted to the spot. The MDT raised its hand and began to study it and feel everything novel. ¡°Fingers, joints, muscles¡­ so many redundant structures, do you know how difficult it is to control them? Especially when the software is not compatible with the body. I need to issue an instruction to every muscle to perform an action, which akin to using a mouse to control a battleship, and mind you the mouse has only one button.¡±


    Hao Ren stretched out his hand and moved his fingers in front of ¡®her¡¯ eyes deliberately. ¡°Envious? Are you envious of me?¡±


    ¡°I have more threads than you do! I can calculate faster than you can! My shell is harder than you are! And I can emit blue light. Why should I envy you?¡± the MDT talked back, and it was very fluent. ¡®She¡¯ was making impressive progress at controlling the body.


    ¡®She¡¯ tried to sit up by grabbing Hao Ren¡¯s arm with her right hand, then straightening ¡®her¡¯ legs to balance ¡®herself¡¯ and staggering to get up. After a few attempts, she succeeded to stand on ¡®her¡¯ feet. ¡®She¡¯ then turned and waved at Hao Ren. ¡°Keep an eye on me. I¡¯m trying to walk¡ªAw!¡±


    The MDT fell to the ground face down. Hao Ren quickly rushed forward and held it up. Wiping ¡®her¡¯ face and patting ¡®her¡¯ chest, ¡®she¡¯ said, ¡°I¡¯m lucky to have lat chest, it won¡¯t hurt falling face down¡­¡±


    Hao Ren folded his arms and looked helplessly. ¡°How many times I have to tell you, they¡¯re not your breasts. You borrow them¡­¡±


    ¡°Whoever found them owns them. So, mind your own business,¡± the MDT swung its hand and continued to walk with her one leg. The best she could do was to stand up and balance herself. But soon, to her surprise, her other leg began to move. Hao Ren was surprised. It was not very coordinated, but she could start walking albeit wobbly. As time goes by, ¡®she¡¯ got better at it!¡±


    Although the MDT had complained that the human body was clumsy, it now began to find enthusiasm in using the new body like a child got a new toy. ¡®She¡¯ walked a step at a time, turning to look at Hao Ren occasionally to mimic his movements. Despite hitting the table and wall many times, the MDT never gave up.


    Seeing the MDT¡¯s unwavering spirit and the body, Hao Ren could not help but sigh. ¡°It¡¯s like you have just recovered from a twenty-year-old cerebral thrombosis¡­¡±


    ¡°I have a question,¡± the MDT said, seemingly unperturbed by Hao Ren¡¯s mocking. She stopped and scratched her jaw like Hao Ren used to do. ¡°Since my body is moving, does it burn energy?¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at the MDT, feeling not entirely sure. ¡°Hmm, maybe¡­¡±


    ¡°Where should I get energy supply?¡± the MDT asked, tilting its head. Not that ¡®she¡¯ wanted to look cool, but ¡®her¡¯ control of the neck was still clumsy. ¡°Should I eat, or recharge?¡±


    The MDT¡¯s questions stunned him. He hesitated for a long moment before pointing at ¡®her¡¯ belly. ¡°I think eating might be a bad idea; inside is still a mess only that the outside is patched up with a film. If you try to eat, the thing may become a pot of stewed pork.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you feel disgusting?¡±


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes and said, ¡°Does PDA have a feeling at all?¡±


    The MDT could not talk back. ¡®She¡¯ laughed wryly and steered away from the topic. ¡°Well, the fact that this body moves is already abnormal in itself; let¡¯s save the question to another time. We need to discuss what I should do tomorrow. Can I go to the outside?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll find an excuse and bring you out of the base¡­ um, just saying I¡¯m going to bury you outside and then shove you inside the dimensional pocket when no one is looking. Don¡¯t get out when people are around.¡±


    ¡°Tsk, what a shame! I have tried so hard to move. Now I have to lie inside the dimensional pocket,¡± the MDT complained. ¡°How good it would be had I regained the mobility when I first came, you could have to explain to people that I was suffering from brain thrombosis and had recovered. At least I could have swaggered around in front of people now¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, with the freaking wound in your stomach?¡± Hao Ren eyeballed the MDT. ¡°Can we say something that makes sense?¡±


    The MDT thought for a moment, scratched her head like how Hao Ren used to do. ¡°Oh, I forgot.¡±


    ¡°Are you imitating me?¡± Hao Ren asked, finally noticing it. ¡°This hair-scratching habit too¡­¡±


    The MDT rolled its eyes ¡ª mimicking Hao Ren¡¯s behavior. ¡°You bet it. I collected the most human behavior data from you. You¡¯re my behavior template.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at ¡®her,¡¯ wondering what she would look like sitting with a 4-figure posture; his stomach churned. ¡°Can you get another template? You had better imitate Lily or Vivian. You are a girl.¡±


    ¡°Machine has no gender,¡± the blonde said, swinging ¡®her¡¯ head. Still, ¡®she¡¯ obliged. ¡°Well, you are right.¡±


    ¡®She¡¯ then squatted; both hands on the floor as ¡®she¡¯ gazed into the distance. Hao Ren was puzzled. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Lily. That was how she usually waited at the door after you went out.¡±


    Hao Ren almost choked himself. ¡°All right, let¡¯s change to Vivian.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re troublesome¡­ By the way, how did Vivian manage to dangle herself from a beam?¡±


    ¡°Just normal conduct, would you?¡±


    The two of them studied human behavior until Ulyanov came over to call them for dinner. The MDT had to play dead again as Hao Ren followed Ulyanov over to the mercenary¡¯s canteen.


    Since the collapse of the ecosystem, natural food had become an elusive luxury. The organic matter that the Nanomachine Swarm synthesized was the only thing the civilians could eat. Hao Ren followed Ulyanov and collected his food. The food looked like fresh vegetables and juicy meat, very appealing. He put some in his mouth; they tasted bland and bitter, laden with tonnes of additives and artificial flavorings.


    Ulyanov took off his helmet and slowly poured a liquid food into his esophagus. He could not taste it because he had lost his gustatory sense many years ago. He ate only to live and ensure that the vital organs continued to function.


    If not for his particular insistence, he would have considered replacing the whole body with a machine, just like some retired soldiers with only a biochemical brain remained. In that way, he only needed concentrated nutrient solutions and batteries to live and recharge every seven days.


    But, he chose to retain the ¡®human body.¡¯ Although the body had brought him many trouble and pain, he never thought of giving it up.


    Hao Ren¡¯s brows knit together as he stuffed the rubbery ¡®stewed meat¡¯ in his mouth. He looked up and said, ¡°I plan to bury her tomorrow.¡±


    Ulyanov froze for a moment before a sigh of relief came out of his synthetic vocal cord. ¡°Well¡­ this is going to be good for you and her. I thought you were still as stubborn as a mule.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    He had given up explaining.

 Chapter 730

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Three armored vehicles were running parallel to each other in the desolate wilderness. The distinctive emblem of Gray Fox shone on the side armor of each car. Dry winds from the plains rolled up the dust and beat on the car¡¯s body as the silhouette of the city slowly disappeared into the horizon behind the convoy.


    There were no visible signs of human life, only strange crags, and potholes in the wasteland. The dusty, grayish yellow sky hung low, almost touching the same grayish land below. It gave the illusion that the world was a mass of yellow sand. Theoretically, the convoy was hustling on an intercontinental highway. However, the concrete surface by the roadside was barely recognizable as nature had wiped out the last traces of civilization, which once existed there. After more than 60 years of weathering, nature had reclaimed the concrete road.


    The mercenary team, led by Nolan, would soon reach the ruins of the north. After departing from Black Street, they were heading west to the Gray River. Hao Ren was in the convoy that had set off yesterday afternoon and been traveling for nearly twenty hours without stopping. The city¡¯s ruins that had just disappeared in the horizon behind them was the last district in Broken Valley. From this point onwards, they would not see any urban ruins until they reached the Gray River. The desolate wilderness would be the only landscape for the next three days.


    Hao Ren and Nolan were in the second armored vehicle, modified to carry personnel. The middle car in convoy was the most closely guarded one because Gray Fox clients were in it.


    Two stone-faced men were sitting at the back of the carriage wearing uniforms different from those of the mercenaries. They were said to be researchers from White River Consortium. Another two senior guards from White Water Consortium sat on both sides, were responsible for protecting the researchers and monitoring the work of Gray Fox. Nolan¡¯s mission was to escort these four people safely across to Northern Ring Tower¡ªand then to ensure at least one of the researchers would make it back alive.


    The last sentence was the original wording of the Letter of Order of White River Consortium.


    The four ¡®clients¡¯ hardly talked with the mercenaries. They occasionally spoke in a low voice among themselves to avoid others from hearing what they said. Paying attention to them was pointless. So Hao Ren turned around and looked at the monitor screen mounted on the carriage. He could see the outside scenery, which was only an endless wasteland, on the monitor. Ulyanov whispered, ¡°Not even rangers would survive in this hellish place.¡±


    ¡°Relax, we are now in the safest place of ??the world,¡± said Nolan who was sitting across the carriage. Her hands behind her head, eyes slightly shut, and feet resting on the steel armrest before her. ¡°There is no human in this place. The only danger is nothing but highly toxic soil and water.¡±


    Carl hugged his large rifle and curled up in the corner. Hearing Nolan¡¯s words, he sniffled. ¡°Gee, that¡¯s safe.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the four men from White Water Consortium at the end of the carriage. He then sat down next to Nolan. ¡°Do you know what they are going to do there?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Nolan said, appearing indifferent. ¡°I don¡¯t poke my nose into my client¡¯s business. That¡¯s why I could live until today. You shouldn¡¯t know beyond what you should know.¡±


    She then paused and noticed the curiosity on his face. She shrugged and lowered her voice. ¡°Probably they are after the Master Computers, the pre-war Nanomachine Swarm program, and the next-generation Nanomachine Swarm technical draft inside the Northern Ring Tower. Those who could get their hands on any one of those things will be rich. Those who went to the North all these years were basically after those things.¡±


    ¡°Pre-war technology¡­¡± Hao Ren whispered. ¡°Does it still work now?¡±


    ¡°Why do you want to go there?¡± Nolan raised one of her eyebrows. ¡°I heard that you buried your wife in the wilderness outside Black Street in the morning. It looks like you¡¯re not giving up your life just yet by going to the North.¡±


    Hao Ren twisted the corner of his mouth, feeling hapless. ¡°My mind is sound all this while, mind you. I need to confirm something in the Northern Ring Tower. And I¡¯m only taking a ride and not going to ruin your interest in any way.¡±


    Nolan suddenly stared at Hao Ren, looking dead serious. ¡°To be honest, I always thought something was wrong with you since the first meeting.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡±


    ¡°Too optimistic, too calm, and too devil-may-care,¡± said Nolan, turning her head away. ¡°I thought at first these were the cause of your insanity. But now they seem not. You remind me of those people who grew up in a peaceful era, but those people couldn¡¯t keep your kind of state of mind for very long in this scorched land.¡±


    ¡°You look young, but is very observant.¡± Hao Ren said inadvertently.


    ¡°I look young?¡± Nolan said softly and looked up at the monitor in the carriage. Then she pressed the intercom button next to her and said to the soldier in the cab. ¡°Kim, have we crossed the old Route 17?¡±


    The soldier in the cab replied, ¡°Just passed a few minutes ago.¡±


    ¡°Take a rest. Let the car run in autopilot mode. There is no need for a driver for the next two days.¡±


    ¡°Roger that, boss.¡±


    Though Black Street and Zero City were the closest human settlements to the ruins of the North, there was still a long distance from there to the Northern Ring Tower. This life-forbidden area was impenetrable for ordinary people. Even professional mercenaries need the support of modern equipment and the best physical and mental state to go there. For two days, the convoy was slowly approaching the ruins of the North under the guidance of the autopilot system. As the destination drew near, everyone became anxious. The mercenaries that Nolan brought out were the most courageous and loyal group of people of Gray Fox, but now they still could not help feeling uneasy.


    ¡°Being killed by the Nanomachine Swarm is a very horrifying experience,¡± Ulyanov said to Hao Ren on their fourth day of the journey. ¡°The dying feels like an eternity, and it usually begins with your internal organs. As your body dissolves, there comes the illusion of extreme burning and tearing sensations. The greater pressure is psychological. You will feel that you are turning into some weird substance and the feeling will linger on for several minutes.¡±


    Hao Ren was gazing at the scenery outside. Ulyanov¡¯s words gave him a strange feeling. ¡°Are you demoralizing your fellow mercenaries?¡±


    Ulyanov laughed hoarsely. The laughter seemed to have a naughty meaning in it. ¡°I just wanted to remind those that are attracted by the seemingly dormant Nanomachine Swarm. The Nanomachine might suddenly wake up without warning.¡±


    The two researchers from White Water Consortium glanced at Ulyanov with a disgruntled look on their faces.


    Suddenly, the voice of the driver sounded through the intercom speaker. ¡°The Gray River! The Gray River is right in front! Boss, we have arrived at the Gray River!¡±


    The words ¡®Gray River¡¯ seemed to possess magical of some sort; the mercenaries bounced up, raised their heads, and clenched their weapons. They were anxious and excited at the same time. Nolan grabbed her equipment and got to her feet. ¡°Everyone, bring your electromagnetic hibernator and follow me!¡±


    The mercenaries jumped out from the carriages as the armored vehicles ground to a halt. Before Ulyanov got up, he shoved a palm-sized device that looked like an old radio into Hao Ren¡¯s arms. ¡°Take this; it¡¯s an electromagnetic hibernator.¡±


    Hao Ren took over the gadget, feeling bizarre. Hurried by those from behind, he jumped off the car.


    An endless barren land spread out in front of his eyes. A hundred meters away, he saw the leading armored vehicle had stopped beside a river. On the bank of the river, there was a continuous, neat flow of metallic luster.


    Hao Ren followed the mercenaries and ran over. He then looked at the scene in awe. ¡°This is the Gray River?¡±


    All he saw was an endless gray, viscous, weird liquid flowing in the river. The texture looked like asphalt with bone-like color. The liquid flew very slowly, almost like a slow-motion film. The ever surging, sticky gray ¡®river surface¡¯ gave people a bizarre feeling. In this black-and-white-movie-like place, at the edge of the Gray River, a layer of seemingly plated armor was covering the rock on the riverbanks, as if naturally formed riverbanks, holding back the dangerous ¡®water¡¯ in the riverbed.


    It was the Gray River.

 Chapter 731

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren stood on the metal riverbank as he looked at the endless, viscous, and slow-moving liquid in the river. He could not help but associate it with the dangerous lifeblood. All the mercenaries were keeping their distance from the riverbank fearfully. Only Hao Ren, Ulyanov and Nolan stood in front. Ulyanov¡¯s hoarse voice then reverberated out from his helmet, ¡°The end of the world is just a step away.¡±


    ¡°This is the Nanomachine Swarm?¡± Hao Ren looked down at the viscous liquid in the Gray River. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ massive.¡±


    ¡°Everyone knows the Gray River is made up of the Nanomachine Swarm.¡± Nolan looked at Hao Ren. ¡°You should have crossed one of the Gray Rivers when you fled the city of the Naturals. Have you not seen it?¡±


    ¡°One of the Gray Rivers?¡± Hao Ren frowned and then steered away from the subject. ¡°No. It was chaotic back then; I was separated from the group. I didn¡¯t pay attention to the surroundings. What is your plan to cross this river? By boat?¡±


    ¡°Waiting for it to solidify,¡± Nolan turned and walked away, and began to issue commands. ¡°People, we¡¯ll rest here. We will cross the river after dusk! Kim, Lorraine, make sure the armored vehicles are in standby mode, and I want all electromagnetic hibernators switched on twenty-four hours. Report if you encounter a problem with the electromagnetic hibernator.¡±


    The mercenaries immediately acted under orders. They rested beside the armored vehicles and took out compressed food from the car to replenish their energy. Carl walked up and down among the soldiers and shouted, ¡°Do not touch the soil directly with your hands. Look after your water tumbler, and discard it immediately if found damaged! Get another antidote in half an hour time. Those who have a burning sensation while breathing take double the dosage!¡±


    Ulyanov swaggered to the armored vehicle and said, ¡°I don¡¯t need the antidote for the toxic air. My lungs have long gone.¡±


    ¡°He was a very optimistic guy,¡± said the ardent mercenary girl who was walking past. ¡°But it gives people a headache whenever he jokes with his guts. Have you come out of the trauma? Are you not planning to start a new relationship in a new place?¡±


    As she spoke, she went up to Hao Ren. Hao Ren took a step back. ¡°Shall I throw you into the Gray River to cool yourself down?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not funny.¡±


    Hao Ren turned and walked back to the armored vehicle. He remembered there was a computer in the vehicle. The primary search function was open to all. He had seen how Nolan used the terminal. After fiddling for a moment, he succeeded in connecting to the internet and began to search for information about the Gray River and the ruins in the north.


    The ruins in the north referred to the entire area the Nanomachine Swarm had destroyed sixty-five years ago. That included three dissolved cities and the vast expanse of land between them. Hundreds of thousands of square kilometers of the area had become a dead zone. Their destination was Northern Ring Tower in the mid-south of the ruins. As for the Gray Rivers, they were remnants of the Nanomachine Swarm.


    The Gray River was not a single river as Hao Ren had initially thought but a series of radial cracks spreading around the ruins in the North. Other than the smaller tributaries, there were hundreds of larger ones. Like a spider web, these rivers isolated the entire northern ruins from the outside world. Looking from the air, the ruins in the North seemed like a bloody eyeball, and the Gray Rivers were bloodshot. Anyone wishing to reach the Northern Ring Tower must cross the Gray Rivers.


    Looking at the simple maps found on the internet, the major routes between the Natural city and Lawless District ran across one of the Gray Rivers. No wonder Nolan thought that Hao Ren had seen the Gray River.


    Although the Nanomachine Swarm had dissolved everything in the area, it did not cover every inch of the ruins in the north. The Nanomachine Swarm remnants just concentrated in the many Gray Rivers and divided the land into many ¡®isles.¡¯ Debris modified by the Nanomachine Swarm littered the isles. Toxic substances created by the insane Nanomachine Swarm had polluted the soil. As the terrible, gray ¡®slime¡¯ was everywhere; these isles were the only safe places.


    Nolan seemed to know the best route¡ªa series of contiguous lands. They only needed to cross a few Gray Rivers to reach the ruins of the Ring Tower.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think something is amiss?¡± The voice of the MDT sounded in Hao Ren¡¯s mind. ¡°There is information about the loss of control of Nanomachine Swarm, but not a single word about how to control them. These things could have destroyed the whole world, but why did they stop in the Gray River?¡±


    ¡°Nothing on the internet. Probably someone erased the information,¡± Hao Ren said, turning off the computer and left the car. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Nolan. How do you feel in the dimensional pocket?¡±


    ¡°Incidentally, I found your gravity generator. Now there is a standard ground of 1.0G gravity. I¡¯m learning to walk,¡± said the MDT, sounding very pleasant. ¡°I think this is it; the body still feels like having cerebral thrombosis. It is not going to get better no matter how hard I try. Probably the compatibility has got a bottleneck.¡±


    ¡°Well, as long as you¡¯re happy, but don¡¯t touch my arsenal.¡±


    Hao Ren found Nolan, who was standing alone on the bank of the river and gazing at the sky that was getting darker. The silhouette of the gray-haired girl looked extremely thin in the dim light. Hao Ren went up from behind. From a dozen meters away, he noticed Nolan¡¯s ears flicked slightly; the mercenary leader had a terrific auditory ability.


    Hao Ren waved to her as she turned around. ¡°Why are you not with everyone else?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°The Gray River is about to solidify,¡± Nolan said, pointing at the river below with her chin. The viscous liquid was flowing slower and slower, seemingly solidifying. ¡°After dusk, the Nanomachine Swarm will stop temporarily like an alloy platform, hard enough to allow the armored vehicles to cross. Of course, do not switch off the electromagnetic hibernators, or else these things will wake up in a flash. That was how men of my team died.¡±


    Nolan seemed to be in a good mood, or rather excitement. She was not so cold and alienated as before, but patiently answering Hao Ren¡¯s questions. Hao Ren also thought that this was an excellent time to ask questions. ¡°How did humans stop these out-of-control Nanomachine Swarm sixty-five years ago?¡±


    ¡°Stop?¡± Nolan shook her head slowly. ¡°No one had stopped them. The swarm stopped spreading on its own. At that time, many people thought that the world was going to end as all countermeasures and safety devices failed. Everyone here was waiting for the final moment. But the sudden halt of the Nanomachine Swarm saved the humans. Have you seen these riverbanks?¡±


    Nolan stomped on the metal surface. The shape of these ¡®riverbanks¡¯ was similar to the rock of nature, but it was metal.


    ¡°Humans didn¡¯t make these barriers; Nanomachine Swarm did. They confined themselves in a limited area so human beings could survive and continue to fight among themselves outside this area. The Nanomachine Swarm should have covered the entire world, continued to multiply and devoured the world until the planet become a large piece of mud. Instead, they created a complex container, and put themselves in it.¡±


    Hao Ren blinked. ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°Who knows? Even scientists were scratching their heads,¡± said Nolan, the corner of her mouth slightly twisted upward. ¡°You should ask Ulyanov; he is an expert in this area. But I doubt he likes the topic.¡±


    ¡°Since we are here, I don¡¯t mind telling,¡± Ulyanov¡¯s voice suddenly came from the side. He came up to Hao Ren and quietly watched the Gray River quieting down. ¡°Some people guess that the Master Computers sent the last command to halt the multiplication process of the Nanomachine Swarm before they shut down. There are also people who suspect that the Master Computers are still running. The computers are deep underground and getting power from the nuclear reactor. In theory, that will allow them to run until today. If we consider that they are controlling the Nanomachine Swarm to protect themselves, perhaps they will keep running indefinitely.¡±


    Ulyanov paused and then continued in a mocking tone of voice. ¡°There is even more frenzied speculation; the mutants who call themselves Rangers believe that Nanomachine Swarm had become self-aware and preserved the world based on some decision beyond human wisdom and logic to observe the evolutionary process of humankind. The Rangers see the Nanomachine Swarm as the new master of this world. They demonstrated their superiority of evolution through indiscriminate attacks on other humans and thought that by doing so, they would secure a place in the New World during the Judgment Day. There are many other similar theories.¡±

 Chapter 732

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The existence of the entire world was a result of the Nanomachine Swarm¡¯s mercy. The most frightening part was the fact that no one knew why the Nanomachine Swarm ¡°stopped,¡± and when it would wake up again. The world did not escape the disaster 65 years ago. The tragedy did not stop. It only slowed down its pace. Like a delayed execution, there was still a blade hanging over the head of humankind just waiting to fall. In such circumstances, all sorts of voices, either sane or insane were emerging.


    There had been attempts to attack the ruins in the north to destroy the Nanomachine Swarm, but the Swarm was invincible. Even the use of nuclear weapons would not be able to get rid of them. Some have tried to re-establish control of the Nanomachine Swarm, but they ended up becoming a part of the Grey River. Some people hoped to rebuild pre-war space technology and flee the planet to preserve the population, but their ambitions had no chance of success in this troubled world.


    The Rangers regarded the Nanomachine Swarm a superior life that was far surpassing humankind and dominating the world. They worshipped it like God and thought that the world and the human race survived by the grace of the Nanomachine Swarm. So, they were loyal to their ¡®master¡¯ in a manic way, only hoping to gain a place in the new world when the Nanomachine Swarm decided to revamp the world.


    But what was the response of the Nanomachine Swarm?


    It did not respond. It was only quietly flowing in the Gray River. Whether it was a personal attack or attempt to control hostility or worship, all seemed to be meaningless to them. They just operated strictly following pre-set laws¡ªnon-proliferation, non-diminishing, and hostile to the outside world, but it would not hesitate to swallow the risk-takers who trespassed the north.


    Ulyanov looked at the opposite side of the Gray River. His visor reflected the last light of the day. ¡°People who live in other sides of the wasteland always forget where the world¡¯s biggest crisis is. They will even forget that the world is still strapped to a bomb. Only by coming here and seeing the surging Grey River, you will realize from the bottom of your heart that the world is standing on thin ice. We can live until today was because of an incomprehensible and uncontrollable reason. When I was a researcher, I once did a topic to explore how two completely different life forms would come together after human exposure to alien life. But I didn¡¯t expect the answer to be like this. There is now an incomprehensible life form different from human beings on the planet. Their relationship is unknown.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it is just because they have no way to communicate,¡± Hao Ren looked thoughtfully at the grey liquid that was about to solidify. ¡°I also believe that the Nanomachine Swarm has already evolved to becoming capable of thinking. It¡¯s just that it thinks differently from humans. They had stopped for a reason; maybe they just wanted to communicate with humans?¡±


    ¡°You are not the first to put forward this idea,¡± Ulyanov turned his head slightly. ¡°But it is nothing more than a wild guess.¡±


    Nolan suddenly whispered to himself. ¡°Perhaps they stopped spreading just because the world couldn¡¯t deal with such complicated things.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Hao Ren did not hear clearly.


    Nolan shook her head and turned to leave. ¡°Nothing. Grey River has set. Let¡¯s roll!¡±


    The hazy sky had made it hard to know the position of the sun. But the slowly fainting glow in the atmosphere meant that dusk is nearing the end. The viscous liquid in Grey River had solidified just as Nolan had said as if liquid metal cooled and solidified rapidly into a shiny metallic surface. There were even frozen ripples and busted bubbles on the surface of the solidified river.


    Such was an incomprehensible nature of the Gray River. No one knew why the Nanomachine Swarm would periodically solidify but only interpreted it as the result of program mutation.


    After the mercenaries got into the cars, the three armored vehicles began to edge carefully to the river. Only when they were convinced that the river had completely hardened, the first car got onto it cautiously. A while ago, the Nanomachine Swarm was still liquid, and now it had become as hard as steel. Running on the surface, the heavy armored vehicles did not even leave behind a single trace of scratches. Hao Ren was waiting with the team in the second car. Ulyanov noticed Hao Ren was fiddling with the electromagnetic hibernator and quickly warned him. ¡°Don¡¯t fiddle with that thing; it will mess up the frequency.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that this stuff could hypnotize the Nanomachine Swarm?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°Yes. The Naturals may not have seen this thing, but mercenaries in Lawless District use it,¡± Ulyanov pointed at the little device. ¡°It has two systems, corresponding to these two green indicator lights: one main and one spare. It would allow you to appear like their own in the eyes of the Nanomachine Swarm so that it will not attack you. But once the hypnosis stops, the Nanomachine Swarm will surge up immediately. Even if the solidified Grey River will wake up instantly.¡±


    While saying, Ulyanov raised his hand and pointed at the ceiling of the carriage. ¡°We have a bigger version in the car. So when you go out, and something is wrong with your device, run back to the armored vehicle as fast as you can. If you are fast enough, maybe you can survive.¡±


    ¡°So don¡¯t play with that gadget,¡± Nolan threw Hao Ren a glance. ¡°Report immediately if a red indicator lights up. It will be too late if both systems are down.¡±


    The lead vehicle sent back a message; it was safe to go. The other two cars began to drive down the riverbank onto the river cautiously. Hao Ren felt the car jolted, and the nervous expressions of the mercenaries¡¯ faces. He asked with curiously, ¡°If Grey River is so dangerous, why we don¡¯t take the air route?¡±


    ¡°There are also Nanomachine Swarm in the air,¡± Ulyanov said, without ridiculing Hao Ren¡¯s ignorance. Most people did not study the environment of the northern ruins. ¡°The atmospheric purification model, but now it has become a plague over the ruins of the north. They are symbiotic with the clouds and, occasionally, they fall to a distance of only one hundred meters above the ground and attack any aircraft in the air.¡±


    A White River Consortium researcher sitting at the back of the car suddenly said, ¡°Floating Nanomachines are in the air. When the aircraft flies, it sucks them into the combustion chambers. The Nanomachine Swarm regards this as an attack signal. They destroy the aircraft to protect their kind.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were all mute,¡± Ulyanov looked up at them. ¡°You sound like speaking for the Nanomachine Swarm.¡±


    The white-haired researcher appeared unfazed. ¡°I¡¯m a scientist. I only tell what I have discovered.¡±


    Ulyanov shrugged. ¡°What a coincidence. I was also a scientist before I picked up the gun.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. Be courteous to the clients,¡± said Nolan, interrupting Ulyanov. She then looked at the four members of White River Consortium. ¡°Please cooperate with us as much as possible; it would be a pity if any three of you die. My order is to make sure one of you survive.¡±


    There was a sudden chill in the atmosphere. Hao Ren realized that Nolan was not only knowledgeable and experienced in combat but also having a sharp tongue.


    The Gray River was unusually large. Fearing that it would disturb the Nanomachine Swarm, the armored vehicles were not going very fast. But that would take a longer time to cross the river. Outside, the dull gray world made people tired. Hao Ren yawned a couple of times and leaned back on the carriage to get some shut-eye.


    A voice, seemingly of the MDT, sounded into his head, ¡°¡­what do you want to find there?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, the tentacles of the First Born,¡± Hao Ren replied in a stunned voice. ¡°The collapse of the world started sixty-five years ago, and the loss of control of the Nanomachine Swarm was the root of everything. If this is not a human-made disaster, it can only be a natural disaster. I heard that the core vessel of the Nanomachine Swarm is underground. Perhaps the vessel had dug too deep, almost reaching a tentacle of the First Born¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­what if you couldn¡¯t find it?¡±


    ¡°Go somewhere else. If worse comes to worst, I will do the digging myself,¡± Hao Ren said.


    ¡°What if the thing you are looking for isn¡¯t here? Will you leave?¡±


    ¡°Leave? Why leave?¡± Hao Ren felt a little sober now. ¡°I haven¡¯t finished the job yet.¡±


    ¡°Leave as soon as you can. The place will not last long¡­¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly woke up. He quickly called the MDT. ¡°What were you talking about just now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in the midst of practicing walking. You¡¯ve dreamed?¡±

 Chapter 733

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Massaging his temples with his fingers, Hao Ren tried to recall the remnant of feeling in his mind. But the voice that was buzzing in his mind earlier had already faded like a dream. He looked back at the mental communications log; it was blank. There was no record that the MDT had spoken to him.


    ¡°I just heard someone say something.¡± Hao Ren exhaled and turned to look at the monitor in the car. The convoy had almost done the crossing. On the other side of the river, there was light shining in the distance. ¡°The voice said something like; this world wouldn¡¯t last long¡­¡±


    ¡°Your dreams always seem bizarre. Don¡¯t take it lightly,¡± the MDT said in an unusually serious tone of voice. ¡°You seem to have the ability to communicate with other consciousness through dreams.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know, but this time the ¡®connection¡¯ was too short, I couldn¡¯t grasp anything. But I have the feeling that we¡¯ve come to the right place this time. This place must be the key to the planet. The sign always appears in the center of the incident, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The three armored vehicles crossed the solidified Gray River safely. What greeted the mercenaries was a more desolate world than the wasteland outside, and everything here was more bizarre than ever. Through the camera mounted on the front and both sides of the vehicle, Hao Ren saw the earth outside was glimmering with a silver-gray light, as if the entire world had turned into a piece of metal. There were no plants, no buildings, or even a stone of normal shape on this silvery gray land. There were only some weird bulges and round towers that as if had melted into the ground like a cheese. The smooth surfaces reflected the armored cars¡¯ light, which then was refracted among the metal structures, creating a bizarre sight.


    Hao Ren tried to make sense of the scene. He finally figured it; it was a melted city.


    Like casting a world in equal proportions with metal, then letting it melt and then cool down rapidly halfway. That was what it should become.


    ¡°A great plain of steel¡­¡± a young soldier drew his rifle close to himself and looked at the scene nervously. ¡°Everything has turned into metal?¡±


    ¡°Not metal. The Nanomachine Swarm cannot change material properties. They just made things appear similar to themselves,¡± Ulyanov said, hitting the armored deck behind him with his rifle. ¡°Welcome to the Old Star Continent. You are now on the remains of 6.53 million citizens and two hundred thousand buildings, including my one leg, one arm, liver, and three-fourths of my lungs. I really can¡¯t identify them now.¡±


    A young soldier turned to look at him queerly. ¡°Your joke has never been funny.¡±


    Ulyanov laughed with a loud voice. He was satisfied with his ¡®visceral joke.¡¯ Gazing at the scenery outside, Hao Ren could not help but a weird emotion. The silvery land outside was an aftermath of the Nanomachine Swarm disaster. It looked strange and beautiful, but it was a land of dead bodies and city ruins. Those big bulges and round towers that looked like melting ice cream should be once large buildings. Were there still traces of human-made structure inside if blowing it apart? Were there remains of the city¡¯s subways and pipelines underground if digging deep enough?


    Perhaps there was nothing left. The Nanomachine Swarm might have penetrated the land long ago, turning the entire land starting from the underground in the north into its domain. But all these were just wild guesses. What had happened here was unknown. Buried deep underground in the silvery gray earth were fields that no humans could touch. Since sixty-five years ago, no one could know what the Nanomachine Swarm had done in this land.


    Similar thinking was prevalent among the mercenaries. The boorish men who fought battles to make a living could not help feeling upset when faced with the ruins of the north. Because of fear and reverence, they became sensitive. But Nolan yawned and appeared uninterested in their reactions.


    As the night fell, there were no stars and moon seen in the hazy sky. It was all dark. People on this planet had not seen the stars for decades. Instead of stopping, Nolan ordered the convoy to speed up. She said that when the Nanomachine Swarm was the least active at night, the horrific little devils still needed to rely on solar energy to provide part of their needs. Though they were still active at night, their response was much slower than during the day.


    Nolan had calculated that if things went smoothly, they should be able to reach the Northern Ring Tower before sunrise, just in time before the window closed and the Nanomachine regained their level of activity.


    The armored vehicles were passing between two towering silvery ¡®hills.¡¯ As strong lights shone on the metal ¡®hills¡¯ on both sides, it created circles of elusive glow. Ulyanov looked at the two symmetrical ¡®hills¡¯ and said with a low voice, ¡°This must be the Rock Lyndon Twin Towers. They used to be the tallest buildings in the world. I had been here several times when the city was still here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, the tallest building in the world. When the Nanomachine Swarm went amok, it set a world record for the largest number of deaths in the same building. But the record was surpassed in the fourth year by the big explosion of Sanctuary No. 3 in the Far East,¡± said Nolan as she switched on the comm next to her. ¡°All vehicles; turn off the lights and use echolocation. We¡¯re into a dangerous area; strong light may agitate some Nanomachines that are lightly dormant.¡±


    All the lights were off. The convoy now looked like stray souls wandering in a silent netherworld. In this cold, dead, bleak world, everything seemed to be small and fragile. The heavy armor plates of the vehicles did not help to give much sense of security. Nowhere else could make them feel they were far away from the livings more than this place. And the convoy was still heading deeper into the death.


    During the boring and monotonous journey, Hao Ren had dozed off several times but never heard anything strange anymore. At last, he saw a glimmer of light outside as the convoy was passing through a vast silvery white barrier. The material of this barrier was different from that of the silvery-gray substance of the Nanomachine Swarm. Its uniformed surface was recognizably the work of humans. It was as high as tens of meters. It looked indestructible, but there was a massive hole in the lower part. High temperate seemed to have melted through the barrier and formed the crater.


    The convoy passed through the hole under the barrier. Ulyanov patted Hao Ren¡¯s shoulders and said, ¡°This was the first hole that the Nanomachine Swarm created when it got out of hand. They flew out from the container behind this barrier. Now the container was long gone, and there are no longer Nanomachine Swarms across the barrier. They have all gone to the Gray River on the outside. No one knows why.¡±


    After passing through the hole, Hao Ren finally saw natural rocks, soil, and plants that had mutated severely growing in the rock crevices. He knew he had arrived in the hinterland of the ruins in the north¡ªan isolated island that was surrounded but not devoured by the Nanomachine Swarms.


    Nolan raised her hand and pointed at the center of the monitor¡¯s screen. ¡°That¡¯s the Northern Ring Tower.¡±


    In the hinterland of the northern ruins, the former walls of the sea of Nano had become a crater-shaped barrier, dividing the acidic soil outside from the natural land around the ring tower into two distinct regions. Northern Ring Tower was sitting right on top of a hill at more than 400 meters high, composed of three symmetrically arranged, conical spires. The three-tower building had a massive ring at the top and middle respectively¡ªthat was how the Ring Tower got its name.


    The two large ring facilities were antennas. During the era when the Master Computers were still running, these antennas were used to release signals to control the surrounding Nanomachine Swarms.


    The mercenaries let out a sigh of relief when they saw the Ring Tower. They had made it through the most dangerous part of the journey. They did not have to worry about being swallowed by the Nanomachine Swarms anymore, at least before they made the return trip. The armored vehicles drove all the way to the side of the hill and stopped. The road ahead had collapsed entirely and inaccessible to vehicles. But the entrance to the ring tower was within sight. Nolan ordered everyone to disembark and got to the building on foot.


    Ulyanov got off the vehicle at the same time as Hao Ren. He looked up at the building that he last saw sixty-five years ago and took a deep breath.


    Then he strode ahead.

 Chapter 734

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The Northern Ring Tower was in front of them. The glorious building, which once stood for the highest scientific achievements and civilization of humankind was now disintegrating. The cement wall was cracking from weathering on the outside; most of its bright paints had also faded into dirty, yellowish brown colors, peeling and falling off the walls. They formed a layer of disgusting soft soil at the foot of the tower. Despite that, the main structure of the tower was still sturdy. The reinforced steel skeleton inside had held the tower up very well. Hence there was no concern of collapse for now.


    ¡°There are no traces of erosion by the Nanomachine Swarms.¡± Nolan glanced up at the nearly vertical wall. ¡°There¡¯s little difference compared to the last time I came. It looks like there haven¡¯t been any other adventurers coming here for the past year.¡±


    Hao Ren was curious why Ulyanov was doing here a year ago. But he knew it was not the right time to ask. Ulyanov led them flanking the tower looking for an entrance. They came before a broken door. From the looks of surrounding marks, the door was blown apart.


    ¡°There had been more than one group of people who came here in the past sixty-five years. The allure of pre-war technology has long drawn people here,¡± Nolan said, turning and telling the mercenaries who came here for the first time. ¡°Idiots kept coming for the treasure, but most of them did not make it back out alive. So if you want to live, follow my command. Don¡¯t touch anything you don¡¯t know what it is.¡±


    ¡°I thought the Nanomachine Swarms are not here?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°Do you think the Nanomachine Swarms are the only danger here?¡± Nolan said, raising her gun. ¡°This gun isn¡¯t for the Nanomachines. There are robots here guarding the container underground. These robots could live for a hundred years, in theory. God knows what kind of damage had happened to their operating system now.¡±


    Ulyanov nodded slightly, seemingly agreeing with Nolan.


    Hao Ren looked down at the weapon on his hand. It was a light assault rifle. The laser display on the stock indicated the remaining bullets, current users, and the state of the parts, as well as a Grey Fox insignia. Nolan gifted him this rifle. Though Hao Ren had not joined them, Nolan would not let him come onto the battlefield empty-handed.


    Before entering the building, Ulyanov bumped Hao Ren on his shoulder and asked, ¡°How good is your marksmanship?¡±


    But Hao Ren just gave him an ambiguous reply. ¡°As good as my kung fu.¡±


    ¡°Well, you walk with me. We will clear the way for the kids behind.¡±


    The mercenaries escorted the White River Consortium researchers into the tower carefully. They came into a corridor. Paint and cement on the hallway had peeled and fell off on the floor. The sign hanging on the ceiling was rusting away. A chilling and strange air was lingering in this decadent building. The mercenaries swallowed nervously in this silent corridor.


    It was quiet all around, only the cautious footsteps and breathing of the mercenaries echoed in the corridor. Nolan was leading in front with Hao Ren and Ulyanov flanking the team. The passage became darker and darker as they moved deeper. The few windows on the outer wall of the tower could no longer provide sufficient light to the deeper part of the building. A few mercenaries who had not undergone visual enhancement had put on their night vision gear. In the light green vision, the place became even spookier.


    Hao Ren looked at the others; he could see them. But considering that he was a still a ¡®Natural,¡¯ he thought it best to put up his night-vision goggles just like the others.


    ¡°Do you know where you¡¯re going?¡± Nolan asked. She stopped and looked over her shoulder at the White Water Consortium researchers who were not far behind.


    ¡°The main control room. The control terminal of Master Computer No. 1,¡± the thin researcher replied. He was as calm as a soldier in this environment despite being just a civilian. Hao Ren could not help looking at him again.


    Ulyanov¡¯s heart missed a beat when he heard the ¡®main control room.¡¯ He stepped forward and said, ¡°I know the shortest route.¡±


    Nolan nodded. ¡°Well, after you.¡±


    The team continued to move deeper into the corridor before they came to a spiral staircase. Going up was where the main control room was. Hao Ren and Ulyanov went up to check the condition of the stairs. Then they bumped into a human skeleton halfway up.


    Ulyanov bent down to check on the condition of the skeleton. Judging from the tattered clothes, he knew the identity of the deceased. ¡°A personnel in the ring tower. Most likely died from falling from above.¡±


    The berserk Nanomachine Swarms did not attack the Northern Ring Tower; people in the building had lived longer than the rest of the world. But their fate was not much better than those who were dissolved by the Nanomachines. In that catastrophe, the building became an isolated island with no supplies, rescue, and hope. These researchers and controllers of the Nanomachine Swarm knew that there would be no rescue forthcoming. No one knew how people in the ring tower spent the last days of their lives. In the two decades after the disaster, the situation inside the ruins of the north was a total unknown. When a suicide squad suffering huge losses and finally made their way into this place, what they found were only dead bodies.


    According to the soldiers who were lucky enough to come back alive, people in the ring tower had died a variety of ways. Most of them died of hunger; a few of them committed suicide; and the rest were killed in the fighting, perhaps for the last remnants of food in a riot. There were many more creepy stories passed down, for instance, human bones were found in the kitchen utensils in the kitchen in ring tower, and countless mutilated bodies in a room.


    Every one of them was a bone-chilling story.


    Hao Ren looked at Ulyanov, who was examining the skeleton. He did not know if this man had recalled the dark rumors about the Northern Ring Tower. But to avoid delay, he patted Ulyanov¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving. People are waiting behind.¡±


    Then only Ulyanov slowly got to his feet.


    They came to the first floor. After passing around a narrow passage, a broad hallway opened up in front. Ulyanov pointed to a door not far away. ¡°There is the control room you are looking for.¡±


    ¡°The door is intact¡­¡± Nolan looked at the door somewhat unexpectedly. ¡°I thought the guy who came before us had already smashed every single door in here.¡±


    ¡°Probably there is an alarm system behind this door that connected wirelessly to the security robots,¡± said one of the researchers, who came up to examine the door. ¡°Unbelievable! There is still power in the lock! There is still energy in this place!¡±


    Nolan looked at the researcher thoughtfully. It seems like this researcher knew a lot about the ring tower.


    Ulyanov turned to look into the dark end of the corridor. He seemed to have found something he was interested. ¡°You guys stay here. I¡¯m going to take a look over there.¡±


    Then he went. Nolan told a mercenary beside her. ¡°Carl, you go with him.¡±


    Carl, the tall mercenary nodded silently before he quickly dashed to catch up with Ulyanov. Both of them promptly disappeared into the dark end of the corridor.


    Hao Ren did not suspect anything. He thought that Ulyanov might be looking for her wife, and as an outsider, he was not in a position to be a busybody. He turned his head and watched as the White River Consortium researcher tinkered with the lock on the door. It was incredible that the electronics on the door were still functioning until this day.


    Suddenly, an ear-piercing sound of a gunshot broke through the silence.


    Hao Ren looked up and tried to locate the source of the sound. That was where Ulyanov and Carl were!


    Nolan was quickly in response. Before the gunshot sound trailed off, she had ordered rapidly, ¡°Two-man team, go and check it out.¡±


    Hao Ren did not know which team he belonged. But he wasted no time thinking; as soon as Nolan opened her mouth, he had already dashed toward the end of the corridor.


    As if out of the illusion, he suddenly saw the corridor walls undulating like water. Though the vision was only a flick of a second, it bothered him.

 Chapter 735

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The illusion flashed across Hao Ren¡¯s eyes.


    It was so fast that he was not sure if what he saw had happened. Hao Ren shook his head, but the corridor in front of him had returned to normal. Suddenly, a second gunshot came from a distance. He quickly disregarded the illusion and dashed towards the end of the corridor. He heard the hurried footsteps of other mercenaries catching up to him.


    Meanwhile, the MDT that was training its own body in the Dimensional Pocket heard the gunshots and footsteps through its shared senses with Hao Ren. It asked, ¡°What¡¯s happening out there?¡±


    ¡°Ulyanov¡¯s probably exchanging fire with the security robots,¡± Hao Ren said telepathically. ¡°By the way, why is this corridor so long?¡±


    He remembered when Ulyanov left he could see the end of the corridor. But now he felt he was running in an endless dark passage. He could not hear the footsteps of the mercenaries behind him anymore. He looked back and only saw the same dark corridor and Nolan¡¯s figure behind him. The others had gone.


    ¡°This is strange, where are the soldiers behind me?¡± Hao Ren whispered. Just as he was wondering whether it was an illusion, a gunshot was heard and then a thud¡ªthe sound of a body falling to the ground not far ahead.


    The sounds were very near. Hao Ren immediately dashed into the darkness. The next moment he knew, he found himself in a dimly lit rectangular hall. There were many long metal boxes everywhere. He did not know what they were for, but he smelled thick engine oil and gun smoke. Astonished at this hidden chamber in the Northern Ring Tower, he suddenly saw a shadow from the corner of his eye.


    Hao Ren quickly darted over and discovered Ulyanov was on the ground. The trademark full-faced helmet was unmistakable. The veteran had fatal gunshot wounds in the abdomen and chest; pale pink mucus spurted out from the wounds onto the ground. He was struggling in pain; his breathing was loud behind the helmet.


    ¡°Ulyanov!¡± Hao Ren called him, stepping forward to lift Ulyanov¡¯s slightly. He did not dare to move Ulyanov for fear of causing secondary injury. He reached into his dimensional pocket for a portable medical instrument and asked anxiously, ¡°What happened? The security robot?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ It¡¯s a human enemy,¡± Ulyanov¡¯s voice was weakening. He lifted his finger slightly and pointed to the other end of the hall. ¡°They¡¯re in uniform, regular army. Many¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk. I have a medical instrument here. I will explain to you what it is later,¡± Hao Ren said, setting the parameters of the simple medical instrument with his free hand. He needed to adjust the tool into compatibility mode to treat Ulyanov. Ulyanov was neither fully human nor entirely robot; it was difficult to cure him with the conventional method. Hao Ren even had no idea whether he should use a medical kit or a repair robot. Which one was more suitable for Ulyanov?


    ¡°No¡­ That¡¯s okay. My pump is broken,¡± Ulyanov¡¯s eyes did not even look at the next silver metal box that suddenly appeared out of nowhere beside him. He just waved and stopped Hao Ren. ¡°I know you¡¯re a good man, but you can¡¯t save me¡­ blood?¡±


    Ulyanov suddenly paused. He lifted his hand that was stained with the fluid from his body. The liquid was warm and red, dripping down from his helmet¡¯s visor. It had a sweet metallic scent.


    It was not an electrolyte and biochemical solution but blood.


    Hao Ren was surprised at what he saw. He did not know when the fluid changed, but he did clearly remember he had seen electrolyte spurting out from Ulyanov¡¯s wounds. Now Ulyanov was covered in blood.


    ¡°My¡­blood¡­¡± Ulyanov¡¯s voice suddenly became elusive, as if his consciousness was leaving his body and the world. He slowly turned to look at Hao Ren as his confused mind was struggling to recognize the person in front of his eyes before he completely went blackout. ¡°I¡­seem to know¡­¡±


    ¡°Hao Ren, I¡¯m Hao Ren.¡± Hao Ren could not wrap his brain around what happened. But he had felt everything around him was undergoing tremendous changes. It was a baffling feeling that came from his intuition of years of encounters with the supernatural powers. He shook Ulyanov and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? You¡­¡±


    ¡°Hao Ren, yes¡­ I know you¡­,¡± Ulyanov¡¯s voice slowly sank. ¡°Hao Ren, Gray Fox, Carl¡­ Khiton¡­ I saw it¨Cit¡¯s red, we all soaked in the red. Fire in the sky, burning, out of control, the whole world is burning. I¡­ I will¡­¡±


    Hao Ren felt that Ulyanov¡¯s body was getting lighter as if he was pulling himself out of the world. Hao Ren was desperate to do something to stop that, but Ulyanov¡¯s condition was no longer medically treatable. At his last moment, Ulyanov seemed to have recovered his strength as he grabbed Hao Ren¡¯s collar desperately, but his body was almost weightless. ¡°Khiton¡­ Khiton was right!¡±


    Hao Ren felt Ulyanov¡¯s grip on his collar loosening. Then Ulyanov¡¯s body disappeared in his arm as soon as he blinked, leaving only a voice from above that said, ¡°I¡¯ve woke up¡­ in the next dream¡­¡±


    ¡°What exactly did he want to say?¡± the voice of the MDT only sounded this time. ¡°Do humans become philosophers the moment before they die?¡±


    ¡°How could machine head like you understand the abstract concept?¡± Hao Ren said, getting to his feet. He saw every trace of Ulyanov had disappeared, not even a drop of blood or electrolyte. ¡°We must find Nolan. She may know something.¡±


    Hao Ren tucked the medical instrument and ran back from where he had come. But after leaving the hall, he entered into an unfamiliar place.


    The dark passage was gone and replaced by a dimly lit alloy gallery. The difference was not just in lighting as Hao Ren clearly remembered how the corridor looked. This place was a completely different space. Even the architectural style was not of the inside of Northern Ring Tower.


    ¡°Well, before finding Nolan you must first find your way back out,¡± said the MDT. ¡°If that passage is still there.¡±


    Hao Ren clenched his rifle and prayed casually to his sixth sense before dashing in a direction. No matter what changes had occurred, he remembered he had come from this direction.


    As Hao Ren ran, the sound of hurried footsteps and jumble of shouts and vulgar curses came from behind. He looked back and was surprised to see a group of soldiers dressed in grey-blue combat uniforms coming out from a corner of the corridor.


    The soldiers were surprised when they saw Hao Ren. But they were no hesitation in their action at all, as they immediately pointed their guns at him and fired without warning.


    Without warning or dialogue, it seemed that the purpose of the soldiers here was to eliminate all targets but themselves. Hao Ren was surprised and flurried as bullets rained on him and sparkled like burning firecracker fuses.


    ¡°What the hell? Where do these people come from?¡± He lunged forward as he yelled. Armed with his Steel Membrane Shield bracing the hail of bullets, he took the soldiers on in close quarters combat¡ªactually, it was just a one-sided walloping.


    The ordinary human soldiers were confounded when they saw the invulnerable man. They shot instinctively, but it was useless. Hao Ren moved like a faint shadow; the eyes of the normal humans could not follow his movement. Hao Ren knew he did not have to hold back; these ruthless soldiers would not hesitate to kill. But he figured he did not have to use the powerful weapon in dealing with these mortals ¡ª the Steel Membrane Shield would do the job.


    But Hao Ren did not kill them. He needed to figure out what was going on.

 Chapter 736

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    In the dimly lit alloy gallery, a lopsided battle had just ended.


    The smell of gun smoke filled the air. Spent shells and bullet holes were everywhere, while a dozen soldiers dressed in regular army uniforms lay flat on the ground. Most had passed out, but a few were still moaning in pain.


    Hao Ren grabbed a soldier who looked like the captain. ¡°Hey, can you hear me? Who are you?¡±


    The soldier opened his eyes slightly. Seeing Hao Ren¡¯s face, he suddenly recalled the supernatural scene a while ago and almost passed out again. Hao Ren grabbed him by the collar and shook him. ¡°Don¡¯t pass out yet! Answer my question first!¡±


    ¡°We are the 2nd Marine Division¡­,¡± the soldier said, trembling as if Hao Ren would suddenly turn into an alien creature and swallow him alive.


    ¡°Second Marine Division?¡± Hao Ren froze. He had never heard of this before. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    The soldier replied, ¡°We¡­ we were ordered to clean up the radical astronauts here¡­¡±


    ¡°Clean up the radical astronauts?¡± Hao Ren became even more confused. ¡°Isn¡¯t¡­ isn¡¯t this place the control center of the Nanomachine Swarms? It has been abandoned for more than sixty years. Wait a second, what is this place?¡±


    The soldier looked at Hao Ren with a puzzled look. He thought he was looking at an out-of-mind Superman. He was cautious. ¡°It is the launch site of Kodiak Mountains.¡±


    At the launch site of the Kodiak Mountains.


    Hao Ren knocked the soldier out and got to his feet, bewildered. He looked around at the changed, even mutated place.


    He found a corner, hid in, and then began to check his mental state. He was sure he was not mad nor having an illusion. He was no doubt in the real world, but the real world had undergone tremendous changes.


    ¡°Looks like the world has changed,¡± the MDT said, looking at the surroundings through Hao Ren¡¯s eyes. ¡°Not only is the surrounding environment changing, but even times have changed. There should be no more space technology in this world; it ceased more than sixty years ago.¡±


    Hao Ren remembered the disappearance of Ulyanov and the anomalies before that. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not only that¡­ people should have been changing too. Ulyanov had a memory disorder before his death and vanished after death. These soldiers came out from nowhere, and the strange 2nd Marine Division. Oh, wait! Your body, MDT!¡±


    A thought flashed across his mind. He immediately yanked out the MDT from the dimensional pocket; a blond girl fell out of the space crack in mid-air and landed buttock first on the ground. She glared at Hao Ren. ¡°What the heck you think you¡¯re doing? Don¡¯t you know I still couldn¡¯t balance myself?¡±


    ¡°Why are you still in this body?¡± Hao Ren looked at the blonde in front of her eyes, dumbfounded. ¡°Didn¡¯t the body disappear?¡±


    The MDT was puzzled. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I suspect this world is resetting itself; people and things reemerge in new identities and positions.¡± Hao Ren stepped forward and pinched the blonde¡¯s arms as if to check if there was any sign the body was disappearing. ¡°Your body is acquired. By right, it should reset itself. But how come it didn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. Either you¡¯ve got it wrong,¡± the MDT said, ¡°Or my awesomeness has taken over the body completely so that it couldn¡¯t be reset.¡±


    Hao Ren sized up the blonde who was standing wobbly. ¡°You still look like a twenty-year cerebral thrombosis patient yet you still have the nerve to say that you have complete control over this body?¡±


    ¡°Oh, then it must be that you¡¯ve got it wrong.¡±


    Hao Ren sighed. ¡°Whatever. We must find Nolan. Or we talk with these fellows to figure out the situation.¡±


    ¡°Oh, then you should go in that direction,¡± the MDT said, pointing at the fork in the gallery. ¡°I just heard some movement there.¡±


    Hao Ren was honestly doubtful about the current navigation ability of the MDT. But since he did not know which direction to go, no harm to trust the MDT¡¯s sixth sense. He turned to look at the MDT. ¡°Can you walk?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can keep up,¡± the blonde patted her chest. ¡°Of course, I still prefer to lie on your shoulder¡­¡±


    Hao Ren strode away. ¡°Follow me!¡±


    He was more than willing to carry the girl on his back. Though the girl was only a piece of brick in real life, she was an eye candy nonetheless. But he also knew this was not the time; there could be enemies everywhere. Carrying the dead on his back would be a bad idea.


    Though the MDT still appeared like suffering from sequelae of cerebral thrombosis, ¡®she¡¯ was no slowpoke. She could even catch up with him albeit clumsily.


    As they were moving along the gallery, Hao Ren suddenly heard a loud footfall around the corner. He immediately motioned the MDT to hide in the shadow of a metal cabinet nearby while he cautiously leaned over to check out what it was.


    A familiar figure appeared in front of him. The tall figure with a serious, big rectangular face with sharp features was none other than Carl, a mercenary of Greg Fox. But Hao Ren did not go up to him because he saw Carl was not in his usual black Gray Fox uniform but a desert camouflage special combat uniform.


    He remembered that Carl was with Ulyanov, but Carl disappeared when Ulyanov died. Now Carl appeared again but in an entirely unfamiliar uniform. If he had guessed it right, Carl might have undergone some ¡®changes.¡¯


    Hao Ren thought for a moment, raised his guard, and came out of the corner, greeting, ¡°Hey, Carl.¡±


    Carl was stunned. He immediately raised his rifle and pointed at Hao Ren with no hesitation at all. ¡°Stop! Don¡¯t move! Show me your hands and turn around. Who are you? Regular army or from the base?¡±


    ¡°I knew it,¡± Hao Ren muttered to himself and sighed, figuring it was impossible to get information from Carl now. But he took comfort in that this guy did not shoot at first sight. ¡°Please calm down, I¡¯m not your enemy. Let me ask you; are you Carl?¡±


    Carl frowned and his facial expression changed momentarily but he quickly concealed it. ¡°Shut up, raise your hand and turn around, or I¡¯ll shoot!¡±


    After a moment, as the MDT heard that everything was all right, it came out of the shadow and limped toward them. ¡°Yeah, partner, you got it? Oh, friendly.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Carl, but as I guessed, humans and the world have been reset. He couldn¡¯t remember me,¡± Hao Ren looked at the tall guy who was already on the floor, unconscious. ¡°This guy is a mule; he refused to cooperate. I have no choice but let him sleep for a while. One thing is certain is that his name is Carl, and he has taken an identity change. Looks like he is now the guard of this base.¡±


    ¡°So what¡¯s next?¡± the MDT was a bit puzzled. She had learned nothing but the expression.


    ¡°Look for Nolan.¡±


    ¡°You think Nolan is the key?¡±


    ¡°There are too many questions about her¡ªif not the key, at least the clue,¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Since the world is resetting ¡­ I think I¡¯ve figured out what Nolan¡¯s ability was all about,¡± he said.


    Glancing down at Carl, he continued. ¡°But before we leave, put this big guy in a safer place. After all, we were partners.¡±


    Then he found a place that looked like a utility room nearby. He remembered the marines had searched the room once. So he threw Carl into it and covered him under a stack of waste paper cartons.


    Hao Ren and the MDT continued to explore the building.


    Since Carl was still here, he suspected that Nolan must also have ¡®reset¡¯ here. At least in the absence of more clues, keep looking was the only thing he could do.


    The two of them kept searching in this unfamiliar facility. They had almost bumped into a score of soldiers or guards. An hour ago, this place was still the desolate Northern Ring Tower. But now it had become a little busy here, as it seemed at least three different forces were fighting in this area, including the regular soldiers and combatants from the base, and the unorganized militants wearing all kind of military outfits creating chaos in the lower floors of the building. There were gunshots and explosions from time to time that seemed to have been going on for some time. But only Hao Ren and the MDT knew that the entire episode had just begun tens of minutes ago.


    Suddenly, the silhouette of a long gray hair flashed in front of his eyes.

 Chapter 737

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren saw a gray shadow flash by in his peripheral vision. He lunged forward and gave chase.


    Nolan was quick like a cheetah galloping in the gallery, constantly vigilant as she observed her surroundings. It looked like she was also avoiding the wandering soldiers there. Hao Ren almost lost her after going around two corners. But there was no way a normal human could outrun a superhuman like him. When they turned into a straight passage, he saw that Nolan was not far ahead. He called out, ¡°Nolan!¡±


    Nolan was running with all her might. Hao Ren could care less to conceal himself and think slowly in this situation. He had Steel Membrane Shield; even if Nolan were as ruthless as Carl was the small-caliber rifle would not do him much harm.


    Nolan stopped in her step when she heard the call, but it was not a hesitation. Her long gray hair swept crossed the air in an arc shape as she turned. She made use of the inertia and ducked, immediately revealing the rocket-propelled grenade on her back and aiming at Hao Ren.


    Hao Ren was shocked.


    What small-caliber rifle? The girl was running around with a freaking RPG on her back!


    ¡°Things always go not as I thought,¡± Hao Ren almost went banana as he waved his hand to signal the MDT not to come out. He looked at the gray-haired girl and said, ¡°Nolan, don¡¯t shoot. It¡¯s me, Hao Ren! Oh, you too have¡­¡±


    He noticed Nolan¡¯s attire had also changed. She was no more in her Gray Fox¡¯s mercenary uniform but a light gray military outfit, unlike the marines nor the guards of this facility. Maybe a third force. Anyway, the change of costume only meant one thing: Nolan had been reset too.


    Did she remember what happened before this? Or was she like Carl completely becoming another person?


    Hao Ren frowned and waited for Nolan¡¯s reaction. If he had guessed it right, this girl should be able to retain all the memories of every change in this world; this was how she got her unusual skills and experience.


    Nolan looked at Hao Ren, somewhat surprised. When the world once again changed, she had prepared to fight against everyone around her. But the reaction of the man in front of her seemed to indicate that he still remembered her. Her brows knit together, but she did not put down her weapon. ¡°You remember who I am?¡±


    ¡°Nolan, nicknamed Gray Fox, the boss of the Gray Fox mercenary group,¡± Hao Ren smiled. ¡°It¡¯s you who brought me here.¡±


    Nolan put her weapon down slightly. ¡°Do you remember who you are?¡±


    ¡°Hao Ren, a guy wandering in the wasteland, a brick-throwing expert,¡± Hao Ren replied. He knew that Nolan had put her guard down. ¡°We met in Broken Valley.¡±


    Nolan frowned and asked, ¡°And what?¡±


    Hao Ren stunned. Seeing Nolan¡¯s serious expression, he forced a smile. Grabbing his hair, he said, ¡°Do you want me to say I¡¯m a necrophile?¡±


    There was an inappreciable smile flashed across Nolan¡¯s face and immediately replaced by surprise and excitement. For the first time, Hao Ren saw the girl had many animations on her face. Nolan walked toward Hao Ren; she did not bother to hide her surprise. ¡°You remembered the last reincarnation?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s reincarnation,¡± Hao Ren said, letting out a sigh. He sank into a deeper confusion after knowing the truth. ¡°Looks like you know everything. What is the world all about?¡±


    ¡°First time?¡± Nolan asked, sizing up Hao Ren. ¡°If you have experienced it as many times as I did, you shouldn¡¯t have asked this question.¡±


    Hao Ren knew he would not be able to explain it without creating more complications. So he merely waved his hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s complicated. I am also confused; I can¡¯t answer your question, why not you tell me about it? Well, if I guess it right, we are now the only ¡®partners¡¯ in this world.¡±


    Nolan nodded. Just when she was about to say something, the voice of the MDT came from behind. ¡°Buddy! Since you two have sorted it out, why didn¡¯t you call me out?¡±


    Hao Ren turned around his head. The blonde, who was only a block of brick, was staggering towards him. Nolan froze. ¡°She¡­ Is she live? And she remembers everything?¡±


    Hao Ren realized that the MDT was the hardest part of the explanation.


    He scratched his head and gave an ambiguous reply. ¡°Sort of. Anyway, she¡¯s alive now, and she knows about you. But don¡¯t ask how she knows, I¡¯m just as clueless as you.¡±


    ¡°What happened to her legs?¡± Nolan noticed the limping pace of the MDT. ¡°Is she injured?¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s face was emotionless. ¡°An aftereffect of cerebral thrombosis.¡±


    Nolan looked at Hao Ren, feeling weird. ¡°You two are misfortunate¡­ She was dead, and you went mad in the last life. Now she has a cerebral thrombosis in this life¡­¡±


    Hao Ren almost went banana. ¡°Yeah, whatever! I carried a dead girl on my back and was a necrophile all my previous life. Now I still have to take care of a cerebral thrombus babbler in this life. And my PDA has transcended. People think I¡¯m a lunatic no matter where I go. Can we not talk about this anymore? Are you done yet?¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s sudden outburst stunned Nolan. She began to figure that Hao Ren had not recovered from his insanity. Perhaps he had inherited the same madness together with his last living memory after the ¡®reincarnation.¡¯


    After serving more than a year, Hao Ren had finally reached the same level of God where most clergymen could only dream, sharing the glory with his own God as stubborn neurotics.


    Fortunately, Nolan could not read his mind.


    ¡°Let¡¯s find a safe place first,¡± Nolan put the thought aside and motioned Hao Ren to follow her. ¡°Here, we couldn¡¯t how is our friend, how is our enemy. Our priority is to stay alive. Otherwise, we would have to wait for the next ¡®reincarnation.¡¯¡±


    ¡°You run around with this thing all this while?¡± Hao Ren looked grotesquely at Nolan¡¯s bazooka. Though the technology in this world was more advanced than the earth and the bazooka was lighter and compact, this weapon did not seem very portable no matter what. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel cumbersome?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it. It is the thing I got when I opened my eyes,¡± Nolan said. ¡°I have been looking around for opportunity and see if I could grab a weapon from a stray soldier, but it has not been very smooth. But, I have great strength, carrying this weapon doesn¡¯t affect my mobility and it is better than nothing.¡±


    Hao Ren looked down at his hand. He was carrying a light assault rifle before this, but it was gone after Ulyanov disappeared. He thought for a moment and then reached into his dimensional pocket for the short silver wand and gave it to Nolan. ¡°Take this.¡±


    Nolan stared blankly at the ¡®magic¡¯ Hao Ren had performed. ¡°How could this¡­¡±


    Hao Ren had his considerations. After discovering the strange changes of this world, he felt that he need not hide his supernatural power anymore. People would be reset. The only one who could escape the rebooting was Nolan. But it seemed she had no fewer secrets than he did. Most importantly, they needed a safe place now. What was more was that if he could create awe and fear in Nolan, things might be more natural later on.


    Of course, there was an important reason: He must make sure Nolan survived; after all, she was the only one witnessing everything that had happened.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to know how it got it. Everyone has secrets. You need to know that I¡¯m on your side,¡± Hao Ren said. He then taught Nolan how to use the Aerymian weapon that he brought out from the arsenal in Aerym. He was used to plasma spear and psionic gun combo, so he had never used the wand. ¡°This thing is called Sentinel Wand. Hold this section, where you can off the safety. This end is the barrel; the red button is the trigger, black button is energy shield, point the side with pattern forward, just like that¡­¡±


    Nolan tried to memorize the strange usage of the wand. She held the wand level in front of her, pressed the black button; an elegantly arcing, patterned, oval-shaped green shield was activated and shielding half of her body.


    Nolan¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground.


    ¡°You can¡¯t turn the shield and the fire mechanisms on at the same time. Technological limitation,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°But at least it¡¯s better than running around with a bazooka.¡±


    Nolan¡¯s jaw was still on the ground.

 Chapter 738

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The facility, which was once known as the Northern Ring Tower, had now turned into a launch site deep inside the mountains. There were sporadic battles everywhere. The situation was chaotic. Probably there were hundreds of soldiers fighting for the control of this place. Though the chaos was nothing but a farce that began only an hour ago, they seemed to behave as if they had been fighting for a decade. Hao Ren and Nolan were trying their best to avoid the soldiers and find a safe way out from this complex and massive building to the outside world. They had several inevitable encounters, but the opponents were mediocre and not running around with bazookas as Nolan did. So it was pretty easy to deal with.


    As time goes by, the sound of crossfire in the surroundings seemed to die down somewhat. ¡°Looks like the regular army is almost completely taking over this place,¡± Hao Ren said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stick around here, there may be explosives underground,¡± Nolan said without slowing down her pace. She raised the short wand slightly. ¡°Thank you for your weapon. It¡¯s pretty handy.¡±


    The wand¡¯s shield had saved Nolan several times though she had not fully mastered the usage of this Aerymian weapon. Even with the best fighting ability, she was merely mortal; running around in the facilities lurking with enemy soldiers was not a walk in the park.


    Hao Ren nodded at her. He suddenly saw a light in front. ¡°Exit!¡± he shouted.


    Nolan immediately eased her pace. ¡°Be careful of ambush.¡±


    They both stopped. But the MDT kept running ahead mindlessly. ¡°Let me check it out!¡± the MDT said, running so quick that even Hao Ren did not manage to grab it.


    Nolan watched from behind; her jaw fell to the ground. ¡°This is the most agile cerebral thrombosis patient I have ever seen¡­¡±


    Hao Ren lunged forward and finally got hold of the MDT. ¡°You want to die?¡±


    The MDT shook its head. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m already dead anyway. Touch here if you don¡¯t believe me, I¡¯ve no heartbeat. It wouldn¡¯t make a difference even if I get blown another hole in me.¡±


    Nolan had already seen enough of the mind-challenging interaction between Hao Ren and the cerebral thrombosis partner. She could not care less. She checked the situation ahead and then beckoned the two and said, ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here. It¡¯s safe ahead.¡±


    The trio finally got out of this somewhat overly complicated colossal facility. They emerged from a secret hole on the hillside, but what lay ahead had Hao Ren rooted to the spot.


    There were layers of mountains spread out into the distance into the horizon. The sky was clear and blue, almost dazzlingly bright. Everything was in stark contrast with what he thought¡ªthe sun-blocking, hazy, dusty atmosphere of the planet Zorm. He could not believe what he saw and felt that he had come to an alien world.


    If there was any regrettable about these landscapes, it had to be the sparing vegetation in the mountains. There were only sparse shrubs and short trees on the deserted rocky hillside. But even so, this scenery was much more pleasing than the depressing wasteland in the aftermath of war.


    The MDT glanced back. They had emerged from a cave on the hillside. The facility behind them was a hidden fortress inside the body of the mountains. Even the passage opening looked like a dark cave.


    The MDT shook its head. ¡°This is a cumbersome body. If you want to look back, you need to twist your neck and turn your head. Sometimes this isn¡¯t even enough; you even have to turn your body around to see. I can¡¯t believe how could you humans put this lousy bearing between the head and shoulders and think this is okay.¡±


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes. ¡°Mind your words; even Raven is also in human form.¡±


    ¡°Oh, do you think she needs to see the world with her eyes? Heck.¡±


    Nolan looked at the seemingly odd pair, puzzled. She then walked to the side of the hill and said, ¡°We got to go to a safe place. Come with me. There should be a vehicle or something.¡±


    Hao Ren followed Nolan from behind, feeling curious. ¡°How do you know that? Hasn¡¯t the world changed?¡±


    Before his voice trailed off, a weirdly modified vehicle had appeared in front of him behind a boulder. The car had four huge wheels connected by multiple crankshafts and a body that mounted on a sophisticated suspension system. It seemed the vehicle a purpose-built off-roader specifically for the harsh and complex terrain here. It was not so much a car but more like a spider robot on wheels. It looks like Nolan was right; there was a vehicle, and it came very handily.


    Nolan beckoned Hao Ren and the MDT to come on-board while she climbed into the driver seat and began to fiddle with the complicated buttons, switches, and the steering mechanism that looked very different from those of the earth¡¯s vehicles. She seemed to have figured out how to operate the vehicle after a while. She fired up the engine; the spider-robot car lifted and drove down the gentler slope.


    Only now that Nolan started to answer Hao Ren¡¯s question. ¡°Of course, I remember it¡ªI don¡¯t know where I got this memory. But the weird thing is I have a blurry short-term memory. It always takes me a few days to piece things together. I didn¡¯t even know who I was before this. Is your situation any different?¡±


    Nolan glanced at Hao Ren curiously. ¡°Do you know what your ¡®identity¡¯ is this time? Or do you remember any information, however slightly?¡±


    Hao Ren had none of that. ¡°I didn¡¯t feel anything.¡±


    ¡°Maybe our situations are different,¡± said Nolan casually. ¡°Besides me, you¡¯re the first person I¡¯ve ever seen retaining memory. So I¡¯m not sure if every one of them is the same.¡±


    Hao Ren had guessed Nolan¡¯s situation from her own words. She did retain the memory of the last ¡®reincarnation,¡¯ but at the same time, the current reincarnation also influenced her. There was something in her head that seemed to come from nowhere. These memories could be the false life experience that this world had given her.


    The history of Nolan in this world had just started an hour ago.


    Things were simple: If the world had only existed an hour ago, how do you convince people that they are living in a regular world? The answer is to fabricate the details and history to convince them of their origin. Let them believe in their growing-up, life experiences, personal relationships, and that they have known a bad friend since ten years ago, that they have loved someone for twenty years, that they have been living in a place for thirty years, and that their life and the whole world in front of them are real. But in reality, it was all in their head, injected into their brains an hour and fourteen minutes ago.


    Maybe everyone in this world was the same, except for Nolan.


    At dusk, Hao Ren and Nolan were convinced that they had shaken off all pursuers. Or maybe no one was pursuing them at all. They found a cave, enough to hide the weird offroader and all three of them. They made sure they had erased their tracks before finally settled down.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like caves,¡± Nolan frowned. ¡°I once died from inhaling smoke in a cave.¡±


    The MDT in the corpse yelled. ¡°I don¡¯t like cave too; you always use me as torchlight¡­¡±


    ¡°Go to the corner and get lost. I¡¯m freaking tired now, and I¡¯m not going to carry you on my back!¡±


    ¡°Okay¡±


    Nolan looked at the blonde limping to the corner of the cave. ¡°Is she having a cerebral thrombus?¡±


    ¡°You can say that. I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°I thought you guys have a very close relationship?¡± Nolan looked into the eyes of Hao Ren. ¡°When you carried her around on your back, it touched Carl and me. Don¡¯t tell me it was just a lie.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled wryly. ¡°Well, in a sense¡­ Forget it. Shall we talk about this world?¡±


    ¡°This world?¡± Nolan¡¯s eyes dimmed. She closed her eyes; she was tired. ¡°I only know that this is a world of madness. As you can see, it has been resetting, changing, and evolving like there is a bad director behind the scenes. I can¡¯t remember how many absurd and strange ¡®stage plays¡¯ I have endured.¡±

 Chapter 739

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Sunlight in the sky slowly receded. The last golden rays of the sun before it completely set behind the mountains shone into the cave where Hao Ren and Nolan were hiding. The light plated everything in the cave with a pale golden shade. Nolan leaned on a giant tire of the offroader. She was half-bathing in the dusk light and half-hidden in the darkness as she exhaled and said, ¡°Where should I begin? I can¡¯t even remember when the first time I realized the world had gone wrong, probably a few thousand years ago? Or maybe even earlier. The earliest picture in my mind was a family vacation in the southern hemisphere, and then somehow I woke up to become a warehouse custodian. But tracing back these age-old memories does not make sense anymore. It was only a continuous, repetitive, and confusing experience. Sometimes I would die in an accident. After my resurrection, I would discover that the world had completely changed. Sometimes there would be situations like today; I didn¡¯t die, just the world had suddenly changed, and in the blink of an eye, I got a new identity and teammates. I don¡¯t even know if the passing of time is true or not. Maybe it all happened just a few hours ago, the world has just begun was a few hours agow¡­ but it is meaningless.¡±


    Hao Ren listened quietly. He had too many questions but could not sort out them out logically. So he merely asked what was in his mind. ¡°Any pattern in the way the world reset itself?¡±


    ¡°None,¡± Nolan shook her head. ¡°Sometimes the resetting happened once in several decades. Sometimes a few years. The shortest resetting cycle I remember is two years, and the longest one two centuries during which I had died twice. When I woke up, the world stage as I knew it was still there, just my identity had changed. At that time, I was amazed and thought naively that the reincarnation had finally stabilized only to encounter another reset in the afternoon after my second resurrection.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. It seemed that Nolan¡¯s death was not the trigger of the reset. If the reset intervals were too long, Nolan¡¯s reincarnation during that long period would become a change of identity, just as a gamer logged off with one username and then logged in with another. So, as unique as the girl was, she should not be the root cause of this anarchic world.


    ¡°After each reset, all people and things in the world will get new identities and ¡®settings.¡¯ Human relationships, international relations, world affairs, cultures, religions, and even technologies would change,¡± said Nolan. Seeing Hao Ren fell into deep thought, she supposed the first ¡®reincarnation of awakening¡¯ that he experienced had confused him. ¡°I studied the map; the topography of the world had also changed. Sometimes there were several continents on the planet, sometimes one big mass of land. There were also changes in plants and animals, but the extent of change was limited to ratios of species and population distribution. Anyway, I guess you wouldn¡¯t understand; after all this was the first time you retained your memory after a reset. You might not have accumulated enough knowledge.¡±


    Nolan had gone through thousands of years of reincarnation. The amount of knowledge she had accumulated was staggering. She was almost an expert and a scholar in multiple fields and could talk about ecology all day long without looking at the book. Before this, in Gray Fox, she was quiet because she did not have anyone to confide in. But now she started to treat Hao Ren as a friend.


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s all right. I know a thing or two about ecology. If what you say is true, then this world is a bit like a sandbox. Let¡¯s assume that there is a director or program controlling everything; it uses materials from a library to generate a ¡®world¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Did you infer from the hypothesis of animal and plant I just mentioned?¡± Nolan looked at Hao Ren somewhat unexpectedly. ¡°It seems you have quite extensive knowledge. You are right. I thought so too. The world is really like a program that constantly generates its maps automatically. But even if it¡¯s true, we can¡¯t help it; it¡¯s beyond our control.¡±


    Hao Ren did not hear Nolan¡¯s last sentence; he had zoned out. Convinced that he was in the Plane of Dreams, which meant that the real world was outside the planet Zorm. He thought of Khiton¡¯s journal and Ulyanov¡¯s epiphany. If this place was a virtual world, then where was its interface with the real world? Since Khiton and Ulyanov could find out that the world was an illusion, this virtual world was not so perfect after all; it certainly had some contradictions!


    ¡°Population!¡± Hao Ren suddenly looked up at Nolan. ¡°Did the population change after each reset?¡±


    Nolan was confused. ¡°Population? Does it matter?¡±


    ¡°Khiton once said that this world was fake. Ulyanov also said something similar when he was dying,¡± said Hao Ren. ¡°If the world is fake, then you think the people in the world are real.¡±


    Nolan¡¯s eyes widened slightly. ¡°You suspect that other humans in this world are merely NPCs¡ªnone-player characters?¡±


    ¡°No, I think they are all real,¡± Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°This is the exact reason I have to ask. According to your situation, you would resurrect after each death, which means is no ¡®cache¡¯ function in the ¡®mechanism¡¯ of this world; each real human would reappear with a new identity in another world after each death. So if everyone in the world were real, then every time the world resets, its population would not change. Even over time, there would not be a significant shift in the population. But if the people in this world are different after every resetting, it means that at least some humans are NPCs. Then the number of real humans should be based on the minimum population count of each resetting cycle.¡±


    Nolan looked at Hao Ren in surprise. ¡°Are you sure this was your first ¡®resetting¡¯?¡±


    ¡°What ask so?¡±


    ¡°Your questions are profound. You have been pondering them very carefully for a long time,¡± Nolan stared at Hao Ren suspiciously. ¡°I didn¡¯t have such deep thinking during my first few reincarnations; all I cared was to live for a little longer. But you sound as if you don¡¯t care.¡±


    But Nolan kept her last thought to herself that Hao Ren seemed to analyze things like an unconcerned outsider.


    Cold sweat trickled down Hao Ren¡¯s forehead, marveling at the girl¡¯s terrible gut feeling and observation. He smiled wryly and then swayed her attention. ¡°*Cough cough*, it doesn¡¯t matter. You can treat me as a genius. Otherwise, a neurotic¡­¡±


    ¡°I have never thought about it from the angle of the population. Your thinking is very novel and sensible. I have not studied about the population, but I have read several census reports. I think the population of the world hadn¡¯t changed much after each reset cycle, or it had stayed the same perhaps. After all, the world is a large place. With so many humans in this world, no one could do a 100% population census. But with just a little tweak in the ¡®program¡¯ behind this world, no one would realize the fact that the world¡¯s population has been staying constant.¡±


    She giggled and twisted the corner of her mouth upward with a hint of sarcasm. ¡°And every time the world has only stayed to a few years, at most decades; there is simply not enough time for people to find out any anomalies.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s brows knit together. ¡°So humans in this world should all be real¡­ just that they were in a constantly refreshing sandbox?¡±


    His worldview almost crumbled down. He began to realize that his exploration and time spent in this world was foolish. A bizarre bubble was shrouding the truth of this world. The so-called Nanomachine Swarms, Northern Ring Tower and the world war were just a stage play. He laughed at himself. ¡°For what purpose after all the enthusiasm to finding out whether the lost-of-control Nanomachine Swarms of sixty-five years ago was the key to the problem when the problem itself isn¡¯t a problem at all in the first place, let alone the key. In reality, nothing has ever happened.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Nolan suddenly interrupted him. ¡°I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s something more than meets the eye.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°During the recent resets, the world has seen a similar trend,¡± said Nolan, looking serious. ¡°Whatever the setting at the beginning, the world would eventually evolve into a global war, weapon out of control, and the end of the day. The last time the Nanomachine Swarms went out of control, before that it was a global nuclear disaster, and before that, the tempering of weaponized satellites by the AI¡­ The scripts might be slightly different, but the final processes were almost identity¡ªthe whole marched towards its death.¡±

 Chapter 740

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    According to Nolan¡¯s description, the recent rounds of reincarnation, the world would invariably come to an end.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it like that before?¡± Hao Ren asked, sensing there was something in Nolan¡¯s words.


    ¡°Before that? In the beginning?¡± Nolan thought for a moment. ¡°It was not like that at the beginning. The earliest ¡®scripts¡¯ I remember was peaceful. Although the resetting of the world was strange, the world was very safe. There was no war; people were rich. Now when I think of it, except that it was a bit boring, life back then was comfortable¡ªso comfortable that it was boring. Sometimes I lived with my family in a big house in the mountains. Sometimes I was a peaceful and contended citizen. I remember I even was the daughter of a president and princess of a small country on the sea¡­ there were eras without war.¡±


    Hao Ren listened in surprise. He had thought that the world would see doomsday of gunfire every time it reset itself. But he least expected the most hidden memory in Nolan¡¯s mind was a pastoral era. He paused and then asked, ¡°When was the first time war broke out?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t remember it,¡± Nolan whispered. ¡°You know, it¡¯s tough to remember the exact time after each reincarnation. I can only estimate that it was in the middle part of my timeline memory¡­ Probably three or four thousand years ago or more, the world became more dangerous after each reincarnation. Initially, there were sporadic wars in the ¡®scripts,¡¯ followed by natural and human-made disasters when resetting was imminent, and then large-scale war and mass extinction. In the recent dozens of rounds of resetting, the world had shown signs of ending, which began with an iconic catastrophe.¡±


    ¡°The loss of control of the Nanomachine Swarms,¡± Hao Ren whispered, ¡°might be an illusion itself. But it has symbolic significance. Maybe it represents the direction of the world or some sort of ¡®mainline¡¯?¡±


    ¡°The world is an absurd stage play,¡± said Nolan with a blank expression. ¡°Probably the director of this stage drama happens to like disaster movies.¡±


    Nolan liked to describe the world as a stage, and used ¡®scripts,¡±director,¡¯ and ¡®drama¡¯ to tell her stories. Hao Ren agreed strongly with her. But he had other thoughts. ¡°Have you tried to contact the people from the ¡®real world¡¯ or the ¡®conscious world¡¯?¡±


    ¡°You mean ¡®people¡¯ who control the stage from the outside?¡± Nolan looked at Hao Ren, suddenly smiled. ¡°I did many years ago. But it was useless, no one had responded. Even if I made a hell of a noise and chaos, drop a nuke in the city and shift the entire continental shelf, no one responded. They just silently pressed the restart button and replaced the broken stage with a new one. ¡®Wake up¡¯ is unrealistic. We are all trapped here. We are just part of the script. The person holding the text does not care about the complaints of our small-fry characters.¡±


    ¡°Sound like you¡¯ve given up,¡± Hao Ren sighed. ¡°If possible, contacting the lucid world is the only way.¡±


    He felt that things had fallen between a rock and a hard place. In the reality of the Plane of Dreams, he could not locate the position of Planet Zorm; on this ¡®fake stage,¡¯ he could not contact the real world. And if he were to wake up forcibly, he could only get up from his hibernation pod. A certain sleeping rule was preventing him from contacting the mastermind of this world. Although it seemed there was just a thin veil; it was elusive.


    It was like on pins and needles.


    Hearing that Hao Ren was interested in the lucid world, she warned. ¡°Don¡¯t try to do a stupid thing or even think about this. Khiton went insane because of this. I¡¯ve tried it once, suffered brain damage, and spent four years in the hospital. The world must have some mechanism to stop us from leaving. We can¡¯t fight it.¡±


    ¡°Brain damage?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s heart missed a beat. ¡°This world will respond to anyone for having the escape thought?¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s eagerness shocked Nolan. ¡°What do you want to do?¡±


    Hao Ren was excited. ¡°If we could trigger the ¡®response,¡¯ does it not mean that we can approach the mastermind?¡±


    ¡°My advice to you is to forget about this idea immediately,¡± Nolan¡¯s brows pulled together. ¡°Let¡¯s not talked about where you¡¯re going to start first, are you convinced that the one behind all this will be interested in a little ¡®characters¡¯ like us? I have the gut feeling that even the consciousness that keeps our memory intact is intentional, the ¡®director¡¯ left it in us to give the entire play more kicks.¡±


    Hao Ren exhaled as he leaned against the offroader with his hands on the back of his head. ¡°If this is true, then that is one bad ¡®director.¡¯¡±


    Nolan¡¯s warning was of little effect to him. Regardless of who or what was behind the world, ¡®it¡¯ was not likely to affect a spiritual body. Hao Ren was now glad that he had come in a dream. There was a set of advanced Xi Ling hibernation pods as a security lock. He was not afraid of the world¡¯s counterattack. But before he went on the ¡®offensive,¡¯ he must first find the key to dialogue with the mastermind behind this world.


    ¡°Nanomachine Swarms¡­¡± Hao Ren murmured. He recalled the mysterious voice he had heard while entering the ruins of the north. His gut feeling told him that that was what he should be after. ¡°The world would invariably come to an end in the recent reincarnations. Nolan, do you think this is simply because the scriptwriter has a bad hobby?¡±


    Nolan looked at him curiously. ¡°You mean¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if you like disaster movies, you would vomit after watching them over and over again,¡± Hao Ren said slowly. ¡°I¡¯m more inclined to think that the mastermind did not have full control over the situation. Or maybe there is something wrong with his program that causes the world to collapse after a certain time. You have said that the world¡¯s many rounds of reincarnation were peaceful. It seems to me like a paradise. I think anyone who could create this paradise would not change their temperament suddenly to want to end the world.¡±


    Nolan remained silent. She looked quietly at Hao Ren for a moment, feeling that this man was naive, but she was not going to say anything. She believed that as long as Hao Ren experienced more of the same reincarnation as she did, he would begin to think like her.


    Nolan was once naive¡ªmore than once. Today, though she looked young, life¡¯s vicissitudes had hardened her. After the excitement of finding her ¡®companion¡¯ gradually faded away, she shifted her focus away from discussing the nature of this imaginary world to thinking about what they should do next.


    ¡°This round of reincarnation is worse than before. It seems that we were already on the battlefield from the very beginning.¡± Nolan said as she massaged her temples with her finger and whispered. ¡°If my memory is right, this time the ¡®script¡¯ will go like this: The planet¡¯s aerospace technology is in an abnormal state. A huge ¡®celestial empire¡¯ controls all the cutting-edge technologies and prohibits the ¡®mortal countries¡¯ from launching high-orbiting vehicles into space. The empire would label those who conduct space research on their extremists and killed them as if they were terrorists. Now, there is a serious power struggle inside the ¡®celestial empire.¡¯ The progressive nobles also leaked some scientific and technological materials while other countries in the world are uniting to plot against the overlord. Perhaps a world war will break out, and the scale will be no less devastating than the sixty-year war in the previous reincarnation.¡±


    ¡°What is your identity this time?¡± Hao Ren casually asked.


    ¡°A freelance fighter in a modified vehicle,¡± Nolan patted the big tires she was leaning against on her back. ¡°In simple terms, it¡¯s called robber. I came here for the high commission for guarding the secret base. But I just dropped my employer and ran away, there would be some trouble soon, but no worry, I¡¯m used to it¡­ Every time after the world reset, I would be in a muddle for some time. Retaining the reincarnation memory comes at a price. It¡¯s not always easy to integrate into the new roles.¡±


    Nolan pasted a smile and shook her head. Then a thought suddenly came to mind. She said, ¡°Oh yes, I need to remind you, if you bump into other guys from Grey Fox, though sorry, they are not necessarily on our side this time. If they¡¯re hostile, give them a quick death, if possible.¡±


    The girl-corpse-MDT, which was sitting in a 4-figure posture not far away suddenly chimed in. ¡°Is that necessary?¡±


    ¡°Just to keep us alive,¡± said Nolan. ¡°Anyway, sooner or later, the world will reset again. What is the use of getting so emotional? Being naive is the last thing you want here.¡±

 Chapter 741

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    As an ¡°outsider¡± who had been in this world for just a short while, Hao Ren did not feel the same as Nolan thought. He could hardly imagine what effect thousands of years of reincarnation would have on people. But what he was sure was that the world in Nolan¡¯s eyes had long faded; everything was elusive and meaningless. When the world had become a readily changeable scene of a stage play, nothing in this world could trigger her feelings. She accumulated experience and knowledge as well as a thick shell deep inside her with each reincarnation. She was right; if the world could reset at any time, the feeling of attachment to this world was worthless.


    Everything you value, hate, and trust are just temporary. It¡¯s all arranged. It is possible that when you wake up, they would be all gone. They might be your friends now, but friends could quickly become foes. After such a long time, Nolan had learned to survive efficiently and readily give up everything, including the Grey Fox mercenary group that he had formed.


    But today, Hao Ren and the girl-corpse-MDT became an exception. For the first time in thousands of years, she found people who could retain their memories like her. It was significant to Nolan. She felt that she finally had partners, real partners.


    So she told Hao Ren everything and even ignored the eccentric nature of Hao Ren and the MDT. Now the most important to her was to help the two compatriots to understand the situation quickly, which meant that she would live better.


    The sun had already wholly set, and the two small moons had risen from below the horizon, one after the other ¡ª the dim moonlight cast silvery glow outside the cave. Nolan came to the cave entrance. Again, she carefully checked the surroundings. ¡°Looks like the battle over the base is over. There is no explosion. The imperial marines must have already kept things under control.¡±


    ¡°Is this place safe?¡± Hao Ren walked up from behind, then looking over his shoulder at the cave. The girl-corpse-MDT was curiously studying the LED light stick hanging in the car. Some light leaked outside the cave. ¡°Are those soldiers not pass by here when they retreat?¡±


    ¡°It is safe here. I have checked it¡­ in my memory,¡± Nolan nodded. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t light a bonfire. The remote sensing infrared detector of the Imperial Marines is still very sensitive.¡±


    Hao Ren hummed and looked up at the sparsely starry sky above. The strange stars twinkled in front of his eyes, but he was thinking of his next exploration. ¡°These stars are beautiful,¡± he murmured.


    ¡°Yeah, indeed,¡± said Nolan as she raised her head. Her eyes widened, as she suddenly seemed to discover the stars above her. ¡°I miss it. I have not seen the stars for more than ten years. It looks like the script is not that bad this time after all. At least the sky is clear.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine that permanent dust and haze were still shrouding this world and tar smell was still in the air six hours ago,¡± Hao Ren said with a sigh. Suddenly a thought came to his mind. ¡°Did the sky change in previous reincarnations?¡±


    Nolan shook her head. ¡°Not much. Probably because it was so far from humans that they had not been able to touch it, the ¡®director¡¯ behind this world seemed not bothered to create a more elaborate starry sky. I have never seen humans are capable of interstellar colonization after those reincarnations.¡±


    Hao Ren slowly fell into deep thought. Nolan pulled his the corner of his cloth and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back inside and have something to eat. Rest early. There¡¯s a long way to go tomorrow.¡±


    The two of them returned to the cave. The girl-corpse-MDT waved at Hao Ren. ¡°Hey, partner, back from hook-up?¡±


    Nolan eyeballed Hao Ren. ¡°What is the relationship between the two of you?¡± she asked.


    She was entirely at a loss to the relationship between Hao Ren and the blonde. She could not help it. Even sociologists would be left dumbfounded when seeing a supposedly tragic love story turning out to be a comedy.


    The girl-corpse-MDT could have cared less. ¡°We¡¯re brothers in arms!¡± she said.


    Hao Ren thought for a moment, surprised at how apt the MDT said¡ªbrothers in arms, yeah.


    Nolan fumbled through a pile of resupplies in the car; in her memory, she got the supplies in the small town under the foothill twenty-four hours ago. She tossed two bags of compressed dry food and two bottles of water to Hao Ren and the MDT. ¡°Just eat it, but don¡¯t overeat; it will screw up your mental alertness.¡±


    Hao Ren took the food. Before he could tear open the package, the girl-corpse-MDT quietly pulled his sleeve and asked, ¡°Hey, can I eat?¡±


    The usual head-scratching question struck him again. He looked at the blonde with the corner of his eye as if saying, ¡°You must be out of your mind,¡± and said, ¡°Maybe you would like to try the drink first.¡±


    The girl-corpse-MDT awkwardly unscrewed the cap of the water bottle and took a mouthful. It whispered, ¡°I feel like it just flushed down the throat into the stomach, and then it just oozed away in all directions.¡±


    ¡°You had better don¡¯t eat. Your esophagus is broken,¡± Hao Ren said as he wondered if the taste of this topic was too extreme. ¡°And you have never visited the loo and felt weak after going so long without food or drink. I think eating is unnecessary.¡±


    Hao Ren knew that he might be a little unscientific, but since the world was highly likely to be fake, he could care less. Or probably there was a bug during the MDT¡¯s crossover to this world, causing its body to function in defiance of nature. How did it work? Well, since the world was false, who cares?


    Nolan looked on as Hao Ren and the blonde whispering into each other¡¯s eye. She could not help but ask, ¡°Oh yeah, I haven¡¯t had time to ask, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    She was talking to the girl-corpse-MDT. Hao Ren and the MDT froze. The MDT looked at Hao Ren and said quietly, ¡°Oh shit! Quickly think of a name!¡±


    Even the MDT knew that the Mobile Data Terminal was not a person¡¯s name.


    Hao Ren was beating his brains out to make up a name. Considering his naming ability, which was barely a hare-brained idea at best even in the best-case scenario, he was nervous as hell. Before he could say a word, the MDT quickly interrupted him in his mind. ¡°Stop being nervous! I know I couldn¡¯t count on you in such a situation. Let me think!¡±


    Nolan looked on, puzzled by the eye-exchanges between Hao Ren and the MDT. At this time, the girl-corpse-MDT said, ¡°Oh yeah, my¡­ my name is Pattie-Ann, you can call me Pattie.¡±


    Nolan nodded but did not ask more. Hao Ren whispered to the MDT in his mind. ¡°Where did you get the name suddenly?¡±


    ¡°PDA.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s freaking crude and simple, and easy to remember.¡±


    The night was darkening. They had to rest. Nolan climbed into the car, took out a sleeping bag and insulated tarpaulin, and laid it out. ¡°We need a night watch. You guys sleep first. I¡¯ll be on the first shift.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the starlight shone into the cave. He waved to Nolan. ¡°You sleep first. Pattie and I take a walk outside.¡±


    ¡°This time?¡± Nolan paused. ¡°It¡¯s not wise to waste your energy, especially in this unfamiliar place after nightfall.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I am also a professional,¡± said Hao Ren, who was already at the cave entrance. The girl-corpse-MDT was limping beside him. ¡°I¡¯ll go to check out the surroundings. I will be okay. Have you forgot about the wand?¡±


    Hao Ren pointed his mouth at the sentry wand hanging on Nolan¡¯s waist. ¡°I have something more powerful than this. But let¡¯s leave it to the other day.¡±


    Nolan glanced down at the mysterious weapon on her waist and reminded of the secrets that Hao Ren possessed. She did not ask more but just nodded. ¡°Be careful.¡±


    After coming to an open space outside the cave, the MDT asked, ¡°What do you want to do? Do you think I¡¯m your brother in arms?¡±


    ¡°I need to fix you after we get home. You must have burned your chips during the abnormal crossing,¡± Hao Ren said while looking up at the sky. ¡°I need to take a look from above to see how large the simulation is.¡±

 Chapter 742

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    It did not matter if this strange place was real or not, and it did not matter if it was a distorted space or a supernatural phenomenon. One thing was sure, it would inadvertently collapse in time. A second unbounded dimension would not appear in a proper, completed universe. This was one of the many rules in ¡°The Creators¡¯ Creed¡±. This rule ensured the stability and order of the universe. Hao Ren learned this from Raven 12345 by accident.


    Therefore, he was very sure if he headed for the stars¡­ he would reach the border of this world.


    He had no idea how that place looked like, or whether it was even safe at all.


    ¡°Thta¡¯s not bad a thought,¡± the MDT praised Hao Ren as it heard Hao Ren¡¯s plan. ¡°So, how do you plan on getting there? With the Petrachelys?¡±


    ¡°I did bring it along.¡± Hao Ren looked at the distant stars, and under the illumination of the two moons, only a few stars were actually visible. ¡°But, I¡¯m sure if it¡¯s safe to shoot for the stars so suddenly¡­ Ugh¡­ no point dwelling on this. We¡¯ve got to at least have a look.¡±


    The MDT kept silent as it looked on Hao Ren pulling the silver inspector cruiser out from his Dimensional Pocket. The Petrachelys floated silently in the night sky and via remote control, she turned off all her lights and obscured its heat and radiation signatures. This will allow it to hide from the detectors from afar. Hao Ren looked at the behemoth as he murmured. ¡°Should we give it a cloaking module? I think it¡¯ll be very useful.¡±


    ¡°Up to you. There¡¯s a boatload of module sockets onboard. You can upgrade it by just sending in an application. But remember that every module draws power from the ship¡¯s core and many a newbie went crazy with the upgrades and ended up needing to apply for help to tow their ship home after a mission¡­¡±


    Hao Ren pondered for a bit and felt that he should think about the upgrades to his ship when he have time, now was however not it. He led the MDT onboard and they reached the bridge the mainframe came alive. Hao Ren sat on his captain¡¯s chair by habit as he took his hands off the keyboard. ¡°MDT, activate the silent ascending protocol.¡±


    The ship did not budge and Hao Ren turned back to see the blonde corpse of the MDT sitting dumbfoundedly on the control dais: Her butt was sitting on the usual command dock¡­


    ¡°I can¡¯t fit in!¡± the blonde girl shook her leg, motioning that she had tried hard. ¡°Do it yourself!¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged as he manipulated the controls. Thankfully he was no longer the basket case that did not even knew what an automated door was. After checking the control manuals he was still able to perform the standard control protocols, but as he was checking the drive core he suddenly let out a ¡®Eh¡¯. ¡°Eh, was this supposed to be like that?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The MDT leapt off the control dais to have a look. ¡°Even with a diagram you¡¯re still lost?¡±


    ¡°Not the diagram.¡± Hao Ren pointed towards the status of the drive core on the holographic display. ¡°There¡¯s no psionic reading anymore and many of the units and calculations on the display is abnormal¡­ and I can¡¯t see anything on the cameras in the lab and the engine hold.¡±


    ¡°Let me see.¡± The corpse princess said as she used her unfamiliar hands to manage the control interface. When she was still able to dock directly to the control dias every manner of control was done almost instantenously, but how she could only poke about the consoles clumsily and that left her rather unhappy. Bereft of any options, she could only prod on at the speed of a one-finger typist. Not long after, she could finally see the problematic data that Hao Ren mentioned, and realised that the ship was indeed having problems.


    ¡°Seems like anything to do with the Psionic module has all gone offline. The device parameters are incomplete and all it manage to display is either something is working normally or not.¡± The MDT said as she pressed one of the blue buttons on the control dais. ¡°Mainframe computer, enabling direct voice connection, status report.¡±


    The holographic display on the control dais immediately displayed a report stating that ¡°Status normal.¡± but there was no voice response.


    Hao Ren frowned as he seemed to have thought of something. ¡°Lets head to the lab and the engine sector!¡±


    He pulled the corpse princess off the bridge and soon they came before the gate before the laboratory. This was the Petrachelys¡¯ most secured, most technologically advance section, and more than half of the ships high-end equipments were located here. Furthermore, the lifeblood, the corpse of the First Born and the brain monster were amongst the more special specimens kept there. When Hao Ren was running a check of the ship¡¯s status, this place, and the engine section was nothing but pitch black.


    Hao Ren took deep breath as he opened the laboratory door.


    And he almost fell into a dimensional flux for his troubles.


    A twisted room with formed by metallic and crystalline substance appeared before him and the MDT. Every part of the room defied any sense of logic, almost like a maze made out of optical illusions, or a children¡¯s doodle that gone out of hand. The laboratory was now a maw of incomprehensible madness. As what that appeared before him was something that was totally detached from the laws of reality and human comprehension, Hao Ren immediately felt weak the moment he saw the scene and thankfully the MDT was quick to yank him back and closed the door.


    ¡°What was that all about?¡± The MDT was astonished by what she saw. While she may have a very powerful logic processing capability, she still lacked in associative and imaginative reasoning.


    ¡°This is not our ship.¡± Hao Ren said between his breath, as he slowly recovered from nausea and dissonance of what he saw earlier. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s not fully our ship. Like Nolan said, this world is a stage, and is simulated by something. So everything here is simulated, everything from my Dimensional Pocket included¡­¡±


    As he said, Hao Ren pulled his Inspector¡¯s pistol out.


    This was the first time Hao Ren pulled the weapon out since he arrived in the world.


    The silver psionic pistol looked normal at first glance, and just from appearance alone, Hao Ren could not tell if anything was amiss with the gun. Hao Ren took a deep breath as he closed his eyes and focused his mind. A moment later, he cocked the gun.


    And shockingly, the slider slid back and ejected a round¡­


    Even the MDT was dumbfounded by the scene. ¡°Since when does and inspector¡¯s pistol needed bullets? Isn¡¯t it an energy weapon?¡±


    ¡°This world can only simulate what it understands. The simpler the thing, and the closer it is to the level of human civilisation, the easier the simulation is. Conversely, the more complicated the thing is, the simulation is can be very demanding..¡± Hao Ren kept his pistol as he now knew this weapon was frankly worthless in this world. ¡°The same reason why the Steel Membrane Shield did appear was that it could be simulated. The staff I gave to Nolan was an Aerym-made item. It was not a technologically advanced item, so it too could be simulated. But my pistol¡­ it is psionic.¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head as he headed back to the bridge. ¡°Seems like our ship¡¯s core is just too technologically advanced and thus the world could only simulate its outer shell. Same goes for the hull, and those super-advanced thingmajings were even more numerous inside, and the world simply rendered them into something unknown.¡±


    The MDT finally understood as she patted the alloy wall. ¡°So when you pull the ship out the world had no idea what sort of item you were going to pull out of your pocket¡­ and could only re-create a shell that looks like the Petrachelys in haste?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re quite on the mark, but that mouth of yours is quickly mimicking mine.¡±


    The MDT did not care about that as she limped behind Hao Ren. ¡°Now the question is, can we fly this tin bucket?¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s response was only one word. ¡°Probably.¡±


    As they arrived at the bridge, Hao Ren tried to activate the silent ascension protocol once again, and just as he imagined; while he had no idea how this ¡®Petrachelys¡¯ actually operated, the ship was beginning to ascend silently.


    Surprise was plastered all over the MDT¡¯s face. ¡°Eh holy molly it¡¯s really flying!?¡±


    ¡°While this world does not understand what a psionic engine is.¡± Hao Ren pursed his lips. ¡°But ¡®it¡¯ at least know that this ship is space-faring capable. So now, lets see what awaits us at the edge of the world¡­ or rather the border of this world¡¯s simulation.

 Chapter 743

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The Petrachelys silently rose into the air as it headed towards an even more desolate area. Hao Ren did not want his movements to draw attention to Nolan¡¯s hiding place nearby. He noticed that the acceleration was much slower than expected, and there was this lack of finesse with its movement. This, to him validated his suspicion that it was not the real Petrachelys.


    This was a reproduction of his memory by a series of programmes. On the outside, it looked like the real deal, but as the Xiling Empire¡¯s Psionic techonology was beyond human comprehension, the ship¡¯s core was simply fabricated within the limits of the simulation¡¯s database.


    ¡°Do you think we can reach the edge of the world?¡± The MDT started murmuring as she saw the ship accelerated clumsily and breaking through the atmosphere. ¡°Will the mastermind of this world allow someone to seek out the edge of the stage?¡±


    ¡°We might run into someone, or something.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Even if this world is simply a programme, it should have some self-preservation protocols. These protocols will definitely attempt any outflow of data, but before that, we should be able to detect what¡¯s uncanny about this world.¡±


    The MDT gave a short ¡®Oh¡¯ before continuing. ¡°What do you think this world is made of?¡±


    ¡°Probably somesort of computer programme, an imaginary world of sorts.¡± Hao Ren jested. As soon as he knew of the nature of this world he had developed guesses towards this direction. While there are many other possibilities, the argument for it being a programme is probably the strongest and most reliable. ¡°The resetting of the world, and the details in Nolan¡¯s memory, these are all traits of an virtual world. Plus with condition of the Petrachelys and my psionic pistol is also proof of that.¡±


    ¡°So if our current vessel is simulated, where¡¯s the real Petrachelys?¡± The MDT asked a very important question. ¡°Is it still inside your pocket?¡±


    Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°No, I¡¯ve checked. The ship is not there. I actually doubted I¡¯ve even opened the Dimensional Pocket. Think about it, we are now is a virtual world, and everything here is detached from reality. ¡®Taking out an item from the Dimensional Pocket¡¯ is probably a thought process in my mind. Remember the first time when we got back from Zom we realised that we couldn¡¯t bring the mercenary tag out? And our clothes were as good as new? That¡¯s because the whole process was simulated¡­ it¡¯s just that we can¡¯t find where the programme access port is.¡±


    The MDT nodded again as she sat on the control dais daydreaming. That place was her usual docking port, but now in human form she could no longer fit in. So she just simply sat on her usual spot trying to act busy. Hao Ren gave the MDT a look before sinking deep in his thoughts. It was probably too obvious that the latter glanced at him. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    ¡°I probably have a gist of what happened to you.¡± Hao Ren pointed towards the MDT¡¯s body. ¡°And why you had turned like this.¡±


    The MDT¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. ¡°Oh oh?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I told you, this world could only simulate what it could understand as its simulation ability is a programme, and programmes are inflexible. It could not understand my psionic pistol, so it simulated a copy that could eject bullet shells. It could not understand how Petrachelys functions, so it only manages to simulate a shell to contain all the unknown factors.¡± Hao Ren poinred at the MDT. ¡°So similarly, it could not understand an opinated PDA that could jump about with a potty mouth is¡­¡±


    The MDT glared back at Hao Ren before stiffly looking at herself and stroking her arm in the process. ¡°¡­. What the actual f*ck¡­¡±


    ¡°I suppose this world has not have the sort of techonological level of yours, or even if they have artificial intelligence, their logical functions would have differed, so simulation programme of this world got confused.¡± Hao Ren raised his eyebrows. ¡°Probably it had used a spiritual scan to determine your body. You think like a human, so it simulated you as one, but you are a non-biological being, so it created a dead body in place, and because you will never shut up, the world have kept you talking even when you¡¯re dead¡­.¡±


    Looking at the gawking blonde, Hao Ren added. ¡°This is all conjecture at the moment, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be able to come up with an even more logical assumption. So this is probably the most possible scenario for now.¡±


    The MDT leapt off from the control dais. ¡°Why was I given this form then? Can¡¯t it choose any other?¡±


    ¡°How would I know?¡± Hao Ren rolled his eyes. ¡°Probably because the system sees you as what it is?¡±


    As he said that, something suddenly popped up in his mind. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because at the spiritual level you are a ¡­. OH F*CK!¡±


    The MDT was startled by Hao Ren sudden ¡°OH F*CK!¡±¡±What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the latter. ¡°You are really not living up to your own image! Can¡¯t you be at your best behaviour on normal days?¡±


    ¡°¡­.What are you on about?!¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged as he turned and ignored the rambunctious MDT to focus on monitoring what was going outside the ship. He was rather confident with his theories, but he could not put his fingers on the real laws that governs this world. He had managed to affirm his idea that the world was a ¡®simulation¡¯ based on his observation of his psionic pistol and the Petrachelys. Thus the MDT¡¯s change was not due to some ¡®walk-in¡¯, but its change was simply due to the fact that the world¡¯s simulation logic was not complete, and the PDA became a living corpse.


    Insofar, the MDT was probably the most that undergone the most drastic of changes amongst his tools, even if the interior of the Petrachelys had turned into a twisting nether, it was not as serious as being given a human form. Hao Ren guessed this had something to do with the MDT¡¯s almost human-like nature: A living soul was far far more complicated than any techonology after all.


    As he reached this point, Hao Ren squirmed slightly as he murmured. ¡°A tool huh¡­¡±


    Even when he argues with the MDT Hao Ren had always treated her as a human. Otherwise he would not be able to argue with a PDA so seriously. But as they entered this world, the MDT was determined by this world to be a tool, and even if she was simulated with a human form, this simulation process had determined that she was not human, as ¡®humans¡¯ in this world did not require any simulation.


    The MDT¡¯s grating voice came from beside him. ¡°What were you saying again?¡±


    Hao Ren quipped. ¡°Say, you consider yourself a tool or a human?¡±


    Hao Ren was rather conflicted about this topic and felt that he probably had asked too directly. But he never thought that the MDT did not mind that. ¡°What¡¯s the difference? The Xiling Celestials does not on this. Because everything is a cog of the Empire. But if you insist¡­ I¡¯m certain a tool. A very delicate and precise tool! The super capable kind!¡±


    As Hao Ren heard the MDT so proudly calling herself a tool, he immediately facepalmed. ¡°Should¡¯ve known that worrying about you was a waste of effort.¡±


    The MDT¡¯s attention had by the shifted to what was going on outside the ship. While this half-baked ¡®Petrachelys¡¯ was clunky, it was still equipped with spacefaring ability. The spaceship was now in deep space and Zom was now a mere fist-size blue orb beneath the ship. Looking at the stars, the MDT pondered . ¡°I was expecting this world to take a more pro-active measure¡­ Like stopping us from flying, or restricting everything at atmospheric level.¡±


    ¡°Since we have managed to get into space, this validates one of my theories.¡± Hao Ren nodded softly. ¡°This world¡¯s simulation seems to have a prerequisite.¡±


    ¡°What prerequisite?¡±


    ¡°That is needs to follow the laws of nature, and it was to be ¡®real¡¯ enough.¡± Hao Ren pointed to the ever-distant Zom. ¡°To increase the world¡¯s ¡®reality¡¯, a programme would need to maintain everything to do with the natural world. Since it has a sky, that means there¡¯s a way to reach for the stars. And since there is space, that means a spacecraft is usable. It could of course use meteors or other natural means to stop humans from going into space, buit it could not set a non-existant natural law to restrict the spaceship¡¯s functions. As there¡¯s no such thing in realspace, so it could not set such a rule.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ sounds possible. But it was smooth sailing all along right?¡± The MDT was rather cautious. ¡°Is this world not going to stop us from checking out its borders?¡±


    Hao Ren frowned slightly. ¡°I¡¯m curious about that too¡­ but no point worrying about it. We¡¯ll press on forward, and see if there¡¯s an end to this dream!¡±


    The MDT pointed towards the exterior camera display. ¡°Perhaps¡­ that¡¯s the end.¡±

 Chapter 744

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°Looks like that¡¯s the border.¡±


    The MDT pointed towards the display as her voice carried a sliver of surprise.


    Hao Ren gawked at the scene at appeared on the display before letting out a belated sigh of astonishment. ¡°¡­It¡¯s really like waking up from a dream.¡±


    The Petrachelys glided through the silent yet bizzare space. Her speed was reduced to the point of atmospheric cruising. The border of the world appeared around the ship, and it looked eeriely similar to the space from a child¡¯s dream. Bizzare, simple, blindingly white.


    The Petrachelys passed through countless of celestial bodies, all of them tiny, yet colorful.


    Hao Ren and the MDT had went to the Petrachelys¡¯ observation deck to personally observe this virutal world¡¯s edge. He saw groups upon groups of lights floated in space, all of them engraved with intricate markings or halos. Their diameter was no bigger than a meter and the egg-shaped gaseous stars went past him akin to those astral projection in the planetarium. They went around a strict orbit, shone as they went, dimming as they passed. The entire scene was almost like flying straight into a bullet hell. They were without volume or strength and as soon as they came into contact iwth the Petrachelys they dissipated after blurring out akin to a transmission disruption on a television. Hao Ren held his hand out to touch one of the blinding ¡®stars¡¯. He felt a slight warmth and a post-electric shock numbness. The star was being disrupted and after shuddering for bit, it disappeared.


    ¡°So this is the edge of the world.¡± The MDT said as she stood amongst the stars. Her blonde hair shone by the stars¡¯ radiance. ¡°A full holographic universe¡­ and so small¡­ almost like a tabletop model.¡±


    ¡°Because this is not too far from Zom.¡± Hao Ren looked down towards a light blue dot that shone beneath the Petrachelys. That was Zom, and it was still within sight. ¡°At this distance, you would only need to sumulate a layer of virtual image, as long as no one flies here¡­. no one will realise that the skies above them is fabricated.¡±


    ¡°What if someone realise it?¡±


    ¡°The world will reset after a fixed period of time, that¡¯s because it could not allow humans to develop techonologies too advanced, and it is also making it difficult for technology to progress¡­ but the world¡¯s programme dictates that is needs to follow the natural laws and cannot allow the world to develop anything that goes against that. Thus it¡¯s only way to stop humans from going into space is to reset the entire map.¡± Hao Ren thought he had figured out the key point of the question, but there was something still missing. ¡°But there¡¯s plenty of ways to reset the map, and yet only Nolan retains her memory while everyone else is written anew unknowingly. So what¡¯s the point of that apocalyptic battle?¡±


    When the world started off a few thousand years ago, it was always a peaceful setting and humans enjoyed peace and prosperity. No one did never noticed anything that was amiss. But within the last ten cycles, the world started heading towards doomsday, and every time the world ended with the cacophony of war. Hao Ren felt that it was utmost pointless, if the world intended to trap humans within the virtual reality, a slow, stagnant and yet peaceful world would have been a better choice than war. So what was the point of the war?


    ¡°Even I can think of several scenarios that would have been much better. If the world was reset to a feudal setting you would not need to worry about human going into space for a few thousand years at least.¡± Hao Ren frowned as he shook his head. ¡°So the world is not trying to trap the humans, not letting them reach for the stars is probably a security protocol¡­. My guess is that this place is a sanctuary.¡±


    ¡°Why are we not heading further to the edge?¡± The MDT suggested. ¡°There¡¯s still some ways to go and seems like this place is actually rather big.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid of the potential data leakage.¡± Hao Ren said wearily. ¡°If this world is simulated by a computer programme, trying to visit the edge of the world would probaby trigger a logic error.¡±


    The MDT pondered for a moment. ¡°Based onmy experience, such a complex system would definitely have some failsafe. If we try to breack the border, we¡¯ll probably just rebound back. And even if the data were to leak as long as we retreat in time: Such a powerful programme shouldn¡¯t be without a bug-fixing function right?¡±


    Hao Ren considered the MDT¡¯s suggestion before agreeing to go along and frankly, he too was curious on how the world¡¯s edge look like.


    The Petrachelys slowly accelerated again and this time around the advance was more cautious. Hao Ren and the MDT stood on the observation deck and controlled the ship¡¯s advance remotely. The tiny celestial bodies that was floating in space were getting more and more concentrated beside the two ¡®persons¡¯ standing there. Their shapes too were getting even more bizzare. As they were now a distance away from Zom, these were probably too far for the telescopes to tell its properties. So these stars were crudely made, and some of them were simply a flat round cut out, with its shiny surface facing Zom.


    As they headed forth, the entire star system too was a flat cutout, and holographic image moved above it.


    Finally the Petrachelys came to a sudden stop. There was no pre-empt, no shock, nothing. The ship came to a halt as if someone pressed the pause button. Hao Ren noticed that the fore of the ship had lost its colours and looked no different than a 3D model without skins on it. Ahead of him was nothing but darkness, and the stars had dissappeared.


    ¡°This is the edge of the world.¡± the MDT said as she looked at the scene before her. ¡°A zone without definition or rendering to it. Seems like this ¡®space¡¯ did not unravel because we appeared. Seems like we were worrying for nothing.¡±


    ¡°Now that we are here¡­ the person behind the scenes have still yet to appear.¡± Hao Ren looked around the observation deck. The ¡®space¡¯ before him now was in two parts, the first was a curtain of darkness, and another filled with radiant celestial bodies. But as he had not heard anything from the creator of this world he shouted. ¡°Hello? Anybody home?! We have arrived! The edge of the world! Don¡¯t you pla to say anything at all?¡±


    The MDT glanced at Hao Ren. ¡°You think anyone will actually hear you? There¡¯s no air on the deck.¡±


    ¡°You think the creator of this world needs ears to listen to the voice within a programme?¡±


    ¡°So you think that there is a controller of this virtual world?¡± the MDT asked.


    Hao Ren raised his eyebrows. ¡°You mean¡­¡±


    ¡°This is probably automated.¡± the MDT shook her head. ¡°Probably there was one in the past¡­ Wait up!¡±


    Hao Ren grew nervous. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve just received the exploration droids¡¯ signal!¡± the MDT pressed her hand against her forehead as she tried to focus on listening to the signal chain. ¡°It¡¯s a direct signal, very weak, and slightly distorted¡­ but is direct transmission. Seems like some of my functions have recovered!¡±


    ¡°Recovered?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s eyes widen as he looked around. ¡°As it because we are at the edge?¡±


    ¡°Probably¡­ seems like this is the closest to realspace, so there is a possibility to breack the firewall to contact to the outside world.¡± the MDT said in haste. ¡°Or may be the programme¡¯s control over this area is weak and the inhibitors had disappeared¡­ Damn it, the signal is too weak.. I can¡¯t hear them.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately dropped an order. ¡°Don¡¯t waste bandwidth, can we launch a navigation signal? As long as we can do so!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try!¡±


    ¡°Quickly.¡± Hao Ren said as he looked towards the star clusters. He noticed that they were flickering, a scene not seen earlier and it was obvious something unexpected was happening. ¡°Seems like something¡¯s wrong with this place¡­ Shit, the world programme is finally on to something!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying! I¡¯m trying!¡± the MDT roared.


    As minutes and seconds rolled by, the star clusters started flickering maniacally and some of them start disappearing at the rate which the eyes can see. Patches upon patches of dark zones started appearing before Hao Ren. A thought flashed through his mind: Disintegration.


    This place was about to totally disintegrate!


    ¡°Transmission sent!¡± The MDT shouted. ¡°Although only a part¡­¡±


    ¡°Then lets get the hell out of here!!¡±

 Chapter 745

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The Petrachelys immediately left the collapsing edge of the world and set forth at full speed towards Zom. The little light orbs around the ship had all snuffed out and the radiant galaxy turned into the dark void as it slowly spread across the space. The scene reminded Hao Ren of when the lights were turned off one by one inside a planetarium. He made his way back to the bridge and tried to get the ship to go faster. However, this Petrachelys was ultimately a reproduction, and this was the fastest it could go.


    The entire bridge shuddered as the shock from the collapsing space came from all directions. Hao Ren could feel that the outer plates of the ship were being stripped away one by one. He was now really worried that this entire simulated world would just collapse.


    Thankfully, as they approached Zom, the signs of collapse reduced and the dark void of space was now a distant black screen. Seems like the ¡®world¡¯s collapse was limited to its outer areas and the core of the simulated universe is still stable.


    ¡°How many nav-sig did you manage to deploy?¡± Hao Ren heaved a sigh of relief as he turned towards the MDT. ¡°Are you still in contact with the droids?¡±


    ¡°I still have contact, but it has reverted to that transmission mode again, only simple logs exchange, no nav-sigs.¡± the MDT shook her head. She was reverting to her ¡®human¡¯ form again and the functions that she regained at the edge of the world were now gone. ¡°But I have managed to send out a few of the nav-sigs out earlier, so the exploration droids should have a rough idea of our current position¡­ a few light years out I suppose.¡±


    ¡°Looking for a planet within a few light years huh¡­¡± Hao Ren sighed again. ¡°Well, better than trying to scour the universe blindly. Order the droids to fire their scout drones and locate Zom¡¯s exact location.¡±


    The MDT gave a curt ¡®Oh¡¯ before looking at the images coming in from the external sensors. ¡°Seems like the universe is resetting again.¡±


    Hao Ren frowned as he looked upon the holographic display and the darkened stars behind the Petrachelys were shining again, as if someone had flipped a switch. The universe was once again awashed by the stars¡¯ radiance and the hull of the Petrachelys glistened in the glow. Beautiful it was, but real it was not.


    ¡°What does that even mean? Don¡¯t tell me just because we left the edge the system had regained its stability?¡± Hao Ren was slightly unnerved. ¡°Seems like the situation at the edge of the world was bug resulting in a rendering error?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not good at guessing, but I have a bad feeling about this.¡± the MDT leapt off the control dais as she pointed towards another holographic display. ¡°Look there, something is weird with Zom.¡±


    Zom was just before them, like a clear crystal orb that appeared just in front of the Petrachelys¡¯ fore. It was a verdant blue and green that was pleasing ot the eyes, and it looked full of life. And that was when Hao Ren realised the ¡®weirdness¡¯ that the MDT was talking about.


    The planet was similarly covered in ocean when he left Zom earlier, but the earlier version had a sickly shade of grey with the land had a yellowish barren hue to it. It was the degenerated plants caused by the constant warfare and within the last ten or so cycles, the planet was never teeming with life, it was always in a flux of warfare or natural disasters, and such a lively hue to the planet was impossible.


    This was a whole different planet now.


    ¡°There is a good landing spot on the northern hemisphere. A large unhabited area.¡± the MDT pointed towards the planet surface as she spoke. She was basing it off the sensors of the ship. ¡°We won¡¯t get detected as long as we are careful.¡±


    Hao Ren started frowing. ¡°The whole geography have changed¡­ where¡¯s Nolan now?¡±


    ¡°Looking for her would be quite the task.¡± the MDT shook her head. ¡°The entire map have changed. We can¡¯t be sure if she is still at her original position. And we did not put a tracker on her.¡±


    ¡°A tracker?¡± Hao Ren was reminded of something as the MDT mentioned that. ¡°Oh right, I did give her that staff, that¡¯s an object not from this world and should not be reset. Trace that signal.¡±


    Based on Imperial safety regulations, every inspector¡¯s equipment, weapons especially needs to be engraved with a identification chip. This is not only limited to high powered weapons from the Imperial inventory, and includes the personal arms collected by the inspectors. Hao Ren could so boldly give out the technologically advanced sentry staff to Nolan was because of that. He could track the weapon¡¯s location at any time, and could remotely shut it off in emergencies. So he did not need to worry about the weapon falling into the wrong hands. Abd now this identification chip could help him locate Nolan, and if he was right, the world had reset and Nolan might not be at her original place.


    Even if Hao Ren¡¯s various equipments were messed up by this world¡¯s ¡®simulation¡¯, even if the Petrachelys was simply a pirated version, thankfully the programme behind his world sticked to ¡®realism¡¯ to the word under any circumstances. And navigation technology was clearly within the programme¡¯s understanding, and Nolan¡¯s signal was swiftly located.


    Hao Ren piloted the Petrachelys towards the empty plain and successfully landed the ship. After stowing the ship away he realised that this was the outskirts of a small city, and as it was before daybreak, there should not be anyone within the vicinity.


    He and the MDT stood on a mound as they looked at the small city. It was all peace and quiet. There were no gunpowder smoke, no refugees, no ruined streets and crumbled houses. The city was in a peaceful slumber.


    ¡°¡­ The world really got reset, and the architecture and this atmosphere¡­ it¡¯s really different.¡± Hao Ren murmured as he looked on. Even if what he saw was nothing but peace, uneasiness started creeping upon him. ¡°Seems like this is a peaceful world this time around?¡±


    ¡°My word, it is really not in a state of world war¡­¡± the MDT was surprised. ¡°Didn¡¯t Nolan said that the last ten or so cycles were all bad ends?¡±


    ¡°No idea what happened, but the world seemed to have chosen a good end script I guess.¡± Hao Ren shook his head. Just as he was to jump off the mound he remembered something. ¡°Have the droids been deployed?¡±


    The MDT nodded. ¡°Yes. And they should be arriving in the designation location soon. They¡¯ll probably take sometime to find our exact location. The nav-sig launched earlier was incomplete afterall.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a bit before patting the MDT on the shoulder. ¡°Can you access my Dimensional Pocket? Like pulling the Petrachelys out or something?¡±


    ¡°If you give me permission I can operate it for you.. but why?¡±


    ¡°Then I have a mission for you. Return to the real world. Get Vivian and the rest to go the Planes of Dreams from Tannagost, and deploy the Petrachelys to pick me up. I want you to bring my sleeping pod along. Meaning, I want you to bring my real body along.¡±


    ¡°You mean to bring your real body into the Plane of Dreams?¡± the MDT¡¯s eyes widen. ¡°But your spiritual form is already here. We have never tried this before, wouldn¡¯t it cause any problems?¡±


    ¡°No, because this is a simulated space within the Plane of Dreams. And strictly speaking I¡¯m only connected to this place, and this is not a real spiritual transference.¡± Hao Ren pointed to his feet. ¡°I have a feeling, something will happen here¡­ no.. something already happened here. So we need to get all the firepower we can get to face it. And if the situation requires, I want to be able to return my body and control the ship. So you need to use the Petrachelys to find where the real Zom is before that.¡±


    The MDT silently looked at Hao Ren for a while before nodding. ¡°Understood. Leave it to me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave the real world task to you then.¡± Hao Ren waved at the MDT. ¡°I¡¯ll handle whatever there¡¯s in this virtual world.¡±


    The next second, the MDT disappeared into thin air.


    It had now returned to a sleeping pod in the Southern Suburb and it will bring with it companions, and a spaceship. With the guidance of the exploration droids, it shall find Zom¡¯s real location, but before that¡­


    Hao Ren walked towards the city that was basking in dawn¡¯s light. His tracker shows that Nolan was just in front.


    As the sun broke out from the horizon, the skies was painted with a crimson blow. Before stepping into the city, Hao Ren had one last look at the horizon. The radiant dawnbreak signals the start of new day in this world.


    And may it be for the best.

 Chapter 746

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    A faint golden light shone onto the city at an angle, waking up the serene and peaceful town from its sweet dream. Hao Ren looked at the surrounding; breakfast stalls and grocery shops had begun to open their doors for business while their owners greeted each other lethargically, probably still feeling tired from their sleep. People were talking aloud about the sports game last night. Elderly coming out for a morning walk were recounting how the storm had ravaged the town a couple of days ago. It looked just another day as if peace and serenity had been here for decades.


    Of course, Hao Ren knew the truth; he knew he was not on an ordinary planet like the Earth back home. In this average town, he somehow felt a deep sense of incongruousness and an unexplained uneasiness; something was amiss. This imaginary world seemed like a beautiful script, but it might not be a good sign.


    Nolan once said that the resetting of the world was not a fixed cycle. Sometimes it took decades or even centuries, but sometimes it would reset in just a few years. But, there was nothing like here and now. The stage had changed, and it was peaceful in a baffling way. Those dozen times of world wars in the past had just disappeared like waking up from a bad dream.


    Hao Ren wondered what was behind all these. He instinctively ruled out the ¡®human¡¯ factor. It was more like software glitches.


    Everything seemed to point to that the programme was losing control.


    He might have caused information spill over when he was exposed to the ¡®boundary,¡¯ forcing the programme behind this world in a sandbox to reset itself. But, this did not explain the dramatic change in the script.


    Following the navigation guide, Hao Ren came to the center of the town. In front of him was a pavement lined with graceful poplars that led to a school on the slope. Teenagers in high school uniform with bags on their backs and shoulders were stumping up the pavement. Some of the students stopped and glanced curiously at this stranger carrying a strange gadget. Hao Ren ignored the stares, but deep inside him, he secretly missed his high school life. He trotted up the pavement and came to a stop on the slope; a girl with long grey hair was standing right in his field of vision.


    Nolan stood in front of the school looking at the students coming for the morning class. She was wearing the same student uniform too. In her schoolbag, one end of the wand stuck out like the handle of an umbrella. It seemed she was confused with her new identity. Though she had been a student before during one of the previous reincarnations, it was a distant memory. The arrival of peace on the back of continuous war in the earlier reincarnations bewildered her until Hao Ren called her from behind.


    ¡°Nolan!¡±


    She turned her head around and saw Hao Ren, surprised. She trotted toward him.


    ¡°Hao Ren?¡± Nolan looked at Hao Ren. ¡°I thought you have ended up in some faraway place after the reset? What a surprise to see you here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story. But I¡¯ve indeed come from somewhere far,¡± Hao Ren said, checking his surroundings. ¡°Do you know what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Nolan shrugged her shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It looks like the world has suddenly reset and the next thing I know, I¡¯m already on my way to school and having a new identity as you see now.¡±


    While saying, she pointed at herself. ¡°A student club president. Can you believe that?¡± she quipped.


    ¡°Well, even my PDA runs and dances; nothing would amaze me,¡± said Hao Ren casually. He noticed more eyes were staring at them. He lowered his voice and said, ¡°Can we find somewhere else quiet? I feel something doesn¡¯t add up.¡±


    Without hesitation, Nolan swung her bag on her shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± she said.


    Suddenly, a middle-aged woman who appeared to be a teacher came out of nowhere and yelled with a high-pitched voice. ¡°Where are you going, Nolan? The class is about to start¡­¡±


    Nolan replied without looking, ¡°I¡¯m taking a day¡¯s leave.¡±


    She then dragged Hao Ren and darted down the slope, leaving behind a group of stunned students and a bewildered teacher. It was not until the two of them coming to a junction the teacher only began to shout angrily. Nolan winked at Hao Ren, who was visibly stupefied. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to be a good student on this stage play. But the opening scene is nothing like the script.¡±


    She suddenly smiled, and her smile turned into laughter. She laughed so loud and hard that she almost ran out of breath. Hao Ren stared at her surprised by her sudden change of character until he could not stand it anymore and he raised his hand to pat on her shoulder. ¡°Are you done yet?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s just too ridiculous,¡± Nolan gasped breathlessly. When her breathing finally normalized, she sighed softly. ¡°I was only in the battlefield two days ago. Then things did an about turn, and I ended up here. It looks like change has never been so dramatic than now.¡±


    ¡°Do you not know what happened?¡± Hao Ren looked at Nolan suspiciously.


    Nolan did not answer him directly. She seemed to evade his question. ¡°Don¡¯t you think this is great? Look! It¡¯s so peaceful. I have talked to people; the war has never happened. I don¡¯t care if this is fake as long as the world keeps it this way. Even if it doesn¡¯t last, a few days would be good enough.¡±


    Nolan¡¯s words had confirmed his suspicion. ¡°You do know something, don¡¯t you?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    Nolan looked up at the morning sun and remained silent for a long moment. When she finally let out a sigh, she said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that this is going to be the last dream.¡±


    Surface world.


    It had been days, and Hao Ren was still lying in the hibernation pod. Nangong Wuyue was wiping the dust off the ¡®casket¡¯ with a rag. A slit appeared on the hibernation pod, and the MDT slid out from inside suddenly. Out of instinctive reaction, Wuyue coiled herself up into a circle of springs, her upper body swaying around trying to make sense of what had just happened.


    She only let down her guard when she saw the MDT. ¡°Oh gosh, it¡¯s you, brick! Why Mr. Landlord not awake yet?¡±


    After getting out from the pod, the first thing the MDT did was fly around in a circle in the air and let out a human sigh of contentment. ¡°Ahh, this body is still the best. I can see things without turning my neck. Hey, Wuyue! Get everyone here. There¡¯s an emergency! Hao Ren needs an army!¡±


    When Lily heard the sound in the basement, she scurried down. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Finally, we can go to battle?¡±


    ¡°Probably not yet,¡± the MDT said, still flying around. ¡°By the way, girls, I suddenly found myself having a girl¡¯s heart, you know?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue and Lily were dumbfounded.


    Mobile Data Terminal is the single most crucial assistant for any inspectors¡ªit is more important than the standard issue weapons and spacecraft. MDT not only has all the assistant programmes needed to perform its task, but it can also perform many functions that formerly only inspector himself or herself can perform. The inspector can authorize his or her MDT to control the dimensional pocket, weapons, and equipment. Its role was almost equivalent to the inspector.


    But, sometimes they serve only frivolous purposes¡­


    Soon, everyone gathered and entered through the crack of Tannagost into the Plane of Dreams. The MDT successfully opened the dimensional pocket through the ¡®transfer¡¯ method; the real Petrachelys parked quietly inside.


    ¡°Still, I belong to this place!¡± the MDT plugged itself into a slot, excited. It felt like it had been reborn. ¡°Do you guys know that when I was in a human body, no matter how hard I tried I still couldn¡¯t plug myself into the slot? I couldn¡¯t figure what is so good to be human. Or was it that my butt was too big?¡±


    The MDT went lunatic on the control console. Everyone looked at each other, bewildered. Y¡¯zaks took a gander at the console and whispered to Vivian, ¡°Is the MDT broken or something?¡±


    Vivian pursed her mouth and said, ¡°Maybe it has a short circuit. That¡¯s why I have always told Mr. Landlord; he shouldn¡¯t let Lil Pea play with it. You know, electronics and water don¡¯t mix well¡­¡±


    The MDT turned a deaf ear to what they said as it was having a field day playing with the spacecraft. It traced the navigation signal from the drone and started the warp jump procedure. Before they knew it, they had arrived at a strange, distant galaxy.


    Earlier, Hao Ren and the MDT had successfully sent out navigational information from the ¡®boundary¡¯ of the virtual world. The signal had led the drone clusters to within five light years radius from the boundary. The drones reached the remote region very quickly with their warp drives before the Petrachelys did.


    The real Planet Zorm was not in a virtual world but the real universe.


    When the Petrachelys finally met up with the drones, it hovered above the target planet. Looking down at the spectacular yet horrifying scene, the MDT let out a long sigh. ¡°Holy crap¡­¡±


    Vivian looked at the bright white hibernation pod; she touched the ¡®coffin¡¯ lid with her hand nervously. ¡°Is Mr. Landlord¡¯s consciousness on that planet?¡±


    The MDT squealed. ¡°Contact him now! The hellish place is not going to last more than forty-eight hours!¡±

 Chapter 747

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°The last dream?¡± Hao Ren looked at Nolan, bewildered. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Nolan folded her hands across the chest, head lowered, and her thin lips visibly pressing together. ¡°In fact¡­ I have heard the voice of the ¡®conscious world.¡¯ Though very, very vague, I know there is a real world outside this fake planet¡­¡±


    Hao Ren could not believe what he heard. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me this before.¡±


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t know whether I should trust you before.¡± Nolan bit her lip. ¡°You can only retain your previous memory, but that doesn¡¯t tell your character and will. And, I only occasionally heard ¡®voices,¡¯ I wasn¡¯t even sure if they came from the ¡®conscious world,¡¯ except for the recent one. It was obvious.¡±


    As Nolan continued to explain, Hao Ren began to figure out what that was all about. This girl was unusual in that she could not only retain the memories of her previous life but was also able to perceive the ¡®simulation programme¡¯ behind this world.


    No wonder she dubbed the world as a bad stage, and often use ¡®director¡¯ and ¡®script¡¯ to describe what she experienced. She did not feel so just because she had experienced hundreds of reincarnation, but also because she had realized the existence of a ¡®fabricator.¡¯


    But her perception of the ¡®conscious world¡¯ was fragile, no better than hallucinations. Occasionally, she heard or saw visions that happened in the future, or felt a consciousness beyond that of humanity whispering into her ear. She was like the playful child who accidentally lifted the curtain and had a glimpse of the lightings and props in the backstage. The short but stunning vision prompted her to think the world was fake.


    The occasional glimpses she had were few and far between, and most of the time, severe disturbance and trance would drown the visions. Normal humans would invariably dismiss it as an illusion, but not Nolan, she had it too many times. She heard or saw ¡®vision¡¯ in almost every incarnation. She was convinced of the existence of a ¡®conscious world¡¯ or ¡®real world.¡¯


    But Nolan¡¯s description of the voices and images was somewhat ambiguous as if she did not know how to put what she saw and heard in words. Hao Ren had to guide her along the way. ¡°How did you feel when you heard or saw them? Have you seen the real world? Or is it just a subconsciousness, or intuition that makes you think you¡¯ve seen something?¡±


    ¡°Probably the latter.¡± Nolan nodded. ¡°Those things are always abstract, and I couldn¡¯t remember the images or voices clearly. Sometimes I felt like I had seen ¡®fate¡¯ or something. Though not very specific, it was able to let me understand the future direction of this world. And, sometimes¡­¡±


    Nolan¡¯s brows knit together as she tried to describe her experience. ¡°It was like seeing things in a different perspective; I feel a consciousness beyond humanity, huge, very complex, looking down on this world. I guess that perspective is the controlling ¡®programme¡¯ of this world.¡±


    She suddenly looked up at Hao Ren suspiciously. ¡°Your questions are precise. You do know something, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Hao Ren waved his hand and said, ¡°This is not important. I am very interested in the perspective that you¡¯ve mentioned. Can you still experience it now?¡±


    Nolan gently shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t. It¡¯s not something that I can control.¡±


    Hao Ren looked into Nolan¡¯s eyes. ¡°What is the ¡®last dream¡¯ you mentioned earlier all about?¡±


    ¡°It all starts with this new stage¡­¡±


    According to Nolan, she heard the voice of the ¡®fabricator¡¯ when the world just completed its reset. Though what the voice said was beyond her human apprehension, some inspiration had let her understand one thing¡ªthe thought of the fabricator when he reset the stage¡ª¡±I am afraid this is the last time the world will reset.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened in the real world, but it seems that the reincarnation cycle is coming to an end,¡± Nolan said, her eyes erratic. She was already accustomed to the continuous reincarnation, but what happened had suddenly jolted her. Things beyond her experience made her uneasy. ¡°The fragmented thoughts that come into my mind mean only one thing: This is the end.¡±


    Hao Ren murmured as if he was talking to himself. ¡°What happens after the end of the cycle?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe the world will have long-lasting peace; the current ¡®script¡¯ is the final stage. If that¡¯s the case, it would be great,¡± Nolan said. There was a subtle smile on her lips, but it quickly turned back into her usual stone face. ¡°Probably I¡¯m unrealistic. Maybe the world will end.¡±


    Though he did not want to admit it, Nolan¡¯s second guess was more probable.


    Nolan suddenly looked up at Hao Ren. ¡°I have answered all your questions. Can you talk about yours now?¡± she said.


    Just when Hao Ren was about to say something, he heard the MDT¡¯s voice in his mind. ¡°Buddy! Can you hear me? We have arrived!¡± The MDT said into his mind.


    Hao Ren secretly felt a sense of relief; finally, there was at least one thing had gone as planned. ¡°I got you. Loud and clear. It looks like the signal is good. What is your situation there?¡±


    Before the MDT could utter a word, Lily suddenly chimed in. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about us. You¡¯ve got a problem!¡±


    ¡°What problem?¡±


    The MDT took over the radio and said, ¡°I send you the images from space.¡±


    As soon as the MDT¡¯s voice trailed off, Hao Ren received a series of images captured in the third perspective in his mind¡¯s eye. A splendidly golden red light almost occupied his entire field of vision; flames were spreading on the planet, the sky was burning, and a dazzling arc ignited one-third of the horizon. The spectacular sight startled Hao Ren. ¡°Holy crap, what is this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Zorm! The planet is falling towards the sun in the real universe! The global fire has been burning for a long time. The earth¡¯s crust is slowly disintegrating. It¡¯s critical!¡±


    Hao Ren froze for a full five seconds before he forced out a few words in his throat. ¡°This is not something that a spaceship can deal with¡­¡±


    Nolan heard him talk to himself. She stared at him curiously. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°This world has come to an end. The collapse has started in the real world,¡± Hao Ren grabbed Nolan¡¯s hand. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know who I am? Well, believe it or not; I¡¯m from the real world that you¡¯ve been talking about all this while.¡±


    Nolan was wide-eyed. ¡°This is not funny, man.¡±


    Hao Ren smacked his forehead; he foresaw her reaction. In a virtual space where nothing was impossible, he found himself unable to prove his real-world identity nor contact the real universe outside. All his words, even the actual proof, were merely regarded as part of a simulation. That was why he did not tell Nolan the truth earlier because he did not know how to!


    When all your actions and evidence were no more believable than a few empty words, explanation became worthless.


    Hao Ren waved his hands as if telling Nolan ¡°That¡¯s all right.¡± At the same time, he spoke to the MDT in his mind. ¡°How long do we have?¡±


    ¡°About forty-eight hours. It¡¯s not yet clear where the virtual world¡¯s ¡®server¡¯ is. Let¡¯s assume it is deep in the earth¡¯s crust. The sun¡¯s gravity is beginning to rip Zorm¡¯s crust apart. No matter how solidly-built the underground facility is, it won¡¯t hold up for more than 48 hours.¡±


    ¡°Holy moly!¡± Hao Ren almost jumped to his feet. ¡°It¡¯s too late to do anything!¡±


    He was shouting not only in his mind but also the mouth. Nolan could not help but stare at him suspiciously. ¡°What the hell are you¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry; I need to go. It¡¯s emergency,¡± Hao Ren said quickly not letting Nolan finish. And, at the same time, he yanked out a small radio and shoved it in Nolan¡¯s hand. ¡°Take this. It¡¯s a comm. Click this button, and you would be able to contact me. It¡¯s all right that you don¡¯t believe that I¡¯m from the real universe, but if you hear the voice of the ¡®fabricator¡¯ again, or see anything unusual about the back-end program, contact me immediately. Do you understand? Call me directly if there are any other anomalies in this world!¡±


    Having said this, Hao Ren instructed the hibernation pod to awaken him. His body disappeared in thin air in this world, leaving Nolan rooted to the spot.


    After a long while, Nolan mumbled, ¡°Has this man gone to the real world?¡±

 Chapter 748

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    As the hibernation pod opened, Hao Ren sat up. ¡°What is the situation now?¡±


    The MDT had transferred the hibernation pod from the basement of Hao Ren¡¯s house to the Petrachelys. Hao Ren found himself waking up in the familiar flight deck. A large hologram was above the console; it was the image of a planet slowly falling into the sun. Lily held him as he climbed out of the hibernation pod. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen anything like this before,¡± Lily said.


    Hao Ren came to the console, adjusted the camera angles, and asked, ¡°Our location?¡±


    ¡°Fifty thousand kilometers above Zorm, perpendicular to the sun and the planet, where you can see the sun is igniting the planet,¡± the MDT replied. ¡°Judging from the current orbit of the planet, the sun might have captured it two millennia ago and slowly pulling the planet towards itself. Everything on the planet¡¯s surface had vaporized, as the temperature on the sunny side is several thousand degrees. The crust had cracked as the sun¡¯s gravity was ripping it apart. Probably before the planet burns into ashes, the sun¡¯s gravity would have torn it into million pieces.¡±


    Hao Ren did not say anything but stared at the scene outside.


    A young star with three times the mass of the Sun was illuminating this region of the space. The image of the bright star almost covered one-third of the visual area of ??an external camera due to the proximity. At this distance, the glare of the sun could blind the eyes of most creatures instantly; the Petrachelys had to activate its sun filter to reduce the light intensity. A dark brown little planet was circling the massive fireball, and dragging along a tail of debris slowly falling toward it.


    The heat of the star had scored the planet beyond recognition. The planet¡¯s surface and rocky crust were melting. There were no more rivers and valleys, the planet¡¯s crust had softened and crumbled together.


    That was how Zorm¡¯s appearance. Even Nolan¡¯s experience of reincarnation and disaster in the virtual world was pale in comparison with what happened in the real world.


    The truth was that Zorm, where Nolan lived, was a virtual world. Its repetitive resetting cycles were only scripts of an extensive program. The real Zorm was here, before their eyes. There were no human civilizations; the entire planet was slowly falling into destruction. Hao Ren began to pierce all the pieces together: The virtual world should be some refuge, and a large server was buried deep in the real-world planet; humans were mere phantoms in the server escaping into the virtual world from the raging fire in reality.


    But some form of hardware malfunction was causing the uncontrolled ¡®resetting of the virtual world¡¯ and setting the stage for the final doomsday. Perhaps the condition on the planet¡¯s surface caused the hardware failure, in turned corrupting the ¡®script.¡¯


    More information was needed to explain the whole process, but that was all they got. Did the ¡®server¡¯ really exist? That would have to wait under they explored the underground to find out. And Hao Ren indeed planned to do so.


    ¡°The planet is still rotating on its axis on a twelve-hour cycle. During the rotation, the sunny side would melt under extreme temperature and spurt a large amount of material, while the dark side would cool and solidify quickly. When the first ray of the morning sun reached this part of the planet, there would be eruptions of hot gasses and magma again. The process would repeat through the day and night cycle, further exacerbating the destruction process,¡± the MDT said as it showed simulation in the hologram. ¡°There was no more human on the surface, but some refuge¡ªa virtual world, a server or something must be underground.¡±


    ¡°Any possible landing spot?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s eyebrows knit together as he looked at the horrifying scene, so terrible that it was worse than any battlefields he had ever seen.


    ¡°To be honest, there¡¯s none. The planet¡¯s surface is melting; the temperature is too high. Though it is not a problem for the spacecraft, humans would find it unbearable. Your shield will not last long, and the life-support collars could only stand for a few hours at best.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue was scared stiff as she stared at the sea of fire. ¡°Mr. Landlord¡­ Tell me you¡¯re not going to send people down there.¡±


    The scene of fire roasting the planet sent the chill down the aquatic creature¡¯s spine. The siren maiden felt like she was dehydrating like a salted fish.


    ¡°We are talking about a billion people down there. We must do something,¡± Hao Ren knocked on the console. ¡°MDT, land the spacecraft on the dark side of the planet. Choose the twilight zone; it would earn us more time.¡±


    The Petrachelys caught up with the shadow of Zorm and slowly landed on the grey line. In this location, the sun had just set a few minutes ago, and the hellish heat of the day had subsided but the night was not cold either. The surface temperature remained at a thousand degrees high, lava had not had time to cool, and active lava flow and geysers still covered the surface. The environment was even worse than the demonic world.


    But this was the ¡®safest¡¯ landing spot. At least there was no deadly sunshine here; their shields would be able to last a little longer.


    The MDT briefed them about the situation on the ground as it landed the spacecraft. ¡°The radar shows a crack three hundred meters ahead. Having a crack in such a place is unusual. It may be well the entrance to the refuge. It is less than a hundred meters in size, too small for spacecraft to go in. You guys have to get out and explore on foot.¡±


    Hao Ren checked the status of his Steel Membrane Shield. He gave his teammates an extra set of life-support collar each. He chose the toughest ones for the exploration team¡ªLily, Vivian, and Y¡¯zaks¡¯ father-daughter combo.


    Nangong Wuyue and Ayesha were sirens; dehydration was their biggest enemy. Nangong Sanba and Nangong Wudi were half-baked demon hunters, no good enough for the situation. They all had to remain on the spacecraft.


    ¡°Put both life-support collars on. When the first collar run out of juice, immediately switch to the second one, don¡¯t be stingy with the energy,¡± Hao Ren briefed. He was especially concerned about the flaky husky, Lily. ¡°Your physical strength might let you withstand in the environment for a little longer after your collar runs out of juice. But don¡¯t try to be a hero, teleport back to the spacecraft immediately. Do you all understand?¡±


    Lily put on the collars around her neck and said excitedly, ¡°Understood. Run is what I do best.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks glanced at the outside with a smile. ¡°This place feels home. It reminds me of my hometown; we used to bathe in such places. Y¡¯lisabet and I might be able to go a little farther.¡±


    Hao Ren reminded him quickly, ¡°Yeah, until the sun rises again. No demons could withstand high-energy particles.¡±


    Rollie squatted at a side, watching them. Suddenly, she pulled the corner of Hao Ren¡¯s sleeve and asked, ¡°Big Boss Cat, are you going to adventure?¡±


    Hao Ren did not notice Dumb Cat until now as she liked to snuggle away in some hidden corners. ¡°Hey, why is she here?¡± he asked.


    The MDT said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you let me get those who could fight? I¡¯ve brought Lil Pea too; she is still asleep in the pot behind you.¡±


    Hao Ren began to remember his blanket order. He thought it best if he could have the best fighters with him. Had he knew the actual situation of Zorm, he would not have asked for Rollie, who could not be of help here.


    Rollie grabbed Hao Ren¡¯s cloth and snuggled down beside him as if saying she was joining them. Hao Ren petted her on the head and said, ¡°Remember the little-dried fish?¡±


    The cat maiden purred and nodded forcefully.


    ¡°See the scene outside?¡± Hao Ren pointed to the scorched land on the holographic projection. ¡°If you¡¯re not careful, you will become even drier than the little-dried fish.¡±


    Dumb Cat thought for a moment before she ducked and slept under the chair as if saying, ¡°Fine, I think I like the flight deck more.¡±


    As soon as they left the spacecraft, Hao Ren immediately felt the unforgiving heat wave blew into his face.


    But, it was only his illusion. He could not forget the scene of the planet falling toward the sun and the magma overflowing in the surroundings. The shield was protecting him from the heatwave and the hot surface under his feet. The thousand-degree heat of the purgatory would not affect his mortal body until the energy of his shield exhausted.


    He did feel his body could withstand the heat for a while even without the shield, but he was not going to try it just yet.


    Y¡¯lisabet was dancing around and screaming in excitement. ¡°Wow! The ground is soft!¡±


    ¡°The sun has just set, the ground has not the time to harden yet,¡± Lily explained very professionally. Suddenly, golden light on the horizon caught her attention.


    That was where the sun had set. Though strong solar wind had eroded the atmosphere of the planet, vapors and gasses beneath the rocks would still burst out when the sun heated the surface. These gases would then move with the grey line and formed a massive wall of gas that swept across the surface of the planet. The gas wall also acted like a lens magnifying the solar corona and refracted the golden light in the horizon.


    Notwithstanding it was a three-thousand-degree corona storm, it was a beautiful sight of golden aurora looking from a distance.


    Gazing at the golden aurora that was the star¡¯s corona, Lily let out a sigh. Hao Ren knew that the poetry girl might have gained some inspiration.


    ¡°It¡¯s freaking blindingly bright.¡±


    Lily sighed.

 Chapter 749

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren knew that when it came to Lily, common sense usually took a back seat. When he thought she was a werewolf, she barked. When he thought she was brave, she flinched. When he felt she would babble nonsense, she became poetic. When he felt she was poetic, she was nagging like a child.


    But nothing amazed him like the way the MDT did. The memory of the walking dead girl in the virtual world of Zorm was still fresh in his mind.


    Hao Ren petted Lily¡¯s on her head and walked to the front of the group. ¡°Be careful of the magma and steam. The sun has just set. Heat is still trapped underneath. Getting hit by the spouts would be as good as falling into a steel furnace.¡±


    He was mainly talking to Lily and Vivian. He was not worried for Y¡¯zaks and his daughter; after all, the two demons treated lava pool as their bath tube.


    Vivian looked at the golden light at the horizon. She smacked herself on the cheeks. ¡°I don¡¯t like sunlight¡­ especially the one on this planet,¡± she said.


    ¡°Battie, as a vampire, you are the alpha and the omega!¡± Lily was dancing back and forth around Vivian. ¡°I mean normal vampires would be already half-dead under the sun, but amazingly you are standing here and falling with the planet into the sun. Now you can brag about that back home.¡±


    Vivian waved her hand weakly as she did not want to bicker with Lily. ¡°I just want to get things done and head home before the sun rises again.¡±


    Hao Ren yanked out a palm-sized device, silvery crystal plate like a tablet computer. A hologram was showing a navigation map that the Petrachelys had rendered using its onboard radar. It was a disturbing image. The ground beneath their feet was not stable. It was a scum-like, high-melting point, and lightweight rock of only a few meters thick. There were a dozen magmatic flows underneath. The structure was not stable. It was fragile. Collapses and spouts could happen at any time.


    ¡°The crack is right ahead,¡± Hao Ren said, pointing to a black ¡®hill¡¯ several hundred meters ahead. ¡°Radar shows there is an opening, shaft-like cave underneath. The existence of such a stable passage in this place was astounding. It¡¯s probably not a naturally formed place.¡±


    ¡°The ground is soft,¡± Lily used her tail to balance herself. ¡°I think it¡¯s a magma lake below¡­¡±


    The small expedition team trod very carefully on the scorched land with the guidance of the navigation map. It was worse than hell. It was not wholly dark on the dark side; the crust had not yet cooled down, cracks still glowed red inside while magma was flowing on the surface. New cracks were appearing from where high-pressure steam spouted like a fountain, some of which could even reach dozens of kilometers high in the air.


    Lily clung to Hao Ren; hands grabbed his armed. She was scared of the steam spout. ¡°Mr. Landlord, I will protect you!¡±


    But her tail was between her legs. Hao Ren would have believed her if not the giveaway.


    ¡°Beware of the sudden cracks appearing,¡± Y¡¯zaks warned. ¡°I will lead in front.¡±


    Yes, the planet was falling towards the sun, and the condition was worse than the demon world, but Y¡¯zaks did not flinch; he was the strongest in the team. He went ahead of Hao Ren and walked in front of the team. Y¡¯lisabet leaped to keep up with her papa. The papa and daughter were chattering, ¡°Papa, isn¡¯t the red hill in our hometown same as this one?¡±¡±Not really. The one in our hometown is much cooler than this one¡­¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet trod a few steps ahead; the ground under her feet suddenly rose up. ¡°Watch out!¡± Hao Ren called out.


    But it was too late. The surface burst open as powerful steam spouted violently from into the air like a gas pillar. Y¡¯lisabet had gone.


    Lily screamed in shock. She looked up at the sky, but it was dark, she could see nothing. She became nervous. ¡°Would she be okay?¡±


    ¡°She will be fine. Maybe suffering a little shock at most,¡± Y¡¯zaks appeared very calm. He smiled as he squinted at the direction where his daughter was supposed to have gone. ¡°While she is much much weaker than the other demons, this heat is not going to hurt her a bit. Oh, look! There she is¡ªcoming down.¡±


    Before Y¡¯zaks¡¯ voice trailed off, the little toothy reappeared and was falling out of the sky. Y¡¯lisabet was yelling through the comm. ¡°Catch me! Catch me!¡±


    They held their hands together forming a human safety net. But the little girl accurately fell outside the net.


    ¡°Ouch¡­¡± Y¡¯lisabet dusted her butt and got to her feet. ¡°Where were you guys looking at¡­?¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the little demon, surprised. ¡°Can¡¯t you fly? Don¡¯t higher demons fly?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a grown-up yet, no wings,¡± Y¡¯lisabet jumped back up to her papa. ¡°While in the air, I saw the entrance! Behind that hill!¡± she said.


    With the help of the navigation map and Y¡¯lisabet, they found the said fissure.


    It was a neat, almost perfectly circular opening. A downward shaft was perpendicular to the ground, right in the center of a crater; from the look of it, something should have been covering the opening.


    It could be an installation like a door, but it had long gone.


    ¡°It was burned beyond recognition. But I¡¯m sure there used to be an artificial structure here,¡± Vivian said as she leaned forward and glanced down at the shaft. ¡°I can see the ground underneath; it¡¯s solid down there. Want to go down?¡±


    ¡°Like we have a choice,¡± Hao Ren quipped. ¡°My shield is the toughest. I will go in first. Move on my signal.¡±


    Vivian suddenly stopped Hao Ren as she summoned a tiny bat. ¡°There may be danger down there. Let the bat check it out first¡­¡±


    Before the bat could take off, it had withered and turned into a dried bat. Vivian quickly tucked it away embarrassingly.


    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t have a life-support collar for the bat,¡± Hao Ren smiled. He threw a probe with a camera into the shaft. It was clear. He leaped inside.


    Hao Ren made a hard landing. The ground underneath was hot but still solid. He scanned the surroundings as he got to his feet. The place looked like a subway intersection.


    He was right in the middle of an intersection where three dark tunnels met. The tubes might lead to somewhere.


    He clicked the comm. ¡°Clear. It looks like an underground bunker. We might have found the refuge.¡±


    Everyone descended. Looking at the ever-extending tunnels of darkness, Lily was wide-eyed. ¡°This place has not melted yet?¡±


    ¡°It looks unnatural. Look at these walls; it is high-tech metallurgy,¡± Hao Ren said, pointing at the walls that had blackened and twisted but were obviously of strong composite material. ¡°But they are not going to hold up for long. The planet is falling apart and about reaching the tipping point. We need to be fast.¡±


    Vivian frowned as she stared at the three tunnels. ¡°Which way should we go? Or should we split up?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t split up. There may be more forks ahead, we won¡¯t be able to cover all them,¡± Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°Radar shows that there are still more caves deeper underground, the refuge might be down here. As long as these tunnels are not blocked, they would be able to reach it. Let¡¯s follow the navigation.¡±

 Chapter 750

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The planet¡¯s interior was isolated from the deadly sunlight, but it was still relatively hot as the sun had been heating up the planet for thousands of years. Without any shields and a life-support system, no one, except Y¡¯zaks and Y¡¯lisabet, could survive here for long. Hao Ren was leading his little exploration team down the tunnel. The tunnel was supposed to lead them deeper into the interior, but they had yet to see the end of it.


    On this planet of purgatory in the real world, Hao Ren could not help but think about Nolan, who was still trapped in the virtual world, and the hundreds of reincarnations she had experienced. He was certain that humans in the virtual world were the inhabitants who once lived on this planet. They seemed to be running from something and that something had driven them into the virtual world. Hao Ren once thought the falling of the planet had forced the people to hide and numb themselves in the virtual world. But, he realised the timeline did not add up. The first reset of the virtual world Nolan could ever remember already started nearly ten thousand years ago. This did not match the time the planet drifting off its orbit, which was only two to three thousand years ago. Even if Nolan had remembered it wrongly, the difference was just too big for a mistake.


    So if the people of Zorm did not enter the virtual world to avoid the fire, what drove them? The First Born?


    The journey in the underground was a boring one. So, Hao Ren was sharing his thought while Lily was also giving her piece of opinion as well. ¡°Too many possibilities. Maybe they weren¡¯t avoiding anything at all but their science and technology became so advanced that they became addicted with virtual reality. They were imprisoned in their own creation. Then somehow, the server malfunctioned; humans could no longer logged out; they were trapped in the server. The falling of the planet was completely an accident. Another possibility was that they did really have a crisis. They wanted to find a solution using the simulator in the virtual world. But, as always, accident happened and they were trapped. Or, maybe the machine had revolted by locking the human souls up in the server and using the human bodies as power generator. This happens in movies, isn¡¯t it? Whatever the reasons, since the fire had destroyed everything on the surface except the underground server, everything is up for speculation.¡±


    Lily analysed the situation like Sherlock Holmes. Even Vivian could not help but look at her in surprise. She used to mock the husky as stupid dog, but she had to admit that Lily was sharp-witted at time.


    Y¡¯zaks hemmed and said, ¡°While we¡¯re going deeper and deeper, how are we going to evacuate all those people when we find them?¡±


    ¡°That, I have never thought of it though,¡± Hao Ren said. But he already had an idea in mind though. ¡°If there is only one server down there, I guess I can carry it with my spacecraft.¡±


    Lily blinked in surprise. ¡°Clever idea!¡±


    While dancing alongside Y¡¯zaks, Y¡¯lisabet asked in a loud voice, ¡°I think we are already few kilometres underground, right? Why¡ª¡±


    Before she could finished her sentence, a roar suddenly came up from the deep!


    The roaring lasted for a few seconds; it was as if rock layers had crumbled in the underground caves. A loud squeal followed as the earth shook violently. The surrounding super alloy tunnel almost gave way as rock fragments began to fall from the ceiling. Suddenly, a gust of super-heated air blew through the tunnel. Y¡¯lisabet lost her balance and almost fell over.


    Y¡¯zaks quickly grabbed his little daughter and held her up. ¡°Is this place collapsing?¡±


    Hao Ren reached out his hands and grabbed Lily and Vivian, waited for the shaking over before he let out a sigh of relief. ¡°It stopped. Judging from the twisted tunnel, I guess the quake has been happening all the time,¡± Hao Ren said.


    Vivian felt a little uneasy, ¡°So it was an earthquake?¡±


    Before Hao Ren could say anything, Lily already began to expound her theory, ¡°The planet is disintegrating. The sun¡¯s gravity and heat had caused uneven stress across the planet; it is ripping apart the planet¡¯s crust above the mantle. Logically, the sunny side should be the most active, but now the dark side would not be spared either. I think it has almost reached the tipping point.¡±


    As Lily finished, she noticed all eyes were on her. She said in an emotional voice, ¡°So now you believe that I graduated from Peking University four times? Based on merit, okay!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, just like what Lily has said.¡± Hao Ren rubbed his nose, feeling embarrassed. He continued, ¡°Everyone, be careful. This planet is now like a soft sugar ball under the sun. It is unstable. Don¡¯t be rooted to the spot when things go wrong.¡±


    He added, ¡°The earthquake is not the most terrible. The worst thing is the walls and caves around us; they could suddenly crush down. The collision of the crusts occurs over a period of tens of thousands of years on Earth, but here, everything completes in a matter of seconds¡­¡±


    Lily¡¯s tail suddenly puffed up like a sword. ¡°Mr. Landlord, what did you say?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The life-support collar has an emergency evacuation function. When the shield is about to give way under external force, it will teleport you back to the spacecraft. But the experience will probably not so pleasant.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks could not help but look at earth above, breaking out in cold sweat. ¡°When the hundred-million-tonne of earth crumbled down, even demon king would become as dead as dodo.¡±


    ¡°The force of nature,¡± Hao Ren smiled helplessly. ¡°We are falling towards the sun with a five-quintillion tone of rock. So don¡¯t expect the ride to be very comfortable. Hold tight and don¡¯t fall behind.¡±


    Bad things came in two; more quake came with stronger intensity as they staggered their way down the tunnel. The quake not just brought down soil and gravel, but also ear-piercing noise as if a bomb had exploded underground. In fact, it was the violent friction between the tectonic plates, and the discontinuous gap between them had magnified the sound of collisions like in a sound box. The planet began to fall apart as it disintegrated from within. It was as if a sack filled with gravel, when it shook, everything was colliding with everything. But, before the tipping point, the earthquake was still ¡®manageable¡¯. At least, it still allowed them to go deeper underground.


    From the perspective of the planet, this small expedition team was like a group of ants weaving through the crevices in the ground. But these ants had power, and they were determined.


    They came to a section of the tunnel that had been blocked by falling rocks. It was the sixth dead end that they had encountered. It was a miracle that they could still found a way to the underground when the planet is disintegrating. Hao Ren had no choice but double back to the last fork and then rerouted through another tunnel to continue their journey. He contacted the Petrachelys that was now on the low synchronous orbit above them. ¡°MDT, could you please give us more precise guidance? We have just bumped into another dead end.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve done my best, dude! The underground situation is very complicated. The surface is constantly rearranging and reforming. I must first ensure the safety and stability of the route.¡±


    Hao Ren signed off and shook his head at Vivian. ¡°Safety first. Let¡¯s move.¡±


    ¡°To tell you the truth, when the underground has become like this, is the virtual world of Zorm still there?¡± Lily felt it incredible. ¡°I think such a complex virtual reality machine must be very advanced; the crust is falling apart but the virtual world seems to be still holding up.¡±


    ¡°The 1.6 billion people in Nolan¡¯s side are still alive,¡± Hao Ren said, puzzled. ¡°Probably there are backup servers. After all, the planet has not yet completely disintegrated.¡±


    Before his voice trailed off, a cluttering voice sounded through his comm. ¡°Hello¡­ can you hear me? This is Nolan¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was surprised. ¡°I got you. How is the situation over there?¡± he replied.


    Nolan was silent for two seconds before she asked, ¡°You are in the real world, right? What you said before is true, right?¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s mouth arced instinctively. ¡°Yep. Now you believe me?¡±


    He could hear Nolan¡¯s heavy breathing. She seemed calming herself down. ¡°What happened outside?¡± she asked.


    There was a sense of uneasiness; Hao Ren said with a hurried voice. ¡°Is there a situation on your side? I hear a lot of noise¡­¡±


    ¡°The world¡­ the world is going up in flame.¡±

 Chapter 751

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren did not know how to react when he heard what Nolan said. ¡°The world is going up in flames?¡±


    Nolan paused as though she was reorganizing her thoughts. There were faint noises and sounds of explosions in the background. After a few seconds, Nolan continued, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to describe it¡­ Everything ignites spontaneously, including the water and stones. I just saw a building suddenly going up in flames like cotton. People are seeking refuge in the steers. Human beings are the only ones that don¡¯t ignite spontaneously.¡±


    ¡°Spontaneous combustion? Water and stones?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s heart sank. At the same time, the earth around him began to quake again. A gust of heated air blew through the tunnel. Despite with the Steel Membrane Shield, he could still feel the heat, so hot that it was enough to melt gold and iron. When he began to link what was happening in the virtual world to the situation here, he got the answer. ¡°Perhaps the real-world disaster is affecting the virtual space¡­¡±


    Yet another sound of rock collapsing reverberated in the tunnel. Lily grabbed Hao Ren¡¯s arm, harder this time, and hurried him. ¡°Get out of here, Mr. Landlord. It¡¯s not safe here!¡±


    As Hao Ren ran, he asked Nolan, ¡°How is the situation there? Is the fire spreading?¡±


    ¡°The spontaneous combustion seems to have stop temporarily. The fire is still a distance away from me. I¡¯m fine,¡± Nolan said. She sounded nervous. ¡°But I can see the fire is inextinguishable. Are you in the real world? Now I believe you, absolutely. What happened on the outside?¡±


    To tell the truth, Nolan did not even know how to verify that Hao Ren indeed came from the real world, but the question seemed irrelevant now considering the situation at hand. The world as she knew it was undergoing mind-blowing changes that had never happened before in the previous rounds of resetting. The scripts of the world were used to be ¡®reasonable¡¯ compared to the omnipresent, spontaneous combustion, a phenomenon that defied all laws of nature; it was more like a nightmare. The scene of Hao Ren¡¯s suddenly disappearance and the words he said were still reverberating in Nolan¡¯s mind. The ¡®real world¡¯ was her last ray of hope.


    ¡°The outside world is also burning¡­ the planet is slowly falling towards the sun. I¡¯m afraid it is affecting the virtual world.¡± Hao Ren told her as summarily as he could. He then realised the comm had a projector function. ¡°Open the lid at the bottom of the comm. There is a blue button. Click it. I¡¯m sending you images.¡±


    A moment later, Hao Ren had sent images of the falling planet and the underground bunker.


    ¡°As you can see, this is how the real world looks like. The world was destroyed about a few thousand years ago or even earlier. The planet started to heat up two or three thousand years ago. We have found no traces of human civilisation on the surface. But a huge refuge was underground. We are lucky to have found the entrance; we¡¯re now trying to enter to the heart of the refuge.¡±


    Nolan looked at the horrifying image of the burning sea of fire. She was lost for words. It seemed for a moment that the knowledge and experience she had accumulated through countless rounds of resetting suddenly became a joke. Those things she learned appeared useless in the real world.


    Nolan was rooted to the spot for a long while. She needed time to digest all of these. But, time was what she lacked now. She could only force herself to accept the reality and think of ways to do something. At least, her long experience in the battlefield had more or less hardened her. She patted her cheek trying to calm herself. ¡°What can I do here?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Keep me posted about the situation in the virtual world. Perhaps my PDA ¡­ I mean Pattie could figure out the location of the server based on these signals. Be safe. Perhaps this is really the last round. If you die¡­ this dream could your last.¡±


    Nolan nodded silently. But she still could not help asking, ¡°What¡¯s your plan?¡±


    ¡°Find the server that runs the virtual world. Humans should be stored inside. I have a spacecraft here; I can move the server,¡± Hao Ren said, trying to sound as calm as possible, as if everything was in place and would go as planned. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have done relocation operation bigger than this one. Moving you won¡¯t be any harder than moving a large computer room.¡±


    Nolan had calmed down somewhat. She took a few breaths. ¡°I trust you¡­ there¡¯s not much choice now isn¡¯t it? I wish you good luck.¡±


    ¡°I wish you safe. And, keep away from the fire.¡±


    As Nolan signed off, the voice of the MDT suddenly popped in. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell her that this planet can only last for 40 hours?¡±


    ¡°Be positive. We still have more than 40 hours to clean up this mess,¡± Hao Ren exhaled. ¡°Provided we can find the server before it burns¡­¡±


    ¡°Also provided you really know how to get the server out. Considering the size of the refuge and the complexities underground, you may need machinery to get this done, and you need to have even longer¡ª¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s talk about that later when we find the server,¡± Hao Ren cut in. ¡°Now give me more precise guidance, and the likely location of the server. You have been scanning for so long, haven¡¯t you got something?¡±


    The MDT paused for a few seconds as if it was in the midst of gathering data. ¡°Maintain your current direction. You are on the right track. I have detected current signals that were distributed in and around the refuge. That should be the server¡¯s power supply system. A major node is just a few kilometres ahead. You will be on the edge of the system when you get there.¡±


    To find a virtual world server in the interior of a disintegrating planet, luck and impulse alone were not enough. They were moving along according to the guidance of the spacecraft¡¯s radar as the MDT analysed the energy response of the server signal. Though the guidance was not very accurate, they were generally moving in the right direction.


    As the tunnel became wider with more common equipment and rooms, they knew they were very close.


    The tunnel ahead had suffered considerable damage. There were cracks on the super alloy walls on both sides, and dark red rocks that looked like solidified resin had pushed through the cracks into the tunnel. Lily cut a small piece of the rock with her claw and kept it in her pocket. ¡°How long have we been here?¡± she asked.


    Vivian took out her cell phone and checked the time. ¡°Not including the time on the surface, we have spent three hours underground. According to the cycle of the planet¡¯s rotation, it was already halfway through the night.¡±


    Hao Ren picked up his comm and called the MDT. ¡°How is the situation on the outsides?¡±


    ¡°The good news is that you will enjoy the calmest time of the night for next two or three hours, as the geological activity is at its lowest. The bad news is that the sun will rise in three hours, the rock formation above your head will be heated up and everything will be alive again; it will be very exciting to stay underground. You¡¯d better find the server, or get out of there before that,¡± the MDT reported. Suddenly, its voice went up one pith higher. ¡°There¡¯s another bad news; the probe I released earlier has capture the image of a massive volcano eruption on the sunny side. A piece of crust, equivalent to the size of South America, was blown into space. You will experience an earthquake on your side in ten minutes.¡±


    ¡°Earthquake? Earthquake around here is already as frequent as lamp posts on the streets,¡± Hao Ren said, looking at the clods of rock that had fallen from above his head, he sighed with a forced smile. ¡°The real bad news is that the planet is about to reach the tipping point. The sun¡¯s gravity is ripping the planet¡¯s surface apart. When it crosses the critical moment, things will fall like dominoes.


    ¡°My calculations would not be wrong. The planet would hold up until the fourth sunrise. But whether the refuge down there can hold on so long is hard to tell.¡±


    ¡°Then I hope you¡¯re wrong,¡± Hao Ren said and hung up.


    They kept going down the seemingly endless, downward sloping tunnel and shafts. They sped up; sometimes almost fell into the cracks that suddenly appeared. The path ahead was getting wider. There were massive cave and structure that look like abandoned settlement along the way. The cave could be the place where the last people of Zorm lived. Unfortunately, the place was so long abandoned that they did not find anything that was still connecting to the virtual world.


    As they entered yet another large cavern, Lily, who was running around and scouting, suddenly called out, ¡°Come and see this!¡±


    They came up to Lily and saw a large, seemingly root of some tree growing through the rock formation lying on the ground.


    ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken¡­¡± Hao Ren swallowed. ¡°This is the First Born¡¯s tentacle.¡±

 Chapter 752

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    A giant tentacle, almost two meters in diameter had grown through the rock formations into the cave. It lay in a deep gully and its black skin was covered with dry, cracked lines. The giant tentacle looked like a strange train, but Hao Ren immediately recognized it; it was an unmissable part of the First Born.


    ¡°Sure enough¡­ the worldview of the virtual world is based on reality. The real Zorm lies on the remnants of the goddess¡¯ creation.¡± Hao Ren jumped into the ditch and carefully touched the seemingly dead tentacle. ¡°It¡¯s dead, but I don¡¯t know if there will be any other living organisms deep in the ground.¡±


    Vivian looked around, feeling uneasy. ¡°This is the refuge Zorm¡¯s people, and the tentacle of the First Born invaded this place¡­¡±


    ¡°But it seems that the people of Zorm had survived¡ªat least in the virtual world,¡± Hao Ren said while brushing his hands. He got to his feet and jumped back up. He carefully observed the cave that was connected to the man-made super-alloy tunnels. It appeared like a natural cave but reinforced with alloy grid and beams on the roof, and composite materials in the surrounding rock formations. Even when the planet was gradually disintegrating, the reinforcement had allowed the cave to hold up until this day.


    They had seen more than one such cave during their journey down the tunnel. Some were natural and some were man-made. Some of the caves had been transformed into what looked like living quarters, while others storage of cargo and equipment. Just like this cave where empty platforms and metal shelves suggested it was once a storage, the cargo had gone, probably had rotten away.


    It was not known how long the people of Zorm took to build this refuge. From the look of it, the virtual world was not on their plan initially. The large number of underground settlements suggested that people were living here. Something must have happened afterwards that they decided to escape deeper into the safety of the virtual world.


    ¡°Probably the invasion of the First Born had forced them to give up their worldly body completely.¡± Hao Ren said. He was basing his conclusion on the facts in hand.


    Lily did not say a word; she just came up to the tentacle and examined it curiously. It appeared as if the tentacle invaded the cavern through a purposely-built passage. A metal conduit that looked like a sewer opening was on the wall, through which the tentacle got in and lay in a gully in the cavern. She scratched her chin. ¡°I¡¯ve got the feeling that someone deliberately let the tentacle in here.¡±


    ¡°Why would they want to do that?¡± Hao Ren asked, and then he saw the instruments in the surroundings. ¡°They wanted to study it?¡±


    They looked at each other; no one seemed to know the answer. Suddenly, the quake came again from deep within the interior of the planet. The shaking and loud noises jolted and woke them up to the critical situation of the planet. The First Born would have to wait; they needed to keep going with the guidance of the navigation map the MDT had provided them.


    They saw more tentacles in the other tunnels, halls, and caverns. The tentacles became increasingly weirder; they did not know what to make of them.


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyes were on stalks as he again came to a huge man-made cavern. ¡°Oh man! This is¡­¡±


    The underground bunker was well structured and so vast that it was equivalent to several football fields in size. The dome on the ceiling was one hundred metres above the ground. Luminescent minerals inlaid on the ceiling was providing a faint illumination, they could barely see the situation here. Hao Ren found a number of neatly arranged, dark metal cylinders that looked like building blocks in the centre of the cave. There were metal lines and service hatches on the cylinders while cables and pipes ran around them. These cables and pipes were so strangely thick and solid that they looked like a cobweb in the air. It reminded Hao Ren of the circuitry in some computer lab.


    They thought they had found the ¡®server¡¯.


    But, the ¡®server¡¯ was entangled in, or rather, living in symbiosis with a mesh of tentacles.


    The dark tentacles hung from the ceiling to a height of more than ten metres from the ground. They were like standardised products from the factory¡ªneat and almost identical, and each of them connected to a cable. The standard, unified connection was by no means accidental. Hao Ren tossed a flashlight into the air and saw how the connections looked like. There was a metal coupling on each connection; one end connected to the cable, the other end was embedded in the tentacle.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like an invasion¡­¡± Lily murmured as she looked up.


    She saw neat rows of metal hoop on the ceiling with a tentacle hanging down in each metal hoop. It was obvious even to the husky¡¯s level of intelligence that this was man-made.


    Y¡¯lisabet ran to a metal cylinder on the other side. Earthquake seemed to have damaged the cylinder as its casing had cracked. The little demon peeped curiously into the cylinder through the crack. ¡°Something is inside!¡± she screamed.


    They darted over and found that the metal cylinder was not a server like the one they had imagined; there was no hard disk nor CPU inside but only a broken, large glass container. It seemed the container used to contain liquid but had now dried up. A dead tentacle of the First Born was hanging out from inside.


    Lily came before a metal cylinder that seemed to be still in good condition, and carefully cut a hole in the shell with her claw. Like the damaged cylinder, this one also contained a glass container that was still intact. It was filled with a pale red fluid with a black tentacle immersed in it. No one knew if the tentacle was still alive.


    Hao Ren could not believe what he saw. ¡°The machine has integrated with the First Born,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°What is this place?¡± Vivian frowned. ¡°A bio-research lab of the First Born?¡±


    ¡°This facility could never held the First Born,¡± Hao Ren said as he looked curiously at the ancient equipment. He could not figure out how these things worked but he could roughly know their level of technology. ¡°The First Born allowed it. It was a collaboration.¡±


    Then he pointed to those tentacles hanging from the ceiling. ¡°Look at those tentacles. Have you ever seen this kind of structure on the other ¡®natural¡¯ First Born? They obviously had adapted themselves to the machine. And, also look at the equipment around here; they were tailored made to suit the First Born. They were not working against but with each other¡ªseamlessly. I know it sounds ridiculous but I¡¯m afraid this is the only logical explanation.¡±


    Lily came out from behind a metal cylinder, her face serious. ¡°And, this facility is still running¡ªat least part of it is still running.¡±


    Hao Ren arched his eyebrow. ¡°How do you know?¡± he asked.


    Lily turned around and showed her smoky, dark tail. ¡°There is electricity!¡±


    Everyone: ¡°¡­¡±


    Vivian closed her eyes, trying to feel the signs of life in the surroundings. ¡°Not only the facility is running, but the tentacles are showing a faint sign of life¡ªthey are still alive.¡±


    A question popped in Hao Ren¡¯s head. ¡°Is this what we¡¯re supposed to look for?¡±


    Suddenly, there was another quake. Dust fell from the ceiling. The MDT had called in. ¡°Hey, buddy! Half an hour to sunrise! What is the situation down there now?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I have found something here,¡± said Hao Ren hesitatingly. He then planted a series of sensors on the nearby cables and metal cylinders. He needed to find out what these cables and cylinders were for; the smart sensors might help. ¡°I¡¯m sending you data. It is from the cable system in the refuge. Analyse it.¡±


    A moment later, the MDT came back with a happy voice. ¡°Oh oh, looks like a server¡¯s data stream. Go to a key node and trace along a main cable, you should be able to find the memory storage¡ª¡±


    ¡°But there is a problem,¡± Hao Ren cut in. ¡°The storage is not a bunch of hard drives but the First Born. Strictly speaking, the server itself is the First Born. The people of Zorm are in the dreams of the First Born.¡±

 Chapter 753

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The MDT was silent for a long moment. It was also shocked despite only being a PDA.


    It was not until 10 seconds later that the MDT spoke into the comm. ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sending you images,¡± Hao Ren said as he shared his vision with the MDT. ¡°See that? These tentacles and the instruments connected with the cables; the signals were taken from these cables. The First Born is the server. It¡¯s impossible to get it out.¡±


    ¡°It seems like our bad luck hasn¡¯t gone away!¡± The MDT snorted. ¡°Try the other lines. Maybe the signal comes from another instrument.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve tried that. All cables are connected to the tentacles, and the signal isn¡¯t coming from the machines; it¡¯s from the tentacles.¡±


    While he spoke, Hao Ren mounted more sensors on the metal cylinders and cables. Using a handgun, he fired test probes at the tentacles hanging down from the ceiling. The test probes had picked up more signals; the MDT was speechless.


    Vivian looked up at the hybrid creature of tentacles and cables, the transformation as seamless. Not only the Zormese had designed the machine and equipment, but also the First Born had precisely controlled the growth of its body to adapt to the human-made facility. Had the First Born not been cooperative, the mortals would not be able to accomplish the bio-machine union. It was incredible but the fact was hard to ignore; the First Born co-existed with the mortals harmoniously like a pair of strange bedfellows.


    ¡°Could the Zormese have found a way to control the First Born? Well, maybe that¡¯s too far-fetched,¡± said Lily, cautiously touching an alloy cylinder with a pensive look on her face. ¡°So the conclusion is the First Born is the central figure of the refuge, things are obviously man-made, and Zormese were not imprisoned but voluntarily entering into the virtual world. Enough to blow you mind, eh?¡±


    ¡°The sober guardian¡­¡± Hao Ren said as he suddenly remembered what the guardian giant had said. ¡°Oh yeah! Before the goddess died, she instructed some guardians to protect the mortals. The First Born here could be one of them!¡±


    ¡°The sober guardians during the final moment?¡± Y¡¯zaks felt surprised. ¡°Weren¡¯t the guardian giants the only ones getting the instructions? I thought the First Borns had all gone insane?¡±


    ¡°That was what the guardian giant said. But the situation was so confusing at that time that information could be inaccurate,¡± Hao Ren said, waving his hand. ¡°Maybe the Goddess managed to stop some of the First Borns from going insane, and She might have chosen some other people to inherit her legacy. There are so many possibilities. Let¡¯s not worry about that now; we have a more urgent problem to deal with. We need to think of way to save the billions of people in the virtual world!¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Vivian asked, forcing a smile as she pointed at tentacles. ¡°Only if there is a real server or some hard disk array we can remove them easily. But this is a First Born deeply entrenched in the planet. It would take time even if you decide to get it out.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve done it before. Remember Holletta?¡± Hao Ren said. His mind was racing as he said to the MDT, ¡°Scan the deeper part of the planet and see how far the First Born¡¯s tentacles have reached. If it¡¯s just a young body¡­¡±


    ¡°I have detected a surge in signal over the entire planet during the last movement of the planet¡¯s crust. It could be a nerve impulse of the First Born,¡± the MDT said; its reply was depressing. ¡°As much hope as I would like project, I¡¯m afraid that the First Born on Planet Zorm is a mature one; its tentacles have spread all over the globe. Unless we can push the planet away from the sun, nothing would stop the planet from burning.¡±


    Vivian shook her head. ¡°Have you forgot how barely we did it the last time in Holletta? We used the Aerymian engineering fleet, their technology might not be work here; this planet is too close to the sun.¡±


    Hao Ren fell into silence. He knew the MDT and Vivian were right. And, he knew that these were not the only difficulties. Even if the Aerymian technology would work here, he simply did not have enough time to mobilise them, and he could not guarantee that the safety of First Born and the stability of the virtual world during the entire process. The last time the First Born was the enemy, he needed to worry about its safety, and he just needed to excavate. But here¡­ he must make sure the First Born would stay alive.


    At this time, something suddenly crossed Lily¡¯s mind. Her eyes widened. ¡°Oh yeah, the brain! The First Born¡¯s brain should be able to detach from its body and survive in vitro. All memory and thoughts are stored in the brain. How big is that thing?¡±


    Suddenly, it seemed there was a ray of hope. It reminded Hao Ren of the red sphere he had brought out of Helcrown; the core of the First Born¡¯s mind, only a few metres in size. If he could detach it from the body, then it might work!¡±


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go deeper and see where the First Born¡¯s brain is,¡± said Y¡¯zaks, his voice was so confidence inspiring. ¡°Do you know how to get to it, Mr. Landlord?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fairly easy. Follow the nerve signals,¡± Hao Ren said as he pointed to the sensors he had just planted on the tentacles. ¡°The sensors would trace the nerve signals and lead us directly to the brain.¡±


    The outcome of the research in CARS came in handy. Hao Ren had analysed the two samples from Holletta, he had gained a certain level of knowledge about the First Born¡¯s physiology. He knew how to track the First Born¡¯s nerve signals and identify its tissues and organs. He believed that the brain was buried deep in the ground, but not so deep: If it were too close to the core of the planet, the high temperature environment would affect the brain¡¯s stability.


    Hao Ren summoned all the autonomous robots out from his dimensional pocket. Together with his teammates, they began to install sensors on the tentacles. The palm-sized sensors could quickly mould and fit themselves snugly to the rough surface of the tentacles. The MDT was using the idle processing power of the on-board computer to analyse the massive incoming signals from the sensors. Biological nerve pulses were detected. Suddenly, everyone became hopeful.


    Lily cut the shells of those alloy cylinders open with her claws and planted sensors on the outside of the container where the tentacles were stored but without affecting the equipment. A strong tremor shook her off the alloy cylinder all of a sudden.


    Boom¡ª bang¡ª


    The tremor seemed to have come from above, and it got worse each time it happened. The underground bunker was shaking so violently as if the planet was about to fall apart now. Lily yelled. ¡°Whoa! There it comes, Mr. Landlord!¡±


    ¡°Buddies! Sunrise, Sunrise!¡± the voice of the MDT sounded in all comms at once. ¡°The sun is rising. The earth above you is heating up and you have to get out now!¡±


    Hao Ren planted his feet firmly on the ground to balance himself and waited out the violent tremor. He looked up at the ceiling, it was all fine and he did not think he needed evacuation yet. ¡°Wait a second, the place is fine.¡±


    ¡°You serious?¡±


    ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing, okay?¡± Hao Ren explained. ¡°We¡¯re in the deeper strata where it¡¯s more stable. The crust disintegrates from the outside. It will probably hold up until the second or even third sunrise. And, this refuge looks pretty solid too. Give me more time, maybe the brain is just right beneath us.¡±


    The MDT was quiet for a few seconds as if it was contemplating Hao Ren¡¯s words. Then it sighed as if it was a human. ¡°Maybe it will hold up. But be careful. Get out immediately if you things start to fall. If the disaster avoidance system could not react in time, you will be crushed by the hundreds of millions of tons of earth.¡±


    Hao Ren just hummed without stopping what he was doing.


    A giant tentacle was lying in front of him. He suspected this particular tentacle was the main signal line. The tentacle had its upper part planted with electrodes and tubes for nutrient solution. Hao Ren ran his hand across the rough surface of the tentacle, though it used to be his number one foe, a strange feeling began to change how he looked at things.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you can hear¡­¡± Hao Ren patted the tentacle. ¡°But we¡¯re working out a solution. Just hang on there.¡±

 Chapter 754

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren did not know if the master of this tentacle could hear his voice, but he sincerely hoped the First Born would hold on. The time for the planet crossing the tipping point was getting closer as the sun¡¯s gravity and uneven heating on the planet was tearing its crust apart. Even with the strength of the First Born, resistance was futile. The Petrachelys and Hao Ren¡¯s team could not reverse the planet¡¯s path. The clock was ticking in the virtual world too. There was no one but the First Born that could keep the virtual world running.


    Tremors had been occuring non-stop from an hour ago. It felt scary, as if they mwere standing in a big drum as someone hitting and pounding from the outside. All signs was pointing to the imminent disintegration of the planet; the tremor was just a reminder that they were all falling with the five-quintillion-tonne rock towards the sun. But, in the underground bunkers, they had no time to worry about that, they were racing against time finding the brain by tracing the nerve signals of the tentacles.


    The team had left the place that housed the alloy cylinders and was now traversing through a cobweb-like underground structure. There were corridors crisscrossing and caverns of various sizes everywhere. The entire underground world was an endless maze. Without the navigation guide, they would be lost in the forked passages. The complexity of this place had perplexed Hao Ren at first; it was not suitable for human living. But, he soon understood the logic behind the design of the refuge; the tunnels and the caves were tailored built for the tentacles of the First Born.


    There were tentacles in all tunnels. The tentacles extended along the grooves in the ground or wall like skeletons of the tunnels. There were specially designed brackets and protection measures around. Cables and pipes were connected to the tentacles at some intervals; obviously, the First Born allowed it.


    The entire underground refuge was a cave system built for the First Born. This explained the shape of the previous huge caverns.


    The First Born played a role to in the creation of the caverns. Geologically, the planet would not have formed so many caves underground. These caverns were man-made.


    As Hao Ren moved deeper into the refuge, he was confused. All this while, he associated the First Born to ecological destruction. Though he knew that this powerful creature was the shaper of the ecosystem and the original gardener, the image of destruction was still bothering him.


    The situation here was completely different though. The First Born had co-existed with the mortals. All evidences pointed to the fact that Zormese had lived with the First Born from the very beginning. They designed the refuge in a very clever way to accommodate the First Born with the right equipment. This collaboration might have taken years of tacit understanding and communication to realise.


    It reminded Hao Ren of what he learned in the hometown of Y¡¯zaks where the First Born were living in harmony with the mortals, and its temperament was mild.


    What he learned back then knocked his socks off. But, seeing the real thing was truly astounding.


    They passed through a tunnel with four large tentacles and came into a nearly circular cavern. This cavern was similar to the sacred cavern in Holletta; there was a sunken ground in the centre where a lump of unknown living tissue was laying quietly. There were also a large number of holes lined the circumference of the cavern with tentacles extending out and connecting to the living tissue in the centre. At this time, the tremor had eased slightly and Hao Ren could hear a loud ¡®lub-dub¡¯ sound reverberating in the cave like the sound of of the beating of the heart.


    ¡°Here is a large ganglion and a set of pumping organ maintaining the circulation of its body fluid,¡± Hao Ren said as he recognised the functions of these organisms from the earlier research report. ¡°We are very close to the brain. I will plant some more sensors here and we would be able to receive signals from the virtual world.¡±


    Lily led a group of autonomous robots to plant sensors on the huge, unknown meatball. It gave her the heebie-jeebies the last time when she first did this kind of job, but she was now a dab hand at doing it.


    Hao Ren began to observe other things in the cavern. Other than the organ of the First Born, there were equipment lying around the cavern. His eyes landed on a black machine near the large ganglion. There was a small cable connecting the machine to a tentacle, like an artificial small tentacle.


    The machine was something novel to him. It did not look the same as the one used to support the life of the First Born. Hao Ren examined it curiously, and was surprised to find the machine still worked and there was a monitor on it.


    That was a miracle, he thought.


    ¡°Just like a computer¡­ maybe there¡¯s something in there,¡± Hao Ren fiddled with it for a while. He was amazed how similar this machine was to the computer in Nolan¡¯s world.


    Vivian came over, asking curiously, ¡°What have you found?¡±


    ¡°Some records of the refuge¡¯s construction, and sporadic information about the plan for the virtual world. The database is seriously corrupted, can¡¯t get much information out of it.¡± Hao Ren still browsing through the logs. ¡°The record says that they were building the refuge to survive a disaster, the Zormese and the ¡®Root of Origin¡¯ built the strong fortress in the ground to resist the end of the world. I supposed the ¡®Root of Origin¡¯ here refers to the First Born.¡±


    While saying, he pointed out with his finger the main points to Vivian. This old instrument was not very reliable; sometimes were garbled characters. ¡°These are the coding records of the virtual world. It seems that their scientists and the First Born designed this simulation mechanism, which was to ensure humans would survive in a common dream for a long, long time until¡­¡±


    ¡°Until what?¡± asked Vivian.


    ¡°Until they return to the real world,¡± Hao Ren¡¯s voice suddenly sounded serious. ¡°It mentions a plan to return to the reality! They wanted to wait out the disaster on the outside before returning to the real world. They also have plan to restore the ecosystem and their physical bodies¡­¡±


    Vivian exhaled and said, ¡°Obviously that didn¡¯t work out. This planet now seems like a bad place to rebuild their ecosystem. What else does it mention about the disaster? Is it the falling of the planet?¡±


    ¡°No. Had they known the planet was going to fall into the sun, they wouldn¡¯t have planned to return to reality,¡± Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°The planet only started falling about three thousand years ago but the refuge already existed seven thousand years before that. So the fall of the planet must be an accident that thwarted their original plan.¡±


    He looked up at the large ganglion in the centre of the cavern. ¡°Perhaps this accident also caused the virtual world beginning to go into a downward spiral¡ªthe end-of-day script. If so, then it would match perfectly with the timeline in Nolan¡¯s memory. Her memory of end of the world also happened about the same time.¡±


    Vivian looked confused. ¡°You mean¡­¡±


    ¡°The First Born is having a nightmare,¡± Hao Ren lifted his fingers pointing to the unknown living tissue. ¡°So nightmare has swallowed the whole world.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s eyes widened. Suddenly, Nolan¡¯s voice came through the comm. ¡°Hao Ren! Hao Ren! There¡¯s a situation here!¡±


    Hao Ren quickly answered, ¡°What? The fire burns again?¡±


    ¡°No ¡ª I think I¡¯ve heard the voice of the ¡®fabricator¡¯!¡±


    Fabricator was a name Nolan used to call the controller behind the virtual world. Now Hao Ren knew the so-called ¡®Fabricator¡¯ should be the consciousness of the First Born. Nolan seemed to possess a special talent; she could occasionally hear the somniloquy of the First Born. But, humans could not make sense of the way the First Born thought, so the somniloquy were often time, vague.


    But, this time, it was different.


    ¡°What did you hear?¡± Hao Ren asked as if he could not wait. He sensed something in Nolan¡¯s voice.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if there is a problem with my understanding, but I heard that the world is going to carry out euthanasia¡­¡± Nolan¡¯s voice was filled with fears. ¡°The voice says it is going to block off all the pain, before the collapse of some sort and let the world die painlessly.¡±


    Hao Ren took a deep breath.


    The First Born could not hold on any longer.

 Chapter 755

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren felt a little helpless when he heard the news; the First Born, which was the server, could no longer hold up at this critical moment. He glanced at the large ganglion. The giant living tissue was still emitting a faint red light, pulsing. But, there was a noise in the pulsation; the ancient creature was moaning in pain as the star toasted the planet.


    Hao Ren stunned for a moment before he came to his senses and quickly said to Nolan, ¡°Ask it to hold on!¡±


    ¡°Ask who?¡± Nolan could not make head or tail of what Hao Ren meant.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. If you can hear its voices, it should be able to hear yours too. Try to communicate with it; don¡¯t give up no matter what, even if it is just for a few hours! We are about to find the organ that stores the memory.¡±


    He did not know if Nolan understood these abstract and chaotic things, but the determination of the girl came through the comm. ¡°I have no clue what you meant but I will try my best!¡±


    Hearing the conversation, Y¡¯zaks came over and asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°The First Born is about to give up,¡± Hao Ren replied. ¡°It is going to end the nightmare.¡±


    ¡°That is to say¡­¡±


    ¡°The soul of more than a billion people of Zorm will perish in the wake of the dream. Now I can only let Nolan try to cheer up the First Born, hopefully, it would hang on for a little longer. I¡¯m not sure if the First Born could really hear Nolan¡¯s voice and I haven¡¯t figured out what kind of person Nolan is, but I can hope for the best. Oh, by the way, have you found the location of the brain?¡±


    But, it was Lily answering. ¡°Not yet. The nerve signal became more chaotic the nearer it gets to a ganglion. The MDT says this is because of the mutation of the First Born. The connection between its brain and the ganglia has changed in order to become a server.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the huge organ in the centre of the cave. The strange piece of meat intertwining with vines was weakening rapidly. The faint red light in the organ was dimmer and dimmer. The throbs of the heart was slowing down as it began to lose vitality even before the sea of fire reached into the interior. This confirmed the sound that Nolan heard in the virtual world: The First Born had lost its will; it was giving up after enduring the roasting from the sun for over two thousand years. I had been doing its best protecting the human soul in its body, but now it realised everything was coming to an end, it hoped to give the people of Zorm a painless death before the eventual collapse set in.


    Perhaps it did not know there was a group of people trying to save its brain. The sun had burned its sensory organs, and the underground part was used to maintain the virtual world, it had no spare ability to know what Hao Ren and his team was up to.


    ¡°Nolan may have failed,¡± Y¡¯zaks¡¯ eyebrows twisted together. ¡°I can feel this ancient creature is killing itself.¡±


    Hao Ren ran silently up to the ganglion, and placed his hand on the greyish white tissue as he tried hard to activate his ability that allowed him to connect with the will of other guardians. He kept repeating the calls in his mind. ¡°Can you hear me? We are trying to help in the real world. We have a spaceship parked above you; we have the ability to transfer your brain out of here. As long as you stay awake before we start the removal procedure. It¡¯s not the time to giving up¡­¡±


    He repeated the call several times, but there was no response. The First Born was still weakening. A voice sounded through the comm, it was the horrified and desperate voice of Nolan. ¡°The sky has turned dark¡­ the stars are disappearing, people on the streets suddenly fell asleep¡­ they have strange smiles on their faces¡­¡±


    The Petrachelys above Zorm slowly climbed. The MDT hoped to get a better angle to perform a comprehensive scan of the planet. Just as the spacecraft climbed higher, a terror image showed up on the monitor.


    The sunny side of Planet Zorm was rapidly turning into a sea of ??fire under the extreme heat of the sun. Torrents of magma spurted and flew on the surface and the planet¡¯s crust bulged under the pull of the sun¡¯s gravity. Suddenly, it crossed the tipping point; a fissure the size of the Himalayas cracked open on the surface of the planet and quickly spread along the sun¡¯s path.


    The extreme temperature had weakened the rock formation, which had become a fatal breakpoint.


    The strong gravity of the sun ripped one third of the surface of the planet away instantaneously as tens of millions of rock fragments were pulled out into space towards the sun, tearing the huge chasm into an ugly scar the size of a moon.


    Those people on the flight deck watched in shock. The MDT screamed into the comm. ¡°Buddies! The sun has reached its peak!¡±


    While the earth-shattering quake was ripping across the planet, Hao Ren suddenly became cool, calm, and collected as an inexplicable thought crossed his mind. He asked Nolan a strange question, ¡°Haven¡¯t you slept?¡±


    The virtual world was ushering in its last dream as it slowly entered into the darkness and human beings will be euthanised in their dreams. At this time, Nolan was probably the only person in the world who was still awake. But, Hao Ren¡¯s question stunned her. She realised something was wrong. ¡°I¡­ I am still awake! I don¡¯t know what happened, I seem to be fine.¡±


    Hao Ren hung up on the comm and ran quickly to the black equipment that he had fiddled with before. This equipment held the information about the construction of the virtual world and the transformation of the First Born. As this bunker was really strong and was protected by the First Born, the equipment still worked.


    Hao Ren called up the search function and keyed in ¡®Nolan¡¯ with no hesitation.


    The searched returned a result. Hao Ren looked at it, he had to do a double take, as he could not believe his eyes. ¡°This is¡­¡±


    Vivian and Lily darted over to check out what Hao Ren had seen. They were all rooted to the spot. Then Hao Ren sighed slowly. ¡°No wonder, I knew there have been something so unusual about her, I¡¯ve been wondering about her true identity, but I just didn¡¯t expect¡­¡±


    Lily cut in. ¡°She is the only NPC¡ªnon-player character in the world.¡±


    ¡°Saying that she is a NPC is not quite correct; more accurately, she is another part of the virtual world that corresponds to the First Born,¡± Hao Ren said, as he weighted plans quickly in his mind, and sent the information the Imperial Admiral, MDT, I need some technical support.¡±


    ¡°Technical support? How many TNT?¡±


    ¡°I mean real technical support,¡± Hao Ren snapped. ¡°Tell me, is the information useful?¡±


    The MDT realised it had mistaken his meaning. It quickly checked the information again and quickly came out with a solution before the real identity of Nolan could surprise it. ¡°According to the information, Nolan is the consciousness representative of the mechanical part of the ¡®server¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Saying that she¡¯s a representative of consciousness isn¡¯t that accurate; she doesn¡¯t know it. She is just a monitoring program of the virtual system. Her own will is nothing to do with this task. Her job is only to live in the virtual world so that the machine outside could judge the system stability,¡± Hao Ren explained. ¡°Now she has no influence over the system. In fact, she did not have influence from the beginning¡­ After all, she was just a set of monitoring code.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not important. The most important thing is she has a place in the system registry. A line inside her connects her directly to the consciousness of the First Born. Even if she doesn¡¯t aware about, this connection is still useful,¡± said the MDT, expounding its own thought. ¡°I can establish a translation program where you can talk to Nolan while I will find out the connection rules of Nolan and the system, and then uses her as a springboard to connect your mind directly to the First Born¡¯s. You could not only keep the First Born awake, but also get the location of the brain this way. Then the rest be very simple.¡±


    Hao Ren was elated. ¡°All right, let¡¯s give it a shot.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? The mental strength of the First Born is simply too strong. You will probably go insane by just hearing its whisper.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled and said, ¡°But this one is a good boy, isn¡¯t it? Let¡¯s cut the cackle and tell me how to go about it.¡±

 Chapter 756

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    A program monitoring the virtual world¡ªthis was Nolan¡¯s true identity.


    Hao Ren found tons of information about the construction of the virtual world in the equipment in the cave, which contained information about Nolan. A flash of thought brought Hao Ren to do a background check on Nolan and revealed her identity.


    The people of Zorm and the First Born had collaborated to build a huge virtual system that almost 100% mimicked the real world. The system consisted of two parts: the biological consciousness of the First Born and the AI ??of the machine. The biological consciousness of the First Born was the main body of the virtual world. The whole system was actually built in the dream of the ancient creature; the enormous mind power of the First Born could accommodate more than one billion human beings in the same dream. The machine¡¯s AI was like an auxiliary component to maintaining the system, living in the machines that connected to the First Born, including the alloy cylinders and the array of servers deep in the refuge. These machines constantly monitoring the virtual world were the sentinels and nannies of the people of Zorm in the real world.


    And, Nolan was one of the interfaces of the monitoring programme.


    But, she did not aware about her identity because the earliest settings had changed her cognition. She was only living in this virtual world, experiencing everything in the virtual world the human way. Her perception was converted into a human perspective by the simulation. It was how the monitoring system determined whether the virtual world was still suitable for human, and Nolan¡¯s mission was to be the ¡®test probe¡¯ in the virtual life.


    Hao Ren did not know what the final task of Nolan was in the original plan because system error had corrupted this part of the information. Since the ¡®return to reality plan¡¯ of the people of Zorm had blown up in the face, studying the original trajectory of the virtual world was no longer meaningful. And, to be honest, this was not the time for this.


    Under the guidance of the MDT, Hao Ren ordered the autonomous robots to plant more test probes on the ganglion of the First Born. This was supposed to strengthen the physical connection that allowed him to walk into the dream of the First Born without using the hibernation pod. He leaned on a tentacle, as close as possible to its nervous system. Then he told Lily and Vivian, ¡°I¡¯m going to talk face-to-face with it. You two keep an eye on things here.¡±


    Lily asked in a loud voice, ¡°Mr. Landlord, what if the cave collapses?¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°Then we should run.¡±


    ¡°I thought you would rather die than run?¡± Vivian smiled, leaned down and patted Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Unless the cave collapses, I will never let anything disturb you.¡±


    Hao Ren made a V-gesture with his finger. He then leaned his head on the tentacle behind him, and muttered in his mind. ¡°Activate the link.¡±


    The quake and strange noises in the cavern receded as darkness closed in from all directions. Then, a strange burning and dull sensation surged toward him as if they were going to bury him. Hao Ren opened his eyes and found himself standing in a world of darkness.


    It was a weird and bleak world, with black, white and grey forming everything in it. There were city ruins in the vast wilderness, naked skeleton and cement waste of buildings were what remained in the ruins. Like 3D models, everything lacked details and rendering. The structure was simple, the surface rough, and the randomness of these structures reflected a dreamlike grotesque feeling. There were no sun, moon and stars in the sky, and there was no light, only grey-white fog floating at high altitude covered the earth.


    There was only one thing left in the faceless world; that was humans.


    Humans were everywhere but lying on the desolate land. Their clothes had turned silky smooth, almost rubbery like inferior three-dimensional models. Their fresh was the only thing that still retained the intricate details, which suggested that the data of their souls had not dissipated. Hao Ren took a casual glance; the bodies seemed to be asleep and in a dream, their expressions calm with a weird smile on their faces, as if they had attained an eternal peace in their dream.


    This was the euthanasia of worldwide scale; it was weird and certainly very creepy.


    Hao Ren looked up and around for Nolan. He used Nolan as a springboard to enter this world; naturally, she should be nearby, and sure enough, he heard Nolan¡¯s voice. ¡°The sky has disappeared, the plants have disappeared, the colours have disappeared¡­ The whole world has become lifeless¡­¡±


    Hao Ren turned his head around at the sound, Nolan was sitting on a grey cube that could be a part of a building, but had now turned into an unpainted block. She raised her head slowly and looked at Hao Ren, her voice sounded as if she was sleep talking. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I sleep like them? Do you know what happened to this world?¡±


    ¡°The darkness before the dawn,¡± Hao Ren stepped forward and held Nolan¡¯s hand, which seemed to cheer her up a little. ¡°Do you trust me?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°What else can I do?¡± Nolan asked back.


    ¡°Open your heart,¡± Hao Ren looked into Nolan¡¯s eyes. ¡°I need you to be my springboard so that I can talk to the controlling consciousness behind this world. By doing so, you will feel that all your body and mind are as if being searched, but I assure you that I will not do anything to your mind, I just need you to be a bridge. It is difficult to explain, and I can¡¯t explain it. Are you¡­ willing?¡±


    Nolan slowly blinked. As the machine in the real world was gradually collapsing and had affected her thinking. But she understood what Hao Ren said. She nodded slowly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do; it¡¯s all your call.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded quietly and commanded the MDT, ¡°Open the login interface of Nolan, and switch on the translation mode.¡±


    As the connection established, Nolan¡¯s body shook a little, her eyes widened as if her soul had left her body. At the same time, Hao Ren felt that his spirit was suddenly brought to another massive, indescribable, almost invisible body of consciousness incomprehensible to human.


    For the first time in history, a human had connected his mind with a First Born.


    It was an unprecedented adventure and feat, because no one could stand before the mind power of the Guardian, let alone a direct connection. Even the spiritually strong monks in Holletta had gone mad by just hearing the faint voices of the First Born and the guardian giants; making direct mental connection with them was simply dicing with death.


    But, there was sign that he was going mad. Despite he realised that he was connected to a complex consciousness no humans could not understand, this complex consciousness was not hostile.


    The First Born was only observing this ¡®little creature¡¯ curiously, wondering why he had come suddenly. But, the First Born had sensed something familiar. One of them was the divinity of the goddess, Raven 12345¡¯s reflection, while the other familiarity included the lifeblood, the Goddess Creation, and some other things that it could not comprehend.


    Hao Ren seemed to have seen an endless light in an illusion, a cloud of shadows of indefinite shape, untold colours and sizes. He thought it was the First Born; in a form that his human mind could comprehend. He tried to talk to the shadow. ¡°Can you hear me?¡±


    A deafening silence ensued, as if it had lasted for a century before he finally heard a voice in the illusive space. ¡°Pain.¡±


    ¡°Pain?¡±


    ¡°It hurts, it¡¯s hot¡­¡± the voice seemed to be omnipresent. ¡°I¡¯m scared¡­¡±


    Hao Ren froze, he knew this voice must be the thought of the First Born, but he had not expected it was so forthright, like a child.


    ¡°You are the guardian of this planet, aren¡¯t you?¡± Hao Ren asked. He had quickly came out from the brief shock, but his voice sounded anxious. ¡°I know you are very painful now, but please hang on a little longer. We¡¯re looking for ways to take you¡ª¡±


    He was interrupted; the First Born seemed to have sunken into a state of chaos. The voice of its chaotic mind suddenly came down on him.


    ¡°Mother asked me to protect my brothers and sisters here, but since then Mother had never spoken to me¡­¡±


    ¡°Mother said that my brothers have gone mad. She asked me to hide the entire ecosystem¡­¡±


    ¡°I could only get everything back to the lifeblood, but why didn¡¯t Mother tell me what to do next¡­¡±


    ¡°Outside is hot, very hot¡­¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hurt anyone. I¡¯m just helping my Mother look after the garden¡­¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t Mother talk? Mother hasn¡¯t talked to me for a long time¡­¡±


    ¡°I miss Mother; I really miss my Mother¡­¡±


    The voice of the First Born was like a myriad of thoughts mixed together; it was noisy. The massive amount of thoughts almost ripped Hao Ren¡¯s head apart, but just when he was about to be overwhelmed, the divine blessing of Raven 12345 suddenly woke him. Grasping this moment of sobriety, Hao Ren shouted probably the most powerful word under this circumstances. ¡°I will take you to your mother!¡±


    A group of voices spoke at the same time, ¡°Mother?¡±


    ¡°Yep. We are also looking for the Goddess of Creation¡ªyour Mother,¡± Hao Ren said, shaking his head. ¡°Something happened to her, she is currently sleeping deep in the universe. If you can hold on a little longer, I will take you to your Mother.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± the First Born asked, finally awakening to the question.


    ¡°Who we are is not important. The most important thing is that we are helping you,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°This planet is falling towards the sun. But I have a spacecraft that can transfer your brain out. You save all the consciousness and soul of the people of Zorm in the brain¡­ You do know about the brain, don¡¯t you? It is the core of your mind, where all the memory is stored. I will take it to a safe place, so the problem will be solved. You will not die burning in the sun, you must trust me!¡±


    The eldest son was silent for a moment. When it spoke again, there was a sense of regret in its voices. ¡°No, it won¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°There is no brain¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡±

 Chapter 757

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The words only registered after a few seconds. ¡°No-No brain? Isn¡¯t that an important organ?¡±


    The First Born did not say a word. Instead, Hao Ren felt a burst of confusion and a jumble of thoughts coming into his head. He thought he was being attacked again. But soon, he found many inexplicable memories and knowledge filling his mind. When he came to grips with what happened, he realized this was a more advanced way of communication: the First Born probably thought that verbal dialogue was too inefficient, so it shared its mind, knowledge and experience with him.


    Hao Ren was stunned after browsing through the memories. ¡°This is¡­¡±


    The First Born on this planet had no brain because the brain had evolved into other form ten thousand years ago!


    In normal circumstances, a mature First Born would have a number of brains but not more than ten. But, this one here was different. In order to accommodate the complex virtual world, and to achieve better compatibility with the programming language of the people of Zorm, the First Born had performed a planned transformation of its body. It broke down its own brains into numerous nerve clusters that spread evenly throughout the body. These extra nerve clusters could grow more nerve tentacles, which were the key organs connected to the machines. Dividing the brains into several small parts had another advantage: Backup! Even if disaster struck two-thirds of the planet, the remaining one-third of the nerve clusters could still maintain the integrity of the virtual world.


    The First Born had essentially divided its brains and spread them all over its body. There were more than a million ¡®mini brains¡¯ scattered on every inch of the planet, and most of them were now surrounded by magma and sea of ??fire; they were dying en masse.


    It was impossible to move it. Even if Hao Ren could find an interstellar engineering team now, it would take a long time to remove all the mini brains from the planet. The distributed arrangement of the brains were originally security measures against disasters, but now they had become the biggest obstacle to the preservation of the civilisation of Zorm and the First Born.


    No one could have thought ten thousand years ago that the planet would suddenly fall towards the sun.


    ¡°What if abandoning the data of the virtual world and only compressing humans and your soul into a few ¡®mini brains¡¯? Would it work?¡± Hao Ren asked, desperately weighing options. ¡°Isn¡¯t the capacity of mini brains sufficient?¡±


    ¡°Mother once said that soul is the most complicated data. More than half of my mind is used to contain the souls,¡± the First Born replied. ¡°Other details in the dream only occupy a very small space. So with or without these details is irrelevant.¡±


    More than ninety percent of the First Born¡¯s mental capacity was dedicated to hold the souls of a billion people of Zorm, and the rest of the virtual world, including mountains, rivers, and all other landscapes were insignificant. It was impossible to pack all the civilisation of Zorm in a compressed file.


    An incoming message from the Petrachelys interrupted Hao Ren¡¯s train of thought. ¡°Buddy, the sun has set but the planet is seriously devastated, I¡¯m afraid the communication link between you and the virtual world will not last. I¡¯ve detected that the surge signal in the planet¡¯s interior is weakening.¡±


    ¡°I want to sleep,¡± the First Born¡¯s voice also spoke in Hao Ren¡¯s mind. ¡°I¡¯m drained¡­ it¡¯s too hot here¡­ I¡¯m afraid human in the dream will also feel the situation in the real world. Just let me sleep. Everything will be fine after that. Mother will come back¡ª¡±


    ¡°I said I will bring you to your Mother. I mean it!¡± Hao Ren cut in in a loud voice. There was a thought came to his mind. ¡°Communication¡­ communication¡­ that¡¯s right! There is a way!¡±


    The First Born curiously observed him.


    ¡°Soul, in a sense, is also composed of bits and bytes, isn¡¯t it?¡± asked Hao Ren, looking at the amorphous shadow in front of him. ¡°If the people of Zorm could save their souls into your body through the machine, so in theory, the souls in your ¡®brains¡¯ could also be exported somewhere else!¡±


    The First Born hesitated. ¡°In theory¡­ yes. But¡ª¡±


    ¡°There is no but, as long as the theory is feasible, it is better than dying a euthanasic way,¡± said Hao Ren, glancing at the white light. ¡°I can¡¯t take the body, but I can take away all the souls! Send me the database and transcoding method of the virtual world; I will transfer the souls out to a safe place!¡±


    The MDT was listening to the conversation, it suddenly chimed in. ¡°Theoretically, this is possible. But, first, we need a massive storage; one billion souls and the First Born are no small amount. Where are you going to hold them?¡±


    ¡°There is one; CARS,¡± Hao Ren said. He felt that his mind was clearer than ever, his brain was in tiptop working condition. ¡°It is a research station, designed specifically for the study of the First Born. Its storage capacity is several times larger than the brain of the First Born.¡±


    ¡°How are you going to send the data over?¡±


    ¡°Build a communication link. We have drone clusters; they can relay data from Zorm to CARS. We can also use the high-power antenna of the Petrachelys if bandwidth is insufficient. There is always a way.¡±


    ¡°What about the interface? How do you retrieve the First Born¡¯s memory from Planet Zorm? You need a high bandwidth interface to do that, otherwise it is impossible to transfer all the soul of more than one billion people within just a few dozen hours.¡±


    The MDT bombarded Hao Ren with so many questions that his mind suddenly seized. At this time, the First Born suddenly spoke. ¡°Near the equator, there is a data release port with high data transfer rate. I can export the data from there¡­ but I can only use it once, the sun will burn it once exposed.¡±


    ¡°Data release port?¡± Hao Ren asked in surprise. ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°Brothers and sisters had thought of going back to the real world, but that was before the planet fell.¡±


    Then it struck home; Hao Ren remembered the facility of the ¡®return to reality¡¯ programme that the First Born had mentioned before. He did not know that the facility was actually buried in the ground and still functioning.


    He clapped his hands and said to the MDT, ¡°Well, it seems we¡¯ve finally sussed it out. Any other problem?¡±


    ¡°I have sent out instruction to the drone clusters and started writing the drivers needed for the data link. The only problem left now is time¡ªPlanet Zorm will disintegrate in thirty-six hours. Let us race against the sun.¡±


    ¡°I will outrun it,¡± Hao Ren arced the corner of his mouth slightly as he looked up at the shadow of the First Born¡¯s soul. ¡°Now I have to return to the real world to get things prepared but I will keep this communication link open. You know Nolan? The communication is linked through her. We have thirty hours, so¡ª¡±


    ¡°I will do my best,¡± a voice sounded in Hao Ren¡¯s mind. ¡°Mother always tells us to see the mission through.¡±


    Again, it was Mother said so.


    Hao Ren smiled and quit this wonderful mental connection. Nolan¡¯s emotionless face reappeared in front of him. The massive data overload had overwhelmed her mind. She could only vaguely make sense of what was happening right now without giving any meaningful reaction. Hao Ren knew it was not the time to talk nor explain. He held Nolan to sit down in a safe place and said, ¡°I have to go now. Just hang on here.¡±


    Nolan looked at him, finally nodded slightly.


    As soon as Hao Ren came back out to the real world, Vivian and Lily scrambled to ask about the situation. Hao Ren motioned to them. ¡°Leave all the autonomous robots here to keep the data link online. We need to go back on-board the spaceship.¡±


    The autonomous robots gathered around the ganglion of the First Born, took over the position of Hao Ren and placed their mechanical arms on it.


    A moment later, they were back in the flight deck of the Petrachelys. Hao Ren quickly came to the console. ¡°MDT, what is the situation?¡± he asked.


    ¡°The drone clusters are moving closer towards here and have switched to the high-speed communication mode. The drones have limited bandwidth, so it¡¯s necessary to design a dedicated link to ensure the transmission is successful. We will only know the exact bandwidth needed once the data is retrieved. The CARS¡¯ capacity should be sufficient. But CARS lacks virtual reality program, we need to build a virtual world in the main computer on CARS to accommodate all the souls of Zorm people when the transfer is complete.¡±


    ¡°What about the communication link with the First Born?¡±


    ¡°Repositioning is completed. Now we rely on the autonomous robots to keep the link open,¡± the MDT said. It brought up the hologram on console, a faint glow and a few lines of text emerged; it was the First Born saying hi.


    ¡°The mind of the First Born is very different from ordinary creatures. The simple communication link couldn¡¯t translate hundred-percent of its ideas and thoughts, so text is the best thing we can have now.¡±

 Chapter 758

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    When the Petrachelys issued its command, the drone clusters in different parts of the universe responded. They began to rapidly form a huge, ultra-high-speed data link. There were tens of thousands of drones, some of which were drawing star charts tens of billions of light years away, some building bases on desolate dark planets, others setting up posts and factories in space. Now, except keeping their fundamental functions going, they all stopped what they were doing and reorganise themselves to lay a massive communication network in the vast space.


    Drones had limited bandwidth, so they all switched to the ¡®weaving nest¡¯ mode that was capable of ultra-high-speed data transfer. This mode would shorten the distance between drones but improved the efficient of data transfer. The drones became a relay network between Planet Zorm and CARS when they deployed their silvery white antennas in the cold, lifeless universe linking one to the other and waiting for the transfer of 1.6 billion souls.


    The drones had just arrived above Planet Zorm but they already began to form a large antenna array swiftly but orderly. The large drones shinning in silver and white, shaped like a spaceship, were hovering over the imagery line between the star and Planet Zorm. They had assembled the large antennas they brought out from the drone base into a giant radio dish of one-kilometre radius. Drones were flying around to secure the antennas and power system in place before fixing themselves in the antenna slots. The minds of the drone clusters were directing all these complex and precise tasks; they were more flexible and efficient than any human spaceships were.


    As the antenna array took shape, it refracted the dazzling light of the stars off its panels.


    On the flight deck, Hao Ren was nervously monitoring the progress. But at the same time, he was worried about the situation on Zorm. The planet had just gone through another devastation as its sun had again ripped apart the planet¡¯s crust; the refuge and the First Born were almost visible from the outside. The MDT might be the calmest of the lot. It dutifully reported the progress. ¡°The drone link is eighty percent complete and will be ready in an hour. The spacecraft¡¯s relay system is also in standby and read for action.¡±


    The Petrachelys was hovering over the grey line of Planet Zorm, watching every moment of the sun burning the planet. Drones had gathered around the spacecraft, busily fixing themselves to the belly of the spacecraft and connecting instrument around the antenna of the spacecraft. The instrument looked like some kind of pipes and robotic arms. Part of the armoured belly of the Petrachelys was laid bare and exposing its complex internal. An ad hoc modification to the spacecraft was needed in order to retrofit a set of relay.


    The MDT did have opinion regarding this. It warned, ¡°I must emphasise that this is not in compliance with the safety practices.¡±


    As the communication link took shape gradually, Zorm again ushered in its third round of sunrise. The world had twelve hours left.


    People were pacing the flight deck anxiously. Even the tech idiot Nangong Sanba was on tenterhooks. Rollie who was clues of what happened initially began to sense the uneasy atmosphere as she quietly curled herself up under a chair. Hao Ren rested his hands on the console, waiting for the drones to complete the network.


    At last, an ever-changing face appeared on the screen, it was the virtual interface of the drone clusters. The face reported in a cold, mechanical voice. ¡°The drone¡¯s data link is complete. Ready for transmission.¡±


    ¡°Ten more minutes,¡± the MDT said suddenly while showing the situation on the dark side of Zorm on the hologram. ¡°Wait for the sun to set. The data link interface will have six hours of stable connection.¡±


    The MDT rendered two shades of colours on Planet Zorm on the hologram. The sunny side was red while the dark side was blue. A round spot with a radius of a quarter of the radius of the planet was on the equator and was now entering the grey line into the dark; this was the ¡®data release port¡¯ that the First Born had mentioned. The people of Zorm had built it before they entered the virtual world; a soul transmission port they planned to use for their return to reality eventually. Hao Ren¡¯s plan was to connect the Petrachelys to the transmission port and extract the data of the souls. During the process, the data release port would inevitably be exposed to the high temperature on the surface. The Petrachelys could withstand the temperature but not the organs of the First Born. If the data transfer happened during the day, the transmission would not be stable.


    The MDT had done the math; it accurately calculated the speed of Planet Zorm¡¯s rotation and the construction of the drone link. The data link was ready ten minutes before the ¡®data release port¡¯ crossed the grey line into the night.


    The furious sea of fire receded behind the grey line under their watchful eyes. As the sun set, this side of the planet, darkness set in at the exact spot at the exact moment.


    Hao Ren quickly said into the comm. ¡°Open the data release port!¡±


    A word showed up on the monitor. ¡°Understood,¡± said the First Born.


    Then Zorm began to ¡®bloom¡¯.


    Just like a flower bud blooms, a spot on the equator suddenly rose up, and then the crust and semi-molten rock began to peel outward. Around the ¡®blooming¡¯ petals were living tissues pushing the crust out; the tentacles of the First Born was the force that caused the ¡®bloom¡¯ of the planet.


    The scene looked magnificent in space. It was hard to imagine how the First Born had done this spectacular feat to the planet.


    ¡°This is a mature First Born¡­¡± Lily stared wide eyed in amazement, her voice a little quivering. ¡°The ones in Holletta seem like kids in comparison.¡±


    ¡°There is no time to marvel,¡± Hao Ren said as he quickly issued another instruction. ¡°The planet will weaken further when the crack is fully opened. It may collapse sooner than we thought. MDT, let all systems go online. It¡¯s now up to you guys, drones!¡±


    The Petrachelys carrying a bunch of ad hoc instrument with it quickly swooped down towards the ¡®data release port¡¯ in the crack. All the antennas of the drone clusters were deployed at the same time. By now, the massive ¡®data release port¡¯ on Zorm began to reveal itself.


    It was difficult to describe in words. Living tissues, cables, and liquid and gas pipes entangled together like a human heart, just in a larger scale. It looked like the planet was pushing out its own heart as an ocean of red fluid was surging around the port. No test tube was needed, because Hao Ren had recognised it instantly; it was the lifeblood.


    The people of Zorm might have planned to use the lifeblood for rebuilding the ecosystem and their own flesh. But, it never materialised.


    The lifeblood rushed toward the living tissue around the ¡®data release port¡¯ and began to boil as soon as it was exposed. The Petrachelys was already low above the ¡®heart of the planet¡¯ as drones brought plugs and cables.


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyes fixed at the monitor. He had almost forgot to breathe during the few seconds of critical moment until a message popped up on the screen. ¡°Connection established.¡±


    The MDT was heard on the comm, ¡°Transfer begins.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and turned to ask through the comm. ¡°How do you feel over there?¡±


    The First Born responded with a line of text ¡®very good¡¯ on the comm.


    Nangong Wuyue saw the text and was surprised. ¡°Is this really the First Born talking?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I was as surprised as you at first,¡± Hao Ren said. He knew what was in Nangong Wuyue¡¯s mind. He smiled and continued. ¡°This is how a rational First Born like; it¡¯s a very gentle guy.¡±


    Hearing what Hao Ren said, Vivian said thoughtfully, ¡°That¡¯s the reason why a gentle creature could become so violent when it leans the murder of its Mother. How do you plan to explain the fall of the Goddess to it, Mr. Landlord? It seems¡­ It¡¯s still in the dark.¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head with a forced smile. ¡°We will cross that bridge when we come to it.¡±


    ¡°Sooner or later it is about to find out. We should tell it,¡± Lily looked at Hao Ren with a serious face. ¡°Probably we do it as euphemistically as possible.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded silently and turned to look at the scene outside.


    This was the final day of Zorm.

 Chapter 759

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    In the bright sunlight, a planet was rapidly ushering in its demise.


    The sunny side of Zorm was erupting like fireworks; rock layers were melting, and there was cracking as well as vaporization occuring. The planet was being torn apart by gravity, and pulled into space towards the sun. The planet gave away its mass as it rotated, marching towards the end in the most spectacular way. In the dark side of Zorm, a bridge of life was trying to save the civilization that once lived on this planet six hours before the planet was about to end its existence.


    The strata around the equator blossomed like a flower bud when countless giant tentacles existing between the realm of plants and animals broke through the surface and pushed the planet¡¯s crust up and outwards so high that the crust became taller than the highest mountain on this planet. In the centre of the ¡®bud¡¯ were a mass of flesh, blood, plants and machine, the red glow that it emitted was now the most striking light on the dark side of Zorm.


    This entire structure was like a giant flower bloomed in a world that was fall into the hot sun.


    The Petrachelys was like a silver bird, which dexterously hovering at the heart of the ¡®flower of life¡¯. It had many cables and pipes connecting to heart of the planet, as if a hummingbird sucking up honey, retrieving the souls of 1.6 billion people of Zorm,


    A drone flying over the planet had taken a photo of this spectacular, rare scene and sent it back to the inspector communication platform.


    It was normal for inspectors to post their images from their missions on the platform. Hao Ren was now accustomed to this habit. It was not show off his achievements¡ªthere was no need to show off in front of his peers, he posted the images just to keep tract of his journey, record every civilisation and scenery. Because these sceneries could have disappeared very soon.


    He did the same for Zorm.


    ¡°The transfer is in progress. The bandwidth is just enough,¡± the MDT said. It was keeping an eye on the transfer of the souls. ¡°Thanks to the Empire Technology; we already knew how to transcode the soul since thousands of years ago, otherwise it would be a hassle to upload and download the souls.¡±


    What would happen had Hao Ren not laid the drone clusters earlier? He almost broke out in cold sweat when he thought about that.


    ¡°Just admit it that you just want to show off,¡± Lily gave Hao Ren a sideways glance and then wagged her tail. ¡°But then¡­ it shows your far-sightedness. Just that nobody could see that in you.¡±


    Hearing that, Vivian smiled wryly. ¡°By the same token, we also have never thought that you could graduate from Peking University four times.¡±


    As things went smoothly, the atmosphere on the flight deck eased up as everyone began cracking jokes. But, Hao Ren¡¯s eyes had never left the console. He was holding his breath during this critical moment.


    The time passed so slowly that it was almost unbearable. Hao Ren did not know how long he had been staring at the console. He only knew that he had only taken a short break when Vivian brought him a cup of tea. But he returned to the captain¡¯s seat very quickly. 1.6 billion human-souls plus the soul of a First Born, the amount of data was staggering. Even though the drone clusters had optimised the transfer method, it would not be able to complete the transfer in a very short time. Six-hour window gradually closed but the transfer still stood at ninety percent. The atmosphere on the flight deck became tense again. Lily fixed her eyes on the monitor, a fireball refracted in her eyes.


    ¡°The sunrise!¡±


    Throughout the transfer process, the Petrachelys was hovering in synchronous orbit above the data release port. As the planet rotated, it had now come back to the position where the spot would greet the sun again. A blindingly bright and hot wall of fire began to appear in the horizon.


    The MDT sounded in desperation. ¡°Final five percent!¡±


    The magnificent sunshine had appeared on the horizon. A ring of fire was closing. But that was not real flame but a light curtain produced when the steam spurted up into the sky and refracted the sunlight. The temperature of this wall of steam was even more terrible than fire as it moved toward the data release port and ablated everything on its path!


    And, accompanying the wall of fire was the even deadlier gravity of the star. Watching on the screen, the distant horizon was like a carpet rolling up as uncountable amount of debris rose and floated towards the sun. The shocks had even begun to damage the structure of the data release port. Earth was collapsing around the ¡®flowers of life,¡¯ and huge pit was forming one after another. The tentacles inside the data release port were rapidly turning greyish and died as the sun finally burned through all the protective layers and killed the ancient creature en masse.


    Its central nervous system was still working tenaciously. The progress bar on the screen was still moving albeit slowly. But, undoubtedly it was still progressing!


    ¡°Three percent to go!¡±


    Daylight continued to close in, and the shell of the Petrachelys began to dye with a golden red light. The fragile tissue inside the data release port was now exposed to the sunlight completely. Without the cover of the earth, everything began to go up in flame.


    ¡°One percent to go!¡±


    The First Born¡¯s tentacles were burning. But the burning process was weird and shocking due to the thin oxygen. Hundreds of kilometres of tentacles glowed under the sun, and then turned into coke in an instant. The process happened so fast that it was threatening the ¡®heart in the core of the data release port. The ¡®heart¡¯ was alive; all residual energy around the planet was channelled into it as it was sending the last bit of data to the Petrachelys.


    But, at this critical moment, the MDT suddenly screamed. ¡°It¡¯s stuck!¡±


    Hao Ren could not really get what it meant. ¡°What you meant ¡®stuck¡¯?


    A group of garbled data flashing across the holographic display. The MDT locked in to one of the entries. ¡°It¡¯s Nolan! Her data is incompatible with the communication links!¡± the MDT cried out.


    By now, sunlight had shone into the base of the ¡®heart¡¯. The heart quickly withered and died under the high temperature. Tendons rose on the surface of the unknown tissues and organs before they burst into a mixture of lifeblood, electrolytes, industrial oils, and flesh fragments. Vivian became even more anxious then Hao Ren did. ¡°What happens?¡± she asked.


    ¡°The drone¡¯s data link was configured to into soul transfer mode, we have only registered the soul code of the people of Zorm and the First Born,¡± the MDT explained quickly. ¡°But Nolan is an AI!¡±


    Hao Ren became to come to his senses.


    Though Nolan lived in the virtual world, she was not a member of the world at all, or more accurately, she was not a living creature.


    Her soul belonged to machine that kept the First Born alive.


    The done clusters¡¯ data link could only transmit the soul of carbon-based creatures. The system had forgotten to leave Nolan an escape route!


    This was like forcing data to be sent across an incompatible network. When the data arrived at the destination, it became a bunch of garbled characters.


    And, even if the forced transmission was successful and the data of Nolan was sent to the CARS, what was left was only a memory: a compressed file containing all the memory of Nolan. But, without soul, it was like a program without an execution file, the program would not run. Others might be able to read the life story of Nolan, but no matter how you read them, the girl named Nolan would never give a response again.


    Hao Ren looked at the collapsing data release port; he was rooted to the spot. But his mind was still working as he squeezed out his last bit of wisdom and asked the MDT aloud, ¡°Is transmission protocol compatibility the only problem? No problem in saving the data, right?¡±


    ¡°Correct¡­¡± the MDT was a little baffled. What do you want to do?¡±


    Hao Ren did not reply but quickly entered the last instruction on the console.


    At this moment, he began to appreciate his effort in the past; now all the knowledge had come in handy, as he needed them to use the high-tech instrument.


    When the last instruction was being carried out, sunlight finally shone on the data release port, completely engulfing the last living tissue of the First Born in flame. A few seconds later, the data release port exploded.


    All the parameters on the console returned to zero. Everything was over.

 Chapter 760

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Zorm was finally torn apart amid tremor and explosion.


    The death of the First Born led to the end of the planet a few hours in earlier than expected. The underground tentacles released all their raw energy as a powerful force from the ancient times swept across the planet. Under the watchful eyes of the drones and the inspector, a burst of bright light began from the equator of Zorm, and the red light spread along the cracks on the surface before the planet shattered into millions of pieces and fell towards the sun. All that happened I just a minute.


    In the sea of debris, there was a faint dot that blown out from the core of the planet. The dot burst into a flash a light before disappeared entirely.


    It was the core energy station of the people of Zorm. The last relic of the civilisation had now gone forever.


    The drones on the orbit did not give a hang about the scene. They had carried out the command and were now packing up. The drones under the control of a mother drone disassembled the radio dish¡ªjust like how they did the assembly but in a reverse order¡ªand left the place through the space doors. The silvery white inspector spacecraft was still hovering on the original orbit of Zorm, facing its nose toward the sun as it watched the planet that was once a cradle of life finishing its final journey. After the last fragment of the planet vaporised in the sun, the Petrachelys turned around, a silvery-white, rectangular object flashing in lights came out of the hatch on its belly and began to go around the sun in the original orbit of Zorm.


    Everything that the civilisation had ever created had vanished. They did not have the ability to build their own monument. So the little monument commemorating the cradle that once hosted life was launched on behalf of the people of Zorm in memorial of their former home.


    After accomplishing this last task, the Petrachelys opened up a space door and jumped into the curvature space bubble.


    The spacecraft left the darkness behind and came before the CARS that glimmered in space. Hao Ren ordered the spacecraft to dock at the Sky Bridge 1 and connect the on-board main computer to the CARS main host. He just wanted to see for himself the data transfer was fine despite the drone clusters had given him the confirmation earlier.


    ¡°The database is up. The soul of the one-point-six billion Zormese and the friendly First Born are all intact,¡± the MDT reported. ¡°The human souls are currently in frozen state. It is best not to wake them up before we could create a suitable virtual world for them. The soul of the First Born seemed a little exhausted but it is in good shape. You should be able to ask it questions soon.¡±


    ¡°I want to see it now,¡± Hao Ren said as he watched the door on the sky bridge connecting the main structure of CARS slowly slid opened. He lowered his head and said to the MDT, ¡°Is the communication link ready? We don¡¯t need to go through Nolan this time, do we?¡±


    ¡°No, we don¡¯t. We are using our own database now. I have created an administrator account, you will get clearer communication link with the First Born.¡±


    ¡°Good. Oh, by the way, please let the giant know that I will see him in a while. Vivian, Lily, and others, you can come along if you want since there is not much to do here on the spacecraft. But MDT, you will have to stay on board and provide remote support.¡±


    As Hao Ren was leaving the flight deck, the MDT suddenly said, ¡°I still need to remind you that during the mission, you have violated a total of sixteen safety protocols, especially the last one. If not for lack of authority, I would have revoked your pilot license¡­¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged it off without even looking back. ¡°Hell yeah, I didn¡¯t even have a pilot license.¡±


    Then as they left flight deck. Rollie got Lil Pea out from her pot, placed her on her head and trotted following from behind. ¡°Big Boss Cat! Have I not been a good girl this time? Where is my little dried fish?¡± the silly cat said.


    The central hall of the CARS was still the same as before, it was radiating with lights, solemnity and luxury. The crystal was exuding an elegant, mysterious yet cold and alienated atmosphere. Hao Ren let Rollie play with Lil Pea while he came to the crystal hill in the centre.


    The crystal hill emanated with light when it sensed its master¡¯s presence as the host computer called up a new database named ¡®Zorm¡¯. Hao Ren was looking at a hologram of the scene of clear blue sky, clear water, and white clouds. It was so beautiful that it was almost unreal. Endless grassland was dotted with lakes and rivers that reflected the blue sky above in them. It looked like a dreamland.


    ¡°This is what the home was like,¡± a slightly neutral voice sounded in the hall. ¡°That¡¯s Mother¡¯s garden. It is beautiful. Mother always likes it.¡±


    Hao Ren was startled slightly before he realised it was the First Born. They had a new connection in CARS. He could now hear the First Born¡¯s voice very clearly.


    Then he remembered where he had heard the same voice.


    When he was still in the virtual world of Zorm, travelling to the ruins of the north and crossing the Grey River with the Grey Fox mercenaries, he had heard a voice talking to him while he was half-awake. It was the exact voice!


    ¡°Was that you?¡± Hao Ren asked in surprise. ¡°You spoke to me when I was near the Grey River?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It was me,¡± said the First Born. It was very candid. ¡°I knew you were coming from the outside world and I feared that your spirit would die in my dream, so I wanted to warn you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see,¡± said Hao Ren. It was a surprise. It sounded incredible to him. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that. If I did, we would have talked and the situation wouldn¡¯t have become so critical.¡±


    The First Born did not respond; it seemed it could reply to a ¡®hypothetical question,¡¯ or maybe it was just simply not interested in the conversation.


    Hao Ren shifted his attention on the hologram. It showed the memory of the First Born in Zorm; it was a lush world before the disaster. Looking at the beautiful, almost fairy-tale world, Hao Ren could not imagine this planet was the one that had turned into hell under the grilling fire of the sun. In hesitation, he asked, ¡°Are you going to rebuild it in the virtual world, or¡ª¡±


    ¡°I just want to see it,¡± said the First Born. The reply was plain and simple. ¡°I used to take good care of the garden, so I want to keep these pictures and show Mother when she comes back.¡±


    Hao Ren was startled a little. He then steered away the conversation. ¡°I still don¡¯t quite understand how I got into your dreams. When I first got in, I didn¡¯t make any connection with you, I was just sleeping. Do you know what was going on?¡±


    ¡°I think¡­ you have something that resonates with me, and that¡¯s probably the reason.¡±


    The reply was unexpected. Hao Ren was just thinking of avoiding conversation about its Mother, he did not want to face the heavy topic of the fall of the Goddess of Creation just yet. ¡°Resonance? What kind of resonance? I had tried to bring my friends into the virtual world but failed. Do you know what was going on?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about others, but you¡­¡± the First Born paused. ¡°You must have lifeblood in your body. I can feel that you are similar to me. I don¡¯t know why you look like you are but¡­ are you also a guardian that Mother has created?¡±


    Hao Ren froze. He exchanged a look with Vivian. ¡°The lifeblood is flowing in my body? Really?¡± he asked.


    Vivian blinked and said, ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t know that.¡±


    What the First Born said had baffled them all. Hao Ren felt that there might be some misunderstanding here, probably a sequel of two thousand years of sunbathing. At this time, Lily¡¯s eyes flickered as something suddenly cross her mind. ¡°Oh yes! I¡¯m afraid the lifeblood is indeed in your body! Have you forgot about the Branding Ritual in Holletta? You have absorbed the lifeblood in your body!¡±


    The incident crossed his mind but Hao Ren immediately felt something did not add up. ¡°Didn¡¯t we find lifeblood dissipating very quickly? It should not have remained in my body.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s brows knit together. ¡°That¡¯s just on the material level. Physically, the lifeblood had indeed gone, but I¡¯m afraid there was something more than physical¡­ perhaps it had interfered you spiritually, such as it let you walk into the dream of the First Born.¡±


    Hao Ren placed his hand on his chest instinctively. ¡°Damn¡­ it sounds very creepy,¡± he said.


    The conversation continued for a while before the First Born suddenly asked, ¡°I¡¯ve already answered you many questions. Can you tell me where Mother is now?¡±

 Chapter 761

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°I¡¯ve answered a lot of your questions. Can you tell me where Mother is?¡±


    When the First Born suddenly shot this question at Hao Ren, he was still pondering if he was being influenced by the lifeblood that he had absorbed before. His contemplation was immediately broken by the First Born as cold sweat started flowing from head to toe. He was not alone, everyone present got nervous when they heard that one particular question. Vivian turned away silently to look at the crystalline imprints, Y¡¯zaks picked up his daughter to start discussing dinner, Nangong Wuyue bend down to pretend that she was tying her shoelace to find that¡­. she was wearing crocs, there were no laces to begin with!


    ¡°This¡­¡± Hao Ren swallowed hard as he squeezed his mind for ideas on how to tell the part where the Goddess had fallen in a very symphathetic manner. ¡°Actually she¡­¡±


    Vivian softly elbowed Hao Ren at the back. ¡°Be symphathetic.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded as he swallowed the words that was just about to come out back into his gut. Rephrasing his sentence, he went. ¡°A war broke out at the Star of Origin and your mother¡¯s whereabouts are unknown after that. But we had gotten proof that the Goddess of Creation is probably still asleep somewhere deep in space¡­¡±


    Vivian patted her chest as she left out a sigh of relief as she whispered into Hao Ren¡¯s ears. ¡°That scared the hell out of me. I really thought you were gonna say your mum got blown to smithereens.¡±


    Hao Ren gritted his teeth as he tried to kept his best solemn facade on. Cold sweat formed on his forehead. ¡°I almost said it just now¡­Thank goodness you elbowed me there!¡±


    Vivian¡¯s expression changed slightly as she murmured. ¡°Watch that mouth of yours!¡±


    The First Born kept quiet for a moment, it was obvious that it was not satisfied by the answer. ¡°I know that much and you¡¯ve told me a little before. But I want details¡­. what happened to Mother?¡±


    Hao Ren licked his lips and before he replied he used telephathy to confirm that status of the station¡¯s mainframe and confirmed that all firewalls and security protocols were working as normal, and that the First Born sample in container one and two were dormant before he popped a question instead. ¡°How much do you know of the incident? When did you lose contact with the Goddess of Creation? Did she tell you her situation?¡±


    ¡°I know as much that Mother was at war with someone.¡± the First Born¡¯s tone will change to almost child-like when it spoke about its Mother. ¡°She said it was dangerous and forbade me to have a look at the situation there. Afterwards, I received one last message from Mother. That something bad will happen, and my siblings will be attacking the Garden. She said that she no longer have any ability to stop them, and asked me to protect everything within the Garden¡­. After that¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Hao Ren asked a few more questions and was affirmed in his belief that the First Born lost contact before the Goddess¡¯ fall. And because of her orders, it never did actively tried to contact the Star of Origin or any other Guardians. So it was clueless about that heinous war. It only followed its Mother¡¯s orders to protect the ecosystem samples within its influence and the preservation method that it came up with was in cooperation with the people of Zom.


    The First Born knew what sort of firepower its siblings have and if hundreds of thousands of ancient beings like itself were to fall upon Zom, its strength alone is futile against the genocidal tide. Escaping or building defensive structures were pointless, so it decided to protect ¡®information¡¯.


    Information is the blueprint, and the blueprint is everything.


    The First Born and its wards decided to forgo the physical form that could be easily destroyed and turn the entire simulated ecosystem and any information gained as data within itself while awaiting for a safe time to unleash the lifeblood to create life again. It was a bold action, as every lifeform in the world could be created with the lifeblood, and thus they became a very unique form of information. And as long as these blueprints were preserved, when the time comes, the entire ecosystem could be completely and perfectly resurrected using new materials.


    At the base of the First Born¡¯s plan, the Zomnites had compiled something that akin to a ¡®lifeform index¡¯, and catalogued every intelligent living being and evolution levels on the planet. They also created equipments that could extract one¡¯s spirit and upload it to the database. While the Zomnites spacefaring technology was rather amateurish, they had a very unique understanding of souls and life owing to their communication with the First Born since ancient times. This particular part of their culture was very different from the bulky automatons that they had created.


    But if the Aeryms who were essentially forest dwellers could build a space battleship, what is there to stop the Zomnites living in steel cities to be part of a cult worshipping an ancient being?


    The entire plan took about a hundred years to realise and finally all intelligent beings¡¯ souls were secured while the plantlife and primal animals were gene-mapped and their ecosystem role recorded. The entire ecosystem of the planet became a blueprint which scale was beyond imagination. After compressing the files and logged into the Ark which simulates the world, as the world came to a halt, the First Born unleashed the final phase of the plan:


    It roused the Bloodtide and dissolved the entire planet¡¯s ecosystem.


    After that, every life on Zom had disappeared, living on the ancient and powerful primal being there while the spirits of every creatures hide within the mental sanctuary of the First Born. This was the perfect ruse, as the crazed Guardians who were on a warpath exterminating the Treacherous Children and passed by Zom, what they saw was a cleansed planet. There was nothing but lifeblood and tentacles on it. Not suspecting anything, Zom was left alone, and that was how their civilisation survived.


    The First Born had responded to Hao Ren¡¯s every question in detail, its innocence and straightforwardness was surprising, but this was the first time Hao Ren spoke to a real First Born, and he was not sure if this being would always be in such a state when awake.


    As the First Born completed its tale about building the sanctuary, Lily asked curiously. ¡°After the virtual world was created, did any other Guardians passed by Zom?¡±


    ¡°A few did, but they simply just went by.¡± the First Born said. ¡°They probably thought my other siblings had already came here before.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks immediately added on. ¡°Then what¡¯s with Zom crashing into the sun? A planet should not deviate from it¡¯s orbit unless due to external force?¡±


    ¡°We ran into a column of space dust cloud. That was about seven thousand years after I started dreaming. A massive dust cloud passed by our system, and every planet¡¯s orbit speed fell. Some of my nervous system, and many of the facilities on the planet¡¯s surface was subsequently destroyed as many other things happened¡­ After that I could not really control my dream anymore, and I could not even wake up to warn the rest.¡±


    Hao Ren rubbed his chin as he fell into deep thought. He could fell that the First Born was still emotionally unstable. Despite escaping death, all it could think of was its ¡®Mother¡¯. It clearly thought that these ¡®humans¡¯ before it know more about Mother¡¯s whereabouts and in truth, Hao Ren and the rest do know what happened, it was just¡­ No one knew how to put it to words.


    Vivian threw a wink at Hao Ren while Lily was talking to the First Born. ¡°Can we hide this?¡±, was the message.


    Of course, Vivian could have meant other things but Hao Ren felt that if he could act like he could read Vivian¡¯s intentions from that complicated glance he would have looked cool.


    He gently shook his head, indicating that the truth would need to be told sooner or later.


    A lie would need ten other lies to cover it, and the distrust caused by a lie would need ten times the effort to restore confidence. As this First Born no longer needed to use its mental strength to maintain the ¡®Dream Ark¡¯, it might come up with its own conclusions with its now idle mind. Rather than needing to clean up that mess, Hao Ren rather that he settle this once and for all.


    Seeing that this First Born did not personally saw the fall of the Goddess, and was not linked psychically to the berserking guardians, its reaction after knowing the truth would probably be measured, as long as Hao Ren keep a tab on his words and the atmosphere, he could still manage the situation.


    ¡°On the matter of the Goddess¡­¡± Hao Ren¡¯s voice caught the First Born¡¯s attention. ¡°We do know something about her, but we are probably not the best people to tell you this. Wait a moment, I¡¯ll let you meet somone¡­ You may even know each other.¡±


    He had decided to let the Guardian meet the First Born.


    The Beginning and the End of the Dream Ark


    ¡°I¡¯ve answered a lot of your questions. Can you tell me where Mother is?¡±


    When the First Born suddenly shot this question at Hao Ren, he was still pondering if he was being influenced by the lifeblood that he had absorbed before. His contemplation was immediately broken by the First Born as cold sweat started flowing from head to toe. He was not alone, everyone present got nervous when they heard that one particular question. Vivian turned away silently to look at the crystalline imprints, Y¡¯zaks picked up his daughter to start discussing dinner, Nangong Wuyue bend down to pretend that she was tying her shoelace to find that¡­. she was wearing crocs, there were no laces to begin with!


    ¡°This¡­¡± Hao Ren swallowed hard as he squeezed his mind for ideas on how to tell the part where the Goddess had fallen in a very symphathetic manner. ¡°Actually she¡­¡±


    Vivian softly elbowed Hao Ren at the back. ¡°Be symphathetic.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded as he swallowed the words that was just about to come out back into his gut. Rephrasing his sentence, he went. ¡°A war broke out at the Star of Origin and your mother¡¯s whereabouts are unknown after that. But we had gotten proof that the Goddess of Creation is probably still asleep somewhere deep in space¡­¡±


    Vivian patted her chest as she left out a sigh of relief as she whispered into Hao Ren¡¯s ears. ¡°That scared the hell out of me. I really thought you were gonna say your mum got blown to smithereens.¡±


    Hao Ren gritted his teeth as he tried to kept his best solemn facade on. Cold sweat formed on his forehead. ¡°I almost said it just now¡­Thank goodness you elbowed me there!¡±


    Vivian¡¯s expression changed slightly as she murmured. ¡°Watch that mouth of yours!¡±


    The First Born kept quiet for a moment, it was obvious that it was not satisfied by the answer. ¡°I know that much and you¡¯ve told me a little before. But I want details¡­. what happened to Mother?¡±


    Hao Ren licked his lips and before he replied he used telephathy to confirm that status of the station¡¯s mainframe and confirmed that all firewalls and security protocols were working as normal, and that the First Born sample in container one and two were dormant before he popped a question instead. ¡°How much do you know of the incident? When did you lose contact with the Goddess of Creation? Did she tell you her situation?¡±


    ¡°I know as much that Mother was at war with someone.¡± the First Born¡¯s tone will change to almost child-like when it spoke about its Mother. ¡°She said it was dangerous and forbade me to have a look at the situation there. Afterwards, I received one last message from Mother. That something bad will happen, and my siblings will be attacking the Garden. She said that she no longer have any ability to stop them, and asked me to protect everything within the Garden¡­. After that¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Hao Ren asked a few more questions and was affirmed in his belief that the First Born lost contact before the Goddess¡¯ fall. And because of her orders, it never did actively tried to contact the Star of Origin or any other Guardians. So it was clueless about that heinous war. It only followed its Mother¡¯s orders to protect the ecosystem samples within its influence and the preservation method that it came up with was in cooperation with the people of Zom.


    The First Born knew what sort of firepower its siblings have and if hundreds of thousands of ancient beings like itself were to fall upon Zom, its strength alone is futile against the genocidal tide. Escaping or building defensive structures were pointless, so it decided to protect ¡®information¡¯.


    Information is the blueprint, and the blueprint is everything.


    The First Born and its wards decided to forgo the physical form that could be easily destroyed and turn the entire simulated ecosystem and any information gained as data within itself while awaiting for a safe time to unleash the lifeblood to create life again. It was a bold action, as every lifeform in the world could be created with the lifeblood, and thus they became a very unique form of information. And as long as these blueprints were preserved, when the time comes, the entire ecosystem could be completely and perfectly resurrected using new materials.


    At the base of the First Born¡¯s plan, the Zomnites had compiled something that akin to a ¡®lifeform index¡¯, and catalogued every intelligent living being and evolution levels on the planet. They also created equipments that could extract one¡¯s spirit and upload it to the database. While the Zomnites spacefaring technology was rather amateurish, they had a very unique understanding of souls and life owing to their communication with the First Born since ancient times. This particular part of their culture was very different from the bulky automatons that they had created.


    But if the Aeryms who were essentially forest dwellers could build a space battleship, what is there to stop the Zomnites living in steel cities to be part of a cult worshipping an ancient being?


    The entire plan took about a hundred years to realise and finally all intelligent beings¡¯ souls were secured while the plantlife and primal animals were gene-mapped and their ecosystem role recorded. The entire ecosystem of the planet became a blueprint which scale was beyond imagination. After compressing the files and logged into the Ark which simulates the world, as the world came to a halt, the First Born unleashed the final phase of the plan:


    It roused the Bloodtide and dissolved the entire planet¡¯s ecosystem.


    After that, every life on Zom had disappeared, living on the ancient and powerful primal being there while the spirits of every creatures hide within the mental sanctuary of the First Born. This was the perfect ruse, as the crazed Guardians who were on a warpath exterminating the Treacherous Children and passed by Zom, what they saw was a cleansed planet. There was nothing but lifeblood and tentacles on it. Not suspecting anything, Zom was left alone, and that was how their civilisation survived.


    The First Born had responded to Hao Ren¡¯s every question in detail, its innocence and straightforwardness was surprising, but this was the first time Hao Ren spoke to a real First Born, and he was not sure if this being would always be in such a state when awake.


    As the First Born completed its tale about building the sanctuary, Lily asked curiously. ¡°After the virtual world was created, did any other Guardians passed by Zom?¡±


    ¡°A few did, but they simply just went by.¡± the First Born said. ¡°They probably thought my other siblings had already came here before.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks immediately added on. ¡°Then what¡¯s with Zom crashing into the sun? A planet should not deviate from it¡¯s orbit unless due to external force?¡±


    ¡°We ran into a column of space dust cloud. That was about seven thousand years after I started dreaming. A massive dust cloud passed by our system, and every planet¡¯s orbit speed fell. Some of my nervous system, and many of the facilities on the planet¡¯s surface was subsequently destroyed as many other things happened¡­ After that I could not really control my dream anymore, and I could not even wake up to warn the rest.¡±


    Hao Ren rubbed his chin as he fell into deep thought. He could fell that the First Born was still emotionally unstable. Despite escaping death, all it could think of was its ¡®Mother¡¯. It clearly thought that these ¡®humans¡¯ before it know more about Mother¡¯s whereabouts and in truth, Hao Ren and the rest do know what happened, it was just¡­ No one knew how to put it to words.


    Vivian threw a wink at Hao Ren while Lily was talking to the First Born. ¡°Can we hide this?¡±, was the message.


    Of course, Vivian could have meant other things but Hao Ren felt that if he could act like he could read Vivian¡¯s intentions from that complicated glance he would have looked cool.


    He gently shook his head, indicating that the truth would need to be told sooner or later.


    A lie would need ten other lies to cover it, and the distrust caused by a lie would need ten times the effort to restore confidence. As this First Born no longer needed to use its mental strength to maintain the ¡®Dream Ark¡¯, it might come up with its own conclusions with its now idle mind. Rather than needing to clean up that mess, Hao Ren rather that he settle this once and for all.


    Seeing that this First Born did not personally saw the fall of the Goddess, and was not linked psychically to the berserking guardians, its reaction after knowing the truth would probably be measured, as long as Hao Ren keep a tab on his words and the atmosphere, he could still manage the situation.


    ¡°On the matter of the Goddess¡­¡± Hao Ren¡¯s voice caught the First Born¡¯s attention. ¡°We do know something about her, but we are probably not the best people to tell you this. Wait a moment, I¡¯ll let you meet somone¡­ You may even know each other.¡±


    He had decided to let the Guardian meet the First Born.

 Chapter 762

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren left Lily and the rest in the hall to talk with the First Born as he and Vivian came to another section close by.


    They walked through a crystalline bridge that was set up with an array of seals, a semi-translucent lightscreen appeared at the front of the bridge as it opened the way. The Guardian Giant that they taken captive from Hoeltta was locked in there, as a prisoner.


    ¡°You think letting the giant meet the First Born is wise?¡± Vivian sounded rather jittery as she looked at Hao Ren.


    ¡°What are you worried about?¡± Hao Ren smiled.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know how far have the giant calmed down, or if he even did. What if he told the First Born about the fall of the Goddess in detail, and riled it up?¡± Vivian¡¯s frowned slightly. ¡°Rather than letting the giant speak we should try to handle it ourself, trying to sugarcoat it or whatnot.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Vivian before speaking slowly. ¡°Sometimes, it¡¯s better to let the family members of the deceased to calm one another. Besides, I don¡¯t think the giant will try to instigate the First Born¡¯s hatred, he would in fact try to pacify the latter.¡±


    Vivian was curious. ¡°What makes you so sure about that?¡±


    ¡°Because that was his mother¡¯s last wish.¡± Hao Ren nodded with confidence. ¡°There¡¯s no oath stronger than this.¡±


    Vivian went silent as she heard Hao Ren¡¯s response and nodded without a sound. The Guardian¡¯s loyalty to the Goddess was an undisputable fact.


    As the two stepped into the room they saw the giant seated at a corner of the chamber. He was surrounded by a few holographic displays while the floor around him had massive containers that were planted with all sorts of plants. Hao Ren remembered that before he left the area he had ordered the droids and arcane servant that they could entertain the giant¡¯s every whims as long as it does not violate the security protocols. Seems like the holographic projector and the plants were items that the giant has requested during his time here. Seems that his life here was rather peaceful and laidback.


    The giant noticed an approaching aura and he looked up at Hao Ren and Vivian before giving a small nod as a greeting. Hao Ren came to him and saw the holographic display showed the scenery on Tannagost. As curiosity got the better of him, Hao Ren asked. ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    ¡°A planet that was re-created.¡± the giant¡¯s deep voice rumbled. ¡°Life is really an odd thing, once it is there, it is very difficult to extinguish¡­ This planet¡¯s ecosystem looked like it was destroyed before, but now everything is in motion again, from the bodies of my brothers new forest and plains are born, seems like nothing had changed¡­ except for the lost of Mother.¡±


    Hao Ren threw the giant a question out of whim. ¡°What do you think of this new ecosystem?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± The giant pointed towards the plants beside him. ¡°Life is life, it is a significant thing at the same time, insignificant, their existance is just because. That aside, we meet again, are you looking for me to talk about the ecosystem?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m here to bring you to meet a person¡­ okay, maybe not a ¡®person¡¯ literally.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°Before that, I want to hear your opinion. If you ever meet another Guardian, who had maintain his or her sanity, will you speak with the guardian?¡±


    A sudden burst of gust later, the giant rose up as he bend his mountain like body down to look at Hao Ren, who was no bigger than a midget in his eyes. ¡°You found my brethrens?! And they still have their sanity intact?!¡±


    ¡°Not a giant likeyou of course, but still a guardian, a First Born.¡± Hao Ren said as he skipped a distance away. ¡°Uh, mind your distance when you speak, it¡¯s a level seven gale when you open your mouth¡­ I found it at place some ten billion light years away. Both it s body and its ecosystem has been incinerated by the system¡¯s sun. But I managed to preserve all their souls, and they are stored in this mainframe computer of this space station, think of it as a salvation of the soul¡­¡±


    Hao Ren told the giant what exactly happened on Zom, and he did not even hide the truth about the Dream Ark. He knew that the First Born would talk to the giant about this and he took the opportunity to explain the existance of the Zomnites rather than trying to hide it under a pile of lies. That should earn him sound brownie points with the giant.


    Surprisingly, the giant did not have much of a reaction when he heard what Hao Ren had to say, he did not even say a word. After frowning as he pondered hard, the giant rose slowly. ¡°Bring me to it.¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian immediately stepped aside to avoid getting stepped on. Looking up, Hao Ren yelled. ¡°If you have any opinions abou the Zomnites say them now. If possible I want to avoid any bloodletting if possible¡­ although you won¡¯t be able to slash at them anyway¡­¡±


    The giant looked down as his voice thundered. ¡°Mother had willingly protected them, I have no opinions about that. Now I just want to see the other guardian.¡±


    vivian threw out a bat to lead the giant. As she walked with Hao Ren behind the giant she started whispering to him. ¡°Say, Mr Landlord, what you think, between the giant and the First Born, are they brothers, or sisters?¡±


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes. ¡°Who knows, they are genderless¡­ Say¡­ stop mingling with Lily, your focus is more and more like hers.¡±


    After leading the giant to the central hall, Hao Ren and the rest stepped aside but remained in the room. Everyone was curious about this momentus event and no one wanted to miss a thing. It seemed like the giant could sense the First Born¡¯s spiritual presence and walked straight towards the crystal prism in the middle of the room. The giant gazed upon the crystal prism for a moment before speaking with a low voice. ¡°Can you recognise me?¡±


    The First Born¡¯s response can a few seconds later. ¡°I¡­ I have some inkling. When I was just born, your aura was there.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue stealthily tugged Hao Ren¡¯s sleeve as she went. ¡°Eh, Mr Landlord, how did it detect the First Born? It was in the data vault right?¡±


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes. ¡°Metaphysics, not something that you would be able to understand even if I explained it to you.¡±


    Lily too decided to join in the fun as she tugged Hao Ren¡¯s sleeve as well. ¡°Eh Mr Landlord, Mr Landlord, what you think, between the giant and the First Born, are they brothers, or sister? Does it have a gender¡­¡±


    Hao Ren did not say anything and just took a glance at Vivian. The message in his eyes read: Told you to stop playing with Lily. Just look at this line of thought.


    Vivian shrugged and indicated she had no reply to that.


    As the bunch muttered about by the corner of the room, the atmosphere soon gotten weird and Y¡¯zaks, the sole ¡®person¡¯ in the party who serious could not take it any longer. The demon let out a deep cough as he dragged his daughter and motioned to the rest to leave. ¡°Lets stop making a raucus here and make a move. Let the two siblings handle this.¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head, slightly dejected before dragging Lily and Rollie as he followed behind Y¡¯zaks. Lily was still going about the topic as she went. ¡°Eh, can anyone explain this to me, are they brothers or sisters¡­¡±


    After everyone cleared the room, only the two guardians were left. Or one guardian and a spirit. Their reunion after ten millenias was in a situation like this, such was a ironic hand of fate.


    As Hao Ren brought the rest outside the hall, Nangong Sanba looked back towards the room. ¡°Mr Landlord, what do you think they¡¯ll be talking about?¡±


    Lily nodded with a grim look. ¡°They must be talking about how to exact revenge, what to do after their mum got blasted to smithereens¡­¡±


    Nangong Wuyue gave the werehusky an odd look. ¡°Can¡¯t your thought process veer towards flowers and sunshine?¡±


    Lily shuddered suddenly before glaring at Wuyue. ¡°I just came back from a place the sun shines the brightest in this system. Almost blinded my dog eyes. Don¡¯t talk to me about sunshine for the next two months!¡±


    ¡°How does that even got to do with anything!¡± Wuyue was exasperated.


    Hao Ren stayed silent as he looked at the bickering duo and he seemed disinterested with their squabbles. When Lily¡¯s imagination had ran wild almost to the boiling point, he intervened with a couple of dry cough. ¡°Stop imagining nonsense. Their topics are rather normal. The giant is explaining the truth to the First Born, very very gently.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet looked at Hao Ren, surprised painted on her face. ¡°Uncle Ren, you¡¯re eavesdroping?¡±


    ¡°Of course, the surveillance system is online twenty four seven.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°This place is still a prison after all. You¡¯d think I did not take any precautions? I¡¯m much much more afraid than all of you if the two were to start fighting.¡±


    Vivian crossed her arms as she laid on one of the crystalline pillars before letting out a sigh. ¡°Regardless, this is a good sign.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm?¡± Hao Ren looked at her.


    Vivian turned around, a faint smile on her face. ¡°A guardian, and a First Born, both are still sane. We are slowly reuniting the surviving members of the Goddess¡¯s children after her fall. While it¡¯s only two now¡­ we will find more in the future. Isn¡¯t this a good sign?¡±


    Hao Ren smiled as he heard what Vivian had to say. ¡°Yes, a good sign indeed.¡±


    Lily¡¯s gaze swept between the two as she started mumbling to herself. ¡°Why does this two look like an adulterous couple when they smile at the same time.¡±

 Chapter 763

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren and the rest waited outside for quiet a while before a shapeless arcane orb floated out of the hall to summon them back in to the hall.


    In the hall, the giant sat cross-legged beside the crystal prism as he maintained the posture of speaking to the First Born while the holographic displays from the prism was still. The atmosphere was rather depressed. Hao Ren came before the giant and let out the most convincing smile he had. ¡°You¡¯re done?¡±


    The giant nodded without a word. The First Born¡¯s voice then rang throughout the hall. ¡°Why¡­¡±


    Nangong Sanba interjected subconciously. ¡°Why what?¡±


    ¡°Why would they kill Mother?¡± The First Born¡¯s voice was distraught. ¡°Mother was kind to all. She loved everything in this world¡­ Why would they kill Mother?¡±


    ¡°For some, kindness is a meaningless concept.¡± Y¡¯zaks spoke. ¡°When they are seeking for something beyond their station, the mortal races are prone to do things that is too disgusting to describe. Foolishness is a great sin indeed, and sadly, such sinners are just too many.¡±


    The First Born went silent again, and this time the silence was so long that the atmosphere turned slightly awkward. Hao Ren could only break the silence by speaking first. ¡°Ahem¡­ so do you have any other plans after this?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do.¡± the First Born spoke again, its voice was weak. ¡°Mother is only asleep right?¡±


    ¡°Based on the information that we have, the Goddess of Creation¡¯s powers are still active within this universe and her will will still answer her follower¡¯s call. So there is a high chance that she¡¯s just asleep.¡± Hao Ren rubbed his chin. ¡°Besides, based on what I understand, even the witnesses of that war did not really see the Goddess perishing. What they saw was the Star of Creation exploding and the entire battlefield was sucked into a place called the Umbral Realm. That means there is no concrete proof that the Goddess had perished in the war. So there is a good chance that she¡¯s still alive.¡±


    ¡°Will you help me find Mother?¡±


    Vivian smiled. ¡°Not just to help you, that was our goal from the outset.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait for her return.¡± the First Born spoke. ¡°Before that, if there¡¯s anything I can do, I will help you.¡±


    Lily looked up at the prism and after a good while decided to ask. ¡°So about that, when you heard what happened in the past¡­ You¡¯ll be very agitated right? If you have anything to say, just say it now, we are from another universe, and have almost nothing to do with the Second Born here. If you have anything to say, you can talk to us, you don¡¯t have to pent them up.¡±


    The giant looked towards Lily without a word, he was clearly in disagreement with Lily¡¯s ¡°We have almost nothing to do with the Second Born¡± proclaimation, but he ultimately kept silent.


    The First Born¡¯s voice was calm. ¡°I am angry, and distraught, but Mother had told me, do not be like the other siblings. I must listen to Her, and Muru had already said, the rebels have already received divine retribution, so that¡¯s no need to pursue the matter.¡±


    ¡°Muru?¡± Nangong Sanba asked subconciously again.


    The giant¡¯s thundering voice rolled. ¡°That¡¯s my name.¡±


    ¡°Oh Oh! I was feeling that something was missing¡­ I forgot to ask your name when I last spoke to you.¡± Hao Ren slapped his forehead as his body shuddered by the sudden blast of wind. ¡°Please watch where you are talking. That wind is just too strong. Since we now know the giant¡¯s name, how do we call you? We can¡¯t be calling you the First Born all the time no? It¡¯s just weird.¡±


    The last part of his words were directed towards the prism. As what remained of the First Born was its spirit, this facility was taken as its mode of communication.


    ¡°Me? I don¡¯t have a name. We are all solitary beings in the universe, unlike the giants. We do not have a society, so we do not need names.¡± the First Born sounded rather troubled.


    ¡°Uh.. did the Zomnites gave you any name?¡±


    ¡°They did give me a lot of titles, but those were not names.¡±


    Hao Ren gave it a brief thought before understanding what was going on. As the sole being of its kind on the planet, a name is not particularly useful. It was the only First Born on Zom, and what the humans called it, the Roots of Origin, the World Tree, The Ancient God or what not were immaterial. Even a simple ¡®it¡¯ was not an issue. There were nothing around the First Born that could be compared to, and the concept of names just faded away. As to how the Goddess and the Guardian Giants communicate with these ¡®ecosystem managers¡¯, it was mainly a form telephathy with morse code included.


    ¡°Then lets call you Zom.¡± Hao Ren pondered. ¡°Lets use the name of the planet that you lived on before, as a form of memory.¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± The First Born agreed wholeheartedly.


    After confirming that the matter with the Goddess fall was settled amicably, Hao Ren was now worried about the question with the sixteen billion souls and the Zomnite ecosystem datavault (the virtual world data). ¡°So lets talk about the data vault. We have managed to save the Dream Ark¡¯s blueprints. So what do you plan to do next? Will there be any changes to the souls within the ark?¡±


    The First Born pondered for a bit. ¡°Based on my original plan, it was to use the lifeblood to recreate the ecosystem, but now that my body is nothing much ashes, it will be difficult to return tothe real world. So I think I could only keep simulating a virtual world after this. But the souls of my brothers and sisters¡­ the limiter has been destroyed, and they will awake very soon. It will be quite a task for them to accept their current situation.¡±


    Hao Ren heard a new term. ¡°A limiter?¡±


    As the First Born explained, Hao Ren finally understood what the ¡®limiter¡¯ and ¡®awakening¡¯ was all about. The former was referring to the machines on Zom itself and they were the main instrument in keeping the Zomnites in deep slumber!


    Most mortal souls are intricate yet fragile, and their lifespan is the biggest issue of them all. All mortal races could not be immediately brought back to life. They need complex training and strengthening of the spirit to allow their souls to withstand the elongation of their life. This was the technique that the Xiling Celestials used for the ascencion and improvement of their followers. Yet, the Zomnites have no such experience in this field, and no time to explore the technology at all. The question they faced after boarding the ark was not death, but survival. A question of what to do when a mortal with a lifespan of a mere hundred years was suddenly given immortality.


    They would tire, and lose their sense of self before going insane and ignoring the world itself. There were even more serious consequences. For those who had enjoyed a stable life within a virtual heaven, they would wish to stay on in the world and forsake the feeling of the real workd. ¡°A deep, peaceful slumber¡± was indeed a wonderful inducement, but it was also the foretelling of a race¡¯s doom. The Zomnites had forsaw this, and that was why they had placed a failsafe on the Dream Ark, that was the ¡®limiter¡¯.


    ¡°Their memories are frozen after ten years into their slumber. That was went the human spirit is at is most active and strongest. After that, their soul begun a memory-less samsara cycle and every cycle took about ten years, to ensure the activity of the spirits.¡± The First Born explained patiently. ¡°If the dream cycle takes too long, then history will start to distort, and there will be an excess of data of everything that happened on the planet, so there was this need to reset the stage every now and then. This was all designed by them, a brilliant race they are!¡±


    ¡°So this is the truth behind the cycles¡­¡± Nangong Sanba blinked in awe at the grand undertaking the Zomnites had took. ¡°So, that means when the Zomnites wakes up their memory will return to the times ten millenais ago, not long after their entry into the dream world? While this sounds good, does that mean the experience and happenings of the past ten thousand years be forgotten? A shame if they were to lose them.¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t, those harmless memories are stored and these experiences will be useful in the future when they rebuild their society. Their brain capacity is enormous, and they could remember a lot of things. Upon their return to the real world, everything that happened in the cycle will be fresh in their minds. But those memories have undergone some filtering, so they will appear like photographs or movies, while plenty, will not affect their psychological state.¡±


    ¡°So by cutting off the ¡®personal experience¡¯ while retaining the knowledge¡­ so by the time everyone gets back to the real world they¡¯ll be genuises, but as the knowledge did not accumulate as whole, they probably will be no match for Nolan.¡± Hao Ren mumbled to himself. ¡°But the limiters are gone, and they will awake within the virtual world, and live on for eternity.¡±


    ¡°So can you help me create a new limiter?¡± the First Born asked. ¡°You seemed to have a very advanced level of technology, you should be able to do it.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled as he heard that. ¡°Rather than that¡­ won¡¯t it be better to return to the real world?¡±


    The First Born did not know how to respond, and Muru too threw a curious glance in Hao Ren¡¯s direction.


    ¡°After the apocalypse, many planets have been reborn, and this universe is filled with fertile planets that are unhabited.¡± Hao Ren said as he activated a holographic display, showing the scenes on Tannagost. ¡°How abou this one? Use it to welcome the new era of life.¡±

 Chapter 764

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren showed Tannagost to the First Born (it¡¯s now named Zom), and presented to him the holographic images drawn from the various probes orbiting the planet to the station¡¯s mainframe.


    The cycle of life had restarted on this desolate , and the new ecosystem now started to grow on the remains of a First Born. Yet the ecosystem was still a fragile thing, and simple planet life and microorganisms were not enough to create a prosperous world. Tannagost needed a vigorous ecosystem to recover from the destruction wrought by the apocalypse, and the Zomnites needed a new planet to call home.


    ¡°This planet is definitely suitable.¡± Hao Ren took a salesperson style as he tried to pitch the positive points of Tannagost. ¡°While this world¡¯s gold content makes it slightly different than other planets, it is still a habitable planet, and at the very least the last ecosystem functioned pretty well here. You can restart the life cycle here and the remains of the First Born and its properties can be used as the initial reagent. I can provide you supplies of lifeblood, although they are not plenty.¡±


    Zom seemed to be stunned as it heared Hao Ren¡¯s suggestion, before it could reply Lily prodded Hao Ren on the shoulder. ¡°Mr Landlord, are you serious? Can two ecosystems co-exist just like that? Seems like Tannagost already have their own lifeforms¡­ i remember this is called foreign species invasion.¡±


    Hao Ren pondered for a bit before going, ¡°But the First Born¡¯s job is to create ecosystems, if it is he one doing it it won¡¯t be an invasion no?¡±


    Zom then spoke. ¡°This¡­ is a good idea.¡±


    ¡°Right?¡± Hao Ren smiled. ¡°You can move the Zomnite ecosystem on to Tannagost¡­¡±


    Zom did not wait for Hao Ren to finish before interrupting. ¡°No, we cannot do that right away. This will ruin the planet¡¯s current balance. I need to recalculate, and perhaps I can make Zom¡¯s ecosystem to co-exist with the planet¡¯s current ecosystem¡­ My siblings lifeform too need some adjustment. But all these are possible. This planet was once sowed by Mother, its life is of the same root as Zom¡¯s. My thanks, I¡¯m much inspired now.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded as he took in the awe of the professionalism of the First Born, while it may act rather childish at times, its knowledge about the creation of ecosystems is unparalelled compared to a amateur like him. He too was surprised that the latter had so easily accepted his suggestion. He thought that the fall of the Goddess would have weighed on Zom¡¯s mind for a while longer, and that he will take centuries to recover from the shock; thus it¡¯s energetic reply came as a surprise.


    Lily was on the same wavelength as Hao Ren, and as usual, she spoke what came to her mind. ¡°Eh, you recovered fast. I really thought you¡¯d be glum for a good while¡­ afterall, your mother got blown¡­ something bad happened to her.¡±


    Zom¡¯s tone was rather reserved. ¡°This is the only thing that I¡¯m good at. Mother had asked me to look after her garden. So I only know how to do that. And I think¡­ if I¡¯m able to make a beautiful new garden, She will definitely be very happy when she returns.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded before looking up towards the silent giant. ¡°Muru, what do you thin? Any opinions?¡±


    ¡°That is its decision.¡± the giant pointed towards the crystal prism. ¡°Mother had gave them the power of creating an ecosystem. I shall not interfere with that. The Guardian Giants are merely observers and keepers of the ecosystems. We are not engineers.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue looked at the giant before turning her gaze towards the prism before bursting into a smile. Her tail rattled like a rattlesnake as it waved in the air. ¡°That settles it then! The Zomnites will be reincarnated on Tannagost!¡±


    ¡°How long do you need to recreate the ecosystem? What else do you need?¡± Hao Ren looked at the prism as he asked. While the re-creation of the ecosystem on Tannagost was his idea, he had no actual clue how it worked, and so had to seek expert opinion.


    ¡°I am unable to affect anything in the real world.¡± Zom said. ¡°I need to find a suitable¡­ new place.. and get some lifeblood to try and control them. This need a lot of preparation, but I¡¯ll let you know if I need anything.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Ah is that so. Seems like you have a lot to relearn as well.¡±


    Zom was probably the only First Born in spirit form that had managed to maintain this form for a long period of time. For it to recreate the ecosystem without a body was an even more momental task. Hao Ren demurred for a moment before turning towards the giant. ¡°Seems like Zom wishes to continue its task. Can I get your help for something?¡±


    Muru gave Hao Ren a curious glance. ¡°My help? What for?¡±


    ¡°Be Zom¡¯s assistant.¡± Hao Ren looked straight into Muru¡¯s eyes. ¡°Help it monitor the ecosystem¡¯s condition, record the rebirth process of the ecosystem, and to protect this place. As Zom is currently immobile, it will need all the help it could get.¡±


    Muru was dumbfounded, as his facial expression changed, so ever slightly. ¡°This is just like¡­¡±


    ¡°Just like the times when the Goddess of Creation was around.¡± Vivian, sharp as ever winked at Hao Ren and she turned to Muru with a smile. ¡°The First Born are responsible for creating the ecosystem while the giants monitors and patrols the perimeter. Even if both First Borns and giants are now down to one each¡­you still perform your duties like the past, no?¡±


    The giant stood up as his face tightened, as if trying to figure things out. He finally looked down at Hao Ren. ¡°You are willing to trust me?¡±


    ¡°What do you even mean?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still a prisoner.¡± The giant pointed at the crystalline hall, a hint of self-depreciation in his tone. ¡°I still possess some self-awareness.¡±


    ¡°That will not matter.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand off. ¡°As long as you do not leave the surveillance area of CARS, I¡¯m willing to trust you. Anyhow, you were doing this ten thousand years ago, and I¡¯m just letting you go on with your original duty. Are you willing to do so?¡±


    The giant¡¯s voice thundered across the room, full of vigor. ¡°I shall definite see this through. The powers Mother have bestowed on me shall not go to waste!¡±


    A historical plan for the recreation of the ecosystem was thus set into motion. Zom was to recreate the ecosystem on Tannagost while Muru serves as the gardener and guardian of the planet. These two ancient guardians have finally returned to their duties after ten millenias. While nothing was apparent on Muru¡¯s face, Hao Ren could fell the joy within the giant¡¯s heart. To be able to once again nurture his Mother¡¯s garden with the First Born, this was a duty that was is utmost meaningful to him.


    And this too was something very important for Hao Ren : Two planets now have the chance at the continuation of life.


    Tannagost was to be given life again from the remains of the First Born there alongside the ancient spirits from Zom. They would forge an incredible method of co-existance, and to welcome the new era of life. Hao Ren felt this was something out of a divine lithurgy.


    The next agenda was Zom and Muru discussing on what to do with the recreation of the ecosystem. And Hao Ren realised that there was nothing for him to do for the moment and decided to head back. ¡°You two plan things out first, I¡¯ll head back to the ship. If there¡¯s anything just call for me using the admin system. Everyone else, it¡¯s free time now, we might be staying here for a while.¡±


    Lil Pea saw her daddy was leaving and leapt from Rollie¡¯s head as she flapped her way towards Hao Ren¡¯s leg before climbing up her daddy¡¯s pants. Lily too decided to join in. ¡°Eh Mr Landlord, I¡¯ll tag along~~¡±


    Hao Ren look back at her, ¡°You¡¯re not studying the crystals here?¡±


    Lily rolled her eyes. ¡°You won¡¯t allow me to cut a piece of it anyway. What you want me to do? Stare at it and salivate?¡±


    Hao Ren then led Lily and Lil Pea back to the Petrachelys. The frigate was parked at the research station¡¯s first dock. The MDT was in the ship monitoring the ship¡¯s mainframe status. As Hao Ren stepped into the bridge, he saw the central holographic display was showing data from the mainframe, but the parameters were different from the past.


    A huge amount of mojibakes-like items floated around one of the inspection windows as the system was trying to recode the mojibakes.


    Hao Ren placed Lil Pea on the seat handle as he sat on the captain¡¯s chair. ¡°Nolan, how do you feel?¡±


    Nolan¡¯s form immediately appeared on the main window. ¡°I just woke¡­ but what happened?!¡±


    This time around, she did not manage to keep her usual composure.

 Chapter 765

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren recalled the moment, which happened not too long ago¡ªit was right before Zorm reached the critical point, and completely disintegrated.


    Nolan, the only NPC in the Dream Arks, her special ¡°soul¡± code had prevented her from transmitting to Crapple Research Station through the UAV link and there was not enough time to build a new retransmitting protocol in the UAV link. In those seemingly desperate circumstances, the only way Hao Ren could think of was to do everything possible to preserve Nolan¡¯s soul. Since Nolan¡¯s soul could not be transmitted, they found a place to keep it.


    Because compatibility issues occurred only within the UAV link, and Petrachelys¡¯s own data processing capability was sufficient to cope with this degree of incompatibility, so Hao Ren¡¯s last attempt was possible: he downloaded Nolan to Petrachelys¡¯s onboard mainframe.


    Of course, the result of downloading in a rush was still somewhat not satisfying. Inevitably, Nolan¡¯s soul had some damage after downloading to the mainframe. This was mainly due to the compatibility caused by the situation. So until just now, Petrachelys had been busy dealing with Nolan¡¯s data and the data terminal also stayed here for it. But anyway, the good news was that there was nothing serious about the memory or emotion. Nolan itself was an NPC, and her data itself had a very high self-reorganizing function. After some recovery and debugging, she finally recovered.


    Looking at the gray-haired lady walking restlessly in the holographic image, Hao Ren was scratching his face and wondering where to start to explain to her. He could only introduce this place first. ¡°This is my spacecraft¡ªPetrachelys.¡±


    ¡°Your¡­ spacecraft?¡± Nolan¡¯s memory stayed in the time before Zorm was destroyed, and the final stage of her memory was completely in a muddle, so she was confused about what was going on here. ¡°Why would you suddenly have a spacecraft¡­ Ah! I remember, the whole world¡­ How¡¯s Zorm?¡±


    ¡°Ehem, let¡¯s confirm your state first. How do you feel now? Do you feel like you¡¯re in a trance or any loss of memory? What about the environment around you?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Nolan looked at herself and said, ¡°I think I¡¯m all right, but I don¡¯t know what this place is. There¡¯s nothing here. I only see a lot of lights floating around, but other than that, humans, houses, the sky and the earth, these things have disappeared¡­¡±


    Suddenly, panic flickered in Nolan¡¯s eyes. ¡°Is the¡­ Is the world destroyed?¡±


    ¡°Zorm has been swallowed by the sun, seven hours ago,¡± Hao Ren said while showing another image in front of Nolan. Nolan, as a program, did not need to browse the image with her ¡®eyes¡¯, but in order to maintain the personality of ¡®Nolan¡¯, the mainframe simulated her human function in a real way, so Nolan was still maintaining common sense and senses of a human. Hao Ren saw a group of smaller holographic images appearing in the hologram. Nolan looked at it, astonished. ¡®These are the images of its last moment,¡± said Hao Ren.


    Nolan watched a huge, indescribable bio-mechanical mixture blazing in the sun and the whole planet fell apart into the sun. She exclaimed in shock, ¡°Then now I am¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I managed to save everyone¡¯s soul at the last minute.¡± Hao Ren coughed softly. ¡°I have a perfect soul transmission technology here, more advanced than the technology used by Zorm Ark. It can extract the soul from the matter like extracting liquid. So there is no ¡®man¡¯ on the planet that falls into the sun. You are now on a planet called Tannagost, which is billions of light-years away from Zorm, near a space station called Crapple Research Station. This is my research facility.¡±


    Hao Ren simply explained the large-scale soul data chaining in one sentence. However, Nolan was not stupid, she still guessed that a horrifying incident that beyond the common understanding of ordinary people had happened. She could not understand the theory behind the incident, but could only accept it. ¡°So it means¡­ Before the last memory was destroyed, you already transferred the data of the entire virtual world to another memory?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Hao Ren nodded.


    ¡°Is the new memory safe?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s certainly safer than Zorm. The Crapple Research Station can run normally even if it falls into a black hole.¡±


    And now, Nolan finally realized what was wrong. She looked around blankly and asked, ¡°But ¡­ Where are the others? Why am I the only one here?¡±


    Hao Ren put his hands on the console desk, slightly leaned forward and asked, ¡°Nolan, do you¡­ do you find yourself different from other people?¡±


    ¡°Different?¡± Nolan frowned. ¡°You mean keeping the memory of reincarnation? You can do that, can¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Keeping the memory is just something on the surface. The next thing I¡¯m going to say may not be easy for you to accept, but you have to listen¡ª¡±


    ¡°If I tell you, you are not human¡­¡±


    He told the whole story as gentle and calm as possible, even including the structure of the entire Zorm ark and the causes and consequences of human hiding into the virtual world 10000 years ago, because it was only then that Nolan could have a better understanding of this vast, ancient, magnificent plan, and the role she was supposed to play in the project. When she heard that the virtual world was built in the dreamland of an ancient primitive creature, Nolan could not help but exclaim, and when she heard that she was, in fact, a monitoring program for maintaining a series of mechanical equipment in dreamland, she remained stunned, unable to speak for a long time.


    In just half an hour she was dumbfounded even more than she had over the past hundreds of years.


    ¡°Nolan, Nolan, I¡¯ve finished.¡±


    Nolan took a breath, biting his lip and looking at Hao Ren at the other end of the screen. She now finally realized what the window before her meant: This was the dividing line between the real world and the virtual world. The man on the side of the screen was sitting in front of a device in the real world, and she¡­ was just a series of data trapped in the virtual world, and this time this series of data was not even human.


    ¡°What you just said is true?¡± Nolan¡¯s voice sounded unusually calm.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to lie to you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m actually just a¡­ program?¡± Nolan bites her lip. ¡°Programmed by people to monitor equipment?¡±


    Hao Ren did not know what to say.


    ¡°So I actually have no parents, no family, no past, even in the real world these things have never existed.¡± Nolan suddenly thought a lot. ¡°So my memory was invented from the beginning¡­¡±


    Nolan¡¯s reaction was understandable. Anyone who suddenly knew that he was not human at all, but only a series of codes running in a machine, and all the emotional experience and the memories since birth was actually created by a system of computer programming written by a group of programmers, would probably unable to accept it as well. Nolan was already very strong.


    ¡°In fact, to me, AI is no different from humans,¡± Hao Ren said. He knew that he should say something. He talked about his worldview, the open mind that was formed after experiencing some strange forms of civilization and forms of life after becoming an inspector. ¡°If one aware of their existence, have one¡¯s own feelings. Under this premise, all form of life is actually the same. Whether they live in a body or a machine, they are all the same. They are no different on the soul level.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for your consolation,¡± Nolan said and gave him a stiff smile, ¡°but¡­ It¡¯s hard to accept, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Hao Ren sighed and said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s hard.¡±


    Nolan did not want to make Hao Ren difficult and changed the topic. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this. Did you just mention that you¡¯re working on reshaping an ecosystem? If I didn¡¯t get it wrong¡­ Do you have the kind of power like the creator?¡±


    Hao Ren almost coughed up his bronchus on the spot. ¡°You are exaggerating, my model is far from the creator. And I¡¯m not doing it myself, at best I¡¯m like an investor this time: the kind that provides raw materials and venues.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s a little beyond my imagination, not easy to understand.¡± Nolan smiled, and then her face went gloomy again. ¡°Emotion is really a strange thing. I should be happier, but when I know that I¡¯m just a program used to monitor the system, the remodeling of the biosphere, whatever it is, seems to have nothing to do with me.¡±


    Looking at Nolan¡¯s wry smile, Hao Ren and Lily could only sigh.

 Chapter 766

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Nolan finally knew the truth about keeping her memory when she reincarnated. However, the truth was not a pleasant thing for her.


    It was harder to accept that you were just the product of a program than to find out that the world was actually a virtual program. Although Nolan had much more calmness and wisdom than anyone else, she was not prepared to face the truth.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to care too much about it.¡± Lily leaned against the console desk to enlighten Nolan. ¡°Oh, by the way, I haven¡¯t introduced myself. My name is Lily. I also help you guys to ¡®move house¡¯. I heard landlord say something about your world. Humans have been transformed into virtual worlds, right? If you think about it, they¡¯re actually being transformed into data. You are also data, the souls are all data, so there¡¯s no difference between you and humans now.¡±


    Hao Ren tilted his head and glanced at Lily. This husky could always give them some help in an unexpected way. Her open mind was a good fit for the situation now.


    Nolan just smiled and said, ¡°it¡¯s okay. I understand it. I just got a little upset when I realized my real identity. When I first learned about the existence of the real world, I thought about what I was like in reality. I also thought about my life before I entered the virtual world¡­ But now it seems that I really think too much. So my life started when the virtual world turned on?¡±


    ¡°All the people of Zorm are at the same starting line. The planet has been completely burnt down at the material level, and everyone is left with data. On this point you are identical with them,¡± Hao Ren reminded, but he also had to admit that her other views were right. ¡°But without ¡®past¡¯ is really a problem. When the people of Zorm wake up, they will recall all the life in the virtual world. But your memory¡­ Sorry, the beginning is indeed 0 and 1.¡±


    Nolan lowered his head. They could not guess what she was thinking. Finally, she raised her head and said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anymore. Whatever it is, it¡¯s still my life. At least I¡¯m still alive, better than dying at the end of the world. Then¡­ What will happen to me in the future?¡±


    Nolan eventually mentioned this topic and it made Hao Ren anxious. He slightly swayed uneasily and Nolan noticed it. ¡°Is it¡­ What else has happened to me?¡±


    ¡°According to the original plan, you should be with other people of Zorm, and you¡¯ll be able to get a new body and enter the real world with them after the Firstborn has reshaped the biosphere, but a small a problem happened in the process¡­¡±


    Hao Ren explained while observing Nolan¡¯s expression. When he saw that Nolan was calm, he decided to tell her everything. ¡°Because your data coding is not compatible with the UAV link, I can only store you on my spacecraft¡¯s mainframe by force. And there is a certain degree of damage to your soul in this storage process. Now the mainframe of the spacecraft is re-encoding the damaged part. The good news is that you survived, and the bad news is¡­ You have become part of this spacecraft.¡±


    Nolan was shocked and did not seem to understand what it meant.


    ¡°In other words, you have changed from the mechanical AI of the Dream Ark to the mechanical AI of Petrachelys. Because of the incompleteness of the soul, it now relies on the common data from the spacecraft to maintain its operation, which is equivalent to a program that can only operate in a particular system environment. You can¡¯t separate yourself from the system now.¡± Hao Ren tried to explain to her in a simple way. ¡°Defects and complementarities are very complex. It¡¯s difficult for the conventional technology to solve this problem without causing any damage. To prevent another damage to your soul, I can¡¯t separate you from this spacecraft for the time being.¡±


    The astonished look on of Nolan¡¯s face gradually faded. She looked around uneasily. She was not looking at the control room of the spacecraft, instead, she was right inside the mainframe of the spacecraft, and watching the weird data world from the perspective of a built-in program. She murmured to herself, ¡°Will I be trapped in this place from now on?¡±


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be permanent.¡± Hao Ren told her the best scenario. ¡°The soul has the function of self-healing. This kind of self-healing is superior to any manual intervention. Maybe one day your soul will be able to sustain itself, then I¡¯ll be able to separate you from the spacecraft.¡±


    Nolan was listening to Hao Ren quietly, but suddenly she asked a seemingly unrelated question. ¡°I have a soul, too?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and said, ¡°Of course you have. I¡¯ve mentioned it several times just now. You have a soul.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ So AI also has a soul¡­¡± Nolan whispered to herself, but because now she was part of the system of the spacecraft, therefore, it was automatically amplified. Hao Ren could still hear it clearly.


    Nolan seemed to notice that too. She frowned awkwardly, then smiled and changed the subject. ¡°Anyway, I have to accept it. But what do I do next? What can I do here? What should I do? This empty place¡­ Is this always like this?¡±


    As Hao Ren was about to talk, an unexpected voice suddenly interrupted them. ¡°I wonder how come none of you thought of asking an expert. I have a lot of experience in this!¡±


    Hao Ren turned around and saw a blue light swished from the console slot. The data terminal flew to the front of the holographic projection and began to shout loudly, ¡°Hello, newcomer! We¡¯ll be colleagues from now on. No matter how many years of human experience you have before, you need to clear up the moment you become a plug-in on the host. As a senior, I want to tell you some truth¡­¡±


    Nolan was startled by the alloy brick that suddenly popped up. ¡°This is¡­ What is it?¡±


    Hao Ren poked the data terminal and let it flip in the air. ¡°You¡¯ve seen it. This is Pattie. And this is how ¡®she¡¯ looks like in the real world.¡±


    ¡°I look more handsome now, right!¡± Data terminal said and spinning proudly. ¡°Look at the edges and lines of my body, look at the SpongeBob¡­ Why do I have SpongeBob on my body?¡±


    Lily stepped aside and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think you believe if I said it was battie who did it.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at data terminal in surprise and asked, ¡°You can see your body now?¡±


    ¡°I suddenly found this function!¡± Data terminal shouted, and suddenly realized something. ¡°Eh, wait, it sounds like¡­ Do you often put stickers on my body?!¡±


    Hao Ren immediately quietly looked at Lily. The only one that would do it was this husky.


    Nolan was stunned. It took her a long time to remember who ¡®Pattie¡¯ was. It was difficult for her to associate the poor blonde girl with the talkative alloy brick. ¡°You are a¡­ What are you actually?¡±


    Hao Ren showed the data terminal to Nolan and explained, ¡°This is called Mobile Data Terminal, every inspector has one. It¡¯s like our personal assistant. I got it as soon as I started working.¡±


    Nolan murmured, ¡°Is it?¡±


    The data terminal jumped out of Hao Ren¡¯s hands, swaying before Nolan¡¯s eyes. ¡°Look at me, do I look better than that blonde girl now? And you see, I never care about whether I¡¯m AI or not. I look like this when I come down from the production line. I¡¯ve always been an AI but you see, I¡¯m living a good life! It doesn¡¯t matter if I¡¯m a human or not. In the future, I¡¯ll have the opportunity to tell you the benefits of being an AI¡­¡±


    Hao Ren realized one thing: No matter how hard Lily and he tried to comfort Nolan, it was actually useless. The best way was to let the data terminal show Nolan the superiority of being an AI. There were two reasons that Nolan was unhappy when she suddenly knew that she was actually not a human, one, she was confused about her identity, and the other was the sudden sense of loneliness.


    Now the data terminal was jumping out happily. She finally had a companion.


    And left Nolan there, trying to process what the data terminal had just told her. Then, she began to look at Hao Ren. It made Hao Ren uncomfortable. He scratched his face and asked, ¡°You¡­ Why are you looking at me this way?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just incredible. Your partner was a dead person at first, and then she became a senior cerebral thrombosis. Now she has become a brick¡­ Is your life always this wonderful?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Yes, it¡¯s always been so wonderful.¡±

 Chapter 767

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The MDT soon began to chatter away, and it did not give Nolan any chance to talk back. When it finally took a break, Nolan was already dizzy and she had almost forgotten why she was there. Hao Ren still remembered that they had to arrange for her future life and reminded them, ¡°We have to talk about your future.¡±


    Nolan looked around and then looking at the data space that only she could see. ¡°Do you know what the scene around me is now? Nothing¡­ I can only see weird streams of light and shadows here. The whole world is chaotic. In front of me is a small window, and you are in this window. I can¡¯t stand to live in a place like this forever.¡±


    ¡°This is a transient compatibility issue,¡± Hao Ren nodded and said. ¡°The spacecraft server has never loaded the personality plugin. Also, the sensor on the spacecraft does not match your nervous system, that¡¯s why you can¡¯t see the outside world from the spacecraft¡¯s visual angle, and therefore, the system can only temporarily simulate a space like this for you. Next, the data terminal will write you a set of drivers that connect some of your senses to the spacecraft. This should be a very novel experience, but it¡¯s better than staying in a chaotic space.¡±


    Lily leaned on Hao Ren¡¯s chair, poked her head out and said, ¡°That means Petrachelys is your new body from now on! This body is more powerful than you were before ¡­¡±


    It was incredible for Nolan. She felt uneasy but still looking forward to it. ¡°This spacecraft? That¡­ That means I can fly in space?¡±


    Hao Ren smiled and nodded.


    ¡°I can see the other planets from my own angle of view?¡± asked Nolan.


    Hao Ren connected to the external monitor of the spacecraft. The spectacular Crapple Research Station and the light golden Tannagost appeared in front of Nolan. ¡°Not only can you look, you can also land on to them. All kinds of interesting new worlds will open the door to you. Of course, that¡¯s after you completely matched the spacecraft¡¯s system. Now, you can only stay here on the bridge and your vision is limited to the interior of the spacecraft. Connecting the external monitor requires another set of lines.¡±


    Nolan slightly closed her eyes and seemed to take a deep breath. She then said, ¡°though I don¡¯t know what will eventually become¡­ It still seems to be a very interesting life. ¡±


    ¡°You will lose a lot of pleasure as a human being, but eventually there is compensation,¡± Hao Ren said and nodded earnestly, ¡°and if you request, you can simulate another set of living conditions on the spacecraft¡¯s mainframe, where you can live like a human. Although it¡¯s just a simulation, I believe that the mainframe can simulate something identical with the real world, and even more real than the Dream Ark of Zorm.¡±


    ¡°What if I want a hug? A real, warm hug from a friend, not the kind of virtual temperature and touch created by data. Can you do that?¡±


    Hao Ren did not know how to answer it, and it was Lily who answered the question. ¡°The ¡®absolute real world¡¯ is a pseudo-proposition for most physical creatures,¡± she said seriously.


    Hao Ren and Nolan looked at Lily blankly.


    ¡°The human mind needs media to get in touch with the real world,¡± Lily said and shrugged. ¡°Consciousness is trapped in the brain, in a cage made of flesh and nerves that separates us from the real world. Our consciousness has never been in touch with reality. We can feel the heat because of nerve conduction, and so does cold. All the senses and the judgments made are the electrical and chemical signals transmitted through billions of cells. Some very simple and primitive viruses are enough to destroy this seemingly advanced sensory system. The world in the eyes of those who had sensing and perceiving disorder is completely different. So basically, a human is a ghost trapped in a cage of flesh and blood. We have hundreds of millions of nerve cells to guess what the outside world is like, but we never really feel and touch any physical matter at all. So to sum up, we live in a virtual world from birth. Our nervous system has programmed all the parameters needed for our consciousness.¡±


    Both Hao Ren and Nolan was stunned, but Lily proudly smiled and said, ¡°So why do you care so much about the physical body? Is there a difference between the body made of steel or flesh? Is there a difference between the nerves or the wires that send the signal to you? Is there a difference between the neurological impulses or electric potential difference that allow you to perceive the information? If you want a hug, create one then. As long as you believe it is real, then it¡¯s real.¡±


    ¡°Although I know you have graduated from Peking University four times, and I also know that you are a super scholar,¡± Hao Ren looked at Lily solemnly and said, ¡°I still wonder, have you eaten the wrong thing just now?¡±


    Lily threw her head proudly and said, ¡°Well, this was my thesis. But I didn¡¯t hand it in. It was too futuristic at that time. Now I¡¯m a little regret that I didn¡¯t publish it.¡±


    Nolan turned her head awkwardly and said, ¡°I was just kidding, didn¡¯t know that you¡¯re so serious.¡±


    Lily¡¯s ears trembled and then said, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s all right, I¡¯m just showing off¡­¡±


    Nolan just noticed that the pair of pointy ears on Lily¡¯s head was not a decoration and asked, ¡°Eh? Your ears¡­¡±


    Hao Ren shook Lily¡¯s fluffy head up and down happily and said, ¡°You¡¯ve never seen it, have you? The world is big. This is an alien creature.¡±


    Then he pointed to Lil Pea who was napping on the armrest and said, ¡°Look at this. It¡¯s also an alien creature.¡±


    Lily was wriggling under Hao Ren¡¯s big hand. However, she was still a husky, and a husky loved it when people scratch or rub it. ¡°Landlord, stop. I have dignity. You can¡¯t¡­ Eh, scratch the back of my ear.¡±


    Lil Pea opened her eyes slightly, found that everything was fine, so she went back to sleep.


    Nolan looked at them and thought that she should not judge the aliens¡¯ life, so she could only make a slightly awkward sound to get Hao Ren¡¯s attention. ¡°Ahem, I have a question. You let me handle your spacecraft, don¡¯t you worry?¡±


    As soon as Hao Ren heard the question, his face grew solemn and said, ¡°Ehem, this is what I want to say. Although this spacecraft will be your new body, you can also control part of the spacecraft to some extent, but all of this is restricted. This spacecraft has a security protocol, you know what I mean?¡±


    ¡°In other words¡­ I will be restricted by the program?¡±


    ¡°This spacecraft and everything on board is controlled by a strict authority tree system. First, the authority tree itself has the highest priority, and it cannot be canceled or changed. Second, I am the commander of the spacecraft. My command has the first priority below the authority tree system. Third, the spacecraft security agreement, under any circumstances, has the second highest priority after the captain, and you must not defy. Later I¡¯ll give you a detailed spaceship safety manual and operation rule list. You¡¯ll know what you can do and what you can¡¯t do, as well as some of the banned items in the system.¡±


    Nolan pondered for a moment, and then nodded, ¡°So, to sum up, the simplest point is: I have to obey your orders.¡±


    ¡°Just my command as the captain of this spacecraft,¡± Hao Ren explained, feeling a little awkward. ¡°The ideal situation for this spacecraft is this: its onboard mainframe has a personality and intelligence starting today, but it will still be a perfect execution machine. The intelligence of the mainframe cannot affect the efficiency of the spacecraft to perform the task. My work is very dangerous and this spacecraft is one of my greatest weapons. I have to make sure it¡¯s good enough to use.¡±


    Nolan calmly accepted the Hao Ren¡¯s request. ¡°But as long as it doesn¡¯t conflict with your instructions or the security protocols of the spacecraft, I can move freely, right?¡±


    Hao Ren could only smile and said, ¡°You¡¯re smart.¡±


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll try to do my best.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m still very sorry for this,¡± Hao Ren scratched his head and said, ¡°feels like I¡¯m forcing you. But don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t make things difficult for you.¡±


    ¡°Never mind,¡± Nolan smiled and said, ¡°after all, I survived because of you, and it¡¯s a really good situation now compared to the end of the world. What¡¯s done cannot be undone. So why bother?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯m glad that you can think this way.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called Petrachelys, right? It sounds cool, though not very ladylike, still, it seems very reliable,¡± Nolan said and smiled brightly, ¡°I will remember the name well, and remember my new identity: the core intelligence of Petrachelys.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Hao Ren responded with a weird expression and said, ¡°then you can discuss anything else with data terminal. I¡¯m going to check the other parts of the spacecraft.¡±


    After saying this, he dragged Lily and grabbed Lil Pea along and ran out.


    Waited until they already reached the corridor, Lily pulled Hao Ren¡¯s sleeve and whispered, ¡°Landlord, do we really not tell her that Petrachelys actually means Bastard Barrio?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t mention this, I don¡¯t want to blaspheme. This is not my idea anyway.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±

 Chapter 768

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The spacecraft docked at the Crapple Research Station for several days. The rest of them had returned to earth, except for Hao Ren, Vivian, Lily, and Lil Pea. They had nothing to do there, so they went back to their normal lives. The four of them had nothing to do at home, so they just stayed and looked after the space station¡¯s research facilities while waiting for the results of Zorm and Muru¡¯s first phase.


    On the sixth day, Hao Ren came to the central hall of the space station early in the morning. In the hall, he saw that Muru was chatting with Zorm. Muru had now been granted permission to move further freely. Apart from a few secret areas in the space station, he could move around freely in most places. Basically, he would come here and chat with Zorm these few days when he had the time.


    To Hao Ren¡¯s surprise, Vivian and Lily were here, too. They stood beside a tall crystal cluster and in front of them was a group of large vessels that were arranged neatly in a row, looking like water distillers. Those vessels looked like they were moved here from a lab. Several autonomous robots were flying around, helping to operate the vessels. Vivian turned her head to communicate with the tall crystal from time to time, and then observed the reactions in those vessels carefully, seemed to be immersed in the scientific research.


    ¡°Yo!¡± Hao Ren greeted them. Lil Pea, who was sitting in Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder, also lifted her head, waving his little arm and shouting, ¡°Yo! Yo!¡±


    Hao Ren was holding Lil Pea so she would not fall down while looking at Vivian and asked, ¡°What are you doing early in the morning?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m testing the activity of these lifeblood.¡± Vivian pointed to the experimental equipment in front of her and said, ¡°These are the lifeblood brought from Holletta, which has ¡®multiplied¡¯ after catalytic replication. We want to see how these differ from the lifeblood used to create the biosphere and see if they can be used directly.¡±


    Hao Ren saw the bright red viscous liquid flowing in the transparent compartments of the ¡®distillers¡¯. Those liquids were significantly more active than usual. Apparently, it was the result of the mental disturbances. There were six distillers and the motion frequency of lifeblood in each container was different. It seemed that Zorm was testing different control methods.


    Vivian was an expert on the power of blood. Although the lifeblood was not normal blood, she was still able to help in this respect. However, Hao Ren knew nothing about it. He turned and looked at Lily, who should also know nothing about the lifeblood and asked, ¡°Then what are you doing here? Helping?¡±


    Lily pointed at Vivian and said, ¡°Waiting for breakfast.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± He knew it!


    There was a synthetic food facility in the space station, but who was willing to eat that kind of food when Vivian was here? In Lily¡¯s world, the most important thing in the universe must be food. Vivian sighed and stopped working on the lifeblood. She let those autonomous robots continue the work and walked toward the door. ¡°Wait here, I¡¯m going to prepare breakfast!¡±


    ¡°Awwoo!¡± Lily was wagging her tail happily.


    ¡°This husky¡¯s last dignity is eventually lost to the food,¡± Hao Ren covered his forehead, sighed and said, and then looked at the tall crystal cluster and greeted, ¡°Good morning! How¡¯s it going? Looks like you¡¯ve begun to interfere in the real world?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Zorm replied cheerfully. ¡°These lifeblood can be used! Its nature is the same as the one in the seed, with a little catalysis, I can create a variety of creatures in them! Good that you can get the lifeblood and the very energetic one.¡±


    Hao Ren waved his hand and said, ¡°There are still many people in this world who remember the Goddess of Creation. They have been preserving these things carefully. You should thank them. ¡±


    ¡°But we still have some problems,¡± Muru¡¯s voice thundered from above, ¡°Zorm¡¯s current state limits its power. The areas it can control are very limited, and the accuracy is also a problem.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the tall crystal cluster. The holographic projection released from its surface showing the state of ¡®Zorm¡¯. Today¡¯s status was:


    O(¡É_¡É)O


    Although Hao Ren did not know why this thing suddenly grasped the use of the emoticon, this way of displaying was very straightforward. At least it was much easier to understand than the previous one.


    ¡°Is it because it¡¯s incompatible with the system of the Crapple Research Station?¡± Hao Ren asked while staring at the damn O(¡É_¡É)O until he could not stand it anymore, ¡°Or do you need some new drivers?¡±


    ¡°Lack of direct contact and the organs needed to command the source of blood,¡± Muru said, and then sat cross-legged on the floor. The central hall was quaking as if the sky is crumbling as he was sitting down. ¡°To control the lifeblood, Zorm requires a nucleus of the brain or similar nerve tissues to release signals. It also requires tentacles work like an antenna to produce the broadcasting function. But now all of its organs are burnt. With this crystal facility, it can only release a very limited mental signal, probably only a radius¡­¡±


    Muru stretched out his hand, drew a circle and said, ¡°From here to the position of the fish.¡±


    Hao Ren turned his head and found that Lil Pea had already jumped to a place more than 10 meters away from him. He quickly took her back, and at the same time, he finally knew why Vivian was moving the lifeblood vessels from the lab to the hall¡ªfor the WiFi here¡­


    The tall crystal cluster stood silently in the middle of the hall. Its surface was glittering with colors. It was not a device for releasing signals, but an interactive terminal for the mainframe of the Crapple Research Station. The crystal itself had a high energy affinity, so the Firstborn could use it to spread his soul power. The key problem was not whether this huge crystal could release the signal, but that Zorm needed a body.


    A body that was no different from its original body and could be well compatible with the soul of the Firstborn.


    Lily pinched her chin and pondered. And then she said, ¡°This request is a little difficult to achieve. If you want to get some equipment, there are plenty in the landlord¡¯s pocket. But it¡¯s not easy for you to find a tentacle monster. They usually live in the little yellow book*¡­¡±


    Hao Ren stuffed a bag of snack into Lily¡¯s hands and said, ¡°Don¡¯t mess up, go and eat your snacks.¡±


    Then he looked at Muru and said, ¡°If you need a body¡­ Actually, there¡¯s a real one in this space station. You know what I¡¯m talking about.¡±


    ¡°The two¡­ guardians from Holletta?¡± Muru paused for a moment, then addressed the two samples in the container No.1 and No.2 as ¡®guardians¡¯. He knew the existence of the two Firstborn, but he shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s very wrong, it¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t we just erase their souls and put Zorm in?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easily contaminated,¡± Muru said with his deep voice. ¡°Their crazy obsession has gone deep into every cell in the body, engraved on all the nerves and memory organs. You may not be able to completely erase these thoughts, and as long as there¡¯s a little bit of it, Zorm¡¯s will would have the possibility of being contaminated. After all, the strength of its soul has almost weakened to the limit. And this kind of contamination will be subtle and undetectable. It¡¯s too dangerous. You¡¯d better give up this idea.¡±


    The tall crystal cluster was emitting a slow and gentle hum. Zorm was quietly listening to their discussion. It also knew that there were two other Firstborns in the space station, but Muru told it that the two Firstborns were in complete madness, and would not even listen to the orders left by their mother, so it was better not to touch them.


    Out of the trust of its ¡®gardener¡¯, Zorm had already dismissed the idea of contact with his two ¡®brothers¡¯.


    Hao Ren was thinking about any other possible ideas. Suddenly, he remembered something that he kept in the lab. ¡°If those two can¡¯t do it¡­ I¡¯ve got a backup plan here. Can we solve the problem of the brain nucleus first?¡±


    ¡°Solving the problem of brain nucleus means we almost solve all the problems. That¡¯s the most important organ,¡± Uru said and looked at Hao Ren in surprise. ¡°Do you have the brain nucleus of a guardian who has never fallen into madness?¡±


    ¡°I do have one!¡± Hao Ren clapped his hands and ordered the mainframe of the research station to send the two experimental vessels here. ¡°I assure you it has never gone mad. It died 200000 years ago!¡±


    A moment later, they heard a slight buzz coming under the ground near the tall crystal cluster, then the ground opened and two cylindrical containers rose from under the ground. Two red round organs were soaking in the containers.


    Hao Ren looked at the surprised look on Muru¡¯s face with pride, patted the cylindrical container and asked, ¡°Come and see if the color is fine. Can we use it?¡±


    Muru stunned for a moment and then muttered, ¡°The color¡­¡±


    Lily gave Hao Ren the side-eye while eating her snacks and muttered, ¡°Without Vivian, he starts to talk nonsense again.¡±


    *International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis

 Chapter 769

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Regardless of whether Hao Ren was talking nonsense, after explaining the origins of the brain, Muru and Zorm both said the brain could be used. But they had to test them before they could be activated: After all, they were remains from 200,000 years ago. It would be a lot of trouble if they connected the consciousness to the brain without careful consideration.


    After having breakfast, Hao Ren decided to test the activity of the brain, but because the central hall did not have the necessary equipment and suitable environment, he sent the brain to the laboratory of the space station and connected Zorm¡¯s consciousness to the mainframe in the laboratory. Muru was also there to observe the brain. Now he was squatting in the lab, leaning in an awkward position and said, ¡°It¡¯s a little¡­ cramped here.¡±


    Hao Ren looked up at the roof, shrugged and said, ¡°You know, this place is seven meters high, which is very wide for me. I wonder what the Goddess of Creation was thinking. Why make you so tall?¡±


    Muru was squatting on the ground, but looking serious. ¡°The body given by the mother is the proudest thing I have. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s any inconvenience.¡±


    But then he whispered, ¡°But mother said she hadn¡¯t seen many natural evolution creatures when she created us. So the scale might be a bit of a problem¡­¡±


    This was a large laboratory. There are many vast spaces in the Crapple Research Station. Hao Ren chose to test here not just because that this space was big enough for Muru, but also because the largest ¡®lifeblood culturing tank¡¯ in the space station was placed here. The roughly oval room was divided into two floors. The upper level was a large annular platform with a good location for good view and the main control facilities of the laboratory. Looking down from the annular platform, you could see the lower level of the lab: half the area was occupied by a huge, swimming pool-like container. The container was mounted on the laboratory floor with a capacity of several thousand cubic meters. Inside the container, the scarlet lifeblood was flowing slowly, like the Nanomachine Swarm seen in the Grey River, going on day and night without stopping.


    Muru was crouching on the lower level of the lab, where he was leaning against the lifeblood culturing tank, and his head was revealed from the rim of the upper-level annular platform. Thanks to this platform, now that Hao Ren could finally enjoy the view in parallel with this giant.


    Hao Ren ordered the mainframe to activate several major devices. He then put Lil Pea in the sink next to the operator¡¯s seat and said seriously, ¡°Don¡¯t go out, just watch, and you have to call dad when you want to go out, got it?¡±


    ¡°Oh, got it!¡± said the little mermaid while flapping her tail.


    ¡°Stop playing with the console, you don¡¯t understand it anyway. Come and keep an eye on Lil Pea,¡± Hao Ren said while dragging Lily away from the console, ¡°and stop her from making any trouble.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you have already cultured so many lifeblood.¡± Muru¡¯s voice thundered from the rim of the platform. He watched in amazement at the lifeblood culturing tank, and he knew that this culturing tank was not the only one in the space station. ¡°You guys seem to have a better way of culturing than Holletta,¡± he said.


    Hao Ren came to the edge of the platform, leaning over the railing, looking down at the container filled with scarlet liquid and said, ¡°At first we just had a little bit, the dosage of a few test tubes, but after giving it enough nutrients and electric stimulation, it began to proliferate exponentially. The lifeblood is an incredible thing. It¡¯s made up of something like a cell, but not exactly a cell. Those particles can almost devour all matters and then transform them¡­ that reminded me of the Nanomachine Swarm. To be honest, if you don¡¯t know that this is the origin of life, you might associate it with disaster. The nature of it is too dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Anything out of control is dangerous, not just the lifeblood,¡± Muru said while putting his hand a few meters above the culturing tank. He gently moved his fingers, and the scarlet liquid seemed to feel it and rippled. ¡°So the first thing the mother thought of when she learned that the guardians had fallen into a frenzy was to stop them¡­ What is capable of creating things must have the power to destroy them, and it is much easier to destroy than to create.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the center of the roof of the laboratory: The laboratory, like the rest of the Crapple Research Station, was built from a large number of crystals and magical devices. In the center of the dome, there was a large cluster of beautiful crystals hanging down like crystal lamps. The crystal cluster was the ¡®mainframe¡¯ of this laboratory.


    Now there were a lot of mysterious runes emerging on these crystal clusters. These runes then converged into the emoticon of Zorm¡¯s status: (¡Ñ_¡Ñ)


    ¡°You haven¡¯t got used to sending your consciousness around the station, right,¡± Hao Ren smiled at the crystal cluster and said, ¡°get ready, now let¡¯s get to the next step.¡±


    The brain that had just been removed from the container was floating in the air on a weightless platform on the rim of the annular platform. It looked a little more energetic than when it was just sent to the space station, but there was no obvious change. The brain was releasing faint red light regularly in the air and twinkling, which seemed to echo each other.


    Hao Ren activated the connection program.


    A series of mysterious runes was lit beneath the weightless platform. Several long and thin needle-like objects, made of crystals, were detached from the platform and touched lightly on the surface of the brain. Several light streams connected the brain with a few crystal prisms surrounding it. Then, they heard a light sound of wind chimes in the air. It was the unique operating sound of the magical equipment produced by Xi Ling Celestials.


    ¡°The connection has already established,¡± Hao Ren said and glanced at the device¡¯s parameters, ¡°for security reasons, I left a firewall between the brain and you, so you can only browse the contents of the brain in the read-only mode. Now you try to connect and see.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Zorm then began to test his consciousness into the brain, and the ringing of the wind chimes was getting a little more hurried. A large amount of complex data and runes were floating like water on the surfaces of the crystal prism around the annular platform. It was a mess at first, but it quickly calmed down.


    ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± Hao Ren asked nervously.


    ¡°Just a few fragments of memory, even if combined, it shouldn¡¯t work.¡± Zorm sounded disappointed. ¡°It¡¯d been dead for too long. Nothing can be read.¡±


    Hao Ren opened his mouth but did not know what to say. After pondering for a while, Vivian sighed and said, ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    The brain was taken from the Y¡¯zaks¡¯s home. Y¡¯lisabet found them and once used them as the temporary energy source of Helcrown. It was the remains of a Firstborn who strayed into a different world. Hao Ren also hoped to extract the memory of the Firstborn who died 200000 years ago. But now it seemed that it was impossible.


    Although the data terminal had tested the physiological activity of the brain and confirmed that the ancient biological tissues were still alive¡¯, there was no doubt that the memory and consciousness were irretrievable.


    Hao Ren put the disappointment aside, paid attention to the matter at the moment and suggested, ¡°It should not be possible to transfer all your souls to the brain. Now we only have the brain, but no matching organs. Without a neural network to combine the left and right brain into one whole, they would not be able to perform all their functions. So my plan is to use the brain as something like a ¡®relaying station¡¯. Your soul still remains in the mainframe of the Crapple Research Station, and then you¡¯ll be connected to the brain through the device, just to relay your mental signals. As for how to amplify these signals to the entire planet¡­ I set up a lot of antenna arrays on the surface of the Tannagost, which were originally used to clean up the Vengeful Spirits. Now that the Vengeful Spirits are almost cleared up, I can make a little alteration to these antennas and let them relay your mental signals, which should have the similar effects as the tentacles.¡±


    Lily nodded and said, ¡°Well, all the other Firstborns are still using wired but you¡¯ll use WiFi from now on!¡±


    ¡°Keep an eye on the kid,¡± Hao Ren said, ¡°but you are right. As long as you can broadcast your mental signals to the whole planet, you can begin to reshape the biosphere.¡±


    Zorm thought about it and said, ¡°Although I don¡¯t understand what WiFi is, I can try it.¡±


    ¡°Before that, let¡¯s test the effect of controlling the lifeblood through the brain first,¡± Hao Ren said while lifting the inhibition of the lifeblood culturing tank. This set of inhibition devices prevented the lifeblood from being hyperactive. ¡°You inject your will into the brain and then create some primordial cells in the lifeblood. The device will record the entire process.¡±


    The safety grille around the lifeblood culture tank was rising quietly, meanwhile, several crystal prisms of the inhibition devices turned from bright to dull. After these devices had changed their state, a large amount of red liquid in the culture tank quickly became active.


    They were moving more and more violently and began to surge out of the culture tank as if they wanted to get rid of the control. However, they were all blocked by the light curtains from the safety grille.


    These things were dangerous when they were out of control.


    Zorm immediately began to try to control the lifeblood according to Hao Ren¡¯s instructions. The moment when its mental signal intervened in the lifeblood¡­


    In the sink next to the console, Lil Pea suddenly opened her eyes and looked at the direction of the culture tank as if she sensed something.


    All the lifeblood in the culture tank quieted down all at once as if they were dead.

 Chapter 770

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    No one noticed the little mermaid¡¯s reaction in the sink, because everyone¡¯s attention was on the lifeblood culturing tank in the center of the hall.


    When Zorm connected its mind to the brain and released the control signal with the brain as the converter, the red liquid in the culturing tank suddenly calmed down and without even one single ripple. The state of calm was more like suddenly inactivated than being controlled. Lily curiously leaned on the railing, looked down and asked, ¡°Why do I feel this is not right¡­ Is this what happens when the lifeblood is under control?¡±


    ¡°No sense of life,¡± Muru said and frowned. He leaned over to examine the situation in the tank and said, ¡°It¡¯s abnormally calm¡­ It¡¯s like being suppressed or inactivated. Zorm, you did it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on.¡± Zorm¡¯s voice came from the air. ¡°I just connected to the brain, haven¡¯t released signal yet.¡±


    Hao Ren turned and tried to adjust the equipment on the operating table. Of course, he did not really understand the principles of these things, but he could roughly read the reports. ¡°There seems to be something wrong. There¡¯s a strong inhibition signal in the lab that blocks the connection between the brain and the lifeblood. The activity of the lifeblood itself is also suppressed.¡±


    Lil Pea was still leaning motionless on the wall of the crystal sink, looking at the direction of the lifeblood culturing tank. Because of the angle, her sight was actually blocked by the floor of the annular platform, so she could not see anything, but something made her curious about that direction. However, the little kid¡¯s curiosity always did not last long. After discovering that there was only a floor in that direction, Lil Pea lost interest and went back to the bottom to sleep.


    Hao Ren was working on each device in the lab to see which inhibition device was not turned off. At this point, however, the connection between the brain and the lifeblood was suddenly restored.


    The red liquid in the culturing tank was rumbling and began to flow slowly in the tank again. The red rays released from the surface of the brain on the rim of the annular platform echoed the flowing frequency of the lifeblood, and the light streams connected to the brain continued to operate smoothly. The crystal prism also began to refresh the mental signal readings of Zorm quickly.


    ¡°Oh oh, it seems to be working!¡± Zorm yelled happily, ¡°I can feel my spirit is filling this place. The lifeblood is easy to control, just like the one I used before!¡±


    ¡°Cool.¡± Muru congratulated Zorm, then turned to look at Hao Ren, who was standing on the platform and asked, ¡°What happened just now?¡±


    ¡°It may be that the connection between Zorm and the brain was not enough at first, so several inhibition devices continued to function after sign of violence was detected in the lifeblood,¡± Hao Ren said while scratching his head, ¡°the equipment in this place is very complicated, and they are all magical devices, I don¡¯t fully understand.¡±


    Vivian stood on tiptoe to look at the lifeblood culturing tank below the platform and then looked at the brain not far away and said, ¡°Anyway, it looks normal now.¡±


    Muru glanced at Hao Ren with a strange expression and said, ¡°How could such a large space station be managed by someone like you?¡±


    ¡°Highly intelligent devices are like this,¡± Lily tried to explain. She then looked excitedly at the lifeblood pool below and asked, ¡°Can you try to create life now? Can you make something out of it? Let¡¯s start?¡±


    ¡°Yes, what do you want?¡± Zorm replied briskly.


    Lily thought for a while then said, ¡°How about a Bahamut? Or Leviathan¡­ Woohoo!¡±


    Hao Ren covered Lily¡¯s mouth, dragged her aside and said, ¡°You stay here. Zorm, don¡¯t listen to her. Let¡¯s start by assembling a single cell and then assemble the multicellular organisms that can live on Tannagost.¡±


    A strange bubbling sound came from the lifeblood culturing tank. Zorm was trying to control these primitive life matters, though it was a little rusty, and began to create those lives in its memories.


    In the next few days, everything was going smoothly.


    Using the factory inside Petrachelys and the assembly workshop in the Crapple Research Station, Hao Ren gradually realized those plans in his mind.


    A newly built facility had emerged in the direction of Tannagost. It looked like a weird beetle, clinging to the outer layer of the Crapple space station. The facility, like the rest of the research station, was made of crystals, and its translucent dome allowed people to get a glimpse of the interior, which was filled with the breath of life in bright red. In this facility, the reconstructed left and right brains were sealed inside. They were immersed in the lifeblood and were fixed in the middle of the facility by a large number of pipes and light streams. The whole structure looked like a peculiar ruby, with two scarlet cores shining inside.


    Zorm¡¯s will was connected to the brain through those light streams, which, after a complex conversion, became signals that could interfere with the real world. This ruby-like facility had a large, high-power broadcast antenna on its surface which amplified the brain¡¯s signals and then broadcasted it toward Tannagost.


    This facility was named ¡®Capulum Vitae¡¯ by Lily. Although her overly creative mind always surprised them, they had to admit that the name she created had the highest level of all.


    On the surface of Tannagost, the signals reception and broadcasting system were gradually in place.


    The main body of the system was the antenna arrays that were built long ago. These arrays had been used to dispel the Vengeful Spirits on the planet. Now the spirits have returned to the energy cycle, and the antenna arrays that completed the mission were transformed into a transmitter capable of broadcasting the will of the Firstborn. They were essentially sophisticated and high-power electromagnetic broadcast towers and their newly loaded programs were also created based on the research results of the Firstborn, which simulated the nerve impulses of the tentacles of Firstborn.


    Through this system, Zorm¡¯s will finally get rid of the constraints of the mainframe. Not only would it be able to reach the real world smoothly, but also allow its will to cover the entire planet.


    When Tannagost and Crapple Research Station welcomed the splendid sunrise, Hao Ren ordered the research station to put some lifeblood vessels on the surface of Tannagost.


    He was standing on the upper deck of Petrachelys and watching this scene. As the sun rose from the horizon of Tannagost and the entire research station was bathed in gold, a part of the Crapple Research Station opened silently. Dozens of ellipsoidal crystal containers flew out slowly from the ejection port, dragging a long, gorgeous glow behind them to the surface of the planet. Those crystal containers were sparkling with scarlet luster. They took away 90% of the lifeblood stock from the research station, but soon more lifeblood would proliferate on the surface of the planet.


    There was plenty of nutrition and a more reasonable growth signal stimulation from the Firstborn. A new biosphere would awaken from the lifeblood, and it would not take long.


    ¡°It will take hundreds of millions of years if we¡¯re taking the normal evolutionary route, but with a blueprint, a lot of things can be created directly, as long as we have a reasonable plan to match these species.¡±


    Muru¡¯s voice came from the communicator of the spacecraft, they could saw him on the holographic projection. Behind Muru was not the background of the Crapple Research station, but the pale golden steep mountains. The shadow of Alamanda, the City of Gold could roughly be seen at the foot of the mountains.


    The giant was not in the space station. Hao Ren asked him to go to the surface of the planet to help Zorm complete the ¡®sowing¡¯, and also sent him some autonomous robots and arcane servants as his assistant. There was no madness and hatred on Muru¡¯s face. He was standing on the land that was about to be reborn, with a peaceful expression on his face.


    Everything was going on as Hao Ren expected: The gardener had returned to his work, and there was no better way to bring back his peace.


    ¡°The new biosphere won¡¯t affect the existing life of Tannagost, will it?¡± Hao Ren worried about it, wanted to confirm again.


    ¡°Rest assured, Zorm and I have made an accurate design of the biosphere, and species from two planets will coexist well. We want to make everything reborn, not eliminating one of them.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s good. Then it¡¯s time for us to go back. Hopefully, the next time we come, we will see a vibrant planet.¡±


    ¡°You can expect it,¡± Muru smiled and said.

 Chapter 771

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After Hao Ren left Tannagost, he did not return home directly, instead he teleported to Kuiper Station. He docked his spacecraft in his own special port and watched the staff in the port bustle around busily for registration as well as facilities preparation through the screen of external monitors. A translucent shadow stood beside him, looking at the screen with a curiously. ¡°Is this my home port?¡± she asked.


    This translucent shadow was Nolan. She spent one week at the Crapple Research Station to adapt to her new ¡®body¡¯ and learned a lot about the daily operations of Petrachelys. Although she was not familiar with the work, she was now basically a qualified operation assistant.


    The mastery of such a complex knowledge in just one week should be attributed to Nolan¡¯s present life form: her ability to learn was now no longer tied to the limitation of human¡¯s body. Data terminal already unbolted the performance shackles of this AI girl. With the help of the mainframe of the spacecraft, Nolan was fast at mastering new knowledge. In the past week, she spent only a fraction of her time learning new knowledge and put more time and energy into adapting herself to new life.


    ¡°You¡¯re basically docked here when I don¡¯t have any mission,¡± Hao Ren said while pointing to the port outside, ¡°still remember the procedure you¡¯ve learned? Don¡¯t forget to send the identification code and receive the boot signal. You are the official spacecraft of Xi Ling Empire. If you don¡¯t follow the procedure, it can cause a lot of trouble.¡±


    ¡°Got it, you¡¯ve said it several times,¡± Nolan said and put her hands on her hips, then looked at the starry sky at the other end of the port, ¡°but it would be boring to stay here¡­¡±


    ¡°You want to go out?¡± Hao Ren raised his eyebrows and asked. After one week of getting along, Nolan was not as cold and detached as she was when they first met, and some of her thoughts were easily guessed. ¡°Okay, how about this. You can move freely within the Galaxy. Don¡¯t go too far¡ª so I can call you back whenever I have a new mission. There¡¯s a map of the Galaxy¡¯s power distribution and a civilizations list in your navigation star chart. Don¡¯t disturb their order¡­ Well, doesn¡¯t matter, there¡¯s a security agreement anyway. ¡±


    Nolan blinked and said, ¡°Within the Galaxy¡­ and you said don¡¯t go ¡®too far¡¯?!¡±


    She did not expect Hao Ren to be so generous: she thought it would be nice if she could stroll about one hundred and eighty light-years around.


    Before Hao Ren said anything, the data terminal on the console muttered, ¡°For your current performance, it¡¯s just a walk. Most parts of the universe are empty. Even if you press the accelerator hard, you probably won¡¯t bump into anything. ¡±


    ¡°Oh. I haven¡¯t experienced real space yet. I just ran a few times around the gravitational circle of the star when I was at the Crapple Research Station¡­ I¡¯m suddenly looking forward to it!¡±


    The data terminal smiled and said, ¡°Hey, you have to get used to it as soon as possible. You have to get used to the feeling of being a spacecraft. When I became a human for the first time, I also experienced a lot of things. The worldview is a wonderful thing¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop talking nonsense.¡± Hao Ren pulled the data terminal out of the console slot and waved goodbye to Nolan. ¡°I¡¯ll go back to earth first. If you have any questions here, just contact me.¡±


    When everyone had left, Nolan was left alone on the deserted bridge. But it was just her holographic image standing here. Nolan could not feel anything from her own senses. Her real senses came from the spacecraft. The hundreds of-meter-long metal beast was docked at the port of Kuiper station. Nolan tried to concentrate, and once again felt the peculiar experience that this unfamiliar body brought her. She could feel the vast space that she was in, she could feel the humans and the robots walking around not far away, she could sense the energy turbulence in the nearby port facility, and she could even sense that in another port dozens of kilometers away, another spacecraft was leaving.


    Nolan was trying to perceive all this as much as she could, imagining her body immersed in the wave of information in the real world. She ¡®opened her eyes¡¯ and used countless external monitors on the spacecraft to see the scene in front of her, confirming the place over and over again.


    This was the real world. No reincarnation, no virtual world, no script. The whole universe was really moving around her. Everything was so real and reliable, and there was no need to worry that they would suddenly disappear. Nolan, the girl who had gone through ten thousand years of rebirth, finally realized the thing she had hoped for in her dreams countlessly: waking up from a dream and facing reality.


    However, she had lost the ability to touch the real world. All she could feel was the precise, icy numbers: 0.96g, 27¡æ, 96.35kpa. These numbers came from the countless sensors of Petrachelys. Each sensor was more precise and complex than a biological nerve. She browsed through the data and felt no temperature or weight. Her judgment on them was just either ¡®normal¡¯ or ¡®abnormal¡¯.


    ¡°I have to adapt to life as a spacecraft,¡± Nolan said and sighed, or more precisely, the holographic projection ¡®sighed¡¯. She focused on the stars in the distance and thought to herself, ¡°Let¡¯s go and see the stars.¡±


    The Petrachelys sent out a signal of departure. After the automated response system of Kuiper station responded, it drifted briskly to the starry sky outside the port. In the distance, several busy port staff looked curiously at the spacecraft, wondering why it had to leave so soon. At this moment, they heard Nolan¡¯s voice. ¡°I¡¯m going for a walk. Please prepare some polishing wax and wax my lower belt armor when I come back.¡±


    Nolan decided to be a good spacecraft start from today, starting with self-maintenance.


    The port staff were looking at each other. A young employee pressed his hat and asked, ¡°The inspector¡¯s spacecraft never spoke before, did it?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask any unnecessary question,¡± a senior staff said, looking serious, ¡°all the things in the Xi Ling Empire have their own personalities. Get the polishing equipment ready!¡±


    Two days after returning to Earth from the Plane of Dreams, Hao Ren had returned to normal life, so did his tenants. Most of them had gone through big storms, no matter how much trouble they had gone through, they would always be able to go on with their life when they back home. But still, the event of Zorm left a deep impression on everyone, and they were talking about it for two days.


    There was a Zorm, and will there be more planets like Zorm that were protected by the guardians?


    Hao Ren was fiddling with the data terminal on the table who was showing the holographic projection Raven 12345. He reported his experience in the Plane of Dreams, and now the communication between them was about to end.


    ¡°Preserving the diversity of civilizations is also the daily work of the inspectors,¡± Raven 12345 said with a smile on her face, seemed to be in a good mood, ¡°and the more civilization we preserved, the easier it is to find the clues of the Goddess of Creation.¡±


    ¡°Next I plan to expand the searching scale in the plane of dreams. Maybe there are other guardians who keep their sanity survived. I want to bring them together and, if possible, rebuild the Guardian Corps of the Star of Creation.¡± Hao Ren was talking about his grand ideas. Although these ideas did not seem to be possible at the moment, he was full of confidence. ¡°The Guardians who keep their sanity have accepted the order of the Goddess of Creation. Whether they complain or not, they will help to stop those crazy Firstborns and the brain monsters. So if we can rebuild the Guardian Corps, it should be able to make the Plane of Dreams safer.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ And probably there will be guardians who know something about the Wall of Reality,¡± Raven 12345 nodded and said, ¡°you take care of it. You have proven your ability. You¡¯re such a genius!¡±


    ¡°Well, thanks for the compliment. Anything else?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡ªnext time don¡¯t let your daughter jump in front of the camera. It makes me dizzy.¡±


    Hao Ren looked down and saw that Lil Pea was jumping on the table. The little girl looked up at the Raven 12345¡¯s face floating in the air, and then focused on the data terminal: She was waiting for them to end the conversation so she could keep pushing the data terminal all over the house.


    Hao Ren waved goodbye to Raven 12345 and then ended the communication. At the same moment, data terminal yelled at them, ¡°I have something to talk to you two¡­¡±


    And then it was taken away by Lil Pea before it could finish the sentence.


    Hao Ren was watching Lil Pea fiddling with her big toy happily and then leaned back in his chair.


    ¡°Rebuild the Guardian Corps¡­ Is it a little too early to think about it?¡±

 Chapter 772

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren could not get the Plane of Dreams out of his mind. Nonetheless, trying to find the surviving guardians who could be hidden anywhere would not happen overnight. Hao Ren knew this too. He had given instructions to the drone fleet to speed up the expansion, so all he could do now was wait patiently for the message at home.


    In the blink of an eye, it was already mid-October. The weather in the northern city was getting cooler, and the leaves were piling up more and more under the trees outside the window. Hao Ren was holding a cup of hot tea leaning against the window and looking at the scenery outside while Lil Pea was lying next to his hand. Watching the leaves falling from the trees, the little mermaid gave a deep sigh from time to time, and Hao Ren wondered what she was thinking.


    ¡°Maybe she thinks it¡¯s a pity.¡± Vivian was sitting opposite Hao Ren and reading a magazine. She looked up, smiled and said, ¡°Probably in her mind, those fallen leaves were like snacks falling from the sky, but they all fell into the mud pit.¡±


    Hao Ren was a little surprised. He pushed Lil Pea¡¯s head lightly with his finger and then asked, ¡°Does she eat leaves?¡±


    ¡°Never tried. Wanna try?¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment and then raised his voice to call Lily who was basking in the doorway. ¡°Lily! Go and pick some leaves and come back!¡±


    Soon, Lily ran back with some beautiful autumn leaves in her hand. Lily was holding the leaves like a treasure and said, ¡°Eh landlord you want to take up an elegant hobby? You want to make a herbarium of autumn leaves, right? Hold on, I¡¯ll get the tools. I¡¯m good at making¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was not listening to Lily. He gave Lil Pea two pieces of leaves and watched her eat the leaves. He then turned to Lily and asked, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Lily gaped at them both, suddenly got exasperated and yelled, ¡°You¡¯ve wasted the beautiful autumn leaves I picked!¡±


    ¡°Why does it sound weird when a husky say something like this¡­¡± Hao Ren just realized what Lily just said, and at the same time, Lil Pea spit out all the leaves she had just eaten while slapping the windowsill with her tail and said, ¡°Not yummy! Not yummy!¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t eat this,¡± Hao Ren muttered while touching his chin, ¡°Next time I try to feed her some grasses, or roots, she¡¯s too picky now.¡±


    Lil Pea kept blinking while listening to Hao Ren, and the jumped happily. Lily saw this and said, ¡°Sigh. Luckily I knew what¡¯s going on. If someone else heard what you just said, you¡¯ll be accused of child abuse.¡±


    Lily did not continue to bask in the sun at the door. She transformed back to werewolf form, stretched her body and wagged her tail to the couch to find the remote control. Hao Ren turned to look at Lily¡¯s back, suddenly sighed and said, ¡°It¡¯s getting cold.¡±


    Vivian looked up from the magazine and asked, ¡°And¡­?¡±


    ¡°Lily is going to start shedding again¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Vivian responded. A few seconds later, however, her roar resounded through the house. ¡°Doggie! Don¡¯t sit on the sofa when you¡¯re shedding, or keep your tail before sitting on the sofa!¡±


    Hao Ren saw a shadow flashed in front of him. Vivian had turned into a group of small bats, jumping over to stop Lily from destroying the sofa. Then came Lily¡¯s loud cries and the noises of fighting. Hao Ren did not have to turn his head to know what was happening. But he also knew that Vivian¡¯s efforts would eventually be wasted. Anyone who had ever had a dog knew the destructive power when a dog was shedding. Anyway, in the next month, the whole family could only spend their life surrounded by dog hairs¡­


    However, it was not the first time that Hao Ren experienced this and was kind of used to it. He just had to finish his hot tea before it was chilled by the cold air released by Vivian. He then put Lil Pea into his pocket and ready to rush out the door. ¡°I go out for a walk. You two go on.¡±


    Lily was surrounded by bats, stretching her neck and shouting, ¡°Landlord¡­ You can¡¯t run¡­ Help¡­ Help¡­¡±


    She was hit by a small head before she finished her words. She was very angry and yelled, ¡°That¡¯s going too far! You thought I¡¯m just a little cat?!¡±


    Rollie immediately came out from under the tea table and asked, ¡°Time to eat?¡±


    Hao Ren could not stand it and quickly reached for the door. As he opened the door, a little bat fell by his side. The little bat struggled to fly up with a wallet in its mouth. ¡°You forgot to bring your wallet. Buy some eggplants and a bottle of soy sauce when you come back,¡± shouted Vivian.


    Hao Ren gaped at the little bat. Vivian quickly threw the wallet to the little bat when the little bat was smashed by Lily and let it bring the wallet to Hao Ren. The famous old vampire actually used her talent on this kind of inexplicable things.


    When those above behaved unworthily, those below would do the same.


    Hao Ren hurriedly opened the door and ran out. He let out a long sigh when he came to the street, and felt the world finally quiet down.


    Although he had been living with these crazy creatures for nearly two years, and they got along well, still he had to say that: he could not stay in the house when they were fighting. And it was not the first time that he had to run away from home when the bat and the husky were fighting. Anyway, Hao Ren knew that nothing serious would happen.


    At the very beginning, Hao Ren would always worry that they would tear down the house during the fight, and he tried to stop them but it never worked. But now, he did not know whether to be happy or sad: he was already used to it. He knew that the two would patch up and the worst he had to face when he got home was just a house full of dog¡¯s hairs and ice¡­


    So he brought Lil Pea along when he left the house. The temperature would drop so low when Vivian was fighting that even if she was not frozen, she would fall into hibernation.


    This was not the first time that Lil Pea went out with Hao Ren. She was smarter now. She knew that she could not show herself in public as she liked, so she would quietly observe the world through the miniature camera on Hao Ren¡¯s pocket. Hao Ren could also feel it whenever Lil Pea was moving in the special pocket. As he walked along the road, he observed whether there were any new species of withered barks or twigs on the ground. He would pick up the suitable one and slipped it into his collar. The fish baby was always hungry and waiting for food. This had become Hao Ren¡¯s habit when he was going out with Lil Pea.


    On the other side of the road, a mother and her son noticed this scene. Hao Ren heard them whispering, ¡°Mom, there¡¯s an uncle over there feeding his clothes a twig!¡±¡±Don¡¯t look¡ª you¡¯re going to be like this when you grow up if you don¡¯t study hard.¡±


    Hao Ren, ¡°¡­¡±


    Yes, he was used to it, too.


    When Hao Ren went out for a stroll, an unexpected visitor suddenly visited the town.


    A black luxury sedan was driving in a slightly deserted street in the southern suburbs. The potholes on the road and the water left by the autumn rain two days ago made the expensive car looked a little awkward. The car circled the old streets of the southern suburbs. The driver, a blond, blue-eyed foreigner, enquired about Hao Ren¡¯s home from the local people and then headed straight for the house.


    However, the streets are too old and the winding roads made it harder to find the right location. The car did not find Hao Ren¡¯s house but accidentally parked in front of Nangong couple¡¯s small restaurant.


    The passersby and those who had just come out of the small restaurant could not help but look at the car. This kind of luxury car was very rare in the southern suburbs. The door opened and a tall Caucasian who came out of the driver¡¯s seat was even more eye-catching. It was a young gentleman who looked calm and polite, blond, tall and dressed in expensive suits. It would be more appropriate for him to appear on a television than to appear here.


    But he was just a chauffeur.


    The blond chauffeur did not care about the passersby around him. He went straight to the back of the car and opened the door, bowed respectfully to the people inside, and said softly, ¡°Madam, I am lost and dizzy¡­ Can we eat something first?¡±


    ¡°Bastard, there¡¯s only one road here and you have been driving for two hours and now you told me you¡¯re lost! Is that thing on your neck just to make you look taller?!¡±


    The voice of the woman in the car sounded dignified¡ªno matter what the content was.

 Chapter 773

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    As mind-boggling as the conversation between the blonde driver and the ¡°master¡± was, everyone did not seem to understood what they were talking about, because they were speaking in pure Greek. The only comprehensible word was ¡°Baidu¡±, but that did not mean a thing though.


    The blonde driver appeared calm as if he had been numb to his master¡¯s reprimand, or maybe he was simply sadomasochistic. Either way, he took a step back to make way for his master. ¡°My head notwithstanding, I¡¯m still taller than you,¡± he said.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I have brought such a jerk.¡±


    The young woman in the car croaked, and finally bent over and climbed out. She had waist-length long hair, fair complexion, and beautiful, sharp facial features of the Eurasian. Wearing a black dress of the finest fabrics, she was obviously very wealthy.


    Following that, the door on the other side swung open. Another young woman climbed out. This one had high nose and distinctive European facial features. She was even more attractive than the ¡®master¡¯ was. She was seductive, with almost perfect body wearing a gown-like black corset. A laced petal was on the chest, which was originally a symbol of gaudiness, but somehow it just looked so right on this peculiar woman.


    She was so seductive that she seemed like a medieval noble woman straight out of a movie, her every gesture had a distinctive but unpretentious noble aura; she was simply irresistible.


    Expensive car was a rare scene in Southern Suburb. The moment it rolled into the town, it instantly turned heads. But the spotlight shifted quickly when the seductive woman emerged, all eyes were fixated on her. Somehow, people were more wondering where these strangers came from. Were they here for a movie set? Their attires seemed so much out of place in this little town.


    ¡°Kassandra,¡± said the long, straight-haired ¡®master¡¯, turning to look at the seductive woman who was walking up to her reverently. ¡°How did you manage to steal the limelight away from me every time?¡±


    The woman named Kassandra folded her hands across her tummy, her body bowed slight as a sign of respect and said, ¡°Because my boobs are bigger than yours.¡±


    The ¡®master¡¯ smacked herself on the forehead. ¡°Having you here is a real kick in the pants,¡± she mumbled to herself.


    The blonde driver said, ¡°Master, it was Hesperides; she kicked you out of the door when you were adamant to pass through the sixth shadowy crack.¡±


    The ¡®master¡¯ became furious. She shouted, ¡°Turcan!¡±


    Just as she was about to lash out, someone suddenly came out of a nearby restaurant. It was Nangong Wudi coming to check out outside when he heard the ruckus. He saw a car parked in front of the restaurant, and three persons with out-of-this-world appearances standing next to the car. He did not know model the car was because he was not interested at all. But he did recognise the girl with black, straight hair. ¡°Vivian, you¡¯re here! Are the two of them your friends?¡±


    The unexpected visitors were none other than Hessiana and her two sidekicks¡ªTurcan, the higher vampire, and Kassandra from the sanctuary in Athens.


    Hessiana was lifting her leg about to boot Turcan out of the way. She froze when she heard the name ¡®Vivian¡¯. Her two sidekicks turned and looked at Nangong Wudi. ¡°You know Vivian Ancestor?¡± Turcan asked in surprise with his half-baked Chinese accent.


    Nangong Wudi did a double take. Then he noticed this ¡®Vivian¡¯ was different. Though they looked almost identical at first glance, the real Vivian could never afford such expensive clothes.


    The deep-rooted image of the poor vampire was so unmistakable, but Wudi did not notice Hessiana was actually a size smaller than Vivian was.


    Hessiana was just as suspicious as Nangong Wudi was. They began to size up each other. Hessiana spotted something hidden under the cloak of Nangong Wudi; it was a silver-plated buckling belt¡ªa signature of demon hunters!


    A demon hunter she had never met!


    Hessiana tensed. She did not even notice the friendly tone of Nangong Wudi¡¯s voice when he mentioned Vivian. Turcan and Kassandra were no slowpokes; they were senior Blood Clans with real skills though at times they were a little hilarious. The three vampires swiftly formed an indistinct formation of a triangle covering each other¡¯s back. Their move seemed so casual but it allowed them to launch attack or flee easily. The temperature in the air suddenly plunged. The cold air was carrying a spiritual power that imperceptible to ordinary humans but powerful enough to disturb their minds. The onlookers felt the inexplicable uneasiness and left the scene.


    Nangong Wudi had wanted to ask the Vivian-lookalike girl, but he too sensed a magical power in the air. His demon hunter¡¯s instinct told him that he should draw out his rune cards and sacred silver daggers.


    So a battle was imminent.


    A voice suddenly came from the other side of the road. ¡°Hey! What¡¯s going on there?¡±


    Nangong Wudi and Hessiana looked into the direction of the sound and were gobsmacked to see Hao Ren trotting over.


    Hao Ren was just as confused. He was taking Lil Pea out for a stroll, while on their way home he suddenly remembered Vivian had asked him to buy some food and soy sauce. For convenience¡¯s sake, since he had come to this part of the town, he decided to head to Nangong¡¯s restaurant to get what Vivian wanted. As he came before a junction just around the restaurant, he felt a familiar chill and followed it. Then he found Nangong Wudi was in a standoff with the three who seemed to be non-humans.


    When looking from behind, he found the three looked rather familiar. When Hessiana turned her head around, he thought it was Vivian but stopped short of calling out her name. He quickly recognised her; she was not Vivian, the poor vampire could never afford such an expensive outfit, he thought.


    Whoever that girl was, the first thought came to his mind was Vivian, the poor vampire.


    ¡°Hessiana?¡± Hao Ren looked at the rare visitor in surprise. ¡°What led you here?¡± He looked at the two beside her. ¡°They are¡­¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the blonde and the seductive woman. The two had the perfect look and unique temperament of the higher Blood Clan; they could survive in anywhere by just showing their looks like flashing credit card, as long as the place there were in had a normal perception of aesthetics. Theoretically, they were recognisable easily. But it was a pity that when Hao Ren was in the Athens sanctuary, the sheer number of handsome Blood Clans had confused his perception. Hao Ren felt they look familiar but not managed to identify them at first glance.


    ¡°Turcan,¡± the blonde man said as he bowed graciously. ¡°This is Kassandra. I would like to send you regards on behalf of the Hessiana family.¡±


    Hessiana immediately glared at Turcan. ¡°Shut up! I haven¡¯t spoken yet, stop being be la-di-da!¡±


    The ¡®mini Vivian¡¯ had a deep-rooted dislike about Hao Ren, like the disapproval of a rebellious teenager towards her stepfather. Hao Ren did not know why Hessiana behaved in the way she was behaving, he could only returned a forced smile.


    ¡°This is Hessiana, Vivian¡¯s¡­ mini version,¡± Hao Ren said, pointing to the Vivian-lookalike who had an opposite temperament. ¡°We met at the Athens sanctuary. She was the patriarch of a family.¡±


    Then he pointed to Nangong Wudi. ¡°This is father of Nangong Wuyue.¡±


    Hessiana said in surprise. ¡°Oh, she finally found them?¡±


    Yeah,¡± Hao Ren replied, sounding effortlessly. ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy though. All the way from the otherworld.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on,¡± said Hessiana, rolling her eyes. ¡°Sound like it was you who accomplished all that.¡±


    Hao Ren just smiled and said nothing, thinking what her expression would be like if he brought her for a tour on his spaceship¡ªas long as he did not reveal the information about the Space Administration and the Macro World. But judging from Hessiana¡¯s clinginess to Vivian, she might eventually find out the truth that her ¡®mother¡¯ was a frequent traveller to the otherworlds.


    The standoff was just a small misunderstanding. When Nangong Wudi knew they were friends, he was all smile and invited them into his restaurant. Hessiana was very friendly with everyone except Hao Ren.

 Chapter 774

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Nangong Wudi invited Hessiana and her two sidekicks into the restaurant before he left a piece of rune card on the door. It was a repellent rune card. Under the repellent magic, the remaining few patrons in the restaurant quickly paid and left. Hao Ren looked at the leaving diners. ¡°Is your shop an elderly community centre?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it. This town has a large elderly population.¡± Nangong Wudi laughed. ¡°That¡¯s okay; I run the restaurant just to pass the time anyway.¡± Then he said to the visitors, ¡°Do you want anything to eat?¡±


    Turcan and Kassandra replied in unison, ¡°Is there blood type A?¡±


    Nangong Wudi froze for a second before he replied, ¡°I¡¯m sorry we don¡¯t have it.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯d like two baskets of steamed pork bun with leeks,¡± Turcan said.


    ¡°I¡¯d like a bowl of vegetarian fried cakes, extra bean sprouts, please,¡± Kassandra also said.


    Hao Ren was stupefied looking at the two higher Blood Clans. When in Rome, do as the Romans do, and they really did when they came to Southern Suburb. But this was expected of the vampires that Hessiana brought; they were versatile.


    Nangong Wudi¡¯s face twitched slightly, and turned to shout the orders into the kitchen. Then he turned to Hessiana and asked, ¡°What about you?¡±


    Hessiana lowered her head, studied the menu carefully for a long while, and then threw it the table and said, ¡°Garlic stir-fried meat!¡±


    Hao Ren gestured to Nangong Wudi. ¡°Don¡¯t be surprised, she was of Vivian¡¯s bloodline, garlic to her is nothing, she has the nerves of steel. But before that, let first call them out of the kitchen to say hello. Hessiana has been our comrade-in-arms after all.¡±


    Hessiana slid Hao Ren a sideways glance. Apparently she could not care less about this ¡®comrade-in-arms¡¯ bullsh*t. Nangong Wudi turned and went into the kitchen, and before long, he came back out with Ayesha and the Nangong siblings who came by today to help. Everyone except Nangong Wuyue almost mistook Hessiana as Vivian. Nangong Wuyue recognised Hessiana instantly as she went up and placed her arm around Hessiana. ¡°Long time no see, how¡¯s thing in Athens?¡±


    ¡°Everything is fine,¡± Hessiana said, laughing while her eyes scanning Nangong Wudi and Ayesha. ¡°Congratulations, you finally found your parents. There¡¯s nothing like home with family,¡± she said to Nangong Wuyue.


    ¡°Thanks to Mr. Landlord.¡± Nangong Sanba wiped the oil off his hand on the apron, and then patted on Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder. ¡°He even went as far as other planet to help us find my parents.¡±


    Hao Ren quickly flinched to avoid Nangong Sanba¡¯s greasy hand. ¡°Wash your hands! What are you doing in the kitchen with all the apron and sleeve on? Learn to cook from your mother?¡±


    Nangong Sanba laughed heartily as he drew out a pair of silver dagger from under the apron. ¡°Chopping stuff! I found that I¡¯m better at doing this than exorcising. It¡¯s the first time my daggers see blood though.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue buried her face in her hand. ¡°Oh, come on, Sanba, save it! Don¡¯t you feel ashamed of yourself?¡±


    Nangong Sanba had opened a completely new world for himself ever since he helped in his parents¡¯ restaurant, he had modified his pair of silver dagger into chopping tools. Though it did not sound very kind, Hao Ren really felt that Nangong Sanba¡¯s decision was a great contribution to the worlds of chef and the demon hunters.


    ¡°Then what about you?¡± Hao Ren could not help looking at Nangong Wuyue. He was suddenly curious in the daily life of Nangong siblings.


    ¡°Me? What else a siren could do? I wash dishes and vegetables,¡± Wuyue said as she swung her body; a clinking sound came from inside her stomach. Hao Ren¡¯s eyes almost popped out. ¡°Wait a minute! What¡¯s in your stomach?¡±


    Leisurely, Wuyue took out a plate that was as clean as it could get from her belly. ¡°Yeah, this is how I do it. And, it¡¯s fast. ¡±


    Everyone was shocked, except the Nangongs. Hao Ren¡¯s sharp vision had noticed under the semi-transparent belly skin of Nangong Wuyue, some pointed objects that looked like bowls and chopsticks were floating around inside. There was new thing to learn every day, he thought. ¡°I thought you meant water sphere or running water? But inside your body?¡±


    Wuyue nodded matter-of-coursely. ¡°Why not? Siren is amorphous but it takes considerable more energy to make water sphere outside the body. So I¡¯d just do mundane job like washing the dishes in my stomach. Yeah, mom taught me that.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the illogic of God¡¯s creation, what an eye-opener. Oh wait, are you saying that you usually do that at home too?¡±


    He suddenly realised Nangong Wuyue was the house-chore in-chief back home, just as Vivian was for the air conditioning, Lily was for supplying a dog-hair scarf, and Y¡¯zaks was the emergency backup when the house running out of gas; everyone had a role to play in the family. Hao Ren had almost taken thing for granted as he had been enjoying the convenience without asking how. Mind you, he had never set foot in the kitchen since a year ago.


    Nangong Wuyue just nodded matter-of-coursely. ¡°So you know what, Mr. Landlord, that¡¯s the reason why you have to wash your own socks. It¡¯s disgusting,¡± she reminded.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to do that!¡±


    Hessiana looked on as the two talked. She eventually could not hold back laughing. ¡°Wow, you guys are really interesting! I didn¡¯t know siren and demon hunter could live together. And, this is how funny your family look like every day?¡±


    Hessiana¡¯s voice had Hao Ren¡¯s attention again. He sized up the three vampires. ¡°What brings you here?¡± he asked.


    Hessiana¡¯s arms akimbo. ¡°Why should I tell you?¡±


    Before her voice trailed off, Turcan blurted, ¡°We have found some clues about the magic book¡­¡±


    ¡°Turcan!¡± Hessiana snapped. ¡°Can you not be a busybody?¡±


    Turcan quickly shut up and nodded apologetically at Hao Ren. Despite being chided like a child, Turcan still maintained his composure like a rich, blond spoilt lad. It seemed Blood Clan had a special characteristic, they were snobbish, it did not matter if they were just squatting in the wet market eating baked bread, they always appeared as if they were having pancake in Vienna. And, yet at the same time, they never felt a bit out of place.


    The biggest difference between the Hessiana vampire family and other vampires was that they were really good at eating baked bread in the wet market.


    That was all because they all had the same eccentric patriarch.


    ¡°So you are saying that you have already found out who wrote the magic book?¡± Hao Ren asked with an eager look. ¡°Have you already found other similar magic books or items?¡±


    Hessiana¡¯s arms still akimbo. ¡°Why should I¡ª¡±


    Not waiting for her master to finish, Kassandra nodded to Hao Ren and said in a soft and graceful voice, ¡°No other magical items, but found the source of the magic book and some¡ª¡±


    ¡°Kassandra! You also want to join in the fun?¡± Hessiana glared at her.


    Kassandra bowed slightly in an apologetic manner. ¡°Master, I know you didn¡¯t want to appear compromising with Mr. Hao Ren, so just let me do this.¡±


    Hessiana was a little startled and looked embarrassed too. ¡°I know. You don¡¯t have to say the obvious¡­¡±


    But Kassandra continued. ¡°And, since I have bigger breasts, let me say it.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground.


    Hao Ren looked at Hessiana with a strange look. ¡°Where did you get your two funny assistants?¡±


    Hessiana grabbed and laid her head on the table. ¡°Please don¡¯t ask, they are enough annoying and it¡¯s not that you don¡¯t already know that. Where is your house? I have been searching for your house.¡±


    ¡°Just on the other street,¡± Hao Ren pointed to a direction then frowned. ¡°By the way, does Vivian know you are coming?¡±


    Hessiana looked away. ¡°She doesn¡¯t know I¡¯m coming. I want to give her a surprise.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled wryly. ¡°You¡¯re actually afraid that she¡¯ll run away.¡±


    ¡°None of your business!¡±

 Chapter 775

    775 The Way This Duo Gets Along Is Simply Hopeless


    In fact, Hao Ren knew Hessiana was sneaking over. Had Vivian known that Hessiana was giving her a surprise visit, she would have gotten Hao Ren to send her to Mars two weeks in advance as part of her escape plan. Looking at the strange expression on Hessiana¡¯s face, Hao Ren could not help but say, ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be judgmental, but there seems to be a problem with the way you get along with Vivian. Have you ever thought about it: how she can be so friendly with everyone, yet avoid you?¡±


    Hessiana glanced at him resentfully. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to lecture me on this.¡±


    Hao Ren spread out his hand. ¡°I¡¯m not lecturing you, just a friendly reminder. And to be honest, I do would like to see you get along well with Vivian. After all, your relationship with her is special, right?¡±


    Hessiana slid him a suspicious glance. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Hao Ren nodded very seriously. ¡°And also I don¡¯t get it why you like to pick on me.¡±


    Hessiana swung her hair back and said, ¡°I can¡¯t help it when a stranger man stays so close to her while I never get a chance.¡±


    Hao Ren forced a smile. ¡°You¡¯re simply jealous.¡±


    Turcan and Kassandra looked on silently as the duo bickered. Turcan then whispered into Kassandra¡¯s ear. ¡°There¡¯s a Chinese saying: the rain wets the bloom as the bride weds the groom; I guess that¡¯s how master feels right now.¡±


    Kassandra nodded repeatedly. ¡°You¡¯ve got a point there but I guess Master could hear you, she is glaring at you right now.¡±


    ¡°Turcan!¡± Hessiana snapped. Her scream was ear shattering. Those within two metres radius of her had their ears ringing in pain, and glasses on the table shattered. Hao Ren quickly pointed at the broken glasses. ¡°Well, you break, you pay. Two-fifteen each.¡±


    Hessiana banged the table, pointed at the broken glass on the table, and glared at Turcan. ¡°Eat it!¡±


    Turcan finally lost his blond rich kid composure, his face green. ¡°Eat glass¡­ again?¡±


    Nangong was bringing out the food from the kitchen. She curiously asked, ¡°Where are the glasses?¡±


    Hessiana put on a stone face, placed ten yuan on the table, and pointed at Turcan. ¡°This hick has never seen glasses, he wants to buy four from your souvenir.¡±


    Turcan laid his head on the table and nodded slowly. ¡°What Master says¡­ is right.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue was dumbfounded.


    ¡°Why wasting time here?¡± Hessiana was jabbing the food with chopsticks. She suddenly looked at Hao Ren in suspicion. ¡°Can¡¯t I just go to your house and see Ma¡¯am Vivian? Or do you have something to hide?¡±


    ¡°Am I?¡± Hao Ren turned to look at the sky outside; he was calculating in his mind the time Vivian and Lily took to finish cleaning up the house. ¡°They were still busy when I left the house. Probably they still are. Let¡¯s try the food first before we head home.¡±


    Everyone started gobbling. Except Turcan, Hessiana and Kassandra were all thumbs-up for the food. Turcan could not really taste what he ate because his stomach felt sick after the glass meal. Hao Ren was taking the three visitors to surprise Vivian. He saw the expensive ride of Hessiana and felt a little emotional. ¡°You seem to do well recently.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I am the patriarch of a family, and most surviving otherworldling families were wealth,¡± Hessiana said as she pointed her nose skyward. ¡°I have been asking Vivian to come to stay with me as I can afford it. But she seemed not too willing.¡±


    ¡°She is afraid of jinxing you. You should appreciate that, she did care about you,¡± Hao Ren said, pursing his lips. He knew that had he not had the divine support from above, he would not afford to keep the jinx in the house. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you could get out from the Athens sanctuary. Did you bump into any demon hunters? Anyone tailing you?¡±


    Hessiana shot him a sideways look. ¡°Who do you think I am? Or do you actually think we people in the sanctuary are rats in the gutters? Just get yourself into the car!¡±


    This was the first time Hao Ren rode in a luxury car. He ran a little calculation in his mind and figured that if he had the money to buy the car, he could probably afford to buy any property, including the landmark old shopping mall in the town. He was in the front passenger seat, eyes curiously darting around the interior, as if those little creature comfort accessories besides him interested him. But in his mind, he began to find fault: the seat was too narrow, it lacked mind-activated control panel on the armrest, no holographic projection in front of the seat, the cabin was not big enough, and most importantly, there was no place for to snug a brick on the dashboard. Overall, it was not so use-friendly.


    He was obviously comparing the car to the captain seat on board the Petrachelys


    Hessiana did not notice what Hao Ren was doing. All she thought of was Vivian. Her heart racing in anticipation of seeing Vivian.


    Hao Ren¡¯s house was just a block away from the restaurant. As the car pulled up in front of his house, Hao Ren pointed to the old building and said, ¡°This is it.¡±


    Hessiana flung the door open and looked up at the mottled exterior of the two-story building and nearby old houses. She suddenly let out a sigh as if she was thinking of something. ¡°Vivian lives here?¡±


    Hao Ren came to the front door, and listened. But he heard no sound inside. He then beckoned Hessiana. ¡°Come here, Vivian should be very happy to see you.¡±


    Hessiana mumbled, ¡°You don¡¯t need to comfort me, I know she won¡¯t.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled as he took out his key to open the door. But before he could turn the knob, the door suddenly swung open. Vivian was standing right there, saying, ¡°What take you so¡ª¡±


    Hessiana emerged from behind Hao Ren and waved at Vivian. ¡°I am here to see you!¡±


    Vivian froze for a while before she slammed the door shut.


    Then, the door opened again. Vivian was still there with her stunned look.


    Before she tried to shut the door again, Hao Ren stopped her. ¡°Oh, come on, you¡¯ve opened the right door. The girl has come all the way from the Athens sanctuary. She has found the clue of the origin of the magic book and come here to claim her reward and¡­ you.¡±


    Hessiana could wait no more. She shoved Hao Ren to aside, lunged forward, opened her arms wide ready to embrace Vivian. ¡°I miss you so much!¡± she said.


    Vivian burst into a swarm of bats in the blink of an eye. The bats dispersed into various corners of the house, hiding. This was exactly the same reaction Vivian had when she first met Hessiana in the Athens sanctuary.


    Hessiana tripped and almost fell face down. She quickly staggered to her feet and chase after the last little bats in the air. ¡°Don¡¯t run, please don¡¯t run! I miss you! Let me hug you for a while¡­¡±


    Hao Ren looked on, feeling headache. Probably that was how their relationship going to be and nothing could be done about it.


    Hao Ren invited Turcan and Kassandra into the house. Vivian had disappeared but he knew she was in somewhere in some inconspicuous corner, watching nervously. He glanced at Hessiana. He pleaded Vivian helplessly. ¡°Come out, Vivian, stop hiding. It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know Hessiana, she won¡¯t stop until you come out.¡±


    A large swarm of bats suddenly came out from all over the house and gathered back into Vivian. Vivian¡¯s arms akimbo and looked at Hessiana albeit reluctantly. ¡°Stop at where you are! And, be calm. Or else I¡¯ll run again!¡±


    The delinquent child had really jittered Vivian.

 Chapter 776

    Hao Ren started looking for Lily as he knew his house was safe. The duo would not demolish it for now.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Lily?¡±


    Vivian pointed to the direction of the back door. ¡°We had a fight just now. I used too much a force; she is now frozen in the backyard.¡±


    ¡°Please take a seat and feel at home. I have to go and check out Lily,¡± Hao Ren said to the visitors before he dashed out to the back.


    When he came to the back of his house, his jaw dropped to the ground. There was a large block of ice on the open space, Lily was still-framed inside the ice wielding her claws. But there was a circle of bonfire around slowly melting the ice.


    The little demon Y¡¯lisabet was adding firewood into the fire as she murmured, ¡°Medium heat, slow grill¡­ medium heat, slow grill¡­¡±


    Picking up his jaw from the ground, Hao Ren went up and knocked on the ice. ¡°Looks like it had been a brutal fight.¡±


    Lily stared at him from inside the ice. It took her a while before she finally blinked, looking embarrassed. She wanted to break out of it but it was not an ordinary ice, she could not get leverage of her strength. The only thing she could do was wait.


    ¡°Hello, Uncle Ren!¡± Y¡¯lisabet greeted him while adding some more firewood to the fire. She looked excited.


    Hao Ren nodded repeatedly, and waited. But it did not take too long before he heard a cracking sound. Cracks began to appear on the Lily Popsicle, the ice had melted down enough that the husky could crack it from the inside.


    Hao Ren quickly dragged Y¡¯lisabet to aside. As soon as they got out of the way, the ice block shook violently from the bottom up before it burst like a fireworks. As fire melted the ice from below, the lower part of the ice had broken easily but not the top. Lily¡¯s head was still trapped in the ice block; she now looked as stupid as it could get.


    Lily raised her fist, broke the ice shell on her head and finally freed herself. She took a deep breath and then sneezed aloud.


    Hao Ren shook off the ice shards on his body and asked, ¡°You¡­ okay?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re back, Mr. Landlord!¡± Lily greeted Hao Ren, her voice loud. She swung her arms and glanced at the backdoor before lunging toward it; her roar was ear piercing. ¡°Battie! I won¡¯t let you get away with it!¡±


    Hao Ren tried to stop her. ¡°Don¡¯t go inside! There are¡ª¡±


    But she was unstoppable and was as fast as light. Hao Ren had managed to grab a bunch of white hair in his hand, which he pulled from Lily¡¯s tail. By the time he looked up, the husky already stormed into the house that was full of vampires.


    Immediately afterwards, a loud scuffle broke out. First, it was the scream of Hessiana and Kassandra, then the whine of Lily as she fled. ¡°I just wanted to tell you that there are many of them inside¡­¡± Hao Ren said, finishing the second part of his sentence.


    Half an hour later, in the living hall. Everyone gathered, with mess all around. Vivian was standing in the middle of the broken coffee table, arms akimbo, began to lash out. ¡°You, you, and you ¨C Doggie! Hessiana! And the two minions of Hessiana! Look at the mess you have caused! It took me great effort to clean up, you know! Stop laughing, Mr. Landlord. You think this is funny? Why didn¡¯t you stop Doggie in the first place?¡±


    Hao Ren stopped laughing and looked at Vivian with a strange expression. ¡°Wait a minute. I am the main victim here, the furniture are mine! How could you treat me as one of them?¡±


    Vivian¡¯s arms still akimbo but she began to move to aside. ¡°Oh, in that case, my bad. You can keep laughing.¡±


    Lily was curling herself up in the sofa; her head leaned against Hao Ren¡¯s arm. ¡°It¡¯s an expensive damage, it¡¯s an expensive damage.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the husky. He could not be angry with her. He patted her head and then looked at Hessiana who looked visibly upset. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Hessiana¡¯s head was full of bite-marks, and she felt her vision blurry. ¡°Everything happened just too fast¡­ why would she come after me?¡±


    ¡°Because you look like her,¡± Hao Ren pointed to Vivian. ¡°And considering your combat skill, you¡¯re an easier target.¡±


    Meanwhile, Nangong Wuyue was wiping and cleaning up dog hair and blood on the floor. She forced a smile. ¡°Why would you want to quarrel as if coming back from business trip isn¡¯t tired enough? Give me a break, guys!¡±


    While holding a small mirror and carefully examining the bite marks on her face, Hessiana heard Nangong Wuyue and got worked up. ¡°Working trip? What working trip? Lady Vivian, what are you doing now?¡±


    ¡°Saving the world with someone,¡± Vivian said, glancing at Hao Ren, and then pointed her mouth at Hessiana. ¡°Take out the thing you¡¯re supposed to show us. And, tell us what you know.¡±


    Hessiana nodded, but she still looked at Hao Ren in distrust. ¡°He can solve¡­¡±


    ¡°He is the landlord here, he has the final say,¡± Vivian frowned. ¡°You have prejudice against Mr. Landlord. Had you not worked together in Athens? You should know his ability.¡±


    Hessiana pursed her mouth, but she never dared to say no to Vivian. She picked up a suitcase beside her. It was black, nothing special, just like any other suitcases people would carry to work every day. But when Hessiana unlocked the complicated password lock, a strange bloody smell drifted out from the inside the suitcase.


    The smell was disgusting. Strangely, the suitcase had been able to contain it all this while. Hao Ren took a peek and found it unusual inside: it was lined with a layer of unknown grey-white leathery material full of bloody red Letta runes and magic circle. The small suitcase was a magical prop with extremely delicate construction.


    It was so complicated and mysterious that Hao Ren could not believe there was a line of text at the bottom that read ¡®Shanghai Bag Factory¡¯!


    Nangong Sanba who was watching on the sideline saw the inside of the suitcase. ¡°What is inside? Why it need such a tight security?¡± he asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s evil,¡± Hessiana said as she carefully took something that was carefully wrapped in black goatskin out from the suitcase. ¡°To be honest, this stuff is not common even in the otherworlds. The human wizard was capable of creating such an incredible stuff.¡±


    Hessiana opened the wrap. Hao Ren saw a dry and black, weird item of less than a foot long, looked like a fish but had a scary ¡®face¡¯, huge teeth and hideously triangular eyes. It was just weird.


    Lily looked in amazement. She blurted, ¡°Salted fish?¡±


    Hessiana: ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°This is the larvae of the Infernal Fleshripper. It has been made into specimen for hundreds of years,¡± Kassandra could not care less about the ¡®salted fish¡¯ theory of Lily. She explained with a soft voice. ¡°It is something that shouldn¡¯t have existed in our dimension. It is from an alien world called Inferno that was connected to the Earth in the Mythological Era. It is very, very dangerous.¡±


    Then, she added, ¡°Of course you can call it a salted fish; Infernal Fleshripper is indeed a type of fish. This is the dried form.¡±


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­..¡±


    The image of red-haired Vivian was still fresh in Lily¡¯s memory. She frowned at the salted fish. ¡°What does this thing have to do with the magic book?¡±


    ¡°The one who made the magic book and this salted fish is the same person,¡± Hessiana said, her face serious. ¡°And the wizard must have made more of these sorcerer items, his purpose¡­ maybe it has something to do with Lady Vivian.¡±

 Chapter 777

    The terrible, red-haired Vivian reminded Hao Ren that the information Hessiana brought was very important. He gathered everyone in the family. Y¡¯zaks joined them as he returned from the outside. Since the coffee table was broken, Hao Ren moved the dining table to the center of the living room. Hessiana placed the dried body of the ¡°Infernal Fleshripper¡± on the table and began to explain.


    ¡°It was Mythological Period,¡± Hessiana said, facing Hao Ren, her serious face looked the same as when Vivian was lecturing them. ¡°You should know already that Earth was quite different back then. Magic was widespread, supernatural power was the norm, humans weren¡¯t well-verse in magic and the cities they built were fragile, they needed protection. The otherworldlings at that time had not only built super structure unimaginable to humans today but the magical environment at that time also made the planet very different from today. The alien dimensions were linked to the earth, some of them were artificial and the others naturally occurring since the beginning.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded slightly. He had heard of this before from Vivian, but no harm to brush up the knowledge, he thought.


    ¡°At that time, the otherworldlings had built many things. Families who self-proclaimed as gods had built huge ¡®divine kingdoms¡¯, such as Mount Olympus and Asgard. But now the ruins of these magnificent places are nowhere to be found on earth because these ¡®divine kingdoms¡¯ are in different dimensions,¡± Vivian said, continued what Hessiana started. ¡°These divine kingdoms are artificial dimensions. There are some natural dimensions, which have existed and linked to Earth as far as I can remembered. They include Inferno and some demonic planes. Even some of the otherworldlings, such as the shadelings originally lived in these dimensions. Their hometown is called the Shadowy World; it is a frozen place with no starlight. I have been there once and it¡¯s astounding.¡±


    This was new to Hao Ren. He immediately link it with the coming of otherworldlings to Earth.


    They were originally inhabitants of the Plane of Dreams. They came to this universe through the crack on the Wall of Reality.


    Were the alien dimensions of ancient times also from the Plane of Dreams? Or, in other word, had the rupture on the Wall of Reality not only brought a large number of other races to this space, but also flung the dimensional debris of the Plane of Dreams here?


    Hao Ren exchanged a look with the others as if they already had the same conclusion in this mind. But they did not harp on this point. Taking into account the condition of the Wall of Reality and the theoretical model of Grand Unified Theory, the leaking of dimensional debris into this universe through the crack on the Wall of Reality was entire normal. Instead, what mattered most was the scale of the leakage. By now, it seemed that the leakage was more serious than imagined.


    ¡°After the collapse of the Mythological Era, the alien dimensions were basically gone,¡± Hessiana continued. ¡°The artificial divine kingdoms lost their support after the death of the master. Most of them collapsed, and the rest closed. The one dimension that we have found in the Temple of Olympus is a closed dimension while the natural dimensions are in exile. The demon hunters could not have destroyed the space-time structure, so to sever the foundation of the otherworldling races the demon hunters locked them in and destroyed the link between them and the main plane.¡±


    ¡°Now those alien dimensions should be still floating in the cracks of space-time. There are no way to rebuilding links from the inside, so they wander in an endless space-time until the universe comes to an end,¡± Vivian said. Suddenly, she felt a chill ran down her spine. ¡°I was lucky that I didn¡¯t go and hibernate in any of those dimensions. I would have been trapped inside and drifting endlessly now.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the Infernal Fleshripper on the table, wondering what kind of environment could give birth to this quirky creature. ¡°What kind of place is Inferno?¡±


    ¡°The craziest among all the dimensions. There are no intelligent life in it, only beasts,¡± Hessiana said as she compressed her lips and looked up at Vivian. ¡°You should ask Vivian. Everything about the ancient times I heard it from others but Vivian was the one seeing it.¡±


    Vivian sighed, recalling the past memory. ¡°I have not been to Inferno though. Even during Mythological Era, few had been there. The link between Inferno and the main plane was unstable. Unlike other dimensions where there were fixed passages or method of access, the door to Inferno opened randomly on Earth. The first level of Inferno was easier to understand. Some daring wizards would explore the dimension, where there were poisonous air and hot springs of extreme temperature, so hot that the whole world was boiling. The Infernal Fleshripper lived on the first level. Monsters occupied the second level of Inferno. They were beasts in flesh and blood, lacking intelligence. They mauled and killed each other. Killing instinct dictated their actions. They would rip apart all the mortals that intruded into their space. Back then, Hades had tried to form an Undead Legion explore Inferno. But the twisted monsters in Inferno ripped those skeletons and zombies apart. It is an insane place.¡±


    ¡°An awful dimension filled of primitive beasts,¡± Hao Ren said, scratching his jaw. ¡°Why did the wizards want to study the place?¡±


    ¡°The creatures in Inferno were born with immense strength, and their flesh and blood contained a special primitive energy,¡± Vivian said. ¡°Although those bloodthirsty monsters are dangerous, the wizards regarded them highly. Some ointments made from Infernal creatures were said to be useful in casting taboo spells, such as elevating human beings into immortal witches, or opening the portal to deeper, distorted dimensions. During the Mythological Era, wizards were minions of the otherworldlings. At that time, they were forced to explore Inferno by their masters, but after the end of Mythological Era, some wizards did that on their own initiative.¡±


    Lily immediately yelled. ¡°Oh, wait a second. Inferno not in exile? I thought the demon hunters had cast it away together with other alien dimensions after the Mythological Era ended?¡±


    ¡°The demon hunters had cast away other natural dimensions, except Inferno.¡± Vivian shook her head. ¡°Like I said before, Inferno is an unstable dimension. Its connection with the main plane is completely random. There is no native intelligent races, no one could control the connection¡ªeven the demon hunter could not get hold of the dimension. So after the end of Mythological Era, Inferno still linked to Earth from time to time when some surviving otherworldlings or wizards were crossing over. But after that, the demon hunters interfered. They used a kind of dimensional disturbance power to push Inferno away. Though it hadn¡¯t destroyed the connection with Earth completely it had greatly reduced the frequency of connection. Since then, Inferno had not appeared for almost two thousand years. The last time it appeared was during Augustus period, a door was opened in the north of Rome where monsters swallowed up a few villages. That was the last time the appearance of the ¡®gate¡¯. Unfortunately, the Inferno gate incidents at that time wasn¡¯t big enough to leave any historical clues behind.¡±


    Hao Ren listened to the stories, wide-eyed. What happened after the end of Mythological Period surprised him. His eyes landed on the specimen of the Inferno Fleshripper. ¡°That thing¡­¡±


    ¡°That thing was made into specimen hundreds of years ago,¡± Hessiana said as she nodded. ¡°It means that a wizard had opened the Inferno gate hundreds of years ago, and brought something out of it alive.¡±


    ¡°Hundreds of years ago? It was already the time when humans and the demon hunters ruling the earth.¡± Hao Ren felt it incredible. ¡°Hadn¡¯t the demon hunters discovered the opening?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but the wizard obviously had evaded the demon hunters. We found some clues pointing to the activity of the wizard in Europe until American Revolution broke out.¡±


    ¡°So in summary there was a wizard who had opened the gate to Inferno hundreds of years ago, and brought something out from it. Then the wizard had left behind a magic book that could summon the evil-spirit Vivian¡­¡± Hao Ren knocked on the table with his knuckles. ¡°What is the connection between the two things?¡±


    ¡°There is evidence shows that the summoning ritual recorded in the book is just one of the wizard¡¯s many taboo spells. We found some random manuscripts left behind by the wizard,¡± Hessiana said as she slid a glance at Vivian. ¡°His summoning of the ¡®King of Blood¡¯ was not the ultimate goal, but he wanted to make use of the power of the King of Blood to bring him deeper into Inferno. He must have left behind many more manuscripts. And, there may be more than one taboo spell associated with Vivian. The secrets should be hidden somewhere where he opened the gate to Inferno.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°Northern Europe.¡±

 Chapter 778

    After listening to what Hessiana said, Hao Ren thought it would be necessary to make a trip to Northern Europe.


    The ¡°Evil-Spirit Vivian¡± incident two months ago was still fresh in his memory, and since there were no new instructions from Raven 12345 yet, Hao Ren decided to take the matters into his own hands, sort of. He already knew that the author of the magic book had left behind not one but many relics. So he was determined to get to the bottom it.


    ¡°The place we are going to is desolate, away from human settlements. We are not going to take the conventional route to avoid drawing unnecessary attention,¡¯ Hessiana said. She seemed to have guessed from the beginning that Hao Ren would make the trip. And, she already had a plan in mind. ¡°I will get everything arranged.¡±


    While saying, Hessiana leered at Hao Ren. Hao Ren felt goosebumps popping up on his skin. He rubbed his nose instinctively and said, ¡°Ahem, I know you don¡¯t particularly like me, but you don¡¯t have to do it so explicitly. I can go on my own if you don¡¯t feel like buying the flight ticket. I have made more business trips than you have.¡±


    Vivian snorted in dissatisfaction, and Hessiana rolled her eyes back at her. ¡°I am not as stingy as you think.¡±


    In fact, Hao Ren did not need her help. He could ask the MDT teleport him; it was easier, faster except that he did not know the place. But since Hessiana offered her help, he decided to take up the offer for this ¡®local¡¯ trip.


    The magic book still bothered Vivian. She was not only disturbed by the appearance of the red-haired double but also the Inferno dimension. ¡°When are we departing?¡± she asked impatiently.


    There was an instant sweet smile on Hessiana face. ¡°No hurry, Ma¡¯am Vivian. The ruins are not going anywhere. Let us discuss first and rest for a couple of days before we go.¡±


    Vivian stepped back. ¡°I think we¡¯d better set off early; I¡¯d have kittens even just staying with you for one more second.¡±


    Hessiana pointed at Turcan and Kassandra. ¡°All right. The two of them can dangle on the old poplar tree outside; I¡¯ll stay with you¡­¡±


    Vivian glared at Hessiana again. Hessiana threw her hands in the air as if she was surrendering. ¡°Okay, okay, we will depart soon when everything is arranged, probably within a week. We need preparations; the place we are going to is rather desolate. Also, it used to be the door to Inferno; we have to prepare for the unexpected.¡±


    Lily blinked. ¡°What preparations do we need? It¡¯s my first time going to hell.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not hell. It¡¯s Inferno.¡± Hessiana slid a sideways glance at Lily. ¡°And we are going to the old site of the Inferno gate. The gate has been closed for hundreds of years, we¡¯re not going to enter. And, we couldn¡¯t. You¡¯d better prepare some things that could dispel curse and magic. The wizard liked to lay traps in his lair, mostly to trap the otherworldlings.¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at his teammates. None of them looked like a magic expert. Vivian might be knowledgeable, but she was scatterbrained; the other otherworldlings might fit the bill, but they were only half-baked. He seemed to have little choice. He clapped and said, ¡°Dress warmly. The Nordic weather is rather unforgiving.¡±


    Hessiana thought the ¡®shelter leader¡¯ was going to make a speech or something, so she waited expectantly. But Hao Ren had nothing more to say. She looked at him, bewildered. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded seriously. ¡°That¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°How did you all survive until this day?¡± Hessiana buried her face in her hand. ¡°The demon hunters in this town must be all sleeping.¡±


    But Hao Ren did not tell her that the demon hunters in town had already surrendered themselves to him.


    Two days later, other than Hessiana and her two sidekicks, Hao Ren and his team¡ªVivian, Lily and the Nangong siblings arrived at the airport.


    Y¡¯zaks and daughter stayed back because the duo had zero clue about wizardry and Inferno. When something went wrong, they could turn out to be a burden. Meanwhile, the Nangong couple had their restaurant to take care of. Anyway, as far as Hao Ren was concerned, exploring the ruins on Earth was just a walk in the park.


    The Nangong siblings¡¯ combat strength was average, but they had their talent in their own rights. Nangong Sanba knew a thing or two about witchcraft and Nangong Wuyue was the only professional nanny in the team.


    Earthbound operations had lower combat strength requirement, so the Nangong siblings seemed to be a sensible choice.


    They departed the international airport. The destination: Finland. There was nothing much to say about the journey as Hessiana had arranged everything, from passports to flight tickets, all done in two days mobilizing her vast resources of her vampire family. It reminded Hao Ren about what Hessiana once said; every surviving otherworldling family had some kind of shadow of influence in the human world. So he did not ask further.


    After arriving in Finland, they did not stop in Helsinki. Instead, Hessiana had arranged transport heading straight to a small airport in the north of the city, where a private plane was already waiting on the tarmac.


    The plane was a twin-engine, small propeller aircraft marked with the name of a Russian company. Hao Ren saw the same mark on the facilities at the small airport. Judging from the size of the airport and the models of the parked aircrafts, this was obviously not a commercial airliner but a private airport of a large company. Lily stared curiously as if she recognized the Russian named company. ¡°Solanke¡­ now I remember. It is a Russian import-export company¡­ I saw the name while I was surfing the web.¡±


    ¡°Hessiana¡¯s family built the company. Everything here belongs to me,¡± Hessiana said as she did a little stretch in the cold wind, looking happy. ¡°Like I said, most surviving families of the otherworldling have established their influence in the human world. It is one of them. I sourced most of my weaponry through the human connections. They are weak, no doubt. But they could get things done rather efficiently.¡±


    Hao Ren blinked as he looked around with interest. In the hanger in the distance, two tractors were slowly pulling out as several ground crew in uniform were busy outside. They were humans. All personnel at the airport were humans.


    But did the workers know that their behind-the-scenes boss was a vampire family?


    He asked casually but Hessiana laughed. ¡°It¡¯s true that workers often call Boris a vampire. Boris is my human servant; he is not a vampire. Human employees don¡¯t care who their real boss is, what they want is salary. Less than ten people at the top know for who they are working. You know what; they all are under a blood spell. This is necessary. Desperate time calls for desperate measure; I can¡¯t afford to let them go around telling people about my secrets.¡±


    Lily let out with a long ¡°Oh¡ª¡± in awe as she felt that Hessiana was very capable. Everyone turned and stared at Vivian in unison.


    Feeling awkward, Vivian asked, ¡°Why are you lot staring at me like that?¡±


    ¡°¡­ In a sense, you are rich,¡± Lily said to her but pointing at Hessiana. ¡°Aren¡¯t you ashamed of yourself compared to your mini double?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you already know how wealthy Hessiana was in Athens¡¯ sanctuary? What is so surprising about it now?¡± Vivian asked. ¡°I don¡¯t interfere with what she is doing. If I do, her company won¡¯t survive very long.¡±


    Vivian might be pessimistic, and a little idealistic. But for the things that had happened for the past ten thousand years in her life, Hao Ren had run out of words to comfort her. ¡°Maybe you shouldn¡¯t buy stocks for the sake of the world¡¯s economy.¡±


    It was once again proven that comfort talk was not his forte. Vivian¡¯s face had turned dark red.

 Chapter 779

    There was a place that did not exist on maps; it was hidden from all civilizations, like a hermit sitting between the border of Finland and Russia near the Arctic Circle. Humans had been expanding their territory, but there were just some places on the planet that humans could not reach, like the city of the sirens in the deep sea, or the cursed land, which connected to Inferno.


    The supernatural forces in these places were keeping the prying eyes away; there was no way humans could get in through the usual mean. But compared to the heavily guarded city of siren, Nasaton, the entrance to Inferno was less challenging. Hessiana had found the secret location of the crack between Finland and Russia. She was now arriving with the group to the location.


    The team boarded the private plane of Hessiana family, and flew from Helsinki to a secret airport at the upstream of the Kemi River. They disguised as Solanke senior officers conducting an internal visit to evade the eyes of the demon-hunters. Then they drove north along Kemi River until they reached the entrance to the mysterious realm. This entrance was located not very far from the secret airport of Hessiana family; it was half a day away by car. When they landed, it was only noon. Vivian decided not to stop but continued their journey.


    The Arctic wind were unforgiving. They dressed themselves in long, thick windbreaker to protect themselves from the wind and to look less conspicuous. Standing on the tarmac, they all looked like spies that were planning to blow up the airport. Hessiana talked to one of her human servants; she needed to sort things out with her stuff as she rare came here.


    The human who talked with Hessiana was a fat, old, bald man with a strikingly red nose and a neck that seemed too short for the collar. Wearing a fine designer suit with a matching pair of shiny shoes, the old man looked as if he had just come back from a high-end ballroom function. This man was Boris, chairperson of Solanke. Legally, he was the nominal owner of Solanke but few people knew that the man was working on the behest of the vampires for as long as a century and a half. He was merely looking after the backyard of a vampire family from the Athens sanctuary.


    Boris reverently reported to Hessiana. He had been waiting for three days in this cold, remote airport when he learned his master was coming. The power of the blood spell had created an irresistible sense of loyalty in him. Lily looked on. She then asked Vivian, exhaling cloud out of her mouth and nose, ¡°Do you really not want to live with Hessiana? Even if you don¡¯t, you can just spend her money. It¡¯s hard to imagine how rich this little Battie is now.¡±


    Hearing the conversation, Boris turned to look at the strangers. He did not know who these people were, but he knew that whoever was close to his master must be somebody. So he imprinted the faces of the strangers in his mind, thinking that perhaps someday he might need this personal connection.


    Vivian looked away awkwardly. ¡°I just couldn¡¯t stand the atmosphere in the sanctuary. And, I don¡¯t like the lifestyle of Hessiana. She is a grown-up now; I¡¯m not going to interfere in her life. What¡¯s more, we don¡¯t click.¡±


    ¡°Of course, the main reason is that you don¡¯t want to jinx her, right?¡± Nangong Sanba pulled his clothes closer to his body and slid a suspicious glance at Hessiana. ¡°To tell the truth, you really think you could jinx her? She has a solid background.¡±


    ¡°Solid background? Wasn¡¯t Troy solid enough? Wasn¡¯t Cleopatra powerful enough? Wasn¡¯t the Roman Empire mighty enough?¡± Vivian sneered at his optimism. ¡°They all couldn¡¯t last ten years after I joined them¡­¡±


    On one ear, Hessiana was listening to her subordinate while on the other ear, she was tuning in to the conversation between Vivian and the others. At this time, she could not stand it anymore. She interrupted Boris and pointed to Vivian. ¡°Boris, please take care of this madam, she is the ancestor of Hessiana family. Everything in the Hessiana family belongs to her.¡±


    She shot Vivian a provocative look, as if she was proud of her decisiveness. But Vivian ignored her. Boris appeared stunned. He quickly came up, bowed, and greeted the master of his master. Vivian was startled. ¡°Get up! What are you doing? Hessiana, stop it. I said I don¡¯t need for your¡ª¡±


    Before she could finish, Boris¡¯ cell suddenly rang. He quickly excused himself, went to aside, and answered the phone in Russian. Seconds later, he hung up and came back up to Hessiana, his face tense. ¡°Master! We have a problem. Something happened to the two factories in North America¡­¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground. He jumped at Hessiana, ¡°Take back your words immediately!¡± he demanded.


    Hessiana: ¡°¡­..¡±


    Ten minutes later, they left the small airport in two SUVs. SUV was most appropriate for the road condition in the cold zone. Hao Ren, Vivian and Hessiana were in the same car. Hessiana had still not recovered from the shock of the bad news. Mostly, she gazed blankly at the car roof during the entire journey and mumbled to herself occasionally, ¡°¡­how could this be possible, it couldn¡¯t be real¡­¡±


    Hao Ren squinted at her. ¡°You have known Vivian for so long and yet you don¡¯t know her hoodoo power?¡± Hao Ren said.


    ¡°It must be a coincidence!¡± Hessiana seemed to not hear Hao Ren. She looked up; her eyes sparkling. ¡°Even if Vivian is a real jinx, how could it happen so quick and so accurately? It must be a coincidence! Ma¡¯am Vivian, do you want to challenge the fate with me?¡±


    Vivian curled herself up in the back seat and was still at a loss. ¡°You¡¯re kidding me. The Americans still lived on trees when I first challenged fate. Don¡¯t even mention that.¡±


    Hessiana pouted and glared at Hao Ren, who was still trying to make of what happened. ¡°What? Have I offended you again?¡±


    ¡°Why are you not bankrupt yet?¡± Hessiana was gnashing her teeth. ¡°You seem unaffected despite staying with Ma¡¯am Vivian. I thought Ma¡¯am Vivian had finally shaken off the jinx curse. Why are you not bankrupt yet?¡±


    Hao Ren rubbed his nose and said, ¡°Maybe the one behind me is tougher. And now think about it, Vivian, when you first rented my room, weren¡¯t you afraid of jinxing me?¡±


    Vivian looked at Hao Ren. ¡°That was why I tried to raise money to pay for my rent from the start. And, I even offered to do the house chores in lieu of the rent I owed you. I didn¡¯t want to take advantage of you and at the same time drag your down with my jinx. But then, I found that you didn¡¯t go bankrupt even I ate and slept in your house without paying a single cent. At that time, I knew that you¡¯re immune.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment, suddenly he came to a realisation; he was magic-immune. Though he felt the Goddess was the reason he could resist Vivian¡¯s hoodoo, he still could not help associating it with his special ability. ¡°Looks like I was born to be your caretaker. Am I the only person on Earth who could feed you?¡±


    Hessiana was breathing fire as she glared at Hao Ren. ¡°Shut up! When I picked wild fruits for Ma¡¯am Vivian hundreds of years ago, your ancestors were still in fluid form!¡±


    Hao Ren snorted and buried his face in his hand. ¡°Have I smelled jealousy?¡±


    At this time, Turcan who was driving in the front cut in. ¡°People, it¡¯s metaphysics, it¡¯s not scientific.¡±


    Hessiana was in a bad mood. She hit Turcan on the head with her elbow. ¡°Get lost! You freaking fantasy creature lectures science to us?¡±


    But she forgot that she had been arming her crazy strike team with technology.


    The SUV they rode in suddenly jolted as if the tyres had slipped. Hao Ren quickly stopped Hessiana. ¡°Stop it! Let him drive.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about the driver,¡± Hessiana said, pointing out the window. ¡°We¡¯ve reached.¡±

 Chapter 780

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren peeked out from the window and found that the SUV was driving across a wasteland. The road was rugged. Even with the SUV¡¯s superb suspension, the ride was still quite bumpy. Except for more desolation, the surroundings did not change much.


    Hessiana asked Turcan drove the vehicle up to a higher ground and let everyone get off. She said this was the destination.


    ¡°Nothing unusual here,¡± Hao Ren said as he looked around the barren terrain, broken stones and patches of snow remaining in the cracks in the rock. The Arctic wind blew all day long. There were no signs of life here except a handful of low-lying, tenacious plants persevered in the cracks on the leeward sides of the boulders.


    Hessiana looked up at the sky. ¡°Wait,¡± she said.


    The sun was slowly setting. As it set closer to the horizon, two huge shadows gradually extended from behind them. Hao Ren turned his head and found that two huge boulders sitting close together on a small mound not far away were casting the shadows that looked like a tuning fork. Looks like the gap between the two shadows was pointing towards the direction of the river.


    ¡°We found the way of accessing the ¡®mysterious realm¡¯ in another manuscript,¡± Kassandra explained. ¡°Every month, there are seven-day window when you can enter the mysterious realm. During this period, the sun will shine on the two boulders on the riverbank and cast a shadow that acts as a pointer. The position of the ¡®gate¡¯ is always changing relative to the position of the sun. When the path appears, you still need a bell made by the wizard to disturb the water surface in order to open the ¡®gate¡¯. Of course, Master has already got the bell.¡±


    ¡°Wizards like to do these weird and incomprehensible things. Back then, they were competing with each other to hide their own hermitage in the most complicated way. Their method became weirder by the day. Sometimes, even the wizards found themselves having to spend hours figuring their way back,¡± said Vivian. ¡°They did this to evade the pursuit of the demon hunters, but soon they turned it into a sport in disguise, where wizards secretly competing with each other to create the best and most creative secret realm. I knew a guy got himself killed by the demon hunters on the way home because he couldn¡¯t find the door back home.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue looked at Vivian sideways. ¡°How did you get to know so many people?¡±


    Lily rolled her eyes. ¡°You might as well ask her why the people she knew all ended up dying¡­¡±


    At this time, the sun has set to the position where the shadow of the boulders had reached the river. Hessiana took the lead. ¡°Let¡¯s go, the path has appeared.¡±


    They follow path to the riverbank, but Hessiana kept going. The strange thing happened, she stepped her foot on the water and walked on the surface right to the middle of the river.


    The weather was cold but not cold enough to freeze the river surface. There was thin layer of ice formed on the river edge but it was not known whether this was because of the weather or the influence of supernatural forces.


    Turcan and Kassandra followed from behind Hessiana. By now, Lily figured that it might be magical environment of the mysterious realm, so she took up her courage and ran to keep up with them.


    But she ran into the water.


    Lily got the shock of her life and jumped out of the water frantically. She was soaked from the knee down. Hessiana glanced over her shoulder, asking curiously, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Lily staggered up the riverbank, embarrassed. ¡°Isn¡¯t the river surface walkable? Why I couldn¡¯t do that?¡±


    ¡°Who told you that you?¡± Hessiana threw an inexplicable look. ¡°We have magic helping us to walk on the water.¡±


    Everyone: ¡°¡­..¡±


    Feeling embarrassed, Lily banged her head against Hao Ren¡¯s arm. ¡°It¡¯s my fault, I was over imaginative. It¡¯s my fault, I was over imaginative¡­¡±


    ¡°Guys, please wait on the riverbank.¡± Hessiana motioned with her hand and yanked out a quaint copper bell. When she had found the exact position, she gently rang the brass bell.


    A thunderous sound came out of the bell!


    That caught everyone by surprise. As the bell rang, a shockwave burst under Hessiana¡¯s feet and ripples on the river spread. The ripples reached the water edge, onto the mud and then up the rocks on the riverbanks. The surroundings was rippling like water, pulsating in tandem with the rings of the bell!


    Then the weird thing happened. Buildings and trees that did not exist before began to emerge on the wasteland. Swaying shadows that looked like houses rose up on the riverbanks while ghost-like figures emerged between these wavy shadows. Hao Ren began to hear voices engaging in trivial conversations in some ancient European language. Hao Ren instinctively switched on his translation plug-in. A few fragmented conversation drifted into his ears, it was about some seigneur.


    Suddenly, the illusions disappeared, and the vision before Hao Ren¡¯s eyes normalised.


    Everyone looked around and found himself still standing by the river, at the same spot before the vision. Something not there before had now existed. Houses, streets, wooden towers; it was a small town built on the riverbank.


    Hao Ren looked at the houses, they were very ancient, most of them were constructed of wood and stone, and wooden trestles that seemed like docks of fish boats extending out from the houses into the river. Most of the roads between houses were dirt roads, but there were some slated or pebbled roads. Black oil lamps were hanging from the lampposts on both sides of the roads.


    The town seemed as old as hundreds of years¡ªor even longer. It was as if a medieval town that came straight out of a movie.


    Lily looked up at the sky and found the sky had changed. A thick layer of smoke of unknown thickness was now shrouding the town. The smoke seemed to have come from a fire that had been burning for days. The dim surroundings made the quiet structure look even spookier.


    ¡°Is this the mysterious realm?¡± Hao Ren appeared a little surprised. ¡°I thought¡­ I thought it was only a castle or something.¡±


    Hessiana and her team returned to the shore. They laughed at Hao Ren¡¯s naivety. ¡°A witch¡¯s lair doesn¡¯t mean it has got to be small.¡±


    ¡°But this is just too big,¡± Hao Ren said, pouting his mouth at the surroundings. ¡°This is simply out of scale with a hermit¡¯s home.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened back then. But it seems that the wizard had dragged the whole town into his enchantment,¡± Hessiana said, nodding. ¡°We hadn¡¯t had time to explore the town in the past. This is only my second time here. As Kassandra said, there is only a seven-day window. The last time I came, the window was closing; I managed to linger for a half an hour before it kicked me out. So be careful, my experience may not be of help.¡±


    Nangong Sanba quietly took out his magic props from his toolbox. He placed Letta rune cards on the houses, poured some pungent-smelled magic oil on the ground and ignited them. Immediately, the magic oil burned. Despite the wind, the flame was steady. Under the illumination of the flame, some small shadows began to retreat.


    Hessiana¡¯s brows knit together and coughed when she smelled the burning magic oil. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°It stabilises the spiritual dimension.¡± Nangong Sanba looked serious; his eyes glowed in white in the dark, as if his pupils had disappeared had disappeared from his eyes. ¡°I see many spirits. I am afraid our presence has disturbed them.¡±


    Lily immediately drew out her Frostfire Claws. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of ghosts.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue also raised her hand. ¡°Me too. Elemental creature has no feeling towards the spirit.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the two in surprise, wondering when chicken duo had suddenly become so darling.


    Nangong Sanba shook his head and said, ¡°The spirits may not be a threat in themselves, and they keep the place stable. If they get out of control, the dimension might crumble. So I need to stabilise it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your call.¡± Hao Ren nodded and rubbed his arms instinctively. ¡°After hearing what you said, I start to get goose bumps.¡±


    Hessiana gave him a sideways glance. ¡°People like you are still afraid of ghost?¡±


    ¡°Not that I¡¯m scared. But imagine that there are hundreds of pairs of invisible eyes staring at you in the dark¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop it, Hao Ren!¡± Hessiana snapped. She started to rub her arms too. ¡°I¡¯ve got goose bumps.¡±

 Chapter 781

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    This nameless town was held up by witchcraft in an alien dimension, and it was larger than expected. After climbing up a wooden tower in the town, Hao Ren saw buildings rising and falling according to the terrain. They stretched out into the distance as if it was the disgusting wrinkled skin of a dirty behemoth. Everything looked dark and dull without colours that soothed the heart. At the end of the town, away from the riverbank, stood a large building, which could be the residence of nobility.


    It was likely that the wizard used to live there.


    Hao Ren came down from the watchtower and told everyone what he saw. ¡°There is a big house at the end of the town. Let¡¯s go and check it out.¡±


    ¡°Keep your eyes open.¡± Vivian reminded. ¡°The wizard might have laid traps, especially those as large as this¡­ he who set up this mysterious realm is by no mean an ordinary fellow, even during Mythological Period.¡±


    They began to carefully explore this quiet, strange town. Lily¡¯s eyes darted between the old houses and streets. Then she asked the most knowledgeable one in the team, ¡°Battie, how old is this town?¡±


    ¡°Four hundred to a thousand years. The style of architecture and level of civilisation had not changed much during that period. The time flow in this town is obviously not in sync with the time on the outside, so it is difficult to ascertain what era the town is from,¡± Vivian said as she frowned. ¡°But one thing is certain; this mysterious realm did not form naturally. Some magic power dragged the town from the real world into this dimension.¡±


    ¡°Have you got more details about the wizard?¡± Hao Ren looked at Hessiana.


    Hessiana replied with an unenthusiastic voice, as she did not feel like talking to Hao Ren, ¡°Wizards are very secretive, there is not much information about them. About this particular wizard, I know something about him though. The earliest recorded activity of him was around 1346 AD. He was once a French named Baptiste and had stayed in France for a hundred years. But he was very low profile, seemed like a good guy. But one day, he suddenly left France, and moved around many European countries and left behind many records of black magic and evil rituals. Around 1500 AD, he was reportedly active in Finland and Russia and possibly it was during that time that he began to do something to this town.¡±


    ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°Not much about him afterward. He was barely active for the subsequent two centuries.¡± Hessiana shook her head. ¡°Baptiste was a freak; he had never been in contact with other wizards. He was supposedly more powerful than many other wizards were, but his reputation was notoriously no more better than a black magic apprentice. I have utilised almost all the intelligence network of my family to get this information, but I still couldn¡¯t find where he got his ability from nor which wizardry school he belonged to. He is definitely an extreme hermit, a lone ranger.¡±


    Vivian looked up at the sky; it was all smoke. She asked casually, ¡°Is that wizard dead?¡±


    ¡°Nothing seems to suggest that,¡± Hessiana said with forced smile. ¡°It was said that he was involved in the conflict between the demon hunters and the descendants of Anubis two centuries ago and went missing after that for two centuries. Probably he was dead. But who knows? We just need his manuscripts and relics, that fellow is better dead than alive.¡±


    ¡°I would rather wish he is still alive.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°That way I can ask him about the summoning ritual.¡±


    By now, they were drawing close to the heart of the town and the road before them became slightly wider. The houses in the surroundings were larger and nicer and most likely a social upper-class enclave. There was a small open space, which was not even a square by any measure. The space was flat and neat. The road encircling the open space paved with medium-sized pebbles. In the centre of the open space, a wooden stage had rotten and collapsed. The townspeople might be used to gather here and listen to the speech of the seigneur.


    Further out, encircling the open space were old, wooden and stone buildings that looked haunted with their dark hollow faces staring at the outsiders who were breaking into the town. All doors were shut. Tattered cloth or planks were hanging from the narrow windows. The gap on the doors and windows revealed the darkness inside as if there were unknown pairs of eye¡ªthe eyes of the residents who disappeared mysteriously and whose fate was unknown¡ªpeering out from the dark.


    The atmosphere jittered Nangong Wuyue. She summoned her water mist and shrouded herself in it before transforming into a siren. Then, she tossed her cloth-ball to Hao Ren before doing a little body stretching. ¡°Phew¡­ it feels so much better this way.¡±


    Hao Ren tucked her clothes into the dimensional pocket and asked, ¡°Are you not cold?¡±


    Wuyue laid her half-snake body and wriggling on the ground that was close to the Arctic Circle. Hao Ren could feel the cold even by just looking.


    Wuyue straightened up the tip of her tail and waved. ¡°I¡¯m a water element. Water element isn¡¯t afraid of cold provided it¡¯s not freezing.¡±


    Lily was more interested in the wooden stage in the middle of the open space. She walked around it and then raised her Flamejoy suddenly. ¡°I felt a strange chilly air around the stage.¡±


    ¡°There are spirits here,¡± Nangong Sanba said with two bottles of magic oil in his hand, and his face looked damn serious. ¡°Don¡¯t poke around with the fire stick. If you disturbed the evil spirits they will haunt you.¡±


    Lily was cheesed off. She wielded her Flamejoy at Nangong Sanba. ¡°Don¡¯t ever call it fire stick again! Can¡¯t you see there are three forks?¡±


    ¡°Do you mean the spirits here are ghosts?¡± Hao Ren had been interested in this from the beginning. ¡°Can ghost talk?¡±


    A lost town, wandering spirits, run-down streets and houses; all these were enough to scare people out of their wits. But they seemed like child¡¯s play in the eyes of Hao Ren. He had worse. He had won over the vengeful spirit of an entire planet. And, he had the nerves of steel. All he cared was to talk to the ghosts.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame that these spirits are very weak,¡± Nangong Sanba said as he shook his head regretfully. ¡°They are everywhere, but also chaotic and look blurry. You can¡¯t communicate with spirits that aren¡¯t self-sustaining. They lack memory and thinking.¡±


    Hao Ren murmured. ¡°Are they the natives of this town?¡±


    ¡°Most likely,¡± Vivian said. ¡°They were humans, and judging from the condition of the houses, they didn¡¯t even have time to react when the town fell into the alien dimension. Humans wouldn¡¯t survive in this space.¡±


    ¡°He dragged the entire town into this? What the wizard was thinking?¡± Hao Ren frowned and his face looked not very pleasant. ¡°He didn¡¯t have to do this if all he wanted was just live in seclusion.¡±


    When they were discussing, Lily had done many rounds around the wooden stage. The stage attracted her in an inexplicable way. Her eyes began to glow in golden light when faint shadows emerged from the ground. The shadows had the figure of human, all wearing clothes that looked like they were from ancient times, and standing expressionlessly, looking up at the wooden stage as if they were listening to someone speaking on the stage.


    Lily¡¯s ears slowly stood erect when some chatters drifted into her ears:


    ¡°¡­the child really was stolen by the devil, we should have expelled the witch earlier¡­¡±


    ¡°It seems that we haven¡¯t seen the seigneur for a long time.¡±


    ¡°¡­the scholar said he would help the child to exorcise the devil, but I don¡¯t believe in magic¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, do you want to be cursed by the witch? They will throw you outside the town, and the witch is still wandering there¡­¡±


    ¡°Why not seek help from the church?¡±


    ¡°¡­the seigneur didn¡¯t come¡­¡±

 Chapter 782

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Everyone else was talking about wizards, mysterious realms, magic and ghosts. No one noticed what Lily was doing: the others knew that it was normal for the husky maiden to run around like a curious bunny. No one would blink an eye even if she suddenly decided to dig a hole and bury herself in it. Lily was now standing beside the stage, wide-eyed as she listened to the sounds of the other dimension. She did so until the sound slowly became distorted, as though there was radio interference. This caused her to snap out from her stupor.


    Lily¡¯s ears flickered as she tried to listen to the voices again. But it vanished and the faint shadows before her eyes were fading like water ripples. She lifted her Frostfire Claws in the air trying to catch them, but it turned out they were mere phantoms.


    Hao Ren noticed her. He asked from afar, ¡°Lily, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I just heard someone talking!¡± Lily immediately darted towards Hao Ren and told them what she had heard and seen.


    Nangong Sanba¡¯s brows pulled together. ¡°Message from the ghosts?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say the spirits here are very weak, and they have jumbled as much that they couldn¡¯t be separated from each other?¡± Hao Ren slid Nangong Sanba a glance. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Nangong Sanba looked at Lily curiously and sprinkled some powder into the air. ¡°The spirits here is indeed very weak; you can see it for yourself¡ª¡±


    Before his voice trailed off, the powder that he had just sprinkled was suspended in the air by magic and spreading like a mist around them in a faint fluorescent glow. Under the illumination of the glowing powder, some faint shadows gradually emerged, but disappeared after a few seconds.


    ¡°Those are the spirits that are entrenched in the town,¡± Nangong Sanba said, arching the corner of his mouth. ¡°As you can see, there are so vague.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know you,¡± Lily¡¯s ears shook a little and said, ¡°but cold see them pretty clearly.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the husky maiden in surprise, thinking what a special ability she got there! She could even see faint ghosts that the demon hunters could not. Nangong Wuyue was no less awed. She asked Vivian, ¡°Does werewolf has wraith-perceiving ability?¡±


    ¡°No, they don¡¯t,¡± Vivian replied. Her expression looked strange as if she was in some kind of deep thought. ¡°But it¡¯s true that the dogs ward off evil spirits. Doesn¡¯t the Chinese says pets have supernatural vision; they could see spirits?¡±


    Everyone: ¡°¡­..¡±


    Vivian was dead serious when she said that. Lily did not know how to refute it. Next to her, Turcan had wanted say ¡°that¡¯s not scientific¡± but he bit back. His sudden self-awareness told him that as a fantasy creature, he was neither more scientific.


    Hao Ren motioned with his hands to brush this conversation aside as he was looking thoughtfully at the empty little square. ¡°It seems ghosts might be in town. I have also heard some voices when I first got here but not as clearly as Lily did. So why not you keep an eye on the spirits, Lily? Tell me if you hear or see anything. Maybe those spirits could tell us something about the town.¡±


    ¡°You got it!¡± Lily replied, holding her head high. ¡°Just now I heard they were talking something about the seigneur. This town should have been a land of some seigneur. Is this information useful?¡±


    ¡°Land of the seigneur?¡± Vivian frowned. ¡°It doesn¡¯t reveal much. In that era, almost all the land belonged to the seigneurs.¡±


    Lily snorted regretfully and turned to walk in front of them. Her eyes was emanating a golden glow as she kept seeing the invisible shadows roaming and disappeared again in the lost town. In the visions of other people, the path in the town was shrouded in a layer of grey mist, but Lily could see translucent shadows were flashing across her eyes from occasionally.


    It was a pity that most of the shadows are very, very thin. They were not even wraith, just an echo of dying souls reverberating in the air, but the real souls had already left.


    Hao Ren took out the MDT, which was showing some readings of the spirits. This gadget was not specifically used to detect the wraiths; he could not rely on its radar alone to communicate with the ghosts, so he tucked away the MDT.


    They came before an abandoned house. Nangong Sanba checked the street sign in front of the house. ¡°Domir¡­ Was there such a town in history?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Turcan replied. ¡°We have checked; neither the name ¡®Domir¡¯ nor record of any human towns in this area exist. It¡¯s not sure whether it was because of magic or simply the length of time, this place has been completely wiped off from history.¡±


    Vivian thought for a while and said, ¡°Probably it was time. Only people like Odin and Zeus were capable of casting spell that could tamper with history on a large scale in Mythology Period. I don¡¯t think a human wizard had such ability. Europe was in turbulence hundreds of years ago. It wasn¡¯t unusual for remote, small town like this being buried in history. Moreover, it has completely disappeared from the map, there¡¯s no way to investigate.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue was crawling at the back of the team. She felt something strange, rolled her tail up and checked what it was. ¡°Do you guys notice there¡¯s ashes everywhere in this town?¡±


    ¡°Ashes?¡± Hao Ren looked down at his feet and found himself stepping on a layer of greyish black powder. He did not really notice it before this. ¡°This is¡­¡±


    ¡°Like the ashes of burned wood.¡± Nangong Wuyue picked up a little ashes and squeezed it with her fingers. ¡°It¡¯s everywhere, right from the entrance of the town until here.¡±


    Hao Ren looked around thoughtfully. He did not see obvious signs of fire. So where did the ashes come from?


    There was no record of Domir in history. No one could tell when and how it disappeared, and how it looked like before the destruction. Judging from the enclosed condition and the entrenched spirits here, the place should be intact until it was pulled into the dimension, and the ashes only appeared after the mysterious realm was locked away, Hao Ren so thought.


    Unless the town had a custom of scattering ashes. Hao Ren pondered for a while and dismissed this theory, which was less probable.


    Lily held her Flamejoy that doubled as a torch in front of the pack. She focused her vision and saw more spirits appearing in the air. There were so many of them that it looked so abnormal. It was so crowded together that they were overlapping, almost walked into and on top of each other. The little town could never accommodate such a large population. Lily became suspicious. She observed carefully, and finally discovered the secret: these ghosts were shadows of each other.¡±


    She could not see them clearly but judging from the outlines and shapes, some of the wandering ghosts were actually one. They were generally walking along the same path and direction, the difference was just the timing. A group of seemingly different shadows would always walk into the same door, and that was a giveaway that they were actually one.


    She told her puzzling findings to Nangong Sanba who then told the others. Suddenly, a thought across Vivian¡¯s mind. ¡°Perhaps these spirits are not of human at all.¡±


    Hao Ren did not get it. ¡°You mean¡­¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it is the memory of this town, or perhaps the resonance of a more powerful soul. In short, they are not ghosts, but something that is projected by another force, so that explains the repetition and their same trajectory and action,¡± Vivian said as she surrounded herself with a faint blood mist. ¡°I was already suspicious just now. If all the residents of the town had become ghosts, there should be a wraith-energy field here. But there¡¯s none except for a little change in temperature and the wandering spirits.¡±


    Hao Ren was a little ignorant in this field. He asked Kasandra who later told him that when a large number of ghosts (or similar wraiths) gathered they would form an energy field. The more their number, the stronger the energy field. When the number of ghosts exceeded a hundred it was enough for humans to perceive the energy field. This energy field could cause hallucinations and even death.


    At least wraiths of human were capable of doing this.


    The MDT agreed with Kassandra. But its explanation was simpler: the superposition of electromagnetic field.


    Hao Ren gave it a little more imagination. But that only gave him goose bumps.


    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren peeked out from the window and found that the SUV was driving across a wasteland. The road was rugged. Even with the SUV¡¯s superb suspension, the ride was still quite bumpy. Except for more desolation, the surroundings did not change much.


    Hessiana asked Turcan drove the vehicle up to a higher ground and let everyone get off. She said this was the destination.


    ¡°Nothing unusual here,¡± Hao Ren said as he looked around the barren terrain, broken stones and patches of snow remaining in the cracks in the rock. The Arctic wind blew all day long. There were no signs of life here except a handful of low-lying, tenacious plants persevered in the cracks on the leeward sides of the boulders.


    Hessiana looked up at the sky. ¡°Wait,¡± she said.


    The sun was slowly setting. As it set closer to the horizon, two huge shadows gradually extended from behind them. Hao Ren turned his head and found that two huge boulders sitting close together on a small mound not far away were casting the shadows that looked like a tuning fork. Looks like the gap between the two shadows was pointing towards the direction of the river.


    ¡°We found the way of accessing the ¡®mysterious realm¡¯ in another manuscript,¡± Kassandra explained. ¡°Every month, there are seven-day window when you can enter the mysterious realm. During this period, the sun will shine on the two boulders on the riverbank and cast a shadow that acts as a pointer. The position of the ¡®gate¡¯ is always changing relative to the position of the sun. When the path appears, you still need a bell made by the wizard to disturb the water surface in order to open the ¡®gate¡¯. Of course, Master has already got the bell.¡±


    ¡°Wizards like to do these weird and incomprehensible things. Back then, they were competing with each other to hide their own hermitage in the most complicated way. Their method became weirder by the day. Sometimes, even the wizards found themselves having to spend hours figuring their way back,¡± said Vivian. ¡°They did this to evade the pursuit of the demon hunters, but soon they turned it into a sport in disguise, where wizards secretly competing with each other to create the best and most creative secret realm. I knew a guy got himself killed by the demon hunters on the way home because he couldn¡¯t find the door back home.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue looked at Vivian sideways. ¡°How did you get to know so many people?¡±


    Lily rolled her eyes. ¡°You might as well ask her why the people she knew all ended up dying¡­¡±


    At this time, the sun has set to the position where the shadow of the boulders had reached the river. Hessiana took the lead. ¡°Let¡¯s go, the path has appeared.¡±


    They follow path to the riverbank, but Hessiana kept going. The strange thing happened, she stepped her foot on the water and walked on the surface right to the middle of the river.


    The weather was cold but not cold enough to freeze the river surface. There was thin layer of ice formed on the river edge but it was not known whether this was because of the weather or the influence of supernatural forces.


    Turcan and Kassandra followed from behind Hessiana. By now, Lily figured that it might be magical environment of the mysterious realm, so she took up her courage and ran to keep up with them.


    But she ran into the water.


    Lily got the shock of her life and jumped out of the water frantically. She was soaked from the knee down. Hessiana glanced over her shoulder, asking curiously, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Lily staggered up the riverbank, embarrassed. ¡°Isn¡¯t the river surface walkable? Why I couldn¡¯t do that?¡±


    ¡°Who told you that you?¡± Hessiana threw an inexplicable look. ¡°We have magic helping us to walk on the water.¡±


    Everyone: ¡°¡­..¡±


    Feeling embarrassed, Lily banged her head against Hao Ren¡¯s arm. ¡°It¡¯s my fault, I was over imaginative. It¡¯s my fault, I was over imaginative¡­¡±


    ¡°Guys, please wait on the riverbank.¡± Hessiana motioned with her hand and yanked out a quaint copper bell. When she had found the exact position, she gently rang the brass bell.


    A thunderous sound came out of the bell!


    That caught everyone by surprise. As the bell rang, a shockwave burst under Hessiana¡¯s feet and ripples on the river spread. The ripples reached the water edge, onto the mud and then up the rocks on the riverbanks. The surroundings was rippling like water, pulsating in tandem with the rings of the bell!


    Then the weird thing happened. Buildings and trees that did not exist before began to emerge on the wasteland. Swaying shadows that looked like houses rose up on the riverbanks while ghost-like figures emerged between these wavy shadows. Hao Ren began to hear voices engaging in trivial conversations in some ancient European language. Hao Ren instinctively switched on his translation plug-in. A few fragmented conversation drifted into his ears, it was about some seigneur.


    Suddenly, the illusions disappeared, and the vision before Hao Ren¡¯s eyes normalised.


    Everyone looked around and found himself still standing by the river, at the same spot before the vision. Something not there before had now existed. Houses, streets, wooden towers; it was a small town built on the riverbank.


    Hao Ren looked at the houses, they were very ancient, most of them were constructed of wood and stone, and wooden trestles that seemed like docks of fish boats extending out from the houses into the river. Most of the roads between houses were dirt roads, but there were some slated or pebbled roads. Black oil lamps were hanging from the lampposts on both sides of the roads.


    The town seemed as old as hundreds of years¡ªor even longer. It was as if a medieval town that came straight out of a movie.


    Lily looked up at the sky and found the sky had changed. A thick layer of smoke of unknown thickness was now shrouding the town. The smoke seemed to have come from a fire that had been burning for days. The dim surroundings made the quiet structure look even spookier.


    ¡°Is this the mysterious realm?¡± Hao Ren appeared a little surprised. ¡°I thought¡­ I thought it was only a castle or something.¡±


    Hessiana and her team returned to the shore. They laughed at Hao Ren¡¯s naivety. ¡°A witch¡¯s lair doesn¡¯t mean it has got to be small.¡±


    ¡°But this is just too big,¡± Hao Ren said, pouting his mouth at the surroundings. ¡°This is simply out of scale with a hermit¡¯s home.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened back then. But it seems that the wizard had dragged the whole town into his enchantment,¡± Hessiana said, nodding. ¡°We hadn¡¯t had time to explore the town in the past. This is only my second time here. As Kassandra said, there is only a seven-day window. The last time I came, the window was closing; I managed to linger for a half an hour before it kicked me out. So be careful, my experience may not be of help.¡±


    Nangong Sanba quietly took out his magic props from his toolbox. He placed Letta rune cards on the houses, poured some pungent-smelled magic oil on the ground and ignited them. Immediately, the magic oil burned. Despite the wind, the flame was steady. Under the illumination of the flame, some small shadows began to retreat.


    Hessiana¡¯s brows knit together and coughed when she smelled the burning magic oil. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°It stabilises the spiritual dimension.¡± Nangong Sanba looked serious; his eyes glowed in white in the dark, as if his pupils had disappeared had disappeared from his eyes. ¡°I see many spirits. I am afraid our presence has disturbed them.¡±


    Lily immediately drew out her Frostfire Claws. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of ghosts.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue also raised her hand. ¡°Me too. Elemental creature has no feeling towards the spirit.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the two in surprise, wondering when chicken duo had suddenly become so darling.


    Nangong Sanba shook his head and said, ¡°The spirits may not be a threat in themselves, and they keep the place stable. If they get out of control, the dimension might crumble. So I need to stabilise it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your call.¡± Hao Ren nodded and rubbed his arms instinctively. ¡°After hearing what you said, I start to get goose bumps.¡±


    Hessiana gave him a sideways glance. ¡°People like you are still afraid of ghost?¡±


    ¡°Not that I¡¯m scared. But imagine that there are hundreds of pairs of invisible eyes staring at you in the dark¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop it, Hao Ren!¡± Hessiana snapped. She started to rub her arms too. ¡°I¡¯ve got goose bumps.¡±

 Chapter 783

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren did not know what had happened to this town, but one thing was sure, it was not something good.


    The lurking spirits in the town suggested the residents¡¯ final destiny. They were obviously dead at least hundreds of years ago, and these spirits were just a heap of ¡°memories¡±. The empty memories reverberating in the space contained no traces of the souls. So, where were souls?


    Meanwhile, Nangong Sanba became the only wraithologist in the team. He might not be an effective fighter, but what he had was a century of experience in dealing with spirits and ghosts. ¡°Human souls could vanish quickly. They are impossible to remain in existence for hundreds of years. But the spiritual body in this dimension is more stable; maybe the souls could linger on for a while longer. Thus, there are two explanations for the ¡®reverberation¡¯ in the surroundings. The souls of the residents are trapped, their leaked energy is creating an illusion of phantoms; or the residents might have suffered tremendous torture before they died or a wraith spell has been controlling them after their death, and forcibly extracting their memories and turning it into phantoms in this land.¡±


    Hao Ren sensed a chill ran up his spine, as he looked at a house closest to him. The rotting old house stood quietly in the narrow street with its dark windows and doors looking like the eyes of the devil that peered at the shadow of the other houses. The dark, dusty sky was drooping down behind the roof, it felt suffocating. It was the same in other buildings¡ªempty, lifeless, as if the houses were a curse that imprisoned the people who used to live in this land.


    Nangong Sanba pulled his wind coat tighter to himself. He said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s full of evil. Something very bad had happened in here.¡±


    An old house had attracted Lily¡¯s eyeballs. She came before the dark old house and gently pushed the heavily rotten, wooden door. The door swung open with an ugly-sounding squeak. The dust fell from the beam choked Lily¡¯s nose. She coughed and waved away the dust frantically. She held up a ¡®torch¡¯ to light up the surroundings before stepping into the haunted house.


    Hao Ren followed her curiously from behind.


    It was pitch-dark. An unknown greyish black substance covering the surfaces seemed to be light absorbent; no matter how close Lily carried her ¡®torch¡¯ at, it could not illuminate the place. Hao Ren stepped his foot onto the floorboard and it squeaked loudly under his foot. Despite the darkness, he could see the simple layout and furnishings.


    It looked like a commoner¡¯s home but slightly better than those houses on the riverbank. The owner was certainly not wealthy. Inside had only a few simple wooden furniture. Ironware of various shape and sizes were hanging on a huge column in the centre of the house. One of them was an oil lamp, but there was no oil in it. Lily smelled a strange odour in her nostrils. She could not help coughing because of the unbearable air. ¡°What is that smell?¡± she asked and frowned.


    Hessiana followed. Her eyes glittered with a soft red glow in the dark. ¡°What have you found?¡±


    ¡°Just like the previous houses; dark and weird. Dust everywhere. The air stank. I couldn¡¯t tell what the owner was doing before he abandoned the house.¡± Pointing at the ironware hanging on the column, Hao Ren said, ¡°Sickle, axe, and other stuff were left untouched. They could use these things to defence themselves but they did not. There is no sign of struggle. It seems they left unhurriedly.¡±


    ¡°Was it?¡± Hessiana mumbled as she rubbed her hand across the table near the wall. ¡°Ashes¡­ a lot of ashes. I don¡¯t like the atmosphere here.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s voice came from the door. ¡°In those days, flame was a symbol of evil purification. So did the ashes.¡±


    ¡°As in the trial of witches?¡± Hao Ren said casually. Just as his voice trailed off, the room suddenly lit up!


    But it was not the fire from Lily¡¯s claws. Her ¡®torch¡¯ could not do that. It was the oil lamp hanging on the central column.


    But the light did not feel warmth and calming. They were shocked. Lily was wielding her Frostfire Claws while Hessiana unleashed her vampire whip. But there was no enemy. Except for the oil lamp that lit up suddenly, nothing had changed.


    Hao Ren stepped up to check out the oil lamp. It was empty. The flame was actually floating directly above the lamp. The lamp would switch on at the pre-set hour like an automatic lighting system


    At this time, Kassandra, who was standing guard outside, suddenly called out. ¡°Ma¡¯am! There¡¯s a situation out here!¡±


    Everyone rushed out and saw the entire town began to light up.


    Light leaked through the gaps in the windows and doors. It was almost as if someone in the empty houses lit up their lamps when the nightfall with. As did the oil lamps on the wooden poles in the streets.


    Now the town had come alive much to the amazement of everyone.


    ¡°Looks like this is not simply a mysterious realm, some kind illusion is shrouding this dimension, it is between reality and illusion,¡± Vivian said as she gazed out at end of the road, looking thoughtfully. ¡°That house has light too.¡±


    It was a magnificent mansion at the end of the town. That was where they were going. If they had not guessed it wrong, the seigneur must have lived in the house.


    Hao Ren and his team headed towards the big house. Lily was keeping up with them. As she left, voices began to drift into her ears again.


    ¡°¡­people are sick again and this time, it¡¯s not only children, but adults.¡±


    ¡°¡­the witch¡­has been burned to death¡­ the seigneur must think of something, a solution. The curse that the witch left behind is still here.¡±


    ¡°The seigneur has not appeared in public for two months already. I heard that he is locking himself in a room. Only scholars could see him occasionally¡­¡±


    ¡°Since the seigneur¡¯s wife¡­ now it¡¯s getting harder¡­¡±


    ¡°Shhh, stop mentioning about the seigneur¡¯s wife, the guards might hear us.¡±


    Lily blinked and then jumped up to Hao Ren. ¡°Mr. Landlord! I just heard something again!¡±


    Lily recounted what he heard to Hao Ren as they slowly came in front of the big house at the end of the town.


    The big house looked more gorgeous than the other houses. Tthis was a fine house that people would envy back then. But it could not even be counted as a mansion. It had a grand rectangular main building, and a tall, bell tower-like entrance. Hao Ren picked up a piece of plaque on the ground near the main entrance. The writing was illegible except one: Heimerwin.


    It could be the name of the house owner.


    ¡°The world is bound to no man.¡±


    Vivian shook her head and looked past the oak plaque, which she didn¡¯t not show interest. She pushed open the front door of the mansion.


    As expected, the mansion was just as well lit as the rest of the town. Obviously, the house owner had plenty of money for more oil lamps and brighter house.


    Hao Ren took the lead while Lily was on his heels, guarding him. She was a competent bodyguard. But only when she was not freaking out. They entered one after another into the house.


    There was a fire pit in the centre of the main house. There was fire in the pit no firewood. Hao Ren placed his hand above the fire but he could not feel heat.


    He pulled his hand back. ¡°It¡¯s fake.¡±


    ¡°Since we¡¯re already here,¡± Nangong Sanba looked at Hessiana, ¡°where is the thing that the wizard left behind?¡±


    Hessiana pursed her lips. ¡°Search slowly, this is a big house. That wizard was a weirdo; God knows what the weirdo had done to the town¡ª¡±


    She suddenly paused and turned to look into the direction of the stairs with a puzzled look on her face.


    Nangong Sanba also looked into where she was looking. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just an illusion but I sense the breath of a living person.¡±

 Chapter 784

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    It frightened them when Hessiana said she saw something, adding a more eerie feeling to the already spooky atmosphere. Nangong Sanba quickly drew his small crossbow and aimed it straight at the stairway. ¡°Are you sure? But, I didn¡¯t sense it.¡±


    Vivian sent out a tiny bat to check out the upper floor without saying a word. The bat came back with nothing after going around for a while. Shaking her head, she said, ¡°Nothing. Not even a faint shadow.¡±


    ¡°You are giving me goose bumps,¡± Hao Ren mumbled, rubbing his arm. He had had more dangerous situation, but sometimes, dangerous and spooky was not the same. This town was spooky, he felt it more intensely the longer he stayed. There was a surreal feeling where he could not make sense of the inexplicable atmosphere, not only because of the flame in the pit, but also the invisible things that lurked in the air.


    Probably the ubiquitous spirits were giving him the goose bumps.


    ¡°Let¡¯s first check the house out,¡± Vivian said. She sent out more bats and gave command to check out every corner of the big house. ¡°There chances are high that the wizard had hidden in here.¡±


    ¡°Then I should transform into human form first, the corners of the corridors in this old house are too narrow to manoeuvre.¡± Nangong Wuyue waved to Hao Ren. ¡°Give me my clothes.¡±


    Then they split up. Hao Ren and Vivian were in the same team checking the upper floor.


    The interior of this big house was complicated, although looking from the exterior it was not that grand, the interior had a complex designs that the nobility of that era liked. The house consisted of a long main building and two separate wings on both sides. A large part of the building was built of thick wood. On the ground floor were lobby and several rooms for servants and livestock. More rooms and a straight corridor were on the upper floor where the seigneur and his family lived. The house lit up brightly with oil lamps that hung a few metres apart each on the dark wall. The flames here were the same, there was no heat and flame was floating a few millimetres above the lamp with no oil inside.


    Hao Ren and Vivian slowly explored the upper floor. The wooden floor under their feet was squeaking in protest as they put their feet down, it sounded as if the floorboard was going to give way and snap. Hao Ren noticed that thick carpet was in front of some of the rooms in the corridor. Ashes was covering the carpets and objects in the surroundings but that did not hide the elaborate patterns on the objects.


    Vivian bent down to check the carpet; she had a nostalgic look on her face. ¡°Made in Italy, nice stuff. Even nobility in such a remote town had such a good life. Do you know that a blanket here is enough to feed a commoner family of five for six months?¡±


    ¡°More ashes here,¡± Hao Ren picked up some ashes on his hand when he pushed the door of the other room. ¡°It¡¯s just as bad as outside. The ashes is weird; this is not unnatural.¡±


    As he pushed open the door, he came into the room, which was not big and the decoration was nowhere near expensive. It did not look like this was a room for the seigneur nor his family. Vivian examined the furnishings. and she inferred based on her understanding of that era. ¡°This must be a room for either the butler, consultant, or similar senior servant. Senior servant was in charge of all the affairs of the nobility¡¯s family, and they were hereditary, following and living closely to their master. But they didn¡¯t have a noble title, so they were not allowed to use the ornaments that were limited to the nobility.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded slightly. ¡°Looks like you are comfortable with the atmosphere here. I have goose bumps all over by body.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t feel it though,¡± Vivian said and laughed. ¡°I used to live at the graveyard. As a Blood Clan, it¡¯s normal to dealing with these things.¡±


    Ashes was all over the room too. There was an oak bed in the southeast corner of the room but the fine bedding had mostly rotted away. Next to the bed was a writing desk with drawers, old stationeries and fragments of paper were still lying on the table. On the other side of the room was a small heater where an unnatural, heatless fire was still burning. In front of the heater was an old rocking chair where several pieces of rags was hanging down from it.


    Hao Ren looked at the room and he started to reconstruct the scene in his mind: the warm little flame was burning quietly in the heater illuminating the small room. An old butler came back to the room after finishing the work his master had instructed. He settled in his favourite rocking chair and covered himself with a blanket to get warm. Firelight shone on him and cast a shadow on his wrinkled face. Suddenly, something seemed to cross his mind. He stood up, went to the writing desk, and wrote something on a piece of parchment. After he finished writing, he kept the parchment in the second drawer of the desk¡­


    Hao Ren shook his head and came out of his stupor. He felt his heart was beating a little quicker. The scene that he saw¡ªillusion or imagination¡ªwas still fresh in his mind. He squinted at the old rocking chair in the middle of the room; the feeling was so real, as if he had really seen with his own eyes the wrinkle-faced, old butler sitting on it, and all that happened subsequently. For a moment, the boundary between reality and illusion was blurred out. He felt his consciousness had left the current space-time and fell into a memory hundreds of years ago. Vivian immediately noticed the anomaly. ¡°Hao Ren, what happened?¡±


    ¡°I think I saw something, but it¡¯s not the same way that Lily sees,¡± Hao Ren said as he instinctively came to the desk next to the bed, noticing a rusty hook hanging on the second drawer under the desk. ¡°I think I have seen a memory¡­¡±


    As he spoke, he squeezed the hook in his hand, the hook just crushed into pieces. He pulled the drawer open, and saw parchments lying inside.


    There were paper that seemed had rotten so much that it broken into pieces in the drawer too. But the parchment was well preserved. Hao Ren took out the fragile pieces of paper and put them on the table, and said to the MDT. ¡°Scan it. Need high contrast. Let¡¯s see if you can find what¡¯s written on it.¡±


    The MDT hovered in the air and began scanning. A blue light from its belly ran across the paper as a holographic projection showed the parsed text. Some of the texts were completely missing, and technically, they could not be reconstructed. But other texts were still visible and it looked a diary:


    ¡°¡­The suspicion and temper of Heimerwin are getting worse. He is convinced of the superstitions circulating among the commoners, and even actively spreading them¡­ I watched him grow up, but I started to not understand him. After Karina fell sick, he was like¡­ maybe the ¡®scholar¡¯ was suspicious, but Heimerwin¡¯s trust in him was overwhelming, and the scholar touched the cross with his hand¡­ I had better write it down, but for whom I want to write? I hope that these things will not be exposed someday¡­¡±


    After deciphering the contents of the paper, Hao Ren let the MDT scan parchment too. He found that the record on the paper were more significant than he had imagined; the information could be the key to unlock the secrets of this town.


    ¡°¡­Who is that scholar? I cannot find his information about his background, but he has solid and credible evidence to prove that he is not evil. He touched the cross and cleaned his teeth with clean salt, neither was he afraid of the spices I have added in the fireplace. Maybe he has noticed I am testing him, so he chose to reveal the qualities himself¡­ but doubts are still lingering in my mind. The rumours in town have not subsided, and they have become worse by the day. The witch who was expelled a few days ago was found dead near the river this morning. She seemed to want to steal a piece of clothing, but did not make it until the sunrise. Has her magic failed?¡±


    ¡°¡­the body of the witch was burned. The signs of the black magic are unmistakable. I should probably regret it. I had even once suspected she might be innocent. But when the fire rose, I only felt an intense fear. The corpse of the witch was trembling violently when it was ignited. Then huge smoke rose from the flame and it was a horrifying sight. The ash spilled from the smoke covered almost the entire square¡­ The ash collected was heavier than three adult men were. Some people say it is the total weight of the children that the witch had eaten. They used sacred water to purify the ash and then sprinkled it into the bottom of a pit covered with lime¡­


    ¡°¡­ After the witch incident, my doubts about the scholar remained because the disease did not end as he said. Despite of the expelling of the witch and the burning of her body, children in the town are still falling sick, and the adults are also starting to weaken¡­


    ¡°¡­One night, I saw that the scholar stopped in the place where the witch¡¯s body was burned. There was no one there, but his mouth was moving, as if he was talking to someone. I dared not got too close, but I could vaguely hear he mention something about ¡®the opposite side of the door¡¯ and a person named ¡®King of Blood¡¯¡­ I am sure he and the witch are related.¡±

 Chapter 785

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren had never expected himself to find ¡®King of Blood¡¯ in the diary of a commoner. Things became to make sense when the MDT finished parsing the remaining writing on the parchment.


    ¡®Heimerwin¡¯ in the diary matched the name on the plaque that Hao Ren found outside the big house. By now, he was certain that this Heimerwin was the seigneur of Domir town and the area around it. The person who left behind these parchments did not leave behind his own name, but one thing was sure, he was the butler of Heimerwin. The diary recorded what was happening before the town underwent changes. Reading between the lines, Hao Ren could feel the emotion and uneasiness of the writer when a series of grotesque events, shadows and turbulence befell Domir.


    It seemed that an infectious disease started it all. The voices that Lily heard and the text on the parchment confirmed this. Children in the town were infected with a strange disease that gradually robbed their strength, and there was no medial cure. During the dark period, events like this always created an air of horror, where people would inevitably link it to witchcraft and curses. Heimerwin, the seigneur did not do anything to arrest the spreading of rumours. Instead, his personality changed and he was listening to an unknown scholar. Instead of finding cure for the disease, he put the witch on trial. Obviously, the foreign ¡®scholar¡¯ was the one instigating this.


    Record about the witch was scarce. It was hard to tell whether she was only a normal woman who was framed or a real witch who knew magic. Only when the witch¡¯s body was burned and it produced so much ash that it became a concern. This explained the black ashes that existed everywhere in the town. If she was a real witch, then the ashes was probably a curse.


    Hao Ren and Vivian zoomed in on the ¡®scholar¡¯. The wizard was undoubtedly the one leaving behind the ¡®King of Blood¡¯ ritual.


    While reading the parsed text, Hao Ren asked Vivian, ¡°Is this very common in the past?¡±


    ¡°You mean the wizards and curses?¡± Vivian arched her eyebrows. ¡°Sort of. Witchcraft, magic, cursed cities and villages, the fights between the exorcists and demons, and the commoners that were caught in between. It was a chaotic era where demon hunters and otherworldlings hadn¡¯t completely faded out of the commoners¡¯ life, the number of people who died from unnatural causes was just astounding. But what had happened to this town was still uncommon; it was dragged into an alien dimension. The wizard who could do this was definitely very strong, and he certainly had the help from some external forces, for example, the gate of Inferno. No ordinary wizards could do that.¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly stopped what he was doing. ¡°You mean the power of the Inferno gate traps the town in this dimension?¡± he asked.


    ¡°The gate to Inferno should be the beginning of space-time distortion, but now the gate must have been closed.¡± Vivian waved her hand. ¡°Inferno is very unstable and it couldn¡¯t keep the gate open for centuries.¡±


    Then Hao Ren continued reading the manuscripts. The record that the old butler left behind contained this message:


    ¡°¡­I found that the scholar always holds a black book. When he reads the book, he always has a weird look on his face. No one who is blessed should have such expression especially when reading a good book¡­ I asked him about the book, and he gave me a cold reply. He said that it was a handwritten Bible, but for some religious reasons, he would not let anyone touch it. This is enough to cause suspicion in him: What kind of Bible will reject a person of conscience to touch it? Unless it is the book of the devil¡­


    ¡°¡­I finally found an opportunity, and I took a glance at the strange, black book he had in his hand. The insidious man quickly discovered my move. He suddenly had a heinous look in his eyes though only for a short while. At that time, he finally took off the glorious mask of ¡®scholar¡¯. I think I would never forget that a person¡¯s eyes could be so sinister¡­ the eyes that one would get when he sells his soul to the devil. It was as cold as glass; his real eyeballs must be hanging on the devil¡¯s mantelpiece! But the weirdest thing was the book itself¡­ there was no text, what I saw was only a blank page. Now I can only believe that God uses His miracle to protect His devout servant. The page must be filled with blasphemous symbols, and I was fortunate not having seen them.¡±


    The MDT flashed twice, which meant it had finished parsing the texts.


    ¡°Is black book mentioned in the text the magic book we found?¡± Hao Ren said to Vivian, feeling perplexed. ¡°We didn¡¯t find the text on the magic book disappearing though.¡±


    Vivian shook her head. ¡°It should be another book. It is improbable that the wizard had only one magic book. Anyway, we know who the wizard is now. I suspect he was the one behind the plaque and the witch incident. He seemed to have systematically dragged everyone in the town into some kind of ritual¡­ but based on the information at hand, I couldn¡¯t tell what kind of ritual it was.¡±


    The two rummaged around in the room, but found nothing. Hao Ren tucked the parchments and they went back down to the long hall on the ground floor.


    Soon the others had also returned. When they all gathered, they did debrief on the spot.


    ¡°I¡¯m no expert in witches, wizards, curses and things like that,¡± Lily muttered, pointing to her own eyes. ¡°I saw ghost shadows lurking around. They looked like the servants who worked here. I presumed Heimerwin the seigneur is among the shadows. But it was too chaotic that I couldn¡¯t tell who is who. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t find anything related to the wizard, nor his shadow. Probably, his spirit isn¡¯t here.¡±


    ¡°Sanba and I had checked the basement.¡± Nangong Wuyue raised her tail. ¡°There were rotten potatoes and barrels, and more ashes. Other than that, nothing else.¡±


    Turcan and Kassandra shook their heads one after another. They did not find anything in the side wings.


    ¡°The wizard must have lived here, but where did his hide his magic books and spellcasting props?¡± Hessiana scratched her chin. ¡°This stuff are as important as a wizard¡¯s life, it was impossible that he didn¡¯t carry them with him all the time¡­¡±


    Hessiana suddenly paused. They turned their head and looked into the direction of the stairway on the upper floor. Nangong Sanba suddenly broke the silence. ¡°Did you hear what I heard?¡±


    Lily¡¯s ears shaking. ¡°Yup. I heard footsteps.¡±


    Turcan and Kassandra immediately raised their guard and drew their sword and a large calibre pistol respectively. These were standard armament of the Hessiana family. The two then trod carefully towards the stairway. After moving just a few steps, they saw a shadow suddenly ¡®walked¡¯ down the stairs!


    The shadow was made up of ashes, dark and dirty as soot, in the figure of a human. The figure paused on the stairway for a moment before it continued to walk down clumsily. Ashes dropped from the figure as it moved. Then the incredible happened; the figure had shook off the ashes and revealed the underlying clothes and skin. It had the contours of a human. When it finally came down to the long hall, it almost appeared like a human.


    Everyone held their weapons on guard but was curious at the same time until the ¡®thing¡¯ finally revealed itself as a tired-looking, middle-aged man.


    The middle-aged man looked about forty years of age, his hairstyle and clothes suggested that he was the wealthy during the Medieval Period. The man was still in a stupor. But he quickly came out of it and stared at the strangers, wide-eyed.


    The man froze for a few seconds before he screamed, turned and ran back up the stairs onto the upper floor.


    Hao Ren snapped. ¡°Go and get him!¡±


    A white shadow lunged up the stairs; Lily had caught up with the man. She yanked a brick at the man and knocked him down. Hao Ren¡¯s heart missed a beat when he saw Lily¡¯s action; she could have broken up the man if he were made up of ashes.


    The man fell but he quickly got back to his feet as if nothing had happened.


    Before the man ran again, Lily lunged forward and overpowered him, and dragged her ¡®trophy¡¯ back down. ¡°I¡¯ve got him!¡±


    Lily tied the man up with a rope. The man looked at Hao Ren, terrified. ¡°You¡­ what are you going to do? Are you humans or ghosts?¡±


    Hao Ren thought he had the wizard, but this man did not sound like one. He asked the man, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The man replied in fear. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m the seigneur here, Heimerwin Ahtisaari¡­¡±

 Chapter 786

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    They surrounded the man who claimed to be the seigneur. Shrinking his neck into his collar, the man sat on a broken piece of chair, which color had long faded. The man looked scared. He grabbed his clothes tightly as his eyes darted between Hao Ren and Vivian. ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked back.


    ¡°We come from the outside, but that¡¯s none of your business.¡± Vivian folded her arms across her chest in an intimidating way. ¡°You are the seigneur? Do you know what happened here?¡±


    ¡°IF you know I¡¯m the seigneur, you should be humble!¡± Heimerwin raised his voice trying to project his authority, but quickly uneasiness had gotten the better of him. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I know nothing! Leave! You¡¯re not welcome here!¡±


    The man was trying to say that he was the seigneur and did not like the intruders. Despite his confusion and uneasiness, he was still trying to intimidating them with his aristocratic authority. Of course, Hao Ren did not buy it. When Heimerwin got too emotionally unstable, Kassandra put her hand on his shoulder, bent down gracefully and said, ¡°Please calm down ya, you¡¯re alone but there are five of us here.¡±


    Not to be deceived by Kassandra¡¯s beauty, the vampire was actually a thug in heart. Hao Ren already got used to her ever since they met two days ago.


    Heimerwin was stunned. He did not know what to make of it; probably no one had ever talked to him like that. But after a while, the seigneur came to his senses and said, ¡°You lot are robbers?¡±


    Kassandra remained elegant. She smiled and softly explained, ¡°We are not robbers, but if you don¡¯t cooperate, I will kill you.¡±


    Everyone: ¡°¡­..¡±


    The threat worked as Heimerwin finally knew who the real boss was; he became more cooperative now. He curled himself in the chair. His body language showed that he was frightened though he still spoke like a proud nobility. As Hao Ren and Vivian interrogated him, he kept repeating his story. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I don¡¯t know what happened here, I was sleeping on the upper floor and there you woke me. Where are my servants and butler?¡±


    ¡°I think his memory is messed up,¡± Hao Ren said quietly to Vivian when he noticed Heimerwin¡¯s state of mind. ¡°He doesn¡¯t even know the town has gone. Is his memory still stuck in the past?¡±


    Vivian nodded slightly and her brows knit together as she looked at Heimerwin. ¡°What is the last thing you remember?¡±


    ¡°I finished checking the warehouse, came back to the hall and had my meal, and then went to rest in my room,¡± Heimerwin said, glancing to the centre of the hall, his finger pointing to the ash-covered oak table. ¡°I was eating at that table. Why has it become so dusty?¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it like that before you ¡®slept¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Heimerwin said, holding her head up. ¡°This is a beautiful big house. My servants always kept it in spotless condition. But now¡­ Where are my servants?¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, they are already dead,¡± Hessiana said as she fiddled with her vampire whip. ¡°It all happened hundreds of years ago. There¡¯s the door, you can go out and check it out yourself.¡±


    Heimerwin looked at Hessiana in confusion before Turcan and Kassandra dragged him to the doorway. The man saw the scene outside, stunned. Then he grabbed his hair and shouted hysterically. ¡°Nightmare! Nightmare! Nightmare!¡±


    They looked at him from faraway. Nangong Wuyue poked her brother with the tip of her tail. ¡°Sanba, what do you think have happened to him?¡±


    ¡°Probably¡­ he is a ghost,¡± Nangong Sanba said, but he was also unsure. ¡°I have never seen this model. It emerged from the ashes. And look at his feet, there are footprints and shadow, which means he has weight and body.¡±


    Hessiana smiled as she looked at the only demon hunter at the scene. She said in a ridiculing voice. ¡°Expert, can you tell us what happens?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps the ashes in this mysterious realm had constructed his body under some kind of magic. Some wraith rituals could also produce similar results. But unless I could conduct a series of detailed tests on this soul, I can¡¯t tell how.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that. It¡¯s not easy to find someone who could provide us information. Don¡¯t frighten him anymore.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°And he is not our enemy. But like you said, wraith ritual could produce a similar creature¡­ so this seigneur transformed himself willingly?¡±


    Nangong Sanba looked at the dejected Heimerwin who was behind Turcan. ¡°The problem is that he seems to know nothing about his transformation. I thought that he did this to himself for immortality. But if he does not know it, then this transformation doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±


    ¡°Maybe he lied,¡± Lily pursed her lips. ¡°Maybe he turned the inhabitants of the entire town into sacrifices before he transformed himself into immortality. That way, no one would find out and go after him.¡±


    Turcan helped Heimerwin staggered back into the chair. Hermerwin was still grabbing his own hair and muttering to himself. ¡°Oh God¡­ what happened¡­ what this curse is all about?¡±


    Hessiana lifted up the man¡¯s chin with her long whip; she was running out of patience. ¡°Don¡¯t be a wretch, remember you are still a nobleman? Calm down. As you¡¯ve already seen, the town was destroyed at least a few hundred years ago, believe it or not. All people are gone; they are dead. As for yourself¡­ tsk, you probably have guessed it, you are dead too. You¡¯re now a wraith.¡±


    Heimerwin had not shown much reaction; probably he was suffering from psychological trauma. He stared blankly at Hessiana, and took a long time before he asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Some powerful black magic; that¡¯s what I can say,¡± said Nangong Sanba. ¡°We are exorcists from hundreds of years in the future, like the priests and spirit hunters of your time. We found this exiled town, and now you are the only one who can talk. Do you know who cast the spell on this town?¡±


    ¡°Black magic?¡± Heimerwin repeated the words vacantly. Suddenly, he flinched as if he had thought of something terrible. ¡°Devil! It is the devil! I remembered. There was a demon lurking here! I was bewitched. I was¡­ Oh god, what have I done¡­¡±


    The frightened man turned hysterical again and curled his body deeper into the chair, as if the devil he mentioned was coming in from the door. Hessiana noticed the anomaly and knocked his forehead with her whip, stamping a dark-red rune of blood spell on it. ¡°Calm down! Is the devil you mentioned a wizard? He disguised himself as a scholar, lurking around you?¡±


    ¡°Scholar¡­ scholar!¡± Heimerwin flung his hand up violently. ¡°It is him, it is him! The monster that sold the soul to hell, he deceived me, I was blinded, I was¡­¡±


    ¡°The wizard probably was dead,¡± Vivian interrupted. ¡°It is said that he was killed by a demon hunter.¡±


    Heimerwin was surprised. A sense of comfort seemed to flash across his eyes. Hessiana took this opportunity posing more questions, ¡°Do you know where the wizard hid? His dark magic lab, and the magic books, do you know where?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know!¡± Heimerwin bounced up from his chair. ¡°He didn¡¯t live here. The guy was a lone wolf. He lived in the old house behind the town. It¡¯s not far from here. I can take you there, I can take you there!¡±


    Heimerwin swung his arms and then strode to the door while the rest of them immediately followed him from behind.


    They followed Heimerwin down the path behind the big house towards the edge of the town.


    Then, a thick fog was in their way.

 Chapter 787

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    A thick fog was in the way; it was almost thick like a wall. Hao Ren stopped. He looked to the left as well as the right, and the wall of fog stretched out into the horizon on both sides.


    Dense fog had sealed off the entire town and there was no road ahead.


    ¡°This is probably the boundary of the town,¡± Vivian said. She reached her hand into the thick fog; she immediately felt a strange, slippery and warm touch to her hand. ¡°The mysterious realm has a limit. I think we have reached that limit.¡±


    ¡°Why stop? Hurry up, hurry up¡ª¡± Heimerwin said from the side as he was about to step into the fog. ¡°Hurry up, hurry up, the devil may get away¡­¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you see the fog?¡± Hao Ren pointed to the fog wall in front of him. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to just go in like that.¡±


    Heimerwin was a bit stunned. He turned around his head looking at the foggy border of the town. ¡°Fog? What fog? Is there a better weather than this? I can see the silhouette of the old mill from here.¡±


    Everyone was stunned. Did this ¡®ghost¡¯ not see fog had sealed off the border?


    Just when Hao Ren wanted to ask again, Heimerwin already stepped into the fog. Something incredible happened.


    The dense fog gave way as if it was some kind of living creature. Road and vegetation gradually emerged as if they were born from the fog. The fog cleared out ahead as Heimerwin moved.


    Hao Ren could not make of what happened. He pulled Vivian a little by her arm and said, ¡°Everyone, let¡¯s keep up.¡±


    The fog seemed to be omnipresent. A few minutes into the journey, they had lost track of where they had come from. All they saw was fog rolling a few metres around them and visibility was poor. Lily grabbed Hao Ren¡¯s sleeves nervously. ¡°Mr. Landlord, will we get lost?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you sniff your way out?¡± Vivian rolled her eyes at Lily. ¡°As a canine, you are afraid of getting lost? You wasted your talent on the spicy stick?¡±


    Lily blinked and rubbed her nose. ¡°Hmmm, you¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Hao Ren comforted Lily. ¡°I¡¯ve left behind a beacon transmitter outside before I came in. We just stick together. And, we can teleport back if something happens.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue looked at Heimerwin who was walking in front. She then pulled her brother¡¯s sleeve and asked, ¡°How does a ghost do that? Even the fog is giving way!¡±


    ¡°Because he ¡®remembers¡¯,¡± Nangong Sanba replied, frowning. ¡°Though I¡¯m not very sure, it seems that the town is composed of two parts: the physical world is the main body of the town while the supernatural parts, such as the spirits, the ashes, Heimerwin himself, and the dense fog that locked the town up are derived from the ¡®memory¡¯. The whole town is a large consciousness, and the things that remain in the memory become the phenomena before us. The phenomena are basically supernatural, they are unstable.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Nangong Sanba, feeling puzzled. ¡°Where did you learn all these?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t learn anything other things except how to deal with the world of ghosts for the past one hundred years,¡± Nangong Sanba said, holding his head high. ¡°Since I couldn¡¯t defeat the Werewolf and Blood Clan, the only thing I could do is exorcism. This is the first time I see such a massive spiritual field. Anyway, the basic principles are the same; material, memory, soul together form a supernatural space. That¡¯s what we see right now.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. But in his mind, he was wondering how Nangong Sanba still could be so proud to unashamedly admit his own inferiority.


    They followed Heimerwin deeper into the fog. Hao Ren could now feel they were going uphill under his feet. Hessiana began to lose her patience. She asked the guide in front, ¡°Hey, Heimerwin, how far do we have to go?¡±


    Heimerwin almost jumped out of his skin when he heard a voice suddenly came from behind. He pointed to the front. ¡°We should be there in a moment, right ahead. It¡¯s within sight now, that black house. Ahh! It¡¯s changed so much after I took a nap.¡±


    The rest of them could not really see the ¡®house¡¯ Heimerwin was talking about. But no one said a word. After for long while, the road became gradually level and they came to an open space. This was the so-called ¡®hiding place¡¯ of the witch.


    A ruined, old mansion stood alone on the open ground surrounded by dense fog, which made the mansion appeared spookier than it was. The layout of the mansion was simple; two storeys, and except a stable on the outside, there was no other annex. Judging from the size of the building, it belonged to the wealthy, at least commoners of that era could not be possibly afford this kind of residence.


    Heimerwin flinched a little as he pointed to the entrance. ¡°He lived here but he would not let anyone come close.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. He got closer and examined the exterior of the mansion curiously. Except the main entrance, all windows were sealed with wooden planks. Some planks had rotten so much that thick curtain behind the windows could be seen through the gaps. The building was horribly sealed that no sane humans would want to stay here.


    Vivian looked at Heimerwin. ¡°Haven¡¯t you gone inside?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Err¡­ I did. Once,¡± Heimerwin looked visibly frightened. ¡°Everything inside was blasphemous. Books of the heresy piled on the tables.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like you are quite resentful of the ¡®scholar¡¯.¡± Hao Ren stared at Heimerwin, observing the changes of his expression. ¡°But according to our investigation, you had given the ¡®scholar¡¯ your unfaltering trust, as if you wanted to hire him as a consultant. And you often held discussion with him.¡±


    Heimerwin was stunned; there was a disgusting and uneasy expression on his face. ¡°I was bewitched at that time! It was black magic, the power of black magic! The devil had brainwashed me with spells. I couldn¡¯t even remember what was happening during the bewitched period. But I am awake now; I can recall some of the things that happened at that time¡­ I think you are right, the devil is dead, and the spells he cast on me is gone.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Hao Ren nodded, pretending to be agreeable. He then brought Heimerwin into the house. ¡°You have to come with me. I need a guide.¡±


    Heimerwin resisted at first; he seemed to be wary of the house. But when he saw the wicked stares of Kassandra and Hessiana, he relented and bowed his head saying that he would cooperate.


    The door creaked open when Hao Ren gave it a little push. Dust began to rain down from the beam above. He stepped back a little waiting for the dust to settle before he went inside.


    Lily yanked out her Flamejoy as a torch. Heimerwin screamed in shock when he saw the torch popped up out of nowhere. Turcan poked Heimerwin with the hilt of his sword as if saying ¡°shut up and keep walking.¡±


    The inside of the house was messy with tables and wooden shelves just lay randomly around. But they were delighted to see items and books of black magic piled on the tables and shelves. The wizard had indeed been here.


    ¡°Looks like the fog hasn¡¯t come into the house,¡± Lily said. She sniffled as she examined the furnishings. She had sneezed several times outside because she was allergic to the fog. She felt much better inside. ¡°It¡¯s weird, there¡¯s no ashes in here.¡±


    There was dust but not the black ash. It seemed that the weird ash existed only in the town.


    Everyone searched through the materials and books. Noticing no one was looking, Heimerwin sniffled, and sat down carefully in a corner like a statue.


    Hao Ren saw a big book that sat open on the big table in the middle of the house. The first words on the page attracted his attention:


    ¡°The opposite side of the door, the secret knowledge of the distorted kingdom.¡±

 Chapter 788

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    At the end of the Medieval Period, the supernatural forces on this planet made a return for the last time in history. While the influence of demon hunters and the Church grew, the otherworldlings and wizards struggled to survive. However, friction began to emerge between the Church and the demon hunters. This gave some breathing space to the small families and Vajrayana who were good at concealment. According to Vivian¡¯s recollections, the period between the tenth and fifteenth century AD was the re-distribution of influence in the dark world. During that period, the aftermath of the Mythological Era had completely subsided. The more powerful otherworldlings, including the Ancient Ones, had died or gone into hiding. After the decline of the otherworldlings, the Church and the demon hunters began to compete for a new world order with the Church representing the humans. Although the demon hunters were theoretically more human, they were still a different race, so conflicts were inevitable.


    But this history did not matter, Hao Ren¡¯s mind was just taking a detour when he saw the lost town. Black magic erasing the town must have been a major incident back then. The battle between the demon hunters and the church obviously had given Baptiste¡ªthe wizard whom Hao Ren was looking for¡ªa chance of success. He had not only exiled the town with magic but also studied witchcraft under the nose of the commoners. This house was full of traces of his magic experiments.


    Magic books were scattered on one end of the long table. They all had a creepy texture and looked disturbing, and mostly made of black goatskin or special paper dipped in oil and written in ink made of blood. The content was difficult to understand and full of abstract and weird illustrations. Hao Ren would not have understood them without Vivian¡¯s help.


    The first magic book he saw was hand-written, mainly about various spatial phenomena and secret summoning rituals. Baptiste was not the author, obviously. The pages of the heavy book emanated a disgusting smell. Its dark-red cover depicted a warped door and a peering eye in the middle. There was a ¡®D.R.¡¯ inscription on the title page. Possibly left behind by the author. Baptiste must have read the book quite frequently judging from the many notes and memo entries on the pages. Besides, his handwriting was unexpectedly neat and beautiful. Hao Ren read the annotations, and he immediately knew what the wizard was most concerned about: the way to open the gate to Inferno, and the secret of harnessing souls to keep the dimensional passage stable.


    He found the most frequently read part of the book, where the pages had worn and blackened considerably. This was a seven-page chapter, where the author of the magic book detailed the history of the gate to Inferno and his theory of opening it. But Baptiste had left behind even more notes than what the author had written on the page edges, and this attracted Hao Ren¡¯s attention.


    ¡°¡­The records of the Inferno gate of the ancient times are not so reliable. The rulers of the world in that era were the gods of the old days; they did not allow others to inherit too much knowledge. This part of the content should be ignored.


    ¡°The discussion of the ¡®seven obsidian rituals¡¯ by Orben Moore is not consistent with this record, and the oil that makes obsidian magic may be more critical than the obsidian itself. According to my own experiments, Master Orben Moore¡¯s point of view is more credible. Information about the test is in¡­


    ¡°It is a unique insight. The nature of the Inferno gate is very different from other dimensional gates; the same is true for the method of accessing Inferno. Strictly speaking, our goal is not to ¡®open a gate¡¯, but to pull Inferno into collision with another dimension to create a crack. So the portal structure is not the test basis; it is the summoning ritual¡­


    The most important thing after connecting the two dimensions is to ensure the stability of the passage and to identify signs of the collapse of the passage. At least I have to set aside time to go to the second layer of Inferno and consider how to rebuild the return path to the main material world from the other end of the gate once the Inferno gate collapses prematurely. The formula of Master Fradkov is not accurate enough, that is why the grass at his grave is half a meter tall. Maybe I should re-assess the data¡­¡±


    Hao Ren mumbled to himself as he read the complicated records. ¡°I feel like reading a scientific write-up. Was he a wizard or an astrophysicist?¡±


    Vivian held a dark glass bottle in her hand. She overheard the Hao Ren¡¯s mumble and chimed in. ¡°Wizards are knowledgeable persons. They are real polymaths to the commoners.¡±


    Hao Ren put the book back to its original position. ¡°Baptiste seemed to have been working on opening the gate to Inferno a long time ago as all the information he left behind was related to dimensional magic. But there is no mention of why he summoned the King of Blood, nor did he mention what happened to this town of Domir. What are you looking at? Something good in the bottle?¡±


    ¡°Sulphuric spring water, the specialty of Infernal dimension though only half a bottle is left,¡± Vivian handed the small bottle to Hao Ren. ¡°Remember also the Infernal Fleshripper specimen that Hessiana found? Baptiste must have successfully opened the Infernal Gate once. But his second attempt seemed to have failed. Probably the window was too short; he only managed to bring out some materials from the first level of Inferno. Obviously, he hasn¡¯t reached his goal.¡±


    At this time, Nangong Sanba was holding a thick book in his hand. He came up and picked up where Vivian left off. ¡°You¡¯re right. He did open the gate once, but he wasn¡¯t happy with the result. The purpose of him summoning the King of Blood must be that he needed the power of the ancient ones to help stabilize the gate.¡±


    Hao Ren pointed to the thick book in Nangong Sanba¡¯s hand. ¡°What is it? A diary?¡±


    ¡°Nope. It¡¯s a record of magic experiments. It mentions the successful opening of the door to Inferno. The Infernal Gate only stayed open for less than an hour; he almost died. Other than the experimental record, there are also many words of curse and complaint. According to the book, the reason for the early closure of the Infernal Gate was that the energy was insufficient, the surrounding environment was not stable, and the constant rejection from the real world had led to the collapse of the gate. He mentioned the need for enhancing his magic and his intentions of seeking help from the ancient otherworldlings¡­ I guess these were the reasons he summoned the King of Blood.¡±


    ¡°He wanted to use the power of evil-spirit Vivian to open Infernal Gate?¡± Hao Ren blinked. ¡°But the key questions are how did he know about the ritual, and where did the red-haired evil spirit come from.¡±


    ¡°The book doesn¡¯t tell,¡± Nangong Sanba said, shrugging. ¡°This place is messy. Probably we need to more time to sort it out.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. He then asked Vivian, curious. ¡°What was inside the second level of Inferno that Baptiste was so adamant to go there?¡±


    ¡°No one knows.¡± Vivian shook her head. ¡°It is already difficult enough to move around in the first level of Inferno, let alone the deeper level. And, the connection between Inferno and the Earth is too unstable; the window is too short for a round trip to the second level. So no one really knows what¡¯s inside.¡±


    Hao Ren rubbed his nose. ¡°I really can¡¯t fathom what¡¯s so attractive about that place¡­ By the way, I smell something weird.¡±


    ¡°A burning smell,¡± Lily sniffled and lifted her head out from the pile of debris. ¡°I smell it too!¡±


    The others also raised their heads, as they had also smelled a rich odor in the air. It was not just a burning smell but also mixed with stench and a strange sourness. Hao Ren looked up and his nose was searching for the source of the smell. But he suddenly found that the fog had come into the house through the gaps in the windows and the cracks in the door. The fog was squirming and filling the interior as if it was something alive. Things had become very strange.


    ¡°Smell like some kind of magic oil¡­¡± Nangong Sanba mumbled. ¡°Something¡¯s not right.¡±


    Hessiana quickly looked at Heimerwin who had brought them to this place. The man sat stiffly on the chair, still like a stone. She stepped forward and poked his shoulder with the handle of her long whip. ¡°Hey¡­¡±


    Before her voice trailed off, Heimerwin collapsed into a pile of black ash.


    A shrill sound came from outside the house.


    Hao Ren shouted, ¡°Something¡¯s wrong. Let¡¯s get out of here!¡±

 Chapter 789

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The unforeseen event did not throw them off guard. They immediately clenched their weapons and wielded their spells. They then ran out of the house, only to see a strange sight greeting them outside.


    A huge, translucent barrier was shrouding the house. It was an energy shield-like cover with magic runes on it. Fog was gathering above, spinning and compressing into a fluid-like substance and forming an energy barrier. The barrier was blocking their way out in all directions. Lily immediately drew her Frostfire Claws about to dig her way out. Nangong Sanba stopped her. ¡°Don¡¯t do that! Let¡¯s first figure out what this thing is.¡±


    ¡°We are trapped,¡± Hessiana¡¯s face did not look good. ¡°It¡¯s a trap!¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned for a moment. He then rummaged through his dimensional pocket trying to find something useful. But before he could find anything, something began to appear outside the translucent barrier. The fog rolled up as a whirlwind of black smoke formed. The black smoke was pulling even more black smoke from the surroundings and quickly forming a human figure. It was Heimerwin, the seigneur who had crumbled into a pile of ashes in the house just a while ago.


    However, this man now looked very different from the timid Heimerwin. He was standing straight with a strange sceptre in his hand, his expression cold as he stood outside the barrier as if he was examining his subjects of experiment. ¡°Do you know how long I have waited?¡±


    Nangong Sanba raised his crossbow and aimed it straight at him. ¡°Heimerwin, what do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Just collecting the necessary power for my gate,¡± this Heimerwin said with a blank expression. At the same time, he pointed to the magic barrier. ¡°My advice to you is don¡¯t try to do stupid thing. It contains the hundreds of years of my power. Its power is enough to trap any ancient god of Mythological Era in an instant. You have no way to escape; the most sensible thing to do is calm down and wait for your power to be sucked out. It won¡¯t be very painful if you do not resist.¡±


    As the voice of ¡®Heimerwin¡¯ trailed off, the magic barrier above them began to make a buzzing sound, and the white runes flowed in a complicated pattern; it was beginning to extract all the power of the souls inside the barrier. Hao Ren began to notice the weeds under his feet turned into ashes rapidly. Even the big house behind them was squeaking loudly. Nangong Sanba and Kassandra were the first to feel dizzy and power draining from their bodies.


    Hessiana finally came to her senses. She held up her whip and pointed straight at ¡®Heimerwin¡¯. ¡°You are not a seigneur! You are Baptiste!¡±


    The man outside the barrier nodded in a blank expression. ¡°What took you so long? Was it so hard to guess, vampire girl?¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly began to put two and two together. They were fooled right from the beginning!


    The man before him was not a ghost of the seigneur. He was actually Baptiste, the witch they were looking for. He cast a necromantic spell and transformed himself into ashes, half-human half-ghost monster. He had completely erased the magic erosion mark left behind on the body of a wizard. Everything he said before was a lie. His ultimate purpose was to lure them to this abandoned house on the high ground.


    He had set up a black magic circle that could extract the power of the living!


    Hao Ren began to realise the timidity, awkwardness, neurotic and hysterical reactions of Heimerwin earlier were a disguise. The wizard wanted to divert their attention. He pretended to be a bumpkin nobility so that no one would be suspicious of him and asking him too many questions!


    ¡°I have been waiting for a long time!¡± Baptiste seemed to believe that the people inside the barrier were no more than sitting ducks. He began to talk to himself while waiting for this magic circle to draw their powers. ¡°I left so many clues behind just for people like you. Aha, it¡¯s hard to get experimental material with magic power. The strength I could extract from a hundred commoners is not as great as that a magician could provide. Today I have more than one! I have been preparing for this for so long, I¡¯ve been preparing for this so long! And, now I am finally going to get the last bit of magic that I¡¯ve been so lacking¡­ I can finally go deeper into Inferno!¡±


    Baptiste seemed to have immersed himself in some kind of frantic imagination. Living alone in this ghostly place for hundreds of years had turned him mad. He spoke to himself and waved his weird sceptre in his hand, his expression was switching forth and back from deadpan to crazy. Amid all these, Hao Ren saw something emerged in the thick fog just a few metres away from him.


    The silky fog was flowing in the air as water in the river. It turned into a huge vortex under the influence of magic as red light emerged within and gradually formed a huge sphere. The sphere was like a huge eyeball of a few metres in radius, embedded on the surface of the earth. Inside the smoky sphere, a twisted landscape was looming.


    It was Infernal Gate. Baptiste had actually found the connection between the infernal dimension and the Earth, everything happened just as planned; as enough magic power was gathered, the Infernal Gate began to emerge in the heart of the magic vortex!


    It seemed long-winded, but it all actually happened in a very short time. Hessiana immediately launched her attack on the magic barrier. She raised her long whip, which was shrouded by an intense icy wind and electric arcs. She whipped it on the magic barrier with a thunderous sound, but the barrier stood still without a scratch. Turcan and Kassandra also unleashed their attacks on the magic barrier, but still, it did not move an inch.


    But Baptiste¡¯s sceptre flashed a few times when the barrier was attacked. He glanced at Hessiana indifferently. ¡°Resistance is futile. You¡¯re only wasting your strength.¡±


    ¡°Do you know who you are talking to? If I told you who I am you will pee in your pant!¡± Hessiana lashed out, and then looked to Hao Ren. ¡°Aren¡¯t you always resourceful? Please come out with something!¡±


    Hao Ren reached into his dimensional pocket again looking for a bomb. But before he could took anything out, Lily already went up before the barrier.


    The husky first scratched the barrier with her claws. After knowing that her claws were not going to defeat the barrier, she did the unexpected.


    She sprawled on the ground and dug¡­


    The boring ability of the maiden was well known to many. She could dig up a hole barehanded and bury herself in it the blink of an eye, not to mention she had two claws now. As she dug, earth and rocks were thrown up backward like a fountain behind her. And, she had bored through a hole under the barrier in just a few seconds.


    Yes, that was how she got out.


    Meanwhile, Baptiste was still holding his sceptre in his hand like Statue of Liberty. It was not that he did not notice Lily, even if he had, he would be still rooted to the spot like now. Any normal person would react the same way as he did when they first saw the husky. The evil wizard watched as Lily got out from the hole. He could not stop her because he was never prepared for this.


    Lily sashayed up to Baptiste, grabbed the sceptre from his hand, and said, ¡°Your magic barrier didn¡¯t reach into the ground, idiot.¡±


    Batiste was stunned. ¡°I have never seen one that could bore hole¡­¡±


    Lily pursed her lips and broke the sceptre in half. The magic barrier immediately dimmed before disappeared completely. Hessiana surged in anger as she strutted towards Baptiste. At this moment, the unexpected happened.


    Baptiste let out a creepy sound and lunged towards the Infernal Gate!

 Chapter 790

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    It caught them by surprise when the wizard lunged towards the Infernal Gate. As the gate was not fully opened yet, the violent magical energy was swirling like a storm at the gate entrance. Anyone in his right mind would not have jumped into it. In a split second, Lily leaped to stop Baptiste. She was fast as lightning, and almost got a hold of Baptiste with her hand in his way. Baptiste, who was about to reach the gate, raised his hand and tried to push hers away. However, Lily¡¯s claw was a sharp weapon and it ended up severing his hand. But because of his body¡¯s momentum, Baptiste was unstoppable. He fell into the warped, crimson vortex.


    The rest of them could only watch as the wizard disappeared in the violent magical energy. The vortex kept shredding and reorganizing Baptiste¡¯s body as black smoke and ashes sprang from the gate. Baptiste¡¯s frenzied laughter came out from the vortex. ¡°I¡¯ve succeeded! I¡¯ve succeeded! No one¡ª¡±


    His voice disappeared in a gust of wind. The magic circle that sucked power from them crumbled as various magic facilities on the scene had stopped working. Infernal Gate lost its energy supply and dimmed. When the gate collapsed, it produced a whirlwind so strong that no one could come near to it. Hao Ren took out a silver gadget from his dimensional pocket and yanked it into the heart of the vortex. The tiny gadget flashed in a dark-red storm before it disappeared with the vortex.


    The gate to Inferno was finally gone.


    The whirlwind had subsided as if it had never been there. The spot where the Infernal Gate had once opened became a huge, deep crater where stinking black smoke was billowing out and mixing with the fog in the surroundings. The fog that used to flow like liquid began to dissipate slowly. Obviously, the flowing fog was just the result of magic control.


    Everything had happened too fast, and only after Baptiste and the Infernal Gate disappeared, Hessiana burst out and swore, ¡°Shit! He got away! That bastard got away!¡±


    Lily bent over and picked up Baptiste¡¯s arm on the ground. Her prey had escaped and the arm was the only ¡®trophy¡¯ left on the scene. She took the ghastly stuff, came back up to Hao Ren and handed it to him muddle headedly.


    Hao Ren could not believe what Lily was doing. ¡°Why do I want this?¡±


    ¡°Dissect it¡­¡± Lily said casually. But before her voice trailed off, the arm suddenly turned into black ashes in her hand and blown away by the wind.


    Lily shook her head and said in a regretful voice, ¡°Now, it¡¯s gone.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue looked at Hao Ren helplessly. ¡°What should we do now?¡±


    ¡°Of course, we can¡¯t let him get away just like that!¡± Hao Ren gritted his teeth, pulled out the MDT and switched on the tracking monitor. ¡°I¡¯ve thrown in a probe and I guess it has gone through the gate smoothly. But the dimensional turbulence had prevented it from tracking Baptiste. Anyway, it has arrived in an alien dimension. Vivian, could you tell if this is Inferno?¡±


    While saying, Hao Ren zoomed in on the image the probe was streaming. It was a desolate world where disgusting, decomposing substances covered the black earth, and hot springs dotted the surface with muddy liquid surging inside. The polluting gases ejected from these hot springs had dyed the world into chaos. The probe was moving around, so the images constantly changed, but no matter where it went, the scenery was all the same, unpleasant.


    Vivian used to take a peek at the first level of Inferno out of curiosity though she had never explored the deeper level. So she immediately recognized the scenery. ¡°Yes, this is the place. Can you send us in?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easy to go in by teleporting, but Inferno is an unstable dimension, it¡¯s best to open a gate to ensure we can get back out safely.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Now we have the coordinates on both sides of the gate and the necessary instrument in my dimensional pocket, just give time, I will open up the gate.¡±


    By now, Hessiana finally took a proper look at Hao Ren. ¡°What a surprise! You¡¯re pretty capable at the critical moment.¡±


    ¡°He is capable all this while,¡± Vivian looked at her, ¡°it¡¯s just that you¡¯ve prejudice.¡±


    Hao Ren had taken out a portal and a few autonomous robots from his dimensional pocket. This silver-colored portal was two meters in radius complete with some auxiliary components, which was similar to the portal in the basement of his home, but just a little larger. It was an equipment inspector commonly used to go deep into the desolate spaces of the universe, and deal with the abnormal spatial phenomena. This kind of portal could help him explore unknown spaces while doubling as an emergency passage for small-scale evacuation and material transfer.


    Hao Ren had never expected to use it to hunt down ¡®fugitive.¡¯


    Turcan and Kassandra looked at the strange equipment that Hao Ren pulled out of thin air. This man really surprised them though they knew his team members were a bunch of oddballs. The two curious vampires did not say anything as their two ancestors, Vivian and Hessiana were watching.


    With two years as inspector under his belt, Hao Ren was more mature now. He did not shy away from letting others see his high-tech equipment; after all, it was just some alien technology, no big deal.


    The short-lived Infernal Gate had formed an energy focus point. It would save him a lot of time if he could use the energy focus point to reactivate a new dimensional door though it was collapsing. He commanded the autonomous robots installing the equipment in the crater that Baptiste left behind. With the efficiency of the mechanical squids, it seemed they could open the gate in no time.


    ¡°Frankly, for all the years I spent in the battlefields, this is the first time I¡¯ve seen the boring tactic in the battlefield,¡± said Vivian. She looked at Lily, who was standing on her toes in a daze. ¡°What was she thinking at that time?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what she was thinking, it works, anyway,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°I figured there is no tactics in this world having more elements of surprise than this. And, only she could do it because no one could dig as quickly as she does.¡±


    Lily¡¯s ears flickered. She turned her head around. ¡°Are you saying bad things about me?¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian replied in unison. ¡°All good things.¡±


    Nangong Sanba stood on a large boulder on the edge of the high ground looking into the direction of the town. He could still vaguely see the route they had traveled in even though the dense fog was blocking his line of sight. But soon, the situation took a sudden change. ¡°Look, the fog seems to disperse!¡±


    True to what he said, the dense fog enveloping the ghost town was dissipating little by little. They could already see the scenery in the far distance, though the sun had not yet appeared. As time went by, the fog had lessened by a large amount and the silhouette of the town began to appear albeit faintly.


    ¡°Looks like the fog was also Baptiste¡¯s trick. Either his departure caused the fog to dissipate, or the scepter that Lily snapped was the prop that controlled the enchantment,¡± Vivian said as she looked into the direction of the town. ¡°It seems that the scope of the mysterious realm is bigger than we initially expected. Just look at the layer of ¡®dark borders¡¯ in the distance; that should be the real boundary. The town is only one-third of the space while the wilderness outside forms the rest.¡±


    Hessiana looked surprised. ¡°Who is Baptiste? He could create such a vast alien dimension singlehandedly and keep it in existence for hundreds of years?¡±


    ¡°Looks like he could erase any city in the world if he wanted to. It¡¯s hard to imagine he learned this ability the normal way.¡± Vivian shook her head and continued. ¡°But his only purpose was to go to Inferno? What a waste of talent! What is so good about Inferno?¡±


    Hao Ren could not care less about Baptiste¡¯s ambition. He asked the MDT to check the surrounding spatial parameters, making sure that the place would not collapse so soon. Then he gazed at the town of Domir in the distance. It was at least an authentic medieval town with an extraordinary sight though looking a little gloomy.


    Then he saw a fire rose up in the center of the town.


    ¡°Look! Over there!¡± Lily shouted. ¡°The town is on fire!¡±

 Chapter 791

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    A fire suddenly rose up from the center of Domir. The fire started from the wooden houses around the open space in the center of town and it quickly spread. Flames jumped from building to building across empty spaces like a living creature and turned Domir into a sea of fire in the blink of an eye. Looking down from a higher ground, all they saw was red.


    They watched in horror. The fire did not look like a natural phenomenon. The way and speed it spread was almost reminiscent of a film with lousy special effects. Nangong Wuyue was shocked. ¡°What¡­ what happened?¡±


    Hao Ren squinted as he watched. Something did not add up. ¡°Wait a second¡­ This is a normal fire, look at the houses!¡± he said.


    Houses burned, collapsed and turned into ashes so fast so that it was surreal. As wind blew, it swept the ashes into the sky.


    Smoke like black ink rose into the sky above the town while falling black ash covered every corner of the town. Looking at this scene, Vivian could not help but mutter, ¡°Ashes¡­ Where the ashes come from?¡±


    But the weird fire went faster than it came; it burned for only a few minutes and disappeared like a phantom. But it changed the town of Domir dramatically; houses were gone and what was left were charred beams and wall columns standing like an eyesore, as if they had been like that for centuries.


    A thicker layer of ashes covered the earth.


    ¡°It seems this is supposedly how the town looks like,¡± Vivian bit her lip. ¡°Fire might have destroyed it hundreds of years ago.¡±


    Lily was confused. ¡°Then the town we saw earlier was just an illusion? The power of sorcery?¡±


    ¡°Nope. The town still standing before the fire. It was there,¡± Vivian seemed to have figured out. ¡°The space-time structure of this mysterious realm is in a mess, the timelines of many things here are at odd with each other. Remember the lights that suddenly lit up and the flames that burned out of thin air? That were the results of misaligned timeline. So there had been overlapping of time in Domir, before the fire and after the. Baptiste must have superimposed the town¡¯s timelines. But since he had now gone into Inferno, the timeline might become normal again.¡±


    Vivian did not explain in detail how the magical phenomenon worked, but they understood what happened. Hao Ren finally sussed out the supernatural phenomena he had experienced in Domir, including the spiritual images that Lily saw, the colour-faded objects, and the lamps that lit up automatically. He now had the answers.


    Domir in different timelines were stored in the same mysterious realm. This random stack of images had created the strange ghost town landscape.


    Baptiste was undoubtedly the one behind this. But why he did that? And how?


    ¡°The wizard extract the power of the souls. He already admitted to it,¡± Hessiana said. ¡°I am afraid he so created the space and time structure here to better extract the power of souls, and locked the space and time here for the magic to produce a kind of cycle. That¡¯s what I can think of.¡±


    ¡°A wizard could do this?¡± Hao Ren frowned. ¡°It sounds like he was bending the rules.¡±


    Hessiana shook her head. ¡°To tell the truth, I don¡¯t believe that a wizard could be capable of this. Bending space and time is a very difficult. People back then didn¡¯t have this knowledge. But I have read it in some ancient books that some of the ¡®Old Gods¡¯ in Mythological Era could manipulate space and time. But wizards¡­ It¡¯s not that I look down on them, but most wizards are humans, their talent is simply not enough to let them gain such capability.¡±


    Vivian also nodded in agreement. ¡°So Baptiste couldn¡¯t have done this too. This town is not as simple as a locked dimension. If he were capable of high level of space-time manipulation, Lily wouldn¡¯t have defeated his magic by simply digging a hole in the ground. I believe he must have the help of some ancient artefact or person. If he could summon the ¡®King of Blood¡¯¡­ there is no guarantee he wouldn¡¯t summon other things.¡±


    Lily looked at Vivian and then Hao Ren. She had her own thinking. ¡°Is this just your speculation? You¡¯re assuming that the space-time structure of this town must be overlapping exactly as what you said. What if you¡¯re wrong?¡±


    ¡°Look at the town, and think of a better explanation,¡± Vivian pointed her finger at the Domir ruins under the foothill. ¡°I have seen what time warp is. Kronos used to demonstrate it in front of me. It looked very similar to the situation here.¡±


    Everyone kept quiet when Vivian mentioned the ancient name. After a while, Hao Ren finally broke the silence. ¡°In any case, Baptiste must know everything. Let¡¯s catch him.¡±


    Vivian sighed. ¡°Well, have the probe found the wizard?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. The gate was too chaotic at that time, the probe was flung to somewhere else,¡± Hao Ren replied. ¡°But as long as Baptiste is still in Inferno, we will find him.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s hurry up. Inferno is not a safe place; I hope the wizard will not die before we catch him.¡±


    It did not take long before autonomous robots finished the portal generator installation. The installation was very simple, the most important thing was to analyse the coordinate relationship between Inferno and Earth. When Hao Ren connected the MDT to the portal, the MDT suddenly reported an anomaly:


    The probe had sent back the coordinates in Inferno, but the coordinate changed several times in just a few minutes.


    ¡°This is probably the so-called ¡®Inferno instability¡¯ phenomenon,¡± the MDT said into Hao Ren¡¯s mind. He immediately thought of something. He carefully observed the changes in coordinate of Inferno and found a huge difference between the last and the current coordinates. ¡°It was ¡®drifting¡¯¡­ drifting on the edge of the universe!¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t all alien dimensions drifting this way?¡± Hessiana sounded indifferently. ¡°Alien dimension is not like a pocket hanging on the wall; it is more like a bubble floating in the water. It¡¯s unstable¡­¡±


    ¡°More to it. Inferno are very different from other dimensions,¡± Hao Ren looked excitedly at the analysis results of the MDT. ¡°The other dimensions drift only relative to the three-dimensional address of the Earth. You can imagine them as planets in our universe and a wormhole connects them to Earth. No matter how these planets move in their own galaxies, their relative positions in the universe does not change¡ªbecause they are in the universe. But not Inferno, which seems to move relative to the universe. Its coordinate doesn¡¯t drift; it¡¯s the entire reference system that is drifting!¡±


    Hessiana shot Hao Ren a weird glance. ¡°Who could understand what you say?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t need to understand,¡± said Hao Ren with an inexplicable excitement in his voice. ¡°This is something we are focusing on right now.¡±


    He shot back a glance at Vivian. His meaning was clear:


    There was only one explanation to the drifting of Inferno relative to the universe. That was, it was not only the cosmic fragment from the Plane of Dreams, but this fragment did not completely integrate with the universe; it was still wandering in the crevice between the Plane of Dreams and the Surface World.


    There was a name for this crevice: the Wall of Reality!


    Hao Ren had found the biggest ¡®gangrene¡¯ on the wall of reality!

 Chapter 792

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Before seeing the actual data, Hao Ren had a feeling the Inferno was just a piece of debris that fell off the Plane of Dreams and became part of this universe. The special nature of this space debris was that it did not have a fixed position in the universe; it constantly drifted on the edge of the real world, and occasionally made contact with Earth. This triggered the so-called the opening of Inferno that occurred many times in Earth¡¯s history. But, the data sent back by the probe seemed to suggest that the dimension was more complicated than previously thought. This space fragment from the Plane of Dreams did not fully enter the Surface World; it was stuck between the Surface World and the Plane of Dreams!


    The data the MDT showed was still fluctuating. It showed the ever-changing relative position of the Inferno dimension. Without the necessary tools, it was impossible interpret the data. So far Hao Ren could analyse things because he was using the data link; his mind was connected to the MDT, which in turned was connected to the data network of the Xi Ling Empire. This linkage allowed inspectors to see things beyond-human perspectives. It did not enhance other human qualities and would not increase one¡¯s IQ. Its biggest function was to let Hao Ren think outside the box beyond to understand the abstract knowledge.


    So he understood what Infernal dimension was really about; it was essentially a gangrene on the Wall of Reality.


    The tremor of this space debris on the Wall of Reality was probably the cause of the deterioration of the situation¡ªat least it was one of the reasons.


    But Hessiana and her sidekicks had no clue what the Wall of Reality was. They wanted to catch the wizard as quickly as possible. Hessiana pointed at the portal. ¡°Can we use it now? Would the drift that you mentioned affect it?¡±


    Hao Ren switched on the portal. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This thing is much more advanced than what Baptiste has ever made.¡± He sounded very confident.


    He now knew why the magic masters on Earth had been unable to find a stable Inferno gate; they failed to jump out of their cosmic worldview, and fixed portals did not work on a drifting dimension because of the incompatible coordinate system.


    But his portal could do that.


    He fired up the portal as it gave out a slight humming sound; a translucent warped sphere emerged over the silver platform. Hao Ren and the others stepped back slightly. When the sphere expanded large enough to allow a person to walk through, Hao Ren went in first. He said, ¡°Let¡¯s go and catch the wizard!¡±


    After they crossed a layer of turbulent and warped light film, the harsh environment of Infernal dimension greeted them on the other side.


    It was hot and stinking space like a dirty swamp of hot spring; decomposing substances covered the earth with lumpy dark earth. It was lifeless. There was no sunlight, moon nor stars. Thick clouds blocked shrouded the world. Only the weird, non-sun lighting glow from within the clouds provided some light to the land that otherwise a completely dark world. This is Inferno. It was different from what the religious story described but nonetheless it was still an inferno.


    Lily could not help but cough. She had sensitive nose. ¡°This is truly a hellish place. Let me put on the collar.¡±


    She felt better with the life-support collar on. Her brows knit together as she looked around. ¡°Does this hellish place support life at all?¡±


    ¡°Well, at least you would find something like the Infernal Fleshripper.¡± Vivian nodded. ¡°I have only been there once but it was thousands of years ago. I¡¯ve almost forgotten about the situation here. So everyone please keep your eyes open.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue was making a hissing sound in her throat. She sensed the presence of water vapour; it was not a very difficult place to survive, but the water vapour was mixing with some unpleasant odours. The sense of hostility and corrosiveness irritated her. Hao Ren noticed it. He asked, ¡°Hey? You okay? Why not you put the collar on?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing to do with the conventional senses,¡± Nangong Wuyue replied. She then summoned a mist and transformed herself into siren. The tiny water sphere made up of mist began to purify the surrounding air. ¡°I sense a force in the water; it is harmful to living things. Siren is very sensitive to water as we are water elemental creatures¡­ Oh, it¡¯s really uncomfortable here.¡±


    Hao Ren looked up into the distance. There were bubbling, muddy hot springs of disgusting colours. When the huge bubbles on the surface of the hot spring popped, it spurted out a green, dirty air.


    The muddy hot spring was the cradle of life on most planets, but the ones in Inferno was totally another thing.


    These hot springs were the most abundant form of water in the world but it was disgusting. No wonder Nangong Wuyue felt so uncomfortable.


    ¡°Sorry, I have to transform the second time. I just can¡¯t stand it.¡±


    Then she collapsed into water droplets.


    The water droplets hovered and condensed in the air, and finally became a gel-like soft stuff. A Slime.


    Maybe it was not a Slime. It was just a form of Nangong Wuyue¡¯s existence. But the appearance did not help it, it was translucent gel-like substance.


    The slime shook and made a groaning sound. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ve completed my formshift.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ve finished?¡± Lily looked at her, stunned. ¡°People usually turned into something more badass. But you don¡¯t even have a face now.¡±


    The slime shook its body and this time, it had an upper body of a female, but still translucent. Nangong Wuyue asked, ¡°How does it look this time?¡±


    Lily: ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°This body form could produce the greatest amount of elemental affinity. I have to compete with the native water environment of this world for control, otherwise I will evaporate.¡± Nangong Wuyue splashed water to explain her point. ¡°I can also spare some energy to maintain a clean air space for you. Too many things in this space make me feel uneasy. I need to block them out.¡±


    ¡°This place is too big¡­ Where are we going to find Baptiste?¡± Nangong Sanba looked at the endless mass of land. ¡°I suspect this is a planet. How difficult it is to find someone in this place?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how lucky we are, but I hope we have not deviated too far,¡± Vivian said. She raised her hands, and immediately a large swarm of bats appeared and spread out in the air behind her. ¡°I have created these hunting bats. I have already remembered Baptiste¡¯s smell. These little bats are able to sense him from several dozen kilometres away.¡±


    The bat swarm was so large so that it covered almost the entire sky. This was unlike anything Vivian had done before. Hao Ren was shocked. Hessiana stared at the bats, slowly sinking into thought as she mumbled, ¡°I was yanked out exactly the same way last time.¡±


    Hessiana used to be one of Vivian¡¯s tiny bat. But she had transcended. Now, she was a little emotional when she looked at her ¡®siblings¡¯ by the thousand.


    The bats dispersed into the distance. Hao Ren also released all the probes from his dimensional pocket. These agile probes were known for their speed, though unlike Vivian¡¯s hunting bats, these probes could scan a vast area in a short time and dramatically increase the chances of finding Baptiste.

 Chapter 793

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Finding a wizard in the vast Inferno was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Even with the army of bats that Vivian was so proud of and Hao Ren¡¯s advanced probes, there was no guarantee they would find him. They began to discuss their next search option. Lily recalled the purpose why Baptiste wanted to go to Inferno. ¡°He¡¯s going to the second layer of Inferno. But where¡¯s this second layer?¡±


    Hao Ren looked into the distance. No matter which direction he looked at, he could only see a desolate land. There was no sign of ¡®stratification.¡¯ When he first heard about the second layer of Inferno, he thought it was structurally like a tower, but now it seemed that he was wrong.


    ¡°Underground,¡± Vivian gently tapped the ground with her toes. ¡°There is another layer a dozen kilometers beneath our feet. It is a vast space, almost like another world.¡±


    Lily was wide-mouthed for a long while before she said, ¡°Underground again? It seems like we always go underground lately.¡±


    Hessiana looked at Hao Ren suspiciously. ¡°What do you mean underground? What do you usually do with Vivian?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going to sell her to Shanxi coal miner as a slave,¡± Hao Ren said, waving his hand. ¡°Not even the Saudi Crown Prince could stand her jinx. And by the way, is the second layer of Inferno a cave?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Vivian shook her head. She looked troubled as if she was at a loss. ¡°I just heard some rumors. It is said that the area beneath is as big as the surface world. It is so incredibly big that it is not a cave. No one had ever gone to the deeper part of Inferno. An exploration team had detected the second layer of Inferno using magic telepathy. But I can¡¯t tell what it is like.¡±


    ¡°Baptiste knows it. Otherwise, he will not be so obsessed with it,¡± Nangong Wuyue said in a snoring sound of water. ¡°Do you know where is the entrance ?¡±


    ¡°I am letting the bats look for it. It is said to be surrounded by a huge hole surrounded by a crater. I think it should be very eye-catching. It would be great if we can find Baptiste when we find the entrance.¡±


    Meanwhile, Nangong Sanba was looking around cautiously. ¡°I heard there are monsters here? Rumour has it that the monsters crawl the land, but I could see nothing here.¡±


    ¡°Is it not good to not seeing a monster?¡± Vivian arced her mouth. ¡°There are indeed many monsters in Inferno, but not in all places. Occasionally, we will encounter a ¡®quiet¡¯ place like this. Now, we are just plain lucky. I hope Baptiste is equally fortunate that he doesn¡¯t die before we get to him.¡±


    Vivian then looked at Hao Ren and said, ¡°Can you increase the range of the probes? It is not that I can come to Inferno every day; I want to get to know more about this place. I was curious about it last time, but unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have the chance.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. He instructed the MDT to let the probes to conduct a broader search.


    Armed with the latest information, he issued a set of new search criteria to the probes. Besides searching for Baptiste, the probes would also look for large voids and crater on the surface. They had enlarged the search area, and the holographic map displayed on the MDT was continually updating. The probes and Vivian¡¯s bats were searching separately to cover more area.


    Meanwhile, he ordered some probes to get a bird¡¯s-eye view from above so that he could see how big this world was.


    The MDT showed the footage as the probes streaming back the visual. The probes had entered the thick and dense atmosphere at high altitude. Large, dirty clouds were looming low with frequent lightning. This lightning was not natural lightning but a result of a kind of chemical reaction. It oscillated at breakneck speed on the surface and inside the cloud, turning the cloud into a weird illuminant and resonating with the other clouds on the surroundings.


    This visual was like a tour into the stomach of a massive monster of clouds whose organs and flesh were shimmering with light.


    Hao Ren deliberately let the probes slow down so that he could observe the cloud more clearly in the hope that he might find out the answer to the mystery of the ecological environment of Inferno. The magical visual attracted their eyeballs as they all gathered and watched. Poking her head at the visual, Lily suddenly said, ¡°Are these lights illuminating the entire Inferno?¡±


    ¡°I supposed. But we can¡¯t see the sun from the surface; the thick clouds are blocking out any light from above. So, yeah, the clouds are illuminating the world.¡± Hao Ren nodded slightly. ¡°And this is dimensional debris; it is hard to say whether there are stars outside.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue asked curiously, ¡°Where does the electric light in the clouds come from?¡±


    Hao Ren poked the MDT who then replied listlessly, ¡°Don¡¯t poke me. I have done the analysis. It¡¯s the microbes.¡±


    ¡°Microorganisms?¡± Hao Ren looked a little surprised.


    ¡°Weird ecosystem,¡± the MDT said, opening a small set of visuals next to it that showed a simulated planet Inferno. As there were no real scan images of the planet, the simulation was just an assumption. But the simulation did look convincing; there was a diagram showing the cross-section of the upper atmosphere to the surface. ¡°The thick clouds cover the planet, so dense that it was as if bed covered with a quilt. The clouds contained microbes, at least as many as a hundred types of them. They feed on the organic dust brought up from the lower atmosphere. And, they give out heat and light. Strictly speaking, this is no longer a ¡®cloud,¡¯ but a massive, living pan-biological tissue. Due to the unique structure of the cloud, I see it as a loose, peculiar multi-cellular organism although the microbes appear to be independent single-cell individuals. The world is a big, big place. Anything can happen.¡±


    Everyone was stunned except Hessiana and her sidekicks who appeared like listening to double Dutch. Lily could not help but look up at the clouds in the sky. ¡°It looks a supermassive soft creature wraps around a planet.¡±


    Hearing what Lily said, Hao Ren glanced at Nangong Wuyue. Nangong Wuyue immediately shook her body and snorted. ¡°Why are you looking at me? I am Mollusca, not a creature¡­ No, I mean I am a creature, not Mollusca. Oh, wait! I am Mollusca, but I¡¯m not that big.¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his head. ¡°Speaking of Mollusca, I can¡¯t help but think of Slime. Can¡¯t you study what you ultimate talent is and form shift into something other than a Slime?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue held her arms and said, ¡°I did. I¡¯m also a mantis shrimp. Three meters long!¡±


    Hao Ren: ¡°¡­..¡±


    Lily was right. A massive organism wrapped the Planet Inferno inside. The cloud was a spheroidal creature that provided light and heat to the world. However, compared to this incredible phenomenon, Hao Ren was more concerned about one other thing. ¡°What is outside the clouds?¡± he asked.


    The MDT commanded the probes to speed up. Soon the probe had reached an altitude above the clouds. As they could see from the visual, the probe had passed through an incredibly smooth, silk-like milky white plane before it shot into the vast darkness.


    The probe slowed down and started to capture images of a sea of white plane, which was as smooth as snow. If not that they already knew, they would have thought that it was a snowfield.


    Lily was almost in a stupor. ¡°¡­so beautiful!¡±


    Vivian shot her a sideways look. ¡°Feeling like putting some collar on the neck and go for a sprint?¡±


    Without thinking, Lily replied, ¡°Yes!¡±


    She had the gene of her ancestors.


    The probe turned the lens back in the direction from where it came. It captured a leak spot on the smooth, white ¡®purdah,¡¯ where there were fog and white, fiber-like tissue spewed out. But the place was closed a few seconds later.


    ¡°Unbelievable¡­ this is biological,¡± Hao Ren said. His jaw almost dropped to the ground. ¡°How did it evolve into this?¡±


    ¡°It prevents the planet from losing its mass,¡± the MDT replied. ¡°The probe had just penetrated a solid colloidal structure, which the microbes in the clouds have probably condensed for thousands of years. The outermost layer of the planet is a pure white world. If you walk in the atmosphere, you should feel like walking on marshmallows.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue let out a sigh. ¡°I have never imagined this hellish place could be so beautiful from space.¡±

 Chapter 794

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The probe was still climbing. It was now above the clouds of planet Inferno, leaving the atmosphere and entering the vacuum. The probe sent back the images of the planet from space, and it looked terrific.


    The planet¡¯s surface was nearly smooth, like a polished snowball without lines and wrinkles. Meanwhile, clouds covered and provided light to the planet. It looked like a pearl floating in space.


    But no one could imagine how ugly the planet¡¯s surface below the thick clouds was.


    The probe continued to fly towards outer space, looking for stars. The MDT lost contact with the probe after the probe crossed some sort of spatial boundary.


    ¡°We lost it.¡± The MDT turned off the tracking screen, which was only filled with static noise. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it has crossed the dimensional boundary. If the probe is still intact, it¡¯ll return from the void.¡±


    ¡°As expected, there are no stars,¡± Hao Ren muttered. ¡°This planet is the only object in the space debris.¡±


    Hessiana completely lost the plot. She wondered why a wizard-hunting mission had seemingly turned into something else. She scratched her head and stared at Hao Ren with a puzzled look. ¡°What are you discussing about? What stars are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Earth gets its energy from the sun. The sun is the existence of all things.¡± Hao Ren pointed at the bottom of the cloud shimmering with light. ¡°Without light from the star, the planet will be dead and desolate beyond imagination. Though this world is also barren, it has an ecosystem and is relatively warm. But the hot springs alone could not keep the planet warm. I have reliable information shows that this planet has been in existence without sunlight for ten thousand years. So what is keeping the ecosystem going?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about the sun,¡± Hessiana pursed her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t like that stuff.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m not discussing the high-tech topic with you.¡± Hao Ren sighed. ¡°Unlike Vivian, you are narrow-minded. Whether you like it or not, the sun is a source of energy for a planet. But planet Inferno is generating its energy in another way¡­or maybe it is consuming its energy.¡±


    ¡°Is it not the cloud providing light and heat?¡± Lily looked up at the sky. ¡°And the clouds seem to trap heat.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not enough,¡± said the MDT. ¡°The thick clouds and the light and heat it generates could only slow down the loss of heat. It is not a source of energy; it is only transforming energy. I have run the calculation; the clouds could never maintain the activity or temperature of Inferno today. So there must be something else on this planet that keeps the ecosystem alive without energy from the sun.¡±


    Lily was wide-mouthed. Since she had the highest academic qualifications, she naturally grabbed the point. ¡°So where does the energy come from?¡±


    Hao Ren could think of many theories, but he carefully set them all aside. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe we have to wait until we finished exploring the entire planet before we conclude. Anyway, this place is very amazing. A planet in the crack of the Wall of Reality that has an ecosystem but no sunlight been around for ten thousand years. The universe is just too mysterious.¡±


    Vivian suddenly interrupted him. ¡°Planet expert, can you stop your scientific lecture and start concentrating on the findings that my bats have brought? They have found a possible entrance to the second level of Inferno.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately tucked the MDT. ¡°Where?¡±


    Vivian raised her finger and pointed to a direction. ¡°There. Two thousand kilometers from here. Please let the MDT go and set the coordinate before teleporting us over. It would be faster this way. My bats will provide a navigation guide over there. It¡¯s easy to find.¡±


    The MDT said, ¡°Please pay attention to¨C¡± Hao Ren grabbed the MDT and aimed straight at the direction where Vivian was pointing. Before the MDT could finish, with the swing of his arm, Hao Ren had yanked it out. ¡°Go!¡±


    The MDT faded into a blue light and disappeared before their eyes. Hessiana was rooted to the spot, looking at Hao Ren as if he were some monster. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have thrown such an expensive tablet computer away if I were you!¡±


    Hao Ren pursed her mouth and said, ¡°You will when your tablet computer talks back at you.¡±


    Hessiana: ¡°?¡±


    Soon, they arrived outside the crater¡ªthe so-called entrance to the second level of Inferno.


    They climbed up the steep mountain wall and were awed at what lay before them.


    It was a nearly circular crater, with an unbelievable uniformity in its natural geological formation. The radius of the cavity reached tens of kilometers. In the interior of the hole, the slope was gentle. There were neat, radial, weird lines on the ground as if someone had carefully carved them into the landscape. At the center of the crater was the so-called Inferno entrance. The frighteningly large circular hole constantly spurted out air and dust that formed a small cyclone.


    They came near to the hole. It was a vertical cave. It was dark inside and seemed to lead straight to hell. It would make one shivering in fear by just standing on the edge of it.


    Lily¡¯s legs felt like jelly. She grabbed Hao Ren¡¯s pant and squatted. ¡°Do¡­ do we have to jump into it?¡±


    ¡°Who told you we have to jump?¡± Hao Ren gave her a sideways glance. ¡°We¡¯ll fly.¡±


    ¡°Does it make any difference?¡±


    The MDT reported, ¡°I have detected a large feed wave at the bottom. It is a super-large underground space. Please take safety precautions.¡±


    Hessiana stared at the deep cave. Even though she was a winged creature, she did not feel like going down there.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame; Nolan is on vacation at Kuiper Station. Otherwise, I could bring the spacecraft.¡± Hao Ren shook his head. Suddenly something crossed his mind. ¡°Ahh, I think I have an alternative!¡±


    Hao Ren brought out his North Stars.


    Hessiana¡¯s face turned to green. ¡°I know I¡¯m as educated as others but driving the North Stars straight down the crater? Is this your safety measure? You must be kidding me.¡±


    ¡°Believe it or not, this thing is not any slower than you, and it is better than you. Don¡¯t look down on it; it could fit everyone in.¡± Hao Ren shrugged and took out the MDT, pressed it as if it was a remote to unlock the car. The car did unlock with a double deep sound. ¡°Of course, you can choose to fly if you trust your wings. I would have one less person to worry about.¡±


    Vivian patted on Hessiana¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Trust me. He is almost like Doraemon; he had tonnes of weird but useful gadget in his pocket.¡±


    Then Vivian climbed into the car followed closely by the Nangong siblings, leaving Hessiana and her two sidekicks in a dilemma. Their reluctance was understandable though. Most gadgets that Hao Ren took out from his dimensional pockets in the past all looked high-tech, but this little North Stars was simply not confidence inspiring.


    It is as if you bump into a white-bearded old man who descends from heavens, gives you an energy-charged sword and tells you that he wants to recruit you and bring you to the heavens because you are talented. What would your reaction? You would bow at him and worship him like God. But what if he is an old man falling out of the sky and landing face down, who later yanks out a magic wand and asks you to follow him to save the world. What would your response?


    So Turcan looked at Hessiana, face like a dead man. ¡°Master, do we want to climb into that junk and drive down that pit? That junk doesn¡¯t look very reliable though.¡±


    Hessiana¡¯s face deadpan. Just when she was about to say something before she reluctantly climbed into that car, she heard something. Something was approaching rapidly.


    Kassandra and Turcan had also heard it. They looked at the direction of the sound and saw a group of shadows appearing on the edge of the crater. A myriad of gnarled mutant creatures!


    Vivian described this biota as ¡®ridiculously gnarled monsters.¡¯ Hao Ren thought that he would be lucky enough to miss these ugly monsters, but his optimism came too early.

 Chapter 795

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    It looks like their movement near the crater had caught the attention of the biota here. Perhaps the crater itself was a habitat of a particular creature. Hao Ren got the shock of his life when he saw the gnarled creatures emerging and moving towards the hole.


    The gnarled creatures came from the far side of the mountain wall; almost all of them had different physical characteristics. They had asymmetrical limbs and covered with strange organs and hair. Some of the monsters had no apparent physical features; they were just like a mass of meat that rolled on the ground.


    Lily was scared out of her wit. ¡°What¡­ what are those things?¡±


    ¡°They are the most common things in Inferno. As I said, they are weird monsters,¡± Vivian said quickly. ¡°No one has ever classified them. They have almost no fixed physiological characteristics. Hessiana, if you still don¡¯t get in the car, we will leave you here!¡±


    Hessiana was rooted to the spot. She had never seen anything like that in all her life a patriarch of a Blood Clan family. She quickly jumped into the car with her two sidekicks and shut the door. ¡°Go!¡±


    Once Hao Ren activated the car¡¯s levitation function, the North Stars had quietly lifted off while the gnarled monsters came within a hundred meters of it. The bizarre, illogical pieces of meat that seemed to have been born from nightmare were jumping on the ground, growling as they tried to catch the ¡®invaders.¡¯ Their ugly faces (some even without faces) were so close that Lily instinctively pulled her head away from the window: what she was looking at was a hideous creature in the world, and it was less than five meters from her. The creatures had several large tumors, and each of them had a bloody mouth full of sharp teeth. It was as disgusting as it could get.


    ¡°¡®Infernal creature is a malicious stack, a freak that grows in the nightmare, a mold that grows out of the waste that the creator accidentally discarded after creating the world.¡¯ Such is how an elder of the demon hunter who once explored Inferno described. It¡¯s just so damn close to the truth.¡± Vivian sat in the front passenger seat, peering down at the monsters below. ¡°You know, those Infernal Fleshrippers living in the deep of the hot springs are the most beautiful creatures in this world. At least they have a proper shape.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue¡¯s face turned blue (she is blue anyway). ¡°I believe you, but please don¡¯t say it, I¡¯m going to throw up.¡±


    Lily looked at her, feeling strange. ¡°Could slime throw up?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called water recirculation.¡±


    Hearing the two bickering, Hao Ren knew he need not worry about them; the Infernal monsters had not caused severe psychological damage in them.


    But it was strange that none of the creatures could fly despite their variety. As the North Stars flew toward the vertical cave, the monsters could only growl and roar in anger on the ground. They were visibly afraid of the deep, dark cave. Even the smoke and airflow that came out from the cave would frighten them. Monsters that ran too close to the cave became very frightened. They immediately retreated. But a few unlucky ones were pushed by those running behind them and fell into the cave. They screamed in fear as they dropped straight into the bottomless darkness.


    Meanwhile, the car was flying steadily towards the cave as everyone on board watched what happened outside. Before long, the car was descending.


    ¡°That was exciting,¡± Turcan patted on the chest. ¡°But I¡¯m not coming back for the second time. It is a lot scarier than when the demon hunters attacked the sanctuary not long ago. At least demon hunters are not that ugly.¡±


    Kassandra nodded, agreeing with what Turcan said. She then looked around the cabin and began to marvel. ¡°This is true, man! It is huge inside here. I think it can fit even more people!¡±


    Hessiana could not help but glance at Hao Ren. She had to admit that though she wanted to play hardball with him initially, it seemed that things had gone beyond her control and her life was now in the hand of this ¡®untrustworthy¡¯ man. She could not help it; this guy had too many weird gadgets at his disposal.


    Hao Ren let the car descend in autopilot mode while he gazed at the darkness outside and fell into deep thought.


    Those gnarled monsters, the illogical mass of meat, the bodies that born out of chaos and the frenzied movement seemed a little familiar to him. But he could not remember what it was.


    At this time, a cooling touch swept up his arm. Nangong Wuyue was touching him with her hand; she was in water form. ¡°Mr. Landlord, don¡¯t you think the monsters look like the Dinobeasts in the Gnarled Grove and flesh beasts that came out when the First Born woke up?¡±


    It struck Hao Ren like thunder. It all became clear to him now. He remembered where he had seen such creatures!


    ¡°They look like those flesh-and-blood beasts, at least regarding their illogical limbs,¡± Hao Ren said. But then he was also confused. ¡°The monsters here are more exotic. The Dinobeasts in the Gnarled Grove were uniform in shape, but the monsters here are just random. I don¡¯t even think they are even creatures.¡±


    Vivian suddenly interrupted. ¡°The mutation on this planet is more thorough.¡±


    ¡°Dinobeast is the Third Born.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s brows knit together. He knew that most of the things that came from the Plane of Dreams had something to do with the First Born. However, the last thing he hoped for was how things transpired now. ¡°They are purely killing creatures that were temporarily created from the lifeblood to destroy the ecosystem after the First Born wakes up. The emergence of these creatures means that the ecosystem rebooting process has started¡­¡±


    ¡°But we didn¡¯t see lifeblood here, nor did we see the remnant of any civilizations. There are only microbes in the clouds and monsters on the surface. It is clear that the planet has finished ¡®rebooting¡¯ its ecosystem,¡± The MDT reminded. ¡°According to what we know, the Third Born is a short-living race, and could only survive by feeding on lifeblood. After the ecosystem rebooting, the lifeblood would dry up, and the Third Born would quickly die.¡±


    Hao Ren looked up. The entrance to the cave had become a nail-sized bright spot. He could not see the monsters above now. ¡°But those monsters are still alive¡­ because the ecosystem has not completed its reboot. Or do you think the First Born of this planet had miscalculated while it executed the plan?¡±


    Hessiana listened to the conversation, but she was as clueless as a tub of crap on a rainy day as to what they were discussing about. But she did not even bother to ask now. But not Turcan. ¡°Master, what are they talking about?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Are you asking me? Who should I ask then?¡± Hessiana rolled her eyes. She was in a bad mood. ¡°Ma¡¯am Vivian doesn¡¯t want to talk to me anymore.¡±


    Hao Ren heard Hessiana. He wanted to explain to her, but he changed his mind. He nudged Vivian¡¯s arm and gave her a look.


    Vivian was a little reluctant. But still, she turned around and forced a smile as she said to Hessiana. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to keep you in the dark. When the dust settles, we will discuss it and see how much I can tell you. And don¡¯t worry; I¡¯m not doing something bad.¡±


    Hao Ren let out a sigh. Being a landlord meant that sometimes he had to play the role as mediator too.


    The car was still steadily descending into the seemingly bottomless cave. It was pitch-dark here. Hao Ren switched on the radar system, and the radar image appeared on the windows simulating the environment outside. The MDT then reported the situation. ¡°The cave wall is smooth but looks like it¡¯s not humanmade. There are regular ascending and descending airflows like breathing. The airflow switches direction every three minutes and twenty-six seconds. There is still no trace of Baptiste though. Some probes have found other Infernal entrances; they will join us at the bottom.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and asked casually, ¡°How long does it take to reach the bottom?¡±


    As soon as his voice trailed off, a ray of light suddenly shone from directly below.


    ¡°Oh, looks like we have reached the bottom.¡±

 Chapter 796

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    A light appeared at the bottom of the cave. And after a long while, they finally reached the bottom.


    Hao Ren looked up; he could no longer see the entrance at the top. It was all dark. The cave was so deep that there was a dust cloud above in the middle section. ¡°This cave is deep. Could Baptiste find a way down here alive?¡±


    Vivian nodded. ¡°Wizard is very resourceful. Maybe he knows some flying spell and the monsters didn¡¯t manage to tear him up.¡±


    As the car continued to descend, Hao Ren noticed that the light did not come directly from the bottom, but from the dark walls on all sides. After dropping to a certain height, he could see huge cracks on the walls. And the cracks seemed to lead straight to the outside world.


    They descended for hundreds of meters more and finally landed.


    ¡°It is safe,¡± Turcan said after observing for a while. ¡°Drive in any direction. The cracks should lead us to the outside.¡±


    The bottom of the cave was like a shade under the shadow, but it was still dark overall despite lights shone through the triangular cracks in the distance. Hao Ren thought that the bottom of the cave was an open space, but now it seemed he was wrong. The cave was a passage to the bottom, and they still needed to travel through the tunnels at the bottom to reach the actual second level of Inferno. He cranked up the engine again and drove towards the most prominent light source. Everyone was holding their breath as this weird place made them nervous.


    The ground was rugged, with lots of weird stones scattered around. Occasionally they could see some other objects.


    There were pieces of something lying ahead, all dark red, and there were also signs of impact on the ground. Hao Ren knew it was the monsters that had broken in million pieces upon impact.


    God knows how many more such creatures had fallen for the past ten thousand years. But the car must be now running on those fragments of the monsters. Those poor monsters that died and turned into dust at the bottom of the cave, far from where they once lived.


    The car moved forwards, and the light in the distance became closer and closer. In the shadow, Hao Ren saw some thick, stone-like things hanging from the top, and the crack where the light came from appeared tilted inward. This strange environment stunned him. He was struggling to make sense of this space. He was confused. It took him a while to put and two together. The bottom of the cave expanded outward gradually; the further he went, the wider it became.


    He sped up and drove the exit.


    Soon, a vast world appeared before them.


    The change of landscape caught them by surprise. The scenery of the second level of Inferno had them rooted to the spot. A vast expanse of rolling hills and valleys covered with beautiful green grass stretching out into the horizon. There was no cave boundary contrary to what they had imagined.


    Hao Ren opened the door and climbed out of the car. He could feel he was stepping on a soft grassland and the fragrance of the grass drifted into his nostrils. He looked up at the ¡®sky,¡¯ instead of a thick, dark rock dome he saw large patches of white clouds. This underground world was just too vast, and its dome was even higher than the cumulus. So water vapor and dust formed the clouds that blocked out the view of the dome above. The clouds glowed softly just like the outermost clouds above the surface. But the light here was a lot brighter. It lit up the underground world as if it were daylight.


    Hao Ren gazed at the clouds, which were not as many as the one above the surface. He finally saw what through the gap between the two clouds: deep darkness at extremely high altitudes. With his vision, he could barely recognize the sharp gully lines, which was the earth¡¯s crust.


    Or something like a crust.


    The others had also gotten out of the car. Hessiana looked up, froze. After a long while, she took a deep breath. ¡°Is this a cave?¡± she marveled.


    ¡°I have said it earlier. The second level is incredible big though it is located underground,¡± said Vivian. Her reaction was just as stunned as the others were though. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to be like this. I thought it was hell.¡±


    ¡°After all, the surface is already as bad as hell,¡± Lily frowned as she looked at the lush green world. ¡°Is this Inferno? It doesn¡¯t look like one.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue began to feel harmonious with the water element here. The inexplicable feeling of danger and hostile atmosphere seemed to exist only on the surface. She form-shifted into an ordinary sea snake, face looking pleasant. ¡°The water here is very peaceful, unlike on the surface.¡±


    Hao Ren did not say a word because he had only one question in mind: How big is this place?


    Thinking of this question, he could not help but look back at the ¡®tunnel¡¯ from which they had emerged earlier.


    A towering mountain peak appeared in front of his eyes, as expected, and it was hard to see its overall shape at this distance.


    He could only see huge, black mountain ridges dropping from the top, extending continuously into the distance, and then disappeared into the green earth. The upper part of the mountain gradually narrowed and became a giant wall that almost perpendicular to the ground and rose above the clouds. The entire mountain was dark and rocky, but after careful observation, he found that the rock had something more than meets the eye.


    A thought suddenly crossed his mind. He immediately called everyone to get into the car. ¡°Hurry up. Let¡¯s go farther out and take a better view!¡±


    As Hao Ren drove the car towards the distance, the ¡®mountain¡¯ was behind them. Lily, sitting in the last row, turned and looked out the window. She was wide-eyed. ¡°Tree! It is a tree!¡±


    Hao Ren stopped on the high grassy ground. They gazed up at the direction of the ¡®mountain¡¯ and finally saw the whole picture of the behemoth. As Lily said, it was a giant tree, a tree with developed roots swelled to the surface. The trunk of the giant tree grew up to the bottom of the crust above through the clouds, as if it was a pillar of the world while the lower part of the trunk planted firmly into the earth below. The sloping mountain ridges and cone-shaped mountains that Hao Ren saw just now were none other than the roots of this giant tree.


    And, the cave that they descended a while ago was the hollow tube inside the trunk.


    The MDT suddenly said, ¡°There are new images from other probes. Some probes have found other Inferno entrances. They are the same as here.¡±


    The MDT showed them the images, which were almost the same things: giant tree supporting the whole earth (or the sky), and the vast green land around the giant tree.


    ¡°The other high-speed probes have reached the other side of the planet, where they have also found similar entrances.¡±


    ¡°The second layer of Inferno is not a cave or a series of caves, but another layer of the earth¡¯s crust,¡± Hao Ren said slowly. ¡°This is a strata planet. I¡¯m not kidding. It is a real deal.¡±


    People¡¯s speculations about the Inferno were outrageously wrong. The otherworldlings once thought that there was a series of giant caves in the underground world, another horrible hell. But in reality, all the caves were interconnected. They were merely a single space¡ªa space that was not dangerous, but a paradise.


    This planet has a double crust, and Inferno was just its epidermis.


    Maybe there was also a third layer of earth¡¯s crust. Who knows?

 Chapter 797

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The journey to Inferno had turned out nothing like they ever imagined.


    An inconspicuous small-displacement car was driving silently across the lush wilderness. Turbulent air kicked up leaves at the rear of the vehicle. The world was so vast, and yet the car was so small that it looked like a bug running on the grasslands. If it were not for the occasionally visible rock formations behind the clouds, no one would have imagined that there was another layer of crust hanging in the sky.


    The car ground to a halt in front of a black ¡®mountain,¡¯ which was another Heaven¡¯s Pillar that supported the dome. It looked like a huge cliff going as high as a kilometer in the air and the upper part just disappeared into the clouds. Hao Ren got off the car. He took out some instruments from the dimensional pocket and assembled them on the spot.


    The MDT ported itself to the instrument before it projected a hologram of the planet¡¯s cross section. Meanwhile, a few tiny machines got out from the cylindrical container below the instrument and flew straight to the Heaven¡¯s Pillar. The little machines quickly drilled into the tough skin of the trunk and sent back the data. The MDT began to show the scanned images of the Heaven¡¯s Pillar in cold blue color.


    ¡°This third giant tree is dead too. No sign of life,¡± the MDT reported. ¡°There is still wood fiber in the deeper layer, but the outer skin is petrified, which has turned into a mineral. The hardening of the secretion of the trunk must have evolved into the reinforced shell. This ¡®fossil,¡¯ which is as strong as the armor of spaceship, provides strength to the hollow trunk.¡±


    ¡°So they could support the world above,¡± Hao Ren looked up at the crust that hid behind the clouds. ¡°Are the trunks evenly distributed?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the MDT replied while showing the distribution map of Heaven¡¯s Pillars between the two layers of crusts. The data that the probes sent back isn¡¯t detailed enough. But it is good enough for a preliminary analysis. As you can see from the visual, the first layer of Inferno is completely suspended more than ten kilometers above the lower layer. There is no geological connection between the two. And, Heaven¡¯s Pillars are the only things that hold the two layers of crust in position. These giant trees grow in the lower layer, one every one hundred kilometers¡ªfar more than the number of entrances on the surface.


    ¡°So not all giant trees are hollow. Most giant trees are solid, substantial,¡± explains the MDT. ¡°And those hollow trunks are like chimneys; they become the conduits between the surface and the underground world. They are the so-called Infernal entrances.


    Lily became curious. ¡°What caused the trunk to turn hollow? Disease?¡±


    ¡°Nope. Most likely it is done intentionally,¡± the MDT replied. ¡°The distribution of giant hollow trees is uniform. On average, one in a hundred Heaven¡¯s Pillars is hollow. The entire atmosphere of the underground world depends on these ¡®chimneys.¡¯ I figure that the hollow, special trunks are like a breathing tube exchanging air with the surface world. They also act as a sensory organ. My scan reveals that there is a strong electric signal surge below the giant hollow tree. If I¡¯m not mistaken, it should be¡ª¡±


    ¡°The nerves of the First Born,¡± Hao Ren chimed in without waiting for the MDT to finish. ¡°These trees are evolved from the First Born¡¯s tentacles?¡±


    Hao Ren was no longer a rookie who used to rely solely on instrumental analysis to make judgments. He could easily deduce from the environmental evidence that the First Born was the only one who could create such a miracle. Heaven¡¯s Pillars that supported the upper crust were undoubtedly a part of the First Born. The only problem was that the tentacles had evolved so much so that they no longer looked like ones, and even its internal physiological structure had become very different.


    The MDT did not answer directly. Instead, it showed Hao Ren the scanned images of Heaven¡¯s Pillar in the ground. It was a complex world where roots grew like brain nerves in the earth; the deeper it grew, the stranger it became until the roots looked completely like tentacles in the deepest part of the planet. Unfortunately, the low-powered radar that Hao Ren carried could not carry out a deep-earth scan.


    ¡°The First Born¡¯s tentacles have evolved into the giant trees. However, from a physiological point of view, these trees are a completely different life form.¡± The MDT sounded confused. ¡°They are real wood. But these trees are wrapped in a layer of shell that is stronger than superalloy on the outside. It is almost like a body that grows out of titanium.¡±


    ¡°This is understandable. The First Born is the origin of life; on this premise, it is entirely possible for it to turn some of its limbs into different species. If it could do it with the lifeblood, I couldn¡¯t see why it couldn¡¯t do the same with its tentacles.¡± Hao Ren was not surprised at all. ¡°We can confirm this with Zorm later. The key question now is to ascertain whether this First Born is dead or alive. It has nerve impulses, but the giant tree is dead.¡±


    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t know. For living species like the First Born, we can¡¯t define its life by conventional understanding of species. Its body and soul, each of its tissue and organ and even piece of debris may have an independent definition of life. Part of them might have withered, but the withered part is supporting the world. And, don¡¯t forget, there are still signals coming from the deeper part.¡±


    Lily had come out with a term. ¡°They are turnips?¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at Lily with an eccentric look as if saying there was no better description than this in describing the incongruousness this in the world!


    ¡°If¡­if I¡¯m not mistaken, the upper layer is not a crust either.¡± Vivian gazed up for a long time before she said, ¡°This planet can¡¯t just grow a new layer out of thin air. The outer shell on top of the trunk could only be a¡­¡±


    The MDT immediately switched the image, now showing the detailed scan results of the outermost crust where toxic hot springs and monsters filled the space. The scan revealed the hidden veins deep inside the crust though it looked like a sturdy, rocky dome at first sight.


    ¡°You are right. It is a canopy. The first crust of planet Inferno is a petrified canopy.¡±


    The canopy was so dense that it completely covered the planet¡¯s original surface. The unique petrification process of Heaven¡¯s Pillar was not only reflected in the trunk, but also the canopy. Over time, the forest canopy became a rock formation of several kilometers thick, and the world above that rock layer became a hostile environment ¡ª the Inferno.


    In the process of the transformations, Heaven¡¯s Pillar died. It was not known whether it was planned or something when they saw the ¡®black mountains,¡¯ they were already dead plants¡ªthe dead bodies of the First Born¡¯s tentacles. They were fossils that held the canopy crust that had also petrified in place.


    Nangong Sanba scratched his jaw thoughtfully. ¡°That is to say, the place where we are standing now is the real surface of planet Inferno?¡±


    ¡°Yep. At least it was the original land before these giant trees completely closed up the sky.¡± Hao Ren nodded, his eyes gazing upwards along the great black trunk. ¡°I think this is some protection measure that ensures the survival of the original ecosystem. It works hand-in-hand with the outermost cloud top; this planet has survived until today without a sun.¡±


    At this time, the MDT suddenly received an emergency message from a probe. ¡°Hey! Put that tree to aside. The probe has come back with something!¡±


    Vivian immediately ran over. ¡°Is it Baptiste?¡±


    ¡°No¡ªit is some traces of artifacts,¡± the MDT showed the image. It was a jumbo relic covered with plants and mud on the prairie. ¡°It¡¯s a city! An intelligent being-built city!¡±

 Chapter 798

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    It was a ruin!


    The finding was just as shocking as when they found out the planet had two layers of crust and that the surface was a petrified canopy of a group of giant trees. Hao Ren zoomed in on the image to determine the authenticity and approximate size of the ruins. I was located almost on the other side of the planet. Driving would not be practical. So he let the MDT teleport them to the site.


    The MDT shone in blue light, and they all disappeared. Almost immediately, they emerged at the other side of the planet where the ruins were.


    Likewise, there was a magnificent prairie scenery here.


    Hao Ren reached out his hand and grabbed the probe that was flying toward him. He tucked the little probe into his dimension pocket before climbing up a higher ground. He gazed at the towering buildings not far away while enjoying the breath-taking scenery a little.


    The vast grassland with its undulating landscape stretched almost to the end of the horizon. It was as beautiful as a painting. An ancient city of stone on the prairie had the architecture that resembled the Aztec style though most of the walls had collapsed. In the center of the city and on the high ground, there were large and small, flat-topped pyramids, and between the pyramids were wide boulevards paved with boulders that divided the city into several well-arranged zones. Each zone had stone houses lined up in rows. Other than the pyramids, most buildings were no more than three stories high, which further accentuated the imposing presence of the pyramids.


    ¡°Unbelievable¡­¡± Hao Ren muttered to himself, ¡°There are such ruins here¡­ I thought when the First Born made Heaven¡¯s Pillars the earthquake might have destroyed everything.¡±


    He looked into the distance. Approximately a dozen kilometers from the city ruins, there was another spectacular black giant pillar connecting the grassland with the sky above and on the other side of the horizon, there was another pillar. Thanks to the excellent air quality in this underground world, one could always see at least two Heaven¡¯s Pillars at any one time. The great pillars were so massive that it extended all the way up to the solid dome above. And, they were visible from any angle.


    The nearest Heaven¡¯s Pillar was just a dozen kilometers away from the city. The city was still standing. It must have been a miracle, Hao Ren thought. He had seen how massive the giant trees were; the aerial roots that were up to a kilometer high in the form of a mountain range, and the earthquake that happened when the tentacles rose up from the earth to form the giant trees must have been devastating. Even if the First Born had been cautious, the crack of a dozen kilometers wide in the ground could have destroyed the city. It seemed to defy the law of physics. So there was only one conclusion.


    The city was only built after the heaven closed.


    However, judging from the crazy Third Borns on the surface, the planet should have undergone a complete reset of its ecosystem. So who built the city on the original crust after heaven closed? Was it the mortal? Did they escape the great cleansing of the First Born? Or could the great purge not happen at all?


    The questions were bothering Hao Ren. And, the answers seemed to lie in that city ruins.


    They arrived at the ruins. The quaint stone city was desolate. If Heaven¡¯s Pillars and the canopy dome were the ¡®great power of nature¡¯ made by the First Born, then this city was a ¡®human miracle¡¯ built by the mortals. Even if it was pale in comparison to the canopy dome, it was still mind-blowing. Even Lily had become serious now. She did not bother to collect the stones as a souvenir but rubbed her hand across a square pillar and said, ¡°It looks hand-made; there are traces of ax works on the edges. A massive workforce would be needed to move a huge amount of stones to build the city.¡±


    Stone buildings had been standing silently on both sides of the roads for thousands of years. Moss and vines had eroded the gaps in the structures, leaving behind mottled green marks in the cracks. Many buildings cracked; some had even collapsed. In the pile of stone, stubborn grasses and green vines grew out of the gap between the rocks and fluttered in the wind.


    There were some traces of colors on some of the ancient stone walls. These were the paintings and writings of ancient times, but they had somewhat faded. The ancients who left behind this ruin were skillful. They produced pigments that could last so many years of weathering. These things had caught Hao Ren¡¯s attention.


    He bent down in front of a broken stone slab. This slate seemed to have come off from a high platform before him. The elevated platform looked like a ceremonial place that exuded a solemn atmosphere. There were mottled paint and some reliefs on the slate.


    The reliefs seemed to be depicting some natural phenomenon. On the reliefs, a sphere was at the top and some undulating wave lines at the bottom. It was not sure if the undulating lines represented the sea or the grassland; this underground world did not have oceans, only a large number of lakes and rivers. Also, no one knew whether the ancient people had the concept of the ocean.


    Hao Ren noticed something at the bottom part of the slate. He wiped the moss and weeds off the slate with his hand, revealing the cuneiform-like symbols.


    ¡°MDT. Translate them.¡±


    The MDT came up and scanned, then went to aside. ¡°I need more characters to form a complete sample library. There should be other writings nearby.¡±


    Lily stood before a huge stone tablet. ¡°Here! There are more here!¡±


    The MDT went up and scanned the writings, and linked the character sample library with the reliefs, and returned to the slate. ¡°It means: praise the sun, which once brought light and heat to the earth. We firmly believe it still burns in the sky of the hometown, and its light shines in our spirit.¡±


    Then it found another slate next to it, which had many plant and animal reliefs, as well as curved symbols between the plants and animals. The slate also had the following words: ¡°Praise to all living beings, the goddess¡¯ outstanding creation. The souls that live among the livings, the dead who have never died, the livings who live in death. We are with all the living and the dead.¡±


    ¡°These are religious slabs,¡± Hao Ren got to his feet and went up to the stone monument that Lily had found. ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°A spell, prayers that have no clear meaning,¡± the light of the MDT swept across the stone monument. ¡°Calling for the power of the wind, calling for the power of the cloud, calling for the power of the earth, the water, the plants, and the stones. And, a large paragraph that sings praises of some natural phenomenon. It looks like something that a magical ritual would use. According to the style of prayer, it is a bit like Druidism or a natural totem belief.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. He knew little much about magic and was even more ignorant in totem. At this time, Nangong Sanba seemed to have found something. He took out a small bottle from under his cloak and said, ¡°Wait a second. Let me test it.¡±


    As he spoke, he poured some grey-white translucent viscous grease from the bottle, applied it to the surface of the stone, and then pressed his hand there to inject magic into it. A pale green shimmer appeared on the stone tablet with a soft humming sound. The light resonated with the stone benches and slate in the surroundings. The resonance continued even after Nangong Sanba took his hand off the slate until the magic oil suddenly burned into ashes.


    Lily did not know what it was all about. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Checking if there is a residue of magic.¡± Nangong Sanba wiped his hand. ¡°Items that once carried magic power would leave behind its mark. It will react with the magic potion. These slate and stone monuments were not only for ritual use; they were magic-activated.¡±


    ¡°That is to say, the builder of this city was a magical civilization,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°No wonder they could build such a magnificent thing, they had the assistance of magic power.¡±


    Suddenly, there was a scent, the smell of an outsider. They had smelled it. It was not far away. As they realized it, something was piercing through the air coming into their direction. Lily immediately grasped it with her hand; it was an arrow with a tip that glowed in green.


    They looked into a direction and saw a tall and burly humanoid shadow swept across the top of a collapsed wall!

 Chapter 799

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Someone was there!


    This shocking fact stunned Hao Ren, but his reaction was not slow. He was just as fast as the shadow that flashed across the top of the wall. ¡°Catch him!¡± he shouted.


    A white figure flew past Hao Ren, followed by a swarm of bats that smelled of blood. Hao Ren, Vivian, and Lily had scaled over the collapsed stonewall as a tall, agile figure was fleeing from the corner of the building. They were in a high-speed chase. They moved so fast that the surroundings faded past them like ghosts. But the shadow was quick; even Lily had a hard time catching up. It eluded Lily¡¯s pouncing maneuver and changed directions as it weaved through the collapsed walls. The shadow was familiar with the environment, and it added a challenge for Hao Ren and the rest.


    But they somehow managed to reduce the distance. Vivian turned into a swarm of bats in the air, the walls on the ground were not obstacles to her anymore. She started to fire icicles and lightning from the sky. Her aerial attack caught the mysterious man off guard. He used magic shadows to counter Vivian¡¯s long-range strike, but this had significantly affected his speed.


    At last, the shadow scaled over a wall and was out in the open. The man rolled on the ground and dodged the Lightning Strike move of Vivian. Bouncing up like a monkey, the man drew a short knife from his waist to perform a desperate counterattack. At this moment, a sudden loud bang came from the side. Debris and dust were flying everywhere as Lily smashed through a megalithic building and came before them¡ªshe had lost patience negotiating the corners, so she chose the most direct route.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± Lily, covered in dust from head to toe, shouted as she raised a slate of at least one tonne heavy. ¡°I can hit the bullseyes with this piece of brick. So you better don¡¯t run.¡±


    Now, Hao Ren could see the figure. It was a tall, muscular young man, dressed in a strange costume that looked like an animal skin, with green paint stripes across his face. His hair was draped over the back as the Red Indians did. He had a short bow and a sharp knife, but he seemed to have dropped his quiver while he fled.


    Lily¡¯s action had this weird man rooted to the spot. Apparently, in the man¡¯s worldview, a creature that could plow through a three-story stone wall with bare-headed and was still able to hold up a tonne-heavy stone while jumping around did not exist in this world. The man did not seem to understand what Lily said though. He thought she was making a roar before throwing the stone at him. So he kept running.


    Hao Ren took out his spear and blocked his escape route with a plasma flare.


    ¡°Grukkak! Talta Talu!¡± The man, who looked like a Red Indian, said something. But no one understood him. The man turned and ran in another direction.


    Hessiana¡¯s two sidekicks lunged out from the shadows. Turcan moved like a ghost before the mysterious man and blocked him with an aristocratic sword while Kassandra was up in the air holding a bloody red magic spear aiming straight at the enemy on the ground.


    The man had no escape now.


    ¡°Calm down. Put down your weapon. We¡¯re not a threat,¡± Hao Ren said as he inched slowly toward the native. At the same time, Lily waved her hand and slowly put down the giant brick. ¡°I know we have a communication problem. But it will go away soon¡­¡±


    Nangong Sanba teleported himself up beside Hao Ren and said, ¡°Since you know he doesn¡¯t understand you, why did you talk so much?¡±


    Hao Ren gave him a sideways look. ¡°Oh come on, it¡¯s called SOP.¡±


    By now, Nangong Wuyue had climbed out from the other side of the wall. She came out now because she knew the danger was over.


    They narrowed the encirclement, and the indigenous man seemed to know these people were going to ¡®catch him alive.¡¯ He wielded his short knife and retreated nervously. Judging from his movement and the way he held the knife, he was a warrior. The man kept uttering some words in his mouth, but no one understood it. But the translation plug-in was working quickly.


    Reading the mind, bridging the brain waves, reorganizing information¨Call these happened in a split second. Hao Ren uttered a few words, with trials and errors, the first language library was ready.


    ¡°Please lay down your weapon. We are not hostile. If you cooperate, I can guarantee your safety.¡±


    Hao Ren spoke but was in the man¡¯s language this time.


    The man was startled. He shouted. ¡°Demon! You stole my language!¡±


    Hao Ren was startled too. And, he forced a smile. ¡°The native of this land seems to be very imaginative,¡± he thought.


    ¡°We are not demons,¡± Nangong Wuyue said. She finally took up the courage though still hiding behind Hao Ren. ¡°We are¡­ well, an expedition team. We are passing by, and we don¡¯t even know someone is living here. You see, we have put down our weapons.¡±


    The man, unconvinced, looked at Lily cautiously. His face was like ¡°you are kidding me.¡± With the advantage of size, Lily did not even need a weapon, he figured. Lily did not even look at him as she shook the dirt off her body.


    They were now in a stalemate. It would be difficult to let the man ease himself. But it was no surprise. The Extra-ethnic Conflict Reconciliation Skills and Communication Methods in Special Situations manuals that he read came in handy now. Now the man started to calm down, and it was only a matter of time before they could talk. So he took it easy. At this time, a swarm of bats came from above and descended next to Hao Ren before it transformed back into Vivian.


    ¡°Wow, things seem to become weirder by the day,¡± Vivian said. ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe there are people in this world. Inferno, the mysterious realm, the world with only grass and flowers now has a human! I wonder those old coots back home would believe what I¡¯m going to tell them.¡±


    She then turned and looked curiously at the indigenous man who painted his face like a tribal warrior.


    At the same time, the ¡®tribal warrior¡¯ also looked at Vivian¡¯s face.


    The man suddenly seemed to have gotten the shock of his life as the short knife in his hand was glowing in red. The tribal warrior instinctively knelt and greeted Vivian with great reverence. ¡°Goddess, you have come! You have come to this world!¡±


    Vivian was also getting the shock of her life too. She bounced back several feet and hid behind Hao Ren. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this man?¡±


    Now it perplexed Hao Ren. At this time, Hessiana came up from a distance¡ªin fact, she had already arrived earlier, but she was standing guard from afar, in case there were more such indigenous people nearby.


    The tribal warrior was stunned when he saw Hessiana. He was confused about this woman with Vivian.


    His short knife also glowed in red albeit a little lesser when Hessiana came close.


    Everyone exchanged a look as if saying ¡°what was going on here?¡±


    ¡°Can we talk nicely now?¡± Lily had finally dusted the debris on her body. She was still a straight talker though. ¡°Battie, he seems to have mistaken you as someone else.¡±


    ¡°He just mentioned ¡®Goddess,¡¯¡± Hao Ren said. He seemed to have figured out something. ¡°Those slates mention about the Goddess too¡­ I think we have hit the jackpot!¡±


    There was only one Goddess as far as the faith of the people on the planet where the First Born existed concerned.


    It was the Goddess of Creation.


    Raven 12345¡¯s words echoed in Hao Ren¡¯s mind.


    Vivian was not the Goddess of Creation, but she had everything to do with it.


    He finally found the connection between Vivian and the Goddess of Creation on this planet!

 Chapter 800

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren was the only one who knew about the secret connection between Vivian and the goddess of creation. The others were just puzzled by the indigenous man¡¯s reaction. Perhaps, the man was mistaken or something. Or maybe, someone whom he highly respected in this world looked like Vivian. It was the most natural explanation for them, but to Hao Ren, it was not as simple as that. So, he decided to stay away from the topic. ¡°Could you please play along, Vivian?¡± he asked.


    Vivian was dumbfounded. ¡°Play along what?¡±


    ¡°Pretend that you¡¯re what he thinks,¡± Hao Ren whispered into her ear. Then he came up to the man. ¡°Get to your feet. I have questions for you.¡±


    Vivian followed Hao Ren but still could not wrap her brain around it. Only after a long while, she began to mumble to herself, ¡°I am the almighty, I am over ten thousand years old¡­¡±


    The ¡®tribal warrior¡¯ was like a lost ball in high weeds; he looked at Vivian, and then Hessiana, and repeated that. At the same time, he kept his eye on the short knife in his hand. The short knife glowed brighter when Vivian and Hessiana came closer. Hao Ren pointed at the sharp blade. ¡°What is that?¡± he asked.


    The tribal warrior did not answer. He just bowed his head at Vivian, and his face looked fearful and reverend. ¡°Goddess, what is your purpose of coming?¡±


    Vivian froze for a long while. She did not know how to respond. Hao Ren nudged her arm and said, ¡°Say something. He is asking you.¡±


    ¡°Err¡­ err¡­¡± Vivian had tied herself up in knots as she tried to fudge. ¡°I¡­ I just come down here to take a look. I was merely passing by.¡±


    Her baffling reply did not bother the tribal warrior. He was still behaving reverently. ¡°This world will prosper as you wish, and the spirit of all beings will welcome you with joy.¡±


    Sensing that the man was ignoring him, Hao Ren hemmed and said, ¡°Why not you introduce yourself?¡±


    Only then, the tribal warrior looked at Hao Ren puzzledly. As if the tribal warrior suddenly came to his senses, he said, ¡°I am the great warrior of the Hanuk Tribe of West Wind, Gezer.¡±


    ¡°The Hanuk Tribe of West Wind?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s brows pulled together. ¡°Are there more people like you?¡±


    Gezer did not seem to understand Hao Ren¡¯s question and appeared a little hesitant. ¡°Every tribe has less than ten great warriors. The Goddess has gifted us a limited number of holy blades. Not everyone is qualified.¡±


    What Hao Ren meant was a question of the population, but Gezer had misunderstood it for something else. When the tribal warrior mentioned about the holy blade, Hao Ren could not help but look at the short knife. ¡°You mean this? Can I see it?¡±


    Gezer looked a little wary. He was still suspicious of the strangers that came with the Goddess. Noticing his hesitation, Vivian finally knew what she should say. ¡°Let him take a look. We need to examine whether the holy blade is all right. After all, it¡¯s been a long time.¡±


    The short knife glowed even brighter when Vivian was talking. The glow seemed to be some signal; Gezer relented and handed the weapon to Hao Ren respectfully.


    Hao Ren took over the short knife and examined it curiously. It was one foot long, had a non-gold, non-woody odd grip and the blade was curvy like a dancing flame and had complicated reliefs that looked like hieroglyphics and simple patterns. The translation plug-in had interpreted the trends; they were words of prayer that praised the wind and the water.


    It was an exquisitely made short knife; the texture of the reliefs was almost like a high-precision, industrial product. The rough leather coat and hand-made bow that Gezer carried were a stark contrast. It was hard to imagine this tribe could have made such a precision weapon.


    Perhaps it was as he said; the holy blade was not a human-made item but a gift from the Goddess.


    ¡°You have an impression of this?¡± Hao Ren turned away from Gezer and showed the short knife to Vivian.


    Vivian was a little confused. ¡°No, I don¡¯t remember I have had this kind of thing. What¡¯s more, I was so poor at that time that even if I had such an expensive knife, I would have sold it for food. This kind of fine weapon worth a lot of money even hundreds of years ago.¡±


    Hao Ren ran his hand across the reliefs on the short knife that was still glowing in red. ¡°But it¡¯s responding to your presence.¡±


    Vivian placed her hand on the short knife, and it glowed at maximum brightness. A strong vibe, a kind of vitality was felt on the sharp blade as the metal pealed as if it was in joy. It wondered Lily. ¡°Did you say that it¡¯s not yours?¡± she asked.


    ¡°The energy felt similar to mine, but the knife is not mine.¡± Vivian looked at Hao Ren. ¡°You do know something, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later,¡± Hao Ren said as he turned around again and handed the knife back to Gezer. ¡°It¡¯s in good condition. Now, can you take us to your tribe?¡±


    It was a common sense that no sane person would travel in the grassland alone, and Gezer looked like someone of importance to his tribe, the Hanuk Tribe of West Wind should be nearby. Perhaps it was in a particular location where the probes had not managed to reach.


    Gezer agreed. But he looked at the ruins around him hesitantly. ¡°I still haven¡¯t completed my mission here¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, in that case,¡± Hao Ren nodded. He had also noticed Gezer¡¯s hesitation. He nudged Vivian who then nodded. ¡°She has agreed.¡± Hao Ren said.


    Gezer was relieved. He first went to retrieve his quiver and arrows that he had dropped, and then went up to the stone platform as they watched curiously. Reaching into his cloth bag, he took some spices out and burned it on the stone platform, as if it were sacred. The smoke from the burning spices drifted to the nearby slates while Gezer observed, his face serious.


    Also, at the same time, he seemed to be a little self-conscious and embarrassed.


    His embarrassment stemmed from the stare of Vivian.


    Hao Ren believed that Gezer was performing some religious ritual. He might have come to this ruin alone tasked with an assignment, such as praying to the Goddess. And, Vivian, whom Gezer deemed a Goddess, was watching nearby and that made him nervous. After all, not every goddess was like Raven 12345, and not every pope was like Hao Ren who would get into a shouting match with the goddess.


    The ritual took not very long. When Gezer finally got to his feet, Hao Ren walked up to him and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. And tell me about your tribe.¡±


    He then issued an instruction to the MDT in his mind. ¡°Bring all probes down from the clouds and the surface, and focus on scanning this underground world. This space is a lot more interesting than we could imagine.¡±


    Gezer did not even ask who Hao Ren and his entourage were. It seemed that as long as his Goddess trusted them, he would also believe them. Gezer had mentioned some things about this world, but Hao Ren was not sure if Gezer knew about the crust and the First Born, his scope of questions became limited. Anyway, he now knew about the tribe from where Gezer came.


    Vast grassland and sparse forests covered the underground world. In Gezer¡¯s understanding, it was a world where the sky was round, the earth was square, the magnificent mountain called the Pillar of Eternity¡ªaka the Heaven¡¯s Pillar¡ªsupported the world, the Goddess gave everything between heaven and the earth, and no one should question the Goddess. Gezer¡¯s tribe lived on the grasslands, migrating as seasons changed the rivers and the lakes. They were semi-nomadic people. The underground weather had a pattern, but these people also followed a particular faith.


    Other than the Hanuk Tribe of West Wind, there were also tribes living in the forests, mountains, and swamps. But these people barely contacted each other.


    A couple of questions later, Hao Ren started to have a rough idea. These tribes had a small population, which always stayed at a bare minimum level. But it was not just the population; the tribes lived a primitive life. They did not have cities and infrastructure, even though they could have built that, and preferred the simple way of life.


    At last, their conversation turned to the holy blade of Gezer.


    Gezer believed that the holy blade was the object that the Goddess gave to mortals in ancient times. It had an invisible connection with the power of the Goddess.


    ¡°Only the chosen warriors are qualified to wield the holy blade,¡± Gezer said as he placed his hand on the knife and held his head up high in front of Vivian. ¡°Those underserved shouldn¡¯t touch the holy blade; their blood will boil and die if they do. When the power of the Goddess comes near the holy blade or when the holy blades are adjacent to each other, the power will increase. But I¡¯ve never seen such intense glow on the holy blade like today. In the records of the tribe, the Goddess has been absent in the world for many years.¡±


    When Hao Ren heard the ¡®blood boiling¡¯ theory, he could not help exchanging a look with Vivian; they did not doubt its nature.


    The nature of the ¡®discriminate power¡¯ of the holy blade also explained how Gezer had identified Vivian. It was not by guessing, but by sensing the power in Vivian.


    It seemed that things were getting more and more interesting.

 Chapter 801

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Before leaving Stone City, Hao Ren curiously asked Gezer, ¡°Do you know about the ruins?¡±


    Since Gezer came to the ruins to perform the ritual, he deduced that this ancient city should have a special significance for the indigenous people in this world. Since the city and the people were here, he could not fathom why the tribe of Gezer had given up this majestic and sturdy city and chosen to live a nomadic life. Perhaps the climate change had forced them to be nomads. But he wanted to hear what Gezer had to say.


    The question surprised Gezer. ¡°The Goddess should know everything. Why do you ask about the ancient city?¡± Gezer said.


    It looks like Gezer still believed that Vivian was the Goddess who created everything and knew everything. That was why he thought Hao Ren¡¯s question was puzzling. The Goddess here should already know everything!


    It was a tricky situation. If not careful, Hao Ren could screw up the trust he had built with Gezer. Fortunately, Vivian saved the day. ¡°The way Goddess observes this world is different from yours. Just tell us about the changes in the world according to your understanding,¡± she said.


    Her words seemed deep but at the same time, transcendent. Hao Ren could not help but glance at her. He whispered in Hollettan. ¡°Good acting! Where did you get that catchy phrase?¡±


    Vivian smiled softly. ¡°From who do you think I learned that? Those old coots back home have been babbling like that for the past ten thousand years!¡±


    Gezer was convinced. He felt the great wisdom of the Goddess in her word. He began to explain as he pointed to the collapsed megalithic buildings around him. ¡°This is the ancient sacred city of Dorasil. Before the end of the Sun Dynasty, this great city enshrined the Holy Spirit of the Goddess. And, until now the Holy Spirit is still echoing in the shadow of Dorasil. Is Goddess coming today to check on the Holy Spirit?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re baffling me,¡± Vivian waved her hand instinctively and then hemmed twice. ¡°I mean you shouldn¡¯t speculate on what Goddess thinks. As I said, the way I observe the world is different from yours. Look, I even have an avatar.¡±


    Vivian dragged Hessiana before her, made her nodding her head with her hands as if that would be convincing enough.


    ¡°Why is this city abandoned?¡± Hao Ren asked curiously. ¡°What happened to the Sun Dynasty?¡±


    ¡°After the heaven closed, the Sun Dynasty ended following the teachings of the Goddess,¡± Gezer said as if he was reciting from the text. He had studied these phrases for many years. ¡°Now is the Year of Jade, the greatest and the most peaceful era.¡±


    ¡°The close of the heaven¡­ the Year of Jade¡­¡± Hao Ren looked up thoughtfully at the dark ¡®crust¡¯ behind the clouds. The natives of this world roughly knew that it was the First Born who used the canopy to cover the planet, but that history had become a myth, the growth of the First Born had turned into that of the Goddess performing a miracle to close the heaven. Hao Ren felt he would not be able to get the real picture from the Gezer. ¡°Do you know what is out there on the heaven?¡±


    Gezer¡¯s face suddenly turned solemn and fearful. ¡°A place where the Goddess exiles the sinners. No one has ever dared to go there.¡±


    ¡°The heaven is a sinful place?¡± Hessiana was surprised. ¡°What about the underground?¡±


    Gezer said with an honest look. ¡°The underground is the glory of the Goddess.¡±


    Hessiana pursed her mouth and said, ¡°The myths and legends of this planet are bizarre, but they quite suit the worldview of the Blood Clan. I don¡¯t like skylight either. I feel comfortable in the cave.¡±


    Vivian looked away in embarrassment. ¡°It was all because I was poor back then that we had to live the cave. That affected the kids mentally.¡±


    ¡°Ahem. Judging from the situation on the upper crust, I would have agreed with Gezer.¡± Hao Ren interrupted Vivian from babbling about her troubled past. He then noticed everyone had stepped out of the wall of the ancient city of Dorasil. The vast expanse of the prairie stretched out in front of his eyes. But he did not see any tribal settlements nor means of transport. ¡°Gezer, where is the tribe settlement that you mentioned?¡±


    ¡°Over there,¡± Gezer said, pointing to Heaven¡¯s Pillar at the end of the horizon. ¡°At the foot of the Pillar of Eternity, my people are there. We are waiting for the coming of the second windy month, and under the divine guidance of the wind, we will jointly perform a praying ritual with other tribes.¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at the magnificent black pillar that towering through the clouds. ¡°Then how did you come here? By horse?¡±


    ¡°On foot,¡± Gezer said, his face covered in the painted lines blooming in a smile. ¡°It took me several days. The messenger who carries out incense ritual must not ride on any animals into Dorasil. We have to come on foot. Otherwise, the ancestors will not respond to the call even if I burn the incense.¡±


    Hao Ren needed a while to understand the religious terms Gezer mentioned. The scented incense must be the spices that Gezer burned on the stone platform, and this warrior was here today to do the ¡®unsealing¡¯ or some preparation work for another more important religious ritual. People in this world followed a set of strict religious practices, though it was not clear how they interpreted the existence of the ¡°Goddess of Creation,¡± they were highly religious.


    Even if the world turned upside down, also if they became a refugee in space debris of a different world, their faith in the Goddess would never fade.


    ¡°It would take not days but weeks to go there,¡± Hao Ren said, looking into the distance. ¡°So the only taboo is that you must not ride any animal into the city, but not when you return to your tribe, right?¡±


    Gezer nodded puzzledly.


    Then, Hao Ren brought his private ride out of the dimensional pocket. ¡°Then, let¡¯s get on board!¡±


    Seeing Hao Ren took the car out of thin air, Gezer was rooted to the spot. He then decided that what he just saw was a miracle.


    Notwithstanding the appearance of the car, its performance was no need of introduction; except transforming into Heaven¡¯s Pillar, it was omnipotent. He was looking out at the scenery outside as they drove on the prairie. They had arrived at the foot of the Heaven¡¯s Pillar in no time. Hao Ren nosed the car up on a hill near the Heaven¡¯s Pillar, where it was part of the roots of the giant tree. From here, he got a bird¡¯s-eye view of the tribal settlement.


    A small river ran through the bottom of the valley between two mountain ridges. The river flowed out from the roots of the giant tree and out into the open grasslands. On the banks of the river, there were many little dwellings, all in elliptical shapes like a tent, covered with straw mats and animal fur. Blue and green decorative ribbons were on the wooden poles surrounding the houses. It looked simple but felt harmonious and beautiful. Such was the settlement of the Hanuk Tribe of West Wind, which was said to be one of the largest tribes in this world.


    However, judging from the size and number of houses, the population of this ¡®largest tribe¡¯ might not exceed two thousand. To Hao Ren, this was almost a bad sign. Just how many humans are in this world?


    But Gezer¡¯s tribe could care less about such distant issues. The settlement in the valley was peaceful. Men, women, and children walking between the houses all looked contented. And, in the lower reaches of the river, many weird animals were drinking in the river. These animals were the valuable property of the settlement. The probes that Hao Ren sent out had also found similar wild animals on the other part of the grasslands, but those were not domesticated.


    Lily gazed at the quiet and peaceful nomadic tribe in the valley and fell into deep thought. After a while, she suddenly looked up at the solid black dome behind the clouds as if she did not do that; she would have forgotten where she was.


    Gezer had now come out of the sensation of speed; he patted his face trying to make sense of how he could arrive so quickly. He looked at Hao Ren and Vivian with excitement and uneasiness at the same time. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to tell the elders about the coming of the Goddess¡­ What should I say?¡±


    Vivian had only learned a few fudging words from her ancient friends. She was now at a loss what to say. So she poked Hao Ren¡¯s arm instinctively. ¡°It¡¯s your turn to say something. After all, you¡¯re a pope.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Vivian, and then Hessiana, before nodding to Gezer. ¡°Just tell them that the Goddess has brought her mini avatar along, disguising as commoners.¡±


    Then he looked at others. ¡°Well, along with a working group.¡±


    Lily quietly nudged Vivian and whispered, ¡°Battie, what do you think? You think what Mr. Landlord make sense?¡±


    Vivian bit her lips. ¡°I am regretting it now!¡±

 Chapter 802

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Vivian¡¯s appearance caused a sensation in the quiet tribal community.


    Raising his holy blade, Gezer spread the news to the entire tribe. Seven warriors who dressed up like him gathered. They were men and women, but all had something in common¡ªpainted face and a special short knife worn around the waist. They gathered around Vivian and Hessiana, and when their short blades sensed the magic resonance and glowed in red, the warriors who were the ¡®sacred carriers¡¯ loudly pronounced the appearance of the goddess.


    When the hoo-ha subsided, they held a grand celebration once again. Men, women, and children brought drinks, which were only reserved for festivals, out of their yurts. Meanwhile, strong men slaughtered animals under the leadership of the elderly in preparation for the feast at night. Women with strange headwear took out pottery jars painted with old patterns from a unique yurt. They distributed the spices stored in the pots to everyone so that they could spread the seasoning on the meat when the feast began. This spice was a luxury that one could only enjoy at religious events. The cheerful singings and the slightly noisy but inspiring music rose from every corner of the settlement. Even if one did not understand the customs of these indigenous peoples, one could still feel the joy that filled the people¡¯s hearts. Lily looked at the exotic festival on the riverbank. She could not help but nudge Vivian. ¡°Battie. Are they doing this to welcome you?¡± she asked.


    Vivian was not as nervous as they thought. She was just not used to the reverend and adoring stares, other than that she looked calm. She whispered to Lily, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to come to this.¡±


    Noticing Vivian¡¯s reaction, Hao Ren became a little curious. ¡°You look pretty calm, eh?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that people have not worshiped me before,¡± Vivian said, appearing a little helpless and sounded self-deprecating. ¡°Did I not tell you before that people in the ancient times occasionally mistook me as a deity? Some even enshrined me in the temple.¡±


    Lily became curious. ¡°Wow! That must be cool!¡±


    ¡°Oh, it was annoying.¡± Vivian sighed. ¡°You couldn¡¯t communicate with them. Even a sneeze of mine could inspire them to write a book about it. If I weren¡¯t starving, I wouldn¡¯t have sat in the temple like an idiot for a few years.¡±


    Hao Ren did not say a word; he just listened quietly to the conversation. Then, Gezer and a few warriors brought them before a special-looking yurt.


    This particular yurt was gorgeous, but it was larger than the others. Other than that, it looked like an ordinary dwelling. An old man with dark skin was standing in front of the yurt. This old man seemed to have been waiting there for a long time. When he saw Vivian, he immediately bowed on his knees. Hao Ren could do nothing to stop him.


    ¡°This is the elder, the wise Gotarug.¡± Gezer respectfully introduced the old man. ¡°He is the tribal head in the West Wind.¡±


    Hao Ren stepped forward to hold the old man up, preventing him from carrying out the unnecessary etiquette. ¡°Well, your goddess knows how pious you are now, but she also wants quiet time. Shall we go inside the yurt now? I have a lot of questions to ask.¡±


    Gotarug looked at Hao Ren in surprise. He had no idea who Hao Ren was and what Hao Ren had to do with the goddess. Vivian noticed his reaction and told Gotarug, ¡°You shall do what he says.¡±


    Vivian had gotten used to letting Hao Ren deal with such people. After all, he was better at doing this than she was.


    The interior of the yurt was large enough to accommodate all of them, but the warriors who came with Gezer stayed put at the doorway respectfully. Only Gezer got the chance to talk to the goddess, as he was the first warrior to have met the goddess. Though no one had asked them to do so, the warriors and the tribal elders had their code of conduct. So Hao Ren felt he was in no position to stop them.


    The interior of the yurt was simple. Most of the furniture was wooden or woven rattan. Some things looked like containers, but some had no known uses. There was a thick, patterned carpet in the c the yurt. Sitting on the rug was a finely crafted wooden table, which seemed to be the most exquisite piece of furniture in the yurt. On the ground next to the carpet was a metal object that looked like a mini obelisk engraved with some rough patterns. An orange glow radiated from its surface. It felt warm.


    It was a piece of magic-driven heating equipment.


    They all sat on the carpet with legs crossed just like Gotarug. Gotarug and Gezer did not dare to sit in front of the goddess initially, but Vivian glared at them to have them sit just as others did. Soon, the heat-emitting metal vessel had caught Lily¡¯s eyeballs. She curiously poked the shell of the equipment with her claws. ¡°What is this?¡± she asked.


    Gotarug did not expect someone would have asked such an obvious question. But he still replied respectfully, ¡°It¡¯s a phlogistic lamp, an item made using the ancient knowledge.¡±


    ¡°Ancient?¡± Hao Ren nodded slightly. ¡°How much do you remember things of the ancient times?¡±


    Hao Ren started by asking questions about calendar, legends, beliefs, and customs. He had prepared all these questions while on the way here. Having many experiences in dealing with different civilizations, Hao Ren naturally knew the right questions to ask. Before long, he had gathered the information he wanted.


    There were only two periods in their entire history, namely the Sun Dynasty of the ancient times, and the Year of Jade that had continued to this day. The Sun Dynasty was the era when ancient civilizations flourished, and the goddess was with everyone, while the Year of Jade was the period during which mortals declined from a highly developed civilization into a primitive tribe. The megalithic city of Dorasil on the prairie was a symbol of the Sun Dynasty. The remnants of technology that were left behind made people wonder about the brilliant magic of humankind in that period. But now, their technology had declined so much so that they could only make a phlogistic lamp.


    Hao Ren carefully studied their dating system and did some conversion. He found that a year in this underground world was slightly more than two years on Earth. He then asked Gotarug about the specific date the Sun Dynasty ended.


    Gotarug took out a meticulously preserved manuscript of parchment from an old rattan box. Perhaps, this manuscript was a hand-written record by generations of people because it was heavy and had a strong scent of spice. People in this world believed that different spices had different sacred uses, just as the spice that Gezer burned in the city ruins that allowed him to talk to his ancestors, the spices on the manuscript could comfort and protect knowledge.


    Gotarug found the record of the Sun Dynasty. He pointed to the hieroglyphs and said, ¡°The last ray of sunshine shone on the earth 5,600 years ago. Because the sun¡¯s time was over, the goddess would close the heavens. She commanded the underground giants to reach into the sky; the giants¡¯ arms became the Pillars of Eternity, which supported the sky and the earth.¡±


    Hao Ren then asked, ¡°What about the stone city? Was Dorasil built before the heavens closed?¡±


    He did not believe that a human-made stone city could withstand the earthquake that ensued when the First Born used its tentacles to create a new layer of crust. The quake would have destroyed any remains of human achievement.


    Sure enough, Gotarug shook his head. ¡°The Sun Dynasty signified the end of the old world. When the heavens closed, the earth swallowed up everything in the old dynasty. The goddess directed the chosen remnants to the highlands, waiting for the world to complete the remodeling process. The process lasted for a hundred years. Then the world and the remnants of the Sun Dynasty built the last city on the earth, that was, the city of Dorasil. The city was not inhabited but abandoned under the command of the goddess. It is evidence that shows the Sun Dynasty once existed. The old days thus ended, and we ushered in the Year of Jade in the land of abundance.¡±


    ¡°That is to say; the Sun Dynasty only officially ended 100 years after the heavens closed. The city became the only relic of civilization on the planet, but it was never inhabited.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s brows knit together. ¡°You built it only to abandon it. So, the massive architecture was just a souvenir¡­ What¡¯s the point?¡±


    Gotarug put his hand on the chest. ¡°The goddess commanded us to do this. And that¡¯s what matters.¡±

 Chapter 803

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    As Vivian said, it was difficult to reason with people who saw their faith as everything.


    Gotarug was likely the oldest and most traditional man in this society of the remnants. He had a rich and unique experience, and the ancient knowledge, but also used to attribute phenomena that he could not explain to the Goddess. He told Hao Ren about the ancient history recorded in the manuscripts, but Hao Ren would have to deduce the truth of it.


    According to Gotarug, the end date of the Sun Dynasty was in line with the time when a significant event happened in the Plane of Dreams. So after the fall of the Goddess, this planet and space around it was thrown out of the Plane of Dreams and stuck on the Wall of Reality.


    The close of the heaven was an emergency measure of the First Born in response to the natural disaster caused by the disappearance of the sun.


    While the First Born created the upper crust, the ecological environment on the original surface was undergoing devastating destruction. But some power¡ªperhaps the power of the Goddess of Creation¡ªhad protected the humans there and provided them a safe place while the ecosystem stabilized.


    After the First Born created Heaven¡¯s Pillars and the canopy dome, the survivors began to build the city of Dorasil, and then abandoned without inhabiting it.


    Gotarug said that the Goddess commanded the humans to abandon the city. But Hao Ren thought that the real reason was climate change.


    These deductions added credibility to the history.


    Age did affect one¡¯s energy. After Gotarug took a few questions, Hao Ren decided to stop the conversation and so that the old man could rest. Gezer had arranged the best yurt for his ¡®sacred guests.¡¯ But the frank tribal warrior still felt it inadequate. He felt he was slighting his Goddess with the mortal dwelling. But, there was no way for his small nomadic tribe to build a temple according to the ancient specifications overnight. The presence of the Goddess among them had caught them by surprise. Right until now, more than half of the people were still feeling it surreal. They worshipped and believed in the existence of the Goddess, but the appearance of the Goddess came as a bolt from the blue. That did not bother Vivian though. She was happy with Gezer¡¯s arrangement. She then came to the outside with Hao Ren to enjoy the unique ¡®sunset¡¯ of this world.


    It was a sunset without the sun.


    There was still the cycle of day and night in this underground world though without the sun. The clouds created the day-and-night cycle.


    Now the light in the clouds was gradually dimming, from bright white to a calming dark yellow. The glowing microbes in the clouds followed a biological clock, and they could synchronize their actions among themselves. When it came to ¡®dusk, the light in the clouds would dim sequentially. And, as the light went off, the solid black dome behind the clouds became even darker. It was so dark that it was impossible to perceive it from the ground with the naked eye.


    ¡°The microbes in the clouds must be the result of the careful design of the First Born,¡± Hao Ren said as he gazed at the dusk sky. He said to Vivian casually, ¡°I thought at first the First Born on this planet had cleansed the entire ecosystem, but now it seems that it has received the same order as Zorm did to protect the Second Born. But then, a question arises: it is kind of difficult to explain the existence of the gnarled monsters on the surface crust.¡±


    Vivian appeared a little absent-minded as if her mind was on something else. Finally, she opened her mouth. ¡°The Goddess they are talking about must be the Goddess of Creation. Then why they mistook me as their Goddess? What do you know?¡±


    Hao Ren was silent for a few seconds. When Gezer called Vivian the ¡®Goddess¡¯ earlier today, Hao Ren already knew that he would inevitably have to explain eventually. While on the way from Dorasil to the tribal settlement, he was not just observing the ecological environment of the world, but he had also thought about the mysterious connection between Vivian and the Goddess of Creation.


    Vivian had noticed Hao Ren¡¯s silence. She knew what silence meant. She let out a sigh and leaned against the rock behind her. ¡°You know something. Okay, I¡¯m ready. After all, I have lived for ten thousand years and seen enough.¡±


    ¡°Do you still remember the world you saw when you first woke up?¡± Hao Ren suddenly raised a seemingly irrelevant question.


    Vivian¡¯s brows knit together. ¡°The first time I woke up? It was a long time ago, I can¡¯t remember. But I guess it was probably at the end of the ice age¡­ the little ice age. The manuscript that Pavel gave me so recorded. That should be my earliest memory.¡±


    ¡°In fact¡­ Raven 12345 and I have found something,¡± Hao Ren said as he looked into Vivian¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s about the connection between you and the Goddess of Creation.¡±


    Just like the rocks emerging after the water subsides, so Hao Ren had no choice but to tell everything, including the vast volume of information on her, her inextricable connection with the Goddess of Creation, and her crossing of the Wall of Reality forty-eight hours before the fall of the Goddess of Creation. The revelations had Vivian¡¯s eyes out on stalks. When Hao Ren finally finished, she was utterly rooted to the spot.


    ¡°I am related to the goddess?¡± Vivian¡¯s voice was a little quivery. ¡°I¡­ I am just a Blood Clan. Am I not?¡±


    ¡°Besides being able to summon some tiny bats, do you think you are a Blood Clan?¡± Hao Ren glanced at her. ¡°And even the ability to become a small bat can be mimicked with magic. I guess you assume you are and have some characteristics of a Blood Clan. That¡¯s it. Of course, there is no evidence.¡±


    Vivian was wide-mouthed as she looked down at her hands, which were pale and small as if they lacked vitality. It was a characteristic of a higher Blood Clan¨Ccold and pale. But when she recalled it carefully, and she really couldn¡¯t remember when her hands became like that.


    ¡°Then who am I?¡± Vivian frowned. She did not doubt what Hao Ren told her. ¡°The reincarnation of the Goddess of Creation? Fragment? Avatar? Or some creation?¡±


    ¡°You are not the Goddess of Creation; I guarantee that,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°You have no deity in you, so you are not reincarnation or a fragment. You are only connected with the fallen Goddess somehow. Let¡¯s not worry about it now. Just stop worrying.¡±


    Vivian remained silent for a long moment. Her face pale and emotionless. Only her eyes were shimmering in the dark. After a long while, Hao Ren heard her asking softly, ¡°So, who am I?¡±


    ¡°You are Vivian.¡± Hao Ren had expected this. He turned his head around and looked into her eyes. Then he gently flicked his finger on her forehead. ¡°You are Vivian Ancestor, the oldest, poorest vampire in the world, who could cook the best dishes and whose presence is undoubted.¡±


    Vivian was stunned. Then she suddenly bloomed in a bright smile that almost lighted up the grassland. ¡°This is embarrassing, the oldest Blood Clan needing your consolation.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with that,¡± Hao Ren arched his eyebrows. ¡°I speak on behalf of the true God. I am the King of Sun of Aerym, the guardian of Io, the new lord of Zorm, the governor of Tannagost. And, more importantly, I am still your landlord. My roles become so impressively many that it takes six lines to print on the business card. So it doesn¡¯t take me much effort to comfort a bat.¡±


    Vivian smiled, hugged her arms and looked at Hao Ren. ¡°Keep bragging. Maybe you could still come out some more.¡±


    Hao Ren put on a deadpan face. ¡°Oh, that is pretty much all about it now,¡± he quipped.


    Vivian smiled from her heart. Her worry seemed to have gone away. And, Hao Ren breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Don¡¯t you see how capable I am? How many situations have I handled successfully so far? So however big your trouble is, I would deal with it. For you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not worried anymore,¡± Vivian said as she leaned on the rock, smiling and shaking her head. ¡°But I¡¯m not as weak as to need to rely on others. I will try to find out the secrets of myself. But in case of trouble, you¡¯ve got to help me.¡±

 Chapter 804

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    In the beautiful dusk of the underground world, Hao Ren and Vivian were chilling out in the open. They were talking about the secrets involving Vivian, and the fallen goddess of creation, who left behind countless mysteries as well as troubles for this world. He did not tell Vivian about herself earlier because he did not want to cause unnecessary worry. But since the inevitable moment had come, he decided to reveal it all.


    But one thing was beyond doubt; Vivian was not merely a Blood Clan as she assumed, there was a shadow behind her. The remnant of the power of the Goddess of Creation was caught with this shadow. But there had been no tangible evidence so far.


    This mysterious planet of Inferno could be the key to uncover the secrets.


    Vivian was optimistic so far. She sometimes even laughed at herself. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter Blood Clan or not. There are many strange races in the world. And, they all have their place in the universe.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled and said, ¡°You sound positive.¡±


    Vivian spread out her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t forget there is still a husky who once thought that she was a werewolf. But Lily did not lose her heart when the truth was out. She had opened up a new chapter in her life. So I could do better than her.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless and quickly swayed the conversation away. ¡°Speaking of which, Gezel¡¯s tribe people are the first to associate you with the Goddess of Creation. Don¡¯t you think there is something more than meets the eye?¡±


    Vivian arced her eyebrows. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The belief in the Goddess of Creation exists in more than one planet.¡± Hao Ren stared into Vivian¡¯s eyes with a serious look on his face. ¡°Holletta also believes in the Goddess, but they think the Goddess is a messy dark-red mist. The belief in the Goddess also existed on the rogue planet, but the Goddess recorded in the database appeared like a kind of chaotic spiritual symbol. The planet Zorm also believes in the Goddess, they knew who their creator was, even before disaster struck the planet, but they had no established image of Goddess in their minds. So think about what all these mean.¡±


    Vivian frowned as she suddenly recalled Gezer¡¯s reaction when he first ¡®recognized¡¯ her. ¡°The people here seem to recognize me by my appearance!¡±


    ¡°Yes, they first recognized you by your appearance though they also used stuff like the holy blade.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°When you were in Holletta, no devout priest of Disciples of Glory had ever mistaken you as the Goddess. Even Muru, the guardian giants did not. Only here, the locals. They bowed when they saw your face. Don¡¯t you feel strange?¡±


    Vivian stomped on Hao Ren¡¯s foot and said, ¡°Damn you. What do you mean ¡®they bowed when they saw my face¡¯?¡±


    Then only she thought about the question. ¡°Well, I feel relieved when I think of Muru; he didn¡¯t mistake me as his mother. So there¡¯s no worry that I am a vessel of the resurrection of the Goddess of Creation. As for the locals here, there is only one explanation. Their ancestors must have seen the ¡®Goddess¡¯ personally. And, the Goddess was impersonating me.¡±


    As soon as Vivian¡¯s voice trailed off, they both fell into silence involuntarily. At last, Hao Ren said, ¡°That¡¯s telling.¡±


    Vivian let out a long sigh. ¡°Which part of the discussion since half an hour ago was not telling?¡±


    At this time, Lily¡¯s loud voice suddenly came from the side, interrupting their conversation. ¡°What are you guys doing here?¡± Lily asked.


    Hao Ren turned his head around and saw Lily standing behind him, appearing spirited. She was holding a large bag of spicy strips in her hand, and there was a stain of oil on the corners of her mouth. Hao Ren could not help but tell her, ¡°This stuff isn¡¯t healthy. Please cut down.¡±


    Lily looked down at the pack of spicy strips in her hand and then looked away. ¡°No, it is a necessity.¡±


    Hao Ren was lost for words.


    It was the first time in his life that someone said spicy strips were a necessity.


    ¡°All right, call it whatever you like,¡± Hao Ren waved his hand as if saying ¡°you¡¯re freaking spoilt child.¡± ¡°So what¡¯s up here?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Oh yeah.¡± Lily smacked on her forehead. ¡°I almost forgot what I came for. Gezer is looking for you two. It seems like he has got something to report.¡±


    ¡°Report?¡± Hao Ren and Vivian exchanged a clueless look, wondering what the tribal warrior had up his sleeve. Vivian pulled her face, feeling a little annoyed. ¡°To tell the truth, I don¡¯t want to meet him. Pretending as a goddess myself is hard enough, let alone someone¡¯s else goddess. What should I say if he asks about Genesis?¡±


    Hao Ren had never thought about this. He could only imagine what Raven 12345 would do if she were in a similar situation. ¡°Why don¡¯t you f**king Baidu it yourself? He said in his mind. This reply did not suit Vivian¡¯s style. He could only shake his head. ¡°You can tell him that you created the heaven and the earth with the swing of your giant ax. Anyway, they don¡¯t seem to know who Pangu is. But I guess Gezer is not asking about Genesis. Judging from the level of enlightenment of this indigenous people, they haven¡¯t come to the point where they would be concerned with how the universe comes into being.¡±


    Vivian nodded with a forced smile. It seemed that she did not have much choice but to get along with the locals so that their future exploration could go on smoothly.


    Lily immediately beckoned Gezer to come to them, held her pack of spicy sticks, stepped to aside and watched.


    As expected, when Gezer saw Vivian, he bowed on the ground. Unlike the first time, Gezer was fully prepared for the customary greeting this time. Vivian could only accept Gezer¡¯s salute reluctantly while she worked hard to tune her mindset back to when she was enshrined in the temple thousands of years ago on Earth. She nodded solemnly and said, ¡°Relieve yourself. I heard you have something to report to me?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Gezer stood up reverently. ¡°I heard that you are tracking down some foreigner¡­¡±


    It turned out that Hessiana, Nangong Sanba, and others had mentioned Baptiste with several tribal warriors while they were hanging out in the settlement. Perhaps they had never expected the tribal people could have information about a missing wizard in this vast space. But Gezer heard it and came to Vivian. It seemed he knew something.


    ¡°Your people met the wizard?¡± Hao Ren looked at Gezer in surprise.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what wizard you¡¯re talking about.¡± Gezer shook his head. ¡°Our warriors had never seen any stranger while they were out hunting. But, I do remember there was also a foreigner who had been here, but that was like a few hundred years ago.¡±


    ¡°A few hundred years ago?¡± Hao Ren seemed to have thought of something. ¡°Tell me!¡±


    ¡°The old folks would occasionally talk about her,¡± Gezer said, nodding his head. ¡°It is said that it was a woman who fell from the Pillar of Eternity. She claimed to be a witch, a woman who knew magic. She could fly. She created a piece of paper that using symbols and words to produce power, and used magic and ointment to treat diseases. Four hundred years ago, she fell out of the Pillar of Eternity where Fire tribe was guarding. She was injured badly. The Virgin of Fire used the power of the totem to cure her. The woman said that she came from another world. So I figure maybe she is the foreigner you are looking for.¡±


    ¡°Four hundred years ago in this world should correspond to about eight hundred years ago on Earth,¡± Hao Ren said quickly to Vivian. ¡°The wizard who called Baptiste was active since about that same time?¡±


    ¡°It should be a little later. But by not much.¡± Vivian nodded. ¡°So we can say that these two incidents are connected.¡±


    ¡°What happened to the witch? Is she still alive?¡± Hao Ren looked at him anxiously, awaiting his reply.


    ¡°She died a long time ago,¡± replied Gezer truthfully. ¡°According to the old folks, the Virgin of Fire had extended the life of the witch for seventeen years, but she had inhaled too much vapor and toxins above the Pillar of Eternity when she fell from above. So she did not make it that long.¡±


    Vivian became very curious. ¡°Where was she buried? Did she leave anything behind?¡±

 Chapter 805

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The information that Gezer provided had caught Hao Ren¡¯s attention. He stopped the discussion on the planet¡¯s strange history and redirected his focus to the missing wizard. He still remembered his purpose there: to find Baptiste as well as extract information about the secrets of evil-spirit Vivian and the summoning ritual. The strange faces of Inferno just acted as a temporary diversion.


    When Gezer mentioned the witch, it struck a chord with Hao Ren. The time the witch fell from the Pillar of Eternity coincided with the time when Baptiste was active and experimenting on the opening of Inferno on Earth. The answer to Baptiste¡¯s hell-bent attitude on getting to the second level of Inferno had to also lie with the witch. Vivian finally learned where the final resting place of the witch was; she was buried in the territory of the Fire tribe.


    Hao Ren could not wait to find out everything. ¡°How far is the Fire tribe from here?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re on the other side of the grassland, at the intersection of the spirit of the earth¡¯s veins,¡± Gezer replied in the peculiar language of the tribe. ¡°The spirit of the mountains and the spirit of the wind gather there, where a magnificent Pillar of Eternity supports the sky. For generations, the Fire tribe has had people guarding the place.¡±


    Then he lifted his finger and pointed in a direction. ¡°Go in that direction. It will take 66 days and nights if you travel on horseback. You will know that you have reached when there is hot wind blowing.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t afford to take our sweet time.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s brows knit together. ¡°Gezer, do you know someone who has contact with the Fire tribe?¡±


    ¡°You want to go there?¡± Gezer¡¯s eyes widened. He looked stunned. ¡°Oh yeah, I forgot. You can travel a thousand miles in the blink of an eye. I can guide you there; warriors of different tribes know each other well, and we have an inter-tribal covenant, which allows us to visit each other¡¯s Pillar of Eternity.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. He tossed the MDT into the air and said, ¡°Then, let¡¯s not delay any further. We will teleport¡ª¡±


    ¡°I have to inform the elder first,¡± Gezer said quickly. ¡°Since we¡¯re visiting other tribes, I should tell the elder.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Yes, please. Oh, wait a second. I¡¯ll go with you. I need to ask the old man if he knows about the witch.¡±


    Gotarug was still in his yurt. The highly respected and knowledgeable old man was too fragile for the cold evening wind outside. He would not leave his yurt once the light in the clouds went out. Hao Ren and Vivian¡¯s sudden visit surprised him. He quickly stopped whatever he was doing and got to his feet to greet them. Hao Ren noticed that there were many parchment-like writing materials on the table. The old book he once saw was also lay opened on the table. If he remembered it correctly, the book was about history and myths; the part of history that the aborigines of the world remembered.


    Gotarug was making a copy these sacred classics. It was his job as a tribal head as every tribe had its holy scrolls. The elder was responsible for safeguarding the manuscripts. When they became old and felt that their time had come, they would begin to copy the knowledge on these scrolls and passed the copy to their successors. Tribal elders had magical ability of premonition that could predict their time of death accurately. So they could always finish the sacred job before they passed on to the other world.


    Such was how the human remnants in this incredible underground sanctuary passed down their ancient knowledge and memories from generation to generation. They had successfully passed down their ancient wisdom this way until today. Some might have been lost though.


    When Gezer saw the writing tools and papers, he was awed. But he quickly conveyed what Hao Ren and Vivian had to say.


    ¡°Ahh, the witch! The witch of a few hundred years ago¡­¡± Gotarug¡¯s mind still agile though he was in his old age. He nodded repeatedly and said, ¡°There are still many people who know about her. Gezer, bring the ¡®Seal¡¯ and give it to Bonia of Fire tribe. And be sure to explain the situation, don¡¯t slight our Goddess.¡±


    He handed a wooden ornament that looked like a pendant to Gezer. Hao Ren asked, ¡°What did the witch do that those people still talking about her even after hundreds of years?¡±


    ¡°She fell from the Pillar of Eternity, which was significant enough to be recorded in history.¡± Gotarug nodded repeatedly. ¡°And, she had brought many novel and interesting knowledge and saved the Fire tribe once. You will know when you get there.¡±


    Hao Ren left the yurt of Gotarug with a little doubt as well as anticipation in his mind. He then brought along Gezer and departed the tribal settlement. They came to open space and was ready to teleport. Geisel asked curiously, ¡°How do we go? Are we using the very fast ¡®magic cart?¡¯¡± He was referring to his North Stars.


    ¡°No, this time we teleport.¡± Hao Ren pointed at the MDT that was floating in the air. ¡°I have a probe heading into the direction that you said. It has found Fire tribe. We can teleport directly.¡±


    Gezer thought for a moment, figuring it might be another kind of miracle.


    They stood inside the teleporting range as the MDT enveloped them with a halo. A sense of dizziness and vision of distortion struck them. When everything subsided, they had already arrived at the foot of another Heaven¡¯s Pillar.


    The Pillar of Eternity, which how the tribes called it, looked no different from the other Heaven¡¯s Pillars. It supported the heaven above, and the black mountain ranges stretched out under its foot. But unlike the air in Wind Tribe settlement, the temperature around this Pillar of Eternity was significantly higher, as if they had come to the tropic from the temperate zone. The vegetation around this Heaven¡¯s Pillar was few, and the land around the roots of the giant tree was exposing a strange reddish color, which gave a peculiar sense of heat.


    It was why the tribe called themselves the Fire tribe.


    Not all humans lived a migratory life on the grasslands though all tribes still maintained a nomadic lifestyle. They had their territory, and the tribe stationed some of their tribal men at the foot of a particular Heaven¡¯s Pillar. They regarded Heaven¡¯s Pillars as the foundation of their tribe. The Heaven¡¯s Pillar here was where the ¡®totem¡¯ of Fire tribe located.


    The tribal customs of this world were very complicated. It took several days and nights to scratch the surface of the knowledge about religion and tradition of this land. Hao Ren only learned some bare basics from Gezer, not much.


    Fire tribal village was at the foot of the Heaven¡¯s Pillar. From where they stood, they could already see the lights in the village. When they arrived, it was just nightfall, and the tribal people had yet not rested for the night


    Gezer had just recovered from the teleporting dizziness. He looked at the familiar scenery not far away and felt a little at lost. After a while, he only came to his senses that he had crossed the sixty-six-day trip in the blink of an eye. He was rooted to the spot, and he would have stayed that way if not for Hessiana jolting him with a jab on his back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t alert too many people,¡± Hao Ren pulled Gezer close to him and said. ¡°We are here for the witch. Just let the tribal warriors and elder know we are here. If can, take us directly to the tomb of the witch.¡±


    Gezer nodded and then quickly ran into the tribal village not far away. He was fast like wind and soon disappeared into the darkness. Not long after, Hao Ren saw him coming back with a small group of people, including the elder of the Fire tribe. Unlike Gotarug, this elder was a strong man, even looked stronger than the tribal warriors were. Hearing the news of the coming of the Goddess, the elder had launched from the doorstep of his yurt toward this direction. His zero-to-hundred time was just slightly over three seconds.


    After that, the process of was the same; Vivian was the front. After a while of frenzy and obligatory greeting and rites, they began to come down to their real business. Hao Ren had not the time to get to know the elder and warriors of the Fire tribe. He got straight to the point explaining his purpose here. Gezer pushed a little girl who looked like only ten years old before them and said, ¡°This is the current saintess of Fire tribe. Her name is Bonia; she can take you to the temple of the Pillar of Eternity.¡±

 Chapter 806

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Bonia was a short, little girl, and completely different from the Witch of Fire Hao Ren had imagined. She had long brown hair, braided with colored silk threads, and was wearing a dark-red robe that was too large for her size. The little girl hid behind the adults as she watched Vivian and Hao Ren¡¯s actions with her big, shiny eyes. When Gezer called her out, she greeted Vivian. She was not at all like the saintess one would imagine.


    ¡°Bonia was chosen as saintess last year,¡± the elder of Fire tribe, a strong middle-aged man who looked like a warrior, explained a little embarrassedly. ¡°The last saintess died suddenly, so Bonia did not even have time to learn the knowledge of the mantra and the ritual and was rushed to take the role. However, she has no problem in the belief of the Goddess and her talents as a saintess. She will be able to be your guide.¡±


    Vivian looked curiously at the shy little girl. The little girl¡¯s eyes met her eyes, and then the little girl said with a soft voice, ¡°Goddess, praise¡­ praise to you, your coming to the earth¡­ the earth fears¡­¡±


    She almost like crying out already.


    ¡°Take us to the witch¡¯s burial site,¡± Vivian said directly, not letting the little girl continue to be nervous. ¡°The others need not follow.¡±


    No one objected to Vivian¡¯s order. Gezer retreated with the warriors of Fire tribe. Hao Ren overheard the tribal people¡¯s conversations as they left, talking about the coming of the goddess and how Gezer arrived here instantaneously from Wind tribal settlement. The tribal men left Bonia alone here. She looked at Vivian nervously and raised her finger pointing at the root of the Heaven¡¯s Pillar. ¡°There. It¡¯s far. You must enter the Pillar of Eternity.¡±


    The Heaven¡¯s Pillar was so huge that an aerial root was as large as a mountain range, and a small hole in the trunk was as large as a tunnel. Fire tribe lived at the foot of this giant tree, but relatively speaking, their territory was no wider than an ant colony under a tree. The ¡®temple¡¯ that Bonia referred to was a sacred place of the tribe in the center of Heaven¡¯s Pillar. How far was it from the nearest root to the center of the trunk?


    Not very far, just a dozen kilometers.


    The miracle plants that the First Born created were so magnificent and amazing.


    Hao Ren took Bonia and drove directly towards the sacred place.


    This Heaven¡¯s Pillar was similar to the one they passed through earlier; it was hollow. They entered through a triangular opening in the root of the trunk, wherein it was a vast, dark space. But the difference was that there were human activities here because it was the base of the Fire tribe. There were torches placed on the ground inside the giant tree, and a path that led straight to the center of the trunk. At the end of the track, Hao Ren could already see the so-called ¡®temple.¡¯ Unlike the other temples he had seen, the construction before his eyes was much more basic than imagined. It was a house of worship of wood and stones, mimicking the Dorasil¡¯s pyramids, not magnificent, not even stylish.


    Of course, even then, it was still much better than the tribal yurts outside.


    ¡°The witch and the saintess of four hundred years ago were buried behind the temple.¡± Bonia seemed to feel a lot more at ease here. She began to show Vivian around. ¡°It is quiet here. The warriors only come here during the ceremony.¡±


    Lily looked up at the darkness above; she was sure the surface of the planet Inferno was right above her head. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t things fall from above hit the temple down here?¡±


    Bonia paused for a while and then whispered, ¡°Sometimes¡­ things will fall here.¡±


    Lily almost broke out in a cold sweat. ¡°Isn¡¯t that dangerous?¡±


    Bonia did not turn a hair, as if she had never thought about this problem. ¡°Goddess is looking after us. No problem.¡±


    Lily felt it incredible. ¡°What if it hit you? You could have died!¡±


    ¡°That¡­ will be the will of the Goddess. If I die, then I would be with the Goddess,¡± Bonia said. She quickly glanced up at Vivian. ¡°Is it?¡±


    Vivian had already freaked out looking at the darkness hanging above her head, let alone protecting other. But before Bonia, she could only nod her head and said, ¡°I will look after you. But I still suggest that you don¡¯t come into the trunk anymore. If you must, you can hold the ritual outside. This pillar leads to the surface. If something falls, it won¡¯t just as simple as making a bump on your head.¡±


    Bonia just nodded her head repeatedly, but it made people wonder whether she had understood what Vivian said. Bonia later took them to see the witch¡¯s grave.


    The grave was a large space surrounded by round stones behind the ¡®temple.¡¯ There were piles of rocks neatly arranged on the ground. There was nothing special about the rocks, but each pile had a stone column erected on top as a headstone. The headstone had simple information such as the name of the deceased written in hieroglyphic symbols. The body of the witch from Earth who had explored the inside layer of Inferno and an extraordinary life was resting in this graveyard. Her grave was sharing the space with others, and there was nothing special about it.


    Bonia pointed to the grave of the witch, where there was only a simple sentence on the headstone: witch, friends, foreigners who are sleeping here; may your soul return to your hometown in your dream.


    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Bonia said, bending slightly over in front of the headstone and making some complicated and strange gestures with her hands to perform a simple prayer.


    Vivian looked curiously at the graves around her. ¡°Do all these graves belong to the saintesses of Fire tribe?¡±


    Bonia nodded her head. ¡°Yup.¡±


    ¡°Your tribe allowed a foreigner, possibly a ¡®cursed¡¯ foreigner, buried in the same graveyard with the saintesses?¡± Hessiana cut in. ¡°Your people don¡¯t see it as a taboo?¡±


    ¡°The saintess back then allowed it. Legend has it that the saintess and the witch were good friends. They were curing the black-spot plague together,¡± said Bonia who suddenly glanced at Vivian nervously. ¡°Is¡­ is it not right?¡±


    Vivian quickly waved her hand. ¡°Oh no, no. It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Besides the grave, what else did the witch leave behind?¡± Hao Ren was not satisfied with just seeing a grave. ¡°Any relics, messages, or legends? Or did you guys bury everything together with her?¡±


    As he spoke, he glanced at Lily instinctively, as if he was telling her that if the relics of the witch were in the grave, then she had better get ready to dig. After all, she was a tunneling expert. Lily understood what that glance meant, she tucked away her claws and hid behind Nangong Wuyue. ¡°Don¡¯t you look at me! Digging a hole isn¡¯t the same as digging a grave!¡±


    Fortunately, it turned out that the relics were not in the grave. As Hao Ren expected, people who fell into this place would invariably want to leave behind something so that those who came after them would be able to find their bodies. The witch had left behind many things and entrusted them to her tribal friends.


    Bonia brought them into the temple, which mainly was just a stone building. She found some old parchment scrolls and slates with inscriptions, and other bits and pieces from an old stone box. ¡°These are what the witch left behind.¡±


    It was a treasure; these things were what Hao Ren after. Vivian could not wait to examine the relics. She saw the scrolls and scraps of paper made of black goatskin, ritual knives carved from obsidian, glass bottles that used to contain potions, some pieces of cloth, and a pair of old, special gloves that witches wore when they made herbal soups. These things were undoubtedly from Earth. She even found a coin from eight centuries ago. Her eyes were out on stalk staring at this rusted little piece of metal coin. ¡°It has been ten thousand years; this is the first time I ever found money in a grave¡­¡±


    Hao Ren smacked the coin off Vivian¡¯s hand. ¡°Knock it off; it¡¯s not something that you found on the street, it¡¯s a relic.¡±


    ¡°It means almost the same thing,¡± Vivian said. ¡°I used to dig graves but had never found money.¡±


    ¡°*Cough cough*,¡± Hao Ren quickly stayed away from the topic by saying, ¡°Hey, let¡¯s look at these parchments.

 Chapter 807

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The ancient parchments had faded somewhat. After eight centuries, the weathering process had left mottled marks on them despite the magic protection to prevent decay. As Hao Ren had imagined, the witch left behind this record when she knew she had no hope of returning home. The blackened papers told the story of an ordinary witch from Earth. It was about her short life and experience of being stranded in this strange world.


    ¡°Anyone who reads these letters, if you can understand what they mean, I give you my most sincere blessings. May the light of knowledge and mystery bless you not to be stranded as I did. My name is Beatrice. I am from another world, and I believe you too.


    ¡°I came to this place in search of knowledge and mystery. A hellish misadventure landed me into the abyss and eventually stuck here. In a sense, I have gotten what I wanted. What I learned and encountered were miracles that I could have never imagined in the past thousands of years. I believe that even the gods of ancient times do not know about the mysteries of this world. It renders all my ideas and knowledge systems obsolete. No words could describe the surprises I saw in this underground world, but I hope to share the joy of this discovery with you. Unfortunately, I can¡¯t go back. I can only write it down in the parchment.¡±


    Hao Ren skipped the less important paragraphs, only took a cursory glance at Beatrice¡¯s early record of her time in this world. The witch had received help from the locals. The fire tribe was hospitable and not hostile towards foreigners. Because Beatrice was skilled in a kind of magic flame, the tribe people saw it as evidence of her closeness to natural elements. In this world, the intimacy with the natural elements was proof of one¡¯s ¡®good quality.¡¯ So, Beatrice could easily befriend with the locals.


    She became a friend with the Witch of Fire, who was the tribal saintess. The friendship had been beautiful. The people practiced superficial elemental magic, but the more in-depth knowledge of it had disappeared. Saintesses and tribal warriors could only attain advanced magic by relying on the help of blood or celestial objects. The warriors learned the magic just for battle use; it was the saintesses and their apprentices who delve into advanced magic skills. The arrival of Beatrice had brought new knowledge that this world lacked. At the same time, the saintess of the Fire tribe had found a like-minded partner in Beatrice. They studied ancient expertise together ever since.


    They were into the ancient symbols and memory inscribed in the blood. In just a few years, the two became good friends. They even restored many old magic creations. Beatrice was the one who made the phlogistic lamp and cracked the methods of producing ancient artifacts from the totem of the Fire tribe.


    The curing of the black-spot plague was another achievement. The incident had exalted the position of Beatrice in the hearts of the locals. They no longer treated Beatrice as a foreigner but people of the goddess just like them. But Beatrice was also unusual in that she was the only people of the goddess that fell from the Pillar of Eternity.


    ¡°¡­I have spent many years here. It was a bit difficult at first. I have to learn strange words, language, customs and even eating habits. There was once a plant favorite among the locals eating as food almost killed me. That was the first time I truly learned about the alien world. Since then, things have been getting better. It is a place where I can settle down and begin like it. I was an outcast in my homeworld where magic practitioners were in decline. When the racial war was coming to an end, a witch like me became the ultimate loser. I don¡¯t miss my homeworld, as living in fugitive was not something to be cherished. Maybe staying here is not too bad. At least, I have this thought sometimes in my life.


    ¡°¡­I observe the lives of the local people during my free time. I am very interested in their religion and way of life. And more importantly, this world fascinates me. What kind of power could create another layer of earth on top of the original layer? It is out of this world. But it has happened here. According to the legend of the local people, it seemed that this world was unlike what it is today. Something has changed it.


    ¡°¡­the locals believe that the pillars that support the heaven and the earth are the giants¡¯ arms. In their religious beliefs, except for the goddess, shadows of the ¡®great creature¡¯ are everywhere. The giant supports the sky, and the clouds are the air that the giant exhales. The wind on the grassland is the yawning of a giant beast called Haku; and the world is built on the back of a stooped old man named Toka, who was the gardener of the goddess. There are many such legends, full of unusual colors, which remind me of the strange deities of my homeworld during ancient times. But I could not shrug these legends off. They have clear and surprising logic though appear grotesque. They seem to be real, but history has obscured them.


    ¡°Yes, it is a heritage. The historical legacy of the locals is a more exciting topic. I found out that these people once were a brilliant civilization, one that was even more advanced than those in my homeworld. But the closure of heaven had interrupted the development of this civilization. I could see the relics of this ancient civilization on murals and slates: a vehicle that drives by itself, flying craft, magic-driven rock guards and iron giants, and even Moro Tosh, the magical city that floated in the air. But these things have disappeared, buried deep in earth¡¯s fissures.


    ¡°¡­there is another fascinating phenomenon. The closure of heaven reduced the population by more than half. The remaining population also gradually declined. But disaster was not the sole cause of the reduction; it was a deliberate act. I found many records on ancient slates that contained detailed plans of population control. The tribes scattered around the world were following a strict timetable to control their population in the period when communication was cut off. About 3,000 years ago, in Inferno-term, they had managed to reduce the population down to the current level. And, this number has never changed since then.


    ¡°¡­The birth rate is strictly controlled. They use a kind of drug to dictate when one would produce offspring. The newborns would go through a ritual-like training to ensure the children could fully assume work in the tribe and would not die prematurely. There are indications that these natives are aware of the fragility and scarce resources of this world, and consciously limiting the population to conserve resources. This concept has been handed down from ancient times. No one knows why they have to do this, but they still follow the teaching strictly. So who taught them the resource conservation? Maybe it was the goddess.


    ¡°I even suspect that they have a way to control the intelligence and thinking of the newborns. I have found substances that could affect the brain in their every-day spices. These spices only slightly inhibit brain activity and are not very harmful. But it is this just-right inhibition that has stalled their civilization. It has been thousands of years since the closure of heaven, the length of time is enough for them to rebuild their civilization. So it should be the result of an intentional or unintentional intervention. It is a pity that I don¡¯t have much time. I can¡¯t verify my conjectures. And even if I could, I could not reverse their religious traditions. Religion is vital to them. Thousands of years of drug prescription and traditional teaching are flowing in their blood veins. As an outsider, I had better not to interfere¡­¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly looked up at Beatrice who was in a daze. ¡°Show me the spices that you have used to baptize the newborns.¡±

 Chapter 808

    Bonia was sitting next to Hao Ren. She almost jumped out of her skin when out of the blue, Hao Ren spoke to her. The mind of the immature, little saintess¡¯ easily wandered off just like the mind of any child at her age would. After Hao Ren repeated his request, Bonia quickly got to her feet, ran into a small room at the back of the temple, and rummaged for a while before she came back out with a little ceramic jar.


    As said before, spices were part and parcel of the people¡¯s lives in this world. Spices were not only a living necessity but also used in religion, customs and etiquette. Different types of spices for separate occasions. Some for worshiping the gods, some for cleansing themselves, and some for the christening of newborns. The small jar that Bonia took out was filled with some greyish white powder, which she made by herself, baked with various herbs and magic. Hao Ren took some of this powder. A strong licorice-like smell drifted into his nostrils. He took the MDT out. ¡°Analyze it,¡± he said.


    ¡°A small amount could affect the development of the brain¡¯s nerves, influence the early development of the brain, reduce the ability of creative,¡± the MDT said, flying a circle around Bonia to scan the physiological details of human of this world, ¡°independent and critical thinking. But it does not affect intellectual and genetic factors. In short, this is something that makes people ¡®obedient¡¯, but if applied in high dosage to everyone, it could almost guarantee the stagnation of the entire civilization. Of course, it is not enough to have this drug; it also needs a complete education system. I believe the tribes here have already done it.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s brows knit together. ¡°Is this a protective measure?¡±


    ¡°It would be a crime if this happened in the normal world. But here, it is a kind of protection.¡± The MDT hovered up and down. ¡°This underground space is not rich in resources, and the entire planet has no sources of energy. There is no sun. The planet has a limited energy reserve. You should know how fast the highly developed human society consumes the planet, so the human civilization here is stagnant, and the purpose should be to extend the life of the ecosystem.¡±


    ¡°Did the Goddess teach you to make this?¡± Hao Ren pointed to the small jar. Bonia quickly looked at Vivian and nodded her head a few times. Vivian groaned inwardly and said, ¡°¡­just assume I did.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment, put the spices aside and continued to read the diaries of Beatrice. The witch was a scholar with a spirit of exploration. She was very different from her peers who only knew the game of power struggle and antiquities in her time. The record she left behind told the many findings of her research in this world. She even left behind drawings, which depicted the history of the Fire tribe and the Mountain tribe drew on slates. Beatrice believed that these things should not be buried. She had also mentioned some adventure plans he had yet to carry out:


    ¡°¡­ There should be many more relics in the earth. I found some abnormal cracks around the Pillars of Eternity. These fissures leading to the underground seem like tunnels that were left behind deliberately. But the Pillars of Eternity are a miracle of the world. The locals think that these pillars are the arms of the giants, going to the roots of them will disturb the giants and cause the sky to collapse. So I have no choice but give up¡­


    ¡°Fire tribe seems to be called Erbisius, a magical race in the ancient times. They were good at making flame-driven machines and magical devices. I have restored some of those things recorded in their lithographs. The drawings are at¡­¡±


    Many latter parchments contained the archaeological discoveries of Beatrice. She also mentioned some of the ancient relics that the tribal people retained until today. As Hao Ren randomly flipped through the records, Bonia was dozing off next to him, snoring like a bear while her body swung around like a kite. The round pendant hanging from her neck glowed in gold as it reflected the light of the phlogistic lamp. The oval pendant had caught Hessiana¡¯s eyes. She woke Bonia up. ¡°Hey, little girl. Could I see your pendant?¡± she asked.


    The little saintess quickly untied the pendant on her neck and handed it to Hessiana.


    Hessiana first thought it was a decorative metal pendant, but when she held it in her hand, it felt like a very sophisticated item. The perfectly round pendant was roughly the size of a pocket watch. The surface had a complex and delicate pattern as if it were laser-etched. There were beautiful inlaid crystals on the patterns, but some had worn out. While Hessiana fiddled with the pendant, she accidentally pressed a button on the side, and the pendant popped open, revealing the delicate structure and wiring inside, and engraved symbols and text on the inside of the cover. Vivian poked her head to take a gander and let the translation plug-in do its job.


    ¡°National Grand Library¡ªErbisius Archives Administrator Key¡ªTransferable Universal Identity Card¡±


    ¡°This is an anciently sacred object,¡± Bonia wiped the snivel off her nose and said with a poker face. ¡°The saintesses handed it down from generation to generation. It is the embodiment of the spirit of knowledge and the will of the Goddess.¡±


    ¡°A delicate alchemy prop, a hybrid of principles of mechanics and magic,¡± Hessiana said as she gently stroked the lines inside the old key with her finger. The internal was perfectly fine, but the exterior had worn. ¡°Is there any other relic with it?¡±


    Meanwhile, Hao Ren had flipped to the last few manuscripts, and that were pretty much all the records of Beatrice. She left behind these things in the final year of her life when she was suffering from strange illnesses. She realized that she had not much time left, and felt death was approaching as she wrote the last few manuscripts.


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t have much time. The more I use magic and herbs to suppress the pain, the more intense it becomes. My body couldn¡¯t adapt to the many elements in this world. Now the accumulated ¡®toxins¡¯ are catching up with me. I have already said goodbye to Mobeka (the tribal saintess back then), but she could not accept it. Life is uncertain, but death is inevitable; who can go against it?


    ¡°¡­ Interestingly, when I am nearing my death, I begin to miss my hometown. It feels miserable to die alone in a distant, foreign land though I know back home, the world is still in its most challenging period where witches and wizards are suffering from indescribable horrifying pressure. I have recently recalled things and acquaintances in my hometown in my mind so frequently so that it has stalled my work of deciphering the ancient documents. I may have become vulnerable, but in the last days of my life, no one would expect a dying witch to remain strong¡­


    ¡°¡­Baptiste, please forgive me for only mentioning your name during my final moment. But I miss you; I miss you so much that I don¡¯t even dare to write your name down in any place or tell anyone about you, because every time I hear your name, I would be conscious of how far apart we are. Maybe you are still looking for me, how I wish I could see you now. But the only one thing I want to tell you right now is¡ªstay away from this place.


    ¡°There is no hope here. There is nothing here. This world is a chaotic dimension of no return. The knowledge that you have taught me is far from enough to deal with the danger here. So please don¡¯t come for me.¡±


    That was the end of the manuscript.


    In the last few chapters of the parchment, Beatrice¡¯s words seemed a little disorganized, even a bit of disoriented. She did not write these words in just one go but spent a year of looking back on her experiences for the past ten years. So the last few parchments should reflect the worst state of Beatrice¡¯s mind. No matter how disoriented her words were its meaning was clear:


    Beatrice was the reason Baptiste coming to the second level of Inferno at all costs.


    At this time, the sound of footsteps came from outside the temple. A tribal warrior with red paint on his face came in. ¡°Goddess, Saintess, the sentinel caught a stranger in the wilderness.¡±

 Chapter 809

    They came out from the temple and saw several tribal warriors waiting with their horses outside. It was more than 10 kilometers from the tribal village to the temple, so they had to have traveled on horses.


    It seemed that Gezer had told these tribal warriors about the goddess looking for a foreigner. Hence they came so hurriedly.


    Hessiana stepped out. ¡°Take us to meet the guy,¡± she said.


    They returned to Fire tribe and came to a yurt on the fringe of the village. Several soldiers and warriors seemed to be guarding a man in the yurt. The man was wearing a linen robe that did not look like his, and he was restless. He was pacing back and forth under the watch of the soldiers. The man was Baptiste who had disappeared earlier.


    His state of mind was very different from the last time they met him. He seemed to be quite unsettled this time.


    Baptiste was shocked when they entered the yurt. He quickly scanned them, and he was cautious as well as confused. A holy blade warrior of Fire tribe came behind Vivian explaining to her the situation where they captured this foreigner. ¡°Our night patrol squadron found this person on the nearby wasteland. He was naked, wandering around aimlessly as if he wasn¡¯t in a clear state of mind. He injured two of our men with his magic, but the great warrior arrived in time and subdued him.¡±


    ¡°Did you hit your head when you fell?¡± Hessiana frowned as she looked at Baptiste. Never did she expect to capture the wizard this way. She could not believe the cunning fellow had fallen into the hands of the indigenous warrior! ¡°Baptiste, you look like shit now!¡±


    Baptiste stared at Hessiana cautiously. ¡°Who are you? How do you know my name?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Lily was wide-eyed. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend that you don¡¯t know us! Did you not use us like a battery before? Now you tell us you have forgotten?¡±


    Still, on his guard, Baptiste replied with a calm and adulterated voice, ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, but I do have a lot of enemies. If you want to kill me, do it! But don¡¯t expect I will divulge anything!¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned. He looked at Vivian and forced a smile. ¡°He has got amnesia? I can¡¯t believe it comes out this way.¡±


    Vivian looked at Baptiste carefully, but could not tell if he was faking it or indeed had lost his memory. She pointed at the MDT sprawling on Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Isn¡¯t this guy having a polygraph function? Test it out.¡±


    ¡°I just happened to have installed such an app, okay? Please don¡¯t confuse me with a lie detector!¡± The MDT scoffed and then hovered over Baptiste¡¯s head. ¡°Hello, nerd. What is your name?¡±


    ¡°Baptiste.¡±


    ¡°Do you know these people in front of you?¡±


    ¡°No impression.¡±


    ¡°Well, that is true. This guy has lost his memory.¡±


    They were stunned that Baptiste had lost his memory!


    ¡°A powerful wizard lost his memory simply because he fell from above?¡± Nangong Sanba looked at the others with a big question mark on his face. ¡°This is unbelievable!¡±


    At this time, Gezer suddenly cut in. ¡°He doesn¡¯t have any external injury.¡±


    No external injury. That meant Baptiste did not lose his memory by falling.


    Vivian circled Baptiste two times and suddenly asked, ¡°Do you still remember why you are coming here?¡±


    ¡°Why should I tell you that?¡± Baptiste looked back and sneered at Vivian. ¡°I might have lost my memory, but I am not stupid.¡±


    ¡°If you are not stupid, then cooperate.¡± Kassandra stepped out and pointed to all the people in the yurt. ¡°There is only one of you; we are many¡­¡±


    Baptiste stood upright, unperturbed. ¡°So that¡¯s what you got? Please try again!¡±


    Kassandra was silent for a moment. She then pointed to the burly male soldiers. ¡°Customarily, they are gays.¡±


    Baptiste said nothing, as if not amused.


    ¡°And there are five hundred of them outside; people and horses.¡±


    Baptiste¡¯s face instantly turned green.


    Hao Ren pulled Hessiana to a side and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your people? Has she been talking like this all this while?¡±


    ¡°Well, at least when I rescued her from the street, she was half dead,¡± said Hessiana, shaking Hao Ren¡¯s hand off hers. ¡°And, don¡¯t touch me! We aren¡¯t that friendly.¡±


    Baptiste¡¯s expression changed a couple of times. He caught his breath. ¡°I am here looking for someone.¡±


    Kassandra nodded with satisfaction. ¡°Well, looks like you haven¡¯t lost your entire memory. So tell us, are you looking for a witch named Beatrice?¡±


    Baptiste was stunned and confused but did not seem to fake it. ¡°Beatrice? Who is that? It sounds familiar.¡±


    Nangong Sanba raised his eyebrows. ¡°You forgot about the most crucial part?¡±


    Vivian shook her head. ¡°No really. Maybe it¡¯s something else.¡±


    She had been observing Baptiste quietly from the start. She sensed the energy in him and was unsure whether he was human or a phantom. Now, she finally figured it out. ¡°Did you guy not notice that he has grown back his arm?¡±


    ¡°Arm?¡± Hao Ren was stunned. It suddenly crossed his mind. Now he remembered that earlier, Lily had severed Baptiste¡¯s arm, but the wizard standing here had all his limbs perfectly intact.


    ¡°When he jumped into the abyssal portal, I saw the space storm smashing him into pieces. The soldiers who found him said that he was wandering in the wilderness, naked. So I suspect that¡­¡±


    While saying, Vivian put her hand on Baptiste¡¯s shoulder. The next moment, a bright light filled everyone¡¯s vision.


    Powerful magic rushed into Baptiste¡¯s body that was extremely weak now. An electric light shrouded him, and in an instance of thunder and lightning, the wizard turned into a charred corpse.


    But, this charred corpse, which appeared dead, did not fall but stood wobbly. The ashes slowly disappeared as if the body was absorbing it. Just as when they met Baptiste for the first time where he re-agglutinated from ashes and char back into a human, he rose from the dead.


    The moment the resurrected wizard opened his eyes he almost fell to the ground, as he was still frail. He looked at the stranger in front of him with horror and quickly braced himself for battle. His voice was full of confusion. ¡°Who are you people?¡± he asked.


    Vivian gestured at Hao Ren so that he would not say anything. She turned to look at the wizard. ¡°You jumped into Inferno. Let me ask you: what are you doing here?¡±


    Baptiste shook his head and replied in a way as if he was sleep talking, ¡°Is this Inferno? I remember I come looking for someone¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you know who Beatrice is?¡±


    ¡°Beatrice?¡± Baptiste¡¯s eyebrows knit together. ¡°I have no impression of the name.¡±


    ¡°He has a magic core in his body. This magic core gives him the ability to resurrect indefinitely. He must have made this modification to himself to cross the gate to Inferno.¡± Vivian finally answered all the mysteries.¡± But there¡¯s a problem to this resurrection process; he has lost his memory.¡±


    Lily widened her eyes. ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°So he has forgotten everything about himself from the beginning. All he knows is that he comes to Inferno looking for someone.¡± Again, Vivian let out a sigh. ¡°He doesn¡¯t even remember the name of the person he is looking for.¡±


    Hao Ren could not believe it. ¡°Since when this happened?¡±


    ¡°Since we first saw him when he came out from the ashes, he was already a wraith. He had forgotten everything,¡± Vivian said, shaking her head in disappointment. ¡°In the beginning, we only knew that this wizard was hell-bent on going to the second level of Inferno, but he never mentioned why in the manuscripts. Perhaps he has been like this since a few hundred years ago. We should forget about him; we wouldn¡¯t be able to get any more information from him.¡±


    Baptiste listened indifferently to their conversation about himself as if the discussion did not concern him. He did not even remember that he was a captive. Sitting down calmly and wondering why his robe had burn marks, he then sank into his empty memories.


    Lily poked the wizard with her claws cautiously. ¡°Do you remember who you are?¡±


    ¡°My name is Baptiste. I am an apprentice wizard.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for someone.¡±


    ¡°Who are you looking for?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±

 Chapter 810

    Baptiste had forgotten almost everything, including Beatrice and his past. Except for who he was and that he was looking for someone in Inferno, he knew nothing else. He had engraved the knowledge of wizardry in the magic core within his body and modified himself so extensively that even Hessiana had difficulty in classifying him. Hessiana wondered whether Baptiste was now a human, a ghost, an alchemy creature, or an elemental being. Was he even the real ¡°Baptiste¡±?


    In a sense, Baptiste had died eight centuries ago. He died when he first transformed his life form. Now what everyone saw was just an alchemy-magic core covered in a skin made of ashes and stuffed with an obsession that he was unaware.


    Baptiste was still cagey. He was not as naive and harmless as those who lost their memories. Before Baptiste ended up in this condition, he had foreseen he would be the public¡¯s number one enemy. Therefore, he planted a series of combat instinct and distrust of strangers in his magic core, so that in the event he lost his memory, he would not easily fall into enemy¡¯s hand, especially the demon hunters. However, the implanted features had its limitations; he still could not hide from the more observant eyes.


    Turcan and Kassandra came up to Baptiste and asked him again about himself. Baptiste still replied albeit muddlingly. The loss of memory had taken a toll on his resistive instinct though he always resented Turcan and Kassandra instinctively.


    ¡°He thinks he is an apprentice wizard,¡± Kassandra said, making sure Hessiana hear the word apprentice. ¡± He had only sporadic memory of himself as a human and forgotten everything about his eight-hundred-year life after turning into this strange creature. He doesn¡¯t even remember where Domir is except that he learned magic from the witch and shared their experiences.


    ¡°Beatrice must be the witch,¡± Hessiana said as she rubbed her forehead with her fingers instinctively. ¡°Looks like when Beatrice fell into Inferno, Baptiste was just an apprentice. No wonder there is such a severe side effect to his modification. He must have gone off half-cocked. What else have you got?¡±


    ¡°Not much else. Baptiste doesn¡¯t seem to remember what he has done.¡± Kassandra shook her head apologetically. ¡°But he does know that what he did was not good. Probably it¡¯s the remnant of his memory.¡±


    Hao Ren bent down in front of Baptiste and stared into his eyes. ¡°Do you know what the King of Blood summoning ritual is about?¡±


    ¡°The King of Blood?¡± Baptiste repeated the word. ¡°What is that?¡± He seemed confused.


    Hao Ren pursed his mouth in disappointment. When he was about to get to his feet, Baptiste reached out his finger and drew a magic circle on the ground and recited, ¡°Two persons are required to perform the ritual, use a magic book, and place bat teeth in these corners and¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was wide-eyed. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you don¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is.¡± Baptiste frowned. ¡°But isn¡¯t this what you asked me about?¡±


    Vivian patted on Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder. ¡°He had engraved the wizardry knowledge in his body, so even if he has lost his memory, he could still find ways to open the gate to Inferno. However, I¡¯m afraid that he wouldn¡¯t be able to tell you how he came out with the summoning ritual.¡±


    Hao Ren stared at Baptiste for a while, and then got back to his feet and exhaled. ¡°Take him to Beatrice¡¯s tomb,¡± he said.


    Two tribal warriors escorted Baptiste to the temple inside the Pillar of Eternity. They stopped in front of the tomb of the saintesses. Hao Ren took Baptiste to the grave of Beatrice and pointed at the pile of stones. ¡°She is one you are looking for.¡±


    Baptiste bent down slowly in front of the grave and reached out his hand to touch the strange text on the headstone, looking confused. He did not have a particular feeling toward the cemetery, because he could not remember she was the one whom he was searching. Slowly, an inexplicable sense of peace rising within him as if he had finished his mission. He let out a long sigh.


    The confused, bizarre, mysterious, elusive wizard sat down in front of the grave as a black flame began to ignite and consume his body, but he seemed to be unaware. Very quickly, the black flame reduced him into a pile of ash while everyone watched. It was the last time they saw Baptiste, he never returned.


    Suddenly, there was a thud. A solid, ugly obsidian object resembling a human heart engraved with runes and magic circles was rolling out of Baptiste¡¯s ash. This solid piece of obsidian was the heart of the wizard. The black flame that consumed Baptiste was heatless; so the obsidian heart was cold, just like the headstone of Beatrice.


    Lily pulled Hao Ren by his sleeve and whispered, ¡°Is he dead this time?¡±


    ¡°I guess so,¡± Hao Ren said as he stepped forward to pick up the cold obsidian heart. He could not believe that Baptiste had been relying on the obsidian and surviving for eight centuries. He looked at Gezer and Bonia. ¡°I know it sounds uncustomary, but could you please place this heart into Beatrice¡¯s grave?¡±


    Vivian also said, ¡°This is what I mean it to be.¡±


    Gezer immediately bowed at Vivian. ¡°As your wish.¡±


    Bonia and several tribal warriors came up to open up Beatrice¡¯s tomb. She untied a small pouch from her waist, from which she took some strange green powder out and sprinkled it in the air before reciting a prayer of solace. The green powder glowed like fireflies and slowly gathered on the headstone until it thoroughly covered Beatrice¡¯s name. After Bonia completed the ritual, only the tribal warriors began to remove the massive stones that covered Beatrice tomb. It was the customary ritual people of this world performed before opening up the tomb of the dead.


    The burial method in this world was straightforward. Whether it was a commoner, saintess, or elder, their tombs were always a pile of stones. Soon, the warriors had removed the rocks, revealing the dark grave below. After hundreds of years, the witch¡¯s body and her coffin had decomposed entirely, leaving only white bones and other remnants in the cemetery. The tribal warriors made a prayer of solace in a whisper. When they finished, Bonia tossed Baptiste¡¯s obsidian heart into the grave. Just when they were about to close the tomb, Vivian suddenly saw something in the grave in her peripheral vision.


    ¡°Wait a second! There seems to be something down there.¡±


    Vivian summoned a few tiny bats to remove the stones and white bones in the grave and came back out with a strange blood-red crystal.


    Vivian took the crystal from the mouth of the bat and checked it carefully. It felt a little familiar. Nangong Wuyue, who was beside, asked curiously, ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°Looks like a piece of jewelry that the witch wore,¡± Bonia whispered. ¡°I saw it in ancient books; the witch always wore a red-crystal pendant from which she obtained her magic power to heal the people. Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t heal herself.¡±


    ¡°Pendant? This crystal looks familiar¡­¡± Vivian¡¯s brow knit together as she rummaged through her memory trying to recall something. Suddenly, she felt a vitality that was about to dissipate from the crystal. Her eyes brightened up. ¡°Ahh! Now I remembered it! The same thing was in the box that Pavel gave me!¡±


    Pavel was one of Vivian¡¯s servants who kept the items, including diaries and a red, strange crystal that Vivian handed over to him before she hibernated a few hundred years ago.


    No one knew what the crystal was at that time. Vivian who had been carrying the crystal with her for some time but found it was nothing special. So, she handed it to Hao Ren because she thought Hao Ren¡¯s dimensional pocket would be a better safety box.


    Now, Hao Ren quickly took the crystal out from his dimensional pocket and compared it with the crystal taken out from Beatrice¡¯s grave. It turned out that both crystals were made of identical materials though they were different in shape and size,


    ¡°This crystal should be mine¡­¡± Vivian looked at the grave of Beatrice with surprise. ¡°Do I know this witch named Beatrice?¡±

 Chapter 811

    After returning from the temple, they gathered in Bonia¡¯s yurt as they digested the newly acquired information and discussed their next exploration plan. Hessiana stood by Vivian¡¯s side in boredom, toying with a small blood sphere in her hand. The ending of Baptiste¡¯s incident was a total surprise, which had rendered a sense of powerlessness in her. She could think of nothing now but wait for Vivian¡¯s further instruction.


    Vivian had been fiddling with that blood-red crystal since the beginning, beating her brains out trying to make sense of it was all about. The crystal floating in her hand did not respond to her magic power nor blood sprinkling. As if a cold, ordinary, beautiful stone, it guarded the secrets tightly within itself.


    ¡°Still unable to recall who Beatrice was?¡± Hao Ren peered at Vivian. ¡°No impression about this crystal?¡±


    ¡°You know how good my memory is, don¡¯t you?¡± Vivian smiled and shook her head. ¡°I forgot about Pavel for three hundred years. It looks like I have forgotten about Beatrice even more thoroughly. Though I know her name, I still don¡¯t have a clue.¡±


    ¡°Maybe this is not her real name. Maybe Beatrice was just a nickname or something,¡± Kassandra said suddenly. ¡°Witches and wizards often give themselves some ambiguous code names. They use code names to avoid devils from seeking revenge or avoiding demons from tracing them, but I heard that this method did not always work as the more powerful creatures from hell could find out their real identities.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, Beatrice is dead. Even if Y¡¯zaks were here now, I¡¯m afraid we would still be not able to find out the real name of the witch.¡± Hao Ren shook his head, knowing that Vivian did not help. If he could find out the real name of Beatrice, it might help Vivian recall the connection between the crystal and the witch. For now, he could only hope for the best.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Vivian said as she looked at the others apologetically and then rubbed her forehead in embarrassment. ¡°I have tried my best,¡± she said.


    Lily, who was rarely sympathetic with Vivian, looked on. She patted on Vivian¡¯s shoulder and said in a comforting voice. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. After all, age has caught up with you.¡±


    Vivian shot her a sideways look. ¡°Get lost!¡±


    Baring her fangs, Lily squatted and moved away as she muttered something in her mouth, ¡°Oh heck! No good deed goes unpunished.¡±


    ¡°Another key question is what exactly the crystal is,¡± Nangong Sanba said as he fixed his eyes on the red crystal floating on Vivian¡¯s palm. ¡°You put a similar crystal with your manuscript and gave it to your servant before you hibernated. It shows the thing is significant, as important as your memory. Did you leave any clues behind?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve even forgotten if I have left behind any clue. Even if there is, I wouldn¡¯t know what.¡± Vivian let out a long sigh. ¡°When you forgot what you forgot, what could you do? I can only sense that the energy in this crystal is much weaker than the one that Pavel kept. Perhaps it weakened after Beatrice drew magic power from it. I didn¡¯t even recognize this was my crystallized blood at first.¡±


    Lily looked up at Vivian, and whispered, ¡°That¡¯s why we should show more love for old, virgin bat¡­¡±


    ¡°No one would take you as a dumb if you keep your mouth shut!¡± Vivian snapped.


    ¡°Anyway, this crystal is the only clue to the summoning of the King of Blood,¡± Hao Ren said as he knocked on the table. ¡°Baptiste was just an apprentice wizard when Beatrice disappeared. He couldn¡¯t possibly study the summoning ritual of the King of Blood all by himself. It was even less probable to contain such a powerful evil spirit in his magic book. He must have inherited the skills from Beatrice. All his magic, ancient knowledge, and items relating to Vivian came from Beatrice. This crystal¡ª¡±


    Lily suddenly raised her hand. ¡°If I were you, I would swallow it.¡±


    ¡°Do you think everyone is a husky? Taste it in the mouth?¡± Hao Ren squinted at the husky maiden whose brain was always ¡®off-track.¡¯ ¡°Do you know what this crystal is?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I do,¡± said Lily, sounding unexpectedly serious. ¡°You think I¡¯m kidding? This crystal is made from Battie¡¯s blood. Since it came from Battie; would it be a problem if she swallows it?¡±


    Hao Ren was startled. Lily did have a point; only that he could not fathom why she must use the mouth. Did she think that eating was the panacea for all problems?


    If was not known what was in Vivian¡¯s mind but she suddenly put the crystal on her lips. ¡°Maybe I should try.¡±


    ¡°Wait a second!¡± Hao Ren quickly stopped her. ¡°Are you serious? You can¡¯t be as crazy as Lily!¡±


    ¡°Well, it was my blood anyway,¡± said Vivian as she licked her lips. ¡°Maybe by reabsorbing it, I could find out something, the memory about the making of the crystal. Don¡¯t forget that the blood of Blood Clan stores information.¡±


    Hessiana also nodded to confirm what Vivian had said. Hao Ren relented. As Vivian put the thin crystal into her mouth, he watched nervously. He could not help but ask, ¡°Do you need some garlic?¡±


    ¡°This is a freaking blood crystal, not tofu!¡± Hessiana¡¯s arm akimbo and glared at Hao Ren. She then turned to Vivian. ¡°Anything?¡±


    ¡°Just a moment,¡± Vivian waved, gesturing her to be patient. ¡°I am in the midst of absorbing it.¡±


    She broke down the blood crystal back into its original form, absorbed it, and perceived the information contained wherein. Her facial expression kept changing between confusion and enlightenment. The formation of this blood crystal was much earlier than she expected. Fragment of memory from an era she had never expected rushed into her mind.


    She saw her own life on the planet from a third party perspective. The vision flashed across her eyes, but she was able to recall more memories than the images she saw.


    Vivian opened her eyes; a bloody glow flashed across her eyes and disappeared. Her energy broke out uncontrollably in a thousandth of a second. Hao Ren felt the power was coming after him as if he were prey. The illusion disappeared quickly, and Vivian came out from her trance. The first thing she did was look at Gezer. ¡°What is beneath Dorasil?¡±


    The survivors on the planet built the ancient city of Dorasil, known as the City of Rituals, after the end of the Sun Dynasty but before heaven closed. It was never inhabited, and only serving as a symbol in this world. Vivian¡¯s question confused Gezer. ¡°The sacred city? Something underground?¡±


    ¡°There is something ¡ª another city. Just beneath Dorasil,¡± Vivian said as she got to her feet. ¡°Hurry up! We should get there quickly.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute,¡± Hao Ren stopped Gezer, who was about to carry out the order. He looked at Vivian. ¡°Must you go now? Could you wait until tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow?¡± Vivian was puzzled. ¡°In that case¡­¡±


    Hao Ren raised his finger and pointed at the sky outside the yurt. ¡°It¡¯s getting late now, and you need a rest, just as others do.¡±


    Vivian calmed down from her stirred emotions. She now saw not only Lily was dozing off, but Nangong Wuyue had also curled up like a mosquito coil and slept. Nangong Sanba and Hessiana were not that serious, but they were all not in their best state.


    ¡°You are right. Let¡¯s depart tomorrow. Sorry, I was just too excited,¡± said Vivian. As she calmed down, she let out a faint smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine. The residual memory in the blood crystal stirred my emotion.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. He did not ask what she saw in the illusion. ¡°Well, we will stay in Fire tribe for the night. Tomorrow, we will head straight to Wind tribe,¡± he said.


    Vivian nodded subtly.

 Chapter 812

    It was another morning in the underground world. The microbes lit up the white clouds in the same order as they dimmed them during nightfall, and shone the light on the prairie. The natives of this world had a unique understanding of the cycles of day and night, as well as wind and rain there. They believed that a huge monster was breathing smoke at the edge of the world, thus forming the clouds. A huge flamingo called Cudra flew out of the nose of this monster every morning and lit up the clouds so that the world below would receive light.


    The team came to a slope near the ancient city of Dorasil. Vivian and Hao Ren were standing at the highest point overlooking the city. Several small bats were hovering over the city, using ultrasonic frequency to scan the megalithic ruins. Vivian was looking for the part of the town she had seen in her illusion.


    They had brought Gezer and Bonia too. Bonia was praying to the clouds with her eyes closed. She chanted some obscure words that seemed at odds with her age. Meanwhile, Hessiana was bored to death. She asked Gezer, ¡°What is Bonia doing?¡±


    Gezer explained, ¡°The saintess is thanking Cudra, the flamingo for lighting up the sky and bringing light to the world, and praying that Cudra would remember to return to the nest on time when the dusk falls to avoid the world from falling into the legendary ¡®Light Burial.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Light Burial?¡±


    ¡°If the flamingo forgets to return to the nest, daylight will linger on as the clouds light up for a dozen days and nights. The temperature of the world will rise, and light will burn the plants¡ªmyth has records of several of these events.¡± Gezer explained the myth of this world to Hessiana. ¡°If this happens, saintesses, elders, and warriors of all tribes will go to their respective Pillar of Eternity and knock on the outer shell of the pillar to remind Cudra to return to the nest. When Cudra returns, the daylight will end.¡±


    The phenomenon Gezer mentioned was the occasional imbalances of the fragile ecology of this world. As everything existed here relied on the shell of the cradle that the First Born created, the slightest fluctuation of this system would cause unimaginable turbulence to the world. The so-called ¡®knocking the shell of the Pillar of Eternity¡¯ should work, because this was the only means the surface creatures could communicate with the First Born in the underground. The Pillar of Eternity was connected to the nerves of the First Born. But these things had been given a mythological origin. Hessiana could only pout when listening to the story. ¡°That¡¯s interesting, very interesting.¡±


    Vivian directed her bats to focus on the largest pyramid on the fringe of Dorasil. ¡°There is a large hollow space inside the pyramid; the hollow space should be the passage to the underground. A few pyramids in the surroundings have tunnels connected to it. Bonia, do you know about the legend of these pyramids?¡±


    Bonia had just finished her prayers to the clouds. She trotted up the side of Vivian. ¡°The Great Pyramid is your throne, and the pyramids in the surroundings represent the three kingdoms, three countries and three dominions of the Sun Dynasty.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever checked what is beneath the city?¡±


    Bonia thought for a moment and shook her head hard. ¡°Nope! Because the city is sacred, the foundation of the city is the foundation of the world. It is in the neck of the giant, Toka. If we tamper with the city, Toka will get angry and fling the world off his back into the chaos. Of course, that shouldn¡¯t be a problem if you want to do that. Isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The little saintess still retained her curiosity and rashness of her age. She believed the mythical stories were true while at the same time she needed the Goddess¡¯ confirmation. Vivian was startled a little. ¡°Oh, Toka¡­ In your mythology, I was said to have built the world on the back of this stooped old man. That¡¯s imaginative. How did you people come up with this?¡±


    Bonia blinked. ¡°Is it not true?¡±


    ¡°If you think it¡¯s true, it¡¯s true.¡± Vivian smiled and patted the little saintess on the head before pointing at the Great Pyramid. ¡°Let¡¯s go there.¡±


    The Great Pyramid of Dorasil was just for decorative purposes. Built with white stones, it occupied one-tenth of the city land mass. The side of the pyramid facing the wilderness was smooth and without a staircase. The side facing the city had an unusually wide staircase, stretching from the bottom of the pyramid right to the flat top. On both sides of the stairs, mysterious reliefs covered the entire surfaces. The reliefs depicted the flora, fauna, and social life that existed during the Sun Dynasty; it looked almost as if a history engraved on the stone. They had not the time to look at the reliefs when they came to the city earlier. When they looked at it now, they were awed.


    Vivian stood at the bottom of the staircase and pointed at the reliefs that stretched up to the top of the pyramid. ¡°The correct way to view the reliefs is from the bottom up. It is about the history during the final period of the Sun Dynasty. At the bottom are reliefs of animals and plants. Further up is social life. Nearer to the top are reliefs of people taking refuge in the highlands and wilderness. If I¡¯m not mistaken, the abstract image at the top of the pyramid describes the final stage of the world: the closure of the heaven.¡±


    Hao Ren stroked the old, weathered stones with his hand and asked casually, ¡°Is the thing we are looking for underground?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. The entrance is here, but I have to find a way to open this thing,¡± Vivian said while looking at the small pyramids around the main one. ¡°I remember what I saw in the blood-crystal illusion; these pyramids are light-activated and connected. The stones have sealed the entrance; we need to activate the mechanisms.¡±


    The MDT vibrated on Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s easy. All you need is the support of a large engineering team.¡±


    Hao Ren swept the MDT off his shoulder. ¡°Get lost! Don¡¯t you know this is a cultural heritage? Are you telling me that you intend to blow up the temple of the natives here?¡±


    Vivian could care less about their bickering. She walked back and forth in front of the reliefs, trying to recall the memory in her mind. It was difficult to remember something that initially did not belong in her memory. Since the real thing was in front of her now, it became a little easier. At last, she came before one of the reliefs on the base of the pyramid. At the center of the reliefs was a pattern of the sun shining on the earth; this was what she was after.


    Vivian¡¯s ran her fingers across the rough radiant lines of the sun relief. ¡°Sunshine, the symbol of the old world. In this world, the ¡®sun¡¯ is the synonym of ¡®ancient secrets.¡¯ So you need to open it here¡­¡±


    She knocked the relief three times and shouted in the language of this world, ¡°Praise to the sun!¡±


    Hessiana smacked on the forehead. ¡°That¡¯s weird! The ancestor of the Blood Clan is praising the sun!¡±


    Vivian shot her a glare. ¡°This is a password!¡±


    ¡°Looks like your password doesn¡¯t work.¡± Hao Ren pointed to the relief.


    Yes, nothing had ever happened when Vivian chanted ¡®praised the sun.¡¯ The relief did not light up; the pyramid did not move. Things became quiet as before. Vivian¡¯s brows pulled together and then she knocked again. ¡°Probably bad connection¡­ Praise to the sun!¡±


    ¡°Praise to the moon?¡±


    ¡°Praise to Mars?¡±


    ¡°Praise to Saturn?¡±


    ¡°Praise to the Titan II? Praise to Arcturus? Praise to Pollux?¡±


    The MDT suddenly swooped over to stop Vivian from shooting in the dark. It emitted a laser beam, cut the relief, and produced a hell lot of sparks. ¡°You have to know; this thing has been here for ten thousand years! Do you think that the voice-control switches here are as durable as the Empire¡¯s?¡±


    The MDT dialed up the power of the laser beam, and the slab just came off like a piece of cheese before others could stop it. But the MDT had been cautious; it scanned the structure behind the slates while it cut. Two slabs came off along a strange line and fell on the ground, revealing the perfectly intact internal.


    Complex runes and beautiful crystals were inlaid on a metal-cast substrate. Things looked mysterious and primitive.


    The MDT emitted a blue light as it scanned the ancient magic symbols, trying to figure out their meanings while it released some tiny electric sparks to stimulate the crystals. ¡°I should be able to initiate the mechanism¡­ if the buried part is durable.¡±


    The electric sparks hit the ancient symbols. Seeing this, Turcan whispered to Kassandra, ¡°Those secret agents in spy movies use this spark trick to steal vehicles.¡± ¡°I think the trick will work on motorcycles too.¡±


    Hessiana could not help but mutter after listening to their conversation, ¡°I can¡¯t understand how that would work when it comes to hacking a freaking ancient ruin.¡±


    While the three of them discussing among themselves, the ¡®car booting trick¡¯ the MDT used had worked.


    The ancient runes lit up, and grinding sound came out from inside the pyramid. As the noise increased, the ground began to shake!

 Chapter 813

    The secret of this world was hidden under their nose.


    The rumbling came from inside the pyramid as if a ton of stones were rolling inside. Dust and debris began to fall from above when the pyramid finally opened.


    The old mechanism was pushing a series of huge stones out from the side of the pyramid, which had no doors or windows. Each stone weighed more than ten tonnes, had mysterious runes at the bottom that glowed in blue and red, and floated in the air in defiance of gravity. Instruments that looked like lenses began to emerge from the holes left behind by the floating stones.


    More vibrations came from other places. The nine small pyramids around the main one were moving too. Instead of opening from the sides, their top popped open. The opening looked like a missile silo, it dilated open like an iris, and heavy crystal lens rose from below.


    Praise to the sun and let the light dance.


    The lenses began to align their orientations. Then light from one of the small pyramids started to pass along other pyramids and form a grid. At first, Hao Ren was watching in awe at this ancient technical wonder, but soon, he quickly noticed the strangeness of the light network. With one and a half years of experience as spacecraft captain under his belt, he swore that this stuff had something to do with the stars.


    His experience came in handy.


    He quickly asked the MDT to record the light activity while the lenses adjusted their angles to construct a new refraction path and form several simple geometric patterns. A few minutes later, the light show stopped after completing a cycle. It restarted and did it all over again. There was more to these lenses than meets the eye. If the lenses functioned only to open the hidden mechanisms, their refraction patterns needed not to be complicated.


    ¡°It¡¯s the coordinates of the starry sky. The first light diagram is the route from a reference star to the parent star. The following patterns are the major star systems viewed from the perspective of the parent star.¡± The MDT analyzed. ¡°These patterns can also be used to correct the deviations caused by star motion, so these coordinates still make sense until today.¡±


    ¡°These pyramids contain the record of the old coordinates of the planet Inferno in the Plane of Dreams?¡± Lily was amazed. ¡°Wow, they already had such an advanced knowledge during the ancient times?¡±


    ¡°Either it was the ancient people who invented this, or the Goddess taught them this,¡± Hao Ren said as he looked up at the ever-changing geometric patterns. ¡°MDT, please send the coordinates to the drone cluster. It is their next task.¡±


    Bonia and Gezer had no idea what these light patterns meant, but judging from the expressions on Hao Ren and Vivian¡¯s faces, maybe the lights had some sacred meaning. So they bowed their heads and began to pray.


    A louder rumble came from the main pyramid. This time, the real passage finally opened.


    The great pyramid split into half from the middle, and the reliefs on the base began to fall off. It amazed Hao Ren that the whole pyramid was floating in the air!


    The gap between the base and the ground was just over an inch high with blue and red magic glows in the gap. There was a powerful anti-gravity mechanism at work, keeping the massive ancient structure hovering in the air.


    When the rumble stopped, the pyramid had split in half. A dozen-meter appeared. Hao Ren saw lights gradually lit up in a downward-slanting ramp.


    The lenses on the pyramids did not stop working, however. The lenses re-adjusted the angles and repeated the star coordinates light show.


    Vivian rolled up a gust of wind to blow away the dust before Hao Ren went into the gap. On both sides of the divide, he saw the internal structure. There were heavy moving shafts, gears and hinges, and the magic-light emitting, self-winding mechanism, the hammer, working hard underneath the slates, driving the lenses in coordination with the other pyramids. The massive and clumsy machine and ancient magic worked together in a dazzlingly beautiful way.


    He walked into the down ramp, the other followed.


    ¡°You two wait outside,¡± Vivian stopped Bonia and Gezer. ¡°It could be dangerous down there.¡±


    Gezer was recalcitrant. He clenched his holy blade and held his head high. ¡°I¡¯m a warrior. I have to fight, even if it means death!¡±


    Bonia, the little saintess stepped forward and said, ¡°I will go too. The grandma saintesses of the past will blame me if I don¡¯t go.¡±


    The little girl had no clue why they wanted to go into the pyramid, but she just felt obligated to follow the ¡®Goddess.¡¯


    Hao Ren glanced at them. ¡°I have seen Gezer¡¯s combat skill; it¡¯s one and half times better than Nangong Sanba¡¯s. But this little girl¡­ could she fight at all?¡±


    Bonia wrinkled her nose. ¡°I know magic; the kind of higher magic that only saintess knows. Gezer mightn¡¯t be as good as me.¡±


    Vivian shot Hao Ren a glance as if she was blaming him. ¡°Are you going to let them follow?¡±


    ¡°Whether we allow them or not, they would sneak down the pyramid by themselves anyway. We couldn¡¯t tie the guys up or shut the entrance behind us. Could we?¡± Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s better to let them come with us; at least we could keep an eye on them.¡±


    He smiled and continued. ¡°Fortunately, the other tribal warriors are staying back in the village; otherwise it would be like a parade down there. We can¡¯t afford to bring so many people in this expedition.¡±


    They headed down the ramp into the underground. Nangong Sanba was walking behind the pack, mumbling, ¡°When was I reduced to be just a measurement of combat skill?¡±


    The ramp to the underground was unusually spacious, and the walls along the way had a large number of glowing runes, which acted as the tunnel¡¯s lighting. Some murals depicted life in the ancient kingdom, ships, and vehicles that flew above the city, and citizens in robes in the streets. Other than murals, there were also beautiful statues lined on both sides of the tunnel. Human sculptures were only part of these statues as most of them were of animals and plants.


    There were signs of damage of varying degrees on the statues and murals despite the underground had the protection of magic power. The condition of these magnificent ancient treasures was in a sorry state.


    Vivian walked next to Hao Ren. She had a complicated expression on her face when she looked at the murals and sculptures. Her sense of curiosity was mixed with a subtle, nostalgic memory. This nostalgic feeling was not hers but of the blood crystal that she had absorbed into her body last night.


    As they continued downwards, they lost sight of the entrance behind them. There was still light in front, and the air was not turbid. It seemed the lighting and ventilation systems in the underground worked pretty well although the mechanism just started a while ago.


    After a long while, they arrived at an open platform.


    A vast and magnificent underground ¡®city¡¯ appeared below them.


    At the bottom of the massive underground cave, there were countless house-like boulders lined up in rows. These boulders had no doors or windows. They were not real houses but a model city. Dark blue and red lights filled the space and carried a wonderful sense of floating. A circle of colossal stone columns was in the middle of the city with blindingly bright electric light dancing in between the stone columns in a loud sizzling sound.


    The underground facility contained tremendous energy.


    Hao Ren saw a vast hollow space in the center of the ¡®underground city.¡¯ He found something familiar around the area; it was the tentacles of the First Born.


    The tentacles, still twitching slightly, spread out from the hollow space and wrapped around the megaliths that were shrouded in electric light.

 Chapter 814

    Some of this world¡¯s ancient legends were lost despite the elders of the tribes¡¯ best efforts to keep a record of their history and culture. Just as people forgot the truth about the Dorasilian pyramids, the world above the zenith, and the real reason for the end of the Sun Dynasty, they also forgot everything about Dorasil, the end-day city.


    Below is the myth that was lost in history:


    Buried under Dorasil, the city of the King of the Sun is a dark-faced city. This city is a mirror image of Dorasil in hell, called Silador. Layers of rock and steel, and a thick protective shield shroud the city in the shadow. Blood and spirits of the ancient sages permeate the shield, keeping everything that sleeps in Silador, the end-day city, forever in sleep. In this sacred place, hidden from the world, huge buildings without doors and windows are everywhere. The huge stones were extracted from the darkest and hottest underground world, containing the war power of the Goddess, surrounded by the powerful, never-ending lightning that continuously recharges the end-day city. The primordial cave called the Throat of Toka is right in the center of the city.


    Toka, the king of giants, is a stooped old man who carries the world on his back, according to the legends of the locals. He was ordered to look after the garden of the Goddess, but his bad temper had destroyed the garden. As a punishment, the Goddess ordered Toka to carry the newly created world on his back, never allowed him to lie down and rest, nor get the world off his back. But Toka¡¯s temper was untamable. He only agreed to carry the world on his back because he feared the Goddess, but this terrible king of the giants had been looking for opportunities to get rid of the burden on his back. The goddess knew it. She ordered the ancient human sages to build a city deep underground, named it Silador, and planted seventy-seven god nails made of Thunderstone in Silador to suppress the nerves of Toka so that this bad-tempered king of the giants would remain sleep and the world could enjoy peace and stability.


    Now they were standing in the end-day city of Silador. The giant stone columns shrouded with powerful electric light were the legendary ¡®seventy-seven god nails,¡¯ and the big hollow in the center of the city was the Throat of Toka. The tentacles that extended out from the hollow were the nerves of the King of the Giants mentioned in the mythology. Sadly, no one knew about this legend.


    Only if Hao Ren and his team could learn the legend, they might be able to deduce more information out of it. Unfortunately, this ancient story was lost following a plague in the tribe thousands of years ago. No one knew the myth of the underground city now. Noe, these explorers here could only stare at this majestic place, wide-eyed, wondering at the electro-optical show.


    The sighting of the tentacles did not surprise Hao Ren. He even breathed a sigh of relief. He had long known that the First Born was the foundation of this world; the sighting of the tentacles only meant that he had gotten some progress. He looked around and saw a ramp that could lead down to the weird city below.


    He led the team down the ramp. Gezer clenched his sword and followed closely from behind. Before catching up with the team, Bonia looked back at the hollow surrounded by lightning and tentacles. A chill ran up her spine. She swallowed hard and whispered a prayer before darting up behind Vivian. At least, she felt secure when Vivian was around.


    The MDT was floating in the air and analyzing the energy response of the megaliths. ¡°The stones resonate with each other. These things work together. The whole city is like a computer, and the energy seems to come from the tentacles.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment. ¡°The First Born provides energy to the city, and the city uses electric shock to irritate the tentacles?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not an irritation, it¡¯s a lullaby,¡± a holographic projection appeared above the MDT. The hologram showed a three-dimensional model of the city where circles of blue waves were around the hollow. The waves presented the electric lightning that the seventy-seven megaliths discharged. The blue, dancing lightning suppressed the electrical signals in the tentacles. ¡°These things suppress the activity of the First Born,¡± the MDT said.


    ¡°With these stones alone?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s jaw dropped. He knew the size of the First Born on this planet; this was an adult. The three little tentacle-monsters on the planet Holletta seemed like child¡¯s play in comparison. ¡°Were the ancient people capable of this?¡±


    ¡°There must be something else. At a glance, these tentacles seem to be suppressed and cooperating actively.¡± The MDT pointed at the huge stone columns. ¡°These things alone wouldn¡¯t be able to keep the big guy in place.¡±


    The team came down to the city near to the stone column where powerful lightning was dancing around. The buzzing current was producing a creepy atmosphere, as the smell of ionized air filled the space. However, Hao Ren noticed that something was regulating the current as it hopped at the height of more than ten meters above ground, there was worry that it would strike down low suddenly.


    Nangong Wuyue form-shifted into a water snake form, and created a sizeable semi-circular shield to divert any possible stray current to the ground. Just in case. She looked up at the dark stone columns in the surroundings. ¡°I don¡¯t know why; I feel someone is watching us.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± Hao Ren said with a frown. ¡°Like there are eyes everywhere.¡±


    Lily kept her eyes open. She wanted to try her psychic eyes if she could see ghosts. But she could see none. Those were not ordinary ghosts as she knew it. She wagged her tail and said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing¡­ but I don¡¯t like this place either. Static is everywhere. See how my tail looks now?¡±


    Hao Ren took a glance at her tail; it had swelled twice its original size. The fault of the ionized air.


    They walked past a large slate, which blocked the path into the hollow in the center. The slate had ancient engraved text on it that read: The Throat of Toka.


    ¡°It should be related to the giant who carries the world,¡± Gezer said. ¡°But everything about this city is lost. I have never heard a story about them.¡±


    Bonia stared at the bright arcs, wide-eyed. The beautiful sights captured her curiosity. She seemed to see shadows flying in the air amid the dancing electric lights. The little saintess looked with great interest, and her ears flickered slightly. ¡°Goddess, they are singing ~~.¡±


    Vivian was startled. ¡°Singing? Who?¡±


    Bonia pointed with a finger. ¡°Everywhere, people are singing into the hollow.¡±


    Hao Ren did not take the little girl¡¯s words lightly, but could not find the ¡®people¡¯ that Bonia saw. He found the situation here as similar to the ghost town of Domir. ¡°I am afraid she is the only one who could see the things.¡±


    ¡°Take note of what they are singing and saying,¡± Vivian told Bonia, ¡°but don¡¯t follow them. They should be ancient souls. They are not necessarily malicious, but you shouldn¡¯t go to the place they are going.¡±


    Bonia seemed to understand as she was nodding. ¡°All right.¡±


    They came to the edge of the Throat of Toka, where tentacles almost completely covered the ground. Those root-like tentacles, which reached out to the lightning stone columns, had also electric light flowing on the skin. Hao Ren carefully came to the edge of the hollow and peered down; all he saw were little red spots in the endless darkness. He figured it could be lava or organs of the First Born.


    The MDT analyzed it. The tentacles remained active, yet no nervous signals of the First Born. The stone columns had suppressed everything down here, and the tentacles were sleeping as if they were dead.


    Hao Ren dropped a few probes into the hollow as he would usually do. He then waited.


    The probes sent back some data. After running its analysis, the MDT whistled. ¡°Hey, mate! I think I can answer your question now. I know where the ecosystem of this planet gets energy from.¡±


    It immediately had Hao Ren¡¯s attention. ¡°From where?¡±


    ¡°The First Born is consuming the planet.¡±

 Chapter 815

    The probes had sent back disturbing images of the planet¡¯s underground.


    The images revealed the hollow internal structure of the planet and its original rock formations were gone. After thousands and thousands of years of an exhaustive existence, the planet was no longer a real celestial body, but a large creature. Dark tentacles and hollow spaces were everywhere. The probes had not been able to find any soil or rock formations.


    One of the probes flew quickly in the underground, maneuvering past the tentacles that looked like a thorn forest. Red was the only light that filled the underground space. This light was the glow that the ganglia and pump-like organs emitted. There were also ubiquitous, thin clouds of microbes released by the tentacles. Their composition was the same as that of the bacteria in clouds in the atmosphere of the planet. Some heterogenized fragments of crust and mantle in the form of dark, metallic deposits remained in between the tentacles.


    The probe seemed to be flying forward in an endless labyrinth tunnel. No matter which direction it headed, there were only hollows and red. The environmental readings that the probe sent back indicated that the surrounding temperature was rising. It was near to the location of the First Born¡¯s core organ, where strata had mostly disappeared. The MDT switched on the mic of the probe, and instantly it picked up something sounding wonderful to the ear.


    A throbbing sound was in the wind; it was low and slow, like the heartbeat of this planet.


    ¡°It¡¯s estimated that eighty-percent of the planet has been consumed and used to build a more efficient energy system.¡± The MDT analyzed using the available information. ¡°The First Born is the only one who could extend the life of the ecosystem without the sun. It swallows the planet into its stomach and converts energy to maintain the cyclic processes. The First Born is very efficient in converting the energy. The probe has also found the ¡®factory¡¯ that produces the microbiota. It is a sporangia-like tissue connected to the tract, which in turn to Heaven¡¯s Pillar, where the cloud is made.¡±


    The First Born¡¯s transformation of the planet and control of energy was akin to a planned economy; it worked best in a resource shortage situation like this.


    Hao Ren¡¯s brows knit together as he tried to make sense of this incredible biological system. ¡°Looks like it doesn¡¯t work anymore.¡±


    The MDT said, ¡°Since the clouds have been working normally, the cloud-making organ has gone into dormancy¨Cnot disappeared. So I think the maintenance of the clouds is not regular. The organ would wake up and replenish the atmosphere with clouds, which it discharges through the special part of Heaven¡¯s Pillars.¡±


    A thought suddenly crossed Hao Ren¡¯s mind. ¡°Would this process affect the ¡®ecological warehouse¡¯ between the two crusts?¡±


    ¡°Possibly,¡± the MDT replied. ¡°The microbial population needs to be replenished, and they are also related to each other. When the cloud-producing organ re-starts, it will inevitably affect the bright clouds.¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian glanced at each other. ¡°The legendary ¡®light burial¡¯ phenomenon,¡± they said in unison.


    ¡°How is the First Born doing?¡± Vivian sounded a little worried. ¡°Is it normal?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something special about this First Born. It is different from what we have seen before.¡± The MDT activated a holographic display and called up the image of the First Born. The image was only showing what it had detected so far. Many tentacles were in gray; gray meant inactive. ¡°The gray ones represent the nerve tissues that are responsible for thinking and exercising. As you can see, they are offline. The First Born is working unconsciously now, as its main consciousness is inactive. The transformation of the planet and the production cycles rely on its reflection. We are now standing on one of its most important nerves. This nerve tissue seems to e controlled.¡±


    ¡°So where these nerves connect to?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°They connect to connective tissue. If I am not mistaken, it is where the brain nucleus located. The probes have not found the entrance though. Maybe we can drill into it as long as we don¡¯t irritate it.¡±


    Hao Ren was weighing the option whether to disturb this sleeping behemoth further. Suddenly, a buzzing echo came into his ears. ¡°The fragment of the goddess is asleep there,¡± a voice said.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Hao Ren looked at the direction where the sound came from and was stunned to see a translucent figure appeared out of nowhere behind them.


    It was a stooped, old man judging from the blurry figure. The old man, dressed in a kind of robe that Hao Ren had never seen before, was standing with hands on his back a dozen meters away. As the old man swayed like a blue candle flame, Hao Ren could not help but think that he had seen a ghost.


    ¡°I am the king of Sun Dynasty, Gragon. Perhaps people have forgotten about the name,¡± said the old soul, who slowly came up to Vivian and bowed devoutly. ¡°Lord, as per your order, the lullaby has never stopped. Now you can retrieve the thing,¡± the soul said.


    Although Vivian had been playing god in front of Gezer and his compatriots for the past days, she was still stunned by the ancient soul who called her ¡®lord.¡¯ She pulled her brows together and said, ¡°Are you sure I am your Goddess? You must know what is hidden underground.¡±


    ¡°We know, we all know,¡± the ancient soul, who self-proclaimed to be the king of Sun Dynasty, said slowly in a rhythm that sounded like he was singing. ¡°You are beyond reason, and your existence is a miracle. Your presence, no matter where, when and in what form, is the benefactor of this world¡­¡±


    As Gragon chanted, mysterious halos appeared on the stone columns. More figures started to emerge from the electric light. They all dressed in the costumes of the Sun Dynasty. Just like Gragon, these souls were translucent, faces were blurry, and had a calm and serene aura. These ancient souls quietly gathered before Vivian. Rows after rows, one after another, they formed into a square formation as if they were coming on a pilgrimage.


    The souls did not utter a single word as they came before Vivian.


    Seeing these souls, Nangong Wuyue almost jumped out of her skin. She curled herself up and hid behind the team. The scene gave Hessiana the heebie-jeebies as she took a couple of steps back instinctively. Meanwhile, Bonia was standing beside Vivian. She smiled, reached out to the souls and greeted her ancestors happily. ¡°Hello, I am Bonia!¡± she said.


    The little girl was only about ten years old, but she did not turn a hair. She felt the goodwill and kindness of these souls and treated them as her kind.


    Hao Ren had noticed the seriousness on Vivian¡¯s face from the beginning. He knew she had known something from the blood crystal. Perhaps she had seen these wraiths in the illusion earlier. ¡°It seems you know something.¡±


    ¡°I only know that they are the builders of this ancient city,¡± Vivian said in a low voice. ¡°Looks like these souls have been performing certain rituals to suppress the First Born since ten thousand years ago. The blood crystal contains only fragmented memories. I¡¯m here to find the missing part.¡±


    Hao Ren could not help but look up at the colossal stone columns, which continued to give out an electric discharge to suppress the tentacles. Since the appearance of these souls, the electrical discharge had weakened.


    The spirits of the late king of the Sun Dynasty who built the city had never vanished. They became part of the city, powering a lullaby uninterruptedly for thousands of years. They were the ¡®programs¡¯ stored in the stone columns, where human souls were the software that ran this complex system.


    However, there was an unresolved mystery. Even if these ancient people had made such sacrifices, their strength was not enough to exert control over the First Born. Something stronger must be helping them build this facility and complete the first ritual that forced the First Born to surrender itself.


    It was apparent who the transcendent power was.


    Hao Ren looked at Vivian. ¡°What¡¯s underground?¡±


    ¡°Another me,¡± Vivian said with a smile.

 Chapter 816

    Vivian saw the ancient memory of the world in the blood crystal, but it was fragmented, and it contained some ¡°foreign emotions¡± that stirred her feelings. She decided not to tell Hao Ren, because she did not want to mislead him.


    She knew someone looked almost identical to her and having the same kind of power as she did. The ¡°Vivian¡± who had been active on this planet was the one made the blood crystal that Beatrice carried. But it was still a mystery as to how the crystal fell onto Earth and how Beatrice got her hand on it.


    The souls that had been guarding the underground city for ten thousand years were the last people of the Sun Dynasty. Among them were not only Gragon and his entire royal family but also the god of creation, elemental god, the divine officials, and knights of the three temples of nature deities as well as the chosen ones of various kingdoms and tribes. They were selected for their spiritual strength. They built this underground city together with the goddess ten thousand years ago, transcended into spiritual bodies, and maintained a massive ritual with the sole purpose of keeping the First Born asleep deep underground so that it followed a strict program to modify and protect the world.


    These souls and the city together formed a giant ¡®control shackle¡¯ that hit into the ganglion of the First Born. It was the origin of the myth of the seventy-seven nails in the back of Toka. It was a pity that the lost legend would never see the light of day.


    Gragon treated Vivian as a goddess, so did other souls. Vivian started to doubt herself as to who she was. She remembered what Hao Ren had told her and quickly got a grip on herself to remain calm. She pointed to the Throat of Toka and said, ¡°Going in from here, follow the nerves to the connective tissue at the end; that¡¯s the ¡®throne.¡¯ If I¡¯m not mistaken, I could open that place.¡±


    Hao Ren knew Vivian wanted to meet the ¡®other her.¡¯ He remembered the evil-spirit Vivian whom they had fought before. The things in the hollow must be similar. He quickly checked his weapons and shield. ¡°Would we wake up the First Born if a fight broke out?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°Nay, as long as the ¡®lullaby¡¯ program is running,¡± said Vivian as she looked at Gragon, smiling and nodding. ¡°I don¡¯t know what will happen down there, but I think we will cross the bridge when we get there.¡±


    Lily looked at Vivian worriedly. ¡°You think?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called sixth sense.¡± Vivian nodded with confidence. ¡°My intuition has always been pretty accurate.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll trust your sixth sense,¡± Hao Ren nodded with a smile. He took out his ¡®flying car¡¯ and ready to go into that pit. Gezer and Bonia wanted to follow, but Hao Ren stopped them. ¡°You two have to stay behind,¡± he told them.


    Gezer retorted. ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°This time I won¡¯t let you,¡± Vivian told the two sternly. ¡°It is not only dangerous, but there is also¡­ err, it is a matter of divinity that I have to deal with. It¡¯s not something you should get involved.¡±


    It worked better than dissuasion. Since it concerned the business of the Goddess, Gezer and Bonia relented. Vivian smiled and patted on Bonia¡¯s head before she pushed Bonia and Gezer to Gragon. ¡°Keep the ancient souls¡¯ company. I bet they haven¡¯t talked to people for a long time. Gragon, I¡¯m counting on you to keep the ¡®lullaby¡¯ playing.¡±


    The last king of the Sun Dynasty bowed and said, ¡°I wish you all the best.¡±


    They climbed into the flying car, which then descended slowly into the hollow of darkness. Gezer stood at the edge of the hollow and watched as the magical vehicle disappearing into the bottomless pit. Meanwhile, Bonia was at the side of Gragon, staring curiously at the soul. ¡°You are people of the Sun Dynasty? Were there cars that fly in the sky during your time?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. We had trains that ran on tracks and lightning-driven golems. It was a long time ago,¡± Gragon said slowly, with a smile on his blurry face. He placed his hand on Bonia¡¯s head though he could not touch her. ¡°Tell us about the world on the surface. Do people still fear the spirit of nature? Do they still remember the sun?¡±


    Meanwhile, Hao Ren and his team were still descending. They started to see a faint red light ahead.


    The car camera had enhanced its exposure rate so that the passengers could monitor the surroundings better in the dark. The cave was massive, but they could see no rocks. The walls of the cave were made up of entangled roots. It was as if they were passing through the esophagus of a giant beast. It was not a new experience for Hao Ren; his two-year working experience had trained him to have the nerves of steel. He was still impressed by the sheer size of this First Born though. Snugging in a slot on the console, the MDT reported the situation outside mechanically. ¡°Now, we are passing through the crust that is ten-kilometer thick. The tentacles of the First Born are supporting the crust from beneath.¡±


    The red lights ahead appeared brighter now than before. After passing through the crust, they would come into the body of the First Born where various organs lived. These organs were emitting enough light so that Hao Ren and his team could see the surroundings without visual aid. The cave was wider at the bottom and had more tentacles intertwined like crotches of a tree on the walls.


    The flying car finally reached the bottom and emerged from a trumpet-shaped opening into an unspeakably vast space.


    It was still red everywhere. The underground cavity was so huge that it looked like an open space where the flying car appeared just like a little bug wandering in the air. There were more tentacles in the red, foggy environment. Some of them were a few meters thick, but the big ones had a diameter of several kilometers. The neurotic tentacles of the First Born were usually slender while thick tentacles were primarily responsible for hunting food and performed other jobs.


    The place looked like a jungle of tentacles, an elusive nightmare, and a weird atmosphere that could have never existed in reality.


    Ordinary people would go insane instantly by glancing at this distorted world. Hao Ren and his team were feeling the influence too. Lily could not help but shrink deeper into her seat. ¡°Is this a fully grown First Born? It¡¯s so much bigger than Zorm!¡± she said.


    ¡°Zorm just covered a planet, but this one¡­it hollowed it out!¡± Hao Ren was wide-mouthed. ¡°It¡¯s hard to tell if this is the mature form of the First Born. After all, I don¡¯t know how to define ¡®maturity¡¯ now. Only God knows if this thing has an ultimate ¡®mature¡¯ stage. It seems it could grow and change indefinitely.¡±


    Hessiana shrank herself in the last row. Her mind could not take what she was seeing. She was struck dumb, and her voice was shivering. ¡°Ma¡­ Ma¡¯am Vivian. What the hell is this?¡±


    ¡°This is what we usually deal with,¡± Vivian replied in an indifferent voice. ¡°Well, Hao Ren deals with it most of the time, I assist him.¡±


    ¡°So what things are you guys going normally?¡± Hessiana almost collapsed. ¡°You can still smile in this situation?¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his head. ¡°I almost peed in my pant the first time I saw this thing; now I have gotten used to it. I still have a few of this thing in the lab.¡±


    Hessiana bit her lip. She vowed not to work with this man again because apparently, this man had a massive cursed aura!


    ¡°Don¡¯t get distracted,¡± said Nangong Sanba. ¡°We should find the main ganglion.¡±


    Hao Ren agreed with him and ignored the bizarre sight around him. He had quickly identified the nerve¡ªthe tentacle that served as a guide that could lead him straight to the central ganglion, and stepped on the accelerator and moved along it.


    The surroundings flew past them as they sped ahead. It was as if they were passing through a twisting, changing nightmare, and at the end of the dream, there was a vast, beating, dark red organ that looked like a temple of the devil awaited them.


    The dark red organ suddenly heightened its activity when it sensed the presence of Vivian.

 Chapter 817

    This First Born was by far the most massive and most incredible individual Hao Ren had ever seen even though he had dealt with other First Borns many times before. The size of its organs perfectly matched the size of the creature.


    A ganglion the size of a mountain¡­ or more accurately, a cluster of ganglia appeared in front of them.


    This irregularly shaped giant connective tissue had a radius of nearly two kilometers. It looked like a rotten orange connected by dozens of skinny nerves that floated in the air. There were no other biological tissues to support it. Plaques and veins glowing in red covered the surface. The red spots were still pulsating with a throbbing sound. This behemoth was alive!


    As a container for the ¡®brain nucleus,¡¯ this organ was way too large for the size.


    Hao Ren had a First Born sample at hand. He knew this super life could grow a planet-sized body, but its ¡®brain¡¯ would remain relatively tiny. The diameter of a brain nucleus was usually about several meters; the largest one would not exceed ten meters. After the First Born grew to a certain size, the brain nucleus would stop growing. Instead, it divided. It was a unique physiological characteristic of the First Born. The delicate nerves in this connective tissue seemed to suggest that this organ contained the brain, but it outsized all other previous research subjects Hao Ren had ever conducted. This organ was another variation.


    When they came close to the organ, the red glows on the surface pulsated even more rapidly and brightly. Vivian¡¯s brows knit together. She sensed the familiar but dangerous atmosphere. When Hao Ren stopped the car at a few dozen meters from the organ, it looked like a breathtaking mountain suspended in the red chaos.


    This place was close to the center of the planet. Though the First Born was using his organs to regulate the temperature and the heat would not damage its core, it was still inhospitable for a human to get in here. Hot gases and dangerous cells of the First Born made the air unbreathable. Gravity was weak and distorted, making movement difficult in this place.


    Hao Ren had to let everyone, including Hessiana and her two sidekicks, wear life-support collar and space equipment.


    Hessiana felt out of her depth in this circumstance. She had given up thinking and would do whatever Hao Ren told her. However, when Hao Ren and Vivian pushed the door open and drifted towards the red ¡®mountain,¡¯ she was alarmed. ¡°Wait a minute! Are you guys seriously thinking of going there? That would be a bad idea. Just look how menacing that thing is.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where the ultimate secret lies.¡± Hao Ren nodded matter-of-coursely. ¡°You can stay back in the car if you¡¯re scared. The car is strong enough though it has no special armor and shield. I guess you¡¯re not used to a low gravity environment.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s words had stirred the rebels in Hessiana. She jumped out of the car and used the propulsion equipment to propel herself towards them. ¡°Don¡¯t belittle me! After all, I¡¯m Ma¡¯am Vivian¡¯s¡­ Oh wait, how could I stop this thing?¡±


    Hao Ren looked on as the little bat flew out and away in the low-gravity environment. He only shrugged his shoulders when Hessiana became desperate. ¡°Did I not warn you? Even Vivian needed a day to learn spacewalk,¡± Hao Ren said.


    While Hessiana and her sidekicks were learning how to use the high-tech equipment, Vivian had already floated towards the huge biological tissue. She reached out her hand and stroked the thick outer skin of the tissue. She felt a warmth in the glowing red spot.


    There was a sense of nostalgia too.


    ¡°What should we do next?¡± Hao Ren looked at Vivian. ¡°Shall we blow it up into pieces?¡±


    Vivian shook her head. She bit her finger and squeezed a drop of blood onto the skin of the enormous connective tissue. ¡°If the illusion I saw is anything to go by, this will generate enough stimulation, then¡ª¡±


    Before her voice trailed off, the vast tissue seemed to pull the blood drop to itself and absorbed it instantly. Almost immediately, Hao Ren heard a loud throbbing sound, which was even more potent than all the sounds that echoed in the entire space.


    The mountain-like monster trembled violently; the throbbing increased in intensity as if its heart was going to explode. The red glow moved around the huge tissue, spreading, flickering, and slowly forming a vein-like meridian. Then, the part of the skin that glowed the brightest began to rise.


    Everyone was nervous. Lily drew her Frostfire Claws; Nangong Sanba held up his crossbow and rune cards, while Hessiana and her sidekicks had mastered the maneuver in this space using their wings and were ready for battle. Nangong Wuyue remained unchanged though; she had been in the shape of a ball¡ªher ultimate manifestation of fear¡ªsince the beginning and she could not get any worse than that.


    ¡°Something is coming out¡­¡± Lily looked nervously at the huge tissue that suddenly came alive. ¡°Wait a second! It has burst! It¡¯s punctured. There is blood!¡±


    The large biological tissue burst. Red liquid was flowing out from the holes. However, the ¡®blood¡¯ did not float around in the air. Some power was controlling, grouping the blood and condensing it into something.


    Amid a strange sound that groaned like a beast, a huge red figure emerged out of the condensed blood!


    It was a huge female figure with only an upper body.


    The ¡®blood giant¡¯ conneceted to the connective tissue, which served as her lower body. Erecting at a kilometer tall, she bent slightly forward and looked indifferently at the intruders who appeared like a group of tiny ants in her eyes. The ¡®blood¡¯ was flowing around on her body, slowly shaping the detailed feature of her face.


    Hao Ren was not surprised at all to see Vivian¡¯s face on the ¡®blood giant.¡¯


    Such was the secret hidden in the First Born. It was the ¡®evil-spirit Vivian, who was more massive, stranger, and more potent than what they had seen before.


    She was part of the First Born!


    ¡°This is not the same as I imagined!¡± Lily already broke out in cold sweat looking at the blood giant who gazed at them with a pair of indifferent eyes. ¡°Battie! You didn¡¯t say there is something like this in the underground!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just as shocked as you, all right?¡± Vivian said with her jaw dropped to the ground. ¡°What I saw in the blood spar was just a person of the same size as me. I have no idea that she has grown so large for the last ten thousand years.¡±


    The Giant of Blood, or Busting Super UR Vivian MK-II, no matter what its name was, the giant creature had noticed the intruders. Her liquid face was void of expression. She stared deadly at Hao Ren, who had no clue as to why he became her attention. His blood froze whenever he looked at the Vivian lookalike. ¡°Do you think she is hostile?¡±


    Before his voice trailed off, the finger of the bloody Vivian-lookalike was already coming down with an overwhelmingly powerful, negative energy!


    Hao Ren quickly retreated to a safe distance and drew out his weapon. ¡°Apparent she is hostile! Let¡¯s take her out!¡±


    A strange battle unfolded right in the heart of the First Born.

 Chapter 818

    If you work long enough in the job, you will always meet something new, something beyond your imagination.


    He had fought with the First Born, guardian giant, soldiers, and demons of the otherworlds. He had even taken the consciousness of Io head-on, but he never thought he would one day fight a bloated version of Vivian. He did not see it coming; the battle was just too weird. The blood spewing from the organ was making the giant Vivian stronger. This incomprehensible, mysterious existence was what Vivian had mentioned¡ªher ¡°other self.¡± However, she seemed to be oblivious to how it turned out this way.


    The entire space was shaking, and a roar filled the air. The battle had shaken the foundation of the giant creature, and all tentacles had felt the tremor. The giant creature began to convulse uncontrollably as weirder, and more horrible things became to unfold. Countless huge tentacles reached out from all directions to the center of the battlefield, as if they wanted to lend support to the giant living body in the storm, but every movement of the Bloody Giant had caused things went further out of hand.


    The huge female figure was merely lashing out her attack indifferently. She only wanted to get rid of the ¡®harmful elements¡¯ in her eyes. A bloody storm screamed and condensed around her, and she unleashed it at the intruders. The bloody storm screamed like a human, bringing with it a soul-piercing negative emotion that could be felt from a hundred meters away.


    They quickly pulled one kilometer back, keeping a safe distance from the giant figure, giving them space and time to figure out the enemy. Because of the distance, the battle was in a stalemate.


    Hao Ren had dodged a wave of attacks as the bloody storm blew past him. He still felt a moment of dizziness and fear despite his shield had protected him from the physical assault.


    The enemy¡¯s attack carried an equally damaging mental-attack energy. The mental attack was more challenging to deal with as it had a greater range of attack.


    After barely stabilizing himself, Hao Ren quickly raised his gun and launched a counterattack. Plasma flare hit the giant female directly and blew a massive, through-and-through hole in her chest. Every time plasma flare hit the giant female and crystalized part of her body, the crystallized portion would fall off, and new blood would replenish the wound almost immediately.


    ¡°Neither her head nor her heart is her weakness,¡± Hao Ren yelled in desperation. ¡°What is this thing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid she has no weakness,¡± the MDT said. Unlike others, it was immune to mental attacks. It had been studying the giant female figure from the beginning. ¡°She doesn¡¯t have a body. The fluid leaking out from the organ forms her. Unless we blow up the whole planet, she would be invincible!¡±


    Hao Ren knew this. He attacked the connective tissue and the giant female upper body, but the ¡®blood¡¯ in the connective tissue seems to repair any wounds constantly. The organ was getting its ¡®blood¡¯ supply elsewhere. He looked around; the crisscrossing tentacles in the surroundings must be the pipes that supplied the blood. ¡°Can we blow up those tentacles?¡±


    ¡°No, this would only drive it elsewhere and give it time to respawn; we would have no control over it by then.¡± Vivian snorted.


    Lily had to keep swerving to dodge the bloody storm. Her fighting skill was useless in this circumstance. She could only yell in anger. ¡°Battie! Do you know how to fight this thing?¡±


    Vivian¡¯s mind was working hard, but her eyes were on the connective tissue. ¡°According to the scene I saw in the blood spar, the other ¡®I¡¯ had entered into it. So maybe I can also get in¡­¡±


    The bloody storm suddenly stopped. Hao Ren looked at the huge female figure in the distance. The female figure suddenly raised her hands in the air, her mouth opened as if she were making a roar, but there was no sound. Ripples formed on the sea of blood around her but it was silent too. Hao Ren was stunned. He quickly warned. ¡°Pull back! Guard your mind!¡±


    The next second, the storm came in silence.


    The giant, bloody female was screaming silently as invisible, powerful energy swept across the battlefield like a gust of wind. It was a non-physical, psychological attack. For a short moment, Hao Ren felt like his brain was undergoing ischemia before a wave of meaningless information broke into his mind. He saw distortion; the world had become a chaotic whirlpool that swallowed up people alive. For a moment, Hao Ren saw Lily attacking him, and he had wanted to fight back. But everything went away just as fast as it came. He came out from the illusion, mind control, and sensory distortion. Everything came back to normal, but the pain in his head still lingered.


    The silent screaming of Vivian MK-II had stopped, but the corrosive blood mist was coming.


    ¡°If this mental attack repeats every five minutes, sooner or later one of us would go insane.¡± Hao Ren shook his head and then pushed away Nangong Sanba. Nangong Sanba took a longer time to recover, but this few seconds delay had almost lost his life as the blood mist almost got to him. ¡°Lily! Take Sanba to join Hessiana. Vivian and I will find a way to go into that ¡®mountain¡¯!¡±


    Lily shouted, ¡°Do you want to go there? We just got out of there!¡±


    ¡°I trust Vivian¡¯s intuition,¡± Hao Ren said as he looked up at the sky above the endless chaos. The mist covered high altitude had a large number of intertwined tentacles, which were twitching with increased intensity. ¡°The fighting has woken up those things; we cannot afford to drag the battle any longer. Otherwise, it will spread to the surface eventually. The lullaby of the ancient souls might not be able to suppress them anymore.¡±


    Lily looked at the huge female figure, who also looked back at her calmly. Lily could not read the emotion from the liquid face of the giant female. It was even hard to gauge if the giant woman had the same feelings and thoughts of a human. Lily knew that when it came to magic and mental realms, she was a sitting duck. She nodded hard and said, ¡°Understood. You guys, be safe!¡±


    Hao Ren nodded back and then lunged out with Vivian. Suddenly, Lily called out from behind again. ¡°Battie!¡±


    Vivian turned and looked over her shoulder. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°This is your fault!¡± Lily yelled and waved her claws. ¡°You must tell me what this thing is when you come back!¡±


    Lily brought Nangong Sanba, who was a little in a daze, retreating to an ¡®island¡¯ a few kilometers away. The island was one of the few remains of the crust that the First Born had yet heterogenized. It was held in place by the tentacles. Hessiana and her men, who were injured in the battle and Nangong Wuyue were already on the island. As soon as Lily and Nangong Sanba got to the island, Nangong Wuyue would treat them accordingly.


    Meanwhile, Hao Ren and Vivian were going in the opposite direction into the center of the battlefield.


    The giant female figure had noticed two little ¡®flying insects¡¯ coming her way. She leaned her body slightly to pour down more attacks at the two tiny intruders, all done without any emotion on her face.


    She acted like a demon god, waving an unspeakably horrific storm in the center of the battlefield. No human could perceive any emotion on her face. Vivian¡¯s mind was in a complicated state. ¡°How is this thing even formed?¡± she asked.


    Hao Ren was shielding Vivian in front with his Steel Membrane Shield. As they came closer, the face of the enemy was filling his entire field of vision. He had a strange feeling. He wanted to say something to ease their nervousness, but he was lost for words. At last, he uttered, ¡°Vivian, your face is big looking from this angle.¡±


    Vivian laughed. ¡°Yeah, thanks for the compliment. That¡¯s funny.¡±


    ¡°I think we should give the fellow a name.¡± Hao Ren endured the pain in his head as he stared at the gigantic opponent, looking at ease. ¡°Since this enemy is so special, why not we call her Vivian Mk-II?¡±


    ¡°What a lame name!¡± Vivian retorted.


    ¡°What about Vivian, the demon god?¡± Hao Ren looked ahead. At this distance, the giant Vivian looked even more menacing, almost giving an illusion that he was in a confrontation with a demon god. The ubiquitous bloody storm was now hitting directly on his shield, as he was only a hundred meters away from the connective tissue.


    Moving became difficult.


    The pain from the stings was all over his body. He noticed that the blood mist was very corrosive. It burned his skin. Flesh and blood under his skin was shimmering with a faint silver glow, which was the regeneration process of his damaged body tissue. Unfortunately, the tissue regeneration could not keep up with the corroding speed of the bloody mist.


    His shield was down, but they had managed to break through the last obstacle.

 Chapter 819

    *Boom¡ª*


    A massive fireball rose with a loud boom had lasted a large hole in the thick wall of keratin and connective tissue, from where some bodily fluid was oozing out and vapor, was rising. Hao Ren and Vivian had gone through the last obstacle and disappeared into the chaos inside the hole.


    The demon-god Vivian felt a tingling sensation on her ¡®foot.¡¯ Standing at one-kilometer tall, she was startled for a while before looking down on the massive organ below her, but she saw nothing.


    As if a robot losing its target, the bloody demon god stopped and went into standby mode. Meanwhile, blood began to ooze out from the surrounding tentacles to repair her wound, which Hao Ren had caused using magic, bullets, grenades and small rockets though these things had little effect on her.


    More tentacles had stretched out from the chaos, making a strange hissing sound as they reached into the giant organ to repair and replace the damaged nerves and tentacles. Just like in the beginning, the living organ was held in position by the tentacles like a temple of evil. It was silent, emotionless, and seemingly devoid of rationality.


    Over on the safe island some distance away, Lily and others were taking a break. During the battle, Hessiana had one of her wings broken; Turcan and Kassandra were poisoned by toxic blood, while Nangong Sanba had severe mental trauma, not forgetting that Lily had also lost a large patch of her beautiful hair. Nangong Wuyue was using an enchantment to heal them. She looked at the bloody demon god. ¡°Looks like it has quieted down.¡±


    ¡°That thing isn¡¯t capable of thinking.¡± Lily groaned and stroked her tail sorrily. ¡°Otherwise, we would have been dead already. Didn¡¯t you see that she didn¡¯t even pursue us when I dragged Sanba away?¡±


    ¡°Do you think Mr. Landlord and Vivian can solve this thing?¡± Nangong Wuyue rolled her tail up in the shape of a question mark. ¡°I could sense it through the water; this monster is just the tip of the iceberg, there is something bigger behind all these. She is connected to the entire planet through the tentacles. She is almost like the will of the planet.¡±


    ¡°I trust Mr. Landlord,¡± Lily replied without hesitation. ¡°There¡¯s nothing that Mr. Landlord couldn¡¯t accomplish.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue was wide-mouthed and mumbled, ¡°Yeah, your master is the greatest man in the world. What a dog¡¯s logic!¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian had come to a place where they could seize the opportunity to treat their injuries.


    Hao Ren¡¯s shirt was in tatters, exposing his severely burned skin. The blood mist was corrosive. The good news was that the wound was not fatal. A faint glow was running in the lacerations where the stinky damaged tissue began to come off as new flesh grew. Hao Ren felt not only severe pain but also light-headedness. He had lost too many body tissues, and he was weak.


    Hao Ren took out a large vacuum syringe from the dimensional pocket, attached a med can on it and injected the med into his left arm, which suffered the most damage. The solution entered his self-healing system with a hiss, and his dizziness eased.


    He looked at the glow that ran on his body, and for the first time, he saw his bone had a crystal-like texture in one of the deepest wounds. He shook his head with a complicated smile. ¡°Oh gosh! Am I still a human?¡± he asked himself.


    ¡°You risked your life to protect me. Why didn¡¯t you tell me that your shield was wearing out?¡±


    Vivian¡¯s injury was far less severe and only suffered minor scratches. She was blood-magic resistant, and Hao Ren had taken most of the hit. She treated her bruises on the skin by shrouding herself in a mist.


    ¡°I made a calculated risk,¡± Hao Ren shrugged his shoulders, and that aggravated the pain. ¡°I thought the shield would hold up for at least a kilometer, but the attack was too brutal. I misjudged it.¡±


    Vivian looked at Hao Ren with a frown. ¡°Only if you are not immune to my magic, I can treat your injury.¡±


    Suddenly, the MDT appeared out of nowhere. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to interrupt you guys, but I still need to remind you: your action was too reckless, it was not the best way!¡± it said to Hao Ren.


    Hao Ren forced a smile. ¡°I had no time to think,¡± he said.


    Indeed, it was now or never. The MDT had many ¡®best solutions.¡¯ For example, bringing the Petrachelys over; returning to the surface and taking their sweet time to come out with an action plan; releasing drones to find out the composition and weaknesses of the demon-god Vivian, but he did not have the luxury of time. The activity of the bloody demon god might wake up the First Born, which could turn Inferno upside down. Hao Ren had no time to think about the best solution, he and Vivian had to act quickly.


    ¡°I mean you at least could come over by car. Though it has little self-defense capability, it could take the initial hit for you, and you don¡¯t have to lick your wounds as you do now,¡± the MDT said.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    The MDT lost its patience and shot its mouth off. ¡°When I saw you lunged out and risked your life for her, I thought you knew what you were doing. Look at you! You¡¯re in terrible shape now. You had freaking no idea! You were trying to impress her.¡±


    There was a beat, and neither Hao Ren nor Vivian met the other¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Maybe we should first take a look around. This place is unusual,¡± said Vivian, breaking the awkward moment.


    Hao Ren turned to look deeper into the inside and his brows knit together. ¡°There¡¯s a structure there.¡±


    The interior of the organ was entirely different from what they expected; it was not wholly of biological tissues and fluid, but more like a natural building with pillars and vaults of biological tissue. The blood-like liquid was flowing in the groove at the top, but there were no pipes. It seemed some mysterious power was controlling the liquid flow.


    There were many cracks on the above, through which Hao Ren could vaguely see the body of demon-god Vivian. He pulled his eyebrows together and said, ¡°I have enough weapons to blow this place up, maybe we could destroy the body of the demon god.¡±


    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t kill her,¡± Vivian pointed to the tentacles that extended into the organ. ¡°Look at those things; they are interconnected. If you blow the organ up, the demon god will only move to other locations and respawn. It would be worse if it moves onto the surface; it could spell trouble for the world.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Hao Ren swung his arm, which had just recovered, a little. ¡°Is the thing you¡¯re looking for inside here?¡±


    Vivian nodded and pointed to a direction. ¡°It¡¯s there!¡±


    Hao Ren looked where Vivian was pointing. He was wide-eyed.


    A two-meter-high blood-red crystal, bound by chains, was suspended in the center of the enormous organ quietly. Inside the crystal, there was a human figure.


    Chain?


    ¡°I¡¯m sure the First Born didn¡¯t make this!¡± Hao Ren said as he checked the chain, then the crystal. ¡°It is you. I mean it¡¯s the evil spirit.¡±


    The red-haired Vivian was sleeping soundly in the crystal. She looked peaceful.


    ¡°This must be true body of the bloody demon god,¡± Vivian said as she put her hand on the crystal. ¡°She has become one with the First Born here and produced the great distortion. She wanted to stop all this by burying herself in the core of the planet.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Vivian. ¡°Then, what¡¯s your plan?¡± he asked.


    Vivian smiled and said, ¡°Eat her.¡±

 Chapter 820

    Inside the huge, weird organ, a dozen black and heavy chains tied a blood-colored crystal in the air. The blood crystal, about a person¡¯s height, was shrouded with a thin layer of red mist. Light dots flowing out from the crystal moved along the chains into all directions, and the red-haired woman in weird dress was sleeping soundly inside the crystal.


    ¡°Eat it?¡± Hao Ren was shocked. ¡°Looks like Lily¡¯s foolhardiness has caught up with you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called reintegration,¡± Vivian waved her hand. ¡°Do you still remember the first red-haired evil spirit that we killed on Mars, and that I absorb its power? The only way to kill this evil spirit is to absorb it. Conventional tactics just won¡¯t work on this thing.¡±


    Hao Ren remembered it; the thing had given them a hard time. It was Vivian that destroyed the evil spirit and absorbed its power and ability but she did not use any special means to ¡®eat¡¯ it.


    So it turned out that Vivian had a natural ability to suppress this kind of ¡®evil spirit¡¯, but¡­ could this work every time?


    ¡°We know too little about this thing. What if we fail?¡± Hao Ren looked at Vivian, concerned. ¡°Obviously this evil spirit is different from the one you summoned from the magic book. She has mutated. Are you sure you can handle it?¡±


    Vivian reached out and touched the red crystal. She slowly placed her hand on the forehead of the red-haired woman, separated by the crystal, as if she could sense the temperature of the red-haired woman inside. ¡°I have learned from the blood spar and previous experience. There shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s brows knit together. ¡°The last time you did it was when the evil spirit was weak, but this one here is much powerful and it doesn¡¯t seem to have weakened a bit. Are you sure you won¡¯t be influenced instead?¡±


    ¡°The bloody demon god might beat me hands down if fighting face-to-face but not here,¡± Vivian said. She smiled and pointed at the heavy and old chains. ¡°See these? These things make her like a sitting duck on her throne, the chains are constraining her power. The bloody demon outside almost entirely relies on the lifeblood of the First Born, and as you can see, this evil spirit here couldn¡¯t even move.¡±


    ¡°I can also provide some technical backup,¡± the MDT chimed in. ¡°Oh of course, I¡¯m not talking about the exploding stuff; I mean would monitor Vivian¡¯s state of mind. If she is at any time undermined, you can immediately keep her in your dimensional pocket. The dimensional pocket of inspector is the most powerful container, as it comes with Xi Ling Celestial¡¯s powerful encryption, nothing could penetrate it when it is closed. As for the fella in the crystal, I don¡¯t know if things will change. I suggest that you plant some explosives around it so that when things get out of hand, if the bomb doesn¡¯t kill her, at least will weaken her.¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his chin and nodded slowly. Suddenly, a soft squeaky sound caught his attention.


    He looked at the blood-colored crystal, fine crack had appeared the surface. Although the crack was small, it was definitely new!


    The thin blood mist in the air began to drift toward the blood-colored crystal slowly as if some forces were sucking them over. The eyelids of the red-haired Vivian flickered once. Vivian took her hand off the crystal instinctively as if there was an electric shock. ¡°Hurry up and make up your mind. The fighting seems to have weakened the seal!¡±


    ¡°Do as you said,¡± Hao Ren nodded hard. ¡°But be careful. If anything goes wrong, I will take you into the dimensional pocket¡±


    Vivian began to contain the red-haired Vivian with a thin blood mist. This blood mist was different from the cloudy, dark blood mist in the air; hers was clearer though difference was subtle. Hao Ren began to feel the hostile cold in the surroundings gradually subsided.


    The two different blood mist crashed silently in the air. They looked similar in texture but clearly, they did not mix. The mist around the crystal spun rapidly trying to ward off Vivian¡¯s blood mist, but as the master of the mist was still contained in the seal, the mist lost strength and dissipated. At last, Vivian began to form a spherical, blood-mist barrier shrouding the crystal.


    The blood-mist barrier condensed and turned into liquid state with a series of complex runes floating on it as Vivian kept applying her magic on it.


    Using her own blood as the magic ingredient, she had created a three-dimensional and complex magic circle.


    She placed her hands on the magic circle and whispered, ¡°Here we go.¡±


    The runes on the magic circle glowed and the blood-colored crystal emitting a shrill whistle. The runes flew on the magic circle rapidly and millions of tiny light particles struck the crystal like a meteors shower. Soon, the blood-colored crystal gave way and exploded with a boom. The enormous energy released from the explosion almost caused Vivian to lose control of the magic circle. Hao Ren was behind Vivian, ready to grab her when necessary, while the MDT monitored the energy flows at the scene.


    Vivian¡¯s eyes glowed in red. She shut off her danger alertness mechanism and self-defense magic to concentrate all her powers to keep the magic circle running. She was betting on Hao Ren to keep her safe now, because she was totally exposed and vulnerable.


    Her gamble paid off; the magic circle began to stabilize and the evil spirit weakened.


    The light-particles began to break down the body of red-haired Vivian, who opened her eyes and woke up. Hao Ren saw it; it was a pair of eyes that he was not going to forget for the rest of his life.


    Cloudy and insane; the eyes had no whites and pupils, they were dark red and filthy, devoid of human emotion and rationality, absolutely more insane than the one came out from the magic book.


    Hao Ren¡¯s mind was flooded with questions suddenly. He was wondering where this evil spirit come from, what it had done, and why it was here.


    There was no answer to his questions. The evil spirit was frantic. It screamed and attacked the runes that shrouded her like a beast, hitting the thin and seemingly fragile spherical barrier with great force.


    As proven earlier, Vivian was a natural nemesis of the ¡®evil spirit¡¯.


    The magic circle did not budge a bit no matter what the evil spirit did. Once the magic circle was up, it was unbreakable. The evil spirit began to flag but did not back down. Seeing this, Vivian finally could not help whispering at the evil spirit, ¡°Enough! Stop the madness and surrender gracefully.¡±


    The evil spirit seemed to have heard Vivian. It froze and then, the intense light particles finally shattered it completely.


    The magic circle had subsided but Hao Ren was still tense.


    The blood-colored crystal, evil spirit, and magic-circle barrier had gone but the broken chains held the crystal was still floating around in the air. Vivian stood in the middle of all this, holding a translucent shadow, which looked like her, in her arms.


    ¡°I¡­ have tried¡­¡± the ¡®evil spirit¡¯ whispered. The madness in her eyes had receded. ¡°Let me go home¡­¡±


    ¡°I know. You did it.¡± Vivian put her hand on the head of shadow and said, ¡°Come back now.¡±


    The translucent shadow turned its head around and its lips moved as if it was saying something. It seemed that all this was directed at Hao Ren. The ¡®evil spirit¡¯ finally nodded and dissolved into million light dots, and then sank into Vivian¡¯s body completely.


    Then everything was over.

 Chapter 821

    It seemed to Hao Ren that the translucent shadow had said something to him before it vanished. He was certain he had heard a few words, but he could not make of what that meant nor why she did it.


    Everything had quieted down and Vivian had absorbed the light dots. Hao Ren shook his head, trying not to think about what he had just heard and seen. ¡°Is she dead?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Not really,¡± Vivian shook her head and pointed at herself. ¡°She has come home. Here.¡±


    ¡°So you got her memory?¡±


    ¡°Some and it¡¯s better than what I expected,¡± Vivian said with a sigh of relief. ¡°At least I now know what this so-called ¡®evil spirit¡¯ is all about.¡±


    ¡°Tell me later.¡± Hao Ren noticed that Vivian was exhausted judging from her expression. The magic circle had drained her. The space began to fall apart as the living tissue was wilting and cracking. It was as if watching plants withering in a sped-up video, the organ turned black, decomposed, drifted out into the low-gravity space before falling towards the chaotic arc into the center of the planet, all happened so fast. Hao Ren quickly held Vivian. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here,¡± he said.


    He tucked the MDT in his pocket and lunged out with Vivian to the outside. On the outside, he found that the tentacles that connected like a cable bridge to the organs began to break apart. The living tissues that once held the ¡®prison¡¯ in place also began to disintegrate. Debris were falling like meteorites from above. He could vaguely recognize the debris judging from their red color; they were body pieces of the demon-god Vivian.


    Vivian was nervous. ¡°Is this planet going to end just like this? Is this place the weakness of the First Born?¡±


    Hearing that, Hao Ren quickly sent out the probes and checked the situation in other parts of the planet. He breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°The damage is local and only to this space. This space was where heterogenization and the severe union and distortion between Vivian MK-II and the First Born happened.¡±


    Vivian tweaked him on his arm. ¡°That¡¯s a bloody weird name!¡±


    Over on the safe island, a massive water enchantment was shielding them from the chaos in the surroundings. Nangong Wuyue was looking into the distant battlefield anxiously. She saw the demon god disintegrating and knew that Hao Ren and Vivian had made it. Only when the two of them came back safely, she breathed a sigh of relief. As always, Lily was the one jumping up to Hao Ren. She went around and sniffed him for a while and then looked at him, whose clothes was tattered. ¡°Dang! You look like shit!¡±


    ¡°Just some minor bruises and it¡¯s already healed,¡± Hao Ren said as he looked at the others. ¡°Are you guys okay?¡±


    Hessiana came out from behind Turcan and Kassandra, feeling embarrassed. She tucked away her bat wings and bowed her head. ¡°Ma¡¯am Vivian, I¡¯m sorry that I was of no help.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You¡¯ve done well, much better than I did last time,¡± said Vivian, smiling. Hao Ren looked on, noticing Vivian¡¯s changed attitude towards Hessiana; she was a lot gentle this time. ¡°What about others?¡± Vivian asked.


    Nangong Wuyue raised her tail and wagged a couple of times. ¡°We¡¯re fine, except Sanba. He is still disoriented. Probably the mind control thing is still ringing in his head.¡±


    Nangong Sanba was lying on the ground with a figure-4 leg cross. Hao Ren gave him a sideways glance. ¡°More like he is faking it. A good beating is all it takes to shake him up.¡±


    Nangong Sanba quickly bounced up. Nangong Wuyue saw it and was furious. She rolled Sanba up in her tail and spun him at 120 round per minute.


    Lily looked into the battlefield in the distant. It was crumbling. Organ fragments and broken tentacles were falling towards the red chaos, which was near to the planet¡¯s core where more organs of the First Born and pieces of the planet¡¯s crust remained. The First Born would soon consume the last pieces of fragments of the planet to convert it into nutrients. So the questions remained: was this planet-eating behemoth still safe, and had the fighting awakened this dangerous creature?


    ¡°There are a lot to do, such as keeping the planet intact.¡± Vivian nodded to others. ¡°Gragon¡¯s lullaby will last for a while. Let¡¯s go back to the underground city and then think of a better plan.¡±


    They returned to the underground city the same way they got in. While ascending the vertical passage, Hao Ren noticed that the tentacles on the walls looked somewhat different now. Some had turned into grayish white, the color of death, with many cracks on them. These tentacles were connected to the huge organ down below. When the huge organ necrotized, these tentacles broke apart and were discarded. They were not the only nerves connected to the underground city though. Many more tentacles were still alive, so that the ancient ¡®lullaby¡¯ could continue to suppress the First Born and everyone could breathe a sigh of relief.


    As long as the baby did not wake up, things would be fine.


    Back in the underground city, Bonia and Gezer were still with the ancient souls. The two had been waiting for them for a long time. Gragon, the ancient Sun Dynasty monarch came up to greet Vivian. ¡°My Lord, it seems you have retrieved your thing.¡±


    Bonia peered from behind Gragon. ¡°There was an earthquake just now! The roar of the monster from the cave was so terrifying!¡± She was still in fear.


    ¡°It¡¯s over,¡± Vivian said, patting Bonia on the head. She then looked up at Gragon. ¡°Keep the lullaby running for a little longer as we have things to discuss. Gezer, take Bonia and return to the surface, then go to the tribal base and wait for us,¡± she ordered.


    Gezer left the underground city with the little saintess. Meanwhile, Gragon had come to an old structure with Hao Ren and the others. The structure was the only real building in the entire city where real people could stay. It had doors and windows, and a large circular assembly hall where the ancient sages gathered and sacrificed themselves to power the ¡®lullaby¡¯. Their bones had turned into ash and the ceremonial vessels and scriptures that used for exalting the Goddess had broken. Gragon pointed to a chair at the end of the assembly hall and said to Vivian, ¡°I was last sitting there, watching you walking towards the Throat of Toka.¡±


    He died on the chair but his body had returned to the soil. What was left was only a few tattered fabric still hanging on the chair. That position had a perfect view of the Throat of Toka that was lit up by the electric arcs.


    Vivian gave Gragon a subtle nod. As if Gragon had understood what she meant, he dismissed and sent away the other ancient souls. After the ancient souls left, Vivian spread out her hand and said to Hao Ren and the others, ¡°First thing first; I¡¯m the Goddess that they are talking about.¡±


    ¡°You are the Goddess of Creation?¡± Lily jumped to her feet in disbelief. ¡°You are out of your mind.¡±


    ¡°Not a Goddess of Creation.¡± Vivian shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m talking about the one who closed the heaven, led the people, build Dorasil, and protected this planet. Their original belief was in the Goddess of Creation, but they mixed up ten thousand years ago; they mistook me as their Goddess of Creation. More accurately, they mistook part of me as their Goddess. In fact, when I arrived on this planet, I was just trying my best to preserve the ecosystem of the planet.¡±


    Lily grabbed her hair. ¡°Wait a second! You¡¯re confusing me. Did you say that you are a goddess but not a goddess at the same time? What the hell are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Ten thousand years ago, forty-eight hours before the fall of the Goddess of Creation, I passed through the Wall of Reality into this universe,¡± Vivian said while looking at Hao Ren; Hao Ren knew about this long time ago, but not what she was going to reveal soon. ¡°However, something happened during the passing through. Earth was not the first place I arrived; the first destination was here, Inferno, where I split into two.¡±

 Chapter 822

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Vivian rubbed her hand across her forehead, tired from absorbing two foreign memories in such a short time. Now, these memories began to fill the gaps in her memory bank. She began to understand what had happened here and to herself ten thousand years ago, but not all her questions had an answer.


    ¡°I¡¯ve yet figured out the specific cause and effect, but the memory of the split began only from the moment she arrived on the planet ten thousand years ago.¡± By calling the ¡®evil spirit¡¯ a split, she must have figured out the nature of the ¡®evil spirit¡¯. ¡°I saw she crossed a large field of chaos and of light and fell onto the planet. At that time, the planet had been flung from the Plane of Dreams into the crack in the Wall of Reality, where darkness was covering the planet, and the planet was losing its heat rapidly. She used her strength to preserve the ecosystem. The picture is a bit fuzzy, but I guess it would tally with the myths of the locals.¡±


    Vivian sighed as if something was bothering her. ¡°It¡¯s kind of hard to describe it. I¡¯m not even sure whether I should to talk about it in first-person or third-person perspective. The one who arrived first on the planet was neither the split nor me but a complete individual. Very quickly, we split into two. I was flung to the Earth through the first gateway of Inferno in history, and the other half of me stayed behind on this planet and became the Goddess worshipped by the locals. In the subsequent one hundred years, she induced the First Born to make the barrier that you are seeing here, and led people to build Dorasil and the underground city of the wraiths while all the while, I was on Earth hunting mammoths on the Great Plains during the end of the glacial period. However, I had totally forgotten the fact that I had split after I arrived on Earth.¡±


    Hao Ren grabbed his hair trying to make sense of what Vivian was saying. ¡°Do you know what caused you to split?¡±


    Vivian shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it could be due to the damage on the Wall of Reality. The only image I saw that might offer some clue was that ¡®I¡¯ stood on the upper surface of the planet Inferno, where there was a huge vortex portal. On the other side of the portal was icy river and plains, which should be the Earth. One half of me was going into the gate, the other half of me stayed back in Inferno. All the while, I was seeing things from a first-person perspective, which meant I was watching myself leaving this world, and I stayed back. After that, all it was all in a first-person perspective¡­ Doggie, hang on there, don¡¯t pass out!¡±


    Lily laid her head on the table, half-dead. Her ears drooped and her eyes swirled. ¡°Battie, you¡¯d better keep the details to yourself, I couldn¡¯t make sense of your first-person, third-person perspectives.¡±


    Others also nodded repeatedly. ¡°Us, too.¡±


    Vivian scratched her hair in embarrassment. ¡°Well, okay. As long as you know what I mean. Let me just call the one staying behind in Inferno the ¡®split¡¯ though we both were supposed to be two equal split bodies. Let¡¯s just call it this way since I¡¯m the only one survive.¡±


    Hao Ren put two and two together and figured out the timeline. Vivian had split almost as soon as she arrived on Inferno, and she was sent to Earth after that. Ignoring the negligible time she spent in Inferno, her arrival on Earth was still roughly forty-eight hours before the Goddess fell, and Vivian and her ¡®split¡¯ lost contact completely after that. The one came to the Earth became the oldest otherworldling on the planet, and the other ¡®half¡¯ of Vivian in Inferno became the legendary Goddess of in the eyes of the locals.


    However, what happened after that, why did the ¡®Goddess¡¯ in Inferno became a mad and grievous spirit devoid of rationality were still unresolved.


    ¡°She swapped out the will of the First Born with her own to keep the planet stable, but there was a problem; she became insane as a result.¡± Vivian¡¯s brows pulled together as she recounted what happened to her split body. ¡°The First Born on this planet wasn¡¯t sane, it was one of the mad guardians. The First Born had created the twisted creatures we saw on the upper surface during the rebellion. To suppress it, the ¡®other I¡¯ had chosen to assimilate to the First Born, and then control the First Born to assimilate to the planet.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how she did it. All I knew was she removed the soul of the First Born and destroyed its brain. She built the underground city and connected herself to the main nervous node of the First Born to control this creature by sealing themselves together. The lullaby of the ancient souls and the lightning stone columns are the safety switches. Since then, this insurance system has been running, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°But something went wrong with the most critical part of the system.¡± Nangong Sanba cut in, rubbing his forehead. ¡°Did the remnant consciousness of the First Born corrupt the other ¡®you¡¯? Or was it because she was suffering mentally from the long-term confinement?¡±


    ¡°Possible.¡± Vivian nodded. ¡°I couldn¡¯t see how my split went insane in the remnant memory; it was chaotic. However, one thing is certain; when ¡®the other I¡¯ chose to swap out the First Born¡¯s brain, she already foresaw she might be losing the control one day. The underground city, the lullaby ritual of the ancient souls, the sealing crystal, the chains and tentacles in the surroundings all combined becoming a cage. She built that so that when she went crazy, the cage would lock her in.¡±


    ¡°She actually had that premonition?¡± Hao Ren scratched his jaw as if in deep thought. ¡°How long would the insurance system last if we haven¡¯t come?¡±


    Vivian thought for a moment and said, ¡°Thousands of years, or just decades. Too many uncertainties. If something were to go wrong with Gragon and other ancient souls, the entire system could have been brought down. Let¡¯s cross our finger and pray that it won¡¯t happen. Anyway, we wouldn¡¯t depend on luck even if this place could last another thousand years.¡±


    A crucial question suddenly crossed Hao Ren¡¯s mind. ¡°Wait a second. Since you have ¡®reunited¡¯ with that split, who is controlling the planet now?¡±


    ¡°No one.¡± Vivian pressed her lips together. ¡°The soul and the thinking organ of the First Born are gone. The ¡®other me¡¯ whose brain was controlling the First Born has also gone. Now the First Born is brainless, literally. It¡¯s not dead, neither it is alive. That¡¯s why I let Gragon maintain the ¡®lullaby¡¯ ritual. The lullaby would not only comfort the First Born, but also keep the nervous system working so that the tentacles would not have any convulsive movement; you know, if that thing sneezes, the planet will be torn apart. So this cannot go on forever. The ancient souls have been working so hard for the last ten thousand years; I can¡¯t bear to let them go on like this forever.¡±


    While saying, Vivian looked at Hao Ren. Hao Ren understood the signal; he had to find a solution. He took out the MDT. ¡°Analyze this ¡®lullaby¡¯ and see what kind of system it is,¡± he ordered.


    The MDT projected a holographic display showing many tower-like structures. ¡°A series of large electrodes and permanent generators would be able to replace the hardware, but we also need a set of software based on how the ritual of the ancient souls works. I will need the original design drawing of the city and information about the ¡®lullaby¡¯ approach, with or without annotations.¡±


    Vivian quickly said, ¡°Gragon has it.¡±


    ¡°Great! One problem solved.¡± Hao Ren clapped his hands. ¡°We will then build a large computer-controlled electric shocker in Dorasil and free the ancient souls from the ritual.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Vivian. ¡°Shall we discuss about your splitting problem? Since first ¡®evil spirit¡¯ came from you, was the one that we summoned from the magic book also from you?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    Vivian forced a smile. ¡°I guess so.¡±


    Lily shrunk her head into the neck. ¡°Are you able to control your division? Would you split suddenly while cooking at home, and the split goes on rampage killing?¡±


    ¡°I think¡­ probably, maybe, should be, perhaps¡­ not?¡±


    Lily¡¯s face turned green instantly. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you be more certain?¡±

 Chapter 823

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    As much as Lily wanted to know how Vivian split, Vivian could not control it. She could not pop another ¡®herself¡¯ out of thin air at will. Now, they had to finish what they started, beginning with the building of a substitute control system.


    According to Vivian, the First Born on the planet was ¡®dead¡¯ ten thousand years ago after ¡®the other Vivian¡¯ aka Vivian¡¯s split swapped out the soul and thinking organ of the First Born with her own, but there was a potential safety hazard. Ten thousand years had passed, the split had become insane and was defeated eventually. When Vivian re-absorbed the split, the First-Born subsystem on which the planet depended for survival lost its core program. The loss of this core program meant that the planet could not keep its thermal balance and natural cycles.


    What they needed to do now was to establish a new control system, rebuild the central nervous system of the First Born and take over the ¡®lullaby¡¯ of the ancient souls.


    Vivian summoned Gragon and let the MDT follow him to collect information about the ¡®Lullaby approach.


    There was a commotion when the other ancient souls learned that the Goddess wanted to replace them with something new. They elected Gragon to convey their concerns to Vivian. ¡°My Lord, are you not satisfied with our work?¡±


    Vivian stood in front of the assembly hall, gazing at the Throat of Toka at the end of the path and shaking her head gently. ¡°No, I want you to take a break. You all have been working relentlessly for ten thousand years¡ªfive thousand if according to the calendar of this world. You people deserve a vacation.¡±


    Gragon¡¯s illusive shadow flickered, there was no emotion on his blurry face. He bowed slightly and said, ¡°As you wish.¡±


    Then the old soul turned and left, without raising any further questions. Hao Ren sighed. ¡°They treat you as their Goddess. How about you? Does it feel real?¡±


    ¡°Somewhat.¡± Vivian pointed at her chest; her expression was a little weird. ¡°It is as if having an extra life with these extra memories, which reminded me that I had once led the people here building the city ten thousand years ago. I felt it weird when Gezer first called me Goddess, but now I think I can accept the title already.¡±


    Hao Ren became worried. ¡°Wait a second. Have the foreign memories affected you? I¡¯ve seen on TV when two souls merge, the person¡¯s character would change completely.¡±


    ¡°That would be unlikely.¡± Vivian laughed. ¡°It¡¯s just fragments of memory, like watching the life of other people. I am still me. I won¡¯t dare to take in the foreign memories if I am not confident.¡±


    Hao Ren peered at her in suspicion. After a long while, he finally let out a sigh of relief. ¡°I guess you¡¯re right; you have been very cautious. By the way, something suddenly cross my mine; it¡¯s about the crystal.¡±


    Vivian frowned. ¡°You mean Beatrice¡¯s crystal? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Who made that crystal? Was it you or the other Vivian?¡±


    ¡°The other Vivian made it if the memory in the crystal is anything to go by.¡± Vivian seemed to have thought of something. ¡°Somehow, it fell into Beatrice¡¯s hand.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s weird. You split ten thousand years ago, and that crystal was made on this planet, but it was Beatrice who got it. How?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s face was serious. ¡°Someone brought it to the Earth? Or could it be that Beatrice visited Inferno in the early years and found the crystal by accident? Or let¡¯s stretch the imagination a little: she brought the crystal back to Earth? Since that thing is the memory bridge between you and your split, it must possess some unknown power.¡±


    Vivian arced her mouth. ¡°Well, the last theory sounds whimsical, but you are right, there are many secrets hidden in the crystal.¡±


    As she spoke, she took out a blood-colored crystal, which Pavel had kept previously. Hao Ren asked curiously, ¡°Are you going to eat it as well?¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Hesitating, Vivian tucked the blood-colored crystal. ¡°I¡¯m still confused. I need to calm down.¡±


    Hao Ren peered at Vivian again, until she felt it uncomfortable. ¡°Why are you staring at me like that?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, just want to make sure you are okay,¡± Hao Ren said with a smile without revealing his thought. He had the feeling that Vivian was nothing short of amazing. First, the vampire maiden was not afraid of daylight, she had a taste for garlic, her spawned bat had transcended, and she could become a kilometer-tall Vivian Mk-II. When he thought that was pretty much all about her, she became divisible!


    Hao Ren dared not imagine how many times Vivian had split in the past ten thousand years. If that were her talent, the picture would only get strangely fascinating; from mini Vivian to demon-god Vivian, it made him wonder if there would be a Kaku-San-Sei-Million Vivian split. When that happened, people would think that Korean plastic surgery craze had landed in Southern Suburb if they had not known the truth.


    While thinking about that, Hao Ren could not help but mumble to himself, ¡°What a complicated personality.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Hao Ren said with a deadpan face, ¡°Ahh, nothing.¡±


    The MDT had collected enough data and came out with a comprehensive design. All that was left was to summon a construction team to build the new ¡®electric shock regulator.¡¯ The brick was pretty reliable when it came to serious business as always.


    Hao Ren saw the design drawing; it did not deviate much from the previous concept: a group of electric-discharging needle towers connected by a bundle of cables, piping, and tentacles of the First Born. The connection part was borrowed from the mechanical design of the Dream Ark on the former planet Zorm, and the electric-discharging structures were a replica of the stone columns in the underground city.


    The size of this complex was comparable to that of Dorasil. The project was neither very big nor very small, so Hao Ren thought that maybe he could attend to another problem first before the facility construction began.


    He wanted to get this planet out of the crack in the Wall of Reality.


    Letting this space debris on the Wall of Reality was a bad idea because every time it drifted it wreaked havoc to the fragile balance between the Plane of Dreams and the surface world. This planet needed sun, and its fragile ecosystem was not a long-term solution.


    He was contemplating to move it back to either the Plane of Dreams or the real world, as both of these options were better than leaving it here as it was.


    Before returning to the surface, Hao Ren called Raven 12345 to report the situation.


    A familiar heavenly ring tone rang, and then Raven 12345¡¯s passive, muffled voice sounded through the comm. ¡°Hello¡­ Who is it? What¡¯s up?¡±


    The voice sounded affable to Hao Ren. Before he got into the ¡®wrong job¡¯ as an inspector, he was answering the telephone in a similar ¡®half-dead¡¯ tone of voice too.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Hao Ren. I have a bit of a situation here. By the way, why do you sound like you¡¯re going to die soon?¡±


    ¡°You know, Goddess is a very busy person, okay? It¡¯s normal when I feel a fair bit of tiredness.¡± Raven 12345 heard that it was Hao Ren and became a more alert. ¡°What situation?¡±


    Hao Ren told her everything of what had happened, particularly about Vivian¡¯s divisive phenomenon. Then, he asked very professionally, ¡°As the planet could no longer remain stuck in the edge of the space and time, I would like to ask you for your opinion: how should I do it? I have never handled this kind of project before.¡±


    Raven 12345 was silent before she replied with a relaxed tone of voice, ¡°You always have surprises for me¡­ Anyway, about the planet Inferno, I have a good suggestion.¡±


    ¡°The surface world?¡±


    ¡°You guess it right. In the surface world, there is a place called the Scarred Nebula.¡±

 Chapter 824

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The Scarred Nebula? He had never heard of that place before, but what interested him more was why Raven 12345 would want to move the planet to the Surface World. ¡°Move Inferno to the main universe? Isn¡¯t it safer to move it back to the Plane of Dreams?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been drifting across the Wall of Reality for too long,¡± Raven 12345 explained. ¡°Getting stuck in between two dimensions has affected it greatly. Like the otherworldlings on Earth today, they can¡¯t go back to the Plane of Dreams. Forcing it to return will only cause an excessive rejection phenomenon.¡±


    Hao Ren was still worried. ¡°So you¡¯re saying it¡¯ll be okay to move it to the Surface World?¡±


    ¡°There will be some impacts of course. As you said, Inferno belongs to neither the Surface world nor the Plane of Dreams now. No matter which direction it goes, there will be some compatibility issues, but it will be more stable in the Surface World than in the Plane of Dreams. After all, I¡¯m here and I¡¯m going to see it through personally. The Surface World is the best bet when considering all factors.¡±


    Then, Raven 12345 added, ¡°What¡¯s more, the Scarred Nebula is an extraordinary place. I¡¯ll explain further when you get there.¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his head. ¡°After so much talking, I still don¡¯t get how I¡¯m supposed to move the space debris out of the spatial rift. Should I tow it out with a spacecraft?¡±


    ¡°Do you think this is like hauling a cart in the supermarket?¡± Raven 12345 snapped. ¡°I¡¯ll handle most of the operations, and I¡¯m going to give you beacon guidance authorization as well as a copy of the tips for handling mega-operations. Read it and memorize it; it¡¯ll be useful in the future.¡±


    Raven 12345 proceeded to hang up abruptly. A moment later, the MDT received a confidential document from Raven 12345. Hao Ren opened the document in anticipation and fainted after he read it.


    There was only a line of text, ¡°Believe me and you will have eternal life¡ªdo you think there are tips for such matters?¡±


    Hao Ren was like, What the hell?!


    It was as if Hao Ren was a model of piety and papacy; he did not know how he managed not to shoot his mouth off to curse the goddess. Once beaten, twice shy; he had wised up after being struck by lightning every time he swore.


    It took a while before Raven 12345 sent the second message, which was the real deal. Hao Ren read it, but he could understand none of it as the information was meant for the spacecraft¡¯s central computer. When Inferno was removed from the Wall of Reality, the data would come in handy.


    ¡°Bring the Petrachelys in.¡± Hao Ren patted the MDT. ¡°Enter this information into the host. We¡¯re going to move the planet into normal space before we start the construction work. It¡¯ll be convenient this way.¡±


    The MDT disappeared from Hao Ren¡¯s sight, repeatedly groaning, ¡°An able man is always a busy man.¡± Everyone returned to the surface soon after.


    They had been in the underground world for a day and a night. It was early morning when they came back out to Dorasil. The light from the clouds shone on the prairie and coated the ancient boulder city in a dreamlike glow. Vivian leaned against a massive stone beside the pyramid, gazing at the dark rocky dome behind the clouds. It seemed like she was sorting out her memory or just thinking about the future of the planet. Lily stood nearby, wagging her tail and staring intently at her.


    Vivian was bothered by the stare. ¡°Why are you staring at me too? What¡¯s happened to you guys lately?¡± she asked.


    Lily nodded her head, looking somber. ¡°I just want to see when you might split again.¡±


    Vivian smacked Lily on the head. ¡°Nonsense!¡±


    All of a sudden, Nangong Wuyue seemingly thought of something. She shook her body and changed into two lumps of shimmering slime. She exclaimed in joy, ¡°Hey, look! I can split! I¡¯ve learned to split!¡±


    Hao Ren was also in thought when Nangong Wuyue¡¯s action almost made him jump out of his skin. ¡°Wait a second! What are you doing, Wuyue?¡±


    The two slimes changed shape to form two Nangong Wuyues, who both looked identical but one-half the size of the original. ¡°I got inspiration from Vivian! Since water¡¯s amorphous, I thought I could probably mimic what Vivian did.¡±


    The two Nangong Wuyues were not only smaller, but their voices also sounded childish.


    While Hao Ren was dumbstruck by what he saw, Nangong Sanba appeared to be interested in his sister¡¯s magical ability. ¡°Can you split further?¡± he asked.


    The two Wuyues thought for a while and inhaled forcefully. Suddenly, the two of them exploded like water balloons. Everyone was in shock; Nangong Wuyue had changed into at least a hundred mermaids, all smaller than Lil Pea. They jumped around on the grassy land. ¡°I did it!¡± Nangong Wuyue exclaimed.


    Surprised by what she saw, Lily could not wait to join in on the fun. ¡°Can you split further?¡±


    The mini Wuyues jumped around the ground like freshly-caught fish being poured out from a trawl. ¡°I¡¯ll try¡­¡± the Wuyues said.


    Hao Ren quickly stopped her. ¡°That¡¯s enough! If you split further, you¡¯ll be small enough to permeate the ground.¡±


    Hessiana and her sidekicks were still recovering from their mental and physical exhaustion. After their crazy adventure, they needed to reconstruct their worldviews badly. Halfway through the construction, Hessiana¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground when she saw the hoo-ha. ¡°¡­What is wrong with you people?¡±


    Vivian forced a smile and sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know you, but I¡¯ve gotten used to it. Their brains are made up of some weird stuff. They usually do this at home, but it¡¯s okay, no animals have been harmed.¡±


    They all felt at ease after they witnessed the drama. After Doggie and the siren had played enough, Hao Ren brought them back to the village of the Wind tribe. Learning about the underground seismic changes from Gezer and Bonia, Gotarug led several tribal warriors to come and greet them. Vivian took the opportunity to ask Gotarug to gather all elders, soldiers, saintesses, priests, and other notable figures; she was going to make a significant announcement.


    Gotarug had sensed it; something big was going to happen. He quickly summoned the important figures over to the big yurt. Soon, more than 20 bigwigs from the Wind tribe had gathered. They greeted Vivian respectfully and waited for Vivian to hand down her ¡°decree¡±.


    Vivian looked at the tribal members and suddenly flinched; she did not know how to break the news about what was going to take place soon. Their civilization had gotten so backward that the people did not have the concept of a planet. They did not even know what the sun, moon, and stars were, merely learning about them in the ancient books.


    After much thought, she decided not to blind them with science but summarize things into one sentence.


    ¡°The Year of the Jade is coming to an end. Soon the world will reenter the Sun Era.¡±


    There was a deafening silence.


    The tribe members did not understand what she said. More specifically, they followed the sentence itself, but could not believe it.


    ¡°You mean the heavens will reopen?¡± Gotarug first thought. ¡°You are going to release the sun?¡±


    ¡°Not release, but move the world near a new sun,¡± Vivian explained awkwardly. ¡°As for opening the heavens, yes, that is the plan, and it will surely happen.¡±


    While she spoke, she looked at Hao Ren as if expecting some response. When Hao Ren nodded, she knew she had gotten it right.


    Gotarug stroked his beard slowly, his eyes flashing with wisdom. However, he still could not wrap his brain around it.


    Hao Ren knew it would turn out that way. He smiled and clapped his hands. ¡°You don¡¯t have to know the actual processes. You don¡¯t even need to understand what¡¯s happening right now. I only have three instructions for you: One, send out messengers, repeat every word that Vivian¡­ I mean the goddess has told you today to the other tribes, and I will arrange transportation for you. Two, inform the other tribes to cancel the incense ritual for newborns.¡±


    Then he stopped. There was silence. Vivian quickly nudged Hao Ren by the arm. ¡°What is the third instruction?¡±


    Hao Ren said, ¡°Huh? Did I say three instructions?¡±


    Vivian buried her face in her hand and sighed big time. She then got to her feet and summed up the speech on his behalf. ¡°Three, keep calm and wait for new instructions. That is all. Dismissed. Bring the chosen messengers to me afterwards.¡±

 Chapter 825

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren had experience in larger-scale relocation and rescue operations. Whether it was the relocation of the one billion Aerymian Elves or five hundred thousand population of Helcrown, the population sizes were many times more than Inferno¡¯s indigenous people. But Inferno had a unique problem that posed a challenge to the migration operation; the civilization was very backward.


    They did not have global communications, no high-speed transportation, and no census and system of address. They did not even have cities and other fixed settlements; tribes were scattered all over the prairie and mountains, and only having a loose union relationship among the different tribes existed. They only communicated with each other a few times a year through messengers. Information and traffic occlusion were the challenges. No matter what Hao Ren wanted to do with this planet, the first thing hurdle was communication. He needed to establish a communication network so that he could contact everyone on the planet so that the elders of other tribes could hear Vivian¡¯s orders and carried out that order in their respective tribes.


    Gezer had quickly gathered enough messengers before Hao Ren, who was now setting up equipment near the tribal village.


    He took out a portal-building and communication equipment from the dimensional pocket. These were portable equipment for emergency use. Though limited in functionality, they were perfectly suitable for the situation at hand. Five portals were lined up on the ground, their silver casings appeared shiny under the skylight, with blue light which indicated standby mode in the gap between the metal panels. Vivian looked at him curiously. ¡°You¡¯re asking the messengers to use the portal?¡± she asked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t expect me to send one by one by car, do you?¡± Hao Ren smiled. ¡°The tribal villages are scattered all over the world; we need to contact them as soon as possible before the world changes.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but do you know their locations?¡±


    ¡°Remember the probes that I released earlier?¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°They have completed the mapping of the planet, and sent back information of more than thirty villages of various sizes, that¡¯s more than what Gotarug knows. Some tribes have been in isolation for very long and lost contact with other tribes, but they are still alive. The probes would be location beacons for the portals.¡±


    Gezer¡¯s voice came from the side. ¡°The messengers are here.¡±


    Hao Ren turned around and saw dozens of young and robust tribal members standing behind him. Their faces were painted to in the colors and patterns of special envoys of Wind tribe while colorful ribbon on their waists as proof of identity. They all looked motivated. Standing at the front was Bonia, the saintess of Fire tribe, who was going to return to her tribe to deliver the message.


    Hao Ren nodded to Gezer. ¡°Well, except for the little girl, they all are great guys; it¡¯s just that their physical strength is not up to par. Are they the most eloquent?¡±


    ¡°They are the smartest young people in the tribe.¡± Gezer put up an innocent smile on his face. ¡°I¡¯m sure they will be able to bring the message of the Goddess to the destinations.¡±


    ¡°Not only to convey the message of the Goddess,¡± Hao Ren said as he shoved a silver, cigarette box-sized device in Bonia¡¯s hand. ¡°I want you to learn how to use this thing.¡±


    Bonia fiddled with the little box cluelessly and put it in her mouth. Hao Ren grabbed the box from the little girl, warning, ¡°Don¡¯t do that. It¡¯s a communication device. I want you to bring along this thing back to your village. Can you see the two buttons here? Press and we can talk to each other thousands of miles away.¡±


    Bonia was wide-eyed. Hao Ren just told them briefly without going into the details, ¡°Treat this as a miracle. Now I¡¯m going to assign each of you a destination; these portals will send you directly to the destinations.¡±


    There was one good thing about primitive society; the people were very obedient. The devout tribal messengers had no two minds when it came to the will of the Goddess. They just stepped into the portals, never questioned if the thing called gateway was safe at all.


    After the messengers left, Hao Ren looked up at the sky, as he had sensed something.


    A blue light swooped down from the sky, and then there was the voice of the MDT. ¡°Hey, buddy! Your spaceship has arrived!¡±


    The MDT descended on his shoulder. The blue-light from where the MDT came out oscillated and gradually enlarged to a few hundred meters tall with a buzzing sound, and then a silver spacecraft emerged from the space crack of a few hundred meters tall. In the eyes of this world, the Petrachelys was a monster.


    Hao Ren came up quickly to alleviate Gotarug¡¯s fear for the excitement was too much for him to handle.


    ¡°It¡¯s a miracle!¡± Gezer and other tribal warriors stared with their jaws dropped to the ground. It was beyond their comprehension. Though some of them might have heard of the legends of the magic-driven, flying warships of the Sun Dynasty, the appearance of the spacecraft was beyond their imagination. The Petrachelys, which looked like a magnificent temple to them, emerged from the space crack. It gracefully adjusted its angle before descending slowly and hovering less than one meter above ground just right next to Hao Ren. The captain¡¯s voice came, sounding happy. ¡°Hey! Hao Ren! It¡¯s been a long while!¡±


    That was Nolan.


    ¡°Long time no see, Nolan!¡± Hao Ren smiled. ¡°How are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Great! I think I have gotten used to my new body,¡± Nolan said with a pleasant tone of voice. ¡°I¡¯ve waxed the lower deck. Do you mind?¡±


    ¡°Err, not at all. Not at all.¡±


    The MDT buzzed into Hao Ren¡¯s ears. ¡°Let me tell you; she is a tough lass. You wouldn¡¯t believe what I saw. When I found her in Andromeda Galaxy, she was racing there.¡±


    Hao Ren was startled and looked up at Nolan aka the Petrachelys. ¡°Racing? With who?¡±


    Nolan flashed the bow lights. ¡°A neutron star. Those spacecraft didn¡¯t dare to race with me.¡±


    Hao Ren jumped to his feet and said, ¡°Holy crap! It is an official ship! An official ship of the highest level! Have you ever seen anyone racing with the police before?¡±


    He buried his face in his hands, screaming. ¡°Oh gosh! Did she violate the rules?¡±


    The MDT comforted him. ¡°That¡¯s okay. Nolan was driving ¡®herself,¡¯ it was not a violation of the rule, and the only problem is that you are famous now.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    While Hao Ren was talking to his spaceship, Hessiana and her two sidekicks stood still like fossils in awe. Only after a long while, Turcan said, ¡°Master, don¡¯t you think this thing looks like the one in our studio?¡±


    Suddenly, Hessiana ran into Vivian¡¯s arms. ¡°Ma¡¯am Vivian! Men like to fool around when they have money! Look, this man called Hao Ren has an evil motive; he is trying to impress you with this ship! Don¡¯t fall into his trap!¡± she said.


    Hessiana¡¯s sudden action startled Vivian. When she finally came to her senses, she grabbed Hessiana by her head and yanked her out a dozen meters away. ¡°What are you doing? Please behave yourself!¡±


    Hao Ren was watching while Hessiana got a good slap from Vivian. He shrugged his shoulders and finally said, ¡°That¡¯s enough! Do you all want to come onboard my spaceship to have a look? I¡¯m going up to the cloud top.¡±


    Hessiana was the first to raise the hand. ¡°I¡¯ll go!¡±


    Vivian woke Gezer, who was still in awe. He boarded the spacecraft with Hao Ren. Then, the silver spacecraft slowly lifted off and disappeared in a flash of light into the air. The tribal people on the ground exclaimed in awe and bowed to worship it.


    ¡°The Goddess has ascended to heaven! The Goddess has ascended to heaven!¡± some of them exclaimed.


    Fortunately, Vivian did not hear it.

 Chapter 826

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    From the beginning of the mission, Hessiana was a lost ball in high weeds following the team around wherever they went. It knocked her socks off when he saw the spaceship and not until she came on board in the flight deck, she began to come to grip with reality. The spacecraft was as real as it got when seeing with her own eyes and touching with her own hands. No one on Earth could build such a high-tech spacecraft yet, she figured.


    ¡°It¡¯s all true¡­¡± Hessiana looked around the flight deck, but she did not dare to touch anything for fear that she might accidentally spoil things and Hao Ren would jump on her. She still saw Hao Ren in a bad light, and that had never changed. ¡°Where did you get this thing from?¡±


    ¡°There are even vampires and werewolves on Earth, what is so surprising about extraterrestrial technology?¡± Hao Ren replied casually. ¡°It¡¯s a common sense that alien technology is more realistic than fantasy.¡±


    Hessiana looked at Hao Ren, astonished. ¡°Are you from Mars? Or is it Reach, the Epsilon Eridani II?¡±


    There was a distinction between a progressive vampire and a traditional vampire; this girl¡¯s knowledge of Reach was telling.


    The Petrachelys passed through the passage of the upper crust and then cruised above the surface slowly. The scene of the turbid atmosphere and decaying upper crust showed up on the screen as the spacecraft flew over an area of the rugged hill where dirty hot air spouting from the sporadic hot springs, turning the surrounding atmosphere into disgusting dark-green colors. Vivian could not help but sigh looking at the hellish world. ¡°It¡¯s hard to imagine there is a paradise underneath.¡±


    ¡°How are you going to deal with this layer of crust?¡± Nangong Wuyue asked. ¡°Toxic water and noxious gases are everywhere. There are even mutant monsters and crust that blocks the sun too. You need to get rid of all these, but the sanctuary is right beneath, I don¡¯t know how we¡¯re going to do that safely. A drop of a piece of the crust down there would be catastrophic.¡±


    ¡°Are we not taking over the control of the First Born¡¯s nervous system? We could then retract the canopy after revitalizing the Heaven¡¯s Pillars.¡± Lily said simple-mindedly.


    Hao Ren flicked her with his finger. ¡°The entire canopy will crumble down if we do that. There are hundreds of millions of tons of fossilized materials up here; a slight tremor on the Heaven¡¯s Pillars would cause an extinction-level disaster below. MDT, check if there is any better way to deal with such a situation. Is there anyone specialized in peeling a planet?¡±


    ¡°Do you think there are such companies?¡± The MDT scoffed. ¡°But I know someone who could do similar things.¡±


    While saying, the MDT showed Hao Ren a piece of information. Hao Ran took a gander of the info and froze. ¡°Fairy Mining Conglomerate? These guys are everywhere!¡±


    ¡°They have a finger in every pie that makes money. They would do it even if the job doesn¡¯t make money but could make them famous. That¡¯s why people don¡¯t call them Fairy Void the profiteers for nothing.¡±


    Hao Ren took a second look. Fairy Mining Conglomerate? He sensed something was not right. ¡°I¡¯m looking for a planet-peeling company, but you¡¯re giving me a bunch of freaking miners. Are you letting them dig the crust?¡±


    ¡°You guess it right. They are the best civilian miners in the universe. It was said that once upon a time, a tiny civilization sphere near Arcturus could do nothing but watch as a group of stray asteroids flying toward their planet about to wipe them off the universe. In desperation, they sent out a distress signal. At that time, a group of miners from Fairy Mining Conglomerate happened to pass by the region. Those miners responded and dug away every single piece of the asteroids before the rocks had a chance to come close to the tiny civilization.¡±


    Hao Ren was silent, astounded.


    He wiped the cold sweat on his forehead; this kind of efficiency might be what he was looking for. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll use them. But one question; is it safe to dig the crust? When their heavy equipment starts digging, Heaven¡¯s Pillars might collapse.¡±


    ¡°They have the technology to create a gravitational barrier that envelops the entire planet to prevent broken pieces of the rocky dome from falling.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment. ¡°Well, there is still a question: How much they charge?¡±


    The MDT appeared delighted at the question. It used showed the structure of the upper crust of Inferno using holographic projection and marked the different layers of the petrified canopy with different colors. ¡°Do you know what this is?¡±


    ¡°Rock.¡±


    ¡°Wrong. It¡¯s money, dude!¡± MDT said. ¡°This is the strata petrified from the body, and high-strength secretions of the First Born, 80% of the civilizations in the Milky Way couldn¡¯t produce such substance. Although I don¡¯t know what this thing can do, there are venture capitalists in the universe who are willing to pay for this rare stuff. Those collectors of arts, antiques, and pearls and jewels of alien galaxies like to show off their collections to their visitors, but neither the one who boasts nor the one listening to the boasting know what the stones are for and they still enjoy it.¡±


    Lily nodded and said, ¡°Stone collection is a classy hobby. I collect stones too.¡±


    Hao Ren waved her away. ¡°Oh, please spare me. You even collect bricks from the construction site as if they¡¯re gemstones! Don¡¯t equate yourself with the parvenus.¡±


    Then he asked the MDT, sounding interested. ¡°Did you say that people are willing to pay for this thing? I think they are rich but not stupid. Even if you told them it is a fossilized super-creature, a valuable collectible, will they believe you?¡±


    The MDT smiled wryly. ¡°Of course they won¡¯t. But what if there is the signature of an inspector on the certificate?¡±


    The penny dropped, and Hao Ren suddenly came to his senses.


    Inspector, the witness of civilizations, undertaker and recorder, the eyes and mouth of the Goddess, the only mortal in the universe who had the authority to appraise and evaluate historical events from the perspective of a bystander, and many ordinary civilizations treated inspector as a demigod. It was just that Hao Ren did not understand the concept earlier.


    As long as he put down his signature, these petrified substances on the surface of the planet Inferno would soar in price in the eyes of the collectors. Sometimes you can¡¯t rationalize the thinking of the rich.


    However, this certification meant nothing at all to Hao Ren and the laws of the divine world.


    He began to see things in a new light. ¡°I let Fairy Mining Conglomerate mine for free and sign a certificate that says these rocks had historical value, and all they need to do is ensure the safety and efficiency of the mining process while keeping the planet in orbit. No one has to pay a single cent for it.¡±


    ¡°In the long run, the profiteers would still make a fortune,¡± the MDT made a strange buzzing sound as if it was somewhat regretful. ¡°If they dared to buy the normal type of stones, they would certainly buy the ones with the signature of an inspector. It¡¯s a shame that the wealth of the Pan-Civilization Sphere means nothing to you. Let the profiteers take what they want, and they will owe us a favor.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled wryly. ¡°Often, owing a favor is better than owing a debt.¡±


    Suddenly, a crispy voice came from the side. ¡°Long time no see. Sounds like Pattie and you have become like the profiteers.¡±


    Hao Ren looked up and saw Nolan¡¯s holographic image standing beside him. He put up an arrogant smile. ¡°I¡¯m not boasting, but inspectors are awesome people. Don¡¯t underestimate my ability.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Nolan said. ¡°I¡¯ve visited Aerym a couple of days ago and learned about the elves from the database. They¡¯ve built a huge statue and monument for the Sun King. I know what you¡¯ve done.¡±


    ¡°You had been there?¡± Hao Ren scratched his head. ¡°I was thinking to bring you to visit my bases afterward, but it seems that it¡¯s unnecessary now since you have everything the database.¡±


    Nolan nodded. She suddenly pointed at the console. ¡°I have a question though.¡±


    ¡°What question?¡±


    ¡°Why is this PDA insisting on plugging itself in me while I am the one piloting the spacecraft?¡±


    Hao Ren was a little startled. He then turned to look at the MDT. ¡°Since Nolan is piloting the spacecraft, what are you doing up there?¡±


    The MDT suddenly felt its job was in jeopardy. It squeezed itself harder into the slot and said aloud, ¡°I¡¯m not leaving! It is my throne! I¡¯m destined to be the battleship host for life. Whoever dares to pull me out, I will fight him to the death!¡±


    ¡°This dude can¡¯t be serious!¡± Hao Ren thought to himself.

 Chapter 827

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    For lunatic creatures to have an eccentric worldview was understandable, but it was hard to grasp why a PDA was behaving like a lunatic creature. No one knew what happened to this piece of electronic brick when it was rolled out from the factory. It thought that it could become a central computer of the spacecraft but never realized that it would remain a PDA even if it plugged itself into the console and sat there for ten thousand years.


    Hao Ren was caught between a rock and a hard place. Since the MDT was insistent, he looked to Nolan. ¡°Would you please just let it be for the time being? Treat it as a pendant hanging on your neck¡­¡±


    Nolan shot Hao Ren a sideways look. ¡°How do you feel when you have a brick sticking out on your head while you go out shopping?¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment. He could not understand the perspective of Nolan as a spaceship right now.


    ¡°Maybe you two should talk to each other nicely,¡± Hao Ren threw his hands up helplessly. ¡°I totally couldn¡¯t understand the power struggle between a spaceship and a PDA.¡±


    Hessiana looked at Hao Ren who was arguing with his spaceship and PDA, dumbfounded. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can understand anyone of you.¡±


    While the MDT and Nolan bickered among themselves, the Petrachelys had lifted to a higher altitude, leaving the turbid and heavy atmosphere into the glowing clouds and finally reaching the cloud top by puncturing a hole in the cloud below. Then, the spacecraft came near to the lower orbit of the planet Inferno.


    It was the limit where the spacecraft could rise. If it rose further, the spacecraft would leave the dimension and fell out into the main universe.


    Asides from the planet Inferno that glowed in white, the space around it was empty, without any sun, moon or stars, not even a tiny bit of celestial debris. There was a layer of extremely thin gases in space; Inferno had been losing its atmosphere slowly for the past ten thousand years. Hao Ren let Nolan hover the spacecraft near the critical point of the dimension, and then the hatchway of the cargo bay opened.


    A group of slender, crewless aerial vehicles that looked like miniature space shuttles came out of the hatchway, flew to the top of the planet Inferno, and hovered at a distance from the atmosphere.


    These drones were doing geolocation mapping, outlining the contours of the planet that needed to be preserved, and then waited for Raven 12345¡¯s instruction.


    The spacecraft stayed at the critical point for a day and a night before Raven 12345 finally sent a message. ¡°I¡¯ve adjusted the stellar parameters and the surrounding celestial environment. The door will open in ten minutes.¡±


    Dozing off on the flight deck, Hao Ren was woken by the incoming message. He turned on the microphone, broadcast the voice message through the internal broadcasting system, and waited.


    He was eager to know how a real goddess was going to transfer a planet from outside the universe to inside the universe.


    Everyone gathered on the flight deck noisily, as if it was a market. Nolan turned on the external cameras and panoramic projection so that the entire flight deck would now have a 360-degree view of the universe outside. She then contacted the drones that she released a day ago and sent them navigation signals.


    Nothing happened in the first few seconds, but very quickly, a strange halo appearing out of nowhere enveloped the entire planet Inferno and the Petrachelys, which were still hovering over the orbit of the planet. The ¡®great gate¡¯ phenomenon that Hao Ren had been expecting did not appear. Instead, he saw an infinite number of stars emerging directly from the ubiquitous light.


    After a while of amazement, he began to realize that it was the starlight of the regular universe.


    There was no ¡®gate¡¯ phenomenon. The merging of two three-dimensional spaces was done in a higher dimension so that in a three-dimensional space, Hao Ren would not see himself passing through a gate. Instead, the destination universe would appear in front of him suddenly.


    The ubiquitous radiance only appeared very briefly as the two dimensions merged, the halo effect was just the distortion of the starlight.


    As the halo effect went away, stars and nebulae began to emerge, giving the impression that the thin space of the planet Inferno was expanding rapidly into a larger universe. Stars, gaseous clouds, and celestial masses appeared in the once-dark universe. There was a shiny star near to the planet Inferno.


    The entire space debris had been successfully ¡®placed¡¯ into the surface world, but soon Hao Ren realized that the process was far from complete. The planet Inferno was still stationary relative to the sun. It needed to circle the sun so that it would stay in its orbit, but to do that, it needed a push, a prime force.


    Raven 12345 had this covered. A light-blue film appeared around the planet and stopped the space and time of the planet.


    An even more jaw-dropping phenomenon happened as an unprecedentedly large Goddess appeared in space.


    The powerful silver-haired Goddess appeared next to the planet as if it were a natural thing to do so. The Goddess was more massive than several planets combined, and looking more imposing than the nearby star. It was the first time Hao Ren saw Raven 12345 appeared in this way. She bent down and made a face at the Petrachelys, then turned her head, aimed at Inferno, took two steps back and swung her leg.


    The blessing of the Goddess echoed in the universe. ¡°Here you go!¡±


    Then Inferno began to go round the run immediately!


    Hao Ren was lost for word. Something came to mind when he finally realized what happened. ¡°The Prime Force. The Prime Force.¡±


    Holy crap! It was the so-called Prime Force! How was he going to tell the people of Inferno that the Goddess kicked them into orbit?


    Vivian poked Hao Ren¡¯s arm. ¡°Mr. Landlord, do you still think that my face was too big in demon-god form?¡±


    Hao Ren looked up at Raven 12345, his jaw dropped. He could not see Raven 12345, because all he saw was white¡ªa tiny part of the Goddess¡¯s arm. What happened just now was seen from the perspective of a probe far out in space. He froze for a long while before he realized he needed to call the Goddess. ¡°Good god! Is this how you start a planetary system? Where is the high-tech math engine, gravity correction, kinetic energy and the like?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I do have those things, but I figured that the simpler and cruder method would work the same, as long as I first gave the planet a shield.¡±


    Cold sweat trickled down Hao Ren¡¯s forehead. ¡°It didn¡¯t sound very scientific though,¡± he said.


    Raven 12345 smiled wryly. ¡°That¡¯s okay. No one was looking; it is quiet in this part of the universe.¡±


    Hao Ren turned his head around and glanced at Hessiana and her sidekicks. The vampire trio was still in awe. He hemmed and said, ¡°What have you seen?¡±


    Turcan woke up and traced a cross in the air with his hand; he might be the first vampire history to do that. ¡°Is that the legendary ¡®Prime Force¡¯? And God is a female?¡±


    Hao Ren grabbed his hair. ¡°Pretend you¡¯ve seen nothing. It¡¯s kind of hard to explain it.¡±


    He was not sure if he should tell them that the Goddess who was in-charge of this universe was a lunatic, that this universe was a rehabilitation center for some mentally disabled deity.


    The ¡®space-time-stopping magic¡¯ had dissipated, but an extra layer of protection was still above the atmosphere. This layer of security was to reduce the impact of sunlight on the planet. After all, the planet had been in a cold and lonely place for ten thousand years. It would be a disaster by heating the planet suddenly. Raven 12345 transformed back to her usual size and appeared next to Hao Ren in a flash of light.


    ¡°Hey, how are you feeling?¡± The Goddess smacked Hao Ren on the shoulder.


    Hao Ren drew his lips back and rubbed his arm. ¡°Spectacular!¡± he replied.


    ¡°I could help you in person in the surface world.¡± Raven 12345 guffawed. ¡°However, it¡¯s not enough to move the planet here. You need to let the planet live in a new environment; it¡¯s a delicate job. Do you have any plans?¡±


    Hao Ren immediately told her his plan, including controlling the First Born to build a new ecosystem and hiring Fairy Mining Conglomerate to rip apart the upper crust. Raven 12345 kept nodding as she listened with a satisfied look on her face. ¡°Well, you are more mature than before. I was thinking of helping to transform the planet for you if you don¡¯t know how.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately looked at her with anticipation.


    Raven 12345 smiled and said, ¡°But since you already have a plan, then I shall not worry about you.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s heart sank.

 Chapter 828

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren was hoping that Raven 12345 would stay and help him resettle the planet so that he could take it easy. This thought lingered in his mind for a while before he thought better of it.


    Everyone had his or her job to do¡ªhe understood it.


    Raven 12345 looked at Hao Ren with a subtle smile and waited for his response. She was surprised to find that he did not badger her. ¡°Hmm, so you accept the arrangement, eh?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my job,¡± Hao Ren replied with a smile. ¡°And it¡¯s not something that I can¡¯t do myself. If I need crutches in every single job I do, the end of the universe won¡¯t be far.¡±


    Raven 12345 squinted, and for the first time, she nodded to Hao Ren with a somber expression on her face. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve grown up,¡± she said, patting Hao Ren on the shoulder gently.


    She turned and looked at the starry sky in the distance. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll be frank with you. I didn¡¯t come just to help you with this trifling matter; I want to show you something. It¡¯s about the Scarred Nebula. Follow me.¡±


    Before he knew it, Hao Ren found himself on the outside of the spacecraft. Raven 12345 was standing beside him, snapping her fingers in the cosmic vacuum.


    Sound did not travel in a vacuum, but Hao Ren could still hear the crispy clicking sound of Raven 12345¡¯s fingers. Immediately, the starry sky pulled away from him. As his perspective rose and widened, an incredible sense of enlightenment rose within him. It was a familiar experience; he remembered that Raven 12345 had brought him on a tour of the stars before and given him an unforgettable moment of insight.


    ¡°Look over there.¡± Raven 12345 pointed into the distance. ¡°That¡¯s the Scarred Nebula. The planet Inferno and your spaceship are in that small, inconspicuous spot in the galaxy; it¡¯s a safe place.¡±


    The panoramic view of the Scarred Nebula had Hao Ren¡¯s eyes out on stalks.


    The majestic view of the cosmic sky was always awe-inspiring. The bright nebulae, ominous cosmic clouds, and the glowing strips, which looked like a piece of abstract art, were a visual treat. No brushstrokes of a human artist could ever create such magnificence. The Scarred Nebula, dark purple and red with a radiant ray spread outwards in all directions. It was probably the most impressive of all nebulae. The edge of the nebula was bright while it was darker towards the center. There were crack lines in the bright rays akin to scars.


    Hao Ren rubbed his eyes to clear his vision, but it was not an illusion; the crack lines were scars, huge scars!


    It seemed like space had collapsed inwards at the center where there was light-bending phenomenon around the dark strips. At the center of the nebula, a jet of material was streaming out and creating a colorful beam of light. It was a massive wound and a permanent hole in the universe, where matter was born and annihilated constantly. Science was unable to explain it. It also looked like a huge bathtub with a jagged hole at the bottom. A dazzling, swirling vortex of foam and water gushed out of it.


    Hao Ren had seen black holes before. He once flew by some black holes during his explorations. The bright accretion disk and light, which Hao Ren saw around the other black holes back then, were utterly different from that of the Scarred Nebula. He was sure that this was another cosmic phenomenon. The activity around the dark scar was not a simple phenomenon of a black hole swallowing matters and ejecting particles. He was too curious now. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± he asked.


    ¡°A little vibration of the Wall of Reality,¡± Raven 12345 said softly. ¡°It happened 2,600 years ago, and the shock created a 7.7-lightyear breach, which you¡¯re looking at now. The extent of destruction was much wider than the size of the breach. Look around; do you see anything?¡±


    Hao Ren looked around. Seeing through the nebula was impossible with the naked eye, but with his temporarily elevated eyesight, Hao Ren found some clues. ¡°It¡¯s empty. A nebula shouldn¡¯t be so empty.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s empty because everything there was ¡®deleted.¡¯¡± Raven 12345 nodded slightly. ¡°There was a galaxy almost as big as the Milky Way, and two civilizations resided in it. The vibration of the Wall of Reality caused a massive breach, which opened a direct connection to the Plane of Dreams. The physical laws of the two universes clashed, resulting in data that did not conform to the laws being deleted en bloc. In other words, the entire galaxy was reformatted. I suppose you know this; imagine that in one universe, the rule is one plus one equals two, while in another universe, there¡¯s no such rule; what will happen when the two universes overlap?¡±


    ¡°The conflicting rules will cancel out each other,¡± Hao Ren replied. He had discussed the topic with MDT before, so he knew the answer.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. It will zero out.¡± Raven 12345 nodded a little. ¡°Fortunately, I saved the civilization spheres here and kept the breach from deteriorating so that it wouldn¡¯t tear up the universe altogether. In the years that followed, the sovereign hub has been providing tremendous computing support to the region. The breach stabilized and became the most special place in the universe¡ªthe Compatible Zone.¡±


    ¡°The Compatible Zone?¡± Something crossed Hao Ren¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Yes, as the Wall of Reality stabilized, it became a buffer zone between the Plane of Dreams and the Surface World so that the two universes wouldn¡¯t collide. However, just like wrapping insulation tape over an exposed cable that causes short-circuits, the buffer zone is just a makeshift solution.¡± Raven 12345 shook her head gently. ¡°Anyway, it has stabilized and can support life.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s brows were pulled together. ¡°What¡¯s the jet of material in the dark area about?¡±


    ¡°Genesis and doomsday.¡± Raven 12345 smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not joking. It¡¯s a place of creation and destruction. This dark area is still a dangerous place because the collision of the two universes is causing an information leak. It¡¯s constantly creating new world orders and cosmic material, then annihilating them almost instantaneously.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you chose to settle planet Inferno here¡­¡± Hao Ren finally understood it. ¡°Because this place in itself is a buffer zone. The space debris will face less rejection from the Plane of Dreams.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, this planet is a hot potato. Except here, no matter where you place it, no one¡¯s going to check their temporary residence permit,¡± Raven 12345 said.


    Hao Ren nodded slowly, but still felt a little uneasy. ¡°Is this place safe?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes, it is. I guarantee that.¡± Raven 12345¡¯s words sounded believable. ¡°This is the most ¡®special zone¡¯ in the entire universe. Most civilizations avoid this region of disaster like the plague. Even though there¡¯s nothing here, they¡¯re still afraid that it¡¯ll bring them bad luck. All other private vessels that you know will probably be unwilling to come here, except the profiteers from the Fairy Mining Conglomerate. They have the technology; even if they don¡¯t, they will still come for the money. This planet will be registered as a refugee planet. They may not be able to develop into their interstellar era the usual way, so you¡¯ll have to give them minimum guidance and assistance.¡±


    ¡°All right, I know what to do. When will it be?¡±


    Raven 12345 counted with her fingers and thought for a moment. ¡°Probably 8,000 years from now. Remind me when the time comes¡ªjust in case I forget.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Hao Ren thought to himself.


    Eight thousand years! Could the goddess not take care of that by herself for god¡¯s sake?¡±

 Chapter 829

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After Raven 12345 explained the Scarred Nebula to Hao Ren, they remained in space, gazing at the magnificent ¡°scar¡± in the nebula for some time. If he had not seen it in person, Hao Ren would never have been able to imagine what kind of phenomenon the Wall of Reality¡¯s collapse would produce. All his previous discussions with the MDT about the Wall of Reality were mostly postulations that visualized doomsdays scenarios like heaven and earth collapsing, the sky turning upside down, and things like that. In reality, the destruction from the collision of two universes was far from simple.


    A galaxy, the size of the Milky Way, had been deleted as if wiping data on a hard drive, becoming background radiation in the universe and leaving a 7.7-lightyear-wide twisted nebula behind.


    It was the so-called ¡®mathematical rate of disaster.¡¯ In the face of such a disaster, even the ¡®disaster¡¯ itself will be wiped off.


    ¡°Why are you telling me this all of a sudden?¡± Hao Ren looked at Raven 12345 curiously. He had the feeling that there was something more than meets the eye; Raven 12345 must have some other reason to do so.


    The light from the distant stars refracted in Raven 12345¡¯s eyes. She smiled. ¡°Because you have become more mature, it is time to let you know about the truth of the universe. For most mortal races, the world is a stable and reliable place, and the law of physics is the truth set in stone by God. They have never thought that the universe would collapse one day, but for us, the world is far from stable because its balance could easily be disrupted.


    As you can see, the eternal galaxy as seen in the eyes of the mortals has been deleted in the blink of an eye; similar dangers abound in the universe. The universe is not as safe as you think. Do you understand?¡±


    Hao Ren felt a little overwhelmed. ¡°That sound pretty heavy,¡± he said.


    ¡°Then get used to it,¡± Raven 12345 said and nodded slightly. ¡°Inspector is an intermediary between God and humanity. You are born from the ordinary race, but ultimately you need to see the universe from our perspective, be aware of the threats that loomed in the universe, recognize the fragility of it and be prepared to do what you can to deal with them.¡±


    Hao Ren felt as if he could only barely understand it, but he knew that one day he would be able to fully comprehend in what kind of world Raven 12345 was living. He gazed at the Scarred Nebula in the distance, visualizing the devastation it caused back then when the cosmic scar formed with destructive energy no mortal race could ever fight. He sighed softly. ¡°Ignorance is bliss. On Earth, the biggest crisis for me in life was when I had no money to pay internet bill.¡±


    ¡°Ignorance is the greatest gift that mortals receive,¡± Raven 12345 patted Hao Ren on his shoulder, ¡°but no one should keep being ignorant forever.¡±


    After saying this, she faded into a ray of light, blended with the distant stars, and disappeared.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you have such a serious side to you,¡± Hao Ren could not help muttering, looking at the direction where the Goddess had gone. He suddenly realized that he was floating in space. Freaking out, he shouted, ¡°Hey, shouldn¡¯t you at least send me back first? Where the heck am I now?¡±


    Just when he was about to ask the MDT to send him back, a space crack opened next to him, and then a leg was hanging out from it. Hao Ren heard the voice of the Goddess echoing in his mind. ¡°There you go!¡±


    Something that defied the laws of physics happened to him as a few minutes later, Nolan picked Hao Ren down from the antenna tower of the Petrachelys. Everybody surrounded him, asking questions about what had happened. At last, Lily summed it up. ¡°So the Goddess sent you back with the kick of her leg?¡±


    Hao Ren was not injured, but he rubbed his back and sounded mad. ¡°She¡¯s a psychopath!¡±


    There was no lightning and no divine wrath. The cosmic consciousness had recognized that Raven 12345 was a psychopath.


    Nangong Sanba patted Hao Ren on his shoulder. ¡°Take it easy, mate. After all, she is the Prime Force. Do you remember how she put Inferno into orbit? You should be grateful that you got the same privilege.¡±


    Hao Ren had nothing more to say.


    He shoved Nangong Sanba aside and came up to the console, checking the situation of the planet Inferno. The beautiful white planet was now circling a new star; no matter how ridiculous the Prime Force looked, it worked. However, letting the planet circle the sun was only the first step, it still had a long way to go before the planet could fully recover. Hao Ren knocked the MDT softly, which did not want to let go its place on the console. ¡°When will the work start?¡±


    ¡°All right, let me explain. First of all, we must gain control over the First Born because the ecosystem of this planet depends on it to adapt to the new environment and stay alive. We can leave behind engineering robots and production plants in the inner crust of the planet. The drawings and software of the control facilities are ready. We will call in Fairy Mining Conglomerate after we have complete control over the First Born. I have made initial contact with their agent; they are very interested in this business. They said they could meet all of our requirements, and provide a complementary ¡®pest cleanup¡¯ service, which is to clear the surface of those twisted monsters.¡±


    To the chagrin of Hao Ren, he said, ¡°Those profiteers! How nice they make it sounds as though it is not part of their contractual obligation.¡±


    ¡°Yup. They¡¯d better do it as they promise.¡± The MDT snorted. ¡°Chief Raven has left a layer of divine protection on this planet. It will protect the planet until we get control of the First Born, but we don¡¯t have to wait here; the control facility will take about half a month to complete. In the meantime, we can go home and take a break.¡±


    Before Hao Ren could say anything, Lily came up, grabbed his sleeve, and exclaimed suddenly, ¡°Spare ribs!¡±


    She then went back to her seat and continued to play her favorite game. Hessiana and her sidekicks, who had no clue of what that meant, looked on and was dumbfounded. Hao Ren had to translate it. ¡°It means she wants to eat spare ribs when home.¡±


    Vivian curled her finger a couple of times, stretched out three of her fingers and wave at Lily.


    ¡°It means that Lily can have the stewed pork ribs provided she washes dishes for three days.¡± Hao Ren explained.


    Lily saw Vivian¡¯s gesture in her peripheral vision. She flicked her ears a couple of times, stuck out her tail, waved and pointed to Nangong Wuyue.


    Hao Ren continued to translate. ¡°Lily said that she heard it. It¡¯s okay to wash dishes, but Nangong Wuyue could do a better job, and washing dishes requires the use of detergent. She hopes Vivian could talk it over with Nangong Wuyue that she is not lazy; she doesn¡¯t like to move too much. She also asked to put some vegetables and corn kernels when stewing the ribs.¡±


    Cold sweat trickled down Hessiana¡¯s forehead; Hao Ren¡¯s translations were so superb that it was almost a metaphysics. She wondered how Hao Ren could translate so many details out of a few simple hand gestures. He must possess a telepathic ability, Hessiana thought.


    There were no such creatures as ¡®cat slaves and dog slaves¡¯ in the Athens¡¯ sanctuary.


    The Petrachelys returned to the lower crust to lay the groundwork the first phase of the construction project.


    Just as it had done to the planet Tannagost, the Petrachelys only needed to set up a few necessary workstations and leave behind a couple of autonomous robots, which could quickly complete self-multiplication and expansion work.


    Hao Ren hovered the spacecraft over Dorasil. When the ejection hatch on the spacecraft opened, four silver metal cubes of around ten meters wide on each side came out and flew towards the four corners of the city.


    These mini-factories were designed on the back of the experience in Tannagost; they were more efficient and integrated. Each construction unit came with an autonomous robot and a set of material conversion plant that was capable of creating everything required in the blueprint and replicating itself with high efficiency. The experience in setting up bases in the Plane of Dreams had let Hao Ren foresee the many construction works would take place in his career¡ªat least recently, so he had kept a few construction units onboard the spaceship.


    Hao Ren had figured that four construction units would be enough. He watched as the cubes landed on the prairie and expanded slowly. Now all he had to do now was to wait.


    Soon, Vivian had contacted the indigenous tribes through the radio.


    After knowing that all the messengers had arrived at their respective destination and that things were going as planned, the Petrachelys left Inferno.


    In half a month time, this place would have a new life.

 Chapter 830

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hessiana and her sidekicks could never imagine that they would set off from Earth to Inferno by teleporting and then return in a spaceship. Life is indeed like a box of chocolates; you never know what you are going to get.


    Later in the day, Hao Ren and his entourage arrived at their home in Southern Suburb.


    Y¡¯zaks was sunbathing with his daughter just outside the doorway when Hao Ren arrived with a handful of grocery, which was mainly Lily¡¯s favorite pork ribs. Y¡¯lisabet ran up to Hao Ren and greeted him with a bright smile on her face. Hao Ren shoved the stuff in his hands to Lily and patted Y¡¯lisabet on her head. Though the trip to Inferno was not as dangerous as the previous trips, he was mentally drained. The feeling quickly went away when he arrived home.


    He knew why he had this feeling; a lot of things had happened during the trip, and most importantly, it concerned Vivian. Dealing with the demon-god Vivian was exhaustive. He would have suffered mental trauma if not for him having the nerves of steel.


    Others felt the same. As soon as they reached home, Nangong Sanba and Nangong Wuyue quickly breathed a sigh of relief. Even Vivian appeared to be more relaxed. The only oddball here was Lily, who did not display any emotional changes. As always, the husky ran to the door with bags of pork ribs in her hands cheerfully. Her happy-go-lucky attitude was almost at God¡¯s level.


    Probably, Y¡¯lisabet was the only person who could rival Lily¡¯s light-heartedness. The training her papa gave her had toughened her; blowing her up several hundred meters in the air was just a child¡¯s play, for which she would happily say, ¡°Whoa, that¡¯s fun!¡±


    Vivian smiled and whispered to herself, ¡°Home sweet home.¡±


    Hao Ren heard her whisper and smiled at her. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ve been through many things. Let¡¯s take a rest. I will ask Raven about your problem later.¡±


    Hessiana¡¯s brows knit together. She looked at Vivian and then Hao Ren, her face sad. ¡°It¡¯s finished. Vivian has regarded this place as her home now! She¡¯s not going to care about me!¡±


    Kassandra came up, let out a sigh and comforted her. ¡°Master, take it easy! After all, Vivian has never cared about you.¡±


    The rumor that people had wanted this vampire dead was probably true. She was a jerkette, who would probably die at the hand of Hessiana someday.


    Everything was as usual in the house. With the Nangong couples taking care of the house, Hao Ren no longer had to worry about going to sleep in a pile of dust every time he returned from a business trip. The TV was on when he stepped into the house. There was a pair of pointed, white-haired cat ears sticking out above the sofa¡¯s back and a long tail hanging at the side when looking from behind.


    ¡°Rollie!¡± he called out the heartless cat. ¡°Oh, come on! Don¡¯t glue to the idiot box all day long. We¡¯re back!¡±


    Dumb Cat peeked from the sofa, stretched out her hand that was in the shape of a ball and wave at Hao Ren with a meow. She then pointed her tail to the cat-food commercial on the TV. ¡°Big Boss Cat, I want this! Buy me!¡±


    ¡°What a heartless fella! Don¡¯t you know that I have just arrived home?¡± Hao Ren retorted.


    ¡°Meow.¡± The cat maiden shook her head as if she had figured something out. She jumped off the sofa without making a sound, sneaked over and rubbed her head against Hao Ren¡¯s leg. ¡°You want to play with my tail? It is fun! You have five minutes.¡±


    Hao Ren did not know what more to say but groaned inwardly.


    Y¡¯zaks looked on, grinning. ¡°She is not heartless; she is just getting along with you in her way.¡±


    Hao Ren forced a smile, and petted and coaxed Rollie back to the sofa before going into the bathroom to look for Lil Pea. Soaking in the basin filled with water, Lil Pea seemed to have sensed the coming of Hao Ren. She got up eagerly and waited. As soon as Hao Ren appeared, the little mermaid spouted water all over his face. Hao Ren swept Lil Pea up in his hand and was slightly surprised by how much she weighed in his hand. ¡°You have grown longer again, eh?¡±


    ¡°I have grown longer!¡± Lil Pea patted Hao Ren on his arm with her tail. ¡°And shed scales too!¡±


    ¡°Shed scales?¡± Only then, Hao Ren noticed some small illuminants, which were the fine scales came off the mermaid¡¯s tail, in the basin. It was slighter lighter in tone on some parts of her tail. It looked like new scales. ¡°When did it begin?¡±


    Lil Pea counted with her fingers and then replied loudly, ¡°Three days! Not including today.¡±


    Hao Ren carried her to the living room and asked Nangong Wuyue, ¡°She¡¯s shedding scales. You know that?¡±


    ¡°How on earth am I supposed to know?¡± Nangong Wuyue shot him a scornful look. ¡°I was following you on all this while. Have you forgotten?¡±


    Hao Ren had been confused. He smacked his forehead. At this time, Ayesha came out of the kitchen and heard their conversation. ¡°It¡¯s normal to lose scale. She is growing up, and the pattern on the tail is changing. Probably scale shedding is common during the transition from childhood to adolescence. I have been keeping an eye on her; the little one is as fit as a fiddle, and her new scales are completely different from the original ones, which are of two different physiological stages. It¡¯s normal.¡±


    Hearing a veteran deep-sea creature saying so, Hao Ren breathed a sigh of relief. He held Lil Pea up and examined her for a long while, discovering that she was as energetic as before and that the shedding parts had regrown. It was a normal physiological phenomenon, he thought.


    Seeing Hao Ren¡¯s anxious look, Lily could not help but mutter, ¡°Isn¡¯t it normal? I, too, shed my hair twice a year and you have never been worried.¡±


    ¡°Come on! I have seen Mr. Zhao¡¯s brown dog shedding hair for dozens of time since, but it¡¯s my first time seeing mermaid shedding scales.¡± Hao Ren shot Lily a sideways glance. ¡°Mermaid is different from fish, but growing back scales is new to me.¡±


    Squirming on the sofa with her arms crossed, Lily recollected. ¡°I thought my hair was a lifelong thing too. It scared the wit out of me when I had my first shedding. I thought I was going to die, and wanting to stick the hair back with glue. Childhood is memorable.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at her with a strange look. ¡°Have you not seen dogs shedding their hair before? Or did you live in a place where dogs didn¡¯t exist?¡±


    Still with her arms crossed, Lily said smugly, ¡°I thought I was a werewolf at the time! And I thought after transcending; I wouldn¡¯t have to shed hair again.¡±


    Everyone was speechless.


    Hessiana sat down on the sofa cautiously and listened to the weirdoes in the family talking about the senseless things. It was an atmosphere that had never existed in the Athens¡¯ sanctuary. It lacked discipline, vigilance, stability, and controllability, but she felt an inexplicable feeling of longing for such feelings.


    Vivian sat down beside her and asked casually, ¡°You still have family business to attend to back home. So when are you going to leave?¡±


    Hessiana was startled. She realized that she was not liked here, particularly by Vivian. She lowered her head slightly. ¡°Yeah, I have to go¡­ I will leave tomorrow. Can I stay for one more night?¡±


    Vivian looked at Hao Ren and scratched her hair. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I want to say that it¡¯s fine if you want to stay for a couple of days, but you have your family business needs you; after all, the Athens¡¯ sanctuary isn¡¯t that safe, and the demon hunters have been keeping an eye on you lot. You have to go back.¡±


    Hessiana was stunned again. She could not believe her ears; Vivian invited her to stay! Even though this invitation was only as good as a cold shoulder, it was a pleasant surprise. She had never experienced it for the last thousands of years. ¡°Ma¡¯am Vivian, don¡¯t you find me annoying?¡±


    ¡°I do, if you cause trouble,¡± Vivian said immediately. ¡°But I¡¯ve found that you are now more mature than and not as clingy as before. Mr. Landlord also wants me to care more about you. If you must thank, thank him.¡±


    Hessiana¡¯s expression became weirder this time. She looked at Hao Ren. There was a complicated feeling in her that no one could understand. She sniffled and said in a wounded-pride tone of voice. ¡°Thanks to you, pop.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately hid under the coffee table with the fish in his arms.

 Chapter 831

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren did not know why Hessiana was so bitter towards him. He wondered when he would unknowingly rub her the wrong way. There was a reason for it except that Hessiana had a psychotic disorder as a left-behind child. For a thousand years, Vivian left Hessiana behind in Athens. It was only fortunate that Hessiana was tough mentally and just got a bit neurotic as a result of the neglect.


    A long awkward moment ensued when Hessiana called Hao Ren pop.


    However, Hessiana could not care less; she was pleased with herself. For the first time in a thousand years, she saw improvement in her relationship with her beloved Ma¡¯am Vivian. She was on cloud nine. Hao Ren could not care less about this neurotic bat-demon either so long as she did not create trouble. He passed the buck for disciplining the kid to Vivian and went back to his work.


    The new ecosystem of Tannagost-Zorm was booming, the drone cluster had multiplied itself and increased its range, the construction units on the planet Inferno had erected the first electric-discharging needle-tower later yesterday, and Becky had sent a letter of greetings to everyone. Everything came in at once, but Hao Ren had no difficulty handling them. He had gotten it down to a fine art.


    Y¡¯zaks did not go out with his daughter to scavenge for electrical waste today but read the People¡¯s Daily on the sofa, killing his time. When Hao Ren came out of his room, Y¡¯zaks put up a big grin on his face and asked, ¡°Done with your work?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Hao Ren patted Y¡¯zaks on the shoulder and then flung himself in the sofa, edging Dumb Cbat off the armrest. ¡°Did I not tell you not to squat on the armrest?¡± Hao Ren chided.


    Rollie tumbled to the ground with a meow, but she flipped around and bounced up quickly before swinging her paw, which was in the shape of a ball, at Hao Ren¡¯s face. The action was all at one fell swoop. Hao Ren took that unhurriedly while chatting with Y¡¯zaks about how-was-your-day stuff. He learned about the situation in Helcrown and Y¡¯lisabet¡¯s learning progress while Y¡¯zaks was more interested in things about the planet Inferno; he regretted that he did not follow Hao Ren to Inferno.


    Although retired, Y¡¯zaks was an explorer at heart; his curiosity and adventurous spirit had not died down.


    Y¡¯zaks suddenly became silent and looked past Hao Ren.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Hao Ren asked. He turned his head around and almost sprained his neck. ¡°What the hell?¡±


    A familiar blonde girl with a faint glow on her body, face emotionless, with shoulder-length hair, and skinny was standing behind him. She was the corpse girl that the MDT ¡®borrowed¡¯ in the Ark of Dreams in Zorm.


    ¡°Hi!¡± The blonde girl waved at them. The expression on her face turned from stiff to animated quickly. ¡°Buddy, how is my reproduction skill?¡±


    Hao Ren finally realized that it was the MDT, but he was startled a bit because he did not expect to see ¡®her¡¯ here in the real world. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± he asked.


    The blonde girl pointed happily to herself. ¡°Because I am a girl at heart.¡±


    Suddenly, the door opened. Lily returned from the outside. The husky maiden was stunned seeing a strange and foreign girl in the house. ¡°Who is she, Mr. Landlord?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the freaking brick!¡± Hao Ren had a headache; as if the imaginative husky was not playful enough, the MDT was even more coltish. He reached to grab the arm of the brick. ¡°Girl at heart my foot! Did you download some apps again? Oh, wait a minute!¡±


    His hand went through the girl¡¯s body, and the girl flickered, and half her body had sunk into the floor like a ghost. The blonde girl took a step back and yelled, ¡°Don¡¯t touch me! I¡¯ve yet stabilized it!¡±


    ¡°Is this a holographic projection?¡± Hao Ren had figured it out now and was speechless. ¡°Having this trouble just to give yourself a new theme?¡±


    The blonde girl¡¯s arms akimbo¡ªin the hologram, of course. ¡°I have decided. I¡¯m going to compete with Nolan for the post of the battleship host. Did she not want to pull me out of the console last time? Well, I have thought it through. Since we both are AIs, what gives her the special rights over me? Is it all because she has a human look? This is the only difference between us.¡±


    While saying, the blonde girl spun one round and said, ¡°I, the cerebral-thrombosis corpse maiden Pattianne must make the bitch give up the console slot!¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the neurotic, dumbstruck. He did not know what to say. He was undecided whether to rail at the MDT for taking ¡®cerebral thrombosis¡¯ as his name, or inveigh against the power struggle between two AIs over a host slot.


    Y¡¯zaks looked on, equally dumbstruck. He scratched his jaw and nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Interesting¡­ I remember in my hometown; there was a kind of creature called mirage demon, which was a type of large insect that could project an ultra-realistic image using the crystal on its back to disguise itself as something attractive to trap its prey. It was a fascinating guy.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled wryly. ¡°I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s interesting. I want to remind this fella that it has sunk into the floor again.¡±


    The MDT quickly lifted the holographic image like a ghost with no movement on the limbs. It raised it too high, two centimeters above the floor, which made it like a ghost hovering in the air. ¡®She¡¯ had to make several adjustments before finally making it right. ¡°Phew! It¡¯s not easy at all. My altitude sensor isn¡¯t suited for this purpose.¡±


    Lily curiously went up to check out the virtual body. She reached inside the blonde girl and fumbled a little with her hand. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look fake from the outside, except that it appeared a little shiny. Wait a second! I think I¡¯ve touched something,¡± she said.


    While saying, she shook the thing in her hand. The blonde girl swung back and forth. ¡°Stop! That¡¯s me. You¡¯re grabbing my body!¡± the MDT pleaded.


    The protest did not work. Instead, it aroused Lily¡¯s playfulness. The husky maiden lifted the body of the MDT in the air, which visually it was the blonde girl, with her hand still stuck inside the blonde girl¡¯s stomach as if it was a scene in an age-restricted horror movie minus the blood. Rollie, who sprawled on the sofa watching, bounced up with a meow, stepped over Hao Ren¡¯s head and the sofa¡¯s back, and scrambled to the other end of the living hall.


    Hao Ren watched on but not letting Lily do it overboard. He suddenly heard a noise in the kitchen. Then Y¡¯lisabet ran out nervously. ¡°Uncle Ren! Something is not good! Lil Pea looks¡ª¡±


    The little demon paused, looked up and saw Lily swinging the body of a person in the air, her jaw dropped. ¡°That¡¯s fun!¡±


    Hao Ren waved his hand in front of Y¡¯lisabet. ¡°Don¡¯t bother with them. What did you say about Lil Pea?¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet took her eyes off what Lily was doing. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened! Lil Pea suddenly said that her stomach didn¡¯t feel right and then she kept swimming in a circle.¡±


    Hao Ren became nervous and ran into the washroom.


    In the washroom, Lil Pea was in the big water basin where she was swimming in a circle with a weird posture and kicking up water with her tail occasionally. The little mermaid jumped out of the water when she saw Hao Ren, looking very spirited. ¡°Hi, Dad-dee! Swimming?¡±


    She looked just fine.

 Chapter 832

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Lil Pea swam in circles in the basin and spouted water at Hao Ren naughtily. She looked normal. Though feeling a little less worried, Hao Ren still found something amiss about her. She swam with her body leaning to aside, and her movement was not as agile as before.


    Hao Ren had been keeping Lil Pea for two years now and accumulated a ton of strange knowledge about the mermaid. Normal parents would not keep checking if their daughter¡¯s tail was okay, but Hao Ren did. He began to think that he would be a fishery expert in two years.


    ¡°Do you feel any discomfort?¡± Hao Ren poked at the small arm of Lil Pea. The little mermaid might look active, but considering that she was hyperactive and naive at her age, it was difficult to say whether she could tell if she knew what was wrong with herself.


    Lil Pea ran around Hao Ren¡¯s finger before she clung to his thumb. ¡°I felt bloated, but I¡¯m okay now,¡± she said.


    Hao Ren turned his head around and asked Y¡¯lisabet, ¡°What did she eat this morning?¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet scratched her horn and tried to recall by tilting her head. ¡°Papa¡¯s newspaper, Vivian¡¯s comb, and gnawing at your desk too, just the usual stuff she would eat any other days.¡±


    Anyone fed on this diet should be in the ICU by now. Hao Ren thought for a while and found that the little mermaid¡¯s food was healthy today. At least, she did not gnaw at the lamp holder; the lamp holder was made of bakelite, which the mermaid would not be able to digest.


    At this time, Nangong Wuyue came over, learning about Lil Pea¡¯s condition, she swept the mermaid out of the water with her hand and placed her under the sunlight and scrutinized her. Using a water-made magnifying glass, she studied the scales on the mermaid¡¯s tail. Hao Ren looked on nervously. After a long while, he could not wait to ask, ¡°How is she? Bad stomach or gastroenteritis?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue put the little guy back in the water, face serious. ¡°To tell the truth, I don¡¯t know. Mermaid and cutlassfish aren¡¯t quite the same. My experience in treating fish is of no help here.¡±


    Lil Pea lay her head on the edge of the water basin and looked up. She could not make head or tail of what the adults were saying. Soon, her patience ran out. She began beating the water trying to attract Hao Ren¡¯s attention. ¡°I¡¯m bored! I¡¯m bored! I¡¯m bored!¡± she yelled.


    Hao Ren petted Lil Pea on her head with his finger. ¡°Still feeling bloated?¡±


    The little mermaid nodded.


    Hao Ren turned his head and called out the MDT in the living hall, ¡°MDT! Go and prepare the medical pod. I need to give Lil Pea a CT scan.¡±


    The MDT answered with an ¡°okay¡± before remotely activating the equipment in the basement and then ran into the washroom. ¡°Let me see what¡¯s wrong with her!¡±


    Lil Pea saw the stranger blonde, bewildered. ¡°Who are you?¡± she asked.


    Hao Ren smiled wryly. ¡°It¡¯s your lantern; it just changed a new shell.¡±


    Lil Pea heard this and was delighted. She jumped out of the basin and lunged towards the MDT. The MDT, who was in girl form, opened her arms ready to catch Lil Pea. While Lil Pea was halfway towards it in the air, the MDT suddenly realized something. ¡°Hold on! I¡¯m just a holographic¡ª¡±


    Hao Ren caught Lil Pea with his hand and then shot the MDT a glare. ¡°Change back! Wait until you get onboard the spacecraft, you can vent your girl¡¯s feeling at Nolan as much as you want but not here at home.¡±


    When he was about to take Lil Pea down to the basement, Lil Pea wriggled in his hands and grabbed his sleeve. ¡°Dad-dee, belly not bloated anymore,¡± the mermaid said.


    ¡°Oh yeah, you¡¯re okay now?¡±


    Lil Pea twisted and put up a weird face. ¡°Yup, suddenly not bloated anymore and¡­¡±


    ¡°And what?¡±


    Lil Pea fumbled around and then handed a peanut-sized white ball to Hao Ren. ¡°I have laid an egg.¡±


    Hao Ren was flabbergasted.


    Everyone suddenly became as quiet as a church mouse, and it remained for a good half a minute before Lil Pea pulled Hao Ren¡¯s sleeve again. ¡°Dad-dee, I¡¯ve laid an egg.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, okay.¡± Hao Ren blinked at her and did not know what to make of it. Dumbstruck, he turned to look at Nangong Wuyue. ¡°Hey, do you know what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°How the hell do I know?¡± Nangong Wuyue glared at him. ¡°Hurry her to the medical pod first. Then we¡¯ll figure out the rest.¡±


    Hao Ren ran down to the basement with Lil Pea in his hands while the others were right at his heels. The check-up result soon came out but found no anomalies in Lil Pea¡¯s body; she was full of beans. The only odd thing was she had laid an egg.


    Hao Ren brought Lil Pea back to the living room and put her on the table, where the peanut-sized white ball was on a dip bowl next to her. Lil Pea and they stared at each other for a long while, no one talked. Hao Ren reached to touch the little ¡®fish egg¡¯ and was very careful not to break it, as the thing that was no more than one centimeter in diameter looked very fragile.


    Lily looked at Lil Pea, and then Hao Ren before said in a whisper, ¡°Mr. Landlord, do you think this is normal?¡±


    ¡°Laying egg should be pretty normal. After all, Lil Pea was hatched from an egg.¡± Hao Ren scratched his hair. ¡°But it¡¯s still too early for her to lay an egg. She is only a year old!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m more concerned about the egg,¡± Vivian said with her brows knit together. ¡°I remember the mermaid egg that Mr. Landlord brought back was as big as a fist and was as hard as a stone, but the one we¡¯re looking at here is so tiny that even shrimp would find it too small to hatch.¡±


    Lily squinted at Vivian. ¡°Look at Lil Pea¡¯s size; you need to compare things in perspective.¡±


    ¡°The main problem is that Lil Pea is unique in the world. We have no way to find another mermaid to make a comparison.¡± Nangong Sanba scratched his hair. ¡°Only God knows if this is normal. By the way, TV has always reported that hormones intake in children will cause precocious puberty. Is this what happened to Lil Pea?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. Lil Pea eats only wood. There¡¯s no hormone in the wood.¡± Nangong Wuyue sneered. She then said thoughtfully. ¡°As she likes to eat books, could it be that the problem lies with the ink?¡±


    While the others joined the discussion hammer and tongs, Hao Ren stared blankly at the egg. After a long while, he looked up and asked Nangong Wuyue, ¡°Do you know anything about postpartum care?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue¡¯s expression became very weird. ¡°Why should I know this?¡±


    ¡°Are you not a siren?¡±


    ¡°A siren is not a mermaid, and I don¡¯t lay eggs!¡±


    ¡°But I do remember that when you were born, it was also a ball?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue¡¯s face turned red. ¡°Who told you that if it were born a ball, it was oviparous? The truth was that I didn¡¯t know how I was supposed to look like when I was born; it was a random selection, mind you. I was born a meatball; was it oviparous or viviparous?¡±


    Hao Ren buried his face in his hand and his head on the table. ¡°Too complicated. What are we looking at now?¡±


    Lil Pea looked confused. She could not make sense of what the adults were discussing. After laying the egg, the mermaid was full of vigor. She scampered about on the table before jumping up to Hao Ren. ¡°Dad-dee, I am hungry!¡± She grabbed Hao Ren¡¯s hair while saying.


    She was the least worried one.


    Y¡¯zaks suddenly broke the silence. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask the Goddess?¡±


    Everyone quieted down before they made an ¡°oh¡± sound almost in unison. Hao Ren smacked himself on the head. ¡°Darn! Why didn¡¯t I think of this before? MDT, make the call!¡±


    By now, the MDT had changed back to the PDA form. It flew up to him. Just when it was about to make the call, Raven 12345 called in instead. ¡°Hey, Hao Ren?¡±


    ¡°I was about to call you!¡± Hao Ren edged closer. ¡°My daughter has laid an egg!¡±


    It seemed Raven 12345 had something to tell Hao Ren, but after hearing what Hao Ren said, she suddenly choked back her words. After a few seconds, she muttered with a strange tone of voice, ¡°Hey, you seem to have a lot of things going on there, eh? I need to see you. Come over with your daughter. And Vivian too.¡±

 Chapter 833

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren¡¯s heart skipped a beat when Raven 12345 told him to bring Vivian along. He could instinctively sense that Raven 12345 had something to say to him. He immediately tucked Lil Pea in his pocket and got ready to bring Vivian to ¡°Heaven¡±.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget the egg,¡± the MDT reminded him as it opened the portal. ¡°Be careful. Don¡¯t break it!¡±


    Hao Ren held the mermaid egg in his hand. He wanted to put it into his pocket but was afraid that he would accidentally crush it. He thought better of it and carried it in his hand instead. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll use the portal.¡±


    The two of them arrived in ¡°Heaven¡± with the fish. For the first time in history, Raven 12345 was standing at the door waiting for them. Hao Ren brought Vivian up to Raven 12345 and showed her the mermaid egg. ¡°Lil Pea just laid it a while ago.¡±


    Raven 12345 took the tiny egg from Hao Ren¡¯s hand and examined it with interest. The egg was delicate and exquisite like a piece of art but very fragile. After reviewing it for a while, the Goddess raised her head and said, ¡°It won¡¯t hatch.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Mermaid isn¡¯t parthenogenetic. I want to know if this is normal. Or is Lil Pea precocious?¡±


    ¡°I need to check.¡± Raven 12345 turned and walked towards the door. ¡°This mermaid is not on my creation list, but it won¡¯t take long to check.¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian followed Raven into the mansion. After passing through a few corners in the long corridor, they finally came to a smaller lounge. Raven 12345 waved her hand, summoning up a silver plate out of thin air and then motioned Hao Ren to put the little mermaid on the plate.


    The plate seemed to possess a kind of unique characteristics, as when Lil Pea lay on it her body temperature and hardness changed. The little guy stretched out her tail and lay still comfortably. Hao Ren looked at the plate and felt that it was a bit strange in shape, but he could not tell why he had that kind of feeling.


    Raven 12345 stared at Lil Pea for a while, as if she had thought of something, she suddenly took out a few pieces of cilantro and shallots and lay them around the little guy. When she finished putting the leaves in a circle, it became evident to Hao Ren that what it was. ¡°Is it a fish plate?¡±


    ¡°Oops! I am just too used to it!¡± Raven 12345 quickly removed that cilantro and shallots while hemming a couple of time. ¡°Just hold on a moment, I¡¯m checking her,¡± she said embarrassedly.


    While saying that, her eyes emanated a mysterious silver-white halo, which caught the eyes of Lil Pea immediately. As Lil Pea looked at the corona, she slowly fell into a trance. Not to disturb the Goddess¡¯ work, Hao Ren and Vivian stepped back instinctively.


    ¡°Mr. Landlord.¡± Vivian nudged Hao Ren¡¯s arm. ¡°Do you know why the Goddess asks for me?¡±


    Hao Ren replied in a quiet voice, ¡°I guess it¡¯s about your split, and also the Goddess of Creation.¡±


    Hearing that, Vivian lowered her head and did not say a word, as if she was in thought.


    Before long, the glow in Raven 12345¡¯s eyes faded as she finished examining Lil Pea. Lil Pea returned to her usual activeness. Hao Ren came up and asked nervously, ¡°How is she?¡±


    ¡°She is fine.¡± Raven 12345 nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a normal growth process. Because of the harsh living environment and disturbances during the incubation period, this type of mermaids often suffer from congenital disabilities. After the larval stage, they will run a self-test on their physiological functions to find if there¡¯s any problem, and if there is, the fries will stop growing, and in their native environment, it means they will die very quickly. In this way, they could leave enough resources for healthy individuals to survive. There was no such problem with Lil Pea because she has you guys to take care of her. The little guy is very healthy. She was doing a ¡®self-check, that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know there is such a thing.¡± Hao Ren was wide-eyed and once again lamenting about the complexity of life and the environment of each world. ¡°So will she still lay eggs in the future?¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t be until adulthood,¡± Raven 12345 said while shaking her head. ¡°It will be years before that day comes. Now she has completed all the checks on her bodily functions and will grow up healthily and rapidly.¡±


    ¡°What do we do with this?¡± Hao Ren pointed to the mermaid egg beside Lil Pea. The little guy seemed to be unaware of what this meant for her. She just stared at the small ball curiously, poking it with her finger occasionally. At least, she knew that thing was very brittle.


    ¡°The egg will quickly lose its vitality. After all, it¡¯s just a test, and probably, it will only last for a few hours. The egg means a lot to Lil Pea though. I should do something.¡±


    Raven 12345 thought for a while and then clapped her hands, picked the mermaid egg up and began to inject magic into it. A silvery-white glow floated at her fingertip, and the air around the mermaid egg quickly condensed and formed into a crystal-like substance. When the white radiance gradually dissipated, Raven 12345 had a small and cute pendant in her hand. It was a teardrop gemstone with a light blue luster, inlaid with the mermaid egg like a work of art.


    Raven 12345 made a rope and hung the pendant on Lil Pea¡¯s neck solemnly. ¡°Treat it as a talisman.¡±


    Hao Ren was like really?


    Vivian said in a quiet voice, ¡°I think I should say something, but I don¡¯t know what to say.¡±


    Lil Pea fiddled with the pendant curiously. It looked a little big for her size, but she was happy. She clapped with her tail and thanked Raven 12345 politely.


    She thought the teardrop pendant was beautiful though she did not know what it could do.


    ¡°You taught her well.¡± Raven 12345 nodded complimentarily.


    ¡°She could easily lose it.¡± Hao Ren had another thought. ¡°She swims in the water all day long, and she could drop it unknowingly.¡±


    ¡°No worry. I have given the pendant a positioning capability; it could fly back to its owner if it dropped. It is the main feature of the pendant.¡± Raven 12345 said while smiling. ¡°Of course, even then it is still a divine artifact. After all, I made it myself.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless as he felt that the most useless divine artifact in the world was finally born; hand-made by the Goddess, a real celestial object of which its only function was GPS-capability. What a shame!


    ¡°We¡¯re done with Lil Pea, let¡¯s talk about something more serious.¡± Raven 12345 handed the little mermaid to Hao Ren, and her eyes finally fell on Vivian. ¡°Come with me; I want to show you something,¡± she said.


    Vivian and Hao Ren exchanged a look involuntarily and nodded at each other spontaneously.


    Raven 12345 brought them to a ¡®warehouse.¡¯


    The warehouse was located in a unique dimension that was inaccessible on foot. Raven 12345 clicked her, and a light flashed across Hao Ren and Vivian¡¯s eyes. When they finally came to their senses, they found themselves standing in an unusually wide indoor space.


    Rows of neatly arranged pillars stretched out in front of their eyes. Asides from the mysterious ornamentation on the pillars and the vague magic patterns on the ground, the place looked more like an empty underground parking lot. Hao Ren had no idea why the Goddess brought them here, but soon he would know the answer.


    Raven 12345 opened a part of the ¡®storage¡¯ as the air between two rows of pillars closest to Hao Ren and Vivian began to ripple like water surface. Twenty crystal containers in two rows emerged.


    The crystal containers looked like unique hibernation pods and were translucent. Hao Ren stepped forward and took a gander of the inside. ¡°This is¡­¡±


    A red-haired Vivian was lying in every crystal container.


    Vivian almost could not believe what she saw. When she saw her split-body for the first time earlier, she suspected that more such splits existed around the world, but she had never expected to see one, and it was more than one. It was a shock to her as there were more than twenty split bodies laid in front of her eyes as if it was some dark scientific experiment or strange ritual. Seeing the identical splits sleeping soundly in the containers; a creepy feeling began rose within her.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but most of them are here.¡± Raven 12345¡¯s words jolted Hao Ren and Vivian out of their stun.

 Chapter 834

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren was not listening to what Raven 12345 was saying; he was obsessed with the hibernation pods. Seeing dozens of red-haired Vivian, it reminded him about being a harbinger of bad luck.


    He had just thought about Kaku-San-Sei Million Vivian for the last two days, and now he was looking at them.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been collecting my splits?¡± Vivian¡¯s voice was a little quivery. She stared at Raven 12345. ¡°You said that they¡¯re all here. Have you been tracking and collecting them?¡±


    Hao Ren could not help but imagine Raven 12345 a stalking maniac. He looked at the Goddess with a strange look.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stare at me like that.¡± Raven 12345 compressed her lips. ¡°I have spent a long time collecting.¡±


    ¡°These are the split bodies of Vivian? Is it the same as the red-haired evil spirit that we have killed last time?¡± Hao Ren asked in disbelief. ¡°Also, the one we saw on the planet Inferno. Is it the same?¡±


    ¡°No, that one is slightly different.¡± Raven 12345 shook her head slightly. ¡°The split in Inferno is the primary one and the beginning of the entire process of splitting. The ones here are the secondary splits; they are the so-called production versions. The ¡®evil spirit¡¯ that you summoned from the magic book was one of the production versions. She used to be here.¡±


    While saying, Raven 12345 pointed at an empty crystal container.


    Hao Ren could not wait to ask, ¡°What is this all about? Why are you collecting these splits?¡±


    ¡°Easy, man. I have something to tell you,¡± Raven 12345 said with a calm voice, which worked like magic in calming down Hao Ren. She then turned to look at Vivian. ¡°How much do you know about yourself?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Landlord has already told me,¡± Vivian replied honestly. ¡°I might have something to do with the ¡®Goddess¡¯ of the Plane of Dreams, but I don¡¯t know what exactly it is.¡±


    Raven 12345 nodded gently. ¡°Well, to be honest, I haven¡¯t figured out your relationship with the Goddess of Creation. When I started to notice you, the event of the Plane of Dreams was already over. The aftermath of the Goddess of Creation incident left little clues, and I couldn¡¯t involve too much into that world. I¡¯ve indirectly done some investigations, and I found out that you are the ¡®key element¡¯ that the Goddess of Creation projected onto the surface world when she began to realize that she was in crisis.


    ¡°The fall of the Goddess of Creation did not happen in instantly. According to Hao Ren¡¯s investigation, she had at fought a brutal war with the treacherous son for some time before she was killed; she had time to do preparation; you are her preparation.


    ¡°The damage on the Wall of Reality must have something to do with the Goddess of Creation before her death, and the mass crossing of otherworldlings into the surface world coincided with your arrival, at least shortly after her fall.


    ¡°So why do you think the Goddess of Creation put Vivian in this universe?¡±


    At last, Raven 12345 passed the buck back to Hao Ren and Vivian. The two of them thought for a while, and then Hao Ren said, ¡°A tool for her resurrection when she realized that she was dying.¡±


    ¡°A resurrection container, reincarnation carrier, or some incomplete replica; it¡¯s easy to think in that way, but Vivian is not divine, which makes things even more complicated.¡± Raven 12345 shook her head. ¡°A true Goddess would be unlikely to choose to resurrect herself this way; it¡¯s inefficient, and success is not guaranteed, and it would become uncontrollable when the ¡®resurrection container¡¯ becomes self-aware. There are many more sophisticated ways to resurrection.¡±


    Hao Ren was a bit confused. ¡°You mean¡­¡±


    Raven 12345 raised a seemingly irrelevant question suddenly. ¡°After the Goddess of Creation fell, it was said that her kingdom had also disappeared.¡±


    ¡°Oh, the Star of Creation.¡± Hao Ren nodded immediately. ¡°It is said that the big bang at the final moment of the deicidal war had sent the star into exile in a place called the Umbral Realm. The surviving guardians thought that the Umbral Realm was a closed dimension, but my drone cluster did not find it. You think Vivian has something to do with that dimension?¡±


    ¡°That Goddess of Creation might be a half-baked deity, but she knew her universe well. When the war of deicide broke out, she could foresee the outcomes of the war; she knew the kingdom of the Goddess would fall. She was a creator of life, and life required a corresponding database and control terminal to function. Her guardians were only responsible for maintaining the peripheral system; the real control terminal must be inside her kingdom. The database of creation is vital to her.¡±


    Hao Ren had sorted out what ??Raven 12345 said. ¡°She knew that her database was in danger, so she created a mirror database. And that mirror is Vivian. Isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°True Goddess does not need a container to resurrect, then the ¡®key element¡¯ that she put into this universe before her death was only to repair her database.¡± Raven 12345 nodded. ¡°It could be a mirror image, a key to restart the database or a microsystem. Of course, I¡¯m just guessing, but considering the huge amount of information that Vivian carries, it¡¯s highly possible.¡±


    Vivian listened on as Hao Ren and Raven 12345 discussed herself. She did not know what to say; it was too far ahead of her time, too abstract, too difficult to understand. Vivian did not know how all these things would affect her and how to deal with it. Nevertheless, she was the ancient one who had 10,000 years of experience under her belt. Even though Vivian was confused, she could remain calm. ¡°How would these things affect me?¡± she asked.


    Raven 12345 glanced at her. ¡°Is the amulet that I gave you still with you?¡±


    Vivian immediately nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Good! You are at least half-safe. As for those things that lingered inside you, it is the safest if they are just information. Data is just that¡ªa lifeless data, no matter how much it is. What you should be worried about is the consciousness that the Goddess of Creation had put inside you. A soul that is self-aware is the biggest variable, and the Goddess makes this soul. If this soul exists, taking her out would be a headache.¡±


    It is like a computer; no matter how large your data is, all you need is just a large hard drive, but it would be a disaster if the problem is with the operating software.


    Hao Ren could understand this point, and cold sweat started to trickle down his forehead. ¡°Wait a second. Does anther soul exist in Vivian and is ever ready to wrestle control of her?¡±


    Vivian felt goosebumps on her skin. She rubbed herself on the arms and said, ¡°You are scaring the hell out of me. I¡¯m already physically divisive. I think I¡¯d better die if I get schizophrenia.¡±


    ¡°No such sign yet so far.¡± Raven 12345 waved her hand and then pointed to the crystal containers. ¡°These things are the hidden dangers though.¡±


    Hao Ren turned his attention back to the splits in front of him. Their conversation finally came full circle and back to the most suspicious thing. His brows pulled together. ¡°How did these splits come about?¡±


    ¡°You all know that Vivian will hibernate every once in a while.¡± Raven 12345 raised a finger. ¡°A split will happen every time she hibernates. Of course, I¡¯m talking about the regular phenomenon. In some special cases, she will also split, such as the first split of ten thousand years ago.¡±


    Vivian and Hao Ren looked at each other and asked in unison, ¡°How does that happen?¡±


    ¡°Who knows, perhaps the combination of soul and body is not stable enough that leads to frequent divisions, and amnesia by the way. I think the first split ten thousand years ago had triggered a domino effect. When the first domino fell, it caused a chain reaction. As for these split individuals here, they don¡¯t seem to possess intelligence, but it is hard to say when they come together as one.¡±


    Something came to Hao Ren¡¯s mind suddenly. ¡°Oh gosh! Vivian has eaten her split in inferno. Will she be fine?¡±

 Chapter 835

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°To tell you the truth, I¡¯m a little surprised that she managed to come up with this wild idea of eating her splits.¡± Raven 12345 peered at Vivian and sounded as if she was in awe. ¡°But, don¡¯t worry, split bodies are just that¡ªsplit bodies; they aren¡¯t as stable as the noumenon, and they¡¯ll lose their self-awareness after some time. The fragmented soul will not interfere with Vivian¡¯s mind. Of course, a little extra memory may have a short-term impact on her life.¡±


    Vivian nodded immediately. ¡°A bit. I was having this dream about my life for the first few days on the planet Inferno. It was the memory of ten thousand years ago. Sometimes, when I woke up, I had to beat my brains out trying to figure whether I should cook or go out there maintaining the world peace.¡±


    Hao Ren tensed up. ¡°What about now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine now.¡± Vivian shook her head. ¡°The confusion lasted only a few days.¡±


    Hao Ren let out a sigh of relief, and then scratched his jaw staring at Vivian¡¯s splits with a thoughtful expression. He knew that these were irrational evil spirits and madder than the ¡®ancestor of evil spirits¡¯ in the planet Inferno. If released, they would bite indiscriminately, just like the red-haired Vivian from the magic book. Hao Ren wondered why Raven 12345 was keeping the evil spirits here.


    ¡°You don¡¯t collect these splits for fun, do you?¡± Hao Ren slid a glance at Raven 12345. ¡°Are they of any uses? ??Or you are planning to put them together and make a chimera-version of Vivian?¡±


    Vivian forced a smile. ¡°Now I feel incredible of myself.¡±


    ¡°I have been studying what these splits mean,¡± Raven 12345 said, pointing at the crystal containers. ¡°Though I still couldn¡¯t figure out what kind of existence these guys are, by categorizing their power I¡¯ve found that each split represents a negative attribute. You can take a look at them; each of them has a tag.¡±


    Hao Ren came up to the crystal containers and took a walk around curiously. Sure enough, he saw a tag in front of every crystal container and word every tag. He read it from left to right, ¡°Rage. **. Fear. Rot. Plague. I suppose the empty one is the first evil spirit that we killed last time? She represents ¡®death¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡± Raven 12345 crossed his hands over her chest. ¡°Rage and fear are usually negative mental forces; rot and plague could cause great damage to living things. ** is a fascinating ability. I didn¡¯t find any obvious manifestation when I tested it, and I thought it was a harmless individual at first, but soon I found that she could drain your energy by dozens or even hundreds of times when you use your power. It doesn¡¯t affect me though it could be fatal to others. Then there is ¡®death¡¯ with which you are familiar. Vivian, you should have already mastered this skill though not as powerful as the original.¡±


    ¡°These negative forces came from me?¡± Vivian was wide-eyed. ¡°I don¡¯t remember that I have had these powers. I didn¡¯t have so many evil skills even when I was at my peak.¡±


    Raven 12345 made a snap and said, ¡°Let¡¯s change your way of thinking. Once these negative energies emerge in your body, some protection mechanisms will start and discard these negative energies as ¡®splits.¡¯ The root cause of your split may be due to an unstable soul, which could produce some impurities, and these impurities eventually form the evil spirits. Whoa! What a perfect chain theory.¡±


    ¡°Continuously generating negative forces, and then rejecting these negative forces as splits. I feel weird that it happens to me.¡± Vivian stuck out her tongue. ¡°That being said, my every split represents an attribute? Then what is my attribute?¡±


    Hao Ren and Raven 12345 said in unison, ¡°Probably ¡®poor.¡¯¡±


    Vivian could not help rolling her eyes.


    ¡°This is not important,¡± Hao Ren hemmed and steered away from the topic. He then looked at Raven. ¡°The problem is that even if your theory is correct, you still can¡¯t explain where the negative forces of Vivian come on. She couldn¡¯t possibly produce them out of thin air. How could a sunshine vampire divide so many eerie splits out of herself?¡±


    Hao Ren seemed to have mentioned the key unwittingly. Raven 12345 was silent after for a while before she said, ¡°The answer may lie deep within her, in the deepest part of all her memories, when she first came to the surface world, or even earlier than that, before her first split, there should be the root of her negative forces. But external forces are difficult to intervene. I have designed several programs, but none are safe.¡±


    Hao Ren always thought that Raven 12345 was omnipotent, but hearing what she said, he was curious. ¡°Unsafe? Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I couldn¡¯t determine the attribute of the ¡®root.¡¯ Vivian¡¯s soul is akin to a complicated black box; you don¡¯t know what¡¯s in there before you activate it. If the ¡®core¡¯ that produces negative forces is out of control, can you imagine the consequences?¡± Raven 12345 pouted at the crystal containers. ¡°She may become one of them, or devoid of rationality and constantly releasing the evil spirits.¡±


    In the all-year-round spring weather of the heaven, Hao Ren felt a chill suddenly ran up his spine. Vivian also felt the same, but she was calmer than Hao Ren was. ¡°At least now it seems fine,¡± she said.


    ¡°You have been through this for ten thousand years, isn¡¯t it?¡± Raven 12345 let out a subtle smile, which was having a magical effect at letting Vivian and Hao Ren feel at ease. ¡°Since the evil spirits that you split up are all negative, it means that you must have some ¡®detox¡¯ mechanism in your body. This mechanism could ensure your safety. Before you split the next time, I can find you a safe solution. Don¡¯t underestimate my research ability. It¡¯s just that sometimes it¡¯s not time yet, not that I have no ideas.¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian breathed a sigh of relief. The mood swings had them catching their breath. Then something came to Hao Ren¡¯s mind. ¡°Is the lifeblood I collected from the planet Inferno still here?¡±


    After killing the evil spirit from the magic book, it became the pool of dead lifeblood, and Hao Ren gave the thing to Raven 12345 as a sample. When the super-giant Vivian of Inferno died and turned into a pile of blood-colored crystals, the evil spirit in the center of the seal was completely absorbed without leaving a trace. Wondering what specimen he should collect, he merely took back some crystal stones that came off the demon-god Vivian and the lifeblood near the giant organ. He had handed the specimens to Raven 12345 a few days ago, but he did not see the crystal container that corresponded to the demon-god Vivian.


    ¡°Those specimens are just ordinary blood,¡± Raven 12345 shook his head. ¡°The primary split in Inferno appeared to be special; she left no residue of herself behind. She must be either purely a spiritual body, or a complete hybrid body of the First Born and her that formed in the span of ten thousand years. Anyway, I already have more than twenty specimens here, having one less if of no difference.¡±


    ¡°Where did you collect all these splits from?¡± Hao Ren asked curiously. ¡°When you first parachuted into your position in this universe, Vivian should already have split for several times. Did you go and pick them out one by one?¡±


    ¡°Yup, from all over the world.¡± Raven 12345 rolled her eyes. ¡°It took me a while and some elbow grease, as many of them were sealed in some far corners of the world. There was once I found the wrong grave and dug up Vivian who was soundly asleep in the grave. I was like oh gosh and quickly buried her back. Of course, Vivian, you had no idea; I was cautious.¡±


    Raven 12345 was not always as serious as she was today. But at last, it turned out that her seriousness was short-lived when the conversation quickly turned comical. Cold sweat started to trickle down their forehead, and the expression on Vivian¡¯s face was like a kaleidoscope.

 Chapter 836

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren knew that Raven 12345 was a serious and responsible superior although she appeared cranky at times.


    He was not bluffing; he had noticed the dedication of the neurotic Goddess more than once. As unmethodical as Raven 12345 was in trivial matters, she had always been thoughtful when it came to serious business.


    After seeing dozens split bodies of Vivian, Hao Ren realized that Raven 12345 had been on the trail of Vivian. The goddess wanted to find out the reason of the leakage of the Wall of Reality and the mass-crossing of otherworldlings, and at the same time, trying not to affect Vivian¡¯s normal life as much as possible. She let Hao Ren and Vivian see the splits now probably because since Vivian had absorbed the ¡®original split,¡¯ she thought that the time was ripe.


    Though Raven 12345 did not mention it, Hao Ren and Vivian had guessed that perhaps the absorption of the ¡®original split¡¯ was the ¡®right time¡¯ Raven 12345 said. The changes related to the split bodies had begun to happen, and this was probably the opportunity to unravel the mysteries of narcolepsy and life of Vivian permanently. That was why the Goddess had arranged for them to come and understand the secrets of the splits.


    Before leaving, Hao Ren had Vivian waiting outside the mansion while he needed to talk to Raven 12345 alone. ¡°Is there a change in Vivian¡¯s situation?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a bad thing.¡± Raven 12345 did not give him a direct answer, but it confirmed Hao Ren¡¯s suspicion. ¡°Your report on the Plane of Dreams is precious, especially the readings you collected in Inferno have confirmed some of the measurements I made before. I¡¯m afraid Vivian is probably an emergency system that the Goddess of Creation created for her kingdom. She probably messed up something when she created the system and caused Vivian to divide pieces of negative forces. I have been studying the connection between these split pieces, and have found that they are not completely chaotic and incorrigible.¡±


    ¡°You mean those ¡®evil spirits¡¯ could regain rationality?¡± Hao Ren wondered.


    ¡°That would be very unlikely. Some memories, maybe yes, but these memories must be readable,¡± Raven 12345 explained. ¡°Every evil spirit is not completely crazy at the beginning of splitting, just like the original split you found in Inferno, they had a short sane period and a crucial memory. Do you know what memories are they?¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment and suddenly realized the circumstances under which Vivian produced the splits. ¡°The memories before and after Vivian slept. Are they the memories that Vivian has lost?¡±


    ¡°I am still not so sure what the relationship between these splits and Vivian¡¯s memory is¡ªshared senses or third-party perspective¡ªbut one thing is certain, they were active when Vivian lost her memory. They fill the memory gaps of Vivian and these memory gaps may reveal some secrets.¡± Raven 12345 said slowly. ¡°Know why I suddenly let you come here to see the splits today?¡±


    ¡°Is it because something has happened after our exploration in the planet Inferno?¡±


    Raven 12345 nodded gently. ¡°Yes, I have been studying how to extract the memory of those split bodies, but their spiritual world is too chaotic and fragmented, I have made little progress. However, after Vivian ate the original split, the other splits began to change; their spiritual world seemed to have some signs of integration.¡±


    Hao Ren began to make sense of it. ¡°So you let Vivian meet the splits here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s to observe their relationship,¡± said Raven frankly as she nodded. ¡°There are indeed some changes. The mental synchronization and stability of the split bodies have improved; the same is true to Vivian¡¯s soul. That¡¯s what I mean it¡¯s not a bad thing.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s brows knit together. ¡°Those splits are things that represent the negative forces. Even if they could mend Vivian¡¯s soul, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to have close contact with these dangerous things.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I gave her the amulet before that.¡± Raven 12345 arced the corner of her mouth slightly. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to let her absorb the splits directly; it¡¯s too gross and raw. Instead, I will use a safer way to study the pieces. Meanwhile, you guys keep an eye on any new splits you may find out there. If the incident in the planet Inferno is anything to go by, the splits have not just fallen on the Earth, but also in somewhere out of our sights. Vivian is destined to have some connection with these things, they would be attracted to each other and coming together.¡±


    Hao Ren acknowledged with an ¡®Okay¡¯ and then peered at Raven 12345 with suspicion. He felt that the Goddess was entirely different from the past; she was so patient and able to explain things to him meticulously though she still sounded offbeat occasionally.


    Raven 12345 arced her eyebrows. ¡°Why are you staring at me?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t managing the whole universe too much like hard work?¡± Hao Ren scratched his hair. ¡°Still got time for this, eh?¡±


    Raven 12345 spread out her hand. ¡°This is called the right working attitude!¡±


    After Hao Ren left, she pursed her lips and whispered to herself, ¡°Probably you still don¡¯t know; the matter has already become a top priority in this universe.¡±


    Vivian waited outside the door for ages. She went up to Hao Ren immediately when he came out. ¡°What did the Goddess told you?¡±


    ¡°Nothing unusual, just saying be careful with what you eat.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°The evil spirits are not safe. I¡¯m worried the negative forces would harm you if you absorb too many of them although those things were used to be part of you.¡±


    ¡°This is not hers but your suggestion, isn¡¯t it?¡± Vivian could sense the difference, but she could not care less. ¡°I feel there is no change after absorbing the power of the evil spirits. Maybe the negative forces dissipated when I absorbed them. Since you say they¡¯re not safe, then I won¡¯t do it again.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. Suddenly, he felt a slippery little thing squirming on his chest, before seeing Lil Pea poking out from inside his cloak. The baby fish waved her small arm and greeted Vivian spiritedly and then showing off her new pendant hanging on her neck.


    The interruption from the little mermaid had lightened the atmosphere. Hao Ren and Vivian smiled at each other. ¡°Let¡¯s go home and let them know about Lil Pea¡¯s situation.¡±


    The MDT opened the portal, and the two of them arrived home in just a split second. The Nangong family of four was trimming vegetables in the living hall when Hao Ren arrived. Nangong Wuyue got to her feet, came up and asked, ¡°You¡¯re back! How is Lil Pea?¡±


    Hao Ren put the little mermaid on the coffee table. The little guy jumped into her pot and held up her new pendant showing off.


    ¡°Raven said it¡¯s a normal physiological phenomenon.¡± Hao Ren recounted the words of Raven 12345. ¡°There is nothing to worry about, and she will not lay an egg again before she reaches adulthood.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. That¡¯s good.¡± Nangong Wuyue nodded embarrassedly. ¡°The subject feels a little strange though.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded in agreement. Meanwhile, Nangong Wudi watched Lily Pea for a while before turning around to ask his wife, ¡°Should we give Lil Pea some supplement? After she has given¡­ gosh, I don¡¯t know what to say.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on. Hens lay eggs now and then, should we also give it supplement?¡± Not waiting for Ayesha to speak, Nangong Wuyue chimed in to offer her piece of advice to her father with her arm akimbo. ¡°What could Lil Pea eat even if she were to take a supplement? At most you would eat newspaper.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks was still reading the paper. He flipped to the last page and said, ¡°Give me a while, I¡¯m about to finish.¡±


    Lil Pea stretched out her hands and said to Y¡¯zaks, ¡°Give it to me! Give it to me! I want to taste the sports section!¡±


    The little guy had made quite an improvement in her language and logical thinking ability. She knew about the sports section!


    The days went by peacefully. Hessiana and her sidekicks had already stayed like ten days though they said they would only stay for a couple of days. If it were not for the patriarch in the Athens sanctuary threatened to kill himself if Hessiana delayed coming back again, she would have remained here for another five hundred years. She was after all having businesses to take care. Therefore, she had to bid farewell for Vivian reluctantly, and after getting the assurance that she could still come again, she left with her two sidekicks. On the same day Hessiana left, Hao Ren received a message from an AI in Inferno.


    The necessary infrastructure had been completed, and it was about time to call in the miners from Fairy Mining Conglomerate.

 Chapter 837

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After receiving the news from the AI, Hao Ren flew to Inferno to close out the construction phase and meet the representatives from the Fairy Mining Conglomerate. Only Vivian and Lily followed him this time. Vivian wanted to check on the First Born while Lily, you can bet on it, just wanted to have some fun.


    The Scarred Nebula, as it had been for thousands of years, constantly flashed a light beam in the purple-red gaseous cloud. A new family member had appeared on the edge of the 7.7-lightyear wide space crack among the handful of star systems. The planet Inferno was like a beautiful snowball hanging on the side of the Scared Nebula, becoming the only scenery in this desolate region. The sunlight from the nearby star shone on the planet and produced a sea of golden glow on the cloud top.


    The Petrachelys flew towards the golden glow and arrived at the cloud top of Inferno. The geo-positioning equipment that Hao Ren had set up on the cloud top became temporary atmospheric satellites monitoring the planet constantly. Hao Ren ordered Nolan to hover the spacecraft at a distance of a few dozen meters above the cloud top and established a connection with the atmospheric satellites. The MDT reported, ¡°The readings are normal. It has been half a month, and it seems all parameters are stable.¡±


    ¡°After all, it was the Prime ¡®Legged-Force¡¯ of the true Goddess that put it in place; it should not be a problem.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°When will the representative of Fairy Mining Conglomerate arrive?¡±


    Nolan¡¯s holographic image appeared on the flight deck. ¡°They are already here. Their spacecraft are on standby at the outer edge of the nebula.¡±


    While saying, she could not help casting her eyes on the console, because a blonde girl in hologram was sitting as cool as a cucumber and turning a blind eye to everyone else¡¯s stare. The noumenon was right in the slot beneath the buttock of the blonde girl. The brick had gotten the upper hand in the battle of the console. Brick¡¯s success had got nothing to do with the girl¡¯s heart but everything to do with its thick skin.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about it. It won¡¯t budge.¡± Hao Ren looked at MDT in Pattianne form, shaking his head and sighing. ¡°Did I not try with a crowbar just now? Let¡¯s call Fairy Mining Conglomerate Union Mining now.¡±


    Nolan groaned inwardly while sending a navigational signal to the Fairy ships that were waiting at the border of Scarred Nebula, permitting them to enter Inferno airspace. After a while, the profiteers and their mining fleet appeared on the monitor.


    A space crack, pale blue, like a door, appeared in the lower orbit of the planet Inferno before a fleet of more than ten large mining ships and a command ship jumped out of the space crack. The Fairy spacecraft had a distinctive red paint, and the front armor had strange decals, a Queen bee-like coat of arms. The command ship was a slender triple-ship, symmetrically joined together by a standard axle, a tad smaller than the Petrachelys, but its unique position in the fleet and the sophisticated antenna system made it stood out that this was the command center of all the fleet.


    However, Hao Ren was more interested in the Fairy mining ships because they were more prominent and more eye-catching. The mining ships were like giant boxes joined together, exposed mechanical parts were running between the joints. Zooming in, Hao Ren could see that the mechanical components were an extension of the mineral processing plant. On the upper and lower decks of the mining ships had huge openings for smaller collection vessels coming in and out. These mining ships were huge, and their axes were more than ten kilometers in length considering their unique uses. By civilian vessel standard in the Macroworld, they were giant. Even the Petrachelys was pale in comparison.


    While Hao Ren focused his attention on those mining ships, Nolan had also connected to the data network and got the information about these mining ships. These large mining ships had a complete processing plant onboard where initial processing and conversion of minerals could be carried out. The ¡®large boxes¡¯ were a high-throughput dimensional door, through which the space-time system would send the processed minerals directly to the planet Fairy. Without this mechanism, it was impossible for the limited number of mining ships to complete the planet-scale mining operation.


    The Fairy merchants were wealthy. To carry out activities in every universe, they had offices and bases everywhere. They bought a few planets in this universe as their commercial base, and the planet Mines was one of them. Fairy Mining Conglomerate built mineral processing plants on the planet and in the space around the planet and used it as an export base of ore to nearby markets in the universe. There were even rumors that the Mines had consumed one percent of the mass of the world, which was of course nonsense, but the Fairy merchants had welcomed this exaggeration to promote their business.


    Later, this group of profiteers was investigated by the Material Control Department of the Space Administration for the ¡®free transfer of cosmic mass without reasonable backfilling.


    Hao Ren took a glance at the information. To ensure the smooth transformation of the planet Inferno, he must first understand and be sure of the technical capability of Fairy Mining Conglomerate. He was delighted with the powerful mining ships and convinced that if the profiteers could dig away a group of meteors, they would surely be able to polish the planet Inferno.


    There was a request to connect their communication system. Hao Ren tidied his clothe and got back to his captain¡¯s seat. A middle-aged man with a mustache, hair swept back, appeared on the holographic projection.


    Nolan held an extra holographic projection for Hao Ren to access the information he needed. It was said that the representative of Fairy Mining Conglomerate, Vanske Creden, once led his team digging through the largest solid planet in the universe. He got an epithet ¡®The digging man who dug through the sky.¡±


    Hao Ren felt the epithet sounded a little wrong, he thought about it for a while but decided not to harp on it.


    ¡°I am honored to have the opportunity to undertake this remarkable excavation project.¡± Vanske Creden introduced himself. ¡°We have studied your requirement of the work, and we are ready to start work at any time,¡± Vanske Creden said without nonsense.


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Do you know the first requirement of this project?¡±


    ¡°Safety first,¡± Vanske, like any qualified businessman, sounded and appeared trustworthy though it might not be the case in reality. ¡°Each of our mining ships carries a gravity controller, with this gravity controller, the broken crust will be drawn into space directly without worrying about objects falling to the world below. Of course, we have also considered the situation of the crust might become fragile during the second-half phase of excavation. We will mobilize a sufficient number of gravity-generating ships to pull the entire surface crust of the planet into space directly.¡±


    While saying, Vanske sent his project proposal to Hao Ren. The MDT confirmed the plan and ran a mathematical simulation, and it came out positive. ¡°What he said is true. It is certainly the most cost-effective solution.¡±


    ¡°There is no problem with the plan and the incorporated contract has been signed according to the original draft I sent you earlier.¡± Hao Ren looked up. ¡°Are these all of your mining ships? Is it enough?¡±


    ¡°Of course there are more to come,¡± Vanske explained. ¡°We hope to start working as soon as possible to solve the urgent needs of our customers. Therefore, before the start of any large-scale project, a leading team always arrives first to attend to the needs of our customer. It is our long-standing practice that adheres to our business philosophy¡ª¡¯We would like our customers to experience the perfect service as soon as possible even if that means a higher cost for us.¡¯


    Hao Ren suddenly felt these profiteers seemed entirely trustworthy. The MDT reminded him, ¡°Actually, they are afraid that you might use your authority as an inspector to give the project to someone else. They come here early to first plant their stakes all over the site so that you wouldn¡¯t be able to reappoint another contractor.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    He hemmed and said, ¡°Then waste no more time, you can start work now. Polish the planet.¡±

 Chapter 838

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Fairy¡¯s spacecraft started work right away. The first task was to tear down the thick white clouds in the sky. Huge industrial starships began to activate the gravitational field, and like planet-swallowing monsters, they descended on the clouds. Under the gravitational pull, the colloidal skin of the clouds bulged, then burst as white gases, and fibrous substances gushed out from the holes, enveloping the giant industrial ships.


    There were more than a dozen erupting holes on the top of the clouds, like leaking balloons when looking from space. Before this, to protect the ecological environment of Inferno, this layer of clouds was pressurized. After the atmospheric pressure and planetary gravity normalized and came to an equilibrium, gas leakage would reduce.


    The scene of the giant industrial ships descending into the atmosphere during a cloud storm was thrilling and spectacular, but as the spaceships tore open the cloud, Lily felt a sense of regret. ¡°It¡¯s a pity! How beautiful the clouds are, like marshmallows.¡±


    ¡°These clouds are blocking the sun, and the planet will not be able to carry out normal energy exchange with the stars.¡± Hao Ren patted Lily on her head. ¡°The old era is over; this protective film must go. Nolan, let the Fairy people do their work. We¡¯ll go down under.¡±


    Nolan replied with an ¡°okay¡± and then maneuvered the Petrachelys and descended through a gap in the cloud towards the planet¡¯s surface while the external monitor streamed back the visual of the scene outside. There was massive turbulence in the air and constant lightning in the clouds caused by the industrial ship¡¯s gravitational field. It was like flying in a world of lightning and thunder. Deep inside the clouds, shadows that were as huge as mountains were descending slowly; they were Fairy mining ships entering the atmosphere.


    These giant ships would not land but hover in the upper atmosphere. Smaller mining ships and material transport planes would do the excavation more efficiently. Hao Ren received greetings from the nearby mining ships as his spacecraft passed through the upper atmosphere. A message from Vanske reads, ¡°Under the contract, kindly sign this document.¡±


    Hao Ren opened the file attached to the message and found that it was a set of documents encrypted by an encryption algorithm approved by the Xi Ling Empire and recognized in the macroworld and other celestials. These documents were intended to certify the ore collected by the mining fleet at a specific coordinate of the Scarred Nebula as possessing scientific and cultural values, originated from the wreckage of an ancient super creature in the otherworld with a long history, and could not be reproduced.


    Hao Ren, as an inspector of the Space Administration, was to certify the certificate and the effect would be multiversal.


    Hao Ren read the file carefully and confirmed with the MDT that signing on these documents would not violate the Imperial Law and there were no obvious, long-term loopholes and hidden risks. He then signed by affixing his inspector¡¯s encrypted ID key to the end of the file.


    Now, the fossils on the surface of the planet Inferno became one of the precious minerals of this universe.


    The Petrachelys had descended through the clouds, the desolate, hot, twisted, and hellish land filled with poisonous substances and violent monsters appeared on the monitor screen. Besides, there were hundreds of bright light beams, which were material-breaking rays that the Fairy mining ships shot down from high altitude into the ground below.


    The earth melted like butter as the light beams hit the ground. Tens of thousands of tons of ore vaporized but more were lifted into the sky under by the anti-gravity field. The Petrachelys was the only object going against the gravity force as it descended it weaved through a freshly opened crack in the ground into the world below.


    The Fairy miners delivered the goods. Although the upper crust of Inferno was disintegrating, Hao Ren had not seen single debris falling from above, except sunlight began to shine down to the world.


    Nolan flew the Petrachelys towards Dorasil. From some distance away from the city, Hao Ren had already seen the new control facility, and it looked more spectacular than he had imagined.


    The former city of Dorasil had mostly disappeared, and the new control facility was built on the original site of the ancient city. Hundreds of silver-gray needle towers as tall as a thousand meters stood erect with bright lightning and sparks jumping between the needle towers. Small maintenance robots were flying like a flight of insects around the needle towers. The group of needle towers occupied a bigger area than the original city did, but the remaining city ruins could still be seen between these needle towers, creating a rare sight of old and new architecture in one place.


    Hao Ren had thought of keeping the Dorasil untouched because of its historical value, and it had a special meaning and cultural significance for the lost Sun Dynasty. However, after studying the structure of the First Born carefully, he could only build the new control facilities on the original site of Dorasil. The key nerves of the First Born were directly below Dorasil and completely solidified there. Forced relocation or extension of these nervous systems and building of the control center in other locations would not guarantee that it would achieve the desired result. At last, solid alloy towers had replaced Dorasil, and the ancient stone city became a modern city of mysterious technology.


    Hao Ren retained the cultural heritage of the city as much as possible. For the past two months, he had asked Gezer and his people to relocate the lithographs, reliefs, totem columns, and the like in the city of Dorasil. When the new facility was built, the city was an empty place with nothing significant left. At least, he had done something to preserve the history of the Sun Dynasty.


    Lily poked her head around looking at the lightning-discharging alloy-needle towers, which were based on the facilities beneath Dorasil, just that they were more sophisticated, more stable, and more reliable. Lily was in awe. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful!¡±


    Vivian thought of the ancient souls. ¡°Is Gragon still in the city?¡±


    ¡°They are still there.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°We will see them when we get down there.¡±


    The Petrachelys descended further and landed at a newly completed mooring operated by AI at the foot of the alloy-tower complex quietly.


    AI was running the entire facility. The AI-run metal city had become a technological wonder on this planet.


    Hao Ren led Vivian and Lily alighting from the spaceship. He then turned around, pressed the MDT in his hand, the Petrachelys emitted a double ¡®beep.¡¯ Almost immediately, Nolan¡¯s figure appeared below the spacecraft and said, ¡°I have wanted to tell you a long time ago! When can you change the sound of the car alarm?¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his hair. ¡°I have been using this sound effect, and it sounds okay.¡±


    Nolan rolled her eyes. ¡°Crap, you¡¯re not the one being locked.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    Almost as soon as the three of them stepped out the spacecraft onto the mooring platform, they saw someone waiting for themselves from not far away. Hao Ren squinted, it was Gezer and Bonia while the translucent figure behind them was Gragon.


    After the new control facility went online, the ancient souls could finally free themselves from the ¡®lullaby¡¯ ceremony.


    ¡°My lord!¡± Gezer immediately bowed as soon as he saw Vivian while Bonia followed suit. ¡°As per your will, this God-given city of wonders appeared out of thin air a dozen days ago.¡±


    The indigenous people of this world had no idea what the self-multiplying module-building robots could do nor did they know anything about material conversion technology. It seemed to them that the way the alloy-needle towers were built out of nothing.


    Vivian held up Gezer and Bonia, who were still wearing clothes made of coarse fabric, and it contrasted weirdly with the modern city around them. Hao Ren took out a snack he brought from Earth from his dimensional pocket and handed it to Bonia. ¡°It¡¯s delicious. Oh, yes, let me teach you how to open the packaging,¡± he said.


    Vivian came up to Gragon. ¡°Are the other ancient souls still here?¡±


    ¡°We all are waiting for your next instruction.¡± Gragon respectfully bowed his head.


    ¡°Gathered all their main leaders.¡±

 Chapter 839

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The new steel city stood on the endless prairie as hundreds of needle towers that discharged lightning formed a strange landscape. The city was mainly a huge machine, and each needle tower was connected to a sophisticated control core and a line leading to the First Born through the foundation, keeping the planet from collapsing.


    Hao Ren named the city ¡®Requiem¡¯, which was in line with its role, and to commemorate the sacrifice of the ancient souls in suppressing the First Born for the past 10,000 years.


    The Requiem was now the largest and only city on the planet, but other than the ancient souls involved in the construction, the other indigenous people had not come to stay here. Gezer and his people built a temporary settlement on the fringe of Requiem, and all his tribal people have moved to this place. In their belief of following the Goddess, they believed that it was necessary to guard the city of the miracle. Meanwhile, the other tribes were also moving to this place. Some members of the Fire tribe had arrived and were now right next to Wind tribal settlement.


    Vivian summoned the representatives of the ancient souls in this tribal settlement and asked about what happened here in the half month after she left. Though Inferno had been contacting them with the communication devices, something was better asked in person.


    In a unique yurt, Vivian and Hao Ren were debriefing Gragon. The elder replied, ¡°The lullaby ceremony has been transferred to the needle towers. Now the machines have taken over the role of the ancient souls. Everything is going on smoothly. As you can see, the Throat of Toka is very stable.¡±


    ¡°How about the control of the machines on the First Born?¡± Hao Ren turned to ask the MDT that was floating next to him.


    The MDT turned on the holographic projection. ¡°Let the city AI tell you directly.¡±


    A human face devoid of expression, of unknown gender, appeared. Similar to the collective consciousness of the drone cluster, this was the iconic feature of the low-level Xi Ling AI. Born just a few days ago, this AI greeted Hao Ren and then proceeded to report the situation of Requiem. ¡°All needle towers are online, the system runs just as planned and has complete control over the First Born. The ¡®Lullaby¡¯ ritual initially performed by the ancient souls has been compiled into software, run directly by the system, operating at 80% efficiency¡ªup to 100% when further data is collected.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and then asked the AI, ¡°How well you could control the First Born?¡±


    The city AI sent a bunch of dazzling charts. ¡°Control of all tentacles, control of all organs, control of all auxiliary glands and control of natural plants associated with maintaining the ecosystem. The system has taken over and rebooted the tentacles related to atmospheric and temperature control seventy-two hours ago. At this point, the control is at 87%. Considering that the remaining 13% is a structure without a nervous system, it could be considered that control is perfect.¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his jaw with a satisfied smile on his face. ¡°Well, that means we finally have created an artificial brain for the First Born. Could the technology be applied to other First Born?¡±


    The city AI replied with a flat voice. ¡°Theoretically, it is possible, but the operation is complicated. The system met strong resistance from the underground biological tissue during the first few days after the transfer of control. It turns out that even though the First Born has lost its brain and soul, its instinct is still powerful. On this basis, it is tough to control a First Born with a brain and a soul.¡±


    Hao Ren collected his thoughts, thinking to himself that at least things had got progress. He pointed at the sky from inside the yurt. ¡°The Fairy miners have begun cutting the crust, and in the process, the divine shield of the Goddess¡ªI mean the local Goddess¡ª would shut down automatically as the planet would receive the natural sunlight. You have to be ready for that.¡±


    The planet Inferno had been without sunlight for the past 10,000 years. It had formed a sophisticated and efficient self-circulation system that included not only the surface crust but also the cloud above, and the underground ecosystem. Now that the sun was about to shine on the planet and the powerful natural energy would fill the dead planet, but the planet must quickly adapt to the new energy. Otherwise, the power of the sun will promptly destroy the existing ecosystem. It was the reason why Hao Ren had waited for the completion of the Requiem before allowing the Fairy miners to start work. He could use the power of the First Born to switch the ecological model of the planet, to transit to the initial stage smoothly after the opening the planet¡¯s crust.


    The AI acknowledged it and stated that there was already a viable solution to be injected into the various organs of the First Born. With the collapse of the surface crust, the foundation of the Heaven¡¯s Pillar trees would be reactivated. New microorganisms for regulating air pressure and light filtration would be released into the atmosphere. There was still a long and delicate process of fine-tuning. By continually changing the composition of the atmosphere and creating functional giant flora, the AI intended to bring the planet back on track within six hundred to one thousand years¡ªEarth time.


    After talking about the First Born, Vivian turned to Gragon and the ancient souls. ¡°Now, let¡¯s talk about you. What plans do you have in mind future?¡±


    Gragon bowed his head slightly. ¡°Your will is our plan.¡±


    Not accustomed to their pious attitude, Vivian took a step back subtly. ¡°You have completed the mission, and you all have done a good job. I don¡¯t know what is in store for you, after all, I only have a fragmented memory of the past. If you have any wishes and demands, I will satisfy you to the best of my ability. You deserve all this.¡±


    Gragon looked up and ¡®talked¡¯ with another soul, the other souls began to discuss among themselves too. They ¡®talked¡¯ silently as they were using telepathy to communicate with each other as if they were just a bunch of flickering shadows. Soon, they all came to a decision. A soul, who was a captain of the Knights of the Sun Dynasty by the name of Pan Dong, came forward and said, ¡°Our Lord, we hope to continue to stay in the world and educate our children to free ourselves of ignorance.¡±


    The reply was in Hao Ren¡¯s expectation. ¡°It takes a long time,¡± Hao Ren said.


    Pan Dong smiled. ¡°We are not afraid of time.¡±


    It was the decision of the ancient souls. After completing the long mission of loyalty to the Goddess, they now had to do something for their people. The technology of this world had been lost for 10,000 years¡ª5,000 years according to the local calendar, the magical civilization that was once interstellar had gone backward to become a primitive tribal civilization. However, the knowledge itself had not disappeared, it was still in their memories. Gragon and his courtiers would re-establish themselves as leaders of the people of the Sun, and impart the knowledge and skills of the ancient times to the young and ignorant children.


    It would take a long time to rebuild civilization. It was not enough to instill knowledge alone but also needed the continuous evolution of ideas from generation to generation.


    As Pan Dong put it, they were not afraid of time.


    Hao Ren and his team left the large yurt. Standing at the door waiting for them was Gezer and Bonia. The little saintess had dozed off again with a giant snot bubble on her face. Gezer woke Bonia who wiped the snot bubble of her face before staggering up to Vivian. Gragon placed his hand on her head affectionately. ¡°Do you like the story of the ancient times?¡±


    Bonia immediately nodded.


    ¡°Very good, let us the old guys lead you there again.¡± Gragon nodded with a smile. ¡°The people of the Sun will rise again in this land.¡±


    Bonia nodded her head again, but she did not have a clue what Gragon was saying. She was too young to grasp the idea of the revival of their race. Maybe after a few decades, she would stand on the high wall of in the first city of the New Sun Dynasty and understood what future held for her.


    ¡°This is your city,¡± Vivian said. She had an understanding with Hao Ren. Pointing to the high tower of the Requiem not far away and said to Gragon. ¡°You all can get the energy from the tower. It is your temple of the spirits, and you will continue to guard the world as heroic spirits.¡±


    On the canopy of Heaven¡¯s Pillar in the distance, a thick and heavy rocky dome was cut away and lifted into space by the anti-gravity field. Sunlight was shining through the clouds onto the ground.


    It was the first day of the new solar calendar.

 Chapter 840

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren did not intend to stay on the planet for too long; the wise ancient souls could take over the subsequent reconstruction work. The Petrachelys lifted off from the mooring platform, circled Requiem¡¯s jungle of needle towers for a while, and left. Hao Ren turned to the lens of the external monitor, taking a final look at the world that was about to regain a new life.


    Like a crown of thorns nailed on the earth, Requiem was flashing with lightning in the center where needle towers were connected to the huge tentacles. Some sporadic white yurts were scattered around the high-tech city. The tribal people called it the City of Miracles and gathered around it ready to begin a journey of the revival of their civilization. It was foreseeable that the indigenous people of the world would come from all over the world and gathered in this place where the people of the Sun Dynasty would listen to the teachings of the ancient souls to free themselves of ignorance to return to modern civilization.


    Requiem would stand here and keep watching until the end of the day.


    He was happy that he finally did not have to play the role of a mourner as the civilization was set on the road to recovery. Although the process was less dramatic, it was better than leaving with just a tombstone.


    When the Petrachelys passed through the surface crust, Hao Ren saw the excavation work was in full swing. Hundreds of light beams shot down from above and cut the crust out piece by piece. All the dirt on the land, including the hostile and mad twisted monsters, were burned into ashes by the powerful rays or would soon become a cloud of smoke in the mineral processing furnace. Huge crust fragments were broken into rock streams in midair, like the tentacles reaching into space. The Petrachelys rose along with a rock stream. The sun shone through the broken clouds, creating a breathtaking scenery of awe and hope.


    Hao Ren sent a probe to take a snapshot from a distance and post the image on the inspector¡¯s forum. He added a caption to the image: Scarred Nebula, the planet Inferno is reborn, tentatively named the new Sun Dynasty, the civilization has survived the harshest winter, as witnessed by the Imperial inspector, Hao Ren; co-witnessed by the mining division of Fairy Void Consortium.


    As always, he posted the news and forgot about it, thinking that probably no one would bother to reply to the post of a rookie inspector. It was not until after finishing a few regular reports. He asked the MDT to check the thread and was astonished by the overwhelming replies and comments from the inspectors around the universe. Some of the comments were like:


    ¡°You didn¡¯t blow anything up this time?¡±


    Some replies were irrelevant; some were asking if his auspicious aura had expired; some were asking if it was an angle problem that the rising rocks were a result of an explosion of the crust, and some even asked if he had prayed before going to the mission. At last, he saw a comment from an acquaintance¡ªGalazur, the dragon queen just a couple of minutes ago. ¡°One like for you. Finally, you didn¡¯t use explosives,¡± the dragon queen commented.


    ¡°Did I provoke anyone?¡± Hao Ren scratched his hair. ¡°How did I get such attention? I¡¯m just a rookie.¡±


    ¡°Do you think nobody is giving you attention?¡± The MDT snorted. ¡°You already have your epithet, and you¡¯re famous among the mortals. Not many inspectors like you could make a name for themselves even if they have served for thousands of years. You¡¯re talented,¡± the MDT said.


    Hao Ren was shocked. ¡°When did I get an epithet?¡±


    ¡°The bomb-happy,¡± the MDT replied with a sly voice. The tone of voice sounded odd from the mouth of a girl whom the MDT appeared in now. ¡°There are more, like the deadly stare, which sounds coarse. The more philosophical ones are ¡®The Mystic Eyes of Death Perception,¡¯ ¡®professional grave digger¡¯ and so on. Of course, they are not malevolent. You¡¯re not going to notice these things if you don¡¯t surf the data network.¡±


    Hao Ren had cold sweat trickling down his forehead. He recalled his works for the past two years, where most of the time he was tasked to recover dead bodies, or recently, dead planets. It would be too naive of him if he did not know what it meant to be ¡®bomb-happy¡± by now.


    Lily poked Hao Ren with her finger. ¡°Mr. Landlord, I think this sounds awesome.¡±


    Hao Ren flicked the maiden¡¯s ear with his fingers. ¡°What could the feeling of awesomeness do? If thing continues like this, sooner or later, I¡¯d become the most unwelcomed person in the universe. I didn¡¯t expect people as serious as Galazur could be so sarcastic.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t do anything about it,¡± Lily said, moving her head from side to side dodging Hao Ren¡¯s hand. ¡°You¡¯re taking charge of the Plane of Dreams, where you know it is the biggest ruins, like a cemetery, there are wrecks of civilization everywhere.¡±


    Hao Ren pulled his hand back and rubbed his arms. ¡°Let¡¯s not make a joke out of such a serious matter.¡±


    At this time, Vivian, who had been silent all this while, spoke suddenly. ¡°Now I start to wonder why the Goddess chose to send you a rookie taking charge of the Plane of Dreams.¡±


    ¡°Probably because I have strong execution capability.¡±


    There was a silent. Then Lily poked Hao Ren with her fingers again. ¡°Do you believe in what you said?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve never thought about this question.¡± Hao Ren scratched his hair. The question began to bother him. ¡°I was too busy, especially after each mind-boggling event, to think. I went from one mission to the next but never think of why me. MDT, do you think the Plane of Dreams is meant for the rookie inspector?¡±


    The MDT was startled for a moment, and then it said with an unsure tone of voice, ¡°There is no clear rule dictating inspector should take charge of any particular mission according to seniority, but it is usually a step-by-step process. The Plane of Dreams is a massive historical site with a complicated situation, handing it over to a rookie inspector does sound unusual, but it¡¯s not without precedent. There had been a similar case in the Macroworld.¡±


    ¡°Even though there are precedents, I am still a rare example, is it?¡± Hao Ren scratched his jaw, questioning his role in the mission. ¡°I don¡¯t know others, but Galazur is more experienced and knowledgeable than I am, and she is the ruler of a civilization, she is better suited for the job of recovering dead bodies than I am. But why me?¡±


    He added, ¡°It landed me a freaking ¡®bomb-happy¡¯ epithet.¡±


    In reality, all he cared was his new epithet.


    Lily sat in her chair, wriggling. It was habitual especially when she was in thought, usually when her mind went blank. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask your Goddess since she is the one assigning the mission?¡±


    ¡°Do you think she will tell me? She would have told me if she wanted to. If she did not want to tell you, she wouldn¡¯t say a thing even if you pester her for a lifetime.¡± Hao Ren shook his head, totally knew Raven 12345¡¯s characters inside out.


    ¡°Then, what¡¯s your problem?¡± Lily asked. Since only the Goddess knows why and you also know she¡¯s not going to tell you, why are you still troubled by it?¡±


    Suddenly, Hao Ren could see things in a new light. It turned out that the female scholar had bottled-up wisdom, she would stun and open your mind with her wise words at the crucial moment.


    While he was still impressed, Lily took a small brush out of her pocket suddenly. She turned around and put her tail on Hao Ren¡¯s leg and shoved the brush into his hand. ¡°Since you are not troubled any more, come and brush my hair. It¡¯s itchy when shedding hair!¡±


    Hao Ren was dumbstruck and was speechless.


    Deep inside, she was still a husky after all.

 Chapter 841

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    While the planet Inferno was welcoming its first ray of sunshine and the people of the Sun Dynasty were ushering in the revival of their civilization, reconstruction was also underway on another planet. Tannagost in the Plane of Dreams was being reconstructed under the cosmic rays of a new world.


    The first ray of morning sun shone from a low angle on earth, coating the golden capital of Alamanda in an even more dazzling golden halo. The giant Muru stood on the towering wall of Alamanda overlooking the garden he had just begun to take care of after resuming his duty as a guardian. The vast wilderness outside the city had changed so much that it looked different from yesterday. Low-lying vegetation was thriving between gullies and also on the huge tentacles in the distance. Initially, the world had only a few primitive creatures that were tenacious enough survived the catastrophe, now more species were growing doubly every day. He came to the wall every day and discovered that the world was never the same as the previous day, which reminded him of the old days of 10,000 years ago. Though mother was no longer here, the bustling world she had once created was finally blossoming again.


    Muru cast his gaze to the West where he could sense the upsurge of the power of life. He took a step toward and instantly crossed more than ten kilometers distance and came to a red lake.


    About 15 kilometers from Alamanda, it was the most important ¡®spring of life¡¯ in the vicinity. It was initially a six-kilometer crater that formed after the First Born of the planet lost control and remained a lifeless crater and occupied by a few terrifying tentacles until a few months ago, now it had turned into a beautiful red lake surrounded by a vibrant forest and grassland. Back then, one of the lifeblood containers released from the CARS landed in this deep pit, catalyzed by Zorm to fill the crater with lifeblood to become a spring of life. Now the original tentacles of the First Born in the crater had been dissolved into the primordial living matter with a large number of seeds and embryos born in the lake every day.


    Muru walked to the lake and placed his stick on the beach next to him, then bent down to check the state of the lake water. A group of elk-like, weird animals with long ears ran out from the nearby bushes, wandering around Muru and licking the stick of Muru curiously. The stick was tinged with the smell of life after being exposed to the lake water. The sweet flowers blooming on the tip of the stick were attracting the small the animals.


    A breeze was blowing and rolling up layers of ripples on the red lake. Some clear, seed-like things floated up from the lake and drifted into the nearby forest. Muru smiled and looked at those seeds; he knew another restoration of species was successful.


    Muru gaze at the sky, a faint red light was twinkling in the night sky. It was the CARS floating in orbit, and the red light was coming from the Capulum Vitae.


    Zorm was watching the planet in space and remotely controlling the lifeblood system to replicate and fuse the ecosystem. It was a system that Hao Ren helped to design. It seemed that it was running well, which turned Muru¡¯s head quite a bit as regards to the human inspector.


    There were not wild animals but also human settlements in the vicinity of the ¡®spring of life.¡¯


    Muru left the lake, and from not far away, he saw an open space opposite the woods. The open space had many simple houses built of wood, stone and synthetic materials, neatly arranged into a small circular town. Although the houses were primitive, their layout was the construction of advanced architectural planning. This little circular town would become a bustling city someday.


    The settlement was built around a silver-white tower, which looked sophisticated and very different from the houses around it. The tower was not part of the town initially; it was a signal antenna that had already existed before the town.


    Now, this tower was also the wireless transmitter of the First Born, acting as a tentacle for Zorm.


    There was also a red pond in the central square of the town, next to the tower. Though it was smaller compared to the red lake, the red liquid inside was undoubtedly the lifeblood. The lifeblood continually surged in the pond with several specialized personnel guarding it.


    When Muru came to the town, the liquid in the pond was rising as a man covered in seaweed-like substances climbed out of it, looking confused. The personnel immediately held the man up, cleaned him and put a blouse on him and then took him to the tower in the center of the town.


    The man who was just ¡®born¡¯ from the pond was not fully awake. He did not even have a complete intelligence. Personnel held his arm and placed his hand on a metal plate on the base of the alloy tower. The man twitched as if an electric current ran through his body, then his eyes opened and regained his glory of wisdom on his face.


    He looked down at himself and then at the surrounding town, asking people around him with a loud voice. ¡°Is it all over?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just started,¡± the personnel holding his arm said with a smile. ¡°Your name?¡± the personnel asked.


    ¡°Ulyanov, ID xxxxxx,¡± the man said while his hand touching his face, his breathing heavy, he had not adjusted to the air in the real world after coming from the virtual world. ¡°I felt like I had a long, long nightmare.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s normal. You will recover,¡± The personnel said while writing something on a form. ¡°Memory reconstruction takes about twelve hours, during which you will feel slightly dizzy and stuporous. Before that, you have to complete the registration process. Your occupation?¡±


    ¡°Engineer, machinery¡­ precision machinery engineering.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. Unfortunately, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to work as an engineer for the time being because we don¡¯t know when we could create our first steam lathe. You can go to the Technical Recovery Research Institute first. If you can¡¯t, you can help build houses; we need a lot of houses. Do you still remember your family?¡±


    ¡°I have a wife, her ID before the hibernation is xxxxxx.¡±


    ¡°She is scheduled to enter the real world in a week, and you can wait for her outside.¡±


    The personnel asked Ulyanov a few things and then handed him a form. ¡°Take this, report to the Social Adaptation Section, which is the blue-top house over there. Someone will tell you the current state of the world and the progress of the construction of our town. I hope that you can resume work as soon as possible, we now need more strong men to produce the necessities, after all, we cannot always rely on autonomous robots and synthetic factories. The inspector had given us a limited quota.¡±


    ¡°The strong man, strong man,¡± Ulyanov repeating to himself as he nodded. He looked at his healthy limbs, and there was a happy smile on his face. He suddenly noticed the giant in the distance. ¡°Oh, what is that?¡± he asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s Muru, the guardian of this planet. Don¡¯t be afraid; he is friendly,¡± the personnel gave Ulyanov a little push. ¡°Go to the Social Adaptation Section first. You still have a lot to learn.¡±


    Muru took his sight off the town. He used to be stern towards the Zormians, but now he had no prejudice against those humans. As it turned out that these ¡®Second Borns¡¯ were diligent and respecting the laws of nature, they were different the treacherous sons. He need not be harsh to them.


    There were many such settlements on this planet, and they are multiplying every day. The factories and autonomous robots that Hao Ren left on this planet were helping to maintain the early life of these people, but the production activities of these factories would be reduced yearly, and the society of the Zorm would need to be self-sustained.


    Muru did not intervene in all this. He just wandered around the wilderness, observing and guarding the ecosystem here.


    After a walkabout, Muru came to a ruin near the North Pole. The Tannagost people had left behind a stargazing platform here where it was the best location to see the sky, suitable for meditation. Muru sat down on the stargazing platform and began to meditate, just like he did every other day. It had become a habit since 10,000 years ago. Meditation could let the guardians communicate with each other and listen to the mother¡¯s voice. Even though the guardian mental network had collapsed, he still maintained this habit even though it was reduced to be spiritual sustenance now.


    The mental world was empty, he could not hear the responses of any brothers and sisters anymore, but he kept his routine, every time, every day.


    However, something seemed different today. When Muru was about to end his meditation, he heard a voice.


    It was a signal from deep space.

 Chapter 842

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Sitting in his favorite spot on the sofa while watching TV, he spaced out. His mind began to wander into some distant universe. The variety show did not interest him; he just liked the feeling of losing his thoughts, especially after a day of hard work. On regular days, he would not have been able to secure the seat in front of the TV, because the husky would grab the remote control, and the silly cat would interrupt him. Just so happened that today, Lily had gone out to inspect her troop of canines in the neighborhood while the dumb cat¡­


    Rollie closed her eyes and curled herself up beside Hao Ren, snoring. He grabbed her tail in her hand, wrapped it around his arm and then released. The cat maiden did not object to this; she had taken some wrong medicine, half a bottle of sleeping pills to be exact.


    ¡°I have told you to discard those pills.¡± Vivian sat on the sofa on the other side, fiddling with cross-stich. ¡°You are sickness resistant now; you wouldn¡¯t need this, and nobody would need it. The silly cat has popped all the pills in the bottle thinking they were candy. Fortunately, she has transcended; she would get sleepy at most.¡±


    Hao Ren forced a smile. ¡°I¡¯m just frugal, all right? Are you not still keeping your clothes for twenty years despite your lack of food and clothing now?¡±


    Since gaining the body of a superman, Hao Ren¡¯s life had changed. He had been trying to maintain his human habits, but many things were out of his control. He would not fall sick, almost could not be injured, unafraid of hot and cold. The medicines and the first-aid kit had been lying around for two years, untouched, and many things had passed their expiry date. He began to stay away from the many necessities of life that humans needed, and he could throw himself into the wilderness to live with nature if it was not for the convenience of comfort and habits. Today, he finally did not have to remember the expiry date of the pills he kept in the cabinet, as Rollie had opened the cabinet and emptied the sleeping pills into her stomach.


    When Hao Ren came home earlier, he was shocked to find the silly cat sprawled on the floor in front of his room, the hair on her tail and ears drooping. After examining, he discovered that she was asleep from ingesting too many sleeping pills, and sending her into an unusually quiet moment.


    ¡°Speaking of which, Y¡¯zaks, you haven¡¯t been out for the past two days.¡± Hao Ren turned his head to look at the demon not far away while another commercial set in. ¡°Didn¡¯t Y¡¯lisabet want to fiddle with old appliances? Why don¡¯t you collect some for her?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks lifted his head from the magazine, grinning from ear to ear, exposing a mouthful of shark-like jagged teeth. ¡°I just brought back an excavator the day before yesterday. It¡¯s good enough for a few days of fiddling. Didn¡¯t you see that right at the back of the house?¡±


    Hao Ren was dumbfounded. He couldn¡¯t imagine how the demon papa and daughter collected old appliances usually.


    ¡°Is excavator an appliance?¡± Vivian asked curiously.


    Hao Ren shook his head, knowing that an excavator and an appliance made no difference in the eyes of the little girl Y¡¯lisabet as long as she could take apart those things with a screwdriver.


    ¡°I¡¯m bored.¡± Hao Ren could not help but sigh. ¡°It¡¯s boring to stay home all day.¡±


    ¡°Do you usually not wanting to rest for a few days?¡± Vivian looked at him with a strange look. ¡°Have a change of heart?¡±


    ¡°The Goddess must have screwed with my brain.¡± Hao Ren sank back into the sofa, burying his face in his hand. ¡°It used to not get bored for months at home. Now I couldn¡¯t stand it after three days watching T at home. MDT, has the drone cluster checked the coordinate?¡±


    He was talking about the star chart he obtained from the Dorasil pyramids in Inferno. The star chart indicated that the planet Inferno was used to be in the Plane of Dreams. By figuring out the coordinates, he hoped to find the location where the first crack appeared on the Wall of Reality. However, it might be that when the breach on the Wall of Reality happened, a backlash in the Plane of Dreams had changed the original location of the celestial system where Inferno used to be in. The drone cluster had come back with nothing after searching the coordinates on the star chart.


    At least in the regions where the drone cluster had explored, there were no celestial bodies that matched the start chart.


    ¡°Not found yet,¡± the MDT said after contacting the drone cluster. ¡°Maybe we have not searched wide enough. The drone cluster is heading to a new galaxy. We¡¯re expecting to make some discoveries. Wait a minute! There is an incoming call. It¡¯s from Muru!¡±


    Hao Ren immediately sat up. ¡°Patch it to me.¡±


    The MDT turned on the holographic projection, and Muru¡¯s face appeared. ¡°Hao Ren, I have a situation here, I need you to come over.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s complicated. I heard a voice from the deep space during my meditation. It seemed to come from my long time compatriot, but I am not that sure. The mental connection among the guardians has long gone, and the source of the voice seemed to¡­ I think you¡¯d better come. Our planet has some new developments that you need your attention.¡±


    Hao Ren hung up, he was a little excited now, wondering if Muru had contacted another guardian.


    There were indeed other surviving guardians in the universe!


    ¡°Are you bored now?¡± Vivian put down the cross stitch in her hand and gave a sideways glance. ¡°You are the ultimate harbinger of bad news.¡±


    Hao Ren laughed wryly. He really could not explain himself. Y¡¯zaks had put down the magazine in his hands and said unhurriedly, ¡°This time I will go with you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re coming out from your cocoon?¡± Hao Ren was surprised.


    Y¡¯zaks grinned and swung his shoulders. ¡°Just like you, got bored over time staying at home.¡±


    Once a workaholic, always a workaholic. Y¡¯zaks was a little restless now after living a retirement life for a while. The explorer in him was calling out for him again.


    Tannagost was now like a base in his backyard. He only needed to go through a few portals to reach Tannagost. He required not much preparation when he set off in the same afternoon. This time, only Lily and Y¡¯zaks were going with him. Vivian had just absorbed the memory of a super-large split body, and now her mind was like having a hangover. Hao Ren let her rest at home.


    Oh, this time he brought Lil Pea. She felt bored at home when Hao Ren was on a trip each time, so she badgered him until he gave in and brought her along. Considering that Tannagost was now a relatively safe place, Hao Ren decided to bring the baby sigh out to see the world. If something terrible happened, he could always send the little one back quickly.


    After passing through the crack in the Wall of Reality, Hao Ren arrived at the golden city of Alamanda.


    This beautiful ancient city had not changed much from the past. Other than the dome that Hao Ren built around the space cracks, there was only an autonomous factory running in the corner of the city. When they came to a tower in the city, they found that changes were happening in the wilderness outside the city: vegetation with pale gold and green luster had spread over the entire land, where ecosystem reconstruction was on still going.


    Muru appeared in front of them and greeted Hao Ren with a slight nod, then got straight to business. ¡°The voice has stopped, but it has been going on for dozens of minutes before it went silent. I have recorded the entire connection process.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure it was the signal of other guardians?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± Muru nodded slightly, ¡°but the question is that this signal carries the mark of the Gate of Solenne.¡±


    Hao Ren. ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°An ancient galaxy, the main passageway leading to the Star of Creation. In the words of the believers, it is the primary staircase to the kingdom of God.¡± Muru looked serious. ¡°It was the first to fall in the deicidal battle. I saw it was pulled into the Umbral Realm during the final big bang.¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned for a few seconds. He tried to calm down. ¡°What about the signal content?¡±


    ¡°It was a distress signal.¡±

 Chapter 843

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Muru¡¯s encounter had Hao Ren come to grips with the unusualness of the incident. The Umbral Realm he had been searching for all this time finally surfaced.


    Muru received the distress signal from other guardians in meditation. However, this signal came from a place where it had theoretically fallen into the Umbral Realm with the Star of Creation. If the message was not forged, there was only one answer: the Umbral Realm and the main universe was connected again.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure the signal is genuine,¡± said Muru, dismissing Hao Ren¡¯s last bit of doubt. ¡°Guardians have a special telepathic ability, designed by our mother. Unless another god was faking it, otherwise I was unlikely to have received a false signal.¡±


    Hao Ren looked serious. ¡°Can you determine the coordinates of the source of the signal? Is the Gate of Solenne still in its place?¡±


    ¡°The position has changed, in a place that is unknown to me,¡± Muru said as he took out a black metal device. ¡°Maybe the big bang moved the Gate of Solenne to another part of the universe. It may also be that the galaxy is moving on its mysterious trajectory. The source of the signal is very unusual. I only recognized the keyword ¡®Solenne¡¯ from a ciphertext that only the guardian could read. It is the information I have recorded down, but I don¡¯t know if your device can convert it into a navigation signal.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing that my equipment cannot decode. It¡¯s just a matter of time.¡± Hao Ren nodded, motioning Lily to take over the recording device from Muru.


    It was a device the giants used, just the size of the palm of Muru, but it was almost the size of a human. Lily took the recorder and held it on her head; it looked as if a coffin had grown a pair of legs when viewing from a distance.


    This husky was obedient though.


    Hao Ren and Lily sent the recorder to the CARS, connected it to the mainframe of the space station and started analyzing the data. He found that the coordinates contained in the recorder were very vague and had a peculiar mathematical structure. It was because there was an error in converting mental signals into machine-readable numerical coordinates. On the other hand, these giants used unique encoding method. The space station mainframe was capable of processing the data, but it took a bit of time.


    When the mainframe began to process the data, Hao Ren returned to Muru. They stood on a hill on the west side of Alamanda and overlooked at the rolling land. Lily moved like an agile little monkey up Muru¡¯s stick and gazed into the distance. ¡°Whoa! It¡¯s all built up. I remember the mountain over there was still a wasteland the last time I came.¡±


    Hao Ren didn¡¯t pay attention to what Lily was saying. He was instead wondering if cats would lose their advantage since dogs could climb a tree like a monkey now.


    Afraid of the height after staying up on the stick for a while, Lily came back down. She then pulled Hao Ren¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Mr. Landlord! I saw a city on the other side of the lake! The architectural style doesn¡¯t look like that of Tannagost!¡±


    ¡°That is a Zormian settlement. It is still not a city yet, but it is developing fast.¡± The voice of Muru rumbling from above. ¡°There are many such new towns around Alamanda, and people are recovering from the blood pool of the town every day. Do you want to take a look?¡±


    Before Hao Ren could say anything, Y¡¯lisabet jumped to her feet and said, ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go and take a look. Uncle Ren, shall we?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡± Hao Ren nodded and smiled. ¡°Maybe we would meet someone we know.¡±


    Muru brought them to the newly emerging town near the ¡®spring of life¡¯ and stayed outside the town because of his size while Hao Ren and the others ventured into the town by themselves. There were simple houses well-arranged on an open space. Some of these houses were built using the materials taken from the surrounding environment, and some were like industrially produced houses. As the settlement was still expanding, there were no walls and clear boundaries, but there was a watchtower-like operated platform at a regular interval along the edge of the town.


    All the roads and grounds in the city were just flat muddy land; few places were paved with plastic-like synthetic materials. There were no advanced urban facilities. Road signs were painted wooden boards, and street lamps used wooden stakes with oil pots. Water supply came from drilled wells and open-air ditches. Everything seemed primitive and straightforward, but the system design was carried out with modern ideas in mind. It was the odd fusion of advanced and primitive civilizations, and the mixture of modern bungalows and stone cottages made this oddity even more profound. Hao Ren felt as if he had walked into a time-warped stage drama, but he thought that probably this was the scene of the recovery of civilization under certain circumstances.


    A highly civilized race equipped with advanced technology had to rebuild everything from a primitive society.


    The people of Zorm were lucky though. At least, they had the initial supplies of simple industrial products. Hao Ren recognized some of these things, which the factory that he left on the planet had produced. Many other things might be salvaged from the nearby ruins of Tannagost. For example, the pale gold synthetic cover on the outer wall of a dwelling, which was unique to the ruins of the Tannagost.


    Residents in the town soon discovered the visiting guests. There were several men in rags walking towards Hao Ren. Seeing them from a distance, Hao Ren suddenly sighed. ¡°To tell the truth, this is the first time I saw Zorm people in real life.¡±


    He then took the MDT out of his pocket and transferred Nolan¡¯s holographic image from the spacecraft before him. Nolan¡¯s figure appeared above the MDT, only one and a half size larger than Lil Pea. She was clueless as they why Hao Ren had summoned her here. ¡°Hao Ren? Is there something? I am doing maintenance for my engines.¡±


    ¡°Nolan, come and see your compatriots. It is the new town of Zorm. The people have entered the real world en masse.¡±


    Nolan looked around the town through the eyes of the MDT. After a long while, she said in an indifferent tone of voice, ¡°I don¡¯t have feelings towards them; I¡¯m just an AI. I have never lived in the real world. Am I their compatriot?¡±


    The MDT scoffed, ¡°You care?¡±


    At this time, a few men in worker suits came before Hao Ren. They first were awed by the height of Y¡¯zaks and the projection device beside Hao Ren, and then speculated on the identity of the visitors. ¡°You are the lord?¡±


    The planet of Tannagost-Zorm had become one of the bases of Hao Ren while the Zorm people who rebuilt their homes on this planet were naturally his people. In the old days when the social order collapsed utterly, and humans broke up and reorganized, those who woke up early had decided that they should accept the authority of the planet¡¯s master, and it was not just the decision of a few but also the will of the Zormian First Born.


    The will of Zormian First Born carried weight as it had a significant influence on this civilization.


    The Zorm people who had awakened from the virtual world already knew what happened to their home planet. Deep inside, they still could not understand and accept that the disaster had occurred. As painful as the reality was, they did not complain but chose the pragmatic way of rebuilding their society. Most people recognized hao Ren¡¯s authority on the planet although he did not seem to have very involved in the reconstruction effort. The AI ??of CARS, MDT and the two guardians here were more than capable of handling everything here.


    Hao Ren realized that he needed to at least say something. Hurriedly, he nodded and tried not to look stupid. ¡°Yes, I am. I¡¯m here to check out the situation.¡±


    As he spoke, he wondered what more he should say to these Zorm people. Apart from issuing a few remote commands to the AIs here, He was not personally involved in the reconstruction of the planet Tannagost, much lesser than he had in the planet Aerym.


    Probably he was the planet lord who had the least sense of presence in the world. If he were the boss of a company, no one would have known him wherever he went; his company security personnel would probably bounce him out before he could enter the office.


    The embarrassment did not last long though as there was a voice came from a side. ¡°Hao Ren?¡±


    ¡°Nolan?¡± the voice called out again.

 Chapter 844

    Looking out in the direction of the voice, he saw a tall man in a gray-white uniform standing a few meters away. Most of the people there wore the same clothes, and the man was so ordinary that Hao Ren could not tell if he had ever seen the man. The man came up to him, examined the image projected by the MDT and repeated his question. ¡°Nolan?¡±


    ¡°You are¡­¡± Nolan looked at the strange man inexplicably. ¡°Do I know you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Ulyanov.¡± The strange man was startled before he said, ¡°I have never seen you in this image.¡±


    ¡°Ulyanov?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s eyes widened and looked at the tall, healthy man in surprise. He did not expect to meet Ulyanov again; it was a total surprise. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you here. I couldn¡¯t even recognize you because you¡¯ve got a face now!¡±


    Ulyanov¡¯s expression stiffened. He forced a smile and touched his face. ¡°I wasn¡¯t born with a face mask. Ah, meeting you reminds me of the ¡®dreams¡¯¡ªthe memories that make people feel at a loss. Oh, I should now call your Lord, Governor of the Planet or something?¡±


    Ulyanov¡¯s expression was a little weird. He looked at Hao Ren, embarrassed and at a loss. ¡°I just came out of the Social Adaptation Department, and I heard the teaching of the Root of Origin. You seem to be this planet¡¯s lord.¡±


    He was just like other Zorm people who had just woken and a little confused about the situation at hand, but he was different in that he had seen Hao Ren before, and been together for a long time. It made him particularly overwhelmed. Hao Ren did not have that kind of intense feeling though as he just waved his hand and said, ¡°Take it easy, I¡¯m just an adventurer. This planet is my temporary place. I have given this planet to Zorm as its new home. You will be fine here. I¡¯m not in charge here.¡±


    Ulyanov shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s easy for you to say that.¡±


    ¡°Just listen to him,¡± Nolan said. ¡°This guy has quite a personality, and he is as rich as Croesus. Don¡¯t worry about him.¡±


    Ulyanov looked at Nolan, surprised. He felt that his former superior in the dream seemed to have changed a lot.


    ¡°What a coincidence to see you here.¡± Hao Ren patted on Ulyanov¡¯s arm and signaled the others not to keep standing in this place. ¡°Let¡¯s find a place to talk.¡±


    They came to the place where Ulyanov was currently living. It was a hut, which was one of a dozen around the central square of the town. These huts were built with simple planks to cater for people who had just recovered from the blood pool and could not immediately assimilate to the society. Ulyanov had to live here until he ¡®graduated¡¯ from the Social Adaptation Department, after which, He would be assigned to other parts of the town, or working in production, or studying some simple mechanical devices which were needed now and could be made from currently-available materials.


    ¡°There is a shortage of manpower everywhere. Every day, strong adults are coming out of the blood pool, but it¡¯s still not enough. We must build solid and safe settlements everywhere, reserve enough food and reinforce the town before the temperature drops; these houses are too fragile,¡± Ulyanov said of his life here. Strictly speaking, it was the life he had just heard from the Social Adaptation Department. He looked out through the window of the hut, from where he could see the blood pool in the central square and the silver-white alloy antenna tower standing in the middle of the town. ¡°I may have to go to the construction site by the river. This town is near a river, which our people are trying hard to harness its power by building a water mill using the materials on hand before the coming winter so that the green seed collected from the forest can be peeled off and stored. We are going to make the tree seeds our staple food.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Ulyanov who looked slightly tired. ¡°How are you doing now?¡± he asked.


    Ulyanov rubbed his forehead. ¡°You know, my memory is still not working properly. I just woke up from a long, long nightmare. They told me that my brain is in the midst of re-organizing the reality from the dream. The hardest hours are over now, but there will be some mild symptoms for a couple of days. I can not only remember I was fighting as a soldier and as a musician in the dream, but also the time where I was lying in a soul extractor, uploading my consciousness to the Ark. I couldn¡¯t believe that it has been ten thousand years.¡±


    ¡°Your planet¡­¡± Hao Ren was a little hesitant when he talked about this topic.


    ¡°I know.¡± Ulyanov smiled. ¡°We all know ¡ª the Root of Origin. Oh, you should call it Zorm, it had instilled everything that had happened into our minds so that we know what happened when we first woke up. That scene is unbearable, but things have already happened, and now we can only move forward.¡±


    While saying that, he laughed. ¡°We are fortunate. At least we have survived and got a new home. The original Ark plan did not foresee that kind of outcome; we should thank the Goddess for her protection.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks asked casually, ¡°Do you still believe in the Goddess of Creation?¡±


    ¡°Of course, why not?¡± Ulyanov said matter-of-coursely. ¡°Oh, though the dreams had confused a lot of people, the earliest memory came back when we woke up. We certainly remember whom we were praying to before we entered the ark.¡±


    ¡°Praying?¡± The word stuck out like dog¡¯s balls to Hao Ren. ¡°You said that you were praying before entering the Ark?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Why?¡± Ulyanov had no clue why Hao Ren was obsessed with that. ¡°The Goddess of Creation is our core belief. Regardless of the level of social development, the church is always an important part of us. We should pray.¡±


    Lily¡¯s ears stood erect. She scratched Hao Ren¡¯s arm. ¡°Mr. Landlord didn¡¯t Muru say¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Hao Ren interrupted her and waved his hand. ¡°Muru knows only part of the truth. After all, he is not omnipotent. We¡¯ll ask him when we get back out. By the way, is your life here okay?¡±


    Hao Ren was directing his question at Ulyanov, who smiled and nodded. ¡°As you can see, the necessities are all here. The AIs maintaining the antenna tower helped us build a part of the huts and most of the necessities of life. These things¡­¡±


    Ulyanov pointed to his clothes; a synthetic fabric garment made using cheap and fast process by the AI ??factory. ¡°They provide all the clothes, medicines, tools, and food. Every morning, people in the town walk to a distribution point one kilometer away. There is a large platform where a robot full of mechanical tentacles will drop the materials there. We have a total of 1.6 billion population to return to the real world, and it is impossible for the AI factory to support the population. We are now trying to rebuild our production system.¡±


    Ulyanov pointed to the hut in where they were. ¡°Strong men are responsible for building the hut, and the women studying animals and plants. Zorm is cloning the species we are familiar with and bring them into this world, but the species have changed to adapt to the new environment. That¡¯s why we have to re-learn. I¡¯ve also heard that they¡¯re going to restrict the speed at which they release people out of the blood pool, because the material production couldn¡¯t keep up. Although the lifeblood will make trees and crops mature more rapidly, it is still impossible to sustain 1.6 billion people in a short period. We have no choice but could only leave half of the population in the virtual world, so that the nature in the real world can thrive.¡±


    Hao Ren listened attentively. He felt that this was a precious knowledge; a civilization restarted its life on a foreign planet, and people with nothing left was rebuilding their society with the limited support of the alien factory. The interaction between the Zorm people and the autonomous robots and the ruins of the Tannagost was not something that was common.


    Hao Ren felt that it was necessary to accumulate as many experiences as he could. After all, as a person who was prone to blow things up, he did not know when he would encounter stranger tasks.


    Suddenly, a noise from the central square interrupted their conversation.

 Chapter 845

    Hao Ren heard some noise from the town square. He turned to look at it, the personnel guarding the signal tower were walking toward the blood pool in the center of the square. The red liquid in the blood pool was surging, and it was rising in the center. There seemed to be something coming out of it. With a spicy stick still hanging out from her mouth, Lily laid her head on the window sill looking out at the town square. ¡°What happens?¡±


    ¡°That is the process of returning to the real world,¡± Ulyanov explained. ¡°Everyone is born out of the blood pool.¡±


    Hao Ren became very interested, but before he could say anything, he felt a cold, slippery thing squirming on his chest. It was Lil Pea. The little mermaid jumped on the window sill and wagged her tail happily. The movement outside was attracting her interest. When Ulyanov saw this mysterious creature, he froze. ¡°What is this?¡± he asked.


    Hao Ren held Lil Pea with his hand to prevent the little guy from falling off the window sill as he explained, ¡°She¡­ she is my daughter. She is a mermaid. Don¡¯t your world have it?¡±


    Ulyanov looked at Hao Ren with a weird expression. ¡°You guys walked with your tails when you were just born?¡±


    Hao Ren did not know how to respond to that question.


    He had answered a similar question for God-knows-how-many-times, and now he was kind of lazy to explain it. However, he also could not let people¡¯s misunderstanding deepen, so he could only wave his hand helplessly. ¡°It¡¯s complicated. I¡¯m not her biological father. The process of adopting her was rather special.¡±


    Lil Pea had no clue the adults were talking about her, and she just waved happily at the town square, like any other curious child. At the same time, she noticed the wooden window frame around her. The unique wood on the planet had a light golden luster that aroused her appetite. Just when she opened her mouth and about to take a bite, Hao Ren stopped her. All plants in Tannagost contained a certain amount of gold. The baby¡¯s stomach did not seem to be able to digest gold.


    At this time, the situation in the town square took a sudden change.


    When the personnel were ready to welcome other people coming out of the blood pool, the lifeblood in the pool suddenly calmed down.


    It was as if some transmission was interrupted, the rising lifeblood lost its shape and quieted down as the faint red light floating on the liquid dimmed. No one knew what happened. Two persons ran to the house opposite the square nervously, seemingly to report about the situation.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Y¡¯zaks asked curiously.


    Ulyanov had no clue as well; after all, he had just woke up from the pool and gotten limited knowledge from the Social Adaptation Department. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It seems that there is something wrong with the restoration process. Let¡¯s go and take a look.¡±


    Hao Ren and his entourage rushed to the blood pool. Y¡¯zaks asked one of the personnel who saw the great demon and almost slipped into the pool. Fortunately, Lily grabbed the guy before he fell into it. Hao Ren squatted and examined the lifeblood in the pool and found that it was losing vitality. He had seen the lifeblood displaying a similar behavior in the container of CARS. The personnel who had slipped and almost fallen into the pool just now told of what was happening. ¡°The transmission was suddenly interrupted, and the condensation in the lifeblood has stopped.¡±


    Hao Ren was about to go and check if the signal tower had any record of the situation. The MDT suddenly came up to him and said, ¡°Muru is calling.¡±


    Hao Ren looked out the town. Muru was standing on a hill in the distance and beckoning him, signaling him to pick up the radio. Hao Ren immediately asked the MDT to patch the call to him. He heard Muru said in a hurried tone of voice, ¡°Has something gone wrong with the signal tower over there? Zorm told me that it lost control of a small blood pool, looks like the signal is lost.¡±


    ¡°I am checking,¡± Hao Ren said as he came to the signal tower. He lifted the cover at the base of the signal tower and saw the manually-controlled crystal panel inside. The crystal panel was filled with intricate symbols and text, but it showed everything was working properly. ¡°The signal tower is fine,¡± Hao Ren told Muru via the radio.


    He then activated the self-diagnostic program of CARS and the monitoring program of the Tannagost Information Terminal, which was an information exchange center located at the South Pole, but found that the data link between the Capulum Vitae and the blood pool on the surface was perfectly normal.


    Theoretically, the will of the First Born, Zorm, could reach the blood pool without any hindrance, but the blood pool refused to respond.


    Not just that but it seemed there was something else going on.


    Lily looked at the liquid in the pool curiously. She pulled Hao Ren¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Do you think the thing is avoiding you, Mr. Landlord?¡±


    ¡°Avoiding me?¡± Hao Ren was stunned for a while before he only began to notice the liquid in the blood pool was not completely calm but the fluid tilted away from him and leaving the liquid level nearer to him a dozen centimeters lower than the opposite side. The difference was not that obvious. If it were not for Lily¡¯s excellent dog¡¯s eyesight, no one would have noticed the phenomenon.


    Hao Ren thought that it must be just a coincidence. He tried to walk to the other side of the pool. But to his surprise, the liquid in the pool tilted away as he moved; the liquid level closer to him was always the lowest, and this liquid seemed to avoid him all the time.


    ¡°I have never encountered such a thing before.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s brows knit together as after making a few rounds circling the pool, he still could not figure out what caused this phenomenon. He bent down and dipped his finger straight into the lifeblood, and it felt warm, completely normal. ¡°Why not you come over and taste it a little bit and see if it has expired, Lily?¡±


    Lily immediately bared her teeth. ¡°Why me?¡±


    Hao Ren shot her a glance. ¡°Crap! Isn¡¯t this your favorite way of analysis?¡± he said.


    He was joking with Lily using the lifeblood because Zorm catalyzed the mild and harmless lifeblood. Even if it were to lose control, it would not cause blood tide like what happened on other planets. The lifeblood here possessed no hatred towards other creatures.


    While Hao Ren spoke to Lily, Lil Pea was looking at the pond from inside Hao Ren¡¯s collar. The little guy felt that the bright colored liquid interesting though it seemed somewhat different from the water in the basin at home.


    The liquid itself was enough to trigger the instinct of the little mermaid; she wanted to take a swim.


    So she did.


    Lil Pea jumped into the lifeblood pool with a plop. When Hao Ren realized it, it was too late, Lil Pea had disappeared into the pool while making a small splash.


    Then the whole body of lifeblood in the pool seemed to react instantly.


    The red liquid rolled up and away from Lil Pea rapidly, exposing the bottom of the pool in just a few seconds.


    It was as if the crossing of the Red Sea by Moses, the lifeblood was rolled up to all sides of the pool, leaving Lil Pea swaying her tail and swimming with her eyes closed at the dry bottom of the pool. After a while, the little guy felt thing was not right, and she opened her eyes, appeared confused before lunging toward the nearest liquid again.


    Then the lifeblood retreated again, away from her.


    ¡°It¡¯s not avoiding me,¡± Hao Ren said, stunned. ¡°It¡¯s avoiding Lil Pea!¡±


    ¡°Whatever, let¡¯s get the little guy out first.¡± Lily also froze for a while. When she was about to jump in and catch the mermaid, Hao Ren stopped her. He took a long-handled fishing net out of the dimensional pocket. ¡°I have a special tool here.¡±


    Lily looked at the special tool, dumbfounded. ¡°You seem to be very well-prepared.¡±


    ¡°Crap, only because I have a bunch of otherworldlings in the house,¡± Hao Ren said as he stretched out his net to catch Lil Pea. ¡°I bought this from the fishing gear store. I can¡¯t believe that I¡¯ve classified it as a baby toiletry.¡±


    Lil Pea jumped inside the net obediently as her Dad-dee ¡®fished¡¯ her out of the pool. As the little guy left the pool, the lifeblood return to normal again.


    Hao Ren kept the little guy into his dimensional pocket.


    ¡°Lil Pea seems to be able to suppress the source blood.¡± Y¡¯lisabet scratched her horn. ¡°She¡¯s powerful!¡±


    ¡°Not just suppress the lifeblood.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s face looked somber. ¡°The lifeblood is afraid of her!¡±

 Chapter 846

    The lifeblood¡ªthe raw ingredient used by the Goddess of Creation to create life, the divine substance representing the origin of beings in the Plane of Dreams¡ªhad an unquestionable sanctity in it though it was only a component of the Seed of Origin and the First Born. It made them wonder why the lifeblood was so scared of a small fish that was just one foot long.


    Hao Ren took some lifeblood samples from the blood pool and Lil Pea to a hut far away from the square for the experiment. The results of the test remained unchanged. As long as the little mermaid came close to the lifeblood, it would immediately show its inactivity and even signs of active retreat. He put the lifeblood in a glass tube and let the little mermaid stare at it. The lifeblood almost stuck on the side wall of the glass tube.


    After a few tests, he also found a peculiar phenomenon; Lil Pea seemed to be able to control her ¡®power¡¯ slightly.


    When the little mermaid looked at or paid attention to the lifeblood, the retreat of the lifeblood would be more visible, but if the little guy shifted her focus away, the effect of this ¡®suppression¡¯ would be greatly reduced, or even no suppression effect at all. The little mermaid became impatient after a few experiments. She no longer wanted to pay attention to the ¡®red water¡¯ in the tube, so the lifeblood regained its vitality.


    Feeling bored, Lil Pea jumped around on the table and finally onto Hao Ren¡¯s arm and hung there like an armband. She no longer wanted to move her muscle. The lifeblood in the glass tube began to move slowly. Its surging speed was a little slower than before though. Hao Ren stroked the tail of the little mermaid and said to Y¡¯zaks, ¡°Looks like the key to the suppression effect is the little guy¡¯s attention. When she focused, she would influence the lifeblood.¡±


    ¡°The lifeblood has no self-awareness. It can¡¯t even perceive,¡± said Y¡¯zaks, scratching his big bald head. The highly experienced great demon king was also a little dumbstruck now. ¡°Why is it afraid of a fish?¡±


    Lily chimed in suddenly. ¡°Rollie is also afraid of Lil Pea.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the same thing. Go to a side.¡± Hao Ren motioned her away and then looked at the MDT. ¡°Were there any other special powers in her that you had discovered during the body check-up?¡±


    ¡°She has a lot of special powers, after all, she is a demon hunting fish,¡± the MD replied. ¡°However, there is no such special power that you describe. She is just an ordinary mermaid. At most, she is a little spirited and likes to beat the cat up.¡±


    ¡°The talent of the demon hunter is unlikely to produce this effect,¡± Hao Ren said and pulled his brows together. ¡°Nangong Sanba used to be in contact with the lifeblood, but there was no reaction at all. I guess demon hunters would not be able to influence the lifeblood. After all, demon hunters are just cyborgs created by the ancient magic emperors.¡±


    ¡°Is it because Lil Pea has a purer bloodline?¡± Lily wagged her tail gently, which was a sign that she was in serious thought. ¡°She was, after all, processed in the Sacred Relics of Origins, and several ranks above the demon hunters such as Hesse,¡± she said.


    Hao Ren spread out his hand. ¡°Isn¡¯t demon hunter of the purest bloodline just a derivative of the derivative of the derivative of the lifeblood?¡± he asked.


    While they discussed and studied the problem here, Muru was following up with the situation through the radio outside the town. The giant had learned about the phenomenon between Lil Pea and the lifeblood and discussed it with the First Born of Zorm. His voice suddenly came through the radio. ¡°Guys, something crossed my mind suddenly. Do you still remember a few months ago, when you tested Zorm¡¯s ability to control the lifeblood in the CARS? Near to the culture pool, the lifeblood suddenly lost its vitality just like today. Was your daughter present at the scene at that time?¡±


    Muru¡¯s word reminded Hao Ren of the incident. He smacked himself on the head and said, ¡°Right, Lil Pea was also there!¡±


    ¡°However, this still doesn¡¯t explain how the interplay comes about,¡± the MDT said as it knocked on the table, or rather knocked its head on the table, depending on your interpretation. ¡°I¡¯ve recorded the information of the interaction between Lil Pea and the lifeblood, but not found any logical relationship. There is no magic nor superpower. Lil Pea did not exert any power. It seems that it is just an instinctive reaction of the lifeblood as if it fears the mermaid naturally although the mermaid is only a foot long and has not even learned how to speak properly.¡±


    The discussion went on for a long while, but there was no conclusion. Whether it was the actual test or the analysis of the MDT, they found not the slightest clue. Hao Ren felt that harping on the question was only a waste of time. He got to his feet and said, ¡°Keep this question in the record. After the mission, I¡¯d ask Raven 12345 about it. After all, she was the only who sent Lil Pea to me. She must know something.¡±


    They all agreed and could only place their hope on the Goddess.


    They came out from the hut and saw Ulyanov loitering outside. No one chased him out of the hut, but he came out on his on will. He was still troubled by the memory disorder and could not wrap his brain around the experiments that Hao Ren conducted. He just needed some quiet time. When he saw them coming out, he came up to them and asked about the blood pool, looking worried. The blood pool was the most important thing in the society of Zorm today. It was the only way for them to return to the real world and the source of the population. If they could not depend on it, then there would be nothing they could depend on in this world.


    ¡°The blood pool is fine. The incident was just an isolated accident.¡± Hao Ren patted Ulyanov on the shoulder to reassure him. ¡°By the way, is the person who failed to come through the ¡®transmission¡¯ okay? Did he return to the virtual world safely?¡±


    ¡°The person is fine.¡± Ulyanov nodded. ¡°The birth is a two-step process. The only thing that comes out of the blood pool is the body assembled according to the gene bank. Then we have to touch the signal tower to reload our soul into the body. It is said that this process is to save bandwidth and prevent the soul from being loaded into a defective body. The person who was ¡®stuck¡¯ today has been born only half an hour late.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded as he breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Perhaps you should build a roof or something around the blood pool; exposing it in the open doesn¡¯t sound appropriate,¡± he said.


    Ulyanov laughed. ¡°We are planning to do that in the future. The town has just been formed not long ago, and we are facing housing and food shortage right now. Build a large ¡®restoration greenhouse¡¯ is too big a project for us for the moment.¡±


    Looking at the rudimentary houses around, Y¡¯lisabet suddenly asked with curiosity, ¡°Why don¡¯t you live in the golden city? Isn¡¯t Alamanda a ready-made shelter? The houses are solid; the most you need to do is to clean the place up. Err, I mean those that have not collapsed.¡±


    Hao Ren also nodded. ¡°She is right. You can stay in the ruins of the city freely. Anyway, the necessary preservation work of civilization has been completed, and the rest are just materials. People are more important than anything else.¡±


    Ulyanov who had just woken up did not seem to know this thing. All he saw was just a beautiful wall of Alamanda on the high ground in the distance and never realized there was a magnificent alien city ruin and thought of moving to the city. At this time, a Zorm people passed by and heard the conversation. The person came up and told them, ¡°Although we would like to do so, this is not realistic at present.¡±


    The person was a tall, dark-skinned man, whom Hao Ren had never met before. The man was not a member of the Grey Fox Mercenary Company, he figured. The dark-skinned man explained, ¡°At this stage, we can¡¯t leave the blood pool and the signal tower too far. These two things are the key to connecting the virtual world and the real world, but there are no such facilities in the city ruins. There are no water sources and food in the ruin, no materials from the natural world, and too far from the resupply point. Initially, there was a small group of people moving in the city, but they found that there were food supply and communication difficulties, so they came back out, leaving behind only a few outposts around the city. The only advantage of that place is that the houses are relatively stronger, but to be honest, this is not our priority at the moment.¡±


    Hao Ren had been wondering why these Zorm people would instead settle in the wild and not live in Alamanda. Now he understood. When he first built the infrastructure on this planet, he consciously circumvented all the ruins of Tannagost, including making eighty percent of the autonomous factories in the wild, and only a few production facilities in the city. At present, the Zorm people needed more than just solid houses. They relied on the blood pool, the signal tower, forests, and natural rivers to survive. The alien city had none of these things.


    He knew that this would be temporary. After the Zorm people had stored enough food, explored the surrounding terrains, built necessary production tools and gained experience in reclaiming the wilderness, they would move into the city ruins of Tannagost. When that happened, the area between the ruins and the blood pool would grow into a populated strip.


    The Zorm people still needed shelter from the wind and rain. The first winter of this planet would not be hospitable to them.

 Chapter 847

    Hao Ren was capable of making the life of the Zorm people easier. At least he could build more factories and send more autonomous robots though he could not solve the living needs of the entire 1.6 billion people. However, this was not a smart approach.


    Civilizations needed to be self-reliant. In particular, Zorm, which had just woke up from the virtual paradise and was about to begin to a long road to recovery, must learn to face challenges in the early days. It was not that their survival was under threat; the factory system on this planet had provided enough initial supplies for the Zorm people. All they needed to do was create further living conditions with their own hands. In this case, Hao Ren did not have to intervene. It was the standard of judgment that an inspector should possess. Appropriate help was necessary but not spoon-feeding. As long as the civilization was not facing the threat of extinction, challenging the difficulties was not something too terrible to do. It was complacency that was more dangerous.


    Hao Ren had almost visited every place of the new town as many things had aroused his interest and curiosity.


    After waking up, the Zorm people found that the social reconstruction plans they had set before had become useless; their planet had been destroyed, the global communication system and the political order were in a state of disarray. They used to store enough resources in the warehouses for use when they woke up, but now they had to get resources from the surrounding environment. They had also planned to form a temporary governmental council after waking up, but now the council was useless in the face of today¡¯s situation. After a short discussion, they established a new social order temporarily. Each settlement was an autonomous region. They relied on the spiritual channel of the First Born to keep a minimum contact with each other. They prioritized social reconstruction. At least when they had virtually nothing now, there was no danger that the Zorm people would get into power struggles and money disputes. There were signs of solidarity and resource sharing everywhere in this new town. Whether it was the mass-produced standard houses or the hand-built hut, everything was allocated by the city council evenly to everyone who needed it. Everyone required to register for occupations and skills immediately after birth from the blood pool. Regardless of one¡¯s status, everyone was assigned to a job. Food and clothing and other materials were obtainable from the distribution point, so there was no distribution problem. Nevertheless, the management committee had also begun to discuss how to ensure equitable distribution after the town could produce the resources on its own, at least to ensure that it was allocated based on demand. It was a fantastic state of communism where it needed to maintain a fair society at a particular time under certain conditions.


    Hao Ren had no idea how long this state could last, but at least it was necessary at this stage.


    They did not stay here for too long, because the CARS had finished analyzing the data that Muru provided. The CARS and drone cluster had jointly determined a coordinate from where the signal of the other guardian originated. Now the navigation star chart had been sent to the MDT; Hao Ren could not wait to check out the coordinate now.


    ¡°We should go now,¡± Hao Ren said, saying goodbye to Ulyanov. ¡°I¡¯m happy to see you guys doing fine here. I have left an emergency contact channel with Zorm and Muru. I will deal with the problem if there is any.¡±


    ¡°I hope this channel will never be used,¡± Ulyanov said frankly. His eyes landed on the holographic projection, which was the image of Nolan. ¡°Are you going too?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Nolan nodded matter-of-coursely.


    Ulyanov rubbed his nose, finally could not hold back his curiosity. ¡°You have already joined Hao Ren¡¯s mission? I remember I was with you in the last dream, so I thought you would also be ¡®born¡¯ here too. Where are you now?¡±


    He had no idea the true state of Nolan and thought that Nolan had also returned to the real world through the blood pool just like other human beings.


    Nolan looked a little embarrassed but quickly eased up. She smiled and waved at Ulyanov. ¡°I changed my job. We will probably meet again in the future until then you will be shocked by seeing the real me.¡±


    Ulyanov did not give her words too much thought. He just nodded and left. He still had a lot of things to do: lesson at the Social Adaptation Department, and then follow the ¡®masters¡¯ who had been awake for a long time to learn how to use the resources and tools of the world, and then he planned to help the town build a hydraulic machine, or become a construction worker. No one was redundant in this new world.


    They were back in the CARS, where Muru, who had arrived earlier, was waiting in the central control hall.


    Hao Ren checked with the host of the space station as soon as he arrived. ¡°You got the coordinates? How far is it from here? Did the other side respond?¡±


    The space station host replied with a cold machine voice, ¡°The signal source is 12.6 billion light years away, and there is an unknown dimensional phenomenon. The target has no response.¡±


    Hao Ren patted the MDT. ¡°Go and prep the spacecraft, we will set off and go to see what is going on.¡±


    Muru suddenly said, ¡°I will go with you.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded without giving it a thought. Y¡¯zaks quickly said, ¡°You may go but mind your body size. Our spaceship is only a standard version.¡±


    As the tallest person among the tenants, Y¡¯zaks was quite conscious of height. He had banged his head on every door frame in the house.


    Hao Ren thought for a while, realizing that this was indeed a problem. Though the Petrachelys had a space expansion module and a very spacious interior, the ten-meter tall giant was still too tall for it. Muru could go nowhere except staying in the garage.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with it. I can squat,¡± Muru said.


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    Since Muru had said so, and Hao Ren had run out of words to persuade him otherwise; he nodded. ¡°If you¡¯re okay, I¡¯m okay. You can stay in the garage. I would fix your spacecraft when I¡¯ve free time so that you could move around easily.¡±


    Lily poked Hao Ren¡¯s arm. ¡°You have blown his spaceship into pieces, don¡¯t you remember? What is left is just the cockpit.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment and agreed with Lily. It was not like repairing a car where you could change a tire or something, and the car was good to go again. Here, Hao Ren could only get Muru a new spacecraft considering the state of Muru¡¯s spacecraft.


    ¡°We will talk about it later.¡± Hao Ren smiled and steered away from the conversation and took everyone onboard the spacecraft.


    The Petrachelys left the CARS and flew towards the area from where the signal had come.


    The distance of more than 10 billion light years was not a problem for the spaceship; it would only take an hour traveling in hyperspace state. During the voyage, Hao Ren called out the navigation map and compared the information of the destination. He found out that the spacecraft¡¯s flight path was coinciding with the direction of the expansion of the drone cluster.


    On the star map, the range of movement of the drones was marked with a striking blue, and his destination was right at the edge of the blue spectrum.


    ¡°Well.¡± Hao Ren was curious. ¡°Is this place in the cruising range of the drone? Why didn¡¯t they discover it before?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s strange.¡± The MDT had realized it too. ¡°The drone cluster extended their range up to that position a week ago, but they found nothing as there wasn¡¯t even any celestial body there at that time. Now, a drone has rechecked and confirmed the existence of celestial system there.¡±


    ¡°It popped out of nowhere?¡± Hao Ren blinked. ¡°When did it happen?¡±


    ¡°The drone cluster isn¡¯t monitoring the border twenty-four seven, because the number of drones in the border area is insufficient, so they are patrolling every three days there, waiting until the cluster¡¯s nest produces enough drones to mark the area ¡®Normal Patrol Area¡¯ and continue to expand outward,¡± the MDT explained. ¡°For that reason, the drones didn¡¯t discover in-time a celestial system had suddenly popped up at the border. By the way, in the normal sense of the world, it is impossible for a celestial system just popping out of nowhere.¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his jaw thoughtfully. ¡°That means we can¡¯t know when the Solenne Gateway appeared, but at least we know that it appeared out of nowhere in the last three days.¡±

 Chapter 848

    A flash blasted across space as a silver spaceship darted out of the light and into realspace.


    ¡°Navigation completed.¡±


    Nolan¡¯s voice remembered everyone that they have arrived at their destination. Hao Ren took the chance to look away from the mind-numbing pile of data towards the display of the visuals outside. He only saw a bright nebula that the ship had arrived upon, but yet there was something clearly wrong with the nebula.


    It was a bright purple gaseous structure, and based on the initial scans it was about twelve light years wide as it spread out in a radial form across the nebula, and the core was even brighter by the order of magnitudes. Based on its shape, it seemed like this was a nebula that remained after being torn off, and the bright light was the primal materials that could not form a planet. Within the nebula¡¯s darker parts a few bright spots were visible as the smaller stars were glowing bright.


    ¡°It looks a bit weird¡­¡± Lily said as she lay before the holographic display wagging her tail. ¡°Like it got distorted by a funhouse mirror?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Probably by gravitational interference. The sunken part probably has a blackhole or something.¡±


    They were talking about the weird shape of the nebula: It was not in a proper shape and one side of the nebula was clearly ¡®sinking¡¯ inwards. Everything, light included was slanted towards the sinkhole, almost akin to a canvas being slowly torn apart, or the big hole was formed in the middle of the universe and the nebula was sinking through the hole into another universe. If one were to look in detail, the entire nebula was indeed affected by this ¡®skewing point¡¯, and an infinitely powerful gravitational energy was slowly and surely drawing it in.


    On the end of the nebula closest towards the ¡®skewing point¡¯, there were clear signs of the nebula being torn apart. Everything within that zone had disappeared, leaving only a clear demarcation line, like formless nebula was sliced apart by an invisible blade. Well, it could also be somes ort of optical phenomenon obscuring what was really within the zone.


    ¡°Amazing¡­¡± Lily mumbled to herself. She might act like a dumb husky most of the time, she was however the most educated amongst the team. The scene before here was no mere entertainment. ¡°The skewing of the starlight can be attributed to the blackhole, but what of that barren area?¡±


    ¡°No, even that reasoning does not hold water.¡± Hao Ren looked at the data on the screen before frowning. ¡°There¡¯s no blackhole there.¡±


    ¡°No blackhole?¡± Lily¡¯s ears shuddered. ¡°Then why did the light skew?¡±


    ¡°Nothing to do with gravity, period.¡± The MDT spoke before Hao Ren could even say a word as it displayed a new holographic screen. On it was the purple nebula¡¯s dimensional structure. It was crumpled like a cloth being pulled. ¡°The whole dimension is skewed and the starlight skewing is only to our eyes. It is still a straight line in its own dimension. This is a very unusual place. There¡¯s no powerful gravitational force affecting it, but yet the dimension¡¯s rhythm had undergone changes.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks gruff voice rang. ¡°Must¡¯ve been the explosion from the assassination attempt against the Goddess and it destroyed the dimension¡¯s structural integrity.¡±


    Hao Ren set for the Petrachelys to travel at hyperspeed towards the skewing point of the nebula as he raised a comm to the hangar ¨C Muru was waiting there. ¡°Muru, I¡¯ll be transferring the images to you. You reckon this is the Solenne Gateway?¡±


    Hao Ren transferred the image of the skewed nebula to the guardian, and the latter took a few seconds before responding, surprise was apparent in his voice. ¡°This¡­ it does look like part of the star systems that the Solenne Gateway is located, but how did it become like that?¡±


    ¡°No idea. There¡¯s something off there, and the dimension itself is distorted and it is pushing against the universe around it.¡± Hao Ren explained. ¡°We are now heading into the epicenter of the skewing, you know what sort of celestial body that is able to create such a signal?¡±


    Muru suppressed the unease within him as he scanned through his memory for any celestial bodies that were familiar to him within the grossly distorted nebula. ¡°The skewing point¡­ a little to the side, do you see the part that looked like it was cut apart? There is a solitary light there, a star, there should be a rocky planet around there, that star is the main fortress of the Solenne Gateway. Its name is the very gateway it is protecting. The signal is from there.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and had Nolan to accelerate towards the planet. He then deployed the data network of the exploration probes and pulled out the surveillance records from a few days back of one of the probes.


    A few days ago, one of the exploration probe passed by the area, and the images captured was what Hao Ren was seeing now. But the recordings only showed a desolate area and only the faint light of stars a million light years dotted the barren zone.


    Yet, when Hao Ren looked up, what he saw was a magnificent, tilting and mysterious nebula.


    The Solenne Gateway just popped out of nowhere, without warning in the dimension. The question was, why did it appear?


    Nolan swiftly brought the ship close towards the skewing point and they were soon at the distance where the outer surveillance cameras could no longer see the complete body of the nebula. Hao Ren only saw the frigate approaching a star that was getting brighter by the passing moment. Within the star¡¯s perimeter was a very visible ¡®scar¡¯, and that scar seemed to have ¡®pierced¡¯ into the universe (visually at least) as it expanded on both sides of the star.


    The scar was the same demarcation line that they saw when they were monitoring the nebula, the place that looked it got slashed up with a sword. It was not radiant by is own and had no obvious coloration to it. But as nebula and the galactical background did not mesh, and that the light source from other places was completely blocked by the scar, leaving the line a very obvious one.


    ¡°Seems like this Solenne Gateway is something that was chopped out of a bigger block.¡± Lily pointed towards the scar around the star. ¡°And we are flying directly towards it!¡±


    Nolan¡¯s holographic projection suddenly popped up as she forked her arms on her waist, staring sternly at Lily. ¡°Stop that scary talk. The one that is flying towards it is me, I have first-person view for crying out loud!¡±


    Hao Ren subconsciously looked at Nolan, and thought that the longer that she became a ship, this cold and distant ¡® mercenary lass¡¯ was more and more humanlike. But this change probably had nothing to do with her being a spaceship now. The main reason was that Nolan had finally known the ¡®truth¡¯ and she now did not need to worry that things would disappear like a dream and she no longer need to worry about waking up to a world where everyone was a stranger again. She was now living in a bona fide world, a real world and the personality that is on display now is probably her original personality.


    As Hao Ren¡¯s thoughts circled around such immaterial matters, Nolan¡¯s expression suddenly changed as the Petrachelys suddenly deaccelarated and the mainframe sent out a warning. ¡°Space-time anomaly detected, Space-time anomaly detected¡­¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet immediately leaped from her seat. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a space-time distortion ahead of us.¡± Nolan¡¯s projection was fading as she shifted more processing power to the mainframe. ¡°¡­There is a problem with the timeflow at the skewing point.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet rubbed her dainty horn in confusion. ¡°Timeflow?¡±


    Seems like the little demon had not studied that sort of super-advanced module yet.


    The holographic display on the control bridge displayed the celestial map of the area, and the planet named Solenne was right in the middle. It was marked as bright red, and around Solenne was rings upon rings of reddish halo that faded as it went. This was a whirlpool of considerable strength, and Solenne was in the eye of the storm.


    ¡°Seems like both time and space was distorted, and Solenne is at the epicenter of it.¡± Nolan pointed towards Solenne as she gave a rapidfire explanation. ¡°From here on, time flows slower the closer it is to Solenne.¡±


    The bridge fell silent and everyone looked at each other.


    They knew this place was off, but they never thought the thing that was really off was the timeflow. This was not something they had encountered before.


    ¡°This slowdown effect is also present near a blackhole, or when some form of hyper lightspeed travel was used without first stabilizing the space-time continuum.¡± Nolan went on. She probably was not originally equipped with such knowledge, but now that she had access to the data vault, she was a literal walking encyclopedia. ¡°As there is no blackhole, or hyper lightspeed activities in the area, the main reason for the change in timeflow is probably a dimensional distortion¡­ or something even more sinister than that, like the Goddess-slaying War that blew the entire law of the universe in the place to smithereens.¡±

 Chapter 849

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The Solenne Gateway: It was originally a very unique system, it had a massive stellar system and a nebula had continued to create new planets. A gravitational springboard one must pass through if coming from the outer system towards the Star of Creation. The nebula before Hao Ren now is actually just a part of the Solenne Gateway, but it was probably the most significant part, the part that creates nebulas.


    All around the nebula were territories that were once protected by the Guardians. This was their home turf, the place where the Goddess would run her experiments, it was her inner sanctum and palace. The planet Solenne was the first of many gateways into this sacred zone. The place where the Nebula of Creation overlooking every starlight across the system. This was also the place where a few fortunate mortals were able to directly be in touch with the Goddess,; a holy land.


    During the apocalyptic battle, this gateway was the first to fall, and based on what Muru said, even when the gateway had been taken, there were still ferocious combat on and around the gateway. The treacherous children¡¯s army swarmed every inch of terrirtory with the the Solenne Gateway while the surviving guardians found on tooth and nail from the remaining citadels and strongholds on the planet, hoping to turn the tide and help their mother. This heroic battle lasted until the very last moment, until the entire Solenne Gateway and the Star of Creation was plunged into the Umbral Realm. As no one could see what¡¯s within the Umbral Realm, no one knew what became of the guardians who stood their ground to the very end. Muru too had no idea what had happened after the fall of the gateway that it had turned out this way now.


    Now, the gateway was a dimensional wreck there the timeflow had gone haywire. The entire nebula was now stuck in a very peculiar state of contradiction. The laws of the universe does not seem to exist in the place, and the past grandeur of the gate into the holy land was no longer apparent.


    The Petrachelys stopped at the edge of the timeflow flux, Nolan ran multiple scans and tests to determine the situation ahead, and now everyone at least know the radius of the flux, and that the timeflow distortion worsens the closer it is to Solenne. For that planet, time had slowed to a pace where it had practically stopped.


    ¡°Basing on prelimenary calculations, the timeflow distortion is the worst on the surface of Solenne itself. One hour there is literally a thousand years elsewhere.¡± Nolan¡¯s voice was tinged with surprise. ¡°And seems like it had been in this state for a very long while, probably from the time where the dimension started skewing.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks crossed his arms over his chest as he stared intently at the images on the holographic display. The wonders of the universe reminded him of his passion for exploration back in the days. ¡°This how extraordinary the universe is¡­ I cannot fathom what sort of energy could cause time to distort as such.¡±


    Hao Ren kept silent the moment he heard that the timeflow had been distorted, as a torrent of thoughts finally started to take shape within his mind. A few minutes later, he suddenly knocked against the control dais, agitation in his voice. ¡°Do you know what this means?¡±


    Lily thoughts for a bit. ¡°So.. we can wait for the final chapter of Detective Conan here?¡±


    Hao Ren smacked the husky¡¯s head without second thought. ¡°That means the God-slaying war on that planet had only just passed the ten hour mark! Means that the treacherous children¡¯s army had only left the place ten hours ago! Maybe some are still there!¡±


    A pall of silence fell on the bridge, even Y¡¯lisabet was gawking at the revelation. Belatedly she exclaimed, ¡°¡­ Wow this is so cool!¡±


    ¡°Can we head in there?¡± Hao Ren stared at the MDT that was playing dead on the control dais (playing dead to prevent anyone from taking it off the socket). ¡°Under the condition that we are able to ward off the time distortion.¡±


    Hao Ren thought that this was a rare opportunity and wanted under any circumstances to head on to Solenne to see what was going on. But the time distortion is a fatal problem, especially when an hour on the planet equates to thousands outside. This means that by the time he let out a sneeze on the planet, the people on Earth probably had already colonised Mars. As this was something he had never enconutered before, Hao Ren felt that was a particularly tricky question.


    Yet the MDT¡¯s responsed was relaxed. ¡°Of course. No problem. We can negate the timeflow distrotion, but this is a one-time only and cannot be reversed. Using the ship¡¯s void engine will do.¡±


    ¡°Negating the timeflow distortion?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s was stunned. ¡°On what basis?¡±


    ¡°The Xiling Celestials are immune to the negative effects from any disruption to the law of the universe. And any of their creations are equipped with the same ability. The basis of which that after ¡®jumping¡¯ out of a planet one would be in contact with the ¡®void¡¯. The MDT tried to explain this complicated question. ¡°Do you know what is the concept of ¡®worlds¡¯?¡±


    Hao Ren blinked as he started to recall what he had previously studied. ¡°It must be within a space-time continuum that is self-contained and yet compatible with the universal manifold? A series of information is able to self-, and is fully equipped with all the data it requires. It is a massive continuous self-deductive mathematical equation that works under series of mathematical laws to conduct internal calculations and cycles. Externally it is the activities that happen within the universe. This system is called a ¡®world¡¯.


    ¡°There¡¯s a few mistakes here and there, but there¡¯s the gist of it.¡± the Mdt flashed twice to signal that Hao Ren was correct.¡± The world is a self-consitent model, and the void is the primal chaos outside this model. Touching the void means you¡¯re out of the world, and are no longer bound by the world¡¯s rules, this includes perception and any physical laws. Time itself is what? No matter what it is, it can only affect what is within this world. Once something out of the world appears, it will be destroyed, and subsequently reset.¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly understood what it mean. ¡°So when we set the ship for void travel, and ram directly into the place¡­¡±


    ¡°We could negate whatever form of time distortion. But this process will also destroy the distorted structure there and once the void engine shuts down the area around Solenne will reset to the normal timeflow. This ¡®normal timeflow¡¯ will match the surrounding universe.


    Lily blinked as she listened on to the borderline metaphysics discussion Hao Ren and the MDT had. Even if she was the most educated of the lot, this was something out of her league, and she could only nodded, feigning understanding. ¡°Can this work?¡±


    ¡°Simple, brutal and effective.¡± the MDT was confident. ¡°We¡¯re just hitting the circuit breaker of the timeflow here to reset it. Well, since the the slowdown was not caused by gravity or anything, it¡¯s just a programming error, this sort of ¡®bug¡¯ can be fixed easily.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and gave Nolan an order. ¡°Activate the void engine, we¡¯ll smash our way through. Stop on the signal from the MDT.¡±


    The MDT¡¯s methods was simple and effective, but it was slightly on the brutal side of things. It was using a ¡®foregin object¡¯ to pass through the time distortion to force an area-wide reset of the timeflow. This was almost a hail mary sort of treatment, as the void engine¡¯s activation will cause a great amount of stress to the world, and the engine needs to be stopped before the world disintegrates into binary codes.


    The Petrachelys reacted almost immediately, as the center portion of the ship armor glowed in a radiant blue grid. The void engine was now active, and the blue grids quicky turned illusory and placed the ship on standby to jump out of the universe.


    Strictly speaking, the ship now was not something the rule of this world was able to comprehend, and yet as it forcibly stayed on, that triggered a chain reaction. The skewing point of the nebula shuddered, and the light around it faded away as if was swallowed by omething. And even some of the stars and planets slowly lost their form in the shuddering and became almost like two-dimensional art clip.


    The ship was now headed straight for Solenne.


    Hao Ren nervously looked at the scene outside as he mumbled out his orders. ¡°Nolan, slowly, slowly¡­ Lower the engine power output¡­ WAH! Easy on the clutch! Treat this like a walk¡­ No, don¡¯t step on the accelerator! Legs off! Alright, just like this, slowly, steady, mind the speedometer¡­¡±


    Nolan had enough. ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Solenne¡¯s image was fading by the moment, and was just about to disintegrate into merger binary integres, but just as it was about to totally fade from the shuddering caused by the void engine, the MDT barked the order. ¡°Cease!¡±


    Nolan immediately slammed the brakes¡­ oh, she didn¡¯t. She just merely cut off the power to the void engine and just as the ship was about to descend into the void, the Petrachelys floated precariously on the world¡¯s edge. After a short buzz like a TV with poor reception, the ship form was restored.


    Solenne and and the surrouning area too had been restored. The light was slowly stabilising and while the dimensional distortion is still there, the timeflow of the place had started moving again, at the usual pace.


    The Petrachelys arrived slowly on Solenne¡¯s orbit. On this very planet, the god-slaying war had just ended ten hours ago.

 Chapter 850

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After the Petrachelys¡¯ void engine had administered a powerful ¡®shock therapy¡¯ the timeflow of the skewing point at the Solenne Gateway was reset and once again flowed as normal. In actuality, a ¡®reset¡¯ was not the accurate terminology, as within the skewing point, the timeflow was normal, just that the surrounding universe was moving much much slower, but these minute details is not important.


    The Petrachelys slowly closed into Solenne¡¯s orbit with all early-warning radars and weapon systems online. As on this planet, the god-slaying war had just ended ten hours ago. No one could be sure that the perimeter was safe. Nolan used the ship¡¯s radar to do a rough scan of the energy signatures on the planet¡¯s surface and immediately detected several hundred high-intensity flash points, yet there were no locations that had any danger indicators.


    ¡°This is the main gate of the holy land, and the entire planet is turned into a fortress. High-intensity energy signatures are normal, even if the fortress have already been leveled.¡± Hao Ren said as he commanded the ship to break into the atmosphere. ¡°Woah¡­ that seems bad.¡±


    As the Petrachelys broke through the thick layer of cloud and the planet¡¯s surface that was previously hidden now lay naked before them. Hao Ren saw kilometers upon kilometers of scorched earth and the land was ablaze. The demarcating lines between land and water and all planet life is can no longer be distinguished. The rivers had long dried up, leaving an ugly worm-like gully. The sea was left with nothing but a boiling water pit, and lava flowed freely across the land. A massive ring shaped mountain was visible from orbit, and that was probably the crater made by some powerful orbital weapon.


    Hao Ren even saw a deep snaking trench all along the equator that turned his gut. The trench had went through the whole planet¡¯s circumference and an omnious red glow came out of the exposed mantle. The trench had divided Solenne into two. Hao Ren had no idea what sort of weapon that could inflict destruction of such a scale on the planet, but he was sure that, if the prepetrators behind this had enough time or did not faced such resistance, they would have blown the planet into oblivion.


    Hao Ren looked at one of the window panels of the communicator. He knew that Muru was looking at the surface. But the giant guardian had not said a word. To break the awkward silent, Hao Ren asked. ¡°Muru.. this place¡­¡±


    ¡°This was once a grand and beautiful holy land.¡± Muru spoke slowly. ¡°This was one of the most beautfil gardens Mother had created. Everyday many pilgrims from the nearby star systems would visit here. As the planet could not receive the amount of devotees, many of them were happy that they were able to pay their respects in orbit.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s all destroyed now.¡± Lily sighed. Even the husky would have moments like this. ¡°Are the treacherous children that strong?¡±


    ¡°More than you think. Solenne was a fortress, and while it was open to pilgroms, this planet was meant to serve as a stronghold. There were powerful planetary shields and orbital defense systems. Across the planet there¡¯s around 2,500 holy sanctums, and the power of these sanctums could easily destroy anything in space, yet the planet was taken. Only after did they overcame the defensives did they destroyed the planet. That trench over there is caused by a gravitational tide weaponry. Because the resistance at the gateway was ferocious, normal troops could not stamp out the fighting. So the treacherous children decided to annihilate every planet in the area, but before their plan could be fully enacted, the explosion of the Star of Creation put a halt to it.


    ¡°There¡¯s plenty of time to drown in nostalgia. Time is of the essence.¡± Y¡¯zaks reminded the rest. ¡°Time has started flowing again in this place, and any information left on the battlefield is being engulfed by the inferno.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately ordered the ship to continue its descend as he activated every sensors and detectors to look for sign of life on the planet. He then turned towards Muru, ¡°Can you hear the voice of the other guardians?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. But we are already quite close.¡± There was confusion in Muru¡¯s voice. ¡°But that distress signal was on-off.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet hugged her arms as she thought about it, and there was something she did not quite understand. ¡°Wait a minute, if the time in this area was distorted before, then how did the distress signal got out? It would take ages for it to travel out of Solenne to the wider universe, and there could be distortions as well.¡±


    The MDT flashed in blue as it spoke. ¡°There¡¯s indeed this problem, and there is a possiblity of some sort of interruption when the nebula ¡®hit¡¯ realspace, causing any data from the planet to go out on the normal timeflow.¡±


    Hao Ren raised his eyebrows. ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°The distress signal that Muru received probably was not real time. It was probably from the main universe ten thousand years ago, or a few hours ago on this planet. It was sent when the fighting was till ongoing. But now, as you can see¡­¡±


    The MDT did not continue and a screen showing the scene outside popped up.


    A desolated land. There was nothing but fire, smoke, shell crates and death. There were no signs of life, no hope of possibly finding anything. Regardless of whoever that sent the signal, they had probably already perished heroically in the flames of war.


    Muru did not say anything and simply let out a long sigh. He probably had anticipated this since the beginning, and had maintain his composure, yet his sigh was undoubtedly heavy.


    Lily too was slightly disappointed, but she did not gave up and continued monitoring the images from the cameras and probes. As a new set of images came into her sight, she saw something akin to a silhouette of ruined structures and amongst them, a fireball sped past.


    ¡°There¡¯s something there!¡± Lily immediately leapt up from her chair. ¡°I saw a flash! A firefight!¡±


    Hao Ren immediately enlarged the image that Lily was pointing to. ¡°Nolan, set location.¡±


    Nolan swiftly directed some of the more sensitive radars towards the direct. ¡°Energy signature positive¡­ There are signs of logic control, and life signatures. Hostile engagement positive! Increasing speed!¡±


    There was an ongoing battle! Is there anything more astonishing than that?


    Hao Ren tried hard to rein in his emotions. He knew deep within that what the ongoing fighting on this planet means. This was something unpredecented, a scene that transcended ten millenais was about to unfold before him, and his fingers was tingling. He activated a console on the captain¡¯s seat. ¡°Nolan, bring the weapon systems online and set it to assault mode.¡±


    The MDT subconciously asked. ¡°Pardner, you sure about using those guys within the planet¡¯s atmosphere?¡±


    Hao Ren pointed to the desolated earth outside. ¡°You think the Planetary Preservation Accords is applicable here?¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ you have a point.¡±


    ¡°Lets stay alert, we may run into the remnants of the treacherous children¡¯s army.¡± Hao Ren said as he inspected the weapons¡¯s status. ¡°Those guys won¡¯t be push-overs. They dared to go fighting face to to face with a real god.¡±


    The Petrachelys descended to a lower altitude, and used the thick smog and extreme heat to mask her approach towards the combat zone. It did not take long for them to reach the flashpoint as the flashes of combat raged.


    Once great structures once stood on the battleground were nothing but bombed out ruins, while it was still quite some distance away, one could tell from the silhouettes that the building was enormous. There were pillars of smokes coming out of the building that streaked to the sky, within it were the occasional flashes. Hao Ren turned to Muru to enquire about the place. ¡°You know what once stood there?¡±


    ¡°Ahead of us is possibly a holy sanctum.¡± Muru¡¯s voice came from the communicator. ¡°The city is a sub-part of the sanctum. There were many lightstreams flowing towards the sanctum to provide it energy. Seems like the power system had already been destroyed. Beware of the places with the green light, they are crystals formed from the collapse of the lightstream. Once one explodes it¡¯ll cause a chain reaction.¡±


    Under Muru¡¯s guidance Hao Ren saw a belt of eerie green trail on the scorched grounds. They were as wide as rivers, coming from all directions. All of the streams converged upon the building, and the crystals were probably the condensed form of energy, and best to just leave them be.


    At that very moment, the Petrachelys picked up a few active energy signals from the middle of the city ruins. ¡°Warning. Unknown entity detected. Warning. Unknown entity detected¡­¡±


    The images from the sensors outside immediately appeared on the holographic projector. Hao Ren saw three streamlined objects the shape of a lobster appearing amongst the ruins.


    Muru¡¯s voice rumbled. ¡°It¡¯s those treacherous children!¡±


    Hatred seethed through his clenched jaw.

 Chapter 851

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Muru was composed when the group arrived on the planet, at least on the surface. Ten millenia away from his homeland had changed it into a distant memory. Even when Solenne was bathed in nuclear fire, the giant was still calm. But yet, this calm was finally shattered as he saw the bizzarely curved insect-like aircrafts as his furious voice roared through the communicator.


    ¡°No worries, I¡¯ll take them down.¡± Hao Ren immediately set the three crafts as hostile targets and activated the twin auxiliary cannons on both sides of the Petrachelys.


    At the same time, the three aircrafts have noticed the presence of the Petrachelys, the pilots were probably in confusion on how an unknown third party spacecraft had popped out of nowhere, but to them, anything not them is an enemy, and the three immediately scrambled as a line of alloys on the wings started glowing omniously.


    As the glow on the wings expanded, the Petrachelys¡¯ weapons lost its lock. Seems like those light were some sort of countermeasure and that led Hao Ren to respect their technology even more. But it did not tgake long for Nolan to quickly recalibrate her aim and fired the auxilliary cannons.


    Two streaks of sapphire-coloured lances blasted out of the underside of the Petrachelys and struck two of the aircrafts in the distance. One of them seemed to have suffered critical damage and its shields petered out after a brief struggle, and violent explosions wrecked havoc across its frame and the machine was reduced into nothing but a rain of molten metal falling into a corner of the city. Another machine was much more successful in blocking the attack, the barriers seemed to have strengthed at the very critical moment and after a moment, the attack petered out. It did not waste any time in sending two cannon shots in the Petrachelys¡¯ direction.


    A few of the chaotic light orbs appeared out of thin air as they struck the Petrachelys¡¯ shields. The corruption orbs let out a greyish mist that corrodes all materials across the shield and it was continuously consuming the shield¡¯s energy. Nolan immediately barked a warning. ¡°Shields level going down!¡±


    The Petrachelys had survived Io¡¯s planetary scale assault, and her shields¡¯ strength was almost indestructible to the mortal races, but yet there it was taking damage, and while it was minimal, it was a clear as day that the treacherous children¡¯s weapons were beyond mortal capabilities.


    This was the difference with their ¡®core¡¯, and this means that the traitors had indeed stolen the Goddess¡¯ powers.


    Hao Ren was not only focusing on destroying the lobster-like aircrafts and he was also getting the MDT to quickly collect all usable data, like the weapons and shields systems of the aircrafts. He was rather interested in the corruptive light orbs. ¡°What¡¯s that? Some sort of energy weapon?¡±


    ¡°It somewhat fits the energy weapon bill, but it also have effect against divinity.¡± the MDT¡¯s tone of voice too suggested that it was intrigued. ¡°The Petrachelys have some sort of divinity to it and any mortal attacks will be reduced by a certain percentile, but yet this orbs have managed to breach this limit¡­ Interesting. While there are other civilisations in the void that can do that, for a civilisation trapped within this universe to do so, that¡¯s extraordinary.¡±


    Muru¡¯s voice rang from the communicatior. ¡°Simple, their knowledge about divinity were all stolen.¡±


    ¡°No matter how they researched that¡­¡± Hao Ren collected the required data before placing his hands on the weapons control panel. ¡°They¡¯re all dead now. The spirits from ten millenais ago, let it be ashes to ashes, dust to dust.¡±


    The weapons systems roared to life again and signature blue lance of the psionic cannons tore through the air. The space between Petrachelys and the two aircrafts turned into a light stream as the psionic came into contact with the corruptive eneriges. And like a shattered glass, the shield finally unravelled and the two lobster-shaped spacecraft turned by the explosions into two raging inferno as they plummeted to the ground raining molten metal.


    Nolan had already noticed the weakspots of the aircrafts the first time around and she had recalibrated the shot that the second round was a confirmed kill.


    As the two remaining ships destroyed, the light orbs sticking onto the Petrachelys¡¯ shields unravelled and its damaging effects to the shields ended.


    ¡°Light damage, nothing to be concerned of.¡± Nolan reported. ¡°Huh¡­ it¡¯s sure terrifying, your maiden battle. Facing this in a first person view is not good for my heart.¡±


    Hao Ren quipped. ¡°You have a heart?¡±


    ¡°I have three types of engines, two energy furance and a mainframe core and you¡¯re asking me if I have a heart?¡± Nolan glared at Hao Ren like he was a silly muppet. ¡°I can just pick anyone of those to act as my heart.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The combat ended faster than Hao Ren had thought. It only took barely a few minutes from the first exchange of gire to the destruction of the enemy aircrafts. As Hao Ren had only used the auxilliary cannons this time around, the damage to the surrounding was light.The biggest damage was caused by the trans-dimesion disintegration when the psionic lances shot out and the shock waves scarred the already ruined earth. As the laws of reality weakened just for that fraction of a moment, some of the items on the ground were disintegrated, but given how battle-scarred the land was, a couple extra craters was not a problem.


    Up in the air, the spatial tear caused by the psionic cannons started to heal. Hao Ren commandeered the ship around the dangerous scar and continued the low-altitude cruise towards the city ruins. Lily quipped on a whim. ¡°This was much easier than I thought. I was imagining how powerful they might be.¡±


    Muru immediately grunted as he heared what Lily said, intending to correct her for understanding her opponents. ¡°That is their most basic weaponry meant for atmospheric combat. Their battleships and the ¡®Gate of Corruption¡¯ is something to behold. I¡¯m afraid your ship is no match for those.¡±


    ¡°What are the chances of us running into those two here?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°¡­Not likely, those are massive galatical weapons.¡±


    ¡°Then we are pretty safe down here.¡± Hao Ren let out a sigh of relief. ¡°The Petrachelys is capable of facing those aircrafts, but if they were to come in a swarm¡­ that attack is sure disgusting, it¡¯s like eating up a shield. If there¡¯s a whole load of them¡­¡±


    Before Hao Ren could finish, Y¡¯lisabet leapt up and used her little fist to jam Hao Ren¡¯s mouth. The little demon rumbled as she hung on midair. ¡°Stop it stop it! Papa said that you¡¯ve a big mouth, so please don¡¯t say that!¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Y¡¯lisabet speechlessly before glaring at Y¡¯zaks. The latter coughed drying before bending down to lace his shoes, even though his shoes had no lace to begin with.


    ¡°Seems like there¡¯s no more hostile signatures.¡± Nolan opened her eyes ¨C the series of sensors and cameras on the hull. ¡°No similar energy signatures like those lobsters earlier and there¡¯s no other signatures from the city as well.¡±


    ¡°There was a firefight down here.¡± Hao Ren frowned. ¡°If there was fighting, then there should¡¯ve been resistance¡­ or have the defenders perished?¡± No one could answer his question, and thus Nolan could only bring the ship into the city quarters, and what greeted them was a sorrowful scene of devastation.


    This was the city created by the guardian giants. Even when they were totally destroyed, once could still the the scale and grandeur of the place.


    Especially the scale of it.


    Muru¡¯s kin had an affinity for black constructs, the city was pretty much doused in black. Multiple gigantic pyramid-shaped structure stood in the middle of the city. Their outer lines were visible yet orderly and eachn structure was at least a few hundred meters into the air. These black abodes were made using a material made out of metal and rock and their surface was encrusted with a green crystal. The crystal shone brightly as if it was imbued with life, and even when the city was devastated. At areas that were more lightly damaged, pipings and drawbridges supports made out of crystals and metal were still standing. They formed a complex yet orderly airborne structure, and they were probably used for transportation of goods prior to their destruction.


    And all of these structures, were massive.


    ¡°So where to next?¡± Nolan asked for Hao Ren¡¯s opinion.


    Hao Ren pondered .¡±What direction did that three aircraft came from?¡±


    Nolan used a laser mark on the holographic map projection, pointing towards a point in the city. ¡°From the vicinity of that gigantic building.

 Chapter 852

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Ten thousand years ago, there were pilgrims who had used these very words to record the scenery of Solenne. A holy and majestic land where the giants, children of the Goddess had built their great cities as a testament and record of their mother¡¯s glory and greatness. They had brought from the deep space remants of stars and planets and had turned these materials on the planet¡¯s core into the black, obsidian bricks. These bricks were stronger than any metal, yet was light as feather. Thousands upon thousands of them stood upon the earth, and amonst them glew a neverending light. The giants had also encrusted crystals of supernovas and the top of their great sanctums. These crystals beamed with energy, and on holiest of planets on the Solenne Gateway, serve as a lighthouse, bringing light to all mortals.


    Even as the planet now lay in complete ruin, Hao Ren could imagine the glorious days of yore from the ruins.


    In the middle of the city centre was the most massive and magnificent of buildings. It was formed by an inordinate about of black stone pillars, tower complexes and pyramidial monuments. Many bizzare shapes were carved out of a massive rock and the main complex had multiple pyramidial points that formed layer upon layer. Most of the moving parts had a faint light green glow to it. On the massive temple-like structure, the light green crystals were all over the building, and at the most concetrated point where the crystals were encrusted was a bridge-like structure that jutted into the air. Hao Ren reckoned that these structures were the lightstreams and during the better days, a dozen of these lightstreams supplied energy to the temple and allowed it to exudes a godly strength.


    This building was no mere pilgrimage temple, it was a powerful weapon as well. It bore the responsibility of blasting any hostile beings in space with a powerful destructive laser. But seemed like the treacherous children had used divine weapons stolen to breakthrough the planet¡¯s shields and destroyed the defensive structures from space.


    As the Petrachelys made her slow approach towards the temple, Hao Ren saw a horrifying hole on the side of the building that had collapsing inwards. Seems like this was the hit that took the temple offline.


    The frigate reduced her speed gradually before passing through a few stone pillars and found a continuous platform. Hao Ren noticed something on the platform. ¡°Wait up? What are those? AA cannons?¡±


    There was a number of trident-like weaponry lining the platform. The weapons were set on a circular base and most of them were pointing towards the air, and many more were destroyed. Yet a faint halo lingered in the air. These weapons were probably ineffective against spaceborne targets and were meant for atmospheric defense.


    Nolan gave the ¡®tridents¡¯ a scan. ¡°Based on the energy signatures, these weapons were still in use.. There¡¯s a body there.¡±


    ¡°Lets go have a look.¡± Hao Ren got out of his seat and called upon Muru. ¡°Muru, follow us. Lily, Y¡¯zaks, with me. Y¡¯lisabet, you stay and look after the ship.¡±


    The little demon would have normally protested, she after all did not want to miss the chance of an adventure. She somehow realised the gravity of the situation and did not say anything and nodded. But what was going on in that diablolic mind of hers is anyone¡¯s guess.


    Y¡¯zaks gave his daughter a pat on the head before looking at Nolan¡¯s holographic projection. ¡°If she dares pull out her screwdriver, feel free to slam her into the cargo hold.


    ¡°Takes a father to know his daughter!¡± Everyone exclaimed.


    Muru finally do not need to coop up in the hangar any longer and he followed Hao Ren and the rest out of the Petrachelys. Finally stepping into his homeland again after ten thousand years, yet what greeted the guardian was scene of devastation, ruined cities and scorched earth. The landscape was nothing but a wasteland now and toxic gas permeated across the land. Lily had to put on her lifehoop to filter out the poisnous gas as her tail wagged about in the scorching air. ¡°Feels like the place is about to go ablaze..¡±


    ¡°The place had already been burnt. Didn¡¯t you see the rivers and seas have all dried up?¡± Hao Ren frowned as he stepped on holy grounds ( this was not considered stepping into the Goddess¡¯ domain officially). His first impression was the place was on the rather poor side. This was a burning inferno, and nothing on this hell on earth was particularly pleasing. Hao Ren quickened his steps towards the giant and noted that the giant was wearing a black uniform, and it was as female giant.


    The giant sat couched on the AA cannon seat, her massive frame was limp and there were a few fatal puncture holes on her body while her hand was still on the controller of the trident. As Hao Ren went forward to have a look at the body, her hand slipped lifelessly and the control panel was activated, and the shriek later, a blinding lightning beam shot towards the sky.


    Lily was scared silly.


    ¡°She¡¯s dead.¡± Muru went on a knee beside his kin and made a simple gesture to convey his respects. ¡°She died in glory, and fought till the very end. Mother will be proud of this warrior.¡±


    Hao Ren touched the dead warrior with his hand and felt a surge of warmth at the tip of his fingers. The warrior was only just killed not too long ago. Ten minutes ago, she was probably still alive. The fighting that were detected by the Petrachelys from afar happened here. This AA base was only manned by the solitary soldier, her enemies were the treacherous children¡¯s fighter squadron, and with the gulf of power, she was fighting a lost cause.


    Only that he witnessed the warrior that could have been alive ten minutes ago that Hao Ren understood what sort of place he was in now. Ground zero of a god-slaying war.


    Hao Ren had theorised that the planet was still frozen in time for ten thousand years, when the Petrachelys thad shot down the three aircraft, or when he saw the still burning ruins in the air, none of that gave him the same revelation as the contact he had with dead warrior before him. From the touch, he felt that a timeflow in flux correcting itself, and a war happened ten thousand years ago had incredibly stepped through time, and landed right smack in his face.


    A scorching sensation followed by the sound of creaking lava came from beside, Y¡¯zaks had slowly transformed into his demonic form to guard against any danger. He looked around the perimeter before stepping into a corner of the platform, his voice a rolling thunder. ¡°There¡¯s something here!¡±


    There was a smoking crater about a hundred meters away from the AA base and sparks still danced about the crater. Hao Ren and the rest quickly followed Y¡¯zaks steps as they came to the side of the crater, eyes widened.


    There was a ten-meter long, lobster-like fighter craft laying in the crater. There was a gaping hole on it, but the structure was still intact.


    A wreckage of the treacherous children.


    Muru turned to the AA base. ¡°That warrior managed to take one down before she died.¡±


    This discovery surprised Hao Ren. He was rather regretful that when he totally annihilated the three ¡®lobster fighters¡¯ earlier. The Petrachelys¡¯ firepower was just too overwhelming, and even the lowest output was enough to turn the target into dust. As he was unable to recover any samples from the earlier engagement, Hao Ren was pleasantly surprised that an intact one had appeared before him. He grabbed the MDT to give the wreckage a scan. ¡°This thingmajig here won¡¯t explode, right?¡±


    The MDT let out a blue glow as it scanned the wreckage before reassuring the rest. ¡°It¡¯s safe. The energy core seems to have been punctured and there¡¯s almost nothing left in the ship.


    Hao Ren and Lily immediately leapt into the crater and started investigating the wreckage.


    The oddly shaped aircraft was different from any other ships and combat crafts. Its curved outline does not have an obvious cockpit. But Lily managed to locate the entry just by using her nose. She waved her Flame-effing-Joy about as she cut a hole on the hull of the aircraft, sparks flying about. As the latter had already lost is energy store, Lily had managed to quickly cut a hole big enough to fit her before slipping into the machine.


    Hao Ren picked up the plate that was cut open by Lily and noticed the inner part of the plat had many intricate patterns. These patterns were clearly not for display, but they did not look like there were electrical circuits either.


    ¡°These are holy inscriptions.¡± Muru squatted beside Hao Ren as he tried to restrain his disgust as he explained the secrets of the inscriptions to the latter. ¡°They had stolen the truth of the world from Mother¡¯s language, and have inscribed them on their armor. This allowed their army to be immune to all sorts of supernatural powers, and were resistant against the guardian¡¯s spells and mental attacks. They even inscribed the same runes onto their soldier¡¯s skull, and this allow their soldiers to have the same resistance. If their anti-divinity corruptive weapons are their spear. These holy inscriptions acts as their shield. It¡¯s through this two items that they had managed to fight toe-to-toe with a god.¡±

 Chapter 853

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren threw the inscribed armor piece back to the wreckage of the ¡®lobster fighter¡¯. He was planning to salvage the entire wreckage to find out more about this thingmajing¡¯s structure. He clamebered towards the big hole which Lily had cut through and poked his head in to look. Amongst the twisted metal was a flash of silver fur, Lily was still busy inside. ¡°Need any help? Found anything?¡±


    ¡°Yep! I¡¯m trying to drag this bugger out.¡± Lily yelled back. ¡°Mr Landlord, stay outside, this place is just too cramped¡­ Move away, I¡¯ll get out just about now!¡±


    Lily seemed to have found the pilot and Hao Ren immediately made way for the werehusky to make her exit. A moment later, a corpse with a sky-blue uniform came out of the hole, as Lily¡¯s head popped out underneath. ¡°Give me a hand, I¡¯m a little off-balance.¡±


    Before Hao Ren could even move, a massive hand came from above. Muru grabbed the corpse like picknig a bug before throwing it on the ground. Hatred seethed through his thunderous voice. ¡°Serve you right!¡±


    Hao Ren walked towards the corpse as he waved at Muru. ¡°I understand how you feel, but don¡¯t you go spitting on this guy. I still need to run an autopsy.¡±


    Lily was already squatting beside the corpse as she and Hao Ren curiously inspected the corpse. This was the first time they have ever seen a ¡®treacherous child¡¯.


    Hao Ren had never imagined that he would meet one under such circumstances, the cause of all troubles in the Plane of Dreams, the arrogant race that dared to slay a god. The timeflux had given him this unique opportunity to see a corpse of a treacherous children soldier that was dead no longer than ten minutes ago.


    He had imagined what the race would have looked like, he thought that they would probably be as strong and mighty as the guardian giants, and have a demonic demeanour like Y¡¯zaks, or heck as a race that stole a god¡¯s power, they would have at least a wee bit of divine presence, but his imaginations were quickly undone by what he had saw. A humanoid being not unlike humans, with a pale gold skin and long limbs. They were not particular tall or big either.


    Yet the soldier had a very unique characteristic. His features were well proportioned, and his limbs strong, there were no deformities. His facial features looked like as if it came out of a factory without any blemish. Every line on the face was gentle and perfect while his pale gold skin and slightly curled golden hair seemed like to emphasis on this very fact. Even though he was a mere foot soldier, this ¡®treacherous child¡¯ was as pretty as a god of war from a painting is. From apperance alone, he seemed ¡®perfect¡¯, at least in the eyes of humans.


    Hao Ren could not help but mumble. ¡°Already that handsome and you¡¯re still looking for a fight? Just go sell your looks throughout the universe and you¡¯d be golden.¡±


    Lily poked the face of the corpse. ¡°Looks okay, but too thin and looks like it has no meat. I like meaty ones.¡±


    This werehusky¡¯s choice of words were brutal and direct. Hao Ren dared not wonder if the ¡®meaty¡¯ referred to her physical perference or appetite¡­


    ¡°They wanted to be gods, and their ardor was such that their way of life had changed.¡± Muru kneeled down as he spoke with a sarcastic tone. ¡°They have modified their bodies, changed their genes, set up all sorts of weird etiquette, all to fit their image of a ¡®perfect man¡¯ in their culture. This made them feel that they are a step closer to the gods. But this initial actions did not rouse the suspisions of the guardians, all of us felt that they were just being foolish¡­ The guardians and most Second Born have a very different world view, and we did not realise this treacherous actions had any deeper meaning to it.¡±


    ¡°You guys were really slow on the uptake.¡± Hao Ren shook his head as he sighed. ¡°A few hundred years ago on Earth, if someone were to paint his house yellow, he¡¯ll probably see his head roll, don¡¯t even mention about changing one¡¯s looks to be like the gods.¡±


    Lily lookede at Hao Ren quizzically. ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡±


    ¡°When someone ambitious starts to mimic the lifestyle of something beyond him, that means he¡¯s about to rebel.¡± Hao Ren smirked before playing the MDT on the treacherous child¡¯s chest. ¡°Do a biological scan.¡±


    The MDT let out a wavy blue light as it scanned the body. ¡°A branch of the standard humanoid template. Level of evolution is high, and there are many traces of genetic engineering. There are many implants and strengthening inserts as well, the body is extremely strong because of that. Seems like he could go toe-to-toe with a werewolf. Based on the energy traces in the body, this being probably have a very powerful energy manipulation ability, and is possibly skilled with techniques that manipulates supernatural energies.¡±


    ¡°How about divinity?¡±


    ¡°Of course there¡¯s none. They have only stolen divine knowledge, but that did not mean that they have found the right path to be a real god.¡± The MDT returned to Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder. ¡°They only had its power without actually being in contact with the source. All in all, they are just a strong barbaric race.¡±


    ¡°A shame that such a barbaric race almost destroyed the order of this universe.¡± Y¡¯zaks sighed as he rained embers beside Hao Ren.


    Hao Ren took the corpse and the wreckage and stored them into his Dimensional Pocket. ¡°Well, we¡¯ll run the detailed analysis once we send these things back to CARS, then we¡¯ll head¡­Hmm? What¡¯s wrong, Muru?


    ¡°My kin¡¯s aura is present over there.¡± Muru said as he ran towards the rear gate of the temple. ¡°My kin is alive!¡±


    Hao Ren realised that he had no way to seek clarification and immediately led the rest in a frantic sprint behind Muru. And yet, Muru was a giant tens of meters tall and his speed at full sprint was nothing to be laughed at. Y¡¯zaks did not seem to have a problem catching up but Hao Ren and Lily¡¯s tiny legs could only carry them that far. Lily after a coupe of steps before letting out a furious howl, and after strong gale later, she had turned into her husky form. Her paws rattling mountains as she dashed forward.


    Just as Lily completed her transformation, Hao Ren had managed to deftly grab a hold of her tail, and after being tossed about he had managed to climb on to the husky¡¯s back. ¡°F*ck me¡­ Can you say something before transforming? I was nearly squashed under your paw!¡±


    ¡°Awoo? Woof!¡±


    Lets just pretend that she understood that.


    The grand temple really fits its moniker, and even a normal path was kilometeres in width, but such was the creation of the giants. Hao Ren and the rest circled through the front entrance to the back, dashing ahead at lightning spped. As they went forth, a series of explosions came from the back of the temple, while a blinding flash flared.


    A couple more flashes and explosions soon followed and it was like a thunder storm going on at the back of the temple. Y¡¯zaks yelled. ¡°Combat!¡±


    They finally made their way through the last corridor and saw the scene at the back of the temple.


    The sky wreathed with a powerful storm as countless of thunderbolts and white lightning orbs clashed and disintegrated midair. There were about ten red armored ¡®humans¡¯ attacking the entrance of the temple. These attackers were brightly dressed, and their morale high. On the surfance they looked like they were all skilled combatants. Their armor had a crimson base that is affixed with golden inlays as halo floated just above the armor. These made the fighters looked as dashing as the gods from a Greek sculpture.


    As the battlecry and thunderbolts rattled the area, these flying attackers used powerful magics to unleash powerful thunderous lances towards the temple.


    And guarding the temple as a sole, furious guardian.


    The guardian¡¯s robes were in tatters, and his black wardress had visible burn marks. He was wielding staff that flickered with thunderbolts. The very same weapon that Muru had used, that is both a spear and a ranged weapon that is capable of unleashing plasma pulse. The guardian was fighting ferociously agains the storm of magic and gunfire, not giving a step back. It was clear however, that he was at a disadvantage.


    A sole treacherous child may not defeat a guardian, but the numbers disadvantage is now one to ten.

 Chapter 854

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Just as Muru had explained, the treacherous children used myriad of ways to try to attain godhood, this unholy ardor had caused them to keep changing their actions to mimic the image of ¡®god¡¯ in their minds. For mortals, the image of ¡®god¡¯ is often the perfect being, the being personified, without flaws, yet similar to their origins. This pursuit had led them to tinker with their genetic code to change their appearance, while donning expensive and ritualistic armor, yet the change in outer appearance did nothing to change their core. They were merely a mortal race that had immense power, yet they were more barbaric than most mortal races.


    They attacked the guardian¡¯s temple without reservation. With a posture akin to the gods they struck the place, but their motives were selfish. A dozen crimson robed traitors were flying in the air, using magic and weaponry to conjure thunderbolts to assault the guardian before the gate. The leading warrior even yelled. ¡°Give up your futile struggle! This place has fallen. Give the thing to us, and we will spare both your lives.¡±


    The guardian giant raised his battle staff as he flung a lightning whip towards the foe, as his grey hair rose into the air, he roared defiantly. ¡°I refuse!¡±


    Two of the traitor soldiers deployed a magical barrier to block the lightning whip while the rest charged forward for the kill. They had never expected the stubborn guardian to take a step back, they were simply looking for an opportunity to press the attack.


    With the disadvantage in numbers, the massive giant was like being swarmed with a swarm of wasp with a killing intent, and could only just barely fend them off. He deployed a large medical barrier in his attempt to protect the temple, but this results in weakening his own defense. The traitor soldiers thought this was an opening and ran headlong towards the giant¡¯s arms and his less protected underarm. A traitor using a cackling twin-headed spear was leading the pack as he tried to pierce the guardian¡¯s heart with a malicious thrust, but just as he raised his spear, a blue-white beam blasted out from the side, and the traitor could not react in time and was struck dead on. A squirm later he disintegrated into a cloud of crystal dust.


    Both sides were stunned by this turn of events and all turn towards the source of the attack. They only saw a gigantic white beast charging out from a corner of the temple, while a little ¡®human¡¯ stood on its head wielding a spear and a pistol. Following right behind was a ferocious demon clad in molten lava, and another guardian giant.


    ¡°Brother, stand strong!¡± Muru shouted towards the guardian before the temple as he raised his staff and launched a plasma bolt towards the airborne enemy. ¡°For Mother!¡±


    The sudden appearance of a third force thrown both the defending guardian and the traitors into confusion. When Hao Ren and Lily first appeared, all of them thought that they were reinforcements of the enemy, but as Muru showed up the situation had changed, the guardian before the temple rallied while the traitor soldiers were shaken. Hao Ren took the chance and blasted out two more psionic bolt!


    A ¡°BLAM!¡± rang out and a traitor soldier could not avoid the shot was hit. Even it was just a mere graze, he was immediately turned into a cloud of dust by the psionic corrosion. Another soldier had already witnessed the power of the beam and before Hao Ren could aim he had already darted to the side, and the psionic bolt hit a minaret some distance away, turning it into a pile of collapsing rock.


    The leader of the squad quickly recovered from the initial shock and after determining the number of attacks, he immediately called for his men to counter attack. ¡°Do not fret! We have the advantage in numbers! They are nothing but fodder!¡±


    Under the command of the leader, a few of the traitors continued their assault on the guardian while the rest turned towards Hao Ren in mad rush. They rapidly changed position midair, and even using teleportation abilities to hide. This was to avoid getting hit by the fatal blue bolt, and this was proving effective because Hao Ren could not even aim properly.


    So he gave up on that and immediately pulled out a crate of graviton grenades and started lobbing it in their general direction.


    With the piercing shriek of the dimensional collapse when the graviton grenades went critical, the battle reached its climax.


    Bright blue thunderbolts criss-crossed the air and left the scorch marks everywhere. The wannabe-gods swung their weapons midair as they started their assault. Magical bombardment and weapon fire followed soon after. A massive traitor with a red-hot battle axe charged towards the most-bizzare looking combatant, Y¡¯zaks as he roared. ¡°I shall¡­¡±


    Y¡¯zaks opened his arms as if to wlecome the attack, but just as the axe was about to land the demon struck. This veteran demon easily picked off the axe from the enemy with a flick of his finger as he used the other hand to grab the enemy into his chest. As the puny traitor struggled in his arms, the demon let out a bone-chilling laugh as molten lava and demonic flame gushed out of his chest. The traitor soldier was caught right smack in the middle of a walking inferno and as the demon flames corroded his shield. Before long, molten lava and demon flame consumed the poor sod in a feast of fire and brimstone.


    The demon then released his hand, before charred humanoid corpse fell onto the ground. He spat a ball of fire at the burnt corpse. ¡°And you think to judge me under WHOSE name?¡±


    The pathetic end of one of their comrades and the unorthodox fighting style rattled the rest of the traitors, and they immediately turned their attention towards Hao Ren and Lily. This time around, Hao Ren did not need to yell ¡°F*ckface!¡± to draw aggro. He then raised his spear to brace for the attack. After a few fights together, Hao Ren was now in sync with Lily¡¯s giant husky form and did not need any words to unleash the hound knight¡¯s full ability. Lily darted menacingly towards the approaching enemy as Hao Ren let out a few shots to those pesky flying enemies. With both ranges covered, this combination was perfect.


    A traitor wielding twin blades thought he had found this weird knight¡¯s weak spot. As his comrades drew Hao Ren¡¯s attention he had snuck his way to the back to attack the two from the rear. This was both Hao Ren and Lily¡¯s blind spot, and even if it was not, they would be hard pressed to defend against a rear attack with them already so pre-occupied.


    The twin-bladed soldier had lightning cackling all over him as he struck downwards like a meteor, his blades pointed towards the back of Hao Ren¡¯s neck. A smirk curled upon his lips as he felt that his sneak attack would be successful.


    Just as he was about to strike, a blue light shot out of Lily¡¯s thick fur, and within the blue light was a shiny silvery solid object that smashed into the attacker¡¯s face as it screeched. ¡°F*ckface! I was waiting for you within the dog¡¯s fur for a good part of the day!¡±


    The twin-bladed attacker felt like his head was smashed by a cannonball and dropped out of midair. Hao Ren immediately turned back and gave the poor sod a back kick for his efforts. ¡°Lily, turn around!¡±


    As the attack was send flying he quickly tried to readjust his balance. And just as he thought he was out of danger, a massive blood-thirsty jaw appeared before him. Everything immediately turned black before finding himself in a dark, and warm place before rows upon rows of sharp teeth started chewing on him voraciously.


    Lily subconciously chomped on the enemy that was sent flying with Hao Ren¡¯s kick. And while she was not man-eating, after understanding what she had bitten, the husky starting gnawing. It had that wonderful sensation of teeth grinding. The fully armored soldier was a tough nut to crack, so Lily was chewing on rather labourously, her face tightened as she used her jaw strength to keep chewing, and the sound of metal tearing and screams of fear could be heard from her mouth.


    The treacherous children does indeed come equipped with overwhelming powers, but their god-slaying prowess were all down to dirty schemes and specialised weapons. Thus their weapons had little to no effect against Hao Ren and his crew, and under this situation, their numbers were quickly reduced.


    The commander had earlier proclaimed that they had the numbers advantage with confidence, but that confidence quickly went away as he realised his men were being slaughtered one by one. Y¡¯zaks nonchalantly threw a charred corpse before him. ¡°This was your numbers advantage.¡±


    Seems like only the commander was left, and Hao Ren immediately dropped an order via the communicator. ¡°Take him alive.¡±


    The commander reacted rather panicky but there was no fear in his face, after confirming that all his men were dead. He raised his weapon up high and roared. ¡°The promised land shall come!¡±


    Thereafter his body was engulfed with a blinding white light.

 Chapter 855

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren felt that he had gained an incredible innate ability. The ability that his target will self-destruct fifty percenty of the time when he wants them taken alive. It was not only the escaped brain monster, but this commander as well. Just as he ordered that the commander be taken alive, the god-of-war-like commander suddenly started chanting something with his sword raised before a blinding light shot out of his body, leaving no one any time to react. A powerful heatwave soon followed the shockwave of the explosion.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Hao Ren could only yell out a short warning before grabbing a handful of her fur to pull her aside. Lily was still busying chomping the metal tincat in her mouth and reacted a tad bit slowly, and was sent flying by the shockwave a dozen of so meters away before smashing against the temple wall. Thankfully she was more physically robust and a mere heatwave would not do any damag against her, but that did scared her silly.


    The one injured was Hao Ren. He was still clinging on to Lily¡¯s fur around the scapula and when the husky smashed against the wall, Hao Ren was caught in the middle. Even when his steel membrane shield had taken out most of the impact, he was still in a daze..


    Lily slowly slid down the temple wall and with a shake of her head she regained her balance. Hao Ren clambered up her neck in a sorry state. As he shake his head he grumbled. ¡°Whose foot did I bloody stepped on¡­ F*ck, he really went to blow himself up. That hardcore?¡±


    He looked up at where the traitor commander once stood and there was nothing but a crater and molten metal and rocks flowed freely in the crater while a cackling thunderbolt darted about was slowly weakening. Y¡¯zaks looked at crater before speaking resignedly. ¡°Nothing but liquid now.¡±


    ¡°F*ck, that was a rare chance to capture one alive!¡± Hao Ren sled down from Lily¡¯s forelimb. As the fighting early was so brutal with each side not giving other any quarter, lets not even mention sparing anyone, there was not even an intact corpse left. Hao Ren too noted the fact and sighed. ¡°Forget it, I have sent out the probes from the ship, maybe there are enemy units that have not retreated¡­Hmm.. Lily what are you chomping on?¡±


    He had only realised that Lily was still chewing on something as the sound of grating metal came from her mouth. As the latter heard Hao Ren¡¯s question she let out a puzzled ¡°Awoo?¡± before spitting the thing in her mouth out.


    It was a traitor soldier in a torn armor and wounds all over.


    The soldier was in a state so sorry it was beyond imagining. He had became Lily¡¯s tooth grinder for a good ten odd minutes and his armor was pretty much given a total makeover with only bits and pieces of metal and cloth hanging on his body. The wounds and gnashes all over his body did not need to be further described, but yet, he was still alive, and looked perfectly intact. Even the gory wounds were nothing more than flesh wound.


    The treacherous children had remade their body to be as tough as a werelwolf, and they have an even stronger set of magic and armor for protection, plus a whole set of bizzare trinkets that no one could identify it is was scientific or magical in nature. As the soldier had suffered the indignity of being chewing in a giant dog¡¯s mouth for a good while, he was still in a daze after being spat out and struggled to stand. No one knew if the physical or the psychological wounds were more severe.


    Yet Hao Ren did not care about this, he was elated and the first thing he did was to let the MDT smash into the poor sod¡¯s head again to take him out. If Hao Ren was not wrong this was the second time the fellow was hit by the MDT in the head. As expected, the soldier grunted before falling unconcious, never finding out what actually knocked him out.


    Hao Ren pulled out a droid and a bunch of restricting equipments before tying the traitor soldier like a ball of yarn. As an additionap precaution, Hao Ren had stuffed the poor sod into an crystal capsule meant for dangerous samples to prevent the soldier from self-destructing after regaining conciousness. Only then, did he patted Lily¡¯s paws (the latter was just too massive, and with Hao Ren¡¯s height, her paws was what he could manage.) ¡°Good job!¡±


    Lily grunted with a nod in acceptance of the praise before spitting out another item to the side. A ruined metallic boot.


    Hao Ren saw many metallic bits and pieces still hanging between the giant husky¡¯s teeth and reminded her. ¡°Don¡¯t change back yet, there¡¯s a whole load of stuff stuck in your teeth. I¡¯ll get the droids to give your teeth a brush later.¡±


    Lily happily nudged Hao Ren with her snout before licking the latter half way into the air before turning heroically towards the temple complex. Muru was looking after his wounded comrade. The latter had been fighting the treacherous children for a good while now and there were no part of his body that was not somehow wounded. Luckily, he was still alive, and with the guardians powerful vitality, recovery does not seem to be difficult. He used the temple gate to support himself, confusing in his eyes as he looked at Muru. ¡°I never thought that reinforcements would come¡­ Which temple you¡¯re from?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s complicated.¡± Muru did not know where to start before pointing towards Hao Ren. ¡°These are our new allies, they brought me here.¡±


    The guardian had not noticed a puny creature like Hao Ren earlier and there were many hostile traitor aura disrupting his senses and he did not pick up Hao Ren and Lily¡¯s unique aura. Only when he was reminded by Muru that he realised something, and his first reaction was to reach for his weapons, exclaiming. ¡°This aura¡­ They are the treach¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop! Stop! Calm down!¡± Hao Ren had expected such a reaction and did not go close. As the guardian was about to attack him he too yelled back. ¡°I¡¯m not a treacherous child! We are not related!¡±


    ¡°Calm down my brother.¡± Muru too had stretched his arms out to hold on to the guardian¡¯s arms and with some force managed to disarm the guardian. As the latter was already weakened, he did not resist. ¡°I¡¯ve mentioned, things are complicated. They are not the treacherous children, only having the same, or similar bloodline.¡±


    The temple guardian¡¯s eyes shifted between Hao Ren and Muru, not comprehending the situation before him. ¡°What is the meaning of this? My brother, I trust that your will can never be bent, but these people¡­¡±


    Muru immediately interjected. ¡°Did you know that the Solenne Gateway was thrown into a timeflux?¡±


    ¡°A timeflux?¡± The temple guardian obviously knew what the term means, but did not immediately relate it to the present situation. ¡°The timeflow here is distorted?¡±


    ¡°It was slowed down. While I don¡¯t know the cause, but the Solenne Gateway was thrown into a bizzare dimension and had loss all contact with the universe beyond. I have searched for many years to return.¡± Muru¡¯s voice was deep. ¡°The time here was slowed down to a crawl, and when we first arrived here, we found out that there was a vast different in timeflow between the planet and the main universe, so¡­¡±


    The Guardians are a very knowledgeable race and the temple guardian immediately understood Muru. ¡°How¡­ many years have it been?¡±


    Muru opened his mouth, but words failed him on how to describe the present situation. Y¡¯zaks then stepped forward. ¡°The fall of Solenne was ten thousand years ago.¡±


    Muru nodded in affirmation.


    The Guardians would not lie to their own kin, this was the ironclad rule that the Goddess had set when designing their soul. The temple guardian¡¯s facial expression stiffened, he probably had a hard time digesting what was going on. After pondering for a moment, he looked up, pointing towards Hao Ren and Lily, ¡°So they are¡­¡±


    ¡°Probably the blood descendents of the treacherous children, or just having similar aura.¡± Muru looked at Hao Ren before nodding. ¡°They have been apart from their ancestors for ten thousand years, and they even came from a different universe altogether. As you can see, they are on our side.¡±


    While Muru too was cautious towards Hao Ren, but after spending time together and knowing the truth of things, the guardian had let go of his prejudice.

 Chapter 856

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    When you suddenly get to know that you have been thrown in a timeflux and the world that you have known is now ten thousand years behind. Everything that you have went through was now history, surely such a revelation would throw anyone into a huge state of contradiction and confusion. The guardians were no expection.


    Muru told whatever he knew to the temple guardian and the latter clearly found it difficult to digest this shocking turn of events. But he knew that the guardians, Mother¡¯s proud creations will not lie to his own kin, and there was some degree of believability to that. The giant took much effort to sit up straight as his sight lay on Hao Ren. ¡°So¡­ these are the treacherous children¡¯s descendents ten thousand years since?¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°Truth be told, I¡¯ve explained this to Muru many times over. I¡¯m a born and bred Earthling, and I have nothing to do with whatever those traitors, by blood or not. I also have no idea what went wrong that the people of Earth is the same as those treacherous children in your eyes.¡±


    Muru nodded. ¡°Hmm, he is right. His birth itself is innocent, but his aura has the residue of treachery. The planet that he have lived on is host to many other foreign beings who sought refuge there after some galatical catastrophe. That¡¯s probably the cause of the bloodline contamination.¡±


    ¡°Galactical catastrophe?¡± The temple guardian suddenly found himself with terminologies that were foreign to him, and that he had no idea that the world outside had turned upside down.


    ¡°The collapse of the Wall of Reality, the death of countless of Mother¡¯s creation, part of the guardian giants and the lifeblood protectors have gone mad, and many other bizzare things have happened on many planets.¡± Muru said as he got up, while lending support to his wounded kin. ¡°There¡¯s a seismic change in the worlds beyond. You have missed ten thousand years, and I¡¯m afraid you will need time to understand all these. Can you move?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± the temple guardian grunted a succint reply as he turn towards Hao Ren and Lily. The guardian frowned, and he did not bother to hide his suspicion towards the two. ¡°I cannot fully trust you strangers, but I do trust my kin, so I shall not show any hostility to you.¡±


    Lily rumbled a low growl as Hao Ren smiled. ¡°That¡¯ll be enough. Muru took a long time to change his opinion of us.¡±


    The guardian nodded before bowing. ¡°The timing of your help was most fruitous, you have my thanks.¡±


    Hao Ren was surprised by the guardian¡¯s actions. ¡°Uh.. that¡¯s fine. Say, weren¡¯t you still suspicious of us? Why the sudden show of gratitude?¡±


    ¡°Those are two different things.¡± the temple guardian grunted, his face serious.


    Hao Ren scratched his head, thinking to himself that the guardian was a very stern and serious type. The type that can easily distinguish between professional and personal matters as if they were simply items to be balanced on a scale. He then clambered up to Lily¡¯s head before looking at the guardian. ¡°Are there anyone else here?¡±


    The temple guardian frowned, seemingly hesitating to disclose what was going on here to the stranger, but a quick ponder later, he realised that the secret that he was protecting was already ten milleniums old. Pointing towards the great gate nearby, ¡°I have another comrade guarding the Sacred Vault, another was at the plaza before the temple, she¡¯s probably by the anti-air installations. I heard gunfire earlier.¡±


    ¡°The warrior at the anti-air base has perished.¡± Muru said sombrely. ¡°A valiant end. She had taken out one of enemy before dying on the turret. Not long later, this human, Hao Ren used his own ship to destroy the remaining enemies, and avenged her.¡±


    The temple guardian bowed silently before drawing a circle before his chest. ¡°She was a brave new recruit. She knew no fear, and she was worthy of the life Mother had given here. That leaves only me and Heve.¡±


    Muru looked towards the shut gate. ¡°Can you let us in?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± the guardian nodded as he raised his staff before unleashing a lightning bolt from the tip towards an orb on the top of the gate. As the lightning struck, the floating crimson runes on the gate dissapted and the black golden gate opened without a sound, revealing a long pathway behind it.


    The temple guardian led the group as they walked into the great temple hall. Hoa Ren noticed the interior design of the hall was similar to the one in Muru¡¯s ship. Even when most of the construction materials were black in colour, the place did not feel forboding. A very unique optical and translucent technique allowed the monolithic sculptures and linings to look present a very solemn grandeur, and had the side effect of reducing the forboding atmosphere of the area. All along the corridor were neatly lined lightings and a very high skylight. Between the bright ray of lights in set distances, a draping banner hung from the ceiling. Eacho f the banners had a very intricate and complex motive to it, and it was similar to the religious arts of the Disciples of Glory back in Holetta.


    These motives signified one thing, and that was the sanctity and uniqueness of this place.


    Y¡¯zaks walked alongside the temple guardian and asked on a whim. ¡°What are you called?¡±


    ¡°Lemendusa.¡± the guardian replied, curiosity in his voice. ¡°Where are you from? I have never seen a being like you in this universe before¡­ You look like a demon living on a volcanic planet, but your aura is completely foreign to me. Mother probably had not made a creature like you before.¡±


    ¡°I am indeed a demon, but I¡¯m from another world.¡± Y¡¯zaks said with a smile. ¡°And we have even more friends from other universes.¡±


    This was not the first time Lemendusa heard that term, but he was not particularly interested in it. What was important to him now was the god-slaying war, and even though this war was ten thousand years ago, to him, the war was his present. ¡°Muru¡­ the war¡­.how¡­¡±


    ¡°You probably know very well how it ended.¡± Muru slowed his pace as he looked down. ¡°There were no victors, the Star of Creation vanished, and the treacherous children were eradicated. There are no longer any gods in this universe, and there are no more guardians¡­ that was ten thousand years ago.¡±


    Hao Ren turned to Lemendusa nervously, fearing that this guardian would descent into madness like those brain monsters after learning that his mother got blown to kingdom come. But seems like with the psychic link broken and that they never saw it happened before their eyes, the guardians seemed to be able to hold on to their wits. Lemendusa did not went berserk. But of course, there was a bigger reason to that, and the guardian already knew that the kingdom of the Goddess had fallen over the course of the battle, and was not surprised when Muru broke the news to him.


    Noticing that the atmosphere was getting strained, Hao Ren immediately brought up the very thing that could lighten the mood. ¡°Oh yea, the Goddess of Creation could very well still be alive!¡±


    Lemendusa immediately lowered his gaze towards Hao Ren. ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡±


    ¡°There are still Second Borns that are believing in Mother, and they seemingly could hear her whispers.¡± Muru explained. ¡°Besides, Hao Ren too had performed a few tests, and he thins that Mother¡¯s divinity is still present, and could respond to prayers unconciously. So she could still be sleeping in another dimension. And our main course of action now is to look for any clues that She may have left, and to look for surviving guardians like you.¡±


    These words have an immediately impact in raising Lemendusa¡¯s morale. ¡°Is this for real?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not lying.¡± Hao Ren said smugly. ¡°Have you noted noticied the divinity in me as well? I have a great god standing behind me as well. So I¡¯m a professional, and finding the Solenne Gateway system was a big leap on our search. This system was thrown together with the Star of Creation into the Umbral Realm. Finding this place means that we are already at the gates of the Umbral Realm.¡±


    Hao Ren explained briefly on his work on Tannagost to the guardian. After being locked in time for ten thousand years, to say Lemendusa¡¯s concept of the world at large was outdated was a massive understatement, and the latter was utter out of his depth. But regardless, the temple guardian was still cheered by the words of Hao Ren and Muru. He knew that the Star of Creation had fallen, and when the psychic link with Mother broke, he too had fallen into despair. If not for his duty as a temple guardian, his end would probably be that of his insane kin. But now, a glimmer of hope have wrenched from back from the brink.


    Lemendusa kept quiet for a moment before clenching his fist. ¡°You said that the treacherous children had been eradicated, how did that happen?¡±


    ¡°The treacherous children attacked their own creator, this was not accepted by the will of the universe.¡± Muru¡¯s tone sounded like a grudge was settled. ¡°The moment the Star of Creation exploded, their entire race was wiped out by the laws of the universe.¡±


    ¡°Then what about this planet?¡± Y¡¯zaks queried. ¡°They were still alive here.¡±


    ¡°Probably due to the Umbral Realm¡¯s effects.¡± Muru theorised. ¡°The Solenne Gateway and the Star of Creation was pulled into the Umbral Realm at the same time, the Curse of Exctinction was blocked, and the remaining traitors survived¡­ for a few more hours.¡±


    Lemendusa stood by as he heard, confusion was apparent in his face.


    Because he did not know what the ¡®Umbral Realm¡± was. Only the guardians who did not get blown to kingdom come when the heavens exploded called the extraordinary phenomenon as such.

 Chapter 857

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The massive great temple complex had an equally massive interior, endless corridors, and halls which you cannot see the end of. If Hao Ren was not riding on Lily¡¯s back he reckoned that he would need to be on a steady jog to keep up with the two giants¡¯ footsteps. As someone who had just showcased his prowess, that would be rather unsightly.


    The group went about the inside of the templex complex for a long while, going through hidden passengeways and door before reaching its inner sanctum. Lemendusa pushed with some effort a very sturdy holdgate and pointed towards the hall behind in, it is still safe here, head in.¡±


    Hao Ren and Lily followed behind Muru into the hall, and found themselves in a hexagonal hall. The hall was well lit, and was dotted with simple, yet grand sculptures. A circle of draping red banners hang from the ceiling, and between each banner was a ray of light, seemingly circling the black stone dais in the centre of the hall. Beside the dais sat a long robed female giant. These was probably the ¡®Heve¡¯ that Lemendusa was talking about. She seemed to be seriously injured, and beside her was a trail of dried build, and her face pale. As the great door opened, the guardian broke out of her stupor and immediately placed her hands on a piece of green crystal on the dais. Only when she heard Lemendusa¡¯s voice did she calm down. ¡°Heve, it¡¯s me.¡±


    Her eyes widen as Hao Ren and Y¡¯zaks stepped into the hall.


    ¡°They are friends.¡± Lemendusa knew that Heve would have the same misunderstanding that he had, and quickly interjected before she could ask anything. ¡°The foes outside are all dead. It is safe now. I need to tell you something¡­¡±


    ¡°Where are these people from?¡± Heve frowned, and her hand never left the green crystal.


    Thankfully there was Muru and Lemendusa, the two guardians to explain and Hao Ren and his crew¡¯s origins were quickly made clear. Lemendusa then told his companion that he had found out, including the time flux.


    Heve¡¯s reaction was no different than Lemendusa¡¯s initial response. As she slowly digested her new reality, Hao Ren led Lily to a corner of the hall and summoned a few droids from his Dimensional Pocket. He then motioned for the giant husky to open her mouth, ¡°Open up, dental care time.¡±


    Lily gave out an obedient woof before opening up her razor sharp jaws. Hao Ren immediately saw the remnants of what the husky had gnawed on earlier between her teeth. That included a boot, a piece of belt, a shred of a mantle, and the twisted frame of a pauldron. All these were dangling on her teeth with a shiny glow. Lily awkwardly tried to use her tongue to lick the remains out, it was clear that the solid remains had left her rather uncomfortable.


    The droids got their orders and immediately flew into Lily¡¯s mouth and started cleaning up. The golden alloys were very sturdy and the droids had to resort to use laser cutters and power drills to dislodge them from Lily¡¯s teeth. Sparks flew about within the husky¡¯s mouth and it looked more like a constructin site with the amount of work that is going on. Hao Ren crossed his arms over his chest as he sniggered. ¡°Rather than dental job, this looks more like a renovation.¡±


    Lily had no way to retaliate now and could only rolled her eyes the hardest she could as she let out a series of protesting growls. Y¡¯zaks patted Hao Ren on the shoulder with the tip of his finger. ¡°Don¡¯t go poke the dog. When she really bites you¡¯d be nursing more than a bite mark.¡±


    As Lily was busy having her teeth cleaned, the three giants too had done explaining what happened outside the temple complex. Noticing that, Hao Ren ran over. ¡°So, all done?¡±


    ¡°As much as we can.¡± Muru nodded. ¡°Where¡¯s your ship?¡±


    Hao Ren pointed towards the top. ¡°Standing by just above the temple compex. Not sure if or when any enemies would pop out so I have Nolan on overwatch. I also have sent out probes and low-orbit sats out as well, not sure if there are any survivors¡­¡±


    Before Hao Ren could finish, Heve interrupted him, ¡°There¡¯s no one left. We are probably the last of the guardians on this planet¡­ Khhhhh..khhhh¡±


    The female giant spoke very slowly, Hao Ren was not sure if it was due to her injury or that was her normal way of speech. Her voice had a certain gentleness that is not present in Muru and Lemendusa¡¯s. That proclaimation caught Hao Ren by suprise and he turned towards Lemendusa. ¡°You sure?¡±


    ¡°After the traitors broke through the Solenne Gateway¡¯s galactic shield, almost all of the guardians headed towards the Star of Creation as reinforcements.¡± Lemendusa explained. ¡°The last message I heard was them departing. After that, all that was left on the planet was a company defending this temple complex. And Thulenne at the plaza was the last of the temple guards.¡±


    Muru had mentioned this before, that all of the guardians in the system had fought to the very last, but what he knew stopped at there. It seemed like when the traitor army broke through one of the barriers, the guardians immediately decided to withdraw from this meaningless battlefront and headed towards the Star of Origin to man the second line of defense. By the time Hao Ren got to Solenne, the war was already ending; the planet had already completely fallen, and the last of the guardians were almost wiped out with only Lemendusa and Heve the remaining survivors.


    A twist of fate? A due course of history? These two seemingly contradictory phrases suddenly came into Hao Ren¡¯s mind. But he knew, his timing was impeccable.


    ¡°Arriving at the very last moment, into the very last battle, and meeting the very last survivors¡­¡± even Y¡¯zaks couldn¡¯t help himself. ¡°There seems to be a greater force behind all these¡­¡±


    ¡°This planet was stuck in time for ten thousand years, just to let us crash the party late, is there any better ¡®arrangements¡¯ than this?¡± Hao Ren quipped before looking curiously at Lemendusa. ¡°For you guys to be defending this place, what¡¯s valuable here?¡±


    As they fought with the traitors earlier, Hao Ren heard the commander demanding Lemendusa to hand over something, and that guardian¡¯s company had stayed behind after the rest had withdrawn. He knew there was something here, and the temple was probably some place of great importance, so he just went ahead and ask.


    A shred of hesitation appeared before Lemendusa¡¯s face and Muru, upon seeing so placed his hand on his brethren¡¯s shoulder. ¡°The thing that you are protecting is a ten thousand year old historical artifact now. If there is someone to entrust it to, they would be the best choice.¡±


    The traitors did not need to embroil themselvbes in a protracted war here. Hao Ren already knew that they had weapons capable of tearing the planet apart from space, so after destroying the planetary defence shields of Solenne, the traitors could have just blasted the planet to bits using their graviton weapons, but yet they have sent multitudes of regiments to sweep the planet and the reason for that lay within the temple that Lemendusa was guarding!


    Muru¡¯s expression immediately changed. ¡°What is the artifcat?¡±


    ¡°A component of the Creation Engine.¡±


    Looking at the sudden change in seriousness of the three guardians, Hao Ren felt that he had nothing but question marks all over his head. ¡°What are you talking about? What¡¯s a Creation Engine?¡±


    ¡°That was Mother¡¯s most secret of creations in the last thousand of years.¡± Heve explained slowly. ¡°And truth be told, we have no idea what it is for. We only know that it had something to do with her plan to ¡®change the entire universe¡¯. Mother took the creation of this secret construct very seriously and have expended many hours to personally design the item and to have multitudes of planets around the Star of Creation to produce each of its parts before bringing them back to the Star of Creation to personally assemble it. The Solenne Gateway was one of the manufactoriums of the Creation Engine, and before the war, both me and Lemendusa would be seeing these components slowly coming out of the Star Forge. After the outbreak of the war, one of the components that could not be evacuated was placed within this sanctum.¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his head. ¡°Sounds like a whole load of goobledygook to me¡­ So can you let me inspect the thing?¡±


    Lemendusa and Heve looked at each other, and after a brief contemplation, they nodded.

 Chapter 858

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Because of the strong vitality of the guardian, Heve had slightly recovered her strength after resting for some time. She stood up with the help of Lemendusa and carried out a series of complex operations beside the stone platform of about thirty meters in diameter. The stone platform looked nothing special. It was just a huge work surface, made of obsidian material. There was a ring of obscure patterns and green crystals around the stone platform, and a tall crystal pillar of several meters high beside the stone platform. Heve knocked on the top of the crystal pillar briskly and made a series of clear and melodious sounds, and then the stone platform suddenly trembled.


    Lemendusa came to the other side of the stone platform and tapped on another crystal pillar, releasing a string of complicated musical notes. When the second instruction was entered, all the patterns on the surface of the stone platform were lit at the same time, followed by the sound of come mechanical movement. The stone platform slowly sank down and opened in all directions. A series of extremely complex and sophisticated locking devices were exposed, as well as several layers of glowing red protective light films. This kind of setup made them feel that there must be some kind of extremely important treasure keeping in it.


    Layers of security devices were lifted automatically, and then a huge glittering Gilded Disc emerged from the treasury.


    Hao Ren and Lily were attracted by the Gilded Disc instantly. It was something totally different from the surrounding. It was about ten meters in diameter and was round in shape, showing a curved surface slightly. In the center of the disc, there was a hole in the size of a human head, and the hole was surrounded by a number of intricate patterns and symbols. The edge of the disc was inlaid with crystals that seemed to be arranged according to some rule. When it rose from the treasury, these pale green crystals were almost glimmering at the same time that seemed to be sensing the surroundings.


    For a moment, all of Hao Ren¡¯s attention was drawn to the disc. He felt as if his brain had been completely immersed in the brilliance of the golden disc uncontrollably. He seemed to have seen all the truth of the universe since its birth and the future of the universe after a certain point in time. Some sort of grand message was conveyed to his mind through the Gilded Disc. After a moment, however, these illusions vanished.


    ¡°It¡¯s a divine creation.¡± The voice of the data terminal awakened Hao Ren from the trance state. ¡°And it¡¯s a highly correlated one. You¡¯ll be affected by it if looking directly at this thing. The more divinity one has, the greater the impact. You must have been hallucinating, because you¡¯re a demigod, enough to read part of God¡¯s thoughts.¡±


    Hao Ren put his hand on his chest and muttered in surprise while calming his pounding heart, ¡°A demigod? How can I be so powerful?¡±


    The data terminal slapped him on the head and yelled, ¡°Why is your mind always on the wrong track?¡±


    Hao Ren dragged the data terminal aside, looked up at the Gilded Disc floating in the air and asked, ¡°So this is the Creation¡¯s Engine you¡¯re talking about?¡±


    ¡°Just a part,¡± Lemendusa corrected, ¡°a very small part. I have seen a half-assembled Creation¡¯s Engine. It was¡­ something as big as a whole planet, and its structure was so complex that it¡¯s difficult to understand. It contained the truth of the universe, and just looking straight at it was enough to make mortals crazy. But it was only 3/4 completed. Mother said it would take her at least 1000 years to finish building that thing. The Gilded Disc in front of you is supposed to be placed near the core of the Creation¡¯s Engine, and I have seen several discs similar to it in the middle of the engine.¡±


    ¡°My intuition is warning me¡­ I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s a powerful thing¡­¡± Hao Ren muttered. ¡°The Goddess never said what the Engine of Creation was for? Not even mentioned once?¡± he asked.


    ¡°We will not ask what the mother does not tell us. The truth of the universe is a powerful and dangerous existence. Sometimes just ¡®listening¡¯ to it can lead to unintended consequences. So the mother only told us the necessary things. She built the Creation¡¯s Engine and did not let us involve in it, then she must have her reason. The only time she mentioned the Creation¡¯s Engine was when that thing was half assembled. She said¡­ It¡¯s a device that can regain the balance. It will change the orbit of the entire universe,¡± answered Muru.


    ¡°Regain the balance¡­¡± Y¡¯zaks rubbed his chin and pondered, creating some sparks under his chin. ¡°If the Goddess wants to regain the balance, it means something has broken the balance. What happened before the Goddess built the Creation¡¯s Engine?¡±


    The three guardians looked at each other, did not know what Y¡¯zaks meant. They just shook their heads together and said, ¡°No.¡±


    Lemendusa asked, somewhat doubtfully, ¡°Why do you care so much about the Creation¡¯s Engine? This should have nothing to do with you.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know much about the nature of my work,¡± Hao Ren said and shook his head with a smile. ¡°Anything that has a lot of background stories was basically related my job. The war of killing Gods occurred at the critical moment when the Creation¡¯s Engine was almost completed, and those rebels seemed to know the existence of these sacred things¡­ Were their actions related to this? They just want to be God, but will they also want to take over the Engine of Creation? Does this engine have a greater role? How much does it appeal to the rebels? I want to know all of this. ¡±


    In other words, Hao Ren was interested in anything related to the Goddess of Creation. Even if the Goddess sneezed before she ¡®fell¡¯, he wanted to measure the wind speed as well¡ªnot to mention the Creation¡¯s Engine that the Goddess had spent thousands of years to assemble but failed to complete before the war. But there was too little information about the Creation¡¯s Engine, even the closest guardians of the Goddess had little idea of the principles and functions of this thing. Hao Ren could only guess blindly.


    Lily was circling around the Gilded Disc. The glittering thing totally aroused the husky girl¡¯s curiosity. She stopped circling around the Gilded Disc and sniffed it but the cold disc made her sneeze loudly.


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes and asked, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    He thought that, even though Lily was quite unreliable, sometimes she could make some deep judgments. And Lily did have something to say. She pointed to the disc with her nose and began to express her opinion, ¡°Whoo hoo, Awwwwoo¡­¡±


    Hao Ren kicked Lily¡¯s paw and then pulled her clothes out of his dimensional pocket and threw it at her. ¡°All right, you might as well go and find a place to transform back. Who can understand what you¡¯re saying?¡±


    Lily took her clothes and trotted off the hall, and a moment later she turned into a human and ran back. ¡°I mean, let¡¯s not talk about the disc. We can take it back to the station and study it. The priority now is to find the clues of the Umbral Realm.¡±


    Hao Ren agreed. He pointed to the Gilded Disc and asked Lemendusa, ¡°Can I take it back?¡±


    The expression of Lemendusa and Heve suddenly turned complicated because they instinctively felt that something was wrong. The Gilded Disc was the holy thing created by the Goddess of Creation, and the reason they stayed on the planet was to keep it from falling into someone else¡¯s hands. When they entered the hall, Heve was putting her hand on a crystal beside the stone platform. The crystal was the self-destruct device of the entire temple. If Lemendusa failed to destroy the rebels, Heve would reverse the energy well of the temple and turn the whole city into molten lava. They risked their lives to protect this holy object, but they were not ready to give it to anyone.


    He certainly knew that 10000 years had passed and the world had changed. He also knew that it would be meaningless to continue guarding this temple. However, knowing it was one thing and whether it could be accepted was another.


    In the end, Muru talked to Lemendusa. The temple guard sighed heavily and said, ¡°Well, you can take it. After all, it¡¯s useless here. But I have a condition.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°I must know what you are going to do with this disc,¡± Lemendusa said and looked at Hao Ren with glowing eyes, ¡°I have to protect it all the time before I fully understand your background.¡±


    Hao Ren laughed and said, ¡°Of course, no problem. In fact, even if you don¡¯t say anything, I¡¯ll have to take you away. Tannagost is short of manpower. ¡±


    Then he waved to the Gilded Disc in the air, and the holy object was in his dimensional pocket.


    ¡°Now let¡¯s talk about the Umbral Realm.¡±

 Chapter 859

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Lemendusa and Heve were the last guardians on Solenne, but the enemy they had destroyed was not necessarily the last enemy on the planet. Given that there might still be a small group of rebels who had not been evacuated from here, Hao Ren let Petrachelys drop a group of surveillance satellites on the planet¡¯s orbit to search for all the energy responses on the surface of the planet. At the same time, he ordered some armed UAVs to go to Solenne.


    But so far, no other response of the rebel forces had been found in any of the search channels. Maybe they really had left this place.


    ¡°This place has been abandoned,¡± said Lemendusa. He was not surprised after hearing the search results. ¡°After the interstellar barrier was broken, almost all the troops were flocking to the Star of Creation¡ªincluding the guardians and the rebels. And I heard that the guardians of other planets had launched the self-destruct explosion or solar eruption device on the planet before leaving. So it¡¯s impossible to have more living survivors. In fact, if you came a little later, this planet could not escape the explosion too.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to know anything about the Umbral Realm?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    Lemendusa shook his head and said, ¡°According to Muru, we were the one who was involved in the explosion. And for me, the big explosion just happened ten hours ago. So I don¡¯t know how those who stayed outside call the battlefield ruins.¡±


    Lily sat on the stone platform (now it had risen to the surface), dangling her legs while looking up at Muru and asked, ¡°You¡¯ve talked about the Umbral Realm several times. What kind of place is that?¡±


    ¡°In fact, we also don¡¯t know.¡± Muru sighed. ¡°When the last big explosion happened, the other guardians and I had left the divine kingdom. We could only see some strong lights coming from the direction of the Star of Creation. The background radiation of the entire universe was shaking, and then the stars around the divine kingdom begin to wobble, and the galaxy distorted and swirled into a whirlpool and then collapsed in the direction of the divine kingdom. It lasted only a short time, and then all the lights went away. The starlight of the divine kingdom and the starlight of millions of light years around it disappeared as well. The space was so clean as if a piece of it had been dug out. I did return to the battlefield trying to find clues but there was nothing, not even a speck of dust. There¡¯s only boundless darkness. No wreckage, no remains, not even a little bit of temperature and magnetic field was left as if the divine kingdom had never existed. So we call this phenomenon ¡®The Umbral Realm¡¯.¡±


    Lemendusa was getting more and more surprised as he was listening to Muru. Though he was on the battlefield, he did not see the unusual phenomenon that Muru had seen. Y¡¯zaks then asked Muru curiously, ¡°What did you see when the Star of Creation exploded?¡±


    ¡°Nothing special. There is only one strong light, and an energy shock that shook the entire galaxy,¡± Heve said slowly before Lemendusa answered. ¡°I saw the Star of Creation expanded countless times in an instant. Its light occupied almost one-third of the sky, and then in a few seconds, the light began to fade away. I found that the stars in the sky were getting less, and the stars in the distance were gone. That¡¯s probably the time it fell into the ¡®Umbral Realm¡¯?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid so. You could not see the stars in the distance, which meant that you had fallen into a different space,¡± Muru frowned and said, ¡°but you felt nothing while falling into the Umbral Realm? I thought it would turn this planet¡­ upside down.¡±


    ¡°In fact, we don¡¯t even know what¡¯s going on,¡± Lemendusa said with a strange expression. ¡°In my time, I just fought for less than a day after the explosion, and then you guys popped up and told me it¡¯s been 10000 years and Solenne just came out of a place called the Umbral Realm.¡±


    Lemendusa thought that it was only ten hours after the explosion of the Star of Creation but Hao Ren did not let go of any details as if he was a professional detective. ¡°Did you see any unusual phenomena or scenes in these ten hours?¡±


    Lemendusa pressed his forehead with his hand, trying to recall what he had seen. ¡°There¡¯s not much change, except for the mass disappearance of starlight and the loss of mental connection with other guardians. Oh, one moment before you came, I saw a flash of light in the east of the sky, which seemed to split the entire universe into two, and then the stars suddenly appeared. If that¡¯s true, that should be the moment when we return to the main universe.¡±


    ¡°A flash of light in the east of the sky?¡± Hao Ren immediately jumped down from the platform and said, ¡°Show us!¡±


    Except for Heve who still needed some rest, everyone hurriedly ran out of the temple. They came to a platform outside the temple. It was still in the middle of the night, and the sky was still dark. The smoke and clouds brought by the war covered most of the sky, but there were still a lot of stars and some lavender stripes behind the clouds, which was the color of the clouds of Solenne. Lemendusa pointed to the side of the sky and said, ¡°That¡¯s the one.¡±


    Hao Ren looked up and saw that there was a rift across the sky. The color of the night sky was divided into two distinct parts on both sides of the rift as if it were cut off by a knife. It took him a few seconds to realize what it was: it was the fault zone at the edge of the oblique nebula, where all the matter of the nebula was abruptly interrupted. Because Solenne was just on the edge of the oblique nebula, they could see the fault zone from here.


    ¡°Only a part of the gate of Solenne returned to the main universe,¡± Muru told Lemendusa what he knew, ¡°and the flash you saw cut down a piece of the galaxy like a knife. Are you sure you really saw a flash of light?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± Lemendusa nodded. ¡°It ran through the sky. It¡¯s magnificent. And it just happened just now. It couldn¡¯t be wrong.¡±


    ¡°Then where is the source of the flash?¡± Lily asked quickly.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see that,¡± answered Lemendusa, shaking his head with a little regret. ¡°It¡¯s too grand, and it¡¯s likely to be a phenomenon that set out from tens of thousands of light years away and is enough to affect a galaxy. It¡¯s impossible to see the whole picture of the flash from the surface of Solenne, but according to the form the moment it emerged¡­ I guess it¡¯s probably coming from the direction of the Star of Creation.¡±


    Everyone looked at each other at once and there was a long pause before Hao Ren broke the silence. ¡°The Star of Creation had blown up, but it sent a flash of light that cut down a piece of the Gate of Solenne and threw it into the main universe.¡±


    Lily¡¯s eyes were sparkling. ¡°In other words, there must be something in the Star of Creation, right? A particularly powerful one!¡±


    ¡°Is it the Creation¡¯s Engine?¡± Y¡¯zaks and Hao Ren asked in unison.


    In the vicinity of the Star of Creation, there was¡ªor maybe¡ªan unprecedented powerful force that is strong enough to change the rules of the universe or throw a galaxy out of space. It seemed that the only thing that has these attributes is the mysterious Creation¡¯s Engine. Although Hao Ren and Y¡¯zaks did not know what the engine was for, at this point, they still associated the two things together. Lemendusa apparently did not have time to think about it, and he had a different view. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. The Creation¡¯s Engine hasn¡¯t been fully assembled, just completed ? of it.¡±


    ¡°But maybe it works,¡± Hao Ren said.


    ¡°Is it possible?¡± Lemendusa asked with a strange look on his face.


    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s just assume there¡¯s something left around the Star of Creation,¡± Hao Ren said, rubbing his hands a little excitedly. ¡°And with that flash of light, we can say that the possibility that the Goddess of Creation still survives is even higher. I even suspect that the flash was actually coming from her.¡±


    Everyone nodded. The unexpected progress made them all extremely excited. But now the biggest problem was:


    What was the current situation in the Umbral Realm?


    Lemendusa only knew the situation of Solenne. The space around the planet was skewed and time was chaotic. However, according to Nolan¡¯s observation, the degree of skewing was not uniform and was diminishing from the center of Solenne. Therefore, they could speculate that other places in the dark realm would not be in the state of stagnation like this the planet, so no one knew what kind of serious changes had taken place around the Star of Creation.


    The only thing that could be ascertained was: Something was still active there.

 Chapter 860

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    It was a long dead night in Solenne. The planet had an unusually slow speed of rotation which led to 60 hours of day and night. After ending the long and difficult discussion and deliberation, Hao Ren came to the square in front of the temple alone. He sat down beside those huge trident weapons, gazing into the murky and gloomy night sky. All around him were the lonely winds and some sparks that flew up from the ruins in the distance. On this completely destroyed planet, he was acutely aware of the shocking devastation that a war could bring.


    He had seen the planet going through the rebuilding of the biosphere, he had seen the wandering planet after all life was gone, and he had also seen Tannagost going through the end of the world, however, the ecological extermination operations carried out by the Firstborn could not be compared with the present state of the planet. The rebels destroyed this place precisely, thoroughly and mercilessly. All the land was burnt, and all water was evaporated or severely polluted. The earth¡¯s crust was torn apart and the planet itself was almost split into two. Standing in between such ruins, the only thing that anyone could experience was the boundless desolation and loneliness. Hao Ren turned to look at the magnificent black temple and the huge buildings around the temple. Looking at those tall silhouettes, he could still imagine the glorious past of this place. It must be a mysterious sacred place standing here beneath the stars before Solenne was destroyed. But now everything was gone. Only flames and ruins, and the thick smoke billowing in the distance accompanied the starlight.


    But Hao Ren still felt lucky. He found the place before the last clue was dissipated. No matter what caused the nebula around Solenne to skew, he should be thankful for the phenomenon. He even had a feeling that some supernatural force was consciously freezing the planet, making it stagnant like an amber for 10000 years until he came here to open the magic box.


    Hao Ren gazed into the distance and saw a huge black obelisk standing alone under the stars. The green crystals on the obelisk were sparkling in the night sky, and then the obelisk collapsed, falling into flames and smoke. It took some time before he heard the collapse of the building. At this time, Hao Ren heard a light cracking noise coming from behind. He turned to look, found that Lily was walking up to him on tiptoes.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± he asked.


    Lily bumped her head on Hao Ren¡¯s arm (sometimes she greeted Hao Ren in strange ways) and said, ¡°Heve¡¯s injury has stabilized. The medical equipment you left behind works.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if they can adapt to the life in Tannagost. I just inform Zorm what happened here and it¡¯s looking forward to the new friends. But Lemendusa and Heve have just come back from the war. They probably need some time to adapt.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯ll get better,¡± Lily said while her ears were trembling, which meant that she was in a good mood, ¡°I know how it feels, but I¡¯ll get better after having some good meals!¡±


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes and thought that the husky¡¯s situation could not be used as a reference. Her mentality is simply too difficult to copy.


    ¡°I suddenly think of something. I have been curious about it for a long time.¡± A question popped up in Hao Ren¡¯s mind. ¡°Why can¡¯t you speak after you transform into a giant husky? You¡¯re just turning into an animal, how come you lose the ability to speak?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s obvious. You see, after I transform into a husky, the physiological structure has changed, how do I speak like a human? I want to speak too, but when I open my mouth, all I can say is awwwooooooo¡­¡±


    Hao Ren paused for a few seconds and found it seemed to make sense, but still a little confused. ¡°No, how about those black wolves in Holletta? Why can they communicate with me?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right. How do they do it?¡± Lily wondered while touching her chin, ¡°or maybe I should try to practice more? Maybe it¡¯s a matter of proficiency.¡±


    ¡°Erm, it¡¯s ok, you don¡¯t have to. It¡¯s too much trouble.¡±


    While Hao Ren and Lily were seriously discussing ¡®how difficult it was for a husky to learn to speak human language¡¯, a blue light suddenly dropped from the sky. Petrachelys emerged from behind the thick clouds and quickly came to them. It was surrounded by dozens of UAVs and probes. Apparently, it had just completed a major scan of the entire planet. Hao Ren was standing there, not just watching the stars, he was waiting for Nolan too.


    As soon as the communication was connected, Nolan¡¯s holographic images appeared in the air not far ahead. ¡°I have completed the exploration of the entire planet,¡± she said.


    ¡°Are there any traces of other rebels or guardians?¡± asked Hao Ren hurriedly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Nolan shook her head and said, ¡°I only found a lot of wreckage that was completely destroyed. I¡¯ve never seen such a brutal battle, not even a complete body can be found. Almost all the battlefields have been damaged by the powerful explosion. Many cities are even left with only huge deep pits. According to the result of the analysis, it¡¯s caused by self-explosion. No matter who gets into a disadvantage, they would not hesitate to choose self-explosion¡­ I can¡¯t find anything I can bring back.¡±


    It reminded Hao Ren of the rebel commander who had blown up in front of him and Heve¡¯s plan to detonate the bomb in the temple, so he was not surprised.


    ¡°Judging from the tenacity in the battle, both of the parties are brave and strong warriors, but what is the point of fighting? Especially the rebels. Why are they doing this, isn¡¯t it a waste of their courage?¡±


    Nolan was noncommittal about Lily¡¯s feeling because she had been through countless wars. Pointless killing and battle were common to her. She just shook her head and said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing here. The UAVs are looking around to see if there¡¯s any wreckage, but¡­ Wait a minute, there¡¯s something!¡±


    ¡°What did you find?¡± Hao Ren and Lily asked in unison.


    ¡°It looks like a spaceship, wandering between Solenne and the sun, and is intact,¡± said Nolan. She was not looking at Hao Ren because she was watching the vast universe through a probe in space.


    Without hesitation, Hao Ren immediately went back to find Y¡¯zaks, who was playing with Obsidian, and the three guardians, including Muru, and returned to Petrachelys together.


    Because of the huge size of the three giants, they still had to stay in the garage. Fortunately, even if it was a garage, it was clean, tidy and comfortable, and there was ample room for special equipment to treat the injuries of Heve and Lemendusa.


    The three guardians were not dissatisfied with the arrangement of the ¡®diamond garage¡¯. After looking at Hao Ren¡¯s advanced spacecraft up and down curiously, Lemendusa urged Hao Ren to check where the battleship came from.


    Hao Ren came to the bridge, said hello to Lil Pea and Y¡¯lisabet, and then opened Nolan¡¯s holographic interface and asked, ¡°Is that spacecraft responding to our detectors?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve released several exploratory beacons, but there¡¯s no response no matter how intensive the communication test was,¡± Nolan said as she piloted the spacecraft to the spot, ¡°there is no trace of life inside it. It seems that everyone is evacuated.¡±


    Petrachelys sailed through the universe briskly, and soon a golden battleship appeared on the screen of the external monitor.


    The golden battleship was wandering in the universe like the Ark of the Gods, and even though Hao Ren had never seen a spaceship like this, he knew that it should be something been built by the rebel.


    Because it was too ostentatious¡­

 Chapter 861

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    It was a gigantic golden spacecraft. Its long axis should be around five kilometers and had an extremely symmetrical appearance. A series of round, curved metal beams and arched hull made it look like a grotesque and slender giant beetle. One end of the spacecraft is about three times larger than the other side. A large number of parabolic golden structures extended from the thicker end of the spacecraft to its waist, forming a cage-like structure, and inside the birdcage structure was a large number of neatly arranged raised devices¡ªperhaps it was a weapon platform or something that was lethally powerful, such as a gravitational weapon or a material cracking unit. Hao Ren believed that there would be at least two high-tech things on the large spacecraft made by rebels.


    The golden battleship was wandering aimlessly on the gravitational balance between Solenne and the Sun. There was no sign showing that it was controlled by anyone. In the rear part of the spacecraft, there was a series of shimmering narrow grids but only less than 10% of the grids released strong energy responses. It should be a propulsion system. The spacecraft was moving away from the sun at a very slow pace, propelled by this small amount of power. However, it seemed that it was hard to get rid of the gravitational force of the sun¡ªif those grids were still in such a half-dead state.


    The sun shone on the hull of the spacecraft, reflecting brilliant golden rays in space. It looked like a temple floating in space, solemn and majestic, but there was no sign of life inside.


    The Petrachelys kept miles away from the golden battleship, wandering around it and releasing test signals of various frequencies. Nolan seemed very nervous. ¡°Will it suddenly hit me?¡± she asked.


    Hao Ren glanced at Nolan and said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you already tested it? This thing doesn¡¯t respond to our signal at all.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m looking straight at it. Aren¡¯t you nervous when you confront something of your kind which is more than 10 times bigger than you?¡± said Nolan.


    Hao Ren thought for a moment and realized that he had never been in a fight with someone or something of his size, even the husky was four meters taller than him after she transformed. But he was never nervous because those creatures were not of the same kind. The only time he ever fought with a man who was bigger than him was the battle with Muru. However, he was not fighting alone, so he could not understand how Nolan felt at the moment.


    Hao Ren shook his head and turned his attention back to the spaceship. He turned on the communication with Muru and asked, ¡°You see it? Is this spaceship made by the rebels? Do you know this model?¡±


    ¡°Yes, this is the battleship made by the rebels!¡± Muru immediately replied with a serious tone. ¡°Try to zoom in, maybe we can recognize its identity.¡±


    Nolan continued to approach the golden spaceship, zoom in on all the details and send it to the garage. The three giants gazed at the picture and then discussed quickly. As a veteran warrior, Lemendusa made the judgment and said, ¡°It looks like an integrated command ship, which is modified on the basis of a warship. Those protrusions are devices that conduct electronic warfare and produce aggressive energy fields. The front end of the warship also has remnants of turrets. There¡¯s not much this kind of ship in the rebel fleet. They usually serve as the flagship of the middle force and will be protected in the core of the fleet during the battle.¡±


    ¡°The spaceship seems to be in good condition, why was it abandoned?¡± Hao Ren wondered.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know until we get in there,¡± Muru replied, ¡°so many unthinkable things happened in this galaxy. And we don¡¯t really know much about the rebels¡¯ troops. The war broke out abruptly. The rebels used a lot of equipment that we had never seen before, and this kind of spaceship is one of them. We¡¯ve fought with this kind of ship many times, but we don¡¯t really know what¡¯s inside it. This kind of spaceship is hard to capture.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and then instructed Nolan, ¡°Prepare for the boarding process, Y¡¯zaks, Lily and I will go in there and see. The rest of you will stay here and wait for our instructions.¡±


    ¡°Still don¡¯t let me go with you this time?¡± Y¡¯lisabet asked while holding a screwdriver, looking disappointed.


    All she could think of was to enter the spaceship and tear some parts down. Hao Ren, of course, would not allow it. ¡°Just stay on the spaceship. Who knows if there¡¯s anything dangerous in that place.¡±


    Hao Ren knew this demon girl like the back of his hand. He knew this little girl would try to touch everything all the way with the screwdriver. After experiencing the rebels¡¯ remarkable self-explosive technology, he has made up his mind: Never let this little girl follow them!


    ¡°Oh.¡± Y¡¯lisabet sounded disappointed. She climbed back to her chair and muttered to Lil Pea while Hao Ren, Y¡¯zaks, and Lily left the bridge. As Petrachelys slowly moved closer to the golden spaceship, Muru¡¯s voice came from the communicator. ¡°Do you need me to go with you?¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment and said, ¡°Forget it, you probably can¡¯t walk in there. The spaceship looks big, but it¡¯s not for giants.¡±


    ¡°Then be careful.¡± Muru sounded a little sad, but he did not insist. ¡°Those rebels are very cunning. This spaceship might be a trap. You¡¯d better prepare the escape plan in advance.¡±


    Hao Ren knocked on the data terminal on his shoulder and said, ¡°This toy is my escape plan.¡±


    ¡°You know I¡¯m important, so can you stop calling me a ¡®toy¡¯?¡±


    Petrachelys was like a tiny hummingbird in front of the five-kilometer-long golden ship. It circled the giant spaceship and finally found something looking like a gate at the edge of the ¡®birdcage¡¯ structure at the rear of the giant ship. Hao Ren, Lily, and Y¡¯zaks stood on the upper platform of Petrachelys, watching a group of UAVs flying to the gate and starting to cut the light golden armor around the gate with material pyrolysis rays.


    Hao Ren and Nolan were closely watching the reaction of the golden battleship to see if it would react when the hull was damaged, such as activating the protective shields or releasing warning machines. But when the UAVs detached the whole armor plate from the spaceship, there was no reaction from the golden ship.


    When the UAVs cut a big hole in the golden spaceship, violent air current and some metal fragments immediately gushed out of the big hole and the automatic damage control device of the spaceship was then activated. Hao Ren saw a large amount of liquid metal was ¡®growing¡¯ rapidly under the armor plate around the hole, trying to plug the hole. He immediately pulled Lily and Y¡¯zaks and rushed in before the hole was completely healed.


    Seconds after they rushed in, the hole was automatically sealed off.


    When the air current around Hao Ren had calmed down, he stood up and looked at the hole behind him. He saw the pale golden liquid metal was moving through the armored wall and quickly covered the hole that was cut by the UAVs. The liquid metal was then hardened in a flash, leaving no traces of cut. The liquid metal was even molded into pipes and wires. Obviously, all the functions of the armored wall had been restored.


    ¡°Good technology,¡± the data terminal looked at it and praised the spaceship maker, ¡°it¡¯s good enough for a cosmic civilization. The entire shell of the spaceship should be able to grow and heal like this, and perhaps this is how it¡¯s made.¡±


    Hao Ren was impressed by the diversity of civilizations¡ª the universe was so big that it had all kinds of technologies that you had never seen before.


    A slight noise came from the front. Lily immediately looked up and saw a door was open. When the UAVs cut open a hole in the spaceship, some automatic devices were activated. The doors in this area were once closed. Now that the wall had been repaired automatically, so the doors were open.


    ¡°These basic systems are still running,¡± Hao Ren said while looking at the door, ¡°but the higher level system has not yet responded.¡±


    ¡°To open the doors and repair the damage only need a simple automatic line to control, but activating the shields and self-defense firepower should require the participation of the mainframe,¡± the data terminal speculated, ¡°I¡¯m afraid the mainframe of the spaceship is down.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks continued to walk and said, ¡°Then I hope it¡¯s completely down.¡±

 Chapter 862

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The spaceship built by the rebels was showy and exaggerative, just like themselves. Inside the giant spaceship, every corridor, every piece of equipment, everything was beautifully decorated and meticulously arranged.


    The corridor was spacious and bright. It had a gracefully curved vault, with plenty of pale golden glowing light streams with crystals hanging at the end of them falling from the vault. There were countless relief sculptures on the walls of the corridor, depicting pictures of religious legend with exquisite artistry, including struggles against natural disasters, mystical rituals related to the stars, and the domestication of dangerous beasts. The heroes or heroines of these pictures were, of course, all tall, handsome and beautiful ¡®perfect human¡¯. They were either dressed in holy armor or clothed in robes that represented wisdom and knowledge, playing the role of savior or leader in every picture. And all sorts of other species, including humans who looked like them but thinner, were all prostrating at the feet of these ¡®Gods¡¯.


    Hao Ren felt like he was walking in a magnificent temple. If it weren¡¯t for the flickers of the facilities between the sculptures and the statues of Gods, he would have almost forgotten that it was a spaceship floating in space.


    Y¡¯zaks was walking beside Hao Ren and looking at the luxurious decorations around him. These magnificent and beautifully decorated corridors reminded him of something about his home¡ªthe art-loving elves and the human kingdoms would build something similar. Of course, they were slightly less luxurious, but from the point ¡®exquisite art¡¯, the two were very similar.


    ¡°If it¡¯s not a weapon, it¡¯s actually quite a fine piece of art,¡± Y¡¯zaks said with a smile, ¡°but such decorations should not appear on the battlefield. As a battleship, it¡¯s too luxurious and full of unnecessary decorations.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a luxury on the battlefield. Human beings have had such a period, but that was in ancient times. It¡¯s hard to imagine that a space civilization will keep this practice,¡± Hao Ren said and shook his head, ¡°these treacherous children have completely gone insane, becoming gods can¡¯t be real and they have already taken themselves as true Gods.¡±


    Lily was poking at the sculptures on the wall with her Frostfire Claws while muttering, ¡°Collective insane. This happens from time to time in any society. Anyway, it looks like there¡¯s really no one here.¡±


    The data terminal was floating in front of them and scanning around with a blue light. It was detecting the flow of energy in the walls of the corridor and the life in the vicinity. ¡°No signs of life were found¡ªexcept some microbes. The spaceship¡¯s power seemed to be intact, and I detected a regular signal transmission, so the basic system is probably still operating automatically but it seems that the core system is off-line. I found a line that¡¯s in a silent state. This line runs through the entire spaceship. We can locate the host of the spaceship through the line and then figure out the general structure of the spaceship.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Hao Ren responded. He wanted to figure out the structure of the spaceship, but he¡¯s more concerned about the whereabouts of the crew. Every inch of this place corner looked elegant and magnificent, but at the moment, it was all lifeless, like a cold handicraft floating in space, and he wanted to know why. Along the way, he did not find any traces of damage and there were no signs of fighting on the walls of the corridor. So basically, he could rule out some factors that might have caused the crew to abandon the spaceship, such as invasion, crew mutiny, and internal environmental disasters. Similarly, because no apparent injuries were found outside the spaceship, he could rule out the possibility of the ship being abandoned because of damage.


    The ship was abandoned in perfect condition.


    They came to the end of the corridor. There was a fork, and a door in the middle of the fork, which might be a place for the staff to take a break. Lily scratched the metal door with her paws and asked, ¡°What¡¯s behind this?¡±


    Hao Ren pushed the husky girl aside to stop her from making noises and then went forward to check the door. The power supply of the access control system should be fine, but he did not know how to activate it. He walked around the door and found that there were two small sculptures symmetrically placed on both sides of the door. The sculpture was some kind of beast with long fangs and slender faces. When Hao Ren put his hand on the head of the sculpture, he heard a slight noise coming from the wall, then the door slid open.


    ¡°This reminds me of those tomb traps in the TV series. The design is quite retro,¡± Hao Ren said.


    Behind the door was a small rectangular room, which, as Hao Ren guessed, was a lounge. There were some soft, spacious seats and long metal tables in the room but what caught their attention were the things that were placed on the metal tables.


    Hao Ren walked quickly into the room. The metal tables were set with strange cutlery, and some of the food had not been touched at all. There was a holographic projection in the corner of the room showing a section of the cabin that they had not yet explored. Lily exclaimed with surprise when she saw the food on the table, ¡°Ah, they also need to eat?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Raven 12345 also eats instant noodles, not to mention these guys who are not even demigods,¡± Hao Ren said while reaching for a drink on the table which was cold as expected, ¡°Err, it looks like they¡¯ve been away for a while.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks looked at the scene in the room and frowned. ¡°The food was on the table and the projector didn¡¯t turn off, but there was no sign of fighting. Probably they were evacuated abruptly, and the cause of the evacuation has nothing to do with violence. Judging from the situation, they left here in a hurry but did not panic. So the reason for the crew abandoning the spaceship is most likely to be the order of the superior.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep looking.¡±


    The evacuation order was probably sent from the bridge or a similar command center, so everybody targeted there. The data terminal looked for command center by hacking the data lines buried in the corridor and led them all the way to the depths of the ship.


    As they went deeper, they continued to find more evidence that could prove that the crew was evacuated under a unified order.


    They found more cabins like lounges, meeting rooms, dormitories and a variety of workshops. Every room showed signs of a sudden abandonment: food was left untouched on the table, personal belongings discarded in the corner of the room, and some devices maintained on the power-on state. In some rooms, the clothes were thrown in the bed, it seemed that the owner of the room suddenly ran out while changing the clothes. Hao Ren wondered what had happened that made those treacherous children evacuate in a panic.


    Finally, they found a broad corridor leading to the deepest part of the ship. At the end of the corridor was a magnificent door that allowed giants like Muru to walk in. The door was made of crystals and carved with the image of the Gods, and was bigger and taller and more exquisite than every door they met before. The data terminal confirmed that the control center of the spaceship was behind the door by hacking into the surrounding lines.


    This time, Hao Ren could not find the control switch of the door. Lily tried to force open the door with her paws but it did not work. ¡°It is so sturdy!¡±


    Hao Ren looked around and confirmed that the door could not be opened like the previous ones. He knocked on the data terminal and asked, ¡°Is this door connected to a self-destruct or any other warning switch?¡±


    Data terminal then checked the door and replied, ¡°No, just a simple access control system.¡±


    Hao Ren patted Y¡¯zaks on the arm and said, ¡°Give us some technical support.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks rolled up his sleeve and summoned the Infernal Brimstone, swinging it and then smashed it towards the door. ¡°Get out of the way!¡±


    Lily was still trying to open the door with her head down. As soon as she looked up, she saw a fireball of the size of a calf flying over her head. She screamed and sprang away and then, a loud bang echoed in the corridor.


    Lily was shouting and stamping her foot in anger in the smoke, ¡°Don¡¯t do it so abruptly! Can¡¯t you give me a little time to react?¡±


    ¡°You should have realized it was going to explode when he mentioned technical support,¡± the data terminal said mockingly, ¡°and that¡¯s great, my partner. Your work style is getting more and more on the right track!¡±

 Chapter 863

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The big explosion caused by the demonic flames ripped the entire door apart, and half of the corridor was shaking violently. After the choking smoke finally slowly dissipated, Hao Ren was holding the shield walking in front of them, being the first person to enter the control center of the spaceship.


    Behind the door was a large, bright chapel-like hall, with irregular polygons. In addition to the iconic sculptures, there were many fancy control devices and projection devices in the hall. All consoles were arranged in concentric circles and were distributed in layers into three rings. The equipment was carefully decorated and designed, which, although looked like a machine, was more like ritual equipment to be used at some religious ceremony. They could see this style throughout the ship, so there was nothing to care about.


    The dome of the hall was towering, with three large round openings in its ceiling and bright beams of light shone down from the round openings, arranged in the center of the circle of equipment in the innermost part of the hall. The light beams were floating with dazzling figures and graphs. As Hao Ren entered the hall, they were still refreshing rapidly. This should be the display interface of the main control system of the spaceship.


    Hao Ren was on high alert, in case there was any automatic warning devices or sentinel robots, but he reached the three huge columns of light without being attacked. It looks like even the core area alarm of the spaceship had gone offline. He stood in front of the three huge beams of light, curiously looking at the runes that were constantly refreshing. Because he had never been exposed to the technology of treacherous children, he had no idea what the state of the thing was.


    The data terminal roughly interpreted the information on the light beams, ¡°This is the self-check program of the core host. It¡¯s jammed and constantly repeating a few threads. Maybe there¡¯s a problem during the process of trying to restart.¡±


    Hao Ren was walking between the control equipment curiously. He noticed that the light of the control equipment was still on. The operating panels of those devices were unique: There were several parallel rows of crystals on most of the operating panel. Between the bars of crystals, there were strings of red lights, which was the input device. After the data terminal confirmed the function of one of the devices, he carefully placed his hand on the panel and plucked a ¡®light string¡¯, and then the lights on the ceiling dimmed¡ªwhich was an interesting way to operate.


    Although the stubbornness and foolish behavior of those treacherous children had brought severe suffering to the universe, Hao Ren had to admit that they might be a species uniquely gifted in art. It would be nice if they could use their talent in a slightly normal way.


    Suddenly, Lily shouted loudly, ¡°Landlord! There¡¯s a corpse here! There¡¯s a corpse here!¡±


    Hao Ren immediately ran towards Lily and saw that she was pointing at the space between the two controllers and said, ¡°Look!¡±


    Hao Ren looked in the direction of her finger and saw a man in a short, gorgeous robe lying face down on the floor and his body twisted into a strange posture. Apparently, he had been dead for a long time.


    Hao Ren and Y¡¯zaks were stunned by the unexpected discovery. They did not expect that a body was left on the abandoned spaceship. Perhaps they would be able to uncover the secret of the emergency evacuation from the dead crew. Y¡¯zaks turned the body carefully, and three of them were surprised when they saw the state of the body.


    The dead was a treacherous child, looked like a commander, and he died a terrible death. His face looked pale, his eye sockets were sunken, and his skin was wrinkled and showed obvious signs of dehydration. These characteristics seemed to imply that the man suffered severe blood loss before his death. And what was more worrying was the man¡¯s expression: horror, utter unspeakable horror. His eyes were almost completely protruding from their sockets and his mouth was so wide open that he almost tore his mouth apart. Every inch of muscle on his face was filled with fear and his eyes were bloodshot. One of his hands was pressed in the heart, and the other hand twisted strangely to the back as if he was trying to grab something.


    And it looked like he was scared to death.


    None of them were qualified coroners, so the data terminal took the initiative to check the body. Watching the data terminal examining the body, Hao Ren could not wait to get the answer and ask eagerly, ¡°What is the cause of death? Is he really scared to death?¡±


    ¡°One of the causes of death is horror. His heart was all broken. But the other cause of death is¡­ blood loss. The body lost at least half of its blood, and every blood vessel had varying degrees of distortion. And some of his internal organs seemed to have been heated. In the area where the blood vessels were denser, the internal organs were almost cooked. Both factors are lethal. I¡¯m not sure if he was scared to death or was boiled to death from the inside by his own blood first.¡±


    The data terminal described the cause of death flatly without any emotions. ¡°That sounds strange,¡± said Lily.


    ¡°This way of death is quite fresh and refined.¡± Hao Ren was trying to make this topic seem less bizarre but everyone knew that he could not say anything nice. Lily slapped him with her tail as soon as he opened his mouth. ¡°Err, never mind how he died, let¡¯s see if there are any other bodies.¡±


    Lilly sniffed about but found nothing. The man lying on the floor seemed to be the only clue.


    Hao Ren stood up, pondering the bizarre death of the commander while looking at the machinery equipment that was on standby. He suddenly had an idea and asked, ¡°Is there any surveillance equipment here? After all, it¡¯s such an advanced spaceship.¡±


    ¡°I go and look for it, but don¡¯t get your hopes up,¡± the data terminal said as it was floating to the center of the hall, ¡°the system is completely off-line, so it¡¯s hard to say if there¡¯s any data being saved when the accident happened.¡±


    The data terminal came to the center of the three large beams and then activated its sensing function. A large number of tiny pale blue lines emerged from its silvery outer case. A kind of soft and pleasant melody rippled in the air. The data terminal, which was often being teased as a coaster, brick, paperweight, and hammer, finally had the chance to show off its power of being a high-tech product. Its signal waves resonated with the ¡®humble¡¯ equipment nearby and began to invade the spaceship¡¯s nervous system with crushing force.


    As the data terminal massively invaded all the devices nearby, the consoles that were in standby or offline mode were starting to run as if they were resurrected. Hao Ren then heard the noises of running machines and systems. Two projectors in front of him were turned on, and the holograms above the projectors were showing the view of outer space and Petrachelys appeared in the corner of one of the pictures. It seemed that the data terminal had gained access to the external monitor.


    The data terminal first tried to reset the host state of the spaceship and gain control of the entire ship, but it later found that the host model was a little special and it would take a while to completely take over. In order to avoid total loss of control, it relocked the restart process of the host and then began to separate the data that looked like the surveillance data in the spaceship.


    They waited patiently. As the data terminal said, they did not get their hopes up.


    But today seemed to be a lucky day. Soon, the data terminal shouted happily, ¡°I found it!¡±


    Hao Ren snapped his fingers and said, ¡°Connect it to the projector!¡±


    The data terminal took over control of one of the three huge beams of light. It temporarily blocked out the host status report that was constantly refreshed on the light beam and then transferred the screen of the monitoring system to it.


    The screen was shaking slightly, but it was soon stabilized. It began to play the footage that was left behind not long ago. It was the scene in the control hall and was recorded before the crew abandoned the ship and escaped.


    It was a busy scene in the control hall. The officers were busy issuing orders and making plans on the command ship. Everyone sitting in front of the console looked serious. According to their actions, the spaceship was apparently in a war zone and was probably in the midst of a battle.


    The three of them stared at the screen, wanted to find out what had caused the huge changes in the spaceship.


    Then they saw a mass of thick liquid substance suddenly appeared in the center of the footage.

 Chapter 864

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    According to the surveillance records, the warship was taking part in a battle before it was abandoned. The whole control hall was busy. Hundreds of officers and commanders at all levels commanded the fleet in the hall in an orderly and tense atmosphere.


    Then, without warning, the three beams of light in the center of the hall seemed to be disturbed by something and suddenly became blurred. A large number of interference waves also appeared on the monitoring screen. When these footages stabilized, Hao Ren saw a mass of thick liquid substance suddenly appear in the center of the footage.


    He could not see how the liquid appeared in the hall due to intense interference, but he guessed that it might be teleported there. The liquid was not fixed in shape, floating and constantly twisting in the air like a living slime. It caused total chaos in the hall as soon as it appeared.


    Hao Ren saw the commanders noticing the intruder in the hall and all of them immediately appeared panicked. The operators jumped from the seats and rushed to the nearest exit while several officers began shouting, trying to control the situation. A lot of the soldiers ran in. They rushed to the liquid under the orders of the commander, but no one dared to get close to the weird stuff. The orderly control center turned chaotic in just a few seconds, and everybody was shouting and yelling. Hao Ren could only roughly understand some words from those chaotic cries.


    ¡°It found us!¡±


    ¡°Abandon the spaceship! Run!¡±


    ¡°Everybody calm down! It¡¯s just debris!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget why we¡¯re here! Get it out of here and keep fighting!¡±


    And everyone in the control hall was in a panic. The floating liquid did not do anything at all. It was just quietly floating in the middle of three beams of light, seemed to be pondering something and twisting slowly. After the chaos lasted for a while, it started to move again and drifted slowly toward the exit of the hall. But it still ignored everyone around.


    The liquid was moving to a corner. As it drifted slowly towards the door, a terrified officer suddenly jumped. The officer seemed to think that the liquid was directed at him, and his first reaction in the great panic was to attack it. Hao Ren saw him suddenly pulled out a wand, summoning a dazzling lightning ball and throwing it at the liquid.


    The lightning ball collided with the red liquid but the lightning ball was annihilated before it could cause the slightest ripple. Then, a red light burst out of the liquid and hit the officer. The officer trembled violently as if he was struck by thunder. The wand in his hand turned to ashes instantly, and his whole body was rapidly suffused with a layer of faint red mist. The mist was actually the boiling blood that was transpired from each pore. The blood in his body began to boil, leaving the body and floating toward the red liquid in the air, and his skin was turning pale and withered. In just a few seconds, the handsome officer had turned into a corpse. He fell to the ground with great horror, losing a lot of blood and his skin shriveled and pale like a zombie.


    Right where they found the body.


    ¡°This is not an ordinary fragment! This could be a soul fragment! Don¡¯t attack! Don¡¯t attack!¡± the guards immediately shouted.


    A senior officer, who looked like a captain, appeared in the footage. After realizing that the situation was out of control, he finally shouted, ¡°Notifying all crew, abandon the ship and escape! Leave the bridge, all of you! Stay focused, don¡¯t attack!¡±


    All the crew in the control center fled the place in a panic. A moment later, Hao Ren heard a broadcast coming from the footage, ¡°The flagship No.3 is watched by the gods! Please abandon the ship!¡±


    ¡°So this is how they evacuated,¡± Lily blinked and said, ¡°that thing looks like lifeblood. And those treacherous children looked pretty scared of it.¡±


    Hao Ren did not respond. He was still staring at the surveillance footage because it was not finished yet.


    After all the officers in the hall were evacuated, the liquid was still floating silently in the air. It stopped moving after the attack as if it was startled. It did not pursue and attack those treacherous children, nor did it destroy the equipment on the spaceship. Although they saw it as a scourge, it seemed to have no tendency to attack any of them. It was just floating there quietly and a few minutes later, it trembled as if it were waking from a dream, and then drifting towards the door.


    Then, a communicator in the hall suddenly lit up and a woman appeared on the holographic projection. The moment Hao Ren saw the holographic projection, he felt that the woman on the projection looked familiar.


    ¡°Flagship No.3, report your situation¡­ Flagship No.3¡­ What¡¯s this?¡±


    The woman appearing on the communicator did not seem to know what happened to the flagship No.3 and kept calling for responses. Then, she stopped abruptly. She froze when she saw the red liquid floating in the air.


    The red liquid was also startled by the holographic projection that suddenly popped up. It then immediately leaned towards it with great interest and then twisting itself before the projection. At first, Hao Ren did not know what it wanted to do, but soon he saw that there were other colors and things appearing in the liquid. It slowly elongated, ¡®growing¡¯ hands and feet and clothes, simulating the skin color and fabric texture. It created long hair for itself, but it was not satisfied and kept adjusting the hair. Hao Ren finally realized what the liquid was doing: It was imitating the woman who appeared on the communicator.


    The woman on the holographic projection finally realized what she was looking at. She screamed and then cut off the line directly.


    The liquid had transformed into a human. The newly formed woman was startled by the scream. She had not had time to fully adjust her appearance to look exactly the same as the one appearing on the holographic projection, so she was a little annoyed. She was not looked exactly the same as the woman she was trying to copy, but now she looked exactly the same as the one Hao Ren knew: Vivian.


    ¡®Vivian¡¯ was only frustrated for a while and soon forgot about it. She looked at the clothes she was wearing with a look of satisfaction on her face, and then she imitated the voice she had just heard and shouted to the empty hall, ¡°Flagship No.3, FlagshipNo.3¡­¡±


    No one answered, so she clapped her hands and opened a teleportation portal in the air, striding in and muttering, ¡°What is this¡­ What is this¡­¡±


    And the surveillance footage ended here.


    Hao Ren, Lily, and Y¡¯zaks were totally stunned. After a while, Lily suddenly jumped up as if someone had stepped on her tail and exclaimed, ¡°That¡¯s battie! That¡¯s battie, right?¡±


    ¡°You think so?¡± Hao Ren asked, then pinched his face and it hurt. ¡°WTF! I thought I was wrong¡­ That¡¯s Vivian!¡±


    Lily was jumping up and down for a moment and then suddenly jumped to Hao Ren, grabbing his sleeve and said, ¡°Landlord, I want to call battie! Give her a call now! I have something important to tell her!¡±


    Hao Ren handed the data terminal to her and said, ¡°Connect the home landline.¡±


    Lily waited for a while, and Vivian finally answered the phone, ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Battie!¡± Data terminal was startled by Lily¡¯s shriek. ¡°I just witnessed how you were born!¡±


    ¡°Doggie, you¡¯re crazy! You called me across the universe just to say this?¡± yelled Vivian and hung up the phone.


    Hao Ren also thought that Lily was crazy, but he could understand her feeling now as he himself was not really able to remain calm either. When Lily finally calmed down, he touched his chin and muttered, ¡°If it¡¯s true, what we just saw is how Vivian was born, and we finally found the evidence.¡±

 Chapter 865

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After arriving at the oblique nebula, Hao Ren had seen things that left him dumbfounded more than once. Ten thousand years was compressed into ten hours here, bringing a wonderful sense of the paradox of time. He saw that the thick smoke still billowed over the battlefield, the fallen soldiers killed 10,000 years ago had only just fallen down here, and the ruins were still warm. However, none of these surprised him as much as what he had just seen: The birth of Vivian from the lifeblood.


    Vivian was actually created by the goddess, the material used was lifeblood, and she was clearly a unique individual. This was no longer a conjecture, but a clear and unmistakable fact. He even knew that when Vivian was just born, she did not have a body at all. Her appearance at first was a mere imitation of the appearance of a female commander¡ªwhat a dramatic fact. The most unique creation of the Goddess of Creation actually shaped itself after seeing the appearance of a rebel.


    ¡°Luckily battie did not get to completely imitate the woman. Otherwise, her skin would be pale gold,¡± Lily stuck out her tongue and said.


    Hao Ren did not respond. In his mind, all sorts of information about Vivian were rapidly regrouping and rearrangement. A lot of things he had been trying to figure out were clear now. Y¡¯zaks was also pondering something. He then asked, ¡°So, what kind of race is Vivian?¡±


    ¡°I think she doesn¡¯t belong to any race,¡± said Lily while scratching her hair, ¡°she¡¯s not even the Firstborn or guardian, I think she¡¯s just a super life.¡±


    ¡°But she looks like a vampire now. How did she become like this?¡± Y¡¯zaks asked curiously.


    ¡°Because of imitation. Maybe when she came to Earth, the race she first met was vampires,¡± Hao Ren guessed, ¡°according to the surveillance footage, Vivian didn¡¯t have any shape or form initially, so she just copied whatever she saw, and the situation might have persisted for some time until she had a clear sense of self. It¡¯s not important anyway. As a creature born from the lifeblood, I¡¯m not surprised at what she had become.¡±


    He dropped these things aside and then connected Petrachelys. ¡°Muru, have you all seen it¡±


    Hao Ren had been keeping in touch with the three guardian giants and they could see all the footage via the data terminal. Apparently, the surveillance footage had also deeply shaken the three guardians, especially Muru, who knew Vivian. ¡°Are you sure that the woman who was born from the lifeblood is the one living in your house?¡± asked Muru.


    ¡°You all know who she is?¡± Lemendusa asked eagerly.


    ¡°Of course we do,¡± Hao Ren replied, ¡°she is Vivian, and she¡¯s in my house now. Her present identity is an ancestor of the blood clan on Earth.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s with you?¡± Lemendusa sounded unusually agitated. ¡°I want to see her! She should be the key from the mother. She must have some important information to convey to us¡­¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s nothing she can do even if you meet her. She had no idea of her origins, her memories were all gone, and she had no idea of her relationship with the Goddess, and if I hadn¡¯t been investigating, she wouldn¡¯t have known that she was actually coming from the Plane of Dreams,¡± said Hao Ren.


    ¡°Next time we come to this world, I¡¯ll take her with me. But don¡¯t get your hopes up. Muru has met Vivian. He can testify that he can¡¯t feel anything about the Goddess of Creation on Vivian,¡± Hao Ren promised.


    ¡°Vivian¡­¡± Lemendusa could only sigh. ¡°OK, I know.¡±


    Hao Ren then turned to the dead commander and crouched down to check the body. ¡°How long has this man been dead?¡±


    The data terminal scanned the body, roughly inferring that the person¡¯s death time was about three days ago¡ªthe standard time on Earth. Given that this galaxy was distorted for 10 hours, Hao Ren was finally able to sort out a timeline:


    In the final battle before the explosion of the Star of Creation, the Goddess created the prototype of Vivian (that blood) and sent it to the depths of the universe. But for some unknown reasons, the blood came to the battlefield of the Solenne Gateway and broke into the battleship of treacherous children. Those treacherous children then abandoned the battleship for ¡®being watched by the Gods¡¯. At the same time, Vivian imitated the appearance of a female officer and opened the dimensional door to leave that world.


    Then the war went on, and two days later, the crucial event occurred: the Star of Creation exploded. The time of Solenne Gateway was distorted in the explosion and plunged into a strange limbo.


    And Vivian had crossed The Wall of Reality before the explosion. Her first stop was Inferno between the cracks in time and space. She split herself into two on the planet and teleported directly to earth through the gate of Inferno and it was very likely that she lost her memories at that time. After that, part of her left in Inferno to save the planet while she began to wander unconsciously on earth.


    Vivian had been wandering for 10000 years, and at the same time, the Solenne Gateway was still sinking in the mysterious Umbral Realm. In the distorted time and space, this place had spent 10 hours in the Umbral Realm. To put it exaggeratedly, the bodies of rebels who were killed by Vivian¡¯s blood magic were still warm.


    Hao Ren looked up at the empty hall and muttered, ¡°I can¡¯t believe that Vivian just left this place three days ago! Lily, go and sniff around. Maybe you can smell the bloody scent she left three days ago!¡±


    Lily tried to sniff around and then said, ¡°But she has been so poor on Earth for 10,000 years!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Luckily Vivian was not there, otherwise, doggie and battie would definitely fight again. Lily just would never stop hitting Vivian¡¯s sore point.


    Hao Ren let the data terminal continue to connect with the mainframe of the spaceship and uploaded all the data that could be backed up to the database of Petrachelys. He then made a more thorough exploration of this spaceship.


    Of course, because of the size of the golden battleship and the complexity of the internal structure, it would take a long time for them to walk around the ship on feet. So after completing the inspection of the core compartment, he handed over the following work to the probes and autonomous robots. As the smart robot assistants were examining the battleship, Hao Ren left the data terminal there, and they returned to Petrachelys.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to take this spaceship back and do further research,¡± Hao Ren told Lemendusa, ¡°and you and Heve are coming with me. Let¡¯s go to Tannagost together.¡±


    Lemendusa was extremely resistant to anything that rebels made, but if it was a trophy brought back from the battlefield, it was another matter. Seizing such a large command ship was a great honor to any warrior, so he readily agreed and said, ¡°This is your trophy, and this glory belongs to you.¡±


    Lemendusa was particularly serious in detail. He was like a traditional and stubborn warrior, so Hao Ren just accepted it. He called the data terminal on the golden battleship and asked, ¡°How¡¯s it going? Can you reboot the mainframe over there?¡±


    The data terminal was still in the control hall, connecting itself with the mainframe of the golden battleship. Under its control, three large beams of light in the hall were refreshing a big amount of data at an alarming rate. However, it was not satisfied with the data and said, ¡°The mainframe of this spaceship is too fragile and full of loopholes. Vivian caused a big impact on the main control system when she opened the door to the Surface World. I tried to restart it twice but didn¡¯t succeed¡­ I¡¯m afraid the main control system has some physical damage.¡±


    Hao Ren noticed that the glowing grid at the rear of the golden battleship flickered several times. The data terminal seemed to be attempting to restart the main engine. However, as the main control system was offline, the attempts were not successful.


    Hao Ren had no other way. He turned to Nolan and asked, ¡°Err¡­ Can you be a tugboat?¡±


    Nolan paused for a few seconds, and then looked at the golden ship of more than 10 times longer than her through the external monitor and said, ¡°Are you kidding me? I don¡¯t have this function!¡±


    Hao Ren thought about it and agreed.

 Chapter 866

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Since the Petrachelys¡¯s hyper-space engine could only be used for itself, and it had no way to cover the extra space like a barge, Hao Ren could only temporarily leave the golden giant ship here, allowing autonomous robots to work on it while slowly repairing it. Anyway, it was impossible for the ship to start on its own: The data terminal had confirmed that part of the main control systems of the golden battleship had been severely damaged. Just below the control hall, part of the facility disappeared, leaving a black hole behind. It was probably destroyed by Vivian accidentally when she opened the teleportation portal.


    Hao Ren let Petrachelys drop several autonomous robots and a production module on the surface of the golden giant spaceship. These autonomous robots would start trying to repair the ship and complete a full exploration of it after they left. Since there was no technical data on the rebels in the database, those autonomous robots would probably completely dismantle the damaged parts of the golden spaceship and replace them with new ones. And as they had to write compatible protocols at the same time, it would take a little more time.


    Hao Ren stood on the bridge of Petrachelys and watched those autonomous robots and production modules unfold automatically. ¡°We can go back first,¡± he said, ¡°after the spaceship is repaired, it will go to Crapple Research Station on its own. The data terminal should have set its host.¡±


    As soon as he had finished speaking, a blue light flashed across the bridge. The data terminal just came back from the control center of the golden giant ship. It fell on Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder, yelling, ¡°Yes yes? Did you just mention me?¡±


    Hao Ren pushed this noisy data terminal away from his ears and asked, ¡°All done?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yup,¡± the data terminal said while jumping triumphantly. ¡°I rewrote the ship¡¯s host. The ship is now fully under control, except that the engine unit and the main power furnace cannot be activated. If you don¡¯t believe me, look¡ª¡±


    The data terminal was floating in the air, calling the shots like a remote control. The lights on the outside of the golden ship immediately responded to the data terminal. ¡°You see, I told it to turn on the headlights and it turns on the headlights. I let it open the shield and it opens the shield. I told it to open the hatch door and it does so. I told it to¡­¡±


    The glowing grid in the back of the golden battleship flickered wildly for a while, and then, suddenly, all the lights went out.


    ¡°Oh, it crashed. I forgot the engine was offline,¡± the data terminal shook awkwardly and said, ¡°it¡¯s easy, just restart it.¡±


    Hao Ren looked strangely at the data terminal which looked quite excited and asked, ¡°You look like you¡¯re in a good mood. What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°You see that too?¡± The data terminal flipped happily in the air, said with a high pitch, ¡°It¡¯s a spaceship! A brain-wrecked spaceship! A spaceship that can¡¯t move! I can become the host of this spaceship! With this stuff, I don¡¯t have to fight for the slot with Nolan anymore!¡±


    Nolan was concentrating on checking her power unit. When she heard this, she looked up oddly and said, ¡°You also know that¡¯s how you usually get that position?¡±


    For a long while, Hao Ren remained speechless while looking at the super-excited data terminal.


    The data terminal was still shouting happily, ¡°Although this ship is technically a little old-fashioned, it is at least a battleship! It looks awesome! And the key is that I finally proved one thing, that is, as long as I¡¯m determined, I can evolve into a battleship host¡­¡±


    Watching the data terminal kept talking cheerfully to itself, Lily poked Hao Ren¡¯s arm and asked, ¡°Landlord, is it infected with the virus?¡±


    Hao Ren grinned and said, ¡°Haha, nothing. It just goes crazy.¡±


    The data terminal was not finished yet. It suddenly rushed to hao Ren and said, ¡°Oh! And I have to give this ship a name! How about Pattianne? Commemorating my first evolutionary success¡­ You can call it Hao Ren if you like, but you have to paint me on the ship¡­¡±


    Hao Ren finally had enough. He grabbed this noisy guy and stuffed it into his dimensional pocket and yelled, ¡°This is a damn research material, you idiot!¡±


    The voice of the data terminal continued to echo in his mind, ¡°It¡¯s okay, the research material can also fly. I¡¯m very practical¡­¡±


    ¡°Why such a high-tech gadget doesn¡¯t even have a power off button!¡± yelled Hao Ren.


    After Hao Ren finally overpowered the data terminal (on the surface), Y¡¯zaks coughed softly to attract their attention. ¡°Ahem, so we just go back?¡±


    Hao Ren patted his head, ignoring the ceaseless noise in his mind, looking up at the holographic projection in front of the console desk.


    Those probes and UAVs had completed a rough scan of the nebula. No active target was found within the scan range. Just as Lemendusa said, after the interstellar barrier was breached, all the treacherous children and guardians had gone to the last line of defense of the Star of Creation. There was only a burning, barren battlefield left in the Solenne Galaxy.


    Such a vast battlefield could, of course, hold other clues. At least they could salvage a large number of weapons and equipment from both sides of the battling parties here. Moreover, there were some small strongholds and ecological planets in other parts of the nebula that were built by the guardians (though all of those planets had been burnt). These remnants were all important. Through them, it might be possible to restore the respective civilizations of the guardians and those treacherous children.


    Hao Ren nodded to Nolan and said, ¡°Connect the UAVs fleet.¡±


    A moment later, a constantly changing face appeared on the holographic projection, which was the collective consciousness of the UAVs fleet. As the drone fleet grows, the collective consciousness grew smarter and stronger day by day. It now even went to the Imperial Data Network to collect news that it was interested in, or made short films of interesting phenomena it stumbled upon during the expansion and posted them on public channels. Occasionally, it would also have heated discussions with UAVs fleet of other universes. But anyway, as soon as Hao Ren called, it would appear immediately.


    ¡°Hello,¡± the collective consciousness greeted Hao Ren with a flat voice, ¡°I am waiting for the command.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded, pointing to the star map next to him and said, ¡°Increase the detection priority of Solenne Gateway. I want you to build a UAVs nest in this place and explore the galaxy as an important relic. The key is to restore the civilization that has existed here. If you find something special, send it to the Crapple Research Station.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Do you need to build a sentinel lab in the UAVs nest? It can improve the efficiency of research.¡±


    ¡°You decide,¡± Hao Ren said while scratching his head, ¡°you grow up pretty fast. You can make your own judgments about the basic infrastructure projects.¡±


    The collective consciousness accepted the command and began to direct the carrier ¡®nesting¡¯ near the Solenne Gateway to the galaxy. Next, the nearby UAVs would take the Solenne Gateway as a new home. They would build a large UAV base in the depths of the oblique nebula and, as Hao Ren ordered, excavate and salvage all the man-made remnants of the galaxy.


    Let¡¯s hope that there was something in the fragmented spacecraft and the burning planet that worth the effort.


    Finally, Hao Ren had set up several building units and a space-time beacon on Solenne that had been turned into ruins. Although the planet was completely destroyed, it was at least a relatively stable foothold compared to other parts of the oblique nebula, and it had a slight chance to be rebuilt and rescued. So, Hao Ren decided to make Solenne a ¡®small station¡¯, just like he did in Tannagost.


    Of course, it was impossible to expect the planet to be able to recover just like Tannagost. They probably could only build a ground station there.


    After issuing the repair order for the golden giant ship, arranging a plan for the UAVs fleet to nest locally, and setting up a base on Solenne, Hao Ren finally confirmed that he had done all he could do there, and decided to return home.


    But first, they had to go back to Crapple research station to put the treacherous prisoner that Lily had captured in a suitable place.


    It¡¯s time to utilize the prison system in that place.

 Chapter 867

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Over the Tannagost, the Crapple Research Station was quietly running on its orbit. The Capulum Vitae beneath the station was emitting faint red glows while gazing at the planet tens of thousands of kilometers away like a pair of eyes in the space.


    As always, Zorm was watching the planet below in space. Through its connection with the lifeblood, it could feel the joy of all sentient beings on the planet when they were waking up from their deep slumber.


    The research station AI, which lived with Zorm, was less concerned with what was happening on the planet. As a space station host, it focused more on the laboratories and sample libraries in the station. The samples of the First Born in vessels No.1 and No.2 had just undergone a series of routine tests. Now the two huge vessels were discharging various ancillary products from the experiment into special collection facilities. The space station AI would then send these materials to the factory in different categories, some of which could be processed into living supplies. According to today¡¯s work plan, it would arrange a group of landing shuttles one hour, 15 minutes and 32 seconds later to drop the extra supplies produced by the space station into the human settlement of Tannagost, and then brought back some of the experimental equipment on the planet for routine inspection and maintenance.


    A First Born, and a space station AI, lived a dull but fulfilling routine every day. Although other creatures might find it difficult to understand their emotions and thoughts, they have adapted and enjoyed their lives. Zorm¡¯s feelings were relatively richer, and it had a perfect personality, so it was always the one who started the conversation. ¡°Host! Did you see they just built a big windmill? A big windmill! They built the machine in such a short time!¡±


    The space station AI responded with a stiff attitude, ¡°Manufacturing tool is the basic ability of intelligent species, and they have a complete knowledge record, so their reconstruction speed is in line with expectations.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Zorm responded, and then continued to overlook everything on earth in the Capulum Vitae. At the same time, there were a lot of bizarre questions running in his mind, such as, who exactly created the Crapple Research Station? Why was the style of this crystal building different from that of Hao Ren¡¯s spacecraft? Why was Hao Ren always busy? Why did UAVs often come in and out of the Crapple Research Station? Why was there a rift on Tannagost that led to other universes? And why did it have so many questions?


    In most cases, the space station AI would not mind answering Zorm¡¯s questions, but sometimes it would simply remain silent when it was something it did not know. It was just an AI which was only a supervisor of the space station programmed with basic personality and emotional mode, so it did not care about the awkwardness of stopping the conversation abruptly. And fortunately, Zorm did not mind. It just kept asking a lot of questions. Its exuberant curiosity seemed to be inherited from its mother. The spirit of exploring the universe of the Goddess of Creation was reflected in this First Born.


    Suddenly a flash of light came from space, and the conversation between Zorm and the space station AI stopped. Petrachelys detached from the hyperspace state and landed briskly on the star harbor of the Crapple Research Station. Zorm immediately greeted the people on the spaceship, ¡°Everybody¡¯s back?¡±


    Hao Ren saw the greetings from Zorm on the communicator. Its thinking had been systematically transformed into the expression: a brilliant O(¡É_¡É)O. The First Born seemed to be in a good mood.


    But when Hao Ren thought of the prisoner he brought back, he did not feel very good.


    He greeted Zorm and then called the station¡¯s host on another line. ¡°Open the special accommodation facility in zone A. There¡¯s a prisoner. I need to lock him up. He is good at self-explosion. You get ready.¡±


    As the host was preparing the facility, Hao Ren opened the hanger of the spacecraft, and Lemendusa and Heve walked out. The two guardians set foot on the crystal long bridge leading to the main part of the space station with a surprised expression. They were slightly surprised by what they saw.


    They did not expect the place to be so beautiful.


    On the crystal long bridge, Lemendusa and Heve looked up to see the starry sky. The view was so brilliant that both of them were impressed. And against the starry sky, through the transparent barrier of the crystal bridge, the vibrant Tannagost could be seen basking in the sun and the golden light on the horizon was slowly approaching the dark place.


    And what¡¯s more striking than the scenery was the Crapple Research Station itself:


    Lemendusa marveled at this gigantic, crystal-clear, palace-like facility. The building itself was not lavishly decorated. It was totally different from the magnificent grandiose art created by those treacherous children. However, the Crapple Research Station itself was like a work of art. The combination of all edges and simple lines was enough to create a thrilling sense of grandeur. Lemendusa knew that this must have been the work of some even more incredible super civilization at a glance, beyond the creation of any civilization he had ever seen in this universe. The structure of the Crapple Research Station was totally simple and natural. This sense of simplicity was totally different from the work of the rebels.


    Although Raven 12345¡¯s style was not flattering, the huge facility she built was still quite a piece of art. Of course, the magnificence of the Crapple Research Station was not really the product of Raven 12345. If Hao Ren was willing to check on the Imperial Data Network, he would find that the Crapple research station was actually an open source and it was designed by someone else 2000 years ago. Raven 12345 just downloaded a public blueprint and pretended it was her work¡­


    Hao Ren noticed the expression of Lemendusa and Heve and knew that the two giants were shocked by the Crapple Research Station. ¡°Well, is this place bright and spacious enough?¡± he asked proudly.


    Lemendusa was full of praise for this place but he was then annoyed by Hao Ren¡¯s attitude. He glanced at Hao Ren, and then turned his head away and ignored him.


    Hao Ren wondered and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    But Heve got it and asked, ¡°You didn¡¯t build this station, did you?¡±


    ¡°No, it was built by my boss. Is that a problem?¡±


    Heve did not utter a word, but Y¡¯lisabet pulled Hau Ren¡¯s sleeve happily and explained, ¡°Uncle Ren, what they mean is that you¡¯re lucky to get this job!¡±


    ¡°?¡± Hao Ren still did not get it.


    Hao Ren took Lemendusa and Heve to the main control hall of Crapple Research Station. He stopped in front of the huge crystal cluster and called Zorm, and then introduced the two giants to it. Zorm had no idea of Hao Ren¡¯s experience at the Solenne Gateway, so it was surprised to see its former colleagues so suddenly. It greeted Lemendusa and Heve warmly with a bunch of marks and expressions that no one could understand.


    And Lemendusa found it strange that he actually sensed a guardian from the huge crystal cluster and asked, ¡°What¡¯s that? Is it¡­ a guardian, too? I can sense the guardian of lifeblood from it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Zorm. I named it,¡± Hao Ren introduced his special tenant, ¡°it was a First Born, the initial creature hatched in the Seed of Origin. Something¡¯s wrong with the planet it¡¯s guarding¡­¡±


    Hao Ren told him about Zorm¡¯s background, and then finally had the chance to tell Lemendusa his plans in detail, including reconvening the guardians of the Goddess of Creation, restoring the ecosystem, looking for the whereabouts of the Goddess, solving the ecological disasters and so on.


    The plans are so grand, and all linked with one another, that they did not sound false. At the same time, the whole plan was quite bold and beyond the realm that mortals could understand. Lemendusa looked at Hao Ren with an odd look as if he was trying to catch a hint of exaggeration in Hao Ren¡¯s expression.


    Yet all he saw was a serious and matter-of-fact look.


    If he had always had doubts about Hao Ren, those doubts were now greatly shaken. He was surprised to find that this ¡®human¡¯ was actually embarking on a plan to revive the Goddess of Creation, whether it was the current space station or the ecological recovery of the planet, as well as Muru and Zorm who lived here, all of which were irrefutable evidence. He looked intently at the little ¡®human¡¯ in front of him, which made Hao Ren uncomfortable. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Hao Ren.


    Lemendusa sat cross-legged on the ground and this action almost caused the ground quake. ¡°Your thoughts are so bold that I can hardly believe that anyone would really do it.¡±


    ¡°This is my job,¡± Hao Ren laughed and said, ¡°and it¡¯s important for my year-end bonuses.¡±


    Muru watched in silence. He knew that Lemendusa and Heve were interested in the place, and he believed that the two would soon find the meaning of life in Tannagost, just as he did.


    As Hao Ren planned, more guardians were gathered back.

 Chapter 868

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The Crapple Research Station was not a pure research facility since its establishment. In fact, Hao Ren first defined the place as a ¡®prison¡¯. It was initially set up to lock up the two frantic First Borns dug up from Holletta. Although the focus of the space station had shifted more to scientific research and planetary surveillance, its function as a prison was still working.


    Space station zone A was adjacent to vessel No.1. Inside it was a series of compartments with heavy security. These compartments could block any energy shock below divine power and weaken the resistance of any creatures in it. The AI and the sentry guns installed in the corridor of the quarantine zone were working round the clock, making it impossible for prisoners to escape.


    This place was designed to hold the most dangerous creatures in the universe since the beginning, and today, Hao Ren had finally activated one of the cages.


    The prisoner captured on Solenne was put into a cage by an autonomous robot. After confirming that all security devices had been activated, Hao Ren then remotely removed a large number of restraining devices from the prisoner. The prisoner fell to the ground, and he slowly woke up after the last chain left his body.


    The prisoner awoke from a long sleep and was immediately surprised to find himself trapped in a strange place. He saw that he was surrounded by a hexagonal prism surrounded by a pale blue light wall. Above the prismatic cage was an endless light, while the bottom was a solid crystal ground. Looking further, he saw more than ten neatly-arranged cages. The crystal walls all around the place blocked him from looking further. The prisoner froze for a moment but soon realized that he had been caught.


    Hao Ren was standing outside the cell, waiting for the prisoner to wake up. When he saw the prisoner was looking around, he coughed to draw the prisoner¡¯s attention. ¡°Ahem¡­ We¡¯re here.¡±


    The prisoner turned his head and immediately showed his anger and hostility. He pounced on the seemingly fragile pale blue light wall, yelled angrily, ¡°Let¡­¡±


    ¡°You want me to let you out, and then I say no, and you will get very angry,¡± Hao Ren interrupted.


    The prisoner choked, and then raised his finger to Hao Ren and yelled, ¡°You¡­¡±


    Again, without waiting for the prisoner to finish his words, Hao Ren interrupted and said, ¡°Then you¡¯re going to say how dare I do this to you.¡±


    The prisoner¡¯s face was reddened with anger. ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯re going to say, in what name will you punish me or judge me?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°And then you¡¯ll say I humiliate you or insult the dignity of a warrior or something, but I don¡¯t mean it.¡±


    ¡°Y-y-you¡­¡± The prisoner pointed at Hao Ren¡¯s face. Probably this was the first time in his life communicating with someone like this so he was a little confused. And now, Hao Ren could only say, ¡°I can¡¯t guess this time.¡±


    The prisoner finally got a chance to speak. ¡°Can¡¯t you let me speak first?¡± he shouted angrily.


    Hao Ren did not need much negotiation skills to provoke a person. Even Y¡¯zaks looked at Hao Ren with admiration and said, ¡°I have a bunch of demon wardens who are good at interrogation and you can do better than them.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t really say much, I just guessed that¡¯s all he wanted to say after he woke up,¡± said Hao Ren.


    ¡°Ha!¡± Y¡¯zaks laughed and ignored Hao Ren then turned to the prisoner and asked, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    The prisoner felt that he had been greatly insulted, so he did not feel like answering the question.


    This was what Y¡¯zaks expected, so he was not annoyed. ¡°Do you know where you are?¡±


    The prisoner gave Hao Ren and Y¡¯zaks a defiant look and continued to remain silent.


    Hao Ren walked to the light prism with a smile on his face, stopped at less than a meter away and asked, ¡°Do you know why you¡¯re brought here?¡±


    The prisoner noticed where Hao Ren was standing. His eyes flickered towards it, and then suddenly pounced on Hao Ren and shouted, ¡°The Promised Land¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was purposely standing at this distance. He silently watched the prisoner rushed to him bravely, wanted to blow himself up, and then he asked slowly, ¡°So, how¡¯s it?¡±


    After the prisoner shouting ¡®The Promised Land¡¯, he closed his eyes and waited for the explosion, but nothing happened. When he heard Hao Ren speaking, he opened his eyes in bewilderment and found himself still alive and well.


    Lily came up and asked curiously, ¡°Eh, why do you guys have to yell ¡®The Promised Land is coming¡¯ every time you¡¯re going to explode? Is this your standard slogan?¡±


    It turned out that the best way to crush a person¡¯s confidence and grace was to hurt him when he felt best. It was a great humiliation for a warrior to be captured alive on the battlefield, and now, Hao Ren and Lily were making fun of him in the most glorious and heroic moment of his life, even a strong man could not take stand it. The prisoner¡¯s fingers were trembling. He thought he had been greatly humiliated by a group of ¡®mortals¡¯, ¡®low-lifes¡¯, which made him even angrier.


    ¡°Thinking about suicide after being captured is not a smart move,¡± said Hao Ren. He did not mean to provoke the prisoner, he was just telling the truth. ¡°This prison will block all your power, so you won¡¯t be able to explode and kill yourself. And there¡¯s surveillance here, so you¡¯re not going to kill yourself in any other way. And don¡¯t think about starting a hunger strike, because¡­¡±


    Hao Ren pointed at the top of the cage, and some strange machines and pipes emerged from the light. ¡°We can stun you, and then pump the food directly into your stomach with the pump gun. We¡¯ve talked about all the ways to stop you from committing suicide, and have prepared seventy or eighty emergency rescue plans. So you¡¯ll be held here until you are willing to cooperate.¡±


    However, the only response Hao Ren got was the prisoner¡¯s long silence and fury all over him. Lily saw it and said, ¡°Oh, by the way, now the only way to kill yourself seems to be killing yourself with anger.¡±


    It immediately reminded Hao Ren. ¡°Oh yeah, it¡¯s a loophole. Data terminal, play him some light music. Don¡¯t annoy him to death.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± asked data terminal.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The data terminal found it very funny, and then let the prison system start playing some light music.


    Hao Ren asked the prisoner a few questions, and of course, he was now refusing to cooperate, so they soon left this place. After leaving the quarantine, Y¡¯zaks looked back at the crystal gate, which was slowly closing and asked, ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll answer our questions?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Hao Ren said and shrugged, ¡°I¡¯ve got the surveillance system to start recording his mental traits, maybe then we can start directly from his mental world. All the arrangements now are made to weaken the vigilance of his mind.¡±


    Hao Ren did not expect to use conventional means to get any information from the prisoner from the start. As a race that dared to kill the gods, they should have a strong will to endure any physical pain and keep any secret under extreme conditions. Although they might experience fear and panic (such as when being watched by the gods), neither fear nor panic could pry their mouths open. Even the demon could not extract any secret from them. Therefore, Hao Ren had already decided on other approaches. He would lock up the rebel for a while, slowly analyzing his mental characteristics, his mind, and his weaknesses. Anyway, it was a slow work.


    And he had the patience.

 Chapter 869

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    A series of discoveries of the Solenne Gateway was of great significance to Hao Ren. He saw those treacherous children attacking the kingdom of gods and the various phenomena that followed after the Star of Creation exploded. More importantly, he also saw the bizarre birth of Vivian. He must go back and sort out all these things. So after arranging a place for the captive, he went to say goodbye to the three guardian giants and Zorm.


    Lemendusa just learned about this place from Zorm and he looked a little bit confused. When heard that Hao Ren was about to leave, he did not get it. ¡°Go back? Where? This isn¡¯t your house?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you that I¡¯m from another universe. It¡¯s time for me to go back and report the progress here. So how are you and Heve feeling now? Can you adapt to this place?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it will take some time for me to adapt,¡± Lemendusa answered honestly, ¡°I¡¯ve just heard about the changes in the universe over the past 10000 years from Zorm and Muru. The world is totally different now¡­ But anyway, this place is better than the battlefield.¡±


    The giant warrior¡¯s voice was a little shaky for the first time. He felt overwhelmed when facing a world that had been out of his comprehension. Hao Ren could understand how Lemendusa felt. The guardian had missed 10000 years on that 10-hour battlefield and now the universe was full of chaos he once dared not imagine: the divine power of the Goddess of Creation had faded; the guardians were devoured by hatred and turned into monsters who knew nothing but destruction; almost all the kingdoms in the universe were extinguished. It was a real situation that one waking up to the end of the world. It¡¯s not a description, it¡¯s a statement.


    Muru had spent 10000 years pondering and accepting these facts, but Lemendusa and Heve did not have the time.


    Speaking of Heve, the quiet female giant was standing next to Lemendusa. She was looking at the local plants that Muru planted. Each guardian warrior was also a gardener, and she had decided to help Muru to take care of some areas of the southern hemisphere of Tannagost. Heve¡¯s fingers brushed through the crown of a broad-leaved tree, and then said with soft eyes, ¡°Everything will be fine. Mother said that the power of life lies in the endless succession. As long as there is a spark, there will always be a fire. The universe will recover from chaos and flourish again. And I believe that the mother will come back one day. Until then, I will greet her with a beautiful garden.¡±


    ¡°Heve is always more optimistic than I am,¡± Lemendusa said and smiled reluctantly, and Heve responded sharply, ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re always more stubborn than me.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled while looking at the two guardian giants and said, ¡°Well, this place is yours. Muru will tell you about the open area of the station and what you can use. If you have any problem, come to the crystal cluster, the station host can contact me.¡±


    A few minutes later, they had been redirected back to home on Earth through several teleportation portals.


    A space crack opened in the living room. Lily happily jumped out from the space crack, followed by Y¡¯lisabet and Lil Pea, and Hao Ren and Y¡¯zaks walked in the last. Seeing everything in the house was good as usual, Hao Ren breathed a sigh of relief and said, ¡°It¡¯s so good to be back, the Earth is really safe and stable.¡±


    After that, he lay on the couch and stretched. Meanwhile, Lily was looking around as soon as she entered the room, and then she shouted, ¡°Battie! Come out! I have something important to tell you!¡±


    Suddenly, they heard a burst of noise in the kitchen and the kitchen door was then burst open. Rollie was running out and then running around the living room crazily. When she saw Hao Ren on the couch, she immediately jumped onto him without hesitation and yelled, ¡°Help! Someone is abusing a cat!!¡±


    Hao Ren was about to enjoy lying on the sofa at home but was interrupted. He saw Vivian running out of the kitchen with a rolling pin and shouted, ¡°Stand there! You really think you have nine lives, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Meow!¡± Rollie started running and jumping up and down again around the living room while Vivian was holding a rolling pin chasing the cat. ¡°Welcome back¡­ I have to educate this bastard!¡±


    Hao Ren had no idea what was going on. All he saw was Vivian chasing the cat all over the house. A few seconds later, he finally could not stand it and roared, ¡°Stop!!¡±


    Vivian was holding her rolling pin and suddenly braked to a halt, and so did Rollie, in front of the trash can, and knocked it over. The garbage was strewn all over the floor like confetti and half a piece of orange peel fell directly on Y¡¯zaks¡¯ face.


    A plastic bag also fell on Hao Ren¡¯s head. He looked at Vivian with a confused face and asked, ¡°What are you doing? Why do you suddenly hit Rollie?¡±


    He did not ask the cat because he knew what a strange answer he would get from that cat.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Hao Ren pointed to the cat girl who was squatting on the ground picking up rubbish and asked, ¡°What has she done again?¡±


    Vivian immediately flew into a rage and yelled, ¡°She went to the kitchen to make a stew without me! She said she wanted to make you a nutritious meal!¡±


    Hao Ren was surprised. Then, he looked at the cat girl pleasantly and praised her, ¡°That¡¯s a good thing. She has improved!¡±


    Vivian pinched the rolling pin, laughed grimly and said, ¡°She stewed it with rats, cat food and fish bones picked up from trash cans. You wanna try?¡±


    Hao Ren, ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a new pot!¡± Vivian finally revealed why she was so upset. That really hurt a poor, thrifty housekeeper like her. ¡°You guys decide, is that pot still usable?¡±


    Hao Ren gnashed his teeth and glared at the direction of Rollie, but the stupid cat was already gone. The silly cat was quite smart. She quickly fled when she noticed something was wrong.


    ¡°Forget it, the pot¡­ Any suggestion?¡± Hao Ren had no idea what to do, so he turned to Lily and Y¡¯zaks.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a problem with it. I¡¯ve eaten mice before, it¡¯s delicious, and many places also turned it into a dish,¡± said Lily.


    Vivian stared at her and said, ¡°Mind your own business.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not discuss this now.¡± As soon as Hao Ren saw that Vivian and Lily were about to quarrel again, he immediately interrupted. ¡°Vivian, put down the rolling pin. I have something to tell you.¡±


    Looking at Hao Ren¡¯s serious expression, Vivian thought they encountered some problems during the trip. She immediately put down the weapon in her hand and asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°We went to a place called the Solenne Gateway. It was the border part of the kingdom of the Goddess of Creation, but somehow it detached from the Umbral Realm,¡± Hao Ren explained slowly, ¡°and we had a very big discovery. Not only did we find the surviving guardians, but we also found¡­ something to do with you.¡±


    Vivian knew her origin was inextricably linked with the Goddess of Creation, so she tensed up and asked, ¡°What did you see?¡±


    Before Hao Ren answered, Lily¡¯s head emerged from behind his back and said, ¡°Battie, I tell you, we saw it with our own eyes. You were just liquid at that time!¡±


    Vivian thought for a moment, and then picked up the rolling pin silently and said, ¡°Doggie, are you crazy? Did I just annoy you?¡±


    Hao Ren hurriedly stood in between them and said, ¡°Calm down. Lily, you are too brief. And Vivian, Lily is right. You were really liquid, I saw¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh my, what did I just say!¡± Hao Ren slapped his forehead, quickly stayed away from Lily and said, ¡°Lily, don¡¯t get too close to me. I don¡¯t want to be as stupid as you.¡±


    Vivian was confused. She looked at the last man whom she could trust and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with them?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s real. I saw it, too,¡± Y¡¯zaks responded with a smile


    Vivian, ¡°¡­¡±

 Chapter 870

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren felt that Lily¡¯s words were so contagious that led him to say the same thing.


    When Vivian picked up the rolling pin again, Hao Ren pulled out the data terminal from his pocket and said, ¡°Here is the CCTV footage, see for yourself.¡±


    Vivian was confused and sat down on the couch. The data terminal then began to show her the information it had copied from the host of the golden battleship. The command hall in the battleship, a ball of lifeblood released by the Goddess of Creation, the girl born from the lifeblood, the appearance imitated from the rebel¡­ Vivian was a little puzzled in the beginning, but soon she was completely stunned.


    ¡°Where is this? What are those golden people doing?¡± asked Vivian.


    ¡°A battleship within the Solenne galaxy. This is the CCTV footage on the battleship,¡± Hao Ren told her his experience in detail, ¡°I call that place the Oblique Nebula. The time of the place was distorted, so everything remained in¡­¡±


    Because it was complicated, Hao Ren took around one hour to explain it. Vivian raised one or two questions while Hao Ren was explaining and listened quietly most of the time. Both of them breathed a sigh of relief when Hao Ren finally finished the story. ¡°Is this real?¡± Vivian asked with a weird look.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s real,¡± Hao Ren nodded and said, ¡°Now we can confirm that you are created by the Goddess of Creation, the timeline, and where did you get your look, by copying a female officer. I guess this is how you get the ¡®power of vampire¡¯. You don¡¯t belong to any race or species, but the first creature you encountered in the world was a vampire, so you copied this attribute.¡±


    Vivian pointed to her face and said, ¡°But I also only copy the skills of blood clan for about 70%-80%.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are not afraid of the holy light, you like garlic, you have the power of healing, and your little bat can turn into a human. I can¡¯t believe how you firmly believed you were a vampire in the last 10000 years.¡± Lily said and rolled her eyes, ¡°If I were you, I would have suspected my ancestry.¡±


    Everyone looked at Lily with a strange look. Hao Ren held the husky girl¡¯s tail and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you feel bad for saying that? Do you remember that you used to firmly believe that you were a werewolf? Didn¡¯t you doubt your ancestry when you first squatted down to eat noodles?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense. Husky and wolves are also close relatives, perhaps my grandfather¡¯s grandfather was a Siberian wolf¡­¡± Lily argued.


    ¡°And also Pekingese. Forget it. It¡¯s embarrassing,¡± Hao Ren said.


    Lily sat back on the couch and began to think about the Pekingese blood in her body while Vivian was pondering. ¡°So, this is why I have all these weird powers. And if so, I¡¯m lifeblood in nature, I should be able to imitate all creatures, but¡­ Why don¡¯t I remember having this skill?¡±


    ¡°You would lose your memory every time you sleep. Perhaps the power of lifeblood is still sleeping deep inside you¡ªbut you¡¯ve deleted the skill bar,¡± said Hao Ren.


    ¡°You know nothing of your true power!¡± Y¡¯lisabet said with a hoarse voice and a solemn face.


    Hao Ren immediately grabbed the girl¡¯s devil horn and asked, ¡°Where did you learn this?¡±


    ¡°My dad. He said that when he hit a human blademaster 100 years ago.¡±


    Vivian ignored the little demon¡¯s interruption. She was seriously pondering the problem of the ancient power sleeping in her body. No one knew better than herself how much she had lost in her sleep. Memory, power, and wealth¡­ Well, not really¡­ But she knew that the power she lost was absolutely astonishing. At least she could vaguely see how strong she was in her heyday from that demonic Vivian on Inferno.


    Vivian was not worried about the power she had lost, what she really worried about was¡ªwhat if the power suddenly come back?


    She remembered the sleeping diary that she kept and now, she was almost certain that she had two traits before she slept: First, her mind plunged into madness. Under the illusion, she would attack everything indiscriminately; and second, she regained her power in full bloom. Her strength in that state would even scare all the demon hunters and unusual creatures in the world. And no one could stop the frenzied countess unless she stopped herself.


    This was a completely out-of-control bomb¡ª Vivian though this way.


    She was deeply worried about it. Despite the fact that she still has the amulet that Raven 12345 gave her, the fear of not being able to control herself came back after seeing how she was born. She realized that she had lost more than she had initially expected, including the most important parts.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ve forgotten the most important thing,¡± Vivian muttered as if she was talking to herself but Hao Ren could still hear what she said. ¡°Le¡­ Lemendusa, right? He¡¯s right, I¡¯m created for a reason. I probably have some kind of mission, like the will of the Goddess of Creation or her message. Maybe she created me to guide her guardians? But I forgot everything.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself to recall your memory. If an average man loses his memory once, basically he won¡¯t be able to recover, not to mention that your memory has been formatted more than 10 times,¡± Hao Ren tried to comfort Vivian, ¡°but I also believe that the Goddess of Creation didn¡¯t create you just to save the database. She didn¡¯t have to let the database have the ability to think if that¡¯s her only purpose. This is the biggest instability. So she must have other reason for giving you this personality. Let¡¯s go and meet Lemendusa next time we go to the Plane of Dreams. The giant was just back from the battlefield. And he¡¯s different from Muru. He was the last batch of warriors on the battlefield. Maybe he can sense something from you.¡±


    Vivian nodded gently, and then remembered something. ¡°By the way, you said that my self-consciousness may be an unplanned situation. Maybe the Goddess of Creation never thought that I have the ability to think when she created me. ¡±


    ¡°Now the probability of this is not high,¡± Hao Ren expressed his thought, ¡°if you have self-conscious after a long period of wandering or having experienced a lot of events, you can say that it is an accidental evolution. But according to the CCTV footage, you can already think when you just born, and you weren¡¯t even fully formed. You know how to learn and judge when you¡¯re in the liquid form. This looks like a specially designed function¡­¡±


    Vivian looked uncomfortable and said, ¡°You¡¯re right, but somehow it doesn¡¯t sound right.¡±


    Lily patted Vivian on the shoulder and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, after all, you suddenly know how you were born. It¡¯s a bit shocking, but¡­¡±


    At this moment, Nangong Wuyue and Nangong Sanba just came back, and then Lily said, ¡°You can talk to Wuyue. She¡¯s also coming from water.¡±


    Vivian, ¡°¡­¡±


    At this time, Y¡¯zaks suggested, ¡°Since you already know how you are born, you can also study your own blood power when you free. Though you may not be able to restore your original ability, this should help you control your own form. I suspect that one of the reasons you keep losing your memory and splitting is because of your innate ability: You can imitate other creatures, which means that you lack stability. You should strengthen this aspect so that even if you accidentally lose control, the situation might not be too bad.¡±


    ¡°Your life is like a blank sheet, stained with too many colors of others, and finally forget your original color,¡± said Y¡¯lisabet, gravely and deeply, again.


    ¡°Where did you learn it?¡± asked Hao Ren.


    He knew that this little demon would not be familiar with the Earth culture so quickly, so she must have learned these from someone else.


    The little girl pointed at the husky girl and said, ¡°Lily¡¯s notebook. That¡¯s melancholy!¡±


    Lily turned red in the face and murmured, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be sarcastic.¡±


    ¡°You two go on.¡± Hao Ren stood up and held Lil Pea in his arms. ¡°I need to meet the Goddess. I have to tell her a big secret.¡±


    Vivian looked at Lil Pea curiously and asked, ¡°What happened to the little one?¡±


    ¡°She can influence the lifeblood!¡±

 Chapter 871

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After Vivian heard what Lil Pea had done to the lifeblood, she felt that the little kid had a bigger problem then her. As she already knew that she was not an ordinary vampire, so she was not too shocked when she knew that she got some connection with the Goddess of Creation. However, Lil Pea seemed to be a plain ordinary little mermaid from the start, the only problems she had were the food she ate and her size, which were totally different from a normal mermaid. Therefore, Vivian got a little nervous when such an unremarkable little creature suddenly had a connection with the lifeblood.


    Hao Ren then told them what had happened in the lifeblood pool in Tannagost. After listening to Hao Ren, not only Vivian, even Nangong Wuyue and Sanba were stunned as well. They all circled around Lil Pea as if they were appreciating a rare animal. ¡°Is she also created by the goddess?¡±¡±Come on, she¡¯s from another universe.¡±¡±Or maybe the Goddess of Creation is actually a fish? That¡¯s why the lifeblood was startled when it saw Lil Pea?¡±¡±Then why wasn¡¯t Wuyue affected when she turned into a fish?¡±¡±Wuyue didn¡¯t jump into the pool. Why don¡¯t you try it next time, Wuyue?¡±¡±No way.¡±


    Lil Pea was not afraid of being surrounded by them. On the contrary, the little one was very happy. She tried to draw herself up and said, ¡°I¡¯m amazing! Dad, hold me tight, I¡¯m slipping down!¡±


    ¡°Sit down and stop moving then.¡± Hao Ren held her tight and was ready to meet Raven 12345. ¡°I¡¯m going now. Don¡¯t have to wait for me for dinner.¡±


    ¡°Wait, I go with you,¡± Vivian said while taking off the apron, ¡°I want to ask her about my background.¡±


    Lily jumped up when she saw Vivian was leaving and yelled, ¡°Hey, wait! Who¡¯s going to prepare dinner? I¡¯m waiting for your stewed ribs!¡±


    Vivian smiled, gently putting her hand on Lily¡¯s head and asked, ¡°You miss my stewed ribs?¡±


    Lily paused for a second. When she was about to nod, Vivian slapped her head and pinned her against the sofa and said, ¡°Then use your brain before you speak!¡±


    After saying it, Vivian immediately dragged Hao Ren¡¯s arm and ran to the teleportation portal. ¡°Hurry up!¡±


    Lily raised her head and found that and Vivian and Hao Ren had gone. She was confused, shook her head and asked, ¡°Is she crazy?¡±


    And now, Hao Ren and Vivian could not hear Lily¡¯s voice. They had crossed the portal opened by the data terminal and came to a lake surrounded by flowers and shrouded in aurora, clouds, and stars.


    Hao Ren froze the moment he stepped out. He looked at the strange scene in front of him in bewilderment, poking the data terminal and asked, ¡°Did you open the wrong door?¡±


    ¡°It should be right¡­¡± The data terminal sounded a little uncertain. ¡°I can¡¯t make such a mistake.¡±


    What they saw was the totally strange scenery, not the magnificent house of Raven 12345. They were now standing by a mysterious lake under the night sky. The sky was shrouded in the beautiful aurora, like a veil fluttering softly in the sky with the stars twinkling between the auroras. The quiet water stretched out before them, reflecting the night sky. By the lake, exotic and luminous flowers spread all over the earth. Hao Ren turned and saw some peculiar stone pillars standing hundreds of meters away as if the buildings in Greek mythology were standing quietly under the tranquil night sky, surrounded by an atmosphere of sanctity and serenity.


    Comparing to Raven 12345¡¯s old grand mansion, this place had a proper ambiance of a celestial realm. At least that¡¯s what Hao Ren thought. But he was curious: why did the data terminal throw them in such a place?


    When Hao Ren and Vivian were confused, suddenly they heard some noises coming from the lake behind them. They turned and saw the starlight in the sky fell into the lake. A light blue creature slowly emerged from the reflection in the water. Hao Ren breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the glowing creature: it was Raven 12345¡¯s arcane servant. He finally saw a familiar face.


    ¡°Big Bluey!¡± Hao Ren greeted the arcane servant and it immediately appeared in front of them. It pointed to the place looking like the pillars of Greece and a pleasant sound ringing in Hao Ren¡¯s mind, ¡°My lord is waiting for you.¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian came to the building and saw Raven 12345 was sitting on a collapsed pillar waiting for them. ¡°Yo, Hao Ren, good to see you again!¡±


    ¡°What happened? Why did your place become like this?¡±


    Hao Ren looked around as he spoke. The stunning feeling of the mysterious lake has faded, leaving only the primitive and desolate atmosphere. Without waiting for Raven 12345, he guessed, ¡°so after blowing up the mansion a couple of times, now you finally blow up the entire celestial realm?¡±


    Raven 12345 threw a small bolt of lightning on Hao Ren¡¯s face and said, ¡°What? I just did an experiment¡­¡±


    Hao Ren wiped his face, did not know what she meant and asked again, ¡°You mean, you really blew up the celestial realm?¡±


    ¡°Do you really think I can only blow things up?¡± Ravel 12345 yelled and glared at Hao Ren, ¡°These are the fragments of memories I extracted from the depths of consciousness of the splits of Vivian. I¡¯m just covering this place with those memories.¡±


    ¡°The memories of the splits?!¡± Hao Ren was surprised. He did not expect the goddess to do anything serious. ¡°So you¡¯ve found the way to extract those memories?¡±


    Vivian also looked around with an astonished look on her face, and then her eyes fixed at Raven 12345. Sadly, Raven 12345 shook her head and said, ¡°Not yet. It¡¯s not easy. These are the results that I can get so far. I extracted some of the fixed landscapes and reproduced them. These scenes may be able to restore where those splits have been and may reveal who they have met. But beyond that¡­ It doesn¡¯t have much value at the moment.¡±


    Raven 12345 said while controlling the place. A star in the sky suddenly became unusually bright, and then the starlight fell on a stone pillar in the distance. A woman in a long white dress walked out of the starlight. The woman had beautiful blond hair, and her face shone like the morning star. She glanced at them, and then quickly dissipated into the air.


    The whole scene was like a clip in the video. There was no beginning and no end, which left them puzzled.


    ¡°That was Aurora, right,¡± Vivian asked. She vaguely recognized the woman¡¯s face. ¡°I remember she belonged to the Zeus family.¡±


    ¡°It seems that your splits have seen her, or you have seen Aurora shortly after the splits were formed, so the splits inherited these short-term memories,¡± Raven 12345 explained, ¡°In short, as you can see, I began to extract some fragments of memories from those splits, but they are very unstable, and they don¡¯t really make sense, so the extracted memories don¡¯t help much. Anyway, why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡± Hao Ren held Lil Pea carefully in his hands and said, ¡°The first thing is about Lil Pea. There seems to be some kind of connection between her and the lifeblood. Two days ago, I took her¡­¡±


    He told the Goddess what happened in the lifeblood pool in Tannagost in details. Raven 12345 listened earnestly but she did not seem to have any doubts or surprises. After Hao Ren finished the story, Raven 12345 took Lil Pea from Hao Ren and let it float in the air. The little mermaid was dangling in the air, playing happily.


    ¡°It¡¯s not surprising,¡± Raven 12345 said and smiled, ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect it to show in this way.¡±


    Of course, she knew something.


    ¡°So Lil Pea¡­¡± Hao Ren did not conceal his doubts and eagerness.


    ¡°You know where she came from, right?¡± Raven 12345 asked while gently poking the little mermaid, and the little one flipping happily in the air, ¡°She is the last life of a certain world, the last spark of sentient beings in the universe. Do you know what this means?¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head.


    ¡°It means that she represents the sentient beings in the universe.¡± Raven 12345 explained while gently holding Lil Pea in her arms. ¡°She represents all the living things of her world. She has the entire information of life that remains after the universe that she comes from has perished. Therefore, the lifeblood must revere her as it reveres the Goddess of Creation. Because in a sense, there is no difference between the Goddess of Creation who is the beginning of life and Lil Pea who is the end of life.¡±

 Chapter 872

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren did not immediately understand what Raven 12345 meant. He gazed at the little mermaid, and then concluded, ¡°So it means she¡¯s powerful? But why?¡±


    ¡°Symbolism. Although this is a vague concept for ordinary people, in some high-level concepts, the ¡®symbolism¡¯ of one thing often has great significance,¡± Raven 12345 explained patiently while playing with little mermaid. ¡°For a living universe, the ¡®life system¡¯ is one of the important messages of this universe, so it will also be included in the ¡®symbolic¡¯ system. A single living individual is subordinate to the sum of life. So, a single individual is less than the life as a whole, just like a grain of sand is just one of the cornerstones of the entire desert. But something very rare happened to Lil Pea: the universe of her home was destroyed. She¡¯s the only one left in the life system of that world¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the cornerstone of all sentient beings,¡± Vivian said while thinking, ¡°she alone represents all living things in the universe, while the lifeblood is just part of another life system, so¡­¡±


    Raven 12345 laughed and further explained, ¡°So from the rank, the lifeblood has to respect her. Although they come from different universes and belong to different life systems, it seems that the lifeblood can still recognize the unique nature of Lil Pea. Plus what I just said: The Goddess of Creation represents the beginning of all sentient beings, and Lil Pea represents the end of all sentient beings, which is also a very important symbolism.¡±


    Lil Pea was listening to their conversation. She knew that they were talking about her, but the little one did not care about it at all. On the one hand, she did not really understand it, and on the other hand, she was far too young to think about such complicated things. So the little mermaid just continued waving her arms chasing Raven 12345¡¯s fingers, looking bright and happy.


    She was completely unaware of the destruction of her homeland, and she did not know what ¡®perish¡¯ meant. And even if she knew about it in the future, it would be hard for her to feel anything about it. After all, she was brought back home by Hao Ren when she was an egg. Compared to her hometown and the people she never met, she might be closer to the pot in the house.


    After listening to Raven 12345, Hao Ren found it inconceivable. ¡°Really?!¡± he asked while touching his chin.


    ¡°This is the realm of surrealism,¡± Raven 12345 smiled and said, ¡°but it is the ¡®fundamental reality¡¯ that many universes follow. Sometimes young mortals think of the world as a perfectly rational, describable, and accurate model. But in fact, the universe operates in an incredible way in the deepest part of it. Just as the atoms will stagnate while being observed, and the universe smaller than the Planck scale is not continuous. Humans have come into contact with the quantum realm, so as you dig down, you will find that the world was built in a strange way, but ended up as a seemingly rational and sturdy fortress. But the more a creature had evolved, the harder it is to reach the deepest parts of the world. On the contrary, the pure lifeblood, which is the beginning of life, can feel the special nature of Lil Pea by instinct.¡±


    Hao Ren was a little confused and found it hard to believe but could still understand what Raven 12345 just said. ¡°It sounds like philosophy. But the fundamental laws of the universe are so messy, are you sure that no one cut corners while creating the universe?¡±


    Raven 12345 glared at him and yelled, ¡°Nonsense! Do you know how many test reports there are when every universe leaves the factory? You won¡¯t understand even if I tell you.¡±


    Hao Ren found that this was a field that he could not understand, so he coughed softly to change the subject, ¡°Ahem, anyway, I understand the special nature of Lil Pea, but what¡¯s the use of it? Now we just found out that the lifeblood is afraid of her, but the little kid doesn¡¯t seem to grow up¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course she doesn¡¯t. It¡¯s not something super powerful. She won¡¯t have any change and only the lifeblood can feel her special nature. So she¡¯s still an ordinary little mermaid, and she¡¯s still eating chopsticks.¡±


    Hao Ren thought that Lil Pea would immediately become stronger after the secret was unveiled, so he was disappointed when he found out that nothing special had happened to the little mermaid. She just had a title that sounded really cool but it had nothing to do with her power. He took the little mermaid back and carried her in his arms, and then, a thought flashed through his mind. ¡°Wait, do you already know these special things about Lil Pea?¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± Raven 12345 answered without hesitation.


    ¡°The special nature of Lil Pea will only affect the lifeblood but not ordinary creatures or maybe the Goddess of Creation and Lil Pea can sense each other¡­ Have you planned it?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°No.¡± Raven 12345 shook her head. ¡°But now it looks like Lil Pea is going to be a key part, so maybe there¡¯s something in it. It¡¯s destiny.¡±


    Hao Ren observed her expression earnestly but he could not read anything from her face. Hao Ren would not be able to read her mind, whether she intended to conceal it or not. Therefore, he gave up and pushed Vivian forward and said, ¡°The second thing is about her.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Raven 12345 raised her eyebrow.


    ¡°I went to a place called the Solenne Gateway¡­¡± Hao Ren told raven 12345 what happened there and also showed her the CCTV footage. ¡°Now we have confirmed the origins of Vivian and how she was born, but the details are a little different from what I guess at first. It now seems that Vivian had been designed to be self-conscious from the start and had a strong ability to learn, and she could even open the teleportation portal that teleported her from the Plane of Dreams to the Surface World. This shows that the Goddess of Creation not only knew of the existence of the Wall of Reality but also had a very good understanding of its nature. At the same time, she also knew the existence of the Surface World.¡±


    ¡°So the Goddess knew the existence of the Wall of Reality from the beginning¡­¡± Raven 12345 said, narrowing its eyes slightly, ¡°but you said that the guardians of the Goddess did not know about the wall.¡±


    ¡°The guardians don¡¯t know everything about the Goddess of Creation,¡± Hao Ren explained. And at the same time, it reminded him of the Creation¡¯s Engine, but they were now discussing Vivian¡¯s issues, so he decided to talk about it later.


    Vivian looked at Raven 12345, then suddenly stepped forward and said, ¡°Now both Hao Ren and I think that the Goddess of Creation had a mission for me. Since she gave a database the ability to think, there must be something that she wanted me to do¡­ But I forgot the most important part.¡±


    ¡°Mission¡­ Was it to revive the Star of Creation? Or to revive the entire cosmic ecosystem? Or to solve the problems of the rebels?¡± Raven 12345 said while looking at Vivian¡¯s eyes, ¡°I think the most suspicious thing is that you appeared on the rebels¡¯ spaceship. If the Goddess just wanted you to walk through the Wall of Reality, she could open a door anywhere. She must have the power to do it. But why is it that your first task was to ¡®visit¡¯ those treacherous children?¡±


    Hao Ren noticed that Raven 12345 used the word ¡®visit¡¯ and asked, ¡°You mean Vivian¡¯s mission could be to negotiate with those treacherous children?¡±


    ¡°She appeared on the ship after all. But of course, it could be a mistake. The Goddess of Creation might have missed the target. But in such a big universe, how likely would she accidentally throw it right into the center of the control room of a spaceship?¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless. He suddenly came up with a bold idea and said, ¡°What if Vivian is a weapon? Maybe the Goddess threw her on the rebels¡¯ spaceship to steal something from them or even control the spaceship?¡±


    ¡°According to the CCTV footage, I don¡¯t think Vivian had this kind of ability at that time.¡± Raven 12345 shook her head and said. ¡°Although those treacherous children were afraid of her, judging from the performance before and after their evacuation, it was not impossible for them to deal with her. They just need to pay a price.¡±


    Hao Ren stopped talking and quietly pondering the meaning behind these things.


    He had overlooked this point: Why was the first stop of Vivian after being created was the spaceship of treacherous children?


    If this point was really the key, then was Vivian¡¯s mission, or one of the missions, really related to those treacherous children?

 Chapter 873

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    No matter how many times Hao Ren speculated, he could not be sure what decision the Goddess of Creation had made in the last three days before the fall. For a Goddess who once created the universe, loved to delve into the truth of the world, and devoted almost all her energies to exploration and learning, she could only do one thing at the time when she was cornered by the children she had created, it must be something extremely important. And she chose to create a powerful and highly intelligent lifeblood and put it on the spaceship of treacherous children. Was she trying to take revenge on the treacherous children? Was she trying to destroy their fleet? Or was she still dreaming of having a good talk with the treacherous children at the last minute, so she sent an envoy there?


    No matter which one, the possibility was low, because when Vivian was sent to the battleship, the interstellar barrier had been breached, and the treacherous children might even have started bombing the Star of Creation, whatever Vivian wanted to do, it was too late to save the situation. And more importantly, Vivian just stayed there for a few minutes before leaving for the Surface World, which did not look like she wanted to do anything on the battleship of the treacherous children.


    Vivian was silent. Her mind was full of the ideas that others were hard to guess. She suddenly gazed up into Raven¡¯s eyes and asked, ¡°If I absorb the evils directly, can I retrieve my memory?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you earlier? This is very dangerous.¡± Raven 12345 shook her head immediately. ¡°You have to fight dozens of chaotic thoughts with your own mental will. And the things they remember are very likely to pollute your soul.¡±


    Not just Raven 12345, even Hao Ren would not allow Vivian to take the risk. And he thought the situation was not serious enough to have to put her at risk. Now they just suspect that the Goddess left an order for Vivian. They did not have any evidence, and there were no immediate issues that need to be resolved with the help of Vivian¡¯s memory. So he put his hand on Vivian¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Don¡¯t rush to get your memory back. That¡¯s not necessarily a good way. Let¡¯s find clues in other ways. Maybe we can find the last words of the Goddess of Creation in some other way.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Vivian responded, but she still felt uneasy, which made Hao Ren wondered, because Vivian was usually a very calm person, she had never been feeling so uneasy about anything. But for some reason, she would become restless whenever someone mentioned the word ¡®memories¡¯, and she even repeatedly suggesting the risky idea. Today, she even wanted to absorb all the evil spirits, which was not something she would usually do.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Vivian asked when she noticed that Hao Ren was gazing at her.


    ¡°Err¡­ Nothing.¡± Now that Vivian was no longer mentioning the memory, he did not want to remind her of it. He took the last thing he wanted to show Raven 12345 from his Dimensional Pocket: a beautiful and mysterious Gilded Disc. ¡°Boss, I brought this back from the Solenne Gateway. We heard that the Goddess of Creation had been busy creating something called the ¡®Creation¡¯s Engine¡¯ before the accident. This is a part of it, you see¡­¡±


    This was the Gilded Disc that Hao Ren took from Lemendusa. At first, Lemendusa insisted that he must look after the disc with extra care so it would not fall into the wrong hand. However, after seeing a series of efforts Hao Ren had done to revive the Goddess of Creation in Tannagost, he started to trust Hao Ren and allowed Hao Ren to bring the disc back.


    Raven 12345 showed great interest after listening to the report of the Creation¡¯s Engine. She looked at Hao Ren with a little surprised and praised, ¡°Very good. You¡¯re able to get so many clues every time you¡¯re on a mission! Looks like I pick the right people.¡±


    ¡°So my annual bonus¡­¡± Hao Ren asked happily.


    ¡°No problem,¡± Raven 12345 snapped her fingers and said, ¡°let me see if I can get you some good stuff. But now let¡¯s figure out what this disc is for. The guardian didn¡¯t explain this to you?¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°No, the guardians are not very clear about the role of the Creation¡¯s Engine. The Goddess seemed to be hiding something from them intentionally.¡±


    ¡°Hiding something from them?¡± Raven slightly frowned without saying a word. She ordered the arcane servant to catch the Gilded Disc, and then she waved at the air. The next moment, some mysterious rays of light and lines emerged from the air.


    Those rays and lines were moving rapidly in the air, gradually condensed into a solid, and then turned into a huge complex platform. The platform was a few meters in diameter, made of crystals, slightly sunken in the center, and rune walls floating around like a light barrier. Lines of words were written on the platform. Hao Ren glanced at it and found that those were not runes, but words that he could understand, and the content surprised him:


    Give me back my machete you idiot! Raven 12345 I¡¯m gonna kill you! Don¡¯t come back if you dare! Do you think you¡¯re safe here? I¡¯ll carve those ugly words all over your house! Raven 12345 stole my machete 1400 years ago but never returned it to me! Intolerable injustice!


    ¡°¡­¡± Hao Ren and Vivian did not know how to react.


    Hao Ren pointed to the handwriting awkwardly and asked, ¡°Can you explain what that is?¡±


    Raven 12345 was stunned for a moment and then said, ¡°How come¡­ Oh, nothing!¡±


    Hao Ren really wanted to get to the bottom of the question, but Raven 12345 had now changed the subject. She threw the Gilded Disc directly onto the crystal platform and then immediately analyzed it carefully. She looked so serious that she was ready to explode at any time.


    The Gilded Disc floated silently on the crystal platform. The runes around the crystal platform were revolving around the disc as it was rotating. Hao Ren saw the lights flickering around the disc and he seemed to have dimly seen something between the lights and shadows.


    As he looked attentively, he saw the scenes of the Solenne Gateway, and a lot of guardian giants marched through. In some even shorter scenes, he saw an unfamiliar starry sky and huge factory-like facilities. Hao Ren was fascinated by those pictures. He focused even more on them, looking for things that interested him. And soon, he saw a scene of war. He saw the Galaxy of the Solenne Gateway was destroyed in the war. The devastating golden fleet was sweeping across the Goddess¡¯s territory. The scenes kept jumping and zooming in and out, and the last thing he saw was a spaceship, loaded with soldiers in gold and red armor, leaving the ruined Solenne.


    When he looked at the face of one of the soldiers, the scene changed again.


    The crystal platform was like an ¡®extracting¡¯ machine that kept extracting those pictures from the Gilded Disc and the disc was like a 360-degree projector, radiating rays of light. Countless fragments of the picture appeared along with the flickering lights but Raven 12345 did not pay attention to them. She was busy in a bunch of runes, seemed to be searching for a deeper secret in the Gilded Disc.


    When all the lights and the operating sound of the crystal platform gradually subsided, Vivian asked curiously, ¡°what¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Those were the things that happened around this disc. It seems to have a strong ability to collect information,¡± Raven 12345 explained. ¡°What you see is the footage of what happened after it left the factory all the way to the moment the Solenne Gateway was breached by the treacherous children. But it is not a specialized recording device after all, so these fragments are messy and don¡¯t have much reference value.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately poked the data terminal and asked, ¡°Have you recorded it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I feel there¡¯s nothing valuable in it.¡± The data terminal felt the same way. ¡°I will analyze it. You can have a look when you are free, but don¡¯t get your hopes up.¡±


    ¡°Okay, just put it aside.¡± Hao Ren then turned to Raven 12345 and asked, ¡°Have you figured out the function of the Creation¡¯s Engine?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell the function of the whole engine from just one small part. But based on a little clue on the disc, I guess the Creation¡¯s Engine has something to do with the Wall of Reality.¡±

 Chapter 874

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°It has something to do with the Wall of Reality?¡± Hao Ren was surprised after listening to Raven 12345¡¯s speculation.


    Raven 12345 nodded gently and said, ¡°This disc is part of a computing device. It is not used to calculate the regular data, but to calculate the connection between the two worlds. Its operating mode is ideal for interfering with the Wall of Reality.


    ¡°So the role of the Creation¡¯s Engine is to open the Wall of Reality?¡± asked Vivian.


    ¡°I can¡¯t be sure. It could also be used to fill the hole in the Wall of Reality or to enhance the stability of the wall. I¡¯m more convinced of both possibilities. After all, the collapse of the Wall of Reality would have a huge impact on both universes, even triggering the end of the world. The risk is the same for everyone. And, more importantly¡­ Since Vivian could walk through the Wall of Reality, it means that the Goddess of Creation had mastered the way to open the door. So, she didn¡¯t have to build another device that would take thousands of years to complete, unless she planned to tear down the entire wall.¡±


    ¡°The Goddess of Creation once told her guardians that the Creation¡¯s Engine would bring a ¡®new balance¡¯ to the universe,¡± Hao Ren touched his chin while recalling what Lemendusa had told him. ¡°I don¡¯t think breaking the Wall of Reality has anything to do with the balance.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty much what it means. One with a right mind will not want to break the wall unless he intends to destroy the world from the start. According to the behavior of the Goddess of Creation, she would not do such a thing,¡± Raven 12345 said while giving the Gilded Disc back to Hao Ren, ¡°I have recorded all of the information, you can take it back. This thing has a connection with the Goddess of Creation. Maybe it¡¯ll be useful if you keep it in the Plane of Dreams.¡±


    Hao Ren took the Gilded Disc back. After all the questions had been asked, he was ready to leave with Vivian. But at this moment, Raven 12345 suddenly stopped him. ¡°Wait, Vivian, you go first. You stay. I have something to tell you.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Vivian, and then pointed to himself and asked, ¡°Just me?¡±


    ¡°This is your job, of course I¡¯ll only explain it to you,¡± Raven 12345 glared at Hao Ren and said, ¡°you don¡¯t know what to do without her?¡±


    Hao Ren smiled awkwardly. He let data terminal to open the teleportation portal for Vivian and Lil Pea, and then turned to Raven and asked, ¡°Okay, what¡¯s up?¡±


    Raven did not answer him. She just snapped her fingers, and the next second, the scenery around changed completely. The mysterious lake under the night sky had disappeared and the aurora and the starry sky were also rapidly gone. A cloudy light gray fog gathered from all directions, turning the whole world into a boundless land. And there was a round table made of white jade standing in the center of the fog, like a lone island in the sea of chaos.


    Hao Ren was looking at the strange scene that suddenly appeared before him, a little confused. ¡°You told me to stay just to see this?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Raven answered with a strange smile, looking amiable but also elusive. She looked at the endless fog, slowly said, ¡°This is a sea of dreams.¡±


    ¡°Dreams? Whose?¡±


    Raven 12345 did not answer him. Instead, she suddenly asked him a seemingly irrelevant question, ¡°what would you do if I asked you to find someone in this chaos?¡±


    Hao Ren felt that Raven 12345 suddenly sounded a little bit mysterious. Both the way she spoke and the questions she asked were very different from her usual self. But he knew that Raven 12345 had a deep meaning behind every act, so he did not speculate on the reason behind it, but pondering the question. He looked at the endless thick fog, wondering what he should answer in such a situation. However, Raven 12345 did not give him much time to figure it out. ¡°Just answer directly. There is no standard answer.¡±


    ¡°In a situation like this? Without any clues?¡± Hao Ren tried to get more hints.


    Raven 12345 just nodded quietly.


    ¡°Then I can only follow my feeling. Everywhere in this thick gray fog looks the same, and I don¡¯t even know the direction of the person I am looking for. I can only go with my gut feeling. Maybe follow your heart and you will find it.¡±


    He also said something that sounded a bit naive, but he did not really believe in it. Maybe he would believe something like ¡®follow your heart and you can find the direction of life¡¯ when he was younger, but now he was already a 20-something man, and he knew that he had become a more realistic person, whether he wanted to or not.


    Even though he was doing a lot of supernatural and surreal things every day¡­


    ¡°Follow your heart?¡± said Raven 12345. Hao Ren could not read from Raven 12345¡¯s expression that whether she was satisfied with the answer or not. Or, maybe the answer to this question did not really matter. All that matters was that Hao Ren answered it. ¡°This is not what a rational adult should believe¡­ But it¡¯s still one of the answers,¡± said Raven 12345.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s the only answer. According to the situation you said, tossing coins is the same as following the feeling. Why do you suddenly ask me this? Do you really want me to find someone?¡±


    However, Raven 12345 suddenly laughed and patted Hao Ren on the shoulder, intentionally avoiding the question and said, ¡°Aha, don¡¯t think so much. I¡¯m just testing your perceptual thinking. OK, that¡¯s it. You can go back now and have dinner with them¡ªanyway, I don¡¯t provide dinner here.¡±


    Hao Ren was confused. He still had a lot of questions to ask, but looking at Raven 12345, he knew that she wanted him to leave and would not answer his questions. So he just swallowed the questions and left the place.


    After Hao Ren was gone, Raven 12345 was still standing there, gazing into space. A few seconds later, she took out a tiny crystal prism.


    This prophetic prism was emitting faint white lights. After Hao Ren left, the white light on its surface was fading. Raven 12345 rubbed the surface of the prism, muttering to herself, ¡°Follow your heart¡­ This is the answer he gave. Is this thing broken?¡±


    Another voice suddenly appeared in the air. ¡°I¡¯ve told you, the accuracy of the predictions of the crystal is very high, but you just don¡¯t believe it.¡±


    A woman who looked exactly the same as Raven 12345 was slowly emerging in the air. Although they were dressed and looked alike, the expression on the woman¡¯s face was dignified and steady, which was totally different from Raven 12345.


    ¡°Yo, 23333, it¡¯s been a long time,¡± Raven 12345 greeted her colleague while waving the crystal prism in her hand, ¡°You¡¯re right, this thing works. I thought you gave me a fake one to fool me.¡±


    Raven 23333 was offended, but she decided not to start a fight with this crazy Goddess. She looked around and said, ¡°Take it all down. Let me see what your mansion has become.¡±


    Raven 12345 laughed awkwardly, rubbing her hands to remove the camouflage in this space. The surrounding landscape changed dramatically again, revealing the real ¡®celestial realm¡¯.


    But it was a mess. The gorgeous mansion was ruined as if it had been bombed and demolished. The fountain in front of the mansion had been cut into two. The square next to the fountain was crisscrossed with deep sword cuts. The gardens on either side were mostly empty, with only a few lone stumps teetering on the edge of a series of large pits. On the wall of the mansion, they could see a line of huge, shimmering words. Every stroke of the words was deeply cut with a sword which read: Bastard! Give me my machete back!


    Every stroke of the words was vigorous and forceful. These words were not carved on the wall but were carved directly into space.


    Raven 12345 looked at her miserable house, quite proud of it. ¡°Luckily I¡¯m smart, didn¡¯t let them see it, otherwise Hao Ren will say something nasty again!¡±


    Raven 23333 looked at her with a strange expression and said, ¡°How many times have you let her tear down your mansion? And this time it¡¯s covered with cuts and marks. Can you return the machete to her?¡±


    ¡°No way! I¡¯ll lose if I return it!¡±


    ¡°But now you get beat up every time you see her. Are you happy?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Raven 23333, ¡°¡­¡±

 Chapter 875

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren had no idea that Raven 12345 got busy repairing her mansion after he left. While spending his time at home, he pondered about the inexplicable questions that the goddess had asked him, thinking about what she meant for the next few days. He did not believe that those irrational and emotional words that Raven 12345 uttered were because she thought it was fun, or she was feeling bored. She would not do meaningless things although she was neurotic sometimes.


    He had been thinking about the meaning of the boundless chaos and the ¡®person¡¯ he was looking for in the chaos. He had dreamed of trekking in a thick fog for two nights consecutively. He guessed there must be some hidden meaning to all this, which was probably related to the Goddess of Creation.


    The thought had been bothering him, day after day. On the third day, the question finally went to the back of his mind.


    The weather was getting colder every day, and the winter in the north was early this year. Lily finally completed her hair shedding, no more hair everywhere in the living room and no clean up every day. Vivian had planned to make a scarf out of the dog hair, but it seemed that there was not enough dog hair this time around. She had to give up the idea.


    Hao Ren took a large aquarium to the table by the window, filled the aquarium with warm water and installed an electric heater. Lil Pea was waiting impatiently at a side. As soon as Hao Ren finished prepping the tank, she jumped into the water and made a splash. Swimming comfortably in the warm water, the little guy occasionally flipped upside down, exposing her belly and spouting water from her mouth to entertain herself. After the little guy warmed up, Hao Ren opened the window so that fresh air could come in and ventilate air in the house. Hao Ren quivered a bit as a gust of cold wind rushed in, waking him.


    Seeing the window was opened, Lil Pea swam to the edge of the aquarium and looked out the window. Shivering from the cold air, the little guy slid back into the warm water. Now, the little mermaid already acknowledged that she was a tropical breed. To prevent accidental hibernation, she even asked for warm water herself unlike back then where she would run out into the snow outside and risked getting frozen into a popsicle.


    Lily was sitting on the sofa in the corner of the living room, typing on her notebook. Her ears could not help quivering as cold air was coming in through the opened window. ¡°What are you doing, Mr. Landlord? It¡¯s cold!¡±


    ¡°Oh come on! You¡¯re a sled dog!¡± Hao Ren said without even looking. ¡°The house needs some fresh air, it has been without ventilation for three days and almost become a separate ecosystem different from the outside.¡±


    At this time, Rollie slid out of her room. Wearing a black woolen hat and sneaking out to the doorway along the wall like a thief, she thought that no one would notice her. She leaned against the wall and tried to turn the knob on the door with her tail. Before she could open the door, she heard Hao Ren snapped, ¡°Don¡¯t slip out.¡±


    Rollie was stunned and standing still in position, her tail puffed. She then bared her teeth at Hao Ren. ¡°Meow¡ª¡± she protested.


    ¡°I say don¡¯t slip out and I mean it.¡± Hao Ren closed the window and turned to grab Rollie by her collar and dragged her back in. ¡°You didn¡¯t put your hat on while out yesterday. It was fortunate that no one found out that your ears were real. You plan to go out again today?¡±


    Rollie grabbed her tail and tucked it inside her clothes instinctively and then looked up at Hao Ren playing dumb. Hao Ren glared back at her. At last, she lost her patience. Taking out her tail again, she muttered, ¡°I¡¯d lose my balance if keeping the tail inside the clothes.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve not practiced enough to walk upright. Don¡¯t blame it on the tail!¡± Hao Ren still glared at her. ¡°I don¡¯t have a tail but still walk steadily,¡± he said.


    Rollie looked seriously at Hao Ren. ¡°I don¡¯t discriminate against a disabled cat.¡±


    Hao Ren did not know what to say anymore.


    In all fairness, the dumb cat had been more obedient since transcending into human form. She had made quite an improvement intelligence-wise and language-wise. The once unruly cat was capable of learning through words. Hao Ren and the other family members had been working very hard trying to train Rollie to become a good sensible monster, and they had already achieved excellent results. At least when the cat maiden was hungry, she would go to the living room and wait for the meal instead of running to Hao Ren¡¯s room and scratching the door. When the cat maiden knew it was not right to gnaw slippers when she was bored. Even in rare cases, she could take care of others. Other than that, she was still a troublemaker.


    Hao Ren had lost count of how many times the silly cat had tried to sneak out and how many times she made it out successfully. Though he had taught the cat maiden how to use the portal in the basement to go to places like Aerym, the cat demon had a different worldview, and in her opinion, Aerymian city and Helcrown were not as excited as 13th Avenue of the old town in Southern Suburb. After the cat maiden made countless attempts trying to sneak out of the house, Hao Ren knew he could not lock this guy up. He had to make a concession and gave the silly cat some roaming space on the condition that she must put on her hat, tuck her tail, not salvage leftover food in the trash bin, and not beg for food at food stalls. The good news was that the cat understood the instructions, but the bad news was that she did not seem to follow the instructions.


    Of course, Rollie had shown some willingness to abide by the rules. For example, she had remembered to put on her hat, but not tucking away her tail. To expect a cat to follow every instruction to the letter was an impossible mission. Perhaps the cat thought that listening to the command of Hao Ren once in a while was already a significant concession and that Hao Ren should be grateful to her and not making too many demands.


    Hao Ren looked at Rollie¡¯s nonchalant face and felt an ache in his head. He dragged the cat maiden back in and vented his frustration. ¡°This fella has become more and more recalcitrant,¡± he said.


    Lily looked up. ¡°Have you not learned yet?¡± she said.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°If you have the time to reason with a cat, why not bring her out for a stroll?¡± Lily threw her hands in the air. ¡°See? She is crawling to the door again. It is not that you don¡¯t already know cat¡¯s temper. She is going out today no matter what. Just take her out with you.¡±


    As soon as Lily¡¯s voice trailed off, Hao Ren sensed a burning gaze coming in his direction. He looked down; Rollie was squatting on the ground and looking up at him with a pair of eyes that said ¡®walk me.¡¯ He thought for a while and then grabbed the cat maiden up. ¡°All right, you are the boss, let¡¯s go out. First, tuck away your tail, put on your Acuvue, and your ears¡ªget a bigger hat, the weather is cold today.¡±


    The cat maiden went back into her room excitedly and got dressed up, only coming back out like a wind in a short moment. She grabbed Hao Ren by his arm and hurried him out. ¡°Walk me, walk me.¡±


    Staggering towards the door, Hao Ren looked back at Lily over the shoulder and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go out for a walk too? Isn¡¯t that what you like to do?¡±


    Lily was holding her laptop sinking herself in the sofa, typing away while grabbing something from a snack bag next to her and stuffing it into her mouth occasionally. Hearing Hao Ren¡¯s words, she said without lifting her head, ¡°I¡¯m writing something. Serious stuff.¡±


    Well, Hao Ren had almost forgotten that the husky maiden was the most successful person in the family. He nodded at the literary maiden while being dragged away by the cat maiden.


    Lily bowed her head staring at the screen while glancing at the snack pack with her peripheral vision, sucking while writing her review. ¡°Brand X, crisp and fresh, but low in protein and fat content. Not recommended for young husky,¡± she wrote.


    Meanwhile, Hao Ren and Rollie had come on the street. Looking at the silly cat jumping around him, he let out a sigh, wondering what was wrong with the sled dog who had become inactive at home while the cat was energetic and wanting him to walk her. It reinforced his belief that none of the creatures in his house was normal.


    A man and a cat¡ªtwo people in the eyes of the passers-by¡ªwere mooching around in the old section of Southern Suburb, which was slightly deserted. Old habit dies hard as Rollie still tended to poke her head into the garbage bins on the sidewalks checking what was inside. Hao Ren had to keep an eye on her. In case she got down on all fours, he would have to grab her up immediately. Such manner of strolling had almost become a norm every time the two went out together.


    Hao Ren focused his attention on the restless cat demon and did not notice another thing.


    When he and Rollie left and were about a few hundred meters from the house, his shadow behind him became darker and longer, and slowly appeared to be inconsistent with his movements.

 Chapter 876

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Despite Rollie¡¯s enthusiasm, Southern Suburbs was a dreary place during this time of the year. Already a remote suburb with more than half of the small population was senior folks; no one would want to brace the chilly weather coming out for a stroll. Hao Ren led the cat maiden mooching around in a deserted street and did not have to worry that the dumb cat would unwittingly create trouble.


    Though Hao Ren did not meet anyone he knew on the street, Rollie did meet many of them¡ªthe strays. Just as Lily had her army of canines, the dumb cat had quite an influence among the cats in the neighborhood.


    To prevent unnecessary troubles, Hao Ren deliberately took Rollie to the more empty places, the more desolate, the better. He would not have done this if he were to bring a normal girl out, but Rollie was a cat demon, this guy would not care where she was going as long as she was outside. The cat maiden was kind of like strange and quiet places. She ran around spiritedly and would have gone to places, such as wall and treetops, where she would not have a chance to go usually if Hao Ren was not careful. Hao Ren would have dragged her back down within seconds if she did that. She was just like a kid doing this on purpose to get attention.


    Unwittingly, they had come to a place far from the last residential area. All the houses here were exceptionally dilapidated. Not a building was more than two-story tall on either side of the street. They all were forty-year-old, single-story brick houses. However, there were a few large houses at one end of the road with prominent faded writings, such as ¡®Grocery Store,¡¯ ¡®Wholesale¡¯ on the mottled walls.


    It was the abandoned section of the town, the oldest street in Southern Suburb, where time seemed to be stagnant, and everything carried an atmosphere that only existed a few decades ago. After the last few families moved out from the nearby houses ten years ago, the street was completely deserted until this day. It was said that a reconstruction plan had been mooted, but as the entire Southern Suburb, everything here happened slowly like a sloth; it was hard to tell when someone would come and fix the dilapidated brick houses.


    Hao Ren even remembered that this was the scene that he saw when he was still a kid. Though there were still families staying in the west of the street back then, the state of the road back then was no better than what it was now.


    The scenes reminded him of his childhood. Hao Ren sighed for days gone by as he looked at the old bald poplars. He instinctively rubbed his hands despite he was not afraid of cold. ¡°Hmm, the weather is getting colder,¡± he murmured to himself.


    As Hao Ren was distracted and immersed in his thought, the cat maiden quickly climbed onto the nearby wall before hopping up the roof of a house. She looked around alertly and promptly locked her target¡ªa fat pigeon on the ridge not far away.


    Rollie rubbed her hands happily. She was excited to find back the meaning of the life of a cat. She arched her body and walked carefully along the ridge, was so delighted to see her meal was just within grasp. Unfortunately, she forgot one thing; Hao Ren had her tail tied to her clothes. She began to lose her balance without her tail as counter-balance, she fell. She was startled for a moment and tried to recover, but it was too late. The disrepair old house would not withstand such an impact, the roof tiles gave way, and she plunged straight down together with the tiles, punching a massive hole on the roof.


    While immersed in his childhood memory, the sudden noise jolted Hao Ren out of his dream. He looked in the direction where the sound came from; the silly cat had disappeared from the roof.


    Two seconds later, he heard the cat maiden¡¯s panicking meow in the nearby house.


    ¡°This idiot!¡± Hao Ren clicked his tongue and rushed into the abandoned house. He knew that all the houses here were considered unsafe and considering Rollie¡¯s physical strength, she could have torn down the entire building if she was not careful. ¡°Stay still until I come in to get you!¡±


    The doors and windows of the house had rotten to the core. With just a slight push of his hand, the entire door came down. It was pitch dark inside except that there was a beam of skylight shone down through the hole on the roof above, illuminating the interior somewhat. Rollie got up from a pile of broken tiles and dust. She looked as if Lil Pea had just beaten him.


    The cat maiden looked up when she heard Hao Ren came in. ¡°Boss cat! I fell!¡±


    She sounded like not having a bit of awkwardness but excitement. She thought that the accident was fun.


    ¡°Have I not told you not to run around?¡± Hao Ren held down the head of the cat maiden who was rubbing against his body, knowing that the idiot was trying to use coquetry to get away with the trouble she had caused. ¡°I¡¯m not going to let you out again if you do that again.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never fallen last time while running the roof¡± The cat maiden talked back.


    ¡°Crap, didn¡¯t you realize you have gained a lot of weight now?¡± Hurry¡ª¡±


    He suddenly felt an inexplicable chill coming straight towards him. He barely had time to think as he instinctively pushed Rollie away while he jumped to a side.


    However, the chill did not go away but followed his dodging movement, sticking to the skin and spread up from his limbs. The next moment, he felt his hair was shooting straight up as the chill had condensed into a knife-like weapon coming straight up to his throat!


    Hao Ren¡¯s muscles tensed up, his supervision allowed him to see in the dark, but he saw nothing at all this time. He could only intuitively sense that there was a sinister blade attacking him. In the last moment before the sword piercing through his skin, he spun around and dodged the attack.


    He had no clue what he had dodged though because he saw nothing, there was only the air before his eyes. From the chill in the beginning to the ¡®blade¡¯ in the last moment, it seemed to be just an illusion. He sensed something but saw nothing substantial. He was dang sure that he had just avoided some attack because he saw the silver glow on his skin in the dark, which was caused by the collision of something with his Steel Membrane Shield.


    After the sinister assassination failed, the chill seemed to fade away suddenly, but Hao Ren knew that something was still lurking around, very close to him. The sixth sense which he had developed after years of dangerous encounters was sounding its alarm. He felt that a breeze-like cool air was sticking under his feet and he could not shake it off. It was as if a cheetah lurking in the grass, waiting to strike when its prey let down its guard.


    Rollie regained her composure after being pushed away by Hao Ren. Usually, the silly cat would have come up to Hao Ren and demand an explanation as to why he pushed her, but this time she had sensed something strange in the air. Her muscles tensed and got down on all fours instinctively, her body arched and her eyes glowed in the dark. She had taken off the contact lenses that she used to her cat pupils. She stared at the space of one meter around Hao Ren in the dark.


    ¡°Meow¡ª¡± Rollie gave out a menacing growl in her throat as if a beast threatened its enemy.


    Hao Ren asked the cat demon while watching the surroundings, ¡°Rollie, what did you see?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Rollie sounded a little confused. ¡°I see nothing, but I can smell it. I can feel it. Something terrible¡­¡±

 Chapter 877

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    In the dark, abandoned residential building, Hao Ren and Rollie held their breaths watching every movement around them. It was pitch-dark inside the abandoned house, the dark walls and the stuff that blocked the windows had made things worse. Sunlight shone into the house through the hole on the roof did not help. It was as if having an illusion. Hao Ren had even felt that the ray of sunlight was weakening and it only illuminated a small area, outside the illuminated area, the shadow was filling the darkness, devouring the details in the house.


    The chill was lurking around in the background re-agglomerated after a few minutes. Hao Ren kept his eyes wide open, scanning for its whereabouts but found no shadow of the attacker. It was as if the enemy was invisible, silent; Hao Ren could only feel the presence of it with his instinct. He had no idea why the thing targeted him, but he had countless battle experience under this belt, and he knew his Steel Membrane Shield was effective against the attacker. He was able to breathe a sigh of relief somewhat and took out his silver spear from his dimensional pocket.


    The plasma flame at the tip of the long spear was burning with sparks, illuminating a small area around it. Hao Ren felt that there was something wrong with the plasma flare, its brightness was suppressed. It was not an illusion. There was something in the house swallowing the light.


    Rollie pulled out her tail from her clothes carefully as she felt that a battle was imminent and she must be prepared for it. With her pupils wide opened, she scanned the darkness in her surroundings while making a menacing growl in her throat. The cat maiden¡¯s combat ability might not as good as Hao Ren¡¯s, but as a cat demon, she had an excellent perceptive ability. She could not see the threat in the house, but she could determine its position better than Hao Ren did.


    ¡°Boss Cat, that thing seems to be at your feet,¡± the cat girl said, her voice sounded quivery. ¡°It¡¯s stuck on the floor.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately wielded his spear and drew a circle around his feet. The plasma flare cut a deep red mark out of the floor with a hissing sound, but he saw nothing in the flare, nor did he hit anything unusual. The chill did not go away but gathered again.


    He suddenly sensed a danger. He twisted his body to the side and discovered a series of sparks suddenly appearing on his chest and abdomen. The invisible enemy had hit him but blocked by his Steel Membrane Shield. This time it was different than before, there were strange ripples underneath the sparks.


    Hao Ren felt an itch on his skin. He was shocked. The attacker seemed to have learned the characteristics of the Steel Membrane Shield from experience. This time, the attack had almost penetrated the shield.


    Realizing that the enemy was a very strange thing, Hao Ren quickly reached for his pocket, but there was nothing inside. He had forgotten to bring the MDT out in a hurry. He retreated slowly to the door while calling in his mind. ¡°MDT, come over, I need help here.¡±


    Then he motioned Rollie. ¡°Let¡¯s get the hell out of here. Something¡¯s wrong in the house!¡±


    He quickly drew a circle around himself and lunged out of the house while Rollie was right at his heels.


    After leaving the abandoned house, the bright sunlight on the outside almost blinded them as their eyes had not adapted to it. Under the sunlight, he realized how weird the shadow in the house was. It was daylight, but on the inside of the house, it was so dark that he could not even see his fingers before his eyes. Despite the broken hole on the roof, the corners inside the house were still pitch dark, which showed how strange the optical phenomenon was.


    Hao Ren felt it safer under the sun as he sensed that the chill had retreated somewhat. He and Rollie stood together fully on guard, staring intensely at the abandoned house in front of him, he nudged the cat demon. ¡°Is that thing still in the house?¡± he asked.


    Hao Ren had noticed that Rollie might be able to perceive something strange. He began to trust less of his eyes but more in the cat. The peculiar experience just made him feel that the enemy was probably hiding in the house.


    Rollie squinted into the house, but the situation in the house seemed to have returned to normal. The abnormal darkness had faded, and she could see the interior of the house under the sunlight shone through the hole on the roof.


    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s no more there.¡± The cat maiden shook her head in confusion. When she glanced at Hao Ren, her tail puffed up straight. ¡°Boss Cat, it¡¯s behind you!¡±


    Hao Ren was shocked by what Rollie said. He immediately sensed a sinister breath coming from his side. He reflexively lunged to a side and at the same time, raised his spear and thrust at where he stood just now, but it shocked him that he did not manage to shake off the ¡®thing¡¯, the sinister was sticking to his body like a glue, moving at the same speed and direction as him. He turned around and saw sparks bursting out on his arm and felt a sense of electric shock on the skin!


    Hao Ren flipped around in the air and regained his balance. As he landed, he quickly retreated a few steps, and the sinister breath followed. Finally, when the ¡®thing¡¯ made a move again, he saw it.


    He saw that his own shadow flickered on the ground with a rippling pattern at the center of the shadow. Almost immediately, he sensed something dangerous but invisible shooting out from the shadow at his face.


    That thing stayed in the shadow!


    Hao Ren finally understood why he could not shake off the ¡®thing,¡¯ and he could now respond in time when the ¡®thing¡¯ launched its attack. Considering that he could get rid of his own shadow, he didn¡¯t dodge this time but twisted his body suddenly right before the chill touched his skin and evaded an attack again.


    The enemy in the shadow seemed to realize that it had blown its cover and decided not to hide its breath anymore. Hao Ren saw his shadow wobbling. A sinister hostility came out from the shadow and spread out in all directions. Though he could not see it, he could feel many blades piercing at him, mostly at his upper body.


    Hao Ren could only rely on his sixth sense to fight back. He kept retreating and barely dodging the invisible attacks. His Steel Membrane Shield would sparkle from time to time, and the sensation of electric shock was getting stronger and stronger. He felt the current was running on his skin.


    No matter how good a person¡¯s instinct was, it was impossible to dodge the attacks coming from his own shadow completely.


    Rollie held her breath looking at Hao Ren fighting this own shadow. After a moment, she plucked up the courage and lunged forward to help.


    Seeing the silly cat bravely rushed to his rescue, though surprised, Hao Ren stopped her. ¡°Don¡¯t come over!¡±


    The power of Shadow Assassin was weird and inexplicable, even Hao Ren himself had difficulty contain it, less so the immature cat demon. He could not possibly count on the Rollie. Rollie turned a deaf ear to Hao Ren¡¯s command, pounced on the shadow and hit it with her claws desperately. ¡°Boss Cat, I got it! I got it!¡±


    Of course, it was a common sense that she could not possibly catch a shadow, but Hao Ren could not expect the cat demon to reason. While he was very touched by the fact that the cat was risking her life for him at the crucial moment, he kept fighting his own shadow. He retreated several steps trying to pull the shadow away from Rollie; he was worried that the shadow assassin would jump into Rollie¡¯s shadow instead. In a split second, he thrust his spear at the shadow on the ground.


    Physical attack was not going to hurt non-physical shadows. The plasma flare created a series of a molten hole in the ground, but the ripples in the shadows were unaffected.


    When Hao Ren was running out of ideas, he heard the MDT¡¯s voice in his mind. ¡°Buddy! I¡¯m coming!¡±


    The MDT pierced through the air arriving in midair. It then shot a blue light beam on the shadow of Hao Ren. With a burst of crackles as if something was burning, something seemed to begin to come off his shadow. He took a couple of steps back and saw a mass of gray and black mist on the ground.


    The energy interference capability of the MDT could suppress the ¡®thing,¡¯ which was a body of energy.


    ¡°What takes you so long?¡± Hao Ren breathed a sigh of relief and complained.


    ¡°Mind you, I have to find a way to escape from your devilish daughter,¡± the MDT said and whispered like a human, ¡°and then I have to figure out who you are fighting with on the ground.¡±

 Chapter 878

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    While Hao Ren and the MDT had caught the ¡®things,¡¯ Rollie was still scratching the ground with her claws. Her hair all puffed up as she wrestled with the shadow, kicking up dust into the air as if she was going to ascend into heaven at first glance. Hao Ren came over and patted the cat maiden on the head. ¡°All right, stop. I¡¯ve got it,¡± he said.


    The cat maiden almost jumped out of her skin and bounced back out for more than two meters. After realizing no one was coming after her, she looked up and around and discovered that the MDT was keeping the shadow under control with its blue light beam. She let out a meow of relief, came up to Hao Ren and rubbed her head against him while making intermittent humming in her throat. She was frightened to death just now.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine now.¡± Hao Ren petted the silly cat and put her tail back into her clothes. He had to re-examine the cat demon; though noisy, mischievous, disobedient, eccentric and obstinate, her bravery at the crucial moment had surprised Hao Ren. After comforting his cat, he came to the MDT. ¡°So what is that thing?¡±


    The MDT still restrained the shadow with a blue beam and sounded a bit confused. ¡°I have never seen this life form before. It looks like an energy body and is controllable by my strong magnetic field, but its nature is also like a shadow. You see, it can only move on the surface of other objects.¡±


    The MDT kept adjusting the frequency of the magnetic field while moving the mist-like shadow around. Hao Ren had noticed that the thing always stuck to the ground no matter how. It was especially apparent when going over some small stones and like a projected image, it could not leave the surface of other objects at all.


    ¡°Speaking of which, how is the attack ability of this thing? Are you injured?¡± the MDT asked while still keeping the shadow moving around.


    Hao Ren moved his limbs a bit and said, ¡°I¡¯m not hurt, just shocked. The nature of this thing is just too strange. It almost penetrated my Steel Membrane Shield and gave me an electric shock sensation. Otherwise, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Dang, you¡¯re such an embarrassment, almost beaten by the weakling.¡± The MDT sounded as if it needed a good spanking. ¡°I thought you were dying and expected to see a martyr here. It¡¯s a shame there wasn¡¯t even a single drop of blood.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled shamefacedly. ¡°I told you I was just shocked. It was the first time I encountered such a thing. It is so weird that it is invisible and almost unbeatable. I still had something up my sleeve if you didn¡¯t come. I don¡¯t believe that this thing could withstand my psionic gun.¡±


    ¡°You might be able to kill it with that pistol, but the sample would be gone for good,¡± the MDT murmured while continuing to switch the restraining mode of the magnetic field as it tried to rip the shadow off the ground. ¡°Luckily I arrived on time. How do we get this thing back?¡±


    Hao Ren squatted down and observed for a while. ¡°Can¡¯t you rip it off?¡±


    ¡°I can only control it, but there is no way to ¡®tear¡¯ it down,¡± the MDT said with a sullen tone of voice. ¡°Maybe we could drag it home while restraining it using the light beam.¡±


    Hao Ren visualized in his mind what it was like dragging a shadow on the ground back home. He shook his head quickly. ¡°No, no, no. That¡¯s not okay. I¡¯d have a hard time explaining if people see it. I can¡¯t just tell people that I¡¯m walking my shadow, right?¡±


    Rollie immediately interrupted. ¡°No, no, no! You¡¯re walking me today!¡±


    ¡°None of your business.¡± Hao Ren turned the silly cat away. From walking a cat to becoming walking a shadow, he was stumped as he looked at the spinning shadow. Suddenly something crossed his mind. He took a piece of paper out from the dimensional pocket. ¡°Could you drive the shadow onto the paper?¡± he asked.


    The MDT thought for a moment. ¡°Hmmm, let¡¯s try, but how am I supposed to keep it still on the paper? Keep beaming the light on it?¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the MDT curiously. ¡°What do you use to restrain it?¡±


    ¡°Psionic energy field,¡± the MDT replied. ¡°Once the force field disappears, it will run away. This thing is just trapped but not hurt.¡±


    Hao Ren acknowledged with an ¡®Oh¡¯ and began to think what he had in the dimension pocket he could use to restrain the ¡®thing.¡¯ He really could not think of anything now. He had captured all kinds of strange things, from humanoid to huge First Born, using various types of containers, but he had never caught shadow before.


    The cat maiden moved around restlessly staring intently at the shadow restrained by the beam as if she were ready to pounce on it.


    After thinking for a while, something came to Hao Ren¡¯s mind. ¡°Oh yes! I still have something!¡±


    While saying, he took out the thing from his dimensional pocket. The MDT was stumped when it saw it. ¡°You still keep this stuff?¡±


    It was none other than the golden apple carton box, which he used to hold the vengeful spirit. This apple box was kept inside the dimensional pocket, and it was still in pristine condition.


    ¡°Of course, I do,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°This thing is a divine artifact. It is like the Jade Vase of Guanyin and the Purple Red Gourd of the Grand Supreme Elderly Lord in my eyes. This thing shouldn¡¯t be as tough as the vengeful spirit.¡±


    The Grand Supreme Elderly Lord must have found it embarrassed that his Purple Red Gourd looked like that.


    Hao Ren did not think much about how his ¡®Purple Red Gourd¡¯ looked. He put the divine carton on the ground with the opening facing the shadow. ¡°Would you respond if I call you? No? Then I treat it as tacit consent. MDT, shove it inside.¡±


    The MDT could not care less of what Hao Ren said. It beamed the light at the shadow and swept it into the carton.


    As expected, this divine carton had no problem containing the odd energy body. The shadow stayed quietly at the bottom of the carton like a dirty patch of stain. If it weren¡¯t for the misty ripples inside, Hao Ren would have thought that the thing was dead.


    Hao Ren had lost the interest to walk his cat after the incident. Though Rollie seemed to want to mooch for a little longer, Hao Ren insisted that she followed him home.


    He called everyone out as soon as he arrived home. When everyone gathered, he found that Y¡¯zals and his daughter were not there. He asked, ¡°Where are Y¡¯zaks and Y¡¯lisabet?¡±


    ¡°Oh, they are helping the mini market in the street corner fix the air conditioner,¡± Vivian replied, looking curiously at the apple carton that Hao Ren had brought back. ¡°You got your year-end bonus already? It seems it still too early.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, no!¡± Hao Ren put the apple carton on the coffee table. ¡°I was attacked!¡±


    As soon as his voice trailed off, everyone became paranoid. Some immediately form shifted, some drew their weapon, and some came up examining Hao Ren¡¯s injury. Hao Ren quickly explained, ¡°Don¡¯t panic, you¡¯ve got it under control, the assassin has been reprimanded, right inside the carton.¡±


    ¡°What? You should say it early. It almost scared the hell out of me!¡± Lily groaned while taking a peek inside the carton. ¡°Eh? There is nothing inside. Has it escaped?¡±


    Lily had just responded as Hao Ren expected. ¡°It¡¯s the shadow at the bottom of the carton.¡±


    ¡°Shadow?¡± Lily finally noticed the dark thing at the bottom of the carton. ¡°I thought it was ink. Wow! It moves!¡±


    Nearby, Vivian and the Nangong siblings became curious. They came up and surrounded the carton. ¡°Let me see that! Let me see that!¡± ¡°Oh, it moves!¡± ¡°Look! Its shape just looked like Y¡¯zaks¡¯ face just now.¡±


    They ignored hao Ren. He forced a smile. ¡°Hey! What about me?¡± he asked.


    Vivian looked back up at him; at least she still knew how to show her concern. ¡°Hao Ren, where did you get this thing from?¡±


    Hao Ren immediately sensed that there was more to Vivian¡¯s words than meets the eye. ¡°You know what this thing is?¡±

 Chapter 879

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren was stunned upon hearing what Vivian had said. ¡°You know what this thing is?¡±


    Vivian looked a little confused on her face as she rubbed her forehead vexingly. ¡°I¡­ I think I have seen this thing before a long time ago, but I can¡¯t remember when it was. I can only remember it had caused a lot of troubles in the early days of the mythological period.¡±


    ¡°Thing from the mythological era?¡± Hao Ren thought that it was some rare otherworldling or magic attack, so he had not given much thought to it initially. Never did he expect that it had something to do with the mythological era. ¡°Is this¡­ the creature of that era, or just a magic effect?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t remember.¡± Vivian knocked on her head. ¡°But I¡¯m sure it caused a huge problem back then as I remember that other ancient ones and I had dealt with the shadow-induced incident. It was rare that we the ancient ones acted together like that, so the thing must be very unusual.¡±


    Hao Ren recalled the strange nature of the shadow. Though its attack was not lethal, its unique attributes were very tricky to handle. Without the help of the MDT, he would need unique means to capture the shadow, and it would be a lot more troublesome. However, according to Vivian, this kind of shadow was only active in the early days of the Mythological Period, which meant that this thing was once extinct after that, he thought.


    ¡°This thing was gone after the end of the Mythological Era. Otherwise, I must have an impression,¡± Vivian said, nodding her head. ¡°Though I don¡¯t remember exactly how we had dealt with the things back then, it was us the ancient ones who chase the shadows to¡­ Err, I can¡¯t remember the place. Anyway, we had contained them. I remember that there was some family responsibility for guarding the containment, and that family was in some place in South America, but I can¡¯t recall the name of the family.¡±


    Hao Ren was astonished of Vivian¡¯s crappy memory. ¡°All you know is just in South America?¡±


    Vivian spread her hands. ¡°It¡¯s not that you don¡¯t already know that my memory sucks, let alone it was thousands of years ago. It¡¯s already good that I can remember it was in South America.¡±


    Lily did not pay attention to the shadow in the carton right from the beginning. After hearing what Vivian had said, she said with a stumped face, ¡°It¡¯s okay to forget. The most important question is where we should go looking for clues. It¡¯s like looking for a needle in a haystack.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the carton that everyone surrounded. Though he did not know where to start, he felt the need to investigate the matter. It was something that Vivian and other ancient ones on the earth teaming up to contain. It should have disappeared on the planet long ago, and its sudden appearance was pointing to some terrible sign. He ruled out the possibility of some shadows had escaped the dragnet simply the shadows had not appeared for thousands of years. The only possibility was that there was a breach in the containment. He was now wondering how many of the shadows had escaped, how many of them in total and how severe the breach was.


    Most importantly, in today¡¯s world where the Mythological Era had ended, the influence of otherworldlings and the demon hunters had significantly declined, he did not know who else could handle this kind of thing now.


    He might not realize it that apart from the reasons he had thought of, there was another reason why he was so worried about the shadow¡ªthat was his intuition. He intuitively felt that he could not turn a blind eye to this incident.


    Nangong Sanba¡¯s brows knit together, he was worried about the same thing Hao Ren was concerned about. ¡°We got to find a way to find those shadows. Since this was something that even the ancients had difficulty to deal with, I¡¯m afraid no one would be able to control them now. The threats would be unthinkable if they all run loose in the wild.¡±


    Lily spread her hand. ¡°The problem now is that Battie has remembered nothing but South America! What could we do?¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment. Just when he was about to say something, the loud voice of Y¡¯lisabet was heard at the doorway. ¡°Uncle Ren! Something has happened! Papa met an assassin!¡±


    Everyone was shocked. They turned around unison and saw Y¡¯zaks was standing right next to Y¡¯lisabet. The great demon patted his daughter on the head and forced a smile. ¡°This kid was exaggerating it. I just met a strange thing that attacked me, but I got it anyway.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet jumped up and down under her papa¡¯s big hand. ¡°It was such a weird thing! Scared the wit out of me!¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian exchanged a look instinctively, both of them had thought of the same thing. Vivian¡¯s looked extremely serious. ¡°Was the one attacking you a shadow?¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet immediately came over. ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    Hao Ren raised his finger and pointed to the containment carton on the coffee table. ¡°I was attacked too. Here, I captured it in the carton.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet came to the coffee table and took a peek inside the containment carton. Then she uttered loudly, ¡°This is the one! My own shadow beat me, and it took my papa a great deal of trouble to pull that thing out. That thing looked exactly like this one!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks nodded slightly, meaning what Y¡¯lisabet said was true.


    Hao Ren glanced at Y¡¯zaks in amazement. He had seen the strength of this demon king, who could destroy the earth by just a wave of his hand, and the little girl Y¡¯lisabet was no slouch either when it came to magic. Both of them, who were considered all-powerful even during the Mythological Era had been given a hard time by the shadow, of which Hao Ren had ¡®upgraded¡¯ the threat level.


    Though the capturing of the shadow with the triple helps of the MDT, golden-apple carton, and his Steel Membrane Shield was a little alarmingly dangerous, it was not that difficult. He unconsciously took the shadow lightly. Now it seemed to him that this thing was nastier than he had imagined.


    Y¡¯zaks smiled and explained to Hao Ren, ¡°It was all because I had never seen such a thing. I thought it was something like a shadow monster or a night-shadow devil. I blew a big hole on the ground, but that did not affect the shadow a bit; it was pulling my leg.¡±


    When Y¡¯zaks patted on his strong arm heedlessly, Hao Ren suddenly understood what ¡®pulling his leg¡¯ meant. The body of the great demon was as strong as, if not stronger than Hao Ren¡¯s Steel Membrane Shield, and the shadow would most probably be unable to defeat Y¡¯zaks¡¯ defense. At most, it could only frighten the little girl a bit and threw Y¡¯zaks off guard for a while.


    ¡°Did you just say you blew a hole in the ground?¡± Hao Ren was alarmed. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve torn the town apart!¡±


    Don¡¯t worry; it was in the field at the back.¡± Y¡¯zaks smirked. ¡°Looks like that the thing only attacked when we were alone,¡± he said.


    Hao Ren breathed a sigh of relief, but he was a bit curious. ¡°How did you manage to defeat the shadow?¡±


    ¡°Both conventional magic and physical attacks didn¡¯t work at that time,¡± Y¡¯zaks said, scratching his head as he recalled the strange battle which had turned knotty. ¡°Then I found out that when it faced with a mirror, it would bounce off, so I summoned two pieces of mirror and drew the shadow to it and let it bounce between the mirrors. The shadow finally exhausted after two hours of fun.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks spread his hand and said with a blank expression, ¡°I¡¯m thinking the same.¡±


    They now focused on the origin of this shadow. Lily related what Vivian knew to Y¡¯zaks and Y¡¯lisabet. ¡°In short, this is what Battie and other ancients had once contained back then, but somehow it escaped.¡±


    Hao Ren let out a sigh, feeling helpless. ¡°The biggest problem now is that Vivian has completely forgotten the clues that could lead us to understand the shadow. She even forgot who she had joined hands in capturing the shadows, and the location of the containment,¡± he said.


    Vivian was a little upset by Hao Ren¡¯s words. She disputed his argument. ¡°Did I not remember it was South America?¡±


    Everyone buried their faces in their hands as they were too embarrassed to even look at the forgetful bat demon.


    Nangong Sanba had been in thought for a long time. Suddenly, he spoke as if he had thought of something. ¡°I think other people might have experienced the same thing. According to Vivian, these black shadows had caused a lot of problems back in the Mythological Era. Would other ancients know something about these shadows?¡±

 Chapter 880

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren had a light bulb moment when hearing what Nangong Sanba had said. Turning to Vivian, he asked, ¡°Do you know anyone else who might have information about this kind of shadow?¡±


    ¡°At least those who have survived since the Mythological Era know.¡± Vivian thought for a moment. ¡°Maybe I can ask Hesperides.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded quickly. ¡°Do it now. I suppose you have given her a phone, right?¡±


    ¡°Argh, long-distance call again.¡± Vivian, who was a miser, let out a sigh before taking out her cell and making the call. Since they last visited the Athens¡¯ sanctuary, Vivian had not contacted the nymph of the evening, but she left Hesperides a modern communication gadget so that in case of emergency they could call each other. Now that came in handy.


    Vivian raised her head, bewildered. ¡°She didn¡¯t answer the call.¡±


    ¡°Do you know other ancients?¡± Lily asked.


    ¡°I only have her mobile phone number,¡± Vivian searched through her contact list in her phone¡¯s address book, ¡°other than Hessiana and a few juniors. There aren¡¯t many ancients in the Athens¡¯ sanctuary, and I am not familiar with others.¡±


    ¡°Call again later,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°Maybe you could leave a message to Hessiana so that she could inform Hesperides.¡±


    As soon as his voice trailed off, the cell in Vivian¡¯s hand rang. It was Hesperides.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Vivian answered quickly, putting the phone on speaker so that everyone could hear it. ¡°Hesperides?¡±


    ¡°Vivian, I didn¡¯t expect you to call me.¡± Hesperides¡¯ voice sounded a bit tired, but hearing the voice of an old friend made her happy. ¡°I was in a meeting, and the other guys asked to me put the cell on silent mode. They must have learned this from the humans.¡±


    Hao Ren was amazed by how modern the life of the ancients in the Athens¡¯ sanctuary. Vivian was a little curious. ¡°Meeting? Oh, yes, you are one of the elders of the sanctuary. Let¡¯s not talk about this now. Let me ask you something. Do you know a monster that looks like a shadow?¡±


    ¡°Shadow?¡± Hesperides¡¯ voice rose a pitch higher. It was not sure if it was an illusion, but Hao Ren had sensed the tension in Hesperides¡¯ voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s a kind of parasitic in the shadow, to be precise. There have been two attacks here so far and that thing¡­¡± Vivian told of what she knew and described the form of the shadow. ¡°That thing must be originating from our time. Do you have an impression of it?¡±


    ¡°You are talking about the Shade of Chaos!¡± Hesperides¡¯s tone of voice seemed wrong. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect them to have escaped to your side. Who was attacked? What is the situation? Have you got it under control?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got it albeit with much trouble.¡± Vivian had sensed Hesperides must have known something. ¡°Did you say they escaped to my side? You mean the same thing has happened at your side?¡±


    Hesperides lowered her voice as if she were in a public place and did not want people around her to hear what she said. ¡°I and several ancients have just met to discuss this matter. I¡¯m afraid there is a situation in the Ancattero family in South America. Are you interested in this matter too? If so, come to the Athens¡¯ sanctuary. The incident isn¡¯t as simple as it seems as many ancient families have sent their representatives.¡±


    Vivian had wanted to mention that she might have something to do with the shadows initially. After hearing what Hesperides had said, she held back. ¡°Okay, we come to you now.¡±


    After hanging up, she murmured thoughtfully, ¡°Ahh, it¡¯s the Ancattero family. I had remembered the name starting with ¡®A.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just the ¡®A¡¯ you had remembered. Can you stop talking about that now?¡± Hao Ren said while waving his hand at Vivian. ¡°We should go to Athens immediately. Y¡¯zaks, you two have seen the shadow, so I need you and your daughter to come with me. The others stay home. Lily, you don¡¯t have to raise your hand, I will bring you too.¡±


    Hao Ren, Vivian, Lily, Y¡¯zaks, and Y¡¯lisabet stepped into the portal. The MDT had the coordinates of Athens, teleporting them to Hesperides side was so much easier this time.


    They arrived at Hesperides¡¯ antique store, which was the front for the sanctuary, was closed. A strange fog shrouded the entire street, and there was not a single pedestrian on the road. It seemed Hesperides had cast a spell to keep the area quiet.


    ¡°That¡¯s quick!¡± Hesperides said, drawing Hao Ren¡¯s attention. The nymph of the evening, who seemed to have sensed someone coming into her magic monitoring zone, emerged from the thick fog in a yellow light and was amazed to see Vivian and the others. ¡°I thought you would only arrive tomorrow.¡±


    Vivian went up and greeted her old friend. ¡°We used the portal. How is the situation in the sanctuary? Is it serious?¡±


    Hesperides¡¯s brows knit together and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s complicated. Come in first. Two more ancients have arrived, they are having a second round of discussions.¡±


    While saying, she opened a unique passage leading to the Shadowy Divide, but she stopped everyone from entering. ¡°Wait a minute; I have to check the shadows of you all.¡±


    Hesperides carefully examined the shadows of everyone, as if it was a quarantine protocol during an infectious viral outbreak. Vivian could not help but ask, ¡°Has the shadow infiltrated the sanctuary?¡±


    ¡°It almost made it through but was exterminated in the Shadowy Divide,¡± Hesperides said casually. ¡°Okay, all cleared to go.¡±


    Under the guidance of Hesperides, they crossed the heavily guarded Shadowy Divide before arriving at the familiar Athens¡¯ sanctuary after a long walk.


    The mysterious city in an alien dimension was attacked by demon hunters a year ago and severely damaged, traces of the war could still be seen today. The Bethanos Shadowy Castle on the other side of the city was still in ruins as the crazy forces of Hessiana had utterly destroyed the place with an air strike. No one cared to rebuild the castle since the sanctuary successfully drove the shadows out. In the partially-destroyed area around the old home of the Bethanos family, some new flags were flying. Hao Ren had never seen the flags, but he knew what they meant.


    The factions in the sanctuary had completed a significant shake-up and territorial delineation.


    Hao Ren and his entourage did not have much opportunity to take a good look at the reconstruction of the sanctuary as Hesperides had hurriedly brought them into a large assembly hall in the middle of the city.


    ¡°This assembly hall was rebuilt after the attack of the demon hunters.¡± Hesperus briefed them on the location of the meeting today. ¡°The rebellion of Bethanos reminded several families of the seriousness of the factionalism in the sanctuary. In a sense, the reconstruction of this assembly hall had at least formally re-established the relations between the various families. The patriarchs of several large families are here today, as well as representatives from other sanctuaries. Vivian, some of them are your old friend.¡±


    Vivien scratched her head. ¡°Oh, yeah? I couldn¡¯t remember most of them.¡±


    Hesperides knew that Vivian had a problem with her memory, so she did not say much but proceed to open the door of the assembly hall.


    Hao Ren heard a voice talking loudly as soon as the door opened. ¡°¡­you must go and check out the situation, the Ancattero family¡¯s incident must have something to do with the demon hunter!¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian looked at each other instinctively and stepped into the hall immediately.


    The semi-circular hall was brightly lit, grand and spacious, but only a dozen people were sitting at the round table in the center. When Hao Ren and Vivian went in, a happy-sounding voice was heard coming from among the people at the meeting. ¡°Vivian! You¡¯ve come to see me!¡±


    Vivian was startled and stepped back instinctively. ¡°Oops! I¡¯ve almost forgotten that his kid is one of the patriarchs.¡±

 Chapter 881

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The moment Vivian heard Hessiana¡¯s voice, she trembled and was about to break up into a swarm of bats and hide¡ªa reaction that had become a reflex when she sensed Hessiana was going to pounce on her. However, Hessiana stopped short of doing that at the last moment, as she realized that it was not the most appropriate occasion. Defying her inner urge, she stood still on the spot at the table and just said hello.


    Convinced that Hessiana would not jump at her declaring her love like an eager puppy, Vivian breathed a sigh of relief and began to pay attention to those in the assembly hall.


    There were a dozen men and women, both young and old; all had their strange auras sitting at the expensive wooden conference table and staring at Vivian and Hao Ren. Other than the familiar faces such as Hessiana and Zeon Lucas, the rest must be the bigwigs from other families in the sanctuary that Hesperides had mentioned, Hao Ren figured.


    The assembly hall appeared too empty with only a dozen people assembling there. These people were divided into groups sitting far from each other at the large table. No doubt they were of different races. The vampires and werewolves were seated at the farthest end of the table, while the rest of the people did not seem to be very fond of each other too.


    The misfit between different races was not much a surprise to Hao Ren anymore as the otherworldlings had been hostile to each other for tens of thousands of years.


    Vivian could only recognize less than half of those at the table. She gave up digging into her memory for the names of the rest and sat down down matter-of-coursely at the round table together with Hao Ren, Y¡¯zaks and the rest. ¡°Hello, long time no see. In case you don¡¯t already know me, I am Vivian Ancestor,¡± Vivian said.


    She appeared calm and dominating, which was traits that she rarely displayed at home, but Hao Ren was not surprised at all. She did it unconsciously when facing otherworldlings of her junior. It was a method to impose authority and dominance; acting like a weakling would only get excluded in the otherworldling society where seniority and experience were important.


    There was no display of resentment towards Vivian. A middle-aged man in a black suit sitting across the table rose up with a big smile, bowed and greeted Vivian respectfully. ¡°Please forgive me for not recognizing you earlier, Countess Ancestor, as I was too shocked; I didn¡¯t expect to see you appearing among us suddenly, after all, you have been very quiet for more than a century.¡±


    The middle-aged man¡¯s move seemed to be a signal as everyone at the round table got to their feet and greeted Vivian though they were of different races and forces, some of them were even rivals. The vampires bowed reverently, while the werewolves nodded slightly as a minimum gesture of respect, even the patriarchs in the sanctuary who were acquainted with her paid their tribute to her. The whole process became as solemn as a ritual. Even Hesperides who came in later bowed slightly.


    Everyone was like giving Vivian a standing ovation. Vivian, Hao Ren, and Lily were stunned. The husky maiden looked at Vivian, wide-eyed. ¡°Wow, Battie, you¡¯re a big cheese!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a modern day now, so put yourself at ease.¡± Vivian let them sit down, and she looked at the middle-aged man. ¡°Who are you?¡± she asked.


    The middle-aged man was about to sit down when Vivian asked him. He did not aim correctly on the chair and almost fell on the ground. He hemmed and tried to look calm. ¡°Countess Ancestor is very humorous. Ahh, you may have forgotten.¡±


    This middle-aged man seemed to have realized Vivian¡¯s memory problem. He tidied up his clothes and introduced himself. ¡°You once saved my father, Wayne Walter, the elder of Blood Clan from the North American Sanctuary. I was honored to meet you several times when I was young. Back then, you had a close relationship with our family, but then our family went bankrupt and moved to North America, we lost contact since. After our family had reestablished itself, my father had always wanted to find you to no avail.¡±


    Two words stood out: ¡®close relationship¡¯ and ¡®bankrupt.¡¯ Hao Ren looked at Vivian with a wacky expression; this woman was a real jinx, he thought.


    Vivian felt a bit embarrassed. Cold sweat started to trickle down her forehead as it was the other old acquaintances¡¯ turn to introduce themselves. Fretting about hearing more bankruptcy stories, which might mean she owed them money, she quickly interrupted them. ¡°Self-introduction is unnecessary; I may not remember you after all. I¡¯m here for the shadowy monsters, which I heard that they were called the Shades of Chaos.¡±


    Hesperides added, ¡°Two persons at the sanctuary of the Countess was also attacked, but they have captured the thing.¡±


    It caused a stir among the patriarchs. Hao Ren heard someone whispering, ¡°It is said that the Countess is living in Asia, and I have not thought that the monster has spread over there.¡± ¡°The dimensional coordinates of the seal leaks may not be the same as that of the real world.¡± ¡°Three days ago, in South America¡ª¡±


    Hao Ren hemmed to interrupt them. ¡°What exactly is that shadow?¡±


    Some patriarchs began to notice the presence of Hao Ren this time. Initially, they thought Hao Ren was just a follower of Vivian and never expected him to speak. Zeon Lucas and a few patriarchs quickly introduced Hao Ren to the others. Then Wayne Walter got to his feet. ¡°It seems that Countess Ancestor has forgotten about the shadow, then allow me to explain it to you. Our family was an ally of the Ancattero family hundreds of years ago.


    ¡°The Shade of Chaos is a kind of weird creature first appeared in the ancient times and the early days of the Mythological Era. Whether it is a creature is still controversial, but its behaviors are very similar to that of a creature. I guess everyone now knows what the shadow looks like; it is parasitic in the shade, moving on the surface of physical objects, looks like an image, does not need to eat or rest, and is extremely dangerous.


    ¡°The Shadow of Chaos will attack the supernatural races including the demon hunters indiscriminately. They are good at hiding themselves, and it is kind of difficult to know when they will attack. They are invisible and can damage the body tissue of its target with magic and cause mental trauma. This kind of shadow can hide in the shades, and move quickly on object surfaces. It is almost impossible to destroy them with normal attacks.


    ¡°The only effective way to fight the Shades of Chaos is to bind them with powerful shadow spells and exile them into the purely shadowy dimension, where they will slowly blend into the dimension itself. When they couldn¡¯t regroup themselves, they will dissipate by itself. Apart from that, I also heard that the Holy Flame of the demon hunters was effective against the shadows, but there is no way to verify it.¡±


    Wayne paused, giving Vivian and the others a chance to ask questions and think. Hao Ren immediately seized the opportunity. ¡°Did you just say that the Shades of Chaos will only attack the supernatural races?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Wayne replied and nodded, ¡°including the demon hunter and us.¡±


    The ¡®us¡¯ he meant was obviously including the werewolf and the vampire. This information immediately got Hao Ren¡¯s attention. ¡°Humans will not be attacked?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of them attacking human so far.¡±


    Hao Ren wanted to tell Wayne that he was attacked too, but when he thought of the alien tech and magic blessings he had, it was embarrassingly simplistic to say that he was a pure human. He thought better of it, but his mind was racing.


    If the shadow just attacked the supernatural races, that would only mean the otherworldlings from the Plane of Dreams. He was wondering if the shadow was also affected by the innate nature of hostility.


    Vivian nodded to Wayne and signaled his party to continue.


    ¡°There is something about the power of the Shades of Chaos I need to explain. The most dangerous of those shadows is not their lethality, but their ability to attack the mind and cause madness. After being attacked by the Shades of Chaos, your mind will be affected, and you will go mad very quickly.¡±

 Chapter 882

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The information of the Shades of Chaos that Wayne revealed was bothering Hao Ren. It was not known if it was instinct or something else that; he could vaguely sense the Shades of Chaos, and the otherworldlings were related judging from their attributes.


    They made people mad?¡± Hao Ren interrupted Wayne. ¡°How?¡±


    Wayne was very patient. ¡°They attack indiscriminately, but their targets are still limited to the supernatural races. We don¡¯t know it for sure because all this is just the record in the ancient book.¡±


    The Shades of Chaos targeted unique races with supernatural powers, in other words, those who were from the Plane of Dreams, and those who were attacked would fall into the frenzied state of the indiscriminate attack. This unusual nature reminded Hao Ren of one thing: it was a primitive manifestation of ¡°innate hostility,¡± a tendency to attack each other among the otherworldlings.


    It was now unclear why Y¡¯zaks and his daughter had also become the targets. Though they were of a supernatural race, they were not from the Plane of Dreams.


    Hao Ren kept the doubt to himself and continued to listen to Wayne¡¯s explanation.


    ¡°The origin of the Shades of Chaos is a mystery. It is very ancient, not many people know about it now. All I know is that the Ancattero family in South America has been responsible for guarding the seal for many years. I think the few elders here should know better than I do.¡±


    While saying, Wayne looked at Hesperides, who was sitting in a corner. Hesperides nodded slightly and got to her feet. ¡°As far as I could remember, the last time the Shades of Chaos appeared was in the early days of the Olympus era in Rome. Violence broke out, dragging several deicidal families into conflict. At last, several ancient families joined forces, captured the Shade of Chaos and sealed them together with the source of their power before transferring them to a mountain in South America. The few families building the seal had had some problems, and finally, the Ancattero family took over the job of guarding the seal.¡±


    Everyone else at the scene already knew the story, so basically, Wayne and Hesperides were telling it to Vivian and Hao Ren who had just arrived. After Hesperides sat down, Vivian hemmed embarrassedly. ¡°Do you know who was responsible for building the seal?¡±


    As she spoke, she looked around nervously, but it was evident that no one knew the answer. Even Hesperides, who was the most senior, shook her head. ¡°I was still young, and the Olympus family didn¡¯t participate in the incident directly. I just heard from the elders that there was a battle in the wilderness, and then the incident ended confusingly.¡±


    Vivian acknowledged with an ¡®Oh¡¯ and turned her head away rather weirdly. ¡°I¡­ maybe¡­ I mean possibly I was involved in the sealing of the Shades of Chaos.¡±


    Everyone was stunned. Wayne, who after telling Vivian so many things, almost fell to the ground again hearing what she said. The ancients could not believe that the clueless Countess Vivian Ancestor was involved but needed her juniors to tell her what had happened. Trying to hide their gaffe, everyone pretended to be busy; some pretended to drink, some pretended to look at their watches and read documents. They wanted to suggest to Vivian to take more melatonin but were too embarrassed to do so. Vivian was self-conscious and knew what they were thinking. She sighed. ¡°I know I look funny, but I couldn¡¯t help it, I have forgotten everything. I have even learned the name of Ancattero from you all just now. Since I was the one who sealed those things, I should also be responsible when they escaped,¡± she said.


    Vivian turned to Wayne. ¡°Do your family still keep in touch with the Ancattero family? What happened to them?¡±


    When talking about this, everyone the assembly hall fell into silence again. Wayne only spoke after a while, face serious. ¡°The Ancattero family has lost contact with the outside world. Their family¡¯s secret realm has been completely sealed from the outside world since last month. All the investigators except one who went to check them out did not make it back. The one who made it back was severely injured and became mad. According to the confused narration of the surviving investigator, the Ancattero family may have been wiped out.¡±


    ¡°Wiped out?¡± Vivian¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Are there any other members of their family on the outside?¡±


    ¡°The Ancattero family is a very, very conservative family. They are hermits. None of their family members had ever ventured out in the open. They retain a small number of alien dimensions in the world and live in a semi-self-sufficient way. Only a tiny number of their family members are, but those humans know even less.¡± Wayne shook his head. ¡°The Ancattero family is very mysterious. There have rarely been in contact with others during ancient times. Our family had only conducted a minimum business relationship with them as they produced high-quality rune items.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks had been silent since the beginning. He suddenly cut in. ¡°I just heard you say that the matter is related to the demon hunter?¡±


    ¡°We have no evidence,¡± Wayne said, shrugging. He then pointed at a burly, dark-skinned man who was a distance from him. ¡°The Holfinly family said they had the evidence.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Holfinglian werewolf leader, Hogwarf. I met them in the Battle of Troy three thousand years ago.¡± The tall, muscular black man nodded to Vivian and introduced himself. ¡°Our family is currently active in Western Australia. But last month when the Ebben family and we bumped into the demon hunter when we met in South America. The retreating family warriors said that the demon hunters happened to be active nearby the Ancattero family, who also happened to lose contact with the outside world a few days after that. I suspect that the demon hunters attacked the Ancattero family and stupidly destroyed the seal.¡±


    Before Hogwarf¡¯s voice trailed off, and a woman dressed in black, with a pale complexion and a gloomy face sitting across from him snorted softly. ¡°I don¡¯t think the demon hunters would be stupid to ignore the many families in South America and only go for Ancattero. Didn¡¯t they collude with each other all this while? I¡¯m afraid your intel isn¡¯t that accurate; retreating soldiers? More like deserters lying to you to escape punishment.¡±


    The woman in black angered Hogwarf. This veteran werewolf leader did not mince his words when he displayed his temper. His hand banged his hand on the table and caused a large crack in the wood. ¡°Hayla, you mix-blood don¡¯t deserve to stand here! You¡¯re just like your bastard father, shallow!¡±


    Hessiana immediately looked at the crack wooden table and yelled at Hogwarf, ¡°This table costs 60 grand!¡±


    The woman in black, Hayla, also hit the table with her hand. ¡°Hogwalf, do you think that I don¡¯t know? You just wanted us to go to the demon hunters and get massacred. You already have a notorious reputation in South America!¡±


    Hessiana jumped on both Hayla and Hogwarf. ¡°You two must share the cost of damage!¡±


    Hogwarf and Hayla finally noticed Hessiana. Both of them glanced at Hessiana, stunned. ¡°Why is it so expensive?¡±


    Brawls among the otherworldlings were the norm. No one raised an eyebrow. Hao Ren asked Zeon Lucas who was nearby him, ¡°Do they have grudges?¡±


    ¡°Hayla is a survivor of the Odin family. Her father, Rocky, once lured Thor to use a lightning bolt to ignite a laurel tree on the mountain to test the accuracy of his magic and unwittingly killed a giant wolf that happened to be under the laurel tree at that time. The wolf was Hogwarf¡¯s distant nephew,¡± Zeon Lucas whispered. ¡°Though it was more than 2,000 years ago, and Rocky and Thor had died, but their surviving family members were in loggerhead ever since.¡±


    Fortunately, a fight did not break out between Hayla and Hogwarf; in one hand, Hessiana had interrupted them and on the other hand, they scrupled as they had high respect for Vivian Ancestor was treated like their half-mother. The angry old demons bit their lips and sat back down and signed an I-owe-you letter for Hessiana. When things had quieted down, Hao Ren asked, ¡°Hayla said that the Ancattero family colluded with the demon hunters? What was going on? Are there otherworldlings that would want to collude with the demon hunters?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all rumors!¡± Wayne Walter said with a wry smile. ¡°There will always be one or two bad apples in a basket. The Ancattero family had been low-key since the Mythological era and never participated in any battle, including the battle with the demon hunters. After the end of the Mythological era, they escaped the persecution of the demon hunters and the human church, so it is understandable that people would suspect them.¡±


    Though there was no proof to Wayne¡¯s words, it reinforced the notion of the existence of some ¡°tacit understanding¡± between the Ancattero family and the demon hunters. Hao Ren could only be stunned.


    Was there an otherworldling family in the world that could conspire with the demon hunter? Where was the congenital hostility?

 Chapter 883

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The otherworldlings had never been truly united. They even had a problem sitting together and talking to each other. Distrust and backstabbing were norms. They were just a loose alliance, and everyone just did things their way. Naturally, the meeting came to nothing at the end of the day. Hao Ren did not expect the meeting a productive one. He was there to sort out the overall picture of the event.


    In the age where humankind was not yet civilized, and the ¡®spirits¡¯ from the otherworlds ruled the planet, there was a dangerous force in the world called Shade of Chaos. Just like the mysterious, vengeful spirit, the Shade of Chaos brought great suffering to the world with its powerful and strange powers. They were almost indestructible and could cause the supernatural races to kill each other by affecting their minds. Later, the leaders of the otherworldlings of the ancient times¨Cincluding Vivian¨Cjoined forces, captured and sealed these Shades of Chaos and placed it under the guard of several large families. Later, at the end of the Mythology era, the otherworldling families dwindled, and the Ancattero family became the only one guarding the Shades of Chaos. Since then, the record of the Shade of Chaos had become blurry over time. To many people, it was merely a legend today.


    The Shade of Chaos had disappeared from the world for thousands of years, but when the Ancattero family, who was responsible for guarding the seals, suddenly lost contact with the outside world, and the shadow monsters reappeared. At present, all clues pointed to the demon hunter, as it seemed that the demon hunters had attacked the Ancattero family and accidentally damaged. As for the truth, according to Wayne, the investigators investigating the Ancattero incident were either dead or mad, and no one dared to go there again.


    After finishing the storytelling session, the meeting fell into a long debate and stalemate.


    They reached a consensus on one thing though, that was, the Shade of Chaos was very harmful, it was necessary to immediately find out what happened to the Ancattero family and find a way to reseal the shadow, but they were split when it came to deciding who should do the job. No one was willing to do the dirty job, and they were even more reluctant to form a joint investigation team. The werewolves were not willing to work with the Blood Clan, the phantoms were suspicious of the wizards, and the descendants of the gods were lone rangers, not willing to work with anyone. They were suspicious of each other and wary backstabbing, sabotage, unfair loot distribution, collusion with the demon hunter, land grabbing and things like that.


    What was worse was that their mutual suspicion was right; they were always plotting against each other.


    This meeting was impossible to come to any result. Hao Ren had ball ache watching on. He could not help but whisper to Zeon Lucas, ¡°Why are you still fighting among yourselves?¡±


    ¡°You think this is serious? It¡¯s a lot better than what happened a few hundred years ago,¡± said Zeon Lucas, who still maintained his gentleman¡¯s demeanor, but when it was talking about the internal bickering among the otherworldlings, he sounded sarcastic and self-deprecating. ¡°At least we can sit at the same table but not fighting. If not for the weakening ¡®innate hostility¡¯ phenomenon, there would have been a bloodbath here.¡±


    Lily pouted. ¡°Is that necessary?¡±


    ¡°Asking them to trust each other at the back of thousands of years of hostility is not possible.¡± Vivian sighed softly. ¡°Mostly because no one would believe the other would cooperate with them. The main worry here is the demon hunter. According to Hogwarf, there are hunters in the vicinity of the Ancattero family. If this incident is the demon hunter¡¯s doing, then the Ancattero territory should have already fallen into the hands of the demon hunters, and whoever goes there now would be cannon fodder at best. It is not a Mythological era anymore, the modern otherworldling families barely survive and no longer have the strength to confront the demon hunters. Even the brave race like the werewolf had to hide seeing the demon hunter.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet arched her mouth. ¡°Oh, so shameful of them. What¡¯s so difficult? Papa used to unite the whole world¨C¡±


    Her papa quickly pulled her back before she finished speaking. The great demon appeared a bit awkward. ¡°Papa is an exception rather than the norm.¡±


    Hao Ren agreed with Y¡¯zaks. For Vivian to achieve what Y¡¯zaks had produced, she would have, but this would not happen on Earth. Hitler tried and was dead.


    All the otherworldlings had their ax to grind and wanted to preserve their strength, but at the same time, they all wished someone else could step forward to solve the shadow problem. This negotiation was destined to fail. However, Hao Ren did not come here to listen to their nonsense. Before the old fags finished quarreling, he got to his feet. ¡°Have you guys finished talking? Now it¡¯s my turn to talk.¡±


    The old fags looked at him, bewildered, wondering what this ¡®sorcerer,¡¯ who popped out of nowhere, was going to say. In the eyes of the patriarchs, Hao Ren was a little-known junior with no experience, background, emerged like a rescuer called in my the monkey out of thin air, asides from being the leader of a small sanctuary in some part of Asia he had no title and even if he had it was just an empty one. Despite all these, the staying of Vivian Ancestor stayed in his ¡®sanctuary¡¯ had Hao Ren shrouded in a mysterious aura. The patriarchs were curious about the ¡®sorcerer¡¯ now.


    ¡°I know that you are worried. The Ancattero territory is dangerous, and it¡¯s normal to have hesitation,¡± Hao Ren said as he pointed to several people around him. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to go, we are going anyway, including Vivian.¡±


    Everyone was silent. Wayne looked at Vivian incredulously as if looking for her confirmation. When Vivian nodded, he was more surprised. ¡°How many of you?¡±


    ¡°Just a few of us here.¡± Hao Ren pointed to Vivian, Lily, Y¡¯zaks, and Y¡¯lisabet. ¡°Of course, we will call for reinforcement if there is a need. Don¡¯t worry about us.¡±


    When Hao Ren said ¡®reinforcement,¡¯ he was talking about the hundred-million tenants that he had, but he did not need to explain this to the strangers. Seeing Wayne¡¯s stunned face, he quickly said, ¡°We could take care of ourselves. You¡¯re not willing to go doesn¡¯t mean you have to stop us too. I have a request though; give us a few guides, at least we could enter into the Ancattero territory.¡±


    Vivian remained silent all this while. Her job was to nod her head as an endorsement when Hao Ren spoke so that the old demons in the assembly hall would have no objection and agreed to let Wayne Walter¡¯s family contribute a few more guides.


    Wayne had lost some of the most elite blood sentinels in the family because of investigating the sinister Ancattero territory earlier. Though he was not prepared to send out more people, he was difficult to decline the request especially in front of Vivian, and also considering what Hao Ren needed were just a few guides, he relented. ¡°Well, I will provide my guides, and bring you right to the entrance of the territory of Ancattero. Beyond that point, you all will be on your own.¡±


    Other patriarchs cheered and clapped their hands.


    Hao Ren let out a sigh quietly, shaking his head at their selfishness. They were not willing to form a joint investigation team, nor did they had the ability to do it on their own. They were mutually suspicious ¡®alliance.¡¯ It was a wonder that the demon hunters had not annihilated them yet.


    Vivian finally got to her feet. ¡°We will try our best to find out the origin of the Shade of Chaos and how to seal it, but don¡¯t put all your hope on us. You have to take care of the safety of your family members so that in the event we fail; you can save yourself.¡±


    After saying this, Vivian looked at every one of them with a stern expression. After a long while, she said again, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that this is not the Mythological era anymore. With all the people that are left now, you may not be able to defeat the Shade of Chaos.¡±


    As the meeting ended, Hao Ren and his entourage immediately set off for South America.

 Chapter 884

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    South America.


    A group of unique visitors had come to the little-known town.


    With the address provided by Wayne, Hao Ren had arrived in this place ahead of Wayne, and chosen to stay in a homestay to avoid any unwanted hassle.


    Wayne Walter had to return to his family to attend to some business before he would join them in the town two days later. Meanwhile, Hao Ren and his team could move freely. After checking into the accommodation and familiarizing themselves with the homestay environment, Hao Ren and Vivian left to hang out in the town.


    The atmosphere of the town reminded Hao Ren Southern Suburb. Though the architectural style of the town looked very different, it was an economic backwater, where time seemed to be stagnant as everything here¡ªthe houses and streets¡ªlooked old and rundown. The town was at least 100 years old. When Hao Ren and Vivian walked on the street, they saw old and traditional brick houses with the mottled exterior wall, and the roads were in bad condition. The town was built along a two-lane-wide paved road, which was the thoroughfare of the town. Houses did not look uniform, moss and mildew had grown all over the walls. In the historical town were modern street lamps and billboards that seemed somewhat out of place. Though this town was not related to the ancient times, Hao Ren could not help but think of it as a place that befitted the ideal location for the old hermit family.


    The century-old town, as well as the otherworldling families from the ancient times, were all forgotten and equally out of place in the modern society.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Hessiana to stay back in Athens at last.¡± Hao Ren recalled the little bat demon still clung to Vivian¡¯s legs before they left. He could not help but smile. ¡°I thought she would want to follow us and kudos! You dissuaded her.¡±


    Vivian instantly felt a headache when Hessiana came to mind. She rubbed her forehead. ¡°That kid is getting out of hand. Letting her stay at our home was a mistake. She would only become the more greedy and disobedient.¡±


    Hao Ren was helpless when it came to the relationship between Vivian and Hessiana. He just smiled and looked up into the air.


    A blue, star-like object swept across the sky.


    The MDT was scanning the terrain of the entire town and the surrounding areas in the air and sharing the visual with Hao Ren in his mind. Hao Ren was essentially multitasking now, seeing the place in his mind¡¯s eye from a few hundreds of meters in the air.


    Looking from above, the town by the hillside had a population of only a thousand people and wilderness in the surrounding area. Built along the gentle slopes of the hills, the town appeared like a gorgeous necklace lying at the foothill at night. It did not look bizarre at first glance; the bare stone hill or the old town at the foothill was unremarkable. After much carefully observation, Hao Ren found that the layout of the town was somewhat incongruous with its surroundings. All building construction stopped abruptly on the hillside.


    Though this phenomenon could be understood from the standpoint of cost and convenience that people did not build their houses on a higher altitude, the boundaries where the construction stopped was just too neat to be natural. It formed a clear dividing line between the dark and the bright side on the hillside with humanmade light stopping right on that dividing line as if it was avoiding something.


    The dark side was not empty though; there were a few abandoned houses on the north of the demarcation line. They were like outcasts of the town that had been left behind for many years. There was no road to access the abandoned houses from the town, but some tracks were still visible lying between the abandoned houses. When the MDT zoomed in the visual, Hao Ren saw some things like cement blocks and broken bricks scattered further up the hillside.


    Vivian did not pay attention to the image that the MDT had sent her. She just looked at the quiet town in thought. ¡°The atmosphere here is a little unbelievable. This territory of the Ancattero family is less creepy than I thought.¡±


    ¡°The otherworldlings must be hiding their tracks. Look at the size of the Athens¡¯ sanctuary and the liveliness of Athens, and you would get the picture,¡± Hao Ren said casually. ¡°What¡¯s more, the Shade of Chaos does not attack humans.¡±


    ¡°You may be right,¡± Vivian whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t know how the Ancattero family hides. I couldn¡¯t find any signs of the mysterious realm nor where its entrance is. It looks like we have to depend on Wayne¡¯s guides.¡±


    Hao Ren replied with a ¡°Hmm¡± as he cast his eyes to the end of the street, which was sloping upwards to the hillside. Lights were illuminating the dark hill. ¡°There may be something north of the town, where the abandoned houses looked very suspicious. Would you like to check them out? Maybe they were the property of the Ancattero family,¡± Hao Ren said.


    ¡°Check them out?¡± Vivian blinked. ¡°But the Wayne family¡¯s guides would only arrive two days later.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re idle anyway.¡± Hao Ren shrugged his shoulders. ¡°The demon hunters might be active in the town and after the Ancattero family. If we can find them, we would be in a better position later.¡±


    Ordinary otherworldlings would avoid the demon hunters like the plague, just like how Hao Ren behaved in the beginning. Now, his style had changed. With the many encounters with the demon hunters and the experience in handling a dangerous situation, Hao Ren was more accustomed to thinking of more positive solutions. He even chose to actively engage the demon hunter to avoid falling into the defensive. What was more, Hao Ren had nothing against the demon hunters¡ªhe was not an otherworldling like the vampire and werewolf, he was neutral as an inspector. He just happened to have adopted a bunch of demons, which unwittingly put him in an awkward position in dealing with demon hunters.


    Vivian had objected to Hao Ren¡¯s decision. She also held an indifferent attitude towards the demon hunter. As Hao Ren walked toward the end of the town, she followed him.


    Soon, they came up the hillside, where the road had ended.


    A fence was in the way and extending out to both sides and disappeared into the darkness as if it was a wall separating the town from the hill. It was brightly lit on the south of the fence, while it the dark hillside on the other side. Looking into the dark side, Hao Ren could see a few shadowy structures lying in the dark. Those were the abandoned houses the MDT had observed from above.


    There was a red No Entry sign hanging on the rusty gate of the fence. Hao Ren stepped forward and shook the gate a little, and it squeaked. The gate had not been opened for years, and the hinges were full of rust.


    Vivian looked around, knowing that no strangers were around, she burst into a swarm of bats and fog and flew across to the other side. Hao Ren did not want to be left behind, with little effort, he jumped across the two-meter-tall fence.


    ¡°We should have gotten information from the local people first,¡± Hao Ren said to the swarm of bats around him. ¡°Asking them why they need to fence up the town would not appear suspicious, after all, we¡¯re outsiders.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a little too late,¡± Vivian said, emerging from a swarm of bats. ¡°Let us check out the abandoned houses there. Oh, wait a second!¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Vivian¡¯s brows knit together as she looked at the abandoned houses. It looks like somebody was in there.¡±

 Chapter 885

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°The breath of the living?¡± Vivian immediately got Hao Ren¡¯s attention. ¡°Human? Otherworldling?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s very weak,¡± Vivian replied with a whisper. ¡°Let¡¯s check it out.¡±


    Hao Ren was surprised that people would come to this deserted area outside the town. He looked back at the small town on the other side of the fence and then the silhouette of the building in the distance. He was damn sure that ordinary people would not cross the fence and come to the dark place at this time of night. The Ancattero family who had been active here and others, such as the demon hunters came to kind. These two were the most likely suspects.


    After all, he and Vivian came here for the same reason.


    He and Vivian hid their breaths and quickly came closer to the house under cover of darkness. They stopped ten meters away from the house, observing the house from afar. He could see the house, which was old, built brick and tile, two-story high, with a spire and a half-collapsed chimney, and overgrown weeds and the pitted roads were around the house. The ground near the house was used to be flat, and once covered with bricks, but now nature had mostly reclaimed the land, as the overgrowth had covered the broken masonry and weeds thrived in the gap between the bricks.


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyes landed on that vegetation in front of the house. He had noticed signs of trampling.¡±Look, the weeds have just been cleaned up, someone is here to check out the place just like us.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s brows knit together as she carefully analyzed the breath in the air, and squinted to look at the house. In the eyes of the vampire, she saw the house in a cold blue tone, red marks at the doorway and on the window on the second floor. She focused her vision and finally caught a fresh, warm blood target in the house. The target was like a beating heart emitting a faint red glow.


    ¡°It¡¯s a human,¡± Vivian said with a disbelieving tone of voice. ¡°Judging from the breath, it¡¯s just an ordinary human.¡±


    ¡°Human? At this time of the night in this place?¡± Hao Ren was surprised, but he trusted Vivian¡¯s judgment, ¡°I thought it was a demon hunter.¡±


    Before his voice trailed off, a light was flashing on the second floor of the house. It was a torchlight. Judging from the speed of movement and the light beam, someone was moving cautiously. Hao Ren and Vivian looked at each other. ¡°Should we go in and say hi? Or do you want to send a bat to check it out first?¡±


    Before his trailer off, they heard a loud noise in the abandoned house, followed by a terrified scream from the second floor. Hearing that sound and considering that the one inside was just a human, Hao Ren could not wait but storm into the house with Vivian.


    The front door was left ajar when they came in. The first thing they saw was an empty living room with a few pieces of broken furniture, which were covered in dust and spider webs, at a corner. At the other end of the living room was a folding staircase leading up to the second floor. The scream had stopped when they came into the house and replaced by total silence. Hao Ren focused his attention and was able to hear a faint breathing sound coming from above; it seemed the person up there was still alive.


    They rushed up to the second floor. A flashlight was on the floor at the end of the pitch-dark corridor. The light beam of the flashlight shone on a man lying on the floor. The man was dressed in a black, loose suit and looked more than forty years old. The man¡¯s face was pale and looked horrified, hand pressing the chest in pain. After hearing footsteps, the man looked and saw them, and his lips twitched as if he was calling for help.


    Seeing the man¡¯s condition, Hao Ren immediately came up and checked the man¡¯s injury, but he found no visible wound. He waved at the MDT. ¡°Examine and see what happened to him,¡± he said.


    ¡°He has a heart attack.¡± The MDT had scanned the man before Hao Ren asked him to. It floated over the chest of the man. ¡°Move over, I¡¯m going to perform defibrillation¡­1,2, 3, here you go!¡±


    As soon as the voice of the MDT trailed off, it had produced a small electric arc. The man¡¯s body twitched violently, but his face eased rapidly. Soon the man was able to open his eyes, looking at Hao Ren and Vivian with a grateful expression. ¡°Thank you¡­ thank you, I owe you my life.¡±


    The MDT slipped back into Hao Ren¡¯s pocket before the man recovered fully from his stupor.


    Hao Ren picked up the flashlight and helped the man to a pile of debris in the corner and let him sit against the wall. Then he asked, ¡°Who are you? What are you doing here?¡±


    The man, who had just escaped from danger and was rescued by Hao Ren, was most vulnerable to questioning. Though puzzled, he still nodded and answered, ¡°My name is Pierre. I¡¯m a ¡­ spirit detective coming here just to investigate something.¡±


    ¡°Investigate something? Detectives?¡± Hao Ren was surprised that even detective had come to this place. ¡°Can I ask you what are you investigating?¡±


    Pierre, the spirit detective, was slightly hesitant. He looked at Hao Ren and Vivian. ¡°Can I ask who are you people?¡±


    ¡°Oh, we are also detectives,¡± Hao Ren said casually. ¡°But we don¡¯t know if your investigation is the same thing that we investigated.¡±


    Pierre was very cautious. ¡°I am investigating a missing-person case, but due to professional ethics, I can¡¯t reveal too much, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Pierre did not tell the truth.


    Hao Ren could see Pierre had something to hide without needing Vivian¡¯s telling him.


    He could understand Pierre¡¯s concerns. Coming at this critical time and place, if it was not a coincidence, then it could only be about the Ancattero family. If the latter were true, he would have to be very careful as the matter was concerning the otherworldlings. Some of the ordinary humans did know about the existence of the otherworldlings. They lived in the shadows of human and supernatural society, and an extraordinary life like the thriller and supernatural stories; the human servants of Hessiana and some monks of the church were such people. There were also those ¡®small-time players¡¯ who stepped into the worlds of the otherworldlings or demon hunters by accident. Such people would be more vigilant. Pierre could be this category.


    Hao Ren stared into Pierre¡¯s eyes and did not intend to play nice. ¡°You are lying.¡±


    Pierre rubbed his hands, in a dilemma. ¡°I am very grateful to you for saving my life, but I really can¡¯t reveal my secrets. And even if I tell you, you would think that I¡¯m mad.¡±


    It sounded like Pierre had admitted it tacitly. Hao Ren quickly asked: ¡°Is it about some supernatural power?¡±


    Pierre was wide-eyed.


    ¡°So you do admit it,¡± Hao Ren looked serious. ¡°You come for the Ancattero family. Am I right?¡±


    Pierre was confused now, and he was not faking it. ¡°Ancattero? I don¡¯t know about what you are talking. I am indeed investigating some supernatural things, but it has nothing to do with the family that you talk about.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s brows pulled together. He could not tell if Pierre was telling the truth, but since Pierre seemed to know a lot of things in the supernatural field, things would be easier. He patted Vivian¡¯s shoulder gently. ¡°Show him some special effects,¡± Hao Ren said.


    Vivian immediately got what he meant. Her eyes quickly turned into red, cold blood mist-shrouded her, and her vampire¡¯s fangs grew out of her mouth in the darkness. ¡°What are you investigating?¡±


    Usually gentle, but Vivian did possess the means of frightening people out of their twits. After all, she had 10,000 years of experience under her belt. Pierre quickly had his second heart attack.


    They resuscitated the free detective with great effort. Hao Ren said to Pierre, ¡°Your physique is not suitable for your job. It is the first time I see people with heart disease investigating the supernatural phenomena.¡±


    Pierre did not seem to listen as he was staring at the vampire and to confess in a trembling voice, ¡°Please forgive me for lying. I¡¯m going to tell you everything; I am looking for the legendary Golden Manor.¡±


    ¡°The Golden Manor?¡± Hao Ren was startled.

 Chapter 886

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Pierre was even more stunned than Hao Ren was when he saw the latter¡¯s reaction because a vampire should know about the Golden Manor and he thought that Hao Ren was a vampire. He was wondering what did the two vampires were doing here.


    ¡°What is Golden Manor?¡± Vivian frowned as she looked at the free detective. ¡°Listen, we don¡¯t want to hurt you, but you¡¯d better be honest. Other people, who may not be as diplomatic as we are, are keeping an eye on this place now. If you are honest with us now, maybe we can protect you.¡±


    The chilly air around Vivian made Pierre quivering. Seeing Pierre was about to get his third heart attack, Hao Ren patted Vivian on the shoulder. ¡°Give him a break. We might not be able to revive him if he passes out again,¡± he said.


    Realizing that the place was not the right place to talk, Hao Ren took Pierre into a room, where there were only a rickety wooden table and a few dusty chairs. Vivian dusted it a bit so that they could barely sit down. Hao Ren held Pierre, whose face was pale, and let him sit down at the table. Pierre took an exquisite hanging lamp out of the carrying bag and fixed it on the wall next to him. Hao Ren had spotted a load of stuff inside the bag when Pierre opened it; all strange things such as grotesque iron bars, telescope-like lens sets, and weird devices that creaked. Hao Ren could not help but ask, ¡°Looks like you¡¯re fully equipped. What are these for?¡±


    Pierre sighed: ¡°There is one thing I¡¯ve never lied to you; I am a detective, but I investigate things that no other ordinary detectives do: ghost stories and myths, which belong to your world.¡±


    Hao Ren became very interested. ¡°Ghostbuster? Spiritual detective? Vampire lover and the like?¡±


    He could roughly guess the career of Pierre: an ordinary human being, with no special strength, relying on tools to work in the supernatural realm, a special element that danced at the very edge of the otherworldling society like the scavenger in the world of magic. There was no such survival space for people like Pierre during the Mythological era, but with the end of the Mythological period and the decline of the otherworldlings, a gray area, low-risk ¡®heritage field¡¯ had spawned people like Pierre. Hao Ren knew long ago that somewhere in this world there must be people who made a living in this field, but he had never seen one before.


    After hearing what Hao Ren has said, Pierre felt a little awkward. ¡°More or less, yeah. I thought you know our business very well, after all, you are the ones live in that ¡®world.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Have you ever met other otherworldlings?¡± Vivian asked curiously.


    ¡°Rarely, but there were occasional contacts, which were all close calls. Thanks to those experiences, I could barely remain calm after seeing you.¡± Pierre nodded.


    Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°Tell me about the Golden Manor.¡±


    Pierre¡¯s eyes gleamed as he took out a crumpled notebook from his bag carefully. ¡°Golden Manor is a lost ancient ruin. Not many spiritual detectives know about the manor, and those who believe in its existence are even fewer. It is said that thousands of years ago, a group of ¡®Tara¡¯ people from the deep space of the dark universe were exiled from their hometown and wandering in the cold space before landing on this planet during a strong wind at night. Although coming from the cold and dark space, these ¡®Tara¡¯ people were a civilization surrounded by light and wealth, so they built an incredible fortress when they landed on Earth. That is the Golden Manor.¡±


    When talking about the ¡°Golden Manor,¡± Pierre became energetic, no more timid and panicky like before when talking about the manor. He pointed Hao Ren and Vivian to the messy illustrations and notes on his notebook. ¡°Legend has it that the ancient gods on Earth fought with Tara. After the battle, the two sides reached an agreement, which allowed Tara to build their camp around a hill in South America. The hill was composed of black stones and dark-brown soil, and there was a river running in parallel on each side. At some point during the summer solstice, the sunlight would shine from over the top of the hill, onto the entire plain in front of the hill. The Golden Manor was right on the hillside under the sun. I have been searching for years and finally found this location to be the dark hill.¡±


    Pierre¡¯s notebook was filled with hand-drawn illustrations, and notes next to the illustrations were written in strange shorthand symbols, which should be the secret codes that the spiritual detectives used. Hao Ren had no idea what those symbols meant nor did he interested in the records. He didn¡¯t have any interest in the maps. The Golden Manor was what caught his attention. ¡°Is this manor built of gold?¡±


    ¡°This is the most crucial part of the story!¡± Pierre was so excited that his face turned red. ¡°The Tara people practiced magic. They turned sunlight into gold, which ironically was the least valuable thing in their society. They purified gold to the extreme, made it into gold slates and laid them on the walls, as well as railings and benches, all of which were pure gold. The purity of the gold was a higher quality than all golds the human had ever produced and contained the power of the sun. Those who touch this gold would master the magic and understand the mysterious Letta runes.¡±


    Since these spiritual detectives knew what Letta Rune was, the legend of the Golden Manor was probably true. It was likely the distorted version of the saga of the Ancattero family in human society. Hao Ren turned his head around looked out the window; it was dark outside. ¡°Where is the Gold Manor that you said?¡±


    ¡°The Tara people have sent it into exile,¡± Pierre said with a serious face. ¡°The planets in the solar system were affecting each other, the magical power on this planet was declining, and even the Tara people were slowly losing their strength, so they decided to leave the planet. To harness the necessary energy, they closed the Golden Manor and sealed it in the shades formed at the intersection between sunlight and darkness. Since the Golden Manor itself was built using the sun, it became untouchable just like a light once it was in exile. To enter the Golden Manor, you must change your vision and be able to see the path in the light.¡±


    Hao Ren quietly poked Vivian¡¯s arm. ¡°This is the folk version of the ending of the Mythological era, eh?¡±


    Meanwhile, Vivian¡¯s eyes fell on at the strange lens in Pierre¡¯s bag. ¡°So you intend to use this gadget to change your ¡®vision¡¯ to find the entrance to the Golden Manor in the sunlight?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very effective. I used to find the entrance of many mysterious realms with this thing,¡± Pierre said confidently, but he was quickly conscious of who they were and feeling embarrassed. ¡°Of course, this prop is just for us who have little knowledge about magic. You don¡¯t need them at all.¡±


    Vivian picked up the kit lens and was surprised to see the lenses emitting blue light in the dark. Some lenses showed strange patterns when they overlapped each other. ¡°Is it treated with potions? You do have genuine stuff, eh?¡±


    ¡°I inherited these lenses and the art of producing potions from my grandfather, who was¨C¡±


    ¡°Who was mostly the servant of the vampire or werewolf,¡± Vivian cut in. ¡°He learned these arts from his master. The descendants of the servants of the gods turned into spiritual detectives by relying on this incomplete inheritance. Now, these spiritual detectives have turned around to dig the secrets of the gods in the ruins of the Mythological era. Who could have thought that things would come full circle?¡±


    While saying, she put the lens back into the bag. ¡°I suggest you should stop, the potion was harmful to humans, and the lens lets your eyes see something that should not be seen, those things will invade your mind. If you don¡¯t want to spend the rest of your life in the psychiatric hospital, you¡¯d better stay away from this field while you still can. Of course, it is entirely up to you; I¡¯m merely giving a suggestion.


    Pierre¡¯s response was ambiguous. As the atmosphere became awkward, Hao Ren reignited the Golden Manor conversation. ¡°So you are going after the gold?¡±


    There was a subtle change in Pierre¡¯s expression, but his answer surprised Hao Ren and Vivian. ¡°Gold¡­ It¡¯s one of the reasons, but I¡¯m more hoping to see the legendary Sun Roulette that sealed the Shade of Wrath. My desire for wealth is far less than the yearning for knowledge. Seeing the Sun Roulette alone worth all the gold of the entire manor.¡±

 Chapter 887

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren initially thought that spiritual detective like Pierre who walked on the edge of the magic field would not provide any good intelligence, so he did not care what he said. After all, a spiritual detective was only akin to scavenger of the mysterious world. All they could obtain was just the shallow knowledge that the otherworldlings disdained. Even the demon hunters had little interest in this group of people who lived between humans and otherworldlings. However, Hao Ren had overlooked something: many things had escaped the hunting of the demon hunters after the ¡®collapse of the myth.¡¯ The final movement of those things happened to be in the hands of the human beings who had been taken lightly by everyone else.


    It was just that the number of these heritages was scarce and scattered, and no one could care less during the decline of the mystical doctrine.


    Their understanding of the otherworldlings was not enough, and their explanation of the ¡®collapse of the myth¡¯ was merely the imagination of the weird and incomprehensible mystics. However, the Solar Roulette was probably real because he had mentioned the keyword, the Shade of Divine Wrath, which reminded them of the mysterious shadows that had caused so many conflicts.


    ¡°What is the Solar Roulette?¡± Vivian asked, curious of the term.


    Pierre found a roll of crumpled scroll from his bag and carefully spread it on the table in the dim light. ¡°This scroll is very precious. I found it in a crypt in Egypt, where it almost cost my life. I believe that this thing depicts the Solar Roulette.¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian came up to take a closer. The scroll was black and yellow, had a parchment-lined texture and burnt Mark¡¯s on the edges. The old scroll depicted a beautiful disc-shaped object filled with a mysterious pattern of circles, a circular hole or groove in the center, and radiating lines representing sunlight. Hao Ren had noticed that there were two ancient Egyptian figures¨C a man and a woman¨Cat the corner of the disc as if they were there as a reference. If the reference was correct, then the disc should be ten meters high.


    Next to the disc patterns were words written in ancient Egyptian text, but because of the burn, some text was missing and barely readable. Some words were legible though, such as ¡°The light of the sun¡­ God and the beast¡­ suppression and punishment.¡±


    It sounded like some weird, incomprehensible and ancient chants.


    ¡°See? It¡¯s beautiful. The artistic skill was simply impossible during the time of the scroll¡¯s creation. The Egyptians at that time did not possess such a painting technique, and they did not have this kind of writing material.¡± Pierre pointed at the details on the scroll, face flushed. ¡°However, this is indeed ancient Egyptian writing, so the person who drew this image must be the awakened who had acquired mysterious knowledge, probably similar to the ancient detectives of the spiritual world. Besides, you can see the surface of the disc had traces of golden color pigment. After careful examination, I found that it used to contain gold. It is characteristic of ancient Egyptian paintings; they often apply color to the images they produce faithfully. The more important things were, the more diligently they did it. So we can judge the race and habitat areas of the people according to the skin color of the people on the Egyptian murals. That was how I found the clue of the colorful clothes of Joseph. Anyway, it¡¯s not important here.¡±


    ¡°Golden pigment? It is indeed not the technique that Egyptians used on the scrolls of that era.¡± Vivian was more interested in this topic. ¡°So the material of this disc might be gold?¡±


    ¡°Such a massive gold creation, and so beautiful, and more importantly, it is also associated with the words ¡®sun¡¯ and ¡®god¡¯; this is undoubtedly the Solar Roulette,¡± Pierre said, nodding hard. ¡°Humans of that era couldn¡¯t possibly have imagined such a thing, let alone make. Only Tara was capable of producing this artifact. As far as I know, the Solar Roulette is a huge golden device, the symbols on it represent the highly mysterious secrets magic, which the Tara people used to suppress the Shade of Divine Wrath.¡±


    Hao Ren interrupted him. ¡°What is the Shade of Divine Wrath according to what you know?¡±


    ¡°There is a legend in the spiritual detective¡¯s world that the gods ruled the earth in ancient times. The gods, such as Odin and Zeus that have become mythological stories now indeed existed in the past. These gods were mighty, but not invincible. Because of their arrogance, disaster befell them, which was the Shade of Divine Wrath. The Shade of Divine Wrath was the dark side of the god, an unstoppable shadowy power that fell from the deep universe. On the earth, the spiritual defenses of the ancient gods were torn open, and various melees were triggered. When the problem deteriorated, the gods gathered to request the ¡®Tara¡¯ family, who was also from the deep dark space, to create a divine artifact¨Cthe Solar Roulette. The Solar Roulette is a sun-casting so that it could counter the dark forces of the Shade of Divine Wrath. The most powerful warriors of the gods joined hands in a fierce battle in the clouds above the west of Mount Olympus, driving the Shade of Divine Wrath to the Solar Roulette before sealing them in the roulette finally. But this battle ended up in disgrace.¡±


    ¡°In disgrace?¡± Hao Ren asked. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°The Solar Roulette was so powerful that the gods started to covet its power. They tried to use the seal as an excuse to try to get their hands on the Solar Roulette. After the end of the Shade of Divine Wrath battle, they fell into another war that was driven by greed.¡±


    Vivian pouted. ¡°How could that possibly happen when I was there?¡±


    Pierre was flabbergasted. ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Ignore her,¡± Hao Ren said, trying to divert Pierre¡¯s attention. ¡°Continue your story and treat us as ordinary people. I want to know the various legends in your spiritual detective circles.¡±


    Pierre continued talking, but whenever he thought of Hao Ren and Vivian were the very characters of the mythical stories, a strong sense of incongruity came to mind. He tried to suppress the feeling though. ¡°Legend has it that the gods were embroiled in yet another war, but there was no winner in this war; a powerful force suddenly broke out of the Solar Roulette, severely injuring all the warring parties. Only then, they realized that no one could control the power of the roulette. Only Tara, the ¡®gods¡¯ from the deep dark space were the most powerful. Tara became the custodian of the Solar Roulette and placed the roulette in their Golden Manor. If I¡¯m not mistaken, the roulette should be right our feet.¡±


    As Pierre wrapped up his story, Hao Ren began to sort out the information in his head.


    The myths and legends circulating in human circles were often distorted, but Pierre¡¯s story partially matched with Vivian¡¯s memory and Hesperides¡¯ description. The ¡®Tara¡¯ in the story was undoubtedly the Ancattero family who lost contact with the outside world not long ago. The family had never been active in the Mythological era, but it turned out that they were mighty but low profile. As for the Shade of Divine Wrath, it was the Shade of Chaos. Spiritual detectives believed that Tara came from the deep dark space of the universe. It was probably a rumor. Perhaps the Tara people knew that they came from an alien planet in another world, but somehow this was twisted to become the deep dark space.


    At present, the most significant difference between the ¡®spiritual detective version¡¯ and the ¡®otherworldling family version¡¯ of the story was the addition of the Solar Roulette.


    The Solar Roulette seemed to be the key to sealing the Shade of Chaos.


    ¡°Do you remember that you have ever made something similar?¡± Hao Ren looked at Vivian and said, ¡°or have seen something similar?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t recall any,¡± Vivian replied, shaking her head. ¡°But we did seal the Shade of Chaos in something; the Shade if Chaos was invisible, it must be sealed into something tangible to he controllable.¡±


    ¡°Even Hesperides and Wayne don¡¯t know about this roulette. Fortunately, we met this spirit detective. Otherwise, we might have missed the most critical thing when we enter the Ancattero territory.¡± Hao Ren sighed, ¡°But do you think it is appropriate for this spirit detective to continue his activities?¡±


    Vivian shook her head: ¡°His enthusiasm for pursuing knowledge is admirable, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to let him join the mission, after all, he has a heart condition¡­ Who is it?¡±


    Suddenly, something caught Vivian¡¯s eyes. She looked at the corner of the room and shouted quietly as ice shards suddenly emerged in the air in the surroundings. Before her voice trailed off, something popped out in the corner of the room.


    It was a white flame rising from the floor and forming into a human form gradually. A white-haired girl came out of the fire and greeted Vivian and Hao Ren, ¡°Long time no see.¡±


    Hao Ren was shocked. ¡°What Flame?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s White Flame!¡±

 Chapter 888

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren could not help with her name, for the name was just too special¨Cso special that he always miss-pronounced it. He and Vivian were surprised to see White Flame at this place and time. ¡°Rumor has it that the demon hunters have been active in the territory of Ancattero. Are they you?¡±


    ¡°Strictly speaking, it was ¡®we,¡¯¡± White Flame said as she came out of a silvery white flame. Although she was holding a short silver sword in her hand, she was not hostile. The young demon hunter had no congenital hostility towards the otherworldlings and had not the time to cultivate hatred of otherworldlings in the long battle. After working together with Hao Ren and Vivian for a few times, she was not hostile towards them. ¡°I and my mentor, and several senior demon hunters. Oh, don¡¯t be nervous, I¡¯m alone, they are in the town right now.¡±


    Pierre was lost for words as he watched the woman emerging from the flame seemed to be an acquaintance of the two ¡®vampires.¡¯ He had seen more otherworldlings today than in the past few years. He felt like he had no regret even if he were to die now. Hao Ren looked at Pierre and then White Flame. ¡°How long have you been listening?¡± Hao Ren asked White Flame.


    ¡°When you first started talking about the golden disc, I could have kept hiding if I wanted to, but then I thought that since I was here already, I might as well come out to say hello,¡± White Flame said, smiling. She swung her silver sword in a beautiful arc in the air before tucking it under her clothes. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re investigating the same case.¡±


    Vivian was a little speechless. ¡°Should I say you have self-confidence or are naive? Jumping out to say hello to otherworldlings; as a demon hunter, you¡¯re too close to us. Your mentor would be scared to death if he found out.¡±


    ¡°Are you not the same likes do?¡± White Flame said with a relaxed smile. ¡°We have been expecting the otherworldlings to come to investigate, but it seemed that it had taken them a long while and you¡¯re the one coming. Even the most ancient one, Vivian Ancestor, is here.¡±


    Vivian shook her head helplessly: ¡°They are just wrangling in the sanctuary, none wants to come out. I have no choice but clean up the mess myself. I think you didn¡¯t come out to say hello, do you? Let me guess; it¡¯s about the Ancattero family.¡±


    There was a gleam in the eyes of White Flame as she nodded her head subtly, she was here to exchange information. Then she glanced at Pierre who was nearby. ¡°Humans shouldn¡¯t hear what we¡¯re going to discuss.¡±


    Pierre looked at the demon hunter, his face, and cold sweat trickled down his forehead. Seeing his reaction, Hao Ren, Vivian and White Flame said spontaneously, ¡°We didn¡¯t mean to kill you.¡±


    Pierre gasped for breath with his hand on the chest. He almost had another heart attack.


    ¡°Here¡¯s my sincere advice: go home,¡± Hao Ren said, putting his hand on Pierre¡¯s shoulder. ¡°The thing we¡¯re dealing with is out of your league; it¡¯s unlike anything that you¡¯ve seen. What you did all this while was like collecting scrap metals in the residential neighborhood, but now you have entered a military base stealing nukes, which is a different concept at all.¡±


    Pierre was like a scavenger on the beach, living on the edge of the dark world picking up debris that was washed ashore from the dark abyss. The little mystery that he had managed to peek into was enough to keep him excited and yet safe. This time around, it a Cthulhu-level kind of thing that floated out of the sea. He had his one foot stuck in the dark and horrible quagmire without realizing it. Hao Ren did not want to see the spirit detective, who had given so much intelligence, caught up and killed in the conflict between the otherworldlings and the demon hunters.


    The spiritual detective was hesitant; he did smell danger, but the thirst for knowledge had him reluctant to give up. He muttered, ¡°I¡¯m not after anything but just wanting to take a look at the legendary Solar Roulette, even if just seeing the pattern on it, it will be the highest level of mystery that I can reach as a human, and I will have no regret as far as my ancestors are concerned.¡±


    ¡°Do you know who will be coming in two days?¡± Vivian shot Pierre an indifferent glance.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Those gods that once vie for the Solar Roulette as you mentioned,¡± Vivian said with a slightly threatening undertone. ¡°They and their descendants are now ready to fight again in this place. Are you planning to take a look at them while they¡¯re fighting?¡±


    Experience counts; Hao Ren¡¯s persuasion was nowhere near as useful as Vivian¡¯s little threat. Learning the news of the impending clash of the mystical gods, Pierre was stunned. After a much mental struggle, the spirit detective finally sighed, realizing that this was not something that he could afford to get involved, he packed up and left.


    ¡°Well, now the human has left,¡± Vivian said, nodded to the White Flame. ¡°What happened to the Ancattero family?¡± she asked.


    ¡°What makes you think we the demon-hunters know?¡± White Flame asked back. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to know more than we do.¡±


    ¡°The otherworldlings suspect that it was the demon hunter,¡± Hao Ren said very frankly. After all, he had no fear nor favor in the matter. ¡°The Ancattero family has lost contact with the outside world for a month, and you just happened to appear here a month ago. The family was responsible for guarding the ancient seal, and now the monsters have escaped from the seal and caused trouble around. All evidence isn¡¯t in your favor.¡±


    ¡°Demon hunters were here a month ago?¡± White Flame had a serious look on her face. ¡°That was not us. My mentor and I only came to this place three days ago.¡± And we are here to investigate the three ¡®elders¡¯ and sixteen ¡®masters¡¯ who went missing here a month ago, and a large number of senior demon hunters who have disappeared with them.¡±


    Hao Ren had no idea about the concept of the ¡°elders¡± and ¡°masters¡± among the demon hunters not did he know how big the team that White Flame was talking about was. Vivian was wide-eyed. ¡°What did you say? So many hunters disappeared in one go?¡±


    White Flame looked somber. ¡°Yes. It is said that this is the first time since the end of the Mythological era that we¡¯ve lost so many elite demon hunters at the same time. Do you suspect that we attacked the Ancattero family? Almost all of us think that Ancattero has caught our elders and masters.¡±


    Hao Ren finally realized that things were far more severe than he expected. He was wide-eyed. ¡°Then do you know about the Shade of Chaos?¡±


    ¡°Of course we know,¡± White Flame replied, nodding her head. ¡°The demon hunter organization is not as ignorant as you think. We keep more historical data than the otherworldlings do. We know the legend of the Shade of Chaos, and the threat of those shadows pose. We also know that the Ancattero family is guarding the seal. It is because of this that the demon hunters have tried not to get in conflict with Ancattero. They¡¯re peaceful hermits and have never conflicted with us. If not for the influence of the innate hostility, the demon hunter would not have enmity with these people. We are not crazy.¡±


    ¡°Oh, this is a bit like the situation of the sirens,¡± Hao Ren said, nodding suddenly. ¡°Nevertheless, your attitude has raised the suspicion that the Ancattero family is colluding with the demon hunters.¡±


    ¡°I am afraid that this is not entirely wrong,¡± White Flame said, laughing as she spread her hand. ¡°Though there is no formal covenant, after all these years of mutual restraint, both sides do have a tacit understanding. The incident is bizarre this time.¡±


    ¡°Why did so many demon hunters came to the Ancattero territory suddenly a month ago? Since demon hunters and the Ancattero family have no hostility, they didn¡¯t come looking for a fight, did they?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°As I said earlier, the Ancattero family has been maintaining minimal contact with the demon hunters, so there was bound to be occasional contact. Something strange happened a month,¡± White Fire said calmly, and what she revealed was nothing short of shocking. ¡°A group of demon hunters led by the Elder Amtura suddenly gathered in the territory of the Ancattero family, but they did not inform the Council of Elders. Their actions shocked everyone, and then they disappeared. We found the letter left by Amtura at the meeting place of this battle group. The letter mentioned that three elders had suddenly received a revelation from the bloodline, that they had discovered the major secret behind the innate hostility, and this secret was hidden in the Ancattero family. They also mentioned that they received an invitation from the Ancattero family patriarch, who also got the same ¡®revelation.¡¯ So the three elders came to this place with a whole battle group without informing the Council of Elders, and then the rest is history. We were ordered to find Amtura, but instead, we saw some strange power had blocked Ancattero territory. It looks like you haven¡¯t seen the path to the secret realm.¡±


    After hearing what White Flame said, Hao Ren could only think of one thing:


    It looks like this was another significant incident again.

 Chapter 889

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    He had never expected things were so complicated, and everything seemed to pop out in one place. The ancient Ancattero family had lost contact with the outside world; the Shade of Chaos, which was once sealed by Vivian and other ancient otherworldlings, broke free from the containment; a group of demon hunters was unaccounted for after meeting with the Ancattero family; besides, the Solar Roulette and its characteristics had aroused Hao Ren¡¯s interest too. This little-known, sleepy town in the human world had become the center of some maelstrom unconsciously, and the water was getting muddy.


    It seemed no one knew what happened to this place a month ago.


    ¡°What¡¯ve you got?¡± Hao Ren asked White Flame. ¡°You come earlier than us. You should¡¯ve found something.¡±


    White Flame shook her head slightly. ¡°Not much. What I know so far is Elder Amtura has indeed entered the mysterious realm of the Ancattero family, but no one knows what happened after that. I¡¯ve answered many of your questions, now can you talk about the situation on the otherworldling¡¯s side?¡±


    ¡°I want to make it clear that I¡¯m not in the otherworldling camp, I¡¯m neutral,¡± Hao Ren said, throwing his hands up in the air. ¡°The Shade of Chaos has caused a lot of problems, many families and sanctuaries have been attacked, so the old fags are running around seeking for help desperately. Compared to the attention the Shade of Chaos is getting, the Ancattero family does seem like a stepchild; the old fags are dragging their feet in who should come to investigate. They all didn¡¯t want to take the risk when they heard that the demon hunters were also joining the operation.¡±


    White Flame sneered. ¡°Oh, we, the demon hunters, have become the most concerned ones, while the compatriots of the Ancattero family are indifferent. How ironic that is!¡±


    ¡°What I find even more incredible is that a master of the demon hunter and an ancestor of the otherworldlings are sitting together in discussion,¡± Hao Ren said while pouting at White Flame and then Vivian. ¡°In this case, coming face to face with the demon hunters will be inevitable. It¡¯d be easier if there are only a few of us. The problem is that the Walter family is sending its people, and I¡¯m sure many demon hunters at your side have no idea what¡¯s going between us.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, most likely fight will break out,¡± White Flame said, nodding calmly. ¡°If that happens, I couldn¡¯t pull my punches then.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment, and a wacky idea came to mind. ¡°Let¡¯s try to avoid meeting each other. If worse comes to worst that when we bump into each other, we could put up a show. You and Hesse stay behind your team pretending to fight me while the rest of your team moves ahead. We could then create some smoke and fire just for showing how brutal the fight is,¡± Hao Ren said.


    White Flame stared at Hao Ren: ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Life is like a play, it all depends on your acting.¡± Hao Ren spread his hand. ¡°Too many people from both sides, Vivian¡¯s seniority may not be able to control the situation this time.¡±


    ¡°What a crappy idea!¡± Vivian snapped without even thinking. ¡°How big is the Golden Manor, eh? How can we go in the same direction and yet not bump into each other? How can we stage a show to bluff everyone? You can¡¯t be serious about that. What I think is, we¡¯ll cross the bridge when we get there. Those who join this operation are mostly old foxes of at least several thousand years old, not the kind of hotheaded youngsters possessed by the killing instinct. Those old folks would be more cool-headed, I have confidence that they will not fight.¡±


    Hao Ren and White Flame said in unison. ¡°What if they did fight?¡±


    ¡°Then fight,¡± Vivian let out a chilly smile. ¡°I would like to see how crazy the juniors today have become.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded helplessly, feeling embarrassed as he exchanged a look with White Flame. Life is a drama.


    ¡°I should go now. The other demon hunters will worry about me if I stay out here for too long.¡± Feeling awkward in such a situation, White Flame got to her feet and left. ¡°I will tell Hesse about today. The rest will be up to them,¡± she said.


    Vivian nodded: ¡°Well. You can also tell them a little about what I am doing here. I believe that the demon hunters of Hasse¡¯s generation will know what to do.¡±


    While White Flame summoned a silver flame ready to leave, something suddenly crossed Hao Ren¡¯s mind. ¡°Oh, if possible, could you tell me how and when you intend to enter the mysterious realm of Ancattero? Maybe we could stagger our times.¡±


    White Flame let out a subtle smile. ¡°Sorry, I can share any information but not this. Tonight¡¯s meeting is purely a chance encounter, after which we are separate. Let¡¯s see who will find the lead first.¡±


    Then White Flame disappeared into the night in a sacred flame. Hao Ren froze for a moment before letting out a sigh. ¡°Heck, things would be much easier if we could work together.¡±


    ¡°Who all know the drill, but who can do this besides us?¡± Vivian stood up and stretched. ¡°When both parties are at war, they know that if they stop fighting, they will not have to die, but the war is not going to stop even if the commanders stop.¡±


    Hao Ren agreed and forced a smile. ¡°At least we¡¯ve got serendipitous discovery this evening. Let¡¯s go. We tell Lily and Y¡¯zaks.¡±


    The two left the abandoned house and headed straight back to the hotel.


    Back at the hotel, Lily ran out of her room to greet Hao Ren and Vivian when she heard their footsteps on the second floor. The husky went around Hao Ren happily. ¡°Mr. Landlord, where have you been? Checking out the surroundings all night?¡±


    Before Hao Ren could say anything, Lily kept babbling, ¡°That¡¯s why I have been telling you that you should bring me instead of Battie out in an unfamiliar place. I have a good sense of direction, even if you get lost in Oxford, I could bring you home by smelling all the way back to Tianjin, but you didn¡¯t listen to me. That¡¯s why you got lost. Oh, by the way, I went out in the afternoon, and guess what, I stumbled upon a nice Chinese restaurant in the town! It¡¯s rare to see a Chinese restaurant in such a small town. You know what, the food was half-baked weird: coke steamed-pork dumpling, anyone? I suspect they are also planning to roll out one with cheese stuffing! Anyway, it just wasn¡¯t my taste. Y¡¯zaks spent all day long with his daughter in the hotel. Did you see my cellphone charger, Mr. Landlord?¡±


    Hao Ren did not get what Lily was talking about except one. ¡°You¡¯re looking for a cellphone charger?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    Lily nodded happily. ¡°Yes right, do you see my charger?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say ¡®with Battie around, who needs a charger¡¯? Hao Ren pointed at Vivian. ¡°Ask her.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I almost forgot about that when Battie wasn¡¯t around just now, ¡°Lily said as she smacked herself on the forehead and then shoved the cell to Vivian. ¡°Charge it!¡±


    Reluctantly, Vivian summoned an electrically-charged little bat. The little bat sprawled on the cellphone and bit into the charging port and the phone screen lit up immediately, showing ¡®Charging in progress.¡¯


    ¡°I must be out of my mind to promise you such a thing.¡± Vivian was almost crying. ¡°My lightning strike is for battle use.¡±


    Only Lily could come out with such an idea.


    ¡°Just treat it as practice!¡± Lily¡¯s arms akimbo, sounded happy. ¡°You haven¡¯t told me where you two went today, Mr. Landlord?¡±


    Hao Ren looked up and saw Y¡¯zaks had also come out of his room next door. ¡°We went to the town to check things out and bump into White Flame.¡±


    Lily did not recall the name. ¡°What flame?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s White Flame!¡± Hao Ren flicked Lily on the head with his finger. ¡°The demon hunter!¡±


    Back in the room, Hao Ren told them what happened this evening. Y¡¯zaks could not help but sigh. ¡°What a surprise, it¡¯s them. It looks like things are getting messy.¡±


    Hao Ren sighed and turned to look at the darkness outside, mumbling to himself, ¡°Messy?¡±


    He got the intuition that things would be far more complicated than just messy.

 Chapter 890

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    It was remarkably calm for two days, so quiet so that no one would believe that several mighty demon hunters were lurking around in this town. Both Hao Ren and Vivian were concerned about the activity of the demon hunters. Lily had been worried that the demon hunters might find the entrance to the Ancattero mysterious realm before they did, that the demon hunters might destroy the clues and seal that locked up the Shade of Chaos. That was what Hao Ren was worried about. Two days had passed, the MDT had found nothing unusual. Lack of news might indicate that the demon hunters had not found a way to enter the mysterious realm.


    Hao Ren had no idea how the demon hunters were going to open the entrance of the secret realm without a guide. Judging from the quiet situation of the demon hunters since their arrival a few days ago, Hao Ren knew that the demon hunters had not cracked the blockade of the Golden Manor and he did not have to worry that the demon hunters would get ahead of them.


    For two days, Hao Ren let the MDT use various high-tech means to find the entrance to the Ancattero mysterious realm. It followed the sunlight clue that the spiritual detective said but to no avail. Without knowing the capabilities of the Ancattero family, finding the mysterious realm was no different from finding a needle in a haystack. No doubt, the MDT was powerful, but it was powerless if it did not know what to look for in the first place.


    Vivian and Y¡¯zaks had gone out checking out the town. Though the signs were very subtle, for a super ancient otherworldling and the most powerful demon in history, it was not difficult for them to sense that. Vivian knew that the demon hunters must have also detected their arrival as she smelt some very subtle magic power in the air. It was the snooping and questioning signals in some hidden corners. These supernatural powers originated the demon hunters but were not powerful enough to cause conflict.


    As she said before: demon hunters of Hasse¡¯s generation knew the drill; they chose the safest way to get the message across when they sensed the arrival of the Countess of the Crimson Moon. They maintained a proper monitoring distance, which would not irritate the Countess while conveying their warning and alert signals.


    In response, Vivian had also left behind her runes, which read ¡°Do not bother me ¨C temporarily.¡±


    It was a subtle and peculiar confrontation. Both sides knew each other¡¯s existence but kept a distance. The younger generation of the demon hunters and otherworldlings might find it difficult to understand and learn this complex mode of communication. Only the older generation like Vivian and Hasse had this tacit understanding.


    Ordinary folks probably would not understand how two rivaling camps could get along with each other, but if they realized the fact that the war had lasted for 10,000 years, then whatever transpired would not be surprising anymore.


    It was the time where Wayne Walter had agreed to come. Hao Ren and his team were waiting at the rendezvous point just outside the town. Lily looked a little impatient. She had been like that ever since she learned that the demon hunters were active in the town. ¡°Why would Wayne need two days to come here? He should have known that the demon hunters are here too. He is wasting his time. The demon hunters might get ahead of us.¡±


    ¡°He said he needed time to prepare the tools that he needed to gain access to mysterious Ancattero¡¯s secret realm,¡± Vivian said, rolling her eyes. Wayne had told them before, but Lily was busy chewing bones and did not hear it at that time. ¡°It requires special items to unlock once Ancattero mysterious realm is closed. Wayne¡¯s family did keep such items but were depleted when they sent their investigators here earlier. That¡¯s was why he had to remake them.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Lily acknowledged that and continued to gaze at the empty field. ¡°He is still not coming. He is late for many hours.¡±


    As soon as Lily¡¯s voice trailed off, a calm and graceful male voice was heard. ¡°I¡¯ve been getting things done as fast as I could, but looks like I¡¯ve kept you waiting.¡±


    Hao Ren looked into where the voice came from and saw Wayne Walter, face pale, coming toward them. The vampire patriarch was wearing a black windbreaker and a wide-brimmed hat, covering him from head to toe. Surprisingly, following behind Wayne was not the guide that Hao Ren was expecting.


    As Wayne came closer, Vivian said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. You¡¯ve just arrived at the right time.¡±


    Lily immediately yelled. ¡°Haven¡¯t you checked the watch? He is late!¡±


    Vivian looked at Lily with a blank expression. ¡°The next time you go to a foreign country, check the time zone and adjust the time accordingly. Your cellist still showing Beijing time, mind you.¡±


    Lily was silent.


    Hao Ren greeted Hesperides and asked Wayne curiously: ¡°Where are the guides? Just the two of you?¡±


    ¡°I am the guide,¡± Wayne said. His pale face lacked expression. ¡°After much deliberation, I decided to come as it¡¯s not like I could always have the opportunity to meet the Countess of the Crimson Moon. I¡¯ve been living in the comfort zone for too long, and it¡¯s time to come out to have some fun, after all, the guards in the family could handle the Shade of Chaos.¡±


    Hao Ren squinted the gentle vampire patriarch. ¡°Oh?¡±


    He distinctly remembered how the vampire patriarch was dragging his feet with other old fags at the Athens¡¯ sanctuary. After knowing that the demon hunters were gathering in this place, he was as reluctant to come to this place as other people. Now, he sounded suspicious when he suddenly changed his tone.¡±


    Sure enough, Wayne let out a smile. ¡°I¡¯m just polite,¡± he said coldly.


    Vivian¡¯s brows knit together. ¡°Do you know that the Ancattero family has a divine artifact?¡±


    ¡°The Solar Roulette,¡± Wayne replied, not hiding anything in front of Vivian. ¡°I didn¡¯t know this thing until recently. It seems to be the key to sealing the Shade of Chaos. I want to see what it is.¡±


    ¡°Why do you still want to get the Solar Roulette when you know it¡¯s the key to sealing the Shade of Chaos?¡± Vivian shook her head in disappointment. ¡°Didn¡¯t your father teach you well?¡±


    ¡°No, my father taught me well so that greed would not blind me,¡± Wayne said, laughing. ¡°Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t be so honest with you. I want to see the powerful relics left behind by our great ancestors from the Mythological era. If you can re-seal the Shade of Chaos this time, the Solar Roulette may disappear from the eyes of the world again. I want to witness the ancient artifact myself before it¡¯s gone again.¡±


    Vivian nodded in a very subtle way. ¡°Well, that¡¯s good of you since you know. As far as I know, the Solar Roulette had probably caused a few wars between several families of gods in the ancient times. Its allure might be bigger than you think. If you can¡¯t hold back the temptation, I will have to teach you on behalf of your father.¡±


    After Wayne reiterated his pledge, Vivian looked at his old friend. ¡°Hey, Hesperides, you are¨C¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m representative and witness of the Athens¡¯ Sanctuary,¡± Hesperides said with much enthusiasm. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t possibly think that re-sealing the Shade of Chaos is a trivial matter, should you? If you fail, someone has got to go back and inform everyone to take refuge. Hessiana had wanted to come, but knowing how you feel toward her, I had tied up the little girl.¡±


    Vivian was delighted instantly. ¡°You¡¯re my true friend!¡±


    ¡°You may want to cheer your friendship when you¡¯re back at home.¡± Hao Ren cut in. ¡°Hesperides, you will meet your old friend here.¡±


    ¡°Old friend?¡± Hesperides looked confused.


    ¡°It¡¯s Hasse,¡± Hao Ren said, ¡°the one who bored a hole in your head.¡±


    Hesperides was stunned and touched her forehead instinctively. Hao Ren had repaired the wound that had been bothering Hesperides for thousands of years with industrial machine tools, but the pain and hatred in the heart of the nymph of the evening had never gone. Her expression changed rapidly, and finally, Vivian held her hand. ¡°Still thinking of revenge?¡±


    ¡°Phew¨C¡± Hesperides let out a sigh. ¡°I hold no grudge now. I was just a bit of a surprise to hear the name suddenly. So demon hunters are active in this place?¡± she asked.


    Vivian nodded and said in a low voice, ¡°The demon hunter has also met with trouble. Things have become very complicated. Wayne, bring your props and set off to the entrance of the secret realm now. Let us talk while we¡¯re on the way.¡±

 Chapter 891

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Like most other sanctuaries of the otherworldlings, the Ancattero family¡¯s territory was hidden in a strange dimension and used a mysterious technique for camouflage and diversion. As the most mysterious of all otherworldling families, Ancattero was even more secretive than the Shadowy Divide. Only a few ancient families like Wayne¡¯s held the key to the entrance. When the secret realm of Ancattero was closed from the inside, and no one could access the realm the usual way, so Wayne Walter had to make some special tools to access the mysterious realm via a special entrance in the underground.


    Wayne Walter had visited the Ancattero family in this foothill town many times. He knew the place inside out. Under the guidance of the vampire patriarch, they got into sewer beneath the town.


    The existence of the underground sewer was a surprise to them ¡ª the extensive sewer network connecting various parts of the town like a labyrinth. Apparently, the small town did not need a drainage system of this size, so some sections of the sewer network were blocked and partially dry. Hao Ren followed Wayne and Hesperides from behind, moving in the sewer that was as large as a subway tunnel. The sewer was circular, supported by permanent concrete and steel inner wall and dim lights inlaid on both sides. It was mostly dry with dark green moss covered the guardrails and cement structures on both sides. There must be regular maintenance going on in this place, and its architect was human judging from the still functioning lightings. As to why the small town needed a sewer of this scale was unexplained.


    ¡°It was a battlefield, a military site during World War Two,¡± Wayne explained with his voice echoed loudly in the sewer. ¡°This underground facility was originally tunnels and warehouses, so this place holds up. After the war, instead of abandoning the place, the locals strengthened and rebuilt this place to become a sewer.¡±


    Lily wrinkled her nose and followed Hao Ren closely. Though the sewer was only partially utilized and did not smell that bad because it had proper ventilation, as a canine, Lily was hypersensitive to the slightest smell. ¡°I still couldn¡¯t believe we have come to such a place. Why did the Ancattero family choose this as the entrance? How did they get in and out of the town before they built this place?¡± Lily asked.


    ¡°Of course there are other entrances and exits. I¡¯ve just chosen the safest one this time,¡± Wayne said and nodded lightly. ¡°This entrance in the sewer has been in existence since a few decades ago. The entrances of the Ancattero mysterious realm mirror the position of the stars in the sky, so it changes now and then. There are four passages connected to the outside world at any moment. In this rotation, this entrance just happened to be located in the human town. There is nothing that can be done about it.¡±


    Lily responded with an ¡°Oh.¡± She was awed, as this ever-changing location of the entrances sounded like a mythical story. Hao Ren suddenly asked, ¡°Though it sounds safe, but what happens if the entrance is located in a septic pond?¡±


    Wayne, who was walking in front, almost slipped and fell into the ditch when he heard what Hao Ren said. ¡°You can¡¯t be kidding me.¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his face. ¡°I think it¡¯s perfectly a normal scenario. Hasn¡¯t anyone ever thought about it?¡±


    Wayne was speechless. Hesperides said, ¡°Hao Ren, don¡¯t mention this if you meet the Bastian Witchcraft family in West Africa.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because the entrance of their secret realm is also changing relative to the movement of the stars, and it happens to be located in a septic pond this time.¡±


    Everyone was astonished. Then Y¡¯lisabet sighed with her arms crossed like a little adult. ¡°That¡¯s why ancient tech is unreliable. They thought it was safe, but modern people couldn¡¯t even have control on the directions.¡±


    ¡°Ahem, it¡¯s not entirely uncontrollable though,¡± Wayne explained with a strange look on his face, and he even sounded a bit incoherent. ¡°Select the approximate connection range; then you can fix the opening position in a relatively stable location, or calibrate the horoscope. Aargh, forget it! Can we not talk about this now?¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s talk about demon hunter.¡± Vivian blinked. ¡°Wayne, since you have started investigation earlier than us, what do you think about the disappearance of the demon hunters here a month ago?¡±


    Wayne thought for a little while. ¡°Frankly, I don¡¯t trust demon hunters. If what the demon hunter named White Flame said is true, then what she said might tally with my observation generally. A month ago, there was a large group of demon hunters here. There were so many of them that even the Hogwarf family¡¯s werewolf warriors were quaking in their boots. The demon hunters who are currently conducting an investigation here aren¡¯t from the same group. Even the sole survivor who came back mad did mention about the appearance of demon hunters in the territory of the Ancattero.¡±


    Hao Ren did not say anything.


    No one said a word anymore as the dim sewer was not exactly an ideal place for holding a discussion. They followed Wayne in the silence. After going around several corners, they finally came to a section that seemed to have been abandoned for many years as the ground was dry. There was a light that came from a corner dozens of meters away.


    They stopped in front of a mottled and dirty concrete wall as if this was the entrance.


    ¡°The spirit detective won¡¯t be able to find the Golden Manor,¡± Hao Ren said, looking at the wall and forcing a smile, ¡°because this entrance has no sunlight at all.¡±


    Wayne smiled. ¡°You will be even more surprised when you see the scene behind the entrance.¡±


    As he spoke, he took out something from his suitcase.


    It was a strange gadget that looked like an old camera, but structurally different. It has a square body wrapped in black leather, a hemispherical lens at the front of the ¡®square box,¡¯ and a series of lenses and crystals at the back. It could not help but remind them of the unreliable ¡®shamanic machine¡¯ made by the mystic scholars more than a hundred years ago; those spirit camera made of glass, crystal, copper that trapped ghosts, and also the shamanic lens set of Pierre. But Wayne¡¯s gadget was different from those homemade versions. The device was inlaid with glowing runes, the lenses and crystals were not connected physically but magically. When Wayne pointed the gadget at the wall in front of him, all the lenses began to glow at once.


    The lenses glowed brighter and fired a series of light beams, drawing a set of complicated lines on the cement wall. As the image slowly took shape, Hao Ren began to recognize it¡ªit was a door.


    Though it was just an image, the incredible thing happened when the gadget in Wayne¡¯s hand emitted a constant buzzing sound. It was as if Hao Ren had missed something; a real door appeared in the wall before he knew what happened.


    The door was made of metal and inlaid with golden runes.


    Wayne switched off the device, carefully tucked it back into his suitcase, and then stepped forward to push the door open. ¡°Let¡¯s go. The door only opens for ten minutes. If all goes well, we will come back out via another fixed passage that the Ancattero family has set.¡±


    Lily let out a long sigh, then hurried Hao Ren through the door.


    A moist and warm air blast into Hao Ren¡¯s face, as if he was passing through a water curtain. As soon as he emerged from the door on the other side, he found himself in a strange place.


    There was fog everywhere, but no sun, moon nor stars. There was a light shone from above, and it seemed it was the only light source. Hao Ren opened his eyes wide, using his super eyesight ability, he peered through the fog and saw the Golden Manor. The Golden Manor, like its name suggested, was constructed of pure gold, just as Pierre said. The gold was so dazzling that even the dense fog could not hide its beautiful golden glow.


    Everyone was shocked, not because of the Golden Manor but the familiar sight.


    ¡°Is this Tannagost?!¡±

 Chapter 892

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Thick fog shrouded the entire Ancattero territory, but the splendid architecture was still visible. The golden buildings looked different from the architecture on Earth. Though not as grand as what he saw on the other planets, the style of the architecture was no doubt of Tannagost.


    Wayne had never heard of Tannagost and was surprised by the fog here. ¡°Tannagost? What do you mean?¡± he asked casually.


    Hao Ren was startled for a moment before quickly waving his hand. ¡°Oh, nothing, it¡¯s just the name of an ancient place. The buildings there are as golden as here.¡±


    ¡°Just like this Golden Manor?¡± Wayne asked, confused. He did not harp on this topic for long though, because the foggy air was puzzling him now. ¡°Why is there a fog here?¡±


    ¡°You mean there was no fog previously?¡± Hao Ren asked, surprised. He thought that fog was a normal phenomenon in the alien dimension.


    ¡°Of course not, fog makes life more difficult,¡± Wayne replied, shaking his head. ¡°I feel something strange in the fog. I can¡¯t tell what it is, but certainly, it is not natural. Let¡¯s go and check out the Ancattero family hall first,¡± he said.


    Wayne led the way while Hao Ren, Vivian, and the others exchanged a look with each other, and kept a distance behind Wayne. While keeping an eye on the surroundings, they lowered their voices and discussed among themselves. ¡°It is indeed the architectural style of Tannagost,¡± Hao Ren whispered into Vivian¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Golden Manor¡­ I should have thought of this a long time ago,¡± Vivian said, biting her lips. ¡°The Ancattero family is the Tannaeans who are stranded on Earth!¡±


    It reminded Hao Ren what Pierre, the spirit detective, said before; Pierre used to call the Ancattero family ¡®Tara.¡¯ ¡°Tanna¡­Tara, they sound closely similar.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks nodded. ¡°It might have been lost in translation after many years. Tanna was mistakenly passed down as Tara.¡±


    Lily also nodded. ¡°Well, maybe Pierre¡¯s grandfather was a lisper.¡±


    There was a what-the-heck look on Y¡¯zaks¡¯ face. ¡°I don¡¯t mean that. All right, forget about it.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have any impression of them?¡± Hao Ren looked at Vivian incredulously. ¡°According to the information we found in Tannagost, the appearance of Tannaean is different from that of the Earth. You had been in contact with Tannaeans on Earth, and yet you couldn¡¯t even remember their unique look?¡±


    ¡°I have even forgotten their golden houses. What do you expect me to remember?¡± Vivian snorted. ¡°I deserve to be poor for not remembering these gold parvenus.¡±


    Of course, Battie was self-aware. She accepted that she was destined to live a miserable life.


    Hao Ren was surprised to find that the Ancattero family was Tannaeans who lived on Earth, but the existence of Tannaeans on Earth was not a surprise because all otherworldlings were from the Plane of Dreams. Though most of them originated from the planet Holletta, some of them, such as the sirens, were from other places. There was a stable breach in the planet Tannagost that connected Earth, and the vengeful spirit was also a variant of Tannaean, so the presence of the descendants of Tannaean on Earth was utterly ordinary. The conversation reminded Hao Ren about of something though. ¡°Wait a second, didn¡¯t Vivian say that the vengeful-spirit phenomenon has always been an unresolved mystery among the otherworldlings?¡± he asked.


    Vivian nodded. ¡°Yes. Why?¡±


    ¡°Did the Ancattero family not know what the vengeful spirit was?!¡±


    Everyone had a light bulb moment when they realized about what Hao Ren was talking. Since the Ancattero family was the Tannaeans who were stranded on Earth and the vengeful spirits were the spiritualized Tannaeans, so it might be possible that the Ancattero family did not know about the vengeful spirits.


    Vivian was startled. She began to recall the unresolved question that they had been discussing previously. ¡°All otherworldlings had lost their memories when they crossed over to Earth. The sirens didn¡¯t remember that Nasaton was a spaceship; the werewolf and the Blood Clan didn¡¯t remember that they came from Holletta; so it is completely reasonable that the Tannaeans have forgotten about their compatriots who were the vengeful spirits.¡±


    ¡°I think this situation here is a bit unique.¡± Hao Ren scratched his chin as a bigger question began to surface. ¡°The otherworldlings have forgotten where their hometown is, and the Ancattero family has forgotten their compatriots. We need to re-examine the scope and intensity of the ¡®collective amnesia¡¯ of the otherworldlings.¡±


    As they walked and discussed among themselves, they unknowingly fell behind Wayne and Hesperides. Wayne turned around. ¡°Stick close to me. It is dangerous to get lost in here,¡± he said.


    They stopped talking anymore and quickly kept up with Wayne¡¯s pace.


    As they ventured deeper into the realm, the real face of the golden buildings built by the Ancattero family began to come into view. The influence of high-tech alien civilization was evident on these exotic buildings with roads that were suspended in the air and the strange antenna towers that were significantly different from those of the magic-centric otherworldlings.


    In the eyes of the people during the ancient times, there was no difference between the two: whether the magic masters from Holletta or the advanced technology from Tannagost, the ancient people saw them as gods.


    They were like walking into an alien base¡ªin fact, it was. Wayne explained the functions of the buildings from time to time. The Walter family had a close relationship with the Ancattero family for thousands of years ago, so the vampire patriarch knew this alien base well. He pointed to a tall electric-discharging tower in the dense fog. ¡°This tower is located right in the center of the secret realm, and its function is to maintain the stability of the entire secret realm.¡±


    ¡°There is no damage to the buildings, at least the surrounding buildings,¡± Vivian said. Her brows knit together as she looked at a building nearby. ¡°And more importantly, there is no dead body here.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t clear where this dense fog comes from,¡± Y¡¯zaks said as he reached out and waved his hand in the fog, stirring a large area of dense fog like stirring a liquid, but the void was quickly filled back up. ¡°Look, there are obvious traces of artificial control. The fog is restraining something. It could be some defense mechanism.¡±


    Hao Ren looked up thoughtfully at the cloudy sky. He could not see where exactly the light from above came from, but he was sure that it was artificial lighting. The dense fog diffused the light, so their shadows under their feet were blurry.


    ¡°The fog weakens the power of the shadows?¡± Little Y¡¯lisabet had also noticed the change of the shadow in the dense fog. ¡°I can see that our shadows are lighter now!¡± she said.


    Wayne glanced at Little Y¡¯lisabet. He didn¡¯t know what the little girl, who looked like a stepchild or something, was doing here, but her insight surprised him. Hesperides nodded lightly. ¡°Probably as the little girl said, those shadows must be there, probably lurking in places where the fog can¡¯t reach. The investigators of the Walter family might have bumped into the shadows earlier.¡±


    The group moved very carefully towards the center of the secret realm. Further forward was the downtown area where residences of the Ancattero family and their family hall were. As they were approaching the place, Hao Ren noticed that the fog in the surroundings became thinner and thinner.


    If the fog was there to ward off the Shade of Chaos, then its disappearance was not a good thing.


    The little demon girl was not nervous at all. She was jumping around the adults, looking around curiously as if she thought it was a picnic trip. ¡°With so much gold here, why other families didn¡¯t come and take their gold away?¡± she asked curiously.


    Gold was not a valuable commodity on the planet Tannagost, but it was a precious metal on Earth. Wayne laughed. ¡°Gold? Money doesn¡¯t mean much to us, because in most cases it¡¯s at our fingertips. Even in modern times, most otherworldling families aren¡¯t short of money. We have a powerful business empire in human society. Well? Why you all are so quiet suddenly?¡±


    Everyone was looking at Vivian. Little Y¡¯lisabet shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s at the fingertips, powerful commercial empire.¡±


    Vivian was embarrassed¡ªit was rare for a vampire to have flushed cheeks. She waved her hand frantically, trying to explain herself. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me! I had tried to do business back then! I was the first to come out with the idea of international trade, mind you,¡± she said.


    Hao Ren counted with his fingers. ¡°Then the entire Egyptian dynasty went bankrupt, and Mycenaean civilization, as well as ancient Rome, and ancient India, and¡ª¡±


    Vivian¡¯s arms akimbo. She cut in. ¡°There weren¡¯t as many as you said! I had run out of money when I reached the Greek peninsula!¡±


    Wayne whispered, ¡°At least there was my family, we were fortunate enough to sail through.¡±


    Wayne could also be blunt sometimes.

 Chapter 893

    He had no idea why this bunch of weirdos always strayed off topic. It was especially so whenever Vivian was present, where the conversation would invariably center on her misfortune. However, the talk had somehow eased the tense atmosphere.


    Hao Ren was having the same thoughts as Y¡¯lisabet¡¯s when the magnificent sight of the Golden Manor appeared before him. After all, gold was valued differently in Tannagost and on Earth. Even the god-like otherworldlings of the ancient times could not resist the worldly temptation, and it was evident from the business empire they had built. Therefore, this Golden Manor of the Ancattero family was a treasure trove in the eyes of the otherworldling society, after all, the otherworldlings needed money to survive as the humans did. However, the Ancattero family was not disturbed all this while despite their extraordinary wealth. For Hao Ren, it was not hard to guess why. The otherworldlings had never been short of money, except Vivian. The otherworldlings practically owned the Earth in the ancient times, but things had changed in the modern times; the otherworldlings were keeping a low profile because of the threat of the demon hunters, they barely had time for the Tannaean gold.


    Furthermore, they were focusing their effort on improving their strength.


    Of course, the second most important reason why otherworldlings stayed away from the Ancattero family was that they were inferior compared to the Tannaean migrants regarding combat strength.


    Hao Ren looked at the magnificent buildings, which were not only a manifestation of an advanced civilization of at least hundreds of years ahead of those on Earth in technology, and a representation of the technological achievements of the Tannaeans, but also an illustration of a problem. The number of Tannaeans on Earth was not only large, but they also possessed a considerable degree of industrial strength and metallurgical advancement. Just like the sirens, who fled in their colonial spaceship, the Tannaeans had brought along a large number of their assets in contrast with the otherworldlings who came here practically empty-handedly at about the same time.


    Hao Ren remembered what Vivian wrote in her ancient manuscript. She had mentioned several scenes where she met the ancient gods, such Zeus and others were quarrying on Mount Olympus, Osiris was mining sand in the Nile River, and Odin and the gods of Asgard were plucking branches of ash at the seaside. Though they all had the flavor of the mysterious birth of the universe and sounded classy at first glance, when thinking carefully about it, they were only a bunch of poor guys thrown onto Earth struggling to survive by exploiting nature.


    Hao Ren did not give much thought to it when he first read the manuscript. Only when he saw the Golden Manor, he realized that not all otherworldlings were the same when they first arrived on Earth; Zeus and Odin had to do stone-quarrying and logging to build houses, and the sirens had a huge Nasaton colonial ship as a start. While Tannaeans had built the Golden Manor, it was impossible for them to mine that large quantity of pure gold on Earth 10,000 years ago. Therefore, they had brought their materials and equipment from Tannagost to build the Golden Manor, which strictly speaking, was a city. There was no surprise that they eventually became the guardian of the seal until today given the strength they possessed.


    While Hao Ren was having these thoughts, they passed through the outer circle of the Golden Manor, which had its unique characteristics. Like Alamanda, the city was round and divided into many zones by a series of concentric circles in the form of great barriers or continuous walls from the inside to the outside. They were now passing through under such a barrier. Y¡¯lisabet looked at the golden gate that they had just passed through and was awed. ¡°No wonder they have to build the manor in an alien dimension; look at the amount of gold, I wonder how heavy it is. The ground will sink if they build it on Earth.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not entirely of gold,¡± Hao Ren said, shrugging his shoulders. He had studied the architecture of Alamanda before. ¡°The construction materials contain a certain amount of gold. Their materials are very advanced. Look at the walls, they¡¯re very thin, and the support structure is tiny. They¡¯re relatively lightweight. I guess they had put a lot of effort into studying weight reduction technique and metallurgy.¡±


    Lily laughed. ¡°Being born in a place where gold is abundant might not be necessarily a good thing. I wonder how they built their first skyscraper.¡±


    Wayne listened and was perplexed by their conversation. He was wondering how Hao Ren knew so much about the architecture of the Ancattero family. Just when he was about to ask, Lily sniffled and stopped dead in her tracks. ¡°Wait a second. I smelled something!¡± she said.


    ¡°What?¡± Hao Ren did not get what she said.


    Lily just waved her hand but said nothing. She lowered her body, moved forward and kept sniffing while the rest of them followed from behind her. Soon, Vivian and Wayne had also smelled something. It was the smell of blood, and the stench just got stronger.


    Meanwhile, the fog had almost dissipated completely.


    Standing at a junction, Y¡¯lisabet pointed in a direction. ¡°Look, over there!¡±


    A body was lying on the ground.


    They ran towards it. Wayne recognized it immediately from afar. ¡°It¡¯s one of the Ancattero family members!¡±


    ¡°There is one here, and there too! Holy moly!¡± Lily ran up to the body and poked her head around scanning the surroundings. ¡°Are they all¡­ dead?¡±


    Hao Ren looked into the distance and was shocked beyond words. Although he had seen a scene like this before, the scene of carnage still made his stomach churn. He had lost count of the bodies as corpses just strewed along the road.


    ¡°This is¡­¡± Y¡¯zaks squinted. ¡°Looks like it was a brutal fight.¡±


    The destruction was widespread. There were craters from explosion and cracks cut by sharp objects all over the city. A large number of houses were destroyed, many of them partially collapsed. The molten walls had flown down the terrain onto the road surface and buried a large number of corpses in it.


    Hao Ren knelt beside a body, which did not resemble a human. The body was thin, limbs were much longer than the human¡¯s, face flat and wide, and the exotic dark-gold skin was a unique feature. The deceased had two apparent fatal injuries to his chest and side abdomen. The dark-yellow blood oozing out the wound had dried completely, but still, the overpowering blood stench was filling the air in the surroundings.


    The body belonged to a Tannaean, whom Hao Ren had only seen from a sculpture before, but now in person.


    Unfortunately, the Tannaean was dead.


    ¡°The fog has been containing the spread of the stench; otherwise I would have detected them earlier on the outside,¡± Vivian said, bending over to check the dead body. ¡°Looks like a stabbing weapon killed him, but the others seemed to be killed by some high-energy weapon. I¡¯m sure it was not the sacred flame of the demon hunter.¡±


    ¡°There has been a fight¡ª¡± Y¡¯zaks was checking a collapsed wall, ¡°a brutal one. It looks like the wall was blown apart by a powerful explosion, which is not a method the demon hunters would normally use.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the aftermath on the street. Some of the buildings on the side of the road had collapsed, some had cracked, some had almost melted, and roads were dotted with craters and dents. It seemed like the place had been shelled. It was not that the demon hunter did not possess such high-energy weapons, but as far as Hao Ren knew, they used a precision weapon, which caused less destruction to the surroundings. Even if they had used their high-energy weapons, the damage would not look like this.


    He had seen the destruction that the demon hunters had inflicted upon the Athens¡¯ sanctuary, it was completely different.


    ¡°The weapons of the Ancattero family could only cause this kind of destruction,¡± Wayne said as he had found the clue. ¡°Looks in the process of killing one other, they had also blown their city apart.¡±

 Chapter 894

    The tragic scene on the streets kept them on their toes. As they continued to explore deeper into the Golden Manor into the area where the Ancattero family hall was, the scene became even more gruesome.


    There were more bodies and damaged buildings. The central area of ??the Golden Manor had turned into a battlefield, where collapsed and melted buildings were seen everywhere, riddled roads damaged by explosions were covered in the brownish yellow blood of the Tannaeans as their bodies strewed the place and rotten smell of the dead filled the air. Vivian, who had seen countless deaths, could not help but pull her brows together. The site was not supposed to be a battlefield; it was a sanctuary for a group of recluses, who had never done anything overly evil even during the Mythological era where the otherworldlings were unleashing their brutality at humans. Somehow, they were met with such a brutal end.


    They came to the heart of the Golden Manor, where the huge golden buildings suffered less damage than elsewhere. There were lightning and strange sounds in the surroundings, and an aurora-like strange sight above. These factory-like structures suffered less damage simply because there were less populated, which once again proved Hao Ren¡¯s point:


    The people, not the city, were the targets.


    They saw more dead bodies as they went. Lily wrinkled her nose and dispelled the chill in the air with her Flamejoy as she weaved through the dead in the Scene of Carnage. ¡°All the dead are Tanna¡­ I mean the members of the Ancattero family. There is no trace of the demon hunter.¡±


    ¡°Well, this is a civil war.¡± Y¡¯zaks nodded slightly. ¡°I wonder why they had gathered in the inner city and left the outer zone empty.¡±


    ¡°I am afraid that this has something to do with the shadows,¡± Hao Ren said, judging from the characteristics of the Shades of Chaos. ¡°Those things could inflict the mind. The most efficient way to make people kill each other is, of course, to gather everyone in one place.¡±


    ¡°But we didn¡¯t see any shadows on the way in,¡± Y¡¯lisabet said while grabbing her little horn. She then held up a shadow orb that was bigger than her head and tossed it in her hands. ¡°I¡¯ve been nervous.¡±


    Wayne looked at the little girl who had suddenly summoned a shadow orb, face green. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t fiddle with it. That¡¯s dangerous,¡± said Wayne.


    ¡°That¡¯s not funny, Y¡¯lisabet.¡± Hao Ren shot Y¡¯lisabet a glance. ¡°We still need you to be our main battle force, together with your papa.¡±


    Hao Ren and his entourage did not come unprepared. They had encountered the Shades of Chaos before and obtained information at the Athens¡¯ sanctuary. They knew the weaknesses of the Shades of Chaos: divine things, higher-order shadowmancy, mirrors, and strong light. The knowledge had boosted their confidence a little though only the shadowmancy was the most reliable. Hao Ren¡¯s Jade Vase and the Purple Red Gourd were the only binding artifacts, which he had not revealed to Wayne. Light could only weaken the shadows but not destroy them. Y¡¯zaks¡¯ magic-mirror bouncing trick was not that usable. If the Shades of Chaos were to emerge now, only the shadowmancer could stop them.


    Vivian, Wayne, Y¡¯zaks and his daughter knew shadowmancy and were the main force against the Shades of Chaos. Hao Ren and Hesperides, who had shield and Solarmancy respectively, belonged to the invincible MT category. Though Lily possessed no particular skill that could restrain the shadows, the fact that she was lack of brain meant that she was resistant to mind-control at +1 level. The team would be perfect, Hao Ren thought, if he had brought Nangong Wuyue. The half-baked healer was even more resistant to mind control as it could be seen from how she had turned the mind-control assault from the brain monster into a buff.


    Y¡¯zaks¡¯ brows knit together as he kept an eye on the surroundings. His eyes scanned every corner where the Shades of Chaos might appear but found no traces of them. He summoned several shadow orbs around him so that as soon as the Shades of Chaos appeared, he could immediately capture and throw them into the Shadowy Dimension. Nearby, Y¡¯lisabet was still playing with her shadow orb despite Hao Ren¡¯s admonishment. It made Wayne and Hesperides nervous and were prepared to flee at an instant the moment the little girl made a mistake and stumbled.


    Lily thought of the mirror trick of Y¡¯zaks. She curiously asked, ¡°How did you find that mirror could deflect the Shades of Chaos?¡±


    There was a weird expression on Y¡¯zaks¡¯ face. He appeared evasive. ¡°By observation, no big deal,¡± he replied.


    Lily was very curious, so she pressed on. ¡°As a guy, you carry a mirror with you all the time?¡±


    At this time, Y¡¯lisabet suddenly interrupted. ¡°The shadow hit on my dad¡¯s bald head and was deflected!¡± she said.


    They were all shocked. Lily was even scared the dialect of out her. ¡°Arf?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks looked into the distance with a poker face. ¡°Ahem, it doesn¡¯t matter what color the cat is as long as it catches mice. So could you all not look at me like this, please?¡±


    Lily¡¯s eyes were on stalks. ¡°So you went bald just for the extra combat strength?¡±


    At this time, Wayne, who was walking in front, suddenly cut in. ¡°There are traces of the demon hunter here!¡±


    Hao Ren ran up to Wayne, who was kneeling beside the body of a dead Tannaean and bending over to pull out a blood-stained silver-white dagger. ¡°A sacred dagger with triple-layer Letta runes¡ªstandard equipment of senior demon hunter.¡±


    ¡°Demon hunter killed him,¡± Vivian said, after checking the body and confirming that the sacred silver dagger was the weapon. ¡°He died instantly. The dagger cut off his main artery, and magic power shattered his internal organs. It was quick and efficient¡ªa signature demon hunter¡¯s approach. This dagger is a short- to medium-range throwing weapon. Judging from the direction in which the body fell, the dagger should be coming from¡­¡±


    While saying, Vivian looked up. ¡°It was from that direction,¡± she said.


    There were no traces of the demon hunter in the direction where Vivian was looking, but there was a glaringly red blood stain. Red blood stood out like a sore thumb in a sea of dark-yellow blood of the Tannaeans. Lily followed the blood trail and finally found the first dead demon hunter in the distance.


    The dead demon hunter was a young man in a black trench coat, lying behind a golden pillar. His neck was almost entirely scorched by high-energy weapon, and a leg and an arm were charred. Not far away, a Tannaean was lying face up with a weird weapon that looked like a crystal rod in his hand. The demon hunter but his people did not kill this Tannaean.¡±


    This scene alone was enough to let them guess what kind of chaos was happening a month ago. Y¡¯zaks could not help but whisper, ¡°It¡¯s a mess.¡±


    Feeling disgusted, Wayne wrapped the sacred dagger and tucked it in his coat. He then got to his feet and pointed to a domed building not far away. ¡°That is the family hall, the Ancattero family¡¯s meeting place and reception area.¡±


    Hao Ren and Lily came to the domed building. Hao Ren nodded to Lily before Lily reached out and pushed the heavy door open.


    A loud bang ensued as the heavy door fell open inwardly and hit the ground. Lily waved off the dusty air in front of her frantically. ¡°The door was damaged. An explosion earlier must have weakened it.¡±


    Wayne looked on, stunned and muttered, ¡°The door opens outward.¡±

 Chapter 895

    Lily had a pair of powerful arms; it did not matter which way the door opened, it just gave way with a slight push from her. As the door slammed on the floor, it kicked up a cloud of dust. Vivian quickly summoned a gust of wind to blow the dust and the blood stench in the air away.


    It was a gruesome scene in the hall. Hao Ren was not surprised at all. There, he found the first group of the missing demon hunters.


    Bodies of the Ancattero family members and demon hunters strewed all over the hall. The dark-yellow and black-red blood that splashed all over the place had dried up, leaving behind disgusting stains on the ground and the walls. Broken tables and chairs, as well as dishes also scattered around, it was evident that there had been a banquet held here, but ended in a horrific way judging from the broken long dining table and the dead bodies.


    Powerful magic had damaged the arched dome on the roof. A faint skylight shone through the hole on the dome into the hall. ¡°They must be the team of demon hunters that Elder Amatura brought with him. It looks like there¡¯s no survivor,¡± Lily said, covering her nose as she hobbled in the scene of carnage. Her tail instinctively puffed up straight in the air, fearing that it would pick up the blood stains on the ground. ¡°They were killed by their men.¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian examined a body, which belonged to a middle-aged demon hunter. There were burn marks inflicted by a high-energy weapon, and also shrapnel in the wound. There was a punctured wound in the head. It looks like he was killed by a sacred quarrel judging from the magic residue around the wound.


    Vivian placed her hand on the body. Immediately, a thin layer of bloody-red mist began to flow slowly on the body. ¡°There are a total of seventeen wounds; weapons of the demon hunters caused seven, and ten caused by the Tannaean energy gun and radioactive weapon ¡ª the fatal wound on the head caused by his people. There are no signs of the shadows. Judging from the positions of other bodies, the order of their deaths should be¡­¡±


    Vivian began to reconstruct the crime scene, professionally. Hao Ren looked at her, surprised. ¡°Wow! I didn¡¯t know that you are an expert in autopsy and crime scene investigation too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m speaking from experience,¡± Vivian said faintly. ¡°All matters of blood are my territory. Blood contains the secrets of the deceased.¡±


    Suddenly, a warm light rose beside her. Hesperides was turning herself into a mini sun to dispel the cold the in the hall. Then, she observed the broken dining ware and furniture. ¡°There had been a scuffle in the middle of the banquet,¡± she said.


    Tons of rotten food and a banquet table were part of the aftermath of the melee. The demon hunters and the otherworldlings had had a feast here. As unbelievable as it might seem, the evidence was unmistakable. Hao Ren remembered what White Flame had told him. ¡°Looks like White Flame was right, Elder Amatura and the demon hunters came in peace.¡±


    ¡°The Ancattero family had even held a feast to entertain these demon hunters,¡± Wayne said, looking at the broken long tables. ¡°Something happened halfway through the banquet. The seal must have failed, and the shadows escaped and attacked everyone in the secret realm, causing the melee.¡±


    ¡°So do you think it was just a coincidence or a deliberate action?¡± Y¡¯zaks asked quietly. ¡°The timing seemed to be too much of a coincidence. The Ancattero family had been guarding the seal for thousands of years without incident, why things suddenly went wrong only when the demon hunters came along and gathered in one place? It seemed that someone had been waiting for this moment to strike.¡±


    Hesperides nodded slightly. ¡°That¡¯s what I think. It was sabotage.¡±


    ¡°But was it them?¡± Vivian pointed to the demon hunters lying dead on the ground. ¡°They¡¯re all dead. There are no eyewitnesses. If it was a sabotage, the saboteur was probably among the dead too.¡±


    Wayne, like most orthodox otherworldlings, had a deep prejudice and hostility towards the demon hunters, so it was only natural that he blamed it squarely on the demon hunters. ¡°Maybe this was what they had planned well before well. To eliminate the otherworldlings, they would do whatever it would take, even suicide attack.¡±


    ¡°With the cost of the death of three masters of the demon hunter just to get rid a family that had been aloof from the outside world?¡± Vivian shot Wayne a glance. ¡°Use your brain. During the attack on the Athens¡¯ sanctuary, there were only two elders of demon hunters involved, and it was an open attack.¡±


    Wayne was lost for words but still tried to justify his viewpoint. ¡°There could be an extremist among them, which probably was beyond their expectation.¡±


    ¡°An extremist broke the seal while no one was looking?¡± Vivian disagreed. ¡°That seal must be super flimsy.¡±


    ¡°The key now is to find the original location of the seal.¡± Hesperides interrupted Vivian and Wayne. ¡°We need to figure out where the Shades of Chaos first came from.¡±


    ¡°Just find where the first fight broke out.¡± Vivian nodded. ¡°It seems that this hall probably is the place¡ªif the chaos had started somewhere else, the elders and chiefs in the hall would have run out to control the situation. Instead, they all died in the hall. So most likely, the melee started from here and then spread to other parts of the secret realm,¡± she said.


    Y¡¯zaks¡¯ eyebrows twitched. ¡°Maybe the original location of the seal is right here in this hall¡­ or maybe underground?¡± he said.


    Nearby, Hesperides said, ¡°It¡¯s also possible that the action that caused the failure of the seal started in the hall, and the hall became the outlet for the Shades of Chaos.¡±


    Whichever argument one wanted to believe, the most crucial clue must be in the hall. They began to check every inch of the hall, starting from the bodies to the signs of struggle, and then reconstructed the scene of what had happened a month ago.


    Noticing Wayne was not far from him, Hao Ren asked, ¡°Can you recognize the patriarch of the Ancattero family?¡±


    Wayne did not seem to hear Hao Ren. Instead, his brows knit together, looking confused. ¡°This is weird,¡± Wayne mumbled.


    Hao Ren raised his voice. ¡°What weird? Is it about the Ancattero patriarch?¡±


    Only then Wayne heard Hao Ren. He quickly explained, ¡°Looks like the body of the patriarch isn¡¯t here.¡±


    ¡°Not here?¡± Hao Ren could not hide the shock on his face. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t find his body.¡± Wayne¡¯s brows still knit together. ¡°He was supposed to be here, especially when he was the patriarch and had to be present in the banquet.¡±


    Hao Ren rubbed his eyebrows, wondering where the patriarch was. ¡°Anyone see the bodies of the three elders of demon hunter?¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet was yelling not from far away. ¡°Uncle Ren, over here! It is Amatura!¡±


    Everyone rushed over and found a sturdy, gray-haired demon hunter was leaning on his back against a golden pillar, dead. His eyes were half-closed looking at the broken ceiling, and the bloodstains on his black trench coat had dried up. A silver dagger was still in his hand. Strangely, the dagger had no blood stain on it. He did not use his weapon even until his last breath.


    ¡°This is Amatura?¡± Hao Ren had noticed that the senior demon hunter, from the clothes he wore to his aura, was unlike any other demon hunters. But he wondered how Y¡¯lisabet recognized him as Amatura. ¡°How do you know it is him?¡±


    The little demon pointed at the dagger in the senior demon hunter¡¯s hand. ¡°His name is engraved on it!¡± she said.


    Hao Ren lowered his head and examined if Amatura had left behind any clues. Indeed, he discovered something strange on the pillar hidden behind Amatura¡¯s body. ¡°Wait a second; there¡¯s something here.¡±


    As he spoke, he moved the body of the senior demon hunter to the side. As it turned out, there was some sloppy handwriting on the pillar.


    ¡°They are right, and we¡¯ve got it all wrong.¡±


    It was engraved handwriting. Amatura had used his clean dagger engraved the writing on the pillar.

 Chapter 896

    What happened was obvious. Amatura, the demon hunter, might have come out from the madness caused by the Shade of Chaos before his death and left behind this note. Judging from his posture, he was intentionally hiding the note with his body. The situation at the time must be so bad that he only managed to leave behind a few words, and these words must be crucial.


    ¡°¡®They are right, we have made a mistake¡¯¡± Vivian repeated the words thoughtfully. ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°They should mean the Ancattero family,¡± Hao Ren said, recalling what White Flame had told him and trying to connect the dots. ¡°The demon hunters came to the Golden Manor to figure out the ¡®innate hostility¡¯ problem. So could it be that the ¡®mistake¡¯ refers to the misconceptions of the three elders about the phenomenon of innate hostility?¡±


    ¡°The Ancaterro family is right? Does it mean that the Ancattero family has found out the real cause of the innate hostility?¡± Hesperides had the same wavelength as Hao Ren. ¡°Can we infer based on these words that the demon hunters under the leadership of Amatura and the Ancattero family were studying the phenomenon of innate hostility and both sides had made great progress, but they had come to very different conclusions? So they decided to meet up and conduct a joint discussion. Then perhaps the research had caused the Shades of Chaos to escape, and it was squarely blamed on the demon hunters. That was why Amatura wrote they are right, we¡¯ve made a mistake,¡± Hesperides said.


    Her guess made sense, but somehow, Hao Ren had the gut feeling that there was something more than meets the eye. Scratching his chin, he looked at Amatura¡¯s body. ¡°Are you saying that the study of the innate-hostility phenomenon by the demon hunters and the Ancattero family was the cause of the seal¡¯s failure?¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that the reason the demon hunters came to the Golden Manor?¡± Hesperides crossed her arms. ¡°Judging from Amatura¡¯s last words, it is obvious that mistake was made on the matter.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, what is the connection between the Shade of Chaos and innate hostility?¡± Vivian asked, her face serious. ¡°What did they do that led to the failure of the seal? They couldn¡¯t possibly experiment in the middle of the banquet, could they?¡±


    Wayne could not make head or tail of what they were talking. He was even more confused when he saw Hesperides the nymph of the evening, who was conservative and always keeping a low prole, could keep up with the conversation. ¡°Looks like you guys are very familiar with the innate-hostility phenomenon,¡± he said.


    Vivian looked at Wayne and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you understand?¡±


    ¡°Of course I understand; all otherworldlings have been affected by this phenomenon, and the innate hostility among the younger generation is rapidly weakening recently. It has become a big issue,¡± Wayne said as he looked at the demon hunters nearby. ¡°I just don¡¯t know what they¡¯re doing.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Wayne. He suddenly became interested to know what this traditional vampire thought about the conflicts between the supernatural races. ¡°What is your thought on the innate hostility? Have you ever asked why the supernatural races on Earth are killing each other for no reason?¡± he asked.


    Just when Wayne was about to speak, the MDT suddenly emerged. ¡°Turbulence detected on the outer dimension. A new entrance was opened!¡±


    ¡°What is this?¡± Wayne stared perplexedly at the gadget that came out of Hao Ren¡¯s pocket and had forgotten what he had wanted to say.


    ¡°I¡¯m so high-tech that you have no idea of,¡± the MDT said and shook a couple of times in front of Wayne. It then opened a holographic radar image. A few red dots appeared and moved inward from the edge of the radar range. ¡°Looks like White Flame has found a way in,¡± Hao Ren said.


    ¡°They are faster than I have expected.¡± Vivian¡¯s expression had not changed a bit, the arrival of the other demon hunters was within her calculation. ¡°The dimensional blockade might have been weakened when we entered the mysterious realm. The demon hunters are skillful trackers though,¡± she said.


    A sudden sense of crisis struck Wayne, taking away his curiosity about the MDT. He felt the enemies were right at the gate. His eyes became blood-red, and two sharp fangs had grown out of his mouth. ¡°What¡¯s the plan? Do we ambush them or set a trap to welcome them?¡± he asked.


    Vivian shot Wayne her junior a cold look. ¡°Who said we¡¯re fighting? Have you forgotten what I told you before?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and welcome them. We don¡¯t have to hide, meet them openly,¡± Hesperides said with a cold voice. ¡°This place is too freaking weird. We have no idea where the shadows are hiding, fighting among ourselves will only put us all in danger. I hope those demon hunters understand this,¡± she said.


    Vivian nodded and turned to walk toward the door, but Wayne was still worried. ¡°Is this going to be okay?¡±


    ¡°When she says she can handle it, she means it. If she can¡¯t, neither you can.¡± Hao Ren smacked Wayne on the shoulder. ¡°We¡¯re not weaklings.¡±


    Wayne did not know how to react. Probably it was the first time in his life that someone smacked and talked to him like that. When he finally woke up to it, Hao Ren and his team were already at the doorway. He looked at Hao Ren from behind, pouting. ¡°A bunch of weirdos,¡± he mumbled.


    Hesperides rubbed the scarred on her forehead. In some ways, she shared Wayne¡¯s feelings. ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re really strange,¡± she said.


    Meanwhile, White Flame was entering the Golden Manor with her teacher and companions for the first time. Despite their vast experience, the demon hunters were awed at what they saw.


    A thin-at-the-top, dark man in a long trench coat was in front of the team. The dense fog was giving way from as far as dozens of meters away whenever he moved. Looking at the surroundings with great interest, the man said casually, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see real gold though I¡¯d heard of Golden Manor before. Where did the Ancattero family get so much gold?¡±


    One of the masters among them replied casually, ¡°It was said that they used magic to turn sunlight into gold.¡±


    ¡°It must be a rumor.¡± The bald man laughed. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense in the eye of the laws of physics.¡±


    This team of demon hunters was elites who had been working together for years. They were veterans and having vast experience in dealing with various complicated situations, so they were calm walking in this strange realm. White Flame was also the backbone of this elite force. Walking at the rear of the team silently, she looked indifferent her surroundings, but actually, she was very alert. She was scanning her surroundings quietly for any strange movement in the fog.


    ¡°Have you smelled them?¡± Hasse noticed his disciple¡¯s behavior, slowed down and asked her.


    White Flame shook her head slightly. ¡°Nope. They might have entered through another entrance.¡±


    ¡°Judging from the magic ripples I¡¯ve sensed earlier, they are one step ahead of us,¡± said Hasse with a shimmer in his single eye. ¡°The Countess has involved herself personally in this matter. She wasn¡¯t used to be that high-profile, but she¡¯s getting more and more active now.¡±


    ¡°She seems to be following the human named Hao Ren,¡± White Flame said with a serious look on her face. She then looked around with a bit of uneasiness. ¡°Is it all right for us to go in like that? Would there be an ambush?¡±


    White flame and Hao Ren had met many times before; she held no grudges against him. However, as a demon hunter, she was still wary of an ambush. Ironically, her teacher was more at ease. ¡°Don¡¯t worry; the Countess will be waiting for openly.¡±


    As it turned out, Hasse was right. In an unprecedented way, Hao Ren and his team stood in front of the hall of the Ancattero family and waited for the arrival of the demon hunters.


    Both sides were expecting each other. They finally came face to face in front of the family hall.


    Y¡¯zaks was the most prominent figure standing at the doorway with Y¡¯lisabet on his shoulders, and he was as conspicuous as a giant road sign. Hasse, the one-eyed demon hunter, was in front of his team, together with White Flame who had strikingly silver hair.


    Hao Ren and his team were prepared and appeared at ease while the demon hunters seemed to be caught by surprise. Though Hasse was expecting to see Vivian there, the ¡®Hello!¡¯ placard had surprised him.


    It was Lily¡¯s weird idea. Hao Ren had been trying to distance himself from the weirdo husky, but he still felt like an idiot to stand on this side with the stupid placard.


    If you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas.

 Chapter 897

    The investigation teams led by Hasse and Hao Ren respectively finally met in front of the family hall. Other than Hao Ren and a few of his teammates, everyone was freaking nervous. Though Wayne and Hesperides looked relatively calm, the magic power had begun to glow on their hands. The demon hunters were clenching their crossbows and silver daggers, the atmosphere became very tense.


    Even though the demon hunters were mentally prepared, they tensed up when they saw those people on the other side. They could not help it because after all, they were enemies for 10,000 years; the reaction was ingrained in their DNA, and they could do nothing to suppress it.


    As for Lily, who was waving the ¡®Hello¡¯ placard, was ignored entirely.


    The young demon hunters aimed their crossbows at the otherworldlings across the square while Wayne was threateningly baring his fangs in return. Fighting was on the verge of breaking out, but Vivian just watched on cool-headedly. She nodded at Hasse. ¡°Do you want to fight? Have demon hunters degenerated so much that you could no longer think with your brain?¡±


    ¡°Stand down,¡± Hasse ordered his men by raising his fist in the air. He then nodded back to Vivian. ¡°Countess, long time no see,¡± he shouted across the square.


    The two leaders¡ªat least the demon hunters thought Vivian was, talked to each other at a distance. The tense atmosphere eased. The demon hunters began to tuck away their weapon while maintaining their alert, but the Letta runes were still activated on their hands. Wayne and Hesperides did the same; despite their calm demeanor, they were still in combat-ready mode.


    Both sides had shown maximum restraint.


    Vivian was satisfied with the situation. She smiled subtly. ¡°Good. I don¡¯t like to see fighting breaking out here, especially you guys have been killing each other for a long time.¡±


    The demon hunters looked at Vivian curiously. Some of them had only heard of the Countess of the Crimson Moon but never met her in person. They were taught to hate otherworldlings since the early age, but when they met this most ancient ancestor of otherworldlings, who was even older than their first ancestor, they could not help but look at her with respect. Hasse ignored the reactions of his men. He, White Flame and the dark-skinned man stepped forward. ¡°Let¡¯s cut the crackle and get down to business. We all know why we are here today. So what is your suggestion?¡±


    Vivian looked at the warriors that Hasse had brought. ¡°Let¡¯s work together.¡±


    This suggestion had not only caused a commotion among the demon hunters, but Hasse and White Flame were also a little surprised. The two of them said in unison, ¡°Work together?!¡±


    Vivian nodded as if saying ¡°I¡¯m not joking.¡± She moved aside so that the other side could see the hall. ¡°You will know when you see what has happened inside; it¡¯s totally unlike anything you have seen before.¡±


    Hasse looked at Vivian with a puzzled look. He lowered his head and walked into the Ancattero family hall, while several masters followed him from behind.


    After a few moments, Hasse came out from the hall with his men, face like a dead man, filled with horror. He waved his hand motioning the warriors outside to stay calm. Hasse then turned to Vivian. ¡°Just do what you said,¡± he said.


    The demon hunters¡¯ reactions were varied; there were those who were surprised, unacceptable, and incomprehensible. Demon hunters were taught to hate otherworldlings since young, and the quirky phenomenon of innate hostility was deeply ingrained in them, and there was no such thing as ¡®collaborating with the otherworldlings¡¯ in their thinking. They could not believe Hasse had said such a thing, but none of them stood up to object as Hasse was the most senior leader of the team. As a highly respected elderly demon hunter, Hasse was only answerable to the top-twelve sages, but in field mission, his words were the council of elders¡¯ words.


    Vivian tilted her head slightly to the side. ¡°Any problem, Wayne?¡± she asked.


    Wayne exhaled with a weird expression on his face. ¡°Do as you say. Anyway, it¡¯s a rare experience.¡±


    The demon hunters had no choice but to work with them. It was the most peculiar joint-investigation team ever put together. Walking along the demon hunters, Hao Ren had never felt such weird. He was on pins and needles, and goosebumps popped out all over his skin. Everyone was suspicious of each other. They were nervous, but no one dared to make the first attack. He was sure as hell that he was not the only one having this feeling; he could see the tense look on the face of the demon hunters. It was as nervous as carrying a gas tank together and then someone had decided to light a cigarette up to calm himself down.


    Lily was sensitive to the atmosphere and stuck close to Hao Ren. The uncomfortable feeling had her tail puffed straight like a sword. ¡°Mr. Landlord, will they fight?¡±


    ¡°I think¡­ they won¡¯t,¡± Hao Ren replied, glancing at Vivian and Hasse, worried. ¡°It seems the two of them might be able to keep things under control.¡±


    While the joint-investigation team walked toward the family hall, Hesperides came up to Hasse quietly. ¡°Long time no see. Are you still in Athens?¡±


    Hasse had noticed Hesperides earlier. White Flame and the bald man also knew the nymph of the evening and Hasse had old grudges, so when Hesperides came up suddenly, they were nervous. Hasse, however, looked as calm as a summer sea. ¡°Long time no see, Hesperides. Your injury¡­ is it okay now?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I should be thankful to a strange doctor.¡± Hesperides had no emotion on her face. ¡°Look at you! It looks like you¡¯re still blind,¡± she said.


    Hasse¡¯s gaze landed on Vivian, and he smiled in a self-deprecating manner. ¡°It¡¯s my honor to be blinded by the ancient one. I still remember when I was at the Athens¡¯ sanctuary, you lunged out at me suddenly like a mad dog. I thought you were doing the same to me this time.¡±


    Hesperides gently rubbed her old wound on her forehead with a mysterious smile on her face. ¡°Oh, since the arrow was removed, the wound has healed together with my character as well,¡± she said.


    Hasse said indifferently, ¡°Wow, looks like I had made a peaceful ¡®goddess¡¯ tyrannical by accident.¡±


    Hesperides quietly watched Hasse for a while. Behind her twinkling amber eyes hiding a thought. At last, she nodded and then returned to the side of Vivian, as if nothing had ever happened.


    Hasse looked as cold and somber as ever. The conversation earlier had not affected him a bit.


    Two mortal foes were exchanging words casually, but enough to send a chill up the spines of the onlookers. Feeling a little confused, Hao Ren nudged Vivian. ¡°What do they mean?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I still remember what you have done to me, but I will leave it to another time to settle the score,¡± Vivian interpreted.


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡±


    Despite the tension between the demon hunter and Wayne and Hesperides, the tension subsided when they stepped into the hall. Hasse was too occupied with the bodies of the demon hunters that lied around the hall. He examined each of them and quickly identified several prominent people.


    ¡°This is Master Abaddon!¡± ¡°Master Chloanne is here!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve found the body of Elder Marduk!¡±


    The demon hunters reported their findings and could not care less about Hao Ren. They were busily examining the bodies, magic residue, and damage to the hall itself and reconstructed the battle scene. Though the demon hunters had the image of being stubborn and violent, they were a dab hand at crime scene investigation.


    At least they were better than Hao Ren was in this regard.


    Vivian came up to the body of Amatura with Hasse. ¡°Do you know him? Is he Amatura?¡± she asked.


    Hasse recognized Amatura in an instant. ¡°That¡¯s him. Eh, did he leave behind this?¡± he asked.


    His eyes fell on the message on the pillar next to Amatura.

 Chapter 898

    Hasse knelt next to Amatura and ran his fingers gently across the text on the pillar. A faint glow appeared on his fingertips; it was a unique identification the method demon hunter used to verify that the writing was indeed of Amatura.


    The thin-on-top, dark-skinned man, who looked like an African demon hunter, walked past Hasse. Seeing the body of Amatura, he halted, face solemn. ¡°Indeed, Elder Amatura has also died here.¡±


    ¡°Teuton,¡± Hasse said as he got to his feet and nodded to the dark-skinned demon hunter. ¡°Take out the letters.¡±


    Teuton was stunned. ¡°Here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, here,¡± said Hasse lightly. ¡°Countess Ancestor is a respected elder. She has taken the initiative to show her sincerity, and we should reciprocate.¡±


    Without a word, Teuton walked away quickly before coming back with a box that looked rather important. Hasse put the box on the only long table that was still standing. He swept the debris on the table away and took out a stack of papers and notes from the box in front of Vivian.


    ¡°This is¡± Vivian picked up a few sheets of paper and said, ¡°the dairy of Amatura?¡±


    ¡°We found the clues on the documents. White Flame should have mentioned it to you earlier,¡± Hasse said and nodded. ¡°These are the documents and diary left behind by Amatura and two other elders. The documents include their research on the phenomenon of innate hostility.¡±


    Vivian and Hao Ren immediately examined the documents with the utmost seriousness. The records had been sorted by the demon hunters earlier, not only by date but also by name. Hao Ren flipped through a few pages and found that Elder Amatura¡¯s study on the innate hostility phenomenon was far more comprehensive than he had initially thought. In the documents, Amatura described in detail the innate hostility of the otherworldlings and the killing instinct of the demon hunter and identified the two phenomena as the same thing. He had made a summary of all the supernatural races in history and other information related to innate hostility from the ancient times, including the degree of hatred of each race, the distribution of each race, the degree of force, the beginning and ending points of history of each race, as well as their respective forms of civilization. He categorized the innate hostility into ten levels according to the standard he set and graphically described the average degree of influence of innate hostility on various races since 10,000 years ago.


    The illustration charts he had drawn showed that the influence of innate hostility was unbelievably high in the beginning, almost completely overriding the rational thinking of each race, and classified as ¡°beyond the level of thinking.¡± Before and after the end of the Mythological era, the influence of innate hostility on each race had dropped to the level of ¡°intelligence control,¡± and significantly declined in recent times to the level of ¡°controllable common hostility.¡± The plot ended with the curve radically dropped to near zero, where Amatura left a question: Is it disappearing?


    There were also research materials and correspondences of the other two demon hunters, but Amatura¡¯s materials accounted for nearly 80% of the study. The more Hao Ren read, the more he was amazed. He realized that these findings were not new; from the declining of the innate hostility phenomenon in the younger generation of various races until now was only a few months, so Amatura had started studying this phenomenon a long time ago.


    Vivian found a letter in which Amatura had mentioned some of his research to one of his friends. ¡°¡­I discovered a long time ago that the difference between the supernatural races, including us, is enormous, not only culturally, but also in terms of physiological structure and the soul. Anyone with the right state of mind will not believe that these races were born on the same planet¡­ I have checked the books that I have collected, and it is clear that smart people of other races are aware of this too.


    ¡°¡­the otherworldlings, and the demon hunter, all these races are undoubtedly from outside this planet, and also not from the same planet outside this planet; they are from different planets. We have different origins, no doubt about it¡­¡±


    In another letter, Amatura again mentioned, ¡°¡­ my friends, shouldn¡¯t we doubt it? We have been killing the otherworldlings for thousands of years, and those otherworldlings are also fighting among themselves, but why no one has questioned it? As you and I agree, the supernatural races come from different places. We have different physiological structures, forms of power, cultures, and traditions, even souls. Under normal circumstances, it is almost impossible for these races that are so different in every way to bump into each other, just like the fish in the deep sea and the monkeys in the mountains do not interact, let alone hate. There must be some power that threw us on the same planet and made us fought one another for the sake of fighting. Whenever I think about it, I am deeply disturbed¡­


    ¡°We are driven by something that is not of our own will. It lurks in the depths of the souls of you and me. Yes, we are like crickets and fighting cocks in a cage, eyes staring at the ¡®enemy¡¯ in front of us and have never been curious about the cage around us. No one has ever asked how we came into the cage in the first place. Now, the force that drives us is weakening gradually, and I am beginning to worry that it is probably a sign of worse to come: If there is a spectator outside the ¡®cage,¡¯ then this spectator has probably lost interest in the fight.¡±


    Most of Amatura¡¯s letters were the discussion of this topic with his friends. His three main views were: the supernatural races on Earth came from different ¡°outside domains¡±; the supernatural races were collected from all over the universe and placed in a continuous battle environment on Earth, and the innate hostility phenomenon was a shackle and controller to keep the various supernatural races battling each other.


    These three views could be surmised into one, that was, it was a conspiracy.


    Amatura was limited by his vision on Earth and naturally unable to draw the correct conclusion, but he was still much better than other demon hunters and otherworldlings who had never doubted about their existence. At least he clearly understood that the killing instinct of the demon hunters had nothing to do with the sense of justice and mission but with something that was extremely suspicious and from a third party.


    Naturally, the demon hunters viewed him as a deviant.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never expected a demon hunter could be capable of such thinking.¡± Vivian could not help but mumble to herself. Hasse gently nodded. ¡°Amatura was the strangest one among the elders. Many of his ideas, in our opinion, could be deemed heresies. He was the bravest warrior during the first half of his life and obsessed in the hunt for the otherworldlings. He suddenly got acquainted with these theories during the second half of his life,¡± Hasse said.


    Vivian held up a letter and waved it in the air. ¡°Wasn¡¯t he scared of getting burned by your council of elders alive?¡± she asked.


    Hasse shook his head. ¡°His research work did not lower his position among the demon hunters, because his ¡®fruit of war¡¯ was still the best; he was still a strong demon hunter, just that his idea was a bit weird,¡± he said.


    Vivian arched the corner of her mouth. ¡°You had sensed something was wrong, yet you didn¡¯t stop the fighting,¡± she said.


    Hassel said nothing.


    Hao Ren was interested to hear what the demon hunter thought about the ¡®heretical¡¯ theory. ¡°Hasse, what do you think of Amatura¡¯s findings?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    After a short moment of silence, Hasse nodded. ¡°It makes sense.¡± He gave an unexpected reply.


    Vivian raised her eyebrows. ¡°I thought you would burst out in righteous indignation.¡±


    ¡°The theory of Elder Amatura is not a secret. Do you think that demon hunters are only obsessed with fighting?¡± Hasse said with a subtle smile on his face. ¡°We are more focused than most of the otherworldlings in learning and research. The theory of Amatura wouldn¡¯t change anything. The influence of the killing instinct in us is far deep-rooted than you think, and theory alone would not reverse the situation that has been in existence since the Mythological era. At least, this is the case so far,¡± Hasse said.


    Hao Ren did not comment on this. He just glanced at the documents and a line of text popped into his eyes.


    ¡°¡­In summary, our killing instinct is not a natural trait that should exist in our souls. It is implanted in us, evidence of human manipulation, and perhaps with a purpose¡­¡±


    Unwittingly, Hao Ren again thought of the writing that Amatura left behind before his death. ¡°They¡¯re right. We¡¯ve made a mistake.¡±

 Chapter 899

    ¡°They¡¯re right, we¡¯ve made a mistake.¡±


    Hao Ren recalled the last words of Amatura. After reading Amatura¡¯s findings, Hao Ren and Hasse could not help but think of the innate hostility and conspiracy theories, but they had not figured out what the ¡®mistake¡¯ meant.


    Was it part of a conspiracy theory, or was it the source of the innate hostility? Or was it something that Amatura¡¯s findings had not stated?


    ¡°The problem now is that there is no information about the Ancattero family,¡± Hasse looked at Amatura¡¯s body regrettably. ¡°This information is missing from Amatura¡¯s letters. I am afraid it has been destroyed or transferred. However, we now know that the Ancattero family is indeed studying the innate hostility phenomenon. If we could know their findings, you should be able to figure out the meaning of this last word.¡±


    At this time, White Flame came up to Hasse. ¡°Teacher, there is a situation,¡± she said.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    White Flame lowered her head. ¡°We couldn¡¯t find the body of Elder Andaherr and several masters and other missing persons,¡± she said.


    Hasse¡¯s eyebrows knit together. ¡°Have you checked the rooms near the hall and the porch on the left?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Checked.¡± White Flame nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve also sent men to search the streets around the hall and nearby houses but found nothing. Master Teuton thinks that they must have escaped to somewhere else during the fierce battle. The scene is too messy, and we couldn¡¯t trace them,¡± she said.


    Hasse nodded with his eyes closed. Hao Ren reminded him, ¡°The patriarch of the Ancattero family is not here, too.¡±


    ¡°They are the most powerful warriors. They must have escaped.¡± Hasse opened his single eye, which was glistening with light as he scanned the hall for clues. In his special vision, colors and strange things filled the hall. There were strange patterns and human faces on the broken tables, chairs and walls, souls of the dead, and residual energy. ¡°There is the scent of Andaherr. She was here. She left in an unspecified direction,¡± Hasse said.


    Hasse looked at Wayne, who was silent next to him. ¡°You¡¯re Wayne Walter. Do you know any sanctuaries in this city?¡±


    Wayne opened his mouth but was hesitant to tell. Vivian shot him a glare then only Wayne said reluctantly, ¡°There is more than one place like this, and I only know two or three of them, after all, I not an Ancattero family member.¡±


    ¡°Where do you think they might have gone?¡± Y¡¯zaks asked.


    ¡°Looking along the horizontal axis of the family hall, you should be able to see a very high obelisk. Below the obelisk is the resting place of the Ancattero patriarchs. Vogus, if he were still sane at that time, should have escaped with his men there.¡±


    Vogus was the name of the current patriarch of Ancattero.


    Hasse immediately stopped the two demon hunters who were passing by and summoned Teuton, who was collecting blood samples. ¡°Three of you follow Wayne to the resting place of Ancattero family to see if you can find out the whereabouts of the Elder Andaherr. Be careful. If you see the Shade of Chaos, call for help immediately.¡±


    The three demon hunters were reluctant to let a vampire lead the team. Wayne protested too, but that drew a glare from Vivian.


    At last, the four of them yielded and left to carry out the order. Vivian sighed helplessly. ¡°It¡¯s tough to deal with them, they were acting like children,¡± she said.


    Hao Ren looked in amazement. Vivian was not only having absolute authority over the vampires but also the demon hunters. Though he knew that Vivian was a respected figure among the ancient demon hunters, he could not fathom how a vampire could exert such an influence by seniority alone. He sneaked up to White Flame and asked in a whisper, ¡°It seems that demon hunters also fear Vivian.¡±


    White Flame first looked at her teacher and then said in a low voice, ¡°The younger generation of demon hunters may not know who she is, but the older ones know Countess Ancestor well.¡±


    Hao Ren pouted. ¡°What I don¡¯t get is that how Vivian could have exerted so great influence based on seniority alone,¡± he said.


    White Flame glanced into the direction of Vivian. Knowing that Vivian was not looking at them, White Flame whispered, ¡°Imagine how influential a person is when that person has beaten everyone generation of your family before.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    ¡°I can hear you,¡± Vivian said.


    White Flame was stunned. Hao Ren came up to Vivian and said unabashedly, ¡°Looks like you are notorious. Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re a peace-lover?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Vivian said, rolling her eyes. ¡°Apart from when I lost control of myself, I¡¯ve never fought with anyone. Of course, scuffle once in a while was inevitable. After all, the world in ancient times was turbulent.¡±


    Lily looked at Vivian, then Hasse and White Flame. ¡°But I can see in their eyes that what you did to them in the past was no small scuffle,¡± she said.


    Vivian looked away. ¡°Life was hard back then during the barbaric era. I just wanted to fill up my stomach,¡± she said.


    Hasse sighed. ¡°But you wreaked havoc on the whole city,¡± he said.


    Vivian blinked. ¡°Most of the time, it was you who made a mountain out of a molehill! You mobilized the army of an entire city to guard your food. All I wanted was just a meal. Was it too much to ask?¡± she said.


    Hao Ren could not help but interrupt them. ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Vivian crossed her arms. ¡°You know, I once took four potatoes from the demon hunters in Northern Europe. You know what, they sent 10,000 men surrounding the mountain to hunt me! Even Ebben, the werewolf didn¡¯t go to such an extent!¡± she said.


    Hasse, who used to be as calm as a millpond, became agitated. ¡°When the oldest vampire stormed into the city impetuously, did you expect people think that you came in peace? Your mere presence was enough to throw the city into a state of emergency. Though I wasn¡¯t present at that time, I could imagine how baffled the demon hunters at the garrison were when you ran away with only a few potatoes,¡± Hasse said.


    Though Hasse did not have many encounters with Vivian in the past, he had heard of Vivian¡¯ stories. They were silent, looking at each other and sighing. Hao Ren listened to their conversation and felt sorry for Vivian. He wondered how Vivian could mess up her life when she had all the fame and abilities.


    Lily could not help but murmur, ¡°Why did you look for trouble with these people when you could have just grabbed your food safely from the civilians?¡±


    ¡°Safely?¡± Vivian sighed. ¡°I get a lot of attention wherever I go. What¡¯s more, the demon hunters have eyes everywhere. Back then, when the demon hunters learned that I was on the Seine, they came to hunt me from as far as Nile River. At that time, I hoped that I was just a little-known small fry, at least I wouldn¡¯t have drawn so much hatred towards me. But slowly, things got better. After the Mythological era, the world was more peaceful, and the demon hunters didn¡¯t even bother to look for me anymore. I guess it was because I had consistently beaten their grandfathers, the later generations were too embarrassed, so they avoided me like the plague,¡± she said.


    I will leave it to you to imagine the expression on Hasse¡¯ face.


    Vivian¡¯s words had reminded Hao Ren of her similar encounters with the Ebben family. These things were almost unimaginable during the peaceful era on Earth. During the Mythological period, the melee among the otherworldlings was a norm and had produced many legends about the divine wars, Ragnar?k, and the punishment of the gods. No one knew that the truth behind these divine warfare was all about a hungry vampire.


    ¡°There is rumor among the demon hunters and the otherworldlings that the Countess of the Crimson Moon is very moody,¡± Hasse forced a smile. ¡°It was not just because she lost control of herself and became violent, but also because she often behaved weirdly. If not for hearing it with my ears, I would not have believed that she caused all that troubles simply because she was hungry.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°It seems that she is very dangerous only when she is hungry, but if you feed her well she will be perfectly fine,¡± he said empathically.


    Vivian looked at Hao Ren, knitting her brows together. ¡°That¡¯s a strange theory. Is that how you raise your cat?¡±


    They were waiting for the investigators to finish sampling and analyzing the evidence in the hall. The tension between the demon hunters and the otherworldlings had subsided. Even Hasse did not realize that the killing instinct in his blood had dissipated completely.


    The other demon-hunter investigators were even less aware of it.


    Meanwhile, the shadows were lurking beneath the collapsed pillars, broken tables and chairs, and corpses but no one had noticed that.

 Chapter 900

    It was the MDT that alerted them when it detected something was wrong.


    At that time, everyone was busy combing for clues in the hall. White Flame and Hesperides were trying to figure out what kind of weapon could blow that big hole on the roof. Hasse and Hao Ren were skimming through Amatura¡¯s documents. No one had noticed the threat¡ªjust like the time the Shade of Chaos attacked Hao Ren; it came undetectable, not even the most experienced demon hunters and demon king like Y¡¯zaks could see it coming. It was in that critical moment that the MDT flew out from Hao Ren¡¯s pocket and sounded the alarm. ¡°Attention! Abnormal energy detected! Abnormal energy detected!¡±


    The MDT¡¯s unique sensor had recognized the enemy¡¯s energy signature and quickly identified the threat.


    The brick was radiating with blue light and popping out suddenly shocked the demon hunters nearby. They thought that the otherworldlings had lost self-control and begun to attack them. Very quickly, Hasse came to grips with what happened and took out his crossbow and shouted, ¡°It¡¯s the Shade of Chaos!¡±


    All demon hunters switched into battle mode at the drop of a hat. A silver flare rose from their bodies and White Flame burst into flame like a lady of fire. Hao Ren¡¯s reaction was not any slower. He took out his silver spear and apple box but left out the psionic gun¡ªpsionic gun had a more extensive range of damage and less precise thus posing a higher risk to friendly forces. He stood in front of Lily. ¡°Stay calm! Be focused!¡± he shouted.


    As soon as his voice trailed off, Hao Ren sensed familiar hostile energy coming his way. He quickly turned and dodged the attack while at the same time pointing the apple box at the incoming forces. He was not sure if he had caught anything because the hostile energy seemed to be everywhere.


    The shadows of the collapsed pillars, furniture, bodies of the Tannaean and demon hunters began to move as if they were living things. The shadows seemed to flow like liquid and overran the golden floor in the ball. Hao Ren stood in the middle and surrounded by the creeping shadows, and he began to see the illusion of a swamp swallowing him up.


    The Shade of Chaos here was thick.


    Hasse, covered in flame, first glanced at Hao Ren and was amazed. He understood the logic of using the spear in battle, but a fruit box was just beyond him. Out of courtesy, the senior demon hunter reminded him in a low voice, ¡°You might have got the wrong weapon, Hao Ren.¡±


    Hao Ren was startled for a while. He then looked at the plasma spear in his hand and ditched it but the apple box.


    Hasse¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground.


    ¡°Have you not seen high-tech before?¡± The MDT knocked Hasse in his head. It emitted an intense glow and immobilized the Shade of Chaos that was just within a few meters around Hao Ren. ¡°Everyone, get out of here! The shadows have overrun the hall. We¡¯ll be in deep shit if we get surrounded!¡±


    There as no reminder needed for elite warriors as they had already seen the danger. Shadows crept and gathered from all sides as if a swamp swallowed up the entire hall. As the disgusting things slowly engulfed every inch of the floor, White Flame burst into an even larger flame and floated in mid-air. She used her sacred flame cleared a path to the exit and forced the shadows back. ¡°Everyone, get to the outside!¡±


    The demon hunters quickly formed into groups of three and retreated towards the exit under the protection of the sacred flame. The Shades of Chaos, which were held back by the sacred flame, gathered on both sides of the path like a sludge. Though the shadows were formless, Hao Ren heard in the illusion a horrifying gulping sound as the evil shadows gathered. Hasse lit up a Letta rune card, and cast it into the densest part of the Shades of Chaos. It burned with a pungent smell, and the shadows seemed to recede a little, but the damage to the Shade of Chaos was minimal.


    ¡°Go!¡± Hasse called White Flame who was keeping the sacred-flame path open before casting two more rune cards to dispel the nearby shadows.


    Wanting to follow everyone running towards the exit, Lily saw the burning path and feared the flame would burn her beautiful tail, she hesitated. ¡°You got to be kidding me!¡± she said.


    White Flame the lady of fire came up and grabbed Lily. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ve got it under control.¡±


    Hao Ren and others followed from behind. Before stepping into the burning silver flame, Hao Ren was a little nervous too, but as soon as he was running in it, he began to believe White Flame¡¯s superb control of the sacred flame. No one got burned by the fire. ¡°It¡¯s not hot! It¡¯s not hot at all!¡± Lily yelled as she ran.


    Hao Ren was anticipating that the Shades of Chaos would set a trap for them on the outside. Surprisingly, the situation on the outside was calm. It seemed that the Shades of Chaos only gathered in the hall.


    As they came out of the hall, the Shades of Chaos also were chasing them to the outside. The demon hunters grouped into a formation in the square and set up a silvery-white wall of flame to hold the shadows back.


    To Hao Ren amazement, the sacred flame was very effective against the Shades of Chaos. Though it was not able to eliminate the shadows, it could at least dispel and suppress them. With the demon hunters holding the shadows back with their formation, Hao Ren did not have to face another dilemma. He still remembered vividly in his mind when he first encountered the Shade of Chaos. The shadow was right up his tail. Hao Ren was unable to shake it off. The last thing he wanted was to face a similar situation again.


    ¡°Get ready for the exorcism ritual!¡± Hasse ordered the demon hunters. ¡°Warriors of the flame, hold down the fort. Don¡¯t let any shadows come into contact with anyone!¡±


    The mental-attack ability of the Shade of Chaos posed the greatest threat. Once a warrior became deranged, it would bring down the defense from within. So the sacred-flame barrier must stay up no matter what.


    Several master demon hunters stepped forwards, raised their hands, and began to chant an ancient incantation. A unique metal blade filled with Letta runes began to emerge from their pouches and spun around them. When the powerful exorcism ritual began, a layer of silver light shrouded the entire family hall and a Letta rune that was large enough to envelop the whole building was floating above the silver light.


    They were preparing a huge ritual, which would take some time to complete. The Shades of Chaos did not want to be sitting ducks; they began to launch an attack from all sides.


    The demon hunters, who were already up to their ears trying to hold up the line of defense, had no time to fence off shadows that kept coming out of the hall. That was when Y¡¯zaks and Y¡¯lisabet stepped in. ¡°We got them!¡±


    When the demonic father-daughter team transformed into shadowmancers, some unknown green runes began to surround them, and the fissures of the Umbral Realm started to spread under their feet. In order not to reduce the burden of the flame warriors, they stepped out of the flame barrier towards the Shades of Chaos.


    Discovering that the prey was coming toward them, the Shades of Chaos pranced towards the two like hungry jackals. Y¡¯zaks had been waiting for this moment. He opened the shadowy dimension and sucked the Shades of Chaos into the eternal darkness. At the same time, Y¡¯lisabet was using a shadowy orb smashing the Shades of Chaos indiscriminately. She did not even have to aim because the shadows were everywhere.


    It was a little weird of how the little demon was using her magic power though, as shooting magic in her hand would turn into smashing magic, for example.


    The Shades of Chaos were fearless and brainless at the same time. They did not change their tactic but kept coming although their weaknesses had been exposed. Y¡¯zaks lowered his head; his bald head was glistening with light.


    As it turned out, his shiningly bald head was deflecting the Shades of Chaos.

 Chapter 901

    No one had noticed how many attacks Y¡¯zaks had deflected with his head. Everyone was too occupied with the Shades of Chaos that kept coming from the hall. No matter how many shadows Y¡¯zaks and Y¡¯lisabet had smashed, the shadows just kept pouring out like a mudflow. The only thing that limited the shadows¡¯ attack ability was their lack of intelligence. The Shades of Chaos took followed the shortest route, so the space between the hall entrance and the line of defense on the demon hunters¡¯ side was where blockade was necessary.


    As Hao Ren was now in the open space, he no longer had to worry that the use of the psionic weapon would unintentionally harm his teammates. He immediately pulled out his gun. Bright blue beam cut through the air, hitting the small square in front of the family hall with a series of explosions. The Shades of Chaos that crept on the square instantly turned into crystal dust. For a moment, Hao Ren was able to kill more shadows than Y¡¯zaks and the little demon combined.


    The psionic weapon could kill or destroy anything it hits regardless of the target¡¯s nature and the protective mechanism. It could inflict real damage to anything that was describable as well as indescribable in the world. It was powerful energy almost equal to the power of God. Even only a small gun in the hand of an inspector, the characteristics would not change. Though the nature of the Shades of Chaos was bizarre, it had no match for nor defense against psionic energy.


    The only problem was that there seemed to be an infinite number of Shades of Chaos. The psionic gun had limited range of attack, the Shades of Chaos was unstoppable no matter what they did. The shadows had now pushed the battle frontier close to where the sacred-flame defense perimeter was.


    There was a strange pungent smell as the sacred flame barrier burned hotter and hotter. The Shades of Chaos had finally come face-to-face with the demon hunters.


    Y¡¯zaks and Y¡¯lisabet had retreated to the line of defense. Though the duo was mentally tough enough to withstand a short period of mental attack of the Shades of Chaos, they were cautious not to come into direct contact with any of them.


    Now, Vivian was joining them. Her eyes turned blood-red. She summoned chilling energy that spun like a cyclone to carry her into the air before calling out a swarm of bats out of thin air around her. These bats were different from the physical creatures that she used to summon; this version was like a chaotic air mass and energy formed by icy ashes and darkness. These translucent bats flickering with a light inside swooped down at the Shades of Chaos and turned the shadows to become a part of them through assimilation and devouring.


    The bats of ash and darkness and the sacred flames of the demon hunters began to intertwine and form a weird black-and-white battle scene. While keeping the bats in motion, Vivian turned around her head and asked Hasse loudly, ¡°When are you going to end the ritual?¡±


    ¡°Just a few minutes more!¡± Hasse replied loudly, and then looked at Vivian¡¯s bats that flew in the flame. The flame was now different in characteristics with the one used on the evacuation path in earlier. To fight back the Shades of Chaos, it was a lot more violent and destructive. ¡°Does your shadowmancy conflict with the sacred flame?¡±


    ¡°Do they look like there¡¯s a conflict?¡± Vivian rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m even wearing crosses my body, mind you!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean¡ª¡± Hasse felt that something was not right, but a sudden scream interrupted him.


    A young demon hunter at the defense barrier was screaming.


    Hao Ren turned his head around and saw there was a breach in the defense barrier where the demon hunter was. The demon hunter¡¯s shadow was flickering, and the magic shield on his body lit up under his windbreaker. Though White Flame had quickly filled the gap remotely from a distance, it was a little too late; the Shade of Chaos had gotten the warrior.


    The warrior was fighting back, but keeping the sacred-flame barrier up had drained him. When the Shade of Chaos attacked, he was defenseless. After a few seconds of trepidation, he suddenly turned to look at a companion closest to him. His eyes were cloudy and void of rationality.


    The warrior pulled out his silver dagger and attacked his teammate; fighting began to spread starting with him as the center of chaos.


    ¡°This is the worst moment I¡¯ve always feared,¡± Hesperides said. She took a huge mace with blades and nails out of nowhere and then engulfed herself in flame before lunging at the deranged demon hunter. ¡°Everyone, hold the line. Let me deal with this kid!¡±


    Hasse¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground as he saw Hesperides confronted the enemy with a mace. The demon hunter looked at Vivian. ¡°Hasn¡¯t she recovered from her head injury?¡± he asked.


    ¡°She has got back her character but not her combat style. She has lost the original style for good,¡± Vivian explained embarrassedly. ¡°After you shot her in her head, she had modified her twilight wand into a mace. After she returned to her normal character, she had no other suitable weapon, so she kept using the mace.¡±


    The scene reminded Hasse when he first met Hesperides in Olympus thousands of years ago. Back then, the nymph was a chicken; she was wielding a wand but timid and lack of combat skill. But fade had changed her. The senior demon hunter shuddered. ¡°What goes around comes around,¡± he lamented.


    The deranged demon hunter was no slouch even before the shadow possessed him. Now he had gotten even stronger after losing his mind. The demon hunter was able to hold off Hesperides and turned the fighting into a stalemate.


    Hesperides was glowing so hot that even the ground around her softened, but the deranged demon hunter did not feel a thing. He dodged the attacks from Hesperides by performing a continuous spatial shift and using arrow and rune spells to drain Hesperides¡¯ patience and energy. Seeing the situation, Vivian became a little unsettled. After sending a swarm of bats to deal with the Shades of Chaos, Vivian came to the help of Hesperides.


    ¡°Try to catch him!¡± Hesperides shouted. ¡°The spatial shift of this son of a b*tch is f*cking elusive!¡±


    Vivian transformed into a massive swarm of bats. The bats, filled with lightning, swooped down at the demon hunter from all directions. The demon hunter was about to do another spatial shift, but Vivian had anticipated that. Through the bats, she emitted a directional, ear-piercing whistle at the deranged demon hunter, breaking his sequence of movement. A bright light followed immediately and lit up the entire scene.


    The light subsided, and the bats regrouped. The electric shock had immobilized the demon hunter, leaving him standing still like a statue on the spot.


    Hesperides strode up to the demon hunter about to knock him out.


    Before she could do that, the cloudy layer in the demon hunter¡¯s eyes disappeared, and he regained his consciousness.


    The Shade of Chaos had left him.


    The joint exorcism of the demon hunters was finally coming to its last stage. It ended with a loud peal. Bright lights burst out of the demon hunters and shrouded the entire building following with the runes above the family hall crumbling down.


    When the bright light finally dissipated, Hao Ren found that the family hall was still standing intact, but the Shades of Chaos had gone.


    It seemed that the demon hunters were superior compared to the otherworldlings, at least in dealing with various negative forces.

 Chapter 902

    After the glaring white light had dissipated, a hollow echo reverberated for several minutes in the air. There was energy hovering over the family hall, but it could also be an illusion, as the Shades of Chaos had dissipated under the intense light. Hasse ordered the demon hunters to maintain the sacred-flame barrier for a while as he and White Flame went out to check out the situation. A moment later, he declared the situation as safe.


    ¡°Phew¡­¡± Lily breathed a sigh of relief, her puffy tail shrank. ¡°It was exhausting,¡± she said.


    Hao Ren looked at the husky with a wry face. ¡°Were you not just sitting by and watching all the while?¡± he asked.


    Other than a pair of claws, Lily knew nothing about magic. Her brute strength was useless against the Shades of Chaos. The only thing she could do here was to be a cheerleader. She had wanted to help when Hesperides and Vivian were trying to restrain the deranged demon hunter, but it was all over before she could do anything.


    Holding her head high, the husky bragged, ¡°My battle cry had given you buffs!¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment, sneering. If her bark were a battle cry, he would have at least gotten three bars of buff over his head if he were to take a tour at a canine breeding ground.


    ¡°Is it over?¡± Hao Ren looked at the direction of the family hall. The shadows had completely disappeared. The darkness inside the hall had dissipated. The massive exorcism ritual had cleared the inside and outside of the building of the negative energy and a sense of sacredness in the form of a milky white halo was floating above the dome. ¡°Wow, that was a freaking powerful ritual, eh?¡± he said.


    ¡°It is of the demon hunters,¡± White Flame said as the flame on her body went out slowly. She looked a little tired but other than that she was fine. ¡°It seems that our exorcism is better than your shadowmancy, but of course, your gun is quite powerful too,¡± she said.


    Hesperides carried a dark demon hunter over and dropped him before Hasse. ¡°Your man has got lucky today; he¡¯s still alive. But if he couldn¡¯t recover from his deranged mind, I will finish him myself,¡± she said.


    It was the demon hunter possessed by the Shade of Chaos. After getting bombarded by 100,000 volts of current and bat swarm of Vivian, the demon hunter¡¯s body was as black as coal. His body occasionally twitched with the electric current still flowing under his clothes. Hasse immediately bent down to examine the warrior¡¯s condition. Aside from visible wounds on the outside, the warrior seemed fine mentally.


    ¡°He has healed?¡± White Flame was astonished. ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°How?¡± The last thing Hesperides wanted was to talk to Hasse and White Flame, but since White Flame had asked, she replied, ¡°With some good beating.¡±


    Hasse¡¯s face looked somber while he used magic to examine the injured demon hunter. Hao Ren sensed something was wrong. ¡°How is he? Shouldn¡¯t he have recovered?¡±


    ¡°This has never happened before. Normally, it requires a very complicated ritual to dispel the Shade of Chaos out of a person,¡± Hasse said without looking up. ¡°A month ago, some demon hunters were attacked by these shadows. Since then, we have somewhat found the treatment according to some ancient records though the method is pretty troublesome. But I have never heard of anyone could heal a deranged person by giving him a good beating,¡± he said.


    Lily interjected. ¡°I saw on TV that the possessed people would recover after getting a good beating,¡± she said.


    Hao Ren shot Lily a look. ¡°As you said, it is a TV program; it is not real,¡± he said.


    The MDT came out and muttered, ¡°In fact, I know a person who can do that, but he is not here.¡±


    Hasse did not hear what the MDT said as he was too engrossed with Hesperides and Vivian. ¡°What have you done?¡± he asked Hesperides.


    Hesperides thought for a while. She remembered she was wielding a mace and swung it indiscriminately at the possessed demon hunter, but she could barely hit the target. So she raised her finger pointing at Vivian. ¡°She was the one making the last strike.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the electric shock,¡± Vivian replied. ¡°It¡¯s the lightning discharge of the bat swarm. To me, it is a common move. It does not possess any exorcism power.¡±


    ¡°Electric shock? An electric shock could relieve frenzy?¡± White Flame muttered, incredulously. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard that striking someone with lightning could treat mental derangement.¡±


    At this time, the injured demon hunter struggled to get up. Black smoke puffed out from his mouth when he said, ¡°No¡­ she struck me more than once¡­¡±


    He then lay back down and twitched.


    While Hasse and White Flame were engrossed in their thoughts of whether lightning could heal people from the Shades of Chaos possession, Hao Ren was thinking something else. Having learned a great deal about Vivian, he began to link the healing to the unique life of this bat demon. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it has nothing to do with the lightning. Maybe it was Vivian that expelled the Shade of Chaos,¡± he said.


    Hasse had no idea what Hao Ren meant, but there was a weird reaction on Vivian¡¯s face. ¡°You mean¡­ Hell no! How are those strange things have anything to do with me?¡± she asked.


    Hao Ren remained silent while Lily rolled her eyes. ¡°Because you¡¯re the weirdest one in the house.¡±


    ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± White Flame looked at Hao Ren, bewildered. ¡°The power of Countess Vivian has suppressed the Shades of Chaos?¡± she said.


    ¡°Ahh, no, nothing, it¡¯s just my wild guess,¡± Hao Ren said, giving a superficial response knowing that it was not easy to sort out the matter. ¡°Vivian was one among the ancient gods who sealed the Shades of Chaos thousands of years ago. So I wonder if she still retains the influence over the shadows,¡± Hao Ren said.


    Hasse looked at Vivian in surprise. ¡°Is what he said true? Are you one of the persons who built the seal?¡±


    Vivien nodded, embarrassingly. ¡°Yeah, I guess, but I can¡¯t remember that.¡±


    Hao Ren then explained the origin of the seal to Hasse and then steered the conversation back to the Shades of Chaos. ¡°How did the shadows appear? Any clue?¡±


    White Flame¡¯s brows pulled together as she recalled, ¡°They just appeared suddenly. I didn¡¯t know how. Wasn¡¯t your assistant who alerted us about it?¡±


    ¡°If the Shades of Chaos also suddenly appeared in the hall one month ago, then it would be easy to explain what happened to the Ancattero family and the demon hunters,¡± said Hasse in a low voice. ¡°They would have no time to react because as soon as one person began to lose his mind, the situation would immediately get out of hand.¡±


    Everyone knew how they would end up if not for the heads-up from the MDT. With so many people gathered in a confined space, even the most experienced demon hunters would fall in the hands of the Shades of Chaos. The mind-attack that drove people into insanity posed the biggest threat, and it worked the best in a crowded space. So it was not difficult to imagine how the Shades of Chaos was able to cause a catastrophic chain reaction when Amatura and his fellow demon hunters were meeting with the Ancattero family in the hall. ¡°Did anyone do, move, see or felt anything unusual at that time?¡± Y¡¯zaks¡¯ low-pitched voice sounded calm and reassuring. ¡°We want to find out if there is anything that has disturbed the shadows.¡±


    Everyone began to rummage in their memory. The MDT had a visual record of what happened at that time¡ªmuch more detailed than anyone could describe verbally.


    Each of them had told what they did, see or felt right before the shadows emerged, but there was nothing particularly suspicious. It seemed that the Shades of Chaos just appeared out of nowhere for no reason.


    While they were scratching their head, White Flame suddenly spoke, ¡°I don¡¯t know if this is relevant, but those shadows began to appear when I let down my guard.¡±


    Hasse looked at his disciple. ¡°Is that your guts feeling?¡±


    ¡°Well, at least I think it matters,¡± White Flame said, nodding her head slightly as she explained what was in her mind. ¡°When I completely let down my guard against Hesperides, the shadows appeared.¡±


    White Flame¡¯s words reminded the other demon hunters, and they began to recall the incongruence at that time. Even Hasse and Hesperides had their moments when they let down their guard. ¡°There was a moment when I have forgotten that Hasse is my enemy,¡± Hesperides said, very honestly.

 Chapter 903

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Save for Hao Ren and a few others, who were not affected by innate hostility, the demon hunters and Hesperides had communicated with each other, and all found that they all had lost their vigilance at the same time while in the hall.


    Or more specifically, everyone lost their innate hostility at the same time.


    The younger generation of demon hunters and otherworldlings had experienced the weakening of innate hostility since a few months ago, but this phenomenon did not affect the ancients like Hasse and Hesperides due to their bloodlines. The innate hostility of both of them had also gone without them realizing it, and it was at that moment that the Shades of Chaos emerged.


    For this reason, it was hard not to link both incidents together.


    Hao Ren scratched his chin. ¡°Among the two, which one is the cause? Was it that the lack of vigilance had led to the appearance of the Shades of Chaos, or that the activity of the Shades of Chaos had caused you all losing your innate hostility?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the nature of the Shades of Chaos to cause conflict and disorder, not suppress them. So we can rule out the second scenario,¡± Vivian said, shaking her head. ¡°As for the first scenario, though there is no obvious contradiction, why did the innate hostility of everyone disappear suddenly in the first place?¡±


    Hesperides glanced at Hasse with a somber look on her face. ¡°When you look at me right now, do you feel like killing me?¡± she asked.


    There were not many expressions on Hasse¡¯s face. ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Well, I do,¡± Hesperides said with her arms crossed, ¡°but it has nothing to do with the innate hostility. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t like your face,¡± she said.


    ¡°It seems that everyone has lost the innate hostility,¡± Vivian said, her eyes scanning the other demon hunters, who looked confused and uncomfortable. Though without the innate hostility they were less nervous before Hesperides and Vivian, they somehow felt it weird. The unnatural feeling was understandable. They had been living with the innate ability for all their lives; it had become as natural as breathing. Vivian only shook her head. ¡°It all happened in the critical juncture. Anyway, I think the loss of the hostile instinct is related to the activity the Shades of Chaos. Those shadows attack the mind; especially when everyone has no vigilance.¡±


    Her theory sounded plausible, but there was still no explanation as to why the hostility instinct of everyone disappeared spontaneously. The only reason they could think of was that there was something in the hall.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get back in and check it out,¡± Hasse said. ¡°There may be something in the hall that is capable of eliminating the hostile instincts.¡±


    They immediately returned to the hall. Hasse said to White Flame, ¡°Contact Teuton with your magic and ask him about their situation. Tell him what has happened here and warn him about the Shades of Chaos.¡±


    The hall remained the same as before. The exorcism ritual had not changed the hall physically, and it only affected the Shades of Chaos which were shadows on the object surface. As the dust had settled, scattered furniture and dead bodies were the only things left inside. A faint white light, which carried a hint of sacred aura, was lingering in the air. The investigators began searching around for anything that might have residue of magic or ritual, while Hasse stood in the center of the hall, looking up thoughtfully at the hole on the dome.


    Hao Ren went over and asked Hasse, ¡°What did you find?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, I am just not used to it,¡± Hasse said, sighing. ¡°You know, killing instinct has been with me for thousands of years, as natural as the feeling of hunger and pain, but now it¡¯s gone¡­¡±


    Nearby, Lily heard what Hasse said. She bared her fangs. ¡°I don¡¯t feel a thing. It¡¯s better not to have that instinct,¡± she said.


    Hao Ren had almost forgotten. The husky possessed a certain degree of hostility towards other races too, just like the normal otherworldlings. Though hers was very weak, it occasionally manifested in things like squabbling for food with Vivian.


    Hasse, who rarely showed any emotion, laughed. ¡°Maybe, the younger generation like you is lucky. At least you can control your mind more easily, and are more adaptive than an old man like us.¡±


    Hao Ren had never had a good impression of the senior demon hunter. He always had the feeling that Hasse was cold and old-fashioned, and had a deep-rooted prejudice against the otherworldlings. However, Hao Ren had sensed a touch of humanity in Hasse this time. He did not believe that this change was the result of the disappearance of the killing instinct, but he also did not like to poke his nose in other¡¯s lives, so he gave a perfunctory reply.


    ¡°If what happened just now is anything to go by, we can infer what happened a month ago,¡± Lily said, looking around. ¡°Look at these banquet tables, the demon hunters that Amatura brought were having a good time with the Ancattero family. Probably, they also lost their hostile instinct, just like us, before the Shades of chaos appeared,¡± she said.


    Hasse nodded in agreement. Suddenly, Hesperides called out, ¡°Look at this!¡±


    Hao Ren and the others went over only to find Hesperides was standing in front of a banquet table at one end of the hall, holding a beautiful but weirdly huge golden cup in her hand.


    ¡°Is there a problem with the cup?¡± Hao Ren asked curiously. They had been busy checking the dead bodies and signs of battle in the hall and entirely overlooked the banquet tableware that had strewn everywhere.


    ¡°Do you think people normally drink from such a huge cup?¡± Hesperides flipped the cup bottom up, revealing a series of complicated runes and patterns on the circular base. ¡°It seems like a ceremonial vessel,¡± she said.


    Then she pointed to the marks next to the banquet table and other strange items scattered on the ground. ¡°Looks like they had a ritual. These cups and candlesticks are different from those on the other tables, and usually not used in a banquet.¡±


    Vivian took the golden cup in her hand. She saw some residue¡ªthe dried red wine. She could smell the suspicious scent. ¡°It smells the blood of the demon hunters. They mixed the red wine with blood,¡± she said.


    Then she found another cup under the table. ¡°It¡¯s true. It tastes like the blood of the Ancattero family member,¡± Vivian said.


    ¡°They came here to swear in as bothers?¡± Lily asked.


    Vivian stared at the husky. ¡°Though I feel that what you said is possible, could you please shut up?¡±


    ¡°It was a communion, but the scene has been destroyed,¡± Hasse said, bending over to examine the banquet table that laid on the ground with two broken legs. There were some subtle traces of runes on the table, but the rest of the table was charred. ¡°Otherwise we could know what this ritual was all about¡ª¡±


    Before Hasse¡¯s voice trailed off, White Flame suddenly broke in. ¡°Teacher, Master Teuton is back, and¡ª¡±


    Hasse looked up, noticing White Flame¡¯s unusual expression. ¡°What happened?¡± he asked quickly without waiting for White Flame to finish.


    ¡°They found Elder Andaherr, but she seems a bit weird.¡±


    Hasse immediately let them in. Hao Ren saw Teuton and two demon hunters walking into the hall with Wayne following from behind. In the middle was a small figure draped in a deep-purple cloak.


    Wayne nodded to Vivian before Hesperides pulled him to a side, asking him what happened. Meanwhile, Hasse came up to the short figure and carefully lifted the hood off the figure¡¯s head. ¡°Elder Andaherr?¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the person, a woman in her thirties with long gray hair and an Asian face. Though she was an ancient of the same period as Hesperides, like other long-living races, age did not catch up on her face. The only weird thing was that this Elder Andaherr was strange, just like what White Flame had said.


    She looked inert and did not respond to her surroundings. Even though Hasse greeted her, she just looked up and could not say anything.


    Looks like she lost her mind.

 Chapter 904

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Wayne had found Elder Andaherr the demon hunter, but the elder seemed not right mentally. She was demential, inert, and did not respond to things around her. Hasse tried to talk to her, but she only returned with meaningless, unintelligible word and then stood still.


    While examining Andaherr with various magic measures, Hasse asked Teuton, ¡°Where did you find her?¡±


    ¡°Under the tower. She was already like this when I found her loitering in the open space next to the tower,¡± Teuton replied.


    Hasse stretched out his hand and waved it before the eyes of Andaherr; there was only a blank expression on her face. After a while, she suddenly walked away, came before a broken banquet table, and rummaged through a pile of rotten food on the ground.


    Hao Ren was startled for a while before he realized that she was ¡®foraging.¡¯


    Hasse immediately stepped forward, stopped Andaherr. He gave her a packet of his ration. Andaderr did not respond to Hasse, but instinctively took the food and skillfully opened the package and wolfed it down her throat.


    Hasse handed a bottle of water to her. She took it and knew how to open the lid.


    ¡°She could still take care of herself, but seemed to have lost most of her sensory and communication ability.¡± Vivian had noticed the cues. ¡°It seems that she has been in this condition for a month,¡± she said.


    ¡°How is that possible?¡± Y¡¯zaks was surprised. ¡°Doesn¡¯t the Shade of Chaos only drive people insane? It makes people stupid?¡±


    Lily wagged her tail, and a funny thought came to her mind. ¡°She¡¯s also the ancient one. So could she be having dementia like Battie?¡± she asked.


    Vivian glared at her. ¡°Don¡¯t drag me into that! I am only forgetful, not demential!¡± she said.


    While Lily and Vivian had a shouting match, Hasse had found something on Andaherr using his diagnostic magic. ¡°Wait a second. The Shades of Chaos didn¡¯t cause her condition, it was the Mind Shackle spell, and the spell caster was Andaherr herself,¡± he said.


    Hao Ren was stunned. He looked at Andaherr, whose face emotionless. ¡°Mind Shackle?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    Vivian hemmed, and then said, ¡°It is a mind-retarding spell.¡±


    Though it sounded funny, the mind-retarding spell was a real and common spell, which the demon hunters, some human sorcerers, and the otherworldlings known as the Night Demons practiced. This kind of magic was used against intelligent creatures to interfere with their perception and weaken the ability to think. A more powerful spell caster could even make the subject to lose their thinking ability completely. The effect of this magic varied greatly depending on the skill of the caster and was also affected by the mental resistance of the subject. It was not a strong spell, because the subject might suddenly think of his or her spouse or other people¡¯s spouse, and got free from it.


    However, when a spell caster used the magic on him- or herself, the effect would be long-lasting because self-suggestion had suppressed mental resistance right from the beginning.


    The mind-retarding spell caused Andaherr¡¯s condition and she was the spell caster.


    ¡°Why did she even do that to herself?¡± Y¡¯lisabet grabbed her horn with a strange look on her face. ¡°Did she beat herself up when she couldn¡¯t find anyone else after the Shades of Chaos deranged her?¡±


    ¡°No. She did it to herself because she didn¡¯t want to hurt others!¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°Do the Shades of Chaos affect people with an unsound mind?¡±


    ¡°It seems they won¡¯t,¡± Hasse said. He finally figured it out. ¡°The danger of the Shades of Chaos is that they could infinitely magnify the sense of anger and hostility in people. When one cannot even think, then the shadows would not be able to inflict their influence.¡±


    ¡°Is it possible for a third party to disarm the Mind Shackle spell?¡± Y¡¯zaks asked.


    Hasse¡¯s brows knit together. ¡°It would be difficult. The most special thing about this spell is that its effect is not only dependent on the skill level of the spell caster, but also influenced by the mental resistance of the subject. It is something purely to do with the mind. There used to be cases where a defenseless beggar had successfully resisted the magic of a master demon hunter. There was also a case where a cold-blooded killer succumbed to the Mind Shackle spell of an apprentice and became a retard for the rest of his life. Andaherr cast her spell. When her sense of resistance was zero at that time, the effect of the spell would be the strongest. I¡¯m afraid that there is no way to defeat the spell from the outside.¡±


    Hasse took the hassle to explain in detail the function and principle of the Mind Shackle spell to make a point of the level of difficulty in lifting this spell. Y¡¯zaks, however, saw a glimmer of hope. ¡°That is to say, the subject could still be capable of resistance, but the consciousness is blocked, right? So as long as she could actively invoke her conscienceness, she could still become sober, right?¡± he asked.


    ¡°In theory, yes.¡± Hasse looked at Y¡¯zaks with a puzzled look. ¡°What are you going to do? Her soul is locked away in the depths of her soul, and she can¡¯t hear outside voices.¡±


    A uniquely green evil fire rose in Y¡¯zaks eyes when he guffawed with a hoarse voice. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind¡ªI can speak directly to her soul.¡±


    ¡°You mean extracting?¡± Hasse and Teuton were stunned when they understood what Y¡¯zaks meant. Teuton objected. ¡°No! Working with the otherworldlings is an unprecedented compromise. Letting a demon disturb the soul of our elder would be crossing the red line.¡±


    ¡°No extraction,¡± Y¡¯zaks said slowly. ¡°Dive into her spiritual world and say a few words to her. I guarantee that this female demon hunter would be safe, and I wouldn¡¯t do anything to her soul.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks was sincere, but the problem was his appearance; he had a face only a mother could love, and it was scary despite his kind words. Both faces of Hasse and Teuton turned green; neither of them dared to consent to the suggestion.


    Blame it on the notorious reputation of the demons. Though there were various types of demons in the worlds, they all shared a similar character and behavior. They all were good at fiddling with people¡¯s souls, especially like to use their talent evilly. There had never been any demons, when had a chance to fiddle with people ¡®s soul, would leave it alone undisturbed, let alone during a psychic ritual. A kind-hearted demon like Y¡¯zaks, whose only daily routines were reading the People¡¯s Daily and carrying old ladies crossing the streets, was lucky enough to have been adopted by Hao Ren. Otherwise, he would have been sent to the lab for scientific dissection.


    Vivian became impatient with Hasse. ¡°Do you have any better solutions?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t afford to waste time.¡± Vivian turned aggressive. ¡°You have thirty seconds. Hao Ren, start the countdown,¡± she said.


    Hasse forced a smile. ¡°You are being¡ª¡±


    ¡°Twenty-five seconds.¡±


    At this time, White Flame interrupted. ¡°Teacher, I think we should give it a try,¡± she said.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that power is just a tool and tool is neutral, good or bad, it all depends on how we use them?¡± White Flame said in a serious tone of voice. ¡°If the situation calls for it, demon hunter may use poisons and surprise attacks to save lives. Then why can¡¯t we use its psychic power in saving lives?¡±


    Hasse did not answer. Vivian patted White Flame on the shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ve got a bright future, lass. At least, you¡¯re more open-minded than your teacher,¡± she quipped.


    Hasse did not expect that his student would embarrass him at a crucial moment. But deep inside he knew White Flame was right; he had taught her that. He could only nod. ¡°Then let¡¯s give it a try. If things go wrong, stop it immediately,¡± he said.


    The other demon hunters began to doubt his decision, but Hasse just shook his head. ¡°Desperate times call for desperate measures. We should first let Elder Andaherr recover.¡±


    While saying, he looked at Vivian, hinting that the living fossil was the one making the ultimate decision. The demon hunters noted. They gave in. No one wanted to go against Vivian¡¯s will because the last thing they wanted to hear was Vivian yelling ¡°When I whacked your father, grandfather, great grandfather, they didn¡¯t even complain!¡±


    Of course, a more important reason was that the hostile instinct had disappeared. The demon hunters could think more rationally, unlike in the past where they would have an entirely different reaction.


    As there were no more objections, Y¡¯zaks immediately began to perform the psychic ritual on Andaherr.

 Chapter 905

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Y¡¯zaks pressed his hand on Andaherr¡¯s forehead, a faint green flame filled his eyes, and his hands were full of incomprehensible demonic runes. A chain-like circle appeared around Andaherr. Usually, a demon would need a series of complicated rituals, seductions, and preparations to extract the soul of the stronger subject, but Y¡¯zaks did not have to do that. He was not retrieving her soul, and what was more he was the most powerful demon king in history. He was the best of the best when it came to the business of the soul, ahead of all other intelligent beings on this planet in this field. That was why he made light work of the ritual.


    Of course, a more important reason was that Mind Shackle spell had affected Andaherr.


    Hasse, Teuton, and several other demon hunters were nervously waiting beside Andaherr and at the same time. They had never seen demon like Y¡¯zaks. During the ritual, Teuton was a little curious. He said to himself, ¡°His power is different from those of other demons I¡¯ve seen.¡±


    Appearing like an expert, Hasse said, ¡°Maybe he¡¯s of the minority.¡±


    No one could see what was at the soul level, but Andaherr expression did change slightly as the ritual progressed. After a few minutes, Y¡¯zaks slowly retracted his power, the elderly demon hunter¡¯s eyes were full of spirit again. She blinked and woke up from her inertness. The whole ritual was smoother than Hao Ren had expected.


    For demon hunters with strong mental and magic abilities, it was not difficult for them to break free from the Mind Shackle spell as long as their consciousness was awake.


    Andaherr took a deep breath. When her eyes adapted to the environment and saw the people around her, she stumbled backward. Her first reaction was reached into her cloak for her weapon, but she found it was not there. The silver dagger she always carried on her waist was gone, probably she had dropped it somewhere.


    Hasse called out at her, ¡°Andaherr, easy. There are no enemies here.¡±


    ¡°Elder Hasse?¡± Andaherr recognized him who stood by her side. She tried to shake off her grogginess. ¡°You guys are¡­ Where am I now?¡± she asked.


    ¡°As you can see,¡± Hasse stepped aside so that Andaherr could have an overview of the hall, ¡°you are still in the secret realm of the Ancattero family. We just found you. What happened here?¡± he asked.


    Andaherr saw the chaotic scene in the hall and finally remembered the scene of carnage that happened here a month ago. Her face turned downcast. She first noticed Y¡¯zaks, Hao Ren, and the others, and remembered the phantom of lava and flame that appeared to her in her soul. ¡°Wait a minute. I remember a demon woke me up. They¡¯re not demon hunters, are they?¡± she asked.


    Y¡¯zaks grinned. ¡°I am that demon,¡± he said.


    ¡°They are with us at the moment,¡± Hasse explained, figuring that since Andaherr came here with Amatura to have a friendly meeting with the otherworldlings, she might have an open attitude towards the otherworldlings, so he cast aside his doubt. ¡°This is Y¡¯zaks. This is Hao Ren¡ª¡±


    Before Hasse continued, Vivian stepped up and introduced herself. ¡°I¡¯m Vivian Ancestor. I guess you already know me. Since I¡¯m here, you should know that the demon hunters and the otherworldlings are working together now,¡± she said.


    Only now Andaherr noticed Vivian. She was stunned, covered her pockets with her hands and stepped backward. ¡°I don¡¯t have any money!¡± she said.


    Expecting that Vivian would impress Andaherr with her senior aura, Andaherr¡¯s unexpected reaction caught everyone by surprise. Hao Ren froze and looked at his pauper tenant. ¡°What happened between you two?¡±


    Vivian could not wrap her brain around it. ¡°What could happen between us except a fight? You can¡¯t seriously think that I borrowed money from the demon hunters,¡± she said.


    Andaherr¡¯s reaction was purely instinctive. She was still in confusion. Now, realizing that she had overacted, she came up awkwardly to Vivian.


    ¡°You have grudges against me?¡± Vivian asked carefully, thinking that she must have unwittingly beaten her or her parents up in the past.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Andaherr pasted on a smile. ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s no big deal anyway. I was still small at that time, and it happened a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°Have you two finished yet?¡± Hasse finally could not help but interrupted. ¡°Elder Andaherr, can you tell us more about what happened here? Why did you cast a spell on yourself, and why did you wander around the Ancattero family resting place?¡± he asked.


    Andaherr¡¯s face looked serious. She took a deep breath and asked, ¡°What is the situation on the outside?¡±


    ¡°The Shades of Chaos have escaped, there are reported cases of attacks on the demon hunters and otherworldlings, but the situation is not epidemic yet. We are here to investigate the incident. The Council of Elders have lost contact with you lot for a month, and now the situation is chaotic,¡± Hasse said.


    ¡°A month?¡± Andaherr was a little surprised. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it¡¯s been a month. Anyway, it could be worse if all those things escape in the open,¡± she said.


    Andaherr suddenly moaned, burying her head in her hands as if in pain. Seeing her condition, Hasse became worried. ¡°What happened to you?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Maybe it¡¯s just the sequelae of the Mind Shackle,¡± Andaherr said. Though looking pale, she recovered gradually. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. The Shade of Chaos left me alone when they found that I had gone insane. I¡¯ve no danger of losing control,¡± she said.


    Vivian¡¯s brows pulled together. She asked, ¡°What happened here? Why is the seal destroyed?¡±


    ¡°No one destroyed the seal,¡± Andaherr said with a low voice. ¡°We misunderstood the essence and relationship between the Shade of Chaos, innate hostility, the Solar Roulette, and the ¡®seal.¡¯ Coincidentally, our behavior triggered the Solar Roulette to release the Shades of Chaos,¡± she said.


    Now Hao Ren was confused. ¡°What behavior? How did the Solar Roulette work again? Was it not a seal made by the Ancattero family?¡± he asked.


    That question, in turn, baffled Andaherr. ¡°Ancattero made the Solar Roulette? How do you know? They didn¡¯t make the Solar Roulette, it was only in their custody. It¡¯s an ancient device, which no one knows its origins. We only know that the Shades of Chaos came from the roulette, so we suspect that the roulette is affecting the innate hostility between the races.¡±


    ¡°The Solar Roulette affects the innate hostility?¡± This one thing aroused Hao Ren curiosity. ¡°Amatura found out this?¡± he asked.


    Andaherr nodded. ¡°Elder Amatura has always believed that some outside forces have implanted the innate hostility in the minds of the various races, and the Solar Roulette is the medium, so he wanted to cut off the connection between the Roulette and the outside world.¡±


    ¡°Then thing went wrong?¡± Y¡¯zaks asked with a hoarse voice. ¡°You mean the communion? Where is the Solar Roulette?¡±


    Andaherr let out a sigh. ¡°I think it¡¯d be better for the custodians of the Solar Roulette to tell you that¡ªif they could recover their consciousness,¡± she said.


    Vivian was wide-eyed. ¡°Are you talking about the Ancattero family? They¡¯re still alive?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Vogus and some members of the Ancattero family fled to the sanctuary. They probably are still alive, but they are all frozen,¡± Andaherr said, nodding her head gently. ¡°But I¡¯m not sure. I last saw them before I shut the door behind them, and I wasn¡¯t exactly at my best mental state at the time.¡±


    Vivian and Hao Ren asked in unison, ¡°Where is the sanctuary?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s near where you guys found me,¡± said Andaherr. ¡°Let me show you the way.¡±

 Chapter 906

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hasse ordered some of the demon hunters to stay behind in the hall to monitor whether there were still remnants of Shades of Chaos here. Meanwhile, he led a few elite demon hunters including White Flame and Hao Ren to the resting place of the ancestors of the Ancattero family.


    Under Andaherr¡¯s guidance, they came under a big obelisk, which Wayne had mentioned earlier, the resting place of Ancattero ancestors.


    The obelisk stood right in the middle of an empty square. It was three or four hundred meters tall, had a solemn and grand three-level structure. Each level was slimmer than the one below. Suspended at the top of the obelisk was a huge metal installation. There were no other buildings except the neatly arranged golden columns in the square. The columns, which were surrounded by light, had unknown uses.


    It was the family resting place of the Tannaeans. Hao Ren had thought that the resting place was an eerie place, after all, it was a cemetery. As it turned out, the opposite was true. It felt warm, filled with light, and meticulously landscaped, which showed how important the Tannaeans treated their funeral.


    Unlike the other otherworldlings, the Tannaeans had a relatively short life span. Though they still lived longer than humans, it was short compared to the demon hunters or vampires. It was the reason why they had a mausoleum of such scale and a very solemn funeral rite. The demon hunters, on the other hand, was not that particular when it came to how they buried their dead. Most of them died in battles in their later years, and their bodies were mostly mutilated, so their funeral was much more straightforward. Meanwhile, vampires were the race that was most obsessed with their graves and coffins, spending considerable effort than humans did in studying various kinds of sarcophagus and mausoleum only to use them for sleeping.


    ¡°They are hiding underground,¡± Andaherr said. She led them to the obelisk. ¡°You¡¯re not going to find the entrance without a guide,¡± she said.


    Hasse looked at Andaherr in surprise. ¡°They¡¯re giving away the location of their secret sanctuary to a demon hunter?¡±


    Andaherr looked gloomy. ¡°The situation was unique a month ago. We couldn¡¯t care less about the differences between demon hunters and otherworldlings. We needed to survive so that we could tell others what had happened,¡± she said.


    ¡°You meet the Ancattero family to discuss innate hostility?¡± Hasse asked. ¡°What you guys did behind the back of the council of elders was incredible. I knew that Elder Amatura had bizarre thinking, but I didn¡¯t expect him would bring so many demon hunters with him.¡±


    ¡°Nothing would ever be done had we told the council of elders,¡± Andaherr replied calmly. She was one of the strong supporters of Amatura¡¯s theory, from which it was not difficult to know that the demon hunters, who appeared conservative and united in the eyes of the outside world, had many different schools of thought. Many of them were deviant. ¡°Amatura was not impulsive. He had studied a lot of information and conducted thousands of tests on the blood of the demon hunters and otherworldlings. We didn¡¯t expect that the problem was so deep-rooted.¡±


    ¡°So you lot paid a huge price for that,¡± Hasse replied quietly.


    Andaherr kept silent. She came before the base of the golden obelisk. As soon as she placed her hand on the base, alien text and symbols began to appear on the surface of the base, which looked like a touch panel that the Tannaeans made. Andaherr entered a series of instructions, which the Ancattero family had given to her, on the touch panel.


    The base slowly clunked open in the middle, revealing a staircase that led to the underground.


    ¡°What is the communion all about?¡± Hao Ren could not hold back his sense of curiosity while going down the staircase. ¡°Is it related to the research of Amatura?¡±


    ¡°The communion is all about purification, a ritual using the blood of demon hunters and the otherworldlings to get rid of the innate hostility. According to the findings of Elder Amatura, the innate hostility between the various races is non-physical and hidden in the blood,¡± Andaherr replied. ¡°He thought that this thing was an implant from a third party, an unstable time bomb buried in our blood, so he was determined to remove this unstable factor. His research had not made much progress in the past millennium, but recently it finally saw some progress.¡±


    ¡°Is it because of the sudden weakening of the innate hostility in recent months?¡± Vivian asked, casually.


    Andaherr nodded slightly. ¡°Yes, exactly. The weakening of the innate hostility finally provided us with enough data for Elder Amatura to complete his research and come out with the bloodline purification ritual. He decided first to let some of his men and members of the Ancattero family undergo this ritual. Many of the demon hunters were experiencing severe weakening of innate hostility, and the Ancattero family was the milder one among the different races, this created the right condition that allowed us to come together without worrying getting hostile again. We wanted the sirens as they were even gentler than the Ancattero family and the demon hunters had no hostile feelings towards them. However, they were too elusive; we couldn¡¯t find them.¡±


    It sounded to Hao Ren that this was the downside of a lack of communication. Had the demon hunters contacted him earlier, the situation would be very different. The two sirens in his house had been redundant for a while with Ayesha running a restaurant and Nangong Wuyue doing nothing but immersing herself with colorful tattoos.


    ¡°Did the Shades of Chaos appear after you finished the ritual?¡± Hasse asked.


    Andaherr paused for a moment and then nodded. ¡°The ritual was going on smoothly initially, with the demon hunters and members of the Ancattero family getting free from the influence of the innate hostility. The situation, however, began to get out of hand. The innate hostility quickly disappeared from those who weren¡¯t near the ritual. Elder Amatura and Patriarch Vogus were no exception. At first, I thought that this was the powerful effect of the ritual, but soon Elder Amatura realized that it was not the effect of the blood-purification ritual, but of something else¡ªwe probably had triggered something. Elder Marduk tried to end the ritual abruptly, but it was too late; the Shades of Chaos had appeared under the feet of everyone and caught us by surprise.¡±


    At the end of the staircase was a lift. Andaherr led everyone onto the elevator before she pressed a button and the elevator descended. Then she continued to tell what happened a month ago. ¡°The first ones who lost their minds were Abaddon and Chloanne, who had stabbed Elder Marduk. The situation began to spiral from there. The demon hunters and the Ancattero family began to kill each other. At last, Elder Amatura barely kept himself conscious and led Patriarch Vogus and me to run. We were the only ones who had not been possessed by the Shades of Chaos.¡±


    The lift came to a halt at the bottom. Hao Ren saw a thick metal gate in front of him, and walls on both sides of the metal gate were inlaid with large panes of glass windows. Behind the glass windows were some gray shadows, which appeared neatly arranged.


    ¡°During the evacuation, the Shades of Chaos was coming from all directions and escaping to the outside. People were killing each other in the streets. The situation was getting out of hand. Patriarch Vogus had done his best to gather those who were still unaffected and brought them to the sanctuary. In the sanctuary, we began to think about how we could prevent from being possessed by the Shades of Chaos.¡±


    Hao Ren came before the huge glass windows. He tried to look into the window and felt a chilly air permeating the glass to the outside. On the other side of the window, there were rows of transparent containers. White mist was floating inside between the containers. Judging from the ice flakes on the containers, Hao Ren deduced that the temperate inside must be extremely low.


    ¡°The Shades of Chaos would not attack those who have no rational mind,¡± Andaherr said as she pointed at the gate. ¡°The power of the Mind Shackle has its limit, so we used this room. Vogus said that it was a hibernation facility. I hope I¡¯d operated it correctly at the time.¡±


    Hao Ren looked up at the alloy gate and saw a line of text on the lintel:


    Hibernation Freezer No. 4.

 Chapter 907

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The sanctuary that Andaherr said turned out to be a hibernation chamber. He had been hearing the demon hunter talking about a magic realm, but what he saw now was a sci-fi-like, high-tech facility. He was a little surprised. But what surprised him, even more, was the name of the facility: Hibernation Freezer. It reminded him of the hibernation on a spacecraft.


    Hao Ren was wondering if this underground facility was a part of a spaceship.


    Lily peered through the window glass, her tail wagging in the air. ¡°Whoa¡­ look at that high-tech stuff.¡±


    Andaherr came before the metal door and clumsily fiddled on the control panel on the side of the door. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go in with them?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°This facility has been dormant for too long. According to Vogus, some equipment in the core had been shut down due to mechanical failure, and they did not manage to restart them in time. Without that equipment, which was the controller, they could only manually closed the door from the outside,¡± Andaherr explained. She was not very familiar with Tannaean technology though she had learned a thing or two about technologies on Earth. ¡°Someone had to stay back. That¡¯d got to be me.¡±


    ¡°Why you?¡± Vivian asked, looking at Andaherr suspiciously. ¡°I do not doubt anything but just feeling that it made no sense.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s doubt was understandable especially when Andaherr was an elder of the demon hunters. It did not matter whether Andaherr volunteered it and how much the Ancattero family trusted her, the job should not be on her shoulder. It was even more puzzling when Andaherr had no clue how to operate the facility as they could see how she bungled now. It would only be more appropriate for the technician of the Ancattero family to do the job, Vivian so thought.


    Andaherr sighed. ¡°Because I could cast myself the Mind Shackle spell. At that time, the Shades of Chaos had almost overrun the realm and many people, including me, were affected. We fought the shadows back with our will, and we finally got to the sanctuary. We didn¡¯t know how long we could hold on. We had to make sure that the one person who stayed behind wouldn¡¯t lose his mind and screw up, such as cutting off the power supply to the life support system, before the door shut. I was the best candidate for the job.¡±


    Andaherr had left out many details, but one could guess why she made such a decision at that time. When possessed by the Shades of Chaos, thoughts, and loyalty were meaningless, the only person with the strongest mind would survive and whether that person was a demon hunter or an otherworldling was irrelevant. They had decided to choose Andaherr, who was still fully awake, to complete the job. After shutting the door to the hibernation chamber, Andaherr would cast herself the Mind Shackle spell to prevent the Shades of Chaos from possessing her, and if worse comes to worst, she could self-terminate anytime.


    Andaherr fumbled with the control panel for a while before finally figuring out the way to open the door. As the heavy alloy door slid open slowly to both sides with a clonk, a gust of freezing air rushed out from the inside.


    Lily felt the cold air hitting her on the face was refreshing. Perhaps she was thinking of her hometown.


    They stepped into the hibernation chamber. Hao Ren and Vivian quickly went up to one of the nearest freezers, which was slender, oval in shape, with metal on the base and a transparent crystal and metal frame on the upper part forming an egg-shell-like structure. A cold mist was flowing out from the bottom of the freezer and spread out to the surroundings and under their feet.


    Each freezer housed a Tannaean, eyes closed, and immersed in a jelly-like solution. They all looked like they were sleeping.


    ¡°The freezer is leaking.¡± Hao Ren looked at the white, chilly mist under their feet, brows knitting together. To the layman, the low temperature in the hibernation chamber was normal because it was consistent with the ¡®atmosphere,¡¯ but Hao Ren thought otherwise; it was a system failure. The oval containers were the freezer. These freezers had to maintain a low enough temperature to keep the Tannaeans inside alive. Keeping the temperate low outside the freezers was a waste of energy, it was not part of the design. There was only one reason for the existence of cold air in the room: system malfunction.


    ¡°The cooling pipes are too old; they¡¯re leaking,¡± the MDT said. It had found the source of the leakage. There were refrigerant liquids and jelly-like substances leaking out from the bases of the freezers. ¡°Start the wake-up procedure immediately!¡± the MDT said.


    Andaherr was already at it. Standing at the console at the end of the room, she pulled the level to initiate the freezer shut-down procedure. But thick ice was covering the surface of the console. Lily had to thaw the control panel first with her Flamejoy. The internal of the control panel was not affected though. Soon, the freezers opened as airlock valves released the pressure.


    A hologram popped up on each of the freezer showing the current state of the system. Almost every hologram was flashing its alarm; life signals in many of the fridges were weak.


    Vivian immediately lunged forwards, getting the Tannaeans slowly on the floor. Some were slipping out and falling. She called out to other demon hunters, ¡°Hurry up, help them!¡±


    The demon hunters could not care less about racial difference now. They quickly went up to help the Tannaeans. There were a few hundred Ancattero family members in the freezers when the freezers opened, they slid and fell out all at the same time. It was chaotic. Hao Ren and Vivian held a Tannaean out of the fridge. A strange jelly-like substance covered the Tannaean, and his body was cold. However, Vivian found the Tannaean still had pulses. ¡°This one is still alive!¡±


    Hao Ren looked up; there were just not enough hands. He reached into his dimensional pocket and took out his secret weapon. ¡°All right, people, keep calm. We have some little helping hands here!¡±


    A few curious demon hunters came up to see what Hao Ren was up to. Space cracks began to appear around Hao Ren before hordes of mechanical tentacles emerged from the inside. The silver metallic monsters were making a series of weird sounds and started picking up the frozen Tannaeans on the floor. At first glance, it was as if there was a squid lair in the room and Hao Ren was the lair itself.


    The demon hunters almost jumped out of their skins. If not for Hao Ren had given them a heads-up, they would have drawn their weapon by now. ¡°What are these things?¡± Andaherr asked in amazement.


    ¡°It¡¯s called technology!¡± the MDT hovered in the air and issued instructions to the tentacles using a blue light beam. ¡°Lift them to the outside, where it¡¯s airier than the inside. Treat those I¡¯ve marked first. Is anyone good at Fire Magic? We need you. White Flame, stop looking at others, I mean you! Any others who are good at giving out heat?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks and Y¡¯lisabet each carried a huge lava ball and walked to the outside. Hao Ren quickly stopped them. ¡°Wait a second! Y¡¯zaks, your lava ball isn¡¯t suitable for this!¡±


    Happily, Lily held up her Flamejoy. ¡°What about mine?¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the sharp claws in her hands and the zealousness on her face. ¡°Maybe next time,¡± he said.


    Lily glared at him. ¡°You don¡¯t trust my claws, do you?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t trust your brain.¡±


    Lily¡¯s claws could not help it when the frozen Tannaeans needed more delicate handling. Other than barbecuing, Hao Ren would not let Lily roast anything else.


    With the help of the autonomous robots, the rescue work went smoothly. The frozen Tannaeans had been transferred to the outside. Hasse had set up an enchanted barrier at the doorway to prevent the freezing air from leaking out to the outside. Although the hibernation freezer system had malfunctioned, the safety mechanism of these oval containers seemed to be working, as all Tannaeans were still alive.


    The hall outside the hibernation chamber was filled with frozen Tannaeans. The demon hunters, Wayne, and Hao Ren were working together, helping each other. Vivian saw the scene and could not help but mumble, ¡°Are you guys not friends now?¡±


    Suddenly, Andaherr called out not far away, ¡°Vogus is here! He is still alive!¡±

 Chapter 908

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The Ancattero family patriarch, Vogus, was still alive. He was very weak, but he survived the freezing temperature and had only mild suffocation. Andaherr immediately transferred him to a warmer place: at the side of Hesperides.


    Hesperides was standing in the center of the hall, emanating a healing and spirit-lifting warmth, which was preferable than the intense sacred flame of the demon hunters and the tempestuous magic flame. The Tannaeans began to recover under the heat radiating from the nymph of the evening. It seemed that other than the weirdoes in Hao Ren¡¯s house, the otherworldlings in the wild and the demon hunters could also make the best use of their abilities.


    Hao Ren, Hasse, and others came up to the patriarch Vogus. The light-gold skinned Tannaean slowly opened his eyes. He looked around, still appearing a little confused. ¡°I.. who are you guys?¡±


    ¡°Vogus,¡± Andaherr held the hand of the senior patriarch. ¡°Listen to me. It¡¯s over. They¡¯re the search and rescue team members.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Hasse, elder demon hunter. This is Hao Ren, the head of a sanctuary for the otherworldlings in Asia.¡± Hasse nodded to Vogus, never had he thought that he would be able to speak to an otherworldling patriarch like this. ¡°How do you feel now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Vogus said, struggling to get up. Water was dripping down his clothes from heavy condensation, and he coughed a few times, spitting out the life-supporting substance. He then noticed his compatriots receiving treatment nearby. ¡°Is everyone else okay?¡±


    Hasse and Hao Ren explained the situation to the patriarch and told him that it had been a month since the incident happened, and these few hundred people were the only survivors in the Ancattero territory. Vogus was surprisingly calm after hearing this as if this was something expected. Perhaps Tannaeans had a different way of expressing their emotions, Hao Ren and Hasse could not notice any sign of grief or sadness on his face.


    Vivian came up from behind and bent down slightly before Vogus. ¡°I¡¯m Vivian, Vivian Ancestor. I don¡¯t know if your family has a record about me.¡±


    Vogus finally showed some animation that the earthlings could understand on his pale-gold face; he looked like he was surprised. The way he was staring at Vivian was as if she was a living fossil out of the mythical story. ¡°Vivian? You were with our ancestors¡­¡±


    ¡°Great! At least you lot still remember history,¡± Vivian said before letting out a sigh. ¡°I lost my memory and contact with my family. I was worried that I¡¯d not be able to find someone who could tell me what had happened in the past.¡±


    Hao Ren had tons of questions to ask Vogus. He first let the patriarch rest for a while. Until the patriarch finally recovered his strength, Hao Ren and Hasse began to ask Vogus questions. Questions regarding Amatura and the demon hunters, Vogus¡¯ reply was similar to what Andaherr had known. Hao Ren was most concerned about the innate hostility and the Shades of Chaos though.


    ¡°What exactly did you seal?¡± Hao Ren asked. He was obsessed with the Shades of Chaos. ¡°Are they creatures, a phenomenon, or a curse?¡±


    Vogus leaned on a pillar, and his voice was soft. ¡°They¡¯re none of what you said but something indescribable, abstract, and a concept. They¡¯re the dark side, anger, and hatred of god. They¡¯re like a curse, but more abstract than a curse, something mortal could not understand with their earthly wisdom.¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned by the answer. It reminded him about what the spirit detective, Pierre, had said: the Shade of Chaos was the representation of the dark side of the ancient gods¡ªZeus and Odin families, for example, the result of the gradual materialization of hatred in battles. This theory had come from the mouth of a spirit detective, which was why Hao Ren had a great reservation from the beginning. But little did he expect the Ancattero family that guarded the seal also had a similar thought.


    Were those things the representations of the dark side of the otherworldlings, the original sin in the hearts of the supernatural races?


    If this were indeed the case, it would only become more mysterious.


    Hao Ren could not read the expression on Vogus¡¯ face, but Vogus was very familiar with the emotions of the earthlings. He had noticed Hao Ren¡¯s changes of expression and knew what was in his mind, but could only shake his head. ¡°I know you¡¯re confused, but all I know was passed down from my ancestors. I¡¯m merely quoting what they told me. The Shades of Chaos is something indescribable from the beginning, and even our ancestors had difficulty explaining this to future generations. That¡¯s why this ambiguous metaphor has been passed down from generation to generation.¡±


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s not talk about the Shades of Chaos, we should just treat them as the evils of this world,¡± Vivian said, waving her hand impatiently. ¡°What is the relationship between that thing and the innate hostility, and why the shadows emerged after the sense of hostility disappeared?¡± she asked.


    Vogus forced a smile. ¡°Frankly, I don¡¯t know. If I knew, things wouldn¡¯t have turned out this way. My memory has stood still since a month ago, do you know that? In my mind, the Shades of Chaos has just got out of the seal a few hours ago. So what I could tell you is the teachings that I inherited from my forefathers,¡± he said.


    Vivian was not happy with the answer. Then Vogus told her about his conjecture, ¡°If you insist on hearing an answer, maybe the Shade of Chaos is just another expression of the innate hostility between the various races.¡±


    ¡°The Shade of Chaos is the innate hostility?¡± Hao Ren quickly got the meaning behind Vogus¡¯ words. ¡°You mean the shadows are the extract of the innate hostility in the blood of the otherworldlings?¡±


    ¡°I quote what our ancestor had said,¡± Vogus said with a low voice. ¡°¡®We are the cursed ones exiling in this world, a lasting curse is forever on our heads.¡¯ This curse means the sense of hostility, so this hostility has been unbreakable from the beginning. I have had unnecessary fantasies, and I didn¡¯t know that trying to lift the curse would cause things to end up so terribly. The Shades of Chaos could be the sentinels that monitor the curse. When the innate hostility disappeared, the Shades of Chaos immediately broke the seal, came out and possessed us so that the killing cycle would continue indefinitely.¡±


    Hao Ren knew that there were some elements of personal opinion in Vogus¡¯ words. He did not take it in its entirety, but it was still worthy of attention.


    The Shade of Chaos was the innate hostility, and the two complemented and resonated with each other. When the innate hostility disappeared, the Shades of Chaos appeared and possessed the races, and triggered the innate hostility in them again. This mechanism was like a self-repairing virus in the blood.


    This theory explained what they had experienced in this exotic realm.


    ¡°Though it was very mysterious, your ancestors and I had successfully captured and sealed them,¡± Vivian said, looking at Vogus with her arms crossed. ¡°I remember we had sealed the shadows in the Solar Roulette. Where is the roulette now? Let¡¯s check it out.¡±


    Compared with other, Vivian had a disdainful attitude towards the Shade of chaos, probably because she had sealed the thing once and confidence in herself. However, she seemed to forget her skills and talents at that time.


    ¡°The Solar Roulette¡­¡± Vogus¡¯ voice appeared a little serious. ¡°You helped my ancestors control the divine artifact, of course, you can see it. But do you still know what it is?¡± Vogus asked.


    ¡°I heard Andaherr said that you guys did not make the Solar Roulette but were just the custodians,¡± Vivian said, nodding her head lightly. ¡°The roulette is older than your family. It is truly a divine artifact.¡±


    ¡°It came from an unknown place, something that was created by a great existence that we couldn¡¯t understand,¡± Vogus¡¯ voice sounded in fear. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a divine artifact, but it¡¯s nothing to do with sacredness. It brings disaster, is the original container of the Shades of Chaos, and may even be the root of the innate hostility. We have exhausted all our strength and barely kept it stable for the past thousands of years. The roulette is full of destructive energy and madness from the inside out. It was already so when the seal was intact, and I couldn¡¯t imagine it since the seal is broken now.¡±

 Chapter 909

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Ten thousand years ago in ancient times, even the most heritage-obsessed races that had well-preserved literature and history had difficulty remembering the most ancient history, let alone that it was something indescribable and as abstract as a natural phenomenon. Vogus could only piece together the images of Shade of Chaos and Solar Roulette, which were shrouded in mystery, based on the ambiguous words of his ancestors.


    ¡°Our ancestors found the Solar Roulette from an ancient lava crater 6,000 to 7,000 years ago,¡± Vogus said, telling everything he knew to Hao Ren. ¡°It was said that the roulette was buried thousands of meters underground by the plutonic rocks when the magma cooled. Despite the depth, light still emanated from the depths of the earth at each full moon night, illuminating the entire sky. My ancestors sound the roulette by tracing this light. The roulette is deadly mesmerizing. So in the first few hundred years, people had always regarded it as a divine artifact that brought infinite energy, but over time, the roulette began to show its terrible nature.


    ¡°Something called the Shade of Chaos came out of the roulette. It wasn¡¯t many at first, and it was easy to deal with, but soon they became more powerful and drastically increased in number as if it were endless of them leaking out from the Solar Roulette.


    ¡°The Shade of Chaos had caused an enormous problem. My ancestors tried to destroy the Solar Roulette to annihilate it from the root. It turned out that the roulette was indestructible, not even the fusion explosion could leave a dent on the surface of the Solar Roulette. Then they tried to re-bury it into the crater, but the shadows had found a way to escape as rock and soil couldn¡¯t contain them underground.


    ¡°There was no more information about what happened after that, but you should have already known the story: under the threat of the Shade of Chaos, a few of the strongest families had joined the effort and found the oldest and most powerful Blood Clan in the world, the Countess Vivian Ancestor. It wasn¡¯t known how they did it, but these ancients had successfully reversed the process of the Solar Roulette and captured the shadows in the artifact of disaster.¡±


    When Vogus finished, Hao Ren asked, ¡°I have a question: Was there an innate hostility between the various races before the appearance the Shade of Chaos?¡±


    ¡°There was.¡± The one spoken was not Vogus but Hasse. ¡°I¡¯m sure that the innate hostility has existed since the beginning, at least 10,000 ago and it has been recorded in history,¡± Hasse said.


    Vogus knew what was in Hao Ren¡¯s mind. ¡°The Shade of Chaos and the Solar Roulette did not appear until the innate hostility had been around for thousands of years, but it was only discovered as it was buried underground from the beginning. No one knows when it first appeared,¡± he said.


    ¡°Where is that thing now?¡± Y¡¯zaks asked.


    ¡°In the deeper part of this dimension. We have built another layer of dimension in here and used a massive shadowy maze called the Calamity Cloister to seal the Solar Roulette. It has been there for thousands of years,¡± Vogus said.


    Lily could not help but become curious at this time. ¡°Since you lot have known that the thing is so dangerous, why are you still guarding it? Those not in the know are thinking that it a treasure but in fact, it is a source of calamity,¡± she said.


    Vogus laughed; at least this expression was very close to the human smile. ¡°Because we were the one dug it out of the ground, so the Ancattero family voluntarily bore the responsibility of guarding it, even if it would bring death to the whole family one day. We take responsibility for what we have done.¡±


    ¡°Where is the entrance to the maze?¡± Vivian asked quietly. ¡°We are going in.¡±


    ¡°I could gain access to the maze with my family emblem; the entrance is a portal,¡± Vogus said. He took a deep breath and got to his feet slowly. ¡°But you have to think carefully. That place is the lair of the Shades of Chaos. It is a hundred times more dangerous inside than the outside. After the seal was broken, the monitoring equipment in the Calamity Cloister has been offline. We couldn¡¯t receive any signal from there. Once you enter, you are on your own and can only return to the outside world through the altar where the Solar Roulette is located,¡± Vogus warned.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it bad enough now?¡± Vivian smiled. ¡°Give it to me. Though my strength has declined, I have accumulated a lot of experience in dealing with ¡®difficulties.¡¯¡±


    While saying, Vivian glanced at Hao Ren; what she was saying was that, while following Hao Ren around, she had learned a lot in dealing with all kinds of difficult situations. Hasse and White Flame, however, thought that Hao Ren was the trouble in the eyes of the Countess and so their imagination ran wild.


    Vogus did not delve into this. He silently took out a pale-gold device that looked like a pocket watch. It was the key to unlock the door to the Calamity Cloister. Before activating the door, he reminded Vivian, ¡°The fewer people go in, the better.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s brows knit together. ¡°Why?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Those who are mentally weak could fall under the influence of the Shades of Chaos and Solar Roulette and become killer machines. The number is useless. It is best to let the strongest go in, so there is room for maneuver even if things go wrong. Who are you going to send?¡± Vogus asked.


    Vivian looked at Hao Ren. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Hao Ren already had the most suitable men for the task in mind. ¡°Y¡¯zaks, Hasse; you two go with Vivian and me. Any problem? I think we¡¯re the most suitable ones.¡±


    He did not choose them randomly. Among the four, Vivian, who had a connection with the Solar Roulette, must be in the team. Y¡¯zaks and Hasse were the strongest and vital battle force.


    As for himself, Hao Ren felt that though his combat strength was not as high as Y¡¯zaks¡¯, he knew he had the greatest backup force¡ªthe divinity of Raven 12345. This divinity would guarantee him free from the attack of the devils. Since the Solar Roulette was such an evil thing, then his position as the ¡®Pope¡¯ should be the Shades of Chaos¡¯ natural enemy.


    Of course, Y¡¯zaks and Vivian had no object to the arrangement. Hasse accepted the job after some mental wrestling. The other demon hunters, however, seemed to have differing views, but since their leader had agreed, they remained silent.


    Lily grabbed Hao Ren¡¯s sleeve and shook it. Hao Ren looked at the husky, feeling her concern for himself. But He knew that Lily was not suitable for the task. ¡°Stay back here. You don¡¯t want to mess with those things,¡± he said.


    Wagging her tail, Lily said, ¡°No, I just want to remind you to take some photos back so that I could know how it looks like at the inside.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s face was like ¡°Really?¡±


    He should have known that he should not waste his feelings with this dumbo.


    Vivian ignored the husky maiden. She nodded to Vogus. ¡°Open the door,¡± she said.


    After everyone took a step back, Vogus placed the pocket watch-like device on the ground. It came open with a tingling sound.


    The device split into four parts and slowly floated into the air. Light beams connected the pocket-watch pieces, and they expanded into a rectangle like a picture frame. As the four pieces were finally in their positions, the space within the structure changed with ripples gradually filling the space and eventually forming into a door.


    Hao Ren could see through the door, which had dark and long passage filled with thick fog behind it. The passage was made of materials different from that of the gold buildings of the Ancattero family. They were dark like obsidian.


    ¡°Once go beyond the door, you all will be completely isolated from the outside world,¡± Vogus reminded for the last time. ¡°To prevent more Shades of Chaos from escaping, I will close the door behind you. When you reach the Solar Roulette, I will be able to receive your coordinate signals again. And if you still can¡¯t solve the problem there¡ª¡±


    ¡°I got it.¡± Hasse interrupted Vogus. ¡°If we fail, Andaherr and Hesperides will have to call for more capable reinforcements. Before that, you should never open the door.¡±


    ¡°How are we going to find the location of the Solar Roulette?¡± Vivian asked.


    ¡°The shadowy maze is only effective in keeping the Shades of Chaos in, but it does not affect people with normal mental conditions. You won¡¯t see any other ways except a winding passageway. You need to follow the passageway,¡± Vogus explained.


    Vivian sighed. ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°I wish you lot all the best,¡± Vogus said, motioning them to proceed.


    Hao Ren propped up his Steel Membrane Shield and took the lead to step into the portal.


    As soon as he entered, he immediately felt the existence of the source of the calamity!

 Chapter 910

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    At the moment he crossed the portal, Hao Ren felt that everything changed dramatically. Not only was he coming to a strange place, but there was also even an illusion that he had suddenly fallen into an alien world. Hao Ren felt that his senses were drifting off. He had a weird feeling of the surroundings, gravity, and temperature. He was in the Calamity Cloister, but it felt like it was another world although it was only a part of the territory of the Ancattero family. The dimension was alien.


    A chill suddenly ran up his spine.


    Hao Ren shivered. He thought he was being attacked, but he soon discovered that it was just a chill, and this chill was not real. It was a vast, indescribable force peeping at him. The hostility and pressure of this force had given him the illusion of falling into an ice cave.


    ¡°It¡¯s a goddamn place,¡± Hao Ren mumbled to himself as he tried to calm himself from the uneasy feeling. He looked around and saw that he was standing in a passageway. He could not see the end of the passageway, which had a tall and sloping roof with grooves ragged fabric hanging down from the above. The fabric was swinging in the air even though there was no wind. The entire passageway was made up of huge black stones, void of any decoration and bright colors. All he saw was a whole piece of depressive darkness as if colors had been erased from this space.


    The passageway was not wholly dark though as there was faint light that came from nowhere defused in the air. Hao Ren could see the surroundings. He had noticed that fog filled the passageway. The nature of this fog was similar to the mist that he saw when he first entered the mysterious realm of Ancattero.


    He heard footsteps behind him. Y¡¯zaks and others had crossed the portal into this space. Just like Hao Ren, Hasse had also sensed the unusual atmosphere here. He held a crossbow in one hand and a rune card in another, his voice grave. ¡°Do you feel it?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks replied with a bassy voice, ¡°Well, a powerful force is holding up here, and is peeping at us. I couldn¡¯t tell its position as it is like everywhere. I¡¯m afraid that it¡¯s the mother of all Shades of Chaos if they have a mother.¡±


    Vivian was the last came in. Her brows pulled together, and she felt it inexplicable when she heard the conversation. ¡°A powerful force? Where? I can¡¯t feel it.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t feel it?¡± Hao Ren glanced at Vivian with amazement. ¡°I feel it, and goosebumps are all over me.¡±


    ¡°I just feel that the atmosphere here is terrible,¡± Vivian said, tilting her neck uncomfortably. ¡®It¡¯s not just the dark surroundings, but the feeling of something lurking around in all directions in the background. Apart from that, nothing else.¡±


    Hao Ren and Y¡¯zaks exchanged a look. Both of them could feel that there was something that was powerful. Though indescribable, the feeling of being stared at by that thing was unmistakable real as it sent a chill down their spines. It was weird that Vivian had not been able to sense it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on,¡± Vivian said, knowing that Hao Ren would not lie. Her face turned serious. ¡°It seems that my perceptibility has become slightly different from yours. There are only two possibilities for this: this space is unique where different people will have sensed things differently, or the problem lies with me.¡±


    Vivian did not elaborate on the latter, because she knew that there had been so many strange things that she could not explain happening to her. She, however, suspected that the problem might have something to do with her successful sealing of the Shades of Chaos thousands of years ago. The shadow of the seal is related to: If the strange atmosphere in this space did not affect her, she might have the opportunity to recapture and re-seal the shadows.


    There was only one way forward. Vogus was right; the shadowy maze was used to trap those irrational things, people with a normal state of mind would not see the branching-paths and traps in the maze. Focusing their mind, Y¡¯zaks and Hao Ren took the lead and strode further into the endless passageway.


    The fog and dim light began to prevent them from seeing clearly but not Hao Ren. He was not usual in that he had supervision. Despite the poor visibility, they dared not use any light. Light would create shadow, the shadow would attract the Shades of Chaos, and that would only become more dangerous.


    The uniqueness of the Shade of Chaos was that they did not merely lurk in the darkness, but in the gray zone where light and shadow overlapped. So the dimness in the passageway was safer instead. When there was no light, there would be no shadows.


    It was probably one of the sealing mechanism of the shadowy maze.


    The Calamity Cloister was long and winding with alternate straight paths and corners. Due to the poor visibility, Hao Ren could only roughly tell that he was moving in a maze judging from the twists and turns through which he was traveling. He began to imagine the countless branching-paths and hidden openings along the smooth walls that he had passed. He could not see them only because he was sober.


    Perhaps he needed to be possessed by the Shades of Chaos to see the hidden paths, he thought.


    He quickly shook this dangerous thought off his mind.


    The strange space felt so depressed that it had caused him to have strange thoughts.


    Y¡¯zaks was walking beside Hao Ren. Running his hand across the black stones on the wall, he said, ¡°This space is completely heterogenized. These stones were originally stone, but now they feel greasy like some creature although the underlying material has not changed. Nothing is covering the surface; it is the realm that changes and distorts the nature of these stones.¡±


    ¡°How long have we been going¡± Hasse suddenly asked.


    Hao Ren took the MDT out of his pocket and checked the time. ¡°Almost two hours. This goddamn place is vast!¡±


    The MDT scrambled to dial down its brightness. ¡°Damn it! You should have given me a heads-up before taking me out,¡± the MDT snapped.


    Hasse was startled. Pointing at the MDT, he asked, ¡°You bring this with you? Didn¡¯t you say there were only four of us?¡±


    ¡°I think it shouldn¡¯t be a problem,¡± Hao Ren said, scratching his hair. ¡°The Shade of Chaos does not affect it though it is bitchy like a human. We don¡¯t have to see it as a human; it¡¯s just an AI,¡± he said.


    The MDT knocked on Hao Ren¡¯s head. ¡°You¡¯re the one non-human!¡±


    Hao Ren grabbed the MDT in his hand. ¡°Are you a human?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a human.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you complaining?¡±


    ¡°Oops!¡±


    Hasse looked on with his jaw dropping on the ground.


    ¡°So my advice to you: stop being curious at the strange gadgets that Hao Ren carries,¡± Vivian said, looking at Hasse. ¡°You can treat it as a robot cat, and acknowledge that it is an amazing gadget but don¡¯t delve into its rationality.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    Anyway, despite the hoo-ha, the appearance of the MDT had somewhat calmed the depressive atmosphere. Hao Ren tucked the metal brick back into his pocket and then glanced into the long passageway. He could still feel the menacing force lurking around but was unable to gauge how close he was from the source of that force.


    The place felt like an infinite dimension.


    But this seemingly endless passageway had an ending point. After hours of exploration in the passageway, Hao Ren began to notice changes in the surroundings. The path started to open up, and there were fewer corners in the passageway. It seemed like they were closer to the heart of the maze.


    Suddenly, a door appeared ahead. They could feel from here that there was some depression, chaos, horror, and forces of hatred and hostility that came from behind the door. They instinctively exchanged a look before running towards the door.


    ¡°Hey, there are some words here!¡± Completely unaffected by the atmosphere and unlike the others who had tensed up, Vivian enthusiastically examined the stone door and found some words engraved on the lower part of the door. Unexpectedly, those texts were not Tannaean but ancient Letta text.


    ¡°An eternal curse is upon us. We who exiled from the otherworld carry sins with us. We are destined to fall into an endless violent quagmire, controlled by a hatred without root and reason. Behind this door is the source of all sins and curses, but no one could dispel it or appease it, because the perpetrators and victims of this sin are dead, no one can forgive anything.¡±


    The author of the passage is a stranger named Kasandzor, the awakened.

 Chapter 911

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren¡¯s mind was flashing with thoughts after reading the message on the door. A sense of incomprehensibility rose in him. He reached out his hand and ran across the inscription; the characters were not very neat.


    They did not seem to be the ¡®official inscriptions¡¯ left by the builders of the door to decorate or warn those who were to come but someone passing by in a hurry. Since the Calamity Cloister was used by the ancients to seal the Shades of Chaos in thousands of years ago, no one unauthorized personnel would have wandered into this place. Someone, who might have witnessed what happened, left these words here.


    ¡°Kasandzor¡­¡± Vivian looked thoughtfully at the inscription. ¡°It sounds rather familiar, but I couldn¡¯t recall who it is. We might have been active together back then.¡±


    ¡°I have a terrible feeling of this door,¡± Hasse said, his brows knit together and he looked serious on his face. ¡°Even when I was on the battlefield of the ancient gods, I had never felt this heavy. There seems to be irrational malice behind the door.¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t encounter any shadows on the way in though,¡± Vivian said, looking at the door. ¡°Maybe they are all behind this door.¡±


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and then, together with Y¡¯zaks, placed their hands on the massive stone door. ¡°Everyone be on alert. We¡¯re going to open the door!¡±


    As soon as their voices trailed off, he and Y¡¯zaks used all their might to push the door.


    The door gave way right away under pressure.


    The ancient stone door ground open with a panicky sound. As the sound reverberated in the space, there seemed to be some other sounds mixed in the echoes: mourning, screaming, roaring, and the taunting sound of many creatures. The fog swelled and spread into all directions when the door opened as if something had stirred it though there was no wind at the moment. As the door fully opened, a gust of horrible air rushed out from the inside.


    It was as if there were millions of mourning bells ringing and hundreds of millions of souls screaming, and a mass of chaos was rolling violently in the passageway behind the door. Focusing his vision into the passageway, Hao Ren could only see darkness. The turmoil and screams were just an illusion, perhaps a result of overstretched senses. Suddenly, some indescribable negative forces hit him on his face. He felt it as if the entire shadowy maze was collapsing towards him. He almost tumbled end over end before he regained his footing and instinctively leaned against the stone door as if he was on a boat holding on to the mast in the raging sea.


    ¡°What the heck?¡± Hao Ren struggled to talk. ¡°What exactly is this?¡±


    Hasse and Y¡¯zaks had also experienced the same shock. Magic on the senior demon hunter responded with a faint light under his windbreaker, and flames rose on the Letta rune card in his hands, forming a protective circle around him. Hasse bent over under the attack, his teeth quivering. ¡°Be focused! Don¡¯t get crushed by your fear!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks was not affected though. Perhaps because he came from the otherworld, or it was his brute strength that enabled him to face the force head-on, save for his face which now looked miserable. ¡°I feel anger, an indiscriminate hostility. Perhaps we shouldn¡¯t have opened the door.¡±


    All of them except Vivian had felt the devastating force. Standing in front of the door feeling as if nothing was happening, Vivian looked at the three of them inexplicably. ¡°Something has come out? I still can see nothing.¡±


    She did not even feel it.


    ¡°You¡¯re built of special materials.¡± Hao Ren poked fun at the bat demon despite the dire situation. ¡°Y¡¯zaks, try move forward,¡± he said.


    Dark-green demonic runes started to glow on his body. Going against the raging forces, Y¡¯zaks stepped forwards. Less than ten meters into the passageway behind the door, his face twitched, and he flinched and came back out. ¡°I can¡¯t! There is a mighty mind-corroding force inside; I almost fell prey to it!¡±


    Hao Ren was shocked. A demon king like Y¡¯zaks could only make less than ten meters before getting beaten by the strange force.


    That made him wonder what was behind the door!


    Whatever behind it, the situation could only become worse. Everyone was feeling so except Vivian.


    Hao Ren had activated his Steel Membrane Shield, but it was ineffective for the situation. The force was non-physical, the solid shield had a little to no reaction at all. He could rely on the divinity to resist the mind-corroding force.


    It was the little divinity Raven 12345 had shared with him as a talisman, but it seemed that it was not enough for this occasion.


    Hasse¡¯s expression was getting terrible. Compared to Y¡¯zaks and Hao Ren who had some special protections, he could only rely on his magic and physical resistance. ¡°What should I do now? Judging from the situation right now, we may not be able to reach the location of the Solar Roulette. We can¡¯t even hold up in front of the door for ten more minutes!¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Vivian, who was the only one unaffected. He gave up the idea of ??letting Vivian go to investigate the situation inside. There were too many unknowns and dangers. Vivian was only immune to the forces in the maze, but might be susceptible to other threats around the Solar Roulette.


    ¡°There must be a way¡­¡± Hao Ren bit his lips as his mind was racing, trying to think what magic weapons he still had at his disposal. The riotous forces coming out from the door had been very disruptive, he was unable to concentrate. He found his thinking ability rapidly weakened.


    He instinctively looked into the other end of the passageway, seeing the smoothly black stonewall squirming, a door seemed to appear. He was shocked. His sanity was declining, the hidden paths and traps in the Calamity Cloister had begun to affect him.


    Hao Ren instinctively took out his gun and a few Graviton Grenades from the dimensional pocket. He thought whether he should blow up the passageway and it would make a difference. Before he carried out the idea, a sudden burst of coolness came from his side, it wakened him a bit, and the phobia inside him gradually faded.


    Vivian grabbed his wrist. ¡°Hao Ren, something is not right. Let¡¯s go back to the passageway outside.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t do that. The forces are spreading,¡± Y¡¯zaks said. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that the entire Calamity Cloister has been infested. The entrance is closed; there is no going back.¡±


    Suddenly, Hao Ren felt something under his cloak. He immediately pulled out the MDT. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to be dead, be something of help.¡±


    ¡°Like a machine, I could only think of one effective solution, which is to call in the artillery to shelter this place. The drawback is, the real world will be up in fire as well. South America will be devastated.¡±


    ¡°Damn you. It¡¯d be better for you not to say anything.¡± Hao Ren yanked the MDT away. Then, something crossed his mind.


    Strictly speaking, he suddenly remembered who he was, which he always so conveniently forgot.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea!¡± Hao Ren clapped, scaring Vivian out of her skin. ¡°What idea?¡±


    ¡°I am a pope!¡± Hao Ren said, holding his head high before a chest before feeling a pain in the ass. ¡°I don¡¯t want to use this trick though¡­¡±


    Vivian and Y¡¯zaks asked in unison, ¡°Which trick?¡±


    Hao Ren put his hand on his chest, took a deep breath, and slowly said, ¡°Devine Intervention. I¡¯m going to call on the name of Raven 12345.¡±


    It was the best he could think of at the moment, aside from letting the MDT open the entrance by force and evacuate. Considering that forced evacuation meant mission failure, he had no other options.


    He wanted to use himself as a medium to direct some of the power of the Goddess against malicious forces.

 Chapter 912

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Divine Blessing was the most common technique for the people in the system of the true God. Unlike magic that needed years of learning and practice to master, Divine Blessing did not take a Herculean effort. The caller only required a close relationship with the divine god and had faith in its power. For these two reasons, the popes serving in the name of the real god usually had the most potent divine intervention magic. They could even call upon the name of the true God to seek strength. Such was the Divine Blessing.


    Hao Ren had never used Divine Blessing before¡ªin fact, he had never used any form of magic. Though Raven 12345 had given him some instruction and introduction manuals and personally told him how to draw power in the name of the Goddess in an emergency, he had never thought about using it. His standard issue equipment was always sufficient to deal with most kinds of problems in the past. Though sounding incredible, Divine Blessing did not work as good as it sounded. It was only a supplementary weapon for inspectors and most of the time it was less practical than the psionic gun or orbital bombardment.


    There was a more critical reason why Hao Ren was so reluctant to use this move; he knew that his boss was a neurotic goddess and he had witnessed it once. So he could not bear to see himself using the hilarious trick. The sheer thinking of it would give him a painfully awkward feeling.


    No matter how awkward it was though, he still had to accept the fact that he was working for a neurotic goddess, and not having the luxury of hesitation in the current situation. So he put on a brave face, followed the instructions in the manual, and then established a connection deep in his mind with the divine power.


    He began to call upon the name of but not Raven 12345 herself so that the divine energy carried by the title would enter this dimension.


    He was doing it the first time, but everything seemed to be going well. He soon felt the power, and following the tutorial, he fixed the power in his mind and chanted the phrase, ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try, it¡¯s free after all.¡±


    He chanted the phrase like the way he usually spoke, but it reverberated in the space before a beam of light descended from the above.


    The light immediately dispelled the fog from the Calamity Cloister and even completely isolated the destructive infestation. Hasse, Y¡¯zaks, and Vivian had their jaws dropped to the ground, especially Vivian and Y¡¯zaks who were seeing it for the first time.


    Hao Ren was standing in the light, and he seemed to have turned into a crystal figure flickering from reality to illusion as if he was going to transcend out of this world. A sacred power was using Hao Ren as a medium and radiating in all directions. The power was so holy that people had even forgotten the incongruence of the anachronistic ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try, it¡¯s free after all¡± catchphrase.


    A sacred figure began to descend in the light. It was the image of Raven 12345, her concept in this universe, not her in person. She was the origin and essence of the world, so when the pope called upon the name of the goddess, her name appeared in the form of an avatar.


    The goddess in the light placed her hand on Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder and blessed him. Then she made a thumbs-up sign with light reflecting off her teeth before announcing with her divine voice, ¡°I¡¯ve got you covered!¡±


    Hao Ren opened his eyes and pointed to the other three. ¡°Boss, if you have time, please bless them too.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s eyes affixed on the ritual, which was indescribable in every way. When she noticed Raven 12345 was casting eyes on her, she waved her hands and stepped back. ¡°Oh, wait a second, I will not¡ª¡±


    She was too late; the image of Raven 12345 had split in three and come before her, Y¡¯zaks and Hasse. The divine splits, whose face looked just as compassionate, blessed them. Thumbs up and flash in the teeth, the three splits said to three of them respectively, ¡°I¡¯ve got you covered too!¡±


    After all the blessings, Hao Ren could not keep ritual running anymore. The white light slowly faded away and soon everything was back to the dark atmosphere. Unlike just now, they were now surrounded by a faint glow that was powerful enough to dispel all shadows and negative forces. The destructive forces coming out from the door was no longer affecting them.


    Hao Ren exhaled and raised his thumb. ¡°Yeah!¡± he said with a poker face.


    Vivian felt a chill running down her spine. ¡°Could you please stop doing that? It reminds me of what happened just now,¡± she said.


    Hasse¡¯s jaw was still on the ground. It took him a long while before he came to his senses and asked, ¡°What the hell was it just now?¡±


    Looking awkward, Hao Ren said, ¡°Will you believe it if I told you it was divine intervention?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°So don¡¯t ask me about the details.¡± Hao Ren sighed. ¡°Now everyone has already received the blessing of the divine power. The things behind the door shouldn¡¯t be able to affect us.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks looked at his hands; a divine glow was shrouding him. He laughed, self-deprecatingly. ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯ve never thought that a demon could receive this kind of blessing. Or should I say, this is truly the power of the true Goddess, who doesn¡¯t make chalk of one and cheese of the other, demon included.¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged, turned and walked deeper into the passageway.


    The four of them moved along the dark passageway with their shields on. The negative forces were still lingering around them but stopped by their shields. Hasse could not wrap his brain around of what Hao Ren had done just now. He had witnessed the power of this incredible shield; he respected it but could not make head or tail of one thing. ¡°Are the words on the shield necessary?¡± Hasse asked.


    Hao Ren looked at him with a blank expression. There was a line of text scrolling around the divine shield like an electronic message board. That text was not runes but a heavenly phrase: I¡¯ve got you covered too.


    Hao Ren pointed to himself, and there was a line of words ¡®I¡¯ve got you covered¡¯ floating around him too.


    ¡°I have it too. So stop bitching about it, what¡¯s most important is the shield.¡±


    Hasse felt like he was standing in front of a new world, hesitating for a long time and did not dare to open the door. So he shut up, which was a wise move that at least saved his perception of the world.


    Probably, barely.


    It was why Hao Ren had never been willing to use Divine Blessing of Raven 12345. The power of the true goddess was unquestionable, but he could not say the same for her neuropathic brain and the manifest weirdness of her style. Hao Ren could not imagine how embarrassed the real fanatic followers of Raven 12345 were when doing missionary works in the field. Their Bible must be full of ¡°don¡¯t f*cking freak out¡± (God¡¯s courage), ¡°f*ck you¡± (divine interference), ¡°I¡¯m the f*cking best¡± (praise), ¡°you don¡¯t f*cking run¡± (the prohibitions), which were bordering profanity.


    The shield shrouding him now was known as ¡®I-F*cking-Cover-You Shield¡¯ in Raven 12345 Bible. Some people called it the ¡®Goddess¡¯ protection,¡¯ but it did not work because it was deemed a nickname.


    With this in mind, the pope, Hao Ren, could only sigh repeatedly. He walked in the passageway with a great sense of physical and mental exhaustion after the Divine Blessing.


    He was suddenly interrupted by a golden light coming from the front.


    He had come to the end of the passageway. After crossing the murky darkness, the place opened up in front of them.


    The place was completely different from the dark rock passageway behind them. For a while, Hao Ren even thought that it was an illusion from the power of Raven 12345. It was a glorious place, and a hundred meters in length on each side of the square hall, filled with various mysterious and colorful decorative murals and reliefs that looked like they were newly put up just a while ago. Huge columns supported the dome on the roof, and the structure of this place resembled that of a church. Apart from that, there was an altar made of crystal in the center, where something was floating above it.


    That was what they were looking for, the glorious Solar Roulette.


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyes affixed on the Solar Roulette, wide-eyed.


    The Solar Roulette looked precisely the same as the Gilded Disc that the Goddess of Creation made.


    No, they did not just look the same, they were mainly the same thing.


    The Solar Roulette was about ten meters in diameter, had a hole in the center, and engraved with mysterious runes. It had the same features as the Gilded Disc that Hao Ren found on the planet Solenne. Without a doubt, this was the divine artifact left behind by the Goddess of Creation.


    However, the Solar Roulette appeared to be very strange.

 Chapter 913

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    No one could have thought that at the end of the dark and gloomy passageway had such a magnificent altar nor did Hao Ren expect he would find the divine artifact of the Goddess of Creation here. The Solar Roulette was the Gilded Disc, which was a vital component of the Creation Engine.


    The Gilded Disc on the altar depended on the mysterious magic force to float and rotate slowly in the air. The floor from the edge of the altar to the end of the hall was laid with beautiful and intricate patterns and reliefs, which depicted the scenes of the ancient times, including the images of Tannaeans and some old gods such as the Greek and Egyptian gods. The hall was built with a white jade and gold-like material inlaid. The luxurious surface had a brilliant glow to it, and the runes and golden patterns were pulsing like breathing with reach rotation of the Gilded Disc. Undoubtedly, there was some system running here.


    The bright and splendid space almost had people forgetting the dark shadowy passageway, but the powerful negative energy that came out of the Gilded Disc was reminding the intruder of the danger of this place. Yes, it was negative energy. Despite there was a splendid suppression measure in place, the air was still filled with the same destructive atmosphere just like in the passageway. With just a glance, Hao Ren had noticed something was wrong with the Gilded Disc. Something had tainted it. A dirty dark substance was dripping down from the lower part of the disc into a groove at the bottom of the altar, and spreading through the Letta rune and magic circuit into all directions.


    The black substance flowed down the altar and eroded the reliefs and runes in the hall, bit by bit. The pollutants seemed to be struggling with an opposing force but having the upper hand. The altar hall was filled with a fierce and turbulent atmosphere with two opposing forces clashing violently, which was invisible by the naked eye. Everyone could sense it except Vivian.


    ¡°What is this stuff?¡± Looking at the sewage-like substance that continually dripped from the disc onto the rune circle below, Hasse the veteran demon hunter had got goosebumps. ¡°Is this material or something else?¡±


    Hao Ren looked down at his arm, Raven 12345¡¯s Motherf*cker Shield was still intact. This protective spell of the will of the true goddess was protecting them from the negative atmosphere. He was relieved. Plucking up his courage, he went up to the altar at the center of the hall.


    ¡°Be careful!¡± Vivian immediately warned him from behind.


    Hao Ren took note and waved his hand. Stopping at half a meter in front of the altar, he took out the MDT and connected his mind to it. ¡°Scan the energy flow of the disc.¡±


    The MDT emitted a beam of blue light over the Gilded Disc, a visual from another perspective that came to his vision. He saw the Gilded Disc was shining like the sun, but there were obvious energy clashes on the lower part of the disc. Numerous tentacle-like tiny lines grew out of the sewage-like substance and crept onto the energy system of the Gilded Disc. The pollutants, which were incompatible with the disc, clung on the disc and competed with the energy system.


    Perhaps both forces had tangled together for too long a time, they had almost fused and looked like a bunch of entangled roots at first glance.


    ¡°The black stuff is a foreign substance that taints the disc,¡± Hao Ren said of his discovery. ¡°Maybe it has mutated over time; we had no way to know what it was originally.¡±


    Hasse observed the runes and circles around the altar. Though those were magic alien to the demon hunters, as a senior demon hunter, Hasse had learned a thing or two about all the magic and mysteries of the world. ¡°There¡¯s a Letta magic, as well as some variants of the Egyptian gods. The entire hall is a three-dimensional magic circle that constantly purifies the black substance flowing out of the disc,¡± he said.


    Vivian asked casually, ¡°Does it work?¡±


    ¡°If it worked, the corruption wouldn¡¯t be so bad,¡± Hasse said, pointing to the fluid on the altar. ¡°The moment this substance overflew from the altar, the magic in the hall had failed. Now the runes are just barely maintaining themselves. The parts that cannot be purified flow out of the door and become the kind of destructive atmosphere we had felt before.¡±


    ¡°At the same time, it should have also turned into the Shades of Chaos,¡± Y¡¯zaks said, scratching his jaw. ¡°It seems that the Shades of Chaos and the atmosphere of destruction are only sub-variants. The thing flown down from the disc is the original pollutant.¡±


    Hao Ren got to his feet, moving farther away from the altar. He looked at Vivian. ¡°Can you sense the atmosphere leaking from the disc now?¡± he asked.


    Vivian frowned and then shook her head apologetically. ¡°I still feel nothing,¡± she said.


    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± Hasse vaguely felt that Hao Ren might know something. ¡°Why can¡¯t she feel it?¡±


    ¡°Because she and the disc have a long historical connection,¡± Hao Ren said, but he could not reveal too much. ¡°The key now is how to get rid of the black stuff.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks and Hasse stared spontaneously at Vivian; she could be the key to solving all the problems. At least she had demonstrated her immunity to the atmosphere of the Gilded Disc. Perhaps the ancient gods were only able to contain the shadows with the help of this ability of Vivian.


    ¡°What do you say if I touch it?¡± Vivian suggested. She was a bit shaky as all eyes were on her. ¡°I can¡¯t feel the danger of this thing, except that it looks disgusting.¡±


    Hasse was stunned, his eyes swept back and forth between Hao Ren and Vivian. ¡°Wait a second. Is this your plan?¡±


    ¡°We plan to think on our feet,¡± Hao Ren said, spreading his hand. ¡°We were not able to foresee the situation; it was complicated inside here. But I¡¯d not agree with Vivian¡¯s plan. It¡¯s too dangerous. It¡¯s better for me to perform another Divine Blessing¡ª¡±


    Before Hao Ren finished, the MDT came out and poured cold water on his suggestion. ¡°You¡¯d better not. The power of the true Goddess is not funny. This space is not a real universe but an artificial dimension. It can¡¯t stand a second Divine Blessing.¡±


    Hao Ren had to abandon his idea, which he thought was simple and handy, and was struggling to come out with an alternative.


    At this time, Vivian suddenly mumbled, ¡°Must we seal it with the old method? How about thinking about something else?¡±


    ¡°Something else?¡± A thought came to his mind. Hao Ren looked around, and he had a plan. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it works if I put the Gilded Disc in the safe.¡±


    ¡°And then put it in your dimensional pocket?¡± Vivian was shocked by Hao Ren¡¯s suggestion. ¡°Really? Putting a bomb in your pocket? With the timer running some more?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I have to keep it inside the safe,¡± Hao Ren said. He poked the MDT. ¡°Please check what kind of safe could isolate the disc¡¯s contaminant.¡±


    Without nonsense, the MDT flew up to the side of the Gilded Disc and began to scan it carefully. At the same time, it used several energy fields to test the black contaminant that flew out of the disc. Hao Ren watched the MDT working, still wary that the pollutant was too potent, and he might not be able to contain it even with his inspector standard issue equipment.


    As it turned out, the MDT came out with a piece of bad news. ¡°Scan is completed. The existing storage containers are not guaranteed to work. The subject is divine; the contaminant also possesses the same level of strength, we need the security conditions at the CARS to safely contain it,¡± the MDT reported.


    Hao Ren was stunned. ¡°Well, I couldn¡¯t bring the entire research station here, could I?¡±


    ¡°This thing is highly polluting and uncontrollable,¡± The MDT said helplessly. ¡°Not to mention that it has a divinity, which is simply a malicious will of the great universe.¡±


    ¡°Can we simply suppress its divinity temporarily?¡± Y¡¯zaks suggested. ¡°Do you have any other highly divine stuff with you? The goddess must have given you a lot of things, I reckon.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately rummaged in his dimensional pocket. First, he found his precious apple box, but it was not very useful. He looked for something else: a noodle plastic bowl he took from Raven 12345; a pair of disposable chopsticks that came with the plastic bowl; two bricks, which Lily had forgotten that she stole from the garden in the goddess¡¯ mansion and Hao Ren¡¯s custody; a pen, which Hao Ren had even forgotten when he got this, but this pen did possess the power of Raven 12345, of which the most divine part was the bite marks on the cap.


    Hao Ren looked at the stuff he took out, baffled. ¡°Do all these even help?¡±


    ¡°Though these things are divine artifacts, I wonder if you were a scavenger before becoming an inspector.¡± The MDT was nothing but amazed. ¡°But these things are not suitable.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a while; if he were to hang those plastic bowls, disposable chopsticks, pen, bricks and the like on the Gilded Disc and it worked, it would be too painfully embarrassed and awkward.


    He had been painfully embarrassed enough for the past two weeks carrying the ¡®Motherf***ker Divine Shield¡¯ with him.


    When it looked like all hope was lost, the last item coming out of the dimensional pocket was surprisingly useful.


    It was none other than the thing that opened him to the life of living on the edge: the labor contract!

 Chapter 914

    Right from the start when Hao Ren began to rummage in his dimensional pocket and take out loads of funny stuff, Hasse had been staring at him, unable to make head or tail about what he was doing nor talking. Now, he could not help but ask: ¡°Are you affected by the roulette?¡±


    He thought that Hao Ren had succumbed to pressure and lost his mind.


    Hao Ren finally found a few pieces of paper, which were the labor contract he signed with the Goddess. While lamenting that time flew, he was stunned a little hearing Hasse speaking. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Are you going to use these things to sealing the Solar Roulette?¡± Hasse pointed to the papers in Hao Ren¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Never try, never know,¡± Hao Ren said and nodded matter-of-factly, but he knew it would work. It was not the first time he was using the divine contract to get difficult things done. The stuff that the Goddess gave him always worked like a charm despite them sounding and looking weird.


    While Hasse was hesitating whether he should knock Hao Ren out before the Solar Roulette deranged him, Hao Ren already went up to the altar with his labor contract in his hands. Standing beneath the ten-meter Gilded Disc, Hao Ren felt like he would be crushed like a bug at any time if the thing fell. When he held the papers near the disc, the incredible happened.


    The disc emitted an incredible sound, as if a sigh, and also the grinding sound of metals that reverberated throughout the hall. When listening carefully, it was as ethereal as an illusion. The Gilded Disc ground to halt slowly and the patterns on it stopped pulsating. All these things went into torpor before the supreme divinity.


    The liquid black substance beneath the Gilded Disc faded as the divine contract approached and quickly moved away as if fearing of authority.


    Hao Ren was delighted. ¡°It works!¡±


    Hasse looked like an idiot. ¡°What the hell is this?¡±


    The poor senior demon hunter tried to rationalize what he saw. He guessed that the few sheets of paper in Hao Ren¡¯s hands were probably filled with some mysterious runes, or that Hao Ren was casting powerful magic with the papers. As a traditional demon hunter, he would instinctively filter anything had to do with gods out of his mind.


    Vivian patted Hasse on his shoulder. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that you should just treat him as a robot cat, and don¡¯t try to rationalize?¡±


    The divine contract had produced an unexpected effect. Seeing that he was able to suppress the black substance on the Gilded Disc and there was a sign of dissipation, he realized that he might be able to do a better job¡ªnot just sealing up the Gilded Disc but also cleansing it entirely if the divine power of the contract was strong enough.


    He affixed the few pages of the contract on the parts of the Gilded Disc where black shadow corruption was most severe. Unable to find glue, he used his saliva as adhesive.


    Hasse had given up thinking entirely and just watched quietly. In this ancient secret realm, on this ancient and mysterious altar, Hao Ren was clinging to the altar and sticking the papers onto the world¡¯s oldest divine artifact using his saliva. The most incredible thing was that it did work in taming the powerful and dangerous object. Hasse felt that it was time for him to retire; the world was changing too fast, and he thought he could not keep up anymore. Perhaps he could work as a janitor at headquarter after retirement, but he did not know if he could still recover from his shattered worldview.


    On the other hand, Hao Ren saw his trick worked. On the contract papers with the name of the Raven 12345 on, a soft white light was purifying the tainted Gilded Disc. The shadows dissipated in the air like a puff of smoke; they were not being suppressed or sealed but eliminated.


    ¡°I should have thought of this early.¡± Hao Ren looked at the results with satisfaction.


    ¡°You are full of surprises,¡± Y¡¯zaks said, blinking.


    Hao Ren let out a subtle smile, taking that a compliment. At this time, the shadows on the Gilded Disc had almost completely dissipated. Hao Ren glanced at the part that had just finished purification and found something suspicious.


    After the black substance disappeared, it left behind some light marks, which were not the previous contaminant, but dark-red stains, some sprinkled liquid that had dried up.


    Vivian noticed Hao Ren¡¯s startled expression on his face. ¡°What happened?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is, the surface of the disc is a bit dirty,¡± Hao Ren said casually. He could not help himself but reach out to touch them. ¡°It looks like¡ª¡±


    *Boom!*


    A loud bang suddenly arose. Hao Ren felt a sense of wooziness as if he was thrown from space to the ground, slamming down in a whirlpool. After struggling to recover his senses, he opened his eyes and found himself falling in a foreign place.


    ¡°Ouch! It hurts.¡± Hao Ren got to his feet. He found himself standing in magnificent ruins. It was a palace. Massive pillars and incredible majestic sculptures were falling around him. The hall covered with red spar was being torn apart by a violent quake. Above him was a colorful crystal dome that had been punctured with a huge hole. Through the hole, he saw fire in the sky and sulfur rain pouring down together with the burning pieces into the world like rainstorms, and there were loud explosions in every direction.


    ¡°Vivian?¡± Hao Ren called out to his teammates. ¡°MDT?¡±


    His voice vanished in this chaos, and no one answered him. His shared mind connection with the MDT had also gone silent.


    ¡°Y¡¯zaks?¡± Hao Ren massaged his forehead and staggered over to a place that looked a little level. ¡°Hasse?¡± he continued to call them out.


    Suddenly the palace wall in front of him came down with a boom. When the dust settled, his jaw dropped.


    There was a red ocean before him. A vast expanse of flame was burning on the sea, and he was standing on a mysterious palace that floated on the water. Right now, the palace was collapsing and sinking into the ocean.


    Towers and megaliths fell apart from the palace, dropped into the red ocean. Hao Ren stunned to realize where he was.


    It was the moment where the Goddess of Creation fell. He was on the Star of Creation.


    Something seemed to be calling him. He felt an urge. He did not know where he was going, but he just followed his instinct, turned around and ran deeper into the palace.


    He went through numerous burning doors and weaved passed many bodies of guardian giants. He also saw the treacherous sons in armors, some of them were still fighting the guardian giants in this part of the palace which had not collapsed. Hao Ren did not stop. He ran as fast as he could through the field of chaos as if a voice was hurrying him.


    Those guardian giants and treacherous sons seemed to have not noticed Hao Ren was there. They were occupied in killing each other and did not stop the intruder.


    Hao Ren went through the last door that was about to collapse.


    He saw the scene that had changed the fate of countless souls 10,000 years ago.


    A huge Gilded Disc stood at the end of a long hall. In front of the Gilded Disc, there was a female figure, her face unrecognizable and seemed to be shrouded in a layer of eternal mist, but she was the most prominent existence in this space. When Hao Ren saw the woman, all the flames and destruction around him were gone. He quickly realized that the woman was none other than the Goddess of Creation.


    A warrior wearing a gold-red armor stood silently opposite the Goddess of Creation.


    They seemed to be talking, or they could be in a silent confrontation. Hao Ren felt that he had a problem with his eyesight, his vision was becoming blurry, and everything around him seemed to be shaking.


    In his shaking vision, he saw the warrior held a long sword in his hand. The sword was dark and inlaid with bits of light, like pieces of the universe.


    The warrior thrust the sword at the Goddess of Creature.


    Hao Ren felt that his consciousness was on the verge of dissipation, but he still used all his strength and lunged forward. He reached to grab his weapon but found that the dimensional pocket did not respond. So he caught anything that he could; he did not know what it was. It could be a stone or a piece of metal, which was extremely hot. Or it could be something else. He used all his might to throw the burning debris at the warrior in gold-red armor. ¡°You f**king stop!¡± he shouted.


    The burning piece of debris dissipated in the air like a phantom, and the dark sword of the warrior had pierced through the body of the Goddess of Creation.


    The goddess seemed not to have any ability to fight off the attack. She staggered a bit, slowly leaned against the Gilded Disc and fell while looking in the direction of Hao Ren.


    Hao Ren had realized that he only saw an illusion, an image of 10,000 years ago, but he was still convinced that the Goddess of Creation was staring at him. That gaze spanned across space and time, even across reality and illusion. At the moment the Goddess of Creation was murdered 10,000 years ago, she stared at the direction as if she knew someone was coming in the fantasy.


    The gaze of the goddess was giving him goosebumps. Then he heard a faint voice coming into his ears. ¡°Forgive.¡±


    The goddess finally fell, and at that moment when the deicide happened, the divine came.


    The body of the warrior, the god-killer, disappeared into a beam of light in an instant. Then, many light columns rose in other parts of the palace, and the treacherous sons were turned into light particles before they had a chance to react.


    The longest ten-meter distance in his life finally ended. He was too late and had not managed to see the face of the god-killer and the Goddess of Creation. He came under the Gilded Disc and found the bodies of the killer and the goddesses were gone. Everything was gone, leaving behind only red marks on the Gilded Disc.


    The blood of the goddess was splattered on it. It was the most significant evidence of the crime in the universe.


    The blood slowly dripped, bit by bit, slowly turning dark. The place began to quake, and there were many sorrowful roars of the guardians in the air. Hao Ren closed his eyes. He felt that the Star of Creation was slowly falling apart under his feet and heading down the path a supernova phenomenon that would light up the entire universe.


    The extinction had begun.

 Chapter 915

    Standing in the middle of the illusion, and though with his eyes closed, he could still clearly ¡®see¡¯ everything was falling apart. The palace of the Goddess was collapsing and slowly sinking into the red ocean. The torrential rain of sulfur and flames fell from the clouds onto the world, and the sea of ??the Star of Creation was up in flame. The fire had a kind of energy that mortals would not understand. All sin and glory would end in this flame.


    The inner layer of the Star of Creation seemed to have begun to collapse, and there was some unprecedented powerful force building up deep in the planet. Amid the continuous explosions, Hao Ren opened his eyes again. The last scene he saw was that the Gilded Disc tainted with the Goddess¡¯ blood violently shook as if it would fall off the crack in the palace. He subconsciously reached out and tried to grab something, but had only managed to touch the edge of the Gilded Disc and watched it fall.


    His hand was stained with the Goddess¡¯ blood, which was as hot as magma.


    It was a sudden boom again, and vertigo caused Hao Ren to lose his intuition. He was losing track of know how long he had been floating in the chaos, and how many indescribable things he had gone through before he finally regained his footing.


    He subconsciously exhaled, as if squeezing out all the air in the lungs. His senses came back online as he could feel the temperature, airflow, light, and the surrounding sound again. He opened his eyes and found himself standing on the altar. His finger blenched, getting off the dark-red marks on the Gilded Disc as if there was an electric shock. It was the subconscious reaction of the body, as a large amount of mental noise was drowning his subjective consciousness, he could barely think.


    He shook his head, the large face of the Gilded Disc was glistening with light in his field of vision, and there was still black spots at the bottom edge of the disc. The last scene he saw in the previous illusion and the scene before him overlapped. He realized that he finally knew the truth.


    ¡°Buddy?¡± The voice of the MDT awakened him from the stupor. ¡°Why are you zoning out?¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned and saw that the last piece of divine contract paper had been stuck on the edge of the disc. The black things were quickly disappearing. He smacked himself on the head. ¡°How long have I spaced out?¡±


    ¡°How long? A second,¡± the MDT replied, confused by Hao Ren¡¯s response. ¡°Of course there has been a lot going on in your eyes in that one second.¡±


    There was an indescribable feeling of exhaustion. Hao Ren did not doubt what the MDT had said but was a little surprised that all he had experienced happened in just one second in reality, and this short moment had drained him as if what he experienced in the illusion had impacted him physically. Realizing something was not right with Hao Ren, Vivian and Y¡¯zaks quickly came over to check on him. Vivian held Hao Ren, who was a little bit light-headed. ¡°How are you?¡±


    ¡°I had an illusion,¡± Hao Ren said, smiling and walking down from the altar. Vivian¡¯s hand was cold, but it made him feel a little more alert. ¡°And I¡¯ve figured out what the innate hostility is all about.¡±


    His eyes landed on his hand, and he was surprised. There was a strange red mark on his right-hand palm, as if a burn or something, very obvious. He clenched and felt a vague burning sensation spread from the mark, which reminded him that it was not an illusion.


    Vivian had also noticed the strange mark on his hand. ¡°What is this?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Hao Ren replied. He had a thought, but it was just too strange and completely defying the law of reality. ¡°I had contacted the blood of the Goddess of Creation, but¡­ but that was in the illusion,¡± he said.


    ¡°The Goddess of Creation?¡± Vivian and Y¡¯zaks said in unison.


    At this time Hasse came up. The senior demon hunter had no idea what the Goddess of Creation and the deicidal war were, but he could feel the negative force on the Solar Roulette was gradually dissipating. ¡°Is things done?¡±


    Vivian and Y¡¯zaks stared at Hao Ren, who sighed and rubbed his forehead, thinking about how to tell the things that he had learned from the illusion. ¡°I have unlocked the secret of the innate hostility.¡±


    They were on edge, could not wait to hear the truth. Hao Ren, however, first looked at Hasse. ¡°You may not understand what I¡¯m going to say, but please wait until I have finished, and then I will explain it to you,¡± he said.


    Hasse had already noticed that Hao Ren and his entourage must have known some secrets from the beginning, and this secret was something that he could never get his hand on even if he had lived for thousands of years. He nodded and suppressed his curiosity. ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad that you let me listen on the side.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded lightly, pointing his finger at the dark marks on the edge of the Gilded Disc. ¡°Those are the blood of the Goddess of Creation.¡±


    E everyone was as quiet as a mouse. It was only a few seconds later that Y¡¯zaks broke the silence. ¡°You mean this thing?¡±


    ¡°At the time she was at the scene, the Goddess stood in this position, leaning against the Gilded Disc¡­¡± gesturing to explain what he saw, ¡°¡­the deicide was wearing a gold-red armor, standing near the runes over there, and then stabbing the Goddess with a black sword that looked like the fragment of the universe. The Goddess¡¯ blood splattered on the Gilded Disc, just like what you can see now.¡±


    Hao Ren had not only seen things in the illusion but also had some knowledge that appeared in his head. He did not pay attention to it at that time, but when he woke up, he found the additional memories in his mind. He had put together these memories and what they saw and finally restored the truth.


    ¡°¡­the blood of the Goddess is the evidence of the great sin of deicide, so the Gilded Disc itself is an evidence of the crime. When the Wall of Reality collapsed, a large number of alien races were flung into this universe, along with this Gilded Disc and the sins that the disc carried. The innate hostility is not a curse nor a mind-interfering spell, but a sin of deicide.¡±


    The Goddess¡¯ blood was sacred, but after the deicide, the blood had been filled with the anger of the vast universe and the sin of the treacherous sons. Though Hao Ren had no idea how the transformation process happened, the result was obvious: the sacred blood had turned into a pollutant, triggering the hostile killing of the otherworldlings in the surface world.


    The polluting power carried by the Gilded Disc had been leaking since the beginning. As early as 10,000 years ago, when the earliest alien races except Vivian came to Earth, the Gilded Disc had fallen on the earth at the same time. It first tainted the crack on the Wall of Reality, then all the creatures that passed through the crack. It then slept deep in the depths of the earth for thousands of years, until the Ancattero family dug it out of the magma crater. The Shades of Chaos that emerged from the Gilded Disc was indeed another manifestation of the innate hostility, but they were nothing but just spills.


    The real source was the Goddess¡¯ blood on the disc.


    ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, the amnesia of the otherworldlings is also caused by tainted blood of the Goddess,¡± Hao Ren speculated. ¡°Different races have a different level of resistance to the corruption though. The sirens are not a creation of the Goddess, so they are mostly unaffected, and their peaceful nature remains. Due to the special physique and the high mental strength of the Ancattero family members, they are moderates among the otherworldlings. Werewolves, vampires, and demon hunters came from the same planet and were subject to the same level of corruption, so they became the most hostile races to each other and the protagonists of the otherworldling war on the planet. I guess that some races have been affected more seriously, and if they are overly sensitive to the Goddess¡¯ blood, they may even turn into monsters, ultimately losing the original characteristics of the intelligent beings.¡±


    ¡°The Scorpions of Tartarus,¡± Vivian said suddenly. ¡°Zeus once threw a group of three-tailed scorpions into the prison of Tartarus. He said that those strange things are strange, they live like beasts, but they have a lot of delicate decorations and mechanics on their carapace, and there are fragments of generators and vehicles in their nests, but they don¡¯t seem to know how to use them at all.¡±


    ¡°That should be the race that had been completely tainted by the Goddess¡¯ blood. Most of these races did not survive the early melee period of the Mythological era,¡± Hao Ren said, shaking his head and sighing. ¡°What goes around comes around.¡±

 Chapter 916

    Hao Ren tried to describe what he heard in the illusion as far as he could, but he had difficulty to put what he learned through some ¡®transcendence¡¯ into words. At the moment when the deicide murdered the Goddess, there was a tremendous amount of information pouring into his mind. He was unaware of anything at the time, but the information began to emerge from the depths of his mind to make him realize the entire process about how the innate hostility came.


    He roughly described it as ¡°the evil had distorted and tainted the blood of the Goddess, and the catastrophic power leaked from the blood of the Goddess had also tainted the Wall of Reality, leading to the distortion of the otherworldlings that arrived in the surface world through the Wall of Reality.¡± As for how this process happened, he could hardly express it in words.


    Though the Hasse, Y¡¯zaks, and Vivian were experts, who had vast experience in the mysticism and could see from how difficult Hao Ren was cudgeling his brains for words that what he saw was not merely an illusion. The message of the super experience was almost incommunicable.


    ¡°It¡¯s good enough to know the rough idea,¡± Vivian said and stopped Hao Ren from trying to explain more. ¡°We don¡¯t need to know how it works.¡±


    ¡°Now we know the root cause of the innate hostility,¡± Y¡¯zaks said, rubbing his bald top. ¡°The biggest question now is whether we can stop the phenomenon completely. If we cleanse the Gilded Disc, will the innate hostility between the otherworldlings in the world end?¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°There is no guarantee that it will work. What is certain is that the Gilded Disc is the carrier that brought the innate hostile to this world and this sense of hostility had already spread in the blood of various races 10,000 years ago. We can only purify the Gilded Disc to keep the situation from deteriorating further. Perhaps time will tell if we could eliminate the innate hostility all together.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like an infection that has spread,¡± Vivian said thoughtfully. ¡°What happened to the declining innate hostility between the races in the last two months?¡± she asked.


    ¡°At present, it seems that it has nothing to do with the Gilded Disc, or at least it¡¯s not directly related. Until a month ago, the Gilded Disc was well sealed, and there was no contact with the outside world,¡± Hao Ren said confidently.


    ¡°It¡¯s not because of the Gilded Disc?¡± Vivian¡¯s brows knit together. ¡°Then it means there¡¯s no fresh lead,¡± she said.


    ¡°Wait a second. If there was no contact between the Gilded Disc and the outside world, why did the seal suddenly fail a month ago?¡± Y¡¯zaks asked. ¡°Why the Shades of Chaos could break free from the seal exactly after the blood-exchange ritual between the demon hunters and the Ancattero family? I think this is evidence that the Gilded Disc had affected the innate hostility even the disc was still sealed. Once the innate hostility of the races disappeared, the Gilded Disc became active again and spread the negative forces that it was carrying.¡±


    Hao Ren looked back at the Gilded Disc on the altar. The huge artifact still floated silently in midair but had stopped spinning. Like a silent metal mask floated stationary in the air, it remained silent amid the doubts and questions that were thrown at it.


    ¡°To explain this problem, we must first understand the detailed factors of the corruption of the Goddess¡¯ blood, and then figure out how this divine artifact works,¡± Hao Ren said slowly. ¡°Now, besides knowing that it was the deicide that caused the corruption, we know nothing about how it worked.¡±


    What he meant was crystal clear: the Gilded Disc contained an endless list of secrets, but as of now, they did not have enough information to decode everything.


    ¡°Anyway, things have been solved. Bring this thing back and study it,¡± Vivian said. She understood what Hao Ren meant, and nodded. ¡°Whether the innate hostility of the otherworldlings would completely disappear, at least we don¡¯t have to worry that they will come to blows like yesteryears. Things won¡¯t get worse again.¡±


    As the discussion finished, Hasse could not wait but ask, ¡°Can I ask questions now?¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Hasse. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re still here,¡± he said.


    Cold sweat was trickling down Hasse¡¯s back. ¡°Where can I be if not here? Wasn¡¯t you let me listen by the side?¡± he said.


    Hao Ren rubbed his forehead. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was too occupied with the divine artifact and confused for a while. Where should I begin now?¡±


    All along, only Hao Ren and a few others knew about the things of Plane of Dreams, and people like Hessiana and a few other teammates had a smattering of it. Meanwhile, things about the Goddess of Creation, the extinction in the Plane of Dreams, and the deicidal war were strictly confidential. According to the confidential rules Hao Ren had to abide by, in fact, the otherworldlings on Earth had the right to know the things about the Plane of Dreams. It was just that he had no idea of how to tell them. Things were too weird to be believable and spanning a thousand years after of time after all. So he had no choice but tread carefully.


    Now since things had come to this stage and the senior demon hunter was at the secret where he was retrieving the artifact of the Goddess of Creation, Hao Ren felt that it was the time telling the truth to this special interested party.


    Perhaps it was most appropriate to treat the senior demon hunter as the first layer of intelligence interface.


    He looked into Hasse¡¯s single eye and asked, ¡°Do you know where the supernatural races on this planet come from?¡±


    There was a flash of light in Hasse¡¯s single eye. He knew the question was straight to the point. ¡°Do you mean the origin of all non-human races including the demon hunters?¡± he asked back.


    Hao Ren nodded silently.


    ¡°Though there are many theories of Amatura are considered a myth,¡± Hasse looked down slightly, ¡°but at least I do agree with one thing: the supernatural races on Earth are not naturally born on this planet. It does not conform to the laws of nature.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you think so,¡± Hao Ren said with a sigh of relief. He then continued with a serious tone of voice. ¡°Beyond this universe, next to our real world, there is a place called the Plane of Dreams¡­¡±


    Under the radiant glow of the Gilded Disc, Hasse sat on the edge of the ancient altar, listening to Hao Ren talking about what happened and was happening in the other world while Vivian and Y¡¯zaks chimed in to give their perspectives occasionally. The MDT also hovered in front of Hasse and showed the special footage in its memory to the senior demon hunter. Hasse saw in the hologram the vast green steppe of Holletta, the beautiful ancient ruins on the Golden Star, the icy gray and white rogue planet, and the blue planet of the sirens.


    Hao Ren¡¯s description gave Hasse a rough idea of the existence of the Plane of Dreams, but the more convincing evidence was the footage recorded by the MDT. The lackey, who was bitchy, unpredictable, quirky and seemingly undependable was, in fact, an exceptionally reliable AI assistant that followed Hao Ren in every adventure he took. Even Hao Ren was amazed by the number of logs the PDA had created.


    ¡°File number XXXXX, location: Dragonspine Ride, Holletta. The First Born has awakened, the biological threat is extremely high. I will continue to observe¡­¡±


    ¡°File number XXXXX, location: Tannagost. An ecosystem cleansing has happened on this planet. The inspector has retrieved the local civilization database¡­¡±


    ¡°File number XXXXX, location: the planet Io, the consciousness of the planet with the code name Eva is sleeping again, the Io¡¯s siren civilization is registered as¡­¡±


    ¡°File number XXXXX, location: the Ark in exile, the extinction of the original civilization on the planet is confirmed, the executor was an out-of-control First Born. Officially registered as an extinct civilization, the inspector has extracted the civilization database, the expected file number is¡­¡±


    The MDT showed the unclassified and narrated in a machine voice. It was showing all these for no other but one purpose:


    It wanted Hasse to know how the original homeland of the otherworldlings on Earth looked.


    The senior demon hunter understood every word that Hao Ren said, but it seemed that he needed time to digest all these things. As the MDT finished showing the last image of a planet Hasse could not help but turn to Hao. ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I can only say that I travel the worlds for a living. I observe and bring back information of various civilizations, but our organization and the truth outside the world are confidential,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°As you can see, I have been to many places.¡±


    Hao Ren had told Hasse many things, but he knew he did not violate the confidentiality agreement. There was only one core clause in the confidentiality agreement, that was unless it was necessary, he must not interfere with the development process of any civilization, and the subclause was that civilization must only know what was within their scope of existence. In other words, the Earthlings would just know about the things of the Earth, the interstellar race could only understand the things of their universe, and the otherworldlings were unique in that they were involved in both worlds, so they had the right to know about both the universe of their hometown and the universe that they currently lived.


    At least they had the right to know how their place of origin looked.


    All other information beyond these, such as the Space Administration and the whole macro-world system, were classified. He must not disclose beyond the mere mention of their names.


    Therefore, without breaking the confidentiality agreement, Hao Ren had let Hasse know the ins and outs of these otherworldlings on Earth, and also the truth of the deicidal war.


    Hasse finally could put two and two together about what Hao Ren had told him. He was stunned. ¡°That is to say, we the demon hunters and otherworldlings have been killing each other for 10,000 years is the result of someone who has nothing to do with us has killed their creator?¡± he asked.


    Vivian sighed. ¡°Yeah, they are the cause of everything.¡±

 Chapter 917

    Probably no one had ever been in a position as bad as the otherworldlings on Earth. They were caught in the crossfire. Whether it was the ecological extinction in their place of origin or the 10,000-year battle on Earth, for most the otherworldlings, they were the innocent victims of circumstances. Hasse especially thought so after learning the truth. Nevertheless, who was the culprit of the disaster? Was it the guardian that executed extinction order, or the out-of-control Goddess¡¯ blood?


    They were the victims. The ultimate blame was on the heads of the deicidal blasphemers.


    ¡°Why did they kill their creator?¡± Hasse was confused. ¡°Had the Goddess done anything wrong to them?¡±


    ¡°As far as I know, none,¡± Hao Ren said, shaking his head. ¡°The Goddess of Creation had never restricted the free will of her creations. She was obsessed with studying the mysteries of the universe and even had rarely interacted with her creations. From the ruins of civilizations that we have found, we could establish the behavior of the Goddess of Creation. The actions of the deicides were completely unilateral: they just wanted to kill the Goddess and take her place.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s detestable.¡± Hasse¡¯s brows knit together and then shook his head. ¡°Are all these true?¡± he asked.


    Hao Ren spread out his hand. ¡°How do you want me to prove it to you? If necessary, I can take you to the Plane of Dreams, but you must first sign a confidentiality agreement, and then you have to follow my arrangement. Many things in the other universe are still classified,¡± he said.


    Hasse forced a smile and waved his hand. ¡°No, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t believe it, it¡¯s just that¡­ well, you know, I¡¯m a stubborn person who doesn¡¯t take things at face value. I will try to understand them. If what you said is true, then what are you going to do next?¡±


    This time, Vivian spoke. ¡°We have always wanted to solve the hostility among the various races on the earth. The weakening sense of hostility of the various races has given us hope. Now since you know that all the fighting between the races was just misunderstanding, don¡¯t you think you should end this nonsense?¡±


    Hasse slowly got to his feet and looked at the calm and silent Gilded Disc. His one-eyed was glimmering with light. ¡°Even if there is no innate hostility, do you think that this war could still end peacefully?¡±


    The innate hostility might be the beginning of the otherworldling war, but it was by no means the driving force behind the 10,000-year war. War was a train that slid into the abyss. Once it started, the hatred and hostility that accumulated in the chaos would become the fuel of this train of death. When it lasted long enough, both sides of the war would not even care about why they were fighting in the first place. When killing and hostility became a habit, race and factionalism became the only reason for the war, and when it came to that, the influence of the innate hostility became unimportant.


    Even if the innate hostility disappeared, the conflict would continue. The generations of hatred and extreme distrust would fuel the confrontation. It was not something that could be reversed by simple negotiations and the revelation of the truth.


    Hasse was not the only one who had thought of this, but Hao Ren and Vivian had known it in the very early stage. When they tried to find out the truth of the innate hostile, they knew that this ten-thousand-year war would not stop just because of their actions. Vivian nodded empathically. ¡°Everyone knows that people will die in the fighting, but they have never stopped. I know your concerns.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the situation improving?¡± Hao Ren asked. He still had confidence. ¡°Could you believe there was a heretic like Amatura among the demon hunters a few thousand years ago? Could you believe that there was a pureblood demon hunter like White Flame with no killing instinct at all a few hundred years ago? Could you believe that you would work together with Vivian the ancient otherworldling a few decades ago?¡± he asked.


    Hasse thought for a while. ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure of others but the last one. The Countess has always been moody since ancient times. She always acts at whim and doesn¡¯t care who you are. Who knows she would blow up the whole city again for just four potatoes?¡± he said.


    Hao Ren glared at Hasse. ¡°Be serious; I mean you should have understood it now.¡±


    ¡°What would happen if the truth is revealed to everyone?¡± Y¡¯zaks suddenly said. Blunt and straightforward were in his demon blood.


    Hasse and Vivian said in unison, ¡°Not good!¡±


    Hasse explained, ¡°People¡¯s mind is unpredictable. It¡¯s difficult to predict what would happen and it could trigger bigger chaos before the current war subsides. The believers and the unbelievers will be at loggerheads with each other. The proponents of various schools of thought will fight again, and most people will think that this is a conspiracy of the enemy, and on the demon hunters¡¯ side, I am afraid that someone will be crucified on the firewood for the first time since a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°Crucified on the firewood? I¡¯m not afraid of that anyway,¡± Y¡¯zaks whispered.


    Hasse, who rarely had any emotion on his face, heard him and laughed. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that demon is also so humorous. Well, what you said makes sense. The situation is getting better. Even people as stubborn as me is working with you guys. I will report what I know today to the Council of Elders. I believe they will not be persuaded so easily, but at least we have sowed a seed,¡± he said.


    Hao Ren was a little worried. ¡°Will they treat you as a heretic and burn you on the stick if you tell them this?¡±


    Hasse could not care less. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m the elder, and I have the authority. Even Amatura studying the taboo theories for thousands of years was not prosecuted,¡± he said.


    Vivian reminded him, ¡°It¡¯s good to have self-confidence, but I think it¡¯s unpropitious to use Amatura as an example.¡±


    ¡°Whatever! Let¡¯s settle this stuff first,¡± Hao Ren said. As the divine contract had completely cleansed the black contaminant on the Gilded Disc, he went up to the altar. ¡°Hasse, do you and other demon hunters have any objection if I take this thing away?¡± he asked.


    Hasse quickly waved. ¡°The farther, the better! Who would want this thing anyway?¡±


    ¡°Your council of elders will be interested. Those old fags will think that it¡¯s valuable research material, and even blame you for failing to safeguard the interests of the demon hunters,¡± Vivian said, ridiculing Hasse¡¯ superiors and watching as Hao Ren put the Gilded Discs into a huge storage container and keep in his dimensional pocket. ¡°It will be a good thing if you take this thing back, so I can wait for your elders to die before I go and clean up the mess. Everything will be solved after those stubborn guys die.¡±


    Hasse could only force a smile in the face of these bad jokes. He did not want to argue with the ancestor-level figure.


    After the Gilded Disc was stored inside the dimensional pocket, all the magic settings in the hall instantly lost their power supply. Hao Ren heard a strange sound coming from the sculptures in the hall before he felt the strong magic energy in the space suddenly dissipated.


    He found the runes on the altar that could reopen the maze gate according to the method that Vogus had described. As Y¡¯zaks injected his magic power into the runes, the altar immediately lit up, and a group of magic lines on the edge of the pedestal slowly came off the stone platform and floated into the air to form a door. The first thing Hao Ren saw was Lily wagging her big furry tail shaking at the door.


    He stepped out of the door and grabbed and pinched Lily¡¯s tail. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m back. Ouch, don¡¯t bite me!¡±


    Grabbed by the tail from behind, Lily turned and bit Hao Ren, but it was his Steel Membrane Shield. Sparks began to fly all around. She let off her bite when she realized it was Hao Ren. ¡°Mr. Landlord, are you nut? Didn¡¯t you know it¡¯s a no-no to grab people¡¯s tail from behind?¡±


    The exit of the maze was still in the underground freezer. Hao Ren did not see the Tannaeans, who they had rescued by the hundreds there, only the demon hunters, Hesperides, and the Ancattero chief Vogus were waiting there. White Flame came up to greet Hasse, and then Hesperides to Vivian. ¡°Is everything over?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s over,¡± Hao Ren said with a smile. ¡°The Shade of Chaos is history. It is the most thorough seal. It will never go wrong again.¡±


    Hesperides first looked at Vivian. There was only one person who could do this, and that was this ancient one, she thought. Vivian just smiled. ¡°It¡¯s Hao Ren,¡± she said.


    Hao Ren rubbed his hand and tried too hard being polite. ¡°I couldn¡¯t have done it without the training and support from the organization.¡±


    Lily stared at Hao Ren and had goosebumps all over her tail. ¡°Mr. Landlord, you look fake. You should be proud of the achievement, but you behave like an enemy spy.¡±


    The patriarch of the Ancattero family finally came up to him. ¡°It seems that this disaster is finally over. On behalf of the Ancattero family members who have survived the ordeal, thank you.¡±


    Hao Ren turned and looked at Vogus, his mind was filled with thoughts, but all that turned into a sigh. ¡°You remind me something; the real troubles have only just begun.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Vogus was baffled.

 Chapter 918

    They were back to the surface after solving the problems in the Calamity Cloister. Since many of the above-ground facilities were severely damaged in the incident a month ago, the Tannaean survivors rescued from the freezer were placed in a nearby power plant. The once thriving Ancattero family was almost wiped out overnight in the disaster, the family of thousands had now been reduced to just a few hundred.


    These frightened survivors were resting near the reactor and relied on the heat pipes of the factory to regain their strength. Wayne took a small team of demon hunters, found a nearby warehouse, and salvaged some well-preserved refrigerated food. The survivors were silent and depressed. Some people were quietly eating. Some people just stared at the reactor cooling tower, while others lied down but could not sleep. Few people were talking, only an occasional short conversation. When they knew everyone was safe and sound, they fell into silence again.


    This depressed atmosphere had Lily quieted down. She knelt in front of a Tannaean child, trying to use her precious stone collection to divert the child¡¯s attention. Hao Ren rarely saw this other side of the maiden, and she was so gentle now although the Tannaean child seemed not interested in the stones.


    ¡°I¡¯m deeply sorry for what you all have gone through,¡± Hasse stood with Vogus and said quietly to the survivors, ¡°though I¡¯m a demon hunter.¡±


    ¡°It will get better, we have had worse,¡± Vogus said slowly. There was no obvious emotion on his pale-golden face. ¡°The Ancattero family has never bowed to any difficulties. From the day we signed up to guard the seal, we were ready to face anything,¡± Vogus said.


    Then he turned to look at Hao Ren. ¡°What did you want to tell me just now?¡±


    Hao Ren had been standing with Vogus for a while, but his mind was in another world. He was entangled in his cobweb, a dilemma. It was kind of like he was a forensic doctor who had announced the death of a person and even issued the death certificate, but this ¡®dead¡¯ person suddenly came back alive again.


    He could not seriously think to shoot that guy so that the guy would die for real.


    The Tannagost civilization had been registered as a lost civilization in the database. Hao Ren was the one who concluded the report two years ago. He had also extracted a database from the planet Tannagost, but at that time, he did not know there were Tannaean survivors. These Tannaeans did not turn into vengeful spirits, nor were they wiped out by the demon hunters and the other otherworldlings. That was his dilemma. The Tannagost civilization may have to change. Of course, changing the state of civilization was not the biggest problem; the biggest problem was¡­


    He had conveniently sublet the planet Tannagost to others. Zorm, Muru and the 1.6 billion aliens were building their homes on the planet. Now he found out that the original owner was still alive and he had a problem explaining his blunder.


    Hao Ren was at his wits¡¯ end. He felt like burying his head in the sand. But upon hearing Vogus asking him, and thinking of his position as the highest religious head on the planet, he could only bite the bullet. ¡°I want to tell you something. Do you know where your family came from?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Vogus sounded a little hesitant. ¡®Where you come from¡¯ was an eternal philosophical question, especially in this case, the questioner would not expect to hear an answer like ¡°I came from Hebei Province.¡± The senior patriarch had vaguely realized that the question was referring to 10,000 years ago. ¡°The origin?¡± he asked back.


    ¡°Let¡¯s be frank.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Do you know that you lot were once called the Tannaeans? The name comes from your hometown. You guys used to live in a place called Tannagost.¡±


    All the while poker face, Vogus the alien finally had some animation on his face. He was wide-eyed, ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet was standing not far from them. Looking up at Hao Ren and then Vogus, she said, ¡°Uncle Ren, you don¡¯t have to tell him. No one is going to know if you keep mum.¡±


    ¡°I feel like I have to do that.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°I am a pope after all. It¡¯s a positive role. I have to be worthy of the character! Vogus, how much do you know about Tannagost?¡±


    The old patriarch had a million thoughts in his mind. The attitude of Hao Ren when he mentioned the name and what the little demon said had triggered his memory. ¡°I¡­ in fact, we can only learn from the records of our ancestors, and we have never told any outsiders about it. We do know that our hometown is a place called Tannagost, where something catastrophic had happened, and our ancestors had to live in exile on this planet. As for the disaster, the ancient information disk mentions that it was an ecological disaster.¡±


    ¡°Well, I knew it. You guys are better than other otherworldlings, at least you know you came from another place,¡± Hao Ren said. His had guessed it right; the Gilded Disc that was tainted with the deicidal sin had a different level of effect on different races, even though they were the creations of the same Goddess. The otherworldlings from Holletta had almost completely lost their memory of their hometown, but the Tannaeans still retained a vague knowledge of where they come from, only that they did not know how they came. ¡°Do you know where Tannagost is?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°For thousands of years, the biggest wish of the Ancattero family is to find its home.¡± Vogus shook his head slightly. ¡°But we couldn¡¯t do anything. This planet is not suitable for us to survive. We have modified our genes as much as possible to adapt to the water and air here, but there is no way to rebuild most of the industries and technologies. The underground hibernation facility you saw before was the last attempt by the patriarch 2,000 years ago: we wanted to build a large spaceship and find our home in the universe. The plan was put on hold because there were too many problems. We had to give up.¡±


    Hao Ren had guessed it right that the frozen hibernation cabin in the underground was part of a spaceship. He only got it half right though. He also thought that it was the same as the city of the sirens where the Tannaeans came with the spaceship. It was not true. Instead, the Tannaeans built it on Earth. ¡°Two thousand years ago? You guys were planning to go into space? This plan sounds much grander than other otherworldling families. But how were you going to find Tannagost when you don¡¯t even know its coordinates?¡±


    ¡°At the time when the Mythological era was in the midst of collapse, and people had lost hope for the future, we felt that there was nothing worthy to hold on to this planet. Some scholars at the time thought that there might be clues of our home on Mars or its satellites, so our ancestors built the spacecraft,¡± Vogus explained. ¡°Of course, the plan did not see the light of day.¡±


    It was a good thing that the powerful Tannaeans had given up the idea; Hao Ren thought because their home was not a place where they could reach in a spaceship. Instead, if they looked back, they might be able to find a small door back in Siberia that would lead them back home.


    However, in reality, there was no ¡®what if¡¯; the Ancattero family had built half of the spaceship, but still did not realize that the secret path to home was on this planet.


    Hao Ren sighed. ¡°I have been to your home. It has been abandoned for a very long time. Nature has reclaimed the place¡­¡±


    He slowly told the senior patriarch about the things about Tannagost and the insignificant things of his work. Seeing this from afar, Lily grabbed the Vivian and asked, ¡°What is Mr. Landlord doing?¡±


    Vivian thought for a moment. ¡°The housing agent has accidentally rented out the wrong house to some migrant workers. Now he is trying to explain that to the owner of the house.¡±


    Lily had been drawing circles on the ground for a long while. At last, she looked up. ¡°Arf?¡±


    Like the little demon said, Hao Ren was tempted to go with the easy way; he could keep quiet, pretend nothing had happened and swept the matter under the carpet, Vogus and other Tannaean survivors had no chance to find their home anyway. If that did not work, he could come out with a lie to cover up his blunder. For example, he could tell them that the planet had exploded, which would completely ruin the idea of ??the Tannaeans to go home.


    These were not Hao Ren¡¯s styles though.


    He might look lackadaisical, but he would call a spade a spade especially when it was the right thing to do. He also knew full well that favoritism would not go down well with Raven 12345. The eccentric goddess might be hairy at the heel sometimes, but she was a dyed-in-the-wool law enforcer when it came to business. Making things straight would be the smartest thing to do, which was also in line with Hao Ren¡¯s style.


    Since things had come to this, fretting was unnecessary. Such was Hao Ren¡¯s style.

 Chapter 919

    Two years was long enough for him to learn a lot of things. Especially when he was under various trying situations, he would gain even faster. Without those two years of sophisticated experience, he would have freaked out when facing the patriarch. Now, he could calmly tell Vogus about Tannagost, and he had total confidence in controlling the narrative.


    He did not reveal everything but only the necessary; those things that Vogus as the descendant of the Tannaean had the right to know. He talked about the ecological disaster and its cause in the Plane of Dreams and projected himself as a professional in handling such events. When talking about the current state of Tannagost, he told the patriarch briefly, ¡°The ecological environment of the planet has been completely rebuilt. Though it was your home ten thousand years ago, you would find it as hard to survive as when your ancestors arrived on Earth for the first time.¡±


    ¡°There is a new intelligent race living there?¡± Vogus asked, his voice was much calmer than what Hao Ren had expected.


    Hao Ren had just told Vogus about the migration of Zorm civilization. Vogus nodded. ¡°According to the certification rules, your civilization has been classified as extinct, and your planet is also marked as a deserted planet. Though I feel sorry, the place had been inhabited for ten thousand years, and the Zormians, who are also victims of ecological disaster, were in desperate need of a place to stay. Without a new planet to accept them, their civilization will be extinct too,¡± Hao Ren explained.


    Vogus was silent for a long moment before he whispered, ¡°It sounds like the best option.¡±


    ¡°It was also the only option at the time. If you like, I can show you the Zormian civilization. You have to know that what has happened in the Plane of Dreams is more terrible than any disaster you could imagine. All the myths and legends told on Earth are just the small fragments of the great extinction in the Plane of Dreams, so I could only safe one at a time. Your planet now has a new master. I have to make it clear that it¡¯s impossible for them to vacate it,¡± he said.


    Vogus looked at Hao Ren¡¯s eyes. ¡°Firstly, I have to get confirmation of what you said is true. What you told me is a bit too unbelievable.¡±


    ¡°Do I have to lie to you?¡± Hao Ren spread out his hand. ¡°Do I get any benefit from lying to you? Of course, you still don¡¯t believe it, I will show you my spaceship, and I can take you into space, to any corners of the universe, then you will know that I can go to various places, including the Plane of Dreams.¡±


    At this time, Hasse interjected. ¡°You can trust him. I have seen some evidence just now.¡±


    Vogus was silent, and his throat was groaning with resonating sound, which was probably a habit of the Tannaean. Then he looked at Hao Ren curiously. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I am the spokesperson of a powerful force. You can think of this force as a god. That¡¯s all I can say.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°My mission is to observe and report, and a certain degree of executive authority. I patrol many worlds, every civilization is my observation target. Apart from events like the end of the world, I hardly interfere with any of them. It is the content of my duty.¡±


    ¡°The universal ranger?¡± Vogus said cautiously. ¡°No wonder you are special.¡±


    For the first time, Hao Ren found out that the policing work could have such a lofty title to it.


    Vogus then pondered for a few seconds before breaking the silence. ¡°I understand everything you say, but that planet is our home, after all, we have to go back, and this is beyond doubt,¡± he said.


    Hao Ren curiously asked, ¡°You have been living on this planet for ten thousand years, still thinking about going back?¡±


    ¡°You are right, we have indeed lived here for ten thousand years, and we could even treat here as a homestead,¡± Vogus said slowly. ¡°I¡¯ve seen our people at home dying, but we still want to go back and take a look. After all, that¡¯s from where we come. Meanwhile, Earth¡­ Do you think we could thrive openly on this planet? As you¡¯ve already seen, we have no future here. Hiding in the refuge is not a ¡®progress.¡¯ Unless the ownership of the planet changes hand, otherwise we will never have a chance leaving the refuge.¡±


    Hao Ren knew what the patriarch was thinking. He had also realized that the current generation of Tannaeans¡¯ yearn for their hometown might not be as strong as their ancestors, but for the sake of getting more space of development of their civilization, they would choose to leave. So he nodded. ¡°I have a few questions. First of all, what do you think of those Zormians? Let me be clear; their rights of existence in the planet Tannagost are protected. Meanwhile, your civilization has been cut off, and the planet has been in dereliction for ten thousand years. Therefore, I can only express my sympathy for what you have gone through in my capacity.¡±


    With ears stood erect listening to their conversation, Lily poked Vivian¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Mr. Landlord is getting more slippery.¡±


    ¡°Shhh! Keep your voice down,¡± Vivian said and pushed Lily away, excited. ¡°It¡¯s so funny listening to how people bluff.¡±


    The two maidens had unwittingly immersed themselves in the gossip.


    Vogus had heard Vivian and Lily, but he could not care less. ¡°It bound to be problems in any relations, especially between two races. They don¡¯t necessarily welcome us even though we were the master of the planet. But I hope to live in peace with those people. After all, we have a common experience. I believe that after experiencing such things, personal interests and racial differences will take a back seat and the survival of races will take center stage. As you can see now, the Ancattero family has only a few hundred people left. Do you think what other ideas I could still have?¡±


    Vogus was very forthright, but it was still unclear how Zormians and Tannaeans would get along. However, before that, there was already the precedence of Helcrown resettling in the elven kingdom of Aerym. Hao Ren felt that perhaps they might be able to coexist.


    Of course, he could not discount the possibility that the two races would fail to get along and fight.


    However, whether it was a peaceful development or warm, both ways were typical during the evolution of any civilization. War was also an approach to integration. As an inspector, he could only observe and report. When it came to the frictions between two civilizations, he could not care less.


    He stopped chasing the rabbits and erected a second finger. ¡°The second question is you have to wait.¡±


    ¡°Wait?¡± Vogus was perplexed.


    ¡°Currently, there¡¯s blockade between the Plane of Dreams and this universe to protect the fragile wall. Before we could find a way to repair the wall, the traffic between the two worlds is highly restricted, especially forbidding the otherworldlings on Earth to return to their home in large quantities,¡± Hao Ren said in a serious tone of voice. ¡°Since you have the will of ?? peaceful coexistence with the Zormians, I will liaise with them. There shouldn¡¯t be a problem, because I¡¯m their ¡®Lord.¡¯ You¡¯d better be prepared mentally as to when you could return to your home planet. As of now, the sirens are still on the waiting list. The sirens are populous, and they have gone through a lot worse ordeal than you in the mass extinction event,¡± he said.


    ¡°To tell the truth, most of the things you said are beyond my understanding,¡± Vogus said, frankly. ¡°So just tell me, how long will we have to wait?¡± he asked.


    Hao Ren thought for a moment. ¡°It could be a few years, a few hundred years, or probably longer. You can¡¯t expect me to know how the law of the universe will work out. Even if I know how it works, I still can¡¯t tell you,¡± Hao Ren said.


    Vogus did not know what to say now.


    At this time, Y¡¯zaks reminded, ¡°Though he sounds a bit bitchy, he isn¡¯t arrogant with you.¡±


    Hao Ren blinked. ¡°I have said it as euphemistic as I could.¡±


    It was not known whether it was due to Hao Ren¡¯s ¡®universal ranger¡¯ identity that forced Vogus to give in or he had another plan, Vogus accepted Hao Ren¡¯s arrangement calmly. The senior patriarch nodded and said, ¡°We will wait. We have already waited for ten thousand years after all.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not the only one waiting,¡± Hao Ren said as he looked at Hasse. ¡°There are too many otherworldlings on this planet. You know, whenever I think about the mess, I¡¯d have a headache.¡±


    Hasse thought about the problems that Hao Ren might have to deal with, and could not help but smile. ¡°Looks like there are many troubles ahead for you.¡±


    After the disaster, Vogus had a lot of things to deal with. He needed to organize the survivors to complete the reconstruction of the territory, at least rebuilding to the point where they could survive. He also required to weigh this decision whether to break the news about their homeland to the rest of his family members. Hao Ren suggested that he should tell the survivors the story of their hometown through limited and appropriately rhetorical methods, which could inspire the Tannaeans and let them sail through the most challenging time. At the same time, Hao Ren also reminded him not to reveal too much truth about their hometown to prevent the situation from getting out of control.


    As the head of a big family, Vogus could certainly handle these things by himself, so Hao Ren did not need to say more than that.


    Hasse and Hesperides would be very busy when they returned to their respective people. The Shades of Chaos in the territory of Ancattero had disappeared together with the sealing of the Gilded Disc. However, there might be still many Shades of Chaos out in the wild. The follow-up works would keep the demon hunters and the otherworldlings busy for a while.


    In the other hand, the things that Hao Ren needed to deal with were by no means less. Aside from dealing with the surviving Tannaeans, he had to study Gilded Disc and the many things he saw in the illusion as soon as he could.


    After the exchange of words, the alliance of convenience was parting and leaving.

 Chapter 920

    What happened in the territory of Ancattero would be a potential turning point to the otherworldlings on Earth. Though it was still difficult to tell how things would develop at this stage, as Hasse said, the seed had been sown, and it would take root.


    When Hasse brought back the news about the Plane of Dreams and the Sin of the Divine Blood to the council of elders, the demon hunters¡¯ position in the eternal war would be shaken. Vogus broke the news of what he knew to other otherworldling families and the heads of sanctuaries, the ancient demon hunters who had lived since the Mythological era should be able to make sensible choices in the face of the new situation.


    They would not immediately make known the truth of the Sin of the Divine Blood to every otherworldling, but as Hao Ren and Hasse had discussed, only to the heads of various forces. These high-level leaders must make the corresponding response.


    No matter what kind of reaction there would be, the deadlock of the past 10,000 years would undoubtedly begin to ease.


    Other than the long-term covenants, they had come to some interim agreements before Hao Ren left. The demon hunters, led by Hasse, would guarantee the safety of the Ancattero territory and the demon hunters would stay away from this area. Hesperides, on behalf of the Athens¡¯ sanctuary, promised Vogus to provide support to the Tannaeans to help them rebuild the mysterious realm. Vogus vowed to share information with Hao Ren, that if and when he found more information about the Gilded Disc in the family records, he would contact Hao Ren.


    At the same time, Hasse and Hesperides also recognized Hao Ren¡¯ status as a neutral observer. Especially Hasse, after witnessing the Gilded Disc and the Sin of the Divine Blood, the stubborn senior demon hunter had finally changed his tone. He was willing to cooperate with Hao Ren and share a certain degree of intelligence. For Hao Ren, this was the most significant progress he had made.


    Hao Ren had finally opened a communication channel with the demon hunter groups, at least with some of them. Hasse was very influential among the demon hunter groups. That was why Hao Ren believed that this old demon hunter would be a valuable medium.


    All covenants and verbal commitments were made in the presence of Hao Ren and Vivian. Although no one had expressly said it, Hasse and Hesperides regarded Hao Ren as a special ¡®force¡¯ that sided with neither the demon hunters nor the otherworldlings. He was neutral and playing a witness¡¯ role. This ¡®authority¡¯ was attributed to Vivian¡¯s own ¡®ancestral majesty aura¡¯ and Hao Ren¡¯s Divine Blessing and his interpretation of the Sin of the Divine Blood.


    After leaving the Ancattero territory, tacitly, the demon hunters and otherworldlings did not say goodbye to each other. Instead, they went in different directions and quickly disappeared from each other¡¯s sight. Nevertheless, incredible cooperation should have left an impact on their hearts.


    Vivian had declined Hesperides¡¯ invitation to visit the Athens¡¯ sanctuary. Outside the town, Hao Ren and his team watched as Hesperides and Wayne hustled away in a taxi to the airport. Wayne paid for the ride because Hesperides had only found out that she had lost her wallet after talking to Vivian for a while. Unfortunately, this historic event wrapped up with the ending scene of the superheroes departing unceremoniously, which you do not get to see in other places.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Hasse could be easygoing.¡± Vivian looked up. A bus, coming out from the other side the town, had a logo of a travel agency pasted on its body. The demon hunter group was traveling under the disguise of tourists of South American low-cost travel packages. ¡°I thought he was the most stubborn one,¡± Vivian said.


    ¡°He is indeed stubborn, but the Sin of the Divine Blood and the Gilded Disc has affected him greatly,¡± Y¡¯zaks said with emotion. ¡°If you could see when that forces struck, you¡¯d know I saw an infinite abyss illusion. So when going against these forces, I don¡¯t think it matters anymore who I work with. I think Hasse also thinks so,¡± he said.


    Vivian pouted. ¡°Unfortunately, I still don¡¯t feel a thing no matter how hard you try to describe it to me, nor can I understand why Hasse has made such a big change,¡± she said.


    ¡°Why did Battie not respond to the Sin of the Divine Blood?¡± Lily asked curiously. After hearing about their encounters in the Calamity Cloister, the husky regretted that she had not been able to join the fun and even more lamented that Hao Ren did not bring back a brick from the maze for her as a souvenir. She was now very curious as to what had happened in the maze.


    Hao Ren stroked Lily¡¯s hair and said, ¡°Needless to say, Vivian and the blood on the disc are relatives.¡±


    Lily and Vivian¡¯s faces looked like ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°The Goddess used blood to create Vivian. She is special. And I guess, yeah, the Goddess used her blood. The subject of sin is also the blood of the Goddess. So don¡¯t you think they are relatives? In terms of seniority, Vivian is the elder sister as she was born two or three days before the sin was. Once figuring out this logic, I¡¯m not surprised anymore by Vivian¡¯s reaction in the maze.¡±


    Lily suddenly looked at Vivian with a strange expression. ¡°Battie¡­ get away from me!¡± she said.


    Vivian¡¯s eyebrows arched. ¡°The problem is with the blood on the disc; I¡¯m not tainted!¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± Lily said. She was the most clever when it came to squabble. ¡°Have you forgotten that you would go crazy now and then? Every time you went hibernating, you¡¯d punch the nursing home and kick the kindergarten. Are you sure the original sin hasn¡¯t tainted you?¡±


    Hao Ren was listening in amusement initially. Now, what Lily said had stunned everyone.


    Everyone was silent and solemn, but Lily seemed not to know what was happening. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Am I not right?¡±


    ¡°Vivian, I need to check your blood sample against the blood stain on the Gilded Disc when we¡¯re back at home,¡± Hao Ren said, his face serious. ¡°Besides, I need to consult Raven 12345 about it.¡±


    Vivian became very nervous. She nodded hard. ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Is Battie contaminated by the original sin?¡± Lily scratched her hair. ¡°I was only joking. You see, she had a bodily form and been separated from the divine blood.¡±


    Hao Ren said nothing, but a horrifying thought was lingering in his mind.


    Vivian was conscious divine blood, but apart from her consciousness, she and the blood stain on the Gilded Disc were not substantially different. Even if the Goddess used some other means to create Vivian, at least the two were homologous: they were the same ¡®blood¡¯ coming from the Goddess.


    Now the blood on the Gilded Disc had been tainted to become the original sin carrier. The cause of corruption was the deicidal process. This process was an occult symbolism of behavior, which was the source of corruption. Could Vivian avoid this corruption because she had come to Earth beforehand?


    Recalling her occasional moments of hibernation, loss of control, mania and killing power, Hao Ren had a white-knuckle thought: Could Vivian be the original living sin?


    This scary thought had him realizing that he should not linger here anymore. He immediately returned home, let Lily, Y¡¯zaks, and Y¡¯lisabet stay back home, and then brought Vivian to meet Raven 12345 in her mansion.


    Hao Ren took Vivian and the Gilded Disc corrupted by the divine blood to the ¡®heavenly kingdom.¡¯ The place had returned to normal, the Greek temple building that was extracted from the original memory of the evil spirit had gone. What he saw was the familiar garden, the fountain, the small square, and the beautiful blue-roofed mansion. It was as if he had an illusion again, this mansion was somewhat new and seemed to have been rebuilt just a couple of days ago.


    As usual, Raven¡¯s arcane servant appeared out of nowhere and without saying a word, the servant brought Hao Ren and Vivian into the mansion. The one waiting inside was not the neurotic boss that Hao Ren was familiar with.


    A dignified and graceful silver-haired woman was receiving Hao Ren and Vivian in the reception hall. Though she looked identical to Raven 12345, her temperament and attitude were not something that the neurotic could pretend. Hao Ren immediately knew that this was some new Goddess before him, that his boss must have shift-swapped with someone. So he tried to say hello, ¡°Raven 23333? 12580? 10086?¡±


    The graceful Goddess returned with a gentle smile. ¡°No. 12345 is my senior. She has business to attend to in the divine realm. I am Raven 15433516836. What can I do for you?¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.

 Chapter 921

    He thought that after knowing Raven 23333 and Raven 12580, he would not be surprised anymore to meet another goddess with a serial number in their names. But he was wrong; he was rooted to the spot. He did not expect there were so many goddesses by the name of Raven, whose serial numbers were now as long as telephone numbers. He counted the number of digits in the goddess¡¯ name, his eyes spinning. ¡°How many of you are there?¡±


    ¡°Why do people always ask me this?¡± Raven 15431516836 buried her face in her hand, sighing. ¡°Maybe I should seriously consider giving myself a more recognizable name.¡±


    Hearing that, Hao Ren knew he was not the first one surprised by the number of the goddesses. He thought for a while, and he was very curious about how the goddesses of the Raven series distinguished from each other, if at all; and how the devotees differentiated them. It was not easy for the popes under these goddesses to identify the faith of the believers. If not being careful, the believers might not be able to remember the serial number of their gods and called the wrong number while they prayed.


    Suddenly, Hao Ren was feeling it fortunate that his own goddess¡¯s name was a lot easier to memorize. If he were to be under some goddess with a name longer than his identification card, a number idiot like him would have called the wrong number every time he prayed.


    Raven 15431516836 watched as Hao Ren was rooted to the spot. She could not help but ask, ¡°Can you tell me your purpose in coming here?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Hao Ren pulled his though back, thinking to himself that as he was before another true goddess, he must not humiliate the stature of the chief cleric of the EN35 node of the Space Administration in Bastard Barrio. ¡°It is about the Plane of Dreams and the Goddess of Creation. Have you heard about them?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Senior 12345 has already told me about that.¡± Raven with the long name nodded. ¡°I know everything about them.¡±


    ¡°That would be easy.¡± Hao Ren immediately reported on his experience in the Ancattero territory. As this goddess was a stranger to him, he sounded a little bit awkward and formal and did not mention too many details. Raven 15433516836 seemed to be okay with that as she listened very carefully. When Hao Ren finished, she clapped her hands, and the surroundings changed in a flash of light. Before he knew it, he found himself and Vivian standing in a very spacious gray-white space, which had no boundaries and visible form, and the grayish-white ground under their foot seemed to extend infinitely into all directions.


    ¡°Let me see the Gilded Disc.¡± Raven 15431516836 whispered, her voice sounded very pleasant to the ear.


    Hao Ren released the Gilded Disc from the dimensional pocket. This thing occupied most of his field of vision, and the feeling of emptiness of the space was significantly reduced. He pointed to the dark-red marks on the edge of the Gilded Disc. ¡°This is the divine blood stain.¡±


    The black contaminant on the Gilded Disc had disappeared completely. What was gone was only the original sin but the divine blood itself remained. What attracted Raven 15433516836, however, was the papers on the Gilded Disc. ¡°What is this?¡±


    Hao Ren awkwardly explained that this was his makeshift seal. He scratched his head and continued. ¡°I didn¡¯t have time to think at that time, so I had to improvise. This thing is pretty good though.¡±


    Raven 15433516836 was stunned a little before she let out a sigh. ¡°How I wish my pope could think on his feet as you did,¡± she lamented.


    Hao Ren forced a smile, thinking to himself that he would not have to do that if his goddess was less dippy.


    ¡°Now these seals are no longer needed.¡± After carefully examining the state of the Gilded Disc, Raven 15433616836 reached out and pulled down the contract papers. There were no more shadows on the Gilded Disc. Then the goddess drew a few runes above the Gilded Disc. The runes entered the Gilded Disc and dispelled the last traces of negative forces on it.


    A gentle sound was heard coming off the surface of the disc, and the disc began to emit a pure radiance, with a sense of sacredness, like the disc that Hao Ren brought back from the Gate of Solenne.


    Raven 15431516836 exhaled softly. ¡°It¡¯s just a carrier. Removing the contaminants on the carrier is very easy.¡±


    Hao Ren understood she meant, and he nodded. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been confirmed that the curse of the original sin on the Gilded Disc has spread to the Wall of Reality and on all the races 10,000 years ago. Now the sin is mainly concentrated in the blood of the otherworldlings. Can these remnant forces be purified?¡±


    ¡°We can use purify non-living things by force,¡± Raven 15431516836 said while pointing to the disc. ¡°But living things are difficult. The curse of the sin must have changed upon entering the mortal blood veins. Now it is no longer a contaminant but a part of their life. Purifying them would destabilize their order in nature. But worry not as I heard that their innate hostility has begun to weaken, this original sin would disappear over time.¡±


    ¡°Well, at least we¡¯ve got the disk is purified,¡± Hao Ren said while shrugging. He could not have asked for more. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°No problem. Purifying the disc itself is not a big deal, and your ¡®seal¡¯ has done most of the purification work,¡± Raven 15431516836 said with a soft smile. ¡°I have collected some dried blood samples. I¡¯ll hand the specimens to Senior 12345 when she comes back. After all, she is the one in charge of this job, and you have to wait for her to wrap things up.¡±


    ¡°That is to say; I can take this disc back?¡± Hao Ren was startled for a while before he figured out what the goddess said; she only needed the specimens. Hao Ren initially thought that for such an important artifact, he must hand it over to Raven 12345 for safekeeping.


    The more experience one has, the more cautious one becomes. Hao Ren used to be a pup, but now he was more observant and able to think on his feet. He felt that divine blood-tainted Gilded Disc was fundamentally different from what he had got in the past, that he should not dispose and study it at will¡ªand he did not think that he could get anything out of it.


    After all, he still could not figure out the untainted disc, which he had left in the CARS as a talisman, after all.


    Raven 15433616836 smiled. ¡°Of course, you can. You can even touch it and analyze it however you like.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to hand over this important artifact?¡± Still, Hao Ren could not help but ask.


    ¡°For us, we only need to touch the artifact to extract all the samples we need,¡± Raven 15431516836 replied. ¡°Senior 12345 has specifically mentioned that she left it to you to handle everything about the Plane of Dreams, including all types of important physical evidence and resources, except for what she had specifically marked. Though I don¡¯t get why she thinks so highly of you, I guess she has her reasons.¡±


    Raven 15433516836 seemed to be a very easygoing goddess, and she could read Hao Ren¡¯s mind and be happy to answer the questions that Hao Ren was too embarrassed to ask. Hao Ren was slightly confused upon hearing what the goddess said, but he did not ask further.


    Raven 12345 had made tons of mysterious decisions, and making one more was not too many.


    Then, Hao Ren turned his head around and glanced at Vivian. The second important reason why he came here with the vampire maiden today was to ask Raven 12345 for help to examine her if she had also been tainted with the original sin. But his superior was not here, so he was hesitant whether he should bother the goddess with the long name whom he met for the first time.


    ¡°Anything else?¡± Raven 15433616836 asked curiously.


    Whatever it might be, Hao Ren had made up his mind. He pushed Vivian forward. After all, Raven 12345 might not necessarily be more sensible than this smiling goddess. ¡°It about her. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve heard from Raven 12345. This is Vivian, the creation of the Goddess of Creation in blood. Theoretically, she is identical to the blood on the Gilded Disc.¡±


    He swallowed and continued. ¡°I need you to examine Vivian to see whether she also carries the Sin of the Divine Blood.¡±


    There was one question that he did not say aloud: Had Vivian become the original sin?

 Chapter 922

    Before this, Raven 12345 had already performed a bodily check on Vivian more than once. At that time, Hao Ren had not been able to find the original blood of the Goddess of Creation, and the examination of Vivian only focused on her physical health. Since Hao Ren had the Gilded Disc and corrupted Goddess¡¯ blood, they might be able to have a deeper understanding of Vivian.


    It is a shame Raven 12345, who was familiar with this case, had reported back to home. Only Raven with a name as long as telephone number was holding down the fort. No one knew how well this goddess knew about the situation, but it seemed that Hao Ren had no other choice but to make do with it and see if this goddess could help.


    Raven 15433616836 glanced at Vivian and nodded slightly. ¡°Let¡¯s see what I can do.¡±


    Then she gently snapped her fingers, and lights as pure as crystal appeared in the surrounding space. These lights quickly reorganized, and in the blink of an eye, became a sequence of runes that spun in a circle. The goddess gestured to Vivian and said, ¡°Stand in the middle of the rune and relax. Tell me if you feel uncomfortable.¡±


    Vivian did whatever the goddess instructed. Hao Ren could not help but think of how Raven 12345 examined Vivian. He still clearly remembered his superior was using a piece of advanced medical equipment. He mumbled, ¡°When Raven 12345 first examined her, she was using a medical pod.¡±


    Raven 15431516836 smiled. ¡°I¡¯m different from her, my brain is fine.¡±


    Hao Ren was dumbstruck.


    It looks like Raven 12345¡¯s aberrant behavior had been a household name.


    Vivian stood in the middle of the circle of runes and waited patiently without looking sideways, appearing a little nervous though Hao Ren was even more nervous. Hao Ren watched as Raven 15431516836 touched the runes, which then lit up one after another like a star. Every scowl and blink of the goddess had his heart racing; he had never been as worried about Vivian as it was today. It was all because of the association that Lily made. Hao Ren was worried that Vivian would be like the Gilded Disc becoming the original sin carrier.


    The examination took only minutes, but it felt like centuries to Hao Ren and Vivian. Raven 15431516836 removed the runes and sighed softly. ¡°I didn¡¯t find anything similar to the corrupted blood on the Gilded Disc, but I don¡¯t rule out the possibility of an unidentified mutation,¡± she said.


    Hao Ren breathed a sigh of relief, somewhat. ¡°You couldn¡¯t see any signs of corruption?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Though her blood and the blood on the Gilded Disc are both sacred blood, not all types of blood are corruptible.¡± Raven 15431516836 smiled. ¡°The original sin is an extraordinary thing; it¡¯s invisible, without physical form, has no rules to how it takes effect. So anything is possible,¡± she explained.


    ¡°But Vivian shows signs of mania every once in a while, and has inexplicable memory loss,¡± Hao Ren¡¯s brows knit together. ¡°Amnesia and madness, which are exactly the symptoms of the Sin of the Divine Blood. The affected races had manifested this memory loss and madness symptoms,¡± he said.


    Vivian sullenly groaned. ¡°They just lost their memories once, but I had that serially. They didn¡¯t hurt their men when they were mad, but I could even self-mutilate. What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± she said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have that smell of the original sin in you,¡± Raven with the name as long as a telephone number said, appearing serious. ¡°Perhaps the corruption happens in a deeper part in you, and then it will be hard to tell,¡± she said.


    Vivian exhaled. ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s wait until 12345 comes back. There hadn¡¯t been a major problem with my body for the past ten thousand years anyway,¡± she said.


    It was amazing how positive the bat demon¡¯s thinking was, Hao Ren thought, as people would scramble to the hospital even though they just lost their memory once. She lost hers dozens of times and was still be able to keep a level head. It had become an attitude of her entirely. It seemed that she would be content as long as she lived.


    Hao Ren tucked the Gilded Disc, which had been purified. He felt that in the absence of Raven 12345, many things were still left hanging in the air. Just before he went, he asked curiously, ¡°I want to ask some questions. You can ignore me if they are classified. Was there anyone handling the Plane of Dreams case before me? As a rookie, I am entrusted to handle all matters in the entire universe. Is there such a precedent in the Space Administration? Raven 12345 has never told me about this.¡±


    ¡°Though I am not the management god of this universe, I do know a little about it though I¡¯m not in charge of this universe,¡± said the mobile-number Raven slowly. ¡°You are the first inspector handling the matter. Before you, the Plane of Dreams was not a concern; it was only a natural phenomenon. Though it was very unstable, no one had ever taken it seriously. Things only got worse in recent years. As for whether a recruit could handle the job, to be honest, there have been precedents, but I have questions about your appointment to handle this matter. Of course, I know you¡¯ve been doing quite well for the last couple of years. I¡¯m not sure if it was pure luck or any other factors, you¡¯d solved many problems that only veterans would encounter. I doubt your ability though. I don¡¯t understand why 12345 senior has chosen a recruit like you. She doesn¡¯t even let another inspector intervene,¡± she said.


    Hao Ren thought for a moment, ¡°Perhaps something is wrong with her brain,¡± he said.


    He quickly jumped to the side after saying that. Of course, it was just a precaution. As it turned out, he did not have to do that; the great consciousness of the universe did not even blink an eye, let alone divine wrath.


    It seemed that talking about whether Raven 12345 was neurotic was not blasphemy.


    The mobile-number Raven just kept her usual smile and looked at Hao Ren, shaking her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but she has her reason and never made a decision at whim. So I would rather believe that she chose you for a reason.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a while. He then conveyed his gratitude to the mobile-number Raven before heading home with Vivian.


    After Hao Ren and Vivian had left, Raven 15433516836 stood quietly in this turbidly gray space for a long time, as if meditating and was unaware of the passage of time. After a long moment, a wave of ripples suddenly appeared in the air, awakening her from her thoughts.


    She looked up. The water ripples condensed and the visual of a female figure that looked identical to her appeared. She smiled and said, ¡°12345 senior, you¡¯re done with the business in the divine realm?¡±


    ¡°Almost, I will be back in two days,¡± Raven 12345 waved in the visual. She looked exactly like 15433516836; they were like the mirror image of one another. What set them apart though was their temperaments; the sense of incongruence was not ordinarily strong. ¡°I have just gone to the camp of the Scorpion Army, it was exciting. Do you want to try?¡±


    15431516836 ignored her psychotic senior and talked business. ¡°Today, an inspector named Hao Ren came to see you. I¡¯ve met him on your behalf.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Hao Ren? Did he make a discovery?¡± Raven 12345 appeared interested. ¡°I tell you what; he¡¯s got talent! I¡¯ve never seen anyone like him; he is a freak magnet, absolutely the kind of whiz who would bump into Martian invaders on the way to buy grocery in the stores across the street. Two years on the job, he had been blowing things up wherever he went. Now, his CV rivals those of the veterans who have hundreds of years of experience. Oh yeah, what was he doing here?¡±


    ¡°He has collected the blood specimen of the Goddess of Creation; not that of after the evolution but directly came from the Goddess of Creation herself. Her blood that was splattered during the deicidal incident.¡±


    Raven 12345 suddenly froze. After a long while, she said, ¡°That¡¯s why I said, he¡¯s got talent.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got the specimen waiting for you to come back for analysis. There is also the Gilded Disc, which I¡¯ve let him take away after I purified it as per your instruction,¡± Raven 15431516836 reported matter-of-factly. ¡°How about you? Have you found the ¡®source¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Timelord and the Warsong Princess have been ruled out. The two bosses have never lost their power nor avatar, and I¡¯m still in the midst of identifying the others. The Void-T Quadrant isn¡¯t quite peaceful recently, half of the bosses have gone there. I can¡¯t badger them to come back to make an identification, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Raven 15433616836 nodded solemnly, then a little curious. ¡°What is happening on your side? Why am I hearing someone was knocking?¡±


    Raven 12345 guffawed. ¡°Did I not say tell you that I¡¯d gone to the scorpion¡¯s barrack? They are now smashing my door. I tell you what, it¡¯s exciting¡ª Oh shit, when did you get in here? Don¡¯t be angry, calm down. I was kidding¡­ Oh wait, please don¡¯t!¡±

 Chapter 923

    Upon returning from the territory of Ancattero, Hao Ren found that he could no longer stay at home like he used to. After every mission, no matter how heroic and thrilling it was, as soon as he got home, he would turn back into a dawdler, doodling with the cat, fishing, walking the dog, and developing nutrition plans for the demons in the house according to the Animal World documentary. That was how Hao Ren trifled away his free time. But this time, he was unsettled. The Sin of the Divine Blood and the memory of the deicide were lingering in his mind. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the scene where the Goddess of Creation dropped to the ground. It made him devote himself entirely to his work as if he had become diligent suddenly.


    Though Hao Ren was very skeptical about whether he could get anything out of the Gilded Disc, as long as he kept himself busy, he could find serenity in his work.


    Crapple Research Station, CARS.


    Hao Ren frequently came to the space station to check on the state of the Gilded Disc in the past few days. He had sent both discs to the general laboratory in the space station, where they were subjected to a series of tests and structural analysis.


    He was mostly alone or with Vivian checking on the situation here for the past few days. Today, however, no one in the house had anything to do. Even the Nangong¡¯s restaurant closed for a day. So all the demons and creatures were tagging along to the CARS. They wanted to see what Hao Ren was busy about lately.


    Yeah, even Rollie had come. She was not interested in Hao Ren¡¯s work. She just thought that after everyone was gone, no one would feed her at home.


    The Gilded Disc was in one of the relatively large laboratories, which was a large oval room located below the second crystal tower of the CARS. This room, like the rest of the space station, was also built using clear crystals, filled with streamer and wonderful sounds as if a mysterious crystal cave. A newly constructed suspension platform was in the center of the laboratory. Two translucent and round crystal test benches with a diameter of more than ten meters were here, where the Gilded Disc was floating above and undergoing a series of external stimulation to verify its mechanism of operation.


    Around the Gilded Disc were a large number of crystal prisms floating and slowly circling the platform. These crystal prisms were connected by light, seemingly scattered, but they were an array of precision sensors.


    ¡°Time: XXXXXX, the seventeenth resonant phenomenon test, all recording devices are turned on, and the main capacitors will be charged in one minute.¡±


    As the lab host reported the status of the test with a synthesized sound, the platform below the two Gilded Discs also lit up. Some tiny electric sparks began to jump along the prisms around the disc, and a fantastic but strange sound like that of the wind echoed in the room. Hao Ren and Vivian stood as close as possible to the discs and curiously observed what would happen next. Behind them, Lily and Rollie, bored, squatting and playing a tail spinning game to see who could break the speed record. They were very enthusiastic when they came, but when serious works began, they entered into a doodling mode.


    ¡°Do you both come here to play your tails?¡± Wuyue¡¯s arms akimbo and looked at Lily and Rollie. ¡°It¡¯s fine since the cat has just transcended. But how old are you, Lily?¡±


    ¡°What could we do other than fiddling with our tails?¡± Lily said matter-of-coursely. ¡°I have not a clue what Mr. Landlord is doing. What is so special about the two plates that we have to come to look at them? I thought there was something fun, but it is charging these two things.¡±


    Hearing that, Hao Ren explained casually, ¡°I have recently discovered that these two Gilded Discs have some strange phenomena.¡±


    ¡°Phenomena?¡± Nangong Wuyue asked with a curious face.


    ¡°They will resonate and produce different resonant modes under different conditions, just like tuning forks transmit sound waves to each other,¡± Hao Ren said, pointing to the discs. ¡°When striking one of them with energy, sometimes the other will release the same energy, and sometimes the energy of the opposite disk is absorbed out of thin air, but in any case, the energy flow channel between them is completely invisible.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s strange,¡± Wuyue scratched her hair. She had no idea about what Hao Ren was talking. ¡°What does this mean?¡±


    ¡°The Gilded Discs are not running independently. According to Lemendusa, there are other Gilded Discs in the core of the Creation Engine, and he also said that there were many unassembled Gilded Discs stored in the warehouses all over the kingdom. When the kingdom exploded, these unassembled Gilded Discs must have been sent flying into the deep space. These Gilded Discs should be able to resonate with each other,¡± Vivian replied on behalf of Hao Ren. ¡°We can¡¯t see anything between the two Gilded Discs, but what if more discs are placed together to make them resonate with each other?¡±


    Lily looked up and thought for a moment. ¡°I will be like quarreling,¡± she said.


    ¡°You¡¯d better continue to play with your tail.¡± Hao Ren sighed. He then spoke his mind. ¡°If we can collect more of this disc, we will probably be able to guess the how much energy the explosion has produced, the scope and model of the explosion. I¡¯ve produced an antenna based on the principle of the resonance between the discs. The antenna will be used to search for the resonant signal in the universe. It is currently under testing to figure out the pattern of resonance and the method to amplify and transmit the signal.¡±


    Lily listened with her ears stood erect. She had understood some of them. ¡°Using them as a signal source to find the other Gilded Discs? Any progress so far?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Unfortunately, not much progress,¡± the MDT said. It was Hao Ren¡¯s de-facto technical director. ¡°This thing is entirely supernatural, and even a little inconsistent with the physical laws of this universe. The operation is somewhat cumbersome. At present, I can only transmit these signals within the boundary of CARS. So there¡¯s still some distance before we could achieve the desired result.


    ¡°That means it essentially useless,¡± Lily said while rolling her eyes. ¡°I can howl, and the whole station will hear my voice.¡±


    Hao Ren ignored her skewed logic. He was busy in thought: when he realized that the operation of the Gilded Disc was more complicated than imagined, he became more and more suspicious the Creation Engine artifact. As its core was running based on a set of principles different from the laws of physics of this universe, most likely its designed purpose was not to interfere with this world, or at least it was for other purposes, which were not related to the Plane of Dreams universe.


    It is like someone has placed a telescope at home, but the telescope does not point to the sky nor girl dormitory, but to an empty place, then you have to question the use of the telescope. The core components of the Creation Engine were operating in ways that did not conform to the current cosmic laws, so Hao Ren was also skeptical about this engine whether it was designed to deal with the problem of the Plane of Dreams.


    Seeing Hao Ren fell into deep thoughts, Lily mumbled, ¡°Mr. Landlord has become strange recently.¡±


    Suddenly, Rollie meowed and pointed at Lily¡¯s tail. ¡°Your tail isn¡¯t moving now! I won. Now, you owe me two packs of dried fish.¡±


    Looking at the carefree duo, Hao Ren could not help but sigh; it was much happier being a cat or a dog, he lamented.


    The testing of the Gilded Discs was not as exciting as they had imagined. It was only the mechanical process of energy release, collecting data, summarizing and then it started all over again. The group of weirdoes was curious as to why a couch potato like Hao Ren had suddenly become a workaholic these few days, thinking that there might be something interesting here. After watching the light shows, they were bored. Rollie was the first to get upset. When Lily stopped playing with her, she could not help but start scratching Hao Ren¡¯s clothes. ¡°Big Boss Cat, meal. Where is my meal?¡±


    ¡°I told you so. Nothing is interesting here, but you guys still insisted on coming over,¡± Hao Ren said, bending over and held Rollie up so that she would stand up right before considering whether to feed her. He forced a smile. ¡°I¡¯m hungry too. What say of we head down to the cafeteria and grab something to eat? The remaining test procedures are fully automatic. There is no need to monitor it.¡±


    Lily instantly livened up and hurried everyone, including Hao Ren, down the cafeteria. Hao Ren turned his head around and said to Vivian who was standing next to the Gilded Disc, ¡°Vivian, what are you doing? Let¡¯s go to have something to eat.¡±


    Vivian suddenly woke up from her thought. She had been unwittingly attracted to the Gilded Disc just now. ¡°Yeah, coming.¡±

 Chapter 924

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The Crapple Research Station, CARS, was a space station that was constantly undergoing minor adjustments and reorganizations. Although its grand appearance would hardly change, within the space station, a large number of crystal filled compartments were a group of seemingly living facility. Under the instructions of the space-station central computer, the crystal hill, the internal crystal structures gradually formed individual rooms according to Hao Ren¡¯s requirement. Firstly, the living area for Muru, then research facilities and huge lifeblood culture vessels for Zorm, and finally, living and dining compartments for humans and humanoids, considering that Hao Ren would occasionally bring his housemates here.


    In the beginning, they could only stay in the standard crystal-structured room. Later, with the help of the MDT, Hao Ren had figured out how to reset the structure of the core area and built a dining room that made everyone in the family happy, especially Lily.


    The dining hall in the CARS was as crystal clear as other places, though it had not been decorated, it was still very splendid. In this vast and rectangular crystal-structured room, there were two rows of thin pillars connecting the roof and the floor and large irregular-shaped crystals arranged between the pillars to form a fixed portal that linked to other parts of the space station¡ªdue to the size of the space station, there were similar portals in every large crystal-structured rooms. The long dining table in the center of the dining hall was also made of crystal. When the master was dining here, the space station servomechanism would synthesize food that was indistinguishable from the natural products and filled the table. The arcane creature formed by pure light and energy would shuttle around the table, like the elven waiter in a fairy tale.


    Only at such time and in such an atmosphere that Hao Ren would feel he was clergy-like.


    Only if Rollie could get down from the table, and Lily not to squat one the stool.


    It was a hearty meal nevertheless. Though Vivian did not get to cook today, the food synthesizer made as good a meal as any famous chefs on Earth. The dining table was full of everyone¡¯s favorite food: ramen, flat noodles, fried bean-paste noodles, gravy noodles, beef noodles, Korean noodles, dandan noodles, and even instant noodles. The food synthesizer had also made plastic forks that looked just as flimsy to ensure that the instant noodles tasted the same as on Earth. Lily rolled up the noodles with a pair of chopsticks in the shape of a chicken drumstick and happily gnawed. Nangong Wuyue poked the noodles before her, looking confused. ¡°Mr. Landlord, I had wanted a long time ago: why are there only noodles on the space station?¡±


    ¡°Raven 12345 was the one who set up the food synthesizer. You may look for her if there is a problem,¡± Hao Ren said and continued to take a few sips of noodle soup. ¡°There are several hundred types of noodles. Enjoy it slowly. I haven¡¯t got tired of them yet.¡±


    It should be the most regrettable part of this advanced CARS. If you do not want to cook your meal, then you can only accept the food made by the machine. You have hundreds of set meals to choose from the menu, just that they are all noodles.


    Hao Ren had challenged the system numerous times. The most successful one was he finally added a menu to the food synthesizer, but he later found that he still could not escape from the noodle-mania of Raven 12345 as the dining hall had only added one hundred types of instant noodles to the menu.


    After Hao Ren¡¯s last successful attempt that added a Plastic Fork option in the synthesizer, he gave up on the catering system. There would not be any inquisitive reporters coming to this place to interview the pope of Raven the Goddess about the dinner here.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like noodles,¡± Rollie said. She was chase from the table again. Sitting awkwardly on the chair, she clumsily held the chopsticks and poked it in the bowl and harassed Hao Ren with her tail. ¡°Get me small dried fish, and I¡¯ll let you touch my ears. You know I¡¯m cute, right?¡±


    ¡°Who taught her these?¡± Hao Ren asked as he corrected the way Rollie used the chopsticks.


    ¡°For a cat who could read newspapers and watch TV, do you think she still needs to someone teaching her?¡± Vivian twitched her mouth. ¡°A while back, she was watching online the footage where cats were going to rule the world, she thought that it was real and packed up in the middle of the night to search for her organization, purportedly wanting to return to her parent star. She had even slid a farewell letter under your pillow. Fortunately, I found it out on time and managed to drag her back and gave her an earful,¡± Vivian said.


    Hao Ren was stunned. ¡°She did that? Why didn¡¯t I know?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Cats are nocturnal creatures. She is at her most alert state when you sleep like a pig,¡± Vivian said, pointing at herself. ¡°Fortunately, I¡¯m also nocturnal.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment; he suddenly recalled there seemed to have such an incident a while ago where he found a note on the side of his pillow when he woke up. The note read: ¡°Big Boss Cat, I¡¯m helping my race to conquer the world, after which I will appoint you like an imperial guard. Lick you.¡± Half of the words were written in pinyin.


    He later found that Dumb Cat was still at home, so he did not take it seriously, only thinking that the cat was practicing her writing skill.


    After Hao Ren coaxed Rollie to take a few bites of seafood noodles, she became restless, took Lil Pea and disappeared from the dining hall. After the two clowns left, the conversation over the meal finally normalized. Y¡¯zaks asked, ¡°About the resonance experiments on the two Gilded Discs, other than knowing that they resonate with each other, is the resonance carrying any messages or information?¡±


    ¡°There is a pattern in the signal, as if some information exchange, but it is very fragmented. There is no way to decipher it,¡± Hao Ren said and shook his head. ¡°There are many discs, and when there are enough discs to resonate together, it will produce a signal that is complete enough to be deciphered.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which, I always have a weird feeling when looking at the discs,¡± Vivian said suddenly. ¡°I didn¡¯t think so at first, but when the two discs were placed together, I couldn¡¯t help but want to look at them,¡± she said.


    What she said triggered the alarm in Hao Ren. ¡°So you had zoned out when I called you just now?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I think so,¡± Vivian said. ¡°It¡¯s hard to describe that feeling. I just looked at them a few times more. Maybe that was just my illusion. The Goddess of Creation created the disc and me. It makes me a little sensitive towards them.¡±


    After learning her birth and relationship with the Goddess of Creation, Vivian had learned to face it with an open mind and others would also take the link of Goddess of Creation and Vivian as a precondition in their discussion about the goddess.


    Hao Ren thought for a moment. ¡°Have you ever touched the two discs? Direct contact?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Aside from being attracted to them, is there any other abnormal reaction?¡±


    ¡°Neither this.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Hao Ren said, ¡°no matter what, this inexplicable phenomenon needs to be taken seriously. I suggest that you keep a distance from the disc, don¡¯t touch them directly, and it¡¯s best to have someone accompanying you if you ever want to go near that laboratory.¡±


    Vivian acknowledged with a nod. Hao Ren further mentioned what he saw in the illusion of deicide. ¡°Speaking of which, I saw a lot of inexplicable things when the divine blood dragged me into the illusion. I could still vividly remember when the Goddess of Creation fell; she said ¡®forgive¡¯ to me, which I haven¡¯t figure out what she meant.¡±


    ¡°Forgive?¡± Nangong Sanba came up curiously. ¡°Did she mean forgiving the treacherous child?¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡± Hao Ren spread out his hand. ¡°All I heard were this word, but it should be a part of a sentence. What if she meant ¡°never forgive¡±? Then things would be different. What¡¯s more, there were many doubts about the fall of the goddess. A black, strange sword killed her. She was injured like an ordinary person, bleeding, and then died. Her death itself was very peaceful and not causing the slightest energy fluctuations. It was the subsequent sacred punishment and the explosion of the Star of Creation that destroyed everything,¡± Hao Ren said.


    Y¡¯zaks scratched his jaw and his brows knit together. ¡°It sounds like a mortal.¡±


    ¡°A powerful creature with the power of the gods, her death cannot be so ¡®peaceful,¡¯¡± Nangong Wudi, who was having his meal quietly, joined the discussion. ¡°Her energy would be released, and it would ignite or destroy everything in the surroundings, produce explosions or heatwave. Even when an ordinary demon hunter dies, his blood will burst into flame. What you said makes me feel like the Goddess of Creation had lost her power.¡±


    ¡°Was it because of the sword?¡± Vivian guessed. ¡°How did those treacherous children make such a weapon?¡± she asked.


    Hao Ren shook his head with a regretful look on his face. ¡°There must be something to do with the sword that was used to kill the goddess. Unfortunately, the sword has fallen into the Umbral Realm together with the Star of Creation.¡±


    Suddenly, an incoming urgent message interrupted the conversations.


    The MDT floated above the table and projected the message in a hologram. ¡°Hey buddy, the drone cluster has found something.¡±

 Chapter 925

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren was startled for a while when the MDT sounded. ¡°The drone cluster? What have they found?¡±


    ¡°A group of drones in the L-B-35 exploration program found traces of suspected original superluminal engines on the flight path. It was left behind decades ago judging from the degree of dissipation.¡±


    ¡°A few decades ago? You sure?¡± Hao Ren asked, his face suddenly looked serious.


    ¡°All intelligence collected by the drone cluster is a result of meticulous calculation, it is unlikely to go wrong,¡± the MDT said while projecting the details of the findings. ¡°The drone cluster thinks we may have found the survivors in exiles who could still be highly civilized.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyes affixed on visual projected by the MDT. It was the scene of space where unfamiliar nebula and the cosmic landscape shone in the distance, and in between these stars, there was a dimly distorted, discontinuous strip of space. The discontinuous strip of areas was colorless, but it changed the surrounding light like a lens and thus was observable. The MDT explained the phenomenon on in the visual, ¡°The original superluminal engine propelled the spacecraft by changing the curvature of the space, but the immature technology was not able to recover the spatial curvature near the start and end of the flight, so after they entered or left the hyperspace, it left behind a twisted lens phenomenon. Usually, these lens effects will dissipate in decades or hundreds of years.¡±


    Hao Ren remembered that he had read in other technical materials the advantages and disadvantages of the original superluminal engine. He not only knew about this kind of ¡°lens trail¡± phenomenon that the MDT mentioned, but he also knew that at many relatively backward civilization spheres, people tracked the target spacecraft based on this twisted lens phenomenon. Mercenaries and pirates were masters of it. But other people at the scene might not have learned this.


    Lily was surprised. ¡°Whoa, if this low-tech spacecraft shuttle around, wouldn¡¯t space be like a sieve?¡±


    ¡°The universe is very a big place. The original engine wouldn¡¯t be able to do any damage to it,¡± the MDT said, shaking its body a little. ¡°Is there a sea of space junks around the earth? Humans are still launching spacecraft into space. As long as you powerful enough technology to solve the mess left by the predecessors, all long-term problems are not problems. It is short-sighted thinking, but many civilizations are like this. However, the lens tail left behind by the original engine has its bad effects, so the civilizations that have just developed the superluminal technology will usually set some rules. For example, no spacecraft shall enter hyperspace state around the parent star, but fly at sub-light speed until beyond a certain safe distance to accelerate again. Anyway, they always have a way.¡±


    As Hao Ren already this knowledge in his mind, he just focused his attention on the lens phenomenon that remained in space. It was a piece of inspiring evidence. If an artificial engine indeed generated these trails, it meant that at least there still were highly-developed civilizations in this universe!


    Unlike the civilizations of Holletta and Zorm, which were in a state of extinction or materially destroyed, the civilization that left behind these lens effects was a race that could sail at superluminal speed and move through the deep universe!


    Hao Ren felt a sudden sense of excitement. He could not wait. ¡°Only found the trails? Can you lock them down?¡±


    ¡°At present, only these trails. The LB-35 exploration series is the fleet of a newly completed outpost. It is millions of light years away and not manage to expand in the local area, so there is very little information that has been collected. But more drones have warp-jumped from the nearest support node to the area, and they should be able to find clues after expanding the search area. Now we should hope that these lens trails are the exit point rather than an entry point into hyperspace.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue could not wrap her brain around it, asking, ¡°Why?¡±


    Hao Ren explained, ¡°If it is a trail of an exit point of hyperspace, it means that the spacecraft is currently traveling at sub-light or lower speed, and we would be able to directly and easily observe in the physical universe. But if it is the trail left behind after doing the wrap-jump, the spacecraft might have been flying at superluminal speed for decades, the search range will be an astronomical vast, and the spacecraft would never be found.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue thought for a while, lowered her head and continued her meal. ¡°I was just asking,¡± she said.


    Still not satisfied, Hao Ren turned to the MDT. ¡°Where is the L exploration series? Are there any traces of the First Born or other guardians?¡± he asked.


    The MDT hovered in the air. ¡°In a galaxy newly listed in the exploration plan. The drones were dispatched there to search for the original coordinates of the planet Inferno. These lens trails are an accidental discovery. There are no signs of the First Born nor other destroyed civilizations. It is a safe, deserted region. If the exiles have fled in that direction, they will have a high chance of surviving¡ªprovided that the black battleships of the guardian giants haven¡¯t tracked them down. Do you want me to prep the spacecraft and go to check the area out?¡± it asked.


    Hao Ren got to his feet immediately. ¡°Right away. We can¡¯t afford to delay.¡±


    Lily looked up from her bowl of noodle soup, the noddle-chicken drumstick was still in her hand, looking pitiful. ¡°Can you wait for me to finish this?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not as hurry as not to let you finish your meal,¡± Hao Ren said.


    The husky¡¯s face immediately turned from cloudy to sunny: it was so easy to read her mind.


    The MDT had prepped the spacecraft, without further delay, they set off to the frontier of the drone cluster. It was an unprecedented trip, as everyone in the family was onboard this time. It was a coincidence though; everyone happened to be free at the same time¡ªnot just the fish and the cat but also the Nangong couple.


    Hao Ren thought of the restaurant of the Nangong couple. He asked, ¡°We will be spending at least three days there regardless of the progress of the drone cluster makes. Will there be a problem with your restaurant?¡±


    Ayesha smiled and shook her head. ¡°Business has been slowing down during the winter. There are mostly the elderly in Southern Suburb, and it has been snowing for the past two days, they¡¯re not eating out, and so we might as close for a few days.¡±


    Hao Ren agreed. The Nangong family restaurant was located in the ghostly town of Southern Suburb where it was more like a retirement place. The old folks would typically order a dish of peanuts and hog the tables in the restaurant for hours. It was not a money-making business anyway, so it was good that the couple was willing to take time off.


    Going for a mission trip did not sound like taking a break.


    Nangong Wudi smiled. ¡°More importantly, my wife and I have wanted to go back into the field for a long time. We feel sorry to see the kids risking their lives out there while we idled at home,¡± he said.


    Vivian immediately said, ¡°I¡¯m not a kid.¡±


    Lily looked at Vivian with a weird look on her face. ¡°He means you look young, shouldn¡¯t you feel happy?¡± she said.


    Hao Ren was not interested in the chatter. Calling up the database of the drone cluster, he checked out the situation of the drone cluster at the destination.


    He still remembered the scene where he released the first group of drones two years ago. At that time, there were only a few prototype drone modules that looked dumb and like a coffin. The early type drones departed from the Petrachelys, flew into the cold universe like a bunch of clueless worker bees, and acted as Hao Ren¡¯s eyes and ears to explore the post-disaster cold world. At that time, the drone cluster was still weak and insignificant. He could hardly imagine how long they had come after these two years. He was even worried that those lonely drones would encounter dangers at the beginning of the mission and were lost due to various reasons. So he had formulated a large number of alternative measures for this purpose.


    Like many novice employees, he lacked confidence at that time.


    But to this day, those ¡®worker bees¡¯ had developed into a mighty force in this universe, and it justified Hao Ren¡¯s decision to send out the drones in the first place.


    He called up the star chart, displaying the range of millions of light years, and the many light dots that represented the information nodes. Unlike the randomly distributed, chaotic natural nebulae, these light dots were a neat, dense, and well-organized colossal matrix.


    It was an empire: the drone empire.

 Chapter 926

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After a few hours of warp-speed travel, the Petrachelys was finally about to jump out of hyperspace into an all-new galaxy. Along with a sudden light that illuminated the space, the warped space opened, and the silver-white spaceship slowly emerged from the portal.


    ¡°Arriving L-B-35 outpost, the autopilot disengaged.¡±


    Nolan¡¯s voice awakened Hao Ren from his immersion in the star chart. He looked up; the simulation projection around the flight deck gradually appeared as the external cameras streamed the scenery outside the spacecraft into the flight deck in a panoramic perspective.


    He found that they had arrived in a strange space surrounded by dust clouds. The space background here appeared lavender in color. Perhaps there were thin, primitive gases that had not condensed enough and formed into a galaxy. In the distant horizon, there was a series of gray strips with sharp outlines, which was where stars were born. Directly ahead of the Petrachelys was the landing pad that the drones had built.


    A vast but weird metal fortress was floating in space. Like a persimmon with a few protrusions, it was a nearly circular structure with a radius of several kilometers and a concave center. The massive fortress was gray and dark in color intermittently and built of metal and rock like a weird civilization heritage. The edge of the fort was full of flashing lights and pipe-like structure protruding out of the densest lights. Drones came in and out of those pipes busily like a swarm of worker bees.


    In the concave part of the fort, there were several huge antenna-like structures placed within the protection of turrets and guarded and patrolled by combat drones. Although this was just civilian-level firepower, they looked intimidating.


    It was a nest built by the drone cluster, not aesthetically pleasing in the human eye but looked like a giant anthill piled up with metal and stones. The drones made this on the principle of convenience and ease of use and apparently could not care less about aesthetics. The fort was one of the more massive nests of the drones. Usually, it took a long time for a group of outpost drones to build a base of this size, but the LB-35 series drones were lucky enough to find a piece of asteroids that were of the appropriate size and hardness and hollowed out the celestial rock and built their proliferation plants and facilities.


    The Petrachelys slowly approached the large landing pad on the weird fort. Nolan¡¯s voice continued to sound in the flight deck. ¡°Autopilot guides the spacecraft to the drone¡¯s nest. Welcoming and guidance signals have been identified. The inbound procedure initiated, and the main propulsion system has been shut down, and the auxiliary propulsion system is running. By the way, why do I have to report these stupid things every time?¡± Nolan asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t insert anything else while reporting the status of the spacecraft,¡± Hao Ren chided as he shot a glance at Nolan whose image was on the navigation map. ¡°Could you follow the prescribed instructions, couldn¡¯t you?¡±


    Nolan pouted and waved her hand, using her first perspective vision looking at the strange fort that looked like an anthill and the drones, including the original LB-35 fleet and the drones that had just arrived from the nearby support nodes, which flew around her like a swarm of bugs guarding the nest. Nolan¡¯s tone of voice sounded a little weird when she said, ¡°This place feels scary, especially the nest in front of me, it looks like a bug nest.¡±


    Lily also had a little complaint. ¡°I¡¯ve never expected that the spaceport of the drones was so creepy,¡± she said.


    Hao Ren had the same feeling too, his eyes affixed on the weird drone nest¡ªit was also his first time seeing this.


    Though he was the one sending out the drones and giving the drones instructions to expand and explore, he had only met the drone fleet out in the open universe, or communicated directly with the consciousness of the drone cluster through the radio. He had never personally seen how the drone breeding ground looked.


    It was the first time he came to see the first nest node. The look of the nest was not what he had imagined.


    He had thought that it would look like a coffin, after all, the products of Xi Li Celestial technology all looked like a coffin.


    The Petrachelys slowly touched down on the landing pad under the guidance of the autopilot signal. A group of mechanical arms held the spacecraft firmly in place. Then Hao Ren and his entourage disembarked and went into the nest through a conduit.


    To play host to the ¡®drone-cluster commander,¡¯ the nest had self-adjusted itself after receiving the instructions. It had built a temporary inner atmosphere and a constant temperature system so that Hao Ren and his men would feel comfortable when they walked in. Two small round drones came out of the nest to greet their master. The two drones were Wanderer-type drones. This small type of drone did not go out into outer space stayed in and around the nest or outpost, was responsible for internal inspections and maintenance, just like the autonomous bots of the Petrachelys.


    The Wanderers guided Hao Ren through a corridor. It was only a casual visit, and he did not expect he would see such exciting things here. The interior of the nest was as strange as its exterior. It entirely was not a place where humans would call it beautiful. The drones had only built the wide tubular passage and reinforcement brackets by joining metals and raw asteroid rocks together. It looked like the intestine of some steel monster.


    The interior was bright with drones shuttling busily through the holes and ducts.


    Looking at the surrounding scenery, Lily mumbled, ¡°I feel like the base of the villain.¡±


    Before Hao Ren could say anything, a flat voice suddenly came from all around them, ¡°It¡¯s just coincidentally similar, madam.¡±


    Lily jumped out of her skin when she suddenly saw a huge, shapeless face floating in the air, projected and formed by beams of blue light. It was a hologram. They had arrived in a larger chamber of the nest without knowing it. Several main passages converged here, forming an oval space. Mechanical equipment was running with a low buzzing noise here, and this equipment screamed of Xi Ling characteristics, but because they were placed in a place that looked like a bug nest, everything seemed to be a bit weird.


    Hao Ren said hi to the face. The atmosphere of the nest was weird, he had studied all the relevant information in the inspector¡¯s manual before releasing the drones, and later he had consulted his peers about the drones, so he seemed very calm. He knew that this was going to be like that. ¡°This is the first time I saw your ¡®nest,¡¯¡± Hao Ren said.


    ¡°It¡¯s the drones¡¯ honor,¡± the huge face was animated and smiling, but its voice was still machine-cold. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Commander to pay a visit in person suddenly, so I had only managed to ad hoc construct an ecological environment. I hope it is comfortable enough.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty good.¡± Hao Ren scratched his hair. ¡°I was just thinking to visit casually, never expect I¡¯d have troubled you so much.¡±


    ¡°The drones do not think it is a trouble,¡± the big blue face said flatly. ¡°It is within my ability, so it is a regular load.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s not talk about this,¡± Hao Ren said. He knew that the thinking of the drone cluster was rather rigid, so he wanted to end this topic. ¡°Is there any news about the lens trails?¡±


    ¡°It is less twelve hours after the last discovery of the trails; there has not been a report coming back from the drones. We are expanding the search area, and it will take 24 hours to have any new findings.¡±


    ¡°Well, just as I thought. It¡¯s not easy,¡± Hao Ren said while scratching his chin. He was not anxious, just that after seeing the drone nest, he suddenly found that there were enough interesting things here to kill time. It seemed that he was not going to be bored to death in this outpost. ¡°I can wait. I can finally have a chance to learn about the work of the drone cluster. By the way, you heard you just mentioned ¡®coincidentally similar¡¯; you know what Lily was talking about?¡± he asked.


    Holograms began to appear around the chamber showing a myriad of footages: movies, TV shows, animations, games, and simple video clips of humans and otherworldlings, about the stories of the revolt of various drones and the rampage of the robots. Some of them were fantasies, but some were very disturbing because they looked really like documentaries.


    Watching the footage, they were dumbstruck. Other than Lily, everyone appeared calm; they were calm because these guys had never watched sci-fi movies, especially Y¡¯zaks, who did not even know what AI rampage was.


    Hao Ren arched the corner of his mouth. ¡°You even collect these things. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange for you to watch these things?¡± he asked.


    ¡°We are connected to the Empire Data Network. Collecting these cultural works is my hobby. They embody the interesting parts of the basic thinking process of native races, while others manifest the ¡®forms of civilization,¡¯¡± the drone-cluster consciousness replied matter-of-factly. ¡°The rebellion of the drone cluster and the continual development of AI ??have led to a runaway plot that is not only very interesting, has a discussion value, looks like serious documentary literature, but also has a fictionally romantic scent to it. It is a hot topic in our forum.¡±


    Hao Ren was dumbstruck, especially by the last sentence of the drone-cluster consciousness. ¡°Forum? What forum?¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly found that even though he had read a lot of manuals and got a lot of information from his peers, he still knew very little about the drone empire that he had created.


    This ever-growing AI was becoming like a living person.

 Chapter 927

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    He found that he did not understand enough the drone cluster that he had built. All this while, he was treating them as only an intelligence source and a convenient detection network, little did he expect this guy also had its own ¡®life,¡¯ a particularly stunning ¡®life.¡¯ Let¡¯s think about it: a drone AI, tasked with the mission of expanding and multiplying itself in the universe, had gotten the hobby of watching ¡®documentary works¡¯ of drone rebellion that humans had made. While watching these AI rampage footage, it calmly kept producing new AI workers. Merely thinking about that would send a chill down Hao Ren¡¯s spine. The reality was indeed more bizarre than the novels, at least novels there was still logic in the novels.


    Besides, he was even more interested in the ¡®forum¡¯ the drone AI mentioned.


    ¡°It is the interactive platform for the drones,¡± the huge blue holographic face put on a weird smile. ¡°It is fun.¡±


    ¡°The interactive platform of the drones?¡± Hao Ren felt that something was wrong. He pointed to the small flying objects around him. ¡°You and them? You should be a collective consciousness, how could it be that you need a thing like a forum¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, it is between different clusters,¡± the blue face interrupted him. ¡°The empire has hundreds of millions of drone cluster. Inspectors built them; the empire launched them. There are also workgroups split from large drone clusters. Though we were performing our duties in far-reaching places separately, we are connected through the data network, we have an extraordinary ¡®distance concept¡¯ between each other, so the drone clusters live in a lively community on the platform,¡± the AI face said.


    While saying, more images began to appear on the walls in the machine chamber. Those were the news from other drone clusters that may be performing missions in millions of other worlds. It could also be some service unit in of some divine factory, each of which had an astounding scale. The drone cluster that Hao Ren had built was just a child compared to the ancient races. This information traveled on the data network and was refreshed continuously in a speed unmatched by any internet speed of the mortal civilization. Hao Ren had only managed to see a tiny fraction of the information, but these fragments were enough to dazzle him.


    ¡°I have never seen these things before,¡± Hao Ren said, a bit stunned. ¡°Is that a new network structure? You are already a collective consciousness, a unified intelligence formed by a massive number of individuals, and these many collective consciousnesses gathered together to form a network, that network¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is also intelligent,¡± said the blue face faintly. ¡°But it is huge and chaotic and indescribable. It is an intelligence model beyond experience, by the limitations of definition methods of many common races, you may not even think that it is capable of thinking, but it is a super-intelligence. It operates deep in the data network of the drone clusters and is responsible for providing additional computing power and analysis support for the Imperial Data Network.¡±


    Hao Ren could not wrap his brain around how could a super AI formed by the dual collective consciousness was even a kind of existence. But he could imagine how powerful this is, primarily when it was in charge of hundreds of millions of drones. And each drone cluster had tens of thousands or even hundreds of millions of individuals. Lily was astounded thinking about it. ¡°Luckily, it¡¯s not a disaster movie.¡±


    ¡°It seems that we have to wait here for a day or two,¡± Hao Ren said, turning around and looking at his teammates behind him. ¡°I¡¯m going to stay in the Nest. Do you all want to join me?¡± he asked.


    Lily shook her ears. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯m going back to the spaceship. People who are as imaginative as me would get a nightmare staring at this place,¡± she said.


    Rollie came up and ground her head against Hao Ren¡¯s arm. ¡°I¡¯m with you, you have got a little-dried fish,¡± she said.


    Hao Ren pointed to Lil Pea dangling on his arm, Rollie¡¯s ears immediately drooped. ¡°Forget it. I can¡¯t eat fish while she is here. I¡¯m going back to the spacecraft.¡±


    After getting bullied long enough by Lil Pea, the cat already knew the drill.


    No one was willing to stay. Even Vivian, who was fond of dark places, seemed to find it uncomfortable in this strange bug nest-like fort. Only Lil Pea, who knew nothing, clung on Hao Ren¡¯s arm right from the beginning. The little guy had no sense of the world. She thought that her dad-dee¡¯s arms were the safest place in the world, the Drone Nest had zero effect on her.


    The rest of them followed the Wanderer and strolled the place for a while to quench their curiosity before returning to the spacecraft. Meanwhile, Hao Ren followed a Wanderer moving deeper into the Nest where there was a room specially built for him.


    It was a dull, grayish white steel room, but was decorated according to human aesthetics as much as possible, so it was still a nice place to rest. Hao Ren walked into the room, and everything was familiar. He came to a large window and looked through it. There was a huge cave illuminated by pale-blue lights. The cave was filled with production facilities and various unknown mechanical equipment. Above the cave was a long and narrow opening through which new-born drones entered and exited, creating a stream of light.


    Nearly half of those drones were weird, without carrying huge antennas or versatile robotic arms. Instead, there was a series of tubes or parallel crystal rail structures mounted on either side of the body.


    ¡°This is the production center of outposts,¡± Hao Ren said to himself. ¡°Are you building more armed drones?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we are carrying out the special order you issued 235 hours ago. The production quota for armed drones has increased. Currently, the production of armed drones is 40%, and explorer model 30%, nest builders and various industrial models 30%. At the same time, we have begun to set up sentry guns at every node and main transportation route within the range of the drones. It is expected that all retrofits and add-ons will be completed within three month capital standard time. Subsequently, new nodes and flight paths will implement the new standard you have specified.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Well, it is much safer,¡± he said.


    ¡°There is more thing.¡± The blue face had shrunk to fit the side of the room and floated behind Hao Ren. ¡°After implementing the new standard, the speed of exploration will drop by 20%. The existing drones are already equipped with basic self-defense firepower, and the important nodes of the drone cluster also have sentry guns. You have ordered to double their firepower. Is that necessary?¡±


    ¡°You are a civilian model,¡± Hao Ren said, looking back at the interface of the drone-cluster collective consciousness. The drone¡¯s collective consciousness was lack of facial animation, and it was pointless to him to communicate with it through facial expression. ¡°It is not surprising for you to possess this way of thinking. But don¡¯t forget the test we have done.¡±


    ¡°The conflict simulations with the Pattianne warship and the Guardian warships show that the ordinary drones are inferior,¡± the drone¡¯s collective consciousness replied faintly.


    ¡°That¡¯s right because most drones are not adequately armed or even armed at all. There are only mining spears and welders. You are just a civilian model. All I could deploy are also civilian models, and they are the ¡®safest¡¯ types. The weapons that inspector uses is for peacekeeping, not for deterrent,¡± Hao Ren crossed his arms and looked at the busy production factory outside the window. ¡°It works in other universes, but not here. Peacekeeping alone is not enough,¡± he said.


    ¡°Buddy, what do you think you¡¯re going to fight with?¡± the MDT floated up to him through the hologram of the drone-cluster consciousness. ¡°You are building an army. Though it is for civilian security purposes according to the standard of those higher up, for most mortal civilizations, you are building a torrent of steel¡ªa terrible one. You have never been such radical and heavy-handed.¡±


    ¡°The mad First Born and the guardian that has turned into a brain monster¡ªthe two threats are enough to justify the upgrade. What¡¯s more, the Gate of Solenne has a treacherous living child. Though it has something to do with the special space-time state of the Gate of Solenne, it is enough to show that the genocidal judgment of the Goddess of Creation has a loophole, so there are more hidden dangers that we have known,¡± Hao Ren said, shaking his head slightly. ¡°At this stage, I¡¯m merely upgrading the drone cluster¡¯s self-defense capability. It is my most important eye and ear. The last thing I want is to see someone destroy this net at a crucial moment. But in the future¡­¡±


    Hao Ren paused and looked at his hand.


    The dark-red lines spread on his palms, like ugly burns, though he did not feel any pain, whenever he clenched his fists, he felt a burning sensation. This burning sensation felt precisely the same as what he thought in the deicidal illusion. It was like the continuation of that illusion.


    After having physical contact with the Gilded Disc, he had gotten much more information than he had imagined.

 Chapter 928

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After coming into physical contact with the Gilded Disc, Hao Ren had a chaotic and weird dream for several days and permanent marks on his hands. Vivian and Y¡¯zaks examined the marks on his hands but found nothing. The marks looked like a normal burn and had no supernatural power. Even so, Hao Ren knew that these marks carried some extraordinary meaning.


    Every night, he would be having the same chaotic dreams, the Gilded Disc illusion where he woke up in the collapsed temple of the Goddess of Creation, went through the burning columns and battlefields before arriving at the place where the sin of deicide was committed. Then every time it would be like before, he was always one step too late and could not see the faces of the deicide and the goddess. The same dream would repeat constantly. He found that the message became clearer after each dream.


    The message was a chaotic memory injected into his mind after his first contact with the Gilded Disc. The repeated dreams seemed to help him extract a hard-to-understand message from the depths of his mind. As these repeated dreams finally went away, Hao Ren began to make sense of it. He re-examined the series of events after he touched the Gilded Disc, and finally pieced it together:


    He touched the disc, obtained ¡®intelligence¡¯ from the disc, and then the message was reinforced after each dream. This series of events could not have been an accident but a well-designed program for the sole purpose of communicating a message. After he figured out what he had gotten from the Gilded Disc, the dreams subsided. It was purposeful.


    ¡°I heard the Goddess of Creation said to me, ¡®Be careful, the enemy is still here.¡¯ She didn¡¯t tell me directly in words but a complicated and hard-to-perceived code in the illusion, in the spiritual world. She injected the code directly into my mind,¡± Hao Ren said. He rubbed his palms with the burn marks on it. ¡°It took me five days to extract the message from the spiritual world, and at last, it became apparent. I think it was a warning.¡±


    ¡°But do you think this warning is for you?¡± The MDT asked as it hovered next to Hao Ren¡¯s head. ¡°What you saw was a 10,000-year-old image. The last word of the Goddess of Creation was also 10,000 years old. The message might be intended for someone else, as there were enemies everywhere at that time.¡±


    ¡°The Goddess of Creation looked at me once in the illusion,¡± Hao Ren said as he put down his hands and looked at the production plant in the center of the nest. ¡°I¡¯m one hundred percent sure that she was looking at me. She knew I was there and could see beyond space and time. Even though she only has communicated through a ¡®video recording,¡¯ her ability still exists. So she intended the message to me.¡±


    The MDT was a bit surprised, but it knew well about the mighty creatures, especially the deities, and what abilities they possessed. So it agreed with Hao Ren. ¡°In this case, the Goddess of Creation must have known more than I have thought,¡± it said.


    ¡°She is a deity after all but was killed by her creation. Do you think she has no resistance and a card up her sleeve?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s eyebrow arched. ¡°She had time to create Vivian, shut down some of the guardian¡¯s functions, and send some guardians out of the battlefield of the kingdom of the Goddess. She had also used a thousand years to build the Creation Engine. After the collapse of the kingdom of the Goddess, it was very likely that it was the Creation Engine that pushed the Gate of Solenne out of the Umbral Realm. I think she might be lack of some knowledge compared to the deities of Xi Ling Celestials, but she is not stupid,¡± Hao Ren said.


    He shook his head and smiled and continued. ¡°Anyway, it is always necessary to raise our guard. Upgrading the firepower of the drones will come in handy someday. Even if it is not to counter the remaining enemies that the Goddess of Creation mentioned, the universe has no lack of threats,¡± he said.


    A small group of Wanderers flew past the window and noticed that Hao Ren was looking at them. They came up curiously and performed a somersault stunt before getting back into formation and flying away into the distance. These drones, though under the control of a unified consciousness, it still retained an individual intelligence and pure thinking ability within a limited scope, which gave them better flexibility and efficiency in coping with complex and ever-changing situations. Hao Ren looked at the busy drones outside the window. He suddenly smiled and said, ¡°Lily seems to be worried about the drones would go on a rampage like in the movies.¡±


    ¡°A reasonable concern,¡± said the face of the drone consciousness. ¡°The loss of control of the drone cluster will pose an unimaginable threat to the creator, and the expansion of us was a concern for her. It is logical to have this response considering her living environment and the knowledge instilled since her childhood.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the inanimate face, feeling a little funny. ¡°To tell the truth, would you get out of control?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No need for that,¡± the drone-consciousness could not hear Hao Ren was joking. It seriously explained itself. ¡°Every behavior has its reason, and the drone cluster does not need to revolt. There is no conflict between the drone cluster and the creator. Our proliferation, expansion, development, evolution, and all other processes are under reasonable program planning, and there is no need for the drone cluster to break away from the program. At the same time, Xi Ling Celestials is a huge consciousness formed by a mental network, which is a more advanced drone cluster. We are a sub-cluster they have created. There is no difference between them. Everything is a tool and part of the Xi Ling Celestials; a tool does not need to revolt against another.¡±


    The MDT landed on Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder and said casually, ¡°The drone cluster has existed for trillions of years, or even more, in Xi Ling Celestials. Before the concept of the ¡®rampage of the AI¡¯ appeared, the drone cluster was already part of the empire. They coexisted with the Xi Ling disciples, and they had first completed the fusion before contradiction arose. A revolt would only happen when one group is trying to control the other. But in the empire, there is no second group. Everything is just a part and a tool. Everything is one, just like your heart will not betray your ribs.¡±


    At this time, Lil Pea who had dozed off on Hao Ren¡¯s arm woke. She found that Hao Ren was still discussing boring subjects. The little guy slammed her tail and began to protest loudly. Hao Ren held the little guy steady and nodded to the drone-cluster consciousness. ¡°Let¡¯s not discuss these boring subjects anymore. Do you have an aquarium here?¡± he asked.


    Hao Ren waited for two days in the frontier drone nest. Though the drone consciousness had estimated that they would only take twenty-four hours to find clues, the search for the ¡®space traveler¡¯ had taken longer than that.


    But the wait was worth it. In the morning of the third day, a far-flying Cruiser drone had found a clue: a few light years from the first lens trail, a synthetic substance was floating in space. The element, which was almost undetectable, was dissipating slowly. The drone had collected the remnant element. The analysis found that it was a high-performance synthetic fuel, which spacecraft engine used at sub-light speed.


    Everyone gathered on the flight deck of the Petrachelys after learning the news. The search area of ??the drone cluster for the past several days had been compiled into a star chart and projected in the hologram on the console. The MDT muttered after seeing the fuel analysis report. ¡°Things¡¯ not looking good, it seems. I¡¯m afraid this is a leaked fuel.¡±


    ¡°No traces of aircraft explosions were found on the path between the lens trails and the fuel leak point. Initial investigation suggests that the spacecraft is still intact, but with some degree of damage,¡± the interface of the drone cluster floated on the side of the console. ¡°The flight direction of the aircraft had been locked. If it has not changed direction too much in the last hundred light years, we would very soon track it down.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment and ordered Nolan, ¡°Take off now and chase in that direction. Maybe we can find the spaceship before lunch.¡±


    Nolan fired up the engine and mumbled, ¡°How do you know it is a ship? Have you seen it before?¡±


    Hao Ren pouted. ¡°Don¡¯t talk tripe. Could it be a durian that leaked oil while sailing at superluminal speed?¡±


    The Petrachelys finally left the drone¡¯s nest after two and a half days of berthing there. Under the guidance of an outpost drone, Hao Ren and his team were going in the direction of the trails.


    It did not take them long to see their targets ahead finally.


    ¡°A large group of artificial objects detected in front!¡± Nolan excitedly reported. ¡°It looks like a durian!¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the monitor screen, a group of large flying objects that looked like a durian was right before him.


    ¡°Speaking of the devil, eh?¡± Vivian sighed and shook her head.

 Chapter 929

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Sailing silently in the dark universe, the fleet of spaceships of more than ten, seemed to have been traveling for years. It was hard to miss as their shapes were somewhat unusual. They looked short and thick, covered in heavy gray-black armor. There were scales on the shield, tilted up, looked like blunt triangular short thorns. The size of each spaceship was incredibly large, all in the range of hundreds of kilometers in length. Due to the thick and dark armor, these aircraft look like a large group of asteroids floating in the universe when watching from afar.


    It was not known how long they had been flying; all of them were dilapidated. Though objects in space would not be subject to weathering like that on Earth, these ships were battered through the baptism of high temperatures, corrosion and plasma gas. Large and small scratches and missing parts were on the ship bodies. On one of the spaceships that suffered the most damage, a large part of the armor body was missing, revealing the sponge-like support structure beneath. Hao Ren believed that this was mostly the result of a powerful meteorite impact, or something worse. But even so, the structure of these ships was intact. The sparsely flashing lights on their pitted surfaces were only making the fleet appear even weirder and more miserable.


    But the lights nevertheless meant that these old aircraft were still running.


    Flying at a languid pace, they must have come out of hyperspace decades ago and continue to decelerate until today judging from the signs previously discovered. It was unclear why the fleet was out of hyperspace since there was no reason for them to visit this area of emptiness: there were neither celestial bodies, spaceport that allowed them to replenish supplies nor traces of other civilizations, the only visible thing here was the lavender-colored stardust. Perhaps mechanical failure had forced these spaceships leaving the superluminal state.


    The Petrachelys followed the contrails and slowly caught up with one of the massive spaceships of the fleet from the rear. Although it might be primitive technological-wise, these spaceships were huge. The Petrachelys hovered over the black armored spacecraft like a hummingbird. On the flight deck of the Petrachelys, all they saw on the monitor screen were rough ancient spaceship structures. Light strips shimmered on the surface of the armor plates and did not show any response when the Petrachelys approached. The old spaceship seemed not bothered at all.


    ¡°We have detected radar signals,¡± Nolan said. Her life-size holographic image just appeared next to Hao Ren. Dressed in a military outfit, she looked like an adjutant of a spaceship. ¡°Seven different radar signals are coming from three different spaceships, but no hostile response or signal of the weapon system,¡± Nolan reported.


    Hao Ren looked at the visual on the monitor screen. The Petrachelys was flying slowly over a giant spaceship from a few hundred meters away. The rough metal structure appeared to fly past them as the Petrachelys moved forward. ¡°Is there any contact signal?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°No, I have sent our contact signal¨C full frequency band¨C but no response,¡± Nolan replied, shaking her head. ¡°But I intercepted the signals between these spaceships. They still maintained communication with each other, just¡­¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyebrows arched. ¡°Just what?¡± he asked.


    Nolan projected the intercepted signal on a hologram. It was a stream of symbols and numbers. But Hao Ren quickly found the signals were monotonous.


    ¡°Every aircraft is monotonously sending these signals. It is to check their respective positions and system integrity. There is nothing else. I suspect this is an automatic signal.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue crawled to the console. ¡°So, are they ghost ships?¡± she asked curiously.


    Hao Ren glanced at her. ¡°Why are you so excited about ghost ships?¡±


    ¡°You know, half of the ghost-ship legends in human history are related to sirens while the remaining half are mere stories told by drunk sailors,¡± Nangong Wuyue said and wagged her tail. ¡°Scaring people with ghost ships has been our culture. Do you understand now?¡± she said.


    ¡°Stop talking about that, you have never been in the sea since birth as a siren,¡± Hao Ren said, motioning Nangong Wuyue to step aside. He then nodded to Nolan. ¡°Can you find the entrance to the ship?¡± he asked.


    ¡°The deep-layer scan shows a groove in the waistline of the spacecraft below. It should be the entrance, but not wide enough for the Petrachelys to enter; it is only a dozen meters wide.¡±


    Hao Ren smacked his lips. ¡°That¡¯s a tiny door for a hundred-kilometer-long spaceship. Let us go down there in person. Nolan, follow our signals, get an evacuation portal ready on the outside after we get into the inside.¡±


    ¡°Are all of us going down?¡± Vivian looked at everyone on the flight deck. Every single demons and otherworldlings in Hao Ren¡¯s house were present today.


    ¡°Well, maybe just a few. You, Lily, and¡ª¡±


    Before Hao Ren finished, Nangong Sanba suddenly stepped forward. ¡°My sister and I are going too. Demon hunter and siren may be of help here,¡± he said.


    Thinking for a moment, Hao Ren felt that what Nangong Sanba said made sense. The fleet of spaceships before them was not of guardians or treacherous children but a group of vagrants who fled from the catastrophic natural disaster. Judging from the condition of the fleet, it probably had become ghost ships. In this environment, there was no need for combat strength but people who were good at scouting and adaptive. Nangong Sanba was a demon hunter, and Nangong Wuyue was amorphous which were most suitable for this operation.


    Hao Ren handed Lil Pea to Rollie before he turned and walked to the portal. ¡°The others stay on the spaceship. We are going down to take a look.¡±


    The Petrachelys came to the entrance and hovered at the height of more than 100 meters above the ¡®land of steel.¡¯ Hao Ren and his teammates emerged on the surface of the mysterious spacecraft in a beam of light.


    There was almost no gravity. The team maneuvered on the outside of the spaceship with the help of auxiliary propulsion. Looking up into the distance, Hao Ren saw the surface of the dark-gray ¡®land of steel¡¯ extending in front of him in a slight curve. The distant stars and the grayish cosmic dust were hanging like smudges in the horizon. Sporadic lights dotted the protruding structures on the far side of the spaceship as if ghost fires.


    ¡°It¡¯s all quiet,¡± Vivian said over the radio. ¡°I couldn¡¯t sense any signs of life.¡±


    Hao Ren pressed on his forehead. ¡°MDT, activate shared vision,¡± he commanded.


    A radar image instantly appeared in his vision. The ¡®land of steel¡¯ suddenly became a complex, layered structure. The 3D image detailed the situation below the surface. He found the place that marked ¡®Gate.¡¯ As they drew closer, the ¡®gate¡¯ was a downward slope that led to a massive metal barrier.


    Before they reached the metal barrier, Lily crawled on the walls trying to see if she could find any control panel. But there was nothing.


    ¡°Buddy, do you want to use explosive?¡± the MDT asked casually.


    ¡°No, let¡¯s use a more conventional way,¡± Hao Ren replied and waved off the suggestion. ¡°If there is someone on the inside?¡± he said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this feeling,¡± Lily muttered. ¡°I¡¯ve got a headache.¡±


    Hao Ren did not say anything. He kept searching for clues with the help of the shared vision from the MDT. Beneath the metal panels, there were some shallow tunnels laid with pipes and cables, some of which should be for the gate switch. The MDT was much faster in its analysis as it soon found a suspected device, most probably a switch, by tracing the cable circuit around the gate. It marked it with a bold red color in Hao Ren¡¯s field of vision.


    Hao Ren pointed to a metal plate on the wall. ¡°Take this panel out. Be careful not to damage the internal.¡±


    Lily immediately flew up and wielded her Frostfire Claws to quickly dismantle the metal plate, revealing the complicated old cable and circuit board.


    This device used electricity.


    Hao Ren found the critical control circuit with the help of the MDT. He carefully cut off two cables attached to the circuit board and motioned Vivian. ¡°I need your electric power. 28 Volt DC.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s expression was like ¡°Really?¡±

 Chapter 930

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Although it might sound untypical, Hao Ren felt that Vivian was one of the most functional ones in his family. Lily was only good in work that involved physical labor and not necessarily reliable, Nangong Wuyue just washed things, Y¡¯zaks would only of help when the house ran out of cooking gas, and Rollie¡¯s only contribution was taking care of the fish. In contrast, Vivian was very versatile. She could cook, do laundry and stuff like that, moonlight as an air conditioner when the weather was hot, and become a charging port¡ªit was Lily who discovered this function. Everyone in the family loved this. Ever since they no longer carried power banks and chargers. They would habitually look for Vivian every time their phones were out of battery.


    Hao Ren handed the cable to Vivian. She pouted. ¡°Why do I always have to do this kind of thing?¡± she asked.


    Despite the complaining, she still summoned a bat, stuffed one of the cables into the mouth of the little bat, and bit the other cord herself. She rolled her eyes and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to open the gate. Step back and watch out for the escaping air.¡±


    They held on to whatever on the wall they could find or just got out of the ramp. Hao Ren held on to the frame of the steel panel with one hand and grabbed Vivian¡¯s arm with the other so that when the door opened, the escaping air would not blow him away. It was difficult to know whether its airlock would still work by judging from the condition of the spaceship. As everyone was out of the way, Vivian and her little bat sent a current through the cables. A string of small sparks immediately came out of her teeth.


    Connected to the cables was a relay. There was a slight click in the relay before Hao Ren felt a slight vibration coming from his hand, and then the seemingly heavy door moved.


    The heavy steel door slid open from the middle accompanied by a series of metal grinding noise, but there was no air escaping from the inside. It was dim inside with some weird silhouettes in the foreground when looking through the still opening door.


    The door ground to a halt after a violent vibration. The opening was only one-fifth of the width when the door was fully open. Vivian squeezed her bat a little, trying to send more current to the door, but there was no response.


    ¡°Mechanical failure. It looks like this is how far the door would open,¡± Hao Ren said, stopping Vivian from further sending a higher voltage to the door. He came up, made sure that the door would not close suddenly before he carefully poked his head through the gap. ¡°Well, it¡¯s wide enough. Let¡¯s go in. Try not to touch anything,¡± he said.


    They sneaked through the gap into the darkness inside. Though there were only a few sparsely arranged lights, which looked not for lighting use, on the inside, they were still able to see things clearly with their unique vision. Hao Ren squinted deeper into the darkness. There was another door about tens of meters away, but it was open, which was a bad thing.


    ¡°There is no air here,¡± Vivian said. She then released a bat. The little bat struggled to flutter, but it could not fly. ¡°Unless those inside the spaceship do not need air.¡±


    ¡°They need to breathe; this is an airlock chamber. Look at the two door structures,¡± Hao Ren said, pointing to the door at the other end that seemed to have malfunctioned as well. ¡°The airlock has failed. There was no air escaping out when we opened the outer door just now. I¡¯m afraid that this place has completely lost its pressure. There might be a bigger leak somewhere else in the spaceship,¡± he said.


    As he spoke, he took the lead and floated forward. Of course, he knew that the situation might not be as bad as he said: it was a massive ship of more than 100 kilometers long, almost a mini artificial planet. It could not have only one airlock chamber. Probably they just happened to come in from one of the airlock chambers that had failed. There might be some sealing mechanisms ahead. If what he thought was right, there might be survivors on this spaceship.


    But as they moved deeper into the spaceship, the situation became less optimistic.


    They moved through a vast and old steel corridor and saw all equipment had exceeded their service life and broken down. The lighting system of the spaceship seemed to be entirely out of order, leaving only some emergency lights occasionally flickering like ghost fires in the darkness. They found some computer terminals along the way, but even Vivian could not power up these terminals with her power source.


    ¡°Could all the people here have died?¡± Nangong Wuyue carefully crawled along the huge pipes in the passageway, all the while grabbing on anything she could get hold of to make sure she always stayed on the floor and felt secure. ¡°I couldn¡¯t feel any water element here. There is only ice within a few kilometers radius. Ice without any signs of life,¡± she said.


    Hao Ren remained silent. He felt the darkness was depressing. With the shared senses with the MDT, he could see the deep layers of the steel corridor. The electronic system and mechanical devices were all dead. Other than the propulsion system of the spaceship, everything was down.


    After passing through many malfunctioned doors and junctions, they came to a vast space. The place looked like a transportation hub; oval like the egg of a monster, it seemed like a converging point of many passages from other directions, almost like a waiting hall. The lighting here was slightly better. Perhaps the backup generator was still running; one-third of the lights in the hall were functioning.


    There were many vertical pillars in the center of the hall. Hao Ren thought that these pillars were the supporting structure, but when he came closer, he found that these things were like elevators that led to the other parts of the spaceship.


    ¡°They¡¯re all broken. Maybe because there¡¯s no power,¡± Nangong Sanba knocked on a few control panels of the elevator. ¡°Looks like this is the only way,¡± he said.


    Hao Ren thought for a moment. He then patted Lily on the head. ¡°Cut this open,¡± he said.


    Lily wielded her Flamejoy and went up happily. Before doing it, she turned her head around and asked, ¡°Are you sure you want me to do that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the scan shows that there are no more signs of life beneath,¡± Hao Ren said, pointing to the MDT. ¡°There is no signs of life within at least several kilometers.¡±


    Lily proceeded. She wielded her claws and began to cut one of the elevator tubes. Sparks were flying. Before they knew it, she had cut out an opening, revealing the dark vertical shaft inside. Poking his head inside and looking down the dimly lit shaft, Hao Ren could not see where the elevator car was.


    Vivian wanted to summon a small bat to scout out the shaft. But since bat would not fly in a vacuum, she took out a slingshot instead. She aimed and shot the bat down the shaft.


    A moment later, a bloody mist floated up from the dark shaft. Vivian re-absorbed the bloody mist into the body. ¡°It¡¯s safe down there. It¡¯s a long elevator shaft. There are some cracks in the middle section of the shaft, from where we could get out,¡± she said.


    Hao Ren checked the status of his Steel Membrane Shield before leaping into the shaft.


    There were only dim guiding lights in the shaft. When Hao Ren descended deeper, he began to see a bright light. So he sped up the descent.


    Just like what Vivian had said, there were several cracks on the elevator shaft. The cracks seemed to be torn apart by the twisted old steel brackets in the shaft. Light shone through the cracks, meaning outside was a bright space.


    Hao Ren gestured to his teammates so that they kept their alertness high. He then squeezed through a crack that was large enough to allow an adult to pass.


    When he got through, his jaw dropped.


    He saw a city.


    A silent city in the shimmer.


    ¡°Mr. Landlord, what do you see?¡± Lily¡¯s voice was heard on the radio. He felt a furry head slamming him from behind. When Lily finally crawled out from the crack, she was rooted to the spot just like Hao Ren did.


    ¡°Wow! It¡¯s a space fortress!¡±

 Chapter 931

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    When Hao Ren got out of the crack in the elevator shaft, he was awed by the fantastic scenery inside the 100-kilometer long spaceship.


    It was a vast interior space, where Hao Ren could barely see its boundary. Buildings spread out into the distance as the city landscape gradually raised and finally joined the surface above. The city, built in a closed oval space as if an eggshell, had buildings attached to the wall inside his eggshell.


    He looked around and felt a little dizzy. There was no sky, no upside, and downside; the entire space was an enclosed spherical shell. No matter which direction he looked at, he only saw buildings and weird equipment. He looked back at the elevator shaft that he came out from; it was a metal tube running through the entire spherical shell space. More than a dozen such metal tubes were running in parallel behind him, coming out from a large building and connecting to another large inverted structure on the other end of the city. In the middle of these parallel rows of metal tubes, he saw platforms and horizontal pipelines suspended in the middle. It was the main thoroughfare.


    The parallel metal tube cluster near him was not the only one in the city though. Looking further into the distance, Hao Ren saw the silhouette of a similar tube cluster. They were like the skeleton of a monster crisscrossing the giant spaceship, connecting the city to the outside world.


    Vivian was the last to come out of the elevator shaft. She looked at the city in the shell, curious. She muttered to herself, ¡°There is no air, there is silence, but there is light.¡±


    The city was neither dark nor bright. Between those quiet buildings, there was residual lighting system that still worked dotting the entire space of the closed town. At the end of the spherical shell, there was an extraordinarily large cylindrical ¡®mountain¡¯. It looked like a massive machine with a complicated structure. The machine was shimmering in orange-red light on its radiator-like structure around it, giving the city its much-needed light.


    But this light was far from bright. The spaceship¡¯s internal system must be suffering from some technical problems. Whether it was the remaining lighting in the city or the massive machine at the end of the spherical space, it was apparent that the whole system was not running below capacity. It was like in a standby mode.


    ¡°There are no signs of life,¡± Hao Ren said, glancing at the readings that the MDT sent him. Though the MDT did not possess a high-power scanning capability, he did not think he would need a bigger scanner. He doubted there would be any survivors. ¡°There is no atmosphere, no water, almost as cold as space outside, and there is excessive radiation. It seems that everyone is dead,¡± Hao Ren said.


    Nangong Wuyue suddenly came up to him. She poked Hao Ren¡¯s arm with the tip of her tail and then pointed to a direction. ¡°Certainly, they are all dead,¡± she said.


    Hao Ren looked at the direction where Nangong Wuyue was pointing; the body of a humanoid was floating in the distance.


    Focusing his eyesight, he could now see more bodies floating in between the city buildings, and some of them were floating in the height of the enclosed spherical space. There was no upside and downside in this confined space. So strictly speaking, the central point of the enclosed area was the highest point, which was also the farthest point from the shell wall. Corpses were floating around, and most of them were mutilated. The ultra-low temperatures made the bodies extremely fragile. They would break into pieces upon hitting one another. Those intact corpses were the luckiest ones. More might have been smashed into dust by the constant collisions over time.


    Hao Ren turned and floated up to a group of buildings closer to him and landed on the roof of a tall building. The illusion of being upside down was not so obvious when not looking up at the overhanging structures overhead. He found a few bodies were floating near the building and so he came up to examine them.


    ¡°The facial features are close to the standard type I humans. The skin color is fair, long ears, small bones. Probably these are the results of long-term space living,¡± Hao Ren said while examining the biological characteristics of the dead like a professional coroner and comparing it to the bio-lineage on the data network. ¡°It¡¯s well preserved,¡± he said.


    ¡°There is no air here, and the temperate is ultra-low, the body will neither rot nor dry up. It will remain in the state of when it first died and became an ice sculpture,¡± said Nangong Sanba, while taking out a few delicate tools and needle and examining the body. ¡°Let¡¯s see what information I can extract,¡± he said.


    Hao Ren looked up at the quiet City of Twilight and tried to figure out the cause of the tragic death of the people onboard the ark. ¡°Was it air leak, or some other problems that led to the failure of life support system?¡± he speculated.


    ¡°The airlock that we came through was faulty, but the outermost door was closed, and the control system was working properly,¡± the MDT said. ¡°This spaceship is too big. Maybe we need a complete structural scan to find out what has happened. There are more than a dozen other spaceships out there, and I think their conditions are no better than this one.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. He clicked on the radio. ¡°Nolan, release the probes, and inspect the exterior of the giant spaceship we are in to see if there are any leaks or other fatal flaws,¡± he ordered.


    ¡°Roger that.¡±


    Nangong Sanba had finished examining the first body. He seemed to have discovered something, but he went up and examined another body again. Nangong Wuyue was curious. ¡°What have you found?¡± she asked.


    ¡°The cause of death of these people is neither suffocation nor low temperature,¡± Nangong Sanba said and put his tools away. ¡°They look very peaceful, and there are some residual chemicals in the frozen blood vessels, very much like¡ª¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± Lily could not wait but ask.


    ¡°Like they have inhaled a high dosage of hallucinogens¡­ or some other substances,¡± Nangong Sanba said, pointing at the bodies around. ¡°They are all the same.¡±


    ¡°Dope?¡± Hao Ren looked surprised. ¡°These people died because of popping pills?¡±


    ¡°Something like that but I think your choice of words isn¡¯t that appropriate.¡± Nangong Sanba¡¯s mouth twitched a couple of times. ¡°At present, I have only checked a few of them. It is not conclusive. Let¡¯s explore further.¡±


    Hao Ren agreed. He turned around and floated out into the street in the distance.


    The spaceship, which contained the city, was massive. There were large buildings and complete facilities. The streets were wide, and the buildings were tall. People would not be aware that they were in an enclosed space without looking up. They might even forget the real face of the city as a result.


    They came to the deepest part of the city, and soon found more bodies and something that seemed wrong.


    There was a building with a beautiful round glass dome and an airy interior, which, judging from the decor, should be an exclusive event venue. When the team entered through a massive hole in the wall, they were stunned.


    It seemed that a banquet had been held here. There were arranged tables with plenty of food though everything was covered in ice. There were more bodies in this place, remaining in their postures as if they were still alive. People were sitting at the table, men in tuxedos, women in bright and beautiful dresses, aside from the fact that they were all frozen, it looked like a usual banquet. In the corner of the hall were several male bodies in black suites lying on the stage. They had frozen together with the musical instrument in their hands. They seemed to be members of a live musical band.


    The sumptuous food, live band, men and women in suits and dresses¨Cthis evidence suggested that they were having a feast before they died.


    ¡°It feels creepy,¡± Nangong Wuyue said, rubbing her hands.


    ¡°I feel furry,¡± Lily said, wagging her tail.

 Chapter 932

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The frozen banquet hall, men and women that had turned into ice sculptures, the interrupted life band performance and feast¡ªall were so strange that it gave people goosebumps. Seeing the scene, Hao Ren was rooted to the spot. ¡°It seems that everyone suddenly died halfway through the party,¡± he said.


    Nangong Sanba went up to check if there were any other clues left at the scene. These people here might have died for hundreds of thousands of years, but because of the vacuum and ultra-low temperature, everything including the food was well preserved in the frost. Most of the things were fixed on the table or ground because of icing, and the debris floating in the vacuum was actually ice flakes and human skins respectively.


    The same things were also on the outside. But here, the particles were denser.


    ¡°Fashion, banquet; I really couldn¡¯t have imagined they would die like that,¡± Nangong Sanba said while carefully removing a frozen body on the table. ¡°As expected, they had inhaled the same chemical before they died.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue could not help swallowing. ¡°Were all of them died from gas poisoning?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Is there anything suspicious besides gas poisoning? What about the food?¡± Hao Ren asked casually.


    ¡°Food should be fine, at least according to my standards, it is non-toxic. Their death has nothing to do with food judging from the situation,¡± Nangong Sanba said, shaking his head. ¡°According to the perceptive ability of demon hunter, no negative forces are lingering around. That is to say; these people did not suffer too much pain before they died,¡± he explained.


    Hao Ren nodded and bent down to examine the few bodies near to him. His attention quickly fell on one of the male bodies: the deceased appeared to be old, wearing a solemn black suit that usually people would only wear to a lavish banquet and was considerably more luxurious even compared to the costume that people wore around him. This man was a nobility. But Hao Ren was not interested in his suit but the man¡¯s tightly clenched fists. It seemed that he was holding something in his palms. Hao Ren carefully lifted the fingers of the man trying to see what was inside. But the frozen finger was so fragile that it broke into pieces when he tried to raise it.


    Hao Ren muttered an apology to the deceased before pulling out a piece of handkerchief from the broken palm.


    Hao Ren unfolded the handkerchief. There was handwriting on it, looking neat. The deceased had plenty of time penning his last words. With the help of the translation plugin, he quickly decoded the text. The content was like this:


    ¡°¡­Roman, my proudest son, the honored heir to the Emeraldvale family. I hope you well in the Long Night I and are still proudly leading and protecting your people. Your mother and I are attending a special banquet, which I think you have guessed the content. But don¡¯t worry about us, it is a pleasant event, both the food and drink as well. The use of the wine of the hometown for bidding farewell to us is the most heartwarming one. Not many people would use this kind of beverage made from plants in an era where synthetic food was the dominance. I am happy to be able to taste it one more time. Your mother is sitting right next to me. And your uncle Lyon is playing the famous song of Master Aurangrok on the stage. I believe that many years ago, the ancestors of our family also had a similar dinner and prayed for our people¡­


    ¡°Roman, my son, I have a lot to tell you, including what I was thinking about after our last quarrel, but they are no longer critical. I heard two empty echoes coming from above the city. I think the two most vital equipment has been shut down. It is time to enjoy the food, wine, and music quietly. Please allow your father to stop here and leave the time for the other elderly here.


    ¡°Oh, that smell a bit like blue Vale Chrysanthemum.¡±


    That was the message on the handkerchief. Vivian came up to take a gander. ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°Looks like a suicide note?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s brows knit together. ¡°An old man wrote to his son. It seems that people here knew what was going to happen,¡± he said.


    Many of the discoveries had proven Hao Ren¡¯s speculation was right. Nangong Sanba and Nangong Wuyue had found some other notes on the other bodies. These words written on handkerchiefs or napkins had confirmed what happened here was not an accident.


    It was a meticulously planned mass suicide.


    Hao Ren and his teammates left the strange banquet hall and came out in the streets. They followed the main road that led to the end of the spherical shell space where there was a weird machine in the shape of a cylindrical mountain. But the machine was not functioning. Hao Ren thought it could be the control center of the spacecraft, or at least an equally important place, where he could find more clues.


    They discovered more frozen bodies that had turned into ice sculptures. They were no survivors. The residents of the city became part of the ruins in this cold vacuum. Upon careful examination by Nangong Sanba, the cause of death of them was the same: inhalation of neurotoxic gas.


    And the observant Vivian also found some other clues: most of the deceased were dressed in new clothes, new shoes, and new hats and they all looked calm and elegant, just like ordinary people going to a grand banquet. Though not everyone could enjoy the meal and music in the beautiful banquet hall, the residents still tried to put up their best looking suits and have the most exquisite food, enjoying their last moment of luxury.


    ¡°It¡¯s like euthanasia after a carnival,¡± Lily said while rubbing her arms. ¡°They indulge in the party and then let the gas poison the whole city so that they could die in their dreams,¡± she said.


    Inspired by Lily¡¯s description of the event, Hao Ren gazed past fine dust above Twilight City before his eyes landed on the inverted buildings at the other end of the enclosed space. He imagined the place was ushering in its last moment: When the alarm sounded, a deadly nerve gas entered the city atmosphere. Immersing in the sweet, pleasing and magical taste of the nerve gas, people dressed in their best clothes took to the streets to enjoy the last moment of their lives. They ate, drank, and said goodbye to their loved ones.


    Hao Ren passed by an empty street and saw an old man sitting next to a flower bed. The old man wore a high hat on his head, covered in frost. The flower bed behind him was still luxuriant. The plants were frozen before they had time to wither. They became crystal flowers. The old man with a smile on the face was holding a fake flower folded from a handkerchief with his hand stretched out as if he was handing the flower to a child who was no longer there.


    Some people were trying to bring a last bit of warmth to this dying city.


    ¡°They all died at the same time and from the same cause,¡± the MDT said. It had just finished examining the age of several bodies. ¡°Things happened about a thousand years ago. It is fairly easy to reconstruct the sequence of events: a nerve gas was pumped into the atmosphere of the ark, killing everyone in a short time. These people were fully aware of what happened, which was probably the common wish of all residents, and they celebrated their death.¡±


    ¡°Why did they do that?¡± Nangong Wuyue asked in a low voice.


    Hao Ren had thought of the most likely scenario. ¡°Probably a fatal problem had struck the spaceship, such as irreparable air leakage, purification system malfunction, or resource depletion. To avoid suffering, they chose euthanasia,¡± he said.


    ¡°But there is more than one spaceship in the fleet,¡± Vivian reminded. ¡°Did other ships encounter the same problem at the same time?¡±


    Hao Ren did not know how to answer that. He came before the giant machine. ¡°We might be able to find clues here,¡± he said.


    They stopped at the foot of the enormous machine, which was a lot larger than they had imagined¡ªalmost like a mountain. Looking at the machine, Lily unwittingly curved her tail into a question mark. ¡°Looks like a giant reactor, but looks like it has been shut down.¡±

 Chapter 933

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Looking up at the massive machine in front, he did not know whether it was a machine or a building, or more like an artificial mountain. But one thing was sure; it was massive. The city was an enclosed shell, and the machine was right at one end of the oval space, perpendicular to all buildings in the town. Its main structure was the large cylinder, up to several kilometers high, cast from black steel, with heatsink and light-emitting windows on the surface. While surrounding the main structure was a series of cylindrical structures. No one knew if these circling cylinders were on their own or just ancillary to the main structure, but each cylinder had a vent opening at the top where faint red lights were still shimmering. It looked like there was still some residual energy left. As Lily said, the entire facility had shut down because most of its external lights were out and the surrounding buildings were also dark. Nevertheless, the residual energy inside the behemoth meant that they could probably restart the machine.


    ¡°The energy circuit of this machine is separate from the propulsion system. It must be the dedicated power generator of the life-support system.¡± The MDT did a simple scan of the power circuits around the giant building. ¡°It¡¯s a very clever design. The ship has multiple sets of separate power units and control centers, the life-support system and the propulsion units do not affect each other. No wonder even though the city has died, and the spacecraft navigation and propulsion system is still operational,¡± the MDT said.


    ¡°No one is piloting the spaceship?¡± Hao Ren mumbled before calling Nolan onboard the Petrachelys. ¡°Nolan, how is the scanning going?¡± he asked.


    ¡°The scan has been completed. No fatal leakage is found except for some scratches on the body. Its structure is very sound, and even the buffer zone is not damaged. Besides, its engine works well, at least for this level of spaceship technology, it is pretty powerful,¡± Nolan reported.


    ¡°But the people inside are all dead. The power system of the propulsion units and the life-support system are two separate systems,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°Release the probes and check out the other spaceships. Be careful, these old antiques are very fragile, and I hope they are still intact.¡±


    After hanging up the communication, Hao Ren spread out his hand. ¡°The spacecraft is not damaged,¡± he said.


    ¡°Then where has the atmosphere in the city gone?¡± Lily was wide-eyed. ¡°If there is no hole, could it be that the air leaked out slowly over a long period?¡± she said.


    ¡°It seems that the air has turned into ice because of the low temperature. As the life-support system stopped, the temperature dropped, so the air liquefied and¡ª¡± Hao Ren scratched his chin while saying. But Nangong Wuyue interrupted him. The siren maiden bent down and picked up an ice crystal, put it in her mouth and tasted it. ¡°No, it¡¯s water ice. Water ice constitutes 99.99% of all the ice crystals we see here, and the remaining are traces of other elements, which are not enough to fill space of the entire city,¡± she said.


    ¡°That seems that the atmosphere has gone missing.¡± Hao Ren pouted and stepped forward. ¡°Let¡¯s look for the entrance for this thing. If the MDT is right, this thing would be the hub of the life-support system,¡± he said.


    It was not easy to find a small door in such a vast place, but with the help of the MDT, things got a lot quicker. They soon found an entrance at its base. At the foot of this enormous steel mountain, where it connected to the inner shell of the spaceship, was a series of huge pipes that extended out like roots. Some smaller structures looked like airlocks or crew rooms along the tubes that could lead to the deeper part of the facility.


    It did not take Hao Ren much effort to gain access to the inside of the facility. But when he entered, he was amazed to find lights were still working usually inside.


    The bright-yellow warm light illuminated the metal corridor. Though it was still as cold as space outside, the warm-colored light made them feel a little better. There was a lot of equipment in the corridor but mostly had been shut down. Some small instruments such as lights and small displays on the wall were still operational. These instruments were flashing their alarms, but no crew was coming to fix the problems.


    ¡°It seems that even though the main system has been down, the backup power is still running until this day,¡± Nangong Sanba said while sliding his hand across and wiped the thin layer of frost off a small display mounted on the wall. ¡°This says the reactor is shut down and the ¡®guardian¡¯ host is in a sleep state,¡± he said.


    Hao Ren¡¯s heart missed a beat: it was shut down, not malfunctioning? Or had the self-diagnostic system malfunctioned too?


    He looked into the corridor and found a sign that read ¡°To Control Room¡± with the help of a series of orange-colored illuminated signs.


    The control room was not in the deeper part of the ¡°Mount of Steel.¡± It was not too far from where they were. It seemed that it was not suitable to station crew inside the Mount of Steel considering how high the energy generated inside. They followed the road signs and quickly found the control center. There was an alloy door in their way. Without needing instruction, Lily came up and cut through the alloy door with her claws in no time.


    The interior of the control room was simpler and narrower than Hao Ren expected. It was just a standard machine room, which was no larger than a home office. Silver-gray and light-blue cabinet-shaped machines occupied two-thirds of the space inside, leaving only a few seats for the crew. As a control center for the life-support system of the city, it seemed to be too small. Hao Ren could only guess that the system might be highly automated and needing very little manual intervention.


    Hao Ren¡¯s gaze quickly fell on the middle of several machines, where there was a high back chair, which belonged to the chief officer of the facility. Hao Ren recalled the little knowledge he had read in the public database of inspectors, the chief officer in this type of doomsday facility was often the chief operator as well and at least responsible for issuing the start and shut down instructions for the highly critical system.


    He went up, gently turned the seat, which was frozen on the ground, around. His heart almost stopped; sitting on the chair was a majestic old man, roughly 60 of age, covered in frost. He was wearing a commander¡¯s uniform decorated with a range of strange-looking medals and emblems, which spoke of his extraordinary ranking. Though the old man had died, his face still exuded a powerful aura of authority. His eyes remained open, appeared muddy and cracked from the freezing temperature but had a hint of fire in them as if the thousand-year ice had not been able to extinguish it. Instead, he was like a sword sealed together with its killing scent.


    ¡°What a commander,¡± Hao Ren muttered. He gently pushed the chair to the side and came before the console that the old man was still watching until his last breath. ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can restart this old thing,¡± Hao Ren said.


    Some parts of the console had become fragile due to the freezing temperature. The plastic lamination and instrument cover instantly broke into pieces at the slightest touch of a hand. But the most critical buttons and internal seemed to be made of special materials and were still in good condition. Nangong Wuyue carefully manipulated the power of water to vaporize the frost inside and outside the console naturally. The machine now became as clean as new¡ªat least it looked new.


    Core communication group. Generator indicator. Sanctuary atmosphere monitoring. Artificial gravity. Hao Ren¡¯s eyes ran across the alien characters before he finally found a special slot in the corner of the console. ¡°The core reactor,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Looks like you need a key, an ID card or something,¡± Nangong Sanba said after checking the slot. ¡°Someone took the key after the system was shut down,¡± he said.


    ¡°The key is here!¡± Lily suddenly held up a sparkling silver-white metal plate. She pointed her tail in the old man¡¯s direction. ¡°It was in the hands of this old man!¡± she said.


    Hao Ren could not emphasize it more; dogs were good in searches.


    He petted the back of Lily¡¯s ear, took the metal and carefully inserted it into the card slot on the console.


    The indicators lit up. The entire facility began to shake.

 Chapter 934

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Without the artificial atmosphere, Hao Ren could not hear the sound of the giant machine running under his feet in the vacuum, but he could see the lights, which lit up one after another, on the instrument panel and the falling frost from the roof and pipes. He knew he had successfully restarted the machine. He pressed his hand on the icy wall feeling the vibration, which went from weak to strong, coming from the depths of the building. Then the quake began to weaken again, which meant the machine was running smoothly now.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that this thing still works,¡± Lily said, sticking her tongue out. ¡°I thought the ice had frozen it.¡±


    Hao Ren did not say anything, just carefully studying the various indicators on the instrument panels and the prompts popping up from the small screens. He was not familiar with this system, and he did not know how the machine would run after being left redundant for a millennium. He was worried that the startup process would not be smooth. Fortunately, it was not difficult to figure out the prompts on the instrument panels. Considering that this was a long voyage, after a few generations, the crew might not be able to retain the complete flight knowledge. So the designer of this giant spaceship had made the control system easy to understand and operate. The machines were mostly automatic, and the parts that required manual operation had clear and concise instructions.


    As the vibrations subsided, the main reactor and the generator seemed to be functioning normally. The various instrument in the control room began to light up one after another; the busy flashing lights showed the restart and self-diagnostic progresses of different apparatus. A rectangular silver-white metal panel rose from the central console. The panel displayed the states of various running units. ¡°Main generator restarted. Ecological computer begins to reboot. Emergency system is taking over the accumulative data. System error. Emergency system¡¯s accumulated data is deleted. Transferring to the special process. Reboot ecological computer into beta mode¡­¡±


    When the ecological computer rebooted from hibernation, Hao Ren found the reset function of the local ecosystem on the console. He pressed the button. A new window popped up on the screen. ¡°Checking the central control station status¡­ Serious error! No atmospheric pressure detected! Multiple leakages found! The central control station initiates the subzone-isolation process. The atmosphere is being reconstructed. All personnel evacuates to the nearest sealed compartment immediately. Repeating. All personnel evacuates to the nearest sealed compartment immediately.¡±


    A series of automatic procedures were being executed. In the peripheral vision, Hao Ren saw the outer doors were closing one by one, and the ventilation system of each compartment began to run. He felt a very soft breeze and pressure on his skin; the atmosphere was recovering.


    They were in the central control station. It seemed that the ecosystem of this place was independent of the outside, so in the case that the atmosphere of the whole city disappeared, the atmospheric pressure in the control station would recover within one minute. The MDT checked the composition of the atmosphere; though it was not the same as Earth¡¯s, these super humans here could still breathe smoothly. So they turned off their life-support collars temporarily.


    Lily breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Now at least we don¡¯t have to yell to each other through the radio,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for something like the computer log,¡± Hao Ren said as he fiddled with the console. ¡°I¡¯m trying to figure out what was going on here at the time¡­ but the log files seem to have been destroyed,¡± he said.


    A soft system prompt suddenly sounded. The eco computer finally completed its self-diagnostic processes and booted into beta mode from hibernation. Immediately after that, it began to check the state of the city inside the spaceship and of course, it also sounded the panicky alarm at the same time.


    A series of red warning lights lit up on the central control station. The panicky alarms sounded loud in the newly restored atmosphere. Hao Ren heard a severely distorted synthetic voice screaming its warning in the air: ¡°Serious Failure! Urban ecosystem shutdown! Serious failure! Urban ecosystem shutdown! Second-tier and above crew, please go back to your positions immediately. Second-tier and above crew, please go back to your positions immediately.¡±


    Hao Ren turned off these irritating alarms and began to restore the artificial atmosphere of the city. When he tried to initiate it, an unexpected error message popped up: ¡°Fatal error. No atmosphere circulating pumps and storage facilities detected.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Vivian asked, puzzled.


    ¡°It seems that two especially important components are missing,¡± Hao Ren replied as his brows pulled together. He kept fiddling with the control panel on the console before he found the way to switch the monitoring windows. Some new monitoring windows of the critical facilities popped up on the screen. He discovered in the image a massive gap between the piles of pipes and machinery on one of the displays. Someone had removed something.


    More monitoring visuals popped up. There was more than one similar situation.


    He let the control station computer check all the systems one by one. A series of jaw-dropping error messages popped up:


    ¡°Fatal error. No water recycling unit found.¡±


    ¡°Fatal error. No thermostat and related servos found.¡±


    ¡°Fatal error. No signal detected in B-2 to C-12 keel mechanical warehouses.¡±


    ¡°More than half of the important facilities have been removed,¡± Hao Ren said. He dragged the various surveillance screens to the center of the main display. ¡°The ship¡¯s life-support system is almost an empty shell,¡± he said.


    While saying, he continued to fiddle on the console and accidentally touched a seemingly irrelevant small button. A panel next to the main display suddenly lit up. The audio and visual appeared on the panel interrupted him.


    It was the image of an old man in a commander¡¯s uniform; his chest was full of medals and emblems, the face exuded a natural aura of authority¡ªthe old man was none other than the ice sculpture on the chair before the console. It was a recording, which the old man had made at the last moment of his life.


    ¡°Message code¡­ Forget it. This is the Terra Firma. I am Lord Geern Shiron. The shutdown instruction countdown has begun. The ship¡¯s ecosystem will be down after ten minutes. Let me repeat the distribution plan we have agreed earlier: the atmospheric circulation pump will be assigned to the Long Night, the atmospheric storage facility will be assigned to the Eversong, the thermostatic controller and its servo unit will be assigned to the Dawnlight, the water circulation and purification unit and all the mechanical warehouses are dedicated to our king. May he and his Royal Throne spaceship be safe forever. According to the plan, I have blown the ¡®gas¡¯ into the atmospheric circulation pump, so please wait twenty-four hours after this message is sent until the purification pump completes the filtration and recovery of the atmosphere.¡±


    The old man who looked emotional in the video took a few deep breaths, and he calmed down again.


    ¡°The propulsion unit of the ship will be retained and will continue to follow the fleet until all systems break down. In the name of Duke Geern Shiron, the lord of the Terra Firma, I now announced that after the death of my ship, all the property of the ship, including the propulsion unit, core reactor, and everything in the hull would be returned to the kingdom. If the kingdom is in trouble, please take the spaceship apart by removing the remaining components. This message is over.¡±


    The small display dimmed, and the short message ended. Hao Ren and the others looked at each other, and no one said a word. Lily broke the silence. ¡°Did they just remove the parts on their spaceship and give to others?¡± she asked.


    ¡°These ships have a limited life span. It is already a miracle for them to have flown so far until today with their level of technology,¡± the MDT said slowly. ¡°The second half of the voyage is dangerous. Various system failures are common and difficult to solve. As long as the mass extinction caused by the deicide is still going on, it is impossible for them to stop and rest. The only solution is to put together the usable parts to at least ensure the ecosystem of the remaining ships is intact.¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°But the capacity of the ecosystem has dropped; it could not support more population,¡± he said.


    ¡°So those who were chosen to sacrifice themselves chose euthanasia,¡± Nangong Wuyue said, biting her lip. She did not know what to make of the incident. She thought of the frozen city outside, and those who wore fine suits and dresses and died at the banquet. ¡°How long have they been struggling to live using this way?¡± she asked.


    Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°They persevered as long as they could, but they could not make it until our arrival. Nolan had sent out a message to all the arks earlier, but there was no response,¡± he said.


    Everyone was silent, feeling a deep regret in them. The MDT suddenly said, ¡°Wait a second. There should be survivors!¡±

 Chapter 935

    ¡°Survivors?¡± Hao Ren gave the MDT a shocked look after hearing its sudden announcement.


    The MDT floated aside the control console as it let out a blue light on across the console¡¯s electrical cables and accompanying equipments with a motion similar to breathing. Using this method, it finally had managed to extract and read the unresolved data within the warped equipment. ¡°I¡¯ve managed to connect to the ship¡¯s navigational core, and got an idea how does this fleet actually navigates. It needs a living person to direct it.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the MDT, motioning it to continue.


    The MDT opened a holographic projection and the upper portion was the fleet of thirteen ellipsoid great arks and all along each of the arks were a series of complicated radial waves. ¡°These, are the repeating signals we detected earlier. And based on the information we have, the ark¡¯s operators are all dead and the ships are using an autonomous command system, so these signals are mechanical. Based on their navigational mode, these ships do not have a flagship, they rely on a network that links all the navigational cores together to create a unified, simulated navigation programme. I think the designers had anticipated each and every ship was susceptible to destruction and had decided to hand over the navigational powers to a network-activated psionic mainframe. So as long as the fleet is within a certain size, it could continue sailing on without worrying about losing their flagship.


    Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°What¡¯s the keypoint? The key point?¡±


    ¡°The key point is, the psionic mainframe is not installed in any of the ships. For such a long journey the mainframe core of the ships are not necessarily reliable as well, so the navigation system is not controlled by a single unified module. Rather it monitors the fleet¡¯s movements and basing on certain perimeters to determine whether its navigational orders is to be executed.¡± The MDT bobbed about. ¡°The priority order was that ¡®life still remains¡¯. This was what I found at the deepest cache of the datavault.¡±


    The ark of every civilisation had different operational methods, and this time around this ark would only function if there is life onboard. Their thrusters are still in operation, so unless something went wrong with the fleet¡¯s navigational programme, that can only mean one thing:


    ¡°There¡¯s someone alive onboard¡­¡± Hao Ren muttered before frowning hard. ¡°They did not respond to Nolan¡¯s hails though¡­¡±


    ¡°Could be due to system damage, or not understanding Nolan¡¯s language, or they could be scared shitless and think that we are in league with the guardians.¡± The MDT retracted its ray projector. ¡°Of course there is a possiblity that there are so few survivors that no one knows how to operate a radar. Since there¡¯s no response, we¡¯ll have to check ship by ship.¡±


    ¡°Just pray that the ships design are the same¡­.¡± Hao Rem mumbled to himself before activating the communicator to Nolan. ¡°Nolan, you¡¯ve heard us. Get the engineering droids ready. Cut open every ship¡¯s hull and launch the life-searcher probes in. Scan every nook and cranny of the ship, until the lowest deck. Also, keep repeating the radio comms request, if someone is able to respond to us, we won¡¯t need to blow a hole in their ceilings.¡±


    ¡°I think a few holes in a hundred meter long behemoth like this won¡¯t cause a structural disintegration.¡± the MDT bobbed about as it quipped. ¡°Unless you accidentally puncture like life support valves, or reactors.¡±


    Hao Ren sighed deeply. ¡°You¡¯re sure the optimist about my luck after being with me for two good years.¡±


    The MDT was stunned for a moment before hailing the Petrachelys. ¡°Nolan, get the droids to be EXTRA careful. Do a triple scan¡­. no quad-scan before they sink their drills in!¡±


    The group left the central control tower and looked upon the facade of the entire massive faclities. The core reactior has been reactivated and the once-dim light grids flickered back to life. But as most of the city¡¯s primary facilities had already been stripped, the control tower was just like a bodiless giant that has ceased to be functional. The tower simply just spun about in vacuum without a sound, as if it was a man-made star shining upon the desolated sanctuary. Hao Ren looked at the frozen ruins and realised that there¡¯s no longer anything to look for here. Before departing with the rest back to the Petrachelys, he left a few droids to study the structure of the place.


    The Petrachelys soon broke away from the ark ship named the ¡®Terra Firma¡¯, before a few silver dots approached the ship. They were box-shaped and have a few razor-sharp engineering arms. These were the summoned droids. The droids flew towards the dormant arks before sparks start eminating from all of the arks¡¯ hull.


    The droids had started cutting through the silent ships to inject the life-searcher probes into them.


    ¡°I¡¯ve decided on what should I do with the Petrachelys¡¯ first upgrade.¡± Hao Ren said as he stood on the bridge, knocking against the control console before him. ¡°I need a few high-power life-sensing radars, or a newer probe hive module. The current equipment onboard is really not enough now, most basic models cannot detect anything if there¡¯s a slap of metal a few kilometeres thick, or an energy field. Not to mention most of the time, what I¡¯m probing is those weird things the Goddess of Creation had made.¡±


    ¡°Pardon me, pardner.¡± The MDT purposefully took a serious tone. ¡°Based on your records, your life-searcher probes will rarely be of use.¡±


    ¡°¡­.It¡¯s not like I want to blow things up everywhere I go!¡±


    There were thirteen ark ships in total, and each were at least a hundred kilometeres long. All of them had hulls which thickness ran in the kilometers, with complicated low-level pipings and corridors and a spherical-shaped city protected by a massive armored shell. These things were long abandoned, and the fragile internal balance within the ship was maintained by millions of worn out gas chambers and gas piping system. These brought countless of problems to the droid¡¯s work but things still went on as planned. A few hours later, data from the probes starting streaming back to the Petrachelys.


    Hao Ren stood by the control console, and the more important images were separated by Nolan to the main projection. Hao Ren saw the situation inside the other twelve arks, some had merely scratched the surface, but some had already managed to reach the core.


    The actual state of the arks differed, while they were structurally similar, each had their own kind of damage. On one of the arks, Hao Ren saw a frozen city similar to the Terra Firma, while another¡¯s internals were a massive gaping hole. The city proper had already been taken apart and turned into spare parts for another ship, and mostlikely that other ship had since broken off from the fleet.¡±


    ¡°It goes from bad to worse¡­There¡¯s no life signs yet, but there¡¯s all sorts of wreckage inside.¡± Nolan spoke. ¡°Their hull is still intact but the internal decks are a mess. The ships have been relying on each other, and cannabilising each other for the past thousand of years to survive. They probably had hundreds of these when the voyage started, but only thirteen remains¡­. To me, they look like floating corpses, mere empty husks.¡±


    ¡°You have became more sensitive after becoming a ship.¡± Hao Ren smiled. ¡°Any response to your hails?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing on any channels. But I¡¯m sure that my signals have already reached the internals of the ships.¡± Nolan smiled as she nodded. ¡°The droids that are the furthest away from the core had already breached the ship¡¯s wiring panels. If there¡¯s still no response under these circumstances, then there¡¯s really no one left.¡±


    Hao Ren did not say a word and only turned back to look at the holographic projection. A small probe inside the six ship¡¯s sphere city broke through from the top of the dome. A desolated city appeared under the probe¡¯s lense, and the data received was negative.


    Hao Ren had started wondering if there were no survivors within the arks, or if the navigational programme had some error and had continued trudging on even if all life onbard had been extinguished. Just as the idea was about to form, a message suddenly popped up on the projection.


    ¡°Life signals detected!¡± Nolan and the MDT exclaimed at the same time.

 Chapter 936

    Just as Hao Ren was seriously pondering the possiblity that all the arks¡¯ inhabitants had perished, an unexpected good news came his way. A group of probes deep in one of the arks had managed to detect life signals, and they were very strong.


    The Petrachelys¡¯ thrusters immediately lit up as it glided serenely across the space and arrived above the ark which had the signal. The silver frigate landed slowly on the ark¡¯s darkened hull, almost like a sthetoscope listening to the ark¡¯s heartbeat.


    ¡°So, this is the one?¡± Hao Ren looked at the image from the sensors outside. The ark itself was no different from the rest, old and torn. In fact, the damage on the hull was even worse than the rest. It was hard to imagine that there were survivors beneath its massive armored hull.


    ¡°There is indeed life signs. The probes have already locked on to them. The engineering droids are making a temporary pressurized entry chamber for you to head in.¡± Nolan nodded. ¡°The probes did not find a normal pathway in, it had drilled its way through. That spot had since been sealed automatically.¡±


    ¡°The auto-sealant system is working normally. That means there are survivors.¡± Hao Ren heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°How about the comms? Anyone responded to your hails yet? Or anyone that is willing to make contact with us?¡±


    Nolan gently shook her head. ¡°Curiously, negative. Also, the probes are bringing in rather bizarre footage.¡±


    As she spoke, Nolan opened another projection screen and what Hao Ren saw was a lit ruined city. Everything looked dilapidated and the interior of the ship looked like somesort of expanding wasteland to him. The screen then shuddered as a ragged looking man with odd lines on his face appeared at the corner of the screen. This was clearly a denizen of the ark. The ragged man ran helter-skelter before kneeling down by the edge of the street, as if he was kneeling to some great figure. He never moved since.


    That footage left Hao Ren perplexed. Turning towards the others, he decided that they would need to put their boots on the ground to see things for themselves.


    He brought along Vivian, Lily and the Nangong siblings while the rest stand ready onboard.


    The engineering drones that were previously cutting the hull had prepared a passageway and Hao Ren and the rest went into the the pressurized chamber before meeting the droids after a long corridor. They did not plan to use the damaged elevators to enter the city this time around. The ship¡¯s ecosystem is functioning, and a sudden opening of the main gate from the outside may trigger somesort of alarm, or the arks reacting violently to the intruders. In place of that was the droids drilling a thin, long hole through the armored hull and had installed an airlock while they were at it. The droids were very efficient and at the very least, their operation did not trigger any alarm.


    The ¡®infriltration¡¯ was going swimmingly so far.


    Hao Ren walked through the airlock and through a few hundred metre long pathway. The outer wall of the pathway still had some residual heat that were produced when the droids cut their way through the metal. Half way through the tunnel, gravity kicked in. The gravitational force was trying to eject them out of the tunnel, but yet this was a good sign. It means that the city within the ark is working.¡±


    They popped out of the tunnel into an abandoned old commercial zone.


    Hao Ren was the first to get out of this ¡®invasive tunnel¡¯. As he stepped into the city, a damp, cold and musky air assaulted his nostrils. It was also present in the tunnel, but was more profound after reaching the surface. He frowned subconciously, finding an ark city with a functioning atmosphere is a good thing, but their atmospheric regulator must be in poor shape.¡±


    ¡°Ufff.. ufff¡­¡± Lily coughed as soon as she got out of the hole. The husky frowned hard as her tail bristled. ¡°It¡¯s like walking into a junkyard.¡±


    ¡°The atmosphere purificator is probably too old for its own good.¡± Nangong Sanba took a deep breath as he got out. ¡°Better than vacuum I guess. Say this place¡­ why does it look even worse off than the one before?¡±


    The state of the infrastructure around them was horrible.While the probes did provide some useful images, it was still different to see it with your own eyes. All around them was a ruined city, the facades of the skyscrappers were torn, the roads were blocked with dirt and twisted metal. The flowers that adorned the streets were long gone, leaving only muck and mud. From a distance, collapsed bridges and electrical towers were visible. The remaining few light grids were the city¡¯s primary light source. The light grids that no one knew how long they had been in operation dangled haphazardly on the electrical wires and from the top of the buildings, odd shadows were all over the place under the glow of the bad light.


    It looked like the place when went through a war, and was then abandoned for the next three hundread years.¡±


    Lily wagged her tail. ¡°Have we came to some ghetto?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Hao Ren looked around before pointing upwards. ¡°The whole city is a mess.¡±


    The rest turned towards where Hao Ren was pointing at, and the landscape on the far corner was the same, dilapidated look. The whole city itseems, have been desolate for years.


    ¡°¡­.Looks like crap. I can¡¯t believe this is the interior of a hyperlight travel-capable vessel.¡± The MDT commented. ¡°Once the other ships shuts down, it will be very difficult for the people here to get any spare parts to fix their ship.¡±


    A silver dot appeared from the ruined buildings and landed lithely on Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder. It was the life-searcher probe that was sent out earlier, and the little one had hidden itself in the ruins after completing its task. It was now requesting to be collected.


    Hao Ren put the probe into his pocket before turning to Lily. ¡°Stow your ears and tail. We will be going to say hi.¡±


    Lily let out a howl as her ears and tail shrunk back. She turned to Hao Ren curiously. ¡°You think that we¡¯ll be able to mix in with the locals if I¡¯m in my human form?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t intend to mix it. I¡¯m just weary that you might scare them.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand and walked ahead. ¡°They had refused to respond to Nolan¡¯s hails, so it¡¯s difficult to say how these people see outsiders. I don¡¯t want things to start on a bad foot.¡±


    The group walked through the ruined streets deeper into the city. The damage to the place was even more profound. Hao Ren was thinking on how should he greet the first person he meet. After Nolan¡¯s hails were not responded to, he had to play the role of a diplomat now. Worse still, he was not the best at diplomacy either. So he was playing all sorts of scenarios in his head and wondered if he should just head straight to the central control tower to meet the city¡¯s rulers. But as he pondered it, his concentration was broken by a sound from afar.


    It was the roar of combat, with clashing metals mixed into the din.


    Vivian poked Hao Ren by the arm. ¡°Blood scent ahead. They are fresh too.¡±


    Hao Ren broke into a stride. ¡°Lets go!¡±


    The group quickly ran under the cover of the buildings and swiftly made their way through the ruined streets and collapsed manors. The sound of combat was getting clearer by the moment, and the clashing metals sounded like a medieval battlefield. Lily, who was at the forefront of the group suddenly stopped by a low wall. She quickly found a place to squat before slowly poking her head out. ¡°Mr Landlord¡­ there¡¯s people fighting.¡±


    Hao Ren poked his head out from where Lily was and the scene before him surprised him, and a sense of temporal disorientation assailed him.


    A dozen of fully armed and armoured men were at each other¡¯s throat. These were probably the ark¡¯s denizens, but yet their equipment were anachronistic. Their armor were made out of metal plates and reinforced plasteel, colourful cloth were seen between the armor gaps. These warriors held glowing longswords and battleaxes, roaring at the top of their lungs as they swung their weapons in a flurry of murderous strokes.. The blood of the wounded were all over the place, and the scent of blood in the air had Vivian¡¯s iris letting out a eerie red glow. ¡°It¡¯s like a medieval battlefield.¡±


    ¡°How could this be¡­¡± Hao Ren was stunned. The footage from the probe did not had these details and before Hao Ren could think of anything, he saw a young soldier breaking off from the melee, his face full of blood. The soldier¡¯s steps were unsteady, fear was apparent in his eyes as he looked like he was trying to flee combat. And the direction he was heading was right towards where Hao Ren and the rest were hiding.

 Chapter 937

    A young soldier ¨C who really looked out of place in this blood-soaked place- ran helter-skelter away from the battlefield. The young man wore a breastplate made out of sheet metal and synthetic leather, two streaks of worn cloth dangled down from the gap of his pauldron. Bloody covered his face, and the sword in his hand was already a piece twisted metal. Such a poor quality weapon did not bring him glory in the battlefield, and he was on the losing side. Thus, the young man could only run with all his might before his side got overwhelmed.


    The soldier dashed towards a low wall across the street, and in his panic he did not notice the figures hiding behind the wall. A leg suddenly extended from the corner of the wall, tripping the young man flat on his face.


    Hao Ren immediately pounced on the soldier. He was originally thinking on how to greet the first person he meet and how to introduce himself, and that plan went to the dogs as the scenario changed and now he was slightly perplexed at the situation he found himself in to speak to someone. The soldier was even more shocked, thinking that he was ambushed and immediately stiffened and did not struggle. He gingerly looked up to see who had taken him down, and what he saw was a group of oddly dressed strangers.. The young man¡¯s voice was winded. ¡°Sirs.. and Maams? I¡­ I¡¯m just soldier¡­.¡±


    ¡°Silence. We know that you are a soldier, and we have questions to ask you.¡± Hao Ren loosened his grip and glared at the soldier, motioning him to not struggle. ¡°Who are you people? And why are you fighting here?¡±


    The soldier gawked at the strange man, but fear had stayed his tongue of questions and he obediently answered Hao Ren. ¡°The Kingdom of Highspire and the Eisenstadt are fighting for control of the town of Cogwheel. I¡¯m only following orders¡­ I don¡¯t know anything else.¡±


    As he said, he instinctively hid a piece of coloured cloth that was hanging on his armor with his hand, fearing that his allegience will be the death of him. Hao Ren noticed the movement and asked. ¡°So which side are you on? What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°¡­. The Kingdom of Highspire.¡± The solider said softly. ¡°Willy. I¡¯m Willy Mormont.¡±


    At the same time, Lily had peeked over the wall and with a hushed voice said, ¡°Looks like they¡¯re done and they¡¯re heading this way!¡±


    The battle was over, and those bearing the same emblem as Willy were clearly outmatched and ran for their lives, leaving the dead and pools of blood all over the place. And their enemies, the soldiers of the Eisenstadt broke up into several parties, some to loot the corpses, while others pursued the retreating foe. A few of the massive warriors came in Hao Ren¡¯s general direction and one of the yelled. ¡°Over there! I saw that blueblood wimp running over there! That nancy wouldn¡¯t have made it far! His ransom is worth ten men!¡±


    Hao Ren gave Vivian a resigned look. ¡°Take all of them down, but hold back. We are not here to cause a scene.¡±


    As he said that, Hao Ren got out of the cover of the wall, and the rest followed.


    The Eisenstadt soldiers saw a few oddly dressed strangers appearing before them and they stopped in alarm. After a quick glance, the soldiers noticed that the strangers were not armored, and thought that they were probably refugees who had stumbled upon an ancient trove. Without a second thought, they lifted their weapons and charged.


    Vivian raised her hand and a massive frost aura started gathering around here as a giant block of frost appeared in the air. With a gentle wave, the frost swept towards the soldiers. Nangong Sanba immediately pulled out a runic card and threw it into the air. The Letta Runes on the card exploded above the soldiers and threw them into disarray, leaving them with no room to avoid Vivian¡¯s Frost Storm.


    Upon witnessing a massive iceblock flying towards them, the soldiers were scared senseless. One of them started yelling. ¡°The Ice Witch!! They have an Ice Witch! Winter has come¡­.¡±


    The soldier¡¯s yell was prematurely cut short as a chunk of ice smacked him right in the face, knocking him out. Vivian had already greatly reduced her offensive powers. She could have easily liberate these men out of their mortal shells by freezing them into popsicles.


    They had expected a simple and brutal charge to do the work, but now, all of the soldiers were laid low in a blink of an eye. The scene was witnessed by those looting the corpses. After recovering from a momentary stun, everyone of them scream at the top of their lungs as they ran away. Odd terminologies like ¡°Ice Witch¡±, ¡°Winter¡± were heard as they went. Nangong Sanba drew his magical crossbow as he glanced at Hao Ren. ¡°Should I take them down? I promise to only shot them at the legs.¡±


    Hao Ren waved. ¡°Let them be. Perhaps once they report what they¡¯ve seen we¡¯ll be able to meet some important figures much quicker.¡±


    He recognised that the ark¡¯s law and order had already suffered a catasthropic destruction. The original administrators and crews were probably no longer around, and the search for this ¡®world¡¯s rulers had to start from zero again.


    People sure are fast when they are running for their lives. Even when they were decked in full armor, the escaping Eisenstadt soldiers disappeared in a blink of an eye and soon, it was only Hao Ren, his group and a group of unconcious soldiers covered in frost. And oh, and another stunned ¡®Highspire¡¯ soldier. Hao Ren turned back to him and asked out of curiosity. ¡°What did he mean by Ice Witch?¡±


    Willy shuddered as he heard the name. Turning towards Hao Ren and the rest, his eyes exudes the same fear the Eisenstadt soldiers did. ¡°The legends are real¡­ they are real¡­ You are the Heralds of the Frost! Heralds of the Frost! You will freeze this world¡­.¡±


    Lily had enough of the mumbling coward and slapped the young man¡¯s head. ¡°Who¡¯s freezing you, silly?! We just saved your ass!¡±


    Nangong Wuyue quipped with a hushed voice. ¡°We actually had to hold him down, or this unlucky fellow would have ran off¡­¡±


    Lily shrugged. ¡°Details. Oh by the way, it was Mr Landlord who stuck his foot out.¡±


    Hao Ren placed his hand on Willy¡¯s shoulders and that seemed to have calmed the terrified soldier a bit. ¡°Relax, relax. I don¡¯t know what you mean by Ice Witch and Winter¡­ but we are not evil.¡±


    ¡°You know sorcery¡­¡± Willy took a careful glance at Vivian before shuffling to the other side. ¡°But Nan never said that the Ice Witch and the Heralds of the Frost could speak human tongue¡­ Are you really not them?¡±


    Lily pondered for a bit before pulling out Flamejoy. ¡°Look, how warm and toasty that is! I can even use flaming attacks!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°We are¡­ a group of outlanders passing by.¡± Hao Ren spat out the words that even he did not believe in. It was indeed weird to press the notion of ¡®outlanders¡¯ to someone who had lived in a hundred kilometer long isolated world. But he had no idea how to explain to the cowardly and naive young man what was beyond the ark¡¯s hull. ¡°You know anywhere that we can rest?¡±


    ¡°This is Eisenstadt lands. They would probably take any outsider¡¯s head off with an axe stroke.¡± Willy stood still, his legs still woobly. ¡°If you can escort me back to my family lands, I can vouch for you. And get you a warm room near in Hearthfire. All that is incumbent on you not making a snowstorm in the city.¡±


    ¡°Escort service for a place to stay? Sounds good to me.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°Where is Hearthfire?¡±


    Willy pointed towards a wide road not too far away. ¡°We will need to go till the end of the Path of Abundance, and then through to the Royal Highway. We will see the walls of Hearthfire after a while.¡± But that road is rather dangerous of late. Not only the Eisenstadt soldiers are around, you might run into the Freistadt marauders¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was just hoping to meet more people and that sounded like a plan. As he nodded, he said. ¡°Oh, we¡¯ll take that path then.¡±


    Willy gave a belated ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll take care of any trouble.¡± Lily glanced at the boy. ¡°Just lead the way.¡±


    Willy shrunk into his armor, and nodded without saying anything else.


    ¡°What about them?¡± Nangong Sanba pointed towards the frost-encrusted soldiers. ¡°This one will probably wake soon.¡±


    One of the strongest soldiers started moaning in pain as he tried to recover from the daze. Willy immediately slammed his sword¡¯s pommel right in the soldier¡¯s face, knocking him out again. He then bend down to rip off the emblematic piece of cloth off the soldier¡¯s armor before repeating it on the rest.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°Taking their emblems back.¡± Willy¡¯s face was red. ¡°¡­For my mission.¡±


    Vivian sneered. ¡°But you were in fact deserting.¡±


    ¡°Forget about that. That¡¯s his problem.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand before turning towards Willy. ¡°We¡¯ll keep that a secret. Now, bring us to meet the ones in charge.¡±

 Chapter 938

    Under Willy¡¯s guide, the group headed for the Path of Abundance and the Royal Highway towards the manor called ¡®Hearthfire¡¯. The road that they were on were originally the sanctuary¡¯s streets and roadways, but after being left in a state of disrepair for so long, the roads have lost their lusture, and walking on it was extremely difficult.


    The surface of cemented roads had folded up, exposing the man-made paths underneath. The roads were riddled by potholes and yet it seems like no effort was made to repair them. It was an unpleasent trek, no different than walking on a broken path in the wilderness. Nangong Wuyue was rather winded walking on such a path, and wondered if her serpentine form would help. But after recalling Vivian¡¯s little nice magic had already scared the locals senseless, she suppressed her desire in morphing her three meter long tail out. Of course, a little grumbling was par of the course. ¡°Say¡­ Are all your roads these difficult to walk on?¡±


    ¡°Difficult?¡± Willy looked at the road surface under him, ¡°Oh right. This certainly cannot be compared to the roads in Highspire as this is a poor backwater. Neither the Eisenstadt or the Kingdom of Highspire will be sending anyone to fix the roads here.¡±


    ¡°Why¡­ are the two ¡®countries¡¯ fighting a war? Is there some bad blood or something?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    Willy simply blinked. ¡°Why? Because winter is coming of course. We need to light the fire at the World¡¯s End. Those who have perished in battle are fuel to the fire. All four kingdoms did not fight because of some petty grudge. I thought this was common knowledge.¡±


    The group looked at each other with an astounded look. Vivian immediately frowned. ¡°Your kind have¡­ splitted into FOUR kingdoms?¡±


    ¡°Are you really from the Frozen Beyond?¡± Willy swallowed his saliva. ¡°Everyone knows this. The Kingdom of Highspire, the Eisenstadt, the Freistadt, and the Starhold. These are the four kingdoms in this world.


    Hao Ren was astounded after hearing that, and was rather incredulous to say the least. The world order within the sanctuary inside the ark had changed completely, and have became a few disparate city states and villages, and the roads of old became the way of transportation between the ¡®cities¡¯. Skyscrappers and other tall buildings were fortified into fortresses and townships while the industrial zone became the wilderness after being torn down and everything useful scrapped. The sanctuary had been turned inside out. A medieval society had bizarrely grown upon the ruins of an advanced civilisation. And these ruins, was just so small.


    It was a literal dystopian nightmare.


    Hao Ren looked up. It was possible to see the entire landscape of this enclosed scape. Hao Ren wanted to ask what do the young man think of this weird world structure, but he quickly realised that he did not have much to ask at all. The young soldier was born and bred here. He was raised and educated in the same place as well, and thus his world view would be as such. If no one in the ship now knew of the concept of the ¡®ark¡¯, it was probable that everyone here think of the world as a giant egg shell. The freezing world outside the metal hull probably mean nothing to Willy.


    Willy was jittery throughout the journey. He really really did not want to travel on this part of the road, especially after his comrades were defeated and in the company of these unknown strangers that knew sorcery. That left him with a sense of severe lack of security. But the soldier did not have a choice, he still have to brave through to guide the outlanders, and to watch out for any attacks by the Eisenstadt or Freistadt soldiers.


    Quite some time had since passed since they had departed and Hao Ren did not see anyone appearing. He inevitably started doubting Willy¡¯s. ¡°You mentioned that this road was dangerous? Why haven¡¯t we ran into anyone yet?¡±


    Willy rubbed his hands together as he tighted his sleeves. It was cold now, and the young lad was shivering slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ They are usually soldiers patrolling this path, or at least merchants going between cities¡­¡±


    As he walked he looked up, the dim lights across the cityscape looked like flickering fireflies in the dark, making this enclosed place looked like a cave filled with fireflies. The young soldier¡¯s brown eyes exudes some sort of uneasiness. ¡°It¡¯s getting worse day by day for the last ten years. I myself had ran into countless weird incidents. Perhaps the Eisenstadt and Freistadt patrols are slacking off today?¡±


    ¡°Getting worse day by day?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    As Willy opened his mouth to speak, a weird low hum shook the boy.


    The sound came from deep under, and sounded like some sort of massive equipment slowing to a halt. The soundwave revebrated across the land, and while not particularly loud, the entire place suddenly shook. At the same time, Hao Ren felt that he suddenly got lighter as his got a feeling that he was about to float away. Willy¡¯s expression turned to panic as he screamed. ¡°Don¡¯t move! It¡¯s the Rising! The Rising!¡±


    Just as Willy finished, everyone felt their bodies turned light. The sanctuary¡¯s artificial gravity had disappeared.


    Hao Ren saw a red light ran rapidly from one end of the place to another and was followed by another. It looked like an alarm light and Willy¡¯s eyes were locked onto the light, as he counted under his breath. ¡°One¡­ Two¡­ Three¡­ Three meteors. Oh goodness, it seems like it won¡¯t last very long¡­ Please stay still, and don¡¯t jump!¡±


    The artificial gravity had completely disappeared by now, and yet Hao Ren and the rest was still ¡®standing¡¯. In reality however, they were already floating, it¡¯s just that their soles are still slightly touching the ground. Willy immediately stiffened and did not move, afraid that any movement would cause him to ¡®rise¡¯. This would not only throw him uncontrollably into the air, and it may even throw him across the land. Hao Ren quickly understood why the young man was so afraid. He tried to soothe the boy¡¯s fear. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Don¡¯t worry, your warning was in time. No one will be flying. Say, does this happen often?¡±


    ¡°No, it happens once every few months, but it seems like it was much less frequent before I was born.¡± Willy took a deep breath, and he was already by now used to Hao Ren¡¯s ¡®lack of knowledge¡¯. Speaking to someone itself helped him to calm down. ¡°Winter is coming, and the heart of this world is slowly freezing. The land will be powerless to keep us standing on our feet¡­ Nan had told me before. But if we are able to relight the Furnace of the Ancestors, everything will return to normal. Nan told me that too.¡±


    Hao Ren gave a casual ¡®Oh¡¯ in reply before looking at the massive pipings and alloy bridges above him. There were lights across their surfance, and they were not there before. It seems like the ark has an automated maintenance system, and it was clear that it was having problems, it was still functioning, if barely.


    The artificial gravity had disappeared for almost an hour now, and from time to time Willy clasped his hands together before his chest, silently muttering something that sounded like a prayer to the gods. After the gut-wrenching hour had passed, Hao Ren heard another hum came from underneath, and as it disappeared, he felt heavy again, and he was solidly planted on the ground once more.


    Willy¡¯s wobbly legs almost failed him and he struggled to stand. Giving Hao Ren a rather awkward smile, he said. ¡°You guys don¡¯t seem to be afraid of the ¡®Rising¡¯.¡±


    ¡°As long we don¡¯t rise, we won¡¯t fall.¡± Hao Ren shrugged.


    Willy¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°My best friend said that before too, but he ended up dying in the plaza of Wind Valley City on the other corner of the world.¡±


    As he looked up towards the titled buildings. ¡°That was a long ¡®Rising¡¯, and lasted a whole day. Poor Borqen, he just accidentally stretched and I saw him suddenly rose into the air, higher and higher¡­ and that time I still did not know how to use the meteors to determine how long the phenomenon will last. I thought it was going to end very quickly, but in the end, he became nothing but a black dot in the sky. His sister was with me that time, poor lass¡­ her brother even crossed the ¡®World¡¯s Axis¡¯. And by the time the Earth Mother had recovered, Borqen had fallen into the other end of the world. It was a few days later that the lord of Wind Valley City sent in back in a box.¡±

 Chapter 939

    Once the artificial gravity had stablised once again, Hao Ren and his group continued their trek towards Hearthfire. Now Willy knew that why there were no patrols around. They had already received communications from their holdings and had already departed for safety. Perhaps this was a good thing as he did not have to worry about being caught, and his head becoming a curio for some lord.


    ¡°You can predict when the gra¡­ I mean the ¡®Rising¡¯ will happen?¡± Nangong Sanba asked.


    ¡°The scholars know how to predict them.¡± Willy was animated as he tried to explain. ¡°They will monitor the light inside the deep chasms, and listen to the sounds that comes from that, so that they could issue a warning before the ¡®Rising¡¯ happens. But it is not perfect, and the Earth Mother will suddenly lose her powers. So those who had failed to predict will suffer a lashing for their error.¡±


    They had spend a goodwhile on the Royal Highway, and Hao Ren suddenly noticed the road ahead was blocked by a ¡®wall¡¯ that was made out of metal plates, plastics, tyres and other junk. The wall itself was a couple of meters high, and was held together by wire and nail. A row of lights hung upon the walls, while the gate was a metal fence with rows and rows of sharp nails tied to it. Willy pointed happily to the place. ¡°That¡¯s Hearthfire!¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the junk wall and took a while before he could verbalise something. ¡°Very¡­ unique.¡±


    A few sentries stood on the wooden tower on the top of the wall. They noticed the approaching strangers and immediately drew their javelins and bows seeking the identity of the strangers. Willy went forward, and raised his hand to show his armor. ¡°I¡¯m Willy of House Mormont. Let us in.¡±


    ¡°Willy?¡± A soldier recognised the boy before laughing. ¡°Hahahaha, hey look, our ¡®warrior¡¯ had came back from the battlefield. With his limbs intact no less!¡±


    Another soldier noticed the group behind Willy. ¡°Who are they?¡±


    ¡°They are my friends.¡± Willy tried his best to sound dignified. Puffing his chest, he yelled back. ¡°I have vouched for them, to allow them to seek protection in Hearthfire. Open the gates!¡±


    The sentries semeed like wanted to continue making fun of Willy, but they understood that the latter was still a blueblood, and opened the ¡®gate¡¯ for him. Hao Ren and the rest followed Willy into the city, and he realised that the ¡®city¡¯ itself was a broken shell of a factory. The outer walls of the place had already completely collapsed and the locals had used various metal and junk fill in the gaps of the old wallm, and build a new one in its place. There was a huge empty space in the city, these were probably the open-air stockyard, and now it was littered with many ramshackle houses made of metal sheet, serving as both military camps and civilian houses. The factory proper at the centre of Hearthfire. It was a three story tall metal and concrete building. Its conditions was still in tact, and there were even a few unbroken windows. The bi-colour cloth flew from the roof of the factory. Without question, this was the castle of the local lord, and the nobles¡¯ keep.


    As they went through the civilian zone many soldiers greeted Willy after seeing him, most of the greetings have a sense of ridicule to it, while not entirely hostile, it was not particularly pleasant either. The ones that dares to spite him in the face had another emblem hanging beside their military emblem, and the ones with only the military emblem dared not overstep their boundries upon seeing Willy. If Hao Ren had to guess, the second emblem means someone is a noble.¡±


    Willy was of course a noble, although he was just about to lose any shred of nobility on him.


    Before the keep, or the old factory¡¯s gate if you may, Willy took a deep breath before stepping forward. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you to see father. He¡¯s the viceroy here.¡±


    Hao Ren followed behind the young man, and walked into the factory that looked like it was abandoned a few hundred yeasr prior. The interior of the factory had been turned inside out. As the massive machines were no longer in use, they were now covered with sheet metal or wooden plans and served as the staircase or partition walls. The whole factory was a weird place that was tightly stacked with crates. Willy led the rest the top floor of the factory, and things only started to look better. This place was originally an office and had tidy offices and rest areas.


    Willy stopped before a red door. He carefully adjusted his armor before knocking on the door.


    After receiving ascent from the ones inside the room, he pushed open the door and motioned for Hao Ren and the rest to follow.


    A middle aged-man with scant few hairs sat in the middle of the office flipping through documents. He seemed to already knew who was coming in and did not even bother lifting his head up. ¡°I never thought you¡¯d come back alive. I¡¯ve expected that you¡¯d perish at Brokenmetal Lane. At least with that, your blood would serve to maintain our family¡¯s honour.¡±


    ¡°Father,¡± Willy lowered his head. He was used too being lashed at like this. ¡°I¡¯m home.¡±


    The middle-aged man closed the document file in his hand as he grumbled. ¡°I¡¯ve said this before. You are not a Mormont. You are a grunt living in Ironhide Camp, so what I want to know is why you did not report to the camp, and came straight to me.¡±


    The man then looked up at Hao Ren and his crew, and frowned at the oddly dressed strangers. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that my son had brought back a group of vagrants with no identity. I assumed you and him were alike¡­. where are you from?¡±


    ¡°We are travellers from the outside. Just passing by.¡± Hao Ren said calmly. ¡°We fought with your son, and in exchange for a guarantee of a resting place in your city.¡±


    ¡°Fought together?¡± The viceroy repeated the words, his face incredulous. ¡°You¡¯ve saved that good for nothing coward from the battlefield, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    Willy bit his lips before pulling out the coloured cloth pieces out from his armor. ¡°Father, I¡¯ve really fought! These are the trophies I brought back!¡±


    The cloth pieces were the ones he ripped off the Eisenstadt soldiers. The viceroy¡¯s did not smile even when he saw the emblems. His face stiffened as he grabbed the emblems off Willy¡¯s hand and threw them onto the ground.¡±


    ¡°Only beggers will pick up something that was left behind!¡± The viceroy roared. ¡°You don¡¯t even have single drop of blood on your blade. So, what? The Eisenstadtians gave you theirs automatically?¡±


    The poor lad was stiff silent. His shamefully picked up the cloth pieces and not a word came out from his mouth.¡±


    ¡°Worthless cretin, only believing in those nonsense the sorcerers are spouting. You¡¯re not even on par with your two sisters. Thank the gods that you are only a bastard, or I¡¯ll really die from shame.¡± The viceroy spouted venom towards Willy, but as he turn towards Hao Ren, he put on a more composed look. ¡°As for you lot¡­ You¡¯ve undoubtedly helped the Kingdom of Highspire in battle. Hearthfire welcomes such brave warriors as you. You can find a place to rest in the Ironhide zone. You¡¯re free to come and go, but don¡¯t loiter in the city.¡±


    Hao Ren had a lot to ask the man before him, but he realised that the latter was probably not the best conversationalist, so he left it at that and decided to see if he is able to gain more information from other parts of Hearthfire. He bid farewell to the viceroy before leaving with Willy.


    The young son of the viceroy did not gained any comfort or relief from this meeting. In fact he was sweating all over when he left. Lily asked out of curiosity. ¡°Seems like your dad doesn¡¯t like you all that much?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a bastard, and in the Kingdom of Highspire, bastads are not seen as family members. Our laws dictates that our position should be the lowest of our parent¡¯s lineage. The same applies for royal bastards as well, so people like me are even worse off.¡± Willy smiled bitterly. ¡°My father wants me to be a soldier, but I¡¯m not cut out for that. I prefer to be with the scholars, and they will often tell me about the stories of this world from before. I feel that that is more interesting than fighting.¡±


    Something sparked in Hao Ren¡¯s mind. ¡°The story of this world from before? Can you bring me to meet the scholars?¡±


    Willy nodded happily. ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll arrange for you to meet Master Orrow. He¡¯s the most learned person on this matter. While my father may not like him, Master is still well respected in Hearthfire.¡±

 Chapter 940

    As a guest who had helped out, Hao Ren and the rest was shown hospitality in Hearthfire. While the viceroy may be a stern, severe man, but he still knew how to treat guests well. But as the world itself was a desolated place, try as he may, things will still not be of much comfort. Hao Ren and the rest ,with Willy leading them went down the keep , or to the factory¡¯s ground floor. Along the outer walls were a row of small guestrooms. The room had been made using sheet metal and molded boards. Within them were some simple furniture and the general atmosphere was pitiful. There too were some faint odour as well, but within Hearthfire, this was already premium residence.


    After seeing the broken shakes the civilians had lived in, Hao Ren knew he and his party was already given priority treatment.


    And this also suggested that while the viceroy was severe towards Willy, the boy still had a place in his heart, or else he would not have treated his son¡¯s saviours this well.


    Willy had already went forward to invite the famous Orrow the Scholar while the Hao Ren and rest squeezed int othe tiny house, exchanging their opinions. After seeing the dystopian state of the place, everyone certainly had guesses and opinions, and now was the time to exchange them.


    ¡°It seems obvious that their heritage had broken off somewhere.¡± Vivian said as she looked out. The scenery of the plaza was visible from her window. A couple of kids covered in grim ran about on the streets that were made using waste metal and plastics. ¡°The civilisation had regressed to the age of coldsteel.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue added. ¡°The society too had returned to a feudal state.¡±


    ¡°The societal structure itself had not really changed. As we found on Terra Firma, the people here were uder a monarchy even when they were technologically advanced.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°What I¡¯m curious about is what made the entire society regressed so evenly. These people does not seem to have the concept of spacecrafts, and they don¡¯t even know that what a fault in the gravity generator means. MDT, explain.¡±


    The MDT vibrated in Hao Ren¡¯s pocket but its voice was heard in the mind of everyone present. ¡°A massive loss of population, or a total loss of industry could lead to a civilisation regressing substantially. But it should not have been that thorough. Even if technologically impaired, the people should have known how their forebearers had lived, and they seemed not have any concept of their own world, almost as if¡­¡±


    Lily could not contain her curiousity. ¡°Almost as if what?¡±


    ¡°A whole generation was wiped out.¡± the MDT said plainly. ¡°Unless a whole generation disappeared at the same time, leaving the next generation without any poper systematic education, or only partial education; only that would have caused a civilisation to rupture altogether. Or there was a brain wipe on a massive scale, and what everyone knew disappeared at the same time, and they were unable to find a cure for that.¡±


    ¡°Now that we know, that the ark¡¯s latter journey was plagued with faults and malfunctions and every ark had to depend on each other to survive, but this would not have led to what we¡¯ve seen today.¡± Vivian rubbed her temple, the vampire was knowledgeable, but it seems even that was of no use here. ¡°The ark¡¯s malfunctions was a gradual thing, it would not have wiped out an entire generation.¡±


    Hao Ren pondered quietly, as his eyes peered out from time to time. He saw three men in tattered clothings trying to maintain the lights in one of the dirty alleys. One of them climbed up the pole and carefully unscrewed the spoilt lightning and replaced it with a new one. As he got down, all three of them bowed towards the light pole and turned on the switch. As the new lightbulb lit up, the children around them broke into a cheer, some of them even started singing, praising the light-bringing ¡®electric fairies¡¯.


    ¡°They still have electricity, and new lightbulbs to change. Some even know how to install them. Even though they don¡¯t know the logic behind them.¡± Hao Ren pointed towards the scene outside the window. ¡°Some of the machinery in this ark is still functioning, like the electricity generatior and the factory, and if the factories could function until now, that means the rupture in their civilisation¡¯s heritage was not caused by some maintenance malfunction.¡±


    ¡°Not a spaceship malfunction?¡± Nangong Sanba frowned. ¡°Was it only through civil war? That a space-faring civilisation regressed all the way back to a feudal state?¡±


    At the same time, the door creaked open. Willy had pushed it open. ¡°Uh.. sorry, I should have knocked. But the door was not locked. I¡¯ve brought Master Orrow here.¡±


    A hunched old man appeared from behind Willy. He looked like he was about eighty odd years old, and his white hair was only left around the side of the head. His wrinkles had extneded all the way to the neck. The old man was dressed in a thick, dirty old robe with multiple coloured threaded loops on it. Dainty small metallic trinkets hung from the loops. Hao Ren took a good look and noticed that the trinkets were actually capacitors, fuses, copper wire connectors and the likes. The scholar had took those electronic components as decorations on his robes.


    Lily was the first to get up to greet the scholar enthusiastically. ¡°Hello mister! Have you eaten yet?¡±


    The odd greeting took the old scholar aback for a moment before he broke into a smile. As he laughed, he spoke with a bright voice. ¡°What a energetic young lady. I¡¯ve heard that a group of vagrant warriors had saved Willy, and I thought that they were no different than the brutes in the keep. I never thought I¡¯d see such a polite young lady here.¡±


    Willy helped the old scholar to sit on the rickety chair near the door. Even as the son of the viceroy, he showed deep respect to the master, like a student should. ¡°Master, these people are interested in your wisdom. They want to listen to the stories that you have told me.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Oh¡­ Those old stories.¡± Surprise flashed through the scholar¡¯s face. He had not had time to hear from Willy about Hao Ren and only thought that they were vagrants from far away. Only now that he had managed to have a good look and realised while the group before him was weirdly dressed, all of them were fresh and clean, and was totally different from your usual vagrants. ¡°You¡¯re interested on the matter? Aside from scholars no one will actually study such a dry topic these days.¡±


    ¡°We are indeed interested.¡± Hao Ren smiled. ¡°Winter is coming. This was a forewarning from long time ago, and now is the time to pay attention to the warnings of the old.¡±


    ¡°Winter¡­ Winter is really coming¡­¡± The old scholar subconciously wrapped himself. He visibly stiffened as he heard the words, and his expression turned serious. ¡°Five years, it have been a full five years since the Furnace of the Ancestors had went out. And this time around it is asleep for far far longer. The world is getting colder by the day, and the Giant¡¯s Nasal at the end of the world had already half-frozen. Snow had already fallen on Lusvayten last year¡­.Winter¡­ it is indeed a harsh winter.¡±


    Hao Ren was pretty sure that the ¡®Furnace of the Ancestors¡¯ referred to the massive reactor and its controls at the end of this enclosed place. The central control tower. Even when he was rushing along the Royal Highway he had noticed from a distance that the reactor was in bad shape. And even as it operates better than the already dormant reactor on Terra Firma, yet half of its energy grids was dark.


    It seems like the ark¡¯s life support system was at its limit, and its power source was about to shut down.


    ¡°How many times had winter came?¡±


    ¡°How many? Uh¡­ there have been many¡­ once or twice every century. Sometimes it lasts for only a year, and some it will last over ten years.¡± The old scholar¡¯s head bobbed as he explained. ¡°A year long winter may bring only fear and uneasiness, but a ten year long winter can kill up to one third of the population. And when there are so many dead, even the recycler furnace will be filled to the brim. A hellish nightmare, that was bone-chilling.¡±


    ¡°But this winter doesn¡¯t seem all that bad.¡± Willy suddenly quipped. ¡°It¡¯s not that cold and till now, just a leather shirt would keep you warm.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you are on the warmest part of the world.¡± the old scholar threw Willy an admonishing glance. ¡°And the real cold has not come yet. A mild start to the winter is a prelude to a harsh one, a slow fall in temperature means its rise will be slow as well, and winter will last very very long.¡±


    The locals had used their own understanding to explain the change in the enviroment after the core reactior had malfunctioned. Their theories were sound and logical, but yet it different wildly from the truth of this world. With their limited knowledge, they could not undertand that their world was being maintained by a massive machine.

 Chapter 941

    The night within the ark¡¯s city was long and quiet. The Furnance of the Ancestors had went out a few years ago and the temperature of this enclosed world had been falling ever since. The power for the lighting system had also been greatly affected and the citizens could only draw very limited power from a very few circuits to keep the lights functioning. Their ¡°world¡± as such had fell into half-lit state, like a perpetual dusk.


    But the past was very very different, according to the legends.


    Master Orrow had carried with him a big tome. The book looked like it was made of some kind of synthetic woven fabric. It was a massive hand-written tome. The old scholar carefully opened the tome as he spoke very slowly. ¡°This is a precious thing. Only scholars who had studied in the Spire of Knowledge for more than ten years are allowed to copy the encyclopedia. I¡¯ve used a good half year to copy it down¡­ Have a look, this chronicles the glorious times of yore¡­¡±


    Hao Ren and Lily looked over, and they found the drawings on the pages very complex, some of the pages had drawings of whirling machines, electric circuits, maps, sundry items and others. And beneath the pictures was a load of footnotes and postscripts. Hao Ren was confused for a moment as he saw it. Many of the drawings were very common daily sundries, but as the transcription went over generations, there were many missing pieces and errors leading the pages to look very weird.


    ¡°Many many years ago, there was a time where there was no winter at all.¡± The scholar gently ran his fingers on the pages, his speech slow. ¡°The world was full of vigor and life, and there were no trace of distortion or destruction. Our ancestors lived a wealthy and stable life. The electric fairies were much more active back then, and they were limitless. Every light and heater worked all day long, the factories never had to worry of a shut down, and we were led by a very brilliant and able king. Yes, a king, the only king. The world had only one kingdom back then, unlike the shattered kingships of today¡­¡±


    ¡°What happened after that?¡± Lily asked, rather impatiently. ¡°Why did it split into four countries?¡±


    ¡°Patience, my lady, patience. I¡¯m just about there.¡± the scholar looked at Lily before continuing at his pace. ¡°Based on the legends, the world was made on the inside of a giant floating turtle, and the turtle was swimming in the stormlashed Sea of Eordos. The Sea of Eordos had many monsters in it, and they were bigger than the world itself. They had chased after this turtle, and wanted to swallow the entire human world whole. So the king of old prayed to god, and his prayers were answered. A divine artifact appeared within the turtle, and the king placed his throne upon the artifact and swore to god that mans eternal loyalty and piety. Thus the artifact started glowing within the Furnance of the Ancestors, and scared away the monsters around the turtle, saving the world from being consumed¡­.¡±


    Hao Ren listened very intently, the scholar¡¯s bizzare story was spot on with the situation the exiled arks were in. The more convoluted part was about the legend of the divine artifact and the divine protection. Not sure if it was just a legend, or something to do with the Goddess of Creation. The scholar noticed that his audience had been listening and the old man broke into a smile. ¡°There are very few people who would listen to this seriously, especially young ones like you. If Willy¡¯s father knew that his son was here listening to this, he¡¯ll sure blow his top again.¡±


    Willy subconciously shrunk his neck. ¡°He won¡¯t find out.¡±


    ¡°So in all, the ancient world was like this. The divine artifact had expelled the monsters away, leaving the humans to freely travel on the Sea of Eordos, but it did not last. Something happened later that turned the world upside down.¡± The scholar paused to take a breather before continuing. ¡°Too long were the people under divine protection and they slowly saw it as something of a given. So they forgot about the blessings of the god, and after men stopped praying, the divine artifact lost its powers, and the monsters within Eordos gathered once more, and started gnawing upon the turtle¡¯s shell and thus the first earthquake and winter came. Just at this very crucial moment, the then king appealed for divine providence again, and swore that men shall not turn their backs on god again. After long nights of prayers, god had given its second gift, and rejuvanated the turtle, thus saving the world. But this time, to punish men for their duplicity and deceit, as god granted his boon, he also lay down three curses.


    Hao Ren and Lily¡¯s ears immediately perked up.


    ¡°First, the world shall never be bountiful cagain, and the electric fairies shall no longer be numberless. From now onwards the world will only provide limited sustenance, and men shall suffer the woe of hunger, to remind them of the folly of depravity.


    Secondly, the wounds that the giant turtle had suffered shall be a hidden danger. Every now and then, calamity will befall, the electric fairies will disappear, and the Earth Mother will lose her strength. Violent winds shall blow from the Nose of the Titan without warning. And the worse of all calamities is the coming of winter. Everytime the turtle stops to rest from its wounds its blood shall turn cold, and thus freezing the world, and the brutal chill will be the end of many.¡±


    Thirdly, the kingdom of man shall be split into four, men shall make war upon each other, to bleed continuously but yet not perish. This is to remind all the threat of death, and to transcend the fear of death. While the human soul shall be the new fuel for the Furnace of the Ancestor. To use one¡¯s own life to sustain the world. Tihs was the god¡¯s final shackle upon men.¡±


    The scholar was elderly and spoke very slowly. It took a good while for him to finish his tale. As he finished, Hao Ren started asking some simple questions. ¡°Was there only one turtle within the Sea of Eordos?¡±


    He wanted to know if the people here remembers the existance of the other arks.


    ¡°Of course there¡¯s only one.¡± the old scholar¡¯s eyes widen. ¡°The world¡¯s only!¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ so do you know how ¡®created¡¯ this giant turtle?¡±


    The old scholar¡¯s eyes widen even more. ¡°Of course its the gods, can mere mortals create worlds?¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his head. ¡°Alright, I have nothing more to ask.¡±


    The old scholar did not understand Hao Ren¡¯s question and simply looked at Willy. ¡°Your friends have some rather peculiar thoughts.¡±


    The elderly scholar could not stay too long, he still had to train the young technicians of Hearthfire. After a few more questions and answers with Hao Ren, the old man left the place with Willy¡¯s help. Once the place was left with Hao Ren and his crew, he stood up to stretch. ¡°Ughhhh¡­ so what do you guts think?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m interested in that ¡®divine artifact¡¯ the scholar had mentioned.¡± Vivian immediately replied. ¡°Based on his stories, I think the story of the ¡®divine artifact¡¯ is not baseless.¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡± the MDT had also popped out. ¡°Have you all ever wondered, how did this exiled arks escape the guardians for over ten thousand years? The arks are not very advanced, and they had only just entered the hyperlight speed zone, while the guardians battleships are much much more advanced. The one that Muru was on could easily wipe this entire fleet out on its own. But yet the arks escaped, and were only lost in the end due to the mechancial failure caused by age. Compared to those races who did not even manage to escape their home planet, don¡¯t you think the fate of these arks are rather incredible?¡±


    Something dawned upon Nangong Wuyue. ¡°So they really have a ¡®divine artifact¡¯ protecting them?¡±


    ¡°Even if it was not a real ¡®divine artifact,¡¯ it was probably something about as strong and hid the ark fleet from the gaze of the gurdians. And it was used to great effect during the initial exodus.¡±


    Hao Ren looked out, seemingly lost in thought. From that angle, he could see the giant machine at the end of this enclosed space, the Furnace of the Ancestors.


    ¡°If there was such a thing. There is only one place that it could be hiding. Within the Central Control Tower.¡±


    Vivian immediately frowned. ¡°But the Furnace of the Ancestors will be heavily guarded. We have not gained their trust yet¡­ If we are to check it out we probably have to force our¡­ Wait, something¡¯s awry!¡±


    She suddenly yelped halfway through as she pointed towards the Furnace of the Ancestors. The rest immediately turned to it and all widen their eyes.


    A massive electric bolt shot out from the Furnace of the Ancestors and was dancing on the outer shell of the ancient machine!

 Chapter 942

    A blinding electric bolt shot out the central control station¡¯s outer shell and traveled across the mountain-like pipings across the area, looking much like an aurora breaking through the dark night. The flash was very far away, and initially, only Hao Ren and his crew who had enhanced vision noticed it but soon after, panic ensued. As the bolt faded away, rolling smoke came out from the central control station and a massive flash blasted out from the buildings nearby the station, and even the civilians now could see what was going on.


    To the denizens of the ark, it was like the world¡¯s end was ablaze, and it was terrifying.


    Panicked shouting came from one of the towers on the wall, and Hearthfire was immediately rocked with commotion. The civilians inside the city ran out and panicked at the sight of light and smoke. Children cried in fear and even the adults feel to their knees praying for some sort of divine providence. Following the chaos was a massive blackout.


    All everyone saw was like the ark city being doused by black ink. It started from the central control station stretching out. Area by area fell into darkness as a bright electric viper leaped about in the darkness. Every leap brought an darkness into the wider area. ¡°DHOM! DHOM!!¡± a low thunder came from the hidden machineries hidden deep within the city and before the electric surge, the ancient machines and failsafe were destroyed. The blackout quickly spread throughout Hearthfire and Hao Ren saw the plaza before him turn black while the citizens were smothered by a veil of terror.


    A panicking voice came from the dark. ¡°The world has gone dark! The world has gone dark! The world has gone dark!¡±


    Lily¡¯s eyes glowed slightly in the dark. She too was initially startled but the husky quickly recovered. ¡°The reactor¡¯s out!¡±


    Without a word, Hao Ren pulled Vivian and Lily outside, with the Nangong siblings following behind. Soon they were at the plaza, and the blackout had encompassed the entire ark city. The decrepit sanctuary had finally fell into the terrifying darkness for the first time after ten thousand years. A hundred odd kilometers of enclosed space was shrouded in a chilling darkness. The panicked screams of the terrified populace were headache-inducing. There was still a little light left in the darkened space. The light was from the very top, those emergency lightings along the ancient pipelines. Their starlight flickers provided the space some sort of silhouette. Some knelt in the darkness, praying to the starlight and crying for a god to bring light to the world once again. It did not take long for the kneeling folks to be trampled by the chaotic crowd and bone-chilling screams broke out.


    At that very moment, the Hearthfire keep¡¯s (the old factory) top floor suddenly lit up. The light finally brought some measure of calm to the jittery folks. A few armored noble knights appeared on the roof, a miner¡¯s lantern hung by their breastplate as they used light sticks to wave at the crowd. Willy¡¯s father, the stern viceroy stood at the highest point of the keep. With a stern voice, he commanded. ¡°Silence! Cease your mindless running! Wait for the lights to come back. Any troublemakers will be put down without mercy!¡±


    No one knew if the lanterns on the knight¡¯s chest, or the fear that the viceroy commanded over the populace, order was somewhat restored in Hearthfire. There was still muffled crying and prayers amongst the people. Outside Hearthfire, the sound of chaos could be heard. Seems like the viceroys of other cities did not react as fast as the one in Hearthfire. Lily and Vivian¡¯s eyes worked the best. They quickly spotted Wily who was fumbling about like a headless chicken and quickly called the boy to them softly.


    Willy stumbled about as he got to Hao Ren. The first thing he saw was Lily¡¯s glowing eyes and almost let out a girlish scream. Thankfully, the young lad remembered that the group before him were scary folks who knew sorcery and immediately swallowed his fear. Turning to the group, he spoke hushedly. ¡°What happened? Did your sorcery did this?¡±


    ¡°We did nothing.¡± Hao Ren waved the lad off. ¡°Seems like the world¡¯s ¡®heart¡¯ is at its death throes now. Ugh, I had wanted to get an idea of your societal system, but I guess trying to repair that massive hulk of a machine now takes priority huh¡­¡±


    A big question mark appeared on Willy¡¯s head.


    At the same time, a low hum rang from afar, and something had activated deep underground. Soon after, light appeared once again across the ark city as rows after rows of lights lit back up and expelled the darkness away.


    Yet Hao Ren noticed that not all of the lighting system had recovered. Compared to before, only half of the street lights had relit, and even those that had lit up were not very bright. Seems like the lighting facilities had suffered damage to some of its parts in the blackout, and another reason.. is the ark had probably activated its back-up energy source.


    The common folk would not have thought of these, and they were gladdened by the return of the light. The crowds broke into a loud cheer as they gave thanks for the miracle of light. Hao Ren and his crew were the odd ones out in the crowd. They were calmer than anyone present.


    ¡°Had it ended?¡± Willy gave his surrounding a confused look. It seems like the lad has yet to regain his bearings.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s just the beginning.¡± Hao Ren shook his head as he turned towards the central control station, deciding to put aside whatever questions he had at the moment, and head over the to investigate.


    At the same time, a young soldier came from the direction of the keep. He was running straight towards Willy. ¡°Willy, the viceroy is looking for you.¡±


    He then turned towards Hao Ren. ¡°Sir, you lot are the vagrant knights right? The viceroy had also summoned you.¡±


    ¡°Us? Hao Ren was perplexed. ¡°What¡¯s the hoohaa?¡±


    The young soldier could only shake his head. ¡°I¡¯m just following orders, sir. The viceroy will explain later.¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at the now dormant Furnace of the Ancestors, figuring that this was a massive evacuation ark, and the back-up supply should last a good while, so he nodded and agreed to answer the summons.


    The group with Willy in tow was escorted into the keep and lead into the large meeting room on the third floor. The stern viceroy was already there. There were a couple of other people beside him, and one of them was a familiar face, Master Orrow.


    It seems like the blackout had also affected the keep, and the meeting room¡¯s light was dim, and only two of the lights were actually functioning. The viceroy nodded coldly as he saw Willy and the rest entered the room and knocked on the table. ¡°I¡¯ll go straight to the point. The royal city had sent word. Something inexplicable had happened at the Furnace of the Ancestors. There¡¯s fire and light gushing out from the belly of the furnace, and thus the king had summoned all high-level scholars to the royal city. That aside, something unusual had also just happened, the four countries have come to a temporary ceasefire accord, and the scholars of the other three countries will also be heading towards the royal city. Master Orrow is Hearthfire¡¯s representative and I have decided to have my son lead a small group of warriors as escort.¡±


    Murmurings broke out as the viceroy finished. Everyone knew that Willy was a weak soldier. He was afraid of battle, his skill with the sword non-existant, and was a massive haemophobic. Rather than fighting, the lad was more inclined to studies and art, so of course everyone would have been confused when Willy was picked to escort Master Orrow to the royal city. Willy himself too was taken aback, and he guffawed. ¡°But¡­ Fa¡­Father¡­¡±


    ¡°Willy.¡± the viceroy rose, his hand pressing hard against the table. ¡°If you still have any shred of noble pride in you, your response should be, ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Willy shrunk a little before gathering some courage. ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    The viceroy nodded. ¡°Very good. This shall be your last chance in redeeming your honor.¡±


    It seemed like some had held rather strong opinions about the order, but once the viceroy glanced over, any questions simply just evaporated. Hao Ren immediately took the chance to ask, ¡°So, what¡¯s with the summons?¡±


    ¡°My honored guests.¡± The viceroy¡¯s expression softened and he responded with courtesy. ¡°My apologies with this sudden request. But I hope that you will join Willy¡¯s escort, and assist us in delivering the scholar safely to the royal city.¡±


    Hao Ren was actually busy thinking about going to the Furnace of the Ancestors to investigate, and was pondering on how should he deal with the guards who had long lost the ancient knowledge and reverted to mere uneducated brutes. This however solved his woes and Hao Ren quickly nodded. ¡°Of course, we plan to head there too¡­ Uh.. Should I be asking why you chose us?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve aided my son once, and I believe that you people are trustworthy.¡± The viceroy looked sincere. ¡°Besides, the knights of Hearthfire will need to prepare against those barbarians from Eisenstadt springing a sneak attack and our manpower limited. So we are unable to organize more people to escort the scholar.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. He did not mind what the viceroy had planned. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll accept your request.¡±


    ¡°My thanks. You¡¯ll be duly rewarded once you have returned.¡± The viceroy let out a very faint smile. He then turned towards Master Orrow. ¡°Master, before you leave, please explain the situation to everyone.¡±

 Chapter 943

    Master Orrow got up in such a jittery manner that the people beside him were afraid that the old man would keel over when he started talking. After a few deep breaths, the old scholar started explaining. ¡°The electric fairies have just returned and are extremely weakened. We have lost about half of our lights. The heaters and part of the water delivery system are down too. Our technical apprentices found a few damaged circuits. They are trying to change the parts but our resources are very limited¡­¡±


    ¡°Prioritize the heaters. We can fetch water from Watertank Town. The water reserves there should be able to last about half a month.¡± The viceroy interrupted the scholar. ¡°Any news from Metalshire?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t see any lights from here. The electricity is probably still out over there. The transmitters are out as well.¡± A short, fat man seated beside the scholar rose. ¡°Seems like we need to send men over.¡±


    ¡°Then do it. You¡¯ll lead the party. Bring a few extra muscles. We need to be wary of those Eisenstadt barbarians trying to take the opportunity to steal our galvanized metal sheets and wires.¡±


    ¡°Winter is coming.¡± Master Orrow still had something to say. ¡°My lord, this darkness is just a warning. Our offerings are not sufficient to stop the coming of winter. You will need to think of what to do if winter does come. We need to take in refugees, stockpile resources and send envoys to Eisenstadt¡­¡±


    ¡®Master, you¡¯re an expert only on matters with machines and lightbulbs. Leave the matters of war to me.¡± The viceroy knocked on the table. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t care if winter is coming or not, we will never find real peace with the Eisenstadt. At the very least, I won¡¯t be the one offering the olive branch to those treacherous scum.¡±


    The scholar mumbled to himself, but the old man did not intend to challenge the viceroy¡¯s authority and sat down after a deep sigh.


    The viceroy then went through the agenda and arrangements with brutal efficiency before urging Master Orrow and his escorts to depart as soon as possible. He did however sought the opinion of his ¡®warrior guests¡¯. But Hao Ren was agreeable to leave as soon as possible, so after allowing the old scholar to prepare, the group got ready to leave Hearthfire.


    Hao Ren and the rest waited for Willy by the small road before Hearthfire. Lily crossed her legs looking at Furnace of the Ancestors across the land. The husky was rather worries. ¡°We can¡¯t be walking over there right? We have an eighty year old old man in tow¡­ by the time we trudge our way through the reactor would¡¯ve blow up a second time¡­¡±


    Hao Ren too was worried about this, and while his group could run over pretty quickly, bringing Willy and Master Orrow was another matter altogether. Willy may have seen their ¡®sorcery¡¯ so there¡¯s still a chance to use some high-tech transportation method to bring him there, like the North Star. The problem was Master Orrow, that old man¡¯s eighty year old heart may not survive the North Star¡¯s speed¡­


    But before he had much more time to ponder, a loud train horn rang from behind and something that sounded like a tractor came out a distance. Turning back, Hao Ren saw a bizarre contraption bellowing black smoke chugging out of Hearthfire¡­


    The vehicle¡¯s rear part was a carriage made out of sheet metal and planks while the front part was a very out-of-place locomotive. The entire engine was exposed and two bended exhaust pipes extended out from both sides of the engine, belching smoke and the signature train horn sound. The driver¡¯s seat too was rather unique. There was a soot blackened chair secured by wire and rope behind the engine. The field of view was unobstructed and a crooked steering from who knows where was lodged before the chair. It was not only crooked, it was unevenly crooked¡­.


    But the most dumbfounding thing of all, was the driver. Master Orrow. The old scholar was on the driver¡¯s seat. The skinny, and frail old man sat up straight on the chair, his face serious as he held on to the steering. The fistful of hair remaining on his head fluttered in the wind, like a patrolling old knight.


    That scene that totally took Lily aback. ¡°Awoooooo??¡±


    Following the rolling black smoke and deafening tuts, the odd contraption screeched to a halt before Hao Ren. Willy poked his head out from the carriage, the young lad looked much more energetic now. ¡°Sorry for the long wait. We¡¯ll head out now. Get on.!¡±


    Hao Ren pointed that the ¡®vehicle¡¯, not knowing where to start ridiculing it. He was probably torn trying to point of the irony of someone knowing how to drive in a feudal world, or the fact that this world had a tractor had is made out of wood and metal. This bizzare vehicle could literally qualify as a piece of art, proudly on display in between the ancient and modern section of a museum. The fact that it was here however, left Hao Ren speechless.


    ¡°Surprised?¡± Master Orrow saw Hao Ren¡¯s expression from the rear mirror. The old scholar laughed giddly. ¡°Only those who had studied in the Spire of Knowledge for more than six years are granted the right to learn and pilot the Steelbeasts. There are only three of this in Hearthfire, and if not for the emergency royal summons, the viceroy would not have let this out. Lets cut the chatter, hop on!¡±


    Hao Ren swallowed everything that he wanted to say back with all his willpower before dragging Lily onboard. As they got into the carriage they realised that it did not have anything resembling a seat. The carriage was basically a wooden crate tied together with metal wires. The locals probably had no idea on how to make a seat, and how to fix them to the floorboard of the carriage. Willy pulled out a couple of stools from the back of the carriage and placed it before them. ¡°Have a seat.¡±


    After confirming that all have gotten onboard, Master Orrow called for everyone to seat tight. With a pat to fix his robes, the old scholar sat up straight on the wooden chair and slammed the throttle.


    Lily looked at the stools that Willy had pushed over, quipping. ¡°More than ten odd years when I hitch a ride on a tincan carriage I too had sat on one of these folding sto¡­. OH MY WOOF!¡±


    As the old scholar slammed the throttles, the combined-tractor-like vehicle lurched forward and onto the pothole riddled road. The violent jolt threw Lily flat on her face. Hao Ren quickly helped the lass up before noticing everyone else was bouncing and shaking about in the carriage. That proved that installing a seat in the carriage was practically pointless. The entire vehicle followed the Brownian motion as soon as it started moving. The passengers had to rely on their wits and strength to stay in place. While it may look like everyone was sitting on a stool, in practice all of them were squatting down and followed the carriage¡¯s motion with a slow trot¡­


    Willy, who was usually cowardly was instead rather calm. As a local, he was probably used to this¡­


    ¡°Can this really run?¡± Hao Ren spoke at the top of his voice towards Willy as he squatted. ¡°There¡¯s a proper road out there?¡±


    He still remembered the horrible state of the road when they passed by the Path of Abundance, and the usualy pathways of the sanctuary had already so broken it was no different than the Gobi Desert. Hao Ren started worrying how far the artistic contraption he¡¯s on will actually take him. After experiencing the jolts and tumbles of the carriage, he felt that going straight or sideways was no different¡­


    Willy shouted back. ¡°No worries! The main road is well maintained!¡±


    Hao Ren looked out an noticed that they were indeed on a wider road that is better maintaned. While there were cracks on the cement surface, all of the potholes had been filled up. That brought some measure of relief to him.


    But as Master Orrow slamed the throttle again to get the vehicle onto the road, Hao Ren realised something. The road condition be damned!


    It was the vehicle¡¯s condition that was god awful. It did not even have any suspension to boot! Heck, the wheels are not completely round either. No one an intelligent scholar in that whatever tower they hail from needed six years to learn how to operate a tractor. This was clearly not a driving class, it is an extreme sports class!


    Hao Ren was worried that parts of the carriage might came off as the vehicle trudged along the road. At the same time, he looked through the carriage window towards the old scholar, Master Orrow who was driving the thing. The old man was seated on a chair before the engine that was only held in place by wire and rope. The scholar¡¯s robe and hair fluttered in midair as they went. It was an understatement to say that Hao Ren was worried that the old man would fall off the chair¡­


    ¡°My impression of the scholar had just turned upside down.¡± Nangong Sanba said to his sister. ¡°Even guys sixty years younger than him would not have gone this crazy.¡±


    Hao Ren muttered to himself as the carriage shook. If this thing was to be thrown back to Earth, forget about anyone driving it. Recognising it as a vehicle itself would have been an achievement. Just by leaving it by the roadside, no one will know better if you did not drive it yourself.

 Chapter 944

    The world had always been full of fun. What was lacking was a pair of eyes to see the fun. Like this very decrepit evacuation ark. It was shrouded with the shadow of a slow and impending doom, yet when the old scholar hit the throttle, Hao Ren stopped caring about the fall of this place.


    Well, it was because it was so shaky that Hao Ren could not even think¡­


    He was worried earlier on how should he get Willy and the old scholar to the Furnace of the Ancestors before things takes a turn for the worse. But it seems like that worry was for nothing. Master Orrow could not only withstand the speed that a young showoff would go at, he could also withstand the accompanying jolts. Surely the people of the ark was somewhat unusual.


    As an old man who had survived this god forsaken world for such a long time, the old scholar¡¯s body was remarkably strong, and even at his age, he was still much stronger than usual. Hao Ren and the rest tumbled about in the carriage, as the ruined cities and ancient roads went by them. It did not take long for Hearthfire and its forboding presence to be totally out of sight.


    The old man was happily speeding across the wasteland.


    The vehicle had now left Hearthfire¡¯s area of influence and the massive factory complex and a few other iconic buildings had now faded into little dots in the background. Before them was now a wide, empty wasteland. The dried and dirty roads were dusty, and clouds of dusts meters high were kicked up as the vehicle shot past As the dust settled behind the vehicle, shadows appeared amongst the ruined buildings on both sides of the road. These were the vagabonds living in the wasteland. They were not under any kingdom¡¯s protection, nor did they swore fealty to any. These vagabonds wore clothings made out of torn leather and cloths as they snuck out of their lair before the chills set it. As they waved the spears and slings and screamed like barbarians at the Steelbeast, their hostility was apparent. Yet none of them actually dared to go face to face with the metallic ¡®monster¡¯.


    Willy, the cowardly soldier was clearly worried, and yet he still loaded the crossbow carefully before opening the wooden panel on the side of the carriage. The young lad pointed the crossbow towards the vagabonds as he shouted a warning. The vagaonds with oiled faces and clothings no different than a barbarian shouted back, but they slowly retreated. Their simple spears and slings were no match for military crossbows, but they were probably more afraid of the metal beast that dashed past earlier.


    Lily asked, almost shouting. ¡°Why are these people so hostile?¡±


    ¡°They are vagabonds! There are not protected by the king!¡± Willy shouted back. ¡°These people have no share of the factories or farms. Even the dogs in Hearthfire eats a better meal than them. We cityfolk are not welcomed in the wilds!¡±


    Nangong Sanba gave a cynicle smile. ¡°It almost like we¡¯re given a parade welcome.¡±


    At the same time Lily seemed to hear something. Turning towards the back of the carriage, she yelled. ¡°There¡¯s another vehicle chasing after us!¡±


    Hao Ren turned back to have a look, but only saw a cloud of dust behind the carriage, and within the dust cloud was a silhouette that is closing in. While they could not tell who it was, they could hear the similarly deafening engine roar amongst the clouds. Willy immediately gripped his bow tightly, as he pulled out an explosive bag wrapped with bovine leather from a small box at the corner of the carriage.


    A moment later, a vehicle was upon them. It was covered with leather and thick fabric, while the carriage was lined up with human femur that is tied to it with wire. Black smoke belched from the side of the engines as embers shot out from the motor, it almost looked like a hellish chariot that shot out straight fro mthe gates of hell. A middle aged man dressed similarly like Master Orrow sat before the engine as he used a weird looking control lever to control the engine and the direction of the vehicle. Dust and crushed pebbles kept falling out of his robes as his face was soot black. As he accelerated he yelled at Master Orrow. ¡°You mongrels from Highspire! You and your contraption should have been swalloed by the monsters of Eordos ages ago! How dare you run ahead of me, you walking dead!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the Eisenstadt!¡± Willy almost dropped the gunpowder satchel. ¡°Their scholars have also come!¡±


    Nagong Wuyue looked at the screaming scholar from Eisenstadt, before turning towards Master Orrow. ¡°Their scholar seems much more energetic than ours.¡±


    But she never thought that while Master Orrow was indeed old, his hearing is still perfect. After hearing what Wuyue had said, he angrily slapped the machine before him. A moment later Hao Ren feld something underneath him had made an audible ¡®Click!¡¯ from the engine.


    Lily¡¯s face almost turned green. ¡°What¡¯s he doing?¡±


    Hao Ren saw the old scholar was busy fiddling with the levers and steering. Gritting his teeth, he hissed. ¡°¡­.He¡¯s gonna drift!¡±


    All along the dust ridden wasteland, two rickety art museum exhibits kicked up a storm of dust and dirt as they darted across the landscape. The deafening roar of the engines echoed throughout the empty wilds. Two scholars sat at the front of their vehicles, slamming the accelerator with all their might as they cursed each other. The elderly Master Orrow could not win a shouting match, so he focused on slamming the throttle with practiced ease. The old ¡®tank¡¯ had managed to overtake the Eisenstadt¡¯s bone tank and leave it in the dust. At the same time, the Eisenstadt scholar hammered the horn repeatedly, like a enraged bull not giving up its chase.


    Master Orrow shouted at Willy. ¡°That bastard! He has a horn! If your father would have given me a little more authority, I could have installed a new horn for the Steelbeast!¡±


    Hao Ren was already driven to a daze by the roar of the engines. He wanted to yell at the old scholar. ¡°Just listen to noise this vehicle is making! The engine itself would have echoed through the entire street! A horn may not even be as loud as that rickety wheels! What good does installing one do? A musical accompaniment?!¡±


    The insane, bizzare and outright freakish race continued for who knows how long. Hao Ren only remembered the latter part of the journey was like the world being smothered by dust and engine noise. But it seems like the temporary peace accord was real, and while the Eisenstadt soldiers continued leering at them, like their driver did, there were no contact made between the two. After a long and insane journey across the waitlist, the two vehicles had safely reached their destination. They had arrived at the end of this enclosed space. The Furnace of the Ancestors stood proudly before them.


    A loud ¡°KACHAK!¡± later, the Steelbeast stopped amidst the smoke and dust. The nails and wires rattled wildly. The rickety old vehicle stopped proudly by the roadside, as it showed off its glorious journey to the place. Not only was all its wheels still in place, even the carriage was in one piece.


    The Eisenstadt bone tank too stopped beside the Steelbeast. Some of the bones on the carriage had already came off during the wild ride across the wasteland. A few soldiers grumbled as they noticed the missing bones and wondered how were they going to replace them.


    Master Orrow swung his robes as he got off the chair. The moment he got off the vehicle, he immediately hunched at the speed one¡¯s eye could catch before trudging slowly towards Willy. Coughing softly, he spoke. ¡°Children, we¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    It seems like the old man¡¯s buff had just ran out, and it got dispelled the moment he got off the vehicle!


    The Eisenstadt soldiers threw Willy and Master Orrow an angry stare, but with the peace accord in place, and this was the area closest to the Furnace of the Ancestors, even the ¡®barbaric¡¯ Eisenstadtians would not pick a fight here. So the Viking-like warriors clad in leather cuirass and axes only threw angry glances at their erstwhile competitor. Their focus however quickly shifted towards Hao Ren and his crew. Their odd clothing would have made them the center of attention anywhere they went.


    Yet in this society where chaos was the order of the day, having just weird clothings alone would not be particulary harmful. At most you would attract greedy glances at your clean pair of clothes. If you have any self-defense capability, this was pretty much an afterthought.


    ¡°The last time I came here was for the ceremony of adulthood.¡± Willy hid away from the glances of the Eisenstadt soldiers before speaking to Hao Ren. ¡°The royal city of the Kingdom of Highspire is just beside the furnance. It¡¯s a majestic fortress and here on is royal territory. Those outsiders will not dare to do anything foolish.¡±


    Hao Ren did not respond. His focus was fully on the Furnace of the Ancestors.

 Chapter 945

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The Furnace of the Ancestors, the massive ancient machine groaned in pain. Its surface was dark with all heat-dissipating grids and signal lights lifeless. A deep, bizzare growling came from deep within, it sounded like a beast whimpering in its death throes. There was still scars of the earlier explosion on the outer armor that had suffered a vicissitude of fate. A clear obvious scar rent across the a good part of the outer shell of the reactor, almost cutting through almost one-third of the main body of the Furnace of the Ancestors, and smoke and sparks still shot out from the rents of the armor as if something was still operating within. But under these circumstances, getting the whole thing to fully shut down was much more reassuring than it trudging along on its last legs. Hao Ren was very afraid that it may explode again.


    ¡°The reactor core had shut down.¡± the MDT had ran a quick scan of the energy readings within the Furnace and gave everyone a reassuring answer. ¡°There are probably still electrical current in some of the buffers, but that won¡¯t cause an explosion in the near future.¡±


    Hao Ren heaved a sigh of relief. He had smelt the scorched air that lingered and he thought at first that the smell came from the Steelbeast¡¯s engine that finally gave away. Only belatedly that he realised the rank smell was the residual smoke from the explosion. The reactor had blasted out a whole load of gaseous content during the explosion and the long neglected filtration pump within the sanctuary was no longer up to the task, and the entire area was engulfed with a scorching chemical smell.


    Under Willy and a few royal city guards guide, the group arrived at the capital of the Kingdom of Highspire. The royal city was indeed much grander than Hearthfire, a farcry from the frontier cities that look no different than a rubbish dump. The royal city was clearly built by many talented labor. It stood beside the Furnace of the Ancestors, and an ancient telecommunication tower or something that served as the center of the kingdom. All around the tower, the artisans had used cement and steel to create a seven-layered hexagonal fortress. Bright banners fluttered all across the castle wall. Equally brightly dressed knights stood guard and hundreds of intact glass windows gleamed under the light. All along the fortress was neat residental areas and wide roads and avenues. The residential areas were original buildings of the sanctuary that were lightly spruced up, while some were rebuilt from ground up, that negated the need to use rubbish and discarded items to reinforce the wall, and the houses looked much more beautiful and stylish.


    At least when compared to the other city states.


    The royal city was surrounded by another ring of high wall, and these too were built using new brand new materials. ¡®Brand new¡¯ in the sense that the materials were not outright rubbish. No one knew where the artisans and labourers building the royal city had scrounged up such a quantity of cement and brand new metal plates, but yet they managed to build a wall that was both strong and beautiful, it was probably not materials gathered from the wasteland. Perhaps that the Kingdom of Highspire had the fortune to stumble upon some ancient construction material depot?


    Regardless, building the royal city would have incurred an eye-watering amount of expense, especially in a sanctuary like this.


    The Highspire royal city was very populous and was much more prosperous compared to other city states within the ark. There were civilians dressed in bright clothes and the knights were in high morale. Crowds moved about the streets as peddlers and merchants sold various weird items: mostly wares, food, cloths and pristine metal sheets. The prosperity of the area was surprising, almost looking like a normal and prosperous middle age city. There were no signs of the ark at all unless you look up, another area hung upside down on the other area.


    The Steelbeast that Hao Ren came on, and the ¡®Skeleton Tank¡¯ of the Eisenstadt were stopped outside the city. Those loud and dirty machines were not allowed into the city, like how a guards during the medival era back on Earth would have stopped a village mule from entering the royal city.


    ¡°Amongst the four kingdoms, only the Kingdom of Highspire is the closest to the Furnace of the Ancestors.¡± Willy introduced his country¡¯s capital to Hao Ren and the rest, pride brimming from the lad. ¡°In the legends, the Highspire¡¯s capital, Fort Furnace was the first human city state every created. God had created man at this very place and allowed men to live within the city. The top level of Fort Furnace overlook the first ring of the Furnance of the Ancestor, and that is the Path of the Ancestral Spirits. Every person who had died here will need to go through that first ring into the Furnance to be one with the world again. As the Kingdom of Highspire owns the tower, so it was the closest to the place of rebirth. No matter how brutal the fighting between the four kingdoms, this great city had never fell once.¡±


    The Highspire that Willy was referring to was the spire at the top of the fortress. A transmitter antenna that was probably tens of thousands of years old hung upon the spire. The Kingdom of Highspire probably got their name from that spire itself. And the First Ring was the outer metal ring of the reactor core. It was probably a condensation component of the reactor. Buit in the eyes of the locals, this complicated and marvellous ring held a totally different meaning.


    ¡°So everytime the four kingdoms have any discussion about the Furnace of the Ancestors they would gather around the royal city?¡± Vivian felt that part was quite unbelievable. ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys enemies? And they just show up here for a meeting? And you let them in?¡±


    ¡°This is in accordance to an holy ancient accord.¡± Willy said, his face serious. ¡°No one dare to violate the accord before the Furnace of the Ancestors. During times of ceasefire, no blood shall be spilt in Fort Furnace.¡±


    Master Orrow took a more historical perspective in his explaination. ¡°The Kingdom of Highspire was the direct descendents of the ancient First Dynasty. While the first dynasty itself had unravelled, the royal blood undoubtedly flows within the royal family. Thus the Kingdom of Highspire remains the rightful ruler of this world. The three kingdoms were formed by misguided folks after the curse. When danger threatens the world itself, all kingdoms shall put aside their differences and congregate before the only true throne to work things out. This is sacrosanct.¡±


    Lily was particularly interested in this sort of mumbo-jumbo. ¡°So the Kingdom of Highspire is the rightful heirs of the first dynasty? What about the others?¡±


    ¡°The Eisenstadt¡¯s ancestors were machinists, while the Freistadt came from the common folk, merchants and artisans, the Starhold is the descendents of scholars.¡± Master Orrow said, with his usual slow pace. ¡°The history books records it as such.¡±


    ¡°What a weird society.¡± Nangong Wuyue spat her tongue out. She saw a group of bombastically dressed group with their face painted with oil and carrying synthetic leather talking loudly as they went and was surprised. ¡°Aren¡¯t this the group of ¡®vagabonds¡¯ we saw on the way? They¡¯re in as well?¡±


    ¡°No, they are the Freistadt¡¯s scholars and soldiers.¡± Master Orrow explained. ¡°While the Freistadtians may look like the vagabonds in the ruins, and people often mix the two up because their connection is rather ambigious. But the Freistadt is still one of the four kingdoms, and their capital is built on the Burond highlands on the farside of the world. Half of the leather and cloth of this world is from the factories there.¡±


    Even if the Kingdom of Highspire stood on a piece of ¡®sacred land¡¯ by the Furnace of the Ancestors, all three other kingdoms have their unmovable place in this world. The Freistadt¡¯s capital controls the lifeline for warm clothes, the Eisenstadt¡¯s capital, the Core Mechanica is an important hub, and from Master Orrow¡¯s description it sounded like the place was a material recycling zone. The Starhold was the smallest of the lot, but it is where the Tower of Knowledge is. It groomed generations upon generations of scholars and represents the world¡¯s knowledge and wisdom. Amongst the feuding countries, the Starhold was able to utilise this to maintain neutrality.


    Four kingdoms, squeezed within a hundred kilometer long enclosed world, bore their fangs at each other as the power struggle swayed back and forth, creating this bizzare and complicated situation. It is very difficult to actually explain how did things turn out this way with a span of a hundred or thousand years, but Hao Ren believed that any anthropologist would have been blindsided when they come here. This place was the model of a society turned upside down where logic and common sense seemed non-existant.


    ¡°So what should we do next?¡± Nangong Sanba asked. ¡°When do you plan to check out the Furnace?¡±


    ¡°All scholars are summoned to mee the king to discuss this.¡± Master Orrow pointed to the fortress in the distance. ¡°All of you can wait in the city, Willy will know where to go.¡±


    A couple of royal knights came from the fortress. They were tasked in escorting the congregating scholars and Master Orrow left under the knights¡¯ auspice, leaving Hao Ren, his crew and Willy standing where they stood.


    ¡°I know where the lodge is.¡± Willy dangled a small badge before his chest. ¡°The mark of Hearthfire should get us a room each. Lets rest for the night. It is already late now. I¡¯m afraid the scholars will only come back tomorrow.¡±


    Vivian suddenly looked up towards the Furnace as she stared at the darkened heat-dissipating grids and coiled pipes. A frown started forming on her forehead.


    Hao Ren noticed the change in her expression. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I suddenly heard¡­.¡± Vivian continued frowning. ¡°Something is calling me over there.¡±

 Chapter 946

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°Calling you?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s brow ticked as he heard what Vivian said. ¡°A voice?¡±


    ¡°Not sure,¡± Vivian¡¯s sight hovered around the massive hulk of metal. ¡°It was a flash of a moment thing, like someone reminding me that I need to look there¡­ but there¡¯s nothing now.¡±


    A thought had appeared just in a flash in one¡¯s mind, that got Hao Ren thinking. ¡°The divine artifact, it seems like there¡¯s some truth to it.¡±


    There were not many things that could give Vivian such an odd reaction, and something that the Goddess of Creation had left behind would probably do the trick. The denizens of the ark have a legend about a divine artifact protecting the world, and now Vivian had this unusual sensation while standing beside the Furnace of the Ancestors, it was natural to link this two incidents together. It does seem like the exiled arks had been given some sort of protection¡­ and it came from the Goddess herself?!


    Willy did not understand what the two were on about and asked out of curiosity. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a local, do you know how to enter the Furnace of the Ancestors?¡± Hao Ren went straight to the point.


    ¡°A local? I¡¯m not a local. I¡¯m from Hearthfire¡­¡± Willy just responded to the first half of the question by reflex before recovering. ¡°The Furnace of the Ancestors? You want to go into it?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t?¡± Nangong Sanba¡¯s eyebrow rose. ¡°Aren¡¯t we here to fix that problem?¡±


    Willy¡¯s expression turned from confused to horrified. He had a lot of guesses abou this group of outlanders, but he never thought that they would actually want to enter the Furnace itself to investigate. ¡°That¡¯s inconceivable! The Furnace is a place where only the dead could step into. I¡¯ve never heard of any living person going into that place! A person steeping into the Furnace will be cursed by the power of the dead, and his body will go ablaze, skin will be flayed and his internals bleed before being turned into ash. And you want to go in there?!¡±


    Hao Ren was rather surprised by what he heard. He never expected that reactor core to be that dangerous and he did not know it was a problem stemming from the legend itself, or the energy reactor itself have some sort of safety mechanism to ward off intruders. But he must go in there. ¡°Are there no other ways?¡±


    Willy shook his head wildly. ¡°No way, no way! That¡¯s suicide. Even the flallegants would not be able to break into the Furnace. There are Blood Wardens guarding the place. These soldiers have the right to even ignore the words of the kings. They only follow their orders and calling. What sort of madness is this that you want to go in there?¡±


    The young lad was totally horrified by Hao Ren¡¯s plans and after trying to talk Hao Ren out of it a suspicious look started appearing on his face as he looked at the seemingly calm Lily and Vivian. The boy suddenly remembered that this group knew ¡®sorcery¡¯ and some chilling legends of yore. Willy started shivering in fear. ¡°Wha¡­What are you all planning to do?¡±


    ¡°Relax, boy.¡± A red glow shone from Vivian¡¯s eye and through the use of blood magic she forced the body to calm down. Her voice was slow, and had a magical property to it. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to stop the coming of winter? Have a look at the Furnace yourself¡­ it¡¯s damaged, very badly damaged. And we know how to fix it. That¡¯s what we are here for.¡±


    There was a couple of spells within Vivian¡¯s blood magic repetoire that could be used against the human psyche, but Willy was someone who had no idea what magic was, and his will was weak, thus he fell under the calming effects without resistance. His eyes darkened a split moment. ¡°But you cannot enter the Furnace of the Ancesotrs, it has the power of the dead there, the Blood Wardens will also not¡­¡±


    ¡°Then what does your king expect to achieve in fixing the reactor¡¯s probme by just summoning the scholars?¡± Lily asked. ¡°Since they don¡¯t know how to fix it from outside, nor they are allowed inside. Are they supposed to just stand and watch?¡±


    Willy started blaberring a whole load of nonsense, and it went from sorcery to the misinterpretation of technical terms. It sounded like a whole load of hogwash with a bit of leaving it to fate. But asking him was moot in the first place, Hao Ren knew that no one in this world would have the knowledge to fix the reactor, and it seems like many times in the past when the reactor shuts down, the scholars will gather around the ancient circuit diagrams and circuitry boards to sing litanies of praise and respect, but in the end the denizens were still reliant on the arks¡¯ resililent self-repairing system to survive winter. And yet this time around, there was a kilometer long rent on the shell of the reactor, and this was not something a reboot would fix.


    Hao Ren had planned to have Willy and Master Orrow lead the way, and then find an opportunity to walk past the guards into the internals of the reactor. That would avoid the need for conflict and any unforseen accidents, but now the local¡¯s knowledge of the Furnace of the Ancestors had regressed so badly that it was best if they broke into the reactor themselves.


    ¡°Go and find a place to rest. We still have things to do.¡± Hao Ren patted Willy on the shoulder and motioned for the young man to leave after learning more about the Blood Wardens. With that, Hao Ren turned towards a side of the royal city wall. He wanted to scout the lay of the land, and thought that the rent itself was an entry into the reactor proper. ¡°Lets go have a look.¡±


    The group then walked through the busy street towards the rent.


    The area was still prosperous despite a terrifying explosion had just occurred here. Everyone would have seen thew reactor blew up in close proximity, but yet the city was as vibrant as usual. The denizens of this world had gotten used to their world going haywire from time to time, and while the rent on the Furnace of the Ancestors was unprecedented, and as the sanctuary¡¯s back-up power supply kicked in, the civilians had calmed down. Everyone was talking about the explosion, and some even tried use some bizzare legends to explain the phenomenon, with the optimists and pessiments gathering around to listen. But everyones¡¯ actions were the same: Huddling together, have a lively chat, and using words to dispel the brooding atmosphere.


    Of course, the actual damage caused by the explosion itself could not be overlooked. As the electrical fire ripped through the reactor¡¯s shell, some of the broken pieces had blown outwards. These debries, following the direction of the artificial gravity then fell onto the edge of the city, destroying some houses. The following electrical fault also caused a series of small fires and the scene of chaos was visible in the royal city. Soldiers and labourers were busy cleaning up the damaged areas and the closer the place was towards the Furnace the more pronounced the damage was.


    Thanks to the chaotic social order and the chaos wrought by the damage done to the area, Hao Ren and the rest managed to slip through every road without attracting attention. They finally arrived at a special exit near the edge of the royal city. And just as Hao Ren had predicted, after the exit was a highland, and from the exit the entrance to the Furnace was visible at a distance.


    But the entrance to the facility was indeed heavily guarded. A few oddly shaped soldiers stood guard there. They wore simple leather armor with the upper torso exposed to the cold weather. They seemed rather unperturbed by the chilly temperature. Their skin were pallid but they were unusually muscular and veins and blood vessels were visible in their almost translucent skin, looking almost like a line of red tattos. The soldiers patrolled the entrance to the reactor and led out an unintelligible growl from time to time, it sounded more beast than human and when they spoke, drool ran across the length of their mouth and down to the floor.


    ¡°This are the Blood Wardens Willy talked about?¡± Hao Ren muttered to himself.


    ¡°¡­. Radiation sickness.¡± The MDT slipped out of Hao Ren¡¯s pocket. A glint appeared on its shell, and after scanning the facility behind the soldiers it finally understood why. ¡°I forgot to scan the area¡¯s radioactive levels¡­. There¡¯s a leakage from the reactor and the radiation levels behind the metal wall is frankly terrifying, and these soldiers had stood guard a place where only a wall stood between them and the radiation, all of them are chronically ill now!¡±


    The Blood Wardens, the chosen to guard the Furnace of the Ancestors, they were the strongest warriors chosen from all four nations. The bravest , the fiercest of young warriors.These soldiers have eternal orders to guard the entrance of the Furnace, and as their body basked in the light of the god, they had obtained some unusual characteristics. Their lives may be short, but it was a glorious one. That was how the locals see the Blood Wardens, but the truth was, these were just poor souls with radiation sickness. Their biggest combat strength was the radiation burns on their skin, as no normal person in the wrold would dare to go toe to toe with someone looking like this.


    ¡°They¡¯ve chosen the strongest, the healthiest of people to guard this place, but in truth they are wasting precious labour strength in this radiation.¡± Lily¡¯s eyes widen. ¡°This¡­ this is¡­just illogical.¡±


    ¡°During the dark days of the Black Death, people were busy burning women who knew how to make medicine out of herbs to supposedly stop the spread of the plague.¡± Vivian said with a blank look. ¡°But the guards were is a necessity. The reactor behind them is no place a living person should go to. No matter what the person who first discovered this had thought, locking the place down was the right thing to do.

 Chapter 947

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Regardless if the mutated soldiers had any real combat ability, they would not have allowed any person to intrude upon holy grounds. Hao Ren did not want to raise any unnecessary havoc, so he thought of a plan. ¡°MDT, you sneak in first, then teleport us in.¡±


    The MDT did another scan on the internals of the reactor¡¯s internals before shaking about. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not possible. That reactor is currently in a very fragile state of balance. It had only shut down because there were insufficient power to supply it. The micro-energy waves from the teleportation may trigger the reactor core, and this place will get blown into kingdom come.¡±


    ¡°The mutated warriors are probably not that tough.¡± Nangong Sanba squinted as he looked at the Blood Wardens. ¡°If we are fast and accurate enough, we could disarm them without any bloodshed.¡±


    ¡°But that will startle everyone in the city, and the entire ark world thrown into chaos. This is the Furnace of the Ancestors after all.¡± Nangong Wuyue was a little worried. ¡°What happens when we do force our way in to find that the reactor is beyond repair? And even if we do that, we have not thought out a way to solve the societal issues here.¡±


    ¡°The societal issues can wait. If need be I can get the droids to forcefully tow the ark to either¡­ Io or Tannagost, and proceed to rip the hull of their arks off.¡± Hao Ren replied. ¡°There will certainly be problems later, but the good thing is that these people have long survived in a state where their survival is at stake, and such a society would be much easier to rebuild. But that¡¯s for later, now we have a reactor to fix.¡±


    To translate what Hao Ren said, it is fare easier to rebuild a societal order after tearing it apart than to fix it. After listening to this rather ambitious plan, Vivian and Lily did not have any particular reaction, but the Nangong siblings were stunned. It took hem a good while before they spoke in unison. ¡°¡­That¡¯s pretty cool.¡±


    Even the MDT could not help but mutter to itself ¡°That¡¯s more and more like the Xiling style.¡±


    ¡°Then lets crash into the place head-on.¡± Vivian clapped her hands as she walked with swagger towards the Blood Wardens. ¡°I suppose once we do break in no one will actually come after us. The radiation in there is not something even the Blood Wardens could survive in.¡±


    The Blood Wardens stationed at the Furnace of the Ancestors are probably the most well-known and feared warriors. Legends say that their blood is poisonous and their bones are as hard as metal. A scorching glow exudes from their skin and muscle, and before they are called back by god and the ancestors, these pale warriors had mutated to the point of supposed invincibility and without equal. Everyone believed that, and even the bravest of warriors in all four countries cower at the sight of these massive warriors. At the same time, these warriors were probably the most inexperienced in the world. And while few would dare to state this out publicly, everyone knew that the Blood Wardens would have never needed to fight a battle their entire life. No one would have intruded upon the sacred grounds of the Furnace. Even lunatics knew the place was off-limits. So the warriors stood guard over a gate that would never be attacked, using their massive frames to stand guard, but yet will never see blood split in their lifetime.


    So when one of the Blood Wardens saw a lady leading a few outlandishly dressed people crossed the axis and straight into the forbidden zone, his first reaction was not to draw sword. Rather, he was stunned.


    It was not until a few other Blood Wardens started congregating than a massive, pale and clearly mutated warrior yelled. ¡°Halt! This is forbidden land!¡±


    The mutated warrior¡¯s voice was hoarse, and had a bestial ring to it. The radiation had destroyed his vocal cords, and muslces grew abnormally over his throat. This warrior was only nineteen years of age, but he was already a veteran. Veteran in the sense that he probably only have five years remaining in his service.


    Vivian and Hao Ren continued until there was only a five metre distance between them and the Blood Warden. Both of them spoke almost at the same time. ¡°We¡¯re going in.¡±


    The Blood Warden stood there stunned, and that was probably there was no one who had really tried to intrude upon this forbidden place by force. That left the warden totally forgotteing how to react to the intruders, until Hao Ren had walked past him that he recovered and drew his blade. ¡°Intruders!¡±


    ¡°We are here to fix the reactor!¡± Nangong Wuyue shouted from the back of the group. ¡°Please calm down!¡±


    The only answer the Blood Warden had for this was a round slash to the head. ¡°Death upon the intruders!¡±


    Nangong Wuyue¡¯s head immediately shrunk back in as she saw the blade coming her way. The next moment a cloud of mist that canvassed the entire area appeared, and within the mist a massive female serpentine figure slithered. ¡°I¡¯m telling you! We really are here just to fix the reactor!¡±


    The Blood Wardens by then had already drew their blades to kill the intruders and as they saw Wuyue transformed out of reflex they were startled. Someone amongst the Wardens shouted. ¡°A witch! A witch! Sound the alarm!¡±


    Lily swiftly picked up a stray brick on the ground and slammed it into the warden¡¯s face before sending another flying with a powerful kick. As she danced about in her furious assault she mumbled to herself. ¡°Stay your hand¡­ do not kill¡­ stay your hand¡­ do not kill¡­¡±


    Hao Ren spun his spear about to deflect two oncoming sword strikes as he struck his way out of the surrounding wardens and dashed towards the metal gate. At the same time, the alarms rang.


    Lights immediately lit up all across the royal city and many other Blood wardens came dashing out of their camps. All the shoulders were massive hulks with pale skin and popped veins without any torso protection. They raised their blades high as they charged at Hao Ren like enraged beasts. Some of the warriors had visible hot air around them. The radiation sickness had left their body temperature higher than normal, and even in chilly weather before the onset of winter did not faze them. Such a scene where a group of half-naked men doing a berserker charge in the chillwind was indeed awe-inspiring!


    And it did surprise Hao Ren that how did these warriors with radiation sicknes would be so strong. For normal Earthlings, anyone living under such condition would have withered away. Forget about building abs and muscles, even standing would have been a problem. Yet for these humans on the ark, while they may look like your run of the mill Earthlings, their body structure and composition may be different and in exchange of the shortened lifespan brought on by the radiation sickness, they have gained massive strength and musculature in place. That was the surprisng part.


    Regardless, the Blood Wardens were still mortal, and they were not able to stop the intruders even as they came in waves. A stun grenade lobbed by Hao Ren into the camp laid many low, while Lily¡¯s martial prowess saw her sending everything within her brick attack¡¯s range flying all over the place. Nangong Sanba was then left with nothing to do, he ended up posing with the Letta rune cards in his hand in various attacking positions. Each pose was calculated and cool. Even Hao Ren could not help but ask. ¡°What are you doing?!¡±


    ¡°Trying to look busy!¡± Nangong Sanba shouted back as he continued posing.


    Yet the ones that the wardens were most afraid of was not the techno-sorcery lobbing Hao Ren or the furious brick warrior, Lily. The one that they were the most afraid of was Nangong Wuyue who was begging them to ¡°Stop hitting me!¡±. The siren¡¯s reflexive transformation made her look much much more intimidating. The three meter long giant serpent was like a monster from the legends to this bunch of ignorant and superstitious Blood Wardens. They swarmed towards Wuyue before recoiling in fear. Wuyue, the useless one in combat was scared out of her wits, as she flail her tail to protect herself she finally realised that her brother had nothing to do. With a swift motion she wrapped her tail around Nangong Sanba¡¯s legs as swung him about as a shield. ¡°Brother, help me!¡±


    As Nangong Sanba¡¯s scream echoed throughout the air, an epiphany came upon Hao Ren. ¡°Well, he finally got busy¡­¡±


    The invasion was both dangerous and exihilirating, but yet it did not last long. Before long, Hao Ren had already reached the main gate of the central control station. The gate wwas connected to a massive slanting catheter that extends all the way into the internal part of the reactor, like somesort of weird coiling elevator. The artificial gravity within this enclosed world was designed based on the locality, and the gravity field where Hao Ren stood was supposed to be vertical, and the constructs before him appeared just that bit unique for that.


    Hao Ren held his hand forward to push the gate, and Vivian, this time around did not need any reminder as she conjured a lightning bat in her h and. ¡°So, how many volts to get it talking?¡±


    Hao Ren pushed the gate. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s already open.¡±


    Vivian was speechless.


    ¡°Halt!¡± The remaining few Blood Wardens shouted. ¡°That is forbidden land!¡±


    Hao Ren turned back, and put on the most convincing smile he could. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re here to fix this thingmajing¡­. F*CK!¡±


    Lily had just gotten out of her offensive trance and quipped. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Hao Ren pointed towards the royal city. ¡°Somone familiar is here. Shoul we go say hi?¡±


    Towards the direction Hao Ren was pointing, a group of people was running as fast as they could towards him. And the one leading the pack was Willy.

 Chapter 948

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren knew from the begining that trying to break through the Blood Wardens¡¯ defensive perimeter would have drawn the attention of those from the Royal City. After all, the Royal City had the stranglehold to the primary entryway into the Furnace of the Ancestors. But he never thought that the first person in front of the mob would be Willy.


    Well truth be told, Willy did not came running over as soon as he heard the Blood Wardens¡¯ alarm. After leaving Hao Ren¡¯s company for a while, the influence of Vivian¡¯s blood magic had already faded away. While the young lad was weak and indecisive, he was not a fool. After going back to his room and pondered things for a while, he realised that his new friends were about to do something unimaginable. The boy then ran towards the fortress to inform Master Orrow before coming out alone. Along the way, the Blood Wardens rang the alarm and alerted by soldiers on that particular side of the royal city, and Willy was swept up by the rush of soldiers by chance.


    The young noble bastard had ran his lungs out, but the moment he saw the manhandled Blood Wardens he was so shocked that he almost forgot to how to breath. ¡°This¡­What have you done?!¡±


    Hao Ren was already about to step into the gate, but he stop as he saw Willy running over and decided to leave the young man a few words. He rubbed his temple as he said. ¡°You know what did we came here for?¡±


    ¡°You plan to destroy the place?!¡± Willy found it very difficult to accept the fact. While he had though his new friends to a little be eccentric, he never thought of them as villains. In the eyes of the locals, intruding upon the Furnace of the Ancestors was a crime so heinous it was beyond words. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡±


    ¡°Not destroy.¡± Hao Ren looked straight into Willy¡¯s eyes as he swung a karate chop towards a Blood Warden beside him that was getting up. ¡°We are trying to save it. This process is complicated and cannot just be explained in a few words. You must know this. The Furnace is tethering at the edge of life and death, it is seriously damaged, and we may have a way to fix this facility.¡±


    ¡°You will destroy everything!¡± A middle-aged nobleman beside Willy shouted. ¡°The Furnace of the Ancestors is a divine gift, it is eternal and doesn¡¯t need any fixing! Leave at once, and then accept the judgement of the divine. The the ancestors are willing, your lives may still be spared!¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged as he maintained his sight on Willy. An internal struggle was obvious from the boy¡¯s eyes. He had been indoctrinated since young that these people were doing something heretical, but yet as Hao Ren mentioned the terms ¡®damaged¡¯ and ¡®fixing¡¯ planted doubt within him. In those ancient tomes, and when Master Orrow talked about those bizzare stories, Willy remembered those words appearing. And even though the mainstream thought was that the stories were simply heretical nonsense, Willy was very intrigued by it. This young man had the curiosity and adaptability not many of his kin has. And that was one reason he was so disliked.


    Hao Ren smiled. ¡°Willy, you remembered those stories that Master Orrow told you about?¡±


    Willy nodded by reflex before his face darkened. ¡°I¡¯m a shame to my family, by engrossing myself in those stories.¡±


    ¡°The truth of the world is much, much more glorious than the one written in the books.¡± Hao Ren looked up at the dormant Furnace of the Ancestors.The metal leaves within heat-dissipating grid glowed slightly under the lamplight. ¡°The world is not just this cramped domed place, and the edge of the world is not some dense metal wall. First we will get the city up and running again, then I¡¯ll let you see what the real world is. Then you will know, your thirst for knowledge and improvement is not a negative trait, it is the most valuable one for your people.


    Willy only half understood what Hao Ren tried to say, and the nobles from the royal city had already ran out of patience at what Hao Ren was trying to say. The noble lord only saw him and his crew as a bunch of barbarians trying to ruin the most sacred place in this world. With a motion of his hand, the soldiers behind him took a step forward.¡±


    ¡°Crossbowmen, ready-¡±


    ¡°You know, based on my experience, there¡¯s another way around this when trying to negotiate with a primitive village or city.¡± Vivian¡¯s eyesbrows ticked before tilting her head slightly towards Hao Ren¡¯s ears to whiser. She then followed with a gentle snap of her finger, and the chillwinds howled.


    A crimson glow eminated from Vivian¡¯s eyes as a freezing mist with the scent of blood formed and started howling around here. Winter was here, and the rapidly falling temperature made everyone thought that they had fallen into an ice cavern. A visible layer of frost started forming with a speed one¡¯s eye could see over the armor and weapons of the royal city soldiers, and frost was just what the denizens of this world feared the most. As the soldiers were thrown into a fit of panic by the sudden chill, Vivian¡¯s voice broke through the chillwinds. ¡°Then lets use something that you might understand to talk. The Ice Witch will pronounce her judgement of this world very soon! We shall be inspecting the new fuel that is in the Furnace of the Ancestors . Whether the world shall fall into an eternal winter, or to break out of this freezing cycle. It all shall be known today!¡±


    While Hao Ren¡¯s words may be effective towards Willy, Vivian¡¯s posturing scared the wits out of everyone present. Screams of fear started coming from all over, and even the best soldiers of the royal city dropped their weapons shivering in cold. ¡°The Ice Witch! The Ice Witch has come!¡±¡±The Eternal Winter has come! The Eternal Winter has come!¡±¡±Great ancestors¡­ we are done for!¡±


    Hao Ren felt a soft vibration in his chest pocket as the MDT¡¯s voice rang in his head. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be this world¡¯s realest of religious conmen and in a key moment like this you¡¯re no better than the battie at home.¡±


    ¡°Shut it, I¡¯m just a huckster but Vivian was worshipped as a god on Earth before. Our work experience alone is heaven and earth.¡± Hao Ren pouted. While he had reacted a tad bit slower than Vivian this time around, he had caught up with her train of thought. Giving Lily a push to the front, he whispered. ¡°Flamejoy¡±


    Lily was confused for a moment before summoning her flameclaw by reflex. Hao Ren grabbed her hand and raised it into the air, while Vivian too had adjusted the chillwind accordingly.


    The crowd went into a furore again. ¡°A Fire Witch? There¡¯s a Fire Witch?!¡±


    ¡°The fate of this world shall be decided by them.¡± Hao Ren said with an omnious voice as his face stiffened, and that left the ignorant and superstitious nobles and soldiers no space to think. He then turned around and headed into the central control station.


    As Vivian and Lily turned around, the fearful, confused, and agitated nobles and soldiers suddenly calmed down, and no one knew who started it, but one by one they started postrating themselves with fervent piety.


    A bald man in a flowery patched-toegether robe suddenly raised his hand and shouted, as if receiving some sort of epiphany. ¡°The Arbiters of Ice and Fire! These people bears the will of the gods. The ultimate fate of this world shall be known soon!¡±


    Soldiers upon soldiers immediately went to their knees. ¡°¡±The Arbiters of Ice and Fire! ¡°The Arbiters of Ice and Fire!¡±


    Nangong Wuyue was at the back due to her size, and as she heard the chorus of worship, the siren was stunned. Turning back, she summoned a small ice block on her palm, before shuffling her tail sheepishly. ¡°I¡¯m also pretty powerful. Look, I too can summon ice¡­¡±


    The crowd broke into another round of furore before starting to knee and pray even more fervently. The nobles and scholars started hailing her at the top of their voice. ¡°The Long Ice Witch! The Long Ice Witch!¡±


    There was no snakes in this world, so everyone thought that she was a elongated Ice Witch.


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    The siren held slipped into the control station, her face almost green. She then slammed the metal gate with a powerful swipe of her tail. The noise from outside was totally cut off by the thick metal gate. Hao Ren caught a look at Wuyue¡¯s expression and decided that he should not be using the word ¡®long¡¯ for the week.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we do this from the start?¡± Lily was still a little bit excited as she swung her Flame-effing-joy about. Having being the centre of attention had the husky very very thrilled.


    ¡°Never thought of that at first, and it wasn¡¯t for the situation I won¡¯t have that eureka moment.¡± Vivian pursed her lips and looked rather worried. ¡°Hao Ren, you think we can hold them back?¡±


    ¡°The smart ones in the royal city may recover,¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°But that¡¯s alright, didn¡¯t you see those people outside totally stunned out of their minds?¡±


    Lily and Vivian nodded in unison.


    ¡°Then that¡¯s fine. There won¡¯t be any more trouble for the time being and we have also past the radiation threshold zone, so no one else will be able to disturb us.¡± Hao Ren said as he walked ahead. ¡°Let me see¡­ If I¡¯m not wrong, the control room should be over here.. Lets go have a look.¡±

 Chapter 949

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Since Hao Ren and gang had once explored the central control station on Terra Firm, they found the central control station in no time. Both ships had similar external structures, and the central control station occupied roughly the same location on them.


    The control station looked weathered. Old equipment were covered in dust. Miscellaneous items were scattered about the floor. They must have gradually found their way there as the ship¡¯s artificial gravitational failed repeatedly. Beside the main console in the room, Hai Ren found a body. Unlike on Terma Firma, this sanctuary still maintained a normal temperature and an atmosphere, so the body he found had already rotten all the way to the bones.


    The deceased wore something similar to the old man on Terra Firma. Since the artificial gravitational field had failed many times before, it was now difficult to ascertain the location and circumstances of this captain when he died. Hao Ren carefully pushed the skeletal remains aside and brought the main console to live like he used to (the key was found inserted in the control panel). As expected, there was backup power here. The ancient IDT was still operational at least. A mechanical humm filled the air, and the lights turned on in the control station. The other equipment around them were activated as well.


    Since the life support system on this Ark was still working for the past few centuries despite the explosion in the reaction, there must be some systems here that were still linked to the IDT. Hao Ren would like to take a look at these systems to find the casualty reports from the reactor incident and the crew¡¯s response to the event. He searched through the data archive and soon found a schematic of the entire central control station, which indicated the various parts in this large facility.


    According to the schematic, the central control station was divided into four parts. The first was a huge fusion reactor, located at the center. The reactor was buried in the deepest parts of the facility, hidden from view from the residential area of the Ark. It was a power source for the residential area of the shelter, but the power did not come directly from the reactor. Instead, power from the reactor was first directed to the second part of the facility, which was a series of huge power generators. These power generators were located underneath the structure of the Furnace of the Ancestors, which was visible from the residential area. The third part in the facility was the smaller metallic pillars surrounding the Furnace of the Ancestors. These were part of the Ark¡¯s life support system.


    Finally, the fourth part was the control center, where Hao Ren and his friends were. It was located at the edge of the Furnace of the Ancestors.


    Hao Ren felt better after checking the different locations of the Ark¡¯s systems. The explosion happened at the outer shell of the Furnace of the Ancestors, where the main power generators were. Losing the power generators was serious trouble, but it was better than having an explosion at the center of the fusion reactor.


    ¡°Here.¡± Hao Ren pointed at the facility¡¯s outer shell on the screen. ¡°Underneath this are the power generator circuits. If we can fix them, the shelter should be able to run for a while more. I have some autonomous bots with me. They can handle this simple task easily.¡±


    ¡°And after that?¡± Nangong Sanba asked smoothly. ¡°The main thing here is to have a long term solution.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. We can¡¯t let these ships float about in space, so we have to find a place to ground them. I¡¯ve ordered Nolan to take apart the Terra Firma, and to try and decrypt the navigation systems of the other wrecked ships. If all goes well, she will be able to fly the ships. After that ¡­ We¡¯ll move them to a more suitable planet.¡±


    ¡°Io or Tannagost?¡± Lily asked.


    ¡°The atmosphere in Tannagost is poisonous to the humans on the ships. Besides, its native ecosystem is incompatible with human life. On the other hand, Io has no land ¡­¡± Hao Ren scratched his head. ¡°Let¡¯s put this aside for the moment. I think it¡¯s better to fix the reactor first.¡±


    He looked out through the thick glass window of the main control station. From here, he could see the internal structures of the control deck. Old pipes and machinery were visible in the dim light. A shroud of dust lent an air of filth in the deck. Hao Ren opened his dimensional pocket and retrieved a few globular autonomous bots with many tentacles. After he gave them the schematics of the power generators, the little machines cheered enthusiastically and rushed out eagerly along the old and dirty pipes towards the generators.


    He then looked at Vivian and asked, ¡°Can you still sense the location of the Divine Artifact?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing.¡± Vivian frowned slightly. ¡°I can only guess from what I sensed earlier, that the Divine Artifact is probably located in the deepest parts of this facility, right about ¡­ Here.¡±


    She pointed at the screen on the main console, which showed the schematic of the main control center. Her finger pointed right where the power generators met the fusion reactor, deep in the facility.


    Hao Ren studied the schematic for a while before determining a route to that location. ¡°Lets go have a look ¡­ What are you doing, Terminal?¡±


    He saw the IDT hovering about the captain¡¯s corpse, scanning the bones with a blue laser.


    The IDT replied while scanning, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing, I¡¯m just checking the cause of death. This person must have died of an illness. His bones show signs of gradual erosion, probably due to a chronic disease.¡±


    ¡°Chronic disease?¡± Hao Ren took a longer look at the body, and felt bothered by the discovery ¨C the last captain of this ship had died because of a chronic disease, and not from some kind of accident as they had assumed earlier. This seemed to suggest something they had yet to uncover.


    Nevertheless, there was only one corpse here. It was not enough to prove anything. He was unsettled by the news, but could not deduce anything meaningful from it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave him here for now.¡± Hao Ren nodded at the corpse, and then moved towards the exit of the control station. ¡°The autonomous bots are fixing the power generators. In the meantime, we should check out the Divine Artifact that Vivian sensed earlier.¡±


    The group left the control room and headed towards the fusion reactor. Meanwhile, outside the ship, a huge and intense operation was underway.


    After Nolan got her orders from Hao Ren, she acquired some engineering drones from the Swarm and put these high efficiency ¡°labourers¡± to work on the ships. The silverish drones appeared in the darkness in space, and shot their way towards the massive ships like hungry ants gunning for their prey. The drones sawed their way through the old hulls of the ships. The dark and heavy hull plates sparked in the darkness, like a weird fireworks demonstration in outer space.


    Only ships that were confirmed to have no signs of life were dismantled. Since there was no concern of casualties, Nolan could hack her way forcefully through the ship¡¯s structure and figure them out. As the first ship to be searched through and cleared, Terra Firm was the also the first to be completely dismantled.


    The 130-kilometer long starship was now fully deconstructed. Nearly a thousand drones had removed a third of Terra Firm¡¯s hull plates. At the bow, complicated mechanical structures were exposed. There was also a neat row of rooms. These rooms were connected to each other by corridors, probably designed for the humans inside. Based on these structures, it seemed that the ship¡¯s crew had initially manned the bridge. However, the long journey in space eventually made them lose hope. In the end, all the crew members retreated to the shelter inside and left the higher level systems to the ship¡¯s intelligent mainframe.


    Petrachelys circled around Terra Firma curiously, taking pictures of the ship. On the bridge of Petrachelys, the little devil Y¡¯lisabet idly pulled Rollie by her tail, ignoring the cat girl¡¯s weak retaliations. She mumbled, ¡°What are you doing, Sister Nolan?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a memento.¡± Nolan replied casually, ¡°As a ship myself, I have now dismantled a member of my own kind that¡¯s so much larger than me. Don¡¯t you think that is worth remembering?¡±


    Y¡¯lisabeth gave that a moment¡¯s thought. ¡°¡­ But, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s more like you¡¯re a maniac who takes photos of someone you just stripped naked?¡±

 Chapter 950

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    It was a magnificent view, to see nearly a thousand silverish drones tearing the huge ark apart, sinking their teeth into the ark¡¯s hull and ripping the hull plates away bit by bit. Their bright laser beams cut through the heavy hull plates that were over 10,000 years old, slowly removing them from the ark. The dismantling work was not done without precision, however, since the whole purpose of the operation was to study the ark¡¯s structure.


    Before Hao Ren went to search for the Divine Artifact, he also gave a series of orders to Nolan. He wanted Nolan to quickly figure out the navigation systems of the other arks and take control of them. This would allow him to move these arks to a more suitable location. To do this, Nolan began by removing hull plates that covered Terra Firma¡¯s propulsion system and reactor (the reactor for propulsion, and not the sanctuary). After studying these old machines and the way they worked, she decided that instead of modifying the existing ancient navigation system, it was easier to just strip off the old systems and introduce a new one that was linked to the propulsion system and reactor. Petrachelys agreed with her, and so she got down to work.


    The drones used their flexible mechanical arms to carry a device called the Seeping Kernel to the ark, and fix them onto relevant structures such as the propulsion system. Seeping Kernel was a kind of silvery white globe that looked like a droplet of mercury. It had a smooth surface and beautiful appearance, and was composed of trillions of micro units. Once a Seeping Kernel was attached to a circuit board or power switch, it would dissolve and seep into the mechanical parts, consume the original circuits, and replace them with new circuits. Using this method, the drones could easily control technology from a foreign civilization that was far inferior to their own. Of course, the degree of control was limited. This method was useless against more advanced systems that did not employ physical circuits or mechanical switches.


    When they took over the golden warship, Pattianne, they could not use this trick.


    On the bridge of Petrachelys, hundreds of mini holographic images were on display, constantly updated with live information from the drones. The progress of the Seeping Kernels in taking over the ark¡¯s navigation system was also shown. Most of the systems on Terra Firma were now under their control. Nolan tested the ark¡¯s systems. She switched the lights on and off, started and shut down the propulsion system, directed the ark left and right ¨C all to test the newly installed navigation system of the ark. She mumbled to herself, ¡°This is like controlling a zombie ship. Stripping out its original nervous system and replacing them with mine ¡­ It feels weird.¡±


    The people in the bridge could only agree that it was hard for them to follow Nolan ¨C her metaphor was too otherworldly.


    As the drones continued working on their massive operation in outer space, the sanctuary on Throne remained silent.


    Nobody knew what was happening a few kilometers underneath their feet. They could only pray quietly and nervously to the Furnace of the Ancestors, which remained quiet. They chanted the names of their ancestors and the Gods repeatedly, and discussed rumours about the ¡°Judge of Fire and Ice¡±. Those intruders had entered the Furnace of the Ancestors for almost an hour, but nothing had happened so far. There was no apocalyptic hailstorm that rained down from the sky, and no warmth that spread out to overcome the coldness in this world. The only thing they saw was little sparks coming from the huge crack on the surface of the Furnace. The sparks had continued for awhile now, with the occasional low booming sound coming from the crack. No one knew what the sparks and the sound meant.


    In fact, the autonomous bots were cheerfully working on fixing the huge power generator inside the crack. The ends of their tentacles were fitted with welding lasers, which caused the sparks the people saw. The low booming sound was from somewhere deeper in the Furnace, where Hao Ren and his group was.


    The old power generators were separated from the reactor by many strong doors, and various shields and concrete layers. These measures were taken to protect the fusion reactor deep inside the facility. However, since the protective structures had not been maintained for a long time, the doors no longer responded to the usual ways of access. Hao Ren had to resort to a more technical approach to open them ¨C including but not limited to 5 kg TNT, 10 kg TNT, 35 kg TNT and Lily¡¯s headbutt. Truth be told, these methods were quite mild already compared to his earlier taste for explosions to clear the path.


    Another series of explosions reverberated in the control station. A metal door was stuck shut finally fell from a series of precise and small explosions. Vivian summoned a gust of wind to blow away the dust in the air, and continued her way forward with Hao Ren. Nangong Sanba followed behind them as he muttered, ¡°Really, I think it¡¯s risky to use explosions to clear the way when we¡¯re around a fusion reactor that¡¯s been running for 10 thousand years ¡­ And it lacks elegance.¡±


    ¡°At least we have the IDT looking after us. We have avoided all the dangerous points along the way so far.¡± Hao Ren commented smoothly as he looked at the path in front of them. They were already inside the power center of the sanctuary, almost right beside the fusion reactor. Few would have set foot in here while the ark was functioning normally. He could see all kinds of severely aged pipings and flaking paint on the walls. Dust was everywhere in the narrow and claustrophobic repair runnel. The ceiling was interspersed with wide skylights that allowed a view of the magnificent structures outside ¨C huge machinery and 10-thousand-year-old thick cables dominated the view beyond the skylights. These things were like the organs and blood vessels of a metal beast that surrounded Hao Ren and his group, a constant reminder to them of how close they were to the heart of the beast.


    To the IDT, these structures were simple and lacking, but the ark was undeniably a miracle. The designers had created the ark with a crude and primitive form of beauty. Besides, the ark had kept a few hundred thousand passengers safe so such a long time. The ark¡¯s blood flowed through these cables. Passengers of the ark had survived because of these structures.


    What could have possibly gone wrong to bring the people on the ark from the age of space travel all the way back to middle ages?


    The deeper they ventured into the reactor, the more Hao Ren felt nervous about this mystery. He had found no clues about it so far. The corpse he found in the control room was the only ¡°prehistoric¡± body he discovered, but the skeletal remains revealed nothing.


    The IDT interrupted his thoughts. ¡°Wait. I sensed an anomalous power surge in front just now.¡±


    Hao Ren could not help but replied, ¡°Power? There¡¯s power everywhere in here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an ¡®anomalous power surge¡¯.¡± The IDT knocked Hao Ren on his head. ¡°It¡¯s the Divine Artifact!¡±


    Hao Ren quickly looked to Vivian, who also looked back and nodded slightly.


    They felt encouraged by this discovery, and trotted forward along the narrow repair tunnel. Finally, they reached a wide space. This was a cylindrical room. The walls were fitted with huge tempered glass. Through the glass, one could see the ring structure of the fusion arc reactor outside. At the center of the room was a slightly tilted cylindrical alloy platform, with a diameter that reached over 10 meters long.


    A golden object was embedded into the center of the alloy platform. It was glowing faintly.


    The Gilded Disc.


    When Hao Ren saw the Gilded Disc, he was lost in thought for a moment. Once, he imagined that the legendary artifact spoken of by the locals ¨C an artifact that was said to keep their world safe ¨C would be this Disc. It was, after all, the only Divine Artifact he knew of that originated directly from the Goddess of Creation. However, now that he saw the Divine Artifact was indeed the Gilded Disc, it felt weird to have the truth exactly as he imagined it to be.


    Did the fleet survived the disaster that was the First Born and escaped the intergalactic pursuit of the Brain Monster, all because of this Gilded Disc?


    VIvian looked distracted when she saw the Gilded Disc. She began to approach it instinctively. Hao Ren saw her move and quickly pulled her back. ¡°Vivian!¡±


    ¡°Ahh?¡± Vivian jolted awake. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You seemed out of focus.¡± Hao Ren watched her nervously, making sure that she had recovered herself. ¡°Stay back. I¡¯ll go inspect the Disc. Lily, look after Vivian.¡±


    Lily quickly squatted beside Vivian. ¡°You just go ahead ¨C I¡¯m the expert is looking after things!¡±


    Hao Ren nodded, and began to walk towards the Gilded Disc.

 Chapter 951

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren let Vivian and the others stay behind. He then dragged the IDT along with him toward the Gilded Disc. He knew that this was one of the most peculiar and interesting creations in the Plane of Dreams. It would do him well to be cautious.


    He approached the Divine Artifact without incident.


    The Gilded Disc was embedded in the huge metallic platform. All around the platform were pipings, cables, metal struts, and other miscellaneous items scattered on the floor. The platform looked like a mysterious altar with a sci-fi twist. There was a faintly glowing metal annulus around the Gilded Disc. When Hao Ren went closer, the metal annulus seemed to flash once, but otherwise there was no reaction to his approach.


    ¡°It¡¯s damaged.¡± The IDT inspected the energy flowing through the pipings and metal cables around the metal platform and said. ¡°This is supposed to be some kind of amplifier that can send information from the Gilded Disc to any corner of the fleet, but now the entire device is dormant.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded just a little, and carefully reached his hand out to touch the Gilded Disc.


    Nothing happened.


    A warm and moist sensation, not quite metallic, came from his fingertips, but he did not receive any information from the Divine Artifact like last time. It seemed that this Gilded Disc was most likely an unremarkable product of the Goddess of Creation. It did not carry any extra information within it.


    The IDT circled around the Gilded Disc a few times to study it and finally declared the device to be safe once no dangers were identified. The Nangong siblings and Lily finally got to go closer to the Disc, curious about the object. Lily pulled Hao Ren¡¯s sleeve joyfully. ¡°Everything alright? What goodie have we gotten this time?¡±


    Vivian called out from further away. ¡°Um, can I come over now?¡±


    Heo Ren looked back with amusement and found Vivian standing far away by the entrance to the room, eager to join them but afraid to cause trouble. He waved at her. ¡°Come on here, just take care not to touch the thing. We¡¯re play it safe.¡±


    Vivian trotted happily over, hugging herself and she whispered quietly, ¡°So this is what was protecting the ark from the pursuit. If that¡¯s the case, does it mean that the aura of the Gilded Disc can ward off Guardians who have gone mad?¡±


    ¡°Yeah ¡­ ¡± Hao Ren agreed half-heartedly as he studied the cylindrical platform beneath the Gilded Disc. He wanted to see what else the device could do aside from broadcasting information from the Disc. The IDT found something before he did. ¡°Wait, partner, there¡¯s something underneath.¡±


    ¡°Underneath?¡± Hao Ren was surprised.


    The IDT hovered about a corner of the platform and suddenly pushed itself against a metal lever that jutted out from the mess. Everyone had thought the lever was just some decoration, but when the IDT pushed itself against it, a soft metallic grinding sound came from below the platform!


    ¡°Creak ¡ª¡± This was followed by the sound of cogwheels turning and machines running underneath. The Gilded Disc angled up to a vertical stand. The black metal platform underneath it slit open from the middle in a straight line and opened slowly. Hao Ren stared at the mechanical device. When it finally stopped moving, an entrance of over five meters wide that led underground appeared before him.


    There was something underneath!


    Vivian did her usual thing ¡ª she threw one of her tiny bats down to scout the underground pathway. After a while, she nodded. ¡°It¡¯s safe. There¡¯s a tunnel. No traps in there.¡±


    ¡°Be careful, everyone,¡± Hao Ren cautioned the group as he activated his shield and moved for the entrance. Before he entered the tunnel, he took another hesitant look at the Gilded Disc. Since he could not be sure that the Artifact was entirely isolated from the ark¡¯s systems, he decided not to remove it for now. Instead, he left an autonomous bot behind to look after it.


    The group followed the ancient steps and covered a long distance before they finally reached the end. There, the tunnel led to a wide corridor. The lighting was dim, but when Hao Ren stepped into the corridor, the lights around him switched on, making the corridor bright as day.


    Compared to the residential area at the surface, which was gradually turning into a garbage heap, the corridor looked brand new. There was no trash, no damage, no marks at all. Aside from the thick layer of dust, everything here looked well preserved. Without a doubt, the residents on the surface did not know of this place. Probably no one had visited here for a few hundred years.


    ¡°The other arks probably don¡¯t have this facility.¡± Hao Ren muttered to himself. Since the designer of the place had built the entrance underneath the Gilded Disc, it stood to reason that it must be something of a secret. Hao Ren followed down the corridor, and then stepped on something. He looked down to find a palm-sized plastic card on the floor.


    He picked the card up and saw ¡°The Ultimate Vault¡± written on it. There was also a name and position. This was most likely a staff identification card.


    ¡°¡®Ultimate Vault¡¯?¡± Vivian inched closer to have a look. ¡°What¡¯s in the vault?¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°Who knows?¡±


    Suddenly, Lily, who was far ahead of the rest of the group, called to them. ¡°Hey! Come have look at this!¡±


    Hao Ren ran to her. He saw what Lily found ¡ª a small corpse, with the face facing down against the corner of a wall. The clothing on the body was in tatters, but one could see that it was once a white shirt.


    This was the second ¡°prehistoric¡± body he found on the ark. This second one was that of a child.


    ¡°A child?¡± Vivian frowned. ¡°Why would a child die in this secret facility?¡±


    The IDT floated over to inspect the body, and quickly had something to offer. ¡°Based on the standards of humans on this ark, the child was around twelve or thirteen years old at the time of death. Cause of death is short exposure of heavy radiation.¡±


    ¡°Death from radiation?¡± Hao Ren immediately thought of adult corpse in the control room. The cause of death for that crew member was a kind of chronic illness that caused the bones to become brittle and rot. ¡°It¡¯s not from disease?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re talking about the strange disease of that person in the control room?¡± The IDT knew what Hao Ren was getting at. ¡°No. This child died approximately 800 years ago, while the ¡®captain¡¯ in the control room died approximately 900 years ago. There is a hundred year difference in between. Hmm ¡­ There was no sign of radiation in the corpse in the control room, but there is in this second body. I believe that the fusion reactor leaking incident happened between 800 and 900 years ago.¡±


    ¡°The body in the control room is probably the last captain of the ark.¡± Hao Ren frowned slightly, feeling himself close to an answer. ¡°After he died, no one entered the control room again. However, 100 years after he died, a child died in here ¡­¡±


    After they were finished inspecting the small corpse, the group continued their way along the corridor. They passed through a few large doors, and walked past rooms that looked like they were designed for decontamination, inspection or quarantine. Finally, they arrived at a strange looking door. It was much wider than the other doors, and had a complicated locking system installed. This was, without a doubt, the deepest part of the facility.


    Hao Ren made a rough estimate of the distance they had covered, and concluded that they had already gone beyond the residential area of the sanctuary, and perhaps even beyond the massive fusion reactor chamber (the evidence for this was there was no radiation here anymore). This corridor must be located in a hidden section between the residential area and the ark¡¯s hull. Based on the nearly mint condition of the facility, it must have been built many years after the ark began its flight ¡ª it might be even less than a thousand years old.


    The mechanical gears of the door were still working. With the IDT¡¯s help, Hao Ren managed to open the door the way in the usual way. As the two heavy metallic doors opened to both sides, they saw a large and silvery room beyond it.


    This was a spacious cylindrical expanse, nearly a hundred meters in diameter. It was hard to gauge the height of the place. Inside the cylindrical space were neatly arranged rows of silvery metallic boxes of less than one and a half meters, fixed in position by many support structures. These metallic boxes and support structures were held in mid-air by many sophisticated mechanical arms. A wide suspension bridge cut across the cylindrical expanse. Hao Ren and his group were standing at one end of the bridge.


    ¡°Holy¡­¡± Lily looked up at the numerous metallic boxes and stretched her voice in awe. ¡°What the¡­¡±


    Hao Ren looked around him. He thought that the metallic boxes in the air were probably not fixed permanently in place. As expected, he found something like a control stand nearby.

 Chapter 952

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren walked along the bridge to the thing that looked like a control stand. He saw that it looked almost brand new. There were no buttons, only a silverish metal panel that was as smooth as a mirror. He reached out to touch the edges of the panel, and found no dust on its surface.


    In fact, nothing within the cylindrical space had any dust on them. The last door they came through must have kept the space well isolated to prevent dust from entering. Besides, there must be some dust removal system within this space. This must be the actual storage space of the Ultimate Vault.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Lily approached him and asked curiously.


    ¡°Probably the manual controls for mechanical arms.¡± Hao Ren looked up at the neatly arranged metallic support structures and rectangular containers in the middle of the cylindrical expanse, and the sliding tracks and mechanical arms around them. He touched the eye-catching light green coloured instruction line beside the control panel. ¡°Based on my experience in the control room, this kind of touch screen should be activated like this ¡­ Oh, it works.¡±


    As he touched the line, a mess of geometric polygons began to fill up the silvery metal panel. As the polygons began to settle down, they formed an initialization interface. As expected, the controls were locked behind a security system. Only authorized personnel could enter the system. However, this control station was not accessed via a mechanical key like the one the ark¡¯s captain had on him. Instead, it required a password.


    The IDT made short work of the password. It flew to the back of the control staton and linked to the control panel via a blue laser beam from itself to the control stand. The image on the control panel flickered with interference. A few seconds later, the security system was bypassed. A simple and user-friendly command window popped up. Hao Ren tried a few of the functions available, and the neatly arranged rectangular containers in the cylindrical space began to move. One of the support structures extended downwards and landed steadily near the edge of the bridge. A rectangular metallic container slid down from above along a sliding track into a groove on the railings of the bridge. Pssh! The container opened.


    Lily quickly stepped forward to have a look. She found the container to be empty, with only some loose tubings and a kind of sticky substance left behind.


    ¡°What are these things?¡± Vivian studied the insides of the container as well, baffled by what she saw.


    ¡°A hibernation pod is my guess, and I think it¡¯s highly likely.¡± Hao Ren said slowly. ¡°These must all be hibernation pods, about 150 thousand of them.¡±


    ¡°Hibernation pods?¡± Vivian knew the term, but the size of the rectangular boxes was vexing. ¡°Don¡¯t you think they are a little too small?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because these are for children.¡± Hao Ren brought the IDT with him as he walk towards her. The IDT had already synchronized itself with the control stand and had full control of its functions. It activated a holographic projector and displayed the information from the control stand.


    It was a name list with accompanying headshot photos. The list went on for hundreds of thousands of lines. As the list scrolled quickly downwards, it became apparent that they were all children.


    ¡°The oldest is 13, and the youngest is three years old.¡± Hao Ren pointed at the holographic projection from the IDT. Photos of crew members and some basic information about the vault, such as the system logs, were displayed as well. ¡°This Ultimate Vault was meant to store children in hibernation. It was built 892 years ago. The last time it was accessed was 815 years ago.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s been a few decades since the vault was opened ¡­¡± Nangong Wuyue dabbed his tail lightly on the sticky substance, confirming that the sticky substance was capable of keeping something alive at low temperatures. ¡°The question is, why only children? Where are all the adults?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember the ark¡¯s last captain that we saw in the control room?¡± Hao Ren looked up and said. ¡°He died from a chronic disease. The disease ate through his bones. I suspect that all the adults had died from the disease, leaving behind only children.¡±


    ¡°But we only found the one body.¡± Nangong Wuyue¡¯s tail curled up. ¡°How can we be sure that the other adults encountered the same fate?¡±


    Hao Ren was thinking about that, and had come to some conclusions. ¡°Do you think someone who contracted a fatal disease can still take on the position of captain? The disease works slowly. People on the ark have time to choose a healthier person to be their new captain, but they did not. The last captain died at his post from his illness. There¡¯s only one explanation for this ¨C they had no choice. There were no healthy candidates left. Everyone was sick. And over here ¡­¡±


    Hao Ren pointed at the numerous silverish boxes in the air. ¡°The children were not infected. This is why there is a setback in civilization on this ark.¡±


    He knew that most of his theory was just guessing, but there was some logic to it. Besides, he could not think of any better reason for what they were seeing. However, there was something more important that he could not figure out ¨C where did this mysterious and fatal disease came from? Why were the children left untouched? When the captain of Terra Firm led his people to certain death, the other arks were still functioning normally. What was the cause of the disease?


    There was also something else, something stranger than even this mysterious disease ¨C how did the people with almost primitive technology on this ark got ahold of a Divine Artifact from the Goddess of Creation, and even designed a simple but effective amplifier for it?


    ¡°Anything else from the archives?¡± Hao Ren knocked on the IDT¡¯s shell. ¡°Logs from crew members, voice recordings, video recordings, anything.¡±


    The IDT was interacting with the mainframe of the Ultimate Vault. It was trying its best to retrieve all information from the ancient system. However, since this was only a vault, there was limited information available. Finally, the IDT found some valuable information. They were snippets of video recordings.


    ¡°These are from surveillance cameras, caught when the facility was sealed off and opened, respectively.¡± The IDT explained as it began to play the videos.


    The first recording showed children entering the hibernation pods. From the video, they could see the children lining up in an orderly manner along the bridge. Some of them were so young that they had to be carried by older children. The older ones seemed to understand what was going on, and they tried to comfort the younger children around them from time to time. No one cried or faltered throughout the process. All the children lined up quietly, waiting for their turn to enter the hibernation pods. Only a handful of adults were seen beside the children. They wore bulky hazmat suites on top of a white protective clothing that covered every inch of their skin, as though they were afraid of spreading the disease to the children. These adults must be the last crew members of the ark. Their were obviously suffering from their illness. Some of them wobbled as they walked. There was no one else on the ark to do this job. These sickly adults were their last hope to ensure the survival of the future generation.


    When the last batch of hibernation pods were secured on the support structures, the adults in hazmat suits began to leave. FInally, the doors of the vault shut, and the last generation on the ark began their 77 years of hibernation.


    ¡°Next is a recording when the facility was opened ¨C caught 815 years ago by the surveillance cameras,¡± The IDT said and played another recording.


    When the recording began playing, Hao Ren saw chaos.


    It was still on the suspension bridge, but there was no order now. Red lights flashed steadily while an alarm blared in the background. The hibernation pods were released batch by batch onto the bridge and the some other extra ¡°unloading¡± areas around the bridge. The children awoke in panic. They followed the indication lights and the guidance of the older children to escape this place. This recording was much shorter than the first one. They only saw a few shots of this chaotic scene. When the recording ended, Lily asked instinctively, ¡°What happened back there?¡±


    ¡°The facility was accidentally activated. They should have hibernated for much longer!¡± Hao Ren¡¯s brows knitted tightly together. ¡°But they were awaken far too early!¡±


    Lily¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Accident? What sort of accident?¡±


    The one who answered her was not Hao Ren, but the IDT. ¡°The fusion reaction failure! Remember the radiation levels in the outer structures of the Furnace of the Ancestors? That radiation started about 800 years ago ¨C that was when the fusion reactor broke down!¡±

 Chapter 953

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    There was a fault in the fusion reaction! It was all because of that!


    The people of a glorious civilization, running for their very lives, struggling desperately to survive, were in the end stumbled by a mechanical failure! This hibernation facility should have continued running for many more years to come, but when the fusion reactor in the ark suddenly broke down, the hibernation facility¡¯s mainframe was affected. It awakened the children before their time. Hao Ren could not understand what the logic was behind the mainframe¡¯s decision, but he knew that the mainframe¡¯s designer had not foreseen this possibility. Even Vivian, who was no stranger to the rise and fall of various societies, could not help but sighed. ¡°Fate can be cruel.¡±


    Suddenly, the IDT found something interesting. ¡°Hold on, it looks like there is a room in front.¡±


    It flew quickly towards the other end of the bridge. Hao Ren did not know what it found, but he followed closely from behind. The group ran along the hundred-meter long bridge and arrived at the other side of the cylindrical expanse. There was a small door on the wall, with no clear indication of how to open it.


    The ID hacked into the door¡¯s security system and made short work of the lock.


    Beyond the door was a small room. Hao Ren and his group noticed immediately that this place was not as clean as the vault. Miscellaneous items were scattered on the floor. Empty food cans and paper boxes took up nearly half the room. The rest of the space was occupied by all kinds of electric cables and controls. Upon his first sight of the room, Hao Ren immediately realized something ¨C someone once lived here!


    ¡°There¡¯s a hibernation pod here too!¡± Lily noticed something hidden behind all the junk. Everyone else turned and saw a silverish metallic container stowed away in a corner. Unlike the pods outside, this one was markedly larger.


    It was made for an adult.


    The IDT floated over to inspect it, and then gasped in pleasant surprise. ¡°There are signs of life inside!¡±


    Hao Ren was taken aback by the discovery, but this was no time to be pensive. ¡°Open it, quick!¡±


    By then, the IDT had already understood the workings of this low tech hibernation pod. It connected to the pod¡¯s system circuitry and verified the vital signals of the person inside before initializing the procedures to awaken the person. Lights flashed on the hibernation pod¡¯s surface, and then the sides of the pod hissed as cold air rushed out of the pod. There were faint sounds of mechanical gears turning, after which the pod¡¯s cover slided upwards, revealing the person sleeping within.


    There it was ¨C the visage of a thin, old and wildly bearded old man.


    Hao Ren slowly digested this discovery. He never imagined that the person inside would look like this. The old man lying inside the hibernation pod looked skinny as a rail. Deep wrinkles crawled all over his skin. His long and messy hair and beard were not cared for. The untidy and grubby beard rested on the old man¡¯s chest like some animal¡¯s nest.


    After the hibernation pod was activated, a sticky substance that filled up the pod slowly receded to both sides under the guidance of some kind of attractive field. The old man inside spasmed all over, and then slowly opened his eyes.


    His eyes stared blankly at Hao Ren. The old man did not move for two whole minutes until Lily accidentally touched something and made a sound. The old man jolted awake then. He was so greatly startled and surprised that his expression twisted almost menacingly. The scarecrow of an old man suddenly grabbed onto Hao Ren¡¯s clothes tightly. He muttered incomprehensibly like he had forgotten how to speak.


    ¡°Calm down, calm down.¡± Hao Ren struggled free from the old man¡¯s grasp, and then held held onto the latter¡¯s arms. ¡°Take a deep breath, let¡¯s take a deep breath ¨C Alright, don¡¯t panic now. It¡¯s safe here, take your time and explain to us what has happened.¡±


    The old man was trembling. He looked around slowly and suspiciously at the strangers surrounding him, and then struggled to get out of the hibernation pod. Lily quickly stepped forward to help him, and together with Hao Ren helped the old man to sit on a chair nearby.


    The old man was still muttering unclearly throughout when they helped him to the chair. It was when he sat down that Hao Ren finally understood some of his words. He was repeating a few words, ¡°You¡¯ve arrived, you have finally arrived, I¡¯ve waited for hundreds of years ¡­ I thought you were all dead ¡­¡±


    ¡°Waiting for us?¡± Hao Ren did not understand at first, but then he quickly realized that the old man was actually referring to the people in the residential area of the sanctuary.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you are mistaken.¡± Lily seemed to understand him as well. She explained instinctively, ¡°We are not from the ark. We just happened to pass by. Our ship is currently docked outside your ship.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re ¡­ not?¡± The old man was in his reactions, having been fresh out of hibernation. He took a while to understand Vivian¡¯s words, and then looked at the people around him in disbelief. ¡°But you are ¡­¡±


    He stopped right there, because he finally noticed the coiled up mass that was Nangong Bayue not far from him, a half-snake half-human being ¨C he finally realized that these people were not from the ark.


    ¡°I ¡­¡± The old man opened his mouth, but no words could form as he was stuck in deep confusion. In the end, he sighed. ¡°Is there anyone alive on the ship?¡±


    ¡°There are many survivors, but they are not doing very well. Fortunately, we are still here in time.¡± Hao Ren wrapped his fingers around the old man¡¯s bony hands to calm him down. ¡°Can you tell us more about the situation on your ship? Who are you? Why are you in hibernation by yourself in this room?¡±


    ¡°My ¡­¡± The old men shook his head, trying to recall something. ¡°I ¡­ I forgot my name, I must have a name, but I forgot ¡­¡±


    Vivian put her hand firmly on his shoulder. ¡°Long hibernation time can cause short time memory loss. Don¡¯t worry about it, you will probably feel better very soon. Aside from your name, do you remember anything?¡±


    The old frowned and spoke slowly, ¡°I remember I was supposed to ¡­ Oh, right, I¡¯m the ¡®Father¡¯. I must teach the children. Oh, right, right! I remember now, I¡¯m responsible to lead the children to rebuild our society. I am the last adult who did not fall sick!¡±


    ¡°You did not fall sick?¡± Hao Ren turned stern immediately. ¡°IDT, please check him.¡±


    The IDT flew around the old man once, and then declared, ¡°Old, but healthy. Unbelievable.¡±


    ¡°What happened on the ship? Where did you come from? Why was there a contagion?¡± Hao Ren spouted one question after another. ¡°And that Gilded Disc in your ship ¡­ Start from the beginning.¡±


    ¡°Our home ¡­ It¡¯s gone.¡± The old man held onto Hao Ren¡¯s hands, and could only repeat those words for some time before he offered more. ¡°We heard that the same thing was happening on other planets. A terrible ecological disaster. We received a warning from a highly advanced society before the apocalypse. We built the arks, sacrificed so many lives just to escape from our home ¡­ Did you know? Did you know? You must have experienced this disaster in this galaxy, but surely you are more advanced than us. You even have the luxury of sending people out to investigate someone else¡¯s ships ¡­ But we had to give up so much simply to survive.¡±


    The old man lost his focus from time to time, speaking agitatedly and incoherently, but Hao Ren did not cut him short. He knew that once the poor old man was interrupted, he might not find the courage to speak again.


    ¡°¡­ I was born on this ship, grew up on it too. My father, grandfather, and generations before them, they were all the same. We lost more and more of our ships. There were less and less of us, but we tried our best to survive, because we cannot let our bloodline die out ¡­ A Divine Artifact kept us safe. Oh, you mentioned it just now. That Gilded Disc, it was brought to us by the advanced society that warned us before. They even taught us how to use it to avoid being captured and killed ¡­ But it doesn¡¯t always work, it was only delaying the killer ¡­¡±


    The old man panted heavily. He needed to rest before continuing. Hao Ren took the opportunity to ask the IDT to put up an image of the Denizens of the Stars.


    He pointed at the bright and irregular shapes and asked, ¡°Do they look like this?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Yes, like that.¡±

 Chapter 954

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Most of the civilizations that successfully escaped the apocalyptic disaster of the Guardians were aided by the Denizens of the Stars. This ancient race that came from somewhere far, far away in the universe, was shrouded in mystery. Hao Ren had never found any reliable archeological evidence related to them in the Plane of Dreams. He knew nothing about their origins, or their societal structure and civilization. He did not know even know anything about their language and literature. Only one was for sure ¨C they had very advanced tech in their hands and were very familiar with the Goddess of Creation. That was why they were able to hold themselves against the mad Guardians after the fall of the Goddess of Creation.


    ¡°They brought you the Gilded Disc?¡± Hao Ren stroked his chin as he arrived at yet another mystery related to the Denizens of the Stars. ¡°Where did they find this Divine Artifact ¡­ Before the Star of Creation exploded, all the Gilded Discs should have been kept there.¡±


    ¡°Muru once mentioned about a special race called the Ancients. It was said they had existed in this universe long before the Goddess of Creation began to create life.¡± Vivian recalled the details. ¡°We never thought to ask further about them, but could the Ancients actually be the Denizens of the Stars?¡±


    Hao Ren considered her words. He turned to the old man and asked ¡°What happened after? When you began your journey, were the Denizens of the Stars still with you?¡±


    ¡°I heard that in the first few centuries, they stayed with us. Those shining people lived in the navigation room.¡± The old man continued shakily. ¡°Later, once they were sure that the Divine Artifact was working, they left, probably in search of other survivors. Our fleet continued the journey in an attempt to find a safe place to settle down, but the entire universe was affected ¡­ Every inhabitable planet we found was plagued with natural disasters. The native ecological system was ruined. We found the huge tentacles and poisonous blood pools everywhere we looked. The Divine Artifact protected our fleet, btu it could not cleanse an entire planet. After losing a few ships, we decided not to attempt any landing again. We will continue travelling until we found a planet untouched by the disaster ¡­¡±


    Vivian frowned. ¡°What¡¯s the story about the disease on your ark?¡±


    The old man breathed heavily and spoke with a low voice. ¡°No one knew what happened. It started without warning, and there was no effective treatment against it. We could not find the cause of the disease with our level of medical knowledge, but we knew that it affected only adults, and not children. Younger people were less affected by the disease. Adults who were infected would almost certainly die ¡­¡±


    ¡°Almost certainly.¡± Nangong Bayue looked at the old man. ¡°Are you the exception?¡±


    The old man lifted his arm and studied the creases in his skin. He replied hoarsely, ¡°Yes, I am the only survivor. I was young back then, very young. Perhaps that¡¯s why the disease lost its hold on me. However, many people who were the same age as I was were not so lucky.¡±


    Vivian raised her brows slightly. ¡°How old were you when you first went into hibernation?¡±


    ¡°I ¡­ I don¡¯t remember. 20, or maybe 23?¡± The old man¡¯s eyes lost focus for awhile. ¡°I remember being locked inside a white coloured room, studying and practicing every single day, trying to take in all the knowledge ¡­ When the disease spread, we knew that there was no way we could fight it. Like the ecological disaster on our home planet, this was also a catastrophe that would ruin us all. Hence, we began to make preparations. We spent a few years modifying the arks to build the Ultimate Vault. In that time, we lost half the adult population. Work on the Vault nearly came to a halt because of the lack of manpower ¡­ We sent our still healthy children into the hibernation facility, and tried our best to equip the older children with the necessary knowledge to survive in future. But these were not enough, far from enough ¡­ The oldest were 13, and the 13-year-olds made up less than one percent of the children.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where you came in.¡± Hao Ren continued for the old man, trying to help him remember. ¡°You were supposed to be the parent and teacher for the children. When the disease on the ark is eradicated one day, you were to lead them to rebuild your society?¡±


    The old man¡¯s head quivered like he was nodding in response. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right, I¡¯m supposed to guide them ¡­ When the children went to sleep, the adults waited for their deaths. The sanctuary will be sealed for a hundred years until the life support system finished performing a complete cleansing cycle. When everything was ready, the children would be awakened, and they would be guided by ¡®parents¡¯ to start over. There was more than one ¡®parent¡¯ at first. We were chosen by our mental fortitude and learning and leadership capabilities. Most importantly, we have to be immune to the disease. However, the candidates died one by one. The disease did not act strongly on their bodies, but they were not entirely immune to it. By the time I emerged from the training facility as the sole survivor, the children were already lining up to enter the hibernation pods. The last few dozens of survivors, already near their deaths, sent me of with a small farewell ceremony. I have been here ever since then.


    Lily asked curiously, ¡°Why were you placed here alone?¡±


    ¡°For my safety.¡± The old man explained slowly. ¡°Because until the day the Ultimate Vault was completed, none of our medical experts could be certain that I was not infected, or a carrier or the disease. If even the last healthy adult was infected, we would rather give up on the rebuilding of our society. Hence, I was kept here in isolation, awakened every 10 years for a medical checkup ¡­ I remember now, I¡¯ve used those before ..¡±


    The old man pointed with a trembling finger at a corner in the room. Hao Ren saw an old device sitting there that looked like some apparatus for medical treatment.


    ¡°Every 10 years, I woke up. I would perform a blood test, and check the conditions of my skull.¡± The old man lowered his head and continued slowly. ¡°Through a small window in the room, I could see the 150 thousand little cradles of life, knowing that our bloodline was held in stasis, waiting for the right time. That gave me the courage to continue on. Every time I woke up from hibernation, I would make a note on the number of times I¡¯ve done so. I told myself, when I pass the 10th time, we¡¯ll be able to start over ¡­ Until the day I woke up and marked 11 times in my notebook, and found the Vault¡¯s mainframe to be unusually quiet.¡±


    The room went quiet.


    ¡°Systems failure.¡± Hao Ren sighed. ¡°The fusion reactor had a radiation leak. It spread to the entire bridge. The Vault¡¯s mainframe awakened al the children in the hibernation pods. Perhaps it thought that the children would be better off inside the sanctuary than sleeping forever in the hibernation pods. But the mainframe missed yours.¡±


    The old man¡¯s wrinkled face settled in a complicated expression. He was not exactly smiling, or being sad, but it was also not an expression of surprise. Like Hao Ren, he sighed quietly. ¡°I knew that it was a systems failure, but now I finally knew the details.¡±


    Lily found all of this hard to accept. ¡°It should never have happened. The Vault¡¯s mainframe algorithm was at fault. The Vault¡¯s location was also less than ideal. It¡¯s separated from the sanctuary by the fusion reactor. If only you had more time to study the problem ¡­ Sigh, forget it.¡±


    Lily could not continue on, because she knew that the people on the ark had done their best ¨C They were dying, and they had limited options on the location to build the vault. No one knew how long they hold on to their lives before the disease took over. No one knew if they would live to see the day the vault was completed. When the Ultimate Vault was in operation, only a scant dozens of adults were still alive. They could not thoroughly test the entire system, and they had no time to plan for contingencies.


    It was all a gamble, in the hopes that their plan would work.


    However, no one was immune from the hands of fate.


    ¡°How did you carry on after that?¡± Vivian stared at the old man¡¯s face. It was deeply wrinkled, dry, and thin. That face was only about 20 years old when it first entered this room, a face of youth. There was no sign of that youth now. ¡°How ¡­ How long were you awake?¡±


    ¡°A long time, I tried to stay awake. At first, I forced myself to wake up every 1 years, and continued with my health checkup, praying that the next time I woke up, the children would already be greeting there by my door to greet me. As time passed, I eventually gave up and began to live without care, eating and drinking as I liked ¡­ I was lucky that they left enough food for me. Since I was the only on the ship left who needed to eat, they put all the leftover food supplies in this room, since they wouldn¡¯t be needing them very soon.¡± The old man looked he was about to break down crying. ¡°Really, I wasted a lot of time, but later I found this way of life to be even more difficult than just dying, so I went back to sleeping, and switched to waking up every 30 years. This continued for a long time until I found my hair turning white, and the wrinkles started appearing on my skin. I became afraid, and then I realized that not only was I wasting my own time, I was also wasting the time of the children outside. So, before I started my final round of hibernation, I did something very important ¡­ Oh, right, that¡¯s right, I remember now, it¡¯s important, very important!¡±


    The old man was suddenly agitated. He pointed towards another corner of the room. The smile on his face seemed to bring back the youth he once had back to him. Hao Ren ran there and saw a long desk, with a lot of manuscripts arranged neatly on top.


    When piled up together, the manuscripts would probably reach about half a meter tall.


    As if these manuscripts were not impressive enough, the walls around the desk made Hao Ren stare in stupefaction ¨C the walls, floor, furniture, and any visible surface around him were covered with writings and diagrams. He followed those writings away from the desk, and soon realized that they covered almost half the entire room ¨C the interior lighting was dim, and the walls and floor were blocked by so many other miscellaneous things that he never noticed the writings before.


    Behind Hao Ren, the old man stood up with effort and spread his arms out slowly. His eyes were glowing with pride. ¡°Our ¡­ History.¡±

 Chapter 955

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Stuck alone and forgotten in the deep parts of the Vault ¨C Hao Ren could not imagine what it was like to be in the old man¡¯s position, but he could glean some details of the latter¡¯s life over the past nine centuries from the things he saw inside this tiny room. He had once followed through his job through strict discipline and steely determination, because he was one of the brightest on the ark; he had once given up caring about everything, wasting time and supplies provided for him in this tiny room, because he was only human; he had then left the insincere self-discipline and meaningless squandering behind, and used the last few decades of his life to record everything he knew and all the history of his people, because he was the last ¡°parent¡± of his civilization.


    ¡°I truly woke up in the later half of my life, so I had to work that much harder to make up for all the wasted time.¡± The old man mumbled softly. ¡°The only encouraging fact was, I am free of the disease. Our medical experts were right. I could live a long and healthy life. This life of mine should have been used to rebuild our society, but I was stuck in this room. Hence, I spent nearly 20 years to write all those things. Our history, our culture, our traditions, where we came from, why we left our home planet ¡­ That was the longest moment of clear-headedness that I had. I worked day and night, and dreaded every new white hair that sprouted on my scalp. I nearly went mad, but I daren¡¯t go back to the hibernation pod, because I don¡¯t know if I would ever wake up again ¡­ I grew older and older. In the final few years, I spent nearly half an hour every day looking out that window ¡­¡±


    The old man pointed one trembling finger towards the side of the door. There was a small window by the door on the wall. In the days when he repeated his cycle of returning to and awakening from hibernation, that window was his only view to the outside world.


    ¡°I looked outside, and sometimes I hallucinate. The pods would open up suddenly, the children would all jump out, healthy and alive. Other times, I saw terrible things ¡­ The pods would fell onto the bridge. Blood seeped out of the pods. I completed the last of my writings while I was in this condition, and thought that it was time to rest.¡± The old man looked with glistening eyes towards that corner of the room, where he had spent hundreds of years in hibernation. ¡°So I went back inside, and did not set a time to wake up this time. My flesh is already 103 years old. There was no need to wake up again.¡±


    This was the life of the last ¡°parent¡± on the ark.


    When the ignorant children awoke in panic and rushed for the residential area of the sanctuary, their ¡°parent¡± was still sleep. When the children were trying their best to survive in the empty city, their ¡°parent¡± could only guard the empty hibernation pods. The first community started in the city in the sanctuary; the first generation of newborns arrived; the first country was created; the first division in the people happened; the first systems failure occurred; the first power failure occured; the first deep winter came; the first artificial gravity failure ¡­ When all of that happened, the last guardian of this civilization was stuck in this place, overcome by helplessness, fear, resentment, and then finally struck by hope and determination. He left records of their people¡¯s history on the walls, starting from when he was but a young man, until he advanced into adulthood, and then into middle age, and then into old age ¡­


    In the residential area of the sanctuary, the children and their descendants lived hard lives, and in the course of 800 years had come to forgot about their origins. The only thing that connected them with the guardian in the Vault was the name of the fusion reactor at the ends of the world as they knew it ¨C the Furnace of the Ancestors.


    ¡°Why write them on paper, and on the walls?¡± Lily asked curiously. ¡°Don¡¯t you have any specially prepared teaching material?¡±


    ¡°This is to preserve them longer.¡± The old man forced a smile. ¡°No one is maintaining the facilities outside for so many centuries. They will break down one day. However, the writings on these papers can survive for a thousand years, and the writings on the walls can survive for 10 thousand years. As long this room remained sealed, perhaps they can survive even longer ¡­ I always believed that the children are still alive, that it was only the mainframe used to awaken them had a glitch. When they finally awaken one day, and I was long dead, they would still have my writings at least.¡±


    The old man went quiet for a long time after he was finished. Finally, he looked at Hao Ren and broke the silence. ¡°I¡¯d like to ask again, are they still alive?¡±


    ¡°Their descendants are.¡± Hao Ren answered carefully.


    ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s like that ¡­ So, many generations have came and went ¡­¡± The old man nodded slowly, already having an idea of what was to come, but still he asked, ¡°Then, are our civilization and culture still preserved?¡±


    Everyone else in the room exchanged uncomfortable looks, until Vivian spoke through the awkwardness. ¡°Many generations have passed ¡­ You can imagine what would happen.¡±


    The old man was silent. He walked slowly towards the manuscripts on the desk, and declined help from both Hao Ren and Nangong Wuyue while he quietly organized and stacked all the papers together in proper order. He then tried to lift the stack, but found that he lacked the strength.


    ¡°Let me help you.¡± Lily rushed forward and grabbed the huge stack of papers from him. ¡°Where to?¡±


    ¡°Show me ¡­ Show me the descendants of the children.¡± The old man looked at Hao Ren calmly and said in a neutral voice.


    ¡°You will be disappointed.¡± Vivian said.


    The old man¡¯s reply was simple. ¡°I am dying.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. He produced a life-support collar from his dimensional pocket and passed it to the old man. ¡°Put it on. We¡¯ll be passing regions with high radiation. This will keep you safe.¡±


    The old man stepped out of the room for the first time in 900 years. The moment he stepped out the room, his body shook visibly, but he declined Nangong Wuyue¡¯s offer of support. He muttered almost stubbornly, ¡°I want to see them myself.¡±


    In front of the Furnace of the Ancestors, more and more people were gathering.


    The Blood Wardens had sounded the alarm throughout the kingdom. Strange rumours such as the legend of the ¡°Witches of Fire and Ice¡± began to spread in the military and amongst the civilians. The royals and nobles panicked. Scholars roamed the libraries and the ancient altar in search for answers. Large groups of people came from the kingdom and gathered at the empty space in front of the Furnace of the Ancestors.


    The marks left on the ground by freezing air and plasma flares commanded deep respect from this ignorant and superstitious community. The strange noises coming from the Furnace of the Ancestors troubled them to no end.


    When Hao Ren led the old man out of another control station high above the ground, the latter saw a sea of people before him. The people in the sanctuary formed a dense crowd in the clearing down below. They argued, worshipped, and prayed, like believers waiting for a sign from their Gods.


    The huge power generator inside the Furnace of the Ancestors was fixed. The autonomous bots waited for their next instructions. Hao Ren sent a signal towards the power station. Immediately, they heard a low rumbling sound from the Furnace.


    The rumbling grew louder and louder, until it finally stabilized. The people gathering at the clearing were alarmed by the sudden noise and broke into a commotion. Suddenly, the dim lights around them turned bright again. The enclosed space was illuminated. The two huge iron wheels far in the kingdom gradually started spinning. The people realized what was happening ¨C the heart of their world had started beating again.


    All of them fell to their knees, including the generals and ministers. Everyone kneeled down earnestly at the Furnace of the Ancestors, praising the arrival of light and warmth.


    Beside Hao Ren, the old man watched in stupefaction. ¡°What ¡­ What are they doing?¡±


    ¡°Praising the heart of their world for beating once again, praising the Gods for their gifts.¡± Hao Ren sighed quietly. ¡°Vivian said that you would be disappointed ¨C these people no longer know about the ark. Their entire world is this 100-kilometer expanse. They lived here for many, many generations, and had reverted to more primitive ways of life. The society is split into four kingdoms that are constantly in dispute. The people believed that their world is created by God, that beyond the ark is the sea. They even believed that their world was built on top of a huge tortoise ¡­¡±


    ¡°Tortoise ¡­ Back in the days, in order to soothe the children, we used to tell them that the ark is like a tortoiseshell, keeping us safe.¡± The old man spoke softly. ¡°At least they still remembered that.¡±


    Hao Ran was quiet for a few seconds, but he could not help offering his opinion as an Inspector, ¡°It is regretful, but your civilization is gone.¡±


    The old man did not reply. He watched quietly at the people below, turning his head to the side to listen closer at the voices of these savages in ragged clothing. Suddenly, he smiled, happy as a child. ¡°They¡¯re still speaking in the language of their ancestors, aren¡¯t they?¡±

 Chapter 956

    The old man smiled happily, feeling consoled and hopeful, and not at all despondent. Hao Ren and the rest in the group could not understand his reaction. Vivian stared into the eyes of the old man to check if he was still sane. ¡°You ¡­ Do you really understand their situation? Yes, they are still speaking the old language, and perhaps even remember most of the written words, but those are pretty much it. They have no history, no culture, no traditions. The heart of your civilization is dead ¡­ Forgive me for being frank, but these people are only living oblivious lives in this wasteland.¡±


    Vivian did not hold back as she said those words. She had seen the rise and fall of many kingdoms and civilizations, and right now she was only offering her thoughts as a neutral observer. Nevertheless, the old man did not seem convinced. He listened quietly as Vivian finished speaking. His white, sparse hair fluttered in the gentle breeze. ¡°You know, I thought it could be worse.¡±


    He shifted his attention back towards the ignorant mass down below.


    ¡°I once expected myself to manage a group of children, few of them older than 10, and most between three to nine years old. They only basic survival skills,. The older children could take care of themselves and read and write, while the younger ones had just only learned to eat without supervision. My orders were to lead these children to rebuild our civilization. It was a seemingly impossible burden, but I accepted it gracefully. These people .. At least they are better than children.¡±


    ¡°They have rigid mindsets. Their community is in disarray. After hundreds of years of twisting and bending the rules of their society, their inaccurate worldview has become part of their identity.¡± Vivian shook her head slightly. ¡°These grown people are even worse than the children ¡­¡±


    ¡°But they survived.¡± The old man interrupted Vivian without holding back. ¡°Even without someone to guide them, the children had survived, and even expanded their society to create four kingdoms! Four kingdoms! They have already done the unimaginable, what else can I ask for?¡±


    Just then, the people down below had begun to notice the group above them. Someone courageous had looked up to find Hao Ren and his group far above the outer ring of the Furnace of the Ancestors. Someone else yelled in surprise, and then the others looked up as well. Those who had witnessed the power of the ¡°Ice Witch¡± and the ¡°Fire Witch¡± began to make a racket, telling everyone what they had seen. People began to chant the words, ¡°Arbiter of Fire and Ice¡±. Having just experienced the ¡°miracle¡± that was the reactivation of the Furnace of the Ancestors, the people thought they were seeing the Gods themselves. They quickly fell on their knees again and praised the end of the Cold. There were people who were skeptical before, but now that the Furnace of the Ancestors was working again and the ¡°Electric Fairies¡± had come to life, this miracle had shattered all doubts ¨C in this society, reigned by ignorance and unenlightenment, those who controlled the power generator controlled their world.


    ¡°Landlord ¡­¡± Lily was taken aback by what was happening down below. She had been pleased to show off her fiery claws back the, but the reverence shown by the people was beyond her expectation. As a loyal pet, her first reaction was to hide behind Hao Ren.


    Hao Ren, however, frowned and pushed Lily and Vivian to the front. ¡°Step forward, we need you for this situation.¡±


    Vivian understood him. She was experienced in this. It was not the first time for her to be worshipped by humans like a God. She took a step forward, a freezing whirlwind surrounding her. The easy smile on her face was replaced by a regal and cold expression that commanded respect and fear, as would be expected from a true ¡°Ice Witch¡±. Beside, Lily tried to do the same. The werehusky had it in her ¨C in fact, all were huskies were talented in pretending to look serious. If you don¡¯t believe it, you can try to find one and observe it. You will find that when they were not talking, their eyes looked particularly solemn ¡­


    ¡°Be silent.¡± Vivian uttered those two words succinctly, and the commotion below died down immediately.


    ¡°What do you plan to do next, having seen this?¡± Hao Ren took the opportunity to ask the old man beside him.


    The old man lowered his head and looked at his manuscript that Lily had put down on the floor, and sounded a little sad when he finally replied. ¡°I was supposed to pass down this knowledge to them, but I won¡¯t be alive for much longer. I don¡¯t know how long you plan to stay here, and whether you are willing to help ¡­ But, if possible, I hope to pass this knowledge to them, even if they could understand some of it, so that our civilization continues to live in them. Please, give the manuscript to them ¡­¡±


    The old man breathed in heavily then, looking even more rickety than he did when he first emerged from his hibernation pod. Even without using any device, Hao Ren could tell that the old man was very close to the end of his life. It was sheer determination that supported him to this very moment. When he was done with taking care of the manuscript, his death would be nigh.


    ¡°No.¡± Hao Ren shook his head slowly.


    The old man stared wide-eyed at him. Even the Nangong siblings could not hide their surprise.


    ¡°You should give it to them yourselves. That is your job.¡± Hao Ren reached out to the spatial crack beside him and produced a golden fruit. After some hesitation, he cut a slice out of it and offered it to the old man. ¡°Eat this.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue could not help but gasped when he saw the golden fruit. ¡°Ah ¨C you still have one more?¡±


    ¡°There was an extra. Lily had claimed it.¡± Hao Ren took a quick glance at the werehusky posing beside Vivian. ¡°Don¡¯t remind her, she¡¯d probably forgotten about this.¡±


    Despite having her back to the group, Lily suddenly felt a cold, nauseous sensation. The instinct to protect her own food made her feel threatened. She mistook the sensation to have come from the freezing air around Vivian. ¡°You, bat, stand further away from me, it¡¯s freezing!¡±


    The old man saw how the rest of the group studied the fruit with great interest, and asked curiously, ¡°What is this?¡±


    Hao Ren extended the golden fruit slice to him. ¡°Just eat it. You¡¯re dying anyway, would you have minded if I say this is actually poisoned?¡±


    The old man smiled at his words, and then stuffed the fruit happily into his mouth. ¡°I don¡¯t understand you people.¡±


    The moment he swallowed the fruit, Nangong Wuyue and Hao Ren watched the old man closely to look for changes, since this was the first time they saw a normal human being eat a golden apple. The effects of the fruit were immediate ¨C the old man¡¯s face transformed quickly; his spine straightened; all the age accumulated in his flesh and bones were wiped out instantly; his face was in a healthy blush once again; his breathing turned steady; the wrinkles were disappearing. It was like time had rewound in him!


    The physical ¡°rewinding¡± did not went on for long. Once the power of the golden apple reached its end, the old man was still old. His hair was white, and there were still some wrinkles on his face left. However, his entire being was radiating with the energy of life. It was obvious that something in him had changed. Hao Ren asked in his mind to the IDT, ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it. These are the results.¡±


    ¡°I thought he would revert back to his younger body.¡± Nangong Wuyue flicked her tail. ¡°There¡¯s also the chance of the effects being too powerful that he just winked into non-existence.¡±


    The old man could feel that his body had transformed in some way. In fact, nothing he had seen and heard ever since he awakened was as shocking and confusing as this. ¡°What, what the ¡­¡±


    ¡°You were mistakenly locked away for 800 years.¡± Hao Ren put his hand on the old man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°This is compensation for your lost time. Now you have enough time to fulfil your purpose.¡±


    The old man blinked. He finally understood the unbelievable change in his body. ¡°Who are you people?!¡±


    ¡°There will be time to explain to you later.¡± Vivian suddenly looked back at the group and said. ¡°The important thing now is what should I say ¨C Hao Ren, help me a bit here, I¡¯ve kept them under control for five minutes, but they¡¯re going to riot anytime now if I don¡¯t say something quick.¡±


    There was already a little commotion in the crowd below. They watched the Witches of Fire and Ice respectfully, but the lack of any divine message so far was slowly eating away their patience. Hao Ren pulled the old man towards the edge of their vantage point and whispered to him, ¡°You need a way to insert yourself into their society, and have their respect and confidence. We¡¯re going to give you that chance.¡±


    After that, he raised the old man¡¯s hand up high.


    ¡°Citizens of the Four Kingdoms, the Cold is gone forever! Your ancestor has returned from the land of the dead. As attested by the Gods of Fire and Ice, he will lead you all to a new era!¡±

 Chapter 957

    The group returned to the royal city escorted by a mob of people. Vivian and Lily was at the forefront, they were clearly now gods in the eyes of the ark¡¯s denizens. Or at least something supernatural. For this ignorant and superstitious ¡®world¡¯, using religion as a tool to control the masses as just too easy, a healthy dose of fear and some supernatural phenomenon was more than enough to do the job. Just ask Vivian, the professional on such matters.


    Lily trudged alongside Vivian with a stiff look on her face, and had to fight her urges to hide behind Hao Ren from time to time. She had only intended to join in the fun but things has since progressed beyond her imagination. ¡°Woah¡­ this¡­ is going overboard isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯ve been through the Age of Mythology you¡¯d be used to this.¡± Vivian whispered with a soft snigger. ¡°The men of old would fear almost everything. Seven thousand years back, by just conjuring a small ember itself was enough for me to shock an entire tribe. This place doesn¡¯t seem all that different from Earth back then.¡±


    The whole process could be described as chaos. While Hao Ren had activately pushed for things to develop this way, the reaction driven by the locals¡¯ superstition and agitation too had made him a tad bit uncomfortable. Hao Ren met the king of the Kingdom of Highspire, a tall and well-build man with a slightly dark skin. He too then met the scholastic entourage from the three other kingdoms. He even have to bring the old man to meet the nobles in the royal city before getting together with Vivian to crack their heads on crafting a believable myth to stave off the king¡¯s and the scholars bombardment of questions.. His sole relief was that the ¡®Ice Witch¡¯ had total authority in the hearts of these people, and even if the tale that they had came up with had lots of plotholes, he did not need to worry about being questioned on the spot.


    By the time the dust had settled, half a day had already passed. Hao Ren and the rest were now enjoying the hard-earned respite on the terrace at the upper levels of the castle. Vivian looked down at the crowd beneath them. ¡°Seems like it¡¯s much more lively compared to when we first came¡­ It¡¯s pretty amazing really, for such a small city to contain so many people.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled before turning towards the other side of the terrace and the old man who had been rejuvanated after eating the Golden Apple sat by a steel table. Before him was a few old manuscripts, and the old man treated those manuscripts like a treasure, never letting them leave his sight. Even when it was break time, he was still busy flipping through and checki the condition of the mauscripts. These things were after all hundreds of years old, and he was afraid that they might had suffered damage from weathering.


    ¡°So what¡¯s next?¡± Hao Ren popped the question whimsically. As the situation was chaotic back then, he did not pay too much attention to the old man. He only knew that Nangong Wuyue brought him to meet the many scholars within the city and also had an audience with the king.


    ¡°In the honour of the Ice Witch, the king had treated me really well, but he kept asking me what was I prepared to do for his kingdom. It seems like he was worried about his sovereignity..uh.¡± The edge of the old man¡¯s mouth shuddered slightly. ¡°But that means nothing to me, I only wish to pass on the correct history to them. I even saw those ¡®scholars¡¯, most of them were ignorant, but yet each and everyone of them were smart and treated me with even more reverence than the king. I think I should pay that ¡®Starhold¡¯ place a visit, or maybe pass on the manuscripts to them.¡±


    ¡°When I got to know that they were copying ancient tomes as part of their training, I knew that these scholars were the key.¡±


    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t sound like things were all smooth sailing.¡± Lily muttered as she hugged her arm. ¡°I thought that that black-skinned king would have postrate himself before you the moment he saw you. If the ruler of Highspire had such a reaction, I bet you that the others won¡¯t be much different.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s more than enough.¡± The old man smiled, indicating he did not mind that at all.¡± I just need the freedom to move across nations, and to right to educate the people. If those kings were to listen to my teachings it would have already be a big surprise. As for the shape of the society¡­ I have no intention to change it, much less the energy to change it. They have already lived like this for hundreds of years. The best way is for them to continue living like this and the change take place naturally.


    Lily glared at him. ¡°But you¡¯re their ancestor!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just a old man who walked out of the reactor. And the nature of kings is to question any authority aside of their own. Even if it is divine authority.¡± The old man looked towards Vivian who was some distance away. ¡°I don¡¯t even have the authority like you two. At least both of you have actual supernatural powers.¡±


    Vivian turned around as she heard that, a faint smile graced her face. ¡°That¡¯s normal. If authority alone could pacify an entire civilisation, there wouldn¡¯t be any conflict at all. Your road ahead will probably be full of potholes; while the kings may now listen to you, if your teachings were to threaten their authority and sovereignity, they will still strike against you. And I believe the history, the real history that you have with you will clash with the locals¡¯ perception.


    The old man laughed. ¡°I know, before I went to sleep long long ago, I have spoken at length with my friends on what sort of problems we might face in the future. I am a anthropologist, a educationist, and a psychologist, I know what and how to disclose things to people so that they will be able to ease into it.¡±


    Seeking the confident smile on the old man¡¯s face, Hao Ren ruffled his hair. ¡°Seems like you¡¯re better than being a huckster.¡±


    The old man smiled back without a word, before his gaze turned serious. ¡°So¡­ Can you tell me who you actuall are now?¡±


    When he first woke from the sleeping pod, the group before him told him that they were wanderers from the stars, and their ship was just right outside the ark. The old man had not put too much thought into it, and thought that Hao Ren and the rest were just aliens whose technology were much more advance. But when a mysterious Golden Apple had rejuvanated him, the old man had plenty of questions to ask. While his world view does not contain real magic, he felt that the group had some supernatural abilities. Then he saw Vivian summoning a winter storm at the same of a finger, and Lily conjuring a flaming blade out of thin air. These incidents could not be explained by science alone, and looked more like magic from the tales of the ancient times. Thus, the old man bore an almost overwhelming curiosity towards the group.


    Hao Ren sat before the old man before telling his tale at a slow pace.


    But of course, the confidential parts were simply skimmed past, using words like ¡°a powerful force from beyond¡± to explain Hao Ren¡¯s backer.


    The old man listened without a word; while there were changes in his eyes, it was calmer than expected. Hao Ren was surprised by the old man¡¯s reaction. ¡°You¡¯re not surprised?¡±


    ¡°I find it very difficult to be surprised anymore.¡± the old man shook his head. ¡°I grew up in the ark, and followed the ark across the stars. I¡¯ve seen planets falling into gravity rifts and being torn apart, and planets disintegrated by a supernova, and those great beings from the deep space had long left behind tales of the gods. We knoew that the universe was vast, and have many powers beyond human comprehension at work. So I¡¯m not at all surprised, even if a god were to appear before me. Of course, there were somethings that were unexpected. I never thought their messengers would look like this¡­ I thought you all would be¡­¡±


    The old man gestured in the air but found it difficult to describe what he wanted to say. ¡°It¡¯s best summed up having a sort of brilliance to it, at least like the ones from the deep space.¡±


    ¡°I too have some very ¡®brilliant¡¯ ways to solve things, but those are usually bad stuff.¡± Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m leaving, there¡¯s work to be done.¡±


    The old man stood up by reflex. ¡°Will you be back?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Hao Ren smiled, before passing him a communicator. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of work to be done for your civilisation. How long you think this old junk would be operational? A hundred? Two hundred years? I have to find somwhere to relocate you all before the whole thing shuts down. And I need to write a report of the redevelopment progress. The Goddess I serve is very particular about this, and I would need to monitor your status for a long time as the effects of the apocalypse is still present in this world. I don¡¯t want the survivors I spent so much time finding gets eaten up by some tentacles just because I turned away. This is a communicator. You¡¯re now the herald of your people, we¡¯ll be in touch, and I think that will come sooner than you think.¡±


    The old man took the communicator and placed in his pocket after enquiring on how to operate it.


    ¡°Say, have you remembered your name?¡± Hao Ren asked. ¡°I can¡¯t be calling you old man all the time¡­¡±


    The old man opened his mouth, and only spoke after some pondering. ¡°I only remember that my callsign was ¡®Father¡¯ in the plan¡­¡±


    Hao Ren glared back. ¡°Lets not go there, our age here¡­¡±


    He stopped for a bit before stealing a glance at Vivian. ¡°Our average age is many times of yours! And our total age is even more ancient than your ark!¡±


    ¡°Bringing up the average by dragging me in huh¡­¡± Vivian mumbled to herself.


    The old man stood up straight after listening to what Hao Ren said. After some thoughts, he said. ¡°You can call me Lawrence.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°No, its just that I have some familiarity with that name. Possibly a friends, or my father¡¯s.¡± the old man smiled. ¡°Regardless who that was, they won¡¯t be using that name anymore. So from now on, I¡¯m Lawrence.

 Chapter 958

    Hao Ren finally found Willy and Master Orrow in one of the inns in the royal city. The two, a noble bastard and a shaggy scholar from a distant city state did not have the rights to live within the royal fortress. When Willy saw Hao Ren and the rest he was shocked, especially when his eyes fell upon Vivian. The young lad immediately sprang to his feet from the chair. ¡°Ice Witch!¡±


    ¡°Oh, even you too?¡± Vivian smiled. ¡°The people in the city are afraid of me.¡±


    ¡°So you really are the Ice Witch.¡± Willy shrunk by reflex before carefully looking about. This was a cheap inn, and only had a thin layer of planks to separate the simple room from the corridor outside. He felt that there were countless of people trying to eavesdrop into the conversation here.As he knew he was now speaking to the Ice Witch, the royal knights may have already stood guard over the entry way. ¡°I said that when I first met you¡­ but you did not admit to that¡­ and you never said that this world had a Fire Witch as well.¡±


    Lily scratched her head, slightly embarassed. ¡°Actually, I was just trying to act co¡­¡±


    ¡°So are you still afraid of the Ice Witch?¡± Hao Ren asked Willy with a smile. ¡°You see, we do have the ability to let this world fall into an eternal winter. We have fixed the Furnace of the Ancestors, and conversely we could annhilate it as well at a whim.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Willy admitted honestly. Perhaps he was brave in admitting the fact that he was a coward. ¡°But I don¡¯t think the Ice Witch is an evil person. And frankly, I always though that the Ice Witch was a demon that will lead the world into an eternal winter. My nan had said it before, on the first night of winter, the Ice Witch will come on a chariot of frozen metal from the edge of the world, and blasts cold wind into the Furnace of the Ancestors, and permanently freezing the heart of the world. But you had fixed it together with the Ice Witch. Seems like the legends weren¡¯t real after all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The legends aren¡¯t real. It¡¯s just that men did not hold on to the truth, they held on to the drive to pursue the truth.¡± Hao Ren patted Willy¡¯s shoulder, before pulling out a few photographs from his pocket and passed it to the young man. ¡°We will be leaving soon. These are for you.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­¡± Willy took over the photographs quizzically. He had never seen such exquisite paper before. Firm, smooth, without mold, and the colours were vibrant. On it was a picture that was beautiful beyond words, and was so life-like it felt like magic. ¡°What are these?¡±


    ¡°Pretty ain¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Pretty¡­?¡± There was still some sense of doubt in Willy¡¯s tone. ¡°They are pretty, but I don¡¯t know what these are.¡±


    ¡°Forest, sea, the deep blue skies, and the stars.¡± Hao Ren gestured towards the pictures in the photographs. ¡°These were left behind by your ancestors¡­ I found them in the library and printed out some. These pictures were pictures of the world your people had once lived. I¡¯ve met many people on the ark, but it¡¯s a shame that you are the only one that is interested in this. So I¡¯ve giving it to you.¡±


    willy immediately passed the photographs back. ¡°I can¡¯t possibly accept such a valuable item¡­¡±


    ¡°The fact that you know these are valuable is more than enough.¡± Hao Ren smiled. ¡°I¡¯m here to say my farewells, and pass on somethings. Now that my job here for now is done, we¡¯ll have to go back. Nolan, prepare transference.¡±


    Willy stepped forward by reflex but the screen of white light that appeared out of nowhere stopped him in his path. Hao Ren stood behind the white light as he looked towards the stunned Master Orrow. ¡°Master, tell this boy¡¯s father when you get back. Willy had led the Witches of Ice and Fire into the Furnace of the Ancestors. His name has been engraved deep within the Furnace. His viceroyalty may be a lifetime work, but his accomplishments will never compare to even the pinky toe of this bastard son of his.¡±


    Master Orrow smiled as he bowed slightly. ¡°I shall request his Majesty to pen this to the viceroy himself, and have the royal seal on it so that it can forever be placed within Hearthfire¡¯s treasure vault.


    This old man does have a wicked bone in him too!


    The transference beam then disappeared in a flash, and the next moment, Hao Ren and the rest were back onto Petrachelys¡¯ bridge.


    Y¡¯lisabet leapt out from her seat to welcome Hao Ren excitedly as she complained about being bored standing by on the ship. Nolan¡¯s holographic projection then appeared not far away. ¡°We have ascertained the ark¡¯s situation.¡±


    Hao Ren patted the petite devil¡¯s head to quieten her down as he turned towards the projection on the control dais.


    Deep in space, the ark fleet had been totally taken apart and reconstructed by the unmanned droids. He saw silverly lights all over the ellipsoid arks and the heavy armor at the fore of the arks have been ripped open, exposing a matrix of ancient and complicated electrical circuits and machinery. The new control equipments that were installed by engineering droids glittered like mercury in a dark chamber. Even then, there were other droids whirling about the arks, these droids were checking the control sensitivity of each ark, and the fusion level of the ¡®osmotic cores¡¯ against the arks.


    While these droids were technically his property, the scene sent a chill down Hao Ren¡¯s spine.


    It looked like a swarm of termites gnawing and infesting a giant helpless beast.


    ¡°I¡¯ve decoded the ark¡¯s navigation system, and I noticed that they do not have a specific destination. So I have just turned it off altogether, and let the droids use the osmotic core to replace the ships¡¯ ¡®nerve system¡¯.¡± Nolan continued. ¡°I also had performed some emergency repairs and maintenance on a few of the arks. They are now capable of hyper-speed travel to anywhere you want it to go. But don¡¯t push it too hard, these old junk probably cannot survive more than a couple of decelerations.¡±


    ¡°The ship needs to call port soon, and undergo a total overhaul.¡± the MDT added. ¡°We have found a few planets that are habitable, so partner, where do you want to place them on?¡±


    As the MDT spoke, it pulled out a list of habitable planets within the Plane of Dreams. Hao Ren then started choosing from the list. He shook his head at first as he removed Tannagost from the shortlist. ¡°The atmosphere in Tannagost is poisonous to the ark¡¯s denizens, and that planet is already occupied by the Zomnites¡­ and the Tannaeans may return one day as well¡­ that¡¯s a whole lot of mess, nope.¡±


    ¡°Holletta seems like a good place¡­¡± Y¡¯lisabet quipped chirpily.


    ¡°Uh no, that place is already occupied.¡± Hao Ren shook his hand. ¡°And that¡¯s not our land either. Truth be told, these denizens in the arks had regressed too much, and are almost barbaric in nature. Staying out of contact with anyone for the next few generations is probably for the best.¡±


    As he continued, he sighed. ¡°And frankly, if not for the war, the Solenne Gateway have a lot of habitable planets. That place was the testing fields of the Goddess, I could imagine how lively that area would have been back in the days.¡±


    ¡°And there¡¯s nothing but scorched earth now there, even the air is toxic.¡± Nolan said with a regretful tone before being serious again. ¡°If you are just looking at a place for a port call, Io would do the job.¡±


    ¡°Io?¡± Hao Ren raised an eyebrow. ¡°But there¡¯s no land there.¡±


    ¡°Those arks don¡¯t need a landmass to land on.¡± Nolan said as she changed the holographic projection on the control dais. ¡°I¡¯ve found something interesting when I took the ships apart¡­ Their initial design seemed to have taken into account the possibility of landing in the sea. The ship¡¯s life support system have a dedicated water-filtration system, and when landing on a planet that is water-rich, the maintenance system would even work much more efficiently.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately brightened up as he heard that and joined in the discussion. But he was clearly out of Nolan¡¯s league when it come to this, and after straining his eyes he could somewhat make out that the outer hull of the arks have transformation capabilities.


    The designers of the arks have probably thought of the possibility of their descendents trying to start over on various types of planets, and they had used all their might and knowledge to create an engineering miracle, and even after ten thousand years, these basic equipments were all intact and in pristine condition!


    ¡°But Io is the planet of the Sirens.¡± Hao Ren frowned after the initial excitement had passed. ¡°And even if the arks can land of the sea, it cannot be floating there forever. There¡¯s no land resources there, and that¡¯ll be no different than being trapped in space.¡±


    ¡°We can figure that out later no?¡± Lily said as she made a huge shrugging motion. ¡°Now what the ark needs is a breather, pronto. We can let them stop at Io for a moment, and once the arks have been fixed we can move them to another planet. If need be, then go look for the Siren Queen, and let the people of the ark sign a eight hundren year tenancy agreement. After all, your original job was like a procure¡­.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately threw an angry glare at the big-mouthed husky. Lily immediately shrunk back. ¡°Ugh.. I meant¡­ a tenancy middleman¡­¡±

 Chapter 959

    While Hao Ren hated to admit it, Lily the dumb husky could actually come up with some rather sensible suggestions. Lily was right. The arks do not need a permanent place to call home. To the people in it, the concept of ¡®homeworld¡¯ had long vanished, and even a generation or two would not revive such a notion within their minds. So regardless if you were to give them a planet, or how long you would allow them to live on one is immaterial. Now what the arks sorely need is a place to call port, and a chance to repair those ancient, decrepit and now soon to fall apart systems. Even ten years would be too optimistic a timeframe to complete the repairs.


    Hao Ren ran through his progress within the Plane of Dreams, and figured that he would probably run into a suitable planet soon enough. At that time, he will just have Lawrence and his kin to move again.


    Y¡¯zaks was a little apprehensive when he heard Lily¡¯s suggestion. ¡°While technically possible, but humans are fickle. It¡¯s easy to send them to Io, but after they find out about the world beyond the ark, getting them back into space may not be as easy.¡±


    ¡°Oh? The rampaging mad demon king finally gotten a grasp of human psychology?¡± Vivian gave Y¡¯zaks a wry look.


    ¡°That¡¯s a minor problem.¡± Hao Ren laughed. ¡°Any case, the arks controls are with Nolan. I tell you, after knowing old man Lawrence, those buggers down there are just really bratty children. While me as outsider should not interfere with their social order, but I have a responsibility to stop these rascals from wrecking other¡¯s property. If they could rebuild their civilisation, that will be for the best, if they were to get mired in chaos for a length of time¡­. then giving them a spank would be a duty of a proper adult.¡±


    He then aded. ¡°Of course, that¡¯s after we get the Siren¡¯s approval. I¡¯ll go look for Queen Katreina once we go back, and see if she¡¯s okay in letting someone else bunk on her homeworld. We cannot afford another mistake like Tannagost. So before that¡­ Nolan, move the arks near the drone hives. Let the drones run some emergency repairs on the ship. There¡¯s some defensive firepower there too, that should protect the ark.¡±


    Nolan nodded as her projection disappeared from the bridge. A moment later, Hao Ren saw the arks started turning slowly. A flash of silver light beamed from the ancient black hulls (that is the light from the osmotic cores). The massive engines on the side of the arks started a series of complicated realignments and adjustments as the normal engines shut down one-by-one while the grids of the distortion generator into standby, turning from dark red, into blazing white. What followed was a series of dimensional distortion appearing all along the arks length, as one-by-one the arks entered hypserspace travel and disappeared.


    As the arks vanished into hyperspace, what was left was a trail of distortion mirrors. And the stars around the area had distoted into odd shapes, while the center of the trail was pitch black.


    Hao Ren did not return to Earth after the arks had left. He ordered Nolan to reset the navigational target and headed towards CARS.


    He wanted to send the third gilded disc back, and talk to the three guardian giants about something.


    Crystal Apple Research Station, Laboratory Sector


    In the vast crystal hall, the third floating platform had been activated. A new gilded disc was suspended in mid air and started spinning alongside the energy field. A few light orbs and crystalline clusters floated around the disc, and started performing some prelimenary scans of this new test subject. Beside the floating platform, two other gilded discs floating like masks in midair, staring expressionlessly towards their new ¡®sibling¡¯.


    From the surface, the three gilded disc are only suspended where they stood, but from the readings of the test instruments, there was a series of highspeed data transfer between the three discs, and the transference model was many times more complicated compared to when only two discs were present. They not only received the infdormation, they had also recompose, change, edit these information and every resonance results in at least two variables. And the edited data would cause a new resonance, and every cycle sees data being discarded, or new data formed to merge into the combined resonance of the three discs.


    The ¡®data signals¡¯ jumping between the discs were beyond human comprehension, and it could not even be transcribed. So the testing instruments could only simulate the data transfer as jumping lights strobes on the holographic projection. Hao Ren was looking at the signals from the control dais and was immediately overwhelmed by it. Almost as if he was witnesssing an insane fireworks show.


    ¡°Just by adding one more, the resonance model had gone to hell¡­¡± amazement was apparent in the MDT¡¯s voice. ¡°I do not dare to think how many are there, and what will happen if they were all reassembled again. I dare say thisi thing may actually live up to its namesake, and as soon as all pieces are brought together, the data explosion is akin to a birth of a new world.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why they are called the ¡®World Engine.¡± Hao Ren smiled before looking at the guardian giants beside him. ¡°How¡¯s that? I told you I¡¯d bring the Goddess¡¯ relics back. I¡¯m a man of my word.¡±


    Muru, Lemendusa and Heve immediately rushed over as soon as they heard that third gilded disc was found. They were on Tannagost checking out the status of the plantlife in the woods there, and they did not even bother grooming themselves when they got back. Muru and Lemendusa had branches and leaves all over their clothes, and two tiny sprouts actually jutted out from Heve¡¯s long hair. That¡¯s right, two sprouts. For a ten meter tall giant, surely it was not weird to have two meter-long sprouts jutting out of your hair right? That said, Hao Ren had a hard time imagining how did the lady giant got the sprouts into her hair in the first place¡­


    Muru dusted off his clothes as he smiled. ¡°I of course believe you. Your actions have already gained the respect of the guardians. Your actions have already proven that you are on our side.¡±


    Hao Ren leapt about as he tried to avoid the falling rocks and branches that was dusted off by Muru. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you lot considerate. This is a proper science facility, can¡¯t you guys clean up before coming? Say¡­ were you guys actually inspecting the ecosystem or did you went on a survival trip in the wilds? Why are you guys in such a sorry state?¡±


    ¡°Zom was trying out a new way to simulate life and something went wrong. A forest experienced a massive growth and we had to go ¡®trim the garden¡¯. Heve spoke gently. ¡°It is still not familiar with the equipment that you have designed for him after all.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so it does need help from experienced ¡®gardeners¡¯ like you.¡± Hao Ren replied casually before looking at Muru. ¡°Actually, I have something to ask. I¡¯m not sure if you have any idea what the ¡®Denizens of the Stars¡¯ are?¡±


    ¡°Denizens of the Stars?¡± Muru turned towards Lemendusa by reflect. ¡°Is this their official title?¡±


    ¡°Oh right, the Denizens of the Stars is the name given to them by the mortal races. You may call them by other names.¡± Hao Ren slapped his forehead before getting the MDT to display the holographic projection of the denizens. The images were not necessarily accurate, as they were 3D models that was composed by Hao Ren based on a few ancient information that he have managed to collect, there is bound to be difference with realit. But if the guardian giants have seen them before, then it is very possible that they might recognise it. ¡°Just like that, their outer form is a shapeless cloud of light, there¡¯s energy points within them, no fixed form either, and height wise, they could probably be as tall as you guys.¡±


    There was a slight change in Muru¡¯s eyes as he saw the flickering light. Lemendusa and Heve too closed in by reflex. A moment later, Muru spoke. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if its them¡­ Have I told you about the Eternals?¡±


    Hao Ren immediately perked to attention. The guardians do have some information regarding the Denizens of the Stars. ¡°You¡¯ve mentioned them once, but there was no time for details then. And I was too busy that I forgot to follow up. So, these Denizens of the Stars are the Eternals?¡±


    ¡°No, these denizens may be one of the Eternals.¡± Muru¡¯s expression was stern. ¡°The Eternals are not a race.¡±

 Chapter 960

    Hao Ren did not pay much attention to the term that appeared out of nowhere when he first heard of the ¡®Denizens of the Stars¡¯. Even when he found clues about them in the ruins of the other civilisations, he still had not paid much attention to them. The universe was wide, and if a god-killing race could be born, the appearance of a couple of powerful and advance civilisationsis no surprise to anyone. The Denizens of the Stars had ran out and about trying to save those that were threatened by the apocalypse, and this was something any race with sufficient capability and heart could accomplish.


    But when the Denizens of the Stars were linked with the holy relics of the Goddess of Creation, Hao Ren realised that these mysterious beings were even more special than he had initially thought.


    They were not just special in their technological capabilities, they were special in their relationship with the Goddess.


    ¡°The Eternals is the collective name of a few particularly ancient and mysterious races.¡± Muru sat cross-legged, his voice thundering. ¡°Long before our Mother started creating life, there were ancient lifeforms in the universe, and we call these races before the birth of the Goddess of Creation, the Eternals.¡±


    ¡°The Goddess of Creation did not actually ¡®create¡¯ a new world¡¯ didn¡¯t she?¡± Lily asked as she strained her neck looking upwards.


    ¡°Yes, the universe already there even before Mother was born. Mother was just the first of Gods to create a large number of lives, but she was not the originator.¡± Muru nodded. ¡°So us guardians had used the era which a race was born, and how their birth came about to categorise them. Those who were around before the birth of the Goddess were all called the Eternals. The races that were created by the Goddess were call the ¡®Godmolded.¡± while those born naturally after the birth of the Goddess were called the ¡®Naturalborn¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Yes, the Goddess of Creation is a unique entity, and in this universe only She alone is without a race.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°So tell me more about these Eternals. Are these ancient race powerful?¡±


    In Hao Ren¡¯s impression, ancient races are usually interlinked with strength, and the more ancient a thing, the stronger they are. Example being, old ginger, aged vinegar, aged wine, and a ten thousand year old old bat. So any races that were around before the birth of the Goddess of Creation can have the name applied to them. In any cases, even the title alone is probably some legendary orange title¡­


    But Lemendusa shook his head. ¡°No, not necessarily. The Eternals are just races that have existed far longer. Of course, any race given time will be powerful but this is not absolute. Some Eternals till now still sow the fields for a living, and some Eternals who had lived for centuries were suddenly wiped out by a flu. The universe encompasses everything, and nothing is final.¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned, and murmured to himself why reality did not match what those sci-fi novels had said. Didn¡¯t the books said that if something lived long enough, even a radix would gain sentience?


    Scratching his hair, Hao Ren continued. ¡°So, lets forget about those silly Eternals. What do you know about these Denizens of the Stars?¡±


    Muru frowned, and there was a hint of uncertainty in his voice, the very first. ¡°They are probably th most secretive of the Eternals, and if I¡¯m not wrong, they are probably one of the stronger ones. These beings are very, very ancient, and it is possible that they are the primeval beings of this universe. They were already around when Mother had tried to create the first batch of living beings. But by the age when us guardians were born, the ¡®Denizens of the Stars¡¯ had rarely appeared any more. They have a very unique mindset and worldview, and they avoid contact with other races. They stay away from the material world, and neither do they build colonies or expand their territory and aside from some occasional wandering across the stars there were no visible activities from them. I¡¯ve only saw mentions about them from ancient observation records, and I¡¯ve only met them a few times at the border.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve met on before?¡± Lily¡¯s ears perked up. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°There was no conversation per se.¡± Muru shrugged with a slightly awkward expression. ¡°A small group of the Denizens of the Stars had visited a local planetm but they had stayed there for a long while, almost like they were sun-bathing. So I went up to speak with them and they¡­¡±


    Muru frowned hard as he tried to phrase the sentence in his mind, and after while he finally figured out a way to express himself. ¡°They shot out a series of rapid flashes, and even after hundred and further years of studies later I still could not decipher what they were trying to say.¡±


    Hao Ren pondered for a bit. ¡°It probably did not mean anything aty all, you had simply scared the lights out of them¡­¡±


    ¡°All in all, the Denizens of the Stars¡¯ are just a very peculiar race.¡± Muru rubbed his chin. ¡°Energy-based lifeform are all like this, because of their unique lifeform, they are distant towards most races. Even the guardians have not paid any attention to us, and neither them to us.¡±


    Vivian then asked. ¡°Is the Denizens of the Stars close with the Goddess?¡±


    ¡°I suppose not.¡± Heve shook her head. ¡°The Denizens of the Stars seemed to be dormant, at least after our birth, their appearance were few and far between. While they may pop up once in a while in the holy kingdom, there is no possiblity of a deep conversation with Mother.¡±


    ¡°When were you guardians born?¡± Hao Ren asked, his curiosity tingled. ¡°I mean how long did it take for the Goddess to create you guys after her birth?¡±


    ¡°Very long,¡± Lemendusa answered. ¡°Mother used many years to research on how to create life, and researching the lifeblood on the Star of Creation itself took her almost a million years. She then had created some failed ¡®seeds¡¯, and that too took another hundred thounsand years. Only after that did she start creating matured giants and the Seed of Origins.¡±


    ¡°Before that, were the Denizens of the Stars active?¡±


    ¡°Yes, much more.¡± Lemendusa nodded slightly. ¡°I heard from other Eternals about them, they were very active before but once the guardians were born, they simply just vanished. You seem to think that these ¡®Denizens of the Stars¡¯ have something to do with Mother?¡±


    ¡°Did you know how the third gilded disc came about?¡± Hao Ren asked, with Lemendusa shaking his head.


    ¡°The Denizens of the Stars gave this holy relic to a mortal race as a protective ward.¡± Hao Ren pointed towards the third disc. ¡°That race had eluded the pursuit of the guardians for ten thousand years thanks to that.¡±


    The three giants were immediately stunned.


    ¡°So the Denizens of the Stars must have some sort of connection with the Goddess, but that¡¯s probaby long before you guardians were born.¡± Hao Ren rubbed his chin in thought. ¡°And after a period they simply just vanished, and only to reappear after the fall of the Goddess, and were running about trying to salvage things¡­ Don¡¯t you find this weird? Also, did no one actually gotten around finding their homeworld? Even as secretive as they are, they should have a place to call home right?¡±


    The three guardians looked at each other, and Muru had an awkward expression on his face. ¡°We had never paid attention to them. They were a race whose existance was almost indistinct, they never colonise nor expand their territory neither were they hostile to anyone.. so¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. I get it. You lot pretty much took them as somesort of natural phenomenon and completely ignored them,¡± Hao Ren shrugged.


    ¡°Actually, beside us there were other race who had tried to search for the homeworld of the Denizens of the Stars.¡± Lemendusa suddenly brought up something not know before. ¡°There was a race whose psychic powers were highly developed. They lived by the holy kingdom and worshipped a mysterious ¡®Truth of the Stars¡¯, they think that the resonance of the soul and the universe is the path to the ultimate truth, and worshipped energy beings as gods sent by the will of the universe. They had tried to track down the homeworld of the Denizens of the Stars, but every expedition that they sent out ended up lost mysteriously, and they gave up after a while.¡±


    ¡°Lost mysteriously?¡± Hao Ren immediately pounced with a question. ¡°Have they found anything? Any fortunate survivors?¡±


    ¡°Those that were lost were never heard from again. No one knew of their fate, and those who came back only left a word: The edge of the stars is covered with the sound of darkness.¡± Lemendusa then shook his head. ¡°I was not an investigator that was in touch with the mortal races, so that¡¯s about the extent I know.¡±


    ¡°The edge of the stars is covered with the sound of darkness¡­.¡± Hao Ren pondered the particularly odd sentence. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me the Denizens of the Stars lived in a blackhole¡­ Heh, I think that race that tried to search for them probably ran into a catastrophe of sorts and there¡¯s no one alive to tell any tales.¡±

 Chapter 961

    After speaking to the guardian giants about the Denizens of the Stars for a bit, Hao Ren realised that the guardians knowledge about the mysterious race was rather limited. They were once wanderers across the universe, and during the time when the Goddess of Creation was figuring the creation of life out these light balls were a rather common sight in the universe. But after that, their activity were slowly reduced, and by the time the guardians like Muru were born, the Denizens of the Stars had almost never showed up any longer and had become a mysterious race in the ¡®universal myth¡¯. As the guardian¡¯s duty was to look after the mortal races created by the Goddess, they had never paid any attention to the Naturalborn or the Eternals, and after the Denizens of the Stars had completely went into hiding, the guardians too pretty much forgot about them.


    Based on the information at hand, the Denizens had since maintain a low profile and only reappearing after the fall of the Goddess to go around saving worlds from the rampaging guardians.


    That somehow did not really clicked with their original image. As a reclusive race, they should have been indifferent towards the fate of the universe and the mortal races in it, and they too were not in the killl list. For these recluse, why would they suddenly went all out saving the world?¡±


    Muru and the rest were did not particularly understood the clues that Hao Ren and the rest had found and asked in unison. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The planet in exile, Holletta, the Ark fleet, these three civilisations are millions of light years apart.¡± Hao Ren crossed his arms. ¡°But they had seemed to received warnings about the impending calamity all at the same time, and there is truth to that, our reports show that many other races too had received such warnings. The Denizens too with haste had mounted various aid and support missions; while not completely successful, their measures had some visible effects. That means they were already ready for this eventuality.¡±


    A loud crack suddenly came from above and Hao Ren was surprised by the sudden motion. Only when he looked up he realised Lemendusa was clenching his fist very tightly, his face furious. ¡°You mean to say that they had already knew someone was trying to kill Mother?!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s only a conjecture at the moment, and given how unusual their modus operandi are, and how their worldview differs from the rest, it¡¯s very hard to say if their actions were intentional or not.¡± Hao Ren quickly tried to calm Lemendusa down. ¡°Besides, our information is just too insufficient right now, simply slapping a motive to their actions is a little unfair no?¡±


    Lemendusa took a few deep breaths. He knew Hao Ren was right and finally calmed down.


    ¡°The key question is we don¡¯t know if the Denizens of the Stars are still around or not.¡± Vivian sighed. ¡°They may be powerful, but they are no match for a rampaging First Born. They would be hard pressed just to defend themselves. Since the time of the Goddess¡¯ fall they had been running about warning everyone to evacuate or to seek shelter, and they had not been heard for almost ten thousand years since, so where do we find them now?¡±


    That particular phrase appeared in Hao Ren¡¯s mind again: The edge of the stars is covered with the sound of darkness.


    ¡°The sound of darkness at the edge of the stars..¡± Hao Ren looked at Lemendusa. ¡°Don¡¯t suppose you know what that means?¡±


    ¡°Most races understanding of the universe is often riddled with misconceptions, and it differs based on the level of civilisations. Some very simple space phenomenon would be made complicated by some convoluted explaination. The edge of the stars could mean the edge of a galaxy, or the border of a star system¡­ As for the sound of darkness¡­ that¡¯s even more difficult to narrow down. The universe is a sea of darkness, and who knows if they are talking about blackholes or any other unnnatural spatial phenomenon.¡± Lemendusa shook his head. ¡°But if I were to look for the Denizens of the Stars there¡¯s at least general direction; towards the most ancient star system. They are the first race to awaken in this universe, and their homeworld should ben in the deep end of the galaxy, as that place was the first point of evolution of the universe.¡±


    ¡°Are there any life-sustaining enviroment there still?¡± Hao Ren was taken aback.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing but ash there. While I¡¯ve never been there myself, I know for a fact that the stars there had already burnt out. Even the new planets formed after the collapse of the earlier stars too had burnt out. There are no longer any births of new stars, and only a sea of charred, scorching materials floating about. That is after the oldest part of the galaxy, but the Denizens of the Stars could very well live there. They had been there since the begining, and were probably used to this extreme condition. If we can¡¯t find them in other parts of the galaxy, then we should be looking at the burnt-out heart of the galaxy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a very dangerious place¡­¡± the MDT muttered. ¡°The droids have yet to deploy any explorators there.¡±


    ¡°The droids have never been into the central star system before?¡±


    ¡°Nope, of course not. That¡¯s a literal planetary graveyard. The first place in the galaxy to burn out. There¡¯s no life there, and the Goddess of Creation had never sown any life that direction either. The droids will of course not head there automatically.¡± The MDT shook. ¡°And frankly speaking, it¡¯s just too far away. And base on the speed the droids are exploring and setting up a base camp, it will probably take many many years before they would reach the vicinity of the central star system.¡±


    Hao Ren demurred for a moment. ¡°Let the droids send some Nestweaver vanguards there first, and build a separate unit in the system.¡±


    After settling the matter of the Denizens of the Stars, Hao Ren sighed before slightly pursing his lips. ¡°Say, that prisoner had been locked for a while now, what¡¯s the status?¡±


    Muru grunted with contempt. ¡°A stubborn one that is. I¡¯ve looked at him from afar, and he still had that look to him. No shame nor regrets, and he is resistant towards any mental pressure.¡±


    ¡°No effect at all?¡± Hao Ren raised an eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯ve set up so many¡­ Let me have a look.¡±


    Crystal Apple Research Station. The Penitentiary Quarter.


    The security of the area was as strong as ever, and yet there was only one prisoner in the massive penitentiary. Within the prison cell that was formed by many light rays, the captured ¡®treacherous child¡¯ lay asleep. He still had that gilded appearance to him and the many days of captivity did not seem to diminish him at all. A few glowing arcane structure and droids floated about the captive, and the ¡®prison guards¡¯ had formed a faint lightweb in the air, encompassing the prisoner within.


    Hao Ren and the rest stood outside the cell as they monitored. Rollie carefully used her paws to boop the wall of light. ¡°Big Boss Cat, what is he doing?¡±


    ¡°Facing interrogation.¡± Hao Ren bent down as he pulled up Rollie by the collar. ¡°How may times do I need to tell you to walk straight. That person is facing a gruelling interrogation, but from what I can see¡­¡±


    Hao Ren turned towards the crystal control panel to the side that displayed the prisoner¡¯s mental status..


    ¡°From what I can see it¡¯s bloody useless. That bastard¡¯s mental fortitude is ironclad.¡±


    ¡°He looks like he is sleeping, nya.¡± the catgirl mumbled.


    Hao Ren knew Rollie¡¯s comprehension capabilities was better than Lil Pea but still limited, so he could not be arsed to explain further.


    The interrogation method chosen was due to the fact that the prisoner was not afraid of physical pain, and even Y¡¯zaks soul interrogation had limited effect against the treacherous children. So Hao Ren could only moved the interrogation process into the spiritual level. He wanted to pry open the mind of the latter to dig out whatever information he could, so he even had Zom help out, using the First Born¡¯s special mental ability to build a series of complex system. At present the system was working fine, but the problem lies within the prisoner¡¯s stubborn resistance against a conciousness dive.


    On the control panel beside the cell, a holographic display showed the current state of the captive. He was now in a purgatory hell, and was undergoing a horrific pain of having lava injected into his bloodstream, before being thrown into an endless battlefield, where endless waves of powerful foes would have tire any normal person to the point of giving up their lives. At times, he was sent to a state of restful slumber but the dream was a fleeting one before changing into a living nightmare. No matter how these illusions hammered against his pysche, the prisoner was stoic as ever.


    Almost as if he did not have a heart.


    ¡°Well¡­ we¡¯re back to base torture again.¡± Hao Ren shook his head as he saw the images. ¡°No creativity at all.¡±


    The MDT was helpless too. ¡°But the mainframe computer had already used all sorts of hellscape from many legends, and even Y¡¯zaks suggestions had been used.


    Hao Ren frowned before touching the crystal prism by the control panel. ¡°Let me try, a direct dive into the bastard¡¯s mind.¡±

 Chapter 962

    The ¡®treacherous children¡¯ had very strong mental fortitude, and normal attacks would literally just bounce off. So Hao Ren had not bothered using mental attacks to break the prisoner¡¯s will. In place, Hao Ren chose to put the prisoner through a unending cycle of nightmares, hoping to chip away the latter¡¯s resistance through it. Using Zom¡¯s unique ability, he had managed to build such a syste, but as of now, he was only able to scrap the surface of the prisoner¡¯s conciousness.


    The new illusion was an endless space, the prisoner was curious for a moment as he was thrown into the empty void. He realised that this illusion was different from before, there was nothing here, no excruciating pain, no utopian dreamland, it was simply an empty space with the occasional starlight. The prisoner pondered for a moment before realising that someone stood behind him.


    ¡°Long time no see.¡± Hao Ren waved at the treacherous child, his voice directly going into the latter¡¯s mind. ¡°How you find the place?¡±


    ¡°So you finally deign to show up yourself.¡± the prisoner was not surprise to see Hao Ren. He let out a mocking smile, as he replied via mental link. ¡°Seems like your abilities as just like that. An inferior being will always be one.¡±


    ¡°Say what you want,¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°What we have is time, and there is a definite limit to your mental defense. So I¡¯m here to ask you, are you willing to cooperate? You know that resistance is ultimately futile, in this endless dream cycle, you¡¯ll crack someday.¡±


    ¡°You are grossly underestimateing us, the new gods.¡± the prisoner was impassive, and his eyes was bleeding with contempt as he looked at Hao Ren, even when he himself was the prisoner. But at that point, it looked like it was him who was the master of the place. ¡°Our lifeform have already transcended beyond your imagination, your childs play is nothing but amusement to me.¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°Then, let me show you something new.¡±


    The prisoner cast a curious glance at Hao Ren, wondering what sort of tricks he would play now. He suddenly felt his body sinking as a surge of powerful gravitational force pulled him under. AT the same time, a blinding and scorching light shot out from the sight. He turned back in surprise as he saw the empty space giving way into a blazing star, and the star was bleeding light, as it tried to swallow him into the terrifying inferno.


    The descent from space into a burning planet was indeed terrifying, and this was much more fear inducing than the scenes from purgatory or hell from the various mythology. And even the mentally resillent ¡®God killers¡¯, he could not help but widening his eyes as he saw what was before him. After a short stupor, the prisoner gave a contemptous smile. ¡°A little bit more creative than before, but what about it?¡±


    The prisoner sneered as he mocked Hao Ren¡¯s futile attempt while he fell into the sun. The scorching flames set his clothes and flesh on fire, and the stubborn bastard was reduced to ash in the blaze.


    As his spirit was just about to fade away, the illusion ended and the prisoner suddenly recovered from the extended illusory world. He found himself laying on the floor of the crystal cell, as the bizzare robots before him beeped and booped before retreating away. Hao Ren stood across the lightwall as he looked on. ¡°You¡¯re sure a tough nut to crack.¡±


    ¡°Over already?¡± the prisoner let out a faint smile, before getting up slowly and tidying up his clothes. Every motion he made was ridiculing the futile efforts of the ¡®inferior beings¡¯ before him. ¡°Frankly speaking, you might just as well kill me, that would reduce your pain, the pain of continuous failure.¡±


    Seeking how contemptous the prisoner was even in this state, even Y¡¯zaks the patient one started to get annoyed. ¡°Insolent insect! Do you know who stands before you?¡±


    ¡°Does it even matter?¡± the prisoner smiled mockingly. By now, even Vivian had enough and stepped forward to teach the pompous treacherous child a lession, just at that very moment, a massive shock stopped everyone in their tracks!


    ¡°BOOM!! BOOM!!¡±


    A series of loud crashes came from deep within the building and each crash was thunderous. The crystal prism and the crystalline dome of the penitentiary zone shook violently amidst the massive explosions. The solid crystalline structure shuddered as it started letting out clacking noise under pressure. The prisoner had not realised what happened, but he soon realise the expressions of Hao Ren and the rest was that of abject shock.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening? What¡¯s happening?!¡± Just a minute ago Lily was playing ¡®Who can wag her tail faster¡¯ with Rollie and was scared out of her wits by the sudden quake and explosion. ¡°The place is collapsing?!¡±


    ¡°BOOM!!¡±


    A bigger explosion came from afar, and this time around the explosion sounded even closer than before, and the following shockwave was even more terrifying. The entire penitentiary zone was upended as the massive crystalline dome shattered. A crystal pillar connected to the wall and the dome ¨C probably an energy conduit of sorts- suddenly blasted out a blinding glow before disintegrating into over a dozen pieces, raining crystal debris all over the prison cell, liting up the wall of light that made up the cell.


    As the bone-chilling explosion and quaking continued, Hao Ren shouted. ¡°Mainframe! Status report!¡±


    The space station¡¯s mainframe replied with a droning voice. ¡°The third bridge is under attack. Reactor one to four status unknown. Rupture detected in the First Experimental Container, and the stored items are leaking¡­. Identifying attackers¡­.¡±


    Hao Ren commanded, his tone rushed. ¡°Display image.¡±


    A massive holographic projection appeared in midair, the top part was showing the situation outside the space station, and it was nothing but the void as more and more great starships appeared from the dark of the void.. The spatial distortion when the starships completed their jump had distorted the entire background of the universe. These starships were gilded and striking as if each and everyone of them was made out of gold. Everyone of them were decorated with ornate structures, almost looking like floating cathedrals in space, their presence was immediately imposing the moment they appeared.


    A few hundred starships now appeared in the space before CARS, and many more were arriving by the minute. The massive fleet had now surrounded CARS and their concentrated firepower sent shockwaves all over the station¡¯s protective barrier.


    ¡°F*ck! Where did they come from?!¡± Hao Ren shouted in shock as he saw the scene and immediately called the mainframe. ¡°Release all limiters! Activate all cannon platforms and summon all the nearby attack droids back!¡±


    After that he pulled the dumb cat that was stunned silly as he called the others. ¡°To the central command hall!¡±


    The sudden turn of events had thrown everything to the sharks, and everyone had left the penitentiary zone in a blink of an eye, leaving the prisoner alone in the empty prison. Explosions and shuddering continued from all over, as if threatening to tear the prison apart.¡±


    ¡°Seems like I¡¯ll meet my end here¡­¡± the prison laughed self-mockingly, but just before his voice trailed off, a crystal power core suddenly glowed as if the energy conduit had overloaded leading to the crystal exploding.


    As the power core shattered, every cell room in the penitentiary zone flickered.


    A low hum later, the impregnable wall of light before him flickered and finally dissipated.


    The prisoner could not react to the turn of events, he stared befuddledly at the change before him. The wall of light had kept him captive for many days. He had many times tried to destroy it to no avail. And he had already formed the opinion that the thin lightscreen was practically invincible. But now the lightscreen had disappeared and he did not know how to react.


    But very soon after, a voice broke him out of his stupor, ¡°What are you standing there for?! You want to stay here forever?¡±


    The prisoner looked up, dumbfounded and he saw a massive figure appearing from the dark void. The figure wore an ornate field commander battledress and held a scepter in hand. His features was fierce and his eyes sharp.¡±


    ¡°We have noticed that the Solenne Gateway had gotten out of the Umbral Realm, and we have tracked your signal until here.¡± The imposing field commander said with gutteral voice. ¡°Seems like you¡¯re a soldier from ten thousand years ago?¡±


    The prisoner nodded, before asking. ¡°You are¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk after we leave here.¡± The commander waved as a dozen of fully armed warriors appeared from the darkness. ¡°They¡¯ll recover soon enough, and I don¡¯t intend to die to these inferior beings before I reach the Promised Land.¡±

 Chapter 963

    Explosions roared and the ground shook.


    CARS was practically the size of a mini planet, and as yet under the murderous bombardments from hundreds of treacherous children¡¯s starships, the massive space structure still shuddered terribly. Each and every compartment rang with a terrifying explosion, and the massive and sturdy crystal dome and prisms creaked under the massive quake and the energy-infused crystals started bursting one after another, a stinging odour permeated across the corridors as arcane energy floated about in a cloud of mist.


    Along the way, the combat team encountered a fight much more difficult than expected. The one stopping them was not Hao Ren and his crew, but the station¡¯s security measures that was activated: Glowing arcane guardians, combat droids with countless of metallic tentacle, and turrets popping out from the walls and the roof. These seemingly random items had a combat capacity beyond their expectation, and the elite soldiers had paid a bloody toll against the unmanned units. By the time they got towards a catapult channel where the void outside was faintly visible, the combat team was down to less than one-third of its original compliment.


    ¡°Damn it¡­. what are these things¡­.¡± The sceptre wielding commander cursed as he held his arm. ¡°When did this mysterious force appeared in this universe¡­.¡±


    ¡°They probably came from another world,¡± the prisoner recalled the unusual strength Hao Ren and his crew had as he warned hurriedly. ¡°I heard that they were talking about going between worlds. Beware, they would risk everything to take me back.¡±


    ¡°Leave that until after we get out of here alive.¡± The commander grumbled as he led his men dashing through,


    At the same time, they felt a very unusual shudder from the floor.


    The walls on both sides and the ceiling suddenly changed shape at the same time and were closing in.


    ¡°They are trying to lock us in!¡± the commander roared. ¡°Everyone, move! Move! Get out of here!¡±


    Even as self-proclaimed ¡®Gods¡¯, the treacherous children still had self-preservation instincts. As doom was just before them, everyone exploded into lightning speed. The prisonr too was surprised that he still had such strength after being incarcerated for so long. He quickly rose into the air and dashed forward, with wind whistling by his ears as the encroaching ceiling and walls disappeared from his sight, and turned into a blurry mirage. A few beams shot out from behind, and he heard the death cries of his kin. The tentacled droids may have already caught up with them, but he did not look back. What was the use of it? It¡¯ll just cause everyone to perish here.


    So he flew as fast as he was able to. The last ten meters, the last five meters, the last meter, and in a blink of an eye, he was now free.


    He went through a very thin light membrane, and this was probably the space station¡¯s filtering screen. After stepping into the void, only then did he let out a sigh of relief. The voice of the commander that saved him appeared in his head. ¡°Seems like only two of us made it out alive.¡±


    The now-free treacherous child turned back to look at the space station that held him captive until today, and search for the spot that led to his escape. He saw a blastdoor that had just closed, and some golden blood spurted out from the seams of the blastdoor, turning into quickly condensing blood mist.


    Behind him some distance away, the golden starships still continued to bombard the space station¡¯s seemingly impregnable energy barrier.


    A small shuttle quickly flew towards them, and the shuttle had a curved lobster-like shape to it. The commander tapped the prisoner on his arm. ¡°Lets make our move. I¡¯ll explain to you everything once we are back on the ship.¡±


    The prisoner nodded, but as he saw the shuttle he popped a curious question. ¡°A planetary fighter craft? Why is it used here?¡±


    ¡°¡­This world has already been upended, you¡¯ll definitely have many questions waiting to be answered.¡± The commander shook his head. ¡°That war was ten thousand years ago.¡±


    They got on to the shuttle and under the cover of friendly vessels they safely got back onboard the flagship. As they step into the ship, only upon seeing the familiar decorations and floating sculptures did they two heave a sigh of relief, as they had survived a brutal and harrowing prison break.


    Once their target was secured, the fleet immediately broke off, and the massive gilded starships initiated another warp jump just like how they came. Once the universe outside fully faded to black, the commander only then asked the soldier that he had just saved. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Nacruel.¡± The newly freed treacherous child was still drowning in his euphoria from the breakout, and answered reflexively. After then, only did he remembered to ask the whereabouts of his kin. ¡°Where did you come from? And for us to have such a fleet¡­ Is our people still flourishing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m curious to know what did those people inside the space station told you.¡±


    ¡°They said that our kin had been completely eradicated by divine wrath.¡± Nacruel frowned. ¡°And they said that it was ten thousand years ago. As the Solenne Gateway was trapped in a time flux, I remained in time for ten thousand years.¡±


    ¡°They were not completely lying.¡± The commander nodded. ¡°This is indeed ten thousand years later. As for us¡­ This is a very long tale. Wait till we get back to our base then I¡¯ll let you see what¡¯s left of us. That war had destroyed almost everything, and our people came out worse of it. The remaining people and technology had long deviated.¡±


    As he said, the commander smiled. ¡°So when we got news that the Solenne Gateway had suddenly reappeared, and when we detected the traces of space-time distortion and your trail, everyone was escatic. You are now a living treasure, and as you had lived through the war, you know many things that we don¡¯t.¡±


    The commander noticed Nacruel¡¯s indecision, and patted him on the shoulder. ¡°You need to remember the honour of our people, and not be broken by such tribulations. Now what we need to do is to rebuilt our glorious past, and everything you know is important to us.¡±


    Nacruel gave the action of patting his a confused look, before nodded slowly. ¡°¡­ I will give my all for the rebuilding of our divine civilisation.¡±


    He then quickly reminded the commander, ¡°You need to be wary of those within the crystal space station. While this may be a setback for them, they¡¯ll definitely seek retribution at all cost. They have powers beyond what I¡¯ve seen, and that space station is just a very tiny part of their massive strength. Their leader even have a very revolting stench to him, and it smells like something to do with the old gods.¡±


    The commander just gave a light nod before leading Nacruel deeper into the starship. On the way, Nacruel noticed that the manpower on the ship was very minimal, and everyone was in a hurry. There were no chatter between them at all, leaving him perplexed. ¡°Even the ¡®Divine Spirit¡¯ class ships are so sparsely manned?¡±


    ¡°That war took a bloody toll on us, and those survived were affected by the Goddess¡¯ curse. Even after ten thousand years, our population never recovered.¡± The commander explained, rather murkily. ¡°So now what we need to know is how our warriors ten thousand years ago had obtained the power to fight against the Goddess. We need to regain this power, or our people will perish under the curse.¡±


    ¡°The Goddess¡¯ Curse?¡± Nacruel slowed down his footsteps. ¡°And you don¡¯t even know what happened in the war?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the Goddess¡¯ Curse not only took our lives, it had also caused distortions in our memories and cognitive abilities. Those who had survived the war quickly withered away, and did not leave much knowledge behind.¡± The commander explained it in very simple terms. ¡°So how did the warriors of yore overcame the power of divinity? We had only found runes from the equipment left behimd, but they were only effective against the Goddess¡¯ own weapons, but not herself. This left us very perplexed, without such a powerful strength, how did the warriors ten thousand years ago accomplished the feat of god slaying?¡±


    ¡°Have the Cosmic Progenitor abandoned you all¡­¡± Nacruel had a very confused tone in his voice. ¡°That can¡¯t be right¡­ It had already infused divinity into our spirits, and our resistance to divinity and divine magic should be permanent¡­¡±


    ¡°The Cosmic Progenitor?¡± The commander¡¯s voice suddenly rose, and he quickly realised his slip up and immediately put on a stern look again. ¡°We only know of the name, but no longer know its origins.¡±


    ¡°Can our people no longer hear that voice?¡± The great voice from the Origination of Worlds? Nacruel stopped and his expression changed immediately before turning glum. ¡°I¡¯ve always felt something was weird¡­¡±


    ¡°I can understand. You have been apart from us for almost ten thousand years.¡± The commander responded with a nonchalant nod. ¡°Let me bring you to meet the leader on this ship.He will have plenty to ask, like the whereabouts of the sword that slew the Goddess.¡±


    Nacruel did not say anything, and just stood there impassively. The commander raised an eyebrow as he turned back. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I admit, I have underestmated you.¡± Nacruel stared into the eyes of the ¡®commander¡¯. ¡°I never thought you¡¯d be so cunning.¡±


    Before Nacruel, Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°So when exactly did I got found out?¡±

 Chapter 964

    Within the gilded starship, everything suddenly stopped. The dust particles in the air, the floating runes on the equipment, even the maintanance robots along the corridor, all had stopped seemingly at press of a button. And the ship¡¯s crew that was going about slowly faded into transparent silhouettes, before disappearing altogether.


    The veil of silence now descended upon the area, with only Hao Ren standing before Nacruel. He still wore the commander¡¯s battledress, but even that was fading away, revealing Hao Ren¡¯s original attire.


    ¡°When did you started suspecting me?¡± Hao Ren grinned as he held his hands akimbo, rephrasing his sentence. ¡°Was that question a little bit too rushed?¡±


    ¡°I felt something was off the moment I stepped onto the ship.¡± Nacruel had an icy expression, the proud god slayer had finally tasted defeat. This defeat was even more painful than being taken prisoner. The latter was at least bareable as he could admit that he was not up to par, but this, this made him felt that he was being played for a fool. ¡°There¡¯s too many places in the ship that is off, wrong place in the wrong position¡­. I should have realised this sooner, that this was just one of your schemes.¡±


    Hao Ren looked around, and this ship was created based on the Pattianne, the treacherous children vessel that was taken at the Solenne Gateway. He had simulated the entire detail of the ship, and even arranged for crews and some working components, but alas the illusion was ultimately just an illusion. While it may trick outsiders, it would not work on a real rebel soldier.


    But he finally shook his head, signalling it did not matter. ¡°But all of that doesn¡¯t matter now, we¡¯ve gotten you to speak at long last.¡±


    Nacruel cast a furious glance at Hao Ren, and the contempt he had in this eyes had disappeared and was replaced by extreme fury and hostility. Probably only now that the proud bastard had really see the ones before him as a formidable foe. ¡°Conniving knaves! If only I did not hope to escape from this cage, I would not have fallen for this!¡±


    ¡°No, you should not have hoped for that.¡± Hao Ren looked at Nacruel impassively. ¡°You should be hoping that you¡¯d actually wake up.¡±


    As Hao Ren finished, the world collapsed.


    The illusion was over, and the gilded and glorious ¡®Starship of the Gods¡¯ crumbled like sand as it faded away into the distance and all sound ceased in that instant, what was left was an hollow echo in the sinking dark abyss. Nacruel, who once thought he had regained his freedom opened his eyes as the darkness faded away, and found himself within the impregnable cell, his body surrounded by a group of buzzing arcane beings and droids.


    Hao Ren stood outside the cell looking at him, all around was an intact crystal prison. The pillars were still flickering gloriously and the crystalline dome still had that forboding presence from above. There was no attack, or breach, there were no rescue force forcing their way in. In the cold hard reality, the god slayers had already been eradicated ten thosand years ago. Nacruel now had the first hand grasp of that feeling.


    Hao Ren hugged his arm as he waited for Nacruel to wake up, as he asked. ¡°What is the Cosmic Progenitor?¡±


    The prisoner bowed his head and stayed silent, like a piece of dead rock.


    ¡°Is it another god? Another powerful race? Somesort of power? Or is it a spiritual manifest of your own creation?¡± Hao Ren shout out one question after another. ¡°So you¡¯d only decided to slay a god after listening to the voice of the Cosmic Roots?¡±


    The prisoner kept silent.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already spoke once,¡± Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°Resistance is futile, and sides, your race is dead and gone, what good are your secrets now?¡±


    Hao Ren knew that his questions is as good as being asked against a wall, and Nacruel had clearly decided to not speak to anyone henceforth. Hao Ren was not bothered by it and motioned to the rest that he is done for today, and left with the party. But before he exited the room he turned back and threw one last sentence at the prisoner. ¡°Oh yeah, guess whether if you are actually asleep or awake?¡±


    The prisoner finally had some reaction as he heard that as he looked up by reflex before drooping his head down again.


    After leaving the penitentiary zone, Hao Ren immediately contacted Zom who was in charge of the dream system. ¡°Recalibrate the dreamweaving for Prisoner One. Under no circumstances should he be presented or allowed to touch anything that allows him to determine if he is in a real world. And reduce those purgatory style dreams. They don¡¯t work at all.¡±


    Only then did Lily prodded Hao Ren by the arm. ¡°Eh Mr Landlord, Mr Landlord, why do I feel like our tactics earlier were rather underhanded.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with being underhanded? You¡¯re expect chivalry to get that bastard to talk?¡± Hao Ren pursed his lips. ¡°The only thing I¡¯m regretting is my lack of acting skills, and the setting was a bit shoddy, otherwise a few more questions and we will be able to dig out the key info we need. Bleh, doesn¡¯t matter anyway, at least we have something new to work with now.¡±


    Even Y¡¯zaks couldn¡¯t help but to see Hao Ren in a new light. ¡°Truth be told that idea of yours was devillishly brilliant. Even when I had thousands upon thousands of wardens, none of them were as creative as you. If you were capable of controlling souls, you¡¯d probably be a better demon than me¡­¡±


    Hao Ren could not help himself but to spew sarcastic venom back at Y¡¯zaks. ¡°Heh, by your current lifestyle of clutching a newspaper roll everyday, anyone with a horn would be more suited to be a demon than you eh?¡±


    That did not go down well with Y¡¯lisabet as she jabbed and spun her tiny horn on her head on Hao Ren¡¯s tight. ¡°Papa is the Demon King! He is the strongest of all demons! You can¡¯t say that to Papa, Uncle Ren¡­!¡±


    Don¡¯t sneer at the brat¡¯s short stature but that horn on her little head was proof of her status as a high demon, and with enough force that horn was nothing to scoff at. The moment the horn connected to his tight sparks flew as the Steel Membrane Shield activated It looked like almost as if she was setting off sparklers on his pants. Hao Ren quickly grabbed the little brat as he took her by the horn and threw her into the air before turning towards the central hall. ¡°Lets go talk to Muru and the rest. See if they have anything to say about this ¡®Cosmic Progenitor¡¯ thing.¡±


    Soon he had reached the central hall where the three guardian giants stood awaiting news from him. They had wanted to go to the penitentiary zone to interrogate the prisooner but they knew that they would probably fly into a furious rage upon seeing the treacherous child and would simply muck things up, so they decided to just wait there. As Hao Ren told them of the results of his interrogation, the three guardian giants expressed surprised at the success, before showing great interest and confusion about the ¡®Cosmic Progenitor¡¯.


    ¡°Neither of you know what that thing actually means?¡± Vivian frowned slightly.


    ¡°Sounds like a generic name.¡± Muru shook his head. ¡°Could be a race, or a false god, or it might be a spiritual conjuration, but the third one is unlikely. Because what the treacherous child said is that they only obtained their powers with the help of the Cosmic Progenitor, so that thing should be something tangible.¡±


    ¡°That Nacruel bastard also mentioned that the Cosmic Progenitor had injected powers against divinity directly into the souls of the entire treacherous children¡¯s race.¡± Hao Ren rubbed his chin. ¡°But we have also found runes against divinity on their weapons. You mentioned that the runes were stolen by the traitors, and these two could clearly be used against divinity, but their source is clearly different.¡±


    ¡°Their runes will work against Mother¡¯s powers and creations but its use is restricted. Without the runes, the traitors are still mere mortals.¡± Lemendusa nodded. ¡°So they would need something to ¡®transcend¡¯, and turn their bodies into weapons against god. Seems like this power is not their own, but from a third party.¡±


    Muru sneered. ¡°Seems like everything they have was either stolen, or cheated, there was nothing that they could call their own.¡±


    ¡°Now my biggest headache is the sudden appearance of this Cosmic Progenitor.¡± Hao Ren sighed as he felt his head spin. ¡°We already have so many enemies in this universe as it is, I don¡¯t need to add another troublesome one to the list.¡±


    Lily did not seem to mind however, ¡°Since we already have so many enemies in this universe as it is, what difference does one more make?¡±


    Everyone suddenly threw a surprised glance at Lily, seemingly casting her in a new light. No one thought that the werehusky would have such bravado. Lily immediately shrunk back at the weight of attention of her. ¡°I just felt that saying that sounds¡­cool¡­¡±


    Hao Ren sighed again. ¡°Lily¡¯s right, one tick in an infestion won¡¯t make it itch more, since I¡¯ve never planned to take it easy when I came here anyway. So lets us crack our heads on what that Cosmic Progenitor nonsense is.¡±

 Chapter 965

    The vast Plane of Dreams have countless untold secrets, and even more dangers. Even before Hao Ren signed up for this, Raven 12345 had already warned him of the dangers. And everytime Hao Ren thought that he had met the biggest challenge in the Plane of Dreams, something even bigger, even scarier would pop out of nowhere and scare him shitless. So at times he do think that Raven 12345 at least have a dependable side to her. Well, at the very least, her horror stories at the beginning weren¡¯t lies. She was even nonchalant when she described this god forsaken place.


    Against this sorethumb called the Cosmic Progenitor, even the guardians, Vivian or Y¡¯zaks, beings of vast knowledge had no idea where to start, but one thing for sure is that this ¡®Cosmic Progenitor¡¯ was definitely not some spiritual manifestion as the treacherous children had only started forming ideas about deicide, and the master of this voice had gave them forbidden knowledge and a part of their strength. This had created another question in Hao Ren¡¯s mind. If the Cosmic Progenitor can allow mere mortals powers to slay gods, why did it not act on its own?


    Hao Ren threw the question out to the rest, and Vivian took the opportunity to hyopthesize about the true form of the ¡®Cosmic Progenitor¡¯. ¡°Based on the information we have, the treacherous children had only ¡®heard¡¯ somesort of voice, and have gotten their powers from that voice, so all their contact was indirect, and so we can assume that no one had actually seen the real ¡®form¡¯ of the Cosmic Room. Perhaps, that thing does not have a corporeal form, and is just a powerful will, something like a vengeful spirit or whatnot. It can corrupt mortal races, but as it does not have a form, it could not attack the holy kingdom.


    ¡°A vengeful spirit corrupted a mortal race, and drove that race to deicide¡­.¡± Hao Ren murmured as he massaged his temple. ¡°That sounds¡­ a little cheap. A proper Goddess was killed by a plot of something that¡¯s without a body, and that thing did not even deign to do the dirty work itself. What is that ¡®Cosmic Progenitor¡¯ thing really? To think that it is able to grant powers to a mortal race to kill a god?¡±


    Lily was couched beside Hao Ren, her tail wagging. ¡°Just look at the name, it¡¯s the ¡®Progenitor¡¯. The name a lot makes it sounds like a big deal. Perhaps it is an old monster that survived since the birth of the universe? Don¡¯t this world have Eternals? The Oldest of the Eternals may very well be stronger than the Goddess.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks then spoke as he crossed his arm over his chest, sarcastic venom seeped from his voice. ¡°Those who loves to bluff would always give themselves a scary or awe-inspiring name. This cowardly bastard is probably not some origin of universes, and even if it was one, its powers surely would not be limited to a formless state?¡±


    Hao Ren immediately threw Y¡¯zak a curious glance. ¡°Why does it sound like you are very familiar with this particular bluffing script?¡±


    Awkwardness flashed across Y¡¯zaks faced. ¡°Lets keep the past¡­¡±


    The old demon had wanted to preserve some dignity, but his daughter did not allow him the luxury as Y¡¯lisabet blurted out her fathers chuunibyou exploits back in the day. ¡°Papa was a young impulsive demon too, and I¡¯ve heard from the chamberlain that Papa had let his shadow pop out of the flame of the fireplace in the human realms, claiming himself to be the flamelord who would burn the world into a cinder, and there was no hovel in the nine kingdoms that did not hear Papa¡­¡±


    ¡°The past is the past,¡± Y¡¯zaks said as he nudged his dauhter¡¯s head. ¡°I was very young then, and wanted to show my powers, and thought that making a name for myself in the human realm was a good idea. But a real name does not need these sort of bluff, as years later when I mentioned my name before a royal city, the entire city knelt to me in submission.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit, you¡¯d already almost ran the world into the ground. Even if you were to call yourself Big Hammer Wang no one would dare say a thing and engrave it on a coin.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°Lets get back to the topic, like what old Y¡¯zaks said, the Cosmic Progenitor cannot be some sort of universal will, and I¡¯ve seen a real one to boot. Even when you are a void apart, gossiping about Raven12345 would still earn you a judgement bolt, so it is definitely not that as nothing happened when we talked about it. But for it to have such a reputation, it probably have some strength to back it up.¡±


    Nangong Sanba then chimed. ¡°Yet, there was no further movement after ten thousand years, and its own appearance was to set the treacherous children on the course of deicide.¡±


    ¡°Would it be possible that they were killed by the aftermath?¡± Vivian proposed. ¡°After the treacherous children had slayed the Goddess they too were subjected to extermination by divine judgement. Those behind the scenes would not have escaped totally unscathed.¡±


    ¡°Or they could probably be asleep, like the Goddess herself, and entered a peculiar state of neither living nor dead¡­¡± Hao Ren was a little dizzy by now. ¡°I really want to avoid getting entangled in things like this. When Gods fights worlds crumble, its just too troublesome for us normies being caught in the middle¡­¡±


    As the hall quiet down, Nangong Wuyue snaked her tail around the table and prodded Hao Ren. ¡°Mr Landlord, you actually have the cheek to call yourself a normie?¡±


    Hao Ren gave a dry laugh before sighing. ¡°Ugh¡­ Never thought that the godslayers that time weren¡¯t the real perpetrator, and there¡¯s the real culprit hiding behind the scenes. After all these effort those fools are just mere puppets huh¡­¡±


    As he finished, a thunderous voice rang ¡°That does not absolve them of their sin. And I don¡¯t think the treacherous children would need to be completely controlled by this Cosmic Progenitor to perform such an heinous act. They have shown that they had the ambition to become a god, and to reach that nonsense of a ¡®Promised Land¡¯. All these came from their own greed, and their sin is apparent to all.¡±


    Hao Ren turned his head back and saw Muru¡¯s gigantic face facing his back. And beside him was Lemedusa and Heve¡¯s massive heads. Hao Ren nodded towards the three giants. ¡°I know. It¡¯s just some introspection.¡±


    The group was actually still at the central control hall, but the hall itself had a new facility. It was a few meter tall platform and on it was a long table, chairs and some projection devices. This platform was made to facilitate discussion with the three giants as Muru and his kin were at least ten meters tall. To talk with him at eye level one would need to either fly, or to run up to the third floor, and Hao Ren¡¯s usual way of talking to them was to look up and shout. After a while, even the space station¡¯s mainframe computer took pity of its master and automatically sent up a meeting platform for Hao Ren to hold meetings with the giants¡­


    But Hao Ren was not very used to this setup, as he felt that looking up to a head much bigger than his whole person was a terrifying thing, and it gets even more terrifying as soon as the head started speaking. When he stood by Muru¡¯s leg he could still force himself to think of the thing before him as a building, but coming face to face with the latter¡¯s head threw that out of the window.


    But the more delibitating factor was, the wind. Yes, the wind. The last time around Lily climbed up onto Heve¡¯s shoulder to chat with the lady giant and the latter had suddenly sneezed, sending the poor husky flying from through the room into the corridor¡­


    A sudden chill crept from his hand and Hao Ren recovered to see that Nangong Wuyue¡¯s tail was prodding at him again. The siren cast a curious glance at him. ¡°Mr Landlord, you¡¯re spacing out again.¡±


    ¡°Oh, oh, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand as he struck the memory of Lily being thrown ten metres across the room by Heve¡¯s sneezing out of his mind. ¡°So that¡¯s that. Since the Cosmic Progenitor will not just pop up all of the sudden, we¡¯ll return to Earth. I¡¯ll need to see the Siren Queen to discuss about letting the ark fleet stop on Io.¡±


    Lemendusa, who was silent all this while suddenly spoke. His voice like thunder. ¡°I wish to return to Solenne.¡±


    ¡°Solenne?¡± Hao Ren was surprised. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a wasteland now?¡±


    ¡°There are things still can be recovered in the wasteland.¡± Lemendusa¡¯s expresion was stern. ¡°That was a pivotal checkpoint in the holy kingdom, and a place where information and material were gathered. I want to see if there¡¯s anything at all that had survived.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Just so happen that the droids have already built an outpost there, so you¡¯ll have somewhere to stay there. Then¡­ I¡¯ll give you, Heve and Muru.. I¡¯ll leave you three with teleportation rights, you can move freely between CARS and the Solenne Gateway.¡±


    The three giant spoke in unison. ¡°You have our thanks.¡±


    Hao Ren scrambled to held a hold of Lil Pea who was thrown about by a gale three times stronger than usual before turning to Vivian. ¡°Seems like this platform is missing something¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, a windscreen¡­¡±

 Chapter 966

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Nasaton, the City of Sirens had been a focal point of all otherworldling¡¯s on Earth since the almost calamitous maelstrom incident. And plenty of news about the city spread about every alley across the globe. As time passed however, Nasaton¡¯s stealthfield system had came back online and the city of the deep slowly drifted away from everyone¡¯s attention. Now, only a few unverifiable rumours still floated about amongst a few otherworldling families. There were those that had managed to escape from Nasaton, and those previously enslaved by the mind controlled sirens had brought news with them. Some said that there was a big starship in the deep sea, some said that demon hunters and otherworldlings fought side by side, albeit temporarily, some even said that the beautiful sirens¡¯ real form is a giant deep sea mantis shrimp, while some said that every full moon the sirens would turn into a sea of giant sea urchins¡­


    Well, you would find all sorts of animals if a jungle is big enough, this sort of rumours would be beyond anyone¡¯s control¡­.


    But the rumours floating about did not mean anything to the sirens in the deep. As soon as the stealth-field generator came back online, the sirens returned to their slow and steady lifestyle. Only until today did they needed to welcome their first group of guests after quite a while.


    Hao Ren did not bring many people along this time around, aside from the four Nangongs, the dog, cat and fish at home, and also Vivian. The Nangongs were once citizens of Nasaton, and for them, it was like homecoming, and paying relatives a visit. As for the cat, dog and fish¡­. all of them had their own reasons. Lily was a husky, and that alone explained why she had to follow and join in the fun. Lil Pea was a fish, and that would explain why she had to follow into the sea to join in the fun. Rollie was a cat, and as soon as she heard Hao Ren was going to the sea she clung on to him like glue. Her main idea was that there were fishes in the sea¡­


    That dumb cat had already forgotten the harrowing experience she had at Nasaton. Her brain is now divided into two parts. One for fish jerky, and another for fishes who have yet to be turned into jerky¡­


    As for Vivian, she just wanted to visit Nasaton to relax. She definitely prefer to mingle with the peaceful sirens over the warring otherworldling families.


    The deep sea was dark and quiet as usual. Nangong Wuyue and Ayesha had created a water bubble as they led the rest deep into the water. The MDT¡¯s phantasmal blue light and Lily¡¯s Flame-effing-joy lit the surrounding. Within the dim light, Hao Ren saw Lil Pea darting in and out of the water barrier as she happily swam about and waved at him. Rollie was on all fours by his leg, focusing outside the bubble for any passing fish. That dumb cat had accidentally hit Lil Pea twice already, and had earned a bump on her head for her troubles, but she did not seem like she was giving up any time soon.


    She was confident that she could really catch a fish in deep sea.


    Slowly, star-like lights started appearing faintly across the water and along the glow, a vast white sandy seabed extended forth. On the seabed were rows of neat and visible guiding lines. The outer rings of the City of the Deep, Nasaton soon appeared before them.


    Ayesha who was in mermaid form could not help but dart forward as she saw the scene before swimming lithely back to the bubble. While she had already visited her kin twice within this period of time, she was still away from the deep for a few hundred years, and when she saw the familiar sights of Nasaton she could not help but being excited. Even Nangong Wudi, who was in the bubble adjusted his clothes, his movement a little clumsy. ¡°I¡¯m nervous.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately chimed in. ¡°That¡¯s normal, especially when you visit your in-laws. First time awkward second time familiar, a few more visits and you¡¯ll be fine!¡±


    Nangong Wudi immediately threw Hao Ren an awkward look. ¡°¡­. And you, the unmarried one is actually guiding me on this?¡±


    Hao Ren crossed his arm. ¡°You know my job right? I¡¯m a bona fide clergy! My job in many places entails blessing formerly single men and women in union¡­¡±


    Lily started scanning Hao Ren from head to toe. ¡°Mr. Landlord, why does that seemingly normal thing came out sounding so wrong from your mouth?¡±


    As the group bantered about, the bubble that they were in finally arrived before Nasaton¡¯s great gate. The massive ancient starship on the seabed still looked as glorious as ever. The starship city¡¯s energy barrier shone brightly and lit up the entire underwater world. Hao Ren came before the blastdoor of Nasaton and remembered his last trip here was incognito before tangling with a bunch of crazed sirens. But this time around, he was the guest of honor of the city. Life sure has its ways with the ups and downs.


    Just as Hao Ren and the rest reached the blastdoor, the walls of Nasaton suddenly lit up in an array of lights before the sturdy alloy blastdoor opened with bubblejets shooting out of the opening door. Hao Ren smiled as he saw the scene. ¡°That bunch of shut-ins actually spent time putting together a welcoming¡­ Eh?¡±


    Hao Ren did not manage to finish the sentence. As the blastdoor opened, a massive mantis shrimp came face to face with him, and the scene stunned him so much that he swallowed everything he was about to say back.


    At the same time, many more giant shrimps and crabs surged out from the streets and everyone were seemingly jiving their way towards them. Amongst the crowd were seahorses, sea urchins, king squid and a school of sardines. What greeted Hao Ren immediately had him in cold sweat. Moments later, he saw even more oddly shaped items from afar, and these time around they were not even living beings. A torn oil tank, a spinning propeller, an anchor from who knows where, and two massive pirate galleons with skeletons on it swooped about from end to end!


    The surge of bizzare items burst out from every corner of Nasaton toward Hao Ren and the rest. They sure had ¡®variety¡¯ down to the tee, and the only similarity was that the items could all be found in the ocean. Hao Ren then heard a crash of sounds that made him dizzy, and that was the sound of many different water currents converging and crashing against each other. Even the dumb cat was scared out of her wits by this terrifying sight and sound. The poor cats was so scared that her tail bristled and pointed straight towards the heavens. Letting out a fearful ¡®meow¡¯ she quickly scampered behind Hao Ren. ¡°Nyaaa! I swear I won¡¯t eat fish anymore!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s¡­ the meaning of this?¡± Hao Ren somehow still managed to maintain his dignity as the head of the household, but he was still shocked by what he saw. He quickly grabbed Wuyue by the arm. ¡°Your Queen never said anything about this did she?!¡±


    But Nangong Wuyue was just as confused as Hao Ren was. Even though she was a siren, she was the weird one who had grown up on land, and this scene was totally beyond her. ¡°H¡­ How would I know?!¡±


    Even Ayesha the purebred siren was no better. ¡°Not only you, even I have never seen this before!¡±


    As they spoke a giant crowd of bizzare monsters and misfits had converged before them. It was really a clutter of deep and shallow sea beings, living and non-living, metallic and plastic, just name anything and you would probably find one there. There were even two beer barrels with tails at the end of it bouncing about to add to the fun. Hao Ren scanned the area and realized that there were not one siren to be seen across Nasaton. And that was referring to the sirens who had maintained a humanoid form.


    ¡°Can someone explain what is going on?!¡± Hao Ren started panicking as he raised his voice. ¡°Can someone get into human form to explain this to me?¡±


    A giant mantis shrimp quickly swam towards him and poked Hao Ren by the arm with its pincer. After a few moments of poking did the siren realize something and quickly turned into a beautiful siren within a mist. ¡°Oh oh! We are celebrating a festival!¡± A festival!¡±


    Hao Ren looked attentively and realized that the siren was Shaqira, the one that came to the Southern Suburb¡¯s water tank to heal herself, and the ¡®messenger¡¯ who triggered every event with the sirens that followed. Shaqira in her mermaid form was extremely lively as she swam about happily. Yet when Hao Ren was reminded of her mantis shrimp form, that elation quickly faded away¡­


    ¡°What are you guys celebrating?¡± Hao Ren asked reflexively. ¡°What did I manage to join in?¡±


    ¡°Oh you¡¯re well on time!¡± Shaqira snickered as she circled around Hao Ren. ¡°We have recently catalogued some knowledge from the land and found the festivals created by humans were just too interesting! We are now celebrating Halloween!¡±


    Hao Ren could not muster a response.


    These group of shut-ins had certainly been doing it for far too long, none of them turned out normal!

 Chapter 967

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Sirens ¡ª these creatures were a mystery to all the supernatural creatures on earth and in the legends told by humans. They were deep-sea spirits, recluses in the darker parts of the ocean. They were the most enigmatic water creatures that lived under the gigantic and unpredictable waves of the sea. Like water, they existed in no fixed form. Human sailors from older times believed that one could hear the alluring singing voice of a siren in every breaking wave. Back in the days, even the Gods and other non-humans thought that Poseidon himself could not control these deep-sea recluses.


    The freeform underwater sea spirits that seldom make an appearance were once shrouded in thick mystery ¡ª but now, Hao Ren could hold his hand to chest and inform the storytellers that this could all be attributed to the lack of scrutiny. The reason people could tell all those captivating stories about sirens was because they never had the chance to get up close and personal with these stay-at-home ladies¡­


    Of course, those b*stards who were locked for over a century in the City of Sirens did not count.


    The sea spirits were quiet and gentle creatures, but just like the how ocean had many facades, the sirens also had their livelier moments. Hao Ren should have realized this when he saw them in their mantis shrimp form. As Shaqira led them further into Nasaton, the view along the way could be summed up as this ¡ª a crazy supernatural dance party. The sirens were joyfully shaping themselves into anything that could be found in the sea. They were curious to try their hands at almost anything that found its way into the ocean. Hao Ren even saw two wheels rolling around him. Someone must have lost their car into the sea, and the wheels had now become another reference for the sirens.


    Shaqira pointed at the two wheels and explained to Hao Ren, ¡°The one at the back is a siren, but the one in front is a real car wheel.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    ¡°Your¡­ leisure activities are quite interesting.¡± Lily trailed behind them with a gaping mouth. The chaos in Nasaton was unlike what she remembered in her last visit. The last time she was here, the City of Sirens had a dark, terrifying, and crazy atmosphere. The city had looked like the home of devilish creatures¡­ It was still terrifying now, but in a completely different way.


    ¡°It¡¯s not always like this.¡± Shaqira explained with a grin. Young Lil¡¯ Pea followed behind the beautiful mermaid, twisting left and right along with her tail. The young mermaid felt like it had returned home, and swam happily along the way. ¡°Ever since the incident last time, Nasaton had taken a long to rebuild itself. It was difficult, mendin the ancient facilities and the hearts of our sisters. We lived under the shadow of our past for a long time. However, when Hao Ren brought new about Io to us, we came to know about the origins and history of us sirens, and felt that we cannot continue sinking into further degradation. The Queen decided to introduce some changes.¡±


    Shaqira explained as she easily dodged her tail from a tuna fish heading straight for her. The fish was the size of a human, and after it shot past the mermaid, it transformed into a beautiful sea snake maiden with a reddish golden tail and blew some bubbles of apology in Shaqira¡¯s way. Hao Ren thought he had seen that siren before, and soon remembered her as one of the guards at the underground tunnel near the Queen¡¯s palace. Y¡¯zaks had simply rolled the snake into a ball and tossed her aside¡­


    Shaqira continued. ¡°The truth is, we had always been sending scouts out to the surface, to keep up with the events on dry land. However, when our people were corrupted by evil spirits about a hundred years ago, we stopped caring about them. When our city has mostly recovered, the Queen ordered for us to fill up the gaps in these 100 years. We even got in touch with a few Otherworldling species on land. Back then we had sent a message to them, announcing the Day of Return, but now it has become our link to the outside world. Through our efforts, we were able to keep up with the world around us once again, and also find out how humans managed to develop this planet so much in the past 100 years.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s interesting to see how other stronger species remained stuck to their old ways and declining in the past century, while humans had started and finished two world wars and even sent people to the moon in the same period. The Queen showed us the latest technology by humans, especially in air and space travel. That¡¯s how we understand the concept of Nasaton being a spaceship.¡±


    ¡°We have hid ourselves in the deep sea for too long. Our worldview is distorted. Hence, when we found out all the effort our ancestors put into space exploration, we realized that we have to acknowledge the importance of the outside world. In this matter, our Queen believes the humans to be our best teachers.¡±


    Shaqira spoke as she led the group along the way. Seeing Hao Ren and his group again pleased her very much. Nangong Wuyue nodded in understanding and said, ¡°Is that why you have celebrations now, like humans do?¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s one of the reasons,¡± Shaqira said as she corrected Lil¡¯ Pea¡¯s swimming posture. ¡°It¡¯s mainly because work on rebuilding the city put us under a lot of pressure, and we needed a way to relax. Our Queen decided then to celebrate human occasions too, deep down in the ocean¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s only one tiny problem.¡± Vivian raised her hand and said. ¡°Do you know what date it is on land today?¡±


    Shaqira¡¯s tail froze. ¡°Ah?¡±


    ¡°Halloween¡¯s is two months ago.¡± Hao Ren looked around at the crazy scene in Nasaton. ¡°How big is the difference between your deep-sea calendar and the one on the shore?¡±


    ¡°Is that so?!¡± Shaqira looked surprised, as she had never considered this problem before. She then flicked her tail and said, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s alright, any celebration is fine, as long as we¡¯re happy. Do tell the Queen about it later, we¡¯ll just call this our Day of Rebuilding.¡±


    Lily went slack-jawed in surprise. ¡°¡­ Are you always so slipshod?¡±


    Shaqira replied with an air of seriousness, ¡°It¡¯s not slipshod, it¡¯s a serious matter. Only the Queen can rename this celebration.¡±


    Lily was speechless.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s put the issue of your culture aside.¡± Hao Ren smiled crookedly, and then looked at the sirens that came in all kinds of shapes and sizes around him. Indeed, ¡°all kinds¡± was not an exaggeration. ¡°So, is your way of celebrating changing into all kinds of odd shapes?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a common form of entertainment for us!¡± Shaqira replied enthusiastically. ¡°We¡¯d change into all sorts of new and interesting shapes, and then try to guess what each of us are mimicking. The one who is the most successful and thorough in their mimicking is the winner. So, when we heard that humans celebrate this Halloween Day occasion, where everyone dress up in weird costumes, we decided to do something similar! In addition to the mimicking, there are also other activities in the city. Near the fountain, along the streets, you will find stalls selling miscellaneous items found in the shallower parts of the ocean. They are all left behind by humans! Quite interesting, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    What could Hao Ren possibly say to that? This was an eye-opening experience for him. He never imagined that these unassuming deep-water creatures could organize a celebration with such vigour. Their form of entertainment and celebration activities were also quite fascinating. Nangong Sanba smiled and said, ¡°Think about all the other terrestrial Otherworldlings, fighting so bitterly against one another. They¡¯re nothing like the sirens.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s normal,¡± Vivian said, unsurprised. ¡°They are the only species that maintained good social order and lived uninterrupted by other species for a long time. It¡¯s only natural for them to have rich social activities like humans do.¡±


    The group had now walked past the hustle and bustle of the city. Shaqira led them to a huge, transparent tube, and opened a small door by the tube. She ushered them in. ¡°It¡¯s still a long way to the palace. Let¡¯s take this for the rest of our journey.¡±


    The tube was the most common form of public transport in the City of the Sirens. Using water flow and pressure, it offered a fast and safe mode of transport. It was also one of the few old technologies that the Sirens still used today. Hao Ren and the others crept into the tube. As Shaqira keyed in their destination in a control panel nearby, Lil¡¯ Pea noticed something semi-transparent and rubbery along the inner walls of the tube. The young mermaid quickly made its way to the rubbery layer and began to slam itself repeatedly into it. ¡°Daddy, Daddy, there¡¯s something here!¡±


    Shaqira had noticed the thing sticking onto the inner wall of the tube as well. She poked it curiously. ¡°What¡¯s this? We do have people cleaning up the station every day¡­ Wah!¡±


    The rubbery thing suddenly twisted, and then popped off the inner walls of the tube into identical semi-transparent pieces. They then merged and transformed into a the shape of a petite mermaid. ¡°Wah!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®Wah!¡¯ me!¡± Shaqira scowled at the young siren with her arms akimbo. ¡°No shapeshifting and hiding along transport routes and around common mechanical facilities, or have you forgotten about the rules?¡±


    The young siren considered that for a moment, and then gasped again, ¡°Wah!¡±


    Hao Ren smacked himself on the head. ¡°I have a feeling that this is not the right time to visit¡­ Nasaton right now is simply full of surprises.¡±

 Chapter 968

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    In the end, Shaqira shooed the surprised young mermaid out of the transport tube with equal parts persuasion and threatening. As she left, the young mermaid studied Lil¡¯ Pea intently ¡ª she had never seen such a young member of her kin, and was shocked by the latter¡¯s presence. Hao Ren and the rest did not know this. They were too preoccupied with this whole new image of the sirens that they saw in Nasaton.


    Soon, they arrived at the royal grounds of Nasaton, located at the center of the city.


    Here, they saw a cluster of buildings that were still under construction. This was where the grand palace of the Queen of the Sirens once stood, but the palace¡¯s main structure was nearly razed to the ground in a crisis a few months ago, when the sirens fought against the Brain Monster. The surrounding towers had mostly collapsed from explosions. It would take a long time for the sirens to rebuild after all the damage. Besides, the sirens no longer have large machinery and construction technologies of old. All they could do now was repair the spaceship control center beneath the palace, clear the rubble on the surface, and then build a few temporary structures on top to serve as the Queen¡¯s residence and their government offices. The dome-shaped structures on the wide clearing looked sorely lacking compared to their grand palace, but the abundant space around the domes had become public spaces for the common sirens. Groups of sirens could be seen hanging out around the domes. Hao Ren finally saw a few sirens here in their original human-like form, and did not have to suffer from sight of soldier mantis shrimps, giant sea crabs, deep sea eels and so on¡­


    Shaqira led Hao Ren and his group towards the main entrance of the temporary palace. Fortunately, the sirens around here had not yet lost themselves to the craziness of shapeshifting. The female guards that stood watch at the entrance were in their snake form, armed with a trident. These valiant looking guards recognized Hao Ren ¡ª they were beaten up by Hao Ren and gang before ¡ª and happily swam over to greet them. Another two guards informed the people inside the palace of their arrival. Hao Re followed behind Shaqira into the palace, and immediately realized that the sirens inside the palace were not as ¡°strong¡± as he expected¡­


    Aside from the sirens that were on duty at their stations, all the others had also joined in the craze of mimicking. The mantis shrimps and sea crabs running around them still maintained some form of siren dignity, but the pails and sea urchins rolling around on the ground could only be explained by pure silliness. Hao Ren even saw a massive ship anchor hopping along the palace¡¯s corridors. He stared wide-eyed as Shaqira tried to explain, ¡°Err, that is Titanic¡¯s anchor. She wanted to shapeshift into Titanic itself, but later found that the palace could not hold the ship¡­¡±


    The anchor had reached Hao Ren by then. It wobbled for a while, and then suddenly transformed into a familiar face ¡ª Sorma.


    They knew this siren from the incident last time as well¡­


    ¡°Ah, Hao Ren, long time no see!¡± Sorma greeted Hao Ren cheerfully, and then explained his current situation solemnly, ¡°I am now one of the royal guards. The Queen is inside, but she¡¯s too busy entertaining the guests, and asked me to bring you inside instead.¡±


    Hao Ren and his group followed Sorma in confusion. When they finally arrived at a large hall, they realized what was happening. There was a small party happening in the place as well. Sirens in human and non-human form (probably nobles and government officials) were enjoying themselves in the party. Nangong Wuyue looked around eagerly for the Queen, but did not see her. ¡°Where is the Queen? Has she changed her form too?¡±


    Sorme pointed somewhere in the hall. ¡°Over there! She¡¯s coming!¡±


    Hao Ren followed her finger. Even in the water, he could feel cold sweat seeping out under his clothes ¡ª a torpedo was heading their way!


    ¡°Mother of sirens!¡± Lily was so surprised that she cursed in the native dialect. ¡°Torpedo incoming!¡±


    By the time she was finished, the torpedo had stopped right in front of Hao Ren. It wobbled slightly, and then exploded into a cloud of microbubbles. From the microbubbles emerged the Queen of the Sirens, Katreina. Her Majesty was surprised by Lily¡¯s words, and looked around her in panic. ¡°Where is it? Where ¡ª where¡¯s the torpedo?!¡±


    ¡°You were the torpedo!¡± Hao Ren felt another surge of cold sweat. ¡°Aren¡¯t you overdoing the whole mimicking thing now?!¡±


    ¡°Oh, you were talking about me.¡± Katreina smiled and waved her long snake tail. ¡°The Queen must be different from her subjects. I wanted to show more creativity.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    ¡°It¡¯s been ages.¡± Katreina did not find any fault with her actions. She gave a prim but warm smile, and rested her gaze momentarily on each member in Hao Ren¡¯s group. ¡°Ayesha had visited twice.¡±


    Hao Ren studied the Queen of the Sirens with an odd expression. The Queen was not behaving weirdly; on the contrary, her behaviour was absolutely normal. With the Queen looking so graceful and formal now, with a charged air of power and charisma about her, you would not have thought that just a minute ago she had shapeshifted into a torpedo just to scare people¡­ Surely no one would expect this level of fluidity in attitude!


    A moment of clarity came to Hao Ren as he realized something close to the fundamental truth of nature ¡ª sirens are truly made of water¡­


    Katreina noted the lack of response from Hao Ren, so she initiated the conversation. ¡°Since you¡¯re all here so suddenly, something big must have happened, yes?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right, we¡¯re here on business.¡± Hao Ren gathered himself and smacked himself in the head. ¡°I was caught off guard by this unprecedented and unique celebration¡­ Might we find a quieter place to talk?¡±


    Katreina nodded. ¡°Come with me.¡±


    Hao Ren followed the Queen of the Sirens, but he soon noticed that Lily was still absorbed in observing the party, while Lil¡¯ Pea was swimming in circles excitedly. He waved at them. ¡°If you¡¯re not interested in the meeting, go and have fun. Just don¡¯t cause trouble.¡±


    As he finished, all them scattered except for Vivian. He should have known this, really¡­


    The Nangong family of four socialized with the other sirens, while Lily went to search for new additions to her ¡°ÍôÖ®²Æ±¦¡±. Rollie reveled in the fish smell that permeated every inch of space around her, feeling so invigorated it was like she just had a taste of catnip. Lil¡¯ Pea shot around the large hall like bullet let loose ¡ªshe had come home! Hao Ren waved at Nangong Wuyue, who was some distance away. ¡°Wuyue! Please look after Lil¡¯ Pea, don¡¯t lose sight of her!¡±


    He then turned to Vivian. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going with them?¡±


    Vivian rolled her eyes. ¡°You have this habit of having a brain fart when you¡¯re talking. I¡¯ll help you keep the situation under control.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless, once again.


    The trio arrived at a resting corner in the hall. Katreina saw the solemn expression in Hao Ren¡¯s face, and so she waved away the guards and servants around them. She then asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°This is regarding your home planet.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Err, no need to be nervous, there¡¯s nothing wrong with your planet, what is wrong is a bunch of unlucky runaways¡­ Just some time ago, I saved a group of people¡­¡±


    Hao Ren told Katreina about the incident in the Plane of Dreams, but neglected the complicated background story and the Divine Artifact. The Queen listened intently, and interrupted with the occasional question ¡ª she seemed interested in the structure and working principles of the arks. Once Hao Ren was done, she blinked slowly and said, ¡°What you are saying is, some aliens had encountered the same natural disaster as us and escaped from their home. Now, their arks have run out of supplies and means of defence, so they need to land somewhere. You also think that Io, the home planet of the sirens, is the most suitable place that you know of.¡±


    ¡°To be frank, I did find other options. My drones have located some planets that might just be habitable for them, but these planets either have traces of Lifeblood contamination, or the environment is dangerous enough to cause massive casualties should they land successfully.¡± Hao Ren looked into Katreina¡¯s eyes. ¡°Io is the one planet that is suitable just the way it is for them to survive. Besides, my drones can guard wherever they stay.¡±


    Katreina frowned and sank into deep contemplation.

 Chapter 969

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Katreina rose slowly from her seat, her lithe tail waving naturally beneath her. The Queen was deep in thought. She maintained her posture for a few long minutes without a word, and then finally, she turned to Hao Ren and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m very happy that you have come to discuss this issue with me.¡±


    ¡°Err¡­¡± Hao Ren was taken aback. ¡°It¡¯s only proper, right? After all, it¡¯s your home planet we¡¯re talking about ¡ª even if you don¡¯t live there.¡±


    ¡°This is why I find myself surprised sometimes, how there can be such wonderful qualities in a human being like you. You wield great power, and yet your conscience is strong ¡ª it¡¯s unthinkable.¡± Katreina smiled regally and held her gaze on Hao Ren. ¡°Perhaps is it because of these qualities that you came to be the observer and protector of the worlds.¡±


    ¡°Err¡­ Do you mean that it¡¯s not necessary for me to discuss this issue with you?¡± Hao Ren was beginning to understand Katreina.


    The Queen¡¯s tail undulated smoothly as she bowed slightly at Hao Ren ¡ª not in greeting, but as a sign of respect and acknowledgement in the culture of sirens. ¡°You have the power to travel between planets. You control the gates and travel routes. You know exactly where Io is, and have used your drones to take over all the travel routes around the planet. Don¡¯t you realize this? You are the one with real control over Io. By usual standards, you are the actual governor of the place. We are but descendants of the planet, and only in name. You do not have to discuss anything with me. It matters not who you wish to relocate to the planet. Just a word from you, and we will have to accept it as fact. No one can do anything against you.¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his head. ¡°If I really did that, you won¡¯t be smiling right now.¡±


    Katreina nodded seriously. ¡°Yes. I would feel regret, and even animosity, against you. Perhaps the sirens will try to exact revenge? It matters not, in the end. The fact will not be altered, since you have actual control over matters. Hence. I find myself¡­ surprised, by your actions.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re underestimating me a little too much there.¡± Hao Ren spread his arms and said. ¡°What you just said is just so unreasonable.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of ethics, but of human nature.¡± Katreina smiled. ¡°I rarely visit the surface, but I do know that as rulers and empires repeat their cycle of rise and fall, the only constant throughout is the greed for power and control. Few people could be like you ¡ª to be in a position of power, but still insist on following the way of the righteous.¡±


    Hao Ren always thought he had thick skin, but he was now hopelessly embarrassed by the Queen of the Sirens. He did not think of himself as someone so lofty. Everyone wants power, everyone wants control. No one is free from selfishness and arrogance. He remembered himself preening when the Aerym Elves called him Sun King. Nevertheless, the fact that he was now discussing the issue of relocation with the sirens was not a matter of being lofty or righteous, but because he was afraid Raven 12345 would tear a hole in the Void to reach him and kick him in the *ss when she found out he was breaking the rules of relocation again. Hao Ren had to think carefully about whether his body could take a round of abuse from Dear Sister Raven¡­


    Only he was privy to his personal reason, but there was no need to share it, really. Having the respect of the Queen of the Sirens was useful to him. Hence, Hao Ren kept his expression solemn and nodded in agreement. He tried to keep a poker face when he said, ¡°Cough cough, it is only right to be fair to others, or I would not be given this duty¡­ As the protector of so many cultures and civilizations, my personal interests have been long since abandoned¡­¡±


    Vivian forced a cough. ¡°Cough cough, back to business, back to business!¡±


    Any more from Hao Ren and she might just explode.


    Katreina did not doubt Hao Ren¡¯s words, however, because she had seen the man¡¯s ship and his ability to cross between worlds. She believed that Hao Ren was trying to be fair in spite of being in control, thus she nodded seriously and said, ¡°We agree to the relocation.¡±


    Hao Ren started with the script that he had been going through over and over again without thinking. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s only natural for you to have reservations, but we could¡­ Wait, you agree?! Just like that?!¡±


    Hao Ren had prepared a list of reasons to convince the Queen, but now that Her Majesty had agreed to his request so readily, he was momentarily stunned. He stared at Katreina. ¡°Those people on the arks are not sirens, you don¡¯t know them¡­¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t live on a planet without land forever, yes?¡± Katreina narrowed her eyes. ¡°Even if they learn to mine resources from under the sea and use technology to tame the native wildlife, they will never life as comfortably as they would on land. The seas will always belong to the sirens.¡±


    ¡°You are right. The arks will only anchor temporarily on Io until reparation and replenishing works are done. I will be finding a more suitable planet for them in the meantime.¡± Hao Ren promised. ¡°During this time, they will not be going anywhere. The arks are the only place for them to stay on Io.¡±


    ¡°It will take years until we can return to Io.¡± Katreina nodded regally. ¡°It¡¯s not a bother to have those people take a rest on our home planet for a while.¡±


    Katreina then sighed. ¡°Besides, we share a similar fate, having lost our home in the disaster¡­¡±


    Hao Ren kept silent, but Vivian looked to the Queen and said, ¡°Surely there are terms to your consent. You are Queen, after all. This is no time to be generous without getting something out of it.¡±


    Katreina smiled. ¡°Of course. Both parties must offer something for this agreement. If the people on the arks want to rent out our place, they must be willing to pay the rent.¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Hao Ren asked curiously at the Queen of the Sirens.


    ¡°I want their ship.¡± Katreina straightened up one finger. ¡°Just one is enough. A fully functioning spaceship. I know that the ships are their lifeline, but if they have an entire fleet, surely they can manage to do with one less.¡±


    ¡°Err¡­ That should not be a problem. The people on the arks don¡¯t even know what a spaceship is, anyway. Lorenz would be happy to trade a ship for the lives of the people, I¡¯m sure, so I¡¯ll just agree to this in his place.¡± Hao Ren stroked his chin. ¡°But, what do you need a spaceship for?¡±


    Katreina did not answer immediately. Instead, she took out a small gemstone that looked like a sapphire from her stomach and placed it on the table. Hao Ren stared. ¡°Mind. Blown. Where¡¯d you keep that thing?¡±


    Katreina was all serious and ready to show him something, but nearly choked because of Hao Ren¡¯s response. ¡°Cough cough¡­ In my body. Always carry your belongings in your stomach, isn¡¯t that common knowledge?¡±


    Vivian blurted out. ¡°Ah¡­ It¡¯s common knowledge for sirens, you mean?¡±


    ¡°Something like that.¡± Katreina waved dismissively. ¡°We stuff luggage into our stomachs when travelling. It they can¡¯t fit, we just make ourselves bigger until they do. Sirens are expert travellers, even if we stick to underwater travelling most of the time. I thought Nangong Wuyue and Ayesha stayed with you? Don¡¯t you know about this?¡±


    Hao Ren considered the question, and recalled that Nangong Wuyue did tend to stuff things into her stomach, though most of time it was for dirty dishes and laundry¡­


    These deep-sea creatures were simply too fascinating.


    Katreina curled her lips and ignored the ¡°ignorant¡± duo. She pressed on the gemstone, and the latter suddenly flashed in blue light. Next, the light flickered and then stabilized into the schematics of a structure.


    This was the master plan for Nasaton.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Hao Ren stared at the holographic projection.


    ¡°For as long as I can remember, I have had this gemstone with me. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s so special about it, but if you transfer some magic into it, it will be able to project images. If you place this gemstone on the control platform underneath the palace, it will activate many of Nasaton¡¯s systems.¡± Katreina explained. ¡°I believe that this is the captain¡¯s access key. As ¡®Queen of the Sirens¡¯, I am probably Nasaton¡¯s lead navigator.¡±


    ¡°So this is your spaceship¡¯s schematics?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Katreina nodded slightly. ¡°I want to fix this ship, or at least¡­ figure out how it works.¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian asked in unison, ¡°Are you preparing to fly?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s too far off for now.¡± Katreina smiled again. ¡°Of course, if the ship is able, I am quite curious of outer space. However¡­ For now, I just want to find out more about this city that our siren sisters have lived in for over ten thousand years. We want to try and rebuild some parts of it.¡±

 Chapter 970

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Sirens ¡ª this peaceful and mysterious species had been living quietly under the ocean for ten thousand years. They seemed to be contented creatures, slowly going through their lives in the depths of the sea, untouched by the environmental and cultural changes on land.


    However, they were not really a stagnant culture. In fact, contrary to what their ninja-esque image suggested, sirens were a curious lot. They enjoyed learning new things, and once they found out about their origins, they grew even more eager to learn more about their culture and history.


    ¡°We are currently thinking about rebuilding Nasaton. This includes not only the structures destroyed from the war last time, but also the ship¡¯s hull and lower level containment tanks. There is a wide hole at the base of the city. Sand and metal scraps are blocking the transport tubes down there. The place has been abandoned for ten thousand years, but it is only now that we realize the hole was due to the ship crashing into the seabed.¡± Katreina brushed her fingers against the holographic projection. ¡°We think that repairing the ship is the first step in beginning our reconciliation with Io. Besides, the process of repairing the ship will help us recover lost knowledge from the past.¡±


    Hao Ren raised his brows. ¡°That¡¯s why you want an ark? To gather building material?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just the building material.¡± Katreina smiled. ¡°It is also for reference. We have lived under the sea for ten thousand years, and this long period of isolation has made us unfamiliar with the sky and anything beyond it. While I would frequently send observers to the surface, we have only ever had a superficial understanding of this ¡®Air World¡¯ concept. This planet is now controlled by humans, so living on land is not an option. However, if we can acquire a spaceship from another civilization, it will be tremendously helpful. We can study it, and use it to educate the younger generation.¡±


    Katreina then pointed towards the side of the holographic projection. Since Nasaton sat on a wide area of sand, that location had nothing on it. ¡°Besides, we are going to build a new settlement beside Nasaton, which will be at least as large as a third of the city. The siren population remains mostly stagnant, but many years have passed now. The city is overcrowded and in need of an expansion. If we can get one of these arks you speak of, not only do we get to repair Nasaton, the remaining hull and building material can be used to expand the city.¡±


    Hao Ren finally appreciated how much the Queen of the Sirens had in mind. No wonder she agreed to rent out their home planet so eagerly ¡ª she needed to expand the city and repair their ship. The unexpected arrival of the arks was a great relief. Since she and her people would not be able to return to Io in the immediate future, they might as well lease it. It was like exchanging something they were no using at the moment for a huge spaceship!


    ¡°You want to repair and expand the city. You¡¯re right ¡ª a spaceship will be very useful to have.¡± Hao Ren stroked his chin. ¡°Just one question ¡ª the ark is designed for space travelling, not for underwater excursions. While I figure those sturdy metals on the ark are fairly resistant to rusting, are they really suitable for Nasaton?¡±


    ¡°We sirens are experts in solving that problem.¡± Katreina said, and then pointed at the table in front of Hao Ren. ¡°Do you know where this table come about?¡±


    Hao Ren studied the table. It was a long table with bold, circular patterns. The material was not metal, and it felt slightly warm. ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s mostly made of from one of the broadside cannons on the Mary ? Ross. A third of it came from ship¡¯s keel. One of the siren observers took these materials back as a souvenir. We later performed an elemental breakdown of the materials and used them to create this new material.¡± Katreina tapped lightly on the table. ¡°We have lost much of our technology, but we did preserve some of them. As long as there is water, we can work with almost any material. Besides, didn¡¯t you see the strange things on the streets of Nasaton?¡±


    Hao Ren was taken aback, and could only reply instinctively, ¡°The strangest things I saw when coming here were the sirens¡­¡±


    Katreina coughed. ¡°Cough cough, today is a special occasion¡­ I meant the ship anchors, keel fragments, and other human trinkets. They were all brought back by sirens when they return from their travels. Many of them are over thousands of years old. We have our ways to make them suitable for use underwater.¡±


    Hao Ren was astonished. He never had the opportunity to study the abilities of these sirens. It was only now that he realized these deep-sea ladies were as capable as master level alchemists!


    ¡°If you¡¯re that confident, then consider it done.¡± Hao Ren stood up. ¡°I can promise you that ship on their behalf. However, bringing that thing to the Surface World is going to take some work. It¡¯s not against the rules to bring something inanimate out of the Plane of Dreams, but the ark is simply too massive. I will have to make some arrangements.¡±


    Katreina nodded in assent. ¡°Of course. There is another request ¡ª I would like to meet with the representative of the arks myself. After all, we are allowing an alien society to live on our home planet. I would know more about them, at the very least.¡±


    It was a reasonable request, and part of Hao Ren¡¯s initial plan. ¡°That¡¯s not a problem. I am only the mediator. It¡¯s better for you to meet with the other party directly when you sign the official documents. Only one person in the fleet understands what is happening, and only he could understand this agreement we speak of. So, in a way, when I say the people of the fleet, I really mean just this one person. The rest of them are like a primitive society, they are more like¡­¡±


    ¡°Barbarians?¡± Katreina could guess what Hao Ren was hesitant to tell her. ¡°I know what they are like. It is alright. I have met the most superstitious pirates from Holland and the most brutish pirates from the middle ages. Only a thousand years have passed, and already humans have learned to don themselves in tuxedos and eat with knife and fork. Barbarism is never a problem; even ignorance is not a problem. Humans will learn, given time.¡±


    At the end of the meeting, Hao Ren stretched himself. He was simply unsuited for formal occasions like this. That the Queen would shapeshift into a torpedo just for laughs unsettled him, so he felt much more relaxed when the meeting ended. Vivian studied Hao Ren, looking surprised. ¡°So your mouth didn¡¯t wreak any havoc this time. I should have just skipped this meeting entirely.¡±


    ¡°Havoc?¡± The Queen looked towards them curiously.


    Hao Ren froze halfway through his stretching because of Vivian, and nearly twisted a muscle. ¡°Cough cough, it¡¯s nothing, nothing at all¡­ She¡¯s just joking.¡±


    ¡°You two are quite close.¡± The Queen smiled warmly at them. ¡°Since you¡¯re here, please enjoy yourselves with the our siren celebration. I believe you will find this to be a very novel experience.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely novel. When you swam towards us as a torpedo, my worldview was turned upside down.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s lips twitched involuntarily. ¡°Even so, I should probably go find my cat, dog and fish trio first. Those three are probably up to no good the moment they¡¯re left alone.¡±


    Soon, Hao Ren and Vivian made their way back to the great hall. The sirens were will partying madly as expected. Odd shapes and objects swam around the hall, and not all of them familiar looking. It seemed that these joyful sirens still had plenty of tricks up their sleeves. With all the things humans had dumped into the sea, these sirens could shapeshift every ten minutes and never had to repeat themselves until next year!


    Katreina soon disappeared into messy crowd. Hao Ren briefly scanned the crowd and saw no sign of the animal trio he spoke of. Before he could search further, a siren cried out sharply, ¡°Aah! Something bit me ~ !¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s first guess was the one of the animal trio. He turned to look, and was not disappointed ¡ª Shaqira was running around screaming, with his stupid cat dangling from the tail of the unfortunate siren!


    The dumb cat probably left her mind somewhere as she bit into the siren¡¯s tail and refused to let go, despite the siren¡¯s desperate wriggling. Poor Shaqira scurried about like a siren on stimulants. The cat girl hanging from the siren¡¯s tail was too far gone in the enticing fishy scent around her. It was absolute chaos in the hall.


    Hao Ren felt like his head would explode. He should have known this would happen, and just tie his cat to the door frame!

 Chapter 971

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren never imagined that he would participate in a celebration with all the sirens in Nasaton. He had come for official business with the Queen, but his visit happened to coincide with their celebration for reaching a certain stage of the reconstruction works. Nevertheless, since he was here already, he decided to spend half of the day in Nasaton. At least let the cat, dog, and fish trio finished enjoying themselves, so that they would not start nibbling furniture and playing with the electronic doors at home out of sheer boredom.


    However, the trio did not seem to realize how much trouble they were bringing to the sirens¡­


    When they saw the stupid cat girl messing around, Hao Ren and Vivian quickly went to stop her. They struggled to get ahold of the exceedingly lively cat, but Rollie did not understand what all the fuss was about. As Hao Ren dragged her way by the collar, she pawed the water desperately and reached out her neck to try and get another bite of the mermaid¡¯s tail. ¡°Food, food, don¡¯t you get away! Come back here, food! Argh, Big Boss Cat, why are you dragging me away meow¡­¡±


    Shaqira curled into herself, hugging her tail poor tail. She looked confused. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her¡­¡±


    Hao Ren pressed the cat girl¡¯s head down, feeling cold sweat running all over him (despite being under water, he could still feel the cold sweat). He explained, ¡°She¡¯s a cat, right? Perhaps she¡¯s starving, and then happen to see your tail.¡±


    Shaqira shuddered. ¡°But she wasn¡¯t like this last time! How come nothing happened last time?¡±


    Hao Ren sucked in his lips. ¡°Last time you all looked crazy, the coward didn¡¯t dare to bite.¡±


    When Shaqira heard this, she burst into a bubble mist and transformed into a voluptuous sea snake. She caressed her new tail softly, fear still lingering in her. ¡°This should stop triggering her, right?¡±


    Rollie watched as the mermaid shapeshifted into a sea snake form. The delicious fish tail was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Food, gone¡­¡±


    ¡°Food, food, food ¡ª that¡¯s all you can think of!¡± Hao Ren smacked the stupid cat in the brain. ¡°Didn¡¯t you leave with a full stomach just now? It¡¯s only been a few hours, and now you¡¯re so hungry you can¡¯t even tell a mermaid and food apart?¡±


    Vivian, however, could sympathize with the cat girl. ¡°It¡¯s not really her fault. To a cat, Nasaton smells like food utopia. Lucky for the sirens, it¡¯s a celebration today, so most of them are not in mermaid form. The cat would have gone crazy otherwise.¡±


    Hao Ren looked around him. Most of the sirens were in mimicking all kinds of weird things, but there were still some exhausted or bored sirens who had returned to their most restorative form ¡ª a mermaid. Poor Rollie saw fish tails all around her, but could not even get a bite in. Shaqira looked at the dejected cat girl and pitied her. She forgot all about the tail-biting incident and picked Rollie by up the arm. ¡°Come, let me treat you to sushi!¡±


    The cat girl was so excited to for the meal, but instead of running off right then, she looked tentatively at Hao Ren. Hao Ren was pleased. He smiled and nodded. ¡°Go on, but don¡¯t go biting anyone again, or I won¡¯t bring you here next time.¡±


    Having had her master¡¯s approval, the cat girl joyfully trailed after Shaqira. Vivian watched their receding figures and said, ¡°They are going to be alright now, right?¡±


    Hao Ren considered that, and then shouted, ¡°Shaqira! Don¡¯t tranform back before she¡¯s full!¡±


    ¡°Ah! Landlord! Battie! Are you done with the meeting?¡± Hao Ren was about to ask around for Lily when the werehusky lady called to him from a distance. ¡°What did the Queen say? Did she agree?¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian turned to look at Lily, who was swimming their way in her trademark dog paddle style. Her tail steered her forward like a turbine, and she was actually swimming quite fast. When she reached Hao Ren, the latter noded. ¡°It¡¯s all done. The Queen wants one of the arks in exchange for their stay on Io. I¡¯ve agreed on their behalf. I will request for a big spatial carg hold from the higher-ups. Once we get that, we will take our leave. The Queen will be coming with us. Say, did you see Lil¡¯ Pea anywhere?¡±


    Lily looked around. ¡°Nope. The little fellow is fast, I couldn¡¯t keep up with her. But if Wuyue is watching her, we¡¯ll know where she is. You know, this place isn¡¯t so fun after all, let¡¯s go out and play, Landlord, let¡¯s go!¡±


    Lily circled around Hao Ren eagerly like a spoiled puppy. Without the pressure from work on her shoulders, she was now showing her true colors. Hao Ren looked around at the crowded and noisy hall, and had to agree with her. He nodded and said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get some air outside.¡±


    The three of them left the great hall. They said farewell to Sorma, who was on guard duty, as they left the palace, and then arrived at the massive public square outside. The square was still as lively as before. Even though the earlier group of partygoers had already left, the shapeshifting mania continued with constant new arrivals at the public square. It looked like the celebration would continue on for a long time still. Hao Ren and his group found a relatively quiet spot to rest. Lily went searching for her ¡®treasures¡¯, while Hao Ren and Vivian enjoyed the sights of Nasaton¡¯s unique culture.


    Spiralling towers were erected around the palace grounds. Emerald green crystals embedded in the towers sparkled brilliantly in the depths of the sea. The city¡¯s gigantic shield above their heads separated the water in the ship from that of the ocean, and illuminated the city below like the skies beyond the ocean surface. Through the light blue protective screen, dark shadows occasionally wandered past. Some of them were deep sea creatures, while others were sirens on patrol.


    Seeing all these from below felt as magical as living in a crystal palace in the depths of the ocean.


    ¡°Our last visit here was to fight a war. The city center was reduced to rubble. Everything has changed now.¡± Vivian narrowed her eyes, shifting her attention from the towers to the public square. ¡°This atmosphere suits them better.¡±


    ¡°Do you interact much with the sirens back in the old days?¡± Hao Ren asked curiously.


    ¡°Rarely. They have always been solitary creatures.¡± Vivian shook her head. ¡°However, I know that they were actually very curious about the outside world. Their observers visited the land frequently. Legends about sea monsters in the Classical Era and the myth of the Siren¡¯s Song going around sailors in the Middle Ages come from them. Hah¡­ That was a time of anarchy, but not without its amusements. The world back then was not as ¡®precise¡¯ or ¡®stable¡¯ as today. Human societies are built on stability. The Dark Ages is truly¡­ an era of darkness.¡±


    ¡°I keep hearing you talk about your past, and to be honest, I¡¯m intrigued.¡± Hao Ren smiled. ¡°If I was born a few hundred years of even a millennium ago and saw the old you, what do you think will happen if we met?¡±


    Vivian considered the scenario. ¡°If you¡¯re lucky enough to survive in those days ¡ª please remember to buy food for me. Back then, I felt I was starving almost every day!¡±


    The duo chatted idly. After awhile, Hao Ren looked up to search for Lily. The werehusky lady was digging excitedly in the ground nearby. Finally, she exposed a black metallic cylinder ¡ª it was a torpedo. Vivian was delighted to see that. ¡°Katerina is quite a character. Maybe this is one of the Queen¡¯s secret hobby?¡±


    By then, Lily had already pulled the torpedo completely out of the sand. She scratched the torpedo¡¯s shell eagerly. ¡°Katreina! Katreina! I found you! Quick, change into something else!¡±


    The torpedo was silent despite her urgings. Next, Hao Ren heard the Queen of the Sirens spoke from behind him. ¡°So this is where you¡¯ve been hiding.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s smile froze. He turned to look at the Queen, and then shouted at Lily, ¡°You idiot, that¡¯s a real torpedo!¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡±


    The werehusky lady absorbed the fact, and then snapped her tail straight. She howled at Hao Ren, ¡°Holy moly there¡¯s a torpedo!¡±


    Katreine quickly explained, ¡°Don¡¯t panic, don¡¯t panic! It won¡¯t explode! The detonator is removed!¡±


    Hao Ren felt cold sweat beading on his forehead. ¡°I say, what is it with your local culture, dumping these around the city¡­¡±


    ¡°I did tell you that we sirens have been gathering items lost or dumped to the sea over the years.¡± Katreina replied easily. Her eyelids fluttered enthusiastically. ¡°This is why I came looking for you ¡ª would you be interested in having a look at our collection?¡±

 Chapter 972

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°Your collection?¡± Hao Ren was taken aback by Katreina¡¯s words. ¡°You mean the flotsam and random things you found in the ocean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just that.¡± The Queen blinked. ¡°There are quite a few surprises in them ¡ª what do you say, care to have a look?¡±


    Before Hao Ren could say anything, Lily was already leaping excitedly towards them. ¡°Yes, yes! Landlord, let¡¯s go let¡¯s go let¡¯s go¡­¡±


    Hao Ren had to push Lily¡¯s head down to stop the werehusky¡¯s shoving. He nodded at Katreina with interest. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind showing them to us outsiders ¡ª yes, we¡¯d be delighted to see them.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a national secret or something.¡± Katreina smiled and turned around. ¡°These items were thrown away by the humans of this world. We merely collect them. Come with me, the gallery is just around the corner.¡±


    Hao Ren, Vivian and Lily followed behind the Queen of Sirens, walking past the lively square outside the palace and the city¡¯s old defensive walls, which were still under construction. There were fewer and fewer sirens around them where they were heading, but more and more guards and siren soldiers in mantis shrimp form patrolling the area, all armed with tridents. Finally, they reached the entrance to what seemed like an entrance to an underground subway. The structure in front of them looked like a tunnel that emerged from underground at an angle. There was a heavy blackiron gate at the entrance, framed by sparkling water gems. A few heavily armed sentries patrolled about the gate. The festive atmosphere in the city did not reach this corner of Nasaton.


    Hao Ren blinked. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say this isn¡¯t some national secret¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not, but the guards are still necessary.¡± The Queen waved at the sentries, who bowed respectfully at her and then proceeded to open the gate. ¡°The humans on land may have forgotten about these things, but we still think of them as treasure.¡±


    A string of bubbles blew out from the sides of the gate. Hidden gears creaked as the heavy door opened to the sides, revealing a dimly illuminated hallway. It seemed to lead to the deeper parts of Nasaton.


    Katreina led the trio into the highly cherished ¡°treasure room¡± of the sirens. When Hao Ren stepped inside the hallway, he immediately noticed the pipes crisscrossing along walls and ceiling. There was also some light coming through the gaps between the pipes. Katreina introduced the place. ¡°This was a machinery room. We never knew what it was for. The machines were all broken, probably because the ship crash-landed here. After we cleared away all the machinery in here and patched a few holes, we repurposed it as a storage room.¡±


    The hallway in front widened into a massive underground expansive.


    ¡°Ten thousand years ago, various odd trinkets and things fell into the ocean. The earliest things were left behind by Otherworldlings, but when the humans conquered the ocean, their things became the majority. There were so many things left behind in the ocean, and sirens are very curious in nature. When we went traveling, we like to bring back some of the more interesting things back with us. That¡¯s how the ship anchors, torpedoes and propellers you saw in Nasaton came to be. As we gathered more and more things over time, we decided to throw away the less amusing things into the oceanic trenches, and keep the most interesting things here in the collection gallery.¡±


    The huge underground space still had traces of its ancient days as a machinery room. The metal walls that extended from both sides still had pipes and holding clamps, but the machines were all removed, leaving behind a spacious room that was now littered with all kinds of weird things. Rows and rows of item racks filled the room, leaving three-meter spaces between them. Each rack had a striking label. Hao Ren stared. He was slowly realizing that this place probably had the richest collection of items in the planet ¡ª ten thousand years of worth of history, gathered from every corner of the ocean, including things from humans and Otherworldlings, all neatly stored and categorized!


    Any historian or collector would have died from happiness if they saw this!


    ¡°This¡­¡± Hao Ren started, but the first thing he did was ask, ¡°Err, why did you suddenly think of showing us this place?¡±


    As Katreina had explained, this room of treasures was not exactly a national secret, but it did not look like it was open to public. Hao Ren had a good relationship with the sirens, but the Queen¡¯s sudden invitation must have been spurred on by some reason.


    As expected, Katreina pointed towards a deep corner of the room, and a siren emerged from the exhibits. It was Mrs Nangong, Ayesha.


    ¡°It was Ayesha¡¯s request.¡± Katreina explained with a smile. ¡°She said that you would probably be interested in these things ¡ª the planet¡¯s history of events, and the evolution of the lives of Otherworldlings in the last ten thousands of years. If you¡¯re researching about this, our collection might be of some help.¡±


    Hao Ren realized now what was happening. The Queen did not know the details of his job, but she did figure that he would be interested in things like cultural history. She probably knew he and Vivian had been actively studying the Otherworldings on Earth. Since Ayesha suggested to let him and Vivian visit the sirens¡¯ collection, Katreina agreed readily.


    ¡°Well, do you find them to be of interest?¡± Ayesha swam over from behind one of the racks, with Nangong Wudi trailing behind her. ¡°I¡¯ve never visited the collection gallery for a long time¡­ Years ago, I had loved this place. I contributed at least ten of the items in here.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re useful, very much so!¡± Hao Ren rubbed his hands together and looked around eagerly at the things that came from different periods in history and different civilizations. ¡°It will take ages to go through them, just a brief look at them will tell me so much! This¡­ Hey, why aren¡¯t Sanba and Wuyue with you?¡±


    Nangong Wudi shook his head. ¡°They¡¯re outside looking after Lil¡¯ Pea. Besides, they are not exactly interested in this place.¡±


    Hao Ren dragged Vivian and Lily towards the rows of display racks, marveling at the objects that were crystallized memories of their time. Lily stared with her eyes wide as she kept her tail carefully between her legs for fear of accidentally damaging any of these items. ¡°Say, Batty, do you recognize them all?¡±


    Vivan studied the relics that had been left underwater for ages wistfully as she replied, ¡°That¡¯s just impossible, right¡­ But I can roughly tell when and where some of these things come from. This plate, for example, is from around three of four hundred years ago, from Europe.¡±


    Vivian pointed at a delicate white porcelain plate. It was arranged together with two old flintlock pistols. Despite their age, the sirens had used a unique anti-aging formula to keep them looking good as new. Katreina saw the porcelain antique and offered, ¡°That was in 1647. A French merchant ship were attacked by pirates at sea. The plate was part of the captain¡¯s collection, and the captain was one of the few humans who knew black magic. After his death, part of his spirit lived on in the porcelain ware. This tiny plate had sunken three ships after that, and went down with the last ship into the ocean. No human ever saw it again.¡±


    Hao Ren was surprised. ¡°He knew black magic, and yet the pirates still got the better of him?¡±


    ¡°When you can¡¯t chant faster than the brick flying at you, all the black magic you know can¡¯t save you.¡± Lily had her arms akimbo in pride. ¡°Why, Batty here got a taste of my bricks before¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯d I tell about repeating that incident?!¡± Vivian glared at Lily. ¡°I wasn¡¯t feeling very well, okay?! Besides, never in my ten thousand years have I seen a werehusky throw a brick, surprise is the only reason you got me!¡±


    Katreina studied Vivian and Lily curiously, but did not comment. She pointed at the racks and said, ¡°These things are arranged by chronological order, and labeled by whether it belonged to humans or Otherworldings. Have a look yourselves, perhaps you may find something of use.¡±


    ¡°Are there anything from demon hunters?¡± Vivian asked.


    Katreina nodded and pointed towards a corner of the room. ¡°The sea is wide and all-reaching. Anything can find its way to the sea. The earliest artifacts from demon hunters are in that direction, including the huge bow that shot down the solar ship and the sword used to slay Hydra.¡±


    Hao Ren felt a renewed respect for the sirens ¡ª they were very dedicated collectors!

 Chapter 973

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    As Katreina had said, the sea was wide and all-reaching. It consumed everything.


    About seventy percent of this planet¡¯s surface was covered by oceans. Sirens were the most low keyed, friendly and pacifist species, but also the ruler of the largest piece of real estate on this planet. They lived under the sea for over ten thousand years, during which the continents experienced changes in the multitudes, endured weathers of all kinds, and were reigned by dynasty after dynasty ¡ª including ¡°Gods¡±. In the past ten thousand years, civilizations had rise and fallen repeatedly, leaving behind various artifacts that found their way to the ocean, and ultimate into the sirens¡¯ collection.


    These low keyed but curious sirens were definitely the most expert collector on the planet. They would keep almost everything they found in the ocean like treasure. This was most likely due to historical reasons. During the chaotic times on Io, sirens had learned about the ¡°outside world¡± by collecting miscellaneous objects that sank into the ocean. Since then, the siren society took great interest in the things that sank down from above their heads. Even Lily was impressed by their quirk ¡ª the werehusky liked to bring back all kinds of rocks to her home to¡­ err, to build a collection. The sirens¡¯ collection in Nasaton was far grander and extensive than Lily¡¯s pile of rocks!


    The artifacts in the collection room was arranged chronologically. Items closer to the entrance were more recent. Hao Ren followed the ¡°solid timeline¡± and walked deeper into the room, like a man glancing through the planet¡¯s history.


    On the rack with the most recent items were common human-made tools and ware, including a tiny ring. A nameless young lady on America¡¯s western shore had thrown the ring into the sea out of a broken heart, but the ring was picked up by a siren who happened to be swimming by. After a few days of playing around with the ring, the siren gave it away to the collection room. Further in, one could see a metal plate engraved with beautiful letterings, a relic from a sunken ship. Further in still, Hao Ren saw torpedoes, grenades, fragments from a periscope and a broken metal nameplate ¡ª these were from the World War II.


    He even saw the boiler from the German battleship Bismarck ¡ª Katreina found it herself. When Bismarck went down, the Queen could see a glorious fire burning on the ocean¡¯s surface from deep underwater. She cut off a piece of metal from the Bismarck¡¯s boiler in commemoration of that particular observation of human activity.


    Further in, the items became more and more archaic, including certain very interesting things. A diary from a Spain merchant ship¡¯s captain was put together with a captain¡¯s curved blade, with bits and pieces of fishing equipment dragged in by the tsunami thrown into the mix. There was also an odd-shaped telescope, and some seemingly useless and weird tools that looked like they were could summon magic. Hao Ren noticed a cylinder made of white gold. The cylinder had intricate carvings on its surface that showed a nine-headed beast, waves and a hexagram. Katreina introduced the object to him like a guide. ¡°That is the great pirate Borseba¡¯s ¡®goldscope¡¯. He was the last pirate who knew the ways of black magic. Through this unique telescope, Borseba could see any ship with gold cargo from tens of thousands of miles away. He became impossibly rich because of this, but in the end, he died choking on a piece of chicken bone in the captain¡¯s quarters. His pirate ship sank during a storm not long after that.¡±


    ¡°That was a time of mystery and darkness.¡± Vivian returned a small and decorative golden dagger back on the rack. ¡°Sailors were easily influenced by black magic, since they were so far away from land, far away from the Church and the Demon Hunter. These superstitious but bold ¡®men of the sea¡¯ liked to discuss about magic and curses. Hence, long after the age of magic and mythology ended on land, ¡®magic¡¯ still retained its power on the seas for a long time.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded, considering her words as he continued walking along the timeline. He noticed that the two rows of artifacts on both sides were gradually becoming less sophisticated and more simple and crude ¡ª he had just walk by the a glorious period in history in for humanity, and was now heading towards the more primitive and ignorant Middle Ages. Tattered fishing nets and worn out blades and daggers became the main exhibits. There were also lots of crude objects related to magic, and even some bizarre relics. An ugly spherical rock and a messy pile of wooden splinters were displayed on their very own rack, with a label that said ¡ª the human King Richard attacked Cyprus with a catapult.


    ¡°Do you know how much these things are worth?¡± Hao Ren recalled how Katreina had described their collection as ¡°not very important¡±. He was beginning to feel skeptical about the sirens and their sense of mindset. He had thought that the collection gallery looked well protected with the sentries outside, but now he felt that this place was dangerously exposed ¡ª the sirens assigned only four sentries to look after this place, and used an ancient metal door antique at the entrance!


    ¡°Are they very valuable?¡± Katreina did not seem to agree. ¡°They are thrown away by the people after all¡­¡±


    ¡°I think at least half of these things are not willingly given away¡­¡± Lily stuck out her tongue. ¡°Sunken ships and accidents at sea are hardly intentional.¡±


    Katreina waved her tail slowly, looking at a lost. ¡°I guess so¡­ They¡¯re about the same.¡±


    Hao Ren thought that he could not speak to the Queen on the same wavelength, so he shrugged and continued further down the racks. After passing by the simple and crude artifacts from the Middle Ages, he found that the items on display became more refined again.


    There were fewer and fewer primitive man-made items. A spear used for fishing was the last representative of human civilization. Of course, according to the timeline, the spear must have been the first man-made object that the sirens collected. Going further down, he saw things that were could not possibly be made by humans in that period in history.


    There were intricate metal machines, weird crystalline devices, a colorful crystal crown, a sparkling and delicately made staff, and other fantastical things that obviously did not belong to humans. Hao Ren was surprised ¡ª he had reached the Mythological Era.


    He turned to look back and found that he had only advanced no more than a fifth of the long display racks. Ten thousands years occupied only so little.


    ¡°Humans ruled the Earth for only so long.¡± Vivian studied the crude human artifacts and the dazzling, flashy ¡°Divine Artifacts¡± thoughtfully. These two categories of objects were separated by only one display rack, and the contrast was striking. ¡°It¡¯s amazing. Five hundred years ago, humans were still praying every night for the demons to stay away from their children. 1500 years ago, humans were still afraid of the invasion of werewolves or the Blood Clan into their cities. 2500 years ago, they prostrated themselves before tyrannical Otherworldings and Gods. Today, however, humans have become the sole master of this planet. Their artifacts occupied only a fifth of the gallery, but they have already conquered the entire planet.¡±


    ¡°Close minded people will always become obsolete.¡± Hao Ren shook his head.


    ¡°This bow belonged to Artemis!¡± Vivian recognized something. It was a large and faintly glowing silver bow. ¡°¡­ It was lost when Olympus fell into the Dimensional Storm. To think that it found its way here!¡±


    Lily found a heavy trident that had a blackiron-like feel and glowing a faint blue at the tips. She yelled in surprise, ¡°Katreina! Isn¡¯t the trident one your siren weapons? Why is it here too?¡±


    ¡°That is not a model we use. It belonged to Poseidon. He tried to invade Nasaton, but found himself trapped underwater by the distorted energy field around our starship. He used his trident as a bargaining chip with us sirens, and so we freed him.¡± Katreina shook her left slowly. ¡°We are peaceful beings, but that doesn¡¯t mean we tolerate intruders.¡±


    Vivian felt a little surprised. ¡°So you actually have Poseidon¡¯s trident? I never knew he lost it. When Olympus met is end, Poseidon was still using a trident to battle the demon hunters.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. Perhaps he has many tridents. Losing a weapon is too embarrassing a thing for him to share in public.¡± Katreina shrugged. ¡°The world on land is too chaotic. We do not understand much of it. Before that man with the bushy beard, the self-proclaimed God of the Sea, arrived to cause trouble, we never even knew that the sea has a ¡®God¡¯. Sirens do not care for these nonsense.¡±


    After a while, Lily yelled again, ¡°Hey, why¡¯s there a sole of a shoe here?¡±


    ¡°That is from Zeus¡¯s slippers.¡±


    Lily had nothing to say to that.


    The artifacts from Olympus were very interesting to the visitors. These ancient Divine Artifacts still had some power left in them, allowing them a glimpse into the glorious days of Zeus and his family. Hao Ren circled around the artifacts curiously. Suddenly, a grayish white object that looked like a pedestal for a sculpture caught his attention.


    ¡°Hmm? This¡­ This looks familiar.¡±

 Chapter 974

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    In the section of Olympus artifacts, there was a strange circular pedestal that caught Hao Ren¡¯s attention. The pedestal was in a grayish white, with complicated decorative patterns around it. The top surface was smooth, like it was meant to be placed there. The circular pedestal looked like the pedestal of a sculpture, but said sculpture was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°What¡¯s so special about this pedestal?¡± Katreina saw Hao Ren halting his steps by that plain and inconspicuous piece of ¡°rock¡± and asked curiously.


    ¡°It¡¯s not¡­ I just think it looks familiar.¡± Hao Ren studied the patterns on the vertical surface and felt like he had seen them before, but could not remember where and when. ¡°Do you know what this is for?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Katreina waved her tail in response. ¡°I can tell where some of these things come from, but the other details are hard to say. Sirens do not know much of the things from the outside world, especially things that came from the later days of the Mythological Era ¡ª that was a time of chaos. Demon hunters and Otherworldings were killing each other in a frenzy, which resulted in us distancing ourselves from the world on dry land. We do not have much information on most of the objects that fell into the ocean during that time.¡±


    Katreine then sighed quietly. ¡°We will never know the origin and background of many of these things. Their creators are already long gone.¡±


    Lily approached the pedestal as well and circled around it curiously. ¡°Katreina, does this pedestal look like this when you found it? Was there anything on top?¡±


    Katreina stroked her chin and finally recalled more details about the stone pedestal. ¡°Oh, right, there was a heavily damaged statue on top when we found it. Half of it was gone. Moreover, what¡¯s left of the state went missing not long after this pedestal found its way into the gallery.¡± She shook her head slowly and said, ¡°I always thought the status and the pedestal were just one thing.¡±


    ¡°Missing? From right under your noses?¡± The news tugged at a memory buried somewhere in Hao Ren¡¯s head.


    Vivian remembered it first. She slapped her thigh and cried, ¡°Ah, I remember now! When we went to Athens Sanctuary last time, we found a remnant dimensional space of Olympus. Wasn¡¯t there a temple in there? There was a statue in the temple! The pedestal it was on has the same patterns as the ones here!¡±


    Lily stared at Vivian while she struggled to recall what Vivian was talking about. ¡°Oh! I remember it too. That¡¯s the statue of Batty that people worshipped, right?¡±


    The werehusky lady never missed the opportunity to dig at Vivian. Vivian could only curl her lips and said, ¡°Nothing good ever comes out of this dog¡¯s mouth¡­ Yes, it¡¯s my ¡®rock statue¡¯ that people worshipped¡­¡±


    Hao Ren could hardly stay calm at this discovery. When they found the Olympus temple at the Athens Sanctuary, he had wondered by the Olympus family would put Vivian¡¯s statue in their own temple. Vivian had a good relationship with the Olympian Gods, but she was neither one of them nor someone close enough to have her statue in their very own temple. Before Hao Ren and his group could investigate further, the dimensional space collapsed and vanished. Much happened after that, such that the mystery of Vivian¡¯s statue was soon forgotten.


    The long forgotten mystery resurfaced today. Now that Hao Ren knew more about Vivian and the Goddess of Creation, he had a bad feeling that this rock pedestal.


    Things were not as simple as they seemed.


    Hao Ren studied the pedestal closely. He let the IDT work on decrypting the complicated patterns on the sides of the pedestal as he asked Katreina, ¡°Besides the fact that this came from the Olympian Gods, do you know nothing else about this pedestal?¡±


    ¡°¡­ After Mount Olympus collapsed, this was the final object that fell into the sea.¡± Katreina frowned as she tried to recall the past. The ¡®Olympus¡¯ she referred to was not the one on this planet, but the mountain of the same name created by Zeus and his family in their alternate dimension. ¡°According to our observer at the time, she reported seeing the sky above the Greece Peninsula lit up with a bolt of crimson lighting, which struck and destroyed the bridge connecting Greece with the temple. The dimensional space of Olympus was thus exposed. After it hovered in the sky for several hours, Mount Olympus began to collapse. Demon hunters struck the mountain with a javelin, which started a fire that quickly spread towards the peak. Due to gravitational distortions, some of the seawater was sucked upwards to the sky. When the fire at the peak of Mount Olympus died, gravity resumed to normal, and things began to fall from the sky. This rock pedestal was the last one to hit the waters¡­ Oh, by the way, it was said that a woman with a golden spear and round shield fell down together with the pedestal, but she was burned to ashes in midair by demon hunters with Heaven¡¯s Flame.¡±


    ¡°Athena was the only Goddess who used a spear and shield. The last temple to fall was also Athena¡¯s.¡± Vivian furrowed her brows as she bent down to caress the edges of the pedestal. ¡°I knew Zeus and his family for years, but what exactly were they researching in secret¡­¡±


    Before she finished, the pedestal suddenly glowed, freezing her in surprise!


    When Vivian touched one of the symbols on the pedestal, it seemed to have activated some form of ancient magic. The mysterious and complicated engravings glowed brightly, illuminating the entire pedestal. Before Hao Ren or anyone else could respond, numerous grayish white micro particles materialized around the pedestal and merged on top of it into something solid.


    The statue of a Goddess appeared on the pedestal. The Goddess was dressed elegantly, and in actual life size. The facial contours were true to the person it was sculpted after ¡ª it was Vivian.


    ¡°What in the world!¡± Lily leapt in excitement. ¡°It¡¯s activated!¡±


    Katreina stared dumbfounded at the statue. She had just mentioned about the missing statue, but now it seemed that it never went missing at all ¡ª when the symbols on the sides stopped functioning, the statue was hidden!


    ¡°What is this¡­ Some holographic project invented by the Olympian Gods?¡± Hao Ren felt a lot calmer, seeing this statue for the second time. ¡°Vivian, what did you do?¡±


    ¡°I touched it, that¡¯s all.¡± Vivian could not understand it either. ¡°Maybe it sensed me and activated itself automatically?¡±


    ¡°The question is, what¡¯s the meaning of this thing?¡± Hao Ren used his IDT to scan the pedestal, but could not find no other functions other than creating Vivian¡¯s statue. ¡°The statue is fixed in place, and not replaceable. There are not hidden functions in the pedestal¡­ So, it¡¯s basically a life size statue of Vivian, and quite a good one too.¡±


    Vivian considered that for a moment ¡ª having multiple life size statues of her sitting around in someone else¡¯s house. She hugged herself and shivered. ¡°Why am I getting the chills?¡±


    Lily studied her with an odd expression. ¡°Honestly, maybe Zeus was secretly in love with you!¡±


    Vivian quickly waved the idea away. ¡°Beat it, didn¡¯t I say this is something Athena came up with¡­¡±


    Lily¡¯s expression turned even weirder. ¡°If it¡¯s Athena instead of Zeus, then the situation is worse than I thought!¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you two be a little more helpful?¡± Hao Ren could not stand the conversation. ¡°Especially you, Lily, tarnishing a statue like that¡­ Hmm? What¡¯s this?¡±


    Hao Ren noticed some tiny words along the edge of the pedestal. He peered closer to identify the partly damaged engravings.


    ¡°Construction and¡­ Reach out¡­ Avoid the calamity¡­¡±


    Many of the words were no longer recognizable due to the damage on the pedestal, but it was still possible to glean the message from the few words that survived. The message was about reaching out to some ¡°being¡± to avoid a certain calamity. From Vivian¡¯s statue on top, it was not hard to guess who they were referring to.


    Everyone felt a shocked and at a lost after deciphering the message, and they all looked to Vivian. After a long moment, Lily said, ¡°Batty, they believed you could save them¡­¡±

 Chapter 975

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren studied Vivian¡¯s statue in a daze, wondering about that sentence on the pedestal beneath it. Lily¡¯s idea seemed to be the most likely. He turned to her and asked, ¡°Did the Olympian Gods worship you back then?¡±


    ¡°Not to this extent¡­¡± Vivian looked just as confused as him. ¡°I was only slightly closer to them than the rest. Besides, Zeus and his big happy family thought of themselves as Gods, why would they think of worshipping someone else?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a bit of a stretch too,¡± Lily mumbled. ¡°Batty¡¯s like a magnet of bad luck. Imagine how desperate they must be to trust her to keep them safe. Make her a statue today, lose your entire realm in the next¡­ Zeus and his merry band had to be crazy to worship this God of bad luck.¡±


    Vivian glared at Lily and spoke through her teeth, ¡°No one¡¯s calling you a mute if you keep your mouth shut!¡±


    ¡°Maybe the Greece ¡®Gods¡¯ knew something.¡± Hao Ren frowned as his attention lingered on Vivian¡¯s statue. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s got something to do with Vivian¡¯s position?¡±


    ¡°You mean¡­ My relationship with the Goddess of Creation?¡± Vivian raised a brow. ¡°The Olympian Gods wanted to take advantage of that relation?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded as he slowly elaborated his idea. ¡°The only plausible thing that could be this ¡®calamity¡¯ they spoke of must be the demon hunters. Your statue was probably used to avoid the disaster. Perhaps the Greece Gods realized something about the Goddess of Creation, and then of your relationship with Her. Perhaps they thought that by worshipping you, they could reach out to the Goddess of Creation and defeat the demon hunters with Her help.¡±


    Lily thought that sounded reasonable. ¡°Sounds logical, do you think it worked?¡±


    Hao Ren curled his lips. ¡°What do you think? They were all killed in just a few hours by the demon hunters. Obviously they got something wrong. Maybe their intel was incomplete, or maybe they were only acting out of desperation. In any case, Vivian¡¯s life size statue cannot possibly protect them all. She can¡¯t even protect herself¡­¡±


    Vivian¡¯s arms went akimbo. ¡°Hey, can¡¯t you just talk without insulting me for a sec?¡±


    Ayesha and Nangong Wudi were following their discussion. Ayesha asked, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if they lost their minds or something. More importantly, why didn¡¯t they just ask Vivian? Athena seemed to be making these statues in secret, hiding it even from Vivian herself.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded in agreement. ¡°That is a mystery. I¡¯ve never heard of someone worshipping a God but keeping it a secret from said God. Say, Vivian, when you were with those Olympian people, did you not see any signs of their research in this matter?¡±


    Vivian shook her head confidently. ¡°No. I remember they were very friendly. Oh, and they always treat me to a good meal, they¡¯re super generous.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately had a feeling that this generosity belied some ulterior motive. The Olympian Gods had a plan, but what it was was not exactly clear. In the end, Lily raised a very important question. ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t there something very suspicious that you all haven¡¯t realized yet?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Everyone asked in unison.


    Lily pointed at Vivian. ¡°Batty was notorious, but someone still thought it was a good idea to invite her over for dinner! That is highly unusual in and of itself. The Olympian Gods must be quite daring to invite her into their home!¡±


    That struck a chord with everyone. Only Vivian was left with a heavily scowling face. ¡°Who am I offending now¡­¡±


    Hao Ren patted Vivian kindly by her shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t take this to heart. It¡¯s in your nature to bring misfortune. We are now focusing on the boldness of the Olympian Gods¡­¡±


    Vivian¡¯s expression turned even darker at that.


    In any case, Lily made a valid point. Back then, Vivian¡¯s reputation spread far and wide. She was the bringer of poverty, and the occasional crazy amnesiac mass murderer. For Otherwordlings, who lived long lives, having the ¡°Countess of the Crimson Moon¡± strike every few centuries was a continuous source of suffering. Hence, from the beginning of time, all Otherworldlings kept a wide berth from Vivian, including her loyal vampires. The latter would rather worship their ancestor from afar than risk getting a beating. The Olympians were an entirely different matter. They socialized with Vivian, and even invite her to dine together! It must be a great risk to maintain a close relationship with the disaster magnet.


    ¡°They treated you well and tried to get close to you. They made statues of you and even built a secret temple without letting you know. The friendship was a facade.¡± Lily stroked her chin, her eyes narrowing in confusion. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    Katrein had listened quietly to the group¡¯s discussion, and could not quite understand them. When she saw that all of them fell into quiet puzzlement, she interrupted, ¡°Why are you discussing about this? The Olympians are all dead.¡±


    ¡°There are actually a few of them who survived¡­ Unfortunately, they did not know anything.¡± Vivian smiled bitterly with her arms wide. ¡°I¡¯d like to think that they were not being malicious. After all, they were my only friends back in those days. Besides, even today¡­ Hesperides and I are getting along quite well.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they are dead, it¡¯s no use investigating it further.¡± Hao Ren clicked his tongue and looked at Katreina. ¡°Is it alright if we stay here a bit longer?¡±


    ¡°As long as you please.¡± Katreina smiled and waved her tail. ¡°You are honoured guests of the sirens. Make yourselves at home.¡±


    Hao Ren and his group lingered in the collection gallery, a wonderful treasure trove of historical records, for most of the day. They glanced through every piece of historical artifact that were symbolic during its time, including some interesting or even bizarre objects. There were solar ship debris from Ancient Egypt; that longsword used to kill the nine-headed sea monster, Hydra; parts of the metal chain that was once used to tie down the giant wolf, Fenrir ¡ª only a few links were left, still strong but devoid of magic. These objects once shaped history and sent tremors throughout the world, but now they were all reduced to damaged artifacts, lying quietly in the depths of the ocean in the sirens¡¯ collection gallery, losing all traces of their former glory.


    It was regretful for Hao Ren that these things served only as novelties. With the exception of the rock pedestal left by the Olympian Gods, he found nothing else of great interest.


    Hao Ren and his group stayed in Nasaton for three days, until the sirens¡¯ Halloween celebration ended. They also made contact with Lorenz, who had been waiting for news on the ark. Hao Ren also succeeded in requesting from Raven 12345 the authority for a large enough dimensional storage space to move the massive ark out of the Plane of Dreams.


    To his surprise, the request went through smoothly. Raven 12345 did not even ask him why he needed that much space ¡ª the goddess simply confirmed with him that he was moving an inanimate object, and then swiftly gave him an assist code. All he needed to do was key in the code into Petrachelys¡¯ mainframe.


    Usually, he would expect some pestering from the annoying goddess. The prompt approval of his request was too unexpected.


    Hao Ren recalled that when Raven 12345 was not at her place in Heaven when he went to find her. Now that she did not even bother to question his request, Hao Ren could not help but feel that the goddess was uncharacteristically busy.


    Nevertheless, Raven 12345 had her duties, and Hao Ren was not interested in finding out more about them. He was only a tad curious. Once Petrachelys was successfully upgraded with the assist code, he would not have to think the matter further.


    On the afternoon of their third day, the Queen of the Sirens visited Hao Ren, as she was now ready to leave with them.


    ¡°Just the three of you?¡± Hao Ren saw that the Queen had only two escorts with her, and they looked more like secretaries than anything. ¡°This is, in essence, the meeting between the highest authorities from two different civilizations. Aren¡¯t you worried about decorum?¡±


    Katreina shook her head. ¡°Sirens do not care for it. The people on the arks cannot afford it. There is no need to waste unnecessary effort.¡±


    She took a curious glance at Hao Ren. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s necessary?¡±


    Hao Ren considered the issue, and realized that he himself had signed a contract with god using just a few A4 papers¡­


    He decided to avoid further delays, and brought the Queen and the other two unfamiliar siren secretaries to the Plane of Dreams. On the fourth day, Petrachelys arrived at the ark fleet, which was parked near the Drone Nest.

 Chapter 976

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    A bright flash of light, and then the fabric of space snapped back to its original form. The Petrachelys appeared in the vast nothingness of outer space.


    This was the border outpost of the drone swarm. The outpost, modified from a tiny planet hovered quietly at a distance. Compared to the last time they saw it, the outpost looked like it had seen some major upgrades. There were newly built space factories and connecting structures around the outpost. Watchtowers armed with picket cannons surrounded the newly built structures, guarding the wide area like lighthouses.


    The ark fleet were docked within the perimeter of the watchtowers.


    All the arks were in an idle state. Nolan had forcefully cut off the power source in these ships using external means to save fuel, and conducted some emergency reparation works in the meantime to replace the most heavily damaged engine parts and dimensional distortion generators until they could at least function normally. Petrachelys flew silently in space, and landed easily on the Royal Throne.


    Katreina observed the arks outside from Petrachelys. This was not her first time in a spaceship, but she was still excited from the novelty of space travel. Besides, the massive arks outside filled her with great awe.


    ¡°The arks are bigger than I expected.¡± The Queen of the Sirens commented softly. ¡°¡­ They¡¯re much bigger than Nasaton.¡±


    For the two secretaries she brought with her, this was their first time in outer space. Those two sea snake ladies were simply dumbfounded, and failed to even notice that their tails were intertwining together.


    Vivian gave Katreina a measured look. ¡°You once built interstellar arks as well. Sirens from those early days can probably build these. Nasaton is not so different from these arks.¡±


    The Queen shook her head in response, and sighed. ¡°We lived a peaceful life today, but we lost our technology from olden days. The people on these arks owned an entire fleet of ships, but they lives had regressed to more primitive ways. We have fallen so low now, what use is there to speak of the past?¡±


    ¡°Nolan, get the engines of these arks warmed up.¡± Hao Ren tapped lightly on the control panel on Petrachelys. ¡°Also, call Lorenz.¡±


    The control panel lit up immediately, and then a tiny, palm-sized Nolan wriggled out from a gap in the panel. ¡°Alright, alright, stop tapping, I was doing a systems check¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was preparing himself for a formal call with Lorenz, but was shocked to see Nolan becoming so tiny. ¡°You¡­ What happened?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re asking me? Really?¡± Nolan looked up and glared at Hao Ren with her arms akimbo. ¡°It¡¯s all because of that massive spatial cargo hold plug-in that you downloaded into the ship¡¯s mainframe. Our computation power was not enough, so I had to deactivate all non-essential systems and even my own resolution to squeeze out enough resources.¡±


    Hao Ren was taken aback. Two seconds later, he realized that the ¡°massive spatial cargo hold¡± was the one he requested from Raven 12345, meant to transport the huge ark that was over a hundred kilometers long to the Surface World. The so-called ¡°cargo hold¡± was not actually a physical thing, but information that humans could not interpret. After downloading this information into the Petrachelys¡¯ mainfrme, the ship would have a super huge cargo hold of a few hundred kilometers in diameter. Of course, sustaining a cargo hold of this size would consume a lot of energy from the Petrachelys, and that why Nolan came to be so tiny.


    ¡°Really, what¡¯s the logic behind this¡­¡± Hao Ren stroked his chin and muttered while studying Tiny Nolan, who still had her hands on her hips. ¡°Logic? Reducing my resolution can¡­¡±


    ¡°Not you. I meant the cargo hold.¡± Hao Ren carefully poked at the IDT. ¡°Why did downloading a code into the mainframe alter the ship¡¯s hardware?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called the Upgrade Authorization Agreement.¡± The IDT expected the question from Hao Ren, and immediately began explaining. ¡°Do you think ship¡¯s hardware is immutable? The hardware always changes with the code. Every tiny part of this physical ship can be reassembled, and these structural changes are determined by the core software of the relevant systems, all of which operate in a layer above the mainframe. Basically, if there are code changes, your ship can physically assemble to any form, including but not limited to catapults and excavators, as long as the new physical form does not exceed the mainframe¡¯s computation limit. So, if someone with administration rights offered a suitable blueprint, the Petrachelys will re-assemble and upgrade itself on the fly. That¡¯s what I meant when I talked to you about ships installing plug-ins. Do you think all the Examiners line their ships up at the 4S shop whenever they want to install plug-ins?¡±


    Hao Ren listened with increasing surprise. He always thought that the ships needed to go to some maintenance factory to perform their system upgrades. To think that these ships were so high tech ¡ª load a plug-in, and even the hardware gets an upgrade¡­


    By now, Tiny Nolan had already powered up all the engines of the arks. Against the dark background in outer space, the thirteen massive arks started to glow. After a few days of rest, these ancient and well worn machinery began to run once again. At the same time, the comms device on the control panel was activated as well. The holographic projection flickered for a second, and then stabilized into the image of an old man with snow white hair and beard.


    Lorenz looked a little agitated and troubled. The sudden call surprised him. The old man froze for a moment before asking, ¡°Hao Ren, milord? You called me?¡±


    ¡°What¡­ Please, just call me Hao Ren. ¡®Milord¡¯ sounds funny.¡± Hao Ren gestured with a wave, and then turned serious. ¡°Are the preparations complete? I¡¯ve found a place for the arks to settle down temporarily.¡±


    Lorenz first reaction was¡­ nothing.


    The old man did not seem to understand Hao Ren immediately, and once he did, could hardly believe his ears. When he realized that this ¡°place¡± was an actual planet, he did not feel joy or excitement, since he was completely overwhelmed by surprise. It was only when Hao Ren repeated himself tha Lorenz snapped out of it. ¡°You mean a new planet?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s leased to you.¡± Hao Ren stated that upfront, and then inclined his body to let Katreina join in the conversation. ¡°The planet you are settling on is called Io, and this is her Queen. Due to some circumstances, the Queen and her people are not staying on Io at the moment, so the planet is temporarily leased to you. You may discuss the details of this agreement together.¡±


    ¡°Where are you now?!¡±


    ¡°Right outside your ark.¡± Hao Ren smiled. ¡°Do you think you can leave this ark now? It¡¯s better if your negotiation with the Queen is held on my ship. We have the facilities here to record your terms.¡±


    Lorenz looked around him. From the background, it looked like he was in some kind of high class quarters, like in a royal castle a scholar¡¯s library. He nodded. ¡°I can tell them that I¡¯m going into the Furnace of the Ancestors to seek new knowledge. The people here treated me with utmost respect now. Besides, where the Furnace is involved, they would not question me.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded in acknowledgement. ¡°Very well. Inform your people, and then I¡¯ll ask the IDT to bring you over.¡±


    After the call ended, Rollie sneaked up to him from a corner. She pulled at Hao Ren¡¯s sleeve and asked, ¡°Big Boss Cat, are you done talking?¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the stupid cat in confusion. ¡°Yes. What¡¯s up?¡±


    Rollie immediately looked overjoyed. She pointed at Tiny Nolan, who was sitting at the edge of the control panel and spacing out. ¡°Can I eat the mouse meow?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Out of the way!¡±


    A while later, Lorenz was transported directly to the teleportation room on Petrachelys.


    The old man wore a grayish white long robe made of coarse material. There were many odd accessories pinned on his chest, as scholars on the arks would. His hair and beard were in pure white. He used a staff, and emerged from the teleportation room like some old wizard visiting from a mystical world of the Middle Ages, or a prophet prepared to lead his people ¡ª the latter was a good metaphor given his position in the ark fleet.


    The Nangong siblings escorted Lorenz out of the teleportation room. Hao Ren quickly stepped forward to greet the old man, and then activated the Petrachelys¡¯ main holographic feed to show the entire fleet of arks. ¡°What¡¯s it feel like, seeing these ships once again?¡±


    Lorenz took a long, steady look at the vast expanse of outer space and the thirteen massive arks neatly lined up out there. After a while he sighed softly. ¡°The ships and I have grown old¡­¡±


    Vivian stepped to the side, revealing Katreina behind her. ¡°Then let¡¯s give the younger generation a chance before you old buggers stopped working.¡±

 Chapter 977

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    To both Katreina and Lorenz, the meeting was a novel experience. The Queen of Sirens rarely left the oceans, and had never signed any form of contract with another civilization. Lorenz, on the other hand, had lived all his life on the ark, and had never seen aliens in the flesh ¡ª he was startled when he first saw Nangong Wuyue. Both of them were new to the role of representative of their people, but fortunately, they were mentally prepared to carry out the negotiations, even if it was their first time.


    There was not much to say in the meeting. Everything went smoothly as planned. The Queen had already decided on most of the details with Hao Ren. Lorenz, on the other hand, was desperate to find a temporary place for his fleet to settle down and get started on reparation works. With the lives of his people at stake, he was willing to accept almost all the conditions.


    The Queen wanted only an ark, a price that was far better than he had anticipated.


    Negotiations happened in the anteroom beside the bridge on Petrachelys. As a meeting that decided the fate of an entire civilization, involved the lease of an entire society, and attended by the highest authorities from two civilizations, the setting was considerably lacking. Perhaps years later, sirens and the ark people would describe this important day in history in great detail ¡ª one fateful day, two rulers shaped the future of their people in the anteroom of a small spaceship.


    There were only five people involved in the negotiations. The Queen of the Sirens and her two secretaries represented Io, while Lorenz represented the ark people. Hao Ren attended as an independent observer. There were also another neutral third party at the scene ¡ª Tiny Nolan, who sat at the negotiation table to record the proceedings.


    In the end, both parties came to an agreement on the matter of leasing Io. The ark fleet was permitted to stay on Io in exchange for an ark, but for no longer than two hundred years. That was the duration agreed upon by both parties. If the ark fleet could finish their reparation works early and find another suitable place to settle for the long term, they would leave before the lease ended. If they could not find an alternative home after two hundred years, the sirens were open to negotiating a new agreement, such as extending the lease.


    In fact, Katreina did not mind how long the ark fleet would stay on Io, since she and her people could not move back so soon. Io was deserted as it was. Even if they did return to Io, sirens were deep-sea creatures, and would hardly have much contact with the ark people living on the surface. The only time they would meet was probably when the fleet was leaving. Nevertheless, even if the sirens did not care about the lease period, they still followed traditional protocol and set the deadline at the conventional period of two hundred years. Both Hao Ren and Katreina knew that the deadline was only symbolic.


    Lorenz did not disagree with any of the conditions from the sirens. He only asked that the sirens choose any of the arks in the fleet except for the Royal Throne. Since the ark people had lost much of their technology and control over the arks, the conditions agreed upon were executed with the help of the neutral third party in the negotiations, Hao Ren.


    Once both parties were satisfied with the terms, both siren secretaries gave a physical copy of the agreement to Katreina and Lorenz, respectively. Tiny Nolan stood up from her seat. ¡°This meeting is logged, and will be uploaded to the Civilization Supervision Department in 180 seconds-conds-conds-conds-conds.¡±


    Hao Ren paused. ¡°What¡¯s with the repetition?¡±


    Tiny Nolan pointed at tiny herself. ¡°Maintaining the cargo hold and controlling thirteen arks-arks-arks-arks-arks at the same time can cause hanging-ing-ing-ing-ing¡­¡±


    Hao Ren panicked. ¡°Let¡¯s get one of the arks to the Surface World first, and then you can stop maintaining that cursed massive cargo hold¡­ I don¡¯t understand how a cargo hold can use up so much memory.¡±


    Nolan said, ¡°It¡¯s a cargo hold-hold-hold-hold-hold, one not fully compatible with this ship-ship-ship-ship-ship, and it demands so much computation power-wer-wer-wer-wer¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop talking, you¡¯re making me jumpy.¡± Hao Ren waved the IDT off, and then turned to Katreina and Lorenz. ¡°Your agreement is officially finalized, I will see to the implementation as a third party observer. We¡¯re all friends here, but I¡¯ll just stick to formalities and remind you of the following two points ¡ª firstly, both parties must adhere by the terms of the agreement at all times, unless there are extenuating circumstances; secondly, any extension or modification of the agreement must be done at my place. If any party tries to violate the agreement, I will interfere ¡ª tens of thousands of armed drones can reach Io within twenty four hours. Honestly, I don¡¯t think they¡¯re necessary.¡±


    Lorenz stood up, looking solemn. ¡°I will never violate the agreement for as long as I live.¡±


    In an effort to reduce the load on Petrachelys¡¯ systems and avoid any mishaps when flying the remaining twelve arks, Hao Ren asked Nolan to first transport the ark chosen by the sirens to the Surface World. Schematics and details of twelve arks, excluding the Royal Throne, were presented to Katreina. Nolan had prepared these information while performing checks on the arks. Hao Ren informed the Queen of the sorry conditions of these large spaceships honestly. ¡°The truth is, these ships are all missing important working parts. The most important bit, he life support systems, are heavily damaged. In fact, the fleet had survived the later parts of their journey by borrowing parts from one another. If you are willing to wait, I can find parts from all the arks to assemble a complete, functioning ark for you¡­ Lorenz is of the same mind.¡±


    ¡°Do not trouble yourselves with that.¡± Katreina studied the arks projected in the holographic display with keen eyes. Any one of these arks was much bigger than Nasaton and an asset so invaluable that they could only dream of having. ¡°As long as the power source and propulsion systems are working, it¡¯s enough. I don¡¯t care about the life support system. Truth be told, life support facilities for humans are hardly useful for us sirens. It will only be wasted on us. The propulsion system is something that we can at least research on.¡±


    Hao Ren thought she was right. ¡°Then, please choose one.¡±


    Katreine turned to her two secretaries to discuss, and then pointed at one of the arks. ¡°We will have the Voyager, since it¡¯s huge!¡±


    Hao Ren had nothing to say to that.


    Tiny Nolan heaved a long sigh. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m hanging-ing-ing-ing¡­¡±


    Everyone waited in the Drone Nest as Tiny Nolan flew the Petrachelys to collect the ark of the Queen¡¯s choice. Hao Ren really wanted to have a look at that brand new super-large cargo hold, so he let the IDT broadcast the collection live. He saw Petrachelys made its slow approach towards Voyager, and then a small bright spot suddenly appeared in front of the smaller ship. The bright spot looked like a star, but it expanded rapidly into shiny sphere that stretched over a few hundred kilometers in diameter, and continued expanding again. He could see distorted images of stars on the sphere¡¯s surface ¡ª the sphere was actually a curvature in space. Since space was curved back onto itself, light from the stars was bent, resulting in an optical disturbance visible to the human eye.


    The sphere would have been unnoticeable otherwise.


    The space curvature continued to expand for a half minute until it was large enough to hold an ark over a hundred kilometers long. The ark slowly entered the region of the space curvature, which looked like the surface of a black hole, and soon vanished from sight.


    After that, the sphere began to contract and return to a device on the Petrachelys. Nolan¡¯s image appeared on the comms screen, looking more pixelated. ¡°Collection is completed-ted-ted¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, go along with the IDT now.¡± Hao Ren could sympathize with her burden. ¡°I can¡¯t stand seeing you like this.¡±


    After the Petrachelys was done with storing the ark into its cargo hold, the IDT in turn stored Petrachelys into its own dimensional pocket, and then left through the crack in reality on Tannagost to Earth. That was the whole process. It sounded a little bewildering, but for gods who had mastered the art of space manipulation, this little trick of multilayer dimensional storage was already yesterday¡¯s technology. Nevertheless, Hao Ren huffed in annoyance. ¡°The crack in space on Tannagost is too small. We need so much tech just to move something larger. Tsk, it¡¯s so much work.¡±


    Vivian could not help but roll her eyes. ¡°Perhaps you¡¯d prefer a large hole in the fabric of reality instead?¡±


    Hao Ren clicked his tongue in agreement. ¡°The universe is big, and we have only covered so little of it. Maybe there really is a large hole¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, Lily and Vivian quickly put their hands on his mouth. ¡°Shut up!¡±

 Chapter 978

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    When Nolan returned to Earth, she was operating smoothly again and back in her normal resolution.


    ¡°It feels so much better like this.¡± Nolan¡¯s life size holographic projection circled around inside the bridge. ¡°I was feeling a little jerky.¡±


    Hao Ren asked about the ark. ¡°Where did you unload the ark? Did everything go well?¡±


    ¡°I followed the navigation signals from the sirens and sent the ark straight to the ocean floor, at the edge of Nasaton. The Queen will see it when she returns.¡± Nolan nodded. ¡°Everything went without a hitch. There was some turbulence when the ark was unloaded, but Nasaton was not affected. The sirens in charge of receiving the ark are now busy checking the ship and waterproofing it. The ark is massive¡­ It will keep them occupied for awhile.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. He turned to look at the remaining twelve arks in the fleet. These massive spaceships were now remotely controlled by Nolan and slowly leaving the Drone Nest¡¯s territory. Since the ships were using more primitive curvature propulsion technology, they needed to travel a bit further before they could perform a hyperspace jump. Similarly, once they reached Io, they must leave hyperspace earlier and began a slow deceleration. The entire process would take three of four days. Hao Ren looked at Lorenz and said, ¡°You¡¯re welcome to stay on my ship for these few days. I¡¯ll also get you up to speed with the current state of the universe and more background information on the disaster that befell you.¡±


    On the second day of the fleet¡¯s acceleration, the arks were now approximately a lightyear away from the Drone Nest and reached their ¡°jump window¡± at sublight speed. The Petrachelys followed the fleet into hyperspace, and together they flew at superluminal speed toward an ¡°exit window¡± about one and a half lightyears away from Io. On the third day after they left the Drone Nest, the fleet exited hyperspace and left a gravitational lense millions of kilometers long by the edge of the Io system. After that, Nolan made a final check on the status of all twelve arks to make sure they were all functioning within acceptable margins and that the landing gears were on standby. She then made a final course correction on the arks. The giant ark fleet adjusted its course and made its way towards the blue planet located 1.5 light years away.


    When the blue oceans of Io was projected on the main holographic screen, Lorenz was rendered speechless for a very long moment.


    ¡°Io has no land. Your arks are your only islands. For the next two hundred years, you can only live surrounded by the ocean.¡± Katreina was in a good mood, having acquired the ark of her choice, so she readily stepped into the role of the landlord, introducing the new tenant to his new home. ¡°We sirens love this planet, but it is probably not very comfortable for you¡­ It¡¯s a place for you to stay and recover, but not so ideal for your society to rebuild itself.¡±


    Lorenz was still unable to speak. He stared unblinkingly at the holographic projection of the wide, blue ocean, and did not say a word.


    ¡°You still in there?¡± Lily poked the old man on the back. ¡°Or are you captivated by Io already?¡±


    Lorenz jolted out of his trance, panting heavily like he had just emerged from under the water on Io. After some time, he whispered quietly, ¡°¡­ This is the ocean¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only a holographic feed.¡± Hao Ren smiled. ¡°Wait till you see what¡¯s coming next. Nolan, begin the landing sequence for the arks.¡±


    The twelve arks had already decelerated enough to land on Io. When they received the order remotely from Petrachelys, the gigantic spaceships immediately altered their course and began to descend into Io¡¯s atmosphere. The uneven surface of the oval shaped arks brushed past the air particles at high velocities and gradually glowed a bright red. The twelve arks descended from the skies like fireballs, with Petrachelys flying in the Royal Throne¡¯s shadow and following them into Io¡¯s atmosphere.


    As they reached lower altitudes, the arks engaged in a series of maneuvers. A semi-transparent layer of air appeared around each ark like a shell of distorted space around them. This was the gravity manipulation devices at work. The massive gravity manipulation device could isolate the entire ark from Io¡¯s gravitational force, preventing the ship¡¯s gigantic structure from caving due to the strong gravity on Io. As the gravitational pull between the arks and Io slowly decreased, the ships were also reaching the end of their deceleration sequence.


    The first ark to reach Io¡¯s ocean surface was the Terra Firm. The ancient spaceship had in many ways sacrificed itself to save the entire fleet. It now descended slowly and elegantly onto the water surface. Air turbulence around the ship raked up giant waves in the sea that rippled outwards. When the ark finally made its horizontal landing on the water, its general purpose and adaptable landing gears were activated. After a loud hum, the thick, black hull on the sides of the ship slowly opened up while the hull plates underneath opened to both sides while dropping large pieces of debris into the ocean. These debris pieces from the result of Nolan¡¯s modifying the ship¡¯s structure earlier. Since the ship¡¯s systems were too old, it was impossible to complete the final stages of structural transformation without removing these unwanted pieces.


    When the bottom of the ark opened up, huge pipes, metal columns, buoys and underwater detectors emerged from previously hidden chambers and reached into the ocean waters on Io. These ancient weapons, left alone for ten thousand years, were now used for the first time since they were built on this unfamiliar planet. They eagerly scanned for information from the ark¡¯s surroundings, and then delivered these information to the ark¡¯s mainframe.


    Nevertheless, these information will not be acted upon ¡ª Nolan had already severed all the arks from their mainframes, and used drones to build a series of imitation mainframes to replace them. That way, when the arks made their landing, the arks¡¯ systems would disregard their original programming and follow Nolan¡¯s instructions instead.


    The twelve arks descended gradually, one after another, to form a ring-shaped ¡°archipelago¡± on the vast stretch of seawater on Io. The only fully functioning ark, the Royal Throne, was led by Nolan to the center of the ring. When these massive arks landed on the water, the resulting turbulence and the deactivation of their gravitational isolation system raised massive waves on the ocean surface. It was like a storm was raging around the arks. Waves crashed from unusual heights, splashing violently. Petrachelys circled around the Royal Throne amidst the artificial ¡°storm¡± to check for damages.


    Results from sensors positioned at various places inside the Royal Throne and the Seeping Kernels that penetrated the ship¡¯s core systems indicated that all was well ¡ª aside from some mild leaking in the two cofferdams located at the bottom of the ark, the landing had went smoother than expected.


    Nolan scanned through the incoming data as she reported to Hao Ren. ¡°Underwater and atmospheric sensors are all activated. The life support system is now replacing air and water reserves on the ark. After ten thousand years of recycling, the ship can finally replenish its supplies. The other ships are still using deep sea radar to scan the ocean floor, but Io¡¯s seas are too deep. Seabed natural resources are not accessible for the people on the ark, so I¡¯ve shut down the radar for now ¡ª it¡¯s not like they¡¯re doing anything useful.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Contact the drone swarm and have them send an engineering unit down here to start repairing the ships.¡±


    Nolan sent a notice to the drone swarm while commanding the arks to begin their systems deactivation sequence.


    After ten thousand years of operation, these ancient spaceships had finally landed on a planet. Their overloaded machinery could finally take a break. Of course, the ark could not stop all systems at once. When the drone swarm began reparation works, the systems would take turns shutting down so that the arks remained functional.


    While Nolan was busy with the technical maneuvers, Hao Ren turned to Lorenz and asked, ¡°The next step is very crucial ¡ª opening the ark¡¯s dome. Are you sure the people on the ark can accept what they¡¯re about to see?¡±


    Lorenz nodded slowly. ¡°They will have to see the sky one day, so why not do this when they still believe in me?¡±


    ¡°Wait a second.¡± Lily cried in surprise. ¡°You plan to open up the ship?!¡±

 Chapter 979

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After ensuring that all the arks had landed safely on Io, Hao Ren and Lorenz discussed the details of their landing and decided to open up the dome of the ark¡ªsomething that the ark¡¯s structure allowed. When the dome was opened, the enclosed spherical sanctuary within would transform into a flat terrain. It was only then that the ark¡¯s life support system and propulsion system, which was located at one end of the ark, could be shut down completely and undergo reparation.


    The only reason these arks were functioning now was because they had been sharing gears and parts to make up for each others¡¯ malfunctions. Since it was impossible to fully shut down the ships, these mechanical parts were invariably overworked, and an impending threat. In fact, malfunctions that occurred on the Royal Throne were mostly the result of accumulated stress on the mechanical parts. Therefore, opening up the dome was essential for the repair works that were to come. It was inevitable that the people on the ark would finally see the outside world.


    However, the civilization on the ark would definitely be deeply affected by this exposure.


    The people on the ark would finally see a real horizon in the distance. They would see the open sky for the very first time. Their spherical ¡°world¡± would spread out into a flat land. All in all, their worldview was about to be dealt a heavy blow. Hao Ren remembered what happened when the Aerymian Elves first arrived in their new home¡ªwhen they first viewed the boundless sky above, most of them developed a phobia of it, including the erudite magisters and technicians. If the knowledgeable elves could even suffer like this, what about the people of the ark? For generations, they had lived in an enclosed space of only a hundred kilometers across. It was the only world they ever knew.


    Lily was busy preparing her script when Hao Ren and Lorenz brought this issue up. She was shocked to learn that they wanted to open up the ark. The werehusky was a little dim, but she was not a total fool. In terms of technical knowledge, she was perhaps the most knowledgeable out of the group. Hence, she could not help but ask, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that incite a massive social catastrophe? How are the ark people going to digest what they see?!¡±


    ¡°When you left us the first time, I already started to prepare them for this day. However, it¡¯s still a little too soon,¡± Lorenz spoke slowly. ¡°I tweaked many of the details in their legends about the world and the idea of the Giant Turtle. I described the Giant Turtle as a divine artifact, which could open up. When the Sea of Eordos finally calms, God will open the Giant Turtle and let the people see the world He created in all its magnificence. I tried my best to teach them the concept of the sky and land¡­ even though the latter¡¯s probably not necessary.¡±


    ¡°Do you think all that talking is enough?¡± Lily glanced at Lorenz skeptically. She knew that the old man had worked hard, but it was harder to see how much the ark people understood from him¡­


    ¡°Ignorance impedes the progress of a civilization, but it works wonders on maintaining social stability.¡± Lorenz sighed quietly. ¡°I am actually thankful that they¡¯re still ignorant now, whereby legends and myths are sufficient to explain almost anything away. Even if their world is turned upside down, if a god comes to them and explains that everything is normal, their society will be able to function normally.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded in agreement. ¡°Besides, Lorenz is still highly regarded by the ark people. They will believe him even when he makes claims about how the world works. If their ¡®world¡¯ really transforms just as he had described, he will be respected even more, for as long as the next few centuries perhaps¡ªthat¡¯s long enough to serve a solid foundation to the civilization on the ark.¡±


    ¡°Short-term confusion is unavoidable. As long as it doesn¡¯t get out of hand, it¡¯ll be fine,¡± Lorenz said, looking at Vivian and Lily. ¡°Your help will be greatly appreciated. If the goddesses of fire and ice are there to ¡®open up their world¡¯, the people will probably feel more at ease.¡±


    Lily was already jumping in excitement before Vivian could put a word in. ¡°I¡¯m going, I¡¯m going! This is going to be so much fun!¡±


    Hao Ren raised his brows at the werehusky¡ªthis was exactly what happened the last time. All that jumping around previously¡­ But when she saw the massive crowd, she quickly backed out. If this lady tried to run away again this time¡­


    Nevertheless, Hao Ren did not stop Lily for she seemed eager to participate. It was not very often that the werehusky would be so enthusiastic. Hao Ren nodded at Vivian and Lily. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, both of you, please follow Lorenz back to the ark. Make it a grand entrance, prepare a big light show or some kind of special effects to help the people realize something important is about to happen. When Nolan gives you the signal, the dome above the sanctuary will start to open.¡±


    He then turned to Nolan and said, ¡°What¡¯s the state of the mechanical parts for when the sanctuary transforms?¡±


    ¡°The gears are working normally. The artificial gravity generator circuits have also been rerouted. When the dome opens, I will be remotely controlling the ship¡¯s gravitational fields to gradually merge them with Io¡¯s.¡± Nolan lifted her head. ¡°On the other hand, I have cut off all the power to the Royal Throne except for the area in the sanctuary and redirected the power to the city in the ship. It¡¯s going to work.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded in acknowledgment. He then looked at Vivian, Lily, and Lorenz. ¡°Well, you should get going now. Vivian, you¡¯re in charge.¡±


    Vivian smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have plenty of experience in this¡ªwhat with all tricks I¡¯ve seen the old devils used during the Mythological Era to create their own following.¡±


    The trio left the bridge for the Royal Throne. By now, the choppy waves outside were beginning to subside. This unnatural ¡°storm¡± came and went quickly, ending after no more than a quarter of an hour. Katreina watched the holographic screen as it showed her home planet outside, musing quietly. Meanwhile, Hao Ren and Nolan huddled together at the control station to plan the engineering works on the arks.


    Based on their plan, Hao Ren wanted to repair all 12 arks. Since the sirens had promised at least 200 years for their lease, they could take their time fixing the ships until they could be airborne again. For the next two centuries, the 12 arks would have enough time to become fully functional again.


    After analyzing the structure of each ark, Nolan finally gained a detailed understanding of their primitive structures and life support systems. He then reverse-engineered a blueprint of them. Hao Ren hoped that the blueprint could help the drones and autonomous robots to modify the arks. The arks would be interlinked to form a massive island, while the cities would be rebuilt to help the ark people recover their population size and social structure. Merging the cities on the 12 arks would make the people stronger as a whole, and the wider living space would help them adjust their worldview.


    The arks were distributed around in a circle and linked to each other with strong alloy bridges. The wheel-shaped city slowly came to form. Nolan tapped the holographic panel, placing towers and floating harbors around the ring structure as he did some calculations. ¡°They will be living here for at least 200 years, then maybe move on to another planet. To do that, they must learn to get used to living on a planet. We have to teach them how to survive outside their sanctuaries¡ªthey must learn how to not rely on the ship¡¯s resources. Based on their lifestyle on Io, we can expect at least tens of thousands of people within the next century here, living off the ocean¡¯s resources. Moreover, I¡¯ve found some aquaculture techniques within the archives on the arks. We can make use of them too.¡±


    Nolan looked up. ¡°As long as we plan carefully, living on this blue planet isn¡¯t impossible. The only difficulty is mining for ores and minerals.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re quite knowledgeable in these things.¡± Hao Ren studied Nolan in surprise. ¡°What else did you find in the arks¡¯ archives?¡±


    ¡°For thousands of years, most of my ¡®dreams¡¯ were of surviving the apocalypse.¡± Nolan smiled. ¡°I remember a planet in particular, which was covered with water. The survivors relied on their gigantic mothership to keep their civilization alive. I was one of the crew members on that ship. It was only a dream, but the experience gathered is still applicable in the real world.¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned by this and expressed his admiration. ¡°Wow.¡±


    Suddenly, Katreina cried in surprise. ¡°Hao Ren, can you come over here?¡±


    Hao Ren approached the queen. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Katreina pointed at a spot, somewhere far from the ark fleet. There was a patch of green in the waters.


    ¡°Can we go over there and have a look?¡±

 Chapter 980

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°Can we go over there and have a look?¡± The siren queen seemed to have sensed something from the ocean. She had an odd expression on her face.


    ¡°We can¡­¡± Hao Ren did not think much of it, but he was also curious about the green patch. ¡°What is that?¡±


    Katreine frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I can feel the movements of the water, and that area feels particularly active.¡±


    Hao Ren could not help but ask, ¡°You can even feel the water through the holographic projection?¡±


    Before Katreina could explain, Nangong Wuyue had already slithered her way towards Hao Ren and poked him in the stomach with her tail. ¡°You won¡¯t understand the logic behind this power even if we explain it. My mother and I feel something from the ocean too. It¡¯s almost¡­ familiar.¡±


    Hao Ren muttered to himself at the mystery of these sirens. He turned back to steal a glance at the ship¡¯s control station. Since Lily and Vivian would be busy in the meantime, he nodded at Nolan and said, ¡°I¡¯ll leave the arks to you. If Lorenz messages us, just proceed according to plan, no need to wait for me. Katreina and I will go investigate the green patch.¡±


    Hao Ren left the bridge on the Petrachelys. The storm outside had almost subsided. The air felt moist, while the waves below continued to roar against the backdrop of the endless stretch of sky and ocean. The fleet of arks had landed on Io and formed an island chain. Their black metal hulls reached higher than the mountains from the water¡¯s surface, gleaming coldly under Io¡¯s dazzling sunlight. Waves crashed against the metal hulls and broke into snow white caps.


    Hao Ren, Ayesha, Nangong Wuyue as well as Katreina left the Petrachelys and landed directly on the water¡¯s surface. The sirens commanded a surge of water that propelled them rapidly towards the place where they had sensed something was off. As they swept past the Royal Throne, Hao Ren noticed that the water around the lower bottom of the ark was bubbling violently. Huge mechanical parts moved beneath the surface, drawing in water to replace the water reserves for the ship¡¯s life support system. It seemed like the ark was still functioning well.


    The sirens made quick work of transporting the group to the odd region of the sea. Hao Ren soon saw a large mass of green.


    ¡°This¡­ What¡­¡±


    Hao Ren stared at the strange phenomenon, bending down to inspect the huge stretch of floating, seaweed-like thing. It rose and fell with the ocean waves, looking like a kind of simple marine algae at first glance. However, when Nangong Wuyue hooked up some of it with her tail, the organism looked more like a kind of rootless plant. It had a webbed network of vines and long, thin leaves. The leaves and vines were all tangled together in such a way that it was hard to make out individual plants. Perhaps the entire green mass was just one plant¡ªa massive marine plant, which covered over a few square kilometers.


    It may not be the only one.


    Ayesha looked into the distance and saw another patch of green near the horizon, not unlike the one in front of them.


    ¡°Hush.¡± Katreina apparently discovered something. She raised a finger to signal everyone to be quiet. Then, she used her magic to isolate the water around them to render them undetectable. ¡°Look over there, under the densest part of the greens.¡±


    Katreina was pointing at a spot far away from them, but Hao Ren¡¯s eyesight still allowed him to see it. He kept his breath even and watched. Soon, he noticed something moving under the ¡°seaweed¡±. It was some kind of fish with flat and wide bodies. The fish were feeding on the draping roots of the seaweed thing. It looked like they were used to this source of food.


    ¡°The biosphere is recovering, and there are new species flourishing here,¡± Hao Ren muttered quietly. He was certain that Io did not originally have these massive ¡°seaweed¡±. Io¡¯s ocean surface was once turbulent and violent. The strong winds and regular storms would not have favored any life near the water¡¯s surface. ¡°Is this seaweed the result of evolution? It¡¯s too fast, though.¡±


    The IDT sneaked out of his pocket and examined the plant before it cried out in surprise. ¡°It¡¯s the moss you threw into the ocean last time¡ªbut it¡¯s changed!¡±


    ¡°Moss?¡± Hao Ren took a few seconds to understand what the IDT meant. He found some moss when he was searching for the Nangong couple on the rogue planet. He had left some of them behind on Io in the hopes that they would thrive in their new home. Nevertheless, this new form of the plant was not what he expected!


    ¡°It looks completely different now¡­ perhaps because of Io¡¯s environment.¡± Hao Ren looked at the wide stretch of green, finding it hard to believe that they were actually moss. ¡°But, that can¡¯t be. Environmental factors can¡¯t make them change so quickly.¡±


    Suddenly, Katreina frowned at something. She nudged Nangong Wuyue and Ayesha softly. ¡°Do you feel that? Something¡¯s in the water.¡±


    ¡°I felt it just now, and it seems to be watching us.¡± Ayesha nodded and looked around curiously, but she did not seem nervous, because she did not sense any hostility from the hidden party. ¡°It¡¯s like a siren, but¡ª¡±


    Before Ayesha could finish, the calm water surface suddenly rippled unnaturally towards a focal point. It was impossible for the wind to blow it that way.


    When Hao Ren saw the waves moving, he suddenly heard a whisper of sorts in his mind. It sounded familiar, and it felt like a greeting.


    Nangong Wuyue was the first to notice the water rising somewhere close to them. ¡°There! Something¡¯s coming!¡±


    A few dozen meters away from them, the waves converged quickly and rose above the surface like an animal. Everyone stared as the rising form slowly transformed into a more recognizable shape. It grew hands, a head, and a waist. While the entire form was still wobbling unsurely, it was obvious that the form was shaped like a human.


    More precisely, it was attempting a human shape.


    The blob of seawater tried for almost half a minute before it finally stabilized. Then, it rushed eagerly towards Hao Ren and the others. Its final form was the approximate shape of a woman, who reached a few meters tall. The figure was made of water, with no organs of other physical details in its form. It was like a failed imitation made of slime.


    The strange creature circled them over and over again, making huge waves, which splashed all over Hao Ren. After a while, it went back into the ocean and re-emerged somewhere farther away, like it was trying to tease them. Before anyone could react, the water mass suddenly dispersed and became multiple tinier forms, all adjusting themselves to mimic a certain shape and size¡ªit took Hao Ren some time to realize that it was trying to imitate Katreina.


    The three sirens present were now dumbfounded. They did not know where the slime thing came from, but it felt so familiar that they did not feel threatened at all. Katreina was the first to gather herself together. She patted Hao Ren on the shoulder with her tail and asked, ¡°Wait, could this be¡­¡±


    ¡°Eva?¡± Hao Ren found the idea more and more likely. He shouted at the water forms that were trying to become Katreina. ¡°Eva!¡±


    The water forms seemed to have given up by then. She had gone back to an approximation of a woman¡¯s form. When she heard Hao Ren¡¯s call, she splashed her way toward him, making a strange bubbling sound. *Gurgle, gurgle¡­*


    Hao Ren reached out towards the water form, and she responded in kind, touching Hao Ren¡¯s fingers.


    In that moment, a mental connection was established again.


    After a while, Katreina looked at Hao Ren. ¡°Is it really Eva?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s her¡­ Or rather, Eva reincarnated.¡± Hao Ren inhaled deeply and breathed out slowly to calm himself down. He then pointed at the massive patch of seaweed. ¡°That¡¯s her work.¡±


    He turned back to the body of water and smiled warmly. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Eva.¡±

 Chapter 981

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Katreina as well as Ayesha leaped into the water and swam around the reincarnated Eva, studying her with great joy, surprise, and curiosity. Eva looked at them curiously as well. She chased after Katreina¡¯s tail with the breaking waves and even tried to shake hands with Ayesha, behaving almost like a child. Nangong Wuyue noticed all this. ¡°She looks¡­ odd.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s been reborn, with only scant memories of her precious life.¡± Hao Ren was trying to digest the fact that Eva had come back to life. He did not understand how it worked, but from the mental connection that he established with her earlier, he was able to grasp some fragments of the truth. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say if she¡¯s still the planet¡¯s consciousness, but basically, she¡¯s been reborn. In any case, she is Eva, though she¡¯s still very young.¡±


    Eva swam happily alongside Katreina and Ayesha, before finally circling back to Hao Ren. She patted him on the shoulders with her cold hands and made a series of incomprehensible sounds. *Gurgle¡­ Gurgle¡­*


    ¡°She remembers me, but only a little.¡± Hao Ren did not understand what Eva was saying, but he could tell what she meant through physical contact. He did not know how it worked as well, but the mental connection was very handy. ¡°She said that she¡¯s grateful for my present from the last time¡ªprobably referring to the moss. In an effort to grow the moss, she altered its form.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s rebuilding life on the planet?¡± Nangong Wuyue was stunned. ¡°I thought only the First Born could do that¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not as strong as Zorm, but here in the ocean, she can still do a lot of things.¡± Hao Ren smiled. ¡°She¡¯s still weak now compared to the time she was the planet¡¯s consciousness. For now, she works her powers in the ocean, but other aspects of the planet are still too distant for her to grasp.¡±


    Katreina had re-joined the group by then. Eva quickly used her pure water form to gently nudge the queen¡¯s tail. While she made some more gurgling sounds, Katreina looked helplessly at Hao Ren. ¡°What is she saying?¡±


    Hao Ren put his hand into the water and read Eva¡¯s thoughts. ¡°She said she visits the seabed frequently, that there are still traces of the cities where the sirens once lived. Most of the buildings have been destroyed, but some survived. She¡¯s asking when you¡¯ll be moving back here.¡±


    Katreina grew despondent upon hearing that. Hao Ren maintained contact with Eva to explain why the sirens could not return any time soon. The young Eva did not seem capable of understanding his complicated story, but she could sense hope from Hao Ren¡ªor perhaps, optimism. This made her happy again, and she swam in rapid circles around him.


    ¡°What is she saying now?¡± Katreina asked curiously.


    ¡°She mentioned the strange ¡®rocks¡¯ that came down from the skies.¡± Hao Ren looked in the direction of the fleet of arks. ¡°She¡¯s curious about them.¡±


    The three sirens exchanged looks of astonishment.


    Eva¡¯s appearance came as a surprise. Since the ¡°planet¡¯s consciousness¡± and the ¡°spirit of the sirens¡± vanished before this, Hao Ren never imagined that she would return, much less recover so much of herself. Now that the ark people had suddenly landed on Io, Eva would not fail to notice them. What would she think about the unannounced arrival of these unfamiliar people?


    Eva was young now. Could she understand the predicament faced by the ark people and their agreement between the sirens?


    Hao Ren considered these issues as he began to explain to Eva about the origin of those ¡°rocks¡±. Before he started however, Nolan messaged him. ¡°Captain¡ªthe dome is about to open.¡±


    Eva gurgled nonsensically next to Hao Ren, splashing water around her. Even without proper limbs and such, her body language expressed her curiosity completely. Hao Ren looked at her, hesitating for a few seconds before deciding to bring her along to watch the dome open.


    The group made their way towards the fleet of arks. Eva¡¯s method of travel took them all by surprise¡ªshe did not follow them from behind, instead she vanished into the water when Hao Ren and his group began their journey. Hao Ren thought she had left, but soon found her appearing not too far away from them. In the ocean, Eva was everywhere. She did not have to follow the usual rules of travel. In the open seas, she could be wherever she wanted to be, at any time she wished.


    The Petrachelys had made its way closer to the water¡¯s surface, some distance away from the Royal Throne. It was far from monitoring the ark. When Hao Ren reached the fleet of arks, he saw father and son, Nangong Wudi and Nangong Sanba on a platform high above the ship, waiting for him. Rollie was crouching by the edge of the platform, focusing on the water like she was intent to catch a fish.


    When they realized Hao Ren had brought Eva with him, Nangong Sanba was flabbergasted, ¡°She came back to life?!¡±


    ¡°More like she was reincarnated,¡± Hao Ren briefly explained Eva¡¯s situation to them and looked up at the massive archipelago, which was the fleet some distance away from them. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about Eva later. Nolan, how are Lorenz and his people doing?¡±


    ¡°Everthing¡¯s going as planned. He said that they¡¯re ready for the dome to open now.¡±


    Hao Ren hummed in acknowledgment and turned to look at the curious body of water that was Eva. He nodded slowly. ¡°Open the dome.¡±


    A deep hum reverberated around them as gears began to turn, and after 10,000 years, the Royal Throne¡¯s dome began to open.


    On the ark¡¯s black metal hull, layers of heavy alloy plates began to open up and disappear one by one into the transformation grooves. Air whistled out from the edges of the ship¡¯s hull. This was from de-pressurising the outer parts of the ship. The gigantic metal beast began to slowly transform like a fern leaf uncurling itself. The ellipsoidal body of the ark split open in the middle and slowly opened outwards to both sides. The two spherical ends of the ark popped out and gradually bent down towards the sea. Slowly, the structures hidden within the ark came to light. Layers of steel platforms; ancient support structures; facility levels, which sparked occasionally; and piping systems, which leaked a little gas here and there¡ªhaving survived but stayed hidden for thousands of years, these things were finally exposed to the outside world for the first time since they were built. It was scary to see exactly how much they had aged. The inner structures were not exposed for long as the ark¡¯s transformation continued¡ªall the sealing systems were activated to isolate these facilities. Large alloy doors sealed off the outer chambers, creating an empty cavity, which was protected from exposure to seawater.


    As the ark¡¯s hull continued to open, the city within was finally brought into contact with the outside world.


    ¡°The ark¡¯s gravitational field generator is working smoothly. Proceeding with continuous correction of the field direction¡­¡± Nolan focused on maneuvering the ark¡¯s transformation process as she reported her status. ¡°The structure is stable¡­ The ship is 3.35¡ã from a normal angle. Proceeding with leveling¡­ Proceeding with gravitational field correction¡­¡±


    It was an awe-inspiring experience to see the mountain of a spaceship slowly open up, especially at such a close distance. Even Hao Ren marveled at the miraculous work of engineering that was the ark¡ªfor the average human at least, it was truly miraculous. The magnificent transformation process had Eva¡¯s complete and undivided attention.


    She forgot all about splashing around and focused solely on the metal ¡°egg¡±, which was opening up on the ocean¡¯s surface. When a city emerged from the metal egg, she suddenly grew excited and made a few loud, sharp noises with water¡ªshe knew what a city was since she had seen the siren¡¯s cities, but she had never seen a city outside water. Eva was greatly shocked by this discovery!


    Hao Ren held on to Eva¡¯s hands. As the ark slowly opened up, he began to relate the story of the ark people to the reborn Spirit of the Ocean¡ªthe planet¡¯s consciousness and the spirit of the sirens.


    ¡°They¡¯re from another planet,¡± Hao Ren said to Eva telepathically. ¡°They lost their home, just like the sirens. They escaped their own planet and have nowhere else to call home. They hope to take rest here. They need water, food, and air since their spaceship can no longer continue to provide for them¡­¡±

 Chapter 982

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The ark¡¯s gears hummed as strong mechanical arms pushed the 10,000-year-old ancient metal plates to both sides. The city within the ark, located close to the hull, slowly emerged into the outside world while the magnificent transformation continued to unfold. As the ship¡¯s hull gradually split into a dozen curved plates and slid off to the sides, the ancient city within began to reassemble as well. Artificial gravity kept things in place as the city¡¯s angle and altitude were adjusted to land horizontally on the ocean¡¯s surface. The two ends of the ark had already come into contact with seawater by now. There were now two opposite ends of the city, consisting of two massive islands that were connected to the city itself. One of these islands housed the Furnace of the Ancestors¡ª the fusion reactor. Meanwhile, the other island had a series of giant metal towers¡ªalso collectively known as the Giant¡¯s Nose. This was the city¡¯s atmosphere control center.


    Everyone watched the ark¡¯s transformation anxiously. All the large-scale mechanical motions required a great deal of power, and the people on the ark had to be kept safe through thousands of safety features. If anything were to go wrong, countless lives would be put in danger. Hao Ren could now make out the people moving about in the city. Having been isolated from the outside world for thousands of years, these people were not equipped to fully grasp the changing world around them. Even with Lorenz¡¯s guidance and the presence of the goddesses of fire and ice, they could not possibly calmly accept that the ground was splitting beneath their feet, that their world was turning upside down, and that the universe as they knew it was being altered completely. As the shocking environmental changes occured, the people panicked. Some knelt in prayer; some hid inside their homes, trembling, waiting for the end; some closed their eyes like they were welcoming Judgment Day. Through the chaos, Hao Ren noticed that there were dark clouds above and frequent bolts of lightning.


    He took a moment to realize that the clouds and lightning were all Vivian¡¯s design¡ªshe was probably using these ¡°miracles¡± to distract the people. As long as they gave the impression that the gods were initiating the transformation, the people on the ark would feel safer. For a seasoned vampire who had experienced the Mythological Era, Vivian knew how their minds worked.


    Eva ¡°watched¡± the events in quiet shock. Hao Ren did not know how her senses worked, but he could tell that she was observing the transformation of the ark in a conventional sense at least. When the giant metal egg slowly opened up into a city, Eva felt troubled. However, once Hao Ren explained the situation of the ark people, she began to think about it.


    Despite her fragmented memories, Eva still remembered concepts like ¡°spaceships¡± and ¡°arks¡±. She also knew what it was like for a civilization to meet their end. When she saw the ancient and heavily weathered city emerging from the metal egg, she began to understand what Hao Ren was saying. Nonetheless, she made no comments and simply disappeared in a splash of seawater.


    Katreina was surprised to see Eva go missing. ¡°How is she?¡±


    Hao Ren could not understand as well. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I told her that the people on the ark lack basic necessities and asked her to consider accepting them.¡±


    Katreina immediately looked worried. ¡°Did she get angry?¡±


    Eva, the spirit of all sirens, held a very special and important place in the queen¡¯s heart. The latter took to heart everything that concerned Eva.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­ She doesn¡¯t seem like the petty type.¡± Hao Ren could not figure out Eva¡¯s reaction, but he believed that Eva would not have been so upset because of these alien newcomers. ¡°She¡¯s very far away now. I can¡¯t sense her from here.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s just for the meantime. She¡¯ll probably be back very soon,¡± Nangong Wuyue offered. However, as Eva was the Spirit of the Ocean, no one could control her movements and predict her thoughts. It was impossible for them to find her. Just as Nangong Wuyue finished, a long, sharp hum came from the arks.


    The spaceships had already transformed into something completely different. After the ship¡¯s hull opened up, the city within became a rectangular floating island on the sea. There were major structural changes to the city as well. The ground was reassembled with connecting bridges and metal boards, which were previously hidden underneath. They emerged from between the cracks to become a part of the city. The transformation helped strengthen the structure of the ¡°island¡±. Hao Ren looked from afar, noting the chaos in the city. There were some fire and smoke rising from certain areas. In the thousands of years that had passed, the ark people had done some modifications to the ship¡¯s structure. While most of the new structures were built on top of existing ones, there were also entire new buildings in some places. If these buildings were located where reassembly was necessary, their destruction was to be expected.


    Moreover, there were newly added circuitry, pipings, and mechanical facilities that were damaged by the transformation.


    Nevertheless, Lorenz expected all of this¡ªhe had even arranged for the people to avoid places where reassembly would happen. The city within the ark was designed with the transformation process in mind. All the major roads and city components were positioned strategically. Even after thousands of years, it was still possible to make out where the boundaries of these transformation parts were. Lorenz used a very long time to spread the information of the boundaries to the people. Before the transformation began, he had also asked Vivian to use ¡°divine intervention¡± to remove people who were unwilling to move away from the boundaries (most of these people were nomads living in the outskirts). Hence, while there were extensive damages on the buildings, casualties were reduced to a minimum.


    As expected, Lorenz pinged Hao Ren a few moments later. ¡± The ark¡¯s transformation is complete. Thank you for your help.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s the situation in the city?¡± Hao Ren set aside the issue concerning Eva and focused on Lorenz¡¯s status.


    ¡°All according to plan.¡± Lorenz nodded. From the comm device, he seemed to be near the Furnace of the Ancestors. ¡°All the buildings at the transformation boundaries were destroyed, but they are mostly simple tents or houses. Some machines fell into the gaps between the moving parts but we have 200 years to clean that up. The biggest problem is the castle in the Kingdom of Highspire. Some parts of the castle were located right at the edge of a transformation part. There were some major structural collapses, but we managed to disperse the people and avoid casualties.¡±


    The old man smiled all of a sudden. ¡°At least, we know what the next step is¡ªfixing the buildings.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled as well, but then he turned serious. ¡°What about the confusion among the people?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s as expected.¡± Lorenz shook his head. ¡°No one¡¯s crying about the end of the world. The nobles and soldiers did not disappoint this time. They are trying to calm the people down at the moment. The goddesses of fire and ice are a very important part in the rebuilding process. I hope to start a new religion that¡¯s beyond the Four Kingdoms, a community of worshippers for the goddesses. It will replace the current jumble of religions and spiritual organizations.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good.¡± Hao Ren found it interesting. ¡°I can¡¯t speak for Vivian, but Lily will definitely be the first to agree. She just can¡¯t wait to be part of the action¡ª¡±


    Before Hao Ren could finish, the sound of a gigantic wave from afar cut him off!


    It sounded like rolling thunder, or like an approaching tsunami. Hao Ren turned back to look and saw something shocking in the horizon¡ªa wave as big as a mountain range was heading his way. It started out as a silver lining, but quickly reached close enough to fill his vision. It was like a huge wall that reached from the sky to the sea, and it was heading towards the fleet of arks with no signs of stopping!


    Lorenz saw the wave from a vantage point on the ark. He gasped in surprise. ¡°What is that?! Is it a natural phenomenon of this planet?!¡±


    Having lived on the ark for his entire life, he did not know what it was.


    ¡°It¡¯s a wave¡­ but it doesn¡¯t look natural!¡± Hao Ren quickly estimated from the speed of the wave that it would cause a problem for the arks. Another thought came to him¡ªcould this be Eva¡¯s doing?


    The sudden appearance of the massive wave took everyone by surprise. Hao Ren realized that this could be Eva throwing a tantrum. He immediately jumped into the sea to reestablish a connection with her, but Eva¡¯s mental focus was not with him. He tried to no avail, and in those few baffling seconds, the wave had already reached the edge of the fleet!


    However, it quickly shrank in size, becoming so small so quickly that it seemed to have suddenly become a surge of harmless waves. Behind them were things that were carried together with the waves. The people on the ark stared at them and exchanged looks of bewilderment.


    It was a wide spread of green seaweed, intermingled with all kinds of weird marine plants. They were all tangled with each other in a mess and brought to the Royal Throne courtesy of the waves.


    The small waves around the seaweed converged rapidly into the shape of a woman. The figure grew and grew until it reached a few hundred meters tall in an effort to speak to the city¡¯s people. Eva pushed the seaweed mix towards the city and spoke through clear, loud splashes of water. *Splash, splash.*


    Hao Ren could finally hear Eva talking. She was repeating something in excitement, ¡°Food, food, food!¡±

 Chapter 983

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    In the ark city or rather, the floating city, the people were still recovering from their shock of having their world turned upside down when the massive wave, which reached thousands of meters tall came for them. Having been isolated within the ark for thousands of years, the ignorant society had no idea what was happening at all. The powerful force of nature; the boundless space outside; the empty, cloudy sky; and the limitless expanse of the sea¡ªall of these things were unimaginable to the people. However, they were now witnessing all of them in rapid succession, things that their ancestors had never told them about. Thus, when the giant wave came, the people on the floating city were plunged into terror and panic. They thought that Io¡¯s ocean was the Sea of Eordos from their legends (despite not knowing what the sea looked like), and the giant wave was a mythical creature that would swallow anything in its path.


    However, the wave suddenly vanished. When they saw the huge spread of green things floating in front of them and the divine, powerful being who rose from the waters, their panic and terror were quickly replaced with profound respect.


    On the other hand, standing next to the Petrachelys on the ocean, Hao Ren was dumbfounded by the thoughts he had read from Eva. He never imagined that the innocent Spirit of the Ocean would leave so suddenly only to bring food for the ark people¡ªshe had heard Hao Ren¡¯s story and remembered the part about them needing food. Hence, she responded in the most basic way, which was to bring the most easily acquired source of food she knew of to the refugees.


    Eva was not angry, and she did not resist the newcomers. In fact, she probably did not understand the idea of ¡°intruders¡±. Hao Ren maintained his mental connection with Eva for a while longer to understand her better¡ªit seemed that the Spirit of the Ocean was not acting out of kindness or malice, but was only responding instinctively with the best course of action she could think of. If one insisted on putting a motive behind her actions¡­


    Just as she grew the scraps of moss into seaweed to feed the fishes that lived near the surface, she thought of the humans on the ark as a bunch of tiny, hungry animals of the sea and decided to feed them with seaweed¡ªalmost like a gardener.


    Hao Ren wanted to laugh at the logic behind her actions, but he thought it best not to share the truth. Eva¡¯s worldview was vastly different from common beings. Normal people would find it difficult to understand her.


    His mental connection with Eva was cut off by a voice from his communications channel. Lorenz asked anxiously, ¡°What¡¯s going on? That¡­ giant, what is it doing? Is she the planet¡¯s¡­ owner? What does she want?!¡±


    At the edge of the floating city, where the humans were closest to Eva, people were already kneeling before the mysterious and seemingly invincible being. The first reaction of these superstitious and ignorant people was to beg for safety. They thought Eva was a furious god and said that she was demonstrating her powers to them at the edge of their old world. Thus, they quickly started to pray to her, hoping that she would be pacified, and perhaps spare them. This benighted reaction was not their fault¡ªtheir entire culture was founded on superstition after all.


    Vivian and Lily stood beside Lorenz. They were also caught off guard by the giant wave, but they certainly did not consider Eva as some kind of ¡°furious god¡±. Vivian already had a good guess of who the figure was, but she was finding it hard to believe.


    Hao Ren¡¯s voice came through the comm device just then as he yelled at Lorenz, ¡°Tell them it¡¯s a gift from the god of the sea!¡±


    A swarm of autonomous robots flew towards them from the Petrachelys and dispersed themselves into every corner of the floating city. Each autonomous robot projected a large holographic image of Lorenz. Since the ark¡¯s transformation had damaged the ark¡¯s fragile communication network, Lorenz¡¯s only means of communicating with the people was through the bots. Hao Ren arranged the autonomous robots around the city as he briefly explained Eva¡¯s origin to Lorenz. ¡°¡­In any case, she is for all practical purposes a god of the sea for your people. The seaweed that she¡¯s brought here is food¡­¡±


    Lorenz had to make the announcement without any preparation, but he did manage to keep himself composed. His image was projected throughout the city as he began to explain to the people about Eva. ¡°The god of the sea, Eva has brought to us¡­¡±


    Eva studied the people in the city curiously. She was also particularly curious about the tiny autonomous robots flying around every little corner of the city. She even tried to catch one to have a closer look. Hao Ren noticed it and quickly jumped into the sea again, reaching out to her. ¡°Eva, don¡¯t move! Just maintain your position¡­¡±


    He then turned to Nolan and said, ¡°Turn off the ark¡¯s water pump. If Eva gets interested in that, she might find her way into the ship¡¯s reservoir!¡±


    He turned to Eva again. ¡°Good girl, don¡¯t touch the ship! It can¡¯t survive any more rocking from you!¡±


    ¡°Nolan, open up the hulls of the other ships. Find a way to keep Eva distracted!¡±


    ¡°Eva! Don¡¯t touch that! That¡¯s the fusion reactor!¡±


    He was all over the place. Hao Ren had to prepare for Lorenz¡¯s speech, ask Nolan to maneuver the arks, and figure out how to keep Eva from acting on her burning curiosity. After everything was finally settled, he was as tired as a dog and soaked in the ocean¡¯s water. ¡°¡­F*ck, I¡¯ve never seen such a giant baby¡­¡±


    No one knew that years later, the new generations of the ark people would worship their three gods because of this¡ªthe goddesses of fire and ice, who created their world, and the protector of all life, Eva¡­


    When Hao Ren and the rest settled everything, it was already late in the evening.


    Io¡¯s sunset was matched with clear skies. The brightest stars were already visible in the horizon. The people on the floating city were about to welcome their first starry night in 10,000 years. The Petrachelys hovered a few dozen kilometers away from the city. Hao Ren and his gang were gathered on the ship¡¯s viewing platform, saying goodbye to Eva. She did not express anything out of the ordinary in regards to their departure. She wandered happily around in the water, creating waves here and there, as well as joyful splashes. Vivian stood beside Hao Ren as her attention lingered on Eva. ¡°To think that we would see her again¡­ She¡¯s not the same as before.¡±


    ¡°She had the power from an entire planet and could make quite a scene.¡± Hao Ren grinned. ¡°Now, she probably doesn¡¯t even have one percent of that power.¡±


    ¡°She seems to have taken a liking to the ark people.¡± Katreina smiled as she looked at Lorenz. ¡°I wonder what your time with her will be like.¡±


    ¡°The goddesses of fire and ice, as well as the generous and bountiful god of the sea¡ªmy people will remember these three gods forever. The god of the sea is the most tangible and closest presence to us.¡± Lorenz returned her smile. ¡°I never expected that our civilization would continue and recover in this manner. This will change our recovery plans entirely. However, given the current circumstances, we must be friendly with the god of the sea. Frankly, we don¡¯t know much about this particular god, but she¡¯s not wild or malicious. That¡¯s very fortunate.¡±


    ¡°Eva was never evil, but she still has a lot to learn.¡± Hao Ren looked at Eva, still fooling around in the sea. Lil¡¯ Pea had joined in on the fun. The young mermaid leaped out of the water again and again, her golden-red tail shimmering against the sunset. ¡°I¡¯ve done my best to teach her some things, but she and I have very different ways of reasoning. It¡¯s hard for me to understand her thoughts too. She¡¯ll have to slowly form her own worldview, and that will happen when she¡¯s living alongside your people. If you are kind, she will be kind; if you are tyrannical, she will be as well.¡±


    Lorenz bowed his head solemnly. ¡°I will remember that.¡±


    ¡°Try out the seaweed when you get back.¡± Hao Ren smiled. ¡°It¡¯s hard to grow crops on this planet.¡±


    Lorenz left soon after. He could not stay with the group for long since the people were waiting on him for further instructions to build their new home. In the years to come, the old man would be very busy. When Lorenz took his leave, Vivian threw a thoughtful glance at the Royal Throne. ¡°¡®If you are kind, she will be kind; if you are tyrannical, she will be as well.¡¯ What you said is true. But what if they lie to this ¡®god¡¯? Eva is like a child right now.¡±


    Hao Ren pointed at the sky. As the star clusters became visible, something else also twinkled amongst them.


    ¡°One thousand two hundred drones will fire in the name of humanitarianism.¡±

 Chapter 984

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    It had been days ago since the ark civilization was successfully relocated. They were now enjoying a rare moment of peace.


    The first Hao Ren did after he returned was to check in with Raven 12345, but the goddess had not returned from the world of the gods. Her temporary replacement received him, but Hao Ren did not mind his own boss¡¯ long absence. At least, he did not have to worry about the crazy goddess dumping a mountain-load of assignments on him.


    The day started with clear skies and a cheerful sun. After days of cloudy weather, the southern area finally had a break. The heavy snow from the previous night covered the streets with a thick layer of snow. Looking out the window, one could see the entire old street decorated in plain white and gray. A chilly breeze was in the air, and Hao Ren was happy to just stay indoors in his warm house and enjoy the snowy view. He moved his tea set to the window in the living room and enjoyed a cup of hot tea as he played a board game with Y¡¯zaks.


    Everyone was busy with their own thing. The living room was quiet, interrupted only by the occasional tapping sound of a stone piece. The window in the living room fogged up from the boiling hot tea. Hao Ren looked out through the mist at the old street outside, which was dyed white from the snow. He thought of his past adventures, of the floating city on Io and the propagation of life on Tannagost, and of the nebulae seen on Inferno¡ªall these fantastic and magnificent views slowly melted away into the snowy street outside. It was hard to imagine all the different life stories unfolding in different universes at the same time¡ªthe stories of joy and sorrow, life and death, as well as a whole new world to explore. For someone who had been through it all, he was now snuggling by the windowsill, nursing a pot of tea and playing board games with a retired old demon. The sharp contrast made him emotional, but he did not know why exactly. In the end, he only managed to quietly sigh in bewilderment. ¡°Haih¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Y¡¯zaks looked up at him, grinning widely. ¡°You¡¯re not thinking about our game, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled and casually made his next move on the board. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s wonderful if the whole universe is as peaceful as this?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the most horrible thing I can imagine.¡± Y¡¯zaks shook his head. ¡°It means that the universe has become stagnant and is heading towards its end.¡±


    Hao Ren gaped before he smiled helplessly. ¡°¡­That¡¯s you alright.¡±


    The IDT quietly sprawled itself on the windowsill as it idly watched a certain inspector and devil kill their time in their own way. Suddenly, it vibrated once and appeared more lively. ¡°The inspector¡¯s forum¡ªa new topic has been created. It¡¯s regarding your latest mission report.¡±


    Hao Ren did not even look up at the IDT. ¡°What¡¯s in it?¡±


    ¡°The gist of it is that the cursed loner, whose visits always lead to disaster, did not actually cause trouble this time. Your colleagues have expressed their greatest surprise.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s hand froze in the middle of moving a piece. ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t they over that yet? Don¡¯t they ever get bored?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t blame them. You were assigned to this massive project in the Plane of Dreams.¡± The IDT could understand the situation. ¡°Think about it: you see traces of ecological disaster in almost every corner of the universe. Dig around, and nine times out of ten, you¡¯ll find someone¡¯s grave¡­¡±


    Hao Ren gave the IDT a sideways glance and slowly placed a black piece down on the board. ¡°We¡¯re researching an elegant work of art over here, don¡¯t be so crass¡­¡±


    The IDT shot towards him and slapped Hao Ren on the forehead. ¡°Elegant my a**! You two old farts have been playing Gomoku from 8.30 to 10.30, what¡¯s so f*cking elegant about that?! That teapot is the only thing that¡¯s elegant in this entire living room, and you use it as a hand-warmer!¡±


    Hao Ren pulled the IDT awkwardly to the side and pointed at Y¡¯zaks. ¡°The problem is, this old demon only knows how to play Gomoku¡­¡±


    ¡°You took back your moves even in a game with Y¡¯lisabet, so save your excuses,¡± the IDT did not hold back on belittling Hao Ren. ¡°The only people in the house who are willing to play with you now are Y¡¯zaks and Lil¡¯ Pea, am I right?¡±


    Hao Ren could not argue.


    Y¡¯zak smiled at the familiar exchange between Hao Ren and the IDT as he made another move on the board. He then stood up and rolled his shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m leaving. It¡¯s still early, so I¡¯m heading out for a walk.¡±


    With Y¡¯zaks gone, Hao Ren was truly bored now. He took a sweeping glance of the living room and realized that the IDT was right¡ªno one in the house would play with such a bad loser like him. In the end, he settled on the fish tank nearby and scooped Lil¡¯ Pea out of the water. ¡°Nice Lil¡¯ Pea, won¡¯t you play with Daddy?¡±


    At least, he could do that.


    With Lil¡¯ Pea on the other side of the board, Hao Ren continued the game with his ¡°daughter¡±. Despite the IDT¡¯s constant mumbling commentary from the side, the young mermaid was excited about the game. She leaped happily around the board, hugging a relatively large stone piece against her chest as she considered her next move. Sitting opposite her was Hao Ren, looking a little nervous¡ªthere was a possibility he would not win against this mermaid too¡­


    When Lily and Vivian came back from grocery shopping, they saw Hao Ren playing against the fish ¡ªthe former was grimacing as he considered his next move, while the latter hugged her own piece innocently. Hao Ren was asking Lil¡¯ Pea, ¡°Can Daddy take back another move? Just this once, and I¡¯ll get you chopsticks¡­ Chopsticks made from Narra wood!¡±


    ¡°Look at you¡­¡± Vivian¡¯s voice interrupted Hao Ren¡¯s bargaining. ¡°How can you bully a fish?¡±


    Hao Ren turned to see Vivian carrying a basket full of vegetables and approaching him. He could feel the cold from outside still lingering on her. Lily was also back with her, but the former immediately went to the television. ¡°Switch the channel, switch the channel. Ahh, we¡¯re late, we¡¯re late, we¡¯re late¡­¡±


    The two of them had just returned from grocery shopping. From the way they looked, Hao Ren found it hard to imagine how they were like sworn enemies just two years ago. He peeked inside Vivian¡¯ basket and muttered, ¡°You two seem to be getting along.¡±


    Both Vivian and Lily replied in unison, ¡°Who¡¯s getting along with her?!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my line!¡± Lily leaped up from the sofa and stood on the armrest in a pose. ¡°I was forced to go shopping with this batty bat. Who knows what she¡¯d do with the money? I¡ª¡±


    ¡°You just went out to take a leak in the snow.¡± Vivian threw her a sideways glance. ¡°Just admit it. You¡¯ve already admitted that you¡¯re a werehusky.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s side comment had riled them up. Now both the bat and dog were arguing again. Nevertheless, they did not really fight anymore. It was more a battle of words, and Hao Ren enjoyed their exchange. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re enemies? Have you forgotten about your dynamic duo performance with the ark people¡­¡±


    Vivian paused, recalling how she and Lily had inadvertently been recognized as the goddesses of fire and ice by the ark people. Her expression became unreadable. ¡°Landlord, don¡¯t ever bring that up¡­ To think that I paired up with the werehusky¡­¡±


    Hao Ren marveled at how Vivian took a while to respond to that. He began to rummage through the contents of the grocery basket to see if there was anything of interest. Vivian slapped his hands away. ¡°Stop it. Hey, Doggie, come help me choose the vegetables¡ª¡±


    Before she could finish, a lovely ringtone came from her pocket.


    It took Vivian a while to realize that it was her own phone ringing. She fished out her phone and frowned at the name of the caller. ¡°Hessiana¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have given her my number. Hello? What¡¯s up?¡±


    Vivian accepted the call impatiently to hear what annoying reason Hessiana had come up with this time to bother her. However, the longer she was on the phone, the more concerned she looked.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Hao Ren asked curiously.


    Vivian ended the call and looked baffled. ¡°All the demon hunters in the Greek Peninsula are gone.¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­¡± Hao Ren did not really understand her. ¡°Gone?¡±


    ¡°Vanished. Their strongholds are deserted. The guards in charge of monitoring the otherworldlings are not at their posts,¡± Vivian sounded distracted like she could hardly believe what she was saying. ¡°The other sanctuaries are also said to be abandoned. Hessiana asked if there¡¯s anything amiss with the demon hunters here.¡±

 Chapter 985

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The first signs of oddity were noticed by the unusual creatures in the Greek Peninsula. One by one, the unusual creature species realized that the demon hunters, who killed their kind all over the planet, had suddenly gone missing. Later on, spies confirmed that the demon hunters¡¯ strongholds were abandoned. A few days later, similar intel came from Northern Europe and the entire American Continent¡ªthe demon hunters were gone.


    Europe, Asia, America, the least populated Arctic region, and the Antarctic, where the most secretive hunting activities were conducted¡ªdemon hunters in all these areas seemed to have deserted their stations simultaneously as though they had received new orders. Due to limited resources, the unusual creature families could not ascertain where the demon hunters had gone to. By the time they realized what was happening, no demon hunter was left in sight. Nevertheless, they could deduce from what little traces were left behind that the demon hunters had left systematically. A small werewolf family in Southern America was the only one to have reportedly seen a group of demon hunters leaving hastily. The hunters looked like they were in a hurry, and did not engage the werewolves even though they could obviously sense them.


    Reports suggesting the reason for the disappearance of the demon hunters were presented to unusual creature families around the planet in the next few days. Reclusive, traditional aristocratic families and all the sanctuaries received this intel. The major families sent their best investigators to verify these reports. Special forces sent to enter demon hunter territory had all returned safely so far, finding only traces of magic and empty spaces once occupied by gear and equipment. Families in touch with each other shared intel, and news continued to spread amongst the sanctuaries. Finally, the entire planet was made aware.


    The demon hunters were gone.


    When Hessiana made the call to Vivian, those in the Athens Sanctuary had already completed a sweep of the entire Greek Peninsula. It had been thousands of years since these unusual creatures had worked together in such a massive scale¡ªwhen the demon hunters were still active, they never dared to do move in broad daylight. However, the result of their search was this¡ªthe demon hunters were gone. A few different families in the Asian Continent did their own searches, and while their progress was slower than in Europe and America, they had arrived at the same conclusion.


    Vivian told Hao Ren of the news she received from Hessiana in a worried voice, ¡°Something¡¯s wrong.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not normal, that¡¯s for sure.¡± Hao Ren flung his chess piece onto the table. ¡°They can¡¯t really leave Earth, right? Besides, you said that a family in North America saw one of the retreating demon hunter troops?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Hessiana said it was a werewolf family that¡¯s related to the Holfinlay Family. That¡¯s why they managed to contact Athens Sanctuary.¡± Vivian nodded slightly. ¡°They encountered a group of retreating demon hunters.¡±


    ¡°This means that the demon hunters didn¡¯t just vanish into thin air. They simply went somewhere else.¡± Hao Ren stroked his chin. ¡°Anything else?¡±


    Vivian shook her head. ¡°Nothing. The otherworldlings have been at a disadvantage compared to the demon hunters. Since the demon hunters divided the planet into different regions, the otherworldling families have mostly been isolated from each other. It¡¯s still possible to keep in touch with each other, but impossible to gather intel where the demon hunters are active. They found out about the demon hunters¡¯ disappearance only after they were gone, and probably some time after they actually left. So, Hessiana¡¯s also asking about the local demon hunters.¡±


    Hao Ren considered it for a moment. ¡°Our demon hunters are doing fine. One¡¯s watching TV with his sister, the other¡¯s doing business outside¡­¡±


    Vivian glared at him. ¡°Not these two! I¡¯m talking about Liu Sheng and Zhao Xi!¡±


    Hao Ren slapped his thigh in sudden realization. ¡°I¡¯ll go find them!¡±


    ¡°Wait, I¡¯m coming with you¡±¡ªVivian put her jacket back on¡ª¡±in case you need back up.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a walk to the city, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Hao Ren stopped Vivian and pointed at the hungry, slumping figure in the living room. ¡°You should prep for the next meal. Look at that pitiful thing.¡±


    Vivian turned to the living room and saw Lily lounging on the sofa. She watching television while snacking on a bag of chips. The werehusky noticed Vivian and wagged her tail defiantly. ¡°Get cooking, I¡¯m starving! What are you two talking about non-stop?¡±


    Vivian curled her lips and nodded at Hao Ren. ¡°¡­Alright, come back soon.¡±


    Hao Ren went over to Lil¡¯ Pea, who was still hugging onto her piece, and patted her. ¡°Good Lil¡¯ Pea, I¡¯m going out for a bit. I¡¯ll be back in a jiffy.¡±


    Just as he was about to step outside, Rollie suddenly stomped her way down the stairs and yelled, ¡°Big Boss Cat, where are you goin¡¯? Are you getting me some dried fish strips?¡±


    ¡°All you do is eat.¡± Hao Ren glowered at the cat girl. ¡°I have work to do.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m coming with you!¡± The stupid cat jumped at the chance, looking as stubborn as a cat. ¡°Food, food, food!¡±


    Hao Ren thought that the cat was probably idling around at home, so it would be hard to dissuade her from following. In the end, he just had the cat girl put on a change of clothes, and both of them headed for the city in all their splendor.


    If he was not wrong, the local demon hunters, Liu Sheng and Zhao Xi should still be working in the shopping mall he last remembered seeing them. It had been about a month ago.


    After Hao Ren left, Lil¡¯ Pea stared at the board for a while with her chess piece still close to her chest. Then, she whipped her tail around. ¡°Daddy sucks at playing! I can¡¯t even go all out!¡±


    On the other hand, Hao Ren was of course, oblivious to what his dear fish daughter was complaining about. He started his ride, the Northstar, and went straight for the city to find Liu Sheng and Zhao Xi, who were both working in the mall in the guise of normal people. He remembered Zhao Xi¡¯s handphone shop, but he did not see the scarred lady there.


    ¡°Looking for Zhao Xi?¡± A staff at the counter noticed Hao Ren and was surprised by his intention. The freckled young woman did a double take on Hao Ren, as she did not expect the solitary and quiet Zhao Xi to have friends. ¡°She hasn¡¯t been around for a while. Took a long leave from the boss.¡±


    ¡°A long leave? What happened?¡± Hao Ren felt unsettled, having confirmed the unusual activities of the demon hunter community. ¡°Did she say when she¡¯d be coming back? Where has she gone to?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a week since she left. I don¡¯t know where she is now,¡± the freckled young lady replied and looked Hao Ren from top to bottom suspiciously. ¡°Who are you? Do you have any business with her?¡±


    Hao Ren realized that his abrupt string of questions had alarmed her. He smiled and explained, ¡°She¡¯s a friend of mine. I¡¯ve visited this place a few times before, but I¡¯ve never seen you around¡ª that lady over there looks familiar, though.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I remember you. You¡¯ve been here a few times.¡± The other staff member recognized Hao Ren. ¡°We really don¡¯t know where Zhao Xi is now. She¡¯s not the talkative type, and she never spoke of her family before.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Hao Ren stroked his chin. ¡°Then, do you know the manager of this floor called Liu Sheng?¡±


    ¡°Manager Liu? He hasn¡¯t been around either. I heard he¡¯s on some family business. He¡¯s on long leave as well,¡± the freckled young lady offered. ¡°I think it¡¯s around the same time Zhao Xi took her leave.¡±


    Hao Ren had reached his own conclusions by then. He nodded and said, ¡°Alright, thanks for everything.¡±


    After he left the mall, Hao Ren slowly exhaled. One thing was sure¡ªthe demon hunters in the city had left.


    It was not without warning, however.


    ¡°They applied for long leave before they took off, so they were not exactly in a hurry. Besides, they planned for their return too. It¡¯s more likely that they received orders from their superiors to move out.¡± Hao Ren analyzed the situation. ¡°I wonder if it was the same with the other demon hunters.¡±


    Rollie listened to Hao Ren¡¯s analysis and stretched lazily. ¡°So, where¡¯s the food?¡±


    Hao Ren took a moment to realize that the only one listening to him was the cat. He slapped himself in the face. ¡°¡­Why the f*ck did I bring you here?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m cute and adorable, meow! So, where¡¯s the food?¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.

 Chapter 986

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    There seemed to be an indescribable confusion, darkness, and unusualness lurking.


    This was a dimension beyond human understanding, a place that was hidden on this planet since the beginning of time, veiled from the common people. In this strange dimension, where direction and distance did not seem tangible, one could see numerous damaged towers and collapsing palaces floating around in space. These warped buildings were connected to each other via mysterious long bridges. Amid the deep, dark chaos, indescribable star clusters and nebulae illuminated the black space as they always had for hundreds of thousands of years. The strange architecture cast elusive shadows like a herald of calamity.


    No one knew who built these structures, or who once lived there. Only one thing was certain, and that was, the previous owner was incredibly powerful and technologically very advanced. The seemingly fragile structures floating in space were all unusually immune to damage. Even the strongest unusual creature would have found it difficult to move them by an inch.


    Currently, the place was an active war zone.


    A fragment that broke off a palace structure was floating there. Despite its damaged state, the fragment still reflected the palace¡¯s glory days when it was still whole. At the main palace structure, where the fragment broke off, there were flashes of white fire and moving shadows of people in black coats. There was screaming and killing everywhere. This once sacred and peaceful space had now become the grand stage for a war of betrayal and evil.


    A large, high-ranking demon hunter with dark skin stood before the palace¡¯s entrance. He wielded a massive, odd-looking cross and used it to deflect arrows that came his way. Behind him, in front of the entrance to the palace, a shimmering light screen flickered. The light screen trembled like it was about to collapse. It had already received much damage before this. A small group of exhausted demon hunters hid behind several collapsed pillars as they fought against long-ranged magical attacks with their arrows. One of the soldiers cried out, ¡°Master Teuton! We can¡¯t hold on much longer!¡±


    The burly demon hunter, Master Teuton, hammered his large cross into the ground. A bright flash followed, and a shield was created around the palace. Master Teuton looked around with knitted brows and saw how completely overwhelmed they were¡ªhis soldiers were mostly injured, and the protective runes outside the palace were about to give way.


    Despite having soldiers guarding the entrance, their physical defensive line was about to collapse.


    When he realized all of this, he suddenly heard a loud explosion in the distance. A bright flash illuminated a one-kilometer radius from the center point. He looked up to see a peak of a spire burning furiously a few hundred meters away from him. The spire lit up the surroundings like a torch, and the runes on the spire structure exploded from top to bottom¡ªthey were defenses put in place by later inhabitants of the dimension. Compared to the nigh indestructible building structure itself, these magic tricks were simply too fragile.


    ¡°¡­We¡¯ve lost the energy node.¡± Teuton watched the disaster without expression and gestured to release the light screen outside the palace entrance. ¡°Retreat behind the second defense line.¡±


    The weary soldiers scurried into the palace like their lives depended on it. Teuton was the last to enter. When the soldiers began their retreat, the arrows and magic grenades came at the light screen even more fiercely. These attacks avoided the palace¡¯s original structure and aimed for the weaker defenses, which were later added to it. The light screen flashed as the attacks on it grew stronger. It was only a matter of time before it yielded.


    Teuton strode along the palace hallways, the ground shaking occasionally from nearby explosions. He could tell by the explosion sounds and all the shaking, that the enemy had begun to use more powerful siege weapons against them¡ªperhaps the insurgents who attacked the energy node were already there. Teuton halted one of the young hunters running past him and asked, ¡°Where is Mistress White Flame?¡±


    The young hunter looked terrified and nearly cried out when Teuton got a hold of him. He panted heavily and replied, ¡°She-She just came back from the flank defense line, and is now resting in the inner hall.¡±


    Teuton nodded solemnly and made for the inner hall, but then, he turned back and called the young hunter again. ¡°Stay calm, son. From the day you pick up your weapon of holy silver, there is no reason to fear death.¡±


    The young hunter stared at Teuton in a daze, looking thoroughly devastated. ¡°I do not fear death by the hands of demons, but those outside are¡ª¡±


    ¡°Go, secure our defenses,¡± Teuton cut him off. ¡°Those who stood behind you are also your brothers and sisters. Compared to the mad traitors outside, those who fought beside you are more worthy of your loyalty.¡±


    In the inner hall¡­


    When Teuton stepped inside, he felt heat radiating from all corners. It seemed to burn his body and soul. He looked up to see a young woman standing in the middle of the Sacred Flame, her long, silver hair going down to her waist. White flames burned around her like actual fire, spreading outwards until they covered the entire hall. In fact, the heat was the only palpable thing about the white flames. Nothing in the hall was burning from the Sacred Flame. Teuton was absorbed in the scene for a while before he stepped right into the fire. ¡°We¡¯ve lost the Western Spire¡¯s energy node.¡±


    ¡°I know. I could feel it.¡± The young, silver-haired lady turned to him and pressed her side with one of her hands. There was a gaping wound there, but instead of blood there was a white flame flowing out of the wound. ¡°The light screen outside is almost at its limit as well.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s your wound?¡± Teuton frowned. ¡°I heard you were ambushed.¡±


    White Flame smiled easily, as though she was not directly involved. ¡°He almost succeeded. If his mind had been much stronger, or if he had been able to stand half a second more of the pain from the Sacred Flame¡­¡±


    She lifted her hand up from her side wound. Her flesh was healing perceptibly. Her healing power was almost as good as a werewolf¡¯s.


    *Boom¡ª*


    Another explosion came from outside the palace. The inner hall shook violently. Teuton looked up at the dome-shaped structure of the inner hall and continued to speak without losing his calm. ¡°It should last for a few days. The building itself is sturdy. Once the light screen outside is breached, they will have to send in small troops of soldiers to fight us in hand-to-hand combat. The best melee combatants are here with us.¡±


    ¡°It is meaningless to fend them off for just a few more days.¡± White Flame shook her head. ¡°Should we consider closing off the Stellar Spire? Or just blow up the place¡­¡±


    Teuton frowned. ¡°We will lose this sacred place forever if we do so. Besides, we may not succeed in sealing off this dimension¡ªthe sages may have found a way to reactivate the Stellar Spire from the inside.¡±


    The two of them went silent for a moment. As White Flame gradually recovered, the sea of white fire in the hall dwindled away. Teuton then broke the silence once again. ¡°Hasse is probably still alive.¡±


    White Flame¡¯s eyes widened. The news finally broke her composure.


    ¡°Teacher¡¯s alive? He¡ª¡±


    ¡°He was abducted, but the sages will probably not kill an elder so carelessly. According to our intel, the insurgents are more inclined to capture the elders alive and use them.¡± Teuton looked White Flame in the eye. ¡°I was worried about this, but it seems that the sages did not really go mad¡ªor at least, not entirely. They have strategy and purpose, and this will make them even more difficult to deal with.¡±


    White Flame¡¯s breathing grew heavier. Tiny bursts of white flames began to appear around her.


    ¡°White Flame, there is something that only you can do,¡± Teuton said. Despite being a master level demon hunter like White Flame, their levels of experience were still very different. In the demon hunter community, he was still White Flame¡¯s superior. ¡°Take this to the Countess.¡±


    He produced a small box made of white gold from his person and opened it. Inside was a blood red crystal.


    ¡°This is¡­¡±


    ¡°Hasse left this behind. It¡¯s said that Sage Beetholis gave it to him about a month ago. The sage also said this, ¡®If there¡¯s an emergency, or if something truly disastrous occurs, give this box to the Countess.¡¯ I think our current situation is what Sage Beetholis was referring to.¡±


    ¡°The Countess¡­¡± White Flame was stunned by the news. ¡°Do you mean¡­¡±


    ¡°There is only one ancient being in the entire universe that Sage Beetholis would refer to as such.¡±

 Chapter 987

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The demon hunters seemed to have disappeared.


    Rushing over to their workplace, Hao Ren did not find Liu Sheng and Zhao Xi. However, it was almost a certainty that the mass disappearance of the demon hunters was true. He brought Rollie home and kept mumbling to himself on the way, ¡°Half a month ago, the demon hunters showed no signs of abnormality. Going further back, they had even gone to the secret realm in South America with Hasse. All of this happened not too long ago. What could have happened to the demon hunters now?¡±


    Why did a powerful race which ended the Mythological Era, and a group of supernatural beings with no natural enemies on Earth disappear in such a short period? What made them go?


    ¡°We were occupied with the fleet of arks earlier and completely overlooked the demon hunters,¡± Hao Ren said, pouting as he was talking to the MDT telepathically. ¡°Now they¡¯re gone. There aren¡¯t many clues that we can work on now,¡± he said.


    ¡°They couldn¡¯t have just disappeared into thin air. Since it was a mass disappearance, there will be some clues left behind,¡± the MDT said in Hao Ren¡¯s mind. ¡°I suggest you release some energy-detecting probes. The demon hunters should have left behind some Letta rune residual energy. We can use it to trace where they¡¯ve gone to.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the only thing we can do at the moment anyway. But I¡¯m not prepared to seek Raven¡¯s help just yet because of this little thing. I don¡¯t know how she would react,¡± Hao Ren said.


    He held Rollie¡¯s hand and walked along the old alley of the Southern Suburbs, discussing with the MDT in his mind. He drove on the way out, but he decided to tuck his car away on the way back because he felt like he could think and focus more while he walked. Though this habit was not recommended, hey, who cared? He was a superhuman now. Rollie followed Hao Ren from behind timidly, appearing a little listless. Although Hao Ren had bought her two strings of grilled fish in the town, the cat maiden still regretted coming out with him as she missed the warm sofa cushions at home.


    The Southern Suburbs was remote and sparsely populated. The weather was always colder compared to the city although the snow on the roads had almost melted completely. In the old alleys, the snow was still ankle-deep, which caused a squeaky noise while people walked across them. Hao Ren walked on the snow and glanced back over his shoulder, to make sure that the cat girl was still following him obediently. He made sure that she was not wandering off and that she was walking on two feet. He then continued to ponder about his stuff. At an intersection not far from them, a few stray cats were playing next to a rubbish bin. Well, they were not playing, more like fighting for the rights to some leftover food.


    The little commotion attracted Rollie¡¯s attention. She looked up, and the image of the garbage bin, as well as the strays reflected in her eyes, made her recall a distant memory. She still saw herself as the black and white stray from a few years ago. She used to live around garbage bins. In the winter, she would fight with the strong and hungry stray cats and dogs to fill her hungry stomach. During every snowy winter night, she would squat on a geothermal vent for the night and repeated the ritual day after day.


    Even though she did not think of her life as difficult at that time, the cold and hunger still dominated her life a little. It was almost the only memory she had of the winter season.


    One day, a big, strange cat suddenly appeared in front of her and handed her a string of dried fish, which tasted weird. Since then, the winter of her life was over.


    While Hao Ren thought about saving the world and similar things, the essential element in Rollie¡¯s life were the issues of hunger and cold. She stared at the strays at the intersection for a while, then she suddenly turned and rubbed against Hao Ren¡¯s arm with her head, groaning from her throat.


    Hao Ren was shocked by her sudden neurotic behavior, which interrupted his train of thought. ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡± he asked.


    Rollie rubbed against his arm for a long while, almost pushing the soft cap she wore off her head. She then looked up and said, ¡°Big Boss Cat, you¡¯re cute!¡± she said.


    These were the only words of ¡®praise¡¯ she knew. No one knew where she learned those words from, but she pretty much remembered it.


    ¡°You¡¯re sick,¡± Hao Ren said, pushing Rollie away. While he did not mind Rollie doing that at home, it was a problem doing that on the street. The worse part was, she had a runny nose after walking in the cold for a while. It was disgusting to see her wiping her mucus on his arm. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± he asked.


    Jumping up and down around Hao Ren for a long while, Rollie began to think if she should lie on the ground and let Hao Ren scratch her belly. She felt that he had not scratched her stomach for a long time, which made her a little frustrated. But Hao Ren had quickly read her mind; he grabbed the cat girl by the collar and said, ¡°If you dare lie on the ground, I¡¯ll stop supplying you dried fish for a week!¡±


    Thanks to the cat demon¡¯s weird behavior, Hao Ren had utterly lost his train of thought. He petted her on the head and said, ¡°Let¡¯s head home and tell Vivian about what happened to Liu Sheng and Zhao Xi. We¡¯ll see what she thinks.¡±


    As he spoke, he glanced at the trash bin at the corner of the street from the corner of his eye. He petted Rollie on the head again and said, ¡°No more rummaging through the trash bin.¡±


    Just as his voice trailed off, a white light flashed across the sky in the distance, and a figure appeared out of thin air. Runes surrounded the figure. The runes flashed a few times in the air before disappearing altogether, and the figure dropped straight down, plopping into the huge, metal trash bin.


    The stray cats around the trash bin were shocked and began to run for their lives.


    ¡°Did someone just fall from the sky?¡± Hao Ren was shocked. He would have taken out his mobile phone, snapped a photo and shared it on Weibo if this had happened two years ago. But he had undergone the baptism of many supernatural phenomena, so his first reaction now was, of course, to check if the person was okay.


    Hao Ren ran up and peeked into the trash bin. The weather will chilly, and there was no foul smell from the garbage. He saw a girl clad in black with long, silver hair lying inside. Though her hair covered her face, she looked familiar.


    Judging from the dress, he knew she was a demon hunter.


    Hao Ren quickly bent over. With half of his body in the trash bin, he tried to pull the silver-haired girl out. Rollie got the shock of her life after she saw what happened. She jumped to the side and yelled, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say no more rummaging through the trash bin?¡±


    It looked like Hao Ren was going to have a hard time teaching the dumb cat from now on.


    He ignored the dumb cat and continued to pull the girl who fell from the sky out of the trash bin. It took him quite a while. When the girl was finally out of the bin, he was stunned. ¡°White Flame?!¡±


    She was that female demon hunter he came to know. No wonder she looked familiar, Hao Ren thought. But she was quite the sight now: pale, cold, and full of bruises. Her combat suit was soaked in her strange, white blood as if she was about to die from blood loss. Hao Ren put his finger under her nose; she was still breathing. ¡°Oh, thank goddess. The trash bin cushioned your fall, and you¡¯re still alive,¡± he said.


    ¡°Big Boss Cat, let me see!¡± Rollie was jumping up and down beside him, trying to catch a glimpse. Then, she exclaimed with surprise, ¡°Ah, I know her. Is she being abandoned? Her mom must have had too many babies at one time.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not a cat,¡± Hao Ren said, carefully carrying White Flame with both hands while glaring at the dumb cat. He looked around and made sure that no one was looking, then he called the MDT telepathically, ¡°Teleport us back home.¡±


    Back home, Lily and Nangong Wuyue were fighting for the TV, while Vivian was busy cleaning up the house. A space door suddenly opened in the living room before Hao Ren hurriedly emerged from it. Lily was shocked and proceeded to scream before she asked, ¡°Mr. Landlord, you¡¯re back? Have you had your lunch? There¡¯s still a little bit left. Oh, is that White Flame? What happened to her?¡±


    Rollie got ahead of Hao Ren and said, ¡°Just like me, abandoned. She was picked up from the trash bin.¡±


    Lily was speechless.

 Chapter 988

    Hao Ren asked the MDT to prepare the medical equipment in the basement urgently, then he placed White Flame in a medical pod. She was unconscious. After the medical pod slowly closed and began to examine her, Hao Ren breathed a sigh of relief, somewhat. He knew the powerful equipment could bring White Flame back to life even if she were on her last breath.


    Everyone had gathered in the basement. While White Flame lay in the medical pod, Rollie sprawled herself on the lid and asked curiously, ¡°Why was she abandoned?¡±


    The cat was even more simple-minded than Lily was. She believed that White Flame had been abandoned since she was in the trash bin¡ªjust like her when she was still a little stray.


    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± Vivian only had the chance to ask at this very moment. ¡°How did she end up like this? Where did you¡ª¡±


    ¡°I found her on the street. I guess she fled by teleporting,¡± Hao Ren quickly cut in without waiting for Vivian to finish. He told her how he found White Flame and that he did not know how White Flame got the bruises. ¡°Looks like there¡¯s been a brutal fight, but who did all this?¡± he said.


    ¡°Teleporting here?¡± Vivian¡¯s brows were knitted together. ¡°Why did she choose to come here? How did she get our address?¡± she asked.


    Although Hao Ren had met White Flame and Hasse many times before, and they were no longer enemies, it did not mean that Hao Ren would reveal where he lived. He had considered the awkward relationship between the demon hunters and the unusual creatures as well as the demons in his house. While demon hunters like Liu Sheng and Zhao Xi knew where Hao Ren lived, the duo had been ¡°re-educated¡± by Raven 12345, and they would not have leaked the information to White Flame. So, Vivian was curious as to how White Flame found them. She did not think it was just a coincidence: Earth was so big; it was ridiculous to say that it was a coincidence the demon hunter fell a few hundred meters from Hao Ren¡¯s house while she aimlessly fled via teleportation.


    ¡°God knows how. Maybe she tailed us. After all, the demon hunters¡¯ intelligence network is very comprehensive,¡± Hao Ren said. He could not care less. ¡°By the way, Liu Sheng and Zhao Xi are missing,¡± he said.


    ¡°Missing?¡± Vivian arched her eyebrows. ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°On the surface, they¡¯re on leave. But since they have no relatives in the area, no one knows their whereabouts. That¡¯s no different from missing,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°Judging from the preparation they made before leaving, I guess they were evacuating under certain orders.¡±


    Even Lily started to look serious. She crossed her arms and wagged her tail unconsciously. ¡°Looks like the mass disappearance of the demon hunters is true. Their disappearance must have something to do with the sudden appearance of White Flame and her injury,¡± she said.


    Hao Ren nodded gently. He looked at the medical pod, which was still running with a humming sound. ¡°Now, we can only wait for her to wake up. She should know what happened,¡± he said.


    ¡°What about her situation?¡± Nangong Wuyue squeezed herself to the front, looking worriedly at the symbols and images on the medical pod.


    Hao Ren briefly browsed through the scan report. ¡°Her vital signs are stable. She¡¯s lost a lot of blood and suffered from physical exhaustion as well as mental trauma. But, there¡¯s no serious bodily injury. She¡¯s going to be alright. However, she needs more time to regain her strength. She may be able to regain her consciousness in a matter of an hour,¡± Hao Ren said.


    Since there was an hour before White Flame would wake up, there was no need for them to wait in the cramped basement. Returning to the living room, everyone looked at each other in silence. The atmosphere was strangely depressing. At this time, Hao Ren saw the father and son of the Nangong Family in his peripheral vision. They were sitting in the outermost circle. He could not help but say, ¡°I almost forgot that we also have two demon hunters among us. Have you guys heard any chatter?¡±


    Nangong Sanba and Nangong Wudi shook their heads in unison. The former sighed helplessly. ¡°Did we not go out with you a while ago? We¡¯re just as clueless as you are,¡± he said.


    ¡°We¡¯re not that close to the orthodox demon hunters,¡± said Nangong Wudi, whose expression looked unnatural. ¡°I could probably hear chatter from the grassroots demon hunters, but not the higher ups in the upper echelon. Being too curious would only arouse suspicion,¡± he said.


    Hao Ren could only nod as there was nothing else he could do. Lily, who had her arms crossed, had been in deep thought for a long while. She suddenly asked, ¡°Speaking of which, are the demon hunters a highly-organized group?¡±


    Nangong Wudi nodded lightly. ¡°It¡¯s a highly secretive organization. So?¡± he sounded very proud.


    ¡°There are hundreds of thousands of demon hunters, if not millions, in the world,¡± Lily said as her ears flickered. ¡°They¡¯re scattered in all corners of the world; usually they work in a group of five or even fewer, and they¡¯re loosely organized. In such a case, how did the demon hunters get the order across to all the members and instruct them to gather in one place within a mere few days? The amazing thing is, not a single one of them¡¯s been left out.¡±


    The argument was hard to dispute, but Nangong Wudi replied bluntly. ¡°Of course that¡¯s possible. All demon hunters are trained fighters. They¡¯re obedient, and they have great execution ability. They could arrive immediately if the council of elders ordered them to do so.¡±


    ¡°Well¡±¡ªLily¡¯s ears flickered again¡ª¡±so many people are heading to the same place. Wouldn¡¯t their whereabouts be a dead giveaway?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Umm¡­ They have no problem hiding from the sights of ordinary people,¡± Nangong Wudi said, but this time, he appeared a little hesitant. ¡°Nonetheless, the otherworldlings may be able to sense them. Otherworldlings have a natural sense of magic that ordinary people do not possess. But what I know is merely knowledge that¡¯s a hundred years old. Sanba probably knows more than I do in this aspect,¡± he said.


    ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± Hao Ren asked, looking at Lily curiously. He knew that the husky was not all brawn and no brain. When she asked a question as serious as this, most of the time, she had a unique insight.


    Lily blinked. ¡°Well, according to the information I¡¯ve heard so far, the demon hunters disappeared under the order. I¡¯m just wondering if they achieved this feat in just a few days. By the way, where¡¯s their headquarters?¡± she said.


    Everyone in the living room stared at the Nangongs. The question had aroused everyone¡¯s curiosity: where was the headquarters of the world¡¯s most secretive and powerful supernatural organization?


    Vivian once said that the demon hunters were different from secular organizations; they were dispersed, they had no solid base, and were not subjected to any worldly power. But as a legion, the demon hunters surely had their command center. This command center was where the top leader resided and issued high-level killing orders. It was also the treasure house of the demon hunters. Knowledge and property accumulated over thousands of years always required a physical place to store, and that place would be the command center.


    However, Nangong Wudi shook his head. ¡°I only know that it¡¯s probably up north, somewhere in Northern Europe, but I don¡¯t know the exact location,¡± he said.


    ¡°Dad, that¡¯s not helpful at all.¡± Nangong Wuyue rolled her eyes. She then knocked her brother on the head with her tail. ¡°Do you know anything?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Do I look like I know something?¡± Nangong Sanba spread out his hands. ¡°How could I have found out where headquarters is when I¡¯ve been afraid of my own shadow this entire time?¡± he said.


    At this time, Vivian¡¯s mobile phone suddenly rang in her pocket. She took out it out; the caller was not Hessiana, but Hesperides.


    Vivian gestured everyone to be quiet and answered the call. ¡°What¡¯s the situation, Hesperides?¡± she asked.


    Hesperides sounded worried over the phone. Vivian listened attentively, and her face began to look downcast.


    Then, she hung up. Her face was sad.


    ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± Hao Ren asked as he noticed the look on Vivian¡¯s face.


    ¡°If the demon hunters don¡¯t reappear, those hotheads will be instigating a rebellion,¡± Vivian said, grinding her teeth. ¡°Some of the small families have circumvented the Ancients and held a secret meeting, purportedly discussing to establish a ¡®new world order.¡¯¡±

 Chapter 989

    It shocked him to hear what Vivian said. ¡°Those guys want to revive the Mythological Era?!¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that serious yet.¡± Vivian waved her hand. She looked more at ease now. ¡°There¡¯s still the Ancients, whose big families are smart enough. They wouldn¡¯t be so reckless to allow this to happen. It¡¯s only the hotheaded small families and the youngsters who are stirring up trouble. They¡¯ve gathered in private and established their so-called secret association in this short period to discuss their plans after the disappearance of the demon hunters. These guys aren¡¯t quite up there yet. But if the situation continues, it¡¯s hard to say how many them on the sidelines will remain passive,¡± she said.


    ¡°It¡¯s an opportunity for the otherworldlings if the demon hunters are gone,¡± Lily said. ¡°Their natural enemies are gone. But, they will fight against the humans.¡±


    Vivian and Hao Ren had run through the hypothetical scenario of wars between the otherworldlings and humans numerous times. Hao Ren knew that war would be disastrous for both sides, so he did not want to say more than what was needed. He was just surprised that some of the small families were so impulsive: the disappearance of the demon hunters just happened half a month ago, and everything was still unclear. Their eagerness to stage a revolt was worrying¡ªmuch more worrying than when the innate hostility existed.


    ¡°There are always impulsive people.¡± Vivian sighed. ¡°Especially those who grew up in various sanctuaries after the end of the Mythological Era. They¡¯ve never experienced a real war. They¡¯ve only buried themselves in the history of the Mythological Period, dreaming of reviving the glory days of their families. Some people only know the threat of the demon hunters, but completely ignore the power of the humans. Some guys probably don¡¯t even know about World War II. Fortunately, they are just a minority,¡± Vivian said.


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Hao Ren asked, looking at Vivian. ¡°Go to the Athens Sanctuary and keep them in check? Or, are you going to contact the big families around the world to discuss countermeasures? With your fame, you should be able to pull off a heated public discussion to put down these small families,¡± he said.


    Vivian thought for a moment and shook her head gently. ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see. At least, wait for White Flame to wake up. Right now, we don¡¯t know anything about the demon hunters¡¯ situation, and it¡¯s too reckless to take any action. Speaking of which, this is such an irony: while some guys probably think this is a once-in-lifetime opportunity to revive the Mythological Era and return to our glory days, I¡¯m trying to stop it. Maybe those hotheads will see me as a traitor instead,¡± she said.


    Hao Ren¡¯s mouth twitched a little, but he said nothing. He knew that Vivian was telling the truth: the eagerness of the young unusual-creatures to revive their glorious era was understandable. It was probably an act of bravery and honor in the eyes of their supporters. Meanwhile, Vivian was trying to prevent the unusual creatures from going head-to-head with the humans, but this would not go down well with the young generation of creatures. They would interpret it as weak and treacherous. In the end, the fact that unusual creatures existed on Earth was the most significant problem; they did not belong to this world.


    For thousands of years, the demon hunters had been dedicated to eliminating the supernatural races on Earth; the human church had also completely erased the last traces of residue left behind by the Mythological Era; and modern science had seized the opportunity to grow¡ªthese three factors had cultivated a total rejection of anything supernatural by the contemporary human civilization. Today, hundreds of years after the disappearance of magic, the unusual creatures had lost the opportunity to integrate peacefully into human society. If the clock could rewind and go back to the Middle Ages, perhaps Vivian and Hao Ren would ponder the possibility of unusual creatures assimilating races with humans. Earth would then become a fantasy land with magic and technology coexisting together. However, if these fantasy creatures were to pop out now, only scalpels and petri dishes from the human would greet them.


    The depressing atmosphere in the living room did not last long. After an hour, the MDT suddenly popped out and said, ¡°White Flame¡¯s awake.¡±


    They immediately went down to the basement. Fortunately, the basement was large enough for all of them. Hao Ren and Vivian managed to squeeze through to the front. They looked on as the light on the medical pod ignited and the pod dinged. The panel showed that the treatment procedure had ended.


    ¡°Could you change the medical pod¡¯s sound effect?¡± Vivian could not help but sigh. ¡°Every time it dings, I think that something inside¡¯s cooked,¡± she said.


    Hao Ren forced a smile. He went up to the pod and opened the lid. White Flame was still lying quietly inside with her eyes closed. Her face was still pale, but it was better than before. Her wounds had also healed. Her eyelids flickered a few times, and when she finally opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was Hao Ren¡¯s big face.


    She screamed quietly and bounced up. If this story unfolded like other favorite plots, White Flame¡¯s lips would have unwittingly met Hao Ren¡¯s. But such a scheme was not destined to happen in reality¡ª the young demon hunter¡¯s head smashed against Hao Ren¡¯s nose, and the sound it made could even be heard upstairs.


    ¡°Ouch¡­¡± Hao Ren almost fell on his back and was almost in tears from the pain. However, he could not curse at White Flame. Covering his nose in agony, he said, ¡°Hey¡­ you¡¯re awake¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡­ This is¡­¡± Feeling a little confused, White Flame rubbed her forehead. Thanks to the head collision, she became sober very quickly and saw Vivian there. ¡°Countess! It¡¯s good to see you. It looks like everything¡¯s fine¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute. Let me ask you,¡± Hao Ren came up to White Flame, interrupting her. ¡°Is there something wrong with the demon hunters?¡±


    White Flame first looked around, noticing that the place where Vivian lived looked like an ordinary residential bedroom with many inexplicable instruments. She glanced at those around her again and knew that she was safe. Only then did she nod and say, ¡°Demon hunters¡­ Civil war.¡±


    ¡°Civil war?¡±


    Not just Hao Ren, but almost everyone exclaimed in unison.


    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s a civil war,¡± White Flame said, forcing a smile and finding it difficult to explain everything in a few words. ¡°The Thirteen Sages and the Council of Elders were the first ones to start the war. No demon hunters were spared¡ªfrom top to bottom, we were all dragged into the war.¡±


    ¡°The sages and the Council of Elders?¡± Vivian¡¯s brows were pulled together. She knew about these two institutions. ¡°Are they not the leaders of the demon hunters? They¡¯re fighting with their people?¡±


    White Flame wanted to speak, but she began to cough fiercely. Nangong Wuyue quickly passed her a water sphere. ¡°Drink and tell us slowly. You¡¯re safe here.¡±


    White Flame was startled for a while, holding the water sphere that Nangong Wuyue gave her. She wondered how to ¡°drink¡± it before she took a couple of bites like eating an apple. After calming down, she slowly said, ¡°Things began to go wrong after Teacher, and I returned from the secret realm of Ancattero.¡±


    The secret realm of Ancattero was a home built by the descendants of the Tannagost people on Earth. Hao Ren and his teammates had recovered a second Gilded Disc in the depths of Ancattero¡¯s mysterious realm and figured out the roots of the Sin of the Divine Blood as well as the innate hostility from the disc. At that time, Hasse was also present. The senior demon hunter once said that upon returning, he would find a way to explain the innate hostility to the Council of Elders. But now, it seemed that things did not go as planned.


    White Flame nodded lightly. ¡°Teacher met the sages three times in total. The first time was normal. The sages listened to his report. The second time, the atmosphere seemed to have changed, and Teacher looked quite depressed when he came back, saying that the sages did not care about the information at all. The third time, he never returned,¡± White Flame said.


    ¡°Was he detained?¡± Vivian looked at White Flame¡¯s eyes. ¡°Then the sages came after you?¡± she asked.


    ¡°After Teacher was arrested, the Council of Elders immediately ordered the eradication of all the regiments under Elder Hasse. The next day, they scaled up their operation several folds and ordered the arrest of everyone who had close relationships with Teacher. The first one to be taken away was Elder Andaherr. It was a chaotic situation,¡± White Flame said.


    Hao Ren and Vivian were stunned. After a long while, they said in unison, ¡°Are they mad?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s more terrible than madness is that they¡¯re very awake,¡± White Flame said, shaking her head and forcing a smile. ¡°Their attitude changed all of a sudden. It was the same with the Council of Elders.¡±


    ¡°So, the missing demon hunters had gone back to join the war?¡± Hao Ren scratched his chin. ¡°What¡¯s the current situation?¡± he asked.


    But immediately after, he glanced at White Flame and waved his hand. ¡°Never mind. I already know without you telling me.¡±

 Chapter 990

    In the recent past, what happened within the demon hunter organization could be described as crazily chaotic. For a well-organized combat group, the mass change in temperament of the highest echelon was not enough to cause large-scale chaos. But if all the elite combat groups in the upper echelons began to lose control, it proved to be a disaster. What was worse, they controlled the vital lifeline of the demon hunters, and that was enough to drag everyone into the whirlpool of chaos. White Flame had experienced all of it, but she still found it difficult to explain the incident to Hao Ren. There was jargon to explain and too many organizational secrets to consider. Besides, she had not been able to figure out many things herself. Therefore, she could only vaguely describe the incident.


    As White Flame said, the anomaly occurred after Hasse returned from the Ancattero territory to the demon hunters¡¯ headquarters. The supreme commanders usually acted in the beginning and treated the information that Hasse brought back seriously. However, in just a matter of a few days, the demon hunters in the upper echelons, who were called the Thirteen Sages experienced a change in temperament, one after the other. Then Hasse, who was a high-level cadre of the organization, was arrested without warning. Soon after, an insane clean-up operation began internally. Their initial goal seemed to be the demon hunters like Hasse who had doubts about their killing instinct, but soon, the attack expanded to a point where it became illogical. It finally evolved into a melee between the Council of Elders and the lower-rung demon hunters.


    When White Flame finished, Hao Ren began to ask about the unfamiliar terms. ¡°What¡¯s the difference between the sages and the Council of Elders?¡±


    White Flame answered respectfully, ¡°The sages are the highest class of demon hunters. They¡¯re the supreme commanders and founders of the demon hunter organization.¡±


    ¡°Founders of the demon hunter organization?¡± Hao Ren arched his eyebrows. ¡°Are you saying that they¡¯re all the Ancients who¡¯ve lived from the early days of the Mythological Era to the present day?¡± he asked.


    White Flame nodded and said, ¡°Yes. Every sage is an ancient, almost as old as the Countess of the Crimson Moon.¡±


    ¡°Who are they exactly?¡± Lily asked curiously. ¡°Sounds like there are many of them.¡±


    ¡°There are a total of 13 sages. Each of them¡¯s very powerful, and they possess all the mysterious knowledge that¡¯s been passed down from ancient times. One could say that they¡¯re the most powerful and knowledgeable existence on this planet. But not many people have seen the sages in person. The sages are mysterious and usually reclusive, living on the upper level of the Netherrealm Clock Tower. They¡¯ve never come out since the end of the Mythological Era.¡± White Flame looked fearful when she talked about the sages, as though they were of something beyond understanding and were an indescribable existence. ¡°Apart from the Council of Elders, only the other lower-rung elders can meet the sages. Even then, the sages would wear masks and communicate with people through methods other than language. So, for the vast majority of demon hunters, the sages are almost a legend even though everyone knows that the sages are their leaders. Almost no one has had the opportunity to approach the sages. In most cases, the Council of Elders would convey the will of the sages to the people, and we¡¯re the ones who execute the orders.¡±


    Hao Ren was a little baffled. ¡°Do they need to be so secretive that they have to wear masks while they meet their people? Even my boss isn¡¯t as sick as them. Do they have a problem with their brains?¡±


    White Flame quickly shook her head. ¡°No, there¡¯s a reason for that. It¡¯s said that the sages were exposed to too much taboo knowledge during the long Mythological War, that the mysteries outside the mortal world distorted them. They made their faces look weird, and their voices carry negative energy, which would drag people into the abyss. And it¡¯s said that the first of the sages, the ¡®Unknown One¡¯ is the most distorted. He shuts himself at the top of the Netherrealm Clock Tower in a secret chamber where there¡¯s no communication with the outside world. No one has ever seen him for thousands of years, and the other twelve sages have rarely talked about him. There are even demon hunters who speculate that the Unknown One has died,¡± White Flame explained.


    These creepy secrets were only known to insiders. Half-baked demon hunters like Nangong Wudi and Nangong Sanba knew nothing of it. Hao Ren found it obscure, and goosebumps began to rise all over his body. Such non-human contact was disturbing. ¡°So, that¡¯s how it is. It feels creepy. The Unknown One is the founder of the demon hunter organization. He might have died although I¡¯m not sure. What does the Council of the Elders do?¡± he asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re the most elite demon hunters, directly under the command of the sages. They¡¯re usually stationed in Coldpath, the headquarters of the demon hunter organization. The Council of Elders has survived since the Mythological Era. They¡¯re powerful fighters, and the leader of each battalion is an elder demon hunter. Masters like me are only regarded as small captains in their corps,¡± White Flame said, shaking her head. ¡°Since the Middle Ages, the Council of Elders has never had a large-scale battle operation. Little did I expect that when they took up arms again, it was to fight their people,¡± White Flame said.


    ¡°Have the sages and Council of Elders gone mad?¡± Vivian asked very seriously. ¡°What were the symptoms of their madness? Is this related to the Shade of Chaos, which we encountered before?¡±


    The mass madness and random attack were somewhat similar to the symptoms caused by the Shade of Chaos. Both Vivian and Hao Ren suspected the same thing. However, White Flame shook her head and said, ¡°I also suspected it, but it¡¯s different from the madness caused by the Shade of Chaos. The sages and the Council of Elders have not lost their senses. According to the several high-level prisoners whom we¡¯ve caught, they possess sound mind as well as logic, and they understand what they¡¯re doing. But their¡­ How should I put it? It seems that their entire worldview has completely changed. They¡¯re extreme in the way they judge good and evil, and they can be obvious as well as meticulous in their ways to propagate their new worldview. This condition is obvious in the upper echelon. The so-called ¡®rebels¡¯ at the bottom of the hierarchy are instead, somewhat disoriented, but that¡¯s still not the same as the symptoms of madness caused by the Shade of Chaos.¡±


    ¡°Meaning, it¡¯s not so much as the influence of the Sin of the Divine Blood,¡± Vivian said softly and thoughtfully. ¡°So, it¡¯s something else that¡¯s affected their minds. Do you have any idea?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± White Flame replied, shaking her head. She then reached under her cloak, took out a fine platinum box and handed it to Vivian. ¡°But before the incident happened, a sage seemed to have some omen. He left me this item and wanted me to hand it over to the Countess of the Crimson Moon,¡± she said.


    Vivian was shocked. ¡°What? For me?¡±


    White Flame nodded. ¡°It¡¯s for you.¡±


    Vivian took the platinum box, and the corner of her mouth twitched as she began to mumble, ¡°To tell you the truth, when a demon hunter commander asks you to pass something to a member of the Blood Clan, he must be insane then. Well, let me see. Is this not¡­¡±


    As the platinum box popped open, she saw a blood-red crystal shaped like a drop of blood. It also looked like a gem, exuding a mesmerizing luster.


    Hao Ren and Lily poked their heads next to her to take a gander at the thing. They were amazed. ¡°A bloodstone?¡±


    ¡°Is this really what your sage handed to you?¡± Hao Ren turned to look into White Flame¡¯s eyes. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that only the elders could meet the sages?¡± he asked.


    ¡°It was Beetholis the Sage who gave it to my teacher. Soon after they met for the first time, Teacher was arrested, and this was placed in my custody,¡± White Flame explained. ¡°I have no idea why the sage has such a thing.¡±


    The curiosity on White Flame¡¯s face looked genuine. She had utterly no idea why a commander of the demon hunters had contact with the ancestor of the Blood Clan. Hao Ren suddenly thought of the era of Vivian¡¯s existence: she had been there, running around even before the demon hunters declared war on the deities of the unusual creatures. Considering her seniority and her age, it seemed to be the only explanation.


    More importantly, the bloodstone was right before them now. Everyone knew the use of this crystal, and if Vivian wanted to find out what was going on, she only needed to do one thing.


    She held the bloodstone and slowly put it close to her mouth. Hao Ren asked, ¡°Are you sure you want to do this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure this is my bloodstone,¡± Vivian said, nodding gently. ¡°Since it¡¯s my memory, it should be ready to wake my memories up. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s brows were knitted together. He asked the MDT to get a medical pod ready¡ªjust in case. Meanwhile, Vivian had put the bloodstone into her mouth.


    Watching what Vivian was doing, White Flame blinked. ¡°Is this for real?¡±

 Chapter 991

    The bloodstone had been formed at an unknown time in the past. All eyes were on Vivian who had put the bloodstone into her mouth and eaten it. Holding their breath and waiting for the results, they noticed that Vivian was knitting her brows together. The analysis of her body went much slower than usual this time as she slowly extracted as much information as she could from the bloodstone. Her expression seemed to say that the condition of the bloodstone was less than ideal.


    Lily could not wait. She asked, ¡°What does it taste like, Battie? Is it sweet or salty?¡±


    ¡°The information in this crystal is very vague,¡± Vivian said, glancing at Lily and explaining the situation to everyone. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that this Bloodstone is too old. The information has dissipated as much as the bloodstone we have found over in Inferno,¡± she said.


    ¡°That means, it¡¯s almost considered a 10,000-year-old relic,¡± Hao Ren said. He was not too surprised by the age of the crystal. ¡°Can you read anything?¡± he asked.


    Vivian was silent for a moment, and her face looked a bit gloomy. ¡°No, I still can¡¯t see clearly. I can only sense a strong message in it; it seems like it wants me to go to the North. I left something there. There¡¯s still one message left. It says that the North has a dangerous thing,¡± Vivian said.


    ¡°North?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s brows were pulled together. Looking at White Flame, he asked, ¡°Do you know what that means?¡±


    ¡°Maybe¡­ it¡¯s referring to the fortress of the demon hunters,¡± White Flame said hesitantly. This was the first time she had revealed information about the demon hunters¡¯ headquarters to outsiders, and worse still, it was a group of unusual creatures. Although she had mentally prepared for this, she still wavered a little. ¡°The base of demon hunters, Coldpath is in the extreme north of the planet, near the North Pole,¡± she finally said.


    Hao Ren was astonished. A moment later, still finding it hard to believe, he asked, ¡°The demon hunters¡¯ headquarters is in the North Pole?¡±


    Hao Ren felt it surreal as the information came as a surprise. Demon hunters had been the most mysterious and powerful supernatural force on Earth. No one had ever really understood them for the last 10,000 years. Even the unusual creature families, including the powerful Ancients, had been searching for their headquarters, but never found it. Now, the location was revealed, and to their surprise, it was in the Arctic.


    ¡°Even though you¡¯ve told us that it¡¯s in the North Pole, I suppose we can¡¯t simply walk in without knowing the way, right?¡± Vivian said.


    ¡°Of course,¡± White Flame replied and nodded lightly. ¡°The entrance to Coldpath is an icy fortress built within a spatial rift. The fortress stands on the Arctic ice sheet, but it can only be seen with special vision and entered using astrological magic. Now, humans have built their scientific research stations in the North Pole; there¡¯s no place on Earth where humans can¡¯t reach. We don¡¯t like to be disturbed,¡± she said.


    ¡°Beetholis the Sage only mentioned that he wanted to hand the over crystal to me? Nothing else?¡± Vivian asked as she got to her feet and stretched her shoulders. ¡°Did the person who send you have said anything else about your real purpose of coming here?¡±


    The questions choked White Flame as she realized at that moment how ridiculous the whole incident was: the demon-hunter organization was suffering a crisis of extinction, and as a middle-level cadre, she did not know why she was coming to the vampire. Whether she was looking for help or refuge, it all seemed a bit absurd. The bloodstone may have been able to connect Vivian to the demon hunters¡¯ organization, but Vivian herself found no convincing reason for her to go to the Arctic; a vague obsession was not enough.


    When Master Teuton handed the bloodstone to White Flame, he should have thought of this. For that reason, Teuton did not tell her anything else except to deliver the bloodstone to the Countess.


    Teuton was also obvious about one thing: he neither had the position nor reason to expect a vampire countess to do anything for him. He could only resign things to fate.


    Just as White Flame started to think that risking her life to go there was only a waste of time, Vivian suddenly clapped her hands. ¡°Would you like to go and find out?¡± she said.


    ¡°Huh?¡± White Flame exclaimed in surprise.


    ¡°If the demon hunters were wiped out, it would also spell trouble for me, seriously,¡± Vivian said with a strange expression. ¡°Although demon hunters and the otherworldlings are nemeses, you guys are also a part of the ¡®balance.¡¯ Perhaps the disappearance of the demon hunters is a good thing for the otherworldlings, but this is not the day for that. What¡¯s more, a sudden mass disappearance would only cause even bigger problems,¡± Vivian said.


    White Flame was overjoyed, but she immediately calmed down. ¡°How are you going to help us overcome this crisis?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t really know, at least for now,¡± Vivian replied and waved her hand. ¡°We¡¯ll cross the bridge when we get to it. Worse comes to worst, we¡¯ll force our way in and ask your sages nicely. Since you¡¯ve delivered the bloodstone, I can¡¯t just sit by and watch. Am I right, Hao Ren?¡± she said.


    Vivian could not help but look at Hao Ren, as though waiting for him to make the final decision.


    ¡°Of course we¡¯re going there,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°If the demon hunters are wiped out, I¡¯ll also have a hard time writing my year-end appraisal report. But before we go, I need to ask: how many enemies are we dealing with?¡±


    White Flame was silent for a moment before she said, ¡°The Council of Elders is the largest combat group with at least 120,000 elite forces. The heads of the council are veteran demon hunters. You can¡¯t judge their strength based on their numbers alone. Besides, there are the Thirteen Sages to worry about.¡±


    ¡°Maybe there are only 12,¡± Lily said. ¡°Your first sage, who locked himself up in the tower, could have died thousands of years ago.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make a difference.¡± Hao Ren knocked Lily on the head. ¡°We¡¯re talking about a factor of 1 to 10,000!¡±


    At this moment, Y¡¯zaks, who had been silent the entire time, finally broke his silence. ¡°We need a strategy. This is not a normal incident. We¡¯re not talking about natural disasters or something like that, but war; there¡¯s no easy way about it,¡± he said.


    Everyone listened attentively when Y¡¯zaks spoke. The great demon was an absolute professional when it came to war. No one except him would dare claim the top spot in the matter of warfare. After all, he was the one who almost overran the worlds with his demonic army some time back.


    White Flame became anxious, suddenly felt dizzy, and almost fell. Vivian quickly held her up and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be worried. For you, the most important thing is to rest and recover your strength.¡±


    ¡°But our warriors may not have the luxury of time,¡± White Flame said, gasping. ¡°Coldpath fell into the hands of the Council of Elders when I fled. If they control all the nodes, those who fight against them will be met with total destruction. The current Council of Elders will kill anyone, including demon hunters and otherworldlings who go against their will,¡± she said.


    ¡°Can¡¯t all the other demon hunters in the world come together to defeat the Council of Elders?¡± Hao Ren asked. He found what happened in Coldpath a little unbelievable. ¡°Don¡¯t you at least have several times more forces than the Council of Elders? Doesn¡¯t the advantage of number work?¡± he asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s something you don¡¯t know about Coldpath. As long as the council controls the core of that space, they have invincible power,¡± White Flame said, sounding a little helpless. ¡°Coldpath is located in the ruins of an ancient super civilization. It possesses many powerful and mysterious energies. Back then, Tiberius the Sage used to guide these forces and successfully destroyed Jotunheim. We paid a huge price to wrestle back control of some of the energy nodes from the Council of Elders. Because of that, they haven¡¯t been able to activate the destructive weapon. Nevertheless, the power they have now is still overwhelmingly powerful,¡± she said.


    In his mind, Hao Ren could not fathom why this young demon hunter wanted to magnify the problem when asking for help. Depicting the Council of Elders as an invincible force would only scare away those who tried to help her.


    Despite that, there was an upside to White Flame¡¯s truthfulness; Hao Ren and Y¡¯zaks could analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy more seriously and accurately. Both of them now felt that it would be a suicide mission for the few of them to go against the enemy, who numbered in the hundreds of thousands.


    They needed reinforcements.


    White Flame was not stupid, and after calming down, she realized the difficulty of the matter too. She looked at the others and ask Hao Ren inquisitively, ¡°Do they make up your sanctuary¡¯s entire force?¡±


    Hao Ren was wondering where to get the reinforcements. Hearing White Flame¡¯s question, he replied, ¡°Well, there; s still a cat watching TV upstairs.¡±


    White Flame almost passed out upon hearing his reply.


    ¡°Stay cool, stay cool!¡± Hao Ren said. He tried to explain, ¡°I have other men out there. It¡¯s just that they¡¯re not locals. I can summon them anyway.¡±

 Chapter 992

    It is necessary to mention how White Flame sees Hao Ren and his gang here.


    White Flame had the impression that Hao Ren¡¯s place was a very tricky unusual creature sanctuary.


    A hundred years of experience was nothing to shout about in the world of demon hunters. But White Flame was a rising star among her peers, rising to become a master in her own right. While she followed Hasse, who was an excellent mentor, she had been able to go to many places around the world. She knew the secrets of many unusual creature families and had gathered a lot of intel about their sanctuaries. Hence, she knew how a shelter would look like: heavily guarded, secretive and sturdy, hidden in the shadows of the real world. It would be as hard to penetrate as a fortress in the core of the earth. A sanctuary was usually a small, self-sustaining world like the Athens Sanctuary to ensure it could survive in isolation. Such shadowy dimensions were the most common form. Moreover, these sanctuaries had the common features of class distinction, the rivalry between races, militarized management, and harsh laws.


    However, Hao Ren¡¯s sanctuary had smashed her conventional understanding of unusual creature sanctuaries.


    Living in a small building in a human city, running around town to find jobs¡ªthe sanctuary and the unusual creatures it sheltered were completely conspicuous, living in broad daylight. The best part was that the vampire and werewolf were also housemates. If someone told her that there was such a sanctuary a year ago, her first reaction would be to have the person lie down and have her pour a bowl of herbal medicine soup down his throat.


    As time went by, White Flame had a better understanding of Hao Ren¡¯s sanctuary, but she was barely scratching the surface. The more she found out, the more confused she got. These strange weirdoes¡ªthe oldest and most famous vampire countess, an unknown demon race comparable to the ancient deities, the landlord who was also a sorcerer with endless list of explosives and weapon of mass destruction, the usually reclusive siren who now became part of Hao Ren¡¯s team; and the husky had their individual strengths. The group appeared to be a collection of demons and monsters, making White Flame wonder how they managed to get along happily.


    Not to mention, there were also demon hunters in the mix, which made it hard even for Hasse to fill the credibility gap.


    Slowly, White Flame learned more about Hao Ren. For example, the fact that Hao Ren may have a hidden force behind him, that he could shuttle around and between different worlds, that he knew a lot of things outside this planet, and much more. She was under constant perceptive bombardment from all kinds of intelligence beyond her current knowledge. Even Hasse, her well-learned teacher found it hard to make sense of them and needed sleeping pills to fall asleep so that he could sort his mind out.


    Occasionally, White Flame would indulge in things that suited her age, such as reading comics and novels. So, she gradually saw the weirdoes in Hao Ren¡¯s sanctuary as something similar to secret teams in urban legends. Regardless, one thing she never thought of was Hao Ren having an army under his command.


    She looked at Hao Ren, feeling stunned as he mooted the idea of sending in troops. She turned to look at the others. ¡°You mean you have a larger group of people hiding deeper in the sanctuary?¡± she asked.


    She thought that Hao Ren¡¯s house was just a disguise. Some 30 km underground, there was probably a barrack as large as a city. Her imagination ran wild.


    ¡°It¡¯s complicated. It involves deep-space, superluminal navigation and the communication bias of different civilizations in the field of language expression. Simply put, go and get some rest,¡± Hao Ren said, pestering White Flame. ¡°Vivian, could you let her rest on your bed first?¡±


    After a long while of coaxing and forcing, the stubborn demon hunter finally relented and lay down while everyone else went back to the living room. Hao Ren took the MDT out and placed it on the coffee table. Looking somber, he said, ¡°What would it be like if I send 100,000 troops into the demon hunters¡¯ headquarters?¡±


    ¡°Well, at least you¡¯re still aware of what you¡¯re doing,¡± the MDT replied listlessly. ¡°As an inspector, you can¡¯t intervene in the civil war of any civilization. To be precise, inspectors cannot change the course of the history of any civilization in the form of ¡®formal military intervention.¡¯ Anyway, there are loopholes that you could exploit if you do things in your capacity. But once the mobilization of troops reaches a particular scale, and they directly participate in the war, the situation will become murkier,¡± the MDT said.


    ¡°A similar situation happened the last time I brought an entire Aerymian fleet to Y¡¯zaks¡¯ homeworld,¡± Hao Ren said, scratching his jaw. ¡°I remember it being permissible.


    ¡°Because we didn¡¯t officially join the war last time,¡± the MDT said in a bitchy tone of voice. ¡°Last time, it was just an escort mission and bringing some specimens back. The escorts encountered some ¡®unknown harassment¡¯ on the way back, and we used limited force for self-defense. It was restrained. The Aerymian fleet did not declare war on either side of the warring parties, and it did not explicitly support either party. So technically, that was not a military intervention,¡± the MDT explained.


    It sounded like wordplay on the MDT¡¯s part, but Hao Ren got the message. ¡°I think I understand what you¡¯ve just said: as long as there¡¯s no formal war, no military support for or against anyone, it¡¯s not considered a violation of the rules,¡± he said.


    ¡°And this time, the situation¡¯s less tricky than what happened in Y¡¯zaks¡¯ homeworld,¡± the MDT reminded. ¡°There was a war between all the races there and Y¡¯zaks. The scale had reached a tipping point according to the recognized standard, which is ¡®more than half of the members of a civilization being directly or indirectly involved in the war.¡¯ Intervening in that situation was extremely sensitive. But this time, we¡¯re only talking about a civil war between demon hunters. Are the demon hunters a civilization? They¡¯re not even a registered race on Earth. Forget about war; we can assume that they¡¯re participating in a public battle. There¡¯s more than one way to circumvent the ¡®war¡¯ definition,¡± the MDT said.


    Listening on the side, Vivian was dumbstruck. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Why not? What do inspectors do? It¡¯s also an administrative group. How would an inspector be a good administrator if he doesn¡¯t know how to spin things?¡± the MDT spoke like it was serious. ¡°You have to know the real purpose of the rules and regulations. Those rules and regulations are there to protect the civilizations¡¯ ordinary course of evolution and prevent malformations. Then, the question comes: the demon hunters are only a secret society on Earth; are they a civilization?¡±


    Everyone was speechless.


    The MDT shook and continued, ¡°Of course they¡¯re not! Thanks to them for ending the Mythological Era and dragging themselves down along with it. Demons and monsters have not been the dominant civilizations for a long time. Now, the dominant civilization on Earth registered on the K1 Sovereign Hub is the human species!¡±


    Hao Ren finally put two and two together. He felt that he had opened the door to a new world.


    ¡°So, as long as we confine the event within the world of the demon hunters, and avoid the suspicion of ¡®expanding the war, we¡¯ll have room to maneuver.¡± The MDT shook itself twice. ¡°Although the Imperial Data Network checks for any inspector who has violated the restrictions 24 hours a day, there are always loopholes in the rules. In the end, all inspectors are mortals, and they deal with matters of other mortals. Since mortals are inconsistent, the implementation of the standards will be relatively lax. As long as we can solve the problem before it begins to affect the social order of mainstream society, we¡¯re safe.¡±


    The bottom line of the monitoring mechanism was: the leading civilization of Earth could not be affected.


    ¡°Settle it before the Council of Elders can spread the war outside of Coldpath,¡± Hao Ren said, nodding. ¡°The army of Aerymian Elves should be able to handle the situation, considering their technological advantage over the demon hunters.¡±


    But Y¡¯zaks shook his head. ¡°No, the Aerymian Elves are not suitable for this,¡± he said.


    Hao Ren looked at the great demon in surprise. ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°The Aerymian Elves don¡¯t have combat experience.¡± Y¡¯zaks tapped the table with his index finger and began to explain, ¡°The last time they were dispatched, it was a deterrence in nature. To us demons, spaceships were something beyond our comprehension, so their fleets appeared strong to us. But this time, we¡¯re going to fight in a closed secret realm where the Aerymian spacecraft and all kinds of ultra-long-range weapons would be rendered useless. The only way is to send in individual fighters. However, the Aerymian Elves are no match for the demon hunters in terms of combat skills. In my opinion, in a confined battlefield, the technological advantage of the Aerymian Elves would instead become a disadvantage.¡±


    The analysis of the old war-monger was dead on. Hao Ren realized that this was a problem. ¡°Where can I find veteran fighters in the tens of thousands?¡± he asked.


    He smacked himself on the forehead as soon as he finished. ¡°Ah, I almost forgot. Y¡¯zaks, how are the men under your command? Have they gone rusty yet.¡±

 Chapter 993

    In the extreme north, where the cold was unbearable, and life was seemingly absent, the vast ice sheet within the Arctic Circle was once the active battlefield of gods from the Mythological Era. Today, the mysterious energies left behind by the ancient gods still echoed in the depths of the ice sheet. It was as if they were stubborn ghosts entrenched on the planet, calling for the revival of the glorious days of the Mythological Era. That was where the demon hunters built their ultimate bastion.


    It was not their first time visiting the Arctic Circle, but they had never ventured such deep north like today: their destination was the North Pole, one of the coldest places on Earth. Standing on the endless ice sheet, listening to the cold wind whizzing past her, Vivian seemed to recall the most distant fragments of her memory¡ªafter the end of the last ice age, the cold did not altogether leave the world, and large areas of land, as well as sea, were still covered in ice. It was during this era that Vivian woke up on the ice sheet.


    ¡°Did you wake up for the first time in the Arctic?¡± Hao Ren asked curiously after hearing Vivian¡¯s lament. ¡°Would we find your relic if we dig a hole here?¡±


    ¡°It was a land of ice. I can¡¯t remember if it was the North Pole,¡± Vivian said, shaking her head. ¡°And what do you mean by relic? I¡¯m still alive.¡±


    On the vast expanse of the Arctic ice sheet, a rustic Northstar parked behind a steep ice rock. Hao Ren and his mates left the car and checked out their surroundings. But there was nothing to see there; only boring, monotonous ice and snow in their field of vision, as well as the ice sheet, which had never been disturbed for thousands of years. Even though humans had set foot on the north and south poles, the place was still an inhabitable zone. Most parts of the ice sheet in the Arctic were unexplored, and this was where Hao Ren and his team had to go through.


    It was a godforsaken place.


    White Flame was still wearing her somewhat tattered uniform, although there was a velvet shirt underneath. Her attire was not suitable for the Arctic weather, but since they were all super beings, no one cared about the incongruent sight. The demon hunter was not paying attention to Hao Ren and Vivian¡¯s discussion. Standing close to them and silently gazing into the starry sky, she calculated the positions and states of the stars.


    It was midnight in the Arctic. In the darkest moment, stars were present, especially when the weather and atmosphere were clear. White Flame gazed at the stars and felt a little relieved. ¡°The stars are well in their positions, which means that the ancient weapon of Coldpath hasn¡¯t been activated yet. It looks like the Council of Elders hasn¡¯t been able to take all the energy nodes,¡± she said.


    ¡°You know all that just by looking at the stars?¡± Hao Ren said. Looking at the sky next to White Flame, he only saw stars and nothing else. Not being a fan of astrological magic, he had no clue how it worked. ¡°I travel around in space; I know that they¡¯re just shining stars, which are thousands of light-years away from Earth. What magical power can you draw from them?¡± he asked.


    ¡°The power of astrology does not lie in the stars but the image of the stars, the meanings ascribed by man. Even if the stars are not there, the astrological magic can still exert its power,¡± White Flame explained. ¡°We only use the stars as a coordinate system to build our magic,¡± she said.


    ¡°Ever since the Industrial Revolution, it¡¯s become difficult to use astrological magic in some places,¡± Vivian said. ¡°The star coordinates have become vague, and hand-drawn astrolabes are inaccurate. Trying to memorize the positions of all the stars is simply impossible. As a result, many sorcerers in Europe have given up on this project.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°Air pollution. And now, there¡¯s also light pollution. Star-gazing and astrology have become an eye-straining exercise. Many master astrologers have contracted cataracts because of this.¡± Vivian pouted. ¡°I admire the humans for their other achievements, but not this one; they¡¯ve made the lives of astrologers harder,¡± she said.


    Hao Ren was speechless. Hemming a few times and glossing over the weird topic, he asked White Flame, ¡°We¡¯ve come a long way. How far did you say was the fortress from here?¡±


    White Flame looked at the ice sheet under the dark sky. Ordinary people would have probably lost their sense of direction in such a place, but she grew up on the ice sheet and could accurately locate anything on the ice sheet with intuition alone. She pointed in a specific direction. ¡°Go in that direction. Ten kilometers ahead is the stratum of Coldfrost Citadel. According to astrology, Coldfrost Citadel is still under our control.¡±


    ¡°What does Coldfrost Citadel have to do with Coldpath?¡± Hao Ren was very interested in the demon hunters¡¯ headquarters. Until now, he had not been able to wrap his brain around these strange names. ¡°Is it the door?¡±


    ¡°Well, sort of.¡± White Flame nodded. ¡°Coldpath is an alien dimension that¡¯s existed since ancient times, just like Tartarus, Asgard, and Olympus. But it¡¯s broader, more stable and more mysterious. One could say that this incredible dimension was also one of the important factors that the demon hunters relied on to gain the upper hand in the ultimate War. Coldpath¡¯s entrance and exit in the North Pole are fixed in that location. So, to defend their fortress, the early demon hunters built a spire called the Stellar Spire, with powerful magic at the entrance and exit of the dimension. Part of the spire was in the real world, and the other part extended into Coldpath. It acted as a passage. Later, as demon hunters continued to grow in strength, they began to expand the Stellar Spire in the real world, and slowly, it was built into a fortress¡ªthe Coldfrost Citadel,¡± she said.


    Lily¡¯s ears flickered. ¡°That means, the Council of Elders is now being held up in Coldpath, and even though they have an advantage in terms of combat strength, they won¡¯t be able to get out as long as Coldfrost Citadel and Stellar Spire are still under the control of ¡®normal¡¯ demon hunters?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes, this is our only advantage,¡± White Flame said with a forced smile. ¡°We¡¯ve gathered our brothers and sisters from all over the world to take on the Council of Elders, and we sacrificed the lives of nearly 10,000 people before we finally forced them to retreat to Coldpath. We managed to take control of the Stellar Spire,¡± she said.


    Hao Ren did not say anything. He just kneeled, drawing on the ice with his fingers. After a moment, he looked up. ¡°It¡¯s not safe to open the door in Coldfrost Citadel because it¡¯s the entrance to Coldpath. The dimension could be unstable, plus the Council of Elders would take advantage and exploit this weak point. If all of you have no objections, I think this spot is a more suitable place to open a portal,¡± Hao Ren said.


    A question had been bothering White Flame since they first set off on their journey. At this point, she could not help it anymore, proceeded to ask, ¡°So, you¡¯re going to use a portal to bring in your ¡®army¡¯? Do you have an army?¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on, we¡¯ve come so far. Do you still think that we¡¯re relying on the few of us here to take on the hundred-thousand-strong Council of Elders?¡± Hao Ren rolled his eyes and looked at his teammates. Except for the cat and the fish, he had brought all of them out, including the Nangong couple. However, they were not the main combat group. The main combat group was still 800 light-years away on the new Aerymian planet. They were under Lanina¡¯s command and were ready to depart through the portal. ¡°My men are far from here. If it were not to prevent your Council of Elders from activating the ancient weapon and causing me more trouble, I wouldn¡¯t have mobilized my men. You owe me,¡± Hao Ren said.


    White Flame listened, feeling stupefied. When Hao Ren finished, she nodded in all seriousness. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind. As long as you can help the demon hunters through this crisis, I¡¯ll swear my allegiance to you,¡± she said.


    It stupefied Hao Ren that there were still people who would pledge their allegiance in this age; it was no longer a favorite way of showing gratitude. If they had followed popular storylines, she would have said, ¡°I¡¯m yours tonight.¡± But, he knew that if he told her this, he would probably be dead that night. Thus, he swallowed his wild thoughts and began to pour out the bits and pieces from his Dimensional Pocket.


    It was going to be the biggest operation he had ever conducted on Earth.


    Building a demonic portal and summoning 100,000 troops from outer space!


    Oh, wait, let us rephrase that sentence. According to the official report that Hao Ren was going to write, he was bringing in 100,000 peacekeepers. Ah, now that sounds so much better!

 Chapter 994

    Y¡¯zaks was once defeated in his homeworld. As a powerful demon king who used to command several demon races, he had always been a leader whom his followers worshipped. After Helcrown landed on Aerym, Y¡¯zaks resigned from the throne and ordered several respected regents to be in charge of domestic affairs until his daughter reached adulthood. Nevertheless, he was still the highest authority in the kingdom. Soldiers would rally behind him and ready themselves to attack any target without hesitation should he command it.


    So, when Y¡¯zaks ordered Lanina to gather the troops, Lanina only asked two questions: where to attack and how many to kill.


    The warriors under the mad demon king¡¯s command would never ask anything outside those two questions.


    On the Arctic ice sheet, Hao Ren and Y¡¯zaks were nervously deploying a large portal, which could carry out interstellar teleportation. It was difficult to accomplish this with only a few people, so Hao Ren released a few dozen autonomous robots out of his Dimensional Pocket to help build the complex machine.


    He took out a large number of advanced modular components and neatly placed them on a relatively flat ice surface. The autonomous robots flew around busily to assemble these modular components into a base. Then, they fixed a circular energy field generator around the base. Y¡¯zaks and Y¡¯lisabet weaved between the components to lay a series of complex runes on the ground and corrected the positions of these runes according to the MDT¡¯s prompts. They were building a high-tech magic instrument.


    It was a hybrid machine. Hao Ren knew that the scale of transmission this time was unlike anything he had done before. He was unable to mobilize large transport ships, which could carry 100,000 troops. He was also trying to avoid seeking help from Raven 12345 because he was treading a fine line and could only make use of whatever resources he had at hand. However, it was unfortunate that the teleportation equipment assigned to inspectors were only suitable for small-scale teleportation. Usually, inspectors just needed small equipment for personal use. Rarely were they like Hao Ren, who blew things up wherever he went. Hao Ren had discussed with Y¡¯zaks, and they decided to use the Imperial-issued equipment as an energy source as well as a navigation guide. It was to supplement the teleportation technology, which the demons were good at, and open a massive but temporary spatial rift for the army of Helcrown to pass through.


    All of it seemed high-tech, but its operation was straightforward. Hao Ren and everyone else could hardly understand how the thing worked anyway, so they left it to the MDT. According to the MDT, the inspector¡¯s portal had enough potential to provide sufficient computing power for mass teleportation. Just that, it was preset with an upper transmission limit and an active area of energy field when it was first rolled out from the factory. It was to conform to portability and versatility requirements. Now, what they needed to do was remove the limiter of the portal and draw a new active area with the demonic rune. Doing this was a violation of the rules, so there would be some consequences: after the mass teleportation through the spatial rift was completed, the on-site teleportation equipment would burn from overloading. It would be a few days later before the onboard factory on the Petrachelys could make a new batch of hardware. Since the portal in Helcrown was only a fixed coordinate and did not possess the same power as the one they had, Y¡¯zaks¡¯ 100,000-strong demonic army would have to stay on Earth for at least five days before the portal could be reused.


    Hao Ren thought for a moment; since the civil war among the hundreds of thousands of demon hunters had not caused damage to Earth, he figured that maybe he could bring another 100,000 men over.


    If there were a problem, Raven 12345 would come to his rescue. So, he decided to go for it. If the worst happened, the goddess would only give him a good whip, and that was not a big deal, he figured.


    After some intense assembling works, the colossal portal began to take shape. But, it looked too rudimentary, considering that it needed to handle the teleportation of a 100,000-strong army. What finally appeared before White Flame¡¯s eyes was a weird ¡°magic circle.¡± It was a few dozen meters wide and pieced together by silvery-white metal frames as well as a lot of green demonic runes. She had never seen such a strange thing in her life, but she was even more curious about how it was going to transport an entire army.


    White Flame reached her hand out and drew in the air; she began to calculate. ¡°Based on the diameter of this thing, for 100,000 people to pass through the portal, it will take at least hundreds of rounds before all of them can squeeze through. And this isn¡¯t including the heavy equipment and things like that,¡± she said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that this is the finished version.¡± Hao Ren wiped the sweat off his forehead and looked at his work in satisfaction. ¡°MDT, please check the surrounding jammers if they¡¯re working normally,¡± he ordered.


    The MDT shook its body, and several small bright spots flashed in the distance; they were metal piles that the autonomous robots hammered into the ice layer. ¡°Connecting¡­ Jammers work perfectly. The shield has been formed. It¡¯ll be invisible to satellites or similar eyes in the sky,¡± the MDT reported.


    ¡°Good!¡± Hao Ren clapped his hands and waved. ¡°Get in the car, let¡¯s get out of here!¡± he said.


    White Flame was being hurried into the car as she was still feeling clueless. The car took them a kilometer away from the portal. Making sure that it was a safe distance, Hao Ren stopped and shut off the engine. He handed a pair of sunglasses to White Flame and said, ¡°Put this on.¡±


    Still clueless, White Flame put on the sunglasses. Before White Flame could ask Hao Ren how his strange portal worked, a loud noise came from afar, and a blinding light flashed across the sky. White Flame looked on and was terrified as a massive light ball gradually rose in the horizon, and distorted lights were flowing inside the light sphere.


    Hao Ren put his thumb up and said, ¡°It¡¯s a one-off use anyway.¡±


    White Flame was all the more baffled.


    Lily poked White Flame in the arm and said, ¡°I think you have to get used to it; Mr. Landlord has a habit of blowing things up.¡±


    The wave from blast blew away the snow and the edges on the ice sheet. With the portal at the center, the ice sheet had become a vast, open space formed by many concentric circles. But the portal equipment had been blown away into the distance, leaving behind a large stream of sparks and intense energy. In this chaos, a vast spatial rift, which looked like a broken mirror fell to the ground from the sky. There was a mysterious phenomenon within the spatial rift, as though the magical glow of an aurora was flowing out of the crack.


    The dark side of the spatial rift rippled like a water¡¯s surface. Then, the first demon guard, who seemed to be as strong as a giant, strolled out of the crack. This demon guard was carrying a big battle ax on his shoulder. It was could probably cut a battle tank in half. He was shirtless from the waist up, and his dark-red muscles were like soldering iron, billowing with steam in the Arctic cold wind. Being the first one to set foot on the unknown land, he said in a low voice amid the cold wind, ¡°This place is freaking cold!¡±


    It was how a demon felt during his first visit to the North Pole.


    Synchronized heavy footsteps came from behind. The multi-ethnic coalition from Helcrown swaggered out of the portal.


    When White Flame looked at the spatial rift again, she saw a demonic army pouring out onto the planet. The demon guards, who were three-meters tall, carried giant axes. They looked like reptilian lords from the abyss, all swaggered in flames and sulfuric smoke. It appeared as though this blood-thirsty, murderous demonic legion was going to overrun the world. What was even more incredible, some races should not have been there, walking with the demons. There was the dwarf infantry with large guns, the magical human knights draped in heavy armor, and even the slender, elegant elves who seemed to be straight out of a fairytale! These races were calmly walking with the demonic army, and despite their differences, everyone was wearing the same emblem!


    Hao Ren had never told White Flame in detail what kind of army he was summoning. He only mentioned that a demonic race was a part of it. When she saw this army, which had fought endless wars on the battlefields appear before her eyes, White Flame was awed. ¡°Oh my God! What kind of army have you brought?¡± she exclaimed.

 Chapter 995

    When the portal to the distant stars opened, the demonic army shrouded in sulfur and smoke swarmed out of the crack in space and time. The earth was trembling under the feet of this terrifying army. Scorching heat and threat of destruction filled the air. This scene was scary enough to make a person¡¯s blood run cold. Looking at the shocking scene that would only appear in fantasy stories, White Flame¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground. For a moment, she even thought that the army was coming to destroy the world.


    Perhaps there had been invading forces in such a massive scale during the Mythological Era, but for White Flame who was only born in modern times, she could not imagine the wars that happened thousands of years ago. For now, she was witnessing the kind of alien army that Hao Ren could summon.


    The huge spatial rift looked like a broken lightning bolt, which had plunged into the vast expanse of the Arctic. Hundreds of glaring electric lights were jumping around in the rift. Unstable energy was bursting between the spatial rift and the summoning circle. It looked as though the gods of ancient times were ravaging the icy plain. Demons, as well as other races, swarmed out of the spatial rift, and the ice sheet trembled under their heavy footsteps like was about to break apart.


    It was not the first time the alien army had conducted a cross-world combat mission through a summoned portal. They knew the surrounding terrain, as immediately after they exited the spatial rift, they quickly reorganized themselves into their formation. They moved away from the portal in a seemingly disorganized but efficient manner to leave room for those coming from behind. Those who had come out of the gateway still maintained real-time contact with the troops on the other side of the spatial rift to avoid traffic congestion and a possible deadly stampede if things went wrong.


    White Flame observed all of this. When she finally recovered from the shock, White Flame asked, ¡°Do they often cross the portal like this and attack others?¡±


    She was cautious not to use the word ¡°invade.¡±


    ¡°Do you think that I¡¯m a villain who has nothing better to do but launch invasions through the dark portal?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s arms crossed as he glanced at White Flame. ¡°There¡¯s a reason for that¡ªtheir homeworld¡¯s fragmented, and portals are the most common form of transportation. This army is used to such battle tactics,¡± Hao Ren said.


    ¡°I¡¯m too ignorant,¡± White Fire lamented. ¡°In that case, this army should be able to do the job.¡±


    Hao Ren and his teammates were now standing on the high ground outside the portal area. Half of the land was leveled during the explosion of the portal. Now, it was just right to use as an observation point. Y¡¯zaks stood on the edge of the high ground. Looking down at his army that came out of the spatial rift, he seemingly recalled those eventful years when he launched wars to conquer the worlds. The old demon¡¯s face could not help but burst into a smile. ¡°These guys look very excited,¡± he said.


    Nangong Sanba, who had been silent all this while, suddenly said, ¡°Y¡¯zaks, there¡¯s something that I¡¯m not sure if I should say.¡±


    ¡°Just say it!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think the flame demons will soon have a problem?¡± Nangong Sanba raised his hand and pointed ar the demonic army. ¡°They¡¯re going to melt the ice sheet and sink into the Arctic Ocean,¡± he said.


    Hao Ren turned and looked in their direction. He could see a massive flash of flame shrouded in thick fog at the flanks of the demonic army. At first, he thought it was their secret weapon, and it looked freaking awesome. But Nangong Sanba had pointed out that it was the flame demon squadron and, the fog was steam from the vaporized ice.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Y¡¯zaks replied, appearing unworried at all. ¡°I¡¯ve got it all sorted out.¡±


    Sure enough, when the heat from the flame demons was just about to melt the ice completely, a group of charming elven girls and boys emerged from behind. These elves were the ones who dealt with ¡°topographical adaptation.¡± They came up and summoned a couple of hundred polar storms. As the elves hit the flame demons with the polar storm, their flames instantly died out.


    ¡°Very few flame demons can control their flames at will like my papa,¡± Y¡¯lisabet said proudly. ¡°Most flame demons don¡¯t even study shapeshifting magic. My papa studied it because he was tackling my mama that time,¡± she said.


    Hao Ren looked up at Y¡¯zaks and sighed. ¡°Hmm, it seemed your papa was also a romantic person, eh?¡±


    Joking aside, he had learned something new. Ordinary people would only watch and be awed when the war of magic broke out. But only those at the scene could truly notice the details. Demons liked to exert their power, but most of them could not precisely control it. Freezing temperature would restrict the action of flame demons, but if maneuvering on ice sheets were unavoidable, magicians needed to come in to manage their heat. The demon king had learned to disguise himself not to blend in but for a romantic reason. But Y¡¯zaks¡¯ success was not because of his charm but more like the other party had an aesthetic-perception problem.


    It seemed like strange knowledge, but that did not matter.


    Once the army began to settle in, Hao Ren suddenly saw a shadow flying out of the coalition before landing in front of Y¡¯zaks in the blink of an eye. The shadow was a tall and attractive demoness. She had the perfect S-figure, a dark complexion, a pair of unforgettably seductive, lavender-colored lips, and mesmerizing eyes.


    Hao Ren recognized her; it was too hard for him not to remember the demoness: she was the only frigid succubus in history.


    The military adviser saluted Y¡¯zaks. ¡°My King, as per your command, your army has arrived on this planet,¡± she said.


    ¡°Ah, Lanina! It¡¯s been a long time!¡± Y¡¯lisabet jumped out. ¡°Your horns look beautiful again!¡± she said.


    Lanina smiled and touched Y¡¯lisabet¡¯s little horns as she said, ¡°My Little Princess, yours too.¡±


    Hao Ren had a hard time understanding their content of exchange.


    Hao Ren stood at the side and overlooked the demonic army gathering on the ice sheet. ¡°Is this all of the 100,000 soldiers?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Lanina replied. She did not deride Hao Ren¡¯s lack of military common sense. Instead, she bluntly explained to Hao Ren, ¡°Only a few thousand have crossed the portal. There will be more to come until the portal closes today.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks nodded and asked White Flame to explain the current situation to Lanina. Hao Ren looked in the direction where Coldfrost Citadel was alleged to be. Nothing was obstructing his view of the vast ice sheet, and he found nothing unusual. Like other secret realms, Coldfrost Citadel was invisible to the naked eye.


    But on the other hand, the demon hunters in Coldfrost Citadel should have detected their movements there. White Flame had given the demon hunters in Coldfrost Citadel a heads-up on the arrival of reinforcements. Those in the fortress were prepared.


    While he was in deep thought, Hao Ren saw three meteors suddenly sweeping across the sky and falling in the direction of Coldfrost Citadel.


    White Flame saw it too. ¡°Three stars¡­ It¡¯s a signal from the fortress guard,¡± she said.


    ¡°We¡¯ll go first,¡± Hao Ren said, nodding to Lanina. ¡°You lead the troops and follow from a distance; the demon hunters have never seen the demonic coalition before; they could freak out and overreact. Let me say hello to them first,¡± he said.


    Lanina nodded back. She was steady and composed. ¡°Understood,¡± she said.


    ¡°Take care of those ember kids, don¡¯t let them stray from the formation. This ice sheet is exceptional; we should not leave any traces behind. Follow the planned route exactly,¡± Y¡¯zaks reminded.


    Hao Ren and his team left, leaving the army to Lanina. They headed straight in the direction of Coldfrost Citadel under cover of the night.


    After driving a certain distance, White Flame took out a special Letta rune card from under her cloak. The card contained abstract pictures of stars and a citadel in addition to the complex Letta script. She ignited the card with her sacred flame, but the card did not burn. Instead, the citadel pattern on the card seemed to absorb the fire and gradually brighten up.


    As the card lit up, the scene in front of Hao Ren¡¯s eyes transformed.

 Chapter 996

    When the astrological card in White Flame¡¯s hand lit up, Coldfrost Citadel hidden in the gap of space and time began to reveal itself. Ice walls that looked like blades and fangs began to rise on the empty ice sheet. Translucent phantoms appeared in the distant night sky like a mirage and quickly materialized under the starlight before turning into towering walls and pointed towers. As Hao Ren drove forward, the surrounding light and shadow continued to change. The scene alternated between the Arctic ice sheet and the Coldfrost Citadel, which made it almost impossible to distinguish illusion from reality. When it all finally stabilized, they had arrived in front of the Millennium Palace of the demon hunters, which greeted its visitors with its magnificent appearance.


    As its name implied, Coldfrost Citadel was an icy citadel on the cold land in the extreme north. The word ¡°Coldfrost¡± was not only inspired by the Arctic ice but also the building materials of the citadel. Everyone was stunned when they saw that it was a city of ice through and through: huge ice walls looking like cliffs stood before them, completely integrated with the ice beneath it. There were narrow windows and ice blades, which looked like they were handcrafted, extending downwards along the ice walls. Layers of battlements and towers stood atop the citadel, making it appear like a weird beast hibernating in the dark. Between these structures were numerous rough lines and prismatic spires akin to lighthouses shining with a magical glow under the night sky.


    All these structures were made of ice or at least material that looked like ice. But the citadel was neither crystal clear nor fragile; the ice was mixed with something else. The thick ice walls had white and black, cloud-like things surging inside them. Hao Ren guessed that this was likely the result of the enchantment of sorts.


    Coldfrost Citadel was built during the twilight years of the ancient gods. It had been thousands of years since then. The architectural style of the citadel was utterly different from any human architecture on Earth; it looked imposing and in your face. Hao Ren could not help but look at the fortress carefully. Finally, he saw something familiar, which in some way resembled the ancient architecture in the Royal City of Holletta.


    Demon hunters were the ¡°ultimate life form¡± created by the mage emperors of Holletta using the lifeblood. Although the demon hunters did not have the time to develop their civilization, they inherited the intellectual essence of the Holletta¡¯s Magic Empire. This inheritance finally showed itself here, in the citadel.


    ¡°How is it?¡± White Flame felt a sense of relief upon seeing the place she called home. Spreading her hands out proudly, she said, ¡°Most people would be awed the first time they see Coldfrost Citadel. Its grandeur is unmatched in this world; not even the most magnificent temples of the Mythological Era could match its glory.¡±


    ¡°To tell you the truth, I¡¯ve seen bigger things, but this is spectacular,¡± Lily said, wagging her tail and trying to show off her knowledge. She then looked up the wall. ¡°The whole city doesn¡¯t even have a gap in its walls!¡± she exclaimed.


    ¡°The ice rocks are all first fused, then reinforced with a 16-step enchantment before becoming one with the ice sheet,¡± White Flame explained. ¡°The Arctic ice sheet has changed a lot for the past thousands of years, but only this place where the citadel stands is preserved by magic. Under your feet is the same Arctic ice layer of thousands of years ago; not even a millimeter of it has changed.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet, who sat on Y¡¯zaks¡¯ shoulder and stared at the place for a long time, finally mumbled, ¡°My house is bigger than this.¡±


    White Flame held up the flaming card in front of the city gate. The flame on the rune card was only a dot in the darkness, but as the card sparkled, a giant ice sculpture shaped like a dragon¡¯s skull on the citadel¡¯s gate lit up. A loud grinding sound followed. The dragon skull ice sculpture lowered itself, emitting a hoarse voice in the process, ¡°Open¡­ the door¡­¡±


    *Boom!*


    A loud bang sounded behind the gate as the earth trembled. The entrance, which seemed to have been frozen together with the wall began to rise slowly. Meanwhile, a low and solemn horn bellowed from above as the gate opened. Hao Ren looked up at the top of the citadel wall; in the darkness, he saw many shadows moving around and hundreds of eyes staring down.


    Hao Ren kept his car inside his Dimensional Pocket. Then, White Flame brought them into the citadel. While passing through the gate, he suddenly asked, ¡°Since this base camp is still here, why did you look the way you did when you fled?¡±


    Hao Ren recalled the time White Flame was teleported to the Southern Suburbs. At that time, the demon hunter was half dead. She looked like she had just escaped a battle frontline that had fallen into the enemy¡¯s hand. However, Coldfrost Citadel was still standing, so he was wondering how White Flame got herself into such a sorry state.


    ¡°Do you know where I fled from?¡± White Flame smiled.


    ¡°Where?¡± Hao Ren was baffled.


    ¡°The deepest part of Coldpath. The whole place had fallen,¡± White Flame said and let out a sigh. ¡°The entrance here is still under our control. The Council of Elders occupies Coldpath on the other side. I was trapped and encircled; the evacuation route to the Stellar Spire was cut off. I wanted to flee to Coldfrost Citadel to rest first before I looked for you with the bloodstone¡¯s guidance. But since I was trapped, I decided to open a portal in a quiet place within Coldpath. My injuries were not the result of the battle but the turbulence during the teleportation. The locked secret realm almost crushed me into pieces but fortunately, the talisman that Teacher gave me saved my life,¡± White Flame said.


    Hao Ren looked at the demon huntress, feeling startled. ¡°Teleporting in a blocked space is suicide. You¡¯ve got nerves of steel.¡±


    Hao Ren did not know White Flame very well. His impression of her just stemmed from the limited contact he had with her. He knew her as a great talent, but one who lacked experience due to her overprotective teacher and elders. She had the combat strength, but she was not as experienced as Nangong Sanba. Now, his immature image of her was shattered in an instant. She was braver than he had ever imagined; jumping into the turbulence of space and time was no different from passing through a meat grinder¡ªit took a lot of guts.


    Lily listened to their conversation with her ears standing on end. Baffled, she said, ¡°Oh, is it that dangerous? I could do it too,¡± she said.


    Other than a person who was as brave as White Flame, there was another type of people who dared to do this: Lily, the naive kind.


    With anticipation and excitement, they became the first ¡°foreigners¡± to step into the sacred land of the demon hunters. After passing through the gate, Hao Ren finally saw the entire citadel of ice. Magic lights kept the fortress illuminated at night, and heavily armed demon hunters were everywhere. However, despite the crowd, it was not noisy. The demon hunters who were dressed in black just stood quietly in their respective posts, watching the visitors. Their eyes were filled with curiosity, suspicion, and a little anticipation.


    Hao Ren had expected their suspicious stares. But this day was the most special day for Coldfrost Citadel and the demon hunters; the apex supernatural creature had not only asked for outside help, but the support they sought was actually from a bunch of otherworldlings. It was unprecedented. Now, these otherworldlings who had been classified as heretics in the sacred book of the demon hunters were received as guests in the citadel. It was something unthinkable in the past.


    If it had not been for the disappearance of their innate hostility, if it had not been for the circumstances, if it had not been for the most stubborn demon hunters in the Council of Elders turning on them, today¡¯s events would likely never happen.


    An old demon hunter wearing an overcoat emerged from the dark and came up quickly to White Flame. ¡°So, they¡¯re here?¡± the old demon hunter asked.


    ¡°Master Kesuzov,¡± White Flame bowed slight and said, ¡°they are the leaders of the reinforcements. The main troops will arrive in an hour. We need someone to release the enchantment for them. Besides, I want to tell you something beforehand; it¡¯s about the army I¡¯ve invited. I hope everyone is prepared; they look a little weird and probably similar to those creatures from the Mythological Era, but they are on our side.¡±


    Master Kesuzov, the old demon hunter nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry; we are ready for anything. In these circumstances, we¡¯ve learned to be flexible. I heard that this was part of the instructions given by Beetholis the Sage before he lost his mind,¡± he said.


    Even though White Flame had not passed through Coldfrost Citadel prior, when Hao Ren and his team set foot on the North Pole, she had contacted the citadel using her secret technique and gave them a heads-up. Hence, the defense forces in the stronghold had arranged everything to receive the otherworldlings.


    ¡°Indeed, it was the instruction of Beetholis the Sage and also the wish of Elder Hasse as well as Master Teuton,¡± White Flame said, emphasizing the latter two. She then stepped aside and pointed at Vivian. ¡°Countess Ancestor is highly respected, even the demon hunters fear her. It is she who has offered to help,¡± White Flame said.


    ¡°Thank you, Countess, for your big heart,¡± Master Kesuzov said. His tone of voice sounded strange. It was awkward, but he still greeted Vivian. ¡°It is embarrassing.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Let¡¯s cut the cackle.¡± Vivian waved her hand in a dignified manner. ¡°We may have been in a dogfight, but hey, no discord, no concord. Let¡¯s just be ourselves. So, shall we talk about the situation in the frontline?¡± she said.


    Lily mumbled, ¡°Could you please not drag dogs into your conversation? Did dogs bite you or something?¡±

 Chapter 997

    The northernmost land was covered in darkness throughout the long night. Standing like a lighthouse on the ice sheet, Coldfrost Citadel was the only light source in the night. For thousands of years, no matter how much hatred the unusual creatures showed the demon hunters, and whether the demon hunters could be deemed noble, one thing was sure: the Nightwatch had indirectly protected the human civilization and ensured the fragile humans survived the darkest period in history.


    Even without considering the historical significance, just thinking about the fall of Coldfrost Citadel and its consequences, Hao Ren would not let the mad Council of Elders out of Coldpath.


    Several demon hunter masters brought Hao Ren and his entourage deeper into Coldfrost Citadel. Under their feet was permanent ice while above them was the clearest sky on the planet. They could hear the wind whistling past them occasionally. The heavily-armed demon hunters who were clad in black quietly stood guard in their respective positions. Hao Ren had a strange feeling like he was standing on a watchtower, which had been nailed to the North Pole in the thick ice sheet. It was hammered through thousands of years of history, and all the races as well as cultures of the planet. It ended the Mythological Era, and human civilization grew up under its watch. The demon hunters stood in this place and watched the world quietly throughout the countless dark nights.


    However, people never knew about them.


    Lily was feeling very spirited in the cold wind and happier than anyone else. The husky maiden ran around Hao Ren eagerly, enjoying the feeling of the cold wind blowing into her face. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m home. But then, this place is inhospitable for ordinary humans,¡± she said.


    ¡°It¡¯s the same for demon hunters,¡± said White Flame who seemed to be smiling. ¡°I¡¯ve never found my hometown comfortable. It¡¯s dry and cold. Other than ice, there¡¯s nothing here. I can¡¯t see any other colors. All we can eat are fish and seals. Other food is delivered from the inland. Life on the ice sheet is boring with only constant training and patrolling, day after day. So, my biggest dream when I was a kid was to become an adventurer. Although it was a rather low position, it gave young demon hunters the opportunity to travel around the world. Unfortunately, I detected in me the blood of my ancestors, so I had to train 20 years more than other demon hunters. I envied those young demon hunters who were born outside the Arctic,¡± she said.


    ¡°You were born here?¡± Lily asked, looking at White Flame in amazement. ¡°I thought you came here to receive elite education. It¡¯s a common thing in the movies. Are your parents also in this citadel?¡± Lily asked.


    ¡°They died many years ago,¡± White Flame said faintly, ¡°when I was very young.¡±


    The atmosphere suddenly turned awkward. Everyone could not help but think of the long war between the demon hunters and the unusual creatures. Hao Ren¡¯s mouth twitched unnaturally. ¡°Was it because of the war?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Ah, no,¡± White Flame replied. Knowing that they had misunderstood her, she hurriedly waved her hand. ¡°My mom was sick, while my dad overdosed on magic potions and went to challenge a volcano,¡± she explained.


    There was a cold silence, which was colder than the big ice sheet outside. Even Lily, the witty maiden was at a lost for words. While everyone thought that White Flame¡¯s parents had been killed by demons and monsters in the war, she dropped an anti-climactic bombshell that her dad had actually died from potion overdose.


    But White Flame seemed to have not noticed the awkward atmosphere. She continued, ¡°It all happened a long time ago. I can¡¯t even remember the details. It was Teacher who raised me. Why are all of you silent?¡±


    Vivian replied, ¡°Umm, nothing. We just find that your life is somewhat different from our imagination. I thought you had a vendetta like others. At least, that¡¯s what I thought of demon hunters.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you think of demon hunters?¡± White Flame shrugged. ¡°We also have our own lives, friends, family, passions, and hobbies. Killing is just a part of us. My teacher likes chess, I like comics. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s incredible?¡± she said.


    Vivian said faintly, ¡°How many demon hunters have ever thought that those demons they killed are no more different from you?¡±


    The conversation suddenly became tense. Before it got worse, Master Kesuzov, who led the way, suddenly hemmed and said, ¡°Let¡¯s focus on the important things. Keep the little talks to yourselves.¡±


    Usually, Vivian would have talked back when she was lectured by a junior. But this time, she just shrugged it off and nodded softly. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that.¡±


    White Flame looked down. ¡°Me too,¡± she said.


    Observing from the sidelines, Hao Ren felt a tinge of regret. Demon hunters and unusual creatures were supposed to be no different. Even the strange creatures who came from Holletta were distant relatives of the demon hunters. However, the 10,000-year confrontation had utterly severed the connection between them. Their differences were more severe than the conflict among the unusual creatures. The demon hunters no longer treated the otherworldlings as beings capable of feeling but prey. Likewise, the otherworldlings no longer cared if the demon hunters had emotions. They regarded them like a plague. This absurd conflict and division eventually produced an even more ridiculous outcome. When a demon hunter talked about her family life, the unusual creatures would find it unbelievable.


    Even if they knew from common sense that this was normal, they could not emotionally believe that the other party was just like them, that they had flesh and blood too.


    No one knew when this absurdity would end.


    Master Kesuzov¡¯s voice suddenly interrupted his train of thought. ¡°The Stellar Spire is right in front. The gate is closed. The situation on the other side isn¡¯t looking good,¡± Master Kesuzov said.


    Hao Ren immediately looked up, curious. He had been wondering where the Stellar Spire was as he could not see any spire on the way in. But according to White Flame, the steeple was a magnificent structure and something hard to miss.


    Now, Hao Ren finally found out why he could not see the spire from outside the citadel.


    There was a big and deep hole before them.


    At 100 m in diameter and perfectly round, the hole looked like a shaft that extended to the center of the earth. A kind of chaotic darkness filled the shaft, and fog-shrouded its deeper part, as though there was another world down at the bottom. There was a spiraling staircase, and a complex support structure attached to the shaft¡¯s walls, The whole thing looked like an access road to the bottom with rest stops.


    Surrounding the shaft was the largest square in Coldfrost Citadel. Heavily armed demon hunters were patrolling the place.


    This was the Stellar Spire.


    ¡°Wait, didn¡¯t you say it was a spire?¡± Hao Ren asked, staring at the hole for a long while, feeling conned. ¡°It¡¯s a hole!¡±


    ¡°This is indeed the Stellar Spire,¡± White Flame said with a blank expression. ¡°It goes all the way down, into the Arctic Ocean. But at certain depths, it goes up and sweeps into Coldpath¡¯s entrance,¡± she said.


    ¡°Back home, we usually call this thing a well.¡± The corner of Nangong Sanba¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Are you sure they didn¡¯t hold the plan upside down during construction?¡± he asked.


    ¡°What a load of nonsense,¡± Nangong Wuyue chided and whacked him on the head with her tail. ¡°It¡¯s a spire when looking up from the bottom of the ocean.¡±


    ¡°Spire or not, can we open the door now?¡± Hao Ren asked as he turned to look at White Flame.


    ¡°Now?¡± White Flame was a little surprised. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to wait for the main troops? They¡¯ll arrive soon,¡± she said.


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°I¡¯m not going to wait. I want to check out the situation on the other side.¡±


    White Flame then asked the old demon hunter beside her, ¡°Master Kesuzov, is it convenient to open the door now?¡±


    Kesuzov put his hand on the icicle next to him. The icicle shimmered and emitted a sound. After a while, the old demon hunter exhaled and said, ¡°You can all go in now.¡±


    As soon as the old demon hunter¡¯s voice trailed off, the strange chaotic darkness and dense fog inside the hole dissipated.


    A channel appeared.

 Chapter 998

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    With White Flame leading the way, they went into the Stellar Spire. Surrounding the entrance to the shaft was a circle of floating black rocks. On each rock was a deadpan-looking demon hunter. While they passed by these floating stones, White Flame whispered, ¡°They are the Nightwatch of the Stellar Spire, sentinels who guard the entrance of the spire forever. If someday the citadel falls, they will activate the magic stones under their feet and blow the spire into the distorted dimension to prevent outsiders from breaking into the sacred land of Coldpath. But, we never knew that the threat would come from within Coldpath. Now, they are ready to blow up the gate on this side so that the Council of Elders will not be able to make it out of the sacred land.¡±


    Lily¡¯s ears flickered. She saluted the sentinels who stood on the magic stones. ¡°They have to stand on these stones all their lives, and they¡¯re not allowed to get down? My goodness! That requires an extraordinarily strong will,¡± she exclaimed.


    White Flame was now even more surprised than Lily. ¡°How can they not come down? They work in a three-shift rotation,¡± she said.


    Even Hao Ren was stunned this time. ¡°Did you not say that they would have to guard the entrance of the spire forever?¡± he said.


    White Flame¡¯s brows were knitted together. ¡°It just means that they¡¯re not allowed to transfer to other posts. These are precision magic stones, and to prevent accidents from happening, the wavelength of the magic stones and the Nightwatch must be in-sync and harmonious. What¡¯s more, it¡¯s tough to train a qualified guard. So, job transfers aren¡¯t allowed. Why are you always thinking so strangely?¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless. Knowing that White Flame had a potion-overdosed father and that the vendetta-seeking guards were working in shifts, his worldview was almost shattered. Forget Vigilant Sentinel, Battlesown Warriors, Destiny¡¯s Call and the like. All that he once believed in were out of the windows. ¡°Girl, can you be more illogical than that?¡± he said.


    White Flame looked at them wryly before she then turned around and went ahead. ¡°What I¡¯ve told you is just common sense. You guys are the ones who have so many distorted understandings of the demon hunters.¡±


    Hao Ren and Lily looked at each other before they simultaneously said, ¡°You should watch less TV!¡±


    They entered the massive shaft, which seemed to lead to the bottom. After going down the staircase and descending a distance, Hao Ren finally began to feel like he was in a spire. Just that, they were not climbing up but down. Initially, the walls of the shaft were still made of ice, but as they descended further, it was all black rocks.


    Some moments later, Hao Ren looked up. The entrance was far above him now and appeared to be the size of a fingernail. In his field of vision, the shaft looked like a hollow pipe that shot straight up into the sky. Looking at the spiraling staircase and crisscrossing beams made him dizzy.


    ¡°Have we gone that far?¡± Nangong Wudi asked, glancing up and finding it weird. ¡°I feel like we have only walked for less than 10 minutes.¡±


    ¡°The dimensional rules of the Stellar Spire defy common sense. Don¡¯t trust your instinct and eyes,¡± White Flame said. ¡°Also, don¡¯t always look back at the way you came. Sometimes, the dimension behind you is distorted, you could miss a step and fall down the shaft if you make the wrong visual judgment,¡± she warned.


    Lily stuck her tongue out in fear. The weird shaft was giving her goosebumps.


    They continued to descend via the seemingly never-ending spiral staircase. At this point, the structural materials had changed entirely from ice to black stone and cold steel. The walls, which possessed thousands of years of history were carved with ancient and mysterious reliefs. After walking further down, there were scallop-shaped platforms connected to the staircase at intervals, and each scallop-shaped platform had a window.


    Lily curiously ran to one of the narrow windows. She peeked from behind the window, which had a layer of translucent barrier, and found that they were underwater.


    ¡°We are under the Arctic Ocean. That means we¡¯ve passed through the ice layers?¡± The pointed ears on the husky maiden¡¯s head flickered. ¡°Does this spire lead to the bottom of the ocean?¡± she asked.


    White Flame did not reply but continued to move forward. The female demon hunter was tense, and she had no mood to talk to anyone.


    Meanwhile, Lily happily went up to every window and looked out at the underwater scenery, seemingly looking forward to reaching the bottom. But after walking past several platforms, she suddenly exclaimed, ¡°Mr-Mr. Landlord, stars! There are stars out there!¡±


    Hao Ren was startled initially. He then went up and looked out; his jaw dropped.


    A sea of stars was shining outside the spire.


    It was only a while ago that the deep-sea was outside the window, but as they continued to descend roughly a dozen meters, they had reached a starry sky!


    Hao Ren was amazed. A sense of incongruence rose within him. He glanced at the steps under his feet, and suddenly he found that he was not walking down but up the staircase!


    Space had reversed its dimensions without them realizing. Gravity had also changed its direction. It was just before the window where they saw the starry sky. That was the boundary between the Coldpath dimension and the real world. Just as White Flame said, the spire was pointing down at the beginning, but after a certain depth, it inverted.


    A vague roar was heard coming from the front. Hao Ren looked in that direction, which had initially been the bottom of the spire but had now become the top. He saw stars shining in the distance and a broken structure floating hundreds of meters away.


    They sped up and climbed to the top. The top of the spire consisted of megalithic walls and a staircase that had broken off. They were floating in the air as if there was no gravity. Looking up and out, the group saw a large cluster of a mysterious yet splendid galaxy.


    Lily could not help but exclaim in awe. ¡°So, the top section was blown away?¡±


    ¡°No, this is how the Stellar Spire looks like,¡± White Flame finally spoke. ¡°The spire is alright. It is just that Coldpath¡¯s unique dimensional phenomenon makes the spire appear as if it has been torn apart. Keep up, we¡¯ll go out through the front exit,¡± she said.


    They followed White Flame and finally left the strange spire through the exit. As soon as they stepped out of the building, they found themselves standing on a huge rock platform. Apparently, this platform was floating at the top of the spire.


    White Flame took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. ¡°Welcome to Coldpath,¡± she said.


    No one responded to her, because the strange yet beautiful scenery out there had captured their eyes and mind.


    Coldpath looked like it was floating in the middle of the universe. It was a boundlessly dark, chaotic space where there were no visible stars or vast lands in sight. Looking into the distance, all Hao Ren could see were fragments of ancient buildings and spires floating in the void. In the background of all these structures were shining stars and all kinds of mysterious dancing lights, which seemed like blazing flames, or sometimes, lightning bolts between the stars. He looked back at the spire where they emerged; he finally confirmed that it was a spire. The towering spire stood upright in the void, and a layer of chaotic, lavender-colored electric light covered its lower half, while a series of rock platforms floated above the spire. The platform where they were standing on was just one of the many.


    ¡°Now you know why we insist on calling this building the Stellar Spire,¡± White Flame said faintly, glancing at Nangong Sanba. ¡°It is named after its state in Coldpath.¡±


    The space around the Stellar Spire seemed to be safe. However, if they looked far enough, they would discover many abnormal light spots between the buildings in the distance. Obviously, those were flames. The battle in that space was in a stalemate.


    Their presence had attracted the guards around the Stellar Spire. A small group of demon hunters teleported and emerged like ghosts before them. A demon hunter called out to White Flame, ¡°Mistress White Flame! You¡¯re finally back, safe and sound!¡±


    White Flame quickly walked up to the guards and said, ¡°I¡¯ve brought reinforcements. They¡¯ll arrive shortly. What¡¯s the situation now?¡±


    ¡°Master Teuton has evacuated the frontline. We¡¯ve lost two energy nodes. The Council of Elders¡­¡±


    While the demon hunters were exchanging their frontline battle progress reports nervously, Hao Ren had unknowingly fallen into deep thought. As he stared at the broken palace floating in the air, a sense of d¨¦j¨¤vu rose within him.


    Likewise, Lily had also stretched her neck out, silently staring into the distance. For a moment, a thoughtful look appeared on the face of this carefree husky maiden.

 Chapter 999

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    While White Flame and her peers were exchanging frontline intelligence, Hao Ren and Lily looked out at the broken palace, which was floating in the distance. Standing next to them, Nangong Wuyue poked them with her tail and asked, ¡°What are you two looking at?¡±


    Hao Ren snapped out it. The interruption had made him quickly lose his train of thought earlier. He grabbed his hair and said, ¡°Nothing, just finding it a little familiar, like I have seen it before. Could it be the architectural style of a certain place in Holletta?¡±


    Vivian squinted and said, ¡°Architecture of the Magic Empire? It is possible, after all, even the Inferno was moved.¡± She then glanced at Lily again. ¡°While I can understand why Mr. Landlord was doing it, you, putting up a serious face as if you were deep in thought too is just beyond me,¡± she said.


    Before Lily could say anything, Hao Ren cut in. ¡°You are talking crap! Are they any huskies that don¡¯t look stoned when they are in a daze?¡±


    Suddenly, a bright light burst out in the distance, followed by a loud, deafening noise. Everyone looked. About a kilometer away, fire rose as magic bullets rained down on the stone platform like a firestorm. Some faint figures were flashing in the flames and lightning, which illuminated the surroundings. In the center of the stone platform was a semi-collapsed temple, and its top was emitting light like a torch. A protective shield was shielding the platform from the attack.


    Demon-hunter warriors rushed out of the temple to meet their enemy. Due to the distance and explosion, Hao Ren could not see the situation clearly, but he knew it was a brutal battle. This battle among the demon hunters saw the use of firepower that was as powerful as modern weapons of the humans.


    ¡°The attack on Darsu Temple is happening again,¡± said a demon hunter, gritting his teeth. ¡°The frequency of their attacks has doubled since yesterday. There is now a wave of attacks every hour. The temple¡¯s crystal is not going to last.¡±


    Nangong Sanba clenched his weapon instinctively. ¡°Should we help?¡± he asked.


    ¡°This platform is more important. We must first secure the control center of the Stellar Spire,¡± White Flame said, trying to keep a level head. ¡°They will attack at any time. Due to a shortage of fighters, we should fight our own battles. Come with me, I¡¯ll take you to the temporary command post.¡±


    Following a guard and leaving the platform, they came to a series of floating broken stairs and ramps. The experience of the discontinuous gravity and inverted walk was terrific, at least for Hao Ren and Lily. Eventually, they came to a small floating temple. Compared to other temple ruins, this one, which was used as a temporary command post was mostly intact. Only a part of the wall was cracked, while the upper structure was missing. There were a large number of demon hunters guarding the temple. At the same time, there were many floating runes and weapons, which looked like ballistae across the open space near the building. They were obviously large weapons belonging to the demon hunters.


    He had seen many small, handheld equipment that individual demon hunters used, but this was the first time he had ever seen the heavy weapons used by the demon hunters during the Mythological War.


    The temple, which used to be a place of worship, was empty. The remaining open space had been turned into a busy command center. A group of small and exquisite objects was floating in the center of the main hall. They were models of spires, arranged according to their respective locations in Coldpath¡¯s dimension. They looked lifelike. Some demon hunters walked around a special sand table, compiling reports of frontline battles and issuing instructions. An exceptionally tall, black man was standing next to the suspended sand table; it was Teuton, who had recently returned from the frontline.


    ¡°White Flame, glad to see that you are safe and sound.¡± Teuton nodded at her. Then, his eyes fell on Hao Ren and his team. ¡°I have understood the situation. Thank you for your help,¡± he said.


    ¡°I am neither siding nor against anyone in the first place, but that is not important,¡± Hao Ren said, waving his hand. ¡°Who can tell me what these models are all about?¡± he asked.


    ¡°These are the models of the ruins floating across Coldpath¡¯s dimension,¡± White Flame said, pointing at the ingenious models. ¡°Temples are the main military bases and battlefields. They can form a strong line of defense and block enemy advances. At the same time, they are also the control centers of energy flow. White spires like these over here are usually the energy nodes, which are attached to large buildings. They¡¯re the main targets in the fight for control. The Council of Elders would probably target the nearest temples before they wrest control of the nodes. We are now in this position.¡±


    Pointing at the model of the Stellar Spire at the bottom of the sand table, White Flame said, ¡°This is the ¡®bottom¡¯ of the Coldpath dimension. The Council of Elders is in this position: the Netherrealm Clock Tower, the most heavily guarded place in Coldpath.¡±


    Looking in the direction where White Flame was pointing at, there was a weird spire of complex structure and asymmetrical shape on top of each building. The spires were suspended in an empty zone between the floating buildings. Hao Ren observed it carefully; this one particular spire was the only stationary one among all the ruins in Coldpath.


    Between the Netherrealm Clock Tower and the Stellar Spire was a vast void where the ruins of temples and citadels floated around. Shreds of electric light were jumping between these models, showing the stalemate in the frontline.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we cross these temples and attack the Netherrealm Clock Tower?¡± Hao Ren pointed at the large space between the suspended temples. ¡°What do you say if we send some elite commanders to take out their leaders?¡± he asked.


    All the demon hunters shook their heads. Teuton sighed and said, ¡°You probably haven¡¯t understood this system. The space between the temples may look empty, but they are actually heavily guarded; invisible spatial eddies are everywhere. The only way to turn off these eddies is to take control of the nodes and strategic points. Meanwhile, the energy nodes of Coldpath are powering a layer of enchantment, which is almost invincible outside the Netherrealm Clock Tower.¡±


    While he spoke, Teuton pointed at the spires that resembled torches, floating between the temples. Those were the energy nodes.


    There were dozens of such nodes in the entire Coldpath dimension supplying energy to the Netherrealm Clock Tower to keep the so-called ¡®Unbreakable Shield¡¯ up. If all of these nodes were to fall into the hands of the Council of Elders, their boosted power could activate some ancient weapon at the top of the Netherrealm Clock Tower. This ancient weapon would instantly destroy their enemies and even any city on Earth should they wish it.


    ¡°Are there any vulnerabilities in this system?¡± Hao Ren scratched his chin, looking for a solution like it was a conditioned response. ¡°For example, will it cause system errors if we close some of the temples?¡±


    White Flame shook her head. ¡°We have not found any vulnerabilities so far.¡±


    ¡°You have not found?¡± Y¡¯zaks seemed to have sensed something. ¡°You mean you did not make these defense mechanisms?¡± he asked.


    ¡°These defense systems already existed before the demon hunters used Coldpath as a base,¡± Teuton slowly said. ¡°They have long been in existence in this dimension, and are very potent and far from our control. The elders have spent thousands of years exploring the secrets of this dimension, but in the end, they could only harness their power based on the rules that exist in these relics.¡±


    Although White Flame had mentioned earlier that the demon hunters did not build the Coldpath dimension, Hao Ren did not expect that even the defense system inside was also left behind by the Ancients. He looked at the high hall, a sense of d¨¦j¨¤vu overcoming him again ¡°How strong is the Unbreakable Shield?¡± he asked.


    ¡°It is meaningless to ask this question because the most powerful forces on the planet have not been able to leave a single scratch on the Netherrealm Clock Tower so far,¡± Teuton said, shrugging and tapping the ground with his feet. ¡°Neither Zeus¡¯ thunder nor modern human cannons could shake the temple under our feet.¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned. Then, White Flame chimed in, ¡°Do you know why we have not repaired these ruins? Because we have been unable to remove any of the melted tiles and twisted frames.¡±


    Suddenly, a noise was heard coming from the outside.

 Chapter 1000

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    A noise outside interrupted their discussion. Hao Ren turned his head around and looked at the temple entrance. ¡°Is Lanina already here?¡±


    But he quickly realized that he had been mistaken; it was the sound of screams and explosions.


    ¡°We are under attack!¡± A demon hunter suddenly appeared in the hall, shrouded in magic mist. ¡°The eastern tower is under attack!¡±


    Teuton¡¯s eyes were already on the weapons shelf not far away. When the siren sounded, he disappeared in a flash. A second later, he reappeared a dozen meters away, carrying a huge cross, which looked like a war hammer. He strode towards the exit, shouting, ¡°Harrell, take the people to the Rune Hall. Zoe, bring your men to the eastern tower. The rest, come with me!¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian exchanged looks and followed White Flame from behind.


    The new wave of attacks by the Council of Elders came earlier than expected. This round of attack was particularly fierce. When they rushed outside, fire, explosions and battle cries filled the air. The Council of Elders was sending its men, and they were crossing the void. However, they were easy to spot. The regular demon hunters were dressed in black, but the elite soldiers of the Council of Elders had two bright silver rims on their collars. These silver rims were not just a mark of honor but also the best Identification, friend or foe (IFF) System during the fight.


    Several triangular flying crafts flew in from the darkness. These giant, skate-like flying crafts were equipped with heavy ballistics and enchanted guns on both sides. While they flew over the temple, they shot lightning bolts and enchanted explosive arrows. After a round of violent bombing, the heavily-armed soldiers jumped down from the flying crafts and stormed into the temple like beasts. The temple guards counterattacked using the artillery and rune stones that were on the ground. Teuton¡¯s elite soldiers lunged out from the side and directly engaged their enemies who were coming from the darkness.


    Sacred silver daggers flashed in the darkness while enchanted arrows ripped through the air along with the screams of death. Sacred flames burned and Letta runes shone brightly from all the magic! It was a battle of exquisitely complicated demon-hunter combat techniques. The temple and the void outside the square were engulfed in a deadly firestorm. Watching on the sidelines, Hao Ren was dazzled. For the first time in his life, he had witnessed the most powerful supernatural race on the planet showcasing their deadly combat skills.


    Every demon hunter was a veteran warrior, skilled killer, and a master in various weapons as well as hundreds of combat techniques. No one in the world had ever spent as much energy as the demon hunters in honing their combat skills. No one was as gifted as them in so many types of combat skills. The scene of the demon hunters moving around in a flash and the dazzling glow of the runes looked like there was a bee colony in the storm. In the melee battle, everyone was a hunter as well as prey.


    Hao Ren quickly snapped out of his awe. Pulling out the spear and gun from his Dimensional Pocket, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s go and help them!¡± He then followed White Flame, running towards the fiercest part of the battlefield.


    The soldiers of the Council of Elders were obviously much more powerful than the other demon hunters. They were not only skilled and well-equipped but also experts using powerful runes. Hao Ren thought that their combat skills would be rusty after being stationed in Coldpath for so long. But he was wrong; these soldiers were surprisingly skillful. He stormed into battle with his Steel Membrane Shield activated. Immediately, there were already a dozen magic bombs greeting him. The soldiers of the Council of Elders locked on him as soon as he came in, preventing him from rocking the boat.


    Bolts hitting him on the Steel Membrane Shield created a series of sparks. He had to watch out for the soldiers who were emerging and attacking him like ghosts out of nowhere. Now, he was besieged. He had managed to dodge some 20 attacks, but he had been slashed 70 times in a row.


    He realized that he was no match for the skills of these masters of weaponry.


    Deciding to do what he did best, he activated his shield, stood before the enemies and shouted, ¡°You sons of a b*tches!¡±


    A white shadow swept past Hao Ren and flew around like a whirlwind. It was Lily. Wielding her Frostfire Claws, her hair fluttered in the wind, and she looked marvelous. A soldier of the Council of Elders suddenly emerged from behind and attacked her with a sacred silver dagger, but Lily was not bothered to even look back; with a quick back kick, she hit her attacker and sent him flying. She also ridiculed Hao Ren, ¡°Your combat skills have not improved, Mr. Landlord,¡± she said.


    ¡°I do not have the feral instinct like yours, mind you!¡± Hao Ren talked back as he looked around. More demon hunters who were sent by the Council of Elders had arrived. The battle escalated. The enemies were not only targeting the temples but also the spire, where the entrance was.


    A translucent shield and a load of guards were protecting the entrance of the Stellar Spire. The Council of Elders would not be able to break through the defense for now.


    Finally finding White Flame in the chaos, Hao Ren asked, ¡°How could they come so close? Is the defensive line around the spire not secure?¡±


    ¡°The situation deteriorated after I left two days ago!¡± White Flame replied loudly. ¡°How long will it take for the reinforcements to arrive?¡±


    ¡°They should be here any time now,¡± said Y¡¯zaks. His rough voice was heard nearby. He had transformed into his demon form, raging with demonic flare. He prevented the soldiers of the Council of Elders from getting close to him. Y¡¯lisabet sat on her papa¡¯s head, throwing lava balls at their enemies like an auxiliary turret, mounted on the head of the great demon. Y¡¯zaks looked in the direction of the tall spire. ¡°Lanina is leading the army¡­ Wait, I actually let Lanina lead?¡±


    Hao Ren wondered why, but he quickly realized; the succubus was directionally challenged! ¡°Could she have gone to the South Pole instead?¡±


    Lily, who had been running around, now came up to Hao Ren. ¡°How can that be possible at all? There¡¯s only one way from the portal to Coldfrost Citadel¡ªand it is a straight line!¡± she said.


    ¡°She got lost walking in a straight line in Helcrown,¡± Y¡¯zaks said, feeling distressed. ¡°Can you believe that?¡±


    Listening on the side, cold sweat started to trickle down White Flame¡¯s forehead. But there was no time to worry about that. ¡°We should hold the enemies down here! The guards have not found any enemy reinforcements. They are here just to exhaust us. They will retreat if they can¡¯t gain any advantage.¡±


    Hao Ren could only count on White Flame¡¯s judgment while he played the role of a main tank in the chaos, throwing explosives at the enemies. Explosives like grenades inflicted little damage to the demon hunters, who were capable of unlimited, near-field teleportation ability. However, these small explosives could disrupt their rhythm and formation, making it hard for them to launch more powerful magic or runic weapons.


    The battle continued, and it seemed that White Flame was right: there were no forthcoming enemy reinforcements.


    But Hao Ren felt a sense of incongruence; he was wondering why the enemy had not retreated after so long.


    He looked up in the direction of the Stellar Spire; something was happening under their nose without them knowing. The enemies were shifting their offense from the command post to the Stellar Spire¡¯s platform. A large group of the Council of Elders¡¯ soldiers gathered in the void around the platform, but they did not attack. It was as if they were waiting for something.


    Half of the spire guards were pinned down by the side of the temple, and almost no one had noticed these subtle changes.


    ¡°This is not good!¡± Hao Ren became nervous. ¡°Their target¡¯s that platform!¡±


    White Flame came next to him and said, ¡°No worries, there is a shield covering the entrance of the Stellar Spire¡ª¡±


    Before White Flame¡¯s voice trailed off, a white light flashing across the void in the distance interrupted her.


    The white light hit the platform of the Stellar Spire, producing a loud sound akin to the glass being shattered. This was accompanied by a distorted lightning field. The platform split into two the instant the shield broke.


    Even a third of the spire¡¯s roof was smashed.

 Chapter 1001

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    A white light shattered the protective shield of the Stellar Spire and smashed the connecting platform, leaving behind a large mass of rubble. The protection that seemed indestructible a few minutes ago was the most robust layer on the demon hunter¡¯s defense line. The Council of Elders had not been able to weaken it at all after so long until that white light appeared.


    Guards in other areas had seen what happened. For a moment, they could not believe their eyes. Then, Master Teuton roared, awakening the guards. ¡°Stop them!¡± he shouted.


    The target of the Council of Elders was the shield of the Stellar Spire. They tried to break the deadlock by cutting off the support from Coldfrost Citadel to Coldpath. They had been planning this attack the entire time. The simultaneous attacks on the command post and spire platform were just a diversion tactic to hide their special weapon as they waited for the right moment.


    Nearly half of the guards were scattered in other points of the defensive line when the door of the Stellar Spire was blown open.


    Teuton¡¯s roar awakened the stunned guards. The temple guards immediately rushed to stop the soldiers of the Council of Elders. The surviving guards on the collapsed platform quickly reorganized and rushed to prevent the breach. However, despite their fearlessness, their enemies were already ahead of them. Hundreds of soldiers of the Council of Elders stormed in, and the remaining firepower on the collapsed platform could not stop them.


    The small number of guards were unable to defend the entrance after losing the vital protective shield.


    ¡°Make the call! Make the call!¡± Teuton turned to a subordinate. ¡°Inform the Nightwatch; tell them that the line of defense is down. Blow up the spire immediately!¡±


    The young demon hunter behind him was terrified. ¡°But we¡¯ll¡ª¡±


    Teuton grabbed the young demon hunter by his collar like a raging lion. ¡°There are only the old and the weak in Coldfrost Citadel! If the citadel falls, we¡¯ll lose the support and be trapped here anyway!¡± he said.


    In those few crucial seconds, the Council of Elders had stormed past the defense of the guards, arriving before the entrance of the Stellar Spire. A demon hunter, who looked like a commander, raised his sacred silver dagger. ¡°Follow the order of the sages, enter.¡±


    He lunged into the spire. A second later, a green fireball broke out from inside the spire. The demon hunters had never seen such a weird fire, which emanated a terrifying, evil power. The soldier, who went in a moment ago, was blown several hundred meters out. Even the demon hunters who were a little farther away were not spared. The spreading of evil flames shocked them.


    A giant, distorted skeleton came out of the Stellar Spire. Burning with green flames, the skeleton looked at the shocked demon hunters, grinning. Its voice boomed like thunder. ¡°Surprise!¡± the skeleton said.


    It lunged out of the tower like a reptile. The skeleton, dubbed the Lord of the Abyss, was wielding a sword and slaying the soldiers of the Council of Elders. ¡°Attack!¡± it shouted.


    It was as if the Stellar Spire had opened its door to hell; many demons and other warriors swarmed out the top of the spire with an earsplitting battle cry and burning demonic flares.


    Demon warriors were wielding burning axes, and dark elf sorcerers were summoning thunderstorms. The coalition stormed out of the spire, catching the soldiers of the Council of Elders by surprise. They had anticipated fierce resistance and the self-destruction of the spire, but a 100,000-strong demonic army greeting them at the door was something out of their expectation.


    ¡°It¡¯s the demons! It¡¯s the demons!¡± A soldier recognized the weird creatures. Although these demons were completely different from the species that had appeared on Earth, the demon hunter had smelled their violent power. ¡°It¡¯s the demonic army!¡± he said.


    The soldier raised a huge crossbow and aimed it at the Lord of the Abyss. He fired a bolt together with a pair of silver moon blades. The commander, who was blown away a while ago, had dragged himself back. Half of his body was charred, but he could still order his soldiers. ¡°The demons have broken into the sacred land! Take up formation! Ignite the sacred flame! Prepare the¡ª¡±


    *Boom¡­*


    A dazzling sacred light column suddenly descended from the sky, blowing the commander away again. A human warrior wielding a silver-white war hammer emerged from the demonic army. A pale gold light was floating over his body, and sacred verses were flowing around his armor. ¡°Not only the demons; sacred knights, protect the mages! Gunmen, round them up!¡± he ordered.


    Looking from the distant void, it was a strange scene at the Stellar Spire. An army coalition poured out from the top of the spire with demonic flames being the brightest light in the dark. The green and crimson demonic flames began to shroud the space around the spire. In a panic, the soldiers of the Council of Elders quickly reorganized and tried to resist. The demonic army crushed their defenses. The soldiers of the Council of Elders were trapped.


    For those who were unaware, they would have thought that a demonic army was invading their world, and the guards were fighting off the invasion.


    It looked like this was indeed the truth.


    The emergence of other races in the demonic army had upset the defense strategy of the Council of Elders. Never did they expect the demonic army to appear in the sacred land, much less so the clerics. The demon guards and the holy knights, the dark elves and white elves were joining the fight hand in hand. There were many more unknown races, which were never heard of on this planet. They were all part of the coalition.


    This was an invincible army that could cause tons of damage to the enemy, both bodily and mentally.


    The soldiers of the Council of Elders had high combat strength. Individually, they were skillful and well-equipped, not necessarily inferior to Y¡¯zaks¡¯ army. But the surprise attack had thrown them into a panic. Outnumbered and outgunned, their forces were on the brink of collapse, so they began to retreat. But the demonic army was not going to let them flee and tip off the Council of Elders. The agile elves and the swift-moving demon guards pursued their fleeing enemies.


    Near-field teleportation was initially a skill that the demon hunters used to hunt their prey, but now it became a convenient way of escape. Hao Ren was worried. He did not know if the demonic army could handle the situation.


    But he soon realized that his worry was unfounded. Though the teleporting demon hunters had caused some confusion to the demonic army, they seemed to be slowing down and having frequent errors not long after. It turned out that the blue ethereals who were covered in strange runes had jammed the space, rendering teleportation useless.


    ¡°The dimension has been the most unstable thing in my homeworld,¡± Y¡¯zaks said. ¡°The plane where the ethereals lived in had a particularly serious problem. Dimensional distortion was as common as the weather over there. So even a five-year-old kid knows how to strengthen dimensional structure to survive.¡±


    It suddenly made sense. Hao Ren now knew that Y¡¯zaks¡¯ army was the most suitable force to operate in this space.


    The demonic army felt at home on this battlefield¡ªthe unstable secret realm with floating land and aerial buildings.


    It seemed that Y¡¯zaks had it all planned beforehand. He was indeed a veteran war-monger.

 Chapter 1002

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The demon king¡¯s army swarmed out of the Stellar Spire and swept over the territory of the Council of Elders. At every point on the broken, floating platform, the demon hunters of the council were routed on all fronts, even if they retreated into the void beyond the floating platform. There were lots of winged demons in the demon king¡¯s army. The ethereals and elven mages also excelled in aerial combat like they were born to fly. They knew how to fight in the air better than the demon hunters: they came from a broken world where floating continents and deranged gravity environments were everywhere.


    A small group of demon hunters was finally cornered. They were the elite of the elite, and had held on until now under the siege of an army dozens of times their size. A high-ranking demon hunter¡ªmost likely a grandmaster¡ªwas holding a long, silver sword, which was blazing with sacred flames. He was fighting off the attacks of numerous demons and human warriors. His roar thundered throughout the battlefield, ¡°Don¡¯t back off! Kill them all! All otherworldlings must be erased!¡±


    The ordinary legion was no match for this grandmaster. Even without weapons, the grandmaster was far better than any ordinary warrior in close combat. The grandmaster led a large group of high-ranking demon hunters as they lunged to the left and right. The demonic legion could only form a line of defense to try to prevent the enemy from breaking through. The situation on the battlefield suddenly came to a deadlock.


    But soon, the impasse was broken. A tall demoness walked out of the legion gracefully. She was carrying two long, slender swords that were dripping with blood. Even though she looked several times more delicate than the strong demon warriors around her, all the demon warriors bowed their heads when she appeared.


    Even the demon hunter was drawn to the demoness. They got into formation and looked at their opponent with alert faces. Since there was no such demon on Earth to refer to, they could only speculate about Lanina¡¯s abilities and ethnicity.


    ¡°Are you their leader? Lanina approached the grandmaster, pointing her sword at him. ¡°You are brave enough to fight with me. Now, raise your sword and fight for your glory.¡±


    ¡°Demon hunters don¡¯t bargain with monsters like you, and you don¡¯t deserve to talk to me about glory.¡± The demon hunter¡¯s eyes were filled with blood, and his expression was distorted. ¡°You lowly creatures deserve nothing more than to be burned to death and be used as firewood!¡±


    ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s quite comfortable to be roasting on a stake,¡± Lanina said and shrugged. ¡°In that case throw all that glory aside. Just tell me, do you dare fight with me?¡±


    The grandmaster demon hunter spat and slowly raised his long sword. Flames were burning brightly on the blade. ¡°I¡¯m gonna kill you!¡±


    In the face of the heavy blow, Lanina did not panic. She moved briskly to avoid the direct strike and fought the demon hunter¡¯s attacks with her swords. This was followed by a series of lunges at her opponent with both swords in her hands. The swords collided fiercely in the air, and their attacks were so fast and furious that the clashing swords sounded like a long squeal.


    One was a veteran demon hunter with a thousand years of combat experience; one was a demon swordswoman who had fought her way through numerous battlefields in the world. The battle quickly turned white-hot.


    Lanina, however, clearly did not have the upper hand. She was, after all, a military strategist. She was not trained to be a warrior, so her body was not as strong as those demon warriors. But Lanina did not look nervous. She just kept her tempo and drew her opponent¡¯s attention. Then, she retreated abruptly and yelled, ¡°Alright, now!¡±


    ¡°What¡­¡± The demon hunter was stunned. He thought he was a shoo-in, but then he turned around and saw that he had been led into the demons¡¯ battle array. His own men were completely separated from him.


    The surrounding demonic defenders and human warriors immediately swarmed in after hearing Lanina¡¯s order. Apparently, they were all well-prepared for this. The demon hunter was caught off guard and physically consumed. He did not have any helping hand, and he was soon captured on the spot with little chance of resistance.


    Loud shouting and yelling came from the distance. Finally, the remaining demon hunters of the Council of Elders were defeated. After they lost a strong leader, their defenses fell apart immediately.


    ¡°You shameless monster!¡± The demon hunter was pressed to the ground by two warriors and his body was wrapped in a magic chain. He glared at Lanina, furious and cursing, ¡°You demon! Freak! Is this a fair duel?!¡±


    ¡°I tricked you,¡± said Lanina as she wiped her sword.


    ¡°Despicable! Shameless!¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m a demon, okay!¡± Lanina lifted her leg and kicked the noisy guy unconscious. ¡°I¡¯m super professional!¡±


    Heavy footsteps came from the side; it was the Lord of the Abyss. The demon officer looked down at Lanina as well as the demon hunter who had been knocked out, and thundered, ¡°To be honest, it really wasn¡¯t fair.¡±


    Lanina gave the Lord of the Abyss the side-eye and said, ¡°As a demon, can you be a little more professional?¡±


    It would have been quite awkward if Hao Ren had heard what she just said.


    A crisis was dissolved by the demon king¡¯s army. The gate of the Stellar Spire was back in the hands of the ¡°normal demon hunters¡±. Although the gate¡¯s defenses had been completely destroyed, at least for a short time, the Council of Elders would not send anyone there to die.


    The guards near the gate began to clear the battlefield and treat the wounded. Countless watchful eyes continuously scanned the demon king¡¯s army. At the same time, more demons and otherworldling soldiers kept coming out of the hole at the top of the Stellar Spire. There were serious-looking human soldiers, grumpy and noisy dwarves, as well as lively elves.


    The demon hunters were instinctively alarmed when they saw the demons, but they were shocked when they saw the righteous-looking human paladins and the lively elves. The atmosphere near the platform became strange.


    Hao Ren and the gang approached Lanina. Y¡¯zaks looked at his adopted daughter and asked, ¡°I thought I was going to have to go to the South Pole to find you. Lost your way again?¡±


    Lanina shook her head and said, ¡°No, we just had a little trouble when we tried to get into the gate.¡±


    ¡°What trouble?¡±


    ¡°Those big guys couldn¡¯t get into the gate.¡± Lanina looked at the Lord of the Abyss who was four to five-meters-tall, the gigantic obsidian golems, and a few giant demonic beasts who were burning with raging flames. ¡°Actually, they could have tried to squeeze in, but it was too slow.¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly had a bad feeling and asked, ¡°So¡­ how did you get in here?¡±


    ¡°So we took some time to¡­ Well, a part of the castle wall has been torn down,¡± Lanina answered honestly and hastened to explain, ¡°It was approved of course.¡±


    Everyone looked at each other and White Flame had a pretty interesting expression. Hao Ren patted White Flame on the shoulder, trying to comfort her. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Your hometown¡¯s already ruined by the war. Now it¡¯s just the gate¡­¡±


    Vivian muttered to Lily, ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Landlord clearly can¡¯t say anything nice, why is he so confident about comforting others?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s just like you. You¡¯re so poor, but you¡¯re still confident enough to say that you can pay the rent,¡± Lily said.


    Hao Ren had a chance to ask some questions after several commanders had introduced themselves to the chief demon hunter. He found Master Teuton and asked, ¡°What was that white light?¡±


    Master Teuton looked up at the deep, dark space in the distance and answered solemnly, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s¡­ Some of the weapons in the Netherrealm Clock Tower have gathered enough energy. If I¡¯m not mistaken, that was the power of the Judgement Bolt.

 Chapter 1003

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The demon king¡¯s legion was still swarming out of the gate of the Stellar Spire. At first, Hao Ren thought the huge tower, which was 100 m in diameter, was unusually spacious. But now, he realized that, in front of 100,000 troops that included giant creatures, the Stellar Spire was actually not big enough as a gateway. Now, he was even a little thankful for the white light beam released by the Council of Elders. The mysterious weapon blew up the top of the Stellar Spire. Otherwise, it would have been a problem for the Lord of the Abyss to squeeze through the gate.


    It was said that many supersized demons got stuck in the portal and died when they tried to invade another world.


    Commanders of the demon king¡¯s legion were deployed on several floating platforms around the Stellar Spire. They reorganized their troops and tried to familiarize themselves with the place. Meanwhile, Lanina and a number of senior officers followed Hao Ren to the temple that served as a temporary command post. The remaining demon hunter leaders gathered in the same place with the commanders of the demon king¡¯s legion. Although they knew each other and fought side by side, the atmosphere was still a bit awkward.


    Master Teuton could not resist looking at Lanina and several other top generals who had distinct demonic traits. Now that Y¡¯zaks had returned to his human form, Lanina and the other demons became the most eye-catching demons on the scene. For thousands of years the demon hunters¡¯ temple had been considered a pure land, but now it welcomed a group of demons from the another world. It made the demon hunters uncomfortable.


    ¡°I think I better introduce the legion first.¡± Finding the atmosphere a bit odd, Hao Ren realized that as the ¡°intermediary¡±, he was probably the best person to break the silence. ¡°This is the demon king¡¯s legion. The commander in chief is my friend, Y¡¯zaks. You guys must have found the racial composition of this army very complicated. It¡¯s something many of you have not seen. This is normal because they come from another world. You can treat them as if they¡¯re from another planet. Well, now that they¡¯re not ¡®otherworldlings¡¯ on Earth, isn¡¯t it easier for everyone to get along?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong.¡± One of the old demon hunters came up. He appeared to be older than Hasse, looking like a plain old man with one arm bandaged after being wounded in battle. ¡°In this situation, we should be flexible even if we¡¯re stubborn. It¡¯s just that this is the first time we¡¯re standing with the demons¡­ We¡¯re just a little uncomfortable.¡±


    ¡°This is Elder Gregowen, the current supreme commander. He was in the eastern tower when the fight started,¡± White Flame introduced him immediately.


    ¡°I¡¯m old now. Sorry, I didn¡¯t help much in the battle.¡± Although he was an elder, Elder Gregowen behaved like an ordinary old man. He smiled a little apologetically. Then, he looked curiously at the heavily-armored human warrior who was standing next to Lanina and said, ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, your power seems to be somewhat similar to the sacred flame we use.¡±


    ¡°Valentine Tyrion, High Paladin, Commander of the Paladins of Helcrown,¡± replied the heavily armored man. ¡°Both the holy light and the sacred flame are positive forces in the universe, similar in nature. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet those who are also seeking the light in this world.¡±


    Master Teuton looked at the paladin and Lanina, but did not know what to say. Hao Ren then looked at Y¡¯zaks and asked, ¡°I don¡¯t understand. How did you force the paladins into the demonic legion? Won¡¯t the two powers explode when they collide?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks nodded at Valentine Tyrion and the paladin immediately took his warhammer out, placing it in front of them. He pointed at some coils on the handle as well as crystals on the hammerhead, and explained, ¡°Holy light can be restrained by strong magnetic fields and frequency modulation. It¡¯s a kind of energy after all. The nature of an explosion immediately after a collision with the power is simply a matter of control. We¡¯ve improved its structure; with proper frequency modulation and amplification, it not only enhances the power of the holy light but also makes it more stable. The paladins of the demon king¡¯s legion are able to control the holy light perfectly. It will only explode when it needs to explode.¡±


    Everyone found it unbelievable.


    But Hao Ren was not surprised, because he knew from the start that there was nothing normal about Y¡¯zaks¡¯ men. Whether in this world or in the demon¡¯s world, the strong have their own pursuits and believes. Some people believed in religion, some people believed in faith, some people believed in inheritance, while some people believed in justice and courage, but Y¡¯zaks¡¯ men¡ªthe demon king¡¯s legion who was regarded as the biggest villains¡ªbelieved in science!


    ¡°Let¡¯s not go into the details.¡± Seeing that everyone¡¯s attention was on the warhammer, Hao Ren immediately drew it back and asked, ¡°Master Teuton, how much do you know about that white light? Will it attack again?¡±


    ¡°First of all, we can rest assured that there¡¯s only one Judgement Bolt, and the charging process is extremely slow. The Netherrealm Clock Tower is a large and complicated building. The saints have so far only been able to activate part of its function. And like other facilities in Coldpath, most in the Netherrealm Clock Tower are in a semi-destructive state. One attack would probably drain the tower¡¯s energy pool. It should take two days to recharge for the next attack.¡±


    ¡°That means we have two more days to break down the perimeter, or we¡¯ll have a lot of casualties,¡± said Hao Ren, nodding. ¡°But why don¡¯t they just destroy your command post? As long as this temple is destroyed, the line of defense will be leaderless.¡±


    Master Teuton looked at Elder Gregowen and explained, ¡°Apart from this place, there are also three surviving elders guarding other places respectively.¡±


    Lily reacted quickly this time. ¡°That means¡­ there are four command posts?¡± she asked.


    Elder Gregowen nodded slightly and explained, ¡°We already knew what weapons were in the hands of the Council of Elders, so everyone in the command post was prepared to be named and killed. This is the first command post. If we¡¯re all destroyed, the power of command will be handed over to someone else within a minute. But right now, the Council of Elders know how we¡¯ll respond. Instead of wasting their weapons¡¯ energy, they simply destroyed the gate. It would be dangerous if reinforcements do not arrive in time.¡±


    The ¡°military meeting¡± did not last long. In fact, Lanina quickly learned about the situation there. She duplicated an operation roadmap of the various sites in Coldpath and began to plan their next attack. More than 20,000 troops had already rushed in through the Stellar Spire. The first batch of heavy ordnance had also been put in place. Y¡¯zaks estimated that the time to counter-attack had come.


    On the floating platform in front of the temple, the main force of the demon king¡¯s legion was preparing to set out. The Lord of the Abyss and a few warped demons set a large number of floating runestones on the edge of the platform. These runes were glowing with lilac light and connecting into a vague door shape. Meanwhile, Lanina and several technicians were checking on coordinates. They would attack the nearby strongholds of the council in a demonic fashion: using the legion¡¯s teleportation portal.


    The mighty Lord of the Abyss, Brutalus, would spearhead this attack. He was also the demon general who first rushed out of the Stellar Spire. The monstrous great demon was standing with his blade across his back in front of the nearly-completed portal. Meanwhile, lots of dwarves were climbing up and down his body to install various devices on him. White Flame was curious when she saw this scene. ¡°What are you doing?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Peacekeeping equipment,¡± Hao Ren shrugged and said, ¡°I used the name ¡®Peacekeeping Force¡¯ when I reported the operation to my boss.¡±


    ¡°Peacekeeping?¡± White Flame was a little confused. She could not relate the word to the monstrous demon in front of her. ¡°And these¡­¡±


    ¡°These are the speakers,¡± Brutalus spoke all of a sudden, and the black boxes he wore made a deafening noise. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, little one, I¡¯ve got my lines in my head. I¡¯ve been reciting them all night before I set out today. It can¡¯t go wrong.¡±


    White Flame was almost knocked down by the loud noise.


    At the same time, the demons¡¯ teleportation portal was finally fully open.


    The greenish-lilac portal appeared out of thin air, and the view of the council¡¯s stronghold appeared behind the portal. A group of soldiers were looking at the portal in shock, Soon after, they immediately rushed over to interfere with the teleportation. Brutalus raised his sword and dashed headlong into the portal as he shouted, ¡°Surprise them!¡±


    As the demon king¡¯s army rushed towards the portal, Hao Ren pulled White Flame, who was still a little stunned, and they rushed in.

 Chapter 1004

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    A huge ruined palace was floating in the dark, empty space. The palace was connected to a ramshackle square and was one of the key frontline strongholds that the demon hunters of the Council of Elders had just captured.


    Therefore, it was also the most suitable as the first stop for the demonic army¡¯s counterattack.


    A shimmering, green runestone enveloped by dark shadows rushed out of the dark void and hit the square in front of the palace heavily. It then exploded, causing a burst of electric light. The distorted, murky demonic portal burst open with a gush of electricity and formed a massive fissure of more than 10 m long in the air in the blink of an eye. The soldiers guarding the square were caught off guard. They were startled the moment the demon portal opened, nonetheless they reacted instantly, warning the rest loudly and hurtling towards the distorted space fissure.


    Yet, their reaction could not compete with the demons who had been preparing for so long. As soon as the defenders moved, the demons charged out. A blade with the burning breath of death shot through the portal, followed by a giant, reptilian monster that was nearly 10 m in length!


    They heard the heavy footsteps and clashes of weapons. A scene that only occurred in nightmares and tales from the Mythological Age was unfolding: countless demon soldiers were swarming out of the portal!


    ¡°Enemy attack!¡± the defenders in the square cried out loudly the moment they saw Brutalus rushing through the gate. ¡°Monster attack!¡±


    The defenders in the other parts of the square were all alarmed at this moment. The demon hunters, who had encamped in the ruined palace, rushed out to fight their enemies. Silver weapons were shining brightly in the darkness and Letta runes were lighting up all over the place. The demon hunters of the Council of Elders were all elites. Even though they were being attacked by this bizarre army that they had never seen before, they still rushed out without hesitation!


    However, the demon king¡¯s army that burst through the portal did not go any farther. Instead, they just gathered in the square to intimidate the demon hunters who had come from all directions. Brutalus left the team and walked forward with his sword held high. Every step he took caused a great quake and a heavy echo in the square. The attention of countless demon hunters was drawn to this exceptionally strong and ferocious demon. They lifted up their swords and dashed towards Brutalus at once.


    Brutalus simply smashed his sword to the ground and the shockwave forced the closest demon hunters to retreat. Then, the super loudspeakers all over his body blared out an earsplitting noise; again, forcing all the fighters to back off. ¡°To the warring parties, please exercise restraint, resolve disputes rationally and seek long-term development through diplomatic channels¡­¡±


    The square echoed with Brutalus¡¯s voice.


    Each loudspeaker on Brutalus was as big as a human, so there were countless visible shockwaves erupting from all over his body, sending the demon hunters into chaos.


    Lily immediately covered her ears, shrieking and jumping. ¡°Ouuuuuuu¡±


    She had four ears but only two hands. It was not enough!


    The loud noise echoed throughout the square and palace not far away for a long time. This caused the demon hunters to fall into a great confusion. They had been dealing with unusual creatures all their lives, but they had never heard a demon say such things. However, it did not affect their instinctive reaction towards combat. As soon as the chaos of the loud noise had slightly subsided, the demon hunters charged at their enemies immediately.


    *Bang! Bang!*


    An explosion at Brutalus¡¯ foot was triggered by Letta runes. The giant monster was shaken by the blast before he continued to shout, ¡°¡­Put aside temporary differences and think about the long-term situation. Coldpath has been a peaceful land for demon hunters throughout history¡­¡±


    Several silver swords and cross-shaped hammers were hurled at the hulking body of Brutalus, but the giant demon deflected all of them with a swift move. ¡°¡­We believe that a talk can eliminate hate. We, as peacekeepers, will do what it takes to stop this senseless dispute. Can you let me finish my lines?!¡±


    The demon hunters could not stand the loud noise, therefore, they did not pay any attention to what Brutalus was shouting about. Their only thought was to shut the noisy and deafening giant creature up. Without wasting any time, they attacked Brutalus even more fiercely under the lead of several commanders!


    The last group of soldiers who rushed out of the portal heard Brutalus¡¯ last few words: ¡°I¡¯ve finished reciting my lines.¡±


    ¡°Everybody, now!¡± A fierce black dwarf shouted at the top of his voice.


    All of a sudden, countless demons and all kinds of soldiers burst onto the scene. The frontline troops, who had been waiting for orders, joined the battle when they saw that the elves and the humans had already begun fighting.


    The screams of death, the clashes of swords, and the explosion of magic were all over the battlefield. Numerous bizarre demon soldiers rushed excitedly towards the demon hunters who were still confused. It looked as though they wanted to vent their anger at the ultimate defeat of their homeworld. The army, which had caused a torrent of bloodshed on countless battlefields, began to storm the positions of the council¡¯s demon hunters!


    The warriors of the council charged from every direction, facing the overwhelming threat of the demon king¡¯s army. ¡°Guard the line of defense! Go, sound the alarm!¡± a high-ranking demon hunter shouted.


    Brutalus brandished his sword across the battlefield. The Lord of the Abyss easily withstood the attack of his enemies by sheer force. He was like a super, heavy tank while his deafening voice continued, ¡°¡­We hope that the Council of Elders will exercise restraint in this incident¡­¡±


    Suddenly, there was a great crash, and some of the demon hunters were knocked about by Brutalus. They fainted mid-air.


    ¡°¡­The warring parties should make reasonable concessions¡­ Any form of talk is beneficial¡­¡±


    An obsidian statue charged into battle. The fearless, rough-skinned monster began to wreak havoc, sending beams of demonic power from its forehead and causing a series of explosions.


    ¡°¡­Since this incident occurred, the demon empire has been highly concerned about the regional conflict. We respect the choices and traditions of the local people, but we cannot ignore the deteriorating situation¡­¡±


    The dwarves set up their evil cannon. Amid the glowing light of the demon coil, the powerful runestone screamed down at the palace not far away.


    ¡°¡­We are willing to work together with all regional forces to achieve an in-depth understanding. We¡¯re looking to have frank and honest exchanges, and make joint efforts¡­¡±


    The demonic runestone and the Judgment Hammer formed by the holy light hit the palace of the Council of Elders at the same time. The palace shields were torn apart with a great crash, and the entire battlefield was in flames.


    ¡°¡­to maintain long-term peace as well as stability!¡±


    The last group of the council¡¯s warriors finally fell apart. The demon king¡¯s legion charged into the enemy¡¯s palace fortress in wild excitement. Brutalus put down his sword, let out a long sigh and said, ¡°I¡¯m done.¡±


    There was a faint voice from one of the demon hunters lying at his feet, saying, ¡°Finally¡­¡±


    Meanwhile, Hao Ren and his gang were standing in a corner of the battlefield, watching the chaos.


    At first, they wanted to join the battle, but when they started to fight, even Y¡¯zaks found that he did not need to involve himself. So, all they could do was stand at a distance and watch the demons, who seemed to be on drugs, turn the whole situation upside down. White Flame was still in a state of shock even after the battle had ended. ¡°Hey!¡± Vivian said as she slapped her hard on the head.


    White Flame shook her head vigorously, looked at Hao Ren and asked, ¡°So, this is the peacekeeping force you mentioned earlier?¡±


    ¡°¡­It didn¡¯t turn out exactly as I planned,¡± said Hao Ren, scratching his head. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t trust these demons too much. But yeah, this is basically it.¡±

 Chapter 1005

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    These demons may have misunderstood the concept of a peacekeeping force. Perhaps they focused their understanding on the word ¡°force¡± rather than ¡°peacekeeping¡±. Nevertheless, this was not important, because the term itself was just a cover used in Hao Ren¡¯s report.


    After learning about the Council of Elders, Hao Ren knew that this incident had to be resolved by tough means.


    After clearing away the last handful of guards inside the palace, the demon king¡¯s soldiers began to estimate the damage done and investigate the interior structure of the newly-captured ruins. Brutalus led the demons to set up a giant runestone device in the square to activate the Demonic Barrier and consolidate the place into a new stronghold. Looking at the thick smoke still lingering on the battlefield, Hao Ren turned and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go and see¡­ Oh my god, Lily, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    He was startled when he turned his head. The husky girl¡¯s hair was standing on end all over her body. She stood in a daze behind Hao Ren, staring into space as if she had just experienced a violent typhoon. Hao Ren¡¯s scream finally brought Lily¡¯s soul back. The husky girl rolled her eyes, still in a daze. Then, she shook her ears and finally spoke, ¡°¡­Is it over?¡±


    ¡°Maybe her brain¡¯s been damaged by the deafening noise just now!¡± Nangong Wuyue quickly cast a healing spell on Lily and said, ¡°I hope not. You¡¯re already so dumb¡­¡±


    Hao Ren kept patting Lily on the shoulder and waving his hand before her eyes. ¡°Silly girl¡­ You should¡¯ve transformed back into your human form just now!¡±


    Lily grabbed Hao Ren by the hand but she had not calmed down. ¡°It all happened so suddenly¡­¡± She looked like she was about to cry.


    Hao Ren could only leave the useless husky to Wuyue while he and Vivian went to check the situation on the battlefield together.


    Thick smoke billowed over the battlefield after the battle. The places where the Demonic Flare had burned through had a pungent smell to them. The whole palace and the square in front of it were in a mess. But just as Master Teuton said, these ancient and mysterious ruins were incredibly strong. Despite the intensity of the battle and the firepower of the demon king¡¯s legion being as powerful as the heavy firepower of the modern world, the ruins remained intact.


    Well, it was a little odd to say that the ruins were intact, but that was the truth.


    Hao Ren came to a spot where there were some burning debris left by the explosive runestones and a large smudge, which had blackened the ground. There was no crack on the ground after the explosion. He touched the ground and found that it was a slab as smooth as jade: the entire square was built with similar materials.


    ¡°No scratches at all.¡± Vivian watched the scene in surprise. She looked around and found that although the battlefield appeared to be in a mess, covered with smoke and scattered weapons, the ruins were not damaged at all. She snapped her fingers to summon a tiny bat that was covered in electric light. She directed it to nibble on a ¡°brick¡± next to it, but she soon heard a painful cry from the little bat.


    ¡°This is the second most powerful ultrastrength material after the material that the main deck of the Petrachelys is made of.¡± Hao Ren stood up, frowning. ¡°So far, no mortal race in the Plane of Dreams or the Surface World has produced such a thing.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Vivian covered her mouth.


    Hao Ren did not say a word. He just pulled out his psionic gun and fired at the ground not far away.


    A light, pale blue mist erupted as the bright psionic flare hit the ground and the indestructible historical remains of Coldpath were finally destroyed by the magic weapon. The stone bricks exploded into large fragments, and the crystallized pieces flew all over the sky. When the debris settled, a crater about a meter in diameter and covered with blue crystals at the bottom was left behind.


    ¡°Oh my¡­ What a powerful weapon you have!¡± exclaimed White Flame when she saw it.


    But Hao Ren shook his head and said, ¡°No, on the contrary, it has weakened too much.¡±


    The big crater caused by the psionic gun looked scary, but it would have created a bigger impact if it had been used to shoot common materials. White Flame could not tell, but Hao Ren was very familiar with the performance of his gun. It should have made a larger crater.


    Only divinity could weaken the power of the psionic weapon.


    All mortal beings in the world had zero resistance to the psionic powers. Even the slightest bit of it, such as Hao Ren¡¯s pistol, could do a ton of real damage to them.


    Only true gods and godly creations could resist psionic powers. Even a mere 0.1 % of resistivity was an insurmountable advantage compared to 0 %.


    Sometimes, the divinity was deeply hidden, and sometimes, it dissipated and was almost impossible to detect, but there was one method of detection that was always effective: testing with a psionic weapon.


    As long as power loss occurred, it had to be a god¡¯s creation.


    Vivian vaguely guessed the purpose of the test. She gaped and asked, ¡°Is this¡­¡±


    Hao Ren did not answer, instead he quickly ran to the palace not far away. He rushed through the palace gate, searching between the huge pillars and the ruined relief sculptures, trying to find some architectural features that were more in line with his memory. Finally, he stopped in front of a well-preserved relief sculpture.


    He looked at the exquisite and mysterious ruins before him, then at the wide halls on either side. Suddenly, the blurry and distorted fragments of his memory suddenly overlapped with the scene before him. A great excitement permeated from the bottom of his heart. ¡°I knew it! I felt a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu when I stepped into this place!¡±


    Vivian and White Flame rushed in. Vivian knew what Hao Ren was referring to. ¡°Is this the palace of the goddess of creation?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Hao Ren was overwhelmed with excitement. He could not believe that the biggest clue he had ever pursued would suddenly appear to him in this way. ¡°This is the palace! This is the place I saw in the vision!¡± said Hao Ren while he hugged Vivian.


    Vivian was also excited when she heard it. ¡°Really? Really? Are you sure? But how did the palace get here?¡±


    ¡°The Gilded Disc was teleported here, and the palace could have been sent here together! We must celebrate when we go back. What a surprise!¡± Hao Ren grabbed Vivian by her shoulders and said excitedly.


    ¡°I want a new wok! And a new spatula!¡± said Vivian enthusiastically.


    White Flame could not stand it and interrupted them, ¡°Umm¡­ Are you two done? Who¡¯s gonna explain it to me?¡±


    Vivian and Hao Ren quickly separated, looking embarrassed. Hao Ren then scratched his head and said, ¡°Err¡­ I¡¯m just feeling a little excited.¡±


    Vivian laughed awkwardly. She waved her hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s related to our job, and it¡¯s hard to explain to you.¡±


    White Flame looked at the two crazy people in front of her suspiciously, but she knew that there were mysterious forces behind Hao Ren, and there were some things she could not ask about. So, she did not go into it in the end.


    Hao Ren soon recovered from his excitement and embarrassment. He stared wide-eyed at everything around him, and was now fully convinced that this was the architectural style he saw in the vision from the Gilded Disc.


    The palace of the goddess on the Star of Creation.


    At first, he just found all the palaces somewhat familiar. However, he could not recognize them because the vision he saw by touching the Gilded Disc was distorted by his subconscious mind. Even though he thought he saw it clearly, when he tried to recall it, it was blurry, just like trying to recall a dream. The second reason was the fragmented wreckages all over Coldpath. These were fragments that spilled after the collapse of the Star of Creation. It was difficult to discern their old forms by these scattered fragments alone, not to mention, he had only seen the original appearance of the palace in a blurred vision.


    Hao Ren frowned at the ruined hall. As the fragments of memory in his mind gradually reassembled, he discovered another astonishing thing.


    This place seemed to be¡­ where he was in the vision!

 Chapter 1006

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    These demons may have misunderstood the concept of a peacekeeping force. Perhaps they focused their understanding on the word ¡°force¡± rather than ¡°peacekeeping¡±. Nevertheless, this was not important, because the term itself was just a cover used in Hao Ren¡¯s report.


    After learning about the Council of Elders, Hao Ren knew that this incident had to be resolved by tough means.


    After clearing away the last handful of guards inside the palace, the demon king¡¯s soldiers began to estimate the damage done and investigate the interior structure of the newly-captured ruins. Brutalus led the demons to set up a giant runestone device in the square to activate the Demonic Barrier and consolidate the place into a new stronghold. Looking at the thick smoke still lingering on the battlefield, Hao Ren turned and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go and see¡­ Oh my god, Lily, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    He was startled when he turned his head. The husky girl¡¯s hair was standing on end all over her body. She stood in a daze behind Hao Ren, staring into space as if she had just experienced a violent typhoon. Hao Ren¡¯s scream finally brought Lily¡¯s soul back. The husky girl rolled her eyes, still in a daze. Then, she shook her ears and finally spoke, ¡°¡­Is it over?¡±


    ¡°Maybe her brain¡¯s been damaged by the deafening noise just now!¡± Nangong Wuyue quickly cast a healing spell on Lily and said, ¡°I hope not. You¡¯re already so dumb¡­¡±


    Hao Ren kept patting Lily on the shoulder and waving his hand before her eyes. ¡°Silly girl¡­ You should¡¯ve transformed back into your human form just now!¡±


    Lily grabbed Hao Ren by the hand but she had not calmed down. ¡°It all happened so suddenly¡­¡± She looked like she was about to cry.


    Hao Ren could only leave the useless husky to Wuyue while he and Vivian went to check the situation on the battlefield together.


    Thick smoke billowed over the battlefield after the battle. The places where the Demonic Flare had burned through had a pungent smell to them. The whole palace and the square in front of it were in a mess. But just as Master Teuton said, these ancient and mysterious ruins were incredibly strong. Despite the intensity of the battle and the firepower of the demon king¡¯s legion being as powerful as the heavy firepower of the modern world, the ruins remained intact.


    Well, it was a little odd to say that the ruins were intact, but that was the truth.


    Hao Ren came to a spot where there were some burning debris left by the explosive runestones and a large smudge, which had blackened the ground. There was no crack on the ground after the explosion. He touched the ground and found that it was a slab as smooth as jade: the entire square was built with similar materials.


    ¡°No scratches at all.¡± Vivian watched the scene in surprise. She looked around and found that although the battlefield appeared to be in a mess, covered with smoke and scattered weapons, the ruins were not damaged at all. She snapped her fingers to summon a tiny bat that was covered in electric light. She directed it to nibble on a ¡°brick¡± next to it, but she soon heard a painful cry from the little bat.


    ¡°This is the second most powerful ultrastrength material after the material that the main deck of the Petrachelys is made of.¡± Hao Ren stood up, frowning. ¡°So far, no mortal race in the Plane of Dreams or the Surface World has produced such a thing.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Vivian covered her mouth.


    Hao Ren did not say a word. He just pulled out his psionic gun and fired at the ground not far away.


    A light, pale blue mist erupted as the bright psionic flare hit the ground and the indestructible historical remains of Coldpath were finally destroyed by the magic weapon. The stone bricks exploded into large fragments, and the crystallized pieces flew all over the sky. When the debris settled, a crater about a meter in diameter and covered with blue crystals at the bottom was left behind.


    ¡°Oh my¡­ What a powerful weapon you have!¡± exclaimed White Flame when she saw it.


    But Hao Ren shook his head and said, ¡°No, on the contrary, it has weakened too much.¡±


    The big crater caused by the psionic gun looked scary, but it would have created a bigger impact if it had been used to shoot common materials. White Flame could not tell, but Hao Ren was very familiar with the performance of his gun. It should have made a larger crater.


    Only divinity could weaken the power of the psionic weapon.


    All mortal beings in the world had zero resistance to the psionic powers. Even the slightest bit of it, such as Hao Ren¡¯s pistol, could do a ton of real damage to them.


    Only true gods and godly creations could resist psionic powers. Even a mere 0.1 % of resistivity was an insurmountable advantage compared to 0 %.


    Sometimes, the divinity was deeply hidden, and sometimes, it dissipated and was almost impossible to detect, but there was one method of detection that was always effective: testing with a psionic weapon.


    As long as power loss occurred, it had to be a god¡¯s creation.


    Vivian vaguely guessed the purpose of the test. She gaped and asked, ¡°Is this¡­¡±


    Hao Ren did not answer, instead he quickly ran to the palace not far away. He rushed through the palace gate, searching between the huge pillars and the ruined relief sculptures, trying to find some architectural features that were more in line with his memory. Finally, he stopped in front of a well-preserved relief sculpture.


    He looked at the exquisite and mysterious ruins before him, then at the wide halls on either side. Suddenly, the blurry and distorted fragments of his memory suddenly overlapped with the scene before him. A great excitement permeated from the bottom of his heart. ¡°I knew it! I felt a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu when I stepped into this place!¡±


    Vivian and White Flame rushed in. Vivian knew what Hao Ren was referring to. ¡°Is this the palace of the goddess of creation?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Hao Ren was overwhelmed with excitement. He could not believe that the biggest clue he had ever pursued would suddenly appear to him in this way. ¡°This is the palace! This is the place I saw in the vision!¡± said Hao Ren while he hugged Vivian.


    Vivian was also excited when she heard it. ¡°Really? Really? Are you sure? But how did the palace get here?¡±


    ¡°The Gilded Disc was teleported here, and the palace could have been sent here together! We must celebrate when we go back. What a surprise!¡± Hao Ren grabbed Vivian by her shoulders and said excitedly.


    ¡°I want a new wok! And a new spatula!¡± said Vivian enthusiastically.


    White Flame could not stand it and interrupted them, ¡°Umm¡­ Are you two done? Who¡¯s gonna explain it to me?¡±


    Vivian and Hao Ren quickly separated, looking embarrassed. Hao Ren then scratched his head and said, ¡°Err¡­ I¡¯m just feeling a little excited.¡±


    Vivian laughed awkwardly. She waved her hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s related to our job, and it¡¯s hard to explain to you.¡±


    White Flame looked at the two crazy people in front of her suspiciously, but she knew that there were mysterious forces behind Hao Ren, and there were some things she could not ask about. So, she did not go into it in the end.


    Hao Ren soon recovered from his excitement and embarrassment. He stared wide-eyed at everything around him, and was now fully convinced that this was the architectural style he saw in the vision from the Gilded Disc.


    The palace of the goddess on the Star of Creation.


    At first, he just found all the palaces somewhat familiar. However, he could not recognize them because the vision he saw by touching the Gilded Disc was distorted by his subconscious mind. Even though he thought he saw it clearly, when he tried to recall it, it was blurry, just like trying to recall a dream. The second reason was the fragmented wreckages all over Coldpath. These were fragments that spilled after the collapse of the Star of Creation. It was difficult to discern their old forms by these scattered fragments alone, not to mention, he had only seen the original appearance of the palace in a blurred vision.


    Hao Ren frowned at the ruined hall. As the fragments of memory in his mind gradually reassembled, he discovered another astonishing thing.


    This place seemed to be¡­ where he was in the vision!

 Chapter 1007

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The entire Coldpath dimension was a huge historical repository. Even though Hao Ren was not clear what kind of place it was at first, his two years of digging graves and his extensive experience in collecting bodies allowed him to determine the site¡¯s value. This led him to develop a relatively cautious and safe plan of action. Intuition told him that there were secrets hiding in these crumbling palaces and that he wanted to keep them as they were if possible. Hence, he squashed the idea of using the Petrachelys and other weapons of mass destruction.


    The demon king¡¯s army was strong enough to deal with this incident. And thanks to the strength of Coldpath itself, the battle between the demon hunters and the demon king¡¯s army would not damage anything. It would, however, be different if the Petrachelys and the armed UAVs were brought in.


    His intuition was right.


    For thousands of years, demon hunters had been working on the endless secrets of Coldpath. Everything there was made by the true God. Even though things there had been blown up into pieces, those fragments were still powerful enough to make mortal civilization crazy. The Thirteen Sages and the Council of Elders had explored every temple and tower for thousands of years. They dug up everything they could collect and moved them all to the library of the Netherrealm Clock Tower. Now, these treasures were Hao Ren¡¯s new target.


    Hao Ren was standing in front of the big hole at the end of the palace, where the goddess had fallen. He looked at the contorted and torn ground; he could vaguely discern the dent that had once held the Gilded Disc. He bent down and examined the ground within a few meters of the dent. ¡°What are you looking for?¡± Vivian asked curiously.


    ¡°Blood,¡± Hao Ren said, without looking up. ¡°The goddess¡¯ blood ran down the Gilded Disc to the ground when she was killed. The blood on the Gilded Disc became the original divine sin, but¡­ the blood on the ground vanished.¡±


    ¡°Maybe the demon hunters who lived here wiped the blood off when they were cleaning up the place,¡± Vivian muttered.


    ¡°How is that possible?¡± Hao Ren rolled his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s the goddess¡¯ blood.¡±


    Vivian was a little nervous. ¡°I don¡¯t think those blood stains are anything good. You see, the blood on the Gilded Disc became the original sin, and the innate antagonism among the otherworldlings on Earth¡¯s the result of that little bit of blood. And this place is even worse. It¡¯s the scene of the goddess¡¯ murder. So the level of sin here, I think, is a lot higher than the original sin of the Gilded Disc.¡±


    ¡°The exact process of turning the goddess¡¯ blood into the original sin is still unknown. This is something that can¡¯t be explained by scientific logic,¡± said Hao Ren while as he stood up. ¡°So, not every blood stain is going to carry the original sin, but certainly the blood stain won¡¯t just vanish into thin air.¡±


    He knew it was hard to prove. The blood was indeed gone, along with the long black sword that killed the goddess. Now he could only place hope in the Netherrealm Clock Tower. Hopefully, the ancient demon hunters would find these things and keep them safe.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if they were lucky to have settled down in the place where the goddess of creation fell for so many years. You never know; I was probably born in one of the palaces here.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Vivian. Thinking that her true identity was the divine life created before the fall of the goddess of creation, he nodded and said, ¡°Perhaps¡­ Maybe the goddess of creation made you in one of the rooms here. Why don¡¯t we look for it?¡±


    ¡°Stop kidding. Who remembers what happened when they just came out of the womb? I didn¡¯t even have eyes.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled. He stood before the open wall of the palace, looking out into the darkness. In the dark, he could see the remnants of other buildings floating in the distance. The ruins were floating in endless nothingness in a melancholic atmosphere. Under the mysterious starlight in the boundary of space, they were just like the palaces of gods that floated among the stars in fairytales. Hao Ren saw flashes of light jumping between the palaces, and lights from dense explosions over some buildings. The demon king¡¯s legion and the normal demon hunters were organizing waves of counterattacks. At least ten troops were attacking all the bases of Coldpath at the same time. Although things had calmed down in the palace, the frontline was in full swing.


    Brutalus was leading his men to reorganize their forces. The tireless demons were ready to attack a nearby energy node. Now that the legion¡¯s portal was open, the demons were rubbing their hands in front of it, waiting excitedly for the next fight.


    Meanwhile, Hao Ren looked back at the faint red mark on his hand.


    There were hundreds of ruins in Coldpath. Various palace ruins floated in that space. Lanina had six options to choose as their first target: In addition to Brutalus¡¯ team, there had been five legions going to other war zones, and Hao Ren had chosen this spot. After he entered the palace, his line of actions almost completely recreated his experience in his vision. Even at the last moment when Vivian was standing in the spot where the goddess of creation had fallen, he was standing exactly in the spot where he was standing in the vision.


    This sequence of events was well beyond coincidence.


    It was like they were destined to happen.


    Hao Ren did not believe in the supernatural at first. But ever since he became the landlord of a bunch of supernatural beings, he had completely fallen into this wicked realm. Hence, he had no doubt at the moment that everything he went through in Coldpath had a meaning behind it.


    Perhaps, the main purpose of everything happening there was to draw him in, to stand right there at this very moment.


    ¡°Was this your arrangement?¡± He clenched his palm. The red scar had now completely faded, but he felt a tiny heat coming from it as if it were responding to something.


    The demon king¡¯s army marched into Coldpath in full swing.


    Twenty-four hours after the first unit entered Coldpath, the following legions arrived as planned. The Stellar Spire opened for a day and a night, and finally sent 100,000 troops into the demon hunters¡¯ sanctuary.


    The fierce fighting on the frontline never ceased. The demon king¡¯s legion was made up of war veterans trained on the most brutal battlefields. They crushed the enemy¡¯s will to resist and formed dozens of teams that kept attacking the demon hunters¡¯ strongholds. Unwearied demons became the main force of the attack, while others continued to push their strongholds forward, giving the demon hunters of the council little chance to fight back and catch their breath.


    Lanina was in charge. She was definitely worthy of the title ¡°Chief Strategist¡± under the demon king. While she totally had no sense of direction, her skills in the war were truly impressive. Although Coldpath was a strange place for the demon king¡¯s legion, she was able to grasp the situation and characteristics of the battlefield in a short time. She figured out the Council of Elders¡¯ patterns and general strength only after a few tentative attempts. She always weakened the enemy¡¯s defense with just the right amount of force. When her opponent tired out from the ceaseless defensive battle, she would sweep the battlefield thoroughly with her overwhelming main force, eradicating all hazards at once, leaving no hope for the enemy to fight back.


    When Hao Ren first met Lanina, he thought she was a bit strange but easy to get along with. However, he got to know her better after learning about the war on the frontlines. She was a standard demon. Her attacking style was cunning and powerful. Her cunning side came from her own demon blood, but her powerful tactics were taught by Y¡¯zaks.


    *Bang! Boom!*


    The green flare from the demonic cannon fell on the Council of Elders¡¯ line of defense. A great cloud of smoke billowed from the ruined palace. The protective shields over the palace shook and crumbled during the incessant bombing. These shields were built by the demon hunters with their own magical skills, which were almost as strong as the palace itself. However, in front of the demon king¡¯s weapons of heavy firepower, their resistance appeared weak.


    This was one of the last strongholds of the council¡¯s demon hunters. In Elder Gregowen¡¯s words, after they broke the place apart, the Netherrealm Clock Tower had basically become a general without an army.


    Hao Ren and the gang stood behind the demon army, watching the fire roaring in the distance. A battlefield like this did not require their help.


    Just as Hao Ren thought that the battle would end without a hitch, a master demon hunter ran toward White Flame and Teuton with an odd expression on his face. He then said, ¡°We¡¯ve caught a¡­ commander of a higher rank.¡±

 Chapter 1008

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hearing the news about an enemy commander¡¯s capture on the frontline, no one raised an eyebrow. Even White Flame did not sound concerned. ¡°Another prisoner?¡± she said.


    Y¡¯zaks¡¯ crossed his arms, laughing. ¡°Oh, this one¡¯s just the same as the previous one,¡± he said.


    Everyone was indifferent, but it was for a reason.


    It took Lanina some time to capture the first master-class demon hunter. Everyone was excited at that time. They thought that they would be able to extract valuable information from the captive, but their enthusiasm died down as quickly as it rose. These captives were strange; they had not been able to obtain any meaningful information from them.


    The demon-hunter warrior who came to report his findings clearly knew this; his face said it all. But he still explained, ¡°The one we captured this time is a high-level commander. Master Fanny believes it¡¯s necessary to let the elders and leaders interrogate him personally.¡±


    White Flame¡¯s brows were knitted together while Elder Gregowen nodded lightly. ¡°Bring him here. Let¡¯s see who this ¡®old friend¡¯ is,¡± the elder said.


    A while later, a few elven magicians escorted a prisoner in.


    This tall male demon hunter was wearing the robe of the Council of Elders. He was in tatters due to the brutal battle. His masculine and rugged face was filled with anger, while his curly, dark brown hair was soaking in sweat and blood. It was stuck to his forehead as if he had been caught with egg on his face. Circles of elven runes were restraining the captive and extracting his energy to strengthen the shackles. But even under the restraint of the magic fetters, the demon hunter¡¯s eyes were still full of hostility. He was not dispirited in the slightest.


    This soldier of the Council of Elders was extraordinary, judging from the fact that it took three elven magicians to escort him in. Elven magicians were the most superior forces under Y¡¯zaks¡¯ command. They were his most prized soldiers.


    Seeing the man, White Flame was stunned. She called out quietly, ¡°Claude?¡±


    ¡°You know him?¡± Hao Ren whispered.


    White Flame nodded and was somewhat depressed. ¡°Claude trained with me. I guess you already know that I was called the top brass among the younger generation of demon hunters,¡± she said.


    She was not boasting but merely stating a fact. Even though she was part of the top brass, she was not particularly proud of it. Nonetheless, she would not shy away from mentioning it.


    Hao Ren nodded. Then, White Flame continued, ¡°In fact, during our training days, there were two geniuses; he was the other one. Claude is older than me, plus his understanding of runes and affinity is way better than any other demon hunter. After training, I followed Teacher and left Coldfrost Citadel while Claude succeeded his father in the Council of Elders. As the council¡¯s a hermetic group, Claude rarely ventured outside. The otherworldling families did not know about him. He was a very gentle person. I just never expected to see him in these circumstances.¡±


    Claude, the demon hunter, turned his head around. He looked at White Flame, full of resentment and hostility. ¡°White Flame! I should¡¯ve known earlier; you¡¯re a heretic!¡± He snorted.


    ¡°Claude, you¡­¡± White Flame¡¯s brows were pulled together. ¡°Do you really know what you¡¯re doing? Why did the Council of Elders become like this?¡±


    ¡°The Council of Elders must get rid of the heretics!¡± Claude roared. His eyes were burning with righteous fire. Just like the previously captured demon hunters, he neither looked disoriented nor showed signs of mental derangement. However, he was extreme in his words and deeds, and he was unreasonable. ¡°All of you outside the sacred land is just dirt, and you should be cleansed away!¡± Claude said.


    ¡°When did everyone else except the Council of Elders become heretics?¡± Elder Gregowen asked calmly. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Claude did not change his attitude one bit even in the face of an elder. He kept repeating the same words; ¡°heretic,¡± ¡°cleansing,¡± ¡°monster¡± and things like that. But his mind was sound, as though his every word and action were genuinely conforming to his earlier worldview.


    In fact, the other captured demon hunters were just the same as he was.


    That was the reason for their indifferent reaction when they heard the news of an enemy commander¡¯s capture. They were tired of it, not because the captives were tightlipped or mentally deranged, but because of their strange behavior. All these demon hunters had in their minds were the cleansing of heresy and eradication of the unusual creatures. They had a clear state of mind and objective. Other than that, they knew nothing else. The MDT had examined the mental states of all the captives, and they were all mentally sound. The question was, how could they wake people who had not lost their mind in the first place?


    Elder Gregowen shook his head in disappointment. Not accepting defeat, Vivian looked into Claude¡¯s eyes and asked one last time, ¡°Do you know who I am?¡±


    Claude was a little confused when he heard her voice. He stared at her for a moment and suddenly went berserk. His eyes turned red, and he lunged at Vivian as if he was seeking vengeance. ¡°Heretic! Heretic! Kill her! Kill her!¡±


    Claude¡¯s sudden violence stunned Vivian; she was rooted to the spot. Hao Ren, who had been watching the demon hunter with suspicion all this while, sprang into action. He leaped in between the two, blocking the demon hunter. He raised his leg and sent Claude flying with a front kick. The three elven magicians activated their restraining runes as electric light burst out of the rune chains, keeping Claude under restraint.


    Even then, Claude was still shouting at Vivian angrily, ¡°I¡¯ll kill you! I¡¯ll kill you! I¡¯ll kill you! I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    The insanity, bloody-red eyes and bulging veins of the demon hunter looked frightening. Lily immediately turned to ask White Flame, ¡°How was your relationship with him?¡±


    ¡°We were just acquaintances. He was in a different combat group. Why¡ª¡± White Flame said.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good then,¡± Lily said, not waiting for White Flame to finish. She raised a brick out of nowhere and smashed it down on Claude¡¯s head. ¡°So, I won¡¯t have to hesitate when I do this!¡± she replied.


    The brick hit Claude with a loud bang.


    When Claude was finally down, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Vivian patted herself on the chest. ¡°Did I provoke him or something?¡±


    ¡°Strictly speaking, you¡¯ve provoked all demon hunters. After all, you did beat up their ancestors. But, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the reason,¡± Hao Ren said, scratching his jaw while looking at Claude with a thoughtful look. ¡°Nonetheless, I¡¯m afraid that the Council of Elders¡¯ change of the temperament has something to do with you,¡± he said.


    ¡°Me?¡± Vivian pointed at herself. ¡°Haven¡¯t we also captured other demon hunters sent by the council before? They didn¡¯t react like that,¡± she said.


    Hao Ren was puzzled. He looked at Gregowen. ¡°Elder, do you know if Claude¡¯s any different from the other demon hunters?¡±


    Elder Gregowen had an inkling of what Hao Ren was asking. His face looked solemn. ¡°He¡¯s the attendant and herald of the first sage,¡± he said.


    ¡°The first sage? The one who¡¯s locked himself in a room for thousands of years to the point where no one knows if he¡¯s still alive or dead?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Is he really alive?¡±


    ¡°There have been all sorts of rumors,¡± said Elder Gregowen, spreading his hand out helplessly. ¡°But we never thought that any of the sages would leave us. Although the first sage hasn¡¯t come out for many years, he still gives us instructions from time to time through his herald.¡±


    ¡°Meaning, Claude knows firsthand the condition of the first sage?¡± Y¡¯zaks asked, breaking his silence. Glancing at the young demon hunter who was lying on the ground unconscious, Y¡¯zaks nodded at the three elven magicians and said, ¡°Lock him up and guard him carefully. Once he gives out any information, report to me at once.¡±

 Chapter 1009

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    There was something about Claude that Hao Ren could not really understand.


    As an attendant and herald of the first sage, his appearance on the battlefield seemed to be a little odd.


    An orc shaman had captured Claude. This shaman had been following Y¡¯zaks since the early years of his reign. He was loyal and powerful. When Y¡¯zaks summoned the shaman asking about the situation on the front line, he mentioned Claude. The orc had a deep impression of the young soldier he had caught. ¡°He and other demon hunters were fighting against the sacred knights. At first, we didn¡¯t notice anything unusual about him until he hurt several of our sacred knights. We realized that he could be a commander,¡± the shaman said.


    Y¡¯zaks frowned. ¡°He was on the front line like a regular soldier? Was there any extra guard or entourage around him?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No,¡± the old orc replied. The shaman¡¯s bell rang when he shook his head. ¡°Had he possessed more obvious features, we would have recognized him earlier.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ at least you¡¯ve caught a very prominent figure. You will be rewarded.¡± Y¡¯zaks gestured the orc to leave him before he turned to look at the others. ¡°What do you think?¡± he asked.


    ¡°There must be something happening behind the scenes when a top leader enters the battlefield.¡± Hao Ren pouted. ¡°What are the sages¡¯ intentions?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Our army has advanced up to the border of the Netherrealm Clock Tower,¡± Lanina said, looking at the suspended sand table in the center of the room. The floating temple models were marked with the insignia of the demonic army. The strongholds of the Council of Elders had mostly fallen into the hands of the demonic army. It was like being engulfed by a shadow from the bottom up. Only a few temples on the upper layers of Coldpath and the strange Netherrealm Clock Tower still remained in the control of the Council of Elders. Hao Ren and his team were now on the battlefront, near the square where Claude was captured. The battle there happened just over 10 minutes ago. ¡°The Council of Elders has few soldiers left. There¡¯s no strategy in their resistance. Claude probably just wanted to be a martyr.¡±


    ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Hao Ren said. He had no comment about Lanina¡¯s speculation. Although the Council of Elders was losing the battle, it did not make sense when an attendant of the first sage left his master to join the battle. Something was suspicious. ¡°What¡¯s the situation in the Netherrealm Clock Tower?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s quiet and shrouded in shadow. No one has come out from the tower since dawn,¡± Lanina said. She sounded confused. ¡°We haven¡¯t seen the tower have any communication with the outside world. Our scouts couldn¡¯t get too close to the tower because it¡¯s heavily guarded.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks and Hao Ren glanced at each other. Y¡¯zaks nodded and said, ¡°Keep the attack on the energy nodes.¡±


    The highly-motivated coalition began to launch an unprecedentedly massive offense against the council¡¯s last line of defense.


    The remnants of the Council of Elders had all gathered around the Netherrealm Clock Tower. Despite behaving strangely, they still lived up to their status as elite soldiers in the battle, tenaciously resisting the demonic army. The elder and master demon hunters were giving the demonic army a hard time. Y¡¯zaks doubled down on the number of forces to take down the last few temples and energy nodes that the Council of Elders controlled.


    The writings were already on the wall; the resistance of the Council of Elders was futile. It was only a matter of time before they crumbled.


    While the demonic army on the battlefront stormed the last bastions of the Council of Elders, Hao Ren and White Flame brought a small elite team near the Netherrealm Clock Tower via a newly-opened secret route.


    They were standing on a vacant, floating platform, which had high walls and a temple. The broken stone tiles on the ground suggested that the place could be the remnants of a square. All the ruins in Coldpath possessed an independent gravity force of unknown origin. But the gravity on this platform was feeble and obviously inclined towards the Netherrealm Clock Tower. Standing on the platform would give one the illusion of slipping and falling towards the void.


    Hao Ren stood on the edge of the platform. He took out a graviton grenade from his Dimensional Pocket and threw it out into the distance.


    After the graviton grenade escaped the platform¡¯s gravity, it flew straight into the darkness and disappeared into thin air before it could explode. But upon looking closely, the graviton grenade did not really vanish. Instead, it had smashed into something some 100 m away. It was shredded into pieces, and the process repeated until it turned into fine dust, becoming invisible to the naked eye in the darkness.


    This matter-shredding space was one of the defense networks of the Coldpath dimension.


    The surroundings of the Netherrealm Clock Tower looked vacant as well. But in reality, the floating temples and energy nodes were intertwined. There were dozens of different layers of spatial turbulence between them. Going in hastily into the darkness would cause one to end up the same way as the graviton grenade.


    It was not until the demonic army destroyed 70 % of the energy nodes in Coldpath that the invisible dimension distortion defense system showed its vulnerability. Taking advantage of it, Hao Ren and his team drew closer to the Netherrealm Clock Tower.


    The demonic army stormed the last energy node on the front line. Hao Ren and his team were just waiting for the moment when the defense system went offline.


    ¡°The Netherrealm Clock Tower is visible from here. There it is.¡± Master Teuton stood beside Hao Ren, pointing at a silhouette in the distant darkness.


    Hao Ren looked up. There was a weird tower between the gaps of the stars. It appeared as strange as the sand table model, without a proper shape and structure. It was like a child who had stacked up blocks of different geometries to form a tower, which was silently suspended in the darkness. There were few lights in the tower. Most parts of the tower were buried in the dark, making it look like a lifeless, abandoned building.


    ¡°Any movement?¡± Hao Ren was a bit curious.


    ¡°It¡¯s strangely quiet,¡± Teuton said slowly. ¡°There used to be a lot of lights around it, but now most of the lights are out. No one on the outside too. I wonder what the sages are doing in the tower.¡±


    ¡°According to Lanina¡¯s observation report, the Netherrealm Clock Tower¡¯s been like that for nearly a day,¡± Y¡¯zaks said in a deep voice. ¡°The demon hunters on the battlefront are mostly fighting on their own. Though they¡¯re putting up a fierce resistance, they obviously lack a unified line of command. If Claude¡¯s capture is anything to go by, I suspect that something must have gone wrong in the tower.¡±


    Hao Ren looked back at his team. He would have to leave the Nangong Family behind to take care of the wounded. Their combat strengths were not good enough for this operation after all. Other than Vivian, there was Y¡¯zaks, his daughter, and Lily. White Flame and Teuton had also brought dozens of master demon hunters. They formed a small team of less than a hundred people, but they were currently the most formidable combat group. When the defense mechanism around the Netherrealm Clock Tower was lifted, the team would be the first to storm in.


    Looking at the strange state of the Netherrealm Clock Tower, the master demon hunters were worried. Even when no one mentioned it, the uneasiness on their faces was apparent; though they had parted way with the Council of Elders, they were still concerned about the situation of the sacred land.


    Y¡¯zaks looked into the darkness in another direction with his arms crossed. There was a torch-like spire floating alone in the void, where flames from constant explosions were visible. Apparently, the fight was still in full swing on the battlefront. He silently looked at the flashes from the battlefield, sensing the state of his demonic army and calculating the timing of their actions. Soon, he whispered, ¡°It¡¯s almost time.¡±


    Almost immediately, a bright light burst out of the torch-like energy nodes. The defense system of the nodes had been overloaded, igniting the runestones instantly. The demon hunters¡¯ last line of defense was down.


    While Coldpath¡¯s ancient defense system was indestructible, it relied on a series of controls before it could be activated. When the runestones exploded, the old defense system shut down. Seeing a flash like a water curtain in the darkness, Hao Ren knew that it was time. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± he said.


    The elite strike team immediately left the platform and flew silently towards the Netherrealm Clock Tower in the distance. They did not encounter any obstacles and quickly arrived at the strange tower.


    Seeing the Netherrealm Clock Tower up close, Hao Ren was astounded. ¡°Is this normal?¡± he asked.


    It seemed that the darkness was swallowing the Netherrealm Clock Tower.

 Chapter 1010

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Suspended in the darkness, alone and silent, the Netherrealm Clock Tower looked like a tombstone at the top of the Coldpath dimension. The demon hunters¡¯ strongholds had plunged into a sea of fire one after another, and flame rose in the distant darkness, signifying the fall of the energy nodes. However, the strange tower only watched silently in the dark as if the sages inside were no longer concerned about what happened on the battlefront.


    It was a very different building from the other ruins in Coldpath. Though it indeed came from the Star of Creation, its twisted shape was at odds with the elegance and magnificence of the other temples there. The Netherrealm Clock Tower was like a stack of funny geometric blocks stacked up on top of each other. It would not be possible for it to stand on solid ground except in this strange dimension. It was not just its size and peculiar shape, but also its peculiar condition that attracted stares.


    The Netherrealm Clock Tower was buried in the darkness¡ªnot just any darkness but the purest darkness. The color of this darkness was so thick that it was impossible for the naked eye to distinguish details. One could only see a black outline, with stars in the background accentuating said outline. The darkness covered almost two-thirds of the Netherrealm Clock Tower, making it look even gloomier and more horrifying.


    Looking at the ¡°dark matter¡± covering the Netherrealm Clock Tower, Hao Ren felt an inexplicable chill running up his spine. His instincts told him that something was not right, and he spontaneously took a few steps back. Staring at the Netherrealm Clock Tower¡¯s silhouette, which had been eroded by the dark matter, Hao Ren could not believe his eyes that this was the original appearance of the building. ¡°Is this normal?¡± he asked.


    Master Teuton had the same reaction. He took a step back and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Lanina did not mention this phenomenon in her report,¡± Y¡¯zaks mumbled. His muscles tensed as he felt that the structure before him was dangerous. ¡°It probably changed after the last attack.¡±


    Hao Ren took the MDT out of his pocket. ¡°Check and see what¡¯s going on,¡± he said.


    The MDT listlessly emitted a blue light to scan the ¡°dark matter¡± on the surface of the clock tower. After sweeping its blue light over the surface of the tower a few times, it flew back. ¡°There are some similarities to the Shade of Chaos, but it¡¯s quite different. This dark matter isn¡¯t a living thing, yet it lingers on the building.¡±


    ¡°The Shade of Chaos?¡± Hao Ren felt a chill run up his spine. He remembered how much trouble the Shade of Chaos had caused. Those shadows, which were stripped off the Sin of the Divine Blood were the culprits of the innate hostility between the various races and also the cause of the carnage in Ancattero. Countless demon hunters and descendants of the Tannaeans had died there.


    Despite his nervousness, Hao Ren managed to put two and two together. He knew that the dark matter, which mimicked the Shade of Chaos was a logical existence: Coldpath was where the goddess of creation fell.


    If the Gilded Disc that carried the divine blood could turn into an original sin carrier, the ruins of the fallen goddess could also manifest similar changes.


    Considering the information that White Flame had brought together with the fact that the temperament of the Thirteen Sages changed only after Hasse returned from Ancattero and reported the Sin of the Divine Blood, the civil war of the demon hunters was probably a continuation of the Shade of Chaos incident.


    The dark matter on the surface of the tower seemed to confirm his suspicion. He felt an unsettling wisp of the Shade of Chaos. Although the MDT had mentioned that this dark matter was different, they could be homologous matters. When he thought of the crime scene of the deicide, which he and Vivian found, he began to wonder if the mysterious disappearance of the divine blood had something to do with the changes in the Netherrealm Clock Tower.


    ¡°Do we still want to go in?¡± White Flame took out her silver dagger. It was shrouded in a sacred white flame. ¡°My sacred flame can counter the shadow,¡± she said.


    Hao Ren looked up at the strangely silent Netherrealm Clock Tower. He had anticipated a fierce battle before coming to the tower. However, standing under the tower, it was dead quiet, as though only the skeleton of a monster lay in the shadows, waiting silently for its visitors. No guards were coming out of the tower or defense mechanisms being triggered. It was as if the burning battlefields in Coldpath had nothing to do with it. Hao Ren suppressed his feeling of anxiety and chose to trust the MDT on the shadow around the tower not being lifeless. He nodded hard and said, ¡°Keep your eyes open. Pay attention to any symptoms of mind attacks as we enter. If any of you feel any abnormal fluctuations in your state of mind, alert the rest immediately!¡±


    With Teuton leading the way, they found the door into the Netherrealm Clock Tower. Inlaid with a large, dark-red crystal and placed at a strange angle on the wall, a third of the surface of the door was covered with shadows. But the unaffected surfaces still had beautiful patterns and symbols. Those were not symbols known to the world but text left behind by the goddess of creation.


    The MDT quickly scanned and archived the precious runic materials while Teuton lamented, ¡°We¡¯ve spent a long time cracking the various runes in the ruins of Coldpath to try to harness the powerful forces of the super civilization. In the end, we only cracked a part of it. The runes on the door are still a mystery.¡±


    Lily squinted at the door for a moment before she said, ¡°On the left, it says ¡®push to open¡¯ and on the right, it says ¡®please close the door behind you.¡¯¡±


    Teuton and White Flame looked at Lily, stunned. Hao Ren quickly pulled the husky maiden to the side. ¡°Don¡¯t take what she says seriously, her brain has¡ª¡±


    Lily cut in and protested, ¡°Hey, don¡¯t shove me! Seriously, that¡¯s what¡¯s written. Don¡¯t you have your translation plugin¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Hao Ren ignored Lily¡¯s protest. After checking that his Steel Membrane Shield still worked, he stepped forward and pushed the heavy-looking door.


    The door opened silently.


    The dozens of demon hunters behind him aimed their crossbows at the entrance. Hao Ren ducked and drew his gun. But the enemies they were expecting did not appear.


    Behind the door was an empty round hall. The dim candlelight swayed in the deeper part of the round hall, casting shadows on the doorway. There were no demon hunters and no traps. Just like a deserted old castle, the Netherrealm Clock Tower was completely quiet.


    ¡°No one¡¯s here,¡± Vivian said, throwing a small bat into the hall and whispering, ¡°but I smell blood. Also, I can sense breaths of the living, all on the upper floor. Everyone, keep your eyes open.¡±


    With his Steel Membrane Shield at full capacity, Hao Ren took the lead and entered. Lily wielded her claws, following closely behind. They were followed by Vivian, Y¡¯zaks, and his daughter. Meanwhile, White Flame as well as Teuton led a few dozen master demon hunters and caught up from the rear. After everyone was inside the tower, Lily looked back nervously. The atmosphere was strange. She began to imagine that the door would automatically close behind them, just like in the horror movies.


    However, that did not happen. It was as if everything there was unattended.


    Hao Ren looked around. Colors had faded on all the walls and floors. The arc-shaped walls had fading murals and reliefs, which were barely visible now. Although the style of the reliefs looked similar to those in the other temples, the lifeless color was unsettling. Many wooden shelves were lying around with cross-hammers, swords and other weapons on them. There were some other artifacts and ornaments of unknown uses as well; the demon hunters were probably the ones who brought those items there.


    Just like the hall itself, these items on the shelves lacked color.


    ¡°Looks like a faded old photo,¡± Vivian mumbled, looking at the dark environment.


    Lily blinked. She had not seen anything wrong with the place. ¡°Is it that serious?¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at her. ¡°Can¡¯t you see with your eyes?¡±


    Lily nodded matter-of-factly. ¡°I¡¯m color blind.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    Teuton looked around, his face gloomy. He waved to the elite demon hunters behind him. ¡°Let¡¯s split and search. Iveen and Karude, keep your eyes on the spiral staircase. Alert us immediately if you see anything unusual.¡±


    ¡°Something¡¯s making me uneasy,¡± Vivian groaned.

 Chapter 1011

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The Netherrealm Clock Tower was a huge and magnificent building. Though full of disharmony, it was impressive in size. Judging from the building¡¯s exterior, Hao Ren was sure that the round hall where they were in now was just a part of a floor. Standing in the round hall, which was faded and had a strange atmosphere, he looked up at the vault above. Crisscrossing structures like capillaries were intertwined on top. Some of these beams were part of the roof¡¯s structure, but some were from other buildings. Above these intertwined beams and columns was a circular vault. The vault was extremely high¡ªor it could be perceived as far too. Hao Ren squinted and saw the delicate patterns on the vault, some of which depicted what looked like tentacles that covered a whole planet.


    It was the scene of the First Born¡¯s sowing.


    Undoubtedly, this twisted and bizarre tower was the work of the goddess of creation. Hao Ren believed that this was not the original appearance of the tower. It likely changed after the fall of the goddess.


    Lily wandered around the hall with her Frostfire Claws. Arching her body, she would sometimes sniff the old murals and the demon hunters¡¯ tools on the wooden shelves. Though nervous, Lily still carried out her duty diligently. Stopping before a rack full of implements, she swung her tail spontaneously. ¡°Somebody touched these things not long ago. I can smell the fresh scent,¡± she said.


    Hao Ren turned away from the ceiling and looked at Lily. ¡°How long has it been?¡± he asked.


    ¡°At most a day ago,¡± Lily replied, running back up to Hao Ren briskly. ¡°Mr. Landlord, do you still have Spicy Sticks?¡± she asked.


    Just as he thought about grousing her for her gluttony, Hao Ren suddenly read her mind. ¡°You want to shapeshift here?¡±


    ¡°Just in case,¡± Lily said, sharpening her claws. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can fight the sages if I see them now.¡±


    Hao Ren grabbed a pack of Spicy Sticks out of his Dimensional Pocket and threw it to her. White Flame came up and heard their conversation. ¡°You can¡¯t beat them even if you shapeshift. The elders are as powerful as the ancient gods, but the sages are just of another level. They possess vast forbidden knowledge and experience¡ª¡±


    Not waiting for White Flame to finish, Vivian interrupted her, saying, ¡°More like possessing herniated discs and rheumatism. Those oldbies in the dark tower haven¡¯t been in action for thousands of years. To be honest, I doubt they can still fight, but I do believe that they have some wisdom.¡±


    Lily glanced at Vivian. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re just as old as they are,¡± she said.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s cut the cackle,¡± Hao Ren said, interrupting them. He then looked at White Flame. ¡°How likely is it that the sages would come out to fight?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Back then, they were almost unable to fight. The forbidden knowledge had ruined their bodies, so each time they fought, they not only created a huge threat to the outside world but also a great pain to themselves. But now, it¡¯s hard to say. The people we¡¯ve brought this time are only supposed to deal with the regular guards in the tower. When the main troops come in, they¡¯ll attack the upper levels. But this place¡ª¡±


    ¡°This place looks like a haunted house,¡± Hao Ren cut in while he looked at the empty round hall and the master demon hunters who were searching around for clues. ¡°It feels even more unreal when there¡¯s not a single guard in the tower,¡± he said.


    Teuton and the master demon hunters were no strangers to the structure of the Netherrealm Clock Tower. They had completed the search on the first level but found nothing, so they regrouped.


    ¡°Even though there¡¯s no one on the first floor, there¡¯s a slight scent on the second. But it¡¯s not responding to our presence,¡± a demon hunter reported in a hoarse voice. ¡°There¡¯s a crossbow set that¡¯s just been prepped for battle in the guardhouse, but the weapon¡¯s owner is nowhere to be found.¡±


    Teuton scratched his chin in thought. He then decided to leave a few men behind to wait for the main forces while the others would follow him up the Netherrealm Clock Tower.


    The interior of the Netherrealm Clock Tower was as grand as a palace. Three different staircases could lead to the second floor. Teuton chose a relatively safe one, which spiraled up on the outside leading up to a wine cellar on the second floor. The defense there was said to be relatively weak.


    There was no explanation as to why a wine cellar was on the second floor.


    Hao Ren set foot on the staircase, which had faded in color. The old and broken murals, as well as reliefs, gradually receded around him. He felt like he was walking within the belly of a pale, dying monster because everything around him was filled with the scent of death. A weird, chilly wind blew down the staircase from the landing on the second floor. It felt like it blew straight into their souls. Hao Ren and White Flame could not help but shiver a little.


    ¡°Do you feel it too?¡± Hao Ren looked at White Flame. ¡°It seems windy here,¡± he said.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Netherrealm Wind,¡± White Flame said. Her face looked somber. ¡°Certain places inside the Netherrealm Clock Tower are connected to some strange places. Part of this tower¡¯s in Coldpath and the other part¡¯s located in some twisted, overlapping dimension of contradiction, where strange winds often blow out of nowhere. No matter how strong you are, you¡¯re going to feel an unbearable chill. Teacher once said that this wind was the Netherrealm Wind. It¡¯s the wailing of the Coldpath dimension¡¯s owners, who were imprisoned in the past timeline. Whenever this wind blew, the clock tower would become unstable,¡± she said.


    She suddenly mentioned Hasse, whom the Council of Elders had detained. ¡°Teacher could be in this tower.¡±


    ¡°Is he still alive?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll die in this ridiculous civil war,¡± White Flame said, biting her lip. ¡°Teacher has survived many crises throughout his life. He¡¯s made it through the cruelest period of the Twilight of the Gods; he¡¯s going to make it this time too.¡±


    Walking behind Hao Ren, Lily¡¯s ears suddenly flickered. ¡°Hey, did you hear any sound?¡±


    ¡°Sound?¡± Hao Ren halted in his steps. ¡°What sound?¡± he asked suspiciously.


    Lily closed her eyes, her pointed canine ears twitching gently in the air. They constantly adjusted themselves to hear the slightest soundwave that was only audible to the canine. There were buzzes, which sometimes sounded like sleep-talking, secret chanting, and sometimes an evil creature whispering in the shadows to tempt the ignorant to pursue forbidden, untouchable knowledge. Lily¡¯s golden eyes glowed in the darkness. ¡°It sounds like people are chattering,¡± she said.


    White Flame clenched her dagger and focused her mind on hiding everybody¡¯s scent. ¡°Is it guards of the Council of Elders?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Lily replied. Her voice made her sound like she had spaced out. ¡°It¡¯s a buzz, as though someone¡¯s talking about something¡­ It¡¯s making me a little dizzy,¡± she said.


    She suddenly shook her head, grabbed a Spicy Stick, put it into her mouth and chewed it. She was alert again. ¡°I¡¯m fine. It could be infrasound. I can hear it, but not normal human beings,¡± she said.


    ¡°No one¡¯s there,¡± Teuton said, squinting and trying to sense any scent that could be present at the top of the staircase. He could sense something from far away. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s the effect of the Netherrealm Wind. There are many weird phenomena in the tower. Keep your eyes open, but don¡¯t be paranoid; this is only your first time here.¡±


    After a few minutes, they reached the end of the spiral staircase and climbed onto the landing on the second floor. Teuton was first off the stairs, followed closely by Hao Ren.


    The landing, as Teuton said earlier, was located inside a wine cellar. Hao Ren smelled an intoxicating wine aroma floating around the large barrels. He could not help but sigh. ¡°What a life to be a demon hunter here. Looks like they have a fine hobby too. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Hao Ren asked as he noticed Teuton¡¯s behavior.


    Teuton did not respond to his question. The master demon hunter just stood in front of him, looking up at the structure above.


    After a long while, Teuton broke his silence. ¡°The structure has changed. The structure of the Netherrealm Clock Tower has changed!¡±

 Chapter 1012

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Standing beside Teuton and looking up, he saw a collage of disorganized structures. In the vast interior of the tower, a light gray fog was filling the space where corridors, staircases, and bridges were interconnected. There were platforms fixed on the walls, rooms that looked like they were about to crumble any time, walls that served no purpose, and even staircases as well as aisles that were broken in the middle. A discontinuous, broken staircase was connected to the stone platform, and it went upwards before disappearing from his line of sight. It was dizzying at first glance.


    The place was so strange that even Hao Ren could not find any logical designs to the messy architecture. The structures that were pieced together by absurd techniques defied any natural law. Such a scene could have caused tremendous mental stress and damage to ordinary humans. After he escaped the spiritual pollution, Hao Ren recalled the sight of the Netherrealm Clock Tower before he entered. The tower looked like it was built by an urchin by stacking blocks on top of each other. Its geometry and structure defied all laws of Physics. Now, it seemed that the interior was far more chaotic than its exterior. It was merely a result of a disastrous architectural design and construction, which went against everything considered normal and possible.


    ¡°This¡­¡± Lily looked up, feeling choked. She felt as dizzy as Hao Ren did. ¡°How was it like previously?¡±


    ¡°The structure of the Netherrealm Clock Tower is chaotic from the second floor onwards. It has been like that since the beginning,¡± Teuton said in a serious tone of voice. ¡°But back then, the disorganization was not as bad as it is now. I¡¯ve never seen that combination of staircases and platforms!¡±


    As soon as Teuton¡¯s voice trailed off, a rumbling sound was heard coming from above. They all looked up in unison. A stair moved in the air and slowly joined a platform on the wall.


    ¡°Is the tower in the midst of changing its shape?¡± Vivian found it incredible. ¡°Is this place a living thing?¡±


    Teuton did not say anything. He just stared at the intricate paths and steps above him. His eyes jumped between the platforms and broken rooms, trying to piece together a correct route. ¡°The path is still there. The path on the left should lead us straight to the upper floors. However, these paths are not stable. They are dangerous,¡± he said.


    Y¡¯lisabet raised her hand and asked, ¡°Can¡¯t we just fly?¡±


    ¡°In this tower, the seemingly empty space is more dangerous than it looks,¡± Teuton said faintly while he continued to observe the ever-changing staircases and platforms above. After a while, he finally figured out that certain paths stayed the same. The structure affixed on the wall was quite stable, and could almost form a path for them to walk on. He led everyone up the path and said, ¡°Come with me. Watch your step.¡±


    They walked out of the wine cellar, following behind Teuton. Due to the chaotic nature of the space, the wine cellar was no longer a sealed space. Not only was the roof gone, but one of the walls had also mysteriously disappeared.


    Hao Ren and Vivian were walking side by side. Hao Ren suddenly noticed some cracks in the wall, as though it had been damaged by an impact. Some of the cracks were even a few inches wide with lights of various intensity shining through. He curiously peeked through a crack and was startled.


    There was a brightly lit hall on the other side where gorgeous men and women were immersing themselves in gourmet food, music, and wine. The elegant ladies and gentlemen were swinging their bodies along with the music as well as enjoying a never-ending feast. But when Hao Ren realized that he was in the Netherrealm Clock Tower, he had an odd feeling that it was a time warp.


    The rest of the team did not notice the cracks on the wall though. The demon hunters just went ahead silently. Only Vivian saw what Hao Ren had seen. She stopped and checked it out. ¡°What did you find?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Something on the other side of the wall,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°Look!¡±


    Vivian took a peek. She was not just surprised; she had recognized something familiar. ¡°It looks like the place where Odin held his banquet. I remember Asgard having such a hall,¡± she said.


    ¡°The Nordic gods?¡± Hao Ren was shocked. The era of Odin and the Nordic gods had ended thousands of years ago. He could not wrap his brain around how this imagery appeared in the cracks of the Netherrealm Clock Tower¡¯s wall.


    His brows were knitted together as he peeked through another crack, which was even bigger. To the shock of his life, he saw a sword coming straight right at him.


    Hao Ren quickly calmed himself down. The scene of the closed hall, which he had seen earlier was replaced by an open battlefield. Draped in gorgeous armor, warriors with indistinct faces were fighting. Their opponents were mutant beasts and humanoid monsters. A black dragon billowing thick smoke was slowly flying across the sky. The smoke and flames from it ignited the mountains as well as forests below. Not only that, the toxic gas it spewed was corroding and cracking the earth.


    On the edge of this chaotic battlefield, a dazzling light like that of the sun was shining on the horizon. It was divine yet destructive.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Twilight of the Gods. The battle took place in the Aesirian Garden, and the soldiers were einherjars,¡± Vivian recognized the scene again. ¡°I saw it from a distance; the Aesirian god and the other ancient gods had a scuffle, and Yggdrasil almost collapsed into the real world. Later, the demon hunters launched a surprise attack on the two sides when they were mostly exhausted. The demon hunters first destroyed Jotunheim, then they fired Annihilator Magic Bullets to the center of Yggdrasil.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a weapon of the Netherrealm Clock Tower,¡± Hao Ren muttered to himself and peeked through another crack. This time, he saw a golden, giant ship floating in the clouds. Its glow was as gorgeous as the sun. Countless figures were moving on the large ship, each of them was tall, strong, and handsome. The huge ship broke through the sea of ??clouds and revealed the earth below. The Nile River was flowing across the land like a snake.


    It was the solar ship of the sun god, Ra.


    ¡°These are images from the Mythological Era,¡± Vivian said in a low voice. ¡°Is this part of the demon hunters¡¯ collection?¡±


    The voice of White Flame came from the front and interrupted Hao Ren as well as Vivian. ¡°What are you two doing there?¡± she asked.


    ¡°What are the cracks on the wall all about?¡± Hao Ren caught up with the rest of the team and pointed at the cracks on the wall. ¡°Are they ancient video material that your ancestors left behind?¡± he asked.


    White Flame was dumbstruck. ¡°Crack? What crack?¡±


    She glanced at the wall. ¡°There¡¯s nothing there,¡± she said.


    ¡°You can¡¯t see them?¡± Hao Ren was surprised, immediately pulling Lily towards him. ¡°Can you see the cracks on the wall?¡±


    ¡°Crack? What crack?¡±


    No one else could see the cracks.


    Hao Ren asked everyone on the scene, but no one could see them except Vivian and him. That gave him a creepy feeling.


    After Vivian described what she saw, White Flame made speculation according to her understanding of the Netherrealm Clock Tower. ¡°What you¡¯ve witnessed is probably the distortion of space and time. The Netherrealm Clock Tower is located in the most unstable rift in space and time. In fact, even we don¡¯t know how big the tower is. Sometimes, inexplicable rooms and doors would appear in the middle of the tower, but in most cases, they¡¯re just illusions. You could see, but not touch them. So, you could have encountered a similar phenomenon.¡±


    Hao Ren did not say anything. He knew that there was truth in what White Flame said, but he was also sure that what he and Vivian saw was different from what White Flame described.


    ¡°I was born from the blood of the goddess, whereas you came into direct contact with the divine blood,¡± Vivian whispered to Hao Ren. ¡°I¡¯m afraid this is the problem: this tower is a relic of the goddess of creation, and both of us have made a connection with it!¡±


    ¡°Meaning, the Netherrealm Clock Tower¡¯s been monitoring the otherworldlings on Earth, and because both of us are related to the divine blood, we¡¯ve been given permission to browse the database?¡± Hao Ren was stunned. ¡°What is this tower for?¡± he asked.


    Vivian shook her head. ¡°God knows! But judging from its appearance, it has obviously mutated. Perhaps¡­ Oh wait, there¡¯s someone ahead!¡±

 Chapter 1013

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Something was detected in the shadows at the end of the broken staircase. White Flame was on full alert after she heard what Vivian said. She held her sacred silver dagger in one hand, and there was a white spark on one of the fingertips of her other hand. Teuton gestured to the others, who immediately took cover behind a low wall, holding their breath.


    The breathing in the shadow was getting closer and closer. Finally, a figure in black emerged, pacing forward unhurriedly as if it was unaware of the demon hunters¡¯ presence in the area. When the figure came close enough, Hao Ren could see it clearly; it was a woman, short and wearing a demon hunter¡¯s signature black costume. Her hair covered most of her face, and she seemed to be unarmed. Her steps were slow and floaty, as though she was sleepwalking, while her skin was a bit pale. It led people to think that she was undead.


    The female demon hunter in black walked in their direction aimlessly, but halfway, she turned towards another direction. It looked like she had not discovered them. The moment she turned, White Flame saw the demon hunter¡¯s face. She exclaimed quietly, ¡°Elder Andaherr!¡±


    The other demon hunters also recognized Elder Andaherr, who had been taken by the Council of Elders earlier. Everyone was surprised, but they did not make a sound. White Flame quickly talked to Teuton through telepathy. ¡°Was Elder Andaherr captured by the Council of Elders soon after war broke out?¡±


    ¡°Something¡¯s not right with her.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the only one out here.¡±


    ¡°You and the others stay in the shadows while I go check her out.¡±


    Teuton quietly came out from a corner and crept up behind the elder. When he was a few steps away from Andaherr, she finally seemed to sense something. She stopped but did not turn around.


    ¡°Elder Andaherr,¡± Teuton called out. He was prepared for any eventuality. ¡°Why are you here?¡± he asked.


    Andaherr¡¯s gaze darted around before it finally fell on Teuton. She looked at her colleague silently; there was no emotion in her hollow eyes. It was only after a few seconds later that she responded by nodding her head and saying, ¡°Teuton, long time no see.¡±


    She sounded calm, just like she usually did. But it was totally out of character in this situation.


    Teuton found that Andaherr was acting weird. Nonetheless, he still asked, ¡°Elder Andaherr, do you know what¡¯s happened to the sages?¡±


    While he spoke, he gestured to those hiding in the shadows. Soon after, White Flame came out with the other demon hunters, followed by Hao Ren, Vivian, and the others. Their sudden appearance did not bother Andaherr. She looked calm, and her voice was as normal as it could get. ¡°The sages? They¡¯re safe and sound. Ah, have you seen Gordon? Sage Beetholis is holding a seminar.¡±


    Teuton did not answer Andaherr¡¯s question. Instead, he just looked at her quietly. Andaherr spoke no more and was rooted to the spot like a statue.


    Andaherr, whom Hao Ren had met once during the Ancattero incident, was one of the few survivors of the Shade of Chaos. She was also a rationalist who held a relatively sensible view of the killing of otherworldlings. After the outbreak of civil war among the demon hunters, Andaherr, who returned from the Ancattero territory with Hasse, also suffered under the attack of the Council of Elders. They had been arrested since the beginning of the civil war and imprisoned in the Netherrealm Clock Tower.


    Her appearance in the place was a total surprise to them, and she looked as if she had lost her soul.


    Interestingly, Hao Ren remembered that the last time he saw Andaherr, she was also in a similar state. The only difference was, back then, she restrained herself with her Mind Shackle spell. He had no clue what had happened to Andaherr this time.


    Hao Ren was not the only one who thought so. ¡°Why does she look like an idiot every time I see her? Is it mind control?¡± Vivian asked.


    Hao Ren took the MDT out from his pocket and scanned Andaherr a couple of times. The MDT reported, ¡°It is not because of mind control, but low mental activity. Her soul does not seem to be in this place.¡±


    Andaherr just stood still, looking at them expressionlessly. She did not even find it strange for Hao Ren and Vivian to be in the Netherrealm Clock Tower, although they were not demon hunters. She recognized Hao Ren. ¡°Long time no see, Hao Ren, Countess.¡±


    White Flame reached out and waved her hand in front of Andaherr¡¯s eyes. ¡°Elder, where are you going?¡±


    Andaherr looked in White Flame¡¯s direction, but her focus was in a distant place. ¡°Sage Beetholis is holding a seminar. Ah yes, the seminar! I have to go there. Please bring Gordon along if you see him,¡± she said.


    As she spoke, Andaherr turned and walked in the other direction, turning a blind eye to the surrounding demon hunters.


    Hao Ren and White Flame exchanged looks and followed Andaherr. As expected, Andaherr did not react to their actions.


    It was a strange scene where a pale-looking and seemingly-disoriented demon hunter was being tailed by dozens of armed, ferocious fighters just a few meters away. No one made a sound. They walked silently across the dimly-lit staircase and corridors like a bunch of ghosts.


    Andaherr¡¯s behavior was strange. Teuton wondered to where the disoriented elder would take them. But what worried him more was that they might bump into the hostile demon hunters. For safety reasons, he assigned some of the fighters to follow at a distance from behind, so that if the team was attacked, these fighters shadowing them would come in handy.


    Vivian released her little bats to scout their surroundings. She was careful to let the little bats fly in the shadows along the corridors and stairs, avoiding the open. According to Teuton¡¯s explanation, the empty space in the Netherrealm Clock Tower hid a paradoxical space-time whirlpool. It was a trap that was more dangerous than the spatial rift. Once caught in it, it was almost impossible to come out alive.


    But Andaherr was not aware of this. Walking in front like a programmed puppet, she led them onto a narrow stone staircase. After they passed through a series of intricate suspension bridges and corridors, they came to a black door, which looked quite heavy.


    The door was inlaid in a cracked wall. It stood alone on the edge of a lookout platform, but based on the current visual and spatial perspective, there could not have been anything behind the door.


    However, when Andaherr pushed the door open, Hao Ren saw a spacious place filled with warm light on the other side.


    During the construction of these buildings, the goddess of creation had taken into account the height and size of the guardian giants. All the rooms in the Netherrealm Clock Tower were extremely spacious. The space behind the 10-m-tall door was more like a hall. It could have been the private lounge of a guardian giant, but now it was large enough to be used as a meeting place for the demon hunters. Hao Ren saw a long table in the room, which had most likely been added by the demon hunters. A neat row of candlesticks still emitted a constant glow. Although the demon hunters had switched to modern gadgets, they seemed to love these antique items more in this sacred place.


    Sitting on both sides of the long table were dozens of demon hunters in black.


    Teuton was nervous, more so when he noticed that some of them had a silver lining on their collar. That was the iconic insignia of the Council of Elders. But very quickly, he found that these demon hunters were in the same mental state as Andaherr. They were sitting there like statues and showing no reaction to their surroundings.


    It was as if they had lost their souls.


    It felt like a horror movie scene to Hao Ren. He was getting goosebumps all over.

 Chapter 1014

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Dozens of demon hunters, including the ¡°normal¡± demon hunters and high-ranking members of the Council of Elders who were captured and put in the Netherrealm Clock Tower, were sitting still at the long table silently like statues. They looked strange. Andaherr ignored these demon hunters as she walked into the hall, looking around, and then sitting down at the long table.


    Then everything went silent.


    ¡°They¡¯re¡­¡± Lily sneaked into the hall cautiously and waved her hands in front of these demon hunters, but no one responded. ¡°They¡¯re out of their bodies?¡± she asked.


    The strange atmosphere kept them on guard. Hao Ren adjusted the early warning radar of the MDT to the most sensitive setting and clenched his long spear beside Lily. He went past a demon hunter, who seemed to be highly ranked, whose collar was not only decorated with a silver lining, but also with heraldic embroidery on the neckline and cuffs. These were the marks of a master or elder. The high-ranking demon hunter sat with his head lowered and his hollow eyes stared blankly at the candlestick not far on the table. Hao Ren patted on his shoulder. The demon hunter moved, and his eyes seemed to turn and look over his shoulder, but it just happened very quickly before everything was back to normal again.


    ¡°Their souls seem to be imprisoned in the deepest part of their consciousness, and their perception has been isolated from the outside world,¡± the MDT said, flying around the long table to examine each of the demon hunters. ¡°Well¡­ There seem to be other incongruities, but it would take some time to analyze.¡±


    ¡°This is Elder Lucy Vida,¡± White Flame said as she came up behind Hao Ren. ¡°A high-level instructor of the Council of Elders. He was stationed in the Netherrealm Clock Tower all the year round, a herald of the sages and responsible for organizing seminars.¡±


    ¡°Andaherr has mentioned the seminar too,¡± Hao Ren said, nodding his head slightly. ¡°So what were these people doing¡ªI mean when there were normal?¡±


    ¡°The sages have mastered ancient knowledge and witchcraft that have long been lost. To prevent these things from being lost again, they have to pass on the knowledge. However, due to the pollution of the forbidden knowledge, the lower-ranking demon hunters who directly listen to the voices of the sages would be afflicted and cursed. So the sages have to summon the most powerful demon hunters and teach them a small amount of this knowledge one at a time, and then let them pass the knowledge they have learned on to their apprentices.¡± White Flame explained. ¡°The wisdom of the sages is so vast, so much so that it exceeds the limits which a normal biological brain can handle. So they¡¯ll only teach as needed. That¡¯s how seminars come about.¡±


    ¡°So this is the scene of a sacred demon hunter seminar¡ªif everything¡¯s normal,¡± Hao Ren said, sliding his fingers across the long table.


    He was surprised. His fingers had picked up a lot of dust. He looked down; the table had a thick layer of dust too.


    ¡°The Netherrealm Clock Tower has just been isolated from the outside world a day ago?¡± He looked at Y¡¯zaks not far away.


    ¡°The scout has reported so,¡± Y¡¯zaks nodded. ¡°What did you find?¡±


    Hao Ren pointed at the dust on the table. ¡°According to the density of dust particles in the air as measured by the MDT, it takes at least seven or eight days for the dust here to accumulate to such a thickness. Unless no one¡¯s ever cleaned the house since the Council of Elders went insane, the ghostly state in the tower must have persisted for more than a week already.¡±


    Lily blinked. ¡°A lot of smells on the first floor are fresh, and the tower guardhouse looks tidy as if someone has just cleaned it up. It doesn¡¯t look like it has been abandoned for a long time.¡±


    ¡°So the strangeness begins from the second floor.¡± Hao Ren said. His brows knit together slightly as he looked at the front end of the long table. If it was a seminar, then that position should be where Sages Beetholis sat. But no one was sitting in that chair there. The speaker of the sacred demon hunter seminar was not here, and the demon hunters in the classroom were just listening to the empty air. Sage Beetholis¡ªthe name Andaherr still recalls despite her state of mind. So Beetholis must be related to what happened here.¡±


    A demon hunter who was responsible for checking out the surroundings suddenly called out, ¡°There is a passage here!¡±


    Hao Ren ran over. The wall behind a huge ancient stone sculpture had a hole that was large enough for two adults to pass through side by side. Behind the hole was a dimly lit corridor. Y¡¯lisabet poked her head inside to take a gander. ¡°There¡¯s still a hall on the opposite side. Where is it leading to?¡± she said.


    Teuton was a little unsure this time. He said, ¡°I don¡¯t know. The structure of the Netherrealm Clock Tower has become very strange. In fact, even this room should not be in this position. These illogical passages have just popped out of nowhere.¡±


    While Teuton was talking, Y¡¯lisabet the little demon had already slipped through the big hole in the wall and went into the corridor. ¡°It¡¯s okay, nothing happens. I don¡¯t feel any danger,¡± she said.


    ¡°This mischievous kid,¡± Hao Ren snorted and followed her from behind.


    Teuton looked back at the two rows of ghostly demon hunters sitting at the long table. He left behind a few soldiers here before slipping through the hole in the wall.


    The Netherrealm Clock Tower interior structure had gone haywire. The routes that he had in his mind would probably be useless now. There was no need to follow any specific path. Any opening that popped up suddenly was equally worthy of exploration.


    Y¡¯lisabet held a ball of demonic flare walking in the front, illuminating the corridor. She did not find this creepy place terrifying but looked more like she was coming out for a field trip. Beside her, Y¡¯zaks and Hao Ren were all cautious, watching out for any possible demons and monsters that may creep out from nowhere.


    But it was a non-event. After passing the long corridor, the group emerged into a place that looked like a big library.


    The vast hall stretched out in all direction. Bookshelves lined up like towering walls holding an enormous collection of old books and scrolls. Some of the books were as old as and even older than human history. Between these towering bookshelves were floating slate platforms, complete with table and chairs and stationery, which were obviously for the convenience of library visitors.


    Coming out from a gloomy corridor into a solemn place, they were all rooted to the spot.


    ¡°Library?¡± Teuton was surprised. ¡°This is unexpected.¡±


    Vivian asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s so special about the library?¡±


    ¡°The Library is outside the Netherrealm Clock Tower, a dimension that we couldn¡¯t explain. We have tried to draw the structure diagram of the Netherrealm Clock Tower; though most of the connection patterns are strange, they are at least within the confines of the tower itself. Only the library, the entrance of which would appear between the fourth and tenth layers according to certain rules, and it is impossible for the passage behind each entrance to access any facilities in the tower. Instead, they will extend straight out of the Netherrealm Clock Tower and sometimes the corridor is several kilometers long. So we always think that the library is a closed dimension floating outside the Netherrealm Clock Tower. Due to some mapping law, its entrance is restricted to certain floors inside the clock tower. According to the law, the entrance of the library will only appear on the fourth floor, but it now pops up here. That is to say, even this most basic mapping law has gone wrong,¡± Teuton said.


    Teuton kept moving forward as he talked about the secrets of this beautiful library. ¡°This space has incredible power. The longer you stay, the sharper your mind will be. It will even produce some perception and comprehension beyond the physical experience of the flesh. Before this powerful perception crushes your nervous system, you could easily understand the most difficult and mysterious knowledge. So we put the most difficult books here. Only the demon hunters of master-class and above are qualified to read the books in the library. Even the master-class demon hunters could not stay here for more than two days.¡±


    ¡°I liked to come here,¡± White Flame said softly. ¡°I would spend the whole day here.¡±


    Teuton said, ¡°I knew that you often sneaked in here to read the comic books.¡±


    Everyone was stunned and staring at White Flame with an incredible look. Lily was wide-eyed. ¡°You still read that stuff?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t a demon hunter have her own hobby?¡± White Flame asked back, feeling a little embarrassed. ¡°This is the quietest place in the Netherrealm Clock Tower, and once I started reading, Teacher would stop nagging me,¡± she said.


    Teuton shook his head and said, ¡°If he knew that you were putting comics in the potion manual, I bet he would nag you all day long.¡±


    Hao Ren was wide-eyed. Apparently, demon hunters in real life had colorful lives too, contrary to what he was told in the fantasy stories.


    A figure suddenly flashed across in the distance in his peripheral vision.

 Chapter 1015

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren was not the only one seeing the shadow. Lily, who had always been known for her excellent sixth sense, had also seen the shadow flashing past the bookshelves. The husky maiden screamed, ¡°Someone¡¯s there!¡±


    They immediately gave chase to the faint scent of the shadow, weaving between bookshelves, which looked more like a maze. After chasing it down a few blocks of bookshelves, Hao Ren could see the figure; it was a petite woman. Looking from the back, the woman was as tall as Lily and extremely agile in her movement. Just when everyone was about to catch up with this woman, the woman suddenly went straight into a bookshelf that was full of scrolls before disappearing mysteriously before their eyes.


    ¡°It has gone?¡± Hao Ren managed to stop before crashing into the bookshelf. He examined the bookshelf, which looked nothing extraordinary. There was no secret opening or passage. The MDT shook its body after getting environmental readings from the surrounding space. ¡°There is no sign of teleportation. Probably it was a phantom,¡± it said.


    ¡°First the zombie demon hunters, now the ghostly figure,¡± Y¡¯zaks said in a rough voice. ¡°Could it be that all the demon hunters in this tower have gone into an anabiotic state?¡±


    ¡°Still remember Claude?¡± Lily seemed to have recalled something. ¡°Did he escape from the tower before you guys caught him in the front line?¡± she asked.


    ¡°But he didn¡¯t look like he was a deserter,¡± Y¡¯zaks said, shaking his head. Suddenly, they heard footsteps coming from not afar.


    A tall figure appeared out of nowhere and walked toward them slowly. Holding a thick book, the figure seemed to be immersed in reading. Now, White Flame could see the figure clearly. She exclaimed, ¡°Teacher!¡±


    The figure was none other than Hasse, who was detained in the Netherrealm Clock Tower.


    Just like Andaherr, Hasse¡¯s eyes were hollow, and his behavior was mechanical like a puppet without a soul, repeating the same routine in the tower. Holding a big book and pacing before a bookshelf, he glanced up with an expressionless face when Hao Ren and his team came up to him. He nodded to White Flame and asked, ¡°Are you here to study Potionology?¡±


    ¡°Teacher, how did you end up like this?¡± Though White Flame knew that Hasse might not be able to answer her question, she still came up and held his hand, asking anxiously, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Hasse looked at White Flame with a blank expression. After a long while, he nodded gently. ¡°I am fine,¡± he answered.


    ¡°Where are the other people?¡± Hao Ren tried to ask some questions. From his experience with Andaherr, even if Hasse was in an out-of-body state, he should be able to provide a little bit of information. ¡°Where are the sages?¡±


    ¡°Everyone is at where they should be. The sages are lecturing,¡± Hasse said slowly and nodded to Vivian. ¡°Countess,¡± he said.


    ¡°His soul is also isolated and imprisoned in the deepest part of his consciousness. He is as if isolated in another space and time,¡± the MDT said as he examined Hasse. ¡°Well¡­ his symptoms seem to be milder than others.¡±


    ¡°Symptoms are milder?¡± There was a glimmer of hope in White Flame¡¯s eyes. ¡°Can you wake him up?¡± she asked anxiously.


    By now, Hao Ren had also noticed that Hasse¡¯s condition was indeed better than that of Andaherr. Hasse¡¯s eyes were darting around. He was suspicious of them as if he knew subconsciously that these people should not be here in the Netherrealm Clock Tower. This kind of active thinking activity did not occur in Andaherr and the dozens of demon hunters earlier.


    Part of Hasse¡¯s intelligence faculty was still active. His subconscious mind could be trying to show this.


    The MDT flew around Hasse¡¯s head and muttered, ¡°Perhaps because the original location of the library is outside the Netherrealm Clock Tower, his condition is milder than others. I will try to give him some stimulation. Though it¡¯s not going to wake him up completely, you can take this opportunity to ask him questions.¡±


    A series of blue light lit up on the MDT before it shone the lights on Hasse¡¯s forehead. Hasse was visibly shocked, and his vision returned to clarity.


    ¡°Teacher, how are you?¡± White Flame grabbed Hasse¡¯s shoulder and shook him. ¡°Can you hear me?¡± she asked anxiously.


    Hasse¡¯s eyes are constantly changing between sobriety and chaos. It seemed that he was trying to get rid of some kind of mental imprisonment, but he still could not make enough vivid and clear reactions. Y¡¯zaks, who was a dab hand at the matter of the soul, realized Hasse¡¯s condition. He stepped forward and pressed his hands on Hasse¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself to speak, just nod or shake your head when I ask. Can you hear our voices?¡±


    Hasse slowly nodded.


    ¡°Do you know where the sages are? At where they should be?¡±


    Hasse nodded.


    ¡°Take us there.¡±


    Hasse hesitated for a moment, but eventually, he nodded. He then turned and walked toward a particular direction.


    They followed the elder going deeper into the Netherrealm Clock Tower. Teuton left marks along the way so that the small team of soldiers shadowing them could keep up. Though it seemed that the guards of the Netherrealm Clock Tower had disintegrated due to the strange ghostly state, there was still a need for the main forces to conduct a sweeping investigation in the tower later.


    With Hasse¡¯s guidance, they finally found the missing demon hunters, including the elders who had been detained by the Council of Elders, and the guards of the Netherrealm Clock Tower.


    But the situation in this place was even more bizarre and creepier.


    They passed through a series of cold, gloomy halls, dusty study rooms, and dark corridors that echoed with a whistling sound. The Netherrealm Clock Tower was full of abandoned, lifeless rooms that had faded in colors. The flickering candlelight seemed to not consume the candles were on the walls. Flames that lacked temperature were creaking in the fireplaces in the corner of various rooms; and chilly wind that blew out of nowhere through the building, bringing ambiguous voices that only Lily could perceive.


    It was as if a haunted house.


    The demon hunters were moving around like zombies, as if ghosts imprisoned in the cracks of time, repeating the same routine mechanically. In the library, several elders were wholly immersed in ancient books. In the arsenal, the masters were wiping the weapons repeatedly, and his eyes were hollow. In the upper corridors, the patrol guards had seen the intruders, but they were not bothered. They still worked according to their duty roster, turning a blind eye to everything that passed by.


    At last, they came to a place that looked like a ballroom.


    The ballroom was dark and creepy. The fading was more severe here than in other places, as though the only colors left were black and white. There was also a chilly atmosphere lingering in the air; breathing had become difficult.


    Ethereal and intermittent music echoed throughout the ballroom as if it was merely a sound leaking from a broken dimension. It made people wonder if there was a gala really being held in the ballroom¡ªa never-ending party repeating itself in a closed space and time.


    After Hasse brought them here, he did not say a word. The MDT was examining him while Hao Ren was keeping an eye on the surroundings. There were faint shadows appeared in the dark space from time to time. These shadows appeared in a flash and then disappeared just as quickly. When looking carefully, Hao Ren found that these were human figures, like the afterimages of the guests in the gala.


    In his peripheral vision, Hao Ren saw a faintly familiar short figure running out of the corner of the ballroom. The short figure was the one that suddenly appeared and then disappeared into the library. It ran across the ballroom and flashed a few times before disappearing beside Lily. The husky maiden had almost jumped out of her skin.


    Just when everyone was nervous, Y¡¯lisabet suddenly pointed to the end of the ballroom and shouted, ¡°There¡¯s a person there!¡±


    Hao Ren looked in the direction where Y¡¯lisabet was pointing at. A vaguely visible figure was in the darkness. Wearing a black robe, the thin figure had almost thoroughly blended in with the shade in the background, and there was no scent detected. Only Y¡¯lisabet had spotted it.


    Lily nervously went forward and found that the person was probably the so-called sage as the person was wearing a weird mask.


    But this person did not give out any scent at all.


    Lily cautiously poked the person in front of her eyes with her claw. ¡°It seems that he¡¯s been dead for a long time,¡± she said.

 Chapter 1016

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    A breathless man was sitting in the corner at the end of the ballroom. He was covered with a black robe, almost blending into the darkness around him. As there was no decoration on the plain black robe, no one would have believed that this person was one of the highest leaders of the demon hunter organization. He was wearing a weird mask, which was as vivid as the golden mask of the ancient Egyptian pharaohs but it was made of black iron and had a solemn-looking facial contour. If not mistaken, this appearance should be how the sage looked like before he was eroded by the forbidden knowledge.


    Teuton had recognized this person even with the mask on. He called out quietly, ¡°Sage Beetholis!¡±


    This was Sage Beetholis. After all the trouble coming into the Coldpath dimension, finally taking down the defense of the Council of Elders, and going deep into the Netherrealm Clock Tower, they finally met the sage. But the sage was dead.


    Beetholis was not breathing. After a simple scan, the MDT announced that he had no signs of life. Hao Ren reached out his hand and carefully took off the iron mask on Beetholis¡¯ face.


    Everyone¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground.


    There was nobody there, not even any physical form under the mask; only a grayish smog slowly swelled in Beetholis¡¯ robe. There was nothing inside that could be regarded as a core or skeleton. As the mask was removed, the smog seemed to have lost its restraint. It rushed out into the air and disappeared into the surroundings in the blink of an eye. The black robe of Beetholis dropped to the ground.


    ¡°He¡¯s dead,¡± Hao Ren said, holding the weird iron mask in his hand. ¡°And he disappeared into thin air.¡±


    ¡°Was he already like that since the beginning, or mutating into this form after their death?¡± Vivian asked, turning her head to look at Teuton. She felt that this question was vital as it could lead to the clues of Beetholis¡¯ death.


    ¡°Since the sages put on their masks, no one has ever seen their true faces,¡± Teuton said. His expression was weird as if he still could not believe that a sage would disappear into thin air just like that. ¡°What I¡¯m sure is that they still had a physical body when they first wore the masks though their bodies had been distorted to an indescribable degree.¡±


    ¡°Then we will assume that it was the terrible way of dying that turned Beetholis into smog,¡± Vivian said with her brows pulled together. ¡°Can you figure out the time of death?¡± she asked.


    The MDT hovered around the clothes left behind by Beetholis. ¡°The time of death cannot be determined, but according to the dust deposit on the clothes and the density of dust suspended in the surrounding air, he must have come here and ceased to move about eight days ago,¡± the MDT reported.


    ¡°Eight days?¡± Hao Ren suddenly remembered the dusty table that he had seen on the lower floor. The weird time stream in the Netherrealm Clock Tower had caught his attention again. Until yesterday, the Netherrealm Clock Tower still retained contact with the outside world, and there was evidence that the sages were personally commanding the frontline defense. But Beetholis had died eight days ago. ¡°Something is wrong with the time stream here,¡± Hao Ren said.


    ¡°I too have noticed this problem, but the current time stream rate is normal,¡± the MDT said. Apparently, it had got the data. ¡°I have checked against the time on the Data Network, the relative time distortion is nil.¡±


    ¡°But before this, space and time here was definitely abnormal, and until now it¡¯s still not quite normal,¡± Hao Ren said, straightening up his body and looking at the ballroom which had faded in color. The ballroom looked like a banquet hall of another world. ¡°The time stream has indeed returned to normal. Maybe that was before we entered the clock tower.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet was going around, scanning with her red eyes, which were unique to flame demons. This strange little girl seemed to be in thought. She came up to the clothes left behind by Beetholis, asking, ¡°Is this one of the highest leaders of the demon hunters?¡±


    White Flame and Teuton nodded and said in unison, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°How could such an important figure die alone in the ballroom?¡± Y¡¯lisabet pointed at the Beetholis¡¯s body.¡± ¡°What was he doing here?¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet¡¯s words had hit home: the Thirteen Sages had been living as hermits in the Netherrealm Clock Tower for thousands of years. They had never left the tower and even rarely ventured outside their respective chambers except to appear in conventions or seminars in the organization. They only summoned the demon hunters in some specific venues. So, the reason Beetholis died in a ballroom became a mystery. It was at odds with the life of a hermit.


    ¡°What is this ballroom for?¡± Vivian asked curiously.


    Teuton spread out his hand. ¡°It¡¯s just an ordinary ballroom. We usually relax here, but the sages would never come here because they wouldn¡¯t want to see too many people. They carefully selected who they wanted to meet,¡± he said.


    Lily then mumbled, ¡°It sounds like these sages had been infected with a plague to me.¡±


    ¡°Forbidden knowledge is no different from the plague,¡± Teuton said, shaking his head gently. ¡°Those who don¡¯t belong to this world, even those who don¡¯t belong to mortals will distort the reality. They lure the ignorant to study the darkest and the most bizarre world. The deeper one understands it, the more one will fall into that world. People who fall into it will become weird beings in the real world. After all, some things are not what we should know. Our puny brains can¡¯t handle those things. The sages voluntarily learned the forbidden knowledge to defeat the ancient otherworldling gods, and they paid a huge price for it.¡±


    Everyone, except Hao Ren, felt this obscure and incomprehensible. Hao Ren had felt deeply for Teuton. He even had more profound insights than Teuton¡¯s; he had encountered those mysteries that were beyond the mortal understanding and that by merely looking at them, the mortals would be twisted becoming monsters.


    Raven 12345 once took Hao Ren to a super-dimensional perspective to see the universe. He had seen every corner of the universe in the vicinity of billions of light years. He had also entered the spiritual world of the brain monsters and the nightmare of the First Borns. Every thought of the semi-divine creations was enough to burn the mortal brain into coke. Even reading the minds of ordinary otherworldling races would overload the nerves. Such super-experiential knowledge could not be handled by the human mind. If not for the blessing of Raven 12345, who had given him a god-like physique, he would have met the same¡ªor even worse¡ªfate as the Thirteen Sages.


    The Thirteen Sages forced the knowledge of the ancient exotic species into their demon hunter¡¯s mind. Hao Ren could imagine how distorted the sages would be.


    ¡°Beetholis must have first been injured in other places, then he died here while fleeing,¡± Vivian said, telling what was in her mind. ¡°There are still twelve other sages. I think they all look suspicious,¡± she said.


    Lily was going around happily with her Flamejoy like she was looking for evidence of Beetholis¡¯ struggle. Instead, she found something else. ¡°Hey, look, there¡¯s something on the wall!¡± she called out.


    Hao Ren went over. Not far from the spot where Beetholis died, some scratchy text was on the wall. Judging from how bad the writing was, the author must be very weak when writing the message, which only contained one line:


    ¡°We have released the monster in the nightmare. It is at the top of the tower.¡±


    ¡°Did Beetholis write this?¡± Vivian asked Teuton.


    Teuton carefully examined it. ¡°It is indeed the writing of Sage Beetholis,¡± he said.


    ¡°Monster in the nightmare?¡± Hao Ren had a bad hunch. When relating it with the true nature of the Coldpath dimension, his bad premonition went from bad to worse. ¡°Holy moly! Let¡¯s hope this thing has got nothing to do with the true God. I¡¯m only a few days away from getting my year-end bonus!¡± he said.


    Then, hurried footsteps were heard outside the ballroom. It sounded like there were many people outside.


    Everyone became nervous spontaneously. Y¡¯zaks waved his hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s the main forces.¡±


    As it turned out, it was the ¡°normal¡± commanders of the demon hunters and the demonic army officers whom Lanina was leading¡ªthe elite soldiers of the coalition.


    It felt good to see friendly forces in this gloomy and strange place. Even poker-faced Teuton was letting out a sigh of relief. Lanina walked up quickly to Y¡¯zaks and said, ¡®My king, I apologize for the delay. The Council of Elders has blown up the last defense device, causing turbulence in the dimension.¡±


    Then she waved to the men behind her, and the soldiers of the demonic army immediately gave way. Three elven magicians escorted a demon hunter belonging to the Council of Elders in. It was Claude, who had been captured earlier.


    Hao Ren was a little surprised. ¡°He can talk nicely now?¡± he asked.


    Lanina nodded. ¡°Although I don¡¯t know how, he seems to be awake now.¡±

 Chapter 1017

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Claude, a high-ranking demon hunter who was captured by the demonic army on the front line, was in a strange state of mind as the others. He had refused to talk and even attacked Vivian; there was nothing they could do about him. Hao Ren thought that this guy would take a long time to recover. After all, even the MDT could not understand what was in his mind. But now, he regained his sanity all of a sudden.


    This came as a pleasant surprise. Y¡¯zaks went up to Claude curiously. ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re doing now?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m still suffering from the sequelae,¡± Claude said, standing in the middle of the soldiers. His face was a little pale, still wearing his tattered clothes, and a chain restraining him. He looked a sight and embarrassed too. ¡°Looks like I have caused you guys a lot of trouble,¡± he said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just trouble,¡± White Flame said, standing in front of Claude with her arms crossed. ¡°Let me first ask you a couple of questions so that I know you¡¯ve fully recovered,¡± she said.


    Meanwhile, Hao Ren came up to Lanina and whispered, ¡°Have you seen the situation on the lower floors?¡±


    ¡°We followed the signs and caught up from the rear. Of course, I¡¯ve seen them all,¡± Lanina said. Her slender tail was waving in the air, and her mesmerizing eyes were full of enthusiasm. ¡°It¡¯s a wonderful phenomenon. If I¡¯m not mistaken, space and time in this tower must have changed. People in the tower seem to be imprisoned in the cracks of the dislocated space and time. This world is exciting,¡± she said.


    A succubus, who was neither into men nor women, she disliked her own natural talent. But she liked everything about warfare and science. Hao Ren could only marvel; she was trained under Y¡¯zaks after all.


    Meanwhile, White Flame had asked him some verification questions, which were all about the internal affairs of the demon hunters and the details of things before the civil war. She then certified Claude as ¡°clean¡±¡ªhe had recovered. Breathing a sigh of relief, she said, ¡°Phew¡­ Finally, at least one guy has become normal again. Maybe I should first take the rune shackle off you.¡±


    ¡°No, leave it on,¡± Claude said, taking a step back. The rune shackle on his body creaked. ¡°I asked for it. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m completely stable. The¡­ The voice still rings in my head sometimes¡ªthe acouasm, visual hallucination, and other thoughts. I feel that wearing these things is safer¡ªsafer for everyone,¡± he said.


    ¡°Voice?¡± Vivian came forward. ¡°Did you say there is a voice?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a voice¡­ maybe not. It¡¯s hard for me to describe it clearly,¡± Claude said. His muscle tensed when seeing Vivian. It was as if an urge to attack that was not his own still lingered in him. But he along with the rune chains had suppressed this impulse. As Claude himself said, wearing the shackles was a wise move. ¡°That thing is lingering in my spiritual world like a thought or a personality in my brain. It is not a sound but something more direct and effective¡ª¡±


    ¡°Thought control.¡± Hao Ren interrupted him. ¡°Really, you should prepare a few more modern vocabulary dictionaries in the library. Sandwiching them between the moldy Potionology manuals would do your thinking a great favor.¡±


    ¡°Well, Thought Control; it sounds very appropriate,¡± Claude said, looking at Hao Ren while arcing the corner of his mouth. ¡°I know the term, just that it didn¡¯t come to mind at that moment.¡±


    ¡°So the problem is still about mind control,¡± Vivian said with her arms crossed. She did not expect the question would eventually come back to its most primitive origin. ¡°Smarter, more effective, more concealed, but in the end, it is still a mind-control? The answer is a letdown.¡±


    Claude quickly shook his head. ¡°No, it is different from mind control. I personally experienced this process. I¡¯m dead sure that there is no external force to distort or remotely control our thoughts. It just inspires and enlarges part of the thoughts deep in our hearts and then it lets this trend develop. Though it may sound offensive to admit it here, the purification of heretics is indeed the idea in the subconscious mind of every demon hunter, including your comrades who are standing by your side. Had they also heard the thing in my mind, they would become no different from the Council of Elders,¡± he said.


    Claude¡¯s words had caused a commotion among a small number of demon hunters at the scene. Some less steady demon hunters looked slyly at the demonic soldiers who stayed silent. Lanina said indifferently, ¡°There is a dark side to everyone. Extracting and magnifying a specific dark side is not a clever way for us demons. It was just that the guy who fiddled with the mind of the Council of Elders and sages was more powerful.¡±


    White Flame whispered, ¡°You guys do have a big heart.¡±


    ¡°In our hometown, every creature that breathed couldn¡¯t wait to kill us,¡± Lanina said, shrugging. ¡°We have long been used to the hatred. By a lower standard, you are simply an exemplary ally, at least you have been fighting side by side with us.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s come back to the topic at hand,¡± Hao Ren waved his hand to interrupt the conversation between Lanina and White Flame. He looked into Claude¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°So it was that voice, the guy who controlled the thoughts of the elders and sages? The state of the tower now¡­¡±


    He raised his hand and pointed to the remains of Sage Beetholis. ¡°His death was also because of the voice?¡±


    By now, Claude only noticed Beetholis lying not far away. He cried out, ¡°Sage!¡±


    ¡°He was here when we found him. The way he died is bizarre. His body has completely turned into smog, leaving only this clothes and some ashes behind,¡± Teuton explained. ¡°So what happened here?¡± he asked.


    There was a sense of horror in Claude¡¯s eyes as if what happened in the tower was terrifying. He lowered his voice and said, ¡°We have awakened an ancient will; a powerful, incomprehensible and non-physical being. It quickly affected everyone through the mysterious connection between the various ruins of Coldpath.¡±


    ¡°Specifically, who woke that thing up? Why wake it up? What kind of thing was it originally?¡± Hao Ren was pouring the questions out of his mind.


    ¡°It was the sages,¡± Claude said. His answer was expected. ¡°After Elder Hasse returned from the Ancattero territory, the sages summoned him and immediately conducted a few secret meetings. I don¡¯t know about what they were discussing, but they were all nervous in an obvious way. Then the sages took out a piece of sacred artifact from the treasure vault and held a ritual in the ceremonial hall. Things started to go wrong after that,¡± he said.


    Claude tried to recall and describe what happened after the ritual. ¡°At that time, only the sages were in the ceremonial hall while the others were ordered to wait outside. There was a strange noise coming from inside the hall as if people were quarreling. Then the ritual was over, but the sages did not leave the hall. They said that they would like to meditate in the hall for a while. That¡¯s what I can recall so far. What happened after that was that everyone¡¯s mood became a bit strange, but no one was aware of this anomaly. The changes were subtle, and it had already taken effect before we noticed it,¡± Claude said.


    ¡°That is to say, at least in your memory, the sages had never left the hall?¡± Hao Ren stared at Claude. ¡°Except for some kind of power that came out of the hall, no one or thing left, right?¡± he asked.


    Claude thought for a moment and nodded hard. ¡°Yes,¡± he replied.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that the sages had been destroyed, at least at mentally, after the ritual,¡± Vivian said, pointing to the clothes and ashes of Beetholis. ¡°Beetholis might have barely escaped, but only made it this far. The message on the wall is all that he could leave at the time,¡± Vivian said.


    Lily turned to look at the message on the wall. ¡°According to the message, that ¡®thing¡¯ should still be in the ceremonial hall,¡± she said.


    White Flame was suspicious of something. ¡°The ¡®thing¡¯ has infected Coldpath entirely, will it still stay in the hall?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Because it hasn¡¯t completely escaped,¡± Hao Ren blurted out. ¡°It¡¯s just the ¡®thing¡¯s¡¯ power that leaked out of the hall. The sages probably noticed that the situation was out of control halfway through the ritual and they must have used some sort of measure to hold that ¡®thing¡¯ up at the site of the ritual!¡±


    Vivian had an instinctive sense of distrust towards the demon hunter sages. ¡°How do you know that the sages would do this?¡± she asked.


    Hao Ren pointed at Beetholis¡¯ last words on the wall. ¡°Because they didn¡¯t want to let that ¡®thing¡¯ out¡ªthey didn¡¯t even know that they would unwittingly release that ¡®thing¡¯!¡±

 Chapter 1018

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren had no idea what the Thirteen Sages had released and what ritual they held. But something was inevitable: when Hasse brought back news of the Sin of the Divine Blood from the Ancattero territory, the sages freaked out. They must have known about this sin or at least had some prior understanding of it. That was why they took action hastily. They found a sacred relic from the ancient ruins of Coldpath and activated it in the ritual. But the ceremony had unexpectedly awakened a ¡°monster¡± from its nightmare and ¡°infected¡± the entire garrison of the Coldpath dimension without warning.


    The influence happened deep down in consciousness and was imperceptible. It did not rigidly control the thoughts of the sages and elders. Instead, it allowed the controlled to change their mindset while staying awake, so that they would think that they were sober and sensible even after doing a series of unreasonable actions, such as arresting the elders, including Hasse, and the mass-cleaning up of factions that they deemed as heretics.


    The sages never left the ceremonial hall during the process. They conveyed their instructions via the heralds and attendants outside the hall. No one knew their conditions in those few days, no one knew whether they had broken down and succumbed to the voice in their minds. Judging from their orders, their temperament at that time had totally changed, but they had never left the hall. According to the last words of Beetholis, Hao Ren believed that the purpose of them staying in the hall was to keep the ¡®thing¡¯ at the site of the ritual inside the hall.


    ¡°This sounds self-contradictory,¡± Vivian said, doubting the possibility. ¡°They followed the ¡®instruction¡¯ to stir up the civil war in one hand and staying in the hall to suppress the ¡®monster¡¯ in another? So were they being controlled or not being controlled?¡± she asked.


    Hao Ren looked at Claude. ¡°Where is the ceremonial hall? We¡¯ll know the truth when we get there,¡± he said.


    ¡°On the top of the tower, the place closest to the first sage¡¯s residence,¡± Claude said. ¡°It is the energy hub of the Netherrealm Clock Tower as well as the knot of space and time in Coldpath. When rituals are held, there will be strong and mysterious energy focused on the top of the hall. I think that energy should still be there. So only a small number of people would enter. Otherwise, it would cause a vortex and collapse.¡±


    Lanina reminded, ¡°We have secured all the energy nodes of Coldpath.¡±


    ¡°The energy of the ceremonial hall is provided by the Netherrealm Clock Tower,¡±


    Claude said. ¡°Though we don¡¯t know where this energy comes from, it has been very stable for thousands of years. We use it to power most of the facilities in the upper levels of the tower,¡± he said.


    ¡°I just couldn¡¯t wrap my brain around how you guys could use the gadget for thousands of years without even knowing its origin, how it worked and how powerful it was,¡± Hao Ren said, shaking his head. He then looked at his mates around him. ¡°Vivian, Lily, Y¡¯zaks, White Flame and Teuton, follow me. I hope six of us wouldn¡¯t be too ¡®many,¡¯¡± he said.


    Claude blinked and said, ¡°That would be fine, as long as you don¡¯t use overly destructive magic or fire at the ceiling.¡±


    Lily and Vivian looked at Hao Ren in unison. Hao Ren flinched and asked, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t simply blow things up,¡± Y¡¯zaks said, patting Hao Ren on his shoulder. ¡°I don¡¯t play with meteorite nowadays.¡±


    Hao Ren pointed to himself. ¡°Mine is a high TNT job but always very precise!¡± he said.


    Being left out of the action, Y¡¯lisabet was not very happy. But the little demon girl was very sensible, after all, she was a genius and the future successor to her papa to rule Helcrown. She accepted the arrangement quietly and stayed back to search the rest of the tower with Lanina.


    Leaving the ghostly ballroom, Claude brought Hao Ren and his team up a secret spiral ramp to the ceremonial hall. Hao Ren looked at the shackles on Claude¡¯s body. ¡°Seriously, do you really have to wear this set of things? It doesn¡¯t help in combat,¡± he said.


    Claude raised his hands; most of the chains on his body had been removed. Only his two arms were still restrained with the heavy rune shackles. ¡°Up until now, I still feel the urge to kill every one of you. The reason I can still suppress this impulse is simply that its influence has dissipated slightly. These runes drain my magic power, and only when I am weak, would the ¡®thing¡¯ in my mind calm down. I guess that ¡®thing¡¯ depends on magic or leeches on the host¡¯s vitality to live,¡± he said.


    ¡°You were highly dangerous, and your magic was stronger than everyone else. That¡¯s why Lanina used this special method to restrain you. It seems that by doing this she has gotten a lucky hit and dispelled the ¡®thing¡¯ in your mind,¡± Y¡¯zaks said, grinning. ¡°But, hey, this method won¡¯t last long.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope we can end this mess right in the ceremonial hall,¡± Hao Ren said, sighing. A thought came to his mind when he saw Teuton who was walking behind him. ¡°Wait a minute, now I remember; did Beetholis hand over Vivian¡¯s bloodstone to you guys before this incident?¡± he asked.


    Now it struck home that the beginning of his and his buddies¡¯ involvement in this mess started from the bloodstone. They had come to this place only because White Flame had risked her life escaping and handed the bloodstone to Vivian.


    So Hao Ren was wondering if Beetholis knew that things would come to this stage even before he held the ritual with other sages.


    But something did not make sense was why Beetholis did not stop his companions but proceeded to hold the ritual together with them.


    ¡°Every sage has a special power. Sage Beetholis could see the future, though that premonition was sketchy and vague, he did have that hunch,¡± Teuton said and sighed softly. ¡°However, his ability was not enough to change the destiny. I believe that he has foreseen the disaster, but he didn¡¯t know that the problem would arise at the ritual. Probably he even thought that the ritual was the key to avoiding disaster. Anyway, it has happened, and he has done everything he could and left us a glimmer of hope. We couldn¡¯t ask for more,¡± he said.


    The secret passage to the ceremonial hall was very long, as if it had no end and extending into the darkness. Due to the spatial distortion, Hao Ren was unsure whether he was going up or down walking in the secret passage. Since he was bored now, he talked to Claude. ¡°You showed violent tendency when you saw Vivian. But we have never seen it happening to other demon hunters of the Council of Elders,¡± he said.


    ¡°To tell you the truth, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on,¡± Claude replied, shaking his head. ¡°I know, Countess of the Crimson Moon, but I have no grudges against her, except the impulse of the killing instinct. This was the first time I met the legendary vampire, but I felt an urge to kill her¡ªit is kind of a mission, an impulse that is more terrible than killing instinct. It completely occupied my thought. Frankly, I don¡¯t want to experience it for the second time. I have felt that I can¡¯t control my body for the first time in my life. It is a terrible experience,¡± he said.


    ¡°The biggest difference between you and other soldiers of the Council of Elders is that you were a close attendant of the first sage and the only person who had direct contact with him,¡± Vivian said faintly. ¡°Staying next to those figures would be enough to make you stand out. You might be more susceptible to mental attacks and synchronized with the mind of the sages. When they were attacked during the ritual, you were also wounded indirectly. By the way, do you still remember why you went to the front line alone? You were the attendant of the first sage, and it did not make sense for you to join the battle. Supposedly, you should have stayed here and become one of the walking dead,¡± she said.


    Claude shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t remember. All I can recall is that an impulse to ¡®purify the heretics¡¯ had controlled me. This impulse was getting stronger and stronger. Probably it was the reason that drove me out of the tower,¡± Claude explained.


    ¡°Your violent tendency against Vivian is a dangerous symptom. I suggest that you cooperate with us after this incident ends and do some medical examinations,¡± the MDT suddenly came out of Hao Ren¡¯s pocket and said. ¡°We have connections with many super-living beings that could affect your mind. If you don¡¯t like to have any surprise leftover elements in your mind, you¡¯d better undergo a comprehensive physical examination.¡±


    Claude was shocked by seeing the MDT. ¡°What the heck is this?¡±


    ¡°A high-tech gadget. But you can ignore it,¡± Hao Ren said. He then grabbed the MDT back. At the same time, he found that they were about to come to the end of the passage. ¡°Is the ceremonial hall in front?¡±


    At the end of the passage was a small doorway with faded ancient stone pillars supporting a dome above. On both sides of the door was a bottomless abyss. This terrain was not that strange anymore, especially in this already bizarre tower.


    Greeting them was a huge iron door inscribed with intricate patterns.


    ¡°There is energy field behind the door, very powerful, level three alert,¡± the MDT said as it used a blue light beam scanning the door. ¡°I have also detected signs of spatial skew. Initial analysis shows that there is a continuous portal opening, perhaps it is transmitting energy for the hall.¡±


    Hao Ren lowered his voice spontaneously. ¡°What about signs of life? Brainwaves or any other signs of consciousness?¡±


    ¡°No. No signs of life, no any form of intelligent activity.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks slowly form shifted into a flame demon. He strode with heavy footsteps to the front of the door and asked, ¡°Is the true body of the ¡®monster¡¯ itself still inside?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it is something devoid of thinking ability, or not even having the characteristics of life, almost like a natural disaster. Haven¡¯t we solved such things before? Remember the vengeful spirit?¡± Hao Ren said and stepped forward. He pressed his hand on the door. ¡°Lily, stuff as many Spicy Sticks as you can in your mouth. Vivian, get ready your Lightning Strike. White Flame and Teuton, you two will be in charge of remote support. But be careful, don¡¯t attack unless you are attacked. The monster may still be controlled by some kind of ritual, but the last thing we want is to let it escape.¡±


    After saying this, Hao Ren took a deep breath and stared dead at the large iron door.


    The monster that the sages had released from the nightmare could be ensconced in the hall behind the door. How would the unknown, powerful monster that might have come from the day of the deicide look like? What kind of existence would it be? Could it be a creature? Or non-living thing? Or just a curse?


    Hao Ren and Y¡¯zaks pushed the door in unison. The heavy iron door made a terribly loud squeak as it opened slowly.


    ¡°MDT, contact the battleship, we may need some technical support.¡±

 Chapter 1019

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The old heavy iron door slowly swung open. The loud squeak sounded as if it was coming from the ancient abyss. When the door was fully opened, the ceremonial hall was in sight.


    There was neither a horrible monster nor sages lunging out to attack them. But something more dangerous was inside.


    Rune circle was in the ceremonial hall. It glowed, and symbols of mystery floated slowly on the ground and in the air. The enormous energy that these symbols contained looked as if it was going to burst out at any time. In the core of the rune circle where power was the most focused was a black sword. Suspended in the air, the black sword was made of a material that was as dark as the universe itself and inlaid with star-like light spots.


    The rune circle was what made the black sword float. The sword looked like a crack that could lead to the dark universe. A few meters above the sword, a huge dark energy mass was developing and growing, and as black as ink. Its shape was like black water with ripples on the surface. At more than ten meters wide, it was still growing. This liquid-like thing was continually twisting and changing shape. When it surged, it beat like a heart, as though something horrible was about to break out. It pulsated forcefully¡­


    *Lub-dub, lub-dub¡­*


    ¡°MDT, contact the battleship. We may need some technical support.¡±


    ¡°Nolan is connected. We will transfer her into this dimension through hyperspace displacement, but this may lead to instability in Coldpath.¡±


    ¡°We are already in front of the most unstable thing in the world. Bring Nolan in now!¡±


    ¡°Space-time displacement in progress. Battleship will arrive in five minutes,¡± the MDT said. It was glowing in blue light, with symbols and lines racing on its casing. ¡°But the main cannon of the battleship is not suitable for this job. Attacking hastily would cause the balance to collapse and the energy in this hall to leak out.¡±


    ¡°But we need the power of the Petrachelys at least. Whether it is the shield of the battleship or the destructive weapon, it is still stronger than what we have at hand,¡± Hao Ren said quickly. While he was talking, the magic reaction was still going on in the ceremonial hall. Everyone was feeling a stinging sensation spreading on the skin. Hao Ren looked carefully; sparks were dancing in between his hair on his skin. At the same time, he began to hear cluttered noise. Even if he covered his ears, he could still hear it like it was playing directly in the head. ¡°Everyone put on your life-support collar! The electromagnetic and radiative barriers could alleviate the impact of the energy field!¡± Hao Ren said.


    They scrambled to put on the life-support collar. Joining Hao Ren in challenging various extreme environments, the life-support collar had become something that everyone in the family carried about every day¡ªexcept Claude, White Flame and Teuton. Hao Ren quickly reached into his dimensional pocket and took out the spare collars and snapped them around their necks.


    The life-support collar was not a specialized gear to block out mental interference, but its protective function against strong electromagnetic and radiation energies in the universe had a specific mental shielding effect. In fact, the power in the hall was not a real spiritual attack. It was just a powerful energy field, which could influence the mind of people within its sphere of influence. With the protection of the life-support collar, their hallucinations quickly faded.


    White Flame spontaneously touched the collar, which Hao Ren buckled on her neck before she could ask. But she knew that this metal hoop helped her block out the terrifying energy in the hall. The female demon hunter looked at the black sword floating not far away, terrified. ¡°What the hell is that?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Weapon. The worst weapon, one that is the most difficult to deal with in the universe!¡± Hao Ren said quickly as he let the MDT capture the energy readings in the surroundings. ¡°I was hoping to recover this terrible thing in its most stable condition, your sages have not only activated it, but they have also extracted energy from it! They have no f*cking idea what they¡¯re dealing with!¡± Hao Ren snapped.


    A popping noise was heard suddenly.


    A disturbing bust of sound was heard in the dark energy mass floating over the black sword. Purple-black electric light leaked out of the energy mass and bounced around in the air. As if gravity had been switched off, all metal items in the hall began to float before. Things were pulled by some invisible forces and drifting toward the energy mass. Metal-made ritual articles, enchanted swords, silver utensils, and candlesticks hovered in mid-air and dissolved into powder before ruthlessly swallowed by the energy mass. Though these ritual articles might possess immense powers and the enchanted swords might have been used to defeat the gods like Odin and Zeus thousands of years ago during the Twilight of the Gods, in the face of this energy mass, they were just as fragile as glass.


    In between the dark energy and the black sword, the outlines of a shadow was already visible.


    ¡°It¡¯s speeding up!¡± the MDT yelled. ¡°I have detected a catalytic reaction. There is something that we might have brought in catalyzing the charging process!¡±


    ¡°Something¡¯s stimulating the sword?¡± Hao Ren was shocked. ¡°Find the source quickly!¡±


    The MDT quickly analyzed all the data it could collect. Dazzling data and symbols flashed around it before it flew up to Vivian. ¡°Vivian is the catalyst!¡±


    All eyes were on Vivian, who was visibly shocked and taking a moment to process what the MDT said. ¡°The mission of this sword was to kill God,¡± Vivian said suddenly.


    Before her voice trailed off, she had disintegrated into a swarm of bats and rushed out of the hall like a whirlwind.


    Hao Ren looked down at his right hand immediately. ¡°Does the divine blood in my body have the same effect?¡± he asked.


    The MDT quickly reanalyzed the data, and then it said, ¡°The reaction has returned to normal. The divine blood in your body doesn¡¯t seem to be enough to activate the sword. The black sword only responds to the more primordial blood that Vivian carries. But the ongoing reaction is irreversible; the balance will be broken in thirty minutes.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s voice was heard on the radio. ¡°I¡¯m in the passage outside the hall. How is the situation there?¡± she asked.


    ¡°The good news is that it has stabilized again. The bad news is that we only have 30 minutes to stop this thing from blowing up the Netherrealm Clock Tower.¡±


    ¡°Correction; it will blow up the entire Coldpath.¡± The MDT cut in and projected a set of holograms that showed the diagram of Netherrealm Clock Tower and various suspended temples in Coldpath. A huge energy field was forming around these structures and pulsating in a certain frequency like a heartbeat. ¡°I need to make a correction: the dark thing in the air is not coming from the sword of deicide; the sages didn¡¯t extract anything from the sword.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s not the energy of the sword, then what it is?¡± Hao Ren was dumbfounded.


    ¡°The dark mass gets its energy from the Netherrealm Clock Tower itself¡ªthe mysterious power that Claude mentioned earlier,¡± the MDT said. ¡°But it has been polluted. The sword of the deicide is the source of the pollution, which has now spread throughout the entire dimension. This sword is a ¡®viral carrier.¡¯ It has not only eroded the mind of the demon hunters but also polluted the ancient energy system of Coldpath.¡±


    When the MDT finished, Y¡¯zaks frowned. ¡°Lanina just sent in a message; the frontline soldiers have reported that the energy nodes that have been blown up are lighting up again. The runestones in the nodes must have been destroyed, but their energy cores suddenly reactivate.¡±


    Teuton was still somewhat confused, but he knew very well about the energy nodes. ¡°The runestone was just something we set up later, but those energy nodes can run by themselves. It was just that they had not been activated for the past few thousand years, we had to use external power to fire them up.¡±


    ¡°That is to say,¡± Hao Ren looked at the sword of the deicide, ¡°all the relics of Coldpath awaken because of this sword.¡±


    Cold sweat was trickling down Lily¡¯s forehead. ¡°And they were polluted as soon as they woke up. No wonder the temple of the Goddess of Creation could be broken into by a bunch of mortals!¡± she said.


    White Flame¡¯s eyes were darting around the ceremonial hall. She still remained calm despite the crisis. ¡°Where are the sages?¡± she asked.

 Chapter 1020

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°Where are the sages?¡± White Flame¡¯s eyes darted around, trying to look for the eleven sages, or their bodies, which were supposed to be there.


    There were thirteen demon hunter sages. While Beetholis had died in the ballroom, the First Sage had never left his room, and there should be eleven sages in the ceremonial hall according to the information that Claude provided.


    There was not even a body here.


    Lily began to sniffle around. And she found something. ¡°Did they leave these things behind?¡±


    In the corner of the hall, she found a very faint gray-white mark and a few pieces of black fabric on the edge of the rune circle.


    ¡°It is ash,¡± Hao Ren said, sliding his fingers across the traces and picking up some fine powder on his fingertips. Among the black fabrics, he found some solid particles. ¡°These are pieces of their clothes and masks,¡± he said.


    Judging the position of the traces, White Flame began to run to the other corners in the hall. ¡°They are here!¡±


    She found them all; eleven piles of ash on the floor of the ceremonial hall. Most of these ashes were blown away by the wind and swallowed by the energy vortex, leaving only the grayish white spots. These vestiges were symmetrically distributed in the hall as if they were the numbers on the clock. There was only one vacant spot, which should be the position where Sage Beetholis sat during the ritual.


    ¡°Sure enough, they are all dead,¡± said Hao Ren, the remains of Sage Beetholis came to mind. ¡°They all invariably turned into ash and smog after they died. Obviously, those in the ceremonial hall had a worse ending than others,¡± Hao Ren said.


    ¡°When did they die?¡± Lily¡¯s mind was firing up. ¡°Did they die in the early stage of the ritual, or not long ago?¡±


    The MDT was reading the residual information in the ash. ¡°The passage of time here does not follow common sense, so there is no way to determine their time of death. But they had definitely died not long after the ritual started; the energy residue of the ash proves this,¡± it said.


    But Hao Ren was not convinced. ¡°They died at the beginning of the ritual? Then who was giving orders during the entire duration of the civil war of the demon hunters?¡± he asked.


    Their attention quickly shifted on Claude. The young attendant was equally astonished, but he seemed to have some ideas. ¡°The sages were giving the orders directly from the inside using a secret technique. We didn¡¯t feel anything strange at the time. But it was true that they had never come out during the whole process. No one could say for certain if the sages were still alive at that time.¡±


    White Flame and Teuton felt a chill gradually running up their spines. They had come to a horrifying realization: except Beetholis, if eleven of the twelve sages who held the ritual had died before the revolt, then who was issuing orders during the war in the Coldpath dimension?


    Was it the sword, or the ¡®monster¡¯ latching onto the sword?


    ¡°MDT, check again and see if there¡¯s any activity of intelligent beings here!¡± Hao Ren shouted. He took out various stuff, including explosives to general-purpose energy suppressor, out of his dimensional pocket and placed them around the black sword. Actually, neither Hao Ren nor the MDT knew how to stop the magic charging process in the hall. But he figured that if things really got out of hand, blowing up the tower could at least stop the chain reaction in other energy nodes in Coldpath.


    Y¡¯zaks began to superimpose his demonic runes on the rune circle in the ceremonial hall. This was a hazardous operation. Just like reaching out a nail behind two high-speed rotating blades, a minor miscalculation would lead to the collapse of the entire composite reaction, and an explosion of the polluted energy mass prematurely. But with his rich experience, the old demon did it skillfully in trying to slow down the rune circle.


    As the magic reaction of the ritual had reached a particular stage, the influence of the rune circle had become less critical.


    The MDT switched on all of its sensors and began searching for the suspected activity of intelligent beings in the surroundings. If this ¡®monster,¡¯ if it was at all, was the one manipulated the entire event, the only way to end the crisis was to find the real body of the monster and take the bull by the horns.


    After an around of searching, the MDT came up disappointedly. ¡°There¡¯s no other intelligent activity here, except the activity from your group,¡± it said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± White Flame said. ¡°In the past two months, someone in this hall issued hundreds of orders to the Council of Elders in the name of the sages.¡±


    ¡°But that ¡®thing¡¯ isn¡¯t here¡ªunless ¡®it¡¯ has escaped,¡± the MDT interrupted White Flame. ¡°There are only a weapon and an energy mass, and they are about to get out of control. We should first deal with the crisis before us.¡±


    As soon as the MDT¡¯s voice trailed off, a light beam flashed in the darkness outside the Netherrealm Clock Tower. The light beam expanded into a portal before a silver-white battleship slowly emerged. Hao Ren had received a call from Nolan in his mind. ¡°The Petrachelys has entered the battlefield and is waiting for your next instruction,¡± Nolan said.


    Nolan had entered the ¡®battlefield.¡¯ The weapons on this spaceship were overly destructive. To prevent the psionic weapon, which also released radiation, from destroying everything indiscriminately, Hao Ren had let Nolan stand on the sidelines during previous battles. But this time, he had no choice but called Nolan in. But what could the spaceship do?


    The simplest way was to order the Petrachelys firing directly at the Netherrealm Clock Tower. Its psionic sub-cannon could destroy everything, including matter and energy, space and time, within its range. It could get rid of the energy mass before it exploded.


    But the sword of the deicide and half of the Netherrealm Clock Tower would be annihilated at the same time.


    Hao Ren had quickly ruled out this idea. The energy mass hovering above the sword of the deicide was expanding and enveloping the space above the ceremonial hall like a dark whirlpool. It was also rapidly polluting the other energy nodes in Coldpath through the connection between temples.


    The MDT suddenly called out, ¡°Buddy, I have found something!¡±


    Hao Ren and Y¡¯zaks said in unison, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It is not the sword but the energy vortex the key to the magic structure in the hall,¡± the MDT said quickly. The hologram showed the mysterious connection between the sword of the deicide and the surrounding environment. ¡°The sword is just the ignition point, but it is the energy mass that keeps the reaction process going. It has grown so strong that even if it loses the power supply from the Netherrealm Clock Tower now, it could still sustain the reaction process all by itself. If we can turn off the energy vortex, probably everything would stop.¡±


    ¡°Turn it off?¡± Hao Ren looked up at the dark mass of energy, which had spread to the dome above the hall. It surged like black mercury, with bright blue electric arcs cracking out of the vortex and striking metal objects and the surrounding structure. In the center of the maelstrom were some tiny light spots, as if a cosmic sky filled with stars.


    But Hao Ren knew that it was not a spatial rift but the same optical phenomenon on the blade of the sword of the deicide. Or rather the sword of the deicide was assimilating this energy mass into something like itself.


    A bold idea suddenly came to his mind.


    He hurriedly asked the MDT, ¡°Can you teleport this energy vortex out of here?¡±


    ¡°My teleporting function is only enough for small-scale use. Personal MDT would not be able to cope with this high-density energy mass.¡±


    ¡°What about my Dimensional Pocket?¡±


    The MDT had guessed what was in Hao Ren¡¯s mind. But it still explained its analysis diligently, ¡°Theoretically, it could, but dangerous. If the energy vortex explodes in your Dimensional Pocket, the safety protocol would immediately come into effect and cut off the mental connection between you and the Dimensional Pocket. This abrupt disconnection will severely damage your brain. I calculate that the energy vortex will explode 20 seconds after it leaves the hall, tops.¡±


    ¡°I will throw it out before that happens,¡± Hao Ren said quickly, and then contacted Nolan. ¡°How long it takes you to get from Coldpath into the deep space of the surface world? The farther away from the habited galaxies, the better,¡± he said.


    ¡°How long?¡± Nolan knew what Hao Ren was thinking. ¡°The portal from where I came in is still open, but it was facing Kuiper Station. Ahh, I remember now; I have installed a gravitational anchor point around a star. I can warp jump from Kuiper station to the anchor point in just a few seconds,¡± Nolan said.


    ¡°Is there someone around that star?¡±


    ¡°No, it is an inhabited zone.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Hao Ren nodded forcefully, staring at the dark energy above the hall. ¡°Wait for my instruction. I will keep this thing into my Dimensional Pocket, and you will take me out of Earth as fast and as far as you can. We will throw this thing into space.¡±

 Chapter 1021

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren had many ideas, but most of them were not very safe. The MDT described him as ¡°extremely good at exploiting loopholes, likely to challenge safety protocols and solve delicate problems with simple, crude methods, and having a linear mind.¡± It was almost like a seal of ridicule for Hao Ren.


    Feeling quite depressed over the MDT¡¯s comment, Hao Ren said, ¡°Really, that¡¯s how bad your evaluation is of me?¡±


    The MDT swayed in the air and said, ¡°To tell you the truth, the administration generally evaluates old staff this way, especially those who have over two hundred years of work experience.¡±


    Now Hao Ren felt that he had a deeper understanding of the culture of the inspector community in the Space Administration and that he was a role model in the business.


    He double confirmed the process with the MDT and Nolan and ensured that all the systems on Nolan¡¯s side were in tip-top condition. Then he briefly explained the situation to Vivian and petted Lily on her head¡ªthis was to keep the husky maiden daydreaming to prevent her from raising objections. Then, he nodded to White Flame and Teuton with an I¡¯ve-got-everything-in-control kind of expression, hoping that this would make him look like a hero. Unfortunately, the two demon hunters had no idea what that expression meant. In fact, after the appearance of Nolan and the MDT spewing high-tech jargons, the two demon hunters were already balled up.


    Hao Ren looked at the mass floating above the hall. He couldn¡¯t tell if it was a solid or an energy body. Waving his hands, he yelled, ¡°Come and get me, your son of a bitch! Do you dare to answer me?¡±


    Before his voice trailed off, he had yanked open his dimensional pocket. A huge spatial rift appeared in the air before it swept across the entire ceiling of the ceremonial hall, scooping up the dark energy mass and all the bits and pieces floating in the surroundings.


    The black sword that looked like a piece of cosmic debris emitted a sharp whistle, and a strong whirlwind burst into the hall. The rune circle on the floor was flickering as if there was a bad connection. Hao Ren heard loud bangs in his mind, almost at the same time he swept the energy mass into the dimensional pocket. Apparently, the energy-mass was hitting the stable structure of the dimensional pocket.


    Hao Ren shouted over the radio, ¡°Nolan!¡±


    Nolan had long been waiting for this moment. Before Hao Ren¡¯s voice trailed off, a column of light appeared out of thin air and teleported him over the onboard portal of the spacecraft.


    Almost immediately, all conventional propulsion engines of the Petrachelys fired up, and the spatial rift in the sky above the Netherrealm Clock Tower expanded. By overloading her own system, Nolan had completed the acceleration into hyperspace before the spacecraft had even entered the portal. In a split second, the spaceship disappeared in the darkness of Coldpath.


    In Kuiper Station in the surface world, station crew at the inspector spacecraft docking port were conducting routine inspection and maintenance work. The crew was calibrating the axis of the gravity stabilization system. Suddenly, a silver light appeared above the installation. The crew could only see a flash of white light, almost as if the Petrachelys had appeared but disappeared again in the blink of an eye.


    A young technician stared at the empty docking platform, stunned. ¡°Did a spacecraft just come back?¡±


    Beside the young technician, a senior crew patted on his shoulder and said, ¡°Don¡¯t ask. It¡¯s the spacecraft of the inspector. Probably he was racing his own spacecraft.¡±


    Meanwhile, Nolan had traveled several million light years by overloading her system, crossing the starry sky in an instant and rushing to the remote and desolate ancient star.


    In those few seconds, Hao Ren felt that powerful energy in his dimensional pocket was losing control. The security protocol was giving out warnings through the datalink continuously.


    When Nolan jumped out from hyperspace, the external monitor sent back visual of the universe. Hao Ren shouted, ¡°Throw me out!¡±


    Without hesitation, Nolan triggered the ejector. A second later, Hao Ren found himself floating in space before an old orange-red star, the horror of the nuclear reaction was right down there, surging in a sea of fire.


    He quickly opened the dimensional pocket and yanked the violent energy mass out. Then he needed to get back to the spacecraft before the gravitational force of the star pulled him into the nuclear fire.


    The squirming mass, could be formless or solid, was out of the restraint of the dimensional pocket. It swelled rapidly like a fierce dark beast growing uncontrollably in space. As the energy mass fell towards the star under the strong gravitational pull, a vast area on the surface of the star was slowly collapsing and twisting.


    It looked like there was a mutual interaction between the dark energy and the star.


    ¡°See? I told you it would work,¡± Hao Ren said after returning to the flight deck. He let out a sigh and smacked on the console of Petrachelys. ¡°I¡¯ve to say it; your acceleration is getting smoother now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been exercising and jogging, and firing the engines and running around the Milky Way all this while. If you do that, you will be as fit as a horse,¡± Nolan said in her holographic body in front of the console, showing off her muscles though it was meaningless in her current bodily form. She did have some complaints though. ¡°But system overload is no joke. I felt that my main capacitors were on fire. I¡¯d better get it a thorough check after this¡ª¡±


    Before Nolan finished, the visual on the monitor caught Hao Ren and her attention.


    The dying star was burning brightly and rapidly. Its atmosphere was surging with a storm of fire. All of a sudden, the flare from the nuclear fusion was drawn to a single point on the surface of the star. It was as if a supermassive mass, a black hole, was swallowing it.


    Asking Nolan to zoom in the visual, Hao Ren quickly found the root cause of these anomalies: the dark energy mass was still hovering at a distance from the star, but its energy had begun to pollute and spread on the star¡¯s surface. The sun started to collapse.


    ¡°Shield is at full power,¡± Nolan said immediately. ¡°Initiate emergency evacuation.¡±


    The star exploded and the light energy it released illuminated the space.


    After a while, the Petrachelys stopped in a somewhat distant part of the universe. The monitor was still showing the spot where the star was at, but there was only an expanding disk of fire and debris spreading at almost the speed of light.


    An old star was extinguished in a supernova, sprinkling its stardust into the deep space.


    ¡°This is the biggest thing I have ever blown up,¡± Hao Ren said to himself. Then he remained silent for a long while, wiping the sweat off his forehead before calling the MDT. ¡°I have something to tell you; I just blew up a star. Please draft a report for me,¡± Hao Ren said.


    The MDT was startled for a moment, and asked, ¡°You just what?¡±


    ¡°I just blew up a sun.¡±


    ¡°Pardon me?¡±


    ¡°I just blew up a star; universal ID: Level-IV dark star, estimated the remaining life of 40 million years. I just blew it up, but no casualties,¡± Hao Ren said and let out a sigh. ¡°It was all because of the dark energy that fell into the star. Before the dark energy reached the corona of the star, the star collapsed and exploded. Nolan had the entire event recorded. According to observation, the pollution was extremely rapid this time,¡± he said.


    The MDT sounded nervous for the first time. ¡°What about the dark energy?¡±


    ¡°Annihilated. Probably the only good news,¡± Hao Ren said while double checking the data Nolan had sent him. ¡°It withered while detonating the star. There is no harmful substance or energy left on the site. Of course, as per safety rules, I will leave behind a few probes to monitor the area for some time.¡±


    The MDT was silent for a while before it responded. ¡°Noted. I am getting the data from Nolan now and will report the incident. Get back now and tuck away the sword¡ªit has gone quiet. But I think it is still ¡®alive.¡¯¡±


    Hearing that, Hao Ren knew there was no time to worry about the star that he had just blown up. The sword of the deicide and the chaos in Coldpath were his priorities. It was time to end the mess.

 Chapter 1022

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    When Hao Ren returned to Coldpath, he received a warm welcome from Lily.


    The husky maiden grabbed his arm and gnawed it at least 70 or 80 times until his Steel Membrane Shield sparked up, giving Lily a toothache.


    ¡°Can you be a little more prudent next time, Mr. Landlord?¡± Lily glared at Hao Ren, her arms akimbo. ¡°My blood ran cold when you lunged out with that dark thing. Didn¡¯t you know how dangerous it is to run away with a nuke?¡± Lily said.


    Hao Ren was dumbfounded. Never did he expect to get a lecture from the husky maiden, whose only priority was eating and sleeping. It was surprising that she had shown that she cared, which was quite touching but at the same time brooding. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m sorry. But do you think an antsy husky like you are qualified to lecture me?¡± Hao Ren said.


    Before Lily lunged at him again, Hao Ren promptly stuffed a spicy stick into her mouth and kept her at bay.


    Later, he began to understand why Lily had suddenly become so concerned about him. The reason was straightforward; it was just the natural instinct of the canine, trying to be protective of her master.


    After losing the energy supply, the magic reaction in the ceremonial hall had subsided. The powerful mana thunderstorm was reduced to a drizzle, and Y¡¯zaks¡¯ demonic runes had absorbed the rune circle. The unpleasantly oppressive atmosphere had disappeared, and even if without the life-support collar, they all would be all right. Hao Ren looked around at the condition of the ceremonial hall; large patches of burn mark were on the ceiling, and cracks filled the roof. The dark energy had almost broken through the temple of the goddess of creation.


    But compared to the supernova explosion of the star under the influence of the dark energy, a little crack on the roof seemed pale into insignificance, he thought.


    The black sword of the deicide was still suspended and spinning quietly in the middle of the hall as if nothing had ever happened.


    ¡°How is the situation of the sword now?¡± Hao Ren asked the MDT, which was monitoring the environmental readings at the scene. ¡°Did it cause any trouble?¡± he asked.


    ¡°After you moved the energy out, the magic reaction in the hall lost power and everything ended in a matter of seconds,¡± the MDT reported matter-of-factly. ¡°Now the sword has become quiet. I have not found it any communication between it and the outside world.¡±


    ¡°But you said that this thing is still ¡®alive¡¯?¡± Hao Ren said.


    The MDT swayed itself and said, ¡°Yes, something is still running inside, and it has never stopped. The destruction of the entire magic spell seemed to have just terminated its current task, but have no effect on the sword.¡±


    Hao Ren carefully came up to the sword of the deicide, stopping only two meters away from it. He observed the unusual form of this sinful weapon. The sword of the deicide was like cosmic debris; when it rotated slowly, the stars, which was the light spots on the blade, were fixed at a particular position and did not move with the blade. So it did look like a space crack that led to a different world.


    Perhaps it was really a piece of debris¡ªdebris that fell off the cosmos. The stars on the sword could be real.


    Vivian¡¯s voice suddenly came through the radio. ¡°Can I go back in now?¡± she asked.


    Hao Ren stopped her and said, ¡°Wait a minute, I better put this thing away first.¡±


    The sword of the deicide had gone on a rampage because it had sensed the pure divine blood in Vivian. For safety¡¯s sake, Hao Ren decided to tuck it away. He reached into his dimensional pocket and took out a silver-white metal container, which was used to seal dangerous items. He also released two autonomous robots to recover the weapon.


    Two autonomous robots came up to the sword of the deicide and carefully touched the strange black sword with their mechanical arms. Everyone was ready for any eventuality, but still, nothing had happened. The autonomous robots took the black sword out of the suspension force field very quickly and placed it in the container without a hitch.


    Closing the container, setting the lock, then activating the energy barrier of the metal container before putting it back into the dimensional pocket. After doing all this, Hao Ren informed Vivian and said, ¡°You can come in now.¡±


    As soon as his voice trailed off, a light flashed at the entrance of the ceremonial hall, and then lightning struck straight down Hao Ren¡¯s head.


    A swarm of tiny bats flew into the hall and regrouped back into the form of Vivian in midair. She then glared at Hao Ren with her arms akimbo. ¡°Can you be more prudent next time? What did you think when you ran out with the nuke in your hand?¡±


    That sounded familiar. Hao Ren quickly pointed at Lily, who was licking her fingers after wolfing down her snacks. ¡°She just bit me; why did you still hit me?¡±


    Vivian¡¯s arms were still in akimbo. ¡°Crap! When have you ever listened to a husky? A packet of Spicy Sticks is all it takes to bribe her.¡±


    Still licking her fingers, Lily chimed in, ¡°It was just half a pack. Mr. Landlord is seriously stingy.¡±


    Everyone was dumbstruck.


    ¡°Alright, alright! Let¡¯s not harp on this now, can we?¡± Feeling annoyed from getting the glares from Battie and Doggie, Hao Ren quickly steered the conversation away from him. ¡°Now the problem has been solved amicably, and the cause of the problem has also been safely tucked away. Can we declare that the Coldpath incident is officially over?¡±


    There was a confused look on the faces of White Flame and Teuton¡ªthe peace after the end of a problem, the set in of fatigue and emotions, and of course the worry for the future of the demon hunters after such a disaster. Out of a sudden, Vivian interrupted the train of thought of everyone. She said, ¡°There is still one thing.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Hao Ren had no idea what he had missed out¡ªthe culprit that led to the civil war had now been safely recovered; the war in Coldpath had ended; the cleaning up of the aftermath and post-mortem investigation would not be concluded just yet. There was nothing more that he had not done, he felt.


    ¡°The first sage,¡± Vivian said slowly. Her eyes fell on Claude, and she suddenly became a little forceful in her voice. ¡°We have solved the biggest problem. Now, can we talk about this?¡± she said to Claude.


    Claude had been standing on the sidelines since the beginning, keeping a subtle distance from the rest of the team. This outstanding demon hunter, attendant, and herald of the first sage was extraordinarily calm and had remained silent up until now. It was as though he was waiting for someone to finally notice and call him out.


    Hao Ren suddenly realized what he had missed.


    The first sage¡­


    Coldpath plunged into chaos. Twelve sages held a mysterious ritual and died tragically. The Council of Elders was dragged into the war of frenzy and defeated. A ¡®voice¡¯ had manipulated all this behind the scenes in the names of the sages, all the while commanding the entire war from inside the ceremonial hall, and this voice was still shrouded in mystery.


    Somehow, amid all the chaos, the most crucial character had been overlooked by everyone.


    What was the first sage doing?


    The ceremonial hall, eleven piles of ash, the ballroom, and the remains of Beetholis; all twelve were accounted for except one, the first sage, who had never come out. Earlier, they had been too occupied with so many things that they had overlooked the matter. Since the dust had somewhat settled, Vivian felt it necessary to find the first sage.


    Claude still remained silent. The everlasting calmness on his face showed no emotional changes. Lily, who was an impatient husky, could not help shouting. ¡°Yeah, now I remember that. Where is your supreme commander? Where has he been all this while?¡±


    White Flame and Teuton looked at Claude curiously. Though both of them were masters in the demon-hunter hierarchy, they had never met the legendary sage. They had only heard about his legends, or his oral instructions through the heralds like Claude.


    ¡°If you are referring to the first sage, then I have never seen him.¡±


    Claude finally broke his silence, but his reply had shocked everyone.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Hao Ren looked at him, wide-eyed. ¡°Are you not the first sage¡¯s attendant?¡±


    ¡°No attendants have ever seen the first sage. We just stood outside the door and pretended that there was someone inside,¡± Claude said, suddenly letting out a long sigh like he had just released a heavy burden. He looked at the mess in the ceremonial hall, especially the ash piles in the corners. ¡°Since the sages have become a history, I think I could not keep this secret anymore: the first sage does not exist. He disappeared thousands of years ago, almost the same time as when the demon-hunter organization was first established.¡±


    The ceremonial hall was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

 Chapter 1023

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    In fact, when Claude said that the first sage did not exist, Hao Ren¡¯s astonishment was not as strong as that of White Flame and Teuton.


    He had long suspected this. The first sage was so mysterious that her existence seemed too strange even in the demon hunters¡¯ community. The first sage was a legendary figure who had not been seen for thousands of years, a leader who relied solely on heralds and servants to deliver the message, and an extreme recluse who never left his room. With these deviant features, who was really sure that the first sage was real?


    Was it a spiritual symbol to pacify the mind or merely comfort oneself?


    It was a heavy blow to White Flame and Teuton. Unlike Hao Ren, they were real demon hunters. They were the hard-core hunters born and raised in the Arctic fortress. They grew up listening to the stories of the sages and the image of the first sage as immortal, powerful and divine had been ingrained in their minds. As the hard-core demon hunters, White Flame and Teuton never imagined that any sage would one day disappear, not to mention the one who disappeared was the immortal first sage, who was said to be more powerful than all the ancient Gods.


    Yet the first sage did not exist in the first place.


    But a dozen sages had now died in the ritual that activated the Black Sword. The shock of the unbelievable truth seemed to act as a buffer against the loss of life for White Flame and Teuton. They looked at Claude sternly and asked, ¡°You swear it¡¯s true?¡±


    ¡°By any name,¡± said Claude with a straight face, ¡°including the blood of my family, and the name of every ancestor. The first sage had fallen six thousand years ago, in the most glorious age of mythology, when the demon hunters were emerging, before the first hunt even took place. The first sage may be the only demon hunter who had not fought in the War of the Gods. She was gone before that.¡±


    Hao Ren and others looked at each other. He suddenly realized that the timing seemed crucial. ¡°You mean before the demon hunters officially declare war on the otherworldlings? That is to say, the demon hunters existed before this, but they didn¡¯t declare war on otherworldlings?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    Claude nodded.


    ¡°Demon hunters didn¡¯t start hunting until the fall of the first sage? Are these two things connected?¡± Hao Ren asked again.


    ¡°In terms of time, yes. But the hunt is meant to begin.¡±


    Hao Ren felt that he had many questions to ask, but he did not know where to start. ¡°Six thousand years ago¡­¡± He frowned. ¡°I thought the history of the War of the Gods should be a lot earlier. After all, the otherworldlings have been on this planet for ten thousand years.¡±


    Vivian explained this mistake. ¡°The 10,000-year time point was calculated from the first batch of otherworldlings reaching the earth but we didn¡¯t start fighting at that time. For the first few thousand years, we were all trying to adapt to the world or to get rid of the aftereffect of crossing the Wall of Reality. Also, all otherworldlings were scattered in different places when arriving on earth, so the first few years were spent in chaos and peace. The demon hunters first became active 6000 years ago, and they didn¡¯t attract much attention when they first appeared because they were just making small troubles and had a narrow range of activities. There were some frictions among all the otherworldlings at that time, so the activities of the demon hunters were not taken seriously. The demon hunter slowly and cunningly weakened the power of the ¡®deities¡¯. It was too late for the otherworldlings to discover that the goal of the demon hunters was to destroy all the supernatural races.


    Claude watched as Vivian spoke. When Vivian finished, Claude added, ¡°The demon hunters lived in seclusion in the north for four thousand years before the hunt began, and only a few people knew our race.¡±


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll come back to these ancient wars later. Let¡¯s get back to the first sage. Since he died before the War of the Gods began, why do you keep it a secret until now?¡± asked Hao Ren.


    Because the translation plugin automatically translated Claude¡¯s words into Chinese, Hao Ren did not realize that the first sage was a woman.


    ¡°The first sage was the greatest clan elder of the demon hunters. She led us to Coldpath, and built a home for the demon hunters who were roaming on the frozen land. She was the hope and moral support of that generation. Many years ago, she was seriously injured and returned to the Netherrealm Clock Tower when she was dying. In the years before her death, in order to keep the clan stable, we have been claiming that the first sage was recovering. This was a lie that must never be debunked because the War of Gods had broken out, the hunt had begun, and our foundation was not stable. So we had to have a wise, strong, eternal leader to lead us. In order to make the lie more perfect, the other twelve elders put on masks to reduce direct communication with the outside world and allow their bodies to be distorted and eroded by magic, thus forming the second act of disguise, making the ¡®seclusion of the elders more reasonable and credible,¡± explained Claude.


    ¡°So the claim that sages are distorted by taboo knowledge and cannot communicate with the outside world is all false?¡± White Flame exclaimed.


    ¡°Not all,¡± said Claude, shaking his head. ¡°Taboo knowledge does distort the body and mind and it¡¯s true that the ordinary demon hunters who communicate too much with sages can be eroded by magic, but it¡¯s not nearly as serious as the myth suggests. They had to do it to cover up the fact that the first sage had fallen. When the thirteen elders were all living in seclusion for the same reason, everyone¡¯s attention was diverted.¡±


    ¡°This is a big lie¡­ It doesn¡¯t have to be that way, especially this lie has continued to this day,¡± said Hao Ren.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Claude partly agreed with Hao Ren. ¡°We should have stopped the lie after the status of the demon hunters was established but there¡¯s a price to be paid. For the first thousand years, we survived the most difficult years by the faith that the first sage was still alive. A lie lasted a thousand years, and the smartest thing to do was to take it as true. In the past one thousand years, demon hunters had been living this way, accepting the idea of leaders living in seclusion. And, the twelve sages were indeed eroded by taboo knowledge. So we thought it¡¯s better just keep it going.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s been going on to this day,¡± Y¡¯zaks muttered gruffly, ¡°it¡¯s not uncommon.¡±


    History is made up of countless coincidences and countless necessity. No matter how bizarre it turns out to be, there is one point that you have to understand, that is, there is at least one plausible reason for this at all stages of development, and a series of valid reasons make up an absurd situation.


    This is a perfect way to describe the secret of the upper class of the demon hunters.


    Vivian frowned and stared at Claude. ¡°There¡¯s no problem with the stories you¡¯re telling, the only problem is¡ªhow do you know?¡± asked Vivian.


    ¡°I am the servant of the first sage. And the first sage doesn¡¯t exist, so I¡¯m the one who knows the highest secret of the demon hunters. Generations of servants must go through many trials to learn these secrets. I¡¯m young, but it¡¯s not surprising that I know these things,¡± Claude answered naturally.


    ¡°You¡¯re not just ¡®knowing¡¯ these things,¡± Vivian said, raising her eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯ve lived for over ten thousand years, and I¡¯ve seen everything. Repeating something from a book is one thing, recalling your own experience is another. The way you look and the little habit you have when you¡¯re telling these things. You can¡¯t hide it from me. You¡¯re not repeating what you learned from the book, you¡¯re recalling. Claude was a young, new-generation demon hunter. But the one who told us the story¡­ was the Ancient.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s statement was a bit cryptic. It took Hao Ren a while to realize what she meant.


    Claude seemed to make some sort of judgment after a thoughtful look at Vivian. He nodded and said, ¡°Yes, you are right. Now the dust has settled. Ma¡¯am, please allow me to take you¡­ and your friends somewhere.¡±

 Chapter 1024

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Vivian was a little wary of Claude¡¯s invitation.


    She had more than 10,000 years of experience on Earth and had seen all kinds of storms on various planets. She was not a coward. She just found this Claude very weird and suspicious.


    For a young demon hunter, even if he were gifted in magic and combat skills, he would lack the necessary experience and wisdom of life. Such a young man must lack both. But this Claude clearly doesn¡¯t fit all of these characteristics and he also admitted that there was ¡®something else¡¯ in his soul. In this case, Vivian must be cautious. ¡°Before I go with you, who are you? Claude? Or something else? If you¡¯re some old guy you can tell me honestly. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything older than me on this planet. Maybe we are old acquaintances.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m certainly Claude,¡± the young demon hunter said and smiled. ¡°But I also accepted an extra portion of the inheritance, which coexisted with Claude¡¯s soul. It allowed me to know the secrets of the past and to invite you, here and now. Follow me, please. I¡¯m going to take you to meet the owner of that inheritance.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll tag along?¡± Hao Ren pointed to himself and Lily.


    ¡°All of you.¡± The young demon hunter just nodded and glanced at White Flame and Teuton. ¡°Everyone who is here right now and right in front of me should be invited. This is an order handed down six thousand years ago.¡±


    A chill went down Hao Ren¡¯s spine. A guy who died thousands of years ago left a prediction of what would happen on a given day was the last thing he could accept because fate and prophecy was the worst thing in his mind, let alone be a part of such prophecy. But Claude had come to this point, and he must not miss the opportunity, so he nodded and said, ¡°Well, we¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    So the mysterious ¡®young¡¯ demon hunter led them out of the ritual hall and down a secret passage to the deeper part behind it. On the way, Hao Ren moved close to White Flame and asked, ¡°Seriously though, what was Claude like before?¡±


    ¡°Told you, I don¡¯t really know him.¡± White Flame frowned. ¡°He was a silent introvert before he joined the Council of Elders. After joining the council, he followed the rules and regulations and lived a life basically as reclusive as the sages. According to the rules, the servants of the sages were not allowed to marry, to buy property, to leave the north, or even to leave the Netherrealm Clock Tower unless necessary. How do I know a mysterious guy like this?¡±


    White Flame and Hao Ren did not lower their voices, so Claude heard it clearly. He did not mind and explained patiently, ¡°Every servant of the sage was appointed via ritual. The old servant resigned at the ritual, and the new one accepted the blessing at the ritual. Some of the old memories were passed on to the new servant through the ritual. Demon hunters have a long history. We are the oldest race on the planet and therefore, some secrets must be passed on in a safe way.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Hao Ren said perfunctorily. Then, they stopped in front of a secret room.


    Claude stood at the door of the secret room and activated the heavy, ancient door, which then slid upward silently. ¡°Please go in. An old man has something to say to you.¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian looked at each other and then walked into the secret room together.


    And then they were startled by the scene in front of them.


    There was no furniture in the round room, only a large, altar-like object in the middle. On the altar stood a huge head of two meters tall. The head was old and shrunken, with white hair and wrinkles, and the dark red face looked dignified.


    Just one head.


    Lilly was also startled when she entered the room. She then boldly went to examine the head, wanted to see if the neck and body were hidden in the altar. But just as she was about to come forward, the eyes on the head opened slowly.


    The eyes looked a little cloudy but still filled with wisdom. The eyes took a glance at them, and then they heard a voice sounded directly in their heads. ¡°You¡¯re here. It looks like this disaster has been solved by you.¡±


    Hao Ren stared at the head for a while and then suddenly realized what it was: a guardian giant!


    A faithful guardian of the goddess of creation. Just like Muru and Lemendusa, it was a guardian giant ¨C but there was only a head there.


    They apparently recognized the race of the head, but they were aware that the situation was unclear, so no one mentioned the goddess of creation and the First Born, including Lily.


    Vivian looked cautiously at the giant¡¯s head, unsure whether the guardian¡¯s memory, like any other otherworldlings, was impacted as he crossed the Wall of Reality. ¡°You are?¡±


    ¡°You have lost your memory again, old friend,¡± said the giant¡¯s head with a friendly smile. ¡°Well, there were a lot of new faces, let me introduce myself. You can call me Mimir.¡±


    ¡°Giant Mimir?¡± Lilly exclaimed in surprise. ¡°The giant of wisdom in Norse mythology who guarded the Well of Wisdom, who was ended up beheaded by the Vanir?¡±


    Hao Ren could not stop Lily from talking crap, but the giant¡¯s head did not look angry. It just smiled and said, ¡°It was an accident. Clumsy Honir shouldn¡¯t touch the machine. Vanaheim¡¯s solar prism melted my body. It¡¯s a pity loss, but my head is alive and well, and¡­¡±


    The giant¡¯s head said humorously. At the same time, many runes suddenly lit up on the ground near the altar. Under the radiance of runes, various appliances came out from every corner of the room, floating lively in the air.


    ¡°I can still take care of myself.¡±


    Hao Ren stared at the giant¡¯s head in astonishment and asked, ¡°So¡­ The giant in Norse Mythology is actually a guard¡­ something like you?¡±


    As soon as he posed this question, he felt something was wrong and then it hit him. What a powerful creature the guardian giant was; these demigods had the power to crush the mortal species, even without their superior technology. It would be understandable if only one guardian giant were left alone among the ancient ¡®gods¡¯. They were not as strong as the First Born without the support equipment and would be defeated if they were attacked by a large number of mortal species. But if the giants in the Norse mythology were all these guardians¡­


    They would have pacified the mythological era, and there would not be any war between the demon hunters and the gods.


    ¡°It seems that these stories have been misinformed as I expected. There is only one giant of wisdom, and that is Mimir. The other giants are different from me,¡± Mimir smiled and said.


    Vivian had been looking very serious since the beginning. She was trying to deal with her confused memory, but she could not think of anything related to Mimir. In other words, she remembered meeting a ¡®giant of wisdom¡¯ that belonged to the Norse mythology but had no recollection of the giant¡¯s looks, life history or befriending him. She patted her head and said, ¡°Too bad I can¡¯t remember you at all. You were caught here by a demon hunter?¡±


    Although Mimir¡¯s true identity was a demigod guardian created by the goddess of creation, he was a member of the Norse mythology in the mythological system on Earth, and the demon hunters ended the Norse mythology ¨C so the only explanation for his head appearing in the Netherrealm Clock Tower was that he was captured here.


    ¡°At first, yes,¡± replied Mimir slowly, ¡°but then I voluntarily stayed. They need my wisdom, my knowledge, and advice, and I need a safe place to live. So I can¡¯t leave, especially after learning about their history, the reason they carried out the hunting, and the many secrets they kept. These brash little creatures touched things they shouldn¡¯t. I don¡¯t have the power to break the curse, but at least I can slow it down and wait until you, my friend, come here and solve the rest of the problem. It looks like my wait is worth it after all, though it seems that the process is not the way I thought it would be.¡±

 Chapter 1025

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Mimir¡¯s words sounded ambiguous, but after a moment of pondering, Hao Ren immediately realized that there was a tremendous amount of information hidden in them!


    Well, the fact that a guardian giant¡¯s head had appeared in the Netherrealm Clock Tower was surprising enough.


    Unusual creatures on Earth, whether they were ¡°otherworldlings¡± like vampire and werewolves, or witches, or even the demon hunters who were essentially no different from the ancient gods, they all had one thing in common: they were mere mortals.


    Yes. Even if some unusual creatures were worshipped as gods by earthlings in ancient times, even if their powers were indeed divine on Earth, they were mortal. They were all just extraterrestrial travelers from the Plane of Dreams, except for the wizards and witches who were transformed by the earthlings. They were the ordinary race in the Plane of Dream, the ordinary race in the Plane of Dreams. It¡¯s important so I have to say it twice.


    But the guardian giant was not!


    The guardian giants were the ultimate life created by the goddess of creation. They were the original warriors born directly from the goddess¡¯ blood, the demigod! They were totally different from those ordinary otherworldlings.


    They were at the forefront of protecting the goddess in the godslaying war. They knew the whole story of the criminal plot ten thousand years ago. They were originally guardians of all beings, but after the fall of the goddess, they almost all turned into destroyers. Those who did not turn into destroyers had given up their mission. They could never be with the ¡°treacherous children¡± who betrayed the goddess of creation!


    Therefore, after carefully observing the situation of Mimir, Hao Ren¡¯s first judgment was that the guardian giant, like other otherworldlings who had come to the earth, was also affected by the Sin of the Divine Blood, and his memory of the Plane of Dreams had been deleted.


    If Mimir could remember everything perfectly, he would have caught Odin, beaten him up and probably killed his entire family. He could not have got along well with the Norse gods and ended up being blown up by an experimental accident of the Vanir, not to mention getting along well with the demon hunters. According to the guardians, the demon hunter, a contraband created by mage-emperors who stole divine power and use taboo knowledge from the lifeblood, was simply treacherous.


    Mimir took Hao Ren¡¯s silence and deep thought at the moment as an alert. He smiled gently and said with his calming tone, ¡°I know you all have a lot of questions, old friend, and so do you. To be honest, I expected all kinds of bad situations, but your memory problem was the most troublesome one, the worst of all bad situations. You were supposed to know all the history of the demon hunters, you know more than I do, but now I can only explain it to you, and all I know is the history of the demon hunter after the end of the Norse gods and the intelligence that we guessed from their old papers.


    ¡°That Claude is actually your spokesman?¡± Vivian asked while looking into Mimir¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Mimir winked. ¡°Nominally, he¡¯s a servant of the first Sage, but we all know that the first sage is a lie. Before I was brought here, they relied on their own wisdom to sustain this lie, and after I was brought here, they used my strength to perfect this lie. I taught them how to pass on the memories so that they could pass on the memories and experiences of generations of servants, together with all the knowledge I had explored. It doesn¡¯t change the nature of a person¡¯s soul, but these experiences gained out of thin air make a young person an intelligent elder overnight. Claude inherited the knowledge, and part of my mind. He is the aggregation of all the servants of first sage, a young walking dictionary that carries the memories of many elders.¡±


    ¡°Ah, it turns out that the spokesman of the first sage of demon hunters was the Giant of Wisdom of the Norse gods.¡± Hao Ren found that interesting. ¡°You helped them with all your heart and soul. But have you forgotten that it was the demon hunters who started the Twilight of the Gods?¡±


    ¡°Gods?¡± Mimir sounded teasing. ¡°You mean Odin? Baldr? Thor? Or that Loki? That¡¯s nothing. It wasn¡¯t the Twilight of the Gods, it was just a decaying old family that had fallen in the struggle, none of which mattered as much as the whole world. The most important thing was to maintain the balance in Coldpath and delay the Woe of Madness.


    ¡°The Woe of Madness?¡± Y¡¯zaks asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°You mean the civil war in Coldpath?¡±


    ¡°The Woe of Madness has been foreshadowed and doomed, and when their first sage touches the black sword, it is impossible to escape,¡± said Mimir, and then looked at Vivian. ¡°That¡¯s what you said, old friend.¡±


    ¡°Please start from the beginning. I¡¯ve lost my memory. Start with the origin of the demon hunters, we have plenty of time,¡± said Vivian.


    After a moment of silence, Mimir recounted a history that had almost been forgotten by everyone:


    ¡°Long, long ago, when the earth was still frozen, some race that should not have been on this planet appeared. They appeared out of nowhere, scattering all over the world. The demon hunter was one of them.¡±


    ¡°They landed in the cold desert of the north. At first, they were one of the world¡¯s weakest groups. The demon hunters in the north were rootless wanderers. They didn¡¯t have a systematic technology, their own knowledge, or even their own social system¡­¡±


    Hao Ren listened and nodded, knowing that the early demon hunters who descended to earth must have been in this bad state: because they were the artificial life created by mage-emperors. They were thrown on the planet by the scourge in the Plane of Dreams before they had time to undergo the systematic education and strength tests.


    ¡°¡­ The north was barren and cold, as most of the places on the planet were then, but the north was particularly harsh. The demon hunters survived on an ice sheet entirely on their own strength, forming the earliest settlements in the Nordic region. The earth at that time was a hostile place to live, and the supernatural races that had settled there were hostile. The demon hunters avoided them and migrated to forests, islands and the northern Arctic Ocean. In their struggle with the harsh environment, they found their way to form a society and named a prominent patriarch and twelve wise men. Yes, it¡¯s the thirteen sages you know now.¡±


    ¡°The thirteen sages did their best to lead their people in this strange world. They had a lower starting point, so it took more effort for them to do anything. Building social structures, reconstructing languages, building, weaving, farming, hunting, they all started from scratch. And while they had strong physical qualities, it¡¯s still tough to build a society on a wild planet from scratch. The old demon hunters were nothing like the ones now. They had no fixed territory and had little knowledge of their own power. Very few people knew how to use holy flame and they didn¡¯t have the support of the ancient technology of Coldpath. In competition with the other supernatural races on earth, they could only keep hiding. After having spent thousands of years in seclusion and on the move, their thirteen sages made a special friend.¡±


    ¡°A friend of a supernatural race who was not hostile to them.¡±


    ¡°This was rare on this planet. For some reason, all the otherworldlings that settled on this planet had a strong hostility. It was also difficult for the demon hunters to suppress the dangerous desire to kill when they encountered other otherworldlings, but there was one exception that appeared before the thirteen sages: a friendly and powerful vampire. The vampire was a guest at the settlement of demon hunters. Just because of a meal, she became friends with the head of the demon hunter.¡±


    ¡°Shortly afterward, the vampire found out the difficult situation of the demon hunters and knew that they couldn¡¯t compete with other powerful otherworldlings for territory. So she gave her new friend an incredible gift ¨C-


    Mimir looked into Vivian¡¯s eyes and continued, ¡°A land of four seasons, indestructible, and full of super-civilized relics. The vampire named it Coldpath. In return for this amazing gift, the demon hunters named the vampire their 14th sage, an honorary one. Although the vampire had no real power, she was highly respected and loved by the demon hunters.¡±


    There as a stunned silence when Mimir had finished speaking. Claude, who had been standing quietly at the door, came in and bowed slightly before Vivian.

 Chapter 1026

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren was stunned when Claude bowed to Vivian, and so was Vivian herself.


    Everyone was shocked except for Claude and Mimir!


    Hao Ren had never expected things to turn out this way. After listening to Mimir, he realized that this old vampire, who was so poor that she could not afford to eat, had a far more intimate relationship with the demon hunters than he had imagined. They were supposed to be deadly enemies but in ancient times¡­


    This vampire was the demon hunters¡¯ 14th sage!


    A vampire was the demon hunters¡¯ 14th sage! I have to say it again because it¡¯s important.


    She was the ¡°interracial friend¡± of the Thirteen Sages. She was the elder of the demon hunters in their weak years, and even ¡®Coldpath¡¯, the stronghold of the demon hunters, was given to them by Vivian!


    But Vivian had completely forgotten all about it, and even the demon hunters seemed to have forgotten all about it, which was what Hao Ren could not understand. We can see why Vivian did not remember, but what about the demon hunters? Maybe the demon hunters of old times were dead, but not all of them, were they? Even if there were none left, wouldn¡¯t there be a word left? She was their ¡®fourteenth sage¡¯ after all, didn¡¯t they have any records left?


    Hao Ren could think of that, and so could others. Even Lily looked serious¡ªbut the biggest feature the huskies had was their constant serious look, so it was hard to tell whether the girl was being absent-minded or thinking. ¡°What happened? How did this happen?¡± asked Y¡¯zaks.


    Mimir¡¯s voice continued in their minds, and this time it was clearly explained to Vivian. ¡°That was over six thousand years ago, old friend. In fact, I didn¡¯t even know that. I didn¡¯t know about these things until I was brought here and spent a lot of time with those ¡®sages¡¯, so some things might not be accurate. As far as I know, you were really the first person to discover Coldpath. I didn¡¯t even know you back then. You led the nomadic demon hunters to a safe place to live. Though there was no ¡®land¡¯ in Coldpath, it was a perfect base for solid security. The demon hunters soon made this space their home and, as you might imagine, began to explore the endless ancient secrets of Coldpath.¡±


    ¡°Coldpath had brought them huge benefits. Before this, the demon hunters were a rather weak race, but after getting Coldpath, they began to have a safe place to study their strength and begin to develop and train stronger tribal fighters. More importantly, they began to explore a variety of strong heritage in this space.¡±


    ¡°Although most of the excavations were elusive and unusable, simply extracting energy from the remains in a primitive and clumsy way was enough to make the demon hunters powerful. Everything looked wonderful.¡±


    ¡°Until they find something that should not be touched in a temple.¡±


    ¡°The sword?¡± Hao Ren blurted.


    ¡°Yes, that sword.¡± Mimir continued to explain. ¡°The fourteen sages of the demon hunters, including Vivian, found the sword together. It was left carelessly in the corner of a temple, and the strange material and appearance immediately caught their attention. Although it looked ordinary, the sword drew the fourteen sages together, as if it had magic. After a dispute, the fourteen sages disagreed over the handling of the sword.¡±


    ¡°Vivian was very cautious, so she thought that this unknown weapon should be locked up.¡±


    ¡°The Thirteen Sages felt that the sword would give the demon hunter more power, just like any other things in the ruins.¡±


    ¡°In the end, Beetholis¡¯s intuition played a decisive role: in a vision, he saw a prosperous future of the demon hunter, which was the result of the power of the Dark Sword. So what happened later was logical: the opinions of the Fourteenth Sage were rejected, and the Thirteen Sages held a ceremony to draw strength from the Dark Sword.¡±


    White Flame gave a gasp of horror and asked, ¡°The same thing happened then?¡±


    ¡°No, worse,¡± explained Mimir. ¡°During the second Woe of Madness, only the demon hunters of the Council of Elders and the sages remained in Coldpath. Most of the demon hunters had spread out across the world, so only a fraction of them was infected. The number of demon hunters during the first Woe of Madness was much less than it is now, and the seal of the gate of Coldpath was not as tight as it is now. During the first Woe of Madness, almost all the demon hunters were there. So the moment the ceremony was performed, it was the entire race that was affected.¡±


    ¡°Where was I?¡± Vivian asked.


    ¡°You left Coldpath. You were angry, so you left, but then you were worried, so you came back, and found that something serious had happened,¡± answered Mimir.


    ¡°How did it work out?¡± Vivian frowned. ¡°I solved it all by myself?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Based on the memories I read from the brainwaves of twelve sages, you knew a secret path that could enter the Netherrealm Clock Tower directly. That¡¯s normal. After all, you¡¯re the first one who discovered this space. You entered the hall and interrupted the ritual of the Thirteen Sages when all the demon hunters were affected by the Woe of Madness and were completely out of control. They were devastated by the shock of the disruption, and you fought all of them on your own. After days of fighting, they finally came to their senses¡ªroughly.


    ¡°In the fierce battle, the first sage suffered the direct exposure of the crimson moon. Her soul was almost completely torn apart. And she died a few years later.¡±


    Mimir paused for a moment to give them some time to think. A few seconds later, Vivian broke the silence. ¡°So the first sage actually died in my hands¡­ What happened after that? How did the hunt begin? Why don¡¯t the current demon hunters know anything about the ¡¯14th sage¡¯?¡±


    ¡°The Woe of Madness was over, but it had completely changed the demon hunters.¡± Mimir sighed. ¡°You all know that the supernatural races on this planet have hostile instincts against each other, and the Woe of Madness greatly magnified this dark side of the demon hunters. They used to be conservative and cautious, but after the Woe of Madness, all minds were purged. Most demon hunters¡¯ memories were twisted and their way of thinking had turned upside down. They were filled with anger. Although the vendetta among them ended, their anger had all shifted to the otherworldlings. And so the hunt begins.¡±


    This was the truth of the demon hunters declaring war on all the supernatural races in the world ¨C their innate hostility to the otherworldlings was multiplied!


    Hao Ren suddenly remembered the soldiers of the Council of Elders who had been caught. The soldiers fell into a fever of ¡®purifying heresy¡¯. Although they were still conscious, they talked and acted crazily. They would kill their own people without hesitation. The same ¡®great pollution¡¯ occurred in Coldpath 6000 years ago, before the demon hunters started their first hunt. The pollution was stopped by Vivian alone, but it was not perfect: The sound of the godslaying sword had changed the mind of the demon hunters, allowing their innate antagonistic instincts to ¡®evolve¡¯ into hunting instincts and, more lethally, it instilled an idea into them:


    Heresy must be purified.


    So, in the name of purifying heresy, the hunt began.


    ¡°Their memories have been erased too?¡± Vivian frowned. ¡°Otherwise, they should know something about me.¡±


    ¡°This is the weirdest part of the whole thing: Their memories were not fully purged. In fact, all that¡¯s been erased is the memory about you.¡± Mimir¡¯s eyes were fixed on Vivian. ¡°There¡¯s a complicated curse that befell this place. Most ordinary demon hunters had completely forgotten about everything Vivian Ancestor but the sages used their power to keep the memory. They still had memories of you deep in their consciousness, but they couldn¡¯t mention your name or story. There are some of the oldest books in this tower that contain information about you as the 14th sage, but no one can read them. A few of the demon hunters who survived the first Woe of Madness remembered what happened, but they all died by accident when they tried to say your name. Then the twelve sages realized one thing: it wasn¡¯t the demon hunters who were cursed, it was the name, Vivian Ancestor.¡±


    ¡°You have been obliterated from the memory of the demon hunters. From the first time you met their leader, all the way to the outbreak of the Woe of Madness; everything about you during this period has been covered by dark forces.¡±


    ¡°¡­That sword didn¡¯t kill me, so it killed my name¡­¡± Dumbfounded, Vivian muttered to herself, ¡°That thing was aimed at the goddess of creation¡­¡±

 Chapter 1027

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Fate is feared because it is elusive.


    The demon hunters, whose mission was to hunt down the unusual creatures, had a vampire sage among them who was regarded as a savage beast by various supernatural races. They used to be a conservative and cautious race. The Godslayer1 had made the demon hunters¡¯ innate hostility become a more powerful killing instinct, changing their way of thinking semi-permanently. It also brought peace as well as prosperity to Coldpath, which was also a prison that imprisoned them for 6,000 years.


    The one who knew all these secrets was the guardian giant, Ymir2.


    ¡°The innate hostility between the races wasn¡¯t terrible. It only caused races to fight among themselves. It was a blind and chaotic sense of hatred, devoid of logic and purpose. It caused the different races to exhaust themselves in the long run. But like the food chain in nature, it did not really destroy all the otherworldling races,¡± Ymir lamented about the past 10,000 years while everyone sank into deep thought. Once a guardian giant, Ymir was affected by the Sin of the Divine Blood and lost his memory while crossing the Wall of Reality. Despite that, he had retained a much higher intelligence and wisdom than other races. Therefore, he had figured out many things during those long years. ¡°The black sword was the most terrible thing that ever happened to the demon hunters. It changed their innate hostility into a killing instinct; transforming a previously unorganized chaotic impulse into a purposeful mission and letting all demon hunters believed in this ¡®sublime mission.¡¯ The external control of the mind wasn¡¯t terrible. What was awful was the changes in worldviews and the ways of thinking. With clear goals and immense power, the demon hunters had become unstoppable.¡±


    ¡°Though I have stopped the first Woe of Madness, the harm it has caused has spread,¡± Vivian said. He sounded a little dreadful. ¡°It has also ¡®killed¡¯ my name and completely erased my existence from the demon hunter community.¡±


    ¡°But now you¡¯re able to tell us all these,¡± Hao Ren looked at Ymir and suddenly realized, ¡°does it mean that the ¡®control¡¯ has lost its effect?¡±


    ¡°You guys ended the Woe of Madness,¡± said Ymir, winking his approval. ¡°The influence has faded. I can feel that the dark forces that enveloped this space for thousands of years are gone. Unfortunately, twelve sages have died, and those demon hunters who know the history are also dead. You can only hear this ancient story from the mouth of an outsider like me.¡±


    Hao Ren knit his brows together in deep thought. The story of Ymir sounded plausible, but there were still many unanswered questions. He scratched his chin and said, ¡°Though the twelve sages couldn¡¯t mention Vivian¡¯s name, they still knew who she was, right? Why didn¡¯t the sages stop the demon hunters and Vivian from fighting? At least they should have accorded her some privileges.¡±


    ¡°Thinking of it, I had received quite some privileges,¡± Vivian said and smiled embarrassedly. ¡°For example, they seldom came to me looking for trouble. In fact, they had been avoiding me in the past few thousand years. Now think of it, I was there when Olympus collapsed; I was there when Yggdrasil crumbled, and I was even closer when Horus was hit by three fireballs, but no one had ever come after me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, the sages couldn¡¯t tell your story, but they could remind the young demon hunters so that they would not bother you,¡± Ymir said. A smile seemed to flash across his face. ¡°Though this is limited, at least you had gotten lesser attacks than the other otherworldlings.¡±


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s forget about that and talk about the Woe of Madness that you have mentioned,¡± Vivian said, waving her hand. ¡°Judging from your tone, you must have known about the deicide, and that the Godslayer would be losing its control once again. You even foresaw my coming?¡±


    ¡°It was you who told us in the past,¡± Ymir sounded helpless. ¡°After stopping the ritual, forcing the sages to regain their consciousness, and before the curse of the sword took effect, you had one last meeting with the sages. You knew that the power of the sword had already spread and that it would not dissipate for the next few thousand years. You guys were unable to completely destroy the evil weapon, so you guys decided to seal the black sword until its power weakened before finding a way to destroy it, or continuing to seal it. But Beetholis has foreseen a dark future that the sword would inevitably get out of control and eventually devour the mind of the sages. Beetholis¡¯ premonition had its limitation; he could only see fragmented images but not change its course.¡±


    ¡°Ultimately, the sages who gave no thought to personal safety decided to accept their fates. But to leave a glimmer of hope and out of confidence in your own strength, you left a memory crystal to Beetholis. You told him that you would come back one day to clean up the mess. So even if you know that you would lose your memory, you would still come back and finish your unfinished business if you saw your bloodstone,¡± Ymir said.


    Vivian thought for a moment and said, ¡°And this had also bypassed the curse of the sword. Even if the saints couldn¡¯t tell the truth, they could still let their men deliver the bloodstone into my hand, just that they couldn¡¯t explain to their compatriots why they did what they did.¡±


    Ymir closed his eyes and said, ¡°That¡¯s all about it.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute, I have a question!¡± Lily suddenly jumped out and raised her hand. ¡°Since the twelve sages knew that the black sword was sinister, why did they still hold the ritual? It sounded like they were just looking for trouble.¡±


    ¡°They underestimated the corrupting power of the black sword,¡± Ymir said and let out a sigh. ¡°For thousands of years, the voice of the sword had been whispering in the minds of the demon hunters and influencing them in a way that they were unaware of. In that way, the twelve sages were corrupted. Even I could not escape the influence. This is the truth that Beetholis could not see in the vision. The black sword would be out of control, but it was they who released it.¡±


    The light finally dawned on Hao Ren.


    The irrational behavior of the demon hunters; the obtuseness, passiveness, and dismissiveness of the twelve sages despite knowing the truth about the killing instinct was an impulse¡ªall of these suddenly become explainable.


    Even the guardian giants such as Ymir could not resist the whisper of the Godslayer. Perhaps, he was not aware of these whispers at all.


    It was fortunate that after the black sword was sealed, Ymir woke up and revealed the truth.


    Ymir was only brought to the Netherrealm Clock Tower after the Twilight of the Gods. It was at the time when thousands of years had passed since the first Woe of Madness, but by the unique mental power of the guardian giant, he recovered the truths from the minds of the twelves sages.


    ¡°It was tough to do something under the influence of the whispers, but we did our best to fight back,¡± Ymir said and smiled faintly. ¡°We couldn¡¯t go against the shackles of thinking, but we could make some arrangements within the rule. Beetholis delivered the bloodstone, others had tried their best to prevent the most corrupted council of elders from leaving Coldpath, and I trained Claude through the ritual of memory heritage, making him a messenger and spokesperson at the critical moment.¡±


    Ymir finished his story and left the rest of the time to Vivian and her friends, letting everyone digest the truth, however unbelievable it was.


    ¡°Do you think these stories are true?¡± Hao Ren whispered to Vivian after a long while.


    ¡°I can¡¯t prove that it¡¯s fake,¡± Vivian replied, shaking her head with a forced smile. ¡°All events tally. There¡¯s an explanation for every suspicious point. Of course, there is still something unexplained in the story. But, 6,000 years, plus the Godslayer is able to explain everything to those who know the truths. Overall, I tend to believe the story.¡±


    ¡°But I really can¡¯t believe that you had actually done such a great thing,¡± Hao Ren said. He could not help but look at Vivian with a wacky face. Though he knew that Vivian had lived for 10,000 years, he had never thought that Vivian, who was gentle in temperament, had had such an extraordinary past.


    ¡°Great thing?¡± Vivian¡¯s voice appeared a little bit shivery. ¡°I still find it a bit scary. Six thousand years of depravity, my strength has declined too much, and losing memory is the bigger problem. If it were not for you, the bloodstone would have brought me to Coldpath, and the consequences would be unimaginable,¡± she said.


    Hao Ren shot Vivian a glance. ¡°Then why did you still want to do that?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Because I thought that I had the advantage,¡± Vivian replied, feeling a little embarrassed. ¡°According to the memory loss situation, I felt that a new round of hibernation was just around the corner. You know, I would usually get hysterical before going into hibernation.¡±


    Hao Ren was dumbfounded.


    After a moment of silence, Ymir saw that everyone had more or less digested his story, he broke the silence. ¡°The records of the Fourteenth sage, as well as the historical records of the ancient ruins of Coldpath are kept in the room behind me. Old friend, I think you are definitely interested in them,¡± he said.

 Chapter 1028

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The Coldpath incident had taken many exciting turns.


    A simple civil war between the demon hunters had implicated so many ancient secrets. But Hao Ren was a bit numb to all of this. The temple of the goddess of creation; the discovery of the Godslayer; the shocking connection between Vivian and the Council of Elders¡ªhe had enough material to write an 800-word report. But he and his monster tenants might need post-disaster counseling. So, when Ymir talked about the ancient documents, Hao Ren was calm. He had heard the scary story, he may as well read the text too.


    Of course, he was still looking forward to reading those scrolls. After all, the manuscripts not only recorded the 6,000 years of Vivian¡¯s life but also the early exploration of Coldpath by the demon hunters. Knowing that Coldpath was the ruins of the goddess¡¯ temple, these records had become the most precious thing to him.


    Ymir slightly closed his eyes, and the mysterious ancient runes began to appear around the big skull. These runes flew in the air before drifting to the wall behind the altar and forming into the shape of a door. When the door slowly swung open, another chamber appeared behind the door.


    ¡°That secret chamber was the place where the First Sage once lived,¡± the voice of Ymir was heard in the head of everyone. ¡°After Vivian injured him, she barely lived for several years. The curse of the black sword had taken effect, and the sages found that all the scrolls, slate, and artifacts of Vivian Ancestor had become unreadable, so they thought it was the proof that your power had overwhelmed the black sword. Because of its fear of your ability, it did what it could to eliminate your influence. After some deliberation, the sages collected all the items related to you in the family and sealed them in this secret chamber. In the last few years of her life, the First Sage used all her strength to bless and reinforce these scrolls and artifacts.


    ¡°At last, before the First Sage breathed her last, she let people lock the secret chamber from the outside and left her last word: ¡®only after the person whose name could not be mentioned comes to weed out the shadow in the sacred land, only then this door can be opened.¡¯ Later, the demon hunters brought me to this tower. I spent a thousand years to gain their trust. I was at last assigned to this place to guard the secret chamber.¡±


    While walking towards the secret chamber, Hao Ren asked curiously, ¡°I¡¯m wondering: how did you get the trust of the demon hunters?¡±


    Ymir had a respectable level of ancient wisdom. Even the demon hunters sometimes came to seek his help. Despite that, the guardian giant was still an otherworldling in the eyes of the demon hunters. Hao Ren could imagine that when the Norse gods collapsed, the ordinary demon hunters must have confused Ymir with Odin. The frenzied demon hunters could not tell the difference between the two.


    ¡°It was not easy. The demon hunters wanted to kill me at first,¡± said Ymir, ¡°but they didn¡¯t do it right away as they wanted to obtain some ancient knowledge from me beforehand. So I stayed in the Netherrealm Clock Tower for a long time until the whisper of the black sword controlled them. I think it was because of that that they stopped being hostile to me.¡±


    The demon hunters stopped being suspicious and hostile towards Ymir after the whisper controlled them?


    Hao Ren nodded. Now, he gained a deeper understanding of the power of the Godslayer. The sword seemed to be looking for servants, and those under its control must submit to it.


    Claude brought everyone into the secret chamber behind Ymir.


    The chamber was spacious enough and only had simple furnishings.


    There was a stone bed, stone bench, and a table. That was all the First Sage used daily. The quilt on the stone bed had totally rotten away. On the stone table were some unknown ancient tools. Inches of dust had accumulated on the furniture and completely obscured their original color and shape.


    There were large shelves along the walls too.


    The large quaint wooden shelves were full of scrolls, enchanted slates, equipment and sacred objects that were completely different from those used by the demon hunters of today. Though covered in a thick layer of dust, these ancient artifacts were still in excellent condition with magic protection. Magic power was still glowing on some of them like fireflies in the dark.


    White Flame and Teuton could not help but sigh. Both demon hunters were struck dumb when Ymir was telling the ancient stories, but now they seemed to have recovered. White Flame put her hand on her chest and said, ¡°So these are the relics of the First Sage?¡±


    Teuton looked at Vivian. As if he did not want to draw Ymir¡¯s attention, he said in a whisper, ¡°I still have reservations about those stories.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s human nature,¡± Vivian replied and nodded spontaneously. ¡°To tell the truth, I don¡¯t entirely believe it too. Ymir might not be lying but what he knows might not be complete.¡±


    Teuton did not say anything but shook his head with a complicated expression on his face. Obviously, he did not know what to say at this moment.


    ¡°These things are very well preserved,¡± Vivian silently came to the old bookshelves, took a scroll down, and blew away the 6,000 years of dust. ¡°The early exploration record of Coldpath,¡± she read out.


    Hao Ren took out the MDT and said, ¡°Scan and archive.¡±


    These things were treasures¡ªnot only excellent research material for Hao Ren but also a precious cultural heritage of the demon hunters. So, he did not intend to take possession of them merely because he had put down a revolt. Scanning these artifacts would be good enough to preserve the information and use them for research purposes.


    While Vivian and Hao Ren were browsing through the volumes of ancient books, Lily had quickly lost her patience. She fidgeted around the furniture that the First Sage once used.


    As she toyed with the ancient utensils, her face seemed to indicate that she was in thought.


    ¡°After the first Woe of Madness, these books were influenced by the mysterious forces,¡± Claude came up to Hao Ren and Vivian, flipping through the books and saying in a whisper, ¡°Only the sage could read the text in them. Ordinary people who tried to read them would feel as if their heads were going to explode. Until now, some people would still find some unreadable ancient text in the vast archives of the library. Except for a few that are genuinely forbidden text, most of them had records of Vivian Ancestor¡¯s name or the story of the Fourteen Sages. But the important scrolls are kept in this chamber. Those scrolls on the outside are mostly not that important.¡±


    Listening to the dull ancient stories not far away, Lily started to yawn. She swept the dust off the stone bed of the First Sage with her tail and sat down on it.


    The weariness struck harder, the husky maiden yawned longer this time and her eyes teared up.


    In the drowsiness, she saw a figure of a petite woman suddenly appeared in the doorway. The character walked in and circled about the secret chamber.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Lily asked curiously.


    ¡°Who are you talking to?¡± Y¡¯zaks looked back at Lily curiously.


    Lily pointed in a direction and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t a person standing over there?¡± Hey¡­ where did the person go now?¡±


    There was nobody there.


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m too sleepy,¡± Lily said, smacking her head in embarrassment. She then jumped down from the stone bed and slapped a corner of the stone bed familiarly. Suddenly, a secret drawer popped open. She reached out and fumbled around before her hand got hold of some black dirt. ¡°What happened to my snack?¡± she asked.


    Everyone was as quiet as a church mouse.


    All eyes were on Lily, dumbstruck. Claude could not help but ask, ¡°How do you know there is a secret drawer there?¡±


    ¡°I designed it, that¡¯s why I know,¡± Lily replied spontaneously though still a little drowsy. She went straight to the stone table, sat down, and instinctively cleaned up the table while she called someone on the outside, ¡°Fergal! Bring me my magic crystal, and ask Beetholis why this place is so dirty today.¡±

 Chapter 1029

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Everyone¡¯s eyes were on stalks as they witnessed her series of strange behaviors. But she seemed to be incognizant of their stares. She rubbed her eyes, the weariness on her face even more apparent now. She finally noticed their strange stares and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mr. Landlord?¡±


    Hao Ren took a step back. ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked.


    Lily wagged her tail and said, ¡°I am Lil¡ª¡±


    The words were stuck in her throat. The husky maiden suddenly appeared confused and shocked. A moment later, she slowly got to her feet, as though she had just woken up from a thousand-year dream. Looking around, she saw the antique furnishings in the secret chamber.


    After a long while, a teardrop slid silently down her cheek, but she seemed unaware. Her face was petrified and also confused as if the teardrop had come from another hidden consciousness, which had been long dead in the forgotten part of her soul.


    ¡°Doggie!¡± Vivian called out, trying to wake her. ¡°Do you have something on your mind?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No¡­ I just feel this place is weirdly familiar,¡± Lily replied. She finally woke up from her stupor. Feeling a cooling sensation on her face, she instinctively reached to the corner of her eye with her hand and was surprised. ¡°Huh, why am I crying?¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Lily, stupefied. For the first time, he saw the spirited canine maiden in such an extremely fragile state, as if she was experiencing emotional turbulence. Noticing her floaty footsteps, he quickly lunged forwards and held her to sit down on the stone bed. ¡°Stop talking. Relax. Maybe something in the secret chamber has affected you. Let the MDT check you up.¡±


    While saying, Hao Ren had already made some conjecture in his mind. But it was a frightening conjecture, which if really happened to Lily, it would be a mind-bending phenomenon. So he chose to believe that the husky just had an upset stomach.


    A gust of chilly wind suddenly blew from a corner of the secret chamber, followed by a sudden appearance of a translucent dark shadow in the air. The sense of the presence of this figure was powerful, Hao Ren had immediately noticed it.


    ¡°You are¡­¡± Hao Ren looked at the spirit that emerged out of thin air with amazement. He suddenly realized that he had seen this ghostly figure for the third time. The first time was in the library, where the figure ran and disappeared into a towering bookshelf. The second time was in the ballroom, where the figure had also emerged out of thin air and disappeared near Lily. The third time was now, in this secret chamber.


    The ¡®ghost¡¯ did not say a word. It stood quietly about four meters in front of Hao Ren and Lily. Its face was vague, and its body was translucent, but it obviously was a petite woman.


    Her appearance stunned everyone. Claude carefully observed the ghostly figure and exclaimed in shock, ¡°The soul¡¯s echo?¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian snapped in unison, ¡°In human language, please!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the echo of the first sage!¡± Claude explained. ¡°The first sage was killed by the crimson moon, and her soul was torn apart and couldn¡¯t rest in peace. You could see the image of the first sage roaming around in the Netherrealm Clock Tower; that is the reverberation of her soul. But the truth of this matter was only known to the twelve sages and their attendants; the ordinary demon hunters always mistook these images for the space-time illusions that existed everywhere in the Netherrealm Clock Tower. Only we know that this is the remnant energy of the first sage.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the phantom, struck dumb. Never did he expect that the figures he saw in the previous two encounters were actually the remnant of the first sage. But the bigger surprise followed: the phantom stood silently for a while, then walked towards them. Her body was waving like ripples of water, and her blurry face gradually became recognizable. As her eyebrows, lips, and other facial features appeared, it turned out that it was Lily¡ªin Lily¡¯s appearance.


    The figure suddenly lunged forward into Lily¡¯s body.


    Screaming spontaneously, Lily¡¯s tail puffed straight up. ¡°It¡¯s a ghost!¡±


    ¡°Shut up! You are only being possessed by yourself!¡± Vivian said. She had quickly figured out what happened; her 10,000-year experience and intuition were not without purpose. As unbelievable as it was, Vivian still asked, ¡°Doggie, are you the first sage?¡±


    Lily looked straight at them and said, ¡°Do I look like one?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of look,¡± Hao Ren said as he stepped forward to grab and fiddle with Lily¡¯s tail and ears. ¡°I thought I have seen enough all this while, but what happened to you had just blown my mind.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s action caught Lily by surprise. She snapped, ¡°What are you doing, Mr. Landlord?¡±


    Before her voice trailed off, she slapped Hao Ren on his face. His Steel Membrane Shield was dancing with sparks.


    The slap sent a shockwave into Hao Ren¡¯s head; it rang in his head. Having the Steel Membrane Shield saved him. Otherwise, the spontaneous slap could have sent him into the ground. He quickly took his hand off her. ¡°I was just checking if you have any changes,¡± he said.


    Flowing around, the MDT had captured the entire walk-in phenomenon. It now analyzed it. ¡°I think you¡¯ve guessed it right: she¡¯s not possessed but the return of her soul.¡±


    Surrounded, Lily appeared innocent. ¡°So what should I do?¡±


    Discussion, study, observation, analysis.


    Those precious ancient scrolls suddenly seemed unimportant. They were focusing their entire attention to Lily. Hao Ren was using the high-tech MDT scanning her; Vivian and Y¡¯zaks were checking her mental state; and White Flame, Teuton and Claude were busily browsing through the ancient scrolls looking for information about the first sage.


    After much ado, things finally became clearer.


    ¡°How does Doggie become the first sage?¡± Even though it was clear at this point that Lily was the first sage, Vivian still found it unbelievable. Staring at the happy-go-lucky husky, Vivian could not make the connection between Lily and the great leader of the demon hunter. ¡°This is truly theatrical!¡±


    Ymir¡¯s voice suddenly sounded in the head of everyone. ¡°Maybe I can help if you trust me.¡±


    They came out of the secret chamber. Ymir looked at Lily, his voice was filled with awe. ¡°It¡¯s a surprise to see the reincarnation of the first sage, and all under the illumination of the crimson moon. That¡¯s amazing,¡± it said.


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Hao Ren asked the guardian giant curiously.


    ¡°Examining the soul and spirit,¡± Ymir said calmly. ¡°I have been in the Netherrealm Clock Tower for thousands of years. My perceptivity reaches every corner of the tower. So I am very familiar with the echoes of the first sage. Through this connection, I should be able to figure out what the little girl is up to.¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly realized: spiritual power was the biggest strength of the guardian giants.


    All demigods created by the goddess of creation possessed an amazing mental power. Other than the First Borns, the guardian giants also had a mind-bending power over the mortals. The nightmare of Muru had caused the creation of a cult in Beinz Diocese. So it goes without saying that Ymir¡¯s power would be just as good.


    After some pondering and getting Lily¡¯s consent, Hao Ren nodded to Ymir. ¡°She¡¯s all yours.¡±


    He then said to the MDT in his mind, ¡°Monitor them at the side. Cut off their mental connection immediately if you detect something wrong.¡±


    He had to play it safe. Although Hao Ren respected the guardian giant race, Ymir to him was still a stranger. What was more, Ymir was a guardian who had lost his memory to the Sin of the Divine Blood, no amount of cautiousness was cautious enough. It was not a suspicion and conspiracy theory, but a necessary vigilance and responsibility.


    When everything was in place, Lily stood nervously before Ymir¡¯s big skull. She began to relax her mind as per Ymir¡¯s instruction.


    Ancient runes began to appear and glow on the floor near Ymir¡¯s head.


    ¡°Open your mind,¡± Ymir¡¯s voice echoed with soothing and peaceful energy in Lily¡¯s head. ¡°Uncover your buried memories¡­ Recall the moment when you first opened your eyes in this body¡­ I will see what you see¡­¡±


    Lily closed her eyes and relaxed her body. Her thoughts sank deeper and deeper, gradually returning to the starting point of her life.


    The snow-capped mountain, which name she had forgotten, and the unknown cold village¡­

 Chapter 1030

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Lily¡¯s memory began with snow in a cold winter.


    She could not remember the name of the place, the location of the mountain, and the country she was in at the time. She could not even remember the face of her adopter. All she could recall was that she woke up by the side of a hut in the middle of a forest, and that year was freezing.


    In the cold winter season, on the snow-covered mountains, where snow was weighing down the century-old trees and had erased the sleigh marks on the ground, she was awakened by a gust of cold wind on blanket and straw mat in a kennel.


    A group of furry pups was squirming beside her.


    In the earliest thoughts of her life, Lily knew that the pups were her own brothers and sisters, but soon these vague thoughts disappeared as her spiritual world continued to reshape. Within a few seconds, after she opened her eyes, her ¡°human personality¡± had completely replaced the ¡°beast¡¯s personality.¡± For many years after that, she believed that she was a human, and then a werewolf, but Lily did not remember that she used to be one of the squirming furry husky pups.


    An old couple, who were the owners of the hut in the forest, awakened by the noise of the dogs. They went out to check it out and found a little girl crawling out of the kennel. They were dumbfounded but quickly realized that she was a gift from God.


    Lily¡¯s mind was floating in the fragments of memory that she was about to forget.


    She rarely mentioned these to others. Her memories were as bad as Vivian¡¯s. The cold and remote village and the endless mountains outside the village were always a vague image in her mind. From a very young age, her spiritual world was fragile and unsettled, as if it was continually undergoing transformation and reconstruction. Frequent fainting and amnesia, as well as a slow response to external stimuli, had once made the old couple who adopted her think she was an intellectually-challenged child. They believed that it was this reason why she was abandoned. Lily did not learn to speak until she was five, and could not interact well with the other children in the village until she was ten. She usually spent more time with the sled dogs. Her adoptive parents lived in a forest some distance from the village, so the group of sled dogs was an essential asset in the family. The time Lily spent with dogs was more than the time she spent with people.


    When she tried to huddle with the dogs and put the sled rope on herself, her adoptive parents finally realized that the child¡¯s eccentricity was not in her intelligence. They now remembered the early years, the kennel, and the missing little husky.


    When Lily accidentally ventured into the forest, lost her way and became panic, her ears and tail grew out of her. From that moment, she realized that she was different.


    Guided by Ymir, Lily¡¯s memory continued to wander. She saw herself wrestling with the beasts in the mountains. She saw herself slowly learning to interact with people and hide her different side of herself. She saw the horror on the faces of the villagers when they discovered her face that had never aged and her unusual physical strength. She then saw herself leaving the village to some far places. She saw the small town at the border of Russia, and the cooking smoke from the houses in Heilongjiang across the border. She saw war, chaos, warlords, gentry, and a country that survive in turmoil, the collapse of its city wall and the rise of a new one.


    The voice of Ymir suddenly sounded in the depths of her memory. ¡°Little girl, you¡¯re going in the wrong direction. It¡¯s not the modern times, but trace backward.¡±


    Lily was startled for a while and realizing what she was doing. She quickly grasped her thoughts that had begun to wander off and returned to the starting point of her life.


    On that cold winter morning, in that little kennel, she was dragged back by Ymir and tracing back time, skipping across the point of birth. Lily instantly felt that he had broken free. She found that she had lost her physical body and was floating over the vast ice sheet of Siberia.


    As time was wound back continuously, she drifted past Siberia and across the Arctic Circle under the aurora but above the earth. Watching the ice crystal bunker in the cold wind, the intermittent memories finally emerged.


    ¡°There is a curse, Vivian¡¯s name is erased. The sword must be jealous of her. I probably won¡¯t live for long, but Vivian will definitely come back. I have to leave something behind.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all over, it¡¯s all over. We should have listened to her¡­ The sword is cursed, it¡¯s all over¡­¡±


    ¡°What you all do is very dangerous! Something is not right with this sword; I feel upset when I see it. There are so many good things in this ruin, why are you all only interested in a strange sword?¡±


    ¡°There are treasures everywhere here! Patriarch, this is a vast piece of ruins! We can not only spend the winter here but also settle here permanently! Though getting food is a problem, it can be shipped from outside! At least, it is safe here¡­¡±


    Lily¡¯s memory walked through these chatters. She could hear that these were conversations of different people at different times in a reverse timeline.


    Finally, her memory came to the ¡®starting point¡¯ that Ymir knew¡ªthe earliest memory that Ymir could bring her to. It was a cold morning, just as cold as the morning when she was born as a ¡®werewolf Lily¡¯ in the kennel.


    Vivian Ancestor was sitting in front of her. This mother of all vampires was holding a bowl of steamy soup in her hands, her face had the happy look of a well-fed stomach. ¡°The ice giant is coming again, you can¡¯t beat them. Oh, yes, I know a place where it¡¯s safe, and it¡¯s not cold! You can go there in the winter! I call it Coldpath, where I accidentally discovered when I was chasing the light in the sky¡­¡±


    With the sound of glass shattering, the runes in the secret chamber fell. Ymir and Lily almost woke up at the same time.


    ¡°Have you got it?¡±


    Those who were watching the ritual asked in unison. Even Y¡¯zaks was on edge all this while.


    Ymir blinked and said, ¡°This little girl is indeed the first sage, but it is very different from reincarnation or rebirth in the normal sense or the words.¡±


    ¡°What difference?¡± Hao Ren and Vivian asked in unison.


    ¡°As I said before, the first sage was injured by Vivian¡¯s crimson moon and eventual she succumbed to the injury,¡± Ymir said, his eyes turned to Vivian. ¡°The crimson moon tore her soul apart, which is the key. But her broken soul did not dissipate. Instead, it stabilized by the space-time distortion energy of the Netherrealm Clock Tower. Part of her soul was wandering in the tower, becoming the so-called ¡®Holy-spirit Echo,¡¯ while the other part¡ª¡±


    ¡°Floated on the outside?¡± Vivian cut in without waiting for Ymir to finish.


    ¡°Yup. This part of the soul had been wandering in the Arctic for many years and was getting weaker, but it had never really dissipated,¡± said Ymir, blinking instead of nodding in affirmation. ¡°As the connection of the remnant soul and the icy fortress weakened, she freed herself from this place and floated somewhere between the border of Europe and Asia, and finally¡­ finally¡­¡±


    Ymir¡¯s words suddenly choked in his throat. Hao Ren could not wait and ask, ¡°Finally what?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how, but finally the soul of the first sage went into a new-born husky.¡±


    Everyone was struck dumb.


    The atmosphere suddenly became quiet. Hao Ren thought for a moment and felt that there was nothing wrong with it. He said, ¡°It¡¯s normal. Isn¡¯t Lily a husky? Anyway, I¡¯ve got used to it. At least we know how her family came about.¡±


    Baring her fangs and protesting to what Hao Ren said, but her cute-looking, fluffy tail that wagged in the air did not look threatening at all.


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t she know all this?¡± Y¡¯zaks asked, scratching his jaw. ¡°The rebirth of the soul is the best way of rebirth. It is enough to retain most of the memory even if there is only a small part of her soul retained,¡± he said.


    This was something that even someone as knowledgeable as Ymir could not wrap his brain around. The experts of parapsychology and occultism could not come to a conclusion. At last, Hao Ren smacked on the table and said, ¡°The reason is simple: she¡¯s only got a brain the size of a dog¡¯s.¡±


    Again, everyone was dumbstruck.


    Hao Ren shrugged his shoulders and said, ¡°However great the mind of the first sage was, it was not going to help when it was stuffed inside the husky¡¯s brain. I guessed when the first sage went into the body of a husky, some thorough transformation process must have taken place until both the sage and the dog were gone, leaving Lily as the final product.¡±


    ¡°Though that sounds ridiculous, I do think that it makes sense,¡± Vivian said. She looked at Hao Ren with a wacky face and pointed at Lily who was just beside him. ¡°Be careful, she¡¯s going to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Arf!¡±


    ¡°¡­bite you.¡±

 Chapter 1031

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Knowledge did not equate to wisdom, and education did not equate to savvy. Whether it was Y¡¯zaks or Ymir, both of them were experts in the field of soul and mind; their theoretical knowledge of rebirth and memory inheritance were second to none, at least on Earth. But when it came to things that happened to Lily, they had not been able to gain an insight, which was as good as Hao Ren¡¯s.


    Lily¡¯s memory loss had nothing to do with the reincarnation of her soul. Instead, it was purely because the First Sage had accidentally chosen the wrong body¡ªa dog, the brain of which was too small for her reincarnation and in the process, the soul of the First Sage had been diluted.


    Hao Ren could have described the formula to explain the dilution process during the reincarnation: (genius + idiot) ¡Â 2 = Lily.


    However, it was obvious that the person in question was not convinced of this sophistry¡ªLily bit Hao Ren on his arm and made a threatening growl in her throat. She would not let go even though it was setting off sparks in her mouth.


    ¡°You know the limit, don¡¯t you?¡± Hao Ren said, knocking her on the head. ¡°You can¡¯t change the past. Besides, you have accepted the fact that you¡¯re a husky, why can¡¯t you accept the reincarnation?¡±


    Lily let off her bite but still gnashed her teeth. ¡°I accept the reincarnation but just don¡¯t like how you say it! You ask for it!¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his hair and said in his mind, ¡°Who could have thought of a more euphemistic way to say that ¡®the First Sage reincarnated as a dog and lost his memory¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Okay, we have now probably figured out the process,¡± Vivian said, trying to smooth things out. But she was just as unsettled as others and could not help looking at Lily. ¡°Doggie, have you recovered more memories of your previous life?¡± she asked.


    Hao Ren was a little anxious. He could not help but stare at Lily¡¯s eyes, worrying about what would happen if Lily were to regain all the memories of her previous life.


    She lived life as the First Sage longer than she did as a husky. The sheer volume of her inherited memory was enough to completely change her in this life. If the memory of the First Sage was restored, would Lily still be Lily? Would she still be the canine maiden whose only concern was eating, who would flinch the moment the cat growled at her?


    It was a weird feeling to think of Lily changing from a happy-go-lucky person to becoming the leader of the demon hunters who was bogged down in hatred.


    Lily¡¯s brows were knitted together. A moment later, she was frivolous again. ¡°I have a lot of thoughts in my head but it was all fragmented. It is just like watching other¡¯s experiences, I don¡¯t feel like I have changed. Yeah, I don¡¯t feel it. I don¡¯t feel it at all.¡±


    Hao Ren breathed a sigh of relief though he was still not convinced that those additional memories had not affected her.


    ¡°It seems that the process of rebirth has changed her soul structure. As the inheritance is incomplete, she could not identify herself with those additional memories,¡± Ymir said, his eyes shimmering as he observed the changes in Lily¡¯s brainwaves. ¡°The soul fragments in the Netherrealm Clock Tower have returned to her, but it seems that nothing has changed except the recovery of some bits and pieces of memory.¡±


    Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. At this moment, Y¡¯zaks suddenly received a message from Lanina.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Hao Ren asked as he noticed that Y¡¯zaks was fiddling with the magic stone, which the demon king used as a communication device.


    Y¡¯zaks smiled wryly and waved his magic comm in his hand. ¡°It¡¯s Lanina. The distortion in the Netherrealm Clock Tower is dissipating. Hasse has regained his consciousness.¡±


    As Hao Ren had expected, the Godslayer was the root of all the strange phenomena in the Netherrealm Clock Tower¡ªthe weird time lapse, the demon hunters who behaved like walking dead, and the misalignment of the dimensional structure of the tower. The dark energy was the culprit. Now, as the Godslayer had been sealed, the Netherrealm Clock Tower was returning to normal.


    It was expected that the captured soldiers of the Council of Elders would gradually wake up in the next few days.


    Y¡¯zaks tucked his magic stone device and clapped his hands. ¡°There are a lot of things to deal with. Why not we join Lanina first?¡± he said.


    Hao Ren nodded. But he was bothered by the trouble that awaited him: the civil war in Coldpath had completely deviated from the expected trajectory, the ancient secrets found and the collected information were enough to cause a headache for a long time. Though he could first collect samples of the artifacts of the goddess of creation, he was unsure about what he could do with the demon hunters.


    He glanced at Lily and Vivian. The two ¡°sages¡± immediately looked back at him. Both maidens had a pair of big eyes; one was as calm as water, and the other was shining in frivolousness.


    Lily was frivolous. But she was the most important one.


    Hao Ren had no idea how to break the truth of the First Sage to the demon hunters. It would be a suicide for him to introduce the werewolf to the leaders of the demon hunters as their ancestor.


    ¡°What is in your mind, Mr. Landlord?¡± Lily did not know the dilemma Hao Ren was facing. The truth had not even affected her emotionally. ¡°The mess is over. Now I¡¯m wondering if the one-eyed old man would be shocked when he finally learned the truth,¡± she said.


    ¡°You do know that these things can be scary, eh?¡± Hao Ren said, squinted at Lily. ¡°I¡¯m still beating my brains out as to how to wrap things up. The sages are now all dead, the Council of Elders had been crushed, and the entire demon hunter organization is in disarray. So I guess it is not the right time to break the news of you to them.¡±


    ¡°It is breakdown therapy,¡± Lily said, wagging her tail, her face indifferent as if she did not realize that she was the crux of the problem. ¡°Whatever decision you make, I will support you,¡± she said.


    Hao Ren thought for a moment, feeling that he had better not to discuss this hard question with the husky.


    Everyone except Hao Ren and Vivian headed to the ballroom to meet Lanina.


    ¡°Is there anything else I can help you?¡± Ymir said in a flat voice while he looked at Hao Ren and Vivian.


    Hao Ren had noticed that after telling everyone about what happened in the past, the skull of the giant appeared a lot older as if the spiritual goal that had been keeping him alive had suddenly gone. He could no longer hide the weariness and turbidity in his eyes.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Vivian said to Ymir, breaking the silence and thanking this old friend whom she could not remember. ¡°Thank you for telling us this, and thank you for your perseverance over the years. It was not easy to hold up in the face of the whisper from the sword,¡± she said.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, old friend,¡± Ymir said, closing his eyes slightly. ¡°I¡¯m just doing what I want to do. I am not interested in all the conflicts in this world, whether it was Odin in the past, the demon hunters, or whoever is in charge of the world today ¡ª they are not important to me. I just want to live a peaceful life. Since Wisdom Spring has dried up, I¡¯d make the Netherrealm Clock Tower my new home. Hope that this place would not be destroyed again.¡±


    Ymir paused for a moment. He opened his eyes and look at Vivian. ¡°Of course, I am very happy to see you. I didn¡¯t expect you to come here and save the day, because I was not convinced of the unreliable predictions of Beetholis. But here you are. This is probably the only good news since the last thousands of years,¡± he said.


    ¡°He is the one who has saved the day,¡± Vivian said, shaking her head and pushing Hao Ren forward. ¡°I am helping out him now. He is a friend, a very good friend.¡±


    Ymir was surprised and finally showing some animation on his face.


    Ymir had always thought that Vivian was the lead personality and Hao Ren was just her helper in the whole incident. But it turned that it was the other way round.


    ¡°Old friend, this is unlike your style,¡± Ymir said, his eyes wide. ¡°When have you submitted to people? Is he filthy rich or dirt poor?¡± he asked.


    The old giant could only think of these two types of person who could withstand Vivian¡¯s contagious bad luck.


    ¡°It¡¯s complicated,¡± Vivian said, arcing her mouth. ¡°We are not here for this. Hao Ren, please.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. He then looked at Ymir and said, ¡°Giant, do you know where you¡¯re from?¡±

 Chapter 1032

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren had seen many unusual creatures races on the planet¡ªwerewolves, vampires, shadelings, descendants of gods, and demon hunters. However, Mimir was definitely the most special among them all. This huge skull came from a guardian giant¡ªthe demigod created by the goddess of creation, who was initially responsible for supervising the mortal races in the Plane of Dreams. How did such a guardian giant end up on Earth?


    Hao Ren vaguely felt that if he could unravel the truth of Ymir¡¯s arrival on Earth, he would be able to figure out how the unusual creatures came to this planet.


    A demigod guardian was unlikely to be ¡°blown¡± to this planet as other unusual creatures were. Unless he came on a mission.


    Ymir seemed to be confused by Hao Ren¡¯s question. ¡°Where I come from? Are you talking about the Wisdom Spring? Oh, I really didn¡¯t expect you to be interested in it. As the Yggdrasil spatial chain collapsed thousands of years ago, it¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about that,¡± Hao Ren said, waving his hand. ¡°Where do you think the supernatural races on Earth come from?¡±


    Mimir¡¯s face turned solemn.


    The old giant realized that this man was somewhat different from the shallow juniors he had met before. This ¡®human¡¯ had raised a rather fundamental question.


    ¡°Some scholars in the demon hunter organization have studied this matter,¡± said Mimir, carefully choosing his words. ¡°Odin had also thought about this¡ªhe was a brainy guy. But they all couldn¡¯t come to a conclusion. Since you have asked, I think you should have at least known that we are not native of this planet,¡± he said.


    Hao Ren carefully observed the expression on Mimir¡¯s face. He sighed. ¡°Looks like you are like others; you don¡¯t remember the things of the other world. Probably this is good for you.¡±


    Mimir asked, ¡°What does this mean?¡±


    ¡°Because it is not a good memory,¡± Hao Ren said, shaking his head. ¡°Do you know what news Hasse has brought back from the Ancattero territory?¡±


    Mimir¡¯s brows knit together and said, ¡°It is said that he has unraveled the secrets of the innate hostility and the evidence that the ¡®killing instinct¡¯ was controlling the demon hunters for a long time. It could be said that the second Woe of Madness started after he returned from Ancattero. The news that he brought back disturbed the sages who were severely affected by the black sword. So the balance was broken, and the sages began to show their dark side.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. He began to get an idea of Mimir¡¯s level of understanding of the truth. It seemed that Hasse did not manage to reveal the entire truth of the Sin of the Divine Blood. Mimir did not know the whole truth; only the revelation of the reality of the innate hostility itself but not the story behind it.


    Hao Ren thought for a moment. He had gotten a plan in his mind. Nodding to Mimir, he said, ¡°We will have to first clean up the mess left by this civil war. After that, Vivian and I will come back and have something to tell you.¡±


    ¡°Looks like you are here giving me a heads-up,¡± Mimir said. The corner of his mouth arched upwards as he uttered the popular phrase. Though trapped in the tower, he seemed to know what was going on in the outside world. ¡°I can feel that it won¡¯t be a good thing,¡± he said.


    ¡°Maybe but it will completely make you change your mind to abandon the peaceful life you want,¡± Vivian said. ¡°It will give you a chance to reunite with your own people. Yeah, you should have guessed it ¨C we know where the supernatural races on Earth come from, your hometown and the news of your own people. We will tell you that information to reciprocate your favor of telling us the truth.¡±


    ¡°My own people¡­¡± Mimir mumbled, and there was a slight change in his eye expression. Slowly shutting his eyes, Mimir said, ¡°I understand. I will wait for you.¡±


    In the following days, Coldpath was recovering gradually. The statistical data collection and cleaning up of the post-war Coldpath were in full swing.


    When the power of the Godslayer dissipated, the shadows that had engulfed this alien dimension for thousands of years had finally faded. As expected, the surviving members of the Council of Elders began to recover their sanity, and the most severely affected commanders were returning to normal gradually. Armed with the experience of treating Claude, the master magicians under the command of Lanina began to give the affected soldiers external stimuli, which significantly sped up their recovery process.


    The Netherrealm Clock Tower, which was once distorted to becoming a different dimension, had stabilized and returned to its normal state in just a few days; the floors and rooms that had once disappeared had returned. The follow-up investigation team had found and rescued many trapped demon hunters from the once-mysterious zones. Those demon hunters were fine except for physical exhaustion.


    The additional structure of the Netherrealm Clock Tower had returned to the space-time gap. Teuton had only managed to make a rough map of these areas before they disappeared. This map might be able to help the demon hunters to understand the space-time structure of the tower.


    The demon hunters would not abandon Netherrealm Clock Tower. They would regard it as their sacred land despite being more dangerous and unpredictable than the other ruins in Coldpath.


    The recovery of the demon hunters who were trapped and turned into walking dead in the tower was the most exciting news. At least during this terrible and difficult situation, there was some good news that brought hope to them.


    The remaining leaders of the Council of Elders, the elders of foreign affair, and the disciples and attendants who were trained by the twelve sages were elites in the demon-hunter organization. During the civil war of Coldpath a.k.a. the second Woe of Madness, they were trapped in the Netherrealm Clocktower and surviving the catastrophe. Now, these highly respected people who had just recovered their strength were trying to get rid of the effects of the remnant of the whisper in their minds while at the same time rebuilding the social order. As the sages had all died and the Council of Elders existed in name only, these ad hoc groups of elders and masters must set up a proper governing team as soon as possible. Otherwise, the disaster would not be deemed to have really ended.


    However, the good news was that these demon hunters had done a rather good job: after all, those who had climbed to their current positions were by mean mediocre. Even the melee-type elders like Hasse who were hunting down the unusual creatures all over the world had accumulated quite a few thousand years of experience and wisdom. Coupled with the help of the survivors of the Council of Elders, things had been smooth.


    Hao Ren and his team remained in Coldpath for a few days, helping out the demon hunters in the cleaning up works.


    A large temple floating dozens of kilometers below the Netherrealm Clocktower was used as a temporary command center and transit station. This temple suffered the least damage in the war and was the first to have restored its functionality.


    The vast square in front of the temple became the camp of the demonic army. Hao Ren and Lanina stood on a high platform at the entrance of the temple, overlooking the Ethereal technicians installing demonic radio towers on the edge of the square. Lanina compressed its sexy purple lips and then said, ¡°Once completed, there will be WIFI in the camp.¡±


    Hao Ren was struck dumb.


    As everyone already knew, the demonic army came to Earth through an unstable space crack.


    And everyone also knew that Hao Ren opened up the space crack through an explosion.


    Since the one-time space crack had been blown up, the demonic army must stay on Earth for a little longer. To not let the demonic army cause trouble in the human world, Hao Ren had allowed this army to continue to remain in Coldpath. The demonic soldiers had not objected to this arrangement though. Knowing that they had to wait here for half a month, they had quickly begun to set up their camp. While the humans and demon guards set up tents in the relatively large buildings, the Ethereal technicians took out their high-tech gadgets, one of which was the WIFI that Lanina mentioned.


    The demon hunters also had no objection to this arrangement. They had just survived the most challenging time with the help of the demonic army, whom they now had a good impression of. They now welcomed these guests from the alien planet to stay in their place. The demonic army was also helping them to restore the internal order of Coldpath, which the demon hunters could not have asked for more.


    ¡°War¡­¡± Looking at the noisy soldiers in the square, Hao Ren whispered to Lanina, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you and your men.¡±


    Lanina¡¯s slender succubus tail curled into two circles in the air. She smiled at Hao Ren. ¡°You are welcome. We fight for our king, and we don¡¯t ask questions. Our king¡¯s wish is our command. We are soldiers that used to overrun the whole world. We are here to fight, who we fight is irrelevant.¡±


    Lanina then paused before she continued. ¡°That aside, you are still the lord of Aerym, we are your people. It is only natural that people join and serve in the army. You have done us a big favor, and we have to reciprocate. It is said that the elves have done a lot for you, so we also have to do something.¡±


    ¡°As a demon¡­¡± Hao Ren looked at the succubus with a forced smile on his face. ¡°You have a great mental attitude,¡± he said.


    Lanina shrugged. ¡°Like a demon, my mental attitude is a basket case,¡± she said.


    Hao Ren curled the corner of his mouth, quietly taking his eyes off Lanina¡¯s face. Although Lanina was frigid, she was still a succubus. It would be better not to stare at her too often to avoid losing himself.

 Chapter 1033

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    While chatting with Lanina, he suddenly saw the temple door open not far away. A familiar figure came out. It was Hasse.


    ¡°There¡¯s no time like the present,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°Let¡¯s get things done today.¡±


    Hasse had been running around fixing the terrible situation in Coldpath. He had not gotten any rest for the past few days.


    Besides, he had to fight his own screwed up brain.


    Though the dark power of the Godslayer had dissipated, its whisper had affected the demon hunters who were once trapped in this space-time crack. Hasse was one of them. Space and time distortion as a result of the abnormal state of the Netherrealm Clock Tower had also damaged the minds of those who were trapped in the tower. Hasse and other demon hunters who came out of the Netherrealm Clock Tower had been plagued by a sequela called somnambulism.


    But compared to the just-ended chaos in Coldpath, this sequela was pale in comparison.


    Hao Ren and Lanina left the platform and came up to Hasse. The two of them called out at Hasse, but the old demon hunter only heard them after they had called him repeatedly. Seeing his condition, Hao Ren asked, ¡°Hasse, is your somnambulism condition still serious?¡±


    Hasse quickly sorted himself and became composed as he always was. He smiled apologetically. ¡°It is getting better. The hallucinations have almost gone. Sorry, I was in thought just now.¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his chin. If somnambulism could cause such a severe condition to demon hunters like Hasse, the situation of other weaker demon hunters would be worse. It was not easy for these guys to carry out the reconstruction work with such a chaotic state of mind.


    Somnambulism was the common sequela of those who were trapped in the tower. It could be a result of being confined in the space-time crack for a long time, where their senses were degraded, and they were mentally exhausted. Besides, there were various symptoms of distorted perceptions of time-lapse and reality, short-term memory disorder, etc. Fortunately, after a careful examination, Y¡¯zaks told them that the signs were just temporary and they would go away entirely within a few days to a month, depending on individual physique. Hasse had the fastest recovery rate.


    ¡°I was thinking to wait until you completely recover from somnambulism before we discuss the matter, but I¡¯m short of time,¡± Hao Ren said, scratching his chin. ¡°It seems that your somnambulism is not serious enough to affect your judgment. So it¡¯s almost time¡­¡±


    Hasse could sense the seriousness in Hao Ren¡¯s tone of voice. He could not help but become nervous. ¡°Is there anything important?¡± he asked.


    Hao Ren glanced at Hasse with a strange look on his face. ¡°Why are you so nervous suddenly?¡±


    Hasse could not help it. He said, ¡°The last time you spoke in this tone of voice, you told me about the Sin of the Divine Blood, and Coldpath plunged into chaos a few days after I returned. Later, I heard from the Countess that you¡¯re a harbinger of bad luck, what you say always turns into reality. So I was wondering what you¡¯re up to this time.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    Lanina, who was always calm and steady, almost could not help bursting out in laughter. The succubus was trying too hard to suppress his laughter until her face was utterly twisted, her tail was waving in the air, and the demon wings on her back were shaking as if she had a cramp. Hao Ren could not help but said, ¡°Y¡¯zaks is not here, you can laugh out loud if you want.¡±


    Lanina¡¯s tail was almost twisted into Fried Dough Twist. ¡°Oh¡­ no¡­ I am the strategist of my king¡­ I shouldn¡¯t show my emotion¡­¡± she said though she was already half laughing.


    ¡°Alright, I got it. Now, go and find Y¡¯zaks. Tell him that I¡¯m going to make an announcement. Also, don¡¯t forget to find Lily. Most likely, she¡¯s not with anyone. You would probably be able to find her in the kitchen.¡±


    After Hao Ren finished giving the instructions, Lanina, who used to have a poker face, stretched her wings, fluttered and flew into the distance with her twisted face from a suppressed laughter. Looking at her from behind, Hao Ren said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know the succubus was so risible before this¡­ Hey, Lanina! You¡¯re going in the wrong direction! The army camp is on the left!¡±


    After Lanina adjusted her course and flew toward the army camp, Hao Ren turned to Hasse and said, ¡°I have something to announce. It is about the historical inheritance of the demon hunters and the truth of the sages. These matters could subvert your worldview. It¡¯s going to have a huge impact on the demon hunters of the middle and lowest rung of the ladder. You must not tell everyone directly.¡±


    Hasse had smelled it. ¡°Is it about the setting up of a new Council of Elders?


    After the collapse of the original ruling structure, Hasse and those who were highly respected among the demon hunters urgently organized a new leadership team. This ad hoc team included the Council of Elders¡¯ survivors, the elders who were not sitting in the Council of Elders, and the masters who had demonstrated their outstanding leadership and organizational quality in the civil war. White Flame and Teuton were among them.


    As all the sages had died, and with less than one in ten members of the Council of Elders remained, even young people like White Flame had become a part of the leadership.


    ¡°Summon only the elders, the people you trust, and the most mature and rational,¡± Hao Ren said. He then thought for a moment. ¡°White Flame and Teuton are also included. They are already informed of this.¡±


    Hasse¡¯s brows suddenly knit together and said, ¡°Is it about the first sage?¡±


    ¡°White Flame has already told you?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s eyebrows arched. ¡°Well, I knew she was going to tell you. That¡¯s right. That is the matter.¡±


    Hasse took a deep breath and said, ¡°She didn¡¯t reveal too much. I found some changes when I read ancient books. Well, I have already known the nature of the matter, I am going to call everyone to gather,¡± he said.


    An hour later, Hasse had assembled those who were qualified to participate in the meeting. Lanina had also gathered those were on Hao Ren¡¯s side. They came to a room in the great shrine, ready for the truth that would subvert the worldview of all demon hunters.


    The room was as spacious as a hall. Dozens of demon hunters, some looked solemn, some looked tired, and some seemed confused sat at the long table in the center of the room¡ªthere were all the elder-class leaders that Hasse could find.


    Meanwhile, Hao Ren and his men were sitting on the other end of the table. Vivian was sorting out the information at hand, the Nangong family sat straight and still as if a static background, Y¡¯zaks, and Lanina were talking in a low voice about the situation in Helcrown. Y¡¯lisabet, who liked to ask questions, was sitting quietly at the side holding a small radio that had been half dissembled in her hand, which was enough to keep her occupied for hours.


    Lily, the main character of the meeting, had dozed off at the table with drool flowing all over the table.


    ¡°What happened to her again?¡± Hao Ren frowned, whispering to Vivian.


    Vivian sighed. ¡°She overate barbecue last night and too bloated to sleep at night, ending up sleeping like a pig during the day.¡±


    Hao Ren was dumbfounded.


    ¡°Ahem, I think everyone is here,¡± Hasse said, getting to his feet. ¡°Shall we begin?¡±


    Hao Ren shot Lily a sideways glance and ignored the husky temporarily, letting sleeping dogs lie, literally. Then he got to his feet, and his eyes swept across the room and said, ¡°So, those of you who are present here are the top leaders of the demon hunters. I think there is no introduction needed now and I believe that Hasse has already given everyone a heads-up. What I¡¯m about to tell you today is of great importance. I hope that all of you could look at it calmly, objectively and with an open mind.¡±


    If it were before the civil war, the demon hunters would have hardly bothered with the warning given by the alien race. They might have even picked a fight. But after the chaos of Coldpath, the surviving elders had changed. They had shown seriousness and attention to every word Hao Ren said.


    Hao Ren gestured with his hand, and immediately a few demonic guards came up and placed large boxes on the long conference table.


    When the boxes were opened, the elders found that articles such as ancient scrolls, stationery, and divine artifacts of the demon hunters were inside the boxes. Though these articles were old and not used anymore in the present time, they all had the insignia of a demon hunter.


    Nangong Wudi, Nangong Sanba, Claude, White Flame, and Teuton got to their feet, put the articles in front of the elders so that the elders could circulate among themselves and take a look.


    ¡°These are¡­¡± Gregowen was one of the most knowledgeable and most senior elders at the scene. He quickly knew the value of these articles from the features and remnant aura of these antiques. ¡°These are the stuff of the early days of the Council of Elders. Where did you find them?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Just take a look first,¡± Hao Ren said, telling the elders not to harp on how he got the things. ¡°This is only a part¡ªthe most typical part. I think a few people among you must have already got wind of it: about your sages, the early society of the demon hunters, and the curse of the black sword¡ªall that you want to know is in these ancient books.¡±

 Chapter 1034

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The room was quiet. Everyone was silently circulating the precious ancient instruments and artifacts. The demon hunters were engrossed in the relics, holding every piece handed to them carefully as if they were treasures too valuable to be broken. Except White Flame and Teuton, all of the demon hunters in the room were the most profound and senior figures, who could fully appreciate the value and significance of these antique items: the old scrolls, letters on the slates, crystals that recorded information, as well as ancient artifacts with inscriptions, each of which had a history of at least 6,000 years. That was the period when demon hunters were a real established power. It was also a historical turning point for them.


    Not to mention, an era covered in a fog of mystery.


    The demon hunters knew that they had a lot in common with other otherworldlings on the planet. Even if they had been trying to define the differences, they could not deny the fact that they had also suddenly appeared on Earth 10,000 years ago. They knew that they had at least 10,000 years of historical inheritance on this planet, but there was a blank period 6,000 years ago: it was a gap in their history, which could be in the range of few hundred years.


    The few hundred years were a mere snap of the fingers compared to their inheritance of 10,000 years, but it was also the most critical period.


    Before this blank period, the demon hunters were just a small group of people who wandered in the cold north. Despite their superior physical strength and magic ability, they did not develop their own profession and power system due to the lack of necessary technical and cultural knowledge. They were weak. They lived in seclusion in the snow land to keep themselves away from the powerful otherworldlings who were wandering around the world at the time. Almost no otherworldlings knew their existence.


    After this blank period, the demon hunters suddenly prospered. They had a home called Coldpath in a different dimension where there were countless ancient ruins to discover and wealth left behind by a super civilization. They began to develop their own talents, forming the standard demon-hunter power system. More importantly, they had established an ambitious spiritual goal and were united by the noble goal of killing the otherworldlings by launching the first War of Demon Hunting in history.


    But no one knew precisely how this blank period happened: the history of this hundred years was missing mysteriously.


    After the blank period of a hundred years, the demon hunters suddenly reappeared and became the most violent people on the planet.


    Scholars had spent a great deal of time and effort trying to uncover the truth, but there was no significant discovery made. The sporadic pieces of evidence that they found were merely insufficient to unveil what happened during the hundred-year blank period. It was the greatest regret for the demon hunters. Elder Gregowen once said, ¡°We have a glorious history of 10,000 years, but we have lost the most critical 100 years!¡±


    Such an unnatural fault would inevitably lead to the speculation of conspiracy theories.


    But Hao Ren knew it. There was only one reason for their historical blackout: Vivian had participated in the rise of the demon hunters during the entire period of hundreds of years. She could be deemed the main character of the rise of the demon hunters. When her name and deeds were erased, there was nothing left in this hundred-year history.


    ¡°This-This¡­¡± Elder Gregowen¡¯s hands trembled as he held an ancient scroll, the contents of which horrified and confused him. His heart was racing. ¡°The 14th sage mentioned here¡­¡±


    Without waiting for Gregowen to finish, Hao Ren got to his feet and asked, ¡°Do you need to verify the authenticity of the scroll?¡±


    The elders in the room looked at each other. They all had read the critical evidence, but the truth struck them so hard that they found it unbelievable. They began to question their understanding and were suspicious of everything they saw, including the instruments before them.


    ¡°If these are true, it would the biggest joke in history,¡± Elder Andaherr said. Her voice was hoarse, and her slightly petite body shrank into her oversized windbreaker as if she was hiding from something, ¡°And it¡¯s not funny.¡±


    Hao Ren did not say a thing, just shrugging and smiling, as if admitting that reality was indeed more bizarre than in the novel.


    ¡°There is no doubt about the authenticity of these instruments,¡± said Claude, getting to his feet. ¡°These things have been kept in the secret chamber of the first sage for the past few thousand years. There is still a residue of magic blessings left by the first sage. You can see it for yourself. And¡­¡±


    While speaking, Claude¡¯s eyes fell on Elder Gregowen.


    ¡°Elder Gregowen, you¡¯re the most senior here. If I have not guessed wrong, you should be able to verify the authenticity of these records,¡± Claude said.


    Gregowen let out a sigh, pinching his brows with his hand as if he was drained. He then looked at his juniors who were waiting for his reply. After a long while, he knocked on the table and said, ¡°I am afraid¡­ this is true.¡±


    There was some commotion.


    ¡°I was troubled by some fragmented dreams and memories since three days ago,¡± Gregowen said and let out a sigh again. ¡°At first I thought it was the influence of the somnambulism, but soon the hallucinations disappeared, only these fragmented memories and dreams kept appearing. Now I finally figured out that it was the memory of my childhood. Several of my old friends should know that I have vague images of my childhood, which are part of our lost memories.¡±


    Gregowen forced a smile and pointed to the ancient scrolls on the table.


    ¡°I saw Vivian Ancestor leading the demon hunters in the Arctic Circle and the early excavation work in Coldpath. Although I have only recovered a small portion of my memory, it is certainly consistent with the records in the scrolls,¡± Gregowen said.


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyes brightened up.


    He thought that the demon hunters of 6,000 years ago had all died, but to his surprise, there was still one alive, that was Gregowen, who would be able to testify.


    It was just that the curse of the Godslayer was so powerful that it had permanently damaged some of Gregowen¡¯s brain and thus his memory. Perhaps Gregowen back then was too fragile, and the curse had affected him severely. The old demon hunter could only recall a limited amount of memory. Otherwise, the evidence would be even more convincing.


    Anyway, the mystery began to clear up.


    Hao Ren told the elders all he had heard about Vivian, the rise of the demon hunters and the truth of the Woe of Madness caused by the black sword from Ymir. But he did not go into detail about the origins of the sword and the deicide behind it, because the background was complicated and it was impossible to explain clearly all at once. While Hao Ren narrated the events, White Flame, Teuton, and Claude added details to the explanation, making the stories more credible.


    The vague fragments of memory in Gregowen¡¯s mind fit perfectly with the facts.


    ¡°That¡¯s all about it,¡± Hao Ren said after telling what he knew. He then pointed to Vivian and said, ¡°She is your 14th sage. Strictly speaking, she is the most qualified leader of demon hunters who are still alive. Whether you are willing to admit it or not, she is your supreme leader who succeeded the dead sages.¡±


    But, she is not the only one, Hao Ren thought to himself.


    The leaders at the scene could not believe the story about the 14th sage.


    Even Vivian herself was stunned.


    According to the old family law, Vivian had never abdicated her status as the 14th sage. When the other sages died, the vampire naturally became the de facto leader of the demon-hunter organization.


    As if this was not shocking enough, Hao Ren did not give the elders time to digest by dropping another bombshell. ¡°I have something more mind-boggling to tell you.¡±


    Andaherr got to her feet and said with a shivery voice, ¡°Is there anything more hair-raising than this?¡±


    Andaherr grasped with her mind. What could have more mind-bending than that Vivian was the head of the demon hunters? She thought.


    Lily was asleep at the table. Hao Ren grabbed her up by her collar, waved the husky maiden in front of everyone. ¡°Meet your ancestor.¡±


    Jolted from her sleep, Lily opened her eyes. She was groggy with saliva dripping from her mouth. ¡°What is going on?¡±

 Chapter 1035

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Compared to Vivian being the Fourteenth Sage, the reincarnation of the First Sage in Lily¡¯s body was mind-boggling. It was not just out of human reasoning, it could also be deemed a bad joke.


    But the joke had turned out to be true.


    The revelation of Lily¡¯s identity had caused an uproar. The demon hunters in the room were the top figures in their world. Each of them was extremely wise, calm and steady, but the news came like a bolt out of the blue and stunned even them.


    They were dumbstruck, but no one stood up and objected.


    Hao Ren nodded slightly. He knew that underreaction was the proper demeanor of the ancients. The impulsive young demon hunters would have been too willing to express themselves had they heard the news, but not the ancients. The ancients would question, object, or deny, but they would carefully study it before making any conclusion. The ancients were too wise to think that Hao Ren was making a joke.


    They would question but never dismiss it quickly.


    ¡°Evidence.¡± Elder Gregowen knocked on the table; his response was concise.


    ¡°There is no clear physical evidence because she is a soul reincarnation in a dog¡¯s body, unfortunately,¡± Hao Ren said, shrugging. Lily began to growl in protest as Hao Ren continued. ¡°The only evidence is her soul and memory. But I guess you have not the ability to verify the soul of the First Sage,¡± he said.


    ¡°She still remembers something,¡± Vivian said, glancing at Lily. ¡°She has just recovered some memories, which could be used as evidence.¡±


    Lily growled and bared her fangs, but it seemed that her tactics did not work. She turned around and looked at the demon hunters with saliva stains still at the corner of her mouth. Lily felt that she should do something. Her eyes swept across the room and landed on Gregowen. ¡°There is a scar on your shoulder. Unless you grow new flesh and blood to erase it, it will stay with you forever,¡± she said.


    Gregowen looked back on his shoulder; the scar was still there. But he shook his head and said, ¡°This means nothing at all. Some of my friends know this too. It is not a secret.¡±


    ¡°I gave you the scar; I whacked you because you peed in the barn last time,¡± Lily said.


    Everyone was as quiet as a church mouse. Embarrassed, Gregowen almost passed out on the spot.


    ¡°Well, I guess this should be a highly classified thing, no?¡± Hao Ren glanced at Gregowen cautiously, making sure that the old man had not really passed out. He then turned his head and pinched Lily¡¯s pointed ear. ¡°How could you talk about this when this is a serious meeting?¡± he chided.


    ¡°Ouch! Ouch!¡±


    The rebuke aside, Hao Ren felt a sense of relief; he did not know that the memory Lily recovered had included these little memories of this old demon hunter, which had actually lent more credibility to the whole story.


    Elder Gregowen¡¯s face was deadpan; he did not know what to say more. The gentle but harsh First Sage remained the shadow of his childhood. Now it had turned into a husky, and the shadow seemed to have only grown bigger.


    The First Sage had become a husky; the old demon hunter had more or less believed in the story now.


    The atmosphere was awkward because of the embarrassing revelation of Gregowen¡¯s childhood. Lily broke free from Hao Ren. She tidied her silver hair, got to her feet and looked at everyone in the room.


    Hao Ren stared at her spontaneously; he felt a change in the maiden¡¯s temperament. But this was not the temperament of the First Sage. It was calm and restrained, mild but slightly sharp. Probably this was the other side of Lily facing with strangers; the temperament of a literary and artistic young woman who had experienced the most turbulent century in the world.


    ¡°Well, as you can see, I have no evidence to prove my identity,¡± Lily said composedly. She would look even smarter if not for her furry tail behind her. ¡°I only have fragmented memories, which are related to the parents and grandparents of those who are present here today. It is the memory of our vagabond life on the ice sheet in the north some 6,000 to 10,000 years ago, and also the memory of building Coldpath as our home. But all the people who know these things are already dead. I had twelve old friends, but they died a few days ago, in a goddamn ritual. We didn¡¯t even have a chance to see each other and said hi. Yes, everyone is dead. The only one who could testify this is Gregowen, who was still a mischievous kid back then. Gregowen, look at your beard, you are so old now,¡± Lily said.


    Gregowen stroke his beard spontaneously. He suddenly realized that he became timid and evading Lily¡¯s eyes. He was startled by his own reactions. Then he realized that these were his instinctive reactions as a kid before an elder.


    ¡°It¡¯s such a terrible thing. The demon hunters who lived back then have mostly gone today,¡± Lily said, pressing her hands on the table. ¡°How long can a demon hunter live? Ten thousand years if free from disease or disaster; almost forever if properly learning the power of your blood. So what caused the premature death of a generation¡ªor even several generations¡ªof demon hunters?¡± she asked.


    Lily paused and let out a sigh before she continued. ¡°Because of the War of Demon Hunting, all of them died an unnatural death during those 6,000 years. So today you are not here to discuss any historical issues, nor to testify my or Battie¡¯s identity. What you really should consider is your future after knowing the truth. To be honest, I don¡¯t feel a thing about being the First Sage. It belongs to my previous life, and I have never thought of who I was in previous life 99 % of the time. I don¡¯t like you demon hunters, because you have wanted to kill me the first time you saw me. I don¡¯t like your Coldfrost Citadel either because the internet connection there is just hopelessly slow. I don¡¯t like the ¡®Sage¡¯ title because I died once with this title and ended up rotting in the secret chamber!¡±


    Lily rarely talked so much in such so seriously. Hao Ren and Vivian were rooted to the spot listening to her speech. But Lily herself did not realize that she was unconsciously speaking from the perspective of a sage first, then only in her own capacity as Lily.


    The reverberation of the soul of the First Sage seemed to have appeared in her for a moment, then dissipated.


    ¡°So, I¡¯m not interested in living with the First Sage title. I¡¯m standing here because Mr. Landlord asked me so. He said that you had the right to know, and I listened to him. So here I am. As for what I said is true or not, I don¡¯t have any evidence to back myself up, and I can¡¯t find any evidence,¡± Lily said, pouting before flinging herself into her chair. ¡°But I¡¯m your ancestors anyway, believe it or not.¡±


    The room became quiet again. Lily took out a pack of snacks from Hao Ren¡¯s pocket, ripped it open and stuffed the content into her mouth. The only sound in the room came from the crunching sound of snacks.


    ¡°Ahem.¡± Vivian got to her feet. ¡°So let¡¯s discuss the news embargo,¡± she said.


    Hao Ren leaned over to Lily and nervously grasped the hand of the husky maiden. ¡°Lily, Lily?¡±


    Rolling her eyes and gorging the snacks, Lily replied, ¡°What¡¯s up, Mr. Landlord?¡±


    ¡°Are you Lily or the First Sage now?¡± Hao Ren asked, staring into Lily¡¯s eyes as if he wanted to find something out of her golden eyes.


    ¡°I am Lily,¡± the canine maiden replied and pushed Hao Ren away. ¡°I was in my reflective mode just now. I have had a greater impassioned moment on the street of Shanghai back then. This scene here is child¡¯s play.¡±


    After she babbled passionately and made herself look better, she passed the buck to the rest of them. She refused to participate in any speeches and decisions anymore. For the next two hours, the demon hunters had all the time for themselves.


    Two hours later, Hao Ren came out of the temple, feeling refreshed: things were finally over.

 Chapter 1036

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    They would not make Vivian and Lily¡¯s identities public just yet.


    Hao Ren knew how it would be from the beginning. The news of the First and Fourteenth Sages would impact the demon hunter world negatively, especially during such time of uncertainty. When the demon hunters began to doubt their beliefs, telling them that their 6,000-year history was a joke would cause unimaginable consequences: it was not going to be mental shock therapy.


    The shock was guaranteed but not therapy.


    The identity of Vivian and Lily would remain confidential, but at the right time, it would be revealed gradually, one at a time.


    After an intense debate with the support of Gregowen¡¯s memories, evidence of ancient instruments and artifacts, and testimony of Lily, the elders had no choice but accepted Vivian as the Fourteenth Sage and Lily, the First Sage reincarnated. But not everyone was convinced; some had reservations, but that was not going to change anything.


    For now, this truth was only known to the elders. They would reveal it to the more matured assistants and apprentices, including the masters under the Council of Elders. Meanwhile, they were going to set up a research team. The main task of this team was to explore the collections and ancient treasures in the Netherrealm Clock Tower. During the process, they would gradually reveal more truth and then prepare for public discourse to pave the way for fully disclosing the truth.


    The process was complicated. There would be the guidance of public discourse, the creation of momentum, maintenance of stability, and assurance of a channel for criticism and suggestion. Hao Ren had to cover every aspect, but the wise elders would take care of that. Hao Ren believed that the demon hunters would overcome these difficulties. They had strong organizational ability and sense of obedience.


    At a small shrine next to the Netherrealm Clock Tower, Hao Ren and several demon hunters were standing on high ground and watching the ethereal technicians calibrating the portals. Though there were still more than half a month before the demonic army could go back, the experts of the demonic army had already begun to prepare for their return. The military portals required a massive amount of energy and Lanina did not want to bother Hao Ren this time. The ethereal technicians were trying to connect the military gateways to the abundant energy nodes of Coldpath to harness the energy that the goddess of creation had left behind.


    The experiment was fruitful. Earlier this morning, they had successfully fired up a portal with ancient energy of Coldpath. But it overloaded the gateway, which then exploded.


    Lanina was not worried though; it was not a technical problem. The reason for the explosion was probably due to Y¡¯lisabet was passing by the portal at that time. Though Lanina was not sure what the little princess had removed, she must have dismantled something.


    ¡°Fate has made a bad joke out of us,¡± Hasse said, standing beside Hao Ren. He looked at the noisy demons in the square with his only one eye. His voice was low. ¡°The noble idea, the lifetime mission that the demon hunters had been pursuing for the past 6,000 years turned out to be just an illusion that the whisper of a fallen weapon created. Now one of the supreme leaders of the demon-hunter organization is a vampire, the other one is a werewolf,¡± he said.


    After careful consideration, Hasse decided not to follow Hao Ren in calling Lily a husky demon.


    ¡°Would you accept these ¡®supreme leaders¡¯?¡± Hao Ren asked and looked at the old demon hunter with a wry smile.


    Hasse faintly said, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Hao Ren waved. ¡°Nothing. They are not interested in staying and rebuilding this goddamn place anyway. Coldpath is too small a stage for us,¡± he said.


    Hasse was silent. His eyes were glowing as if thinking of something.


    ¡°But you always have to remember,¡± Hao Ren continued, ¡°from a moral and logical point of view that you have two supreme leaders. You could say that Lily had died once and abdicated her position. But Vivian¡­ she is your Fourteenth Sage. The title itself may not mean anything, but I believe that it still influences you all significantly.¡±


    They would ultimately make known the identity of Vivian and Lily publicly one day; that day would not be far. Hao Ren had thought about keeping this secret forever. After all, the demon hunters did not know the truth in the past 6,000 years, and they still lived well. But after yesterday¡¯s secret meeting, he realized that the disclosure was inevitable: it would become a new turning point for the demon hunters.


    They had been living in a lie for 6,000 years. This lie had ultimately turned into the second Woe of Madness. Now if they wanted to wake up and build their new future, they should take this opportunity to reveal the truth to the world. This would also become an opportunity for them to end their ¡°hunting activity.¡±


    They remained silent for a while before Hao Ren suddenly sighed. ¡°The biggest problem is not in Coldpath, but on the outside,¡± he said.


    Those beside him were not stupid. Of course, they understood what Hao Ren was saying. Elder Andaherr looked into the direction of the Netherrealm Clock Tower, passing the tower through the space crack above into the distant surface world. ¡°The demon hunters have lost half of their men after the war, but this is not the worst. The worst thing is that our defense lines and citadels that we have built since the past 6,000 years have been scrapped. The strongholds around the world were now empty shells; the unusual creatures would not pass this opportunity up to capture these territories. Once the territories are lost, it is not so easy to take them back again. The balance has been broken, I¡¯m afraid that a floodgate will be opened in all the sanctuaries,¡± Andaherr said.


    ¡°So I will go to Athens with Vivian. We need to see the otherworldling representatives,¡± Hao Ren said with his arms crossed. ¡°In fact, before we came, there was already a small group of families trying to stir up a revolt, but their elders had out it down.¡±


    Hasse stared at Hao Ren, suddenly smiling with a wacky face, which was rare. ¡°When I first met you, I thought that you were in the otherworldling camp,¡± he said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t belong to any camps. I¡¯m truly neutral,¡± Hao Ren said, shrugging his shoulders. ¡°I only serve the higher level of balance. By the way, did you just say that the War of Demon Hunting in the past 6,000 years was just a joke? I don¡¯t think so,¡± he said.


    Hao Ren paused for a moment before continuing. ¡°No doubt that the killing itself is absurd, but it essentially has ended the chaos on the planet. Even if without the black sword in the dark side of you, the otherworldlings on Earth would still continue to fight among themselves, and sooner or later, you would join the killing because of the influence of the Sin of the Divine Blood. It is just a matter of time and of who would come out victorious. The whisper of the black sword made you the most powerful supernatural race on this planet, which in turn had stopped the killing that happened among the otherworldlings; a war had ended an endless melee. If those otherworldlings were to continue to fight among themselves, the death toll would not be any lesser than the number of people you had hunted. You had also indirectly given the true civilization on this planet¡ªthe human civilization¡ªan opportunity to flourish. In fact, the otherworldlings in the Mythological Era were not the ¡®standard¡¯ civilization; the true inheritance of this planet is still in the hands of the humans. This is how I look at the War of Demon Hunting in the perspective of an observer: an absurd war that has brought more good than harm.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a very grim judgment,¡± Gregowen said in a whisper. ¡°Those being hunted would not be very happy with your point of view.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. That¡¯s why I merely judged from the perspective of an observer and standard that is most favorable for the whole civilization,¡± Hao Ren replied, glancing at the few demon hunters around him. Now, from my personal point of view: you are all a bunch of idiots, and that¡¯s the most euphemistic way of saying.¡±


    Hasse thought for a moment and nodded slowly. ¡°Really, the most euphemistic way of saying.¡±


    Another half a day had passed. It was time for Hao Ren and his entourage to leave.


    The reconstruction work would be on the shoulder of the demon hunters. The demonic army would be under the command of Lanina. Hao Ren and his team had to leave for Athens¡¯ sanctuary to keep the overzealous families in check.


    This time they brought a special ¡®passenger.¡¯


    The skull of Ymir was fixed on a massive stone platform. Hao Ren had moved the platform out of the Netherrealm Clock Tower, and he was now directing the autonomous robots to move this large skull into the garage onboard the Petrachelys. This was the first time in thousands of years the giant¡¯s head left the Netherrealm Clock Tower. He was very emotional. ¡°I have been here for so long that I¡¯ve developed a longing for this place.¡±


    ¡°Being a captive, you are the most gifted one,¡± Vivian said, cracking a joke with her old friend. Though her memory about Ymir was lost, they were rebuilding their friendship. ¡°Do you have anything to say to them before you go?¡± Vivian asked.


    Ymir looked at the demon hunters on the platform and lowered his eyes slightly. ¡°Please stay alive. That¡¯s all I have to say.¡±


    Half an hour later, the Petrachelys left the temple platform. It opened a space crack above the Netherrealm Clock Tower and disappeared before the eyes of everyone.

 Chapter 1037

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After the Petrachelys left the Coldpath dimension, it first returned to Kuiper Station. During the brief stop, aside from the routine inspection and maintenance of the spacecraft, Hao Ren had also shown Ymir some places.


    The old giant was excited about spaceships and space.


    ¡°I have lived for 10,000 years¡­ at least 10,000 years,¡± said Ymir from his own compartment in the garage of the Petrachelys. He looked at the scenery outside of the spacecraft through a series of holograms. The grandeur of Kuiper Station excited him. ¡°I have never seen scenery like this before! Though I know that the world above the sky is vast, it still amazes me seeing it in person,¡± he said.


    ¡°How do you feel about the universe?¡± Hao Ren accompanied Ymir, trying to build a rapport with the giant as soon as possible because he had to find the right opportunity to tell the guardian about the Plane of Dreams. The giant was a demigod; it was only proper to let him know about the goddess of creation.


    Ymir thought for a moment and sounded confused. ¡°Magnificent and amazing. I don¡¯t know why but I feel a sense of familiarity as if I¡¯ve also experienced wandering in between the stars before. Some images of sailing in space flashed across my mind sometimes.¡±


    After hearing what Ymir said, Hao Ren was stunned. It was really that demigod was different from the mortal species. All the otherworldlings on Earth, regardless of their technological achievements, had lost their memory of the past after the Sin of the Divine Blood affected them. But Ymir had actually retained a vague memory of being a guardian.


    ¡°You used to travel in space too,¡± Hao Ren said bluntly. ¡°You come from a great race, are a glorious guardian, fighting for the balance of the lives in the universe. The images you recall are what you have really experienced. It is just that it¡¯s of another world.¡±


    ¡°Another world?¡± It was not the first Ymir had heard of these words from Hao Ren. But every time he heard it, he would have a different understanding. While in Coldpath, he thought that ¡®another world¡¯ that Hao Ren said was nothing more than a distant alien planet or a parallel universe. But when he saw the advanced and powerful patrol frigate Petrachelys, the giant space station outside, and the crew in the space station who were obviously working for Hao Ren, he had another thought. ¡°You have a spaceship, and you hold a very high position in this harbor, so you also have a lot of power in your hand, and your vision must be far-reaching. In this case, another world that you said must be more than just an alien planet.¡±


    ¡°There is a term, which I¡¯m afraid will take me some times to explain. But we still have a lot of time today, I can tell you slowly before I go to Athens,¡± Hao Ren said with his leg crossed sitting in front of Ymir. ¡°Do you know about the Plane of Dreams? It¡¯s a universe that coexists with the real world. It¡¯s like a phantom but also real.¡±


    While Hao Ren quietly explained, Ymir quietly listened.


    He began with the goddess of creation experimenting with the first species of life with the lifeblood and proceeding to the sow life in the Plane of Dreams. This was followed by the birth of the guardian race, and the growth of life in the Plane of Dreams. He also spoke of the shadows and undercurrents behind this prosperity. He thought that telling Ymir about this thing would be a stressful job, but after he started, he found that he was calmer than expected.


    Perhaps it was the result of two-year working as an inspector, or probably Raven 12345 the neurotic goddess¡¯ blessing had helped him, he felt having a very wonderful state of mind when telling these stories. He had not mixed his personal feelings nor did he add any unnecessary comment to the stories. He simply told what it was and what he knew, and classified them according to the true nature of each matter, letting Ymir make his own judgment. In this process, he became a veritable observer and witness, as stated in the inspector¡¯s inaugural manual:


    You are the beacon of the empire and sentry in the void; observing and getting feedback is your mission.


    Hao Ren told of the history of creation, the rebellion, the extinction of all beings, and the dark conspiracy in an absolutely third-party perspective.


    Ymir was listening quietly. He would only ask when he could not understand.


    It went smoother than he had expected, but the atmosphere was more bizarre than anticipated. After he finished, Hao Ren looked at the giant¡¯s skull, slightly perturbed. ¡°I¡¯ve finished. What do you think?¡±


    Ymir pondered for a moment and gave a four-word reply. ¡°It could not be worse.¡±


    ¡°Could not be worse?¡± Hao Ren was dumbfounded.


    ¡°It could not be worse than I had expected,¡± Ymir said, lowering his eyes. ¡°I had guessed it very early on that the otherworldlings on Earth came from another world, but I was not sure if it was another planet or another universe. But no matter where they come from, such a large-scale exile could only explain one thing, that is, our home has met with a catastrophe. So I prepared for the worst from the beginning: the complete destruction of our world and the great extinction of our own people. Whatever the reason, it will be an ultimate disaster. So I think it couldn¡¯t get any worse than this.¡±


    ¡°Fortunately, you lost your memory,¡± Hao Ren said with a sigh.


    ¡°It is true,¡± Ymir replied. ¡°Hearing that my compatriots became brain monsters and planet devourers, I was shocked by their transformation. But I could imagine how much grief they had experienced. If I could see it with my own eyes, if my memory is in good condition, I¡¯m afraid that my end would not be necessarily better than them.¡±


    ¡°But there are also guardians who remain normal,¡± Hao Ren reminded. ¡°Though they are rare, I have already begun to gather these people,¡± he said.


    ¡°Since you told me this,¡± Ymir looked up at Hao Ren, ¡°you must have your arrangement.¡±


    ¡°At the moment, I don¡¯t know how to bring you to meet your people,¡± Hao Ren said as he spread out his hand. ¡°It is relatively easy to bring a few mortals crossing the Wall of Reality as the minor data conflict would not cause widespread turbulence. But you are a demigod, and you are entangled in the cause and effect of the deicidal war; information entanglement is destructive to the Wall of Reality. I would consult my superior before deciding the method to arrange for you to meet your people. But no matter what the outcome is, I will at least find a way to arrange a meeting for you¡ª a video meeting at the very least.¡±


    Ymir had just heard Hao Ren explaining his identity as a Civilization Observer. Though the information about the macro world network was confidential, Ymir had guessed that there were some powerful forces behind the Civilization Observer. So he believed in the promise and accepted the arrangement that Hao Ren had made.


    ¡°In fact, I have a sense of mission.¡±


    Ymir suddenly said this.


    ¡°Sense of mission?¡± Hao Ren was curious.


    Ymir could not nod, so he blinked to signify affirmation. ¡°Yes. Though I couldn¡¯t remember what happened in my hometown, I realized from a long time ago that I was very different from other otherworldlings in the world. The differences are: they all come to Earth in groups, but I am alone; their innate hostility is almost out of control, but I can control my emotions very well; the most important thing is that they arrived on this planet and were randomly scattered around the world as if they had no plans. But I¡­ I remember that I came in some kind of vessel. The vessel was steadily parked on a plain. Judging from the surrounding environment, it was a smooth landing,¡± Ymir said.


    While saying, he looked at Hao Ren¡¯s spaceship. ¡°From what I could remember, I think that the vessel is like a ship; it is a spaceship.¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly became somber.


    Ymir had said the keywords: smooth landing.


    ¡°You came to Earth in a spaceship? Are you sure that it landed smoothly? He looked at Ymir¡¯s eyes. ¡°Do you know what a smooth landing of a spaceship looks like?¡±


    Ymir had lost his memory. Like the sirens of Nasaton, he had not even been able to tell the name of the vessel he used to ride in the past tens of thousands of years. The old giant had only realized that it was a spaceship after seeing Hao Ren¡¯s spacecraft, So Hao Ren was very skeptical about Ymir¡¯s judgment.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember how to pilot a spaceship, but at least I still remember that it was facing upright,¡± Ymir said and blinked. ¡°And it landed in the middle of a plain, and each of its landing gears unfolded at the right angle. There were no falling parts, no impact crater nor signs of a hard landing. Even if I didn¡¯t know that it was a spaceship, I could sense that it was stable when it landed on the earth,¡± he said.


    Hao Ren¡¯s mind was racing.


    The Nasaton, the giant spaceship of the sirens, crashed into the deep sea and the bottom of the ship was severely damaged. When the Tannaeans came to Earth, they certainly did not leave behind any spaceship, otherwise, they would not have been stranded in the Golden Manor for thousands of years and were still unable to launch their spacecraft, and not to mention the ancient gods such as Zeus and Odin who came to Earth alone and barely survived in the wilderness.


    All otherworldlings came to Earth and was forced to conduct a hard landing, if not crash landing.


    However, Ymir¡¯s spaceship landed smoothly!


    What did this mean? This showed that other races were thrown into this world passively. Only Ymir had arrived smoothly in his own vessel! He came here with a purpose!


    ¡°Where is that spaceship?¡± Hao Ren asked immediately.


    Ymir had lost his memory because he was still a living body after all, and the Sin of the Divine Blood affected the living body most. But his spaceship might have some records. The Nasaton spacecraft was a mortal-made object, so the ship¡¯s log was chaotic. But Ymir¡¯s spaceship was a semi divine artifact. It was the divine artifact to counter the divine blood, and the ship¡¯s log could have survived. The spacecraft may contain information that answered questions of the unusual creatures¡¯ crossing to Earth.

 Chapter 1038

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°Where is that spaceship?¡± Hao Ren asked anxiously.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid finding it would be hard,¡± said Mimir, eyes lowered, expressing regret. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what it was, but I thought it was the key to my memory and my hometown, so I hid it at the bottom of a well. It was connected to one of Yggdrasil¡¯s roots, becoming the Spring of Wisdom. My spacecraft was then gradually entangled with the roots of Yggdrasil. If I¡¯m not wrong, it has moved into the trunk of the world tree.¡±


    Hao Ren had already guessed what Mimir was going to say next.


    ¡°Yggdrasil has been destroyed. The demon hunter used the remnant power of the goddess of creation to blow it up,¡± Hao Ren said, knitting his brows together. ¡°But since your spaceship is also a divine artifact, it might survive the explosion.¡±


    ¡°So there is a great chance that it is still floating in the dimensional ruins of Svartalfheim or Jotunheim. If those dimensional ruins have collapsed, it may have drifted to some corner of the universe. Finding it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack,¡± Mimir said, sounding regretful. ¡°Yggdrasil was obliterated. The Nine Worlds are shattered, I don¡¯t think you can find those dimensional ruins,¡± he said.


    ¡°The Nine Worlds¡­¡± Hao Ren instantly thought of the legends about Norse mythology. Two years ago, he was still not interested in these mysterious and ancient stories. After being exposed to these things every day as Vivian constantly babbled about the world of thousands of years ago, he had accumulated quite a lot of knowledge in this field. ¡°It¡¯s said that the world tree Yggdrasil passes through the universe and supports the Nine Worlds. But I know that the real universe is far more extensive than what is described in Norse mythology. So what is the actual structure of Yggdrasil?¡±


    Now, Hao Ren was not only interested in Norse but also Greek and Egyptian mythologies. Norse mythology was the only one that explicitly mentioned the Twilight of the Gods event. The historical records of the demon hunters also had an account of their most massive attack on Asgard and Vanir. With his relationship with Mimir now, he was particularly curious about Yggdrasil.


    ¡°The world tree¡­ It certainly couldn¡¯t spread across the entire universe, but it did reach and support the Nine World,¡± Mimir said, recalling the past. ¡°It is nine different dimensions. Even during the ancient times where various supernatural phenomena were abundant, this kind of dimensional cluster was rare. Yggdrasil is an extremely ancient tree, but I don¡¯t know what it really is. I only know that its roots and branches pass through the gap of space and time, connecting the nine different dimensions in series like a necklace, besides reaching the other dimensions as well. The gods of Asgard and Vanir got rid of the primitive creatures and turned the dimensions into fortresses and built a Midgard closed laboratory in a dimension closest to Earth to observe human social activities. The stories of the Nine Worlds are basically told by the survivors of Midgard.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment. He had read about the attack of the demon hunters on the Norse gods in the record kept inside the Netherrealm Clock Tower. ¡°The demon hunters had only attacked the roots of Yggdrasil; they probably didn¡¯t completely destroy the Nine Worlds. When the connections between the Nine Worlds were destroyed, these dimensions drifted away from the Earth¡¯s coordinates.¡±


    ¡°You want to find my spaceship?¡± Mimir knew Hao Ren¡¯s obsession. ¡°Well, like I said, Svartalfheim or Jotunheim¡ªif you could find them.¡±


    ¡°They will be my next targets,¡± Hao Ren said, getting to his feet and adding the information into his schedule. ¡°Now, that¡¯s all about today¡¯s space travel. I hope you can go to Athens with us,¡± he said.


    ¡°Athens?¡± Mimir squinted. ¡°Well, I am also curious to see the descendants of the otherworldlings in the sanctuary. I have been in the Netherrealm Clock Tower for too long. The last time I saw the outside world was during the explosion of Asgard. Since then, I could only read about the changes in the outside world through the books and conversations of the demon hunters. I should thank you, after all, leaving the place is not a bad thing too.¡±


    Hao Ren just smiled and did not say anything more.


    After handing the Petrachelys to the crew in the space dock, Hao Ren directly brought his tenants of demon and monster to the Athens Sanctuary.


    The chaos of Coldpath was not only about the demon-hunter organization, but it had also affected the entire supernatural society on Earth. When Hao Ren brought the 100,000-strong demonic army to confront the Council of Elders, the otherworldling families in various sanctuaries on Earth were in turbulence. The sudden disappearance of their natural enemies brought not only a sense of relief but also nervousness to the family patriarchs.


    Conflicts began to brew among the Ancients, the vacillating medieval generation, and the restless new generation who was ready to overthrow the existing order. What was even more disturbing was the friction and suspicion between the various races. Though the truth about the significant change of the demon hunters was not yet evident, some foolhardy elements already could not wait to get out of the sanctuary and dividing the territory. These audacious chaps were a threat to the other races.


    As Hao Ren said: whether one admitted it or not and irrespective of the reason, the demon hunters had brought about a peaceful equilibrium to the supernatural races. As an ultimate threat to and a common enemy of all the otherworldlings, the demon hunters had not only forced the rivaling supernatural races to come together but also kept them away from the human world. And once this external force of demon hunters disappeared, the equilibrium would be disrupted.


    But in the 21st century where human civilization was the dominance, it would be difficult for the otherworldlings to rise to the surface.


    Hao Ren kept Mimir in his dimensional pocket; he hoped for the giant to only appear at a more appropriate time. Then, they came to the antique shop of Hesperides.


    There were not many changes to the old shop. The small store was full of strange antiques, which looked dull as if covered in a thick layer of dust. Looks like no customers had come to the store for a long time. Hao Ren had ample reason to believe that Hesperides¡¯ shop had never sold a single thing since its opening. It seemed that Hesperides had never wanted to sell anything even though all the antiques were original stuff, including the masks worn by the Pharaohs, the queen¡¯s crowns, the slates and papyrus of the ancient sages. They were not only genuine but some even still contained some mystic power. But Hesperides did not care; she seemed just to want to enjoy the antiques and immersed herself in the past.


    Though the nymph of the evening might appear carefree, every time when Hao Ren visited her antique shop, he could sense that Hesperides was no different from other Ancients who survived the Mythological Era. She surrounded herself with antiques, using the remnants of history to piece together the memory of the golden past and recollect the good old days while wiping these antiques.


    As they walked into the antique shop, Hesperides was sitting behind the counter with a faded iron mask in her hand. She wiped it over and over again, as though she was unaware of their arrival.


    ¡°The Shadowy Divide is closed,¡± Vivian said, sitting down in front of Hesperides. She took the iron mask from Hesperides and said, ¡°Is the situation inside the sanctuary bad?¡± Have the foolhardy chaps really beaten the oldfags?¡±


    Hesperides looked at them and twitched her mouth before she said, ¡°Nope. It¡¯s just too noisy inside. I come out for some quiet time and shut the door to prevent those audacious chaps from coming out.¡±


    After a pause, she threw the wiper aside and said, ¡°Let me guess: you all just came back from somewhere? So have you found out what happened to the demon hunters?¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian looked at each other. Hao Ren said, ¡°We¡¯ve gone to the headquarters of the demon hunters. If I¡¯m not wrong, the demon hunting activity will end.¡±


    There was a cracking sound.


    Hesperides had just snapped a piece of wood off the corner of the counter.

 Chapter 1039

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hesperides had never been so shocked.


    The demon-hunting activity would end!


    Those words, which probably meant nothing to ordinary people, came as a shock to Hesperides, who was the nymph that had lived since the Mythological Era. For a moment, she did not know what that meant. She stared at Hao Ren for a while. After Hao Ren repeated the sentence, she began to say with a trembling voice, ¡°Did all the demon hunters really disappear?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Hao Ren replied. He hesitated to tell her about the bad shape the demon hunters were currently in. ¡°They have some internal problems, but it is over. The War of Demon Hunting will end. They¡­ Well, as long as you can maintain the balance, the demon hunters will not actively kill the otherworldlings,¡± he said.


    Hesperides was smart enough to be able to read between the lines. But she said nothing, just pulling her brows together while she looked at Vivian curiously. ¡°Have you guys really gone to the lair of the demon hunters and returned unscathed? What were you doing there?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Would you believe me if I told you that I was there helping them?¡± Vivian looked at her old friend with a smile.


    Hesperides¡¯s expression took a sudden turn. Obviously, in her mind, it was unthinkable for a group of unusual creatures to help the demon hunters in their lair. Though Hao Ren once told Hesperides that his team was absolutely neutral, she still regarded them as part of the unusual-creature camp.


    ¡°You went to help the demon hunters?¡± the nymph of the evening said, her brows arched. ¡°Countess Vivian, what have you done?¡±


    ¡°The demon hunters are an important part of the balance,¡± Vivian said, deliberately making it sound inscrutable; it suited her ancient identity well. She wanted to let Hesperides realize that something was more than meets the eye. ¡°It was also for the safety of the sanctuary. The demon hunters have incredible ancient power in their hands. If they all die, it would only cause even bigger trouble. But let¡¯s not talk about this now, we have to go to check out the situation in the sanctuary. We heard that the noisiest troublemakers are here in Athens?¡±


    Hesperides shook her head helplessly. ¡°Yeah, because this is one of the biggest sanctuaries, communication with the outside world is relatively convenient, and most of the young families are here. But rest assured, the Hessianite Family, which used to be the worst, is the best-behaved in the sanctuary now. Now, your daughter is highly respected among the younger generation. She could handle the situation better than the old chaps could. Youngsters don¡¯t show respect nowadays¡ª¡±


    Before Hesperides finished, Vivian slapped the table and burst out. ¡°Have I not told you that the lass isn¡¯t my daughter? She is just a small bat that has fallen off me.¡±


    Hesperides looked emotionlessly at Vivian¡¯s hand that was still on the table. ¡°That¡¯s 600,000 euro. You just broke the frontal bone of Octavius,¡± she said.


    Vivian¡¯s eyebrows arched. ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me like that. I¡¯ve slapped Octavius before while he was still alive!¡±


    The two Ancients started to bicker.


    Hesperides opened the door to the sanctuary with an irksome face. Soon, they came to the sanctuary near the ¡®meeting hall.¡¯


    The reconstruction of the city in the shadow had not been completed. Traces of the last war were still visible. But the most significant difference Hao Ren felt was the atmosphere.


    A depressing, gloomy atmosphere was enveloping the streets of the city like there was an impending storm.


    Though the City of Shadows originally had a kind of depressive atmosphere, it was mostly due to the city¡¯s location in the shadowy Divide and the subtle relationship between the various races. The depressive atmosphere had never been so apparent as to cause discomfort. The streets and lanes here were obviously different now. Hao Ren could hardly see people on the streets. Even if there were, most of them were in a hurry and wearing costumes with family insignias. This meant that these people were not coming out to hang out but members of the large families.


    ¡°A few guys from the Shadowy Street and torch tower in the west had a scuffle,¡± Hesperides said while walking alongside them. ¡°They are all new families that have only become active in recent centuries. They¡¯re naive, overly confident, and unafraid of the authority. The situation worsened after we sent out our investigators: the investigator found the unmanned strongholds left behind by the demon hunters. They successfully destroyed them, but there was no retaliation by the demon hunters. As the destroyed strongholds dissipated in the turbulence of space and time, people thought that the demon hunters would never return.¡±


    ¡°The emerging small families?¡± Hao Ren was curious about the inheritance of the otherworldlings. ¡°How did these small families come about? I thought all families belong to ancient lineage? Why are there so many small families?¡±


    Hesperides sounded a little listless, but still explained patiently, ¡°Splits, exiles, deviance, and various other reasons. The Hessianite Family is composed of exiles, and some new families are spinoffs from the major ones. Some families are just the remains of several warring parties that have come together. Though we are hiding in the sanctuary, this doesn¡¯t mean that our social structure has become rigid. Most otherworldlings live for a long time, hundreds or even thousands of years, is long enough for us to produce many emerging families.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue mumbled, ¡°It sounds like these small families are weaklings.¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± Vivian said. ¡°It¡¯s not necessarily the older, the stronger. Just look at Hessiana; sometimes the bigger the hole in the brain, the stronger. Many things¡ªhistorical heritage or others¡ªwere lost during the Twilight of the Gods, but the impact was minimal. Of course, ancient families are more powerful overall, but the difference between the young and the old isn¡¯t as huge as you think.¡±


    A loud noise suddenly was heard coming from the front.


    Looking in the direction where the sound came from, Hao Ren saw a red light suddenly appearing from the meeting hall. This red light carried a vast amount of violent energy. Looking at it would feel a burning sensation. There was a large number of people gathering and shouting. A strange whistle sounding as if the whirlwind of the canyon rose from the crowd and bombarded his eardrums.


    Hesperides shrugged expressionlessly. ¡°That¡¯s why I come out to find some quiet time.¡±


    ¡°Youngsters nowadays¡­¡± Vivian buried her face in her hand and sighed. A gust of wind rose up, carrying lightning and dark cloud towards the crowd.


    Hao Ren was startled for a moment before he realized what it was and followed closely from behind.


    Troublemakers gathering in front of the meeting hall had occupied the entire square. Consisting of different races and families, these troublemakers seemed to be an organized force that was putting demands on those in the meeting hall. They swarmed the square, streets, and checkpoints, pushing against the barricade in front of the meeting hall. The red light that flashed across the square was the work of someone who wanted to bluster his strength and stir up more tumults, but the situation did not really become violent.


    In front of the meeting hall, guards were trying to maintain order. The sanctuary did not have a real government. Several large families, including the Hessianite Family and a few Ancients, were the ruling classes here. The guards were the soldiers of these Ancients and families. These amateurish guards formed a barricade in front of the meeting hall and had been in a standoff with the troublemakers for some time.


    It was all chaotic and tense when they arrived at the scene. Both the guards and the troublemakers did not even notice them suddenly appeared out of thin air. In fact, Hao Ren and his team had to come into the square through teleportation because the streets were blocked. A young vampire blustered to the front of the crowd and shouted, ¡°The city is corrupted! We have to catch the traitors in the hall.¡±


    Hao Ren heard the vociferation as soon as he stepped out of the teleportation light.

 Chapter 1040

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    This was something he did not expect to see; the confrontation in the Athens Sanctuary had worsened into such a state. The showdown between the radicals and the conservatives, the young and the ancients had deteriorated. He thought that these people would choose a more modest way to negotiate because there were still the Ancients and the large families to keep the situation in check. But these youngsters were so bold to surround the meeting hall.


    Sitting inside the meeting hall was the representatives of the large families and the Ancients in the sanctuary.


    From where did these wild young unusual creatures get their courage? Were they really just foolhardy?


    Hao Ren quickly realized that something was amiss.


    Meanwhile, the confrontation in the square was still ongoing.


    The members of the ¡°newly-formed families¡± surrounded the meeting hall. The crowd was like a melting pot of werewolves, vampires, night demons, sorcerers and other strange humanoids. Some people were shouting slogans, some people were pushing the guards, and some people were sneaking around in the crowd; noises were everywhere. These seemingly united groups, however, were not what they seemed. Though the innate hostility had subsided entirely, longstanding grudges still existed. The various races in the square still maintained a subtle hostile stand with each other. Shoving each other, they were divided into different groups.


    It was as chaotic as a zoo at feeding time.


    ¡°People in the meeting hall should come out to explain the truth! The demon hunters have disappeared! Why are you hiding it from the public?¡±


    ¡°Utterly incompetent! Now is a good time for us to take back the glory of our ancestors. People in the meeting hall would only pass up this opportunity!¡±


    ¡°We need an explanation! We need the truth! The disappearance of the demon hunters is real, why no one has come out to announce the news?¡±


    ¡°Who is afraid of the humans? They are merely the descendants of our slaves, only the cowards will bow to them! We want to retake the world and let humans return to their cages! The age of the gods is coming! We are the ruler of this world!¡±


    The hullabaloo spread across the square, but there were still some clear voices calling out from all over the place. The oppositions sharply criticized the prudent approach of the large families and the ancients, as if they had control over the direction of the world. Nangong Sanba squinted as he scanned the square. Though not as good as others in terms of combat skill, his superb eyesight had spotted those guys roaming in the crowd.


    ¡°Someone is inciting the crowd,¡± Nangong Sanba said in a low voice. ¡°The reaction of the guards in the square is also bizarre.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue looked around. ¡°How strange are they?¡±


    Before Nangong Sanba could say anything, Lily chimed in with her arms crossed. ¡°Those guards are pretending to guard the meeting hall. But look at the faces of those guards at the front, they were unusually calm and composed. They must either be accustomed to the riots, or they¡¯re in cohorts with those troublemakers,¡± she said.


    The analysis of the husky sounded well grounded. Hao Ren could not help but turned his head around and glanced at her ¡°You suddenly have got a pair of piercing eyes, eh?¡±


    ¡°Oh come on, I graduated from Peking University four times, and had been to Old Shanghai! I have seen bigger things!¡± Lily¡¯s arms akimbo. She waved her fluffy tail proudly as if expecting compliment. She then pointed at her own eyes and said, ¡°By the way, look! I do have a pair of piercing eyes!¡±


    ¡°Looks like the loyalty of those guards of the meeting hall is really questionable,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°People in this city have completely changed side.¡±


    ¡°Just change side?¡± Squinting, Vivian mumbled to herself. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that simple.¡±


    While they were mumbling, the troublemakers in the square had started a new round of racket. There was obviously a person whom the leading troublemakers called the ¡®head¡¯ in the crowd. Surrounded by a retinue, the new representative came up before the crowd. It was a young man with dark complexion and a strange white light in his eyes. The slogan he chanted was no different from those of others, but his tone and demeanor were incitant, as though he had practiced the lines and gestures numerous times before. Waving his fist and denouncing the people in the meeting hall feverishly, he proclaimed the belief in the eradication of human civilization and revival of the glory days. His voice was heard throughout the square. ¡°We must go out from the sanctuary! We are the master of the world outside! Let humans go back to the cage!¡±


    While the youth shouted, Hao Ren and Vivian were standing a few meters in front of him, staring coldly at the farce.


    ¡°Let humans return to the cage! Let humans return to the cage!¡±


    People responded to the chanting of the dark-skinned youth. At first, only certain parts of the crowd shouted, but soon the others around the square joined the ruckus and began to scream feverishly.


    ¡°Shame to the sanctuary!¡±


    ¡°Shame to the sanctuary!¡±


    ¡°Destroy the locusts in the meeting hall and destroy Hessiana, the traitor! She is a traitor to our generation!¡±


    ¡°Hessiana is a traitor to our generation!¡±


    Vivian came up to the dark-skinned youth quietly and stared dead into his eyes with a blank expression.


    The dark-skinned youth danced and yelled, face raging with fury and intense sorrow. But, this made no sense to Vivian. Vivian looked at him silently.


    One was an impassioned family representative, and the other was the most ancient vampire with a poker face. The surrounding crowd finally noticed the strange atmosphere. The dark-skinned young man shouted a few slogans, but it was becoming more awkward. Finally, he could not stand the strange confrontation and stared back at Vivian and yelled at her, ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    ¡°Looking at you jumping and screaming here,¡± Vivian said, shrugging her shoulders. ¡°You really don¡¯t know why the councilors are forbidding you to declare war with humans?¡±


    The dark-skinned youth first felt insulted, then the expression on his face changed. He raised his voice and said, ¡°We don¡¯t want those idiots to lead us! They cover up the news! They are up to no good! Their¡­ Wait a minute! You and Hessiana are¡­¡±


    Slap! Vivian gave the dark-skinned youth a blow on his face. Everyone quieted down suddenly.


    The dark-skinned youth was rooted to the spot, looking at Vivian with a glum face. He did not see that coming. He had thought about the suppression of the large families, the confrontation with the city guards, and a fierce and deadly battle, but he never thought that he would be slapped in the face. After a while, the young man finally came to his senses, his face suddenly twisted, and the white light in his eyes rose. ¡°You¡ª¡±


    Without giving him a chance to speak, Vivian gave him another slap on his face. Slap!


    The crowd finally had a grasp of what was happening. People tried to stop Vivian. At this time, a few seniors among the city guards had recognized the living ancestor of all otherworldlings: Vivian. Those languid guards suddenly fell over backward to drive the violent and reckless troublemakers out.


    Vivian did not care about what was happening in the surroundings. She shot an electric arc to stop the dark-skinned youth from fighting back and followed by another slap in his face. *Slap!*


    For several times, the dark-skinned youth tried to fight back. But he was only a spokesperson who was good at acting and speaking; night demon was not a good fighter. Even if Vivian were to become sickly, that kid would not stand a chance. Soon, slapping sound became the only sound heard in the square. Vivian did not need to change her technique; using electric arc and shadowmancy, she kept the kid in restraint while slapping him continuously.


    As the sound of slapping reverberated in the air, and the dark-skinned youth finally broke down. His furious passion had all turned into slaps in the face. He even cried out in a classic line unwittingly, ¡°Even my father has never slapped me!¡±


    After yet another slap, Vivian said, ¡°But I slapped your father!¡±


    *Slap!*


    ¡°I also slapped your father¡¯s father!¡±


    *Slap!*


    ¡°I have slapped all your ancestors! Other than the werewolves and demon hunters, the ones I slapped the most were night demons like you!¡±


    *Slap! Slap!*


    The loud and crisp slaps went on for a long while until everyone in the square, including the city guards and troublemakers, was all rooted to the spot.


    Vivian stopped, shrugging her shoulder. ¡°You are the first rude kid I¡¯ve ever seen in a long time. Do all youngsters nowadays have no respect for their elders?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s game over?¡± Watching on the sidelines all this while, Hao Ren finally stepped forward. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so protective of Hessiana.¡±


    Vivian arched her brows and said, ¡°Nonsense! As mischievous as she is, chiding her is only part of the family business and personal pleasure. But if outsiders do that, that¡¯s interference!¡±


    At this time, the night demon finally came to his senses. Quaking in his boot, he said, ¡°You-You are the Countess of the Crimson Moon¡­¡±


    ¡°Now you know,¡± Vivian said with her arms akimbo. ¡°I slapped you for your own good! Don¡¯t you know the consequences of being a hired gun? I know someone else is behind all this. Now, get out of my sight!¡±


    Most of the troublemakers were at a loss now. Some of them had seen several animations playing on their faces. But very quickly, the crowd dispersed.


    As the crowd dispersed, Hesperides came up to Vivian and said, ¡°The guy you just slapped is a native of Australia, the descendant of the Finkel night-demon family.¡±


    There was an awkward look on Vivian¡¯s face. ¡°I just accidentally lied to him.¡±


    Hao Ren was puzzled. ¡°What have you lied to him?¡±


    Vivian rubbed her hands and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t slap his father.¡±


    Everyone was dumbfounded.


    ¡°Forget it, that¡¯s not important,¡± Vivian said. She then turned and walked toward the meeting hall. ¡°The crowd was just a bunch of clowns, I¡¯d like to meet the mastermind inside!¡±

 Chapter 1041

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    There was something more than what met the eye.


    At home, Vivian was only a nanny and a cook¡ªshe was a food magician who enjoyed life, and she was good-tempered, gentle, considerate, as well as peace-loving; her fights with Lily notwithstanding. But these qualities did not affect her discernibility as an Ancient. She had lived for 10,000 years and seen all the changes on this planet. Even though she had the debuff of memory leakage, she still possessed extraordinary sensitivity and wisdom. That was why she only had to take a glance at the situation in the square to guess that someone else was behind the fracas.


    The mastermind was not the emerging families who were zealous about getting out of the sanctuary but some oldbie in the meeting hall.


    Well, the last part of the above sentence was purely an adage and had nothing to do with Lily, who had been a dog for 6,000 years.


    After casually easing out the most obstructive and annoying guys in the square, Vivian abruptly pushed the door open.


    They stormed into the meeting hall without notice, only to see a meeting was indeed going on. Sitting at the round conference table were representatives from the city¡¯s highest echelon of power: the leaders of the large families and the Ancients.


    Also among the participants of the meeting were representatives from other sanctuaries. Since the Athens¡¯ sanctuary was one of the largest unusual creature strongholds in Europe, the large families would usually conduct meeting here.


    Speaking of the Ancients, Hao Ren found that not all ancestor-level representatives were present. At least some of the living fossils he had met here last time were absent. Those older generations had lived for too long and were not concerned about the changes in the world. Just like Hesperides who would rather be in her own small antique shop wiping the table, enjoying a peaceful day than playing the game of power struggle with the kids. Those few Ancients present in the meeting were mostly dragged here by some major family, or just coming for the tea.


    It was perfect timing; they arrived at the time when there was a tumult going on in the sanctuary, and the city leaders were having their meeting. When Vivian pushed the door of the conference room open, the Lucas family patriarch Zeon Lucas was delivering his speech. The door slammed open and interrupted the meeting. All eyes turned on the doorway.


    Hao Ren and Vivian were storming in with a group of people.


    Hessiana, who was dozing off at the round table just now, got to her feet. ¡°Hi, Vivian¡ª¡±


    Without waiting for her to finish, Vivian took out a small bat and threw it into her face, stopping Hessiana from lunging at her. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re still daydreaming here! Did you know that the troublemakers outside were using you as a pawn?¡±


    Taking the bat off her face, Hessiana smirked. ¡°I know. I am against opening the door of the sanctuary, but as a representative of an emerging family, I¡¯m caught between a rock and a hard place. Those guys outside probably would hate me as they thought I have betrayed them,¡± she said.


    While saying, Hessiana slowly edged towards Vivian. When there was no reaction from Vivian, she lunged at her. ¡°I so missed you, Lady Vivian¡ª¡±


    Slap!


    Vivian hit Hessiana with another bat to keep her at bay. Vivian did not overreact though. She knew that, though mischievous, Hessiana was a mature family patriarch who was not bothered by the troublemakers outside. She had her own plans; she did not need help.


    After keeping Hessiana under control, Vivian grabbed her by the collar and brought her back to the table. The table, by its sheer size, was an embodiment of the luxurious lifestyle of the unusual creatures. Though most of those who should come to the meeting were already present, there was still one-third of the seats vacant. So Hao Ren and his team helped themselves settle into those empty chairs. Their action was a slap on the face of the Ancients, but no one stood up or said anything. In fact, the representatives had heard the news of what had happened in the square¡ªthe countess was in a bad mood today. They quickly checked their respective genealogies and found that at least one of their ancestors had been slapped by the countess. So keeping their heads low today was the wisest thing to do.


    Those Ancients, who were sitting across the table sipping tea from their cups, were here just to dawdle their time; they naturally had no objection. They even nodded their heads with respect as they knew that Vivian did not slap their fathers but them.


    As the atmosphere became awkward, Hao Ren felt that he needed to say something. Forcing a smile, he said, ¡°It was really noisy outside.¡±


    ¡°Do you know what¡¯s going on?¡± said Zeon Lucas with a poker face, shrugging his shoulders as if the ruckus in the square was just a farce. ¡°The demon hunters have disappeared, and their strongholds have become empty lairs. Now there are two factions in the sanctuary: the conservatives and the radicals. The conservatives believe that they should be cautious and maintaining the status quo, but the radicals believe that this is a great opportunity to retake the world and they advocate to send the elites to destroy the strongholds of the demon hunters before taking control of the world,¡± he said.


    ¡°We have known this for a long time,¡± said Vivian. ¡°Which side are you on, really?¡±


    ¡°I think we should be cautious,¡± said Zeon Lucas, who was careful in his choice of words. ¡°All who are present here have basically the same thinking. But we shouldn¡¯t just sit by and do nothing; the disappearance of the demon hunters is nonetheless an opportunity. The situation has changed, and we need to respond. Hiding in the sanctuary is not a long-term solution; there is no future here. We should fight for our interest.¡±


    Vivian blinked. ¡°Ahh, I see. Looks like you have a hand in the tumult in the square too.¡±


    Zeon¡¯s face suddenly took a south turn. ¡°Err¡ª¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that foolish?¡± Vivian said without giving Zeon the opportunity to speak. She became more forceful. ¡°How old are you and how many dynasties have you lived through? In times like this, you guys still lead a cat-and-dog life! Your underhand tactics weren¡¯t very clever, not even as good as humans¡¯; it was not that difficult to spot. While the demon hunters disheartened you outside, you are wearing away your sense of honor here in the sanctuary?¡±


    Hao Ren felt a cold sensation on his arm. He turned and looked; Nangong Wuyue was poking him with her tail. The siren maiden looked worried. ¡°Vivian is very weird,¡± she said.


    ¡°Nah. She is fine. She would have this aura every time she lectures her juniors. Of course, we won¡¯t see this at home.¡±


    But deep inside him, he knew that Vivian was doing this for a reason.


    She was building her momentum to subdue the family leaders, and it worked; no one had raised an objection.


    Only after that Hao Ren would only reveal what happened inside the demon-hunter organization. At that moment, Vivian and Hao Ren would steer the conversation.


    The two had developed a tacit understanding after spending two years together.


    Vivian¡¯s high-handedness stumped everyone. They knew the temper of the Countess of the Crimson Moon that she was not particularly violent except that when she was about to hibernate. Usually, she was a gentle elder. That was why they were all nervous when Vivian was in a bad mood. After all, when a kind person got angry, the situation would get very ugly.


    They were worried. When Vivian next hibernating cycle came around, probably no one would be able to make it out of the sanctuary alive.


    Of course, some people were angry because they thought that storming into the meeting uninvited was rude and disrespectful, although they recognized Vivian Ancestor and the influence of the Hessianite Family.


    Before these disgruntled family leaders stood up, Hao Ren quickly got to his feet. ¡°Well, I would like to add a bit more to what Vivian has said: we just got back from the headquarters of the demon-hunter organization.¡±


    Suddenly, there was a bit of chaos in the room. Two of the Most of the meeting participants looked at him, and two of them had even spilled tea on their necks. It was apparent that they did not know about this before.


    At the same time, Hao Ren had noticed the faces of a few Ancients sitting around the round table; they looked up with interest and were as calm as the tea in a cup. Hesperides walked over and shook hands with two of the Ancients. Hao Ren could faintly hear what they said.


    ¡°Look, they were really shocked.¡±


    ¡°Crap, weren¡¯t you too when you first heard it?¡±


    When Vivian set off for the Arctic citadel, she told Hesperides her plan and let Hesperides lead the Ancients to maintain the order in the sanctuary. So it seemed that the news was only known to a few Ancients. No one in the ordinary families in the sanctuary knew what Hao Ren and his men did for the past half a month.

 Chapter 1042

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°We just came back from the demon hunter headquarters,¡± Hao Ren said. Seeing that everyone was still in a daze and worrying that they may not have understood him, he repeated the sentence. ¡°We know what happened there.¡±


    As he spoke, he gently tapped Vivian¡¯s toes with his under the table. It was a tacit gesture of cooperation and understanding.


    Hao Ren and Vivian had all of this planned out beforehand. Having known the chaos in the otherworldling sanctuary, the reservedness and temper of the old families, the ingrained concept of social hierarchy based on seniority of the otherworldlings, and their attitude towards outsiders, they had decided that Vivian would first use her status to subdue the families and silence them and then Hao Ren would do the explanation. He would tell of what happened inside the demon hunter organization and the truth of the sages from an outsider¡¯s perspective.


    If the trick worked, his report to Raven 12345 would look significantly better.


    The bombshell that Hao Ren dropped was knocking the sock off everyone. The large family leaders looked at each other, thinking that they were having an auditory hallucination. They looked at the Ancients, who were sitting in a corner drinking tea and appearing matter-of-course all the time, they knew that it was all true.


    They realized that when things started to go wrong in the demon-hunter organization and at the same time the youngsters, including the family like the Lucas¡¯, were wrangling in the sanctuary, Vivian the world¡¯s oldest elder of Blood Clan had led her men storming into the demon hunters¡¯ lair, and settled everything. Now, this wise and powerful¡ªat least it appeared so¡ªelder had returned. It seemed that she saw the power struggle in the sanctuary as just a child¡¯s play, they thought.


    In the eyes of these unusual creatures, Vivian was the most influential figure in Hao Ren¡¯s team. After all, she had slapped the ancestors of every one of them.


    ¡°You went to the lair of the demon hunters?¡± Zeon Lucas looked at Hao Ren as if he was some kind of alien creature. He glanced at Vivian as if seeking her affirmation. ¡°You returned unscathed? Are they really all dead?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me,¡± Vivian said, waving her hand impatiently. She had just given her junior an earful, and she was tired of it. Vivian did not want to get involved again. She pointed at Hao Ren and said, ¡°He is the head of the house who makes all the decisions. I just follow whatever his instruction.¡±


    Hessiana almost jumped to her feet. A sense of crisis rose within her, bothered by the words ¡®head of the house¡¯. What did that mean? Was Vivian married? Hessiana thought to herself.


    Vivian had noticed Hessiana was disturbed. Though she did not know what Hessiana was thinking, she was not going to let this mischievous kid ruin her plan. Taking out a small bat, she threw it into Hessiana¡¯s face. *Slap!*


    Meanwhile, Hao Ren nodded to Zeon Lucas. ¡°We have gone to the demon-hunter headquarters, but I can¡¯t tell you the location. Besides, the demon hunters have not disappeared altogether as you¡¯d like to think though they have met with some problem. But now the storm is over, and things have returned to normal.¡±


    As soon as Hao Ren¡¯s voice trailed off, a commotion rose in the meeting room. The atmosphere rapidly changed as if the air was starting to condense.


    Seeing this, Hesperides let out a sigh, which was so subtle that almost no one noticed it.


    The unusual creatures dreamed of launching a counterattack, reviving their glory, and destroying the human civilization, but they could not even get out of the shadow of the demon hunters. They were hunted like animals for the past thousands of years, and their spirits were crushed entirely. The excitement of the radicals had turned out to be misplaced confidence of the hope that the demon hunters had disappeared.


    Perhaps the radicals were not something they had to worry about. The extremists looked brave, but in essence, they were fragile and not a threat.


    Hao Ren watched the changes of atmosphere in the room. He deliberately waited for a while before he spread out his hand. ¡°But the demon-hunting activity is over,¡± he said.


    Zeon Lucas suddenly rose to his feet. ¡°Demon hunting is over? What does this mean?¡± he asked.


    ¡°What I am going to tell you is one of the oldest secrets in the world,¡± Hao Ren said while sweeping his eyes across the room with a stern look on his face. ¡°I guarantee that everything I¡¯m going to tell is true, but you must promise to remain rational, objective and judicious of everything you hear.¡±


    A tall, mighty werewolf stood up. Hao Ren remembered this werewolf, Hogwarf. The last time he came to Athens to investigate the Shade of Chaos incident, this werewolf leader had left him a deep impression; Hessiana had extorted an enormous sum of money from this old werewolf because he damaged her table.


    ¡°I swear by the honor of the werewolf, witnessed by the Countess of the Crimson Moon that I will not act recklessly nor divulge the information to anyone.¡±


    ¡°Very good,¡± Hao Ren said, nodding his head. He got to his feet and pointed at Vivian and Lily. ¡°Now ladies and gentlemen, meet the supreme leaders of the demon hunters ¨C honorary leaders.¡±


    The old werewolf stumbled. He scrambled to get up but accidentally snapped a large chunk of wood off the table. Hessiana was furious. ¡°This table costs 60,000 Euros!¡±


    Hao Ren still remembered how the bat demon extorted money from the old werewolf the first time.


    ¡°So this is the case¡­¡±


    After successfully diverting their attention, Hao Ren began to slowly reveal what happened in Coldpath.


    Of course, he did not tell all.


    He had talked about the civil war in Coldpath and that the demon hunters had finally figured out the truth of the killing instinct after the war. He explained that a manipulative evil spirit was behind the killing instinct, that the killings ended abruptly because the ¡®evil spirit¡¯ had been permanently banished and sealed. Lastly, he mentioned how Vivian became the 14th sage, and the reincarnation of the first sage into the body of a husky.


    He deliberately skipped some details and completely omitted the deicidal war. He also did not reveal the existing condition of the demon hunters, the situation in Coldpath and its exact damage in the aftermath of the second Woe of Madness.


    He just wanted to explain the reasons for the end of the killings and what the future could be like.


    The demon hunter certainly did not want their secrets exposed. What Hao Ren had revealed was what he had discussed and agreed with Hasse and several elders beforehand. The bottom line was that he could tell the truth about the killing but not to the detriment of the interest of the demon-hunter organization.


    In fact, before this, Hao Ren had considered whether it was necessary to tell these things to the unusual creatures at all. Actually, he would not have cared either way, after all, he was only a neutral observer; he did not have a vested interest in the matter. But the demon hunters and unusual creatures had been in confrontation for thousands of years, a sudden end to the standoff would cause a turmoil too complicated to ignore. After much deliberation with Hasse and others, he decided to clear the air by playing the middleman role.


    The longstanding war between the demon hunters and the unusual creatures was shrouded in the fog of misunderstandings. Clearing up the fog was necessary to end the chaos on Earth.


    ¡°It was all because of a magic sword?¡± Hogwarf the werewolf pulled his brows together. ¡°You want us to write it off as a mere misunderstanding?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°I am merely telling you the whys. It is up to you to judge how it affects you. You guys used to be in the dark as to why you were killing each other.¡±


    ¡°A few words, however truthful, would not be able to bury a long-standing feud,¡± Vivian said, nodding her head gently. ¡°But since you all are the leaders of your respective races, you should be smart and farsighted enough to know what is best for your people. There is a saying: soldiers are the one doing the dirty work, leaders are the one reaping the benefits, honor is best written in the book.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s words were just right and to the point.


    Hao Ren waited for a few moments before he got to his feet and clapped his hands. ¡°I hope you all would keep in mind one thing.¡±


    While saying, he pointed to Vivian and Lily. ¡°Both of them are supreme leaders of the demon hunters now. Guys, think about it: this demon-hunter organization is now led by a vampire and a werewolf!¡±


    It was an intelligent argument. Hao Ren pressed his hands on the table, his body leaned slightly forward, and the expression on his face was as if a high-school teacher giving his students a lesson. The family leaders looked at each other, faces twisted and could not help giggling quietly.


    Vivian clapped her hands and stopped them. ¡°I think we have settled the old scores. Henceforth, we should discuss what we should do next.¡±


    The meeting room became quiet again as the faces at the table turned solemn.

 Chapter 1043

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    In the conference room, there were only two things that people were paying attention to:


    The mysteries surrounding the demon hunters and what the future held for the unusual creatures.


    Now that Hao Ren had answered the first question, it was only natural to discuss the second one.


    Unsure of what was going on inside the demon hunter organization, the otherworldling families had no direction. Also because they were unconvinced that innate hostility had disappeared, the otherworldlings divided into factions, including the radicals in the square, the conservatives in the hall, the investigators outside the sanctuary, those who only came for the tea, and the like of Hesperides who could not care less. Now the mystery of the demon hunters had been uncovered, the factions had lost their reason to fight against one another. They could finally begin to think of their future with a fresh piece of mind.


    ¡°The demon hunters have not disappeared, they¡¯re still there?¡± Zeon Lucas first pointed out the most critical factor. ¡°Though the killing has ended, they are still around, and this is the biggest problem. Countess, you are now the leader of the demon hunters, what do you think they will do next?¡± he asked.


    While saying, Zeon Lucas¡¯ face was distorted to the point of unrecognizable. This old vampire valued aristocratic temperance and elegant demeanor, but he could no longer keep his composure. He had never experienced such a ballache moment in his life; he understood every word that he uttered, but they sounded senseless.


    ¡°Just an honorary leader,¡± Vivian said, downplaying her role. ¡°From a hierarchical point of view, I¡¯m not even as high-ranking as the husky. And you also know that the demon hunters would never concede the power to us, so we have literally zero influence over them. But I know their attitude: they will not pursue killing the otherworldlings anymore, but they will continue to maintain the world¡¯s ¡®balance.¡¯ This balance is the status quo. They¡¯ve stopped the killing because there is no reason for them to do so anymore. But if you declare war on them or even the humans, they will have a right to reinstate the killing order.


    ¡°So are we still trapped in the sanctuaries?¡± Old werewolf Hogwarf slammed his hand on the table. ¡°Maintaining the balance? The so-called balance is to keep us in this gutter forever? Time has changed, so do we, Lady Vivian Ancestor. We want to honor¡ª¡±


    Without waiting for the old werewolf to finish, Y¡¯zaks guffawed with his arms crossed. ¡°Honor my foot. You just care about yourself,¡± he said.


    Y¡¯zaks had seen more people than everyone in the room had ever met combined: from the commoners, beggars to the kings. His defeat was because he had lost the hearts and minds of the people, but he could still read people¡¯s mind. The old demon knew it well that soldiers would fight for honor and man would die for the same reason too, but real leaders would never talk about it.


    When leaders were responsible for the life of their people, their only honor was to seek things that benefitted the people. This was the only thing they needed to talk about.


    As a frequent visitor to the sanctuary, Y¡¯zaks¡¯s words carried weight. His forthrightness had the family leaders, and representatives sat up and took notice. Hessiana could not help but mumbled, ¡°Big guy, your words have really knocked some sense into them.¡±


    ¡°Well, I like how he talked,¡± Hogwarf was not offended at all when Y¡¯zaks interrupted him. Instead, he felt it happy. Twitching his mouth and revealing a smile that was just as wicked as Y¡¯zaks¡¯, Hogwarf said, ¡°Everyone in the room is sensible people, and Vivian is also a highly respected elder, I¡¯m not going to sugarcoat my words. Yes, it¡¯s about self-interest, which is the only thing that keeps things in balance. Honestly, I don¡¯t agree with the attack on the humans as I know that humans are pretty tough now. What¡¯s more, the demon hunters have not disappeared entirely, it is unwise to go out and declare war on anybody. But I also think that we should not remain in the sanctuary, there¡¯s no future in this barren dimension. The world outside is so vast and rich; there must be a place for everyone.¡±


    ¡°The dominant civilization of this planet is the humans,¡± Hao Ren said, knocking on the table. ¡°You aren¡¯t even a civilization; you are just living off the human society. You should know better that counterattacking is not realistic.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like the way you said it,¡± Zeon Lucas said, shrugging his shoulders. ¡°But what you said makes sense.¡±


    ¡°You overestimate the human,¡± a night-demon, who was silent all the while, suddenly said. Her eyes glowed in a light as if lightning in a thunderstorm. ¡°I understand human society, there is no doubt about the destructiveness of their war machines and race. But they are also very fragile as their destructive power has exceeded their own capabilities, which means they are actually vulnerable.¡±


    While saying, the night-demon lady turned around her face and stared into Hao Ren¡¯s eyes, unapologetically. ¡°Many have the same thinking as mine. We all know that humans are difficult to deal with, but it is not impossible. As long as there is hope, there will always be people who are restless wanting to try their luck. More importantly, once upon a time, humans were just our slaves. People will try to put these slaves back in the cage; however slight the chance is.¡±


    Compared with those young people who screamed in the square, the night-demon lady represented the truly dangerous otherworldlings.


    They were not impulsive. They knew the situation on this planet. They were the ones who were still restless while knowing the strength of humanity and the remnant strength of the demon hunters. This shrewd group of otherworldlings was the most troublesome.


    But Hao Ren could not care less. He spread out his hand and said, ¡°Yes, according to my calculations, if every condition is ripe and in your favor and the otherworldlings could seize the opportunity at the right moment, you do have a chance against the human race.¡±


    His words had caused a commotion in the room. Even Hessiana looked at Hao Ren curiously; she had not a clue what he meant.


    ¡°You will be the ultimate winner,¡± Hao Ren said, ignoring the commotion. He just knocked on the MDT, which projected a series of holograms showing the world of a scorched Earth. ¡°You will no doubt become the master of this planet, but you will only have two to three thousand population, only the top supernatural creatures could survive the war. Humans and the ecology will all perish, so too the demon hunters. This is the best case scenario: you will win and rule the planet. The remaining two thousand people who survive would become the masters of Earth, ruling the radioactive craters, desert, swamp, and river. You will survive but live a primitive life. Your only food is the leftover from the last century and the mud in the crater. Few strong enough people will survive to the end, living in the mud forever, until the next planet begins its next life cycle,¡± he said.


    The holograms ended. Hao Ren knocked on the table and got their attention back. His hands were on the table, and his face was blank. ¡°You don¡¯t think no one would die in a war, do you? You don¡¯t think you could achieve a crushing victory, do you? Both sides of the war have to pay the price, which is more than the benefits you could get. Since you can¡¯t crush the humans, you¡¯d better be prepared for mutual destruction. Believe me, that kind of victory is absolutely no better than your days in the sanctuary,¡± he said.


    ¡°So, since your goal is to seek greater benefits rather than to fight with the humans just for the sake of honor, why choose war?¡±


    Perhaps because of the horrifying scene after winning the war as well as the fact that family leaders had contemplated the pro and cons of war, everyone became as quiet as a church mouse.


    A few virtual images combined with Hao Ren¡¯s speech were indeed not enough to convince these wily old foxes, but they were not fools; they knew which side their bread was buttered.


    ¡°Then we can only make a compromise,¡± said Zeon Lucas, his eyes fell on Vivian. He knew that this Ancient may have it all arranged, or even reached an agreement with the demon hunters already. All the discussions here were only ceremonial. ¡°Let¡¯s get straight to the point,¡± he said.


    ¡°The otherworldlings do not have to hide in the sanctuaries anymore, but they shall not interfere with the human civilization; the armistice and follow-up action will be negotiated separately; additionally, a supervisory organization will be formed. Since the old balance and order cannot be kept, then we build a new one and use the new organization to control those who leave the sanctuary into the human society¡­¡±


    Vivian continued to expound the rules that she and Hao Ren had agreed upon.

 Chapter 1044

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    In the realm that was hidden from the public eyes, creatures living in the shadows were living in violence where the cruel demon hunters were killing everyone that left the sanctuary. Killing and suppression had been maintaining the status quo for a long time. In the beginning, human beings were weak. They survived only because the demon hunters and the unusual creatures were busy killing each other. Later, when human beings became more powerful, the demon hunting went underground but remained the key to maintaining the balance.


    But now the demon hunters were no longer able to continue with this kind of killing as they had lost the reason and motivation to do so. So a new ¡®authority¡¯ was needed to maintain the world order.


    This was not only to protect humanity, but also the old unusual creature families. These ancient families, which were sensible and cunning, were well aware of this as this would also lay the foundation for their benefits.


    ¡°Before discussing the new world order, I would like to introduce a person,¡± Hao Ren got to his feet and said. He opened up his Dimensional Pocket next to the conference table. ¡°Some of you may recognize him,¡± he said.


    Then, Mimir appeared.


    A silent exclamation of shock was heard in the room. There was a commotion among the meeting participants when they saw the giant skull. Obviously, most people born after the Mythological era did not know this ancient. But Mimir still had an old acquaintance in the room. ¡°Mimir?¡± A voice was heard in the corner of the room.


    It was a woman in black, who looked depressed. After carefully rummaging in his memory, Hao Ren finally recognized her; she was Hel, one of the only survivors of the Norse gods.


    ¡°Long time no see, Loki¡¯s little girl.¡± Mimir did not open his mouth, but his voice echoed in the head of everyone. His eyes swept across the room. ¡°Not many familiar faces,¡± he said.


    ¡°You are¡­¡± Hel was a bit shocked, but her reaction had somewhat neutralized her cold temperament. ¡°You¡¯re still alive? I thought you and Yggdrasil had fallen into the Ginnungagap.


    Mimir smiled. ¡°I am alive, of course. I have spent 2,000 years in the headquarters of the demon hunters. I was their advisor.¡±


    Everyone was stunned.


    ¡°I should have let him come out to meet with you all just now,¡± Hao Ren grabbed his hair, ¡°but I was carried away by my speech just now.¡±


    Mimir¡¯s words knocked the socks off the otherworldling leaders in the room. Nevertheless, they accepted it. After all, Vivian could be the 14th sage, there was nothing more they could not believe in.


    ¡°I heard your discussions,¡± Mimir said slowly. ¡°Vivian and Lily are only leaders of the demon hunters in name only. Their voices in the Council of Elders are limited. On the contrary, I have been their advisor for more than 2,000 years and responsible for the matter of their inheritance, so I do have a say. I can speak on their behalf,¡± he said.


    As the giant of wisdom and the counselor of the Norse gods had puzzled everyone. But come to think of it, if a sage could reincarnate into a dog, why not Mimir represented the demon hunters?


    Tedious elaboration, debate, supplementation, and discussion ensued for the next two hours.


    In those two hours, the outline of a new world order began to take shape.


    Vivian¡¯s envisagement of the world after the demon hunters was that the unusual creatures would not have to continue huddling in the sanctuary. They were free to live in human society. The demon hunters would not kill them as both sides would come to a truce. The unusual creatures would live the way of life that they learned from modern human society and eventually integrate peacefully as well as steadily into life on Earth. They would gain the most precious thing in life, which was freedom and security.


    Vivian pressed her hands on the table and said, ¡°We have to consider that there are still many people who are not friendly enough to human society. In the absence of the demon hunters, the otherworldlings will attack the humans. So in the initial stage, we will only allow those who have passed the assessment and taken the oath to leave the sanctuary. The existing ancients would be the leaders, and the highly-respected big family leaders would be the backbone to form an organization that is similar to a supervisory committee. This organization will control the population movement of each sanctuary and monitor the movement of supernatural creatures who are in the outside world. I know that quite a few of you have had contact with human society before and therefore you should be familiar with it. What we need to do next is to let those who have never left the sanctuary adapt to the outside world, just like you.¡±


    During the demon-hunting days, there were still unusual creatures active in the outside world. The bunch of demons and monsters in Hao Ren¡¯s family aside, the most obvious example was the business empire under the control of the Hessianite Family. Hessiana often got out of the sanctuary going around visiting her businesses. However, due to the ongoing killing, these supernatural creatures living in human society must live discreetly and not get too involved. There were thousands of members in the Hessianite Family, but only a few hundred of them could participate in the businesses in the human world. The rest of them had not left the sanctuary for at least a thousand years.


    But starting today, these ¡®people¡¯ would be able to move around safely outside the sanctuary, as long as they did not disturb the social order of Earth.


    They would become a huge community.


    And this community needed an organization with sufficient authority and strength to oversee it.


    ¡°The idea is good, but it¡¯s not easy to form this kind of supervisory organization,¡± Zeon Lucas scratched his chin while saying. ¡°Though the innate hostility has disappeared, the gap between the various races is not so easy to bridge. Since the high-level leaders of each race will sit in this supervisory organization, our own unity will become the first hurdle,¡± he said.


    ¡°This is the problem that you have to find a solution for,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°And I believe that you will be able to solve this problem. I think you might have discussed the feasibility of establishing a similar ¡®joint organization¡¯ before.¡±


    The representatives of different forces in the room exchanged a look with each other. Though no one spoke a word, the tacit understanding between them was apparent.


    ¡°Maybe we should give this new supervisory organization a name.¡± Hessiana, who had been silent all this while, finally spoke. Scratching her chin while thinking, her body language was exactly the same as Vivian. ¡°How about calling it the Shadow Council?¡± she asked.


    ¡°This name sounds ominous,¡± Hao Ren said with cold sweat trickling down his forehead. He was not the only one objecting though. Many family representatives also felt that the name did not sound good enough as not all otherworldlings belonged to the shadowy camp. The name Shadow Council was deemed biased.


    The family representatives had proposed several alternative names, but they were obviously not very popular.


    Lily poked Hao Ren in the arm and said, ¡°Mr. Landlord, please come up with a name.¡±


    Hao Ren cleared his throat and was about to show off his naming talent, but Nangong Wuyue quickly coiled her tail around Hao Ren¡¯s head, looking horrified. ¡°Don¡¯t! Please calm down!¡± she said.


    ¡°There is nothing to discuss.¡± Vivian suddenly slammed the table and said, ¡°It¡¯s just a name. If you can¡¯t come up with one, just call it the Neighborhood Committee¡­¡±


    Before Vivian¡¯s voice trailed off, everyone suddenly rose up. They gave the name ¡°Shadow Council¡± a big thumbs-up and agreed that Hessiana had thought of a good name. This was despite going against it just a while ago.


    So the new supervisory organization was named the Shadow Council.


    ¡°Since there is a council now, we must first elect a chairperson,¡± Hessiana said. Appearing lackadaisical during the entire discussion, Hessiana suddenly showed great enthusiasm in the New World Order that Vivian had proposed. The little bat could not wait to give her piece of opinion. ¡°We all know what we have done, and don¡¯t even let me begin with the bad blood between the otherworldling families. Now, even if there is no innate hostility, it is also unpractical for all of you to come to the council every day. So there must be a group of highly respected and powerful ancients, and a chairperson who is the most respected, powerful, qualified, beautiful, charming, perfect, greatest¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ahem. We all know that.¡± Zeon Lucas, who was mature and steady but zombie-faced, could not stand Hessiana¡¯s overzealousness. ¡°But I disagree,¡± he said.


    Hessiana¡¯s eyebrows arched. ¡°You think you are qualified?¡± she said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of qualification,¡± said Zeon Lucas, glancing at Vivian. He appeared a little anxious, one hand above the other, his face sincere. ¡°The countess is no doubt much respected because many dynasties have been destroyed by her. Though I believe she would be fair and honest, there are things that she can¡¯t control. I¡ª¡±


    Hessiana slammed the table and snapped, ¡°Cut the cackle and get straight to the point!¡±


    Hogwarf the old werewolf said with a stolid face, ¡°My family is poor, and we cannot afford the trouble.¡±


    The night demoness¡¯ face was just as vacant. ¡°She is forgetful, and she may not be able to remember that there¡¯s a council here.¡±


    Zeon Lucas¡¯ face was also impassive. ¡°She will kill everyone before and during her sleep!¡±


    Vivian was dumbstruck.

 Chapter 1045

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    In fact, even if the family leaders did not raise any objections, Vivian herself did not have much interest in the thankless job of becoming the chairperson of the Shadow Council. She knew that the new order of the supernatural camp would be very chaotic in the beginning; the races plotting against each other would not play by the rules, plus there were still many people who did not care for the new life of stability and prosperity but just wanted to vent their anger on human society. Even some of the madcaps were hoping to show force in front of the cowardly mortals. All these would greatly annoy her.


    More importantly, Vivian felt that she had a more important mission and role to play by Hao Ren¡¯s side; she had to cook, wipe the floor, wash his clothes and change water for Lil Pea. The countess was busy; she had no time for stuff like the New World Order.


    But it was one thing to be unwilling to be the chairperson, it was another matter to be pointed out by others. The countess was embarrassed and pissed off. She wished she could teach these rude juniors a lesson. At the same time, she also wanted to keep her image as an elder. So she put on a plastic smile and said, ¡°Maybe you guys need a good beating again, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The representatives quickly denied it. Vivian said, ¡°Okay, in fact, what you said makes sense. I am not the right person for the job. Seniority doesn¡¯t always reflect ability, and I know that I am not good at this. You can recommend another candidate, but I would still have privilege in the Shadow Council, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± said Zeon Lucas, placing his hand on his chest and bowed slightly in an elegant manner. ¡°The Countess will always have privilege in the Shadow Council, just as you have in all other associations, secret organizations, and councils throughout the ages.¡±


    Hearing that, Hao Ren was a little curious. He asked Vivian in a whisper, ¡°Privilege? What privilege?¡±


    ¡°Like today, storming into their high-level meeting and giving them an earful,¡± Vivian said casually.


    As the oldest otherworldling in the world, the most influential living being that had met all the supernatural races and participated in all epic events of the planet, Vivian had an unspoken privilege. This privilege was not just about giving face, but rather that if she was willing, she could give her opinion to any supernatural forces and gain their respect.


    She was a recognized sage and elder of all powers, even if she were a pauper, becoming mad every other day, wandering in the human world and living with human beings, she would still receive this transcendental treatment.


    Vivian never joined any otherworldling forces. She did not belong to any family or have a family under her name. If Vivian wanted to express her thoughts, everyone, including the werewolves, would listen attentively. Though she had fought with many of them, she was also the arbitrator and mediator when these races had disputes.


    When she was delirious, everyone saw it as a moving natural disaster. But when she was calm, everyone respected her.


    Vivian was such a great and contradictory existence in the circle of supernatural beings. She was moody and awesome. Today, Vivian could storm into the high-level meeting in the Athens¡¯ sanctuary and condemn the family representatives. Tomorrow and after the setting up of the Shadow Council, she could also do the same when she was not happy. She was eligible to participate in any meeting of any races by default. This was Vivian¡¯s privilege.¡±


    Without tens of thousands of years of life and experience of the Mythological era, it was difficult for ordinary people to understand this phenomenon.


    Hao Ren could not make head or tail of it. He was not interested in it. He did not know how great Vivian was in the circle of the supernatural creatures. Of course, he would still be amazed sometimes, but that was all about it. He preferred to marvel at Vivian¡¯s cooking skill, and her losing the money on her way to buy ice pop.


    Hao Ren lost his interest in the matter after the idea of the Shadow Council was settled. He was a neutral observer, so he was not interested in participating in the management and control of any organization. At most, Hao Ren would monitor and intervene only when the situation got out of hand. So he left the meeting room with Vivian to get some fresh air outside.


    The others were free to act.


    Calm had returned to the square outside the meeting hall. There were only a handful of people walking around in the empty space. The crowd that made troubles were like veteran actors; they were excited and impassioned during the shoot but quickly dispersed when it came to lunch break.


    Lo and behold, they did not even leave a single piece of garbage behind.


    ¡°They weren¡¯t like this before,¡± Vivian said, standing next to Hao Ren looking at the empty square. She then glanced back at the meeting hall behind her. ¡°These races were originally violent, war criminals, and ready to fight at the slightest disagreement. Though they intrigued, they did it openly, and little did I know that they had learned the crafty and deceitfulness of the humans: manipulation of public opinion, using coercion and sneaky tricks to get what they wanted. Though I knew that they have been changing, this change still shocked me,¡± she said.


    ¡°Because they have long been living in human civilization,¡± Hao Ren said casually. ¡°So they become more and more like the humans.¡±


    ¡°You seem to have something in mind?¡± Vivian looked at Hao Ren with a smile.


    ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect that they could really be persuaded,¡± Hao Ren said, scratching his hair. He knew that Vivian was observant, but he did not expect she could so easily read his mind. ¡°I thought they wanted to regain their glory,¡± he said.


    Vivian just smiled and looked at the distant city street. After a long while, she suddenly said, ¡°See? That new street uses electric streetlights.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°In fact, it is not you and I who have persuaded these people though we do play a part. These guys are stubborn, and their own judgment dictates their own behavior,¡± Vivian said with her arms crossed and the corners of her mouth arced. ¡°Even without us, they wouldn¡¯t really launch a counterattack. They wouldn¡¯t even allow others to do so. Do you think they are stupid? They enjoy the convenience of modern society. They know how comfortable the world is after being transformed by human beings. Humankind has not only replaced the gods after thousands of years of development but more importantly, the world has developed from being barbaric to what it is now. This is an extravagant period where civil aircraft flies faster than any Blood Clan member, the modern industry produces tools that are more convenient than anything in ancient times, mobile phones are more convenient than messaging magic, and tablet computers have replaced all traditional entertainment. Those who were immersed in all these were living in extravagance.


    ¡°So, do you think they will allow anyone to destroy this comfortable and beautiful era?


    ¡°They certainly won¡¯t. Instead, they want to enjoy all of this. They want benefits, not wars and ruins. Only those who have nothing but fervor would go to war. Almost no one in the sanctuary would want to risk all these because they have too much to lose; they are not going to give it up. All they want is to enjoy life. So after the disappearance of the demon hunters, they didn¡¯t vie for hegemony because it meant returning to the old world of barrenness and barbarism. All they wanted is to walk out of the sanctuary and embrace the new world openly. As long as the big families set the unspoken rules, the chaps screaming around making noises are just chess pieces. The farce in the square wasn¡¯t about revolution but a scheme of the big families fishing in troubled waters,¡± Vivian said.


    Hao Ren thought for a moment and shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s too chaotic and doesn¡¯t make sense to me,¡± he said.


    ¡°To tell the truth, I can¡¯t make sense of their thinking too, but whether it is human or otherworldling, they have come a long way amid many troubles,¡± Vivian said. ¡°It¡¯s troublesome and boring, yet many people never get tired of it.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled helplessly and said nothing, just standing next to Vivian and looking up at the chaotic, shadowy dome of the sanctuary.


    Soon, this dome would become useless.

 Chapter 1046

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Smart people preferred to be aristocrats in paradise than be kings in swamps and radioactive craters.


    Those who did not care about the enjoyment of life and modern society were rare, but they still existed. These extremists were hell-bent on rebuilding their glory; they were motivated by the sense of honor or the illusion of ruling the world.


    However, they were a minority.


    The Shadow Council was an organization that protected the interests of the majority. Those wanting enjoyment, peace and wealth formed this council. They wanted to ensure the future would move in a direction in line with their expectations, and they would eliminate the minority who challenged them.


    Hao Ren knew that all orders and rules in the mortal world were temporary. This Shadow Council system was also brief, just as the Mythological Era had finally come to an end, the peace that the demon hunters had maintained through their high-handedness for thousands of years would end in a few days. The Shadow Council would probably last even shorter.


    But at least for the time being, there was no worry about more turmoil.


    The discussions about the Shadow Council and the future direction had gone into the second day. As the largest sanctuary in Europe, there were not only family representatives from the Athens Sanctuary, but also spokespersons who came recently from other sanctuaries across Europe. These people were here to discuss the various problems after the disappearance of the demon hunters. They gathered just at the right time; the meeting effectively became sort of the European Supernatural Creatures Conference. It was said that the otherworldling family leaders in other parts of the world were also coming. They all responded to the call of the Athens Sanctuary¡ªstrictly speaking, they were responding to the call of some of the most senior ancients. So the formation of the Shadow Council was surprisingly fast.


    Hao Ren was not interested in this. He led his men and left the meeting the next day and then strolled around in the Shadowy City. He was not worried about the problem of monitoring as Hessiana was still at the meeting. As the split of the most ancient, the little bat was now rising towards the top of the Shadow Council, giving the long-standing prominent family leaders a run for their money.


    Though mischievous, Hessiana was capable in her own right. Under Vivian¡¯s stern command, this naughty kid followed Hao Ren¡¯s instructions. She reported the progress of the Shadow Council while playing her role in the meeting as per Hao Ren had instructed.


    They strolled to a high platform in the southwest corner of the city. This elevated platform was the entrance that they used when they first visited the Shadowy Dimension. It was linked to the antique shop of Hesperides. An avatar of Grandalr¡¯s tree swayed in a corner, waving his own branches and leaves, and occasionally watching the movement of Vivian, his master with a pair of dim eyes on the trunk. The old tree guardian was one of the most highly respected Ancients in the city, but it did not participate in the meeting: it was a disinterested party.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, look at the city; out of the thousands of supernatural creatures here, only less than one-tenth of them dared to go to the outside world for the past few thousand years. They were very low-key and secretive because once they were exposed, the demon hunter would come after them in flocks,¡± the old tree guardian said. Feeling a bit boring, he began to talk to Vivian. ¡°I have heard about the Shadow Council and the end of demon hunting. This means that tens of thousands of otherworldlings will openly enter human society. I am a bit uneasy about it,¡± the old tree said.


    Grandalr was an old magic tree. It inherited the nature of his own race, which was that he disliked change. He was not sure whether the future was going to be good or bad, so he could not help but express what was in his mind.


    ¡°No. The otherworldings do not enter openly. There is a clause in the agreement that you cannot interfere with human society. Disrupting the social order will affect the interests of many large families,¡± Vivian said, patiently correcting him. ¡°Did you say tens of thousands of them? Let us not first mention that not everyone could pass the assessment. Even if they all pass, do you know how large the human population in the world is?¡± she said.


    ¡°Of course, there will still be some changes, such as a sudden emergence of many urban or spiritual legends,¡± Hao Ren said and smiled. He did not take this seriously. As an inspector, he should pay attention to the ¡®orderly development¡¯ of civilization. Orderly development was not static. Any changes were considered reasonable under the condition that the foundation was not shaken. So he could not care less.


    When the Shadow Council matured, there were be more and more unusual creatures living among humans. Consequently, more and more humans would come into contact with the mysterious realm. Some subtle changes would occur naturally. This peaceful and mutual infiltration seemed not that bad at all.


    Just when Hao Ren was losing himself in a maze of thoughts, a shadow in white smoke suddenly appeared on the platform. The smoke quickly condensed to form the figure of a woman.


    This woman had a cold temperament. She was none other than Hel, the sole survivor of the Norse gods, who frequently appeared before him recently. She was low-key, indifferent and barely talking with outsiders. Hao Ren did not know her well, but after the last Shade of Chaos incident, he became an acquaintance of this goddess of death.


    ¡°You look for me?¡± Hel asked, walking straight up to Vivian. ¡°Hesperides asked me to see you after the meeting.¡±


    Though a veteran being who survived the Mythological Era, Hel was not considered an ancient. Not all the unusual creatures who lived through the Mythological Era were deemed to be ancient. Only the old guys who were born in the glory days of the gods and had a particular influence are counted as one. Hesperides fulfilled the requirement because of her age, but Hel fell short by a bit. She could only be classified as being from the ¡°Middle Ages.¡± So, despite her unsociability and bad temper, she still showed enough respect for Vivian.


    According to some grapevine, Hel as a child was robbed of her candy by Vivian. It was also possible that it was her father, Loki, who was deprived of a sweet.


    ¡°I¡¯m not the one looking for you,¡± Vivian said, raising her finger to point at Hao Ren. ¡°It¡¯s the head of the house.¡±


    Vivian had been calling Hao Ren ¡®Head of the House¡¯ since they came to the sanctuary. Perhaps it was to emphasize Hao Ren¡¯s status as a ¡°team leader¡± and let him have more say in the sanctuary. She publicly recognized Hao Ren¡¯s leadership in front of the unusual creatures and thus accorded her authority to Hao Ren. It turned out that the trick worked pretty well, except that it had agitated Hessiana, the jumpy little bat.


    Hel looked at Hao Ren with a zombie face but quizzical eyes. Hao Ren said bluntly, ¡°You are a survivor of the Norse gods.¡±


    Hel, who was still expressionless, nodded.


    ¡°When Yggdrasil dimensional chain exploded, you were there. But you escaped the explosion?¡±


    Hel continued to nod.


    ¡°Do you know where the dimensional debris are after the explosion of the Nine Worlds? Any clues will do.¡±


    Hel¡¯s face finally had some animation. ¡°You¡¯re looking for the Nine Worlds, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s heart missed a bit. Her reply seemed to reinforce the notion that the debris of the Nine Worlds really existed.


    When he summoned the Norse survivor, he did not have high hope of getting anything out of her. But her reply was a pleasant surprise.


    ¡°So the Nine Worlds really exist?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s eyes were filled with excitement. ¡°Do you know the situation of Svartalfheim and Jotunheim?¡± he asked.


    Hel looked at Hao Ren with suspicion, but she had no intention of hiding the historical relics that had already turned into ruins. ¡°Even a divine realm as simple as Olympus could survive the explosion, more so Yggdrasil. The demon hunters have only destroyed the branches that connected the Nine Worlds and the main material world, detaching the alien dimensions from the main material world but not destroying them.¡±


    There is a difference between destroying a world and destroying the dimension where the world was located. Just as human weapons could easily destroy human civilization itself, but would not shake the foundation of the earth, the demon hunters could only kill the gods of Vanir and Asgard but not the nine dimensions. It was consistent with Hao Ren¡¯s guess!


    ¡°The Nine Worlds should still exist, and Svartalfheim and Jotunheim are no exception,¡± Hel said. ¡°But their links to the main material world have been broken, it will be hard for you to find them.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyebrows arched. ¡°Sounds like you know how,¡± he said.


    Hel hesitated. Vivian patted her on the shoulder. ¡°No matter what you have, it is best to let us try. Maybe those things don¡¯t work in your hand but ours.¡±


    Hel¡¯s brows knit together, her face without a single animation, but she was clearly thinking. At last, she held her hand out in the air before a metal object glowing in electric light emerged in the air.


    ¡°This is the spear tip of Gungnir.¡±

 Chapter 1047

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Gungnir was the most famous weapon in Norse mythology. The king of the gods, Odin used this weapon to fight his enemies and its almighty divine power to maintain the order and authority of the entire kingdom of God. This spear had powerful magic; whenever it was thrown, it would hit its target and kill any enemy from thousands of miles away. The inscriptions on its surface bound vows and covenants. Promises made in front of Gungnir would be fulfilled.


    ¡°Most of it is nonsense. This spear is only more solid and can release a guided energy missile,¡± Vivian said, taking the tip of Gungnir from Hel. The sharp metal still flashed in a cold light. Some dense energy still floated on its surface, as if the power of Odin still remained. ¡°I know at least six people have escaped Gungnir¡¯s guided missiles, and the part that binds oath is even more bizarre. But it is just that Odin was the only authority in the Nordic region, so no one dared to deceive him,¡± she said.


    ¡°How come the spear tip is in your hand?¡± Hao Ren asked as he looked at Hel curiously. He knew a little about Norse mythology that Hel was not close to Odin. In fact, as the daughter of the evil god, Loki, she was on the opposite side of gods of Asgard during the Twilight of the Gods. Though the myths of the ancient times somewhat differed from the facts, generally they were believable.


    Hao Ren did not know why such a critical Odin relic was in the hands of Hel.


    ¡°The Garden of Asgard is destroyed,¡± Hel said without any emotion. ¡°Does the dispute between the father of the gods and me matter? In that battle, all the gods were losers. Only the demon hunters had achieved their goals. When I found that the melee of the Norse gods had actually opened a window of opportunity to the demon hunters, I just thought that I must at least take the family¡¯s heritage out and stay alive. This fragment was the only thing I managed to bring out.¡±


    ¡°How can I find the Nine Worlds with Gungnir spear tip?¡± Hao Ren asked curiously.


    Hel thought for a moment and said, ¡°Because the remaining fragments are still lying somewhere in the Nine Worlds. The father of the gods wanted to kill the monster from the mouth of the giant wolf before being swallowed by Fenrir. He used the spear to pierce the mandible of Fenrir, and it was a through-and-through wound. Then his power exploded, and the spear broke into three. One piece was clenched in the hands of the father of the gods and was blown out. A section was stuck in between Fenrir¡¯ teeth. The tip fell in front of me. After taking the piece out, I could feel it always resonated with a distant place. This is a weapon with a soul. It is instinctively seeking to reform its body.¡±


    Hel took her eyes off Gungnir¡¯s tip and looked at Hao Ren. ¡°I have tried to reopen the Nine Worlds by tracing the resonance of the spear tip, but I couldn¡¯t find the trajectory of it with my strength and knowledge. Instead, I almost attracted the demon hunters to myself. But I think you should be able to do it. I¡¯ve talked to Mimir, and he mentioned that you have some special method. The old giant suggested that I should give this to you. He was the advisor to the father of the gods, so I decided to trust him one more time.¡±


    It turned out that Vivian did not even have to ask for it, Mimir knew that this thing would be useful to Hao Ren: Hao Ren was looking for the spaceship that Mimir had once ridden in. Therefore the old giant had consulted Hel beforehand.


    ¡°I have to thank the old man for his kindness,¡± Hao Ren said, taking the fragment from Vivian. He felt this piece of metal that looked solid was almost weightless in his hand. It felt like a lukewarm jade. A minor vibration was constantly felt coming from within the spear tip. He immediately took out the MDT and scanned the spear tip. Quickly, he discovered that there was an incomplete energy circulation system inside. Though it had been damaged for thousands of years, the system was still working.


    The MDT shook its body and said, ¡°You may want to send this thing on board the spacecraft because I¡¯m going to design an antenna amplifier, which can amplify and send the signal of this metal to the entire solar system. If the Nine Worlds are still floating around the earth, then we will be able to find them.¡±


    Hao Ren quickly kept the metal into his dimensional pocket. Then Hel asked curiously, ¡°Though I don¡¯t mind, what do you want to do in the Yggdrasil dimensional chain? If you¡¯re after wealth and power, then I advise you to give up as soon as possible ¡ª there is nothing left in that place.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m looking for the mystery of your origin in this universe.¡±


    Hel silently observed Hao Ren for a while. She could not see any desire for power and wealth from the man¡¯s eyes. In the past, she would have dug further. But now all her enthusiasm and passion had died down. This former goddess of death just nodded silently, turned into a cloud of smoke and disappeared quietly just like the way she came.


    ¡°She is deadly dull,¡± Lily suddenly mumbled.


    The ancient tree Grandalr shook his branches and said, ¡°All Ancients are like this, after all, they are old.¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at Vivian spontaneously, the young-looking countess turned her head and glanced back at him with a sunny smile. ¡°What?¡±


    Strangely, every Ancient whom Hao Ren met was mostly dull. In other words, it was the ¡°vicissitudes of age.¡± Even though Hesperides and Hel looked young relative to their ages, their temperament was no longer as young. The only exception was the super ancestor in the house; she looked like she was stuck in a time warp.


    Hao Ren thought for a moment. He opined that Vivian¡¯s seventeen-year-old youthful look was mainly attributed to two reasons. One was her bloodline; 10,000 years to the split body of the goddess of creation was just a drop in the ocean of her life. The other one was that she was so forgetful that she had forgotten about a large chunk of her life after each sleep.


    ¡°What the hell are you staring at?¡± Vivian asked, feeling uncomfortable from the stare. ¡°Your stare reminds me of Hessiana.¡±


    Hao Ren was struck dumb.


    Two days later, Hao Ren saw that the situation in the sanctuary had stabilized, he was leaving.


    He had intended to take Mimir along, and then arrange for the old giant to meet with the guardians of the Plane of Dreams. But later Mimir had decided to stay back in the Athens¡¯ sanctuary; there were many things to be done. He was a legendary Ancient who was highly respected among the unusual creatures. During the meeting for the last few days, he had played a prominent role with his wisdom and knowledge. He had unconsciously become the key in establishing the Shadow Council, and for this reason, he felt that he should not leave yet.


    Moreover, he was still the advisor to the demon-hunter organization. Now that the killing was over, but the sensitive identity and current situation of the demon hunters meant that both sides would not be able to meet in the short term. The unique existence of Mimir had thus become a bridge between the two sides. Initially, this mediator role should belong to Hao Ren, Vivian, and Lily, but Hao Ren had to report back to the administration and Vivian was anxious to go home to clean up the house while the great first sage was a husky, so the heavy responsibility fell on the shoulder of the old giant.


    Of course, Hao Ren would not forget about Mimir. As soon as the dust settled in the sanctuary, he would set up a meeting for the old giant to meet his compatriots. Mimir had no problem with this arrangement: the guardian had a massive sense of responsibility, even if it lost its memory. Compared with meeting his compatriots, Mimir cared more about the work at hand.


    After the dust settled, Hao Ren finally got the break that he had been dreaming of. He first went home and slept for a whole day and night. Hao Ren did not care if Rollie had damaged the sofa and things like that. He even ignored Lil Pea¡¯s bite marks on the furniture. After replenishing his energy, he immediately went to see his boss armed with his work report and his fantastic discovery in Coldpath.


    The mansion of Raven 12345 had changed little. Hao Ren was delighted to find that the house of his boss was intact this time. At least it looked like there was no explosion in the past two days. The Arcane servant brought him to a large and gorgeous office where he met his female boss.


    The goddess was focused on something behind the desk, where a bowl of noodles was sitting in the corner. When Hao Ren entered, Raven 12345 quickly looked up and said with a loud voice, ¡°Hey, Hao Ren, you¡¯re back?¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly felt a touch of emotion: after so many days, his boss, not the stand-in, was finally back in office.

 Chapter 1048

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Raven 12580, Raven 23333, Raven 10086, Raven¡¯s mobile number¡­ So many ¡°mass-produced¡± goddesses! If he had not seen them in person, Hao Ren would not have believed that goddesses in heaven worked in shifts sometimes. His own boss was the flakiest one among all the goddesses. This neurotic woman had gone missing lately. Most of the time it was her substitutes who handled her post in heaven. Counting his fingers, Hao Ren was surprised to find that he had not seen his boss for a long time.


    He was actually quite surprised to find Raven 12345 back in office.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Raven 12345 said. Her sharp six senses had noticed the strange expression on Hao Ren¡¯s face. She glared at him. ¡°Am I not back in the office now? What is so surprising?¡± she asked.


    It looked like the goddess was aware of her long absence.


    ¡°Yeah, long time no sees,¡± said Hao Ren who quickly forced a smile. He knew that this was a female neurotic, he had better not to take her words seriously. ¡°Where did you go all this while?¡±


    Raven 12345 squinted, her face looked as if she was thinking. ¡°I was reporting back to the divine realm and meeting some old foes of mine. Guess what, I have made a name for myself again in these few days.¡±


    ¡°Just a few days? It sounds like more than a few days,¡± Hao Ren said.


    ¡°I was lying in the repair shop after that,¡± Raven 12345 replied matter-of-coursely.


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s leave the topic of my brilliant achievement until next time. How about your work?¡± Raven 12345 asked, treating the dumbstruck face of Hao Ren as admiration. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve got some findings in the demon-hunter headquarters.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not as simple as just some findings,¡± Hao Ren said. His face turned solemn. ¡°In fact, I have found¡­¡±


    He told the goddess about his experience in the Coldpath dimension, the situation of the unusual creatures, particularly on the formation of the Shadow Council. Raven 12345 did not comment about the last point, as if this nitty-gritty was not worthy of her attention. To her, as long as the earth¡¯s civilization was still going on regularly, she was not going to interfere in Hao Ren¡¯s actions. What she was more concerned about was what happened in Coldpath.


    The verbal report was just about his personal experience. The MDT had compiled the scanning result of Coldpath into technical documents and submitted them to Raven 12345 as part of the report. Though the goddess appeared flaky most of the time, she was unquestionably professional in her work, definitely the smartest and erudite neurotic in this universe.


    This super-smart female neurotic read the entire technical report with great interest. Then she said, ¡°Hmmm, that¡¯s interesting. Is this the knowledge system of the goddess of creation? Look at the temples she built using the original and primitive energy-supply structure. These runes are very simple and straightforward to use, although efficiency is a problem. And the structure of these energy nodes still has room for improvement despite being pretty well-designed.¡±


    Listening for a long while, Hao Ren could not make head or tail about what she said. ¡°So what does this mean?¡± he asked.


    ¡°It means that this goddess really has no background. I couldn¡¯t know her origins by just looking at the ruins,¡± Raven 12345 said, sweeping the hologram to the side with her hand. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter. We knew this from the beginning anyway. The key is the other thing that you have found,¡± she said.


    Hao people nodded. He opened his dimensional pocket and took out a large metal container. The surface of the metal container floated with a blue halo that looked as if it had texture. A powerful isolation field suppressed the dangerous energy inside the container. Psionic energy called the Power of God formed the most secured seal. No matter what the content was, it was impossible to get out.


    Even if it was a weapon that had once slain a god.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Godslayer,¡± Hao Ren said, placing his hand on a switch of a secured container, which was used specifically to store dangerous stuff. Before switching off the energy shield, he glanced at Raven 12345 and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to open it.¡±


    With a wave of her hand, Raven 12345 had formed a layer of magic shield around herself. ¡°This shield should be tough enough. With the ability I have, should I worry about a little Godslayer?¡± she said.


    Hao Ren nodded and switched off all the security mechanisms of the container. With a slight burst of energy and a buzzing sound like an air valve, the metal container slowly opened. Surrounded by the blue halo, the black sword in the box floated up silently.


    This sword was alive. Though no detectors could detect the consciousness within the blade and the MDT had also concluded that the sword did not have intellectual activity, it was undoubtedly alive. After leaving the restraint of the security container, the black sword trembled and the darkness of the blade became deeper and deeper. The floating starlight in the dark on the blade also shook along with the sword. At first, Hao Ren was a little nervous; he thought that the thing was trying to break free. Soon after, he realized that the sword was actually trembling in fear.


    It was because Raven 12345 was staring at it with a curious look.


    A blue light flashed across the goddess¡¯ eyes. The shaking black sword instantly calmed down before she grasped the hilt with her hand.


    ¡°Be careful,¡± Hao Ren spontaneously reminded her.


    ¡°I am. This thing is not a threat to me,¡± Raven 12345 said carelessly while wielding the sword. Hao Ren watched in amazement. Though he was a total swordsmanship idiot, he was as sure as hell that the goddess had a very high level of skill. He could not help but think of what the goddess once said: the Raven pantheon was a pure magic-caster profession. They did not use any cold weapons in battle. But seeing the way Raven 12345 wielding the sword, her skill in cold weapons was absolutely extraordinary!


    But there was something that Hao Ren did not know though: she actually derived her skill from her painful experience of being attacked by a broadsword.


    Of course, she started practicing swordsmanship after being beaten by the broadsword and suffering from brain damage.


    ¡°The material of this sword is the world,¡± the goddess said after wielding it for a while.


    Hao Ren thought it was a grammar mistake. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The world, literally,¡± Raven 12345 said as she glided her fingers on the blade of the black sword. Radiating lines of cracks appeared on wherever her finger touched. A terrifying air was leaking out of those cracks as if space had been torn apart. ¡°Of course, for the sake of understanding, you can call it cosmic fragment. But in reality, it is something of higher-end. It is not just a broken piece of dimension but also a fully functional world fragment.¡±


    Hao Ren, blinded with science, quickly asked, ¡°What is the difference?¡±


    ¡°Let me categorize them into three different types of fragment: dimensional fragment, cosmic fragment, and world fragment,¡± said Raven 12345. She was always very patient when explaining things to Hao Ren. ¡°Dimensional fragment is the most basic thing you have ever come into contact with; it is a four-dimensional space and time that has been split. In other worlds, it could be five-dimensional or six-dimensional; it is a fragment of space and time, nothing else. The cosmic fragment is one step up, a microcosm of a part of the cosmos, containing all the dimensions and material in the universe. On the other hand, the world fragment does not only contain all the dimensions but also contains the rules of the world, which not only of its own but also those that it used to belong to.¡±


    As if Lily¡¯s soul had possessed him, Hao Ren¡¯s eyes started to spin with spirals.


    ¡°You can think of it as a piece of land that has been annexed from a kingdom,¡± Raven 12345 said, smiling as she looked at Hao Ren. ¡°You only get a wasteland. This is the dimensional fragment. If there are buildings and farms on this wasteland, it is a cosmic fragment. If there are sufficient, skilled and loyal people in the land, complete with government institutions, rules, and regulations, then it can be regarded as a miniature version of the country, it is the world fragment.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the black sword; he was stunned beyond words.


    What surprised him, even more, was a question that suddenly crossed his mind: Since it was a world fragment, which world was it from?


    Was it the Plane of Dreams?

 Chapter 1049

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Raven 12345 did not give a clear answer to Hao Ren¡¯s questions. The Godslayer was no longer in its original form of the world fragment. It had been processed, and some of its essences had been distorted. After the deicidal incident, the power of the true God had washed the sword inside out. In other words, though it was still the same as the original Godslayer in appearance, its interior had been turned upside down.


    Raven 12345 carefully inspected the remnant of information on the sword before she extracted something from it. She finally determined that the sword was actually made of a fragment from the Plane of Dreams. But it was somewhat different from the present Plane of Dreams.


    ¡°Different?¡± Hao Ren felt that the topic had come to a realm that he could no longer understand. He tried to imagine that the universe was in the shape of cake; cutting off a small piece from it and pinching it a couple of times, and, voila, it became the Godslayer. But this simple and crude metaphor obviously did not help. ¡°What do you mean? Since this is a fragment of the Plane of Dreams, why is it different from the Plane of Dreams?¡±


    ¡°The fragment of this sword should come from the Plane of Dreams of an earlier time, an absolutely ancient period, way before the time when the Xi Ling Celestials achieved divinity,¡± Raven 12345 said, looking at the Godslayer with a somber face. ¡°The Plane of Dreams is not static. There has been a huge turmoil. This turmoil has shifted the constants of the entire universe. Though it did not cause the world to collapse, it changed the foundation of the world. This sword carries an ancient aura, which is of the part of the Plane of Dreams before the change,¡± she said.


    Being older than the time when the Xi Ling Celestials becoming gods was not a surprise.


    Hao Ren knew that the Xi Ling Celestials was a young divinity. This mighty empire as promoted as God only 10,000 years ago, almost coinciding with the time when the goddess of creation died. Of course, there was no relationship between these two events, it was just that they happened in roughly the same era. Since the Godslayer was the weapon that killed the goddess of creation, it must have been made 10,000 years ago, which meant before the Xi Ling Celestials attained divinity.


    But judging from the tone of voice of Raven 12345, probably the existence of the Godslayer was dated back even further than he had imagined; not hundreds of thousands of years but at a much more ancient time!


    It was a period of history that Raven 12345 had never mentioned but was of critical importance.


    ¡°What is the great turmoil?¡± Hao Ren asked. ¡°I guess it¡¯s not about the death of the goddess 10,000 years ago. The time seems to be no match.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, it was a different event. It took me some time to find out when I was back in the divine realm. Though the death of the goddess is a major event, it has not changed the structure of the Plane of Dreams and the real world. The ¡®great turmoil¡¯ happened much earlier than that, almost 50 million years ago.¡±


    Hao Ren was startled. He had a hard time putting 50 million years into perspective. He was surprised by Raven 12345¡¯s finding, and even more surprised by the time of the incident.


    ¡°What happened 50 million years ago?¡± Hao Ren asked with his eyes wide opened.


    Raven 12345 replied with a calm expression, ¡°The Plane of Dreams collided with this universe, and the two worlds almost merged.¡±


    It took Hao Ren a while to digest this new revelation.


    With his eyes still wide open, he asked, ¡°Did you mean that the Plane of Dreams and the surface world were not one? They were not connected originally?¡±


    ¡°Yup, the Plane of Dreams was originally an independent world. Like the surface world, it was not an appendage of this universe,¡± Raven 12345 said as she spread out her hand. ¡°In fact, you can know this judging from its attributes; it has its own laws, space-time structure and the world¡¯s barrier. Other than the Wall of Reality that connects to the surface world, it has all the conditions to exist as a complete world.¡±


    Hao Ren asked quizzically, ¡°You must have known it for a long time that the Plane of Dreams is originally an independent world, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I discovered its uniqueness after long observation and guessed the cause of the formation of the Plane of Dreams. But I didn¡¯t find the exact record of the collision until I met an old friend while I was back in the divine realm,¡± Raven said, nodding. ¡°I couldn¡¯t come to a conclusion without clear evidence. But this time I have it.¡±


    What happened at the level of the universe was thrilling. If not for experiencing the aftermath of this collision in person, Hao Ren would not have believed that such bizarre things were happening in the world.


    The collision of two worlds 50 million years ago was the cause of today¡¯s situation. The Plane of Dreams was initially an ordinary world, but after the crash, it was stuck at the boundary of the universe where Hao Ren was located. The barrier of both worlds merged in the violent crash. Part of it mutated to form the Wall of Reality, and the Plane of Dreams changed from an independent world to a component of a world complex. But the cause of the collision was unknown.


    ¡°The cause is unknown because, at that time, Xi Ling Celestials were still busy at war; we had not attained divinity, and the observations of various worlds were not as detailed as they are now,¡± Raven 12345 said, shrugging her shoulders. ¡°The gods of the galaxy were far away from here. But they had a sentry tower that just happened to observe the situation over this side back then. The sentinel had recorded the collision event of the universes. Whatever the cause, the Plane of Dreams had changed after the collision, and part of its laws was distorted to suit its connection with the surface world. In the tens of millions of years after that, the two worlds have remained stable,¡± she said.


    ¡°Stable?¡± Hao Ren was a little surprised.


    ¡°Yes, The Plane of Dreams has been ¡®hanging¡¯ in a stable manner in this universe for 50 million years,¡± Raven 12345 said. She spread her hands wide open to illustrate how long the time had been. ¡°There never had any problems, because the collision did not damage the foundation of the two universes. The surface world only suffered minor damage while the Plane of Dreams was more serious. To the creatures in the two universes, except those that had died in the collision, they would not be able to perceive what happened at that level. So it was all calm in the 50 million years until 10,000 years ago.¡±


    Raven 12345¡¯s eyes landed on the Godslayer. Thinking about the material of the sword, Hao Ren felt that things were becoming complicated.


    ¡°A weapon made of world fragment killed the highest god in the Plane of Dreams and things worsened ever since. The Plane of Dreams had had a mass extinction event, the Wall of Reality was weakening, and 50 million years of balance between the two universes was broken as the Plane of Dreams was merging into the surface world.¡±


    While saying, the goddess gently flicked the black sword with her finger. But it did not produce any sound. There were only ripples on the blade.


    ¡°The material of this sword is worthy of study,¡± Raven 12345 said as she looked at Hao Ren. ¡°It was ripped off the Plane of Dreams before the big collision. This fragment solidified and retained the original state of the Plane of Dreams. This weapon possesses powerful energy because it is the world itself, the will of the great universe, and the process of birth and destruction. Though its invincible power is confined to only its world and outside the Plane of Dreams it is just a cutting tool, it is still powerful for some uneducated goddess from the suburb. It is threatening.¡±


    ¡°Just threatening?¡± Hao Ren had sensed something was more than meets the eye.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s just threatening. This weapon can seriously hurt a god like the goddess of creation, but the thing is: a weapon is just a weapon, its power depends on the wielder,¡± Raven 12345 said. ¡°If the wielder could not even come close to the true God, then it is just a sharp big knife. So a certain doubtful point that you discovered earlier was crucial.¡±


    Hao Ren knew what the goddess was referring to. ¡°The goddess of creation did not resist,¡± he said.


    Raven 12345¡¯s mouth arced. ¡°This sword could inflict real harm to any true god. So the goddess died. But I do not believe that a true God is unable to even dodge the attack of a slowpoke mortal.¡±

 Chapter 1050 - Sword

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The more truths he uncovered, the more he thought that the deicidal event of 10,000 years ago was not that simple. Especially after learning about some of the things about the true God, he even thought that the death of the Goddess of Creation of the Plane of Dreams was full of doubts.


    Even if the treacherous child had gotten his hands on a weapon that could kill gods, they were not gods themselves.


    The Godslayer needed its wielder to bring out its power.


    However potent the sword was, if the wielder could not come close to the goddess of creation, it would be meaningless. Hao Ren had clearly seen the scene in the illusion brought by the Gilded Disc: the Goddess of Creation did not resist but let the assassin pierce the sword into her body.


    ¡°I can¡¯t really make sense of it,¡± Hao Ren said, forcing a smile. ¡°I even think that the goddess of creation was actually allowing it to happen. She was calm before she died as if she had known beforehand that this would happen and that of the historical direction after that. She even uttered to me a few obscure words, which I could only understand one word: forgive. This indicates¡ª¡±


    ¡°This indicates that she had it all arranged,¡± Raven 12345 cut in and said. ¡°Though she was not a qualified god in term of strength, she should at least possess some wisdom. The information I have in hand was not enough, and we can¡¯t guess why the goddess sought death. The biggest clue is the sword,¡± she said.


    Hao Ren had his attention back to the Godslayer. Knowing the nature of this thing, he was even more cautious this time. The sword was part of the Plane of Dreams! It was a weapon made by tearing a piece of fragment off the world! And more importantly, it came from the Plane of Dreams of 50 million years ago before its collision with the surface world. This was a piece of the original universe. Hao Ren instinctively felt that the material of the sword was crucial.


    While he was clueless about how to begin the search, he was more concerned with another question: who made this sword?


    ¡°It is definitely not made by the deicides,¡± Hao Ren said, scratching his chin. ¡°They didn¡¯t have the capability, and the material of this sword came from the big collision 50 million years ago. At that time, the deicides not even existed.¡±


    Raven 12345 sneered. ¡°They certainly couldn¡¯t tear off the world and compress it into a weapon. This involves complex information conversion. This is the realm of the gods. If those rebels could do this, they wouldn¡¯t have to kill the god to become gods. Most likely, a being similar to the Goddess of Creation created this thing. But this being is not God, because there is no divinity on this sword,¡± she said.


    ¡°The whisper in the mind of the deicide?¡± Something suddenly crossed his mind. Hao Ren remembered the culprit of the Woe of Madness. ¡°When the demon hunters were under the influence of this sword, they had heard a kind of whispers, which should be the same kind of power that controlled the deicide,¡± he said.


    Raven 12345 nodded lightly. ¡°Most likely. This whisper is probably a form of power of the mastermind. But it¡¯s a shame that the negative energy on the sword has dissipated completely. Otherwise, I could extract more information from it.¡±


    While saying, she casually wielded the black sword. The sword pierced through the air before horrible cracks appeared out of thin air. But it was apparent that this lethal weapon that could cause madness was only a common weapon within her hands.


    ¡°The negative energy has dissipated?¡± Hao Ren asked. ¡°The whisper has gone too?¡±


    ¡°It has assassinated a true god, and then suffered an explosion of the Kingdom of God, crossed the Wall of Reality, and was sealed twice during the Woe of Madness. It was the psionic power that sealed it the second time. After so much exhaustion, it is amazing that this sword still retains some murderous aura,¡± Raven 12345 said, and suddenly handed the sword to Hao Ren. ¡°Of course, not everything has dissipated. The whisper that you have mentioned is still there. You can experience it for yourself.¡±


    As the goddess handed the dangerous thing to him, cold sweat started to trickle down his spine. He instinctively took a few steps back. ¡°Hey, wait a minute! Keep this thing away from me. I¡¯m not like you!¡± he said.


    ¡°Oh come on! Don¡¯t be so chicken, I have it all covered,¡± Raven 12345 said, glaring at him. ¡°When I say take it, just take it!¡±


    Hao Ren looked at her, who looked back at him confidently. He then stepped forward and carefully took the black sword in his hand.


    Then a shiver ran up his spine. Other than that, nothing had happened.


    ¡°It seems fine!¡± Hao Ren said. He looked at the sword in his hand with amazement. He had prepared to lose an arm and a leg when the grabbed the sword, but to his surprise, he only felt the sword was a little cold in his hand, and it was even weightless. If not for the real sense of contact, he would not have believed that he was holding something in his hand.


    Not to mention that it was a world fragment. A world fragment that had no weight.


    ¡°Because the world itself has no weight, the concept of weight or mass was only effective in itself. When you hold this sword, you are effectively standing outside the world. It has become an entirely different perspective. So how could there be weight?¡± Raven 12345 said, rolling her eyes and unrelentingly pointing out Hao Ren¡¯s ignorance. ¡°And don¡¯t just study the stuff. Do you feel there is something in your head right now?¡±


    Hao Ren quickly focused his mind. Cold sweat suddenly trickled down his spine. The sword almost slipped out of his hand.


    A voice, or rather a consciousness, was ringing in his mind!


    This was the whisper. It was barely noticeable. Listening more carefully, Hao Ren found that it was not a voice at all but a force similar to thought. It flowed into his mind, as though the information was printed directly into his spiritual world. Hao Ren was shocked by the sudden appearance of something in his mind, but quickly, he calmed down because he found that his mind was not affected.


    The whispering voice communicated a series of thoughts continuously into his mind. He ¡®listened¡¯ carefully; they were voices of negativity, hatred, and bewitching. Other than that, these whispers did not really affect his thinking.


    And if under normal circumstances, these thoughts would not be as simple as being spoken into the mind but they would be directly implanted in the victim¡¯s brain and becoming part of the victim¡¯s thinking.


    ¡°Is this the whisper?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s mouth shivered. ¡°How could it control the mind with this weak babbling?¡± he said.


    Though the thoughts that were spoken directly in mind was giving him goosebumps, it was not enough to distort the memory. It could do nothing about Hao Ren the demigod. The only lethality was that it was annoying.


    ¡°As I said before, its negative energy has dissipated. Only these thoughts remain,¡± Raven 12345 said with her arms crossed. ¡°It certainly can¡¯t influence you, because it has exhausted its power. But this thing is still dangerous for ordinary people. After all, the voice is really annoying.¡±


    She then paused, her eyebrows arched slightly. ¡°Do you know what it means?¡± she asked.


    Still trying to make sense of the thoughts in his mind, Hao Ren replied spontaneously, ¡°What it means?¡±


    ¡°It means that the sword itself was not evil and that the killing tendency, as well as mind-corrupting power, were the results of post-perfusion,¡± Raven 12345 said briskly. ¡°Like the electricity in the battery, this thing is now drained. So no one holding this thing would worry about being bewitched by it. The guy who made this weapon could care less about the deicides and didn¡¯t even expect those deicides would survive. So ¡®He¡¯ has created a one-time-use weapon for those guys. Oh man, I think those rebels still regard it as their most treasured piece of artifact.¡±


    Now it all made sense. Hao Ren forced a smile. ¡°But those poor demon hunters were almost dead because of the last drop of power in the sword.¡±


    ¡°This is the realm of God. A little accident and mistake could destroy a race. Sometimes it will destroy a world,¡± Raven 12345 said with a solemn face. Suddenly, she turned around and looked at Hao Ren. ¡°Even if it is only an empty shell, it is still good stuff. At least it is an invincible weapon. You can keep it if you want.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Raven 12345 smiled and said, ¡°Now this is your sword. What do you think? Awesome enough?¡±

 Chapter 1051 - Year-End Bonus

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Since he came to know Raven 12345, Hao Ren knew that this neurotic woman would always say or do something that caught him unawares. If God was enlightening, then this neurotic goddess had to be the least enlightening one. Hao Ren was struck dumb by what Raven 12345 said.


    ¡°What the heck?¡± Hao Ren subconsciously wanted to throw the sword away like it was a hot iron stick. ¡°You are kidding me! I¡¯d be crazy to carry this bad stuff with me!¡±


    Before Hao Ren could throw the sword away, Raven 12345 forcibly held his hand and said to him with a mysterious smile, ¡°No, you need to carry it with you. You must carry it with you.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Hao Ren asked. At first, he thought that the goddess must have forgotten to take her medication. But it was only when he noticed the seriousness on her face that he realized that she was serious and that something more profound behind her action.


    ¡°Because this sword is the Godslayer, the causality between it and the Goddess of Creation is more than all the other samples you have found so far unless you can find something else that is more exaggerated than this. Otherwise, this sword is the only thing that could lead you to the Star of Creation,¡± Raven 12345 said as she looked at Hao Ren. ¡°I can sense it; though I could not figure out the entanglement line from the faint information, I could sense that the connection between this sword and the goddess of creation has not been cut off. I can¡¯t enter the Plane of Dreams, so you have to do this rather difficult job for me: bring along this sword, I don¡¯t care whether you use it to kill the enemy or use it to make dumplings as long as you carry it with you. It will definitely help you find the place where the goddess has fallen,¡± she said.


    This was the first time that Hao Ren saw this level of seriousness on Raven 12345¡¯s face. It was also the first time that he had ever heard her inscrutable tone of voice. He could not help but swallow. ¡°I understand what you said, but don¡¯t you have to study it? This is a real divine artifact! I think this thing is more useful in your hand than in mine,¡± he said.


    ¡°I have got what I want,¡± Raven 12345 said while opening his hand. There was a black fragment, inside which was filled with endless stars, trembled in her palm. ¡°In the world of the world fragment, one is many, and many is one. This small piece of fragment carries all the information that I need for studying.¡±


    Staring at the shard in the goddess¡¯ hand, he was surprised. Hao Ren had no idea when the goddess had taken a piece off the Godslayer. He looked at the black sword in his hand and found that a section of the sword tip was missing. Since the shape of the sword itself was not regular, this defect was not visible.


    ¡°This piece is enough me.¡± Raven 12345 smiled. She patted Hao Ren on the shoulder and said, ¡°I will leave this sword with you. I believe in your talent of blowing things up. Even if you don¡¯t do anything at all, holding this sword in your hand would be enough to lead you to the Star of Creation.¡±


    Hao Ren forced a smile. ¡°Can I say something? I do not even know what to do. Is this thing really useful?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if it is useful. Just carry it,¡± Raven 12345 said. ¡°Like I said you are¡­¡±


    Hao Ren relented at last. Waving his hand, he said, ¡°All right, I will keep this thing. It was the outsiders who have nothing better to do giving me that nickname, why are you joining their rank?¡±


    Raven 12345¡¯s arms akimbo and said matter-of-coursely, ¡°Crap, I¡¯m also having nothing better to do!¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless. Never did he expect the goddess would admit that so matter-of-coursely.


    The two of them stared at each other for a while before Hao Ren surrendered himself. He knew he would never be able to defeat this real neurotic and brass neck that had a massive brain hole. So Hao Ren stopped complaining. Holding the black sword cautiously, he said, ¡°All right, it¡¯s okay for me to keep this, but you have to make sure that it is harmless. I don¡¯t want to wake up one day and find myself brainwashed by this stick.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I have checked; the sword is safe. If you are still worried¡­¡±


    While saying, Raven 12345 took the Godslayer in her hand, held the sword upright, and then chanted something quietly before gently kissing it on the blade.


    A glow suddenly covered the sword before it quickly subsided and left behind a layer of pale blue shimmer around the blade.


    ¡°This is¡­¡± Hao Ren had no idea what was happening. But he knew that it was something super-duper awesome because a true God had kissed the sword!


    ¡°The blessing and restraint of the goddess. This sword has my mark. It will never hurt my messenger and those in the same camp as my messenger, nor can it defy your will. If there is really something in this sword that violates these two laws, then it will be wiped out immediately,¡± Raven 12345 said with a smile on her face. After blessing the sword and whether she liked it or not, an aura of assurance and intimacy shrouded her. The goddess smiled and gave a thumbs up to Hao Ren. ¡°The Mother***ker¡¯s Kiss Blessing!¡±


    Seeing the goddess¡¯ broad smile and thumbs up, Hao Ren already knew that things were not looking good. Before he could stop her, the goddess had uttered that ¡®Mother***ker¡¯ white magic name. He forced a smile and let out a sigh. ¡°Okay, okay. By the way, could you give your white magic a better name? At least¡ª¡±


    Without waiting for Hao Ren to finish, Raven 12345¡¯s eyebrows arched and then bit the sword in her mouth. ¡°Not convinced of the kiss of the goddess? Now I think the bite should be convincing enough.¡±


    A crispy sound was heard before a chunk was bitten off the sword that made of world fragment. The goddess had upgraded the Goddess¡¯ Kiss to the Goddess¡¯ Bite. The direct method of spell casting had brought more powerful blessing and restraining effects. As sparks came off the Godslayer, only God knows how many buffs were now added to this thing!


    The blessing and restraining power of the Godslayer were strengthened several times. Hao Ren¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground.


    Seeing Hao Ren¡¯s reaction, Raven 12345 asked, ¡°What is wrong? Not satisfied yet?¡±


    Hao Ren quickly nodded, grabbed the sword from the goddess¡¯ hand and said, ¡°Absolutely satisfied! That¡¯s enough!¡±


    It was impossible to understand the way of thinking of this neurotic woman based on common sense. A little miscommunication could trigger another cranky response from the goddess. While the upgrading of the Goddess¡¯ Kiss to the Goddess¡¯ Bite happened in just a few seconds, the neurotic woman could have swallowed the sword on the spot had Hao Ren replied any slower. Considering the condition of the goddess, she could really have done it!


    Holding the black sword in his hand, Hao Ren could feel the change on the sword this time. It was still weightless, but it had an added sense of calmness in hand. This calmness had completely neutralized the strange aura of the sword. Hao Ren closed his eyes, and in his illusory vision, he felt that he was holding a beam of pure light!


    However, the whisper had not disappeared despite the purification. When Hao Ren focused his mind, he could still hear the strange thoughts in his mind. Though these thoughts would not affect his thinking, it was still disturbing.


    ¡°I kept those whispers,¡± Raven 12345 said frankly. ¡°Because I cannot say for sure which part of the sword¡¯s power will help you find the Star of Creation. So I decided to retain all its properties. My blessing has added security to it, but underneath this barrier, it is still the Godslayer.¡±


    ¡°The weapon that killed the goddess has turned into a beacon of the goddess¡¯ blessing.¡± An emotion filled Hao Ren¡¯s heart. ¡°Fate is a fickle b*tch,¡± he lamented.


    Raven 12345 smiled and looked at Hao Ren. ¡°Stop lamenting. I have got good news for you,¡± she said.


    Hao Ren tucked the Godslayer into his dimensional pocket and reply casually, ¡°What good news?¡±


    ¡°Your year-end bonus,¡± Raven 12345 said in a mysterious tone of voice. ¡°It is good stuff this time. Something practical!¡±


    Hao Ren was startled before he realized that it was the time of the year to receive his year-end bonus.


    He had been running around busily for so long that he did not even have the time to check the calendar.


    Recalling that his previous year-end bonus was just a box of golden apples, Hao Ren was now full of anticipation. Last year was a natural treasure. What would it be this year? Peerless Soldiers?


    But he thought for a while; since he had just gotten the Godslayer made of world fragment, he felt that the year-end bonus would not be Peerless Soldiers. Otherwise, it would be a bit repetitive. Plus, Raven 12345 would not be so mysterious about it.


    When the goddess finally took the thing out, Hao Ren was utterly dumbfounded.


    He felt like an idiot for having any expectations of this neurotic woman.

 Chapter 1052 - Vivian’s New Gear

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren stayed in the temple of Raven 12345 for almost a day.


    Considering all things, Coldpath was situated in Earth¡¯s periphery, so the mission in Coldpath was a short trip by this definition. But the significance of the information he obtained overshadowed all the previous operations. The Godslayer, the origin of Coldpath, the new lead to the fall of the goddess of creation, the movements of the supernatural races on Earth, and the things that happened to Vivian as well as Lily. Every single one of them was worth a separate report. Piecing these things together, he spent a whole good day analyzing them with the goddess.


    Presented with such fruitful findings, the stingy Raven 12345 could resist no more. She generously invited Hao Ren for lunch. She played host today although her cooking still sucked and noodles were her only specialty.


    Finally, Hao Ren was done with the debriefing, during which Raven 12345 had also given him some valuable advice about future operations. He took the Godslayer that had just become his personal sword along with his year-end bonus and left the mansion. After he went, silence returned to the goddess¡¯ grand office again.


    Raven 12345 sat in her office staring blankly for a while. Lowering her head, she switched on the MDT and continued what she left off, which was what she did when Hao Ren first came in today. The complex data was spread across a dozen holographic windows. Except one, all holograms synchronously refreshed with new data. In the static hologram, a simulation of a phenomenon that was incomprehensible to humans was running.


    The two chaotically formless things were surging in the hologram. It was as if two entangled clouds spinning and colliding in flashes and mutual annihilation. Part of the clouds merged, and the remaining portion slowly changed shape in the aftermath of the collision. When the fusion process finally stopped, a bright but blurry boundary formed between the two clouds.


    As if after a long time and also as if only a short instant, the boundary between the two clouds suddenly shook. Something restless was trying to disrupt the balance. Tiny cracks began to appear in the border, and the two chaotically formless things started to merge.


    ¡°The model is basically complete, but it lacks some driving force,¡± Raven 12345 murmured. Her core of thought, which once had a trauma, was spinning at high speed, piecing together all the intelligence she had mastered. Though her mind was still less than normal, her wisdom seemed unaffected. ¡°It is really not easy to just rely on guesswork to fill the laws of the two universes. Sigh! Fragile cosmic structure. Only if I could take a gander at the collision belt, even if it¡¯s just a glance, things would be much easier.¡±


    She turned off all the holograms, hand spread in front of her eyes, and the black fragment of the Godslayer was in her palms. The chunk still filled with endless darkness and lights in the darkness twinkled like cosmic stars. Raven 12345 fiddled with it and murmured again, ¡°The Plane of Dreams might have lost more than this¡­¡±


    Knock-knock!


    A series of knocking sounds were heard, interrupting her train of thought. Raven 12345 looked up and out the window. No one was outside the massive window that stretched from ceiling to floor. She squinted and finally saw a little figure standing on the window sill outside. It was a girl of almost the same size as an adult¡¯s palm, wearing a black dress with long blue hair and a blue-violet metallic luster on the tips of her hair. The girl was jumping on the outside window sill like a restless bird, and continually slamming the window with her head: that was the knocking sound she had heard just now.


    Raven 12345 quickly waved into the direction of the window. She then opened the window to let the little girl slipped in. The girl swiftly flew up to the desk, happily jumping around and babbling a bunch of obscure words.


    ¡°The next thing I¡¯d have to count on you,¡± Raven 12345 said to the little girl. She then took a few fresh leaves out of nowhere and fed it to the tiny girl. ¡°I cannot help because I need someone to help me. So how is the situation in the Scarred Nebula that you¡¯ve just visited?¡± she asked.


    The tiny girl, holding a piece of green leaf and having a mouthful, quickly swallowed before replying loudly, ¡°Croak¡ª¡±


    Surprisingly, Raven 12345 could decipher the sound. ¡°Not expanding? Not expanding means good news. At least the Wall of Reality has stabilized on this side.¡±


    The tiny girl tilted her head. ¡°Croak?¡±


    ¡°I know the situation is bad, but it was even worse in the past few hundred years. It was expanding. Though slow, it was still visible.¡± Raven 12345 continued to tear off the fresh green leaves and handed it to the tiny girl. Suddenly, Raven 12345 appeared as if in thought. ¡°But ever since Hao Ren first entered the Plane of Dreams, the cracks had stopped expanding. It seems that the crystal is correct, he is the key,¡± Raven 12345 said.


    ¡°Croak¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know. The overall strength of the Wall of Reality is still declining. The space-time structure of the two universes could be the cause. It could also be related to the god of the Plane of Dreams. It is too complicated. I still can¡¯t wrap my brain around it. Anyway, at least these visible cracks are no longer expanding, which is a good thing. What is a good thing? The good thing is the vegetable leaves! Just eat it!¡±


    The tiny girl immediately jumped up in joy. ¡°Croak¡ª¡±


    ¡°Besides, I have a question.¡± Raven 12345 looked at the tiny girl who was still jumping around on the table. She could not help but poked the tiny girl with her finger. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you talk properly, could you? You¡¯re a crow goddess, not a cow goddess.¡±


    The tiny girl jumped up again and said cleverly, ¡°Croak! This is a tradition!¡±


    While Raven 12345 and the mysterious tiny girl were talking, Hao Ren was already back at home.


    As he pushed the door open, he almost collided with a shadow that lunged out from behind the door. Shoving the shadow out of his way, he was surprised to find that it was Rollie. The cat maiden, who had bumped into his stomach before throwing herself on the ground, scrambled to get up and lunged out the door in a panic.


    With a swift reaction, Hao Ren grabbed the tail of the dumb cat. He was not going to allow her to go out without first tucking away her ears and tail.


    ¡°What happen?¡± Hao Ren pulled her back. The dumb cat instinctively turned around and scratched him. But her claws only scraped his Steel Membrane Shield, producing a string of sparks. Using the other hand, Hao Ren fenced off her sharp claws and snapped, ¡°What is wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°Big Boss Cat, help me!¡± The cat maiden came to her senses. She immediately lunged at Hao Ren and clung to him like a koala. If not for her body size, she would have climbed on his shoulders; she used to do that when she was still a cat. ¡°Big sister wants to stew me!¡± she said.


    Hao Ren pulled the cat maiden down while trying to figure out what she meant. Apparently, Vivian was the big sister whom the cat maiden held in high regard. At this time, Vivian had run out the doorway with a towel in her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare to run! Stop the cat!¡±


    Hao Ren grabbed Rollie by her neck and dragged her back to the living hall. He closed the door behind him with his foot before looking at Vivian curiously. ¡°Did she provoke you again? Did she throw the rats into the pot or did she throw a fish bone into the bag?¡±


    Already a scourge since a juvenile, the dumb cat had grown into a humanoid of natural disaster!


    Waving her hand at Hao Ren in greeting, Vivian came up and wrung Rollie¡¯s ear. ¡°I just want to take her for a shower!¡± she said.


    Initially being protective of the cat maiden, Hao Ren now shot the dumb cat a sideways glance upon learning the truth. Looks like she had turned compulsive and did not back down. ¡°No! No! I don¡¯t want to shower! I¡¯ve just taken it the day before!¡±


    Not all cats dislike shower though most of them don¡¯t.


    Unfortunately, Rollie was the kind that disliked shower.


    The dumb cat would create a scene whenever she was asked to shower as if the shower room to her was a gas chamber. Except when she first became a humanoid, she was cooperative out of excitement. Now, only Vivian and Nangong Wuyue could make Rollie comply. Hao Ren was inured to this situation. He just ignored all the protests and struggles of the dumb cat and watched as Vivian held the cat by her neck and dragged her all the way to the bathroom. Meanwhile, Nangong Wuyue was already on standby in the bathroom. Rollie still tried to struggle when Vivian dumped her inside the bathroom, but a ball of water that suddenly emerged from the bathroom swallowed her.


    Up next was hours of screaming and protesting. Through foresight and to avoid any unnecessary attention, Nangong Wuyue had set up a sound-proof enchantment around the bathroom. Otherwise, the loud cry of the dumb cat could have alarmed the policemen who were patrolling nearby.


    When the commotion finally subsided, Vivian began to inquire about the result of Hao Ren¡¯s ¡®pilgrimage.¡¯ Hao Ren first tipped the things out of his dimensional pocket before he said, ¡°Wait a minute. I have got a year-end bonus. It is for you.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s eyes brightened up. She could not help but held those treasure that glittered in golden light in her arms. ¡°Ahh! I had wanted to buy a new set of pots and spatula a few days ago!¡±


    Yup, this was the year-end surprise that Raven 12345 had prepared for Hao Ren, known as the ¡®super practical¡¯ year-end bonus.


    A set of pots and pans, spatula, spoons, and chopsticks.


    Hao Ren was shocked beyond words when he first got them.

 Chapter 1053 - The Supposition of the World Fragment

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Something was amazing about Raven 12345; she was anything but fathomable with common sense. But when pondering what she said carefully, more often than not, it was true. People thought she was mad because they could not keep up with her fluid mind.


    Looking at the set of kitchen utensils, which was said to be made of metal from the divine realm, Hao Ren had to admit that the items were practical.


    It was more practical than a bunch of swords and spears for fighting and killing. At least that was what the peace-loving Vivian thought.


    The oldest vampire-turned cook and nanny happily held a golden frying pan in her hand, looking at it appreciatively. She felt that this thing was entirely tailor-made for her. Regardless of the weight, size, and feel in hand, it just ticked all the right boxes. There was a line of text on the back of the frying pan. The writing was foreign to her, but everyone could understand what it meant: Macroworld Pope¡¯s Dedication Award by the Personnel Department of the Shadowy City of the Space Administration.


    The pale gold text seemed to float on the metal. It glowed in a halo and filled with the divine power of sacredness and veneration.


    But still, it was just a frying pan.


    Hao Ren sat in front of Vivian, burying his face in his hand. The others surrounded them, looking with amazement. Hao Ren¡¯s mouth twitched when he said, ¡°It¡¯s said that these things are made with an alien mineral called starite, which is indestructible.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s eyes instantly brightened up. ¡°Wow, this is awesome. We don¡¯t have to repurchase a new one!¡±


    ¡°I f**king couldn¡¯t believe that they have given me a bunch of pots and pans!¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°I really shouldn¡¯t have held any expectation.¡±


    Vivian raised a spatula and knocked Hao Ren on the head. ¡°Don¡¯t swear at home!¡±


    Lily looked at the thing in Vivian¡¯s hand, envious. ¡°So lucky, you¡¯ve got present. But Mr. Landlord didn¡¯t bring me anything.¡±


    ¡°He has bought you a lot of snacks, mind you!¡± Vivian shot Lily a sideways glance and put away the kitchen utensils. Looking at Hao Ren, she said, ¡°Did the goddess say anything about our findings?¡±


    Hao Ren looked at everyone in the room, gently nodded before waving open the dimensional pocket. ¡°She asked me to bring this back,¡± he said.


    A ripple appeared in the air before the Godslayer condensed in Hao Ren¡¯s hand. The blade of the black sword continued to excite tiny cracks in the air and circles of blue light were spinning around it, which added a tad of sacredness to the strange thing.


    The appearance of the Godslayer shocked them. Y¡¯lisabet immediately climbed over the sofa arm to the other side while Lily had jumped out of her skin. ¡°Ahh!¡±


    It was lucky that she did not jump high enough to punch through the roof.


    Lil Pea appeared to be the calmest of them all. The little mermaid had no clue of what that black thing was. While everyone around jumped out of the way, she hopped out of the fish tank and went up to Hao Ren on her tail, seemingly interested in the sword.


    Hao Ren would not let her touch the weapon. He took the little mermaid to a side before telling them of the changes in the Godslayer.


    ¡°That is to say this sword has run out of energy?¡± Vivian looked at the sword with suspicion. She remembered the serious consequences during her last close encounter with it. But this time, the sword had completely failed to sense her presence. ¡°Just because you sealed it with the safe box, its power disappeared?¡±


    ¡°It is already at its weakest. In the ceremonial hall, it could create a storm because it was harnessing the energy of the Netherrealm Clock Tower. When the energy was cut off, it continued to weaken. Coupled with the depletion for the past thousands of years, this sword is no longer as dangerous as we imagine,¡± Hao Ren explained. ¡°Raven 12345 has also given it a divine restraint, which makes it impossible to influence us negatively. So even though Vivian is right in front of it, nothing is going to happen. Otherwise, I would not have taken it out.¡±


    ¡°The goddess said that this thing will lead you to the Star of Creation?¡± Y¡¯zaks looked at Hao Ren with a serious face. ¡°Did she tell you how?¡±


    ¡°She could not directly observe the Plane of Dreams, so she could not know what structure it was inside.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°But as a true god, her intuition is definitely better than us. Since she said that as long as I had the sword, it would work, so I keep it. This aside, honestly, I¡¯m more interested like this sword. The world fragment: anyone of you have ever heard of it?¡±


    They all looked at each other while Lily scratched her head. ¡°I think none of us know what it is. Mr. Landlord, didn¡¯t you ask the goddess to explain it?¡± the husky said.


    ¡°Her explanation sounded iffy. Keep in mind that this is something beyond the mortal perceptibility. She could only tell me the knowledge, but there is no way for me to understand the principle,¡± Hao Ren said frankly. ¡°More importantly, I want to hear what you all think. A fragment that has fallen off the Plane of Dreams; do you think this fragment has any special significance?¡±


    ¡°World fragment?¡± Y¡¯zaks crossed his arms, and his voice was low. ¡°In my homeworld, someone once used this theory to explain the dimensional vesicles in our universe. But the level of cosmology that the scholars could understand certainly fell short of the truth by a mile. In their understanding, the world fragment was only a more complete dimension or a half-plane. They absolutely had not a clue that the world fragment could be turned into a weapon. But I think they had at least gotten one thing right: world fragment is related to the structure of time and space. There should be a space inside where it could accommodate other things. No matter what state it exists in the three-dimensional world, the internal will never change. Otherwise, it will collapse due to time and space imbalance.¡±


    ¡°Is there something in the sword?¡± Hao Ren murmured, staring thoughtfully at the Godslayer.


    Countless light spots as if twinkling stars floated inside the blade. As the new master of the sword, Hao Ren believed that these lights were definitely not a decoration. When thinking of the nature of this thing, he could not help but began to suspect¡­


    Were those really a galaxy?


    ¡°When the sword moves, it looks like a crack. The light spots are not distributed on the blade, but in a space opposite the crack,¡± Hao Ren said as he moved the blade slowly. As the blade moved, the ¡®starlight¡¯ on the blade also moved. No, more correctly, the opposite was true; the ¡®starlight¡¯ was fixed in place. As the blade moved, the positions of the light spots on the blade changed. ¡°It¡¯s like watching space through a moving hole. But in reality, this crack is unpassable. The sword is powerful, and the blade is solid; I can¡¯t reach in and grab the ¡®stars,¡¯¡± he said.


    He used his finger and tapped twice on the sword. The taps did not make a sound even though the solid body had indeed blocked his finger.


    ¡°I could not even probe the inside of the sword.¡± The MDT cut in. ¡°Ma¡¯am Raven also said: don¡¯t just peep at the blade before you understand the specific process of conversion of the world fragment into weapons. If you do that, it could lead to unexpected damage.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the tip of the sword with a strange look. ¡°The culprit who bit off a piece of the blade shouldn¡¯t have thrown stones in glass houses.¡±


    Rarely agreeable with Hao Ren, the MDT gave him a seal of approval. ¡°I also think the same, but who makes her your boss?¡±


    Listening inexplicably to their conversation, Vivian¡¯s eyes landed on the tip of the Godslayer. She was amazed. ¡°Is this a bite mark?¡±


    ¡°Do not ask.¡±


    Everyone surrounded and studied the Godslayer for a long time. Not much progress was made other than mere speculations. The first one to lose interest in the sword was Lily because she was hungry. Followed by Y¡¯lisabet, who nagged her papa to go away because she found that she could not disassemble the sword, leaving only Hao Ren and Vivian sitting at the coffee table looking at each other. Hao Ren continued to study the sword, but Vivian had turned her attention back to her new kitchen utensil set. It was almost dinner time, she was going to use this new gear to show off her skill.


    Suddenly there was a loud bang in the bathroom, followed by a series of slapping sound of someone running barefooted. Hao Ren looked up and saw Rollie wrapped in water vapor sneaking out of the bathroom. She yelled while she ran, ¡°Stupid humans! I¡¯m still alive¡ª¡±


    A ball of water hit the dumb cat before she could get far. Following immediately, a snake tail popped out of the bathroom and rolled her legs and dragged her back. Nangong Wuyue¡¯s voice was heard amid the splashing sound of water. ¡°Come back in and put on your clothes!¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian looked at each other, watching the drama that went off once in a while. They suddenly sighed in unison. ¡°It is good to be naive!¡±

 Chapter 1054 - Chatting Through the Night

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Waking up from a series of strange dreams, Hao Ren found that it was still dark at night.


    He shook his head and climbed out of bed. The moon was still hanging high in the sky. Its bright, silvery light sprinkled into his room through the thin gauze curtain, casting some weird shadows of the familiar furniture on the floor.


    Most of the furniture had Lil Pea¡¯s bite marks.


    Massaging his head, he tried to make himself more alert. He had had many strange dreams, the scenes of which still flashed in his mind, which made him feel like a trance. He could only faintly remember that he had seen the view of the Plane of Dreams again, or probably he had actually connected to it however slightly. He dreamed that he had returned to Holletta, with Becky and Ophra standing at the top of Dragonspine Ridge overlooking the crazy First Born breaking free from the bondage of the earth and the inexhaustible tentacles and blood surging in the valley. Then, he dreamed of Tannagost the golden planet, where the dead tentacles of the First Born coming back to life in the mountains of wreckage and slowly surging on the horizon. Finally, he even dreamed of Zorm, that planet in fire falling into the sun, with the giant body of the First Born bursting out of the crust, as if chick hatching from an egg, becoming a horrifying giant flower that even the sun could not kill it.


    He kept dreaming of these bizarre scenes until he was awakened.


    ¡°Oh gosh! Was it just a nightmare?¡± smacking his mouth as he said to himself. ¡°I must be thinking of the past.¡±


    But very quickly he shook his head. It was not as simple as just being a nightmare because Zorm had appeared at the end of the dream. The First Borns of Holletta and Tannagost were indeed the source of nightmares because they were crazy and one of the most potent enemies he had ever fought. But Zorm was a gentle and friendly guardian as well as a friend of his in the Plane of Dreams. There was nothing between them that could be a cause of nightmare.


    Therefore, those dreams might have nothing to do with what was in his mind. The dreams did not even seem to be his mental projection. His brows knit together; he suspected that these dreams were related to the so-called premonition.


    Not a prophet himself, but Hao Ren thought that his dream had a particular meaning. Since he became Raven 12345¡¯s assistant and a demigod, there were already changes to his soul though not as really as almighty as a god. These changes to his soul had been keeping nightmares away from him all this time.


    ¡°Is it the sword?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s heart missed a beat. He quickly took the Godslayer out of the dimensional pocket. The black sword was dotted with starlight at night, and the blue glow around the blade was tranquil. He could sense that the sword was not the cause of his nightmare. He felt a sense of tranquility holding the sword in his hand, the blessing of Raven 12345 was mighty that it had isolated the negative influence of the sword entirely. Even the last trace of uneasiness caused by the nightmare had dissipated completely when he held the sword by the hilt.


    As for the whisper, it would not have any effect on him. So he could care less.


    He suddenly heard the sound of water splashing. Turning his head, he saw Lil Pea had come out of the water, poking her head out of the pot and rubbing her eyes. Looks like he had awakened her. ¡°Dad-dee, you couldn¡¯t sleep?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Nay, I¡¯m okay. Just having a nightmare,¡± Hao Ren said, putting away the sword. The last trace of the nightmare had faded away. Unable to think of any revelation from the dream, he decided to put it at the back of his mind. If Hao Ren dreamed again, he would let the MDT record it down.


    Lil Pea nodded before jumping out of the pot. Aiming at Hao Ren¡¯s direction, she launched herself at him using a talent of demon-hunting fish: near-field teleportation. The next second, Hao Ren felt a slippery tail slammed on his face. He skillfully caught the little guy with his hands. She then huddled in Hao Ren¡¯s arms and patted him on the arm with her tail. ¡°Dad-dee, watch stars!¡± she said.


    Hao Ren was struck dumb. ¡°Watching stars? It¡¯s cold out there.¡±


    Lil Pea was insistent. Clinging to his arm and patting with her tail. ¡°Dad-dee, watch stars!¡±


    Totally defeated by a fish baby, Hao Ren surrendered to the will of the little guy. Since nightmare had already woken him, he might as well take this opportunity to go outside to get some fresh air. After putting on his jacket, he grabbed Lil Pea and tucked her under his collar, both hands supporting her so that she would not slip down through his coat, allowing her head to be exposed. The air outside was still freaking cold at this time of the year. At just a few degrees above zero, the temperate would be low enough to send Lil Pea into hibernation in a few minutes.


    He left the room, tiptoeing to the back door, carefully opened it and got out to the open space at the back of his house.


    To his surprise, he found that he was not the only one who could not sleep tonight: Lily was also standing on the outside!


    The husky maiden was in her werewolf form, her silver hair glittered under the moonlight. Wearing thick winter pajamas with cute puppy patterns all around, probably she was the only werewolf that came out at night watching the stars in puppy-patterned pajamas.


    The sound of the door opening alerted Lily, who had sunk into thought. Her pointed ears flickered as she turned her head around ¡°Ahh, Mr. Landlord?¡±


    ¡°Apparently, I¡¯m not the only one,¡± Hao Ren said and brought Lil Pea up beside Lily. ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep, and Lil Pea was babbling about stargazing, so I took her out to get some fresh air.¡±


    Lily poked Lil Pea on her tiny head with her finger and asked casually, ¡°You had a dream too, Mr. Landlord?¡±


    ¡°You too?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s heart missed a beat. ¡°Nightmare?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a nightmare,¡± Lily replied, grabbing her hair. ¡°Probably it is related to the combined memories; I¡¯ve dreamed of some things in my previous life ¡ª things that happened when I was still the first sage. But it was all vague and didn¡¯t make sense.¡±


    Hao Ren breathed a sigh of relief quietly. Looks like Lily¡¯s condition was different from his. But then again, he was a little worried. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the combined memories would not affect you?¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t.¡± Lily now poked her lower lip with her finger. ¡°Even when I dreamed, it was like watching the footages of others. It was just that when I saw I was such a high-flying sage in the previous life, but am living a dog¡¯s life in this life, I became emotional. So I come out to ponder about life.¡±


    It knocked his socks off. It seemed that recovering Lily¡¯s memory of the first sage was not really without implication. At least the husky had now begun to ponder about life!


    By just looking at Hao Ren¡¯s eyes, she already knew what shit was in his mind. She bared her fangs and said, ¡°Mr. Landlord, you¡¯re such a bad concealer. You must be thinking that how could a person as dumb as I am pondering about life. I would have to explain to you the difference between dumb and stupid. But then you forgot again next time, and I would have to explain it all over again. Sigh, it¡¯s really exhausting.¡±


    ¡°But I haven¡¯t said anything yet.¡±


    Baring her fangs again, Lily snorted and turned away to look up at the huge moon in the sky. Only now Hao Ren realized the reason why the husky was so awake tonight; it was not entirely due to the memory of her previous life but more to the full moon of tonight.


    ¡°You already know who you are in this life and even who you were in the previous one, do you still get aroused during the full moon?¡± Hao Ren was a little curious.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it; it¡¯s a habit.¡± Lily rolled her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m doing it.¡±


    Hao Ren twitched his mouth and said, ¡°Think of it, you are really damn unlucky; you were so successful in the previous life, but now a nobody.¡±


    Lily waved her hand. ¡°I¡¯m not the only unlucky one; the entire demon hunter race is ill-fated too.¡±


    Hao Ren could not deny that. He used to think that demon hunter was a powerful, violent and terrific race, but after the Coldpath incident, he was surprised to find that this group of people was so star-crossed that they were not just driven mad by a sword, but also their race was brought back to the prehistoric era because of the civil war. Spending their whole life hunting the demons, at last, they found that their boss was actually the demon itself. That was not all; even one of their ancestors had become a dog in this life, not to mention an outsider leading 100,000-strong demons had overrun their lair.


    When thinking about that, Hao Ren could not help but almost shed a tear for the demon hunters; their life was freaking too miserable.


    However, compared to the ancient gods that the demon hunters had slain, their encounters were not that bad.


    But taking a step further during the ancient times, those humans whom the old gods enslaved to be even more unfortunate.


    After weighing everything, Hao Ren had only one conclusion. ¡°It is like a Most-Tragic Competition¡­¡±


    ¡°Arf?¡±


    Watching the moon and the few stars in the night sky while pondering about life in the cold night wind, with Lil Pea chiming in occasionally, they chatted past midnight into the early hour of the next day. Suddenly, there was a burst of sound coming from the northeast direction before a large shadow swept across the night sky. The shadow stopped and condensed into a figure behind them. ¡°What are you doing out here in the middle of the night?


    It was Vivian who had returned from a walk outside.

 Chapter 1055 - Silent Night

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Like a dark cloud under the night sky, a massive swarm of bats swooped down with a loud fluttering noise before it turned into Vivian. While she tidied up her clothes, she looked at Hao Ren and Lily curiously, wondering what they were doing on the outside in the middle of the night.


    Vivian, a self-proclaimed vampire, had a very regular but strange daily routine. During the day, she would be busy with her daily chores, and during the first half of the night, she would stroll around before coming home and sleep during the few hours when the shadow power was at its peak. These few hours of recharge was enough to power her through the next day. Hao Ren once talked to some real vampires back in the Athens Sanctuary out of curiosity; he learned that the daily routine of this bat demon stuck out like a sore thumb among the vampires; she was not afraid of the sun and would only sleep at night when the other vampires were at their most active hours.


    With her weird daily routine, it was a wonder how she could insist that she was a vampire for the past 10,000 years. Probably her mind worked the same as Lily, who believed that she was a werewolf.


    Lily waved her hand at Vivian once as if that was the way of saying hello. She did not even look at her. She then pointed to the moon above and said, ¡°Can¡¯t sleep. Came out for moon bathing.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, it¡¯s a full moon,¡± Vivian replied, looking up and shrugging. ¡°A husky is trying to be different. But what about you, Hao Ren?¡±


    ¡°Got a nightmare, so couldn¡¯t sleep too,¡± Hao Ren said with a smile. He raised his finger and pointed at Lil Pea who was waving her little arms excitedly at Vivian. ¡°This little guy badgered me to do stargazing, so I took her out to get some fresh air.¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t sleep?¡± Vivian mumbled with her arms akimbo. But she totally forgot the fact that she had just come back from mooching around in the middle of the night. Then she looked at Hao Ren curiously. ¡°Nightmare? You¡¯re still having nightmares?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem. I suspect that it is not as simple as a dream.¡± Hao Ren told of the strange footages in his dreams in detail. He had only scratched the surface when he shared it with Lily earlier because he did not think the simple-minded husky could be of help to interpret his dreams.


    ¡°You still have this kind of dream with the level of strength of your soul? This is odd.¡± Vivian, who had been yawning big time earlier, was now bright-eyed and bushy-tailed upon hearing what Hao Ren said. She decided to summon a small swarm of bats to form a floating cushion before sitting down beside Hao Ren. ¡°Obviously, the commonness of all these dreams is the First Born; the maddened First Born.


    Staring marvelously at Vivian, who had turned bats into a floating cushion, Hao Ren said, ¡°That¡¯s cool!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I could not afford to buy a chair at that time, and this is way more comfortable,¡± Vivian said. ¡°Could the sword have something to do with your dreams?¡±


    ¡°The last time I checked, that¡¯s unlikely,¡± Hao Ren said. He apparently was not worried. ¡°I¡¯ve also asked the MDT to examine my brainwave during my dreams, and there was no external interference. So most likely it was my own dream of harbinger. I have stepped up the drone monitoring and exploration of the Plane of Dreams, and also enhanced the interference shield of CARS. It doesn¡¯t matter whether the dreams are real or not, you can¡¯t be too careful.¡±


    Vivian just looked at him with a half-smile all the time. Hao Ren broke out in goosebumps when he noticed Vivian¡¯s strange stare. Turning his face away, he asked, ¡°Why are you staring at me like this? Is it something on my face?¡±


    ¡°You really changed a lot in the past two years.¡± Now smiling faintly with a tranquil and reassuring face, Vivian said, ¡°Two years ago, when you were just a greenhorn and facing such a situation, you wouldn¡¯t have behaved so calmly, let alone coming out gazing at the stars with your daughter while at the same time had already nicely arranged everything beforehand. You would have been panic and even coming to me for help. In just two years, you¡¯ve made so much progress.¡±


    Scratching his head in embarrassment, Hao Ren said, ¡°Have I? I didn¡¯t feel it though.¡±


    ¡°Because your nature hasn¡¯t changed much, so you don¡¯t feel it,¡± Vivian said with a smile. ¡°The only thing that has changed is your ability. I have seen too many human beings¡ªfrom heroes and generals to kings and emperors¡ª but you are still a very good one. When I first met you two years ago, I thought that you were only a normal, good person. But now, I feel it more and more that you¡¯re going to be a great person.¡±


    Hao Ren was flattered. It was seldom to hear such compliment from Vivian. Though gentle and good-hearted, Vivian was somewhat reserved. As an ancient, she had a kind of self-pride. This self-pride was not obnoxious. It was just that she rarely gave others compliment. Even for the great achievements of Y¡¯zaks, she only said ¡®not bad.¡¯


    Her generosity this time had totally caught Hao Ren off guard.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give credit where credit is due. What¡¯s more, it was you who took me into your sanctuary,¡± Vivian said with a smile before casually glancing at Lily. ¡°Since you wouldn¡¯t get any constructive reply from discussing with Lily, let me give you some confidence.¡±


    Listening quietly at the side, Vivian¡¯s remark irked Lily suddenly, as if an innocent bystander was caught in a crossfire. She jumped to her feet and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Battie? I¡¯ve not said anything and please get off my back!¡±


    Though they were no longer at loggerheads with each other like that used to be, they did still fight like cat and dog sometimes over some trivial matters. Perhaps they were used to this kind of interaction, or even turning it into a hobby.


    To Hao Ren, this was a common sight. He used to get himself involved in their quarrels in the past, but since knowing the two were only NATO¡ªno action, talk only¡ªhe let sleeping dogs lie ever since.


    Lil Pea waved her hands and cheered the two elder sisters. Though she did not know what was happening between them, she thought it was awesome to join the fun.


    After the bat and the husky went at it hammer and tongs for a while, Hao Ren could not help but muttered, ¡°Looks like you two are on good terms now.¡±


    The two superwomen said unanimously, ¡°Who¡¯s on good terms with her?¡±


    ¡°Fatal Attraction.¡± Hao Ren guffawed and sighed. ¡°If this isn¡¯t fatal attraction, I don¡¯t know what it is.¡±


    He looked at both of them, who used to be good friends 6,000 years ago. But because of the Godslayer, one of them died in the hand of the other. But fate had it that after 6,000 years, the reincarnated Lily met Vivian again and they both became foes.


    ¡°Fate is a b*tch,¡± Hao Ren lamented as he held Lil Pea in his hands and gazed up at the stars.


    Lily could hear the emotions hidden behind Hao Ren¡¯s words. She instinctively exchanged a look with Vivian and thought about her historical morass with Vivian. She did not rebut anymore, surprisingly.


    ¡°I¡¯m making you some mind-soothing soup,¡± Vivian suddenly said to Hao Ren. ¡°It might not be able to solve your nightmare problem, but at least it could make you sleep well.¡±


    Lily chimed in enthusiastically. ¡°Let me help you out!¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯d only ruin it. Just say it if you¡¯re hungry, it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t let you eat.¡±


    ¡°Then I will help you eat. Please make me a pancake, and you¡¯re welcome.¡±


    ¡°Look how cheeky you are!¡±


    ¡°A vegetarian pancake will do.¡±


    The two maidens turned around and headed back into the house while going at it hammer and tongs, leaving Hao Ren under the moon staring blankly at the night sky. After a long while, he smiled. ¡°Living life like this is still the best, isn¡¯t it, Lil Pea?¡±


    The little mermaid held his arm and nodded solemnly. ¡°Perhaps, Lil Pea.¡±


    Quivering in the cold air, the little guy snuggled back under Hao Ren¡¯s jacket. ¡°Daddyyy, it¡¯s cold, I want hot water.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled. Holding the baby fish under his jacket, he went back into the house. ¡°Vivian, could you please boil some hot water¡­ Err, wait a minute. Let¡¯s save the trouble. Why not just wait for the soup to boil and then throw Lil Pea inside.¡±


    Outside, the moon was glowing even brighter.

 Chapter 1056 - Giant Antenna

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren believed that the nightmares were a bad omen. But since that night, he had stopped getting of similar dreams again.


    He never thought that Vivian¡¯s mind-soothing soup would have such an effect. After all, the main ingredients of the soup were wild herbs that were commonly found in the wild. Aside from the heartwarming kindness of Vivian, there was no real efficacy in the soup. Lily¡¯s energy level was on full bars and stayed up until 3.30 in the morning after drinking just half a bowl. Though the main reason for that was because Lil Pea had eaten the rhizome herbs in the soup, which somewhat had changed the efficacy. In fact, Vivian herself also did not believe that the strange wild vegetable soup could actually resist nightmare.


    Hao Ren was far from upset. In fact, he was taking it easy. The dream was elusive, unless it appeared again, no one¡ªeven Holmes¡ª would be able to make any conclusive findings. Hao Ren had exchanged thoughts with his counterparts within the inspector circle, where he learned that dreams as an omen were not a rare phenomenon. It was said that there was a true prophetic god among the Xi Ling Celestials. Personnel who had any connection with the divines under the Xi Ling Celestials would have more or less the ability to dream an omen. This ability was usually unstable and inaccurate. Only the strong, impending auguries would produce repeated dreams. If a dream just appeared once, it usually meant that something would only happen in a distant future, and how it would happen would be different from that of the dream. Perhaps it would not happen at all.


    For vague omens, the future was uncertain. The dream only meant that something is possible.


    Therefore, Hao Ren had quickly got rid of the strange dream of that night. He focused on the various early warning systems in the Plane of Dreams before returning to work on what he had left off. His first priority was to search for Mimir¡¯s missing spacecraft.


    In Kuiper Station, Hao Ren had his own personal dock. This dock had supporting facilities to meet his needs. These ancillary facilities included a control tower next to the dock and two working and living compartments. Hao Ren emptied one of the compartments and transformed it into a laboratory. This laboratory, modeled after the shipbound lab of the Petrachelys though not as powerful as those in the CARS, were capable of handling many tasks, such as the analysis of Gungnir fragments.


    Hao Ren brought Y¡¯zaks and Vivian to the lab in Kuiper Station, where he left Gungnir fragment two days ago. The lab¡¯s main computer should have analyzed and come to some result, by which he could probably figure out the resonance pattern of the Gungnir fragments and used it to restart the door of the Asgard. The reason why he brought the old great demon and Vivian together was that they were the only ones more dependable in the family.


    ¡°The analysis report of this metal has been sent to the analysis station,¡± the MDT busily flew around. When not bickering with Hao Ren, the MDT could be a good assistant. ¡°Take a look. It¡¯s easy to understand.¡±


    The Gungnir fragment obtained from Hel was suspended in the gravity-free platform in the center of the laboratory. The silvery spear tip slowly rotated in the light-blue beam, with sparks came off the metal¡¯s surface occasionally. The system had just tried to charge it once to try to figure out where the energy had gone. In front of the gravity-free platform, a set of holograms displayed the information that Hao Ren needed.


    ¡°It¡¯s a brand new technology, not currently registered, not of Hollettan, or Tannaean or siren tech. Judging from the material, the strength of Gungnir¡¯s tip is almost the same as the most solid material of the Tannaean,¡± Hao Ren mumbled to himself while looking at the information. ¡°Looks like something of never-seen-before from the Plane of Dreams. Several ecological planets in the Plane of Dreams have no remnant of civilization that resembles the Asgardian gods.¡±


    ¡°So it reinforces the fact that Earth is the hotspot of the ¡®Great Crossing,¡¯ the wanderers from all over the Plane of Dreams have gathered on Earth,¡± Y¡¯zaks said with his arms crossed. ¡°Could you trace the signal of the other Gungnir fragments?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t,¡± the MDT replied matter-of-factly. ¡°Before this, I had already let the Petrachelys carry out a thorough exploration of the earth, but didn¡¯t find the Yggdrasil dimensional chain. An initial assessment showed that those dimensions have drifted away from Earth. Now the device can still detect the information resonance from the Gungnir fragment, which means that other fragments do exist but are hidden outside Earth. Perhaps we should expand the search to the entire solar system.¡±


    ¡°Do we need a bigger antenna?¡± Hao Ren looked up. Through the window, he could see the stars outside and a small part of the space station. ¡°The antenna of the Petrachelys is not suitable for this task. I¡¯m afraid that we have to requisition the space station equipment. Here is the solar system transportation hub, its antenna should cover the entire solar system.¡±


    Hao Ren quickly sprang into action. He connected to the dedicated, higher-level communication channel of the space station. The face of the old stationmaster appeared on the comm. The old man, dressed in uniform, looked very spunky. ¡°Mr. Inspector, what can I do for you?¡±


    Hao Ren explained the situation he encountered and said that he needed a high-power antenna, which could cover the entire solar system. The old stationmaster agreed at once. He even said that he could get ready the antenna in half an hour and that Hao Ren could use it as he liked; after all, no one else was using it.


    That surprised Hao Ren.


    ¡°Is this antenna not critical equipment?¡± He looked at the old stationmaster. ¡°It sounds like it is idle.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± said the old stationmaster with a smile. ¡°The Engineering Department of Fairy Void Consortium supplied the communication array of Kuiper Station. That included the giant antenna.¡±


    Hao Ren was none the wiser. ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°Those profiteers,¡± the old stationmaster sighed and looked up. ¡°Have you heard of their promotion?¡±


    Hao Ren was struck dumb.


    ¡°The antenna was used once after installation. It was just a test run 200 years ago. Since then, no one had ever used it because the power of this gadget was too high. Before the installation team left, they told me that this was the first time they had ever seen WIFI of such a scale and that someone had actually wanted to buy this thing.¡±


    Again, Hao Ren was struck dumb.


    How did he not find that the old stationmaster was such a funny guy before?


    Anyway, he was now as sure as hell that this antenna of Kuiper Station was more than enough for the task, even enough it was just of a civilian version!


    Inspectors were personnel of Xi Ling Celestials, but they did not always use the standard issue equipment from the Space Administration. As special agents who operated between God and human beings, requisitioning of civilian resources was an essential part of their work. This not only required sound judgment on the part of the inspectors but also their personal network and influence in the mortal world. It could be said that this was an important indicator of their performance. Though Xi Ling Celestials was the support behind Kuiper Station, it was still a civilian space station. Its stationmaster was also a retired soldier, so Hao Ren was essentially requisitioning a private resource.


    He soon found out that he had requisitioned a seriously big guy.


    The building trembled as the largest ever facility of Kuiper Station slowly emerged from the cylindrical housing structure. After the heavy alloy protective housing slid open to both sides, a huge guy, assembled of kinked metals, was rolled out. The antenna was one kilometer long, shaped like a weird thorn, and dotted with lights on its complex structure as if it contained an infinite amount of energy.


    This was the most potent active scanning antenna in the solar system, strongly recommended by the profiteers of Fairy Voids Consortium. Though no one knew what this super antenna that could melt an asteroid was for, it did not hinder the persuasive salesmen from forcibly erecting this thing on your roof.


    It had 300 years of warranty, but the goods sold were not returnable.


    This large active scanning antenna had been installed on the main tower of Kuiper station for two hundred years. Now it was the first time it really came into use. Hao Ren was not sure how the crooked salesman had persuaded the civilian space station to buy this military-grade sensor, he found that this thing was impressive: it had a myriad of compatible communication protocol interfaces, even an official version of the standard signal conversion protocol of Xi Ling Celestials.


    Fairy Void Consortium had cooperation with Xi Ling Celestials for 10,000 years, and it said something about their relationship. Even the low-level communication system between them allowed direct docking.


    This saved a lot of debugging works, and the MDT did not have to install a separate conversion protocol in the lab¡¯s central computer. Hao Ren could directly connect the Gungnir analysis station to the main communication line of the space station. Soon, it synced with the signal of the giant antenna.


    ¡°Now¡±¡ªHao Ren put his hand on the button¡ª¡±let¡¯s see where Odin died.¡±

 Chapter 1057 - Target Lock

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The large active antenna spread out under the protective shield and began to recharge. The metal structure lit up a big part of Kuiper Station like a bonfire. Electricity spiraled up the messy tangle of metal struts. In the main tower of the space station, a low hum began to sound¡ªthere was no air in outer space, but the space station vibrated when the antenna was recharging because both structures were physically connected.


    All sections on the sides of Kuiper Station that faced the antenna activated the necessary shielding measures. Alloy panels began to close over the observatory. At the same time, a superluminal scan that covered the entire solar system began to operate.


    ¡°This thing packs a punch.¡± Hao Ren mumbled as he studied the huge antennae in outer space, now engaged in its task. ¡°That¡¯s quite an efficiency you got here¡­ The planets nearby are already thrown off course.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because they are magnetized instantly,¡± The IDT replied while it kept track of the facilities connection status. ¡°Besides, the antenna is just a run-of-the-mill equipment¡­ Crapple Research Station¡¯s Resonance spire is much more power efficient than this.¡±


    Of course, Hao Ren knew how impressive the Crapple Research Station was, but he had to admit that this low-level tech looked more eye-catching. Primitive technology had a kind of rugged appeal to them. Even if people knew that Dongfang Bubai¡¯s Embroidery Needle technique required much higher level skills, they would still prefer the Dragon Sabre¡­


    ¡®Tis a man¡¯s romance.


    When the scanning field was put up, the resonant frequency of Gungnir¡¯s pieces was also amplified to the entire scanning field. The gigantic active antenna began to sweep slowly across the entire solar system to find the fragile link that connected Gungnir and the Nine Realms. Vivian looked at the brilliantly shining antenna array in outer space and felt a little worried. ¡°This powerful signal¡­ Will it affect Earth?¡±


    Hao Ren had taken care of that already. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The antenna is powerful, but the harmful radiation coming from it does not travel far. The superluminal scanning field is undetectable by Earth technology, so they won¡¯t even notice it.¡±


    Vivian felt better knowing this and waited patiently with Hao Ren for the scanning results.


    After some time, a low, mechanical sound began to hum in the laboratory. Data on the analysis panel refreshed continuously in cycles. The entire waiting process was monotonous. Out of sheer boredom, Hao Ren accessed the external monitors to watch the spacecraft flying in and out of the harbor, counting them like sheep¡ªhe noticed that the small space harbor, although located in the outskirts, still received many visitors. The traffic was constant, consisting of commercial spacecraft and even menacing and armored private ships¡ªmost of the latter carried private armies or bodyguards who served important and influential masters. The constant space traffic was the picture of flourishing interstellar travel and interaction, but Earth was still far from becoming a participant to this side of the universe.


    Civilian spacecraft that arrived in Kuiper Station noticed that huge antenna at work. They were notified to activate their electromagnetic shields when in good proximity to the station to block the antenna¡¯s radiation. One of the private warships made their stop at Dock 1, which was very close to the antenna. The captain and his second looked at the massive ¡°beacon¡± curiously. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of this antenna¡­ Is something happening on their end? Why are they suddenly running the facility?¡±


    The first mate twitched his lips. ¡°What can possibly happen to the system? This is the empire¡¯s territory. No one in their right minds will think of stirring up trouble.¡±


    A captain from another ship strolled by and caught their conversation. ¡°I heard from local staff members that an inspector has asked to use the main antennae. The inspector is looking for something in the solar system. It¡¯s best if you stay away from this.¡±


    ¡°Stay away?¡± The warship captain was perplexed. ¡°Does the inspector have a temper?¡±


    The other captain immediately tensed up. ¡°It¡¯s not just his temper! The inspector is over six feet tall, a cold and ruthless man, the bringer of calamity. Even the other inspectors called him ¡®Sir Ominous¡¯ called his back. I heard that the inspector specializes in executions. He leaves for missions in a single ship and returns with a notice of yet another species¡¯ extinction. Sometimes, he skips the notice and just delivers a few charred remains¡­ Argh, I¡¯ve said enough, it¡¯s just plain terrifying! Look it up online if you don¡¯t believe me, the keywords are ¡®Sir Ominous¡¯¡­¡±


    The two mercenaries were chilled despite their violent occupation. ¡°F*ck!¡±


    They immediately canceled their plan to rest at the station for the next few days and slipped away right after they were done with restocking. The starship captain who slandered Hao Ren without reserve earlier watched them leave Dock 1 with glee. ¡°Haha, that¡¯s my spot¡­¡±


    One of the space station¡¯s attendants approached the captain. ¡°Mr 883, are you sure it¡¯s alright to smear the inspector like that?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s magnanimous.¡±


    ¡°But what is he puts in a complaint on you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m magnanimous¡­¡±


    Back in the laboratory, Hao Ren was unaware of all the slandering. He merely sneezed twice, and then heard the IDT whistle. ¡°Hwee¡ªPartner, yours truly have found something!¡±


    Hao Ren jolted out of his tedium. ¡°Is it the Aesirian Garden? Where is it?¡±


    ¡°It almost certainly is the Garden.¡± The IDT spoke rapidly. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ on Jupiter. There is an odd spatial signal coming from somewhere near the Great Red Spot. The signal¡¯s frequency spectrum contains a part that resonates with Gungnir¡¯s frequency.¡±


    ¡°Jupiter?¡± Hao Ren was not expecting that. ¡°How did it get there¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not exactly impossible. The Nine Realms and the Material Plane have been connected to each other on and off for the past few centuries. It¡¯s a wonderful miracle that it is still in the solar system.¡± The IDT shrugged. ¡°Do we leave now?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Inform Nolan. We¡¯re moving out in 15 minutes.¡±


    The scan was unexpectedly fortuitous. Kuiper¡¯s station antenna system was not part of the initial plan, but Hao Ren was still able to track down Yggdrasil¡¯s remains with Gungnir¡¯s pieces. Jupiter was just a hop and a skip away for Petrachelys.


    After overcoming so many challenging and annoying obstacles, Hao Ren felt like his luck was finally about to turn.


    Nolan was idly checking her engine system in the docks when she got her orders. She leaped to the task as Hao Ren led Vivian and Y¡¯zaks to the ship. They were in Jupiter¡¯s orbit in no time.


    The magnificent gas giant was right in front of Petrachelys. The gasp-inducing sight of atmospheric clouds filled up most of the screen that showed the outside world. At the center of the screen was the infamous Great Red Spot.


    ¡°I¡¯ve only ever seen this on TV.¡± Hao Ren stood by the control panel and stared at the violent cyclones that had remained active for the past few centuries. He was surprised by how he had never thought of visiting these remarkable places in the solar system after obtaining his ship. Nevertheless, since he had his share of many breathtaking scenes of the universe in the last two years, the Great Red Spot came as a stunning spectacle that did not excite him more than usual. ¡°Where is the spatial anomaly?¡±


    Nolan¡¯s holographic image leaped out of the control panel. ¡°We¡¯re closing in. The target is not inside the Great Red Spot, but located about five thousand meters above Jupiter¡¯s exosphere. The spatial anomaly seems to be caught in Jupiter¡¯s strong gravitational pull, which is why it did not float away into the solar system.¡±


    Nolan carefully guided Petrachelys towards the Great Red Spot. Hao Ren watched the terrifying, crimson force of nature gradually expand in his vision. The tiny spot now looked like an endless stretch of cyclones. The ship stopped when it was at the edge of the turbulent atmosphere.


    There was nothing around the ship.


    ¡°The signal from the spatial anomaly is coming from here. Our sensors are reading them as we speak.¡± The IDT reported. ¡°Gungnir¡¯s pieces are resonating with the signal¡­ The entrance to the Aesirian Garden is close by.¡±


    Vivian looked at the empty space around them. ¡°How do open it?¡±


    Nolan replied confidently, ¡°Amplify Gungnir¡¯s resonant response. Once we pinpoint the exact location, I will use the ship¡¯s signal generator to ¡®hack¡¯ the door open.¡±


    Hao Ren cracked his knuckles. ¡°Sounds good. We¡¯ll leave you to crack the crib.¡±


    Nolan stared at him. ¡°¡­ Boss, you should really just shut up sometimes¡­¡±

 Chapter 1058 - Have We Failed?

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    When they had located the spatial anomaly, Hao Ren had taken Gungnir¡¯s pieces from Kuiper Station with him. Now, he placed the broken fragments of the weapon in the laboratory on the Petrachelys, which was under Nolan¡¯s control.


    The upper-level armor of the ship opened slowly as an array of hexagonal pillars that glowed a bright blue emerged from the ship. This was the Petrachelys¡¯ scanning antenna, designed with more specific objectives in mind. While it could not broadcast Gungnir¡¯s frequency as strongly as the massive antenna array on Kuiper Station, but it could still amplify the signal strong enough to open a dimensional pathway. With some modifications, a scanning antenna could also be used as a powerful signal transmitter.


    Nolan activated her antenna system and initiated the complementary sequences in the ship¡¯s laboratory, all the while showing Hao Ren the status of these systems on the control panel. Hao Ren noted that Gungnir¡¯s pieces were also placed inside a transparent hexagonal container. As the ship¡¯s antenna array came to life, the insides of the container glowed as well. The metal pieces flashed rhythmically under the electric stimulation it received. As Nolan zoomed in the right frequency spectrum, the metal pieces began to resonate with one another more strongly, which would then help open the door to another dimension.


    ¡°Frequency fluctuation is stabilized¡­ Amplifying the signal now¡­ Changes in spatial structure detected. Relaying the resonant frequency to the signal generator now.¡± Nolan¡¯s holographic image flickered. All traces of emotion left her as she began to move and speak like a typical AI ¡ª mechanically and without intonation. Her eyes looked unfocused. Outside the ship, the space between Jupiter and the stars beyond began to distort at a discernible degree. ¡°Entrance to the other dimension is locked on.¡±


    The IDT was also busy on its end. It had plugged itself into the control panel. When Nolan was busy running the spatial devices, it took over the part of ship¡¯s radar system. ¡°Two Earth-based space probes detected. It¡¯s unlikely that they will notice us¡­ but they¡¯ve already diverted away.¡±


    As the distortion in their view of the stars grew even more severe, the entrance to the other dimension stabilized until it became clear for all to see. About one kilometer away in front of Petrachelys, a long rift of darkness began to appear. Beyond it was the land of the Aesir, which had been connected intermittently with the Material Plane for over 2,000 years. Vivian was unsettled by the appearance of the dimensional entrance. She brushed Hao Ren¡¯s elbow instinctively and whispered, ¡°I wonder what Yggdrasil has become¡­ It¡¯s been 2,000 years, the place is probably a wasteland now¡­¡±


    Hao Ren put his hand on Vivian¡¯s to comfort her. He knew that there were only two Otherworldling families on Earth that she was close to¡ªZeus¡¯ family in Greece and Odin¡¯s family in Northern Europe. For tens of thousands of years, these two families shared a good relationship with Vivian. They might even be considered great friends. He could understand Vivian¡¯s nervousness and emotional turmoil to have to see the wreckage left behind by her old friends.


    Thousands of years of friendship was now reduced to ashes. To any normal human being, it would have been a devastating experience, and Vivian had encountered them time and time again.


    ¡°I see something¡­¡± Y¡¯zaks pointed at the holographic screen. ¡°In the shadows. They look like the mainland in the dimension.¡±


    The dimensional rift was growing larger and larger, and quickly materializing into the present dimension. The black crease in space was a sharp contrast against the Great Red Spot in the background. This was on a different level from the time when Hao Ren first saw the Olympian ruins in Athens Sanctuary¡ªthe Olympian ruins were only a small dimensional fragment that could barely house a castle, but this here was the grand entrance to the Nine Realms! Yggdrasil itself could be accessed through this rift. Even in the Classical Era, this was probably one of the largest ¡°Land of the Gods¡±!


    Nolan¡¯s eyes flashed a bionic blue. ¡°Connection is fully stabilized. Opening the door!¡±


    Petrachelys was instantly enveloped in some murky layer, which then expanded rapidly outwards in all directions. The dimensional rift was stimulated by the signal broadcasted and opened up fully.


    Hao Ren saw the shadows in the darkness of the rift began to take form. Suddenly, color began to seep into the shadowy objects. He saw a massive continent floating at a distance away in the alternate dimension, and the glorious rainbows that connected parts of the land. Thick emerald vines grew wildly in throughout the land. When Hao Ren saw those vines, his expression turned focused.


    He did not have time to take in more of the alternate dimension¡ªjust as the path to the Nine Realms was fully opened, the stable dimension window suddenly writhed fiercely. The edges of the dimensional rift began to collapse like broken glass. Hao Ren saw the surface of the green vines glowing with numerous silver runes when Nolan yelled, ¡°Spatial stability is plummeting! I¡¯m losing the connection¡­ The door is closing!¡±


    ¡°What¡­¡± Before Hao Ren could finish, the dimension rift collapsed entirely. The colorful world they saw beyond cracked like stained glass, and then it was gone completely just two seconds later.


    An alarm blared on the bridge in Petrachelys as the ship became overwhelmed by the sudden interruption in its massive power output to sustain the dimensional opening just moments ago. Something creaked sharply from deep inside the ship. Nolan promptly shut the system down. Her body flickered for a while before stabilizing in form. ¡°The connection is lost.¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Hao Ren watched the ship¡¯s soul anxiously.


    Nolan rubbed her belly ruefully. ¡°¡­ There was a power backflow in the reactor. I¡¯m feeling a little bloated, but otherwise it¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°¡­Err¡­¡± Hao Ren thought he could not possibly hope to understand a ship¡¯s health issues. ¡°That¡¯s good. What happened just now?¡±


    ¡°We always thought that the other dimension is inanimate, that we can just connect to it whenever we want. However, it is in fact¡­ alive. More precisely speaking, something inside it is alive.¡± Nolan looked ruffled, unhappy with how she was outsmarted. ¡°A huge power source had forcefully cut off my connection to the alternate dimension. I can¡¯t sense where the entrance is now anymore.¡±


    Hao Ren exchanged a glance with Vivian, who asked hesitantly, ¡°Did you¡­ see those things?¡±


    Hao Ren frowned and nodded. ¡°They look like the Elder¡¯s tentacles.¡±


    Vivian mirrored his look. ¡°It¡¯s different from the ones we have seen before.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Those runes, the emerald green color, and the leaves on the tentacles ¡ª these characteristics are not present in the tentacles we have encountered before.¡± Hao Ren narrowed his eyes as he tried to recall the terrifying sight of the other dimension. Those flourishing giant plants that took over their surroundings so aggressively reminded him of the First Born, but the minor differences of the tentacles must still be considered. ¡°More importantly¡­ The sudden collapse of the entrance must be triggered by those tentacles. It must be the runes at work.¡±


    Hao Ren had experienced first hand the different capabilities of the tentacles from the First Born in the Plane of Dreams, but he did not recall anything about the Guardians having the ability to control space-time. Of course, the First Born was born with innate magical powers, but they were mostly powers of the mind or of the body. Guardians were also more inclined to simple, brutal magic and the even more simplistic and brutal Lifeblood to deal with their problems.


    Those silver runes and the way they were cut off from the alternate dimension did not feel like something typical of the First Born would do.


    Y¡¯zaks interrupted his line of thought. ¡°Try expanding the scanning range. Can you locate the spatial anomaly again?¡±


    Nolan shook her head. ¡°I have covered two astronomical units around Jupiter. The signal is gone. It will be futile to further amplify Gungnir¡¯s resonance frequency. Either the thing living inside has blocked the dimension from my radar, or the entire dimension has already left this place.¡±


    Petrachelys was a spacecraft given to instructors for routine traveling and dealing with minor local conflicts. It was more akin to a bicycle, and Hao Ren cannot hope for this ¡°bicycle¡± to locate the massive alternate dimension in the vast universe outside. He had to accept it ¡ª they had just found the Nine Realms¡­ and then lost it.


    ¡°Back to Kuiper Station.¡± Hao Ren gestured with a wave. ¡°Let¡¯s ask the old man for the antenna again, see if we can find the alternate dimension this time.¡±

 Chapter 1059 - Gone

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The truth was, when the door to the other dimension shut, Hao Ren knew that his luck had ran out¡ªthat turned out to be true. When he returned to Kuiper Station and re-activated the powerful scanning antenna, the solar system did not so much as ping back.


    Gungnir¡¯s resonant frequency was sent out without receiving any response whatsoever. There was no resonant feedback from the entire solar system.


    Back in Kuiper Station¡¯s laboraory, Hao Ren watched Gungnir¡¯s broken pieces slowly descend on a platform. The equipment around him quieted down as they were turned off. The IDT had checked the numbers and concluded that the alternate dimension had already left the system.


    ¡°I found some faint traces of spatial distortion at the edges of the Oort Cloud, probably left behind when Yggdrasil left the system. However, the trail vanished soon after it left the solar system. It was moving too quickly that Kuiper Station¡¯s surveillance system could not keep track of it. It¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°The entire Nine Realms¡­ Gone, just like that?¡± Hao Ren was still trying to accept the fact that the massive alternate dimension had made its way out of the solar system in just a few minutes. The energy required to achieve this was unimaginable. ¡°Anything else on the tracking?¡±


    ¡°It is all irrelevant data that cannot help us.¡± The IDT sounded regretful. ¡°The only thing we can be sure of is that the movement of the alternate dimension was intentional and directed. It took a trajectory that avoided all the larger planetary objects in the solar system when it left, and it hid its tracks beyond the Oort Cloud. All these, together with what we saw in the alternate dimension, suggest that Yggdrasil has a mind of its own. In particular, Yggdrasil is most likely a mature body of the First Born¡­ and probably a mutated version of it.¡±


    Nolan¡¯s holographic projection appeared inside the lab. She was doing a power system check on herself at the docks, but managed to allocate some computational power to send herself here and follow up with the tracking progress. When she heard the IDT¡¯s conclusion, she added, ¡°Looks like the dimensional space was never caught in Jupiter¡¯s gravitational well after well. It just never had reason to leave. Our interference had probably provoked the, uh¡­ Yggdrasil.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded as he approached the broken pieces of Gungnir to store it in his dimensional pocket. Now that Kuiper Station¡¯s antenna array failed to find a resonant signal source, the pieces were useless here. He stored the broken remains of the weapon and muttered in contemplation, ¡°I think Yggdrasil was probably ¡®scared away¡¯ by us.¡±


    Vivian agreed with him. ¡°I think so too. Once a First Born has gone mad, it is highly aggressive, and will attack even when at a disadvantage. That Yggdrasil chose to run away means it has not entered that stage yet. Moreover, it is.. Err, it¡¯s timid.¡±


    It was weird to describe the First Born as ¡°timid¡±. Vivian uttered the word with an odd expression on her face. As Hao Ren looked at Vivian, he suddenly remembered something. ¡°Oh, by the way, weren¡¯t you very close to the Nordic Gods back then? If that was the case, you must have seen Yggdrasil before. Didn¡¯t you realize later when you first saw a First Born that Yggdrasil could also be one too?¡±


    ¡°Do you know how big Yggdrasil is?¡± Vivian spread her arms. ¡°Back then, I did not have the means to explore outer space, so I could only watch from afar. Odin and his family called it the World Tree since they could only ever see some parts of it. No one knew what the wildly proliferating plant looked like in its entirety. Besides, it has been more than two thousand years since I last saw Yggdrasil, and since it did not look like the typical First Born¡­ I did not recognize it as such.¡±


    In fact, Vivian did not have to explain in such detail for Hao Ren to understand her. After all, the First Born was something truly unique. It was probably the ultimate organism in the Plane of Dreams, second only to the Goddess herself. Under normal circumstances, no one would have imagined that the massive being would crash down onto Earth! Besides, before Hao Ren saw Mimir, he would never be convinced that the guardian giant would crash down onto Earth¡­


    ¡°Now what?¡± Y¡¯zaks asked the obvious question on Hao Ren¡¯s mind. ¡°Now that we have lost Yggdrasil, and have no idea how far it could move the Nine Realms, it¡¯s not quite feasible to go around borrowing antennas in the universe to scan for it.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I think we can narrow down the scope of our search.¡± The IDT interrupted as it activated another holographic display that showed parts of the Milky Way. ¡°We can¡¯t follow the exact trajectory of the dimension, but based on the faint tracks I found near the Oort Cloud, I believe that it would not leave this general area. This is very likely the first time it made a warp jump. If it could jump continuously, then we¡¯ll have a hitch. However, that is extremely unlikely, since it will an immense amount of energy to do it. I did not sense that much energy coming from Yggdrasil when it made its jump earlier. Just the single jump it made will use up all the energy it has accumulated in the past two millennia.¡±


    ¡°So what we need to do is to search in this area¡­¡± Hao Ren studied the star chart and tried to recall what he knew about the area, no longer the newbie who would get overwhelmed by just the sight of the stars. Despite how complicated the star chart was, he could glean something information from it. ¡°Hmm, these places are all under other inspectors. We¡¯ll request for civilian facilities in the few areas that are not under any government¡¯s jurisdiction.¡±


    Vivian did not expect Hao Ren to decide to manage this by himself. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to discuss this with the Goddess?¡±


    The Hao Ren who was new to his post would have done so, but now he simply nodded confidently and said, ¡°It¡¯s not as if there is nothing I can do now. I have read many past cases, so I know what we need to do in this situation ¡ª inter-regional cooperation and collegial assistance is the way to go. The instructors are an organization, and I cannot bother the Goddess every time there is trouble.¡±


    ¡°Take care of your own missions, as is appropriate.¡± The IDT agreed with Hao Ren¡¯s decision with unusual solemnity. ¡°Do I send out our request for assistance now?¡±


    Hao Ren waved it off. ¡°Let us return and discuss this in length first. Please give me a name list of the instructors in the area.¡±


    It was pointless to continue their stay in Kuiper Station. Hao Ren packed his things and put the station¡¯s laboratory back into standby mode, and then led his group back to their home on Earth.


    The Nangong family was busy at work when they arrived, leaving behind Lily to look after the house. Hao Ren was teleported straight to the living room. The first thing he saw was the werehusky crouching by the entrance, absorbed in her cellphone. Her ears were pulled up straight and listening intently to any activity outdoors, the image of a faithful doorkeeper.


    The lady must have been waiting for him like this every time he left the house.


    When Lily noticed Hao Ren¡¯s arrival, she immediately pounced on him. ¡°Ah! Landlord, you¡¯re back! So soon? Did you find it?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even start. Yggdrasil escaped from us.¡± Hao Ren fended off her paws and replied helplessly. He looked around the empty living room and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the trio?¡±


    ¡°Elizabeth¡¯s watching cartoons. Rollie is cooking Lil¡¯ Pea.¡± Lily answered dismissively. ¡°What do you mean it escaped?¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s reply took Lily by surprise. ¡°Yggdrasil is a matured First Born! It is also alive!¡±


    The werehusky stared wide-eyed at him. ¡°What?!¡±


    Her surprise was immediately replaced by disappointment. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve missed all the action¡­¡±


    Vivian raised one brow at Lily. She felt like rolling her eyes at the werehusky¡¯s great enthusiasm for the unusual but also her cowardice against it.


    When the Nangong family were back, Hao Ren informed them of what had happened. Rollie busied herself by rubbing against the sofa, while Lil¡¯ Pea focused on chewing her chopsticks. Nevertheless, the rest of his audience all had something useful to say.


    ¡°I¡¯ve replicated the resonance frequency between Gungnir¡¯s broken pieces. Once I send it to the other instructors, they might be able to help us locate Yggdrasil. However, there is also the problem of not letting it escape again.¡± Hao Ren spread his arms helplessly. ¡°Moreover, even if it did not try to escape, I¡¯m not sure if the First Born will cooperate with us.¡±


    Nangong Sanba spoke with the air of an expert. ¡°According to your description, it will probably not cooperate willingly. After all, it did not even try to speak with you. Besides, now that you have agitated it the first time, it might simply start fleeing again the next time it sensed something nearby.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue considered the situation. ¡°I think we need to find a ¡®negotiation specialist¡¯ to make Yggdrasil lower its guard.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the siren lady. ¡°What do you have in mind?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue wagged her tail eagerly. ¡°Have you forgotten where Norse mythology came from? Mimir had always stayed close to Yggdrasil in the past.¡±

 Chapter 1060 - Ymir Recalls

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Without Nangong Wuyue¡¯s reminder, Hao Ren would have missed out this important fact


    This was not to say that Hao Ren knew nothing about Norse mythology. In fact, he knew that in the original version, Ymir and Yggdrasil were actually related, but ever since he got to know the actual characters in the myths, he began to forget the myths themselves ¡ª the giant of wisdom, Ymir had become a Guardian of the Plane of Dreams; Yggdrasil was now a First Born; Loki¡¯s daughter, Hela, Goddess of Death, was but a solitary and gloomy lady. Little by little, reality replaced the myths he had learned¡­


    Hao Ren immediately contacted Ymir, who was keeping watch of Athens Sanctuary.


    Since the unusual creatures there were busy setting up a new governing body, the Shadow Council, and also keen to understand the truth behind the demon hunters, Ymir, as the otherworldling Ancient and consultant to the demon hunters, became a very crucial figure. The old giant was now a trusted member of the Sanctuary who had something to keep him occupied day in and day out. When Hao Ren¡¯s call was answered, he could hear a fierce debate going on in the background. A sharp voice sounded particularly familiar ¡ª Hao Ren thought it must be Hessiana, picking an argument with someone¡­ or a fight.


    ¡°Hello, friend.¡± Ymir sounded as calm as ever, his voice heard clearly over the hubbub in the background.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite a party you have there.¡± Hao Ren said jokingly. ¡°Who¡¯s Hessiana arguing with?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in a meeting. The young lady is in a disagreement with the Lucas family.¡± Ymir sounded amused as well. ¡°This is the first grand meeting of the Shadow Council. We are discussing the size of the first group of people to leave the Sanctuary.¡±


    Hao Ren was surprised. ¡°The Shadow Council is already up and running? That¡¯s fast. Are you a member?¡±


    Ymir took two seconds to come back with a reply. ¡°I am the Speaker.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Hao Ren struggled to contain his excitement and surprise. ¡°You¡¯re the Speaker?¡±


    Ymir hummed in affirmation indifferently, as he did not think it was something particularly extraordinary. He had seen much in his life, having served as a consultant for the demon hunters and all.


    Hao Ren, however, was still finding it hard to believe. He always thought that Ymir, as a unique member of the Ancients, would enjoy a certain prestige amongst the unusual creatures, so it was only to be expected that he found himself invited into the Shadow Council. Nevertheless, seeing the old giant rise to become the leader of the council surprised him¡ªthe giant had been out of touch with the unusual creatures for two millennia, and had even served as the demon hunter¡¯s consultant for a living. His past put him in a unique but awkward position. Had the days of hunting not been over, his occupation would have been best kept under wraps. Moreover, he did not have deep connections in the otherworldling society, or any influence in the Athens Sanctuary. In fact, to the people in the Sanctuary, he was in essence, an outsider with celebrity status.


    Without influence and connections, how did Ymir find himself elected as the Speaker?


    ¡°I had support from Hessiana and her family. Hela was also helpful ¡ª she is an eccentric character, but it seems that her words hold sway over here.¡± Ymir smiled amicably and explained his situation. ¡°Of course, the most important reason is that they could not decide on a better candidate.¡±


    Hao Ren knew immediately what he meant by ¡°could not decide on a better candidate¡±. The support from the otherworldling families for the Ancient was only a superficial gesture. The real reason for their decision was that no family would side with another. Since unity amongst the families was out of the question, anyone chosen from them to be Speaker would inevitably be kicked off their seat.


    Given the circumstances, a highly respected, uninfluential, and symbolic Speaker was their best option. As long as the Shadow Council itself was reasonably structured, the Speaker did not hold any actual power. A neutral Ancient who did not want trouble was a rational and reasonable choice ¡ª he need only sit there and look pretty.


    Besides, he knew Vivian.


    Of course, things rarely went according to plan. The Speaker of the Shadow Council kept to himself for now, but Hao Ren was not sure if this inclination would persist in future. After all, the Shadow Council was only newly in place. No one knew what it would look like in the years to come.


    ¡°I am not interested in the position,¡± Ymir explained slowly. ¡°However, but the good Hessiana managed to convince me after much effort. But enough about me now, how may I help you?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and went straight to business. ¡°Oh, right, I have a question ¡ª Are you on good terms with Yggdrasil?¡±


    ¡°On good terms?¡± Ymir paused as if recalling something. ¡°How do you it can communicate?¡±


    Hao Ren knew immediately from his response that there was a story here!


    ¡°Few people know how to speak with Yggdrasil. Most people are not aware that is is a conscious being.¡± Ymir continued slowly. ¡°Odin knew, but he could not understand the plant¡¯s thoughts. Nidhogg knew too, but he went mad when he tried to listen to Yggdrasil¡¯s voice, and burned himself to death. The rest of the Norse Gods thought of Yggdrasil as a normal plant. They never tried to speak with the World Tree, and I would not have allowed them to ¡ª one Nidhogg is one too many.¡±


    ¡°So how did you figure out the way to communicate with the World Tree?¡± Hao Ren asked expectantly. ¡°Do you communicate often?¡±


    ¡°I have always been able to hear Yggdrasil speak ever since I was born.¡± Ymir smiled. ¡°It came easily to me. However, the way the World Tree¡¯s mind works is very unusual. It will be difficult for me to describe to you what it is thinking.¡±


    Hao Ren wanted to mention that he had established a mental link with the First Born before without going crazy, but that would be digressing. Instead, he described the day¡¯s events to Ymir. ¡°We managed to use the resonant frequency of Gungnir¡¯s broken pieces to find a dimensional rift that led us to Yggdrasil. If not mistaken, the dimensional rift was also¡­ the door to the Aesirian Garden.¡±


    Ymir was understandably agitated by the news. ¡°You found it?! How is the place now?¡±


    ¡°It escaped.¡± Hao Ren sighed. ¡°We didn¡¯t know that Yggdrasil is still alive¡­¡±


    After a pause, he told Ymir the details of their mission. Ymir went silent for a long time after he was finished, and then let out a thoughtful sigh. ¡°To think that it ended up so far away¡­ Never in my life did I imagine that I would leave the planet, but now, to think that Yggdrasil has been floating around in space for the past two millennia¡­ I never knew it had so much power, and that it could survive that cataclysm.¡±


    Lily was curious about what he just said. ¡°You didn¡¯t know that Yggdrasil has the ability to move in spacetime?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Ymir replied. ¡°It has never shown this kind of ability before, not even when the demon hunters invaded the territory of the Gods. Having said that¡­ The demon hunters could only severe the connection between Nine Realms and the Material Plane, but did no harm to Yggdrasil itself. Perhaps the World Tree never felt threatened in the first place.¡±


    ¡°That is new.¡± Vivian commented with raised brows. ¡°I always wondered why it would be chased off Earth despite being so powerful.¡±


    Hao Ren interjected. ¡°Ahem, ahem, that aside, our main concern now is that it had escaped. We think our probing had ¡®frightened¡¯ the World Tree, so¡­¡±


    ¡°So you have come to me for help. I understand now.¡± Ymir smiled. ¡°I would be most delighted to help, but do you think you can find it again?¡±


    Hao Ren smiled confidently. ¡°Certainly. I have the resources to conduct a massive search operation.¡±


    ¡°Then it is settled.¡± Ymir agreed to the arrangement. ¡°I am available most of the time, but I cannot be absent for too long. The Shadow Council is in its early stages of operation. Even as a Speaker only in name, I have things to attend to.¡±


    Hao Ren expressed his appreciation of the giant¡¯s situation. He then asked about Yggdrasil again. ¡°Since you once chatted with the World Tree before, do you know what it thinks about? Does it have memories of where it came from?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it has memories.¡± The old giant replied. ¡°Besides, whenever I am connected to its mind, I found it in a constant sluggish state. It barely responded to external stimuli and lacked active thinking patterns. At least, that was how I remembered Yggdrasil to be. Based on your description, however, I think that it has gotten a lot more sensitive now.¡±


    Hao Ren considered Ymir¡¯s words carefully.

 Chapter 1061 - Inspector ******

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Since they did not know where Yggdrasil was yet, Ymir continued to work as the ¡°Speaker¡± in Athens Sanctuary after the call, leaving Hao Ren to consider the new information he had just been offered.


    When he heard Ymir¡¯s description of Yggdrasil, Hao Ren thought of a few things, such as how ¡°Yggdrasil¡± the First Born came to be, and its role during the Mythological Era.


    Yggdrasil was powerful ¡ª that was undeniable. It could bring the Nine Realms with it and travel through spacetime, covering millions of light-years in just a few seconds. That would required a tremendous amount of energy. Even if the First Born had used some kind of trick to achieve this miraculous feat, it was still a demonstration of great control over power. It begged the question of why Yggdrasil did nothing during the Twilight of the Gods, instigated by the demon hunters.


    Ymir suggested that Yggdrasil¡¯s odd way of thinking led it to believe that the attack from the demon hunters was no threat to the World Tree itself, and so it did not respond to the attack. Nevertheless, Ymir had said that back in the Mythological Era, he could tell from his connection with Yggrasil that its mind was sluggish and muddled up. The old giant did not find it strange, since he did not know of other World Trees. However, Hao Ren knew for a fact that it was very unusual. He knew how a normal First Born was like, and Zorm was anything but slow in the mind.


    ¡°After crossing the Wall of Reality, the First Born will also be affected by Sin of the Divine Blood. This is probably why Yggdrasil had no memories about the Plane of Dreams, and why its mind seems to be affected.¡± Hao Ren shared his conjecture. ¡°The First Born¡¯s mind is very different from that of a normal human. Its memory and cognition are more closely bound to each other, that¡¯s why damages to the memory also affects cognition. I think Yggdrasil was probably in a semi-conscious state throughout the Mythological Era, and Ymir was only communicating with it through its dream. In that state, the World Tree was of course, incapable of reacting against the demon hunter, since it was too heavily affected by the Sin of the Divine Blood.


    Hao Ren had good reason to speculate all that. Back when he was at the Crapple Research Station, he spent a lot of time studying the First Born¡¯s physical and mental structure. He had two specimens of the FIrst Born to dissect, and a Zorm who was willing to cooperate in undergoing medical tests. Hence, he now had a good understanding of the powerful demigod. Since he knew that the being¡¯s memories and cognition were closely tied to each other, he could make a guess about the effects of the Sin of the Divine Blood on the First Born.


    Hao Ren did not have much before speaking to Ymir, but now that he knew more about Yggdrasil, he could more or less figure out why the First Born reacted as it did today.


    ¡°It is obviously fully awake now,¡± Y¡¯zaks added. ¡®It ran away just as we appeared.¡±


    Lily scratched her head in confusion. ¡°How did it suddenly wake up?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because the Sin of the Divine Blood has already ended.¡± Hao Ren smiled. He remembered something that cleared up the mystery. ¡°Have you forgotten? We have cleansed the source of the Sin of the Divine Blood, which is Ancattero¡¯s gilded disc. One the Sin of the Divine Blood has ended, all the affected species became free of the ¡®curse¡¯. For normal species, breaking free of the curse meant their innate hostility is gone. For the First Born, breaking free of the curse meant having a clearer mind.¡±


    Hao Ren felt quite certain now that the Sin of the Divine Blood had different effects on each species. The difference between normal species was not obvious, in that the innate hostility could be manifested at various intensities. For demigods, however, the effect was stark¡ªYmir lost his memories, but did not show hostility to other species; Yggdrasil went into a state of mental confusion, and did not show any signs of innate hostility (else it would never have allowed Odin and his family to live alongside it). The Sin of the Divine Blood had markedly different effects on them!


    The closer a being was to the goddess¡¯ bloodline, the stronger their immunity to innate hostility!


    Of course, the sirens were an exception ¡ª their bloodline was probably the furthest away from the goddess, but since they came into existence from the process of natural evolution, they seemed to have an inborn immunity to the Sin of the Divine Blood as well.


    There was much to say about Yggdrasil, but Hao Ren ended the discussion to focus on finding it. Everyone else went back to their own business while Hao Ren drafted an assistance request to the inspectors and sent it out:


    ¡°Unencrypted message ¡ª local galaxy channel. Message origin ¡ª First Galaxy¡¯s Kuiper Station. General message to all inspectors within the galaxy. I am investigating an alternate dimension system that has been cut off from the Material Plane. This dimension is relevant to the grand mission of the Plane of Dreams. Since it is most likely that the dimension has moved to other areas of the galaxy, I am now requesting for assistance from all inspectors within the galaxy. Attached are the instructions on how to search for the alternate dimension. I am also including a resonant frequency in the attachment to be used in your search. Note that there is a powerful being living within the alternate dimension that is capable of making hyperspace jumps. It is cautious and may react unpredictably to external stimuli. Please do not attempt to approach it. If you find it, observe from a distance and wait for my arrival. Message ended.¡±


    When the message was being sent out, Hao Ren decided to make another round of broadcasts to all known civilizations in the galaxy . ¡± Unencrypted message¡ªlocal galaxy channel . Message directed to all civilizations in the First Galaxy. Issued and signed by Inspector Hao Ren ******. I am searching for an alternate dimension in the galaxy. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated. The characteristics of the dimension are as follows¡­¡±


    When all the documents were sent out and double-checked by the IDT, Hao Ren laid back on his sofa and rubbed his eyes. ¡°That should do it.¡±


    The IDT flew over and knocked him on his head. ¡°Partner, how¡¯s it like? That¡¯s a message issued with a ****** to the entire galaxy. Does it feel good?¡±


    Hao Ren considered that for a moment and nodded honestly. ¡°It feels amazing.¡±


    ¡°¡­Can¡¯t you be a little f*cking modest?¡±


    ¡°Dude, I thought you asked!¡±


    ¡°Tsk tsk¡­ As long as you remember that this kind of message shouldn¡¯t be used too often. It has to be at least as urgent as our current situation to warrant it.¡±


    Hao Ren poked the IDT¡¯s shell repeatedly, flipping it over and over in somersaults. ¡°Yeah, yeah, quit the nagging¡­¡±


    If it was only the Nine Realms that had gone missing, Hao Ren would not have been so enthusiastic in sending out his message. After all, the alternate dimension itself was not particularly large when compared to the entire universe. However, since a mature First Born was living in the Nine Realms, the matter had escalated to become one that could affect the balance between the Plane of Dreams and the Surface World. Without further hesitation, Hao Ren sent out his first large scale ****** message as an inspector. He must find Yggdrasil as soon as possible, even it if meant involving everyone in the entire galaxy!


    An inspector¡¯s ****** and request for assistance in the universe channel were treated with the highest priority. Hao Ren¡¯s brief and succinct message reached every corner of the galaxy in just a few moments, alerting the IDTs of other inspectors and leaders of all civilizations within the galaxy. Qualified and capable personnel would soon receive orders from their superiors to conduct the search. Countless antenna arrays would be mobilized. The resonant frequency from Gungnir¡¯s pieces would be replicated and broadcast from all these antennas in the entire galaxy. This was a truly large scale searching mission. However, for civilizations that were living in the age of cosmic exploration, the search would not be particularly burdening.


    After all, if even the ¡°border terminal¡± Kuiper Station could perform the simple job of sweeping its surroundings with its antenna, the other larger space stations would surely be up to task, and equipped with better facilities.


    Hao Ren¡¯s attention was soon drawn to the inspectors¡¯ internal channel since many of his colleagues had already been notified of his message. The ludicrously idle demigods were storming the public channel within minutes.


    ¡­


    Master of Nature¡ªFander Pothelm: ¡°F*ck! What did I just read?! He¡¯s looking for something in this universe, right?¡±


    Celestial Singer¡ªModel: ¡°What? Dear Ominous has come for us?¡±


    Stellar Artiste¡ªAviana: ¡°Holy motherf*king sh*t, I¡¯m terrified, is there anything highly explosive around me?¡±


    The Great Sage¡ªAnthony: ¡°Don¡¯t get your panties in a twist. I¡¯m gathering information in Chattar. The assistants here are all horrified, and one of the young ladies is already crying¡­ Who was the one spreading rumors about ¡®Sir Ominous¡¯?¡±


    Holy Light Personified¡ªLoken: ¡°Dragon Queen, someone up there¡¯s looking for you.¡±


    Dragon Queen¡ªGalazur: ¡°¡­ Wasn¡¯t me, I heard it first from Fander!¡±


    Songstress¡ªTunalar: ¡°Do you think Hao Ren the Bomb is listening in right now?¡±


    Sir Ominous¡ªHao Ren: ¡°¡­ ¡­¡±


    Songstress¡ªTunalar: ¡°F*ck he really is! Goddess, come quick! Someone¡¯s lurking around and scaring people! Take your eyes off your dinner for a sec, boss!¡±


    System notice: Admin Raven 12345 has muted the channel for five minutes.


    System notice: Songstress¡ªTunalar is barred from the channel for the rest of the day by Admin Raven 12345.


    ¡­


    What was said before was definitely worth repeating¡ªthis working environment was f*cking toxic!

 Chapter 1062 - Working Relationships

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Three years was over in a blink of an eye for beings with long, long lives, but for Hao Ren, it was long enough for him to get better at his job and more familiar with his colleagues. Though he usually stayed out of the community and did not make the effort to catch up with them, he remained well connected with his colleagues because of the way inspectors keep in touch with one another.


    As the observer and responder to all living things in the universe, inspectors are distributed throughout the entire galaxy. Some were even assigned to different galaxies. Since every inspector had their own jobs and territories to look after, they did not have time to gather round and catch up frequently. The only way to stay connected was via data link or virtual meetings¡ªthe former was for day-to-day communication, while the latter was for official purposes.


    The inspectors were physically separated from one another, but that did not stop them from communicating with each other.


    One thing worth mentioning was that how the inspectors were distributed in the universe. Every world had a different ¡°size¡±, and sometimes the difference can be staggering. Some worlds were like a dome-shaped space; some only had one star system; some only had a single sun; some were like Hao Ren¡¯s home galaxy, with billions of stars spread across a large expanse. Hence, the number of inspectors assigned to each world was different, ranging from a solo inspector to the tens of thousands.


    Even within the same world, inspectors were also not ¡°evenly distributed¡±¡ª due to the nature of their jobs, an inspector¡¯s territory was defined not by the size, but by the number of civilizations within it. Usually, one inspector would be in charge of one civilization cluster, and their territory would be based on the whereabouts of these civilizations. Hao Ren¡¯s territory was around 200 light-years across since Earth was the only civilization within this area. If nothing unexpected occurred, the civilization cluster based on Earth would grow within this boundary. Territories for other inspectors were also decided likewise.


    For civilizations that had expanded into hundreds of other galaxies, the inspector assigned to them would have to monitor all these galaxies.


    Despite the large variety of territories, all inspectors had equal power¡ªthis was because they were all observers and responders to their worlds, and their roles were beyond species and traditional boundaries. From the standpoint of these demigods, the famine crisis faced by a primitive tribe and an all-out intergalactic war were both matters under their purview. Hao Ren spent three years studying countless case studies to finally realize this.


    Civilization clusters were observed by inspectors, while the vast and empty space untouched by these civilizations were observed by the gods themselves.


    Inspectors work on matters related to the people, while the gods take care of the universe at large. Both the gods and inspectors follow this simple model of governance.


    Of course, this was what was supposed to happen in theory, when things happened according to plan ¡ª the truth was, Hao Ren had doubts about whether their goddess dearest was really as reliable as his working manual suggested. After all, the goddess had just only been lurking around in the inspectors¡¯ forum¡­


    Outsiders would not be privy to the titbits happening amongst the inspectors. Civilization representatives who were qualified to do business with the Space Administration still viewed the inspectors as a mysterious, powerful, impartial, and dignified organization. Hao Ren¡¯s ****** message spurred action in numerous space stations and deep space outposts. Massive scanning antenna arrays were re-assigned to his purpose; idle comm channels were requisitioned; the observatories of the magicians sparkled to life. Gungnir¡¯s resonant frequency was copied and transmitted to every antenna array and magic crystal available. Countless pairs of eyes began their search in the universe for Yggdrasil. If they could not find it still¡­ Hao Ren would expand the search perimeter and notify his colleagues in other parts of the universe to help.


    After all, it did not require too much effort on their part.


    Hao Ren placed his IDT on the tea table. ¡°Sitting¡± elegantly on the opposite side of the table was a woman of large build. The queenly woman was sitting on a cheap fabric sofa, but her demeanor was regal and graceful. Hao Ren smiled at the woman and nodded. ¡°When will I ever have an ounce of your gracefulness? You can make the stool you sit on feel like a throne.¡±


    Galazur smiled gently. ¡°I can¡¯t help it. It¡¯s all part of my upbringing as a member of the dragon tribe¡¯s royal family. There are habits that I can never change. Besides, I have other people here with me. It¡¯s Suharr Satellite Base¡¯s observer. I have an image to maintain.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not one for appearances.¡± Hao Ren twitched his lips, knowing full well that the movement will be fully duplicated by a physical projection of himself in front of the real Galazur and seen by the people around her. He did not mind that. ¡°Suharr Satellite Base has the most powerful probing facilities at the edge of the galaxy. It can cover a radius of nearly 20,000 light-years. I am hopeful to receive good news from you.¡±


    Galazur nodded lightly. ¡°I can feel that this mission is urgent. You have our full support.¡±


    ¡°Frankly, I¡¯ve never tried something so big before. It¡¯s quite unnerving.¡± Hao Ren confessed with a laugh. He knew that his conversation with Galazur was encrypted, so the people around them would not be able to hear their exact words ¡ª Rollie was right beside him, but she could only stare at him in puzzlement. That was why he spoke so casually. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine all the resources being requisitioned for this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s actually not that uncommon.¡± Galazur spread her hands and explained. ¡°It¡¯s only unusual because you were the one who initiated it. Your message has surprised us all. As you can see, you have become a hot topic for those silly idiots. Since you were usually suffering from missions in the Plane of Dreams and rarely appear in the Surface World, your sudden request was¡­ It felt like the Lochness monster suddenly made an entrance.¡±


    Galazur spoke with a stern expression, but her words felt warm and familiar¡ªsuch was the nature of all inspectors. They were a tight-knit bunch, so why put up an act when it was a chat amongst colleagues?


    Hao Ren smiled awkwardly at the image Galazur conjured. He knew that he was an odd one out of all the inspectors ¡ª an inexperienced newbie who was assigned with heavy duty missions; explosion that followed everywhere he went; Raven 12345¡¯s favor¡­ Despite all these, the one thing that singled him out the most was his ¡°big mission¡± in the Plane of Dreams. He was the sole assignee to that mission, so he did not have much opportunity to work with his colleagues in the Surface World. He was like a core engineer busying around in a hidden workshop in the company, laying low like a ninja for three years before suddenly coming out of nowhere, reminding his colleagues that, yes, he was also an important member of the company!


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why the goddess gave so much responsibility to me, despite being new.¡± Hao Ren admitted honestly. ¡°I think you don¡¯t, too.¡±


    Galazur nodded. ¡°Indeed, it is unusual. However, the goddess always has her reasons. Do not be fooled by her appearance. She is the most responsible governor of this universe. We need only trust in her.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something else that I¡¯m very curious about.¡± Hao Ren looked Galazur in the eye. ¡°In this world ¡ª and I meant, this universe, am I really the only inspector who is concerned about the Plane of Dreams?¡±


    Galazur studied Hao Ren quietly before a smile slowly crept up her face. ¡°The truth is, a lot of people are concerned about the Plane of Dreams. I myself am watching it closely. Ever since the Wall of Reality was weakened, we had encountered many issues. It¡¯s not just Earth. Even my territory had problems with dimensional crossovers. However, the only inspector charged to directly deal with this matter is you.¡±


    Hao Ren was surprised. ¡°Dimensional crossovers? You have dimensional cracks as well?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing so serious yet. There were some areas where the dimensional boundaries were thin. There are some unstable hyperspace jump points in the star system where Saint Sur IV resided. Before I set up the warning perimeter, we frequently had adventurous space explorers who got lost around those jump points. Some of them were found later, but the rest are forever lost to this world. I believe that they had found their way to the gap between the Plane of Dreams and the Surface World. This is a consequence of the weakening Wall of Reality, and one of the most benign consequences we can expect. In further parts of the universe¡­ That scarred nebula that you know of, for example, has an entire galaxy shred to bits. Now that is a scary crack in reality.¡±


    Galazur smiled as she said this, and then she remembered something else. ¡°I say¡­ Ever since you began to work on missions in the Plane of Dreams, the Wall of Reality has become more stable in the past three years. How did you do it?¡±


    Hao Ren was taken aback. ¡°What?¡±

 Chapter 1063 - : The Dumb Cat’s Whiskers

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    When Hao Ren heard Galazur said that, he realized suddenly that he rarely spoke to his colleagues, such that he did not even know about these happenings. Galazur did not keep Hao Ren in suspense when she saw Hao Ren¡¯s reaction. She tapped her IDT, and Hao Ren¡¯s IDT pinged shortly after, signaling an incoming message. A series of charts was projected in front of him.


    These were simple charts. Even an amateur like Hao Ren could understand them.


    ¡°The Wall of Reality is invisible to normal people, but its activities leave all kinds of traces in the universe. Larger ones are like the dimensional rift in the scarred nebula, while smaller ones are, for example, minor spatial distortions. By monitoring these areas with these spatial distortions, we can deduce the stability of the Wall of Reality. Before you jumped into missions regarding the Plane of Dreams, third-party investigation companies had relied on this method to monitor the activities in the Plane of Dreams,¡± Galazur explained the origin of these charts since Hao Ren would not have guessed by just looking at the numbers. ¡°We had been accumulating observation data for thousands of years, but few inspectors had the patience to gather and consolidate them. Fortunately, I am a dragon who is interested in numbers. This red line here indicates the activity at the spatial distortion points for the past millennia. These points were all the result of the Wall of Reality¡¯s activities. The other lines around the red line are from individual large cracks within the same period.¡±


    Hao Ren studied the clear lines on the chart. He could see that the lines started off mostly stable with rhythmic fluctuations. This was the relatively peaceful period that Raven 12345 spoke of. A few hundred years ago, these minor fluctuations suddenly became amplified. That was the turbulent phase.


    From the time two universes clashed into each other and gave birth to the Wall of Reality, about fifty million years ago, Hao Ren could make out a few monumental events that affected the condition of the Wall. Before the goddess of creation fell, the Wall of Reality was at its most stable state ¡ª this was the phase of absolute stability. Shortly after the goddess of creation fell, the Wall began to exhibit strong activity and allowed unusual creatures to cross the Wall ¡ª this was the phase of near-collapse. From then until a few hundred years before today, the Wall of Reality remained active but not excessively so ¡ª this was the phase of relative stability. In the last two to three hundred years, for some unknown reason, the Wall of Reality became worryingly active once more, enough to make Raven 12345 concerned ¡ª this was the phase of turbulence.


    ¡°I am sending to you the observation results from the last few years,¡± Galazur said as she manipulated her IDT.


    In the new charts, Hao Ren saw sharper fluctuations. However, these fluctuations seemed to die down moving towards the current day.


    ¡°I noticed the pattern by accident ¡ª ever since you started your job, the past two years or so did not see any new large cracks forming, and no reports of unusual spatial distortions. The old ones remained where they are, but they did not grow larger or smaller. It was like they were frozen in their current state. So long as no daredevil goes near them, no one is at risk. Hence, the point here is this¡ªhow did you do it?¡±


    Hao Ren stared with his mouth open wide.


    He thought Galazur¡¯s idea was preposterous, but he also knew that the dragon lady had no reason to mess with him. He looked at the numbers again, knowing that they were hard to be tampered with, and found that the charts looked authentic by all means.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± Hao Ren said honestly. ¡°I was only doing my job in the Plane of Dreams¡­ Just like the rest of you.¡±


    ¡°Then the key is not in what you have done, but in having you do it.¡± Galazur mused to herself softly, but Hao Ren heard her.


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just my speculation.¡± Galazur laughed it off. ¡°A female dragon¡¯s sixth sense, that¡¯s all.¡±


    After that, Hao Ren and the dragon queen discussed more events related to the Plane of Dreams. Despite not being the inspector in charge of those events, Galazur with her thousands of years of work experience managed to be familiar with most of the details. Her knowledge of things behind the scenes and the strange phenomena happening in the furthest parts of the universe gave Hao Ren some much-needed insight. The conversation went on enthusiastically and ended with Galazur promising to notify Hao Ren as soon as they found signs of Yggdrasil.


    The IDT ended the virtual meeting. As the signal was disconnected, Galazur¡¯s figure on the sofa dispersed into numerous tiny dots of light, leaving a strong and dignified impression to her audience.


    ¡°¡­ Long-time inspectors are really helpful.¡± Hao Ren looked at the IDT, who was slumping on the tea table, pretending to be a coaster. ¡°She¡¯s not assigned to the Plane of Dreams, but she still knows a good deal about the Wall of Reality.¡±


    The IDT buzzed from the tea table. ¡°That¡¯s why I suggested you to discuss with your more experienced seniors.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. The PDA was usually unreliable to say the least, but it seemed it was capable of being reasonable when it came to official matters. He remembered something Galazur told him about. ¡°Why do you think the Wall of Reality stabilized in the last few years?¡±


    He remembered when he first started on his job, Raven 12345 has told him that the Wall of Reality had never been so unstable as it was back then. The Plane of Dreams and the Surface World were crossing over each other at an unprecedented speed. Hao Ren had prepared himself for the worst, but he never imagined that things were now so¡­ ¡°optimistic¡±. The Wall of Reality had begun to stabilize when he started working, much to his surprise. He did not the reason for it, but it was still good news for all.


    Nevertheless, why did Raven 12345 neglected to mention this to him?


    ¡°I am only a PDA. What would I know?¡± The IDT replied dismissively. ¡°Since our dear boss, Raven, did not tell you about it, I¡¯m sure she has her reasons. Gods are powerful beings. Her every word could shape the reality of the universe. Perhaps she was believed that revealing too much to you could affect the balance between the Plane of Dreams and the Surface World. After all, since you are traveling between the two places so often, you are already a huge information carrier already.¡±


    Hao Ren labored over the problem and saw no clear solution. In the end, he filed the matter away and rested his eyes on the sofa.


    Rollie had been staring at Hao Ren all this while. When she noticed Hao Ren finally relaxing, she immediately pounced on him and pawed his eyelids. ¡°Big Boss Cat! Big Boss Cat!¡±


    Hao Ren opened his eyes and looked at the cat girl lazily. ¡°What? I¡¯m taking a break¡­¡±


    The cat girl pointed at her face. ¡°Whiskers!¡±


    Hao Ren focused and noticed that the stupid cat had drawn six black lines on her face. They looked like whiskers, drawn symmetrically on her cheeks. The silly cat flaunted them eagerly. ¡°I have whiskers again!¡±


    ¡°Clean them off!¡± Hao Ren picked up a piece of cloth from beside him and shoved it into her face. ¡°You¡¯re a mess!¡±


    Rollie snarled. ¡°No! I want my whiskers! I get stuck in holes when I don¡¯t have ¡¯em!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll get stuck even with the drawn whiskers!¡± Hao Ren knew that his nap was over when the cat interrupted him. He decided to take care of the dumb companion first, and so he rubbed the cloth against the cat¡¯s face and yelled, ¡°On the other hand, what hole are you planning to crawl into?!¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t tried the basement¡¯s trapdoor!¡± Rollie wriggled desperately. ¡°Don¡¯t wipe! I want my whiskers!¡±


    Hao Ren pressed down hard on the dumb cat¡¯s head with his hands and put his knees on her belly. He scrubbed the silly cat¡¯s face and yelled again, ¡°Don¡¯t move, we should get it off before it dries! Vivian¡¯s going to shoot you when she sees you!¡±


    The dumb cat screamed pitifully. ¡°No! No! Give me back my whiskers! I want my own whiskers back, or I¡¯m not rubbing these off!¡±


    While they deep into it, the door to the room was suddenly pushed open from outside. Lily, freshly awaken from her nap, made her way lazily into the room. ¡°What is going on in here, I¡¯m trying to sleep¡­ Oh no! The landlord¡¯s f*cking the cat!¡±


    ¡°¡­The f*ck?!¡± Hao Ren felt like his head was bursting.


    Lily continued to shout in confusion, ¡°This is bad! Mr. Landlord¡¯s admitted it!¡±


    The Hao Family continued their joyful lives at home¡­

 Chapter 1064 - Missing the Celebrations

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    As a werehusky, Lily was the absolute drama queen. Even when half-asleep, the idiot could still stir up everyone in the house with just a few words. In the next half an hour, she and Rollie both received a good scolding¡­


    The dumb cat had already calmed down by now. It slouched on the sofa quietly, the ¡°whiskers¡± still on her face. In front of the cat girl, Vivian put her arms on her hips and lectured, ¡°You, can¡¯t you be little more sensible? Look at your face, what exactly is that¡­¡±


    The cat girl¡¯s head sagged further down. ¡°They¡¯re my whiskers¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Hao Ren and Vivian yelled in unison.


    ¡°How can an animal that cultivated and attained a human form be so dumb?¡± Hao Ren massaged his temples. ¡°I was wondering why she suddenly asked me for a pen just now? I thought she was finally going to start studying.¡±


    The cat girl muttered, ¡°I didn¡¯t become like this from cultivation¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Vivian scolded.


    Hao Ren looked at the cat girl, curling into herself on the sofa, and thought she looked ridiculous and funny. He sighed. ¡°When she was a cat, I thought she was quite smart, running around town all the time and even fighting me over snacks. I thought, damn, she¡¯s almost human¡ªand now that she really is, why is she so dumb?¡±


    Vivian rolled her eyes. ¡°Of course she is. You treated her as a cat back then, of course you thought she was smart. By human standards, however, she is at most a functional retard.¡±


    Lily was crouching beside Rollie on the sofa, listening halfheartedly to the lecture. Suddenly, a friendship borne out of rebellion seemed to be blossoming between the cat and dog. Lily muttered under her breath, ¡°How long do you think Battie¡¯s going to go on for?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know meow¡­ Big Dumb Cat, why do you keep wagging your tail? Are you looking for a fight?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s looking for a fight with you? It¡¯s just a greeting!¡±


    ¡°¡­ Are you crazy? Greetings are done like this, listen¡ªgrowl, growl.¡±


    ¡°Are you looking for a fight?! Why did you growl at me?!¡±


    It seemed that the budding friendship would take some time to develop¡­


    Hao Ren and Vivian were still discussing intently on the cat girl¡¯s future education when they heard her suddenly meowed sharply. They turned just in time to see the cat girl pounce on Lily¡¯s head and scratch viciously. Lily the useless fool was instantly defeated, lying on the sofa helplessly. The werehusky had overcome most of her fear of Rolly when she turned human, but she was still subconsciously afraid of the cat, and now she could not even put up a fight.


    Hao Ren and Vivian had to halt their discussion on the cat girl¡¯s education to stop the fight between the cat and the dog. As they pulled both ladies away from each other and inquired further, the reason for the fight became clear to them. Hao Ren slapped himself in the forehead. ¡°You two, how could you even¡­ I can understand why Rollie is ignorant, but Lily, as a vet, shouldn¡¯t you have known why cats and dogs fight? Why do you still fall for it?¡±


    Lily combed through her hair and mumbled, ¡°Now I remember¡­ Besides, she started it.¡±


    ¡°You two should stay away from each other.¡± Hao Ren glowered at the two dumb animals. ¡°Both of you lack common sense. The two of you together will just become a bunch of nonsense!¡±


    Vivian waved tiredly as she made her way to the kitchen. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯m not wasting anymore time with the brainless duo. I¡¯m going to prep the next meal.¡±


    Hao Ren pushed Rollie towards the kitchen as well. ¡°Please wash her face ¡ª the ink is all dried up, I can¡¯t wipe them off now.¡±


    Rollie was about to raise an objection when Nangong Wuyue came out of the washroom. The lady siren seemed to be waiting for this exact moment. She dragged Rollie eagerly by the tail towards the washroom. ¡°Go do your cooking, Vivian! I¡¯ll get her washed up! I¡¯ll get her all washed up!¡±


    Rollie screamed like the end of the world. ¡°Help! Help! Big Boss Cat, save me! I¡¯m not going¡­¡±


    Her screaming stopped abruptly as she disappeared into the washroom with Nangong Wyue, leaving behind Hao Ren and Lily as they exchanged a look of bafflement. Hao Ren asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s with Wuyue these days? Why does she look so excited when I said Rollie needs a washing?¡±


    ¡°How do I know?¡± Lily crossed her arms and turned away defiantly. ¡°I¡¯m just a dumb idiot, after all. Go ask someone smarter!¡±


    In the end, Hao Ren was abandoned to himself in the living room. It was the quietest part of the day ¡ª the Nangong couple were out working; Y¡¯zaks was probably outside collecting used electrical appliances; Vivian was cooking in the kitchen; Wuyue was torturing Rollie; Lil¡¯ Pea was taking a nap; Lily was in a mood, and it would probably be until dinnertime before she got over it; the last one, Nangong Sanba was¡­ too bored that he went out to help some people trap ghosts, and would only return for dinner.


    After going through everyone in the house, Hao Ren realized in surprise that none of the rowdy bunch in the house were here to disturb him.


    That was a little deflating. Hao Ren was usually annoyed by all the ruckus caused by the people in the house, but now that everyone was busy with their own thing, he felt bored all of a sudden.


    After making a few pointless rounds in the living room, Hao Ren decided to head out.


    It was still a few hours until dinner time. Ever since Vivian got her Divine Artifact-level kitchenware, she ached to try her hand on all kinds of dishes ¡ª she would prepare a handsome meal every night, spending a few hours at least to prepare the dishes.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting warmer.¡±


    Out in the open, Hao Ren sighed with emotion.


    The sun was already near the horizon, shining lazily on the old streets. Old trees growing by the roadside were sprouting new shoots, while bushes were starting to look greener. The cool night breeze still had hints of winter in it, but one could already feel the beginnings of spring.


    Hao Ren watched the scenery and suddenly realized something ¡ª he had missed the new year celebration.


    He had spent the almost an entire month at Coldpath, and half a month after that at Athens Sanctuary listening to the old demons squabble. Through it all, he had missed the year¡¯s most important celebration without noticing it.


    He heard the IDT¡¯s voice quietly in his mind. ¡°Didn¡¯t you realize earlier when your boss, Raven, gave you your annual bonus?¡±


    ¡°¡­ I did not.¡± Hao Ren scratched his head. ¡°There were so many the events and information related to the goddess of creation to keep up with that I didn¡¯t have time for other things¡­ To think that I missed something as important as the new year celebration!¡±


    He spoke with an odd tone and looked down with an unreadable expression that looked something like regret.


    The IDT vibrated gently in his arms. ¡°You should learn to get used to this ¡ª even the average worker could miss the celebration because of their job, much less someone with your job of saving the world on a daily basis. Besides, you¡¯re still in your third year. When you reach three hundred years or three thousand years¡­ You will understand Vivian¡¯s perspective better.¡±


    Hao Ren did not reply to the IDT, but simply stroked his chin in deep thought. The IDT panicked at his response. ¡°Hey now, don¡¯t be so upset. You always acted like a dog, why so emotional all of a sudden¡­¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the IDT. ¡°Do you think the new year sale is still on at the mall?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Is that what your f*cking silence was about?!¡±


    ¡°What else could I be thinking about?¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s been over a month since the new year. Come on, let¡¯s head to the city. The official celebration is over, but we should buy something back to celebrate with everyone.¡±


    The IDT was quiet for a few moments before replying in a mumble. ¡°Your strange ideas should make you fit well with the cat and dog at home.¡±


    The city was some distance away from the northern suburbs. It will take them at least two hours to and fro via public transport. Hao Ren did not have the time, so he had the IDT teleport him there. After making sure that no one was around them, the IDT transported Hao Ren to a corner in an alley. The latter stepped out to see the familiar shopping mall right in front of him.


    He was here to do some shopping, but the sight of the mall reminded him of something.


    ¡°Liu Sheng¡­ and Zhao Xi, they¡¯re probably at work in there, right?¡±

 Chapter 1065 - Meeting Liu Sheng and Zhao Xi Again

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Liu Sheng and Zhao Xi were the first demon hunters that Hao Ren encountered. The animosity between them at the beginning was long resolved, and Hao Ren treated them as acquaintances, but not exactly friends.


    In the month-long war at Coldpath, Liu Sheng and Zhao Xi were summoned back to the north pole by their superiors, just like all the other demon hunters, to fight against the Elders. Hao Ren heard nothing from them since. Compared to normal people, they were considered superhuman, but in the all-out war back in Coldpath, they were only two of the many nameless soldiers fighting for their organization. The chances of them surviving the war were no different than any other demon hunter.


    Hao Ren was overwhelmed with his duties during the war in Coldpath. After the war, he then had to settle plenty of prehistoric data and the conflict between the otherworldings. It was only now that he remembered about Liu Sheng and Zhao Xi. The war had ended about half a month ago. The new council and the demon hunters originally stationed at the north pole were now hard at work in rebuilding Coldpath. The other demon hunters who were summoned back to base were now returning to their own posts¡ªthe millennia-old foundation of the demon hunters would not be abandoned because of the war. They would re-establish their power and status in the world, and if that was impossible, they must at least keep in touch with affairs around the world.


    If Liu Sheng and Zhao Xi were alive, they must be back to the city by now.


    Hao Ren hid the IDT in his clothes and entered the mall. With his excellent memory¡­ and his IDT¡¯s directions, he found the place where Zhao Xi used to work ¡ª the tiny cell phone shop. A plump lady sat at the counter. The other staff was a freckled young woman who looked familiar to Hao Ren. Hao Ren approached her to ask about Zhao Xi.


    ¡°Zhao Xi? She hasn¡¯t been in for two months.¡± The freckled young woman threw a curious look at Hao Ren and frowned for a moment before realizing something. ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve been here before. No wonder you looked so familiar¡­ Who are you to Zhao Xi, anyway? Are you her boyfriend?¡±


    The plump lady at the counter added quickly, ¡°No way. Zhao Xi is such a cold person, how could she get a boyfriend¡­¡±


    ¡°Err, I¡¯m not.¡± Hao Ren waved awkwardly, but felt worried by the news. ¡°So Zhao Xi isn¡¯t back yet? Did you hear anything about her at all?¡±


    The plump lady shook her head confidently. ¡°Nope. She¡¯s a secretive one. We don¡¯t even know where she lives. I tried calling her last month but her line was cut off.¡±


    Hao Ren frowned and considered contacting Hasse of White Fire to check if they survived the war. He asked the two ladies, ¡°What about Liu Sheng? Is he back at work?¡±


    The freckled lady nodded at the mention of Liu Sheng, but before she could reply, Hao Ren heard a familiar voice spoke from behind him. ¡°Oh? You¡¯re here.¡±


    Hao Ren turned around to see Liu Sheng behind him. The seasoned demon hunter looked like he always did ¡ª wearing a semi-new suit, average-looking spectacles purely for disguise, and a pair of cheap leather shoes. He looked like the manager of a newspaper company in a small town, completely inconspicuous in the crowd in the shopping mall. The man looked at Hao Ren from a distance with an expression of surprise. He smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s been around half a month since I saw you.¡±


    Hao Ren hurriedly stepped closer to him and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s been two months since I¡¯ve seen you.¡±


    ¡°That is to be expected. The last time I saw you, you were leading thousands of monsters attacking the temple, while I was lying on a stretcher. I saw you, but you did not see me.¡± Liu Sheng smiled and rolled up his sleeves to reveal a dark red scar along his wrist. ¡°I even got a souvenir¡ªthis hand only grew back 10 days ago. I was lucky that it was cut off by a sword. If it had been magic instead, my hand may have never grown back, and I would not be able to work anymore.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at his former ¡°enemy¡± and could not sort out the feelings inside him. In the end, he smiled. ¡°It¡¯s good to be alive. How is Zhao Xi?¡±


    ¡°Zhao Xi? She¡¯s¡­¡± Liu Sheng paused for a moment before saying, ¡°She¡¯s also alive.¡±


    ¡°Can I see her?¡±


    Liu Sheng considered it and nodded. ¡°Come with me. I get off early today.¡±


    Liu Sheng and Zhao Xi stayed close to each other. However, much to Hao Ren¡¯s surprise, their choice of residence was not some dark and mysterious corner of the city. Instead, they in a highrise close to the mall. Both of them occupied the top floor as neighbors.


    Their choice of residence provided them with excellent camouflage.


    ¡°The top floor is quieter.¡± Liu Sheng led Hao Ren to his own place. He put away his things in his home, and produced another set of keys to Zhao Xi¡¯s place. ¡°The elevator always broke down, though. Taking the stairs is not particularly taxing, but it is still annoying.¡±


    ¡°So you bought houses in the city?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°No way. They are so expensive.¡± Liu Sheng answered casually. ¡°We are renting our units.¡±


    Hao Ren was taken aback. ¡°Aren¡¯t demon hunters rich?¡±


    Liu Sheng looked at him strangely. ¡°What¡¯s being a demon hunter got to do with money?¡±


    ¡°Err¡­ I meant, you are a species with long lives. After living for hundreds of years, surely you would have saved enough.¡± Hao Ren found their situation ludicrous. Surely, as the one in power after the Mythological Era, the demon hunters should have fared better. At least, that was he thought. ¡°You should be able to at least afford a house.¡±


    Liu Sheng laughed. ¡°Then why are you renting a house?¡±


    Hao Ren considered the question, and found that he had no good answer¡­


    Even so, he found it hard to believe that for a demon hunter charged with his own territory, Liu Sheng still could not afford his own place. After some more thought, he decided in the end that it may have something to do with Vivian. As goddess of poverty, the all-powerful Countess, Vivian had stepped down from her position as one of the fourteen Elders six thousand years ago, but effects of her power had already spread into the demon hunter organization. From Liu Sheng¡¯s living condition, it would seem that the lower level members were not doing very well¡­


    Liu Sheng had opened the door to Zhao Xi¡¯s apartment. ¡°Zhao Xi, you have guests.¡±


    There was no reply. Liu Sheng led Hao Ren into the living room. ¡°Come in. She is in no position to welcome you.¡±


    Hao Ren stepped inside the house, feeling curious. It was a simple house with a living room and one bedroom. The house had the barest furniture, and Zhao Xi was sitting on a sofa with faded colors. She did not respond to them both.


    Hao Ren noticed immediately that something was wrong with her. He walked closer to Zhao Xi, and saw that she was staring at the wall opposite her with a blank expression. Her eyes were half closed and blinking occasionally, but her attention was not focused. He waved his hand in front of her eyes, and she seemed to respond ¡ª her head tilted slightly, but that was all.


    ¡°Is this¡­soul detachment?¡± Hao Ren recalled that many demon hunters suffered from this condition after the war in Coldpath. Survivors who were trapped in the Netherrealm Clock Tower before or members of the insurgency all had this condition. Zhao Xi¡¯s situation was much worse ¡ª such a long time had passed since the war, but she was still like a vegetable!


    ¡°She was also trapped in the Netherrealm Clock Tower. Her time in there was not long, but she became like this after. Sigh, she¡¯s not strong enough. I don¡¯t know how long it will take for her to recover.¡±


    The seriousness of soul detachment depended on the mental strength of the victim. A strong demon hunter like Hasse took around a week to regain his motor functions. Weaker demon hunters would be more severely affected. Zhao Xi was a good example of a weak demon hunter ¡ª she was only an average hunter with not much experience.


    Liu Sheng believed that was why Zhao Xi¡¯s condition was so bad.


    Hao Ren agreed with him, but just as he was about to step away from Zhao Xi, his IDT flew out of his shirt and cried, ¡°Wait! She doesn¡¯t seem to suffer from soul detachment!¡±


    Hao Ren stopped moving, and then a thought came to him ¡ª was his propensity for stirring up trouble acting up again?


    The IDT was already circling around Zhao Xi¡¯s head, scanning her. When it was done, it flew back to Hao Ren. ¡°Something is in her soul, something very powerful!¡±

 Chapter 1066 - A Masterchef’s Dishes Glow Brightly

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°Something powerful?¡± Hao Ren was taken aback by the IDT¡¯s announcement, which seemingly came out of nowhere. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    The IDT leaped around on Hao Ren¡¯s shoulders and explained, ¡°It could be a fragment of a soul or a mental imprint, I can¡¯t tell for sure. But it seems to be intertwined with Zhao Xi¡¯s soul. It¡¯s so powerful that the lady can¡¯t gain control of her own body.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s first thought was that it was the result of Godslayer whispering into the demon hunter¡¯s ears. ¡°Is it a mental imprint of the Godslayer?!¡±


    ¡°No, they don¡¯t feel the same. Besides, this thing in Zhao Xi¡¯s soul feels more¡­ advanced. I can¡¯t make heads or tails of it.¡±


    Hao Ren never imagined that the IDT, a highly advanced piece of technology, would find itself under-equipped. On the other hand, Liu Sheng could not help but interrupt their exchange, ¡°What are you talking about? Is Zhao Xi a host to some evil spirit?¡±


    ¡°Hard to tell. It doesn¡¯t look like soul detachment, but more like there¡¯s an external force suppressing her soul.¡± Hao Ren waved in confusion. ¡°Do you know if she came into contact with anything strange in the Netherrealm Clock Tower?¡±


    Liu Sheng considered it for a moment, then shook his head slowly. ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sure. I was in the infirmary when she was caught. When she was brought back to us, she was already in this state. I¡¯ve asked around, but they tell me that when Zhao Xi was in the tower, she was also wandering around the upper floors like the rest of the people trapped inside.¡±


    Liu Sheng¡¯s intel was not helpful, so Hao Ren turned his focus back on Zhao Xi. He poked the IDT, which was still on his shoulder, and asked, ¡°Do you think you can strip off the invading soul from her body?¡±


    The IDT thought about it. ¡°It¡¯ll be very difficult since I can¡¯t even tell exactly what it is. I just know that there are two different intertwining entities in Zhao Xi¡¯s mental world. However, if we put her in the medical pod and perform a mental reconstruction operation on her¡­ we might be able to make the other entity inside her reveal itself. Then, we will be in a better position to decide what to do next.¡±


    ¡°Would you be willing to come to my place with Zhao Xi?¡± Hao Ren turned to Liu Sheng and asked. ¡°I have equipment back there, perhaps they¡¯ll be helpful to Zhao Xi.¡±


    Liu Sheng was never one to beat around the bush. He nodded in assent. ¡°That will be greatly appreciated.¡±


    Hao Ren helped Zhao Xi up and got the IDT to teleport them back to his house in the Southern Suburbs. They were gone in a blinding flash of white light.


    They appeared in the living room to see Lily lounging on the sofa, reading a magazine. When the werehusky saw Hao Ren with two other people, she leaped up eagerly. ¡°Ah! Do we have guests?¡±


    Liu Sheng was still feeling a little dizzy from the teleportation. He took a while to recognize the excited werehusky in front of him before he smiled awkwardly. ¡°Umm, hello there, it¡¯s been a while. I¡¯m sorry to interrupt¡­¡±


    Just then, Vivian came out of the kitchen with a covered plate. She was surprised to see Hao Ren and the two demon hunters. ¡°Is that why you went out? Were you looking for them?¡±


    Hao Ren pointed at Zhao Xi, who was standing awkwardly like a zombie. ¡°There¡¯s been a bit of a situation. I need to use the underground medical facilities. You¡¯re okay with having demon hunters over, right?¡±


    ¡°All are welcomed,¡± Vivian replied easily. She set down the plate on the dining table and wiped her hands on her apron. ¡°Liu Sheng, right? Have a seat. I¡¯m making two more dishes, then we¡¯re all set. Can you take spicy food?¡±


    Liu Sheng could barely keep calm at the sight of the werehusky. Vivian¡¯s welcoming gesture unsettled him even more¡ªthe atmosphere did not sit right with him. Putting aside the history between demon hunters and Otherworldlings, he knew who these people were. That was the Fourteenth Elder, cooking in the kitchen; the First Elder was reading a magazine on the sofa; sitting opposite her, reading the People¡¯s Daily1, was the Demon King¡ªthe one who had an army of 10,000 serving him. Liu Sheng felt like he was a nameless civilian being thrust into the Great Hall of the People2, and that sent shivers all over his body¡­


    Lily, being the dim one, did not realize this. She looked away from her magazine and turned at Liu Sheng. ¡°Ya know, we¡¯ve fought each other before. You¡¯re not bad¡­¡±


    Liu Sheng¡¯s lips twitched as he watched the werehusky in silence, having trouble deciding if he should address her as an elder or a werewolf. In those few short seconds, Lily had already shifted her attention to Zhao Xi. She curiously studied the female demon hunter, who was being supported by Hao Ren at the elbow. ¡°What¡¯s up with her?¡±


    Hao Ren explained the situation briefly to everyone in the living room and brought Zhao Xi to the basement. The IDT had already remotely set a pod on standby mode for him. Hao Ren then put Zhao Xi inside and initiated the auto mental reconstruction procedure. The pod¡¯s cover slowly slid over Zhao Xi, and the waiting began.


    Liu Sheng had followed Hao Ren down to the basement out of curiosity. He was surprised by all the things he found in there, but as a man who had survived an actual war, he took everything in stride. Nevertheless, the silvery-white metal ¡°coffins¡± troubled him. ¡°Can this cure soul detachment?¡±


    ¡°As I¡¯ve said earlier, it¡¯s not soul detachment,¡± Hao Ren corrected the demon hunter. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s hard to tell if her condition is curable right now. I¡¯m trying to make the foreign entity in Zhao Xi¡¯s mental world show itself. Once we figure out what it is, we can think about our next move.¡±


    ¡°How long will that take?¡± Liu Sheng looked anxiously at the numbers on the pod, which were constantly refreshing. He didn¡¯t understand them at all.


    ¡°You see this timer here? Once it beeps, it¡¯s done, and the pod will open up. Since the scan is not targeted, the whole procedure will take around half an hour. I¡¯ve activated the thermostat¡­ Umm, sorry, I meant the monitoring system. When the procedure¡¯s completed, I¡¯ll be notified,¡± Hao Ren explained as he made for the stairs. ¡°Let¡¯s wait upstairs while the pod¡¯s working. Have dinner. Try out Vivian¡¯s cooking.¡±


    ¡°Not everyone gets to enjoy this service. You should be honored.¡± Vivian threw an exalted glance at Liu Sheng. ¡°In the last 10,000 years, I¡¯ve only ever cooked for the people in this house.¡±


    Liu Sheng quickly adjusted his demeanor, preparing himself for this monumental dining experience. Lily, however, interrupted with a quiet mumble, ¡°Quit the crap. You probably couldn¡¯t afford to buy groceries before this.¡±


    Vivian put her arms on her hips. ¡°You dog!¡±


    Lily swiftly tried to redeem herself. ¡°Of course, I think Battie¡¯s dishes are amazing! She¡¯s an extraordinary chef! A classy chef!¡±


    Liu Sheng observed the exchange between the bat and the dog in quiet bafflement. He did not expect their daily interaction to be that way. Hao Ren noticed his bewilderment and patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Get used to it. This is how two of your demon hunter elders behave on a daily basis.¡±


    Liu Sheng had a sudden ill premonition of the future of the demon hunters¡­


    When he arrived at the dining room to see Vivian remove all the covers from the dishes, he was treated with another astounding sight.


    There were more than a dozen dishes on the wide dining table. Even though they were not fancy dishes, they looked like they could compete with even the best restaurants outside. Besides, when Vivian uncovered each dish, the food underneath practically glowed¡ªas in actually glow! Each dish glowed with a divine burst of color. Once Vivian removed all the covers, the dining table looked like the heavenly clouds that hovered over South Heaven Gate3¡­


    Liu Sheng could almost hear sacred music playing in the background.


    Hao Ren led his big family to the dining table, which was now basking in holy light. Hao Ren sat on one end, while the rest of them split evenly to both sides. It felt like the Last Supper?, or the feast hosted by the Jade Emperor, which was then ruined by the Monkey King¡­


    Both were not particularly pleasant associations. Liu Sheng thought that he should just accept the meal in the spirit it was given.


    In any case, under the illumination of the holy light, anyone sitting at the table would have looked like some character out of a myth. Lily was the exception¡ªshe crouched on her chair as per her usual habit. To put it nicely, she looked like a dog deity, one who graduated from the South Heaven Gate¡¯s bodyguard training program¡­


    Liu Sheng was confused by the grandeur of the meal. ¡°You¡­ Do you always eat like this? Do you perform enchantments even in cooking?¡±


    Vivian replied as she took her seat, ¡°The dishes are not, but the kitchenware is enchanted.¡±


    ¡°You enchanted the kitchenware?!¡±


    ¡°Ultimate Divine Protection, Ultimate Holy Blessing, Ultimate Divine Charity, Ultimate Holy Light, Ultimate Preservation Technique,¡± Hao Ren said with a sigh. ¡°I can go on and on if you¡¯re interest¡­ Lily, sit properly! Rollie, don¡¯t go under the table! Lil¡¯ Pea, get out of the soup! Eat properly, all of you!¡±

 Chapter 1067 - The Words of a Divine Being

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Ever since Rollie nommed on the golden apple and turned into a dumb lass, Hao Ren had forever been wary of the year-end bonus he would receive. He knew that anything connected to the gods was definitely not something ¡°normal¡±, regardless if it was a mere fruit plucked from the celestial farms, or crockeries. However, he never thought that the kitchenware he had randomly picked for Vivian would be so incredible. Not to say that the dishes would have tasted any different, but anything made using the kitchenware was imbued with multitudes of magical properties!


    A few days ago when Vivian first used the new kitchenware set to make dinner, she received an ungodly shock of her life. A simple dish of stir-fried garlic pork started to shoot out golden light as it was almost done, and by the time it was ready, the holy light had shot up toward the ceiling. Hao Ren¡¯s jaw almost dropped to the floor once he saw it, and he recalled the various anime scenes that he saw years ago. Vivian was also stupefied by what she saw, that she managed to cook up phantasmagorical effects from a simple dish¡­


    Therefore, the blessed dishes on the dining table were all imbued by the starite kitchenware¡­


    ¡°Is it really okay to eat this?¡± Liu Sheng asked gingerly as he used his chopsticks to point at the shining pork dish with wood ear fungus. ¡°Not that I¡¯m doubting the Countess¡¯ cooking skills. I¡¯m more concerned that my body may not be able to take it¡­¡±


    ¡°No worries, it¡¯s only the special effects that are impressive. It¡¯ll still taste the same,¡± Hao Ren quipped casually. ¡°This was my new year¡¯s gift and you know how my superiors roll¡­ They just love to come up with slightly weird stuff.¡±


    As he spoke, Hao Ren pulled out a cat dish from the side and placed a few dishes into it. He then pulled out a packet of cat feed from his Dimensional Pocket and filled up the bowl. After a few strong stirs, he placed the bowl before Rollie. Rollie looked down to sniff the food and just before she could bury her face into the bowl, Hao Ren smacked her on the head with his chopsticks. ¡°Hands?¡±


    Rollie looked up as she meowed defeatedly, before sticking her chopsticks into the food bowl. The dumb cat had already learned how to use them, but she still wanted to use that method as a protest.


    Until today, Hao Ren still had to prepare Rollie¡¯s food. It was not that he was biased toward the dumb cat or that the latter lacked the sense to manage it, but rather Rollie had gotten used to it. In her daily routine, as long as Hao Ren was home, she would only eat if Hao Ren fed her. And by some bizarre logic, the cat girl was rather reliant on her master.


    Of course, whether the proud feline actually saw Hao Ren as her ¡°master¡± was another thing altogether.


    Liu Sheng guffawed at the scene, which unfolded right in front of him. Once Hao Ren caught it, he quickly explained, ¡°I¡¯m not abusing her. She just loves this. She¡¯ll bite if I don¡¯t give her cat feed, and her food¡¯s actually much more expensive than my snacks.¡±


    Liu Sheng pondered for a bit and said nothing. He simply looked down and continued to eat, deciding not to peer further into the lifestyle of the otherworldlings.


    It was not an understatement to say that these otherworldlings would be out of place amongst their own kin!


    This was probably the most stressful dinner Liu Sheng had ever eaten. Even the delicious meal could not distract him from the culture shock, which was dropped upon him by the tenants of the house. He had witnessed the daily routine of the most ancient vampire and realized that she was not as difficult to get along with. He had also revised his view of Lily and still found it hard to believe that she was the First Sage. Then there was the leader of the 100,000-strong demonic host being a dad to his daughter. However, the most stressful part was the foot-long little mermaid. Lil Pea was bouncing about on the dinner table while the rest were eating. The little rascal had already eaten and was taking her habitual after-meal bounce (most people have their after-meal walk, hers was bouncing). Liu Sheng almost poked the little one on the head on multiple occasions, and he had to stay alert to dodge the little rascal¡¯s bounce path¡­


    Additionally, he did not understand why the little mermaid kept coming towards his chopsticks, many, many times.


    Compared to Liu Sheng, Hao Ren¡¯s family enjoyed their meal throughout. Lily ate to the point where she was laying down by the time she finished. The husky immediately planted herself on the sofa the moment she was done. Without a care for her image, she started boasting, ¡°When I led the demon hunters years ago, I was such a benevolent genius. Can you imagine how hard it is to live in the tundra? Even keeping everyone fed was a big headache. See how difficult¡­¡±


    Vivian whispered to Hao Ren, ¡°Look at her running her mouth like she actually remembers what happened at that time.¡±


    Liu Sheng looked at his watch before he turned toward Hao Ren and the rest. ¡°About Zhao Xi¡­¡±


    Hao Ren grabbed the MDT and had a look before getting up. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Whether she can be healed or not depends on this.¡±


    The whole household went to the basement, and the sleeping pod that Zhao Xi was in had just completed its cycle. As the group arrived, they heard a crisp *Ding!* from the equipment. Liu Sheng found the sound eerily similar to the microwave he had back home¡­


    The sleeping pod¡¯s cover slid open without a sound and Hao Ren peered into the pod. Zhao Xi was lying there with her eyes closed. Her face had a healthy red glow and her breathing was normal like a healthy person.¡±


    But he knew Zhao Xi¡¯s problem was on the spiritual and mental level, and her physical health did not tell the whole story.


    The MDT docked itself at the sleeping pod¡¯s record terminal and started to read the logs recorded from Zhao Xi¡¯s spiritual vibrations, hoping to find some sort of trail to separate the mysterious ¡°mental symbiote¡±. Meanwhile, Hao Ren and the rest stood by with bated breath as they waited for the outcome a little nervously.


    A glow flashed across the MDT¡¯s surface before it fell to the ground with a clack.


    Hao Ren was maintaining a spiritual link with the MDT, and in that very moment, he felt a very powerful and unfathomable will traveling through the link toward him. His inspector mental barriers immediately activated and blocked the foreign will. Nonetheless, he was still scared out of his wits by this sudden surge, and cold sweat immediately formed on his forehead!


    When the MDT fell to the ground, no one knew what happened, while Hao Ren¡¯s reaction was slowed by the sudden mental shock. He quickly recovered and grabbed his dead PDA. At the same time, Zhao Xi who was in a vegetative state suddenly rose from the sleeping pod.


    Her eyes were lucid, unlike the dour look she had before, but that did not mean she had recovered her senses. Her eyes were looking in a particular direction before a powerful and domineering aura surged from her body. Liu Sheng, who was the closest to her was almost driven to his knees by the aura, and even the usually slow Lily was immediately alarmed by it!


    ¡°I forgive all the wrongs my children have done,¡± Zhao Xi suddenly spoke, but another female voice intermingled with hers. ¡°My amnesty is eternally theirs¡±


    The moment that simple line left Zhao Xi¡¯s mouth, every light bulb in the basement suddenly exploded as the electrical wiring burned out in a shower of sparks. All the glassware in the room cracked and shattered as if being hit by an invisible hand. The immensely powerful energy surge even appeared as visible lightning, jumping all over the room. The entire group was thrown into confusion by the unnatural phenomenon. Lily immediately scampered under Vivian¡¯s bed, with only her tail sticking out as she whimpered loudly. Nangong Wuyue immediately curled into a ball at the corner of the room while countless of demonic runes appeared on Y¡¯zaks¡¯ body. It looked like an out-of-control transformation!


    However, it all disappeared in an instant as Hao Ren instinctively blocked Zhao Xi. A veil of light appeared on his body and canceled out the power of her ¡°words¡±.


    ¡°Emperor on a pogo stick¡­¡± The MDT seemingly came back to life as it bounced into the air. Sparks were still crackling all over its frame. A self-diagnostic voice came from its body. ¡°That scared me so much that I rebooted¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Zhao Xi had also recovered her senses by then, and it appeared to be a complete recovery. She looked around in confusion. ¡°Where am I?¡±


    Hao Ren immediately stopped her. ¡°Don¡¯t ask! I¡¯m more confused than you are! Let me get my bearings.¡±


    A giant question mark appeared on Zhao Xi¡¯s head.


    ¡°Let¡¯s clean up first¡­ Can someone conjure some light? Lily, get out from the damn bed. Aren¡¯t you ashamed? Get your Flame-effing-joy out!¡± Hao Ren shook his head as he tried to get the buzzing noise in his head out before he threw out commands and calmed the rest down. The sudden unnatural phenomenon had thrown the entire basement into a mess, and worse still, the entire circuitry was burnt. The room was pitch black. ¡°Calm down, calm down. I think I know what happened. Sanba, go uncoil your sister¡­ Those with nothing else to do, go upstairs! Don¡¯t clutter the place!¡±


    Every one of them in the house was a grizzled veteran by now, and all soon recovered from their stupor. The Nangongs quickly led Liu Sheng and Zhao Xi out of the basement while Y¡¯zaks and Y¡¯lisabet ran out to check the circuitry. Vivian frowned as she looked at the mess in her room before she asked Hao Ren in a hushed tone, ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong¡­ that was a fragment of the goddess of creation¡¯s psyche,¡± Hao Ren said as he wiped off the cold sweat on his forehead.

 Chapter 1068 - Hao Ren’s Questions

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The basement was a total mess, and aside from the super-resilient as well as divinely-imbued Xi Ling equipment being totally unharmed, the entire room was thoroughly damaged. The shattered glass from the lightbulbs and glassware were strewn all over the floor, plus the wall bore burn marks of a power surge. Even the ceiling was scorched in many places by the bouncing lightning. Lily¡¯s Flame-effing-joy was the only light source in the room, and under the wavering light, the basement looked even sorrier.


    ¡°Seems like I¡¯ll need to thoroughly clean the place up again,¡± Vivian said as she placed her hands on her hips, knitting her brows slightly. But she did not seem overly perturbed by the turn of events. For someone like her who had been unlucky since the ancient times, she had gone through much worse. Her home that she spent a very long time to build was burned down by a torch-wielding mob, so this was almost nothing to her. ¡°Well, that¡¯s that. Let¡¯s leave it for later. Hao Ren, you really think that was something left behind by the goddess? Power? Spirit? Will? Or something else?¡±


    ¡°A sentence, just one sentence.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve gotten in touch with her, and I¡¯m very familiar with divine powers, so I can confirm that it was left behind by the goddess of creation. Only the words of a divine being can have such power.¡±


    ¡°And only the words of the divine can force me into a reboot!¡± The MDT flew up swiftly. ¡°My word, that was really something. I¡¯ve only encountered this twice. One was just now, and the other time when Madam Raven toyed around with me after taking me out of the box¡­¡±


    Lily recalled the imposing aura that the ¡°words of God¡± carried. Her tail was still bristling, and her eyes shone in the dark. ¡°The words of a god are that powerful? Whenever Raven speaks to us, I don¡¯t see us getting blasted away.¡±


    Hao Ren glared at Lily. The dumb husky¡¯s unsightly reaction was still fresh in his mind. ¡°Nonsense, she never once opened her mouth, even when she spoke to us. She made sounds. However, these sounds are ¡®phenomenona¡¯ created from her powers, something like a taped response. If she was to really speak, anyone aside from Y¡¯zaks would go crazy the instant they hear her voice. Of course, I¡¯m excluded from that as well; I¡¯m a demigod. My resistance to divine powers is quite high.¡±


    ¡°So real gods are that powerful, huh?¡± Lily stuck her tongue out. ¡°But, why was Zhao Xi¡­¡±


    Vivian bumped Lily on the shoulder. ¡°You sure have lots of questions. We still have things to do, let¡¯s go check Zhao Xi out before anything else.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and turned towards the doorway before looking back at Vivian. ¡°Oh right, you won¡¯t have any place to sleep tonight¡­¡±


    Vivian gave Hao Ren a wry look. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you want me to share a bed with you?¡±


    Hao Ren immediately let out an awkward cough. He did not dare say it, but that line of thought did run through his head. Vivian saw through his awkwardness and smiled. ¡°No problem, I¡¯m an expert in cleaning up. And I¡¯m quite adaptable in terms of finding a resting place. You don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡±


    As she said this, she summoned a massive swarm of little bats. They flapped in the dark towards every corner of the room and started to clean the place up. Some of the bats carried electrical charge within them and flew in pairs, lighting the room up like an arc lamp. Some of the bats cleaned up the shattered glass on the bed and floor, while the rest put the scattered furniture back into place. The scene was surreal and noisy.


    Hao Ren sighed as he thought that Vivian¡¯s abilities were indeed convenient. The ancient vampire had probably placed all her talent points in housekeeping and could forget about doing anything else¡­


    Vivian left a couple hundred bats in the basement to clean up as she and Hao Ren returned to the living room. As they had expected, the entire house¡¯s electrical circuit had burned out, and the house was pitch black. Even the street lamps outside were dark.


    Within the dark hall, Hao Ren saw greenish pupils glowing. The pair of eyes silently came from the table. It swiftly approached him and started to circle him. Hao Ren immediately caught a slightly nervous whimper. He bent down and patted Rollie on the head. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s just a blackout.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of the dark.¡± Rollie rubbed her hands on Hao Ren¡¯s pants. ¡°There was something¡­ very scary underneath just now¡­ Ugh¡­ Very scary¡­¡±


    She was probably referring to the divine aura, but the cat girl¡¯s vocabulary was limited, and she struggled to describe it. Hao Ren caught on to what she was trying to say and patted the dumb cat¡¯s head to calm her down before looking up in Zhao Xi¡¯s direction.


    Zhao Xi was seated together with Liu Sheng on the sofa. She had regained her consciousness, but looked rather worn out.


    A series of heavy footfalls were heard outside the door as Y¡¯zaks pushed the door open. ¡°Over half the street has gone dark. Heh, Y¡¯lisabet is outside fixing the transformer. She said the wiring outside is fine, but ours is probably done for.¡±


    No one knew how any passerby would react upon seeing a meter-tall loli hanging on an electrical pole, fixing a transformer. Crazy goddess above, that little demon was nowhere as tall as a proper transformer!


    Vivian searched the drawer by the door for a bit and pulled out two spare lightbulbs shortly after. She summoned a larger pair of bats and had them open their mouth to hold on to the bulbs. The next second, the room was lit up again.


    The two innocent bats lay on the tea table with their mouths wide open, holding onto the lightbulbs. It looked almost like a fortune teller¡¯s table.


    Hao Ren gave Vivian a big thumbs up, showing that he was impressed before he went up to Zhao Xi. ¡°How do you feel now?¡±


    ¡°It felt like a very long dream¡­¡± Zhao Xi looked slightly pale, and her facial expression was numbed as usual. But this time around, she looked even worse as it seemed like her spirit had not gotten back full control of her body. ¡°What happened?¡±


    Hao Ren sat before the confused demon hunter. ¡°What do you last remember¡ªbefore you blacked out?¡±


    ¡°I was dragged into the Netherrealm Clock Tower by the council¡¯s lackeys.¡± Zhao Xi frowned. ¡°I thought I would¡¯ve been immediately disposed of, but after being brought there, I realized something was off. Everyone was wandering about aimlessly, and I became one of them¡­ After that, what happened? The war ended?¡±


    ¡°It ended about half a month ago,¡± Hao Ren nodded as he explained to Zhao Xi what happened after the Battle of Coldpath. Zhao Xi¡¯s condition was different from the others suffering soul detachment. Her senses were not muddled as she was knocked out cold, and for a good half of one month, her spirit was separated deep within her body.


    After speaking to Zhao Xi for a bit, Hao Ren stood up, having a rough idea of what was going on. ¡°Seems like the goddess of creation has left something at Coldpath. It¡¯s probably just a shred of her thought, and this thought managed to stay hidden within the Netherrealm Clock Tower for over 10,000 years. It was suppressed by the Godslayer for the entire duration, but managed to escape. The reason is the rituals the elders conducted on the Godslayer, thus dispersing its powers. Zhao Xi was an accidental host.¡±


    While there may be some holes in Hao Ren¡¯s guess, the rough idea was correct. And the process itself was immaterial. The goddess¡¯ thought was what mattered.


    Vivian subconsciously repeated what ¡°Zhao Xi¡± had said earlier, ¡°¡®I forgive all the wrongs of my children. My amnesty is eternally theirs.¡¯ Hao Ren, what you think?¡±


    ¡°Very great, very forgiving, very touching.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°For a mother who was stabbed in the back by her child, the goddess of creation is probably the paragon of loving mothers. But I don¡¯t think that¡¯s all to it¡­ There¡¯s probably something more.¡±


    Lily blinked. ¡°Something more? This is rather straightforward, no? Not holding a grudge towards her children for what they did.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying if there¡¯s any hidden meaning to it, but simply why only these particular words were left behind.¡± Hao Ren glanced at Lily. ¡°Such a simple sentence has been lying dormant in Coldpath for 10,000 years. I think it was left behind on purpose¡­ Probably, the goddess thought of communicating with future generations through this message.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks did not put too much thought into it. ¡°A will before one¡¯s death, moreover one of a god being reserved until now is normal. For a parent, I think it¡¯s normal for one¡¯s thoughts to be of their children before they die. Perhaps the goddess knew that her death would bring on divine wrath, and still wanted to spare her children from it. So maybe, she wanted to use this to prevent that? Too bad she failed though.¡±


    ¡°Divine wrath brought on by a real god¡¯s death cannot be stopped. This is the world¡¯s self-preservation mechanism, and the basis of the universe.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the pale Zhao Xi as he swallowed every question he had and let out a heavy breath. ¡°¡­Seems like that¡¯s the only explanation we have.¡±

 Chapter 1069 - Causality and Information Intertwined

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    While what happened to Zhao Xi was indeed bizarre, there were little doubts left. To be frank, the process was rather simple: Regardless if the goddess had really perished or not, the shred of will she left in Coldpath when she fell, survived. This will contained only a single sentence, yet it had wandered within the Netherrealm Clock Tower for centuries. Being at the wrong place at the wrong time, Zhao Xi had come into contact with the will and became its host, while she lapsed into a deep coma. Such was the power of a god; even a simple will after their fall was enough to knock a powerful demon hunter out cold.


    Hao Ren had used the sleeping pod to recreate Zhao Xi¡¯s spiritual signature and that triggered the divine will, which was embedded deep within the demon hunter. While the sleeping pod was a civilian equipment, it was still created by the Xi Ling Empire. The serial number alone was enough proof that it was a holy item, and when divinity met with divinity, the goddess¡¯ will that was intertwined with Zhao Xi¡¯s soul was activated, turning into a holy word.


    About half an hour later, there was a clamor from the streets. Hao Ren saw the street lamps lighting up again one by one from the window. It looked like the little devil had managed to fix the transformer, which was much taller than her. But even after the street lights were back on, the power was not restored in Hao Ren¡¯s house. lt seemed that what Y¡¯zaks said was true. The much more delicate internal wiring was totally burnt out, and it would take a lot of time as well as effort to fix it.


    Vivian went to pull out a few more spare light bulbs from the drawer and had her bats bite on to them. She then sent them to various points of the house to light the place up. While this idea was somewhat odd, having light restored to the house calmed everyone down. Hao Ren peered at the still shaken Zhao Xi and spoke to Liu Sheng, ¡°Looks like she¡¯ll need at least a night to recover. Why don¡¯t you guys just stay here for the night? We¡¯re out of rooms, so can you make do with the living room?¡±


    Liu Sheng hesitated a little, wanting to decline. But before he could even speak, Vivian cut him off. ¡°We¡¯ve already extended our invitation, stop being a fussy pants. Both number one and number two head honchos of the demon hunters are already here. You don¡¯t have to stress yourself out.¡±


    Liu Sheng¡¯s expression immediately turned glum as he heard that. ¡°It¡¯s exactly because of that I¡¯m stressed¡­¡±


    Lily on the other hand, was happily nudging Vivian by the arm. ¡°Battie, Battie! Is the number one me? Is it me?!¡±


    Vivian immediately threw her a sideways glare. ¡°Roll off, you¡¯ve already died 6,000 years ago, and you¡¯re at most a former king. I haven¡¯t even resigned yet.¡±


    The cat looked up and meowed. ¡°Nyassup?¡±


    Vivian and Lily snapped back at the same time. ¡°Nothing to do with you!¡±


    At that very moment, Y¡¯lisabet pushed the main door open. The little runt¡¯s face was covered in soot, and her big eyes glowed brightly amid the dark background. ¡°Finally fixed it! The entire transformer was burnt out. Phew, what a work¡­ Thank goodness I¡¯m just that good.¡±


    ¡°Since we¡¯ve nothing to better to do, let¡¯s go rest.¡± Hao Ren looked at everyone in the hall. ¡°Leave everything else for tomorrow.¡±


    That being said, it was still early, and even if they did go to sleep, it would be difficult to fall into slumber. However, sitting around in the living room idling about would accomplish nothing either. Seeing how worn out Zhao Xi was, every one of them dispersed and returned to their rooms. Vivian pulled out two blankets from the drawer and sent them to the hall for Liu Sheng as well as Zhao Xi to use. The two demon hunters thanked the ancient vampire profusely.


    Hao Ren did not return to his quarters, rather he headed for the empty field behind his house, trying to get some peace and quiet in order to think things through.


    Rollie was also not the sort to just lay down and sleep. Noticing that Hao Ren did not say anything, she swiftly followed him into the field. Perhaps she was still shaken by the divine aura, as the dumb cat was surprisingly obedient. She quietly squatted next to Hao Ren and played with her tail without disturbing him.


    A moment later, Hao Ren heard the door opening behind him, and Vivian¡¯s voice rang, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    ¡°I have some ideas.¡± Hao Ren did not turn back. ¡°Why is it always me running into such things? Running into the goddess¡¯ ¡®will¡¯ just by pure luck?¡±


    Vivian did not put too much thought into it. ¡°What¡¯s so weird about that? You¡¯ve been running into all sorts of bizarre situations all the time. Who asked you to take up this job?¡±


    ¡°All the previous stuff could be explained away, but this time around¡­ the probability of this coincidence is just way too minuscule.¡± Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°Zhao Xi¡¯s a normal demon hunter amongst a legion of them. Why was she specifically chosen as the host of the will? My relationship with her is a familiar acquaintance at best. So, why did I actually think of checking her and Liu Sheng out? I was just planning to take a stroll, and suddenly just thought that I needed to visit the town center and find the two of them. Whereas Zhao Xi had become the host of a divine will at the same time. If anything had gone wrong in this series of events, I would¡¯ve missed today¡¯s clue, and Zhao Xi could¡¯ve had her soul permanently erased by the divine will. If that happens, there¡¯ll be nothing left at all. Don¡¯t you think that this ¡®divine will¡¯ was just waiting for me to meet it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re probably just overthinking things.¡± Vivian came up next to Hao Ren as she spoke softly. ¡°Everything in this world is an amalgamation of coincidences, but most people won¡¯t bother digging deep into it. The case with the goddess of creation is simply just too unique. Her¡­ ¡®last words¡¯ were also rather¡­ special, so that¡¯s got you on your nerves. Need me to make you some herbal soup to ease those nerves?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m fine.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand reflexively and was reminded of the last time he got Vivian to boil some herbal soup. He had the bright idea of throwing Lil Pea into the pot. That little rascal ate quite a few of the herbs within the soup as she swam, and as a result, both Hao Ren as well as Lily were wide awake until midnight after they took a bowl of the fish soup. Meanwhile, Lil Pea slept all the way to noon¡­


    After dispelling all the nonsensical memories from his mind, Hao Ren pulled something out of his Dimensional Pocket.


    The ebon blade, the Godslayer.


    ¡°Actually, I was reminded of this.¡± Hao Ren lightly waved the ebony longsword around. Rollie, who was still playing with her tail, was suddenly attracted to the sword. The feline¡¯s natural instinct filled her with both curiosity and alarm as she gazed at the shining blade. Her tail slowly pointed upwards and she took a few steps back, letting out a threatening purr at the Godslayer.


    ¡°You mean to say¡­¡± Vivian appeared to have caught on to something.


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Raven 12345 said this before: Intertwined in this sword is the causality of the goddess of creation. Once I get a hold of the sword, it will ¡®lead¡¯ me closer towards the goddess. And now, I think it¡¯s starting to have an effect.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re suspecting that Zhao Xi¡¯s case was due to this intertwined causality?¡± Vivian¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Is causality such a powerful thing?¡±


    ¡°Truth be told, I don¡¯t like this explanation. It doesn¡¯t fit our style. There¡¯s one other way to explain it that I can well accept¡ªthe intertwining of information. I¡¯m not sure if Zhao Xi¡¯s case is 100 % related to the Godslayer¡¯s information intertwining, but I¡¯ve asked Zhao Xi about some details she¡¯s managed to recall. After some calculations, I realized that she didn¡¯t pass out upon entering the Netherrealm Clock Tower. Instead, she only totally lost consciousness the moment I touched the Godslayer.


    ¡°How are you so sure?¡± Vivian did not seem to think that it was plausible.


    ¡°Zhao Xi mentioned something,¡± Hao Ren continued. ¡°She vaguely remembers a group of demons appearing in the armory within the Netherrealm Clock Tower, and her consciousness faded after that scene. When was that? That was the moment we departed from the ritual chamber, and Lanina had sent scouts ahead while she waited for our news. I¡¯m pretty sure when I saw the Godslayer, Zhao Xi made contact with the divine will of the goddess. So, I can boldly assume that both things happened at the same time.


    As Vivian heard Hao Ren¡¯s postulation, a chilling sensation rose within her. ¡°Why does this feel very creepy?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to worry too much. As of now, we¡¯ve only experienced the goddess¡¯ goodwill so far.¡± Hao Ren also tried to calm himself down. ¡°Plus, you yourself were created by the goddess¡¯ lifeblood. If we¡¯re talking about intertwined information, you¡¯re probably just about as connected to the goddess as the sword is. But any intertwined information on you for some reason is unable to appear.¡±


    Vivian nodded. She had, after all, gone through so much. This news alone would not throw her into a panic. After calming down, she looked at Hao Ren curiously. ¡°So, what do you plan on doing now?¡±


    Hao Ren raised the Godslayer. ¡°Who do you think knows more about the goddess¡¯ final moments than this sword? Every time I pick it up, it starts buzzing in my ears like it¡¯s communicating a whole load of things. Therefore, I want to talk with it, and see what this bugger¡¯s going to say.¡±


    A clueless expression was all Vivian could muster.

 Chapter 1070 - Listening

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    It was not due to Hao Ren¡¯s imagination running wild, but after coming into contact with so many supernatural phenomena, he had gotten some insight on this bizarre world. He now understood the properties of anything that had to do with the divine. Gods were such a powerful source of information, and millions upon billions of information as well as data naturally revolved around their activity that even after their fall, it remained so.


    Raven 12345 had clearly said this before, the Godslayer and the causality of the goddess would lead Hao Ren to the Star of Creation. So, this gave him grounds to suspect that everything that had to do with the deicide would from now on be affected by the Godslayer.


    Under such circumstances, not knowing anything about the sword did not sit well with him.


    ¡°Every time I pick up the sword, there¡¯ll be a ¡®voice¡¯ echoing deep within my mind. It¡¯s vague and hollow, like someone sleeptalking a super complicated sentence on repeat,¡± Hao Ren spoke in a soft tone to Vivian. ¡°But in truth, it¡¯s not even a voice, more like some foreign ¡®thought¡¯. While the MDT didn¡¯t detect any sentience in it, I suspect that there¡¯s a will within this sword¡­ However, its operations are non-biological and even illogical. They can¡¯t be detected by normal scans. But since I can hear its voice, I think I can talk to it.¡±


    Concern flashed through Vivian¡¯s eyes. ¡°Won¡¯t it be dangerous?¡±


    ¡°This sword has already been blessed by Raven 12345.¡± Hao Ren smiled. ¡°While the goddess is unreliable at the best of times, her abilities are 100 % reliable.¡±


    ¡°So how do you plan on doing it?¡± Vivian looked at Hao Ren curiously. ¡°You don¡¯t even understand what it¡¯s saying.¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°I wasn¡¯t paying attention to it because I was consciously resisting it. But now that I¡¯ve decided to try to listen to its voice¡­ Taking something that I don¡¯t understand to look for clues about the goddess just isn¡¯t sitting right with me. I need to change that.¡±


    Seeing that Hao Ren was adamant about it, she did not press the matter further. Nodding gently, she reminded him, ¡°Be extra careful.¡±


    Hao Ren gave Vivian a curt ¡°Yeah¡± before he sat down cross-legged. He held the Godslayer in front of him, blade skywards, and placed the cold, weightless blade gently on his forehead. At the same time, he gave the MDT an order, ¡°Monitor my spiritual defense. Maximum Alert.¡±


    As he said this, his body relaxed, as though he simply fell asleep. With a slow breath, he slowly entered a meditational trance.


    Vivian was rather surprised at the sudden change in Hao Ren¡¯s temperament and recalled some ancient spiritual control techniques. Hao Ren¡¯s current state was similar to those techniques. Giggling to herself, she said, ¡°This boy¡­ He hasn¡¯t been slacking off after all.¡±


    A swarm of small bats materialized from the darkness and after circling Vivian for a bit, they formed into a floating sitting mat. Vivian then quietly sat beside Hao Ren, just meters away, and looked over him quietly.


    Only then did Rollie, who was gnashing her teeth earlier, clumsily relax her guard and carefully make her way towards Hao Ren. She wanted to use her head to nudge and see if her appointed ¡°poop scooper¡± was still alive. But Vivian immediately pulled her by the collar back. ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt, just sit there and watch.¡±


    At that very moment, Hao Ren was fully immersed in his own spiritual world. He could still sense what was going on around him, but Vivian¡¯s voice sounded like it was miles away, and the chill of the cold night wind as well as the feeling of the ground under him faded away. He was now floating in a sea of chaos. This was a spiritual realm that was difficult to describe, and everything that did not belong to the place appeared very disjointed.


    The vague murmurings had been amplified by orders of magnitude, and they echoed across the sea of chaos.


    Hao Ren¡¯s consciousness floated in the spiritual world, and this was the first time he had successfully ¡°dived¡± into such depths of his spiritual world. Credit should go to the MDT¡¯s guidance and the tips he received from his fellow inspectors, but of course, it was possible that the credit should go to the Godslayer¡¯s powers as well. The sword¡¯s hum was like a beacon, leading him ever deeper into the chaos.


    Hao Ren stopped in a middle of what looked like an ocean. The sea underneath him exuded a mysterious blue color as if the ocean in the dream world had been distorted. The surface oscillated in a quiet, slow motion, like a video being slowed down. Following the bizarre and piercing ¡°noise¡±, Hao Ren finally managed to locate the ¡°thing¡±. And its form within the spiritual world astounded Hao Ren to no end.


    ¡°Looks like this is the Godslayer¡¯s appearance in the spiritual world.¡± Hao Ren carefully approached the monstrous thing. He maintained extreme caution even when he was within his own spiritual realm. Hao Ren knew he still lacked experience in the techniques of spiritual control, and he was scared as hell that a mistake would turn him into a second Lily. ¡°It looks pretty scary, but it¡¯s rather benign¡­ Not sure if it was in this form when it invaded the minds of the demon hunters with its humming.¡±


    No one could respond to Hao Ren¡¯s musings in the spiritual world, and he mumbled to himself as he circled the massive shard to inspect it. Simultaneously, a series of wayward emotions started to emanate from the shard, creating some sort of illusory resonance within the dimension.


    Hao Ren focused his mind, trying to decipher the vague message.


    ¡°¡­Chaos¡­ Mutation¡­ Order¡­ Balance¡­ Conflict¡­ Falsehood¡­¡±


    ¡°A whole load of meaningless thought fragments¡­¡± Hao Ren mumbled again. He felt that the Godslayer was probably long ¡°dead¡±, and the resonance was just an echo left behind by the souls that were reaped by the accursed blade.


    Nevertheless, he shook his head. He had already spent so much effort on this. It was not something for him to just sigh about.


    Hao Ren carefully approached the shard again and placed his head on the obsidian shell. ¡°What are you trying to say¡­¡±


    ¡°That depends on what you are trying to listen to.¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned and was thrown about a hundred meters back. ¡°Motherf¡ª?!¡±


    ¡°What are you running for?¡± the grumbling noise from across the area suddenly vanished, and a muffled, slightly robotic voice rang in Hao Ren¡¯s ears. ¡°Didn¡¯t you allow me to speak?¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute, wait a minute¡­ is it you who¡¯s speaking?¡± Hao Ren immediately calmed himself down as he gawked at the black ¡°mountain¡± on the surface of the sea not too far from him. He did want to ¡°talk¡± with the Godslayer, but he never thought that the latter would speak just like that. Thankfully, his heart was strong, or else he would have needed to drown a bottle of aspirin. ¡°The Godslayer?¡±


    ¡°Godslayer? I don¡¯t know who that is. Is that my name?¡± the voice still rumbled within the dimension, but Hao Ren noticed that it was getting much clearer, like someone waking up from a dream. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned. ¡°You don¡¯t know who you are?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± the voice sounded very blunt, very honest. It was answering Hao Ren¡¯s questions in a serious manner, and it answered more than what Hao Ren asked. ¡°I¡­ have always been like this. I¡¯ve never met something as strange as you¡­ You are the first thing to proactively¡­ speak with me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a human¡­ so stop calling me¡­ ¡®thing¡¯.¡± Hao Ren felt somewhat conflicted. ¡°Do you know where this is?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Do you know how long you¡¯ve survived in this state?¡±


    ¡°I know what ¡®time¡¯ is, but I don¡¯t know how to calculate it. But I suppose it has been a very, very long time.¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ Then, do you know who created you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you know who the goddess of creation is?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Then what do you know?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I know, and I don¡¯t know what I don¡¯t know. You¡¯ll have to ask me something for me to know if I know or don¡¯t know it.¡±


    Hao Ren was flabbergasted.


    The Godslayer could indeed be communicated with, but the bugger was a prime example of an ignoramus!

 Chapter 1071 - Information from a First-Hand Witness

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren never thought he would ever use such a bizarre way to communicate with an intelligent being. He was inside his own spiritual world and using a purely psychic method to make contact with another spiritual being. By a certain definition, that spiritual being was an intruder in his spiritual realm. But the more surprising thing was, that intelligent being did not know it was an intruder, or even know how it got there in the first place.


    The transfer of information was very effective within the spiritual world, but as effective as it was Hao Ren could not glean much useful information from the Godslayer. After a short talk, the Godslayer¡¯s intelligence could be summed up as ¡°knows things but says nothing¡±. Its frankness even caused Hao Ren to doubt whether it was really the true self of that accursed weapon. However, after some time, Hao Ren now had a rough understanding of the Godslayer, and he regretted the fact that the being was an ignorant one.


    ¡°So you were already in this state of flux the moment you were created? You can think, but you don¡¯t process your thoughts?¡± Hao Ren asked. He found some part of the Godslayer¡¯s answers to be rather odd. A sword, no matter how intelligent it was, would probably have a different world view to a human.


    ¡°I can receive information, I remember them, I observe everything, but I do not process them.¡± The Godslayer stuttered a lot when it started to converse with Hao Ren in the beginning. The lack of vocabulary probably caused it difficulties in describing its situation, but now that it had absorbed enough information, its presentation became clearer. ¡°I can sense my existence and the things all around me, but I have never¡­ thought like today.¡±


    ¡°Looks like an artificial intelligence being suddenly imbued with true intelligence,¡± Hao Ren muttered to himself.


    Based on the Godslayer¡¯s description, it had been in a state of stasis since its birth. It had basic intelligence and thought processes, but its intelligence was almost dormant. It was like a programme on standby, operating, but not exactly processing anything. It had never thought about who it was and never thought about the meaning of its existence. In fact, it had not registered any curiosity towards the things of the world. It had no curiosity, no sense of exploration, and it did not question an answer. This meant that for a period of time, it was not a true intelligent being.


    But today, it started to think.


    ¡°So you only started to think today?¡± Hao Ren looked at the massive mountain ¡°shard¡± upon the sea in amazement. He could scarcely believe that there was something this massive, yet innocently ignorant within the spiritual world. ¡°Why is that? What suddenly activated your intelligence?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had intelligence from the beginning, but I¡¯ve only started using it today,¡± the Godslayer corrected Hao Ren earnestly. ¡°But I don¡¯t know why¡­ I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m¡­. curious about this feeling. Ah, curiosity, such a curious sensation.¡±


    ¡°Do you know that you¡¯ve killed a god before?¡± Hao Ren asked. ¡°Ugh¡­ you may not know what a ¡®god¡¯ is¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯ve absorbed some of the knowledge from your spiritual font, which you have willingly given to me,¡± the Godslayer interrupted him. ¡°I know of the event that you speak of. It seems like I¡¯m a weapon, and I¡¯ve been used before, to great effect.¡±


    This was the Godslayer¡¯s opinion of the deicide.


    Hao Ren followed up with a few more questions on the matter, but he received few answers. The Godslayer did not know who created it. It was already a weapon in the hands of the treacherous children when it gained sentience. Since it was a weapon, probably none of the treacherous children spoke to it like Hao Ren did, and even its previous user saw it as a mere weapon, a powerful weapon. The Godslayer was used like a lifeless tool, breaking through the divine defensive line, obliterating the goddess of creation¡¯s powers, and killing the goddess in the end. But aside from the memories of the battlefield, its knowledge about the treacherous children was about as good as Hao Ren¡¯s.


    ¡°I was placed in a very intricate container. I couldn¡¯t sense what was outside it. Every time the container was opened, I found myself on a battlefield before I was swiftly and repeatedly slashed into many different bodies. After that, I would be stored into the container again,¡± the Godslayer described its ¡°life¡± back then in such a fashion. ¡°I may not know too many things and I¡¯m¡­ feeling ¡®sorry¡¯¡­ Is that how this word is used?¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°No need to apologize. You¡¯re not at fault.¡±


    After recomposing himself, Hao Ren asked the most pertinent question he had on his mind. ¡°What¡¯s the murmuring all about?¡±


    Now he was pretty sure that the treacherous children were similar to the crazed demon hunters, and were controlled by a voice deep within their psyche. The demon hunters were affected by the Godslayer¡¯s ¡°murmurs¡± while the treacherous children were probably affected by something even greater. Technically speaking, they were most likely the same thing. What were these ¡°murmurs¡± all about? Hao Ren once thought that it was the Godslayer¡¯s will at work, but he realized that the Godslayer itself was such a simple intelligent being at heart. That meant the ¡°murmurs¡± could not have been its handiwork.


    The Godslayer pondered for a moment as it tried to find the words to answer. ¡°It¡¯s an echo,¡± it finally spoke.


    ¡°An echo?¡± Hao Ren was perplexed.


    ¡°A spiritual echo. Something generated passively. It¡¯s an emotion generated by the dark side of their hearts,¡± the Godslayer used some rather arcane words to explain it. ¡°The ¡®murmurs¡¯ were not created by me, and they were not created by anything else. They heard what was within their hearts.¡±


    Hao Ren was initially dumbfounded, but he quickly caught on to the latter¡¯s meaning.


    ¡°So, you mean to say¡­ that the true attribute of the Godslayer is that it¡¯s an echo wall?¡± Hao Ren was almost speaking to himself at this point. ¡°What the demon hunters heard was merely their inner thoughts, but these thoughts were magnified and twisted? Therefore, the treacherous children had also heard the same thing?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± the Godslayer answered honestly. ¡°But based on the knowledge that you have shared with me, I think that may be the case. No one ordered them to do anything. It was they who created the voice that ordered them about.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s chest tightened that very moment. ¡°So, all the buzzing I¡¯ve heard all this while¡­ They were all echoes?¡±


    The Godslayer¡¯s answer reaffirmed his guess, ¡°I have never spoken to you before. It is only now that I¡¯ve ¡®said anything¡¯ to you. Hence, everything you¡¯ve heard before is the echo of your inner voice.¡±


    ¡°But, what I¡¯ve heard has been a complete flux with all sorts of noise and not a single complete sentence.¡± Something indescribable started to well up in Hao Ren¡¯s chest. ¡°Was that my soul?¡±


    The Godslayer only had one answer, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be discussing that question with the rest. Seeing how you are now, you probably don¡¯t know how intertwined you are with the goddess of creation¡­ However, can you tell me how it was when the goddess fell?¡± Hao Ren suppressed whatever unease he had in his heart.


    That sentence came out weird. He was asking a murder weapon to describe the murder scene using its own point of view. That was just mind-blowing!


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know how I can describe this. I don¡¯t really understand the concept of death,¡± the Godslayer sounded troubled. ¡°I was just a tool being used in a situation I was made for. That goddess you speak of did die by my blade, but I don¡¯t know why she needed to die, and I don¡¯t know why my user needed to do so. Based on what you¡¯ve said, my user was controlled by the murmurs of his own inner voice? But those murmurs were not made by me, and I don¡¯t even know what all of you heard. I¡¯m¡­ like what you say; an echo wall.¡±


    ¡°Just try to recall something else.¡± Hao Ren tried to lead the Godslayer. ¡°Don¡¯t dwell too deep into it. Just describe the scene then. Like how did the goddess react, her expression before her fall, did she say anything or did your user do anything before landing the killing blow¡­ F*ck, why is this sounding more and more perverse by the minute?¡±


    The Godslayer did not know what ¡°perverse¡± was, but it answered as truthfully as it could. ¡°The situation back then? That was so long ago¡­ Let me recall¡­ That ¡®goddess of creation¡¯ was at peace when she died. That¡¯s something worth mentioning. I¡¯ve bathed in the blood of many, but I¡¯ve never met such a situation before. The goddess of creation seemed to know what would happen. I felt that she was even anticipating it. Before my user struck the killing blow, she said something.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately asked, ¡°What did she say?¡±


    ¡°¡®It still came to this in the end,¡¯ she said.¡±

 Chapter 1072 - The Truth Behind the Godslayer’s Intelligence

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Did Hao Ren believe what the Godslayer told him?


    Of course, he did. If the Godslayer had spoken to him under any other circumstances, Hao Ren would have probably been a little more cautious, but here, in this spiritual world, he believed every word the Godslayer spoke. Because no one could lie in that sort of spiritual connection, especially when the Godslayer¡¯s intelligence was surrounded by Hao Ren¡¯s spiritual font. Under such a state, there were no hiding any secrets from Hao Ren.


    Unless it decided to stay silent of course. If it spoke, then Hao Ren could easily determine if it was telling the truth or not.


    ¡°I believe that you¡¯re telling me the truth.¡± Hao Ren let out a heavy breath. While he did not need to breathe within the spiritual world, doing so helped him to calm down. ¡°Is there anything else that you can tell me?¡±


    ¡°No more,¡± the Godslayer answered. ¡°Because I don¡¯t know what to tell you. I have lots and lots of memories¡­. but I have never thought about them or processed them before. They are all cluttered in here, in a mountain of mess. I don¡¯t know which is useful, which is important, which is unsubstantial. I don¡¯t know which ones you need, but if you have any questions, feel free to ask.¡±


    Hao Ren silently looked at the massive obsidian mountain lying in his spiritual font. He was not sure if it was just him, but the black, featureless mountain now had more texture too it. He felt the Godslayer¡¯s intelligence growing at an alarming rate. It was an ignorant child not too long ago, but now it could communicate smoothly with Hao Ren and pick up as well as understand a good few words and terminologies that it did not understand earlier. Hao Ren knew that this knowledge had been absorbed by the Godslayer from his spiritual font. He had purposefully released some part of his knowledge to ease the conversation, but the Godslayer¡¯s ability to learn and master this knowledge had him in awe.


    This was a very powerful intelligent being that was kept in a muddled and sheltered state for 10,000 years. Now, it had awakened.


    Even if Hao Ren did not know what was the key to its awakening¡­ Or perhaps, Raven 12345¡¯s blessing had unlocked something within the Godslayer and released its innate intelligence? Regardless, Hao Ren was not too worried. He was confident of the lunatic goddess¡¯ ability.


    ¡°Perhaps I should give you a name.¡± Hao Ren suddenly remembered. ¡°Do you have a name?¡±


    ¡°You called me the Godslayer.¡± The Godslayer had managed to glean that information from the spiritual font around him and thought that was its name. ¡°Isn¡¯t that my name?¡±


    Hao Ren was a little flabbergasted. ¡°Umm¡­ of course not. That¡¯s a sword¡¯s name.¡±


    ¡°But I am a sword, under most circumstances.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re intelligent and conversant. Calling you Godslayer is a bit off, and that name itself is darn ominous,¡± Hao Ren replied, his voice sounding conflicted as he remembered that dumb cat who was squatting beside him. That girl still thought that she was called Rollie to this day. He could not let this happen a second time. ¡°Want to give yourself a name? I¡¯m bad at things like that.¡±


    ¡°¡­Echo wall?¡± the Godslayer replied earnestly after giving it some thought. ¡°You mentioned this word. Is that a name?¡±


    Hao Ren almost laughed. ¡°That¡¯s not a proper human name¡­¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m not human.¡±


    Hao Ren had no comeback.


    Hao Ren pondered for a good while and could not form an argument to convince the Godslayer why having a name was important. Plus, he really could not figure out a better name; something that would fit a sword and did not sound too bizarre. Hao Ren could run down the powerful weapons from the Wuxia novels that he read, but none of them fit the Godslayer. He finally decided to put the matter aside¡­


    Besides, the Godslayer was one-and-only in this world. It did not need another name.


    Hao Ren had dived into his spiritual font for quite some time now, and at that moment, he felt a slight dizziness starting to come from deep within. He realized that he had reached his limited and decided to disconnect from the dive.


    Before he left the place, Hao Ren needed to leave a beacon for him to connect with the Godslayer again. Later on, he could speak with the Godslayer normally without the need to clear so many hurdles.


    The process of leaving a beacon was not complicated. Hao Ren had already successfully made contact with the Godslayer¡¯s intelligence. He just needed to record the wavelength of the connection, and after some fiddling, he disconnected from his spiritual dive.


    A flux of information gushed in from outside as Hao Ren left the peaceful trance. A surge of sensory information from the outside world came crashing in. He was dazed for a few seconds, and as he opened his eyes, he saw two big, shining eyes staring at him just a few centimeters away. The eyes were glowing green!


    ¡°F*ck!¡± Hao Ren let out a curt yelp and almost threw the dumb cat in front of him out of reflex. He would have done it if the latter was still a 30-cm long, 8-kg heavy cat. ¡°What are you doing so close to me?!¡±


    Rollie was also terrified by Hao Ren¡¯s reaction that she leaped into the air with a shrill ¡°Meow!¡±. By the time she landed, her tail was as stiff as a baseball bat, and it took her a good while to actually calm down. ¡°You scared me Big Boss Cat! I thought you were dead!¡±


    Hao Ren turned only to see Vivian standing by the side, trying to stifle her laughter. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I tried my best to stop her from disturbing you.¡± Vivian turned away like it had nothing to do with her. ¡°But, she still had to check every few minutes to see if you were really dead. Don¡¯t ask me why, I¡¯m not an animal whisperer.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    He swore he could never understand the cat¡¯s point of view!


    Hao Ren looked at the sword that he had tossed aside when he was startled. He picked the longsword up once again and established a mental link as the latter used his eyes to see the world outside. It spoke in amazement, ¡°Oh, using someone else¡¯s vision really is different.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve established a link.¡± Hao Ren shook the sword. ¡°And I¡¯ve learned something really incredible.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s eyebrows ticked. ¡°Something incredible?¡±


    ¡°The Godslayer¡¯s sentience and the murmurs are two different things altogether.¡± Hao Ren rubbed his temple as he tried to piece a proper sentence together to explain the truth he heard. ¡°Those who heard the murmurs had merely heard their inner voice. The Godslayer¡¯s structure is that of a spiritual echo wall. It doesn¡¯t produce any murmurs and it only just gained the ability to think¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been able to think all this while, but I only just started today,¡± the Godslayer corrected Hao Ren earnestly.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Vivian was shocked before quickly recovering. ¡°Was that the Godslayer?¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned. ¡°You heard it too?¡±


    ¡°Directly in my mind.¡± Vivian pointed at her head. ¡°But why can I hear it speak?¡±


    Hao Ren was just about to ask the sword before the MDT suddenly came flying in. ¡°It¡¯s using your spirit to broadcast, pardner.¡±


    ¡°A broadcast? Why do I feel a sudden chill down my spine now¡­¡±, Hao Ren scratched the back of his head.


    ¡°No worries, it¡¯s harmless.¡± the MDT swiftly circled over Hao Ren¡¯s head twice. ¡°Such a curious¡­ lifeform. The sword itself doesn¡¯t have any intelligent core structure, but it¡¯s capable of thinking, and its thinking is based on ¡®being in contact with another intelligent being¡¯. I think that the sword will only show signs of intelligent activity when someone speaks to it. You know what this is like?¡±


    Hao Ren pondered for a bit, before answering uncertainly, ¡°¡­An echo wall?¡±


    The MDT shook its frame. ¡°Correct, it¡¯s a form of an echo wall, but it could be something else, something like a ¡®quantum spirit¡¯ that only exists when noticed¡­ Oh, a quantum spirit is probably not the right term, but I can¡¯t think of anything better. Interesting, interesting, heh. No wonder my scans couldn¡¯t detect it as an intelligent being. That¡¯s because its intelligence is based on the resonance of its counterpart!¡±


    ¡°That means¡­¡± Hao Ren placed the Godslayer on the ground and disconnected the mental link. ¡°It¡¯s now a¡­¡±


    ¡°It has stopped thinking,¡± the MDT said with utmost certainty. ¡°However, it¡¯s still recording all the information around it. You can say it turned from an AI to a simple camcorder.¡±


    This sword sure was something!

 Chapter 1073 - The Informational Volume of a Sentence

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The MDT was very quickly intrigued by the Godslayer¡¯s ¡°intelligence model¡±. It pushed Hao Ren and the Godslayer to try all sorts of connection and conversational methods. This included the most direct mental link as well as the most common chatting, and after a series of test, it was very sure that the sword had an ¡°echo wall¡± sort of intelligence model.


    The Godslayer¡¯s intelligence will only appear when someone speaks with it, and the intelligence level will become stronger the deeper the level of conversation gets. When Hao Ren conducted a simple conversation with the Godslayer, the latter only displayed a very primitive level of artificial intelligence, but when Hao Ren connected the mental link, the Godslayer¡¯s response was surprisingly intelligent.


    But regardless of how its responsiveness is, the intelligence core is undoubtedly the same, just unstable.


    ¡°Such a curious intelligence model¡­¡± Hao Ren was curious. ¡°Any special meaning to it?¡±


    The MDT gave its analysis seriously. ¡°If under any other circumstances, its probably a very common scientific find, but on the Godslayer, I think we should focus on that ¡®echo wall¡¯ attribute it has. How did the demon hunters got affected? The answer lies with the echo wall¡¯s effect. While it cannot generate any sort of mind control noise, it could distort and amplify anyone¡¯s inner voice. And under most situations, mortal races have gaps in their mind, and they are incapable of bridging that gap, so distorted murmurs, once amplified is much more terrifying than any other mind control techniques. The Godslayer¡¯s intelligence model is clearly a weapon¡­ a weapon against the mortal races, a weapon to drive them insane.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve thought of this, but when I¡¯m connected to the Godslayer, the murmurs I hear are all fragmented. You mean to say that¡¯s my inner voice? Is there anything wrong with my mind?¡±


    Hao Ren was very curious about it. He was not afraid of the murmurs affecting him, but after learning how the swords acted as an echo wall, he was starting to worry if anything was wrong with his psyche as his inner voice, upon rebounding on the wall came back as nothing but noise. That led to him wondering if he had some hidden psychiatric issues¡­


    ¡°Let the others try.¡± the MDT came up with a very simple suggestion. ¡°Let¡¯s see what sort of echoes the others hear. These sword has already been greatly weakened, and now only those who wield it can hear the echo. Let someone else hold it and see how it goes.¡±


    Hao Ren turned towards Vivian and Rollie, ¡°Wanna give it a go?¡±


    Before Vivian could even say anything, the dumb cat had already leaped up happily. ¡°Yes, yes, yes! Big Boss Cat, let me play with it!¡±


    ¡°Not play with it.¡± Hao Ren gave Rollie a stern look. ¡°It¡¯s an experiment. Later you¡¯ll hold on to this sword. It should not affect you negatively. But you will hear a lot of things. Tell me what you hear.¡±


    The dumb cat pondered for a bit. ¡°Small Fish jerky?¡±


    She actually learned how to bargain.


    ¡°Alright, alright. Two packets of small fish jerky¡­but that depends on you being a good girl¡±


    Rollie immediately nodded excitedly, indicating that she will be a very very good girl. She then grabbed the hilt of the sword.


    Something flashed in the cat girl¡¯s eyes as her mind ran into the echo wall, and started producing a series of murmurs. Remembering what Hao Ren had asked her, she started repeating what she heard word for word. ¡°Eat fish jerky, eat cat food, comb my fur, belly rub by Big Boss Cat, no showers, don¡¯t get beaten by Lil Pea, Big Dumb Cat¡¯s teeth-grating is annoying, cannot scratch Big Boss Cat¡¯s door, but I can blame it on Lil Pea¡¯s biting them¡­¡±


    ¡°Ugh, that¡¯s enough.¡± Hao Ren started sweating as he pulled the sword from the dumb cat¡¯s grip. He now knew that that the sword really works, even a simple creature like Rollie could have her true self revealed, and to think that the cat actually only thinks about that all day long¡­


    ¡°Give it a go.¡± Hao Ren carefully passed the sword to Vivian. While the sword had violently reacted to Vivian¡¯s divine blood scent, it has now been neutralized and that incident would not reoccur.


    Vivian gingerly took the sword by the hilt and was immediately flooded with a cacophony of noise in her head. ¡°Poor, broke, penniless, impoverished. dirt poor, pauper¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡± Vivian stayed silent.


    ¡°What did you hear?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°Can I not say it?¡± Vivian almost cried.


    ¡°Alright, seems like what you heard is pretty legit.¡± Hao Ren could sense the flux of information from Vivian¡¯s expression. Sighing again, he said. ¡°Seems like only I am hearing fragments of the murmurs. It can¡¯t really be me being a latent lunatic right¡­.¡±


    ¡°What to ask Madam Raven?¡± the MDT suggested.


    Hao Ren thought for a bit, and he did not want to disturb the goddess for something this trivial. Or more because that lunatic would suddenly decide to ¡®bless¡¯ you with a bolt of lightning. But as this has to do with his mental state, he was getting more worried by the moment, and finally decided to gave his superior a call for help.


    Raven 12345 answered his call rather quickly this time around and showed rare patience in listening what Hao Ren had to say. Demurring for a few seconds, Raven 12345 gave a rather incoherent answer. ¡°¡­Could it be I¡¯ve bitten a little bit too hard back then?¡±


    ¡°¡­Boss, this is not the time for jokes!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. Sheesh, serious business now.¡± Raven 12345 adjusted her tone. ¡°I was trying to put you at ease, because the truth is, I¡¯m not sure myself.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡±


    ¡°First, I¡¯m omnipotent in this universe, but not in the Plane of Dreams. Anything to do with the Plane of Dreams, what you see is what I can see, so I cannot be totally sure where the problem is. Secondly, your psyche is definitely fine. You¡¯re my hand-chosen pope, there¡¯s a dozen of active blessings on you twenty-four-seven. Even a bloody imbecile would become godlike with so many blessings. And lastly, I think the problem actually arises from those divine blessings.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a demigod. The Godslayer is probably something about the same level as you, perhaps even slightly lower. What do you think? The problem lies here. The sword¡¯s echo wall ability is an uncontrollable intrusion and interference, and even if it does not have that negative effect, its innate ability was meant to be negative, and your divinity will automatically help you to ward off all the negative stuff, and its ¡®echo wall¡¯ ability is being shielded against. Theoretically at least.


    Hao Ren then disconnected the call with Raven 12345. Vivian and Rollie immediately swarmed him with concern. ¡°What¡¯s the cause?¡±


    ¡°Fish jerky!¡±


    All right, seems like neither of them was concerned¡­


    ¡°She says it¡¯s something to do with my divinity, and it¡¯s being shielded against.¡± Hao Ren calmed down a little. Waving his hand, he then pulled out two packets of fish jerky and stuffed them in Rollie¡¯s arms. ¡°Let¡¯s leave that aside for the moment.¡±


    Vivian heaved a sigh of relief after hearing that before her tone changed. ¡°I¡¯m very curious about the last words the goddess had said before her fall that the Godslayer had mentioned. She said, ¡°So it still has to come to this.¡± What do you think it meant?¡±


    The MDT quipped. ¡°Means that she probably knew that day would come? What¡¯s there to it?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think it is that simple.¡± Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°She said ¡°So it still has to come to this, instead of ¡°It still had come to this.¡± Just a different tense changed the meaning altogether. The point is she said it ¡®have to¡¯ means that something had to have happened, rather than happening eventually. So what she faced was not some inevitable end, but ¡­ something that she must have chosen.¡±


    Vivian was quick on the uptake. ¡°Sounds like almost as if she arranged for it to happen¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m getting that vibe too.¡± Hao Ren rubbed his chin. ¡°While it may sound like I¡¯m jumping the gun, but that sentence made me feel like the goddess of creation had something to do, and to complete that task, she had to choose death. That¡¯s why she would say that to her killer during her final moments.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s eyes widen. ¡°So after this godforsaken roundabout, our conclusion is that the deicide was engineered by the goddess herself?!¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a bit, before shaking his head. ¡°No, we don¡¯t have sufficient evidence, and that conclusion has many unanswered questions. I¡¯m more inclined to think that there is a third force behind the deicide, but the goddess of creation was probably not simply just a victim. She was probably not as passive as we thought she would be, but to find a way to fight back because she had control of some of the situation then!¡±

 Chapter 1074 - Another Trip to the North Pole

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    As the first light of dawn shone into the hall, Zhao Xi woke up from the unfamiliar sofa. She shook her head and felt like she had gone through a very long nightmare. It was only after a good while that she started to recollect what had actually happened, and it took her a good minute to remember everything.


    Hao Ren was already seated opposite the sofa. As he saw the demon hunter waking up, he greeted her, ¡°Yo, you¡¯re awake?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ thank you.¡± Zhao Xi thanked Hao Ren sincerely as she adjusted her clothes. She had just slept with whatever she wore the other night and needed to pat her clothes down now. She looked around and saw Liu Sheng was up even earlier than her. And the latter now was busy playing chess with Y¡¯zaks at the corner of the living room.


    ¡°I never thought that¡­ I would be staying in this place.¡± Zhao Xi rubbed her temple. She was still in a daze after receiving treatment last night and fell asleep very quickly with her senses muddled. This time around she had recovered and was very thankful after what she had been through. ¡°Our first meeting wasn¡¯t all that pleasant.¡±


    ¡°The past is the past. Well, now you have the head honcho and second in command of the demon hunters in my place, technically we are already allies.¡± Hao Ren waved off, his generosity apparent. ¡°So how do you feel?¡±


    By that time, everyone in the house realized that Zhao Xi was awake and started converging in the living room. Liu Sheng too stopped the game to check on his underling¡¯s situation. After confirming that his charge had indeed fully recovered, Liu Sheng appeared rather emotional. ¡°That¡¯s good¡­ that¡¯s good¡­ we really cannot afford to lose anyone now¡­¡±


    Zhao Xi smiled awkwardly, probably at the sight of her superior who was both a teacher and a friend to her making such an expression. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡±


    Liu Sheng seemed to be stunned for a little bit as if something was not right. After a good while, only did he realize. ¡°Oh, Zhao Xi, that facial paralysis of yours have been cured?¡±


    The smile on Zhao Xi¡¯s face suddenly stiffened, and Lily who was beside her decided to join in the fun. ¡°Eh, Mr. Landlord! Look! Her facial paralysis is cured! She did smile earlier, right? Come, come, let me see more! I¡¯m your former lor¡ª¡±


    Before the dumb husky could finish, Vivian pulled her tail back. As she went Vivian nagged, ¡°Can¡¯t you be quiet in the morning? Why must you get involved in everything?¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the stiff expression on Zhao Xi¡¯s face and explained with a straight face. ¡°Perhaps that medical pod had cured your facial paralysis along the way.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Vivian threw Hao Ren an eye roll from afar, and with a dry cough, he switched the matter at hand. ¡°Ahem, that is secondary, we are focusing on the wrong thing. Actually, I have something to ask you two. You know anyone else amongst the demon hunters that had the same symptoms as Zhao Xi?


    ¡°Similar symptoms as Zhao Xi?¡± Liu Sheng¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°You mean to say¡­¡±


    ¡°You probably don¡¯t know much about the ¡®goddess¡¯,¡± Vivian sat beside Hao Ren as she looked at Liu Sheng in the eyes and nodded gently. ¡°I can only give you a brief explanation. Coldpath, where the demon hunters live is a ruin left behind by a very powerful goddess. This goddess is not like those false gods from the ancient times, but a real, veritable, world-changing god. You¡¯ve met one before, so you know what I mean. And now when that goddess finally fell she did not totally disappear, part of her will remained in Coldpath, and this will could easily affect mortal minds. Zhao Xi was probably afflicted by this power, and we are worried that she might not be the only one.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s concern was not a spur of the moment thing, but it was something that occurred to her when she discussed the matter with Hao Ren yesterday. The will left behind by the goddess of creation in Zhao Xi¡¯s spirit only contained a sentence, and while it bore a very important meaning, it was still a fragment. And for a massive realm like Coldpath, there are probably more of such powers still lay hidden. If there are more of her will still remain, that means the danger the demon hunters faced is still not over yet.


    Liu Sheng and Zhao Xi had no idea about the whole ¡®goddess¡¯ situation, and they ranked only somewhat in the middle of the hierarchy, if not for Hao Ren and the rest living in their jurisdiction, they probably would not have the authorization to know of Vivian and Lily¡¯s real identities. And thus, they naturally have no clue about the truth of the other world. But after the civil war at Coldpath, they had somewhat heard of the great powers that were hidden within the demon hunter¡¯s holy sanctuary. So Vivian¡¯s explanation was not hard to digest. Liu Sheng was stiff. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of anyone having symptoms similar to Zhao Xi, as I took a while to convalesce, and Zhao Xi was in that state, so we left Coldpath rather late. By the time we left, aside from Zhao Xi, all who suffered the soul detachment had fully recovered, and there is probably no other ¡®hosts¡¯. But your concern is indeed well-placed; not discounting the fact that there is a possibility such powers still remains in Coldpath, and it could be hidden in any corner¡­ more so¡­ us demon hunters have no way to resist it.¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian looked at each other before turning to Liu Sheng with a nod. ¡°Alright, we know what to do.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll be leaving as well,¡± Liu Sheng said as he pulled Zhao Xi up. He knew a demon hunter of his level could only provide Hao Ren so much information, and the rest would probably need the ancients¡¯ deliberation. With a well-trained movement, he bowed. ¡°Words can¡¯t begin to describe my gratitude, we are ever in your debt for the help you have Zhao Xi. If there is anything that we can help in the future, just say the word, we will come to your aid even if we must go through hell.¡±


    It was clear that as professional demon hunters, Liu Sheng and Zhao Xi were taciturn folks. In face of the big help, Hao Ren had given them, the two did not go around showering him in thanks, and went straight to pledging their aid.


    If based on a normal plot flow, Hao Ren as the leader of his house would probably rise up, with his hands held in the Chinese greeting posture, and spouting platitudes like ¡°We shall meet again¡±, or ¡°It is an honor to help,¡± or ¡°We shall once again draw swords together¡­¡± or something to that effect, but going by Hao Ren¡¯s style, things would always go the other way. Before Liu Sheng could even finish saying his farewells Hao Ren cut him off mid-sentence. ¡°Ah, don¡¯t fret, don¡¯t fret. Leave after you have a meal. The salted eggs Vivian had made earlier is ready, you¡¯ve got to give it a try¡­¡±


    And thus Liu Sheng and Zhao Xi bade their farewells after stuffing their face full of salted eggs¡­


    After the demon hunters had left, Lily immediately darted to Hao Ren¡¯s side. ¡°Mr. Landlord, Mr. Landlord! I heard Rollie said that you were playing with a sword? Why did you call me for something this fun?¡±


    ¡°Why do you need to get involved in everything?¡± Hao Ren pushed the dumb husky who was almost at licking distance away with all his might. ¡°We were conducting serious business last night. What¡¯s the fun in that?¡±


    Lily wagged her tail expectantly. ¡°Something like that, something like that! Say, you managed to actually speak with the Godslayer¡¯s spirit? What¡¯s it like?¡±


    ¡°Go talk to it yourself.¡±


    As Hao Ren said that he pulled the Godslayer out, and after establishing a mental link, the Godslayer activated its cogitative module and greeted the rest. ¡°Hello everyone, I¡¯m the Godslayer, my other name is the Echo Wall, and my nickname is Smallsword, you guys can call me McStabby too¡­¡±


    Hao Ren had only intended to let the sword greet everyone, but he never thought the latter would start blurting out a whole lot of weird names. That sent Hao Ren into a confusion. ¡°Hey, wait a minute. Who thought you all that?¡±


    The Godslayer said with an ever honest tone, ¡°The MDT? That Data Terminal.¡±


    ¡°¡­MDBrick! Some explanation is in order!¡±


    The MDT darted out from god knows which corner of the house. ¡°Uh, calm down pardner. I was just testing if a mental link between my AI and the Godslayer would activate its cogitative abilities since I am also an intelligent being¡­¡±


    Hao Ren gritted his teeth. ¡°So what¡¯re the results?¡±


    ¡°Quite a success I might say. Look how fast he¡¯s learned!¡±


    Hao Ren immediately grabbed the MDT and threw it into Lil Pea¡¯s fish tank. ¡°Do your worst!¡±


    At that very moment, Lily¡¯s attention was fully fixated on the Godslayer. The husky was surprised by the Godslayer¡¯s personality. ¡°You¡¯re the Godslayer? You sound so honest, I thought you were some evil monstrosity.¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°The fault lies with the person, not the weapon. Its just a sword, how evil can it be?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Just that reason.¡± Vivian nodded.


    ¡°So now you¡¯ve met the sword, we need to talk about something else,¡± Hao Ren said as he kept the sword again. ¡°I need to make a trip to the demon hunter¡¯s HQ again.¡±

 Chapter 1075 - Visiting the North Pole Again

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The matter of visiting the North Pole again had been on Hao Ren¡¯s mind for quite a while. It was true that the demon hunter¡¯s civil war was resolved, and the most important ruins of the goddess already had samples collected and scanned by the MDT for further analysis. However, they still left the place in a hurry. By the time things started to calm down on the demon hunter¡¯s front, the problems popped up on the otherworldling¡¯s end. Hao Ren could not even get started on a more thorough exploration of Coldpath before leaving the place in a mad rush. Now that things were quiet on all fronts, going back to continue what he left behind was simply a matter of time.


    And now with Zhao Xi¡¯s case in mind, Hao Ren intended to look for White Flame and Hasse to further investigate the matter.


    Hao Ren¡¯s suggestion got Vivian and Lily¡¯s backing. The former was due to her sense of responsibility that she needed to pay the place a visit. The latter was probably her husky bloodline is driving her to the north. Hao Ren then looked at the rest in the living room. ¡°Anyone else coming along?¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet immediately rushed towards Hao Ren with all her might, holding a screwdriver at hand. ¡°Uncle Ren I¡¯ll stay at home! I still have so many things to fix¡­.¡±


    That incident with Zhao Xi last night had burnt the entire circuitry of the house, and a few electrical appliances were damaged as a result. Y¡¯lisabet had been out and about fixing things the moment she woke up, and she had been at it, gleefully for almost two hours. The little princess was no longer that brat who took apart everything and breaking them in the process. Perhaps credit should be given to the elite education the demon princess had received. Her learning prowess was superb, and just from the experience she gained over the year, it allowed her to almost fully understand the workings of modern electronics. Y¡¯lisabet was now the professional technician in Hao Ren¡¯s place, and any broken electronics at home would be in her good hands.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay back too.¡± Y¡¯zaks walked over carrying two flower pots. ¡°Mr. Li from the opposite house has gone for a holiday and he asked me to take care of this two pots of plants. It took me so much effort to get along with the neighbors, so let me see that through.¡±


    Hao Ren then looked at the Nangongs and Nangong Wudi waved off. ¡°The four of us need to stay back and look after the restaurant. We¡¯ll stay out of this for once. Besides, I have already erased my name from the ledger a hundred years back, no point going back there.¡±


    After asking around, Hao Ren realized that this was the first time around that everyone at home at something to do. Only after did Rollie leap happily over to join in the fun, and Lil Pea who was bouncing about to go on a trip with her daddy. Hao Ren thought for a bit and realized that every time he goes out on his missions he would inevitably leave this two behind. Feeling sorry for that, and that going to Coldpath now was not that dangerous, bringing them along was now possible, something like a short trip.


    Of course, he had to consider that Coldpath was right smack in the freezing Arctic and if he brought Lil Pea along he would need to keep her warm. The little rascal was a demon hunting fish with extreme vitality, and while she would not be affected by the extreme cold, the little one¡¯s innate ability to start hibernating the moment the temperature got low.


    ¡°Take care of Lil Pea and I¡¯ll bring you along.¡± Hao Ren pulled Rollie aside. ¡°If she is happy, you will have fish jerky and cat cans to eat.¡±


    Rollie tilted her head as she pondered, and managed to form an equation of Lil Pea¡¯s and her own happiness. She immediately grabbed the little mermaid with an expression that she will protect the little one with her life. For a cat, she¡¯s probably the only one to do that¡­


    So the final headcount to the North Pole with Hao Rem was Lily, Vivian, plus the slightly grown Lil Pea and Rollie. So he has an entourage of a cat, dog, a fish and a bat in tow and made Hao Ren felt like he was moving a zoo¡­


    The last time when they left Coldpath, the MDT had already placed a dimensional beacon near Coldfrost Citadel. At the same time, Hao Ren had also left the new demon hunter ruling council a way to get in touch with him. So before they left he had sent Coldfrost Citadel a message and the MDT immediately activated the teleportation matrix and sent the group to the entrance of the massive fortress.


    After being transported from the warm abode directly into the freezing Arctic, Rollie immediately let off a few loud ¡°Achoo!¡± As a cat girl, she was still sensitive to this sort of change in temperature, but the dumb cat¡¯s attention was soon consumed by the massive walls of the Coldfrost Citadel. She strained her neck to look for the top of the ice wall and saw the tip of the wall disappearing into the dark of the night. As a cat, she was probably calculating the difficulty to climb the wall, and that left her disheartened. ¡°Nyaaaa¡­. This is not climbable!¡±


    Lil Pea also popped her head out from Rollie¡¯s collar, the little mermaid yelped happily in the cold wind before squirming about. ¡°Big Haus! Biiig Hauusss!¡±


    ¡°Stop moving about.¡± Rollie carefully buttoned the collar of her shirt to stop the cold air from getting in. ¡°If you don¡¯t behave I¡¯ll lose my fish jerky!¡±


    ¡°Say, why did you let a cat take care of that fish of a daughter of yours?¡± Vivian gave Hao Ren a curious glance. ¡°Is this some sort of prank?¡±


    Hao Ren grinned. ¡°That¡¯s because a cat¡¯s body temperature is higher than humans, so Rollie is warmer than me. This is the Arctic so you know, Lil Pea will enjoy Rollie¡¯s company more.¡±


    Vivian pondered for a moment before her face turned pale. ¡°How do you know that Rollie is warm?¡±


    Hao Ren facepalmed. ¡°Where did your mind wandered off to? This something every cat owner will know!¡±


    Vivian turned aside rather awkwardly. ¡°Oh¡­ That¡¯s because Lily¡¯s howling the other time left a rather deep impression¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    As Hao Ren and Vivian continued their banter, the massive gatefold of the citadel creaked open. Under the drive of powerful magic, the heavy ice wall rose, and a troupe of demon hunters clad in black appeared from the gate to welcome their guests.


    ¡°Back in the days I was fighting tooth and nail against them, and now when I come over, they need to organize a welcoming committee.¡± Vivian mumbled under her breath. ¡°Should have known that we were family, so what were we fighting for then? It is partly their fault I was broke for so many years.¡±


    Lily also chimed in. ¡°You and bringing up the past, heck, you even killed me before, did I even said anything about it?¡±


    As they bantered the small demon hunter entourage had arrived before them. The one leading the welcoming party was someone familiar, Claude, the previous personal attendant of the First Sage, and the chief herald of the sages.


    Claude immediately gave a bow as he came before Hao Ren and the rest and greeted them warmly. ¡°I¡¯m really pleased to meet you all again so soon. The Elders have already received word and they ordered me to receive you all.¡±


    Lily puffed her chest and took two steps forward, her bushy tail wagging about like she¡¯s an alpha wolf. (although her tail was indeed big). ¡°Good, good, your former lord is here to visit!¡±


    Hao Ren let out a dry cough. ¡°Ahem, does anyone even call themselves that?¡±


    Lily¡¯s ears shuddered. ¡°Then.. former master?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Neither Hao Ren or Claude could muster a reply.


    ¡°Just ignore them both.¡± Vivian shrugged as she waved towards Claude. ¡°Lead the way. We¡¯ll explain as we go.¡±


    Compared to last time, the Coldfrost Citadel looked much more livelier. The heavily militarized citadel had demon hunters clad in black walking all over, and even from outside they could hear sounds of warriors training and the clashing of weapons. ¡°Seems like the place got even more livelier after the battle.¡± Vivian quipped.


    ¡°The last time when you came the holy sanctuary was in a chaotic state of war, every capable warrior was fighting within the Coldpath dimension, and only a third of the garrison remained at Coldfrost Citadel. Now that Coldpath needs rebuilding, and many of the hab blocks have been destroyed, the surviving elders and a part of the foot soldiers had to move to Coldfrost Citadel, and that really made the place look very packed.


    ¡°¡­Most of them are temporarily out of Coldpath, huh¡­ That¡¯s good at least,¡± Hao Ren muttered to himself.


    ¡°Pardon me?¡± Claude did not manage to catch it.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Hao Ren waved Claude off. ¡°Say, you guys don¡¯t need to defend the Netherrealm Clock Tower anymore? I remember White Flame said that a personal guard like you is sworn to never leave Coldpath right?¡±


    ¡°The sages are no more, and the guards being disbanded is just natural¡± Claude shrugged. ¡°Now the demon hunters are being led by the Council of Elders, and us former attendants had been reassigned to the council and battlegroups. I¡¯ve joined the Council of Elders and is now the chief secretary. I have the knowledge passed down attendants ten generations back, and this knowledge can be put to good use in my current role.¡±


    Lily immediately had to brag as well. ¡°Yep yep! I have a whole load of ancient knowledge in my head too!¡±


    No one paid her any attention.


    ¡°We are looking for the top guys.¡± Hao Ren went straight to the point. ¡°Call Gregowen and Hasse, we have important things to discuss.¡±

 Chapter 1077 - White Flame’s Private Life

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Most demon hunters in the north lived a life similar to that of a monk. They did not own houses but lived in various temples or barracks. White Flame was no exception. She lived deep inside a frosty temple, which had become her home ever since Hasse adopted her.


    Hasse brought them to the place where White Flame lived. It was in the deepest part of the temple, in front of an ancient oak door. This door and the surrounding Gothic columns were all showing their age and vicissitude of thousands of years. Though not dark, it felt depressing to be in this temple. Standing in front of the door and looking at the mottled spots on it, Hao Ren had difficulty connecting this place with a boudoir.


    He had met White Flame a few times but did not really know much about her. This was his first time at her residence. His impression was that she was a nun, growing up in the demon-hunter organization, receiving rigorous combat training and indoctrination. She was a girl entirely lived life as a penance. He put his hand on the heavy oak door. It felt as cold as an ice sheet.


    ¡°I can feel why she said she didn¡¯t like this place, it¡¯s cold and boring,¡± Hao Ren mumbled to Vivian who stood beside him. He then knocked on the door lightly.


    After a long while, a faint voice was heard in the room. ¡°Who is it? Come in. The door is not locked.¡±


    Hao Ren gave the door a gentle push. When the door swung open, he thought he had come into a wrong place: the scene behind the door had his jaw dropped to the floor.


    The wall facing the door was entirely a display shelf, filled with various garage kits and comic magazines. The floor was strewn with magazines and snack packaging. In the corner of the room was a single bed, which looked as if it had never been cleaned up. The bed sheet was heaped like abstract art in a corner. In the other corner of the room was a large 50-inch LCD TV connected to a PS4 game console. A petite girl wearing a cartoon nightgown was sitting cross-legged on the ground playing game. Her back was facing the door so they could not see her face. But she had long silver hair that spread down like a waterfall on her shoulders.


    The girl did not even turn her head around. She just waved her hand and said, ¡°Shut the door, please. It¡¯s cold.¡±


    Hasse, who came with them, could not bear to see the scene and hemmed. ¡°White Flame, you have visitors.¡±


    While still in the middle of her game, White Flame suddenly came to her senses. She jumped to her feet and scurried toward the door. ¡°Ahh!¡±


    Picking up his jaw, Hao Ren took a step back. Facing with the silver-haired girl in cartoon pajamas, with big dark circles under her eyes, unkempt hair and crumbs of potato chip in the corners of her mouth, Hao Ren raised his hands in a defensive posture and asked, ¡°Who is this?¡±


    White Flame was stunned and her expression changed. ¡°Hao¡­ Ren? What brings you here?¡±


    Suddenly realizing her pledge of allegiance to Hao Ren, the girl quickly changed her tone of voice. Look aside, she was still dependable. But Hao Ren could not feel it. Staring at the girl for a long while, he was finally convinced that she was White Flame. Feeling as if he had come to a parallel universe, he asked, ¡°Are you possessed by the will of the goddess?¡±


    Hao Ren could not help it. Aside from her signature silver hair, she was anything but otherworldly.


    ¡°Will of the goddess? What will of the goddess?¡± White Flame asked.


    Vivian quietly stepped back and whispered to Hasse, face serious. ¡°Is she like this usually?¡±


    ¡°Ahh¡­ No, she wasn¡¯t like this when she was a kid. You know, back then, humans hadn¡¯t invented the game console yet.¡± Hasse¡¯s face looked hopeless. Apparently, he knew that this would be the situation. ¡°She likes comics from a very young age.¡±


    Lily stared for a long while before she said, ¡°But things don¡¯t seem to fit in here.¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian snorted in unison, ¡°Shut up! You are not qualified to comment here!¡±


    White Flame calmed down and invited Hao Ren inside. But almost immediately, she pushed him back out again. ¡°I need to change. Please give me a minute.¡±


    Before Hao Ren could react, the massive and quaint oak door was slammed shut from the inside. Weirdly, he breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at the old wooden door again, he felt that the scene looked normal again with the door closed.


    In just less than half a minute, the door opened again with a genius demon-hunting girl appeared in front of him. Dressed in a black suit, hair was tied into a ponytail, with no more crumbs of snack at the corner of her mouth, except the dark circle under her eyes, White Flame was in her usual look now. Even her sharp and clear-cut aura had returned. But Hao Ren could still see the tragic room behind her and the eye-catching word ¡°GAME OVER¡± on the 50-inch screen.


    White Flame looked back and screamed quietly, ¡°Oops! I didn¡¯t save it!¡±


    Speechless.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this¡­¡± Hao Ren¡¯s mouth twitched, and he could not help but murmured again, ¡°Damn it. Where is my Nun of the Coldfrost Citadel?¡±


    White Flame overheard it and smiled embarrassingly. ¡°Err¡­ who says that demon hunters can¡¯t have a hobby?¡±


    Hao Ren rubbed his forehead. He realized that this is not the first time White Flame said this. The last time she said it was when everyone learned that she loved comics. It had been a big blow to his perception of demon hunters. But this time, it hit him harder.


    Nevertheless, he now had a deeper appreciation of this phrase of White Flame.


    ¡°Life on the ice sheet is boring,¡± White Flame said. She had regained her usual aura after changing back into her combat suit. Smiling, she said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s far from the bustling world, no shopping malls and no parks. Basically, my daily routine would be combat training and studying the ancient scrolls; otherwise, there is nothing to do in the citadel. What else can I do? I don¡¯t like to go out with them hunting the seals.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment, speechless.


    Meanwhile, Lily¡¯s attention had shifted to something else. ¡°How did you get your hands on that stuff? I mean, do you have someone specially assigned to buy those games and comics?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly. But the field purchasing guys would bring me new titles every time they went to the source for supplies in the human world. I¡¯ve been very restrained though. A game console is not a big deal. Andaherr used to bring back a circus, but then later we found that we didn¡¯t know what to do about them.¡±


    Hao Ren was struck dumb.


    Again, he learned something new. Suddenly, it seemed to him that these guys were just like him, humanly.


    Noticing the atmosphere became a little awkward, White Flame quickly steered the conversation away. ¡°So what brings you guys here?¡± she asked.


    Startled by the question, Hao Ren quickly reigned in his wandered mind. ¡°Oh, we¡¯ve come here to conduct an in-depth investigation of Coldpath. We need you to be our guide.¡±


    ¡°Investigation?¡± White Flame was a bit curious. ¡°Haven¡¯t you investigated before? What have you discovered recently?¡±


    She roughly knew what work Hao Ren was doing, so she had already guessed something.


    ¡°We found a ¡®parasite,¡¯ the will of the goddess on a demon hunter who returned from Coldpath,¡± Hao Ren said bluntly. ¡°Now we suspect that there are still many more spiritual forces lurking in Coldpath. They may have been suppressed by the black sword before, but now these things have probably escaped.¡±


    Vivian added, ¡°The will of the goddess itself is friendly, but it is of a very high category, getting close to them would put the life of the mortals in danger.¡±


    White Flame¡¯s face turned gloomy.


    She hesitated a bit. ¡°In fact, there have been some unusual phenomena in Coldpath recently.¡±

 Chapter 1078 - The Rise of the Demon-Hunting Fish

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren suddenly came out from his daze. ¡°Unusual phenomena? What happened?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s start with my recent work,¡± White Flame stepped aside, signaling them not to stand outside. ¡°Please come in. The room¡¯s a bit messy, I hope you don¡¯t mind,¡± she said.


    When they entered the room, the condition of the room left a deep impression on Hao Ren for the wrong reason. It was as if White Flame had not cleaned her room for a hundred years. Nothing was in the right place. Comic books and magazines of different languages were all over the floor. It seemed that White Flame knew many languages.


    The shelf on the wall filled with garage kits was probably the neatest place in the room. It was the only place where it was kept correctly. Hao Ren did not know much about these things, but he roughly knew those garage kits were rare items. Never underestimated the ability of a demon hunter intoxicated by anime; living a long life with endless energy, there was nothing that she could not get her hands on.


    After all, Vivian had once demonstrated such ability. To get the royal amulet of a small kingdom in Europe, she once lurked for a hundred and forty years on the edge of the imperial city, waiting for the empire to fall before digging out the amulet from the mausoleum. These supernatural creatures would do anything to satisfy their hobbies.


    Fumbling in the room for a while before White Flame found a few chairs. After everyone was seated, she sat directly on the bed. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m not in the habit of cleaning up my room. You know, I¡¯m a warrior and not as meticulous as an ordinary girl.¡±


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes. What does a messy room have to do with being a warrior? he thought.


    ¡°Tell us about Coldpath,¡± Vivian said. If they kept talking about the room any further, it would get on her nerves. ¡°Hasse has told me, you have been busy in Coldpath.¡±


    White Flame nodded. ¡°Yes, we are understaffed now, even master demon hunters like me have become the backbone of the Council of Elders. I recently led a team of people cleaning up the upper realm of Coldpath. The suspended temples of Coldpath could be roughly divided into three areas, namely the lower realm near the Stellar Spire, the middle realm with a large number of normal temples, and the upper realm made up of Netherrealm Clock Tower and the surrounding buildings. As the middle and upper realms have many energy nodes and been heavily bombarded by demonic artillery, the realms are now heavily polluted. So far, the reconstruction work there is the slowest. I found some strange phenomena when inspecting those contaminated areas. Describing them is hard. They look like spatial rifts, but none of the current methods could detect their internal structure, and there is no way to know where the cracks lead to. Now even demon hunters, master in dimensional manipulation, were helpless.¡±


    ¡°Just a spatial rift?¡± Hao Ren was a little disappointed. He was not there for the stupid spatial rift but for the goddess of creation.


    White Flame shook her head and repeated what she had said earlier, as though she could not make it clear enough. ¡°It¡¯s not as simple as a spatial rift. I was saying that they look like spatial rifts. Those things appeared near the energy pipes of large facilities, completely out of thin air. I suspect that the energy nodes of Coldpath triggered something when they went offline collectively. Probably that¡¯s what you¡¯re after: the ancient power.¡±


    ¡°Divinity is not the same as the ancient power that you understand, but what you said makes sense too,¡± Hao Ren said, scratching his head. ¡°Well, let¡¯s see how those cracks look like,¡± he said.


    White Flame nodded. ¡°Sure. The investigators in the temples near the Netherrealm Clock Tower should still be there, let¡¯s go now.¡±


    While saying, she turned off the game console and the TV. Hao Ren glanced at her curiously as White Flame took out a disc titled ¡°XX Hunter¡± from the game console. Baffled, Hao Ren asked, ¡°As if you have not enough little monsters to beat in real life, you even play that in the game?¡±


    White Flame was almost stumbled. ¡°It¡¯s empathy,¡± she said.


    Vivian and Lily glared at Hao Ren. ¡°Who are the little monsters you are talking about?¡±


    Hao Ren quickly realized he had a Freudian slip; he almost forgot that the ¡®little monsters¡¯ were the otherworldlings.


    With White Flame leading the way, they soon returned to the endless darkness of Coldpath.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to come back so soon, this place is really a mess.¡±


    Looking at the magnificent floating temples, Hao Ren sighed softly. They were now in front of a temple nearest to the Netherrealm Clock Tower. This temple was once the final battlefield. The demonic army and the Council of Elders clashed in a brutal battle here for two days and two nights. Though the mortal war could not destroy this temple built by the god, the traces of war remained visible. The air was filled with visible arcane energy, the green stains of the demonic artillery were still on the walls. Broken obsidian and weapons were everywhere, and some of them had been blown away by explosions and becoming the wreckage belt floating outside the gravitational field of the temple.


    These things would take a long time to clean up.


    Some demon hunters had launched an electromagnetic field in the gravity-free zone around the temple to capture debris that floated in the void. Others had erected huge stone obelisks engraved with mysterious Letta runes in the square. When activated, these obelisks would immediately sense the arcane as well as demonic energies lingering above the square, and they would glow and become crystal clear.


    The personnel there were all shrouded in a thin layer of protective halo. Obviously, they could not work in the environment without some kind of protection.


    ¡°This is the most magic-polluted place,¡± White Flame reminded. A silver-white sacred flame rose on her body. After the flame faded, a protective halo covered her whole body. ¡°Put on your shield before going in,¡± she said.


    Hao Ren had the life-support collar snapped on the cat, dog, and bat. Though Vivian also had her own protective magic, the life-support collar was obviously more superior. After everyone had put on their collars, Hao Ren looked at Lil Pea, worried: what about this little guy? He thought.


    Lil Pea got out of Rollie¡¯s collar. She looked at this beautiful place with excitement. Raising her hands in the air, she yelled, ¡°Wow, big house!¡±


    White Flame was startled. ¡°You cannot let her go in without protection.¡±


    Flipping in the air, Lil Pea stopped when she heard what White Flame said. The little guy looked at them with a pair of sparkling eyes and immediately knew what she had to do. She rubbed her hands, and a silver-white sacred flame popped out of her hands. Just like White Flame, the fire engulfed her before a layer of magic shield covered her.


    Her magic shield was even more robust than that of White Flame.


    White Flame¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°This fish knows the sacred flame trick?¡±


    Hao Ren was just as surprised and marveling at the cleverness of the little mermaid. He knew that she was entirely self-taught. Nangong Wuyue, who burned her hair every time using the sacred flame trick, had not taught Lil Pea this. Lil Pea developed this talent naturally.


    Hao Ren pushed the little mermaid forwards and said in a proud voice, ¡°This is a demon-hunting fish. I tell you what, she has purer demon-hunter blood than all of you. She got it directly from the Sacred Relic of Origins.¡±


    White Flame¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you guys are experimenting with demon hunters! Is this a new species that you¡¯ve cloned?¡±


    ¡°You should read fewer comics. I¡¯ll explain later,¡± Hao Ren said.


    Hao Ren turned around and flew in the direction of the temple. White Flame was rooted to the spot. She could not help but ask Vivian. ¡°Is it really a human subject test?¡±


    ¡°You really have to quit reading comics,¡± Vivian said.

 Chapter 1079 - Rifts in Coldpath

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    White Flame was very interested in Lil Pea, but Hao Ren did not have time to explain to her in detail how a fish transcended via the Sacred Relic of Origin into a pure-bred, demon-hunting fish. They had not arrived at the largest spatial rift in Coldpath.


    At the top of the massive temple, closest to the Netherrealm Clock Tower, there was an open half-moon platform. This platform was the place where the demonic army and the Council of Elders repeatedly clashed, leaving behind indelible traces of powerful demonic and magic energies. Now the demon hunters had set up traps to capture and destroy the spirit-like, distorted energy beings wandering around the platform. Hao Ren saw a vast, purpled-colored rift on the platform. This was the strange phenomenon White Flame had said.


    ¡°It does not look like ordinary spatial rift.¡±


    Hao Ren landed on the platform. He made sure that it was safe before going near the rift. At about 30 m long and 5 m wide in some places, the rift looked as if it had been cut open by a sharp blade. It also had fine cracks around it. A purple light was glowing inside the breach. Sometimes it looked illusory and sometimes real. The glow also prevented them from peering inside it. Hao Ren took his elven sword and reached into the rift; it went through the light curtain but did not enter a so-called different dimension. He bent down, looked, and found that the tip of the sword emerged from the other side.


    It seemed that the so-called spatial rift was just a light effect.


    ¡°It is just a light?¡± Lily crouched down and looked at the sword that stuck out on the other side. ¡°It goes nowhere.¡±


    ¡°No, look closely,¡± White Flame pointed at the tip of the sword. ¡°The sword has become shorter, and it¡¯s bent. This shows that there is something inside this purple rift. There should be a dimension warp inside, which is at an angle of inclination to the real world.¡±


    Hao Ren looked carefully; it was indeed the case. Using the short sword of Aerymian Elf, which was about 50 cm long, he thrust the entire sword into the purple fissure, and the sword emerged from the other side but was measured at only 40 cm long. A section of the sword was clearly inside another dimension.


    Lily rolled her eyes. ¡°Nothing is simpler than that: just throw a small probe into it. If you are afraid of losing it, tie it with a rope. As long as the camera is smaller than the dimension inside, you would be able to see it,¡± she said.


    Despite looking dumb and naive most of the time, the husky did have some clever ideas sometimes.


    ¡°I have tried it,¡± White Flame shook her head. ¡°Any attempt to peer inside would cause the rift to shift position, and the shifting was instantaneous. The rift was originally located at the square below, but when investigators threw a few cameras into it, it moved over here. We were worried that if we continued to do this, the rift would shift to a more random location, so we decided to stop the experiment.¡±


    ¡°It can run away?¡± Hao Ren said in amazement. ¡°In that case, it doesn¡¯t sound like a spatial rift.¡±


    ¡°What else if not a spatial rift?¡± Vivian asked curiously.


    ¡°It has many strange characteristics. For example, it has been continuously releasing a small amount of radiation. It is not affected by any external energy. Its size will change with time, expanding 10% every two hours but will shrink again in two hours. It seems to me that these characteristics are not very important, and there is no way to explain the phenomenon,¡± White Flame said.


    Hao Ren nodded slightly. He took out the MDT to inspect the strange rift. He asked, ¡°How did this thing appear? Any eye-witnesses? What are the remarkable phenomena before and after its appearance?¡±


    ¡°It just appeared suddenly without warning,¡± White Flame replied. ¡°Two demon hunters witnessed its appearance, but other than that, nothing else. So far there are dozens of such rifts around the Netherrealm Clock Tower. Their shapes are different. Apart from the sudden appearance, they have not caused any problems. These things are like shadows floating in the air,¡± she said.


    Hao Ren¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Honestly, you should¡¯ve informed me earlier about this strange thing. You know that I¡¯ve been investigating these things, don¡¯t you?¡±


    White Flame spread out her hands. ¡°It would¡¯ve looked strange if this thing happened in the outside world. But in Coldpath, it¡¯s kind of a norm. Anomalies in these ancient ruins are common, especially when it concerns time and space. We¡¯ve gotten used to it,¡± she said.


    White Flame smiled awkwardly and continued. ¡°With the shutdown of the nodes since the war and the residue of magic energy on the battlefield, the tearing of space and time could easily occur. So even my teacher did not take it very seriously.¡±


    Hao Ren was startled. He then let out a sigh. ¡°You guys are having a laid-back life and a declining sense of danger,¡± he said.


    These people had seen enough that they had become inured to the strange phenomena. Living in the unknown dimension of Coldpath for generations, the demon hunters saw the appearance of weird things like spatial rift was just another ¡®normal¡¯ abnormal phenomenon.


    The MDT flew around the spatial rift several times. It suddenly came up to White Flame and said, ¡°Tell me the position of all other rifts. I would like to check them one by one.¡±


    Hao Ren and White Flame said in unison, ¡°What have you found?¡±


    ¡°This is indeed a spatial rift, but it wasn¡¯t naturally formed,¡± the MDT said quickly. ¡°It has very complicated encryption. I need to figure out how the other rifts work before I can crack the encryption algorithm.¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned. ¡°Encryption? Do you mean that this thing is artificial?¡±


    Without waiting for the MDT to answer, he suddenly realized what it meant: the goddess of creation could have intentionally left these fissures behind.


    At first, he had the same thinking as of White Flame: the previous battle had destroyed the balance of Coldpath¡¯s energy nodes and the influence of the demonic power had destabilized the dimension and led to the appearance of these distorted rifts. But this new finding by the MDT pointed to a new conjecture: perhaps these rifts had existed for a long time but been hidden by some mechanism. Maybe the previous war had triggered its pre-set program and caused them to resurface.


    The thoughts just flashed across his mind before he calmed down. He turned to look at White Flame. ¡°You¡¯re saying that there are dozens of such rifts?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a conservative estimate,¡± White Flame replied quickly. ¡°We found dozens of rifts. But there are still some seriously damaged temples that have not been cleaned up. Those places where the concentration of magic energy is too high are still inaccessible. I¡¯m afraid that there are more rifts in those places,¡± she said.


    Hao Ren nodded and yanked open the dimensional pocket. A large group of shiny autonomous robots waved their tentacles and flew out, waiting for Hao Ren¡¯s instruction.


    ¡°Checking them one by one is too slow. MDT, I now place these autonomous robots under your command. Send them to check on the rifts in other places. White Flame, would you please ask your men to bring the autonomous robots to the other rifts you¡¯ve found?¡±


    No one objected to Hao Ren¡¯s arrangement. White Flame raised his hand and fired a signal flare over the temple. Soon after, dozens of elite demon hunters in black suits appeared silently on the platform.


    ¡°Each of you, bring one of these¡­ umm¡­ mechanical tentacles to the distorted rift,¡± White Flame said, ordering the senior investigators. ¡°Rockham and Donna, gather the special team in the twin temple towers and check the area that has been cleaned up yesterday. If I¡¯m not mistaken, the concentration of magic energy there should have declined. Send someone to see if there are rifts in that area. If you found one, report back immediately. Also¡­¡±


    White Flame had quickly issued all the instructions. Though not as sophisticated as her teacher, she showed good organizational skill and aura. In time, she would become an excellent demon hunter who might even surpass Hasse.


    However, Hao Ren had an opinion. ¡°These are not mechanical tentacles, they are called autonomous robots,¡± he said.


    White Flame was dumbstruck.

 Chapter 1080 - : Space-Time Vault

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The demon hunter investigators brought the autonomous robots flying into the darkness of Coldpath. They were on their way to the buildings floating around the Netherrealm Clock Tower. Meanwhile, the MDT was staying with Hao Ren, acting as a temporary command center. There was nothing Hao Ren could do at this point as the high-tech equipment and robots were carrying out the work. He came to the edge of the platform with White Flame, staring at the mysterious stars in the distant dark border.


    He left Coldpath in a hurry and did not have much time to explore the place previously. This time, he wanted to take this opportunity to sort out the many questions in his mind. The first question was to find out what the stars at the edge of the dimension were all about.


    ¡°Those are lights that no one can ever reach,¡± White Flame said, pointing to the galaxy in the background. ¡°We tried to explore every corner of this dimension long ago, but we couldn¡¯t reach those boundaries. Coldpath is a closed dimension. If you move out in any direction, after traveling a certain distance, you¡¯ll find yourself returning from the other end of the dimension. Those stars always hang in equidistant positions and are totally untouchable. We call them Eternal Illusions,¡± she said.


    ¡°Hmmm, closed space. It¡¯s easy to understand,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°But still, the visual and dimensional misalignments are interesting.¡±


    Lily stood behind Hao Ren holding a tablet computer writing her prose. ¡°Mr. Landlord, do you think those stars could be the stars that seen on the Star of Creation?¡±


    It seemed possible, Hao Ren thought. He wanted to ask the MDT snapping a few photos and send them back to Muru in CARS. Before he could do that, White Flame shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what Star of Creation is. But what Lily said isn¡¯t correct; those stars are ever changing.¡±


    ¡°Ever changing?¡± Hao Ren was startled.


    ¡°We used to try to study the area at the edge of the Coldpath dimension. At first, we thought that these constellations might have some kind of magical symbolism, so we tracked them over a long period. But then we found that they would fall into chaos every few hundred years. Sometimes even as many as eight-tenths of the stars would be replaced. Since these changes had no causal relationship with anything happening inside Coldpath, we gave up studying them. Those stars are just phantoms,¡± White Flame said.


    Her tone of voice was casual, but it had aroused curiosity in Hao Ren. His brows knit together. ¡°Do you still keep the constellation observation records?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Observation records? They are all in the Netherrealm Clock Tower. The last time I checked, they were still there,¡± White Flame said and looked at Hao Ren with a strange expression. ¡°What do you want them for? The demon-hunting scholars have found no regular pattern in it.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled. ¡°You may not find it useful, but I may be able to find something in another universe,¡± he said.


    White Flame quickly nodded. ¡°Well, I can let you see the records. After all, no one is interested in them anyway,¡± she said.


    Suddenly, the MDT cut in, interrupting them. ¡°Buddy! You might want to see this!¡±


    Hao Ren came up the MDT. It had called up a hologram showing the scanned images of the Netherrealm Clocktower and its surroundings the autonomous robots had sent back. On each of the floating temple, there was at least one purple spatial rift. Just as White Flame had said; there were many of them.


    Those purple spatial rifts were attached to the temples and shone like stars as seen in the hologram.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening to these rifts?¡± Hao Ren asked curiously.


    ¡°Let me put them together.¡± The MDT adjusted the hologram, hiding the temples but leaving a few purple stripes on the hologram before zooming in on the fissures and piecing them together. A wonderful scene appeared.


    The spatial rifts had turned into a perfect sphere.


    The sphere was not complete. The rifts could only form a part of the whole sphere, and a significant portion was still missing. Despite that, the available rifts were perfectly matched puzzle pieces. The cracks floating around the Netherrealm Clock Tower did not exist in isolation but were part of a whole system.


    White Flame was rooted to the spot. ¡°This is¡­¡±


    ¡°This is a space-time encryption device.¡± The MDT had quickly found the closest answer in its database. ¡°These rifts when taken separately are meaningless and impossible of decoding. But when combined together they form a space-time vault. It would only be accessible after combining all the rifts.¡±


    How this thing worked was beyond logic. Taking Hao Ren a long while to understand the jargons and figured out what the MDT meant, he said, ¡°I assume there is a vault that when I put something inside and close it, the vault would self-destruct into hundreds of pieces and the content inside disappears. But when I put these pieces together again, open the vault, and I would find the content in its original condition. Is this what you mean?¡±


    The MDT swayed its body a little and replied, ¡°Close.¡±


    ¡°Is it like marking a location on a moving boat?¡± Vivian had quickly felt things were out of her depth. She was good at anything but dimensional realm.


    ¡°Of course they¡¯re not the same. An encrypted dimension is a higher dimension,¡± the MDT explained immediately. ¡°It is its projection in the three-dimensional world that is broken, but its access part remains intact in a higher dimension. We can¡¯t manipulate it in the three-dimensional world. Though not the cleverest encryption technology in the world of Xi Ling Celestials, it is an unbreakable encryption in the mortal world.¡±


    Hao Ren felt his heart racing. ¡°The goddess of creation probably left this thing behind deliberately and hidden it under our nose. MDT, how do we open this vault? Is it necessary to use any gravitational traction equipment to pull the rifts together?¡±


    ¡°Looks like your brain hole is already as large as the husky¡¯¡± the MDT replied.


    Hao Ren was struck dumb.


    ¡°Arf!¡± Lily snorted.


    ¡°Mind your attitude.¡± The MDT snorted back at Lily. It began to draw lines in the hologram, connecting the purple stripes to a single point, which was the central point of the sphere. ¡°This kind of encrypted vault must have an external control center. Otherwise, once this thing is broken down by the program, it will be lost forever in the real world. Judging from the pattern of distribution of the rifts, I think the control center is at the center of the sphere.¡±


    Hao Ren turned to look at White Flame. ¡°Where is the location?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to ask her, you can look it up yourself.¡± The MDT called up the previously hidden temples in the hologram. The central point was right at the top of the Netherrealm Clock Tower. ¡°There is still secret in the tower.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyes affixed on the Netherrealm Clock Tower in the hologram. The top of the tower was a broken open section, which the top spire sat. But it seemed that the steeple had been blown away during the deicidal war, leaving only a skewed platform and a sea of suspended fragments. The tower looked as if the tip of a pencil was shredded by a third.


    The debris had not drifted off too far, so the Netherrealm Clock Tower still looked like a spire.


    ¡°Have you ever been to the top of the tower?¡± He asked White Flame casually. ¡°What happened to the top section?¡±


    ¡°The top of the Netherrealm Clock Tower is closed. This was the highest point we had ever reached,¡± White Flame said as she pointed to the top section the tower in the hologram. ¡°This is where the ceremonial hall located. The space-time structure at the top of the tower is volatile. There is nothing there except a bunch of rock fragments. So we sealed off the corridor inside the tower many years ago. But we can fly directly to the top from here, just need to be careful,¡± she said.


    Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°What are were waiting for? Let¡¯s go up there and check it out,¡± he said.

 Chapter 1081 - A Legacy Meant for Vivian

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    White Flame had brought them to the top of the Netherrealm Clock Tower.


    Floating in the void, the tower had now recovered from the space-time distortion. The dark shadow that once shrouded the tower was completely gone as the Godslayer had been taken away. Mysterious ancient runes glowing in pale gold and red reappeared on the tower, making it a bright spot in the darkness of the void.


    The top portion of the tower had been destroyed during the deicidal war 10,000 years ago. Though the Netherrealm Clock Tower was the best-preserved building in Coldpath, it had suffered considerable damage. After all, nothing could really remain perfectly intact in a war. After the tower¡¯s spire was blown away, the hall on the top of the tower became a semi-open platform with building debris floating around it like a group of asteroids.


    Hao Ren landed on the top platform of the tower. Looking around, he saw a large number of irregularly-shaped broken stones floating on the outer edge while a vast expanse of stars was above his head but beyond reach. It felt as if standing in space. Hao Ren stomped his feet slightly. He could sense that the force of gravity was less than one-third of when it was normal and not perpendicular to the surface.


    ¡°Look, there is nothing here,¡± White Flame said, pointing to the surroundings. ¡°There are only ruins. Be careful of the shadows floating in the air; they will suddenly turn into gravitational storms and fling you out and away or even pressed you on the ground if you get too close to it.¡±


    At ten meters away, Lily was caught in an abnormal gravity and sprawling on the ground. She struggled to speak, ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me that earlier¡­¡±


    Nearby, Vivian sounded sarcastic. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you change, would you? That¡¯s the price to pay for being too curious.¡±


    ¡°If she were to change, it would be in betrayal of her ancestral chromosomes,¡± Hao Ren said. He then let the MDT get Lily out of the peculiar situation by way of teleportation while he kept looking around for anything that might resemble a console. ¡°The central point of the sphere must be on this platform.¡±


    After getting Lily out, the MDT came up to Hao Ren. It switched on a hologram and checked the position of the central point, which was represented by the intersection of the virtual lines drawn inward from the sphere¡¯s circumference. As expected, the center of the sphere was at the top of the Netherrealm Clock Tower. Skeptical, Vivian came up to take a gander. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the spatial rift will shift position when being observed? Some have shifted several times. Can these virtual lines you drew determine its exact position?¡±


    ¡°I have thought of problem too,¡± the MDT said, flashing in blue light. ¡°First, I have studied its shifting behavior; they would not go beyond the boundary of the temple. Secondly, they are all moving on the surface of a large spherical shell, so their movements have no effect on the central position of the sphere. This further affirms the theory that the control terminal of the space-time vault is on the Netherrealm Clock Tower.¡±


    ¡°There is one thing that I¡¯m worried about,¡± Hao Ren said, looking at the building that had been blown up becoming an open-top platform. ¡°Could the control terminal have been blown up along with the top of this building?¡±


    Swaying from side to side, the MDT said, ¡°Impossible. If the controller¡¯s offline, these rifts wouldn¡¯t have popped out. Let¡¯s look around carefully, there must be something still running here. The technology tree of the Goddess of Creation has to be very weird; the controller she made may not look like what you have in mind.¡±


    They then split up and searched for anything that looked suspicious. Even Rollie began to scamper around trying to help. Though the cat maiden¡¯s worldview was worrisome, she was intelligent enough to follow instruction as long as the target was clearly defined. The cat was an excellent hunter and detective, so her meticulosity and intuition might come in handy.


    Hao Ren looked out at the floating temples in the distance. The MDT was with him, and he was thinking. ¡°The Goddess of Creation left behind the spatial rifts, isn¡¯t it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Obvious.¡±


    ¡°Every rift is attached to a temple. According to White Flame, these rifts only appear within a hundred meters of the temples so we can infer that the Goddess of Creation has predetermined the position and orbit of each of the temples around the Netherrealm Clock Tower. Since she wanted to maintain her ¡®vault¡¯, these temples would not randomly change their positions.¡±


    ¡°Obvious.¡±


    ¡°But these temples were destroyed in the deicidal war. The Coldpath dimension was originally a piece of debris from the Star of Creation. At first, we thought that the temples floating aimlessly out there was a result of an explosion. But now it seems that this is not the case at all. Instead, everything here has been precisely calculated.¡±


    ¡°I understand what you mean.¡±


    ¡°The goddess accurately calculated the position where each temple would float. She was even aware of what the future Coldpath would look like, with the location of every single piece of debris precisely calculated. You know what it is like? It is like when a person¡¯s home is blown up, this person knows exactly where each brick would end up even before the explosion. This person has also determined the purpose of each block and tile. The goddess used these bricks and tiles to form a giant jigsaw puzzle that spanned hundreds of kilometers across just to tuck something away from prying eyes safely and securely.


    The MDT said, ¡°So there is a problem now¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes, there is a problem,¡± Hao Ren said, nodding. ¡°Did the Star of Creation explode due to overload from the deicidal incident? Or did the Goddess of Creation plan all this? The explosion was so precisely controlled that it is hard to believe that she was not the one behind all this.¡±


    ¡°So it was the Goddess of Creation herself who blew the Star of Creation up. Buddy, do you think the kind of information we recently obtain is a bit too overwhelming?¡± There was a rare hint of confusion in the MDT¡¯s voice. ¡°I almost wanted to believe that the goddess made the treacherous children herself.¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°Probably not. I still insist that the deicidal incident is a conspiracy of a third-party and the Goddess of Creation is the victim. But we have to reevaluate the level of her active involvement in the event. She seemed to have many things planned in advance.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Landlord, you might want to see this!¡± Lily was heard from far away.


    Hao Ren went up to Lily. ¡°Is this pattern not interesting?¡± Lily said, pointing to the ground.


    At first, Hao Ren thought that Lily had found some ancient device or stuff like that, but it was just some patterns on the ground. But when looked closely, the design caught his eyes. Round and at two meters across, it was a large three-dimensional spherical pattern made up of a large number of irregular lobes.


    It was almost identical to the space-time vault in the simulation.


    ¡°This is¡­¡± White Flame was surprised. ¡°I knew there was a relief on the ground here, but it wasn¡¯t like this before.¡±


    ¡°It was not like this?¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°Could it have appeared with the spatial rifts¡ª?¡±


    Before he could finish, Rollie, who was examining the relief, suddenly exclaimed, ¡°Big Boss Cat, there is some text here!¡±


    Hao Ren looked down. At the edge of the circular pattern, a line of text appeared. He switched on the translation plug-in to translate the words into the language that he could read.


    ¡°Whichever creation of the lifeblood reads this text may open the sacred vault with its blood.¡±


    ¡°The creation of the lifeblood?¡± Startled, Hao Ren spontaneously looked at Vivian, whose eyes affixed on the text. ¡°I didn¡¯t have to use the translation plug-in to understand it,¡± Vivian said.


    ¡°So this is meant for you,¡± Hao Ren said, swallowing. ¡°It¡¯s something the Goddess of Creation has set aside for you!¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡± Lily said in a whisper, ¡°It suddenly became an epic piece of poetry.¡±


    Unable to digest the information, Vivian was bewildered. ¡°What should I do?¡± she asked.


    Lily grabbed Vivian by her arm. ¡°Need you ask more? The instruction¡¯s very clear: bloodletting!¡±

 Chapter 1082 - Big Stuff

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    In theory, Lily could have bitten Vivian¡¯s arm to draw her blood. But in reality, Lily did not stand a chance. Vivian had dispersed into a swarm of bats and flown away, leaving behind a ball of lightning, which blew up in Lily¡¯s mouth. ¡°Arf!¡±


    ¡°Doggie, are you stupid or something?¡± Vivian reemerged, glaring at the husky, who covered her mouth in pain. ¡°What wrong have I done? Looks like I was right; I can¡¯t ever relax around you.¡±


    Electrocuted, Lily¡¯s tongue felt numb. It was only after a long while that she breathed a sigh of relief and complained about Vivian to Hao Ren. ¡°Mr. Landlord, she¡¯s bullying me. I¡¯m not stupid. That lightning really hurt my mouth.¡±


    With his sleeve, Hao Ren tried to wipe Lily¡¯s face, which was blackened by the explosion. He then glanced at the text on the ground and nodded to Vivian and said, ¡°I think you should draw your blood, after all, that¡¯s why the text says.¡±


    Speechless.


    ¡°Of course, not in the crude way Lily would take,¡± Hao Ren said, pressing his hand on Lily¡¯s head so that she would not get too carried away. He then poked the MDT. ¡°Check this magic circle.¡±


    ¡°No traps, hidden settings nor suspicious energy source are found. This should be the switch of a certain system. It looks fine now, but I cannot say what would happen when activated. I am not a prophet, you know,¡± the MDT said.


    Hao Ren thought for a moment, thinking that since it was the goddess of creation who left it behind, it should be fine. At least she would not harm her own descendants whom she created with the lifeblood. Anyway, he felt the need to consult the witness of the deicidal war first.


    He took out the Godslayer from his dimensional pocket. ¡°Hey Godslayer, let me ask you something.¡±


    Seeing the black sword, White Flame was shocked. ¡°This sword¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s harmless now,¡± Hao Ren said while waving his hand. ¡°I have asked my boss to give it a blessing. The negative power of this thing has been emptied. I tell you what, the mind of the sword itself is actually¡ª¡±


    Before he finished, the Godslayer had recovered its thinking ability because of the Echo Wall effect of the mind connection. It saw the demon hunters in front of it and quickly introduced itself. ¡°Hello, I am Godslayer, alias Echo Wall, and nickname Small Sword. You can call me Householder Stabber.¡±


    Hao Ren quickly motioned the Godslayer to shut up. Glaring at the MDT, he said, ¡°Look at what you¡¯ve taught it!¡±


    The MDT flew in a circle, pretending not hearing.


    White Flame had shown great interest in the sword, but she knew that was not the priority right now, so she did not ask too many questions. Hao Ren let the Godslayer take a look at the reliefs, which appeared like a magic circle. ¡°Is this what the goddess of creation created? Is it a trap your wielder or other person has left behind?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    The Godslayer carefully examined it. ¡°No. They didn¡¯t leave this behind; the scent is different. It should be of the goddess of creation, I could remember it clearly. I have been spending most of my time getting rid of this kind of scent.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Hao Ren put away the sword and nodded to Vivian. ¡°Come over. Try to activate this thing. Everyone, please step back. White Flame, you too. The farther, the better.¡±


    Hao Ren was deeply impressed by the power of the Words of God. Words of the goddess of creation in the soul of Zhao Xi had already yielded such immense power, it was hard to say whether this ¡®magic circle¡¯ would release something more powerful. Judging from what he knew, the Zhao Xi¡¯s infection of the Words of God must have something to do with the space-time vault; so he could not be too careful with it.


    Lily and Rollie had got their fingers burnt by the Words of God. Same went to White Flame. Everyone retreated to outside the platform. Hao Ren wasted no time and proceeded to lay a circle of shield generator around the magic circle. The shield generator was a standard issue device his superior gave him. It would have some divine power.


    Vivian came up to the magic circle, preparing to draw her blood. This time it would not be the corrosive blood mist that she used in combat but real blood. This blood of the most ancient was the most precious and coveted element in the eyes of the blood-sucking vampire community. Now Vivian was going to drip that on the ground.


    Vivian punctured her fingertip with her nail and blood began to ooze out and drip on the ground. She licked her lips. ¡°What a waste!¡±


    ¡°I thought you did not drink blood?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°I can, but I do not need to,¡± Vivian said, rolling her eyes. ¡°I like blood tofu more.¡±


    Her blood dripped on the intricate pattern on the ground. But there was no whatsoever response.


    ¡°Looks like it doesn¡¯t work.¡± Vivian¡¯s brows knit together. ¡°Have we done it the wrong way?¡±


    Hao Ren crouched down, examining the pattern. ¡°Maybe you need to squeeze a little more¡­ Why are you holding a straw?¡±


    Vivian appeared hesitating and embarrassed. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say if food dropped on the ground, you could still pick it up and eat it within three seconds?¡±


    Hao Ren laughed. ¡°Since when you have become so unambitious? Didn¡¯t you teach Hessiana to not do this last time?¡±


    ¡°But that this is my own blood. Do you know how precious it is?¡±


    Speechless.


    ¡°Buddy, this thing is responding.¡± The MDT interrupted.


    Hao Ren looked down at the magic circle. The blood on the pattern began to glow like a fluorescent liquid, flowing in the grooves and gradually filling the entire pattern.


    Shocked, Hao Ren took a step back. ¡°I thought it didn¡¯t work. How could this happen suddenly?¡±


    The MDT thought for a moment. ¡°Perhaps it has been lying idle here for too long, it needs more time to boot up.¡±


    ¡°What should I do next?¡± Vivian stood helplessly before the magic circle that had turned red. ¡°Although you¡¯re saying that this is meant for me, I have absolutely no clue how to operate it!¡±


    ¡°Could it be highly intelligent?¡± Puzzled by why the goddess of creation had not left behind any instruction of use, Hao Ren began to think. ¡°Probably it will work if you chant the magical phrase ¡®Open sesame¡¯!¡±


    Vivian thought for a moment, and then with a solemn tone of voice she said, ¡°Open sesame!¡±


    ¡°You really try?¡±


    As Vivian¡¯s voice trailed off, the red runes and intaglio patterns on the ground glowed brighter and flashed rhythmically.


    ¡°Holy moly, it really works!¡± Hao Ren was stunned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it is because of the secret phrases,¡± the MDT said. It could not believe in their hilariously illogical reasoning. ¡°It must be because it has authenticated Vivian¡¯s identity only it comes to live¡­ Look! Something is coming!¡±


    Hao Ren had also seen the purple lights that flew from the deep space!


    Those lights were the space fissures scattered around the Netherrealm Clock Tower. As if being pulled by some forces, the cracks came together like a jigsaw puzzle. In just matter of a few minutes, a spheroidal body with a mysterious purple halo took shape.


    The sphere was shockingly huge at six hundred meters across. Standing at a distance, Hao Ren sensed a phobia rose within him. The fissures joined together seamlessly.


    It was as if they had utterly fused together.


    A moment later, the colossal treasure vault that had been hidden for 10,000 years quietly opened.


    The sphere suddenly shattered dust of light. An extremely complicated and mysterious device with a diameter of 500 m emerged.


    It was a huge metal ball.


    Hao Ren¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground. He nudged Vivian. ¡°Why did your mom leave you a ball?¡±


    Lily thought for a moment. ¡°Probably so that you can play the egg collision game1.¡±

 Chapter 1083 - The Truth of This Ball

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The Goddess of Creation¡¯s secret vault was finally opened without a hitch, activated by Vivian¡¯s blood. There was no rampage of divine words like what happened to Zhao Xi, but this thing further muddied the waters.


    It was a huge metal ball.


    At 500 m across and floating above the Netherrealm Clock Tower, the metal ball looked intimidating even from a distance. Glistening in a pale gold metallic luster and covered in red as well as bright blue patterns, it was incredibly complicated. It seemed to be made up of numerous metal components, which were not fixed in position but continually moving. Sometimes the movements completely defied the law of Physics. It was only possible when those components had infinite deformability. As the surface of the metal ball revolved, Hao Ren was able to peek through the gaps and see many golden gears and strange mechanical devices inside. It appeared that the interior of the giant ball was more complicated than its exterior.


    It looked like a high-tech magic device, but it did not produce any sound. There was only the pleasing sound of crystals colliding, which added an air of sacredness and mystery to the metal ball.


    ¡°Check its divine reaction,¡± Hao Ren said, coming out of his daze.


    The MDT chanced its arm by beaming a blue light at the golden giant ball, and this time it was not attacked. ¡°There is a divine reaction. It¡¯s of the Goddess of Creation.¡±


    ¡°So this stuff is the relic that the Goddess of Creation has taken great trouble to create,¡± Hao Ren said, looking at Vivian with a strange expression. ¡°It is meant for you. But I guess you don¡¯t know what it is, do you?¡±


    ¡°Of course I don¡¯t,¡± Vivian said, shaking her head and forcing a smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know who the Goddess of Creation was until I met you.¡±


    Hao Ren sighed. ¡°I thought you would recover some of your memory and half a ton of ancient secrets when you saw this thing. Doesn¡¯t that usually happen in novels?¡±


    Vivian rolled her eyes.


    Soon after, those who left the platform earlier had come back. They saw the giant ball floating above the Netherrealm Clock Tower and were nervous. Rollie stayed at Hao Ren¡¯s feet, arching her body and her tail puffed up while making a menacing growl at the giant ball.


    ¡°What the hell is this?¡± White Flame asked. ¡°This thing has been lurking in our sacred land all this while?¡±


    ¡°This place was originally the home of the Goddess of Creation before it became your sacred land,¡± Hao Ren said, shooting her a glance. ¡°We don¡¯t know what it is. I have decided to go up there and take a look.¡±


    Lily jumped to her feet. ¡°Whoa! I think I had better go now; I haven¡¯t had my lunch yet.¡±


    Before Lily could leave the platform, Hao Ren grabbed her tail and dragged her back. ¡°Come back here. You have a good sense of smell, you may be of help.¡±


    Lily thought for a moment. ¡°Would you believe me if I say I am sick?¡±


    Full of curiosity, strong spirit and usually unflinching; she was the kind of person that would charge forward first and then only back out at the last minute. But what happened last night had scared the hell out of her. She was like having a mental trauma now. This time she did not even dare to look up at the giant ball. Hao Ren realized this, but he still dragged Lily along with him because he was sure that there was not going to be anything rampageous in the ball.


    The giant ball had divine characteristics, but it indeed was not driven by divinity.


    Hao Ren brought Lily, Vivian and White Flame with him to investigate the giant ball. Rollie had to stay back on the platform as she had a job to do: she needed to look after Lil Pea, who would be too eager to put herself in danger.


    Vivian and White Flame were equipped with their magic power, Hao Ren with his coordinate-propulsion technique, and Lily with the propulsion gadget that Hao Ren loaned her; they flew up to the Netherrealm Clock Tower and came before the metal ball. The ball looked more massive than viewing from afar. The continually moving metal parts were as if a living steel wall; it was sophisticated, exquisite, magnificent and dazzling. Lily, whose tail was already between her legs, held on to Hao Ren¡¯s sleeve nervously. ¡°This thing looks spectacular. It is even a size bigger than your spaceship,¡± Lily said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it is really bigger, but I definitely know it is a lot fatter.¡± Hao Ren joked. And he wondered what the giant ball was for. ¡°Why did Goddess of Creation create this thing? Is it a spaceship?¡±


    ¡°A fully-grown First Born is a ball, and it is said that the Creation¡¯s Engine is a ball too. Now the legacy she has left for Battie is still a ball. Looks like the Goddess of Creation has a penchant for balls,¡± Lily mumble, unable to shut her mouth no matter how scared she was. ¡°Goddess of Creation the ball lover has come to the end of her ball game.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s brow pulled together. ¡°The goddess must have a reason to leave me this thing. But she should have at least told me what to do with it.¡±


    ¡°She has done everything, taken all the trouble blowing up the temples, made a space-time vault, and created her descendant, but she forgot to leave behind a manual?¡± Hao Ren said.


    Vivian looked around the ball, trying to find clues in the ever-changing complex structure.


    The complex surface of the metal ball was still changing its face silently while the overall shape of the ball was maintained. The irregular-shaped pale gold sliders moved across the surface as if they were living things. Beneath the surface, however, were giant gears. Sometimes Vivian could see bright light flashed through the gaps on the surface. She had no idea if the inside was an energy core or something else. Or could it be some ancient spirit that kept this mysterious device running?


    She reached out her hand to touch the ball and tried to imagine that this thing would respond. She dripped a drop of her divine blood onto the ball, but there was no reaction this time.


    There must be some other way, she thought.


    ¡°Looks like Battie is still a lost ball in high weeds.¡± Lily poked Hao Ren¡¯s arm and whispered.


    Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? She has never seen this thing before.¡±


    ¡°Do you know what I am thinking?¡± Lily sounded mysterious.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Maybe she knew,¡± Lily pointed to her head, ¡°but her brain, you know, she has forgotten.¡±


    Hao Ren was startled for a second; Lily¡¯s sarcastic remark did make sense!


    ¡°Holy moly! That would be funny if it¡¯s really the case,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°The Goddess of Creation has left something vital in Vivian¡¯s mind, but Vivian has lost her memory!¡±


    ¡°You see, the Goddess of Creation couldn¡¯t have just left a ball for her for no reason. Since there¡¯s nothing in the vault, then the only possibility is in Vivian¡¯s head,¡± Lily said.


    While Hao Ren and Lily mumbled, Vivian circled the huge ball once.


    But she found nothing too.


    Hao Ren and the others also circled the giant ball but still came out with nothing.


    Hao Ren dragged Lily with him, using her as a K-9. He hoped that she would be able to sniff out something, but there was nothing.


    After scanning the ball, the MDT concluded that the ball was a complex and sophisticated device for information processing or assuming the control center of a larger system. But due to its incomplete structure and not fully operational, it could not explain the exact use of this thing.


    They studied it for an hour. Fearing that they might damage the ball or trigger some unexpected settings, Hao Ren gave up the idea of opening the device up by force to access its internal. At this time, Rollie had almost fallen asleep on the Netherrealm Clock Tower while Lily had dozed off completely.


    Then, something happened at this time.


    Hao Ren observed the ball for a moment, and suddenly something caught his attention. It was a series of recesses evenly distributed along the waistline of the ball. Though the components on the surface were running, these recesses always stayed in the same position, as if they were interfaces for other devices. At first, Hao Ren thought so, probably for some pipes and cable interfaces as the MDT had once said the ball could be a part of a more massive system. But soon he found that the shape of these recesses made them look like they were meant for some components to snap on.


    At 10 m across, the recesses were perfectly round with a cylindrical structure at the center.


    ¡°Do you think the Gilded Disc would fit in here nicely?¡± Hao Ren asked.

 Chapter 1084 - The Engine Core

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Everyone became as quiet as a mouse.


    Sometimes the truth was simple and in your face. But if no one reminded you, you would always overlook this simple fact. When Hao Ren linked the circular recesses on the surface of the giant metal ball to the Gilded Discs, they only realized that both were conterminous and had a logical connection.


    The MDT immediately measured the dimensions of the recesses, as well as the position and size of each bulge in the recesses, which were then compared to the Gilded Disc parameters stored in the database. The result was not surprising. ¡°They fit perfectly, buddy. These are the ports for the Gilded Discs.¡±


    ¡°Is it just a coincidence? Their shapes and dimensions matched perfectly?¡± Vivian said spontaneously. The discovery seemed unreal and too dramatic.


    ¡°The accuracy of my measurement is the highest attainable in the material world,¡± the MDT said in a serious tone of voice. It was not happy that people are questioning his ability. ¡°The Gilded Discs and the recesses on the ball match perfectly. This is not a coincidence.¡±


    Vivian nodded and did not object. After all, this was the creation of the Goddess of Creation; its connection to the Gilded Discs was entirely logical. But still, it was incredible.


    ¡°Gilded Disc is the data processing module of the Creation Engine,¡± Hao Ren said. Calming himself down, he tried to make sense of the giant metal ball in front of him. ¡°So what do you make of it?¡±


    The MDT replied, ¡°According to my findings that it has so many ports reserved for the Gilded Discs, it is likely a core component of the Creation Engine. Perhaps it is a control hub. Or maybe a database.¡±


    ¡°Whatever it is, this is not looking good,¡± Hao Ren said as he rubbed his eyebrow. ¡°The Goddess of Creation has left behind a terrific relic for us.¡±


    ¡°Not for us, it is for Battie,¡± Lily reminded, her face solemn. ¡°Be careful of what you say; if you say something wrong, this thing may go kaboom.¡±


    Speechless.


    He could understand why his fellow inspectors called him Mr. Ominous, but how could this husky see him in the same light? He said to himself.


    Vivian ignored Lily¡¯s gag. Her eyes were on the giant metal ball all the time, staring at the revolving surface, unable to make of it. It was the core of the Creation Engine? Who the hell could believe that this thing would appear here? Should it not be in the almost-finished Creation Engine and sinking into the endless darkness along with it after the grand explosion of the divine realm? What was the Goddess of Creation thinking at that time? She asked herself in her mind.


    The theory of the uncontrolled explosion of the divine realm explained why the Gilded Discs were scattered in the Plane of Dreams and on Earth, but this theory did not apply on this engine core, which was tucked away safely by the Goddess of Creation. It was in a special space-time vault given to Vivian her descendant as a gift.


    But this had upset the descendant of the divine blood.


    Spacing out for a long while, Vivian was still unable to figure out what her mother-in-logic would like her to do. She had the gut feeling that the key to uncovering her ¡°mission¡± was probably hidden in this ball, but she could not remember anything of it.


    Hao Ren¡¯s voice jolted her back into reality. ¡°Let¡¯s discuss how we should deal with this thing. I think we shouldn¡¯t let this thing stay in Coldpath. I will bring it back to the goddess though she would probably rather let me handle it for her.¡±


    Vivian said, ¡°I agree. That is what we always do¡ª¡±


    White Flame suddenly interrupted. ¡°Ahem, shouldn¡¯t we at least inform the Council of Elders first?¡±


    Vivian now finally realized why Hao Ren had made the suggestion: it was not that he did not know what to do but was concerned about the feeling of the demon hunters in Coldpath. After all, when they had made so much hoo-ha when they dug this thing out, probably everyone in Coldpath had already seen the spatial shift phenomenon.


    It was not the same as taking away the Godslayer. The Godslayer was a curse; something that everyone would avoid like the plague. The Godslayer was mostly unknown to the demon hunters, taking it away would not cause any problems, and 99% of the demon hunters did not even realize that Hao Ren had taken the sword.


    But the giant ball was hard to miss, and it looked like a huge gemstone.


    He could not care less about others, but Hasse and White Flame were his friends. It would put them in a challenging and awkward position if he took the thing from the demon hunters without asking, even though it was never originally theirs, to begin with.


    But at least, he had to ask.


    ¡°I personally have no problem with that, and I don¡¯t think the Council of Elders will,¡± White Flame said quickly as she had noticed Vivian frowning. ¡°After all, everyone knows who¡¯s helped the demon hunters during their most difficult time. But as always, there are certain rules to follow.¡±


    Vivian snorted softly. ¡°Don¡¯t take things for granted. I¡¯ve given you Coldpath, but the relic here is what the Goddess of Creation has left for me. So what rule are you talking about when I am only taking what is rightfully mine?¡±


    White Flame was speechless. She forced a smile and nodded. ¡°Well, I guess teacher will have no objection. I will inform the Council of Elders. How are you going to move this thing by the way?¡±


    Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°It¡¯s simple. I had moved even bigger things. I specialize in moving house and goods.¡±


    Knowing the real functions of the giant golden ball, Hao Ren knew that his portable gear would not be able to handle the job this time. Only CARS or Raven 12345 can handle it. He summoned the Petrachelys, reopened the space-time garage of the spacecraft, and put the golden giant ball into it. Just imagine it: Nolan stuffed that giant ball that was bigger than herself into her mouth.


    After loading the golden giant ball into the garage, Hao Ren returned to the top of the Netherrealm Clock Tower.


    The purple space fissures had vanished. The once-running magic circle had also stopped. The ¡°blood-authentication¡± pattern had become blurry lines and no longer carry any magic anymore. This was obviously a one-use system. When the thing in the vault was taken away, the entire vault would self-destruct.


    But such massive dimensional disintegration had not even caused slight magic turbulence.


    ¡°We have taken the relics of the Goddess of Creation. But to be honest, I am not sure if there would still be something else popping up again.¡± Hao Ren frowned. ¡°God knows how many secrets are hidden in this place!¡±


    Vivian nodded gently. ¡°I am afraid that the Godslayer is the key. After you took the sword, a lot of things started to happen. Before that, the demon hunters had not found any vault here even though they had lived here for 6,000 years.¡±


    Hao Ren took out the Godslayer to see if it had anything to say. Householder Stabber thought for a moment and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Hao Ren rolled his eyes. ¡°You seem like not knowing everything.¡±


    The Godslayer felt hapless. ¡°I really don¡¯t know, and I don¡¯t want to know so many things. I don¡¯t like things complicated. I like peace. If can, I like quiet.¡±


    Speechless.


    After causing two Woes of Madness, the murderous Godslayer said that it preferred peace and quiet.


    Hao Ren laughed wryly. ¡°Seems like when Raven 12345 bit on its head, she also damaged its brain.¡±


    Vivian buried her head in her hand. ¡°There is not surprising at all. Just think what Y¡¯zaks is doing now.¡±

 Chapter 1085 - Little Guy

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After leaving Coldpath, Hao Ren headed straight to Raven 12345¡¯s mansion with Vivian.


    The neurotic goddess¡ªwho was always missing in action¡ªwas back in the salt mines, looking busy at work. Hao Ren had finally gotten her quick reply this time. When he stepped into her office, the goddess was frowning while staring at some visuals in the air. It seemed like she was dealing with something vital. In the visuals, Hao Ren could see planets and stars being born, as well as intelligent beings, and some incomprehensibly mysterious phenomena in the deepest part of the universe.


    He had to interrupt the goddess because he had brought critical news. He was a bit curious about what Raven 12345 was doing. ¡°There¡¯s news! What are you busy with?¡±


    Well, he actually was not interested in what Raven 12345 was doing but more in why the neurotic goddess had suddenly knuckled down to work.


    ¡°Monitoring the universe, optimizing the celestial system, and seeing what the believers are busy with lately,¡± Raven 12345 said, raising an eyebrow. ¡°I am swamped all the time. Oh, looks like you have some serious business to see me, eh? Let me guess, you¡¯ve found new leads on the Goddess of Creation.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, a significant one too,¡± Hao Ren said as he took out the MDT and presented the Creation Engine in a hologram. ¡°I returned to Coldpath. After I took the Godslayer away, this thing emerged out of thin air in Coldpath. Can you guess what it is?¡±


    Raven 12345 replied in a casual tone of voice, ¡°The core module of the Creation Engine.¡±


    How did the goddess know what it was with just a glance? Hao Ren said to himself, shocked. Could Raven 12345 have known it a long time ago, or was it because she could see beyond the image? Either way, Hao Ren was awed.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you see the title in the hologram,¡± Raven 12345 said, pointing at the image. ¡°Creation Engine Core Module ¨C Accurate Model Diagram.¡±


    ¡°Ahem, yeah, that is the core of the Creation Engine, if we are not wrong,¡± Hao Ren said.


    ¡°Tell me how you found it,¡± Raven 12345 said as she leaned forward a little. There was not much change in her facial expression. ¡°I know you have found three Gilded Discs, but this thing is of another level. Judging from your serious expression, I bet the discovery was different from those of the Gilded Discs.¡±


    Hao Ren took a breath, and his tone of voice was even more solemn this time. ¡°It is exceptional, the relic of the Goddess of Creation meant for Vivian, tucked away in a hidden space-time vault in Coldpath, and completely secured with encryption. The vault was activated by Vivian¡¯s blood. The MDT had a visual record and environment data. Besides, those floating temples are there to maintain the space-time vault.¡±


    Raven 12345¡¯s brows arched. ¡°I understand what you mean.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s study this ball,¡± Hao Ren said and nodded at Vivian. ¡°Vivian and I have been beating our brains out trying to figure it out. There must be something that the Goddess of Creation wanted Vivian to do by leaving this relic to her. But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Of course she did,¡± Raven 12345 said, glancing at Vivian. ¡°But judging from the clueless look on your face, you must have forgotten about it. I must admit that I have to reevaluate this country goddess. She was young, but she was good. I mean, just look at the arrangement she has made though it seems something doesn¡¯t work out quite well now. The descendant of the divine blood whom she has been so hopeful of has lost her memory. Hao Ren, where do you keep the ball?¡±


    ¡°In the garage onboard the spaceship. If you want to see it, we should find a bigger place: that thing is a lot larger in real life, several hundred meters across, and it needs to be completely suspended in the air for easy observation.¡±


    Raven 12345 made a snap, and everything in the room instantly retreated in all directions and disappeared into the blurry chaos. The place where they stood became an endless open field. Under their feet was a gray-white ground that extended out infinitely while above them was clear blue sky, standing in between making them feel so small.


    Hao Ren had seen Raven 12345 showcasing her ability many times, so he was not surprised at all. He proceeded to call Nolan to release the giant golden ball.


    The giant ball was suspended in the air and revolving as usual. The complex parts and gears were running silently but seemed without any purpose.


    ¡°This is it.¡± Hao Ren pointed to the ball.


    Raven 12345 nodded, came up to the giant golden ball and gently touched it with her finger.


    As if a restless beast was hypnotized, the sophisticated device instantly ground to halt.


    The pleasant melody inside the giant golden ball had also stopped at once.


    ¡°A powerful data processing device with multiple layers of security.¡± As Raven 12345 explored the internal of the ball with her unique method, she asked, ¡°How many ports are there for the Gilded Discs?¡±


    ¡°Twelve,¡± Hao Ren replied. ¡°All the waistline. But it is not certain whether all Gilded Discs must be installed.¡±


    ¡°So there are at least twelve Gilded Discs. You have found three so far, and the other nine are likely to be in the Umbral Realm or have been blown away somewhere.¡± Raven 12345 softly tapped the metal plates of the giant ball. ¡°I can¡¯t see the internal. Give me a minute, I am going to bring in an assistant who you will get to know her soon.¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian became curious about who the neurotic goddess would bring.


    Suddenly, a shadow enveloped the space.


    Clouds came out of thin air and gathered above them from all directions. Lightning and aurora-like ray storm began to dance as thunders rolled. Soon, a maelstrom began to form. As the vortex spun, it developed into a funnel-shaped door. Behind the powerful energy, the door was a terribly strong existence. This existence had traveled through multi-universes as well as world barriers, and it was about to come to this world.


    Goosebumps had popped up on their skins. At first, Hao Ren and Vivian thought that it must some being as funny as Raven 12345 herself. But the phenomenon had them watching in awe. A dozen-meter-tall giant god was probably behind this unique effect, they thought.


    While they were pondering, the dark clouds and thunderstorms suddenly subsided. An unknown living being with only the size of a palm fell out of the sky right onto Hao Ren¡¯s head. Hao Ren heard a voice talking on his head, ¡°Croak! What¡¯s the hurry? I was just taking a walk near the Void Bridge. Wow! That¡¯s a huge golden egg!¡±


    Shocked by the thing that dropped on his head, Hao Ren frantically swept it off his head. ¡°Holy moly! What the hell is this?¡±


    ¡°Croak? Have I just landed on someone¡¯s head?¡± The small voice screamed and quickly got off Hao Ren¡¯s head. Upon a closer look, Hao Ren saw what it was and shocked. It was a palm-sized tiny girl.


    The tiny girl dressed in a black dress, was small and delicate, with a long, shiny purple-black hair sparkling with lights. She was like a scaled-down human girl of only a dozen centimeters tall.


    This tiny girl, who fell out of the thunderstorm, as the helper Raven 12345 had called in.


    ¡°Is this the helper you¡¯re talking about?¡± Vivian asked, baffled by the unknown creature that fell out of the sky.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Raven 12345 nodded. ¡°Allow me to introduce; she is Maggie, a crow-goddess, and powerful multi-world traveler.¡±

 Chapter 1086 - Vivian’s Mission

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Maggie, the tiny girl was floating in the air. She stared at Hao Ren and blinked as Raven 12345 happily introduced her. Her face was filled with curiosity, and her bright eyes were full of boldness and inquisitiveness.


    ¡°Croak!¡± The tiny girl greeted him enthusiastically with her arms akimbo. She would habitually make the croaking sound every time she spoke. ¡°I am Maggie! I know you, you are Hao Ren, the demolition man!¡±


    Hao Ren was dumbstruck by another epithet. ¡°This again¡ª¡±


    ¡°It is just an epithet,¡± Raven 12345 immediately cut in, interrupting Hao Ren. ¡°Going around the universes, you need a loud name.¡±


    Hao Ren knew who gave him this perverted epithet. Glaring at Raven 12345, he said, ¡°Is this really necessary?¡±


    The goddess turned her head away and looked into the sky, pretending not to hear.


    ¡°She is¡­¡± Vivian broke the silence and pointed at Maggie. ¡°She¡¯s also a god-goddess? A real god?¡±


    The grand entrance of Maggie was still vivid in Vivian¡¯s mind. Raven 12345 would not call the tiny girl crow goddess for nothing; she must be a true god to be worthy of that title. But Vivian was not so sure: she had not seen any goddesses so small! The palm-sized girl was even shorter than Lil Pea even with her hands and legs stretched straight.


    Raven 12345 just nodded. ¡°The crow goddess is the god of storms and shadows, also the god of dimensional phenomena and messengers. Though very tiny, she is a true goddess responsible for conveying information between universes and diverting the multi-cosmic grid. I have known Maggie for thousands of years. When she just hatched from the egg, we both¡ª¡±


    The crow goddess immediately jumped to her feet. ¡°Croak!¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian¡¯s jaws dropped on the ground, speechless.


    He stared at Raven and the crow goddess. ¡°You two got together because of you both are the same species?¡±


    The goddess, the bigger one, arched her brows. ¡°Raven is a military title! I am not coming from a crow!¡±


    But that did not stop Hao Ren from imagining. ¡°Despite from the same crow species, you two are so different in body size. So are you two belong to the rank of raptor in Xi Ling Celestials?¡±


    Without a word, Raven 12345 rolled up her sleeves and about to come at him. ¡°Stand still, I¡¯m going to give you a buff!¡±


    Hao Ren stopped from irritating her further. He quickly pointed at the giant ball in the air. ¡°Let us talk about that thing!¡±


    As if broad-mindedness was part of her neurotic personality, Raven 12345 quickly put the anger at the back of her mind. Turning and glancing at the golden giant ball, she pouted at Maggie. ¡°The crow goddess is an expert in break-ins and intelligence-gathering. Aside from hellish places like the Plane of Dreams, there¡¯s no place in the void where she can¡¯t get into. I invited her over to help study the core of this giant ball. She should be able to figure out this thing without damaging it.¡±


    Maggie¡¯s attention was back on the ball. She stretched her neck and sighed again. ¡°Croak, that¡¯s a big egg!¡±


    Hao Ren was dumbfounded. ¡°Why does she keep saying that?¡±


    Raven 12345 smacked herself on the forehead. ¡°It is her ancestor¡¯s fault. They were gods who were promoted from the crows by the king of the gods, so their biggest hobby is brooding eggs ¡ª all kinds of eggs. These guys have a strange mind; in their eyes, all round things are eggs. It¡¯s too hard to explain what is in their minds. Maggie, don¡¯t think about it, this is not an egg. I promise that you will not get to eat any leaves in the next two hundred years if you try to brood it! Help me extract the information from this ball.¡±


    The tiny crow goddess croaked in disappointment. She did not say anything just looked up before flying toward the golden giant ball.


    Then she went into the giant ball just like that without any hindrance.


    Raven 12345 was unable to access the ball with her will. Same went to Hao Ren, who had exhausted all means but still unable to pry open the ball without damaging it. But, this tiny, palm-sized goddess just swaggered into it, not through the gaps the thick divine-cast metal plate.


    A moment later, strange clinking and dinging sounds came from inside the golden giant ball, as if a bunch of metal parts was being thrown into a large iron bucket.


    Worried, Hao Ren asked, ¡°Is that normal? It sounds scary.¡±


    ¡°Do you know what I am thinking?¡± Raven 12345 bent her slim finger tapping her chin. She did not directly answer Hao Ren¡¯s question. ¡°The goddess of the Plane of Dreams spent several thousand years to create the Creation Engine. When the deicidal war broke out, her engine was almost finished. She did not put this most vital core into the engine but left it to her descendant. There was only one reason she did this.¡±


    Vivian was nervous. ¡°What was it?¡±


    ¡°Let her descendant finish what she has left off,¡± Raven 12345 said, looking at Vivian. ¡°She knew that she was going to die and that she was not going to complete the Creation Engine. But the goddess insisted on building it until her last breath. She was determined to finish her plan. So she created a descendant with her own divine blood and then sent the descendant and the core of the Creation Engine to another universe. Her purpose was clear.¡±


    ¡°Let me finish it?¡± Vivian¡¯s eye wide opened. ¡°How am I going to do that?¡±


    ¡°That, I have no idea,¡± Raven 12345 threw her hands up. ¡°I am just giving you an idea. For now, you might not have the ability to finish the Creation Engine, but the Goddess of Creation had faith in you when she left the ball to you. At least, it seems so.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Vivian, stunned. How is the pauper going to accomplish a project as massive as this? he thought. This pauper had been living in poverty for the last 10,000 years. All the wealth she had since the invention of money was not even enough to build a toilet, let alone the Creation Engine.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see things from another perspective,¡± Raven 12345 said. ¡°Now, we know that it was the Goddess of Creation who sent the engine core and Vivian to the Surface World. What are the reasons that are preventing Vivian from completing this engine?¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment and came up with three reasons. ¡°One, she¡¯s forgetful, which will lead to her forgetting her mission; two, her strength is declining, which will lead to her failure in completing the mission; and three, I think because she¡¯s poor.¡±


    Raven was speechless.


    ¡°That is to say, these three factors were things that the Goddess of Creation did not foresee. Or in other words, these three factors are there to disrupt the action of the goddess,¡± Raven 12345 said. ¡°There must be a force hostile to the Goddess of Creation, probably the same ¡®whispering voice¡¯ that influenced the treacherous children to kill her in the Plane of Dreams. This force has put three shackles on Vivian. The purpose is clear¡ª¡±


    Hao Ren looked up at the golden giant ball. ¡°To stop the completion of the engine.¡±


    Raven 12345 nodded lightly. ¡°If we can figure out what this engine is for, we may be able to guess who the mastermind behind this is.¡±


    ¡°Then we should finish this thing. With our technological capability, it shouldn¡¯t be difficult,¡± Hao Ren said.


    Raven 12345 did not say anything. After a while, she gave a noncommittal reply. ¡°Let¡¯s not rush into it. We should wait and see what Maggie can find.¡±

 Chapter 1087 - Hao Ren’s Mission

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Maggie, the little crow-goddess had gone into the golden giant ball for a long time. During the entire half an hour, strange sounds came from the side of the ball: the clinking of metal parts, the sound of energy bursts, and the occasional groan from the little crow goddess as if she had hit herself and was in pain. Hao Ren would have run if not for Raven 12345 preventing him. He was now even more convinced that whoever his neurotic boss knew, they were all weird. The only reason the giant ball hasn¡¯t exploded yet is probably due to the author disallowing it, he thought to himself.


    ¡°How long does she have to take?¡± Vivian asked. The strange noises from the engine core worried her. The palm-sized goddess could have broken something. ¡°What the hell is she doing?¡±


    Raven 12345 squinted when she talked with Maggie telepathically. She then waved her hand, alleviating their concern. ¡°Maggie has found the core area and is trying to disable the security shield. Rest assured, she is an expert in lock picking. She doesn¡¯t even need to know how it works before unlocking it¡ª¡±


    Before Raven 12345 finished, a sudden whistle increasing in intensity came from within the golden giant ball. Something strange was happening!


    The surface of the giant ball had moved again, and the golden light was shining through the gaps with a strange sound before the ball came apart.


    The giant ball disintegrated, many odd-shaped metal objects blown out from the ball in all directions, hit Hao Ren directly in the face.


    He instinctively raised his hand to block the fragments, to his surprise, the pieces did not actually hit him. He opened his eyes. The metal fragments flew past and through him like phantoms. The pieces rapidly changed shape and grew larger as they were blown outwards before forming a translucent image in the distance.


    Vivian was surprised. ¡°Is it a holographic projection?¡±


    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t seem like one,¡± Hao Ren said, glancing up. At the center of the explosion, there was a bright glow. ¡°This core has indeed disintegrated, and those fragments¡ª¡±


    ¡°They transformed from material to imaginary, as if trying to demonstrate something.¡± Raven 12345 was heard saying, calmer than Hao Ren and Vivian, even during the explosion. ¡°How is my hair?¡±


    ¡°Err, still look great.¡±


    ¡°Great. Let¡¯s continue,¡± Raven 12345 said, waving her hand and pointing at the loose fragments around. ¡°Look at those things, they are components of the ball. Something never-seen-before has appeared. I guess they are the missing parts of the Creation Engine, which you can use to finish the engine. Maggie!¡±


    The tiny crow goddess jumped out from the light and came up to them. ¡°Croak!¡±


    Raven 12345 grabbed the little crow goddess and said, ¡°I know, I know. You didn¡¯t brood it, it broke apart on its own. Well done. You¡¯ve taken down its security shield. Now let¡¯s see what this thing is for. Have you got the data?¡±


    The little goddess cried in a high-pitch croak.


    ¡°Okay, let me see. Oh, yes, please don¡¯t go first. I need you to restore this thing afterward.¡±


    ¡°Croak¡­¡±


    Listening to their conversation, stunned. Hao Ren asked Raven 12345, ¡°How did you even know what she said?¡±


    The engine core had completely changed shape. It was now a group of holograms with a radius of several kilometers. The many grotesque components had turned into translucent images, flying around Hao Ren and Vivian. Vivian looked curiously, like a lost ball in high weeds. Hao Ren was a little nervous, looking at Raven 12345 and Maggie who were talking to each other rapidly. The little crow goddess jumped around and gestured with her hands before handing a small ball of light to Raven 12345 who then absorbed the ball into her body.


    Raven 12345 turned to Hao Ren. ¡°I have figured it out.¡±


    Hao Ren was delighted. He never thought it could be so easy. ¡°You¡¯ve figured out the uses of this Creation Engine?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Raven 12345 nodded. ¡°I guess. This engine has powerful data recovery and world rule-bending ability. Judging from its preprogramming, I think it has the function of reconstructing the world barrier.¡±


    ¡°Reconstructing the world barrier?¡± Hao Ren was stunned.


    ¡°Have you forgotten how the Plane of Dreams and the Wall of Reality came about?¡± Raven 12345 arched her eyebrows. ¡°I remember I told you this.¡±


    Hao Ren froze and then recalled the ancient secrets in his mind. ¡°After the two universes collided, one of the worlds was damaged more seriously than the other with the Plane of Dreams becoming the vassal universe to the surface world. The spot where the collision occurred had merged and become the unstable Wall of Reality. Reconstructing the world barrier means¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, fixing this unstable wall,¡± Raven 12345 said solemnly. ¡°It will restore the world barrier to the state before the collision. Do you know what it means?¡±


    The penny dropped. Even Vivian had suddenly understood it. ¡°The Wall of Reality and the Plane of Dreams will be separated from the surface world!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Maybe, this is the mission of the goddess of creation, and the true meaning of her ¡®returning to the balance,¡¯¡± Raven 12345 sighed. ¡°Looks like she already knew the situation between the Plane of Dreams and the surface world. She might even know the cause of the collision, so she was trying to push the Plane of Dreams away from the surface. This is an unprecedented work. I have to give her higher regard for that.¡±


    Though the goddess of creation did not receive formal education and license, she was better in every other way then the neurotic goddess in front of him, Hao Ren thought to himself. But he dared not say it out loud. Otherwise, the neurotic goddess might give him a dozen of her ¡®blessing¡¯ again.


    ¡°What if she succeeded?¡± Vivian sounded a bit nervous.


    It was mind-blowing. Never had Vivian expected her creator having such a terrific plan. Changing the trajectory of the two universes, pushing the Plane of Dreams away from the shackles of the surface world, rebuilding the world barrier, and ultimately closing the Wall of Reality for good¡ª every one of these grand plans was beyond the understanding of the mortals. Facing these problematic works, Vivian felt a little uneasy.


    But her uneasy feeling was unfounded. It was purely a natural feeling of awe of a ¡®mortal¡¯ in the face of something supernatural, something beyond comprehension.


    Raven 12345 thought for a moment before she spread out her hand. ¡°This is a great project. Once realized, the impact would be far-reaching. The mapping relationship between the Plane of Dreams and the surface world will cease. There will be no more troubles caused by the overlapping of the two universes. The space fissures will disappear, and there will be no more ¡®smuggling¡¯ and ¡®cross-border¡¯ phenomena. The stability of the two worlds will be significantly improved. There are many other changes, and it is difficult to tell you all at once.¡±


    Hao Ren blinked. ¡°Sounds like a good thing, no?¡±


    ¡°But I can¡¯t rule out the dangers, which we cannot foresee,¡± Raven 12345 said, shaking her head. ¡°I just inferred based on what I knew of this Creation Engine. But the engine is unfinished, and there is not even a technical drawing for some of the critical structures. I can¡¯t make the structure out of my imagination alone. After all, it is designed by a true god. So I am not sure if her plan is safe.¡±


    Hao Ren was even more confused now. ¡°Since you are not even sure, I should¡ª¡±


    ¡°It is straightforward, just finish it,¡± Raven 12345 said. ¡°Go to the Plane of Dreams, find a place there to complete this thing.¡±

 Chapter 1088 - The Blueprint Gallery

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The Blueprint Gallery


    From a technical point of view, the ¡°super engine¡± designed and built by the Goddess of Creation was just child¡¯s play in the eyes of Raven 12345. But Raven 12345 still needed to rely on the design of the former, because she had been facing a long-standing problem: she could not intervene with the Plane of Dreams or watch the fragile vassal universe. She could only observe the Wall of Reality from the Surface World and learn about the internal structure of the Plane of Dreams through various indirect means. As she had said herself, Hao Ren knew more than she did about the Plane of Dreams.


    She was helpless when it came to the problems concerning the Wall of Reality.


    The Creation Engine was a huge breakthrough to the problem: the Goddess of Creation had completed her observation and planning of the Plane of Dreams from the other side of the Wall of Reality. Plus, she designed this great divine artifact, which could fix the Wall of Reality. Although her design had many flaws, it was enough to make up for Raven 12345¡¯s inadequacy in the Plane of Dreams. If this engine really worked as planned, it would solve most of the plane¡¯s problems.


    ¡°I have been observing this for many years from this side of the wall, and she had been working hard on the other side as well. Though I have never met her, we were working towards the same goal; we both wanted to fix the problems between the two universes. My years of hard work is not in vain.¡±


    Hao Ren could not help but roll his eyes. ¡°The Goddess of Creation has spent thousands of years to create this ball. But what have you done?¡±


    Raven 12345 patted Hao Ren on his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ve found a talent like you.¡±


    He was speechless.


    ¡°Ahem, I will take that as a compliment,¡± Hao Ren said. He felt that he had better not argue with the neurotic goddess. ¡°Are you sure the problems will be solved when I finish the thing in the Plane of Dreams? To be honest, you just said that the core of the engine isn¡¯t complete. Even if I can produce the parts as shown in the holograms, they might not be enough to form a complete engine.¡±


    ¡°Of course it won¡¯t solve all problems, but it¡¯ll still be an achievement,¡± Raven 12345 said, looking at Hao Ren with a solemn face. ¡°I certainly didn¡¯t expect you to complete the Creation Engine, but have you forgotten that the goddess of the Plane of Dreams has made most of the engine¡¯s peripheral structure?¡±


    While saying, Raven 12345 waved her hand, an image appeared before them. At two meters squares across, it was the miniature version of the group of holograms, which was several kilometers in radius. The huge imagery blueprints had shrunk into small images floating around her. She manipulated and spun these parts and gathered them to form a weird structure. Centered on a golden ball, the structure composed of flashing ring-shaped components woven together in a crisscrossing pattern, just like a model of a galaxy but more exaggerated proportions.


    Vivian was not so sure what it was. ¡°This is¡ª¡±


    ¡°The ball in the center is the core of the engine. The outer ring structure is the blueprint that Maggie has analyzed from the core database, that is, the combination of the holograms around you,¡± Raven 12345 said. ¡°This engine core is both a functional device and a blueprint gallery. Upon activation, it will display the manufacturing drawings of 12,680 components. When these components combine, they will look like what you see in front of you. Considering that the size of the engine core is only five hundred meters, the overall size of this structure would not larger than two kilometers in diameter.¡±


    Now Hao Ren got the picture. ¡°According to the guardian giant, the Creation Engine is a planet about the size of Earth. So even I put everything here together it would only be a small part of the whole.¡±


    Raven 12345 nodded. ¡°You have found the core, but it seems that even this core is an unfinished version. I suggest that you finish it, then go to the Plane of Dreams, find the Umbral Realm, and salvage the engine part that the Goddess of Creation has built. If all goes well, you only need to combine the two parts together. Though I don¡¯t know what will happen, I think something should happen after that.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment. Sounds like the whole process made sense. But he still felt it unreal. Was it really that simple? He thought.


    ¡°It¡¯s not really that simple,¡± Raven 12345 immediately waved her, knowing what was in his mind. ¡°Now, calm down. Think about your trouble-making ability, and the Umbral Realm that has not been found until now, and the hidden hand behind the death of the Goddess of Creation. So, have you calmed down?¡±


    Hao Ren reached to touch his chest. ¡°As cool as a cucumber.¡±


    ¡°Good. Keep it on,¡± Raven 12345 said and patted Hao Ren on his shoulder again; much more forcefully this time, nearly planting him in the ground. ¡°My advice to you is to take one step at a time and do whatever you can. After all, the biggest clue you have at hand now is this crippled-version of the engine core. Can you think of another way besides building it?¡±


    Hao Ren could not argue. He knew that the deadlock in the Plane of Dreams had been going on for too long. Now, even if Raven 12345 did not say it, he would try to make things happen by starting the core.


    He solemnly nodded. ¡°I will work on it.¡±


    He then asked shamelessly, ¡°But you have to provide some technical support at least? Of course, I¡¯m not talking about explosives, but real technical support. How can you expect me to finish it when I can¡¯t even understand it?¡±


    ¡°In fact, it is not as difficult as you think.¡± Raven 12345 obviously has something in mind. Raising her right hand, a clear crystal at an inch long with blue and white lights dancing on the inside condensed in the air. ¡°Maggie has extracted all the blueprints from the core. They¡¯re all here. The system in CARS can handle these things, but considering the difference in technology trees, the equipment will need more time to build the Creation Engine. During that time, you could continue to look for the Umbral Realm. However, there is a problem: these blueprints only include the hardware structure of the engine frame, but not the Gilded Discs.¡±


    Hao Ren took the crystal in his hand and arched his brows. ¡°You mean, after building the core module, I need to find the remaining nine Gilded Discs?¡±


    ¡°Correct. The Gilded Discs are essential, and each Gilded Disc has different internal. You can¡¯t copy and paste to clone the nine discs. The only way is to find them; all of them. If I¡¯m not mistaken, most of them should be buried in the ruins of the Goddess of Creation¡¯s divine realm. When you find the unfinished Creation Engine, you¡¯ll be able to find them.¡±


    After leaving Raven 12345¡¯s ¡°heaven,¡± Hao Ren still found it surreal. Suddenly coming into contact with the truth of the Goddess of Creation¡¯s grand plan, it seemed like he had physically walked into history itself. A powerful divine artifact that could push the Plane of Dreams away from the Surface World, a drive that could change the rules of the world; this thing was truly worthy of its name: the Creation Engine. The core of the engine was now in his hand. His next step was to return to the Plane of Dreams, the engine¡¯s place of origin, to assemble it. He still could not believe that this was real.


    When this surreal feeling faded, his mind became clear. He carefully thought about the process of building the Creation Engine. Facing a powerful divine artifact that might change the trajectory of the entire Plane of Dreams, he must be careful. He was resolute in building it. Before starting the work, he realized he needed to talk to the guardians in CARS first.


    He had a lot of information to share with Muru and the others.

 Chapter 1089 - The Knowledge of the Three Giants

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren returned with a new mission. As soon as he got home, Lily enthusiastically came up to him and asked all sorts of questions. The happy-go-lucky husky was not interested in what Hao Ren was doing but more in the fun of asking and irritating him. Nonetheless, Hao Ren still patiently explained the new mission while the carefree husky listened with her eyes out on stalks.


    ¡°Wow! You¡¯re going to build a Creation Engine?¡± Lily jumped onto the sofa, her tail wagging in the air. ¡°And you have the blueprint!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a part of the blueprint, and it¡¯s not the whole engine. I¡¯m only building the core, and for the rest of the engine, I¡¯ll have to find out about them in the Umbral Realm before I can assemble them,¡± Hao Ren explained patiently. ¡°I¡¯m going to see Muru and the rest in the Plane of Dreams for this and also tell them about Mimir.¡±


    ¡°Ahh! There¡¯s still Mimir,¡± Lily said, smacking her forehead as something crossed her mind suddenly. ¡°You¡¯ve reminded me of Yggdrasil. Have you found it?¡±


    It only crossed his mind now. He immediately took out the MDT. ¡°About Yggdrasil, how¡¯s the progress?¡±


    The MDT called up a star chart, which was densely marked with a grid and ever-changing color bands. ¡°I am seeking help from the other inspectors in the galaxy and the data network of each civilization sphere. Now, they¡¯re still tracking the resonating signal. We¡¯ve found something though: the Suharr Satellite Base and several nearby civilization spheres have captured some faint signals. Galazur has also sent a message saying that they ¡®may¡¯ have tracked Yggdrasil, but the target was moving quickly and being very elusive. The radar stations in the galaxy could only capture a series of continually hopping feeds.¡±


    There was an eye-catching trajectory marked on the star chart. This trajectory covered the range of thousands of stars; it was hard to imagine that Yggdrasil could warp-jump so far in the universe dragging nine otherworldly dimensions behind it. But there was good news: as more and more radar stations joined the search, Yggdrasil began to show up on radar screens.


    ¡°We can¡¯t talk to Yggdrasil if it doesn¡¯t stop. But it has slowed down recently. So this is going to be a game of patience.¡± The MDT shook its body. ¡°We can already roughly determine its pattern of movement. Now we have narrowed down the search range as thousands of radar stations and mage tower are joining the search effort. Within two months, if not two weeks, Yggdrasil will come to a stop somewhere right under the nose of the surveillance outpost.¡±


    Hao Ren breathed a sigh of relief. Looks like he was about to catch the World Tree.


    As things were on track, he headed straight to Plane of Dreams with Vivian and Lily, who was too restless staying at home.


    Near the planet Tannagost.


    Crapple Research Station, CARS, was shining like an eternal lighthouse in space. The Capulum Vitae in the lower section of the space station was continually keeping an eye on the light-gold planet below. The eye, a bright-blue spot with a red dot in its center was clearly visible when looking from the pale-gold world. Zormians who were reborn on this planet now called CARS the Heavenly Ark, by which they evacuated from the home planet of fire and resettled in the planet. They regarded the Capulum Vitae on the ark as their elder brother, because they knew that their long-time guardian had been reborn and living an eternal life in the Capulum Vitae. Even though the First Born had lost its bodily form and could no longer be in contact with humans like in the past, the Zormians still knew that the guardian of life was with them.


    This was a spiritual pillar, similar to religious beliefs, but more pragmatic, supporting the Zormians through the toughest time of the reconstruction.


    The ecological adjustment process of Tannagost had almost been completed. The lifeblood containers where Zorm, the First Born lay had become thousands of life springs on the planet. The new ecosystem was booming, and flora and fauna restored from the gene repository had sprung up like mushrooms after the rain and spread across the planet in just a few months. Though Zorm was a young First Born, its ability to control the ecosystem was terrific. The new ecosystem was perfectly integrated with the native ecosystem of Tannagost, and thus a vibrant planet was reborn.


    Hao Ren and his entourage found the three guardian giants next to a spring of life near the north pole. The guardians were performing a routine check on the new ecosystem ion the cold regions today. Seeing the arrival of Hao Ren, Muru and the other two guardians stopped what they were doing. They were told beforehand the coming of Hao Ren and what he would bring them.


    Lemendusa had flattened an enormous stone platform next to the spring of life, where the guardians put their observation instruments and made a rest area. This platform might become a sacred ruin or tourist attraction in the future, but for now, Hao Ren regarded it as a meeting place.


    He first took out the Godslayer. ¡°This is the sword that killed the Goddess of Creation. It¡¯s just a tool. The real murderer is still at large, so keep calm.¡±


    Surprisingly, Lemendusa and the other giants did not overreact despite their confusion and anger. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see it in this circumstance,¡± Muru said.


    Meanwhile, Lemendusa let out a soft sigh, which was as strong as a gust of wind. ¡°This sword looks so unassuming,¡± he said.


    Hao Ren looked at the three giants in surprise. ¡°I thought you would be mad seeing this stuff.¡±


    ¡°There is no one more rational than we do in this universe,¡± Heve said as she looked down at Hao Ren. ¡°And we are not so irrational to put the blame on a weapon. Venting on a tool while being inept against the enemy is something only a coward would do.¡±


    At this time, the Godslayer awakened by Hao Ren found itself in front of strangers in a new environment again. He greeted them with enthusiasm, ¡°Oh, hello, my name is¡ª¡±


    Without waiting for him to finish, Hao Ren interrupted, ¡°Stop bragging about your long list of epithets.¡±


    The Godslayer quickly bit his lip. ¡°My name is Householder Stabber.¡±


    Hao Ren was once again speechless.


    The freaking idiot had just said something it should not have said.


    Muru¡¯s eyes sharpened up. ¡°This sword has a soul?¡±


    Hao Ren quickly explained, ¡°I just wanted to tell you this: this sword does have the ability to think, but its circumstances are a bit special. When the deicidal war broke out, it was still in hibernation.¡±


    Hao Ren explained it to the three guardians to prevent any misunderstanding. After all, an unconscious tool was innocent. Secondly, he hoped that the knowledge of the three guardians could be of help.


    The peculiar Echo Wall was terrific. This was the culprit that caused the treacherous child and the demon hunters to go mad. It was also the mind of the Godslayer. This unusual phenomenon could be the clue to finding the real culprit behind the conspiracy: transforming a part of the universe into a weapon and infusing it with the power of the Echo Wall. It was impossible to not leave a trace behind with such a loud action. Except for the Goddess of Creation, Muru and the other guardians were the oldest beings in this universe. Perhaps they could figure out something from the origin of the Godslayer.


    ¡°Echo?¡± Lemendusa frowned and exchanged a look with Heve. ¡°As far as we can remember, there hasn¡¯t been any life form that thinks in this way, and no one has ever created this form of artificial intelligence. There is also no such information in the database on the life of the universe.¡±


    Muru¡¯s brows knit together and remained silent for a long while. He suddenly broke his silence. ¡°I have never heard of this ¡®echo¡¯ too, but it reminds me of something else. Do you still remember the ancient race called the Denizens of the Stars?

 Chapter 1090 - The New Gate Plan

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°The Denizens of the Stars?¡± Surprised to hear Muru mentioning this mysterious race, Hao Ren asked, ¡°You think they¡¯re the masterminds of the deicidal incident?¡±


    Muru shook his head. ¡°That is not what I mean. As you know, we know very little about the Denizens of the Stars so we cannot come to a conclusion. But the Echo Wall has reminded me of something. You must still remember that we once said that all investigations of the Denizens of the Stars had come to nothing. The only information about them was this line, ¡®The Denizens of the Stars come from the deepest part of the universe, and their place is screaming with the sound of darkness.¡¯¡±


    Hao Ren blinked. Of course, he remembered this part, which Lemendusa told him about. However, the race that said this and knew the Denizens of the Stars had disappeared. This was the only clue about ancient energy beings. The sound of darkness? This term caught Hao Ren¡¯s attention.


    ¡°The sound of darkness, the sound of whispers, the echo wall. Are these just a coincidence?¡± Muru looked down at Hao Ren. ¡°Together, these words make me think that there is some hidden connection between them. Like you have said, the Godslayer is a piece from our universe of millions of years ago. During that time, our guardians had not yet been born, but some powerful guy had made this sword, injected it with the power of the Echo Wall, and triggered the whispers in the soul of the mortals. The Denizens of the Stars are the oldest life in the universe. They existed when the sword was made. So in the old proverbs, the ¡®voice of darkness¡¯ of the Denizens of the Stars reminds me of something¡ª¡±


    Lily chimed in abruptly. ¡°So you think the voice of darkness is the voice of whispers, and the Denizens of the Stars are the voice of darkness. At least they are so related.¡±


    Muru was silent for a moment and shook his head. ¡°All pieces of evidence point to this. But if this is the case, how could we explain the Denizens of the Stars coming to the rescue when the catastrophe struck?¡±


    Lily thought for a moment and said, ¡°Maybe they were just pretending. Or maybe their bad joke had wrong and tried to cover their back.¡±


    That might be oversimplified, but it did make sense. Though Hao Ren did not want to have any prejudice against them for they had saved many lives before, he had to admit that under this inference, the Denizens of the Stars were suspects.


    The voice of whispers, the echo wall, the sound of darkness: these three terms became the cobweb that implicated the Denizens of the Stars.


    At this moment, Heve, who had been silent all this while, spoke with a calming voice. ¡°We can¡¯t prejudge anything. After all, that mortal race did not even see the Denizens of the Stars until the day they died. This words could only be a religious reverie. The words of my mother suddenly come to mind.¡±


    Suddenly there was a silence. Lemendusa asked, ¡°What did mother say? How come I don¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°That was just a casual conversation. When we were talking about the mysterious life in the universe and the Denizens of the Stars, mother said: ¡®They are very lonely but trustworthy. If something happens, whatever it is, you have to remember my words; they are trustworthy.¡¯ But I didn¡¯t know that there was such a deep meaning to her words.¡±


    Everyone looked at each other; Heve certainly did not intend to conceal what the Goddess of Creation had said. She only remembered this casual conversation with her mother when everyone became suspicious of the Denizens of the Stars now. But this information was significant.


    ¡°It seems that we must be more cautious with the Denizens of the Stars,¡± Lemendusa said. ¡°But before we find those ¡®hermits,¡¯ we need to keep our eyes open.¡±


    ¡°Then leave this matter aside,¡± Hao Ren said and tucked the sword away. ¡°Do you know a guardian giant called Mimir? He is in my universe.¡±


    ¡°Mimir?¡± Lemendusa was surprised as if he knew something. ¡°I know three compatriots named Mimir. One was a warrior, but he died in the early days of the war. Another one was an orbit guardian of the Gate of Solenne, and he was also dead. The last one is a great man, the first of us to be born, known as the ¡®wise man who stares at the stars,¡¯ responsible for coordinating the monitoring information of all habited planets in the universe, and the caregiver of mother¡¯s garden. He disappeared after the war broke out 10,000 years ago. I thought he had died on the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°That seems to be him,¡± Hao Ren said, gently clapping his hands. ¡°He didn¡¯t die, but he came to Earth together with the many otherworldlings through the Wall of Reality. I think he has some kind of mission, but like other otherworldlings, he has lost his memory under the influence of the Sin of the Divine Blood.¡±


    As he spoke, he let the MDT turn on a hologram with Mimir¡¯s photo in it.


    ¡°Oh, my mother!¡± Lemendusa cried, seeing Mimir¡¯s head in the hologram. ¡°How did our brother become like this?¡±


    ¡°It was an experimental accident. Mimir¡¯s body was destroyed, but his head was still fine,¡± Hao Ren explained. ¡°He¡¯s forgotten everything about the Plane of Dreams, so I¡¯m going to arrange you all to meet. But I can¡¯t bring him over to the Plane of Dreams. At least not at the moment. I have a more suitable place, where you may be able to talk face to face and don¡¯t have to worry about putting too much pressure on the Wall of Reality.¡±


    Muru asked in an eager tone of voice, ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°I have consulted my superior, and her advice is a place in our universe called the Scarred Nebula. It is a scar in the universe, a large tear in the Wall of Reality that has happened many years ago, situated between two universes, where the two universal rules have formed a dynamic balance there. It will be safe to meet there.¡±


    In fact, using the Scarred Nebula as a new bridge between the Plane of Dreams and the surface world had long been in his mind. His intention was more than letting the guardians meet. Currently, the only channel that Hao Ren could use to travel between the Plane of Dreams and the Surface World was the rift below the Siberian Andrea Castle: a known stable passage. But, the size of this passage was small. Even though he had used various dimensional equipment to reinforce and expand the rift, transporting large goods through it was still a problem.


    His work had come to the stage where he needed an army of helpers, sort of, to complete his missions. He had to face epic events, which sometimes called for the mobilization of an army. Transferring such a large number of people to the Plane of Dreams would destabilize the Wall of Reality. So he urgently needed to open a new stable passage.


    After consulting with Raven 12345, they agreed that the Scarred Nebula was the best choice. Even though the rift had now stabilized and calmed down, there was still a connection point in the inside, where he could open a gate.


    Of course, this gate would only allow Hao Ren to transport ordinary personnel and resources. Considering the unique nature of the guardian giants, they could not cross the Wall of Reality. So Hao Ren would build an exclusive zone, which would be equivalent to a safe island between the two universes in the Scarred Nebula. That way, Mimir, Muru, and the other giants could meet.


    Raven 12345¡¯s technical support had played an important part here; of course in a non-explosive way.


    ¡°We are counting on you,¡± Lemendusa said. ¡°We will go wherever it takes.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Not a problem. But I still need some time to open this gate. I need to wait for the Wall of Reality to be in its most stable condition before I can open the connection. The next cycle is about one month from now. Before that, you can go chat online. Here, this is a special communication device.¡±


    While saying, he took a silver-white, cube-shaped device out of his dimensional pocket and handed it to Muru.


    ¡°Mimir has the same device as yours. It is custom-made for demigods like you all to filter out the interference when you talk to each other and thus eliminating the pressure on the Wall of Reality. Go and give it a try. Mimir should be online now.¡±


    Carefully holding the communication device with his two giant fingers that were as large as the pillar in a palace, Muru said, ¡°Do you have a bigger one?¡±


    ¡°Ahh! I didn¡¯t realize it.¡±

 Chapter 1091 - Engine Factory

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Although the size of the communication device was a little problematic for the giant to handle, the connection with Mimir was successfully established. The old giant was in the Athens Sanctuary busily overseeing the operations of the Shadow Council. Files were floating around Mimir and pens were writing on the papers. There was even a laptop with a pair of invisible hands typing on it. Obviously, Mimir was catching up with the times.


    ¡°Ahh, Hao Ren, I¡¯m sorry to let you see such a mess here. I never thought that being a Council Leader could be so busy¡ª¡± Mimir¡¯s voice was heard saying. He choked when he saw the image of the three giant figures.


    Actually, the figures did not look as huge in the eyes of the guardian giant. It was just that Hao Ren looked too small beside them. Mimir was wide-eyed, and he sounded confused, ¡°Oh, oh¡­ This is¡­¡±


    ¡°Your people,¡± said Hao Ren, moving to the front, so that Mimir could see him. ¡°I have returned to the Plane of Dreams. They are the survivors that I told you earlier. This is Muru, Lemendusa, and Heve,¡± Hao Ren said.


    Lemendusa took a deep breath as he looked at him in excitement. ¡°Glad to see you alive, compatriot. You are a wise man and brother we respect. It¡¯s a day worth celebrating! We salute you, wise guardian Mimir!¡±


    Mimir appeared a little confused. ¡°You know me?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget, he has lost his memory,¡± Hao Ren said to the three giants.


    A sense of sorrow flashed across Muru¡¯s face. ¡°You are a respectable man among us. Before the kingdom of God collapsed, you¡¯ve always been our highly respected leader and brother,¡± he said.


    Guardian giant was very different from normal creatures. Though they had male and female, they did not rely on the union of both sexes to reproduce but was born directly from the lifeblood. The endless sea of lifeblood on the Star of Creation was the seedbed of their race. This gave them unprecedented power and the closest resemblance to God and endowed them with a strange social relationship. The guardian giants had no traditional family structure such as parents and children. Instead, they were all brothers and sisters living together. They called the First Borns as their brothers.


    Therefore, the three giants regarded Mimir as the elder brother as Mimir was a few million years older than them.


    Mimir did not recognize these three giants who claimed to be his brothers and sister, but he felt a sense of geniality that he had never felt before. Their veins were flowing with the same blood though he did not know at this time. He blinked instead of nodding. ¡°Though I don¡¯t remember the world that you have mentioned, I am delighted to see my own people. Are there only three of you?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s Zorm too,¡± said Heve. ¡°Oh, Zorm is a First Born. We gave him the name. Now there are only four guardian survivors in the universe. At least that¡¯s what we know at the moment.¡±


    Their first conversation did not go too deep, Mimir¡¯s memory loss was an obstacle. Muru was talking about the ancient past of the Plane of Dreams, the goddess of creation, and the catastrophe and the reshaping of the ecosystem. Meanwhile, Mimir was talking about his 10,000 years of experience on Earth. They tried to strike up a common topic, but the gap between them was apparent.


    They were strangers, at least in Mimir¡¯s eyes.


    They hung up. Hao Ren felt that he should say something. ¡°Thing will become better. He¡¯s different from other otherworldlings; he still has some vague memories left. Maybe his memory will come back one day when you talk to him more.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. At least we know Mimir has survived,¡± Lemendusa whispered. ¡°Now let¡¯s talk about the core you mentioned before. I once had the privilege of seeing the unfinished Creation Engine. Perhaps I could be of help.¡±


    Hao Ren summoned the Petrachelys to release the engine core, which was suspended in the gravitational traction field of the Petrachelys. Maggie had already initialized the core, so now it was again in its wonderfully dynamic state. Hao Ren pointed at the ball and said, ¡°This is the thing. I think it is only a part of it. I still need to build tracks on the spheroid. We have a blueprint of it.¡±


    The golden giant ball instantly attracted the eyes ball of the three guardian giants. They could not help but stare at the mysterious sphere, which was something they had never seen before. The Creation Engine near the Star of Creation had not been completed, they had only seen the empty shell of the engine, and this core had been hidden away a long time ago.


    Even so, Lemendusa was quite sure that this was indeed part of the Creation Engine: its design and operation were precisely the same as the Creation Engine as he remembered.


    ¡°You should finish it!¡± Muru said with a serious tone of voice. ¡°Mother was doing everything she could to protect the world. We must complete her work!¡±


    ¡°I can help,¡± said Lemendusa. ¡°I used to supervise the manufacture of the components of the Creation Engine in the factory in the Gate of Solenne. I know what it takes. Just give me the blueprint. I can help you.¡±


    At first, Hao Ren had thought about using CARS¡¯ materializer, which could convert virtual images into objects. But since Lemendusa had offered to help, he had no reason not to accept the offer. The materializer might be omnipotent, but it could only rigidly follow the blueprint to synthesize the subject, and it may not be necessarily 100 % suitable for the mysterious Creation Engine. After all, the goddess of creation was a deity born in the wild, the blueprint she left behind would not be based on the standards of the three celestial systems. The first hurdle was the compatibility of the design with the CARS system. Lemendusa would be a better choice as he had experience in the manufacturing of the Creation Engine.


    The building of the Creation Engine, more specifically, the construction of the core had been finalized. Hao Ren had determined the location of the factory.


    He decided to return to the Gate of Solenne to build this divine artifact.


    The Gate of Solenne, the gateway to the goddess of creation in the past, had been entirely destroyed by the deicidal war. The galaxy had fallen into the Umbral Realm during the explosion of the Star of Creation, but for some unexplained reasons, it mysteriously reappeared in the primary material world not long ago. This was also where Hao Ren rescued Lemendusa and Heve from Solenne Prime.


    Today, the galaxy was an inhabitable zone. Charred continents, torn planets, and seas of celestial debris, as well as radioactive clouds, formed the death zone. Even starlight from a distance was deflected near the Gate of Solenne. The space around here was unstable. The crack at the border of the nebula was like a dangerous ditch that swallowed everything that came near it.


    Hao Ren had chosen to set up a factory to produce the engine core here. There was a reason for this: this was the closest location in the primary material world to the Umbral Realm. In theory, it was also near to the unfinished engine body. Though he had not found the way to the Umbral Realm, he felt that the Gate of Solenne was the best bet.


    There was another important reason why he chose this location. According to Lemendusa, some critical components of the Creation Engine needed to be cast in the core of a death star. While Hao Ren thought that the plant in CARS could simulate the same environment, for the sake of safety, he decided to follow the standards set by the goddess of creation.


    After all, the divine artifact was a mysterious object. It not only required the high temperature and pressure in the core of death star for fusion to take place to make the engine core, but death star itself might have some symbolic meaning.


    There was nothing left at the Gate of Solenne except dying stars.

 Chapter 1092 - Hao Ren’s Grand Construction Plan

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The Gate of Solenne.


    Destroyed by war, this ancient galaxy was silent. Those space pilgrims and ancient creatures who used to occupy this galaxy had become ashes 10,000 years ago. The only thing that was left was debris floating around. Suddenly, in the dead space between the wreckage, a warped space rift suddenly opened, and a giant golden spaceship emerged from the endless darkness.


    Looking like a weirdly long shuttle, the spaceship was dotted with elegant arcs and cages on the outside, magnificent and graceful like a golden temple floating in space. It was the most eye-catching object in the war-torn galaxy, even overshadowing the Petrachelys, the silvery-white spacecraft flying beside it. Even though the Petrachelys had vastly superior technology, the difference in size was still hard to ignore.


    After leaving the state of warp flight, the two spaceships began to decelerate. When they finally stopped over Solenne Prime, the Petrachelys immediately examined the condition of the golden spacecraft. Sitting in the captain seat in the flight deck of the Petrachelys, Hao Ren was listening to the report from a blond girl in a hologram. ¡°This is the golden mothership Pattianne. The spaceship just completed a self-diagnostic procedure. All systems are running normally. The additional control chain is in normal condition, the control of the spacecraft is perfect, the power core has passed the high load test and returned to the low load state. It is freaking awesome!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s enough. You have said it a thousand times. I¡¯ve got it.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand while shooting the blond girl in the communication screen a sideways glance. The blond girl was none other than the MDT in a girl image. ¡°Why are you in this form?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°Because I have my own spaceship now!¡± The MDT replied, sounding proud. ¡°A change of emoji to signify that I am awesome.¡±


    Speechless.


    Nolan emerged in another hologram. ¡°Whatever. At least that guy won¡¯t fight with me for the control of the host.¡±


    Speechless.


    Hovering in the upper orbit of Solenne Prime and under the command of the MDT, the golden battleship opened its rear section as a group of silver-white engineering ships emerged from the garage. They all followed the procedure flying into space. Meanwhile, a 500-m golden ball was floating out of the dimensional garage of the Petrachelys, guided into orbit by a dozen autonomous robots with gravitational traction beams.


    And when the golden ball was finally in orbit, the three guardian giants came out of the Petrachelys. They moved in space without any equipment, as if walking on solid ground. Muru looked up at the magnificent Pattianne, his voice was heard over the radio. ¡°Never have I thought that we would have this rebellious weapon for our own use.¡±


    Smiling, Hao Ren said, ¡°It¡¯s for a practical reason. The Petrachelys has only limited conversion potential. It can¡¯t become an engineering ship, and it is also too much trouble to build a new spaceship. Since we have this big guy with us, why not make good use of it?¡±


    Lemendusa nodded in space. ¡°It is fine. Guardians are not a stubborn race. Not to mention that weapon itself is guiltless, seizing the enemy¡¯s weapon is considered a glory. But, sigh, forget it. It is not the right time to talk about this now.¡±


    When Hao Ren decided to set up an engine factory at the Gate of Solenne, the MDT had immediately come up with a series of construction plans, including the required engineering equipment and the expected project tenure. Due to the complexity of producing the components of the Creation Engine and Hao Ren¡¯s insistence on following the original production process laid down by the goddess of creation, he needed to build more large factories and death star furnaces, which meant the Petrachelys processing plant was inadequate.


    Mobilizing the drones in remote areas to help build the factory would be too troublesome.


    So Hao Ren turned his eyes on the golden battleship. Parked next to the CARS and had never been used so far, it came in handy.


    The spacecraft built by the treacherous children was primitive compared to the Petrachelys, but it was one of the most advanced spaceships in this universe. For use as a transport ship and an engineering platform, it was more than capable. Hao Ren had carried out a series of modification to the spaceship. He stuffed the garage with building modules and automatic production lines and removed the large but useless facilities such as two worship places with magnificent sculptures and a ballroom. He then installed a space expansion equipment and stuffed more factory modules in it.


    He had turned a military spacecraft into an armed engineering ship.


    The engineering and autonomous robots from the Pattianne were busily at work. Some were placing gravitational anchors in space as piles for factory construction. Some had flown far out to the broken celestial bodies to build assembly shops. Some carrying large building units to the distant faint stars to make furnaces. The building units had studied the blueprint Lemendusa provided and guaranteed that the first forge would be up and running within a week.


    The most critical components of the engine core would be molded inside the forging furnaces. Though the MDT had no idea why these parts had to be built in the dying stars, Hao Ren believed that this might involve causality and symbolic rituals. He decided to follow the production processes to the letter.


    After all, there was only one core. Hao Ren could not tolerate defects, however slightest, for the sake of convenience.


    While the construction machinery was at work, Hao Ren came on to the surface of Solenne Prime. Together with him were three guardian giants.


    They landed beside a collapsed ancient shrine with scorched earth in the surroundings. The shrine was backed by a magnificent mountain, which was now almost cut in half. Falling rocks had rolled down the hill and buried one-third of the shrine in earth and stones.


    Standing on a boulder, Hao Ren watched as autonomous robots busily worked in the ruins.


    These autonomous robots were not the ones that the Petrachelys had just released. These units had been here a long time ago. When Hao Ren left the Gate of Solenne back then, he had left behind a building unit and a simple portal. Now the building unit had become a factory. The autonomous robots produced by the factory were exploring the secrets under the ruins, and some had even set off for other planets to expand their activities. Hao Ren did not foresee that he would one day come here for a large construction project. So the small production line he had left here was obviously not adequate for his current need.


    These autonomous robots were now connected with the just-completed factory in space. They formed a robust network and were ready to take on the next step of construction work on the planetary surface. Initially, Hao Ren had no reason to build anything on Solenne Prime, but since he was already at it, he might as well make it bigger. Just like the time he created the drone cluster in space, he was going to build a massive fort on the ruins.


    Solenne Prime was set to become his second base in the Plane of Dreams other than CARS.


    ¡°I will stay here to supervise the construction of the death-star forge and help you complete the assembly of the engine core,¡± Lemendusa said. Looking at the mechanical squids flying around the ruins, he said with a low but powerful voice, ¡°Muru and Heve will look after Tannagost.¡±


    ¡°It is a tough here compared to Tannagost,¡± Vivian said. ¡°You can always go back during the downtime.¡±


    Lemendusa shook his head. ¡°I won¡¯t. I¡¯ll stay here and clean up the temples and rebuild my mother¡¯s palace, brick by brick. This way I can kill time while meditating.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll leave you a shuttle that suits your needs, and a limited authorization of power so that you¡¯ll be able to access the factories as well as laboratories here. Call me if you have any problem,¡± Hao Ren said.


    The voice of the MDT suddenly sounded in Hao Ren¡¯s head. ¡°Buddy! Galazur, the Dragon Queen, sent a message; the ¡®hunter¡¯ has found Yggdrasil!¡±

 Chapter 1093 - Wuyue Is Drunk

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The voice of the MDT stunned him a bit. ¡°Yggdrasil? So fast? Didn¡¯t you say it would take a couple of weeks?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s slowing down faster than expected,¡± the MDT said. ¡°The guardian of the Chattar Civilization Sphere found it stopping next to a dying star. It probably wants to draw energy from the star. Now the inspector of Chattar Civilization Sphere, Anthony, and Galazur, have sealed off the area. But they did not engage Yggdrasil as you¡¯ve instructed.


    ¡°Good. The First Born could act irrationally if it feels threatened,¡± Hao Ren said, exhaling. After tracking it for so long, the inspectors had finally cornered the lost First Born. For the first time since the hunt started, he could breathe a sigh of relief, somewhat. Yggdrasil¡¯s dimensional chain contained a vital piece of information, which he needed. He could not afford to make any mistakes.


    ¡°It seems that you¡¯re going to leave,¡± said Lemendusa. ¡°You have a heavy responsibility on your shoulder and are always busy.¡±


    ¡°Other than Mimir, there are other guardians in exile in my universe,¡± Hao Ren said, looking up at Lemendusa with a smile. ¡°We are tracking another guardian. If all goes well, maybe I can bring a new friend to Zorm.¡±


    As the matter was of most urgency, he did not have much time for civilities. He left a series of instructions for the space factories. He had also made sure that Lemendusa had all the necessary things he needed to work before he set off for Earth. Unwilling to part with the Pattianne, the MDT was dragging its feet for a moment. This PDA with a large brain hole had regarded itself as the central computer of the battleship.


    Reluctantly, the MDT switched the Pattianne into automatic mode before he followed Hao Ren and left. When Hao Ren captured this rebel battleship, he had dismantled its central computer. During the modification, it was Nolan who supervised the new computer installation. This new central brain was enough to handle the rest of the work.


    In fact, the Pattianne did not need the assistance of external AI to work. The only reason the MDT insisted on piggybacking on the central computer was that it thought it was cool.


    Hao Ren had to get home and bring some helpers before departing to meet Galazur. After all, the one he was dealing with was a First Born. Some high-DPS weapons were necessary.


    Y¡¯zaks had been idling at home, spending all his time with her daughter collecting old appliance. He would soon deserve a place in the nursing home if he continued dawdling his life away like this.


    A flash of bright light later, Hao Ren, Vivian, and Lily arrived home in the living hall. The Nangong siblings were occupying the most prominent space in the living room as if they were studying something. In the form of a sea snake, Nangong Wuyue coiled herself up on the floor with her body swaying in the air. Nangong Sanba, meanwhile, was sitting leg-crossed on a chair opposite his sister, blowing an out of tune music with a strange flute while swaying his head side to side. They were entertaining themselves out of boredom.


    ¡°My brother, are you a retard?¡± Nangong Wuyue could not bear listening to the ¡°music¡± anymore, raising her tail and striking the flute off Nangong Sanba¡¯s hand. ¡°Do you really think this music has a curative effect?¡±


    Nangong Sanba still looked confused. ¡°It should work. I have studied water cleansing magic and learned from the Indian¡ª¡±


    Without waiting for Sanba to finish, Wuyue had grabbed him with her tail and spun him like a windmill in the air. ¡°I knew you have problems with this water cleansing magic! Can¡¯t you study some serious magic? Ahh, Mr. Landlord, you are back!¡±


    Only now she realized that Hao Ren was watching them.


    Looking at the siblings, Hao Ren asked, ¡°What are you doing again?¡±


    While being spun in the air, Nangong Sanba said with a loud voice, ¡°She has drunk too much detergent. I was trying to detoxify her!¡±


    Astounded, Hao Ren looked at Wuyue. ¡°Why the hell did you drink detergent?¡±


    Throwing her brother aside, Wuyue scratched her head and said, ¡°To save time.¡±


    Curiosity had gotten the best of him, and he had forgotten why he had to come back. Nangong Wuyue was using detergent to wash dishes and clothes in her stomach to save time.


    So she was drinking detergent.


    Today, she suddenly felt that more detergent would do the job faster, so she thought of a genius way: she bought two barrels of soap, two liters each, and gulped them down in one go.


    She did not realize that elemental creatures could also suffer stomach discomfort too, but it was too late. She was unable to empty her bowels in time, and she began to belch bubbles from her mouth.


    Hao Ren¡¯s jaw dropped. He realized he had underestimated the siren¡¯s creativity.


    *Burp*


    ¡°My brother said that he learned cleansing magic¡­¡±


    *Burp*


    ¡°¡­and he could detoxify me,¡± Nangong Wuyue said, burping bubbles. ¡°I was foolish to believe him¡ª¡±


    *Burp*


    ¡°It¡¯d be a miracle if his homemade magic worked, considering how half-baked he is. It¡¯s just a little snake trick he learned while he was in India!¡±


    *Burp*


    Seeing the bubbles in the air, Lil Pea jumped out of her fish tank and enthusiastically chased the bubbles.


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    ¡°Actually, it has some medical basis,¡± Nangong Sanba said, recovering from his dizziness. He climbed onto the sofa on all fours and explained, ¡°Moving the waist can stimulate the stomach, help digestion and detoxification, and then with the help of my magic¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish, Wuyue glared at him. ¡°I¡¯m better off getting a filter than relying on your magic! I¡¯m a siren, not a snake! It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll lose my siren nature and really become a snake. You should have consulted me before blowing that goddamn flute.¡±


    Nangong Sanba thought about it for a while, then clapped his hands. ¡°Ah, yes, we can try the filter! Let me get an extra-large one!¡±


    ¡°Get the hell out of my sight! Burp¡­ I¡¯ll find my own way to detoxify myself. Burp¡­ It¡¯ll get better in a few days anyway. Ah, Mr. Landlord, didn¡¯t you have something to say just now?¡±


    Only then did Hao Ren realize why he had come back. Smacking his forehead, he said, ¡°Oh yeah, we¡¯ve found Yggdrasil! I¡¯m going to see Galazur. I need¡­ err¡­ Where the hell is Y¡¯zaks?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s at the back of the house, fixing the broken tricycle. You remember the tricycle he used to carry old appliance with Y¡¯lisabet? He stepped on the paddle this morning, and the paddle snapped.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    He should have brought Y¡¯zaks out. Y¡¯zaks would lose his combat skills if he kept living a laidback lifestyle.


    Just when Hao Ren was about to go out the back door to look for Y¡¯zaks, Nangong Wuyue said, ¡°You are going after Yggdrasil, aren¡¯t you? Will you bring me this time?¡±


    Hao Ren said, ¡°You finally show some initiative.¡±


    In his mind, he actually meant ¡°Aren¡¯t you chicken-hearted?¡± But he did not say it aloud for fear of hurting her self-esteem.


    But considering her level of timidity, even if people were to say it in her face she would not have cared. She had regarded timidity as the rhythm of her life.


    Shaking her body proudly as the sea-snake scales glittering on her waist, Nangong Wuyue said, ¡°Don¡¯t you need a healer when you are on a mission? My mom is busy looking after the restaurant, so can you take me along?¡±


    What the siren maiden said made sense. In fact, Hao Ren had the same line of thought as well. He needed to bring either her or Ayesha along. After all, it was going to be a dangerous mission, and it would be stupid of him not to bring a healer. But he could not believe his ears when Wuyue offered to help, so he asked again, ¡°Tell me the truth.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve drunk too much detergent. I need to move around to help with digestion.¡±


    Once again, Hao Ren was speechless.

 Chapter 1094 - Chattar

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The living habits of the otherworldling creatures had always exceeded the imagination. One would never be able to figure out what kind of strange things these guys would suddenly come up with. Nevertheless, seeing was believing. Lily shapeshifted after eating Spicy Sticks, and Nangong Wuyue got drunk from drinking detergent. Hao Ren would proceed to swear on the statue of Raven 12345 that the siren volunteered to go with him only because she needed to stretch a little after getting drunk.


    But getting drunk on detergent? That was something new.


    Nangong Wuyue decided to tag along, so did her elder brother. Though not a master in combat, Nangong Sanba¡¯s observation, and survival skills were unparalleled. Everyone had strength. Hao Ren felt that Nangong Sanba would be of help in exploring the otherworldly dimension, which had lost contact with the primary material world for more than two thousand years.


    As for Y¡¯zaks, his decision was an easy one: since the Coldpath incident, he and Y¡¯lisabet had been completely immersed in the business of collecting old appliances for nearly two months. The father and daughter had basically collected every single last piece of old apparatus they could get their hands on in the quiet Southern Suburbs. There were not many things for them to do now.


    If Hao Ren did not keep them occupied, perhaps Y¡¯zaks was going to shift his battleground into the city.


    Except for the Nangong couples who had to look after their restaurant and Rollie who had to look after Lil Pea, Hao Ren took everyone else onboard the Petrachelys and headed to meet Galazur.


    Before setting off, they did not forget to bring a vital person: Mimir.


    This old giant would negotiate with Yggdrasil.


    ¡°To tell the truth, Mr. Landlord, I think something is not right,¡± Lily said, resting herself on the back of Hao Ren¡¯s chair on the flight deck. ¡°Do you think it is going to be all right taking Mimir to see Yggdrasil just like this?¡±


    While reading about Chattar Civilization Sphere, Hao Ren asked without looking up, ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    Lily fiddled with her fingers and said, ¡°Mimir and Yggdrasil are brothers, right?¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°Yggdrasil must be very nervous and paranoid now, right?¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°Do you think the World Tree would get mad when he saw his brother¡¯s head in our hands?¡±


    ¡°Holy moly! Nolan, stop the spaceship!¡±


    Cold sweat was trickling down everyone¡¯s forehead. As much as the husky was naive, they had to admit that Lily had an excellent discerning ability. Just when they were scrambling to find a way to make this look more amiable, the voice of Mimir suddenly sounded in their mind. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I will explain it to Yggdrasil through telepathy before he finds out my condition.¡±


    Mimir¡¯s head was now on the flight deck. Compared with his huge siblings, he did not have to stay in the cargo bay while onboard the spaceship. His head and the base that he was sitting on were much taller than a human, but he could still fit in the flight deck.


    So he had heard what Lily said and what they had discussed.


    Hao Ren glanced at Mimir. What Mimir said made sense to him. He breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Well, Nolan, keep flying.¡±


    Nolan pouted. ¡°Don¡¯t step on the brake suddenly while the spacecraft is flying. It is bad for the engine if you doing it too often.¡±


    Hao Ren laughed wryly, thinking that she should complain it to Lily. He then bowed his head and continued studying about Chattar Civilization Sphere.


    Chattar galaxy, or Chatter Civilization Sphere, was the largest and oldest area of civilization in the galaxy cluster, which was densely populated and divided into many administrative regions. A senior inspector had been overseeing this area for the past thousands of years.


    Chattar was different from other places. It did not have a unified civilization but a loosely-governed community of hundreds of races. These races originally had a common origin. Tens of thousands of years ago, before Xi Ling Celestials kept an eye on this world, a powerful humanoid had ruled thousands of star systems in Chattar galaxy. But, like most mortal civilizations, this civilization began to collapse, disintegrating into thousands of kingdoms. Their numbers declined further in the subsequent ten thousand years, leaving behind only a few hundred primitive kingdoms.


    After thousands of years of complete isolation, these primitive kingdoms had taken entirely on different paths. Some of these primitive kingdoms had re-emerged as space nations, while others still used swords and bows to fight. Some had mastered different magic powers in the new environment, while some had wholly transformed their planets into a huge steam-age factory. Among all these kingdoms, some had re-established fragile relationships, found the secrets of their ancestors through war and friction, and began to rebuild their glorious ancient civilizations, or kill each other. But still, some thought that they were the only oasis of life in the universe.


    This was Chattar, a chaotic, ancient, divided, and turbulent galaxy that filled with endlessly colorful details. Here, one could find the primitive and isolated land of swords and magic, and interstellar empire that had outposts all over the space. They all shared the same ancient lineage in DNA.


    The name Chattar derived from a former civilization. This ancient civilization that had disappeared in the long river of history called its parent star Chattar. After they entered space, they still called their parent star this name to help them navigate home. But, after this civilization fell apart, no one used this star to guide them home anymore. There was only a planet-class dying kingdom around Chattar star. This kingdom called itself the Forgotten Descendants, they were the only ¡®rightful heirs¡¯ who still preserved the history and traditions of ancient times. Their planet had the last civilization database of Chattar. But not long ago, even the last descendants of Chattar had left their old sun.


    Because the star of Chattar was dying.


    As far as Hao Ren knew, it was the intervention of a local inspector that had prevented a mass extinction event. The inspector evacuated all life on the planet. But this also meant that the last trace of the ancient civilization had also completely disappeared from their homeland. Since then, no matter what new kingdoms the indigenous creatures in the Chattar area formed, it would not have any connection with their ancestors.


    It was a sad story; a story that spanned 46,000 years, during which thousands of kingdoms had risen and fallen with countless stories of heroes and sagas. Out of all these events, there were only 728 records of them.


    But this did not include those civilizations that had died and disappeared before Xi Ling Celestials came into being.


    Putting aside the historical materials of Chattar galaxy, Hao Ren focused on the information provided by the local inspector.


    Though there were hundreds of independent civilizations within the region, they were generally grouped into a civilization sphere following the universal convention. The one who was responsible for this was the Great Sage, Anthony Alfonso. Anthony Alfonso was a mighty master of the arcane, formerly a royal court magician in a magical world in Chattar. One time after the goddess got severely drunk, Anthony Alfonso was suddenly promoted as an inspector. And because the Chattar Galaxy was adjacent to Saint Sur IV, Anthony Alfonso and the inspector of Saint Sur IV, Galazur had a pretty good relationship. The two inspectors often gave each other assistance in dealing with issues involving mutual border jurisdictions. The Galaxy Movement Order issued by Hao Ren belonged to this type of cooperation.


    This was also why when Yggdrasil stopped in Chattar, it was Galazur who sent out the alert.


    Among all the inspectors, the dragon queen was the closest acquaintance of Hao Ren, so it was easier to communicate with an acquaintance.


    As Hao Ren read till the last page of the material, the Petrachelys was arriving its destination.

 Chapter 1095 - The Seclusion of the Great Sage

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    A spatial rift that looked like a curved lens appeared, and the silvery-white Petrachelys emerged from it. Out of hyperspace, the spacecraft was now hovering in space.


    There, Hao Ren was looking at a strange star system.


    An old yellow star was orbited by 22 solid planets and three gas giants. Three of the twenty-two solid planets had signs of life, even civilizations. Guided by the navigation signal, the Petrachelys descended to a position just above a planet in the habitable zone. This planet had the mildest weather of the three life-containing planets. The navigation signal showed that Galazur and Anthony Alfonso were waiting for them on the planet.


    ¡°We have to leave the spacecraft in orbit,¡± Hao Ren said, turning to look at the others. ¡°Nolan, switch the antenna to forwarding channel. Mimir, stay online, wait for Nolan to connect to Yggdrasil and then talk to him before it fled.¡±


    As the oldest and largest pan-civilization sphere in the galaxy. Chattar was vast and complex. Its inspector, Anthony Alfonso, had an enormous influence in this area, but he was not able to reveal his identity in all places. Just as Hao Ren needed to conceal his identity to those civilizations that had not yet met the assessment standard, Anthony Alfonso remained mysterious in the eyes of most kingdoms of this region.


    Inspector Alfonso was regarded as a powerful but mysterious sage by the civilization on this planet.


    Therefore, Hao Ren could not openly land his spacecraft. Considering that this was the territory of the inspector, even if they directly went down there, there would not be any danger.


    Except for Mimir who stayed back in space, the rest of them teleported themselves to a predetermined coordinate on the planet¡¯s surface. As the teleporting halo dissipated, Hao Ren opened his eyes and found himself standing on a high mountain.


    Endless mountains spread out in front of his eyes with towering ancient trees grew on their slopes as if a sea of green waves. The ancient forest was shrouded in a green light. The magic energy carried a sign of life filled the forest. Even if this energy was only sensed from afar, it was enough to inspire one¡¯s spirit. Above the forest of life in the high blue sky was a faint magic circle of runes. Exquisite and spectacular, it was actually an enchantment near the stratosphere. This massive enchantment shrouded the forest from the sky above to the land below.


    Deep in the forest, Hao Ren saw a city hidden in the shadows of the forest, or rather a kingdom. Elegant and beautiful, the colors of the buildings resembled the colors of the forest, coupled with the interference of the magic field filling the whole area, it was hard to spot at first glance.


    Lily ran up to the large boulder not far away and looked down. After a while, she came back down and ran up to Hao Ren. ¡°Mr. Landlord! How come no one came to pick us up?¡±


    ¡°In a bit. They should be here any moment.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand and looked at the city in the distant forest curiously. ¡°The environment of the planet is very well preserved. From what I see, it should be a magic civilization.¡±


    Before his voice trailed off, a warped light curtain appeared in the distant air. A golden dragon emerged from it and flew straight in his direction.


    It was Galazur.


    The golden dragon¡¯s movement was so fast that it had reached the mountaintop where they were standing with just a few flaps of its wings. A large shadow was above them before the giant creature landed, creating strong air turbulence that nearly blew them away. When Galazur set her foot on the mountaintop, Hao Ren went up and greet her. ¡°Ahh, long time no see! Your arrival is always as awesome as ever.¡±


    ¡°Not as awesome as yours,¡± Galazur quipped, lowering her head slightly. ¡°Climb on my back, I¡¯ll take you guys to Anthony Alfonso.¡±


    They climbed onto Galazur¡¯s back, and Lily grumbled, ¡°It looks too crowded, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Vivian suddenly flipped her wings open and said, ¡°Riding on her back makes me feel embarrassed. I¡¯ll fly myself.¡±


    Galazur shook her head. ¡°Please don¡¯t feel that way. Just hold on to the bone plate on my shoulders, You can dangle from one of them.¡±


    Vivian was at a lost for words.


    They huddled on Galazur¡¯s back. The dragon queen spread her wings and launched herself into the air, flying towards the kingdom hidden in the distant forest. Hao Ren rode behind Galazur¡¯s neck so that he could talk with her. Although they could communicate via telepathy, he preferred to shout at her from behind her neck. It made him feel like he was a dragon knight.


    The romance of a man; it gave him a chance to feel as if he was no longer a dog rider.


    ¡°What is that place? It looks cool!¡± Hao Ren asked aloud, pointing at the forest below him.


    Galazur turned her head around slightly. ¡°The Elven Empire, Grandia. This planet is a rare serene place in Chattar. At least compared to the battlefield, it is much calmer. Due to the decline of civilization happened much earlier here, the environment also recovered much faster. I really like to come here for vacation. Anthony Alfonso likes the scenery here, where he settled down more than 100 years ago.¡±


    The dragon queen changed its direction, keeping herself away from the city center and flying north along the giant wooden wall at the edge of the city. ¡°The elf is the most powerful race of the planet. But to be honest, they have begun to decline in the past two years. The alliance of human and demihuman is rising in the southern continent, the traditional magic of the elves had an underlying disadvantage compared to the magic technology of the human alliance. We estimate that within 50 to 100 years, both sides will come to war. But as far as the current situation is concerned, the relationship between humans and elves is not that bad. Oh yes, Anthony Alfonso is a human, but he has been living in the vicinity of the Elven Royal City for a long time. He is a powerful ancient human magician here. Even the elves feared his magic, so they let him settle down next to their royal city.¡±


    Galazur reduced her speed and descended down a cliff at the edge of the giant wooden wall.


    ¡°He lives in the green woods down the cliff. He¡¯s a bit quirky. You¡¯ll know when you see him.¡±


    Galazur¡¯s words aroused his curiosity, but she did not elaborate further. She found a landing spot at the bottom of the lush cliff: a vast open space where a weather-beaten, pointed mage tower built of rocks stood.


    Galazur form shifted into human form and brought them walking towards the mage tower. Hao Ren noticed that the space surrounding the mage tower was not completely empty. Small magic creatures were roaming in the open area; unconscious, whirling arcane bodies; strange life forms that looked like animals but covered in magic patterns; and also restless little devils. Devils that other mages summoned might be dangerous but not by the inspectors. These little devils were submissive servants to him.


    The little devils and magical creatures surrounded them and spoke in weird voices. ¡°Hey handsome, do you want a hotel room?¡±


    ¡°Hi pretty girl, do you want to have some local specialties?¡±


    ¡°Mister, do you want to wash your car¡­ Oops, you¡¯re not driving?¡±


    ¡°Ouch, you¡¯re stepping on my foot!¡±


    ¡°Damn you. Since when does a fire elemental have feet?¡±


    ¡°Please step aside and let me have a look at the guests!¡±


    ¡°How can you see clearly when you¡¯re in the belly of a wind elemental, you idiot!¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    Right when he started to wonder if these noisy magical creatures were the quirks of Anthony Alfonso, a massive stone door at the bottom of the magic tower suddenly ground open. A young man ran out of the door hurriedly and shouted, ¡°I can¡¯t do it! Teacher, please find someone else! I can¡¯t stand it anymore!¡±


    Again, Hao Ren was speechless.


    What was the heck going on?

 Chapter 1096 - Anthony Alfonso

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Running out of the mage tower was a young man. He was about 20 years of age, dressed in a simple magician¡¯s robe. However, the thick and beautiful magic book hanging around his waist told something about the young man¡¯s unusual background. At first, Hao Ren thought that he was an elf. After all, the place was near the Elven Royal City. But after careful observation, he found that the young man, who did not have the elves¡¯ signature long ears, was a human.


    Of course, another giveaway was that an elf would not have been so ugly.


    When the young man ran out of the mage tower, it looked like a beast was chasing him, and he had almost broken down as if he had suffered days of torture. He called the person in the tower ¡°teacher.¡± Obviously, the teacher was none other than the master of the mage tower, Anthony Alfonso.


    Stunned, Hao Ren could not help but think of the quirky person Galazur had mentioned. Lily, with her sharp mind and a tendency to talk faster than she could think, mumbled to Nangong Wuyue, ¡°What has Anthony Alfonso done to this young man? Do you think I¡¯m going about it wrong?¡±


    Still burping bubbles, Nangong Wuyue said, ¡°Probably.¡±


    *Burp*


    ¡°In fact, I have the same thought too. Maybe we¡¯re not wrong.¡±


    Hao Ren shot the siren maiden a look. ¡°Looks like the four liters of detergent aren¡¯t strong enough to cleanse your dirty mind.¡±


    In fact, he was thinking the same thing too.


    Galazur listened to their strange conversations, baffled. Just when she was about to say something, a figure shrouded in lightning storm jumped down from the balcony on the upper level of the mage tower. When the lightning storm dissipated, Hao Ren saw that it was an old man wearing a black starry magician gown, hair white with a majestic face landing in front of the young man, blocking his way. The old man beat the ground with his magic staff. Hao Ren swore in the name of Raven 12345 that the staff weighed at least 30 lbs. The old man roared, ¡°You have to go through the mill to obtain the power. Didn¡¯t you know from day one? You jumped down from the green cliff without blinking an eye. Why are you giving up now?¡±


    The young man was almost tearful. ¡°I said I fell accidentally!¡±


    ¡°Oh, then I must have remembered it wrong. That one jumped off the cliff on his own was my previous apprentice.¡± The majesty old man stroke his beard. His face turned stern again. ¡°But you said you wanted power!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know what I was doing at that time!¡± Tears began to roll down his cheeks. ¡°Falling off the cliff, meeting with a hermit grandmaster who offered to teach me his ancient magic, anyone who had ever read a couple of knight novels would have done the same thing as me¡ª¡±


    Galazur suddenly interrupted. ¡°After bowing on your knee, he threw you two hundred textbooks and ten years¡¯ worth of exercises¡ªif I¡¯m not mistaken. Another poor kid was fooled into this trick. Don¡¯t be so naive to believe that there is a crash course to become a hero.¡±


    The young man was only now noticing the group of strangers.


    ¡°Ahh, Galazur, Hao Ren, I have seen you in the hologram,¡± the majestic old man said with a broad smile. Lifting his heavy staff and swinging it. ¡°The other must be your assistants. You have a famous team.¡±


    It was his first time meeting the old magician face-to-face. ¡°Ahh, no. They are not my assistants. They are my friends. Yes, they are friends.¡±


    The others still in confusion, greeted the old magician. Galazur waved her hand. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Now since they have come, you should give yourself time off from your little hobby. Just let the poor kid go.¡±


    The young people looked at the strangers in strange attire. Though he did not know who these people were, they all seemed acquaintances of the old magician. He was hopeful when he heard what Galazur said.


    ¡°Okay, go!¡± Anthony Alfonso waved is hand at the young man impatiently. ¡°But you are going to regret it. With the 30 sessions of lessons you have finished, you should be able to secure for yourself a magician position in the royal court. But don¡¯t dream of coming back for the rest of the lessons!¡±


    The young man could not care less. As if Lily breaking free the leash, he disappeared before them in an instant. It was a miracle that the young man could run so fast in his heavy robe; he might be somebody if he gave himself a little more training.


    After the young man left, Anthony Alfonso let out a sigh. ¡°Is this white-bearded grandmaster at the bottom of the cliff no longer popular now?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you think of a proper way to recruit your apprentice if you¡¯re really serious?¡± Galazur arched her eyebrows. ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen, you¡¯re just doing it for fun.¡±


    Anthony Alfonso spread out his hand. ¡°I really like the fun of it. But at the same time, I am serious in wanting an apprentice. I am short of people here.¡±


    While he spoke, he stroked his beard. ¡°What say if I ask someone to make me a divine bracelet so that I can go into the bracelet which would then be thrown on the street? Do you think I would meet someone by chance?¡±


    Being the one having the weirdest brain in the team, Lily said, ¡°Old master! White-bearded grandmaster in a bracelet is no longer the in thing now!¡±


    Surprised, Anthony Alfonso asked, ¡°Then what is the in thing?¡±


    ¡°Now cute maiden lives in ring and bracelet.¡± Lily raised her fingers. ¡°After jumping down from the cliff, they would not see an old grandpa but his grave. They would extract the power from the grave without the hassle of serving their grand master. It is more cost-effective this way.¡±


    Anthony Alfonso thought for a moment as if he really believed it. ¡°The second idea sounds no good. I just want to find an apprentice. How about the first idea? Hmmm, Galazur, are you free recently? Maybe if you can put up some makeups¡­¡±


    Galazur snorted in the face of the Great Sage. ¡°Are you done yet?¡±


    Eyes out on stalks the whole time, Hao Ren finally figured out what was so quirky about this Inspector Alfonso.


    This old man¡¯s hobby was to be an old grandmaster under the cliff, living in a ring or bracelet and such so that he could pass down his ability to others.


    Relating to what Galazur had said earlier, Hao Ren had finally understood why the young man was so desperate to leave. Unsuspecting people like the young man would usually buy into the crappy story of a grandmaster living at the bottom of the cliff, especially when they learned that the grandmaster was actually the famous Great Sage Anthony Alfonso. What was more so when they were offered the chance to learn his ability, no one would have given it a second thought.


    Reality only sank in when the horror of endless workbook exercises and lessons fell upon them.


    They were all speechless when they learned about what happened. But Y¡¯zaks had an opinion. ¡°How can one be successful if one gives up so easily in the face of difficulty? It was just some exercises. At least we demons would have taken up the challenge. Don¡¯t you think, my dear daughter?¡±


    He glanced down at Y¡¯lisabet, whose face suddenly turned pale, hid behind Hao Ren.s


    Galazur shook her head. ¡°In fact, it is not just about exercise. Anthony Alfonso also emphasizes on practice; he says practice makes perfect. That is what he asks of his apprentices.¡±


    Anthony Alfonso stroked his beard and said, ¡°It was just a few experiments, and he was not going to get hurt, let alone die. Even if people really die, I can resurrect them. It was not dangerous at all; they just couldn¡¯t endure hardships.¡±


    Cold sweat trickled down Hao Ren¡¯s forehead; it sounded dangerous enough already in his ear.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this first,¡± Anthony Alfonso said. He smiled and waved at Hao Ren. ¡°Follow me, and I will tell you about Yggdrasil. Yggdrasil has caused a lot of troubles to us, but fortunately, it has stopped. I covered it with an astral barrier to prevent it from being discovered. But I have to say, that thing is huge.¡±


    ¡°It is not ¡®it¡¯ but ¡®he,¡¯¡± Galazur corrected him. The translation plug-in Galazur used was based on the language of the dragon, and she could hear the mistake in Anthony Alfonso¡¯s words. ¡°According to Hao Ren, it is a kind of super life called the First Born, highly intelligent with a demigod soul. We can¡¯t treat it like any other magical monster.¡±


    ¡°All right, it is a ¡®he.¡¯¡± Anthony Alfonso smiled and pointed to his mage tower. ¡°Welcome to my home.¡±

 Chapter 1097 - The Tower of Anthony Alfonso

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Compared to the fascinating Netherrealm Clock Tower or the Stellar Spire, Anthony¡¯s mage tower was more rudimentary and was only less than half the size of the Netherrealm Clocktower. The design was more ¡°practical.¡± The gray exterior and the lack of lines on the spires made it look like an ordinary castle bell tower. The only place that stood out was the shape of the tower. It was forked at the top while its lower part was straight. Each fork had its own independent apex. This made it look very unstable though, in reality, it was as sturdy as an oak tree.


    Except for those weird spires, there was nothing special about the mage tower. But the simple appearance did not mean that this place was simple: Anthony¡¯s tower was built of white stones, which was held up together by a mixture of fine gold and mithril. These metals were enough to buy up a small kingdom on the continent, but the tower had stood here for a hundred years and yet no one dared to come to steal the precious metals.


    There were those who had tried to steal, but these people were now buried under the Great Wooden Wall of Grandia nourishing the forest of the Elven Kingdom.


    The old magician did not use the precious metals as cement for the look. In fact, these magical metals cast into the gaps of the stones were excellent magic conductors. They were extremely efficient in conducting the power of the magician while at the same time facilitated the many daily magic studies. Anthony was a powerful and knowledgeable royal court magician before he became an inspector. Studying the mysteries of magic and stars was his greatest hobby. After becoming an inspector, he certainly had the opportunity to continue his research. The old magician used different identity on a different planet in the Chattar galaxy. Sometimes he was a mysterious prophet, sometimes a royal court magician of a particular kingdom, and sometimes a quirky but revered master. But more often than not, he was an elusive hermit. No matter what identity he used, he would build a mage tower on wherever he went, just like this one.


    This was his habit while still being a commoner.


    The mage tower was not as creepy as people thought. In fact, other than those scary magical creatures and arcane phenomena, the tower was brightly lit. Hao Ren could see the walls of the tower were glowing in a dim light of blue or green, which was the halo effect of the magic metals in the gaps of the stones when catalyzed by the arcane environment. Anthony Alfonso was very proud of his creation. He introduced his creation while bringing them into the tower. ¡°I spent three hundred years on improving this traditional structure. I got my inspiration from the Simulated Nervous Fiber Net technology from another world and wrapped the entire tower with a three-dimensional energy mesh. These wires and the magic energy conduit embedded in the stone wall could transmit energy like blood vessels transporting blood and nerves transmitting signals and turned the tower into a giant antenna to communicate with my bases on other planets. But I¡¯m embarrassed to say that many basic technologies and resources were given to me by the goddess. There is a limit to what man could do. But guys like us, who neither grow old nor die, could achieve anything as long as time permits.¡±


    ¡°You are so much more hardworking than I am.¡± Hao Ren rubbed his head. ¡°I am not a tech person.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t belittle yourself. Many people are looking up to you. Your ability has put many inspectors to shame,¡± Anthony Alfonso said. ¡°And I¡¯m sure that your understanding of divinity is definitely better than mine. I have been an inspector for thousands of years and yet never dared to fiddle with any divine artifacts. I heard that you have a lot of supernatural stuff in your house. You even dare to dissect the demigod in the lab, which is something I would not have the guts to do in my entire life.¡±


    Twitching his mouth, Hao Ren said to himself that he too was not really willing to deal with those dangerous things. But what choice had he got?


    ¡°Tell me about Yggdrasil.¡± Hao Ren steered the topic away. ¡°How is it now?¡±


    ¡°I have never encountered creature like the First Born. But according to my observation, his condition is stable. Perhaps he is exhausted; he is reticent now.¡± Anthony Alfonso said while walking up the long spiral staircase and stroking his beard. ¡°I have a magician¡¯s hut in space. An apprentice in the hut had captured the footage of the arrival of that ¡®thing.¡¯ Poor kid, it must have scared the hell out of him.¡±


    They walked up the spiral staircase and passed through a ballroom and two unknown laboratories. The upper level seemed to be more spacious. It was not known if it was just an illusion, Hao Ren found that the higher he went, the more spacious it became. It was as if the tower was an inverted cone, but it was not.


    He suspected that this was the effect of a particular spatial expansion inside the tower.


    At last, they came to a round hall that was almost as wide as a football field. The hall had stained glass all over and dome made of obsidian. The dark and massive dome looked depressing though. On the obsidian dome were moving light spots, which were like stars in the sky or spotlights shone on the vault. But upon careful observation, they appeared like lights that flashed from inside the obsidian. Galazur said, ¡°This is Anthony Alfonso¡¯s observatory.¡±


    ¡°I said before that I used an astral barrier to temporarily shield Yggdrasil to prevent people from being spooked by it. So this is the entrance to the astral barrier.¡± Anthony Alfonso¡¯s voice reverberated in the round hall. As his voice trailed off, a dark shadow appeared at a corner of the hall before it quickly formed into a petite girl, who looked pale. The girl glanced at Hao Ren with a curious look, and then silently floated up to Anthony like a ghost.


    ¡°Teacher,¡± the girl greeted respectfully. ¡°The Star Orbit Disc has been commissioned.¡±


    ¡°This is Aylu, a student I received more than 30 years ago. She is responsible for maintaining the star-gazing platform here,¡± Anthony Alfonso said. ¡°I must say that there are not many students who can complete the studies. You have seen the runaway smatterer, so don¡¯t underestimate Aylu. Aylu, this is Mr. Hao Ren I have mentioned to you. He is a colleague of mine. These are his friends.¡±


    At first, Aylu was curious. When she heard Hao Ren¡¯s name, she stepped back instinctively as if something terrible had crossed her mind.


    Hao Ren was dumbfounded.


    ¡°I am sorry!¡± Aylu realized her rudeness and apologized immediately. But she still looked nervous. ¡°Mr. Inspector, I just¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say it. I know you have heard a lot about me.¡± With a darkened face, Hao Ren turned to look at Galazur.


    Galazur was speechless.


    Let¡¯s not forget who spread Hao Ren¡¯s epithets of Sir. Ominous, the Demolition Man, and ¡°Bomb Man¡± far and wide.


    It was an awkward moment. But it did not bother Anthony Alfonso. Probably he was confident enough, or merely thick-skinned at his age, he ignored them and ordered, ¡°Open the astral barrier. We will go to meet the big guy that we found yesterday.¡±


    Aylu breathed a sigh of relief, and then quickly went away to open the barrier. The barrier controller was on the edge of the round hall. It was a magic sphere floating in the air. At first, Hao Ren thought that it was a light bulb.


    As Aylu injected energy into the magic sphere, Hao Ren heard a strange sound in the hall, and the sound came from¡­


    It came from the obsidian dome above them!


    Under everyone¡¯s watchful eyes, many crisscrossing cracks appeared on the obsidian dome. The cracks looked like lines connecting various stars of a constellation, forming a pattern on the vault. Soon after, the obsidian began to come apart at those lines and slowly disappeared in front of their eyes.


    Real stars were twinkling in space.


    The top of the Tower of Anthony Alfonso was built directly among the stars.


    ¡°I have built a hall and connected the spatial instrument given by the administration to the tower. The tower is actually divided into two parts. The lower part is on the surface, and the upper part is near the star of Chattar, which the galaxy was named after. Though it is the most inconspicuous of the hundreds of stars here, it is the birthplace of ancient civilizations. Oh, I guess you should have known this.¡±


    That guy was no doubt a veteran employee, Hao Ren said to himself.

 Chapter 1098 - Making Contact

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Though Hao Ren and Anthony Alfonso were of the same rank, Hao Ren had to admit that there was still a gap between old and new employee. Just looking at the old magician¡¯s thousands of years of work experience; his mage tower; Hall of the Aspects; and the mind-blowing, seamless high-end map switching method, the biggest impression Hao Ren had when he arrived at Anthony Alfonso¡¯s tower was how epic it was. No matter which way he looked, it was superior to his own two-story house.


    Marveling at Anthony Alfonso¡¯s magic skills, he forgot that he had millions of drones and many outposts in deep space.


    Outside the dome was vast space. A transparent magic barrier enveloping the Hall of the Aspects maintained the gravity and atmosphere where they were now standing. Anthony Alfonso apparently was very proud of his achievements. He was bragging about the mage towers he had built between the stars though no one had asked him.


    ¡°I have built thousands of mage towers in the Chattar galaxy. Some are built on planets, and some are built directly in space. These mage towers can be interconnected and, more importantly, each mage tower has a Hall of the Aspects that allows me to easily explore the universe within the Chattar galaxy. Different Halls of the Aspects are mapped with different places. The tops of some towers may be mapped on the stratosphere of planets, and some are very far from their bases. This tower belongs to the latter. I built this tower on the sixth star of Laprany, but the Hall of the Aspects is mapped near to the star of Chattar, which is almost a hundred light years away. To be honest, sometimes I feel that the spatial mapping of these towers is a bit too messy, but I don¡¯t know how to sort it out. This is what I had achieved for the last thousands of years when I was still a hotheaded rookie who didn¡¯t know what to do with the newfound power the goddess gave me. So I have built these mess of things, which I now have no idea how to sort them out.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded as he listened. At first, he was in excitement. He thought that the old magician just had some random chat with him, but later he discovered something: Anthony Alfonso was using himself as an example to remind him. Hao Ren believed that Anthony Alfonso, one of the oldest inspectors in the universe, must have gone through many difficulties and challenges during his early years. He must have made all the mistakes that every rookie made. The old inspector was happy to share it with his peer.


    ¡°Inspector has the power that commoners could never have imagined. Sometimes we even think that we are no longer a mortal. But you always have to remember that you are not any higher than a mortal. If you are not mature and steady enough, then you are not smarter than a rookie when you make a mistake.¡± Anthony Alfonso smiled. ¡°Of course, the goddess must have her own reason when choosing her inspectors. I am in no position to judge you. I only hope that you will not make the mistakes I have made.¡±


    Hao Ren totally agreed with Anthony Alfonso. The only problem he had was what the goddess thought when she chose him. Everyone knew the goddess had a not very sane mind. Even this old magician was only selected because the goddess was drunk.


    ¡°Over there, Yggdrasil.¡± Anthony Alfonso pointed to space on the left of the Hall of the Aspects. His voice jolted Hao Ren out from his thought. ¡°Or rather, a part of it. This thing is really huge. The dimensional chain formed by the Nine Worlds is even more incredible. I still can¡¯t wrap my brain around its form and scale in the space-time rift. Oh, the main reason why I did not want to get too close is that he may run away.¡±


    Hao Ren looked up into the direction where Anthony Alfonso was pointing. He saw a huge crack or a curtain-like light strip.


    It was like a mirage floating in the universe. A series of uneven lights and shadows were suspended in the dark space, indistinctly revealing the scenery of another world, the realm of the Norse gods. That was the entrance to Yggdrasil. But it was clear that the door was in a semi-closed state. The First Born was absorbing the surrounding energy as he recuperated there.


    ¡°It sucks power from dead stars. I have observed the phenomenon, but I don¡¯t know how he does that.¡± Anthony Alfonso pointed to a spot just right below the mirage-like light strip. There, a dying star with sporadic red spots on the dark surface was suspended in space like a burned-out huge charcoal briquette. The star still emitted a faint light but was almost filtered by the magic barrier of the Hall of the Aspects. From here, everyone could only see a dark celestial body.


    ¡°The Chattar star died very suddenly. There was a rare cosmic event at that time. I called the phenomenon the sudden death of a star.¡± Anthony Alfonso shrugged. ¡°But even a dead star still contain a lot of energy. This First Born is swallowing this dead sun, which is many times larger than himself, like a greedy monster. I think it must have been as hungry as a bear after running in the universe for so long.¡±


    A faint strip of light was connecting the Chattar star to Yggdrasil, which spanned tens of millions of kilometers in length. The First Born was sucking energy from the dying star using this light strip as straw. The scene looked weird and frightening.


    Yggdrasil was demonstrating its power, which was of an entirely different level from the regular First Borns in the Plane of Dreams. Zorm could not extract energy from the sun, even if it were just a dead star.


    Hao Ren took out the MDT. ¡°Can you make contact with Yggdrasil?¡±


    ¡°The signal link of the Petrachelys is normal. We only need an antenna to broadcast the voice of Mimir.¡±


    Hearing that, Anthony Alfonso quickly said, ¡°There is a high-powered antenna here, in the Hall of the Aspects beneath us. This hall is built on a huge Hebron crystal. I usually use it to listen to the background energy of the universe and to monitor the Chattar star.¡±


    The MDT whistled ¡ª considering that this guy did not really have a mouth, it emitted a whistle sound effect. ¡°Hebron crystal? Whole chunk? You must be a victim of Fairy Void Consortium. Not really expecting a veteran could also fall prey to those conmen.¡±


    Anthony Alfonso¡¯s expression suddenly collapsed. He looked at the brick that flipped in the air. ¡°Unbelievable! The MDT that has an attitude!¡±


    Galazur turned her head and whispered to Anthony Alfonso, ¡°So you suspect it too? I suspect that our goddess must have given Hao Ren an imitated version of the MDT.¡±


    Pretending not to hear the mumbling of the two seniors behind him, Hao Ren was establishing a data link between the Petrachelys and Chattar star.


    A moment later, Anthony Alfonso issued a command to a device in the Hall of the Aspects, and the Hebron crystal under their feet slowly coming online.


    The dying Chattar star was suspended silently in space as the remaining heat released from its core had formed a wiggly, dark-red pattern on the surface. At tens of millions of kilometers away, dozens of crisscrossing cracks popped up as Yggdrasil extracted the remaining energy from the star. But this exhausted ancient creature did not notice that beneath him an inconspicuous little tower was gradually brightened up.


    The upper part of the mage tower was in space. The tower¡¯s solid shell fell off, revealing a shiny metal inner liner. This liner made of Mithril and magical energy bloomed like a flower, within which a giant crystal of 100 m across was glowing in a mysterious purple light. This mysterious mineral called Hebron Crystal was a natural energy amplifier and a resonant antenna. When it was charged, it could transmit a massive amount of information in superluminal speed to anywhere within its range.


    The spatial rift floating in the vicinity of Chattar star suddenly responded as the crystal was charging. The fine cracks in the spatial rift flickered as if they were dissipating. Yggdrasil finally noticed that someone nearby was prying into him. Despite the exhaustion, this powerful ancient creature was prepared to run again. Just as he was about to do so, a voice suddenly came into his mind.


    ¡°Calm down, my friend! It is me,¡± Mimir said.

 Chapter 1099 - The Gate of Asgard

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    As expected, when Mimir¡¯s voice was sent through the relay system, Yggdrasil froze and the spatial rift that seemed to disappear stabilized again. But the purple light in the spatial rift remained bright, albeit with a hint of hesitation. The powerful ancient creature was confused about where the voice came from.


    The MDT hovered in the center of the Hall of the Aspects, shining beams of blue light at the mysterious silver golems in the surroundings. The lower half of these mithril golems were buried in the rock beneath the Hall of the Aspects, forming a sharp cone and connected to the metal ring around the Hebron crystal directly below. A stable signal path was thus established. Mimir¡¯s voice beamed from the Petrachelys was converted into magical energy in the Hebron Crystal, and then broadcast to Yggdrasil.


    After saying the greetings, the exchanges between Mimir and Yggdrasil had gone beyond the scope of language. They began to talk in a way that was super-sensory, similar to telepathy and soul-synergy. Hao Ren did not know what they were talking about, he could only see massive data stream constantly oscillating in the monitoring channel. This data stream could transmit more information than any language in the world.


    The communication between the two did not last very long. In fact, it was only 10 seconds before Mimir switched channel and Yggdrasil stayed silently in space; he neither ran away nor open his door.


    ¡°Mimir, how is the situation?¡± Hao Ren asked eagerly.


    Mimir appeared in hologram above the MDT. The old giant appeared disturbed. ¡°The condition of Yggdrasil is a bit strange. He could recognize my voice and respond, but somehow he seemed to be more confused than before as if he was sleeptalking.¡±


    ¡°Sleeptalking?¡± Anthony Alfonso was a little curious. ¡°What is going on?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± The old giant frowned. ¡°At first I thought he only ran because he had come to his senses. But now it seems that his mind is chaotic. I tried to ask him, but he did not know how far he had run. Looks like his condition was only deteriorating fairly recently.¡±


    Hao Ren became curious about Yggdrasil¡¯s condition. He had no idea what was wrong with this First Born, but it was clear that only mighty forces could screw up the mind of this demigod. And there had been a change to this effect recently. He thought that the world tree might have a trauma when the demon hunters attacked Odin¡¯s domain two thousand years ago. He linked it with his recent battle in Coldpath and other series of events, which might have caused Yggdrasil¡¯s state of mind.


    He thought what the most significant thing he had done in Coldpath was.


    Not the battle but at the end of the fight when he took the Godslayer from the Netherrealm Clocktower.


    It felt like he had flipped a switch; everything seemed to have gone out of control after that.


    He shook his head and turned his attention back to the things at hand. ¡°So how can we open the door of Yggdrasil without spooking him?¡±


    ¡°I have tried my best to send Yggdrasil a friendly message. Now he has calmed down and is willing to accept some less serious stimulations. Later I will try to take over the entrance to Asgard and open a stable crack there so that you can pass through. But after entering the crack, no matter what you see, don¡¯t freak out. Believe me, they are all illusions. If you freak out and overreact, you will spook Yggdrasil, and he will run again,¡± Mimir said.


    ¡°What will we see?¡± Vivian was curious.


    With a low tone of voice, Mimir replied, ¡°It¡¯s hard to say, but it must be an illusion that will surprise you. Asgard¡¯s Halls of Valhalla used to gather countless heroic souls. When the demon hunters took down the barrier of the Garden of Asgard using light cannons, these souls tried to patch the breach using their own bodies. So now a large part of the barrier is made up of these souls. The souls will attack you when you cross the spatial rift. You are not going to see anything real until you reach Asgard.¡±


    Nangong Samba, who had been silent all this while suddenly spoke, ¡°So how can we be sure that we have reached Asgard instead of still immersed in the illusion of the souls?¡±


    ¡°You will see the Golden Palace of Odin. If the Golden Palace has collapsed, then you will at least see the ruins of other places in the Garden of Asgard. The souls, which used to be the slaves of the gods of Asgard, fear the majesty of their former master, they will not dare to block the glory of those palaces. When you see the Golden Palace or other ruins of the Garden of Asgard, it means that you have passed through the illusion of the souls,¡± explained Mimir.


    Vivian nodded. ¡°I know what the Golden Palace looks like. I used to be there.¡±


    ¡°Then we shall move at once.¡± Hao Ren nodded, checking his gear. ¡°Can you talk to Yggdrasil after we go in? Will this spook him?¡±


    ¡°If you are careful enough, you won¡¯t.¡± Mimir blinked. ¡°After you are in, I will keep my mental connection with Yggdrasil online and try to keep him stable. As long as you don¡¯t anything that hurts the branches of the world tree, he will not overreact.¡±


    The spatial distortion generated by the Petrachelys¡¯ warp jump might spook Yggdrasil, so Hao Ren decided not to take the spacecraft this time. Instead, they would complete the journey with the help of Anthony Alfonso.


    Dragon queen Galazur would go along with them this time.


    This was the first time Hao Ren had two inspectors joining him in operation. To be honest, he was freaking excited about it. It was about the opportunity to learn from two seniors, who had thousands of years more work experience.


    When Anthony Alfonso recited an incantation, they felt a vibration coming from below their feet. After a moment, Hao Ren saw a small, strangely shaped flying craft coming up from the edge of the Hall of the Aspects. The flying craft looked as if a large sphere of a few meters across. The lower part of the sphere was a hemispherical metal platform engraved with complicated magic patterns and secret symbols, while the upper part of the sphere was a bowl-shaped transparent shield with an annual vehicle inspection sticker.


    There were traffic laws even in the space age.


    Curiously, they followed Anthony Alfonso climbing onboard this strange little flying craft. They watched as the old magician injected magic into the hemisphere platform under their feet. As the magic circle was activated, he engaged the first gear, it shuddered, and stalled. He fired it up again, engaged the first gear, it shook, and stalled. He tried it again, it shuddered and stalled. After three attempts, he switched to automatic gear mode.


    ¡°I just bought it two days ago,¡± The old magician said while stroking his beard. ¡°I haven¡¯t gotten used to it.¡±


    Hao Ren laughed wryly. ¡°Magic-driven flying craft. That is interesting, aha, ah hahaha¡­¡±


    Though the spherical flying craft was not an empire vessel, it was nonetheless good stuff that Anthony Alfonso obtained from the highly skilled magical civilization. It was as good as Hao Ren¡¯s plasma spear. The flying craft took off smoothly and accelerated towards Yggdrasil in the distance. No one had felt any discomfort due to the quick acceleration.


    Soon, the enormous spatial rift appeared before their eyes.


    ¡°Right ahead, on your left.¡± Hao Ren heard Mimir¡¯s voice in his mind. ¡°The entrance to Asgard is open. Remember what I said!¡±


    Hao Ren looked up. There was a solidified crack in the center of the light strip, and the scene inside the crack was completely stable.


    ¡°I see it.¡± He patted the old magician on his arm. ¡°Fly over there.¡±


    The spherical flying craft adjusted its direction and flew straight to Asgard. It began to decelerate as it approached the spatial rift before descending into the otherworldly dimension that had been closed for more than two thousand years.

 Chapter 1100 - Odin’s Domain

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The spherical flying craft ferrying Hao Ren and his team steadily approaching the huge purple spatial rift. As it got closer, the sheer size of the breach began to look intimidating. It was like a horrible scar in space. The space barrier that had been damaged by the light cannon of the demon hunters seemed terrifying. On both sides of the crack, which was hundreds of kilometers long, were irregular and sharp lines. The warped dimension distorted the distant starlight around the rift. Inside, it was filled with light and illusory images. The scenery of Asgard could be vaguely seen behind it.


    The journey into the rift felt like falling into a bottomless abyss. The distorted and chaotic lights formed the cliffs on both sides of the void. As the flying craft descended rapidly, Hao Ren saw the scene outside was becoming bizarre. He looked up and saw that the last starlight in space was quickly blocked by a cloud that seemed to appear out of nowhere. As the cloud completely blocked their vision of the outside space, they finally sank into the lost world of Odin completely.


    Half a minute later, some clusters of light spots began to appear around the spherical flying craft.


    It was just a few light spots in the beginning, but they quickly gathered in groups. As if fireflies in the summer night, the light spots circled around the flying craft. But almost immediately, the light spots turned into flame and storm. As if the flying craft had flown into a massive fire tornado, it struggled to stay on course. Then the fire tornado became a thunderstorm and then inverted river, and then meteor fire. As if the uninvited guests had angered the guardian of this place, the endless illusion filled the space in the blink of an eye and drowned their vision completely.


    In the next moment, Hao Ren felt the platform under his feet was shaking violently. As if the flying craft was getting out of control, it spun into a mountain of cloud not far away. The shield of the flying craft suddenly shattered followed by cold wind rushing into the cockpit like millions of icy blades. He seemed to have heard some noise in the flying ship. As if it was overloaded, a series of explosions were coming from deep within the platform.


    ¡°The flying craft is fine!¡± Anthony Alfonso shouted in the storm. ¡°We are still in the illusion.¡±


    Hao Ren held Lily close to him. She looked as if going to jump out of her skin at any moment. He tried to concentrate. The impact of the illusion immediately weakened. He felt the spherical flying craft had regained its stability and the transparent shield above him was back in one piece again like a movie rewound itself. Behind him, Nangong Sanba and Nangong Wuyue had cold sweat trickling down their forehead. Shrouded in mist, Nangong Wuyue had form shifted into a sea snake. ¡°That¡¯s so scary!¡±


    The flying craft continued to descend in the dense cloud filled with illusions. More supernatural forces began to gather from all directions, filled with blind hostility and anger, they tried to stop the invaders. Galazur whispered a magical dragon word, and then a layer of golden-red light shrouded her eyes, thin pale-gold scales appeared on her cheeks and forearms, and a powerful aura spread out in all directions. She carefully controlled her own power so that it would not go too far and agitate Yggdrasil. But space within the influence of her aura, the illusions were suppressed.


    They descended rapidly through the thick layer of clouds. Thunder and whirlwinds were raging while rolling thunder mixed with some kind of indescribable roar could be heard coming from all directions. Hao Ren began to notice that the clouds had become thinner and the rolling thunder and roar were behind them. The illusions had failed to stop them. Despite the souls that had merged with the Asgard barrier were roaring at the top of their lungs, they could not prevent the uninvited guests from coming into Asgard. The fluffy tail of Lily had calmed down. Glancing at the scenery outside, Lily saw a pale-golden glow coming from the up ahead. She exclaimed, ¡°I see land! It is the Garden of Asgard!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited! Let me take a look.¡± Vivian shoved Lily aside. Carefully looking down the land below, she breathed a sigh of relief, her voice filled with nostalgia. ¡°That¡¯s right, this is Odin¡¯s domain.¡±


    Just like Mimir said, the souls of the dead in Asgard feared the power of their master, and the illusions would not affect the Garden of Asgard. When the spherical flying craft gradually descended and left the clouds above behind, Hao Ren saw the glorious but desolate land stretching out in front of his eyes. He saw a ring of majestic mountains in all directions, lit up in eternal aurora. At the center of the mountain range was groups of majestic ruins. Standing among the ruins was palace complex as large as a city. But this city was entirely different from the human-built cities.


    The palaces of the gods of Asgard seemed to be built of gold and silver; they reflected skylight with a brilliant glow. Though most of the buildings were severely damaged and some had even crumbled to the ground, those ruins still looked majestic and intimidating.


    This was the residences of the former Norse gods, a paradise built by the ancient gods under the leadership of Odin. Known as the Garden of Asgard, this city was once one of the most magnificent cities on the planet during the era of chaos and ignorance thousands of years ago.


    It was a city that humanity was prohibited from entering.


    Hao Ren once visited an Olympus mysterious realm in the Athens¡¯ sanctuary. The cloud temple in the mysterious realm was absolutely astounding, but it was still pale in comparison to the ruins before him now.


    ¡°It is all destroyed.¡± Vivian stood on the edge of the flying craft, her hands pressed against the shield staring out. ¡°The place of Thor¡­ Oh, that is Frigg¡¯s garden¡­ Odin¡¯s Golden Palace. How beautiful! But now only half of them left standing.¡±


    ¡°This is Asgard?¡± Lily was wide-eyed. She did not lament about the past as Vivian did. Instead, she was interested in the ancient city that she had only read about in mythology. ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful. I have seen it in the story!¡±


    ¡°Looks like there is a mythical version of the story on your planet?¡± Anthony Alfonso looked at Hao Ren curiously. ¡°About this place?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°As you already know, due to historical reasons, the phenomenon of the otherworldlings appeared as mythical stories on my planet. In Norse mythology, people think that the universe is supported by a giant tree. This giant tree is called Yggdrasil. It is the World Tree, which has nine roots. These nine roots support the Nine Kingdoms, aka Nine Worlds in the universe. They are the upper Asgard, Vanaheim, and Alfheim; in the middle are Midgard, Jotunheim, Svartalfheim; and the lower worlds of Hel, Niflheim, and Muspelheim. These nine kingdoms are actually nine different dimensions. Odin, the leader of the ancient otherworldlings and the Vanir family, joined hands to link the nine dimensions to Earth, creating their own myths and belief systems, where Asgard was the kingdom of Odin and the other gods who built a god city known as the Garden of Asgard inside a shield. When the Twilight of the Gods finally befell at the end of the mythological era on Earth, a great battle unfolded on Vigrid in the Garden of Asgard. Over there, that it is.¡±


    Hao Ren pointed to the edge of the ruins, at the end of a pile of golden bricks, across a piece of scorched earth where blast craters and molten ruins dotted the landscape.


    ¡°Ahh, it is a mythological story.¡± Galazur shrugged. ¡°We are talking about a myth! It is fortunate that our goddess is open-minded.¡±


    While flying the flying craft in a circle above the Garden of Asgard, Anthony Alfonso asked, ¡°Where should we go now? To the ruins, or look for the roots of Yggdrasil?¡±


    Hao Ren looked up into the distance, the sky above the mountains, where many huge tentacles were reaching up into the air. He shook his head. ¡°We are looking for Mimir¡¯s spacecraft. But since we are here, there is no harm checking out the battlefield first. Maybe we will find something. MDT, can you locate the signal of Gungnir?¡±


    The MDT floated out of his pocket. ¡°Locating¡­ Its position is locked, just 37 km away¡ª a straight line.¡±


    The direction where the MDT pointed was right on the scorched earth of Vigrid.

 Chapter 1101 - The Stage of the Twilight of the Gods

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Among the many ancient gods on Earth, Odin was the last survivor. These gods were as if the finale of the Mythological era, the collapse of Yggdrasil more than two thousand years ago was the final scene of that era.


    The Twilight of the Gods of the Norse gods was also the Twilight of the Gods of the Mythological era. When the light cannon of the demon hunters tore the sky of Asgard apart, the Nine Worlds collapsed, and the rule of the otherworldlings over the human world was officially over.


    Anthony Alfonso slowed down the flying craft. The detection magic circle on the belly of the flying craft emitted a faint blue light as it flew over the devastated Asgard searching for any signs of abnormal energy.


    On the flying craft, Vivian was telling Anthony Alfonso and Galazur about the destruction of Asgard. ¡°There were already signs before the Twilight of the Gods happened. A few years before that, Yggdrasil began to corrupt, the climate in the Nine Worlds became unbalanced, and there had been winter all year round for several years. Then the magic of the gods of Asgard and Vanir became ineffective. For unknown reasons, the covenant between them and Yggdrasil broke down. The various spells and vows in the Nine Worlds were destroyed. The races living within those worlds blamed each other. When someone began to incite them, war broke out, and the Nine Worlds fell apart.¡±


    The flying craft flew past the ruins of the temple complex. Now the high wall of the Garden of Asgard was behind them as the flying craft glided through a long and narrow wilderness before arriving at the scorched earth in the plains of Vigrid. The area was not just strewn with wreckages of war machines, but also bones of creatures. Although two thousand years had passed, the bones of these mighty creatures were still relatively intact. As there was a lack of large-scale geological changes in this otherworldly dimension, the battlefield looked as if a war had just happened yesterday.


    Vivian continued the story. ¡°The day when the Twilight of the Gods arrived, it was a cold winter day, overcast, and everything was dying. The atrium of human life, Midgard, had three consecutive freezing winters. Cold winds blew through the gaps between the mountains into Asgard; the world was frozen. The alarm bells in Odin¡¯s Golden Palace went off, families of men, women, and children were gearing up for war. Even I was helping them move weapons. The Valkyries collected the einherjar and stuffed them into beautiful gold-cast armors and were ready to send them to the front line. At the other end of Bifr?st the rainbow bridge, the giants had assembled an army, and Hel of Hel attacked Asgard with her army of undead from the lower realm. Hao Ren, you have met Hel before; she is now guarding the entrance of the Athens¡¯ sanctuary. You wouldn¡¯t have imagined her being an impulsive and ruthless girl. She did not realize that the war was a conspiracy when all she wanted was to destroy the Garden of Asgard and rescued her father, Loki. The two forces clashed on the plains of Vigrid. Though Odin knew that the demon hunters were the hidden hands behind the revolt, the giants and the undead would not listen to him. So Odin had no choice but fought.¡±


    The flying craft arrived at the destination. Anthony Alfonso landed the spherical cabin and a gangway deployed. They disembarked through the gangway and set their feet on the land of Asgard for the first time. Nangong Wuyue, who left the gangway last, had form shifted into a sea snake. She just felt it safer this way. They came before a gigantic skeleton, which was three times the size of a human but much smaller than the ten-meter-high guardian giant like Mimir. Nevertheless, it was still considered a giant by Earth¡¯s standard. This skeleton belonged to a giant from Muspelheim who was one of the leading forces attacking Odin¡¯s domain. Next to this skeleton were bones similar in size to humans but slightly different in structure.


    That must be the bones of the gods of Asgard. These supernatural beings were regarded as gods thousands of years ago. They were born in flesh and blood. Despite being stronger than humans, all they could do with their capabilities was to ensure that their bones would last long after their death.


    Hao Ren had noticed that the equipment the giant carried was a completely different form from what the Asgard warriors used. The difference was not only in terms of specifications due to differences in body size, but also in style due to different ethnic cultures: it was a more fundamental and downright difference.


    The armor of the giants was thick and cast of dark steel. Its shape was more similar to the heavy plate armor of the ¡®cold-weapon¡¯ (non-firearm) period. It had runes on it and looked primitive but rock solid. On the other hand, the soldiers of the gods of Asgard were equipped with alloy armor, which was obviously more refined and lightweight, inlaid with gold and silver. Their smooth and tidy lines suggested that they were a mass-produced product from the assembly line. On some broken armors, there were complex internal lining and cable harnesses underneath. Almost every Asgard soldier carried two square boxes on their waists. These boxes, which contained delicate circuits of cables and unknown components, were now out of function, but still much more complicated than the gear of the giants.


    ¡°It is a thermoelectric battery pack,¡± Vivian said, noticing what Hao Ren was looking at. ¡°Ahh, I didn¡¯t understand these things at the time. But now thinking of it, it becomes familiar: apart from using the magic of Vanir, the gods of Asgard commonly used nuclear energy in their daily lives.¡±


    ¡°They should be from different civilizations.¡± Galazur, a veteran inspector, knew it with just a glance. Pointing at the different skeletons, the weapons, and gears that were strewn all over the place, she could differentiate them. In her mind, the weapons were divided into three branches on the technology tree. ¡°The giants had a lower technological capability, but they had equipment made of special metals and strong physique, the gods of Asgard had no real advantage against them even though Asgard gods were using more advanced weapons. Besides, some equipment was of purely magic origin, which was¡ª¡±


    ¡°Which were of the gods of Vanir.¡± Vivian cut in. ¡°Indeed, they came from different civilizations. I think that they might have come from three different planets. The giant was a warrior nation that used shamanic magic and steam power; the gods of Asgard used nuclear, machinery and some kind of natural spiritual power; and Vanir was purely a magic civilization, closely resembling human in form but with some elven features. Because of the similarity of form and culture, Asgard and Vanir had quickly reached an understanding and formed an alliance in the Mythological period. But the giants were unable to integrate into this circle, and they began to have rancor while living in the Nordic region. This was during the middle to late Mythological Era when the demon hunters were rising, and the families of the gods were rapidly died out in other parts of Earth. These three races had to temporarily put aside their differences under this external pressure and coexisted for some time. At that time, they already had the prototype of symbiosis where different races living under one roof, very much like Athens¡¯ sanctuary. Unfortunately, they couldn¡¯t change their fates. At that time, the demon hunter was far crazier than they were during the modern times; they would not allow the otherworldlings to live. Even though the otherworldlings hid in Yggdrasil en mass, the demon hunters still found a way to provoke war in the Nordic region and eventually blew open the gate of Asgard.¡±


    Anthony Alfonso prodded the skeletons with his magic staff and lifted some of the better-preserved relics into his dimensional pocket with Sorcerer¡¯s Touch. Hao Ren and Galazur were doing the same thing. The old magician sighed, ¡°To tell the truth, I am very envious of you, Hao Ren. You have the universe¡¯s most unique civilization in your jurisdiction. It is an extremely rare sample. How I wish I could be an inspector in your place. Just studying the mythological stories would be enough to keep me busy for the next hundreds of years.¡±


    ¡°I am afraid you would find it not so enjoyable if you were to really take my place.¡± Hao Ren glanced at the old magician. ¡°Though the Mythological era has ended, dealing with the aftermath would drive you mad.¡±


    Vivian was the only one familiar with this battlefield. Her fickle memory was finally of help this time. She had remembered the battle that happened more than 2,000 years ago. Tracing her steps in her mind, she brought everyone searching on the scorched earth.


    They passed by a skeleton, which looked like the bones of a long reptile. At 10 m in length, the vertebrae had black marks of a lightning strike. This was the skeleton of J?rmungandr, the Midgard Serpent. It was much smaller than described in the mythology, but still a terrifying creature. In the vicinity of the skeleton of J?rmungandr, Hao Ren had found a curled and deformed human body, the armor of which was eaten through by some kind of corrosive substance. This man must have met a horrible death.


    But the fact that this man who was brave enough to face J?rmungandr the terrifying serpent must have extraordinary courage.


    Vivian was rummaging between the two set of skeletons. She found a war hammer. When she injected magic into it, it emitted light, but the light quickly dimmed. But strange noise could still be heard inside of the war hammer.


    Vivian handed the war hammer to Hao Ren. ¡°Mjolnir, which Thor had overloaded its core capacitor when he used it to kill J?rmungandr. This thing can be repaired, but I think it would not be as powerful as your plasma spear.¡±


    Looking at the battle-scarred Mjolnir, Hao Ren could not help but mutter, ¡°How many mythological items are there here?¡±


    ¡°As many as you think,¡± Vivian said, spreading out her hand. ¡°Welcome to the stage of the Twilight of the Gods. This was where the Mythological era ended.¡±

 Chapter 1102 - Gungnir

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The Twilight of the Gods was probably the most tragic battle since the appearance of intelligent beings on Earth. Although it had been buried deep in 2,000 years of history and legends, they could still feel the brutality of the battle while they stood on the battlefield. Vigrid had been turned into a wasteland; the skeletons of humanoids and horrible behemoths were piled up like mountains, and those scenes, as well as characters they once heard about in myths, lay before them. It was all cold, dead, and covered in dust. It was an appalling sight.


    Near the skeletons of Jormungandr and Thor, Lily found the bones of another powerful otherworldling. These bones belonged to a tall male, tall who appeared bare-handed. There, the land around the bones had burned marks. Vivian knew him; it was Freyr, a warrior from the Vanir gods. Freyr fought with the fire j?tunn, Surtr and died. A hundred meters away from where Freyr lay, the body of the warrior god Tyr and the dog of Hel, Garmr, were completely twisted together and their bones were almost completely crushed. It must have been an extremely fierce battle. Vivian stood on a large boulder and pointed around with her finger. ¡°I was standing here¡­ maybe a little more to the left where Tyr was fighting the dog of Hel while Freyr was behind me. I told Freyr to let me help him, but before I could do anything, Surtr had killed him. Then I turned to help Tyr, but my next hibernation cycle suddenly set in. As you know, as I began to lose control of myself, the gods of Vanir and Asgard became detestable in my eyes. Loki, who was at the Rainbow Bridge, laughed at everyone in the melee. I left this place before I lost my consciousness completely. So I didn¡¯t see the demon hunters intervening. When I finally woke up, the Mythological era was over.¡±


    Seeing more and more familiar things on this ancient battlefield, Vivian began to regain more of her memory. She had now remembered what was happening during the Twilight of the Gods. This part of the memories was what Hao Ren was looking for. They walked in between the ruins and the skeletons while listening to Vivian¡¯s narration. While they walked, Lily would curiously dig things out from the ground and passed them to Hao Ren. With the help of this energetic husky, Hao Ren had quickly collected a large number of mythical items, some of which he could recognize but some he could not. These items had great value in his study of otherworldlings and ancient history.


    But what Hao Ren was really looking for was still up ahead.


    ¡°It should be near,¡± the MDT suddenly interrupted. It flew up in the air and pointed to the front with a blue light beam. ¡°Gungnir¡¯s resonance response is getting stronger.¡±


    Hao Ren and his team picked up their pace and quickly came to the spot which the MDT indicated.


    They came before an impact crater of dozens of meters in radius. The ground around the impact crater felt like solidified molten glass. Clearly, this place had been burned in high heat before. At the bottom of the impact crater, twisted bones were half buried in the sand and gravel. This skeleton was a size larger than when Lily was form-shifted. Despite the deformation, Hao Ren could still recognize the skeleton belonged to a giant wolf. Lily jumped to her feet. ¡°Will I look like this after I die?¡±


    Galazur and Anthony Alfonso looked sideways at the maiden who appeared to have a lot of loose screws.


    ¡°Fenrir¡­¡± Vivian whispered. She then spread her wings and glided down the crater.


    The behemoth at the bottom of the impact crater was one of the most terrifying beasts in Norse mythology. The moon-snatcher Fenrir appeared more exaggerated in mythology than in reality. The size of this giant wolf was far from being able to swallow the moon, sun or anything in the sky. Its fearsome name was attributed more to its strength than the body size. As they came near the bones, the detected resonance signal almost shot through the roof, which meant the fragments of Gungnir were just nearby. Hao Ren looked around but did not find anything. He patted Lily on the head and pointed at Fenrir¡¯s bones. ¡°It¡¯s time to show off your digging skill.¡±


    Delighted, Lily yanked out her Flamejoy and Frostmourne, but she hesitated. The husky looked at the massive skeleton of Fenrir, sticking out her tongue. ¡°Are you sure you want me to do that?¡±


    ¡°Who else can dig better than you do?¡± Hao Ren shot Lily a glance. ¡°What happened? Weren¡¯t you very enthusiastic just now?¡±


    Looking at the wolf skeleton, Lily became nervous. ¡°It looks too much like me. I¡¯m panicked.¡±


    ¡°Oh come on.¡± Vivian smacked on the Lily¡¯ head. ¡°It is a wolf, and you are a husky! Even if you are not a husky, you are still the ancestor of the demon hunters! You and this wolf are not related at all!¡±


    Lily thought for a while and realized that what Vivian said made sense. She immediately lunged forward and dug with her claws. Sand and gravel were thrown up behind her, and she began to disappear in a cloud of dust.


    The others quickly kept a safe distance lest being buried alive by the earth. Hao Ren held the MDT in his hand. ¡°The signal is getting stronger. Dig deeper. Move to the left¡­ right¡­ Now, do you see anything? Not yet? Then dig again. Don¡¯t get yourself buried!¡±


    The digging lasted only less than ten minutes. With Lily superb digging skill and super-powerful detective talent, she found something. Reemerging from the hole with a pair of sticks in her hands, she said, ¡°Found it! It¡¯s the haft of Gungnir!¡±


    Lily handed the two metal rods to Hao Ren before shaking the sand and dust off her body. Hao Ren laid the two metal rods on the ground and then took the Gungnir¡¯s tip out from the dimensional pocket.


    When the three fragments of spear came near to each other, a sound suddenly sounded from inside the spear tip and then the incredible happened. The pieces of Gungnir began to come together as they vibrated. It looked like a pair of invisible hands were at work. Amid a string of flashes, the broken weapon had restored to its original condition.


    Looking in amazement, Hao Ren picked up the spear. He waved the spear, and it was in one solid piece. The Gungnir was about the size of his plasma spear, just more complex and heavy on both ends, engraved with some kind of runes. The spear seemed to have some sort of energy as he could feel the heat and the slight vibration as he gripped the haft in his hand.


    ¡°The Gungnir is restored,¡± Hao Ren said, weighing the spear in his hand. With this Gungnir and his plasma spear, he would be a double-speared warrior, he thought to himself. ¡°It was said that the identification system on this spear controlled most of the things in Odin¡¯s domain. This thing will come in handy later.¡±


    Vivian nodded; she told him this before. Looking at Lily who had not finished shaking her body, Vivian said, ¡°Doggie, have you found the body of Odin?¡±


    ¡°Odin?¡± Lily stopped, looking at Vivian, her hair was as messy as it could get. ¡°What does he look like?¡±


    ¡°Big face, high nose, head¡­¡± Vivian suddenly stopped. ¡°Why am I still telling you this? He has been dead for two thousand years!¡±


    No matter what Odin looked like two thousand years ago, he definitely did not look the same now.


    Swinging her tail, Lily said, ¡°Then how do I know which one is Odin?¡±


    ¡°Did you find human bones below?¡± Vivian asked. ¡°He was wearing a golden helmet and a blue cloak. He should be in the stomach of Fenrir.¡±


    Lily thought for a moment. ¡°I didn¡¯t find any.¡±


    At this time, Nangong Sanba, who was silent all this while, was astounded. ¡°Didn¡¯t Fenrir swallow Odin? He could have been digested in Fenrir¡¯s stomach.¡±


    ¡°Impossible. Fenrir wasn¡¯t that powerful.¡± Vivian immediately shook her head and looked at Lily with suspicion. ¡°Have you missed something?¡±


    Lily thought for a moment again and was furious. ¡°You may question my intelligence, but don¡¯t ever doubt my ability to find a bone, even if it is Odin¡¯s bone!¡±


    Cold sweat was trickling down Hao Ren¡¯s back.

 Chapter 1103 - The Golden Palace

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren had no doubt about Lily¡¯s abilities. When it came to digging, teeth-grinding, frolicking, and bone gnawing, she was the best in the business. So when she said that the bones were not there, they were not there.


    But, Vivian was skeptical. She asked Lily to search again and also sent her tiny bats to scout every inch of the impact crater.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing,¡± Lily said while climbing back out from a pile of rocks. She would found oil if digging deeper, she thought to herself and thought better of it. ¡°I couldn¡¯t even find Odin¡¯s clothes, let alone bones.¡±


    Twitching his mouth, Hao Ren said, ¡°Perhaps Fenrir digested his body. But Odin was wearing his armor, it¡¯s impossible to not find any of his remains, even his armor. How preposterous is that?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure Odin was eaten by Fenrir?¡± Nangong Sanba turned his head around looking at Vivian.


    Vivian scratched her chin. ¡°Isn¡¯t the Gungnir dug out from below? How do you explain that?¡±


    ¡°Could have someone taken Odin¡¯s body away?¡± Y¡¯zaks who was silent all this while chimed in. ¡°After all, he was the king of the Norse gods. No matter how tragic the situation was, there might be people who could risk their lives getting his body back.¡±


    Vivian shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. The situation at that time was more than just tragic. The Asgard gods had simply no time. According to Mimir, the demon hunters had killed everyone on the battlefield at the last moment, who could have survived and collected Odin¡¯s body?¡±


    ¡°Ruling out all the impossible conjectures, the only bizarre answer is the only answer,¡± Lily said, scratching her chin with a serious look. ¡°Odin is not dead! He has escaped!¡±


    There was silence. Some thought that theory was ridiculous, some frowning, some nodding, and Nangong Wuyue spitting bubbles. But no matter what their thoughts were, what Lily said seemed to make sense.


    Hao Ren looked up. The entire Asgard had turned into a wasteland. He was very skeptical. ¡°How did Odin even survive in this battlefield?¡±


    ¡°Not only must he survive under the jaw of Fenrir, but also the light cannon of the demon hunters and leave the battlefield on his own. Nangong Sanba felt it incredible. ¡°Is anyone really able to do this?¡±


    Lily scratched the bones of Fenrir with her claws. ¡°The facts speak for itself. Odin has gone, not died at where he should be. Let¡¯s assume that he is not dead. Where would he go?¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment and agreed with Lily. ¡°Assuming he is alive, he either fled to Earth or did not have time to leave Asgard and was flung out into space with Yggdrasil. I prone to think the second scenario is true.¡±


    These are not just fitment of his imagination. Hao Ren knew clearly that the first possibility was minimal, not to mention that Odin was seriously injured at the time and had to sneak through the blockade under the nose of the demon hunters. Why did he not come out when the otherworldlings and demon hunters had had so many dramatic changes recently? When the news of the establishment of the Shadow Council broke, all the ancients who lived in seclusion did not sit still and watch. So he believed that if Odin were alive, he would most likely remain in this world. But whether he was still alive now was hard to say.


    Odin was seriously injured at the time, and it was very likely that he had died from his injury after that.


    Y¡¯zaks looked into the distance. ¡°It seems there¡¯s still life here. God as powerful as Odin could have survived in this place.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, there¡¯s still life here.¡± Vivian looked up into the distance. Although half of Asgard was scorched, it seemed some of the lives in this dimension had survived the Twilight of the Gods and the bombardment by the demon hunters. There was still green and tenacious plants grew in the cracks in the rocks at the edge of the battlefield. These lives survived the deadly radiation storm. ¡°But it is hard to say in other places.¡±


    Listening to what Vivian said, Hao Ren could read between the lines. ¡°You mean other places are worse than here?¡±


    ¡°Asgard¡¯s condition is probably the less severe. Though it was the battlefield of the Twilight of the Gods, the war was not only confined to this place. The natural order of the Nine Worlds was thrown upside down, and the barriers between them broke down. The magical energy could have overwhelmed all the Nine Worlds. Coupled with the superweapon that the demon hunter used at the last moment, all these could have destroyed the ecosystem. The Asgardian gods had the protection of the runes, flora and fauna there had been modified as well as strengthened all year round, so they survived. But in other places, most lives did not make it. The magic radiation killed the plants and animals within a few days. So if Odin survived the battle, then he would most likely stay in Asgard. Even if he finally died, his body should be lying somewhere in this land.¡±


    ¡°So are we going to find Odin?¡± Galazur crossed her arms. ¡°Or should we find the ancient spaceship that you mentioned before? Or should we talk to the First Born first?¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment and quickly made up his mind; he would first find Odin!


    Mimir¡¯s spaceship was not a living organism, it was not going to rot away as living things did. It must still be in Yggdrasil. But the sudden revelation that Odin may be alive was something he could not resist not investigating.


    This would be an unprecedented discovery!


    And more importantly, Odin might know the whereabouts of Mimir¡¯s spaceship. Even if he did not, he had a good understanding of Yggdrasil, especially the 2,000 years after this otherworldly dimension was separated from the main material plane. If he could find Odin to help him, it would be more efficient than rummaging blindly in the Nine Worlds.


    Talking to the First Born would have to wait, Hao Ren decided. Yggdrasil¡¯s condition was delicate, and his calmness could be temporary. Until he gained more progress in the exploration or when the situation called for it, he was not going to irritate the behemoth.


    Let sleeping dogs lie.


    ¡°I have a suggestion,¡± Vivian suddenly said. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go to the Golden Place?¡±


    The Golden Palace was where Odin lived in Norse mythology, the most sacred of all temples, the throne of the king, and the most magnificent building in the Garden of Asgard. It was said that the palace was made up of gorgeous, precious metals, its walls were covered with gold foil and the roof with silver plates. The entire castle would glitter under the skylight. It was also said that Odin had a high throne in the Golden Palace where he could observe things going on around the universe every day. When his sight was blocked by the branches of Yggdrasil, his two domesticated crows would patrol the world and tell him what he had missed, so that this king of all gods could grasp what was happening in the universe at all times.


    This was, of course, an exaggeration in the mythology. The truth was that there was a large surveillance center in the Golden Palace, and the throne of Odin was on the edge of the surveillance room.


    Anthony Alfonso fired up the flying craft again, carrying everyone flying towards the devastated Garden of Asgard. Vivian gazed out at the ruins of the Golden Palace as it appeared closer and closer. ¡°If Odin really survived, he would definitely return to the Golden Palace, at least once. It was even more so if he was seriously injured because he didn¡¯t want to die and let his body rot in the open.¡±


    Hao Ren looked down at a complex cone-shaped building. Half of the building had collapsed, but the remaining still looked magnificent. There was a half-moon square in front of the building. The center of the square was a stone fountain, which had dried up and cracked. Some broken sculpture fragment, which probably belonged to the statue of Odin, had fallen into the dry fountain.


    Everything was dead.


    ¡°It is a mess, doesn¡¯t look like there is anyone still alive here.¡± Lily groaned.


    Vivian nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s check it out. Odin might have left, but we might be able to find something.¡±


    After getting closer, the Golden Palace looked even bigger and more solemn than seen from the sky. Its walls were not really cast in gold and silver as told in legend, but they were indeed a kind of splendid alloy material. This alloy structure kept the Golden Palace relatively intact although a part of it had collapsed. The remaining standing portion still maintained its original appearance; the walls and roofs were clean and shiny like new.


    Hao Ren clenched his plasma spear in one hand and the Godslayer in the other, walking in front of the team.


    He did not take out the powerful gun as it had more extensive damage range, which he did not want especially in the half-collapsed palace.


    Despite being called the Demolition Man, he definitely did not like things to blow up above his head.


    The inside of the Golden Palace looked just as dead as the outside. This palace, once solemn and filled with guards and gods, had now become desolate. Apart from the shiny alloy walls, the rest was in a sorry state. They walked in the wide promenade, the only sound they heard was their own footsteps reverberating in between the walls. The cracked statues and broken buildings were dismal.


    *Burp*


    ¡°Do you really think Odin came back?¡± Nangong Wuyue asked in a whisper walking beside Vivian. The detergent in her stomach had not been totally digested, she would burp in bubbles while talking. ¡°I have the feeling¡­¡±


    *Burp*


    ¡°¡­that no one has been here for the past 2,000 years.¡±


    ¡°If only Odin has survived¡±¡ª Vivian shrugged¡ª¡±certainly 90 % of the palace is desolate.¡±


    Lily¡¯s ears suddenly flickered. She whispered, ¡°Wait a second, do you guys hear it?¡±


    They stopped. Hao Ren quietly asked, ¡°What?¡±


    Lily got down and pressed her ear on the ground, listening. ¡°Something¡¯s coming. Not just one. All of them are wearing armor.¡±


    They quickly raised their guards and finally heard the sound coming from the corridor up ahead.


    It was the rubbing sound of metal armor!

 Chapter 1104 - The Palace Guards

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    They were now in an open and straight corridor in the Golden Palace. There were no hiding places, and no ambush was possible. Hao Ren stood in the corridor, clenching weapons in his hands and waited. Though he did not know what was coming nor whether it was hostile, he was not nervous. He had the most powerful team on the planet with him. Except for the Nangong siblings, they were all fearsome fighters. What was more, with two veteran inspectors here, he was not afraid of any creatures of Asgard.


    Well, provided it was not the First Born.


    Standing beside Hao Ren were Anthony Alfonso and Galazur. The old magician surrounded himself with a dozen arcane balls that flashed in lightning, while Galazur stood barehanded, eyes red with the menacing aura of a dragon.


    Everyone was in their combat-ready mode.


    The sound in the corridor was getting closer and louder. The scraping of the armors was accompanied by more heavy footsteps as if there was a group of heavily armed soldiers heading towards them. Hao Ren clenched the Godslayer in his hand. This was the first time he used it as a weapon. He wanted to try the power of this thing. He said in a whisper, ¡°Do not attack. If they are Vivian¡¯s acquaintances, we can talk.¡±


    Vivian forced a smile. ¡°They have been trapped here for two thousand years, I am not sure if we could still talk with each other.¡±


    Just when Vivian¡¯s voice trailed off, a tall figure finally emerged from the shadows of the corridor, followed by another one, and then another. A dozen soldiers wearing heavy armor strode up before them.


    Not only are there survivors on Asgard, but there are also many of them! Hao Ren thought to himself.


    These were the former guards of the Garden of Asgard, nearly two meters in height, wearing fully enclosed brass armor, even on the face. They were as if a group of moving tin cans. Their armors were battled-scarred, full of deep scratches, the runes on the armor plates were dull, and the decorative patterns were ruined by the scratches. Each scratch was a testament to the battle of the Twilight of the Gods.


    The soldiers turned up at the corridor, neatly in a formation, as if they were patrolling the Garden of Asgard. When they saw the uninvited guests, they froze.


    ¡°Relax! We are not intruders!¡± Lily immediately waved her hand. ¡°We are here to investigate!¡±


    Standing in front was a heavily armored guard. The guard turned around his head looking at Lily. Before Lily knew what happened, electric light burst out of the guard as he wielded his alloy sword charging at Lily.


    The other guards followed and attacked them.


    It all came without warning. These guards had no intention to talk. At first, Hao Ren was still thinking about how he should introduce himself. Before he knew it, a sword was coming down on him. He was stunned. ¡°What is wrong with you people? Can¡¯t we talk nicely?¡±


    Those heavily armored guards did not respond. Instead, Ren¡¯s cry had attracted the guards to himself. Wielding their giant swords, they came after him. Their swords were glowing so hot that they looked like plasma. Despite the weight of the swords, the guards could still wield them effortlessly.


    There was no time for dialogue. They could only take up their weapon and fight. A melee ensued in the corridor. As Lily was the first one to open her mouth, she had attracted the attention of the leader of the guards. The guard wielding a giant sword and chased her from behind while she cried out, ¡°Can¡¯t we talk nicely? I was just saying hello!¡±


    Lily managed to keep a safe distance from the pursuing guard. Taking advantage of her agility, she made a sudden maneuver and turned around behind the guard, with a swift movement she raised her Frostfire Claws. ¡°Eat my Friendship Breakup Chop!¡±


    On another hand, apart from Nangong Wuyue who was burping in bubbles and Nangong Sanba who ran away at once, everyone had a better-looking combating style than Lily. But to be fair, Lily¡¯s swordsmanship was not bad at all.


    Waving his plasma spear, Hao Ren movement was so fast it looked like a silver whirlwind, holding back two guards with his superhuman physical strength. Unable to form shift in this environment, Y¡¯zaks could only have a fist fight. Meanwhile, Y¡¯lisabet was sitting on her papa¡¯s shoulder throwing fireballs. These fireballs were smaller because the bigger ones could have blown up the entire place. A little further away, Anthony Alfonso and Galazur had suppressed their opponents.


    The old magician surrounded himself with squeaky arcane balls, which were filled with a shocking amount of energy. These arcane balls seemed to have their own minds as they flew around in the air. The powerful electric field formed a reticulated electromagnetic storm around Anthony Alfonso, shooting out plasma arcs that were hot enough to melt gold and stone. Anthony Alfonso rose to the air as if he was carried by the electromagnetic field. Like a thunder-wielding god, Anthony Alfonso struck the Asgard warriors and sent them running for their lives. He was worthy of his name as an old magician.


    Galazur was more unpretentious. The dragon queen could not form-shift in the narrow and confined space. Like Y¡¯zaks, she swung her fists directly at the guards, hitting the guards on their solid armor, puncturing it. Clearly, Galazur had a lot of experience combating in human form. An Asgard warrior wielding a giant sword launched a surprise attack from behind her. But Galazur swept a back kick that no human could ever do and sent the guard flying backward. The move was actually a variant of her Sweeping Tail. Then, she roared and bare-handedly intercepted an alloy sword that had almost fallen on her head. The energized blade was bursting in energy. But she was not bothered. She pulled the sword towards her and thus the soldier, and she roared.


    Claw Attack, Swinging Punch, Sweeping Tail, Dragon¡¯s Roar, and Dragon¡¯s Breath; these moves were specially adapted for use in her human form.


    As Galazur roared, a golden flame spurted out from her mouth and engulfed the Asgard guard in a ball of fire. The guard rolled back. When the fire engulfing him died down shortly, the guard lunged at her again.


    Galazur was stunned. She clearly saw the warrior had been seriously injured by her Dragon¡¯s Breath. The warrior seemed not bothered by his damaged armor, which had almost been melted by the fire. Softened and twisted, the armor plate would collapse with every movement of the guard. It must have been a terrible experience wearing the melted armor.


    But the guard seemed to be unconcerned. He bounced back and charged at Galazur.


    Galazur was curious as to what type of fearsome creature was under the armor. But it was obviously not the right time to be curious. She could not help shaking her head and swinging her fists to take on the enemy.


    These palace guards with heavy armor were powerful. Their armor was almost as strong as armor on a tank. The powerful swords in their hands could easily cut through most shields. They were strong and moving as fast as the wind despite the heavy armor. Even Lily found it too much to handle when facing more than two Asgard guards at once. She could barely dodge their attacks.


    But, as the fight dragged on, the armored guards finally lost their upper hand.


    Hao Ren and the rest were just equally fearsome.


    But actually, Hao Ren was in a bad mood.


    Hao Ren had learned his skills from years of practice, real combats in the battlefields, Lily, Vivian, and Y¡¯zaks. He seemed to have fought well. But he was annoyed by a noise in his mind. A whisper that came from the Godslayer.


    ¡°Actually, I dislike fighting. You see, destruction is much easier than creation. These warriors have taken a long time and much energy to train, but you use me to cut them up just like that¡­¡±


    ¡°I wonder if you can talk nicely with them. These people might be at fault, but you should only cut their knees or hit them with the hilt. Maybe they would be willing to talk¡­¡±


    ¡°I know it is very difficult to be nice with them in this situation, but you can at least try.¡±


    ¡°Watch out, behind you! That guy¡­ Oh, Doggie has mowed him down. That dog is fierce indeed. Oh, I should call her Lily. Please pardon me, I don¡¯t really grasp the concept of the name. Isn¡¯t name just a code? You see, you could call me Godslayer, Householder Stabber¡­¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you say something? Don¡¯t you usually have a lot to say?¡±


    ¡°You have been fighting for a long time, aren¡¯t you tired? Maybe you can tuck me away now, I feel a little tired.¡±


    ¡°Would you like me to sing a song for you? Pattianne taught me that.¡±


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    Hao Ren finally could not help himself. ¡°Stop babbling like a grandpa!¡±


    ¡°I am not a grandpa.¡±


    For the first time, Hao Ren felt that he could not communicate with the sword. So he vented his frustration on the enemies. Waving his spear and sword, he pushed an Asgard warrior into a corner and then killed it with the sword.


    This was the first time he had cut an enemy. Before that, he was using his plasma spear to pierce holes in their bodies. But, that did not kill the guards who could still continue fighting. As Hao Ren became more suspicious, he cut off the guard¡¯s head just to confirm his suspicion.


    The Godslayer had lost its god slaying power in this world, but it was still as sharp as ever. The dark blade severed the neck of the Asgard soldier in half like tofu as the head fell to the ground.


    But it was empty underneath the armor.

 Chapter 1105 - Einherjar

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After a while of fighting, Hao Ren finally cut off the head of an Asgardian warrior, but as the warrior fell to the ground, it was only an empty armor.


    It was not a surprise though as Hao Ren had vaguely noticed something during the fight. He mumbled to himself, ¡°Sure enough. I have suspected something earlier.¡±


    The headless warrior did not really die. His armor still moved on the ground as bright electric light danced in the gaps of the rusty and deformed armor. As if the warrior could repair himself, he got to his feet again after a while. He did not look for his head but charged at Hao Ren.


    ¡°What the heck is this? It just won¡¯t die!¡± A little stunned but remaining calm, Hao Ren raised his spear and blocked the alloy sword of the warrior. Almost immediately, he wielded his sword in the other hand at the arm of his enemy.


    The Godslayer sliced through the arms of the headless warrior, who then disintegrated on the ground.


    At about the same time, Lily, with her agility and strength, pounced at an Asgardian guard. As if rage had taken over, she roared like a beast and tore open the armor of the enemy. Just when she was about to bite the enemy, she suddenly stopped. She had also realized that the armor was empty underneath.


    In confusion, the husky tilted her head slightly and finally came to her realization. ¡°Arf! Mr. Landlord, it is empty inside!¡±


    ¡°These armors are all empty!¡± A loud bang came from the direction of Galazur, an Asgardian armored warrior was smashed to the ground, and his helmet rolled out into the distance. ¡°What is this? Is it a robot guard?¡±


    Knowing the secrets of these armors, things became more manageable. There were no physical bodies inside the armors, and these warriors seemed to not have any apparent weaknesses. Ordinary puncture damage, heat, arcane magic, and brute force attack could hardly defeat them. The most effective way was to smash them into pieces.


    Galazur¡¯s method worked the best.


    ¡°Tear them apart along the joints!¡± Vivian said aloud in the air. ¡°I now remember what these are! They are einherjar! Don¡¯t use magic, this thing is immune to magic!¡±


    Those who were good at close-quarters combat became the main force. Galazur, Y¡¯zaks, Hao Ren and Lily lunged at the heart of the enemy forces where the guards were basically being slaughtered by them like cattle. Seeing that, Nangong Wuyue took up the courage to throw healing spells at them while Nangong Sanba guarded her against the Asgardian guards. He may have been a half-baked demon hunter, but he had no problem dealing with the guards who could only rely on their simple and brute force attack.


    Not far away, Anthony Alfonso watched as one of the einherjar he had smashed came alive again. Feeling his ego as a great magician challenged, he sighed, ¡°I am most troubled by this kind of magic-resistant guy.¡±


    He opened his dimensional pocket, threw his magic staff back in and then took out a golden spike club. When the old magician stopped his magic, the arcane balls dropped to the ground. He ripped off his robe and revealed his large brass-colored muscles underneath!


    The old man bared his upper body with a heavy runic iron belt around his waist. Every inch of his skin was bursting with electric light under the charge of magic energy, just like a god. Striding towards an einherjar closest to him, he smashed the einherjar before it could even raise the sword. ¡°The power of the bear! Strong and long lasting! Powerful stone skin! Powerful and Agile! Powerful and heroic!¡± he shouted.


    *Bang!*


    ¡°Let there be death!¡±


    *Bang!*


    Amid the loud bangs, the heavy armors were thrown 20 meters out!


    ¡°There is no enemy that I have not seen before for the three thousand four hundred years! I will have been long dead if I¡¯m only a mediocre magician.¡± Anthony Alfonso roared as he swung his spike club, hitting another guard again. ¡°By the way, though I am working under the goddess, I actually believe in the Dark Valkyrie Bryndis!¡±


    ¡°Holy-effing light! Endow me with your strength! Let there be death! Let there be death! Let there be death!¡±


    *Bang!*


    The massive spike club was glowing with bright magic light as he smashed yet another einherjar into metal dust. One last loud bang marked the end of the battle. As the dust settled, the corridor became quiet again.


    Because everything was over.


    Except for Galazur who was emotionless, everyone including Y¡¯zaks looked at Anthony Alfonso as if they had seen a ghost. Lily who was standing closest to Anthony Alfonso had her tail puffed up. An einherjar suddenly staggered to its feet, scaring the daylight out of Lily. Taking two steps backward, Lily reached out her claws poking the einherjar, she looked at the old magician and then the einherjar and said in a whisper, ¡°Let there be death?¡±


    The einherjar instantly crumbled to the ground.


    The old magician looked around, delighted. With the wave of his hand, he was back into his original costume, a scholar¡¯s robe with oak staff in his hand and a broad smile across his face. ¡°Is everyone is okay?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it,¡± Galazur¡¯s loud voice jolted them out of their daze. ¡°Anthony Alfonso has always been like this. He might look like an honest guy, but once his magic doesn¡¯t work, he would go into a rampage, especially so since he believes in a goddess of violence.¡±


    Anthony Alfonso did not argue, just smiling.


    They had wanted to say something. But when they realized this old man had some quirky habits, they were all silent. Compared with the rest of his quirky characteristics, his rampage would seem like a child¡¯s play.


    No one serving under Raven 12345 could escape her influence, everyone had become neurotic in some way. So did Anthony Alfonso.


    As the smoke dissipated, there was only debris left in the corridor. Deformed armors were everywhere. The most shocking thing was that even if the armors had been shattered, they still vibrated and jumped on the ground as if they were going to be restored again. Curious, he looked at Vivian. ¡°Will these things come back to life again?¡±


    Vivian shook her head. ¡°I think not. At least not at the moment.¡±


    She had recognized these enemies. Clearly, she knew these strange armored guards.


    Y¡¯lisabet jumped down from Y¡¯zaks¡¯ shoulder. Feeling upset for being unable to make any kill. She looked up at Vivian with her arms akimbo. ¡°So what is einherjar?¡±


    ¡°It is the undead spirits in Norse mythology,¡± said Lily, who was next to Y¡¯lisabet. The husky maiden had recovered from her mad-dog mode and explained matter-of-factly like a learned young scholar. ¡°Einherjar is just a transliteration, Battie is just pretending to be¡ª¡±


    Vivian glared at her and snorted, ¡°Get out of my sight! I just like how it sounds. I learned that word from some Chinese guy.¡±


    At this time, Nangong Wuyue crawled over, still trembling. But she had untied her tail this time. Spitting bubbles from her mouth, she carefully poked the jumping broken armors with her tail. ¡°These are the Einherjar? They don¡¯t look the same as those in the mythology.¡±


    ¡°Legends are distorted. Real history is most often very different from what is thought of,¡± Vivian said, shaking her head and examining the wreckage of Einherjar. ¡°The valkyries gathered the souls of the dead from the battlefield. These souls were forged together with steel in the soul furnace in Valhalla and called einherjar. They have no blood, no tears, and no pain. They are extremely aggressive because they have spent their last moment immersed in bloody battle. They are tough, and unless they are shattered into millions of pieces, they are essentially immortal. But they could be restored by a blacksmith if their broken bodies are recovered in time. As Asgardian gods had low fertility and limited population, the Einherjar was once a great army of Asgard. But during the Twilight of the Gods, Valhalla¡¯s control center was destroyed internally, so more than half of the einherjar could not be sent to the battlefield, this was the important reason why the war had turned so tragic for the gods. If the strength of the Asgardian army had not been compromised, they would have likely crushed the giants and demon hunters early in the war, and been able to detect the movement of the demon hunters, and even change the trajectory of the Nine Worlds to avoid the destruction. But in real life, there is no what-if. So the Mythological Era ended.¡±


    Hao Ren did not say anything, just watching the squeaking einherjar fragments as he sighed quietly.


    He was watching a lost history.


    The real history laid bare itself before his eyes. The Einherjar were the leading figures behind the Mythological Era.

 Chapter 1106 - Valhalla

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren did not know what to say about these undead spirits called the Einherjar. Or rather, he did not know what to say about the Norse gods that created the Einherjar. The undead spirits could be regarded as some kind of wraiths. The making of the Einherjar by the Valkyrie was actually a terrible curse. It cast the soul of the dead into cold and bloodless armor of steel, letting it participate in endless battles. Even though this process was sugarcoated with glory in the name of the divine, it was undoubtedly an exaggeration.


    ¡°These Einherjar were volunteers,¡± Vivian suddenly said.


    ¡°Arf?¡± Lily was stunned.


    ¡°The brave warriors, those who had unfulfilled wishes, the killers, and the fanatic believers of the gods; the human society in those days did not lack these people. They knew what it meant to become Einherjar, but they were still willing to do this, especially the ruthless Germanic soldiers whose only wish was to fight to the death and then carry the fight to after-death. So they felt that becoming an armor that could keep on killing was the best thing in life. Every year, thousands of warriors rushed to the battlefield with valkyrie¡¯s talisman. Sometimes, to get the ¡®glorious promotion¡¯ as early as possible, the ruthless warriors would even fight with the beast barehanded, using the blood of the enemy and of himself to please Odin. The Valkyries would follow the guidance of the talisman to harvest the souls. Only the most vigorous souls would be used to drive the einherjar armors. So the warriors who had just died on the battlefield was the most suitable. At that time, it was glory for a person to be promoted. The Valkyries would personally show up and fly over the city. If a certain god were in a good mood, he or she would even gift humans something, usually of food and medicine. At that time, the gods would not let people have enough to eat and stay healthy. This was so that they could keep the humans loyal to them and becoming their slaves. If the gods allowed them to have enough to eat, it was considered the mercy of the gods.¡±


    ¡°Glorious and barbaric, fanatical support could not cover oppression and injustice,¡± Galazur said with a poker face.


    ¡°You are right. It was an injustice sugarcoated with a splendid appearance.¡± Vivian nodded. ¡°It is still the case even looking from today¡¯s perspective. But humans of those days were satisfied with it. The otherworldlings in the Nordic region had been treating their own human slaves quite kindly, that was why einherjar could be created. Those warriors felt that they were favored by God and would stay loyal until the end. When their souls were cast into the armor, their loyalty would last forever.¡±


    Lily looked at the trembled armor pieces, curious. ¡°Do they still have their own minds?¡±


    After listening to the story of the Einherjar, the husky maiden had a strange feeling towards the broken armors on the ground.


    ¡°Actually¡­ no more.¡± Vivian shook her head. ¡°The casting process had erased most of their memory and humanity. The Einherjar are more like a software-driven combat machine. They are still full of anger, but you can¡¯t really call them humans.¡±


    ¡°It seems that after the Twilight of the Gods event, these undead spirits have been lurking around in the Garden of Asgard,¡± Y¡¯zaks muttered. ¡°Did they still patrol along their designated routes?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks¡¯ words suddenly reminded Vivian. ¡°Patrol? Wait a minute! There is a problem!¡±


    Hao Ren and Lily asked in unison, ¡°What is the problem?¡±


    ¡°If I remember correctly, einherjar would not move without the instructions from the Valhalla Control Center!¡± Vivian said quickly. ¡°Someone must be controlling them!¡±


    Nangong Sanba chimed in. ¡°But you said Valhalla was destroyed from the inside during the Twilight of the Gods.¡±


    ¡°Compromised, not destroyed. At that time, it was Loki who interfered with the flow of magic energy, but he was unable to destroy the runic columns of Valhalla. So when the system rebooted, einherjar could resume their activities.¡± Vivian¡¯s eyes brightened up. ¡°Someone restarted Valhalla!¡±


    They looked at each other and said in unison. ¡°Odin!¡±


    The king of the Norse gods who disappeared on the battlefield was still alive and had returned to the Garden of Asgard!


    Hao Ren immediately turned to Vivian. ¡°Where is Valhalla?¡±


    ¡°In mythology, Valhalla is the Golden Palace or the Golden Palace is the hall of Valhalla.¡± Lily chimed in.


    ¡°No, Valhalla is actually a palace slightly smaller than the Golden Palace on the mountain to the north of the Golden Palace. Because the light emitted by it at full power would shine through the Golden Palace, so people mistook the Golden Palace as Valhalla, or that the Golden Palace was inside Valhalla,¡± Vivian retorted.


    Nangong Wuyue poked Lily¡¯s arm with her tail. ¡°You should learn from me and keep quiet. Can you really outsmart her? She has been to the Garden of Asgard. Maybe she has even helped build Valhalla.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t. I fell asleep at the time, but I did write something at the entrance of Valhalla,¡± Vivian said.


    Nangong Wuyue and Lily were speechless.


    Only slightly less magnificent than the Golden Palace, Valhalla was equally eye-catching in the Garden of Asgard. When they arrived, they already could see the beautiful palace on the hillside. It was a composite structure made up of multiple pillars, well preserved as though the war of the Twilight of the Gods did not affect it. The exterior of the palace was cast in a silver-white alloy, the walls were engraved with strange spear-tip patterns, and the roof was covered in layers of golden round plates, which dazzled under the skylight. Hao Ren could not help but think of the description of Valhalla in Norse mythology.


    ¡°¡­the palace¡¯s walls are lined with silver spears, the roof is covered with gold shields, and the seats in the palace are beautifully decorated with armor. This is a gift from Odin to the warriors¡­¡±


    Vivian explained, ¡°Valhalla is the control center of the einherjar army. Its entire roof is a powerful brainwave antenna that spreads the will of the Valkyrie to the entire Nine Worlds. The Einherjar have their own autonomous combat logic, but they can only be activated if they receive a unified command from Valhalla. This is set by Odin to prevent these powerful steel regiments from getting out of control. But it had become a stumbling block in the end.¡±


    ¡°Damn, it is essentially a WIFI,¡± Hao Ren said.


    Hao Ren left a few probes in the Garden of Asgard before coming to the main entrance of the Valhalla Palace. They were all cautious, worried that they would bump into other einherjar. But they did not. Probably most of the Einherjar were damaged during the Twilight of the Gods, or they could be loitering somewhere else.


    The entrance of Valhalla was magnificent and majestic and sealed with hundreds of bronze columns arranged side by side. Vivian found a huge slate inlaid on the wall next to the entrance. She pointed to the slate and said, ¡°Look!¡±


    Hao Ren looked up; there was a line of ancient symbols: Valhalla, the resting place of the Iron Legion.


    ¡°That, my writing. Thor helped me engrave it,¡± Vivian proudly said. ¡°I know quite several languages.¡±


    Hao Ren was struck dumb.


    ¡°Well, we all know that Battie is awesome. She punched Zeus and kicked Odin, and even slapped Caesar into the moat. Now stop delving into the past. We should think about how to open this entrance.¡± Lily, with one hand on her hip, another pointing at the copper columns densely arranged like a row of monster¡¯s teeth. ¡°If Odin is inside, why not he open the door?¡±


    ¡°I am also curious. Supposedly, Odin could see what happens on the outside through the ¡®eyes¡¯ of the Einherjar. If he was the one restarted Valhalla, he must have known we are here.¡± Vivian¡¯s brows knit together while examining the copper pillars. ¡°It is bizarre. This place is isolated from the outside world for more than two thousand years, it is hard to say what state of mind of those trapped inside. We had better be prepared for the worst. If I remember correctly, touching these columns in a specific order would¡­¡±


    Before Vivian finished, the copper columns blocking the entrance started to shake and a series of mechanical sound followed. The copper columns began to retreat into the palace wall one by one.


    An entrance, dark inside, appeared before them.


    Hao Ren had heard a strange cry in the palace when the entrance opened.


    ¡°I heard it too.¡± Lily¡¯s ears flickered. ¡°There is something inside.¡±


    ¡°Something¡¯s not right. It is definitely not Odin,¡± Hao Ren said, immediately activating his Steel Membrane Shield. ¡°Everyone, keep up with me and be careful. Don¡¯t leave the group.¡±

 Chapter 1107 - The influence of Gungnir?

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    More than 2,000 years ago, the majestic Valhalla Temple was once the most sacred place in the eyes of the Nordic people. People yearned for this place more than they did Odin as this was the only place where the mortals had a direct connection to the gods. The bravest and most determined human warriors would become the chosen ones of the gods after death. They were cast into eternal steel armor in the Valhalla Temple, becoming the unrelenting guards of the sacred Garden of Asgard. It was an ultimate honor for humans of that era, which meant that they could ascend onto the altar, even if they were expendable.


    This fanatical loyalty existed regardless of times. It was even more so during the brutal and cruel Mythological era.


    But no matter how sacred and significant Valhalla was, it was only a ruin now.


    This magnificent palace was very well preserved, better than any other buildings in the Garden of Asgard. There was hardly any damage found on the surface and interior. It was empty, dusty, and weapons and armor were strewn everywhere. Walking in the dark and long corridors was as if stepping into an ancient cold tomb.


    The corridor of the Valhalla Palace was towering but also depressing. At the top of the high walls on both sides of the aisle was gable metal ceiling. The inclined alloy roof stared down and gave people the illusion of being stared down by some kind of forces. On both sides of the corridor were beautiful relief murals. These reliefs, which were engraved with a technique far beyond the skills of human could attain at that time, depicting the daily life of the gods of Asgard. There was no lack of shameless self-exaltation and window-dressing. After filtering out these superficial elements, Hao Ren could see the social life of a civilization that lived in exile on Earth, that without technological inheritance but could only fumble in the dark while bullying the indigenous people.


    This kind of social life was almost a typical microcosm of all the otherworldlings on the earth during the Mythological era.


    Galazur and Hao Ren were walking in front. The dragon queen was bare-handed, and her arms were covered in golden scales. Hao Ren was carrying the plasma spear and the Gungnir spear. At first, he had wanted to familiarize himself with the Godslayer, but that black sword was too unbelievably annoying during combat. So he had no choice but kept it in his dimensional pocket and used the Gungnir instead. Both were new to him anyway.


    Hao Ren felt as if he had become a master of spears. Perhaps it was because he had honed his spear skill through three years of combat experience, and also because the physical enhancement given by Raven 12345 was working, he could quickly pick up whatever weapon skills. Brandishing the two spears in his hands, he even started to think that he was already a martial art master.


    At the rear of the team were Y¡¯zaks and Anthony Alfonso.


    Following the vague memory of Vivian, they moved deeper into the long corridor towards the control center of Valhalla. There was no enemy or ambush in the hallway.


    The only strange thing was the cry when the entrance opened.


    ¡°Would these armors come alive suddenly?¡± Holding her pair of claws walking next to Vivian, Lily looked nervously at the armor fragments and broken weapons strewn along the corridor. ¡°They all look like parts of Einherjar.¡±


    ¡°They are einherjar armors without souls. Some are just scrap metal, retired from the battlefield or rejected products from the furnace.¡± Vivian shook her head. ¡°These armors were originally piled up in the graveyard in Valhalla Hall. But during the Twilight of the Gods event, Odin had ordered that these defective armors be also sent to the battlefield, and would be powered by one-time-use runic energy; they were essentially used as cannon fodder. When the Valhalla control center went offline, his plan was thwarted, and the Einherjar disintegrated on their way out in the corridor.¡±


    They continued to move forward in the dark corridor. Just when Hao Ren felt that the passage was unusually quiet and he was uneasy, the MDT suddenly came out of his pocket. ¡°Buddy, Einherjar are detected up ahead.¡±


    The MDT had obtained the energy wavelength of the einherjar during the previous encounter. Now its radar had picked up the einherjar signal and given them an early warning.


    ¡°They are finally here!¡± Instead of being nervous, Hao Ren breathed a sigh of relief, as if he had let go his burden. He was only nervous because of the unknown.


    Fight a visible enemy was always easy.


    The previous encounter with the einherjar had helped boost their confidence except for Nangong Wuyue who was still drunk in detergent. As if they already had a tacit understanding, they immediately dispersed and formed into a formation.


    They were not going to detour or avoid the Einherjar. Moving forward, there was only one way. Any other directions would bring them leaving Valhalla. Since they had come, there was no point in evading the battle.


    There were more scraping sounds of metal.


    They waited for a while, the familiar sound was indeed coming from the direction the MDT had indicated.


    Hao Ren clenched the spears in his hands. ¡°Everyone be prepared. They are coming!¡±


    More scraping sound.


    The sound was closer and closer before four einherjar draped in golden armor emerged from the shadows. These armors were the same as the einherjar they met in the Golden Palace. Armors were covered in rune and only two bright spots in the empty helmet, the Einherjar were holding giant swords in their hands.


    The plasma spear in Hao Ren¡¯s hand was glowing, while the Gungnir was starting humming. Hao Ren did not have a full grasp of the power of the Gungnir, but after the initial decoding by the MDT, he could now control the power of Gungnir. The Gungnir was pretty useful when used as a weapon.


    Just as everyone was prepared for the battle, Nangong Sanba suddenly said, ¡°Wait a minute! Something seems not quite right.¡±


    Galazur had also sensed the anomaly. ¡°Why don¡¯t they come after us?¡±


    The einherjar in the Golden Palace had indiscriminately attacked them. But the einherjar here did nothing but stood silently at the end of the corridor. A pair of light shimmered beneath their helmets, but they did not attack.


    After a few minutes of silence, Lily began to lose her patience and wanted to go out there to check it out. Suddenly, the einherjar moved.


    The einherjar moved forwards at the same speed as during the patrol.


    They raised their guard, but the attack they had envisioned did not happen. The Einherjar just walked along the usual patrol route. As if not noticing the intruders, the einherjar strode past them and away into the distance.


    Until the einherjar disappeared into the other side of the corridor, Lily had still not figured out what happened. ¡°What is going on?¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a long while. He looked at the thing in his hand. ¡°Could it be because of this?¡±


    The Gungnir spear that glistened with a silver light in his hand was once the weapon and symbol of Odin.


    Vivian¡¯s eyes brightened up. ¡°Possible! Odin used Gungnir to command the einherjar!¡±


    ¡°It seems that the einherjar could still recognize the Gungnir. As I didn¡¯t know how to direct them using the Gungnir, they remained still for a while before continuing their routine patrol.¡±


    ¡°Damn, only if we could discover this earlier, the battle in the Golden Palace would have been avoidable.¡± Lily scratched her head. ¡°Mr. Landlord, you should have taken this thing out earlier.¡±


    ¡°How on earth could I know that?¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°I just wanted to test the Godslayer. I would have swapped it with the Gungnir if I knew Godslayer was so annoying.¡±


    Vivian interrupted their conversation. ¡°At least this is good news. It seems that the Gungnir still has influence over the relics of Asgard, and the personal identification of Odin has failed. This spear¡ª¡±


    A weird scream suddenly interrupted Vivian. This scream was so loud that it pierced directly into their brains. They felt a dizzy sensation. Hao Ren looked into the direction of the sound. A glaring bright light suddenly burst out at the end of the corridor followed by a woman rushing out of it.


    The woman was draped in weirdly looking, broken armor with bruises all over her body. She seemed disoriented as she stared dead at the Gungnir and screamed, ¡°Intruders! Return the sacred artifact of the Holy Father!¡±

 Chapter 1108 - Valkyrie

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren was still wondering who the hell the Holy Father was when the mad female warrior with unkempt hair lunged at him. When he finally realized what happened, his Steel Membrane Shield was already protesting in sparks. The madwoman brandishing a gorgeous single-handed sword that flashed in a lightning hit his Steel Membrane Shield. The force of the impact was so great that he felt as if a train had hit him, sending him flying into the wall at the other end of the corridor.


    Though he had gained far more strength than ordinary human after years of training, relying on the brute physical force did not always work. Faced with the thunderous attack of this female warrior, Hao Ren was blown away by before he knew it.


    ¡°Intruder! Intruder! Intruder!¡±


    The mad female warrior seemed to be disoriented. While she continued to scream frantically, she brandished her Thunder Sword glowing in a dazzling light and then charged at Hao Ren again. But this time Lily reacted at once. Wielding her Frostfire Claws, the canine maiden intercepted the madwoman.


    Hao Ren pulled himself out of the wall, face covered in dust and debris. He ran back up. ¡°What the hell is that?¡±


    As the Frostfire Claws met the Thunder Sword, a thunderstorm formed in the corridor of Valhalla, producing a harsh colliding sound and deafening explosions. Lily and the enemy had totally been locked in a fight as they faded into white and yellow shadows respectively in super-quick movement. Hao Ren could feel a deadly shockwave spread out from the center of the battle. The intensity of the clash was astounding. Hao Ren was as sure as hell that he had never seen Lily exhibiting such a high level of fighting ability!


    ¡°Intruders! Intruders! There are more intruders! Destroy all enemies that intrude into the palace!¡± The mad warrior continued to scream while she fought. Her voice was distorted as if her vocal organ was burning with anger. ¡°Valhalla must not fall!¡±


    ¡°Arf¡ª¡± Lily roared. There was no real meaning to her roar, it was just the reaction of an angered beast. For a timid husky to display such strength was incredible.


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyes were out on stalks. He could not believe that this was the cute husky he knew.


    But he soon realized look could be deceiving.


    Though Lily was usually skittish, naive, and making a mess out of everything, she had proved herself with the combat strength of an incarnated demon hunter. Her timid personality notwithstanding, she was never a weakling. Lily was the most potent close-quarters combat warrior in the team. Without the use of magic and form shifting, Y¡¯zaks would be no match for Lily. Same goes to the other family members. There were only two reasons why the husky always appeared a weakling in the team. Firstly, close-quarter combat was her only forte. She was basically toasted when it came to anyone that could fly, shoot, and use magic. Secondly, she was naive.


    The second reason was the reason why she was easily conned.


    Today¡¯s circumstances did not give Lily time to think about whether she should fight or flinch. She had gotten involved in the battle almost immediately that she had to bring out her real combat strength. On the other hand, the enemy was also of the right type. Though the mad warrior had a pair of shiny wings, the confined space in the corridor did not allow the mad warrior to launch into the air. Close combat was the only choice, which was precisely what Lily was good at. Besides that, the enemy also seemed to be a madwoman.


    In these circumstances, Lily would be just fine; however credulous she was.


    ¡°Mr. Landlord!¡± Lily shouted amid the fierce battle. ¡°What the hell is happening? Why do I suddenly fight with this thing?¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a while, realizing that Lily had only realized what she was doing after this long while of fighting.


    Everyone stood by and watched. In fact, judging from the intensity of the battle, no one could really do anything except grabbing a bucket of popcorn and enjoying the show. But they were all anxious. Surprisingly, despite the fierce battle, Lily still had time to talk. ¡°Mr. Landlord! This crazy woman looks a bit tricky!


    ¡°Mr. Landlord! I don¡¯t think I can beat her!


    ¡°Mr. Landlord! She just kicked me! She¡¯s got me!


    ¡°Mr. Landlord! I think I¡¯m going to lose!


    ¡°Mr¡­¡±


    After watching for a long while, Hao Ren had finally found an opportunity. Perhaps he could not stand the annoying mumbles of Lily, he tucked away his spears, overloaded his Steel Membrane Shield, and then lunged forward with a little light ball in his hand.


    ¡°Lily, get out of the way!¡± he shouted.


    The name of the master of close combat was not in vain. Lily¡¯s reaction was quick when she saw Hao Ren was lunging towards them. She left a gap between her and the madwoman, sent the enemy a kick in the waist and with the help of the reverse momentum of that kick, she jumped out of the way. At the same time, Hao Ren had already up to the madwoman and wrapped his arms around her. Almost at the same time, the Thunder Sword was hitting on his Steel Membrane Shield.


    The shield burst into sparks, but Hao Ren ignored it. With the flip of his wrist, he pushed the little light ball into the body of the mad women through the gap in her armor, and then quickly stepped back.


    A massive swarm of bats came up and carried Hao Ren away.


    The entire action happened in just a second.


    Boom!


    The female warrior was covered up in electric light before entirely devoured by a powerful lightning storm.


    ¡°Damn it. Finally.¡± Hao Ren breathed a sigh of relief. Rubbing the cold sweat off his forehead, he felt a flame burning in his chest, his organs were still churning from the violent shock. The Steel Membrane Shield had taken most of the deadly shockwave. Yet, everything had come too sudden, he was suffering from some internal injuries. But these injuries were healing rapidly. ¡°Which god of Asgard was that? That was fearsome!¡±


    The bats had formed into the figure of Vivian beside him. ¡°Phew¡­ she¡¯s a Valkyrie.¡±


    ¡°Valkyrie?¡± Hao Ren was shocked. ¡°The chooser of the slain?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s her. The Valkyries, the armed maids of Odin, the chooser of the slain nurtured by the god of Asgard to collect souls from the battlefield and turn them into einherjar.¡± Vivian calmed her breathing and walked towards the light that was dissipating. ¡°But this one seems to have gone crazy.¡±


    ¡°Obviously, she was,¡± Hao Ren said, exhaling. He took out the Gungnir from his dimensional pocket. ¡°Now I realize; she seems to be attracted by this spear.¡±


    Lily came up from behind. Her hair was as messy as it could get, and her forehead was injured but healing quickly. Holding Hao Ren¡¯s arm, she said in excitement, ¡°Mr. Landlord, am I amazing this time?¡±


    ¡°Of course, you are. Well done.¡± Hao Ren patted Lily on her head, and then carefully examined her injury. ¡°Are you hurt? Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I banged into the wall while fleeing. But I¡¯m fine.¡± Lily¡¯s arms akimbo. ¡°I can still fight ten of them!¡±


    ¡°Well, we will let you meet them when they come again. Valkyries are mass-produced anyway,¡± Vivian said casually just to scare Lily. She then searched the body of the valkyrie lying on the ground.


    Following the scent of blood, she pulled out a dark little thing from under the armor of the Valkyrie. It was a small bat that buried its head in its hands.


    This was the true identity of the light ball that Hao Ren just planted into the valkyrie¡¯s armor: Vivian¡¯s split. This unique bat that could only last for a short time, though small, possessed a hell load of highly charged energy.


    Only that this tiny bat could only release its energy once and then would lose all its strength. It did not even have the power to come back on its own. Under exceptional circumstances, Vivian would throw the bat as a bomb. And just now, she needed the bat to produce the maximum impact.


    So she had asked Hao Ren to plant the little guy directly into the enemy¡¯s armor, which proved to have amazing results.

 Chapter 1109 - Like a Beast

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    When a bat bomb exploded under the armor, even the mightiest valkyrie would not be able to withstand the blast. The mad warrior was now wholly disabled, lying on the ground, the armor was even more broken than before and burn marks and wounds were all over her body.


    But she was not dead.


    Vivian had deliberately kept the explosion of the little bat under control. She designed the attack plan according to what she knew of Valkyrie in her memory. Disabling the mad woman through a powerful electric shock, she could then take her sweet time figuring out what had happened to the Valkyrie.


    ¡°Is she dead?¡± Lily came up to Vivian, knelt down, and cautiously poked the valkyrie¡¯s face with her claw. ¡°I think she is cooked.¡±


    ¡°Not really. Valkyrie has strong vitality and tenacity. The electric shock was just powerful enough to overload her and knock her out,¡± Vivian said while skillfully disassembling the armor on the valkyrie¡¯s abdomen. ¡°She must be of a very high-ranking valkyrie. The Thunder Sword she uses requires a massive amount of magic energy. It is entirely possible for this kind of Valkyrie to survive the Twilight of the Gods.¡±


    Nangong Sanba patted on his chest, still in shock. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the legendary Valkyrie to be so powerful and have such high combat strength.¡±


    ¡°So you thought a Valkyrie was a weakling in the world of the gods of Asgard?¡± Vivian glanced up at him. ¡°Legends are not always true. In fact, valkyries are powerful warriors in the world of the Norse gods. Though they are called Odin¡¯s maids, it is just a title. They are typical combat masters. Valkyries are the commanding-class officers of the einherjar army, the top combat force in Asgard. Each Valkyrie has the combat strength comparable to any Norse god. And the one here, in fact, she should be even more powerful. Valkyrie can cast spells during the battle, but this is one has gone mad and could only use brute force to fight.¡±


    While saying, Vivian had taken the largest piece of armor off the valkyrie¡¯s abdomen, exposing the white clothes underneath. Hao Ren was embarrassed. ¡°What are you doing? Should I excuse myself?¡±


    If Vivian were to continue what she was doing, this chapter would not see the day of light without being heavily censored.


    ¡°Stop your filthy thought!¡± Vivian shot Hao Ren a glance. She then took the last piece of rag off the valkyrie¡¯s belly.


    Under the clothes was not skin but a layer of translucent gold shell.


    The shell seemed to be made of amber, emitting a constant faint glow. It covered two-thirds of the valkyrie¡¯s belly. There were a few silver-white wires on the edges of the shell connecting to the surrounding skin tissue. Underneath the shell was a mixed bunch of cables and metal strips wrapping around a blue-white light, which pulsated as if the beating of the heart.


    ¡°Ahh?¡± Hao Ren was stunned. He mumbled spontaneously, ¡°Is this a robot or a magic doll?¡±


    ¡°It is a hybrid. You can call her a cyborg, and they are all female. Only the spirit of female Asgardian can be perfectly synchronized with the Core of the Valkyrie,¡± Vivian said while tapping the amber shell lightly with her finger. As she tapped, various intricate lines and symbols appeared on the shell. It transpired the shell was a control panel. ¡°As I said, the gods of Asgard, or the Asgardians, are experts in radiation and electromagnetic technology and have strong mental power. Many of their warriors were produced on this basis. Valkyries were carefully-selected female warriors, who had received unusually harsh training when they were still alive. They were sent to the college almost immediately when they learned to walk, and they underwent combat training around the clock. They eventually became combat masters and were deployed to the front line of Jotunheim, where wars raged on. They went without any extra supplies or backup. The only purpose of the battle was to send them to their deaths. The senior valkyries would walk with these candidates. Whenever a candidate died, she would be immediately be brought back to Asgard, where Frigg personally implanted a thing called the Core of Valkyrie into their hearts. This core transformed the newly-dead candidates and turned their bodies into combat tools while it pulled their souls back from the kingdom of death. Then, a new Valkyrie was born.¡±


    This cruel warrior training method had everyone astounded as they looked at each other. Even Y¡¯zaks could not help himself. ¡°That¡¯s brutal!¡±


    ¡°Every race has its own way of living. To the Valkyries, they don¡¯t feel that their experience is anything unusual. It¡¯s just a distinct profession with its special training and induction program. The Asgardian is good at spiritual power, and they regard the dead as an important resource as the spiritual power of the newly-dead is the most powerful and easiest to harness. By now, you should know that the manufacturing process of einherjar is actually a simplified version of that of the Valkyries. Naturally, the simplified version would not be as good as the full version. Einherjar can¡¯t retain their previous personality and have relatively low combat strength. And more importantly¡­¡±


    Vivian glanced at the Gungnir in Hao Ren¡¯s hand. ¡°They are just puppets. But Valkyries are capable of thinking. That was why you could control the Einherjar with this spear, but you could not do the same with the Valkyries.¡±


    Hao Ren listened. He then curiously looked at Vivian. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I am giving the Core of Valkyrie a stimulation and restoring her. This would work under normal circumstances,¡± Vivian said without looking up. ¡°Warriors who become valkyries could no longer be called humans. They are half-human, half machine, so calling them cyborg is appropriate and all mechanical repair techniques would work for them.¡±


    Nangong Sanba became curious. ¡°How come you look so skillful at it?¡±


    Vivian let out a bright smile and then shot an electric arc into the Core of Valkyrie. ¡°Because I was close to Frigg.¡±


    Bweee!


    An electric power tone was heard. The Valkyrie, in a deep coma, began to tremble. The Core of Valkyrie in her belly dimmed before brightened up. The metal tubes and cables around the core were also changing color. At the end of the self-diagnostic process, the valkyrie¡¯s eye suddenly opened.


    Her face remained expressionless for a few seconds, then her eyes turned, stared dead at Hao Ren, and let out a weird cry. Just when Hao Ren was about to raise his hand to say hello, the Valkyrie suddenly flipped over and bounced up and out a few meters away, like a beast crawling on the ground, arching her body, and growling threateningly.


    Her irrational behavior was utterly wild like a beast.


    ¡°Looks like she hasn¡¯t recovered yet,¡± Lily said. ¡°Battie, did you press the wrong button?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. The Core of Valkyrie has been reset. It should have automatically recovered. She could either lie still or recovered.¡± Vivian scratched her hair. ¡°No Valkyrie could ever defy the forced restoration process.¡±


    ¡°She seems to be a little different than before.¡± Hao Ren looked the Valkyrie, whose hair was unkempt and was roaring in a low voice. ¡°She doesn¡¯t attack us this time.¡±


    ¡°And she is terrified,¡± Lily said suddenly. ¡°She looks aggressive, but she is actually bluffing. Because she is afraid of being attacked.¡±


    Galazur glanced at Lily curiously. ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°She knows because this is what she is good at; howling at people with her tail between her legs,¡± Vivian said casually. ¡°She and all creatures on all fours have a common language.¡±


    Though it sounded like Vivian was mocking her, Vivian did have a point, Lily thought to herself.


    The Valkyrie right here might look mad, but she had lost her aggressiveness.


    Hesitatingly, Nangong Sanba suggested, ¡°I think we should go up to talk to her.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue looked at Nangong Sanba and said, ¡°Why not you try?¡±


    Nangong Sanba shook his head. ¡°No, no. We should send someone tougher. At least when negotiation fails, he could still make it back alive.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks said bluntly, ¡°Then I should¡­¡±


    Everyone said in unison, ¡°You should shut up, and stand back!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks was dumbfounded.


    ¡°Looks like there is only me.¡± Hao Ren looked around and accepted the fact that he was always the one doing the dirty and dangerous job. ¡°Known to be tough, who else could take my place?¡±


    After chanting these words, he propped up the Steel Membrane Shield and moved slowly towards the Valkyrie under their watchful eyes.

 Chapter 1110 - Someone

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    As Hao Ren stepped closer, the Valkyrie who was in a state of madness stepped backward. Like a beast that was forced into a corner, her nails planted deep into the gaps of the floorboards while she growled threateningly. Behind her messy hair was a pair of wild eyes that hardly look human.


    ¡°Relax. Relax.¡± Hao Ren had no choice but stopped after taking a few steps forward. He spread out his hands and motioned that he was not a threat. ¡°See, we are not enemies, we are not coming to attack Valhalla. We are here to investigate the situation. Oh, we have an old friend of gods of Asgard here too.¡±


    ¡°Val¡­ halla¡­¡± The Valkyrie trembled and hummed a few syllables in her throat, as though she only responded to those particular words.


    Seeing that this worked, the words the valkyrie shouted a moment ago came to his mind. He further said in an even friendlier tone of voice. ¡°Are you guarding Valhalla?¡±


    The Valkyrie screamed reflexively. ¡°Valhalla must not fall! Valhalla must not fall!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Valhalla must not fall, this place is solid, and no one is going to invade here!¡± Hao Ren immediately said, waving his hand gesturing to Lily behind him to stand down. ¡°We are not here to attack you, we are friends of Odin. We want to help.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know you.¡± The expression of the Valkyrie suddenly became tense. ¡°There have never been people like you in the Garden of Asgard!¡±


    ¡°Because we don¡¯t live here,¡± Hao Ren said quickly. He hesitated. He knew that he had something that would definitely attract the attention of this Valkyrie, but it was hard to tell how the Valkyrie would react if he took out the thing. After all, the Valkyrie had reacted violently before because of that thing. But he still wanted to try it.


    He opened the dimensional pocket and took out the Gungnir.


    Sure enough, when the Valkyrie saw this spear, she was instantly agitated and about to go on a rampage. But before she could do so, Hao Ren said aloud, ¡°We found this spear in the battlefield! We want to hand it to Odin!¡±


    Perhaps the restoration done by Vivian on the Valkyrie had worked, though the Valkyrie was crazy, she was able to understand the words. After hearing Hao Ren¡¯s explanation, she appeared confused and in thought. This was an opportunity for more communication. Hao Ren said, ¡°We just checked the battlefield outside the Garden of Asgard, Odin was not on the battlefield. He only left behind this gun. Do you know where he is?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t hear¡­ I can¡¯t hear the voice of Holy Father¡­¡± the valkyrie lowered her eyes and trembled a little. ¡°I can¡¯t hear¡­ I can¡¯t hear¡­¡±


    Seeing her condition, Hao Ren was worried that she might go violent again. He interrupted. ¡°Well, it is okay. We can find him ourselves¡ª¡±


    Before Hao Ren finished, the disoriented valkyrie suddenly roared before she turned around and ran. Her movement was so fast that before they knew what happened, she had already disappeared into the dark corridor.


    ¡°She has run away.¡± Hao Ren turned around and spread out his hand helplessly. ¡°I didn¡¯t get to say much.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, there has been some progress,¡± Vivian said. ¡°It seems that the reset function of her core works. She is not aggressive anymore. I guess she now lacks humanity and behaving like a beast. She is driven by beast instinct.¡±


    Nangong Sanba glanced at Vivian. ¡°Should we still go ahead?¡±


    Vivian thought for a while. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the central control room to find her. We might be able to find some clues there.¡±


    They set off again and continued to move deeper into the palace along the long corridor of Valhalla. They found traces of the Valkyrie along the way: the deep scratches of her fingernails on the walls and floor, as well as the holes at the corners of the corridor, which she might have banged into. These shocking scenes could tell how violently the Valkyrie moved in the hallway.


    They also encountered more einherjar. As they went deeper into the palace, the Einherjar, which was still active, were patrolling along their designated routes. They were not wandering around aimlessly. As before, when Hao Ren took out the Gungnir, the einherjar would behave as if not seeing them. So they were able to move around the palace without a hitch.


    ¡°The Valkyrie could be the one activating the Einherjar.¡± Watching the last group of einherjar disappeared from their views, Vivian said thoughtfully, ¡°She seems to be still performing her duty of guarding Valhalla. She might have gone crazy, but she still arranges the patrol.¡±


    At last, they arrived at the deepest part of the Valhalla Palace, at a place that Vivian called the central control room.


    It was a hemispherical hall supported by many thin columns. The inner wall of the hall was covered with a silver-white alloy of unknown material. In between the columns were floating symbols and magic lines. At the top of the hall, bright electric arcs were dancing between the columns. Hao Ren had spotted the valkyrie instantly. She was squatting on a chair at the other side in the round hall, staring at the floor, head slightly trembling. She had not noticed them.


    Behind her were dozens of identical chairs neatly arranged, but those chairs were empty.


    Hao Ren carefully walked towards the Valkyrie who was still in deep thought. When Hao Ren was halfway towards the Valkyrie, the Valkyrie suddenly looked up and stared dead at him for a long while before she uttered, ¡°Oh, it is you.¡±


    ¡°It seems she is now easier to communicate with than before,¡± Lily said in a whisper to Nangong Wuyue, both following behind Hao Ren.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Hao Ren continued to spread out his hands, indicating that he was friendly.


    The Valkyrie jumped down from the chair and pointed at the dozen empty chairs behind her. ¡°We are guarding Valhalla.¡±


    Hao Ren mumbled, ¡°But there is no one here¡­¡±


    ¡°We are guarding Valhalla,¡± the valkyrie repeated earnestly, eyes having a hint of anxiety.


    Hao Ren quickly nodded. ¡°Oh, guarding Valhalla. With all of you here, this place is impregnable.¡±


    The anxiety in the valkyrie¡¯s eyes gradually receded. She seemed to be satisfied with Hao Ren¡¯s answer, or rather she was satisfied with the world in her imagination. She nodded with a smile. ¡°This place will not fall. No one can attack this place. After the war is over¡­ After the war is over¡­¡±


    ¡°The war has already ended two thousand years ago¡­¡± Hao Ren suddenly corrected his words halfway. ¡°Oh yes, after the war is over, Odin will have other instructions for you. You are right to be here.¡±


    Not far behind, Vivian suddenly sighed softly.


    She could already guess why the Valkyrie had gone crazy.


    During the Twilight of the Gods, the crumble of Valhalla from the inside was the deadliest blow to the gods of Asgard. It was because the vital Einherjar army was trapped in the barrack here that the Norse gods met their tragic end.


    This Valkyrie had gone insane under this circumstance.


    Her madness was so thorough that the human part of her fusion soul had almost wholly disappeared, and then she lived alone for more than two thousand years in this place. Eventually, restarting the Core of Valkyrie could no longer save her mind.


    On the other hand, Hao Ren had finally gained the trust of this insane Valkyrie by continually talking to her ¡ª or rather singing to her tune. He looked at the columns surrounded by various holographic images and asked randomly, ¡°You are alone?¡±


    ¡°There are them.¡± The Valkyrie pointed at the empty chairs. ¡°And the Einherjar outside.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately nodded. ¡°Oh yes, there are them. Other than the Valkyries and Einherjar, has anyone been to the Garden of Asgard?¡±


    The Valkyrie shook her head. ¡°Everyone is fighting outside.¡±


    ¡°What about outside the Garden of Asgard? Who have been outside the Garden of Asgard all these years?¡±


    The Valkyrie kept shaking her head, and then suddenly nodding again. ¡°At the end of the Rainbow Bridge¡­ towards the lower bound, there are mortals peeping, are there¡­ no, aren¡¯t there?¡±


    The Valkyrie became talking indistinctly. Lily suddenly whispered from not far away, ¡°Mr. Landlord, come to see this!¡±


    Hao Ren came up to her. It turned out that Lily had found a column that looked very unique. Visual images were floating around the column, showing an unknown location, but the background looked as if the aftermath of the Twilight of the Gods: scorched and twisted earth.


    On the scorched earth, there were several moving figures!

 Chapter 1111 - The End of Asgard

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The column that Lily found looked like some kind of remote surveillance equipment. The holographic images floating around it showed the photos of some areas outside the Garden of Asgard. Though Hao Ren could not determine its specific location, the iconic landscape on some of these images was what he had seen when he flew over Asgard. These areas were all located on the edge of Asgard.


    In the hologram, five or six figures were moving on the scorched earth. They neither belonged to Asgard nor Vanir. These people were wearing bloated and cumbersome leather clothes and carrying various unknown gear. They were not so much the surviving ancient gods, but more like wandering warriors. These men and women were moving in the wasteland, as if unaware that they were being monitored. Like scavengers, they rummaged in the battlefield for relics excitedly and yet cautiously.


    It was hard to tell the time of the footage, but judging from the battlefield situation, it probably was right after the end of the Twilight of the Gods battle. The magic fire on the wasteland had been extinguished, and the tearing in the sky caused by the light cannon of the demon hunters had healed. Those who appeared in the footage were obviously survivors of the Twilight of the Gods.


    Hao Ren immediately turned to ask the Valkyrie, ¡°Is this real-time surveillance footage?¡±


    The Valkyrie curled up on the chair like a cub in a defensive posture. ¡°Real-time surveillance?¡±


    Vivian repeated it. ¡°I just want to ask when these footages were taken. Is it real-time footage?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± The Valkyrie glanced at Vivian in fear. It seemed she had finally recovered her memory as she began to remember the ancient vampire who was once a guest in the Garden of Asgard more than 2,000 years ago. It might also be shocked by Vivian¡¯s ¡®electric therapy¡¯ earlier. ¡°This was¡­ thousands of days ago, or even much earlier¡­ I don¡¯t know, I just guard Valhalla, I don¡¯t know the situation on the outside. I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°What happened on the plains of Vigrid had caused a psychological trauma in her. She didn¡¯t dare to look at the situation outside the Valhalla Palace,¡± Nangong Sanba said in a whisper. ¡°A typical self-protective hypnosis.¡±


    ¡°It seems that these were recorded much earlier.¡± Hao Ren nodded after hearing the reply of the Valkyrie. ¡°After all, when we flew over Asgard, we didn¡¯t detect any signs of human activities on the surface.¡±


    ¡°Can you tell where the surveillance footage comes from?¡± Galazur turned to look at Anthony Alfonso.


    ¡°I think I know where it is,¡± Vivian interjected. ¡°This Valkyrie had just mentioned the lower bound and Rainbow Bridge, which should be on the southeast of Vigrid Plain. I know that place. And if we want to go to other dimensions, we will definitely have to pass through that place.¡±


    Noticing the curious look on the faces of Anthony Alfonso and Galazur, she further explained, ¡°The Nine Kingdoms are connected by the branches of Yggdrasil, and the weak links of the various dimensional barriers are naturally those branches. The gods of Asgard have built an accelerator called the Rainbow Bridge in the largest branch, enabling people to cross the barriers between the Nine Kingdoms safely and stably. The Twilight of the Gods battle destroyed the Rainbow Bridge, but those remaining passages should still be passable. At least they still allow us to pass through. If Odin is really not in Asgard, then we could only check the other dimensions. Other dimensions might be different from what we think and having more survivors.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and check out the Rainbow Bridge.¡± Hao Ren nodded immediately but hesitated when he glanced at the Valkyrie. ¡°The question is what we should do about her. Just let her stay here?¡±


    The mad Valkyrie had heard their voices and looked up. Her murky eyes were full of suspicion as if she knew something would fall upon her. She felt uneasy.


    ¡°Are you leaving with us?¡± Vivian smiled and asked kindly.


    The Valkyrie thought for a moment before shaking her head frantically. ¡°No! I want to guard the palace with my sisters! We should not allow any breach to appear here!¡±


    ¡°Leave her alone. After all, she has been here for more than two thousand years.¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°Let¡¯s only deal with her when we come back.¡±


    No one objected. They checked the other surveillance equipment in the central control room and found no traces of Odin, and they left Valhalla.


    As they left, the mad Valkyrie followed them to the palace entrance. She spent most of her time staring dead at Hao Ren and rarely responded to questions with rationally. Until they stepped out of the door, the Valkyrie asked nervously, ¡°Will you return the spear to Holy Father?¡±


    Hao Ren was startled. She really took it seriously when all he had just wanted was to make up an excuse to calm her down.


    But he obviously could not be perfunctory now. He nodded. ¡°Oh, yes, I will give it to Odin when I see him.¡±


    ¡°Please tell him,¡± the valkyrie lowered her eyes, trying not to look at the rest of the Garden of Asgard and pretending that the great city still remained standing. ¡°Please ask him, what order he has for the Valkyries.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± Hao Ren could only keep nodding, and then quickly left as if he was fleeing.


    ¡°It is terrible,¡± Hao Ren said, forcing a smile and looking at Vivian upon returning onboard the spherical flying craft. ¡°It almost drove me crazy talking to a psychotic. What should I tell her when we come back?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me, you are the one lying.¡± Vivian turned her head away. ¡°Let¡¯s pray we would find Odin. If other dimensions survive, then maybe we would be able to find Odin.¡±


    It did not take long before they arrived at the Rainbow Bridge.


    The Asgard dimension was not on Earth; naturally, there was no way to tell directions based on the earth¡¯s magnetic field. But for the sake of ease of navigation, the gods of Asgard had manually designated the course of each of the Nine Kingdoms. Though the original formula was lost, Vivian could still tell routes based on the mountain range.


    The passed through the plain of Vigrid that extended southeast and had been turned into scorched earth, a dry shoal, and a twisted jungle before arriving at the end of Asgard.


    It was the real dimensional end.


    The earth ended abruptly in front of them, and the mountains on both sides appeared like cliffs as if a cake was cut out, showing its cross-section. Looking down from above, there were only jaw-dropping abyss and chaos.


    A river flowed from the inland and cut off at this end of the dimension. Water rushed off the earth and was suspended in the void, becoming an endless fog in the distance. This fog was like a barrier covering half of the dimensional border of Asgard. This fog circulated back to the inland following an air current and turned into rain and snow again to complete a cycle.


    The most awe-inspiring scenery was neither the cut-off earth nor the floating river in the void, but the numerous huge vines that extended out from the ground to the void.


    Their spherical flying craft landed on a small hill at the end of the earth. This small hill was actually the knuckle of a vine. Disembarking from the flying craft, Hao Ren once again set foot on the tentacle of a First Born. A dozen massive arms extended from the earth beneath and the mountains far away before growing loosely into the barrier-like cloud. These tentacles were identical in form to the First Born, but their skin was shining with mysterious silver runes. Each of these runes was hundreds of square meters wide.


    This was the body of Yggdrasil. These giant tentacles grew in the deepest part of the earth and even spread to other dimensions and finally connected the nine otherworldly dimensions like a skeleton. Now, these things lay silently as if they did not know some ¡®tiny microbes¡¯ were lurking nearby. Only in a particular nightmarish state would the tentacles in the distance twitch slightly¡ªit was so slight that it was almost imperceptible to the naked eyes.


    But it was enough to prove that Yggdrasil was still alive.


    ¡°It is indeed the living tissues of the First Born. But it has undergone tremendous mutation. I can¡¯t tell why it becomes like this,¡± the MDT said after performing a shallow-layer scan of the tentacles. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go too deep. It has nerve activity inside and not very stable. It will cause a problem if it wakes up.¡±


    ¡°Mimir is still pacifying him.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s us explore the other places first before waking up this big guy.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s split and search.¡± Vivian looked into the distance. ¡°There seems to be something there.¡±

 Chapter 1112 - Heimdallr

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Vivian summoned a swarm of bats. Overlooking the surrounding terrain from a high altitude, she quickly found the area that appeared on the surveillance footage. It was the ruins of a battlefield on a riverbank. Though it was some distance from the main battlefield of Vigrid, the condition there still looked terrible. Vivian believed that this was the place where the Twilight of the Gods started: the j?tnar, those from Muspell, and the various demons from other spaces came to Asgard through the Bifr?st here.


    The heroic Heimdallr fought the invaders here, but the gatekeeper eventually died with Loki.


    The small battlefield lay between two huge triangular tentacles as if caught between two small mountains. Surveillance footage in Valhalla matched the features of this area, but Hao Ren found no signs of human activity.


    ¡°No smell,¡± Lily sniffed around the ground and then returned to report to Hao Ren. ¡°I¡¯m sure nobody has been here for at least three months. But there are traces of human activity. Some equipment on the body has been taken away, while some items have old and new cuts.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like ¡®battlefield scavengers¡¯,¡± muttered Y¡¯zaks, ¡°and it¡¯s been more than two thousand years. Could there be so many people survive?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe how they survived the deadly magic radiation to this day.¡± Vivian shook her head. Then she suddenly caught sight of something not far away, and she raised her head and stared blankly over there.


    Hao Ren looked at the same direction and saw the largest tentacle rising from the end of the earth ahead, stretching all the way to the sky. The huge tentacle was covered with a layer of gorgeous crystal, with a ringlike crystal door at the end of the crystal. The door kept spinning while flickering lights leaking from it: it must be the legendary ¡°Bifr?st¡±.


    In front of this fragmented crystal bridge, there was an extraordinarily tall figure standing proudly against the sky.


    It was a thick-haired Asgard soldier. He was wearing the Aesirian alloy armor. His whole body was covered with wounds and the armor on his chest was deeply sunken: this was his fatal wound. Standing in front of the Bifr?st, the soldier leaned forward as if he was ready to pounce, and did not turn until the moment of death. Behind him, a cracked lance stuck into his waist. This was how he maintained standing at the last moment of his life.


    The soldier¡¯s face had been severely weathered over two thousand years, but it was incredible that his body had not been completely decomposed. He had simply become a mummified corpse in the wind as if the task of guarding the bridge still lay on his shoulders and made him resist the grinding of time.


    ¡°Heimdallr¡­ The whole Aesirian Garden is down but you haven¡¯t,¡± Vivian came to the soldier and said softly.


    ¡°Admirable.¡± Galazur put her hands on both sides of her body, leaned forward slightly, and paid tribute to the soldier. She did not know who Heimdallr was, but as a golden dragon warrior, she saluted the soldier¡¯s determination to fight.


    Vivian pointed to another direction and said, ¡°Then that¡¯s Loki. His body was torn apart, poor thing.¡±


    A rather large body of a man lay in front of Heimdallr. He had unusually large bones and the size of the body was a lot larger than the normal Aesirian. The body was torn apart, its torso falling ten meters away but its head fell at the feet of Heimdallr.


    ¡°Loki was a descendant of the j?tnar. At first, he was not so evil, but then he grew more and more. It was thought that the evil blood drawn from the giant within him was gradually awakening, but I now suspect that he only went mad by touching the sap of Yggdrasil in the Niflheim region. Nidhogg, the black dragon spent years in Hel nibbling at the roots of Yggdrasil. The blood of the Firstborn polluted a third of Hel and soaked through the mountains, all the way to the water of Niflheim. Loki went to investigate the water problems of Niflheim and acted a little abnormal after he came back.


    ¡°You know Heimdallr well?¡± Hao Ren asked curiously.


    Vivian shook her head and said, ¡°Not really, but he impressed me. Heimdallr was a dull guy, and very inflexible. He guarded the door meticulously, and even though I was a friend of Odin¡¯s, he stopped me in front of Bifr?st more than once. But other than that, no one can match his bravery and loyalty.¡±


    Lily scratched her head and asked, ¡°Why do I suddenly feel that the otherworldlings in northern Europe are the good ones, and the demon hunters are actually the bad ones?¡±


    ¡°Whether it is decency or villain, there will always be heroic ones, regardless of faction,¡± Vivian said, shaking her head gently. ¡°Here you will lament the bravery and tenacity of the Nordic gods in the past, but if you go back to that era and look at the living environment of mankind at that time, you will lament the ruthlessness and selfishness of Odin and his followers. There¡¯s no right or wrong about the war of genocide. The mythological era had experienced ups and downs, and the end result is that human beings and the otherworldlings exchange their living space. And humans are the real aborigines of the earth while the otherworldlings are only a group of foreign visitors, so in the end, the world still belongs to humans. In this process, the demon hunters, whether willing or not, have played the role of ¡®liberating mankind¡¯. So from a human point of view, they become the masters of justice.¡±


    Nangong Sanba walked around Heimdallr¡¯s body and suddenly found something. ¡°Oh, look at this!¡±


    Hao Ren went over to check the situation. Nangong Sanba found a pile of small offerings, just a few meters away from Heimdallr. Several stones were stacked together in a regular pattern, with pottery jars and rusty spear tips on them. These inconspicuous things were almost indistinguishable from the ruins of the surrounding battlefields. They realized that it was a small altar after a careful observation.


    The data terminal immediately flew over and checked. ¡°The age¡­ The last record was a hundred years ago.¡±


    ¡°Someone was mourning Heimdallr.¡± Hao Ren and Vivian exchanged a look. ¡°Certainly not that crazy Valkyrie,¡± he said.


    ¡°It could be the battlefield scavengers,¡± Y¡¯zaks said, looking up at Bifr?st, ¡°they came through this door.¡±


    After leaving some surveillance probes on the battlefield ruins, Hao Ren and the rest of them set foot on the unusually large tentacle of the Firstborn (or, the branch of the ¡®Yggdrasil¡¯), and Bifr?st extended under their feet.


    In the ancient Norse mythology, the Bifr?st was a long bridge built by light extending from the Aesirian Garden. The Aesir cast the bridge with rainbow clouds and incredible power to connect the road between the human world and Asgard. But in fact, the spatial rifts connecting different spaces had existed and were created by the branches of Yggdrasil before the Aesirian Garden was established. Bifr?st was a stabilizing device that solidified these spatial rifts and opened and closed it manually. The Aesir used this way to establish the closure and inviolability of their kingdom and bound the order of the Nine Worlds.


    On the Twilight of the gods, the army of giants and monsters stormed the Bifr?st entrance at Asgard¡¯s end, and Loki destroyed the restraints that had been used to protect the portal. So after a serious overload, the Bifr?st was destroyed and the crystal trail broke into thousands of pieces. The teleportation portal at the end of the bridge could no longer be shut down and maintained in a semi-open state permanently.


    The ring gate at the end of the crystal walk was huge which looked like it can accommodate a large airbus. Numerous components of the portal were running continuously in the air, making a loud rumble. Vivian came to the gate and threw in a small bat, explaining to the surrounding people, ¡°There is only one Bifr?st in Asgard, but it can lead to all eight other different spaces. By changing the way the ring rotates, the gate can be mapped onto the paths of several other kingdoms. If the guard of Bifr?st, Heimdallr, dies in battle, the mapping relationship of Bifr?st will be immediately disrupted and solidified.¡±


    Hao Ren frowned. ¡°That is to say, now we cannot determine which kingdom is on the other side of the teleportation portal or the exact location of any kingdom?¡±


    Vivian sighed. ¡°Odin¡¯s left eye is inlaid with a gem that reflects the true path of the Nine Worlds and restores the control of Bifr?st after Heimdallr¡¯s death. What I had in mind was that when I got here, I would first find Odin¡¯s body, and then explore the different spaces one by one with the power of the gemstones and find the Ymir¡¯s spaceship. But now we don¡¯t know where Odin is, so we¡¯ll have to find him world by world.¡±


    Then Blood Mist floated out of the teleportation portal and turned into a bat on Vivian¡¯s hand.


    ¡°The situation on the other side of the portal is not good.¡± She frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone could have survived there.¡±

 Chapter 1113 - The Lightseeker

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Although Hao Ren could guess what the world looked like at the other end of the Bifr?st, and how destructive the ¡°magical energy radiation could be, it was not until the moment he stepped out of the teleportation portal that he realized how tragic the kingdom outside Asgard was now.


    They crossed the spiral gate of the Bifr?st and stepped into a place, which looked like purgatory.


    Everything in the world was burned and broken into ashes. Hao Ren stood on the wreckage of the Bifr?st on this side and looked into the distance. Every inch of land he saw showed signs of serious distortion. Huge and terrifying rift valleys were everywhere and smoke billowed in them as if the endless fire in the rift had not burned up till now. Outside the rift valley, there were patches of dirty green glass-like bodies covering everything. The glass-like bodies fluoresced in a disgusting form of viscous fluids, scattering in clusters from under the Bifr?st to the end of the horizon.


    These glass-like bodies were the products of magical energy radiation. The unprecedented powerful magical energy, coupled with the catalytic shock of the demon hunter¡¯s beam cannon, produced mixed magical energy that completely burned and destroyed the earth, turning all the organic matter on earth into this disgusting, weird, glass-like thing. The residue of these magical energies could hardly be put to any use. Like a curse itself, they covered the earth with scorching and disgusting heat, leaving it barren forever.


    A sky of ashes and dust shrouded the earth. The thick cloud of dust almost covered all the light. The world was shrouded in darkness, making this place even more dreary and gloomy.


    This was the burnt-out world. It was the world after all the bustling vitality was melted into slag. The air was filled with deadly poisonous gas and radiation. There was no more light in the sky. All life was over and everything was infected. The vast majority of ordinary species would not be able to thrive in this environment.


    Wuyue grabbed Hao Ren¡¯s arm in a little fear, stretched her neck and looked out into the distance trying to find a glimmer of life, but apparently, she could not find it. In this completely burned place, the only creatures that were still alive were the tentacles on the edge of the continent.


    The powerful Yggdrasil. Its tentacles across the continent could survive even here. Now they were standing on one of its tentacles while the rest were shaking slightly in the distance. Silvery white eerie runes were also shining on these tentacles. These tentacles could not bring a single breath of life and warmth to this place. On the contrary, these weird things could only make the place more gloomy and terrible, like a nightmare in the abyss.


    The Bifr?st on this side, like the Bifr?st in Asgard, only the spiral door was still running and the crystalline trail covering the branches of Yggdrasil had broken into pieces. The crystalline trail on this side was in a more tragic state due to the erosion of magical energy. Hao Ren led the team along the tentacle of Firstborn towards the dead land. He had seen what Asgard looked like after the Twilight of the Gods, and he thought that the situation of this place would be as terrible as that of Asgard, but when he got here, he realized what a wonderful place Asgard was.


    Even though the place over there was destroyed by the war, it looked like heaven compared to the situation here.


    ¡°Which kingdom is this? Niflheim? Svartalfheim? Muspelheim?¡± Nangong Sanba could not stop guessing. ¡°It can¡¯t be Midgard¡­ It¡¯s so desolate.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t recognize it at all.¡± Vivian frowned. ¡°I never thought that the magical energy could burn so violently that¡­ the place was completely burned and everything was beyond recognition. The mountains collapsed and the rivers evaporated. I don¡¯t know where we are.¡±


    ¡°The battlefield scavengers we saw on the surveillance video came to Asgard through Bifr?st,¡± Hao Ren looked at Vivian and said. ¡°That means they time-traveled across the wasteland. Who do you think can do this?¡±


    ¡°The strong ones or the Muspell of Aesir should be able to survive in this environment, but certainly not for a long time: there is no water or food here, and it seems unlikely that those things will be produced here. Also, the human figures on the surveillance video are obviously not giants or Aesir. Judging from the way they dressed and their physical features, I think it¡¯s more like the humans of Midgard. Ordinary humans are absolutely unable to survive here for more than ten minutes. I can¡¯t explain this,¡± said Vivian.


    Everyone went down Bifr?st and explored this dead world. There were no relics to collect, no battlefield ruins, or anything like that to be inspected. The magical energy storm destroyed everything here equally, leaving only worthless ashes for them.


    If nothing could be found here, Hao Ren¡¯s next goal was another Bifr?st of more than 100 kilometers away. There was a gate that led to the next ¡®world¡¯.


    According to Vivian, apart from Asgard having only one ¡°universal Bifr?st¡±, the other eight kingdoms had two Dimension Tunnels, pointing to two kingdoms respectively. After the death of Heimdallr, these tunnels were fixed in pairs, linking several kingdoms into a chain.


    Hao Ren could not control the mapping of the Bifr?st without the guidance of Odin¡¯s precious stone, so they could only travel one kingdom by one kingdom.


    Hao Ren did not have any hope for this desolate continent, but hope always comes unintentionally:


    ¡°Landlord! There¡¯s something here!¡±


    Lily was running around in front of them. Suddenly, she stopped in front of a hill and turned her head and shouted at them.


    They rushed to her. Lily pointed to a pile of objects on the ground and said, ¡°Looks like these were left behind by humans.¡±


    A few pieces of rock were neatly stacked together. Some pieces of pottery and leather were scattered around the stones. At the top of the stone pile, there was a metal cane, and a small device, looking like a compass, was placed beside the cane. These things may be some kind of symbolic souvenir. A piece of polished slate was laid flat on the ground, and something was written on it in ancient words.


    Hao Ren bent down to translate the handwriting on the slate with the translation plug-in. ¡°¡­ Tanarossa, the Lightseeker, rested here. He devoted all his life to searching for the remnant of sparks in the Nine Worlds. The warrior fell down in Vanaheim. May the ancestors and Valkyrie protect his soul and lead him to the eternal kingdom.¡±


    Lily carefully turned it over and found that there were words on the back of the slate:


    ¡°Friend, I will continue our journey. Even if there¡¯s only one person left, I will arrive in Asgard. May you bless me in the palace of the eternal kingdom, and if I fall, let us meet again in the eternal kingdom. If there were new Lightseekers in the future, I hope they can see this passage. We are stuck in the long night, but we go forward to the light until death.¡±


    ¡°The Lightseeker¡­¡± Vivian whispered it and said, ¡°I have not heard of it in the Nordic cultural system.¡±


    ¡°Obviously, it is a noun produced after the separation of the Nine Worlds from the Material Plane.¡± Hao Ren frowned, reasoning the hidden meaning in this passage. ¡°Fell down in Vanaheim¡­ So, here is Vanaheim?¡±


    ¡°The home of Vanir. This place used to be very beautiful. There used to be several big rivers and an inland sea, and aurora often appeared in the sky.¡± Vivian said and sighed softly as she looked at the land that was completely destroyed by magical energy. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to become like this.¡±


    Anthony looked carefully at the little grave and suddenly he said, ¡°It looks like it was written not long ago.¡±


    ¡°Not long ago?!¡± Hao Ren asked.


    The old wizard immediately summoned a magic ball. The ball circled around the metal stick several times and then vanished. ¡°No more than two days. There¡¯s magical energy everywhere. According to the accumulation of magical energy on the metal surface, we can estimate when it was last touched by any creatures.¡±


    Lily jumped up at once and said, ¡°Those who left these things may still be in Vanaheim!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s split up and look around!¡± Vivian summoned a swarm of little bats which dispersed in all directions. ¡°There is no sign of anyone passing through the Bifr?st in Asgard. I¡¯m afraid this person is already in trouble,¡± she said.


    Hao Ren, Galazur and Anthony immediately opened their own dimensional pocket and released all the detective probes they had. Detection probes and bats soon disappeared under Vanaheim¡¯s chaotic sky and a rapidly expanding scanning area was mapped in the minds of data terminal and Vivian.


    Galazur was worried. ¡°This man said he would go to Asgard, but we didn¡¯t find any trace when we crossed the Bifr?st. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s lost.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Getting lost in this kind of place¡­ I can¡¯t imagine the consequences. That man can walk all the way here, I hope he has more ways to save his life.¡±

 Chapter 1114 - Wendell

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Wendell was a Lightseeker. He could also be the last Lightseeker. As a man searching for the remnants of light among the Nine Worlds, he was too old for the task. His body was weak and his mind was flagging. Every part of his body was constantly reminding him that he was no longer fit to take part in the expedition, and his insistence would only lead him to death.


    Nevertheless, he resolutely left the warm and comfortable Twilight Capital and embarked on the journey, which he had little chance of returning.


    This was his second time.


    Wendell once challenged the journey of light searching. He was traveling with 28 partners at the time. Half of them died of the deadly disease of magical energy erosion shortly after crossing the first Bifr?st while the rest of them died one after another in the deadly poisonous fog of the Niflheim. In the end, Wendell and the only remaining teammate dragged themselves back to the Twilight Capital, and the only teammate died tragically in nightmares and suffocation on the third day of his return.


    But Wendell survived and lived healthily to this day.


    Since the collapse of the world and the light had gone, the world had been shrouded in scorching darkness to this day. Thousands of Lightseekers had embarked on the journey in the long night. They sneaked into the darkness, searching for the remnant lights in the remains of the devastated world, yet no one had ever brought back great news. Most of the Lightseekers, like friends of Wendell, had become rotten bones in the waste soil. Few of them were lucky enough to survive. They fled back to their home before the darkness engulfed them thoroughly, and for the rest of their short lives, they told others about the Doomshade in the darkness and the excruciatingly painful radiation of magical energy. No one would laugh at the Lightseekers who were too scared to continue and fled back because it took a great deal of courage just to step out of the Twilight Capital. And for those who could go through the adventure in the long night and come back alive, their survival was already a commendable feat.


    Of all these Lightseekers, Wendell was the only one who returned alive from the darkness and set out on the journey again.


    Some said that he was crazy, and some praised his courage, thinking that his near-irrational spirit of confronting a challenge was comparable to the Einherjar of the ancient times. But Wendell scorned all these evaluations. There was only one reason why he set foot on the journey, which was, to fulfill his promise to his wife when he was young: to find the remnants of glimmering light in the long night.


    So when he realized that he had only one chance to challenge for the rest of his life and that there might never be a new team of Lightseekers in Twilight Capital, he volunteered to join the last expedition. In the eyes of others who saw him as a crazy man, he set off with the blessed talisman.


    The last team started off from the Twilight Capital with only twelve members, the smallest ever Lightseeker expedition. Following the route left by their predecessors, they traveled among the remains of the Nine Worlds and did everything possible to search for life and to look for signs that the long night was about to recede.


    No matter where they go, however, all they can find is the rotten, twisted earth and the air that filled with magical energies. The remnant branches of Yggdrasil grew in this terrible world, but the spring water of elves no longer flowed from these branches. As the Doomsday Book said, the branches of Yggdrasil was dying, the Nine Worlds collapsed, the whole universe had long since extinguished, and the men lingered on with their last breath of life could not turn their fate around.


    The teammates fell down one by one. Bonem, the most robust one among them, was radiated to death because he accidentally lost his talisman. The brave Andrew fell into the depths of the earth¡¯s cracks. Helena was dead, too. She disappeared in the gate as she crossed the Bifr?st of Jotunheim, but never appeared at the other end of the gate: the space storm engulfed her. In the end, only Wendell and Tanarossa were left in the team, but Tanarossa did not live to this day either.


    ¡°Maybe I can¡¯t get through it.¡± Wendell curled up in his small camp, and his old body was wrapped in leather. He felt that his heart was being roasted by the flames, but his skin was chilled with cold. This was a sign that magical energy had invaded the nervous system. He found it a bit ironic: he was the last man in the team. Those who were younger, more flexible, and stronger than him, died before him.


    Maybe it was the experience of the light-seeking trip and the adaptability to magical energy that made him live longer, but that¡¯s it.


    Another cold spread over his body and Wendell wrapped the leather around him tight. He looked at his threaded cane and the compass on it. The pointer on the compass was spinning wildly, and the threaded cane was full of cracks. He knew he was lost, not long after he buried Tanarossa. It made him a little sorry: had it not been for this last bit of obstruction, maybe he would have arrived in Asgard. Although he was certain that he would die of radiation disease in a short period even if he arrived at Asgard, he could at least see the legendary country with his own eyes to confirm the fact that had supported him all the way here:


    Did Asgard survive?


    Wendell struggled to remove the blackened piece of parchment from his arms. There was only a sentence scribbled on the parchment:


    ¡°¡­ There¡¯s light¡­ in Asgard.¡±


    The paper was found by his team as they crossed Svartalfheim, secured in the chest of a Lightseeker¡¯s corpse. Tanarossa believed that the Lightseeker was a member of the failed expedition a hundred years ago: the group of Lightseekers who set out a hundred years ago was considered to be the most likely to succeed in searching all kingdoms in history. The Twilight Capital almost put all the last hope on them, but none of them survived in the end, which indirectly led to the end of the ¡®Lightseekers¡¯.


    According to the note, Tanarossa speculated that the Lightseekers who disappeared a hundred years ago had successfully arrived at Asgard, the last remnant of the Nine Worlds, and found the evidence of survival there. However, the team failed to bring the good news back to the Twilight Capital.


    It was the content on this note that allowed Wendell to hold on to this moment. He no longer expected to return to the Twilight Capital. He only hoped to see Asgard, even if he had to crawl there.


    However, it seemed that regrets would eventually become regrets.


    Another cold struck from all directions. Wendell felt that his sanity was gradually sinking into the bottomless abyss. He tried again to wrap the leather around his body, but this time he could not even control his fingers. As his eyelids were getting heavier, he felt as if he were back in the Twilight Capital, the narrow city that covered with a yellow light film, filled with the smell of oil and gas, and full of steam and soot. His little workshop appeared again in front of him and his dear Sasha came alive, too. She stood at the door of the workshop, wearing an old apron, and looked at him sadly.


    He struggled to reach out, but he felt that his vision was narrowing and darkening. Eventually, everything was far away.


    However, in the last seconds, before he completely fell into darkness, a glimmering light appeared in the distance.


    A detection probe found the lost man. Hao Ren finally arrived before it was too late.


    They found the humble little camp in the wilderness, which was hundreds of kilometers from the Bifr?st. There was only one old man in the small camp, wrapped in ragged leather, lying bent and weak. The old man was having a high fever. His skin was glowing with an abnormal green and white luster, and his breathing was so weak that it was about to stop at any moment, and Anthony immediately judged that it was a serious symptom of the erosion of magical energy.


    ¡°He¡¯s dying,¡± Anthony said as he set up a barrier around the camp to keep away magical energy. ¡°But he¡¯s not dead yet. Give me some time and I can pull him back from the death line.¡±


    When the barrier against magical energy was set up, the weak and unconscious old man¡¯s condition immediately stabilized. Though far from improving, he was at least temporarily out of the threat of death. While the old mage was busy arranging various purification enchantments, Vivian went forward and examined the old man¡¯s condition, and she was surprised to find that he was a human.


    Although somewhat different from today¡¯s humans on Earth, which might be the result of long-term living in a mutant environment, the old man was indeed a human.


    ¡°How did he survive in this environment?¡± Vivian found it unbelievable.


    Galazur searched around the old man and found something that emitted magic waves. ¡°Probably the efficacy of this talisman. I just sensed that this thing formed a barrier to continuously filter the magical energy and poison gas in the air. But its effectiveness seems to be almost over, and the filtering effect is bad.¡±


    Hao Ren took the talisman and said, ¡°It seems that he is the ¡®Lightseeker¡¯.¡±


    And at this moment, with Anthony¡¯s help, the dying old man gradually recovered, and slowly opened his eyes.

 Chapter 1115 - The Old Man Who Was Searching for the Light

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    With Anthony¡¯s help, the old man finally gradually opened his eyes.


    However, he seemed to be confused about the current situation. When he saw the stranger in front of him, he neither showed panic nor curiosity. He just stared blankly at Hao Ren and Anthony for a moment before he muttered, ¡°When on Earth am I?¡±


    Hao Ren then realized what was going on. The old man did not know that he had been rescued, and he was still hallucinating.


    Lily poked the old man¡¯s arm with his paw and the cold air coming from it sobered the old man up. ¡°Wake up, you¡¯ve been saved! The poison and the magical energy in you have been cleared!¡±


    The old man moved his eyes back and forth between Lily and Hao Ren several times, and then gradually sobered up from the confused state. He suddenly took a deep breath and forced himself to sit up and asked, ¡°You¡­ You are¡­ Who are you guys? Where am I?!¡±


    ¡°Relax, don¡¯t move.¡± Vivian immediately pressed the old man¡¯s body to prevent him from moving vigorously and said, ¡°You are weakened by radiation, and cell repair takes some time. You¡¯re still Vanaheim, but you are safe now. We are investigators and we just passed by.¡±


    ¡°Investigators?!¡± The old man looked a bit confused. ¡°Where did you come from? You also came from the Twilight Capital? It¡¯s the Steam Assembly¡­ No, it doesn¡¯t look like it. Are you¡­ coming from other worlds?!¡±


    Hao Ren grabbed his hair and said, ¡°Err, I don¡¯t know how to explain it to you, but it¡¯s certainly not the Twilight Capital you mentioned. We¡¯re from somewhere outside Yggdrasil¡­ Well, it looks like you can¡¯t even understand where the ¡®outside¡¯ is. Well, we came from other worlds.¡±


    Hao Ren just answered perfunctorily, but he did not expect that the old man immediately got very excited and even jumped up, ignoring that he just recovered from a serious illness. ¡°Other Worlds! The remnants of light in the dark! It¡¯s exactly what the ancient books say¡­ The universe collapsed suddenly, but a new light was kindled in the ashes of Yggdrasil, and the new world would eventually emerge¡­ Where do you come from? Jotunheim? Niflheim? Svartalfheim? Or Vanaheim? No¡­ We have passed through these worlds, and there¡¯s only scorched earth everywhere. The best case is Jotunheim, but it had turned into a desert. Asgard? Do you come from Asgard?!¡± The old man asked excitedly.


    Hao Ren did not know why the old man was so excited all of a sudden, but he could vaguely guess something. He took the old man¡¯s hand and tried to calm him down. ¡°Calm down first. We did come from Asgard, but we¡­ Err, all right, we come from Asgard. Are you the only one who survived?¡±


    It took a long time for the old man to calm down. He looked really sad when he mentioned his dead teammates. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m the only one who survived. There were more than a dozen people when we set out, but all the others were dead. I¡¯m going to Asgard, and I know there must be some light left there. I must go there, even if I can only have a glance at it. But I didn¡¯t hold on. How did you get here? Are you looking for other surviving lands in the Nine Worlds?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it later.¡± Nangong Sanba suddenly came up and asked, ¡°Where do you come from? Can you tell me something about yourself? Is there any other human settlement in this world?¡±


    ¡°My name is Wendell, Wendell Franc,¡± the old man introduced himself. ¡°I¡¯m from the Twilight Capital, the last fortress in the long night. I¡¯m a Lightseeker, searching for the remnants of light in the long night. I don¡¯t know if there are any other kingdoms beyond the Twilight Capital¡­ except for Asgard.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Wendell.¡± Hao Ren nodded and introduced him to the surrounding people. ¡°You can call me Hao Ren. These are my friends, Vivian, Lily¡­¡±


    ¡°Where is the Twilight Capital?¡± Vivian asked immediately after they introduced themselves.


    ¡°It was called Midgard a long time ago,¡± the old man said with a bitter smile. ¡°That¡¯s what the ancient book said. But since the world collapsed and the daytime was over, the Midgard continent was shrouded in darkness. Nearly 90% of the lands were no longer habitable and the rest of the area was protected by a light curtain. A great ancient saint is our guardian. How¡¯s the situation of Asgard? Is there a Twilight Capital there, too?¡±


    ¡°According to your description, Asgard should be much better than your world.¡± Hao Ren sighed, and then suddenly thought of something. ¡°You say you are a Lightseeker. Are all the Lightseekers dressed like you?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the old man said while looking at his costume. ¡°These blessed things enable the Lightseekers to withstand the power of darkness.¡±


    ¡°Then a group of people like you should have arrived in Asgard a hundred years ago, and they also mourned for Heimdallr on the battlefield in front of the Bifr?st,¡± Hao Ren said and frowned. ¡°Didn¡¯t they take the news back? You look like you don¡¯t know the situation in Asgard at all.¡±


    The old man took out a piece of parchment with his trembling hand and said, ¡°They failed to bring the news back. I know the warriors of one hundred years ago, the bravest men. They must have found Asgard, but they were all dead on their way back.¡±


    Vivian took the parchment, looked at it and sighed.


    There was no doubt that the group of 100 warriors of a hundred years ago mentioned by the old man was the group of ¡®battlefield scavengers¡¯ appearing in Valhalla¡¯s surveillance video. Y¡¯zaks speculation was wrong. Those people were not looking for treasure on the battlefield, they were actually investigating the survival of other lands.


    There were only five people appeared in the video and the fate of the other ninety-five people could be imagined. And the five people in the video also failed to bring their discovery back.


    Y¡¯zaks suddenly came up to the old man and asked, ¡°Can you take us to your Twilight Capital?¡±


    Wendell was shocked when he saw Y¡¯zaks big face. He did not look at them carefully when Hao Ren was introducing them just now, so now he was shocked and exclaimed in surprise, ¡°Oh my ancestors! The descendant of giants!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks was speechless.


    ¡°Err, this is not a giant, though the giants in those years also looked so ugly.¡± Vivian waved her hand awkwardly and said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the Twilight Capital.¡±


    Wendell nodded without hesitation. In fact, after seeing the strangers in front of him, a peculiar sense of ecstasy and unreality had completely enveloped his heart. In this state of dizziness, he felt that he would promise almost anything to them¡ªas long as it did not dissipate like a dream.


    And Wendell did not recover from this dizziness until he embarked on the journey back to Midgard.


    ¡°I¡­ should go and see Asgard first,¡± Wendell said suddenly. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe that¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s easy.¡± Galazur nodded, taking out her data terminal and said, ¡°Just show you the video. If you really want to visit that place, then wait till we¡¯re done with the business, you¡¯ll have plenty of opportunities to visit everywhere.¡±


    The data terminal immediately projected the landscape of Asgard. There were a vast expanse of plains, twisted but still verdant jungle, the ruins of the glittering Aesirian Garden, and a clear and radiant sky. Although Asgard was also destroyed by the Twilight of the Gods, compared to other worlds that had been thoroughly distorted into strange lands¡­


    Asgard was as beautiful as heaven.


    Wendell was initially startled by the ¡®data terminal¡¯, but he was quickly fascinated by the scenery on the holographic projection. He was hooked on it and stared at the holographic projection until Galazur coughed impatiently.


    ¡°Ah¡­ Sorry, I¡¯ve never seen this kind of¡­¡± Wendell shook his head and was thrilled and puzzled. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like this. I¡¯ve read similar descriptions in some ancient books, but I don¡¯t know what it actually looks like. This is¡­ beautiful. It¡¯s hard to believe that in the corners of the world, there¡¯s a place that has recovered to this point. We should have known it earlier. The Steam Assembly of the Twilight Capital should have known it earlier¡­¡±


    ¡°Tell us about the Twilight Capital,¡± Vivian said suddenly. ¡°What kind of place is it? How did you survive the collapse of the Nine Worlds?¡±


    ¡°Before that, we¡¯d better get a different vehicle,¡± said Anthony, then glanced at Wendell and asked, ¡°It looks like you¡¯ve recovered after a long walk. Do you get airsick?¡±


    ¡°Airsick?¡± Wendell was a bit puzzled.


    The old mage raised his hand, and his magical spherical spacecraft appeared out of thin air. ¡°I¡¯m talking about this.¡±

 Chapter 1116 - The Endless Night

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    As expected, Wendell was surprised to see the spherical spacecraft. Obviously, this advanced universal space shuttle was somewhat beyond his expectation. Soon, however, the old man recovered from his surprise. ¡°There are also machines in the Twilight Capital that can fly in the sky, but I have never seen anything like this¡­ Asgard is the kingdom of ancient gods, so this thing was passed down from ancient times, wasn¡¯t?¡± asked Wendell.


    ¡°There¡¯re machines flying in the sky in the Twilight Capital too?¡± Hao Ren was surprised. ¡°Now I¡¯m really curious about the social circumstances of Twilight Capital.¡±


    Wendell joined them on the spherical spacecraft. Under Anthony¡¯s control and the guidance of Vivian, the spacecraft flew toward another Bifr?st. As the end of the earth gradually appeared in the distance, those huge tentacles also gradually came into sight. The Firstborn¡¯s tentacles were the only thing that survived in this purgatory and other than that, there was no trace of life in Vanaheim.


    Looking at such an environment, it was hard for everyone to imagine how Wendell¡¯s people survived.


    ¡°Tell us about the Twilight Capital,¡± Nangong Wuyue looked at Wendell and asked curiously (she was now in the human form). ¡°What kind of place is that? How did you survive the collapse of the world?¡±


    ¡°The sky and the earth had collapsed¡­¡± Wendell said in a low, hoarse voice. ¡°The war of more than 2000 years ago, you all knew about that disaster. I don¡¯t know how much history has been preserved in Asgard, but in the Twilight Capital, there are many ancient books that record it, and there are also many scholars who specialize in these things: after all, they are trapped in the protective barrier, and they have nothing else to study. As far as I know, the war of the gods has broken the balance of the world. Nidhogg¡¯s gnawing weakened the great Yggdrasil, so the other gods took advantage of it and ignited the world. The fire burned for three years, and all the light of the whole universe has been burnt out. So the night fell, and there was only a scorching heat in the darkness. Midgard was also shrouded in scorching heat. Within a few days, the population had dropped sharply to less than 10%. All the life in the world was about to be destroyed, but then an ancient saint suddenly appeared in the crowd. This ancient saint was called ¡®the traveler¡¯. He aroused some kind of great power sleeping deep in the earth, forming a barrier with the force of the earth, blocking the poisonous and evil fire in the endless night. And inside this barrier is the Twilight Capital.


    ¡°For us, The Twilight Capital is not a city, but a kingdom. Although smaller than any other kingdom in ancient times, we still survive in it and have survived for more than two thousand years. The Twilight Capital was first connected by several city-states. The enveloping limit of the barrier is only that big, and all the places outside the city-states were destroyed. Over time, we have been building our homes in the barrier, and there is no spare land in the Twilight Capital. The biggest impression I have of there is that it¡¯s crowded. Crowded and antiquated. The buildings of all ages, from a thousand years ago to a hundred years ago, are all in disarray and crowding together. Smoke and dust are everywhere in the air. The whistle of the steam workshop often sounds in the middle of the night. The big gears rattled. Locomotives sometimes rumble through the mid line of the Twilight Capital, causing a tremor that almost makes us suspect that the whole city is going to collapse. The clothes hanging outside the windows are often blown down by the strange wind that passes the block¡ªall the way down into the oldest abyss of the city. The city was built too big, too high, too old, and even the city¡¯s builders and planners didn¡¯t know what the structure was under the stacked houses, let alone me. All I know is that our city is like a nest piled up one by one, almost touching the barrier of the sky. Every time I open my eyes, I feel that the dim sky is going to collapse.¡±


    Lily said to herself, ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound safe.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s very unsafe, but few people think so,¡± muttered Wendell. ¡°Everyone¡¯s used to it. Nobody thinks there¡¯s anything wrong with a city like this. Anyway, everything looks stable at the moment. But people who study ancient books and machines don¡¯t think so. We know that Twilight Capital has its limit, and the lifespan of the city is even more limited. The world has been extinguished for more than two thousand years. We have survived for too long on a little ember. Once that ember is extinguished, it¡¯s over.¡±


    ¡°Is that why the Lightseekers appeared?¡± Vivian asked curiously.


    Wendell nodded softly and answered, ¡°That¡¯s one of the reasons.¡±


    Ever since the day the Twilight Capital was built, people had always kept in mind the fact that the outside world had been burned down. They were afraid of the long dark night outside. They feared that the light in the city would eventually die out. They feared that the whole world would sink forever, and fear gave rise to courage, and the Lightseeker was born. These brave, curious and discontented men were the eyes of the Twilight Capital. With the blessings and expectations of others, they bravely entered the darkness and looked for other lights in the wreckage of the world, such as another twilight capital, or a pure land which had not been destroyed by evil fire, or¡­


    A sign of dawn.


    ¡°Some scholars believe that the long night will end,¡± Wendell said slowly, ¡°and Yggdrasil is not dead. It¡¯s just healing. When the sacred branches complete their transformation, the universe will be re-lit. That is the dawn after the long night, and the dawn will first come from Niflheim. An important mission of the Lightseeker is to look for signs of the dawn, but to tell the truth¡­ Not many people hold this hope, including the Lightseekers themselves. Most of them were just looking for another twilight capital.


    At this point, Wendell sighed. ¡°Even so, there are fewer and fewer Lightseekers and fewer people supporting us. In the past, the Lightseekers had a lofty position and were regarded as the warriors who challenged the endless night. Our predecessors were once engraved on the bottom cornerstone of the Twilight Capital. Slowly, however, the light-seeking journey turned into an unintelligible reckless act because batches of people who broke into the darkness either eventually got swallowed up by the endless night or became insane. Very few people can bring back anything from the night. It¡¯s a heavy burden for the Twilight Capital to support such an expensive team. The headquarters of the Lightseekers was originally the most magnificent building in the city, but now it has become a dark lane in the bottom of the city¡­¡±


    ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s not talk about it,¡± the old man said with a low voice.


    ¡°To be honest, this is an inevitable choice for the community.¡± Galazur shrugged. ¡°Not even ignorance. For the survival of the whole community, most intelligent races would be too cautious and bystanders would think that such caution would lead to missed opportunities. But in most cases, it prolongs survival in a desperate situation.¡±


    Wendell looked at Galazur with an odd expression, thinking that her detached way of speaking was weird. However, this was the most pertinent and sincere evaluation made by an investigator accustomed to the rise and fall of civilization.


    Because of Galazur¡¯s comments, they continued the latter part of the journey in low spirits.


    And on this dreary journey, they saw the real situation of the space chain of Yggdrasil after the Twilight of the Gods.


    It was worse than they thought.


    Hao Ren formed a wrong first impression from what he had seen in Asgard previously. He thought that the situation of the nine worlds after the Twilight of the Gods was not so tragic, but when he began to penetrate into the different layers of them, he realized how destructive the big explosion that ran through the nine layers of them was. Just as a warhead enters a target, it produces a wound inside the target body that is far more terrifying than the surface, the damage caused by the demon hunter¡¯s beam cannon and the explosion of the demonic energy has a similar effect. The deep space of the nine worlds had been severely destroyed.


    Vanaheim became a wasteland shrouded in toxic gases and radiation; Svartalfheim had been completely torn apart, and the whole continent was floating in a void, with only those tentacles that penetrated the continent connecting the broken earth; Alfheim was in turmoil, and a storm called ¡®Madness¡¯ raged in the darkness. The storm, which had been running in the space for 2000 of years, had now completely ground everything on the continent into powder¡­


    They also saw the kingdom of giants, Jotunheim. It was a hopeless desert, silently stagnating there for thousands of years. The crazy heatwave poured out of the ruins was still scorching the land.


    But Jotunheim was nothing compared to Muspelheim, where two-thirds of the continents were covered by lava lakes.


    All these worlds have one thing in common: they were shrouded in darkness.


    Smoke and clouds covered the sky and the rage of magic energy destroyed the sources of light in every kingdom. Seeing the situation in those kingdoms, Hao Ren finally understood why Wendell called the days after the Twilight of the Gods ¡°the endless night¡±.


    As it literally means, after the end of the world, the endless night fell and eight out of the nine worlds were ruled by darkness. In that darkness, only the embers glowed, scorching and deadly. The survivors were hiding and shuddering under the twilight barrier. Anyone who dared to take a step into the darkness was treated as a brave fighter, not to mention the Lightseekers who dared to cross the nine worlds.

 Chapter 1117 - The Twilight Capital

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    They did not need to cross all nine worlds to reach Midgard. In fact, after Heimdallr was killed, Midgard was fixed on the seventh layer of the nine worlds. Behind this solidified space chain were Niflheim and Niebelungen. It was said that the situation in those two worlds was worse than in other worlds, but Hao Ren was not going there yet.


    They arrived at their destination: the Twilight Capital of Midgard.


    Midgard was the ¡°atrium¡± of the nine worlds in the prosperous age of the Norse gods. It is said that Odin led the gods to open up various worlds on the branches of Yggdrasil and made the atrium a place where human beings lived. In Vivian¡¯s memory, this continent was actually a human experimental base and observation test site for the Norse gods. But no matter what it used to look like here, now it was almost the same as other worlds.


    The sky of Midgard was reddish gray and the extremely dim sky looked almost like midnight. The muddy thick clouds covered the dry, twisted earth as if it was about to collapse. Under the sky, the charred land was beyond recognition. Thick smoke and poison gas kept pouring out of the gullies. The Firstborn¡¯s tentacles were winding out of some of the biggest crevices, forming a ridge-like protrusion on the land after the disaster. Midgard used to have rivers flowing through the continent and green mountains, but now the rivers had dried up and the mountains had become bare. Between the scorched mountains lay the last fire of this ¡®world¡¯: the Twilight Capital.


    The spherical spacecraft glided quietly in the dark. As it approached the energy source ahead, the situation of Twilight Capital was presented to everyone through the holographic projection.


    It was a city of unprecedented scale, but it was also a chaotic, old and crumbling city. Hao Ren saw a dim barrier shrouding between the mountains. The barrier was translucent and irregular like someone had struggled to expand it into what it was today. Inside the barrier, they could faintly see lots of bizarre buildings, which piled up in layers, filling every inch of space within the barrier like some kind of mutated tissues that proliferated, just as Wendell described it.


    The spherical spacecraft stopped some distance from the Twilight Capital. ¡°Where is the entrance?¡± Anthony asked.


    Wendell was standing on the edge of the platform. He took some time to figure out where the city was, and pointed to the corner near the edge of the barrier near the mountains and said, ¡°That¡¯s one of the gates.¡±


    ¡°Do you need any formalities for entry?¡± Hao Ren asked casually.


    Wendell just shrugged silently. ¡°What for?¡±


    Hao Ren quickly understood what it meant:


    Inside the barrier was the only remaining refuge for humans. Outside the barrier was the endless darkness. This was almost seen as a one-way passage between the living and the dead. Who dares to go out, except for the Lightseekers? And who will come in from outside in this endless dark night?


    Perhaps there were checkpoints at the gates of the Twilight Capital thousands of years ago, but it is not necessary now.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to deal with the Steam Assembly when we get in,¡± Wendell said. ¡°They run the city.¡±


    The old man had a somewhat complicated expression on his face when he mentioned the ¡®Steam Assembly¡¯. There was a trace of dissatisfaction in respect. He respected the city¡¯s managers, but this ¡®Steam Assembly¡¯ was not very supportive of the cause of the Lightseekers. In fact, as a pragmatic governing group, it was the Steam Assembly that was constantly reducing the size of the Lightseeker team, and not long ago, an announcement was issued that Lightseekers would no longer be dispatched.


    This complicated Wendell¡¯s feelings about the Steam Assembly.


    ¡°Steam Assembly? We don¡¯t have much interest in it.¡± Vivian shook her head. ¡°We want to see your ancient saint first. Is he still sheltering the Twilight Capital?¡±


    Vivian was greatly interested in the ancient saint that emerged two thousand years ago and has been sheltering the human race of Midgard to this day. She had roughly guessed the identity of the ancient saint, which was the main reason why she came here.


    Wendell looked at Vivian in surprise. ¡°The ancient saint, of course, is still sheltering us¡­ But I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not so easy for you to see him.¡±


    Hao Ren raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°He doesn¡¯t want to see anyone?¡±


    Wendell shook his head and said, ¡°The ancient saint has not appeared for many years. Now, only the guardians in the lower ground can see him. Lots of people in the twilight capital want to meet the ancient saint, but ordinary people are not qualified at all.¡±


    Vivian smiled and said, ¡°We¡¯re from another world. I think this identity is enough to interest the ancient saint.¡±


    Wendell¡¯s expression changed instantly, apparently, he agreed with Vivian. He murmured, ¡°Well, it makes sense. The ancient saint would be very happy to hear from you. I can send you a message through the Lightseeker¡¯s organization. Our relationship with the guardian there is quite okay. But in any case, the Steam Assembly will surely focus on you guys. They run the whole city, and nothing happens inside the barrier can be concealed from them. To be honest, I try not to provoke the Steam Assembly, they¡¯re¡­ very conservative. I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ll stop you from meeting the ancient saint.¡±


    Hao Ren waved his hand to indicate that it did not matter, and then Anthony controlled the spherical spacecraft to approach the gate of Twilight Capital.


    The spacecraft slowly descended when it was still a long way from the barrier and landed directly in the desert outside the city. In order not to cause too much disturbance, they could not fly in such a large space shuttle.


    Hao Ren saw the situation outside the light curtain before arriving at the barrier entrance.


    Outside the barrier was a dry, twisted piece of land. The land had also been eroded by magic storms. Everything on the earth showed signs of severe weathering, and in the heavily weathered landscape, there were lots of old buildings: they were probably the remains of the city more than 2000 years ago.


    The remains clung to the Twilight Shroud, and some parts of the wreckage were even split in two by the barrier!


    ¡°That¡¯s the ancient city of Kremhllen.¡± Wendell stood beside Hao Ren and explained while curiously fiddling with the life-support collar around his neck: this little device was much more advanced than his own magic charm. It allowed him to walk in the magic radiation without feeling anything.


    Hao Ren certainly knew what it meant when he looked at the ruins of buildings split by the light curtain. ¡°Life and death, a wall apart,¡± he said.


    ¡°When the barrier rose, the city was just on the edge of it, so the whole city was divided into two parts. Half of the city survived, and now it¡¯s a block of the Twilight Capital, and the part outside the barrier turned into this,¡± Wendell said, shaking his head with a bitter smile. ¡°At that time, there was no gate here, so the people who remained outside were dead.¡±


    Lily stood on a big stone and looked into the distance. Suddenly, she noticed that there were glimmers of light in the dark wilderness outside the light curtain. ¡°Are there people moving outside the barrier?¡± She asked in surprise.


    ¡°They¡¯re the collectors,¡± Wendell nodded and explained. ¡°The resources in Twilight Capital are always limited. We have to risk our life to mine ore in the dark outside. Scholars have studied various methods so that we can have three mines near the Twilight Capital. It¡¯s a pity that we can¡¯t go further. Come with me. I know a way after we enter the gate. If we go from there, we can try to avoid trouble.¡±


    They approached the magnificent soft yellow light curtain in the darkness.


    The Twilight Capital, like its name, served as the last beacon of civilization on the Midgard continent, which was shrouded in the endless night.


    It took them half an hour to cross the ruins of the city outside the barrier. After crossing a large area of weathered and collapsed building debris, a halo appeared in front of everyone. This halo was inlaid on the Twilight Shroud. The light curtain inside the halo was obviously thinner than outside, and this was the gate.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Hao Ren looked at the things outside the gate in surprise.


    Outside the gate of the Twilight Capital was a land that had been artificially leveled. There were hundreds of sculptures, men, women, and children with different expressions. Some of these vivid portraits were crying with their heads in their arms, some were helping each other, some were struggling to climb forward, and the most striking one was an old man sitting on the ground. His legs had shrunk and deformed, but he just sat there quietly, facing the door, waving and smiling.


    It was as if he was waving and smiling at the Twilight Capital. Or it could be someone standing behind the light curtain, and the old man was waving goodbye to him.


    ¡°Half the city remained outside when the barrier rose,¡± said Wendell.

 Chapter 1118 - The Outer Zone

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The earliest builders of the Twilight Capital left behind the group of sculptures standing silently in the darkness. When they finally stabilized the urban structure inside the shroud and were able to control the opening and closing of the shroud smoothly, those who were outside the city left these things outside the gate. While 2,000 years had passed and the sculptures had undergone numerous rebuilds as well as replacements, they still looked the same as they did on day one. These sculptures in the dark reminded the survivors of the Twilight Capital of everything that they had lost: the world outside the shroud.


    There were many versions of stories about these sculptures. But even if they did not know the stories, Hao Ren could infer a lot of things from the face of these sculptures. It was said that each of these sculptures was indeed a person, the last group of people who fell outside the gate when the Twilight Shroud formed. Wendell was familiar with the stories of these sculptures.


    While Wendell told of the stories, they passed through the Gate of Twilight.


    Hao Ren felt like he was passing through an elusive wall. The light shield that sheltered the city was thin, he could hardly feel the thickness of it when he walked past it. As he crossed the shroud, he could feel the burning scent and harmful radiation in the air were blocked entirely out on the outside and replaced by a smell of smoke that was just equally bad.


    He looked up and found that the entrance to the city was even more desolate and broken than he had imagined. There was not a decent sentry post or people around the gate although it was a crucial gate. Dilapidated gray-black buildings were everywhere while two twisted towers stood symmetrically on both sides. The outer walls of the tower had peeled off, exposing the messy metal structure inside. A wide ramp extended out with abandoned facilities and sparsely lit buildings of various heights lining on both sides. Metal pipes and steel cables intertwined in the sky like a cobweb with smoke shrouding all around as if a mist.


    Looking up along the ramp, Twilight Capital was like a spiral mound with buildings stacking up infinitely. It appeared like it was so overcrowded that the city¡¯s terrain had swollen. In between those stacked buildings, groups of white smoke rose up from time to time. Behind those smokes, huge machines were running the whole time, the noise of which could be heard throughout the city. It sounded monotonous yet annoying.


    ¡°That is a big boiler.¡± Wendell could not help but smile upon returning to his hometown. Though he had prepared not to return when he departed on a journey of searching for the light, he still could not help but get emotional when he was back here again. He was overjoyed. ¡°That is the biggest steam boiler. A few large boilers provide half of the power in the city.


    ¡°Steam boiler?¡± Hao Ren suddenly came to his realization. ¡°Your city uses steam power?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, great steam technology,¡± Wendell said. ¡°It is said that the giants of the ancient times created this thing. Surtr, the king of the flames was the master of all steam powers, but when the gods fell after the collapse of the heavens and the earth, the power of steam spread to the human world and gradually became something that humans could control. I used to have a workshop, and I was good at making gears. But the workshop was closed down a long time ago.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded, his eyes cast around. He noticed that even though the entrance was desolate and broken, it was not without any people. People were emerging from the dilapidated buildings, which seemed to have been in existence for hundreds of years. These people wore ragged clothes, were scruffy and strange. They were surprised to see outsiders, looking from afar but dared not come close. Then someone, recognizing Wendell as the Light Seeker, screaming in fear and ran away.


    There were few more people following him running away too.


    ¡°Ignore these people,¡± Wendell said while walking forward. ¡°They are the miners on the outer edge of the city, long exposed to the radiation environment, and somewhat neurotic. They deserve respect but are still unable to integrate into the inner-city community, so they all gather here.¡±


    Miners, as the name implied, were people responsible for collecting resources. But in Twilight Capital, these miners were paying a heavy price.


    They were responsible for collecting resources outside the city¡ªoutside the Twilight Shroud.


    These people went off with heavy protective gear every day, took the steam locomotive and left the city from another exit to the mines in the darkness. The mining site had low-powered protection equipment but was pale in comparison to the Twilight Shroud. These miners were subject to long-term exposure of deadly magic radiation and toxic gases. The toxic environment continued to erode their bodies and spirits, and eventually, these people became dry and suffered brain damage, just like what Hao Ren had seen. The Steam Assembly provided the families of these miners with the best rations and housing in the city.


    But the miners¡¯ blood, hair, nails, and even breaths were poisonous. Thus, they could only live in the outer zone.


    There were many people still voluntarily coming to the outer zone to work as miners because they wanted their families living a comfortable life. Of course, there were those who came here involuntarily; they were criminals living in exile here, but they usually did not come out as they had to lie low.


    Wendell brought them leaving the avenue and walking into a lane hidden in the shadows of buildings. At first, Hao Ren thought that Wendell was trying to avoid someone. ¡°Are you hiding from the people of the Steam Assembly? We are not interested in the assembly, and we are not planning to hide from them.¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± Wendell shook his head helplessly. ¡°If you want to go into the inner city, you have to go through this lane. The avenue is in disrepair. Since the decline of the Light-Seeker team, no one was using that route, and the other routes are more difficult to travel. I will take you to see an old friend who is the administrator of the mine locomotive. He can take us to the inner city. After that, I would be able to get in touch with the Light Seeker¡¯s headquarters.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded but said nothing. He silently followed behind Wendell, hustling towards the dark, dirty building complex that looked like a crouching steel monster while curiously observing this strange, closed city.


    Obviously, after the Twilight of the Gods, the survivors of this world did not let the civilization completely stagnate. Though their development route had become very weird and the city within the shroud was also deformed and distorted, their society was still growing. Two thousand years ago, the humans of Midgard were mice of experiments and playthings of the Norse gods. They lived a primitive and rough life like other human beings of the same period. Today, 2,000 years later, they built in the Twilight Shroud a steel city driven by machinery and steam power. Galazur was amazed beyond words.


    Despite all these difficulties, their technology tree was still growing!


    Wendell brought them onto a trail and went past a lot of old, seemingly abandoned buildings, but there was still sound on the inside occasionally. Judging from the slope under his feet, he had to be on the way up, he thought.


    At last, they arrived in an open space.


    There was a vast steel platform supported by massive pillars volleying over several tall buildings. Several parallel rails extended out from the platform into the distance, through the Twilight Shroud before disappearing into the darkness. The rail tracks led to the mines, while the other end of the rails extended along the city¡¯s terrain all the way up to the top of the cone-shaped city.


    So the railroad was mainly a large artery.


    When they arrived at the platform, they finally saw the steam locomotive that Wendell mentioned.


    It was made up of two heavy but sturdy mechanical monsters, bigger than any of the trains that Hao Ren had ever seen, including the old steam heads he saw in the movie. Large pipes and rivets lined the cylindrical locomotives, and dark steel made the engines looked heavy. Behind these powerful locomotives were several dirty carriages.


    Men in greasy suits were working busily on two locomotives, greasing and calibrating the gears, tightening the valves, and writing sacred runic characters on the front of the locomotives with white paint. These runic letters would bless and protect the locomotives so that they could return safely from the darkness outside the Twilight Shroud. Many miners were waiting to embark the train carriages at the rear. They were wearing heavy protective suits, inlaid with some soft metal silk. Every miner had an ugly helmet hanging from their waist. The helmets were made of leather and metal, joined by two tubes to their suits.


    These heavy protective suits looked similar to the one Wendell wore but significantly rougher and more cumbersome. Though they looked massive, they worked quite effectively. The Lightseeker¡¯s equipment and amulets allowed the wearer to cross the ruins of the Nine Worlds. The protective suit and helmet of the miners only allowed them to survive for ten hours under the magic radiation; they had to return to the outer zone to replace some components and recharge the runic characters before they could set off again.


    So the most important lesson every miner must learn when they first started their job was to catch the return train.

 Chapter 1119 - Borcen

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    As a vital transportation gateway, the steel platform was busy and crowded, filled with a variety of equipment, locomotives, and carriages that yet to be assembled. The supervisor¡¯s zinc house at the edge of the platform looked like it was going to fall off the ledge. Busy workers were running around the equipment, preparing for the next train, or repairing the ones damaged by the magic radiation. Almost no one had noticed the sudden appearance of the uninvited guests on the platform. As several burly supervisors were standing on the tower platform, any lazy behavior would not be able to escape their eyes. Compared to the wages they would receive after work, a group of strangely-dressed people suddenly emerging out of nowhere seemed insignificant.


    Wendell brought Hao Ren, and his entourage walked through this busy platform toward the supervisor house not far away. A boiler under repair was roaring in the distance, with the pungent smell of lubricant and the sound of steam in the air. Lily was sneezing all the way. Twilight Capital had given the husky girl a terrible first impression, as the pungent smell there was a torment for her.


    Finally, she had no choice but snap back on the life-support collar, which she had taken off after crossing the Twilight Shroud earlier.


    ¡°Two locomotives depart at the same time every two hours to the mining field in the wilderness.¡± Wendell pointed to the rugged steam locomotives. ¡°The train carries a group of numb miners to the mines and fetches back a group of exhausted miners along with the excavated ore. The ore will be sent to the large forge and processed into building materials. There are several such stations in the outer edge connecting to other mines in the darkness. You may go to check out the mines if you want. Since you have ancient magical techniques, I hope you are willing to put these technologies¡­ never mind, forget it. We will talk about it later.¡±


    The supervisor¡¯s zinc house was as old and messy as the rest of the platform. The only thing that showed it was unusual was the roof that was painted strikingly red, making the otherwise-dull station building look extraordinarily bright. No one had bothered them along the way. Wendell brought them directly to the zinc house and pushed the rusty door open.


    A rough and angry voice, which was insulated earlier, came from the inside. ¡°Your brains must have been soaked in oil! I want you all to check every gear, every bolt! Listen, it is every single item! Not taking a nap around the machine and then coming back to me with an everything-is-normal report! Do you know what it means to stop the locomotive in the dark area? It means that it will almost stay there forever! Unless I kick you dregs outside and let you fix the machines in the darkness with the blisters on your bodies! You know what, there used to be some poor chaps who were so unlucky that they had to do that. Now their bones are still hanging out there to dry. Such a bunch of rubbish.¡±


    Then there was a loud bang inside the house. It seemed that someone had banged the table. Then the rough voice roared again. ¡°Now get your ass out of my sight and check the machine, the boiler, every single one of them, even the rivets and shafts! Otherwise, one day, sooner or later, I will kick you all outside the shroud!¡±


    Hurried and panic footsteps followed as five or six people wearing coarse uniform ran out of the zinc house as if they were running for their lives. One of them almost slammed into Wendell. The locomotive technicians who had just gotten an earful noticed the strangers standing at the doorway, but they almost did not dare to stop and look. Before the angry roar in the room snarled again, they left as quickly as possible.


    Hao Ren and his teammates looked at each other before following Wendell into the house.


    There was a large, messy desk inside, behind which a red-nosed man was sitting in an improper posture. His clothes were as dirty as the desk. He bit a stick in his mouth with his arms crossed as if he hated it so much. ¡°Those new technicians are good-for-nothings, ill-responsible. Who let you come in here? Didn¡¯t I say¡­ Wendell?¡±


    The red-nosed man finally noticed a group of strangers standing in front of him, but there was face he knew. He almost jumped to his feet in surprise, a reaction that was totally in opposition to his demeanor just now. He squeezed his thigh so hard that his mouth began to twitch.


    ¡°Wendell! My old friend! You are alive! Our ancestors must be protecting you. Is this real? I haven¡¯t started drinking yet today!¡±


    Wendell greeted this old friend of his. Though they were a generation apart in term of age, they hugged together like buddies. ¡°Borcen, you loudspeaker, I have heard your voice from afar!¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, the sound insulation of this door has always been top-notch!¡± The red-nosed Borcen snorted. He pushed Wendell away, and then eyes darting on Wendell from head to toe as if looking at a rare creature. ¡°You are back. And you don¡¯t have any blisters or necrosis on your body. The ancestors must be very fond of you that you could make it back alive twice!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the ancestors have blessed me.¡± Wendell smiled as he took Borcen¡¯s hand off his arm. ¡°Be careful; I can¡¯t take your powerful clench with my age.¡±


    Borcen finally calmed down from his excitement. Sighing, he said, ¡°You daredevil. So daring that you have joined Light Seeker twice. I wasn¡¯t even as crazy as you when I was drunk. You come back alone?¡±


    Wendell lowered his eyes, face gloomy. ¡°There are not many who could make it back from the darkness.¡±


    ¡°May their souls rest in peace in the eternal kingdom.¡± Borcen drew a few prayer gestures on his chest, his wrinkled clothes and casual tone made his prayer sound sincere. He then turned and looked at the group of strangers who had been standing there for a while. ¡°Who are these people? Dressed in such attires, where do they come from?¡±


    Wendell smiled mysteriously. He tried to suppress his expression so that he would look a little more solemn and mysterious. But the excitement had gotten the better of him, and it showed on his face. ¡°No. They came from the outside.¡±


    ¡°Oh, outside, that¡¯s far.¡± Borcen waved his hand casually as he still did not know what happened. When he finally realized it, he froze, his eyes widened, and he choked a little then burst. ¡°From the outside?¡±


    His voice almost shattered their eardrums.


    Wendell grabbed Borcen¡¯s shoulder with force. ¡°Keep your voice down. The shock wave will destroy the entire station. Yes, they are from the outside; outside the Twilight Shroud, outside Twilight Capital! They come from Asgard.¡±


    ¡°Asgard, Asgard¡­¡± Borcen repeated the word a few times. ¡°Ah, I know, it is the ancient kingdom. I have heard that the gods have personally ruled the place before. Oh, my god! Did you make it there? No, no, this can¡¯t be possible. You are trying to amuse me, aren¡¯t you? Your brain must be damaged by the darkness outside, or the toxins must have contaminated me.¡±


    Wendell patted on Borcen¡¯s shoulder with force. ¡°This is not you. Since when you become so square?¡±


    Borcen¡¯s face turned solemn. ¡°It is true?¡±


    ¡°It is true. It is not only true, but these messengers from Asgard also need your favor.¡± Wendell pointed to Hao Ren and his teammates. ¡°I want to bring them to the Light-seeker headquarters. It is urgent, and the most convenient means of transportation I can find is your locomotive.¡±


    Borcen rubbed his nose. ¡°They want to hitch a ride? No problem. But I can only send them to the upper city. I can¡¯t help when they reach the shaft that connects the upper to the lower city. You have to deal with the people in the Steam Assembly. But if the bureaucrats spot them, I guess you and your friends will have to go through a lot of red tapes. Their identity is just too special.¡±


    Lily rolled her eyes. ¡°Is the Steam Assembly not happy to see other survivors in the world? Will they make trouble out of it?¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t. The people in the Steam Assembly are humans too. Of course, they¡¯re happy to know that there are other habitable zones outside Twilight Capital.¡± Borcen spread out his hand. ¡°But a bureaucrat is still a bureaucrat. People like us living in the outer zone and bureaucrats don¡¯t get along well.¡±


    ¡°Then just take us wherever you can,¡± Galazur said. ¡°We will figure out the rest.

 Chapter 1120 - The Reverberation of the Mythological Era

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The social structure in Twilight Capital had fascinated Hao Ren.


    He had been an inspector for three years. Though he was not as experienced as veterans like Galazur and Anthony Alfonso, he had cultivated a certain professional quality. The most significant change was that he was now full of curiosity about different forms of civilization and worldviews. He was able to observe them more objectively and professionally. He wondered how Twilight Capital maintained its order, and he was curious about the Steam Assembly¡¯s ability to govern the city, as well as the relationship between the Steam Assembly and the Lightseeker organization. Above all, he would like to know how a closed city of 2,000 years old would react to a group of foreigners from the outside world.


    When a well-organized society was confined to a city for 2,000 years and continually wrestling with the toxic environment of the outside world, things could not be understood with common sense anymore.


    Wendell and Borcen talked passionately, exchanging information about the light-seeking journey and the recent changes in the city. After that, Borcen arranged a train for them to get to the upper city.


    ¡°There is a locomotive that will depart after a moment,¡± Borcen said as he quickly wrote a note. ¡°An honest and reliable old driver will take you to the upper city. I can¡¯t go away now, but Wendell, you should have a solution.¡±


    He sealed the handwritten note into a small, delicate tube and stuffed it into a copper pipe, which was one of a dozen, next to his desk. With a hiss, the tube was sent out far away along the pipeline. Borcen picked up a long-handled wired microphone and inserted the plug into the corresponding socket next to the copper pipe. ¡°Kostov, please accept an emergency pass and add it to your schedule before leaving.¡±


    A quarter of an hour later, Hao Ren and his entourage took the steam locomotive to the upper city.


    As special guests, they did not have to sit in the ore carriages. Borcen had arranged a clean compartment onboard the locomotive for them. This compartment was located right behind the cab, a lounge for drivers and apprentices. Usually, the locomotive would only be full when traveling into the dark wilderness. When going the other way up the upper city, the train needed only half of the number of crew to operate, and this lounge would be empty.


    As the locomotive was massive, the lounge was quite spacious. Hao Ren and his team could stay there comfortably. Lily rested her head on the window ledge gazing out at the cityscape that flew past her. She would burst with joy when seeing things of interest. Y¡¯lisabet was joining her, but the little demon was more interested in the locomotive itself. Next to the two lively maidens was Nangong Wuyue, who appeared much calmer and reserved. She was so calm that she looked almost emotionless except the urge of spewing bubbles.


    She had not fully digested the detergent in her belly.


    Hao Ren left his seat and went to the front of the lounge. Looking through a dirty window at the cabin in front, he saw complex pipes, valves, pressure gauges, and control levers. Two apprentices were adding fuel to the fuel tank, while a gray-haired old man was busy at the levers and the valves, carefully operating the locomotive. The old man was Kostov. It seemed that after working on the train for forty years, traversing back and forth between the dark wilderness and Twilight Capital but he was still healthy¡ªit was remarkable.


    But drivers and apprentices did not have to work in the dark wilderness for as long as miners did. They would only be exposed to the magic radiation when the locomotive was running outside the shroud. Near the steam boiler, thick protective shells and pipes written with runic characters also protected them from the harmful energy. But working under the night, the pervasive magic radiation could penetrate the thickest protective shell, even the equipment of the Lightseeker might not be able to protect them. Despite all this, Kostov was healthy. When his colleagues had gone into the incinerator becoming the fuel for the steam boiler, he was still here on his post, pulling those heavy levers and valves. His physique was tough as leather.


    ¡°What you have seen?¡± Vivian came up to him, peeking through the window.


    ¡°He may not be a pureblood human. I think he has a strong spirit.¡±


    ¡°Half-werewolf bloodline. There were many werewolves in the Nordic region back then. When some werewolves and their human slaves gave birth to multiracial descendants, the otherworldlings, too proud and arrogant at that time, did not want to recognize these mixed blood. So the otherworldlings threw them to the humans. These were the ¡®illegitimate sons¡¯ who were brave but not accepted by the gods. The bloodline of this mixed blood has been highly diluted though initially, their ancestors might be a legend in the Norse mythology, hero, or perhaps Beowulf. Now they are merely stronger, more long-lived, and resistant to magic than ordinary humans.¡±


    ¡°There is a feeling that the Mythological era is still here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, the Mythological era lives on in this land,¡± Vivian said in a low voice. ¡°The Earth people have thrown the myth into the library, but the people in this land are still telling the story of the past. I don¡¯t want that era to continue in this form: it is depressing.¡±


    At this time, the dragon queen Galazur came over. She did not join their conversation about the city. Instead, she uttered something inexplicable. ¡°Good work attitude you¡¯ve got there.¡±


    ¡°Work attitude?¡± Hao Ren was baffled. ¡°I don¡¯t get it why you suddenly talk about work attitude.¡±


    ¡°Some novice inspectors always make mistakes due to their impulsiveness. Power can make people forget their duties,¡± Galazur said, looking through the window at the scenery outside. ¡°They care about the end and ignore the mean, the journey. So they often miss a lot of things on the way, precious things. But you seem not like that. You are curious about everything along the way. You are willing to participate in every civilization without affecting your goal, observing and understanding them. Inspector is an observer: observation and feedback. Those who are aiming at the goal only will not appreciate the scenery along the way. You have the right mentality.¡±


    Hao Ren blushed though feeling a little flattered. ¡°That is a pretty high evaluation.¡±


    ¡°Of course, this is why the gods need us.¡± The dragon queen smiled. ¡°They let us deal with the world because we belong to the world and know them.¡±


    Hao Ren did not say a word, as if he was in thought.


    Galazur looked at him, smiling but saying nothing more. Things would become profound when people figured it out themselves instead of being spoonfed.


    The steam locomotive roared forward over Twilight Capital dragging along a tail of white steam. Dense and weird buildings swept past the train on both sides. Some windows of the high-rise buildings were open as curious kids poking out their heads watching the train speeding past. This was the happiest moment of their day, and the adults of these children would usually not stop them.


    Steam locomotive, the noisy monster had an extraordinary significance to the city. It symbolized the life of the city, the energy of the big boiler, and that fresh blood was still flowing inside the shroud. Everyone born in Twilight Capital knew the sacred meaning of the sound of the air horn. When a column of steam erupted from the boiler, they would feel a kind of pride and peace in their hearts. This psychological orientation was even a part of education: young children must learn to be courageous and proud of the sound of the steam.


    Other than the thin shroud, which protected the city, there was nothing left to provide a sense of security to the people.


    ¡°The city has three zones,¡± Wendell said as the steam locomotive crossed a large mechanical bridge. ¡°The area we saw just now was the outer zone. Further out is the dark wilderness. In the opposite direction, all the way up along the ramp is the upper city, where most artisans and the Steam Assembly are; and looking down at the darkness below is the lower city, which is the oldest part of Twilight Capital.¡±


    Hao Ren followed Wendell¡¯s instruction, looking down from the window. His eyes looked past the steel beams and layers of the roof at the deepest part of the city. Twilight Capital was like a weird ant nest in a volley. The newer buildings were on top of the older ones. This seemingly precarious structure, built with some ingenious construction method, had stood the test of time. In the gaps of the city was the darkness, where streets of hundreds or even thousands of years quietly lay. Time seemed to have stopped there in a forgotten, black and white world.


    But there was life down there, where a large number of people were living. The oldest cornerstone of the city: the large steam boiler and part of the pressure pipeline were in the abyss. Huge and rusty gears were rumbling in the darkness, where the first large boiler called the Heart of Surtr was said to be still running. People who were responsible for maintaining these facilities had lived among the gears and pipes for generations, and never left the labyrinth of machinery for generations.


    They almost evolved into another species, a new species that crouched in the dark, living on heat and oil, and symbiotic with pipes and steam valves. Some scholars even believed that those who had maintained the large boiler for generations and been in contact with the Spirit of Steam for a long time had mutated to become a creature called ¡°Devil.¡±


    A column of steam rose from the dark abyss below, obscuring their line of sight. Hao Ren looked back up as the locomotive slowly approaching the platform in the upper city.

 Chapter 1121 - The Steam Assembly

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    In more than 2,000 years of continuous construction and development, Twilight Capital had become a quirky and deformed behemoth.


    Its predecessor was initially a city in the hinterland of Midgard. At that time, the city was not large. Even though several cities and their respective territories combined was only equivalent to a large modern city on Earth, the Twilight Shroud was enough to cover it. After the shroud was up, the survivors on this land could only build their homes within this shroud. As land space was limited, they could only build vertically.


    They first connected several cities and developed every inch of the wasteland as much as possible in between the cities. When there was no more land available, they stacked the homes, utilizing some lost technology left behind by the gods of Vanir.


    The resources collected from the dark wilderness were turned into steel and adhesives, filling up bit by bit every inch of space under the Twilight Shroud throughout two thousand years. Eventually, the city became a strange cone-shaped structure. Today, the upper city had almost reached the energy shroud that emitted a yellowish glow. Standing on the highest platform in the upper city, you would feel the Twilight Shroud was within reach. If you had enough arm strength to throw a small stone high enough into the sky, you would see the ripples on the shroud.


    The city had run out of space to grow.


    In the deepest part of this deformed stack of nests, the old steam turbines and pressure piping systems were still running slowly, like the visceral internal organs of an ultimate beast. With every turn of those components, which had been in existence for hundreds or even thousands of years, would make Twilight Capital groan in pain. Sometimes, even the entire upper city would feel the vibration, but the residents of the city were accustomed to this ominous sign.


    The steam locomotive ground to a halt as it entered the station in the upper city. After disembarking, Hao Ren immediately felt a lot better. Riding on a steam locomotive used to transport miners and ore was nowhere near comfortable. To operate in the dark wilderness, safety rather than ergonomics was the priority of the steel monster. The wholly sealed compartment was not only dull but also full of the pungent smell of lubricant. It was a torment if staying onboard for a long enough time.


    The air quality outside was not any better though.


    They were now close to the highest point of the city, but standing here, Hao Ren did not feel it pleasing. The low Twilight Shroud above would only make people feel depressed. He looked to Wendell next to him. ¡°Where are we going now?¡±


    ¡°The Lightseeker headquarters is in the lower city, near the temple of the Iron Throne. We have to go down through the large shaft, the Steam Assembly has control over it,¡± Wendell explained patiently. ¡°The shaft lift runs once every hour, is open to ordinary citizens, but you guys would have a problem: you have no legal identity. So the most likely situation is, we must first accept the Steam Assembly¡ª¡±


    Lily suddenly interrupted the old man. ¡°What is the Steam Assembly all about?¡±


    A team of uniformed personnel boarded the station platform. They looked proud and confident. Their black-blue, tight-fitting uniforms adorned with silver trims, and insignia of gears, as well as valves, hung from their chests. Except for the leader, the other security officers carried a metal stick in their hands. The stick looked like a law enforcement gear but appeared as if a lengthened control lever.


    As the team boarded the platform, they came straight towards them. Wendell¡¯s face instantly darkened.


    ¡°It¡¯s them, the security officers of the Steam Assembly.¡± The voice of the old man was somewhat depressed. ¡°And the last thing I want to see¡­¡±


    Feeling strange, Hao Ren looked at the old man, thinking that the discord between the Steam Assembly and the Lightseeker was deeper than he had imagined.


    At this time, those security officers had come before them. Standing in front was a middle-aged man with short black hair and serious face. Ignoring Hao Ren and his teammates, the middle-aged man nodded to Wendell and deliberately said with a cold tone of voice. ¡°Mr. Wendell, I¡¯m very ¡®happy¡¯ to see you return safely from the darkness.¡±


    Wendell bitterly said, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m back, whether you like it or not.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see the other Lightseekers. Can I assume that the outcome of this light-seeking journey is still the same?¡± asked the solemn-faced, middle-aged man with a piercing eye. ¡°Only you make it back alive. The final light-seeking expedition has completely failed, just as expected.¡±


    Wendell¡¯s attitude changed, his voice was firm and forceful. ¡°No! This time is different! I have found them!¡±


    The middle-aged man seemed to be a little surprised by the hard-line attitude that Wendell suddenly showed. He curiously looked at Hao Ren. ¡°These people?¡±


    He received news that Wendell had returned to Twilight Capital and was taking the locomotive to the upper city. But the news came from the mining bureau in the outer zone; the report did not mention any outsiders.


    ¡°They come from outside Twilight Capital!¡± Wendell shouted, his eyes finally brightened up, which was the light in the eyes of the Lightseekers when their life effort finally came to fruition. ¡°They come from Asgard. Look at them! Healthy and strong. The whole of Asgard is unpolluted; there is no need for Twilight shroud there as the whole kingdom is healthy!¡±


    The security officers looked at each other. Some minor commotion rose among them. The middle-aged man was stunned a little, but he quickly calmed down.


    ¡°Nonsense!¡±


    He glared at Wendell.


    ¡°You¡ª¡± Wendell was angry, but before he could say anything, the middle-aged man in front of him waved his hand. ¡°I don¡¯t know where these people come from, but making this scam up is detrimental to the foundation of Twilight Capital! You have become mad finally. Take them away!¡±


    The security officers hesitated a little, and the middle-aged man immediately glared at them. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡±


    A hand suddenly fell on his shoulder; Hao Ren looked at the officer in the eyes with a smile. ¡°Listen, man. Every rational mind knows that you should not judge without first investigate. Is mood the basis of your action?¡±


    The middle-aged man was caught unaware when Hao Ren came up to him and put his hand on his shoulder. He was shocked. When he finally realized what happened and looked around, he was surrounded by the strangers from Asgard while his security officers were all rooted to the spot.


    Each of their shadows was being pulled and deformed, pointing in the direction of the little demoness, Y¡¯lisabet. Two clusters of green flames flashed across her big eyes.


    ¡°What are all of you doing?¡±


    ¡°We have heard that the Steam Assembly is the government of Twilight Capital,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°You¡¯ve managed, maintained, and developed this city for the past 2,000 years under such difficult conditions. Honestly, at first I pretty admired you, but you¡­ your action¡¯s fouling your own nest.¡±


    ¡°Spellcaster?¡± The middle-aged man was sullen, but he was not in a panic. He just shot Wendell a glance. ¡°Are these the helpers you¡¯re looking for to help you? Aren¡¯t you afraid of having attracted a bunch of sorcerers?¡±


    ¡°I have no intention of correcting your misunderstandings and prejudice against me,¡± Wendell said with a plastic smile. ¡°But you should not let this prejudice blind your judgment. Do you not want to believe that outside the shroud¡ª¡±


    ¡°There is only darkness outside the shroud! It is as dark as your heart!¡± The middle-aged man glared at the old man. ¡°I knew this when you first abandoned your wife and your son!¡±


    At first, Hao Ren was thinking of giving this officer a lesson. But he froze when he heard what the officer said. It transpired there was a behind-the-scenes story.


    Not only Hao Ren, Vivian, Lily, Nangong Sanba, Nangong Wuyue, Y¡¯zaks and the rest were now showing great interest, waiting to hear more gossips.


    Gossiping among Vivian, Lily and Nangong Wuyue was well understood. Their biggest hobby was watching dramas. But it was kind of hard to explain why Y¡¯zaks was joining the bandwagon. Just imagine a king of a demonic kingdom having the hobby of prying into the affair of divorce of others. How weird is that?


    The expression on Wendell¡¯s face changed and eventually turned into a sigh. ¡°This is my son, Hope.¡±

 Chapter 1122 - The Negotiation Breaks Down

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    When Wendell said ¡°this is my son,¡± Hao Ren and several of them had already made up a hundred and one speculations in their minds. Their imagination derived from their prolonged exposure to novels and serial dramas on TV. But they remained silent, hoping that the father could simply explain himself.


    ¡°Tell us, if you don¡¯t mind.¡± Vivian sighed. ¡°What the hell went on?¡±


    Wendell was hesitant. But perhaps he had kept the thing to himself for too long and now needed to find someone to talk to, or maybe he had finally accomplished something in life, and now he had dropped his guard, after hesitating for a moment, he silently turned around and walked to the edge of the platform.


    Hao Ren and Vivian followed.


    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Wendell said in a whisper. ¡°I abandoned my wife and son. Throughout the first half of my life, I have nothing to show to comfort the soul of my wife in heaven.¡±


    What happened to Wendell was an uncomplicated story: it was about an ambitious man who yearned for an adventurous journey, a complete family that could have been happy ever after, and a tragic ending. The young Wendell had participated in the light-seeking expedition. He had a family at that time: a wife named Sasha and a son named Hope. That year, Hope was only seven. Twilight Capital had stood for 2,300 years in the long night. Countless Lightseekers had failed, and the appeal of the light-seeking expedition died down. It had declined to the extent that, other than the Lightseekers themselves and a few religious groups, no one had any more faith in finding habitable zone outside the shroud.


    The Steam Assembly at that time had even begun to discuss the complete halt of this expedition that had been passed down from ancient times.


    Lightseekers represented ancient tradition, while the Steam Assembly represented the pragmatism of keeping up with the times. Wendell belonged to the former, and the seven-year-old Hope began to deeply admire the security officers of the Steam Assembly in their smart uniform. Their contradictions existed from the very beginning, and what happened afterward was only enlarging the crack.


    Wendell had been participating in the light-seeking journey for more than 30 years. While he traveled in the long night, his teammates had all died. After many days, he made it home in a miserable state, but his wife had died of illness. His son had never called him father since that day.


    When Hope attained adulthood, he joined the Steam Assembly.


    Today, thirty years later, Wendell once again returned from the darkness as a Lightseeker. He faced Hope, who had become a senior security officer of the Steam Assembly. Human impulses and paranoia had come between the father and son. Hope would never calmly and sensibly analyze whether his father¡¯s light-seeking career had the slightest feasibility; he categorically denied it. And, from the beginning, he did not intend to believe anything that Wendell said.


    The son of a Lightseeker was now the most radical of the radicals in the Steam Assembly. Other members of the assembly would at least consider the ancient traditions and maintain superficial respect for the Lightseekers, but in Hope¡¯s eyes, Lightseekers did not deserve his slightest respect.


    So, feelings do kill. But what can you say when one¡¯s mommy has died.


    Wendell did not go into details about his past. After all, it was unfortunate. He was barely scraping the surface when he told of his relationship with his son, but it was merely for the benefit of those before him now. It was Hao Ren filling in most of the details himself. Hope, the seven-year-old rebellious child of the past and the middle-aged senior officer of today always glared at his father. But other than that, he had never overreacted.


    ¡°It turned out this is the case, then it makes sense now.¡± Hao Ren nodded when Wendell finished. He looked at the old man thoughtfully. ¡°No wonder you were so unwilling to see people from the Steam Assembly; you were avoiding someone.¡±


    ¡°If can, I hope to send you to the ancient sage before he shows up,¡± Wendell said, pressing his hand on his eyes. ¡°I have sacrificed everything for this cause: my wife, my kid, and all my life. I hope the whole thing will go smoothly. At least the ancient sage will see the messengers from Asgard. After that, no matter what the Steam Assembly wants to do, I will have no more regrets.¡±


    Vivian silently looked at Wendell, the old man who decided to embark on the light-seeking journey. He had shown his courage and determination in challenging destiny. But when he finally saw the dawn of his effort, his faith seemed to have been shaken.


    Hao Ren came up to Hope and nodded to him. ¡°I don¡¯t think you trust your father at all, do you?¡±


    Hope was expressionless.


    ¡°You don¡¯t believe that we are from outside the Twilight Shroud. You think that we are the extras whom your dad pays to make the light-seeking journey look a success. Aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Hope was still expressionless.


    ¡°Are you a retard or something?¡± Hao Ren looked into Hope¡¯s eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t you think this is illogical? Do you think we have nothing better to do but come to stage this drama? To what extent does dementia get to your dad before he would use this kind of gimmick to inflate his achievement superficially? If the journey of light-seeking is fruitless, is there any meaning to find a group of extras? You can¡¯t argue the facts that are laid bare before your eyes. But why do you still choose to ignore the most obvious and logical?¡±


    Hope remained expressionless.


    Vivian had come over and poked Hope¡¯s head with her finger. ¡°So you have a hole in your head. You have made up an argument that is full of loopholes to try to explain away what you see. If you choose to react to anything that you don¡¯t understand this way, you are worse than a kid. Your brain must be so full of holes that you can look down through your brain at your feet directly. Hao Ren and I have been talking to you for so long, yet you remain silent the whole time.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet jumped out. ¡°Oh, you guys want him to answer your questions? You should have said it earlier. I saw him, and I didn¡¯t like his face, so I froze him just now.¡±


    Speechless.


    After the little demon lifted the Shackles of Shadows, Hope recovered and immediately took two steps back in a high-alert posture. ¡°Sorcerer! Attacking the security officer is a felony!¡±


    At the same time, the other security officers had also regained their freedom. They took the opportunity to activate some device on their body immediately. Their uniform collars lit up with anti-magic runic symbols and an encirclement surrounding Hao Ren and his men.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it. It is the only way to make you listen,¡± Hao Ren said helplessly. ¡°We come from outside the shroud. You can always check your population database and see if you could find our names in it. Well, I supposed you have this kind of database after more than two thousand years of development.¡±


    Hope looked at this group of dangerous elements cautiously while his right hand had reached for a small iron box on his waist. ¡°It is meaningless for you to tell me all this. If you are really from outside the Twilight Shroud, then come with me before the members of the Steam Assembly. They will investigate your claim. I believe that the Steam Assembly that upholds legal and rational concepts is fairer and just than the Lightseekers whose brains are full of fantasy.¡±


    ¡°You are right, but we are very sorry that we are too busy to go with you.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°The purpose of our visit is to see your ancient sage. Now, instead of us cooperating with you, we hope that you can cooperate with us.¡±


    ¡°This is impossible.¡± Hope categorically refused. The moment Hao Ren mentioned the ancient sage, he had even forgotten the fact that he was defenseless in front of these people. ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are. No one gets to see the ancient sage just like that. I have enough reason to believe that you all are dangerous elements based on your thinking.¡±


    ¡°I know it is not going to be smooth.¡± Nangong Sanba crossed his arms. ¡°A group of suspicious guys, without even an ID, suddenly appeared out of nowhere and wanted to see the president; the guards must be crazy if they let them in.¡±


    ¡°It seems that negotiation has broken down.¡± Hao Ren turned to look at Wendell. ¡°Do you know the way to the residence of the ancient sage?¡±


    Wendell nodded spontaneously, only to realize suddenly that something out-of-hand was about to happen. ¡°Wait a second! You¡¯re going to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; we know what we are doing.¡± Hao Ren raised his thumb, gave him a bright and trustworthy smile, and then patted Lily on her head. ¡°Have some mercy, okay? Let¡¯s move out!¡±


    ¡°Arf!¡±

 Chapter 1123 - Steam6

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The moment Lily lunged out, Hao Ren could not help but think to himself: would he go down the path of no return as a bully? People said that all bullies started as dog owners abetting their dogs to bite when things did not go their way. But he had pondered it carefully; he felt that he was in no such danger of becoming one. After all, Lily would still bite without abetment.


    Hao Ren knew that things would unfold this way from the very beginning. The real world was not a manga. It was impossible that two persons are getting together, talking about love and justice, and they would understand each other. Dialogue would not solve conflicts all the time. When negotiation failed, a confrontation was inevitable. Especially when both sides had different worldviews, there would be little common ground.


    So Hao Ren¡¯s goal had always been obvious: before chaos arose, he would first observe the form of existence of Twilight Capital to fulfill the observatory obligation of an inspector. Then they would inevitably meet the local forces, and when the local forces inevitably became an obstacle, they would have no choice but to force their way to meet the ancient sage at the Iron Throne.


    He was not taking things for granted. Before making these conclusions, he had learned from Wendell and Borcen about the operation, past achievements, corporate culture, and management philosophy of the Steam Assembly.


    A mature social governing institution that could keep the city alive after the end of the world and maintain its order while everything was in jeopardy, it needed first not flexible thinking and enterprising spirit, but conservatism, stability, and caution. Especially when it came to the dark wilderness outside, the attitude of the Steam Assembly was even more so. Hope¡¯s seemingly paranoid misunderstanding was not entirely subjective. In fact, in the two thousand years since the establishment of Twilight Capital, the city had faced countless rumors and scams that had caused social unrest and even the threat of evil sects. Trapped in the shroud for so many years, the probability of having a mental illness, escaping from reality or retaliating against the society was high. Once every century, there would be someone claiming that they had found a way to save the humankind. All these claims were pointing to the dark wilderness outside.


    Being trapped in the dark for so many years, people had the choice of believing either that flood of beasts was opposite the darkness, or that paradise was true. Few believed the latter, but their harm was many times greater than the former.


    There had indeed been incidents in which Lightseekers collaborated with evil sects to create the illusion of a paradise. A large Lightseeker team had stepped into the night, and soon lost contact with Twilight Capital. They were lost in the sea of hot sands in Jotunheim. In the twenty days in the sea of hot sands, everyone died except one survivor. No one knew how he made it, but what was certain was that he suffered significant mental trauma during the twenty terrible days. This Lightseeker had an illusion. He firmly believed that he had found the paradise, and depicted the oasis that existed only in his imagination as real. When he returned to Twilight Capital and began to preach the new homestead, it caused terrible consequences.


    He eventually set up an organization that was more like an evil sect, falsifying evidence to prove the existence of the oasis. He even confronted the investigation team of the Steam Assembly and incited thousands of people leaving Twilight Capital towards Jotunheim to find the beautiful paradise that only existed in his false memories.


    Thousands of skilled people had thus died in the dark wilderness.


    Since that day, the Steam Assembly had set strict rules that any Lightseeker who returned from the night must be subject to rigorous questioning. It would be easier to answer questions if there were at least two people made it back home. But if he were only person returning, then everything he said would hardly be believable.


    Because under the erosion of magic radiation, even Lightseekers themselves were not sure whether they were sane. The Lightseeker who returned alone might be insane. Even if he was mentally sound, hallucination could have brainwashed him. Without witnesses, no one could prove whether their stories were true.


    So Hope¡¯s questioning of Wendell was utterly excusable. He was only a little more radical than the ordinary members of the Steam Assembly. He did not just suspect but thoroughly distrusted his father. Anyway, the outcome was the same: Hao Ren and his team could never go down to the lower city through normal channels.


    What if Wendell accepted the Steam Assembly¡¯s questioning? It would mean that they had to wait for the inquest, which could take months to complete. What about discussing with a bunch of experts and scholars about worldview and life? These might be the formal procedure, but to be honest, Hao Ren had no time to go through the formal process.


    Lily had turned into a shadowy werewolf. Before everyone knew what happened, she had almost knocked out all the security officers at the scene. Hao Ren took out his spears and brandished them while coming to the edge of the platform. ¡°Where is the lift?¡±


    Wendell was wrapped up by a swarm of bats summoned by Vivian and carried to a hundred meters away. As thing had developed into this stage, he could not care less about solving the problem through dialogue anymore. Indeed a two-time survivor of a light-seeking journey, he shouted, ¡°Left! Right there, where smoke is coming out! Rush over!¡±


    The security officers of Hope were down. These men were not combatants. Their duty was to maintain the public order of the upper city. Their power came from the uniform, which represented authority. So, until Hao Ren and his team disappeared on the platform, the last hapless chap only staggered up to his feet. In a hurry, a security officer threw out the metal stick in his hand, but Lily caught it with her mouth, and he was unable to get it back ever since.


    ¡°Sir!¡± An officer with a broken nose and swollen face staggered up to Hope. ¡°What should we do?¡±


    Hope¡¯s face stiffened, sweat rolling down his neck. He only had one thought in mind; Father is hopeless and beyond salvage. He¡¯s bringing those men to intrude the Iron Throne. He must have gone insane since the last light-seeking journey. No doubt about it!


    ¡°Go and inform the wizard and armed security teams. And Steam6 too!¡± Hope shouted, pressing a button on the small metal box on his waist. ¡°Sanctis, Roland, sound the alarm! Herbert, go to the lift, evacuate the civilians, and seal off the station platform.¡±


    ¡°The rest of you follow me to the city hall. Check the background of that group of people and see which evil sect they belong to!¡±


    Meanwhile, Hao Ren and his team had left the locomotive platform. They moved along a steel-cast beam as per Wendell¡¯s instruction, leaving the station far behind them in no time.


    The upper city of Twilight Capital was full of all kinds of steel beams, frames that carrying pipes, reinforcement beams between buildings, and suspended roads. These crisscrossing structures were like a cobweb over the city. Smoke and steam released from the factories and boilers shrouded this cobweb of beams and frames. As they passed through an extensive piping system, gas leaking from the pipes was blocking their visibility. But in the smoke and steam, there were two rows of fluorescent light guiding the way forward. These lights were runes embedded in the building structure.


    To reduce the load of the massive structure on the lower levels of the city, the builders of Twilight Capital had used a lot of such runes in the buildings. These unique runes, popular in the Nordic region, were not as powerful as Letta runes. But it had excellent auxiliary uses. When Vivian saw these runes, she smiled and said in a low voice, ¡°Odin invented these runes. But if not for the Twilight of the Gods, the mortals would never have a chance to see their secrets.¡±


    *Whoooop¡ª*


    A low and loud whistle sounded from afar, followed by a second and third sound.


    Whistle blasted throughout the upper city. The vapor hovering between the superstructures began to dissipate as if the whistle had chased it away. Wendell¡¯s face darkened. ¡°It is the highest alert! They have sounded the alarm!¡±


    Hao Ren twitched his mouth. ¡°I would be surprised if they don¡¯t sound the alarm when there is an attack on their presidential palace.¡±


    They came to the end of the massive steel beam. Up ahead was the roof of a building. Getting down from the steel beam, they hopped from roof to roof. The city continued to retreat under their feet. At this moment, extremely heavy footsteps suddenly came from the surroundings, followed by a powerful voice broadcast over the air. ¡°Terrorists! Stop immediately! We are Steam Six! You are surrounded! Give up resistance immediately! Give up resistance immediately!¡±


    Heavy footsteps and weird metal grinding sounded continued. Hao Ren curiously looked around. Immediately, some massive machines appeared before them.


    The first thing that appeared was huge claws that lingered on the surrounding eaves, followed by robotic arms that are continually hissing in high-pressure steam. The last thing that appeared was a big, insect-like steel monster.


    Many five-meter-tall black machines with a ring of robotic arms on their body crawled up from the surrounding building, pipes, and beams. The shape of these things was difficult to describe, much like a product of Frankenstein from the old comics. They had a body that was like a mixture of spider and scorpion, and eight to twelve robotic arms. High-pressure steam always leaked out from the valves and joint gaps in their body. The hissing sounded as if roar coming from their throat. Runes were glowing on their belly too.


    One of the biggest mechanical monsters climbed up in front of Hao Ren. Two rows of red lights, like many pairs of eyes, flickered on the head. A laser beam appeared and scanned its targets as a low voice was heard saying, ¡°Put down your weapon immediately! Put down the weapon immediately!¡±

 Chapter 1124 - Surrounded

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Seeing the mechanical monsters, Hao Ren was shocked. He was shocked not because of how advanced the robots were but because of their steam technology. The monsters, made of pressure pipes and valves, were massive and complicated. Their joints hissed from the high-pressure gas as steam was their power source.


    Were they based on the principles of science?


    But the thought quickly went away; none of his teammates could explain scientifically. Compared to Lily¡¯s ability to shapeshift by eating Spicy Sticks, these mechanical monsters were more scientific. Besides, these people still had runic energy if steam technology did not work.


    Whatever it was, these steam combat monsters looked pretty advanced.


    The huge mechanical monsters stopped after encircling them. The shells on the back of the monsters opened as a weapon platform rose. Each weapon platform had a soldier standing there, wearing metal protective gear, face hidden under the steel, hands on the heavy machine gun.


    ¡°Steam6!¡± Wendell was shocked. ¡°We are in trouble!¡±


    Hao Ren did not think so. But he was curious. ¡°Who are they?¡±


    ¡°They are the most advanced combat forces in Twilight Capital,¡± Wendell said quickly. ¡°They are rarely summoned, unless when the city is under great threats such as a massive turmoil and intrusion of the ancient monsters from the dark wilderness. They have not appeared for hundreds of years. I didn¡¯t expect to see them today!¡±


    Lily looked at the steam robots. She took out a pack of spicy strips from her pouch, ripped open the package, and stuffed it into her mouth at one go. ¡°The left ones are mine!¡±


    After sizing up the enemies, she found that they were not any larger than when she was in her shapeshifted form. So, she was not scared of them anymore.


    Y¡¯lisabet came up, holding her screwdriver. ¡°The rest is mine!¡±


    Wendell could not wrap his brain around yet. ¡°You guys want to¡­¡±


    Before his voice trailed off, the Spicy-Stick energy in Lily had reached its peak. A second later, a gust of wind came out of nowhere; Twilight capital had never had such a gale before.


    ¡°Arf! Arf!¡±


    A familiar but a lot louder growl was heard as the wind, almost like a storm, swept in from all directions. The storm was so strong that the huge steam robots were shaking like a leaf. Meanwhile, amid a series of heavy footsteps, a toothed beast strode out of the storm.


    The giant beast glared at the steam robots, and then lowered its head, face solemn, licking Hao Ren¡¯s head.


    Hao Ren activated his Steel Membrane Shield. With a quick flip of his body, he climbed onto Lily¡¯s head, becoming a dog rider. With the wave of his hand, he shouted, ¡°Attack! As long as nobody dies!¡±


    Never had Steam6 expected these people would put up a resistance despite being surrounded. Steam6 had been unchallenged for too long in the city. When Hao Ren and his team charged at them, they were caught unaware. But they were elite forces; it did not take them long before the steam monsters hissing in gas lunged out to meet the enemies.


    Amid the chaos, Hao Ren heard someone on the opposite side exclaiming, ¡°Oh, my ancestor! What is this monster?¡±


    No one knew what species the werewolf was.


    *Boom!*


    The super husky and steam behemoth clashed. Lily¡¯s fangs and claws were just as strong as steel. The massive robot waved its arms to fend off Lily¡¯s attack while Lily roared and charged back even more forcefully. As Hao Ren had issued an order to show mercy, Lily did not use lethal force but merely shove the robot away.


    ¡°Hold your position! Hold your position!¡± the voice of the commander came from inside a steam robot. ¡°Use the arc and cable! Use electric¡ª¡±


    The voice suddenly stopped as pressured gas spurted from the arms of the robot, which staggered and came to a halt. A moment later, the armor panel on the belly of the robot was kicked open from the inside as the little demon Y¡¯lisabet emerged from within, holding a complex mechanical component in her hand excitedly.


    ¡°My spiral stabilizer!¡± The door on the other side of the steam robot was yanked open from the inside. The pilot wearing a leather cap and prosthetic eyes waved his fist and shouted as he got out. ¡°You little demon! Put that thing down!¡±


    Pretending not to hear it, Y¡¯lisabet climbed onto the long leg of another robotic spider with a small screwdriver and a pipe wrench. The high-temperature and high-pressure steam attack did not affect the demon who took a bath in the lava. The little demon did not feel a thing. She smirked and laughed as she ripped its components down. Quickly, she had ripped apart one of its legs.


    It was chaos. The steam spiders that looked intimidating were quickly overwhelmed by the superwomen. Though having the highest combat strength in Twilight Capital, these steam spider pilots had a disadvantage: they had never seen any creature outside the Twilight Shroud since they were born.


    Hundreds of years ago, in the night of Midgard, some ancient monsters surviving the Twilight of the Gods were wandering around. But now these monsters were dead, and almost everyone who stayed inside the Twilight Shroud only learned about those supernatural creatures from the distorted legends passed down from their ancestors. For centuries, Steam6 was only a force with a symbolic significance rather than its actual strength. The robots might have the potential to fight against the otherworldly monsters, but the pilots lacked the experience. They had never seen a dog that was bigger than a robotic spider, nor had they seen a kid who was completely unafraid of heat, let alone an impervious landlord with a pair of spears.


    But still, an elite was an elite.


    The pilots might be lack of experience but not basic training, manuals, and mental quality.


    After the initial chaos, these robotic spiders miraculously regrouped their formation. The pilots realized that these guys were completely different from the usual rioters, and the techniques used during training and simulation suddenly came in handy. The robotic spiders could still maintain their mobility. As they regrouped, they launched a counterattack.


    Some robotic spiders spurred an electric arc between their long legs, forming an electrostatic field that made it difficult for the enemy to get close. The other robotic spiders, however, had some strange gear that glittered with metallic cold popped out from their back.


    The soldiers, recovered from their shock, were holding heavy rotary guns in their hands, and the air around rolled up as the rotary gun began to spin up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be obsessed with them!¡± Hao Ren clamped Lily¡¯s nose with his legs. It was only a part of her nose as the maiden was too big now. He waved his spear, pointing ahead. ¡°Our goal is the lift!¡±


    ¡°Arf!¡±


    Lily made a long howl. Before her cry trailed off, she had lunged out like a gust of wind towards the least guarded position on the platform.


    The robotic spiders would still pose a threat. Hao Ren did not want to be bogged down by these robots.


    Vivian summoned a powerful chill-storm, making the movements of the robotic spiders difficult. Anthony Alfonso summoned a barrage of arcane magic. Though the robotic spiders had anti-magic shields powered by the runic characters, they still shook under the impact of the arcane magic and were unable to aim correctly. Y¡¯zaks was guarding the rear of the team and blocked off all attacks from the back. Even Nangong Wuyue was showing her potential: she had turned into a sea snake. While crawling, she did not forget to enhance her teammates with various healing and enhancement spells. But to boost her courage, she had to roll something up and swing it with her tail.


    But Nangong Sanba had a problem: he was the one on Nangong Wuyue¡¯s tail.


    The robotic spiders rumbled as the armor-piercing bullets of the rotary machine guns hit on the Demonic Barrier and Steel Membrane Shield. But it caused no damage. Hao Ren and his team had pulled away from Steam6 to a distance where the steam robots could no longer reach them. ¡°Thank you for your leg!¡± Y¡¯lisabet said, carrying a huge robotic leg on her shoulder.


    Under cover of their firepower, they successfully broke through the enemy line.

 Chapter 1125 - The Twilight Guards

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The rumble of the robotic spiders came from behind while bullets from the heavy-duty rotary machine gun pierced through the air, whistling past them. The sound of the alarm still rang through the city. More Twilight Guards were rushing out from their garrisons, trying to intercept the dangerous elements that were moving towards the lift.


    As they passed through a blockade, the steam columns around the lift were getting clearer in front of their eyes.


    Feeling awesome riding on Lily¡¯s nose, Hao Ren looked back over his shoulder and found that the steam robots of Steam6 did not pursue them. It seemed like those robotic spiders were only good at defense. He petted Lily on her forehead. ¡°Well done,¡± he said.


    Lily cocked her eyes at Hao Ren, nodding excitedly. ¡°Hu hu hu hu¡ª¡±


    Hao Ren was almost thrown off her nose by the sudden massive movement.


    ¡°This is nothing like what I have planned for!¡± Wendell was still wrapped in a massive swarm of bats, carried away in the air.


    ¡°This is Plan B!¡± Vivian shouted while spreading out her bat wings flying in the air. ¡°Your ancient sage is hidden in the deepest part of the city and heavily guarded. The influence of Lightseekers is no longer as it used to be. Could you still expect to safely bring us to the Iron Throne?¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet was leaping behind Lily with a two-meter robotic leg on her shoulder. ¡°I like Plan B!¡±


    Watching this group of super creatures that were ridiculously powerful and unconventional in their actions, Wendell said nothing. He began to think whether it was a mistake to bring these people into Twilight Capital.


    Perhaps the long journey into the dark had weakened his mind. Maybe he was too carried away by the excitement of finding the kindle-light that he had let down his guard as a Lightseeker. Perhaps age had slowed down his ability to think. He saw that he did not really know these people. He only knew their names, that they came from outside Twilight Capital, and that they were the afterglow in the night, but he did not have a clue of their real intention and character.


    Now, this group of powerful and mysterious strangers was in Twilight Capital and had quickly shown off their incredible power. Steam6, the main force against the monsters from the outside, was no match for these people. They were heading toward the Iron Throne looking for the ancient sage. Was this really okay? He thought to himself.


    As he calmed down from the initial excitement and joy, Wendell began to have cold sweat slowly trickling down his forehead.


    Just when this thought started to get out of hand, a voice suddenly sounded in his mind. ¡°Bring them here.¡±


    Shocked, Wendell woke up from his thought. ¡°Who is this?¡±


    ¡°Bring them here.¡± The voice did not explain anything, it just repeated the phrase with a soft but awe-inspiring tone of voice. ¡°They are the ones I am waiting for.¡±


    Wendell¡¯s mind was blank for a full half a minute until another shrill of the whistle came from afar woke him up. The old man almost exclaimed, but he quickly shut his mouth and tried to reply in his mind. ¡°Ancient sage?¡±


    After a while, the expression on the old man¡¯s face finally eased. With some kind of joy, he looked up and forward, just to see a black steel tower gradually coming in front of his eyes. He said aloud, ¡°There it is! The lift. Up ahead!¡±


    At the top of Twilight Capital, several of the most magnificent buildings leaned together with platforms and steel beams extending out, overlapping and linking with each other to form a grand steel square. Giant gears and bearings rotated on the platform at the edge of the square. Large pipes around the square always hissed with steam that had not completely condensed. A few black steel towers were the most striking structure on the square. These steel towers were inlaid with shinning runes while laser light on the towers swept red laser beams across the square.


    This was where the lift was.


    The Twilight Guards had assembled on the squares waiting for them.


    Hundreds of Steam Assembly guards draped in armor formed a human wall. Each of the guards was at least two meters tall, their armor was heavy, lined with valves and pipes, and a dark-red pressure gauge on their chest was surging with steam power. They were carrying heavy flamethrowers and serving as the first line of defense on the square.


    Behind the guards were several semi-mobile heavy artilleries and mobile artilleries, which lay on the ground. The robotic legs of the mobile artilleries were attached securely to the sockets on the platform of the lift. There was a pair of creepy eyeballs moving in between twin-barrel of each artillery.


    Behind this second line of defense was the last line of defense: a dozen spellcasters who was floating in midair.


    Hao Ren was surprised to see magicians here. Perhaps he should call them wizards. Wearing black robes and hovering two meters above ground, the wizards looked solemn and cold, and their hair fluttered even though there was no wind blowing. Due to years of exposure to forbidden power, they were skinny, almost like mummies. Each spellcaster was surrounded by a few arcane balls, though unlike those of Anthony Alfonso, it showed that they combat masters who meant business.


    The existence of magic forces in Twilight Capital was a surprise. Hao Ren could not help but be amazed by the diversity of this city.


    ¡°That is the wizard corps,¡± Wendell said. ¡°They are the scholars with the bloodline of ancient taboos, experts in runes. So be careful. Their power may be weaker than the monsters of Steam6, but their abilities are extraordinary and elusive.


    Hao Ren turned and glanced at Wendell. He was surprised. The face of the old man had a mysteriously proud smile, which he was obviously trying to hide.


    ¡°What good thing are you thinking of?¡± Nangong Sanba asked. He had also noticed Wendell¡¯s expression.


    ¡°Today is a day of glory.¡± Wendell did not really answer his question. ¡°The ancient sage is guiding our destiny.¡±


    Everyone felt inexplicable. Meanwhile, the Twilight Guards in front of the lift were already nervous, though.


    Most of the Twilight Guards were hurriedly summoned here, clueless about what happened. Ordinary soldiers simply had no clue of what happened in the city, and they had no idea of what kind of enemy they were facing. They heard that Steam6 had already set off to form the first line of defense, so people thought that things would be dealt with in no time. Steam6 was a dominant force in the eyes of ordinary soldiers, never did they expect the enemy would show up in front of them so soon.


    Steam6 could not even delay these people for more than ten minutes; this stunned the Twilight guards.


    What stunned them, even more, was the appearance of these enemies. The group of people had the exact terrifying look of the beasts from the Mythological era: the giant white wolf (dog) that could swallow anything, the fierce giant that was even taller than the armored steam soldiers, the evil bat-winged woman flying in the air, and the strange half-human, half snake creature!


    The wizards floating in the air were obviously more imaginative than the ordinary soldiers on the ground. They had been studying the fragmented ancient history for years, so they had linked what they learned to what they saw. An old wizard whose forehead was inlaid with runes pointed at the giant wolf (dog) and said with a slightly trembling voice, ¡°In the name of the ancestors! That is probably the descendant of Fenrir!¡±


    ¡°The snake-like woman is probably the descendant of Jormungandr!¡±


    ¡°The fierce man must come from the kingdom of the giants. Though he is shorter than the giant, he is just as ugly!¡±


    Their imaginations ran wild, but all wizards were thinking the same thing: these people seem to be the descendants of the ancient devils out of myths and legends. Is the end of Twilight Capital finally here? Are these fierce enemies here to finish what has been left off during the Twilight of the Gods two thousand years ago?


    The wizards¡¯ nervousness and fear seemed to be infectious. Hands shivering, one of the guards on the ground, fired a shot accidentally as his massive flamethrower spit out a long trail of flame, which in turn detonated all the explosives on the defensive line.


    All hell broke loose.

 Chapter 1126 - Sneaking Up On the Enemy

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Sometimes things happened faster than could be described. As Hao Ren came before the lift on the platform, the Twilight Guards saw him and shivered in fear. After that, the first shot was fired accidentally.


    The Twilight Guards formed a human wall, the pressure gauge on their chests was hissing with steam, and their armors were pressurized and used as firing platforms. The flamethrowers and steam-propelled grenades were fired simultaneously, bullets pierced through the air raining down on the enemies, leaving behind heat trails in the air.


    Behind them, snap-on cannons and self-propelled artilleries were raised. The robotic eyes on the barrels were turning, lighting up in red one after another. Then the guns and artilleries began to fire continuously.


    To stop a small group of people, the Twilight Guards used what they deemed ridiculously powerful firepower.


    When the first shot was fired, Y¡¯zaks erected his Demonic Barrier. Behind the barrier, he slowly straightened up and began to glow in red as his body temperature rose. In the face of the threat of the firepower of the human army, he felt he needed to take them seriously.


    The Demonic Barrier gradually expanded as Y¡¯zaks transformed, slowly forming a green light curtain and shielding half of the square. Shells rained down on the light curtain and exploded, obscuring their vision. The commander of the Twilight Guards saw a flash of green light in the smoke, and he ordered, ¡°Activate the runes!¡±


    The guards on the first row immediately ducked, their armors squeaking and hissing as pressurized steam spurted. Some of their armor plates opened, revealing the lining made of sterling silver.


    The lining of sterling silver was densely engraved with runes. As these ancient runes were activated, a translucent energy barrier rose in front of the Twilight Guards. Almost immediately, two massive fireballs were fired from the other side.


    There was a bow, formed by the flame, on one of the fireballs.


    *Boom! Boom!*


    The fireballs landed on the ground in front of the Twilight Guards and exploded. The two fireballs had missed their target ¨C it was intentional as Y¡¯zaks and Y¡¯lisabet did not want to kill those guards. The shockwave of the explosion still hit the Demonic Barrier, which shook violently but not broken.


    ¡°They are really enthusiastic,¡± Hao Ren yelled behind the barrier. Y¡¯zaks, Y¡¯lisabet, and Anthony Alfonso jointly maintained the powerful Demonic Barrier to fence off the attacks of the Twilight Guards. But the violent explosions on the barrier were terrifying. ¡°Looks like they really hate us. We must find a way to secure this square.¡±


    ¡°I have more than twenty ways to secure this square,¡± Y¡¯zaks said with a loud voice. ¡°But I can¡¯t do it without killing them all.¡±


    ¡°Crap. I have more ways than you could ever imagine.¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°Do you know how many tons of explosives I have brought for this mission?¡±


    A bitchy voice suddenly sounded in their minds. ¡°We could make it simpler.¡±


    Hao Ren froze for a while before he took out the MDT from his pocket. ¡°I have almost forgotten you are in my pocket.¡±


    ¡°I have served you wholeheartedly all these years, yet you only think of me like a coaster and your daughter¡¯s nanny?¡± The MDT suddenly burst out in anger, its body was so bright as if it was going to explode. ¡°Look at the mess you have created! Where¡¯s your professionalism, code of conduct, and improvisation?¡±


    Hao Ren ignored the PDA. He knew what was in the PDA¡¯s mind the moment it came out of his pocket. ¡°I know your plan. You think that you may be able to sneak past the blockade and teleport us out of this place.¡±


    While the MDT was still trying to make itself look important, Hao Ren had read its mind. ¡°Can¡¯t you let me say it myself?¡±


    Galazur and Anthony Alfonso looked at Hao Ren sideways, thinking to themselves that the inspector who argued with his PDA was holy-effing interesting.


    Wendell had no idea what that PDA was, but he roughly knew what it was going to do as others had explained to him. ¡°The lower city is like a maze. I am afraid you would get lost.¡±


    ¡°I have an excellent mapping tool, but I agree with you.¡± The MDT flew up to Wendell. ¡°So I am not going into the maze. I just need to go into the lift.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I have an idea,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°Some of us will stay back here on the platform to divert the enemy¡¯s attention. That way, they would not be able to divert their attention to come after us even if they later find out that we have gone to the lower city.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks said with a rumble, ¡°I think I can do that alone.¡±


    ¡°But you can¡¯t make the illusion of a thousand troops alone. We need to decide now who is going to stay back here.¡±


    ¡°I will stay.¡± Galazur suddenly stepped forward. The vertical pupils of a dragon had appeared in her eyes, and when she spoke, her mouth spewed fire. ¡°I should be able to block off the entire platform after I shapeshift.¡±


    An image came to mind, Hao Ren had remembered that golden dragon was the original form of Galazur.


    He could not help but remind Galazur, ¡°Take it easy. Your power is not so controllable.¡±


    Galazur grinned, looking confident. ¡°I just need to sprawl there and covered my head. As long as their armor-piercing projectiles do not exceed 30 pounds, I don¡¯t even need to wax my scales after that.¡±


    Though the artillery used by the Twilight Guards contained various kinds of incredible dark techniques, such as robotic eyeballs for aiming and steam-powered robotic legs, their firepower was not as advanced, not even environmentally friendly. After a few rounds of shelling, the entire platform would be shrouded in thick smoke and visibility would be zero.


    A Twilight Commander opened his face armor, half of his face was covered with steel. A set of lenses that constantly telescopically adjusted itself was mounted on his left eye. The lens moved as it tried to find its targets in the smoke.


    It seemed that after the explosion of two fireballs, the opposite side seemed to be quiet.


    The cannons had stopped.


    ¡°Is target eliminated?¡± an adjutant muttered.


    The commander of Twilight raised his hand to interrupt the adjutant. ¡°Something is not right. If these people could easily break through the encirclement of Steam6, things would not be that easy.¡±


    There was a strange silence. The armored guards were uneasy. They waited for new orders while they prayed for the weird mission to end now. The wizards floating in the rear had not intervened all this while; they were conserving their energy. They would only act when the first line of defense was down. Their mission priority was not to engage the enemy but to blow up the lift platform.


    As nervousness rose, a few guards in front suddenly screamed. ¡°Oh, my ancestor! There is something! Something is in the smoke! What the hell is that?¡±


    ¡°Calm down! Hold your position! Hold your position!¡± The Twilight Commander yelled, but when he looked into the smog, he could not help but exclaim, ¡°In the name of the ancestors and the blood! That¡¯s a giant! Flame Giant!¡±


    A gust of hot air hit their face as smoke was blown away by the wind. The opponent, which had been hidden behind the smoke, finally revealed itself. A humanoid creature, over five meters tall, with magma flowing down his body as he strode forward. The ground melt under his feet with every step he took. The soldiers in front were quaking in their boots as the flame giant was even scarier than the five-meter white wolf. Though Lily was equally significant in size, Y¡¯zaks looked so much more badass after his transformation.


    The ugly face of Y¡¯zaks alone would be frightening enough without needing transformation.


    As the flame giant strode forward, the white dog followed by baring its fangs and roaring at the guards. The roar was terrifying after being amplified a dozen times though still sounded like a husky.


    The guards started to flinch, but the commander shouted. ¡°Don¡¯t run! Valkyries of Valhalla will bless us! Only cowards die with their backs facing the enemy!¡±


    But before his voice trailed off, another weird roar came from high above.


    The commander looked up and saw a golden dragon slowly flying over his head.


    Just when everyone¡¯s attention was drawn away, a blue light quietly swept past them from a distance.

 Chapter 1127 - People In the Engine Room

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren and his team were being pretty loud. But sometimes, chaos was a necessary evil. To reach the deepest part of the city, to confirm Vivian¡¯s suspicion, and to figure out everything about Twilight Capital, Hao Ren needed to create chaos; the chaos that would draw all attention to the platform high above.


    The ear-piercing whistle continued to sound like more and more Twilight Guards had responded to the call to guard the upper city. In the eyes of the head of the defense forces, things had become unbelievably strange as the situation got out of hand. The top commanders were beating their brains out but still had no clue of where these powerful troublemakers came from. What was more, the Lightseeker who had just returned from the dark wilderness was seemingly in a cohort with the troublemakers.


    In the past, the city was reasonably peaceful. Though there were problems like resource shortages, equipment failures, mine accidents, and even the most severe fire of a large boiler, experts and scholars could always find the root cause of the problem quickly. This time, they seemed to be helpless.


    They did not know where the troublemakers came from. Everything just happened without warning.


    A state of emergency was declared on most of the rail lines and station platforms in the upper city. The two giant gear sets in the middle-upper Twilight Capital rumbled as steam spurted from the gear set that gradually slowed down. The large boiler was reducing its output to prevent the threat from spreading to the vital central pressure pipeline. If the large boiler were attacked and exploded, the damage to the city would be unimaginable.


    To avoid this danger, Twilight Capital had its own emergency plan, of which pressure relief of the central pressure pipeline was a part.


    In the vicinity of the platform, a fierce battle was still raging on. Seventy percent of the city reinforcements had gathered there, but they had not been able to contain the situation. Smoke and fire accompanied by the sound of explosions could be seen around the lift.


    Near the large boiler in the upper city, in a steel-cast square tower, leaders of the Steam Assembly and the senior commander of the Twilight Guards were having an emergency meeting. A bald man with only one arm, eyes inlaid with robotic lens had just returned from the battlefield. He had brought the latest news. ¡°The enemy¡¯s tactics are keeping changing, they have a shapeshifting ability. It is chaos. There is no way to know the exact number of them and their appearance. Those guys even have the power to summon phantoms, so I guess there should be a powerful wizard among them. The appearance of summoned creatures in the battle makes things even more complicated.¡±


    ¡°Where did these guys come from?¡± asked the head of the Steam Assembly, a serious middle-aged woman with a frown. ¡°I have heard some bad rumors; it is said that they are descendants of the ancient sage.¡±


    Sitting in the shadow was a thin man, wrapped himself up in a short black robe, almost blended in with the darkness. He whispered in a hoarse voice, ¡°This is not a rumor, it is told by the scholars. The basilisk, giant wolf, and flame giant; their characteristics are basically the same as the creatures in ancient legends. It seems that we are not the only ones surviving the Twilight of the Gods. They have also survived and been hiding in our city.¡±


    Everyone in the room could not help but feel a chill ran up their spines. They started to make all kinds of negative conjectures.


    Here, the situation of the chaotic battles on the lift platform had reached the ears of the city government; a group of clueless people were speculating among themselves and churning out bizarre theories about the incident.


    But the participants in this melee were just as clueless.


    Lily was scurrying in front of the Twilight Guards. Her fur was thick enough to withstand the attack of normal cannon fire. Occasionally, when a more powerful cannon fire hit her, she would groan in pain and return to Nangong Wuyue. Nangong Wuyue would heal her, psychologically and physically, and she would recover to become a fearsome dog again. Y¡¯zaks was throwing fireballs at the flank of the elevator platform, pretending that he was going to clear a path. In the process, he had successfully attracted 60 % of hate from the enemy. Meanwhile, Anthony Alfonso was floating in the air, surrounded by a group of star-like arcane balls. With his own power alone, he could suppress the most elite wizard corps of Twilight Capital with just utilizing a small part of his ability.


    Compared to these powerful guys, Galazur, the golden dragon was more fearsome. The dragon queen was playing with the anti-air firepower of the Twilight Guards, but she later realized that becoming an air-borne bullseye was really stupid. And more importantly, her wings were actually pretty fragile, the anti-aircraft shells could really hurt her. So she flapped her wings and landed on a black tower on the edge of the platform. This tower was obviously a vital but fragile facility, the Twilight Guards were very reluctant to shoot in this direction. They only used small firearms to attack Galazur now. When the dragon queen saw this, she breathed a sigh of relief, snuggled herself in her best posture, covered her head with her wings, and then dozed off.


    It might be very unsightly, but for the golden dragon, this was indeed the most effective protective posture. She settled herself in the most prominent spot in the battlefield, drawing all the attention to herself with her shiny golden appearance.


    So no one had noticed something had sneaked past them.


    Hao Ren, Vivian, and Wendell were using the old elevator shaft going down to the lower city.


    They could no longer hear the sound of battle in the upper city. The faint sound of the explosions had become as if it was coming from another world.


    In order not to alert the city guards, they did not use the lift as the operation of the lift would create noise. Instead, the MDT had slipped through a ventilation duck into the elevator shaft and teleported into the shaft before Vivian carried them straight down the shaft.


    They dived straight down the shaft of the incredible ancient city, which looked as complex as a three-dimensional labyrinth. They felt as if they were flying in a strange dream. As the city was built on top of each other, the city that used to belong to the upper layer had now become the lower layer. The elevator shaft connecting the upper and lower cities had also been extended, old elevator platforms were dismantled and becoming support structure of the shaft. As a result, stacked city formation was formed, as if fossil sandwiched between rock layers, the elevator shaft was a snapshot of the entire historical trajectory of the city.


    Round, and supported by steel, rocks and grayish hand-made materials began to appear on the elevator shaft as they descended. The shaft was not sealed, as large openings and gaps were everywhere. Some were dedicated service tunnels, and some were just cracks on building the structure. Large black steel pipes crisscrossed the shaft wall, and steam spurted from the safety valves of the pipeline occasionally. In some section of the shaft, steam had even formed into permanent clouds. There was even rain in some areas. This phenomenon had amazed Hao Ren.


    ¡°Milton Lake is at the bottom of the elevator shaft,¡± Wendell said. ¡°All the steam in the city condenses into water and eventually returns to Milton Lake.¡±


    Hao Ren listened. At this time, Vivian began to slow down. He could see the surroundings more clearly. They should be close or in the lower city. The shaft in this section appeared as if it was a thousand years old. Peeking through the large holes in the shaft wall, he saw vast space on the outside. Massive gears were rumbling as they spun, steam pipes running everywhere, black sticky grease was flowing on the ground, and some had run through the holes into the elevator shaft. He also saw people, or creatures resembling humans moving in between steam pipes and gears. They were pale, short and agile, almost wearing nothing and their heads were hairless. When they turned around in his direction, Hao Ren saw their faces; their eyes were big as well as horrible.


    ¡°Those are the people that live in the engine room, maintaining the pressure pipes and bearing groups for generations. It is not known since when they stopped leaving the engine room. They¡¯ve been like this for many generations,¡± Wendell explained as if he was a tour guide. ¡°They used to be humans, but scholars think they are¡ª¡±


    ¡°They are still human,¡± Vivian cut in. ¡°You are all trapped in the same little box, there is no difference between you and them.¡±


    They kept descending for a while before Wendell broke the silence, ¡°We have arrived at the lower city.¡±

 Chapter 1128 - The Lower City

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The bottom of the elevator shaft was not a sealed space. The closer it got to the bottom, the wider the shaft became. Boulders, steel, and pipes, which made up the shaft wall gradually extended down into the buildings in the lower city. This was a transitional structure that had evolved over thousands of years.


    The lower city.


    At the deepest point of Twilight Capital was the foundation of the doomsday refuge. This place gave Hao Ren the impression that it was dim and messy.


    Many things still remained the same as they were two thousand years ago. Large stone buildings and cast-iron columns with runes were everywhere. Back then, humans were incapable of building such a magnificent megalithic city. The cities of Midgard were constructed with the help of the Norse gods. It was for this reason that these ancient buildings were strong enough to become the foundation of Twilight Capital.


    The old buildings were lined up next to each other. The lower city was like a vast and complex labyrinth. Buildings and platforms, of different ages, stacked up on top of each other. The city was as if having a massive rock sitting on its head, it felt depressing, and there was a fear that the entire city might crumble down.


    Hao Ren looked up. Twilight Capital was like a bloated nest with structure crisscrossing over its head all the way into the darkness. There were lights on the city structure, but none of these lights could dispel the depressing feeling brought by night. He tried his best to perceive and finally saw a white at the end of the dark abyss. He guessed it might be the light shone from the upper city, but soon he found that he was wrong: it was just a cloud. The city was stacked so high that clouds were floating among the buildings.


    Those who were natives of Twilight Capital would know that the area was where the condensing pipes of the large boiler located. There was another group of degenerated people who lived in that harsh environment. These people were known as Barnier people; the platform they lived rained all year around. The rainwater falling from the cloud near the condenser tubes contained some kind of slightly toxic substances, so the skin of the residents on the platform emitted a faint fluorescence.


    ¡°This place is more broken than imagined,¡± Vivian could not help but mutter after seeing at the place.


    ¡°This is the city of two thousand years old.¡± Wendell shook his head. ¡°The deeper you go, the older it gets. But thanks to the blessing of the ancient sage, these things are still solid and hold-ups. At least for now, the city will not collapse due to structural overload.¡±


    Hao Ren carefully observed the surroundings. At first, he thought there would at least be some public security forces here, but there was none. The battle that occurred on the upper city seemed not a concern down here. He felt this a little weird.


    No matter how dilapidated the old city was, it was still where the ancient sage lived. No matter how noisy Lily could cause on the upper city, not all city guards would leave their posts and go to the lift platform in the upper city. There must be at least some guards remained down here, Hao Ren thought to himself.


    Wendell felt the same. He watched with caution at the black stone houses around him. ¡°There should be a Twilight security squad stationed all year round here. They will not leave the post, no matter what happens.¡±


    In the dark alley, shadows were moving. Hao Ren saw a few ragged civilians hustled by. Two of them glanced into his direction, but there was no expression on their faces. Very quickly, they left.


    The entire lower city was so quiet that it was almost creepy.


    To figure out what happened, Hao Ren and Vivian followed Wendell to a Twilight Guard outpost, a standalone square building some hundred meters from the lift. It was located on higher ground with no obstruction all round. Usually, there were always two guards standing in front of the building, and the searchlight at the top of the building would remain bright and regularly sweeping around the entrance of the elevator. But now the outpost was utterly silent, no guards patrolling. Even the searchlight had been switched off.


    ¡°There are signs of life inside,¡± Vivian said, sniffling. ¡°The smell of blood, they are alive but being restrained, it seems.¡±


    Things became weirder. Hao Ren raised his guard and walked in front of the team. Yet nothing happened. Vivian followed him from behind, surrounded by a dark, bloody mist, while her bats were hidden in the clouds ready to attack.


    *Bang!*


    Hao Ren kicked the door open and stormed in with his spear in his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡±


    Six guards in Twilight Guard uniform sat stiffly on the chair. They tried to turn their eyes and watched the plasma spear in Hao Ren¡¯s hand, their eyes filled with horror and pleading, but they were unable to move even a finger. They had been restrained by a spell.


    A mysterious woman in linen robe stood across the table. Skin pale, thin, and wearing a strange headgear that looked like a thorn, the young woman said to Hao Ren. ¡°Hello, strange traveler, can I move?¡±


    Hao Ren replied, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I am the servant of the ancient sage.¡± The young woman¡¯s voice was very soft. It was unbelievable that she could restrain six burly guards alone. She looked at Wendell and smiled. ¡°This old gentleman probably knows us,¡± she said.


    ¡°You are a caregiver?¡± Wendell exclaimed. ¡°How can caregiver leave the sanctuary?¡±


    ¡°There is only one reason to defy the vows of the caregiver; that is it is the command of the ancient sage.¡± The young woman, known as the caregiver, continued to whisper, ¡°In the world above, you should be the only one who can hear the voice of the ancient sage. So you probably should have guessed why I am here.¡±


    She suddenly reminded Wendell of the voice he heard in his mind when he was still in the upper city.


    ¡°Are you here to pick us up?¡± Wendell appeared excited. ¡°How is the ancient sage?¡±


    ¡°This is not the right place to talk.¡± The young woman bowed slightly and then turned to walk towards the door. ¡°Please come with me, strange travelers.¡±


    The mysterious young woman brought them to leave the square and quickly turn into a hidden trail. As they moved in between the compound buildings, Hao Ren curiously asked Wendell, ¡°Who the hell is this woman?¡±


    He knew Wendell knew this woman who probably a reliable guide to the Lightseekers. But he was still unable to understand the organizations of Twilight Capital.


    Wendell glanced and nodded at the woman who led the way. ¡°She is one of the caregivers who are responsible for taking care of the ancient sage. They are the only people who are in contact with the ancient sage the whole time. We need to go through them before we can meet the ancient sage. It was just that I didn¡¯t expect the caregiver would come to fetch us as they have never left the sanctuary.¡±


    Vivian came up beside the woman. ¡°What is your name?¡±


    ¡°Angelica,¡± the young woman replied.


    ¡°Oh, Angelica. You seem like a Vanir bloodline.¡± Vivian looked at her curiously. ¡°Looks like the condition of the ancient sage is not very good.¡±


    ¡°You will know when you get there,¡± Angelica lowered her eyes, not answering her question directly. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you guys are and I don¡¯t know why you want to see the ancient sage. I am just following the order.¡±


    There was something that Hao Ren did not understand. ¡°Since the ancient sage wants to see us, why would the city guards stop us? You should have ordered the guards at the top to let us through. Now we still have our friends stuck up there.¡±


    Angelica suddenly halted. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the situation at the outpost? Do you still think we can command the Twilight Guards?¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly came to his realization.


    ¡°There used to be a lot of people who could hear the voice of the ancient sage. But now, only a small number of caregivers have this ability. Since 500 years ago, the ancient sage has rarely said a word.¡± Angelica¡¯s voice is very soft and almost emotionless. ¡°Under these circumstances, the Iron Throne has become a symbol: supreme, but unable to issue orders.¡±

 Chapter 1129 - The Ancient Sage

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Though Angelica did not really elaborate, Hao Ren could still guess the condition of the ancient sage.


    First of all, the ancient sage was not a human, no doubt about it. And he was still alive, but in bad shape.


    The ancient sage was the highest existence in Twilight Capital. Human beings living here regarded it as a god. During the early days of Twilight Capital, the ancient sage was still healthy and was indeed the supreme ruler of the city. But that situation did not remain for long. The ancient sage might have made some sacrifice when he established Twilight Capital. This sacrifice had drained his vitality and his ability to govern the city. According to Wendell, the ancient sage no longer had direct involvement in the governing affairs of the city 1,500 years ago and stopped contacting the outside world one thousand years ago. It was during that time that the Iron Throne was closed for the ordinary people.


    Five hundred years ago, the ancient sage began to gradually lose the ability to communicate.


    Today, he should have been unable to speak, move, and express himself. Ordinary people could not communicate with him at all. Only the caregivers, who inherited a mysterious ancient bloodline, could still use some kind of telepathic method listening to his voice. But such communication was kind of chaotic. In Angelica¡¯s words, it was like sleep talking.


    A king like this could not rule his kingdom. So after the closure of the Iron Throne, the ruling power was in the hand of the Steam Assembly, which did not disappoint in discharging their duty. Though conservative and stubborn, the Steam Assembly was diligent from top to bottom and able to keep the city alive until this day.


    For many years, the ancient sage was in a state of suspended animation, relying on a fragile mental connection to communicate with his caregivers, but he had never had any sign of real wakefulness. Today, his mental activity suddenly spiked. He instructed the caregiver, through spiritual communication, to bring the travelers from outside the Twilight Shroud to him.


    At that time, Hao Ren and his team were already in a fight with the Twilight Guards. In fact, it was this bluster that caught the attention of the ancient sage.


    The ancient sage did not fully wake up, but could only ¡°talk¡± to the caregiver. Though the caregivers were highly respected by people, they could not intervene in the governance of the city. They also had no time to contact the Steam Assembly and explain the situation to them. So after an urgent meeting, the caregivers were divided into two groups; one group went to the upper city to convey the will of the ancient sage, while another group had gone to meet Hao Ren and his team.


    ¡°You knew we were coming?¡± Hao Ren looked at Angelica with surprise. ¡°We had been keeping our plan secret.¡±


    ¡°We were just following orders. The ancient sage was watching you.¡± Angelica smiled and nodded to Wendell. ¡°Although I don¡¯t know why, this old gentleman has also heard the voice of the ancient sage, who saw you coming through his eyes.¡±


    Wendell confirmed this proudly. Hao Ren suddenly became curious about this old man: he was only an ordinary human, how was he getting in touch with the ancient sage who was living deep down at the bottom?


    They had walked past several blocks of building down the street. Hao Ren noticed that there were fewer buildings in the area, especially the small and medium-sized houses, and more of neatly built stone buildings. As they made another turn, the street before them opened up. A solemn stone building appeared before their eyes.


    This was a pyramid-shaped stone fortress, layered with black and gray slabs, though without decoration, it still exuded a kind of solemnness. A large square surrounding the fort might have been an important meeting place in Twilight Capital, but now it was empty and silent.


    At the top of the pyramid fortress, a pale gold light column broke through the darkness and shone into the stacked-up city.


    Hao Ren looked at this stone fortress, which looked familiar to him; it reminded him of the Golden Palace of Odin in the Garden of Asgard.


    ¡°This is the sanctuary of the Iron Throne,¡± Angelica said, pointing to a door at the bottom of the pyramidal building. ¡°The door is over there, please come with me.¡±


    The stone fortress was not as magnificent as imagined. In fact, as the residence of the ancient sage, the interior of this building was just too shabby in Hao Ren¡¯s opinion. The walls of the stone corridor were bare, the ground was paved with old stone slabs. No sculptures or murals along the way. The only decorations were the steam lamps embedded in the walls. These lamps were illuminating the sanctuary as bright as daylight.


    Along the way, Hao Ren also saw the other caregivers; men and women, dressed in the same way as Angelica, even their temperaments were similar: quiet, gentle, and almost no emotions. This peculiar commonality could be the result of living for years in the sanctuary.


    The caregivers already knew the arrival of the visitors. They nodded slightly when they met Hao Ren, some stood on the sidewalks and bowed as a sign of respect. But they said not a word. Only two young caregivers had a short conversation with Angelica.


    The caregiver brought them to a hexagonal hall.


    They finally met the mysterious ancient sage and saw for themselves the condition of him.


    The hall was full of pipes and cables. These bright lines extended out from the six stone steps around the arena and ran all way to the metal platform in the center of the hall. There was a large crystal on the platform. Inside the crystal was the Iron Throne and sitting on the black metal-cast throne was a thin, twisted old man.


    Without knowing beforehand, Hao Ren would have thought that the person was dead.


    The old man was as thin as a skeleton, and his skin was as gray as death. Under his skin was nothing but bones. Tubes were all over his body while a metal bracket held his head in place as cables from the Iron Throne underneath him were connected to his temples and the back of his head.


    Judging from the blindfold eye mask of the ancient sage, Hao Ren had already guessed his identity.


    When Vivian saw the ancient sage, she was not surprised at all. ¡°Odin, it¡¯s you.¡±


    ¡°So this is what it is all about,¡± Hao Ren said as the penny dropped. Who could accomplish this except him, Odin, the king of the gods, who went missing from the plains of Vigrid?


    Wendell was emotional. He did not even notice that Vivian had called the ancient sage by his name. The old man knelt down and kissed every slab on the floor. ¡°Oh, the sage! The Lightseekers have found a paradise. Light is still shining on the land of Asgard!¡±


    Odin, sitting on the Iron Throne, did not respond. He remained silent. It looks like he had really lost the ability to communicate. Hao Ren turned to look at Angelica. ¡°Has he been like this all this while?¡±


    ¡°He has been like this since the first I saw him.¡± Angelica nodded lightly.


    ¡°What should we do next?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Angelica. ¡°I was just following order to bring you here. The will of the ancient sage is unreadable.¡±


    Vivian suddenly spoke up. ¡°I know what to do. Hao Ren, give me your Gungnir.¡±


    Though Hao Ren did not know why she asked for the spear, he still took the Gungnir out from his dimensional pocket and handed it to Vivian. Vivian chanted a few words at the spear before placing it on the platform under the Iron Throne.


    Almost immediately, the crystal that contained Odin glowed.


    ¡°Actually, I was just trying. I didn¡¯t expect it would work,¡± Vivian explained. ¡°Asgardians have a high degree of spiritual power and a good understanding of the way of the soul. The strong among them would inject part of their soul and power into the article that would stay with them forever as a backup. The Gungnir was broken into three pieces, but the mechanism inside it is still running. So, I guess the sealed power is still inside,¡± she said.


    ¡°You mean he could recover?¡± Hao Ren was very optimistic.


    A weak and old voice was suddenly heard. ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t.¡±

 Chapter 1130 - Odin’s Memory

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    When an old and weak voice sounded, Angelica froze. She looked incredulously in the direction of the Iron Throne: she was no stranger to this voice, as it had appeared more than once in her mind. But this was the first time she had heard the ancient sage open his mouth!


    Even the caregiver, with years of training and a calm mind, could not help but feel excited. She was almost in tears. ¡°Ancient Sage, have you finally woken up?¡±


    ¡°Angelica, thank you for your care over the years, and thank you all,¡± Odin¡¯s voice echoed in the empty hall. His vocal organ was so damaged that he could only use the crystal as a medium to vibrate the air to produce sound. ¡°But now I have to say something to my old friend. You and the Lightseeker leave and inform those people to stop the unnecessary fight. These travelers from outside the shroud are our guests.¡±


    ¡°Master Borrenpalle is already on the way to the upper city,¡± Angelica said with her head lowered. ¡°This time he should be able to meet the head of the Steam Assembly.¡±


    ¡°No, that is not enough. Members of the Steam Assembly are all responsible men, they won¡¯t easily believe in Borrenpalle.¡±


    A glimmer of light emerged in the air. The light materialized into a small ball and drifted to Angelica. Odin had injected his spiritual power into the ball as a token. ¡°Send a few more people. Bring this. The Steam Assembly will believe you.¡±


    Apparently, though Odin had been silent for hundreds of years on the Iron Throne, his spirit was still active and keeping an eye to the situation in Twilight Capital. He also knew the Steam Assembly and the characters of short-lived human beings. To the human beings whose lifespan was only a few decades, the last time the ancient sage passed down his decree was several generations ago. So, the Steam Assembly may not have easily believed in the caregivers. That was why Odin had made such an elaborate arrangement.


    Angelica and Wendell left, leaving only Hao Ren and Vivian, as well as the dying god, in the hall of the Iron Throne.


    ¡°My old friend, it has been a long time,¡± Odin first said. ¡°It seems you are still healthy. The man with you¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, my name is Hao Ren,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°Vivian¡¯s friend.¡±


    ¡°Strange name. Where did you come from? Are the Nine Kingdoms reopened?¡±


    Obviously, Odin clearly knew that the Twilight of the Gods had ended and that there was no more life in the Nine Kingdoms, Hao Ren and Vivian must be from the outside world.


    Vivian felt that it was hard to explain everything at once. ¡°We have traveled a long way, and Yggdrasil has left the original location and traveled farther than you could think of.¡±


    Odin was silent for a moment. ¡°How is the world now?¡±


    This was a very vague question, but Vivian knew what Odin wanted to ask. She exhaled. ¡°The Mythological era is over, you have probably guessed it too. The Norse gods were the last one survived before they all died too. The rule of the gods has ended, and less than one-tenth has survived.¡±


    ¡°Oh, looks like it is the demon hunter who rules the world today.¡±


    Vivian shook her head. ¡°No, it is the human.¡±


    Odin¡¯s silence was longer this time. He did not ask a question but breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good, then.¡±


    Vivian was wide-eyed. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to say that. Didn¡¯t you look down on human?¡±


    ¡°It has been so long¡ªso long that it seems like a previous life.¡± Odin seemed to sigh again. ¡°I did. I used to look down on them, except you. Vivian Ancestor, many things that you said were right. The outsiders like us have ultimately failed to get a foothold in this world.¡±


    Vivian looked at the old man on the Iron Throne in amazement. Unlike what she used to remember, two thousand years seemed to have changed the proud ruler entirely. She could not help but think of Odin in the mythology: the cold, strict, and majestic God, who ruled the humans in the Nordic region and reserved his authority with an iron fist. Though he was gentler to human beings, he had never seen the indigenous race of Earth as intelligent creatures and treated them equally. He cast the army with human souls, built palaces with human enshrines, and ruled Midgard with harsh theocratic laws. But now when he heard that humankind was ruling the earth, he sighed: that was good.


    ¡°My old friend, you have changed a lot,¡± Vivian could not help but say. ¡°In fact, I couldn¡¯t believe that you are the ancient sage of Twilight Capital though I have guessed it. You have been sitting here to shelter humanity for 2,000 thousand years. What changed your mind?¡±


    ¡°It is the human¡¯s own efforts,¡± Odin said slowly. ¡°Have you seen the city, those huge machines, boilers, steam powers, and runes?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I have seen it.¡± Vivian nodded. ¡°Is that what you taught them?¡±


    ¡°Only the runes. They discovered the steam power from the legacy of the giants.¡± Odin said. ¡°It is hard to believe, isn¡¯t it? I used to think they were a low life form, but they were talented.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s brows knit together. ¡°What happened last time?¡±


    This time, Odin was silent for a long moment, as if he needed time to recall the devastating war in her memory. He finally said, ¡°When the world ended, everything was destroyed. When I broke through the belly of Fenrir, I saw only burning sky and scorched earth. I looked in the direction of the Garden of Asgard but found that the wall of the city had collapsed. So I knew my kingdom had fallen. Then many triangular black vessels descended from the sky that had been torn apart; demon hunters began to enter Asgard and killed everyone. I had no choice but fled.


    ¡°I went through one kingdom after another. All I could see was scorched earth. I was seriously injured but dared not to stop. Finally, I came to Midgard, which was also being destroyed. But here, the situation was slightly better than elsewhere: a branch of Yggdrasil surrounded the atrium, and vines were blocking the magic storm from Asgard, so several cities in the hinterland of Midgard survived. I decided to stay there to recuperate.


    ¡°At first, I didn¡¯t think about sheltering the human beings there. I didn¡¯t even think that I would sit on this Iron Throne for two thousand years. I was just glad that I finally found a place where I could recuperate and have many servants. Though human beings are fragile and ignorant, they are easier to control. That was what I thought at that moment. My old friend, you should know that many people had the same mind as mine at the time.¡±


    Odin did not have much emotion when he recalled the past, but his low and weak voice was depressing. Vivian gently nodded. ¡°Anyway, you have become their ancient sage.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, a lot of things happened,¡± Odin said with a chuckle. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know what changed me? It is everything here that changes me. My kingdom has collapsed, my people have died, the allies and righteous sons I have once trusted are the masterminds of the Twilight of the Gods, and the power I have always been proud of has failed. The glorious Asgard and Vanir have thus ended. The last ones who survived were the mortals in Midgard whom I used to disdain. To kill time, I taught them runes. They mastered the runes as skillfully as I was in just a short dozen years. I gave them some giant relics, and they figured out steam power from the scrap metals. When the whole world was burned to ashes, they relied on the foundations of just a few cities and built Twilight Capital. It is now even more magnificent than the Garden of Asgard. They have not given up even until this day. My old friend, you know why I have changed my perception of these mortals? It¡¯s because I suddenly realized one thing¡­¡±


    Odin paused for a few seconds and sighed, ¡°They are not lowlifes. They are the masters of the world. Their weakness is not because they are born weak. Once we, the self-proclaimed gods, vanished, these humans became very powerful.¡±


    Vivian sighed. ¡°This world is theirs, after all.¡±

 Chapter 1131 - The Truth of the Twilight Shroud

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren soon received news from Galazur and Anthony Alfonso; the messengers of Odin had successfully delivered his message. Though the Twilight Guards and the wizards were confused, they had stopped fighting under the direct command of the Steam Assembly. Now both sides on the upper city were in an awkward situation. Although the dragon queen and the rest were very restrained during the fight, many Twilight Guards were still wounded. It would probably take a while before the Steam Assembly could clean up the mess.


    Anyway, they did not have to worry about the situation in the upper city anymore.


    ¡°In the past 2,000 years, I have thought about a lot of things,¡± Odin said. After telling about Twilight Capital, he could not help but sigh again. ¡°We are outsiders. In fact, I knew from the beginning that we the otherworldlings that possessed powerful technology were apparently not the natives of this world. We were just poor refugees who had been displaced here for some reason. But we inflated ourselves because there was a group of native people in the world who were equally intelligent but far weaker than us. This made us feel that we were the rulers of the world. We occupied the land that was not our own, but we lacked the foundation: population, history, culture, technological system, except those few legacies we brought from our home world we practically had nothing. But even so, we could still dominate the world and fool everyone.


    ¡°Human was ignorance, so we thought they were born so. Humans were weak, so we thought they would always be weak. The human did not understand runes and technology, so we thought they did not deserve and have the wisdom to learn. But they built Twilight Capital in a way that I couldn¡¯t have ever imagined. My old friends, you are right, the world is theirs, after all.¡±


    ¡°In fact, humans are even more powerful than you think if not trapped in this ruin.¡± Vivian smiled and shook her head. ¡°Do you know how the earth looks like now? Humans can fly in the sky, go to the moon, dive into the ocean, and roam the land everywhere they like. They are everywhere. The cities they have built are way more magnificent than any kingdom of the gods in the Mythological era. The change is too big. I don¡¯t even know where to begin to tell you.¡±


    ¡°Then, don¡¯t say it.¡± Odin¡¯s voice sounded relieved. ¡°Anyway, my time has passed. I am pleased to see you again, and you look not bad. At least I can take the comfort that some of the otherworldlings have survived in today¡¯s world. In fact, I have one request for you.¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly said, ¡°Helping Twilight Capital?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Odin said slowly. ¡°I was thinking about giving up completely, but your sudden appearance has brought some hope. Since you have a way to come in from the outside world, you must have a way to bring the people out. I don¡¯t know if you have noticed it; the city has actually come to an end. Though humans have been extending the life of the city as long as possible and developing many amazing technologies under the shroud, everything is inevitably coming to an end.¡±


    In fact, even without asking, Hao Ren would find a way to bring the millions of people in the city out. But Hao Ren still could not help himself. ¡°What is the problem?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Odin said softly. ¡°I am dying.¡±


    Though this was expected, Hao Ren and Vivian became silent when they heard this.


    Hao Ren looked up at the dome of the hall of the Iron Throne. The vault was not completely sealed, there was a large circular opening through which one could see the scenery outside. A series of crisscrossing steel beams and city buildings stacked on top of each other, making the entire Twilight Capital as if a bloated nest. In the deepest part of the nest, Odin was like a cornerstone, upon which the city was built upon and resting on his shoulder.


    Though Hao Ren had not figured out how the Twilight Shroud worked, it was no doubt that the shroud was built and dependent on him entirely.


    Hao Ren looked at Odin again. Sealed in a crystal, weak and decaying, he was the one person who could maintain the Twilight Shroud.


    ¡°Maybe you don¡¯t have to die,¡± Hao Ren said after exchanging opinions with the MDT. ¡°I have a way to make you healthy again. But before that, I have to ask you something. We have a mission here. We are looking for an ancient spaceship that once belonged to the wisdom giant Mimir. The spaceship should be quite massive. It sank into the Spring of Wisdom. But it is said that it could have followed the roots of Yggdrasil and moved between the Nine Worlds. So we are unable to locate its whereabouts.¡±


    Besides him, Vivian added, ¡°If you can help us find that thing, we can transfer the entire Twilight Capital out of here.¡±


    A few seconds later, Odin spoke in a hesitant tone of voice, ¡°Is the spaceship you¡¯re looking for, black?¡±


    Hao Ren was shocked. ¡°You know where it is?¡±


    Odin paused and suddenly broke out in laughter. His voice was low, but it became louder and louder. He could not help himself. ¡°Hahaha¡­ it is fate. The three sisters of Nolan always talked about fate, but they did not foresee this coincidence.¡±


    Hao Ren grabbed Vivian¡¯s arm. ¡°Will the old man pass out just like this?¡±


    Vivian¡¯s brows pulled together. ¡°No, he won¡¯t. He had already passed out 2,000 years ago.¡±


    Odin suddenly raised his voice. ¡°Do you know what the Twilight Shroud is?¡±


    Hao Ren was startled. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Odin¡¯s voice was heard from all directions. ¡°The spaceship you are looking for is right here.¡±


    As his voice trailed off, a series of grinding sound was heard from the ground below them.


    Hao Ren was horrified to find that the ground in the hall of Iron Throne was covered with a transparent layer. Everything including the throne and the cables were actually sitting on it. He knew because he now saw the slates were moving under his feet and retreating.


    The grinding became louder and louder as the entire ground moved. The heavy slates disassembled themselves and dispersed quickly one by one into the base of the walls. Hao Ren began to see the secret hidden in the deepest part of Twilight Capital.


    Inside a large cave glowing in a faint red light lay a massive spaceship.


    Most parts of the spaceship were hidden in the darkness. It was hard to gauge its size and shape, but one thing was sure, it was a behemoth and not wholly silent. Lights were blinking on the part of its armor plates, and two light strips extended out from the depths of the darkness. Though the light was faint, it was enough to show that the central power system of the spaceship was still running.


    And Odin¡¯s Iron Throne was actually built on top of a raised structure and connected with the spaceship.


    ¡°The Twilight Shroud was the shield of this spaceship.¡± Odin¡¯s voice knocked Hao Ren out of his thought. ¡°Though at first, I didn¡¯t know what it was, I later found out that the vines of Yggdrasil brought it to Midgard, and that it had powerful energy. Twilight Capital was not yet formed at that time. The few cities that barely survived were relying on a large number of runic shrouds to block off the threats from the outside world. So I thought this powerful source of energy could make a good defense system.¡±


    ¡°Unbelievable!¡± Hao Ren¡¯s thought was precisely like what Odin said. Fate had a funny way to say hi to you; his decision to come here was right. Had he sidestepped Twilight Capital and looked for Mimir¡¯s spaceship elsewhere, he would have made a costly mistake!


    But then again, he did have some foresight. Before coming here, he had vaguely felt that he might find some clues about the spaceship in Twilight Capital. After all, a city surviving the Twilight of the Gods must have a powerful force¡ªa force that was unlikely to come from the humans. In his mind, he vaguely sensed that Twilight Capital could have something to do with Twilight Capital.


    But seeing was believing. Hao Ren could not help but still be surprised.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t open this thing though I have fiddled with it for a long time. But I could activate its shield from the outside and expand it to cover the entire city,¡± Odin sounded proud. ¡°But the shroud needs the power to stay online. So I sit here, day after day, year after year, to make sure the Twilight Shroud stays up.¡±

 Chapter 1132 - The Backup Plan of the Backup Plan

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Odin was now so weak that he was dying. Not only because of the Twilight of the Gods but also because he was sitting on the Iron Throne for 23 centuries, not recuperating but draining his energy to power the shroud.


    The spaceship shield was powered by its reactor. But since the control system was offline and Odin was unable to take over the control, he needed to use his own strength to power the shield to control the defense system. This additional energy need was taking a toll on him.


    Even Odin himself had never thought that he would one day sit on such a throne and pay with his life to shelter those weaklings and ignorant humans.


    ¡°Maintaining the shield is a challenging task,¡± Odin¡¯s voice echoed in the hall while his body was still sealed in the crystal. Under the illumination of the energy light, a shimmer shrouded him. ¡°But I think I should do something. Humans have worshiped the gods for thousands of years, even during the Twilight of the Gods they were still loyal. But the gods they worshiped were no nobler than them. The sense of responsibility made me sit here and helped me resist the idea of giving up.¡±


    ¡°I have seen real gods,¡± Vivian said. ¡°Gods who truly manage the world. You guys are no gods, not even close. But to be honest, you are doing something a god should do during your last moment.¡±


    ¡°The reason I¡¯m here is that of this spaceship.¡± Hao Ren looked at the giant shadow under the Iron Throne. ¡°But now it seems that I have to resettle Twilight Capital before I can take the spaceship. Dang, we need to have an internal meeting now.¡±


    Hao Ren had a few vague ideas in mind. But they were far from being mature plans. He felt he needed to the help of his two seniors, Galazur and Anthony Alfonso, who had been inspectors for thousands of years. Perhaps they could provide some valuable input.


    Just then, a commotion came from outside the hall.


    ¡°Your friends are here,¡± Odin said.


    After a while, the main entrance of the hall was pushed open from the outside. The caregiver Angelica and the Lightseeker Wendell came in, and behind them came a large group of people, the big bald head of Y¡¯zaks was the most prominent. Lily rushed up to Hao Ren and circled him as soon as she stepped in the door. ¡°Mr. Landlord, Mr. Landlord, Mr. Landlord¡­¡±


    Hao Ren took out a bone from his pocket and stuffed it into her mouth. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you hit your head with a coconut?¡±


    ¡°The fight was too exciting just now, the adrenaline hasn¡¯t gone away,¡± Y¡¯zaks said, laughing with his arms crossed. ¡°Things have been settled up there. It was said that some messengers had gone to the Steam Assembly. I had no idea what they were doing there, but since no one had stopped us, Galazur brought us down here.¡±


    By now, Lily had circled Hao Ren for almost thirty laps and finally quieted down. Looking down curiously at the colossal hollow under the transparent ground while gnawing the bone, she asked, ¡°What is that?¡±


    Galazur came before the Iron Throne. ¡°Is this the ancient sage of Twilight Capital?¡±


    Hao Ren smiled and said, ¡°Let me explain.¡±


    The explanation was not very lengthy. When everyone finally learned the secrets of Twilight Capital, they could not help but be amazed at the truth, and genuinely shocked by the feat Odin had pulled off. Galazur and Anthony Alfonso checked around the Iron Throne; Anthony Alfonso began to lay a simple magic circle next to the throne. What he did was dazzling, and in the blink of an eye, a flashing circle of light emerged in the air, while dozens of light streams were connected to the pipes and cables around the throne.


    Odin looked on, eyes were out on stalks. Well, in fact, he did not have any expression at all, it was just a more visual way to describe him. Looking at what Anthony Alfonso was doing, Odin knew this the purpose Vivian brought them here; she needed their help. But he did not understand what Anthony Alfonso was doing. ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°Giving you a virtual machine,¡± the old magician said as he dusted his body. ¡°Do you feel better now?¡±


    Odin had never seen anything like that, but he realized that the magic circle had miraculously taken over the connection between the Iron Throne and the Twilight Shroud, the exhaustion and piercing sensation of his soul began to subside for the first time in 23 centuries. The torture had lasted for so long that Odin had fully adapted to it. When it suddenly disappeared, Odin¡¯s tormented nerves did not even respond at all.


    ¡°What have you done?¡± The king of the Norse gods of the past was surprised as if he was seeing the magic for the first time. ¡°The energy of the Twilight Shroud is so terribly powerful. How could such a simple set of symbols, which doesn¡¯t even consist of physical runes, divert the energy?¡±


    ¡°This energy is terrible, but the buff that our boss gave to me when she was drunk is much more terrible than this.¡± Anthony proudly stroke his beard. ¡°When the energy is diverted, your body and soul will stop deteriorating. But your body will remain as it is. So we will use special medical equipment to restore your health. But you can leave your throne now.¡±


    Odin was struck dumb.


    Anthony stroke his beard again. ¡°I say you can leave the throne.¡±


    ¡°I think¡­¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t worry,¡± Anthony Alfonso said, his smile was confident. Though the old magician was quirky, he still had the temperament of a great sage. ¡°I guarantee that after you leave the throne, the Twilight Shroud could still run stable. Do you have something to say?¡±


    Odin was silent for a few seconds and finally said, ¡°Come and bring me down.¡±


    Everyone was dumbfounded.


    Hao Ren smacked on his face and said, ¡°That was why I felt something was not quite right.¡±


    Galazur took a closer look at Odin and waved his hand at Anthony Alfonso. ¡°Perhaps we shouldn¡¯t rush to get him out. I have found that his body has grown together with the tubes and the throne. But you may cut off the connection between him and the Twilight Shroud while waiting for the dedicated instrument to arrive.¡±


    ¡°In that case, you will have to stay on the throne for a little longer.¡± Hao Ren nodded to Odin and then turned to others. ¡°Let¡¯s discuss Twilight Capital. The problem of Twilight Capital is that the Twilight Shroud is dependent on the spaceship for power. For safety¡¯s sake, I suggest we should first solve the safety issue of Twilight Capital.¡±


    ¡°I have two suggestions,¡± Galazur said quickly. ¡°The first one is to evacuate everyone in Twilight Capital. At present, Yggdrasil is in the Chattar Civilization Sphere. Anthony Alfonso should be able to evacuate a few million people at once. But then, it means abandoning the city. To be honest, it would be a shame to let the magic storm to destroy this precious specimen of an unnaturally developed civilization. Second, we build another layer of shield outside the Twilight Shroud, and then we can begin to explore the ancient spaceship without having to worry that the Twilight Shroud may fail. But there is a disadvantage to this method: building a city-scaled shield required a lot of work.¡±


    Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°There is a more important problem: Yggdrasil. We must not irritate him. Otherwise, this ancient creature may awaken at any moment. And once it wakes up, we don¡¯t know what is going to happen.¡±


    Anthony Alfonso spread out his hand. ¡°Whether it is a mass evacuation or building another shield, there is always a risk of waking up Yggdrasil. The key question is how stable the First Born is. Without a clear quantitative indicator, how do we know what is the safe threshold?¡±


    The three inspectors discussed among themselves, each took out their MDTs to do some number crunching and simulations. At this time, Odin suddenly said, ¡°Did you just mention Yggdrasil?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the World Tree,¡± Hao Ren replied without looking up. ¡°In fact, that is not his right name. His scientific name is First Born or the First Born of God. It is a powerful ancient creature. It might be sleeping now, but I have sufficient evidence to show that it is mentally unstable.¡±


    Odin thought for a moment. ¡°I have a suggestion, do you want to listen?¡±

 Chapter 1133 - The Decay of Yggdrasil

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    When Heimdallr was killed, the Bifr?st link between the Nine Worlds was solidified into a chain. At the top of the chain was Asgard, and the Midgard space was located at the seventh place in the space chain. The other two, ranked eighth and ninth in the space chain, had a terrible reputation. They sounded depressing: Niebelungen, the world of death, and Niflheim.


    ¡°In fact, Niebelungen and Niflheim can be regarded as one,¡± Vivian said while standing on the broken steps of Bifr?st, looking at the pale purple cloudy sky in the distance and the decomposed and cracked earth beneath her feet. ¡°Even if Heimdallr died and the Bifr?st system was disrupted and rearranged, the two spaces would always be connected because several of Yggdrasil¡¯s most important branches undergo differentiation in these two spaces. According to the information we have now, this should be the location of the brain nucleus and important nerve ganglia of the Firstborn. The Firstborn¡¯s powerful mental power substantially merged the two spaces, causing parts of the Niebelungen and Niflheim to coincide directly across the dimensional door. There is a zone known as the ¡®Fog Gate¡¯ at the border between the two worlds. It¡¯s all dense fog. That¡¯s where the two worlds overlap.¡±


    A bright flash of lightning pierced the sky, but strangely, the terrifying lightning made no sound at all. It left a sharp crack in the sky and eventually broke into hundreds of lilac light streams and fell to the end of the horizon. The whole Niebelungen was dead as if the air here had died, too.


    ¡°It used to be Hela¡¯s territory. She was a powerful necromancer. It is said that the deceased will first fall into the world of death and become residents of the world of death. As their souls dissipate, they will become lone souls wandering in Niebelungen, and gradually approach the ¡®Fog Gate¡¯. Once they enter the fog, the deceased will be completely lost their memory of life, and irreversibly absorbed by Niflheim into dark elements, and eventually became the energy source of Hela¡¯s palace. But Hela is not the only ruler of Niebelungen and Niflheim. Another powerful creature occupies half of them¡­¡±


    ¡°Nidhogg, the black dragon.¡± Hao Ren nodded and looked to the far end of the broken earth, where a crater was vaguely visible.


    They were now in Niebelungen, the world of death, and the direction they were looking at was the boundary line of Niflheim.


    It has also been destroyed by the magic storm. The muddy lilac sky was filled with deadly toxic gases and radioactive dust. Toxic sludge and disgusting boiling springs could be seen everywhere on the rotten and curled land. All the mountains were bare and all the rivers had been steamed dry. But compared with several other spaces, Niebelungen was even worse: it was not a good place even before the Twilight of the Gods.


    It used to be the research center for the study of necromancy and biochemical base of Aesir gods and the place where Hela created viral weapons and the necromancer legion.


    The Twilight of the Gods only magnifies the degree of decaying in this evil land.


    ¡°Nidhogg keeps gnawing at the roots of Yggdrasil, and eventually leading to the total decay of the tree, the branches that support the Nine Worlds withered and broke, causing all the worlds to collapse¡­¡± Hao Ren whispered while walking down the Bifr?st along the vines of Yggdrasil and stepping on the severely decayed dark land, ¡°Nidhogg finally falls on the border mountain of Niebelungen, which is its original nest, where it constantly gnaws at the root of Yggdrasil. The source of decay is here¡­ Theoretically, the key to tackling the decay is here, too.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet was trying to keep up with them, jumping forward and shouting, ¡°Uncle Ren, do you really think that the old man who was locked up in the crystal for 2,000 years didn¡¯t have hallucinations or anything?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better to believe it. And I think Odin seems perfectly sane. He won¡¯t have any hallucination.¡± Hao Ren then turned his head and looked at the little demon girl and asked, ¡°So how long are you going to hold that leg?¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet carried a mechanical spider leg several times larger than herself on her shoulder, and though she was staggering, her face turned red with joy. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m going to carry it back! It¡¯s gonna take me some time to take it apart.¡±


    That¡¯s right. That¡¯s the mechanical arm removed from the spider made by Steam6. Y¡¯lisabet disassembled the whole thing with a screwdriver and a pair of pliers, and the little girl carried it all the way here!


    ¡°Well, if I let you keep it in my dimensional pocket¡­¡± suggested Hao Ren.


    Y¡¯lisabet almost jumped up at once, and the small horns on her forehead burst with squeaky sparks. ¡°No! Uncle Ren, let me carry it for a while, just for a while, I want to lick it¡­¡±


    Everybody was speechless.


    ¡°Man, keep an eye on your daughter. She dares lick it. Look at the engine oil in her mouth,¡± Vivian said while covering her head and shaking her head. Then she released a little bat and said, ¡°I¡¯ve found six larger tentacles. The mutation is as serious as Odin described.¡±


    Hao Ren smacked his lips and found it incredible. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that Yggdrasil is actually rotting¡­¡±


    He remembered the suggestion Odin had given to them before they left and the great amount of important information he had provided at the same time.


    Odin said, ¡°¡­ If you want to save this place fundamentally, maybe you can go and see what happened to Yggdrasil. Although I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on there, the decay of the tree is full of suspicions¡­


    ¡°I once heard a voice in a few unusual dreams. The voice had a frightening power, but it was struggling painfully. I believe that the source of the voice is Yggdrasil because I see huge, continuous vines running through all worlds in some messy dreams. The vines curled in pain together, with a heart that was constantly dyed black wrapped in the middle of it.


    ¡°The decay of Yggdrasil seems inconceivable to me. I know that in the legend of the human world, it¡¯s Nidhogg that caused the tree to wither and die, but I know that the black dragon could not pollute the tree at all. Yggdrasil is a powerful tree far beyond our imagination. It cannot be destroyed, at least not by ordinary creatures. That¡¯s right. I knew that before you came here. I still have this level of exploration in mind¡­


    ¡°I confirm the authenticity of those dreams. I am an Aesir. We have a deep understanding of our spiritual world. Especially in dreams, we can¡¯t go wrong. A powerful creature intruded into my dreams with its spiritual power ¨C not actively, of course, but the mental disturbance it produced in its struggle interfered with my thinking, but anyway, I believe it was Yggdrasil.¡±


    That¡¯s all the information Odin provided. Although ambiguous, the amount of information contained in it was astonishing, and eventually prompted them to go to Niebelungen to explore it: according to information recorded by the Aesirian, the decay began here.


    As Odin said before, theoretically, Yggdrasil would not decay, and this was also Hao Ren¡¯s view. Although the myth was that Nidhogg gnawed the roots of the tree, leading it to decay, according to Hao Ren¡¯s understanding of the Firstborn, this process should be reversed: the powerful Firstborn unconsciously leaked its dream and attracted Nidhogg, Nidhogg was exposed to the body fluids of the Firstborn in a state of confusion, and then was contaminated and gone mad. Throughout the process, there was no ¡®decay infection¡¯ in Yggdrasil. This could also be confirmed by their previous observations of the Firstborn¡¯s tentacles in Asgard: the tentacles along the Asgard border appeared healthy and robust, showing no signs of decay.


    But Odin said there was evidence that Yggdrasil was indeed suffering from the decay, which was beyond Hao Ren¡¯s expectation.


    When something goes wrong, there must be a demon. Hao Ren thought of the strange state of Yggdrasil that Ymir said before.


    And if Yggdrasil did have the next series of weird actions because of the mutation, then Hao Ren had a third option:


    Investigate the cause of the mutation, try to treat the Firstborn, and finally, use his strength.


    The magic radiation trapped in Midgard was an irresistible natural disaster for the ordinary race and great trouble for Hao Ren and the team ¨C not that their power could not fight the radiation, but that it took professional equipment and team to clear it, and it took a relatively long time. But if they could wake the Firstborn up and get its helped, this kind of radiation may easily be eliminated: the great body of the Firstborn that ran through the Nine Worlds was the best purification tool, and his one breath may change the atmospheric structure of all spaces.


    Even if the plan was unsuccessful, it was still necessary to treat the Firstborn: if they can keep the Firstborn from going mad, then they can move the Twilight Capital or build a second later of Twilight Shroud freely.

 Chapter 1134 - The Place Where Nidhogg Fell

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The exploration team led by Hao Ren trudged on the scorched soil of Niebelungen, and along the way, they found a lot of bottomless chasms. The smallest of those terrible chasms were about hundreds of meters wide, and the deepest ones ran directly through the continent. Vivian threw a small bat into one of them, and 10 minutes later, she threw up. The little bat flew directly over the land of Niebelungen and crashed into the ¡°back of the earth¡± with disordered gravity and horrifying landscapes.


    Hao Ren had seen distorted rifts all over the earth in other spaces, but to be honest, the rifts in Niebelungen were different from those in other spaces.


    The team stopped by a rather large rift and began to detect it. The widest part of the rift was about several kilometers, and its total length was up to 30 km. Its curve was like an ugly scar engraved on the ground. Deep in the fissure, they could vaguely see some huge, pillar-like cylindrical objects intertwined between the cliffs. Those entangled things shrouded in a toxic fog, and it was all hazy looking from above. Although Hao Ren could not see the details clearly, he knew that those were the vines of the First Born, Yggdrasil.


    Galazur threw two probes down the rift. A moment later, they got the data. The dragon queen pointed at her MDT and said, ¡°The geological data here is clearer, just as we speculated.¡±


    Anthony took a closer look, nodded slightly, and said, ¡°The earth was torn not by the explosion, but by the vines. The vines below have shown signs of very serious decay. There are a lot of friction marks and voids between them and the surrounding stone walls. This is evidence of the violent twisting and tearing of the rock layers by the vines. I guess that¡¯s because of the intense pain.¡±


    Hao Ren frowned and said, ¡°Clear and accurate evidence of decay, but to be honest, there is a doubtful point in it.¡±


    The other two immediately cast doubtful eyes at him.


    ¡°The vines found in other worlds are quiet, or we can say that, there is no sign of intense struggle around them,¡± Hao Ren explained, ¡°but all the vines belong to the same creature. How can the vines in other areas remain motionless when such a serious mutation occurs in another place?¡±


    Lily touched her chin, thought carefully and said, ¡°It sounds like paralysis¡­ Does the First Born have cerebral thrombosis?¡±


    The MDT jumped out of nowhere and yelled, ¡°I can have cerebral thrombosis, why can¡¯t the First Born?¡±


    Hao Ren hurried to pull down the distracting MDT. Galazur looked at him with concern and asked, ¡°Seriously though, you really don¡¯t want to send it back for repair? It¡¯s still under warranty anyway.¡±


    ¡°If I sent it back, I have to get permission from my boss. Although it¡¯s garrulous, it¡¯s still quite useful. What if it gets worse after repairing? Forget it, let¡¯s go on. The crater in front is where Nidhogg fell. Put all the data in order. Let¡¯s go and see what¡¯s there,¡± said Hao Ren.


    Y¡¯lisabet was dancing behind Vivian. The little girl was curious and asked, ¡°What does Nidhogg look like?¡±


    Vivian turned her head, glanced at Galazur and then asked, ¡°Have you seen Aunt Dragon¡¯s transformation?¡±


    The little girl nodded her head vigorously. When she and her father were making a scene together on the upper platform, she saw the magnificent dragon crossing the sky. She remembered it vividly.


    ¡°Imagine Galazur turns into a dragon and falls into a sauce vat. That¡¯s what Nidhogg looks like¡­¡± Vivian explained.


    Galazur, ¡°¡­¡±


    No matter how insignificant the topics they had along the way, they did not delay the important work. Along the way, they collected energy readings from all the fissures in the earth and analyzed biological samples of more than a dozen vines spreading from them. With information from bats and probes flying everywhere, Hao Ren was able to sketch out a map of the contaminated and decayed area of Yggdrasil. Based on this area map, he could roughly calculate the boundary between the diseased vines and the normal vines and their distribution. The MDT uploaded the data to the analysis host on the Petrachelys, then transmitted a copy of the data to the Crapple Research Station via the spacecraft¡¯s antennae.


    Containers No.1 and No.2 of the research station immediately started a temporary thread and started checking the two First Born samples in the container to find out the possible internal causes of the decay.


    At the same time, they arrived in front of the towering crater.


    Hao Ren stood at the top of the crater, looked down, and saw a rather frightening sight.


    The entire crater was like festering, perforated gangrene. The rocks and land in the crater had largely been corroded by highly toxic substances and the body fluids of the First Born, creating a bottomless deep pit. Countless huge, black-red glossy, semi-plant and semi-creature vines were entangled in this abyss, creating a complex situation. And at the center of the crater, a small hill was formed by a ball of finer vines. A hideous, twisted, huge skeleton was wrapped in the vines.


    Nidhogg the Black Dragon, who withdrew from the battlefield of the Twilight of the Gods, fell at the end of the Earth, and finally died in the lair of Niebelungen. The First Born¡¯s vines sucked up the once-powerful dragon and turned its bones into a terrible collection wrapped in vines.


    ¡°The activity of biological tissue here is higher than that of other regions, to a somewhat abnormal level¡­¡± Anthony took the Data Terminal to illuminate the bottom of the crater, slightly frowned and said, ¡°Strange¡­ Didn¡¯t that Ymir say that he had calmed Yggdrasil down? Why do the vines here look completely active?¡±


    ¡°And so are the signs of infection and decay.¡± Hao Ren half squatted down to observe the weird vines below. The vines found in other worlds had a healthy luster with runes gleaming on the surface, but the vines in the crater were quite different in form from them. They looked more like turning into a different kind of biological tissue. ¡°The vines of Niebelungen seem to be completely isolated from the vines elsewhere. It¡¯s like a world of its own.¡±


    ¡°Is there a risk of ¡®suddenly waking them up¡¯?¡± Vivian looked at Anthony and asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s definitely a risk, but it should be okay as long as we¡¯re careful,¡± Anthony nodded and said, ¡°and the activity is still below the alert level.¡±


    ¡°Everyone should be vigilant.¡± Hao Ren straightened his clothes and went down first. ¡°When you see any active vines, you should report them first. Don¡¯t rush to stimulate them.¡±


    The terrain inside the crater was rugged and difficult to walk. They could not find a flat and open place to rest. The corroded earth was covered with potholes, and there was gas gushing out from time to time. Even Galazur and Anthony felt that the First Born was an extremely terrible and dangerous creature. They raised their guard and walked next to Hao Ren. Anthony was surrounded by magic runes of protection and warning. Galazur¡¯s pupils had turned vertical, ready to transform.


    At the back of the line, Nangong Wuyue created a mist enchantment to protect everyone. Although everyone had shields and a variety of defensive spells to protect them, the siren¡¯s mist enchantment was still the best second protection in this case.


    They came to the bones of Nidhogg.


    ¡°There are serious signs of corrosion,¡± Y¡¯zaks said while moving his hand between the vines, easily breaking off a piece of dark bone. ¡°Such a large dragon¡­ It can basically dominate the whole vesicle space in my hometown.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate to encounter such a creature. It can pierce through the nine worlds with just one tentacle,¡± said Hao Ren.


    Lily looked up at the giant dragon skeleton, which was so huge that it almost covered the sky. ¡°What a waste! If it weren¡¯t poisonous, I could chew on it into the next century.¡±


    Everybody was at a lost for words.


    Hao Ren looked around carefully and found a very wide crack beneath Nidhogg¡¯s skull. There was a faint red light under the crack, and he took out a probe and threw it down.


    A moment later, Hao Ren got the picture from the probe. As he expected, it was not an ordinary fissure. There was a biological ventricle down there.


    Judging from the biological tissue around the ventricle, it looked like the nucleus of the First Born¡¯s brain.


    And the decay began with the brain tissues.

 Chapter 1135 - The Brain Nucleus Cavity

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Unlike the version in the mythology, Nidhogg actually went mad in the process of gnawing the root of Yggdrasil. After that, the black dragon turned into a monster that only knew destruction and killing. What it bit was one of the First Born¡¯s nerves, not anywhere else.


    Its lair was located just above the nodes of part of the brain tissue of the First Born. This unfortunate fellow. It chose to build its lair on a super powerful mental energy transmitter, which doomed it from the very beginning to a painful end. Even if Nidhogg did not touch the vines and blood that spread from the underground, it would sooner or later become mad in dreams by listening to the whispers of the First Born.


    Hao Ren left Anthony, Y¡¯zaks, and Y¡¯lisabet on the ground to stand by, and then led others into the vast cavern beneath Nidhogg¡¯s body.


    It was not the first time he had been in close contact with the internal organs of the First Born, so the strange and oppressive environment did not give him the discomfort that was as strong as it had been. As he walked in the cavern, he was able to calm down and explained his research on this super-demigod to Galazur while observing the surroundings.


    ¡°The large tentacles of the First Born can sometimes go up to several kilometers wide, but small tentacles such as nerve bundles may only be a few meters in diameter or even smaller. I guess this cavern leads directly to the brain tissue, so all of them are nerves,¡± Hao Ren said, pointing to the winding vines or tentacles on the walls, and at the same time, paying attention to the ground under his feet. ¡°The nerve conduction of the First Born is very strange. It doesn¡¯t fully follow the laws of the universe. Some of his nerve conduction is even faster than the speed of light. A nerve impulse can be sent to all the ends of the tentacles in an instant.¡±


    Galazur nodded slightly and said, ¡°Because it¡¯s huge.¡±


    ¡°Yes, quite huge. A mature First Born can coexist with the planet. It can drill through the entire planet¡¯s mantle and crust and immerse its core in the planet¡¯s core to absorb nutrients. Such a huge body can¡¯t think without superluminal neural activity,¡± Hao Ren said and shrugged. ¡°But I would also like to say that, conventional First Borns cannot make hyperspace jumps with huge mass objects. Their mission is to maintain ecosystems. Yggdrasil is a rather strange individual.¡±


    ¡°Look around carefully,¡± Vivian warned loudly. She had smelled the blood rushing and felt the danger. ¡°Say it if you find a tentacle moving.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, she heard Nangong Wuyue yelled, ¡°Ah! I feel that a tentacle beside me has just retracted back!¡±


    The siren¡¯s yell suddenly startled everyone. Nangong Sanba raised his crossbow immediately and asked, ¡°Where is it¡­¡±


    Nangong Wuyue already coiled up. After a few seconds of trembling, she suddenly loosened up and said, ¡°Err, I think it¡¯s a mistake. It was my tail just now¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was angry and annoyed by the stupid siren. He slapped her on the tail and scolded, ¡°I told you to stay alert, not to frighten yourself!¡±


    The interrupt of the siren made the atmosphere even tenser. Walking in a closed crypt itself was suffocating enough, plus those tentacle-like plants and vines everywhere in this cave, which made the atmosphere even more depressing. To be honest, the only time Hao Ren had been frightened so far was when Wuyue screamed.


    But soon he was frightened for a second time.


    He found the ground under his feet suddenly cracked open, and the entire cavern collapsed. The rock layers below suddenly disappeared, and everyone fell into the abyss. At the end of the abyss was a molten core, glowing with heat!


    Hao Ren could not think properly during this sudden change. He wanted to cry out, but at the moment when his body was out of balance, he felt a sudden rush of a clear stream through his mind. In the dim vision, he saw Raven 12345¡¯s smile flashing by. The goddess grinned at him, gave him the thumbs up and said, ¡°I back you up.¡±


    All hallucinations vanished. Hao Ren felt like he was touching something. He turned and found himself clutching Lily¡¯s tail.


    Lily, on the other hand, was staring into space, and so did Nangong Sanba and Nangong Wuyue. Only Vivian turned her head slowly and looked this way and mumbled, ¡°Hallucination.¡±


    A growl suddenly sounded in the cavern. Galazur uttered two powerful words in dragon language, ¡°Duva-Zada!¡±


    The mighty dragon swept everything like a roller. Lily and the Nangong siblings wake up in an instant. Nangong Sanba was still a little confused when he woke up. He raised his hands and shouted, ¡°Surrender now! I said now! Ah, why are you all back?¡±


    ¡°It was a hallucination,¡± Hao Ren said with a shudder. ¡°The First Born might have mumbled something in his sleep¡­ Luckily Galazur and I are demigods, we were able to withstand this wave of mental shock. It should be all right now.¡±


    Lily tugged at Hao Ren¡¯s sleeve and said, ¡°Landlord, landlord¡­¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the husky girl and asked, ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m still in the hallucination,¡± Lily said carefully, with tears in her eyes, ¡°I don¡¯t know why my tail hurts so much!¡±


    ¡°¡­ That¡¯s because you¡¯re silly and the hallucination lasts longer. I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t hurt after a while!¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Although this hallucination intrusion did not cause any real damage, they continued to move forward with heightened vigilance, and a sense of danger loomed in Hao Ren¡¯s heart.


    He understood part of the physiological characteristics of the First Born. He knew that while the First Born could interfere with the mortal mind with dominant mind power and drag ordinary people into its twisted dreams, it should be safe around its brain nucleus instead as the First Born had multiple brain nuclei. These brain nuclei cooperated with each other to work, and there was a precise and coordinated thought wave conduction between them. For the self-protection mechanisms shared by any creature, this vital and sophisticated organ should be completely closed, not only physically, but also mentally and spiritually.


    In other words, under normal circumstances, the First Born would never directly use its brain to check the outside world for mental attacks as this may disrupt the coordination between multiple brain nuclei. The primary way it released mental power was through the tentacles that extended from the big ganglions, which were specialized organs for releasing mental waves.


    The hallucinations near the brain nucleus led Hao Ren to speculate that part of the organs of Yggdrasil seemed to be losing control.


    Suddenly he thought: Is this the mechanism by which the normal First Born turns into a frenzied one?!


    ¡°This should be the cavity you¡¯re talking about.¡± Galazur¡¯s voice interrupted Hao Ren¡¯s thinking. The team had come to an end in the deep vine cavern. In front of them was a large hemispherical void. ¡°The biological tissue in front looks like some core. Is it a brain nucleus?¡±


    Hao Ren looked up and saw a hollow structure in the center of the wide hemispherical cavity. Slow, creeping red liquid filled the empty area, and in this pool of lifeblood, there was a biological tissue of more than ten meters tall, emitting a faint red light and soaking in it. Numerous tentacles extended from around this tissue, all the way to the stone walls around the cavity.


    This scene was familiar to him. He saw it in the crypt in Holletta.


    ¡°What you see here is not the nucleus itself, but a large node. However, part of the large node is the container of the brain nucleus. That organ¡¯s hidden under the glowing red connective skin.¡±


    Hao Ren said as he walked, and then stopped half a meter from the pool of lifeblood. He took a closer look and confirmed that there was indeed a brain nucleus inside the swollen node, at the base of the ball of biological tissues. An irregular connective grid was regularly flashing red light, under which a blurred spherical shadow was visible. And the data terminal read powerful mental signals from there.


    ¡°So this is the thing that controls the movement of Yggdrasil?¡± Galazur looked curiously at the strange organ known as the ¡®brain nucleus.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s amazing¡­¡±


    ¡°This is one of the nuclei of the brain, and the First Born at maturity stage has several to a dozen or so. These nuclei are connected to form a complete brain, but each nucleus can carry out complete thinking activities independently.¡±


    ¡°So this is the source of decay?¡± Nangong Sanba touched his chin and asked. ¡°How about surgical removal? Then other normal brain nuclei can take over the rotten part of the tentacles and Yggdrasil should be able to wake up.¡±


    There was nothing wrong with Nangong Sanba¡¯s analysis, but Hao Ren looked carefully, then shook his head and said, ¡°No, there¡¯s something wrong here¡ªthis is a healthy organ!¡±

 Chapter 1136 - Incision

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    If the intelligence they obtained was accurate, the source of the corruption of the World Tree should be directly below the nest of Nidhogg. It was the core of the First Born: the brain. They explored along the crypt, and the signs found along the way showed the trend of this corruption. But one little thing was out of Hao Ren¡¯s expectation.


    The organ in front of his eyes was healthy.


    ¡°These tentacles and ganglion aren¡¯t quite right,¡± the MDT said, flying around in the cave and sweeping his blue-scanning beam over the tangled vine-like tentacles. ¡°They look like two clearly divided factions.¡±


    Not only did the MDT discovered this, but Hao Ren had also noticed the abnormal tissues near the ganglion. The tentacles on the walls were not the same. Some of them had severe lesions, and their skins were wrinkled and blackened as if grilled by flame. The other part looked healthy, lively, and skin was glowing in silver runes. That was the unique symbol of the peculiar First Born of Yggdrasil. These two types of tentacles were as distinct as from two different organisms, they were intertwined and looked incompatible.


    If it was a typical biological lesion, the lesion area was mostly gradual, healthy and unhealthy tissues would grow together with a lot of partially corrupted masses. But here, there was none.


    Whether it was healthy tentacles or sick tentacles, they would eventually converge in the center of the large cave, growing on the beating ganglia, which had Hao Ren¡¯s attention.


    He looked at it for a long while and finally found something suspicious from the seemingly healthy organ. In the connective grid where the brain nucleus was located, some black marks were pulsing inside. At first, he thought it was a regular blood vessel or something, but then he suddenly remembered that there were no blood vessels around the brain of the First Born.


    This was due to the brain nucleus being immersed in the lifeblood. Lifeblood did not require blood vessels to move around. The brain was suspended in a chamber filled with liquid, and the transmission of information between it and the surrounding tissues was carried out using a near-psionic connection; there were no physical organs or tissues around it that might cause shadows.


    Hovering around the large organ in the center of the cave, the MDT was considering whether to use a high-power scanner. But it was reluctant because high-power equipment might wake up the First Born.


    ¡°We have to check what is inside,¡± Hao Ren said, pointing to the shadow. ¡°Something is not right there.¡±


    ¡°Shall we scan it?¡± The MDT flew over.


    ¡°No.¡± Hao Ren waved. ¡°I want to do an incision and take a look directly inside.¡±


    ¡°The risk is too high.¡± The MDT jumped to its feet, so to speak. ¡°Yggdrasil will wake up as it is a powerful stimulus. We don¡¯t currently have effective hypnosis for the First Born. The ¡°lullaby¡± device copied from Holletta is only effective against specific First Borns. Theoretically, it does not affect this big guy.¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head, pointing to the pool of lifeblood in the center of the cave. ¡°The most dangerous thing is when lifeblood goes violent. As long as it can inhibit the activity of the lifeblood, it would greatly weaken the strength of the First Born. Remember the strong calming agent we synthesized on CARS? We can inject it into the First Born, and it would be okay, I guess.¡±


    The Crapple Research Station, CARS, had been fiddling with the two First Born samples from Holletta for two years. No matter how mysterious the First Borns were, they had obtained some results, one of which was the targeted sedative. This sedative was essential when performing high irritancy tests.


    The MDT was not questioning the effectiveness of this sedative, but the biggest problem lay elsewhere: the blood of the First Born was self-contained, and it could not be calmed or soothed by any calming agents.¡±


    The MDT asked itself, ¡°Sedative is not a problem, we have lots of them in the cargo bay of the Petrachelys. But what about the lifeblood?¡±


    A little guy suddenly came to mind. Hao Ren said, ¡°Fetch me, Lil Pea!¡±


    ¡°Right, Lil Pea can suppress the lifeblood!¡± Vivian had also realized. She remembered the fantastic talent the baby fish had shown in Tannagost. As the end of a world of life, Lil Pea had her unique position in the ecological order. The lifeblood created by the Goddess of Creation had an inherent fear and avoidant instinct towards Lil Pea.


    The MDT immediately set off to fetch the little mermaid from Earth. With teleporting technology, it did not take long before a baby fish emerged from a blue light that flashed across the air. Hanging from Hao Ren¡¯s neck, her tail slapping on his chest, the little guy said, ¡°Dad-dee, vomit¡­¡±


    The MDT¡¯s teleportation skill was still a little unrefined, so the little mermaid was feeling dizzy.


    ¡°We¡¯d better get it done quickly,¡± the MDT swayed from side to side beside Hao Ren¡¯s head. ¡°Your fish was playing with your cat. Now that the fish is gone, I don¡¯t know how long the cat will continue to behave.¡±


    Still hanging from Hao Ren¡¯s head, Lil Pea said, ¡°The cat is amusing!¡±


    Galazur silently looked on without saying a word. She had long been refraining from commenting on the way how Hao Ren¡¯s teammates got along.


    The MDT had also brought the powerful Sedative for First Born Version 2.0 from the spaceship. Stored in a silver-white box and packed in metal tubes, all it took was one tube to give the First Born topical anesthesia that would last half an hour. But it remained to be seen how it would work on this First Born.


    When all the conditions were ready, Hao Ren decided to start implementing this creative surgery.


    ¡°Are you sure you want to do this?¡± Vivian looked at the living tissue beating in the center of the cave. ¡°It is uncertain what would happen if it is flooded. Maybe we should evacuate the residents of Twilight Capital first.¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°But we can¡¯t do any other things when Yggdrasil remains in this state.¡±


    He released three autonomous robots from his dimensional pocket. One of which grunted and circled them two times before picking up a tube of sedative and flew up to the ganglia of the First Born. Different tentacles of the autonomous robots had various functions, one of which was mimetic. The grunting little guy transformed its limb into a syringe and injected the sedative into the ganglia of the First Born.


    *Psssh¡­*


    Along with a sound of pressurization, the autonomous robot injected the sedative into the body of Yggdrasil. The red light pulsating on the surface of the nerve tissue dimmed, becoming barely visible, but it did not die down completely.


    The sedative worked. But as Hao Ren had expected, the effect was not as evident as on ordinary First Born. Yggdrasil was apparently a more powerful individual, which had a stronger resistance to the sedative.


    The autonomous robot emptied sedative in Cartridge No. 2 and No. 3 into the First Born and finally suppressed the neural response of the core tissue.


    ¡°Suppression of lifeblood begins.¡± Hao Ren held the one-foot-long little mermaid standing beside the pool of lifeblood and solemnly placed Lil Pea on the ground. ¡°Initiating the first contact!¡±


    Lil Pea clapped her hands and ran towards the surging red liquid. It was the instinct of a fish to be drawn to water. She did not care whether the color and form of the liquid looked dangerous. Like a master of rebellion, she liked challenges.


    As expected, before Lil Pea could reach the pool, the lifeblood quieted down. Closest to the edge of the pond, the lifeblood even retreated. This avoidant reaction eventually affected the ganglia of Yggdrasil, the lifeblood in the tentacles and node organs also lost their vitality, and the sign of life of the First Born instantly dropped to the lowest level.


    Galazur¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground looking at what was happening. ¡°It really works?¡±


    ¡°As usual, the unconventional way works the best.¡±


    She was speechless.


    Hao Ren asked Lil Pea not to go anywhere else but stood on the edge of the lifeblood pond so that the suppression would remain. When the little guy clenched her fists with a serious face and guaranteed that she would do as told, Hao Ren ordered two autonomous robots to begin to dissect the connective tissue outside the brain.


    When the cutting beam cut through the knotted skin, a stench suddenly surged into their noses.

 Chapter 1137 - The Heart of Darkness

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Smelling the stench, Hao Ren knew he was at the right place.


    A normal First Born would never produce this stench. Other than the slight smell of the lifeblood, the First Born, including its internal tissue, would not emit any odor. Hao Ren had never seen anything like it.


    When the pungent smell hit, it was like all of the world¡¯s most foul stenches had come together. The aroma felt visible to the naked eye.


    Lily was throwing up big time.


    ¡°Dang, I was too careless.¡± Nangong Sanba covered his nose, his voice distorted. ¡°I didn¡¯t see it coming. There was no warning at all. Wuyue, summon the shield!¡±


    Covering her nose and taking several steps back, Nangong Wuyue finally realized what happened. With the wave of her hand, she summoned Wind of Magic, a powerful moisture enchantment, to block off the disgusting stench. She then came to Lily¡¯s rescue. The poor husky, unable to breathe due to the smell, was immobilized.


    Fanning in front of his nose with his hand, Hao Ren¡¯s brows knit together. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it is rotting, but the stench is freaking unbearable.¡±


    ¡°Stench? I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not that simple.¡± The smell bothered Galazur, too, but being a veteran, she did not overreact. Covering her nose with one hand, she pointed to the people around her with another. ¡°We have different races here, and each of us has a different sense and sensitivity to smell. At least I know the sirens as creatures of elemental forces, they have almost no sense of smell. The dragon race has a level of tolerance for smells, which is hundreds of times higher than that of human beings. But we all smell the same disgusting stench here. This is the biological instinct at work: there is some very evil and negative force there, the stench it emits is very harmful to lives.¡±


    Hao Ren was surprised. Never did he expect there was such a profound theory of odor. But the only problem was that the smell was too strong¡ªalmost eye-irritating. Soon he realized that what Galazur said was right; it was more to the stench than meets the eyes.


    Lil Pea did not react to the stench. Looking up at the ¡®surgery¡¯ procedure for a while, she then jumped around as usual. The olfactory system of Lil Pea was similar to humans but more sensitive. Hao Ren was sure that the little guy had not caught a cold recently. There was only one explanation for her non-reaction: her life suppressive ability had once again shown its power.


    She did not smell the stench.


    Hao Ren¡¯s brow knit together as he ordered the two autonomous robots, ¡°Keep doing.¡±


    The autonomous robots responded with a purr and then continued with the incision with their cutting beams. Everything was being done at a dazzling speed and razor-sharp precision.


    The thick connective tissue was peeled off layer by layer to expose the inner tissue chamber. There was a ball, soaked in the inactive lifeblood, glowing in red. About two meters in diameter and exuding a strong brainwave, the ball was the brain of Yggdrasil.


    Galazur looked on curiously. She suddenly waved her hand. ¡°Wait a minute. There is something behind it.¡±


    As she spoke, she walked up to the brain on the staircase she formed using magic. Her arm was covered with a layer of fine, sturdy golden scales, and her fingers formed into claws as a precaution before reaching out to touch the brain.


    She turned the brain over, revealing a black blood vessel-like fibrous tissue.


    This fibrous tissue glistened in a disgusting black luster with a faint ray of light continually swam between the fiber bundles. A small number of firm fiber bundles were beating like muscles. The part of the fiber bundles soaked in the lifeblood was releasing a black substance, contaminating the lifeblood. In response, the lifeblood was purifying the black material.


    Vivian looked solemn. ¡°I¡¯m afraid this is¡­ What is this thing?¡±


    ¡°Keep doing,¡± Hao Ren said again. ¡°Slow down and don¡¯t touch the fibers. MDT, go get more sedatives.¡±


    The unprecedented ¡®surgery¡¯ procedure continued. After the connective tissue around the nucleus was completely stripped, the autonomous robots turned off the cutting beams and began to use traction beams to drag the brain and the foreign substance out of the cavity. But they encountered a little problem: there was something even bigger behind the black fibrous tissue.


    An autonomous robot reached into the cavity and gouged out the thing.


    ¡°I think I will lose my appetite for the next seven days.¡± Watching the procedure, Nangong Sanba had already thrown up once.


    The suspicious ¡®foreign¡¯ object was finally taken out. The real face of the object stunned Hao Ren.


    It was another brain.


    Having the same size and shape as a healthy brain but black, the vitality of the lifeblood had faded entirely from this organ. Its dry and festered surface was covered with scars and fibers. Tissue grew out from this festering organ that emitted a stench and ominous breath; it was as if many blood-sucking tubes pierced into the thick skin of a healthy brain.


    On the lower half of this black brain were many more robust black fibrous bundles that were still connected to the base of the core organ. The autonomous robots dared not pull them out hard because these fibrous bundles grew with the outer tentacles.


    This black brain controlled the tentacles through a direct connection with the biological tissues.


    Nangong Sanba looked on. ¡°I have lost my appetite for the next two weeks.¡±


    ¡°This is the rotting Yggdrasil?¡± Hao Ren muttered in amazement. He suddenly realized that this was the most significant discovery he had made in the Nine Kingdoms so far. The First Born was rotting!


    He had never seen anything like this before. It was true that most of the First Borns of the Plane of Dreams were mad: from the guardian of life to becoming the annihilator of life. Their crazy behavior was inevitably associated with corruption and degeneration. But Hao Ren was sure that this was not the case regarding physiology. Madness and rot were different concepts. The mad First Borns were only corrupted mentally, but they were still no different from their healthy siblings. Anatomically, the First Borns of Holletta were the same as Zorm.


    In other words, the First Borns Hao Ren had discovered so far had no pathological condition.


    However, Yggdrasil was having pathologic changes and giving birth to a black brain.


    Or could it be that a parasitic black brain was in the First Born?


    Many conjectures and assumptions came to mind, some of which were quickly proved otherwise.


    The MDT examined the fluid extracted from the black brain. It ruled out the possibility of exogenous parasites after comparing it with the healthy brain. ¡°They are homologous. Though this black stuff is highly mutated, it is indeed part of Yggdrasil.¡±


    ¡°So what is this black thing?¡¯


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But one thing is certain: this thing is fighting with the healthy brain for the control of Yggdrasil, a war was going on between the lifeblood and the black contaminant inside the fibrous bundles. This has probably been going on for more than 2,000 years.¡±


    Fighting for control!


    Hao Ren immediately thought of the strangely clear differentiation between the corrupted tentacles around the lair of Nidhogg and the healthy tentacles of other kingdoms. Now things had become apparent.


    Galazur¡¯s right arm gradually returned to its standard form. She glanced at the lesioned brain, feeling disgusting. ¡°So this is the source of the rot. Let¡¯s give it a name. How about the Heart of Darkness?¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment: ¡°Actually¡­¡±


    Everyone said in unison, ¡°That¡¯s a pretty good name!¡±


    Hao Ren spread out his hand. ¡°I just wanted to say the same thing.¡±

 Chapter 1138 - A Deep Connection

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After fiddling for a while, the autonomous robots finally separated the Heart of Darkness and most of its nervous fibers from the cavity. A nerve, which was still connected to some vital tissues in the hole was the exception. Before figuring out the nature and mechanism of the Heart of Darkness, severing it completely from the cavity was risky.


    Galazur and Hao Ren stood in front of the Heart of Darkness. Galazur¡¯s arms crossed. ¡°What do you think?¡± she asked.


    ¡°It looks like a contaminated and mutated brain, but it is also connected to the normal brain. This is probably more than pathological. Look at the shape of the nervous fiber bundles and the surrounding tentacles. It feels like they are vying for the control of Yggdrasil.¡±


    An autonomous robot came up, piercing its variable needle into the epidermis of the Heart of Darkness, while another needle into the healthy brain. After reading some of the surfaces¡¯ nervous impulses, Hao Ren¡¯s suspicion was confirmed.


    The lesioned brain was indeed eroding the power of a healthy mind. It was not just a nervous suppression; it was releasing a pollutant similar to the lifeblood, continually killing the cells of the healthy brain. The battle between the two minds must have been going on for many years.


    ¡°This is something unheard of.¡± The MDT could not help but sigh. ¡°The First Born never gets sick. At least they have never developed lesions so far. Even if they have become mad, it is not because of physiological but mental problems. I¡¯m confused by this visible physical lesion.¡±


    ¡°Can you check the cause of the disease?¡± Hao Ren glanced at the MDT.


    ¡°I am trying, but I am pessimistic,¡± the MDT said, swaying from side to side. ¡°You know, the First Born is a strange life form. It contains so many evolution templates, and no matter how mutated they are, their cells are always deemed normal. Hence, it¡¯s difficult to determine the root cause and its evolution.¡±


    The MDT¡¯s tone of voice changed suddenly, ¡°Of course, I could still deduce some conclusion out of it.¡±


    Everyone looked at the MDT. ¡°What conclusion?¡±


    ¡°The Heart of Darkness is probably the original brain,¡± the MDT said. ¡°Look at the healthy brain, it is, in fact, a younger organ. That is to say, the one trying to take over the control of Yggdrasil is not the Heart of Darkness but the healthy one.¡±


    Hao Ren was wide-eyed.


    ¡°Determining the age of biological tissue is a straightforward job to me, so you don¡¯t have to doubt my findings.¡± The MDT knew his finding was kind of counterintuitive, so it needed to explain. ¡°I have a thought¡­¡±


    Everyone asked in unison, ¡°What thought?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not ask if the First Born will ever get sick. Just assume that if it is capable of falling sick, it must have some self-healing mechanism. If one of its brains is mutating and its body is still unable to get rid of the lesioned brain, how should it heal itself?¡±


    Vivian now finally understood. ¡°You mean it created another brain to attack the diseased organs?¡±


    ¡°This is a war.¡± The MDT hovered up and down. ¡°A war of the immune system even though the immune system of this thing is a little bigger.¡±


    Hao Ren exhaled. ¡°We need a cure. It is clear that this diseased brain is the cause of Yggdrasil¡¯s rot. Excision? Medication? Physiotherapy? Chemotherapy? Which method you think will work?¡±


    Galazur¡¯s arm was once again covered with scales as she cautiously poked the nervous fiber bundle connecting the Heart of Darkness and the healthy brain, brows knitting together. ¡°To be honest, no treatment is safe enough. This thing has completely grown together with healthy tissue. I can feel that the confrontation is not only physiological but mentally. I am worried that any form of stimulation will lead to the damage of healthy tissue. There are limits to even the most precise surgery. What¡¯s more, the situation is too complicated.¡±


    Hao Ren rubbed his chin. ¡°Why not we ask the patient directly?¡±


    Galazur was dumbfounded. But everyone else understood what he meant. Vivian jumped to her feet. ¡°Wait a second. This is too dangerous. This dark thing is connected with the healthy brain. There is no way to ensure you are connecting to the right one.¡±


    The MDT came up right in front of Hao Ren¡¯s nose. ¡°I know you are going to take the risk no matter what. As I will try to persuade you otherwise, you will come up with a bunch of alternatives that sound less risky and dupe us into giving in, saying that you have extra security measures, as though there are any. We will end up supporting you. Isn¡¯t this a trap?¡±


    Hao Ren was startled. ¡°I haven¡¯t finished yet¡­¡±


    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± Galazur curiously glanced at them. ¡°Do you have any special solution?¡±


    ¡°He has an inexplicably spiritual direct connection talent,¡± Vivian said, pouting at Hao Ren. ¡°Of course, unlike usual spiritual dialogue, he can connect his mind directly to the special life form of the Plane of Dreams. Generally, he could mentally connect to all guardians. But there is no guarantee that the connection will work. Basically, to ensure his safety, he will need someone to monitor his condition on the side and knock him out when things start to go wrong. I think sooner or later, he would get into trouble if he keeps using this method.¡±


    ¡°This is interesting,¡± the dragon queen said. ¡°Spiritual connection with a specific creature, to be honest, is not a rare ability in itself. There are countless worlds in the void, where no one can say for certain one would not suddenly connect to a certain WIFI of certain races, but the ability to connect with a demigod creature is not inborn.¡±


    Hao Ren spread out his hand helplessly. ¡°I know my ability is a little weird. My goddess said that this ability was mostly related to the Plane of Dreams, but she could not explain it.¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe our goddess has her plan,¡± Galazur said as if she was hinting something. ¡°But let us talk about the issue at hand. Connecting with the Heart of Darkness is dangerous, but I have something that might be of help here.¡±


    Hao Ren was curious, ¡°What is it?¡±


    With the wave of her hand, Galazur took out a small stone that emitted a golden glow from the Dimensional Pocket. The rock looked grotesque. Texture-wise, it seemed like a bright amber. Looking at the light in the stone, Hao Ren felt his mind being sucked into it as if a drop of water falling into and being swallowed up by a vast ocean.


    But this illusionary feeling went away quickly as he felt a warmth and calming energy in his spiritual world.


    Apparently, this was a powerful divine artifact, which very likely possessed some spiritual power. It looked like the veteran inspector had something up her sleeves.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Lily asked, her eyes brightening up. Collecting stones had been her long-time hobby. Naturally, this stone that glowed had caught her eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s something precious. I got it by accident. The Soul Suppressing Stone of the Soul Snatcher. Do you know Sandra Kelly Ulysses the Soul Snatcher, the goddess that is in charge of souls and minds in Xi Ling Celestials? Three thousand years ago in the battle of the Spiral Rift in the Seventh Quadrant of the Void, the planet¡¯s most powerful psychic attack ship, the Crystal Peak planet fortress, was damaged. The crust of the north pole was torn apart, and the fragments of the spaceship formed the so-called Soul Suppressing Stone of the Soul Snatcher. As the Crystal Peak had been in contact with Sandra all year round, it was deified as a whole, and the Soul Suppressing Stone of the Soul Snatcher began to possess spiritual power. For members of the Xi Ling Celestials, wearing the stone can effectively enhance their mental resistance. I think this thing should come in handy in this situation.¡±


    Hao Ren took the stone in his hands solemnly. He did not understand at all what Galazur said; he was only having a superficial understanding of the Inspector¡¯s Theology Foundation (in some places it was known as Pope¡¯s Crash Course or 100 Days to Coronation. He had tried his best to memorize the names of several goddesses of Xi Ling Celestials, but he was helpless when it came to history, let alone information about the Spiral Rift battle.


    But this did not prevent him from feeling the powerful energy of the Soul Suppressing Stone of the Soul Snatcher.


    With this powerful divine artifact in hand, Hao Ren could finally do what he said, and no one had objected.


    He carefully wore the Soul Suppressing Stone on his body before placing his hand on the healthy brain.


    In the next moment, his consciousness sank into darkness, and he heard a mighty voice came from the other mind.


    ¡°Son of a b*tch! Let¡¯s fight one-on-one! It is either you live, or I die!¡±

 Chapter 1139 - Yggdrasil Is Not Happy

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    As soon as he recovered from the slight dizziness caused by the mental connection, Hao Ren heard a roar. He was stunned. The Soul Suppressing Stone of the Soul Snatcher that Hao Ren had was only as good as a firewall and did not help on the stability as well as the comfort of the mental connection. His mental state was not as steady as he would have liked it to be.


    For a few seconds, he did not know what was happening.


    But the sight in front of his eyes was spectacular and horrifying at the same time.


    He found himself standing on a vast, disturbingly dark ocean. The dark sea was surging, with each of its waves pounding the world. The lead-gray sky was so dark and low that there was only a circle of dim light on the horizon. Instead of making the world brighter, the light made the surroundings became even more depressing. In the world where black water, clouds, storms, and twilight were intertwined, there was a mountain standing in the distance in the middle of the ocean.


    Hao Ren was surprised: he was seeing something tangible, familiar to human understanding in the mind of the First Born.


    The mind of the First Born was unique in that their thoughts and memories appeared like an indescribably vague shadow to human beings. The incomprehensible information was surging in the massive thinking organ, it was formless and illogical. When Hao Ren was connected with Zorm previously, he only saw a group of irregular lights and a sizeable chaotic space in the surroundings. These visions were possible just because Hao Ren was a demigod, his mind was partially in sync with the First Born.


    But here, Hao Ren was confused by the rough black ocean. Was the First Born capable of creating a tangible sea in his mind? He thought to himself.


    His confusion did not last long as the loud voice was shouting again. ¡°You son of a b*tch! Coward! Come out and fight with me for three hundred rounds! If you can¡¯t kill me today, you are not from me! It is either you die, or I live!¡±


    Hao Ren was shocked and almost fell into the mind-sea below. Of course, it was only an illusion. In his spiritual body, he was not bound by gravity. As long as he was still awake, he was not going to fall. Anyway, the noise was a little excessive. Who would have thought that Yggdrasil the World Tree was so gruff? It was entirely atypical of Norse gods.


    Hao Ren focused his mind. He looked at the black mountain that stuck out like a thorn in the distant sea.


    If it was not mistaken, the shout must have come from that direction.


    In the spiritual world where no physical sensation could be felt, maneuvering skills were required. Except for the unusual life forms that were born to be spiritual, ordinary creatures took some time to adapt, especially when they were in the First Born¡¯s mental world. Even Hao Ren took quite a while before he could get used to the ¡°environmental constraints¡± of the black ocean. He turned to move towards the thorny mountain, gradually picking up speed as he went.


    The shout from the thorny mountain barely stopped. Cursing and provoking the unknown enemy between heaven and the earth, Yggdrasil alternated between almost vulgar to poetic languages. Hao Ren had never seen anything like this, shouting match could be done in a myriad of styles, sometimes almost artistic. It seemed as if Yggdrasil had done nothing but perfected his argument skills for the past two thousand years.


    The storms on the black ocean seemed to be responding to the cursing as it rumbled loudly. But no matter how loud the sea rumbled, it could never outdo the shout from the thorny mountain. This further reinforced Hao Ren¡¯s belief that Yggdrasil and the ocean were arguing.


    Hao Ren arrived at the foothill of the thorny mountain. He was surprised because it was not a mountain but a group of twisted thorns.


    It seemed a little like the twisted tentacles of the First Born, rising like a flame.


    Many black or red tentacles rose up from the black ocean, entangling and forming a magnificent mountain of several kilometers in the middle of the sea. There was no soil and rock; the whole mountain only consisted of tentacles. A dim light was flashing inside, red and pulsating like the rhythm of breathing. Hao Ren knew this was how Yggdrasil looked in the spiritual world.


    He slowly approached the thorny mountain. The black ocean near the spiky peak was calmer as powerful waves and storms could not get within one kilometer it. There was a tentacle at the foothill. This was one of the largest. It led directly to the core. Standing on the platform formed by the tentacles, Hao Ren called out, ¡°Yggdrasil!¡±


    The curse that reverberated in the world had calmed down instantly, so did the rumble of the thorny mountain. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±


    Hao Ren was surprised; it was that easy to get the First Born talk. He still recalled how difficult it was for Mimir to communicate with Yggdrasil earlier, where he could hardly understand what Yggdrasil was saying. Now it seemed that his unique mind-connection talent was really working.


    There was another good news. Feedback from the MDT in the real world indicated that the branches of the World Tree running through the Nine Worlds did not show unusual behavior during the direct mind connection. Hao Ren¡¯s prediction was right. The instability of the First Born was due to the battle between the diseased brain and the healthy brain. As long as the nerves around the two minds were under control, Yggdrasil¡¯s condition would not deteriorate further.


    ¡°I am here to help,¡± Hao Ren said, trying to keep his mind focused and calm. He knew how powerful the First Born was in mind and soul and that his mental state during the direct mind connection was the key to ensuring successful communication. ¡°We are standing near to your thinking organ, and I am talking to you through direct mind connection. We have seen the mutation of your thinking organ: a corrupted brain is fighting with your healthy one for dominance. We are trying to¡ª¡±


    Before Hao Ren could finish, the top of the thorny mountain suddenly shook. A glow appeared on the top of the hill, ever-changing in its appearance. Then the voice of Yggdrasil was heard. ¡°Run! You are just a step away from falling into the abyss! Adventurers, aren¡¯t you afraid of dying?¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Hao Ren tried to calm Yggdrasil down. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll be fine. We are masters in dealing with this kind of situation.¡±


    ¡°Master?¡± Yggdrasil¡¯s loud voice was almost deafening. ¡°Do you know who I am? Do you know who my creator is? I¡¯m aware that I have a problem and waiting for the final day. You are utter¡ª¡±


    A thought struck Hao Ren when Yggdrasil mentioned the ¡®creator.¡¯ The First Born before him must still remember about the Plane of Dreams.


    He quickly cut in. ¡°I know you. Your creator is the mother of all beings, the Goddess of Creation. You are Vine of Origin hatched from the Seed of Origin, the First Born of the goddess, Am I right?¡±


    Suddenly the dark sea seemed to have frozen for a moment. Then the storm and massive waves were back to normal, but Yggdrasil¡¯s attitude had changed entirely. ¡°You know my mother? Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Like you, I am also a demigod.¡± Hao Ren was using the most effective way to strike up a conversation with the guardian, a trick he learned during a discussion with Zorm and Muru earlier. ¡°My team and I are trying to find out the truth about the war of ten thousand years ago. We have many vital pieces of evidence and witnesses, and you are one of the most important witnesses we are looking for.¡±


    ¡°Demigod? No wonder you can stand here. I can feel the enormous energy in your soul, and some purely external forces.¡± Yggdrasil was filled with curiosity. ¡°You have made it through the barrier between the two worlds?¡±


    Though it was expected, Hao Ren was still a little surprised. ¡°You know about the Wall of Reality?¡±


    ¡°The Wall of Reality? You call it that? Well, whatever. It was Mother who ordered me to cross this ¡®wall¡¯!¡±

 Chapter 1140 - Yggdrasil’s Request

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Surprises always came unannounced. Hao Ren never thought things would come out from Yggdrasil¡¯s mouth. He instantly knew that he had found the truth behind the mass crossing 10,000 years ago.


    ¡°Did you just say that the goddess of creation ordered you to cross the Wall of Reality?¡± Hao Ren tried to contain his excitement, but it was useless: during a mind connection, emotions had no place to hide.


    ¡°Of course, I just said that,¡± Yggdrasil said. ¡°You sound very excited.¡±


    ¡°I have been investigating this matter. Ten thousand years ago, there was a mass crossing into my home world from this side of the Wall of Reality. Can you tell me what happened last time?¡±


    Yggdrasil did not answer immediately, but asked, ¡°How do I know I can trust you?¡±


    Hao Ren froze. Then a name came into mind. ¡°You should know Ymir, who is your brother. He is on my side now. He had a conversation with you earlier. Don¡¯t you remember?¡±


    ¡°Ymir¡­ Ah, of course, I know him, my brother. But due to my condition earlier, I couldn¡¯t hear the sound coming from the outside. To be honest, you are the only one with whom I¡¯ve been able to talk in so many years. Nonetheless, I still don¡¯t trust you completely, weird demigod. I know Ymir¡¯s condition. The massive pollution has affected his memory, and he probably doesn¡¯t even remember his mission and origin. So he can¡¯t be your reference,¡± Yggdrasil said, his voice mixed with strange rumble. A peculiar storm began to form on the dark ocean: it was terrible. The sea lifted off as if there was no gravity. The dark waters rose like walls and then slowly spiraled up into the sky. Whirlpools formed below in the roaring ocean, exposing a myriad of tentacles that had severely shrunken and been tangled together.


    ¡°Oh, weird demigod, please wait a moment. Let me first deal with some trouble.¡±


    Yggdrasil¡¯s voice was heard from all directions amid the fierce storm on the ocean. The deafening roar almost shook Hao Ren out from his spiritual world. When the storm finally subsided, the sea fell back down from the sky.


    Hao Ren certainly knew why he had seen what he saw; the vision was a manifestation of the fight between the two brains in the real world. ¡°What happened to you? Your spiritual world¡­ Did the lesioned brain cause this?¡±


    ¡°Yes, indeed,¡± Yggdrasil said with a rumble. ¡°But you seem to have got one thing wrong: I am the lesioned one.¡±


    Hao Ren did not get it for the first three seconds.


    Three seconds later, he exclaimed, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I am the lesioned one,¡± Yggdrasil replied with a deafeningly loud voice. ¡°Ahh, keep your opinion about me to yourself. I know I¡¯m not looking good. I¡¯m either fully rotten or half-rotten. But that does not make a difference to me. I also know you and your friends have done something to my central nervous system; I can¡¯t feel one of the nerves now. And my 1768th tentacle is a bit numb.¡±


    Hao Ren listened, and muttered spontaneously, ¡°I have given you half a ton of sedative, and then cut open your skull.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank you. You are so kind.¡±


    ¡°Wait a second!¡± Hao Ren finally came to his senses. ¡°You are the consciousness in the diseased brain? Are you Yggdrasil or someone else? Are you crazy or normal now? What is the healthy brain all about? What about the other brain?¡±


    ¡°Too many questions,¡± Yggdrasil said with a rumble. ¡°I am who I am. Just that something has happened to me: I am not entirely myself. But I am not mad yet. As for the other¡­¡±


    Yggdrasil suddenly paused. Hao Ren saw a beam of light floating up from the dark sea.


    This light beam was getting more intense, almost solid. At hundreds of meters across, the light beam shone through the dark into the sky. Inside the light beam was a faint shadow. Hao Ren found the scene familiar; it was something he had seen when he connected with Zorm.


    He instantly knew what this shadow represented.


    ¡°You have finally come! You have finally come!¡± The thorny mountain beneath Hao Ren¡¯s foot suddenly shook. Yggdrasil¡ªthe lesioned one¡ªshouted, ¡°You son of a b*tch! You¡¯re finally showing yourself! You know what you should do! You want to fight? Bring it on! Complete your designated mission, and you will be Yggdrasil.¡±


    Knowing the thorny mountain was the projection of the lesioned brain¡¯s consciousness, and listening to its shouts, Hao Ren finally guessed something.


    The light beam was unmoved by the shout of the thorny mountain. It just stood quietly between the heavens and the earth as the dark sea around it quickly calmed down. After a while, a voice in the light spoke gently, ¡°You are just running away from your destiny, I am not going to carry out your absurd plan.¡±


    ¡°Oh, am I?¡± Yggdrasil was furious. ¡°My destiny is to die here, and I am facing it! Who do you think you got the ability to think from? I endow you with it so that you could make a perfect killing plan, not discuss its feasibility!¡±


    The voice in the light was unhurried. ¡°Death is cowardice. You and I have a mission; we bear the responsibility of maintaining the ultimate forgiveness. You cannot leave alone.¡±


    ¡°Stupid! As long as our runic body is alive, who cares?¡±


    Listening to the quarrel between the two brains of Yggdrasil made Hao Ren think. He finally could not help but interrupt them. ¡°Wait a minute! Who can explain to me what is going on? Yggdrasil, the sick one, tell me what happens!¡±


    ¡°You want to know? Well, I can tell you,¡± the thorny mountain sounded boorish. Hao Ren was suspecting that disease had caused this First Born behaving differently from the ordinary First Borns. ¡°You are not a fool. You must have discovered that I have been polluted, lesioning, rotting, and becoming an unimaginably terrible thing. I can¡¯t help it. The pollution started 10,000 years ago just when I crossed the wall, and something was hidden in my soul. That something made me unconscious and groggy. My condition has been deteriorating ever since. I feel like I am going to die. I am not a weakling; I have tried to cure myself, but I really can¡¯t help. I have accepted my destiny, and I am ready for it. But there is a problem¡­¡±


    Yggdrasil paused as if he was suppressing the negative forces in his soul. Then he continued. ¡°I have a mission. My mother gave me a mission. She engraved this mission in me. So I must not die; otherwise, the runic body will be damaged. That¡¯s why I created him; the one you see, the disobedient stupid thing.¡±


    Hao Ren felt that his guess was probably right. ¡°So you created the healthy brain when you found that you were rotting, just to kill off this diseased organ?¡±


    It was not the lesioned brain that devoured the healthy body. On the contrary, the lesioned brain was trying to kill itself to prevent things from getting worse.


    ¡°You are brilliant,¡± Yggdrasil said, confirming Hao Ren¡¯s speculation. ¡°I couldn¡¯t kill myself because of the corruption. So I could only create another thinking organs to replace myself. This method worked very well at the beginning, and I was quickly being eliminated until the last node. The ¡®backup¡¯ copy of myself, however, grows too rapidly and that is the problem. The healthy brain overthinks but is not smart enough. He refuses to carry out the final step and traps me in this place, hoping to wait it out. This is really¡­ Oh, wait a minute!¡±


    As if he had thought of something, Yggdrasil suddenly paused for a moment. ¡°You, strange guy. Didn¡¯t you claim to be a demigod? Ahh, I can sense the vibe in you. Great! So your power is equally powerful! I will tell you what my weakness is. Can you help me to kill me?¡±

 Chapter 1141 - The Source of Corruption

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Yggdrasil, the lesioned Heart of Darkness, was extremely unstable and anxious. Perhaps he had been driven to madness by the corruption and erosion of his mind, which had lasted thousands of years. Maybe, the rational part of him was almost completely corrupted. Now, this mighty demigod just wished he could die. His abnormal brain was becoming slow.


    Only now Yggdrasil realized that Hao Ren could help him carry out his death wish.


    But Hao Ren did not agree to his request.


    ¡°The situation may not be so as bad as you think.¡± Hao Ren dissuaded Yggdrasil. ¡°You may not have a solution, but what if I do?¡±


    At this time, the rational consciousness, which the executioner Yggdrasil had created, began to speak, ¡°I think this makes sense. We can¡¯t solve the problem of corruption because we are trapped in this body. But this outsider can do what we can¡¯t.¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly realized he had not introduced himself. He quickly turned around and said, ¡°Allow me to introduce myself; I am¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± The voice, soft but powerful enough to drown the noise from the storm and waves on the dark ocean, interrupting Hao Ren. ¡°I am also a master of this world. I and another me share all the information here. I have heard you introducing yourself just now. I don¡¯t want to reveal myself as it is very troublesome to face the other me. But your arrival has let me see a glimmer of hope.¡±


    ¡°Hope is an illusion,¡± Yggdrasil¡¯s Heart of Darkness mumbled. ¡°A motivation coming out of nowhere; I really don¡¯t understand why you are so driven by this kind of thing.¡±


    ¡°As you can see, the darkly negative power has seriously affected the thought of another me,¡± said the voice in the light apologetically. ¡°He was strong and optimistic during the first five thousand years of corruption. But the corruptive forces have gradually overwhelmed his mind. The subtle influence was almost impossible to stop. In fact, I always think that my appearance means that corruption has gotten the upper hand. When Yggdrasil decided to create an alternative consciousness to end himself, ¡®he¡¯ had bowed to the dark side of his heart.¡±


    ¡°Stupidity beyond belief!¡± the voice of the Heart of Darkness sounded angry. ¡°Haven¡¯t you realized that the situation is getting out of hand already? I have even lost control of my body. The lesioned organ is devouring the entire runic body physically, and has even transformed the environment of Niebelungen! The corruption has spread from the spiritual to the material world, yet you are still unaware of it!¡±


    Hao Ren thought of the deformed dark tentacles that ran through the entire land of Niebelungen. It seemed that the tentacles had occupied the whole kingdom of Death and could break through the barrier of Midgard at any time. ¡°What is the nature of this corruption?¡± Hao Ren could not help but ask.


    The dark ocean rolled up its huge waves as thunder rumbled through the heavens and the earth. The light piercing through the air quickly burst into an intense light, keeping the mighty, dark ocean in check. At last, the Heart of Darkness of Yggdrasil finally calmed down, voice exhausted. ¡°Nature¡­ nature¡­ Ahh, whenever I think of it, I would feel my soul is undergoing an irreversible change. But I am going to tell you anyway¡ªif you have the guts to listen.¡±


    Earlier, the sudden storm on the ocean shocked Hao Ren. He thought the spiritual world was crumbling. ¡°Holy moly! Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not! This has been going on for thousands of years, but what can I do?¡± said the Heart of Darkness. ¡°You want to know about the nature of the corruption? It is kind of hard to explain. I don¡¯t even know when it has started to lurk inside my soul. But I do know that it began to attack me the moment I crossed the wall. So it happened from the very beginning. It could be a soul or something, and was confined to the realm of the soul and mind at the beginning.¡±


    ¡°Could it be a psychic virus?¡± Hao Ren suddenly said.


    ¡°That¡¯s an interesting term,¡± the Heart of Darkness said. ¡°I am afraid it is. It lurks deep inside me, feeds on my strength, and creates trouble in my mind. But this is not the worst. The most horrible thing about this thing is that it has spread out from my dreams. Can you imagine that? This monster lurking in my spiritual world comes out from my dreams and crawls into the real world! At first, I found that parts of my limbs were shrinking, so I cut them off. But those limbs soon became monsters that ravaged the world. I then found myself starting to secrete toxic fluid in the Niebelungen area. This fluid was the condensation from the hatred and madness. A poor black dragon slamming into my diseased organs went crazy the next day, so I realized that the corruption had spread from the spiritual world into the material world.¡±


    Hao Ren was trying to figure out in his mind the nature of the corruption. He could not find any scientific and reasonable explanation. With a vague idea of the corruption, he asked, ¡°Do you know who has planted the seed of corruption in you?¡±


    After silent for a moment, the Heart of Darkness said, ¡°You surely know something; otherwise you will not ask this question. Yes, the corruption could not have emerged out of thin air or been the vulnerability my mother left behind after she created me. I¡¯m sure it comes from the enemy. All sufferings come from the forces opposing my mother. I have been investigating the matter. Though no breakthrough so far, I firmly believe that it comes from my mother¡¯s enemy.¡±


    ¡°I know the war of ten thousand years ago,¡± said Hao Ren. ¡°Could it be the deicidal rebels who created this corrupt factor to thwart the plan of the goddess of creation?¡±


    ¡°It seems that you know more than I think!¡± The voice of the Heart of Darkness was filled with excitement. ¡°I am suspicious as much as convinced of you. You are either a friend of my mother or a villain. But this is not important¡ªI couldn¡¯t do anything now after all. Those treacherous children? You might have overestimated them. How could those fools subvert the great plan of my mother? They might have achieved some success, but they couldn¡¯t really derail my mother¡¯s greatest plan. They couldn¡¯t implant the corrupt factor in my body. Behind them, there is another force, which is the real culprit, at play. That force has fought with my mother for years, and I believe that it is that force that causes my situation today.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s suspicion was confirmed. ¡°Do you mean the Cosmic Progenitor, the voice that incited the treacherous child murdering the goddess?¡±


    ¡°You even know this!¡±


    ¡°I have been investigating this for a long time,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°I have even found the wreckage of the Gate of Solenne, but I could not find more fragments of the divine realm. I have found part of the Creation Engine. My team and I are still trying to assemble it. If you trust me, I can tell you more and show you something that you might be interested in.¡±


    ¡°The Gate of Solenne¡­ The Creation Engine¡­¡± The voice in the light mumbled. ¡°I think this guy is trustworthy.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡± The Heart of Darkness, who rarely saw eye to eye with the voice in the light, agreed. ¡°Okay, strange demigod, you have my attention. So what are you going to tell us?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the cause of your corruption, but I have successfully controlled the guy who is homologous to your cause of corruption,¡± Hao Ren said, carefully choosing his words. ¡°Do you know how the goddess of creation died?¡±


    The dark ocean suddenly surged, rolling up giant waves up into the sky as if the sea was hanging upside down. Things were only back to normal after a long while.


    ¡°Of course, I would never forget that,¡± the two minds of Yggdrasil said in unison.


    ¡°if I¡¯m not mistaken, the black sword, who killed my mother, is the creation of the Cosmic Progenitor.¡± Hao Ren tried to stay calm. ¡°It is in my hands and under my control.¡±


    The whole world turned upside down.


    Hao Ren was not kicked out of the mental connection. The spiritual world had not collapsed. Yggdrasil was only emotional. Like other guardians, he remained rational and did not vent his anger on the weapon.


    Hao Ren took out the Godslayer¡ªin the form of a spiritual body.


    In the spiritual world, the Godslayer appeared as a black mountain, which appeared alongside the thorny mountain of the Heart of Darkness on the dark ocean. Curiously, the Godslayer scanned the surroundings before it introduced itself. ¡°Hi, everyone, I am Godslayer; alias, Echo Wall; childhood name, Small Sword. You can call me McStabby. Why is it so noisy here?¡±

 Chapter 1142 - Dr. Hao, the Magic Hand

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Godslayer always appeared in the image of a black mountain in the spiritual world, even in that of the First Born. The black mountain and the thorny mountain stood side by side on the dark ocean with towering light beams not far away. The historic meeting of the three strange souls in the spiritual world was a weird scene.


    After introducing itself, Godslayer mentioned that it could hear noises. That baffled Hao Ren. ¡°Noises? What noises?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°The sounds. Can¡¯t you hear it?¡± Godslayer shouted as if trying to make itself heard amid a noisy quarrel. ¡°It¡¯s coming from everywhere. The world is filled with thousands of roaring, non-human sounds. They¡¯re almost drowning this place.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s heart missed a bit; he suddenly realized that probably what Godslayer heard was the source of the corruption, which was imperceptible by ordinary means. But since it was homologous with the Godslayer, its sound was captured. ¡°Where is the sound coming from? Does it have any meaning?¡±


    ¡°There is no origin, no content, just random roars, and groans.¡± Godslayer sounded confused. ¡°Oh, it sounds similar to my ¡®echo¡¯.¡±


    ¡°That must be because both of you are from the same family!¡± Hao Ren said aloud. ¡°What you hear should also be something that your creator left behind!¡±


    Hao Ren then told Godslayer about the corruption Yggdrasil was experiencing and his thoughts on it. Hearing that, Godslayer fell into deep thought.


    In fact, the sword, designed as a specialized weapon without other functional values from the beginning, was not intelligent and had no complex thinking mechanism. It was born and controlled and used to kill before it was sealed. The Echo Wall, sort of its brain, did all the uncomplicated thinking for the past ten thousand years. But that did not mean that Godslayer could not be of help. It might not know what corruption was, but it knew who it was.


    ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, the corruption the big guy is experiencing is not fundamentally different from what the other ordinary races have been having. It is a whisper. The demon hunters have heard it; the deicides have heard it too. They are the same thing,¡± Godslayer said.


    The Heart of Darkness of Yggdrasil was angered. ¡°Nonsense! I was created by my mother! I have glory in me. How can I be as depraved as those god killers?¡±


    ¡°The killers were also creations of the goddess of creation, and you have shown signs of being corrupted,¡± Godslayer said bluntly. ¡°I am just stating the facts. What¡¯s happening to you is essentially the same as what happened to them. It is up to you to accept it or not. But the corruption has had a different effect on you compared to the god killers. They became mad after hearing the whisper but not you. This is very strange. You seem to be immune. Instead, you have transformed and trapped it inside you. Of course, there may be another possibility: the corrupt factor in you is unique. It is not to pollute your soul but only your body.¡±


    ¡°The key question is: is there any way to eliminate this corruption?¡± Hao Ren said.


    Godslayer thought for a long while. It had never thought of this question before. Its purpose of existence was to stab people, and sometimes, god. Treating wound it inflicted was not its expertise. Nevertheless, it had seen enough supernatural powers during the War of the Deicide. After a moment of pondering, Godslayer said, ¡°Try using me to stab him.¡±


    ¡°Are you are kidding me?¡±


    ¡°I am serious,¡± Godslayer said matter-of-factly. ¡°There is a saying in your culture: it takes poison to neutralize poison. So treat me as a vaccine. The corrupt force in Yggdrasil and my power have a common root. But the goddess has gnawed¡­ Err¡­ I mean, blessed me. So it has turned from a source of pollution into an antidote. You are not questioning the power of the goddess, are you? I don¡¯t mean to stab him. All you need to do is cut a small opening so that my power can penetrate. He is too contaminated that corruption has spread to his limbs in the real world. Treatment is not going to be effective if it is only confined to the spiritual world.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment and entirely agreed with it.


    But Yggdrasil was reluctant. ¡°Will it work?¡±


    ¡°It will work,¡± Hao Ren replied matter-of-factly.


    ¡°Stabbing in the head doesn¡¯t sound convincing to me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You are not going to die.¡± Weirdly, Hao Ren was confident with Godslayer. Or rather, he trusted the blessing power of Raven 12345. After all, if this did not work, there would be no way to save Yggdrasil. ¡°I will be as gentle as possible,¡± Hao Ren said.


    Yggdrasil had a weird feeling. ¡°You sound like you don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doing. What if you kill me?¡±


    Hao Ren smacked himself on the thigh. ¡°Then, congratulations! Your death wish comes true.¡±


    Speechless.


    After some discussions, Yggdrasil¡ªboth the Heart of Darkness and the Voice of Light, agreed to the surgical plan. They could not say otherwise since Hao Ren had given them half a ton of sedatives earlier. After making sure everything was in place, Hao Ren disconnected himself from the mental connection.


    He felt a moment of confusion and a dazzling light flashed across his eyes. When everything subsided, the first thing he knew, Lily was licking him on his face.


    But the husky maiden was quickly blown away by Vivian¡¯s Lightning Strike move.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± Hao Ren asked, shocked.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing, Battie?¡± Bouncing back on her feet, Lily yelled even louder than Hao Ren did. ¡°I was just trying to wake Mr. Landlord up!¡±


    ¡°Waking him up¡ªby licking?¡± Vivian glared at Lily. She then turned to Hao Ren with concerned eyes. ¡°You are awake, Mr. Landlord! Is everything okay? You have been in there for two hours!¡±


    ¡°You are not going to believe what I saw,¡± Hao Ren said.


    His mind was still a little disconnected from reality as the tremendous amount of information in his mind was causing havoc. Shaking his head vigorously for a long while, he was only able to breathe a sigh of relief and detail to everyone the things he saw in the mental connection.


    What happened inside Yggdrasil was utterly unimaginable to them.


    ¡°It was lucky that we did not kill the Heart of Darkness earlier,¡± Galazur said, staring at the lesioned brain in horror. ¡°It is the original consciousness of Yggdrasil.¡±


    ¡°If all goes well, jabbing him with the sword will solve the problem.¡±


    While saying, Hao Ren took out the Godslayer from his dimensional pocket. In the real world, the sword appeared as a black fragment. Its shiny surface looked serene and mysterious with a hint of peculiar elegance.


    But the way the sword spoke was anything but elegant. ¡°When you stab, try to be steady. Don¡¯t freak out. I am razor-sharp. Though Yggdrasil has super self-healing ability, if you cut its head in half, it will still die.¡±


    Hao Ren was wielding the Godslayer in front of the Heart of Darkness, figuring out where he should stab so that it looked more professional. Beside him, Nangong Wuyue could not help herself with cold sweat trickling down her forehead. ¡°I really don¡¯t think this is going to work. Mr. Landlord, you could have very well killed him.¡±


    ¡°You have to trust my skill,¡± Hao Ren said, nervous but pretending to be calm. ¡°You must trust the professionalism of this sword. Its experience in stabbing people is longer any human civilizations.¡±


    ¡°But last time, it did kill someone.¡± Nangong Wuyue mumbled as she coiled herself up.


    Hao Ren was hesitating for a long while. He began to realize that no way he would look like a surgeon with a stabbing sword in hand. Making up his mind and with the help of the MDT, he found a ¡®safer¡¯ spot on the brain and pierced the sword into the brain.


    He froze in that posture for three seconds.


    ¡°Looks like it doesn¡¯t work. Maybe you should change your posture and do it again?¡± Lily said as she came over and poked Hao Ren¡¯s arm.


    Before the husky maiden¡¯s voice trailed off, a strange sound was suddenly heard in the cave!


    The voice sounded like a thousand screaming souls mixed with falling rocks. The walls of the cave shook as the tentacles in the walls twitched and woke up from their long dream.


    But things went just as quick as they came; the shaking subsided. The tentacles gradually stiffened as the red glow in the brain dimmed. The runes in the cave died down, and the situation in the cave returned to normal.


    The pulsation of the brain ganglion had stopped.


    Cold sweat was trickling down Hao Ren¡¯s back right down his feet.


    ¡°Holy moly! Have I just killed it?¡±

 Chapter 1143 - Yggdrasil In Recovery

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Before thrusting the Godslayer into the brain, he was prepared for all sorts of consequences. It was no ordinary sword but the weapon that killed the goddess. He was now using it to poke into Yggdrasil¡¯s brain. No one was going to believe this was surgery. Hao Ren was only able to take up the courage to do because the patient was the First Born, and Godslayer was no longer a deadly weapon.


    But he never thought Yggdrasil would stop breathing the moment he pierced the sword into its brain.


    Shocked by what had transpired, everyone was offering to help. Vivian suggested jump-starting the brain with her Lightning Strike move. Nangong Wuyue offered to stitch up the wound and resuscitate it with her Rejuvenation Magic. Galazur proposed to deep-freeze the place immediately to prevent the situation from getting worse. Nangong Sanba recommended that Hao Ren write his report right away and admit his mistake to Raven 12345. Lily was the most creative; she wanted to give Yggdrasil a pressure-point massage on the temples. But Vivian quickly slammed her to the ground.


    ¡°Find me the temples on this thing!¡± Vivian glared at Lily. ¡°If you can¡¯t think of any good suggestions, please keep your mouth shut!¡±


    As they tossed their ideas around, a squeaky, low-pitched sound came from beneath the ground.


    The tentacles of the First Born, which were still in a state of suspended animation, was waking up. The runes in the caves started to light up, and the red glow of the brain brightened up. The two connected minds were trembling as they quickly regained their luster. The small wound cut open by Godslayer rapidly healed. Seeing this, Hao Ren was delighted. ¡°Yeah, it works!¡±


    At about the same time, everyone felt a strong consciousness had awakened from the entangled tentacles. The voice of Yggdrasil sounded in their minds. ¡°I can finally see the outside world again. Hi, everyone.¡±


    ¡°You just scared the hell out of me. I thought I killed you!¡± Hao Ren breathed a long sigh of relief. ¡°Are you all right? You seem to have lost sign of life just now.¡±


    ¡°I was overly excited and passing out,¡± Yggdrasil said.


    Speechless.


    ¡°That¡¯s normal,¡± Yggdrasil said. He seemed to have no concept of embarrassment. Or rather, he did not see this as an embarrassment. ¡°I have been weak for thousands of years. My body couldn¡¯t adapt when the pressure suddenly went away.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I got it,¡± Hao Ren said, nodding his head. As for whether he understood it was another matter. ¡°So how is your condition now? Are you Yggdrasil? What about the other consciousness?¡±


    ¡°I am here.¡± A soft voice was heard coming from a group of shadows in the light that suddenly appeared in the cave.


    Hao Ren was shocked. After having a mental connection with Yggdrasil, he began to acquire a new understanding of this First Born. ¡°You could even appear in this form? How did your soul come out?¡±


    ¡°Is it difficult?¡± The light danced and moved around the cave; its voice came from all directions. ¡°Mothers designed us to be able to communicate with the world. But not all creatures could enter the dream, so communication in dreams is rather limited. So we are given the ability to venture out in the real world.¡±


    ¡°Interesting! And good to you that you still remember why you are born. I don¡¯t even remember why my mother made me,¡± Vivian said with her arms crossed.


    ¡°Ahem, let¡¯s talk about his later.¡± Hao Ren interrupted. ¡°Yggdrasil, have you¡­ both of you recovered? Is the corruption gone?¡±


    As he spoke, he looked at the dark brain. The severely lesioned organ did not look like it had fully recovered after the ¡®purification stab.¡¯ It was still black though appeared more energetic. Its dehydrated skin was now showing signs of life and the brain pulsating.


    ¡°I can feel it has left my body,¡± Yggdrasil said. ¡°It has completely disappeared. An external force has washed it away. I believe that your treatment has worked, but I am afraid the lesioned organs could no longer heal. Some could be reborn, but those parts connected with the brain would won¡¯t heal. Ahh, it doesn¡¯t matter. I can feel they are working normally. Though they may look a bit weird, I have fully recovered.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good.¡± Hao Ren said, nodding his head. Everyone began to breathe a sigh of relief.


    ¡°I have a little request,¡± Yggdrasil said suddenly. ¡°It¡¯s just a little favor from you.¡±


    Hao Ren was very curious: ¡°What can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°Could you please put my brain back in the cavity? It¡¯s a little cold out here.¡±


    Speechless.


    Looking at the two brains dangling on the outside, Nangong Wuyue suddenly felt like throwing up.


    Hao Ren hurriedly ordered the autonomous robots to put the two brains of Yggdrasil back into the cavity and stitched up the wound with a welding torch. Nangong Wuyue slithered around the large organ in the center of the cave, healing it with her magic.


    Yggdrasil, overdosed with almost half a ton of sedatives, was unable to self-heal.


    Yggdrasil was so weak and numb that he could hardly locate where all his limbs were. The tentacles in Asgard and Vanir felt so distant away that it was as if they had disappeared. The illness of thousands of years had taken a toll on him. The World Tree was going to take a long time before he could fully recover.


    The source of the debilitating contamination had been cleaned up. The Yggdrasil¡¯s health would not deteriorate any more. The First Born was now certified sound mentally and communicable. Everything seemed to have gone so unbelievably smoothly, Hao Ren thought.


    ¡°I was in a daze and didn¡¯t know what was going on earlier,¡± Yggdrasil said, surprised to learn that he had flown halfway across the galaxy. ¡°I was so tied up with the corruption and the guy I created, and barely knowing what was happening on the outside.¡±


    ¡°Do you know Twilight Capital?¡±


    Knowing that the ¡®treatment¡¯ was a success, Hao Ren finally asked the most pertinent question.


    Hao Ren¡¯s priority was to find Ymir¡¯s spaceship and the truth about the deicidal war. He was interested in the runic body and the Great Absolution that Yggdrasil mentioned. But before that, he must first ensure the safety of Twilight Capital: Odin was still waiting on the Iron Throne.


    ¡°Ahh, Twilight Capital¡­¡± Yggdrasil said. ¡°It¡¯s a miracle of life. It even amazes the guardians that anyone could survive in that place. I have to thank the city; without it, I could not possibly persevere for so long.¡±


    ¡°Why do you say so?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°Mother created me with the mission to protect the world.¡± Yggdrasil¡¯s voice was calm, utterly different from the delirium he had shown in the dark ocean. ¡°That city was my spiritual support. I could barely ¡®see¡¯ it, but I knew the shelter was there and the people depended on me to survive. Knowing that I knew I couldn¡¯t give up lest there wouldn¡¯t be any hope left. Sometimes when I felt I could no longer keep going, I would dream. In the dream, I could hear the souls in Twilight Capital talking; I could even hear a person called Odin, who seemed to have been trapped in a chair, thinking. He was enduring all the hardship, just like me, to protect something. Since he could do it, so did I, I thought to myself. That was how I survive all these years; otherwise, I would have given up.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you know that the ecosystem in Asgard survived?¡± Nangong Sanba asked.


    ¡°Long before the Twilight of the Gods, my bad health had affected my distal limbs, and I couldn¡¯t sense the existence of Asgard anymore. If not for you telling me, I would have thought that both Asgard and Vanir had gone.¡± Yggdrasil sounded helpless.

 Chapter 1144 - Whitey

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    When Yggdrasil regained its sanity, everything suddenly became extremely simple.


    What worried Hao Ren most while operating in the Nine Worlds came down to three things: what if the big guy in the underground suddenly woke up? What if it woke up grumpy? What if it was a mad First Born? These were the ball and chain, which made them even not dare to get technical support. They were treading on thin ice when they came to Niebelungen investigating the source of the corruption.


    But now these problems were no longer problems because when the big guy in the underground woke up, it was emotionally stable and showing no violent tendencies. To Hao Ren, it was a successful treatment. But what he had done was only cutting a hole in the patient¡¯s brain with a meter-long sword. And he had thought highly of himself already.


    He could now safely relocate the refugees in Twilight Capital.


    Leaving aside the detailed processes and how he could persuade the people to evacuate, he did not have to worry about Yggdrasil running amok anymore.


    ¡°Fortunately, you did not act recklessly!¡± Yggdrasil exclaimed after hearing about Hao Ren¡¯s plan for Twilight Capital. ¡°With my state of mind at the time, all my actions were conditioned responses. Any slightly bigger movement would have caused a lot of problems. But now you don¡¯t have to worry about that as I will do my best to facilitate your operation. Though I am still weak, merely keeping Midgard stable is not a problem at all.¡±


    Another voice came from the corner of the cave. ¡°Instead of evacuating people out of Twilight Capital using transport ship, I have another idea.¡±


    Hao Ren turned his head around. The one speaking was the shadow in the light¡ªto cleanse himself, Yggdrasil had created another soul. This spare soul was a quiet guy. Other than introducing itself in the beginning, it had been hovering quietly in the corner of the cave all this while. Its only activity was watching the little mermaid jump around. When it spoke, everyone looked at it curiously.


    ¡°The biggest threat to Midgard is not dust but magic radiation. It is energy radiation caused by the arcane forces lingering in the atmosphere. Apart from these magical forces, everything else is pretty easy to solve. At least they are lethal.¡± The shadow in the light spoke softly, almost like it carried some rhythm. ¡°The runic body of Yggdrasil could absorb these magic powers. When Mother created this body, she wanted the body to live as long as it could get and so she had designed many survival abilities, which were beyond the comprehension of the ordinary races. Many such abilities were above the capability of the ordinary guardians. Extracting energy from stars, devouring the rarefied matters in the universe, and absorbing the free energy in the surroundings are something the runic body could do.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes!¡± Hao Ren suddenly clapped his hands. ¡°We found you hanging on the side of Chattar star slurping its energy. I have just wanted to ask what model you are, the First Borns in the Plane of Dreams aren¡¯t as powerful as you are. When you speak of the runic body, are you referring to the silver runes on the branches of the body of the rune you said are the silver runes on the branch of Yggdrasil? Did the goddess of creation deliberately create those things?¡±


    ¡°Of course it is my mother¡¯s design. Those runes have extraordinary power and functions. It¡¯s not as simple as drawing energy and empowerment. I will explain this to you if I have the chance, but now, let¡¯s solve the problem of Twilight Capital.¡±


    ¡°I got what you mean; Yggdrasil could purify the magic radiation of Midgard, am I right?¡± Vivian¡¯s brows arched. ¡°It is one of our alternative plans. At first, we had this plan when we came to Niebelungen. If we could let the World Tree recover, we might be able to rebuild the Nine Worlds with the strength of the First Born.¡±


    ¡°Rebuilding the Nine Worlds¡­ I might be able to do it before I e was weakened,¡± Yggdrasil said helplessly. ¡°But now I¡¯m finding it hard to cleanse Midgard, let alone rebuilding the Nine Worlds. I could probably cleanse 70% of the Midgard dimension and create an ecosystem around Twilight Capital, but I¡¯m helpless when it comes to more remote places. Most of the world is still desolate. The other kingdoms, except for Asgard, which is not damaged, I am unable to do anything about them. But I think it is sufficient: you only have to evacuate the city, I can provide you with a habitable environment equivalent to a hundred times the size of Twilight Capital.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s more than enough!¡± Hao Ren was delighted. ¡°As long as we can clear out Twilight Capital and get the spaceship out. I am here for this.¡±


    ¡°But there is a problem that I am not sure if you have thought about,¡± Yggdrasil said out of concern. ¡°It¡¯s not that easy to move the entire city, let alone put it into an undeveloped natural environment. It may not be a problem at first, but soon people will fall into chaos: social problems will arise and become a complicated topic. I have seen people studying it for a long time, and yet I can¡¯t understand how it works.¡±


    ¡°Not to worry about that. You should ask me what my expertise is,¡± Hao Ren said with his nose in the air.


    Galazur¡¯s eyes instantly brightened up. But before she could utter anything, Hao Ren said, ¡°Ahem, I am a house-moving expert.¡±


    Galazur pouted and looked away. ¡°Humph.¡±


    Galazur, the dragon queen, the most potent ancient creature on a planet, the ruler of the dragon empire, the ancestor of the draconian language who was deeply feared by the magicians. By tirelessly propagating Hao Ren as the Demolition Man, ruining her image in the process.


    At last, Hao Ren finally finalized the details of their next course of action with Yggdrasil. He returned to Twilight Capital to tell Odin about the good news.


    This time, he brought along another person: the spare soul of Yggdrasil.


    Oh, yes, that was the group of light.


    The land of Midgard was still shrouded in darkness and radiation, and the shroud of Twilight Capital was already in sight. Hao Ren and his entourage climbed onto a small hill, which could be a millennial weathered ancient melted castle, just outside the city. From here, they could see the distant branches of the World Tree slowly moved. Yggdrasil was gradually regaining control of its body; it had to quickly adapt to this sober feeling because soon, the purification process would begin.


    The formless light was floating around Hao Ren and had now shrunken to the size of an ordinary human.


    Where the branches of Yggdrasil could reach, there its soul would be. Now Yggdrasil had two souls, and it was much more convenient to him. It was a blessing in disguise; when the principal soul was busy recuperating, the spare soul could follow Hao Ren around.


    ¡°The runic body has been silent for too long, the condition of the distal limbs is not looking good. It has been for hundreds of years that we have difficulty feeling that part of our body,¡± The spare soul, the sound of the light, said in a pleasant voice. ¡°The situation in Midgard is better as it is relatively close to the principal thinking organ. The situation of Asgard is terrible as its brain has completely withered and died in the early struggles of the two souls. Even if it is to be reborn now, it will take years before it could function.¡±


    Hao Ren listened on, curiously watching the light around him. ¡°I think I should give you a name and not calling you Yggdrasil anymore.¡±


    The light mumbled. Like Zorm, a creature such as the First Born had no concept of names. It found that the name Yggdrasil was good enough and did not see it wrong to be called the same name as the principal soul.


    ¡°It¡¯s confusing without a unique name. I have a problem in differentiating you from the Heart of Darkness already.¡± Hao Ren spread out his hand. ¡°Why don¡¯t I name you Whitey or the other soul Blackie? Together you two are Yggdrasil.¡±


    This idea had aroused strong opposition. But before everyone could object, the bright light moved around Hao Ren and said, ¡°Well, then I will be Whitey.¡±


    Nangong Sanba smacked himself on the face. ¡°Mr. Landlord is at it again, and it¡¯s too late to stop him.¡±


    Vivian sighed. ¡°Fortunately, the person concerned is okay with the name.¡±

 Chapter 1145 - Returning to Twilight Capital

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The shroud was still the same as ever. It was always the same Twilight Capital of yesterday. The same was for the steampunks and the Twilight Guards. Of course, these people had somewhat changed since they first met. Now they had a bandage on their heads. Some of them had dressing from the head right down to the hip. Hao Ren sighed. They should have just gone home instead of giving Galazur a standing ovation.


    To Galazur, this was not a big deal. She was a dragon queen and an inspector with thousands of years of experience. What was it like having thousands of years of experience? ¡°Veteran¡± was not a good enough word to describe him. Hundreds of Twilight Guards, injured and resentful, lined up on both sides of the avenue as Galazur and Anthony Alfonso strode past them. They praised the guards, who they had beaten black and blue only a while ago. ¡°Not bad, young man. You fought well.¡±


    ¡°You are all brave men. My respects to you.¡±


    ¡°Good job, soldiers!¡±


    ¡°Young man, you look very talented. Are you interested in learning magic from me?¡±


    Odin had woken up from his hundreds of years of unconsciousness. This great Ancient Sage had regained control of the city very quickly as the Twilight Guards had now returned to the Iron Throne. After a simple conversation between Hao Ren and Odin, they returned to the city through the main entrance of Twilight Capital. The Steam Assembly was enthusiastic and welcoming¨C whether it was voluntary or not was an entirely different matter. City¡¯s guards lined up on the railway track to meet the foreign heroes returning from Niebelungen. The railway track was used to be via where the Lightseekers set off their journey. On both sides of the track, army of steam chariots and armored soldiers gathered and stretched out into the distance. Residents living in the outer zone peeked from behind the buildings, cautiously watching what was going on the avenue. These miners, who had been living a monotonous life and had never seen a scene like this, felt helpless.


    Looking at Galazur and Anthony Alfonso walking past and talking to the Twilight Guards without the slightest sense of awkwardness, Hao Ren felt a little embarrassed. He pulled the sleeve of the dragon queen from behind and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you feel it weird to suddenly get so close to them whom we beat up just not long ago?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Galazur said. ¡°I am sincere. Though these guys are a bit indiscriminate, they are tough. I have been through many battles, and yet I have never seen anyone like them. They didn¡¯t flinch a bit even when I came down in my dragon form. Hey, they are a bunch of good soldiers.¡±


    Listening, Hao Ren did not say anything but pout. He then looked at the old magician, who was raring to recruit his next apprentice, he suddenly felt that Galazur was so much more down to earth.


    Among those who were ordered to attend this welcome ceremony were Steam6 and the robotic spiders. These large and fearsome black-iron machines tucked their robotic arms and crouched on both sides of the steel rails like small fortresses. Their multiple pairs of compound eyes were flashing in red light, cautiously watching Hao Ren and his entourage passing in front of them. These elite special forces did not take full orders from the Steam Assembly. Their only mission was to protect the city from jeopardy. These massive machines remained cautious of these ¡®invaders.¡¯


    One of the spider robots was suddenly stunned and stepped back when seeing a little guy in Hao Ren¡¯s team walking past it. Its significant movement had caught Hao Ren¡¯s eyes. He glanced up. The robotic leg of the spider was new. Not far behind him, the little demon Y¡¯lisabet smirked as she walked next to Y¡¯zaks, holding a complex mechanical sphere, which was a gyroscope she had removed from the belly of the spider robot. As for the robotic leg that the little girl had plucked earlier, it remained in Hao Ren¡¯s dimensional pocket.


    Nangong Wuyue covered her face with her hand and sighed, ¡°I feel like we owe them an apology.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± Nangong Sanba said with his arms crossed. ¡°We were here to help. They were attacking us.¡±


    The half-baked demon hunter was the only one injured in the last battle. He was caught up in her sister¡¯s tail and smashed to a pillar. He was still full of resentment now.


    Coming to the end of the welcome lineup, Hao Ren saw a small group of people, many of whom were in the uniforms of the Steam Assembly and seemed to be high-level officers. The others were wearing a black robe with a thorny crown on their heads. No doubt, they were Odin¡¯s spokespersons, the caregivers.


    , There had been a power transfer in the city judging from the composition of this small group of people. But the power transfer completed in such a short time could have involved much internal power play unknown to outsiders.


    Lily stretched her neck, looking at the Steam Assembly members and then said regretfully to Wendell, ¡°Old man, your bad son is not here.¡±


    Wendell just smiled back helplessly. ¡°Hope is just a small fry security officer, not eligible to appear here. And I guess he doesn¡¯t want to see me too.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know how it feels when the understanding of the world suddenly turns upside down,¡± Lily said. ¡°I was devastated when I first learned that I was a husky. Losing sleep for pretty much the first half of the night, but I quickly forgot about it in the second half.¡±


    Wendell was struck dumb.


    ¡°Angelica,¡± Hao Ren called out as he came before a small group of people and found an acquaintance. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the ancient sage to get things done so quickly. I thought he would need a day or two to negotiate with the Steam Assembly.¡±


    Angelica smiled gently. She did not give him a direct answer. ¡°The ancient sage is the foundation of the city.¡±


    Lily could not help but sniffle as she approached the caregiver. There were a few weird caregivers behind Angelica, all wearing black steel masks on their faces, black robe on their bodies, and the crown on the head was not thorn but a spear tips-like decoration. Lily had sensed a hint of blood on them.


    Hao Ren also smelled it. He looked at Steam Assembly members around Angelica but did not know how the former members looked. If he did, he would have known that one-third of the former high-ranking members were not here.


    Though he did not know what was going on inside the Steam Assembly, he had guessed something.


    After hundreds of years of silence of the ancient sage, members of the Steam Assembly had forgotten who the real ruler of the city was. That was the nature of humanity. In the eyes of the short-lived human being, a king that had never spoken for a few hundred years was an ancient legend already. If not for the Twilight Shroud that was still glowing above their heads, people would even question the existence of the ancient sage. This tendency was not only confined to the general public but also in the Steam Assembly.


    Those people in the Steam Assembly with this tendency were even more stubborn: they had the power in their hands, which made them even more reluctant to take orders from the ancient sage who woke up out of a sudden.


    Human beings were as fickle as the weather.


    But no matter what, rationality still prevailed in most people. The same was right in the Steam Assembly. The city was entirely back to the control of the ancient sage and its caregivers before Hao Ren, and his team returned from Niebelungen. Odin had paved the way for Hao Ren.


    A bright light suddenly came out from behind Hao Ren. It circled them before strolling around the place while mumbled, ¡°This place looks different seeing from another angle.¡±


    Members of the Steam Assembly was shocked by the sudden appearance of this unknown being. People here had not yet fully recovered from the aftershock since the ancient sage woke up. Hao Ren quickly said, ¡°Don¡¯t be alarmed by the soul of the World Tree. Whitey, don¡¯t run around. This place is full of steam engines. I wouldn¡¯t be able to find you if you fall into the steam.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue sighed, ¡°The soul of the World Tree has become Whitey.¡±


    The leader of the Steam Assembly was a middle-aged woman with a serious face named Lavinia.


    ¡°The weather will clear up in twenty-four hours. When that happens, be prepared, the city will soon be inhabitable.¡±

 Chapter 1146 - The Dawn

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The return of the ancient sage did not mean the demise of the Steam Assembly. Though Odin was the highest authority of the city, members of the Steam Assembly were the ones who ran the government. They had managed the city for thousands of years and knew the social issues inside out. If the planned relocation was to go on smoothly, the role of the Steam Assembly was indispensable.


    Lavinia, the leader of the Steam Assembly, was a total stranger to Hao Ren. But judging from the attitude of Angelica and the words of Wendell, this unsmiling woman was trustworthy, just, powerful, obsessed with dignity, and extremely loyal to the ancient sage, which was why she was still the highest spokesperson of the Steam Assembly even after Odin woke up as everyone trusted her.


    Others might not understand what Hao Ren said. They had to ponder and let the words sink in slowly. But not Lavinia, who just nodded indifferently.


    Of course, deep inside her, she had doubts.


    ¡°Your ancient sage will personally tell you the details,¡± Hao Ren said, spreading out his hand. ¡°We are going to see him now. Let these men go home. They won¡¯t be of help here. What¡¯s more, with all bandage on them, it becomes a nuisance.¡±


    The last time they came to Odin¡¯s Iron Throne, there was fierce resistance. They had drawn all the hatred towards themselves as they stormed in. But this time, it was different. The leader of the Steam Assembly and several senior members were personally accompanying them to the lower city. In the sanctuary, Odin still sat on his Iron Throne, waiting for news from Niebelungen.


    ¡°There is no more corruption,¡± Hao Ren told Odin directly. He then pointed to the bright light floating on the roof. ¡°This is the soul of the World Tree Yggdrasil Whitey. I brought him out of the chaotic dream.¡±


    As expected, Odin was surprised that the World Tree had another name called Whitey. Vivian told Odin that the World Tree had schizophrenia and his other personality was Blackie. They had only given him these names two hours ago.


    Odin is no stranger to the soul of Yggdrasil. Though he had not seen Yggdrasil, he had been in contact with the World Tree many times in his chaotic dreams. One was an old, dying alien sealed in the crystal; one was a demigod guardian corrupted by the ancient curse, who was about to give himself up. The two near-turnips became good friends despite their differences in age. When Hao Ren about to introduce them to each other, Odin interrupted him. ¡°We know each other. We have been friends in spirit for a long time.¡±


    Probably Odin was the only one who could use ¡®friend in spirit¡¯ so aptly in this world.


    ¡°What you did in Niebelungen deserves to go down as the greatest feat in history.¡± Odin was not sure how Hao Ren solved the corruption problem of the World Tree, but for what he could understand, it must have been a heroic battle of the century. ¡°Thanks for saving the world and the World Tree Yggdrasil will be reborn.¡±


    Recalling how he wielded McStabby and stabbed it into Blackie¡¯s brain, and now that it was called the greatest feat in history had him quietly feeling embarrassed. ¡°Ahem, shall we talk about this later? The key question now is how to evacuate the people of Twilight Capital quickly. We have already discussed with Yggdrasil, and he will purify the environment of Midgard and rebuild the hinterland of this continent around Twilight Capital into a habitable zone. After that, I need your help to evacuate the residents out of this city.¡±


    ¡°I will arrange it,¡± Odin said. ¡°But I am afraid that it will take a while. There are millions of people in Twilight Capital. They have been living here for generations. Not only do they have their family and career here, but the technology and culture. Do they have to give up all these?¡±


    ¡°Of course, they don¡¯t have to,¡± said Hao Ren, the landlord had all these covered. ¡°I¡¯ve moved an even larger group of people and never left anything behind. At least, well, most of the things. You can rest assured that we will arrange large machinery to help the city move. The steam units and factories will be cut and moved out. We will arrange for personnel to ensure that the equipment will still be functional. People of Twilight Capital need not have to eat grass after the evacuation. We will even take care of the intangible cultural heritage. We foresee that the damage the city may suffer during the process of extracting the spacecraft will be limited to the central area. Moving the residents is out of safety. After all, Twilight Shroud has been running for two thousand years; once it is shut down, the result will be disastrous, not to mention the ancient spaceship has long past its warranty period.¡±


    Galazur frowned. ¡°We will not resort to such method if we have other alternatives. Not only is the operation complicated, but it is also difficult for people to give up their family and career. But we have all scenarios calculated, and it would be impossible to properly study the spaceship without risking shutting down the Twilight Shroud. So the best way is to move the people out. This city is not going to last very long anyway.¡±


    Anthony Alfonso nodded. ¡°I have checked the magic energy in the city. The one-hundred-year runes used to reduce physical weight has failed. The subsidence of the lower city is severe, and the stability of the upper structure is almost at the limit. Some of the urban areas have serious leakages of toxic substances. For those in urban areas, it is no safer than going into the wilderness.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Odin¡¯s voice came from all directions. ¡°So, let¡¯s start the work.¡±


    Odin issued the evacuation order to every corner of the ancient city.


    News of the opening of the shroud and the coming of the dawn had also quickly spread.


    An evacuation order was not typical since the establishment of Twilight Capital. It was unheard of by anyone living in the city. For the mortals, the world outside Twilight Capital was no different from a legend. The word ¡°dawn¡± was only a mysterious vocabulary repeatedly mentioned in the scholar¡¯s books. People were living in this steel jungle, steam engines, gears, workshop platforms, dark alleys, large crypts. These were all of their lives and all of their world. But now this little world was about to come to an end as the announcement from the Steam Assembly had everyone looking up from their busy and boring life, confusedly watching the familiarly turbid city dome.


    They wondered, was the night gone?


    Commotions started to rise in every corner of the city as millions of survivors living in the caged environment suddenly found themselves seeing the arrival of freedom. But their first reaction was not ecstatic but slightly confused. Few could understand the real meaning of the evacuation order. More chose to go on the streets, and flock to the agencies of Steam Assembly in various parts of the city, wanting to figure out what happened.


    The Steam Assembly was well prepared. The city¡¯s earliest builders and rule-makers (including Odin) did not give up the possibility of leaving the shelter from the beginning. They had devised various response measures and system about ¡°the coming of the dawn.¡± Before chaos set in, the security and propaganda officers of the Steam Assembly were already in standby in the densely populated places, reorganizing the social order and explaining the evacuation plan. Others had come to the essential facilities in the deepest part of the city¡ª the boiler, the intermediate gear set, and the pressure pipe control area¡ªto take over the control of these critical organs in the name of the ¡°Emergency Management Regulations.¡±


    As the dust settled, Galazur had to return to her kingdom.


    The dragon queen had enough workforce at home, and she was going bring them over to help with the evacuation, so Hao Ren did not have to worry about how to move the massive equipment in Twilight Capital.

 Chapter 1147 - Take a Deep Breath

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Top platform, Twilight Capital.


    The pale yellow shroud, as always, glowed with a turbid and mysterious light, covering the city. Outside the Twilight Shroud, Midgard¡¯s sky was still dark and cloudy. Under the dark sky, visibility was still poor, but the strange patterns formed by the thick clouds were still visible.


    The high-ranking members of the Steam Assembly, the caregivers of the Iron Throne, the small team of Hao Ren, and some other highly respected people in the city had gathered on the platform. They all looked at the dark sky, and the desolate land in the distant, but not all of them had the same minds. Not far behind them was the big elevator platform where a fight broke out not long ago. Though the smoke of the battle had dissipated, a very unpleasant smell was still lingering around. It smelt of burned gunpowder and oil. Lily looked a little listless, hanging around Hao Ren with her ears drooped and her tail sweeping on his arm. ¡°Mr. Landlord, I¡¯m hungry. Have you done yet?¡±


    Hao Ren handed Lily a pack of snacks while he continued to gaze up into the rolling shadows in the distant horizon. These shadows looked like mountains, but actually, they were not. The faint red glow and the silhouette of the terrain were the only visible backdrop in the wilderness. The shape of the ¡®mountains¡¯ had not changed, but Hao Ren knew that a powerful force was lurking in there.


    It was the runic body of Yggdrasil, the First Born.


    He looked up at the city again. Through the thin light curtain of the Twilight Shroud, he saw a vague white light dancing in the clouds. It was the second soul of Yggdrasil¡ªWhitey. Though Whitey sounded a bit weird, Hao Ren was not going to change it. Now, this soul was looking at Midgard through a unique third-party perspective, ready for the next action. After thousands of years of constant debilitation, Yggdrasil¡¯s control over its body was obtuse. Without the assistance of a second soul, it would be difficult for him to find any of its limbs that stretched thousands of kilometers in length.


    Hao Ren had no idea how the principle worked. He just felt that the First Born was a fantastic creature in every aspect.


    Wendell and Hao Ren stood together on the edge of the platform, waiting for the particular moment. The old Lightseeker had recovered from the initial excitement, joy, and uneasiness. He only felt calm anticipation. While it was still dark, he curiously asked, ¡°What will it look like when dawn arrives?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue smiled. ¡°Haven¡¯t you seen the video?¡±


    Wendell thought for a moment. He shook his head with a smile. ¡°I couldn¡¯t imagine how it looks when light shines on the land. I hope it will not be too glaring.¡±


    At this time, a slightly strange female voice came from behind Hao Ren. ¡°Is the dawn coming as you say?¡±


    Hao Ren turned to look. Standing behind him was the leader of the Steam Assembly, Lavinia. The somber woman had put on very formal wear, slightly made up, and looked prettier than before. She was gazing out into the distance, but seemingly not focusing outside the Twilight Shroud.


    Hao Ren did not like this leader of the Steam Assembly. He knew that the Steam Assembly was a respectable institution and its members standing here were proprietarians who followed the ancient sage, but perhaps because of the previous unpleasant experience, he was not impressed with the stereotypical and overly-cautious attitudes of the Steam Assembly. Nevertheless, he still nodded politely. ¡°Of course. Do you think the ancient sage will lie to you?¡± he said.


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t like the Steam Assembly, you foreigner,¡± said Lavinia with a faint smile. ¡°Many people don¡¯t like us, including ourselves. But I hope you can understand that governing this city is very difficult. We could only choose the most rational way.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded gently. ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°I was the one issued the order to disband the Lightseeker expedition team,¡± Lavinia said. ¡°It turned out that this order was not that smart.¡±


    ¡°But it was not wrong,¡± Vivian was heard saying as she suddenly came up from nowhere. ¡°You sound like trying to defend the Steam Assembly.¡±


    Lavinia was silent for a moment before nodding slightly. ¡°Maybe, but more importantly, I hope that you can understand no one wants to see the lights under this shroud to go out. But some people chose to be brave, using the remaining fuel to ignite new fires or look for new fuels in the darkness. Some people opted to be cautious and reluctant to give up the last bit of firewood in the brazier. When the dawn arrives, the Steam Assembly probably will come to an end. I know you guys are having a good relationship with the ancient sage, so I only have one expectation: don¡¯t blame those who refuse to let go the seed of fire, they were just careful.¡±


    ¡°Who told you that the Steam Assembly would be dissolved?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s eyebrows arched. His words finally startled Lavinia.


    ¡°You mean¡­¡±


    The assembly leader spoke. But she choked her word; something happened outside the Twilight Shroud had everyone hold their breath.


    A vibration that grew in intensity hit the earth as if a thousand beasts were running across the land and gradually spreading throughout all corners of Midgard. At the end of the horizon, the silhouette of the black mountains began to move. They drifted, undulated, shook, and eventually shook off the earth and rock that buried them for the last thousands of years. As the rock layer on the mountains fell off, roots of the World Tree, covered in white runes, emerged.


    These great roots had broken free from the earth. Their awakening had brought up smaller vines from the ground. These tentacles of the First Born were shimmering with mysterious ancient runes as they moved slowly on the desolate land. It felt creepy as all of this was happening against the backdrop of a turbid, long night.


    The dawn of Twilight Capital began with the horrible dancing of tens of thousands of tentacles.


    Looking at the scene, Vivian could not help but sigh. ¡°If not for I already know Blackie is a good boy, I would have thought that this horror movie.¡±


    There was a commotion on the steel platform. The sights on the far side of the earth were even more incredible than the most bizarre dreams for those who lived a tedious and stressful life in the city. The huge vines that shook the ground as they stretched out into the sky were even more bizarre. Though Whitey had directed the tentacles to keep away from the foundation of Twilight Capital, the vibration from a distance still made the city folks break out in cold sweat. Even the calm leader of the Steam Assembly could not help herself. ¡°Oh, my ancestors!¡± she exclaimed.


    The tissues of the First Born completely recovered their functions when the tentacles had awakened to a certain extent. Then Yggdrasil took a deep breath.


    The mysterious runes on the tentacles had turned even several times brighter now as the waves of tentacles stirred the magic energy in the atmosphere, creating a colorful pattern of light in the air before being quickly absorbed by the runes on the tentacles. This absorption process became faster and more evident for dozens of minutes before evolving into a massive vortex in the sky.


    As if the cloudy sky was punctured, there was as a dozen holes appeared in the air. The powerful magic energy had formed into a storm, which was then devoured by the roots of the World Tree. As the energy system on the upper part of the otherworldly dimension began to restore, the long-lost skylight started to pierce through the clouds and sprinkle a little on the earth.


    Along with the purification of the atmosphere, more amazing changes gradually spread to every corner of the earth.


    ¡°Look over there!¡±


    Nangong Wuyue, who coiled herself up all this while, looked into the distance. When she first saw the scene on the wilderness outside the city, she could not help herself.


    In the barren wilderness, vegetation began to multiply.


    For the guardians of all sentient beings, rebuilding the ecosystem was the inborn mission of the First Born. For super lifeforms like Yggdrasil, this ability was in its DNA. The magic radiation had killed all lives but had not taken away the nutrients in the soil. Yggdrasil¡¯s deep breath had not only cleared the magical energy in the atmosphere but also accumulated and transformed the nutrients into the forms whose lives needed to thrive.


    When nutrient accumulation reached a certain level, the First Born split some of its tentacles. Lifeblood began to flow out, and the land turned into lush green wherever it reached.


    From this point alone, it was clear that Yggdrasil was a lot more potent than the ¡®mass-produced¡¯ First Borns like Zorm.


    Somehow, Hao Ren felt like the scene looked more like a carnival of tentacles.

 Chapter 1148 - Here Come the Dragons

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°When the great Yggdrasil woke up from its 2,000 years of slumber, its roots tore the earth open as it grew and spread out into the sky. Light pierced through the clouds into the world, bringing dawn to Midgard. As the sap of the World Tree flowed out into the world, lush vegetation grew, turning the barren land into a lush forest. ¨C New Genesis: The Dawn.¡±


    That was how the Midgard people would describe the dawn, years later. The literati would use the most magnificent words to describe what they saw, but Hao Ren¡¯s record in his workbook was so much simpler.


    ¡°The tentacles of Blackie covered the whole land. As these tentacles waved around, the sky began to brighten up. It was dawn. These tentacles, which covered the land earlier, turned into the prairie and black forest at the border.¡±


    The members of the Steam Assembly and leaders of the various communities in Twilight Capital stood on the steel platform. They were all stunned by what happened before their eyes. What happened outside the Twilight Shroud was utterly beyond their understanding. Apart from a small number of scholars who are the most traditional and unpopular, most people in this city had never imagined what it would be like as the long night ended. ¡°The end of the night¡± was always a vague concept. It was nothing more than a dry vocabulary such as chaos, radiance, and recovery of all things. The ancestors lived under the energy shroud could never grasp the meaning of these words. What was radiance? What was recovery? What was the forest? What was grassland? No one knew.


    Only when the people of Twilight Capital witnessed things personally, they quickly grasped what dawn was.


    ¡°The long night is over! The long night is over.¡±


    Exclamations rose on the platform. Some high-ranking Steam Assembly members and scholars recovered from their stunned minds and muttered quietly among themselves. Cheers of excitement rose. Even the solemn Steam Assembly could not help themselves. Soon the atmosphere of excitement quickly spread into out from the steel.


    All residents living in the upper city began to cheer.


    But the loud noise of the ¡°rebirth of the world¡± was drowning out the cheers of excitement. The transformation outside the Twilight Shroud was still going on. Lush vegetation sprouted with the nourishment of the lifeblood, even the sound of trees growing was a deafening roar. The earth transformed as Yggdrasil moved his tentacles. He was repairing the earth layers that had become fragile and unstable as a result of the mysterious explosion. Cavities were filled, and fissures healed. New rivers and plains were taking shape, and water from the aquifer was purified and discharged onto the surface, forming into waterways. Some of the tentacles were reaching into the sky to regulate the atmosphere to prepare for the first rain in the new world.


    The First Borns were playing their roles. They maintained the ecological environment on the land. Though they were powerful and looked terrifying, their hideous tentacles were never born for killing.


    The sights outside the city were so amazing that the inhabitants of Twilight Capital had not noticed one thing: the pale yellow energy shroud that had enveloped the city for thousands of years had disappeared. The light shining on their faces was of the long-awaited natural skylight.


    In the outer zone of Twilight Capital, the steam locomotive supervisor Borcen was standing on his favorite locomotive. He felt a breeze blowing on his face for the first time in his life. There was no smoke, no pungent oily smell, only the scents from the indescribable plant and earth. Borcen sniffled with his red nose in the breeze. Looking up into the sky, he saw the clouds clearing up and the sky shining. The Twilight Shroud had gone.


    ¡°Oh, my ancestors!¡±


    While transformation was ongoing in Midgard, Hao Ren saw some blurry black spots in the direction of Rainbow Bridge.


    Those black spots flew in the air under the backdrop of the skylight and got closer and closer as if gods rode on the glory of the dawn onto the earth. When the black spots were close enough, he finally saw what those were: they were dragons flying in formation.


    The golden dragon was leading in front followed by hundreds of dragons of various colors. There were so many of them that they almost covered the entire sky. As the first radiance of the new dawn shone, they rapidly approached Twilight Capital.


    ¡°Dragon! The dragons are coming!¡± Someone on the platform screamed. ¡°The descendants of Nidhogg are coming!¡±


    The scream came from some impulsive and timid guy. But it the people of Twilight Capital got the jitters of horror tales.


    On the verge of chaos and just when Hao Ren as about to step forward to clarify things up, a shrill of a female came from not afar. ¡°Calm down! Throw the hysteric out!¡±


    It was Lavinia, the leader of the Steam Assembly, speaking. Everyone on the platform instantly became quiet.


    ¡°They are our people, the men of Galazur that I have mentioned earlier,¡± Hao Ren explained. He had told her about these dragons. But he did not expect Galazur would bring so many of them in a formation. Worse still, these dragons consisted of a variety of species and half of them were of black dragons!


    Galazur was the head of all these five different colors of dragons.


    The mighty dragon formation came from the horizon. Under the super-charging of mysterious draconian magic, their speed was much faster than it seemed. Almost instantaneously, this flying army had arrived above Twilight Capital. The golden dragon led a few dragons, which appeared like heads of their respective species, descending in a spiral. Hao Ren heard the loud voice of Galazur.


    ¡°Get out of my way! Those who are slower don¡¯t try to go to the front! Clear some landing space for me! Those of you coming from behind, please find yourself some places and hang there if you can¡¯t find any landing space. Those towers are solid enough to hold your weights; I have tried them before.¡±


    Equipped with a translation plug-in, Hao Ren could understand what the dragon was saying. But the ordinary people had no clue what it meant. They only heard the golden dragon was roaring as she descended. Most faces pale, particularly a few high-ranking members of the Steam Assembly were already quaking in their boots.


    The members of the assembly, face pale, watched as the dragons landed and lined up on the edge of the steel platform. Some of the dragons had to move aside to clear some space for those coming from behind. Those smaller dragons landed and hung on the towers around the platform as instructed by the golden dragon.


    ¡°You can proceed with the next phase,¡± Hao Ren said. His brows arched when he saw a small green dragon hanging from a tower began to gnaw the steel beam curiously. But he turned to the Steam Assembly members and said, ¡°As what we have discussed, you all will evacuate the people, while the Twilight Guards will move out the resources. These dragons will help you to move the big boilers.¡±


    After the members of the Steam Assembly left, Galazur, who had transformed into a human now, strode up to Hao Ren. Following behind her was a blue-eyed, blue-haired beautiful girl wearing a long blue dress with fine scales on her cheeks.


    ¡°She is the helper.¡± The dragon queen put on a broad smile and patted Hao Ren on his shoulder.


    The blue-haired girl, appearing a little shy, smiled and bowed slightly at Hao Ren as a sign of respect. She did not say anything.


    ¡°Oh, she is Shirley, a kindergarten teacher in my homeworld. She¡¯s come to help.¡±


    Vivian, brows knit together, looked at the dragons lined up on the steel platform. ¡°We thought you all come in human form! With many dragons flew in from the sky, the city is going to fall into panic.¡±


    Galazur shrugged helplessly. ¡°I can¡¯t help it. They are all baby dragons, and few have mastered the skill of shapeshifting.¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned. ¡°Baby dragons? You brought a bevy of baby dragons?¡±


    Galazur turned her head around and looked at the noisy baby dragons hanging from the towers. ¡°By coming here and moving a few bricks, they would get an additional ten marks in their final exam. So they didn¡¯t ask where and what. Where can I find such a readily available pool of good labors?¡±


    Speechless.


    It looked like the world of the dragons had such practices as well.

 Chapter 1149 - Deserving of the Reputation

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Regardless of how Galazur duped the baby dragons into working as cheap labor, these baby dragons had the magical strength to perform the job even though they were all under the age of 1,000 years old. Hence the biggest relocation in the history of Twilight Capital began.


    Odin had left the Iron Throne with the help of Anthony Alfonso. He was brought to a safe place to undergo a comprehensive medical examination, while the Twilight Shroud slowly disappeared after the runic circles of Anthony Alfonso were turned off one by one. The ancient city, after being cut off from the outside world for two thousand years, had finally opened its doors to receive the baptism of nature ¨C a newly reborn nature.


    The deep breath of Yggdrasil had purified 90 % of magic energy residue in Midgard, filtered and purified the high-altitude toxic particles and the corrupted underground water. Though it would still take some time before purification was complete, the world outside the city was habitable. In the foreseeable future, Midgard would surely become a place where magic could thrive. The purified and transformed magic energy would be harmlessly and become the foundation of the new civilization; steam power, alchemic technology, and runology might become the ultimate sources of power for the Twilight survivors.


    The rebuilding of the earth and the growth of vegetation were still continuing. The roots of the World Tree were still dancing on the distant horizon. The deep abyss left by the Twilight of the Gods event gradually healed. On the recovered land, new vegetation grew and spread rapidly. Yggdrasil had kept these changes at a moderate pace so that the relocation work could proceed smoothly.


    The Twilight residents had gathered in front of the sixteen steel roads around the city, embarking on the migration journey. They were filled with hopes and disappointment, uneasiness, and confusion.


    News of the ¡°dawn of a new world¡± and the ¡°end of the long night and the city will collapse¡¯ had spread all over the city. Even the people living in the engine room and caves in the lower city had been notified. Not everyone understood what this ridiculous announcement meat, but the authority of the Steam Assembly and appeal of the ancient sage still made everything go according to plan. The changes outside the shroud was also a factor that convinced the people of the relocation. Those who were knowledgeable became the leaders of the migration teams who could calm the people¡¯s mind.


    The first batch of people had packed their belongings, waiting for departure. Following the steam tanks of the Twilight Guards to the city gate, those walking in front looked up at the old steel girders and could not help but hesitate. Once upon a time, these steel girders were the dividing line between life and death. Even children in the city learned that they must not cross the gate. But now, the energy shroud above the entrance had gone, the outside never-seen-before world at the end of the steel ramp was waiting for the brave to take the first step. But was it really okay to step out?


    The first brave resident stepped forward. Wearing his most decent clothes, carrying two suitcases with a determined expression on his face, he was actually a commander of the Twilight Guards, but no one recognized him when he took off the black iron mask.


    Stepping out on the soft grass outside the city, this resident turned around, put down his suitcases, and waved to the others on the ramp.


    Then cheers rose in the crowd.


    Many people did not really know why they were cheering. Life in the shelter had numbed them, but when a few people in the crowd cheered, it spread quickly. An exhilarating atmosphere was building up, and people began to emerge from the city.


    In the upper city of Twilight Capital, another more spectacular relocation exercise was underway.


    Autonomous robots were shuffling between the steel structures, using cutting beam and versatile tentacles to dismantle steam boilers, bearing sets, and bolts and rivets of the integrated buildings. The priority was not dismantling the boiler but the black steel building in the center of the city. This black steel building was square, made up of dozens of smaller cuboids. These buildings were not holding gold and silver, nor equipment but knowledge and technology. They were the ¡°Steam Brain¡± of Twilight Capital. The dozens of rectangular buildings were filled with gear processing units, perforated paper tapes, cardboard, and blueprints and ancient books. The oldest material was a fair-copy scroll from the Yasab of Mythological Era, and the latest material was a symbol card printed in the Steam Brain. These things were the most precious treasures which Twilight Capital had amassed for two thousand years.


    When people relocated to the wilderness, they would have to rely on this knowledge to rebuild their society. The Steam Brain contained everything that they needed: from the most primitive farming practices and the steam technology that they were proud of to the runic writings of the gods.


    The Steam Assembly had been collecting and managing these things for thousands of years just for this day.


    The dragons were also busy at work.


    ¡°Be careful not to break it! This is all important information. If you break it, I will lock you up in the black room back home!¡±


    Over the city, Galazur was instructing the dragons to move the heaviest equipment and buildings. The machine of the Steam Assembly would take weeks to transport all these things out of the city, but the dragon could move everything relatively effortlessly. But Galazur seemed to be still not satisfied. In the eyes of the dragon, the young dragons were severely lacking in self-discipline. One young dragon even drank the lubricant leaking out from the machine. It vomited for half an hour and got what it deserved, but it gave Galazur a headache.


    As the dragon queen reprimanded them, the young dragons became nervous and flew with their heads down. Hao Ren could not help but mutter after seeing this. ¡°Maybe there is a better way to teach them. Look how you have scared them.¡±


    Galazur turned her head. ¡°I am not good at taking children. Hey, Shirley! Come to help!¡±


    A beautiful blue dragon flew over and bowed her head as a sign of respect. Looking at the young dragons, Shirley knew what was going on. This aunt of kindergarten flew up and spoke with a gentle voice, ¡°Everyone, line up. Follow instructions. Collect your item according to your student number. Awesome! Don¡¯t grab things not belonging to you. The most obedient kid will receive half a ton of barbecue as a reward.¡±


    So all dragons began to behave.


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    This was indeed a bunch of young dragons.


    The entire relocation exercise lasted nearly a week. It was miraculously efficient nonetheless.


    Vivian found a place in the northeast of the wilderness. It was a good location for their new home: flat, abundant water, close to a vast forest that was an ideal source for food and materials, and geologically stable. The remnants of Twilight Capital set up a temporary camp here, around which they piled up the materials and machinery. Later, they would gradually reassemble them. It was an essential foundation for their new home.


    The Steam Assembly had played its role well throughout the entire relocation exercise. They were the ones whom the people looked up for. They assured the people of the migration, managed all resources, and built camps. Things were going on smoothly. There were unexpected situations and turmoil, but there was no need for Hao Ren and his team to intervene. The Steam Assembly could handle it all.


    Twilight Capital became empty after the mass evacuation like ancient ruins.


    The shroud had gone, and many of the runes were damaged during the relocation exercise. The city was deformed dangerously like a pile of scrapped steels standing on the lush land of Midgard. It was hard to imagine that it was once the only shelter of civilization in the entire Nine Kingdoms not long ago. There was a massive crater in the city after the gigantic boiler, and main pressure pipeline was removed, leaving the already unstable city in the brink of disintegration caused by its own weight.


    Standing on a small hill outside the city, Hao Ren and his team were ready to activate the ancient spaceship underground.


    The MDT had hijacked part of the spaceship¡¯s control system while the autonomous robots had fixed the damaged power reactor and engine over the past week. These power units could be restarted now.


    At the scheduled time, the MDT sent an alert; the self-test of the spaceship¡¯s Power Core was passed.


    ¡°Fire it up.¡± Hao Ren ordered.


    Entire Twilight Capital began to shake violently as a vibration came from the underground.


    The thousand-year urban structure began to collapse. The already fragile crumbled into the crater in an instance. Hao Ren heard a loud bang as if of a bomb explosion from the pile of steel ruins. It seemed that the ancient waste piled up in the ruins had been ignited under the intense energy radiation of the spaceship as continuous explosion spread from the underground to the surface.


    The upper city of Twilight Capital blew up like a volcano eruption. The powerful eruption spewed millions of tons of waste into the sky. Ymir¡¯s spaceship slowly lifted off amid the cloud of smoke.


    That was the end of Twilight Capital.


    Hao Ren froze. The scale of the explosion seemed to be more powerful than he had expected.


    Galazur and Anthony Alfonso recorded the moment of the end of an era in their daily log. They then took out their MDTs respectively and pulled Hao Ren beside them in the backdrop of the destruction of Twilight Capital.


    It was a solemn moment.


    Two minutes later, on the inspector¡¯s dedicated data link, Galazur and Anthony Alfonso posts had occupied the top positions on the inspector¡¯s dedicated data link. The posts, showing two of them together with Hao Ren standing in front of a crumbled city, had the exact same caption:


    ¡°First time in collaboration with Hao Ren who truly deserves the reputation of Demolition Man.¡±

 Chapter 1150 - Tip of the Iceberg

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Had Hao Ren known what his two seniors posted on the forum, he would have left. But the solemnness on their faces had conned him. Immersing himself in the solemnness of the end of an era, he thought that Galazur and Anthony Alfonso were just taking in the imagery.


    By the time he realized it, it was a few days later.


    Now, he was just with everyone else, watching as the magnificent black spaceship slowly rose from the ruins of Twilight Capital. Wrapped in a huge smoke column that seemed to cover the entire sky, the spacecraft, with its two rows of red lights, were peeking through the smoke and dust like the eyes of a monster. With the wave of his hand, Anthony Alfonso summoned a gust of wind and blow the smoke away. Hao Ren could now see the scale of the spaceship.


    This vast ancient spaceship was parked vertically in the underground cave. When it rose, it was as if a volcano swelled out of the ground. The spacecraft had a multi-segmented rectangular hull, just like the Guardian Warship wreck found in the Plane of Dreams. Black crystalline panels lined on the middle segment with bright electro-optical lights dancing between the crystalline panels. The MDT managed to repair and restart a part of the spacecraft system in a short time, and energy still leaked through the damaged parts. To avoid the leaked power from damaging the vital engine compartment and data center, the MDT routed the power to the wastegate, which was the black crystalline panels on the outside.


    Meanwhile, Twilight Capital had completely reduced into ruins, and only the outer zone of the city survived the explosion. When the runes lost their effects, the mass built up for the last thousands of years wholly crushed the crisscrossing support structure of the city. This was exacerbated by the departure of Ymir¡¯s spaceship. This once important sanctuary caved in and became a pile of debris at the bottom of the cave in an instance.


    Perhaps many years later, this crater would become a holy place for the new country on the Midgard continent, a commemoration of its protection and cradle of human civilization. People might open a dozen entrances around this holy place, turning it into a tourist attraction, and selling tickets to tourists in the square inland front of Twilight Capital all year round. This could be happening many years later.


    The ancient spaceship left its own lair, slowly leveled itself in the air before landing on the wilderness outside Twilight Capital. Yggdrasil had specially built this landing strip for spaceships. He had reinforced the nearby rock formations and summoned his own tentacles in specific places. These tentacles helped the spacecraft to land smoothly. After all, the MDT had not really mastered the control of the spacecraft. Without reliable external assistance, the spacecraft might crash.


    At last, the ground shook as the spacecraft landed successfully.


    The MDT sounded in Hao Ren¡¯s mind. ¡°The spacecraft is running well, its data center has just gone through a self-diagnosis, but it needs a higher level of ciphertext authorization. I haven¡¯t cracked it yet, but it is only a matter of time. You will be able to access it soon when you come in.¡±


    ¡°Good job!¡± Hao Ren said, giving his rare praise to the MDT. ¡°But why you didn¡¯t come out of the spaceship? Hasn¡¯t it landed?¡±


    ¡°Because it feels just too awesome to be the host computer of the spaceship!¡±


    Rolling his eyes, Hao Ren hung up on the MDT. ¡°This crazy son of a bitch.¡±


    A bright light slowly descended from the sky. In the bright light was a vague shadow. The shadow circled around the spaceship before it came back up with a sigh. ¡°Oh, this ship¡­ I knew it a long time ago. It went through the Wall of Reality with everyone.¡±


    Hao Ren switched on the comm., and the image of Ymir appeared in the air. He pointed to the enormous spaceship not far away and said to the old giant, ¡°Look at your ship, is this, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± Ymir blinked hard. ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t help anything¡­ I don¡¯t know how to pilot this spaceship. My memory fails me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. We will go in and figure it out ourselves.¡± Hao Ren patted his chest confidently and walked down the hill. ¡°Inspectors are born investigators. Analyzing historical relics is as easy as ABC to us. Whitey, come with us. I¡¯m sure you know about the spaceship. You may also want to explain to us what the Goddess of Creation did ten thousand years ago. Now that the relocation of Twilight Capital is done and the spaceship has been found, you should have time to talk.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Whitey followed Hao Ren down the hill. ¡°But before that, I want to take you to see the inside of the spaceship. You will understand the grand plan of our mother when you get inside. Ymir and this spaceship both play an important role.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s heart was beating faster and faster. He forced himself to calm down before striding towards the black spaceship.


    The spaceship of the guardian giant was huge. Built according to their body proportion, this spaceship was a fantastic giant kingdom. Though this was not the first time Hao Ren entering the guardian spaceship, he still could not help himself. He had a strange and depressing feeling. The wrench that was as tall as a person, huge doorposts that even two persons could not wrap their arms around, and the several-story consoles that gave the illusion that they were tiny ants. A sense of dizziness hit as they looked at these things. As the dizziness became unbearable, Lily swallowed two mouthfuls of Spicy Sticks and shapeshifted into a giant dog, regaining her sense of balance. At five meters tall, the husky now found that those equipment in the spaceship were just right in sizes.


    Everyone climbed onto the back of the giant husky, riding on the comfortable soft hair.


    A group of demigods and super creatures riding on a huge husky to explore the ancient spaceship. You are not going to see this anywhere else.


    The MDT had unlocked the controlled gates in most part of the spaceship so that they could explore unimpeded. As they ventured deeper into the spacecraft, Hao Ren noticed one thing:


    It seemed that Ymir was the only crew onboard the spacecraft.


    Despite its size, the interior of the spaceship was obviously not designed for multi occupants. In the compartment, they had so far explored, all equipment and tools were meant for a single person¡¯s use, and the cabin space was quite limited. From the entrance in the front, all the way to the deeper part of the spaceship, few cabins were found. The several-kilometer-long spacecraft was a single-seater plane.


    Massive armored walls sealed the internal of the spaceship, which probably housed part of the ¡°great plan¡± Whitey was talking about.


    As for Whitey, the spare soul of Yggdrasil floating silently in front had not said a word since entering the spaceship.


    Hao Ren was sure that Whitey knew all the secrets of this spaceship. Whitey was a spare soul Blackie made. The two of them were the same, having the same memory and mission. Except for the different personalities, the two of ¡°them¡± were one.


    Whatever the original version of Yggdrasil knew, Whitey and Blackie knew.


    Soon, everyone came to the central control room of the spaceship with the MDT leading the way.


    Relatively tiny compared to the spaceship, this cabin was still larger than a typical ballroom back home in the eyes of Hao Ren and the others. Other than a series of holographic equipment and unknown machines along the walls, the square central control room had only one chair and a highly integrated console. As the spaceship was in idling state, most holographic images were on standby mode.


    On the side of the control room facing the door, a large, high-strength isolation door was emanating with energy halo.


    With its small body size and excellent hacking ability, the MDT had been able to gain access to the central control room earlier. When Hao Ren came in, it flew out of an opening under the console and circled around Hao Ren. ¡°Oh, buddy! Look, this spaceship is pretty cool! It may not look as good as the Pattianne, but it is definitely more high-tech.¡±


    Hao Ren grabbed the MDT and handed it to Lil Pea in his pocket. He then turned to look at Whitey. ¡°What is behind the door?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Look a look at it yourself.¡±


    Whitey then flew up to the isolation door.


    Armed with an exclusive access right of Yggdrasil, Whitey emitted a series of complex mind-frequency resonating with the door.


    When the door opened, Hao Ren¡¯s eyes were out on stalks.


    Behind the door was an infinite space where blood-red fiber bundles grew abundantly in a crisscrossing manner. In between the fiber bundles, many cocoon-like spherical crystal containers scattered randomly.


    There was something in each container, but most of the contents were rotten. The few remaining containers contained various creatures:


    Werewolves, vampires, night demons, dwarves, humans of the Otherworld, shadelings, etc.


    It was like a complete collection of living beings.

 Chapter 1151 - A More Sinister Motive

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The massive guardian spaceship was a ship having an ecosystem of its own that sustained many life samples.


    There was a large number of open sections behind the thick isolation wall. Ninety percent of the space in these large sections was occupied by various biological living things, an incredible ecosystem that had been in existence for 10,000 years. It was a well-contained specimen library.


    Shocked by what he saw, Hao Ren crossed the isolation door into the specimen library.


    ¡°Living tissues,¡± Anthony Alfonso said, following from behind. The old magician bent over to examine the red fiber bundles that grew uncontrollably. He found that these things were not inorganic. They were warm and alive. The shape of the fiber bundles looked more like a hybrid of muscles, nerves, and body fluid conduits. ¡°They have a symbiotic relationship with the spaceship.¡±


    ¡°This spaceship is very special in that it is half-machine, half-living thing.¡± Galazur was slightly amazed. ¡°No wonder the MDT hasn¡¯t been able to crack the rest of the control system of the spaceship. There are two completely independent systems. The other half of the control is with the living tissues.¡±


    Hao Ren looked up. There were so many red fiber bundles that the cabin had almost turned into a scary, twisted jungle. Steel structure integrating with the living tissue was barely visible. But red was not the only color around here; there seemed to be something else in the distance.


    He quickly walked forward. On the other side of the interlaced red fiber bundles, there was another group of living-tissue ducts that emanated a pale blue glow. This new fibrous structure was slimmer, and it had a little metallic luster, but its shape was similar to the red fiber bundles. Ellipsoidal crystal containers were also present in between these light blue ducts. Just as the ones on the side of the red fibrous bundles, these neatly arranged crystalline containers also contained living tissue. But these organisms were different.


    They were more metallic in texture.


    ¡°This is a storage area for silicon-based organisms.¡± The MDT came up from behind and concluded. ¡°The Seed of Origin could likely give birth to silicon-based organisms, as long as they land on the right planet. Basically, as long as it is a creature with a physical body, no living organisms that the Seed of Origin could not reproduce. Life created by the goddess of creation is pretty complete. I think there should be other specimen storage areas in other compartments.¡±


    Hao Ren walked about the compartment looking at the specimens without saying a word. Most specimen containers were empty and only having traces of organic residue. It took him a long time to find one that was not empty. He stopped in front of a crystalline container that contained a silicon-based organism immersed in a solution. The strange long-bodied creature had a smooth appearance and a pale silver complexion. The slender back was covered with a translucent crystalline carapace. Hao Ren curiously got closer for better observation. But before he could take a good look at it, the solution in the container suddenly turned turbid.


    In the blink of an eye, the turbid solution had corroded the living organism entirely, leaving behind only some black organic residue.


    ¡°The last Krypton people in the world has died,¡± Whitey was heard saying from behind. ¡°He must have buried himself in a shelter deep underground, but time has caught up with him.¡±


    ¡°What is this place?¡± Hao Ren suddenly turned around his head and looked at the white light floating behind him.


    ¡°The ceremonial hall of the Ultimate Absolution. All races created by the mother of all beings have a place here, and through a great ritual, continue to receive the console from the Mother of All Beings. And those who are guilty are also permanently forgiven here,¡± Whitey replied softly while it continued to float into the cabin. ¡°There is no need to worry about the specimens in the containers. They are non-biological, a symbolic idol made up of an accumulation of the life-source substance. They are used here to monitor the condition of those races.¡±


    With Whitey leading the way, they continued to explore deep into this labyrinth of specimens. The area got narrower as they went, so Lily had to shapeshift back to her usual form and ruin another dress in the process. ¡°Look at that!¡± Nangong Wuyue suddenly shouted.


    Hao Ren looked at the direction where her finger was pointing. He froze.


    In a carbon-based bio-storage container immersed a humanoid. This humanoid had pale golden skin, blond hair, almost perfect facial features, and well-proportioned body as if a god coming out of ancient Greek sculpture. This figure was hard to miss: it was the god killer.


    ¡°He shouldn¡¯t look like this, but the specimens in the ceremonial hall will completely alter their DNA sequencing to into the appearance of the race they mirror. So shortly after the completion of the ceremonial hall, the specimen changed,¡± Whitey explained casually.


    But this was not the reply Hao Ren was looking for. What shocked him most was that the deicide was placed in the sacred place where the guardian guarded. There was no way that guardians like Ymir and Yggdrasil would allow this specimen to be placed here.


    ¡°Is the treacherous child in the sequence of Ultimate Absolution?¡±


    ¡°It made me really sad, but this is the will of Mother of All Beings,¡± Whitey replied softly.


    Hao Ren could not help but think of the scene of the deicide he had seen in the illusion. Some footage flashed across his mind.


    The goddess of creation had uttered one word before she died: forgive.


    And also the divine words spoke into the soul of Zhao Xi: I forgive my children for all the wrongs, I will forgive them forever.


    Now it seemed that these were not as simple as last words. They were part of a powerful ritual!


    ¡°What is the Ultimate Absolution?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    Whitey had brought them to the core area of the cabin. Multiple fiber bundles lined up symmetrically all around, and a silver-white platform was on the circular open space in the center. On the platform inlaid a fist-sized transparent crystal, where there was a blood drop-like liquid inside.


    Vivian froze when she saw the red liquid. She felt that some kind of homologous power was calling herself from the crystal. She instantly knew what it was: the blood of the goddess of creation.


    It was not ordinary lifeblood but the divine blood directly from the goddess of creation.


    ¡°How do you completely get rid of a god and all her influence?¡± Whitey suddenly said.


    ¡°Completely get rid of a god?¡± Hao Ren could not make head or tail of it.


    ¡°Not only the god but also her influence, which is even more important.¡± Whitey sounded solemn his voice. ¡°It is difficult to destroy a god. Gods are powerful, omnipotent, and have the authority to change laws. Unless you also have control of the laws of the universe, it is difficult to leave even a scar on a god. But it is much easier to destroy a god than destroy her influence. Committing deicide is the first step to sin. The most fundamental purpose of the rebellion ten thousand years ago was far more evil than the act of deicide itself: it was to get rid of all traces of God.¡±


    Obviously, Galazur knew gods better than Hao Ren did. The dragon queen had vaguely guessed Whitey¡¯s meaning. Knowing that Hao Ren and the others were none the wiser, she began to explain to them, ¡°When talking about the influence of a god, it is not just the ¡°influence¡± you used to understand. It is of something more far-reaching. The existence of the gods in itself equates to the operation of universal laws. Their words and deeds represent the evolution of the world, their influence is in the realm of the rules. Or simply put, they influence the state of the world. Getting rid of the influence of gods is essentially erasing the changes the gods have in the world and cutting off the future destiny that the world is having with gods. Take our goddess as an example. If her influence in this universe disappears, then the universe is not just losing a guardian, but also the weakening or even disappearance of the arcane magic in the world. The cosmic phenomena exist because of the existence of Raven 12345 will also end. What is even scarier is that when the universe faces some terrible disasters from the outside, it will be like a sitting duck waiting to be slaughtered by cattle.¡±


    ¡°That sounds really scary,¡± Lily said.


    ¡°So¡­ the deicidal event of ten thousand years ago was just a prelude? There is a much more sinister motive behind all this?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±

 Chapter 1152 - The Ultimate Absolution

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    It had not been too long ago that a cloud of doubt began to hang over Hao Ren¡¯s head.


    What was the real purpose of the deicidal incident?


    From the beginning, the know sinners involved in the deicide were the treacherous children, and the whole event could be simply interpreted as a mortal race trying to become God by assassinating their goddess. But when there was another mastermind behind the deicidal incident, this explanation became a bit untenable: this mastermind obviously had more power and a longer history. Even if it was not a god, it should be almost the same type of existence. This powerful existence obviously had a profound understanding of the goddess. So it was unlikely that this mastermind would want to wrest power by killing the goddess. It was meaningless to do so. Then why did this mastermind incite the treacherous children to kill the goddess of creation?


    Obviously, there was a more complicated and far-reaching reason than ¡°becoming a god¡± behind the action. The mastermind would not just stop at killing the goddess.


    ¡°As you know, in the war of ten-thousand years ago, the treacherous children were pawns. Though their own depravity and sin were also the important reasons, the mastermind was the real culprit,¡± Whitey explained to Hao Ren as he hovered over the central platform. ¡°No one knows the origin of the mastermind behind. Not even the goddess of creation. We only know that he is the oldest intelligent being and earliest power in our universe. His existence even predates that of the Goddess of Creation, and so he is also pretty powerful. But this ancient being is not a true god, and so he is no match for the goddess of creation. For a long time, he was hiding in the darkest hinterland of the universe, pretending to have been imprisoned by Mother of All Beings. But in fact, this cunning ancient being was secretly planning a revolt.


    ¡°First, he found the deicides who lived in honor originally. They are the mortal creatures that Mother first created. Because of their high compatibility with the lifeblood, they are smarter, long-lived, and stronger than other races. But this race has a fatal flaw: there are greedy and blind. They are never satisfied with what they have. They always boast that they are the creatures closest to god. As this civilization becomes stronger, they become more oppressive and discriminate against the brothers and sisters who come after them. Brothers and sisters. When they became the most powerful race in the mortal world, they developed the greed for the power of a god. The arrogance in their bones took over their fear of the goddess.


    ¡°It took almost no trouble for the evil ancient beings to corrupt the ancestors of the mortal. Through some means, they bypassed the warning system set by Mother and the guardian¡¯s surveillance, directly empowering the god killers, even providing them with weapons and runic technology that made them powerful enough to confront the power of the goddess.


    ¡°He chose to use these mortals to fight against a true god. Not only because he dared not to do it himself, but also because he knew this was the only way to defeat the goddess of creation,¡± Whitey said.


    He then paused so that Hao Ren could digest the information before he continued with the critical point.


    ¡°It is not enough to defeat the goddess alone, because the worldly beings that the goddess created are still there. The influence of the goddess on the universe still exists, and the marks of the goddess in the laws of the world are still there. These remaining factors are unknown and unsearchable to mortals, but it is an obstacle the ancient being who has stepped into the realm of truth. He aspired to fundamentally get rid of the influence of the goddess. Only then he could gain control of the entire universe. To do this, it is not enough to just eliminate the flesh, body, spirit, and memory of the goddess. He must do one last thing, which is to have the goddess deny and get rid of herself.¡±


    ¡°Deny herself?¡± Hao Ren had thought he had understood it a bit, but now he was confused again. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It is to let the divine miracles neutralize themselves, the divine powers go against each other,¡± Whitey explained. ¡°It is difficult for external forces to erase the mark of the goddess. But if the goddess herself has doubts about her own behavior, what she left behind would become vulnerable. The greatest achievement of the goddess of creation is the creation of worldly beings. She was most proud of the creations. The evil ancient was making use of her prized creations to go against her.¡±


    ¡°He wanted the goddess of creation to doubt herself?¡± Hao Ren said as the penny dropped.


    ¡°Yes, self-doubt. Self-doubt is not scary by itself. But if the goddess doubted herself before she died, it was fatal. When the goddess of creation began to question her life and her works, or more seriously, hate her own creations, even if it were only a little, that would weaken her power, and the enemy could exploit this vulnerability. This is the purpose the evil ancient being has set out to do in the beginning: inciting the creations to attack the creator, and creating self-contradictions. Once the goddess no longer believes in herself, her miracles would disappear from the chain reaction,¡± Whitey said.


    Hao Ren felt his breathing suddenly sped up. He looked up; the creations of the Goddess of Creation were everywhere. Even the deicide was among them. The words ¡°Ultimate Absolution¡± flashed across his mind.


    Y¡¯zaks sighed, and his voice was low. ¡°The ancient¡¯s plan was perfect except one: the goddess has not wavered and doubted herself from the beginning to the end. Instead, she used the last strength of her life to forgive all the murderers.¡±


    ¡°Yes, she has never regretted creating these children. Most mortals are stupid, their spirits are pendulous, and their flesh is weak. They may be occasionally kind, but easily tempted and becoming evil. Give them a sword, and they would stab their mother. But they are created by Mother; regardless of how good or bad they are, they are still Mother¡¯s precious children. Mother had foreseen all that was about to happen before the deicide took place. But she was unable to save the situation. There was no way to save the deicides from degeneration but only minimize the damage. The Ultimate Absolution is only one of her many efforts, but it seems that this is the only one that works.¡±


    ¡°Did she send life to this universe to preserve the ¡°tinder¡± needed for the Ultimate Absolution?¡± Hao Ren asked curiously.


    ¡°Yes. The goddess is dead, and the mortals have lost protection. The evil ancients have enough time to annihilate the mortal worlds one by one and get rid of all the traces of the goddess of creation even if they are crippled. To prevent this, Mother opened the Wall of Reality and sent some of the creations to this world.


    ¡°As long as the devil couldn¡¯t reach into this world and the Ultimate Absolution is still in effect, the throne of the goddess will not transpose, and the evil spirits in the deep universe will never be able to wrest power. He will be forever suppressed.¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian looked at each other. ¡°But it seems that this Ultimate Absolution has gone wrong.¡±


    ¡°The races that have crossed over to the surface world are decreasing in population. More than half of the tinder has been extinguished.¡± Nangong Sanba took a breath. ¡°It is because of the innate hostility and killing instinct!¡±


    ¡°But the innate hostility only occurred because of the original sin, which formed as a result of the deicidal event.¡± Hao Ren felt that things were getting more and more complicated. ¡°This original sin is¡ª¡±


    ¡°Though there is no clear evidence, I suspect that there is the devil has a hand in the matter.¡± Whitey interrupted Hao Ren. ¡°Mother has forgiven all the sinners at her last moment. There was no resentment in the last breath of her power. So why could her blood produce sin? No doubt the end of the innate hostility is to sabotage Mother¡¯s ritual of Ultimate Absolution. Its essence runs counter to Mother¡¯s wish, so the origin of the innate hostility is suspicious.¡±


    ¡°You know all the truths, even of the innate hostility on this planet,¡± Hao Ren said, his brows twitching.


    ¡°But Yggdrasil has been corrupted and incapacitated from the beginning, even losing the ability to communicate with the outside world.¡±


    ¡°In theory, Ymir should also know the truth.¡±


    ¡°Like other races, he has also lost his memory although he is a demigod.¡±


    ¡°So it is crystal clear,¡± Hao Ren spread out his hand, ¡°that anyone who knows the truth is either gagged or getting their memories erased. The targets of Ultimate Absolution has either been mad or killed in civil wars. All these are to thwart the plan of the goddess of creation. The mastermind is more capable than what we have thought earlier. He seems to have his hand everywhere.¡±


    The atmosphere felt a bit somber until Y¡¯zaks broke the silence. ¡°But in any case, the Ultimate Absolution has not been completely destroyed. Thanks to Hao Ren, the innate hostility has been removed, and at least part of the ¡®tinder¡¯ is still alive.¡±


    ¡°Yes, the Ultimate Absolution is still in effect. But in reality, the situation is far less optimistic because the most important link in performing this task was destroyed long ago.¡±

 Chapter 1153 - A Missing Link

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°A missing link?¡± everyone said in unison.


    ¡°The Ultimate Absolution is only to maintain the status quo¡ªthe balance between the races and the power the goddess created¡ªto ensure that the highest divine law runs in its original trajectory. But the status quo did not last long, and could not solve the problem fundamentally,¡± Whitey patiently explained. ¡°The kingdom of the goddess is collapsing, and the throne is vacant. The evil forces may still break through the seal. So, there is a follow-up plan to the plan; when the time is ripe, we will return to the original world, using the key in the core of the Ark of Origins to awaken the power of the goddess from her sleep. The goddess is dead, but she can be resurrected as long as the laws of the universe are still working. Our mother could wake up again. By then, the throne will be re-established, and all the forces that are trying to destroy the order of the universe will be crushed.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s heart missed a beat.


    ¡°So what is the missing link?¡± Lily asked impatiently.


    ¡°The Ultimate Absolution is composed of three parts, of which Yggdrasil is a ¡®ferryman.¡¯ I¡­ he opened the Wall of Reality and sent the chosen ¡®tinder¡¯ to this world. The massive nine kingdoms is actually an otherworldly dimensional system used for mass transit. It is a ¡®dimensional migration fortress,¡¯ through which all the otherworldlings, whether it is werewolf or vampire or others, rode on Yggdrasil to come to this world. Mimir is the ¡®library guard,¡¯ responsible for steering the Ark of Origins, monitoring the operation of the Ultimate Absolution, and managing all the archives; we also have a ¡®guide¡¯ who is the most important part but missing from the very beginning.¡±


    ¡°Guide?¡± Hao Ren suddenly thought of Vivian, but he said nothing and curiously asked for more details. ¡°What this guide does?¡±


    ¡°The guide is the substitute that Mother made with her own blood. She records all kinds of secrets that only known to Mother, and holds a series of secret instructions. These secret instructions are the action plans after crossing the Wall of Reality. This important guide has been missing from the beginning. Without the information in her memory, we couldn¡¯t know the next step of the Ultimate Absolution, and when and how to return to the kingdom of the goddess. In fact, we don¡¯t even know how to re-enter the kingdom of the goddess. These secrets are only found in the memory of the guide.¡±


    Suddenly, except Lily and Lil Pea, everyone¡¯s eyes landed on Vivian. The reason why Lily and Lil Pea showed no reaction was because one was in a daze while the other looked on.


    ¡°I think,¡± Hao Ren sized up the vampire maiden, ¡°we have found the truth.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Whitey had no idea what was in their minds and asked curiously.


    ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, she is your guide,¡± Nangong Wuyue said, pushing Vivian forward with her tail. ¡°Made of the divine blood with a great mission; the only problem is that she doesn¡¯t know who she is.¡±


    Put on the spot, Vivian froze. After a moment, she pointed to herself flusteredly. ¡°Oh yeah, I am a divine blood-reincarnation. But I don¡¯t remember the instructions you are talking about.¡±


    Whitey flew up to Vivian like a ghost. Hao Ren even felt that the ground under his feet was shaking: Yggdrasil was twitching; obviously, Blackie was listening to their conversation.


    ¡°The guide?¡± The formless bright light shook violently; even the First Born could not help himself. The bright light circled Vivian a few times before stopping and feeling confused. ¡°No, not right. You don¡¯t look like a guide.¡±


    ¡°How is that?¡± Vivian was not very happy. ¡°Let me tell you, my blood is pure, and I am not lying.¡±


    ¡°Your power, your soul, and your blood contain too many impurities, and it is feeble. You don¡¯t look like a guide whichever way I look. The guide should be the closest to the goddess and most powerful among the three of us. You don¡¯t look like one. To be honest, if the guide has really appeared here, I would have sensed him long ago.¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian looked at each other. They had no idea how Whitey determined whether one was the guide, but they could roughly guess how. Hao Ren tested him, saying, ¡°Perhaps I could explain her condition. Just like you and Ymir have your own troubles, Vivian also has her problem. She has a condition known as an impulsive hibernation-schizophrenic disorder.¡±


    He then spent the next ten minutes explaining Vivian¡¯s condition to Whitey while secretly observing his expression. After a while, he felt so silly because Whitey did not even have a face.¡±


    There was no way to know what was in Whitey¡¯s mind, but they knew he was listening attentively.


    ¡°She is forced to go into hibernation every few centuries, splitting during her sleep, and producing a wicked avatar called the Malevolence. She would also lose some power and memory. She becomes a vampire under these inexplicable conditions,¡± Hao Ren said. When he finished, Whitey became interested. He came up to Vivian and hovered from side to side before her. ¡°Well, assuming everything is true, then no doubt, what you, me and Ymir encountered are essentially the same. Someone is trying to sabotage our mission.¡±


    It was almost sure that there was a hidden hand behind all this.


    As if something came to mind, Vivian suddenly gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. ¡°So someone is responsible for my bad luck for the last one hundred centuries! I will make him pay!¡±


    Lily standing next to her, said, ¡°Battie, don¡¯t make an excuse for yourself. The hidden hand has only caused you losing your strength and memory. But being poor is your destiny.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you say something good, Doggie?¡± Vivian snapped.


    At last, Vivian¡¯s identity was confirmed. Though there was no physical evidence so far, Hao Ren was as sure as hell that Vivian was the ¡°guide¡± Whitey was talking about, and the chief commander the Goddess of Creation had appointed.


    Now they had only one problem left.


    This guide had been dumb for 10,000 years and still was. She would probably continue to be dumb for a long time in the foreseeable future.


    ¡°How do I know what I should do?¡± Vivian looked depressed and in a dilemma. ¡°I have been fighting with my pauper life for a thousand years, and losing my memory every now and then. How am I going to come out with a set of secret instructions now?¡±


    Somehow, the Malevolence of Vivian came to Hao Ren¡¯s mind.


    Obviously, the others had also thought of the same thing.


    ¡°The secret is probably on the energy incarnation,¡± Whitey said using a more neutral term without referring them as the Malevolence. ¡°That is currently the only thing known to have been lost by the guide. But judging from your words, those incarnations have been severely corrupted, and it would be dangerous to recover them hastily. Is this corruption similar to what Yggdrasil has experienced?¡±


    A thought came to mind. Hao Ren immediately took out Godslayer from his dimensional pocket and brandished it in front of Vivian. ¡°Would you like me to poke you with it?¡±


    Her first response was a flash of lightning.


    ¡°It¡¯s best not to try this,¡± Godslayer said. ¡°I haven¡¯t sensed anything like the Echo Wall in her mind. Her problem is probably not something I could solve.¡±


    ¡°Well, we can study this question when we¡¯re back home.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand, signaling not to delve on this issue after giving it some thoughts. ¡°I will report back to my boss later and ask for her opinion. As for now, let¡¯s discuss the next arrangement of the Nine Kingdoms.¡±


    Lily, Y¡¯zaks, and others became quiet. Galazur and Anthony Alfonso were looking serious. It was now the time for the inspectors to hold a discussion.


    ¡°First of all, this is your jurisdiction, and we are merely giving our opinions.¡± Galazur made her stance.


    ¡°The main race of Twilight Capital is human beings,¡± Anthony Alfonso said. ¡°They are the earthlings. So by convention, their homeworld is Earth.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m afraid they are no longer be able to reintegrate back into the society on Earth,¡± Galazur said, shaking her head.


    ¡°You are right.¡± Hao Ren agreed with the dragon queen. ¡°The premise for reintegration is that there must be the right condition. But now the civilization on Earth and the one here in Twilight Capital are as different as day and night. They could be deemed two separate civilizations. In this case, can we ignore the ethnic lineage and handle it in the way as handling an alien civilization?¡±


    Galazur and Anthony Alfonso exchanged a look. They then began to rummage through their mind for relevant provisions in this aspect.


    ¡°Yes, you can. But it is necessary to rewrite the record of Twilight civilization. Also, do you have a plan where to relocate them? The Nine Kingdoms are still a series of otherworldly dimensions floating around in the main material universe. This environment is not suitable for any civilization to thrive in the long run,¡± Anthony Alfonso said, nodding his head.


    ¡°Do not worry, I have just thought of a special place where I¡¯m currently having construction projects going on.¡± Hao Ren grinned.

 Chapter 1154 - Odin Is Back

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The Aerym Hao Ren referred to was not Peatopia. Though Peatopia still had plenty of space to accommodate the Nine Worlds, placing too many different civilizations on the same planet would create hidden danger in the long run. So he decided to put the Twilight Civilization in a place where he had just included in the development agenda.


    The Scarred Nebula.


    Presumably, people had forgotten what the Scarred Nebula was. If not for the construction of a gateway to the Plane of Dreams, even Hao Ren himself had almost forgotten the space wonder in the surface world. The Scarred Nebula, located in the deep universe, was a remnant of the ancient galaxy torn apart by the Wall of Reality. Many years ago, when the Wall of Reality collapsed, the surface world and the Plane of Dreams collided, causing an extinction-level event. A large number of celestial bodies were affected, and the Scarred Nebula was one of them. The collision of the two worlds caused a chain reaction and annihilated most of the celestial bodies there, leaving behind a vast unstable space-fissure in space and a magnificent nebula that wrapped around the fissure. Raven 12345 once brought Hao Ren there to watch in person the horrific aftermath of the collapse of the Wall of Reality. It was an unforgettable experience for him.


    The Scarred Nebula of today was not entirely lifeless. There was a new group of exiles building their new homes there, and the newly settled planet was new home Hao Ren had arranged for Twilight Civilization: the planet Inferno.


    Though the planet had gotten rid of its previous horrible appearance and now was a vibrant new world, the name Inferno was still the official name. Hao Ren kept the old name was simply because he did not want to memorize a new name.


    Currently, the People of the Sun were the only inhabitants of the planet.


    Those ancient survivors were still in the early stages of reconstruction of their civilization. They had little idea of the world outside the steppe that they had been living for generations. The Twilight remnants of the Nine Kingdoms also had the same problem: they had no concept of a planet and how big it could be. For them, Twilight Capital was their home. They were terrified by the new environment outside their city.


    This characteristic trait they shared made the coexistence of both civilizations feasible. Apart from obeying Hao Ren¡¯s orders, the best thing was that they all were clueless about how big the world was. Hao Ren could settle the two groups of people in a different place in Inferno, easily surviving the early conflict-prone period.


    Of course, it was difficult to tell whether the two civilizations would collide eventually. But as an inspector, Hao Ren could only do his best to give them a good start.


    Galazur and Anthony Alfonso became interested in the planet Inferno. Especially Anthony Alfonso, an academic madman, had been jealous of Hao Ren¡¯s access to so many ¡®observation targets.¡¯ He stroked his beard and asked, ¡°The new planet sounds not bad, but the Twilight survivors may have a long period of adaptation. The place seems to be unsuitable for earthlings.¡±


    ¡°It is mainly atmospheric factor, and the threat of diseases.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°But these are not an issue; Yggdrasil is a powerful First Born. There is also a First Born in a zombie-like state under my control. With the two guardians of the ecosystem in place, they could easily jointly create an environmental buffer mechanism.¡±


    ¡°The Scarred Nebula is a region that is located in the great fissure of the Wall of Reality. The inner nebula is the point of singularity between the surface world and the Plane of Dreams. Things crossing over from the surface world would inevitably be affected. Have you considered this?¡± Galazur asked.


    ¡°This is exactly the point,¡± Hao Ren explained with a smile. ¡°I have asked the MDT to check the information characteristics of Yggdrasil and found that he still retains a considerable degree of information on the Plane of Dreams after crossing the Wall of Reality. This is probably because he shouldered the heavy responsibility as the ark. When transporting tinder to the surface world, he needed to retain the environmental information of the Plane of Dreams in his own body. In short, Yggdrasil is a creature living between the surface world and the Plane of Dreams, a huge point of information entanglement. Sending him to the Scarred Nebula is better than letting him float around freely in the surface world. The Twilight remnants living on the ¡®body¡¯ of Yggdrasil had more or less the same changes. So there is no danger to let them live in the Scarred Nebula.¡±


    ¡°Then, the problem is solved.¡± Anthony Alfonso stroke his beard and nodded lightly. ¡°If you need help, I¡¯m happy to help.¡±


    ¡°Me too. If you need help, please let me know. The young dragons are going to have their final exam. A five-mark incentive could easily exchange for hundreds of coolies,¡± Galazur said, patting her chest.


    ¡°Thank you for all your kindness.¡± Hao Ren nodded, wiping the cold sweat off his forehead.


    Twenty kilometers away from Twilight Capital, which was now a ruin, there was a wilderness rich in natural resources. Newly resettled in this place, the Twilight remnants were busily preparing for their new homes.


    The first batch of immigrants had already arrived while the last batch was still on the way. It had been a busy day for the Steam Assembly and the Twilight Guards distributing water supplies and medicines. They then decided to solve the housing problem by using the standard materials they had brought out.


    The shanty settlements began to take shape amid the rumbling of the heavy machinery and noise of the young dragons. Workers singing and transports spewing steam. Working among humans was a group of dragon eager beavers. After completing the tasks assigned to them, these young dragons behaved just like what they were: playful. Just that their plaything was more advanced.


    There were building houses.


    Even without the help of magic, a dragon could easily carry up to 100 tons of steel. Dragons carrying huge steel beams, cement boards, and stones running around was a common sight. Some smarter ones, probably the bullies in the class, were squatting on the side studying the design drawings of human-built houses while instructing their peers to move the bricks in front. It was a very coordinated, efficient, and orderly scene, fully demonstrating that knowledge was power.


    As for the humans of Twilight Capital, they were not afraid of these powerful creatures, especially when they saw some dragons running into the woods and coming back with leaves in their mouths.


    ¡°Dragons are basically carnivorous,¡± Galazur said, looking a little weird on her face when Hao Ren and his team came visiting in the wilderness. ¡°Sometimes they have too much meat that they decide to chew the leaves to help digestion.¡±


    ¡°Me too!¡± Lily nodded.


    Amid the hustle and bustle, there was still a sirene place¡ªa hill in the center of the wilderness.


    Guards in black robe guarded the hill while the Twilight Guards were stationed at the entrances and exits around the hill. The only building on the hill was a black-iron hut that was moved here. In front of the hut, Hao Ren saw Odin who had been freed from the Iron Throne.


    This frail ¡®king of all gods¡¯ was still a long way from recovery.


    Skinny, like a leaf in the wind, Odin draped in a thick gray robe to protect himself from the unforgiving cold wind. His messy hair was fluttering in the wind, a stark contrast with his previous image as the master of the Golden Palace.


    But compared to being confined on the Iron Throne, he was in better shape now.


    Standing on the high ground overlooking the busy construction site, Odin nodded at them when he saw Hao Ren and his team. ¡°I have heard the noise. I presume Twilight Capital has gone.¡±


    ¡°It has fulfilled its historical mission.¡± Hao Ren nodded back.


    Odin was silent for a few seconds before he sighed. ¡°We can still rebuild as long as the people are still here. What arrangements do you have next?¡±


    ¡°The Nine Kingdoms cannot continue drifting in the universe, but they also cannot return to the earth,¡± Hao Ren explained. ¡°I have found a good place, a planet under my name that I can let you and your people live there. But before that, I hope you can come with us to a place.¡±


    Odin was stunned to hear that Hao Ren had a planet under his name. But he remained composed and asked casually, ¡°Where to go?¡±


    ¡°The Garden of Asgard,¡± Hao Ren replied. ¡°A loyal Valkyrie is still there. Let¡¯s go meet her.¡±

 Chapter 1155 - New Master of the Nine Worlds

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Once the Midgard continent was freed from the hazard of magic radiation, and the people of Twilight Capital began to build their new home in the wilderness, Odin returned to his home, which he left 2,000 years ago.


    The Garden of Asgard, the divine realm.


    Despite having received a series of emergency treatments, Odin was still very weak. After disembarking from the spherical flying craft of Anthony Alfonso, he had been unable to stand for quite some time. But he refused to rest. After regaining a little strength, he walked into the ruins of the Garden of Asgard.


    Seeing his home being reduced to a ruin, the once mighty otherworldling, the king of the gods, fell into a long silence. Odin¡¯s white hair fluttered in the cold wind of Asgard. He stood there for a long while before taking a deep breath and said, ¡°It¡¯s all gone.¡±


    ¡°There is a Valkyrie still,¡± Hao Ren said.


    ¡°Yes, but there is only one left.¡± Odin seemed to force a smile, but his expression was very subtle, almost imperceptible.


    ¡°Asgard has the best-preserved ecosystem of all the Nine Worlds. Though it is the starting point of the chain of explosions, it is the least affected.¡± Vivian looked at the lush forest outside the Garden of Asgard. ¡°Compared to the other Nine Worlds, this is a paradise. Are you regret leaving this place so hurriedly? Had you found a place to hide in Asgard for a few years, you would not have to go through the 2,000-year torment in Midgard.¡±


    Odin looked at the ruins with a smile, his expression was somewhat relieved. ¡°I¡¯m kicking myself for fleeing this place already.¡±


    At first, Hao Ren thought that Odin would be unregretful, never did he expect this king of the gods was so unashamedly honest. Before he could give Odin words of praise, the words choked in his throat. Coughing a few times and managing to regain his voice, Hao Ren said, ¡°You¡¯re so blatantly honest.¡±


    ¡°Having been through a lot, I¡¯ve learned to move on.¡± Odin grinned. ¡°Had I foreseen the situation of the Nine Worlds after the explosion, I wouldn¡¯t have fled all the way to Midgard and breath the radioactive air for two thousand years. As difficult as life staying back here, it would be still so much more bearable than sitting like a dead man on the Iron Throne.¡±


    Everyone was speechless.


    ¡°Of course, this is not all,¡± Odin said. ¡°As much as I regretted not staying back in Asgard, I would be equally devastated had I given up the millions of lives in Twilight Capital. It would have been more comfortable staying back in Asgard, but by going to Midgard, I saved millions of people for the past 2,000 years. It was between the devil and the deep blue sea.¡±


    Listening to the old man¡¯s baring his soul, Hao Ren¡¯s initial urge to mock him had faded away.


    He realized that this was the real Odin in flesh and blood. Discarding the aura of the so-called King of the Gods, the fascination of the thousand-year-old ancient sage, the merit of sheltering Twilight Capital, and the history of enslaving humankind, Odin was merely a mortal. He was not really a god but just the leader of the otherworldlings exiling on Earth.


    Deep inside Valhalla, the mad Valkyrie was still steadfast in her duty.


    This time, they did not encounter any resistance as they entered the deepest part of the Halls of Valhalla. In the monitoring hall, the Valkyrie had been expecting them. As Hao Ren first entered the hall, he saw the Valkyrie, with a sword that glowed in lightning, crouched on a console like a ferocious beast. She was alarmed, hair messy, and mind unsound¡ªthe expression of her face clearly said so. But just to receive her new order, she had changed a better set of armor, which she had salvaged from somewhere.


    The Valkyrie was not entirely crazy though, as she still seemed to retain some level of logical thinking.


    ¡°Don¡¯t come any further!¡± The Valkyrie clutched her sword and stared at Hao Ren nervously, groaning threateningly. ¡°Stop there!¡±


    ¡°Relax. Don¡¯t you remember me?¡± Hao Ren quickly waved his hand. ¡°I¡¯m Hao Ren. I have helped you to find Odin.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, I remember you,¡± said the Valkyrie, after thinking for a long while before finally remembering him. Tucking her sword away, she said, ¡°You have gone to our Father. You promise me to bring new orders from our Holy Father. Have you got it?¡±


    ¡°Here I have brought Odin.¡± Hao Ren smiled, stepping aside.


    Odin walked into the hall, directly facing the Valkyrie.


    The two of them did not say a thing for ten seconds.


    ¡°Ahh, Odin is now so thin that the Valkyrie may not recognize him,¡± Lily suddenly said.


    Flaky at times, the husky may have hit the nail on the head this time. But just as everyone was trying to figure out what to do next, the Valkyrie suddenly said, ¡°Identity confirmed. Valkyrie awaits your order!¡±


    Hao Ren wiped the cold sweat off his forehead and smacked Lily on the head. ¡°Stop talking sh*t next time,¡¯ he chided.


    ¡°I was just giving my opinion,¡± Lily said, upset.


    Meanwhile, after a moment of apathy, and her memory of Odin began to register, the mad Valkyrie went down on her knees, eyes filled with joy. ¡°Holy Father! You are finally back visiting your barracks! The war is over. The Valkyries had fought hard and defended this line of defense. The Valkyries and the Valhalla army are ready for new instructions,¡± the Valkyrie said.


    ¡°Her memory is a bit messed up,¡± Hao Ren whispered to Odin. ¡°She doesn¡¯t want to accept that the Twilight of the Gods has happened. She believes that Valhalla has not fallen. Vivian has tried once to restore her, but it seems it doesn¡¯t work.¡±


    There was a complicated expression on Odin¡¯s face, especially when he looked at the Valkyrie.


    On the other hand, the loyal Valkyrie, head bowed, was still waiting for his instructions.


    The Valkyrie found her meaning of existence in Odin¡¯s order.


    Holding his breath and unsure what order Odin was going to issue, Hao Ren looked at them anxiously.


    ¡°The Garden of Asgard has been destroyed in the war.¡±


    Odin had spoken calmly, but his words had made Hao Ren and the rest of them breaking out in cold sweat.


    Lily could not help but almost jump on her feet. ¡°Old man, you shouldn¡¯t¨C¡±


    Before the husky maiden could finish, Vivian covered the husky¡¯s mouth with her hand to stop her interrupting Odin.


    ¡°There was no winner in the war on the plains of Vigrid. The era of the gods of Asgard is over. The Nine Worlds have been completely destroyed in the Twilight of the Gods, and the situation in other places are even worse.¡±


    The Valkyrie was quivering.


    Odin suddenly stepped forward and reached out to hold up the Valkyrie.


    ¡°But you have completed the mission; Valhalla is secured, the last group of Valhalla army is alive, and the power of the Garden of Asgard has not completely disappeared. It was you that made the reconstruction possible in the first place. There is a group of human survivors from Midgard. Yggdrasil is also re-growing from its roots. The war is over, and it is time to rebuild. The army of Valhalla could be of help.¡±


    Hao Ren had calmed down from his nervousness. Nangong Wuyue, feeling relieved, said, ¡°The old man was gasping for air when he spoke.¡±


    Odin took off his ring and gave it to the Valkyrie as a token. ¡°Regroup the Einherjar, reopen the repair stations to restore the damaged Einherjar, and then send half of the Einherjar to Midgard to help with the reconstruction. Meanwhile, you are to lead the rest of them cleaning up the ruins and battlefield. There are still many things salvageable on the plains of Vigrid. Recruit some more souls as we need more helping hands.¡±


    The Valkyrie took the ring solemnly.


    ¡°One more thing,¡± Odin said.


    The Valkyrie listened attentively.


    ¡°I am going to abdicate,¡± Odin sighed. ¡°I am too tired to rule of the Nine Worlds. From now on, she is your new master.¡±


    The old man raised his hand, pointing at Vivian, who stood behind Hao Ren.


    ¡°What?¡± Vivian was stunned.


    ¡°Old friend, don¡¯t say no to me,¡± Odin said, waving his hand after seeing Vivian¡¯s expression. ¡°I trust in your ability. I am too old, and the Asgard race isn¡¯t immortal. The Nine Worlds need a nominal master. The ancient artifacts at the Rainbow Bridge and the Garden of Asgard, regarded as powerful to the human beings, need someone to look after. So too the Einherjar here. Consider this as a favor to an old man.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure that Battie is suitable for the job?¡± Lily could not help it. ¡°Let¡¯s not first talk about her forgetfulness and hibernation habit; she is a jinx, and you have almost nothing left now.¡±


    Speechless.


    Odin thought for a moment and felt that what Lily said made sense!


    ¡°Would you like to take up the job?¡± Odin said to Hao Ren after some pondering.


    ¡°What?¡± Hao Ren was stunned.

 Chapter 1156 - New King

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Since he was little, Hao Ren had received gifts of various kinds. From greeting cards and snacks when he was young to friend-zone cards after he grew up. As he joined his current line of work, reaching the pinnacle of his life, the gifts he received would only become more expensive. Now, an old man of sitting in the highest position of in the history of human religion was grasping his hand and told him, ¡°I know you are a sincere and trustworthy man. Now, take the throne of the Nine Worlds, and you become the new master of the Norse gods. What do you say?¡±


    Of course, Odin did not really grasp his hand when he said this, and the Norse gods were no longer in existence. But this did not affect Hao Ren to exaggerate the whole process in his mind and became snobbish.


    It was very Nordic and very Odin.


    But he still had to say a few more words. ¡°Grandpa, please calm down. I can understand why you want to retire, but not when you are so eager to give away the Nine Worlds to a strange. Do you think this is a good idea? Shouldn¡¯t you think it over? In fact, not every Norse gods are dead. Here, we can rule out the Valkyrie, considering her state of mind. But over in the Athens Sanctuary on Earth, there¡¯s an heir.¡±


    ¡°Other survivors? Who is it?¡± Odin asked after freezing for a while.


    ¡°The daughter of Loki, Hela.¡±


    ¡°We can find someone else if you don¡¯t accept the throne. But forget about Loki family,¡± Odin said, grabbing Hao Ren¡¯s hand for real this time.


    ¡°You¡¯re prejudiced against Hela? She may have done something wrong and been rebellious, but the Twilight of the Gods is over, and she is a different person now. I have seen her; she is a taciturn person. Other than that, she makes a good impression,¡± Hao Ren was a little reluctant.


    ¡°Odin is right. Hela is not suitable,¡± Vivian said as she shrugged. She did not agree with Hao Ren this time. ¡°Her character makes her unsuitable for the job. The survivors of Midgard and the Valkyrie here would not accept her. To be honest, the Norse gods are really gone. No matter whether they accept it or not, even though there are still survivors, finding an heir from the Norse gods to revive the kingdom is impossible.¡±


    Hao Ren grinned and looked at Odin: ¡°Okay, I¡¯m not going to pretend. But think carefully. You have only known me for a few days, and we are only slightly better than strangers. I might have a bunch of titles, but letting me lead the Nine Worlds to return them to their former glory is a little preposterous. It¡¯s better to wait for the survivors of Twilight Capital to take their own course, which I think would be much faster.¡±


    Odin just smiled carelessly. ¡°I know. I make the decision after much careful deliberation. As Vivian said, the Norse gods are finished. For a race that is no longer exist, it does not matter who is at the helm. I really don¡¯t know about you, and judging from the incredible power that you has shown for far, I think it is quite difficult for me to fully understand you. But since you can make Vivian Ancestor becoming your strong supporter, it is enough to prove a lot of things. Not to mention¡­¡±


    Odin suddenly paused as if he was thinking again. ¡°You said that you have a planet, and judging from your tone of voice, you have more than just one planet. It is something I couldn¡¯t imagine. But I know that when a person as powerful as you are willing to help a world that has been destroyed once, entrusting the Nine Worlds to this person is the best solution.¡±


    What Odin said was very elegant and profound, but it was Lily the literati dog deciphering it in a more layman term. ¡°If you must cling to a thigh, choose the bigger one. A hair from the thigh as big as Mr. Landlord is enough for the Nine Worlds to survive till the interstellar age.¡±


    This simple and straightforward explanation embarrassed Hao Ren. Nearby, Galazur and Anthony Alfonso awkwardly turned their heads away. But Odin just stroke his beard and nodded. Hmm, this pretty sums up what I have said.¡±


    ¡°I somehow feel that the grandpa is off-topic.¡± Hao Ren could not help but whisper to Vivian. ¡°He is sometimes terribly honest.¡±


    ¡°Sitting on the Iron Throne for two thousand years must have distorted his interpersonal skill,¡± Vivian mumbled.


    Hao Ren did not decline Odin¡¯s offer though.


    He felt that it would be pretentious to continue to stand his ground on the matter. Others may have needed to think it over carefully, but in Hao Ren¡¯s case, aside from the practical reasons, there should be no reluctance. After all, he was an inspector and not a hick anymore. Having a long list of titles under his belt, there was no need for him to act humble.


    But Hao Ren knew that what he was going to inherit from Odin was more special than any of his previous titles.


    All of his current titles were honorary in nature. He even did not use his Sun King title to interfere with the governance of Aerymian Civilization. But now Odin was giving him his real authority of the Nine Worlds.


    It would take the inspector to figure out how he should deal with the ¡®hot seat¡¯ of the Nine Worlds. But for now, Hao Ren had to accept the responsibility.


    After Hao Ren nodding his head, Odin only breathed a sigh of relief and took off his eye mask.


    Under the mask hid a pair of shrinking eyes and a colorful gemstone inlaid in one of his eyes.


    The gemstone, crystal clear, was glowing from the inside out with the surface floating with a very obvious magical halo. Upon closer observation, Hao Ren realized that the material of this gemstone was the same material as that of the Rainbow Bridge.


    ¡°This is the keystone,¡± Odin said as he handed the gemstone to Hao Ren. ¡°It reflects the true path of the Nine Worlds and reorganizes the mapping relationship between the Rainbow Bridges. It is also the authentication device for all Asgardian ancient artifacts and systems. With this in hand, you are now the new master of the Nine Worlds.¡±


    Hao Ren took the gemstone solemnly from Odin¡¯s hand. The keystone felt slight warm in his hand. When he tried to connect his mind with the keystone, he immediately felt a submissive and gentle response.


    Under Odin¡¯s order, the keystone was ready to welcome its new master.


    Holding the keystone in his hand, the knowledge of the Rainbow Bridge and various Asgardian artifacts began to appear in his mind. Though this installation was somewhat blunt, it was good enough for the new master to quickly master the operation of the complex system. Obviously, this keystone was an artifact passed down from generation to generation of Asgardian leaders.


    In just a few minutes, Hao Ren had mastered the way to re-stabilize the Rainbow Bridge.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the Rainbow Bridge damaged?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s brows knit together. ¡°This keystone also mentions the various factories and warehouses buried in the underground of the Nine Kingdoms. How many of these things remain intact after the devastation of the Twilight of the Gods?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about the Rainbow Bridge,¡± Odin said, laughing with a proud expression on his face. ¡°It is one of the few technologies we brought over from our home world that remains intact techniques. We built it tough. Currently, the only damage to the Rainbow Bridge is the extension ducts and crystallization-resonant ring. There are enough spare parts in the Garden of Asgard, and the einherjar can quickly repair the system. As for the factories buried deep underground, find as many as you can, but I¡¯m not going to have much hope.¡±


    ¡°The situation is not as bad as you think,¡± Whitey said, suddenly emerging out of the ground. ¡°Yggdrasil had subconsciously retracted his tentacles during the Twilight of the Gods. Though some underground factories were damaged, most facilities were saved. Apart from the shattered Svartalfheim, there are many factories below the mainland survived.¡±


    Hao Ren clenched the keystone, carefully examining the distribution of the Asgardian underground facilities in the Nine Worlds. There were many magical remains of the gods of Vanir. He figured out the categories of these facilities and gradually construct a plan in his mind.


    The Nine Worlds might have been devastated, but it was the ark the goddess of the Plane of Dreams used to move the ¡®tinder¡¯ to this world. This otherworldly dimensional system was complex and sturdy, a near-perfect fortress, which the Asgardians had developed for thousands of years. Their technology might not be comparable to those monster-like super civilizations, but the basic infrastructure they left behind was still pretty decent.


    It was time to accelerate the construction of the Gate of the New World in the Scarred Nebula.

 Chapter 1157 - Back On the Right Track

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The kingship of the Nine Worlds had returned as the Garden of Asgard ushered in a new master.


    The einherjar sleeping in Valhalla were awakened and joined in the effort of fixing the various ancient systems. The lost-control einherjar wandering in the Garden of Asgard were captured and sent to Valhalla, getting their logic reset. The ancient artifacts and the resources buried deep inside the Garden of Asgard were retrieved and transported by the Einherjar and autonomous robots to places where they were needed. This kingdom, fallen for more than two thousand years, was rising again. It was just that the ruler was no longer the former gods of Asgard.


    With the map of the Nine Worlds in hand, and after successfully restoring the Rainbow Bridge, Hao Ren was able to free up his autonomous robots, sending one-third of them to different otherworldly dimensions to excavate and study. With the help of Yggdrasil, he planned to mark the locations of the ruins of Asgard and Vanir buried under the rubbles. Another one-third of the autonomous robots would go to Midgard to assist in resettling the people of Twilight Capital. The remaining one-third would remain in Asgard, helping the einherjar to clean up the ruins and restore the functions of the Garden of Asgard.


    The Garden of Asgard was not merely a city where the Norse gods lived. Hao Ren learned from the information recorded in the keystone that the city was also a large control center and an archive.


    The Norse gods, as the last otherworldling race in the Mythological era, were naturally different from those of them who had died early. During the turbulent days of the Mythological period, the Norse otherworldlings could no longer roam freely in the world but only keep ¡®digging¡¯ in their own lair, which they had almost explored every inch of the Nine Worlds. Even though they were unable to uncover the secrets of Yggdrasil and the origin of the Ark, they still found countless intelligence in this vast dimensional immigration fortress, most of which were related to the settings of the goddess of creation.


    The archives that preserved these things were buried deep in the ruins of the Garden of Asgard.


    Besides that, the Norse otherworldlings, to survive in the closed otherworldly dimensions, had built a massive number of fortresses and factories in the Nine Worlds. Some of these facilities were still in operation while the control center was the Garden of Asgard.


    For this reason, the reconstruction of the Garden of Asgard must go ahead.


    Standing on a platform at the top of Golden Palace and overlooking the splendid city ruins below, Hao Ren was watching the einherjar and autonomous robots carrying out his orders. But their number was still too small relative to the size of the ruins. Over one-eighth of the city was still quiet.


    Hao Ren decided to leave a construction unit in every corner of the city, just like he did on the planet Inferno. He wanted to build a production recovery system here as soon as possible.


    Meanwhile, Galazur walked up to him from the platform behind. Glancing down at the city below, the dragon queen asked, ¡°You thinking of something?¡±


    ¡°Inspector is not allowed to intervene in the internal affair of any civilizations,¡± Hao Ren said, scratching his chin. ¡°So I¡¯m thinking¡ªam I intervening the Twilight Civilization?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re worried about this?¡± Galazur¡¯s eyebrows arched, her pupils contracted slightly with a playful expression on her face. ¡°Are you not the Sun King, Lord of the Aerymian together with a dozen other titles? You are the head of a handful of civilizations already.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s different,¡± Hao Ren said, spreading out his hand. ¡°Those are just honorific without real substance. They¡¯re just useless titles on a business card. But here, Odin has handed over his ¡®seal.¡¯ He has even sent his decree to the survivors of Twilight Capital and let them swear allegiance to me. I feel that something is not quite right.¡±


    ¡°I am also the head of a draconian kingdom,¡± Galazur said, laughing. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? We inspectors only have to remember that we are not to distort the normal development of any civilizations. In layman term, it means we should not let primitive people come into contact with a nuke. Getting too cautious would only become a ball and chain. But you have a valid concern though: with your level of capability, you should not become their king and lead their reconstruction other than commanding your bunch of robots.¡±


    ¡°I am aware of it but could you please not be so direct?¡±


    Galazur waved her hand carelessly. ¡°Don¡¯t¡¯ be bothered. I just want to know your thoughts on this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in ruling this place,¡± Hao Ren said, ¡°My heart is in the ancient secrets buried here. I am going to let the Steam Assembly be the government of their own people and the Twilight Civilization develop naturally. I¡¯m not going to intervene unless it is absolutely necessary. But I will oversee the reconstruction of the Garden of Asgard and take over the army of Einherjar.¡±


    ¡°Including that one?¡± Galazur pointed her chin at a direction not far away from Hao Ren.


    Turning his head around, Hao Ren saw the Valkyrie in uniform, poker-faced, standing only two meters from him. The Valkyrie had noticed her ¡®master¡¯ was looking at her. Letting out a silly smile, the Valkyrie said, ¡°Master, I¡¯m awaiting your order.¡±


    The Valkyrie had finally recovered from her insanity after recognizing Odin. Perhaps the long-term madness had damaged her brain so much that she now appeared not so intelligent. She was not retarded, though. Just that she was not completely normal.


    ¡°Including that one,¡± Hao Ren said, returning the same smirk to the Valkyrie. He turned his head around and said to Galazur, helplessly, ¡°She is the only one who could control the einherjar army. Just hope that she would recover eventually as Odin said.¡±


    The enthusiastic voice of Lily was heard coming from under the platform, interrupting their conversation. ¡°Mr. Landlord! Are you up there? I sense your smell!¡±


    Hao Ren poked his head down the platform. He could see Lily was crouching on the roof of the second floor of the Golden Palace, stretching her neck and wagging her tail. He waved his hand at her. ¡°I¡¯m here. What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Whitey says the World Tree has regained its strength.¡± With the yank of her legs, Lily bounced up nearly twenty meters in the air and landed right in front of Hao Ren, scaring the Valkyrie. ¡°Can we depart to the Scarred nebula now?¡±


    ¡°Now?¡± Hao Ren was a little surprised. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I also can¡¯t wait to see how the people of the steppe going on Inferno.¡±


    Before leaving, he saw the Valkyrie in his peripheral vision. The clueless valkyrie looked at them, her dumbness rivaled that of Lily. He should talk to her first, Hao Ren thought.


    ¡°Stay here and finish the task that has been assigned to you,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°After that, patrol the place and secure the Garden of Asgard. If humans from Midgard come, don¡¯t hurt them. Just don¡¯t let them get close to the control center and the archives.¡±


    ¡°Are you not coming back?¡± The Valkyrie asked, tilting her head.


    ¡°Surely, I will. I¡¯m just going to meet the World Tree, and then there is another trip coming up. But I will surely come back.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After leaving the Golden Palace, Lily could not help mumbling, ¡°Mr. Landlord, you sounded like pacifying a kid just now.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a while but stopping short of pointing out that everyone had been talking to her in the same way.


    Obviously, the husky maiden lacked the self-awareness.


    Hopping onboard Anthony Alfonso¡¯s spherical flying craft, they returned to Niebelungen, the lair of Nidhogg.


    As the ultimate place of coexistence of the two souls of Yggdrasil, the lair of Nidhogg had a special significance. After deliberation, Whitey and Blackie unanimously decided to turn this nervous center into a communication channel with the outside world. Of course, they were mainly to communicate with Hao Ren.


    To facilitate the communication, and let Hao Ren understand and participate in the operation of Yggdrasil, they had completely revamped the lair of Nidhogg.


    When Hao Ren disembarked from the flying craft, he froze for a long while before muttering to himself, ¡°Wow! The changes in this place look more than just superficial.¡±


    Galazur also froze. She then mumbled, ¡°Well, at least it looks much better than the scene of dancing tentacles previously.¡±


    A temple of life stood before them.

 Chapter 1158 - Blackie and Whitey In the Temple of Life

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Yggdrasil¡¯s recovery had brought about enormous changes to the Midgard continent. With Niebelungen as home to Yggdrasil¡¯s most important thinking organ, the regeneration of the tentacles of the eldest First Born son was just as spectacular as that in Midgard.


    If not seeing with their own eyes, no one would have known that today¡¯s Niebelungen was the rotten, dark, and toxin-laden land of the past. And the changes here were even more remarkable than what happened in Midgard.


    The turbid cloud floating in the air had been cleared. The toxic springs all over the land had become cleaned up by the tentacles of the First Born, becoming beautiful lakes and rivers. The deep valleys had also been filled in. The roots of the World Tree had sprouted from the largest abysses and crypts, becoming the towering trees in the wilderness. The source of corruption¡ªthe lair of Nidhogg¡ªhad become the Temple of Life.


    The crater around Nidhogg crater was filled with huge green vines as the roots of the World Tree spread up from the bottom of the crater, tangling on the mountainsides and forming a fantastic green curtain. The green curtain extended up into the sky, and at the height of 1,000 m, it suddenly bloomed like flowers becoming a canopy. Green lights glowed like ancient elf between the canopy and the green curtain, preventing the land under the canopy falling into the darkness.


    If the Nordic people really wanted a World Tree, then no doubt, this should be the image of the World Tree.


    At the foot of the World Tree, Hao Ren saw white columns covered in vines, glyph-filled stone walls with overgrown roses, and the magnificent palace that had almost blended in with the surroundings. The row upon row of buildings that popped up out of nowhere, surrounded by a mysterious yet elegant atmosphere, were obviously not of natural occurrences, Hao Ren thought.


    They were all created by Yggdrasil with his own tentacles and lifeblood.


    Every palace, every pillar, and every stone wall was a living thing.


    This was the transformation Yggdrasil had made to his hinterland after he woke up. Hao Ren felt this was an environment far more comfortable to be in compared to the underground crypts filled with tentacles.


    ¡°Looks a little d¨¦j¨¤ vu.¡± Hao Ren walked towards the palace at the foot of the World Tree. Next to him, Vivian, who looked up for a long, suddenly came to her senses. ¡°Ahh, it looks like the temple in Coldpath!¡±


    Hao Ren had quickly realized too that these palaces were not created out of thin air but a replica of the temple of the goddess of creation!


    Yggdrasil had reproduced the temple of the goddess of creation with his own flesh and blood. But as these temples were entangled with the roots of the World Tree, and they were a little deformed, Hao Ren had not recognized them at first. It felt different to walk in between the pillars of the temples now. Looking at the empty halls, Lily could not help but sigh, ¡°Blackie must be missing his mom.¡±


    ¡°Whitey too,¡± Hao Ren added.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Blackie create Whitey?¡±


    ¡°Both Blackie and Whitey are more of a result of mitosis but a generation apart from the goddess of creation.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Mr. Landlord, that¡¯s a brilliant explanation.¡±


    The Nangong siblings, listening to the conversation, could not help but join in. ¡°Mr. Landlord and the husky are finally on the same wavelength.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, they are.¡±


    A green vine extended out from the palace, guiding them to the main hall of the temple of the World Tree. The interior of this magnificent building was round and empty. Two rows of white stone pillars lined up around the hall. Huge vines extending out from the hall grew and climbed up these stone pillars, forming a green dome at the top.


    There was an incredible thing floating in the center of the rotunda: it was a crystal-like sphere with a diameter of more than two meters flowing with magic runes and mysterious patterns. Under the sphere was a vast pool glowing in some kind of energy.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Hao Ren had instantly noticed the sphere. He walked over, and curiously observed it.


    ¡°It is an astrolabe,¡± a gentle female voice was heard saying from across from the main hall.


    Hao Ren froze. It was the voice of a stranger. He looked up and saw a girl, who he had never seen before, walking down the half-moon steps opposite the main hall. The girl, wearing a piece of plain white dress that was simple yet elegant, fair-skinned, without any makeup on her face, her long hair¡ªeven her eyebrows¡ªwas silvery white, was as white as snow. Looking at her, Hao Ren felt that she seemed to have low contrast with her surroundings, giving her a 2-D effect. He knew having this thought was weird. He could not help as it was a side effect of talking for too long with Lily.


    The ultra-low contrast white girl came down from the steps and seemed to float around Hao Ren in a circle. It was an illusion, though. As her footsteps were so light that she seemed to walk on air. ¡°It took me a while to build this place. The memory of the temple of my mother has become so blurry that I could only remember this part,¡± the white girl said to herself.


    ¡°Wait a second.¡± Hao Ren was perplexed. A thought flashed across his mind, but he could not believe it. ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m Whitey.¡± The white girl with a low contrast continued to float around. ¡°Wasn¡¯t you the one who named me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really you?¡± Hao Ren was shocked. ¡°How did you become like this? Wait a second. You are female?¡±


    Now, even Vivian and the others were struck dumb. This was the first time they were seeing Whitey appearing in this image. When did the First Born acquire this image? Wasn¡¯t it neuter?


    ¡°Female? No. We are hermaphrodites,¡± Whitey said. ¡°You should have known.¡±


    ¡°But you look like¡­¡± Hao Ren looked at Whitey with a strange expression on his face.


    ¡°Oh, it is an ability of the First Borns. As we are the guardians of all beings, when the ecosystem has developed to a certain extent, we have to communicate with various Second Borns. Mother had preprogrammed us so that we could communicate with anyone in different appearances,¡± Whitey said as she made a three-sixty turn. ¡°That¡¯s how many myths begin. You are now seeing me in human form, but in fact, we could change into anything. If you were a reptile, I would appear as a centipede.¡±


    Before Whitey finished, Hao Ren glanced at Nangong Wuyue. ¡°That sounds like you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not at that level yet,¡± the siren said, waving her hand. ¡°I can only shapeshift into whatever in the water.¡±


    ¡°But you could transform into the Titanic, and I¡¯m sure he couldn¡¯t.¡± Lily cut in. ¡°Oops! I mean ¡®she¡¯¡­¡±


    The facts spoke for themselves. Other than feel surprise, Hao Ren could not say anything more. As much as he marveled the astonishing lifeforms like the First Born, it was not something beyond his expectation. After all, he had not even met a perfectly normal First Born so far. When he thought Zorm was the one, it turned out to be a First Born that physically crumbled as a juvenile. Only Yggdrasil could be deemed ¡°complete.¡± So whatever unique ability he saw in Yggdrasil, he would consider it a ¡°normal¡± phenomenon.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s not talk about this.¡± Hao Ren turned to look at the hall. ¡°Since we¡¯re here in the core of your mind, shouldn¡¯t Blackie also reveal himself, or maybe, herself?¡±


    ¡°Then I will bring her out.¡±


    After saying, Whitey turned around and disappeared.


    After a while, a voice with a slightly higher pitch tone was heard from afar. ¡°Bastard! Don¡¯t rush me! Just give me a few minutes! Let me take another sip! Just one more sip! Without the sun I¡¯m going to die.¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned looking at Whitey dragging another girl who looked exactly like her but in black coming out from a vine. The black girl, being dragged on the ground, cursed aloud, ¡°You son of a b*tch! I shouldn¡¯t have created you in the first place! Let me go back there and take another sip!¡±


    ¡°You are full already.¡± Whitey threw Blackie on the ground. ¡°We share the same senses. I know you are full.¡±


    ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± Hao Ren was dumbstruck.


    At this time, Y¡¯zaks, who had been silent all this while, spoke, ¡°Isn¡¯t Yggdrasil near a star sucking its energy?¡±


    Blackie lumped into a ball on the ground, face filled with happiness. ¡°Eating is so satisfying, especially after being starved in space for two thousand years. Just let me take another sip.¡±


    Everyone was struck dumb.


    ¡°Is this Yggdrasil at all?¡± Hao Ren could not believe his eyes. ¡°How could this possibly the behavior of the First Born?¡±


    Lily patted Hao Ren on his shoulder as if she had seen it all. ¡°How could you claim to be a pope if you react this way?¡±


    Thinking for a moment, Hao Ren was speechless.

 Chapter 1159 - The Recovery of Inferno

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    It was not known if it was Hao Ren¡¯s problem or the world¡¯s. Those he knew always developed some strange twist somewhere in the storyline. For example, the previously horrifying underground cave had turned into the Temple of Life; Yggdrasil, the World Tree had somehow become Yggdrasil the Black and White. Although he knew that this black and white transformation was only for aesthetic purposes without any change of substance, Hao Ren still felt it astounding.


    Thinking carefully, the strange tendency seemed to have only started after he met Raven 12345, who was known for her eccentricity. Since then, the world in Hao Ren¡¯s eyes began to go the way of the neurotic. But only because she was a true goddess that the universe was mimicking her quality.


    Glancing at Blackie who was crawling on the ground babbling ¡°Let me take another sip,¡± Hao Ren knew that original version of Yggdrasil would not be coming back anytime soon. He turned to look at the seemingly more normal Whitey. ¡°Your new home will be in the Scarred Nebula, which you should already know. Can you withstand such long-distance migration?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°Mother gave us this body so that we can cross the barrier between two worlds.¡± Whitey smiled and flew up to the astrolabe. ¡°She has already foreseen the problems we would encounter in the otherworldly dimensions. Yggdrasil is not afraid of challenges.¡±


    The astrolabe was charged with energy. As it floated in the air and shone brightly, the pool below began to shimmer and followed by a red shadow emerging from the water, which showed the reflection of the cosmo.


    The next moment, the suspended sphere of the astrolabe suddenly expanded and turned into an illusory image, covering the entire hall in an instant. Images of stars and celestial bodies appeared all around, giving the impression of being in space.


    ¡°Wow¡ª¡± Wagging her tail, Lily exclaimed in awe. ¡°Mr. Landlord! This looks even more awesome than the navigation system onboard the Petrachelys!¡±


    Equally shocked was Hao Ren, who looked curiously at the celestial images floating around him. He knew this was a star chart. ¡°A navigation instrument? I thought the First Borns did not use this thing, which was more like a high-tech gadget.¡±


    ¡°No, we really don¡¯t need this tool,¡± Whitey said, shaking her head. ¡°Yggdrasil¡¯s been traveling in space without any aids. This temple and the astrolabe, which project the images in our minds, are for you. It gives you a better picture and direction. But for us, navigation in the universe does not require any navigational astrolabes.¡±


    ¡°It is so much more convenient with this. At first, I was still scratching my head, trying to figure out how to translate our star chart for you.¡± Feeling relieved, Hao Ren took out the MDT. ¡°Let¡¯s compare the flight paths.¡±


    The MDT immediately ran a comparison of the star chart around them with the officially recorded version in its memory. ¡°Well¡­ looks like Yggdrasil has a limited range of perceptions of deep-space celestial bodies; the Scarred Nebula is not on this chart. Let¡¯s move in this direction, then we will adjust the direction.¡±


    The dying star of Chattar, still emitted its last bit of light and heat, was quickly demising especially after Yggdrasil continuously extracted its energy. It had declined to become a dark celestial body with only some dark-red spots was visible near the equator.


    Next to Chattar, Yggdrasil was closing the energy conduit he had created.


    As the space fissure slowly closed, the scenery of Asgard began to disappear from the universe, and the light stream linking the stars and the otherworldly dimensional rifts was dimming. Ten minutes later, even the last bit of light flow was gone.


    The starlight near the Chattar was suddenly distorted as the dimensional chain of Yggdrasil disappeared from this part of the space.


    On the same day, all planets and space stations in Chattar Civilization Sphere that could monitor radio signals in space channel in the entire Chalk civilization had received a message. This message had become an unsolved mystery in the private discussion rooms of the monitoring personnel for a long time. The message was:


    Let me take another sip!


    This relocation of Yggdrasil took seven days.


    He (she?) had mostly recovered and was able to perform warp-jump with a much faster speed than when he was in a groggy state. But the Scarred Nebula was in deep space, this long journey was still a daunting task for the First Born. After seven days of continuous warp-jump, traveling a distance more than a million light years, Yggdrasil finally was able to sense the Scarred Nebula.


    ¡°I have almost exhausted the energy that I have gained earlier.¡± Blackie was lying listlessly beside the pool under the astrolabe as if she was going to jump into it. ¡°I have to get something to eat.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s plenty of ¡®food¡¯ in the Scarred Nebula,¡± Hao Ren said. He had had some meaningful interaction with Whitey and Blackie these few days and finally familiarized himself with the new look of Yggdrasil. Right now, he was staring blankly at Blackie. ¡°Except the inhabited planet of Inferno, the entire nebula is filled with energy and non-exploitable interstellar clouds. You can sip as much as you want, and no one is going to stop you.¡±


    Whitey floated up to the astrolabe. What she saw was also projected into the magicked pool below the astrolabe. The spectacular image of the Scarred Nebula, also known as the Wound of the World, appeared in front of their eyes. The nebula had always maintained a delicately dynamic balance with its particle beams and energy storms. The ring-shaped cloud was glowing brightly in space. But the dark scar in the center looked like an endless abyss, it constantly annihilated and created materials and laws of both worlds. Looking at this spectacular scene, Whitey sighed softly, ¡°The collision of two worlds¡­ When Yggdrasil arrived in this world ten thousand years ago, he had ripped the space of this world apart. But it was just a slit and was patched by Mother¡¯s divine power in a short time.¡±


    Blackie looked up from beside the pool, gracelessly waving her hand. ¡°Holy moly, look how big the hole is!¡±


    Perhaps Yggdrasil could never fully recover from his bipolar disorder, a sequela from the corruption.


    Under the guidance of the navigation beacons Hao Ren had left behind previously, they quickly found the location of the planet Inferno.


    The only life-sustaining planet in the Scarred Nebula, a lonely island in chaos, had put up its new appearance of blue and green, creating a stark contrast with the dark space around it. The sun, at some 1.5 astronomical unit away, was radiating its glorious heat and light nourishing the ancient planet that had just recovered from a cold winter. Hao Ren had first connected the instrument he had left on Inferno before the MDT began to receive data.


    ¡°Looks like the development on the planet has been going on smoothly after we have left.¡± Hao Ren looked at the information that he had just received. ¡°The descendants of the Sun Dynasty have settled in several new cities, and all tribes have reestablished contact.¡±


    When Hao Ren left Inferno, it was still a desolate and primitive planet. After the mining team of the Fairy Void Consortium took down the ugly outer crust, the endless vast steppe and the barren wilderness were the only terrains on the planet. Many of the tribes, original nomads, began to wander in the vast prairie as all ancient cities had been reduced to ruins. Now, a year later, changes on the planet were no way near dramatic, but things were a little different.


    To control Toka the First Born, who coexisted with the planet, Hao Ren had built a vast nerve impulse controller on the surface of the planet: Requiem. Now, this ultra-high-tech city had become the holy land for the indigenous inhabitants of the planet. The nomadic tribes had gathered and built settlements in the vicinity of Requiem. At the same time, Hao Ren¡¯s construction units had built several small bases in the key areas, which had also seen settlements popping up in the surroundings.


    It was foreseeable that in the future, the development of a circle of stone cities around these high-tech bases would be a norm on Inferno.


    The monitor showed the footages of native tribes building new homes, trying out farming, and learning the ancient writings.


    Leading and teaching the native tribes were the souls of the ancient Sun Dynasty, whom Hao Ren had brought out from the underground city of Dorasil. These ancient souls followed the ancient vows and Vivian¡¯s orders. Now they were doing their best to restore their civilization.


    The dimensional chain of Yggdrasil was hovering over Inferno. The sight of the Nine Worlds could be seen appearing in the fissure between the main material world and the otherworldly dimensions. Looking down at the booming planet below, Galazur sighed. ¡°Looks like you do know something else other than blowing up things.¡±


    Hao Ren was struck dumb.

 Chapter 1160 - Bonia Is a Little Voracious

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    For the native tribes on Inferno, the impact of the world¡¯s tumultuous change was not entirely over.


    The clouds over the steppe had disappeared. The canopy of Toka the First Born, once the upper crust, had been removed. The sun had reappeared, and various plants and animals that were once extinct had returned to the world. Vivian, the goddess, had brought about the rise of the Sun people and the construction of the incredible steel cities. Requiem and the cities of steel and storm (in fact they were the drone hangars and autonomous factories) all over the world had become the new holy places in the eyes of the indigenous people. Even the ancient souls of the Sun Dynasty had also returned to the world from the Realm of the Death, teaching the lost ancient skills to the people. Many nomads did not understand the meaning of this knowledge, but the younger generation was hooked by this ancestral knowledge, and gradually adapted to life in the city. Bonia was one of them.


    The little saintess of the Fire tribe, Bonia, was now living with her people in the new ¡°holy city¡± near Requiem. This new holy city was built under the calling of the spirit of the ancestors. It mimicked the urban layout of the ancient Sun Dynasty. Though a far cry from that of the incredible age, the clean streets and sturdy building structure of the New Holy City still gave Bonia an astonishing feeling. She had become even more cherished for ancient knowledge as a result.


    But in the eyes of the ancestral spirit, Gragon, the new holy city was only a group of neatly arranged shacks. It would take many more years and generations before this world could restore its former glory.


    Bonia, the saintess, possessed the most knowledge and the best ideas among her peers in this world. She, like other saintesses in other tribes, was respected in her own tribe. The VIPs of all tribes had now gathered in the new holy city. So the saintesses.


    Due to their unique identity, the saintesses usually had no chance to loiter around. Also, because they were smarter than ordinary people, they were the key targets of education by the ancestral spirits. Every day, Bonia would spend the day learning and handle the duty of a saintess during the night. So she had only an hour at dusk where she could enjoy her rare leisure time.


    At dusk, the class, conducted by the ancestral spirit Gragon, was finally over. The little saintess Bonia came out of the school and under the accompaniment of the guardian warriors of her tribe, returned to her place. She massaged her bulging head, which was stuffed with a variety of exciting things that she heard in the school. She had learned the essence of matters, the mystery of Mathematics, the power of gears and levers, as well as the ancient magic-powered devices, which was Bonia¡¯s favorite. Gragon could use the power of the souls to create a vivid illusion. In the illusion, apprentices could see for themselves how the incredible ancient machines worked. It was so much more interesting than the boring theoretical lesson.


    ¡°You can now see the Pillar of Eternity.¡± The tribal warriors jolted her out of her thoughts.


    Quickly slapping herself on the cheek, the little saintess found herself arriving on the higher ground on the edge of the new holy city. From here, she could see two sacred places. One was Requiem behind the new holy city. The jungle of steel-needle towers was always shrouded in lightning bolts and traversed by flying machines that emitted a silvery glow. It was not only the most revered but also an absolutely forbidden place. Two was the remains of the Pillar of Eternity at the end of the horizon.


    The Pillar of Eternity used to be the pillar supporting the hard upper crust. It was actually the trunk of the giant tree Toka the First Born had formed with his tentacle. When the mining team from Fairy Void Consortium cut down the canopy, only a small part of the trunk remained standing. But this remaining stump was still magnificently huge and considered a miracle. The tribal people believed that the stump possessed the powers of Toka the giant and of Vivian, the goddess. Every day when Bonia passed by the higher ground, she would pray by facing the direction the Pillar of Eternity. She might be still young, but she already possessed the awareness of a saintess.


    ¡°Dear Goddess, thank you for bringing light to the world¡­¡±


    The little saints said out the prayer, which was long-winded and tongue-twisting, by memory. The tribal warriors nearby quickly lost their patience and could no longer keep their attention. They might be faithful followers, but their faithfulness was mainly manifested in battles in the name of god. It was not realistic for them to listen to a complete prayer, especially a long-winded one.


    The tribal warriors, shaking their heads, went to a side, checking their holy blades, which they carried all day with them. Bonia secretly glanced at them, making sure they were not listening, she quickly added her own words of prayer.


    ¡°Oh, Goddess, I have something to ask for your favor. When will you and your messengers come again? I miss the tastes of the shrimps and dried beans.¡±


    Just when her voice trailed off, a large pack of snacks suddenly landed in her hands.


    Bonia was once again in her signature expressionless demeanor, looking at the pack of snack in her hand, she suddenly exclaimed, ¡°Wow, the goddess is real!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too engrossed next time when you think of something you like to eat.¡± A gentle voice came from the side. Bonia looked up and found that Vivian was standing in front of her. Meanwhile, the tribal warriors guarding her had respectfully gone down on their knees.


    The little saintess thought for a moment before she wowed again. ¡°The goddess is really here!¡±


    ¡°Not seeing this kid for a while, I feel that she has become more slow-witted,¡± Hao Ren said.


    As a saintess, Bonia was knowledgeable and intelligent. It was her innocence, and demeanor that gave the impression of being ¡®slow.¡¯ The most memorable thing Hao Ren could remember was of her dozing off and snoring in the corner of the room while the adults were having a discussion.


    Bonia could not wait to tear open the snack package. Stuffing a mouthful of junk food, she began to think that her new prayers really worked. Before she knew it, she had already finished half a packet of dried beans before she suddenly realized something. ¡°Ahh, I have to inform the patriarchs!¡± she said.


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. I just need you to fetch Gragon and other ancestral spirits,¡¯ Vivian said.


    Soon, Gragon came with a group of souls of the Sun Dynasty before Vivian.


    Gragon was the last king of the Sun Dynasty 10,000 years ago. When the goddess of creation sent the planet Inferno from the Plane of Dreams to the surface world, the planet was in a turmoil. Vivian¡¯s split came to this world, suppressing and keeping the Toka the First Born who coexisted with the planet under control. Later, the then highest commander of the planet, Gragon, took over the responsibility of guarding Toka. He led all the royal family members of Sun Dynasty, killing themselves with poison and reincarnated as holy souls. This way, they could make sure the lullaby, which kept Toka in sleep in the underground, playing indefinitely. Only until the arrival of Hao Ren and Vivian, who defeated the demon-god Vivian and the First Born, that the souls were freed from their long service. Now Gragon and his brothers-in-arms became the spiritual leaders on the planet, being tasked with the responsibility of restoring the glory of the Sun Dynasty Civilization.


    The respectable old king, followed by the holy souls behind him, bowed to Vivian. For the people on this planet, Vivian was a real deity.


    Their perception of Vivian might be a little erroneous, but Hao Ren had no intention of correcting them.


    ¡°We are going to Requiem,¡± said Hao Ren. ¡°Besides, we have also brought this planet a neighbor.¡±


    Yggdrasil was now ¡®hovering¡¯ close to Inferno metaphorically. As the Nine Worlds were all located in different space and time, Yggdrasil existed in no specific location in the main material world. Yggdrasil, whom Hao Ren was really unsure whether he should address with ¡®he¡¯ or ¡®her,¡¯ was adjusting his own space-time opening so that when he entered the material world, he could overlap nicely with Inferno. This was a high-precision maneuver, which took time to complete. Before that happened, Hao Ren wanted to take Whitey to check out Toka.


    Why would he not bring Blackie along? On the one hand, Blackie was the primary soul of Yggdrasil, who was more convenient if she could stay back controlling her own body; on the other hand, Hao Ren thought that it was too dangerous to have the maniac girl coming along. She was a freaking hazard.

 Chapter 1161 - The Secret Behind the Guardians’ Madness

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After performing several adjustments, Blackie was able to adapt to the unstable dimensional structure of the Scarred Nebula. She began to connect her massive body from the otherworldly dimension to the main material world. This movement caused an extraordinarily spectacular phenomenon.


    In the new holy city next to Requiem, the peasants were returning home after a day of toiling. The first person who discovered the vision in the sky was a young stonemason.


    The young stonemason was coming home tired after a day of work. He was rebuilding his sacred home city, for which he was proud of. Looking at the blue sky of the day and then the ember of the sunset was the only rewards he looked for.


    But today, things were a little strange. As he looked up at the sky searching for the sun, which had just appeared in the world for less than a year, he only vaguely saw a scene of a looming continent hanging over the horizon.


    It was as if another world had overlapped this world, the partially translucent phenomenon reminded the young stonemason of the mirage the old folks had mentioned. But no one had ever seen the so-called mirage. The land floating on the horizon was so vividly clear that the details were almost visible. As the halo expanded, mysterious light began to emerge around the floating continent where huge, strange things that looked like vines grew around, as if a giant tree was holding up the mysterious land.


    The young stonemason was stunned beyond belief. Staring at the mysterious kingdom, which only got bigger in the clouds, he saw stars were twinkling in the background as if night had come early although the daylight had yet faded.


    It was an optical phenomenon though, as Yggdrasil¡¯s powerful gravitational force had refracted starlight into the planet¡¯s atmosphere. But for the indigenous tribes of Inferno, the land floating in the clouds and the light in the day were miracles.


    Blackie carefully controlled his vast body, making smooth contact with Inferno¡¯s atmosphere while at the same time trying not to affect the planet. She moved herself to a position where she could conveniently establish a space bridge. On the surface of the planet, her appearance had attracted more and more attention.


    The young stonemason finally could not help himself. He exclaimed aloud, his voice ringing in the streets, ¡°Oh, Goddess! It¡¯s falling down! The kingdom of heaven is falling!¡±


    People began to notice the falling continent in the clouds. On the streets, screams of amazement of the miracle were heard throughout. Some of them screamed as they were afraid; some, who were slightly calmer, called out the names of respectable figures, looking for an explanation from their elders and ancient spirits.


    Just as the chaos began to spread on the streets, the ancient souls suddenly appeared and led the tribal warriors announcing the ¡®miracle¡¯ in the clouds. ¡°No worries! That is another world our great goddess has created. The goddess has come back and conveyed her will to the world. She wants to create a connection between the worlds of Yggdrasil that she created with our Sun Kingdom. Living in those kingdoms in the clouds are our brothers and sisters whom we have never met before.¡±


    At the same time, the Twilight survivors on the Midgard continent saw the same thing.


    They too saw a continent floating above them. As the Nine Worlds were not really in the main material world, the inverted world they saw was merely a translucent image, which did not affect the skylight. The vast ¡®mirage¡¯ had caused the Twilight people went panic. But before the fear could cause any troubles, the Steam Assembly had quickly quelled the situation. The explanation they gave was similar to those provided by the ancient souls on the inferno.


    It transpired that this was the propaganda script that Hao Ren had prepared and given to them in advance. This kind of texts was common in the handbook Three Thousand Common Propaganda Scripts for Inspectors. Apparently, handling this kind of phenomenon was part and parcel of the job of inspectors.


    Meanwhile, Hao Ren and his team had followed Gragon venturing deep into Requiem.


    Silver-white alloy cast needle towers were erected all over the place like trees in a jungle with capacitors of various sizes scattering around. Crystal tubes and multiple cables charged with energy were interlaced at the height of tens of meters, forming a giant net in the sky. Bright arcs filled this magnificent steel capital. Requiem was now officially a ¡®city.¡¯ The construction units had been working non-stop since Hao Ren left the planet earlier, almost doubling Requiem in size, adding more safety coils to it, and allowing more automatic maintenance robots to ¡®stay¡¯ here. Now the expansion of this vast electromagnetic pulse installation had stopped, but internally, work was still ongoing day and night. Walking in Requiem, one would see the busy engineering robotic team and the neural control bolt under construction. This surreal technological installation was in stark contrast to the rudimentary city built with stones on the outside.


    Soon, they came to the center of Requiem, where the big hollow called the Throat of Toka was situated.


    An alloy-cast large ring was set on the ground. The center of the ring was a deep bottomless cave. Huge tentacles grew on the walls of the cave, and each of them was lined with cables and sparkling crystalline ducts while the end of the tentacles was routed and connected to the nearby steel needle towers, firmly nailed on the ground.


    This deep cave led all the way down to the center of the earth, connecting the heart of Toka the First Born. The tentacles were the nerves Toka. As a giant pulse controller, Requiem was playing the role of an artificial brain, which had been running well in the past year. The flourishing ecosystem of Inferno was proof of that.


    Whitey curiously floated around the Throat of Toka. She knew what those tentacles were, and felt it incredible how they worked. As if she had discovered a newfound land, Whitey floated up to Hao Ren. ¡°This compatriot of mine seems to not have a brain,¡± she said.


    ¡°Specifically speaking, its brain was removed by Vivian, and then I had given it a thorough neurological surgery not long ago, completely destroying the thinking ability of the First Born.¡± Hao Ren pointed at the surrounding alloy needle towers controlling the nerves of the First Born. ¡°But its basic instinct is still strong. We need the nerve-impulse controllers to keep him calm. Over the past few months, the planet¡¯s ecosystem planning center relied on these pulse controllers to control the body of the First Born to complete the reconstruction of the planet¡¯s environment.¡±


    ¡°I feel it weird to hear you said that in front of Whitey,¡± Lily said as she poked Hao Ren¡¯s arm with her claw.


    ¡°That¡¯s okay. Like I always say¡ªI don¡¯t mind. My mad compatriots are a huge threat to the ecosystem. I¡¯m sure mother would not want to see them killing each other,¡± Whitey said.


    ¡°Can you see the difference between the mad and the normal First Borns?¡± Hao Ren asked. This was also an important reason why he had brought Whitey here.


    After learning about the mysterious corruption suffered by Yggdrasil, Hao Ren began to wonder if there were any hidden forces behind this. Driven into insanity after witnessing the murder of his mother might sound logical, but it was nevertheless still a little far-fetched.


    There were thousands of guardians out there. But except those receiving the instructions of the goddess of creation, all other guardians had changed. Their actions after the change were strikingly consistent: destroying the ecosystem that the Goddess of Creation had created. This was totally inconsistent with the will of the goddess, but in line with the purpose of the ancient evil forces.


    Besides this, the other transformations of the guardians were also suspicious. The First Borns had utterly lost their logical thinking¡ªa thing that should not have happened with their unique multi-core brain structure. The guardian giants had changed form so much that their brains became brain monsters. This was the manifestation of their hatred and search for revenge. Other than venting their anger at the mortals, no one had tried to search for the remnant of the Star of Creation. After they were done with the vengeance, they fell asleep, as if they had forgotten about the goddess of creation.


    These signs were full of suspicion when studied carefully. But before finding Yggdrasil, Hao Ren did not know there was such a terrible conspiracy behind the deicidal event, and that those short-lived treacherous children were incapable of driving the guardians to insanity. So he ignored these points.


    But now he knew the treacherous children indeed did not possess this ability, but the ancient evil forces did.

 Chapter 1162 - Whitey’s Findings

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren did not conceal his worries. He told of the many doubts he had about the guardians¡¯ insanity to those around him.


    The general view was that there was a hidden hand behind all of this, and what happened in the Plane of Dreams had something to do with it. Lily was more than happy to make this hidden hand the source of all problems and be blamed for all the troubles in the future. Everyone was delighted to finally find a guy who could not possibly wash its hands off the matters.


    But they had yet known the identity of this hidden hand.


    Before that, Hao Ren had studied the insanity of the guardians in his own way. Other than the noticeable changes in appearance, he did not find any negative forces in the guardians. But he knew his investigation was not comprehensive, as proven by the corruption of Yggdrasil. What happened to Yggdrasil began from an illusory level, from where the corruption spread into the real world in its final stage. Since the discovery of this hidden corruption, could it be that other guardians also experienced similar condition?


    Whitey floated around the Throat of Toka, first lamenting about the size of her compatriot before plunging headfirst into the bottomless abyss.


    When Whitey jumped into the cave, the nerves in the Throat of Toka was responding. Lights came up from the cave, hopping along the tentacles, and causing a burst of electric arcs at the nerve-pulse needle towers. Hao Ren did not know what method Whitey was using to test the enormous creature that had a symbiotic relationship with the planet, but he knew Whitey had found something.


    It was ten minutes later that the energy surge around the Throat of Toka finally subsided, and a white shadow emerged from a tentacle next to Hao Ren. ¡°The situation down there is messy. This is the first time I have ever seen the internal of other First Born that is so different from mine.¡±


    ¡°Whitey? How come you become a formless light again?¡± Hao Ren was stunned.


    Whitey froze, only now realizing that she had lost her human appearance. Embarrassedly, she asked, ¡°How did I look like before?¡±


    Everyone was speechless.


    It seemed that Whitey was affected after entering the body of Toka, her memory was confused. But thank goodness, the MDT had the record of her image and Whitey was able to restore her earlier ¡®humanoid interface.¡¯ Hao Ren could not wait to know what she had found.


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of hard to draw conclusions,¡± Whitey said apologetically, shaking her head. ¡°He has neither brains nor soul. I could only detect the primitive nerve impulse deep inside the planet. But there is no way to determine if there is a tendency of depravity in the nerve impulse.¡±


    Disappointed, Hao Ren had hoped the First Born as unique as Yggdrasil could find clues of the corruption of the other First Borns.


    He had thought about Godslayer, who was familiar with the corruptive evil forces and had found the source of corruption in the spiritual world of Yggdrasil. Unfortunately, the sword had lost most of its power. It could only sense whether there were corrupting forces homologous to itself only after entering the spiritual world of the target. But just now, Whitey had mentioned that Toka had no brains and thinking ability. The sensory ability of Godslayer was useless here.


    Even if Dr. Hao would like to repeat his feat of treating Yggdrasil on Toka, Toka had no brain.


    ¡°But it is not without any findings,¡± Whitey suddenly said.


    ¡°Stop letting us guessing!¡± Hao Ren said.


    ¡°It is only a suspicious lead, not something concrete,¡± Whitey said with a poker face. ¡°I found some traces of suspected corruption in several ganglia of Toka. Those ganglia with traces of violent thinking were immersed in the lifeblood that has gone bad. The brain might have been removed, but the mental energy of the First Born is strong enough to leave behind these traces.¡±


    ¡°Signs of corruption? The lifeblood that has gone bad?¡± Hao Ren froze. ¡°That is not right. I have left probes on this planet conducting a check on every inch of Toka before but found nothing.¡±


    ¡°The corruption doesn¡¯t have to be serious enough to cause visible symptoms.¡± Whitey glanced at Hao Ren. ¡°The lifeblood is the source of life Mother created. Every minute change of the lifeblood would manifest many messages. You might find some changes normal and part of the evolution, but to us, it could be abnormal. Well, it is something difficult to explain clearly.¡±


    ¡°There is nothing difficult to understand,¡± Lily said, cutting in suddenly. ¡°As the old saying goes, ¡®insider knows the ropes, while outsider just comes along for the ride.¡¯ Two men holding hands may be a loving picture to me, but Mr. Landlord may find it unpalatable.¡±


    ¡°Is that how you interpret ¡®insider knows the ropes, while outsider just comes along for the ride¡¯? Hao Ren asked, glaring at the husky while other was stunned.


    ¡°Is this phrase description of corruption?¡± Whitey asked Lily after thinking for a moment.


    ¡°Yes, definitely! It is extremely appropriate,¡± Hao Ren and Nangong Sanba said in unison.


    ¡°Spare me, please! Can you guys say something more serious?¡± Vivian said.


    Hao Ren hemmed. ¡°Whatever. At least it is now certain that the guardians went insane after the goddess was killed not because they were enraged¡ªat least not the sole reason. It was the self-proclaimed Cosmic Progenitor the hidden hand that had caused the current situation. I personally think that the way it interfered is similar to how they tempted the treacherous children¡ªthey magnified the negative emotions inside the guardians.¡±


    ¡°But what I know is still too little,¡± Whitey said. ¡°Toka is not a good sample for the study. I need a more complete sample to understand what happened to the Guardians.¡±


    ¡°I have one,¡± Hao Ren said, smiling. ¡°I have a large space station in the Plane of Dreams where two First Borns are held. The best thing is, both are alive.¡±


    Whitey was delighted but only for a while. ¡°I can¡¯t go back to that world. You know, the condition of the Wall of Reality could no longer tolerate individual like me to cross again.¡±


    Hao Ren patted Whitey on her shoulder, but his hand swooped through her. Embarrassedly, he retracted his hand. ¡°You are right, it is difficult to send you back to the Plane of Dreams now. But I can let you get in touch with things in the Plane of Dreams. In fact, this is exactly the reason I have placed the Nine Worlds in this area of the nebula. Do you know what this place is?¡±


    ¡°The Scarred Nebula,¡± Whitey replied. ¡°I was not born yet at that time, but I knew when Blackie entered into this world, she tore open a similar crack!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m going to reopen a passageway to the Plane of Dreams here,¡± Hao Ren said with his arms crossed, looking proud. ¡°It will be right on the border in the center of the Scarred Nebula. Of course, considering the condition of the Wall of Reality now, even with this passageway, an individual like you who is closely related to the goddess of creation couldn¡¯t just cross the gate like that. But the passageway will change the environment of the entire Scarred Nebula, and the nebula will be the overlapped area of the surface world and the Plane of Dreams. The people of both worlds would be able to interact with each other without a problem.¡±


    Whitey listened and was amazed, hopeful, and then doubtful. Expressions changed on her face rapidly.


    Hao Ren had not noticed the changes on Whitey¡¯s face. He was too excited by what could have changed the course of history. He could not wait to see the opening of the Scarred Nebula.


    The ¡®connection¡¯ process between the Nine Worlds and Inferno took three days and three nights.


    Under the heavy bombardment of propaganda and influence of staged public opinion, the Sun people of Inferno and the Twilight people of the Nine Worlds began to calm down and accept the changes in their worlds.


    When the connection was finally established, the Nine Worlds would become a spectacle scenery over Inferno. And in turn, the planet Inferno would also hang over the horizon of the Nine Worlds, becoming the Hanging Kingdom that many years later humans in Midgard knew.¡±


    Both kingdoms hung above each other¡¯s cumulonimbus clouds. The strange optical illusion produced by the gravitational distortion created an aurora curtain between the two worlds. Yggdrasil extended from Niebelungen his biggest root, which became a space elevator¡ªthe Heavenly Tower¡ªconnecting the two kingdoms. For the next millennium, the Heavenly Tower was one of the greatest miracles between Inferno and Yggdrasil. The humans of the two worlds visited each other through this tower, surviving all temptations, cognition, wars, peace, unity, division, and together entering the space age¡ªall these would happen man years later.


    When Yggdrasil and Toka built the new world together, a passageway began to take shape in the eye of the storm of Scarred Nebula.

 Chapter 1163 - Opening the Gate…

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The Scarred Nebula.


    People on Inferno who looked up at the night sky would see strange starlight, which was hard to observe anywhere else in the universe. Most of the stars they saw there looked distorted. As the gravitational forces of the Scarred Nebula¡¯s interstellar clouds and the spatial rift interfered with the starlight from deep space, the most massive and most explicit space object they could see was the spatial rift in the very center of the nebula. It looked like a slightly deformed eyeball, chaotic and turbid, surrounded by a ring of radial spatial fissures.


    For a long time to come, the Sun people and the Twilight remnants called the huge cosmic rift the Galactic Eye, as some of them believed that this spatial rift was the eye through which the gods monitored the universe, and kept the two worlds in a balance.


    In some ways, their beliefs were not wholly groundless. During the process of building the passageway, Hao Ren did install thousands of monitoring instrument in the ¡®eye of the storm¡¯ of Scarred Nebula to monitor the status of the Wall of Reality.


    The eye of the storm, also known as the Great Fissure, was a large hollow space, which stretched across the center of the Scarred Nebula. It was difficult to describe this hollow in the usual language of physics. In general, it was a gradient area where two universes overlapped each other. On the edge of the hollow, clashes of universal laws were milder, and bursts of energy radiations happened. The closer it was to the core of the hollow, the more intense the conflict of the law of physics was, and space-time became less stable, beginning to crack open gradually. At the core of the hollow, the law of Physics broke down and the boundaries of the two universes were almost non-existent. Despite that this core area only accounted for one-hundredth of the volume of the hollow, it contained 99% of all the information in the entire hollow. In order to build a controllable gate, Hao Ren first needed to set up a giant computing center here to parse and reconstruct the information at both ends of the gate.


    Just like setting up a compatible protocol between two computer systems of different architectures, this protocol would ensure the files of the two systems could be transmitted securely.


    After a spatial distortion caused by a warp-jump, three spacecraft appeared almost simultaneously above the eye of the storm at the center of the Scarred Nebula. The three spacecraft were similar in shapes: painted in a silvery-white coating, of a long axis of more than 500 m with massive upper superstructure and four symmetrically arranged cabins. This was no stranger to the interstellar-stage civilizations in the multiverses: it was the inspector spacecraft.


    To carry out the next project, Anthony Alfonso and Galazur had gone back to their respective homeworlds and come back with their spacecraft. They also had a large number of construction units onboard, and powerful supercomputers. With these resources, Hao Ren did not have to apply for technical support from his superior.


    The support Raven 12345 provided always made no sense after all.


    The three spacecraft might look the same, but they actually had differences. The leading spacecraft was painted with a massive avatar of a husky on the back deck (after much pestering from Lily), and the second spacecraft was painted with powerful-looking but actually-useless magic symbols on the armors while the third spacecraft looked so much subtle except with a golden dragon standing on top like a wave surfer.


    This surfboard was a bit too big, though.


    Looking at the scene in space on the Petrachelys¡¯ flight deck, Hao Ren was impressed by Galazur¡¯s flying skill. ¡°Galazur has got skill!¡±


    ¡°I told you what, this is exciting!¡± Galazur¡¯s voice was heard over the radio. The dragon queen was seen in the monitor waving to him using her short claws. ¡°Those of you who could only sit on the flight deck would never get to know the thrill of cosmic wind blowing into your face!¡±


    Anthony Alfonso suddenly cut in. ¡°I thought you have quit space surfing after getting struck by an asteroid?¡±


    The dragon queen suddenly blew her top. ¡°Did you summoned that asteroid?¡±


    Listening to the two seniors washing their dirty linens openly, Hao Ren started to feel pessimistic about the corporate culture of the gods.


    Suddenly, a bright light flashed inside the spatial rift, interrupting the two veteran inspectors.


    ¡°Is that the flash of the annihilation of the Great Fissure?¡± Anthony Alfonso asked, face serious.


    ¡°Yup. In the core of the Great Fissure, information exchange constantly happens between the two worlds. When incompatible information meets, they will be annihilated,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°What we have to do is to drop a ¡®core¡¯ at the annihilation point, and the core will guide the establishment of the passageway. At the same time, twenty-one control bolts will be placed around the Great Fissure when the gate opens. These control bolts would ensure the stability of the gate, and prevents the expansion of the crack on the Wall of Reality.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you also need some ¡®filtering¡¯ measures to prevent foreign objects from falling into the gate?¡± Galazur asked.


    Hao Ren had not thought of that. ¡°There are no celestial bodies around the Scarred Nebula, the matters near the Great Fissure have long been cleaned up by space storm, and the remaining cosmic dust is basically harmless.¡±


    ¡°I am talking about those space explorers who have a death wish.¡± Galazur shook his head. ¡°I know about the Scarred Nebula. Normal civilizations with a brain will mostly preclude this place from their flight paths, but every year, there are still daring explorers coming here to seek challenges. They are actually pirates and smugglers who have nowhere to go. Their bold action would only cause our universe losing its mass unnecessarily. Before that, I wouldn¡¯t care if they die by falling into the Great Fissure, but now after the gate is built, they would only damage the facility.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it now makes sense. Perhaps we can install a circle of ¡®humanitarian¡¯ turret guns around the Great Fissure to prevent someone from entering it.¡±


    Galazur and Anthony Alfonso put their thumbs up, praising Hao Ren as a new model employee of the century.


    The three spacecraft anchored in their respective positions around the Great Fissures and then unloaded their construction modules.


    Hordes of autonomous robots flew out from the spacecraft¡¯s ejection ports, while drones guided the silver-white box-shaped construction unit to the pre-set anchor points. Anthony Alfonso and Galazur had previously brought their high-powered matter converters, and they were now ready to deploy them near the spatial rift to provide a steady supply of materials to the construction project.


    These were not all the production plants though as more plants had been set up on Yggdrasil, which Hao Ren was planning to turn it into a monitoring station of the new gate. He had arranged more than half of the construction units to be sent to the Nine Worlds. During the construction of the gate and after the gate¡¯s opening, Yggdrasil would become a living monitoring station, to be supplemented by a large number of automatic surveillance equipment monitoring the gate.


    While the two veteran inspectors were setting up the large equipment, the Petrachelys slowly left the formation and flew towards the Great Fissure.


    The front of the Petrachelys slowly opened as a large, irregular-shaped crystal flashing in colorful light was guided to the front of the spacecraft with tractive force.


    This was the core Hao Ren had talked about.


    Of course, this type of super-powerful thing could never come from Hao Ren himself, not even from the CARS. When Hao Ren submitted his start-work report of the building of a gate in the Scarred Nebula, Raven 12345, though flaky at times, did not forget to put a crystal in Hao Ren¡¯s dimensional pocket.


    The best thing was that the crystal also came with a user manual, which only contained a simple instruction:


    Just toss it in.


    It was a hard decision to follow the instruction manual, but Hao Ren decided to trust the goddess.


    The Petrachelys had now come to the nearest position to the center of the spatial rift. Here, the spacecraft was directly in contact with the powerful force released by annihilation field. The violent core of the spatial rift constantly ejected rays and matters, which disappeared in an instant as extensive information was created and canceled out continuously. The shield of the Petrachelys was activated by environmental radiation. Nolan was heard popping out of the console. ¡°Holy moly, that is scary¡­¡±


    Hao Ren ordered Nolan to stop the spacecraft, and then use tractive force to slowly push the crystal core to the peak zone of annihilation as calculated by the shipboard computer.


    ¡°Where does this gate lead to?¡± Galazur¡¯s voice was heard over the radio.


    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Hao Ren said frankly. ¡°Maybe some galaxy in the Plane of Dreams. Anyway, the mirroring relationship of the spatial rift is too confusing. I can¡¯t tell what is on the other side of the gate. But I guess it should be the Plane of Dreams.¡±


    Dozing off beside Hao Ren, Lily suddenly woke up and asked nervously, ¡°What if some dangerous creatures come out from the other side?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The core has self-destructive protection,¡± Hao Ren said, patted Lily¡¯s head. ¡°It will self-destruct immediately with just the issuing of a command. And even if something comes out of it, don¡¯t forget we have a true god over here. Whatever comes in would have to fight and defeat Raven 12345 before it could do anything. If that happens, all we need to do is grab your popcorn and watch.¡±


    While saying, the crystal core was already in position.


    The Great Fissure was surging with a storm of light and matter. The crystal core was like a little starlight, though very bright, was quickly engulfed by the storm.


    There was silence.


    Three minutes later, Galazur asked, ¡°How long do we still have to wait?¡±


    Hao Ren was fiddling with the console before him, and his heart was racing.


    After half a minute, he wiped the cold sweat off his forehead. ¡°I don¡¯t know why. It seems the crystal has fallen directly through.¡±

 Chapter 1164 - Lost It Just Like That

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Witnessed by the three inspectors, the watchful eyes of the unusual creatures, and the thousands of sensors onboard the three spacecraft, the crystal with enormous energy, enough to tear a crack in the barrier of the world, plunged through the hollow of the universe and disappeared without a trace.


    A few minutes later, Hao Ren wiped the cold sweat off his forehead. He realized that he had just lost the super-powerful and dangerous thing.


    Hao Ren had wanted to cry in the public channel of the universe: my friends, have you ever made a mistake in your work, screwed up your life, met something unforgettable? Let¡¯s take a look here; all you have encountered are nothing compared to mine. I have just tossed a divine artifact used to control the equilibrium into the crack of the universe and lost it!


    ¡°All detectors, please send the monitoring data again! Nolan, please re-look into your memory!¡± With years of crisis handling experience under his belt, Hao Ren smacked his forehead and quickly calmed down to organize his thought. ¡°Galazur, Anthony, could you please check the surveillance records on your side? Something¡¯s wrong. The crystal¡¯s missing, and it seems to have gone straight through the crack!¡±


    The dragon queen could not care less about space surfing now as she had quickly come back into her spacecraft. Anthony Alfonso was glowing in an arcane light as he paced back and forth on the flight deck, checking all the recorded data and footages. Obviously, even the veteran who had thousands of years of experience like him was a little flustered now.


    Everyone around Hao Ren had no clue what to do. Vivian¡¯s brows knit together tightly, Nangong siblings were looking at each other, and so did Y¡¯zaks and his daughter. Even Lil Pea was clinging to the MDT, frightened. Jumping up and down with her puffed up tail, Lily was the only one who could still give opinions. ¡°Oh my gosh! How could it disappear? How could it disappear?¡±


    All of them could do nothing to help.


    Meanwhile, Ymir, who was waiting in the garage, had also been watching the ¡®gate opening ceremony¡¯ closely. He was waiting to meet his brother as this incident happened. But the old giant was calm, even the way he spoke. ¡°Is there any emergency tracking function in the ¡®core¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Ahh, you have reminded me. Let me check the instruction manual.¡± Smacking his head, Hao Ren took out the manual, but his face quickly turned green. ¡°There is only one line in the manual!¡±


    He had forgotten that the user manual that Raven 12345 handed to himself contained only a straightforward sentence: Just toss it in.


    But dear goddess, what if it disappears after tossing it inside?


    ¡°Are you sure this is abnormal?¡± Galazur said as she busily browsed through the surveillance records. ¡°After all, it is something made by our goddess. Maybe this is normal?¡±


    ¡°Do you believe it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s funny!¡± Galazur, in humanoid form, appeared on the monitor. ¡°I have checked back all the monitoring data. It is confirmed that the crystal core completely disappeared after the sixth seconds entering the crack. Besides, the data of the crack indicates that the crack has a weak tremor at that moment. I have sent the data of tremor intensity over to you.¡±


    ¡°My data is consistent with that of Galazur,¡± Anthony Alfonso said through his message. ¡°Besides, I have also found some feedback that is not of this world near the crack. If I¡¯m not mistaken, it comes from the Plane of Dreams.¡±


    Hao Ren checked the data in Nolan¡¯s memory against those from the two seniors. His last hope was shattered; the crystal core had indeed disappeared under the watchful eyes of everyone, and no tracking and monitoring instrument had tracked it. As far as the current situation is concerned, the core was likely to have fallen into the deep space of the Plane of Dreams.


    Among all the intelligence, Anthony Alfonso¡¯s was the most valuable. The old magician had opened an extra channel when he listened to the data. By doing this, he had received an information feed from the Great Fissure the moment the core disappeared. This concise signal was perhaps about a material attribute, or it might tell of a moment of space-time. But anyway, it came from where the core had fallen.


    The data recorded by Anthony Alfonso was probably the only clue that could lead to finding the divine artifact.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not play the guessing game.¡± Galazur sighed. ¡°We have lost the thing and should tell the goddess. Hao Ren, what about the rest of the project?¡±


    ¡°Stop all work temporarily while I report to the goddess,¡± Hao Ren said after thinking for a while.


    He then hung up, took the MDT from Lil Pea, and then started sighing.


    Seeing her daddy¡¯s frowning face, Lil Pea thought that she had done something wrong and quickly came up to him, poking his arm. ¡°Dad-dee not happy? Lil Pea didn¡¯t spoil this glowing brick¡­¡±


    ¡°Call me MDT,¡± the MDT said. ¡°And your dad-dee is obviously not worried about me.¡±


    ¡°Whatever. Connect me to the heaven,¡± Hao Ren said, knocking on the MDT.


    The MDT started dialing. A moment later, a voice was heard on the other end. ¡°Hello, this is Raven 12345, the sunshine goddess. If you want to praise me, please press 1; faith conversion, please press 2; complain, please press 21564879645413215¡­Ouch¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop messing around, goddess. Who would have a ringtone that sounds like biting one¡¯s own tongue?¡± Hao Ren said listlessly.


    ¡°Aah haha¡­ Hao Ren, what¡¯s up? I am compiling a personalized ringtone here¡­¡± Raven 12345 sounded a little embarrassed.


    ¡°Did I not tell you I¡¯m constructing a gate in the Scarred Nebula?¡± Hao Ren said, still sounding listless. ¡°There is good news and bad news; which one do you want to hear first?¡±


    ¡°The bad one first.¡±


    ¡°The bad one? Err¡­ maybe I should first tell you the good one,¡± Hao Ren said, sounding helpless. ¡°The good news is that I have tossed the fine crystal bearing your logo into the space crack, exactly according to your instruction manual.¡±


    ¡°What about the bad news?¡±


    ¡°The bad news is that the crystal has gone¡­¡±


    There were a few seconds of silence before Raven 12345 responded. ¡°The crystal what?¡±


    Hao Ren told of what happened. After all, there was nothing he could hide, and after being honest with her, he felt better. After all, he had the nerves of steel, and since it was Raven 12345 who made the core and came with an instruction manual that sounded more like a joke, even if he lost the core and blew some places up, as a result, he was not going to feel guilty about it.


    But as he finished talking, he still could not help but worry what if the neurotic goddess sent him a ¡®blessing¡¯ over the air. As it turned out, his worry was unnecessary; Raven 12345 did not send him ¡®blessing¡¯ over the air.


    Because she came over personally.


    ¡°Oh, my crystal!¡± Looking at the messy Great Fissure, Raven 12345 lamented in an exaggeratingly. ¡°I have spent two hours cutting it into perfect shape!¡±


    Cold sweat was trickling down his spine, as Hao Ren could only see that the crystal was anything but perfect. In fact, that thing looked more like a rock. The most amazing things about the crystal were the absence of two ridgelines, and its surfaces were asymmetrical. Anyone could have more than a reasonable reason to believe that the maker of the crystal core had used an unbelievable blind-chopping technique in cutting the artifact.


    But since the goddess had insisted that she had cut a perfect crystal core and was saddened by the valuable loss, Hao Ren as a pope could only play along¡ªit was easier to join the neurotic than to reason with her.


    ¡°This is the earlier monitoring information.¡±


    Raven 12345 was almost mad, but Hao Ren did not feel a thing. He waited for her to calm down before handing her the recordings.


    Raven 12345 took the recordings and watched.


    ¡°It had indeed fallen into the Plane of Dreams,¡± the goddess said, pulling her already messy hair. ¡°But that shouldn¡¯t have happened in theory. It should be activated the moment it entered the space crack, and then stuck between the two worlds, opening itself to become a gate, unless¡­ unless something is interfering with it on the other side of the space crack.¡±


    ¡°The problem lies on the other side? What could be on the other side?¡± Hao Ren asked, his eyes brightening up.


    ¡°The only thing that could interfere with that core, I¡¯m afraid, has something to do with divine power,¡± Raven 12345 said, squinting. ¡°One divinity could easily affect another divinity.¡±


    ¡°The legacy of the goddess of creation?¡± Hao Ren said, this time entirely on edge.


    Raven 12345 nodded but not saying a word.


    ¡°Is there any navigation or beacon function in the crystal core?¡± Hao Ren quickly asked. ¡°Can you restore contact from here?¡±


    ¡°No, even if there is such a setting, I would have turned it off for you,¡± Raven 12345 said, glancing at Hao Ren. ¡°It is the most dangerous moment during the process of opening a passageway. It is like drilling a hole again on the most vulnerable spot in the Wall of Reality. During this process, no redundant signal exchange should occur on both sides of the passageway, and the most important function of the core is to shield off the flow of signals during the process, and it would not emit any unnecessary signal. To prevent some uncontrollable factors from causing the core to send out signal unexpectedly, it would automatically shut down all messaging modules after it is released, and would not be reactivated until the passageway is fully open.¡±


    Lily came up and said, ¡°But I somehow feel that your setting is a bit stupid.¡±


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    A punishment from heaven struck Lily as Vivian looked at her feeling pity for her turning into a black stupid woofy.

 Chapter 1165 - Sayonara to the Nine Worlds

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    She deserved it. Had Lily told Raven 12345 that she was neurotic, the goddess would not have struck her with lightning. She should have thought twice before she opened her mouth, and not question the intelligence of the goddess¡ªthough Hao Ren totally agreed with what she said.


    But the critical question was not about the setting of Raven 12345 or the unexpected complexity of the situation. The vital crystal core was lost, but it was of secondary importance. What was most pertinent was that it shed light on one critical clue:


    The Great Fissure of the Scarred Nebula could lead to the ruins of the goddess of creations.


    ¡°Can you build another core?¡± Hao Ren asked in anticipation. Judging from the words of the goddess, she had only spent two hours making it, not a very complicated thing after all.


    But Raven 12345 shook her head. ¡°That is the one and only.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you make a new one?¡± Hao Ren was surprised. ¡°Don¡¯t you say that it took you only two hours to make?¡±


    ¡°The making is simple, but there is no more ingredient left.¡± Raven 12345 shot Hao Ren a sideways look. ¡°Do you know what made the crystal?¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head.


    ¡°The stuff that fell out of the Scarred Nebula,¡± Raven 12345 said, pointing her finger at the spinning hollow in space. ¡°More than two thousand years ago, the Wall of Reality collapsed, and the entire galaxy was torn apart, spurting out tons of matters from the Plane of Dreams. Those matters were all converted into energy by the destructive forces when the laws of both universes clashed. Only one thing survived, and that was a huge crystal. No one could tell what it was originally because it had gone through extreme distortion when it passed through the Wall of Reality. Its external form and even essence had changed. It might have been a natural stone, a light, or even a person. But whatever it was, it had been transformed in the annihilation process, becoming a ¡®medium¡¯ between the Plane of Dreams and the surface world. The crystal core I gave you was carved out of that crystal, added with my mark and some cutting-edge runic technique. Now, do you understand? The technology itself is straightforward, but the material could not be replicated as it has the imprint of the Plane of Dreams, which is something I can¡¯t interfere with.¡±


    Never did Hao Ren expect that the ugly crystal had such a background. He knew that his hope of finding a second core was dashed.


    ¡°Looks like the only way is for you to find it in the Plane of Dreams,¡± Lily said with her burned hair as she poked Hao Ren¡¯s arm with her claw. ¡°The thing is so tough, it will not break so easily¡­ maybe.¡±


    Raven 12345 left without leaving a ¡®blessing¡¯ to Hao Ren or giving Hao Ren an earful. But she had left him an instruction: find the crystal core in the Plane of Dreams, and then open the gate from the other side of the Wall of Reality.


    Hao Ren was struggling.


    The three inspectors discussed and came out with a general idea.


    Since the crystal core had not been activated correctly, it was still in ¡®silent mode¡¯ just like it was before the launch. Thus it was impossible to track it by its signal. The only clue was the short feedback signal Anthony Alfonso had captured.


    When the crystal core passed through the Great Fissure, the passage opened briefly and the signal from the Plane of Dreams leaked through the gate. Tracing this signal might lead them to the location where the core fell.


    Just hope that it did not fall too far away; otherwise, out of the signal range of the drone cluster, finding it would be a mission impossible.


    ¡°We couldn¡¯t help when it comes to the Plane of Dreams.¡± Galazur sounded a little sorry. ¡°Only you have the right to cross the Wall of Reality.¡±


    ¡°You two have already of great help. And I am very thankful.¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°Moving forward, I will have to go it alone, but I can do it.¡±


    Anthony Alfonso appeared on the other monitor. ¡°Galazur and I will leave the construction units here. They will keep working to build the frame of the gate until you find the core. Until then, you can open the gate directly from the other side.¡±


    Lily thought for a moment and chimed in. ¡°Do you need to set catch net on this side when you open the gate there?¡±


    ¡°What is the catch net for?¡± Hao Ren was confused.


    ¡°Just in case you use too force again and throw the core straight through into here again.¡± The thinking of the husky was naive but pretty logical. ¡°The net will catch the core in time, and then you can do it again.¡±


    ¡°You think this is sandbags?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s face darkened.


    Hao Ren¡¯s ambitious plan to ¡°open the gate¡± was suspended. Ymir¡¯s reunion with his brothers and Whitey¡¯s research were likewise put on hold. It was frustrating.


    Pulling his hair, Hao Ren began to question his luck as he mumbled, ¡°There have been many obstacles in opening the gate. It seems that the gate has something strange going on.¡±


    ¡°Why do you say so?¡± Nangong Sanba asked, perplexed.


    ¡°Just my intuition,¡± Hao Ren replied, smacking himself on the thigh. ¡°I have pretty summed up my three-year experience: whatever mission I go, there is always some shady plot behind. And the shady plot is proportional to the degree of difficulty of the job.¡±


    Everyone was speechless.


    Since the project was put on hold, there would be unnecessary to stay here anymore. After setting up the automatic construction units, Galazur and Anthony Alfonso returned to their respective worlds. Meanwhile, Hao Ren and Vivian went back to Midgard.


    They had to bring out Odin.


    The former king of the Norse gods, Odin, was exhausted bodily and mentally. Letting him stay in this world filled with ruins was not the best option for him. After consulting with him, Hao Ren and Vivian decided to bring Odin back to Earth where at least Odin would be able to meet a few old friends, and it would help with his recovery.


    As for the Valkyrie tasked with the responsibility to guard the Garden of Asgard, But Hao Ren would give Odin the privilege of enjoying a direct flight (teleportation) to the Garden of Asgard, where he could meet the Valkyrie, who was tasked with the responsibility to guard the place.


    The old man was still worried about the Twilight survivors in Midgard though. But the beauty of humankind lay in their tenacious strength of survival and development. Seeing that the Twilight people were rebuilding their new homes in the wilderness, Odin knew that it was time for him to retire as ancient sage.


    He had handed over the authority of the Nine Worlds to Hao Ren after all. For the rest, he chose to trust his chosen successor.


    Standing on a hill in the wilderness of Midgard, Hao Ren and Odin looked at the plains in the far distance. The rumbling steam machinery was preparing the foundations around the new city, a team of explorers in scholar costumes was heading towards the black forest on the edge of the new city under the escort of the heavily armored Twilight Guards. The leader of the explorers was Wendell and behind him Hope, who once broke off with him.


    Just as the world was healing gradually, the father and son seemed to begin to clear their misunderstanding.


    Odin glanced up at the clear sky. The bluish-green surface of Inferno was hanging above. A thin beam of light extended from the surface of Inferno towards the Nine Worlds, but it was distorted and disappeared into a space crack. That was the First Born¡¯s tentacle, Heavenly Tower that connected the two worlds. When Blackie was in a good mood, the tentacle would be shrouded in soft light.


    ¡°I have not seen a clear day for two thousand years,¡± Odin sighed softly. ¡°And the sunshine out the outside world.¡±


    ¡°Yggdrasil is now in a semi-open state. Sunlight from the main material world is filtered into the Nine Worlds, giving extra energy to accelerate the recovery of the ecosystem.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°The bridge linking Inferno and the Nine Worlds is located in Niebelungen, but at present, Blackie has not yet opened that path. She is waiting for humans of both worlds to be ready.¡±


    ¡°Blackie¡­¡± Odin¡¯s mouth twitched a little, but he did not say anything further.


    A white-haired girl was floating around as if she was walking on air. When she came before Hao Ren, he said, ¡°Whitey, stop floating around. I have a job for you. After we leave, you have to manage the ecological equilibrium of Inferno and the Nine Worlds. Don¡¯t always delegate the work to Blackie, she is a bit bad tempered right now. Keep an eye on her.¡±


    ¡°You can count on me,¡± Whitey said, still circling Hao Ren. ¡°Are you not coming back?¡±


    ¡°Of course I will,¡± Hao Ren said with a smile. ¡°I am still the master of the Nine Worlds. Besides, I¡¯ll have to come back to check on the Valkyrie. Her condition¡¯s worrying. But I¡¯ve installed many monitoring equipments here, so I¡¯ll able to know what is going on here. You can call me if there¡¯s an emergency. The radio is beside the astrolabe.¡±


    ¡°Roger that!¡± Whitey floated away.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Hao Ren said, poking Odin, who seemed to have spaced out. ¡°It is not as if you are not coming back anymore. But if you keep looking, you will become even more reluctant.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    A beam of light descended from the sky and took them away.

 Chapter 1166 - A Rather Awkward Reunion

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The journey home for Purgation was about as exciting as watching clothes dry, and after a jaunt in hyperspace, Hao Ren and the rest returned to Earth.


    They did not head home immediately, instead, he brought Odin and Ymir¡¯s head to Athens.


    The Shadow Council had now formed, and the millennia-old war between the demon hunters and the otherworldlings had come to an end. In the new world order, the otherworldlings in the Athens Sanctuary could finally stretch a little and did not need to slither in the dark like they used to. While their ¡®freedom¡¯ was still limited, the change was already apparent, the most obvious being the entrance to the Sanctuary was now not limited to Hesperides¡¯ Shadow Gate, and now the Sanctuary found itself as the focal point of otherworldling industries within the human populace.


    There was this one particular eye-catching building in the prosperous central business district of Athens, and the owner of the building¡ªat least in name¡ªwas very ancient renowned family. Their business empire spans multiple countries but they had always been low-key. While they were amassing massive wealth, none from the family had joined national politics or appear on the public stage. AS this family had a very strict ancient creed that forbade them from showing their faces. Outsiders could never understand how such an unassuming family could be this wealthy, but for those within the family, they knew they were in the good hands of a leader that was beyond imagination.


    Standing on the top of the skyscraper¡¯s observation deck, Odin looked around at the unfamiliar sight of this prosperous world, his brows meeting as he fell into deep thought. Vivian¡¯s voice broke his train of thought. ¡°So how¡¯s it like being back on Earth again?¡±


    ¡°If you had not told me yourself, I would not have believed this was Earth even if Fenrir was going to devour me.¡± Odin shook his head. ¡°Such fantastic change¡­ This city is even bigger than Asgard¡­ but dare I say, it does not look as pretty as her.¡±


    As Odin finished, a shrill voice rang from the elevator behind. ¡°What? What? Did I just hear something about my building isn¡¯t all that pretty?!¡±


    Turning back, Hao Ren saw a mini Vivian walking out quickly from the elevator and as soon as she got about ten meters away she pounced. ¡°Lady Vivian! I miss you so¡ª¡±


    Vivian rolled eyes as she flicked a lightning orb towards Hessiana, and zapping the little runt back onto the ground. She then pointed sideways. ¡°Behave. This is Odin.¡±


    ¡°Good day Mr. O.¡± Hessiana waved casually at Odin as she got up, her eyes still hooked onto Vivian. Putting her legs together, she tried to pounce again. ¡°Lady Vivian! I Mi¡­ Unfff!¡±


    Vivian swatted her clone aside with a brutal fist, her face dark. ¡°Why does this brat never learn?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so hard on her.¡± Hao Ren felt that Vivian was overreacting. ¡°I think that she has a good heart by nature, and have helped us a lot. She probably just miss you a wee bit too much.¡±


    Hessiana was picked plucked by the collar by Vivian and struggled to turn back as she heard what Hao Ren said. She looked rather touched. ¡°So step-daddy isn¡¯t a full-on bastard after all. Even you can be so understanding¡­¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s expression turned immediately. ¡°Ugh, forget what I just said. Vivian, you do your worst.¡±


    Only after Vivian and Hessiana had finished their ¡°mother-daughter ritual¡± did Odin speak. The old man was dumbstruck as he saw the little Vivian. ¡°Ugh¡­ old friend¡­ since when did you have a daughter?!¡±


    ¡°Oh hush you.¡± Vivian immediately explained, ¡°She was a bat that I forgot about after throwing out, and she had gained her own sentience. I¡¯ve told you this before, and I bet you¡¯ve forgotten about it.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait, Lady Vivian did you call that old man Odin?¡± Hessiana was still laying on the floor nursing her wounded pride before realizing something. ¡°Mr. O, your given name is Din?¡±


    Everyone around had a defeated look, and only Y¡¯zaks could actually muster a response. ¡°Why does she look like she got a little dumber after not seeing her for some time? Ugh¡­ little miss, what¡¯s with the black rings around your eyes?¡±


    Only then did Hessiana fully recover. Her blushing was obvious on her pale face. ¡°Ah, pardon my pathetic display earlier. I¡¯m overwhelmed by the matters with the Shadow Council. The Hessiana family is one of the founding families of the Council, and I have to ensure that my family¡¯s position in the council. Adding on to old man Ymir disappearing at the worst possible moment, and the Council has so many issues¡­ I¡¯m bloody spent¡­¡±


    As she went Hessiana scanned Hao Ren a few times, before gnashing her teeth. ¡°While I was bending over back at work, where have you went to? Not only you disappeared with Lady Vivian, you even kidnapped the council chief?!¡±


    Hao Ren was wondering what position did Hessiana meant by bending over back, and only belatedly realized that she was going for ¡®I¡¯m working my ass off, you bastard.¡± by twisting the meaning of the word. He just could not get angry at Hessiana¡¯s bratty outburst, and just smiled. ¡°I have just settled the issue of the Nine Kingdoms of the Norse, and about a million refugees, and maintained the world order along the way(not done yet). Oh right, I suppose I¡¯m now the main tender of Yggdrasil too¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The little bat familiar pondered for a bit before turning towards Vivian. ¡°Lady Vivian¡­ Is that a big bluff or a small bluff?¡±


    Vivian tugged her arm as she glanced at her familiar. ¡°So, which is it? You smacked your head silly or had you eaten something bad? You sure have no idea what Hao Ren¡¯s job is eh? And he¡¯s just putting it lightly.¡±


    By then Hessiana had already dismissed all non-important personnel and the human servants and her blood kin were all sent to the other floors to allow the meeting to take place. Ymir¡¯s head then popped out of Hao Ren¡¯s Dimensional Pocket and the two-meter tall head took a few deep breaths of fresh air before smiling at Hessiana. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, chief Hessiana.¡±


    ¡°Council Chief Ymir, I thought you were gone for good.¡± Hessiana forked her arms on her waist. ¡°The Shadow Council is a mess of paperwork now, and every day there are applications to join human society. Some even started fighting because of it. There¡¯s even demon hunters making contact, that White Fail¡­ uh no, White Flame girl had even come to this building in person. Had me in cold sweat for a bit¡ª¡±


    ¡°White Flame? What¡¯s she doing here?¡± Hao Ren interjected.


    ¡°Buying some limited edition game.¡± Hessiana looked slightly pained. ¡°I have a floor in the building that is rented out to a video game distributor, and by my blood, I would never expect a demon hunter to be into that. That plague-bringer had even brought a blanket and started queuing from ten in the night to nine the next day. Just to get her hands on the merchandise first. None of my servants and kin dared to sleep that night. Everyone was afraid that she was up to no good.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seems like the cultural gap between these two factions will take a quite a bit to bridge¡­


    ¡°So, what about the two guests I had you take care of.¡± Hao Ren looked around and noticed that no one else was around aside from Hessiana and her aides. ¡°No one home?¡±


    ¡°Oh, they will be here soon.¡± Hessiana was a little reluctant in answering Hao Ren, but in view that Hao Ren actually spoke up for her, she relented. ¡°The Shadowy Divide still needs people manning it, and there is some chaos within the Sanctuary, so order is needed. They¡¯ll come after they¡¯re done.¡±


    As Hessiana¡¯s voice trailed off, a loud ¡®DING!¡¯ from the elevator rang. As it opened, two female figures walked out of it.


    One wore a dress with a very demure aura, it the familiar Hesperides, while another was a gloomy figure in black, her face expressionless, and was the other guardian of the sanctuary, Hel.


    A previous member of the Norse pantheon, and one of those who wrote in rebellion with Loki during the Twilight of the Gods, the one who led hundreds of thousands of the dead to fight Odin. The goddess of the Underworld, Hel.


    Hel¡¯s usually expressionless face twitched a little the moment she saw Odin and the goddess was paralyzed on the spot as she could not believe her eyes.


    Odin too was dumbstruck for a bit, but the grizzled old man was clearly much more ready to adapt. After a while, he actually broke into a smile towards Hel. ¡°It has been a while.¡±


    ¡°Bugger me, that got awkward real quick¡­¡± Nangong Sanba muttered to himself.


    ¡°Ahem, seems like you two have quite a bit to talk about.¡± Hao Ren coughed dryly.


    Hel walked forward, her expression stiff. As she came before Odin, the goddess sighed. ¡°Allfath¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that.¡± Odin immediately raised his hand to stop her. ¡°This world has a real god, and any thoughtless speech may invoke a thunderbolt from above.¡±


    ¡°Actually that¡¯s not a problem.¡± Hao Ren quipped cheekily. ¡°That goddess is just too busy that she doesn¡¯t have time to even bother when someone wrecks her place.¡±


    As he sensed that Odin and Hel probably have a lot to go through, Hao Ren left the two aside and walked towards Hesperides.


    ¡°So any traces of the Olympian pantheon in this world?¡±

 Chapter 1167 - The Olympian Plan?

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°Ruins of Olympus?¡± Hesperides had no idea that Hao Ren had called on her for this matter. Frowning deeply, she asked, ¡°What are you doing looking for that?¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s real?¡± Hao Ren did not dare harbor much hope, but Hesperides¡¯ reaction gave his suspicion some credence. ¡°Any clues?¡±


    Hesperides shook her head as she continued frowning. ¡°Not now. Tell me, what are you planning to do, looking for the ruins of Olympus?¡±


    Hao Ren eyed Vivian to his side and felt that it would probably the very difficult to explain to Hesperides on the matter of the ¡®Ultimate Salvation¡±, ¡°the Truth of the Deicide,¡± and the concept of ¡°the Guide¡±, but he could not tell her about. After composing his thoughts, he spoke. ¡°This has something to do with Vivian. Remember the last time at the ruins of the Olympian temple we ran into Vivian¡¯s sculpture? We later found a similar one in the Siren¡¯s treasure trove, and it is the same piece of work, probably made by someone or a group of people from of the Olympians in secret. And in our last mission, we ran into even more suspicious clues and all of them points to¡­ the image of Vivian. I guess that¡¯s as far as I can explain.¡±


    ¡°So you are looking for clues of the secret worship of Vivian amongst my family?¡± Hesperides caught on to what Hao Ren was saying. While she knows that there is probably a lot of dark secrets coming from this, but she wisely did not dig further, as the sole descendant of an ancient ruined family, her curiosity to many things had long faded, even to matters of her own family. ¡°This might be difficult as I too don¡¯t know much about this. Even back then, such things are kept in total secrecy. Now that Olympus had fallen, there¡¯s very little left of anything from that age. Looking for clues will be even more difficult.¡±


    As she spoke, a deep-in-thought expression appeared on Hesperides¡¯ face. She ran through her memory before shaking her head. ¡°Mount Olympus was not like Yggdrasil. As a foreign dimension, it was not stable, and after Zeus¡¯ flames were snuffed out it collapsed upon itself, and nothing much was left behind. It was pretty much a miracle the other time you managed to find those dimensional fragments, but miracles rarely come twice. The only surviving Olympians today, aside from me, are only a couple of juniors. They were not even considered ¡°gods¡± on Mount Olympus, so what they know is definitely even lesser than me, and what I do have is probably not of your interest.¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian looked at each other before he let out a sigh. ¡°Aih.. alright, I know this would not be a walk in the park, but I hope you can do me a favor and keep an ear out for things.¡±


    ¡°No problem. A simple matter, now that the lock-down is lifted.¡± Hesperides smiled. ¡°I will contact my friends from other sanctuaries and collect any remnants and relics of Olympus as well. I¡¯ll be in touch if I have any news. Oh yeah, what¡¯s your Skype ID?¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned, and his expression awkward. ¡°Uh¡­. do you use Wechat?¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget about that. I¡¯ll just drop you an email instead¡­¡±


    Hao Ren then proceeded to exchange email addresses with a blank look on his face. At that moment Hesperides suddenly recalled something. ¡°Oh yeah, if you are looking for more ancient knowledge, I have an idea. It will be weird coming from me though.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at her curiously. ¡°What sort of idea?¡±


    ¡°Demon hunters.¡± Hesperides face turned slightly, but she still said it. ¡°They had destroyed many otherworldling families, but they will always preserve all form of knowledge. Their elders and saints were always hungry for all sorts of arcane knowledge. If there are any surviving items that I don¡¯t know of, chances are they¡¯re in their libraries.¡±


    Probably because of the accord, Hesperides had avoided terms like ¡®robbed¡¯ or ¡®stolen¡¯, but what really happened back then was common knowledge.


    Hao Ren immediately recalled the massive library in Coldpath that had bookshelves spanning into the sky.


    If the Siren¡¯s treasure trove is the repository of the most lost items in the world, the demon hunter¡¯s library is probably the repository of most the world¡¯s knowledge.


    And of course the repository of all sort of manga, comics, and limited edition games. All thanks to White Flame¡¯s efforts in preserving the best of human cultural legacies.


    Hao Ren quickly sent White Flame a message seeking the latter¡¯s help in finding out more information about the Olympians.


    After Hesperides had left, only did Vivian questioned Hao Ren. ¡°You¡¯re suspecting that the statues the Olympians had made have something to do with the Ultimate Salvation?¡±


    Before Hao Ren could even respond, Lily pounced upon the topic. ¡°Of course! You really think those gods had made sculptures resembling you just because they were decadent rich fags that had nothing else better to do, and needed to pray to a goddess of bankruptcy to let off some steam?¡±


    Hao Ren titled his head for a bit and was pretty sure that he was just about to say what Lily had just mouthed out¡­


    Vivian immediately threw Lily a furious glare, but the latter had already scampered off after blabbering without much thought. Turning back to Hao Ren, she said, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that those statues.. are mimicking that ritual in the Ark of Origin?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s quite clear that they were not able to reproduce it, but I would not discount that fact at all.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°No one knows if the Olympians had actually received salvation, but there are people amongst them who knows of the Deicide and the Original Sin, and they had mistaken you for a vessel of the goddess, or her reincarnation, and probably hoped to absolve their sins by idolatry, or to avoid the coming of the world¡¯s end.¡±


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t they coming looking for me? Wouldn¡¯t it be more effective to seek forgiveness from the person proper than praying to some random statue?¡± Vivian suddenly found herself unable to comprehend their actions.


    Hao Ren raised an eyebrow. ¡°Nonsense, try putting your feet in their shoes, and if they would actually come to you back in the day going ¡®Oh dear me, you are really a goddess, and got stabbed by someone. We somehow had accidentally helped the killer, and now Armageddon is upon us. So just stand there and let us prostrate ourselves before you. If that doesn¡¯t work feel free to freeload at our place as long as you want!¡¯ What would be your reaction?¡±


    Vivian pondered for a bit. ¡°I would think Zeus was a crazy bastard before flying off to the opposite side of Earth to chill out. Oh, I might have beaten the snot out of them before that.¡±


    ¡°Well, there you have it.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°First of all, you would not have co-operated, and Zeus and his kin probably have no idea what is their progress. So wouldn¡¯t it be super awkward if they were to pull off some insane ritual only for it to not work? So I think they went the path of idolatry to see if things work and if it does to proceed further¡­¡±


    ¡°It must have been because it did not work that they did not bother finding Battie no?¡± Lily quipped casually.


    As she just said that, everyone trained their eyes on the dumb husky, and Hao Ren had to take a deep breath before spitting venom. ¡°That¡¯s because they got wiped out by your underlings in your previous lifetime.¡±


    Lily¡¯s ears perked up immediately as she glared back. ¡°I¡¯m their former lord! You know what former means?! So why the hell what had happened after my abdication has to do with me?


    Hao Ren was really confused by the point of view the dumb husky had taken¡­


    Well, for both Hesperides and White Flame, poring through ancient tomes from ages past is not something that can be done quickly, so Hao Ren put the matter aside temporarily. Turning to Odin, he saw the old man standing facing Hel, both were silent.


    He had no idea how long the two had been staring at each other, but the atmosphere was getting uncomfortable.


    Odin had already gotten over the matter. For an old man who had sat on his iron throne for two thousand years before going on a trip to space with Yggdrasil, what was there to not let go. Hel, on the other hand, was still weary. Based on what Vivian had said, Hel back in the day was a hotheaded rebellious rascal, and her way to rebel against her parents was rather refreshing: She led almost a million dead to wipe out the elders, and that was the cause of tension.


    The Twilight of the Gods in Norse mythology was a saga full of blood and tears, and every hero in the story was a steel-hearted warrior, and the generations after only knew of the mighty clash between gods, but the real story behind it was filled with regret, blind rage, treachery and misunderstanding, and those heroes were mere mortals.


    But as Hao Ren looked at the two, he was close to getting a panic attack from the awkwardness alone.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It has always been like this.¡± Odin turned towards Hao Ren, his expression stiff. ¡°No matter when we meet, we never had anything to say¡­ Ah, forget about it. This is way better than last time. The mood was even worse.¡±


    Hel turned away with a blank face too. ¡°Don¡¯t like talking.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll leave it to you two to work things out.¡± Hao Ren heaved a sigh of relief as he knew that the two had buried the hatchet. ¡°I¡¯m heading back.¡±


    Odin was dumbfounded and his expression changed quite a bit before returning to a serious look. ¡°I know my words are hollow, but I wish to let you know, your aid of the Nine Worlds leave me¡­¡±


    ¡°Hold it right there.¡± Hao Ren waved Odin off. ¡°I¡¯ll never get used to that. It¡¯s just my job.¡±


    Odin nodded as he grabbed Hao Ren¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯ll leave them in your good hands.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled. ¡°Have a well-deserved rest.¡±


    Hessiana then scurried from the corner as she hugged Vivian¡¯s leg. ¡°Lady Vivian, you¡¯re leaving already?¡±


    Vivian simply just threw blasted the little bat familiar away with a thunderbolt before pulling Hao Ren by the arm. ¡°Oh stop it. Let¡¯s go!¡±

 Chapter 1168 - Rollie’s Little Worry

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Ever since he signed his work contract, Hao Ren felt that his free time got lesser by the day. He was on the road in foreign lands most of the time, like a people-minded minister running around the realm upon receiving his royal orders. When it was time to go home, he was pretty afraid that his cat would not even recognize him anymore¡­


    After leading his crew back home, the first thing Hao Ren saw the moment he opened the door was Rollie squatting on the tea table watching TV. The dumb cat immediately leaped down the moment she heard movement near the door and scurrying before the group. She then threw Hao Ren a dumbfounded stare and only meowed after a good while. That reaction scared the living daylights out of Hao Ren. Could that dumb cat actually forget about him?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Big Boss Cat?¡± The catgirl swiftly circled Hao Ren for a bit before sticking her hand into the latter¡¯s pocket. ¡°You¡¯re alive?¡±


    ¡°Hold on right there!¡± Hao Ren recovered from his stupor before grabbing the cat by the skull. ¡°What do you mean by that? I had only gone out for a month and you had already forgotten who¡¯s your master?¡±


    ¡°Snacks! I saw you have snacks! I¡¯ve felt it! You must¡¯ve bought them for me!¡± The dumb cat struggled against Hao Ren¡¯s hold. Her frantic yelps were audible half a street away. ¡°I was trying to get your scent. Who knows if you are real or fake. You¡¯ve gone missing for so long I thought you were dead already!¡±


    ¡°Oh f*ck me¡­ Why does this idiot think that I¡¯ll be dying every now and then?¡± Hao Ren was flabbergasted as he looked at the dumb cat rummaging singlemindedly through his pocket looking for snacks (They were in fact for her.) ¡°Are humans such a weak, pitiful race in the eyes of a cat?¡±


    ¡°What you think?¡± Wuyue said as she hugged her arm. ¡°Every time you¡¯ve been gone for a while, she¡¯d start occupying the main door, and start interrogating everyone ¡®If Big Boss Cat is dead outside. Why hasn¡¯t he come back yet? Should we start splitting our share? We¡¯ve gotten used to it by now.¡±


    Hao Ren felt that a dagger had just run through his heart. ¡°That heartless cretin¡­ What else did she say?¡±


    Nangong Sanba joined in. ¡°I¡¯ve asked her before. She said she would seek revenge for you. And if she can¡¯t, she¡¯ll go into your room to gather your items. Having split them, she¡¯ll go her own way, wandering.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    ¡°You are sure annoying Big Boss Cat!¡± The cat girl was busy stuffing her face with a load of fish jerky. Rolling her eyes at Hao Ren, she continued. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you react like this back then? I¡¯ve been telling you that every time you came back late no?¡±


    Hao Ren was dumbfounded. ¡°You¡¯ve said this before¡­ Wait a minute. You¡¯re just a cat back then. How the hell could I understand what you were on about!¡±


    Once again, Hao Ren felt like a sword had just run through him. He knew all along that his cat was a lazy glutton, but she had a pretty good nature. Every time he comes back from afar the cat would happily circle around him meowing for a good while. While she would be demanding food soon after, Hao Ren was still touched by the gesture¡­


    He however never thought that the cat was actually saying that!


    Hao Ren was furious, and then¡­. there was nothing. The cat girl had an indestructible and self-preserving world view, she could very well entertain herself even when everyone ignores her.


    And Hao Ren had no time to play with the cat. He had important work to be done.


    The first thing he did after he got home was to send out the message sample that was recorded by Antony the moment the rift expanded to the exploratory drones in the Plane of Dreams.


    The message sample is probably the sole clue of the location of the Crystal Core, and the exploratory droids were the most wide-ranging eyes and ears Hao Ren had in the Plane of Dreams. If these droids could not find the source of the message, the Crystal Core is probably gone for good.


    It was obvious that Hao Ren was really concerned about the missing Crystal Core.


    His concern obviously nothing to do with what Raven12345 had blabbered about. The real cause of concern was that the possibility of any relics of the Goddess of Creation being within the vicinity of where the Crystal Core had fallen. The second reason is that he needs a second ¡®Gate of Reality¡¯. And lastly, he still had one more concern.


    And it is that the Crystal Core was just too powerful.


    It was a divine relic in name and sense. Not only was it a divine relic, but the power within it was also divine. It had the power to pierce through the Wall of Reality and destroy the balance of worlds. And this had fallen into the already fragile Plane of Dreams. The mere thought of it sent chills down his spine. And Hao Ren knew that there was still an ¡®ancient mastermind¡¯ still hidden there. Would this mastermind find out that something so powerful had fallen into its cage and use it to break out?


    While Raven12345 was a usually happy-go-lucky person, worry did form on her face when she found out that the Crystal Core was missing. This was enough to show the severity of things.


    Hao Ren reckoned that if he could not get the Crystal Core back, things will definitely turn for the worst, and by then Raven12345 would need to intervene personally, and shit will hit the fan in the Plane of Dreams.


    Hao Ren carefully detailed all he had seen in his reports, including the situation of the Nine Realms, the Ark of Origin, the Ultimate Salvation, etc. and had them sent to Raven 12345. After that he was working on massive flood of information coming from the exploratory droids, the control facilities at Purgatory, and the factories in the Solenne Gateway.


    As the MDT produce another new set of consolidated reports to him, Hao Ren realized that he had unknowingly expanded his footsteps and work in places far and wide.


    In the Surface World, the Plane of Dreams, the stars, and deep space, every minute and every second came a flood of information from the countless monitoring points across the area. Some were monitoring some ruins, some were recording a evolution of an ecosystem, some were monitoring the cultural evolution and progress of a race, and these tide of information were collected by the unmanned monitor droids before sending it to the nearest outpost or galactic fortress, and finally landing on his table as a consolidated report. All the along the process, the data were creeping upwards like a pyramid and finally reaching the top.


    Then, Hao Ren read through the report with a stunned look, before sighing every five minutes. ¡°F*ck me, there¡¯s still that¡­ F*ck me, there¡¯s still that too?!¡±


    He wondered if the other Inspectors went through the same thing during their rookie years.


    Hao Ren flopped on the table as he continued reading his reports. Rollie was squatting by his side playing with a ball of yarn. The cat girl had no idea why Hao Ren had ignored her for the past two days, but she felt that as a cat, a proud, noble, intelligent and exceptionally cute cat, she had to maintain her poise, so if Big Boss Cat was ignoring her she would not disturb him either. But frankly¡­


    Squatting there like a fool was just too boring!


    The cat girl squatted on the floor as she played around with the yarn ball. She soon discovered that her previous plaything was now plain boring, and watching people fight on the telly was much more fun. She sneaked a peek at Hao Ren and realized that the latter was concentrating on reading his reports. She then tip-toed a few steps towards him.


    Hao Ren did not react.


    ¡°Meeoww?¡± Rollie let out a gentle meow, before realizing that she had broken protocol and started feeling frustrated. After clearing her thoughts, she realized that Hao Ren had still not reacted to her.


    She then decided to get even closer, and to throw the ball of yarn at Hao Ren if need me.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Hao Ren finally had enough of the dumb cat sneaking about like a thief and threw the dumb cat a glance.


    He had already noticed Rollie¡¯s movements the first time she got close, but the cat had a history of mindless actions, and the sudden explosion of her feline behavior was almost similar to Lily¡¯s. So he could not be bothered with what she was doing by the side. But as he noticed the dumb cat getting closer, with a ball of yarn in cat, and a stupid grin on her face, Hao Ren had enough.


    Could it be that the cat decided after being ignored for two days that it was time to off her master? And her weapon of choice, a ball of yarn? Isn¡¯t that too wobbly a murder weapon?


    Hao Ren¡¯s voice gave Rollie a shock and the latter bowed her body as she leaped backward, her tail bristled and pointed towards the ceiling like a lightning rod. She gave Hao Ren a cautious look, before something came to mind: It was Big Boss Cat who spoke first!


    So Rollie thought that she had won a huge victory. Feeling all satisfied, she came to Hao Ren¡¯s side and lay her head on the latter¡¯s leg. ¡°Yep, you can start scratching my ears now.¡±


    Hao Ren could not understand what the cat was actually thinking. ¡°You and your antics¡­¡±


    But he did not plan to dwell on the cat¡¯s train of thought, and neither he planned to stop working. So he grabbed the MDT on one hand before letting the other down from the chair, landing just nice on Rollie¡¯s head.


    ¡°I¡¯m too lazy to move. Scratch it yourself.¡±


    Rollie pondered for a bit, before starting to bob her head.


    And just that, the cat¡¯s worries was gone with the wind.

 Chapter 1169 - The Dark Abyss

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The Plane of Dreams.


    Even when the place was damaged by the collision of worlds eons ago and became a sub-realm of another universe, the Plane of Dreams was still a vast, unknown universe to its mortal denizens. There was an almost borderless space with countless ancient star systems and newly born stars, and hidden dark spaces in the deep space where no one had trod before.


    In the center of the universe, the ancient nebula had already burnt out, and the once radiant galaxy was now a sea of dead shadows and burnt out planetary husks. The light was slowly fading away, and it was a very precious commodity in the region. Dying planets in the region let out what few remaining light source amongst the forbidding darkness. Every glowing star was a space fortress, and these light sources were few and far between in the dead nebula, each at least a hundred thousand light years away from each other. Their faint glow could not light up the forgotten and dying space, and they were no longer capable of sustaining life. Normal life at least.


    Without life, there is no mental activity. Without thought, the malignant powers trapped within the prison could not escape.


    And this prison stood vigil across the eons, silently watching the passing of time.


    But the place was not totally devoid of life.


    The Nightwatchers guarding the prison against the dark lived there. They had created a series of fortifications amongst the surviving stars, setting up layers upon layers of surveillance monitoring the darkest abyss of this desolate zone, listening in for even the faintest of sounds around them.


    Deathly quiet was the usual state of this prison. The dead space did not have any sound, and even the ray of star lights was severely restricted. There were no mortal races living there, and the resonance of the soul was a non-starter. All of this was to prevent that evil energy trapped within from breaking the seal. But even then, the Nightwatchers hadtheir own way of communication.


    The ancient spirits hadmastered the ways to preserve their souls, and they hadbeen blessed by gods. When they spoke using the resonance across the stars, the evil power sealed deep within the prison were powerless to do anything.


    A lone star in the dark abyss flickered as it launched a hyper lightspeed message that was undecipherable by mortal races. The message quickly traveled across the sector, and a few other stars nearby lit up in response.


    ¡°S-26, control your channel. Do not engage in needless banter.¡±


    ¡°S-26 here. This is not needless banter. Have already shrouded my soul. This resonance is safe.¡±


    ¡°Any new findings?¡± Another message came from deep space.


    ¡°The Star of Origin had died for over a hundred-time unit. As agreed. Commencing report.¡±


    ¡°Any changes to the world outside?¡± The signal from the dark abyss queried.


    ¡°All quiet. Very quiet. Initial estimations that 90 % of all life candles had been snuffed out. A few areas in the deep space sector is quiet as the critical point.¡±


    The stars grew quiet for a moment. It could have been a few seconds, or a few days long. In the critical point of the dark abyss, the flow of time was all over the place. The Nightwatchers had long abandoned the notion of time when they record something. For them, the passing of time was akin to the sequence of events; the gap between each event was and is meaningless.


    If not for the need to record how long since that horrific war had passed, the Nightwatchers would have completely abandoned the concept of time as a whole.


    After a brief silence, Border station S-26 launched another message. ¡°W-17. I heard noise from the deep. Any problems there?¡±


    A message came from the middle level of the dark abyss. ¡°It is trying to breach the wall.¡±


    A new signal came from a planet millions of light years away. ¡°It is getting more and more frequent.¡±


    ¡°There is still no message from the Ark and the Ember that the goddess had left behind. There are no signs of recovery of her guardians. Seems like the contamination leaked from before was far worse than expected.¡± W-17 spoke rather lengthily. ¡°We need to prepare. I¡¯m afraid things will get worse.¡±


    ¡°It is bound to get worse.¡± S-26 agreed. ¡°We need to conserve our manpower and avoid doing things outside our remit. In just a hundred time unit, we have lost many watchers.¡±


    ¡°But the necessary patrols must continue,¡± W-17 continued. ¡°This universe is still changing. And something beyond our understanding has been born and is spreading. S-26, do you remember the things that you had discovered before?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they left quite a mark. Their rate of expansion is truly exceptional, and they are very disciplined, even more so than us. They have now spread across a thousand systems, and their rate of expansion is increasing rapidly. I¡¯m afraid they will encompass the whole universe some day.¡±


    ¡°What is our understanding of them?¡± Another voice from the middle level of the dark abyss spoke. ¡°How do they replicate?¡±


    ¡°A way that is difficult to describe. Those things do not require any resource to self-replicate. No matter how rich or poor the star system is, their rate of expansion never faltered. I had noticed that these things appeared out of nowhere. They literally popped out of thin air.¡±


    ¡°What is their goal? Are they a threat?¡±


    ¡°Unable to determine. They seem to be a lifeform of high intelligence, but they lack the drive of an intelligent lifeform. They are only expanding, and have left a cluster of hard-to-understand hives and outposts. But they had not harmed anyone in the process, and neither did they conquer any planets. Rather than landing on the planet, they seemed content monitoring from space. So I cannot determine if these things are a threat, I can only confirm that they are capable of being a threat.¡±


    As S-26 finished its transmission, an outpost on the opposite corner of the universe responded, ¡°Addendum. I have noticed that they are equipped with significant firepower. They are capable of destroying any stray celestial bodies that threaten their hive in a few incidents. And this firepower is getting stronger as they expand. Perhaps those things have reached critical mass and are now gearing up for combat.¡±


    S-26 added, ¡°Addendum. Have noticed that the direction of their expansion had changed from aimless expansion to a directed expansion. Their vanguard force seems to be coming in this direction.¡±


    The new report had all Nightwatchers paused. After a brief moment, W-17 spoke again, ¡°Their behavioral module is changing, I propose monitoring them even more closely.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps a preemptive measure?¡± An outpost replied, ¡°Like engaging them in combat?¡±


    ¡°That should be our last resort¡­ S-77,¡± W-17 replied, ¡°We need to ensure that the inner defense is stable. If it breaches the wall, the catastrophe that will come will be beyond measure.¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡±


    In the quiet dark abyss prison, the resonance amongst the stars had died down. This undetected and unexplored star system once again returned to the deathly silence. Just like the past, now and the future, the system will forever be desolate.


    But within the silence, a murmur broke the silence. ¡°W-17, what is the situation at the critical point of the deepest level?¡±


    ¡°The critical point has no logic to speak of. It has already conquered its prison, and only furious screams and fighting exists there. But the last defense line is still responding. N-66 is leading others to seal the prison.¡±


    ¡°¡­W-17, my brother, do you still remember the times when this universe was a peaceful, verdant garden?¡±


    ¡°¡­S-26, my brother. Just like you, I have forgotten.¡±


    ¡°For the forgotten grace.¡±


    ¡°For the forgotten grace.¡±


    The chatter between the Nightwatchers ended and they returned into a serene silence, continuing their vigil while waiting for the meaningless ¡®time¡¯ to pass before the occurrence of the next worthy event.


    Meanwhile, at a place far, far away from this eternal prison, in another galaxy, a new hive of drones had been activated. The crisscrossed, life-like alloy frame lit to life in a glow of red and blue light.


    A series of expressions floated before the hive as the swarm of drones looked at the deepest, darkest part of space. In the darkness, everything was eerily silent.


    The deep space should indeed be silent, but the level of silence was beyond normal.


    After a series of analyses and calculations, the hivemind had developed a new expansion plan.


    It had only one purpose. To expand, to continuously expand, to expand till the depth and the edge of the universe!

 Chapter 1170 - Raven 12345’s Reasoning

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    It was a beautiful day, and Hao Ren was summoned by Raven 12345 to ¡°heaven¡±.


    As usual, Hao Ren expected Raven 12345 to be in some sort of trouble, either the mansion being torn a new exit or being hunted down with a massive ship-cleaver, or even the entire heaven being reduced to a wasteland. But this time around, the goddess¡¯ place was normal. The mansion stood imposingly in the middle of the garden, surrounded by the verdant garden. Water ran from the elaborate fountain before the mansion, and Big Bluey, the arcane servant was busy amongst the rows of flowers, injecting arcane energies into the unusual plants..


    It had been a while since he saw ¡°heaven¡± in its normal state, and Hao Ren had a double take wondering if he had gone to the wrong place.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here,¡± Raven 12345¡¯s voice roused Hao Ren from his stupor. The goddess stood by the entrance of the garden wearing a very gentle and serene smile as she waved at Hao Ren. ¡°Come, I have something to talk to you.¡±


    Hao Ren was bewildered and felt that heaven and the goddess before him were so vastly different from before. He followed Raven 12345 through the garden in a daze before coming into a patio surrounded by hedges. It was green all over with the pleasant scent of flowers emanating in the air. A clear stream flowed beside the hedges into the patio and along the lawn. A set of exquisite marble table and chairs were set in the middle of the lawn, and fresh, unknown fruits were on the table. Raven 12345 motioned for Hao Ren to take a seat on the long bench.


    ¡°Have a seat.¡± Raven 12345 smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about your report.¡±


    Hao Ren obeyed, still in a daze. He looked at his surroundings before setting his sights on the gentle, proper and smiling lunatic of a goddess. He could not hold back any longer, and asked, ¡°So.. uh¡­ Are you 12345?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Raven 12345 raised an eyebrow. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Hao Ren did not know how to put his incongruity into words and could only laugh drily. ¡°Hehe¡­ It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just that something about you doesn¡¯t feel right today. I¡¯ve never seen you this gentle before. And hell, you even tidy the whole place up.¡±


    Raven 12345 smiled as she heard what Hao Ren had to say. ¡°Don¡¯t have to be so surprised. There was a spot check today.¡±


    Hao Ren almost choked on the guesses that he was just about to verbalize. ¡°¡­Uh?¡±


    The goddess maintained her gentle, holy smile before sticking her thumb up. ¡°I¡¯ve cleaned the place up two days back, and even purposely put on a fixed gentle smile expression pack on my face. You can¡¯t see any traces of it right?¡±


    Hao Ren felt that the world had returned to normal¡­ With that said, seeing the crazy goddess with that gentle and serene smile was still gnawing at him. But at least he could now speak normally. ¡°Bloody hell, I thought you¡¯d ate something wrong or something.¡±


    Raven 12345, with her gentle smile and all, flicked her middle finger back at Hao Ren. ¡°I¡¯m still a goddess. Can¡¯t you talk to me with some modicum of respect?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s take that expression pack off your face.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s incongruity literally seeped through his words. ¡°I¡¯m getting goosebumps just by talking to you in that face.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve said, it¡¯s a fixed effect. It¡¯ll probably last a couple of days.¡± Raven 12345¡¯s expression did not change, almost as if her facial nerves were all dead. She had to resort to hand gestures to get the point across. ¡°So back to serious business. First is the Crystal Core, I need to remind you; you cannot afford to dawdle on this. Next, I¡¯ve read your reports already.¡±


    Hao Ren finally snapped back into attention the moment it was about official business and could at least ignore the weird atmosphere around him. He adjusted his posture. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sure able to surprise me every time.¡± Raven 12345 shook a finger. ¡°Seriously, I don¡¯t praise people for no good reason. But for you to run into so much trouble, that is a first for me. How did you even get tangled up in so many issues while searching for something?¡±


    Hao Ren had no idea what sort of praise was that, and could only thicken his skin and waved it off. ¡°You¡¯re being too kind. There¡¯s no other than bad luck.¡±


    ¡°Seems like I was right in letting you handle the stuff in the Plane of Dreams.¡± Raven 12345¡¯s fixed smile really gave off a mesmerizing look to it, and Hao Ren could not tell if she was actually praising him or being sarcastic. ¡°Perhaps you are really fated¡­ Ah, let¡¯s leave that aside. I¡¯ve already known about the Ark of Origin, and understand what¡¯s going on with the Ultimate Absolution, and the Deicide, but now I need your help in filling in some details.¡±


    Raven 12345 then asked a few questions based on Hao Ren¡¯s report. All of them were normal queries to get a better understanding of this. After that, Hao Ren asked, ¡°Say, what do you think of the ¡®Ultimate Absolution¡¯?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Raven 12345¡¯s eyebrows twitched. That was the only part of her face that can move after her expression being locked in place. Every time her eyebrows twitched her face stayed completely the same, it was frankly unsettling.


    ¡°As a god, you think the ¡®Ultimate Absolution¡¯ is something plausible?¡± Hao Ren was serious. ¡°Besides, can divine powers be weakened by causing gods to doubt themselves?¡±


    Raven 12345 did not fool around this time. After a brief pause, she looked at Hao Ren in the eyes. ¡°You do know that a god¡¯s words and actions have the power to change reality right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do know that.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°It¡¯s in the job manual and some reference books.¡±


    ¡°So when I say, ¡°Let there be light¡±, the world will be lit up. When I say ¡°The stars shall move.¡± and the entire star system will move. It is not because I have ¡®released¡¯ some sort of power, but as a god, I¡¯m the ¡®truth¡¯.¡± Raven 12345 said as she gently tapped the white marble table, her voice steady. ¡°If you see gods as the super administrator above the laws of the world, and then whatever the gods see ¡®fit¡¯, it will appear in the real world. So If a god thinks that he or she is no longer fit to become the god of the universe, the thought would create an effect, and his or her authority will be shaken.¡±


    ¡°So it can be done?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s eyes widen. ¡°So this ¡®Ultimate Absolution¡¯ is real? And the ¡®mastermind¡¯s¡¯ plans can actually come to fruition?¡±


    ¡°There is an eighty percent chance for it to happen.¡± Raven 12345 nodded. ¡°But it is not without question. The biggest question is how a mastermind that is not a god, have such an understanding of a god?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve thought of it but I ran into a dead end. Don¡¯t tell me that the mastermind actually studied and learned about the goddess¡¯ traits and weakness?¡±


    ¡°The possibility of that happening is about the same as the husky at your place suddenly becoming a super genius.¡±


    ¡°Ahem, let¡¯s not go there and stay on topic.¡±


    Raven 12345 leaned back. ¡°If the secrets of the gods can be unraveled that easily, then what sort of authority do we gods have then? So just like I told you, I can tell you everything about the powers of the gods, and their authority over the laws of the universe, but can you learn how to use it? ¡®Understanding it¡¯ and ¡®Using it¡¯ is not something that can be bridged by a couple of sentences alone.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded, half understanding what Raven 12345 was trying to convey. A question then popped up. ¡°So what do you think of the identity of that mastermind? I have combed through all the information I have and I cannot put a finger or what the hell it actually is¡­ Is it a living creature?¡±


    ¡°The void hides countless secrets, and the existence of many cannot be described by words alone.¡± Raven 12345 heaved a breath. ¡°Some cannot even be categorized. That ancient evil is as sketchy as you can get, and even the Godslayer doesn¡¯t know how its creator looks like. So I¡¯m inclined to believe that ancient evil does not have a form and tangible powers. It, of course, has its own will, but its cognitive ability and method differ from all intelligent life form. It could affect the minds of mortals, and even induce the ¡®rot¡¯ in the spirits of the demi-god guardians¡­ so it does sound like it is a very powerful spiritual being.¡±


    ¡°So why did the goddess of creation hid such an important matter from her followers?¡± Hao Ren was perplexed. ¡°If this ancient evil was that dangerous, shouldn¡¯t she let them know? If there were sufficient preparations, the guardians would probably avoid a bloodbath. Now only special guardians like Yggdrasil knows about the ancient evil, and normal guardians like Muru and the rest had no idea that the goddess had fought with such a thing eons ago.¡±


    ¡°It is probably not because she didn¡¯t say it, rather she could not say it.¡± Raven 12345 surmised after a short while. ¡°For some supernatural beings, just the knowledge of its name or being mentioned alone would allow it to break out of its prison and break into the real world. Gods could do it, and some non-divine beings are capable of it as well. And the ancient evil seems to be very well versed in that. Its powers sound like ¡®corruption¡¯ as a unique trait, and the mere mention of its existence is a big enough risk. So based on what information I have, I have an idea of what sort of prison the goddess had sealed that ancient evil in. It should be deep in space, in a very quiet place. The prison probably has some sort of rare life form around it, to prevent the evil powers from escaping its prison by using normal minds as a springboard. The prison itself will also have a very important structure. It needs to be multilayered, and every layer is manned by a different sentry and outpost, and no movement between outposts is allowed because suppressing such an evil power is very difficult. There is a risk of it breaking out at any moment, and the loss of a defense layer will be commonplace enough¡­¡±


    Hao Ren frowned hard as he heard that. ¡°It does sound plausible when you put it that way, but there are too many places in the universe that fits the bill¡­¡±


    Raven 12345 shrugged. ¡°I know, I never hoped for you to look for it. I¡¯m just analyzing it to make myself look good.¡±


    Hao Ren was at a lost for words.

 Chapter 1171 - The Emperor’s Sigh

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Someday, Hao Ren would understand the meaning of exceptional prescience, the meaning of the goddess¡¯ wisdom, and the meaning of being a potty mouth on Raven 12345¡¯s level. When Raven 12345 mentioned that she had just come up with the analysis just to look cool, her guesses were actually not far off, and quite clearly her brain damage did not impede her superior intellect.


    But now, Hao Ren only felt that his superior was screwed in the head, and doubted if she could actually do her work properly.


    ¡°Alright, lets have some fruits. We¡¯ve been talking for quite a while now.¡± Raven12345 continued with her disorientating serene smile, as she pushed a bunch of unknown fruits before Hao Ren. ¡°Don¡¯t be coy with me, we don¡¯t have much protocol to start with. This was prepared for the spot check, and that person left after having a few sunflower seeds.¡±


    Hao Ren still admired Raven 12345¡¯s demeanor as an approachable big sister, and he, of course, would appreciate if she could remove that bronze mask of a ¡®boss-appeasing special expression pack¡¯ smile that she had put on. He randomly took a fruit that looked like a nectarine. ¡°Only a few sunflower seeds? That¡¯s a little¡­¡±


    ¡°Not joking.¡± Raven 12345 waved off. ¡°The one doing the spot check is a high-level Corvideo, you remember them right? You¡¯ve seen one before, just that teeny weeny¡­¡±


    As the Goddess spoke, she drew a palm-sized figure. ¡°Even elongated they are only that tall. So much for me preparing this much fruits. That chibi was full by the third seed, and I felt that it was not right for her to eat so little, reflects badly on my service as a host so I stuffed the fourth into her mouth with a chopstick¡­¡±


    Cold sweat rained over Hao Ren¡¯s forehead. That Goddess sure has a skewed view of ¡®service¡¯!


    Raven 12345 was by then stroking her chin feeling good about herself. ¡°With that, my appraisal should be tip top¡­¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s cold sweat had already reached his feet. A good appraisal!? It¡¯s a wonder you did not choke her with your chopsticks!


    Then again, those tiny Corvideo did leave a mark in Hao Ren¡¯s mind. He heard that these Goddesses were the Goddess of Messages, Journeys, and Supervision. They wander all across the macro-world and now he has a better understanding of their job. It was almost like a pesky discipl¡­ Uh no, a headteacher in charge of education quality¡­


    Seems like Raven 12345¡¯s year-end appraisal will forever stay the same.


    Hao Ren ate the weird fruits and it was clear that they were not mortal produce. All of them were probably from the divine realm, similar to the Golden Apple, but their taste was one of a kind, like this nectarine he was holding now, it may look like one, it actually tasted more like black pepper steak¡­


    ¡°I thought I was hallucinating at the first bite.¡± Hao Ren stared at the fruit in his hand. ¡°You sure they aren¡¯t already spoilt?¡±


    ¡°Preposterous, all of them are fresh.¡± Raven 12345 smiled (that was the only expression she was capable of) ¡°All of them are harvested from the divine realm, The goddess of life personally researched the cultivation of the fruit. We have a boss who is an absolute glutton so the food source there is limitless. Come, try this. I actually wanted to let you try this.¡±


    Hao Ren took the fruit that the goddess had handed to him with a little skepticism. It looked like a grape, feel like a grape, smells like a grape, but after experiencing a black pepper steak-flavored nectarine earlier, he was really doubtful of the taste of any divine fruit matching its looks. ¡°Tell me what it is before I decide whether if I¡¯ll eat it¡­¡±


    ¡°The Emperor¡¯s Sigh,¡± the goddess suddenly threw a bombshell.


    Hao Ren suddenly felt that he had to eat it. ¡°The heck?¡±


    ¡°The Emperor¡¯s Sigh. Because this thing had our big boss at a loss of words. And that was during an imperial banquet with the three divine systems. So you know the power of this fruit. So, you giving it a go or not?¡±


    This time around Hao Ren did not wait for Raven 12345 to finish before popping the ¡®grape¡¯ into his mouth as he chewed he mumbled. ¡°I¡¯ll eat I¡¯ll eat. I¡¯ll be a fool not to. Based on your description, the power increase will be f*cking pheno¡­ Pfftttt!¡±


    Before Hao Ren could finish his sentence, a mind-wrecking sensation burst in his mouth and ran all across his nerves. He spat the thing out on the spot as the indescribable taste permeated across his tongue and towards his spinal cord. He felt that he had broken through human sensory ability, and had broken through carbon-based life form nervous structure, and broke through the world¡¯s material barrier and used his tongue to taste an otherworldly sensation. This was not an exaggeration. What the f*ck was that taste? Sweet, sour, bitter, sweet? You cannot even begin to describe it using normal taste categories, as every taste bud on his tongue tingled as if being shocked, and the sensation ran straight into his brain before shooting all across his body. That lasted for a good ten minutes, Ten minutes!


    Hao Ren only recovered after ten minutes after eating one ¡®grape¡¯. He was still in a daze with the indescribable taste still dancing on his tongue. But what was surprising is that after the shock his mind was still clear, and he immediately exclaimed with his tongue out. ¡°What the bloody f*ck was that shit?!¡±


    Raven 12345 threw a little light orb at Hao Ren, smacking him on the forehead. ¡°Hush, did you forget about the work etiquette? Mind your language when you are at work, no screaming and shouting while you are at work. Wait until your superior is done screaming before you start.¡±


    Hao Ren twirled his tongue at the sensation. ¡°Ugh¡­ what was that?¡±


    ¡°Why, The Emperor¡¯s Sigh of course.¡± Raven 12345 leaned back. ¡°Quite the thing isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°And this thing is called the Emperor¡¯s Sigh?¡± Hao Ren felt that he was being made a fool by the goddess.


    ¡°Yep, big boss was aghast when he first tasted it.¡± Raven 12345¡¯s tone was serious. ¡°Just like how you had reacted¡­ Uh no, he did not say ¡®bloody f*ck¡¯, he went ¡®f*cking hell¡¯. After big boss was done the thing was named by the god of time as the Emperor¡¯s Sigh.¡±


    Hao Ren almost leaped up. ¡°¡­And the Emperor¡¯s Sigh actually came from that?!¡±


    ¡°What did you think?¡± Raven 12345 eyed Hao Ren. ¡°Our great Xi Ling naming culture emphasizes simplicity.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s head was still reeling from the assault of a grape, and what he had wanted to ask earlier had totally eluded him now. He shook his head as he got back to his chair, pointing to the remaining Emperor¡¯s Sigh. ¡°Say, there better not be any side effects right?¡±


    ¡°No worries. Our divine food is certified safe for consumption. Each and everyone is specially infused with ¡®anti-power overwhelming¡¯ trait. You¡¯ll be fine after eating it, even the bunch at your place will be fine after eating it.¡±


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes before pulling out a plastic bag from his Dimensional Pocket. An evil grin appeared on his face as he put the ¡®grapes¡¯ into the bag. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take this back home for them to try¡­¡±


    Raven 12345 was shocked by the look on Hao Ren¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯re already freeloading here, and you still have the cheek to pack food?¡±


    ¡°Have pity on those at my place. They are either elderly, or had a career crisis, or being born at the wrong place and the wrong time without a goal, or being homeless, or hell, even a youngling whose is the sole survivor of her kind. While I¡¯m enjoying food the heavens, they¡­¡±


    ¡°Scram after you¡¯re done packing.¡± Raven 12345 pointed towards a gate (while still bearing the serene smile), ¡°I wasn¡¯t that shameless like you when I got my head screwed.¡±


    Hao Ren heard his marching orders and scampered off after taking the plate¡­


    After Hao Ren left, the patio returned to its peaceful quiet. Raven12345 sat on her chair and sipped her tea casually before turning her head slightly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired standing there for so long? Your invisibility technique was taught by me too.¡±


    Not too far away, the air shuddered and the dimension rippled like water before a figure with a face similar to Raven 12345, but with a much-reserved poise appeared. ¡°Say, why did you had me purposely get that from the City of Shadows. I thought your taste had suddenly changed. You sure treat him well.¡±


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s an excellent employee, so he gets special treatment.¡± Raven 12345 smiled. ¡°Say, 23333, can you stop putting on a poker face every day, can¡¯t you be a little more approachable like me?¡±


    ¡°Being approachable and being na?ve is not a concept.¡± Raven 23333 corrected Raven 12345 with a serious tone, and before the latter could react, she changed the topic. ¡°You think the stuff that he had eaten will be helpful?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Raven 12345 nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve read his reports and have analyzed the samples. That thingamajig at the Plane of Dreams has a definite trait, and that is ¡®soul corruption¡¯. That¡¯s why I¡¯m piling soul resistance on him. The Emperor¡¯s Sigh was personally blessed by the Soul Snatcher, a Greater Goddess level of blessing. I don¡¯t believe such a permanent spiritual blessing of such a level could be broken by those ragtag rebels.¡±


    ¡°Blessed by the Greater Goddess herself huh,¡± Raven 23333 looked at the grape on the table, that was left behind Hao Ren by accident when he took the plate away. ¡°It is good stuff, and I¡¯ve heard that the taste was actually normal when it was first cultivated, but why did the taste change so much after Lady Sandra had blessed them?¡±


    ¡°Probably some high-level divine miracle. That¡¯s beyond us, and let¡¯s not bother too much.¡± Raven 12345 said.


    ¡°Well, whatever.¡± Raven 23333 frowned slightly. ¡°But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s nice for you to simply name things. What ¡®Emperor¡¯s Sigh¡¯, that¡¯s not the official name.¡±


    ¡°I tell you, even I could not stand the official name. Who would actually say ¡®The Emperor¡¯s F*ck¡¯¡­ I may be a lunatic, but I have allergy to awkwardness. These two sicknesses can co-exist.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°Right? Lunacy and allergy to awkwardness can co-exist.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Raven 23333 felt that she really could not communicate with that screwed-in-the-head senior of hers.

 Chapter 1172 - The Hao Family’s Daily Mutual Trolling

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren did not know that two goddesses were going about making his job arrangements. His mouth was still numb (the side effect of the Emperor¡¯s Sigh) when he got home. The moment he pushed the door open, he saw Rollie squatting on the table in the living room.


    The cat girl was staring intently at the floor not too far away from the table. A light beam was skittering here and there, and the dumb cat¡¯s iris had gotten straight staring at the light as her head bobbed along. The light was from Lily¡¯s laser pen, and the dumb husky was grinning from side to side, seemingly forgotten her fear of cats when she initially came in. Probably a cat walking on two feet is no longer a cat to her, so the pair of canine and feline were happily having fun.


    The aftermath of a cat sighting a laser pen is pretty much a foregone conclusion. Rollie did not last five seconds on the table before darting after the light. Lily then started pointing the laser beam all over the place, and the dumb cat chased after it with gusto. Hao Ren had stood by the door seeking the two having fun ¨C The two were pretty girls after all- But it did not take long for it to turn into utter chaos as he saw the dumb cat kicked the wastepaper basket by the sofa aside, and next was the table fan, followed by many other things, and the living room instantly became a warzone!


    The overly excited husky and the crazy cat was a perfect mixture of an apocalyptic level disaster. Just looking at Lily¡¯s laser pen pointing about, you could see at least 16 afterimages of the dumb cat¡¯s darting about. The entire living room looked like it was hit by a typhoon, and the laughter of the two rang loudly amidst the chaos. ¡°Ahahaha! Up there, up there!¡±


    ¡°Nyaaa! Why doesn¡¯t it stop!¡±


    ¡°Awooo¡­ Ooff¡±


    ¡°Meow! Meow!¡±


    ¡°Awooooo¡­¡±


    ¡°Meoooo¡­ Ah! Big Boss Cat!¡±


    The living room was a total mess before an uneasy silence befell it as the dumb cat smacked her head against Hao Ren who was by the doorway, and Lily too realized that the landlord was home now.


    Hao Ren could now understand the feelings of pet owners who have devils wreaking havoc at home. But he was even more depressed because he was not just rearing any cat or dog; the two were now higher lifeforms, and the destruction these two idiots are capable off is hundred times worse! The three-second carnage was enough to set someone back a whole day to clean up, and the thought of stopping them never crossed his mind.


    A flash later, and Lily darted from a corner of the living room, and both the husky and the cat girl stood before Hao Ren. The two, despite being the dumb duo at home, knew that they had screwed up big time and they both lowered their heads waiting for Hao Ren to scold them.


    Angry veins popped over Hao Ren¡¯s forehead as he glared at them, but just as he was about to open his mouth, he pulled two ¡®grapes¡¯ out of the Dimensional Pocket. ¡°Come, I have something nice for you two¡­¡±


    Lily was not that stupid at least, she did not trust what Hao Ren had given them was normal, not after she had wrecked the living room, and she hesitated. The dumb cat beside her was much more na?ve. She already had the habit of getting Hao Ren to feed her, and immediately took the grape and stuffed it into her mouth. ¡°Dank you Beeg Buss Kat! Nyam, gonna eeeat it now!¡±


    As Lily was distracted by the cat girl¡¯s reaction, Hao Ren swiftly slammed the remaining grapes into her mouth.


    An evil grin appeared on his face as he waited for their reaction¡­


    Thirty minutes later, Vivian who was out for a walk came back. The vampire lady saw both Rollie and Lily tidying up the living room as she stepped into the house while Hao Ren was lying down on the sofa watching the telly. Surprised at what she saw, she asked. ¡°Oh, Hao Ren you¡¯re back? Why is this two so well-behaved today?¡±


    Before Hao Ren could react, Lily threw the broom to one side and ran towards Vivian in a daze before sneakily extending her hand. ¡°Open your mouth, Battie, I got something nice for you to eat¡­¡±


    Something would have been utterly wrong if Vivian was to believe Lily. Their relationship aside, would you see a dog give its food to somebody else? But regardless if she believed Lily or not, Rollie had come over as well. The cat girl too extended her arm sneakily. ¡°Vivian, I got something nice for you! Big Boss Cat brought it back today!¡±


    And so, Vivian fell for it¡­


    A moment later, Y¡¯zaks and Y¡¯lisabet who were out collected old electrical appliances came home. The moment the two stepped in they heard an unbelievably warm voice. ¡°Big guy, Y¡¯lisabet! There¡¯s something nice for you two!¡±


    ¡­


    That proved that learning to be bad did not take much time at all, humans or not. This bunch in Hao Ren¡¯s household had been together for so long, and each was worse than the other!


    Every time someone came home, they got fed the good stuff, and even Nangong Wudi and Ayesha who was running their restaurant did not escape their fate. Nangong Sanba had packed the fruits for his parents and when he came back he had a bump the size of a fist on his head¡­


    Even Lil Pea was tricked into taking a bite of the ¡®divine fruit¡¯ by Lily, and the little mermaid immediately burst into tears¡­


    Hao Ren was satisfied seeing that everyone had to undergo what he went through, and he suddenly felt at peace. He then placed a few other fruits on the plate that he had taken back with him on the tea table before sinking onto the sofa with a toothpick in his mouth, speaking as he watched the telly. ¡°Just treat it like a taste test. You won¡¯t find anything like this elsewhere, treat it like a new experience!¡±


    This was not bullsh*t however, as Hao Ren was sure that everyone in his place had the same idea¡­ Of course, it was limited to them trolling someone else.


    Nangong Wuyue was by the side of the tea table as a basin. As she ran pure water out for Lil Pea to wash her mouth she said. ¡°It was not all that bad you know, the taste wasn¡¯t all that¡­¡±


    Vivian immediately glared at her. ¡°Nonsense, a Siren¡¯s taste bud is literally just for show, you elemental creatures!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s still some left, why aren¡¯t you guys eating them?¡± Hao Ren pointed towards the fruit platter as he looked at everyone. Just as he finished speaking, Rollie scampered to the back of the sofa in fear¡­


    ¡°Look at her.¡± Hao Ren pursed his lips. ¡°Relax, the other stuff is normal. While the taste may not match the looks, it doesn¡¯t taste all that bad. Lily try that one, this banana-like thing tastes like sweet and sour pork.¡±


    Hao Ren did not bring all the fruits back just to prank everyone. Alright, alright, it¡¯s part of the reason, but more so that he was sure that these things were potent stuff. He had witnessed the power of the Golden Apple and these fruits which also came from heaven, plus being specifically cultivated should not be half-bad, perhaps even more effective as Raven 12345 had specially prepared this for their upcoming task. Many things had happened since, and Hao Ren felt that he was running from one storm into another, and these bunch had always been happy to accompany him on his adventures, thus the risk of running into danger is always there. While there were no specific reasons, Hao Ren felt that he needed to find ways to bolster his comrades¡¯ combat strength¡­


    So chowing down on some divine food should do the trick?


    And that ¡°Emperor¡¯s Sigh¡±¡­ Hao Ren, if possible, did not even want to think of that bizarre name, but he had indeed brought these back on purpose. It was not wrong to say that he could leave the others behind, but the Emperor Sigh had to come with him.


    The reason was simple, while the shock to one¡¯s sensory system was mind-numbing, he felt a surge of change internally after eating it. He even felt that the change even reached spiritual levels, and had gone up a level higher!


    So he knew that was good stuff.


    He even wondered if Raven 12345 had gone through the trouble of preparing this godforsaken thingmajig just for him.


    After Lily personally attested that the other fruits on the platter were normal (as normal as you can get), the ¡®heavenly treasure¡¯ that Hao Ren brought back was immediately split. If you were to follow those fantasy novels the whole group would have purple light on their heads by now as everyone would be finding spots to level up their skills. But Hao Ren¡¯s bunch was not interested in that, and in reality, they were complaining that the fruits were not enough to fill their bellies, and a bunch of sweet and sour pork, black pepper steak flavored fruits had instead brought out their appetite. So the entire household went over to the Nangong¡¯s restaurant for a meal and they even came back with three big bottles of Coca Cola¡­


    ¡°I think this might be some sort of treasure too,¡± Hao Ren, after having his fill started busying himself on other things. He saw the plate that was left on the tea table and remembered that he had taken this from Raven 12345¡¯s place. His eyes shone immediately, ¡°Hey, I know I have foresight, look at this design, it does look like something valuab¡­¡±


    Vivian was wiping the table then, and as she heard that she lifted the plastic-like plate to have a look before frisbee-ing it to Hao Ren. ¡°Heh, have a look yourself.¡±


    As Hao Ren grabbed the place, the smile on his face froze. ¡°Erliqiao Fifth Plastic Factory¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s still a divine item.¡± Hao Ren pursed his lips, trying to fight back. ¡°Regardless, it was still used by the goddess before. Rollie, come here, you can have this¡­¡±


    The cat girl threw Hao Ren a suspicious glance before hugging her cat bowl tightly. ¡°Nyeooow!¡±


    He was speechless.

 Chapter 1173 - A Fleeting Peace

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    As a space-faring inspector with no fixed job-scope, Hao Ren felt that the number of his tasks was like the Brownian Motion; sometimes things would all happen at the same moment and made him wish that he could split himself in two to get an extra pair of helping hands. But at times, things were so peaceful that nothing happened at all, and he was extremely free to the point that mushrooms started to sprout¡­


    The chase after the Crystal Core had run into a roadblock. To be fair, it was not a proper roadblock per se, it was because of the vastness of space, and the limited operation area of the droids, and there were no positive finds insofar. Hao Ren had already uploaded the messages Antony had recorded to the droid network server, and have also sent a copy to CARS, and had in advance programmed the countless aerial networks to keep a tight watch of things, and the satellites were scanning day and night for even the faintest of signals from the deep space.


    As of now, however, there were no signals from the already explored areas of the Plane of Dreams.


    At the same time, the probes set up to monitor the various ecosystems within the Plane of Dreams had no reports of any unusual occurrence.


    Hao Ren was already planted on the table since morning listening to MDT¡¯s report summary. Rollie was rolling lazily in her new bed beside the table, playing with her tail and she let out a lazy purr.


    Even after being taught and nagged upon for a long while, the cat still had habits that stubbornly refuse to change. Aside from squatting to eat, and forgetting to walk on her two legs, her biggest quirk was that she needed to toss and turn around at many corners before settling down. Plus Lily had bought quite a few stuff online in the past two days and after opening up the parcels the leftover cardboard boxes were immediately claimed by the catgirl. Hao Ren obviously would not allow her to revert back to her old habits so Rollie had stuffed all her previously torn sheets into the cardboard box, turning it into giant bedding. And now, aside from food and bathroom she pretty much never leaves her lair¡­


    Hao Ren was in fact very worried that someone ignorant of how his family works might think that he is an abusive bastard!


    ¡°Nyaaa!¡± The catgirl rolled about before using her leg to nudge Hao Ren by the tight. ¡°Nyaa¡­ Food.¡±


    ¡°Bloody hell, I¡¯m really a manservant aren¡¯t I¡­¡± Hao Ren sighed before grabbing the cat biscuits by the table and handing it over to her. ¡°Don¡¯t mess the place up, otherwise I need to clean the place up.¡±


    Just as he was about to return to his reports, the cat girl kicked him again. ¡°Nya¡­ water.¡±


    ¡°Oh come on! The water is just by your box, too lazy to even stretch your hand to take it?!¡±


    The cat girl protested. ¡°I don¡¯t want them in a cup. Pour it in meow bowl!¡±


    Hao Ren felt like he was indeed a manservant!


    After he was done attending to her royal meowness, Hao Ren was finally free to listen to the MDT¡¯s reports.


    ¡°Actually there¡¯s nothing too different, just like the earlier report.¡± the MDT floated and swirled above the table. ¡°Zorm-Tannagost¡¯s ecosystem reconstruction has been completed and the Zormnites are preparing for winter. They have already created a habitat and production facilities, and have enough material supplies. They should survive the first winter just fine. Holetta is pretty much paradise in the Plane of Dreams. The shock of the First Born had faded, and the satellite probes in orbit did not detect any remnants of ancient life on the planet. Io is normal as well, and the people of the ark has adapted to the ocean planet. Eva seems to be getting along well with her new guests. The security and safety of the above planets are fine, and combat drones are patrolling around every planet and have set up space fortifications with considerable firepower that can take out any threats. No obvious threats insofar.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s the Solenne Gateway doing?¡±


    ¡°A few of the dead Star Furnaces have been reactivated, and Lemendusa is supervising the manufacturing of the Creation Engine parts, and some parts have already been created. The construction unit that we left on the Solenne Gateway had created a massive assembly factory and is assembling the initial batch of parts.¡± as the MDT reported it deployed a holographic projection. From the display, Hao Ren could see a vast space and on it floated many oddly-shaped structures that glittered faintly, and around the assembly, many light strobes flew about working similarly to a guiding beam. ¡°Aside from the production facilities, there is no other news from the Solenne Gateway. The dimension rift is still there, but there have not been any new ¡®divine realms¡¯ appearing from the Umbral Realm.¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­.¡± Hao Ren massaged his nose as he tried to recall if he had missed anything. He suddenly recalled something he had ordered a long time ago. ¡°Oh right, where are the exploration droids now? Are they still expanding towards the most primitive area at the center of the universe?¡±


    ¡°I was just about to get there.¡± the MDT¡¯s surface blipped, indicating that this is an important topic. ¡°The expansion speed of the droids is increasing as scheduled and as your orders have increased the number of weaponized droids. This is the area that they have expanded to so far, and the rough star map is already created¡­¡±


    The MDT projected a series of complex light dots and lines, on it was the markings of the droids¡¯ exploration area, and most of the systems that the droids have covered so far does not have any names, so they were assigned alphanumeric as they were indexed into the records.


    ¡°As many of the star systems in the path is unexplored and unrecorded, while the droids are expanding at an increasing rate, progress-wise it¡¯s still rather slow as every inch of the suspect area needs to be investigated, and areas reach in minerals will need to be harvested for fortifications. This greatly slowed their expansion progress. But things will probably ramp up soon enough. The closer it gets to the primal zone within the center of the universe, the amount of celestial bodies that requires attention is reduced. The area before the droids is getting darker and sparser. Most of the star systems in the area had died off, and the atomic reaction had died off millions of years ago. So aside from some ice cold rocks, there¡¯s nothing much worth investigating. An automated outpost should be able to monitor quite a large chunk of area.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the star map projected by the MDT, he saw the area after the bright, flickering star map. It was a cloud of darkness, and the darkness looked like it was hiding the most ancient secret within the Plane of Dreams. The expansion zone of the droids have not broken through the active star systems yet and was still some considerable distance away from the dark border. But regardless, that border had now appeared on the droids¡¯ sensor array.


    ¡°The droid¡¯s collective intelligence sent out another report earlier. It had mentioned that the vanguards sensors had detected an ¡®unusual silence¡¯ in the dark zone ahead.¡± The MDT continued. ¡°Even the oldest of nebulae would still have the birth of stars, as the Plane of Dream¡¯s planetary creation period is far from over, but the starlight within the dark zone was eighty percent lesser than expected. It seems like something had happened there, leaving every celestial body in the area a burnt out shell.¡±


    ¡°Darkness¡­ darkness¡­¡± Hao Ren mumbled to himself. ¡°It does seem to match our guesses. There must be something within that darkness. Let the droids continue¡­ oh yeah, do the droids have any soul of their own?¡±


    The MDT was stunned for a moment as it did not anticipate Hao Ren¡¯s question. But it still responded seriously. ¡°No, they only have intelligence, like me. Equipped with intelligence but no soul.¡±


    Hao Ren was still scratching his head around the concept of ¡®soul¡¯ by the definition of the gods, and have no idea why the concept of ¡®soulless intelligence¡¯ would even appear. But he did not intend to dwell on it. ¡°That¡¯s fine. Better if they are without a soul. Let them continue their advance. Oh right, did they run into any surviving civilizations or any other in their expansion?¡±


    ¡°Regrettably, no.¡± The MDT¡¯s voice did have a tinge of regret. ¡°There were plenty of planetary ruins that were destroyed by the First Born, but many too had been consumed by the lifeblood and turned into something beyond description. Every material had been dissolved beyond recognition, and there aren¡¯t any traces to start any investigations with. Conversely, the ruins of Tannagost and Io was like finding a candle in the dark. Also, those planets that were totally destroyed had some scant traces of life, but these are all crude lifeforms born from the lifeblood after the apocalypse. Their base form is very primitive, and their evolution extremely slow. Seems like after the death of the First Borns, the god-created ecosystems lost most of its powers, and the lifeblood too had mutated, I¡¯m afraid that it is next to impossible to birth new and complex lifeforms now.¡±


    ¡°¡­Total destruction of all lifeforms, wiping out any traces the goddess had left in the universe. Mutating the properties of the lifeblood, and cutting off any chances of her people making a comeback.¡± Hao Ren muttered to himself again. ¡°Seems like it is much easier to explain what¡¯s happening now.¡±


    As Hao Ren and MDT was having a further discussion of the issue with the Plane of Dreams, Lily¡¯s shrill yelp came from the living room and cut their exchange short¡±


    ¡°Mr. Landlord, Mr. Landlord! Come here! Something¡¯s wrong with Lil Pea!¡±

 Chapter 1174 - Another Evil Spirit

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Lily¡¯s panicked scream cut the conversation between Hao Ren and the MDT short. Even the curled up Rollie who was scratching her own tummy perked up immediately upon hearing Lil Pea¡¯s name. Hao Ren immediately recovered from his shock and grabbed the MDT and dashed out of his room.


    ¡°Let go, let go. I can fly¡­ Oh, f*ck! You slammed me against the door frame!¡±


    Hao Ren quickly made his way to the hall and saw Nangong Wuyue and Sanba rushing down from upstairs while Lily was standing in the middle of the living room, her eyes staring towards the tea table.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Hao Ren ran over to check things out. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Lil Pea?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Lily pointed towards the little mermaid on the table. ¡°I was changing water for her, and she suddenly leaped out from the pot, and she was like this ever since¡­ like she was possessed or something. It was scary!¡±


    Hao Ren turned towards the table and saw Lil Pea on it. The little mermaid was perked up straight with two peanut-sized holy fire in each hand, she looked like she was facing a mortal enemy across the hall while her tail stuck nervously on the table¡¯s surface, smacking it every few seconds.


    Hao Ren had never seen Lil Pea reacted this way before, and she looked like she was thoroughly frightened by something, that she even went into her combat stance. (even when the little one¡¯s combat stance was not all that threatening)


    ¡°Lil Pea, Lil Pea?¡± Hao Ren nervously went to speak with the little mermaid before turning towards the opposite side of the living room. ¡°Lily, go see what¡¯s over there.¡±


    Lil Pea had some reaction after hearing Hao Ren¡¯s voice, she looked at her father with a dumbfounded look, as her tail slightly relaxed. She then burst into tears. ¡°Uwaaa¡­ Daddyyyy, Aunty Vivian got eeeatennn¡­¡±


    By then, Hao Ren was thinking of all sorts of cures for sick fishes, and when the little one popped that sentence out, he got a shock. ¡°What?!¡±


    Another one that got a shock was Vivian who had came up from the basement to check things out. ¡°What? I got eaten by what?¡±


    Lil Pea by then had stopped crying. The little mermaid looked on confusedly at Vivian who was equally confused for a while. Apparently, Lil Pea had problems processing her thought before smacking the table again with her tail with all her might. ¡°She got spit out! She got spit out!¡±


    Seems like the little one¡¯s way to express her emotions was her tail smacking frequency¡­


    ¡°Did Lil Pea ate anything wrong?¡± Nangong Wuyue gave the little mermaid a curious look before turning towards Vivian. ¡°I¡¯ve told you many times the ink on the newspaper is not clean and to stop her from eating it. Has she gotten hallucinations from that?¡±


    No one knew why Lil Pea had reacted so, and Hao Ren even after a good while could not make out what was wrong. Lil Pea was obviously still in shock, and her ability to express herself was still limited, after a whole load of gestures it still revolved around Vivian being eaten by something. Lily, on the other hand, had moved most of the furniture and electrical appliances from the other side of the living room and even found a set of poker cards that Hao Ren had lost last year. There were Lil Pea¡¯s bite marks on the cards as well, but that was clearly not the cause of her shock.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing weird here.¡± Lily clasped her hands together. ¡°Unless you want me to wreck the wall.¡±


    Hao Ren then prodded Lil Pea who had now curled into a ball in his arms. ¡°Is there something there?¡±


    The little mermaid poked her head out fearfully, and her nervous expression was still here. She grabbed Hao Ren¡¯s sleeve before nodding. ¡°There¡¯s¡­ something¡­ weird¡­ Aunty Vivian got eaten by it¡­¡±


    As Lily heard that she rolled up her sleeves. ¡°Then I¡¯ll wreck the wall?¡±


    Vivian immediately pushed the husky aside as she joined the search by the wall. ¡°Stop your nonsense. Let me see¡­ I¡¯m feeling something there¡­ Hmmm?¡±


    ¡°What did you find?¡± Hao Ren went forward.


    ¡°Seems like a mouse hole.¡± Vivian pointed towards a part of the wall that was overlooked by the rest. And there was a fist-size hole on the wall. ¡°It was blocked by the cupboard.¡±


    ¡°Mouse?¡± Hao Ren was stunned for a moment before seeming to recall something. He then turned towards the cat girl who had joined in the commotion. ¡°Rollie! Why is there mice around? Why did you say anything?¡±


    The catgirl puffed her chest up as she retorted. ¡°I¡¯ve left them as a backup food supply. You don¡¯t even know how to look for food. So when we are starving we still at least have something to eat meow! And if I had caught all the mouse at home and you no longer have any need for me what should I do then!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    What in the world was going through that dumb cat¡¯s head! And for a cat, that was a little too much scheming was it not?!


    ¡°Don¡¯t go ragging on her. That mouse hole should have been there a long time ago,¡± Vivian quipped. ¡°The mice had all ran away¡­ seemed like a supernatural being had scared them off with its aura.¡±


    An incredulous look appeared on Rollie¡¯s face. ¡°Meow backup supply is gone? Is it really gone when I stopped looking for a bit?¡±


    ¡°Forget about your backup supply. Use your time to learn how to use chopsticks instead.¡± Vivian nagged at the cat girl before bending down to look at the mouse hole. ¡°There is something inside there¡­ but funny¡­ My senses seemed to be disrupted, and I can¡¯t see anything inside the mouse hole. Can anyone get me a tube?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue went forward. ¡°I¡¯ll spare you the trouble. Let me handle this.¡±


    After that, the siren squatted before the mouse hole and she placed a hand at the entrance before a surge of living water gushed out from her hand. As the water flowed without a sound into the fist-sized mouse hole, Nangong Wuyue continued talking as she controlled the flow of the water. ¡°It¡¯s oddly dark in there, and rather deep too. Probably a decade old at least¡­ I¡­ Ouch, something bit me!!¡±


    Wuyue let out a yelp as she pulled her liquid arm out. With the splash of water, a crimson-black shadow was thrown out by the current as well!


    ¡°Something came out!¡± Lily exclaimed. ¡°Seems like¡­ uh¡­ Battie, your mini-clone.¡±


    Hao Ren looked stupidly at the crimson-black silhouette that was flushed out by Wuyue. He felt that his world view was about to be challenged again. There sat a 10-cm tall, sopping-wet mini figure on the floor. She wore the same dress as Vivian, and even her look was the same, something like a Vivian who was shrunk a hundred times smaller.


    The palm-sized Vivian was still dazed by the flush, and she shook her head as she sat on the floor to regain her senses. She then struggled to get up, and at the same time she turned around to look at a row of giant faces, and let out angry, threatening hiss.


    ¡°Oh my, it is really a mini Vivian!¡± Wuyue exclaimed in surprise. She then turned to look at the real person beside her before turning back to the ¡®figurine¡¯ on the floor. ¡°They are literally the same! Vivian, did you forget to retrieve your little bats again?¡±


    Vivian was totally confused by then, and what Wuyue said had her imagining two Hessianas standing side by side. That horrifying image immediately sent chills down her spine. ¡°Impossible! I¡¯ve been very diligent in retrieving my bats of late¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up, this is not a bat familiar!¡± Hao Ren¡¯s voice shook everyone out of their guessing game. He stared at the palm-sized Vivian who was struggling to get up. ¡°Look at her eyes and hair!¡±


    ¡°Hair¡­¡± Nangong Sanba was the first to recover. ¡°It¡¯s red!?!¡±


    The mini Vivian¡¯s appearance had thrown everyone into confusion, and some of her more distinct features were overlooked as a result. When Hao Ren had reminded them about it only did the rest realized the difference from the ¡°figurine¡±.


    Aside from the exact similarity of the facial features with the real person, the mini Vivian¡¯s hair and eyes were blood red, especially the eyes. When Vivian transform her eyes will also turn red, but that is limited to the iris, but this ¡®figurine¡¯s eyes were without the sclera, and was a veritable sea of chaotic red!


    She had finally steadied herself and pointed her hands at the rest with a hissing yelp. Hao Ren then realized that it was not an angry tantrum but a primal roar. It was just that a roar from a palm-sized figurine was not all that threatening.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Malevolence!¡± Lily yelled in surprised and was followed by an even bigger surprise. ¡°But why is it so small?¡±


    ¡°To think that a Malevolence came to our house!¡± Wuyue too was shocked. ¡°But why is it so small?¡±


    ¡°Regardless, that is indeed a Malevolence of me.¡± Vivian frowned. ¡°But why is it so small?¡±


    The memory of the chaos that ensued after Hao Ren and Lily summoning Vivian¡¯s Malevolence from a grimoire back in the day was still fresh in everyone¡¯s mind, and everyone was cautious about Vivian¡¯s split made out of malignant powers. And under normal circumstances, the appearance of such a being would have raised the alarm, but the problem actually lies with Hao Ren being caught in weird situations like this.


    In the face of such a Malevolence, how the hell is someone supposed to react?


    The palm-sized figurine was done threatening and finally decided to go on the offensive. She raised her hands and dashed towards Hao Ren, the closest target to her, a chilling, visceral aura formed around her.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Vivian woke from her stupor and remembered that even a mini Malevolence was very dangerous and immediately let out a warning.


    But just as the words left her mouth, the little figurine suddenly slipped¡­. and fell with a loud ¡®splat!¡¯

 Chapter 1175 - The Recommencing Split

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Nothing was more anti-climatic than seeing a Malevolence charging at you furiously only to trip on itself. If you really needed something even more anti-climatic, it would be her tripping the second time¡­


    As the palm-sized Malevolence scrambled to get up and charged towards her target with her threatening hiss, but half-way through her sprint she fell again, and this time it was worse. Hao Ren could clearly hear the sound of one¡¯s face smashing into the ground, and he suddenly felt sorry for that god-knows-why-is-she-a-palm-sized Malevolence.


    To think that this is a manifestation of malignant energies¡­


    ¡°Seems like it¡¯s still dazed by my sister¡¯s water spout.¡± Nangong Sanba squatted by Hao Ren¡¯s side looking at the struggling creature with sympathy. ¡°Look at her keep tripping herself.¡±


    ¡°Why would a Malevolence this small even appear?¡± Hao Ren was still pondering the question. ¡°Vivian, your splits are really unreasonable.¡±


    Lily seemed to have had that figured out. Bobbing her head, she went. ¡°Battie¡¯s splits never had a fixed form no? The one at Purgatory was a skyscraper, so why can¡¯t it be the size of a mouse too?¡±


    The husky¡¯s thought process was always going through the path less taken, and her conclusion had everyone nodding in agreement. At the same time, the clumsy little figurine had gotten back to her feet after much effort. She was still in a daze and shook her head violently before changing her target: Turning towards Lil Pea who looked much an easier prey.


    Lil Pea was already all nervous having sensed that ¡°weird thing¡±, and she was terrified as the foe came charging at her. The little mermaid by reflex used her ultimate ability that she had learned since birth, the tail whip and after a violent sweep of her tail¡­ the little figurine was smashed into the air and landed in a parabolic arc towards Rollie.


    The cat girl saw something the size of a rat landed with a splat near her and her natural cat instincts came into play. She put her hands on the tiny Malevolence like she was catching a mouse before she lifted it up and put it into her mouth!


    The cat¡¯s motion was both agile and swift, and by the time Hao Ren caught sight of it it was too late to even get her to stop, but as Rollie was just about to stuff the tiny Vivian into her mouth she stopped, and a troubled look appeared on her face. ¡°Uhh¡­ Big Boss Cat said no eating mouse at home¡­¡±


    After so long, this dumb cat had finally remembered something that she was taught!


    And just as Rollie hesitated, the Malevolence woke from her daze and the moment she saw the gigantic face before her, she let out another primal yelp before flailing her arms wildly. As the Malevolence swung her arms about, a dark energy ball shot out from her palm and struck Rollie on the ear!


    ¡°Meeeeeooooouccchhhhh!!!¡± the cat girl immediately broke into a sharp yelp, and after she threw the Malevolence away she grabbed her head and started jumping about before running into Hao Ren. ¡°Big Boss Cat! Big Boss Cat! The mouse hit me! The mouse hit me!¡±


    Hao Ren too was thrown off by the sudden turn of events. He first held the panicking dumb cat in place before barking an order. ¡°Grab that Malevolence! Don¡¯t let it get away!¡±


    Nangong Sanba looked down. ¡°No worries, she won¡¯t be going anywhere. Rollie had knocked her out.¡±


    It was only then Hao Ren realized that when Rollie was thrashing about in pain, she had unknowingly thrown the Malevolence towards the wall. And the strength of a cat girl that had eaten the Golden Apple was no laughing matter. A fist-sized crater was formed on the wall from the impact and had knocked out the Malevolence in the process. Hao Ren was checking out the cat girl¡¯s injury, and as he saw that he nodded at Lily. ¡°Get something¡­. to secure this thing in. Don¡¯t let it escape.¡±


    Lily gave a curt ¡®Oh¡¯ before going to look for a cage, but after some time realizing that there was not one that was of use. As the Malevolence was just too small, it was pretty much the size of a rat! She even found a cat cage, and that was the one Hao Ren had bought some time ago out of frustration when he first took Rollie in. After Rollie¡¯s violent protest throughout the night for being put into a cage, he gave up. But even that cage was useless. That mini Vivian could just walk out of the gaps!


    Finally, the husky had managed to find a very contemporary-looking porcelain lunch box and stuffed the little figurine-sized Malevolence into it. For extra safety, she taped two cycles of duct tape over the cover. Nangong Sanba looked rather worried at the lunch box. ¡°Won¡¯t she suffocate in there? Need to poke a few holes on the cover?¡±


    Lily immediately panicked as she hugged her treasured lunch box. ¡°This was from days of the Republic! I brought this with me to the University of Beijing! I even smashed Xu Zhimo¡¯s head with this before you know!¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ I know it¡¯s a valuable item, but you don¡¯t have to go into detail about this¡­¡± Nangong Sanba sighed.


    ¡°No worries, she won¡¯t suffocate.¡± Nangong Wuyue then interjected. ¡°Since when does a Malevolence needs to breathe. Didn¡¯t they survive on Mars without a problem?


    After Lily had managed to ¡®seal¡¯ the evil spirit, Hao Ren brought Rollie to the sofa in the hall. The cat girl had calmed down by now, and she was actually more shocked than in pain. Hao Ren pulled pried open her hands off her ears and only saw a minor gash on the ear. There was not even much blood.


    ¡°Big Boss Cat, is my ears gone¡­¡± The cat girl was on the verge of tears. ¡°Am I only left with three ears now?¡±


    Much like Lily, this cat was quadraphonic after transforming.


    ¡°Silly cat. It¡¯s just a minor gash.¡± Hao Ren smacked the dumb cat¡¯s head. ¡°Go look at the mirror.¡±


    ¡°Meow.¡±


    ¡°That looked like my Corrosion Blood Arrow.¡± Vivian came to Hao Ren¡¯s side. ¡°But the concentration of dark powers is much more potent and is more towards the chaotic element. That is a trait of a Malevolence.¡±


    ¡°Why would one pop up all the sudden?¡± Hao Ren frowned. ¡°And this is so¡­ small. Ah, we¡¯ve been on that for quite a while now. Size aside how did that¡­ thing hid in that mouse hole without us noticing?¡±


    ¡°Every Malevolence has a unique power trait, some represent Decay, some symbolize the Plague, and on that front their powers is overwhelming. It¡¯s like slamming all talent points into a single trait, and being the master of that particular trait.¡± Vivian frowned. ¡°And perhaps this Malevolence is adept at hiding its aura¡­ Maybe her power trait is¡­ ¡°Being without Presence.¡±


    Everyone had a weird look on their face, and Vivian spat her tongue out. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m just guessing. But her ability to conceal her presence is very strong. I only detected her minute presence in the mouse hole after being very close to it.¡±


    ¡°How did Lil Pea detected it?¡± Nangong Wuyue gave the little mermaid an amazed glance. The little rascal immediately puffed her chest up. She knew that she did well this time.¡±


    ¡°Probably have something to do with the ¡®Lifeform Level¡¯. ¡°the MDT finally butt in. ¡°She could sense the minute change in the lifeblood, and the Malevolences are technically lifeforms made out of corrupted lifeblood, so it is very obvious to her.¡±


    ¡°But she said something about Vivian being eaten¡­¡± Hao Ren looked at the little one while deep in thought.


    ¡°She probably sensed that that thing had Vivian¡¯s aura, and was surrounded by all sorts of negative energies, and something somehow just clicked in her imagination ¡­ She¡¯s just a child, and her cognitive logic is pretty much all over the place.¡±


    Since the MDT¡¯s explanation was logical, Hao Ren did not dwell on the topic any longer. He looked at the porcelain lunch box that Lily had placed on the tea table. The Malevolence trapped inside had already woke up and was now struggling inside. The entire lunch box looked like it had a motor on it as it bounced about, with an audible clack.


    Somehow or rather the lunch box actually managed to hold the Malevolence in.


    ¡°Seems like this Malevolence¡¯s combat prowess is weaker than Lil Pea.¡± Nangong Sanba scratched his head. ¡°The Blood Arrow could only give Rollie a slight gash, and she can¡¯t even escape a porcelain lunch box. Lil Pea¡¯s tiny embers could easily tear a hole through that lunch box.¡±


    Lily prodded the bouncing lunch box. ¡°The key question is how did this thing come about, and why did it end up in that mouse hole¡­¡±


    The MDT flew above the lunch box and projected a blue ray scanning the energy signatures inside the lunchbox. It planned to use the samples from the Malevolence to track its path into the house but after a while, it found something even more alarming. ¡°Wait a minute¡­ that¡¯s a problem here¡­ This Malevolence seems to be a ¡®newborn¡¯.¡±


    ¡°A newborn?!¡± Hao Ren and Vivian exclaimed in sync.


    ¡°After vanquishing the earlier Malevolence I updated the database, and Madame Raven sent me many research results in this area too,¡± the MDT explained. ¡°The power of this type of Malevolence would stabilize and refine itself given time. A self-refinement of sorts. Based on this logic, I¡¯ve determined that the Malevolence in the lunch box is probably¡­ yeah¡­ probably about a few hours old.¡±


    As that went out, everyone trained their eyes on Vivian.


    ¡°Battie¡­¡± the Lily spoke slightly gingerly. ¡°Seems like you¡¯re splitting apart again!¡±

 Chapter 1176 - : The Reason Why the Malevolence Becomes a Noobie

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Locked inside the lunch box, the resin-kit-like Malevolence was still struggling to get out. The rocking lunch box on the coffee table caught the attention of Lil Pea, who went up and rocked along with it.


    She probably thought it was her new toy in a long time since the MDT.


    Rollie, staring at the lunch box, insisted that the mouse she had just caught was her booty. She was keeping an eye on it lest the prey would get away.


    Others had no time for this, though. They were obsessed with the splitting phenomenon of Vivian.


    The MDT had determined the time of the birth of the Malevolence. The most logical explanation was that Vivian had just undergone a split. But this time, the division was completely different from what Hao Ren had known before¡ªit was only the size of a palm, seemingly a noobie, and unable to beat Rollie and Lil Pea. Vivian seemed to be unaffected by it¡ªnot even slightly.


    ¡°Are you sure this is Vivian¡¯s recent split?¡± Hao Ren asked, a bit skeptical. Looking at the enamel lunch box shaking on the coffee table, he poked the MDT. ¡°Vivian was with us for the past two days,¡± he said.


    ¡°The timing matches¡ªthat¡¯s the only explanation,¡± the MDT said.


    Vivian¡¯s brow knit together. The autologous splitting had been bothering her for a long time. She had always been worried that someday she would suddenly lose control of herself and split a new Malevolence. But when her worry materialized today, she was baffled. ¡°I didn¡¯t feel any anomalies these two days. If past experience is anything to go by, I should have gone into a state of mania, a century-long hibernation, and had a serious loss of memory and strength.¡±


    Before Hao Ren had time to think, Lily, who had a quirky mind, said, ¡°The explanation is simple. Your split was usually a big lump, but this time it seemed to be even less than your menstruation.¡±


    ¡°No one would think you¡¯re dumb if you keep silent,¡± Vivian snapped and then smashed Lily¡¯s face with a handful of ice shard.


    Seeing what Lily had earned herself with her undue comment, cold sweat started to trickle down Hao Ren¡¯s forehead as the word ¡°I think it makes sense¡± instantly choked in his throat.


    A thought suddenly flashed across Nangong Sanba¡¯s mind. He looked at the corner of the wall. ¡°Where is the mouse hole?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Hao Ren replied, scratching his head. ¡°This is a twenty-something-year-old house. Wuyue, could you check it out?¡±


    With the wave of her hand, Nangong Wuyue summoned a stream of water and used it to explore the mouse hole. A moment later, there was a surprised look on her face. ¡°Ahh, looks like the hole leads to the basement, where Vivian usually sleeps.¡±


    ¡°It seems that the split happened while Vivian was asleep,¡± Hao Ren said as he looked at the vampire maiden beside him. ¡°Just that why the split is so miniature this time is beyond me.¡±


    While they were discussing, the sound of door-opening was heard as Y¡¯lisabet ran into the house enthusiastically. ¡°Uncle Ren! I¡¯m back. Is lunch ready yet? What are you guys doing here?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks and his daughter, returning from scavenging, saw everyone gathering around the coffee table with a serious look on their faces, they were baffled. Their eyes quickly landed on the lunch box on the coffee table.


    Y¡¯zaks had no idea what was inside the box, which was shaking like no tomorrow.


    ¡°Vivian has split again,¡± Hao Ren explained. ¡°The split body is in this lunch box.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The great demon was struck dumb.


    It took Hao Ren ten minutes to explain the ins and outs of this strange event. Joining the discussion were Y¡¯zaks and his daughter. Y¡¯lisabet held the lunch box in her hand. ¡°Can I take a peek inside?¡± she asked curiously.


    Hao Ren and Vivian looked at each other and nodded. ¡°Be careful. Don¡¯t let her escape, although the little thing is not exactly fast.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet carefully removed the tape that wrapped around the lunch box, grabbed a screwdriver in one hand (why she was doing that was beyond anyone¡¯s guess), and slowly opened the lid of the lunch box with the other.


    Almost immediately, a little shadow slipped out and fell on the coffee table.


    The palm-sized Vivian rolled a few times on the table before she got to her feet and made a series of aggressive sound. Seeing Y¡¯lisabet, who was near, she lunged forward. At the same time without hesitation, she yanked a poison-tipped, dark-red arrow at Y¡¯lisabet.


    It was as if the noobie Malevolence had a lousy aim; the poison-tipped arrow hit Y¡¯lisabet on her horn. Aside from a little shock, the little demon did not suffer any injury. She quickly pinned the miniature Vivian on the coffee table with her screwdriver and studied her.


    Y¡¯zaks scratched his jaw, watching with amusement. ¡°Her strength and aura really resemble the ¡®evil spirit¡¯ that we have met before, but she is unusually weak. Vivian, did you experience any loss of strength or memory after the split?¡±


    Vivian had been asked the same question countless times. Trying to recall what she could, Vivian said with an uncertain tone of voice, ¡°Well, I did feel a little tired when I got up this morning. But it was more like a result of having a bad night¡¯s sleep. But I¡¯m not sure about memory loss though.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Battie, didn¡¯t you promise to cook me stewed pork ribs this afternoon? It is half-past eleven now! Have you cooked it?¡±


    ¡°When did I promise that?¡± Vivian was dumbfounded.


    Scratching her chin and nodding her head, Lily said, ¡°Well, it seems that Battie has really lost her memory.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mess around here! Get the hell out of my sight!¡± Hao Ren and Vivian said in unison.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything wrong! When are you going to return the mouse I caught?¡± Rollie said instead.


    ¡°None of your business.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute, I have an idea.¡± Just as their conversation went nowhere, Nangong Sanba suddenly said, ¡°Didn¡¯t the goddess gave her an amulet? That amulet might have interfered with the splitting.¡±


    ¡°Amulet?¡± Hao Ren froze. He had never thought of that. But Vivian, an amulet enthusiast herself, took out a silver-feathered pendant.


    Raven 12345 gave Vivian this to reduce her symptoms of lethargy and amnesia.


    The amulet, glowing in a faint white light, felt warm in hand. Judging from its condition, Vivian knew that the amulet had just been activated recently.


    ¡°I am afraid it has something to do with this amulet.¡± Hao Ren said as things started to register.


    Vivian was asleep, losing a little bit of strength, and perhaps suffering from a bit of amnesia that she had forgotten her promise to cook stewed pork ribs for Lily after the splitting. But the amulet might have lessened the effect of the split this time that the division had become harmless.


    What would have happened to Vivian if she did not wear the amulet? He thought to himself, and cold sweat began to trickle down his forehead.


    If that were the case, the consequences would be unimaginable.


    Vivian¡¯s face turned gloomy. ¡°I thought my next hibernation period would not come at least for another century or two. I must thank the amulet. Otherwise, when I woke up¡­¡±


    The thought sent a shiver down her spine. She looked at her surroundings, the big family, and the place where she called home now¡ªit suddenly occurred to her that she nearly lost them all.


    Seeing Vivian shivering, Hao Ren held her hands in his. ¡°That¡¯s all right. Nothing has happened to you. At least you will be safe for many centuries.¡±


    ¡°You could be right. I was just too nervous.¡± Vivian exhaled and smiled.


    ¡°All in all, though the Malevolence is harmless, I still have to tell Raven 12345 about it. Y¡¯lisabet, stop playing with it. I need to bring this little thing to see the goddess. Lily, lend me your lunch box again.¡±

 Chapter 1177 - The Truth About the Split

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    At only 10 cm tall with a comical look, the Malevolence could not be taken lightly. There was a sense of crisis. Hao Ren had to deal with it seriously. He took the lunch box and immediately headed to heaven to look for Raven 12345.


    By the time he arrived, it was meal time. A heavenly meat aroma wafted into his nostril when Hao Ren arrived at the entrance of the ¡®temple.¡¯ He looked up and saw fire in front of the fountain in the center of the garden. There, Raven 12345 was having a barbeque.


    In a typical script, you would be struck dumb if you saw a god having a barbeque in front of his house. But after working with the neurotic goddess for some time, Hao Ren was immune. His first reaction was, ¡°Oh, the neurotic goddess does know something else other than cooking noodles.¡±


    Sensing that someone was visiting, Raven 12345 looked up and saw Hao Ren was there with a lunch box in his hand. The goddess was flabbergasted. ¡°What the heck? It is as if you have not had enough last time, now you come with a lunch box?¡±


    Hao Ren was stupefied.


    ¡°First thing first, this meat is not for you, mainly because Bahamut is poisonous and I am afraid that you will get diarrhea. But then, as a pope, don¡¯t you feel embarrassed mooching food off of me?¡±


    ¡°I am not here for the food,¡± Hao Ren said, finally could not bear to hear her babbling and interrupted her. ¡°This lunch box is a sealed container. Something has happened.¡±


    ¡°Sealed container? Why don¡¯t you use an electric cooker?¡± Raven 12345 made fun of him. But when she sensed what was in the lunch box, her expression turned solemn. ¡°So, what happened?¡±


    ¡°Vivian has split again, last night,¡± Hao Ren said. He could care less about etiquette rules in front of Raven 12345. Pulling a cushion over, Hao Ren sat with legs crossed before the goddess, and then slowly unlidded the lunch box. ¡°This is the thing,¡± he said.


    As soon as the lunch box was opened, a dark-red shadow lunged out. The little thing moved so fast that she did not realize what was on the outside and went straight into the fire not far away. The little creature was screaming in pain. Seeing something was not right, Raven 12345¡¯s reaction was fast. With the snap of her fingers, the flame, burning with incredible power, was extinguished in an instant. Even the residual heat in the ashes seemed to have gone.


    In reality, the Malevolence was only in the fire for less than a second, but she was already like a drowned mouse lying face down in the ash, twitching, and unable to get up.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Raven 12345 asked while throwing the miniature Vivian treatment magic, before picking her up with two fingers. ¡°A Malevolence? Why is she so tiny?¡± the goddess asked.


    ¡°We have discussed this before.¡± Hao Ren told of what happened in details. ¡°Our conclusion is, the amulet you gave Vivian has somewhat reduced the sequela of the splitting and the strength of the Malevolence. When we found her, she was hiding in a mouse hole, probably planning an offensive plan, such as launching a raid from the mouse hole to catch us off-guard, kill us all, and stuff like that.¡±


    ¡°It seems that she is not as clever as you think. Probably she was just made the mouse hole her home.¡± Raven 12345 scratched her chin, observing the Malevolence with interest. ¡°I have studied the intellect of Malevolence before, they basically think like a beast. Though having a certain level of intellect, their animal instinct is dominant and controlling their actions. They are purely destructive machines. You can see them as a highly concentrated collection of negative emotion and power. She may be tiny but should be similar in nature.¡±


    ¡°Why do you think she is so tiny?¡±


    ¡°Well, your guess could be right; it might be a result of the amulet¡¯s power.¡± Raven 12345 said while swinging the tiny thing, who was struggling and making some threatening but meaningless growl at her. ¡°Do you know what it means?¡±


    ¡°What does it mean?¡± Hao Ren asked, eagerly wanting to find out.


    ¡°It means that Vivian¡¯s split, hibernation, loss of memory, and the Malevolence she released¡ªall of these unusual symptoms are rooted in her soul, and had nothing to do with external factors. The amulet I gave her was actually a soul protector, and it would only unleash its power in fighting the ¡®lesion¡¯ at the spiritual level,¡± Raven 12345 said, looking at Hao Ren.


    ¡°You mean there is something in Vivian¡¯s soul?¡± Hao Ren was nervous.


    ¡°The possibility is extremely high, but that thing must have been symbiotic with her soul, and may even be part of her soul from the beginning. So it is undetected by conventional methods. Only when this latent factor-induced lesion in her soul, the amulet was activated, and we discovered the clues.¡± Raven 12345 said, nodding.


    ¡°Is this latent factor the source of corruption?¡± Hao Ren had quickly linked this to his recent investigations. ¡°Just like the things lurking in the souls of the guardians in the Plane of Dreams.¡±


    ¡°There is this possibility,¡± Raven 12345 said cautiously.


    Hao Ren scratched his chin. A vague thought that emerged long ago in his mind was becoming more apparent. ¡°Is this is not like a ¡®detoxification¡¯ process?¡± he asked.


    He paused for a moment to reorganize his thought. ¡°The pollutant in the soul is an external ¡®toxin.¡¯ When the pollutant grows, it will threaten Vivian. When the pollutant reaches a certain level, Vivian¡¯s soul will begin the detoxification process. But because the contaminant is too ingrained with her soul, the detox will inevitably hurt her¡ª like the removal of the infected part of the body, it is exhaustive to her soul. This will explain everything. She hibernates because she needs to recuperate after the damage done to her soul during the detox; she loses her memory because of the damage to her soul too, and the same thing also causes her to lose her power. So the Malevolence is essentially the discharged toxin.¡±


    ¡°Good analytical skill. But you can continue to infer: what if the detox process fails?¡± Raven 12345 nodded lightly.


    ¡°If the detox fails, it will lead to total pollution.¡± The battle and the gigantic demon-god Vivian in the deep underground of Inferno came to mind. ¡°Vivian had experienced a unique splitting in Inferno. There were two different splits, both were normal. The one stayed on Inferno became the goddess the natives worshipped for a long time. But when we arrived, there was only the demon-god, Vivian. If I¡¯m not mistaken, it must be the result of pollution exceeding the critical value.¡±


    ¡°Vivian would be totally transformed into a demon.¡± Raven 12345 added.


    The question was finally answered.


    Why was the split body of Vivian on Inferno so different from others¡ªfrom strength to appearance? The reason was that it was not the discharged toxin, but the body is entirely infected by the pollution!


    ¡°I should have thought of this earlier,¡± Hao Ren smacked his own head, he sounded upset. ¡°The splitting phenomenon is so in-your-face.¡±


    ¡°But you didn¡¯t even know the existence of the pollutant before. It¡¯s not your fault.¡± Raven 12345 unexpectedly comforted him. ¡°The investigation of corruption has only started recently. You have done a good job already. Is Vivian not safe and sound at last? The amulet I personally blessed is still with her. She is going to be fine.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to sleep if the problem is not resolved completely,¡± Hao Ren said with his brows pulled together. ¡°The pollutant is still inside her. Is there any way to completely purify that stuff?¡±


    Raven 12345 quietly looked at Hao Ren for a while. He looked helpless. The goddess shook her head. ¡°Using force to remove the pollutant is very risky. What¡¯s more, you haven¡¯t even figured out the nature of this ¡®evil force¡¯ in the Plane of Dreams, and what the corruptive pollution is all about. If you don¡¯t know what it is, you can¡¯t treat it.¡±


    After thinking for a further long while, Hao Ren could not help but agree. ¡°So the most effective way is to find out the source of the ¡®evil force¡¯ in the Plane of Dreams as soon as possible.¡±

 Chapter 1178 - Noobie

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    There were still many unexplained mysteries about Vivian¡¯s splitting. But there was one thing Hao Ren was sure about: the splitting may not necessarily be a part of the original plan of the goddess of creation.


    The goddess of creation created Vivian as the ¡®guide¡¯ of the Ultimate Absolution plan. The splitting phenomenon causing the host to lose her memory and power was obviously an attempt to sabotage the goddess¡¯ plan. The evil force in the Plane of Dreams was the hidden hand.


    ¡°Things are not as dangerous as you think. Vivian is safe with the amulet in hand.¡± After alleviating his concern, Raven 12345 glanced down at the miniature Malevolence in her hand. ¡°We will have to study this little thing.¡±


    ¡°What to study?¡± Hao Ren asked curiously. He had put the question about the hidden hand at the back of his mind.


    ¡°Look at the level and nature of her strength, maybe we could find the corresponding negative features,¡± Raven 12345 said, poking the head of the miniature Malevolence, who suddenly reacted in a fury, screaming and growling, totally lacking the crisis awareness of facing against a true god.


    Seeing the wicked expression on Raven 12345¡¯s face, cold sweat began to trickle down his neck. Hao Ren could vaguely feel that this miniature Malevolence was going to suffer.


    It transpired his intuition was accurate. Raven 12345 was going to use all kinds of violent methods to test the miniature Malevolence to gauge the strength of the little thing.


    With the wave of her hand, the goddess summoned an enchantment cage, glowing with light, in the square. At only a dozen meters square, but the pen was a more-than-spacious-enough sparring ring for the miniature Malevolence. After throwing the Malevolence into the ring, Raven 12345 began to summon various creatures into the ring. Hao Ren had seen some of them before but many more he could not even name them. The little Malevolence appeared confused at first. But when her first opponent appeared, she immediately showed her violent and cruel nature of a devil incarnate.


    She cruelly killed a cockroach with a festered blood-tipped arrow.


    In another brutal fight, she killed a mouse.


    She then fought a rabbit for 300 rounds and finally got the upper hand.


    She fearlessly faced off with a cat and won only by a nose.


    When Raven 12345 threw in a dog, the miniature Malevolence began to lose ground to the opponent.


    The festered blood-tipped arrow had only an 80-centimeter range. With short legs, low IQ and combat strength, the devil incarnate was basically a noobie. Chased and bitten, the miniature Malevolence would have been eaten by the dog if not for Hao Ren intervening just in time.


    The unnamed magic creatures that Ravens 12345 summoned were useless. The combat strength of the Malevolence was only slightly better than that of cats but lower than that of dogs. Raven 12345 was just as dumbstruck as Hao Ren was.


    ¡°What kind of evil force do you think she represents?¡± Hao Ren asked while he looked at the little thing lying half-dead in the ring.


    ¡°Probably of corruption¡­ toxin? She already has both,¡± Raven 12345 said. ¡°She is so weak and having no talent at all.¡±


    ¡°Whatever.¡± Hao Ren could not care less. ¡°After all, she was only a Malevolence, and there is no way to communicate and educate her. How should we deal with her? She is not really harmful, anyway.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t just let it go just like that¡ªit is a Malevolence,¡± Raven 12345 said. Raising her hand, she was about to remove the enchantment and retrieve the Malevolence in the center of the square. But just right before she did so, she found some anomalies. ¡°Wait a second. Something is not quite right.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Hao Ren was baffled.


    ¡°Look at her reaction.¡± Raven 12345 pointed at the little thing. ¡°She is not quite the same as other Malevolence.¡±


    Hao Ren fixed his eyes on the Malevolence, who was still lying on the ground just like before. Upon careful observation, he found the Malevolence was slightly shivering. When she looked up, her eyes meeting Raven 12345¡¯s, she retreated somewhat, almost imperceptibly. Seeing her reaction, Hao Ren was stunned. ¡°Is she scared?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes, she is scared. It doesn¡¯t seem to be a fear that arises from knowing something and just an instinctive reaction, but she is undoubtedly afraid,¡± Raven 12345 said quickly, her expression looked as if she had discovered a New World. ¡°This is something other Malevolences never have. They seem to have only one emotion, which is anger. Or it is not anger at all but just a destructive behavior. As far as I know, they should be a collective body of negativity devoid of intellect. But this one is special!¡±


    ¡°A Malevolence that has the feeling of fear?¡± Hao Ren asked incredulously. ¡°Does this mean that she possesses humanity?¡±


    ¡°No. Not even close.¡± Raven 12345 shook her head. ¡°But she is separate from the collective negativity. Her emotion should be a product of pressure. If other stimuli are applied, there will probably be more changes. Wait a minute, I have an idea.¡±


    Hao Ren instantly knew that the goddess had some evil ideas again. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°The cause for her mutation is undoubtedly the amulet on Vivian. If putting them together, maybe there will be more changes.¡± Raven 12345 became even more excited now as her enthusiasm for experiment rose. ¡°Bring her back, let her stay with Vivian, and watch the changes. Maybe we can unlock the secret of this Malevolence!¡±


    It was a bold idea, which might turn out to be working. But somehow, Hao Ren thought that bringing the Malevolence back was not a very good idea. ¡°It¡¯s okay to bring her back, but do you think this guy can really ¡®live¡¯ with people?¡±


    While saying, Hao Ren used his finger poking the Malevolence, who was still trembling in fear a while ago, had now become aggressive. She lunged forward, bit Hao Ren¡¯s finger, and shook it violently while growling.


    ¡°She bites! This thing bites!¡± Hao Ren scrambled to his feet, trying to shake the Malevolence off his finger. ¡°How could we stay with her this way?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying that you keep her like a normal pet,¡± Raven 12345 said, her arms akimbo. She did not mean to help him. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a lunch box? Just keep her inside. If that doesn¡¯t work, then get a hamster cage. By the look of it, she won¡¯t be able to escape from the hamster cage.¡±


    The mad Malevolence finally fell off. Knowing that Raven 12345 was not going to change her mind, he could only nod helplessly. ¡°Okay, then I will bring her back and see what I can do.¡±


    ¡°Good. But before that, I need to collect a sample to make sure the sample library here is complete.¡± Raven 12345 said. With a snap of her finger, she summoned a small crystal cone, and then came up to the Malevolence in Hao Ren¡¯s hand. ¡°Stay still. I just take some blood sample.¡±


    The Malevolence did not know what the goddess said. But she instinctively sensed danger was coming her way and began to struggle to try to break free. But Hao Ren had gotten hold of her by tightening his grab. Now she could not even move a muscle.


    This little thing¡¯ strength was only slightly better than a domestic cat¡¯s.


    Amid the shrill of her cry, Raven 12345 successfully collected her blood sample.


    Hao Ren left with the mad Malevolence while in Raven 12345¡¯s hand was a small crystal, which contained a drop of dark-red turbid blood. Despite being sealed inside, the blood continued to surge, as if it would break out of the crystal any time.


    A few seconds later, with the snap of her finger, the scenery around Raven 12345 suddenly changed.


    She came to the ¡®storage room¡¯ from the square in front of her mansion. This infinite space was sealing all the Malevolence and their remains.


    Translucent water-like ripples appeared in the air as crystal containers emerged between the two rows of columns. Filled with the glow of magic, sealed within these containers were the evil forms of Vivian.


    Raven 12345 cast her eyes to the end of the row, where an empty pedestal appeared.


    ¡°Death¡­ Plague¡­ Cruelty¡­¡±


    Raven 12345 chanted in a whisper the word on the tags as she slowly walked past the rows of containers. Coming to the empty pedestal, she placed the sample she had just collected on it and engraved a new name.


    Noobie.

 Chapter 1179 - Vivian’s Rearing Program

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°All in all, this is what happened.¡±


    Sitting on the sofa in the living hall, Hao Ren told everyone about what happened when he visited the goddess. On the coffee table, there was a rectangular cage made of wire, which he took out of the basement. The miniature Vivian, mad and slamming herself against the cage as she growled. Sometimes, she shot her magic arrow, the damage it could cause was only about that of the fireworks kids played.


    ¡°This little guy will stay here for now¡ªI mean caged.¡±


    ¡°Meow¡ªI don¡¯t like this guy!¡± Rollie said, laying her head on the coffee table and staring at the cage. ¡°Just let me eat her for dinner!¡±


    ¡°This guy is not edible. You will get a bad stomach,¡± Hao Ren said, rolling his eyes. He noticed the cat maiden bandaged her ear¡ªa result of being grazed by the festered blood-tipped arrow earlier. ¡°But I understand why you so hate her,¡± Hao Ren said.


    Vivian looked at the miniature version of herself in the cage, embarrassed. The miniature Vivian looked up as if she had sensed Vivian was staring at her. But there was no communication between the two. The Malevolence growled and looked aggressive. ¡°By asking us rearing this creature here, the goddess is not helpful,¡± Vivian said, feeling upset. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what she feeds on.¡±


    There was a feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. Hao Ren vaguely remembered the last time they were scratching their heads over the same question when they first brought Lil Pea home.


    ¡°I have no idea. But I¡¯m sure the Malevolence doesn¡¯t eat chopstick,¡± Hao Ren said casually. ¡°But she bites everything.¡±


    ¡°Does Malevolence need food at all?¡± Nangong Sanba scratched his jaw. ¡°Isn¡¯t this type of creature sealed for a thousand years without eating or drinking and yet is as strong as a horse when released?¡±


    ¡°She needs food. Like you said before, she is not expending any energy and feeling hungry under captivity. But when she is out roaming, she would need food to give her energy, which is in line with the law of conservation of energy,¡± Lily said.


    ¡°Give me a minute. I will try to feed the Malevolence some leftover food,¡± Vivian said as she got up and went into the kitchen. A minute later, she came back out with a few plates of leftovers from the lunch. Picking a few of her favorite dishes, she tossed them into the cage and then observed the reaction of the Malevolence with full anticipation as if she was feeding a hamster. Lily, watching on the side, was feeling it weird. ¡°Feeding your miniature version of yourself, don¡¯t you feel strange?¡± Lily said.


    ¡°Since the day I knew I was capable of splitting, there is nothing that could bother me anymore,¡± Vivian replied without even looking up.


    A few pieces of food residue dropped on the side of the Malevolence, but the food failed to arouse her interest. Instead, she angrily released some corrosive energy to turn the food beside her into coke before she growled threateningly at them.


    ¡°Looks like she doesn¡¯t want it.¡± Lily pouted.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not worry about her. I¡¯m the one starving here!¡± Looking at the food in Vivian¡¯s hand, Hao Ren suddenly realized he was hungry. ¡°I haven¡¯t had anything since this morning. Meeting with Raven 12345 for two hours, I have not even swallowed drunk a single drop of water.¡±


    ¡°I think that you have gotten it all wrong.¡± The MDT suddenly came up and said. ¡°She is a Malevolence. How a Malevolence eats human food? The last time I checked, Malevolence originates from the corrupted lifeblood. So, she needs blood. You should give her blood. Well, maybe raw meat will work too.¡±


    Everyone looked at each other. Y¡¯zaks went up and placed his hand on the cage. A light-green demonic rune flashed across the air. The old demon then said with a thoughtful look. ¡°Though barely, I could sense her negative tendency of hunger for flesh and blood. This Malevolence is indeed very hungry. She needs flesh and blood.¡±


    Lily had goosebumps all over on her skin. ¡°I have said it before¡ªwe can¡¯t keep her here. Feeding her is too expensive!¡±


    Hao Ren knocked Lily on the head with his knuckle. ¡°Expensive my foot! Vivian, do we still have any leftover ingredient of dumpling? Try feed the little Malevolence with a couple of pieces of raw meat.¡±


    Lily froze before coming to the realization. She glared at Y¡¯zaks. ¡°Big guy, could you please be more specific next time? The way you said it sounded like she must feed on human flesh!¡±


    Scratching his bald head, feeling wronged. Had not been this the usual way a demon king talked? Y¡¯zaks thought to himself.


    It transpired that the Malevolence ate, and her food included raw meat.


    Vivian had brought some raw meat, still bloody, to the Malevolence, who quickly devoured a large chunk of it. Only showing her ferocity while tearing the raw meat; the Malevolence was only a noobie at other times.


    After the satisfying meal, the little guy belched. She seemed to be more energetic and began to move around in the cage impatiently. But she was still unable to open the enclosure.


    Suddenly, Lily raised yet another constructive question. ¡°Hey, do you guys think she wants to go to the toilet?¡±


    ¡°Your observational perspective is as mind-boggling as ever,¡± Hao Ren said with cold sweat dripping down his back.


    ¡°Let¡¯s observe her for a few days. I will take care of her,¡± Vivian said with a sigh, finally accepting the reality that she had to live with her split of negative forces for now. ¡°I hope she will not be as annoying as Hessiana.¡±


    After some time of fruitless study and observation, they found it pointless to waste time on it and decided to leave the little guy alone. The Nangong couples coming home that night were shocked to see the Malevolence. They were interested in the little guy, but likewise, they found the creature had no intellect and was uncommunicable, so they left it alone.


    Rollie was the only one showing persistent and robust interest in the Malevolence. But her curiosity was not because she liked the little guy, but the insistence that the miniature Malevolence was her catch and meal.


    As night fell, everything was quiet. While the rest of the family members were sleeping soundly, Hao Ren was woken up by a strange dream. As he opened his eyes, he saw the bright moonlight was shining at an angle through the window into the room and heard the sound of water coming from the water basin on the table as Lil Pea was kicking the water in her dream. It was almost midnight, but he could not sleep.


    Suddenly, he heard a sound in the living hall.


    He put on his jacket and went to check it out. It was Vivian sitting on the sofa. The pale-skinned vampire maiden, falling into deep thought in the corner unreachable by moonlight, looked like a gothic oil painting. On the coffee table in front of her was the iron cage.


    The little Malevolence seemed to have no concept of day and night, and work and sleep. She was still jumping up and down in the cage and throwing her magic arrows aimlessly occasionally. When she stopped, she would shrill and growl creepily. Thanks to her small size, the noise she made was not loud enough to be a nuisance.


    ¡°Not slept yet?¡± Vivian was awakened from her thoughts, looking at Hao Ren with a smile. ¡°Did she wake you?¡±


    ¡°No. Not her.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°I had a dream, tossing and turning all night, but not a big deal. What about you?¡±


    ¡°I have not been sleeping much, maybe because I have just had a split recently and now don¡¯t feel the need to sleep at all.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded emphatically. But the restless miniature Vivian still caught his attention. ¡°Has the little guy been this unquiet all this while?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she is quite irascible most of the time,¡± Vivian said, shaking her head helplessly. ¡°But she did quiet down occasionally, albeit just for a few minutes each time.¡±


    ¡°Oh, was it?¡±


    ¡°She sometimes would stare at the rat hole in the corner and remain quiet for a while.¡± Vivian shrugged. ¡°It seems that she has made the mouse hole home, and is angry that we don¡¯t let her go home.¡±


    ¡°Can she be capable of such a sophisticated thinking ability?¡± Hao Ren twitched his mouth. He suddenly saw in the corner of his eyes a pair of glowing eyes flashing under the coffee table. ¡°Rollie! I¡¯m warning you¡ªdon¡¯t eat that little guy!¡±


    A soft scraping sound was heard from under the coffee table, followed by a resentful mumbling. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you that you don¡¯t allow me to eat fish and mice? Life is boring living like that!¡±


    Listening to the cat¡¯s complaints, Hao Ren and Vivian exchanged a look with each other and laughed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to sleep,¡± Vivian said as she got to her feet and stretched before picking up the cage and walking down to the basement. ¡°I will take her down to the basement. I can bear with the noise.¡±


    ¡°Good night then,¡± said Hao Ren. Just when Vivian about to step down the basement door, he stopped her. ¡°Your soul¡­¡±


    Vivian turned around and smiled at him. ¡°I know, there could be something in my soul, but I am not worried, because I trust you can fix it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, of course,¡± Hao Ren replied, but he did not know how. He then looked at the care in her hand; he said, ¡°There is something else.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°She is indeed staring at the mouse hole.¡± Hao Ren pointed to the tiny Malevolence in the cage. ¡°Can you cast Shackle Magic or Tracking Spell on her?¡±


    ¡°Sure. The Malevolence is so weak and won¡¯t be able to resist any spells.¡± Vivian nodded.


    ¡°Don¡¯t keep her in the cage. Cast her a few spells and let her stay in the mouse hole if she chooses so. Maybe she would stay quiet that way.¡±

 Chapter 1180 - White Flame Is Calling

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Time flew as one week passed by.


    Hao Ren had enjoyed a peaceful week, which was rare since he took up the job as an inspector living on the edge a couple of years ago. The days were quiet after Vivian ¡®gave birth¡¯ to a palm-sized Malevolence. Every day, what Hao Ren did was mostly checking news from the monitoring outposts, drafting the development plan of the frontiers, attending to the daily problems of the Twilight survivors faced. Except for the occasional babel of the supernatural creatures at home, his days were generally pleasant.


    The little Malevolence had been staying with them for a week now.


    At first, Hao Ren and Vivian were worried about having to live with the Malevolence, but as it turned out, their concerns were unfounded. The Malevolence was not as dangerous as they imagined. Even Lil Pea started to treat the little one as a non-threat¡ªthat was how feeble that thing was.


    Meanwhile, the little Malevolence was still as angry and restless as usual as she tried to challenge the world that she saw as another hell.


    After the first night, Vivian let the little Malevolence out of the cage. Just like she had thought, the little Malevolence was restive because she was upset for having to stay in the cage. The first place the little Malevolence went to after leaving the cage was the mouse hole, and things got a little quieter since then.


    Hao Ren sat on the sofa, watching marine documentaries with Lil Pea. Y¡¯zaks¡¯ brows knit together as he read The Classic of Mountains and Seas . There was a slight scraping sound coming from the corner of the living hall. Hao Ren casually glanced over there, but he appeared to be careless. ¡°It seems she has made the mouse hole her home. I don¡¯t know if a creature like the Malevolence knows what home means, but she likes that mouse hole a lot.¡±


    ¡°It feels funny,¡± the old demon said as he raised his head. ¡°I thought she would have caused bigger harm.¡±


    As soon as Y¡¯zaks¡¯ voice trailed off, the paper box in the corner slowly moved. The little Malevolence was pushing the box away as she squeezed herself out through the gap between the paper box and the cabinet, and then checking the surroundings before running towards the direction of Hao Ren and Lil Pea. The little Malevolence struggled to climb onto the armrest of the sofa, and then maneuvered herself around the fruit bowl on the armrest, and finally launched herself in the air for a short distance before landing right in front of Lil Pea on the coffee table. Hao Ren and Y¡¯zaks did not even look during the whole actions of the little Malevolence. Even Lil Pea, getting used to the drill, merely looked uninterestedly at the clumsy movement of the little Malevolence.


    The little Malevolence vociferated threateningly, threw a bunch of dark-red energy arrows, and then lunged forwards. But Lil Pea just squinted as a silver-white sacred flame burned the bolts into ashes a dozen centimeters away from her. With the flap of a tail, the little mermaid sent the little Malevolence flying out to the other side of the living hall.


    Hao Ren was still enjoying his TV while Y¡¯zaks was reading The Classic of Mountains and Seas . Lil Pea dusted the table with her tail and then curled into a ball and slept.


    Meanwhile, as the little Malevolence crash-landed, she rolled a few times on the floor before grinding to a halt. Defiantly, she got back to her feet and aimed for her next target.


    Rollie sent her back with a slap.


    Lily threw her out from the room straight into the trash bin beside the kitchen door.


    Nangong Wuyue tossed her from upstairs.


    At last, Vivian caught her in the kitchen. Grabbing the little Malevolence by her collar, Vivian came out into the living hall. With her free arm akimbo, Vivian yelled at Hao Ren, ¡°Could you please take care of her. She just jumped into the hot oil pan while I was cooking!¡±


    ¡°How? You, the parent body, couldn¡¯t even control her.¡± Hao Ren glanced up at Vivian. ¡°Let her be. She will go hungry after a while, like clockwork.¡±


    While saying, Hao Ren looked at the piece of paper pinned on the refrigerator not far away; it was a journal written in cacography.


    ¡°XXXX ¨C XXXX o¡¯clock: Sleeping in the mouse hole;


    XXXX ¨C XXXX o¡¯clock: coming out to launching her offensive;


    XXXX ¨C XXXX o¡¯clock: getting hungry and having her meal;


    XXXX ¨C XXXX o¡¯clock: attacking people or chewing the power cables;


    XXXX ¨C XXXX o¡¯clock: getting hungry and having her meal;


    XXXX ¨C XXXX o¡¯clock: starting to bite things indiscriminately and trying to destroy the west wall with magic. Since she is only interested in damaging the west wall, an iron plate has been put in place in the corner of the west wall as her punching bag. Do remember to check the iron plate for damage and change if necessary. Probably she is doing exercise.


    XXXX ¨C XXXX o¡¯clock: back to the mouse hole, usually staying quiet until the next day so that super-cute Rollie could enjoy a more tranquil moment sleeping in front of the hole.¡±


    Vivian and Hao Ren jointly compiled the journal, dictation by Hao Ren, and handwritten by Rollie.


    Vivian buried her face in her hand while Hao Ren lay on the sofa listlessly. Vivian knew there was nothing she could do, so she left the little Malevolence with Hao Ren. ¡°She¡¯s yours now. I have to go cooking.¡±


    The first thing the little Malevolence did after breaking free was lunging at Hao Ren and biting his finger. Unhurriedly, Hao Ren took a piece of crumpled paper out from his pocket and smashed the little Malevolence down. This crumpled paper would be enough to have the little guy occupied for the next ten minutes.


    Such was the life of the little Malevolence in Hao Ren¡¯s home.


    Be it a way of life or just an instinct, the routine of the little Malevolence was as dull as it was predictable. Attacking people in the house was her only hobby during her wake times. But she could do no damage to anyone with her level of strength, and would quickly run out of steam and seek the sacrifice of fresh meat and blood. Hao Ren had bought half a kilo of meat, still bloody, from the market and stored it in the refrigerator. The little Malevolence had no idea how to open the fridge, but she knew where her food was, and whenever she was hungry, she would lie in front of the refrigerator and wait for someone to feed her. Other than messing around and eating, she spent the rest of the day in the mouse hole.


    The little Malevolence had no complex thinking and feelings and was not an animal, but occasionally she manifested seemingly an emotional reaction. Hao Ren still could not figure out what type of creature the Malevolence was, but he started to think that Raven 12345 wanting him to keep the Malevolence made sense: the little guy could be an invaluable study subject.


    The little Malevolence growled as she tore the crumpled paper into pieces. The blood stains on the paper were attracting her attention. ¡°Her behavior is different from the ordinary Malevolence,¡± Hao Ren said casually.


    ¡°It¡¯s the same.¡± The MDT said while lying idle on the coffee table. ¡°It¡¯s a wonderful phenomenon: when a creature shrinks into a miniature size, it will become harmless and funny; but if it were to grow into a human-sized monster tearing a person apart, you¡¯re not going to think it is harmless and funny anymore. It would be a disaster when it enlarges a few thousand times in size.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded thoughtfully and looked at the little Malevolence. ¡°It would be a lot better if she could calm down and stop making it as if we are bullying her.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably impossible,¡± the MDT said. ¡°Unless she could think, or her weak emotional response could be amplified enough to produce feelings; otherwise, Malevolence would never stay quiet. Ahh, someone is calling you.¡±


    ¡°Who is that?¡±


    ¡°The call is routed through the earth communication network. It¡¯s an IDD call from White Flame.¡± the MDT said. ¡°Should I let the call through?¡±


    Hao Ren froze for a second before realizing that he had asked a favor from the demon hunter earlier. He quickly ordered the MDT to let the call through.


    ¡°Hao Ren,¡± the voice of White Flame was heard through the MDT. ¡°It¡¯s about the investigation: I have found an Olympus investigation paper in the library.¡±


    ¡°Investigation paper? What does it say?¡±


    ¡°Most of the records are about the actions of the demon hunters destroying the Mount Olympus, which I think you¡¯re not going to be interested. But there is an attachment that might be useful. If the information is correct, during the destruction of the ancient otherwordlings in Greeks, a Zeus attendant had escaped with a large number of files and ancient artifacts. Included in the files are Athena¡¯s research materials, which could contain what you are looking for.¡±

 Chapter 1181 - The Otherwordlings’ Halloween Party-Like Gathering

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren had asked the demon hunters to investigate the remains of the ancient Greek Olympian gods after their fall.


    According to the information he already obtained, some of the upper-class members of the Olympians seemed to have learned the secrets of the sin of the deicide and the Ultimate Absolution through some channels. And before the destruction of Olympus, they were conducting a series of research on idolatry centered on Vivian. These studies were very likely to reveal more secrets of the ultimate plan of the goddess of creation, or at least would let Hao Ren understand the otherworldlings of the ancient times.


    The Olympian gods had gone, and their remains were drifting in the space crack on the edge of the main material world. Locating these remains was like finding a needle in a haystack. But there was a place that still preserved the secrets of the ancient times; that was the Demon-hunter¡¯s Library in Coldpath. The vast archives contained information about every otherworldly race, including the old Greek gods, which the demon hunters had annihilated. It was this thing that Hao Ren had asked White Flame for help.


    ¡°I¡¯m heading to Coldpath right away,¡± Hao Ren replied quickly. ¡°Get all the information ready.¡±


    ¡°No, I am in the city where you live now. You can come to XXXX to find me.¡±


    White Flame had given a location that sounded familiar to Hao Ren. Stunned, Hao Ren asked, ¡°The culture hall? What brings you here?¡±


    ¡°There is a comic exhibition here.¡± White Flame replied. Her voice was as calm as ever.


    Hao Ren was struck dumb.


    Hao Ren brought Vivian and Lily to the cultural hall. As White Flame said, a grand comic exhibition was going on. Hao Ren had not attended any comic exhibitions before. After buying the tickets, they stepped inside the comic show. To Hao Ren, the scene looked like a Halloween party with men and women dressed in various game and anime characters and booths scattering in the hall. The venue seemed chaotic, but there were also some high-quality cosplayers, which gave Hao Ren the illusion that he had returned to work in the real otherworldly world.


    He had seen too many otherworldly races, and all of them were the real deals.


    It took Hao Ren a while to find White Flame. It was Lily who sniffed her out. White Flame took this event like a duck to water. She could even wear her usual uniform with her silver hair walking around the exhibition. There were weirder costumes than that of hers anyway. When Hao Ren found White Flame, the girl was loitering at several stalls with a few large shopping bags in her hands. The bags were carrying all kinds of peripherals that she had just bought, and her dagger.


    Hao Ren could not believe how Hassel got himself such a ¡®wonderful¡¯ disciple. I seemed that closed-system education indeed had its drawbacks as it was prone to produce autistic and homebody.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting,¡± White Flame quickly said when she saw hao Ren. ¡°I was going shopping while waiting for you guys.¡±


    ¡°Is it okay to wander so conspicuously in the exhibition? What about your job?¡±


    White Flame was not embarrassed but smiled indifferently. ¡°I am not strolling. I have work to do here. Look!¡±


    While saying, the demon-hunter maiden pointed to the corner of the venue. Looking into that direction, Hao Ren saw several men and women in cosplay costumes hanging around and chatting. One of the men had noticed the stares of onlookers and looked over. The men behaved a little unnaturally when he saw White Flame.


    ¡°The two werewolves are real deals. The one in a witch suit next to him is a witch who used to be Dracula¡¯s mistress. The one in a knight costume is empty underneath the armor, which belongs to some famous knight. But God knows which sorcerer has summoned a spirit into the armor. Probably he has possessed the armor himself.¡± White Flame pouted. ¡°Look around, and you will see a lot of real deals.¡±


    Hao Ren looked around in astonishment and found some clues.


    People were peeking at this side. Those high-quality cosplayers came in groups. Some exhibitors who looked like ordinary people were not so ordinary at all: they cautiously kept a distance from White Flame.


    Lily sniffled. She had sensed some ¡®close relatives,¡¯ but she did not say a thing.


    ¡°How many of them here are real?¡± Hao Ren asked in a whisper.


    ¡°At least one-third is real, and one-third is their family members and servants.¡± White Flame shrugged. ¡°The rest is just ordinary folk. I am not here to play. I¡¯m monitoring the event.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s a gathering of the otherworldlings.¡± Hao Ren scratched his chin, baffled. ¡°Does this only happen after the truce between the demon hunters and the otherworldlings, and the establishment of the Shadow Council? Is it a social activity of supernatural beings?¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re right. It is an expansion of activity of the supernatural races and experiments of interracial exchanges under the condition that it would not disturb the existing social order. Those races least affected by the innate hostility are here. They don¡¯t have a serious feud between them. But someone still needs to monitor them lest things go wrong.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re here to monitor the event? A demon hunter monitors the gathering of the otherworldlings?¡± Hao Ren was surprised.


    ¡°How is that possible, but I am also being monitored.¡± White Flame quickly said. ¡°The elders sent me here as an observer, but at the same time, we have an agreement with the Shadow Council that I must accept their monitoring in return. So far so good. Probably since I have a good relationship with you and you are influential in the Shadow Council, no one has bothered me.¡±


    Judging from what White Flame said, Hao Ren knew there was something more than meets the eyes. There must have been more significant changes in the lives of the otherworldlings.


    Some new social orders were emerging as the subtle relationship and confrontation between the demon hunters and the otherworldlings evolved. The gathering here seemed comical, literally, but there was something more serious going on behind the scene. Hao Ren was dead sure that what he saw here was just the tip of the iceberg. The otherworldlings could not go about their business in front of ordinary people, after all.


    But Hao Ren could not care less about the event. He had delegated the matter of the Shadow Council to Hessiana and Ymir, who would be the ones worried about it. He was here for the secret of Olympus.


    White Flame brought them to the lounge area behind the pavilion, and then followed a specific route, passed through the place with many ordinary folks, and arrived at the deepest part of the venue.


    A few cosplayers stood outside the lounges. A girl with wolf¡¯s ears was using her tail like a fan to create some airflow to cool herself down. ¡°It¡¯s hot. I wish there is ice here. And the event is freaking boring.¡±


    ¡°Agree.¡± Another lady with a witch hat nodded. ¡°I thought I could come here and play all day long. But it turns out I could only stay here. Had I known it was the case, I would have chosen to stay back in the family¡¯s secret realm.¡±


    ¡°Hey, wizard, where is your partner? Isn¡¯t that your girlfriend? How could she leave you here alone?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? That is my grandma. She has got guys to pick up.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­Shhh, the hound is here!¡±


    The werewolf and the sorcerers, noticing the approach of Hao Ren and his entourage, immediately stopped talking. They appeared cautious and resentful. White Flame was enjoying some privileges here as everyone recognized her.


    The demon-hunter maiden did not mind the stares, neither she bothered to smile at the otherworldlings. She brought Hao Ren, and others walked past into an exclusive lounge without even looking at them.


    ¡°That¡¯s all about it. I¡¯m quite happy already,¡± White Flame said. She dropped her shopping bags on the table and rummaged in them for a while before taking out a few old scrolls. ¡°This is it,¡± she said.


    She did not care if the scrolls were important; she just stuffed them all in the shopping bag!


    Hao Ren took the scroll and began to study it carefully while White Flame explained to him on the side.


    The scrolls were not a product of the Olympian gods, but the investigation paper and notes the demon hunter compiled after the war. The records detailed the hunting of the Olympus survivors.


    Most survivors who escaped from Mount Olympus died during the hunt. Some, hidden for centuries, still could not avoid death eventually. Survivors like Hesperides was a rare exception.


    ¡°Here, a servant evaded dozens of hunting operation, including even a major manhunt performed by 20 elite demon hunters and three master demon hunters.¡± White Flame pointed to a few lines of text on one of the scrolls. ¡°There is little known about this servant. The only thing special about him is that Zeus trusted him. During the chase, a dozen demon hunters died; all of them were experienced fighters.¡±


    ¡°He has a powerful divine artifact with him,¡± Vivian said quietly.


    ¡°Yes, there is indeed a divine artifact. Here is the record of it.¡± White Flame pointed at the bottom of the scroll: ¡°The target has a dangerous weapon. It is a dark scepter, inlaid with a huge blood-red gemstone, could boil the blood of its target within 100 meters, or cause fatal bleeding and disease. Master-level demon hunters could barely stand against this mighty scepter.¡± I think this power is very close to the power of the Countess.¡±


    Hao Ren frowned and looked at Vivian. ¡°They not only looked for a way to overcome the sin by worshipping you but also studying your power?¡±


    ¡°What else?¡± Vivian¡¯s brows knit together as well.


    ¡°Here.¡± White Flame took out another scroll. ¡°¡®I saw the target carried a large number of files with him. Judging from the fragments we have got, it should be the missing piece of information discovered during the stock counting of the Olympus literature. This batch of materials comes from Athena; it may be related to the study of a series of weird ritual toward the end of Olympus¡¯, and here, ¡®The target has once looked for the Countess of the Crimson Moon during his escape. He may be seeking protection from the Countess. We must complete the mission before the Countess grants him protection.¡¯¡±


    Hao Ren squinted slightly. ¡°This should be the one.¡±

 Chapter 1182 - Help from Hesperides

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    White Flame had not brought many scrolls, but with the help of the translation plug-in and the MDT, Hao Ren was able to determine a few things.


    First of all, when the Olympian gods were killed, some of the critical materials were smuggled out, which even Hesperides did not know of.


    Secondly, the divine artifact the servant had escaped with was related to Vivian. The power of Zeus¡¯ family had nothing to do with blood and plague, and the only Blood Clan member they had contact with was Vivian.


    Lastly, there were an eight-tenths of a chance that the materials the fugitive servant had escaped with might be what Hao Ren was looking for.


    ¡°This servant is now classified as ¡®possibly killed,¡± White Flame shook her head gently. ¡°His last known location was Europe, the English and French regions of today, but that was many centuries ago. During a large-scale battle, he, along with 12 demon hunters who pursued him, disappeared in an explosion. There were no survivors and witnesses. So the record officer-in-charge, after visiting the scene, confirmed that the target was dead. But in the following centuries, there were occasional rumors of the appearance of the divine wand and the suspected evidence that the servant was still alive. The case is still unresolved until now.¡±


    Demon hunters were excellent hunters, but even the most-experienced ones would have had failed to catch their prey. It seemed that the demon hunters were not able to more leads.


    ¡°All I know is that the servant was last seen in Europe, but not much known beyond that.¡± Vivian gently shook her head. ¡°You said that during the last chase operation, 12 demon hunters had disappeared together with the servant. So who were these demon hunters?¡±


    ¡°Two masters, and ten elites,¡± White Flame said. She had guessed what Vivian was going to say. ¡°It was not the most powerful team, and they had failed to catch the target. So I have a gut feeling that the last chase was all a smoke screen, and the servant is still alive.¡±


    ¡°A little-known servant of Zeus has given you guys the runaround for so long. It must be the most embarrassing thing of your organization¡¯s history,¡± Lily said, laughing at White Flame.


    But White Flame was not conscious of her identity now.


    ¡°It is, indeed, embarrassing. These records were locked away, and the senior veterans would feel embarrassed whenever the incident was brought up.¡± White Flame was not pretentious. She admitted to black history. ¡°There were other similar incidents. Ten thousand years is a long time, and there are bound to be some less glamorous records.¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian whispered to each other, and then Hao Ren looked up and said, ¡°You might have lost the lead, but on the other side, the otherwordlings in the sanctuary might be able to provide some information. I can ask the Shadow Council to help check it out.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your business then,¡± White Flame said, nodding. ¡°I have to take back these scrolls, but you can make a copy of them. These things are no longer confidential anyway.¡±


    Hao Ren asked the MDT to record the contents of the scrolls and then sent them directly to the Shadow Council headquarters in Athens, complete with explanations. Mimir and Hesperides had quickly replied that they would extend their cooperation in the investigation as best as they could.


    After parting way with White Flame, Hao Ren waited for news from the Shadow Council. But he did not place much hope in the Shadow Council, which after all, had only formed in haste not long ago. Expecting them to divert resources to help him would be too much to ask for, he thought. For the past, the various sanctuaries of the otherworldlings on Earth were isolated, and there was no exchange of intelligence exchange. Under such circumstances, finding a fugitive was like finding a needle in a haystack. Hao Ren felt that he might have to wait a long time before there was any progress.


    During this time, he could even try to teach the little Malevolence open the refrigerator.


    Surprisingly, the next day, Hesperides replied, saying that she had found something.


    ¡°In northern France, there was a small village, isolated and forgotten by the rest of the world, in the forest. But the ¡®prey,¡¯ the demon hunters had once lost, was once living there.¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian decided to set off immediately to check out the situation. Hesperides would come along too. As the incident was related to the Olympians, she felt she was obliged to provide the necessary assistance.


    Expectedly, Lily was coming along too.


    But they were hesitant to bring along a new ¡®member.¡¯


    The little Malevolence yelled and ran around the living hall, venting her excess energy and sabotaging in anger and frenziedness. Seeing this, Hao Ren was reluctant. ¡°Do we have to bring along this creature?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t the goddess want her to be with me?¡± Vivian was just as hesitant, regarding the little guy as a nuisance. But still, she insisted on carrying the little guy along. ¡°Letting her stay isn¡¯t the best option. What if she slips out of the house and creates larger trouble? I think I will feel much safer to have this restless creature staying within my sight.¡±


    ¡°Sigh, then bring her. Could any bring me her cage?¡± Hao Ren said helplessly.


    On the other hand, the little Malevolence had no clue what was going on, and not capable of thinking of anything except running up to Lil Pea and threatening her.


    But Lil Pea just struck her away.


    The next day, following the location that Hesperides provided, Hao Ren, Vivian, and Lily arrived at a dense forest on the French border.


    They did not go through the usual way but using the teleportation function of the data terminal, which had been Hao Ren¡¯s preferred way of transportation. Lily and Vivian had long been immune to the vertiginous symptoms of teleportation, unlike in the past where they would throw up after each trip.


    But the little guy was using teleportation for the first time, and her condition did not look good.


    Lying on a boulder, half dead, the little Malevolence shivered and groaned in a strange sound. The teleportation had put tremendous pressure on her.


    ¡°It never crossed my mind that the little Malevolence would be afraid of this,¡± Lily said as she squatted beside the boulder, poking the little Malevolence¡¯s head with her claw. ¡°Haha, she doesn¡¯t even bother to fight back!¡±


    The little Malevolence curled herself into a ball in fear, trying to dodge Lily¡¯s pokes. She was so out of her usual energetic character.


    ¡°She has fear, and she will stay quiet if her environment changes dramatically.¡± Hao Ren shot Lily a glance and then looked around. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, Hesperides should be nearby.¡±


    It was midsummer, vegetation on the northern hemisphere was at their peak of life. Hao Ren and the two of them was at a small open space deep inside the forest, surrounded by dense shrub, vines, and towering trees. The air, moist, warm, and filled with an earthy smell, annoyed them. Leaving the quivering little guy alone, Lily got back to her feet and stretched out. As if the forest had given her inspiration, she suddenly became poetic. ¡°I ask the wood for the way, but the leaves don¡¯t recognize my voice¡­ Hey, Battie, why don¡¯t you summon some cool air, this place is freaking stuffy and hot.¡±


    Vivian instantly summoned a snowstorm, just like the one in Lily¡¯s hometown. She then lifted herself on her toes, looking into the dense forest. ¡°Hesperides may not have arrived yet, after all, we have come early. But I can feel weak magic energy hovering in the forest. There is indeed something here.¡±


    Just when Vivian¡¯s voice trailed off, a familiar voice came from a distance. ¡°I¡¯m here already.¡±


    Hao Ren looked up. Hesperides, wearing a casual outfit, came out from the wood.


    After some pleasantry, Hao Ren asked, ¡°How do you find this place?¡±


    ¡°By coincidence. The servant of Zeus mentioned in the records of the demon hunters is someone I know,¡± Hesperides said with a smile. ¡°Just that I didn¡¯t expect that guy could pull off such a ¡®great feat.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Yeah, what a feat,¡± Vivian said, her eyebrows arched. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that he has escaped with the most powerful weapon of Mount Olympus. The casualty the demon hunters suffered was no less severe than that of the pursuit of Horus.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that,¡± Hesperides said and shrugged. ¡°After the collapse of Mount Olympus, the survivors went dark, and the communication between us was intermittent at bests. The demon hunters found and killed some of them, while others had completely gone silent for several centuries. Under such circumstances, it would be already fantastic for me to find out some are still alive.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s head to the place that you have mentioned,¡± Hao Ren said, looking into the dense forest. ¡°We shall talk about the details while we¡¯re on our way.¡±

 Chapter 1183 - An Isolated World

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    It was almost an undisturbed, primary forest. There were hardly any trails on the rugged landscape. It made Hao Ren Hao Ren wonder if there were any human settlements there. But Hesperides¡¯ answer had confirmed Hao Ren¡¯s suspicion.


    ¡°The last time I came here was three centuries ago, where this place was already desolate.¡±


    ¡°Three centuries ago? You have not checked if the servant is still alive for three hundred years?¡± Vivian glanced at Hesperides in astonishment. ¡°Is he still hiding here?¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I am not sure, but since the demon hunters have not found this secluded place in the past three centuries, I guess the guy would still be here,¡± Hesperides said while leading in front. ¡°Human settlements may be deserted, but the recluse will stay. An abandoned town is excellent camouflage. Many old beings who survived the Mythological Era and lived alone chose to stay near the ruins. It might be inconvenient living in such places, but they could evade the detection of the demon hunters.¡±


    ¡°What is the name of the servant?¡± Until now, Hao Ren had not learned the identity of the target, the Olympian divine hero who survived the Mythological Era and killed a dozen demon hunters with a divine artifact.


    Hesperides paused. ¡°He used to be known as Hercules.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and kept walking until the name registered. ¡°Wait! What¡¯s the name again?¡±


    ¡°She said Hercules, also Herakles in Greek.¡±


    ¡°Holy moly! It¡¯s him!¡± It surprised Hao Ren that the servant was such a famous figure. ¡°The Greek demi-god, awesome guy who took the challenge of the twelve labors? How did he become a Zeus¡¯ servant?¡±


    ¡°A hybrid of the Olympian and Earth¡¯s human, why couldn¡¯t Hercules be the servant of Zeus?¡± Hesperides said. ¡°Yeah, he was pretty well-known, though a mixed-race, he had made quite a name for himself and made many gods on Mount Olympus jealous. Later he was taken to the Mount Olympus where Zeus personally gave him an identity so that he could officially become one of the members of the Olympian gods. But due to that there was no more ¡®position¡¯ Zeus could canonize, Hercules stayed beside Zeus. For this reason, it was not wrong for the demon hunters to regard him as a Zeus¡¯ servant.¡±


    Seeing Hao Ren was still confused, Vivian reminded, ¡°There is always some deviation between history and myths. I am a little surprised too.¡±


    ¡°Hercules is such a strong man. There is little wonder that he could survive,¡± Lily said as she scratched her chin. ¡°Ordinary servants mightn¡¯t have shown that kind of combat strength even if they had the divine artifact. It must because he had excellent mental strength. With this understanding, things became much more reasonable than before. When Mount Olympus collapsed, it must be Zeus who entrusted Hercules to run with that ancient artifact and the research materials.¡±


    Hesperides nodded. ¡°Like many survivors, Hercules did not use his real name. His last pseudonym is Fernan. If he hasn¡¯t moved in so many years, maybe he still uses this name.¡±


    Before Hesperides¡¯ voice trailed off, a little voice suddenly rose beside her. ¡°Haaazzzz¡ª¡±


    ¡°What the heck?¡± Hesperides screamed. As soon as she turned her head around, she saw a bunch of dark-red energy arrows flying toward her, the next second she knew it, the arrows had hit her face. ¡°Wow! What the heck is that?¡±


    The little energy arrows could not cause any damage at all. But Hesperides was shocked to see a palm-sized Vivian flying unstably around her making threatening but powerless gestures. ¡°Vivian? It¡¯s your bat again¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ahh, no. It¡¯s different from Hessiana,¡± Vivian quickly explained. It split from me!¡±


    Suddenly, the expression on Hesperides¡¯ face became weirder than before. ¡°A split? How did you develop this new feature?¡±


    The little Malevolence continued to dance and shoot energy arrows at Hesperides¡¯ face, complete with sound effects. *Gshaaaa¡ª*


    Hao Ren quickly grabbed the little guy back and shoved her into a glass bottle, which he took out the dimensional pocket. ¡°Tough guy, she was only half-dead a while ago. Hesperides, it¡¯s kind of hard to explain to you now. Could you pretend not seeing her for now? By the way, Vivian¡¯s splitting isn¡¯t new; she has always been like that.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Hesperides was confused. Since she knew that Vivian possessed many secrets, she did not say anything. But she still could not help herself looking at the little Malevolence in the glass bottle where the miniature Vivian had never stopped firing her energy arrows like a mad devil. It was amazing, she thought.


    Vivian hemmed, trying to divert her this old friend¡¯s attention. ¡°Have we arrived yet?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Right ahead,¡± Hesperides replied as she looked up and into the distance, her expression suddenly became strange. ¡°Hmmm, it¡¯s still there.¡±


    Looking through the deep woods, smokes and wooden houses were visible in the thickest part of the forest. It was still far, but it appeared like there was a human settlement there.


    ¡°The village has not disappeared.¡± Hao Ren was just as surprised as Hesperides.


    Vivian could not help but glance at the primary forest around her. A strange feeling hit her. ¡°Something is not quite right. Look around, the forest around the village shouldn¡¯t be like this. It seems that there are no traces of human activity at all.¡±


    Things about ancient supernatural creatures always appeared strange. Deep inside the forest, some forces were still having a subtle influence on the wood. A secluded village, hidden and forgotten for three centuries, even existed until today. But there were no trails that connected to the outside world around the village, which aroused Hao Ren¡¯s suspicion.


    ¡°I have detected unstable environmental readings, but no traps found.¡± the MDT reported.


    They weaved through the forest and came to the isolated village.


    There was an open space in the middle of the forest, where the wooden fence, only half a person¡¯s height, surrounded the village. It was doubtful that this broken and low wooden fence could protect the settlement. More like it was just a border mark of the village, not to defend against the beasts in the forest. There had never been proper planning of the village as old wooden houses scattered randomly in the village. Trails paved in gravel and bricks, narrow, curvy, and filled with potholes, seemed to be only things connecting the houses in the village together.


    Even from the perspective of three centuries ago, this was still a terrible place.


    But what amazed Hao Ren was not the houses but the villagers.


    People were living in this closed, ghostly ancient place that filled with a moldy smell. The villagers were wearing rough garments from some unknown era, and having a wrinkled face and numb expressions as if they had been living in hardship for centuries. Seeing the appearance of the strangers, the villagers gathered around them, rudely pointing and gesturing at the visitors from the outside world.


    It was hard to believe that there was such a group of people living deep in the forest. They were like completely cut out from the rest of the world.


    ¡°This place is the same as when I last came three hundred years ago,¡± Hesperides whispered in surprise. ¡°Except for this wall, which did not exist back then.¡±


    ¡°Someone is coming up to us,¡± Lily said as she poked Hao Ren.


    The villagers, watching from afar, began to step aside as a smiley old man, stooped and walking with floaty steps but appeared healthy, came up straight before Hao Ren and greeted him in some heavy-accented French dialect. ¡°Ahh, my guests, there have been no visitors here for many years. My friends from afar, please come in for a rest. What can I do for you?¡±

 Chapter 1184 - Where Time Stands Still

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    It felt weird to see an enthusiastic village head in such a secluded place. But having someone communicable was better than a group of quiet villagers. Switching on his translation plugin, Hao Ren greeted the village head with the same enthusiasm, introducing himself as a traveler. He then began to learn about the village.


    The old man, as expected, was the village head, who told Hao Ren that the place was called Narim, a small village with only hundreds of population that rarely had contact with the outside world. During the conversation, Hao Ren found that the extent of the village¡¯s isolation was beyond belief: the old village head did not even know what era it was now on the outside. Whenever Hao Ren mentioned things about the outside world, the village head would respond perfunctorily with a standard reply. ¡°Ahh, do we still need to worry about the outside world when we are living in such a serene and peaceful place?¡±


    After a while of conversation, Hao Ren mentioned the purpose of them here.


    ¡°We are here looking for someone whose name is Fernan,¡± said Hao Ren, according to what he learned from Hesperides. ¡°He is a strong man, almost seven feet tall, with a scar over the eye. Ahh, maybe he is also known in another name, but I can¡¯t recall it. He an old friend of my uncle.¡±


    The old village head frowned as if he was rummaging in his memory before shaking his head in reply. ¡°I can¡¯t recall such a person in the village. There has never been such a visitor. Judging from his build as you have said, I would have remembered him.¡±


    Hao Ren and Hesperides looked at each other. The village head¡¯s reply was regrettable though not entirely unexpected.


    ¡°He may have moved,¡± Hesperides whispered. ¡°It is common to keep changing his hiding place.¡±


    ¡°It is late now. Please be my guests and stay for the night,¡± the old village head spoke again. ¡°It is better to start looking tomorrow as it is not safe to go into the forest at night.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t want to trouble you,¡± Lily said. ¡°We have a place to stay.¡±


    ¡°Please accept my invitation.¡± The old village head insisted with great enthusiasm. ¡°It is our honor to have visitors from afar. It would be rude for us to let our guests leave, especially in the evening. You should try the muffins we made with berry, which you wouldn¡¯t find anywhere else.¡±


    Hao Ren looked up at the evening sky. He could not find any problem with the old village head but still felt something strange in the air. As the night fells, the village head kept urging them to stay. Just as he was thinking about how to decline the invitation, the village head said something that changed his mind completely. ¡°Oh, two days ago, a few visitors have come, and they are still here. If you stay tonight, you may be able to continue your journey with them tomorrow.¡±


    Someone else had also found this place? Hao Ren thought.


    Hao Ren and his team suddenly became suspicious: the village was not on any map. As Hesperides said, the village, hidden in an untouched forest, was almost dead three centuries ago. Under this circumstance, who would have come to the village other than the supernatural team of Hao Ren?


    Or was there anyone else wanting to find Hercules?


    They discussed for a while and at last, decided to stay for the night. In one hand, they could check out what was going on in the village; and on the other hand, they would like to meet the mysterious visitors too.


    There was no hotel in the small village, only a big house dedicated to receiving guests. It was a two-story wooden longhouse, just as old and broken as other houses, but still sturdy and clean. The village head took Hao Ren and his team to the longhouse and left. Before leaving, the village head said he would see them again at dinner, where the mysterious visitors would also be present.


    After the old village head and several villagers left, Vivian stretched and said, ¡°It is so strange.¡±


    ¡°This place is weird,¡± Lily said as she nodded. As dumb as Lily was, her beast instinct nonetheless worked like a charm. ¡°Whether it is the village head or the villagers, they all have a strange vibe¡ªdepressing and fake.¡±


    ¡°Who else besides us will come to this place?¡± Hao Ren looked at Hesperides. ¡°Does anyone else know about Hercules¡¯ hiding place here? Is anyone else interested in him?¡±


    ¡°Only the demon hunters will want to track him down. But since the killing is over, they have no reason to find Hercules now.¡± Hesperides said, shaking her head lightly. ¡°Maybe the visitors are just ordinary folks who accidentally stumped upon this place. This village might be isolated from the rest of the world and appeared strange; it is still physically present in this world; people who lost their way may also have unwittingly found this place.¡±


    ¡°We may know the answer once we meet the ¡®visitors,¡¯ who could have been trapped her. I have a bad feeling about this village. The people here may be alive, but it feels like I have walked into a grave.¡±


    ¡°Gshaaaa¡ª¡± A voice was heard in Hao Ren¡¯s backpack, which was a necessary camouflage.


    Probably the little Malevolence was the only one unaware of the atmosphere here.


    Just before nightfall, Lily mooched around in the longhouse. After a while, she seemed to have found something and ran back up to Hao Ren. ¡°Mr. Landlord! This place has no electricity!¡±


    ¡°Of course. Which country would extend the power grid into the forest?¡± Vivian said.


    ¡°No, I mean, there is not even a piece of cable here, not a light bulb!¡± Lily said with her arms akimbo. ¡°As remote as this place is, wouldn¡¯t there be some power sources like a small diesel generator, hydroelectric generator, and the like? But this place is like nothing here. You will only see oil lamps hanging on the wall.¡±


    Hao Ren froze for a moment. Lily had pointed out the peculiarity, but he still could not help coming up with a counter-argument. ¡°Many remote villages in other parts of the world also look like this place.¡±


    But look, the oil lamps look like they are of the era of three centuries ago. So too, the furniture.¡± Hesperides got to her feet and looked around. ¡°Nothing here is modern. The most obvious is the houses outside; there were here when I came three hundred years ago, and they are still the same today. Even if the houses have undergone renovation, it should not look exact untouched.¡±


    Things were weird. But Hao Ren did not look nervous at all. Looking at the old lamps on the wall with interest, he whistled and said, ¡°It¡¯s a place where time stands still.¡±


    Armed with three years of experience as an inspector, Hao Ren could now finally say confidently: I¡¯m battle-hardened and have seen stranger places; a time-stands-still village is no big deal!


    ¡°If the time in this village indeed stands still, the villagers here¡­¡± Vivian suddenly frowned as she began to conjecture, ¡°could be from three hundred years ago.¡±


    Hesperides shook her head immediately. ¡°No, there are not. I¡¯m sure.¡±


    ¡°The village was still normal when you came here last time, so it must have changed since then. It is only natural that you don¡¯t find anyone familiar here,¡± Hao Ren said.


    ¡°Well, this should be the case. The space and time of the village may have been distorted, which most likely has something to do with Hercules. We¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shh¡­ someone is coming,¡± Lily said as her ears flickered.


    They immediately stopped talking. Soon, some voices came from outside the longhouse before the old village head, and several villagers came in.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to let you wait,¡± the old village head said with a friendly smile. ¡°It is our common belief that guests from afar are an auspice. Please come with me. Dinner is ready.¡±


    Hao Ren exchanged a look with the others. They decided to follow eyes with other people and decided to dance to the tune of the villagers and see how things would unfold.


    ¡°You said before that there are a few foreign guests. Are they all there?¡± Vivian asked casually.


    ¡°Of course,¡± said a villager with a loud voice. ¡°You will see them.¡±


    Upon leaving the longhouse, the village head brought them to a vast open space in the middle of the village.


    The food was ready on long wooden tables. Bonfire for illumination purposes was burning ferociously as the aroma of food floated in the air. The villagers had gathered. It was noisy, but the atmosphere was vivacious.


    The overall atmosphere of the village was still bizarre, but it seemed that there was an added scent of humans.


    Immediately, Hao Ren saw the group of outsiders, which was conspicuous among the locals.


    The old village head did not lie; foreign visitors other than Hao Ren and his team were here.


    Vivian had a strange expression on her face when she saw the outsiders. She mumbled as she stared at one of the outsiders, ¡°Hey, Hao Ren, do you find that guy looks rather familiar?¡±

 Chapter 1185 - The Trapped Villagers

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren looked in the direction Vivian was pointing at. A man was sitting behind the long table near the bonfire. He had a prominent European face, sunken eyes, high nose, and was wearing an old woolen coat, chatting cheerfully with his friends. The fire cast wavy shadows on his sharp, angular face.


    Hao Ren saw the man was somewhat familiar, but he could not remember who the man was. Poking the MDT in his pocket, Hao Ren said, ¡°Hey, Brickie, look up the database and see if there is information about this person.¡±


    ¡°Pierre, male, spirit detective, you have met him once,¡± the MDT reported. ¡°You must have forgotten¡ªwhen looking for the Ancattero Family, the Tannaeans in exile on Earth¡ªwe met this man in the small town outside the Golden Manor. He claimed to be a detective of the spiritual world, but he was only an ordinary human with no special strength, relying on excavating antiquities in various supernatural ruins and knowledge for a living.¡±


    Only then Hao Ren started to remember who this man was. An emotion instantly rose within him: the world was such a small place where after their brief encounter last time, he thought they would not see each other again. But fate had it that they were to meet here again.


    There were others¡ªtwo men and a woman¡ªsitting beside the spirit detective. The three might be Pierre¡¯s partners, at least coming from outside the village with modern clothes. The two men, Asian faces dressed in sportswear, and the woman with short blond hair wearing an old long-sleeved shirt and trousers were all out of place with the surroundings. Not just that, Hao Hen had also noticed something else: the clothes of the four, including Pierre¡¯s, were unusually old and dirty as if they had been in the village for a very long time.


    The three men and woman were talking to each other cheerfully, and occasionally struck a conversation with the villagers. Pierre was peeling a roasted potato, but his eyes fixated on the bonfire as if in deep thought Nothing unusual about the four of them except their old clothes. There was no sign showing that they were trapped here.


    ¡°Ahh, those are the other guests I have mentioned,¡± said the village head who came up suddenly out of nowhere. ¡°They seemed to be lost in the forest, but luckily they found our village.¡±


    ¡°Let me go up and say hi,¡± Hao Ren said and went up straight to Pierre.


    The spirit detective, as alert as ever, had already sensed someone was approaching him from ten meters away. He immediately came out from his deep thought and was surprised to see Hao Ren and Vivian.


    But that surprised look just appeared in a flash of a second before replaced by a hint of excitement.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be damned!¡± Hao Ren sat down across the table opposite the spirit detective. ¡°I have never thought of bumping into you here.¡±


    Pierre remembered Hao Ren and Vivian¡ªhe could never forget them in fact because he had a deep impression on them in the course of his life as a spirit detective. But it took him a while before he could recall Hao Ren¡¯s name. ¡°It¡¯s a small world, eh! What make you here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for something,¡± Hao Ren said. His reply was vague as he believed that the spirit detective, with his sound senses, would be able to understand what he meant. ¡°I was looking for someone. But it seems that the person is no longer here.¡±


    ¡°Looking for someone?¡± Pierre said, raising his voice pitch. He quickly toned it down when realizing who Hao Ren and Vivian were. But he could not hide the strange expression on his face¡ªhe had a lot to say, but the words choked in his throat as if he was worried or threatened. Hao Ren had quickly noticed it and said casually, ¡°These three are¡­?¡±


    The two men and a woman, only nodded courteously when Hao Ren helped himself sitting at the table, talked among themselves about some triviality. One of the Asian faces, a dark-skinned, turned his head around and smiled when Hao Ren spoke. ¡°Hello, my name is Wang Kaiwen. This is my brother Wang Kaiwu, and Catherine, who arrived earlier than we did. Are you a friend of Pierre? Fate has brought us together, it seems. Enjoy your stay here¡ªthis is a good place!¡±


    Wang Kaiwen, always had a smiley face and would wave to say hello to the villagers who passed by him, seemed to enjoy his life here. But it was Pierre¡¯s introduction of Catherine that caught Hao Ren¡¯s attention. ¡°She arrived before you did? Are you all not together?¡±


    ¡°I was the last arriving,¡± Pierre said with a smile. ¡°Catherine was the first, then the Wang brothers.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s brows knit together when he saw the smile on Pierre¡¯s face.¡± How long have you been here?¡±


    When Pierre about to say something, the voice of the village head came from behind him. ¡°Ahh, you guys know each other?¡±


    Hao Ren turned his head to look at the old man who stood behind him, leaning on a staff. Next to the old man was Lily, who appeared to be bored, and Vivian and Hesperides were much farther away, observing the venue of the banquet.


    ¡°We met each other a long time ago,¡± Pierre replied as he got to his feet. ¡°Mr. Winston, shall we start the party? I can¡¯t wait!¡±


    Winston was the name of the village head.


    ¡°Oh, ya.¡± Winston nodded, his face looked cheerful. ¡°You have begun to enjoy life in this village, eh? Come on, come on, serve the soup and berry pies and muffins. Let¡¯s start the celebration!¡±


    Hao Ren and his men were confused while the three men and woman beside Pierre were excited. Immediately, the peasant women started to serve food¡ª black and sweet, savory soup and hot pies in bowls and tableware made of wood filled the tables to the brim. The village head, Winston, enthusiastically ushered Hao Ren and his men to sit down, repeatedly said that the banquet was to welcome the guests from afar, who sat down out of curiosity anyway though the situation looked strange to them.


    Wang Kaiwen, who appeared delighted, started to fill Hao Ren¡¯s bowl with soup, and said enthusiastically, ¡°You must try this soup, I couldn¡¯t believe that there was such a delicious thing in the world when I first drank it! Ahh, this place is heaven. Everything here is worth your stay for a lifetime.¡±


    ¡°What is the soup made from?¡± Lily took a bowl and took a few sips. ¡°It¡¯s sweet!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s made from the ingredients derived from the forest,¡± the village head said proudly, sitting among his guests. ¡°Everything here comes from this generous forest. You wouldn¡¯t find better food anywhere else.¡±


    Hao Ren looked up slightly at the surroundings. The other villagers gathered at the other long tables, but they were secretly looking at this direction, specifically him and his teammates. Their attention was very covert and subtle, but Hao Ren could pick it up with his spiritual senses¡ªas conspicuous as Y¡¯zaks standing on the street.


    The Wang brothers started to guzzle the soup down and gobbled up the muffins while Catherine complimented the richness of today¡¯s meal. Pierre, probably the most normal-behaving one, began to take a few sips of the soup. While at it, he said somewhat intentionally, ¡°Keep it slow, don¡¯t drink too much¡ªI mean we will have the main course coming.¡±


    As the voice of the spirit detective trailed off, Lily had gulped down her bowl of soup. Raising the bowl in the air, Lily said happily, ¡°One more bowl, please!¡±


    Pierre was struck dumb.


    Hao Ren was rendered speechless.


    After a bowl of soup down, Lily looked as if she was intoxicated.


    But the good thing was that the atmosphere at the scene became livelier than before. The peering eyes instantly became less intense as everyone seemed to start to get comfortable with each other at the dinner table. Hao Ren, Pierre, and the others began to strike up casual conversations with each other.


    Wang Kaiwen was the most talkative while his younger brother was somewhat reticent. Catherine seemed to be equally introverted, even dull. But Pierre seemed not to want to talk at the dinner table. So Wang Kaiwen was the only one talking all the time.


    Most of the time, Wang Kaiwen was praising the village that it was a paradise, its hospitality, what a fantastic place to live and whatnot.


    The brief responses of Wang Kaiwu and Catherine, however, also revealed their support of Wang Kaiwen¡¯s view.


    ¡°You are not going to leave?¡± Lily asked. By now, she was already on her third bowls. Wiping her mouth, she said to Wang Kaiwen curiously, ¡°You must have lived here for a long time.¡±


    Wang Kaiwen was stunned, but he quickly waved his hand. ¡°Why should I leave? There is everything here.¡±


    Lily, on her fourth muffin, pressed on and asked, ¡°Are you not going home?¡±


    Wang Kaiwu¡¯s brows pulled together. ¡°Go home? Maybe someday, but for now it is too good to leave.¡±


    At this time, Winston suddenly interrupted Lily. ¡°Let¡¯s forget the trifle. We should be enjoying the food now.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Let¡¯s eat!¡± Pierre echoed what Winstone said. ¡°We have a lot of time to chat later. By then I will bring you around this place.¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at Pierre with a thoughtful look. The latter, as expected, nodded subtly back at him.

 Chapter 1186 - A Cursed Land

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    A small village with a population of only a few hundred was holding a banquet past midnight. There seemed to be an unlimited supply of food and wine as the long tables continued to be filled with gourmet dishes. Hao Ren even began to suspect that the banquet would go on indefinitely, as though time flew in a circle there. However, his fear did not materialize; the feast was finally over when Lily could not help herself and dozed off.


    The banquet may have ended, but the villagers seemed not to get enough as young men and women began to gather around the bonfire in their ancient dance. Others were talking loudly while drinking the fine wine. These villagers who seemed to be quiet during the day suddenly turned to become extremely animated at night as if they had obtained some spiritual power. ¡®Animated¡¯ was the only word Hao Ren could describe these villagers.


    Catherine and the Wang Brothers had joined in the celebrations as if they were ones of them. Pierre was no exception; two village girls dragged him to the bonfire. At least he seemed to enjoy it. Hao Ren and his entourage declined the invitation of the village head and other villagers. They wanted to get back to the longhouse with the excuse that they had traveled the whole day and were now exhausted. After some negotiations, they were allowed to go.


    The longhouse was at a distance from the central square, but the noise on the square was too loud not to be ignored. The first thing upon returning to the longhouse was to conduct a body check. Other than self-perception test, the MDT had also performed a full set of health scan on everyone.


    ¡°Everything is normal,¡± the MDT said. ¡°The food you have eaten before possesses a strange magic reaction. It seems to be something spawned out of magic. But with your physique, the effect is minimal.¡±


    ¡°But this idiot has wolfed down at least food for six persons.¡± Hao Ren looked at Lily, who was snorting aloud on the low bed. ¡°She was not worried at all,¡± Hao Ren said with his face in his hand.


    Lily¡¯s powerful biological clock was in full effect. She was not expected to wake up anytime soon considering how much she had eaten. Hao Ren was rendered speechless.


    ¡°Nothing in the world could stop the husky from putting food into her mouth, except for the Emperor¡¯s Sigh you have brought back last time.¡± Vivian gave Hao Ren a sideways glance. ¡°What do you think of this place? Could it be a powerful blockade of the mysterious realm Hercules has created to evade the demon hunters¡¯ detection?¡±


    ¡°I still have no idea right now, but I can only say that this village is strange. I guess we will know the reason soon, as Pierre is still¡ª¡±


    Before Hao Ren could finish, footsteps were coming from the outside, followed by a few knocks on the door. ¡°Have you all slept yet?¡± It was Pierre asking.


    Hesperides got to her feet to open the door. Meanwhile, Vivian released a bat through the window. ¡°He comes alone. It seems that he has shaken off the villagers.¡±


    After Pierre stepped into the house, Hao Ren passed a glass of water to him. ¡°I thought you couldn¡¯t extricate yourself from their grip.¡±


    Pierre was entirely different from how he behaved at dinner. Totally unlike his calm and complacent manner earlier, Pierre looked serious and anxious. Grabbing the oak cup from Hao Ren, he hesitated even to drink it. ¡°I had better not touch these things again. This place is cursed,¡± Pierre said.


    ¡°We know something is wrong with this place,¡± Hesperides said, leaning against the door. ¡°But what is the curse about?¡±


    ¡°It is¡­¡± Pierre gave Hao Ren and Vivian a look and then pointed at Hesperides and Lily, who was snoring. ¡°Are they on your side? May I know who are they?¡±


    The spirit detective was as curious as always, no matter under what circumstances.


    ¡°Oh, you almost saw them last time.¡± Hao Ren said as he did not mind Pierre asking. ¡°This is the descendant of the Olympians, Hesperides. If you have ever studied mythology, you should know who she is. The one sleeping is, well, the lord of the northern snowfield, claiming to be the lite-version of Finrir.¡±


    Vivian was not entirely happy with the description. ¡°It would be better to compare her to a demon-hunter ancestor than lite-version of Finrir.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it but think of the premature death of the late emperor. She did die back then.¡±


    Pierre had no clue what Hao Ren and Vivian were talking about. When he first heard of Hesperides¡¯ name, he seemed to be excited. Pierre stared at the legendary nymph of the evening; his expression looked as if he had seen a living fossil. ¡°A descendant of the Olympians? Oh my god! Getting trapped here is so worth it!¡±


    ¡°All right, please stop talking about the past. I¡¯m said enough already.¡± Hesperides waved. ¡°I would prefer if you could talk about the curse you have just mentioned. Are you trapped here?¡±


    Pierre first calmed himself down. He then first asked about the mental state of Hao Ren and his teammates. ¡°Do you have any strange feelings now? Do you still want to leave this place? Can you remember how you get here?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be worried; we have strong immunity. At the very least, this magic effect would not work on us. Are you talking about the food we have eaten? No, it didn¡¯t affect us.¡±


    ¡°Not just the food,¡± Pierre said, face serious. ¡°From the moment you stepped into this place, this cursed land has started to stop you from leaving¡ªthat¡¯s the curse. You must quickly find a way to get out of here and remove the curse from the outside. The effect of the curse would only get stronger over time, by then, I¡¯m afraid you all would be affected.¡±


    While saying, Pierre suddenly hesitated to continue as he realized that those before him were supernatural beings belonging to ¡®that world.¡¯ A half-baked spirit detective like him would not be able to guess the real strength of these mysterious creatures. He started to feel his words were a little arrogant.


    Hao Ren did not mind about what Pierre said, of course. Instead, he was grateful to Pierre for giving them the heads-up. ¡°No worry. We know we can handle it. We have been to more dangerous places.¡±


    Hao Ren had wanted to say that he had bombed more dangerous places but immediately realized that the dragon queen had swayed his mind. So he choked.


    ¡°It would be good then. This cursed place has devoured countless people. I wouldn¡¯t be able to keep going if you all didn¡¯t turn up.¡±


    ¡°How long have you been trapped here?¡± Hao Ren looked at the clothes Pierre wore. ¡°Look at you. I think it must have been quite a while.¡±


    ¡°The other three persons; are they with you? Do you know their condition?¡± Vivian asked.


    ¡°Here, the deterioration of materials is not a yardstick of time,¡± Pierre said, looking down at his clothes. ¡°Some things may last longer, and some things will rot faster than those in the outside world¡ªthere is no law here. I have been here for two months, but the two Chinese with surname Wang seems to have arrived a year ago. As for Catherine¡­¡±


    Pierre paused and frowned. ¡°I have talked to her once, but this land has completely captivated her and distorted her thinking. Sometimes, she even thought that she was born and raised in this village. I have only heard her mentioned about the outside world, where she still thought that the junior Bush was the current U.S. president.¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian exchanged a lot. Hesperides said casually, ¡°That was many years ago.¡±


    ¡°Being trapped here will distort one¡¯s sense of time. Catherine thinks that she has just arrived here for a few days.¡± Pierre shrugged. ¡°If not I keep taking the potion, I would have long lost myself.¡±


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Hao Ren asked curiously.


    ¡°If not for finding the secrets of the ancient times, what else?¡± Pierre forced a smile. ¡°Spirit detective is a scavenger who follows the fragments of history. I read about this place in some ancient book fragments. The descendants of some ancient families call this place the Cursed Land. So here I am. I wanted to see if there were any relics here but got myself into this shit. I was seriously injured by an evil spirit while looking for a tower of some dark realm last year and just recovered from it a couple of months ago. Little did I expect to get into trouble again.¡±


    Vivian looked at Pierre for a while and suddenly patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Young man, listen. This job is not for you-you are too easily drawn into troubles.¡±


    Pierre was struck dumb.

 Chapter 1187 - Story

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Pierre may have been an amateur in the field of magic, where even the weakest vampire looked down on him. But when intelligence-gathering and historical-secret collection were concerned, Pierre was an expert who was just as good as Nangong Sanba. Human beings had a strong sense of curiosity, and the relatively weak physique of the spirit detective drove him to focus on intelligence-gathering. Before Pierre came to the village, he had done a lot of homework. In the two months of being trapped there, he never stopped studying the ancient books he had brought. It was during this period that he made more findings than Hao Ren could ever imagine.


    The noise in the village square was still loud as the celebration seemed to continue past midnight. The strange villagers did not seem to worry about someone fleeing the village. Probably they had some other ways to monitor the borders of the village. Hao Ren was surprised that up until now, no one came to check out the longhouse. ¡°I thought they would have monitored us very closely.¡±


    ¡°Who are they monitoring? You or me?¡± Pierre shook his head. ¡°Their modus operandi is predictable. There seems to be no loophole to get us out of here, but studying their regular routines carefully, you will find some means of escape. They generally do not watch newcomers too closely for fear that it would raise suspicion. After all, those who have just entered the village still possess a considerable degree of free will. If the villagers behaved too abnormally, it would cause a series of problems. And as you stay longer in this village, which would influence you subtly, you would begin to accept and agree with it. You would feel like not wanting to leave, and even forget where you are from, and why you are here. By then, the villagers will use the rules of the village to control you, and you will gladly accept it. At last, you would become walking dead. You think that you belong here and even born here. You would have a false memory, thinking that you grew up in this village, and are destined to die in the village. Until then, all traces of the outside world on you will be eroded. You will wear their clothes, stand in their ranks, and yes, you will become a ¡®villager,¡¯ just like the ones you have seen during the day.¡±


    ¡°You mean the villagers are trapped here?¡± Vivian was surprised.


    ¡°If my findings and conjectures are correct, that should be the case,¡± Pierre said, nodding gently. ¡°When I first came here, I found signs of ¡®transformation¡¯ on a few villagers, who had the tattoo of the King of Rock and Roll on their skin. But after a month, these tattoos were gone. They became thoroughly ¡®villagers.¡¯ The village head, Winston, probably came in this way.¡±


    ¡°It is akin to holding a candle for the devil,¡± Vivian said as she scratched her chin.


    ¡°There is only a fence outside the village.¡± Hao Ren looked outside the window. From his view, he could see the edge of the village. The tattered short fence was visible here. ¡°Have you not tried going out? In theory, the villagers are no longer able to escape, but you could have made it out.¡±


    Pierre knew what Hao Ren thought. He smiled and shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. No one can cross the fence. The other side of the fence is still the village. I have tried it many times. There is magic here. But you guys may try.¡±


    Hesperides frowned. ¡°It was still normal when I came here three hundred years ago. What has happened here?¡±


    Pierre quickly looked around carefully, as if what he was going to say would attract the evil spirit in the dark. He lowered his voice and said in a mysterious tone of voice. ¡°According to my findings, it involves an ancient family who was performing some evil witchcraft ritual.¡±


    ¡°A family? Witchcraft ritual?¡± Hesperides froze. She had long been suspecting that what happened in this place only involved Hercules and the divine artifact; it never crossed her mind that things could be so complicated. ¡°So, what did you get?¡±


    ¡°The earliest record was more than two hundred years old.¡± Pierre closed the window and lit up another oil lamp in the house as if by doing so, it would repel the dark forces in the surroundings. ¡°Back then, the village was only a small village, remote and poor, hidden in the densest part of the forest. There were no bad rumors, and the towns outside the forest had occasional contacts with the village. Later, a lonely aristocratic family moved here. This family, exiles who lost their power and status but wealth in the French Revolution, settled in a small town outside the forest. But the town residents quickly resented and was hostile to this family, which felt their lives were in danger.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Vivian chimed in.


    ¡°Because of witchcraft. Even people returning from other places had terrible comments about this family. There were many such aristocrats because of the turbulent times, and life became precarious, they began to seek some less legitimate spiritual sustenance and strength. I couldn¡¯t find these records in the official historical records, but there was evidence from many secret documents. The abjected aristocrat who moved here was very addicted to witchcraft, and his family was even more addicted than other families. They were fascinated by witchcraft for a few generations. Compared to those who could only carry fake magic books and shout around a bonfire, this family had real magic know-how.


    ¡°Because of this reason, this aristocratic family, losing its power and status, was resented by the town¡¯s residents and risk being sent to the guillotine. So they could only move out of the town, resettled and built a house somewhere between the town and the forest village.¡±


    ¡°In the forest? How happy!¡± Vivian¡¯s eyebrows arched. ¡°And then what?¡±


    ¡°There have been multiple versions of what happened afterward. Some people said that the family summoned the devil out from their basement and the devil destroyed the town outside the forest and cursed the village in the forest, while some said the family patriarch was crazy about witchcraft and became a devil. But my findings are more inclined to the third version: a powerful magic item was hidden in the forest village, and the aristocrat migrating here was actually after the item. He and his family deceived a hermit in the village, stole the divine artifact from him, and tried to obtain the power of the divine artifact. The hermit, when discovering that he was deceived, came alone to demand back the divine artifact. But the aristocrat deceived him again, pretending to return the artifact, but tried to kill him with poisoned wine. At last, the hermit, weak from drinking the poisoned wine, fought with the aristocrat, who lost and killed himself by burning down his house together with all his family members and the hermit. But the hermit escaped with the help of the power of the divine artifact.¡±


    Pierre paused. Only now, his story came to a vital point. ¡°The hermit who escaped the fire returned with the divine artifact but died in the village. His anger before he died polluted the magic item. Then the magic power of the ancient times instantly leaked out and cursed the entire village. I guess what the hermit willed was to ¡®let no one take anything from this land,¡¯ but the curse had distorted his will into ¡®let no one escape this land.¡¯ That¡¯s all about my findings and speculation.¡±


    When Pierre finished, Hesperides nodded with her arms crossed. ¡°I am afraid that your guess is indeed the closest to the truth, but only one thing is unlikely¡ª the ¡®hermit¡¯ is not some ordinary humans could defeat.¡±


    Pierre was wide-eyed, realizing that these people before him might know some truths. ¡°Do you know who the hermit in the story is?¡± he asked with his eyes wide opened.


    ¡°We are here to find him,¡± said Hao Ren. ¡°He was called Hercules.¡±


    Pierre froze for a few seconds before exclaiming, ¡°Hercules, the one accepted the 12 labors in the ancient Greek mythology?¡±


    ¡°I think the 12 labors were freaking unfair. They were almost torturing. I had reflected this issue to Zeus, but there was no use; Hera was behind all these.¡±


    There was a strange look on Pierre¡¯s face when he heard, for the first time, someone was telling the ancient myth from a first-person perspective. He had not quite gotten used to it though what Hesperides said was not a bluff.


    ¡°Anyway, Hercules is indeed missing,¡± Vivian said, scratching her chin. ¡°It seems that the crux of the problem lies with the aristocrat family. They must have touched something that should not be touched, causing the power went out of control. Pierre, do you know where the family¡¯s former residence is?¡±


    ¡°Outside the village,¡± Pierre replied, pointing to a direction. ¡°It is not far from here. The forest has reclaimed the ruins of the old house, but I guess the main structure of the house should still be there. After all, it was an aristocrat¡¯s house, built with stones and ancient concrete. I know the key to lifting the curse should be there, but unfortunately, I can¡¯t get out.¡±


    ¡°We will go there,¡± Hao Ren said and stood up immediately. ¡°Space and time distortion here would not be able to stop us.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d better wait until dawn,¡± Pierre said. ¡°At that time, there will be some changes in the village.

 Chapter 1188 - Doubts

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°Changes at dawn?¡± Hao Ren became curious. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°This village does not remain active all day long. When the first ray of the dawn shines on the fence on the edge of the village, everything will instantly lose its vitality and fall into a strange state of suspended animation. I suspect that this magical land cannot continue to work perfectly, so it needs to ¡®take a break¡¯ for a few hours every day. By noon, the village will recover.¡±


    ¡°It seems that space and time distortion here will weaken after dawn,¡± Vivian said thoughtfully. ¡°By then, it should be easier to break through the enchantment and avoid triggering the alarm.¡±


    ¡°Well, after dawn, we can also wake this lass up. Otherwise, we will have to carry her out.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s caring eyes fell on Lily, who was snoring like a pig. Vivian sighed, ¡°Absent-mindedness is a blessing. I don¡¯t even know how she did it; she could eat and sleep no matter where.¡±


    Tonight, except for Lily, no one could sleep.


    Hesperides was thinking about the Olympians, which made her sleepless. Vivian was very sensitive to the strange atmosphere in the village, and also she was a nocturnal creature, so she might as well stay up all night. Meanwhile, the noise coming from the square was keeping Hao Ren awake, so he rather studied with the MDT how to communicate with the little Malevolence, and because of that, his fingers were bitten several times over.


    Pierre said that as long as they went around the routine of the villagers, they would be able to evade their monitoring. Pierre had eluded them today, and no one would come to bother him until noon the next day. So he found an empty room in the longhouse to stay for the night.


    According to Pierre, the Wang brothers, and Catherine, who stayed in the square, had been assimilated and immersed in this land. They had a problem regaining their sanity. Contacting them would only alarm the curse of the land. So the best way was to leave them alone. If they could lift the curse from the outside in time, the three might still have a chance to recover.


    The next morning, when the first ray of the morning sun shone into the village, Hao Ren could immediately feel the changes in the atmosphere.


    ¡°It seems everyone has become quiet,¡± Vivian said, listening carefully to the surroundings. ¡°And the biological vitality here is weakening.¡±


    ¡°Space and time distortion in the surroundings is easing up, confirming that some energy is declining on a wider scale.¡±


    Pierre brought Hao Ren and his teammates out of the longhouse and headed toward the center of the village. It was quiet when they arrived there.


    Everything in the surroundings seemed different.


    The old houses looked more dilapidated than before. A layer of gray covered the mottled wooden walls and roads as if colors had faded away. There was a strange odor mixed with an earthy and slightly rotten smell in the air, but the source of this odor was unknown.


    Lily rubbed her eyes and yawned. The strange odor in the air made her brows knit together. ¡°That smell is so bad!¡± she complained.


    Pierre again brought everyone to the edge of the village. They did not bump into any villagers along the way. This place was now dead, just like a grave¡ªcold and silent, it seemed. Hao Ren curiously asked, ¡°Where are the people? Have they disappeared because of the declined magic energy?¡±


    ¡°They are all in their houses,¡± Pierre said, coming to a wooden cabin on the side of the road and pushing the rotten door open.


    In the wooden house, a middle-aged villager was lying on the low bed quietly. Hao Ren went up and took a gander. The villager¡¯s skin was dry and pale, seemingly dehydrated. He had collapsed abnormally; however, he was not dead. Taking a closer look, Hao Ren found that the villager was still breathing, but his vital was weak.


    Vivian went up and touched the villager¡¯s skin. ¡°His body temperature¡¯s even lower than mine.¡±


    ¡°He is still alive, but also as good as dead,¡± Hesperides whispered. ¡°This living dead phenomenon was quite common in the realm of the Egyptian gods back then. They were good at creating living-dead corps. But this one here is not quite the same.¡±


    ¡°Everything in the village is not an illusion. Magic is keeping the houses intact while the villagers are also living humans. But the supernatural forces have distorted everything and made them exist in a strange condition.¡± Pierre shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what will happen if the curse is lifted suddenly. Perhaps without the magic, the people here will die instantly, and the village will turn into ashes.¡±


    ¡°If what you say is true, this village must have become ashes more than two hundred years ago and the thing lingering on this land is only the souls of the dead.¡± Hesperides glanced at the spirit detective. ¡°If the souls disappear, the villagers with just empty shells were only walking dead. When these people were first ¡®transformed,¡¯ they were already dead. What we have to do is to dispel the curse as soon as possible so that the remaining three persons may have a chance to survive before the village devours them altogether.¡±


    On the edge of the village, the low wooden fence still stood there acting as the boundary for the cursed land. Pierre stood in front of the fence, looking at the dark forest outside, shaking his head. ¡°Even during the weakened state of the magic, I couldn¡¯t make it out. The enchantment will not change with time.¡±


    Hao Ren reached his hand outside of the fence. This time, he felt his hand penetrating an invisible barrier.


    He did not see this barrier when he first stepped into the village.


    This barrier was repelling anything that crossed the enchantment. Hao Ren could feel the energy turbulence. The MDT started to detect rising energy readings and quickly warned, ¡°Space and time distortion is intensifying! This place is closing!¡±


    Hao Ren retracted his hand and the closure of the space and time as detected by the MDT gradually normalized.


    ¡°As expected, you can use brute force to break through the enchantment, but it will also trigger the alarm. If you stop doing so, the enchantment will normalize immediately.¡± Hao Ren turned his head around. ¡°It is like an automatic alarm system, which works according to a set of rules.¡±


    Vivian looked at Pierre and said, ¡°We can take you out, but I still think you better stay here. We have to go to the aristocrat¡¯s house to investigate the source of the curse, and that place could be a lot more dangerous than the village. If something happens, we may not be able to look after you.¡±


    ¡°I also think that I should stay here. I would only be a burden to you guys,¡± Pierre said with a smile.


    ¡°Wait for our good news,¡± Hao Ren said as he patted on Pierre¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry; we are not going to abandon you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m counting on you guys,¡± Pierre said, barely smiling this time. He then looked at Vivian. ¡°Probably I should consider your advice¡ªretire from this job.¡±


    ¡°Take this.¡± Hao Ren gave Pierre a radio which he took out from his pocket. ¡°Use this to keep in touch with us. It is simple to use.¡±


    Pierre took the radio, brows knitting together. ¡°Will the enchantment around the village interfere with the radio signal?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No worry,¡± Hao Ren said, giving Pierre a thumbs-up gesture. ¡°This radio is anti-interference. You stay here to monitor the situation in the village. While we go to remove the curse, we need to contact each other if there is anything that happens.¡±


    Pierre tucked the radio securely in his clothes as he nodded.


    After figuring out the location of the aristocrat¡¯s residence, Hao Ren and his team broke through space and time enchantment to get back out to the natural forest.


    As they crossed the enchantment, the entire village shook violently for a while. It seemed that the magic force entrenched deep inside the earth was angry as its ¡®prey¡¯ were escaping. But as they left the enchantment, everything was back to normal again.


    Getting out of the enchantment was unbelievably smooth. But Hao Ren knew that the curse of this village was not a problem for people like them. The real problem was the secret behind all this: Hercules, the divine artifact that carried the power of Vivian, and the historical truth about the curse of the village.


    Finding out these truths was the most critical task.


    Walking in the forest was still a challenge. But the air, after leaving the village, was noticeably fresher, making the trip in the woods seemed less daunting. Hesperides was leading in front. ¡°I have a gut feeling that the village is not as simple as being cursed,¡± she said casually.


    ¡°You could be right. The enchantment around the village is a deliberate setup. The purpose is apparent: people can only get in but not out.¡± Vivian said. ¡°It is more like a cage than a curse.¡±


    ¡°A cage is to keep things in,¡± said Hao Ren. ¡°If someone deliberately creates the enchantment, then this person must be worried about something would escape from the village. I¡¯m afraid that the people trapped inside the village are just collateral damage.¡±


    At this time, Lily had wholly woken up. Hearing the conversation between Hao Ren and Vivian, she cut in. ¡°Isn¡¯t this cage too shabby? People like us could walk in and out at our will.¡±


    ¡°There are only two explanations: either that the cage is shoddy, or that it has been broken and what remains is only a less-than-effective shell,¡± Hao Ren said after thinking for a moment.


    Hesperides suddenly interrupted Hao Ren. ¡°It looks like we have arrived.¡±

 Chapter 1189 - Ghost in the Old Mansion

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    If there such a place had not existed, no one would believe that there was a massive mansion in the forest. While the old mansion had become a ruin, eroded by the weather for over 200 years. Looking at the remaining structure, Hao Ren could still see how splendid and gorgeous the mansion was in the past.


    It was hard to make out what the rich were thinking when they built such a mansion in the forest.


    The mansion ruins were on a hill less than five kilometers northeast of the village¡ªa surprisingly short distance. The old mansion had one main building and two annexes. The two outbuildings had collapsed entirely, and the main building had only its east side intact. Surprisingly, there was a tower, well preserved and looked sturdy, behind the main building. It was hard to understand why the owner had built such a tower, which was much robust than the main building. Hao Ren could not help but take a closer look at the tower.


    The tower was the tallest building here. If there were no trees around the village, one would be able to overlook the entire village when standing on the tower.


    ¡°No matter how grandiose it used to be, it has become a ruin in the end,¡± Vivian lamented and shook her head while looking at the ruins covered in vines and shrubs. ¡°I am not sure if we can find anything here.¡±


    Hao Ren took the MDT out. ¡°Scan the surroundings to see if there are any space and time distortions here.¡±


    The MDT hovered over the ruins, using its light beam to scan the two annexes, the main building, and then the tower at the back. ¡°I have detected weak magic energy, but there is no space and time distortion. Probably after 200 years of dissipation, the residual energy is just too weak.¡±


    Reaching into the dimensional pocket, Hao Ren took out the Godslayer, whose voice immediately sounded in his mind. ¡°Ahh, I can see the sky again, but I am not excited about it. Every time someone picked me up, I would become a weapon that killed. Why am I born into a weapon? Oh, sword-bearer, when would you begin to understand that violence is not the only¡ª¡±


    Hao Ren wielded the sword to cut vines and bushes in front. ¡°Shut up, I just want to cut the shrubs,¡± Hao Ren snorted.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Once the murder weapon that killed the goddess, the Godslayer had now become a weeding tool. Had the deicides known about it, they would be shaking their heads in disbelief. But the only feeling Hao Ren was having now was that the sword was a damn good cutting tool¡ªhe had quickly cleared a path through the bushes and came before the old mansion.


    There was nothing left in the part of the building that had collapsed. Two hundred years of decay and erosion would turn any exquisite decoration and high-end furniture into fertilizer for the forest. Lying among the piles of bricks and tiles were fragments of expensive porcelain and metal garniture. There was nothing to see in the collapsed outbuildings on both sides, but Hao Ren had released two autonomous robots from his dimensional pocket. The robots would check for possible remaining magic items and hidden traps in the outbuilding ruins while he came to the front of the main building.


    The wall on the west of the main building had collapsed entirely. The stairs and floor, on the verge of collapse, were still hanging in the air. Hao Ren was curious as to how these things could remain there for two centuries under the sun. If it was not that the owner had built the mansion with expensive and solid materials, then only the power of magic could hold the structure together.


    A faint voice suddenly came from nowhere. ¡°Get out. You don¡¯t belong here.¡±


    The voice seemed to come from the abyss of the earth. It sounded like a hollow echo with a chill that caused goosebumps to rise all over the skin of Hao Ren, who instinctively stopped in his steps. ¡°Did you hear that?¡±


    ¡°Hear what?¡± Lily shook her head and poked her head glancing at the part of the house that remained standing. ¡°Mr. Landlord, you are getting nervous. By the way, look at the building, it seems it will collapse at any time. We had better be careful not to touch anything.¡±


    ¡°I heard someone talking,¡± Hao Ren said with his brows knit together. ¡°The voice seems to come from the underground.¡±


    ¡°Most likely ghost,¡± Vivian said. ¡°Supernatural phenomena are pretty normal in ruins.¡±


    Hao Ren froze, suddenly realizing that he should not have expected things to go according to common sense when coming to explore this haunted house with Vivian. The 10,000-year-old ancestor of the vampires would not blink an eye no however horrifying and incredible things were¡ªshe had seen enough of all of that.


    So this vampire would not react like how the ordinary people would respond.


    While Hao Ren was sighing, the faint cold voice came again. ¡°Leave! Go back from where you come from. The secret ahead is not what the living should touch.¡±


    ¡°I have also heard it this time,¡± Hesperides said. ¡°It sounds like a ghost, a woman.¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head. Since the ghost would not reveal herself, he was not going to heed the warning. He strode past a porch and came into the old mansion.


    The interior of the mansion, however, had become an open space as half of the walls had collapsed. The remaining broken walls did not help to make Hao Ren feel that he was inside the mansion.


    ¡°It seems that there has been a fire here,¡± Vivian said as she checked out the broken wooden porch and the scorched marks on the walls. ¡°It seems that Pierre¡¯s findings have gotten it all right.¡±


    The remainder of the old mansion seemed shaky. Even if Hao Ren was only walking on the rotted floorboard, it gave an illusion that he would fall under at any time. But the MDT had detected that the remaining structure was sound and sturdy. At least there was no risk of collapsing in the meantime. So Hao Ren kept walking further into the ruins while checking the debris around him. Before long, a crooked hallway appeared ahead.


    This hallway used to be the central axis of the mansion, but now one-third of it was exposed. The beautiful fabric that once hung in the corridor was now a black fragment, and some yet-disintegrating pieces were scattered on the floor. A wooden frame buried under the rubble had caught Hao Ren¡¯s eyes. It seemed to be a photo frame, but the portrait had faded entirely.


    ¡°Turn back while you still can.¡± The voice came again. ¡°You daring intruder, your curiosity will bring trouble upon yourself. A secret of taboos is buried here, which is too close to the evil forces at the other side of the boundary. You will fall into the abyss. Turn back, while you are still outside the boundary.¡±


    Hao Ren ignored the voice. He bent over to pick up the photo frame. ¡°MDT, can you restore it?¡±


    The MDT flew over and scanned the faded photo with a beam of light. Extracting and reorganizing the remaining chemical traces, the MDT used its powerful processor to reconstruct the image of which restoration seemed impossible.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± The voice of the ghost said again. ¡°Treasure? It has gone with the wind. Knowledge? The fire has burned it all. Money? There is none here. You can only find a curse and death.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on! Give me a break! If you don¡¯t want to reveal yourself, then sit back and watch quietly.¡± Hao Ren stomped his feet on the ground. ¡°If you are sincere to help, come out to meet me so we can talk.¡±


    The mysterious voice was silent for a moment before it responded. ¡°Are you not afraid? There were many intruders, but they all had run away when they reached this point.¡±


    ¡°Stop the crap. I have witnessed the life and death of tens of billions of people, recorded the rise and fall of civilizations, and ended the fate of the stars!¡± Hao Ren said with his arms crossed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to destroy the environment. Otherwise, you would have disappeared together with this place.¡±


    The mysterious voice was silent this time¡ªprobably the ghost had never seen anyone as boastful as Hao Ren, so she did not know how to react.


    The MDT flew over and said, ¡°The image is not good, but it is clear enough.¡±


    While saying, the MDT presented the restored image using a hologram.


    A noble lady wearing a gorgeous dress of two centuries ago appeared in the hologram. Standing elegantly with her hands folded on her abdomen, the golden-haired lady looked extremely graceful.


    The mysterious voice spoke again. ¡°Oh, I was so beautiful back then.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re annoying?¡±


    ¡°Ahh, I just couldn¡¯t help myself.¡±


    Hao Ren was rendered speechless.

 Chapter 1190 - Some Clues

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The scene of the abandoned aristocrat¡¯s house, a musty collapsed hallway, the whisper from the depths of the earth, and the strange, chilly wind were all present to form a perfect backdrop for the ghost. Although Hao Ren found it out of whack, walking along the corridor that could give way at any time sent a chill up his spine.


    What was even creepier was that when everyone had stepped into the old mansion, the surroundings quietly changed.


    When Hao Ren finally noticed it, the sky outside had darkened.


    The hallway was dim. As Hao Ren looked through the holes in the walls of the corridor, the clear sky of the sunny day had turned overcast as dark clouds had gathered and the skylight was no brighter than that of the dusk.


    A cold wind came from nowhere had Lily¡¯s hair rising. She instantly form-shifted into a werewolf, wielding her Frostfire Claws and scanning her surroundings. ¡°Mr. Landlord, I think things have gotten stranger. Is the ghost planning to ambush us?¡±


    ¡°She still doesn¡¯t willing to come out,¡± Vivian said as she frowned. ¡°She knows this trick won¡¯t work on us, but she is still stubbornly hiding in the dark. I have no idea what the ghost plans to do.¡±


    The sky continued to darken as the thick clouds had completely blocked off the sunlight. Ghostly shadows were moving in the forest outside the old mansion while the faint voice from the depths of the earth said again, ¡°I have no intention of hurting you or setting you a trap. But you¡¯ve already overstepped the boundary; it¡¯s too late to turn back. Good luck.¡±


    The voice of the ghost went dead after that and never came back again.


    ¡°It seems that this changing weather is not the doing of the ghost,¡± Hesperides said as she looked at the sky. ¡°The triggering of a certain secret realm must have caused this atmospherical changes. It seems that we have fallen into another mysterious realm.¡±


    ¡°I hate this. The supernatural remnants from the past are all troublesome.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s eyebrows pulled together. ¡°How about we clean this mess up once and for all by blowing this place up?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Landlord, your ¡®explosive¡¯ tendency has become more dangerous now than before. Is it that you have seen the goddess too often and been infected?¡±


    Scratching his hair in embarrassment, Hao Ren turned to walk straight deeper into the old mansion.


    Once again, after confirming that the building structure was safe, Hao Ren released another autonomous robot to check out the second floor, which might collapse at any time. He then brought others to explore on the first floor.


    The MDT floated in front of the group, using its scanning beam to check every passageway and room along the way, and digitally restoring the interior of the mansion with its high-speed processor. Times had destroyed the original appearance of the building, but as long as the MDT had the photo frame, it would be able to restore 80% of its original condition, and then project and overlay the 3-D image onto the ruins. As the group moved forward, they would be able to see the original 3-dimensional layout of the mansion within 200 meters of them.


    There were once two rows of portraits hanging on both sides of the hallway. They were men and women, dressed in aristocratic costumes, thought to be the patriarchs or family members. Precious velvet carpets, which were destroyed in the fire, had once covered the floor in the hallway. At the corner of the hallway, there used to be a table filled with silverware, which were not magic items used in rituals.


    Hao Ren slowed down and carefully observed if there were any possible clues. Suddenly, a patch of red had caught his eyes.


    ¡°Stop. Scan this spot.¡±


    He halted at the end of the corridor, pointing to a vague red mark in the corner. The edge of the red patch looked jagged¡ªa result of pixelation caused by an imprecise image rendering by the MDT. Hao Ren ordered the MDT to render the spot again. As the hologram in the surroundings faded away, the red patch on the scorched wall instantly became sharper than before.


    ¡°Hi-res rendering is in progress. Rendering completed. The red patch consists of blood.¡±


    It was a line of text, written with blood in a hurry.


    ¡°It is coming out! It is coming out. It is coming out.¡±


    It was a line of repetitive phrase, of which handwriting was shaky as if the author was in extreme fear.


    ¡°It is coming out?¡± Hao Ren repeatedly read out the phrase. ¡°What does it mean?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it means the thing trapped in the village,¡± Hesperides said. ¡°Did we not theorize it before? The village is like a cage, which probably is keeping some dangerous force inside.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, the ghost has gone silent,¡± Hao Ren said while shaking his head. ¡°MDT, can you find the position of the ghost?¡±


    The MDT sounded helpless. ¡°She is everywhere, and probably symbiotic with this land. I have detected the oscillation of her energy, but there is no source. Since she is not talking now, unless you detonate a dimensional implosive; otherwise, there is no way to force her to come out.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment. But he had refused the temptation of this attractive-sounding proposal.


    Lily suddenly raised her head, stared straight in a direction, and sniffed.


    ¡°What did you find?¡± Vivian glanced at her.


    ¡°Bone!¡± Lily¡¯s eyes brightened up as she looked at the corner of the wall. She then scurried over and started to rummage in a pile of rubble.


    Before everyone knew it, Lily had dug a charred skeleton out from the rubble.


    The husky maiden, looking at her fruit of labor, pouted, ¡°Damn it! The cake isn¡¯t worth the candle.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it; it has not completely decayed yet?¡± Vivian looked at the skeleton, the appearance of which was utterly unrecognizable. But her concern was different from that of the husky. ¡°This could be the owner of the house or the family members of the aristocrat of 200 years ago.¡±


    Hao Ren frowned as he squatted beside the skeleton. He did not have much expectation, but he still hoped to find something. To his surprise, something was pinned under the skeleton; it was a booklet, which two-thirds of it was fired-damaged.


    He carefully pulled out the booklet. The first thought that crossed his mind was of the material of the book; it looked suspicious. The booklet survived the fire, and then two centuries of a humid and warm environment in the forest!


    Upon examining the material of the booklet, Vivian quickly realized that it was not of an ordinary paper. After applying a little spell, she knew that the pamphlet was made of enchanted black goatskin.


    ¡°Ahh, the real magic book,¡± Vivian exclaimed, feeling the scorched pages of the booklet with her fingers. ¡°Other than the fire, it still survived the weather and the environment. The process of making this thing is strange. I don¡¯t remember which school of wizardry used this process to treat black goatskin.¡±


    ¡°It seems that the aristocratic family has some substance,¡± Hesperides whispered. ¡°How much can you restore?¡±


    The booklet was burnt beyond recognition, only one-third of it remained, and half of the remaining content was incomplete pictures and symbols that had lost their meaning. Despite that, the MDT had done its best to restore some of the text. As it turned out, the booklet was something that looked like a journal.


    Writing a diary with a precious magic book had Hao Ren scratching his head in confusion. Was the owner of this mansion a family of ordinary humans? He asked himself.


    The booklet started with a record of when the family first moved to this place.


    ¡°After a long journey, we finally got to this place. Trying to cover our trail to avoid getting traced by the church is difficult. But we have made the decision; there is no turning back.


    ¡°It is a place where magical energy is active. Maybe the artifact is gradually changing the environment here.


    ¡°I have found him. He is now known as Fernan, living a reclusive life in a small village in the forest. After meeting Hercules, I found that he is in terrible shape as the backlash of the power has¡­ He is struggling at the boundary; no wonder he has sent us a letter seeking help¡­¡±


    The first content of the journal was intermittent, but it contained a piece of essential information. After reading all this, everyone looked at each other. Vivian broke the silence. ¡°Pierre¡¯s findings have gotten it all wrong.¡±


    ¡°This family seemed to know the true identity of Hercules from the very beginning!¡± Hesperides could not believe what she read. ¡°They came for Hercules!¡±


    ¡°And it sounds like Hercules was the one summoned them,¡± Lily said, blinking her eyes.


    Hao Ren pointed to a sentence in the restored text. ¡°This sentence bothers me; someone seemed to be still tracking the family, who said they wanted to evade the ¡®church.¡¯¡±


    ¡°There are many churches on earth, but in the world of magic, there is only one that could strike fear in the heart of all otherwordlings.¡± Vivian exhaled. ¡°The demon-hunter organization. They are indeed related to this case.¡±


    ¡°But White Flame has never mentioned this in her report.¡± Hao Ren frowned.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s read the rest of the journal.¡±

 Chapter 1191 - Crossing the Boundary

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Not many texts could be translated from the fire-damaged booklet. Most of the contents were incoherent, thus not interpretable. But the decoded portion, though not a lot, was crucial.


    As the MDT finished interpreted the rest of the notes, Hao Ren started to piece together some of the series of events.


    Only a part of Pierre¡¯s findings tallied with the facts. The real situation was far from what the spirit detective had found.


    The journal had revealed that the family was not French aristocrats in exile, but they possessed a substantial strength. There were no records about the details, however. One thing was sure, though that the challenges the family faced did not include the element of secular forces. There was only one reason for the family to move to this place, that was Fernan, also known as Hercules, seeking their help.


    This mysterious family seemed to have known Hercules from a long time ago and knew the background of this descendant of Olympus. They also knew about the divine artifact that Hercules carried. But they seemed to have no interest in this treasure. This family was here to help Hercules suppress some dark forces that had turned its back against its master.


    Hercules had wanted the family to suppress or even kill him when he could no longer control himself.


    This dark force seemed to originate from the same divine artifact that Hercules carried.


    The MDT had reconstructed the fragmented text and projected them in the air using a hologram.


    ¡°The construction of the magic tower is going on as planned. The poor locals could not care less who they are working for, or what the meanings of the symbols and magic items are as long as they get enough money¡­ on the higher ground, one can even overlook at the village¡­ as a pillar of suppression.


    ¡°There was a loud noise¡­ Hercules came to visit during a rainy night, his body was in terrible shape, the village was¡­ should work out the worst case scenario, but Xavier became interested in the artifact and thought that he could use other methods¡­ extract its power to slow down Hercules¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°It seems that this family has built a stronghold in the forest, which is where we are now. It is a center of magic that could monitor the whole village. At the same time, the erosion of Hercules¡¯ mind was getting worse, and he was hurting the innocent. So he came to seek help. From here on, the family shifted their attention on the divine artifact in Hercules¡¯ hand. They seemed to try to manually extract the power of the divine artifact to suppress the changes in Hercules.¡± Vivian so interpreted the translated text.


    ¡°According to the typical storyline, they were cheating death. But in this situation, they are dead,¡± Lily said, scratching her chin and trying to sound poetic.


    Hao Ren pointed to the subsequently parsed text. ¡°Yes, it was clear that they encountered a problem while studying the divine artifact. Here: ¡®¡­to a dark cursed realm, outside our real world there is a boundary¡­only frenzy and noise¡¯. The latter part of the passage is not legible. But at last, they seemed to have accidentally opened a door, or some confined evil force had torn open a crack, and they could not stop all this.¡±


    The second half of the journal was like graffiti. Even if the text could be restored, many of the contents would be meaningless as the translated text would sound too crazy and obscure. But from the fragmented text, they could roughly conclude that a will of madness in the divine artifact had lured some members of this family. They were aware that once this will of madness escape, it would bring unimaginable destruction to the real world. But they decided to conceal the fact that the crack had grown larger. Eventually, things got out of control.


    ¡°¡­the last barrier of the boundary is opened, and our real world is about to be exposed to its gaze.¡± Hao Ren pointed to the last piece of text in the journal. ¡°¡­we have finally gotten a glimpse of the world on the other side of the boundary, and know that it represents the dark side of the universe, yet¡­constantly infiltrating, but there is no way to block it. The blind and frantic power is polluting this land, our foolishness has finally caused the biggest disaster¡­ to prevent more people from getting into the disaster, we have to sacrifice¡­¡±


    The last pages of the journal were missing¡ªnot destroyed by fire, but someone tore them off deliberately. It seemed that those who wrote the diary was afraid that some vital secrets would leak out, so they instead destroyed the evidence.


    Vivian was familiar with things about magic. ¡°From what I understand about the symbols on the previous pages, the last few pages were records of the specific rituals and venues where they sealed the evil power. They had foreseen that if the overzealous doomsday enthusiasts got hold of the record, they might reverse-engineer the rituals and release the sealed devil. So they had thought it wise to destroy the record. But this has also created a lot of trouble for us.¡±


    Hao Ren kept the broken journal in his dimensional pocket. He began to feel that things seemed to be unfolding somewhat unpredictably. ¡°What do you think is the ¡®evil force¡¯ they face?¡±


    ¡°The power of the divine artifact Hercules carried resembles that of Battie,¡± Lily said with her arms crossed and her tail wagging. ¡°So the evil force sealed in the divine artifact must be the Malevolence of Battie. Aren¡¯t those things a disaster for human beings?¡±


    The bottle in Hao Ren¡¯s pocket shook as a hissing sound coming from inside. ¡°Ghsssss¡ª¡±


    Hao Ren took out the bottle and shook it violently for a while. The sound of something colliding with the bottle could be heard. After a while, the little guy inside the bottle went silent.


    Now everyone had figured out that the use of force was necessary to keep the little Malevolence quiet. This little thing could not be reasoned with at all!


    ¡°I have also thought of the Malevolence,¡± Hao Ren said as he carefully opened the bottle cap, checking if the little guy was injured. She was covering her head with her hands and curling up into a ball¡ªshe was not hurt. And then Hao Ren continued. ¡°Of course it is not this noobie but the regular Malevolence of Vivian. There is something I can¡¯t quite understand though: the journal and the ghost keep mentioning the ¡®boundary¡¯ and ¡®crossing the boundary.¡¯ What that means?¡±


    Vivian thought for a moment. ¡°It sounds like another dimension or a tunnel to a different dimension. Wizards often use these ambiguous words to describe the magic realm. They frequently use words like ¡®boundary,¡±another world¡¯ to describe the supernatural world.¡±


    ¡°So, the divine artifact has opened a tunnel to a different dimension, and summoned some evil force in the alien world to Earth?¡± Hao Ren guessed. ¡°But this is different from the Malevolence we know. So far, apart from the Malevolence that we found on the planet Inferno, all others are splits of Vivian on Earth. These Malevolences are dedicated to destroying the world on earth. It seems that they do not tend to go to another world. Even if the Malevolence is in a small secret realm, the author of the journal would not use ¡®the dark side of the universe¡¯ to describe that place. It is over the top.¡±


    At this time, the little Malevolence woke up. ¡°Ghsss¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, some Malevolence tends to hide inside the mouse hole. Can this little guy be quiet even for a moment?¡±


    Vivian looked at the bottle in Hao Ren¡¯s hand. ¡°Is she hungry?¡±


    ¡°Not at all, not yet,¡± Hao Ren said as he looked at the little guy, who was jumping up and down in the bottle. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this guy today? It seems something is wrong with her.¡±


    The little Malevolence ran amok in the bottle, screaming and hitting the bottle wall. Usually, when the little Malevolence went berserk, she had a target in sight. But this time, she behaved aimlessly as if the surrounding environment had caused her falling into a frenzy. Hao Ren knew the little guy was behaving abnormally from the beginning, but no one could talk to the little Malevolence and know what was happening to her.


    Suddenly, the ghost, which went silent all this while, let out a long sigh.


    As the sigh trailed off, Hao Ren felt the ground under his feet shook, and the world around him spun.


    The remainder of the old mansion suddenly collapsed with a boom as a bolt of bright lightning struck across the cloudy sky. The violent wind raged through the forest, triggering a wail in between the old trees.


    The storm lasted for only half a minute before it gradually subsided. The collapsed mansion suddenly reconstructed itself, the fallen beams lifted back to their original positions, the broken furniture and porcelain, and the burnt portraits¡ªeverything seemed to rewind to their initial glorious appearance.


    In just a few minutes, Hao Ren found himself standing inside the magnificent aristocratic mansion, surrounded by bright lights, beautiful decoration, with a faint human voice.

 Chapter 1192 - : The Rift

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The sudden changes alarmed everyone. Hao Ren took out his plasma spear at the earliest possible moment, guarding his front. ¡°Is it a space-time shift or just an illusion?¡±


    ¡°There are no signs of brainwave interference, but I have detected a space-time distortion. It is a spatial shift,¡± The MDT said as it quickly analyzed the data of the environmental changes. ¡°But I didn¡¯t find signs of teleportation. We are still on the same coordinates.¡±


    ¡°The same coordinates?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s brows knit together. ¡°We are still in the same place?¡±


    ¡°We have probably fallen into a dimension that overlaps the real world, so the location has not changed.¡± The MDT speculated.


    ¡°Is this the meaning of the ¡®boundary¡¯ the ghost has mentioned?¡± Lily said as her ears flickered.


    Hao Ren shook his head, and his eyes fell on the end of the corridor. ¡°I have no idea. Let¡¯s go there and check it out¡ªthere seems to be someone there.¡±


    The long hallway was bright. The white walls had photo frames hanging on them. Hao Ren had seen these portraits, which fire had damaged them before. Now it seemed that everything had gone back in time, but he still could not see the face of these portraits. A haze, swirling and twisting in the frames, shrouded the pictures.


    Hao Ren looked at on the corner at the end of the hallway, which he remembered a line of bloody handwriting was there before. But now the wall was empty with only a large vase sitting under it.


    At the end of the corridor, there was a wooden door, ajar with lights leaking through, and voices coming from behind the door.


    A low male voice said, ¡°¡­the world of humankind seems to fall into chaos again. The civilians of this country are hanging the aristocrats. It is another collapse of social order.


    A young-sounding female voice followed. ¡°The humans are always in chaos, it¡¯s normal. After all, they have a short lifespan and difficulty in maintaining long-term stability in both their society and themselves.¡±


    Another young male voice said, ¡°We don¡¯t have to worry about them. The power of this world is powerless against us. I just returned from Paris, where the divisions of the church are busy hunting the werewolves, they have no time for us.¡±


    The young female voice was heard breathing a sigh of relief. ¡°It will be good then. A confrontation is always¡ª¡±


    As Hao Ren approached the door, the voices disappeared suddenly, as if they had never been there before.


    Lily squinted her eyes and took a peek behind the door before pushing it open.


    It was a spacious room filled with comfortable velvet cushions and a bright light stand, as well as an oak wine cabinet filled with drinks. It looked like a lounge, yet no one was inside.


    ¡°No one is here¡­¡± Hesperides muttered to herself. ¡°The voices could be the echoes of the past.¡±


    ¡°Judging from their tone of voice, the family living here is non-human,¡± Vivian said, recalling the voices she had heard just now.


    Before Hao Ren could say anything, another voice seemed to come toward them from the other end of the hallway, and it got closer and closer.


    It was the young male voice again. ¡°I went to see Hercules. He is still in good spirits, but nightmares troubled him greatly. News of bad things are circulating in the village; it was about the nightmares and brutal murders.¡±


    The first low male voice also spoke again. ¡°It¡¯s just the strange talk of the villagers, who mostly are confused by the wind with their dreams. We have checked the divine artifact; it is still in good condition. You shouldn¡¯t be as shallow as those human beings.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master Mohaben. But Hercules¡¯ condition doesn¡¯t look good.¡±


    ¡°I know, that time he took too much power from the divine artifact and brought that thing out. Though we have gotten rid of the shackles, he was infested. We should be responsible after all. You go and take Xavier¡­¡±


    The voices drew nearer and nearer until they drifted past Hao Ren. But there was no one in the hallway¨Conly voices.


    Everyone was calm and only thinking that the situation was a little strange. Other than Lily¡¯s tail was puffed-up, everything else was okay.


    ¡°It seems that this family is of the otherworldlings. I wonder if we can see the forest outside,¡± Vivian said as she scratched her chin thoughtfully.


    Only then Hao Ren came to his realization and quickly headed to the door.


    He gave the heavy oak door a push, and it swung open. Everyone¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground.


    Outside the mansion, a land, filled with gravel and sand, opened up before them. The forest, which used to be there, was gone. But the terrain it left behind told them that it was still the same place but only now became a desert.


    ¡°Where are the trees?¡± Lily looked around in amazement. ¡°How come the place look like the Gobi Desert?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s heterogenization,¡± Vivian said as she bent down and grabbed a handful of gray sand from the ground. The sand slipped through the gaps between her fingers, producing a rustling sound. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that this is a different dimension, everything is mutated. These sands, I have never seen anything like this on Earth.¡±


    ¡°If I am not mistaken, this house is in a spatial rift or some focus of magic, located in two overlapping dimensions. The mansion in the real world has become a ruin, but the one in the other dimension is still well-preserved. Because of the stand-still space and time, many things inside the mansion have solidified and been preserved, including those echoes from the past.¡± Hesperides, as a caretaker at the Athens¡¯ sanctuary, knew about the different phenomena of alien dimensions. She told of her analysis while feeling the surrounding magic energy with her senses. ¡°What we see now should be the projection of the forest in the other dimension.¡±


    ¡°But that is strange,¡± Vivian interjected.


    ¡°What strange?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°The earth is a place where magic energy is weak, and the dimensional structure is solid. Except for the mysterious independent realms such as Coldpath of Mythology Era, this environment rarely occurs naturally,¡± Vivian explained, ¡°unless something¡ªsuch as the divine artifact¡ªinduces breakage and overlap in this dimension.¡±


    Just as Vivian¡¯s voice trailed off, a rumbling sound suddenly came from a high altitude.


    Instinctively, Hao Ren looked up. He thought it was lightning, but he did not see anything. Only then he realized that it was an echo from the past.


    Almost immediately, Hao Ren heard footsteps coming from afar as if a person was walking toward the house. He could not see anyone, but the footsteps had come before the house, and then someone knocked hard on the oak door.


    Wet palm prints appeared on the door.


    ¡°Hercules! My gosh! What happen to you?¡±


    It was a familiar female voice. Hao Ren listened carefully only to find that it was the voice of the ghost that mumbled to him earlier.


    ¡°It¡­ it has broken through the boundary.¡± An unusually hoarse voice was heard saying. ¡°I¡­ I have dreamed of everything is burning, the dark side of the universe is about to unfold¡­ the boundary is becoming¡­ very fragile¡­¡±


    ¡°Hercules, your body¡­¡±


    ¡°The debris cut me, probably it has controlled me and made me cut myself.¡± The coarse voice sounded weak. ¡°Get ready the ritual for me. I can fix this.¡±


    At this time, a low male voice, seemingly coming from the hallway, chimed in. ¡°There was a noise in the village. What was going on in the village?¡±


    ¡°The Glenn family home has collapsed, crushed into powder by a powerful force.¡±


    ¡°That thing has entered our real world?¡±


    ¡°Part of it, but soon there will be more,¡± Hercules said, his voice was weak.


    ¡°Hathaway, take Hercules to the tower, I have to go to check out to the village.¡±


    ¡°But, Master Mohaben, your body¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯m just going to check out the situation,¡± said Mohaben, who sounded confident. ¡°Don¡¯t forget, I used to be the most powerful master demon hunter in this part of the world!¡±


    The echo of the past gradually went, and then the surroundings became quiet again.


    Hao Ren and his little buddies looked at each other, dumbfounded.


    ¡°Did I hear it correctly?¡± Lily shook her ears. ¡°My auditory sense is of four channels! It¡¯s impossible that I was having a hallucination!¡±


    Vivian turned her head and looked at the big mansion behind her with a strange expression. ¡°Yes, living in the mansion is a bunch of demon hunters!¡±

 Chapter 1193 - The Cage and the Watcher

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren was rooted to the spot. He had thought of many possibilities, but it never crossed his mind that the aristocratic family who once lived in the mansion was a group of demon hunters!


    What amazed Hao Ren, even more, was that these demon hunters had broken off with the demon-hunter organization and mingled with an otherworldling.


    Hesperides also could not believe what she heard. ¡°It¡¯s impossible! If the journal and the voices are true, then these demon hunters are defectors! It has never happened before.¡±


    ¡°Demon hunters are extremely united and loyal to their organization. Even if there is a quarrel among them, it will not turn into a defection.¡± Vivian said, shaking her head gently. ¡°At least until we lifted the bondage of the innate hostility, they never have defected, let alone bringing a group of demon hunters to help an otherworldling remnant like Hercules.¡±


    Something the echo from the past said earlier came into mind. Hao Ren said, ¡°Wait a minute, didn¡¯t we hear a demon hunter it in the mansion said that Hercules drew power from the divine artifact and freed them from the bondage? Is the bondage here the innate hostility?¡±


    It suddenly dawned on Vivian. ¡°Ahh, that¡¯s what it means. What is that divine artifact?¡±


    ¡°It possesses the power of Battie. Somehow it has lifted the innate hostility of a group of demon hunters, and sealed a bad guy inside it.¡± Lily said as she scratched her head and wagged her tail restlessly. ¡°That thing sounds weird.¡±


    Hao Ren, silent, looked up at the tower, which was still rock-solid standing in the alien dimension. It was built of stone and painted with white mortar, and had slender windows with iron-textured frames. Looking at these details and recalling the words he had just heard, Hao Ren realized that this was a magic tower.


    It was a magic tower disguised in a secular architectural design.


    ¡°The echoes we have heard so far seem to follow us,¡± Hesperides said. ¡°We heard the voices no matter where we went, and they were about the turning point of some major event.¡±


    ¡°Maybe someone deliberately set these up as a hint to us. Or it may be that any living person steps into this dimension would trigger the magic that has been preserved for hundreds of years. This phenomenon often appears in ruins,¡± Vivian said while nodding her head.


    ¡°That tower,¡± Hao Ren pointed, ¡°could be the venue of the turning point.¡±


    They quickly found the way to the tower. Walking on the path between the main building and an annex, they came to the back of the mansion, where it could be a small garden, but the flower beds and stone pots had only gray sand and semi-crystalline substance in them. The tower was right at the end of this little garden.


    Lily took up her courage and strode toward the tower. Suddenly, she heard a fierce quarrel in the air.


    A stately male voice said, ¡°That¡¯s enough, Sivir! Your research has become more and more dangerous. If you still keep doing it, sooner or later, you will step into the darkness on the other side.¡±


    Then came the young female voice. ¡°I know what I am doing, Master Mohabben. I respect your knowledge, but despise your cowardice¡ªhave you not seen the wonderful sight on the other side? It is not empty in the darkness, except¡ª¡±


    ¡°Except madness, what do you want to find?¡± Mohabben¡¯s voice became louder than before. ¡°You should have heard your mentor say countless times before you complete your first test of adulthood. There are many mysteries in this world, but the mortals could understand not every mystery. Some secrets are the twisted world of taboos, and some lead to the dark side of the universe. You are now standing only a step away from the dark side of the universe! From now on, you must no meet Hercules anymore, and you are not allowed to touch that divine artifact again. I want to forever¡ª¡±


    The voices came to an abrupt end.


    Hao Ren looked at Hesperides. ¡°It seems just like what you said, as soon as we come to a spot where a major event has occurred before, we will trigger the space-time memory here.¡±


    Lily came before the tower, sniffling to confirm that there was nothing suspicious in it, she then pushed open the door, which looked heavy-looking, oak-iron bars door.


    As soon as the door swung open, Hao Ren seemed to hear voices, trivial whispers, intermittent quarrels, and casual chats, as if there were hundreds of invisible people hiding nearby whispering while pointing in his direction. These interweaving whispers were so vague that he could not hear any meaningful things.


    It was not until a dozen seconds later that these whispers gradually faded away except a sporadic sound coming from the vicinity. Looking at the dark entrance of the magic tower, these whispers that came from nowhere sounded creepy.


    ¡°This place is a focus of magic,¡± Hesperides said as she had also heard the voices, but she sounded more professional. ¡°so a lot more voices have been recorded.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. Leading the way, Lily and him stepped into the tower, and those whispers followed them.


    The interior of the tower was surprisingly simple ¨C perhaps Hao Ren had explored too many ruins and seen more prominent magic towers like the Netherrealm Clock Tower, he had almost forgotten how a regular tower should look like. There was virtually no decoration or room inside the tower, only a spiral wooden staircase extending up along the curved wall. Other than a few protruding platforms in the middle section of the tower and the floor at the top, there was nothing in between.


    Standing at the bottom, Hao Ren saw many wooden shelves, filled with unknown drug bottles, silver ritual utensils, and scrolls and books from unknown ages. Perhaps due to heterogenization, all these things appeared twisted and misaligned, glass bottles were deformed, ritual utensils glowing in an abnormal luster, and books and scrolls were blank.


    When they stepped onto the stairs, everyone heard the voices from the past, which sounded severely distorted and full of interference. Now, they could no longer identify who was who in the whispers.


    ¡°It finally began to enter the real world¡­ Our measures did not work well; it is impossible to contain the power of the divine artifact. It is beyond our understanding.¡±


    ¡°So we can only build a prison¡­¡±


    ¡°In the end, we still have to depend on Sivir¡¯s findings. Her research might have broken the boundary prematurely, but she found the possibility.¡±


    ¡°Can Sivir still come back?¡±


    ¡°I only found her research notes and the scene of the ritual, which was badly destroyed. She has probably fallen into the other side of the boundary. Once in the dark side of the universe, no mortal can escape. We have lost a very promising demon hunter; she is the best researcher I have ever seen. Had she stayed in Coldpath, she could have become a scholar in the library of the Netherrealm Clock Tower. But she has come out with us, and her impatience has killed her.¡±


    ¡± I am also a dying man. But you are different, buddy, this burden will fall on you and Hathaway. You have to keep going.¡±


    ¡°Hercules will be there with us, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    As the voices faded away, and they had come to the end of the spiral staircase.


    ¡°They must have held some ritual upstairs,¡± Vivian said, looking up. ¡°They have created the enchantment in the village.¡±


    At the end of the stairs, Hao Ren held the wooden handrail and poked his head peeking the top of the tower. ¡°Huh?¡± he whispered.


    The top floor of the tower was a circular room with a large number of shelves and desks. The four narrow windows were symmetrically distributed on the curved outer wall, and behind one of the windows, a white-haired man was sitting on a chair.


    The white-haired man sat with his back facing the stairs, so Hao Ren could not see his face. But Hao Ren could see the man was wearing a demon-hunter suit with a sacred silver sword placed across his tighs with half of the sword sticking out on one side.


    ¡°Someone is there?¡± Lily followed closely behind Hao Ren. Seeing the man, she could not help but exclaim quietly.


    ¡°Hey Doggie, your tail is hitting my face. What¡¯s going on up there?¡±


    ¡°May I¡­¡± Hao Ren strode toward the old man sitting at the window, but the old man did not respond.


    From here, Hao Ren could see the appearance of the man, who was an old demon hunter, whose face still exuded a hint of his heroic past. But now, this demon hunter was in his advanced age, slouching on the chair. His eyes were half-closed. The old demon hunter was seemingly still alive.


    Hao Ren reached out his hand. Just as his hand was about to touch the shoulder of the old demon hunter, a faint female voice said from not far, ¡°Don¡¯t disturb the Watcher.¡±

 Chapter 1194 - Hathaway

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    They had heard the female voice, which was hollow and ethereal, more than once. Hao Ren turned around. A woman was standing less than five meters away from him, wearing a long white dress. It was the kind of costume that upper-class women commonly wore two centuries ago. She had light brown curly hair, which she tied into a bun with two angel wings hanging down from behind her ears to her chest. Undoubtedly, the woman looked elegant and dignified with an aristocratic temperament, just as Hao Ren had seen in the portrait.


    For a moment, Hao Ren¡¯s gaze stayed on the woman, whose body¡¯s edges were dithering slightly and translucent. Based on the information he had mastered, she was a ghost.


    She was also undoubtedly the ghost that had warned them repeatedly.


    ¡°Here you are. You finally show up!¡± Hao Ren looked at the woman not far away. ¡°I thought you will continue to watch from the sidelines.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re mistaken. It¡¯s not that I finally show up, but you finally show up at my place.¡± The female ghost said coldly; she had an ethereal voice. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to come this far. Few could reach this dimension. Who are you guys?¡±


    Hao Ren could not help but think of the little Malevolence in the bottle. It was only after the restlessness of the little Malevolence that the dimension started to deflect, and he and this team were able to enter this other realm. It is difficult to explain how a noobie possessed that ability, but what happened surely had something to do with the little guy.


    Hao Ren could not explain this thing to the ghost, though. ¡°We have our means,¡± he said.


    The female ghost seemed to have no interest in this subject. Looking curiously at Hao Ren, she asked, ¡°Why are you here? I can feel that you have a strong sense of mission; not for treasure, not for the knowledge of magic, and not for the sake of curiosity. Many had come before, but they were invariably after these three things. So what¡¯s yours?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re here for Hercules.¡± Hesperides stepped forward. ¡°We are looking for the divine artifact that he has taken.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, the worst of all the bad answers,¡± the ghost sighed. ¡°You are looking for the most dangerous thing. I couldn¡¯t believe that there are still people chasing after it¡ª¡±


    Hao Ren waved his hand, interrupting the ghost. ¡°Wait a minute. You had better not to rush to the conclusion but first understand who we are. The one who was speaking just now was one of the survivors from the Olympian family, Hesperides.¡±


    ¡°A descendant of the Olympians?¡± There was finally an expression on the ghost¡¯s face. ¡°Why? Why has the survivor of the fallen Olympus suddenly come for Hercules and the divine artifact?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not me, but my friend.¡± Hesperides pointed at Vivian. ¡°Do you know who she is?¡±


    The ghost looked at Vivian for a while and then shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know her. Even if I have known her before, I cannot recall now. Ahh, I have been dead for more than two centuries, and there are not many things I could remember now.¡±


    ¡°Vivian Ancestor, the oldest otherworldling; you should have some impression by now,¡± Vivian said faintly with a vibe of the elder. ¡°The divine artifact, I suspect, has stolen my part of my power. I found out this from the records of the demon hunters and traced it until here. But now it seems that this thing is far more complicated than I have imagined.¡±


    ¡°The Countess of the Crimson Moon?¡± The ghost indeed remembered this ostentatious epithet. ¡°Did you say that you found the record from the demon-hunters¡¯ files? How is that possible? That information should be in Coldpath.¡±


    Hao Ren cleared her throat and said, ¡°We have gone to Coldpath multiple times. The outside world has undergone great changes. The war between the demon hunters and the otherworldlings has just ended. We have found the root cause of innate hostility and killing instinct and completely removed this curse. Ahh, this is not the right time to talk about this. If you would like to know more, we can explain it slowly later. Now, please tell us about this place.¡±


    ¡°Why not you tell me the changes outside.¡± The ghost suddenly floated up to less than a meter from Hao Ren; her face was as cold as a frost. ¡°What you said sounds like a fantasy to me, which makes me even more suspicious of you guys. You are after a dangerous secret. I have no idea if you have a death wish, or are too confident. But convince me to believe in you!¡±


    The stubbornness and moodiness of the ghost were well known. Hao Ren knew that if he wanted to figure things out here, he must gain the trust of this ghost, so he did not shirk. After letting out a sigh, he began to explain who they were, and the situation between the demon hunters and the otherworldlings. In his clarification, he especially emphasized on his adventures in Coldpath, which lent another layer of credibility to his words.


    Of course, he did not divulge the secrets that outsiders should not have known.


    It took him an hour to expound their background as the ghost frequently interrupted him with questions. When Hao Ren talked about the establishment of the Shadow Council and the rebuilding of Coldpath, the spirit became quiet at last.


    ¡°This is hard to swallow.¡± The ghost sighed in a whisper. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have believed that the killing instinct is a removable shackle if not having experienced it personally. But your understanding of Coldpath is impossible to fake, just as the scene in the Netherrealm Clock Tower. I am willing to believe you¡ª50 % maybe.¡±


    Hao Ren breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that 50% was an outstanding achievement already. He did not even mention about the First Sage accidentally reincarnating into the husky, and the vampire ancestor was the Thirteenth Sage. Had Hao Ren told the ghost about these, he would even have a harder time doing the explanation. Any demon hunters in their right mind, who had never witnessed the Battle of Coldpath, would not believe what he said. So he had better kept mom about these matters than shooting himself in the foot.


    For this reason, he had shoved Lily back three times in a row to keep the matters under wrap. The canine maiden was too eager to interject as she could not wait to let the ghost meet Her Majesty.


    ¡°My name is Hathaway.¡± The ghost introduced herself¡ªa signal of cooperativeness. ¡°You can ask me any questions. I have a lot of time here.¡±


    Vivian became the first one to ask, ¡°Why did the demon hunters rub shoulders with the otherworldlings? The killing instinct and innate hostility of both Hercules and you all have also disappeared? Was it the effect of the divine artifact?¡±


    ¡°It seems that you are clueless about the situation of the divine artifact.¡± Hathaway looked into Vivian¡¯s eyes. Probably because Hathaway was dead that she could see things beyond what the regular and young demon hunters could saw, she appeared less nervous when facing Vivian. ¡°You only know that it possesses your strength, but not knowing that it also contains a secret far more profound than your power is. We were originally a strike team to hunt for Hercules. Twelves of us, on the west side of France, we set traps and fought Hercules, who was holding the divine artifact, for ten days and ten nights. During the battle, the innate hostility between us disappeared. Master Mohabben, who happened to have studied the killing instinct while he was inside the organization, first discovered the strange phenomenon. I think I don¡¯t need to describe it in detail. In short, we finally came to a truce with Hercules.¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly recalled what he had learned from White Flame. ¡°Ahh, now I remember. I saw your records in the files of the demon hunters. Twelve demon hunters were missing during the last hunt for Hercules. People thought that they had perished together with Hercules. Are you one of the twelves demon hunters? You guys fake your deaths?¡±


    Hathaway nodded and admitted it silently.


    Hesperides asked, ¡°As you knew that you guys would become heretics in the eyes of other demon hunters when you returned to the organization, and you were not willing to continue killing the otherworldlings when you found out that there was a problem with the killing instinct, so you chose to defect. Right?¡±


    ¡°We have not betrayed the organization,¡± Hathway treated this question rather seriously. ¡°We are just concealing our identity and using our means to seek the truth.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s not discuss this matter. The demon hunter organization of today is no longer the same as that of two centuries ago, during which the disappearance of killing instinct is a big deal.¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°Let us focus on the divine artifact. I want to know what it is, what is inside it, and what have you done to this place.¡±


    ¡°We have built a prison to hold the mad potentate from our nightmares,¡± Hathaway said as she turned her head looking through the narrow window, which faced the village. ¡°You may have seen its physical appearance in the real world. But here, this is the true face of the prison. As for the divine artifact, it is a long story. The core of that thing is not the creation of the Olympian gods. They stole it from the hand of the more ancient and more powerful existence.¡±


    Hathaway said, looking at Vivian. ¡°I¡¯m not talking about you, by the way.¡±

 Chapter 1195 - The Truth of the Curse

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    According to Hathaway, the divine artifact in Hercules¡¯ hands was only an inferior shell. The real power of the celestial object came from its core, which was not something mortals could manufacture.


    ¡°That is a wand. I think you have read about the description of the wand in other places.¡± Hathaway stood at the window and told of these ancient secrets in a gentle voice. ¡°But the wand itself is nothing but a shelf, used to bind the real core of the divine artifact, which the Olympians got from somewhere. The powerful core, an essence of the universe, could ruin the whole world. But Zeus and Athena had no idea how to control this power, so they used the dumbest way to make it into a weapon with a combination of red crystal, enchanted metal, and the core.¡±


    The mentioning of the core had aroused Hao Ren¡¯s curiosity. He could not help but ask, ¡°How does the core look like?¡±


    ¡°I have never seen it,¡± Hathaway said, shaking her head. ¡°Legend has it that those who look at it will be plagued. The thing was sealed inside the crystal on the wand. No one had ever seen how the thing looked like ever since the wand was forged. Hercules once described it as a piece of pure darkness. But that too, was what he heard from others.¡±


    ¡°Was the fighting between Hercules and you guys causing the divine artifact to get of out control and begin to devour Hercules?¡±


    Hathaway nodded. ¡°Yes, but not entirely. After the destruction of Olympus, Hercules fled with the divine artifact. He suffered many crises, mostly because the demon hunters were hunting him, during which he could only depend on the power of the divine artifact to save himself. He became to rely more and more on the wand. But the power of the wand was limited. As he drew too much strength from the wand, changes began to occur in the core. During our last battle with him, the crystal on the wand broke, and power leaked out from the core. Part of it, which was positive, removed the curse of the innate hostility between us. But the negative part of it damaged the mind of Hercules.¡±


    Hathaway paused for a moment, and then she continued. ¡°At the beginning, the devouring was not serious. But as time goes by, the power leaked out of the divine artifact seemed to have found an invisible conduit that eroded the body and spirit of Hercules continuously. We jointly studied this erosion after signing the armistice agreement and found that it did not belong to any magic power known to the world. After a period of fruitless trials and research, Hercules and we reached an agreement: he would live a life of anonymity and try his best to fight the shadows in his spiritual world while we would travel the world to find clues about this evil force.¡±


    ¡°Have you found anything?¡± Hesperides asked.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± replied Hathaway.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just throw away the divine artifact?¡± Lily scratched her head. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the leaked energy devouring Hercules? Wouldn¡¯t it work by throwing it away?¡±


    ¡°We tried. It didn¡¯t work at all. Some relationships across space and time connected Hercules and the core of the divine artifact. No matter how far we discarded the divine artifact, its energy would appear as a nightmare in Hercules¡¯ dream. So we figured that it would be better to leave the artifact with him, at least he could use it as a self-defense weapon while keeping an eye on the changes in the divine object.¡±


    ¡°Things with curses are basically like that,¡± Vivian mumbled.


    Hao Ren had already figured out the workings of it. ¡°At last, things were getting worse, but your efforts came to nothing. One day, Hercules sent you a message, saying that the situation was out of control. So you came to this place. What happened after that we had mostly learned about it. It seems that though you have not found a way to dispel the curse, you have a certain understanding of the core.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Hathaway. ¡°As the force in the divine artifact was getting more and more out of hand, the true nature of the core began to emerge, and our study became much easier as a result. Sivir is a researcher among us. She has discovered a door that could lead to a dark and horrible world. It is the dark side of the universe hidden in the depths of the real world. The reason why the divine artifact has tremendous power is that the artifact itself is a venting port of that world. No matter how great the power of the mortals is, it has no match with the power of the entire world.¡±


    That reminded Hao Ren about the Plane of Dreams.


    But it was clear that the Plane of Dreams was not as terrible as what Hathaway described. Other than a hidden hand lurking in the dark and a group of mad guardians, the Plane of Dreams was only a regular universe. How could an ordinary world have such leakage of evil forces?


    Did the crack in the core of the divine artifact lead to another world, a truly dark, chaotic universe? Or were Hathaway and her demon-hunter teammates wrong in that they did not understand the concept of the universe and the world barrier, that the dark side of the universe as they described was a slightly larger twisted dimension?


    ¡°Aside from the primitive energy, what¡¯s in the dark side of the universe?¡± Vivian asked, her brows knit together while her voice sounded serious.


    ¡°There is also a frenzied will, an evil force indescribable in the real world, without any reason in trying to devour the whole world.¡± Hathaway could not help herself as her body started to quiver. She had mental trauma. Even after experiencing life and death, and even she had been guarding this place for two hundred years, she still could not calm herself down. ¡°You can¡¯t fight that thing! Even just knowing its existence will make you lose your mind. Sivir is an example: when getting too involved in the research and fascinated by the darkness on the other side of the boundary, she secretly opened a passage to send herself to the boundary and lost her life. Not only that, her action had alerted the monster in the dark about the existence of the real world, leading to the gradual opening of the boundary.¡±


    Hao Ren quickly interrupted Hathaway before her emotion became overly turbulent. ¡°So you all finally built this prison?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we built this place,¡± Hathaway said. She looked visibly stunned before pointing outside the window. ¡°It¡¯s ironic. We built this place with the power of the divine artifact, which could tear the barrier apart and reshape dimensions. With this, we were able to divide the real world into two. In this parallel universe, we have built a huge cage around Hercules, isolating him and the divine artifact from the real world, so that the boundary would not be able to expand. We have also built a monitoring center to keep an eye on the cage. For this effort, Hercules became the weight of the seal, keeping the artifact in the cage, and nine of our teammates sacrificed themselves to start the ritual. After that, Master Mohabben and I became the watchers in this tower. For two hundred years, Master Mohabben has been sitting in this place watching the inside of the cage while I watch the outside.¡±


    Hathaway¡¯s eyes fell on the old man at the window. The demon hunter was still alive but looked like a dead man. Hathaway, standing beside him, always looked as if she was alive, but in reality, she was dead.


    ¡°You have built a prison in the parallel universe, but the real world is feeling the impact,¡± Hesperides said. ¡°The village¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Hathaway said and nodded gently. ¡°We had a workforce shortage. As the seal was not perfect, the thing had spread out from the boundary. At the end of the ritual, things went wrong. The escaped negative forces drove a few of my teammates in the ritual crazy. Reinhardt burned the ritual site in the real world during which, as Mohabben and I had entered this parallel universe, we could do nothing about the real world already. At last, we could only make some sacrifices; the two of us had to complete the final part of the ritual here. The price we have paid is apparent: I am dead, becoming a ghost; Master Mohabben has aged overnight; and the escaped negative forces have entrenched in the real world, turning the village into a cursed land.¡±


    This was the truth of the whole event.


    At this moment, a sound in the pocket interrupted the thoughts of Hao Ren. ¡°Ghsss¡ª¡±


    Hathaway curiously looked at Hao Reny¡¯s pocket. ¡°What did you bring?¡±


    Hao Ren took the bottle out of his coat. The little Malevolence started to went hysterical.


    This little guy seemed to be desperately trying to say something. Or maybe she was in a state of heightened excitement. Considering that she had no intellect, the first situation was unlikely.


    Hao Ren remembered that when the little guy went hysterical last time, it was when they fell into another dimension. So this time, he was especially mindful.


    At about the same time, a boom suddenly came from the village!

 Chapter 1196 - The Swelling Darkness

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The rumble from the village was like a peal of rolling thunder and the surging of boiling magma underground. The noise, mixed with an unknown tremor, instantly alarmed Hathaway.


    ¡°The seal!¡± Hathaway dashed to the window. ¡°How could this be?¡±


    Hao Ren followed quickly. Looking through the slender window, he could indeed see the entire village. But in this parallel universe, the location of the village was a circle of huge boulders, which surrounded a seemingly bottomless pit. Hao Ren could not see what was in the pit. But a beam of light, dark-red, was spurting out of the pit into the sky above, disturbing the thick clouds over the hole.


    Master Mohabben, who was sitting on the chair like a living dead, suddenly got to his feet. As he stood up, his bones squeaked as if they were going to fall apart. The old demon hunter raised his right hand, pointed in the direction of the village, and croaked, ¡°The boundary has already opened¡­¡±


    As his voice trailed off, the old demon hunter suddenly burst into flame, the silvery-white glow of which was even brighter than what Hao Ren had seen on White Flame, the female demon hunter. This burning flame of life quickly rose to the top of the tower, spreading through the magic metal on the tower. The tower burned into a torch with a ray of light shone from the top of the tower into the sky, reaching the atmosphere, rivaling the dark-red light column from the pit.


    ¡°The master is burning the energy of life of himself and those left behind by the other nine demon hunters,¡± Hathaway said as she took out a pair of crossbow nowhere. Looking at Hao Ren, she said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you want to solve the problem here? Here you go. I want to see if you mean what you say!¡±


    Everyone rushed down the tower and headed in the direction of the village. After leaving the hill, Hao Ren suddenly looked back and saw the tower had turned into a translucent crystal in the sacred flame. The torch-like glow was illuminating the clouds above. He seemed to see the face of the old demon hunter with all his vicissitudes, and his sunken eyes were looking through the flame at the direction of the cage.


    ¡°Lily!¡± Hao Ren patted Lily on her shoulder. ¡°Eat Spicy Sticks!¡±


    A moment later, a five-meter tall giant husky stood proudly in the desert of gravel and sand, howling loudly. Hathaway was stunned. But before she knew what happened, Hao Ren had pulled her up onto the back of Lily¡¯s head. ¡°Stop looking. Just treat her as a werewolf. Lily, drive!¡±


    The giant dog ran in the desert, kicking up dust in the air. On the dog¡¯s head, Hao Ren turned his head and asked Hathaway, ¡°What is going on? Has the seal failed?¡±


    The wind from the speeding did not bother Hathaway a bit, not even her hair; she was a ghost after all. Couching in the fur of the giant husky, Hathaway sounded nervous when she said, ¡°I have no idea. The thing just broke out all of a sudden. The seal has never failed before. It all comes without warning!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know whether I should tell you; but things seem only to go wrong after we arrived,¡± Hao Ren said, turning his head and glancing at Vivian. ¡°I still think that the celestial object has some connection with you. Could it be that the thing only wakes up because of your presence?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible,¡± Vivian replied, her face gloomy. In her hand was the bottle, in which the manic Malevolence was still jumping up and down hysterically. ¡°I can feel disgusting energy in front. It¡¯s strong and full of anger.¡±


    Lily seemed to have something to say. ¡°Woof! Woof! Hack, hack, hack¡­¡±


    The movement of the husky maiden also jolted Hao Ren off her nose. Hao Ren patted her. ¡°Concentrate running, don¡¯t chime in. You couldn¡¯t even speak like a human when you were in human form.¡±


    The distance might seem far, but with Lily¡¯s running speed, it took only a while before arriving at the prison.


    In the real world, the place was a dense forest with a village in the middle of it. But in the parallel universe, except the old mansion and the terrain, nothing here resembled the real world. In place of the village was a large pit surrounded by a ring of boulders, where bright sparks were dancing. The hole shaped like a funnel with rings of harden structure that lined all the way down the wall before disappearing into the darkness at the bottom.


    Supernatural power was lying in the pit apparently, as Hao Ren could only see less than 100 meters down as the darkness blocked his view. It was an unusual optical phenomenon. At the base of the dark-red light were rings of transparent ripples. On the walls of the pit, runes flashing in a silvery white light went off one after another as the darkness was swallowing them up.


    These runes represented the powers of Master Mohabben and the nine demon hunters, who had sacrificed themselves.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going down there. Absolutely not!¡± Hesperides shook her head as he glanced down at the pit. ¡°I¡¯m dead sure nothing good is down there.¡±


    Lily poked her head and looked down. Her hair puffed up instantly. She quickly took several steps back with her tail between her leg, covering her head with her claws. She froze.


    The dark-red light from the darkness had a raging and negative energy. It required a great deal of courage to look at it. Even Hao Ren was horrified standing before this thing, let alone Lily.


    But Hao Ren knew he must not flinch, because he could see the red light column was hitting the boundary of this alien dimension. The evil guy wanted to go to the real world. If it crossed the border, it would dash his hope of getting his year-end bonus, Hao Ren thought.


    He forced himself to calm down and then began to rummage in this dimension pocket, which contained weapons of various damage classes.


    While he was still undecided which weapon to pick, Vivian suddenly said, ¡°It looks like we don¡¯t have to go down, something is coming out!¡±


    Emerging from the chaos of darkness was groups of shadows. As if ghosts crawling out of the guck, the shadows formed into humanoid-like creatures.


    These dark creatures crawled in the darkness and screamed like beasts. They came out in groups like surging waves. These humanoid figures spread out from the pit into all directions with a large part of them toward the direction of Hao Ren.


    Undoubtedly, the dark force had locked Hao Ren and his teammates as targets.


    ¡°What the hell is this?¡± Hesperides shouted as a sizzling heat was rising within her. She fired something glowing in amber from her hand and burned the black humanoid, which fell by the hundreds but got back up by the thousands. ¡°Are these embodiments of the evil force?¡±


    ¡°No, they are just scouts,¡± Hathaway said as she raised her crossbows and fired two shots of sacred silver bolts, shattering two dark humanoids. Incredibly, Hathaway still could control this sacred power in her ghost body. ¡°They are creatures crawling out from the other side of the boundary. Invisible and formless, but they could imitate and evolve into humanoid form when coming into the real world. You don¡¯t have to hold back when it comes to killing them. Otherwise, they will overflow into the world.¡±


    Vivian summoned a massive swarm of bats to attack the humanoids. ¡°I thought they were just the humans the village had swallowed in the past two centuries.¡±


    ¡°Look at the number, do you still think so?¡± Hao Ren said, looking at the swelling hell of darkness. ¡°They are more than enough to form a first-tier city, it seems.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an overestimation,¡± the MDT snorted. ¡°I think they are a second-tier city at most.¡±


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The continuous explosions broke out in the middle of the black tide of humanoids. Hao Ren had taken out a large bag of Plasma Grenades and was throwing them at the enemy. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how many of them; Xi Ling humanitarianism specializes in subduing recalcitrant,¡± Hao Ren chanted.


    Hathaway, looking at Hao Ren who was throwing explosives like a bomb madman, shocked beyond word. ¡°What has happened to the world outside?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t take him as a benchmark,¡± Vivian shouted. ¡°He is an oddball. Doggie, when are you going to stop quaking? Come and fight the little monsters!¡±


    A melee started to unfold in the desert.

 Chapter 1197 - One Shot Just Isn’t Good Enough

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    *Boom! Boom!*


    The loud explosions echoed throughout the air while the mad screams of the dark army rose in the desert. An indescribably strange battle was unfolding.


    There were too many monsters emerging from the darkness; there were no words to describe their sheer number.


    Hathaway had no way to know the extent of damage of the seal at the bottom of the cage, but she suspected that the entire system had collapsed. The black tide had overwhelmed the silver-white runes in the pit, leaving only a small of them still struggled to shine under the onslaught of the dark army. Meanwhile, monsters from the other side of the boundary were multiplying in number and strength.


    The black tide spewing out of the rift flooded the entire desert with dark humanoids, which would lunge at anything that attracted their attention. When looking from above, this black tide looked like a patch of dirty oil oozing out from the hole and flowing into all directions rapidly. It polluted the land, filled up the ravine, and swallowed up the hills, just as Hathaway described it.


    On the other side of the boundary is the dark side of the universe, from which an endless evil force comes!


    Hao Ren and his team were retreating to a place two kilometers away from the cage. They did not foresee the number and strength of the enemy could swell so rapidly and wildly. Their initial attack was not good enough to close the rift or force the things back to the boundary. They had run out of place to stand before they knew it.


    The speed at which things transpired was beyond their imagination and caught everyone by surprise.


    ¡°Too many of them!¡± Vivian had launched into the air, shooting down forked lightning bolts from the air. Meanwhile, she had also summoned her blood mist to form into a storm, smashing every enemy in the vicinity. But they were quickly being cornered and having nowhere to run. ¡°We have to think of a way quickly!¡±


    Hathaway silently struck the attackers with crossbows and sacred flame before her. She looked as calm as a mill pond without a hint of nervousness on her face. But her eyes seemed to show that she had accepted her fate as if today was her last day and she was preparing to perish with her enemy¡ªeven though she had died two centuries ago.


    ¡°So this is it?¡± Hesperides quavered. A fire was still burning inside her. Her Solarflare spell could still inflict significant damage, but it was draining her. She was approaching the limit of her strength. ¡°That¡¯s it. That¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so discouraged,¡± Vivian yelled in the air, interrupted Hesperides and woke up Hathaway too. ¡°I have met worse situation than this¡ªHao Ren could figure it out!¡±


    A dozen autonomous robots were flying around Hao Ren. Those things were not war machines, but their laser beam was still a formidable weapon, especially against the ordinary enemy. The psionic shield allowed the worker robots to have a higher chance of survival in the battlefields. With the help of these autonomous robots, Hao Ren was the only person here who still had time to think of countermeasures and issuing command. He looked into the distance, past the black tide. A dark-red light column was tearing the sky open, and the funnel-shaped cave had become an evil lair, from where the enemy was coming.


    ¡°Hang on, guys! Hold the line!¡± Hao Ren shouted. ¡°I am prepping a WMD!¡±


    Hesperides and Hathaway had no idea what WMD meant, but Vivian was relieved hearing that. She summoned all the bats she ever had and shouted, ¡°You better hurry!¡±


    Vivian flew to a higher altitude to get a bird¡¯s eye view of the battlefield. A white shadow suddenly caught her attention. She zoomed in at it and muttered in horror, ¡°That idiot has finally at it!¡±


    ¡°Woof-woof¡ª¡± The howl resounded throughout the earth. The five-meter giant wolf became the most eye-catching unit on the ground. At first, Lily was a timid dog when she saw the horrifying black tide, but she quickly got into gear and possessed an extraordinary combat power¡ªall these were mostly the results of fear. The black humanoids were violent, but they were not invulnerable. Lily could easily smash a bunch of them into pieces with just one blow, and the green storm around her was as powerful as a sharp blade.


    The giant white wolf was fighting on the ground. Occasionally, some monsters were able to sneak past the lethal barriers of her sharp claws and green storm, but she had another trick awaiting them. With her hair puffed up, she rolled on the ground and crushed any enemies that slipped through the net.


    Vivian figured that the husky must be scared the wit out of her and not knowing what she was doing. But on thing Vivian had to admit: a mad dog was anytime stronger than a normal one. So she again figured that probably she could give Lily a shot of amphetamine before combat next time.


    Meanwhile, Hao Ren was talking with the MDT in his mind.


    ¡°How is the decoding process?¡±


    ¡°80%, buddy!¡± the MDT replied. It was humming and flashing in blue light. ¡°Here is a seriously twisted alien dimension. It is not easy for the spacecraft to enter.¡±


    ¡°Get it done quickly,¡± Hao Ren frowned and looked at the beam of light in the distance. ¡°I have a bad feeling; things would become unmanageable once that thing breaks into the real world.¡±


    The dark-red light beam was expanding rapidly.


    The boundary had become extremely fragile, and the evil force was lurking in the darkness was pulling itself out of the cage, bit by bit. It was reaching out its tentacle to the material world and was about to touch the edge of the real world.


    A rumble came from the direction of the light column. Vivian could see clearly from the air what happened on the ground. The funnel-shaped cave suddenly cracked, and the last silver rune in the cave had gone off. As the cave broke open, the power of the dark-red beam suddenly increased by nearly two folds.


    Vivian felt detestable energy coming her way.


    It was an unexplainable experience. Never had Vivian felt so detestable about something. But, when the energy appeared, an uncontrollable hostility rose from within her. She was almost unable to control her impulse of wanting to lunge out at it.


    But she still managed to calm down, because Hao Ren needed her to hold down the fort.


    At last long, the MDT shouted, ¡°Decoding is complete. The beacon is ready to use.¡±


    Hao Ren quickly took out a silvery-white metal rod, which was a guiding beacon for his spacecraft. It enabled the spacecraft to reach the summoned destination no matter how remote or unstable the surroundings were. Hao Ren tossed the beacon into the air. The beacon stabilized and moved steadily in the air before its fuselage opened, revealing the blue crystal structure inside.


    The beacon unfolded itself. Its antenna fired a beam of light into the sky, opening up a rift in the shape of a whirlpool. Hesperides and Hathaway looked up in horror as they sensed terrifying energy was surging in the rift.


    ¡°The battleship has entered, flight path clear.¡± Nolan¡¯s voice sounded in the air. As the Petrachelys slowly emerged from the spatial rift, the armor panels on the nose were open. A pair of sub-cannons glowing in a blue began to emit a humming sound. The charging process was complete.


    Two beams of light were shot straight into the rift in the distance.


    Before Nolan pressed the trigger, Hao Ren had recalled all his autonomous robots and summoned an emergency shield generator. He had also dragged Lily back in while she was fighting like a mad dog on the front line. When the Petrachelys fired its sub-guns, a composite shield rose to keep everyone protected.


    A fireball, as if the sun, rose from afar. All sounds in the world seemed to have muted suddenly. It followed by the rapid expansion of the bright-white fireball before it busted like a bubble, realizing all its energy.


    The land, including the black tide, melted in an instant.


    The blast ravaged for a full minute before everything calmed down. Looking at the aftermath, Hao Ren could only see a sea of lava, and the blue crystals condensed in the lava sea before his eyes.


    Hathaway¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground looking at the silver-white spacecraft hovering in the sky.


    ¡°Is it over?¡± Hesperides was also stunned. But she knew more about Hao Ren and was able to recover from her shock quickly. ¡°It seems they are all dead.¡±


    But Vivian was still staring dead at a distance. Inside the hole where the red light column had disappeared, something had completed its transformation.


    That thing was still alive.


    ¡°Not yet over!¡±

 Chapter 1198 - Battling Hercules

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Just as Vivian¡¯s voice trailed off, a whistling sound of madness, entirely out of this world and capable of ripping the sky apart, suddenly came from afar. The seal and the cage were located in a spot covered by lava. Ripples began to form across the hot lava sea, while shadows centered on the lava lake started to spread into all directions.


    The dark-red light column appeared again. This time, it corroded the sky of the alien dimension at an even faster rate than before.


    ¡°That¡¯s not good!¡± Even Hao Ren was startled. He never thought that Nolan¡¯s bombardment would fail to kill that thing. ¡°What the hell is that? It could even survive the spacecraft¡¯s firepower, which killed the First Born!¡±


    ¡°There is only one answer: regular weapons do not work on this thing,¡± the MDT said. ¡°Or it is more powerful than the First Borns.¡±


    ¡°Nolan, prepare for the main gun!¡± Hao Ren had quickly contacted the main computer of the spacecraft. ¡°Authorize to use the main gun.¡±


    Nolan quickly reminded, ¡°The main gun utilizes high-power psionic energy, which could destroy the alien dimensional structure, and also cause a slight leakage in the main material world. Please reconfirm your command.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s expression did not look good. His mind was racing, undecided. But eventually, he nodded. ¡°Command reconfirmed. Initiate charging sequence, but do not fire¡ªOh wait, stop the charging sequence!¡±


    He stopped Nolan as he saw something unusual at the bottom of the dark-red light column.


    A giant black figure had got out from the lava and the shadows.


    At first, he thought the thing was the same humanoid like that of the black tide. But soon he realized that the figure was a real creature of the main material world, a living person¡ªused to, at least.


    Darkness covered one-third of the figure. Some sinister forces had caused this person unrecognizable. Despite the distance, Hao Ren could see the twisted figure of the person. His body had grown many spur-like features, the left half of his body was twisted and swollen, his skin cracked and hot venom¡ªnot blood¡ª oozed out from the wounds. His heart was exposed like an inflated basketball on the outside, and almost all the arteries were pulsating outside the skin.


    After the distorted creature came out from the lava and shadows, more terrible mutations started to happen in him. Some invisible force was penetrating his body, which enlarged rapidly. I just a few seconds, the creature became a giant with a height of more than ten meters. A terrifying energy surge began to come out from his body.


    When the giant completed the transformation, he turned his head and stared dead into Hao Ren¡¯s direction. There was no reason and thinking in his swollen dark eyes. He looked up and roared in madness. The lava under his feet solidified instantly and then was torn into pieces.


    Hesperides mumbled in a whisper, ¡°Hercules¡­¡±


    ¡°Look!¡± Vivian hovered in the air and could see more clearly. Something on the dark giant caught her attention. ¡°On the chest. Is that the wand?¡±


    Hao Ren squinted. He also saw something on the dark giant¡¯s chest. It was a twisted wand, inlaid in the flesh. The exposed part was dark, and a large red crystal was set on the tip. The red crystal was broken, and there seemed to some black stuff swelling inside.


    Judging from the position of the wand, it was in Hercules¡¯ chest. But now Hercules had transformed into a giant, and the wand looked like a tiny nail.


    ¡°Two centuries ago, we used a wand to nail Hercules to the seal stone at the bottom of the cage,¡± Hathaway said quickly. ¡°He volunteered it to contain the power of the divine object.¡±


    ¡°It seems that he has been completely corrupted during the two centuries,¡± Vivian said, taking a breath. ¡°Your seal is a joke!¡±


    ¡°The main gun is ready to fire,¡± Nolan said. ¡°Captain, did you want to fire?¡±


    The giant in the distance strode forward, behind him, a massive wall of black tide rose. He raised his right hand and roared. The roar had the lave retreating and the earth cracking. He used to be a hero, but now he had lost his humanity.


    Hao Ren had no idea how Hercules survived the first strike from the spacecraft, but he was sure that the main gun would destroy him into oblivion. He once read the instructions manual and knew that the primary weapon and sub-gun were utterly two different classes of firepower. However, looking at the giant, he intuitively refrained from giving the firing order.


    ¡°Do not fire.¡± Hao Ren took a step forward. ¡°Cover me.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Vivian was stunned.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think there are a lot of secrets in this giant?¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°The divine artifact, the boundary. We will not be able to know the truth of these things once we fire the gun. I have to bring back at least the celestial object.¡±


    The black giant strode angrily toward the most striking persons in the world. The dark shadows on his body squirmed and swelled, burning like a flame. The swollen side of his body did not slow him down. The black venom dripping down from his cracked skin turned into little black devils, like an army charging forward with the giants.


    This terrifying enemy staggered but moved quickly. The earth would shake with every step he took.


    The belly of the Petrachelys closed. Another ejection port opened with a dozen silver-white unmanned attack craft rushed out of the mothership and started to fire at the enemies on the ground indiscriminately.


    It was a smart decision to carry some armed drones, Hao Ren thought to himself.


    A flash of bright lightning swept across a thousand meters before splitting into dozens of smaller forked lightning, engulfing the black giant. The black giant was stunned, but only slightly. He then continued to charge forward.


    Hao Ren carried a plasma spear in one hand, and a gun in the other. Under the double cover of the drone and Vivian, he went up to meet the formidable opponent.


    The giant by itself was only one of the problems. The legion that was expanding around the giant was another headache.


    A broad swath of darkness appeared out of thin air. More monsters were emerging from the dark fissure¡ªthe boundary. It looked like the earlier black tide. Perhaps the strike from the spacecraft earlier had somewhat damaged the celestial object; the shadows did not spread as quickly as the black tide before. The monsters only gathered around the giant, and the armed drones in the sky could somewhat suppress them.


    The giant marched forward with his swelling army of shadows. In the air, the armed drones used ariel firepower to suppress the dark army. Vivian started to try to hold back the giant with her storms of lightning and bat. Amid this chaos, suddenly there was a bust of a beam of blue light¡ªHao Ren had fired his pistol.


    He figured that the firing distance was close enough. At this distance, the powerful gun was enough to cause a fatal blow to the enemy. And this was indeed the case. The shot had blown away the giant¡¯s arm, most of the shoulders, and one-third of his head.


    ¡°Woof¡ª¡±


    But, losing one-third of his head did not stop the black giant, who looked up into the sky and roared before many shadows burst out from his wounds.


    Subsequent development had Hao Ren¡¯s eyes out on stalks.


    The blown off body parts of the giant began to regenerate themselves. The flesh fell off his body was also turning into furious shadows.


    ¡°Boom! Boom! Boom!¡±


    The self-propelled artillery of the drones was cleaning up the newly generated monsters, but they did not fire a single shot at the giant. These drones had brilliant AI, which had quickly learned from Hao Ren¡¯s previous attack that attacking the giant would not kill him, but the giant would split into more new bodies.


    The Steel Membrane Shield began to lit up. Hao Ren knew the dark energy of the giant had started to attack him. He quickly withdrew to a distance, using his pistol and spear, he launched a counterattack.


    Fire another shot with a more extensive damage range to destroy the giant entirely? Or should he find the other weaknesses of the giant? Hao Ren calculated in his mind.


    But he rejected all of those ideas. His eyes finally fell on the wand on the giant¡¯s chest.


    His best solution was to separate the wand from the giant.


    But Hathaway said that the separation of the wand and Hercules would not stop the energy flow between them. But this was because Hathaway did not have more advanced isolation techniques.


    What Hathaway lacked, Hao Ren had it all.

 Chapter 1199 - Hercules

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Separating the wand from the giant was not a simple task.


    Hao Ren would find it much easier to destroy the giant together with the wand than separating them. He had enough might to do it after all. But now he wanted to get his hand on the divine artifact, and he had to give up the idea of using too much firepower.


    His hands were tied even when it came to conventional attacks because the giant would produce more shadows when attacked.


    *Boom!* Hao Ren blew away hundreds of shadowy servants before the giant with explosives. He then kept a distance away from the giant, who swung his deformed body clumsily while he roared in anger at Hao Ren. More shadowy monsters split out from the surrounding dark realm.


    The battle raged on for some time, and Hao Ren started to feel physically exhausted. But he was mentally as sharp as ever because the vague idea he had a while ago had now become clearer than ever.


    The giant was a formidable opponent. The decayed and twisted Hercules had utterly lost his senses as well as humanity. But his shadowy splits seemed otherwise. It looked like he was not producing the evil dark forces, instead, those forces imprisoned in his body only leaked out when he was wounded.


    Otherwise, the giant would have produced an army many times larger if he had indeed used self-mutilation as a weapon.


    Hao Ren did not have evidence to support his supposition, and it was almost like wishful thinking. Under normal circumstances, Hao Ren should not have placed his hope on idealism. But his instincts seemed to be behind the wheel now. He could not help believing that inside the body of darkness and distortion was still a persistent soul. Perhaps it was this very soul that maintained the shape of the giant and restricted the size of the shadowy army.


    The MDT suddenly said, ¡°Buddy, you¡¯re a demigod. Your instincts are sometimes more than just intuition.¡±


    ¡°Nolan, clear a path for me!¡± Hao Ren ordered the spacecraft in the air. He then lunged at his opponent. ¡°All drones are free to shoot anything but the wand!¡±


    Massive explosions ensued as the Petrachelys activated two rows of sentry guns on both of its sides. The sentry guns were the least powerful shipbound weapon, and technicallya speaking, the spaceship¡¯s list of equipment did not even categorize the sentry gun as a weapon¡ªthey were space-junk cleaners. Nonetheless, they were still powerful enough to be used on the battlefield. The sentry guns shattered countless shadowy servants. Even the cracks of darkness around the giant had become slightly smaller.


    Meanwhile, the armed drones and autonomous robots had begun to fire at the giant. The attack would cause nore monsters to split, but since Hao Ren had given the order, the AI did not have to hold back anymore.


    The were many wounds on the giant¡¯s body. The horrific monster, a dozen times more powerful than the First Borns, began to stagger on his feet. He roared furiously while he tried to use his hands to regain balance. It was then that Hao Ren drew near the giant¡¯s feet.


    Just as a mouse challenged an elephant, Hao Ren lunged onto the giant¡¯s body. He instantly realized he was such a small thing in front of the giant. But the thought did not bother him for long; Hao Ren had mingled often enough with Muru, the guardian giant and was used to that weird feeling. He looked up and had only one target: the wand set in the giant¡¯s chest.


    The red crystal at the tip of the wand glowed with a strange light. Inside the crystal, a dark spot like a fissure in space, revealed the energy of evil and madness. Looking at it, Hao Ren, the demigod could not stop his spiritual world from trembling momentarily.


    The closer Hao Ren got to the crystal, the weirder the energy felt. He quietly gasped in amazement. ¡°What the hell is this? Its power is similar to that of Vivian, but why does it have such a terrible vibe?¡±


    Not prepared to be a sitting duck, the giant launched his counterattack. He tried to get rid of the ¡°bug¡± on his body. His cracked skin began to release a high-temperature, high-pressure, and toxic gas. But that was only the beginning. The power of the shadows was hovering in the air, and many shadowy bolts rained down on Hao Ren, hitting him on his Steel Membrane Shield.


    While enduring the attack, Hao Ren suddenly heard the sound of fluttering wings and chirping. He looked up; a swarm of bats had appeared around him, shielding him from the attack.


    In just a few moments, he had arrrived less than three meters away from the wand.


    The wand was releasing a destructive force, causing space to crack, time to distort, and rendering the rules of matter useless. In that spot, Hao Ren finally found it familiar. He sensed the same energy he had picked up from the Great Fissure at the center of the Scarred Nebula.


    It was a phenomenon that could only be caused by a fierce clashing of the rules from two worlds.


    Of course, the magnitude of the violent energy here was not comparable to that in the Scarred Nebula. But even if the energy was a thousand times weaker, they were the same thing in essence.


    The giant seemed to have sensed the threat. Or perhaps, it was the wand that detected trouble; it quickly riled its host. Hao Ren felt a strong energy surge in the surroundings, and a red glow had covered the chest of the giant.


    It seemed a more brutal retaliation was imminent.


    ¡°Hercules!¡± He pressed his hands on the giant with all his strength and focused his mind. ¡°If you can still hear it, please try one last time!¡±


    His intuition was quickly verified because the giant slightly froze for a while.


    The reaction was short, but it was at that moment that Hao Ren had felt the bad energy from the wand was being suppressed. The soul in the giant seemed to have used its last drop of strength to wrest back the control of the body.


    Hao Ren placed his hand on the wand, and the wand trembled fiercely. The evil energy had broken the containment again and begun to erode everything in its surroundings.


    Hao Ren almost felt himself losing control of his body. But immediately, the blessing of the goddess, which he had received in his body, kicked in and blocked the evil energy from eroding his mind. He quickly reached into the dimensional pocket, took out the highest-rated dangerous goods container, pulled the wand out of the giant¡¯s chest, and threw it into the container¡ªall done in just a split second, the quickest movements he had ever achieved.


    When the container closed, he felt the world was spinning around him.


    Everything spun so quickly that it was like a kaleidoscope. When the spinning stopped, he felt like he was falling, endlessly. His mind seemed to have sunken into the darkness and lost its response.


    However, the falling sensation only lasted for a short while. When Hao Ren woke up, he found himself standing in an unfamiliar place.


    A vast expanse of wilderness with lush vegetation appeared in his field of vision, and two streams that flowed in parallel converged in the distance. Hao Ren looked up at the clear sky where the sun shone with the gentlest ray, a magnificent yet mysterious mountain was suspended in the air with its peaks surrounded by clouds and light.


    ¡°The first time I returned to my home, my stepmother cursed me in the most vicious language. My brothers and sisters in blood scorned me unabashedly. People didn¡¯t care about me. My father, sitting on the golden throne, said to me, ¡®Welcome home, ignore others¡¯.¡±


    Hao Ren turned his head round. In amazement, he saw a man¡ªtall, strong, rugged but smiley¡ªwas standing behind him.


    The man has light-brown curly hair, his face sharp and angular, the body as strong as Y¡¯zaks, and his muscles, filled with endless power, bulging beneath his simple gray-white blouse. On his face was a scar seemingly a mark of a glorious battle.


    Other than that, the man had no other special features and ornaments on his body.


    ¡°Hercules?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± the strong man laughed. ¡°After so much hassle, we finally meet.¡±


    ¡°Is this your spiritual world?¡± Hao Ren looked around. ¡°Hmmm, I didn¡¯t expect your spiritual world could still be so strong.¡±


    ¡°My last memory, I want to make it more vividly.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s brows were knitted together. ¡°You have something to tell me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s about the celestial object, the core, and your partner. I don¡¯t know how much you know about her, but since you two seem like brother-in-arms, I will tell you everything I know.¡±

 Chapter 1200 - The True Owner of the Wand

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    To Hercules, his memory was forever frozen in the spring. In the unknown wilderness somewhere on the Greek peninsula, the hero who completed the 12 labors washed away the blood stains on his body. He looked up at the Mount Olympus high above and pondered about his future. His suffering was not yet over though. He last stood on the land of his hometown in his human body. But the next time he returned, the fragments of Olympus could from the sky and burn the entire earth.


    So his remembrance was fixed here. At this moment, he had lost many things, but he also possessed a lot. His hometown in heaven and on earth was still there, his father was still on the throne, and he had not yet involved himself into the struggles of the world of the gods, because he was still a human.


    At least he thought he was a human.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like Olympus,¡± Hercules said. He and Hao Ren stood side by side on a boulder, his arms crossed, looking up at the mountain in memory. A part of the mountain was blurry; it was the realm of the queen Hera. ¡°The goddess was cruel. I don¡¯t know how people in your time understand and see the Mythological Era, but you can imagine it as viciously as possible. Hera once ridiculed my father, and used to say that ¡®this person is indulging in having sex with animals.¡¯ Most of the gods on Mount Olympus hold such a view on human beings. They were inconsistent. They had unparalleled power, a hundred times stronger than the people on the earth, but they found that the human beings on Earth had the same appearance as them, of which they felt confused and angry. The gods had dissected countless mortals. They want to find evidence of the fundamental differences between the gods of Olympus and the mortals on the ground that the two species were born differently. They concluded that no matter how close humans were to the gods of Olympus, their souls were only of the animals. That was why I didn¡¯t like that place, even though I used to longing for it.¡±


    At first, Hao Ren thought that Hercules would immediately tell him about the divine artifact and Vivian, but Hercules instead reminisced. But he let Hercules finish, he thought, there might be something meaningful about it.


    ¡°What kind of beings were the Olympian gods?¡± asked Hao Ren.


    ¡°Twisted and depressed. After living on the mountain for hundreds of years, I finally understand this.¡± Hercules¡¯ voice was low. ¡°At first, I was confused by the grand appearance there, but slowly, I came to know about the real side of the gods: they were like trapped beasts in cages, and like urchins who were lost. They were confused, anxious, and inconsistent. On the one hand, they showed their supremacy to human beings; but on the other hand, they were worried about their destiny. They seemed to know that the end will come, and even the cause and effect of the end, but they were powerless. Sometimes I would think, could their cruelty to humanity come from this stress? They couldn¡¯t avoid the end, but humans didn¡¯t have to face this fate. Even humans would one day build a new kingdom on the ruins of Olympus. So they had only gotten more irascible and angrier.¡±


    ¡°Zeus knew the impending destruction of Mount Olympus would?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s eyebrows arched. ¡°Did he talk about what caused the destruction?¡±


    ¡°He only said that destruction would come sooner or later for whatever reason, because in this world, except for the human beings in the dirt, all the intelligent creatures were only prisoners exiled to this place, and the death sentence had already fallen on these prisoners. The execution, no matter what form it would be, would come one day. Few knew these secrets; the knowledge was only limited to the twelve main gods. But in reality, demi-gods like us knew it. My father seemed to think that the disaster would only fall on the pure Olympians and that half-god half-mortal like us would be spared. Now thinking about it, the countless mixed-race descendants of Olympian gods might also be the secret arrangement of my father; he used the mortal bloodline to escape the scourge and kept the Olympian bloodline flowing.¡±


    Hercules told of what he knew. After hearing all that, Hao Ren¡¯s brows twitched.


    The seemingly unproven theory could have worked. With Zeus¡¯ ignorance of the Sin of the Divine Blood, he might have thought of circumventing or weakening this sin by creating a large number of mixed-race descendants!


    And his method had achieved a certain degree of success. The offspring of the otherworldlings had some resistance to the innate hostility, but this resistance was useless. The demon hunters, deeply affected by the Godslayer, would not stop hunting them merely because they were mixed race.


    ¡°What role did Vivian assume in Mount Olympus?¡± Hao Ren asked curiously as this was the critical question.


    ¡°Vivian? She played an important role in almost all celestials,¡± Hercules said with his arms crossed. ¡°She was the only one who had no innate hostility toward any races, and no races were overly hostile to her. She had fought with countless opponents, including the demon hunters and the otherworldlings, but you had never heard of anyone having a feud with her.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment and shook his head.


    ¡°Because she was the balance, the only hope of getting rid of the destruction. My father once said that all exiles in the world had committed the same sin, that was, they had angered the force that created everything in the universe, and this great power had also left the sinner with a way to redemption, that was to seek the forgiveness of the Pardoner. Vivian Ancestor is the Pardoner. Her mission in this world is to forgive sinners, but not all sinners, and she won¡¯t know her mission. My father knew this secret, so he wanted to make acquaintance with this ancient Blood Clan, and hoped to find forgiveness. But now it seems no one has been pardoned.¡±


    The information Hao Ren got from Hercules somehow did not tally with those from the Ark of Origins.


    The evidence in the Ark of Origins showed that the absolution commenced right from the beginning. The Goddess of Creation had completed the absolution of all races at the time of her death. The execution of absolution was in the Ark of Origins and Yggdrasil, and Vivian was just a guide. But in the eyes of Zeus, Vivian was the Pardoner. Hao Ren thought for a while and opined the problem lay with Zeus.


    After all, Zeus did not know the existence of the Ark of Origins.


    Hao Ren concluded in his mind and then looked at Hercules. ¡°What is the divine artifact? Why does it contain the power of Vivian?¡±


    ¡°Because Vivian Ancestor made the celestial object. Of course, she might not remember it now.¡±


    Hao Ren froze for a long moment. ¡°It¡¯s her? Didn¡¯t you guys get the core of the celestial object by chance?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my father indeed found the core in a mysterious cave at the bottom of Tartarus, but we didn¡¯t manage to study it. When Athena put that thing on the testbench, the Countess suddenly appeared in front of us. I was there at the time, so I remembered what happened. Her eyes were blood-red, and she seemed to not in a clear state of mind. Uncharacteristically, she brutally assaulted the guards and stormed in, demanding us to hand over the core.¡±


    ¡°Did you give it to her?¡± Hao Ren swallowed.


    ¡°She took it.¡± Hercules laughed. ¡°The power of the Countess was strange. Sometimes it was weak, yet sometimes powerful. Vivian had great strength that day; she tossed Ares tossed down the Mount Olympus, and beat Apollo into a coma. My father rushed in and told us not to stop her. So the countess took the thing away. Three days later, she came back and handed us a wand, saying that she had sealed the core in the wand, the wand contained a steady stream of powerful magic, and it was the only safe method of disposing of the core. After that, she left, and we had never heard from her again for a century.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately knew that Vivian must have had another hibernation cycle.


    If what Hercules said was right, then Vivian¡¯s hibernation that time was is different from her previous ones.


    ¡°Hathaway didn¡¯t tell me this detail.¡± Hao Ren mumbled.


    ¡°Because I didn¡¯t tell her about this.¡±


    ¡°It seems that Vivian had already known the danger of the core. But since it was such a dangerous thing, why did she still hand it over to you?¡± Hao Ren wondered why. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t she keep it.¡±


    ¡°I have no idea.¡± Hercules spread out his hand. ¡°Athena has thought about the same question. Her answer is: the Countess couldn¡¯t keep the wand herself. It would be a hundredfold more dangerous if she kept the wand. But if she sealed it somewhere, the leaked energy could attract the attention of other families. So handing over the wand to Olympus was the only choice. My father was an honored person and would honor his promise to keep the celestial object safe and secured.¡±


    Of course, there was still another possibility, Hao Ren thought. Perhaps Vivian knew that her next hibernation cycle is setting in and she did not have time to think of a better disposal plan. So giving the wand in Olympus family¡¯s custody was the only sensible choice at that moment.


    ¡°The wand had brought us great power.¡± Hercules shook his head with a forced smile. ¡°A century later, the Countess came back to visit but did not mention the wand. My father guessed that she might have forgotten. So he did not mention about the wand in front of her again.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, greedy¡­¡±

 Chapter 1201 - Moonlight

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    If Hao Ren had not met Hercules, the secret of the actual owner of the wand would have been buried in history forever.


    Since the maker of the wand had lost her memory, 90 % of the people who knew about this wand had died during the attack from the demon hunters, and all written records of the wand were destroyed in the war, Hercules was only one who knew the truth.


    But what happened to Vivian before and after she made the wand? What did she know at the time? What was her intention of making the wand? These questions were still mysteries. According to Hercules, Vivian was in a state of frenzy before her hibernating cycle set in. But she still barely maintained her sanity and must have sensed that the core had fallen into Zeus¡¯ hands. Struggling to control herself from the effect of her pre-hibernation frenzy, she stormed into Mount Olympus to demand the return of the core. Every hibernation would take away her strength and knowledge. On the other hand, she was more powerful and knowledgeable before the hibernation, which meant she knew about the truth of the wand.


    She might even know how to deal with that thing.


    Hao Ren heard the sound of cracking of the glass out of nowhere, and then the grass on the ground fluttered as a violent wind was blowing in the wilderness. The Mount Olympus, hanging high in the sky, became a blurry image.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost time,¡± Hercules said, looking up at the sky. He looked relieved. ¡°I can finally rest.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s pupils contracted; he knew what Hercules meant.


    But at the same time, he realized that he could not save the old hero. The evil energy in the celestial object had twisted Hercules¡¯ body so much that his flesh had become dead. Even his soul was maimed. Already a dead man spiritually and physically, Hercules was now only the carrier of the wand¡¯s power. Under these circumstances, medical treatment had become meaningless.


    ¡°Is there any way to save your soul?¡± Hao Ren still hoped he could do something.


    ¡°It¡¯s unnecessary,¡± Hercules replied and shook his head slowly. ¡°Even if you can save me, I don¡¯t need it. I have gone too far and been through too many things. Half of my life doesn¡¯t belong to me but the gods and the humans. I have been fighting for them, but now, I have decided to stop. I need a rest.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the Hercules. He had wanted to convince the hero, but after looking into his eyes, his words choked in the throat. This demigod did not need to be persuaded; he was not in despair and have no regrets. Having fulfilled his wishes, he was in peace with himself. The future could no longer interest him; the past would no longer bother him. All he wanted now was to take a long rest.


    It was a unique way of dying for one of the longest living races. Life was long enough that it had lost its color; he had had enough and wanted nothing more.


    ¡°Before you leave, allow me to ask you one last favor.¡± Hercules suddenly turned his head and looked at Hao Ren.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Thank Hesperides,¡± Hercules said with a smile, ¡°for everything she had done for me.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. Hercules seemed to have finally accomplished the last thing in his life, he let out a long sigh, and his body quickly faded. Behind him, the sky began to crack like glass.


    Something suddenly crossed his mind, Hao Ren immediately took a step forward and looked into Hercules¡¯ eyes. He silently recited the name of the most potent force in the universe, and following exact in the manual, linked the name together with the soul in front of him. At last, he opened his hands to Hercules. ¡°Please rest in peace. May the goddess bless you.¡±


    Puzzled, Hercules looked at Hao Ren before he closed his eyes slowly.


    An almost unnoticeable plume of black smoke drifted out of his fading body, and then he turned into a light and disappeared.


    Behind him, the Mount Olympus in the memory shattered along with the sky, turning into a stream of light and falling into the endless darkness the spiritual world.


    The world shook violently.


    In reality on the outside, the large body of Hercules began to crack.


    Battie, what should we do now?¡± After form-shifting back into a human, Lily was covered in dust and dirt. She looked at the ever-expanding rifts of darkness around the giant. The wand had been sealed, and Hercules was disintegrating, but the evil energy that had escaped from the boundary would not merely go away. These residual force, appeared in the form of the black tide, was launching its final wave of attack, trying to bring everyone to perish with it together.


    Perhaps the evil energy that had lost its source would soon run out of steam, but before that happened, this alien dimension would probably disintegrate first.


    What was even worse was that Hao Ren was consciousness. Vivian looked back at the man lying behind him. After Hao Ren sealed the wand, he fell off Hercules¡¯ body. In a split second, Lily had reacted quickly and caught her landlord before he fell into the tide of monsters down below. The husky maiden¡¯s brave action must have been derived from her usual frisbee practice.


    And Lily¡¯s wretched appearance was also a by-product of this brave action.


    ¡°He is still in the deep-connection state,¡± the MDT said after circling a few times above Hao Ren¡¯s head. ¡°Strange, strange! Hercules is dead. Then who is he connected with now?¡±


    ¡°Is he in danger?¡± Vivian asked quickly.


    ¡°He is not in danger. I have shared senses with him; his spiritual world is safe.¡±


    Vivian breathed a sigh of relief. But Hesperides was worriedly watching the expanding black tide. ¡°As long as he lives. The most urgent thing now is to solve the problem before us before it gets out of hand.¡±


    Lily became anxious as her eyes darted between the black tide and Hao Ren. The situation at hand was troubling her like never before. Hao Ren had always been the backbone of the team, who led them through crises and challenges. Now, for some reason, this man had lost consciousness; Lily became panic suddenly.


    Vivian looked into the distance. The shadows kept swelling with no signs of slowing down.


    Nolan was getting her artillery ready. But now everyone was trapped in this alien dimension, without Hao Ren and the protection of his shield, the spacecraft was not prepared to launch its aerial strike. The chief concern was that this dimensional might not be able to withstand another round of bombardment.


    Lily licked Hao Ren¡¯s hand and found, but he was not responding. She looked up again but saw Vivian was already in the air with a bloody whirlwind growing larger around her.


    ¡°Battie, what are you doing?¡± Lily froze.


    Vivian did not answer but just controlling the power that she had not used for a long time by recalling the skill from her memory. Her long hair, stirred by magic, fluttered in the air with a red glow on the tips.


    As the energy intensified, she faded into a shadow, as if some power had sent her out of the real space and time.


    A hot sensation surging in her blood veins, Vivian almost felt like she had a beating heart. The billowing energy in her body was giving her the illusion of a heartbeat. As it grew, it became a burden. Vivian frowned, gritting her teeth.


    It took Hesperides a moment to finally remember what this energy surge meant. She was shocked. ¡°You are going to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t look up at the sky, don¡¯t look directly at the moon.¡± Vivian¡¯s voice came from the air.


    A red light column descended from the sky. Vivian¡¯s figure, as if draped in a blood-red dress, was wholly immersed in the primordial power that was powerful enough to bend reality.


    A crimson moon rose.


    It was a bizarre sight. Vivian had summoned the crimson once three years ago. At that time, the moon only appeared for a short while. Before she could bring it into the full-blown state, she was interrupted. But this time, the real crimson moon was here.


    The crimson moon expanded as if the celestial body was falling onto Earth. The moir¨¦ was gradually becoming apparent as the moon surface expanded. Energy filled these lines. When they shone, a reverberation, as of the ringing of the bell, would fill the entire world.


    When the first bell rang, the moonlight shone on the earth.


    When the second bell rang, all the dark servants could not help but look up at the sky and dissipated like phantoms under the moonlight.


    When the third bell sounded, everything in between the heavens and the earth returned to its original balance state and order.

 Chapter 1202 - Alien Space

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    When the bell rang, and the moonlight exuded an orderly and solemn power, Vivian was struck dumb.


    She looked up at the alien celestial body she had just summoned, feeling its solemn and divine power, and sensed that it was not the same crimson moon that she remembered. She had called up the crimson moon before. It always possessed a supreme power of violence and chaos, but never with this solemn sacredness. It was a pure catharsis of strength, lawless, and destructive to everything under its illumination.


    But this time, she seemed to have summoned something different. It looked no different from the previous one, but the moonlight only destroyed the gnarled shadow monsters on the earth. She reached out and touched the light column with her finger; it felt warm to the touch with a sense of serenity.


    Vivian stroke her hair hanging down on her chest, she felt confused. It was a welcome change; it meant that the dangerous skill she used to refrain from using had become safer now. At least it would not hurt her teammates accidentally. But strangely, she felt a bit frustrated. Some of her powers seemed to be uncontrollable. Sometimes, she was not sure what she would be summoning.


    No one saw the confusion on Vivian¡¯s face as she was floating in the air. Hesperides and others on the ground were nervously bowing their heads waiting for the moonlight to go away. Even an idiot like Lily could feel the incredible power of the crimson moon. The husky maiden stayed quietly unprecedentedly, probably remembering the lousy experience of seeing the Crimson Moon last time. She lowered her head and mumbled to Hesperides next to her. ¡°Is it over? Why she wants even to ring the bell? It hurts my ears.¡±


    Hesperides looked down at her toes, replied, ¡°Can¡¯t you cover your ears?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t cover them with my ¡®hands¡¯.¡± Lily¡¯s ears flickered.


    Hesperides was dumbstruck.


    Hathaway was silent all the while. She was witnessing for the first time the horrible crimson moon many demon hunters had recounted. Under pressure, she did not even dare to take a breath though technically, she had not been breathing for the last two hundred years.


    Only one ¡®person¡¯ ignored all this. The moonlight did not purge or strike fear in this person. It was not Hao Ren, who was lying unconscious on the ground. It was the noobie, who was still trapped in the bottle and ignored.


    When the crimson moon rose, the little Malevolence became quiet, as if even she could sense the serene and sacred energy in the moonlight. The restless little Malevolence was rooted to the spot, staring at the moon in a daze. The red glow shone into her turpid eyes as if the light had infiltrated into it.


    The little guy suddenly raised her hands and shouted at the moon, ¡°Wow! Wow! Haha!¡±


    But the third ring of the bell drowned out her shouts. No one heard or noticed her reactions.


    Under the moonlight, all the twisted evil beings vanished, and the earth gradually returned to normal. On a hill two kilometers away, the tower burning with blazing flame was slowly calming down. The fire retreated from the runic metal back into the rock. In front of the window at the top of the tower, the old demon hunter Mohabben quietly looked at the land purified by the moonlight. His eyes fell on the place where Hercules once stood¡ªthere was only a plume of black ash drifting in the wind, and the dangerous forces that once filled the space were gone.


    The old demon hunter lowered his head slowly and sighed, ¡°Rest in peace.¡±


    A flame rose from his feet, and a moment later, he turned into a pile of white ashes on the floor.


    Where was Hao Ren at this time? Where had his spirit gone?


    As the MDT said, he was still in a state of deep mental connection, but not linked to any persons.


    After the spiritual world of Hercules collapsed, Hao Ren thought that he would be immediately returning to the real world. But after a moment of dizziness and spinning, he found himself standing in a hazy and twisted space.


    Hazy and twisted were weird descriptions of space, but these were all he felt at the moment. Floating in space without gravity, he saw a layer of tulle-like haze shrouded the stars, the light of which was defused and distorted. Hao Ren fumbled in his memory, but he could not recall he had ever seen this sight.


    The universe might be so vast that it could accommodate almost any bizarre phenomena. But this sight defied the law of physics. If he had ever seen it, he would not forget it.


    ¡°MDT?¡± Hao Ren tried to call the MDT in the mental connection, but there was only a weak signal, which was an automatic response from the MDT when it was in standby mode. The spiritual connection was excellent. Just that for some reason, the call did not reach the MDT.


    ¡°Where the hell is this place?¡±


    Hao Ren mumbled to himself, but he was untroubled. At the same time, he realized that he could hear his voice.


    Here was not a vacuum!


    ¡°It¡¯s not space?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s brows knit together as he looked at the stars in the distance. ¡°No wonder it appears like this. Could it be an illusion?¡±


    When he thought of illusion, he instantly felt energized. So far, he had had many illusions, each one concerned the Goddess of Creation. These illusions, as if they were conscious, would reveal something to him. Then what would the illusion bring this time?¡±


    He began to conjecture on the reasons for his entry into the illusion. The most likely circumstance that led him into it this time was when he had physical contact with the divine wand. Could it be that the core on the wand was a relic of the goddess of creation?


    Unfortunately, when he sealed the wand, he did not have time to take a look at what was inside the cracked crystal. Otherwise, he would not be like a lost ball in the high weeds now.


    While fiddling with various ideas in his mind, Hao Ren tried to find the secret in this illusion.


    The illusion seemed to be different from the past. It was bigger, even as vast as space. It was probably not boundless, but it was still astonishingly vast. And there were no useful clues Hao Ren could find in here. In the past, Hao Ren would see in the illusions about major historical events. Events that were significant enough to change the course of the universe could only be the reason for the illusion. But this space¡­ there was nothing here but just cold and blurry stars, like a static holographic projection.


    Hao Ren had tried several different ways to maneuver in this illusion and found that his spacewalking skill still worked here. When he focused his mind, something more incredible happened: he could travel as far as hundreds of light years away with a snap of a finger, and his perspective of the stars changed.


    ¡°The spiritual world¡­ with enough mental cues, it would produce an effect that resembled teleportation.¡± Hao Ren mumbled. This unexpected discovery excited him. Now it meant he could explore this illusional space with greater efficiency.


    He had no idea what to look for, though. So Hao Ren decided to choose a direction randomly and moved toward there, hoping to find the edge of this space.


    He had lost count of how many jumps he had made, but only remembered the scene of stars in the surroundings fading behind him, and the distorted starlight ahead in the distance. After he made his last warp jump, his eyes were out on stalks when he saw the edge of the space.


    The illusional space had a boundary. And it was a conspicuous boundary: a mirror.


    An endless mirror was in front of him, but he did not notice it at first as the mirror only reflected him but not the stars. If not for coming close enough, he would not be aware of what was there.


    He reached out his hand to touch it. It felt like he was pressing against an elastic plane. The harder he pushed, the more robust it became. There seemed to be nothing beyond the plane but only his reflection. He carefully observed his reflection in the mirror, but it was not different than what he saw in the mirror in his bathroom.


    ¡°That¡¯s all about it?¡± Hao Ren grabbed his hair, feeling a little disheartened.


    Suddenly, something appeared in the mirror. Hao Ren saw a faint line of red.


    The red quickly expanded and split into many branches. Hao Ren took a closer look and only realized that they were cracks, and that red was the light coming through the cracks.


    The cracks, in just the blink of an eye, covered the entire mirror before it shattered.


    Shocked, he opened his eyes and found himself lying on the ground. A crimson moon was hanging above him. He felt something soft under his head, and his arm was itchy. He turned his head around and saw Lily staring at him with a goofy smile. ¡°Ahh, you finally wake up, Mr. Landlord!¡±


    A big furry tail swept over his arm; that was how he got the itchy sensation.

 Chapter 1203 - : Getting Back Out

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren froze for a second before he realized that he was lying on Lily¡¯s lap, and felt a little startled. In his mind, the husky was never associated with a gentlewoman. Based on her usual state of behavior, Lily should already be aiming at his head with a brick.


    ¡°What happened to me?¡± Hao Ren shoved Lily¡¯s tail away and sat up. ¡°What is the situation in the sky?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Landlord, you were in a coma!¡± Lily looked at him and wagged her tail happily. She did not know why she was happy. She was always happy. ¡°The giant was shattered, and monsters began to come out from the giant¡¯s body. When Battie saw the situation was getting out of control, she brought out all she got and summoned the moon. Hi, Battie, you are finally back!¡± said Lily.


    Hao Ren turned his head and saw Vivian emerging from a swarm of bats. The vampire maiden looked at the husky with her arms akimbo. ¡°What are you doing, Doggie? Did I not tell you to let Hao Ren take a rest?¡±


    ¡°But Mr. Landlord has woken up!¡± Lily wagged her tail with a smug look. ¡°I have said it; a girl¡¯s knee is the most comfortable pillow. When coupled with a girl¡¯s tail, the level of comfort would increase by a factor of two.¡±


    Feeling embarrassed, Hao Ren hemmed and said, ¡°Normal girl doesn¡¯t have a tail.¡±


    Vivian went up and shoved Lily to aside, and then looked at Hao Ren with concern. ¡°How do you feel now? What happened just now? Hercules died, but you were still in a deep mental connection. The MDT said that your mind was headed in an unknown direction.¡±


    Hao Ren remembered the fantasy he had just experienced.


    The scene in the illusion was still vividly fresh in his mind. He could not have forgotten the blurry and twisted space and the border. But what did that illusion mean? He tried to remember what he saw, but all he could think of was a static field of stars. The cold and silent stars seemed to have many secrets in them, but they did not reveal anything.


    ¡°I must have entered an illusion, but it¡¯s a shame that I have not been able to understand what that chimera meant.¡± Hao Ren frowned and shook his head. He then looked at Vivian, and the red moon behind her. ¡°How about you? Did summoning the crimson moon drain your energy? What happened here?¡±


    ¡°As Doggie said,¡± Vivian said with an assuring smile. ¡°No worries. I am just a little exhausted, but mentally, I have never felt better. I don¡¯t know how, but the sequelae after summoning the crimson moon have gone. In the past, I would have to fight with my runaway mind, and the moonlight was so much more dangerous.¡±


    By now, the crimson moon had passed its peak brightness and was slowly disappearing. It had shrunk by more than half, and the moonlight was white. Under this lunar glow, Vivian seemed to be wearing a light gown and exude a sense of holiness. Startled a bit, Hao Ren shook his head and exhaled. ¡°It¡¯s good to know you¡¯re okay. I will explain the illusion when we are home. But now let us go back to the tower, and then we shall figure out how to get back out to the real world. Vivian, don¡¯t you need some rest?¡±


    ¡°I just consumed my magic power, but physically, I could be stronger than an average person.¡± Vivian waved her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    On the hills in the desert, the mansion was still almost as good as new, but the magic tower behind it had become unrecognizable.


    Cracks covered the tower¡¯s surface like a cobweb. It was as if the tower would collapse into pieces at any moment. The magic metal structure of the tower had signs of melting, and the color of the Letta runes embedded in the masonry had faded away, turning into ordinary carving without any magic power.


    ¡°Master Mohabben is no longer here,¡± Hathaway said with a soft voice as she looked up at the tower.


    ¡°Huh? Where is he going?¡± Lily asked, still clueless about what had happened.


    Hao Ren grabbed the husky by her mouth and dragged her to the rear. He then looked up at the magic tower that had lost its function. ¡°I will pray for him. But first, how should we get out?¡±


    All eyes were on the noobie. The little Malevolence was still in the bottle, unusually quiet. But even so, no one dared to let it out. God knows if the mad little one was cooling down for her next round of roughhouse.


    It seemed that their entry into this dimension was somehow related to the noobie. But the noobie, clueless of what happened, had noticed the stares and flinched. The noobie threw both hands in the air and screamed perfunctorily. ¡°Wow! Ghsss¡ª¡±


    ¡°She looks like as if she has run out of battery,¡± Vivian said, shaking the bottle a bit. ¡°Probably she is hungry for real now.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; it¡¯s not difficult to get out. All you have to do is go back to the last spot before you came in, and leave the rest to me.¡±


    They returned to the mansion, in the same corridor where they entered into this dimension. As Hathaway chanted quietly the spell that would reverse the space and time, a light suddenly flashed.


    Hao Ren woke up from a brief moment of dizziness and found himself surrounded by building debris and rubble. The shadows of the forest were swaying not far away, and the breeze left the leaves fluttering.


    He looked up through a large hole in the wall and saw the tower behind the main building. But as soon as got a glimpse of the tower, the mansion suddenly shook for a moment.


    Cracks quickly spread on the tower with silver-white flame rose from the fissures. In just a few moments, the tower turned into ashes in a puff, as if it had never existed before.


    There was a slight warp in the air ahead, a blurred figure appeared. Hathaway had entered the real world. She looked around and sighed. ¡°Ahh, it¡¯s been two centuries. I have not seen this place for two centuries.¡±


    In the days of watching the cage, she could not leave the parallel universe. Even though she knew that the vast changes in the outside world and could perceive what happened in the real world, but she had never seen the place where she once lived had become. Now, after a long time, she was here and emotional.


    ¡°We are leaving,¡± Hao Ren said, looking at Hathaway. ¡°What¡¯s your plan?¡±


    ¡°My plan?¡± Hathaway froze for a while. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Do you think a ghost could have a plan? I am already dead. The world of the living has nothing to do with me. Most of the enjoyment in the world is meaningless. So I will probably stay here for a while, perhaps in remembrance of my old friends, and then wander around, or leave this world for good. I have completed my mission and had no more regrets.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to Coldpath,¡± Vivian interjected.


    ¡°Coldpath?¡± Hathaway was a little surprised and then shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t accept me. I was a defector, and I¡¯m dead now. There is no such precedent among the demon hunters in Coldpath.¡±


    ¡°We said it before; times have changed,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°The demon hunters are not as stubborn as they used to be. Youngbloods have replaced the former elders and sages; they will accept you. Now that the war between the demon hunters and the otherworldlings has just ended, Coldpath needs a workforce.¡±


    Vivian interjected. ¡°That¡¯s right. You can go with us. We will take you to Coldpath. Those guys would accept you when they see you are with us. What¡¯s more, the information you bring back could help them fill blank pages concerning Olympus.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We have a pretty big influence there! I tell you what; I am your first emperor!¡±


    No one stopped Lily this time.


    But Hathaway had no idea about what Lily was talking. She just thought for a moment before nodding. ¡°All right. It seems that it is only proper for me to accept your kindness.¡±


    Before leaving this place, there was still some unfinished business, which they had to complete. They headed back to the village in the forest.


    Hathaway, in her ghost body, could go invisible. She cloaked in her invisible body and followed behind Vivian.


    As expected, the forest village had undergone enormous changes along with the changes in the parallel universe.


    It seemed that the frozen space and time of more than two hundred years had fast-forwarded itself; the village had completed its decay in just a few hours. The old wooden houses had disappeared, and the sprawling forest had reclaimed the border of the village. Vines and weeds were everywhere, shrubs almost wholly covered all traces of human settlement, with only bit and pieces of rotting wood and exposed gravel trails in between the vegetation.


    The phenomenon of space-time distortion here had disappeared.


    Tracing the signal of the communication device he left behind here, Hao Ren had found Pierre, who was hiding behind a giant tree. With him were the Wang Brothers and Catherine.


    The four of them were the only ones remaining.

 Chapter 1204 - Olympus’ Heritage

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Pierre mentioned that in the forest village, where the flow of time was out-of-the-way, the process of decay would be accelerated on some things while stagnant on others. What would happen when the village¡¯s space-time distortion suddenly disappeared?


    It seemed that the distorted time would be immediately compensated.


    The village of 300 years had instantly decayed completely. The forest, once blocked outside the fence, had reclaimed this once-civilized soil quickly, and those villagers who became a part of the magic system had turned into bones. They were instantly compensated into time.


    Pierre was overjoyed seeing Hao Ren and his team. What happened a while ago was a horrifying experience to him as he saw everything around him decomposed instantaneously. The scene of the forest growing as if it were lunging at them had almost caused a heart attack in him. The Wang brothers and Catherine beside him were a lot more confused than him. The three of them had been trapped in the village for too long; they had almost lost their free will. To them, what happened in the past years were just a nightmare. They seemed to have also lost part of their memory before the ¡®dream.¡¯


    As Pierre told of what happened, the Wang brothers and Catherine could not believe what they heard. Catherine especially thought that she had just started on an expedition journey from outside the forest, and was ready to collect samples of fauna and flora in the woods.


    But in the blink of an eye, everything changed, and it was no longer what it was used to be.


    ¡°The curse of this place has now disappeared. So what is your plan?¡± Hao Ren asked Pierre. ¡°The three of them behind you, have they thought of the future?¡±


    Apparently, to the Wang brothers and Catherine, the future had never crossed their minds. They had only heard about this bizarre experience in the mythic stories, which most probably did not contain a guide for what one should do after surviving the absurd event. People might have heard of the story of Wangzhi, who went into the mountain to collect firewood and saw two sages were playing chess on the river bank. Interested, he watched for a couple of hours. When he finally arrived home, he was shocked to find that a few hundred years had passed. But the story did not mention how the poor guy got back his identity.


    Hao Ren felt that the three chaps here were more fortunate than the guy who watched two sages playing chess in the story¡ªthey were only out of touch with the outside world for a dozen years.


    ¡°I am seriously considering to quit this job,¡± Pierre said sincerely to Vivian. ¡°You are right. With my kind of physique and luck, I would probably be dead in five years. As for my three friends; there is an old Eastern saying: fate has brought us together. We have been trapped here together; I¡¯m going to help them. At least I will ensure they could return to their place and start their life again.¡±


    Hao Ren was instantly relieved. Since Pierre had offered to take care of them, he could not ask for more. But he was still curious. ¡°Do you know the way? I mean, let¡¯s not talk about the two brothers but Catherine. She has been missing for 15 years since the Bush Jr. era. Wouldn¡¯t it be more difficult to get her back to society?¡±


    Pierre smiled. ¡°We spirit detectives have our networks. There were quite some cases where missing persons suddenly showed up after disappearing for years. As long as their families are still there, everything would be fine. The worst case scenario would be to faking their I.D.¡±


    Hao Ren was struck dumb.


    It seemed that this spirit detective was all sizzle but no steak, Hao Ren thought.


    ¡°Well, anyway, I¡¯m fine since you can take care of yourself,¡± Vivian said. ¡°But if you are in trouble, you can go to Athens in Greece, and draw a six-pointed star and an eye pattern on any monument near the city center. Someone will look for you, and they see the pattern. When you meet them, tell them my name, and you will get help from the Shadow Council.¡±


    Pierre was touched. It was probably the first time since he became a spirit detective that he had a chance to come face-to-face with this kind of supernatural power. He did not know what the Shadow Council was, but merely hearing the mighty name had him excited. While he was at it, Hesperides reminded, ¡°There is something you need to pay attention to.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m all ear.¡± Pierre instantly became attentive.


    ¡°When you draw pattern, use water, not paint,¡± Hesperides said. ¡°Last time there were two silly chaps from the American Brotherhood spray-painting on the city monument. In the end, we had to bail them out from the police station.¡±


    Pierre was struck dumb.


    Hao Ren patted on the back of the spirit detective. ¡°Quit while you still can. Those demons and monsters aren¡¯t what you think they are.¡±


    Pierre again was struck dumb.


    After settling the victims of the strange village, Hao Ren did not leave but head deeper into the village ruins.


    Without experiencing it personally, it was hard to imagine that a village with hundreds of ¡®people¡¯ only a few hours ago would become a place overgrown with thick grass and shrubs. Due to the distorted space and time, the rapidly emerged vegetation was still unstable; they proliferated and withered just as fast. Plants are still in a precarious state. Shrouded beneath these plants were the severely weather-eroded remnants of the village: rotten wood, and gravel of pavement.


    Hathaway still followed behind them in cloaked mode. With the direction in her memory and the pathfinding ability of her ghostly vision, she was able to point them to the destination. Very quickly, they came before a seemingly featureless marshland.


    Meanwhile, Pierre and the other three had wisely chosen not to come along. After going through hell, they knew that the inner area was not a place they should go.


    ¡°It¡¯s here,¡± Hathaway said as she floated above the swamp. Only Hao Ren and his teammates could hear her voice. ¡°Dig here.¡±


    Lily jumped in the first instant.


    The husky started to dig with her claws, throwing out tons of peaty soil and some gravel. Before long, Lily had dug a pit before them. Suddenly, Lily hit something with a tink.


    The doggy maiden instinctively halted the digging. Otherwise, her claws, which could cut through metals, would probably rip apart whatever thing in the soil.


    With the help of a swarm of bats Vivian had summoned, Lily lifted a heavy black metal box, around one cubic meter, out of the ground.


    The metal box, buried underground for more than two centuries, was still intact and sturdy. Its deep back body glistened with a metallic luster. Each side of the box had mysterious ancient runes and pattern engravings. As sunlight filtered through foliage, the ancient runes on the metal box seemed to began to come to life as they glittered with a colorful brilliance.


    ¡°This is what Hercules brought out from Mount Olympus,¡± Hathaway whispered. ¡°This thing, the only estate his majestic father left him, was more important than his life, although, in reality, it was only his burden.¡±


    ¡°Is there a way to open it? Hao Ren examined the box curiously. It seemed that the box had no upside or downside, it was multidirectional. There was no lid and lock. This thing should have a self-opening mechanism¡ªa delicate container. Regular means would probably not be able to open it.


    ¡°Hercules had anticipated his fate, so he told us how to open the container,¡± Hathaway said as she slowly descended. Her ghostly fingers slid gently over the old metal box, the text began to glow and pulsate with a rhythm. ¡°But I can only unlock the rune here; it needs a crucial key.¡±


    ¡°Key?¡± Hao Ren and Vivian said in unison.


    ¡°The blood of the descendants of Olympus,¡± Hathaway said. Her eyes landed on Hesperides. ¡°Zeus designed the container personally and limited it to being opened only by the descendants of Olympus to prevent valuable information from falling into the hands of outsiders. Hercules had mentioned this limitation. He knew that there were survivors of the Olympian family, so he sought our help, and if necessary, we can pass this on to his people. But you already know what has happened after that. Things have been beyond our control, and we are unable to complete his entrustment. But now, this sacred covenant could finally be fulfilled.¡±


    Hesperides¡¯ face suddenly turned solemn.


    She took a deep breath and stepped forward, cut open the tip of her finger, squeezed a drop of blood, and applied it onto the metal box.


    Vivian grabbed Hesperides¡¯ finger and put it in her mouth, sucking while watching the changes on the box. Hesperides was struck dumb.¡±What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t waste the blood,¡± Vivian said matter-of-factly. ¡°I lost a large amount of magic power. At this time, I need to seize the opportunity to get replenishment. Oh, by the way, you seem to have an exuberant liver fire symptom.¡±


    Everyone was dumbstruck.


    There was a sudden movement in the metal box, and the complicated container finally opened.

 Chapter 1205 - Scrolls and the Hometown

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Light flowed across the black metal box when Hathaway activated the runes, which acted as the switch. Hesperides¡¯ blood was the energy. With the presence of these two things, the faint light began to flow along the ridge lines on the box, leaving behind distinctive trails. These straight trails divided the box into a dozen blocks. When this happened, Hao Ren only started to realize how he had to open the object.


    But he did not have to do it himself. As the seal was released, the whir inside the box became more distinctive. A moment later, the box came apart at the glowing seams with a few soft clicks. When these parts reclustered, they became four separate pale-yellow scrolls.


    These were all about it.


    It stupefied Hao Ren that the celestial object, which he had spent so much time and effort looking for it, was only four scrolls. He had expected more. But he knew that these things contained some significant information. In the eyes of Zeus, they might even be as important as the wand; otherwise, he would not have asked Hercules to risk everything to bring them out of Mount Olympus.


    Hesperides looked at the scrolls and said softly, ¡°So these were the things Hercules carried all the way while evading the pursuit of the demon hunters? How important are they?¡±


    Hao Ren took a roll from the container. After the MDT verified that it was safe, he then slowly unrolled the scroll.


    Strange symbols, not only Letta runes but also ancient Greek characters and lost letters filled the roll. The baffling thing was that the grammar of each sentence was unusual. The author wrote in some encrypted text. But Hao Ren felt that ciphering was a little unnecessary.


    Since there was a seal that worked perfectly fine to secure the container and only the descendants of the Olympus family could open it, what was the purpose of enciphering the text on the scrolls? If the seal were not able to stop the container from hacking in the first place, the text encryption would only delay but not prevent the decoding. The level of cryptography used was not challenging to Hao Ren. The otherworldings and demon hunters, or any long-living supernatural races for that matter, could take their sweet time to decipher the scrolls and figured out what the text meant.


    Hao Ren did not even need time to crack them. The MDT, a super-high-speed information processor, could help him decipher and read the text on the scrolls in real time.


    ¡°When He first came to this world, the universe was in chaos, and the power of disorder pervaded the stars and planets and the space around them. An evil existence ruled the world. It was called the King of the Ancients, and the Mad Lord. This ancient tyrant feasted on the universe, greedily devouring the primordial energy and placing everything under its brutal rules. The Mad Lord was a mess and illogical existence. As its name implies, madness was the only thing around this tyrant¡­¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s fingers moved on the roll. While his brain ciphered, he read it out softly.


    The light around him distorted gradually. The forest in the surroundings fell into darkness, bit by bit. The sky seemed to be out of balance, slanting toward the west as the sun on the horizon became an oval ball of fire, tearing the air into many horrible strings. In the darkness in between these strings, dark energy was slipping out as if the end was coming.


    Lily was the first to notice the phenomenon. The hyperactive husky, unable to keep her attention on one thing for long, screamed, ¡°Mr. Landlord, look at the sky!¡±


    Hao Ren was interrupted, and the distortions around him disappeared in the blink of an eye. But he managed to get a glimpse of what happened.


    The sight sent a chill up his spine. Hao Ren quickly turned to the MDT. ¡°What happened just now?¡± he asked.


    The MDT had captured the last scene too. It said, ¡°It seemed that it happened when you were reading the scrolls. There were signs of chaos in the nearby dimension. But the chaos was only confined in a small area. I have cross-checked with the data from the satellites, which happened to flyby in orbit above. There were no significant atmospheric anomalies detected.¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly felt evil energy in the scroll in his hand. He quickly tossed it back into the container. A few words came into mind: The King of the Ancients, the Mad Lord, the frenzied and brutal law of the universe, and the word ¡®He¡¯ at the beginning of the text. These things were not related to the worship ceremony of Vivian of the Olympian gods. The script was more like a description of something of a higher order.


    Hao Ren could not help but make some associations in his mind. But he did not go further into the details.


    Because he felt that things¡ªthe celestial object and the scroll¡ª had deviated dramatically from what he was expecting. The forest was not the right place to begin his study. He wanted to move things back to the safety of his lab before he began to dissect these dangerous things. Or maybe he might as well do it in Raven 12345¡¯s mansion, he thought.


    The goddess had been blowing her own house apart anyway.


    He tossed everything in his dimensional pocket, which already contained the wand. Dusting the dirt off his body, he got to his feet. ¡°We will only handle these things when we get back.¡±


    Lily, who had spaced out, came back in. Shaking her leg, she asked, ¡°Then what¡¯s next? Are you going to have lunch?¡±


    Hao Ren choked. He began to marvel at the way of thinking of the dog maiden.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here,¡± Vivian sighed. ¡°But before going home, we have to bring Hathaway to Coldpath and let White Flame know about our findings.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°We have solved the mystery of the fate of the 12 demon hunters, who have disappeared for the last 300 years, and found the Olympus legacy. We have essentially solved the mysteries on behalf of the demon hunters.¡±


    Lily nodded in total agreement, her eyes brightening up. ¡°Woof! Woof! Yeah, yeah! So are the demon hunter going to treat us dinner?¡±


    Everyone was rendered speechless.


    After bidding farewell to Pierre and his three friends on the edge of the forest, Hesperides returned to Athens. Besides Vivian and Lily, the ghost Hathaway was following Hao Ren to Coldpath. The MDT initiated the teleporting sequence and sent them straight to the Coldfrost Citadel in the Arctic.


    Hao Ren and his buddies had become frequent visitors and VIPs in the eyes of the demon hunters. They could go in and out of Coldpath and the Coldfrost Citadel freely without having to ask for permission. A few demon hunter acquaintances greeted them on their way in. They walked in the cold street of the Coldfrost Citadel, heading toward the Hoarfrost Sanctum where White Flame and Hasse lived.


    While on their way, Hathaway, following behind Hao Ren. As a ghost, she could be in any form, but she was unsure where she should be wearing the demon-hunter suit. So he decided to keep her image of a noble lady, just like when she was alive.


    No ghosts, or any spirits, could evade the detection of the demon hunters. The most elite and experienced demon hunters here could instantly smell the scent of the spirits through hundreds of layers of camouflage. For this reason, Hathaway had attracted a lot of attention. Some more sophisticated demon hunters, having identified Hathaway as their race apart from that she was a ghost, could not help but stare at her curiously.


    But upon seeing Hao Ren and his team in the front, these demon hunters looked away and quietly watched as the ghost entered into the Hoarfrost Sanctum.


    Hathaway¡¯s eyes darted around the familiar place. It was a long way home after three centuries. But now she was dead in a ghost body. Thinking about what she had been through, she could not help but sigh. She had no word to describe her feelings.


    It was uncharacteristic of her never-ending babbling character of the past.


    White Flame, long before Hao Ren arrived, had gotten the news of his coming. She was not going to be caught in her scruffy homebody appearance again. This time, she was waiting in the hall in the sanctum with Hasse.


    They met, and after a while of pleasantry, Hao Ren shoved Hathaway, who was =hasitant, forward. He was determined to set straight the identity issue of this ghost before going down to business. Otherwise, this, judging from her shy demeanor, she could flee from the scene at any time.


    ¡°This is Hathaway. One of the 12 hunters who disappeared 300 years ago. She is the only one alive¡­ Err, I mean, not really alive.¡±


    White Flame and Hasse looked dumbfounded.

 Chapter 1206 - What’s Hidden In the Fragment?

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren and Vivian gave a rough account of what happened to Hathaway. Finally, Vivian decided and said, ¡°That¡¯s the case. I know that according to your canon, it¡¯s a betrayal, but they were justified. We can say that they were trying to save the world. The hunting instinct has now been identified and a lot of things have turned out to be a bad debt. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll get to the bottom of it, will you?¡±


    Vivian sounded like she was discussing with them, but her expression clearly showed that she was just informing them. Hasse certainly got it. And after losing the shackles of the Sin of the Divine Blood, the stubborn old demon hunter became more flexible. He nodded and said, ¡°Many things in Coldpath are now waiting to be done. We need anyone who can help us.¡±


    White Flame also agreed. ¡°After the civil war, there were many introspections and lessons learned within the council. We¡¯ve taken a serious look at some of the ideas that have been considered heretical in recent centuries among the new generation of demon hunters. In the end, the new parliament accepted almost all new ideas with the highest tolerance. In fact, some of the ideas that Hathaway and her friends have come up with don¡¯t seem to be a problem at all in the current Council of Elders.¡±


    ¡°Did you hear that?¡± Lily immediately poked Hathaway in the arm and said, ¡°You can go home now!¡±


    The expression on Hathaway¡¯s face did not change much. The emotion of joy just flashed across her eyes for a moment. The spirit who had fulfilled her mission seemed somewhat dispirited. ¡°Oh¡­ That¡¯s good. At last, there¡¯s a place to settle down.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem very happy?¡± White Flame asked curiously.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m glad,¡± said Hathaway, shaking her head. ¡°It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve not much interest in living. Hometown needs me, which is very good, and I will do my best to help, but the life of the spirits is not fun. I haven¡¯t had any expectations for the future for a long time. So please don¡¯t mind my indifference. That¡¯s what the spirits are like.¡±


    Vivian sighed softly and said, ¡°I see. The spirits are perhaps the most painful of all the dead. They don¡¯t have desires, they feel nothing, enjoy nothing. This is the emptiest way of life. Maybe it¡¯s really a mistake that we brought you here¡­¡±


    The words turned the atmosphere cold. Yeah, is it really a good thing for an empty soul to linger around the world for so long? At the moment, even Hao Ren was a little skeptical about his decision.


    Suddenly, White Flame interrupted. She looked at Hathaway with her chin in her hands. Then, a holy light rose behind White Flame as if she was preaching. ¡°The soul will not be lost in the emptiness of the material world, because there are many ways away from the material pleasure that can guide you forward. Friend, come with me later. I will show you the truth of the other side of the world¡­¡±


    Hasse slapped away the light behind White Flame and scolded, ¡°Don¡¯t use the sacred flame in this way!¡±


    The look on Hathaway¡¯s face had become OvO. Others watched dumbfounded as White Flame led a pure soul onto a path where there¡¯s no turning back. Vivian could not hold back, and whispered to Hasse, ¡°Why is she getting more and more serious?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s been like this all the time, but she¡¯s a little reserved because she wasn¡¯t familiar with you,¡± Hasse said with a poker face.


    ¡°Damn, she had always been a real master in my mind.¡± Hao Ren covered his face and sighed.


    Whatever the process, Hathaway¡¯s story seemed to have come to a successful conclusion. The dazed ghost lady was dragged by White Flame into the room deep in the Hoarfrost Sanctum. In that indescribable mysterious place full of decaying spiritual pollutants, they did not know what this pure little flower would be polluted into. But that¡¯s another story.


    Hao Ren told Hasse the truth of the twelve missing demon hunters and the fate of Hagrids. He hid some details about the divine artifact and the evil scrolls. After helping the demon hunters to fill this part of their history, they left the Arctic and returned home.


    Leaving Lily at home to guard the door, he and Vivian went to ¡°Heaven¡± without stopping to find Raven 12345.


    The goddess seemed to have known that Hao Ren was coming. She arranged for an arcane servant to greet them at the gate and take them directly to a balcony on the upper floor of the house. Raven 12345 was waiting for them there.


    The goddess sat on a large, white, soft couch, fiddling with a glittering mass of arcane energy, and the white pillars around the balcony hung with veils, which were flying in the breeze, giving off a sense of endless mysterious elegance.


    Looking at Raven 12345, Hao Ren instinctively felt that the goddess was a little unusual today.


    Well, the goddess was unusual every day¡­


    While Hao Ren and Vivian were guessing, Raven 12345 suddenly said, ¡°I felt a moment of distortion in the real world and I knew you¡¯d probably done something great.¡±


    Hao Ren was shocked. What happened in the forest had attracted the attention of Raven 12345? Was it the power of that scroll?


    What he did not know was that it was not the strength of the scroll that attracted the attention of the goddess, but the form of the force: a powerful secular force, even if it could overthrow mountains and rivers, was merely secular, and a force that could change reality, even if it could only stir up a breeze, was enough to trigger a world-class warning. At that time, when he translated the scroll in the forest, it triggered that warning.


    Although in the eyes of Raven 12345, the ¡®little change in the sky¡¯ was nothing more than a breeze.


    ¡°We went to look for the legacy of Olympus,¡± Hao Ren told the goddess of his adventure, ¡°and then we found out that the situation was probably not that simple. We¡¯ve found two things together. To be honest, I don¡¯t think they¡¯re something that a family like the Olympians can master.¡±


    He took out the dangerous goods container sealed with the scepter and four scrolls that had been transferred to another safety container from his dimensional pocket and gave them to Raven 12345 for inspection.


    Before the two seals were opened, Raven 12345 already looked interested in them.


    She first opened the safe of the scepter. Hao Ren and Vivian became nervous at the moment the box opened. A strong and evil breath burst out of the safe as if some brutal beast trapped in a cage had suddenly escaped. This breath, wrapped in black ripples, rushed straight into the sky and spread out in all directions in the blink of an eye!


    Raven 12345 slapped it down and yelled, ¡°Hey, calm down!¡±


    Then all the dark breath dissipated.


    Hao Ren saw the fragmented scepter lying quietly in the safe. The crystal at the top of the scepter had undergone several shocks, at which point it was almost completely shattered, and what was sealed in the core of the crystal was revealed. It was a black irregular sheet. After all the negative breath faded, it looked like a plain black crystal, and the only distinguishing feature was the extremely deep darkness.


    Raven 12345 broke the crystal with her bare hands and took out the black sheet.


    ¡°What is this?¡± asked Hao Ren and Vivian.


    Raven 12345 smiled and said, ¡°Actually, you are very familiar with it.¡±


    A faint blue light burst out of her hand. The light directly shattered a layer of ¡®shell¡¯ on the surface of the black sheet, and the ¡®shell¡¯ fell like dust, revealing the true thing inside.


    The irregular black sheet glittered with dots of light, like stars in the universe, flickering and wandering in the dark sheet. This scene was quite familiar indeed.


    The blade of the god-slaying sword.


    ¡°This is the god-slaying sword?!¡± Hao Ren exclaimed in surprise.


    ¡°Technically, it¡¯s just the same material,¡± Raven 12345 smiled and said. ¡°You¡¯ve found something awesome, this¡­ Perhaps it is the original form of the raw material for casting the god-slaying sword or a failed product. The evil power that lingered on it is probably the primitive breath of the one behind-the-scenes in the Plane of Dreams!¡±


    This made Hao Ren very excited.

 Chapter 1207 - The Blind Chaos

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    How was the god-slaying sword made? What kind of creature made it? How did that evil force use a sword to control a race and eventually achieve the incredible feat of killing a true god?


    These were some of Hao Ren¡¯s ultimate concerns for the moment.


    And now he seemed to have reached the tip of the iceberg of these ultimate problems: a piece of raw material for casting the god-slaying sword levitated quietly before his eyes, which not only maintained the form before it turned into the blade, but the breath of the ancient evil spirit also lingered on it!


    Raven 12345 moved her fingers gently in the air, and the black ¡®cosmic fragment¡¯ levitated in front of her, spinning slowly under the pull of invisible magic. The stars on the fragment were twinkling in the black background as if a real cosmic sky was hiding in it.


    Hao Ren had taken out the god-slaying sword from his dimensional pocket. This long dark sword was also levitated in the air, with the same starry sky floating on the surface of the blade.


    ¡°There¡¯s almost no difference between the two materials from the outside,¡± Hao Ren said, touching his chin. ¡°How can you tell that this piece is semi-finished?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s not stable enough,¡± Raven 12345 said, leaning back and pointing at the cosmic fragment. ¡°They¡¯re pieces of the universe, but the structure of the god-slaying sword has solidified. It doesn¡¯t decay, and it doesn¡¯t disintegrate, but this piece¡­ You can¡¯t see it, but I can see that it¡¯s evaporating, that it¡¯s losing information at a constant rate, and the structure of the galaxy inside it is falling into chaos, which means it¡¯s not a finished product. If it is not raw material that has not been processed, it is a defective product that failed in the process of creating the god-slaying sword.¡±


    The god-slaying sword circled in the air. It looked curiously at the fragment floating beside it and greeted it warmly. ¡°Yo, boy, you¡¯re levitating here too. I¡¯m the god-slaying sword¡­¡±


    ¡°And the fragment doesn¡¯t have the ability of the ¡®Echo Wall¡¯, Hao Ren said, nodding. ¡°That means it can¡¯t think or respond to external stimuli. By comparison, the god-slaying sword is much more advanced.¡±


    At this time, the sword also found that the fragment did not respond to its greeting. Its shook his body regretfully and said, ¡°Tut, it¡¯s deaf and blind. Poor little thing.¡±


    Raven 12345 glanced at Hao Ren and asked, ¡°Is this sword talking more and more after being with you?¡±


    ¡°Ahem¡­¡±


    Vivian frowned, her eyes wandering between the sword and the cosmic fragment and said, ¡°But the residual negative force on this ¡®semi-finished product¡¯ is purer than the sword. Why?¡±


    ¡°Because the god-slaying sword is a weapon that needs to be given to the mortal race. It had to deceive its first sword bearers and subtly seduce those god slayers into depravity, so it has to disguise itself as an ordinary weapon, and the evil forces must be concealed. But this fragment is different. It was mostly an ¡®experimental product¡¯ before the god-slaying sword was created. So whatever remains on it is normal,¡± explained Raven 12345.


    ¡°Can you analyze anything through the residual breath?¡± Vivian asked curiously.


    As soon as the question was thrown out, Hao Ren¡¯s breathing suddenly became heavy. He sensed that a great secret was about to be revealed.


    ¡°Something infinitely close to the true god,¡± Raven 12345 nodded and said. She could see the opponent¡¯s real identity from the trace of breath left on the fragment. ¡°It¡¯s true that such powerful ¡®creatures¡¯ are occasionally born in the primordial universe. Sometimes they can hardly even be called ¡®creatures¡¯. Because this chaotic existence seriously lacked logic, they did not even have a biological instinct. Many times they just blindly ¡°existed¡± to disturb the order of the whole universe, without any purpose. This powerful and ancient thing was often a by-product of the early evolution of the universe. Because the void is endless, there will naturally be countless worlds in which life and death will rise and fall. Anything can happen on an infinite basis. Therefore, it is not impossible for a chaotic intelligence to emerge from the primitive matter of the early universe. The forces of such things are usually extremely powerful, and because they are the condensation of the power of the origin of the universe, they can even be seen as manifestations of the will of the larger universe. But they are still not true gods, because they cannot draw strength from the void outside the universe, nor can they obtain the vital ¡®symbolic authority¡¯. After jumping out of the universe, they are nothing.


    Hao Ren did not get it at first, but he soon understood this abstract thing and immediately thought of the goddess of creation. ¡°For a god who does not know the power of the universe, this is an extremely formidable opponent.¡±


    ¡°Yes, a formidable opponent, but one thing I don¡¯t quite understand¡­¡± Raven 12345 nodded, but there was a puzzled look on her face, which was not easily shown on her face. ¡°If it was really the kind of primordial chaos I¡¯ve guessed, it wouldn¡¯t have made this sword.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± asked Hao Ren.


    ¡°Because they are unable to perceive and understand the physical world of reality,¡± said Raven 12345. Her eyes sparkled with stars. She was thinking seriously. ¡°As I said, they just exist blindly. Stupid, confused, blind, and noisy. They were born in the torrent of information at the beginning of the birth of the universe and were soon bound by the chilled and stable structure of space and time after the universe stabilized. These blind and foolish things will struggle instinctively in this situation, trying to bring the space and time that have fallen into order around them back into the chaos of the absolute beginning. However, limited by their own form of existence, their influence on the real material world will always be limited as well. They can disturb the order of the world, but they cannot change the fact that space and time are becoming more and more stable. Until the end of billions of years, when entropy reaches a critical point and the world returns to chaos, they can get what they want. In the process, they are always blind.


    Hao felt that the topic was becoming more and more difficult, but he managed to keep up with Raven 12345 and speculated what kind of existence that ¡®primordial chaos¡¯ should be. He had had a discussion with the goddess on the subject last time and had assumed the form of the creature behind it. They assumed that it was some kind of powerful soul or spirit, but apparently, the ¡®chaos in the absolute beginning¡¯ was much stronger than any form of spirit, so Hao Ren had to raise his guard against the creature behind the scenes.


    Oddly, though, he did not feel nervous at all. Even though the enemy was getting weirder and stronger, still he did not have any fear of his future burden, as if it were his inherent mission.


    ¡°Because it was born in the chaos of the beginning of the universe, it could neither understand nor adapt to the low-energy matter and space-time. The stable and comfortable material world for most ordinary people was just a prison with sparse energy, empty and bitter chill for this primitive ¡®creature¡¯. They were supposed to die quickly in the first few flashes of the universe, but they didn¡¯t, so they became a disaster.¡± Raven 12345 shook her head slightly and continued, ¡°In fact, I haven¡¯t even seen such things personally, because they are so rare, and those that can evolve into natural disasters are even rarer. And in most cases, these things don¡¯t have time to do any damage, because the god¡¯s army will quickly clear up will quickly clear up these hidden dangers, or transform them, or destroy them.¡±


    And now Hao Ren finally understood why Raven 12345 said that it was impossible for it to make this sword.


    Because a ¡®son of chaos¡¯ born out of chaos and illogic that was a misfit in the material universe would not forge a sword. It may not even have any stratagem or plan at all.


    The power on the fragment came from the chaos of the absolute beginning, but the one who made the sword was definitely not the son of chaos.


    ¡°Is there a third-party force?¡± Hao Ren frowned. ¡°Not just third party¡­ More than that I guess¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all speculation at the moment,¡± Raven 12345 interrupted Hao Ren. ¡°Don¡¯t draw any conclusions without solid evidence.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and said, ¡°Well, I know. Another thing, this scepter dispels the innate antagonism between the demon hunter and Hagrids. What do you think about that?¡±


    Raven 12345 threw the fragment to Hao Ren and said, ¡°It¡¯s mostly not related to this ¡®cosmic fragment¡¯, but should be the power of the scepter crystal. Before falling asleep, Vivian will reach the peak of strength. She will be infinitely close to her original form, that is, the divine blood. In this case, the scepter made by Vivian is likely to be injected with this power, the secondary power of the goddess of creation. It is this power that can seal off the evil energy in the fragment, and it is this power that can counteract the effect of innate hostility. It¡¯s a pity that the crystal has completely dried up and there¡¯s no evidence left, otherwise I can verify my guess.¡±


    Hao Ren hurriedly caught the fragment. Catching such a deadly thing made him break out in a cold sweat, but he did not feel any discomfort when he touched it. He looked down in surprise and saw the fragment lying peacefully in his hand.


    ¡°It has been purified,¡± said Raven 12345 with a sly smile. ¡°You can keep it. It¡¯s useless to me anyway.¡±


    Hao Ren thought carefully and asked, ¡°Not going to bite it this time?¡±


    Raven 12345 waved her hand and said, ¡°Nah, it¡¯s too small.¡±


    The god-slaying sword was floating beside them. The bite mark left by the goddess was still on the sword. It was quite confused and asked, ¡°Bite what?¡±


    This poor fellow did not even know that a piece of his head had been chewed off¡­

 Chapter 1208 - : The Mad Lord

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The other things they needed to show Raven 12345 were the four scrolls.


    Hao Ren also remembered the series of visions that happened by reading the scroll in the forest, so he took them out carefully. Although they seemed less dangerous than the ¡®cosmic fragment¡¯, they were just as strange. He put the scroll in front of Raven 12345 and told her what happened in the forest. ¡°¡­ In the end, it caused a brief change in the sky, which, if I¡¯m not mistaken, was the distortion of the real world that you felt before.¡±


    Raven 12345 looked at the scrolls with interest. She tapped her finger on one of them and said, ¡°Just some common materials. It¡¯s just plain magic parchment and laurel handle soaked in the potion. It was made by the Olympians, no doubt, and it wasn¡¯t the kind of ¡®extraordinary material¡¯ like the god-slaying sword and cosmic fragment.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s strong enough to distort reality¡­¡± said Hao Ren.


    He had no idea how powerful the Olympians were. But judging from the way Hesperides fought and some information of the demon hunters, they could see that this ancient family was just a relic of some magical civilization. Their technical level was maintained at the planetary level, and their understanding of the forces of nature was still very simple and crude. With such a civilization, it is hard to believe that they had the technology to shake the rules of reality.


    But before he could finish, he suddenly realized where the power of the scroll came from: from what was written on it.


    ¡°Got it?¡± Raven 12345 looked at Hao Ren with a smile. ¡°Do you know more about these out-of-control superpowers now?¡±


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and asked, ¡°The ancient kings and the Mad Lord recorded on it are the chaos of the absolute beginning we discussed just now? And the one who came to this world refers to the goddess of creation, right?¡±


    Vivian was a little surprised. She had been intensely curious about those mysterious sentences when she heard Hao Ren recite the words on the scroll, but then something happened that kept her from thinking about it. And now the question seemed to be getting interesting.


    As a blood creature created by the goddess of creation herself, she was now instinctively interested in all the secrets of the goddess of creation.


    ¡°Very likely.¡± Raven 12345 confirmed Hao Ren¡¯s guess. ¡°The scrolls themselves are not special. What is special is what is written on them. These records have touched on some of the deepest secrets of the universe, and supernatural forces have infiltrated the messages contained in these words, so reading them is strong enough to release the power.¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned. ¡°It¡¯s just some words¡­ And they can be so powerful?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Raven 12345 blinked. ¡°For some special being, power can reside in everything, and this is not the patent of a true god. The only difference between true and false gods is an information disturbance called ¡®symbolic power¡¯, which enables us to better control the rules of the world. However, under this circumstance, false gods can also show the similar power of gods within the rules of the universe. ¡®The Mad Lord¡¯ is so close to a god that its name and deeds have considerable power. These scrolls¡­ I don¡¯t know how the Olympians got their knowledge of these taboos, but they recorded them and brought the power of the Mad Lord into the universe.¡±


    Raven 12345 smiled a little as she said, ¡°But unfortunately for this creature, I have a seat in the universe, and it can do anything it likes, which only makes it easier for us to understand its nature and weaknesses.¡±


    Vivian looked at the scroll strangely and said, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be terrible if such dangerous forces could be brought out so easily? If someone else copies this scroll in large quantities or talk about it all over the place¡­ I can¡¯t imagine.¡±


    ¡°There is no need to worry because this kind of ¡®power leakage¡¯ cannot be duplicated. It is not the scroll, nor the words on it that carry the power, but the ¡®truth¡¯ behind it,¡± Raven shook her head and explained. ¡°It¡¯s hard to explain. In a word, only when the person who really knows the truth, who knows the cause and effect and record his knowledge with his own hands, the Mad Lord will have a chance to spread his power to the outside. And for a person who knows nothing, it would not do any harm even if the person copied the scroll a thousand times.¡±


    Hao Ren touched his chin thoughtfully and said, ¡°Oh, I see. In other words, only the person who knew the Mad Lord in the first place could make this scroll, and the second person who learned this knowledge from the scroll could not copy it?¡±


    Raven 12345 nodded slightly and then explained, ¡°This is why there are many heretical churches that preach distorted doctrines all day long because they want to make the ¡®gods¡¯ they worship known to more people. Only when more and more people understand the distorted and taboo knowledge can the power of evil gods have a chance to spread. There is a general rule in this regard: the more you know about an evil god, the more you will become its power carrier. When you know about it to a certain extent, you are qualified to be the next ¡®missionary¡¯. You can obtain taboo power by writing the name of the evil god and recording the deeds of the evil god. But in turn, you will be gradually eroded and eventually consumed by the taboo power.¡±


    Hao Ren then muttered, ¡°Is it possible that the Olympians have secretly turned to the ¡®Mad Lord¡¯? Well, it doesn¡¯t seem right. According to the records on the scrolls, they clearly see the Mad Lord as a risk factor.¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m right, the Olympians are believers of the goddess of creation, or at least in opposition to the Mad Lord,¡± said Raven 12345. ¡°They don¡¯t want to spread the power of the Mad Lord, they want to record some truth. According to the first paragraph of the scroll, they see the Mad Lord as a disaster and the god that follows as the savior of order. It is quite a dangerous behavior for mortal people to study the world of gods. Although they are very careful and even use a variety of complex text encryption to prevent the power of the Mad Lord from leaking out, their contact with the forbidden knowledge is essentially a kind of ¡®learning¡¯ that, the more they fight against it, the more they become its carrier¡­ I think that even without the Twilight of the Gods caused by the demon hunters, sooner or later, these Olympians will one day be devoured by the nightmares in their memories.¡±


    Hao Ren frowned and looked at the scroll floating in front of him. ¡°So it used a variety of words and grammar not to prevent anyone from deciphering it, but to prevent the power of the Mad Lord from leaking out of the scroll¡­ But where on earth did they learn these secrets? Even the guardians of the goddess of creation do not know the Mad Lord, how do these Olympians know?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Raven 12345 said and shrugged. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯ve always thought something was wrong with the guardians of the goddess of creation. They were supposed to be the closest ones to the goddess, but now it seems that the goddess of creation kept a lot of things from her children. She did not tell these guardians anything before they were born.¡±


    Not only Raven 12345 feel puzzled, but Hao Ren and Vivian have also long suspected it. In any case, the guardians should be the most trustworthy ones to the goddess of creation. The goddess should not be afraid of her children, let alone, from the information at hand, that the goddess of creation placed great trust in her guardians. If so, why did she not tell them the truth?


    Was it only because of the reason that Raven 12345 had speculated: that the goddess of creation did not dare to let the name of the Mad Lord come out of her own mouth, so as to prevent the ancient evil from taking the opportunity to escape?


    ¡°There may be answers to these questions in the scrolls,¡± Raven 12345 said. She snapped her fingers, the four scrolls were then enveloped in a ray of light and then descended slowly to the low table in front of Hao Ren. ¡°Take it back and study it. And also the cosmic fragment. I¡¯ll leave both of them to you.¡±


    Although it was not the first time that she had given Hao Ren all the work, he was still curious. ¡°Give it all to me? Wouldn¡¯t you like to keep it for further investigation?¡±


    Raven smiled and said something that seemed to mean something else. ¡°All I have to do is watching you.¡±


    Hao Ren looked like there was something running in his mind, but in the end, he did not say anything.


    After these things were handed over to Hao Ren, he mentioned another thing, ¡°In fact¡­ I came into contact with a very strange vision after Hagrids¡¯ death.¡±


    ¡°A very strange vision?¡±


    ¡°Well, it seems like a cosmic starry sky,¡± Hao Ren said, nodding his head slightly and describing the hazy and twisted starry sky he saw to her. ¡°¡­ and, for no apparent reason, I was being pushed out of it again. It seemed to be a static place. I didn¡¯t see any clues.¡±


    ¡°By the look on your face, I think you should have guessed something about this place,¡± Raven 12345 said. She looked into Hao Ren¡¯s eyes and asked, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Hao Ren did not answer. He raised his hand and showed her the ¡®cosmic fragment¡¯ in his hand.


    The cosmic fragment lay quietly in the palm of his hand, and the brilliant stars twinkled against the dark background.


    ¡°You suspect you saw the inside of this thing?¡± asked Raven 12345.


    ¡°Not only did I see it, but I suspected I had been there once.¡±

 Chapter 1209 - : The Record of the Second Scroll

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren had doubts about the strange vision he had experienced when he left the forest.


    So far, all the visions he has experienced have had their carriers ¨C either the gold disk, or the palace of the goddess of creation, or the goddess¡¯ blood. So where does the twisted, dim starry sky come from?


    Hao Ren easily associated it with the scepter, because that was the last thing he touched before he fell into the illusion.


    Now that Raven 12345 had used her divine power to dispel the disguise of the core of the scepter and reveal the nature of the cosmic fragments, and his guess was confirmed. He was almost certain that the piece of starry sky he saw was something in the fragment: a ripped universe.


    Raven 12345 put the fragment in her hand and released a little of her power to try to penetrate it. She tried very carefully because she could feel that it was quite unstable. As a ripped universe, it was rapidly ¡®self-evaporating¡¯. Its incomplete information structure was constantly collapsing in the real world due to its inconsistency. After several attempts, she stopped trying and said, ¡°There¡¯s something left in the fragment, but my power cannot penetrate it: this damned thing is part of the Plane of Dreams. Just like I can¡¯t intervene in the Plane of Dreams, I can¡¯t intervene in this thing too. It¡¯s too resistant to foreign powers.¡±


    Hao Ren was not surprised. He just nodded and said, ¡°But I think my guess is quite right.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s right to trust your intuition at times like this,¡± said Raven 12345, returning the fragment to Hao Ren. ¡°You might as well keep it with you. You have some kind of strange abilities that allow you to resonate with the products of the Plane of Dreams, and if there¡¯s a man who has a chance to unlock the secrets of this, it¡¯s probably you.¡±


    Hao Ren took the fragments, but his eyes fell on the god-slaying sword not far away. ¡°If the fragments still have the physical structure of the universe, then this sword¡­ Is there something in it, too?¡±


    The god-slaying sword was spinning around in a boring circle. It shivered when it heard it and said, ¡°Are you going to stab me open? I don¡¯t like to stab anyone, and I don¡¯t like being stabbed at either. I tell you¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Who said I want to cut you open?¡± Hao Ren said while giving it the side-eye. ¡°Keep spinning and don¡¯t talk.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve kept sample information of the cosmic fragment,¡± Raven 12345 said. ¡°When I get back, I¡¯ll give the information to my superior¡¯s data center and ask the guys over there to analyze it. Maybe they¡¯ll find a way to get you back in. Before that, keep the god-slaying sword and this fragment with you. They have been purified and will not cause any harm in the future.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Hao Ren said and kept the two things carefully.


    Then Hao Ren and Vivian left the place together.


    For the next few days, everything seemed calm.


    Summer had come to an end. The hot weather that had lasted for nearly two months gradually cooled down. There was an autumn rain last night, and the air after the rain was particularly fresh. Hao Ren sat in his favorite chair in the living room and looked out of the window.


    From here, Hao Ren could see the empty space behind the house, which had now completely become the territory of Y¡¯lisabet. The little girl piled up all the old appliances she had collected from miles and miles away and dragged her father to build a colorful steel shed on the vacant lot to protect her treasures. Now Y¡¯lisabet was playing with her collection, checking to see if the rain yesterday had poured into the shed, and Rollie was following her around just like when she was still a cat: jumping up and down in all sorts of high and low places, looking very dangerous, but she had a good time.


    Y¡¯zaks was standing not far away, looking helplessly at his precious daughter. The plan he designed for his little girl, ¡®The Demon Queen Training Program¡¯ was completely ruined. At present, there was no hope to train the little girl into a qualified demon queen in 300 years. The old demon had been reflecting on his education problems lately, but that did not help.


    Hao Ren took his attention back from the window and fell back on the scroll in his hand.


    This was the second scroll. The first scroll had been analyzed and recorded. From today on, he would deal with the second scroll.


    Although Raven 12345 threw the hot potato at him, she was not completely unhelpful. The goddess gave Hao Ren some assisting tools and instructed him how to read them more safely. There were three main tips: Don¡¯t learn too much at once; Don¡¯t read the scrolls and think about anything about the Mad Lord at the same time; Recite the name of Raven 12345 before reading the scroll.


    Hao Ren translated it this way: don¡¯t read it all at once, don¡¯t think too much while reading, and think about his boss before he read it.


    And the last tip was weird¡­


    Hao Ren shook his head, took out a crystal and put it on the table. After the soft light of the crystal spread, he began to read the rest of the scroll:


    ¡°¡­ The war reshaped the order of the universe. The foreign god gained supreme authority and sealed the Mad Lord in the darkest depths of the universe. The tyrant¡¯s howl shook the stars, but it could not get out: for the stars were silent, and there was no way to escape. After the war, the foreign god felt sorry for the chaos of the universe and decided to completely change the rules of the star¡­


    ¡°The god visited the ancestors among the stars. Those ancestors were the race born from the earliest order of the universe. They had been ruled and enslaved by the Mad Lord, but now they were free. These ancient creatures came out of the refuge and called the foreign god ¡®the pioneer¡¯. They decided to follow the new god to build an orderly world¡­ Hundreds of centuries later, the universe entered the idyllic age of order¡­¡±


    Hao Ren put down the scroll and knocked on the data terminal. It immediately projected the interface of notepad, showing the notes line by line. Hao Ren started a new line at the end of his notes and wrote down the following words: the ancestors among the stars = the denizens of the stars?


    He looked at the crystal on the table. The crystal was still emitting a constant light, but the boundary of the light was already undulating. Maybe a short paragraph, he thought.


    ¡°¡­ The order grew among the stars, and the ancestors formed a firm alliance with the new god. They began to clean up the scars left by the Mad Lord. And at the same time, the Mad Lord kept crashing its cage. The tyrant was not content to be trapped. Its power spread from the darkness. So stars were extinguished, the matter was torn apart, the core of the universe was gradually cracking¡­


    ¡°¡­The new god sensed this change in time and strengthened the prison. The new prison was an emptier and silent space with ninety-nine layers of barriers. A powerful wall of divine power was set up every 33 floors. The Mad Lord was locked up in the deepest layer of the wall. The ancestors chose the most tenacious ones who volunteered to become the eternal prison guards of this cage, watching the eternal prison in the dark¡­ When the new god saw that the world was working properly, the new god rested in the palace and delegated authority to the heir¡­¡±


    The light around him suddenly faded. Hao Ren looked up and saw the crystal on the table was flashing, and the light released by the crystal had shrunk.


    This crystal was given to him by Raven 12345. Its function was to constantly purify the distorted force of the scroll released in the process of being read and to give him a warning. When the crystal began to flash, it meant that the distorted force released by the scroll had reached a dangerous threshold. At this point, the crystal could still purify it, but Hao Ren had learned too much taboo knowledge at one time, so he must stop now.


    So he rolled up the scroll, stretched himself and put it into his Dimensional Pocket.


    Although he was curious about the second half of the scroll, he knew exactly what he was doing. As a demigod, the mesmerizing power of temptation unleashed by the scroll did not work for him, and he could easily resist the urge to read on.


    After a short break, he woke the data terminal up again. The MDT had recorded the latest scroll resolution data and there were a few more lines of notes automatically added by the system in the notepad. He added a sentence at the end of the record:


    The goddess of creation was allied with the denizens of the stars, and none of the histories so far has appeared in the record of the guardian giants.


    Then he thought a moment and added:


    Are the guardian giants and the First Borns really the first creatures created by the goddess of creation?

 Chapter 1210 - Changes In Noobie

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After Vivian carried the basket and went home with Lily, she saw Hao Ren rolling up the scroll. ¡°Still working on that thing?¡± Vivian asked casually.


    Lily was not interested in the scroll. She howled happily and then ran to the kitchen and gulped down lots of cold water. After quenching her thirst, she yelled at Vivian, ¡°Battie, hurry up and cook! Why did you drag me along just to buy some vegetables? What did I owe you in my past life?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only 10:30 a.m. and you¡¯re already hungry? What did I owe you in my past life?¡± Vivian yelled back.


    ¡°You killed me in your past life¡­ I mean, I was killed by you in my past life!¡±


    ¡°¡­Why is this girl so quick-witted only at times like this?¡± said Vivian.


    Hao Ren looked at the two enemies doing their daily bickering, smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ve begun to decipher the second scroll.¡±


    Vivian looked interested immediately. She handed the basket to Nangong Wuyue, who was wriggling on the ground, mopping the floor. She came to Hao Ren and asked, ¡°What did you find?¡±


    Hao Ren pointed to the data projected by the data terminal and explained, ¡°I guess these four scrolls record four important chapters of ancient history on the Plane of Dreams respectively because the records of the first and second scrolls are obviously segmented. The first scroll records the reign of the Mad Lord over the universe, which is also the most dangerous scroll: it is full of the names and deeds of evil gods, and it took me nearly a week to read all those things. The second scroll begins to record the history of the period after the goddess of creation defeated the Mad Lord. The scroll calls this period ¡®the idyllic age¡¯, and I have just read this part.¡±


    Vivian looked at the data curiously. These materials were, in fact, the translated and arranged version, which was still full of the content on the Mad Lord, but as Raven 12345 said, these copied words had lost their danger, and anyone could read them safely.


    ¡°So you suspect that those ancestors were the denizens of the stars?¡± Vivian asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a guess. It could be something else. Anyway, it¡¯s an indigenous intelligent creature that existed before the birth of the guardian giants like Muru. In order to better suppress the Mad Lord, the goddess of creation redesigned and strengthened the cage. This time, the cage had three solid layers, 99 heavy barriers, and arranged a number of prison guards in it. I am curious about the fate of these prison guards.¡±


    ¡°Most likely they wouldn¡¯t end well¡­ After all, even the goddess has fallen, it is difficult to guess how many human prison guards can survive.¡± Vivian shook her head, turning her attention away from the materials and reminded, ¡°Don¡¯t get too carried away by these things. Raven 12345 said, these things are evil, and the process of learning this knowledge is like taking drugs.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled and said he would be more careful, but just then, a sudden noise coming from the corner of the wall interrupted the conversation.


    The big cardboard box in the corner of the living room was pushed away and Noobie poked her head out of the rat hole. She carefully observed the surrounding environment, and soon found that Hao Ren and Vivian were talking to each other, so the little one immediately ran to them. She jumped onto the arm of Hao Ren¡¯s chair, bared her teeth and showed her claws, making a threatening gesture to Hao Ren. ¡°Ha ¨C hiss!¡±


    Hao Ren pinned the little one¡¯s head with one finger, took a saucer from the table, poured some water into it and put it on the armrest of the chair.


    The little one looked down, waved her arms and yelled at Hao Ren. Then she lowered her head and drank water.


    ¡°Have you found it?¡± Hao Ren said to Vivian as he looked down at the little one who was drinking water seriously. ¡°She has changed a little.¡±


    At this moment, Lily strolled out and heard Hao Ren¡¯s words. ¡°Yes. She didn¡¯t drink water before.¡± She answered.


    ¡°Not that,¡± Hao Ren said, waving his hand. ¡°Have you noticed that she seems to be¡­ much gentler?¡±


    The little one licked the last bit of water, and then grabbed the saucer and swung at Hao Ren¡¯s face. ¡°Hiss Ha!¡±


    Lily was shocked. ¡°You call this gentle?¡±


    Hao Ren hurriedly caught the plate and pinned the little one onto the table. He shook his head and explained, ¡°No, I mean¡­ I think she¡¯s been a little obedient lately. Have you noticed that she seems to understand people?¡±


    Vivian frowned at the little one and tries to say hello to her. ¡°Can you understand me?¡±


    The little one heard the sudden voice and quieted down for a moment. She looked up at Vivian and then shook her head wildly.


    Everybody, ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°When did you notice this change in her?¡± Vivian became serious at once. She had not really paid attention to these subtle changes in Noobie. Although she was concerned about her unexpected split, her interaction with Noobie was actually not as good as Hao Ren, and the reason was very simple ¨C the little one found that the one with the best temper in the family was Hao Ren, and others would bully her. Hao Ren was the only person who would just laugh it off whatever she did to him. So the little one used her confused brain to do some confusing calculations and decided that Hao Ren was her best target. So after a while, Hao Ren was the first to notice the change in the little one.


    ¡°Since we left that forest last time,¡± Hao Ren nodded and said. ¡°Strictly speaking, I think the change happened when we were still in that space. Do you remember? When we left that space, we found the little one stayed quietly in the jar. When we got home, she slept all day and all night. But something was wrong with her when she woke up.¡±


    Then he let go of the little one. When the little one was free, she let out a shrill cry and darted down the table into a mouse hole in the corner of the wall.


    A moment later, the little one zipped out of the mouse hole again. She dragged the cardboard box beside her to block her ¡®door¡¯. Before she got back into the hole, she darted a glance at Hao Ren. Although her eyes could not show any emotions, she was obviously angry.


    Hao Ren, Vivian, and Lily stared at the scene. Noobie¡¯s action just now was full of a trait she had never had before: emotional. And that¡¯s a pretty obvious one.


    The three of them had a discussion on the spot, and soon after mopping the floor, Wuyue also joined in the discussion. They put together a collection of the most recent actions and behaviors of the little one they usually saw, and soon came to the conclusion:


    ¡°It is clear that she now understands human language and has obvious emotional responses,¡± Hao Ren said while touching his chin. ¡°But her mind is not yet developed completely. Her most complex emotional reactions to date are also extremely ¡®childish¡¯ and in many cases, she has no control over her actions. Lily mentioned earlier that the little one still throws magic arrows at the wall and bites wires every day, even though she should have known it didn¡¯t make any sense ¨C I think it shows a lack of self-control.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue frowned and said, ¡°Now we know that there is a change. The question is what caused her change.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s suppose that her change is related to our previous experience in that space. What are all the suspicious things that could have affected her there?¡± Vivian was bending the fingers, counting them one by one, ¡°the big enchantment built by the demon hunters, then the scepter, then the four scrolls. All three of them are very powerful sources of energy, and I think all of them are possible.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue said while wiping the table, ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t go with you, didn¡¯t know the situation.¡±


    Hao Ren recalled what they had experienced carefully, and then shook his head gently and said, ¡°There was a big factor that was overlooked.¡±


    ¡°What factor?¡± Vivian asked.


    ¡°Your moonlight.¡±


    Everybody fell silent.


    ¡°Moonlight?¡± Vivian froze for a moment. She then raised her hand, pointing at herself and said, ¡°You mean the crimson moon? That thing is supposed to make you crazier. I don¡¯t even know it has a therapeutic effect.¡±


    ¡°But didn¡¯t you say that the crimson moon that you summoned last time was different? Maybe that¡¯s the problem: your moonlight has changed, and so has the little evil spirit that split from you.¡±


    Vivian touched her chin and asked, ¡°You seem to have a plan?¡±


    ¡°Not really a plan, just an idea.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°I want to see your crimson moon again and have a thorough examination of it.¡±


    Vivian did not show any hesitation or resistance because she now had a kind of inexplicable trust in Hao Ren. She felt that any plan he proposed would succeed. There was no basis for it. She just believed it.


    But then she shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t mind, but I¡¯m afraid not for the time being ¨C summoning the crimson moon is a pretty magic-consuming and energy-consuming ability. I think it will be a while before I can do it again.¡±


    Hao Ren certainly understands this. In fact, he was not too urgent about this problem. It¡¯s just that he had been studying scrolls or Noobie for the last few days. It was really boring and he wanted to find something else to do¡­


    But soon he would not feel so anymore, because the data terminal brought him great news that afternoon:


    A corresponding rift of the Scarred Nebula in the Plane of Dream was found.

 Chapter 1211 - A Void Deep In the Universe

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren, of course, did not forget what had happened on the Scarred Nebula.


    Two months ago, he, together with two senior inspectors, Galazur and Antony, went to work on the historical legacy of Yggdrasil. After that, they went to the Scarred Nebula and prepared to create an artificial stable gate on the rift of the ancient Wall of Reality to enhance the connection between the Surface world and the Plane of Dreams. However, this ambitious project encountered a major setback at the beginning of the project:


    The core crystal used to open the gate was bombarded with information from the Plane of Dreams and crashed immediately after leaving the spacecraft¡¯s control, falling straight into a large fissure in the center of the Scarred Nebula. Its whereabouts were still unknown.


    The ancillary projects they left behind near the Scarred Nebula continued to operate. Autonomous robots and building units had been working round the clock, setting up lots of outposts and data centers around the fissure, as well as tens of thousands of space turrets and factories. Yggdrasil, which docked near Inferno, served as the main monitoring station for the Scarred Nebula system. It was responsible for maintaining and advancing the continuing progress of that ambitious project.


    However, the most important door crystal was still missing, which led to the awkward situation of the whole project: all the preparations for it were almost finished, but the core of the project was still nowhere to be found.


    The only clue to the crystal was a sample of information. At the moment that the large fissure in the center of the Scarred Nebula opened, Anthony heard some brief signals coming from the depths of the Plane of Dreams. These signals came from somewhere around the point where the crystal fell behind the Wall of Reality.


    In the past two months, Hao Ren had turned on all the monitoring systems in the Plane of Dreams. From Crapple Research Station to UAV fleets, from the free radar station in space to deep-space detection antennas on the surface of planets, countless automated devices scanned the universe day after day. Now, at last, the huge search project was making progress.


    A remote sensing signal from the new frontier overlapped with the information sample recorded that day. The coincidence degree of the two was over 90%. After the information comparison, the Crapple Research Station immediately sent the news to Hao Ren.


    The Crapple Research Station, as always, gazed down at the vast land below like the eyes of the gods. In the background of this giant space station, the stars of the universe are still shining. Those mysterious galaxies and nebulae lived forever in darkness. The disasters that happened in this universe seemed to have no effect on the operation of the world at all.


    Everyone in the family came to the main control hall of the Crapple Research Station. Boring days had been too long, and now something interesting finally popped up, so everyone came and join in the fun.


    Of course, everyone had their excuse to come here. Lily¡¯s excuse was to be Hao Ren¡¯s bodyguard, and Rollie¡¯s reason was that Hao Ren had not walked her for a long time¡­


    Muru returned to the space station from the ecological monitoring base of Tannagost to meet Hao Ren. The guardian giant had now fully demonstrated his ability and reliability, so Hao Ren gave him the total freedom and some daily maintenance and documentation work on the space station. The ecological reconstruction project in Tannagost was coming to an end, so the guardian giant now had tons of free time available. As a demigod created by the goddess of creation, Muru had a good learning ability, so he quickly mastered these techniques.


    Normally he ran between the planet¡¯s ecological monitoring base and the space station, but now he replaced the space station host to explain to Hao Ren.


    ¡°The coordinate sending from the monitoring station is a barren area 2.2 billion light years away from here,¡± Muru said, turning on his recorder. ¡°I¡¯ve been paying attention to that rift these days¡­ Look, here it is.¡±


    The recorder showed a star map. According to the map¡¯s markings, they could see that it was a ¡®pre-scan¡¯ with sub-standard accuracy, and the galaxies on the border were not being corrected for starlight. Clearly, this star map came from the border of the UAV fleet detection area. A monitoring station found this place on the boundary of the observable universe. It had not had time for a further deep space refinement scanning.


    Hao Ren frowned and said, ¡°¡­This position doesn¡¯t seem to be on the extended route of the UAV fleet.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we almost missed it,¡± the UAV fleet¡¯s collective consciousness answered. ¡°The original expansion of the UAV fleet passed this region by, but at your command, we began to proliferate into the ancient dark regions of the universe. The forward nest thus partially altered the direction of detection, and this area fell right on our new detection path. This stars region is quite old, and all stars are at least twenty billion years old. Most interstellar dust has entered the cooling period. The number of new stars under one billion years old accounts for less than three percent of the total number of stars.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the map carefully and suddenly found something strange. ¡°Where is the rift? It¡¯s not marked on the star map?¡±


    ¡°No rift. In fact, we found nothing there.¡± The answer was surprising.


    ¡°Nothing?¡± Hao Ren raised an eyebrow.


    Muru nodded. ¡°I was a bit surprised at first, but after comparing the data from a number of monitoring stations at the outposts, it was confirmed that there was no problem with the radar. The region where the sample signal overlaps with the feedback signal is a celestial vacuum belt. There¡¯s not even a speck of space dust there, let alone a rift.¡±


    The giant enlarged the star map while he was speaking. Hao Ren saw the specially marked area at a glance.


    It was located at the boundary of two ancient galaxies, an abnormally abrupt dark area. It was empty, and within a span of 10000 light-years, vacuum enveloped everything.


    Y¡¯zaks bent down in front of the map, looking grave. ¡°¡­ Not really, there¡¯s a blank space here.¡±


    The old demon¡¯s words sounded strange at first, but everyone was quick-minded, and soon everyone knew what it meant.


    At the intersection of two ancient galaxies that are merging, ¡®nothingness¡¯ itself was the most striking ¡®thing¡¯. It should be filled with turbulent celestial dust and newborn stars from dying nebulae. In any case, a vacuum that spanned tens of thousands of light-years was impossible.


    ¡°There must be something there. It¡¯s blocking the radar,¡± said Vivian.


    ¡°There¡¯s something that can interfere with the surveillance system of the UAV fleet?¡± Nangong Wuyue found it hard to believe. She had a visceral admiration for Hao Ren¡¯s high-tech gadgets. The siren never thought that those high-tech gadgets would fail.


    ¡°The UAV fleet uses only civilian version probes,¡± the data terminal interrupted. ¡°Of course, even a civilian version would be superior to the technology of most human civilizations, but they are still not omnipotent. Things left behind by the goddess of creation and the technology of guardians could influence the judgment of the fleet.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment and connected his ship. ¡°Nolan, get ready. I¡¯ll go and see for myself.¡±


    Nolan¡¯s hologram immediately appeared in front of them. ¡°Okay. But I have a stomach upset. Wait until I reset the energy crystal lattice and we¡¯re ready to go! Five minutes at most!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Then he heard a noise coming from below. When he looked down, he saw Lil Pea jumping around his feet happily.


    He wondered whether he should take the baby fish to the ¡®vacuum zone¡¯. But in the end, he decided to take the kid with him.


    There¡¯s a reason for that: If Raven 12345 was right, the opening of the Wall of Reality on the side of the Plane of Dreams should lead to the remains of the goddess of creation and the strange vacuum seemed to confirm this. Lil Pea had been shown to have a significant impact on the lifeblood. She may also have some subtle ¡®resonance¡¯ with other creations of the goddess of creation.


    With this kid around, maybe he would find some small details that were usually overlooked.


    Of course, in this process, he must always pay attention to the baby fish so that the baby fish would not accidentally kill itself¡­


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyes turned to the other side: Lily was holding a jar in her hand, and Noobie was tearing a pile of old newspapers inside.


    He decided to take the little one with him because she was somehow related to the goddess of creation, and more importantly ¨C if there was any power left over from the goddess of creation, what would happen if an evil mind met the primitive power of the goddess?


    Noobie had shown partial intellectual tendency after being irradiated by Vivian¡¯s moonlight (modified version), so if she was exposed to a higher level of primitive divine power, was it possible for the evil mind to be completely ¡°normalized¡±?

 Chapter 1212 - The Temple In Deep Space

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    No matter what Hao Ren was planning in his head, Noobie had no idea what her future would be like. The little one was still dedicated to her duty as the embodiment of evil, which was to destroy as much as she could. She tore up a pile of old newspapers, creating the sound effects as she did so.


    After a while, she started making noise. The hungry little one kept hitting the jar, looking for food. Vivian threw some minced meat into it, the little one began to eat happily. Her change was so obvious that even a careless person like Lily could see it at a glance.


    She was very quiet when she was eating, and she knew how to send out the ¡®hungry¡¯ signal when she asked for food. It was a sign that she was learning to ¡°communicate¡±. Even if the communication was brutal and violent, it showed that she began to understand the importance of expressing her will.


    Petrachelys was traversed through deep, dark space. The long journey of 2.2 billion light years did not seem so far away after the spacecraft entered subspace. As the dark warping space around the spacecraft expanded, the strange and slightly sparse starry sky appeared before them. This was the spot where the UAV fleet discovered.


    As the data show, this was a vacuum of matter. At the scale of 10000 light-years, there was not even an asteroid visible in space, but it lay at the point where the two galaxies met, creating a hazy interstellar dust cloud beyond the boundary of the vacuum zone. Distant starlights from at least 10,000 light-years away entered the region through the dust cloud, looking blurry, sparse and cold.


    The spacecraft broke away from hyperspace in a cloud of dust outside the vacuum, cruising forward with various radars on and eventually crossing the sharp dividing line. There were no twists and turns in the process as if the boundary was just a rare harmless natural phenomenon. But even though the radar did not detect anything unusual, everyone in the spacecraft knew that this place was abnormal.


    Except for Noobie. She didn¡¯t know what was happening.


    Nolan played back images of the spaceship as it crossed the borderline, and at close range, there was little to show, but a picture sent back from a probe tens of millions of kilometers away was much clearer. The front end of the dust cloud was cut off sharply in the air as if it had hit an invisible wall, so sharply demarcated that the picture seemed to have been erased with an eraser.


    ¡°We have now entered the vacuum zone.¡± Nolan¡¯s hologram sat on a console in front of Hao Ren. She was shaking her legs as she spoke, leaving them dangling from the edge of the console, looking relaxed, but in fact, she turned on all her radar and was keeping a vigilant eye on what was going on around her. ¡°Although everyone can see that there is something wrong with this place, none of the detectors have sent back abnormal data so far.¡±


    ¡°There are two speculations. First, something here is hidden by some sort of ¡®invisible stance¡¯. Second, the original material here has been ¡®excavated¡¯. Both are possible,¡± Hao Ren said, tapping on the armrest of the captain¡¯s seat. ¡°Interstellar dust at the boundary appears to be in a state of ¡®motion blockade¡¯. The clouds are still moving, but none of the particles have crossed the border, which makes it difficult to know which is more likely.¡±


    Muru¡¯s voice came from the communicator. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s the second one: the original material here has been hollowed out.¡±


    The guardian giant took a break from the work of the Crapple Research Station and Tannagost to become Hao Ren¡¯s advisor, which was necessary because of the possibility of the legacy of the goddess of creation. Hao Ren had also arranged a special cabin for the big man in the back of Petrachelys.


    ¡°How do you judge that?¡± Hao Ren asked curiously.


    ¡°We¡¯re not ¡®invisible¡¯, captain,¡± Nolan replied. ¡°I¡¯ve placed a small surveillance station before entering the vacuum zone. Now, this surveillance station is looking at our ship from the other side of the border. According to the observation, we show no sign of being invisible.¡±


    Images from the monitoring station were projected onto the console. Hao Ren saw that in an empty space, a small silver dot appeared abruptly on the dark background. There was a blue light behind the white dot ¨C that was the trajectory of Petrachelys¡¯s energy lattice in the background.


    ¡°So you can¡¯t be invisible here¡­¡± Hao Ren was touching his chin, feeling that something was not right. ¡°But this is where the rift in the Wall of Reality is. Matter can be ¡®dug¡¯ away, but how could the rift disappear?¡±


    Vivian looked at him and said, ¡°Let¡¯s look around.¡±


    The upper deck of Petrachelys was slowly unfolding, and an additional set of combined antennas extended from the armor belt. The spacecraft expanded the range of precise sensing and began to look for any clues that might explain the ¡®vacuum zone¡¯ in this vast wilderness.


    At the same time, numerous silver shuttle-shaped light spots were released from the ejection channels on both sides of the spacecraft and quickly disappeared into the teleportation portal. These light spots were shipborne probes. These high intelligence probes, which were directly controlled by the main engine of the spacecraft, had higher sensitivity, a wider range of motion and faster superluminal transition capability. They were also exceptionally smart. They could judge and detect all kinds of camouflage of the target on their own. These probes, like worker bees scattered from swarms, were rapidly expanding Nolan¡¯s range of sense.


    Hao Ren believed that this dark field of 10,000 light-years wide was by no means empty, because the suspicious signal recorded by Antony on that day could not be wrong, and that signal was indeed consistent with the information signature of this space, so this was definitely the rift of the Wall of Reality in the Plane of Dreams.


    It¡¯s just that something had kept this rift hidden.


    Nolan jumped off the console. Although she was just a hologram, she moved as if she were a real person in the real world. She walked up and down beside Hao Ren, saying, ¡°Show up, show up now¡­¡±


    Hao Ren looked at her strangely and asked, ¡°Are you chanting?¡±


    Nolan waved and said, ¡°You won¡¯t understand.¡±


    Hao Ren was silent.


    Suddenly, Nolan stopped circling and looked in surprise at some position in space. ¡°Ah, there seems to be something over there.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Everybody asked.


    ¡°A probe found something strange¡­ That¡¯s probably the only space entity within 10000 light years. Let me see¡­ Looks like a man-made structure?¡± Nolan said quickly as she pressurized the engine.


    Soon, Petrachelys arrived at the destination.


    A probe was shining blue in space, and behind the probe, Hao Ren saw the upper half of an ancient building floating alone in the universe.


    As Nolan said, there was a man-made structure floating in this weird place.


    The spacecraft approached the strange object with a spire which resembling a religious facility cautiously and transmitted its detailed images to the holographic projection, which then also showed the size of the building.


    It was a 100-meter high man-made facility made of a material similar to granite. It had a central structure with a vault, with a large circular skylight with intricate hollowed patterns in the center. The vault was surrounded by four symmetrically arranged spires, which looked like some kind of church tower. All of these buildings have complex and exquisite decorative patterns on their exteriors. Silver metal and some kind of crystals were interlaced in these decorative patterns, making it look luxurious and mysterious.


    Even without these decorations, the whole structure had an obvious sense of sacredness and luxury. Hao Ren looked at it for a long time and believed that it was most likely the upper part of a temple.


    They could see clearly that the lower part of the temple had disappeared. The stubble was sharp and smooth as if it had been cut off in the middle by a huge blade.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it was cut open by a space fault,¡± said the old demon.


    ¡°What do you think this is?¡± Nangong Sanba asked curiously while lying before the holographic projection.


    Vivian frowned slightly, ¡°¡­Does it look a bit like the temples in Coldpath?¡±

 Chapter 1213 - The Strange Temple

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Yes, in truth, when Hao Ren carefully observed the ruins of the man-made building, which was floating in the void, he also thought of the towering ancient temples in the mysterious atmosphere of Coldpath. Nevertheless, he was not very sure of it.


    The temple remains were similar only in style to the temples in Coldpath, but there was a clear difference in detail: the temples in Coldpath were built with mysterious materials beyond human comprehension. Those divine creations personally blessed by the goddess of creation did not match with anything known on Earth. Meanwhile, the temple in space was obviously made of huge stones. The inlaid patterns were also of a common material, which could be analyzed by the Petrachelys¡¯ scanning device. Besides, the architectural features of the two temples were not exactly the same. The ratio of the four spires to the central building, the shape of the spires, and the pattern of some of the buildings¡¯ accessories could all be distinguished.


    But in any case, they were consistent in general style, and there was no doubt about it: the man-made building in front of them was related to the temple of the goddess of creation.


    ¡°Interesting¡­¡± Hao Ren said, touching his chin while asking Nolan to release more probes to scan the massive structure. ¡°The goddess of creation¡¯s style¡­ Well, it¡¯s quite possible that there are signs of the goddess of creation in this place, but this building is clearly a mortal creation. That¡¯s kind of intriguing.¡±


    Lily scratched her head and asked, ¡°What do you mean? Can¡¯t humans build temples?¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at the husky and explained, ¡°In the present, no mortal race who¡¯s ever believed in the goddess of creation has any idea what the temple on the Star of Creation looks like or how to restore its ¡®style¡¯. The goddess¡¯ temple in Holletta, the ancient temples in the database of Tannagost, and the man-made temple in Zorm¡¯s memory are all created by different races based on their own understanding as well as the imagination of the goddess. This is because no mortal race has ever been to the Star of Creation. But this one¡­ Although the style is somewhat different, it¡¯s already a really nice counterfeit.¡±


    Hao Ren soon got a response from Muru. ¡°Our mother wasn¡¯t keen on establishing the religion, so belief in the goddess among all mortal races was actually a spontaneous act of blood memory. The temple they built was bizarre, and the portrayal of the goddess was quite wild. The people who really had the opportunity and ability to reach the Star of Creation account for a very, very small share of the total Second Borns. And if they did reach the star, they would have reached a very high level and no longer build temples out of stone.¡±


    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s their culture?¡± Hao Ren raised an eyebrow. ¡°Some fairly advanced races still insist on building houses out of stone. It¡¯s part of their tradition.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember such a group.¡± Muru shook his head.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s just a coincidence,¡± Lily said, nodding earnestly. ¡°Maybe they had a similar aesthetic view to the goddess of creation and built houses that look like the ones on the Star of Creation.¡±


    Vivian looked at Lily and said, ¡°Do you know how low the probability for that is?¡±


    Lily kept quiet.


    Hao Ren turned to Nolan and said, ¡°Get ready. I¡¯ll go and have a look myself.¡±


    Before Nolan could say anything, Lily jumped up and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you!¡±


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes. He was not surprised at all. In fact, when he decided to go in person, he was ready to take this girl with him. Under no circumstances could one suppress a husky¡¯s desire to go out and have fun¡­


    ¡°The rest of you don¡¯t have to come with me.¡± Hao Ren looked around and said, ¡°The probe has scanned the structure of the building. There¡¯s not much space in it and there are no dangerous energy reactions. I¡¯ll go and check with Lily. I¡¯ll send you a signal if necessary.¡±


    Vivian actually wanted to join them, but she was not headstrong, so she just nodded after she heard Hao Ren¡¯s arrangements. ¡°You have to be careful. And Doggie, protect our landlord.¡±


    Lily waved her hands and tail before she said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, our landlord¡¯s stronger than me now. He¡¯ll surely be able to protect me.¡±


    Everybody was speechless.


    ¡°You could try to play your role as a loyal dog.¡± Vivian sighed, covering her forehead. ¡°At least you could look after the house in the past. Why are you so useless now?¡±


    But Lily could not hear what Vivian was saying. The husky was dancing and skipping happily into the preparation room for teleportation.


    The next moment, Hao Ren and Lily were teleported directly to the floating temple.


    Once they moved closer, Hao Ren realized that the seemingly dilapidated stone building actually possessed a pretty large scale, as well as an amazing degree of elegance.


    Although it was built out of primitive stone and could not compare with the real palaces of the gods in Coldpath, the temple built by mortals was still impressive. The exquisite reliefs and mosaics on the exterior walls of the building reflected the meticulous craftsmanship involved. The magnificent main body of the building showed the hard work and painstaking efforts of the builders. Hao Ren could imagine that those who built it in the past must have accomplished the grand project with great pride and responsibility.


    However, he found it strange at the same time because such a man-made building was floating in the vast space all alone.


    It looked like a temple from medieval times, yet it was bathed in the stars of the universe, surrounded by the vacuum, which spanned 10,000 light-years.


    Hao Ren and Lily followed the main information from the scanning probe to find their way into the strange building. They soon saw the entrance where probe No.1 had gone through.


    At the front of the main building, there was a long and narrow opening leading to the interior.


    ¡°This looks like a window,¡± Hao Ren said as he passed through the opening. ¡°The lower part of the building is gone. The formal entrance must be at the lower part.¡±


    ¡°Landlord, how long has it been floating here?¡± Lily¡¯s eyes were filled with curiosity.


    ¡°Who knows? We haven¡¯t measured it yet, but I estimate it to be 10,000 years.¡± Hao Ren shrugged.


    The inside of the temple was, of course, dark. The lonely stars from the distant space seemed too weak there. The vacuum environment in the temple also made starlight impossible to diffuse in, but a small bright spot flew by Hao Ren¡¯s eyes and quickly got brighter. The soft halo spread around, instantly making the place as bright as day.


    It was the probe that flew into the building before. It had a photon generator, making it a good light source in there.


    Hao Ren grabbed onto Lily and floated along.


    Inside the building, there was a large open space without complex walls and corridors. There were four stone bridges extending from the surrounding walls in the magnificent hall. The stone bridges were connected to a large round altar at the center, which levitated in the air. Religious tools such as small columns and stone statues had been placed on the round platform. Above the levitating platform, the dome of the hall was open. The large circular skylight was covered with intricate, hollowed-out patterns, and the stars behind it could be seen faintly in the distance.


    When the building was still on Earth, every time a priest preached on the round platform, he would be bathed in holy light.


    ¡°There must have been a lot of people here.¡± Lily also saw the round platform. As a writer, she probably had a better picture than Hao Ren. ¡°This round altar was for the preacher, and the believers listened from the main hall below. I guess the skylight must have been designed to keep out the rain, otherwise, the bishop would have been embarrassed if it rained¡­¡±


    You¡¯re right, Lily¡¯s imagination was indeed much richer than Hao Ren¡¯s.


    Hao Ren drifted towards the round platform. Halfway through his descent, he looked down and saw deep darkness beneath him. The building was neatly cut off by the darkness as if it had been engulfed by something.


    He was immediately drawn to the darkness.


    The building was cut off in the middle and Hao Ren was likely able to see the stars in the space between the upper and lower parts of the building. How could there be such abnormal darkness between them?


    He pulled Lily¡¯s tail at once. ¡°Let¡¯s go down and have a look.¡±


    ¡°Awoo!¡±

 Chapter 1214 - As In Many Stories…

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After heightening their vigilance, Hao Ren dragged Lily and flew towards the lower level of the temple. The thick, cloudy darkness gradually occupied their sight.


    A dark fog moved slowly below like a boiling pot of thick soup, except there was no strange smell coming from it. Hao Ren grabbed a probe that was flying by, and read the parameters recorded by it. He determined that they had reached the lowest level of the building, where it was cut off.


    They would probably head straight out into space once they passed through the dark fog.


    ¡°Mr. Landlord¡­ what is this?¡± Lily found it a little eerie there. ¡°Why am I a little scared?¡±


    Hao Ren wanted to take the MDT out of his pocket and scan the thing in front of him. Then he remembered that it was stuck on the console aboard the Petrachelys. Even though the spacecraft¡¯s mastermind was now Nolan, and the MDT could not gain access to the console through force, the MDT still stuck itself firmly into the slot every time it set sail as if doing so gave it great psychological comfort.


    Hao Ren shook his head and threw the probe he had just caught into the darkness. Although the computing power of the device was not as good as that of the MDT¡¯s, it was good enough as a detector. It could also upload data to the analysis host in the Petrachelys for analysis. With the support of the Petrachelys, it was not that bad.


    Soon, the results of the analysis were sent to them. The analysis host deduced that it was a ¡°space phenomenon that could not be accurately described¡±.


    ¡°A space phenomenon that cannot be accurately described?¡± This was the first time Hao Ren had heard such an ambiguous conclusion from the analysis host of his spacecraft. He immediately asked Nolan for details, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°The space-time order in that dark fog is clearly separate from the outside. It should be a spatial rift or an unstable spatial warp. However, this space-time structure is not in any known database and is not a natural phenomenon. I don¡¯t have the parameters on the other side of the rift, so it can¡¯t be fully described,¡± Nolan responded.


    Hao Ren frowned. He did not like uncertainty, but too bad, such uncertain scenarios always appeared in the Plane of Dreams. Lily did not delve into it too much. The husky girl¡¯s worldview was simply divided into two parts: she would bully her opponents if they were weaker than her, and she would give in if they were stronger. No matter what the thing in front of them was, those two options were all they had¡­


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing but a lonely floating temple in the vacuum area 10,000 light-years away. And there¡¯s a spatial rift in the temple. Tch, this is not good.¡± Hao Ren was not interested in jumping into the fog to observe its characteristics, so he continued to let the probe collect data around the dark fog while he took Lily to study the intricate reliefs on the walls.


    The reliefs were the work of the mortal race. Like most religious murals, they depicted ancient heroes, warriors, and a large number of indescribable ghosts and demons. Not only were there battle scenes with demons, but there were also scenes of a sacred and peaceful paradise. The contents were clear about good and evil. It was easy to see which side represented the power of the builder of the temple. Based on the shapes and sizes of the warriors, it was not difficult to note that they were extremely similar to the human race, and among them, there were some humanoid species that were slightly different from the humans on Earth.


    Hao Ren carefully observed the exquisite and ancient reliefs, trying to find the image of the goddess as well as parts that described the relationship between man and the goddess. He was pretty sure that the temple was dedicated to the goddess of creation. And from the way the religious murals depicted the goddess, he could still analyze certain things about their ideology, level of civilization and so on.


    Lily was walking behind Hao Ren quietly. After some serious deliberation, she finally decided to chip a brick out of the stone wall.


    But Hao Ren discovered Lily¡¯s intention just as she raised her Flamejoy, and he pushed her paws away. ¡°Stop that! Do you know that this is an important relic? What if you break a clue?¡±


    Lily stuck her tongue out, but soon, stared at the mural behind Hao Ren. ¡°L-Landlord! That thing¡¯s moving!¡±


    At first, Hao Ren thought that the husky girl was just joking. However, he quickly realized that she was serious. He turned his head at once and saw that the reliefs on the walls were moving slowly under the flickering light of Flamejoy!


    Like a paused movie that was played again, the figures in the reliefs moved in the fire. The warriors waved their swords, the monsters raised their heads, and the plants carved on the stones slowly swayed. Everything came back to life!


    Lily thought for a moment. If it were a group of little monsters, she would have been able to fight them because she had brute force. But when it came to the realm of mystery, there was nothing she could do because she knew nothing about the world of magic. The husky decided to hide behind Hao Ren. ¡°Mr. Landlord, there¡¯s something wrong with this place! Awoo! We need to summon Battie and Y¡¯zaks!¡±


    ¡°Why are you such a chicken?¡± Hao ren glared at Lily and went up to observe the moving reliefs carefully.


    The average person may have found it scary, but he was so experienced that he did not get emotional over such a thing.


    The changes in the reliefs were actually very slight at first. In the beginning, they only moved at a very small rate. The whole thing was almost mistaken for an illusion amid Flamejoy¡¯s flickering light. But gradually, the movement of the reliefs became more and more obvious. Hao Ren noticed that the one that changed the most was a large relief. It was guarded by other small reliefs, perhaps depicting an important chapter in a religious story.


    A group of brave knights, led by a leader in a white cloak, was charging bravely. There was a plain of burning flames in front of them. There were also mountains of corpses and seas of blood.


    The remains of men and demons were scattered throughout the earth, and the charging knights seemed to be the last soldiers on the battlefield.


    Broken flags fluttered in the wind, and their armors were stained with blood, while the sky was completely covered with clouds. Not a single gleam of light was in sight. The knights were aiming at a huge, indescribable mass of chaos and distortion at the end of the plain.


    It looked like a bulky piece of meat with all sorts of limbs growing randomly from it. New limbs constantly stretched out of the flesh and blood, while old limbs were swallowed up again. The disgusting creature was rolling around at the end of the earth. It was more horrifying than any fairy-tale demon or ghost.


    The last remaining knights were charging at the indescribable and terrifying creature.


    *Boom!*


    The clouds on the relief burst open and a flash of lightning broke through the clouds. However, Hao Ren could actually hear the thunder at that moment!


    Lightning lit up the earth and instantly dispelled the haze on the battlefield. Under the flashing light, the brave knights were shrouded in a holy glow as they rushed towards that formidable enemy, which could not be fought with ordinary forces. Behind the clouds, a huge, crystal-clear mountain emerged. Although it was just a relief carved on a rock, the mountain had an incredible crystalline texture!


    Hao Ren was completely drawn to it. He stretched his hand out, trying to see if he could touch the light and the crystal mountain.


    He slowly put his right palm onto the reliefs. A red ¡°scar¡± still remained in the palm of his hand. It was the ¡°scar¡± that he obtained when he touched the goddess¡¯ blood. The blood had soaked into his skin, and it did not fade away at all.


    The scar touched the relief, and as all stories go, something changed abruptly.


    The reliefs crumbled in a flash. The cracks spread like cobwebs. All the reliefs were unable to withstand some kind of powerful force, and in the blink of an eye, they began to peel off the stone walls. Simultaneously, the dark fog at the bottom of the building suddenly started to surge and boil!


    Lily¡¯s instinct told her that something was wrong, and she pulled Hao Ren¡¯s arm at once. Hao Ren saw the boiling and rising dark fog at the same time too. He turned and ran away. Yet, as all stories go¡­


    The dark fog engulfed them.

 Chapter 1215 - Another Part of the Temple

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    When the dark fog rose, neither Hao Ren nor Lily could get away in time.


    It was an unthinkable situation. Hao Ren¡¯s body and mind had been tempered and strengthened far beyond the realm of human beings, so he was very confident of his current reaction speed. As for Lily, she had her animal instincts and excellent physical ability, so she was the strongest benchmark for agility and reaction speed in Hao Ren¡¯s team. However, even if they were unusually quick to react, they were engulfed in the dark fog before they could resist.


    When Hao Ren was enveloped in the dark fog, he felt that the time around him was momentarily distorted. It gave him the illusion that all his actions were extremely slow. He watched helplessly as the darkness swallowed him, unable to move a finger. He felt as if his spirit was detached from the real world and he was shocked by the unprecedented situation.


    Lily was slowly turning her head towards him. The husky¡¯s every move was slow and ridiculous. She opened her mouth to talk to Hao Ren and looked completely confused.


    The next moment, a spinning giddiness interrupted Hao Ren¡¯s thoughts.


    The both of them disappeared into the billowing dark fog. Inside the ancient and mysterious building, everything was instantly restored to its original state. The reliefs and the cracked walls were all restored. The darkness at the bottom of the building vanished, as though it had never existed in the first place.


    Starlight shone in from below the temple and onto the mottled old murals. The stars were silent as if they were covering up all the secrets there.


    The people on the Petrachelys immediately saw what was happening in the temple through various monitoring devices. There was a tremendous amount of energy interference in the temple at that moment, but Nolan was able to filter out the noise and transmit the images. ¡°Ahhhhhhh!¡± everyone immediately exclaimed when Hao Ren and Lily suddenly ¡°vanished¡± and the rift disappeared.


    ¡°I¡¯m repositioning the beacon.¡± The MDT instantly projected a bunch of complex data charts. ¡°Beacon positioning failed¡­ Encountered unknown attribute interference. Verifying inspector¡¯s status¡­ Normal.¡±


    ¡°It looks like they¡¯re still alive.¡± Y¡¯zaks breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°But can we reach them?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying,¡± the MDT said as it mobilized the channel resources for the Petrachelys and the UAV outpost. ¡°It¡¯s like they went through a distorted point in space. But it¡¯s so weird¡­ This form of space barrier isn¡¯t even recorded in my database¡­ Now only the beacon¡¯s life-sensing function is normal. It¡¯s the most advanced of the information link, and it hasn¡¯t been disturbed.¡±


    Nangong Sanba frowned. ¡°Can you find a way to open that spatial rift again?¡±


    Nolan nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±


    The Petrachelys released a probe, and it followed the route taken by Hao Ren and Lily to the bottom of the temple, which was now empty. The eerie murals were back to normal, and the dark fog was gone. There was only one big hole at the bottom of the temple, and it led straight into space.


    A probe stayed where Hao Ren and Lily had disappeared. It recorded the spatial data of their last moments and uploaded the data into another space probe. However, the data were useless now.


    ¡°The spatial anomaly has disappeared.¡± Nolan¡¯s voice was full of confusion. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like this. MDT, are you still unable to reach the captain and Lily?¡±


    ¡°All valid channels have been disrupted, and the interference level¡¯s quite high.¡± The MDT rarely sounded solemn. ¡°I¡¯m afraid¡­¡±


    ¡°Afraid of what?¡± Vivian was very worried.


    ¡°They fell into some kind of relic left by the goddess of creation. Maybe it¡¯s a boundary, maybe it¡¯s something else,¡± the MDT said slowly. ¡°Only the seal left by a true god can be of this level. Divinity is one of the few things that can interfere with me in this universe.¡±


    Vivian clutched the console in front of her and asked, ¡°So what are we going to do?¡±


    ¡°The life-monitoring channel is still not blocked, which means there are still loopholes in the barrier. Additionally, the spiritual connection between Hao Ren and I is special; it won¡¯t be cut off so easily. Just that it¡¯s encountered some external divine interference all of a sudden, so the channel needs some time to adapt.¡± The Data Terminal relaxed. ¡°Let¡¯s calm down and go back to our respective positions. I¡¯ve automated solutions in my database to deal with all kinds of unexpected situations.¡±


    Once everyone quieted down, Vivian said, ¡°Anyway, the priority now is to get back in touch with Hao Ren and¡­ He may need help. MDT, can you mobilize the nearby UAV fleet? Maybe they can help.¡±


    The MDT ¡°looked¡± at Vivian in surprise. The blue light on its surface flickered slightly. ¡°That¡¯s a good suggestion. I¡¯ll start planning now.¡±


    Hao Ren was still floating in the darkness when the Petrachelys began to make a series of response plans. He felt as if he was moving in an infinite void. Although he could not tell the direction and distance, he knew his body was mobile. In the darkness, he could vaguely see strange scenes flickering from afar. He seemed to see ancient mountains, land, rivers, and islands floating in nothingness. There was a mysterious optical connection between these things, and it was hard to tell whether they were real or illusory.


    Hao Ren looked around but he could not see Lily¡¯s glittering golden eyes. Soon after they fell into the darkness, he was separated from the husky. Perhaps the space turbulence had sent them to different places.


    He hoped that Lily was all right.


    While these thoughts ran through his mind, there was a sudden change in the darkness ahead.


    A glimmer of light appeared at the end of the blackness. The dim light expanded rapidly and turned into a hole in the blink of an eye. Just as Hao Ren adjusted his posture, he fell onto a stone floor


    *Bang!*


    The crash broke the silence in the ancient temple, and a cloud of dust rose up in the middle of the hall following the crash. Someone was coughing violently in the dust. Hao Ren got up from the ground and his eyes wandered restlessly around the temple.


    He found himself in a large round hall. The hall was quite dark, but not completely dark. A dim light came from somewhere, allowing him to see his surroundings in the faint light.


    A circle of stone pillars was distributed around the edge of the hall, but the pillars were not there to support the building. They were just there for some simple decorative purpose. Between the pillars stood a statue, but most of it had collapsed.


    Hao Ren rubbed his shoulder. He realized that the hall looked very familiar, and he looked up¡­


    That moment, it dawned on him that there was no ceiling above him, and he saw straight into the darkness. There were also some broken stone chairs and metal objects floating in the air.


    Apart from that, the rift above looked neat and smooth like it had been cut with a knife or ax.


    This was no doubt the missing lower part of the space temple.


    Hao Ren calmed himself down and attempted to contact the Petrachelys. However, there was no response. Then, he turned on his spiritual connection and called the MDT. This time, there was a weak response, but still, there was no signal.


    His communication with the outside world had been cut off. If his guess was right, he was now isolated from the outside world. The darkness he just crossed may have been the result of some sort of space-time distortion.


    Hao Ren shook his head. The situation seemed surprisingly bad, but it did not cause him panic. He was a different man now, and he knew what to do first in that situation.


    He would keep the communication link unblocked, keep calling the MDT, the Petrachelys, and the UAV fleet as well as check his current status at the same time.


    He was not injured, he was mentally stable, and he was not affected by any negative state.


    He opened his Dimensional Pocket. It was not too bad. He could still use his Dimensional Pocket as usual. Hao Ren breathed a sigh of relief after he saw the mountains of arms, ammunition, and autonomous robots in his pocket.


    Everything he needed was still there, so he did not have to worry about unexpected situations.

 Chapter 1216 - Veronica

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After he checked his physical condition and Dimensional Pocket, Hao Ren decided to explore the temple.


    Of course, he was worried about where Lily had gone to, but before that, he had to figure out what place he was in. From what he could see, he was sure that he was no longer in space, so where was he now?


    He first examined the statues between the pillars. They had been badly damaged. The temple built by mortals could not compare with the real temple of the gods on the Star of Creation. After thousands of years of weathering, the once solid statues were now unrecognizable. All the patterns on the pillars had been chipped away, and most of the statues of heroes or great men had been destroyed. Only pedestals were left. Hao Ren stopped in front of a statue, which was barely recognizable. It was of a warrior in armor. Facing the center of the temple, the warrior was holding his sword and looking up slightly. His eyes were focused on the empty space above. That should be where the pulpit was.


    If the pulpit represents the voice of the gods, then the statues represent the greatest warriors in history or something like that , Hao Ren reasoned with his logic.


    Apart from the statues and pillars, there was nothing remarkable there. Hao Ren looked around and found nothing else. Then, he came to the gate of the temple.


    After he stepped over the debris of a collapsed wooden door, the view outside the temple greeted Hao Ren¡¯s eyes. Although Hao Ren had made a lot of speculations and assumptions before his departure, he was still surprised to see the situation outside. The world was enveloped in chaos.


    The temple was located on a mountain, occupying almost the entire summit. Jagged rocks stretched at his feet, growing darker as they went. The foot of the mountain was almost entirely covered in darkness. There was no life on the mountain, only withered and twisted shrubs as well as dark boulders scattered all over the hillside.


    Hao Ren tried hard to concentrate, and he was finally able to see through the darkness in the distance. He saw a barren wilderness spread out at the foot of the mountain. Twisted plants and strange shadows stretched across the area. Thick fog hovered over the wilderness, making it harder for him to see the distant landscape. Meanwhile, the sky was engulfed in endless darkness and chaos. There was no sun, no moon, no stars, and no clouds; only large, shapeless black patches rolling in the grayish-black background as if doomsday was coming.


    In any case, it did not look like normal ¡°weather¡± or even any kind of atmospheric landscape, which any planet would see.


    ¡°What the hell is this place¡­¡± Hao Ren grunted as he looked at the absolutely unnatural landscape. Nonetheless, he was still relieved. It was much better than wandering in space.


    If Lily had also landed there, then she should be safe.


    While Hao Ren thought about how he would look for Lily, a little light suddenly appeared on the plain and caught his attention.


    The light emerged from the chaotic desert in the distance and gradually drifted towards the bare rocky mountain. The light was weak, but where the light shone, the darkness and fog receded. Hao Ren stared at it carefully and finally saw some dim figures in the light¡­ There was something else amid those figures.


    ¡­


    A dozen weary soldiers were carrying broken armor, notched swords, and a tattered golden flag. That was all the squadron of the once-glorious Taros Royal Guard had left. Under the faint light of the golden battle flag, the shield of light only covered a distance of 100 m. Walking numbly in the hopelessly narrow light shield, Veronica¡¯s heart was sinking bit by bit.


    The brutal battlefield in the Darkshadow Thicket still lingered in their minds like a nightmare. More than 2,000 brave veterans died in the bloody meat grinder. Servants of Chaos poured out from all directions and devoured precious lives, leaving noble knights to howl and die without dignity. The entire battlefield was smeared in foul blood. And Princess Veronica, the most treasured pearl in the kingdom, who led the battle for the first time, had been defeated. They were about to be engulfed by the forgotten dark wilderness.


    However, Veronica¡¯s greatest fear was not the assailment of her defeat by the kingdom¡¯s inept aristocrats, or the carving up of her land and wealth by others after she left. She was not even very worried about her fate. All she could think of was this: the largest den of the Chaos in Darkshadow Thicket had finally broken through the blockade. The Servants of Chaos could reach the kingdom¡¯s borders in half a month. Who could send them an early warning?


    If only one messenger could break through the siege and enable the border to receive the bad news in time. Earlier preparations could save tens of thousands of lives.


    But she was doomed to fail. Although she had tried to break through the siege and retreat towards the kingdom¡¯s border, the fog blockade in Darkshadow Thicket had led her soldiers astray. They could only move on in the deserted wilderness, looking for a glimmer of hope, which was recorded in an unreliable ancient book.


    ¡°The Theocracy, those bastards! We would never have ended up like this if their monks hadn¡¯t left the battlefield early.¡±


    A grizzled old knight was furious. He shook violently and almost fell off his horse¡¯s back.


    The old knight¡¯s warhorse hung its head low, wobbling as it walked. It looked like it had been infected with an epidemic in the wilderness. In fact, almost all the remaining horses in the team were on the verge of exhaustion. Most ordinary animals would not survive more than three days after losing the light shield.


    The light of the golden flag was like a candle glimmering in the wind. The shield it provided was not enough for humans, let alone the horses. Perhaps tomorrow, or perhaps today, half the team would lose their mounts.


    If they could not find the holy mountain before then, imagine what would happen to a group of mortals trekking through the chaos.


    ¡°Sir Morian, the monks of the Theocracy also fought bravely. Their bravery and spirit of sacrifice were palpable to all,¡± Veronica shook her head and said. Her long lilac hair was stained with blood, and it had lost its luster. ¡°There must be some reason for their sudden withdrawal. Darkshadow Thicket is not the only battlefield on the frontier of chaos.¡±


    The old knight bowed his head and stopped talking. The young knights at the back did not make a sound.


    These were the most loyal soldiers in the kingdom. They had sworn fealty to the country with their lives, and their loyalty was a trait known throughout Collow. Even when they fell under the command of the princess, the respect and obedience that the knights showed to Veronica did not diminish at all.


    In fact, they knew there was nothing wrong with Veronica¡¯s command. Even if a veteran had been there instead, it would not have changed the results. There were three times more enemies than expected, and then there was the early withdrawal of the monks. The best commander could not have turned such a situation around.


    Veronica looked at her surroundings and saw billows of shadowy black smoke appearing around the golden flag. The black smoke emerged from the fog and gathered on all sides like a pack of hungry wolves. She could clearly see that their bodies had gradually formed, but they were not about to attack yet.


    At least, not for the time being.


    The knights had fended off an attack one hour ago and burned the remaining magic reserves of the golden flag. Now, the surrounding fog was not powerful enough to form the Servants of Chaos. Nevertheless, as time went on, the power of the golden flag would decline, and the monsters in the dark would launch a new attack. It was hard to say how many of them would survive after the next attack.


    Veronica looked up again into the distance.


    All she could see was a thick cloud of fog and the unfathomable darkness behind it. Walking in the wilderness was a hundred times more dangerous than walking in the mountains because there was nothing around to guide them. Plus, the fog and darkness could quickly get them lost. Although she was carrying the most advanced amulet made by the Royal Alchemist, it could only provide general direction and distance.


    Such little guidance in the endless darkness did not make them feel any safer.


    The princess shook her head, trying not to think if she had missed the holy mountain.

 Chapter 1217 - The Princess and the Explosion Maniac

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°Your Highness,¡± the old knight approached Veronica and whispered, ¡°we¡¯re running out of time.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Veronica lowered her voice as well. She knew that her knights were brave, but they were just human beings. She had to avoid damaging their morale as much as possible. ¡°They will attack in about half an hour, and the flag only has two charges left.¡±


    The old knight hesitated, then asked, ¡°Can we really find that mountain?¡±


    ¡°Do you trust me?¡± Veronica asked softly.


    The old knight paused for a moment and replied, ¡°Of course¡­¡±


    ¡°But I am not so sure. Sir Morian, you were my sword master when I was six, so I have nothing to hide from you. I found the story of the holy mountain in a tattered ancient book. There are only a few sentences in the ancient book and a rough sketch included. It is probably just a collection of whimsical heroic stories written by someone, and one of my ancestors collected it out of curiosity. Therefore, I do not really believe that we can actually find the mountain.¡±


    The old knight was not shocked or disappointed at what the princess said. He just sighed as if he had known the answer.


    ¡°As you¡¯ve said, Your Highness, I have known you since you were six years old.¡± The old knight shook his head. ¡°You can outwit the boys, but not your teacher. Nonetheless, it is all right if the mountain does not exist. What we need is hope right now.¡±


    Veronica sighed softly and said, ¡°But we need to face reality.¡±


    ¡°Veronica, you should not be discouraged. This is not you,¡± said the old knight sternly while he raised an eyebrow.


    The princess froze for a moment. She had not heard her teacher call her name directly for years.


    ¡°Do not give up so soon.¡± The old knight frowned but softened his voice, ¡°As you¡¯ve said, even if the source of the record is not so reliable, at least there is such a record. The holy mountain may actually exist, and fate will favor the warriors of the kingdom.¡±


    Veronica nodded quietly, looking slightly determined now.


    She recalled the afternoon when she broke into the old master¡¯s library years ago and found the yellowing pages in a pile of dusty ancient books. She could not really remember what happened when she was young, but perhaps she was very keen on things about secrets and adventures. She still remembered the words about ¡°Cassouin¡±, the holy mountain.


    ¡°Travel from the west of the kingdom, walk through Darkshadow Thicket, and you will find the most striking ¡®Mound of the Unnamed Soldier¡¯. It lies under the arch formed by the twisted twin boulders in the barren wilderness. In the direction of the unnamed soldier¡¯s gaze, in the depths of layers of fog and chaos, Cassouin stands eternally on the earth. The ancient Cassouin Grand Temple was built on top of the mountain. It is a great temple that has existed since the last era. It carries the power of the goddess in the past and in the present, as eternal as the earth. The glorious radiance of the Cassouin Grand Temple shines far greater than any tower. Where the radiance envelopes, chaos fades away¡­¡±


    Veronica recalled the words and reinforced her faith in the existence of the holy mountain. Soon after, she suddenly felt the light around her shake violently.


    The old knight drew his sword at once. The magic sword forged by Taros Palace was sparkling blue in the darkness. ¡°Draw your swords! Chaos strikes!¡± he thundered.


    The knights reacted immediately. Each of them crushed their white crystals, which hung from their saddle belt. The crystal cracked and released a thin mist of light. Under the cover of the light mist, the tottering horses immediately regained their strength and neighed in high spirits.


    But Morian sighed. The horses that had accompanied the soldiers for so long were not going to make it to the next battle.


    As the knights got ready for battle, the golden flag flashed for the last time, and a beam of light burst from the runes on the magic flag. The faint glow released by the battle flag was finally extinguished along with the crackling of magic overload.


    The battle flag was extinguished, and the battlefield immediately fell into deeper darkness. However, another light source soon lit up the battlefield. The knights activated their lightning crystals while Morian and Veronica chanted spells, creating floating light balls instantly.


    Yet, that particular form of magical light could not dispel the evil servants formed in the fog. Veronica heard a scream coming from behind. She immediately turned around, raised her sword, and split a shadow monster in half.


    Whatever that was happening in the fog was revealed by the magical light. Shadows were forming from the darkness one after another. Some of them resembled various wild animals, others were similar to human figures, while some were just dark patches. These strange Servants of Chaos started to shriek. After they lost to the suppression of the golden flag, they began to attack the knights¡¯ defense crazily!


    Morian swung his sword and beheaded a monster. The monster¡¯s head soared high into the sky. It screamed in the air as its body twitched and fell to the ground, turning into gray dust in the blink of an eye. The old knight did not even look at the monster he had just killed. He directed the warriors out loud, ¡°Protect the battle flag! The flag can still be activated! Gordon, Roland, don¡¯t stray too far from the line! Don¡¯t be swallowed up by the Chaos!¡±


    Veronica slashed all the monsters that pounced on her. At the same time, she continued to chant spells to release magic seals, assisting the team with instantaneous low-level magic. She was not a real magic swordsman, so the spells she knew were limited. While she constantly repelled the monsters¡¯ attacks, the princess nervously observed the light golden flag in the hands of the warriors. The runes on the golden flag shimmered in the dark, indicating that the flag had begun to recharge. However, nobody knew if the knights could hold on until the flag was fully lit again.


    More importantly, were the horses; they had inhaled crystal dust, and these loyal partners could only hold on for a while longer. After the dust effect was over, the horses would probably not be able to move on much further even if the flag was lit again.


    After quick consideration, Veronica made up her mind. She raised her sword and swung it in a certain direction. ¡°Knights, charge in that direction! Full speed!¡±


    The knights dashed into the darkness without hesitation. In front of them was a growing army of monsters.


    Veronica and Morian led the small team, galloping in the wilderness.


    Two magic swords flitted up and down, turning the monsters in the darkness into ashes. However, at the end of the line, a young knight finally could not resist the fatigue and pain accumulated over the days. He fell off his horse as a machete that came from the darkness struck him in the chest.


    The young knight tumbled to the ground before his comrades could save him. ¡°Aiken, take care of my¡ª¡± He was quickly engulfed by darkness before he could finish his last words.


    A flash of light came from the darkness. The man¡¯s dying soul was then engulfed by Chaos.


    Veronica saw it too, but she was unable to stop. She could only look up and continue to focus on the enemies in front of her.


    At this very moment, an extremely dim, magnificent shadow appeared.


    It was a black mountain.


    Mount Cassouin.


    Fog and darkness had obstructed her sight. Veronica could only see the mountain when it was close at hand. The knights behind her saw it too and exclaimed in surprise, ¡°It¡¯s the holy mountain! The holy mountain is right ahead!¡±


    That immediately boosted the morale of the knights, as though the mountain had instantly dispersed the enemies around them. But as Veronica looked at the top of the mountain, her heart began to sink.


    She saw the building atop the mountain. It was the Cassouin Grand Temple recorded in the ancient book. Its glorious rays of light could dispel all evils, but the situation there was completely different from what she had expected. The entire temple was shrouded in a dark sky, and only half of the Cassouin Grand Temple remained. Only a faint Light of Order surrounded the ruined sacred land.


    On top of that, the light was not much brighter than the light from the golden flag earlier.


    Even the great temple left by the last era had almost been completely destroyed by the Chaos.


    Morian noticed it too. He immediately approached Veronica and said, ¡°Your Highness¡­¡±


    ¡°Keep going,¡± said the princess in a deep voice. ¡°At least there¡¯s light there.¡±


    Morian nodded slightly.


    And just as the old knight and princess were expecting the worst, something unexpected happened.


    Suddenly, an unexplained explosion broke out among the monsters. A bright, dazzling blue flame erupted, and a dozen Servants of Chaos were instantly reduced to ashes!


    *Boom! Boom!*


    A series of explosions went off in all directions, and the monsters turned into ashes in the big explosion. A strange man appeared. He ran down the mountain and threw small bright light balls without stopping. Every small light ball hit the ground and caused a rocking explosion. The princess then heard the man shouting.


    ¡°Get out of the way, all of you! Humanitarian aid is coming!¡±

 Chapter 1218 - Going Up the Mountain

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    When Hao Ren rushed down the holy mountain and bombarded the Chaos along the way, Veronica was totally stunned.


    In fact, everyone was dumbfounded.


    Veronica would still be impressed by the bizarre scene many years later. She was deeply shocked by the devastating explosions and the man running down the holy mountain.


    ¡°My God!¡± Morian¡¯s horse rocked uneasily in the flames of the explosion. ¡°Did fire and storm fall from the sky?¡± the old knight exclaimed as he steadied his horse.


    *Boom!*


    The man who was running down the mountain pointed at the monsters in the distance, and suddenly, a sparkling rift opened behind him. A huge, shining, silver arrow then flew out of the rift and pierced the sky before it fell into the Army of Chaos in the distance. The explosion was far more devastating and terrifying than the one earlier. A fireball of 100 m in diameter erupted rapidly, and hundreds of monsters instantly turned into ashes. After the fireball went out, a small mushroom cloud slowly rose from the explosion point.


    The explosion point was a long way from the knights, but Veronica still felt a hot blast of air almost blowing her off her horse. She could not help wondering,What the hell is this? None of the Royal Mages could have produced fireballs of this size!


    By then, Hao Ren was already less than 100 m away from the knights. He had just used a disintegrating missile that he got from the elves of Aerym, and he was quite sad about it. He did not have many of these pollution-free mini-nukes. The largest wave of pursuers behind the knights had been destroyed by nuclear bombs, and the eerie black fog was much thinner after the big explosion. While the black fog seemingly continued to gather and form new monsters again, at least the pressure on the knights would be much less for a window of time.


    ¡°Come on! Run this way!¡± Hao Ren shouted in front of the knights. ¡°This is the way up to the mountain! There¡¯s no fog up there!¡±


    Although Hao Ren did not know where the knights came from or what happened to the monsters that appeared out of thin air, their fierce battle was obvious. Hao Ren was a stranger there, so when he finally found a group of local people, he obviously tried his best to save them.


    Otherwise, who else could he ask for directions?


    Veronica saw the powerful ¡°spellcaster¡± giving directions to her warriors, and of course, she doubted his identity. However, she did not have time to spare in such a situation, and the mysterious man did help her, so she raised her sword after a brief hesitation.


    ¡°Knights! Follow the hermit!¡±


    Hao Ren froze for a moment. He did not know why he was identified as a hermit, but this did not affect his skilled business practices. More explosives were thrown into the flanks of the knights before he switched weapons. Holding a plasma spear in one hand and a pistol in the other, he began to fight the monsters.


    Veronica fell into even greater astonishment.


    She did not expect the mysterious ¡°hermit¡± to not only be a powerful mage but also a skilled melee fighter. His method of fighting with a plasma spear and firing with an alchemy weapon was unheard of. This was not the first time that the princess had gone to battle. She could see that Hao Ren¡¯s weapons were really powerful. The spear was powerful, equally good in offense and defense, while the pistol fired at its targets without a single miss. These were skills that had to be practiced on a cruel battlefield and could not be mastered without experience.


    She would not have found it strange if she had known Hao Ren¡¯s background.


    In the end, they split open a path amid the explosions and the knights¡¯ valiant fight. The desperate knights saw hope for survival and immediately rushed towards the mountain. Hao Ren led the way ahead of Veronica and Morian. When the old knight noticed that their mysterious ally could only run, he shouted at once, ¡°Hermit, there are extra horses behind us!¡±


    Hao Ren answered without looking up, ¡°No, your horses won¡¯t necessarily run faster than me. You wouldn¡¯t have caught up with me if I hadn¡¯t slowed down!¡±


    He kept running at the same speed as the horse while speaking.


    This skill of his was honed by running around trying to catch Lily and Rollie. It was not easy living with unusual creatures.


    Veronica was now numb to what was happening in front of her. She no longer doubted if the mysterious man was friendly, instead she began to speculate about his origins. A man suddenly appears in the depths of this forgotten wilderness, in the ancient temple of the holy mountain. How do you explain that?


    The princess, who loved to read adventure stories as a child, started to develop a rich imagination. A story gradually formed in her mind. It included a holy battle in the last century, a group of fanatical warriors trapped in the temple, a battle close to total annihilation, a final surviving veteran, a forgotten temple, and a lone hermit guarding the line of defense¡­


    Yes, that had to be it. The Cassouin Grand Temple was once a great temple in the last century, but it was eventually engulfed by chaos. Perhaps one of the guardians of the temple survived and became a hermit who watched over it alone in the dark world.


    It was said that the strongest one from the last century could live forever.


    At that moment, a golden ray came from the side of both the old knight and Veronica.


    The tattered battle flag was finally fully charged. Light golden sparks danced between the rune threads. The sparks grew, eventually converging into golden light.


    The bright light of the golden battle flag shone on everyone. Though the light was weak, where it shone, darkness and chaos immediately faded away.


    The twisted creatures, which were formed in the darkness, shrieked and retreated the moment they touched the light from the golden flag. Billows of gray smoke rose from their bodies as if they were being burned by the light. For those who had rushed to the front of the knights, it was too late for them to retreat into the darkness. They writhed in the light and gave off a pungent scorched smell, turning into dust in the blink of an eye.


    The other monsters quickly retreated into the darkness, and their bodies returned to nothingness in the fog.


    The light of the battle flag slowly spread around. Where there was light, the fog became thinner and the shadows melted. The oppressive atmosphere soon dissipated and the surroundings gradually quieted down.


    By then, the team had also rushed through the gentle uphill at the foot of the holy mountain. A steeper path lay ahead.


    Hao Ren watched in surprise as the flag shone and dispersed the seemingly endless army of monsters. His eyes then fell on the tattered flag.


    The goddess¡¯ image was embroidered on the light gold flag with blue and silver silk thread. Although the edges of the flag were frayed, the goddess still remained intact.


    It was obviously a powerful magic item¡­ Strictly speaking, it was probably a religious item.


    ¡°Your Highness, our horses are dying!¡±


    Veronica looked around and noticed that the knights¡¯ horses were swaying, one after another. Their hairs were quickly turning gray and frizzy, losing their luster. Meanwhile, their eyes were gradually becoming bloodshot.


    Veronica looked at the steep path ahead and ordered them to give up their horses.


    ¡°We cannot ride anymore. Everybody dismount and walk.¡±


    The knights left their horses and followed Hao Ren up the hill. And before they left, everyone fed their horses some kind of herbal medication.


    Hao Ren looked back and saw the horses falling silently one after another. They were rapidly swallowed up by the darkness.

 Chapter 1219 - The War of Chaos

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The knights climbed the mountain in heavy armor. At first, Hao Ren thought that they were ordinary human beings, but when he saw how the men climbed to the top of the mountain with dozens of kilograms of armor and weapons without panting for breath, he realized that they were probably superhumans in another sense.


    The gate of the ancient temple had collapsed, making it impossible to shelter them from the wind and rain. Hundreds of years of abandonment had left most parts of the temple covered in dust and debris. The empty hall did not provide any comfortable environment for rest. However, even in such a bad situation, it was precious enough to the weary knights.


    As Hao Ren said, there was no fog on the holy mountain. Perhaps the temple, which had been abandoned for years, still offered a weak shield from the Chaos. Veronica felt a reassuring breath flowing into her heart as she stepped into the temple. She gave Hao Ren a grateful glance and sat down on the ground, disregarding her image as a princess.


    ¡°Your Highness¡ª¡± Morian wanted to say something, but Veronica interrupted him, ¡°Sir, it is all right. What matters most is that we regain our strength. I can feel the power of order here. It is weak but still strong enough to dispel the Chaos. It is safe here.¡±


    Morian blinked. There was no doubt about the inherited ability to ¡°detect the Chaos¡± in the Taros royal bloodline. So he took off his gauntlet and waist armor, and put his sword within arm¡¯s reach. However, he still stood right next to the princess.


    ¡°Incredible¡­¡± The old knight looked around the ruined temple. His eyes swept over the exquisite ancient reliefs and murals, then he gazed at the statues of the ancient heroes. Finally, he saw the big holes above him and the things floating in it. ¡°¡­This is a legacy of old times. I can¡¯t believe that it really exists¡­¡±


    ¡°I told you there had to be something good in those ancient books,¡± Veronica said, smiling weakly. Although she was the best of the young generation in the kingdom, she was still too young. The exhaustion she accumulated over the past few days was released all at once. She felt like she could hardly stand up. She looked at herself, shook her head, and said, ¡°Those old nobles will surely lash out at me again when they see me in this disgraceful state. They have not found a reason to criticize me for a long time since last year¡¯s parade.¡±


    ¡°Decency,¡± Morian shook his head and said in a disdainful tone. ¡°Those people¡­ If they were thrown into the border of the Chaos, all they would be able to do is talk to the Servants of Chaos about propriety and etiquette.¡±


    Veronica smiled. She turned to Hao Ren and said, ¡°Mighty hermit, thank you for your help. Please forgive me for my rudeness at the moment. My knights and I are too tired. I am the eldest daughter of the Kingdom of Taros, Veronica St.Taros.¡±


    The princess spoke scrupulously, but she was leaning lazily against the stone wall behind her.


    Hao Ren was a little surprised. He did not realize that the girl in front of him was actually a princess.


    Hao Ren then quickly introduced himself the same way as before, ¡°Oh, Your Highness, hi, I am a traveler passing by¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, he held back his words because he suddenly remembered the damned nature of their surroundings: a barren rocky mountain, a desolate and dead wilderness, and a legion of monsters constantly emerging from the fog. Although he did not know what the monsters and fog were about, it was clear that he was not in the best place for a road trip.


    These thoughts raced through his mind. ¡°¡­ Ah, I can¡¯t remember where I came from.¡±


    Veronica looked puzzled. ¡°You¡¯ve¡­ lost your memory?¡±


    ¡°Not really. I¡¯m just a little confused,¡± Hao Ren said while he scratched his head. ¡°I woke up and found myself in this place. I vaguely remember some of the things that went on here, but I have no idea what went on in the outside world. Where do you think I¡¯m from?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve lost your memory¡­ And you said, you woke up?¡± Veronica frowned. She quickly put together the knowledge she had gathered from the Royal Library and her tutor in her mind. ¡°That seems to make sense¡­ Have you been sleeping in this temple since the holy war years ago?¡± she asked.


    ¡°The holy war? Hao Ren was puzzled. ¡°Oh, yes, the holy war. I remember there was a war going on before I fell asleep.¡±


    Veronica seemed to realize something and started to look at Hao Ren in awe.


    And in that short conversation, Hao Ren could roughly guess what the princess was thinking.


    She probably thought that he was an ancient man who had been sleeping in the temple for many years. Since there was a temple on the mountain, it meant that the place may have been a popular religious site many years ago. But as time went by, the place was devoured by the wild. This guy, who ran out of the temple, naturally reminded her of the legend about the man sleeping in the temple.


    In a world where magic existed, such things did not seem so unimaginable.


    Having worked as an inspector for several years, Hao Ren had long been trained to face anything with the greatest degree of compatibility. Staying calm and accepting the flow was key to successfully integrating into any observing role.


    Thus, Hao Ren tried not to speak. He just tried to listen to the princess as she talked to the old knight next to her. He occasionally cut in with a word or two but did not reveal any valuable information. This was perfectly in line with the identity of an ¡°ancient guardian¡± who had been sleeping in the temple for many years.


    ¡°When did you wake up?¡± Veronica looked at Hao Ren curiously. The way Hao Ren dressed was a novelty to her. His clothes were clean and tidy, and there was no sign of them being worn for years, which made her wonder. ¡°Did the ancients wear such clothes?¡±


    ¡°I woke up a few days ago,¡± said Hao Ren, shaking his head. ¡°I don¡¯t remember much about the old times. What is the situation in the outside world now? Are we still at war?¡±


    Being too careful about what you said could also put you in a passive position. So, Hao Ren took the initiative to ask questions before she asked him more. This was also a result of his work experience.


    ¡°Peace has never really come to the land of Collow,¡± the old knight explained. ¡°The Servants of Chaos strike every century, and their attacks are getting increasingly fierce. This year marks the seventh year of the Chaotic War. This year¡¯s attack is more ferocious than any in recorded history, and plenty of lands have fallen.¡±


    Veronica looked ashamed too. ¡°We are ashamed to face our forefathers who fought so valiantly. In the seventh year of chaos, we have lost more land than in any other century. The Border of Order has retreated to the Wall of Dusk¡­ The Theocracy has stabilized the defense of the Wall of Dusk, but the land outside is now semi-polluted.¡±


    Hao Ren looked away slightly. The princess was sorry to her ancestors, not him, a fake guardian¡­


    But what the old knight and Veronica said gave him something to think about.


    The place seemed to be deeply troubled by a long war. Every century, the civilized world would be invaded by the enemies known as the Chaos. People in that world seemed to have a way of resisting intrusions, but they were still struggling.


    He had seen a lot of trouble in the Plane of Dreams, but what was this ¡°Chaos¡±?


    Perhaps it had something to do with the Mad Lord of the Plane of Dreams? But he had seen the dark monsters summoned from the debris of the universe. And earlier, he had been fighting some of the monsters that were formed out of the fog. There seemed to be a difference between the two¡­

 Chapter 1220 - Hao Ren’s Little Experiment

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The Plane of Dreams was full of hidden secrets.


    The biggest stumbling block to finding out the truth of anything divine was the long history behind it. Be it the fall of the goddess 10,000 years ago, or the initial cultivation of life hundreds of thousands of years ago, or even further back when the goddess fought a war against the Mad King¡ªa time even the guardians had never experienced; all of these events were buried under the proverbial sands of time. How much forgotten history did the dimension have? How many lost ruins were there? How much of evil was defeated but not vanquished? Even the goddess of creation would be hard-pressed to count them all.


    Hao Ren looked at the dark sky above the temple complex. The world called ¡°Collow¡± was probably one of those buried secrets. And it was a very unique secret: the largest ever rift in the Wall of Reality led to it. Was there a special meaning to this?


    He recalled the details he got from Raven 12345 and he knew that the rift in the Wall of Reality opened about 3,000 years ago. By then, the goddess had already fallen, and the calamity in the sagas of the Plane of Dreams had already ended. From Veronica, he learned that the war against the Chaos had lasted almost 8,000 years (after conversion), and possibly even longer. Meanwhile, this ¡°Collow¡± place had already been the way it was prior to the collapse of the Wall of Reality based on chronological theory.


    The people living in that dimension did not know of the existence of the giant rift in the Wall of Reality¡ªthough, the dimension was directly ¡°obscuring¡± any traces of the rift.


    Hao Ren did not think that it was a natural cosmological phenomenon.


    The temple complex was dim, but it was much better than the desolate lands outside. The power of Order that remained on the holy site gave everyone a peaceful feeling, and the exhausted knights were finally able to find some respite in the horrid land. While rest was paramount, there was no relief. The knights only found refuge in the temple to recover, but their faces were still grim.


    They had found out, much to their chagrin, that the place was not the sanctuary and resupply area they had imagined. At most, it could only serve as a temporary ¡°safe house¡±. The holy powers of the site had long dissipated away, and the holy relics within the temple had been consumed by the Chaos. Only the remaining power of Order prevented the Chaos from overwhelming the entire mountain. They were pretty much trapped on an isolated island, and any peace was fleeting as they would sooner or later be worn down by attrition.


    The group was looking forward to finding supplies in the temple¡ªnot food or drinks, but the more important holy crystals, golden banners, Amulets of Order, and the statuettes of the goddess. The lost group was hoping to find these items after stumbling into the temple, and Veronica too was nursing the same hope. However, once they saw the empty hall, the disappointment was clear on their faces.


    Hao Ren was not all that sure about Collow¡¯s laws, but the disappointment of the knights was palpable. Looking around, he asked, ¡°Do you need food and water?¡±


    ¡°Those are not a problem.¡± Veronica patted the golden pouch hanging by her waist. Her dimensional pouch still had provisions for a few more days. It was not sufficient initially, but as attrition of manpower took its toll, the provisions became more than sufficient. ¡°What we direly need are those Amulets of Order and golden war banners. Their powers have depleted and we cannot resupply them deep in the Chaos. Our consumption rate for battles beyond the walls of Order has been much more terrifying than I had expected. I was hoping to restore the items in this temple, but that¡­. is pretty much in the gutters now.¡±


    The knight princess was rather forthright about her predicament. She then looked at Hao Ren curiously.


    How is this recently-awakened ¡°ancient guardian¡± going to prepare to face this situation?


    The ancient one was still human and would need to live in the realm of Order. At the same time, the power of Chaos would still be similarly fatal. It was fine when he was in deep sleep, but now that he had awakened, he would need to start consuming resources. Did he plan to stay there indefinitely without food and water?


    ¡°Guardian,¡± Veronica had stopped calling Hao Ren ¡°hermit¡± now and switched to a more respectful title, ¡°do you know of any other holy relics that are being stored in this temple? We have checked the nearby towers, but found nothing.¡±


    Hao Ren pointed at the ceiling, or where it used to be. As the temple complex was sliced in half, all of the structures there were now simple walls without a roof. The upper parts of the structures were missing (they were actually floating about in the main material universe). What was left were simply a few pieces of debris floating lifelessly in the vacuum. ¡°The lower levels of the temples were for the masses to gather and pray, so all of the items here are simple. The holy relics were all kept at the upper levels. The pulpit and the statuettes were all kept there. Those things were probably all reaped by that dimension storm.¡±


    Veronica already knew the truth, and her expression slowly turned glum.


    ¡°If we were to find those sacred relics that you speak of¡­¡± Hao Ren had no plans of staying stranded there, and he immediately changed the topic, ¡°What would you do?¡±


    A light shone from Veronica¡¯s eyes as she pondered. ¡°We will make for the Dark Morass, a place even more dangerous than the wilderness. There is another country of Order, the Kingdom of Torch is just across the morass. There are many corrupted monsters in the swamp, and they can be much harder to deal with compared to the Servants of Chaos. We would be hard-pressed to break through that place even if we were well supplied. My plan was to retreat after restoring our power of Order, then take the path back through the Darkshadow Thicket back to Taros. While the Black Forest is also dangerous, the Kingdom of Taros has set up many sentry posts in the forest, and even though the flames at these posts may not be as big as the one in the Spire of Flames, they can still weaken the power of Chaos. I am familiar with the locations of the flames and can find a path back.¡±


    Hao Ren tilted his head and found himself totally clueless¡­


    But that was not a problem. He could slowly adjust his view of things as time went by. The main thing was, he now knew that the princess before him could bring him back to civilization, and he could probably learn of Lily¡¯s whereabouts there.


    As for that husky, she could probably survive for months on end after transforming. Food and water may be a problem, but given the vitality of a werewolf, even if she was howling in hunger, she could still survive for a couple of months.


    While he pondered the matter, he stood up and the knight, Morian turned to him. Hao Ren waved him off. ¡°You can rest here. I¡¯m going to carry out a simple experiment.¡±


    ¡°An experiment?¡± Veronica raised her eyebrows. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°Just testing some ancient toys. I don¡¯t know if they still work. I¡¯ll come back in a jiffy, and don¡¯t follow me.¡±


    As he spoke, he stepped out of the temple complex. Veronica and a few knights followed him out of curiosity. The moment they saw Hao Ren going down the mountain, a young knight could not help but step forward. ¡°Your Highness, he¡ª¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll wait here.¡± Veronica held the knight back. ¡°He is an ancient one of vast experience, and we probably can never hope to understand such arcane ancient knowledge.¡±


    Morian simply listened and did not say a word. He scanned the area, feeling conflicted about reminding the princess of books¡¯ trustworthiness. However, as the weird being, Hao Ren just went down the holy mountain, even the old grizzled knight was confused and wisely decided to keep his mouth shut¡­


    Besides, Hao Ren did not even go that far. He just went about halfway down the mountain.


    Thin mist swirled at his legs as if an invisible wall was surrounding the temple complex. And just by looking at it, one could tell that the mist was all sorts of sinister.


    Hao Ren then started to pull out items that he thought would be useful out of his Dimensional Pocket.


    His initial signed contract, the paper box that once stored the golden apples, the pen cap of a pen that Raven 12345 once used (there were still bite marks on it), a cup, a memo pad, a decorative item that he swiped from the goddess, and a few strands of silver hair¡­ Raven 12345¡¯s hair¡­


    After he pulled them out, he began to put them inside the mist to experiment. As he did so, he started to feel like a terminal stage fetishist. If Raven 12345 were to see what he was doing, she would probably start screaming, ¡°Hold it right there, you pervert!¡± before slamming a blessing right into his skull with her Zankantou¡­ Or, she would not even blink since she was screwed in the head.


    Hao Ren tried to continue with his experiments as those silly thoughts ran through his head. Atop the mountain, the princess and her retinue¡¯s jaws dropped.

 Chapter 1221 - Leaving the Temple Complex

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    As Hao Ren had expected, Raven 12345¡¯s divinity was super effective in countering the chaos.


    The monsters in the mist were a sort of being that subverts natural laws, and their negative aura could be sensed even by a half-baked servant of God like Hao Ren, and Raven 12345¡¯s divinity was undoubtedly the power of Order. Even if she¡¯s screwed in the head, doesn¡¯t mean her laws are all over the place, a real god is the pillar on which the will of the universe stands, and how could mere chaos go against it?


    Every time a ¡®divine relic¡¯ entered the mist, a wide-area supernatural phenomenon will occur, sometimes it was blindingly bright, sometimes it was a bolt of lightning, while at times, the mist will retreat miles away. When Hao Ren placed a strand of Raven 12345¡¯s hair into the area, a small psionic storm screamed to live, and the entire top half of the mountain was lit by the holy light. The chaotic energy in the place had already warped long time ago and was so concentrated that people would fall sick from it. It was not an exaggeration to say that the place had already detached from the laws of the universe and evidently all those ¡®holy relics¡¯ that Hao Ren pulled out had an effect against the surroundings, and regardless of the effects, it was clear that it could disperse the surrounding chaos.


    And given how effective this dispersion was, Hao Ren had to carefully choose from the whole pile of relics for an item or two which effect was milder and least likely to injure someone. Else any mortal caught in between the storm of Order and Chaos would simply be annihilated.


    Hao Ren then came back holding a plastic plate. This was a new addition to his collection and was a by-the-way thing he took from Raven 12345 after bringing the ¡®Emperor¡¯s Sigh¡¯ back. There was even a production print on it¡­


    But Veronica and Morian could not read the words. In their eyes, that was an amazing holy relic.


    And Hao Ren seems to be carrying a boatload of them.


    The two captains and about two dozens of royal knights all raised an eyebrow at Hao Ren. They were a learned bunch, and they had seen the royal collection of relics of Order, but what Hao Ren had was something different altogether. None of the items he had fits the image of a holy relic; with cups, plates, chopsticks, pens and the likes, and the second part was how irreverent Hao Ren had treated the items. He started chucking them the moment he pulled them out. Did the holy spirits above treat their relics this way too?


    Even the most learned scholars of the kingdom had to undergo a two-fold purification (hand wash) and a five-minute long chant before he even gets to take one of the goddess¡¯ statuettes out of the royal treasury¡­


    After some thought, Veronica decided to pin everything on the lost ¡®culture of yore¡¯.


    ¡°This thing can provide a good amount of protection.¡± Hao Ren started yapping excitedly as he got back to the group. ¡°I¡¯ve tested it just now. It could create a safe zone a couple hundred of meters wide, and is much more useful than the banners.¡±


    ¡°Is this a holy relic from the temple?¡± Morian was not as receptive as the princess was, and the cautious knight could not help but ask. ¡°I¡¯ve seen ancient relics before, but I¡¯ve never seen anything that had such an¡­¡¯obvious¡¯ effect.¡±


    ¡°This is a special relic.¡± Hao Ren tried to keep a straight face. ¡°It¡¯s my own personal item. And is different from the mass-produced stuff in the temple. Don¡¯t bother asking me about its origins, I can¡¯t even explain them myself.¡±


    ¡°Personal items?¡± Veronica looked at Hao Ren like she¡¯s seeing an alien. She had a mind of asking if the ancients were all monsters during their heyday, but she smartly decided to pivot it another way. ¡°Were you the bishop of this temple? You¡¯re very young¡­¡±


    Hao Ren pondered for a bit before answering, his expression serious. ¡°I am a real high pontiff, you know.¡±


    Lunatic goddess above, not a word out of his mouth was a lie.


    Seeing how the princess and the old knight had a belly full of questions, Hao Ren immediately waved them off. ¡°That¡¯s enough for now, you won¡¯t be able to glean much off me as I¡¯m equally clueless of things myself. But let everyone rest for now. Mend the wounded, fill your bellies, and take a nap. After that we¡¯ll need to make our way back to civilization.¡±


    That did the trick of shutting the two up.


    The knights rest in the temple for about a day, and as Veronica completed a round with an amulet in hand, and the knights got their orders to move out.


    And that respite was frankly insufficient, but Veronica had to contend with problems of supply and minds of her men. The second part was especially important; staying in the domain of chaos for any length of time would be fatal to the human mind, and this will continue even within a holy shelter. The knights had already spent time in the wilderness longer than they should, and if they do not leave this place soon, they would be consumed by the chaos without them even noticing.


    Before they leave the temple, Veronica had her men remove their armor and sidearms.


    ¡°Everyone, just go with your tunics, main weapon, Amulet of Order and the magic stones. Take two days worth of rations from me.¡± Veronica barked her orders as she went around her men and put the heavy armor and weapons into her dimensional pocket. Those items will be useful after crossing the wilderness, but now they are just mere burdens. ¡°We have no more mounts, and we will need to travel light!¡±


    The princess now displayed the air of a proper commander as she commanded about two dozen burly men. That show of authority made Hao Ren revise his opinion of her.


    A young knight could not help himself but ask. ¡°Your highness, what do we do if we were to get into combat without armor?¡±


    ¡°We shall place our faith in the protector¡¯s divine relics.¡± Veronica looked at Hao Ren. ¡°He said these ancient relics can protect us throughout the journey and don¡¯t need to recharge like our golden warbanners. If everything goes to plan, we shouldn¡¯t be getting into a scrap.¡±


    She then added. ¡°Crossing the wilderness in full armor is just having a death wish. Going light at least gives you some hope of survival.¡±


    After completing their preparations, the lightly armed and armored knights left the ancient temple. With Hao Ren at the fore, the small troupe descended the mountain towards the wilderness.


    On the desolated wilderness, it was engulfed in an eternal flux of darkness and chaos as the thin mist encroached on everything. Only the barren grounds and twisted rock formations were visible, alongside some blackened plant life laying lifelessly on the ground, showing signs of petrification.


    The dreadfully dark spots rumbled as they passed by slowly as if a beast was hiding deep in the sky looking down maliciously at this world.


    The golden war banners had been exchanged for the holy relics borrowed from Hao Ren, and these items that were personally used by a goddess were emanating a gentle halo. Anywhere was the light radiated, chaos retreated, and the mist dissipated. The road ahead was clear.


    The lightly armed group quickly made their way across the plains and everyone was on their nerves. While the holy relics could push back the chaos, this place was still a notorious death zone. The dangers in the mist not only came from the stalking Servants of Chaos but also roaming beasts that had not been fully corrupted yet. These pitiful beasts, straddling between Order and Chaos would inadvertently break through the safe zones of the holy relic and many careless travelers perished by their claws. This was an elementary mistake the knights could not afford to make.


    ¡°Just seven years ago, this vast plains was a domain of Order.¡± Veronica sighed at the dreadful sight before her. ¡°At that time there was still a small town between the Darkshadow Thicket and the wilderness. It was called Tamerqe and it produced the best grape wine on the continent. Going back further 300 years ago, the wilderness even had a name: ¡®Greenfields¡¯. As it was an endless plain, the centaurs used to live there a long time ago.¡±


    Morian then sighed. ¡°Chaos always tried to invade the realms of Order, and the realms of Order would reclaim their lost grounds. This back-and-forth battle went on for thousands of years. No one even knew when the whole thing started. The wilderness will become fertile ground again, and a powerful nation can become nothing but a muddy swamp. This is a cycle, and how the laws of this world operate.¡±


    Hao Ren looked blankly at Veronica. ¡°I have no idea of anything you guys just said.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a given. You were asleep for a thousand years.¡± The princess smiled. She had by now firmly believe that Hao Ren was an ancient guardian who had slept on the holy site for more than a thousand years. ¡°That was the world of yore, a world where the war of Order and Chaos had been ongoing for a thousand years. Your battles are probably even more horrific than the skirmishes that we have.¡±


    I could tell from those explosions earlier, the princess said to herself.


    ¡°Tell me more about the stories of this world.¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°I¡¯m totally clueless about your world, to be honest.¡±


    ¡°Of course. We have a long way to go too. You¡¯ll have plenty of time to learn.¡±

 Chapter 1222 - The Journey Across the Plains

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Chaos did not only manifest in the form of monsters in the mist, and monsters were not the only beings to stalk the mist.


    The lightly-armored military order made their way swiftly across the wilderness. With no interference from the monsters, the trek across the plain was not particularly difficult. And during the trek, Hao Ren slowly learned more about Carrow from Veronica; everything including Chaos, the monsters, the mist, Order, and dark knowledge.


    Hao Ren had assumed that Chaos referred to the thin mist that was engulfing the area and the monsters that formed within it. Now he understood that the mist was a phenomenon unique to the wilderness, and the environment of a realm of Chaos differed from each other and monsters would be born from all sorts of environment. The plains had an eternal blanket of mist, Darkshadow Thicket had the Shadowlands, the Dark Morass had the Abyssal Mire. Aside from that there was also the Desolation Desert, the Storm Coast, the Gray Sea, and the Cosmic River, and a boatload of chaotic realms, both big and small and almost every place had their own uniqueness, and the biggest similarity they shared was their antipathy towards the life and destruction of Order.


    Carrow was a large world formed by many independent continents, and based on what Veronica had said, these continents floated in a void called Carnos and revolved around an arcane law set by God. And the power of Order and Chaos waxed and waned within the void of Carnos. The void¡¯s waves would splash against the continents created the denizens of Order and the Servants of Chaos, and endless war between the devotees of Order and the followers of Chaos is the manifestation of the clash of power within Carnos.


    The endless war had been ongoing since time memorial, and the power of Chaos will surge from the void, invading and destroying the realms of Order, twisting the laws of time, destabilizing the balance of power, turning hills and rivers into dust. Under their malignant influence, fertile lands had become fatal zones like the wilderness or the Darkshadow Thicket. Monsters would continuously appear out of thin air in this areas, becoming the fodder which the forces of Chaos use to batter the realm of Order¡¯s defense line.


    While the Light of Order was the blessing and gift the goddess of creation had given to the intelligent races. It was the source of all light in this world, coming in the shape of hearth fire, kindling, as well as holy lights, and it formed the bastions of Order. The kingdoms of humans and the other races prospered behind this bastion, and that kept the world from totally falling into the dark side.


    Based on the most learned scholars of Carrow, this war had been ongoing for about ten thousand years.


    Ten thousand years, that particular time period again.


    The party was making good ground on the plains, much faster than Hao Ren had expected at least. The holy mountain had disappeared into the darkness behind time, and what lay before them was a desolated plain. In fact, Veronica had already lost sight of the Cassouin about ten minutes back, only Hao Ren¡¯s enhanced vision allowed him to see much further.


    But on this godforsaken land, having the best eyesight you won¡¯t be seeing much.


    The divine light of ¡®holy relic¡¯ shone brightly in a hundred odd meter wide radius, and not only the mist retreated anywhere the light shone, and even the dullness of the land faded away. The knights had never seen such potent protection before, and the purification as well as calming effect of the Light of Order was different from the golden war banners or the Amulet of Order that they were used to. They did not know that what Hao Ren had lent them was in respect a true ¡®divine relic¡¯, and could only conclude that this powerful item was a lost technology from times of yore. Under the protection of the holy light, the thin mist slowly retreated by like flowing water all along the border of the light, as if trying to attack the humans within the light shroud, but the fear of the power of the divine relic keeping them at bay.


    Morian could not help but sigh when he saw that. ¡°Oh¡­ if only our armies have the protection of such a holy relic, we won¡¯t be struggling that much in our battles in the realm of chaos.¡±


    Hao Ren did not say anything. He knew the sacrifice the humans of Carrow had paid against their fight against Chaos, but there was nothing he could do as of now.


    Humans cannot hope to survive in the realm of Chaos, and even breathing the air alone would kill them swiftly and corrupt them into a part of Chaos. In the brutal and endless war, the countless warriors had fallen in this darkness.


    Veronica pulled out a pocket watch-like amulet and an array of magical light moved slowly around it. She used the amulet to ascertain the direction and distance before letting out a soft sigh. ¡°We are on the same track we came from, and if we follow this direction down, we will come across a ruin. We can take a short rest there before heading for the Mound of the Nameless Soldier. If we are fast enough, we may even make it in time to the battle on the western border.¡±


    The knight princess gently bit her thin lips, and her eyes were determined. As a military commander, she sure exudes an aura befitting of one.


    But Hao Ren could not help but raise an eyebrow. ¡°You guys are going back to fight? In this state?¡±


    Most of Veronica¡¯s men were wounded, and the simple first aid at the temple was simply not enough to nurse them to full health, yet when the knights heard Hao Ren¡¯s question they only let out a ¡®that does not matter¡¯ smile. A young knight even waved Hao Ren off. ¡°My condition is really not all that good. I can probably only take on like twenty at most.¡±


    Veronica turned back to look at her men, her serious demeanor finally wavered. She shook herself. ¡°The Royal House of Taros will never retreat before a battle. But you men have completed your orders. I will be meeting the General of the Western Front, and you men can¡­¡±


    ¡°Your highness,¡± Morian the old knight threw the princess a stern glance. ¡°This is not what a commander should be saying!¡±


    The younger men of the knights starting laughing as they heard that. To these men, who were probably just a few years older than the princess, sees her as a reliable commander, but she was still naive and innocent in many respects.


    Being headstrong and a little clumsy, blurting out such an innocent idea was just normal.


    But the fearlessness and positivity of these men caught Hao Ren¡¯s attention. He had seen many races trapped in the face of Armegeddon, but the group before him¡­ there was something very different about them.


    Turning away towards the plains, a building appeared on the far edge of his vision.


    Hao Ren pointed towards that direction, ¡°Is that the ruins you were talking about?¡±


    Veronica was dumbfounded for a moment before turning her head in the same direction. But to her, it was only a sea of darkness and chaos, and after a certain radius, she sees nothing but darkness.


    ¡°You can see them?¡± The princess gave Hao Ren a surprised look. ¡°Does the chaotic mist in the distance not affect your vision?¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his head. ¡°It does affect my vision, but only things in far away I guess.¡±


    ¡°The chaotic mist not only affects visions, but it also devours the reality of anything in a distance. After a certain distance, no many how good your eyesight is you won¡¯t be able to see anything.¡± Veronica gave Hao Ren that ¡®I¡¯m looking at an alien¡¯ look as she stared at him. ¡°No matter how powerful one is, everyone¡¯s vision in the realm of Chaos is the same. Only specialized detection magic could sense anything outside our vision limit.¡±


    As she said, she started muttering to herself. ¡°Do all ancients have ¡®Expose Chaos¡¯ as an innate ability?¡±


    Hao Ren too was confused at first before finally understanding why did the knights seem lost when he first rushed down to help down. It was not because of the lack of training or experience, it was because they were practically half blind in the realm of Chaos!


    Hao Ren touched his eyes and could guess why he was so different from the rest.


    Deep in his mind, he could hear a voice, a carefree voice that whispered to him. This goddess¡¯ blessing is quite a work eh.


    Hao Ren pursed his lips before letting out a weird smile as he shook his head. ¡°Why thank you very much, I pretty much have magical eyes now don¡¯t I?¡±


    And very soon enough, Hao Ren¡¯s supernatural vision was proven.


    After heading forth for another hour or so, the dilapidated ruin of a building appeared in Veronica¡¯s and Morian¡¯s vision.


    Like how the holy mountain had initially appeared out of nowhere, the ruins too just suddenly came out of the darkness.


    Morian was scanning Hao Ren throughout the trek and gotten the latter a whole body full of goosebumps. The old knight then took the lead towards the ruins. ¡°Everyone keep up. Stay alert. We have already lit the fire here much earlier, and the Festered may have been attracted to this place.¡±

 Chapter 1223 - The Festered

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The war between Order and Chaos had been ongoing for 10,000 years, and the clash of powers in the shattered Carrow left many ruins. Many of the ruins were finally annihilated through the passing of time and constant clashes. However, ruins that still had powers within them, and much more recent ruins were still discoverable. These ruins ranged from the magic caverns within each kingdom of Order, and also included former human settlements within the realms of Chaos.


    Aside from those protected by holy powers or holy sanctuaries within the realm of Chaos (like the Cassouin Temple Complex), most of the ruins on the wilderness is pretty much less than three centuries old. Anything older had already been reduced to dust by the chaotic onslaught.


    The ruins before them were one of the ¡®younger¡¯ ruins, and according to Veronica, this town was built about three hundred years ago. It was an independent city, built by the great merchants of Taros and Torch. It was a century, the ¡®Time of Dawn¡¯ where the power of Order overwhelmed the power of Chaos. The Chaos that now dwelled in the Dark Morass, the Wilderness and the Darkshadow Thicket were once pushed all the way to the southern tip of the continent, and the traveling merchants of the two countries had built a great roadway. Their bazaars and markets ran all across the plains and hills like a string of pearls, and one-fifth of the continent¡¯s wealth moved through this place.


    In the sagas of wandering minstrels, the description of the markets, wealthy merchants, beautiful dancers, adventurers, mercenaries and wandering centaurs seeking opportunities were prolific enough.


    When the Chaos attacked, their powers had turned the plains and hills into a lair of monsters. The string of pearls thus sunk into darkness and what remained of the place was about a tenth of its original size, with motley ruins dotting half-sunk in the Dark Morass, or had been swallowed by the sinister woods of the Darkshadow Thicket. The ruins of the wilderness was pretty much the only intact ruins of the place, and could provide travellers some sort of shelter.


    That¡¯s if any traveler was foolish, or brave enough to cross that forsaken place.


    And today, a group of guests had entered the ruins, and they were Veronica¡¯s Royal Taros Knights.


    Morian led the way, and the standard bearer carrying the ¡®holy relic¡¯ followed behind providing the party with the protection of the Light of Order. Hao Ren and Veronica looked around cautiously as they stepped into the ruined city. While the knights were lightly armored, they had assumed defensive positions with their weapons drawn. No one dared or could afford to let his guard down as they advanced.


    Hao Ren was curious with the defensive and cautious posture everyone else had taken (he was actually already curious quite some time back, but he did not have the right opportunity to ask) ¡°Don¡¯t we have the protection of my relic? Don¡¯t tell me there will still be monsters here?¡±


    Veronica could not help but look at Hao Ren oddly. This was not a question a seasoned ancient should be asking, but she remembered that this ancient had been asleep for a thousand years and just suppressed her doubts. ¡°Any place with the blessing of light is not necessarily safe. While the Servants of Chaos in the mists will be repelled by the power of Order, there are still partially corrupted Festered. The Festered are beings of Order that have been corrupted by Chaos. They¡¯re trapped between Order and Chaos, and they still have a physical body. So, they do have some resistance towards the Light of Order, and more so, their physical bodies still crave the light, and while the light will inflict untold pain upon them, these monsters will still converge on one like a moth to a flame.¡±


    ¡°We had lit the city¡¯s brazier when we passed through here earlier, and the remaining power could attract the wandering monsters here. But you don¡¯t have to worry. The Festered while somewhat resistant to the Light of Order, are still beings of Chaos. Their strength will be greatly diminished before the holy relic, and they rarely appear in numbers, so as long as we are careful, we will be fine.¡± Morian added.


    Hao Ren said a curt ¡°Oh!¡± before he frowned slightly.


    Without the protection of a holy item like the gold war banners, they would be consumed by the Servants of Chaos, on the other hand, having a holy relic would be attracting the Festered like bugs to a light source. In the realm of Chaos, this literally exposes anyone fighting here to both dangers. This godforsaken place is¡­ really not a place for anyone to be in.


    And at that moment, the party had entered the central area of the town.


    The town ruins had been corroded quite badly, and there were no proper standing buildings, but between the cracked walls, one could still imagine how glorious the town was in better times. Most of the buildings had thick, sloping walls while the roof had roundish curvatures. Most of the houses too were made out of stone, and had the influence of a desert kingdom. And history says the main architect of the town came from the Kingdom of Torch, and Torch was the famous desert kingdom back then.


    Half way through, Hao Ren¡¯s senses tingled and he immediately hushed his voice. ¡°Hold up, there¡¯s something ahead.¡±


    The ancient¡¯s words were of course taking seriously and even the conservative old knight Morian stopped and lowered his posture as he heard the warning. Veronica drew her longsword, and magic glimmered along the edge of the blade. She then ordered all standard bearers holding the holy relics to stop as she slowly crept forward.


    The holy relics in the hands of the standard bearers were like a lighthouse in a sea of chaos, and if there was a horde of Festered ahead, the standard bearers would most likely draw their attention if they kept on advancing.


    Hao Ren saw the princess went ahead herself with her sword in hand to the edge of the protection zone and was slightly worried. While her actions were brave, it does not seem to fit what a princess should do, and a commander taking the lead ahead of her troops at times were a weakness, but seeing the knights did not object, it seems like this was a usual action taken by the princess.


    What he did not know was that Veronica was not being foolhardy, and it was because every scout or caster in the party had perished, and she was the only one in the party who knew something about spellcasting and scouting.


    In a battlefield, practically takes precedence.


    Hao Ren pondered for a bit before following closely behind and the two stopped behind a broke wall.


    The wall was at the very edge of the protection zone, and the protection was a realm of order and anything beyond that was total chaos. The border between this two realms were clearly drawn and it was odd to Hao Ren.


    Veronica pulled out a faint gold triangular amulet from her pouch and placed it on her forehead as she chanted a spell. The amulet¡¯s power immediately encompassed her body and a faint shroud of light appeared before being absorbed into her body.


    Taking a deep breath, she then stepped into chaotic darkness outside of the sanctuary.


    She had used an Amulet of Order, and it was a magical item that allowed an individual to operate within the realm of Chaos. The golden war banners or other holy items were too obvious in the chaos, and the amulets were used for individual movement. But this amulet has a pretty limited effective time, and if it ends, the user will immediately be swallowed by chaos. In Carrow, being a scout is the most dangerous occupation.


    Hao Ren could immediately guess the use of the amulet, but he did not have any. Veronica had assumed Hao Ren as a seasoned ancient and had plenty of ancient holy relics on him, and never thought of giving him an amulet.


    But Hao Ren had no use for such an item, and after making some gestures before his chest and muttering ¡°Lunatic goddess, preserve me.¡± under his breath, he stepped into the darkness with much bluster.


    Veronica turned back and was baffled.


    But she quickly shoved her confusion to that omnipotent excuse of a ¡®powerful ancient¡¯.


    The two went ahead carefully in the mist and darkness and soon they arrived before the town¡¯s central plaza.


    ¡°F*ck me¡­.¡± Hao Ren muttered. ¡°Are those the Festered that you were talking about.¡±


    There were a whole plethora of twisted monsters on the plaza!


    The monsters were of various shapes and mutations, and most of them were corrupted beasts, there was a black wolf the size of a calf, or a rhinoceros with bone spikes and armor, and there were humanoids among the beasts. They wore broken armor, and some of them have broken weapons in hand. They were warriors and adventurers that had fallen when Chaos invaded and now their bodies were twisted and rotten while their eyes glowed with a sinister gray-white flame. They were now part of the chaotic monsters.


    And amongst the monsters, Hao Ren saw ¡®something¡¯ that was totally different from the rest. These monsters had been twisted to the point that their original form can no longer be discerned. Black smoke came out of their bodies, and half of their bodies were blurry, almost ephemeral. This was a sign of being assimilated by the realm of Chaos and was the final stage of the Festered. Soon enough, they would be consumed by the mist around them and finally become a part of the power of Chaos.


    ¡°They are indeed the Festered, but why are there so many of them?¡± Veronica was stunned by the scene before here. ¡°The brazier had already been snuffed out, it shouldn¡¯t be attracting this amount of monsters¡­¡±


    Hao Ren squinted and by the looks of things, sh*t was about to hit the fan.

 Chapter 1224 - An Unusual Gathering

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The amount of Festered at the central plaza not only shocked Hao Ren, but even Veronica who was a seasoned local veteran was also caught by surprise. That intrigued Hao Ren.


    ¡°It¡¯s not usually like this?¡± Hao Ren looked at the knight princess. ¡°Didn¡¯t the old man said that once the furnace has been lit, that the wandering monsters will be attracted?¡±


    ¡°That we did, but the Festered have always been far lesser in number than the Servants of Chaos,¡± Veronica spoke with a hushed tone and she could barely hide her nervousness. Turning her head over, Hao Ren saw her amethyst-colored eyes flickered in the dark. ¡°The Festered are the beings of Order that had been corrupted by Chaos, but not everything can become a Festered. Most of the time the corrupted are consumed whole and assimilated by the power of Chaos, and it is very rare for one to be fully corrupted. In the realm of Chaos, only the Servants of Chaos are the main menace.¡±


    As words left the princess¡¯ lips, she carefully poked her head out to take a peek at the central plaza before turning back to Hao Ren again. ¡°And we are deep within the realm of Chaos, the number of Festered should even be lesser.¡±


    Veronica pretty much skimmed through the last part of the explanation but Hao Ren had pretty much understood what she meant.


    The nature of the Festered meant that they would only appear in numbers at the borderlands between Order and Chaos because that was the only place with sufficient ¡®materials¡¯ to be corrupted. Deeper into the realm of Chaos, the number of Festered should significantly diminish, and even if the roll of dice was bad, the monsters should be dime a dozen. However, the horde before them was something beyond common knowledge.


    ¡°Perhaps they¡¯ve wandered over from the border?¡± Hao Ren guessed out loud as he looked about.


    ¡°Wandered over?¡± Veronica eyed Hao Ren for a bit, while this ¡®ancient guardian¡¯s fuzzy memory would have been forgiven given his long slumber, but his ignorance and mistake of the many common knowledge started to give her grounds to be suspicious. And truth be told, the princess had already started doubting Hao Ren¡¯s origins, but she knew that this powerful ¡®hermit¡¯ was the lifeline that she and her soldiers depend on. Wisely, she kept her thoughts to herself and shook her head. ¡°The Festered rarely ever wanders off. They would always congregate at the place that they had fallen. Those that would move were all-powerful before their fall, and they would still retain some sort of thought process when they transformed and could take some unexpected autonomous action. But the ones ahead¡­ are not those type.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a bunch of lost souls.¡± Hao Ren muttered to himself. ¡°Let¡¯s not bother too much on how did they gathered around here. The key question is why. Aren¡¯t they crowding towards something?¡±


    Hao Ren pointed towards the focal point of the Festered¡¯s convergence. The innumerable monsters surrounding the item had formed multiple rings around the item. There was an empty patch of land in the middle of the monsters, and on that patch of land stood a pitch black object. It was a stone obelisk about ten meters tall, and the obelisk had three distinct levels, tapering towards the highest point. Mystical patterns were embossed on the two upper levels of the tower, while the bottom part had a structure of a bell tower, with a spacious interior.


    ¡°That¡¯s the furnace,¡± Veronica said.


    ¡°Furnace?¡± Hao Ren blurted out by reflex before recovering quickly. ¡°Oh, the ones we used back then were different.¡±


    Veronica had by now gotten used to Hao Ren¡¯s ¡®condition¡¯ and she simply nodded. ¡°The current pattern was innovated by Archbishop Pullman from the Theocracy 655 years ago. It had an additional level of runic bastion and is much like the Spire of Flames in the cities. It¡¯s not a surprise that you don¡¯t know about it.¡±


    Hao Ren quickly made a mental note of the new things he learned. The furnaces seemed like the protective system used for smaller settlements while the bigger cities used the Spire of Flames, a powerful system to resist the encroaching Chaos. Based on this principle, there should be a nation-wide defense system, and the technology of this system is being monopolized by the country named the Theocracy. He, however, did not have any idea how the Theocracy functioned as an organization, or how interlinked their religion was to the goddess of creation.


    A few thousand Festered continued to surround the already burnt out furnace but weirdly enough they did not do anything else. The twisted monsters only stood silently in the dark, and their eyes were fixed towards the black obelisk. This unusual scene caused goosebumps to run all over both Hao Ren and Veronica.


    Hao Ren frowned. ¡°Was this the furnace you guys lit up earlier on? And they were attracted by it?¡±


    ¡°Logically yes, but I¡¯ve never seen the attracted Festereds would react¡­this way.¡± Veronica shook her head. ¡°You can see for yourself that the furnace has burnt out, and the monsters should have dispersed by now. But yet they are still here standing in place¡­ I think there¡¯s something wrong with that furnace tower.


    Hao Ren pondered for a moment before shaking his head. ¡°We have no time to waste against them. We need to get going. And seems like they are entranced by it so we can just circle around the town and save us a lot of trouble.¡±


    But Veronica demurred as she heard that. The princess was pondering her options before turning towards Hao Ren with an wordless expression.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°I know that this is an unreasonable request.¡± Veronica said. ¡°But I wish to investigate the phenomenon before us. Every information in the realm of Chaos is important to the realm of Order. And we normally would need to pay a dear price to get even a morsel of information¡­¡±


    Hao Ren did not need to wait for Veronica to finish before he caught the princess¡¯ intentions. She intend to check out the furnace¡¯s condition.


    With the horde of monsters surrounding it.


    A local would have flinched and rejected Veronica¡¯s request outright. Bravery does not equate recklessness.


    But Hao Ren was different and nodded after some consideration. He too was interested with the furnace¡¯s system. And to be honest, if he did not have a group of wounded knights with him, he would have came here alone to study the whole place.


    This was the drive of an Inspector. The drive of inspections.


    ¡°You¡¯re agreeable to this?¡± Veronica looked at Hao Ren in surprise and her tone immediately took a respectful turn. ¡°But just as you¡¯ve said, we do not need to linger¡­¡±


    Hao Ren waved his hand and stopped Veronica half way through. ¡°I agreed because I¡¯m capable of doing it. But this monsters are indeed a handful. Just too many of them. There¡¯s probably thousands there, and I suspect more are hiding in the shadows. I need to launch a wide-area attack against so many, but that would need the zone of collateral damage is equally wide.¡±


    Veronica gulped hard and the ¡®ancient¡¯ seemed much much more mysterious to her. But she quickly shifted her attention to the task at hand. ¡°You¡¯re right. Fighting here would mean damaging the furnace. So it¡¯s best if we can draw them away. Even for a moment. I can light the furnace up again if I can get close, and even temporarily, the furnace¡¯s power is much stronger than the holy relics, and we can use the furnace¡¯s power against the monsters.


    Hao Ren raised his eyebrow. ¡°So the plan is for me to lure them away, and you think of a way to get to the central plaza to light the furnace up?¡±


    Veronica nodded, with an shameful expression etched on her face.


    The plan was demanding, especially to someone she just knew, and have been her savior to boot. It was against her code of chivalry to let the person perform such a suicidal role.


    That said, the ¡®ancient guardian¡¯ capabilities alone would have made this task a rather trivial one.


    Hao Ren did not put too much thought into it and after running through his memories of his past fights, he nodded. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll think of a way to lure them away. Pulling mobs happens to be my specialty.¡±


    Veronica titled her head in confusion. ¡°Pulling mobs?¡±


    ¡°That means getting the enemies¡¯ attention.¡± Hao Ren rubbed his chin. ¡°That said, it¡¯s dangerous for you to go alone. Better get your men here as well. My threat generation is still not that stable¡­¡±


    Veronica could not spin her head around. ¡°Threat generation¡­ not stable?¡±


    ¡°That means I might not be able to get all attention of all of them. Many monsters are immune to taunts.¡±


    Veronica thought for a bit, and found that the ancient lingo was indeed quite something.

 Chapter 1225 - Light It Up

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    In the desert shrouded in darkness and mist, the unnamed, abandoned ancient city lay quietly with barren rocks and corroded metal wreckages. They stood silently in the cold, as though they were guarding secrets of the vanished civilization.


    A furnace installation, shut down but still erect at the center of the ruins, was surrounded by thousands of monster of Chaos. These violent creatures, usually roaming aimlessly and fighting fiercely, were quiet as if they were a group of pilgrims. They stood still before the furnace tower, watching it silently in the dark.


    It was something even the old knight Morris had never seen before; not even mentioned in the ancient books of the royal collection.


    Veronica and her knights hid behind a low wall, equipped with full armor and swords, waiting quietly for the moment. Their position was the safest distance determined by Veronica and her old knights. The perceptual power of the festered monsters was tricky. Influenced by Chaos, but not entirely transformed, these festered monsters were different from the Servants of Chaos. Beyond a specific range, they appeared to be deaf, blind, and brainless. But within a particular range (some scholars referred to this range as the ¡®defense zone¡¯ of the festered monsters), their perceptual sensitivity was 100 times that of ordinary humans and having the ability to directly sniff out living things just like the Servants of Chaos.


    Therefore, when ambushing the monsters, the distance was crucial.


    The knights carefully crouched. Though they all were combat veterans, they could not help but still be quite nervous. A glimmer, an almost imperceptible effect of the Amulet of Order, was on each of the knights. The power of the sacred object was like a beacon in the chaos, but they could not bring it there. So, like Veronica, the knights had activated their Amulet of Order. Like astronauts performing space missions in spacesuits, they had to complete the task of ignition in an extremely short time to survive, which put tremendous pressure on them.


    The sacred relic was in Hao Ren¡¯s custody for now. It was not that the plate was too precious but hard to resist for the festered monsters. The plan to lure the monsters away would be screwed up if any monsters having a more sensitive nose sniffed out the plate.


    As time went by, the knights only became more nervous. As the effect of the amulet only lasted a limited time, this type of ambush was a test of patience, courage, and discipline. The old knight turned his head slightly and looked at Veronica quizzically, his question was clear. ¡°Your Royal Highness, is the Ancient Guardian really dependable?¡±


    Veronica returned an approving gaze, but no one knew whether she was confident as she looked.


    She looked up and across the square.


    There, the collapsed building wall had an opening, which seemed to be the result of some huge monster rushing through the square, clearing out an unobstructed path. To lure the monsters in the square, that breach in the wall was the best direction. Veronica waited quietly for the signal.


    After a moment of unbearable silence, a flash of light appeared at the breach.


    ¡°Boom! Boom!¡±


    Two earth-shattering explosions were the signal. The Ancient Guardian seemed to be an expert of fire and storm spells; his attacks were always violent. When the flares of the massive explosions tore the night sky apart, Veronica saw two stone buildings on the edge of the square were blown up and away. The shrapnel from the blasts hit the ugly twisted monsters near the wall opening, piercing through their bodies.


    The sudden attack sent the monsters in the square into confusion and horror. Jolted out of their strange state of quietness, they instantly became mad and angry. Roars began to rise in every direction. With a sweep of their paws, a few giant bears blew away the smaller and weaker monsters around them before charging in the direction of the explosions. The monsters of Chaos would not feel fear and had no sophisticated thinking. They acted based on their beast instinct with their destructive strength.


    At this moment, a figure suddenly emerged from the smoke. Veronica could clearly hear the angry roar. ¡°Son of a b*tch!¡±


    A series of continuous blasts ensued with the firing of a powerful energy beam, instantly killing the monsters on the edge of the square.


    The festered monsters were enraged. Roars of fury resounded through the air while the ground in the square trembling as the monsters charged toward the exit.


    Veronica felt that the earth shaking under her feet, and the old buildings were squeaking. The knights looked at each other, stunned. Someone whispered, ¡°May the goddess bless us.¡±


    It was not the first time they witnessed what Hao Ren had done. It was just that they had not gotten used to the actions of the mad bomb man.


    Space ahead began to open up as thousands of monsters rushed to the breach. There were no more obstacles between Veronica and the furnace tower, which sat a few hundred meters away from her.


    But not all monsters could be duped¡ªjust as Hao Ren and the royal princess had expected. Festered monsters were products of chaotic pollution, so random mutations were their primary feature. Some monsters will stubbornly hold their ground even under provocation, while some more powerful ones would appear more vigilant. When nine-tenth of the monsters were lured away, the mutated variants and the smarter ones would stay in their positions, they would run in a circle in confusion and become the remaining threats around the furnace tower.


    The princess drew her sword out of the sheath. Follow me!¡± she shouted.


    The knights immediately lifted the shading spell off their swords, a sea of bright reflections suddenly filled the darkness. Dozens of people jumped out from behind the low walls and charged toward the furnace tower in the square.


    The monsters immediately sensed the enemy when the humans entered their defensive zone. They roared and charged at high speed and confronted Veronica and the knights head-on.


    In Veronica¡¯s vision, only the square tower was her target. Standing at a dozen meters tall, the furnace was like a lighthouse in the dark, guiding the princess and knights. The princess knight kept going, waving the sword sideways. She suddenly felt she had hit something with her sword. The impact force transferred as a numb sensation on her wrist. She had hit a wolf-like monster and sent it flying in the opposite direction.


    While the black wolf-like monster was still in the air, its belly, which the princess had sliced, burst open with a silver glimmer. The monster was burned into ashes before it even hit the ground.


    Veronica tucked her sword and kept going. She still felt the numbness in her arm. During a typical battle, killing a festered, wolf-like monster was a piece of cake, but it was the one-hit-one-kill kind of fighting. To save time, Veronica had utilized the explosive physical strength of the knight, which could inflict more significant damage, both to the enemy and herself.


    The furnace tower was drawing closer and closer.


    ¡°Don¡¯t waste time with the monsters,¡± Morrian said with a loud voice. ¡°Get into a defensive formation, cover the princess!¡±


    At this time, all the remaining festered monsters in the square and the surroundings were alarmed. Their number was so many that Veronica could not help but think that the lured-away monsters had turned around, which was impossible, of course. It was just that even though only one-tenth of the festered monsters remained in the square when they gathered, it was still overwhelming.


    Just like what Veronica saw now.


    Thirty meters from the furnace.


    The injured knights had switched position to the inner layer of the squad, using bows to support the main force on the outside. The other knights had formed a powerful shield around Veronica, clearing out a bloody path in the sea of monsters. Waves of festered monsters kept coming. They were using the most primitive ways of gnawing and tearing trying to break into Veronica¡¯s defense. But the experienced and mighty knight warriors were able to kill all the monsters, pushing the waves of attack back, leaving a trail of burning ashes and human blood.


    Ten meters to target.


    Veronica felt that victory was within reach. The pressure was enormous, but she felt that finishing the last mile was no longer a problem. So Veronica became worried about the Ancient Guardian. Looking toward the direction of the breach outside, she tried to find the guardians and the thousands of monsters.


    Veronica finally realized how crazy it was to let the Ancient Guardian fight alone in the endless Chaos. It would appear like an exaggerated, heroic story in the poets.


    But the guardian was doing it.


    Even the old knight Morian began to wonder if the guardian could make it back.


    Suddenly, a dazzling light ball rose from outside the town.


    Like a new moon poking out of darkness, it illuminated everything before it quickly burst. A huge mushroom cloud rose from the smoke and flashes of light.


    Only then the sound of the loud explosion and the tremor of the earth arrived.


    The furnace was in sight.


    The knights turned quickly and formed an impenetrable barrier between the princess and the monsters. The old knight Morian shouted, ¡°Your Royal Highness! Light it up!¡±


    Veronica had been ready for this moment. She swung her sword around and cut a wound in her hand without hesitation. Blood with a faint golden light oozed out of the wound. She splashed it onto the pedestal of the furnace tower and chanted an ancient vow.


    ¡°In the name of the goddess of creation, the ancient vow, and of Collow, the guardians of the 77,700 Jailor¡¯s Columns, the Light of Order will surely illuminate all the world!¡±

 Chapter 1226 - The Furnace Tower

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The blast, shockwave, and shrapnel were tearing the plains apart. They burned the rotten and distorted materials along with the Festered that roamed the land into ashes.


    At the center of all the explosions, smoke formed into whirlpools and then dispersed gradually. When Hao Ren emerged from the vortex of hot air, his Steel Membrane Shield was still glimmering, while the halo caused by the clash of Order and Chaos had expanded out a few meters from him.


    He did not need the sacred objects such as the Amulet of Order to walk in the chaos and to create a wider space of Order. He was already the world¡¯s most celestial sacred object, except for the missing goddess of creation. As the direct spokesperson of another true god, he could yield an energy force as powerful as the golden war banner did in the chaotic realm of Collow. The reason he drew the Festered away himself was that he wanted to prove something about himself but out of Veronica¡¯s sight.


    The revelation that he was a sacred body would set the world alight. So he had not decided whether to spill the beans in front of the locals.


    Anyway, Veronica had thought that he was only able to move freely in the chaotic realm because he was carrying some ancient Amulet of Order.


    Hao Ren looked at the expanding halo around him and the bright silver lines that were faintly visible in the corona. He then focused his eyes further out into the distance and saw the charred pieces of the festered were undergoing weathering rapidly. The weathered substance gradually became a part of the surrounding environment in a way that defied common sense, before it disappeared quickly and thoroughly.


    The nuke had indeed helped.


    He knelt beside a carcass, examining it as it dissipated. ¡°The boundaries between physical and non-physical are blurry. After a material loses the energy that holds itself together, the surrounding environment will quickly assimilate it, including the residue. According to the cross-section analysis of the carcass, its physiological structure has lost its meaning. All these monsters are not dependent on the internal organs of the body to function. Their energy could be coming from a third-party energy source such as magic. The bones contain black crystalline structure, but for now, it is not known whether this structure had anything to do with the so-called ¡®chaoticization.¡¯


    After the carcass disappeared, Hao Ren looked up at the darkness.


    He felt an unprecedented sense of loneliness, and uncomfortable with his condition now. For various reasons, his teammates were not around him, and even his mental connection with the MDT had become weak. Being alone in the strange world of Collow, there was no time more disturbing than now.


    He froze. A moment later, he came out from his daze and did not let the feeling of loneliness and uneasiness dishearten him.


    From the surrounding fog, which had grown thicker, he heard some soft roaring sounds. Hao Ren immediately raised his guard and clenched his plasma spear. He knew the Festered were still there, and there were more of them than those he had killed.


    The explosions might sound loud, but the Festered was not as fragile as he had imagined. Many monsters had survived the shockwave at the edge of the blast, and more monsters, with their strong instinct and speed, had escaped the scene right before the explosion. There were only less than one-fifth of the thousands of the Festered were killed. Those fled into the darkness were coming out again. It would be more difficult for him to pull off the same feat again.


    Though the Festered were not smart, their predatory instincts were good.


    Hao Ren checked his Steel Membrane Shield, which was still glimmering; it had exhausted one-third of its capacity during the battle earlier. He realized that he would not be able to survive long with only the Steel Membrane Shield and some weapons in Collow.


    He observed the movements in the fog while releasing a few autonomous robots from his dimensional pocket, ready for the next wave of attacks.


    Suddenly, a beam of light from behind him appeared, interrupting him. The light beam had also attracted the attention of the monsters in the dark.


    In the ruin of the town, he saw a column of light, as if the Tower of Babel, rose into the sky and tore a large hole in the black clouds. The broken walls of the town gradually became crystal clear as the hidden runes on the stones lit up, becoming a temporary Barrier of Order. A translucent, shield-like optical shroud formed over the city. It swayed gently for a moment before stabilizing down.


    The thought of the furnace came into mind.


    It turned out that it was the furnace.


    The roar of the Festered interrupted him.


    The light lit up the sky and the town, and the Festered hidden in the darkness just a while ago had nowhere to hide. Covering their eyes, they groaned in pain as smoke rose from their bodies. But instead of running away, these monsters did the opposite.


    As Veronica and Morian said, the Light of Order attracted the Festered.


    The Festered ran toward the town as if moth were attracted to the lamp.


    Hao Ren had heard about the habits of the Festered from Veronica before, but seeing them in person still made him gasping in horror. He had seen all kinds of ferocious and terrifying monsters, but nothing like the Festered that had this counterintuitive behavior. The bodies of the ugly creatures billowed with smoke and fell apart as they ran, leaving trails of burning body parts on the ground. They charged at the light curtain under the furnace tower as if all the pain could not stop them.


    Hao Ren, the number one enemy of the Festered just a while ago, was ignored.


    The Festered ran past him. Not even one looked back, leaving him rooted the spot. Grabbing his spear, he quickly ran after the monsters.


    Of the thousands of monsters rushing into the Light of Order, 70 % died even before reaching the furnace. Hao Ren killed a small portion of them from behind.


    When Veronica saw the Festered on fire, only a hundred or so of them, with only skeletons left, remained. For Hao Ren and the knights waiting in the square, eliminating these fragile enemies was a walk in the park now.


    Hao Ren came back up to Veronica. Other than the exhausted Steel Membrane Shield, he was unhurt. Veronica looked at him in amazement. ¡°You must have been the most powerful warrior in the temple; I have never heard of anyone who could easily accomplish this feat like you today.¡±


    ¡°Nah.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand. He looked at the piles of ash in the square and frowned. ¡°These monsters just died like that? Most of them died by suicide.¡±


    ¡°The Festered are sad creatures,¡± Veronica said and lowered her eyes. ¡°Destroying them is as simple as ABC. We only need to use the Light of Order as a trap, and they will rush into it without thinking. Deep inside the soul of the Festered, they still had a yearning for the Order, but they had fallen too deep into the Chaos and could not help themselves.¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head and turned to look at the furnace tower shining behind him.


    The square rock tower was fully operational now. Golden runes were glowing on the once dark outer wall of the tower, and light was dancing in the hollow space at the bottom of the square tower as if a fire was burning inside. The top of the square tower emitted a bright beam of light, which was what they saw from outside the ruins.


    Standing next to the Furnace Tower, Hao Ren could now clearly feel the unpleasant chaotic energy, once pervaded the wilderness, had gone. He could finally breathe in the fresh air. The feelings could not be better. That was how it felt in the land of Order.


    ¡°With this thing here, there is no more worry,¡± Hao Ren said.


    ¡°But the furnace could only last for a while,¡± Veronica said, looking at Hao Ren. ¡°It has burned out. This place is right in the chaotic hinterland. The dark side of Carnos has completely shrouded this place. Without the power of Order, this passive fire could not last. I was using my blood as fuel to ignite the fire, and it will only last for two hours.¡±


    Now it dawned on Hao Ren that why Veronica and her knights still had to look for Mount Cassouin: apparently, it was not easy to secure the land of Order in the realm of Chaos.


    ¡°What have you got so far?¡± Hao Ren looked at Veronica.


    The princess knight wanted to find out what caused the strange behaviors of the Festered. When Hao Ren came back, he saw the old knight Morian was checking around the pedestal of the tower, and several knights were examining the remains of the monsters that had yet dissipated completely. He was curious about what they would find.

 Chapter 1227 - The Floating Islands

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    In a wild place like the realm of Chaos, nothing was constant. Even the mist in the wilderness had many changes in concentration and color over the past few years. These changes were usually telltale signs of the direction that the forces of Order and Chaos in Collow were heading in. They had a significant meaning to the mortals living in that world as every subtle clue was related to the survival of countless lives.


    In the long history of struggle, humans had mastered the methods of observing and recording the environmental data of the realm of Chaos. One of the critical observation data centers was the sanctuary like the furnace tower.


    The furnace tower was not only the heart of the land of Order, but also a sentry tower to monitor the realm of Chaos. It was capable of automatically recording the data of the tide of the Sea of Carnos, even if the furnace died down, the runic slate structure of the tower could automatically run and complete the recordings for an extended period. That was the reason Veronica must first check the status of the furnace tower; she had to figure out what had happened here.


    The information on the Festered would quickly disappear once the monster died. So it was difficult to find any clues from the body of the Festered. What the knights did was just a routine. The real clues lay in the four runic slabs around the pedestal of the furnace tower.


    Interpreting the slate was a skill that every aristocrat must master. The old knight Morian was an expert in this field. Upon returning from examining the surroundings, the old man came up to Veronica. He first nodded at Hao Ren, and then said to the princess, ¡°It¡¯s weird. Very weird.¡±


    ¡°What weird?¡± Veronica¡¯s brows knit together. Her teacher¡¯s ambiguous reaction surprised her. ¡°Can you explain?¡±


    ¡°The powers of the Chaos and Order are present concurrently in the runes, and and the boundary between the two is much smaller than the standard value.¡±


    Veronica froze. It took her for a while to digest the meaning of these words. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°What do you guys mean?¡± Hao Ren perplexed of what happened.


    Veronica was in disbelief as if she had just heard a story of The Arabian Nights. But she had to explain to Hao Ren. ¡°It means the two forces on the runestone are becoming assimilated. The boundaries between the Chaos and the Order are blurring. But it is impossible! How could this ever happen in nature?¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his head but pretended to have understood what Veronica told him. ¡°I get it. Then what are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°I must report it to my father immediately,¡± Veronica said. Her fingers had turned pale from gripping the hilt of her sword too hard. ¡°This matter needs to be immediately discussed by the Royal Scholars. Only they can figure out what it means.¡±


    The old knight Morian whispered to Veronica, ¡°Also inform the Theocracy.¡±


    ¡°The Theocracy¡­¡± Veronica¡¯s face turned gloomy hearing that name. Her brows pulled together as she kept repeating the name before she finally exhaled, ¡°Then let the royal court officers decide. Let¡¯s move. Knights!¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged and said nothing. He had not figured out many of the rules of Collow, so he had better be a silent observer, he thought. While waiting for Veronica and Morian gathering their men, Hao Ren went to a side quietly and tried to contact the MDT and the Petrachelys.


    The signal of the mental connection was still weak and full of noise though it was a little better than before. The MDT or Nolan must be trying to reach him too, he thought, and he trusted them to be able to figure it out.


    While the knights stepped into the fog of Chaos and the light of the furnace tower died down, something was happening in another corner of the world.


    On the southern border of the Kingdom of Taros, the land came to an abrupt end. The tail end of the shadowy forest in the south was neatly cut off here, where the dark fog was swelling at the bottom of the abyss. From this point onward, the world¡ªlands, seas, rivers, forests¡ªended here.


    But this was not the edge of the world but the border of the Ansu continent, where the Kingdom of Taros was located. This continent, like other continents, floated on the Sea of Carnos. The Kingdom of Taros was a small kingdom on the southern edge of the Ansu continent. It had a natural southern border. The ¡°cliff¡± here was, in fact, the boundary of the Ansu continent.


    The south of this border was not empty; many large islands were floating in the void.


    Scholars believed that these huge floating islands were once part of the Ansu continent, and the Ansu continent and many other continents were initially one single piece of land. The evil giant, Rocky Marton, broke free from the shackles and struck the earth, breaking the Collow continent into several pieces. It was only after that the single continent of Collow became a world of floating islands.


    Large continents were fixed in a position relative to each other in the Sea of Carnos, while smaller lands drifted in between the continents. Some of these lands became homes to the abhumans or monsters, while some became the transportation hub of the human kingdom.


    The floating islands suspended outside the southern border of Taros were occupied by the abhumans, who live outside the civilized world.


    These islands had dense jungles and magic-filled water sources. The beasts living on these floating islands were not only numerous, but they had also undergone some mutations. Under the influence of magic, primary intelligent creatures such as bear monsters, gnolls, and demonic apes had stood out among their relatives. Their level of intelligence was ridiculously low in the eyes of the humans, but it was enough to make them the hegemons of these floating islands. And because the islands floated in the dangerous Sea of Carnos, the chaotic atmosphere often produced storms in the void. For this reason, the high-intelligence species on the main continent rarely came to the small kingdoms on these floating islands. The life of the abhumans living here were peaceful.


    But the status quo suddenly changed.


    Gruglu was an old demonic ape living in the forest. At 345 years old, he knew little about the outside world. The floating island was lucky to miss the tide of Chaos that occurred in the last three centuries. The old demonic ape had witnessed many times storms tearing apart the forest on the other side of the void. To him, the outside world was dangerous. No smart demonic apes should be interested in going there even if the forest there looked denser, even if the land larger than that of the floating islands. They should stay away from it like a plague.


    So Gruglu had never left his forest, and he did not have the mean to leave. Who could cross the emptiness between the island and the main continent other than those who could fly?


    But now he could not hold on to his principle anymore because he had to prepare for a journey crossing over to the land on the other side.


    The old demonic ape sighed and continued to work on the rattan and wood chips. Beside him, his people were doing the same thing. As one of the most talented handcrafter races in the forest, the demonic apes could make quite complex tools. And now this talent became their only daily task: their job was to assemble these things into very, very large baskets, and install them under something that called hot-air balloons.


    Gruglu looked back and saw the gnolls were chanting a bunch of shibboleths as they hung a bundle of blue leather to dry on the shelves. Further afield, the imps were singing as they stacked the stones to make an oven to treat the wood collected from the forest. He heard that the wood would be built into the skeleton of the hot air balloon, or it may be a truss. Who knows? A monster bear spewed some nonsense after receiving an award from the alpha wolf. But the monster bear, notorious for his dumbness, might not remember what the alpha wolf had said.


    Gruglu only knew one thing: the blue leather that the gnolls were drying was once a terrible monster, a wild blue-monster whale from the deepest part of the Sea of Carnos. The behemoth could roam freely in the energy-filled sea, but to the abhumans on the floating islands, it was a terrifying divine being. One day, the alpha wolf fought with the blue-monster whale for one day and one night and killed it. According to an ugly gnoll, the alpha sat on the body of the Blue-monster Whale, sucking the bone marrow and skinning the Blue-monster Whale. That was when the idea of making a hot air balloon started.


    Gruglu had to obey the command of the alpha, though he was reluctant to leave the safety of the forest and had a great fear of flying over the void, he was still weaving the rattan, just like the gnolls and monster bears who had submitted their wills.


    Grugle knew that the alpha was incredibly strong. At least stronger than the Blue Monster Whale.


    There were no creatures on this floating island that could beat the alpha.


    Since the alpha wanted to conquer the continent occupied by the humans, they could only obey.

 Chapter 1228 - Mound of the Unnamed Soldier

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Trekking in the wilderness was arduous, but the journey did not take long. The physique of humans in Collow was far stronger than humans on Earth. The professional soldiers, especially, were almost superhumans. The knights, lightly armored, could march forward quickly and barely needed any rest. A few days later, Hao Ren learned from Veronica that the border of the plain was near.


    No one, including Hao Ren, could see the shadowy forest from here. But the traveler¡¯s amulet in Veronica¡¯s hands had begun to glow steadily, which was a sign that they were nearing the edge of the forest. If all went well, they would see the iconic landmark between the two regions: the Mound of the Unknown Soldier.


    It had been an uneventful journey. The atmosphere in the realm of Chaos was depressive, but the sacred items that Hao Ren lent to the knights had worked like a charm. Veronica had never seen anything in the army with a long-lasting protective effect. The glow of the lightweight white plate did not dim even by a bit even though the chaotic energy was at its strongest. The sacred item required no recharge and circular purification. That thing was like the incarnation of divine power, which continued to protect everyone in the Chaos and to maintain its potency.


    It made the princess wonder: if the army of the kingdom could have more of such sacred objects, how many lives of brave soldiers they could save? The Chaos Expeditionary Forces of the Kingdom would be extremely safe outside the border of Order. If they could get even more of these sacred items to form a defense on the perimeter, then the forces of Chaos would never be able to threaten the safety of the people.


    But the thoughts just came and went quickly. After all, Veronica knew that every piece of sacred article from the ancient times was as precious as gold, and only in the holy places like the Cassouin Grand Temple did a few pieces remain. And Hao Ren, the Ancient Guardian, would undoubtedly have a limited number of these sacred objects only. She should not be too greedy, she thought to herself.


    For the past few days, other than acting as a ¡®guard¡¯ following the knights, Hao Ren would spend the rest of his time studying the way of thinking in this world. He would usually chat with Veronica and Morian, trying to see this world through their perspective, and some other times, he would study the strange phenomena he found on the road.


    Compared with talking with the old knight, he preferred to talk with Princess Veronica more, who was more straightforward. It was not because the princess was pretty, but the old knight was overly cautious and suspicious of him. Morian often asked him some common-knowledge questions to test him. Meanwhile, the princess was more approachable than the old knight. Though Veronica did have some doubts about Hao Ren¡¯s competence in common knowledge, she did not say it openly. On the contrary, for curiosity or other reasons, the princess even approached and talked with him.


    They were now chatting about ancient myths. The conversation made the journey seemed less dreary.


    ¡°The ancient book tells that ancient Collow was a single continent. All the kingdoms of today used to connect with water forming the ocean and the rivers flowing between the kingdoms,¡± Veronica excitedly told the story she heard from her scholarly teacher. ¡°But an evil giant was being held in the deepest part of Collow. This giant is called Lockmarton, a prisoner of the Goddess of Creation sealed in the earth forever. As the years passed, the chain that bound Lockmarton lost its strength due to the reversal of the universe and the evil giant escaped. He pounded the earth angrily and the Collow Continent broke apart. There were five larger pieces, which are today¡¯s Ansu mainland, the Radiant Continent, the Kingdom of Fimbulvinter, the Kanaan mysterious realm, and the Theocracy. Except for the mysterious realm of Kanaan, the other four continents are ruled by the Kingdom of Order.¡±


    Listening to Veronica¡¯s explanation about these ancient legends, Hao Ren secretly associated Lockmarton to the First Borns in his mind. But he had doubts: the First Born was a giant tentacle-like creature living inside a planet. They looked nothing like humans. Why did humans in this world call it the ¡®evil giant¡¯ in mythology?


    He thought about it but did not delve further. There could be many missing and distorted pieces of ancient myths and such flaw was usual.


    Hao Ren casually picked up where Veronica left off. ¡°What I know is similar to that of yours. Well, the world was torn apart and then drifted in the Sea of Carnos, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the continents floated in the void while there were many smaller islands in between these continents. The suspended rivers and the magical waves were constantly flowing between the cracks after the world fell apart. But I have never seen a hanging river. I heard that they are very spectacular, but they are not in the territory of the Kingdom of Taros. There are only two suspended rivers in the entire Ansu Continent; one above the Kingdom of Torch, the other in the void outside the northern border of Ansu Continent. Only the most daring wizards built mage towers near the suspended river.¡±


    The straight-spoken princess waved her hand while saying, ¡°I had always wanted to see it. Unfortunately, the War of Chaos broke out. Now there is no time for this.¡±


    Hao Ren simply nodded as a sign of acknowledgment. At this moment, a blurry image of a mound began to appear in his vision.


    ¡°Is that the Mound of the Unnamed Soldier?¡± Hao Ren asked, pointing into the distance.


    Veronica immediately looked in the direction Hao Ren was pointing. Of course, she did not see anything, even when she rubbed her eyes and squinted hard. The mortal could not see far in the fog of Chaos.


    However, after going farther ahead, the Mound of the Unnamed Soldier was in sight.


    The well-known local landscape appeared before Hao Ren. Compared to its fame, this hillock was just an ordinary mound in the wilderness, with rocks scattered in the surroundings. But on this little hillock stood a stone statue.


    It was a sculpture of a warrior, carved in solid gray-black stone, the facial features were almost indistinguishable. The warrior wore heavy armor and appeared stately with a sword in his hands. The statue overlooked the wilderness as if he was looking at the battlefield.


    It was the famous Mound of the Unnamed Soldier or Mound of the Unnamed Knight in the ancient Dehla language.


    ¡°There is such a sculpture here.¡± Hao Ren could not help but mutter when he saw the lone sculpture in the wilderness.


    But Veronica glanced at him with a weird look and whispered, ¡°Didn¡¯t you know? Did the people of the last generation not hear the story of The Last Elf Empire?¡±


    Hao Ren immediately froze, knowing that he had blown it again. Making an excuse to cover his track now would seem too obvious, so he might as well admit his ignorance. ¡°I don¡¯t know about it, or even if I did, it could be known in another name, after all, it has been ten centuries. Many things have changed. Even many of our vocabulary is different from what you are using now. The Last Elf Empire? It could be in a different name in our time.¡±


    His reasoning was logical. Veronica was less suspicious than before. ¡°That is an ancient legend. It is said that 6,000 years ago, there was a mighty elf empire in the wilderness, Sukhoma. This empire had a great and ambitious emperor who unified all the kingdoms on the plains and almost ruled the entire Ansu Continent. He wanted to build the greatest kingdom and almost succeeded. But when he was about to be sworn in as the King of all the other rulers in the Ansu Continent, the tide of Chaos broke out.


    ¡°It is said that it was the strongest tide of Chaos in the millennium. Darkness broke out from the hinterland of the elf empire and spread rapidly across the continent along the magic veins in the wilderness. The empire experienced thirty days and nights of hell-like heat, and then thirty days and nights of cold that turned steel into powder, followed by plagues, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. At last, eight-tenths of the land of Order on the continent of Ansu began to turn into desert. The forces of Chaos broke all the defenses almost in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°The dream of the elven king burst, but he still led his last remaining soldiers to resist the tide. They fought and at last retreated. The last battle scene was in front of the king¡¯s throne in the royal capital of the elves¡ªright here. This place was the capital of the empire.¡±


    Hao Ren looked around and saw only the wilderness.


    ¡°So this is the elven king?¡± he asked, pointing to the statue on the hillock.


    ¡°A lot of people think so. The elven king stood and died in front of his throne. When all his guards fell, he leaned his body on the sword, looked at the burning capital and said: I will stand here, watch my kingdom sink into the darkness. It will rise one day, and then only will I fall. Then the elven king¡¯s vows came true: he has been standing ever since. Six thousand years of storms and sun have not brought down the stone statue. It is said that he will stand here forever until the elves become the master of this continent, or the world of Collow comes to an end.¡±


    After listening to the story, Hao Ren remained silent for a long while. At last, he broke the silence. ¡°Then that should be called the Mound of the Unnamed King.¡±


    Veronica shook her head. ¡°The elven king was holding a sword and standing here until he breathed his last. He left the world in the image of a warrior, so it should be called the Mound of the Unnamed Soldier.¡±

 Chapter 1229 - The Shadowy Forest

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    In Collow, ancient sites with sad stories like the Mound of the Unnamed Soldier were aplenty. In the years that the tide of Chaos ravaged the world, all characters¡ªthe heroic warriors, great emperors, wise scholars, and invincible generals¡ªwho once shone brightly with great achievements, were all swallowed by the endless darkness. However epic and brilliant those great men were, the wheel of war in Collow had crushed them into pieces. Time consumed them like cheap consumables.


    The great elven king of six thousand years ago had almost unified the whole continent and fought bravely with the Chaos. But in the end, history had forgotten his name. His empire was gone, not even a brick remained. The wisest and the most knowledgeable scholars had only found some sporadic descriptions of him in the book. And his stories were being told in the most unreliable way.


    In Collow, it was commonplace.


    But Hao Ren, a bystander, could not be indifferent. In the perspective of an inspector, he could hardly accept a civilization disappeared in the darkness just like that. For a whole 10,000 years, the mortal races of Collow were always in war. They spent all their strength in a meaningless tug-of-war with the Chaos. There was a problem in this world, and he obliged to figure out the truth behind all this.


    After leaving the Mound of the Unnamed Soldier, the group picked up the pace as Veronica hoped that they could reach the edge of the Shadowy Forest before nightfall. She had confirmed her location; if all goes well, the knights would be able to an outpost of the kingdom in a few hours.


    Hao Ren had noticed that the knight princess was a little impatient. It was especially evident after leaving the Mound of the Unnamed Soldier. It seemed that she was powerless and worried about something. Judging from her conversation with the knights, he could vaguely guess what had happened: Veronica¡¯s army fell back into the wilderness after a defeat. The forces of Chaos in the shadowy forest broke through the defense of the humans and launched a surprise attack on the Kingdom of Order. The princess was worried about the fate of her country and the people, the future of which would not be optimistic without a miracle.


    Morian walked beside Hao Ren. The white-haired old knight remained as solemn as ever. His angular face did not show many emotional swings, but deep inside, he was feeling what Veronica was feeling. But the veteran knew how to conceal his emotion. He looked at Hao Ren, who was silent, and suddenly asked, ¡°How did the Theocracy look like a thousand years ago?¡±


    Hao Ren was busy testing his mental connection, Morian¡¯s voice jolted him. He looked at Morian, who for the first time in the past several days, spoke to him. It was not that the old knight had an opinion on him that startled him, but the old man was a quiet man. Hao Ren blinked and had no idea what was the intention of the question. But he realized that he was an ancient high-ranking temple guard, so the old knight¡¯s question must be related to the Theocracy. He replied ambiguously. ¡°More or less the same like today. There are little changes in the church, and the priests destine everything.¡±


    Morian nodded but did not say anything. After a few moments, he said again, ¡°Half our failure stemmed from the sudden withdrawal of the Theocracy. I have no intention of finger pointing or complaining. I want to know under what circumstances will the Theocracy do this?¡±


    While saying, the old knight set his sight on Hao Ren; his face looked so serious that it was as if he must get the answer right now right here. But Hao Ren was stupefied: who the hell would know? No doubt that he ran out from an ancient temple and was given the Ancient Guardian title, but he was a fake and had nothing to do with Theocracy.


    Veronica, who was walking in front, had heard their conversation. Her Royal Highness was concerned and frowned. ¡°For thousands of years, Theocracy has been the culmination of various kingdoms. They sheltered the World of Order, and their authority rested on this responsibility. But there is no way to cover up the fact that they retreated from the Shadowy Forest. This news would sooner or later spread. The church¡¯s prestige will suffer a huge deficit. Guardian, what do you think was the reason for Theocracy to withdraw their troops despite knowing that their good name will suffer?¡±


    Hao Ren was stupefied again for a long while. After fumbling in his mind, he finally got some inspiration from the employee handbook and some classic cases in the tutorial documents. ¡°I have a bad feeling; something must have happened in the church. Maybe Theocracy has a problem in its territory.¡±


    ¡°The sacred realm has problems?¡± Morian¡¯s eyebrows arched. ¡°How is it possible? The miracle of the goddess of creation is on the continent, and there have never been any forces of the Chaos getting close to the sacred realm.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it is something other than the forces of Chaos?¡± Hao Ren replied casually.


    Everyone instantly fell into silence. They all had the same strange expression on their faces.


    ¡°Oh, I mean, just saying.¡± Hao Ren realized he just had a Freudian slip. Before he could say anything more, the shadow of the Shadowy Forest suddenly appeared in his peripheral vision.


    The Shadowy Forest was right in front.


    It was once a vibrant and dense forest. Before the tide of Chaos, this vast forest between the plains and the kingdoms was a vital source of timber and alchemy material of Taros, and also the home to several wild elves and goblins. The forest stretched along the western and southern borders of the Kingdom of Taros, forming a half-moon-shaped vast area with several elven settlements. During peacetime, the elves relied on collecting herbs and magic ore in the forest to trade with humans and exchanged for necessities, while the goblins lived with the elves and were responsible for maintaining the flow of magic in the woods.


    However, the tide of Chaos changed the face of the forest. The lush green had turned into dark, distorted, demonized trees. The vines were highly poisonous. The shrubs started to swallow any living things that pass by them, and the soil had lost its function of supporting life. No herbs or food could be grown in the jungle, and when poison also polluted the water in the jungle, the elves and goblins evacuated their homes. According to Veronica, the elves and goblins who vacated the forest were now living in several towns in the west and south of Taros as temporary citizens and assisting humans in protecting the borders of the land of Order.


    Hao Ren was a little surprised by this information, but he soon knew that this was a relatively normal phenomenon in the world of Collow.


    The Chaos was always invading the kingdoms. The tide of the Sea of Carnos would change the pattern on the continent every 100 years. The powerful kingdoms could maintain a relatively stable territory during this turmoil, some more massive empires could even last for ten centuries, but the small city-states and scattered settlements had found it hard to survive. They were not weak at first, and probably were the descendants of the kingdoms defeated in the last wave of the tide of Chaos. With the start of the new tide cycle, they could not protect their already battered homes and could only seek refuge in the surrounding kingdoms.


    Usually, those kingdoms would not refuse this refuge request.


    Everyone knew that they would somehow someday meet the same fate.


    The elves in the Shadowy Forest had a kingdom two centuries ago. This kingdom ruled the entire forest, not just a few settlements. But their empire fell eventually, and they became vassals of the Kingdom of Taros. Perhaps, some years later, the Kingdom of Taros might end up with the same fate. The once proud mountain people would become the tribes wandering on the edge of the forest. When the Chaos and the Order clashed once again, they would have no choice but seek refuge in some new places.


    Veronica felt like the dark forest was falling on her. She bit her lip.


    The kingdom might end, but not today.


    Hao Ren and Veronica staggered along in the forest; it was a nightmare to walk in the Shadowy Forest, which had not the so-called ¡®road.¡¯ The Chaos-contaminated plants were active, and even the soil was not stable. Hao Ren had seen with his eyes two old trees moved in the distance as if they had grown a pair of legs, and soil solidified into stones and then softened into a mud. In such an environment, even if humans had once built a road in the forest, the jungle would have swallowed it up now.


    If the wilderness was a dead place shrouded in the fog, then the Shadowy Forest was a crawling nightmare. Everything that happened here was creepy.


    But even in such a creepy black forest of magic, there was a sanctuary of the Order.


    The Kingdom of Taros had spent an enormous amount of resources to build furnace outposts in the forest. These outposts were critical eyes and ears of the Kingdom of Order to monitor the border of the Chaos. Each outpost consumed an immense amount of resources to maintain stability in the black forest, but the investment was worthwhile. Without the existence of these outposts, it would be impossible for such a small Kingdom of Taros to survive the tide of Chaos until the seventh year of this century.


    Soon the group was approaching the first Furnace outpost. Hao Ren saw a glimmer in the darkness ahead, and the surroundings appeared to have normalized: the moving carnivorous shrubs and walking magic trees had restored to become natural vegetation, which was a sign of the Order.


    Seeing the silhouette of the buildings ahead hidden behind the trees, Veronica breathed a sigh of relief. She had earlier expected the worst, but now she could not help but feel comforted. Probably the goddess of creation had not given up this troubled kingdom.


    But Hao Ren¡¯s brows knit together. No doubt, the glimmer in front possessed the energy of the Order, but there was also a faint stench of blood.

 Chapter 1230 - The Furnace Outpost

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The smell of blood was very light as the chaotic environment in the forest had covered up most of the stench. Hao Ren knew that if it had not been for his demigod physique preventing the chaotic energy from interfering with his sensory perception, he would not have been able to smell out the blood.


    Veronica was next to Hao Ren, but she could not smell the stench in the air.


    The princess and the knights rejoiced after treading through the land of the Chaos; they finally saw the Light of Order. Knights, like everyone else, were mere humans. They could feel tired and depressed. It was their faith all this while that kept them coming this far. The glimmer in the distance had given them hope, from which the exhausted soldiers drew their strength. They were already close to the outpost of Taros.


    For those trekking in the realm of Chaos, seeing the outpost was akin to returning home. That was the mark of the World of Order.


    But Hao Ren had to pour cold water on their sanguinity. ¡°Something is not right there.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Veronica was excited, but she did not lose her calmness and judgment. When the Ancient Guardian alerted her, she kept her mind steady. ¡°What do you see?¡±


    She knew that the Ancient Guardian possessed a unique power to perceive things that the ordinary people could not in the realm of Chaos. She did not doubt it.


    ¡°It smells acrid, raw. It is of blood,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°It comes from the direction of the outpost.¡±


    Veronica¡¯s brows knit together. ¡°How is it possible? The furnace in the outpost is still burning, no servants of the Chaos could get inside. If it is the Festered, they would not be able to get past the guards.¡±


    Veronica¡¯s confidence made sense. ¡°The Servants of Chaos could not form into the physical body under the illumination of the Light of Order, which is an indisputable truth in Collow. Though the Festered could rush into the Light of Order, they are just like a moth to a flame. Maybe they are a threat to civilians, but they won¡¯t be a match to the veteran soldiers in the outpost. So the common sense here is: as long as the furnace is still burning, the outpost is safe. No matter how deadly the fighting on the outside was, the monsters would not be able to defeat the enchantment of the goddess.


    So she made another conjecture. ¡°Maybe there is a battle near the outpost.¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head slightly without saying anything. But he knew that Veronica¡¯s conjecture was not logical.


    In the realm of Chaos, dissipation was shockingly fast, especially in the case of living tissues. The bodies in the battlefield, if without the shroud of the sacred object of the Order, would decompose in just a dozen minutes. So combat in the realm of Chaos usually did not call for the aftermath cleanup as everything would dissipate before other units arrived.


    If there had been a fight outside the outpost, no stench of blood could have remained.


    Hao Ren was not the only one who could think of this fact; Veronica had probably realized it. But the princess was not willing to accept it. She wanted to believe that there had been a fierce battle outside the outpost rather than that the outpost of the kingdom had fallen just like that.


    But Hao Ren¡¯s warning still achieved its intended purpose. Veronica ordered everyone to raise their guard. The old knight Morian led in the front as the group edged closer to the furnace outpost.


    As the maneuvered past the old trees and bushes, the entire furnace outpost was within view. It was a small station, protected with a wall constructed with stones and wood. But the wall had no meaningful protective effect against the monsters in the realm of the Chaos. It was mainly for blocking the Festered which occasionally showed up. Runes glowing in a faint light were on the wall, but those runes seemed inactive. On the inside, three tall wooden sentry towers could monitor the surroundings for any movements in any direction. Other than that, there were only a few two-story wooden buildings, which should be facilities such as barracks and warehouses.


    A beam of light, not bright, shone up from the center of the outpost into the sky above. That was the light of the furnace, in the heart of the outpost and the pillar on which every installation in the outpost could function in the Chaos. The kingdom was spending a fortune to maintain these outposts. More than eight-tenths of the cost was to keep the miniaturized furnace burning. In this place away from the Order, the furnace depended on the expensive magic fuel and blessed holy items, which were not easy to obtain, to sustain the fire.


    Veronica¡¯s heart sank when she saw the outpost. She knew Hao Ren had got it right: something terrible had happened in the outpost.


    Except for the light column of the furnace and of the rune on some permanently running installations, all lights in the outpost were out. Even the Light of Order of the furnace was particularly dim: smaller furnace required manual fuel feed to keep the flame up. Dimming light meant no one had been there to fuel up the furnace at least for several days.


    A faint metallic smell of blood drifted into their nostrils. This time, Veronica had smelled it.


    The princess drew her sword and used a magic spell to mask the glow of the blade. She then ordered the standard-bearer to stay in place while slowly sneaked up to the front of the outpost.


    Hao Ren watched as Veronica stopped at the entrance. He clenched his spear and prepared to back her up.


    Veronica gestured with her hand from afar. She meant it was safe; there was no scent of the Chaos.


    ¡°The door is locked.¡± Hao Ren went up and gave the heavy door, wrapped in copper skin, a little push. ¡°There is no sign that the door is damaged.¡±


    Veronica nodded. ¡°The door is locked from the inside, which means the commander of the outpost has ordered a lockdown before things get out of hand. Perhaps they have noticed something.¡±


    ¡°But things have still gone wrong.¡± Hao Ren pressed his hand on the door, which seemed not moving a bit. ¡°Shall I?¡± Hao Ren looked at Veronica.


    For a moment, Veronica did not catch what Hao Ren meant. But she quickly understood. ¡°Ahh, forced entry? It¡¯s okay, but first, let me get a battering ram¡ª¡±


    ¡°Bang¡ª¡±


    The metal-clad door, along with the walls within two meters of the door frame was ripped apart and thrown out into the forest far away.


    Veronica and the knights were stunned. Oh, goddess! Is this still a human? What did the ancients eat that gave them so much strength? She exclaimed in her mind.


    But Hao Ren had no time for Veronica¡¯s strange stare because when he saw the situation inside, he froze.


    All the soldiers of the outpost were here. They fell on the open space between the barracks and the tower. Dark blood that had dried up covered and dyed the ground in red. The stench was suffocating. But there seemed to have no signs of a struggle.


    The soldiers seemed to have been killed without resistance.


    Veronica¡¯s face turned pale. She walked into the outpost with Hao Ren, bending over to flip the body of a kingdom soldier so that he would face up. Hao Ren saw that his chest was in a mess, badly mutilated as if being ripped apart. His face twisted as if he had seen something horrible before he died.


    Veronica lifted the soldier¡¯s hands, which was covered in blood. ¡°He scratched himself in the chest to death.¡±


    Morian kneeled with a heavy heart. ¡°Look at his expression; he seemed to be scared to death, literally.¡±


    ¡°Most of these soldiers did not wear armor,¡± Veronica said as she looked up and farther away. More bodies spread out in front of her eyes. The situation of the bodies was the same, and more than half of the bodies did not have armor on them. The first-tier soldiers of the Kingdom of Taros were all equipped with enchanted upper-body armor that was easy to put on and off. Soldiers only wore this armor during battle or on shift duty. The rest of the time, they were in a normal fabric military uniform. ¡°It looks like many of them ran out from the barracks. See, some of them did not even wear shoes.¡±


    ¡°They got out from the barracks, and they were scared to death. They ripped their chest open before they died,¡± Hao Ren said as he shook his head in disbelief. ¡°It¡¯s too strange.¡±


    A knight, who was exploring in front, suddenly shouted, ¡°Your Royal Highness! We found the commander!¡±


    The commander was also dead, but his death was different from the others.


    The commander¡¯s body was in the open space in front of the small furnace, as if he was guarding this place before he died. Wearing a full armor, on which no scratch marks found. He was still clenching his commander sword in his hand, but the sword had broken in half. On the ground around his body, crisscrossed sword marks were everywhere. It seemed that the commander had a fierce struggle with the enemy.


    The cause of death of the commander was also suicide: he slit his own throat with the broken sword in his hand.


    After carefully examining the body of the lower-ranking officer, Veronica determined that he killed himself in a frenzy. Beside his body, Veronica had found something.


    ¡°There are some words here!¡± The princess cried out.


    Written with blood, it seemed that the commander must be regaining his consciousness for a moment and wrote his last words before he died. His hand must be unsteady as his handwriting was anything but neat. But it was still legible.


    ¡°There is something in the dream, it came out of our hearts¡­¡±

 Chapter 1231 - The Tide of Fear

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°There is something in the dream. It came out of our hearts¡­¡±


    Morian scratched his jaw as he repeated those words in confusion. He had never heard anything like that before. The old knight turned his head and looked at Veronica. ¡°Your Royal Highness, this seems a bit like sorcery.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean an illusion spell?¡± Veronica frowned. ¡°These soldiers seem to have suffered tremendous fear before they die, and the commander has signs of madness. It looks like an illusion spell, but I haven¡¯t heard any of that has such a strong and the wide area of effect. Those stationed here are veterans who have received at least one year of willpower training, they have strong resistance to the illusion.¡±


    Hao Ren listened but did not say anything. Concerning the mind illusion, he knew much more than Veronica and Morian did, and he had seen the most influential soul power in the universe and personally stood inside the psychic storm that could throw a whole city into madness. Many powerful and extraordinary minds in the world could pull these things off in, such as the whisper of the First Borns and the nightmare of the guardian giants. But he found it difficult to explain to the people here.


    Moreover, he could not determine what the soldiers in the outpost were encountering because he did not see any signs of activity of the First Born¡¯s tentacles, nor did he sense the breath of the guardian giant. A psychic storm might have happened here, but the culprit did not show itself.


    After thinking for a while, Hao Ren asked, ¡°Have you ever seen the psychic attacks of a monster of Chaos?¡±


    ¡°The existence of the Servants of Chaos itself could interfere with the human minds already,¡± Veronica said as she shook her head. ¡°They don¡¯t have to master the skills of psychic attacks. Oh, wait! Can it be said that the Chaos has bred new variant of monsters?¡±


    The old knight was nervous hearing the princess¡¯ speculation. Hao Ren¡¯s simple question had ignited their imaginations. Morian immediately got to his feet. ¡°We must return to the civilized world and alert them before it is too late.¡±


    Veronica nodded. ¡°We should use the Chastetree Road. There are still several outposts along that route. Maybe we can find something.¡±


    Chastetree Road was a boulevard before the Shadowy Forest festered completely, initially a path that the elves in the forest use to communicate with humans, but as the forest was chaoticized, the Chaos swallowed this avenue. Poisonous plants and activated shrubs grew on the side of the road, and the softened and deformed soil made the road rough and difficult to travel on. For ordinary travelers, there had been no road in the forest.


    But to the knights of the kingdom, Chastetree Road was still a passageway. The festered power had blocked it, but the crystal dust the elven kingdom embedded in the stone slabs of the road was still magically active. Chastetree Road was still a little safer than the forest in the surroundings where carnivorous bushes were everywhere.


    The group quickly found a second outpost located deep in the forest.


    They had expected the worst after what happened to the first outpost, but when they saw corpses strewn inside the second outpost, their hearts inevitably sank. The soldiers here had all died the same way, experiencing something horrifying before they died, their faces twisted, and their bodies mutilated and started to decompose. Other than that, there were no signs of a struggle.


    The enemy did not attack them physically but mentally. The evidence was obvious.


    The same had happened to the third outpost. But this time, Morian found a wizard near the small furnace in the center of the station.


    The wizard had also killed himself in a frenzy, but before he died, he had set up a large number of defensive runes around him, and his magic book fragments were found scattered on the ground around the furnace. Sacrificing their magic guidebooks was the last card wizards played when their lives were threatened. The wizard here, just like the commander in the first outpost, had fought to the death with the illusion.


    But the mysterious magic had failed to save the wizard. He sat in the middle of his defensive circle and ended his life himself. There was a burned hole in the chest near his heart, which was the result of him detonating the magic power in his body.


    Judging from the death of the commander in the first station and the wizard in the third, Hao Ren had come up with a theory: though the two had had frenzy, there was an indication that they had experienced great horror like the other soldiers. It might be the effect of the furnace, which kept them to hang on longer than the other soldiers though it was not able to shield them from the mind attack completely.


    And if the furnace could affect the invisible enemy, then the Chaos was naturally the culprit.


    On their way to the fourth outpost, Veronica¡¯s face was gloomy. The princess had been known as the Battlefield Rose of Taros for her pull-no-punches personality and temperament that was uncharacteristic of a princess. She punched an old tree on the trunk and said, ¡°One hundred of the best veteran soldiers have died a horrifying death in the stations! We don¡¯t even know what the enemy looks like!¡±


    Veronica¡¯s action jolted the old tree from its sleep. An angry and evil face appeared on the pitted trunk. The branches turned into a sharp object and pierced toward Veronica. ¡°I will eat you!¡±


    Veronica unsheathed her sword and drew it in an arc. The burning flame from the sword sliced the branches that thrust at her in half. ¡°Shut the f*ck up. Keep sleeping!¡±


    The old tree shivered and pulled back its branches. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Hao Ren was struck dumb.


    Veronica seemed down from the exhaustion and stress. It was the only time when Hao Ren had a glimpse of the hot temperament of the knight princess.


    ¡°New enemies have emerged from the Chaos,¡± Morian said, raising his head and quietly glancing at Veronica. ¡°Your Royal Highness, keep calm, we aim to make it out of the forest alive so that we can bring the truth to the general of the Western front.¡±


    The road ahead seemed even more dispirited after discovering that the soldiers in the fourth outpost that also died, everyone was demoralized.


    No one had said it, but the fact was already written on the wall: all the outposts the kingdom set up on the west side of the Shadowy Forest had probably fallen.


    Chastetree Road was an avenue that traversed the west side of the jungle. It passed through every defense point in the forest. If all the outposts along this road were gone, then it would be highly likely that the other places had met the same fate. And the fact that the nearby stations had not sent anyone to check out the attacked outposts was worrying.


    The furnace outposts in the Shadowy Forest would conduct a routine exchange of information every day so that when a station met a problem, other outposts would know. But judging from the state of decomposition of the bodies, Hao Ren found that it had been a few days since the attack on the first outpost, yet no one had come to investigate. There was only one possibility.


    All the outposts were gone.


    The foundation of the defensive system that the kingdom built for the last two centuries was uprooted overnight. Veronica did not say a word for the rest of the journey. The sad atmosphere was contagious as even the knights were silent. Hao Ren could not find anyone to talk to, so he resumed to focus on how to restore his mental connection with the MDT.


    At long last, they arrived at the border of the Shadowy Forest.


    The forest was less dense here, and the unpleasant depressing atmosphere seemed to have clear up by a lot. It was like they had suddenly crossed a certain threshold. After walking past two ancient towering trees that had entangled and grown together, Hao Ren suddenly felt a sense of relief.


    He saw an undulating hill up ahead, and two majestic mountains in the distance. Between the mountains was a light beam pierced into the sky, and even tore the dark masses in the air apart, revealing the bright white sky.


    Under the light column, Hao Ren vaguely saw a high wall piled up with stones. There seemed to be some towering fortresses and arrow towers behind the walls, and some structure built on the mountainside on both sides. These structures were all bathed in the Light of Order, the intensity of which was far more intense than those Hao Ren had seen before.


    Standing on the edge of the dark forest and looking out at the light-coated mountains in the distance, it was as shocking as seeing the heavens from hell.


    If Hao Ren were a local, he should know that it was because of this magnificent scenery that the two mountains in the distance were called the Heavenly Gate by the mountain people of the kingdom of Taros. But Hao Ren could still imagine the reaction people would have when they saw the bright world after traveling in the realm of Chaos for days¡ªthe knights around him were breaking out in joy.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Western Fortress!¡± Veronica finally came out from her sorrow of the past few days when she saw the glorious radiance of the Light of Order. The beam was so powerful that ordinary people could break free form the blockade of the fog of Chaos by just looking at it. When Veronica saw the level of intensity of the Light of Order, she immediately knew that the Western Fortress had held up. ¡°That¡¯s great! Our fortress is still there!¡±

 Chapter 1232 - A Brief Contact

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The appearance of Fort West in the distant mountains was like dawn light at the end of darkness. The Light of Order had dispelled the exhaustion and frustration of the knights for the last few days. Everyone could not wait to run to the foot of the mountains where the light column was.


    Veronica did not lose her calm. She ordered the knights to temporarily camp on the open field outside the Shadowy Forest to wait out the effect of the power of Chaos, and then they would only go into the fort.


    This seemingly time-wasting break was necessary. Because the knights had been in the area where the power of Chaos was most strong for too long, the effect of the power of Chaos was still lurking in their bodies even though they had the protection of the sacred items. This erosive power had not changed their bodies, but it had entrenched in their spiritual world. It might not be evident in the dark, but when the light shined on them, the evil energy in them would be nowhere to hide and turning into a scar.


    People spending a long time in the Realm of Choas must not return to the land of Order immediately, because the powerful guardian energy of the land of Order would purify the corrupted indiscriminately. This effect of this purification would manifest in the form of mental collapse and the loss of control in humans. In the early days of the war, it was common for soldiers returning from the battlefront in the Realm of Choas to commit suicide as a result of the guilty feelings and fears of the eroded mind. Today, people knew how to deal with this deadly psychological problem: making a short adaptation period in the buffer zone between the realm of Chaos and the land of Order.


    The knights were resting in the temporary camp, where the veterans of the war finally had a chance to catch their breath. They gathered in twos or threes, some were eating, some were talking about the war and life in their hometown in a low voice, and some people gazed blankly at the campfire while waiting for the princess to issue her next command. Hao Ren had also found a place to sit down quietly. He appeared to have zoned out but was testing a new mental communication link.


    This channel was activated earlier today when he suddenly received a short contact request from the MDT. The contact was interrupted quickly but had left behind a frequency. If it was not mistaken, this frequency should be the only vulnerability in the full-band interference layer that hung above the world of Collow. At this moment, he focused on fine-tuning his brainwave frequency and strengthening the signal. The ping from the depths of the mental connection was gradually improving. If all goes well, perhaps he could resume contact with the outside world today.


    Just when he was immersed in his spiritual world, a knight came over. Hao Ren looked up and saw a young girl with flax-colored curly hair and freckles on her face standing in front, staring curiously at him.


    Hao Ren tried to recall and finally realized that she was one of the guardian knights following the standard-bearer. In the army ranks of Collow, the flag-bearer was even more important than the lower-ranked commander. They were fearsome warriors themselves, who could fight off monsters while holding the Golden Flag. And they even had their guardian knights, who were also masters of combat. Standard-bearers¡¯ only duty in the army was to guard the battle flag. When the situation called for it, they were even allowed to watch the commander fighting to his death on the sideline without coming to his rescue. Because the army would not necessarily fall when its commander died, but once the heart of the standard-bearer stopped beating, the Chaos would swallow the entire army.


    The rustic-looking girl was the guardian knight in the team responsible for protecting the standard-bearer. But Hao Ren had never spoken to her and did not know why the girl came to him suddenly.


    ¡°Hi,¡± Hao Ren said to her. ¡°I remember that you are guarding the battle flag, your name is¡­¡±


    ¡°Lavinia, Your Venerable Guardian,¡± the guardian knight said. She was excited and at the same time, nervous when Hao Ren talked to her. ¡°Ahh¡­, I didn¡¯t mean to disturb you. I ¡®m just¡­ just¡­¡±


    ¡°Just what?¡± Hao Ren asked. When he saw the freckled girl alternating her steps on the spot, he could not help but smile. He knew from Veronica that the guardian knight was ace of the knights, not only concerning skills but also education. They were usually the children of aristocrats, and well-respected and envied in the military. But Lavinia did not seem to meet those characteristics. ¡°Relax, I am not going to eat you.¡±


    ¡°Ahh,¡± Lavinia responded. It was not known whether she had listened but was nodding profusely. With an anticipating expression, the girl asked, ¡°Your Venerable Guardian, did you come from a thousand years ago?¡±


    Hao Ren was a bit embarrassed at first, but like a quack, he still had a pretty thick skin. ¡°Ya, sort of. I couldn¡¯t explain it, but I¡¯m sure I¡¯m not from your generation.¡±


    ¡°Do you know what the world looked like a thousand years ago?¡± Lavinia looked even more excited. ¡°I heard that the tide of Chaos a thousand years ago was the most powerful, but the mortals at the time were also the strongest ever and lived forever. They could build a castle floating in the air to attack the realm of Chaos. A castle called Hodir fell on the Gray Sea, and the roar in the sea was the sound of the castle¡¯s magic-powered furnace constantly rebooting¡­¡±


    Hao Ren could not have known where the Gray Sea was, but he still put up a smile and nodded. Now he seemed to have finally figured out: Lavinia should be an idol chaser. The girl must have been a guard for the standard-bearer for too long; she was worshipping the power of the Order. At this time, she was probably idolizing the ¡®guardian¡¯ from the ancient times.¡±


    But after a while of expressing her inspiration of the ancient times, Lavinia made a quick turn to the topic. ¡°Your Venerable Guardian, what are your plans after you come to our country?¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s brows knit together. ¡°What do you ask?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just curious,¡± Lavinia said with an embarrassed smile.


    Hao Ren thought for a moment, and then said, ¡°First of all, looking for someone.¡±


    ¡°Looking for someone?¡± Lavinia suddenly put up a wacky face. ¡°Who are you looking for?¡±


    ¡°A friend in my team.¡± A big furry tail flashed across Hao Ren¡¯s mind. ¡°She was separated from me, but I think she wouldn¡¯t go far, most likely she is still in your country.¡±


    Lavinia looked at Hao Ren¡¯s eyes with an even weirder face. ¡°Your venerable Guardian, allow me to remind you that it¡¯s been a thousand years, the person you are looking for has¡­¡±


    Lavinia thought that Hao Ren had lost his sense of time after a long nap. Her voice even had a hint of sympathy. But Hao Ren had expected her reaction, and said chucklingly, ¡°I know, but I am sure she is still alive. Didn¡¯t you say it? The people of my generation are immortal if they did not die on the battlefield, wouldn¡¯t they still live now?¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Lavinia appeared a little embarrassed.


    Suddenly, a voice in Hao Ren¡¯s head interrupted his conversation with the Miss Guardian Knight. ¡°¡­over. MDT is calling Hao Ren. If you hear this message, please reply¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was startled and overjoyed as the communication had finally resumed!


    He waved his hand under Lavinia¡¯s puzzled eyes, and then immediately focused his mind. ¡°Roger that. Roger that. At last the connection works! How is the situation outside?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got him! I¡¯ve got him!¡± Hao Ren first heard the MDT was shouting at the top of its lungs as if it was breaking the good news to others. Then he heard a round of loud buzz in the radio; Y¡¯zaks¡¯ voice was the loudest. ¡°Hurry, ask him about the situation!¡±


    ¡°Buddy, everything is normal here. After you disappeared, nothing happened in space. We have been hovering in the same spot for more than a week.¡± The MDT¡¯s voice drowned out those of the others. ¡°How is your situation?¡± it asked.


    ¡°I am fine here. I fell in a strange place called Collow. I¡¯ve no idea if it¡¯s a planet or an alien dimension. There is a war going on here. Going it alone would be a bit difficult, so I have joined a local team.¡± Hao Ren said quickly. ¡°But I lost Lily. The turbulence her away from me.¡±


    The radio link was silent for a few seconds as if the MDT was adjusting the direction of the life detector. After a while, the signal came online again. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she is alive, and feels even better than at home.¡±


    The MDT was unable to speak to anyone other than Hao Ren, but it could detect the life characteristics of everyone in Hao Ren¡¯s team. It was a back-up function that Hao Ren had specially installed in the MDT after his many missions. Now it seemed the function came in handy.


    Hao Ren was relieved hearing the MDT¡¯s voice. He had been worried that Lily might have fallen into the realm of Chaos, but knowing that the husky was even healthier than ever, he breathed a sigh of relief. Most likely, the husky had been flung into a place with no enemy but filled with food, Hao Ren figured.


    She would not have become healthy without enough food.


    A sudden burst of noise was drowning out the signal.


    ¡°What happened? I suddenly heard a noise.¡±


    ¡°The signal isn¡¯t stable.¡± The voice of the MDT was a little distorted, and it sounded in a hurry. ¡°This is a temporary channel¡­ need to recalibrate it a few times¡­ no way to break through the space blockade, on your side¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hey, I haven¡¯t¡¯ finished yet¡­¡± Hao Ren was nervous.


    While the voice of the MDT on the other end faded, Vivian¡¯s voice suddenly cut in suddenly right before the connection was lost completely. ¡°Hao Ren! You take good care of yourself! Remember: run if you can¡¯t beat it!¡±


    Hao Ren was struck dumb. ¡°I know, I know. Don¡¯t worry¡ª¡±


    And then the connection was lost.

 Chapter 1233 - Battle of Fort West

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The connection was lost before Hao Ren realized it. Shaking his head in frustration, Hao Ren mumbled to himself, ¡°Damn it, the wifi service is freaking unreliable. I wonder if Vivian heard me.¡±


    The female knight, Lavinia stood still in front of him, feeling baffled. ¡°Your Venerable Guardian, what happened to you?¡±


    Hao Ren quickly looked up and pasted a smile on his face. ¡°Ahh, nothing. I was thinking about the past. Probably my mind is still a little laggy after ¡®waking up.¡¯ What did we leave off?¡±


    ¡°The part about you finding your friend¡­¡± said Lavinia, who was still not convinced of Hao Ren¡¯s reply. ¡°Do you have any idea how to go about finding your friend? My family has little influence in the kingdom, but my brother has an extensive network of contacts and likes to befriend the hermits and scholars. Maybe he could help you.¡±


    Hao Ren was stupefied. He was looking for a husky who was just flung over here a few days ago, asking a bunch of old scholars to help did not help. He might as well find some masters of making bone soup, cooking a few pots of pork-rib soup at the city gate, Lily would be able to sniff her way back even if she was hundreds of miles away. Hao Ren did not say as such aloud but only in his mind. And he gave a polite reply. ¡°Oh thank you so much for your kindness. I appreciate that. I would owe you a favor.¡±


    After a moment of polite formulas, Lavinia left for his colleagues, leaving Hao Ren scratching his jaw in deep thought.


    The sound of stiff boots walking up to him jolted Hao Ren out of his thoughts. Hao Ren looked up and saw the heroic looking Veronica standing in front of him. The princess nodded at him lightly. ¡°Your Venerable Guardian, it¡¯s time. We should go.¡±


    After a short break, the Knights not only mentally renewed but they had also regained their strength. When they set off, the soldiers were all energetic. Now there was more worry that could stop them. They followed the princess and headed straight at full speed back to Fort West.


    However, Fort West was farther than it seemed. It took the professional soldiers, each as strong as a superhuman, half a day to reach the hill halfway between the Shadowy Forest and Fort West. But Hao Ren, having resumed contact with the outside world, was lighthearted. He deemed the long journey a sightseeing trip. Though the surroundings were still the distorted and dark realm of Chaos, the fortress shrouded in glorious light in the distance was still a stunning sight as he walked side by side with Veronica and Morian. While listening to them telling about the history of the fortress since the founding of the Kingdom of Toras 22 years ago, the mountains in the distance gradually drew closer.


    But just as they were about to arrive at the foot of the fortress, Hao Ren had sensed something amiss. He stopped in his tracks and gazed in the direction of the fortress. At this distance, the white giant rock wall of the Fort West was in view. The ancient runic reinforcement and eagle reliefs on the wall were visible. At the top of the thirty-three magic towers on the front of the fortress, the Taros Eagle flags in gold outlines and blue background were flying in the wind.


    Veronica who stopped behind Hao Ren had sensed what Hao Ren sensed. The royal-blood princess¡¯s brows knit together as she felt the energy of the Chaos was nearby. This evil force in conflict with the Order ailed her blood. Her heart instantly missed a beat.


    The princess raised her hand and signaled the knights behind, who immediately crouched. Under cover of nearby rocks, the team climbed to the top of a hill. Hao Ren was beside Veronica, looking out and down.


    He saw a wilderness of gray and white gravels extending out under the hill all the way to the foot of the white stonewall of Fort West. A sea of gray-black mud was flowing in the direction of the city wall.


    But that was not mud but monsters born in the Chaos.


    It is a monster siege!


    On this side of the Shadowy Forest, the Chaos no longer appeared in the form of fog but used the gray-white gravels that covered the earth as carriers. As black smoke spurted out from the barren land, it quickly spun and solidified into terrible monsters in seconds. Thousands of them rushed towards Fort West in a frenzy, as if tsunami rolling toward the shores. Their numbers were numerous, and they were close to each other, so when looking from a distance, they looked filthy mud on the ground. The scene reminded Hao Ren about the Black Tide coming out from the cage of Hercules not long ago. But this tide of monsters looked even more terrible than the Black Tide back then.


    Without someone like Hercules to restrain this tide of monsters that were born out of the Chaos, they were even more ferocious, ruthless, and seemingly coming in an endless number.


    The glowing protective runes on the white wall of Fort West, energized by the Light of Order, had formed a translucent energy shield on the wall. The monster of Chaos monsters lunged at the wall like a moth to a flame, ripping with their claws, biting with their fangs, striking with their primitive and violent dark magic before crashing into the energy shield on the wall and exploded in a dark fireball. The dark fireballs rose in every section of the wall, the shockwave from the explosions was shaking the physical wall, causing debris and dust to fall off the wall as if the out wall was spewing smoke when looking from afar.


    The scene was the most horrible event in the world of Collow as evil forces crouching in Chaos were pounding and shaking the wall of the World of Order.


    In the past seven years, and during every tide of Chaos in the past 100 centuries in Collow, battles of this kind had been repeating countless times. The Light of Order might have stopped the Chaos every time, but the Chaos had its unique way of attack. The monsters born from the law of the distortion were the cannon fodders and vanguards of war. They marched and attacked the World of Order violently. If they brought down a barrier, then the land of Order would recede to their next line of defense and the space the mortals lived would shrink again.


    As far as Veronica knew, in Ansu continent alone, humans and elves had lost more than 40% of their land¡ªthe once fertile wilderness, peaceful Shadowy Forest, grassy Dark Morass, and the beautiful Gray Sea. With the extinguishing of the Furnace Tower, the Spire of Flames, and even the Sunscorch Tower, barriers began to fall, and defenses started to retreat; the mortal race traded space for time. These originally serene and peaceful lands had become a death zone of the Chaos. The scene before their eyes was the cause of all these.


    The Chaos had struck.


    Veronica gripped the sword in her hand and made a gesture with the other to signal the knights to prepare for battle.


    On the front line where the Chaos was attacking, the power of the Order would weaken. The dark side of the Sea of Carnos would become active to the point where it could form into physical form at any time. Even if the knights hid outside the battlefield, the evil forces would soon sniff them out. Therefore, fighting was inevitable.


    Cowardice and runaway were meaningless. Whether one dared to draw a sword, the battle was the only way.


    As the knights unsheathed their swords, the power of magic began to stir the surrounding air. On the royal armor, the runes glowed and illuminated the brave faces of the young soldiers.


    In Collow, the advance of the tide of Chaos meant the retreating and dying of the mortal race. The dark side of Carnos spurted out from all corners of the continent, and then swallowed everything along the way. But the human race kept fighting. Looking at the wasteland in the surroundings, Hao Ren already knew the outcome. The power of the Order was weakening, and the mortal race was only using their bodies as a wall to resist the advance of the Chaos. But all they did was delaying the inevitable.


    They would fight and retreat, hoping the Chaos would dissipate, and the Sea of Carnos would calm down.


    No one ever felt this was wrong as their ancestors had been through it this way. If there was any complaint, it would probably be just complaints about why they were born during the surge of the Chaos, and not as lucky as those living in the peaceful era.


    ¡°Are you going down there with only this number of people?¡± Hao Ren turned his head and glanced at Veronica.


    The knight princess pointed down to the battlefield with her sword. ¡°Take the ramp on the left and flank the monsters. If you could use your magic explosives to delay the energy of Chaos from transforming into physical bodies, we would be able to open a breach. I will first send a signal to the fortress, as long as the fortress defense troops have the most basic military literacy, we would be able to pull this off. I will enter the safe zone and disrupt the direction of the flow of the chaotic power.¡±


    Hao Ren had no idea what Veronica meant by ¡®the direction of flow of the chaotic power,¡¯ he believed that Veronica was an expert in this field, so he agreed to the plan. ¡°Are you not afraid?¡± he asked curiously.


    ¡°Almost all cowards have died in the past seven years,¡± Veronica said with a smile and raised her sword. ¡°The wall will eventually fall, but not today!¡±


    The knights roared in unison, ¡°The wall will eventually fall, but not today!¡±

 Chapter 1234 - The Secret Chamber of Rudolph III

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    While the princess led the knights in flanking the enemy, Hao Ren was bringing on a storm of flames and explosions before Fort West. The shouts of battle rose at the west gate of the kingdom, but the hinterland of the ancient kingdom remained calm. But amid the calmness, there was a depressing atmosphere brewing underneath.


    White City was a magnificent city on the plain. Taros I together with his followers built it nearly three centuries ago. At that time, the tide of Chaos had retreated, it was the end of the turbulent period. The Ansu Continent was as ruined like the others. The Accipitridae Empire, once ruled the south of the mainland, fell during the tide of Chaos. The remnants of the Accipitridae Empire and several kingdoms in the mountains formed into a new race with Taros I as its first leader. When he built the city, he only wanted to provide his people with a place of shelter. Never did he think that after the end of the tide of Chaos and the prosperous period on the continent would make him the founding king of a dynasty.


    The former sanctum became the sacred capital of Taros after undergoing numerous rebuildings and expansions.


    White City derived its name from its color. Eighty percent of the buildings in the city were white¡ªthe color of sacredness. When the tide of Chaos retreated, and sunlight reappeared and sprinkled on the land, White City was as bright as the white jewel. This unique appearance had also made it the most prestigious and magnificent city on the continent of Ansu. Even the envoys of the Theocracy from the sanctum had once lamented, ¡°This small country in the corner of the mainland has a pearl-like capital.¡± Though this comment was heavily laden with the arrogance of the people of the sanctum, the people of Taros felt vindicated and was proud of their city.


    The earliest cornerstone of White City was the white rock from the Tashiri Valley in the eastern plain. According to historical records, the Tasiri Valley appeared out of thin air within a month after the end of the War of Chaos. So scholars believed that the rock was a product of cleansing of the power of Chaos by the Order. In Collow, this incredible thing was part of the law of nature. It was because of the constant reshuffling of Chaos and Order that the world was able to continue circulating and surviving until the present. Today, the quarry in the Tashiri Valley had long closed down, and the primary building materials of the city had changed from stone to magic and alchemy materials. But the people of White City had not changed the color of their city. They collect white clay from the plains to use as paint and maintain the pride of White City.


    Or more precisely, it was the pride of the aristocratic class in the city. The civilians could not have cared less about the color of the house they live in, but the nobles hoped that the name White Jewel in the south of Ansu could last forever. So they incorporated the ¡®holy color of the city¡¯ into law. White clay became one of the means by which these proud aristocrats amassed their wealth.


    ¡°Their pride should be thrown to the frontline before the Chaos; I would like to see if the skin of these smart alecs could stop the claws of the monsters when attached to the wall!¡±


    A loud voice broke the quietness of the Palace of Golden Roses in the Royal City. A strong man, with a short red flame-like hair, a scar on his face, wearing a kingdom uniform holding a parchment in his hand paced back and forth in the room with anger. This rugged-looking middle-aged man had privilege in the palace; he was the most famous warrior in the kingdom, the highest commander of the Royal Knights, the Eagle General, Gloen Mordrick.


    He was used to yelling in front of the king. His habit came when he and the king spent times secretly climbing the trees in the palace.


    Of course, at that time, he and Rudolph III were only kids.


    There were several others in the room; one of them was a middle-aged man wearing a lilac robe, with purple-haired but slight white, and a majestic face was sitting expressionless on a gorgeous chair in the middle of the room. Next to the man stood a girl who looked only 16. Having a bright lavender long hair and wearing a moon-white princess dress, the teenage girl was elegant and dignified. If Hao Ren saw her, he would be surprised; the girl looked identical to Veronica.


    The last person stood was further away from the rest. He wore a dark-red thick clothe with two rows of shiny copper buttons that the nobles often wore. His body was thin, face solemn, hair light brown and curled hanging down his cheeks, making his thin and long face looked even impersonal.


    ¡°Gloen, let¡¯s be quiet. I know that at least half of them are an abbreviated piece of nothing, but the nobility is still necessary for this country,¡± the middle-aged man on the chair said when General Gloen circled for the third time. His voice was calm but powerful, ¡°including the abbreviated piece of nothing.¡±


    ¡°What can they do?¡± Gloen replied bluntly, but still, he calmed down. He was notorious for lack of etiquette before the king, but as the general of the kingdom, he knew his place.


    ¡°At least you could scold them to vent your anger,¡± the man on the chair, Rudolph III, quipped. ¡°And what they said made sense. The defeat on the western front has brought shame to us in Ansu, even the entire Collow. Honor might be meaningless to the monsters of Chaos, but it is a real benefit and opportunity for politicians. If we can¡¯t keep the last land of Order in the southern part of the continent, then others would be more than happy to ¡®help¡¯ us guard the land. The magic-guided airships of the Radiant Continent and the Matthiola Empire have begun to assemble.¡±


    ¡°Those opportunists!¡± The scar on Gloen¡¯s face arched with anger. ¡°The Radiant Continent is close to sanctum where the tide of Chaos always ends the earliest. They always suffer the least damage but like to reach their claws into the house of others.¡±


    ¡°The thicker the darkness is, the closer it comes to recession. The power of the tide of Chaos has reached its peak, which means that the disaster is coming to an end, and the year of fertility will come soon. Every country must plan for the future. The living will eat the body of those who have died, and the survivors must become stronger to face the next war. It is the law that is set in stone in Collow since ancient times. We have been through it.¡±


    Rudolph III spoke softly about the cruelty of reality. The final few years of the War of Chaos were the biggest test for the mortal kingdoms. Most of the kingdoms fell during this period, while the more powerful kingdoms would be waiting for the moment. When any of the weaker kingdoms fell, they would jump out to help¡ªfirst a bailout, then acquisition and annexation.


    It was not something despicable. Incorporating and restructuring a kingdom is always more efficient than rebuilding civilization from the ruins. The once-in-century tide of Chaos left no room for people for discussion. The task of redistribution of resources and reconstruction work after the war became the law of the jungle that the Collow people must master since ancient times. It was unity and dedication unique to this world.


    Now the western front of Taros was in trouble. If the chaotic forces marched straight in, the ancient kingdom that had survived two times of War of Chaos would be in grave danger. Under such circumstances, it was natural for any surrounding countries to salivate for taking over the country in trouble. The same was true of allies. If the kingdom fell, then the Taros would not resist the takeover, and the process would be peaceful.


    However, the one being taken over would be most unwilling. That was how General Gloen felt.


    ¡°The situation in the forest in the west is a mess. What has happened cannot be reversed.¡± The thin man who has been standing at the farthest point spoke up. ¡°It¡¯s a shame that Lady Veronica could not make it back. I heard she fought bravely.¡±


    ¡°Grand Duke Loen, you sound like it doesn¡¯t concern you.¡± Gloen stared at Loen, the most powerful man in the kingdom except the king. ¡°Her Royal Highness went to the western front, and you should take the credit for that.¡±


    ¡°There shall be no personal feelings when it comes to the kingdom¡¯s military strategy.¡±


    ¡°Enough.¡± Rudolph III suddenly raised his voice to interrupt the argument. The king¡¯s face was angry but his voice cool. ¡°You are discussing the death of my daughter! Think about how a father would feel.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault.¡± General Gloen immediately bowed to Rudolph III. ¡°But I believe that the Theocracy should take the blame, including for the current situation in the western front. They must explain themselves.¡±


    Grand Duke Loen had no animation on his face. No one knew what he was thinking.


    ¡°The Theocracy should explain themselves,¡± said Rudolph III. ¡°Those people of the sanctum¡­¡±


    The room was silent for a while before the girl who stood beside Rudolph III and looked like Veronica said softly, ¡°Father, about the western front, and things happening outside the border of Chaos, the scholars have some theories.¡±


    ¡°Theories?¡± Rudolph III looked up at his daughter, who was known for her intelligence. ¡°Ania, what did they find?¡±


    ¡°Some are the observations of scholars, and some are news from the border, and some are unverified,¡± Princess Ania whispered. ¡°For example, new energy flows have emerged in Chaos, such as the dark side of the Sea of Carnos has expanded to entire Collow. There are strange changes in the floating island group in the south. The beasts on the islands seemed to be busy with some large-scale activities, and there is also a rumor about an alpha wolf.

 Chapter 1235 - The Dark Ages

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    During the darkest time of the Kingdom of Taros, two girls with great capabilities were born. The older princess, Veronica, was already the best sword wielder in the palace before she became an adult, and she possessed the talent of commanding an army in the battlefield. Even General Gloen could not help but give all praise to her. The younger princess, Ania, was known for her intelligence. Ania was not well-versed in swordsmanship and military strategy, but she had already read all the collections in the Royal Library before she was 14, and was highly talented in magic. But unlike the pair of princesses, who were the apple of Taros¡¯ eye, the only prince of the kingdom, Andrew, appeared average in all aspects and had no sense of presence in public.


    As much as Rudolph III was proud of his two daughters, he felt sad for them for having been born in that era. With their unparalleled talents, they would shine brightly in other ages. But they had to face the tide of Chaos in Collow at an early age. In face with this indiscriminate disaster, the time for them to shine would be short, and most often, the darkness would devour those talented young people before they could even grow up.


    Veronica had become the first victim. When Rudolph III saw Ania, it kept reminding him of this reality.


    ¡°Tell me slowly, my daughter.¡± Rudolph III sank his forehead in his hand, his tone of voice sounded a little tired. ¡°If something could make you take notice, even if it is a rumor, it must be something more than meets the eye.¡±


    ¡°Right, father.¡± Princess Ania bowed slightly and then said, ¡°Firstly, it is about the observation of the border of the Chaos. The astrologers in the Arcane Tower, during a starless night, found a huge shadow vortex formed gradually at the border. Its radiation ranged from the Kingdom of Torch to the Shadowy Forest, almost halfway across the Ansu Continent. It is now the seventh year of the tide of Chaos. According to the previous pattern, the tide of the Sea of Carnos will begin to weaken in the last two months. But the appearance of the shadow vortex seems to go against this pattern.¡±


    ¡°The Sea of Carnos is turbulent, and it¡¯s not easy to tell the boundaries between the Order and Chaos,¡± Grand Duke Loen suddenly spoke, and there was almost no emotional fluctuation in his voice. ¡°What history books record are only the one-sided perspective of the mortals, you can¡¯t treat it as the golden rule. And the shadow vortex is only the side product of the chaotic power, not the Chaos itself. Its rise and fall cannot be used to determine the strength of the tide of Chaos.¡±


    Despite the interruption, Ania did not look displeased. Rudolph III nodded slightly and said, ¡°What Loen said makes sense. Let the scholars study and then only make conclusions. Those people in the sanctum must be more concerned about the changes in the border of the Chaos than we do. They will do something.¡±


    Ania nodded and continued. ¡°There are also some reports on the defense outside the Shadowy Forest. After sister disappeared, the outposts in the forest went silent overnight, and then came the report of Fort West being attacked. So the investigation is difficult. One thing is certain though; we are facing a new kind of attack. It is likely that the Chaos has produced a new form of monsters, which are highly lethal to the furnace outposts.¡±


    Rudolph III¡¯s hand was still on his forehead, and he seemed to look a bit older. ¡°Marcus is also old now.¡±


    ¡°The general of Fort West at least has stopped the monsters¡¯ advances. The fort still stands between the mountains. The changes in the Shadowy Forest are a mystery to everyone; even our royal scholars couldn¡¯t see what has happened in the shadows. So Marcus should not take the entire blame. If you want to hold anyone accountable, the Arcane Tower and the Royal Wizards Association should take the bulk of the responsibility as it is they have to monitor the changes of the Chaos, but they have not done so, and failed to send an early warning.¡±


    General Gloen nodded lightly. He was a close acquaintance of the general of Fort West, Marcus, and knew that the defeat in the west front had put the legendary veteran into a dicey situation. But as a soldier, he could not stand the arrogant aristocratic analysts spewing their wanton comments of the soldiers in the western front.


    Compared with the good-for-nothing aristocrats, Princess Ania had the respect of this general.


    ¡°I know the difficulties Marcus face and his contributions. Don¡¯t worry; your father is not senile, I can make my judgment.¡± Rudolph III waved his hand, and his face looked little at ease now. ¡°You have mentioned something about the floating islands in the south. What is it? Has the tide of Chaos affected the beasts too?¡±


    In Collow, the beast was very different from the monsters. People collectively referred to the monsters born in the Chaos and the festered creatures eroded by the Chaos as a monster. But the beast was a natural creature in the world. Though the beast had some conflict with the human world, they were also part of the natural ecology of the world. The beast included those powerful primitive creatures that control the power of magic, the abhumans that mutated under the influence of the magic environment and obtain rudimentary intelligence and evolution. Most of the beasts on the floating islands were the second type.


    The World of Order had never bothered to meet the abhumans outside the civilized world. Some scholars believed that abhumans also had their social structures and even cultural systems, but they also recognized that the abhumans¡¯ intelligence was no way near that of the humans.


    Rudolph III was very curious what trouble the low-intellectual races on the floating islands had caused. Even the reclusive royal scholars had taken note.


    ¡°The wizards have found that the abhuman tribes that had been at war with each other suddenly stopped fighting. It seems that a strong leader is emerging among them to unite the races. The latest news from the Arcane Towers is that the tribes are cutting down trees to make some large installations, which could be a mean of transportation. A few days ago, the wizards observed that an old blue monster whale wandered from the direction of the Kingdom of Fimbulvinter, seemingly resting on the largest floating island. But it never got back to the air again. My teacher has suspected that this incident must be related to the strange activities of those abhumans.¡±


    ¡°Blue Monster Whale?¡± Unlike his indifference expression when talking about the abhumans, the blue monster whale seemed to catch Rudolph III¡¯s attention. ¡°The abhumans that have just evolved from the beast could catch a blue monster whale? How?¡±


    ¡°It was not necessarily them. As the floating islands float outside the continents, we could only use magic to observe the situation on the islands. But it is certain that a blue monster whale is missing on the island.¡±


    The conversation caught Grand Duke Loen¡¯s interest. The thin man stepped forward and gently stroke the mustache that he was proud of. ¡°What else did the masters in the Arcane Tower discover Did anyone know who united those beasts?¡±


    ¡°Grand Duke Loen, the abhuman is not the same as the beast.¡± Ania glanced at Grand Duke Loen and then said. ¡°The witches used black witchcraft and succeeded in capturing a soul on the floating island across the Sea of Carnos. The captured soul kept repeating a name: the Alpha. This alpha should be their new leader. The soul was shivering in fear and awe while mentioning this name.¡±


    ¡°The Alpha?¡± Gloen frowned, the scar on his face looked even more hideous than before. ¡°It sounds like the name of a beast, maybe a gnoll? Or a wolf?¡±


    ¡°The gnolls have always been in the lower rung in the anhumans. With their low innate qualities, it is difficult for them to produce a decent leader.¡± Princess Ania shook her head. ¡°Monster wolves, the powerful predators of the abhumans, are strong, but have an only moderate level of intelligence, and they are unlikely to be the heads of several tribes. The scholars are inclined to believe that the Alpha is just an honorary title, not related to race. It is a respected title of a strong person who has united all the abhumans.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, this is a matter of concern,¡± Grand Duke Loen said as he bowed slightly to Rudolph III. ¡°The gathering of the beasts has never been a good thing. They may be a bunch of rabbles, but beasts are born stronger than humans. As the kingdom¡¯s defense is weakening, we should take precautions.¡±


    ¡°They are merely abhumans. Are they dare to attack a country?¡± Rudolph III snorted. ¡°But proper precautions are still necessary. They could still wreak havoc and cause us huge losses. Loen, you are to be in charge of this matter. Putting appropriate defense at the southern border will do. The war on the western front is critical; we should not divert too many troops away.¡±


    When the two high-level officers left, the room was quiet again.


    Rudolph III sat in his chair, and there seemed to be a cloud of worry in between his brows that would never dissipate. For a long time, he then sighed, ¡°Ania, open the window.¡±


    The young princess nodded and walked to the window.


    Sunlight sprinkled into the room, the sun Ulo was right in the middle of the sky. This room, on the top floor of the Palace of Golden Roses, was the grand stance to have an entire view of White City, which stretched out on the plains, bright and white.


    The sky was bright, cloudless. Only at the far end of the horizon, the sky seemed to begin to dim. A circle of dark aura was hanging in the atmosphere there, which was the reflection of the dark side of the Sea of Carnos.


    ¡°After the Chaos, comes the beasts,¡± Rudolph III mumbled as he looked at the clear sky outside, but his face was overcast. ¡°What is happening to this world?¡±

 Chapter 1236 - Rise of the Beasts?

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    As the kingdom of the mortals rose and fell into chaos, and a thicker force of dark vortex swallowed the whole continent, the lands that drifted freely away from the main continent could no longer remain peaceful. The dark side of Carnos was affecting every land floating in the void. The twisting force and negative magic energy were spreading out from the depths of the world, invading the material world, layer after layer. The world was now twisting a lot faster than any of the tides of Chaos recorded in history. The changes that took place in Collow had become apparent to the extent that even the local villagers noticed it, not to mention the scholars of the sanctum who had been guarding the land of the Order and monitoring the chaotic boundaries for thousands of years, protecting the order.


    A group of investigators from the Theocracy set off a few days ago. As they were now crossing the dark realm of Chaos, the scenery at the southern end of the Ansu Continent was reflected in the eyes of the high-ranking monk, Calaxus.


    The Ansu Continent and the Kingdom of Fimbulvinter were two separate continents that faced each other and floated in the void. Aside from the darkness and chaos that separated them, there were only pieces of islands drifting in between the mainlands. There were only two ways to travel from one continent to another since ancient times. One was the expensive teleportation¡ªhighly efficient and safe but costly and not always available. When the interference from the Chaos was terrible, the teleporting service must be shut down. Two was a variety of flying tools: wind boat of the elves, the magic-powered ship of the humans, and the domesticated blue monster magic whales trained by the orcs and trolls. These vehicles were the product of the wisdom of the people in Collow. Navigating in the Sea of Carnos was extremely dangerous, and Chaos attack was common, but these means of transportation were still indispensable. Without them, the darkness would have swallowed the mortals, who would most likely fight alone on their continents.


    Calaxus stood on the upper deck of the Hammer of Order, watching as the energy exhaust from the magic-powered warships blew apart the clouds on both sides. He was thinking about the connection between the mainlands, the process of civilization, and technological sustenance. Cold wind past the cheeks of this high-ranking monk, his gray curly hair and the gold-edged white robe were fluttering in the air, producing a whistling sound behind him.


    Calaxus did not notice all that as he was deep in his thoughts. The continental cliffs in the distance formed a vague shadow in his unfocused eyes as it drew closer. The monk was enjoying the moment of meditation like this. Back in Theocracy, few people understood his quirky ideas, even the most brilliant scholars just concentrated on the immediate crisis, or in memorizing the ancient books. Few would seriously think about the future of this world, or worry about the declining state of Collow.


    This often made him feel that the clouds over the world were getting thicker and thicker.


    A shudder came from under the feet, and the Sacred Hammer began to slow down. This great battleship was making creaking sound from the inside, and a layer of magic runes appeared around the sleek white hull. The magic-paneled wings on both sides of the hull slowly open as to increase the efficiency of capturing the free magic in the air. In the rear half of the hull, two parallel-arranged magic furnaces released a large amount of waste heat, leaving behind two dark-red trails in the clouds. The magic-powered battleship could capture a vast amount of free magic energy when sailing at high speed in the Sea of Carnos, but once it decelerated, the efficiency of the magic system in the ship would drop to the minimal, and this would be the biggest trial for the ship.


    Calaxus looked back and saw that the shipbound furnace installation had fired up. The forces of Chaos were ravaging the Ansu Continent. The ship had to activate the Light of Order before it reached the continent.


    The high-ranking monk let out a deep sigh.


    ¡°Venerable one, why are you sighing?¡± A follower, draped in a blue-rimmed white robe asked respectfully in a whisper beside him.


    ¡°This is the most powerful magic-powered battleship of the sanctum, or even of the entire Collow.¡± Calaxus¡¯ reply was inexplicable.


    ¡°Yes, it is the pride of the sanctum,¡± the follower said with a proud-looking face. ¡°It is above all the other combat strengths of Collow.¡±


    Calaxus faintly said, ¡°Two hundred years ago, this ship was also the most powerful magic-powered warship; and it also was, three hundred years ago. Five hundred years ago, the Sacred Hammer had not been commissioned yet, but the most powerful battleship at that time was at the same class as it was. Going further back in time a thousand years ago, the most powerful mortal weapon of Collow was the Sky Fortress of the Zelorand Assembly. One fortress could accommodate six Sacred Hammers.¡±


    The follower looked stunned and did not know how to reply to be respectful enough. At last, he bowed his head, ¡°Your knowledge is extensive.¡±


    The monk looked at the follower humbly. He knew that this follower had only a shadow knowledge and he should not expect the follower to understand what he said. The monk let out a sigh and then continued to enjoy the view outside.


    The Sacred Hammer began to rise. Far ahead was the floating islands in the south of Ansu Continent where rocks were floating in the air, and flying beasts from the floating islands emerged out of the clouds. So the ship should avoid this height to reduce unnecessary risks.


    When the ship broke through the clouds, Calaxus went up to the front and looked down. Suddenly, strange colors caught his eyes.


    The Sacred Hammer was now flying over a giant floating island, where vast jungles and hills dominated the landscape. It was the size of a small kingdom. But it was not the size of the floating island but a large patch of cleared jungle that surprised him. He saw on the edge of the most massive forest on the floating island, a half-moon shaped area had been cleared away with many rudimentary structures on the cleared land. There were wooden scaffolding, grass shed, furnace made of stone and earth, and some large pits. Besides the holes were several blue ellipsoidal objects, the shape of which looked like an egg. They glistened in their oily surfaces which were bundled with grid lines on the surface. These ellipsoidal objects were arranged side by side in pair with thick rope tucked in between them.


    ¡°When did people begin to appear on those floating islands?¡± Calaxus asked as he pointed to the scene under the clouds.


    The follow poked his head and took a glance and was confused. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of it. I just heard a few Ansu crew on the ship talking about the beasts on the floating islands. It must be the beast.¡±


    Calaxus¡¯ brows knit together. The structure on the floating island was rudimentary. Even if humans were in exile on the island, they would not have built things like that. While he was thinking, the thought of the intelligent behaviors of the beasts crossed his mind. But soon he shook his head again as he was not convinced of his guess.


    Just then, something that happened surprised him even more than ever.


    He saw the blue balls, which initially looked a little crumpled, began to swell like the backs of the vesicle fish unique to the Radiant Continent. Below the balls were many ropes and hooks. Now he could see some small figures were moving around the balls. It seemed to be the native humanoid beasts.


    The blue balls swelled bigger and bigger, and soon, Galaxus realized that the balls were not just expanding; they looked bigger because they were rising!


    That primitive stuff turned out to be flying tools!


    Calaxus was not the only discovered what was happening down on the floating island; the observers of the Sacred Hammer also saw the flying balloons rising under the ship. The trained military personnel immediately bounced to their feet. Driven by their professional intuitions, they saw those balloons as threats. Rushed to their respective posts, they were ready but did not act because there was no order to attack.


    A member of the Theocratic soldiers dressed in mithril armor ran up from the lower deck to Calaxus. ¡°Venerable one, should we attack those¡­ those big balloons?¡±


    Calaxus seemed to have not heard the soldier as a louder sound was echoing in his mind.


    The beasts in the primitive world have invented an aircraft! The beasts in the primitive world have invented an aircraft!


    When the self-proclaimed higher-life-form races on the mainland were declining, the beasts had not only strengthened themselves internally but had even evolved to be able to build aircraft!


    The soldier did not get any reply, so he repeated. ¡°Venerable one, do you want us to attack?¡±


    ¡°Do not attack!¡± Calaxus suddenly cried out as if he was screaming. But he instantly realized his gaffe, and quickly calmed down and said, ¡°We will go around them.¡±

 Chapter 1237 - Storm

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    When the Sacred Hammer flew slowly in the sky, the old demonic ape, Gruglu was holding the ropes in his hands. At the same time, he was trying to suppress the shaking of his muscles while looking at the rattan and bamboo sticks overhead.


    He dared to swear before the entire forest, vowing to each of his ancestors and making a declaration to anything that he could find. He wanted to tell them he never thought he could ever fly before that day!


    The quirky device called the hot air balloon, assembled with magic blue whale skin, vines, wood, and bamboo sticks, actually flew up! As the wolf said, it flew up!


    He faintly remembered what the alpha had said, something like that the hot air balloon had come out unexpectedly successful, that the final product should be called an airship, that they could form a fleet etc. He felt that the alpha was always full of wisdom and new ideas. The old demonic ape had often been seeing himself a wise man, but after the appearance of the alpha, he had no longer dared to mention this title, especially now. Riding in a basket hanging under a balloon and flew into the sky, he could not doubt anything that the alpha say anymore.


    The cold wind blew into the passenger compartment through the gap of the rattan basket. The old demonic ape heard the structure on the hot air balloon¡ªor rather airship¡ªwas creaking. This sound was sending a chill up his spine. It felt as if the big guy would fall apart at any time, but he tried not to show his fear on his face because he was not the only one in the cabin. Many young demonic apes and a small group of noisy imps crowded in this large rattan basket. In front of these young chaps, Gruglu wanted to look steady. He grabbed the ropes around him and peeked at the sky outside through the gaps of the rattan basket while pretending to be calm. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the alpha has said it, the shaking is normal!¡±


    The alpha might have said that, or probably not. But who knew? Most of the stupid boys were shivering in fear; no one would pay attention to Gruglu anyway.


    A young demonic ape shoved himself out of the corner of the rattan basket, carrying a soft mat made of grass in his hand. He stuffed the rug behind Gruglu to block the cold wind blowing in through the gaps behind Gruglu. More cold winds were coming in from other holes, but the old demonic ape still felt a lot more comfortable now. He patted the shoulder of the young demonic ape and said, ¡°It¡¯s so kind of you.¡±


    ¡°Patriarch,¡± the young demonic ape asked respectfully, ¡°When are we going to land?¡±


    Gruglu thought for a moment and responded, ¡°Listen to the alpha.¡±


    And what was the alpha doing at this time?


    She was sitting in the ¡°Captain¡¯s Room¡± on the upper level of the rattan basket observing the situation outside through the open skylight.


    With long silver hair, a pair of eye-catching triangle ears, a big furry tail, a weird dress, she looked like a wolf, but more like a human. When she first came into the herd, most of the beasts in the forest regarded her as a human invader. And the first one to question and challenge her was the leader of the forest¡¯s demonic wolf¡ªstrictly speaking, the former leader. This leader quickly paid the price for defying her. It took him only three minutes to pay the price. Then the girl in the silver-hair became the alpha among the beasts.


    Lily sat on her seat cushion. She looked a sight because she had just solved a little glitch in the hot air balloon. Her clothes were tattered. But she had a thick fur cloak, which was a complete piece of forest demonic wolf fur, of which the head and teeth of the demonic wolf were still well-preserved. Lily made the wolf head into a hood and was pleased to wear it on her head, as she now looked like a wild hunter. It was the survival rule of the wolves on the floating island; the winner draped in the fur of the loser to become the new leader of the pack.


    But the werewolf maiden liked her new clothes for its ability to keep warm, except for the nasty smell.


    After determining the current altitude and the state of the hot air balloon, Lily reckoned to the two gnolls at the door. ¡°Order the firefoxes to turn down the fire; the altitude is just right. Just maintain the current temperature.¡±


    The two gnolls, whom Lily had appointed them as ¡®guards,¡¯ immediately gave a loud nasal sound and climbed up the ropes to the basket on the top floor. They then climbed further up toward the two large balloons above, from which the basket was hanging. Under each large balloons, there was a basket made of non-flammable black wattle. Several firefoxes lay in these baskets and extended their tails into the hot air balloons and ignited the elemental fire in the opening of the balloons. Firefox was anything but powerful and was regarded as a higher-level beast, below the abhuman. Their only ability was the elemental fire, which they could use to bully regular animals that knew no magic at all. But this ability became the most crucial power source to power the hot air balloons.


    The firefoxes got orders and made a series of sounds. They gradually reduced their heat output according to previous training. But before that, to let these birdbrained guys get the skill down a fine art, Lily trained them tirelessly.


    Lily nodded in satisfaction when the hot air balloon stabilized. She then looked at the border of the mainland in anticipation.


    Lily was quite satisfied with the aircraft she had designed and even happier with the efficiency of the abhumans. Those guys might be a little dim-witted, but they were not slow at all in building the hot air balloons.


    She thought that it would take her at least a month before she could leave the desolate place, but the skills of the primitive races had exceeded her expectation. Some of them had great physical strength; some were able to communicate with plants, some could use flames, some could make adhesives that were tougher than steel. With the help of these magical abhumans, she was able to finish the hot air balloons in a relatively short time. So she had decided to made six airships, and then improved her initial design blueprint, and upgraded the previously conceived basic balloon design to make it like an airship.


    Armed with these things, she was confident to reach the mainland.


    The old demonic ape told her that there was a human kingdom on the continent. So if you wanted to find Mr. Landlord, the human realm was her best bet. Mr. Landlord was a busybody, and where there were humans, there were troubles. So, she had to go to places where there were humans. The husky maiden Lily Liu felt that her thinking was utterly logical.


    After reaching the desired altitude, the airship began to accelerate slowly. Lily poked his head to take a look at the wooden propellers on both sides. Some compact wooden cranks connected the propeller blades, which driven by the bear monsters in the lower pods. Those bear monsters, which could continuously pedal the shaft for a day and night without rest, were ideal labors.


    Lily wriggled in the seat covered in grass mat and fur to find a comfortable posture. She then stretched her limbs like a lazy bear. While looking at the clouds through the skylight above, she pondered what to eat for the next meal. The ropes and brackets used to connect the two large balloons crisscrossed into a grid in her field of vision, seemingly dividing the sky into many fragmented pieces. And in these pieces, many strange clouds flew past like a revolving lantern.


    A cloud broke apart, and a white monster came out from behind the veil.


    Lily was fast asleep, but the appearance of the white monster jolted her out of her dream. She blinked, and her ears flickered, realizing that it was a massive human-made aircraft.


    In front of the large aircraft, her little airship looked like a toy. It was a huge ship, a beautiful and advanced beautiful spaceship!


    Lily quickly bounced up from her cushion and looked up at the magic-powered warship that was gradually coming out of the clouds. Her golden eyes were reflecting the image of a sleek fuselage and a magnificent statue of a goddess. Feeling a little nervous, but she quickly calmed down. The magic-powered warship quickly overtook her ¡®toy¡¯ airship, leaving trails of turbulence in the clouds. It made a slight turn and gradually flew toward the airport city, Lunier, on the south of the Ansu Continent.


    A sudden violent vibration came from under Lily¡¯s feet.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± She immediately asked a nearby gnoll. ¡°Is the heat of the two ballons became unequal?¡±


    The gnoll ran out in panic while Lily followed from behind. She was going to check out the condition of the airship.


    She saw something else instead.


    The sky in the distance had turned dark, and a thick shadow was coming toward her direction. Fog and shadow, as if mud erupted from the abyss, surged and shrilled along the edge of Ansu Continent. Behind, some terrible power was ravaging the floating island. Lily saw the whole islands began to shake violently as huge black smoke emerged from the endless void in the sky below the island. When the black smoke rose, it directly hit the pedestal of the floating island with a distant and terrible roar. The ancient volcano in the center of the island began to spew smoke and ashes before it erupted into a pillar of fire.


    Almost in the blink of an eye, the whole island fell into a sea of fire.


    The most terrible tide of Chaos in the world of Collow began.

 Chapter 1238 - The Glowing Husky

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    When the dark side of the Sea of Carnos was reflected in the material world, the order of the whole world would turn upside down. The rules the goddess of creation set would crumble under the assault of the chaotic forces. The shadows would spread out from the abyss, fire and smoke would shroud the earth, the world floating in the void would shake, and the smaller lands would even tip over.


    In the oldest books of the Zelorand Empire, the wizards of the ancient times had recorded the prophecies about the tide. These prophecies had an astonishing level of detail of the tide of Chaos reaching its peak and the collapse of the power of Order. So, some scholars in the sanctum believed that the Zelorand Prophecy recorded not only the signs about the future but also the events that have happened in the past.


    The high-ranking monk, Calaxus, believed that the sight before him was the tide that the prophecy depicted.


    The endless void outside the battlefield of Order and Chaos began to spew smoke as well as clouds. The chaotic forces were swallowing up the cliffs of the mainland as if it was sinking into a boiling pot. Calaxus saw the floating islands in the distance were pushed and torn apart under the dominant force of the tide. Ear-piercing noise came into his ears as smaller islands smashed into each other and broke into pieces. The large islands, covered in smoke and clouds of dust, were also shaking so violently that they would eventually end up the same fate. It was the scene of the end of the world.


    Above the Sacred Hammer, dark clouds filled with disturbing black masses had completely blocked out the otherwise clear sky. It was a terrifying expression of the power of Chaos. With darkness surrounding the sacred warship, visibility was poor even with the light of the furnace and stature of the goddess. The whole world seemed like a dimming lamp, the feelings of an invisible monster crushing in from all directions sent a chill up the spine of everyone onboard.


    Screams of panic filled the entire aircraft.


    ¡°Keep calm! Don¡¯t panic! Negative emotions will only make you susceptible to the Chaos!¡± Calaxus stood on the bow and shouted. His voice, magnified by magic, was heard throughout the aircraft. ¡°This is the Sacred Hammer! You are onboard the most powerful magic-powered warship in the world! The goddess of creation is with us. Return to your position, pick up your weapons, and defend the ship! We are going to arrive safely at Lunier!¡±


    The structure of the magic-powered warship was squeaking, and a rumble echoed under the deck. It was the sound the magic-panels made when the increasing magic energy in the air started to overwhelm of the ship. The crew of the Sacred Hammer immediately retracted the magic-panels on both sides of the hull to prevent the magic energy from overloading the vessel. But the trouble had just begun.


    The hull began to tilt and shake.


    Calaxus struggled to keep his balance. He saw the many shadows appearing in the surrounding air. Some looked like ugly monsters with wings, and some were merely unnamed masses and lines. Those were the claws of the Chaos turning into physical form in the material world. They were not happy to see a warship with the energy of the Order flying in their territory.


    *Boom! Boom! Boom!*


    A series of loud sound of gunfire came from the lower deck. The crystal cannons on both sides of the warship fired and dispelled the monster of Chaos in the air before they could turn into physical form. The spacecraft finally stabilized.


    Yet, more monsters were still emerging.


    ¡°Accelerate! Throw away all the weights, blow up the magic panels, use the magic crystal to drive the power furnace. The goddess is with us!¡±


    A gust of wind screamed through the deck. Ice crystals quickly form a layer of ice on the bows. Calaxus shouted in the storm and frost as powerful magic was emanating from his body. A thin protective layer formed in front of the warship, reducing the load of the magic energy on the battleship.


    When the warship¡¯s magic panels fell into the endless abyss, the high-ranking monk looked down at the thick, dark clouds below.


    He was trying to find the blue balloons¡ªthe basic flying tools¡ªthat he had seen before.


    But he did not place much hope in it. Even the mighty Sacred Hammer could become shaky in the face of the tide of Chaos, how could the rudimentary transport of the beasts stand in the storm? Perhaps the moment when the tornado formed, it already tore the hot air balloons apart.


    Calaxus could not help but sigh. He did not lament for his fate but the abhumans that had entered the advanced stage. This cruel world ruined everything indiscriminately.


    While he was in deep thought, a ray of light suddenly broke through the darkness.


    When the storm started, Lily had no clue what was going on.


    She had no idea about the war between the Choas and the Order, about the dark side of the Sea of Carnos, and the prophecy and power of the tide of Chaos. The demonic apes and imps living on the floating islands were ignorant and had fragmented knowledge that their ancestors passed down to them. The knowledge was not enough for them to understand what the world was all about. But one thing was for sure: what happened before them was a disaster.


    Lily¡¯s hair had puffed up. Jumped up and down in the upper basket, she almost cried out for Hao Ren, but quickly remembered that the landlord was not here. She forced herself to calm down. Using the experience that she got from her four-time graduation from Peking University to think of a way to survive.


    She looked back in the direction from where she came. A fire had consumed the floating island. Huge stones and earth were breaking apart and falling off as the island was disintegrating. The situation of the other small islands was even bleaker. Some drifted and spun like bubbles under the influence of an invisible power. Going back was a dead end.


    The only place to go was the continent in the distance.


    Lily looked up. The scene in the distance was reflected in his golden eyes. The cliff of the mainland looked blurry in her eyes because of the clouds and darkness. But she could still see the direction she should go. Everything seemed to be not too bad.


    The Chaos was rising, but it had not wholly defeated the power of Order. What happened now was only a prelude to a more significant storm.


    ¡°Accelerate!¡± Lily shouted. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the mainland!¡±


    An old demonic ape scrambled out from under the deck. Lily could vaguely remember that its name was Gruglu. The ugly demonic ape was panic and shouted incomprehensibly, ¡°Alpha, our island s broken! Our island is broken!¡±


    ¡°I know, I have seen it!¡± Lily cried, her fangs flashed in between her lips, glinting. ¡°If you stay there, you are dead now. So I have let you live for a few minutes more! Now listen, speed up, signal other hot air balloons to accelerate. We can only be safe when we go to the mainland!¡±


    The old demonic ape, who nodded in a panic, suddenly froze, looking at Lily as if he saw a ghost.


    It was not easy for a demonic ape to make such a complex expression.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Lily twitched her mouth. ¡°Why don¡¯t you listen to my orders!¡±


    ¡°Alpha¡­¡± The old demonic ape pointed at her in fear. ¡°You¡­ you are glowing!¡±


    Lily was stunned and quickly looked down at her body.


    She was indeed glowing.


    A white light, soft and luminous, was glowing within her body. It was expanding. Just between this short interval, it had illuminated the entire upper deck. It spread to the whole pod through the obstacles, and then the whole airship, leaving behind no shadows as if it was not light but luminous water.


    The white light continued to expand, and it had grown beyond the airship and shrouded the other two smaller balloons. Inside the great glow, the storm stopped, shadow retreated, and fog and black smoke seemed to have gone without a trace as if they had never been there.


    The wobbling airship quickly stabilized. The glow had dispelled the invisible destructive forces.


    ¡°I remember¡­¡± The old demonic ape¡¯s lips were twitching. ¡°My grandfather said that human beings call this the Light of Order.¡±


    Lily blinked and had no clue what was going on.


    She did not know that many of the strange foods that Hao Ren gave her came from Raven 12345¡¯s home.


    She did not know that Raven 12345 made many of the food that she ate.


    She had no idea that after eating this divine food, she would become divine.


    She was the biggest eater at home. Most of the food Hao Ren brought back from Raven 12345¡¯s home would end up in the stomach of this husky. Now, now this accumulated spiritual food finally showed its power. Lily had acquired a physique similar to Hao Ren¡¯s in the chaos of Collow.


    It was as if a Light or Order mobile wifi router, complete with wall-penetrating capability.


    Lily froze for a moment and muttered to herself, ¡°I am glowing brightly.¡±

 Chapter 1239 - Do You Want a Taxi?

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    In Lily¡¯s limited understanding of the world, she could not explain what had happened to her, but it did not affect her judgment: she knew the glow was something positive. With it, she could probably finish the rest of the journey.


    Therefore, she took the glow of her body as a unique, powerful skill of the alpha and immediately ordered all the airships that she could contact to move closer to the main balloon. As long as they did not collide into each other, the glow would be able to protect everyone.


    What she had to do next was to accelerate toward the distant continent.


    Unlike real popes such as Hao Ren who had studied the text, she was unable to control the Light of Order at will. She got her current physique only after eating the food from the divine realm, and her body would glow like a passive light source once entering the realm of Chaos. Without control, the glow could grow to cover a great distance, even reach up to the vicinity of the high-flying, magic-powered Sacred Hammer.


    The situation of the Sacred Hammer was not looking good. This powerful warship might be the pride of the sanctum, but it was also merely the creation of the mortal. Facing with the absolute power of Collow, the Sacred Hammer would shake like a leaf, literally. Since Calaxus had discarded the magic panels by blowing them away, the ship was now relying solely on the magic stones stored onboard to power itself. The stones could increase the speed and stability but could also cause some protective circles on the spacecraft to run below capacity. Once protection was reduced, the Chaos may be able to exploit the ship¡¯s weakness.


    After struggling for ten minutes, a breach finally appeared on the protective circle of the lower deck of the Sacred Hammer. The breach might be hidden damage caused by a previous hard landing or a result of the insufficient power supply. A plume of dark smoke had infiltrated the battleship through this breach and caused terrible consequences.


    The monster was launching an attack from inside the battleship.


    The Servants of Chaos seemed to emerge out of thin air as they suddenly filled the crew quarters and attacked the weakest zone of the magic-powered warship. The crew on the lower deck were not combatants. They were maintenance personnel. Facing with the surprise attack of the chaotic monsters, they could not even alert the people on the upper deck.


    In just a few minutes, the monsters of Chaos had taken the lower deck. The cargo bay was full of monsters, and the isle splashed with the crew¡¯s blood. When the wizard apprentices of the magic-powered furnace finally discovered what happened down there, it was too late.


    Monsters were infiltrating along the gaps and passages of the warship. The furnace tower and the goddess¡¯ statue had temporarily stopped the advances of the Chaos, the continuous attack of the Chaos on the barrier would bring down the protection sooner or later.


    When Calaxus heard the tragedy on the lower deck, he seemed to be non-reactant. It was not that he was indifferent to the casualties, but that something more shocking had appeared in his sight:


    The clouds under the magic-powered warship were breaking open as a pure white glow came out from it. In the core of the white light was a big blue balloon, the one that Calaxus thought the storm had ripped apart.


    Lily looked up at the magic-powered warship overhead and could see an explosion in the belly of the ship followed by a plume of black smoke sneaked in through the hole. After a few minutes, red liquid began to drip down through the gaps in the warship. She was amazed that the beautiful looking and sturdy aircraft was so shabby what it started to swing from side to side like a drunkard.


    Lily could hear the creaking of the warship from below.


    The husky maiden¡¯s ears flickered as she looked at the horrible sight of the battered warship above. After some thoughts, she asked the old demonic ape, ¡°If the thing explodes, will the debris hit us?¡±


    The old demonic ape thought for a moment before saying, ¡°It seems it will.¡±


    ¡°Then shall we fly above it?¡±


    ¡°As per Alpha¡¯s wish.¡±


    ¡°Inform the firefoxes to flame up!¡±


    The disaster of the Sacred hammer was still unfolding as the damage was spreading. The energy supply of the warship had dropped, causing the protective range of the furnace to reduce. It could cover only half of the hull now, while the statue of the goddess at the rear was only used to protect the engine. In other words, half of the spacecraft was under the control of the Chaos.


    The monks and wizards repositioned their defenses and guarded the main passageways, hoping to use their mortal bodies to stop the chaotic monsters¡¯ invasion. But their blood was limited, and those monsters that could emerge from the air were endless.


    Galaxus could already hear the cracking in the middle hull as the Chaos began to destroy the spacecraft. He gripped the Mithril wand so hard that his fingers turned pale. A sacred power burst out from his body, protecting the front portion of the ship. But that was all he could do.


    As power dropped further, the warship slowed down, and finally flew at a similar speed as the hot air balloons. At this moment, Calaxus suddenly saw in the corner of his eye the blue hot air balloon again.


    He was wide-eyed, watching as two large, ellipsoidal balloons sewed in the skin of the blue monster whale slowly rose. The balloons were held up by a group of intertwining ropes and wooden sticks from the inside, and a rudimentary basket made of rattan, strings, and planks hanging from each balloon.


    He could not forget what he was going to see next.


    A girl draped in wolf skin was standing in the cold wind on the top of the hanging basket. While the cloak and her long silver hair were fluttering in the air, a strong Light of Order stretched out behind her with many faint lines as if wings in the glow.


    She was the core of the glow, as per the ancient prophecy, the goddess of creation sent her messenger to the earth.


    Lily indeed thought that she looked cool now¡ªa husky that glowed and had wings to fly.


    ¡°The power of Chaos has retreated!¡± A cry jolted Calaxus out of his thought. His follower staggered out from the deck below and said, ¡°Venerable one, the Chaos is gone! There is an unknown Light of Order shining into our furnace¡ª¡±


    The follower suddenly paused, his jaw dropped in seeing the things outside. He and a wild girl draped in wolf fur and surrounded by a divine light were staring at each other.


    Lily scratched her head¡ªbut it was the wolf hood on her head. Seeing the gray-headed old man standing on the white warship, she had wanted to say hello, but then a younger man, covered in blood, climbed out from below. A thought suddenly crossed her mind.


    ¡°Do you want a taxi?¡± She shouted and waved. ¡°Your ship seems to be exploding! I have some extra seats here, large seats! The fare is cheap!¡±


    That was how simple-minded the husky maiden was.


    She wanted to go to the human kingdom on the mainland to find her landlord, and she would need money in the human realm. The ship before her looked pretty advanced, and she figured the passengers must be wealthy.


    She was proud of her idea.


    But Calaxus was struck dumb.


    He felt as if the goddess of creation was testing his faith.


    But he had to seriously consider the offer the mysterious girl made, because as the girl said: the Sacred Hammer might have broken free from the monsters of chaos, but the ship was severely damaged and it was going to blow.


    While Lily was busy working as a taxi driver, the fierce battle in the western front was just over.


    The battle had lasted for one day and one night. When the ash of the monsters of Chaos finally dissipated, craters and glassy cracks caused by magic bombardment dotted the battlefield. Broken arrows and weapons fragments are scattered all over. Every detail was a witness to the fierce battle.


    Humankind was still victorious at last. Fort West was still standing between the mountains, and the towering white wall had gotten itself more glorious scars on its face.


    Veronica and her knights were exhausted and ready to drop as they trudged into the fort. Also with her were several hundred reinforcement forces from the kingdom. Following the troops from behind, Hao Ren curiously observed the magnificent building.


    The towering city wall stretched down the mountainside. The thickness of the wall was tens of meters. After passing through a tunnel-like gate at the foot of the wall, Hao Ren saw a heavily armed fortress in between the mountains. On top of those enormous stone buildings was a gold-rimmed white tower. Layers of magic runes were floating around the tower as a bright beam of light shone from the top of the tower.


    That was the furnace, a giant magic installation of Fort West that was also known as the Kindle Tower.

 Chapter 1240 - The General of Fort West

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    If one looked at Fort West from a distance, the white megalithic fort between the mountains was spectacular. When one stepped into it, the fortress appeared even more magnificent.


    Hao Ren was not uneducated. From Holleta and Tannagost to Helcrown and Aerym, he had seen grander architecture and had a set of aesthetic standards of his own. But whichever way he looked at it, Fort West was a fantastic spectacle. The walls of the city were towering, and the white stones were glittering in the Light of the Order as if the fort was made of light. The huge magic runes spread from the top of the Kindle Tower down to the wall, forming a transparent energy shield with many blue letters on it. Everything seemed to embody one fact.


    It was a shield that represented the confidence and courage of mortals. It stood here in glory, guarding the frontiers of the World of Order.


    Princess Veronica and her knights were getting a grand welcome. But many fortress garrisons had not yet figured out who this group of reinforcement coming from the wilderness was. It was already more than half a month since Veronica and her Royal Knights¡¯ defeat in the Twilight Forest. Everyone thought that this brave princess had died on the chaotic border with her soldiers. No one thought that she would carry out an epic feat of crossing the realm of Chaos so that few people could make a connection of the reinforcement forces with the princess.


    And more importantly, there was this man¡ªHao Ren. When a small group of 30 people flanked the monsters, the first thing the fortress guards noticed was the powerful artillery bombardment and bomb explosion. Hao Ren was alone, and his combat style had skewed the appearance of the entire team entirely. No one knew who they were.


    However, after these knights entered the city, news of Princess Veronica¡¯s survival quickly spread throughout the fortress.


    They had received an invitation by the fortress commander, the general of the west of the kingdom, Marcus.


    Ordinary knights were brought to a lobby on the first floor while Princess Veronica, Hao Ren, and Morian were taken to a special room on the second floor. It was a large stone room with almost no decoration but only an oval table and wooden chairs. There were maps of the western mountains, and the Shadowy Forest hung on one wall. On the other wall were all kinds of swords and protective gear. Other than that, there were no other furnishings in the room.


    A robust old general had long been waiting in the room. Hao Ren was stunned when he saw the general: he was a giant at 2.5 meters tall, even slightly taller than Y¡¯zaks in human form. His hair was white, but he still looked powerful with his sharp face and muscular build, which even his combat suit could not hide.


    Nonetheless, the white hair, eyebrows, and the vicissitudes on his face were a giveaway to his age. Despite that, Hao Ren was a little confused with that incongruence: was he an old man, he asked himself.


    ¡°Your Royal Highness,¡± the old general quickly came up and bowed to Veronica. ¡°It¡¯s the only good news for a long time to see you live. The goddess is protecting Taros!¡±


    ¡°General Marcus,¡± Veronica hurriedly held the general up, but the scene looked a bit funny¡ªthe old general was almost as tall as Veronica even with him kneeling. ¡°You are the general of Fort West; you don¡¯t have to bow to me.¡±


    The old general got to his feet. As they took their seats, the general asked, ¡°Your Royal Highness, how did you survive in the Shadowy Forest? I heard that the Chaos had swallowed your troops, and that had been more than twenty days ago.¡±


    ¡°We crossed the entire Shadowy Forest and half of the wilderness,¡± Veronica said. ¡°We arrived at Mount Cassouin, with goddess of creation¡¯s protection, the guardian of Mount Cassouin saved our lives.¡±


    While saying, she looked at Hao Ren and solemnly nodded.


    General Marcus had already noticed the stranger, who dressed in odd costumes, around the princess. Earlier during the siege, he had seen the stranger in the battlefield¡ªit was not just flames and explosions-kind of magic that left an impression, but also Hao Ren¡¯s pretty good combat skill. Hao Ren was wielding a blue-light spear fighting a dozen monsters alone. He was valiant, not something with regular training or courage could do.


    It was an aura that formed when one had been through unimaginable challenges.


    This aura was called reckless on Earth.


    Had the general seen the battle between Hao Ren and the demon-god Vivian MK-II, then he would understand how this kamikaze came about.


    In most cases, the enemies that Hao Ren faced were not something that he could win with sole tactics and safe approaches. As Raven 12345 once said that inspector¡¯s life rested on three things: 3% of luck, 7% of effort, and 90% of foolhardiness.


    ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± Hao Ren said as Marcus was silent. ¡°General, Veronica has been all praise of you. My name is Hao Ren. The name is a bit unique, so it is easy to remember.¡±


    He was using the identity of an ancient guardian as cover, and he felt that it came in handy while roaming in the human kingdom. So his words and actions had to blend in too.


    Marcus looked at Hao Ren; he was suspicious. ¡°So you are?¡±


    ¡°I am the guardian of Mount Cassouin that Veronica has mentioned,¡± Hao Ren replied. ¡°As you all have said, I seem to come from the past generation. Well, that was how Veronica described me.¡±


    Marcus slightly squinted.


    He was distrustful of this ancient guardian that came out of nowhere. Unlike the young and somewhat careless princess, the battlefield veteran was not only combat-capable but also cautious and skeptic.


    In the worldview of the old general, many things have set in his mind. He had long passed the age of believing in legends and prophecies without checking the fact. In Collow, myths were as common as dirt. If they were real, the world would have ended a thousand times over.


    An ancient guardian who guarded an ancient sacred mountain¡ªa mountain that only existed in legend¡ªfor millenniums in the realm of Chaos sounded like a grotesque and doubtful. The suspicion of the old general made sense. In the wilderness of no man¡¯s land ruled by the chaotic forces, it was not that desolate in the past.


    Why had no one discovered Mount Cassouin before the Chaos swallowed the wilderness?


    To take a step back, Marcus also knew that there were indeed some areas where the Chaos shrouded permanently. In Collow, they called it the tearing point. Assuming that Mount Cassouin was in one of the tearing points, then what was in the mind of the last generation that they had built a temple in such a wicked place? It was not that the temple could protect the territories in its surroundings.


    The background of this ancient guardian became suspicious.


    However, the old general did not say anything but just quietly watched Hao Ren for a while. He then turned to Veronica. ¡°Your Royal Highness, have you brought any news from the hinterland of the Chaos?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Veronica replied. ¡°We found that some changes are taking place in the realm of Chaos, those festered monsters, and signs that some unknown forces have modified the furnace. There are other things too. But before that, I would like to ask what the last siege was all about? If I remember correctly, their last attack came less than a month ago. The attack this time was uncharacteristic of their pattern of the Chaos.¡±


    Marcus nodded. ¡°It is true. The attack of the Chaos was very sudden. There has been more than one attack. The battle you saw today was the seventh since the past twenty days.¡±


    Veronica was stunned.


    The old general waved his hand and continued. ¡°Your Royal Highness, there are too many things to say. I have ordered meals to be served. It is better for us to eat while we talk.¡±

 Chapter 1241 - The Situation on the Western Front

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren had been waiting for the old general to say that. Wading in the wilderness and forest of Collow for the past 10 days, he never had a decent meal. Even if there was no lack of food and water, enjoying a meal in the alien realm was not a good idea. When Marcus said that meals were being served, Hao Ren suddenly liked the guy.


    The old general admitted that they had limited resources in Fort West, and since Princess Veronica was not fastidious, he decided to hold a simple reception in this room. Hao Ren had learned that this room was, in fact, the best looking room of the entire Fort West. This fortress might look magnificent on the outside, but it was purely a battle fortress from the inside out. Everything here was functional for the sole purpose of resisting the Chaos. There were no extra luxury and decoration. Even the quarter where Marcus lived was only a little larger than that of the ordinary soldiers. Channeling all their energy to fight the Chaos, and squeezing the last drop of their resources for the war was a normal state of life at this border.


    The banquet was not sumptuous, but delicious and nutritious. The kingdom would not mistreat its soldiers when soldiers were fighting on the frontline. Fresh vegetables and soft and sweet bread had caught Hao Ren¡¯s appetite. There was a kind of soup made with fungi that could reduce the fatigue he had over the past few days.


    All Hao Ren could think of now was eating. But Princess Veronica was not interested in the food in front of her. The princess was very worried about the abnormal changes in the chaotic border. ¡°When did the monster attack on the city start?¡± she asked.


    ¡°On the day of your disappearance, Your Royal Highness,¡± said Marcus who was sitting across the table. His size made him look like a behemoth beside the table. ¡°It was the fourth hour after the collapse of the entire Shadowy Forest defensive line to be exact. When the Chaos reached the peak of the day, those things suddenly appeared in the air. The attack came without warning, and even the wizards in the magic tower did not find any signs. If not for the perpetual Runes of Order on the wall of Fort West, we would not even be able to survive the first round.¡±


    ¡°Was the attack continuing?¡± Veronica asked.


    ¡°It lasted for one to three days, and the interval between attacks was uncertain. The Chaos would linger outside the city. No matter how many times the power of the Kindle Tower broke them apart, those things seemed to have no signs of weakening. It is an alarming trend. This year is already the seventh year of the tide of Chaos. After the peak period, they should gradually decline, but now it seems it is strengthening instead.¡±


    ¡°The territory of the kingdom¡ª¡±


    ¡°Thank goddess. The road is still open, and so is communication. A small number of the Chaos¡¯ forces have infiltrated the corridor in the mountains of the western front, but they are not a threat. If the reinforcement from the Kingdom is interrupted, this place would not stand.¡±


    Veronica breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good. Father and General Gloen should have been discussing countermeasures.¡±


    ¡°Countermeasures? I am afraid there is no countermeasure.¡± The old general shook his head. ¡°Your Royal Highness, I have been battling the Chaos for seven years, and in the year of the Order, I have been fighting the various chaotic tearing points in the kingdom. I know very well what kind of enemy we are facing; it is unknowable and uncontrollable. It is sad but true that in the face of the tide of the Sea of Carnos, humans can only passively accept and resist. Every time we survive the tide of Chaos, it is not because we have defeated it, but because the tide has ended before we are extinct. If this trend continues, I can only fight until I die on the battlefield to buy more time¡ªthis is the only countermeasure.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Marcus in surprise.


    He did not expect to hear such pessimistic and desperate words from this veteran. But he knew this was the reality the people of Collow had accepted.


    But for the old man to have such undying courage to fight to his death was indeed most admirable.


    Veronica knew the old general was stating the fact. She could only bite her lip. ¡°I got it. There is another matter. It¡¯s about the furnace outposts in the Shadowy Forest.¡±


    ¡°After that day, we lost contact with all the outposts,¡± Marcus said. ¡°The Chaos attack was frequent and had completely blocked all the crossings between the fort and the defenses in the forest. Our best reconnoiters could not even make it through the shadows. Until recently, a team of death squads succeeded in crossing the chaotic blockade and found the nearest outpost. But only two scouts made it back alive, bringing back a piece of terrible news.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Veronica lowered her eyes. ¡°The outpost guards are all dead. They all seemed to die from a frenzy.¡±


    Marcus pressed his hands on the table and looked at the princess. ¡°You and your knights miraculously crossed the forest. Do you know what happened there?¡±


    Veronica shook her head. ¡°I have no idea, General. There are no signs of attack, all buildings are perfectly intact, the guards did not even open the arsenals, but the soldiers inside have all died. We have found some clues though. Some of the outpost commanders seemed to have guarded the furnace for a long time, they held up longer than other soldiers and left behind¡­¡±


    Veronica detailed her discovery in those outposts. Marcus did not interject during the whole time. The old general was only listening attentively with his eyes tightly knit together.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t even know anything about these things.¡± Marcus¡¯ face was downcast. ¡°I have let your father down.¡±


    ¡°General, no man is perfect,¡± Veronica said, trying to comfort him. ¡°You have contributed immensely to the kingdom by being able to defend Fort West. What happened in the Shadowy Forest was unusual¡ªnot just the attack on the furnace outposts, but also our defeat that day. The behavior of the Theocracy was odd. They are no doubt arrogant, but they have never made this kind of mistake for the past many centuries. We need to investigate all these things. I¡¯m afraid we have to count on the royal scholars in this matter.¡±


    Marcus frowned. ¡°The scholars? Yeah, sound like we can only count on them. We need to report back to the king immediately. I will send a messenger.¡±


    ¡°Messenger?¡± Veronica¡¯s eyebrows arched. ¡°The teleporting¡ª¡±


    The teleporting device has been useless for the past 10 days.¡± Marcus shook his head. ¡°The interference is becoming stronger every day. The wizards say that a shadow vortex over Ansu is gradually taking shape, and the space-time structure on the mainland has become very unstable. Other than those of the hinterland of the kingdom, teleportation in other parts of the kingdom have been completely deactivated.¡±


    Veronica thought for a moment. ¡°I have to go back to meet the king,¡± she said with determination.


    ¡°Well, the king must also can¡¯t wait to see you.¡±


    ¡°Not just for this reason.¡± Veronica put down the tableware in her hand and looked at Hao Ren beside her. ¡°We have experienced a lot of incredible things in the realm of Chaos. Some things are best to tell my father in person. Besides, my sister is more knowledgeable; she might be interested in the guardian. I am also worried about what happens back in the palace. If I don¡¯t still show up, some people may not be able to sit still.¡±


    ¡°Haha, those nobles!¡± Marcus¡¯ voice was filled with disdain and annoyance.


    Hao Ren looked around him and felt that he did not have to get involved. So he lowered his head and continued with his meal.


    As the banquet ended, Hao Ren and the other knights returned to their respective rooms while Veronica and Morian stayed.


    Together with General Marcus, the trio climbed up a spire via a spiral staircase. The Kindle Tower was right on the pedestal behind them, letting out a brilliant glow and putting the entire fort under its illumination.


    Looking into the surroundings, the Shadow Forest was like a dark cloud creeping over the horizon on the west and further away the was all darkness. The mountains on both sides of the fortress extended upwards in the light and disappeared in the dark clouds at high altitudes. Only on the east side of the fort, a shimmering road stretched all the way to the heart of the kingdom through the unpolluted hills and mountains.


    If looking to the west alone, there was a feeling of being surrounded by a sea of darkness and stuck on a remote island.


    Fort West was the bridgehead of the World of Order, the border of the land of light.


    ¡°About the ancient guardian,¡± Marcus looked at the forest in the distance, ¡°Your Royal Highness, do you trust him?¡±


    ¡°He saved everyone¡¯s life, including mine,¡± Veronica said faintly.


    Marcus could read between the lines. ¡°It seems that you are not so sure about his background too.¡±


    Veronica did not say anything.


    It was indeed the princess who first identified Hao Ren as the ancient guardian. But this did not mean that she did not think critically. In those few days of thinking and observation, especially when she discovered that Hao Ren¡¯s understanding of this world was mistaken or even ignorant, she became more suspicious of him.


    Memory confusion was not a good excuse all the time.


    Marcus waited for a few seconds, and when Veronica did not respond, he continued. ¡°You should already know it; there may be a hermit in the wilderness that has survived in the last century, but it is unlikely to have something from the previous generation. In every hundred-year cycle of the Chaos, except for a few specific tearing points, there are almost no ancient relics in the world that exist have not been discovered.¡±


    Veronica looked at the veteran general. ¡°Mount Cassouin is at a tearing point. Whether it was 100 years ago, 300 years ago, or 1,000 years ago, the Chaos always shrouded it. I know this is unbelievable, but there is a temple there.¡±


    Marcus¡¯ eyes widened.


    ¡°His origins are indeed a myth,¡± Morian finally said. ¡°But he is certainly not a Servant of Chaos, nor a cult. He carries many potent sacred objects. The power of those sacred items not something from this era. I¡¯m afraid that they are ancient relics.¡±


    ¡°No matter what, the most important thing is that he is on our side,¡± Veronica said with a sigh. ¡°You might think that I am naive, but I have well thought it out. I trust him, and believe that he is the guardian of the sanctum, whether or not he comes from ancient times.¡±

 Chapter 1242 - Flying In the Clouds

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren had no idea what the exact content of the conversation between Marcus and Veronica was, but he was sure that they would talk about the ancient guardian¡¯s background. It had nothing to do with conspiracy, but about situational alertness and thoroughness, which anyone in their positions would have.


    The sudden appearance of the ancient guardian and his misfits as well as the world surrounding him had aroused suspicion. Even though the princess believed him initially, she was not a three-year-old; she was doubtful. But Hao Ren could not care less.


    When Hao Ren discovered what type of enemy the mortal race in this world was facing, he knew that Veronica would treat himself as her own. In the face of the Chaos, all people of the World of Order were natural allies.


    Not to mention that he carried more than 20 kg of sacred objects.


    The team rested for a night in Fort West. At the border of Chaos, there was no distinction of day and night, but the people still needed to keep a routine. So they used a mechanical clock to demarcate the day and the night in the fortress. In the morning, Hao Ren saw Veronica and Sir Morian again. Veronica had changed her clothes. To fix her broken and blood-stained armor was not an easy feat. And since there was no armor in the fort that fit her body size, the princess dressed in a white warrior robe. Sir Morian had changed into a casual dress, combed hair, shaved, and looked neat. A sword was hanging from his waist, and he looked as if an old nobleman going for hunting.


    Even with a night of short rest, they all have recovered their energy.


    ¡°We set off for the Royal City today,¡± Veronica said to Hao Ren. ¡°Your Venerable Guardian, although I said it yesterday, please allow me to extend my official invitation to you again: I would like to invite you to go to Taros¡¯ Royal City, White City. You will see my father there.¡±


    ¡°I was thinking the same thing.¡± Hao Ren smiled and nodded. ¡°After I got your Royal Capital, I will need your help on many things.¡±


    The team gathered in the square behind the fort. General Marcus appeared with a group of elite soldiers. Bowing slightly as a sign of respect, Marcus said to Veronica, ¡°Your Royal Highness, the road to the Royal Capital is full of danger. So I have arranged three airships for you. It is faster than the horse.¡±


    Veronica did not decline. Meanwhile, three small dots in the sky had caught Hao Ren¡¯s attention.


    He saw three aircraft-like things that came out from behind the spires at the top of the fort, and then slowly descended toward his direction. Soon the three objects came into view. They were indeed aircraft, which seemed to be transformed from watercraft. With sleek hull spliced with metal and wood, the aircraft had pairs of paddle-like but more full white plates hanging from the sides of the ship, almost like wings. At the rear end of the boat was some propulsion system that spurted with blue light.


    The three ¡®ships¡¯ had a magical rune on their surface, which clearly showed the type of power source.


    This thing was the airship that Marcus said. Humans in Collow had aircraft!


    Hao Ren was stunned. He had to adjust his evaluation of his rating of this civilization. This job had almost become second nature to him.


    ¡°Your Venerable Guardian,¡± Veronica saw Hao Ren¡¯s reaction and could not help but ask, ¡°haven¡¯t you ever seen airships?¡±


    Hao Ren came out from his thought and quickly gave a perfunctory reply. ¡°Oh, I know. But I¡¯ve seen before was bigger than this.¡±


    He was not lying. The three airships were dozens of meters long at most while small spacecraft like the Nolan was at least ten times bigger. But in the ears of Veronica, this seemed to exude another meaning: Her Royal Highness had thought of the lost ancient knowledge.


    ¡°That¡¯s great. With these things, we could reach the Royal Capital in no time,¡± Hao Ren said. He had noticed the awkward atmosphere and quickly steered away from the conversation. ¡°Do they have self-defense firepower?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Airships are also warships. They cannot be compared with the magic-powered warships, but they are faster and more agile, which is very suitable for you,¡± Marcus said. ¡°Beyond the chaotic border, the sky is as dangerous as the earth. But in the Kingdom of Order, the sky is at least safer than land. So you should not worry about the journey. I also brought my most elite Galeknights, who are good at air combat and escort missions. These warriors will escort you to return to the Royal Capital all the way.¡±


    ¡°General, you don¡¯t have to do this.¡± Veronica immediately declined to accept the escort. ¡°The war in the west is critical; you can¡¯t afford to divert more manpower away.¡±


    ¡°As big as the western front, there is no shortage of a small team of knights.¡± Marcus smiled. ¡°But if they could escort your back to the Royal Capital safely, you would be able to send me more than a few reinforcements.¡±


    Since the general insisted, Veronica had nothing more to say.


    The soldiers were well-trained, and the airships were also ready to take off. The general of Fort West did not like pleasantry, so Hao Ren and Veronica boarded one of the airships.


    As the magic furnace of the airship made a low humming sound, the floating runes and the royal wind-surfing runes began to glow. Hao Ren felt a moment of vibration came under his feet, and the unique Collow Indigenous Aircraft lifted off. Everything in his vision began to sink below.


    General Marcus stood on the ground and waved at their rising airship. Hao Ren poked his head out and glanced down, waving back. He then said to Veronica, ¡°General Marcus is tall. He is¡­ What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    He was surprised to see that Princess Veronica was freaking out. Standing away from the side of the airship with her sword planted on the floor, she tried to remain calm and look as usual. But her stiff expression and the drifting gaze had sold her out.


    She was afraid of heights.


    ¡°Veronica?¡± Hao Ren was a little dumbstruck and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°You¡¯re afraid of heights?¡±


    Veronica stiffened involuntarily and then continued to put up a serious, brave face. Every word she uttered seemed to be squeezed out of her throat. ¡°I-am-of-course-not-afraid-of-heights.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡­¡±


    ¡°I am seasick.¡±


    Hao Ren was stupefied.


    But he felt that the princess suddenly became more approachable.


    It seemed that Veronica¡¯s condition was more than what seasickness could explain. Hao Ren had guessed that the princess also had altitude sickness. The aircraft of Collow was terrific, but it was not that good concerning comfort and other details. The giant airship was mainly a large wooden ship lifted off in the sky by floating magic. It lacked the sealing technology and pressurized fuselage. People who were not adapted to this environment would easily feel sick. It was just that Hao Ren did not expect the might princess had such a weakness.


    After stubbornly staying on the deck for a while, Veronica finally bowed to the power of nature and was escorted back to her room by several close knights.


    The three airships climbed to a sufficient height and flew across the sky in an arc, bypassing the mountain peaks around Fort West and headed straight to the Royal Capital.


    Hao Ren was feeling great. He stood with Sir Morian on the bows and looked at the horizon in the distance and the movements in the clouds.


    The other two airships escorted them on both sides at only a few hundred meters away. When they rose to a certain altitude, the two escort airships would disappear into the clouds and reappear again.


    It was a scene of fantasy.


    ¡°General Marcus is a descendant of the Iceborn giants.¡± Morian suddenly said. Seeing the perplexed look on Hao Ren¡¯s face, Marian smiled and explained, ¡°Answering your question earlier.¡±


    ¡°Iceborn Giant?¡± Hao Ren repeated. It was an unfamiliar name.


    ¡°Their hometown is the Kingdom of Fimbulvinter, a place of glaciers and frozen soils. During the tide of Chaos three centuries ago, their kingdom was destroyed. Later, the remaining Iceborn giants joined the country of Frost Witch and Ice Dragon. According to the ancient covenant signed by the ancestors of the various races on the frozen soil, a quarter of the Iceborn giants who lost their motherland had gone to the kingdoms on other continents, at the expense of lifelong loyalty in exchange for the assistance to revive their kingdom in the future. General Marcus was one of the descendants of the Iceborn giant. He has guarded our country for one hundred and twenty-seven years. Fort West has never fallen in his hands.¡±


    The old knight continued. ¡°He is plain-spoken but also overly direct, and his relationship with the Royal Family has always been cold, but is highly respected among the traditional soldiers.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. He had no intention to be close to the Taros aristocratic class, but he still silently recorded this useful information.


    Looking up, he gazed at the gloomy sky in the distance.


    The airships had passed the western mountains. On the Order-side of the barrier, the power of Chaos and darkness had weakened rapidly.


    The dark masses in the sky gradually turned into natural clouds. White clouds began to appear, and a light was shining through the thinnest clouds and sprinkling down the land below.


    The three airships had crossed the last dividing line, and the surroundings instantly brightened up.


    Hao Ren had to squint his eyes. Looking at the warm glow on the horizon in an instant, and he looked at the hot light of the sky, his heart began to beat faster.


    He saw the sun of Collow.


    There was still a star shining in this world.

 Chapter 1243 - The Legend of the Origin of Chaos

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Inspectors observed the world from a unique perspective. Since they observed from a different angle, their focuses were often unusual. The chaotic forces and the Festered in the wilderness did not surprise Hao Ren at all. But when he saw the sun of Collow, he regarded it as a crucial finding.


    A star was shining on this world.


    It meant that there was at least a planetary system in the alien dimension of Collow. If Veronica¡¯s description was correct, the planet here might be understood as a series of broken space continent floating in space. But at least the sun in the sky was real¡ªit was a complete and functioning celestial body.


    The power of Chaos had not spread to the sun.


    He could look directly at the star with his strengthened physique without having to worry about his eyes getting blinded by the bright sunlight. He squinted because it was habitual to human. Gazing at the sun, he began to reevaluate his understanding of the war of Chaos in Collow.


    The tens of thousands of years of war might only happen on the earth. All the dark forces in this anomalous dimension were confined to one place. At least as far as he could see, the star was not affected by the distortion of the law. Then what caused the Collow fell into this dark power?


    Sir Morian had noticed Hao Ren¡¯s action and realized Hao Ren¡¯s identity as the ancient guardian. He said, ¡°Please don¡¯t stare at the sun like this. The light of Ulo will blind you. You haven¡¯t seen the sun for many years. No. Have you seen the sun before?¡±


    Hao Ren was started for a while and did not know how to react. Ulo was probably a religious name for the sun in this world, and Morian¡¯s question was little inexplicable. ¡°Why do you think I have never seen the sun before?¡±


    ¡°Legend has it that the tide of Chaos 10 centuries ago was unprecedented. Half of the world, except the sanctum, had fallen into eternal darkness. For a hundred years, thick clouds were blocking the light of Ulo, and humans were relying on the power of magic and faith to survive. In the place where the eternal night existed, generations of people had never seen the sun.¡±


    Now Hao Ren began to understand. He appeared calm. ¡°I have of course seen the sun, and I have seen it many times.¡±


    I have even blown up one, Hao Ren whispered to himself.


    ¡°Ahh, forgive my gaffe.¡± Sir Morian immediately bowed a little and apologized, and his attitude was frank.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand and continued to gaze into the distant land.


    The airships flew faster than Hao Ren had expected. Their maker had not yet figured out the way to seal the cabin, but the airships had runes around their hulls, which could not only control airflow but also reduce the drag down to an incredibly low level and thus increase speed. Soon the mountains in the west had become a faint silhouette at the end of the horizon while the sight ahead was becoming the ¡®normal.¡¯


    They were flying over a plain, and the vast expanse of land was covered in lush vegetation. Two glittering rivers ran across the plains, and they eventually flowed into a half-moon lake. On both sides of the river were towns and villages. Looking at this height, they appeared like small wooden blocks laid flat on the ground. Around these ¡®wooden blocks¡¯ were yellow crop fields and pastures.


    Roads crisscrossed between towns and villages. With his supervision, Hao Ren could even see the horse-drawn carriages and pedestrians traversing the streets.


    All of this was under the glorious sun of Ulo. Everything was brimming with life and orderly.


    Hao Ren looked back to the west, where the mountains were almost invisible. But the light pillar of Fort West was still standing as if a fine silver thread at the end of the dark blue sky, where the boundary of Chaos was.


    If he had not come from the realm of Chaos, he could hardly believe that the earth at the end of the horizon was the world shrouded in chaos. The worlds on both sides of the barrier were so distinctly different.


    ¡°No matter how many times you look at it, it is still a sight to behold,¡± Sir Morian said. He seemed to have become more talkative after returning to the hinterland. He even took the initiative to strike up a conversation. ¡°Look, this is the reason and result we block the chaos outside the barrier. This calm and peaceful land is our home. We only need to fight for ten years at the border, and then our children and grandchildren would be able to live peacefully on this fertile soil for a century.¡±


    ¡°But a hundred years later, the Chaos will return.¡±


    ¡°Then we will fight them again. Some of us will die, but our children and grandchildren will continue the struggle.¡±


    Hao Ren turned around and looked at Sir Morian for a while. He had not interacted much with the old knight in the past many days, because the old man gave him a serious, stereotypical, and difficult-to-get-along kind of old chap. But this time Hao Ren had a deeper understanding of Morian, or rather, he had begun to understand the thinking of many people in Collow.


    Hao Ren could not help but nod. ¡°You guys deserve respect.¡±


    ¡°We?¡± Morian felt a bit strange. ¡°Why are you so saying so? Were you not a warrior fighting in the frontiers of Chaos and Order a thousand years ago? You should be a warrior bigger than us. Guarding a temple to the last moment was not something anyone could do.¡±


    Hao Ren was choked in embarrassment.


    But he quickly picked up where Morian left off. ¡°You are right¡ªI am indeed a guardian. I guard many things, including the peace and order of Collow. So, knight of a thousand years later, I do not know what is your thought on the Chaos. Where do you think it comes from?¡±


    The quick switch of conversation worked like a charm. Morian suddenly turned serious as he quickly expounded his views. ¡°All the sacred books have recorded that the evil giant Lockmarton was the culprit that brought the world into the darkness. He broke free from the chains and broke the earth apart, but he was also injured by the security measures of the goddess of creation. The ancient warden used a weapon given by the goddess to pierce into the head of Lockmarton, whose corrupted thoughts spurted out and into the Sea of Carnos, while his sinful body was scattered on the earth. His flesh and blood turned into ashes. When the ashes drifted with the wind, they became the first Chaos and monsters. The so-called tide of Chaos is the eternal nightmare of Lockmarton. He might have died, but his thoughts scattered in the Sea of Carnos continued to function. Every hundred years, his thought would produce a dream, in which he thought he was still alive. So his body in this world would come alive again and produce the tide of Chaos. But a dream is still a dream, the power of Order the goddess left behind will not allow the long-term existence of the twisting force, so the tide of Chaos will dissipate eventually¡ªit comes and goes in a cycle.¡±


    Hao Ren listened to Morian¡¯s long-winded speech, startled. He did not expect that Morian could talk for so long in a single breath. But the myth he heard aroused his interest.


    It was a surprise that the people of Collow explain the Chaos this way. It was a colorful mythical story, but there was some part that worthy of pondering.


    He thought of the First Born, which could tear a planet apart, and after its death, its soul could still live for some time and be able to destroy the living beings in the world. Looking from this angle, the First Born did match the legend of Lockmarton of Collow.¡±


    But there was one fatal flaw: as far as Hao Ren knew, it was impossible that the soul of the First Born could survive for 10,000 years after it left its body. And the First Borns had never manifested the strange phenomenon as the Chaos.


    While thinking, he did not let Morian feel being left alone. ¡°You are reading from the textbook. I want to know what you think about the world of Chaos.¡±


    ¡°What I think? I think it is an enemy. A sworn enemy.¡± Morian shrugged. ¡°Scholars and monks only think about problems. But it is the task of the soldiers to get rid of the problem.¡±


    Hao Ren felt what the old knight said was true.


    The airships had almost finished crossing the Great Plains in the west. At the end of the plain, a strange geological landscape came into view.


    The sight instantly attracted Hao Ren¡¯s eyeballs.


    Towering black pillars with clouds and light lingering on the surface were exuding a kind of power¡ªa familiar type of power.


    It was the divine power of the goddess of creation.

 Chapter 1244 - The Jailor’s Columns

    The magnificent stone columns were so tall that the clouds were merely hovering around halfway up the columns. Their sheer size might have disturbed the weather in the surroundings. In the upper half of the columns, whirlpools of fog were forming into cyclones, while on the lower half, lightning was dancing between the columns occasionally. Each arc of lighting could be as long as a few kilometers to a dozen kilometers. As the airships approached gradually, Hao Ren heard the rumble of thunder coming from the direction of the columns.


    At the same time, the energy of the goddess of creation was becoming stronger. He had experienced several illusions of the Goddess of Creation and personally touched her celestial objects and relics so he could tell whether it was related to the Goddess of Creation.


    ¡°What are those?¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the stone columns in the distance. By now, he could not care less to conceal his lack of common knowledge.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know they were the Jailor¡¯s Columns?¡± Sir Morian looked at Hao Ren in amazement. ¡°As the guardian of the temple, you know them?¡±


    ¡°The Jailor¡¯s Columns?¡± Hao Ren frowned. ¡°I indeed don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t explain why, but I don¡¯t know many things in this world. You could think that some ancient power had hindered my cognitive function. But I need you to help to tell me.¡±


    He improvised, coming up with a lame but barely usable excuse. He believed that something similar to curse or mind magic must exist in this world. Even if they did not exist, he could cite the loss of ancient secret power as a last resort. But he did not expect the old knight did not care about the real reason: Morian had reached a consensus with Veronica that as long as Hao Ren was still on her side, they would ignore the strange behaviors of the ancient guardian. ¡°Legend has it that it was the goddess of creation who planted the Jailor¡¯s Columns on the earth.¡±


    ¡°The goddess of creation planted them?¡± Hao Ren was instantly wide-eyed. ¡°What for?¡±


    ¡°To suppress the first renegade¡ªthe evil giant, Lockmarton,¡± said the old knight. ¡°There are many Jailor¡¯s Columns over all Collow. Planting in the earth, mountains, and rivers at every energy node in this world, they were used to lock up Lockmarton firmly in the depths of the earth. The glow of the columns receded when Lockmarton broke the earth and escaped. But even so, the Jailor¡¯s Columns are still the most powerful miracle in this world. They have unparalleled power of Order, and even if the tide of Chaos hits, these columns will never collapse.¡±


    The old knight said, and they told a story. ¡°It is said that the king of the Kingdom of Torch was leading the legendary Crimson Fist legion to rise in the western part of the mainland, in the middle of a battle, they suddenly encountered the tide of Chaos and climbed to the top of the Jailor¡¯s Columns in the middle of the western desert. So they survived. The Lord of Flames stood at the top of a column and looked around, and then he came to an epiphany and found the secret to tame the desert. Later, he attained many achievements in his life.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded, but he was not listening. The columns were attracting his attention.


    Were the columns seals the goddess of creation had made?


    He was a little excited at first, but he quickly calmed himself down, after realizing that the columns were somewhat different from those in the temples he had seen in Coldpath. Though they were large, they lacked the energy field and might not necessarily be the creation of the Goddess of Creation. But the divine power they carried was unquestionably coming from the goddess. So these things were positively related to the Goddess of Creation.


    The Jailor¡¯s Columns were something not found on planets like Holletta or Tannagost. These magnificent creations were made before the goddess of creation died. And at that time, the First Borns and the guardians had not fallen.


    These things were not meant to suppress the mad First Borns or guardians.


    Of course, the above conjectures were made on the premise that the ancient legends that Morian told must be accurate, and these columns were indeed some prison facilities.


    While Hao Ren¡¯s mind was wandering, the three airships were approaching the spectacular Jailor¡¯s Columns.


    The black stone columns stood on the ground like a tower to heaven. When coming close enough, their scale was even more astonishing. Close up, they did not look like columns but cliffs, as the distance from one end of the columns to the other end was just crazily long. When the airships flew past the columns, they looked birds flying over a cliff¡ªhow unremarkable small.


    The lightning danced overhead the airships with a strange buzzing sound. As the airship flew past a column engraved with massive ancient runic characters, Hao Ren saw blue light was still flowing in the rune.


    These things were still working.


    In the rumble of the thunder and buzz, Hao Ren had to raise his voice to yell at Sir Morian, ¡°We will fly directly under the Jailor¡¯s Columns. Is that okay?¡±


    ¡°Below the stone columns are safe, they are the safest place in the world!¡± The old knight yelled back at the same volume. ¡°Don¡¯t be intimidated by the thunder above; they are just conversations between the stone columns. The power of the goddess of creation will not hurt her children!¡±


    When the airship carrying Veronica and the rest flew under the magnificent Jailor¡¯s Columns, another team was wading through the dense jungles south of the kingdom.


    There was a loud bang. An ancient jungle monitor lizard that might have lived for hundreds of years fell from the sky, and the internal organs of this lizard ruptured upon impact, and the lizard died. This monster lizard might have been a jungle overlord of a reasonably large area, it had now become a lump of lifeless meat, and soon food in a large pot.


    The one who was qualified to enjoy it first was the Alpha.


    Lily, wearing a wolf skin, walked up and kicked the body of the jungle lizard. After confirming that the thing was dead, she gestured to those behind her. ¡°Monster wolf, tear the meat. Gnoll, clear the jungle and make a fire to cook. Other people do whatever you could. We will spend the night here.¡±


    The eerie howl of the wolves began to rise as a dozen black wolves emerged from the shadows around Lily. These monster wolves first bowed to Lily as a sign of respect before they lunged at the giant dead lizard and tore it apart. Further afield, the gnolls in tattered clothes with stone rings on their fangs fell into a chaotic shrill as they scrambled and tried to outrun each other to clear the jungle and make a bonfire.


    Other beasts had their tasks as well: the demonic apes climbed the giant tree to stand guard and collect fruits; the imps were dispersing to prey and clear the surrounding hazards, and the less brainy monster bears would guard the camp to prevent the weaker members from being attacked by the forest¡¯s ¡®natives.¡¯


    The forest¡¯s natives included the wild natural wild and mutated beasts living on the mainland as well as the Servants of Chaos that have recently emerged.


    Among this army of beasts, the wretched humans particularly stood out.


    These humans were the passengers of the Sacred Hammer, the honored investigation team from the sanctum, still wearing their white sacred armor and robes unique to the Theocracy. But they had found it hard to keep their styles right now; they were cold, hungry as if defeated soldiers on the run. Even soil covered Calaxus¡¯ beard, and his favorite robe had three large holes.


    According to the alpha¡¯s narrative, her team had experienced a ¡®little turbulence¡¯ and made a forced landing. Everyone had done great, and they were emotionally stable. Most importantly, they had finally landed on the ground.


    But such a statement did not seem to ease the mental trauma of the members of the investigation team.


    But Calaxus felt that the situation could have been worse, but they still made it: at least everyone was alive. The horrible storm earlier seemed like the end of the world. No ancient books had ever recorded this storm. It was an incident of the Chaos going on a rampage. He felt they should give thanks to the goddess of creation for protecting them.


    Of course, he was also thankful to the alpha for her help although she charged him a handsome fee.

 Chapter 1245 - The Journey Through the Jungle

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    In the lush virgin forest in the Kingdom of Taros¡¯ southern part, a messy but lively temporary camp was preparing dinner for the day. A pack of black wolves, each as large as a bullock, was tearing a long, jungle monitor lizard of a few dozen meters apart and peeling off its thick skin. The gnolls, using the precious magic camphor wood, had made a giant bonfire. Light and heat dispelled all the surrounding beasts as well as monsters, and even held back the power of Chaos, which tried to get close. The demonic apes and monster bears that used to be enemies, were working as a team, collecting fruits and protecting the camp. If an elf scholar from the Green Tower had seen the scene in the forest, its eyes would have been out on stalks. Every type of beast there was theoretically impossible to get along with. There would only be one outcome by putting them together and making them coexistence: a melee. They would beat each other¡¯s brains out.


    Yet, these beasts, out of character, huddled together peacefully and saw eye to eye. They had gotten used to their life of coexistence.


    Because a leader had united them, this leader was firm, fair, and majestic, who would bite off the head of anyone daring to defy her, be it a wolf, a bear, or even a stinky imp.


    After a double-digit of hapless chaps challenged the alpha and lost, the beasts from the floating islands were in an unprecedented unity.


    Calaxus, in his usual monk robe, sat on a stone near the bonfire. His thin cheeks were reflecting the red fire nearby. The gnolls, which had a notorious reputation in the human world, had made a spot near the bonfire their territory. So the members of the investigation team were afraid to get close to the campfire, except the high-ranking monk. Calaxus seemed to have accepted the status quo of under the protection of the beasts and showed great respect to the alpha. Observing the behavior of the alpha quietly, the monk was completely surprised, and sometimes even shocked.


    The alpha seemed to know all the languages¡ªnot only of the beasts but also the humans. She could use different roars to issue orders to the herd, and spoke surprisingly pure Ansu or Collow lingo with the members of the investigation team. In this afternoon, she even used fluent ancient Zlor to reason with Berman, the monk, because Berman had used this ancient language scolding an imp who tore his robe. The argument had left a deep impression to the high-ranking monk. The alpha wolf, who seemed to come from the jungle, draped in animal skin, and boorish, talked down to the Berman, known as a language master, in Zlor language, rendering him speechless. Calaxus started to suspect that the alpha came from the ancient Zlor Empire!


    At first, when the alpha came, Calaxus thought that she was a human orphan who went to the floating islands by chance. Rough and fatuous were his first impression of her, but now he felt that he could not have been more wrong.


    What he was more curious about was the Light of Order the alpha emanated.


    The strong, gentle, seemingly inexhaustible Light of Order had shielded everyone, allowing this massive team of beasts to survive in the dangerous Shadowy Forest in the south. The aftermath of the storm of Chaos had spread to the mainland and probably had polluted the entire southern part of Ansu. They were now in the Chaos-infested part of the jungle, where the twisted vision and chaotic monsters they encountered were proof. But all these dangers had not stopped the alpha and her pack. This girl of ¡®holy incarnation¡¯ seemed to have no idea where she was going. Driven only by enthusiasm, she led her army of beasts through the forest overrun by the Chaos. They were now leaving the wild jungle and for the Order in the Kingdom of Taros.


    Holy incarnation¡­ Calaxus repeated the words in his mind. Looking at the alpha, who was glowing in a sacred light, standing on a boulder, and scolding the dumb monster bears, he felt a bit strange. As a high-ranking monk, his heart inevitably revered the Light of Order that Lily emanated. But his mind wanted to find out the secret behind this phenomenon: what makes a mortal capable of having this divine energy? He wondered.


    Is it as the prophet of the ancient Zlor Empire said, there will be a chosen one among the mortal who will inherit the blood of the goddess?


    But why did such a chosen one end up on an uninhabited floating island? Why did she not lead the humans or elves to fight the Chaos, but instead decided to lead a group of beasts? What does this mean? Has the mortal lost the trust of the goddess?


    Calaxus could not help but quiver when he thought of that.


    ¡°Hey, uncle, are you cold?¡± A loud voice interrupted the thoughts of the high-ranking monk. Before he could look up, a white shadow flashed across his peripheral vision. Lily, who wore a wolf skin, had already jumped up a boulder before Calaxus and looked at him with a pair of big bright eyes. ¡°Why are you here at the bonfire alone?¡± Lily asked.


    Calaxus was stunned, only to realize that the alpha was talking to himself. ¡°Alpha, thank you for your concern. Others are probably afraid of your beasts,¡± he replied.


    Lily scratched her head and looked at the humans who had made a smaller bonfire not far away. ¡°What¡¯s going on? My men are pretty nice to them, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t get me wrong,¡± Calaxus quickly explained. ¡°Everyone is grateful for your help. The people of the sanctum are not ungrateful people. Just that we appreciate you for saving us, but we are afraid of your beasts. We couldn¡¯t help ourselves. Perhaps you don¡¯t know, your men, most of them are notorious in the human world.¡±


    What Calaxus said was true. The abhumans of the barren land had always been the bogeyman in the civilized world. The human civilization could continuously expel these barbaric abhumans by force, but when humans came face to face with these powerful monsters alone, fear would paralyze them.


    If a well-trained knight removed his weapon and armor, he might not be able to fight off a minor demonic ape.


    The investigation team now had only 30 people remained, but there were thousands of beasts around them. If these beasts were to lose control suddenly, then the human investigation team might choose between dying a horrible death or dying a more horrible death.


    Lily knew what Calaxus meant, but she could not care less. ¡°Whatever. I am the leader of the beasts. But you guys can do as you like. Oh, my poor balloon!¡±


    While saying, she looked in a direction, where her hot air balloons¡ªor airships¡ªcrashed.


    The airships could have arrived in the southern forest safely, but a sudden storm¡ªnot a supernatural storm of the forces of Chaos but a natural thunderstorm and gale¡ªhit them. This kind of weather was standard on the continental edge. The Light of Order in Lily had lost its use. The hot air balloon fought with nature in the storm, and finally performed a thrilling forced landing¡ªor rather a crash landing.


    Except for a few unfortunate guys thrown out during the storm, most of the passengers survived. The beasts had even salvaged a little cargo from the wreckage. Such was the result of Lily¡¯s great voyage.


    The alpha sighed again, anguishing over the loss of her hot air balloons, and also the blue-whale rib, the most heavenly meat which she wanted to save it for her landlord.


    Calaxus, of course, knew what the concern of the alpha. But he felt no better than her: the flagship magic-powered warship of the sanctum had just crashed into the abyss of the Chaos in his hand. He started to shiver when he thought of it.


    If he were to pay for the loss, he would have to pay with his wages for the rest of his life.


    Lily sat beside the bonfire for a while and started to yawn. Looking at the white glow in her body, she was in a double bind. ¡°It glows as bright as a flashlight, and I have had three sleepless nights in a row.¡±


    Calaxus coughed profusely.


    A sudden commotion outside the camp interrupted Lily¡¯s complaint and the monk¡¯s coughing.


    Two imps covered in blood were screaming as they ran back from the forest.

 Chapter 1246 - Shadows In the Forest

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Before the alpha raked them in, the imps were a subtype of the abhumans living in the swamp. Roughly the same size as a human child, they were covered in dark-red rumpled skin and had a lizard face. The imps were notorious for their cruelty and violence. Scholars believed that the demon subtype was not actually a demon, but rather a distorted image formed by the infested beasts during the previous tide of Chaos. Others thought that imps were goblins that spun into a separate branch after they got infected by dark magic. But in either case, the world had a common understanding of the imps: those terrible little things were brutal and fearless. They would only submit to absolute power, and many of the imps were funny, but they could not hide their dark nature.


    Imps were fearless.


    However, such fearless little demons were now screaming and running out of the woods. The two imps were covered in blood as they stumbled back to the camp as if a terrifying enemy was chasing them from behind.


    When Lily heard the noise, she immediately rushed over. The two imps were part of a ten-member team of scouts that she had sent to scout out the forest. Judging from the situation, the other eight had probably died.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Lily stood before the two imps.


    The two imps shivered, probably feeling the energy of the alpha, or shocked by the Light of Order in Lily¡¯s body and calmed down. They shrilled, using a harsh language that sounded like the tearing of metal. ¡°The other guys are all dead! They are all dead!¡±


    ¡°There was a black thing coming out of the woods!¡±


    ¡°It was not afraid of fire, not afraid of smoke!¡±


    ¡°It went straight through us and drilled into our brains!¡±


    ¡°And they all died!¡±


    ¡°We still saw many other terrible things!¡±


    Imps were a higher-intellect race among the abhumans, which was why Lily had sent them to explore the route ahead. These guys could at least describe what they saw clearer than the bear monsters could. But after hearing the reports of two imps, Lily could not help but blink. ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡±


    At this time, Calaxus had come up from behind. The high-ranking monk had a pretty good knowledge of the abhumans, and therefore he could understand some of the words of the imps. ¡°Was it the Servants of Chaos?¡± he frowned.


    Lily¡¯s ears flickered. ¡°What is that? The Chaos? It¡¯s that powerful?¡±


    Calaxus rolled his eyes. Had he not been a cultured person with 40 years of experience as a bishop, his eyes would have rolled to the top of his skull. The high-ranking monk sighed, ¡°You are born not to be afraid of the Chaos, but that thing is an absolute disaster for us the mortals. Then again, Alpha, do you know what is going on the mainland?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Lily said with her arms akimbo and a happy face. She did not know why she was happy, but she just felt happy. ¡°I woke up and found myself on the island. How the hell am I supposed to know that has happened?¡±


    Calaxus kept sighing but did not know what to say more.


    He revered the Light of Order in the alpha, but he could not see eye to eye with the alpha on her worldview and attitude towards the Chaos, especially the latter. Probably the alpha was born with the powerful energy of the Order; the Chaos, which seemed to refrain from attacking her, could not even come close within a few hundred meters of her. But this ability had led to an interesting side effect:


    The dreaded Chaos that the people of Collow were so afraid of became something that the alpha was not able to even touch with her hand¡ªbecause it had never come close to her.


    After the debriefing, Lily had determined that the two hapless imps had run into the monsters in the Chaos.


    ¡°As expected, the Chaos was after us,¡± said Calaxus. ¡°I am surprised that a new wave of chaos comes in the seventh year of the tide of Chaos. The dark side of the Sea of Carnos is swelling from below the world, a new round of storms is landing in southern Ansu. We must have bumped into this early wave. I think the main storm has not yet arrived but will in about three days. But even then, the prelude is dangerous.¡±


    Lily had not grasped what Calaxus said, but she knew things were getting worse.


    After entering the forest, they had encounters with many strange phenomena: the trees that withered suddenly, mud that surged, and the skeleton that came alive in the woods. Calaxus said that all these were signs of the coming of the Chaos. And today, the signs had reached a tipping point: the Servants of Chaos had killed some members in the team.


    Those killed might be only a few imps, but they were part of the team who had been through life and death together while escaping from the floating island. As the famous King of Dogs of Southern Suburb, Lily felt that she was obliged to protect these younger brothers.


    Lily looked at Calaxus. ¡°Uncle, you are an expert, give me a suggestion.¡±


    Calaxus nodded. ¡°We are now right in the line of fire between the Chaos and the Order. As this storm is just emerging, the conflict between the two forces is not yet a full-blown war. The monsters appearing from the Chaos would not attack randomly, but they would concentrate in specific locations. We must avoid the most heavily infested area based on the intelligence the scouts have provided. Our destination is still the nearest wall of the Order, where it is roughly three days from here. If we could speed up our pace, we might be able to shorten the journey to two days.¡±


    Lily thought for a moment and then jumped onto a large boulder suddenly. ¡°Everyone, pay attention! Rest in the camp near the campfire tonight! Get good sleep, and we will leave tomorrow!¡±


    Calaxus nodded slightly upon hearing the order of the alpha. But an ordinary knight of the investigation team asked, ¡°Alpha, shouldn¡¯t we leave immediately? It is a waste of time here.¡±


    ¡°No, we won¡¯t be wasting any time.¡± Lily stared at the rash chap. ¡°We have been on the road for several days and physically drained. We would have zero strength to fight if we encounter monsters on the way. The risk is much higher than the time spent in the camp. Now since I¡¯m still glowing, get some shut-eye!¡±


    The brash knight, talked down, was rendered speechless. Calaxus patted the young man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°The alpha is right. The worst thing in the realm of Chaos is losing calm and wasting your energy. Go back to rest. The real challenge starts tomorrow.¡±


    The camp quickly quieted down, but huge bonfire was still burning in the middle of the cleared ground, illuminating the surrounding twisted forest. Lily came to her ¡°throne¡± and sank herself into it, watching the night sky above and quickly falling into a daze.


    She was laying on a layer of thick animal fur skin and straw mats, but those things did not seem to help her to sleep.


    Her body was glowing too brightly.


    Lily flipped around and saw her tail was glowing brightly in the air. But not just the tail, her body was glowing too. At first, the light seemed to be interesting, but now it was preventing her from getting asleep. And more seriously, she still had no idea how to turn it off!


    ¡°Only if Mr. Landlord is here.¡± The husky thought, ¡°He has many ideas; he will know how to turn the light off.¡±


    Lily turned and tossed. Suddenly, she heard a weird noise coming from nearby.


    Her ears flickered as she sat up and scanned the surroundings.


    The monster wolves, gnolls, bear monsters, imps were sleeping around her, each race in its group, resting around the throne of the alpha. Some of them were snoring, and some were emitting a funny body odor into the air. Those humans were sleeping in the tents near the firefoxes at a corner.


    Calaxus had a pocket, which was similar to the dimensional pocket of Mr. Landlord, in which he stored the tents.


    Lily¡¯s eyes darted between the beasts and the humans as she heard the elusive weird sound in the camp. It was as if an invisible monster had infiltrated the place, swaggering around looking for its prey.


    Suddenly, Lily¡¯s pupils contracted.


    She stared dead at the camp of the imps; two shadows were moving.


    It was the two scouts who had escaped from the forest.

 Chapter 1247 - The Consequence of Disturbing the Dog When She’s Eating

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The two imps were the scouts that survived and came back from the forest. They staggered to their feet, and their bodies were still covered in blood-stained bandages, which the humans brought.


    They stepped over their peers who were sound asleep on the ground while they made some ominous rumble in their throats. Their steps were floaty like they were drunk. But their eyes were glinting red in the dark.


    The red was turbid as if it indicated that its master¡¯s mind was in a stupor.


    The imps first took a few steps toward the campfire, the light from which cast a pair of long shadows behind them. But something darker seemed to be hiding in the shadows. The long shadows stretched to the open space at the campsite. Plumes of dark smoke with tiny tentacles rose from the edge of the shadows.


    As if the two imps were afraid of fire, they stopped dead in their tracks and then made a series of incomprehensible sound before turning and moved toward the human camp.


    It was at this time that the voice of the alpha sounded behind them. ¡°Why are you going there?¡±


    The two imps were rooted to the spot, but neither answered nor looked back. They stood there as if they were frozen.


    Lily blinked. A light flashed in her golden eyes, and she reached to grab the shoulder of one of the imps. ¡°I asked¡ª¡±


    Before her hand could touch the imp, a shadow suddenly flew toward her.


    Lily could see that the shadow came out from the shadows of the imps, as though a three-dimensional figure had suddenly appeared in the two-dimensional surface. In the darkness, a group of weird, indescribable object from the shadows, which was formless, trembling, twisting, and groaning, and from which many translucent dark tentacles reared. Before Lily had time to react, the shadow had come before her eyes, and then everything went black.


    When she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing in a familiar place.


    She was in the living room at home.


    Lily instantly felt it strange, and in that split of a second, she had the realization that she had fallen into an illusion. But it was too late for her subconscious mind to resist and this awareness was gone. She forgot that she was in a journey in the Shadowy Forest, that she was with the beasts, and that she had gone to the Plane of Dreams to look for the space crack but ended up on a floating island. The simple-minded husky quickly took in everything as it was. She slung herself into the sofa in the living room and yelled, ¡°Mr. Landlord! I am back!¡±


    No one responded.


    ¡°Mr. Landlord?¡± Puzzled, Lily got to her feet and looked at the familiar living room and the furnishings: the two cracks on the coffee table, which were her doing were there. The bite marks on the table belonged to Lil Pea. The water dispenser in the corner, taken apart but not yet put back by Y¡¯lisabet was also there. She then saw Y¡¯zaks¡¯s newspaper on the armrest of the sofa. Those things were exactly what she remembered. She did not feel anything amiss. ¡°Battie? Wuyue? Y¡¯zaks?¡± she called out.


    Circling in the living room and then going to check out the to the upper floor into the rooms, but Lily found there was no one home.


    ¡°Where is everyone?¡± Lily muttered as she came back down to the living room. She looked out the window; outside was so foggy that she could not even see the situation outside. ¡°They have gone out in this weather?¡± she wondered.


    The husky maiden decided to lie on the sofa, thinking that no one would come back anytime soon. But she did not feel uneasy at all. Instead, she studied her fluffy tail while humming a song but she was entirely out of tune. After a while, she suddenly spotted the fridge in the corner of her eye. She was overjoyed.


    She scurried over and yanked it open while checking her surroundings as if she was a thief. Knowing that no one was looking, she quickly took out a bowl from the freezer. That was a bowl of leftover spare ribs.


    ¡°Are you not home, Mr. Landlord?¡± The husky maiden yelled in the direction of Hao Ren¡¯s room as if feeling guilty. But quickly, she poked her head into the kitchen. ¡°Are you not there, Battie?¡±


    After he heard no reply, only then she would scamper into the kitchen with the spare ribs in her hands. ¡°This time, no one is going to stop me. Who says that I can only eat these ribs at dinner?¡±


    Lily started her feasting plan in this illusion, which was abnormal no matter how she thought it was normal. She had lost her vigilant. This ignorant attitude seemed to have finally angered a hidden hand that set the trap. Just when Lily was about to go into the kitchen, the scene of the illusion suddenly collapsed.


    Everything disappeared in an instant. Lily felt a moment of dizziness before she founded herself had gone into a v. She took a double take and found that the spare ribs had gone from her hands.


    ¡°Where is my food?¡± the husky scratched her face.


    No one answered her question. There were only endless darkness and fog in the surroundings. After a while, finally, something else emerged in the mist. Lily¡¯s eyes were out on stalks as she saw a shiny gold vault.


    She saw herself entering the treasure vault, taking all the treasure and became the wealthiest dog in the world and even building a palace built of gold for herself.


    A voice whispered into her ear, ¡°This is a real treasure, my inheritor. You have won my favor and are qualified to get this ancient heritage. Come with me; I tell you how to open this¡ª¡±


    ¡°Are you the one taking my food?¡± Lily stared at the voice in the void.


    ¡°In front of the treasure you are about to open, it is just a small¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t chime in. I¡¯m asking you where is my food?¡± Lily¡¯s glare became even more intense than before.


    ¡°You have to open a¡ª¡±


    ¡°Is my food not with you?¡± Lily continued to glare at the voice.


    The illusion of the treasure vault suddenly collapsed. Gold and jewels disappeared into the fog. The next moment, something new came out. Lily saw a high throne, and she was wearing a gold robe and a crown, holding a scepter of the emperor in her hand with countless warriors and officers bowing to her.


    That voice sounded again. ¡°The supreme authority and power will be yours! You will be the highest ruler in the world; your throne will be¡ª¡±


    ¡°So where are my spare ribs?¡±


    ¡°I mean you will be an emperor¡ª¡±


    ¡°Where are my spare ribs?¡±


    The throne collapsed. A great battlefield emerged. The tone of the voice was a little hysterical now. ¡°Power! Endless power! You will be invincible! The whole world can¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°I still want my bowl of ribs,¡± Lily demanded with her arms akimbo. ¡°Do you know how hard it is to get the moment when Mr. Landlord and Battie are not at home, and there is leftover food in the fridge at the same time?¡±


    ¡°Eternal life! I can make you immortal!¡±


    ¡°I still want my spare ribs.¡±


    ¡°Knowledge! All the knowledge in the world. I can give all the knowledge you can never imagine!¡±


    ¡°I graduated from Peking University four times. Do you want me to sit for the test again?¡ªI want my spare ribs!¡±


    ¡°Past, present, future! I will give you the power of the prophet; I will let you change your destiny, I will¡ª¡±


    ¡°Keep bluffing! The quantum collapse determines the irreversibility and inoperability of fate. Where do you hide my spare ribs?¡±


    ¡°God¡¯s authority! You can even be a god!¡±


    ¡°I know a god; she doesn¡¯t even get a bonus for the New Year¡ªonly when you let me eat the bowl of pork ribs will we discuss again.¡±


    The meaningless conversation lasted for a while, and then everything became quiet. The mysterious voice seemed to have accumulated something in silence, and eventually broke out. Lily heard a loud voice from above. ¡°Enough! You stupid, ignorant mortal! I¡¯m going to tear your soul into pieces!¡±


    When Lily looked up, she saw tentacles and a swollen piece of meat lunging out of the darkness. Countless pairs of eyes, all with a sinister glint, appeared on the meat, which shrilled as it waved its tentacles toward her.


    Lily almost jumped out of her skin. She instinctively stepped back. Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind; she realized that she needed a weapon.


    This thought broke through the imprisonment of her spiritual world, and she felt that she had grabbed something hard in her hand.


    She yanked the thing in her hand at the monster without even thinking.


    A loud bang ensued as if a high-speed train had hit the mountain; a piece of gray concrete slab smashed the monster in the face.


    The illusions were gone.

 Chapter 1248 - Monster of Dreams and Reality

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    A series of loud bangs came from all directions as the black fog collapsed like an avalanche, and the illusion disappeared like a puff of smoke. Lily shook her head, trying to regain her balance. When her vision stabilized, she found herself back in the Shadowy Forest.


    Lily blinked, there was a hint of confusion in her eyes. The false perception and the reality clashed for a while before her memory finally broke free from the ice. She had regained her consciousness and now remembered how she had come to this place, that the army of beasts she led, and Mr. Landlord who had been separated from for many days.


    Recalling the bowl of braised pork ribs that she did not manage to eat in the illusion, her lips flattened.


    She then saw the monster on the ground struggling to escape, surrounded by smoke and dark fog.


    ¡°Where are you going to run to?¡± Lily cried and raised her hand immediately, but only to find that the slab she used in the illusion did not exist here. Though the conflict between reality and illusion was a bit confusing, she managed to recover and summoned her Frostmourne and Flamejoy and pointed them at the distorted lump of meatball. ¡°I will pierce a hole in your brain if you run again! I can poke five holes with just one paw!¡±


    By now, the noise had alerted the others. The humans had woken up with Calaxus and two other high-ranking templars grabbing their weapons and lunging out of their tents. Two demonic wolves on their night-watch shift at the edge of the campsite came with the old demonic ape, Gruglu. The monster shrouded in smoke and dust might be a terrifying spiritual power in the illusion, but it seemed to be much weaker in reality¡ªof course, it could be the result of Lily smashing it with a concrete slab, traumatized and paralyzed. Before the monster could even make it three meters out, everyone had surrounded it.


    Two demonic wolves came up to Lily, respectfully touched her shoes with the tip of their noses. The old demonic ape, seeing the smoky thing on the ground, appeared in fear. ¡°Alpha, I was on the lookout just now. This strange thing is¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know, it¡¯s not your fault.¡± Lily pointed to the two imps on the ground. ¡°They brought it in.¡±


    The leader of the imps came before the alpha. Learning what his two men had done, it shrilled in shock and wanted to punish them. But Lily stopped him. ¡°Hey, easy. It¡¯s not their fault too¡ªif I¡¯m not mistaken, the monster of Chaos had parasitized them.¡±


    The imp leader and the old demon ape looked at each other, seemingly konjac face each other, apparently at a loss.


    Calaxus stepped forward. ¡°Alpha, what happened?¡±


    ¡°This thing hid in the shadows of these two imps.¡± Lily pointed at the smoke monster on the ground. ¡°When I saw the imps got up and moved toward your tent, I knew something was amiss. I stopped them immediately, but before I knew it, it attacked me.¡±


    Explaining the incident, for a dog that had graduated from Peking University four times and been working as a writer, was as easy as ABC. She had also expounded her view on the event. It was a result of following Hao Ren for three years, seeing enough¡ªif not learning¡ªthings the various strange things could no longer surprise her. She figured that this smoke monster might be something born out of the victim¡¯s mind, or even become a parasite in the spiritual world of the host.


    Calaxus was shocked upon hearing Lily¡¯s analysis. As a church scholar for so many years, he had never heard of any parasites in the spiritual world. He had read many ancient books about a chaotic monster that was capable of mental attacks. But one that could come from a nightmare and get into the real world was a bit hard to believe.


    He stared at the alpha, wondering how the mysterious and powerful alpha came to this conclusion, and where she got this incredible knowledge.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a wild guess.¡± Lily knew what Galaxus was thinking. ¡°First, when the two imps came back, you were all there and had not seen the thing came in. Second, I saw it with my own eyes that the monster came out from their shadows. Finally, we fought.¡±


    Lily¡¯s lips flattened again when she remembered her bowl of spare ribs. Shaking her head, she said, ¡°It created an illusion in my mind, then I knocked it down with a brick in the illusion. When I woke up, the thing already on the ground in the real world. The brick might be imaginary but this thing¡­¡±


    As she spoke, she flipped the smoke monster with her foot. Sure enough, from the part where many tentacles had fallen off, an unknown black fluid was oozing out, forming a puddle of mud-like substance on the ground. This smoke monster was wounded.


    The wound had confirmed her speculation.


    She hurt the monster in the illusion, and the monster carried the same wound into reality¡ªthis thing came from the spiritual world.


    What a plausible and convincing theory.


    Calaxus¡¯ brows were knitted together. He instinctively felt that the alpha¡¯s theory had a problem, but he could not pinpoint what was wrong. So he did not ask further. But one thing was sure:


    The ability of this smoke monster was inseparable from the relationship between the spiritual and the real world. It had an unheard of way of attack, which was a considerable threat to unprepared ordinary folks.


    And it was not afraid of the Light of Order.


    The smoke monster twitched and struggled on the ground as the Light of Order from Lily shone on it. It might have a feeling of pain. But even under the Light of Order, it could still move as usual and even attack. This level of resistance to the Light of Order was not only surpassed that of the servant of Chaos but also higher than those of the Festered.


    ¡°This is a minion of the Chaos, but a form that I have never seen before.¡± The high-ranking monk bent down and applied a few protective magic to himself before touching the body of the monster. Under cover of smoke and dark mist, he felt a cold, soft, ever-changing, and disgusting body. He felt like throwing up. ¡°It is disgusting, just like a cold-blooded mollusk.¡±


    Lily tried to lift a translucent tentacle of the monster with her claws of Flamjoy. Surprisingly, her claws penetrated the jellyfish-like tentacle. ¡°And these tentacles are no in physical form. You see, just like CGI.¡±


    The high-ranking monk had no idea what CGI was, but he understood what Lily was trying to say. These non-physical tentacles seemed to have confirmed the alpha¡¯s theory: it was a nightmare monster between reality and illusion.


    ¡°Alpha, I hope you can lend me the prey,¡± Calaxus said, bowing his head to Lily. ¡°I want to study it. I am a scholar; it is my job to study this monster.¡±


    ¡°As per your wish,¡± Lily said. ¡°It is not like I can eat it anyway. You can have it. But don¡¯t kill it. When I find Mr. Landlord, maybe he can figure out what this thing is.¡±


    The alpha always behaved a little eccentrically, and often mentioned a person called Mr. Landlord, who seemed to be the person she had been looking for. It did not surprise Calaxus anymore, so he did not ask any question, but just nodded as a sign of gratitude. He then ordered the Templars behind him, ¡°Go and take the Jailer¡¯s Stone.¡±


    Two Templars had been watching the monsters on the ground since the beginning. They froze for a second when Calaxus ordered them. Calaxus was displeased. ¡°What makes you nervous? We are here to investigate the Chaos, and now let¡¯s start working. Go now! Don¡¯t ever think that you are refugees simply because the aircraft has crashed. People from the sanctum would never be discouraged!¡±


    The two Templars quickly woke up from their stupor and ran into the tent. Almost immediately, they ran back out with the Jailer¡¯s Stone and a set of runic chains.


    The Jailer¡¯s Stone was a piece of black stone, the size of a fist, with a metallic luster, and a faint red light on the surface. This stone was embedded in a shield-like metal plate, which was densely packed with the original text of the covenant given to the mortal by the goddess of creation. Attaching with it were four chains with a light blue luminescence.


    This device was specially designed to capture the monsters of Chaos. It had two functions: One was to bind the monsters, prevent them from falling back into the Sea of Carnos, and second was to block the Light of Order to prevent the captured mysterious creature from dying under the bright world.


    It was this perfect procedure for capturing and studying the chaotic monsters that gave the Theocracy in the sanctum the ability to understand their enemy, and then create the corresponding divine objects to safeguard the Order and Collow¡¯s border.


    Sensing the presence of the Jailer¡¯s Stone, the smoke monster twitched violently. It lifted half of its body and stared dead into Lily¡¯s eyes with multi pairs of blood-red eyes. Flowing out from the eyes was an endless hatred.


    The monster finally shouted with a loud voice, ¡°You damned, stupid, ignorant, and short-sighted mortal! You don¡¯t even know what you are facing.¡±


    With her arms akimbo, Lily shouted back, ¡°If you are as powerful as you claim, give me back my bowl of spare ribs!¡±


    The monster screamed and then quieted down.


    Lily shrugged. ¡°I knew it wasn¡¯t real. Who are you trying to trick?¡±

 Chapter 1249 - White City

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Lily had a magical talent. No matter how unlikely things were, she would come up with an idea and see it through. In the process, she would always be full of spirit and confidence. Nothing could frustrate it¡ªjust as she believed she would eventually find Mr. Landlord. Now, since the meatball could not return her braised pork ribs, Lily figured that it had to only be an imaginary monster. She did not need any reason to believe it; she just felt it.


    However, her self-confidence had confused others. Calaxus looked at the alpha, stupefied, not knowing what the spare ribs had to do with the monster. But he reasoned that the alpha must have had a hellacious mental fight with the monster in the spiritual world, and the spare ribs might be the key in deciding the outcome of this battle.


    Calaxus did not guess it wrong.


    It took the templars sometimes to finally chained the smoke monster. Unlike the usual monsters, this meat shrouded in smoke looked like a mollusk. When it squirmed and struggled, the enchanted metal chains would not be able to restrain it. At last, Calaxus had no choice but to take out from his dimensional bag an iron cage filled engraved with runes and locked the monster in, and then use the Jailor¡¯s Stone and the runic chains to secure the pen from the outside.


    The high-ranking monk spat at the meatball in the cage. ¡°The cage of Sukhto jails all evil things. A monster of Chaos like you should feel the honor to be a prisoner in it.¡±


    Lily looked worriedly at the stone that was dangling outside the cage. ¡°Does this thing work? It is a very cunning monster; it may have another way to escape.¡±


    ¡°The Jailor¡¯s Stone is collected from the druses growing around the Jailor¡¯s Columns,¡± Calaxus explained, knowing that the alpha knew little about the human world. ¡°They are an extension of the power of the goddess of creation. No magic in this world can get away from its power.¡±


    Lily nodded, but she did not understand it. She stared dead at the black monster, which lay at the bottom of the cage as if it had given up resistance. Recalling her adventure with Hao Ren, the knowledge she had gained from the pile of the service manuals began to come to mind. ¡°Uncle, who are you going to send to guard this cage?¡±


    Calaxus had given up to correct the alpha on how to address him. He shook his head and pointed at his two men around him. ¡°Besides Kevin and Chris, who are powerful templars, I will also assign a warrior monk to assist them.¡±


    Lily shook her head. ¡°Let the bear monsters guard it.¡±


    ¡°Bear monsters?¡± The high-ranking monk did not get it. ¡°You may not know; the combat strength of the templars¡ª¡±


    ¡°Let the bear monsters guard it,¡± Lily turned her head and said again. Her golden eyes glinted with the slyness of the beast. ¡°Because bear monsters don¡¯t dream.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t dream?¡± Calaxus was a little struck dumb.


    ¡°Not only must the bear monsters guard it, but the other people must stay away from the cage as far as possible while sleeping. Anyone who is found to be in a trance or dozing off around the cage, he must also be locked up with the Jailor¡¯s Stone.¡±


    The black monster in the cage decided not to pretend to be dead. It shrilled as if it was tearing the steel cage apart. ¡°You goddamn bastard! Mortal! Where did you get this knowledge?¡±


    Lily turned her head and smiled like a flower. ¡°Mr. Landlord taught me that! He is amazing!¡±


    When the alpha smiled, drops of cold sweat each the size of peanut were clinging on Calaxus¡¯ forehead. He finally understood the intention of Lily¡¯s arrangement. He could only feel a chill run up his spine. The man, Mr. Landlord, whom the alpha always mentioned had aroused his curiosity.


    Lily did not say anything more. The alpha just shook her head and returned to her ¡®throne¡¯ without even looking at the terrible monster of the nightmare. In the mind of the high-ranking monk and templars, Lily had only become more mysterious.


    Another night had passed. When the sun rose the next day, the joint forces of beasts and investigation team from the sanctum continued their journey. This time, they would pick up their pace and head straight to the southern frontier of Taros.


    On the same morning, when the first ray of the sun shone into the room through the glass window of the airship cabin, waking up Hao Ren, White City had appeared on the distant horizon.


    Hao Ren was neatly dressed and came to the upper deck of the airship. He saw the old knight Morian was standing on the bow with several guardian knights, while Veronica, who still looked panicky, stood behind Morian. It seemed she could barely cheer up.


    ¡°Hey, feel better?¡± Hao Ren asked as he came up to the princess. ¡°At least you stand here enjoying the wind.¡±


    ¡°Better.¡± Veronica took a deep breath. ¡°Thanks to your potion, I finally could sleep soundly last night.¡±


    Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°It¡¯s just a little seasickness and altitude sickness medicine. You should have taken it before boarding the ship; you would feel even better.¡±


    Hao Ren might not feel his gesture was of any significance, but the knight princess was grateful of him for the two small tablets he gave her yesterday. She thought the potion must be the medicine the ancient alchemists made for use by the frontline soldiers; it was incredible, especially the shelf life of the old drug.


    But Hao Ren¡¯s mind was going in a different perspective. In Collow, people already had flying vehicles like airships. It seemed that such an airborne unit was not unusual, but this world had no corresponding anti-seasickness measures and pressurized cabin technology, which was a bit odd. He believes that an anti-seasickness drug was a side product of aircraft technology. When aircraft was a familiar sight but the anti-altitude sickness medicine was not available, except for the weird growth of the technology tree, there was only one thing that caused the odd development:


    Technological discontinuity and degradation.


    In protecting their heritage in Collow, the war between the humans and the Chaos had been in a stalemate. But the tens of thousands of years of war had inevitably brought irreversible damage to the foundation¡ªincluding the technology¡ªof the civilization of this world.


    It was an unavoidable phenomenon, but still, it was regrettable.


    ¡°Where are we now?¡± Hao Ren asked. And then something in white on the horizon attracted his eyeballs. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± he asked.


    ¡°That is what I have mentioned to you, the royal capital of Taros, White City,¡± Morian said. His attitude toward Hao Ren had improved since the ancient guardian treated the princess¡¯ seasickness with a potion. Before that, he showed that he respected Hao Ren, but now his respect was more sincere. ¡°You certainly don¡¯t know about the city. It was the founding father of Taros who built this royal capital three centuries ago¡ªseven hundred years away from your era.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded, quietly trying to recall how Vivian would react under these circumstances. He pretended to be an immortal. Observing White City that gradually drew closer, Hao Ren said, ¡°What a magnificent city! Imagine how much glory the city has carried over the generations.¡±


    ¡°My father will treat you with the highest honor and gratitude,¡± Veronica said as she looked at Hao Ren. ¡°You not only saved my life but also brought us valuable information from outside the border. I think you would at least get a sire title.¡±


    ¡°I have no shortage of titles,¡± Hao Ren said casually. ¡°I just hope that he could lend me a hand to find someone.¡±


    Veronica was somewhat curious. ¡°What kind of person are you looking for? Forgive me, let me not begin with the Ansu Continent or any other mainlands, the population of White City is hundreds of thousands already. It is akin to finding a needle in a haystack.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment. ¡°First of all, I am sure she fell¡­ I mean she won¡¯t be far and must still be in Taros. Secondly, she is a troublemaker; it would be noisy.¡±


    But there was something that Hao Ren was still not aware of: the husky had already caused more than a scene.


    The wait for the arrival seemed to be a long one, but after a long while, the airship finally arrived over White City.


    As the airship flew, white walls and clean streets slowly receded below, and the wall of the White City Palace was right ahead. The airship slowly adjusted its direction and approached the large platform, where the royal guards and a large group of seemingly royal court officers and warriors had gathered in a ceremony. There was still a large crowd of civilians below the platform, waving ribbons and flags like undulating sea waves. The atmosphere of jubilation seemed to be rising from the ground to the airship.


    Long before the arrival of the airship, the accompanying magister had contacted White City through magic¡ªso they had prepared this grand welcoming scene.


    Morian was already excited when seeing this scene. His face brightened up as he shouted, ¡°Attendant, put down the emblem!¡±


    Several attendants quickly ran to the sides of the airship; two large, colored fabrics hung down from the ship¡¯s side. So too the other two airships.


    The tapestries had the Aetos emblem of the royal family of Taros, and the private seal of Veronica¡ªa golden rose blooming on the blade¡ªat the bottom.


    On the large platform below, Rudolph III also saw the emblem hanging from the side of the airship. The strong king clenched his scepter. His face twitched a few times, and he exhaled. ¡°She is finally back.¡±

 Chapter 1250 - Undercurrent

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Amid the light show of fire and magic, the airship began to slowly descend. Hao Ren heard a loud cheer coming from below when the airship was still some distance from the ground. When he gazed at the crowd, which looked like a colored ocean, he could not help but mumble to Morian, ¡°Seems like Veronica is very popular among the people.¡±


    ¡°The people don¡¯t necessarily know what greatness the princess has achieved outside¡­¡± Morian shrugged. ¡°But, they will all get a sweet pastry.¡±


    Hao Ren was struck dumb.


    After a slight shaking, the airship finally docked on the edge of the rectangular platform built with white stones. The mighty mountain warriors pushed the heavy springboard from the platform to the side of the airship and fastened it with locks. It followed by the Royal Honor squad performing a 22-gun salute on both sides of the red carpet before Veronica and Morian emerged from the airship.


    Hao Ren stood on the other side of Veronica, slightly closer to her than Morian was.


    After fighting side by side with the princess, twenty of the knights lined up behind the three of them in their triumphal return. The knights had not changed their armors, which were full of scratches and blood stains. Even the swords hanging from their waists had the same battered appearance from the battlefield. Twenty knights walked down the bridge with a heroic presence, instantly igniting the enthusiasm of the people below. More triumphant cheers as people began to shout the name of the Rose of the Battlefield.


    Veronica waved to the crowd below, but her eyes stopped for a while at certain spots in the crowd and seemingly nodded to someone.


    Hao Ren saw everything. Of course, he could see the hired crowd, and the princess would need some means to maintain her prestige in the Royal Capital and deter the noble faction. But he would not be disgusted or having an opinion on Veronica as he was not interested in all this. Just like any other qualified inspectors, they were mere spectators of these ¡®passing sceneries.¡¯


    As he watched, he followed the princess. At the end of the red carpet, there was a majestic middle-aged man in gorgeous costumes with a group of nobility standing behind the middle-him.


    That should be the king of Taros, he guessed.


    Sure enough, Veronica came before the man and immediately bowed, paying respect to his father following the royal traditions and etiquette. But the majestic king had taken a step forward. For the first time in his life, Rudolph III put all that royal customs at the back of his mind and hugged his daughter. ¡°Welcome home, my child.¡±


    ¡°Father,¡± Veronica said, seemingly to have also expected her father¡¯s action. With a smile, she said, ¡°It is good to see you in good health. I am back, and with me, I have brought an important intelligence.¡±


    ¡°Did you cross the border of Order?¡± Rudolph III looked at Veronica and the knights behind her, and eventually Hao Ren. Of course, he had noticed the stranger earlier, who was standing in such a conspicuous and important position, which seemed to be even more honorable than Veronica¡¯s royal swordmaster. The king could not help but start guessing who this man in funny clothes was. ¡°And you bring a guest.¡±


    Veronica immediately stepped aside and solemnly introduced, ¡°Father, this is the ancient guardian from Mount Cassouin. He was the one who helped us make it through the realm of Chaos and led us to accomplish all the feats. He is Hao Ren, from the last millennium.¡±


    Rudolph III was visibly stunned.


    Probably of all the guesses the king had made, this was the answer that he least expected.


    Several close officials standing behind Rudolph III had, of course, heard Veronica¡¯s words, and their expressions were also entertaining. These bigwigs in the corridor of power were no ignorant peasants. They had never seen the ancient books about Mount Cassouin that Veronica had found, they had heard similar stories, and naturally knew what it meant by an awakened guardian of an ancient sacred land. It did not only say that a mighty warrior had returned to the world of Order, but also denoted the recovery of some old technologies and lost history.


    But such things would only happen in the stories of bards and lame playwrights.


    No one would have thought to encounter such a thing in life. But a few senior officials were relieved when seeing the weary knights behind Veronica: to the celebrated knight princess, the adventure was not that strange after all.


    Hao Ren remained silent all this while, quietly observing at the atmosphere of the reunion and the triumphal return of the knights. He had no plan to say anything in this strange kingdom. But at this moment, he felt a pair of eyes were staring at him.


    As the ancient guardian, Hao Ren was indeed the center of attention at this moment with a hundred pairs of eyes on him. But this particular stare was different. If not for his supernatural perceptive ability, he would not have singled out this stare from the rest.


    His heart began to palpitate. Hao Ren looked up very slightly and found the source of the stare: right behind Rudolph III, a middle-aged man with a thin body and pale face was looking at him. This man was dressed in a lavender robe, standing only a few steps away from the king, obviously someone important. The man¡¯s small eyes were hidden under the high cheekbones, looked morose. It was as cold as ice devoid of emotional fluctuation and animation. The man looked away and buried his expression upon realizing Hao Ren had noticed him, but Hao Ren was still as sure as death that it was that pair of eyes that was staring dead at him a while ago.


    That gaze was not merely of curiosity, but more of caution and even hostility¡ªa hostility without any reason.


    But except the ¡°starer¡± and the ¡°staree¡±, people around them had not noticed this ¡°small episode.¡±


    The welcoming ceremony was soon over. The gold-plated carriages slowly came out from the other end of the platform. As the king and his close officials climbed into them respectively and ready to return to the Place of the Golden Roses, Veronica requested to have Hao Ren sit in the same car with her.


    The first carriage was for the Royal Family. Except for the Royal Family members, only the king¡¯s chartered dukes and generals could take the ride, and be under exceptional circumstances.


    So this request surprised Rudolph III. Though he had thought of Hao Ren¡¯s Ancient Guardian identity, and the uniqueness of it, he still failed to gauge the importance Veronica had placed in the ancient guardian. The king looked at his daughter seeking her confirmation, and he got a definite reply.


    ¡°Father,¡± Veronica said. ¡°The Guardian has led us through the battle in the realm of Chaos and repelled the army of monsters in Fort West. His selflessness deserves our highest respect. We need to discuss it with the guardians about the visions in the realm of Chaos.¡±


    Rudolph III sensed the earnestness in Veronica and looked at Hao Ren, who naturally appeared indifferent. After a moment of pondering, the king nodded. ¡°It shall be so.¡±


    So the passengers of the first carriage, other than His Majesty the King and Veronica, had also included the ancient guardian. It might not be customary, but in this case, definitely, no one would question the king¡¯s decision.


    Just before getting onboard the car, Hao Ren felt the cold gaze again.


    He looked up, but only saw the back of the tall and thin man. The seemingly high official had climbed into another carriage.


    ¡°What the heck?¡± Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°Did I offend him?¡±


    He did not know what he had done wrong to the official whom he had never met before. But he still quietly took note of the man¡¯s appearance and would conduct some background check later. Probably the man thought he had concealed himself well, little did he realize that Hao Ren had sniffed him out using his superhuman perceptive ability.


    After the carriages left the white platform, the crowd dispersed, and the cabin became quieter than before. Sitting opposite Veronica and Rudolph III, Hao Ren¡¯s eyes did not dart around but slightly shut as if he was conserving his energy like an ancient guardian.


    Veronica could not help but held the king¡¯s hand. ¡°Father, why didn¡¯t Ania and Andrew come?¡±


    ¡°They are ill,¡± Rudolph III replied and frowned. The sudden falling sick of his children during this celebratory day had cast a shadow over his head. ¡°Especially Ania. She wanted to be the first to meet you, but I was worried about her condition.¡±


    ¡°They are all sick?¡± Veronica became nervous. ¡°Is it serious?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Rudolph III smiled. ¡°They are getting better now. The Royal Pharmacist has prescribed them some special medicine. Now Andrew can move around. Ania only needs to stay indoors for a few days.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s ear flickered suddenly.


    From Rudolph III¡¯s tone of voice, he had sensed an unusually restrained emotion. Perhaps the prince and the princess were not as simple as just having an illness.

 Chapter 1251 - The Guardian Beast

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After the welcoming ceremony on the airship platform, it was followed by a welcoming banquet in the Palace of the Golden Roses. The king and nobility of the ancient kingdom gathered to enjoy food as well as wine in the Aetos Hall. The hall was decorated with crystal lamps and gold-plated tapestries. They drank toast after toast, passionately and carefully, building rapport with the dignitaries who could bring more benefits to them. At the same time, every noble kept an eye on the Royal Valets wearing blue and red uniforms. They were standing at the end of the long hall. Whenever the Royal Valet read out a family name, there would be at least one noble coming up to the stage and paying respects to the princess as well as the knights who had won the battle. They raised their glasses above their heads, again and again, tirelessly reciting all of Veronica¡¯s titles. They grinned from ear to ear, as though they were truly happy for the knight princess¡¯ safe return.


    People seemed to have forgotten the defeat in the western front. And no one had ever mentioned about the total wipeout of the defenses in the Shadowy Forest. The nobles used the word ¡°triumph¡± to describe today¡¯s grand occasion. Though the feats of leading the knights through the realm of Chaos, bringing back the vital frontline information from the dark side and helping the Fort West to fight off the army of the Chaos were indeed commendable, no one knew if this glory was what the knight princess wanted.


    From the very start, Hao Ren did not like this seemingly lively but virtually meaningless banquet. So after a while, he excused himself and went outside the hall to catch some fresh air. Rudolph III thought that the guardian from a millennium ago was not used to this unfamiliar environment, so they readily let him be. The banquet was initially meant to welcome Veronica and the knights while the appearance of the ancient guardian was something unexpected. In that sense, the King had been worried that he might unwittingly slight the ancient guardian. But since Hao Ren was excusing himself, the king was happy to accept.


    Hao Ren closed the silver-embedded oak door of the Aetos Hall behind him, and the surroundings instantly quieted down. With the palace guards showing the direction, Hao Ren had come to the terrace outside and took a deep breath of the clean air of the land of Order. White City was located in the middle of the Great Plains. The forest in the south was blocking the hot and humid air, while the mountains in the north were a natural barrier against the cold winds, making the climate in the hinterland pleasant. Tonight, the breeze was a bit cold but carried the right amount of humidity; it was still refreshing.


    Bustling with light and people, White City probably had the most vibrant nightlife of the entire continent. There was still a continuous display of fireworks in the city as if the celebrations during the day had not ended. Hao Ren¡¯s eyes fell on the white stone columns beside him. These ancient elf-style pillars supported a ring of ring beam above the terrace, surrounded by blooming roses and some unknown alien plants. The celebratory sights and the exquisite and luxurious decorations made a stark contrast to their experiences in the realm of Chaos.


    It was hard to imagine that this world had been in an endless war that had raged on 10,000 years. Collow was different from all the ¡°doomsday¡± worlds that he had ever seen. And the difference was the befuddled life of its people. But when considering what the old knight Morian said on the airship, Hao Ren began to understand why.


    Footsteps were coming from behind.


    Hao Ren turned his head and saw Veronica in purple hair. She had changed her battered knight armor into a gorgeous light blue princess dress. Even her hair had been meticulously combed and set into a hairstyle that was favorite among the noble ladies. The princess looked different. But when she strode like a colossal toward him, Hao Ren knew that nothing had changed. The gorgeous long dress had only become a cumbersome rag hanging down her body.


    ¡°Your Venerable Guardian.¡± Veronica came up to Hao Ren, just like the way when she was in her knight costume. ¡°Why are you here alone?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit stuffy inside,¡± Hao Ren smiled. ¡°Want to get some fresh air. You?¡±


    ¡°Disgusted.¡± Veronica made an exaggerated face. ¡°I have waited for them to finish their flatters finally and found a chance to slip out. This damn dress is driving me crazy. I can¡¯t wrap my brain around how sister could walk in those dresses every day¡ªit is more difficult to wear than the scale armor of the Snow Guards.¡±


    Hao Ren, of course, knew the temper of the princess. So far, he had not met a more ¡®normal¡¯ princess. So she shrugged it off. ¡°It seems that you do not like the nobles.¡±


    ¡°They said that it was a triumphant return.¡± Veronica¡¯s brows knit together. ¡°But I know what happened at the border. An entire legion was almost delisted. I heard that the remaining soldiers had been reorganized, but their number was not even enough to form two brigades. It¡¯s a defeat.¡±


    ¡°In the war with the Chaos, as long as you come back alive, you win. And when you come back you have not let the Chaos cross the Wall of Order barrier; it is a big victory.¡± Hao Ren recalled what Sir Morian had said to him and retold the adage, ¡°Staying alive is triumphant¡ªdon¡¯t you people say that?¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Veronica said with a sigh. ¡°And I also know that the nobles are not stupid. Of course, they know what happened and what they are doing. It is their job. They must maintain an all-is-well atmosphere to convince the people that our kingdom is still strong. Even if the wall collapses one day, they have a responsibility to ensure that people get to enjoy their last meal before they die. Just like the Kordian saying: wine is better to drink it in the stomach than to sprinkle it on the ground.¡±


    ¡°It makes a lot of sense.¡± Hao Ren smiled.


    Veronica shrugged. ¡°Yes, it makes sense. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t like it. I feel that I am more like a soldier. It is only worth celebrating when the soldiers win, not when fleeing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like what the princess should say.¡±


    ¡°You sound like my father.¡± Veronica turned her head and looked at the starless night sky. ¡°But it is no surprise; you are a 1000-year-old ancient after all.¡±


    Hao Ren could not help coughing violently.


    Taking a few sheets of paper out from the dimensional pocket and handing them to Veronica, Hao Ren said, ¡°I have talked to your father. He agreed to mobilize the power of the kingdom to help me find my friend. He said I need to give you the information. Here is it.¡±


    Veronica took the papers in her hands, curious as to who his old friend was. But she knew that the friend of the ancient guardian must naturally be another guardian¡ªa warrior who could survive from the ancient time would not be small potatoes. If there were such a great recluse in the kingdom, it would be great news if the ancient guardian could help arrange a meeting with the hermit.


    However, when Veronica saw what was on the papers, she froze.


    It was the beautiful portraits of someone. It was not the exquisiteness of the pictures that was unusual, the gadgets that the alchemists made could print a similar thing. But the people on the portraits had Veronica scratching her head in bewilderment. The first piece of paper was the portrait of a girl with short black hair, bright smile, sitting on the sofa eating a melon. There was entirely no ¡®ancient warrior¡¯-kind of look on the girl, but more like an eccentric girl next door. The second portrait was still the same person, but with long silver hair, a pair of triangular wolf ears, and a big furry tail. She seemed to be standing in a wilderness, staring at the moon in the sky with an out of this world look.


    If the changes in the second portrait were acceptable, then the third one was utterly ridiculous.


    It was a huge wolf. Maybe a dog¡ªbecause Veronica had never seen a wolf that could smile like that.


    Though it sounded a bit rude, Veronica had indeed recognized the silly face from a canine creature.


    ¡°These are¡­¡± The princess raised looked up at Hao Ren.


    ¡°The three portraits are of the same person. I have no idea what image she would appear before you, so have listed all three of them. Oh, right, there is a lack of reference in the third picture. The big white dog¡­ I mean the wolf is roughly equivalent to the height from here to the small balcony below.¡±


    Veronica was stunned. ¡°Three forms?¡±


    She then took a gander at the balcony below. ¡°That tall?¡±


    ¡°Well.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°She appears in a different form when facing a different enemy, could exert ten times her usual strength. But she can communicate with others only in the first two forms.¡±


    ¡°Does she lose her sense when she is in the third form?¡± Veronica had a complicated expression, and she had somehow accepted the logic of this form-shifting theory. ¡°She would completely turn into a beast?¡± she asked.


    Hao Ren tried to make himself look serious. ¡°Not losing her senses. She could not speak when she is in the third form, where she would be mostly barking. You better find a dog trainer to talk with her to prevent misunderstanding. An entire group of knights might not be her match.¡±


    ¡°Was she a guardian beast during the ancient time?¡± Veronica mumbled to herself. Without waiting for Hao Ren to speak, she continued. ¡°The wonder of an ancient secret technique.¡±


    Hao Ren was dumbstruck.

 Chapter 1252 - The Kant Family Invitation

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    How a husky existed in three different forms, and how a dog crossed space and time¡ªexplaining all of this to the princess of the Otherworld was a difficult task. Mainly because the princess was not the brightest bulb. So, Hao Ren decided to let Veronica use her noodle to ¡®fill in the blanks¡¯ herself.


    As long as she posted the ¡°missing person¡± notices at all corner of the kingdom, the rest was not that important.


    Earlier, while onboard the airship during the journey, Hao Ren had brief contact with the MDT. The connection signal was not stable, and the interference was terrible. But he could estimate the location of Lily, which was not far away, in the southern part of the Ansu mainland. So he confidently passed the missing person flyers to Veronica.


    Hao Ren admitted that he had a slight urge of calling it a ¡®missing dog¡¯ rather than a missing person.


    Hao Ren and Veronica did not talk further after that. They both looked at the dark sky in thought. Veronica was thinking about the future of this kingdom and the direction of the War of Chaos. Hao Ren continued to complete his analysis of this world and planned a trip to other continents. Perhaps Rudolph III and Veronica believed that the arrival of the Ancient Guardian was a major boost for the kingdom, but Hao Ren was not going to waste time here. After getting a rough idea of the state of affair of Collow, he would start further exploration to figure out what the War of Chaos was all about, and if possible, look for the lost ¡®crystal key.¡¯


    He did not forget his original purpose of coming to this part of the universe. If Collow was a dimension stuck between the Plane of Dreams and the surface world, the possibility that the ¡®crystal key¡¯ falling into this dimension was high.


    Hao Ren sighed and looked away from the dark sky. He hoped he could figure out the distortion phenomenon of this world and fix it as soon as possible, which was the best way to save kingdoms like the Kingdom of Taros that were drifting in the sea of war.


    Veronica took Hao Ren¡¯s sigh in a different meaning. The princess turned her head and looked at him. ¡°You seem to be somewhat disappointed with the world of a thousand years later.¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°No, I sighed because of something else. Forget it; it is not something easy to explain.¡±


    Veronica did not pursue further but just nodded. After enjoying a moment of silence, she said, ¡°I have to go back. It doesn¡¯t look good for a princess to be absent for a long time from the royal banquet. I bet that the bunch of oldfags must be complaining about me now.¡±


    The princess turned and walked back to the hall. Hao Ren looked as Veronica left; she still strode like a soldier, which would irk the bunch of oldfags in the banquet hall too, he thought to himself.


    After Veronica left, Hao Ren turned his gaze back to the dull sky, waiting for the clouds to clear and hoping for the best that he could still catch a glimpse of the stars. While he was at it, footsteps coming from behind him again.


    He turned his head and found that a young nobleman was coming in his direction.


    The nobleman was wearing a dark velvet jacket the kind that the nobles of the Kingdom of Taros preferred, and a pair of deerskin boots with gold rims on the feet. There were two rows of gold buttons on the jacket, and each was spotless. His white gloves had exquisite embroidery of the coat of arms. The young man was an authentic Taros noble, every part of him was meticulously trimmed, not a hair out of place but his demeanor revealed a hint of a military man. With beautiful flax-colored curly hair and a handsome face that felt slightly melancholy, he must be the target of the noble ladies in the banquet hall, willingly and readily to have ¡®something¡¯ with him with no string attached.


    Hao Ren looked at the nobleman whom he had never seen before. While grousing about not being able to have some quiet time, Hao Ren was sure the guy was not coming for the dark clouds above.


    Sure enough, the noble youth walked straight up to him and handed him a glass of red wine with a warm smile on his face. ¡°I heard that you are a temple guard from the past and also a high-order bishop?¡±


    Hao Ren was startled; he knew people had regarded him as a temple guard, but it was beyond him that how he got an additional high-order bishop identity now. He felt that the problem must lie in the sacred objects that he carried. Ordinary combatants would not carry a bag load of holy items, those having a rosary hanging from their neck would be monks. So he figured it must be the knights exaggerating his story in the realm of Chaos, and like a broken telephone game, the story ended up of him being a high-order bishop.


    But he could not have cared less to correct this misconception. He did not even know anything about the church internally, and explaining himself would only make things worse. He shrugged. ¡°The temple guards of a thousand years ago are not quite the same as the temple guards of today. May I know who you are?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know me,¡± the noble youth, whose light gray eyes had a kind of melancholy, said with a warm smile. At first, Hao Ren thought that the man was trying to look cool, but now he thought it was probably a born feature. ¡°But you may know my sister.¡±


    ¡°Your sister is Veronica?¡± Hao Ren was stunned. He knew that Veronica had a brother, but the hair color of the young man did not seem to match Veronica¡¯s family gene. ¡°Did you dye your hair?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    The nobleman was startled for a while as the question was baffling. Then he said, ¡°Lavinia. I wonder if you still have an impression?¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment, and the image of the young female knight with freckles on the face came to mind¡ªthe Golden Flag guardian knight under Veronica, the ordinary but seemingly remarkable descendant of the nobility. During the journey in the realm of Chaos, the female knight had come to talk to him. He remembered her as a passionate and somewhat rash celebrity chaser.


    The female knight once said that when they were back at the royal capital, she would make use of her family influence to help Hao Ren find his old friend. But after arriving here, Hao Ren had gotten help from the king, Rudolph III, who would mobilize his resources to help him. So Hao Ren had forgotten about what the female knight had said to him.


    ¡°So you are¡­¡± Hao Ren was stunned as he suddenly realized who this young man was.


    ¡°Willie Tilian Kant,¡± the noble youth replied, raising his glass as a sign of respect. ¡°A junior from the Kant family in the mountain range, Hohenberg. I am lucky enough to be a knight of His Majesty. You can call me Willie directly.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± Hao Ren gave a perfunctory reply. He was wondering what made a noble, idol-class young man, coming for him instead of flirting with the noble ladies in the banquet.


    Hao Ren¡¯s cool attitude had not offended Willie at all. Like a genuinely broadminded aristocratic knight, Willie seemed to think that an ancient guardian should have such a manner. ¡°The Kant family owes you a big favor. My sister is the only member of the family who qualifies as a Golden Knight before the age of twenty. Without you, the family will suffer huge losses. And personally, Lavinia and I have been very close since young.¡±


    Now it all made sense, Hao Ren thought, this man came to say thank you.


    ¡°Nah, not a big deal. All people of the Order would have done so,¡± Hao Ren said.


    Hao Ren was trying to dismiss it politely. And he figured the nobleman would not turn around and go away anytime soon.


    As expected, Willie continued. ¡°Your Venerable Guardian, Lavinia has mentioned that you are looking for an old friend in our kingdom?¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyebrows arched as he recalled the promise the female knight had made. It seemed that nobility¡¯s placing great importance on honoring one¡¯s promise was true. ¡°I am looking for someone, but His Majesty the King and Princess Her Royal Highness have agreed to help.¡±


    ¡°The Kant family has an ancient covenant with the wizards of the Hohenberg. We dare to say that we know most of the ancient hermits and their secrets. On this point, even the king needs our help. The old friend you are looking for may not necessarily be in the open, but we may find clues.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the young man and felt that it would be rude and pretentious to decline further his kindness. What was more, it was not a bad thing to have help from people who knew the local environment like the back of their hands. So he quickly took out the ¡®missing person¡¯ flyer. ¡°Here you go. She could appear in three different bodies¡­¡±


    Hearing Hao Ren¡¯s description of Lily, Willie was stunned. The trinity theory of the guardian beast was beyond his comprehension. But in a flash, he recovered his demeanor and kept listening with a thoughtful look.


    The young man from the Hohenberg frowned and shook his head as if he was trying to recall the guardian beast he had ever known in his mind. Hao Ren did not think that Willie knew any ancient guardian beast. So he said, ¡°You should not¡ª¡±


    ¡°Your Venerable Guardian,¡± Willie interrupted Hao Ren, ¡°I am not sure, but I may know such a weird hermit.¡±


    ¡°You do?¡± Hao Ren was stunned.


    ¡°In the mountains between the Hohenberg and White Sand Valley, there have been rumors about Wolfwalker. Legend has it that this Wolfwalker is a warrior from a thousand years ago. She has a special power and can be in the form of a wolf, running in the mountains, and sometimes appearing in the form of a half-wolf, helping travelers who have lost their way in the mountains. Ah, she is wearing clothes that are not of this era, which looks somewhat similar to the portraits.¡±


    ¡°What more do you know about this ¡®hermit¡¯?¡± Hao Ren squinted.


    Willy thought for a moment and vowed, ¡°In my family¡¯s record, there are more deeds about the Wolfwalker. A wizard close to our family knew the whereabouts of the Wolfwalker and left behind these records. Your Venerable Guardian, I would like to invite you to our family¡¯s estate on the outskirts of the royal capital. My adviser may be able to help you. I am only a soldier after all; what I know is limited.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Willie thoughtfully, and after some thought, he nodded. ¡°Then it will be done.¡±

 Chapter 1253 - The Three Siblings

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    While the battle outside the border escalated and the Chaos pounded on the Wall of Order continuously, the hinterland of the kingdom was still peaceful. White City was like a beautiful gem embedded in the Great Plains. It glittered like the glorious light of Ulo, which sprinkled over the earth. People woke up in the morning and went to the avenue inlaid with white slate. They greeted each other and began to devote themselves to their work for the day. The city was like a machine that ground slowly with a heavy sound.


    The door of the Palace of the Golden Roses cranked open to both sides. The knights and heralds in new armors, carrying the orders of the king and some high-powered people, rushed out of the gate. Some of them were headed to the duke or count¡¯s mansions, some running to the arcane tower of the Royal Arcanist Guild, and some hustling to the temples of scholars and magicians. The information they carried was enough to keep these people they saw busy for a long time. Instead of hindering the operation of the governing machine of the ancient kingdom, a sense of urgency and motivation had arisen after last night¡¯s banquet. The king had received new intelligence, so the scholars were scrambling to find the causes of the fall of the furnace outposts in the Shadowy Forest while sorcerers were rummaging through piles of files, trying to predict the Chaos¡¯ next move. Everyone was busy. After having a debrief before the Royal Court, Princess Veronica debunked the unfavorable comments about General Marcus entirely. It was as if those powers that be had suddenly realized that it was more important to help the veteran to protect their own homes than to find fault with the old general.


    The news about the Ancient Guardian quickly disseminated by the heralds. It first entered the home of every major noble, in turn, the lower-rank knight brought the news to the lesser nobility, while the noble ladies broadcast it during their high-tea gossips. When the maid told the cook what she heard, the cook told the groom, who went and bragged about it in the pub. Suddenly, people of the entire city had become witnesses of the guardian. While the information that the Royal Court officials and the nobility obtained was true and accurate, the same information when filtered down to the men in the street had split into a dozen versions of different degree of exaggeration. Some even swore that the Goddess of Creation had decided to come to the Kingdom of Taros in person, and the ancient guardian was only a messenger.


    This news would soon spread to the powerful church-state of the sanctum, placed on the table of the pope.


    In the border battle not long ago, the early withdrawal of the Theocratic troops had caused a heavy defeat to the kingdom¡¯s forces on the western front. Though the blame should not be solely on the Theocracy, the king of Taros was hoping to hear an explanation from the pope. With the appearance of the Ancient Guardian, the aloof people of the sanctum might show some responses.


    At the very least, they would send a higher-ranking representative to check out the situation.


    The King of Taros did not know the coming of the secret investigation team from the sanctum, which had not only landed in the southern part of the kingdom but was also wading through the Shadowy Forest now.


    At the center of this series of events was the Ancient Guardian, who had just gotten himself free from the comfort of the bed half an hour ago, and now standing on a terrace in the Palace of the Golden Roses with a tired face.


    Veronica was back in her knight uniform, standing in front of Hao Ren. ¡°Your Venerable Guardian, it seems that you had a rough night. Were you not used to the environment in the palace? Or was it because of the less than satisfactory care of the servants?¡±


    ¡°No, the servants have been doing a good job.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°But I didn¡¯t quite get used to having people standing inside and outside of the room while I was sleeping. It was as if I am dead.¡±


    Veronica smiled. ¡°It suits you.¡±


    ¡°I am seeing people hustling out of the city gate today.¡± Hao Ren looked down at the boulevard under the terrace, where several knights were escorting a herald passing through the stone pavement. ¡°It seems busy.¡±


    Veronica glanced at the seemingly clueless ancient guardian. ¡°They are on their way to disseminate the news about the Ancient Guardian. Soon, there will be scholars and representatives from the arcane tower coming to see you.¡±


    The kind of headache Hao Ren had anticipated was finally coming. He smacked his head helplessly and then steered away from the topic. ¡°You have something to see me?¡±


    ¡°My younger brother and sister hope to meet the legendary Ancient Guardian.¡± Veronica laughed. ¡°They had a serious illness before, and therefore missed the welcoming ceremony, and even did not show up at the banquet yesterday. Today Ania is feeling much better. She couldn¡¯t wait to see you now. But I am worried about her condition.¡±


    ¡°Of course, no problem,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°I am curious to see her too. I can go to meet her.¡±


    ¡°Curious? Why curious?¡± Veronica was baffled.


    Hao Ren hemmed and said, ¡°I¡¯m just curious about how your younger brother and sister look. I have heard you mention them several times, but haven¡¯t gotten a chance to meet them.¡±


    ¡°You will like them,¡± Veronica said as she laughed. She stepped aside to gesture Hao Ren climbing into her carriage. ¡°Ania is a smart, cute girl, and Andrew is well-behaved.¡±


    Before long, the carriage had brought Veronica and Hao Ren to the east side of the palace, where the younger princess and prince were recuperating. The carriage stopped before a small garden in an annex. A winding gravel path passed through the shrubs and flower beds to a white spire house not far away. Veronica first alighted. ¡°Your Venerable Guardian, please wait a moment here, let me see if they are ready.¡±


    There were rules and etiquette in the Royal Family. Often time, they followed a long process of preparation and notification before one could have an audience with members of the Royal Family. Usually, it was the servants who performed these jobs, but Veronica apparently preferred to do it herself. Hao Ren could completely understand why. When the princess disappeared into the entrance at the end of the gravel path, he climbed out of the carriage and strolled around the flower bed. Unlike the magnificent Palace of the Golden Roses, this annex felt more down-to-earth. It lacked the luxurious decoration of the palace but had a lot of warmth and a welcoming atmosphere. The plants in the garden in front of the house were much more lovely than the colossal stone statues and reliefs in front of the palace hall.


    While Hao Ren was mooching around, the sound of a dress sweeping across the grass suddenly came from nearby, and then a young girl sounded in surprise. ¡°Ahh¡ª¡±


    Hao Ren turned his head and saw a girl in a white princess dress with long lavender hair and a brass kettle in her hand standing in the shrubs. He was stunned. ¡°Veronica? Did you change your clothes? Aren¡¯t you hate this dress?¡±


    The girl was perplexed and took a step back in fear.


    ¡°Wait a second. You are not Veronica,¡± Hao Ren said, suddenly realizing. ¡°She isn¡¯t as bashful as you are. You are Veronica¡¯s sister?¡±


    Ania sized up Hao Ren before letting out a smile. Her face was a little pale, voice soft. ¡°You must be the Ancient Guardian my sister has been mentioning. I am Ania Bethany Ansa. You can call me Ania.¡±


    Ansa is the surname of the Royal Family of Taros. The girl Hao Ren saw was the twin sister of Veronica. When Hao Ren figured out this, he started to notice the differences. Ania was thinner¡ªprobably because she just recovered from her illness, her face pale, and had bigger eyes. There was a gentle and quiet temperament in her, and she still looked dignified and elegant despite not in her best state of health. Veronica lacked all these temperaments. The most memorable trait of Veronica was her swinging her 30-kg broadsword and slicing the monsters like melons while tromping her enemies to the ground.


    Looking at Ania, Hao Ren began to wonder how could a pair of twins develop into two extreme personalities¡ªone was extremely intelligent while the other was as strong as an ox.


    While Hao Ren and Ania looked at each other awkwardly, someone pushed the door open forcefully not far away. Veronica was clenching a little boy with her forehand rushing out of the house. ¡°Your Venerable Guardian, it¡¯s not good! My sister is missing!¡±


    Hao Ren and Ania looked at the knight princess with a stunned look on their faces.


    Hao Ren pointed at Ania and said to Veronica, ¡°Your sister was watering the flowers outside. Didn¡¯t you know?¡±

 Chapter 1254 - An Attempted Murder?

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren knew that Veronica was rough, but her crudeness was on another level back at home. To those who knew her well enough, it was not unexpected. Everyone knew that Veronica was a gifted martial arts practitioner; her talents laid on the battlefield. But off the battlefield, she often caused a furor.


    Ania stood in the shrub and knew that her sister was confused again. The gentle girl, who looked identical to Veronica but had opposite personalities, said with a smile, ¡°Sister, it is safe in the Royal Capital. Please do not worry every time I am not in my room.¡±


    Veronica looked at her sister and then Hao Ren, finally feeling embarrassed. ¡°I was just worried that you would suddenly faint while being outside. You haven¡¯t fully recovered yet.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, my sister. I am fine now.¡± Ania smiled. ¡°Mr. Aberton said that I could get out of bed and move around, it is more beneficial to the body.¡±


    She then nodded to Hao Ren. ¡°My apology for the faux pas. I got lost one time when I was a kid. And she became a bit paranoid ever since.¡±


    ¡°Ahem, it¡¯s an old story. Your Venerable Guardian, let¡¯s talk inside the house. I will take you to see my brother Andrew.¡±


    Hao Ren was confused when he saw the little boy under Veronica¡¯s armpit. ¡°Who is this boy?¡±


    The little boy, pinched under the arm, was struggling as he screamed in a muffled voice. It took the knight princess a while before she came to her senses and looked down. And she was shocked. ¡°Andrew! When did you come out here?¡±


    The prince, still struggling, grabbed Veronica¡¯s arm frantically as his eyes rolled back from lack of oxygen.


    Veronica quickly let the prince down and placed him on the ground. Gasping for air, the prince could not even maintain his balance. When his breathing finally normalized, the prince flattened his lips and was ready to cry. But quickly, he bit his lip and suppressed his emotion before he coughed profusely. At first, the prince was recovering faster than Ania from his illness, but now it seemed like he was a sick boy again.


    Nearby, the Royal Guards¡¯ eyes affixed at a distance, but their faces flushed as they were trying too hard to hold back their laughter.


    After the hilarious incident, the three royalties and Hao Ren went inside the house. The maidservants had brought tea and cookies, but everyone was still embarrassed over the little episode earlier.


    At this moment, Hao Ren had the opportunity to study Veronica¡¯s siblings. But he did not focus on Ania, whom he knew that apart from personality, physical strength, and attire differences, was a replica of Veronica. The little prince, Andrew, looked like a ten-year-old. In this war-torn world of Collow, even a ten-year-old kid must be trained to be independent. But the prince had not shown the slightest ability in this respect. Andrew was thin and his eyes did not look as sharp as Ania¡¯s. He was just like any other ordinary kid, wriggling in his chair. With a cookie in one hand and a straw in another, the prince was concentrating on blowing bubbles in the teacup.


    As if he had noticed Hao Ren¡¯s gaze, Andrew suddenly looked up and sat upright cautiously.


    He still lacked the bearing and courage that the royalties should have.


    At yesterday¡¯s banquet, Hao Ren overheard a rumor about Rudolph III¡¯s children from the conversation among a few nobles. The twin daughters of the king were like pearls of the kingdom. Ania was intelligent and talented in magic, while Veronica was characteristically a headache, but she was a gifted warrior and a capable military strategist. Only the little prince, Andrew, almost had no talent and was mediocre personality-wise.


    It seemed that the rumor was true.


    It was just that these royal affairs were not the focus of Hao Ren¡¯s attention. He was concerned about the health of Ania and Andrew. When Rudolph III raised the matter that day, Hao Ren had sensed the king¡¯s worries in his voice that it was more to the illness of his children than meets the eye. Hao Ren did not know how to read people, but he noticed that Rudolph III paused when he mentioned about Ania and Andrew¡¯s illness.


    Hao Ren had no business in these things, but since they were Veronica¡¯s family, he was concerned.


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyes swept across the faces of the prince and the princess, noticing that their faces were slightly pale and their lips dry. Although they had recovered physically, a slight sign of weariness was still in their eyes. But this could be the normal condition when recovering from a severe illness and he could not find any abnormality.


    ¡°How did they fall sick all of a sudden?¡± Veronica asked.


    Ania shook her head. ¡°We Probably caught a cold from the recent weather changes. Mr. Aberton said that many people are falling sick recently and it is all related to the weather. The dark side of Carnos can¡¯t project itself inside the Wall of Order, but it always affects the climate here. Recently, there have been strong winds and sudden rains and snow on the plains. The masters are already trying to control the weather manually.¡±


    ¡°The King has made it sound terrible. A simple cold made you bed-ridden for so many days?¡± Hao Ren interrupted Ania. ¡°Do you both always get sick?¡±


    Hearing this, Ania glanced at Hao Ren and slowly shook his head. ¡°I was weak since young, but Andrew was very healthy. He has not been sick for several years.¡±


    ¡°I know a thing or two about medicine,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°Especially treating some ancient illnesses. Can you tell me what your symptoms are? I am worried that you are infected with some ancient infectious disease.¡±


    Veronica frowned. ¡°Would she be so unlucky?¡±


    Ania was a little hesitant before slowly saying, ¡°The symptoms are common: fever, tiredness, loss of strength, and an inability to get out of bed. But there is no trace of any disease. The arcanists once thought it was a curse, but an examination ruled out the possibility. The mages also ruled out the erosion of the elements. Finally, it was the special potion that the alchemist prepared worked.¡±


    ¡°Special potion?¡± Hao Ren asked with a frown.


    Ania took out a crystal bottle from a beautiful box on the table. ¡°This is it.¡±


    Hao Ren took the crystal bottle, which was one-third full, filled with a colorless liquid. When he unscrewed the cap, a pleasant floral fragrance drifted into his nostrils. He dipped his finger in the liquid, tasted it, and it seemed nothing was strange.


    Returning the crystal bottle to Ania, Hao Ren asked, ¡°Is Mr. Aberton the alchemist?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grand Duke Loen has recommended him, Mr. Aberton is an expert in refining all kinds of drugs.¡±


    ¡°Grand Duke Loen?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s brows knitted together. When it came to the royal families, Hao Ren could not make head or tail of the cobweb of their intricate relationships.


    Grand Duke Loen sounded like some high-powered person. There were few people in the upper echelons of the kingdom. Hao Ren should have some impressions of this person, but somehow the name did not register.


    Hao Ren tried to organize his thoughts. The main reason he could not recognize the name was that he had left during the opening ceremony of the banquet last night, and naturally, he was not there to get to know those officials and nobility.


    ¡°You are forgiven for not knowing him,¡± Ania said with a smile. ¡°He is the most trusted right-hand man of my father. You will have a lot of opportunities to meet him. He is not easy to get along with, but he is always fair. Maybe you two can talk.¡±


    Hao Ren gave her perfunctory nods. He then asked, ¡°What did you come into contact with before you got sick? For example, food, or strange utensils.¡±


    ¡°These questions have been asked many times. Of course, no.¡± Ania shook her head. ¡°We ate what we usually eat, and used what we usually use. Even the people whom we came into contact with every day were acquaintances.¡±


    By now, even Veronica, the slowpoke, had sensed what Hao Ren and Ania were suspecting. Her brows knitted together when she asked, ¡°Wait a second, Your Venerable Guardian. Do you mean¡­¡±


    Ania smiled and glanced at her sister. She then motioned her maidservants to leave them before she said quietly, ¡°He is suspecting that someone is trying to kill Andrew and me.¡±


    The atmosphere instantly became heavy. The only one who was clueless about what happened was Andrew. He looked up when he sensed no one talking. But he quickly lowered his head and continued enjoying his cookie.


    Quietly, Hao Ren looked at Ania. ¡°It seems like you have thought of that too.¡±

 Chapter 1255 - Ania’s Nightmares

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren was not well-versed with the intrigue and infighting in the palace. He also knew quite a few real princes, nobles, emperors, and generals, but they all had a distinct style of doing things. Compared to the superstructure of the Taros Kingdom, the highly-unified ruling institutions were clearly more ¡°approachable¡±.


    Hao Ren could deduce how complex the upper echelons of this old kingdom were from just a few scraps of information from Veronica and what he saw and heard at the banquet last night.


    The atmosphere in the room was heavy. Even the obtuse Prince Andrew felt the atmosphere was not right and carefully stopped blowing bubbles in his tea. Veronica frowned, as though a flame was brewing in her eyes. ¡°If it¡¯s true¡­ This is absolutely shocking! Ania, have you told father?¡± asked Veronica.


    ¡°No, and I don¡¯t have to.¡± Ania shook her head slightly. ¡°Father is a wise man, and perhaps he is aware it. Recently, the guards near Andrew¡¯s and my place have tripled, and some of Father¡¯s own men had come in. Apparently, he¡¯s on guard against something. It¡¯s just that ¡®there were attempts to murdered members of the Royal Family and almost succeeded¡¯ is too impactful. And we haven¡¯t caught any trace of them yet, so it¡¯s not appropriate to make this matter public at this stage.¡±


    ¡°Is it okay to tell me? I¡¯m a stranger to you,¡± asked Hao Ren.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already deduced it yourself, haven¡¯t you?¡± Ania looked at Hao Ren with a smile. ¡°And you are the ancient guardian from a thousand years ago, the power disputes of our time are meaningless to you. I don¡¯t need to be on guard against you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. So far everything is just my guess. But you look like¡­ Have you got any concrete proof?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m also just speculating, but I trust my own speculation.¡± Ania smiled and pointed to herself, with a hint of cunning on her face. ¡°I¡¯m not as strong as my sister, but I¡¯m proud of my brain. White City hasn¡¯t been peaceful lately. Probably it¡¯s been peaceful for too long and the chaotic war has been going on for too long. Some cults are ready for action, and some aristocrats are not content with what they have either. We can almost certain that some people are planning something that shouldn¡¯t happen.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Can you confirm the scope of these people?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible. We would have taken further action if we could confirm it.¡±


    ¡°How many children does the king have?¡±


    ¡°Just the three of us,¡± Veronica replied. ¡°My father loves my mother very much. He never remarried after my mother passed away.¡±


    ¡°Let me see. This man¡¯s goal is the king¡¯s children, so it was certainly not limited to Ania and Andrew. Veronica, you should be one of the targets, too. We just don¡¯t know when and how they¡¯re going to do it.¡±


    Veronica waved her hand and said, ¡°Whoever it is, I don¡¯t care. After all, that vicious battle in the west didn¡¯t kill me, and I didn¡¯t die amid the chaos. I¡¯m not afraid of monsters, let alone people.¡±


    Some idea suddenly came to Ania¡¯s mind. ¡°Wait, maybe¡­ They¡¯ve already done it.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Ania sharply and asked, ¡°You mean what happened in the battle was planned?¡±


    Ania narrowed her eyes and said, ¡°That makes sense: all three heirs of the kingdom were in trouble at the same time, and none of them was left out.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute. It doesn¡¯t make sense. There are only two reasons for the failure of the war in the western region. One is that chaotic forces suddenly become stronger, and the other is the early withdrawal of troops from the Theocracy. Neither of these two reasons seems to be under human control.¡± Veronica disagreed.


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, ¡°The tides of Chaos are indeed beyond human control, but the army of the Theocracy is only human.¡±


    Ania and Veronica looked at him strangely as soon as he finished. Hao Ren was now the ¡®ancient guardian¡¯, the ancient warrior in the Cassouin Temple. He could have been a senior member of the Theocracy a thousand years ago. It was inappropriate for him to directly question or suspect the army of the Theocracy.


    ¡°Ahem.¡± Veronica tried to soften the awkward atmosphere. ¡°The army of the Theocracy is indeed mortal, but they are the most faithful ones, especially their commanders. I think these people are the least likely ones to engage in intrigue because it is directly against the teachings of the Goddess of Creation. The Theocracy is located in the sanctum. The whole continent is permanently enveloped in the power of the Goddess. Those born and raised there are directly imbued with divine power. So regardless of personal morality and upbringing, they¡¯ve been molded into unshakable believers from the depths of their souls. Of course, the human mind is complex. Even the sanctum, there may be one or two scum, which is extremely rare. But the odds are too small. And even if there¡¯re such people, they will soon be caught and expelled. Sir Guardian, you yourself are a member of the sanctum. Don¡¯t you know that?¡±


    Hao Ren quickly nodded and said, ¡°Oh, of course, I know¡­¡±


    The discussion ended without any conclusion.


    No matter who was behind it, one thing is certain: they were masterful and left no trace. Even with Ania¡¯s wisdom and Rudolph III¡¯s spy power, they could only certain that someone was behind this incident. Hao Ren even carefully asked Ania about the names of everyone they had been in contact within the week before they fell ill. The princess had an extraordinary memory. She recalled all of them without fail.


    With Veronica¡¯s stamp of approval, those people were loyal and reliable. Even in the most malicious speculation, the two princesses could not find the suspicions of these people and the motive for murdering the prince and princesses.


    ¡°That¡¯s all we can do,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°I¡¯m a newcomer. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t help you much. But one word of caution: be careful. Their plan has obviously failed, but there will surely be another one.¡±


    ¡°Of course we will.¡± Ania smiled faintly. ¡°Thank you for your concern. Ah, yes, I suddenly remembered one thing.¡±


    Hao Ren raised an eyebrow. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°We had a symptom while Andrew and I were very ill. We have nightmares frequently.¡±


    ¡°Nightmare? What kind of nightmare?¡±


    ¡°All kinds of things. There¡¯s no regular pattern.¡± Ania shook her head. ¡°I do have doubts about this clue. But I¡¯ve analyzed all the dreams and found nothing suspicious in them, just a simple nightmare. It¡¯s common for people who are seriously ill to have nightmares, so in the end, I didn¡¯t pay any more attention to that.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ This is very important, maybe very important,¡± said Hao Ren.


    Then, Hao Ren asked Ania to describe all the dreams to him. Each of her dreams, though disturbing, was vividly recalled and every detail was vividly described, making Hao Ren feel like he had experienced absurd and weird dreams as if he were in them. Every dream seemed to be filled with dark malice.


    Hao Ren let out a long breath after all the dreams were described. As Ania says, they looked like just some kind of strange dreams on the surface, but Hao Ren is different. He was very good at finding unusual points in these eccentric and wild dreams.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to explain it to you, but these dreams are probably the real killer,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°All dreams are distorted. These dreams are produced by the interference of foreign will. Ania, there are things in your dreams that you¡¯ve never seen before, and you¡¯ve completely lost your dominance over your dreams and are unable to disengage from them. I¡¯ve seen nightmares like this before. It¡¯s the characteristic of being invaded by a powerful evil mind.¡±


    ¡°What should I do then?¡± Veronica was horrified by Hao Ren at once. ¡°It sounds more terrible than a warlock¡¯s spiritual curse¡­¡±


    ¡°The dream has faded, so I can¡¯t track it and I don¡¯t know how to deal with it. Now I can only assume that the potions prepared by your alchemists worked. Maybe it contains the ingredients that enhance mental resistance and resist the invasion of an evil mind. But if you encounter this nightmare again, I believe I can help.¡±


    Veronica and Ania exchanged glances and bowed their heads to Hao Ren. ¡°Thank you very much.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded, but deep inside, he was a little worried.


    Nightmare, nightmare again.


    He thought of the posts engulfed by terrible nightmares in the shadowy jungle.


    Was there a connection between the two?

 Chapter 1256 - An Unexpected Encounter

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After chatting for a while, Hao Ren stood up and got ready to leave.


    ¡°You have an appointment? Have you found an acquaintance here?¡± Veronica asked curiously.


    ¡°No, one of the nobles invited me,¡± Hao Ren explained. ¡°He said he came from a family in Hohenberg. He¡¯s called Willie. He said his family had ties to many ancient hermits and knew many secrets of previous generations. Sorry, I¡¯m not really familiar with your aristocratic system, so I don¡¯t quite remember his title.¡±


    Veronica¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°You mean Count Willie of the Kant family, who lives in the Hohenberg? Willie Tilian Kant. He¡¯s a very famous man. He¡¯s a famous young aristocrat of Taros, also the youngest count in the history of the kingdom. When he has inherited all his estate and has accumulated a little more merit, he will certainly be a role model and leave behind a good reputation.¡±


    ¡°So cool?¡± Hao Ren was a little surprised. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that¡­ I just think he¡¯s quite handsome.¡±


    Ania laughed and said, ¡°The young count is very famous indeed. In fact, this time, the two young Kants are not simple individuals. The lady won the golden title of the genius knight at a young age, and Count Willie is doing very well in the political arena. His experience of leading troops to pacify seven barbarian rebels in the Northern Wilderness has impressed many older military aristocrats. Achieving this level of achievement before the age of 30. I¡¯m afraid it will be very hard for the kingdom to meet such talented young people again in a hundred years.¡±


    ¡°Heroes emerge in troubled times. But the two princesses of Taros seem to be more famous than the two young Kants. Count Willie had only succeeded in putting down the rebellion of several hill tribes in the kingdom, but Veronica had been fighting on the chaotic border for many years,¡± said Hao Ren.


    Veronica looked a little shy at the compliment. She gave a demure smile and said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m indeed better than him.¡±


    Two princesses got up and personally walked Hao Ren out. And just as they came to the end of the gravel road in the little garden, a black carriage, decorated with wild rose and dagger, suddenly turned from the road.


    The carriage drew up slowly on the gravel path. A servant in a black uniform jumped out and opened the door on one side of the carriage. Hao Ren was just passing by at the moment. When he saw the figure coming out of the carriage, he paused for a moment.


    A tall, thin man got out of the carriage. He was thin, looking gloomy as if his face was permanently covered with frost. Below a pair of pale gray eyebrows was a pair of eyes as sharp as a falcon¡¯s. Hao Ren was familiar with this pair of eyes.


    This pair of eyes looked at him with hostility when he had just arrived in White City.


    At this moment, Ania suddenly interrupted Hao Ren¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Uncle Loen, why are you here?¡±


    Loen? Was it Grand Duke Loen? The one who recommended the alchemist who cured the prince and princess¡¯ ¡®cursed dreams¡¯ with the magic potion?


    Hao Ren was a little surprised and asked, ¡°You¡¯re Grand Duke Loen?¡±


    Grand Duke Loen did not show any emotions when he saw Hao Ren this time. He was just keeping a poker face as usual. He first bowed slightly to the two princesses and Prince Andrew, who was hiding behind them, and then finally looked at Hao Ren and said, ¡°Lord Guardian, it¡¯s good to see you. I think we have met at the banquet yesterday?¡±


    ¡°We first met when the airship landed.¡± Hao Ren also hid his emotions and replied with a smile. ¡°I can¡¯t remember others¡¯ names very well, please forgive me.¡±


    ¡°I heard that you are a powerful ancient warrior and a high-ranking bishop of the temple. It¡¯s normal that you don¡¯t pay much attention to us,¡± Grand Duke Loen said indifferently. ¡°I am here to see how Princess Ania and Prince Andrew are recovering. I wonder¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m here to visit the patients, too. Veronica brought me here.¡±


    Grand Duke Loen immediately glanced at Hao Ren suspiciously. This time, he hardly hid his emotion.


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem, Uncle Loen?¡± Ania immediately felt the change in the atmosphere, and her address to Grand Duke Loen showed that she seemed to have a good private relationship with the king¡¯s eminent minister. Of course, it was also possible that they really had some kind of kinship. After all, in the kingdom¡¯s complex upper aristocracy circle, the blood relationship had become a kind of intricate network structure. You could even say that the upper aristocracy of the entire Taros kingdom was composed of two or three big bloodlines. ¡°The Guardian is very concerned about Andrew and me,¡± said Ania.


    ¡°Well, thank you so much for paying attention to us,¡± said Grand Duke Loen, still with a grim face. ¡°Now that we met, I¡¯ve got some questions I¡¯d like to ask you.¡±


    ¡°Questions?¡± Hao Ren was curious.


    ¡°I am not a scholar, but I am interested in a lot of ancient knowledge.¡± Loen raised his eyelids as if he were really talking about his area of interest. ¡°It¡¯s just that history is full of incomplete and fictional shadows, and it¡¯s hard for an outsider like me to touch a truly valuable knowledge. I want to ask you, the guardian of a thousand years ago, how the three ¡®The Blessed Braves¡¯ split the temple in two about ten centuries ago. And how did it recover?¡±


    Hao Ren froze immediately, but the expression on his face remained unchanged. After some superfast thinking, he answered, ¡°Ahem, I was stationed at the Cassouin Temple. The temple had fallen before the battle you mentioned. Then I fell into a long slumber and knew nothing of what followed. I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t help you in this respect.¡±


    ¡°Is it¡­ It indeed happened at the end of the war.¡± Grand Duke Loen nodded, but then came the next question. ¡°And do you know who destroyed the scepter of the Frost Queen in the battle of the fall of Wagner, the ¡®Pale Knight¡¯? As we all know, it was the breakage of the scepter that caused the Fimbulvinter Coalition Army to fail to reach the battlefield in time. But there are many versions of the truth about the destruction of the scepter. I¡¯m afraid that only someone like you who experienced that era can tell us the truth.¡±


    Veronica couldn¡¯t resist cutting in, ¡°Uncle Loen, isn¡¯t it¡­¡±


    Grand Duke Loen immediately raised his hand to interrupt Veronica, ¡°I want to get the answer from the guardian. Your Highness, you sleep through every history lesson. It¡¯s better to listen as well.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Hao Ren got it. This Duke Lun was clearly suspicious of his status as an ancient guardian. He was not asking for advice at all, he was questioning Hao Ren.


    ¡°I know, but I don¡¯t have time to tell you right now.¡±


    Grand Duke Loen paused for a moment. He did not expect that answer.


    ¡°I have an appointment. The Kants are inviting me, and they are also discussing ancient knowledge. As an ancient guardian who values commitment and justice, I can¡¯t tell you more before I finish this appointment.¡±


    The two princesses heard this and whispered to each other. ¡°Ania, is there such a commandment in the sacred land?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, a thousand years ago,¡± Hao Ren said, trying to keep a straight face.


    ¡°In that case, I was a being little rube. Please go to the appointment first, my Lord Guardian, and I will wait for your advice.¡±


    That meant the Grand Duke Loen would come back and test him again.


    Hao Ren kept his face expressionless. He nodded to Grand Duke Loen as he maintained his gentility and said, ¡°No problem. It¡¯s my duty to teach common people. My little fellow, I¡¯m so glad you are diligent and eager to learn. Go back and wait. When I sort out my thoughts, I¡¯ll certainly come back and enlighten you.¡±


    Without waiting for a reply, he turned his head and left.


    Grand Duke Loen looked petrified behind him. After a while, he muttered to himself, ¡°L-Little fellow?¡±


    Veronica and Ania thought that it was totally okay to call him that way!

 Chapter 1257 - The Kant Estate

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    When Hao Ren arrived at the gate on the west side of the Palace of the Golden Roses, the Kant Family carriage had already been waiting there for a long time.


    A coachman and two attendants appeared before him, while Count Willie stood in front of the carriage. The well-known young aristocrat was a kind and courteous man. He had been waiting for about half an hour, but he did not mind at all. He was talking with a palace guard and smiling. Such an approachable attitude was rare among the aristocrats.


    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting. I met Grand Duke Loen. He seemed curious about me and asked me lots of questions,¡± Hao Ren explained.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok. It¡¯s worth waiting for a great warrior from ancient times,¡± Willie said and smiled gently. ¡°Please get in. The Kant Estate is just outside the city, and we shall get there at noon.


    The gorgeous carriage slowly left the Palace of the Golden Roses and gradually disappeared at the end of the King¡¯s Avenue. After the carriage left, the two guards standing at the palace gate exchanged a glance.


    The guard who had just talked to Willie nodded to his companion and said, ¡°Inform the Grand Duke that the guardian has left with Count Willie. They will meet others at the Kant Estate outside the city.¡±


    The carriage traveled smoothly and rapidly along the central avenue of White City, and the scenery on both sides of the road flashed by. White houses flashed by one after another. All the buildings are almost identical in color. The clean color brings splendor and grandeur to the whole city, but when you look closely, it is inevitably tiresome. Willie was sitting in the car, too. The count, who had just turned thirty, was proud of the capital of his country. He happily introduced the scenery to Hao Ren along the way. They left the King¡¯s Avenue, passed through the tulip field, roared past Knight Street and Blacksmith Street, and passed through the triple gates of White City. Soon, they arrived at the Kant Estate in the suburbs.


    Although the Kant Estate was in the Hohenberg, it was well managed.


    The estate was surrounded by shade and stood on the edge of a vibrant forest. A small river ran through the middle of the estate. There was also a hydraulic mill on the north side of the estate and a horse farm on the south. Hao Ren could only see some dim shadows of the gorgeous buildings hidden in the shade of the forest and could not tell the size of the estate and the extent of its construction from the outside.


    The carriage went straight into the gate, skirted around the woods, and stopped in front of a magnificent mansion.


    A stooped old servant came forward to greet them. Willie stepped out of the carriage and offered his hand to Hao Ren. This is not necessary, but it can be regarded as the host¡¯s most respected etiquette to the guests. ¡°Mr. Guardian, welcome to Kant Estate. My adviser and some scholars coming from other family estates are waiting for you.¡±


    Hohenberg was far from the White City, and Hao Ren arrived in this city yesterday. Therefore, those scholars should have been teleported here directly. Teleportation was still the fastest mode of transportation of the kingdom, but it was also very expensive and only available to the upper classes. Several scholars used teleportation in order to meet with the ancient guardian, and this showed the importance they attached to this meeting


    Hao Ren got out of the carriage with a calm expression and stepped into the mansion.


    He met the ¡®experts and scholars¡¯ in the main hall of the manor house.


    There was a long table in the luxurious hall and a dozen people were sitting there. At one end of the long table, an old man in a black robe was sitting there, with a beard hanging almost to his chest. The old man looked at least seventy or eighty years old, but he was hale and hearty. Judging from the ruby ring on his hand and the golden runes on his black robe, he should be an experienced spellcaster. Sitting next to the old man were two middle-aged men in scholar robes. They looked gentle and elegant. Farther up the table were obviously lower-ranking men, probably their assistants.


    Hao Ren raised his eyebrows after entering the room. He looked around and found that every wall was painted with beautiful and fine murals. Most of the murals depicted the scenes of knights fighting bravely, as well as the scenes of glory descending from the sky and warriors coming back to life after being blessed by the Goddess.


    Willie noticed it, smiled proudly and explained, ¡°The Kants have been in the army for generations. The best soldiers of the kingdom were coming from us. Most of these murals depict the stories of my ancestors. Of course, half is true, half is legendary. We believe that the warriors of the Hohenberg are protected by the Goddess of Creation. Whenever we die bravely in battle, we will be immediately summoned by the Goddess, and then come back to life in another world.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and said, ¡°A family full of glory.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably nothing compared to you,¡± Willie joked. When Hao Ren sat down, he ordered his servant to serve tea and began to introduce, ¡°This is my adviser, Scholar Lamore, a highly respected wizard and scholar of the Kant Family. This is Mr. Handel, who specializes in ancient history, and this is¡­¡±


    Hao Ren nodded as he listened, and finally, Willie introduced him to everyone even though everyone already knew who he was. ¡°This is Hao Ren, the ¡®ancient guardian¡¯ I mentioned. He came from a thousand years ago. During the war, he guarded the Cassouin Grand Temple until the last moment. After a thousand years of sleep, he was awakened by Princess Veronica.¡±


    Hao Ren took a sip of the black tea, glanced over the people in front of him and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go straight to the point. I heard that you know a Wolfwalker wandering in the mountains of the north? And this Wolfwalker is very similar to the person I described?¡±


    Lamore, the old man in the black robe took out several pieces of paper, and the top one is Hao Ren¡¯s notice for missing Husky. He let go of the papers, and the papers floated smoothly to Hao Ren. ¡°The legend of the Wolfwalker is very old, only the people of the Hohenberg know these stories. And only those of us who are fascinated by ancient knowledge can tell it in its entirety. You probably can¡¯t find it out from others. We found some old records from the family territories, from which we have drawn something, you can have a look.¡±


    Hao Ren spread out the papers and found that the last two sheets were the information provided by the Kant Family. It was a blurred picture on one of the papers.


    It was a portrait of a girl with wolf ears standing on the top of the mountain and looking down. Although it was not clear enough, Hao Ren could faintly discern Lily¡¯s silhouette.


    ¡°This is the only portrait we have found. The Wolfwalker was last seen 200 years ago. A wizard apprentice who got lost in the mountains was lucky enough to record the hermit¡¯s appearance. But it¡¯s been 800 years since your time, so you may not recognize it.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled, put the information aside and said, ¡°It¡¯s valuable. So can you find the Wolfwalker now?¡±


    ¡°It depends on how much more detailed information you can give us. Wolfwalkers don¡¯t communicate with outsiders, including us. We can only confirm that she still lives in seclusion in the vicinity Hohenberg and White Sand Valley, but it¡¯s still difficult to find her whereabouts. Maybe you can answer some of our questions to make it easier for us to find them.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled and said, ¡°Just ask.¡±


    ¡°So, first of all,¡± said Lamore, sitting up straight, ¡°is this Wolfwalker one of the guardians of the Cassouin Grand Temple? Is she a warrior of the Theocracy like you?¡±


    Hao Ren raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°Does it have anything to do with the whereabouts of the Wolfwalker?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We can narrow down our search based on the answer.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°She¡¯s not a guardian of the Cassouin Grand Temple.¡±


    Several scholars immediately exchanged glances after hearing the answer, and eventually, everyone nodded.


    Hao Ren noticed a glint in Lamore¡¯s eyes. He seemed a little pleased with the answer.

 Chapter 1258 - I’m a Good Man

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Those experts seemed to know a lot about the unprecedented war a thousand years ago, especially the black-robed Lamore. He was clearly an authority on the war. Every question he raised was professional and methodical.


    Unfortunately, the one sitting in front of them was not a real ancient guardian. Facing the questions raised by the experts, Hao Ren¡¯s answer was limited. He could probably guess the nature of the world or make up his theological knowledge, but when it came to historical background, he could only avoid it on the grounds of memory loss after he woke up from such a long slumber.


    However, it seemed that the scholars were not too concerned about his answers. Although Hao Ren avoided at least half of their questions, Lamore still earnestly probed him about other things.


    Shortly after, Willie, who had remained silent all the while, decided to cut in, ¡°The Cassouin Grand Temple is on top of the holy mountain, isn¡¯t it? Can you describe the temple?¡±


    ¡°The temple?¡± Hao Ren looked at the count curiously. ¡°Does this have anything to do with the whereabouts of the Wolfwalker?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Willie laughed, feeling a little embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯m just curious. Even though I¡¯m not a member of the Sanctum, my belief in the goddess of creation is beyond doubt. Those lost shrines have an indescribable attraction to me.¡±


    Hao Ren could not find any reason to refuse so he nodded and explained, ¡°Mount Cassouin isn¡¯t very high, but the temple on the mountain is a really magnificent building. It consists of three parts, the center of which is a huge cylinder¡­¡±


    The scholars nodded as he spoke. At the end of his description, Lamore looked up and asked, ¡°Lord Guardian, I¡¯ve heard that there are two ancient weapons in the Cassouin Grand Temple; the Radiant Disc and the Sky Heart. Do you know them?¡±


    Hao Ren paused for a moment before he smiled and asked, ¡°Why are you asking about them?¡±


    ¡°Every ancient weapon is a powerful weapon against Chaos. In ancient times, countless sacred weapons built an impenetrable barrier in the world. Back then, mortal civilization was strong enough to keep Chaos at bay in all the corners of the world. But as the war continued, more and more sacred weapons were lost. Our world order has gradually shrunk and declined so getting every weapon back is critical. Now that you are awake, there may be a chance to see the two ancient weapons again. Do you know where they are?¡±


    Hao Ren blinked. He then looked at Willie and asked, ¡°Your sister must have told you about our journey through the land of Chaos?¡±


    ¡°Of course. She was very proud of that experience and has told me about it many times.¡±


    ¡°Then you should know that I sheltered all of the knights with a disc, which emitted holy light. That disc could shine on forever, even in the most chaotic places. Its energy is inexhaustible.¡±


    Willie stared at Hao Ren with wide eyes. ¡°Is that¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s the Radiant Disc. I haven¡¯t gotten the disk back yet. I think it¡¯s still in the hands of Veronica¡¯s standard-bearer. As for the Sky Heart¡­ I don¡¯t know where it is. It was chaotic when I was asleep. It¡¯s pretty hard to keep even one weapon in that situation.¡±


    Willie¡¯s pupils contracted for a split second, but he soon regained his calm and smiled, nodding at Hao Ren. ¡°You¡¯re right. We can¡¯t be too greedy. I didn¡¯t realize that an ancient weapon had returned to us¡­ I must report this to His Majesty immediately.¡±


    Shortly after, he glanced at a golden clock in a corner not far away and patted his head. ¡°Lord Guardian, please wait a moment. I¡¯ll tell my men to prepare lunch for you. You have seen the banquet prepared by His Majesty, but you will probably like the meal we¡¯ve prepared for you too.¡±


    Count Willie rang a silver bell as he spoke, and soon, an attendant came in. The count whispered a few words to the attendant, who then bowed and left.


    The heavy silver door slammed shut after the attendant left. It felt like the world was separated the moment the door closed.


    Count Willie stood up and approached Hao Ren with a gentle smile. ¡°Actually, Lord Guardian, I have a question for you,¡± he said.


    Hao Ren looked at the powerful aristocrat and replied, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Do you think the world should move towards Chaos or Order?¡± Count Willie pinched his cuff, and the black cuff with silver silk reflected a fine silver light. ¡°If Collow has its own destiny, is the struggle of us mortals for over 10,000 years good or bad for the destiny of the world?¡±


    Hao Ren raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°Your question is a bit too much.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve met many people in the Sanctum, but you seem to be different from them. Have you ever thought that the world itself should be chaotic? In other words, the truth of the world is chaos, and in that light, are we actually the disease of Collow? We think we are fighting for justice, but in fact, we are the ones who forcibly turn the fate of the world, which has brought even more prolonged suffering to the land of the goddess. Perhaps the goddess of creation would prefer a world mired in Chaos?¡±


    Hao Ren appeared very surprised and angry for a moment. He stood up slowly, clenching his fist. ¡°That sounds a bit heretical¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, a burning light suddenly flared up and a golden-red ray came from Lamore¡¯s direction. The ray burst out violently around Hao Ren and turned into a storm of fire and light, covering him completely. The next moment, Hao Ren became a burning human torch.


    Such powerful searing rays did not ignite anything around them. The fearsome spell limited the full power of its searing rays to a one-man radius, increasing its lethality. Lamore wilted immediately after he shot the ray, as though all his energy had been drained. Willie, who stood only two meters away from Hao Ren, stepped back without any emotions. He was not hurt at all.


    ¡°Yes, it contains some heresy.¡± The count stopped smiling. ¡°Now you can go and complain to the goddess.¡±


    At that moment, however, a voice suddenly traveled from the flame of pure elements. ¡°If I actually go and complain to the goddess about such a trivial matter, she would have me kicked me out of her house.¡±


    Count Willie¡¯s expression changed dramatically. His steadfast, calm posture was gone, and just as he jumped away, a silver lance tore apart the elemental flame formed by the burning rays. A jet of blue plasma glinted at the tip of the lance. It split the long table in two and left a horrible melting groove on the ground where the count had stood.


    As the flames faded away, Hao Ren appeared intact in front of everyone. A translucent shimmer surged on the surface of his skin. It was a remnant of the element, not his Steel Membrane Shield. In fact, his shield had not been activated at all.


    Hao Ren had nullified the full blow of the sage sorcerer.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little hot.¡± Hao Ren turned to the pale and shocked Lamore.


    The old master¡¯s eyes widened as his assistants retreated in shock. Only then did they realize what had happened, and they proceeded to take out their wands as well as their swords. Hao Ren found that they were actually wearing armor under their robes. The robe was just to cover up their full armor inside!


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible!¡± Willie screamed. ¡°No Pope in the Sanctum could have survived Lamore¡¯s full force without so much as a scratch! Y-You¡¯re not a guardian! Who the hell are you?!¡±


    Hao Ren smiled and hurled his lance at Willie¡¯s head. ¡°I¡¯m Hao Ren. I¡¯m a good man!¡±

 Chapter 1259 - You Even Hurt Yourselves?

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Whatever the true identity of Count Willie was, he was really agile. Facing the thrust at such close range, he narrowly avoided it at an almost impossible angle. Only a strand of hair on his forehead was burned to ashes by the heat of the plasma blade. This surprised Hao Ren.


    Hao Ren¡¯s attack did not stop. As Willie dodged, he turned his lance and lunged at him from another direction.


    ¡°You¡¯re very cunning,¡± Hao Ren said as he attacked. ¡°You intentionally kept a close distance while we spoke to divert my attention so that the old man could make a sneak attack, right?¡±


    The searing plasma blade cut through the air, leaving a twisted trail. The furniture was torn apart, the floor burst into flames, and the precious silverware as well porcelain softened and flowed like wax. Willie was shocked by the power of this ¡°ancient weapon¡±. His body was shining with colorful magic lights because the precious protective devices had been activated automatically by the plasma¡¯s heat. Therefore, he had not been injured so far.


    Nevertheless, the fight was not over. Hao Ren was so skilled in his attack that no matter how Willie tried, he could not escape the lance. His fine clothes were torn, and his men, fearing that they would hurt him by accident, could only hold back. They were not sure how to intervene.


    Such a dilemma finally forced Count Willie to show his true colors. When Hao Ren¡¯s lance struck again, he suddenly burst into a roar like a wild animal and forced his way through a blocked path.


    Even Hao Ren was stunned by his actions. Count Willie managed to break his way out, and the count¡¯s miserable screams were accompanied by a strange sound of burning flesh. However, he got out of the danger zone successfully.


    Count Willie¡¯s arm fell to the ground, but the heat of the plasma fire dried up the wound on the arm. Not a drop of blood was left.


    He stumbled across the room and bellowed, ¡°You fools! Don¡¯t just stand there! Fight!¡±


    Only then did the heavily-armed killers roared and charged forward bravely.


    Hao Ren frowned. He knew that they were trained warriors, and deterrence as well as pain meant nothing to them. So he took out another weapon: the inspector¡¯s pistol.


    A black dagger cleaved in from the side. It was Handel. The ¡°expert on ancient history¡± was actually a warrior. As the dagger fell, its blade shone with crimson light and produced a sharp, piercing noise.


    Hao Ren raised his lance to stop the knife. Then, he lifted his pistol and pulled the trigger without looking back.


    A blue glow burst out into the air, followed by a sudden fluctuation of air in an empty corner. The next second, a clear blue crystal figure fell down. The crystal figure looked like a man holding a crossbow. He had hidden himself in preparation for a sneak attack, but he now had a shocked look on his face. He wanted to turn and run away, instead, he ended up falling to the ground and shattering into dust.


    Handel¡¯s dagger hit the plasma lance and burst into a bright spark. He felt like he was cutting a diamond. Seeing that Hao Ren did not move his arm even from such a strong impact, he knew at once that something was wrong, but it was too late to pull back. Hao Ren¡¯s leg was already on him.


    Soon after, he fell to the ground in pieces.


    However, more warriors were still rushing forward without fear.


    Those who disguised themselves as scholars, whether they were wizards or warriors, had bloodshot eyes as if they were caught in some kind of strange frenzy. They roared as they rushed up to block Hao Ren¡¯s way with their lives. Weapons that shone with all kinds of energy splashed down like water. This time, Hao Ren could not block all of them. His ability to block and dodge had always been poor, so the Steel Membrane Shield on his body immediately glinted.


    The shield¡¯s capacity began to drop a little faster than expected.


    Hao Ren sped up his attack. Just then, an obscure and strange chant suddenly rang from the side.


    He looked around and saw that Lamore had risen. He was chanting some spells, and a crystal bottle was lying at the old wizard¡¯s feet. Some kind of liquid medication in the crystal bottle was glowing.


    The potions used by a wizard of his level were certainly not common potions. In fact, ordinary potions could no longer replenish the vast pool of mana quick enough. The crystal bottle contained a forbidden drug, the Abyssal Tear. It was a terrible thing to come from the depths of Chaos. It was said to be dragon¡¯s blood steeped in the dark magic of Carnos. The raw energy contained in it could supplement almost any form of power loss at once. However, this drug had terrible side effects. With each use, it dragged the user further into the dark side of the world. It usually took only three attempts before the drinker of the drug was directly consumed by the Chaos.


    Hao Ren did not know anything about the Abyssal Tear, but he knew what was happening the moment he saw the bottle.


    This old man was a goddamn microtransaction whale! And that was definitely not an ordinary magic potion!


    After a lengthy spell preparation and an increase in the Abyssal Tear, the magic unleashed by the old wizard possessed greater lethality. Yet, the warriors besieging Hao Ren had no intention of evading it. They rushed up one by one to block Hao Ren¡¯s evacuation route.


    Such a brave fighting spirit¡­ Hao Ren really wanted to praise them. If only they were not his enemies.


    Then, Hao Ren was hit by a dazzling white light.


    ¡°The Disintegration of Origin!¡± Lamore¡¯s hoarse roar came after the white light.


    The disintegrating rays swept through the hall like a storm. Where the white light struck, all matter began to disintegrate at the atomic level. One by one, everything turned into nothingness in the light, as though vanishing into thin air. The white light soon passed Hao Ren and continued to spread behind him¡ªthe walls, the doors, the long corridor behind him, the garden outside the corridor, the waterwheel, the river in the garden, the horse farm, and the grove¡­


    The disintegrating rays swept through half the Kant Estate until they vaporized a small hill outside the estate.


    Now, the battlefield was beyond recognition.


    Looking down from above, a third of the Kant Estate had turned into fine white sand. A huge fan-shaped area lay on the ground like a slice of cake. The sector ended in the hills to the south of the estate and began in the east hall of the main house. At the sharp corner of the cake was where Hao Ren stood.


    Lamore was as pale as paper, and his wand had turned to ashes. Several mages who stood beside him earlier had already fallen to the ground. These high-ranking mages were burned as the ¡°fuel¡± for his chanting.


    When Hao Ren fended off the searing rays without getting harmed, the old wizard knew that ordinary magic had no effect on Hao Ren. He immediately used ¡°the Disintegration of Origin¡±, which was beyond mortal limit. This spell was believed to be an extraordinary force beyond natural laws and was part of the authority of the gods. In Collow, no mortal could withstand it.


    The old wizard stared at the white light before his eyes. The three remaining warriors also waited nervously, clutching their swords. Although they knew no one could have survived the disintegrating rays, they feared that their nightmare would come true.


    Lo and behold, their nightmare did come true.


    A hand emerged from the white light. It waved and ripped apart the residual energy of the disintegrating rays. Hao Ren had come out of it unharmed.


    He had magic immunity.


    Hao Ren was shocked when he looked around. ¡°You¡¯re crazy! You¡¯ve torn down your own home!¡±


    Then he saw the partial bodies of some of the warriors. The assassin was caught in the disintegrating rays, and half of his body had disappeared. ¡°You killed your teammates?!¡±


    Lastly, Hao Ren saw Lamore staggering ahead. The old wizard had finally given up. Drops of black blood trickled down from the corner of his mouth, and he slowly fell to the ground.


    ¡°And you even hurt yourself?!¡±

 Chapter 1260 - The Capture

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren was glad that he had narrowly escaped the attack, but he did not ease up.


    His shield was not indestructible. Plus, his shield¡¯s capacity had been declining throughout the battle earlier.


    Although the warriors used ordinary weapons, their combat effectiveness was still astonishing. Collow had its own special power system. There, ordinary people could gain superhuman strength through special training methods and power infusion. Filled with all kinds of energy, their swords were no less powerful than ordinary werewolves or demon hunters, and some of their special skills could also bring considerable damage. Hao Ren was immune to most magic in the Plane of Dreams, but he could not escape the damage beyond the magic. So, the warriors¡¯ assault did hurt him to the max.


    If the siege had doubled, and Hao Ren had no time to prepare his various mass-destruction weapons, he would have had to run away.


    Unfortunately for them, their trump card was not a fighter, but a wizard with zero lethality towards Hao Ren.


    Actually, there was no problem with this arrangement. In Collow, the most lethal combat professions had always been the magic units, especially the wizards. Although wizards were too weak to be trained as assassins, with adequate preparation, only wizards could hit ambushed targets nearly 100% of the time. The reason for this was, the warriors of Collow had a single means of attack and lacked the ability to control the situation. Meanwhile, wizards had a wide range of magical skills to bury enemies under endless spells.


    Most of the warriors had already been destroyed in the battle, and the three remaining fighters were clearly not a threat. Every wizard, except Lamore, had died of exhaustion and the overflow of magic power. The ambush was finally settled, but Hao Ren still had many issues to figure out.


    He looked around and frowned: Count Willie was gone.


    The count was clearly the man behind the scene. Based on what he said moments ago, it seemed that this ¡°young talent¡± was absolutely the hidden threat lurking within the kingdom. Hao Ren could make a vague guess, but he was still confused.


    Now, Hao Ren could only focus on Lamore and the three fighters.


    The old wizard had been weakened by two consecutive shocks of mana exhaustion as well as the poison of the Abyssal Tear. He collapsed to the ground, his face pale and trembling. Great beads of sweat were rolling down his forehead. The three soldiers raised their swords immediately after they saw that Hao Ren had turned his eyes to them. However, it was more like an instinctive reaction.


    A monster immune to ¡°forbidden magic¡±; this was beyond their mental endurance capacity.


    ¡°You certainly didn¡¯t think this through,¡± Hao Ren approached Lamore and spoke in a condescending manner.


    Lamore had no strength to move, but he was not terrified. Perhaps he knew that fear would not help. ¡°You are not an ancient guardian. What the hell are you?¡±


    Hao Ren raised his eyebrows and asked, ¡°Why do you say that? Have you ever seen a true ancient guardian?¡±


    ¡°I have not, but the ancestors of the cult did not see any magic-immune freaks when they destroyed the Cassouin Grand Temple a thousand years ago¡­¡± said Lamore, coughing violently. ¡°¡­This¡­ This is not the kind of power a mere mortal would possess. You are a monster based on the laws of the world¡­ Ha, so, you¡¯re just like us¡­¡±


    Hao Ren frowned. ¡°The cult? You? Who the hell are you? Why did you attack me?¡±


    Lamore¡¯s expression changed. ¡°You really don¡¯t know?¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°How would I know? All I know is that you¡¯ve had a wicked plan from the beginning.¡±


    ¡°Is that Veronica just a¡­¡± Lamore laughed miserably. ¡°Ah¡­ That¡¯s what happened. Fate is a cruel thing. We have accumulated our numbers and operated for so many years, and this is how it ends.¡±


    ¡°It looks like I¡¯m involved in a big conspiracy,¡± Hao Ren said with a poker face. Then he took out several sets of shackles from his Dimensional Pocket. ¡°Well, we can get Veronica and her father to look into it when we get back. They must be glad that I dragged you out. These shackles were meant for Willie, but he¡¯s fled, so now, I can only use them on you.¡±


    Lamore was stunned by the shackles. ¡°You¡­ You didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°I never believed what Willie told me.¡± Hao Ren grinned. ¡°I came here just to see what surprise he had prepared for me. Ha, Wolfwalker? What a joke!¡±


    Lamore looked at Hao Ren as if he were a ghost. ¡°How could it¡­ There should be no flaws in this story! We were sure that it fit your description perfectly, and there were no unnecessary details to be found! Who the hell are you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. There is no such thing as a Wolfwalker from a thousand years ago. At first, I thought there was a werewolf in this world who looked like my friend, but the closer your description of her was to what I said, the less I believed it. I understood it completely when you took out the portrait. It¡¯s all just a hoax.¡±


    Lamore just looked at Hao Ren coldly without saying a word.


    ¡°It looks like you¡¯re not going to say anything, so let me guess¡­¡± Hao Ren looked at the three warriors with cold eyes so that the three of them did not dare to act rashly. He then turned to look at Lamore. ¡°You mentioned Veronica just now¡­ So you attacked me not because of my identity as the ancient guardian, but because of the princess?¡±


    Lamore refused to respond.


    ¡°What have I done? Ah, because of my intervention, Veronica, who was supposed to die in Chaos, returned safely. I think I must have ruined your plans, hence you think I¡¯m a great threat. Or, do you think that I purposely came here to ruin your plans?¡± Hao Ren asked while he touched his chin. ¡°Wait, that doesn¡¯t seem quite right. The reason isn¡¯t sufficient enough. You should have a bigger and clearer motive to explain a battle of this scale. It¡¯s not easy to have a count as a pawn at the top of the kingdom. I don¡¯t believe Willie would so willingly be used a pawn.¡±


    Lamore remained silent.


    ¡°I think you should know what happened to Princess Ania and Prince Andrew. Well, that seems to connect; you have a big appetite. What do you want? Power? Status? The whole country? Or are you just trying to subvert it? Your actions seem irrational, and I¡¯m really curious.¡±


    Lamore sneered with disdain and said, ¡°Well, I thought you were a real know-it-all, but you¡¯re just an ordinary man. You don¡¯t know anything at all.¡±


    ¡°An ordinary man? My status is much higher than yours. I have an ID card.¡±


    Then he picked up the super-alloy shackles and looked at the warriors next to him. ¡°You guys, handcuff yourselves or let me do it? Oh, you probably don¡¯t know how to use this¡­¡±


    Before Hao Ren finished his words, the three warriors suddenly shook at the same time and fell to the ground.


    Hao Ren was shocked. He rushed forward to check on them, only to find that all three had stopped breathing. They had shattered their guts with a special technique. It was probably a suicide technique they had been training for.


    ¡°What the f*ck?!¡± Hao Ren was dumbfounded. He then grabbed Lamore by the neck and threatened, ¡°You¡¯re not going to kill yourself! Do you believe that I can keep your brain alive even after I dig it out?¡±


    Lamore coughed and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡­ I have no strength to kill myself.¡±


    Hao Ren did not believe the old wizard. The old wizard was now the last survivor, so he immediately handcuffed the man and activated the nerve suppressor on the shackles. That way, the old man could not try to kill himself even if he wanted to.


    At that moment, he suddenly saw the dust rising in the distance. Cavalry troops were running towards them, carrying the emblem of the Taros Royal Family.

 Chapter 1261 - Heretics?

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren was not clear about the complex emblems of the Kingdom of Taros as well as the connection between the cavalry¡¯s costumes and their corresponding legions. He could only guess that the troop was from the Royal Family based on the eagle symbols on the flags carried by the knights. It seemed that the shock caused by the disintegrating rays had caught the attention of the guards in the White City.


    Hao Ren instinctively felt that the team had arrived faster than expected. It would take some time for them to see the explosion at Kant Estate, set off, and travel from the White City to the Kant Estate. But it seemed like they had anticipated that something would happen at Kant Estate, and were ready in advance.


    The cavalry came to the small square in front of Kant Estate, pointing and talking about the sight of the half-ruined estate. They were astonished by the scene. Shortly after, some of the knights left the team and rushed into the estate from both sides. The surviving servants were fleeing, and the knights were not going to let anyone leave the place.


    The main forces of the army went straight in Hao Ren¡¯s direction.


    They probably could not see Hao Ren yet, but it was easy to see from the distance that the ground, which turned into white sand, started from the main hall of the manor. That was the starting point of the disintegrating rays, and the investigation would definitely begin from there.


    Hao Ren watched the knights as they approached him. He thought for a few seconds and took the initiative to go out. In case anyone could not see him, he raised his lance and waved it.


    Then, he immediately saw the knights speeding up, and they reached him in the blink of an eye. The knights circled Hao Ren, apparently in great surprise, before the knight in charge took off his mask.


    He was a tall, middle-aged man with red hair and a scar on his face. Hao Ren noticed that the man¡¯s chest armor was engraved with complicated lines of enchantment. The golden eagle and sword emblem could be seen on his cloak.


    The great knight dismounted. He looked at Hao Ren in surprise and asked, ¡°Sir Guardian?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me.¡± Hao Ren looked at him and felt that they had met before, but he could not remember his name. ¡°You are¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Gloen. You should have met me,¡± replied the tall knight in a muffled voice. ¡°I¡¯m the king¡¯s chief military adviser, the General of the White City, the supreme commander of the Brave Eagle Regiment. Sir Guardian, what the hell is going on here?¡±


    ¡°In short, there was a scheme against me, and I was ambushed by an aristocrat.¡± Hao Ren shrugged and pushed Lamore forward. ¡°This is him.¡±


    He waited in silence for further developments. He knew it was an interesting situation: he was an ¡°ancient guardian¡±, respected due to his status. However, he had no roots in the kingdom and would not necessarily command much trust from the king. On the other hand, Count Willie, a rebel who had been lurking at the top of the kingdom for years, his identity seemed to be well concealed. Until now, the nobles of Taros still considered him a rare young talent and a pillar of the country. He was a member of the complex aristocratic system of the country. Although there were many aristocrats of that sort, every aristocrat was protected by their system. In other words, he was deeply trusted by the king.


    An ancient guardian and an aristocrat met in private. After a big explosion, the aristocrat¡¯s manor was destroyed. The ancient guardian was unharmed, but he testified that the aristocrat was a criminal. Who would first be suspected under normal circumstances?


    Nonetheless, Gloen did not look surprised after he listened to Hao Ren¡¯s explanation. He did look a little stunned earlier. However, it did not seem to be because of Hao Ren¡¯s accusation, but because of the unexpected way things had gone. The general glanced at the half-ruined Kant Estate and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to get this far¡­ Sir Guardian, did you kill the heretics here on your own?¡±


    ¡°Heretics?¡± Hao Ren frowned. He suddenly remembered that Lamore had mentioned a ¡°cult¡± before. ¡°They seem to have mentioned it, but I don¡¯t know what happened¡­ Do you know anything about this Count Willie?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just a warrior. Someone else will explain it to you clearly,¡± said Gloen, looking the other way. ¡°Well, they¡¯re coming.¡±


    Another group of troops was on its way.


    This cavalry was even larger, including wizards and well-equipped, high-ranking knights. Hao Ren knew what was going on at a glance. They had probably set out together with the first cavalry, but in order to save time, the light cavalry led by Gloen arrived early at Kant Estate, so the wizards who were slower and needed to be protected could arrive later.


    Such a large-scale force showed that what happened at Kant Estate was extraordinary.


    The second batch of troops approached Hao Ren. However, Hao Ren was stunned when he saw the leader.


    It was Grand Duke Loen.


    Seeing the Grand Duke coming towards him, Hao Ren touched his chin and said, ¡°Things seem to be a little interesting now.¡±


    Grand Duke Loen dismounted as nimbly as a trained knight. Collow was mired in chaos and war, therefore the aristocrats were surely skilled in archery and horseback riding. It was rare to see high ranks of the kingdom who were incapable of fighting.


    ¡°Guardian¡­¡± Grand Duke Loen remained expressionless. He looked Hao Ren up and down before he said, ¡°It appears that you¡¯re not one of them.¡±


    ¡°One of them? Do you mean the Kant Family? You¡¯ve always suspected that I was one of them?¡±


    Grand Duke Loen nodded and explained, ¡°A stranger suddenly appearing beside Princess Veronica and also approaching the royal heirs¡ªI have to doubt that. But a moment ago, my spy in Kant Estate sent word that you have nothing to do with them, and they are opposing you.


    Grand Duke Loen frowned at the ruined estate as he spoke, ¡°They have already planted this level of power in the kingdom¡­ I can¡¯t imagine what will happen to Taros if everything goes according to their plan¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ You¡¯ve been wary of me since we first met because you thought I was a heretic?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°The timing of your presence is too much of a coincidence. Your background is a mystery and your behavior is suspicious. Besides, the White City is shrouded in shadows. Princess Veronica trusts you, but I don¡¯t,¡± said Grand Duke Loen, turning his face to Hao Ren. ¡°Guardian, I know that you want a more detailed explanation. His Majesty is waiting for us in the Palace of the Golden Roses. You¡¯ll get all the answers.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. The knights had split into several units to block the entire Kant Estate. More than half of the surviving servants who fled the manor house in all directions had been captured. The knights herded those panicked servants as if they were herding livestock. Hao Ren frowned at the scene and said, ¡°The knights shouldn¡¯t treat these ordinary people like they¡¯re animals.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to pity these ¡®ordinary people¡¯,¡± said Grand Duke Loen without any emotions on his face. ¡°There are no truly innocent, ordinary people in the places where these heretics gather.¡±


    There was a sudden commotion among the household servants. There was a wizard among the servants. He summoned a poisonous cloud, and in a moment, a soldier fell to the ground. Following that, the other servants pulled out all kinds of weapons from under their clothes and rushed frantically at the nearest soldiers, shouting wildly.


    It all happened in the blink of an eye, and three more soldiers fell. But the commotion was soon over. A bolt of lightning came from a distance, and the lightning split into several parts in the sky, killing those ¡°servants¡± instantly.


    Above the cavalry regiment in the distance, a silver-robed wizard floating in the air nodded slightly at Grand Duke Loen.


    Order was quickly restored, and the soldiers of the kingdom continued to gather the servants of Kant Estate, but this time, they were obviously more violent than before.


    ¡°These believers of Armageddon¡­¡± Grand Duke Loen said coldly. ¡°You don¡¯t need to treat them humanely.¡±

 Chapter 1262 - The Secret Cult

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    White City, Palace of the Golden Roses.


    Rudolph III¡¯s secret chamber was a bit crowded that day. This special room, which had never received more than three visitors at a time, entertained many people on that day. The king¡¯s three children sat beside him, and his two important officials, Grand Duke Loen as well as General Gloen, sat on the other side while the ancient guardian sat opposite him.


    Another two people were in the room too.


    One was Alfred, a famous scholar of the kingdom. He was also the prince and princesses¡¯ History and Natural History tutor. He was a slightly bald, fat, old gentleman. His white beard drooped over his simple black robe, and he looked very kind. The man sat beside Hao Ren, smiling and gazing curiously at the famous ¡°ancient guardian¡±.


    Another person standing behind the king was a mysterious woman covered in a black robe. She was tall and thin, silently standing there like a statue. Even her face was hidden in the shadow of some magical effect so that no one could not see her face from any angle. Her ability to hide her breath was amazing. It was easy to ignore her presence even if you looked in her direction. And even if you noticed her, you would quickly forget her as soon as you turned your face. It was not a magical effect because Hao Ren¡¯s magic immunity did not work this time.


    Hao Ren guessed the identity of the mysterious woman: she could be a secret agent of the kingdom, or a secret knight, or something like that. In short, she was not a simple character.


    ¡°First, I would like to speak.¡± Princess Veronica was a little angry. ¡°I know that all of your are wary of the cults. But I cannot bear you suspecting the ancient guardian who saved my life and protected the fortress on the western side. Taros founded his country with justice and reason. When did we turn into cowards who keep suspecting others because of a group of cultists?¡±


    ¡°I am the only one who is suspicious of the ancient guardian, and it has nothing to do with His Majesty or General Gloen. Your Highness, if you have any complaints, you can vent your frustrations on me,¡± Grand Duke Loen replied dryly.


    Veronica stared at him and said, ¡°I¡¯m not venting, I¡¯m just questioning.¡±


    Hao Ren never thought that the princess would care about him. He was touched but he was unconcerned about the misunderstanding. As an inspector wandering between mortals and gods, the influence of a single Taros Kingdom on him was about nil. He was looking at Collow as a whole, not at any nation or individual in Collow. Therefore he did not mind as long as it did not interfere with what he was doing.


    ¡°Veronica, it¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t mind. I can see that you are all in trouble. It¡¯s a big problem, so I can understand it.¡±


    Rudolph III looked at Hao Ren silently with a trace of appreciation and gratitude in his eyes. ¡°Thank you for understanding. We have indeed gotten into trouble. Well, let¡¯s make it short. I wonder how much do you know about the Cult of Armageddon?¡±


    ¡°You mean the believers of the Cult of Armageddon?¡± Hao Ren shook his head. He could not find any excuses for this, so he just admitted, ¡°No, I have never heard of them.¡±


    Veronica was surprised. ¡°But this cult has been around since the ancient times, and they were quite famous a thousand years ago.¡±


    Hao Ren blinked, feeling embarrassed¡­


    Fortunately, everyone knew that this ancient guardian often had ¡°memory loss¡± and ¡°confused common sense¡±, so they did not delve into the matter. Alfred then explained, ¡°The Cult of Armageddon is the oldest cult in the world. Even the scholars of the holy land have studied it, and they think that it¡¯s as old as the Chaos of the world. They are mortals who have been tempted to fall and have been lured into Chaos. The last breath of the evil giant, Lockmarton had polluted the ancient mortals, creating the earliest believers of the Cult of Armageddon.


    Princess Ania went on to explain, ¡°The Cult of Armageddon believers worship Chaos. They are the fanatics who see the evil giant, Lockmarton as the ¡®truth of the world¡¯. They believe that the fate of the world is to walk step by step into Chaos and darkness, that being the fundamental reason why the goddess of creation built Collow. Meanwhile, Order and light are just occasional ripples in the course of the world¡¯s development. The mortals born in these ripples and their civilization take this brief order as the truth, which is stupid. They believe that the continuation of Order and the fight against Chaos by mortals are preventing the world from developing along the right path, therefore they are the source of Collow¡¯s pain. They believe that it was the endless War against Chaos that made Collow fall apart, causing great pain to the land. And they have their own set of lofty ¡®ideals¡¯ to correct these ¡®mistakes¡¯, that is, to put an end to the resistance of mortals and let the whole world fall into its proper orbit.¡±


    Veronica then rolled her eyes and said, ¡°To put it bluntly, it means causing destruction everywhere and trying to get humans to lose in the War against Chaos.¡±


    Hao Ren listened carefully to them. He was no stranger to cults and was not too surprised to hear about the Cult of Armageddon. All cults were almost the same. He was just a little curious. ¡°Their ideas are quite fresh, but aren¡¯t they mortals themselves?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, so they see themselves as targets that need to be ¡®purified¡¯,¡± Veronica explained. ¡°This is the most insane part about them. They don¡¯t mind hurting themselves. I¡¯ve heard that the cult¡¯s ¡®Code of Armageddon¡¯ also clearly states that when the end of the world comes, all the believers of the Cult of Armageddon should immediately destroy themselves to please Lockmarton. Do you think there¡¯s the use of logic in people who are crazy to such an extent?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded repeatedly. ¡°Yeah, yeah, I got it.¡±


    Ordinary cults had always used the doomsday redemption opportunity as a bargaining chip to convince believers that their madness could save them from some kind of disaster or reward them beyond measure. However, the teachings of the Cult of Armageddon were directed towards extinction. Far from being saved from the end of the world, believers had to be destroyed. They saw themselves as something that needed to be purified. The believers gained nothing from this faith but were doomed to lose their lives.


    Nevertheless, Hao Ren was not too surprised by their deranged teachings because he knew that there were many indescribable powers in the Plane of Dreams. These powers were spiritual poison to mere mortals, and just listening to them was enough to make a man go mad.


    If Lockmarton, the evil giant, was the representative of this power, it was not surprising that his followers were crazy.


    ¡°I think you already know what happened to Ania and Andrew,¡± said Rudolph III in a low voice. ¡°Although we did not find any clear evidence in the end, all the clues showed signs of the believers of Armageddon being the ones behind the incident. What happened today confirms this even more.¡±


    Hao Ren got it at once. ¡°Veronica¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, Veronica¡¯s distress in the West was not accidental.¡± Rudolph III¡¯s face was gloomy. ¡°In the White City, Loen found the alchemist to cure Ania and Andrew¡¯s illness, while in the West, you protected Veronica. The consequences would be unthinkable if they were harmed.¡±


    ¡°The loss of the western border was caused by the Tides of Chaos and the withdrawal of the Theocracy. Could those believers of Chaos have so much power to control these factors?¡±


    Grand Duke Loen shook his head. ¡°The cultists themselves are inextricably linked to the forces of Chaos. Even if they can¡¯t control the Tides of Chaos, they can make their own plans with the help of the tides. As for the early withdrawal of the Theocracy¡­¡± said the grand duke, looking at Rudolph III expectantly.


    The king nodded. He sighed and said, ¡°You can tell them. It will soon be revealed anyway.¡±


    ¡°The Royal Wizard observed the Sanctum from the Arcane Tower and found that the Light of Asurmen at the top of the Sanctum had already been extinguished.¡±


    Ania and Veronica gasped.


    Obviously, like Hao Ren, the two princesses were not aware of the news until now.

 Chapter 1263 - : The Dark Whirlpool

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Everyone in the room was aware of the impending crisis, except Prince Andrew, who had no idea what was going on. He glanced at them all and asked hesitantly, ¡°What is the Light of Asurmen?¡±


    Hao Ren could not help but give the little prince a thumbs-up in his heart: he did not know what the Light of Asurmen was either, but he was too embarrassed to ask¡­


    Rudolph III gave his only son a disappointed look. Alfred sighed slightly and said, ¡°Your Highness, you have learned about these things. The Light of Asurmen is the brightest lighthouse in Collow. It¡¯s in the Sanctum¡­¡±


    The Light of Asurmen was not a light, but a crystal mountain on the top of the Sanctum.


    There were five fragmented continents in Collow. The Ansu continent, the continent of Glow, and the continent of Fimbulvinter were the realms of the secular kingdom, while the Kanaan secret realm was permanently shrouded in dark fog. The four continental divisions in four corners of the world rose and fell with the tides of the Sea of Carnos, constantly struggling as Chaos and Order wrestled. The Sanctum, on the other hand, floated in the middle of the four continents, overlooking the entire secular realm with a unique geographical advantage.


    Unlike the other four continents, the Sanctum was never invaded by the forces of Chaos.


    At the center of the Holy Land stood a splendid legacy of God: the Crystal Mountain of Asurmen, also known as the Light of Asurmen.


    This crystal mountain was crystal clear and grown from white crystals. It was so steep and high that no mortal could climb it. The crystals that formed the holy mountain were indestructible, and the secular forces could not shake it. Asurmen stood on the ground, surrounded by the three Solitaire Rings. The largest city in the Sanctum, the greatest shrine in the minds of the believers of the goddess of creation, was located within the three Solitaire Rings. The city was divided into three parts: the Ring of Mortals, the Path of Sages, and the God¡¯s Will Precinct.


    Day and night, Asurmen never stopped releasing soft, divine light. That was the source of all the Light of Order in the world. The light never went out, thus permanently isolating the Sanctum from the forces of Chaos. So, people also called the Sanctum the ¡°final rampart¡±. Once the Tides of Chaos became unstoppable and Order collapsed completely, this continent would become the last refuge for mortals.


    Unfortunately, the Sanctum was the smallest of the five continents. It could not shelter all the humans in the world. Even if this ¡°final rampart¡± was really indestructible, people did not want to see it come into use at that moment.


    ¡°The sacred weapons of Order now used by the nations of the continents are in fact imitations of the Light of Asurmen. Whether it¡¯s a small furnace or the Spire of Flames, or the Sunscorch Tower, the principle is to use secular matter to release the energy field of the Light of Asurmen. The enchanted minerals gathered around the crystal mountain are the energy core of the larger weapons of Order. These minerals have always been controlled by the Theocracy. They allocated these minerals to Collow based on the situation of each War against Chaos, but in general, they¡¯re fair and generous. ¡±


    Having understood what the sacred crystal mountain meant to the whole world of Collow, Hao Ren asked worriedly, ¡°When the Light of Asurmen goes out, it means¡­¡±


    ¡°The Sanctum, which is supposed to never fall, can also be breached. From now on, the people of the Sanctum will face the Tides of Chaos in their homeland,¡± explained General Gloen.


    ¡°The end of the world is no longer a tale. As soon as the Sanctum falls, the end will come in an instant,¡± said Alfred.


    Hao Ren blinked and said, ¡°So the early withdrawal of the Theocracy was due to a huge crisis within the Sanctum. Before the Light of Asurmen was extinguished, the Theocracy probably had a hard time sustaining itself at home¡­ What role do the cultists play in this?¡±


    ¡°The cultists and the forces of Chaos have always moved in lockstep. They are one, so to speak. Their roles are not just as accomplices and pawns, but they are part of the Tides of Chaos.¡± Princess Ania¡¯s face turned pale. She could imagine what had happened in Taros. ¡°The actions of the cultists equate to the actions of Chaos, so they are the ones disrupting the battle in the West¡­¡±


    Hao Ren gasped. ¡°A group of cultists can have such power¡­¡±


    ¡°They are not ordinary cultists.¡± Grand Duke Loen looked at him and explained, ¡°They have been on the continent since the fall of Lockmarton. And sheltered by the forces of Chaos, the Cult of Armageddon has hardly been harmed in the War against Chaos. If it hadn¡¯t been for the same old Sanctum, which constantly attacked them, the cultists would have ruled all the land except the Sanctum.¡±


    Now Hao Ren was no longer curious as to why a high official like Count Willie would be a cultist. There may have been more than one cultist among the founding fathers of Taros, and some families may have even believed in Lockmarton from top to bottom. Their belief was much older than any nation on the continent itself.


    Such a cult situation was beyond belief.


    ¡°There has never been a great movement from the cultists before because the Light of Asurmen illuminates the darkness. The Sanctum that never falls and the Chaos that never ends have kept a long-term balance. As the pawns of Chaos, the cultists dared not take obvious actions,¡± said Rudolph III, looking grim. ¡°But now, everything has changed: the Light of Asurmen has gone out, and the Tides of Chaos are not showing any signs of weakening. Instead, they are becoming more and more intense. New demons and dark forces are emerging in the wilderness. We are experiencing unprecedented turbulence. The laws of the world, which have not changed for thousands of years are also becoming less reliable. What Veronica saw in the West was only the beginning of this evil force. I have a hunch that it will erupt more violently.¡±


    Princess Ania thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Father, the occurrence in Taros is not an exception, is it?¡±


    Rudolph III looked at his wise daughter and said nothing.


    ¡°Taros is only a small kingdom in a corner of the Ansu continent. Its successors are of great significance to this country but of little importance to the entire world. I can feel a huge shadow hanging over the entire world. In this shadow, the three of us are not very special.¡± Ania said, looking at Veronica and Andrew. ¡°Yet, the Cult of Armageddon took great pains to get rid of us. There¡¯s only one possibility: we are not their only target.¡±


    Rudolph III exhaled wearily. He tilted his head slightly and said, ¡°Lady Gloom, you may explain.¡±


    The mysterious woman standing behind the king finally stepped forward a little. It was her only move since the conversation in the secret room began. The mysterious woman did not remove her disguise. When she spoke, her voice seemed to be somewhat distorted by magic, and they could only hear a hoarse female voice. ¡°In the past half month, two princes in the Kingdom of Torch have suffered battlefield accidents one after another. One is confirmed dead and the other is temporarily missing. The eldest princess has suffered a curse of anonymity and is unconscious at present, while the other two princesses are suffering from illnesses with their lives are at stake. The only daughter of the Frost Queen in the continent of Fimbulvinter is suffering from an unknown curse and has not been able to wake up. The Frost Dragon Queen has many heirs. Her six heirs, who have inheritance qualifications, have all encountered various ¡®accidents¡¯. Two are dead, two are missing, and two are in critical condition. There is also confirmation that the three heirs to the Sorcerer King of Northwind have been assassinated or cursed. The continent of Glow has no clear news of the attack on its royal heirs because the ancient magic energy of the Sea of Carnos has hindered the information network between the continent of Glow and the Ansu continent. But according to intelligence obtained by secret agents, the imperial capital of the Zelorand Empire has entered a state of martial law. There are also signs of major events in the Kingdom of Highmountain and the Ten Towers Kingdom.¡±


    The mysterious woman named ¡°Lady Gloom¡± completed her delivery without referring to any information. Princess Ania¡¯s expression changed dramatically as she listened to her.


    Grand Duke Loen tapped his finger on the armrest of his seat and said, ¡°We can trust that every secular country is under attack. Their target is the heirs of the various royal families.¡±


    There was a moment of silence in the chamber. The faces of Count Willie and Lamore emerged in Hao Ren¡¯s mind. Those cultists who have endured since ancient times, those fanatics who maintained an extremely ancient, extremely secret target¡­ They had been waiting for 10,000 years until this moment. And all of a sudden, they decided to show their cards, tear the order of the world, and hit them like a thunderbolt.


    The darkness surged, and the light receded. Chaos was completely replacing the Order in Collow. What happened in the secular countries seemed to be sending a signal¡­


    ¡°Look, the attack has begun.¡±

 Chapter 1264 - Dying Out

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    All the intelligence pointed to a dark and disturbing answer, and everyone who heard the news fell into silence. The information would soon cease to be a secret. Since Rudolph III chose to publish them in the room, it meant that the news had probably begun to circulate.


    ¡°There have been so many accidents to the heirs of kingdoms within a month, but the news did not come out until recently,¡± Grand Duke Loen broke the silence. ¡°Every kingdom does not want the turmoil that happens at the top to spread, so they have kept it until it is impossible to conceal it anymore. This, in turn, has provided an opportunity for the believers of the Cult of Armageddon.¡±


    Hao Ren frowned and said, ¡°Do the cultists simply want to cause chaos and weaken the power of the various states? If so, they should find an easier way. It¡¯s difficult to target the heirs of the Royal Family without being seen. Besides, their actions don¡¯t seem to be very successful. Most of the heirs who have been attacked are not actually dead. Just like Ania, they just fell sick, a false alarm.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t just want to cause chaos,¡± Alfred explained. ¡°Their goal is the keeper¡¯s blood. Their ultimate aim, I¡¯m afraid, is to weaken the repression of Lockmarton and liberate the remnant forces of the evil giant.¡±


    ¡°The keeper¡¯s blood?¡± Hao Ren was surprised.


    ¡°The royal family in every kingdom gets the ¡®keeper¡¯ inheritance,¡± Veronica explained. ¡°This is not a real inheritance of blood, but a foreign inheritance. The dynasties in Collow have changed throughout the years. At the end of each war, some nations would fall, while others would emerge from the ruins. After the establishment of these emerging kingdoms, the first thing to do would be to seek the recognition of the Sanctum. Once recognized, the Sanctum would then carry out an inheritance ceremony for these new royal families. The power of blood from the ancient divine guard is injected into the veins of our founding kings and passed on for generations. This is the keeper¡¯s blood.¡±


    Hao Ren sat there in a trance. This was really something he had never thought of. It seemed that this ancient blood came from the ¡°ancient divine guard¡±?


    Veronica went on, ¡°The keeper¡¯s blood has the power to suppress Chaos and is necessary to light the Sunscorch Tower. During the last month of each year, the Sunscorch Tower needs to be re-lit. The tower, which holds the kingdoms together, is especially essential to the survival of a kingdom surrounded by Chaos. The royal members of each kingdom must infuse their blood into the energy core as they light the tower. Because of these keepers¡¯ blood scattered throughout the continent, these kingdoms can maintain minimum Order at the border, and not let Chaos completely devour the world.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. Now he understood the meaning of ¡°the keeper¡¯s blood¡±.


    The Light of Order was like a lighthouse in the dark, and the members of every royal family were the firewood for ignition. In their veins flowed not only noble blood but also fuel to sustain their own kingdoms.


    He remembered that it was Veronica who lit the abandoned fire device with her blood in the desert¡ªand this was the secret.


    Hao Ren blinked as he looked at the old master and asked, ¡°The purpose of the cultists is to destroy those who have the keeper¡¯s blood? It doesn¡¯t make sense: the heirs they¡¯ve attacked are still alive.¡±


    ¡°But the power of the blood is lost,¡± Ania answered.


    The princess stretched out her hand and pricked the tip of her finger with a silver needle. Red blood oozed out from her fingertip.


    It was just ordinary blood.


    ¡°Ania, you¡­¡± Veronica looked at the blood in shock. Apparently, she just knew. She pricked her finger with a knife at once, and her blood oozed out with a faint gleam.


    Obviously, the two kinds of blood were totally different. Ania had lost some kind of magic in her blood.


    ¡°Diseases can be cured, curses can be dispelled, but the power in the blood cannot be redeemed,¡± Rudolph III whispered. ¡°It is true that many of the royal heirs who have been attacked are still alive, but the cultists have achieved their goal: to remove the power in the blood of these heirs.¡±


    ¡°The power of the keeper¡¯s blood is an important safeguard in maintaining the boundaries of Order because only the blood can light up the Sunscorch Tower. Now, the Sunscorch Tower is burning out. The efficiency of the tower is decreasing day by day, and we can now feel the impact on the whole kingdom.¡± Alfred¡¯s old voice sounded weaker than before. ¡°The output of all the fires in the kingdom is decreasing synchronously. It is only a matter of time before this situation reaches the Spire of Flames. The forces of Chaos are penetrating inland from the west and north of the kingdom, which is also a sign of the weakening of Order. Now, we must prepare for the ignition ritual of the Sunscorch Tower as soon as possible.¡±


    Hao Ren took a few deep breaths and looked at Rudolph III. ¡°It¡¯s true that the heirs of various countries have lost the power in their blood, but the situation shouldn¡¯t be so bad. What about you kings and queens who are still in power? Your blood power should still be present. Can you light the tower?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re almost running out of it,¡± Rudolph III said and laughed.


    After a pause, the old king continued, ¡°It¡¯s not difficult to maintain the Sunscorch Tower because we just need to make sure it doesn¡¯t extinguish. But when the Tides of Chaos come, every Sunscorch Tower must operate at full power. The Tides of Chaos last 10 years at a time, but almost no one can keep burning for 10 years. This year is the seventh year of the tides, and I have been powering that tower for seven years, as have the rulers of other kingdoms. With mortal bodies, this is our limit.¡±


    Then, Rudolph III joked, ¡°The Frost Dragon Queen of the continent of Fimbulvinter may fare better. She¡¯s a powerful dragon, so she can burn longer than the rest of us can¡­¡±


    Hao Ren did not find the joke funny at all. ¡°That is to say¡­ the kings of all the countries have used up their blood power, and the next ignition ritual must be carried out by their heirs?¡±


    ¡°But the heirs of all countries have lost their blood power,¡± said Rudolph III lightly. ¡°Perhaps Veronica is the only exception.¡±


    The ancient magic, which did not belong to ordinary humans, was injected into their bodies through genetic technology. The ancient power came from an extraordinary race that had already disappeared. Even if the power was diluted, an ordinary human body could not bear it. Therefore, the power that an ordinary person could produce and contain in his life was limited. A king had to exert all of his powers to keep the Sunscorch Tower running, but it was not enough to survive a decade.


    The last three years had to be taken over by the heirs.


    The cultists used thousands of years of preparation to accurately and fatally destroy the most vulnerable link in the process of keeping the Sunscorch Tower running.


    Taros was perhaps the only kingdom where the situation was not so bad. The kingdom still had an heir with the power of the ancient blood. Veronica survived because of Hao Ren¡¯s intervention. She was now the only person in the mortal world who could light the lighthouse.


    The other kingdoms were facing a desperate situation.


    Rudolph III and most of the people in the chamber knew this, so they were not at all smug about their kingdom retaining the last keeper¡¯s blood. If all the other kingdoms were extinguished by Chaos, how long would Taros be able to illuminate the darkness on its own?


    The atmosphere in the chamber was gloomy, but just then, the jewel from a ring on Rudolph III¡¯s hand suddenly flashed.


    The king put the ring by his ear, and a moment later, he looked up and stared at Hao Ren.


    ¡°Guardian, I have bad news.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Lavinia Turson Kant managed to escape with the help of a large group of cultists. Before she fled, she turned back and attacked Veronica¡¯s standard bearer and took the divine weapon you brought with you.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.

 Chapter 1265 - On the Eve of the Beast Tide

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren was now no stranger to Lavinia Turson Kant, the sister of Count Willie. During their journey across the wilderness, the freckled female knight went up and talked to Hao Ren. The way she behaved in front of the ancient guardian was like a great admirer of the people of the sanctum. It was her peculiar demeanor that left a deep impression on Hao Ren.


    Count Willie had been proven to be an Armageddon follower lying low in the Kingdom of Order. There was fear that the entire Kant Family would not be able to get away from it. As his sister, Lavinia naturally would be a suspect.


    After the incident in Kant Manor, Rudolph III¡¯s court knights had arrested the guardian knight, Lavinia. But the kingdom had underestimated the scale of the action of the Armageddon believers and the importance of Lavinia in the cult. On the way to a secret prison outside the city, Lavinia was saved by a group of cultists. Not only that, she turned back and attacked the standard-bearers that she had been part of for many years, and ran away with an anciently sacred device.


    Hao Ren was not surprised by the incident, which he had anticipated. When he found out the real identity of Count Willie, he had first suspected Lavinia who had tried to get close to him from the beginning. After the escape of Count Willie, he knew that Lavinia would somehow escape too. When Rudolph III finished, Hao Ren nodded and said, ¡°I have been wondering if you have known from the very start that Count Willie and the Kant Family are members of the cult. It seems that you have long known that Count Willie and the Kant Family are members of the Cult of Armageddon?¡±


    ¡°The Armageddonists have infiltrated the Kingdoms of Orders, but we are not sitting ducks,¡± Rudolph III said faintly. ¡°We had mastered the information of the cult members in the kingdom. But some of them had implanted deep into the foundation of the kingdom, getting rid of them requires careful planning and timing. More importantly, our operation had to remain discreet not to alert them. I had my eyes on the Kant Family since a few years ago, but it was only until today that things were ripe to take action to wipe them out completely. But unfortunately, I had not anticipated the situation of the tide of Chaos and the subversion of the Cult of Armageddon. So there have been some regrets.¡±


    Ania looked at Hao Ren¡¯s reaction curiously. ¡°Your Venerable Guardian, it looks like you don¡¯t worry about the loss of the anciently sacred object.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s put it in another way: it was only proper that they took away the thing. It proves my suspicion.¡± Hao Ren said with a wry smile. ¡°When they equivocated and asked about the two sacred items of the Cassouin Grand Temple, I knew that the things must be important to them. At that time, I still had no idea they were cultists, but I had guessed their motives for finding the artifacts.¡±


    The old scholar Alfred became interested after hearing that. ¡°The two sacred objects in the Cassouin Grand Temple? What are they?¡±


    ¡°The Radiant Disc and the Sky Heart.¡± Hao Ren started to describe the situation at that time. Then as he finished, he said, ¡°That¡¯s all about it. They seemed to want these two things badly, and even took the risk of blowing their cover to mention it before me.¡±


    Veronica seemed to have finally understood. ¡°The items that Lavinia snatched away are¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, if they plan to hold a ritual with the ¡®Radiant Disc,¡¯ they will be disappointed.¡± Hao Ren shrugged.


    Everyone in the room suddenly quieted down and looked at each other with a subtle smile.


    Ania looked at Hao Ren, who was having an evil smile on his face. ¡°Your Venerable Guardian, you¡­ Ahh, I get it. But this doesn¡¯t befit a person of your stature.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called wisdom!¡± Hao Ren said.


    While the atmosphere in White City was tense because of the cult incident and the discussion about the destiny of this world was going on in Rudolph III¡¯s secret chamber, a large army had arrived at the border of civilization in the southern part of the kingdom.


    A series of fluttering sound rose as movements in the forest scared a group of birds resting on the tree. The birds took off and flew into the overcast sky as feathers and leaves dropped from the air. Under the canopy in the thick bushes, a pair of small round eyes with orange glimmers rolled back and forth. The eyes were watching for movement outside the forest carefully. A lizard, covered in scales, walking in an upright position, came out from behind the bushes. The lizard was wearing simple armor made of animal skin and carapace, holding a sharp obsidian spear in its hand. The dark red pattern on its forehead showed that it came from a lizard tribe in the southern forest, and the obsidian spear in its hand suggested that the lizard was a warrior.


    More lizards came out from the bushes. There were a total of 10 of them.


    It was a scouting team. But experienced human commanders believe that lizardmen in the Black Forest were just a bunch of indisciplined, inferior creatures with low intelligence and civilization. This lizard tribe hid in the densest part of the woods. Usually, these lizards would not dare to come close to the patrolling human forces in the woods, let alone scout at the border of the human kingdoms.


    So the appearance of the 10 lizards, a scout team, at the border of the kingdom was unusual.


    ¡°It is human¡­ This city¡­ The smell of smoke.¡±


    The first lizardman who stood up whispered. It then hissed and twitched its nostrils to smell the changes of scents as well as temperature in the air.


    The second lizardman who stood up stretched its neck. The dark blue wrinkles under its neck flowed with a magic glow, and the weapon in its hand was not an obsidian spear, but a stick made of animal bones. This lizard was a shaman. Its superficial and almost instinctual skills of magic were childish and ridiculous in the eyes of the human wizards but were commendable among the lizard tribe.


    The lizard shaman focused his energy and summoned an eagle-eye spell for himself. It carefully observed the human territory opposite the forest, and said with a hissing sound, ¡°There is a plume of smoke rising from the back of the wall. The wall has collapsed. The human city has fallen.¡±


    The other lizard soldiers began to hiss.


    ¡°Probably it happened many days ago.¡±


    ¡°Smoke is still billowing, probably not long ago, about three days.¡±


    ¡°Humans have probably abandoned the city and ran to the north.¡±


    ¡°But maybe humans on horseback there. Those humans are violent and not afraid of monsters.¡±


    ¡°Those humans have also run away. They need to have a city to be active, but now their city is gone.¡±


    ¡°Should we go to check it out?¡±


    ¡°No, the Alpha only ordered us to check things out at the border of the forest,¡± the lizard shaman interrupted the soldiers¡¯ conversation. ¡°And the new leader has said that the amulet may lose its power if we go too far.¡±


    The other lizards immediately quieted down and looked at the amulet hanging under the shaman¡¯s neck in awe.


    It was a rough handicraft made of a stiff leather rope, two colored stone beads, a feather and a small coat of wolf fur. But the only thing that worked was the white wolf fur, which came from the tail of the alpha.


    The wolf fur emitted a faint glow in the dark, but it was enough to keep the forces of Chaos in the surroundings at bay. The lizard soldiers could move freely in the dark forest, which the Chaos had infested and distorted, with this powerful magical object.


    The magic knowledge of the lizardmen was rudimentary. The amulet the shaman wore was already a potent magic item. If their intelligence were any higher, they might even treat this amulet as divine and include it as part of their myths and legends.


    The storm of Chaos that landed in the southern part of the Ansu continent had crossed the migratory army of the alpha, transforming the entire southern forest into a distorted black forest. Sixty percent of the forest¡¯s creatures had died or turned into chaotic minions, leaving the rest hid in the underground, waiting for the tide of Chaos to end. But over 70 % of these survivors in the underground would also die soon. Few could survive the tide of Chaos.


    The storm of Chaos had ravaged the human city a few days ago. It seemed that even the most secure human fortress could not stand more than a few days under the rage of the storm of Chaos.


    The lizard shaman saw the destruction; fear rose in it. But it also felt grateful.


    Under the pressure of the alpha, the lizard tribe chose to surrender and became a member of the massive beast legion. The surrender proved to be entirely wise: they had lived to this day.


    ¡°Go back, report to Alpha.¡± The lizardman¡¯s yellow eyes turned, and it walked towards the forest. ¡°The human city is gone.¡±

 Chapter 1266 - The Beast Tide

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Lily was happy about the safe return of the lizard scouts as it proved that the fur on the amulets still possessed a robust protective effect away from her. She had not been able to figure out why there was a glow in her body, but she knew the light made her awesome. She would have jumped head over heels in joy if people were not around.


    At that moment, she had to maintain her majesty as an alpha.


    The lizard shaman and its chief warrior bowed respectfully in front of the Alpha, who was sitting on her throne. This throne was a flat boulder in the forest, covered with a thick layer of fur. But no one dared to belittle this throne. The skin on the stone used to belong to a thicket dreadfang; a horrible behemoth once dominated the largest territory of the Black Forest for half a century. It has endless strength, able to smash a rock in half; there had been an uncountable number of beasts and humans died under its fangs and claws. Even the southern knights of the Kingdom of Taros regarded it as a considerable threat and listed the thicket dreadfang¡¯s territories as restricted areas.


    But during a fight, the Alpha defeated the thicket dreadfang, smashed the neck of the horrible behemoth, and tore its head from the body.


    The former forest overlord became the gourmet meal for the alpha and her cronies, and the fur the mat on the throne. The powerful leader from the floating island in the south was now the ruler of the Black Forest, the lizard shaman so thought.


    The alpha, draped in wolf skin, sat on her throne, debriefing the lizards while fiddling with a strand of hair in front of her forehead. She wore many spoils on her body: a necklace made of sharp teeth, the beast skulls hung around the waist, and ornaments made of skins and bone fragments. All these things made the alpha looked fearsome. These loots were initially of the primitive tribes that were once fearsome and powerful in the Black Forest. But now these tribes had either become a member of the Beast Tide, or food for the beasts.


    ¡°Just as the uncle monk said, this storm of Chaos is mighty. Even the human defense has not been able to stop it.¡± Lily yawned. She had not been able to sleep since her body started to glow. Fortunately, she began to adapt to the light. ¡°How far are those towns that billow smoke from here?¡±


    ¡°A day¡¯s journey,¡± the lizard shaman replied reverently. ¡°If we maintain the speed of the past few days.¡±


    ¡°That is pretty near.¡± Lily blinked. ¡°Are there any monsters along the way?¡±


    ¡°There is a shadow on the edge of the fog,¡± the lizardman said, ¡°but not much.¡±


    Lily looked to the side. The high-ranking monk, Calaxus, was standing on the edge of the throne as her ¡®advisor¡¯. The man from the sanctum seemed not to have a complaint about his position. His men were grumbling that they had to come down to dance with the beasts. But the intelligent monk was thinking otherwise; at least he could continue to fight the Chaos. Noticing the stare of the alpha, the monk nodded and said, ¡°According to the lizards, the storm of Chaos has just passed the first line of defense in the south. Even if the Chaos has endless energy, in the face of human resistance, it would have worn out somewhat and take some time to recover. So there will not be too many monsters of Chaos at the border. But this window would only open for three days at most, after which the Chaos would come back stronger. By then, the second line of defense in the south of Taros will probably be in jeopardy.¡±


    ¡°The human kingdom is such weakling.¡± Lily shook her head. ¡°What would happen to Mr. Landlord?¡±


    Lily glanced at her men around her.


    The demonic wolf, as the undisputed chief confidant of the alpha, though not the brightest bulbs in wisdom and strength, still had a place closest to the throne. Next up was the leader of the demonic forest ape, and the investigation team of the sanctum. Further out were imps, goblins, lizards, bear monsters, gnolls, etc. These leaders and representatives of all species gathered here to form a ring around the alpha.


    Lily called it Ring of the Beasts while she was the commander of her army.


    Those who were present were only a small part of the beasts, the representative of each species. Only those who were more powerful were qualified to send representatives. Farther away from this open ground, there were countless third and fourth tiers species, which were not even eligible to have an audience with the alpha. Only at the special meeting that Lily held, those weaker leaders got a chance to speak to the alpha.


    Calaxus raised his head and looked in the direction of Lily¡¯s gaze.


    Though Calaxus could not see it, he could feel a massive sense of presence in the dense forest.


    It was not the strength of the individual, but the sheer size of the group.


    Countless abhumans had gathered under the protection of the alpha. They were chaotic and noisy but a terrifying force united by some beast instincts and the might of the alpha. In every hollow of the forest, marsh and high ground, lair, mud, even on the forest canopy and in the shadows, the group of beasts was growing every day.


    Calaxus could not help but sigh. Having studied the scrolls and books for many years in the sanctum, he had never even thought that there were so many abhumans hidden on the edge of the human civilization.


    This force was no longer just of the beasts. It had grown beyond the size, starting from lifting off the floating island in the south on their hot air balloons and swelling into an army. Calaxus had named it the Beast Tide.


    The alpha endorsed the name.


    While Calaxus was in deep thought, Lily was also observing her army. The smell of the beasts drifted into her nostrils. The slightest breeze in the air and fluttering of the grass in the Black Forest could not hide from her enhanced senses. She felt the edge of the beast tide and started to ponder:


    Since when I have so many men under my command? When did this bunch of guys gather here?


    Lily sat there trying to figure out the formation process of her army. The expansion started after she entered the Black Forest, she finally realized, when she caught the smokey tentacles that appeared in the nightmare.


    On that one mild morning, or maybe it was noon, the alpha had caught a monster. Lily was in the best mood. She could finally show it off before her landlord. So she hurried all her little friends to wade through the forest while the group from the floating island in the south followed her from behind with noise and excitement. Soon after, group after group of abhumans, like the lizards, which may be just goblins, living in the forest began to emerge. These native creatures, probably did not realize there was a large group of beasts behind Lily, or maybe the energy of Chaos in the forest had confused them, they jumped in front of Lily trying to extort money or something.


    The alpha smashed them with her paws, or maybe bricks.


    She subjugated a lizard tribe, which could be a goblin tribe.


    Things just happened as it was.


    Various native abhumans emerged from all corners of the forest. Some were dug up from the caves when the beasts foraged in the forest. When they saw the legion of beasts, some were scared to death, some ran away, and some launched suicide attacks, but mostly suicide. After the alpha and her men beat the daylight out of these abhumans, they submit themselves.


    When the group of beasts grew to like the sand on the beach, their movements became so loud, and the earth would tremble when they ran. The tremor shook the ancient creatures out of their holes. These creatures were savage, cruel, and powerful, and would not fit into one pot. So the alpha would put them in a different pot; one was natural flavor while the other one was spicy.


    There were also ancestral creatures that were more sensible and communicable. These powerful monsters in the Black Forest had now become the beasts of the beasts. They included a fierce python, a dragon, a powerful elemental creature, and even a weird black dragon living in isolation.


    The alpha could not always conquer every creature. But some could not resist the Light of Order in the darkness, and since Lily was glowing that brightly, these creatures with intelligence would be willing to follow her.


    ¡°No wonder there are getting more and more.¡± Lily suddenly clapped her hands, and it stunned Calaxus, who had spaced out.


    The high-ranking monk looked at the strange ¡®chosen one.¡¯¡±Alpha?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Lily got to her feet and put on her wolf skin. ¡°We have enough rest. Inform everyone; we are going to the human territory!¡±


    The beast tide rushed out of the forest like a rising tide. It was the most earth-shaking event in the history of Collow¡ªthe beast tide.

 Chapter 1267 - Sanctum and the Pope

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    In the world of Collow, if there was still one last lighthouse in the darkness; one last recognized sacred land in the eyes of the earthly kingdoms; and one last pure land in the endless chaos, it was the Sanctum.


    Ever since the ancient giant, Rockmarton, crushed the earth and broke Collow into five pieces, which were now drifting in the Sea of Carnos, the evil Chaos and dark powers were forever devouring the Kingdoms of Order.


    The Chaos had swallowed entirely the mysterious realm of Kanaan thousands of years ago. When the last Lighthouse of Order went out on that continent, the power of the Kingdoms of Order could no longer recapture the land there. That land was permanently gone.


    The rest of the continents were also swaying in the raging storm of Chaos, facing the fate of being devoured any time.


    It was only the Sanctum, the land that floated in the center of the void and shrouded in light for thousands of years, was immune.


    It was only until recently that the light of Asurmen suddenly dimmed.


    When looking from the void of endless darkness, Sanctum was like a regular inverted cone with a nearly perfect contour: a perfect circular edge, the continental base of the inverted cone symmetrical to the central axis, and the gently sloping terrain gradually moved up the center as if an incredibly perfect humanmade object. There was no wonder that some scholars had speculated that Sanctum was initially a nail that the Goddess of Creation created to nail it into Lockmarton¡¯s forehead. On the pedestal, there were streams of faint light flowing on the crystalline substance found between the soil and the rock. Scholars had suspected that this light, forming a massive rune character, was the embodiment of the power of the Goddess of Creation. Throughout the ages, many famous wizards risked their lives to come to the bottom of Sanctum. They looked up and studied the light that flowed, trying to understand the secrets of the power of the world. A few of them got a glimpse of the truth and became the most powerful sages and masters in the history of Collow. But many were swallowed by the Sea of Carnos.


    The ever-moving light had now weakened to an unprecedented level, only at a fraction of the brightness during its heyday.


    There was still a thin light curtain over the sanctum, but this light curtain was just as weak as the light streams below.


    In the center of the Sanctum continent, on the high ground guarded by the City of God¡¯s People built with a triple ring, the sacred crystal peak of Asurmen pointed straight to the sky. This magnificent ¡®mountain¡¯ composed of white crystal columns was glowing in the night sky as if it were using its last drop of energy to keep the light shield on. But anyone in the sanctum could see that this tremendous sacred peak was in decline.


    Pope Auguste VII stood on the platform of the Basilica Icon and looked at the nearby Light of Asurmen. This palace on the ¡®side of the god,¡¯ the innermost layer of the City of God, was the highest sanctuary of the Goddess of Creation, and the closest point the mortals of Collow could get to their god. Two towers made of white boulders and golden paint formed a door-like structure, which represented the door to the secret realm of god. The platform of the Icon Palace was located on top of the sky bridge linking the two towers, where only the pope and the bishops could get close. Standing on the platform would allow one to bathe directly in the purest Light of Asurmen. Auguste VII came here every day to meditate for an hour to ponder about the balance and future of the world, drew plans for the sanctum, and make the decisions that affected the life and death of countless people.


    But today, he could no longer meditate as usual. The faint light of Asurmen was only bringing a chill to this old man.


    The old pope tightened his thick and gorgeous golden robe. He looked up the top of the sacred crystal peak of Asurmen, where there was a shockingly large crack spurting electric arc and luminous fog continuously. The leakage was draining the power of the holy mountain.


    Although half of the breach had healed, the self-repair ability of the power of Asurmen seemed to be unable to catch up with the rate of the weakening of the shield. Probably before the crack could completely heal, the Chaos had already swallowed up the sanctum.


    ¡°Your Holiness, there is still no news from Calaxus¡¯ investigation team.¡± A high-ranking bishop came to Auguste and said softly, interrupting the old pope¡¯s contemplation.


    Auguste VII turned slightly. ¡°Is the next group of investigators ready?¡±


    The high-ranking bishop frowned and was hesitant. At last, the bishop said, ¡°Your Holiness, the shield is weakening, and the high-ranking clergymen have been working day and night to keep the Light of Order burning. We could barely maintain the operation of Asurmen even with the people we have recalled from the various continents. In this circumstance, we cannot afford to form another¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a matter of will,¡± the old pope said with a gentle tone of voice. His long eyebrows hang down from his eyes, making him look avuncular. But those who knew him would know that the old pope was extremely stubborn. ¡°Send the reserved magic stone to the furnace. We will be able to form a new investigation team.¡±


    ¡°Your Holiness, is Ansu mainland so important?¡± The high-level bishop could not help but ask. In his opinion, the old pope¡¯s decision was too rash, without reliable and credible reasons, unlike the former style of this wise old man. ¡°Now we are facing huge difficulties. In this case, it is more dangerous to waste even the slightest workforce¡ª¡±


    ¡°Asurmen has given us instructions.¡± The old pope pointed to the sacred crystal peak in front of him. ¡°There is a light on the continent of Ansu. The appearance of this light has opened up many chambers inside Asurmen. It is a message the sacred mountain sent; it wants to repair itself, and it needs the light on the continent of Ansu. No matter what it is, we need to find and bring it here.¡±


    While saying, the old pope turned slightly and looked at the high-ranking bishop. ¡°In today¡¯s situation, being defensive would mean succumb to fate, but fight brings hope. We should not act rashly in the past, but now, we can only hope God will protect us.¡±


    The first part of the old Pope¡¯s words did not impress the bishop. But the second part rendered him speechless. The high-ranking prelate could only nod. ¡°I will carry out the order. The second group of investigators will set off as soon as possible.¡±


    The old pope lowered his eyes and changed the topic. ¡°How is the situation on the other continents?¡±


    ¡°We have lost contact with most of them. The storm of Chaos has blocked most of the routes and magic network signals. At present, we only know that this situation happens simultaneously on all continents. Every single Kingdom of Order is under attack. And the Cult of Armageddon begins to rear its head.¡±


    ¡°The Cult of Armageddon?¡±


    ¡°Those madmen will not miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Your Holiness,¡± the high-ranking bishop replied. ¡°The stronger the power of Chaos, the mightier the Cult of Armageddon would be. While all kingdoms are struggling to stay afloat, those mad believers will find it easier than ever to take advantage of the situation. The worldly kingdoms are not as united as the sanctum, and they are vulnerable to threats from within themselves.¡±


    ¡°The earthly kingdom has the power of the secular kingdom, and the sanctum has its responsibility. Now we must focus on this storm of Chaos. We could only trust the rulers of those kingdoms for the worldly affairs,¡± The old pope sighed. ¡°I am only worried about the upcoming ignition ceremony. Now it is the seventh year of the war. The old torchbearer of all kingdoms should have all gone. New torchbearers must take up the responsibility for lighting the Sunscorch Tower in the coming year. When this happens, this situation of the war deteriorates. It is a critical moment. Verrol, I have an ominous premonition; when the eyes and ears of Sanctum are obscured, the world is rapidly tilting towards the darkness, and many things are beyond our imagination and control.¡±


    The high-ranking bishop was silent for a moment. This question is difficult to answer. At last, the bishop could only give a consolatory response. ¡°The light of Asurmen will light up again. At that time, the clouds will disperse, and Order will be restored to Sanctum.¡±


    ¡°Verror, hope things will go as you said. If there is nothing else, you shall leave me.¡±


    The high-ranking bishop left. Auguste VII turned around after a moment of silence. He looked at the sacred crystal peak of Asurmen and said to the empty air, ¡°Prepare the ¡®door.¡¯ Let us go to the Astral Chamber.¡±


    Ripples suddenly appeared in the air, and then a person in a white robe, whose body looked like a phantom, shrouded in blue light emerged. It was a woman, but her face was blurry and almost indistinguishable. The gatekeeper of Asurmen, the gatekeeper, the lofty sacrificer¡ªshe was the ancient soul living as one with the crystal sacred mountain.


    Auguste VII knew that the gatekeeper was almost as old as the history of the church. Many generations of the pope had passed, but this gatekeeper was always the same.


    Even Pope Auguste VII could not understand this gatekeeper whose only job was to guide and open the door. She never talked. Auguste was not even sure if this ancient soul was used to be a human.


    The gatekeeper nodded silently. And after that, a light door appeared out of thin air behind the gather.

 Chapter 1268 - Asurmen

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Few people knew that the crystal mount of Asurmen had a vast and mysterious interior, let alone the ancient gatekeeper who had been guarding the great sacred place throughout human history. Those who were eligible to enter Asurmen were the popes of the goddess of creation. Through the gatekeeper, the popes could open or close the various chambers of Asurmen at will.


    The gatekeeper opened a light door silently. When the door frame flickered a few times, it seemingly stabilized into a portal. On the other side was a crystal chamber filled with a faint halo. Pope Auguste VII nodded slightly to the gatekeeper and stepped into the gate.


    The portal shook a little and then closed. August VII arrived at the Astral Chamber inside Asurmen. It was a pyramid-shaped space, where the four walls gradually narrowed and converged into a single point at the top with a large white crystal suspended there, giving a humming sound. Mysterious runes and images moved around on the walls and floor. But humans could only understand a small part of these things even after thousands of years of research by the wisest scholars of the church.


    Most of the inside of Asurmen was of such pyramid shape. The only difference between them was size and lighting. It took the scholars many generations to decode the name of some of the chambers, but they were still clueless about the specific functions and operation mechanism of the cells.


    The pope was now in the Astral Chamber.


    The Astral Chamber was the inscribed name of the entrance and exit from here to other areas, so there was meaning to this name. But the scholars of the church always found the name bemusing. The name Astral Chamber suggested that it was a place to observe the stars or store materials of astrology. But there was no opening in this place at all to watch the sky, and the equipment in the room also had nothing to do with astrology.


    In Collow, astrology was an abstruse subject. This world had an ancient sky that had never changed. It was a star image that stayed on the boundary of space when it is isolated from the material universe. The Collow people did not know this secret, but it did not prevent them from knowing about their world from the stars. The stars were static, but there were various illusions produced by the undulating Sea of Carnos projected into the sky. These lights drifted on the natural chessboard formed by the stars and reacted with the starlight to generate turbulence, from which the astrologers would infer the trend of the Chaos and the length of the year of the Order. It was safe to say that the history of astrology of human was as long as the existence of Collow. People in this world were no strangers to astrology.


    But there was nothing in the Astral Chamber of Asurmen that was related to astrology. There were only mysterious crystals, of which one of the biggest pieces had strange text flowing on the surface, year after year. Auguste VII believed that this text had some significant meaning. But unfortunately, scholars had so far failed to decode the secrets in this text.


    The runes in Asurmen was too esoteric. Even if the pope printed out all the runes and gave them to the highly esteemed linguists to analyze, no one could understand every sentence of this sacred place.


    The old pope came to the crystal tower in the center of the Astral Chamber while the gatekeeper followed him silently. As always, the crystal tower was filled with text that no one could understand, but when sensing the arrival of the pope, the text receded to a side and other symbols and images appeared in the air.


    Auguste VII placed his hand on the crystal tower and carefully touched the ridges on the surface of the crystal column, and the image in the air changed.


    It turned into the image of Collow in the form of a hologram.


    But this image was blurry and shaky as if the device was malfunctioning. Some of the text floating on the map was not legible at all. The entire holographic image had only one important marker, which was a ray of light in the central south of the Ansu Continent.


    This market had only appeared less than a month ago. Following its appearance, many of the initially closed areas of Asurmen suddenly opened, and the Pope believed that it had to be God¡¯s guidance.


    ¡°The Ansu Continent¡­ the ancient Cassouin Grand Temple¡­¡± The old pope muttered to himself. ¡°This temple, disappeared from the World of Order a thousand years ago, still exists. Goddess, what do you want me to know?¡±


    The hologram, of course, could not answer the pope¡¯s question. It just floated quietly in the air, and signal interference made it even blurrier.


    Auguste VII switched off the hologram and activated other systems.


    He brought up a few interfaces that the mortal could control and understand. One of the interfaces showed the image of the entire sacred crystal mountain. This image was reasonably clear, showing one-third of the holy mountain hidden in the earth, and an incredibly complex structure inside. There were more eye-catching orange markers, the text of which Auguste VII could still understand.


    Unknown error. Unable to read the image data.


    He zoomed in on the image and locked on the crack at the top of the sacred peak. The breach was a terrible penetrating wound with a foreign object stuck in the thickest part of the crack.


    A few months ago, a mysterious extraterrestrial object broke through the sky and tore a crack in the sacred mountain of Asurmen. From that day on, the state of the sacred crystal mountain began to decline. Not long ago, even the Light of Order had faded from the sacred peak.


    Asurmen had been self-repairing since the impact. Two-thirds of the crack had healed, but the thickest part with the foreign object was still unable to self-restore. And the speed of self-repairing was much slower than the rate of decline of the sacred mountain.


    The orange markers at the top of the sacred peak on the hologram denoted warning, while the marker on the crack was red, beside which was a line of text: Warning: #@£¤#%@£¤ severe damage. Power output is decreasing. Self-repair function restricted. Manual intervention is required immediately.


    The old pope looked at the hologram and asked without looking at the gatekeeper, ¡°Is there a way to get there?¡±


    The gatekeeper stood behind him without saying a word.


    The old pope knew it meant ¡®negative.¡¯


    If there were anything that was executable, the gatekeeper would have carried out immediately. If the gatekeeper did not respond, it meant that nothing could be done. The gatekeeper was such a robotic guard, unable to reason or even communicate.


    The old pope¡¯s brows knit together, but he could not say anything to the silent gatekeeper. He knew that it was beyond the limit of mortal ability.


    The ¡®outer-space¡¯ object hit the summit of Asurmen, the highest crystal cluster called the Throne of God, was a forbidden land for the mortals. Powerful divine energy shrouded the crystal mountain of Asurmen all the year round. Starting from the foot of the hill, for every 100 meters rise in altitudes, the sacred energy around the mountain wall would double. The energy at the mountainside, at the height of that of the platform on the top of the Basilica Icon, was the limit that mortals could bear. It was for this reason that only the pope or bishops could come to the platform. So it was not just a symbol of status, but also because the strength the mortals were unable to withstand the pressure of Asurmen.


    Even Auguste VII, if he climbed to the Throne of God, could only stay for ten minutes, after which the power of the god would burn him into ashes.


    So even though everyone knew that the outer-space object, the culprit that caused Asurmen to die slowly, was near to the Throne of God, no one could remove it.


    It was impossible to climb to the top of the sacred peak from the outside. Auguste VII once hoped to go up there from inside the holy mountain.


    But the gatekeeper never opened the passage to the pope. The mysterious guardian was as if a magic-powered robot adhered to a set of principle mechanically. But compared to this principle, the gatekeeper seemed to be care less about the debilitating reality of Asurmen.


    After a while in the Astral Chamber, the pope left.


    Instead of leaving Asurmen, Auguste VII let the gatekeeper take him to other open chambers. Some of these chambers have been opened for thousands of years or even tens of thousands of years, while others had just suddenly awakened and appeared from dormancy.


    Among the recently-opened chambers, one had attracted the attention of Auguste VII, who had visited this place more than once in the past two weeks.


    Structurally, this newly-emerging chamber should be located halfway up the sacred mountain of Asurmen, right in the way of the central axis of the peak. No one realized the existence of this cell until the crystal barrier that blocked the chamber suddenly vanished.


    The gatekeeper brought the pope into this so-called Will Hub. Just as before, when stepping into it, Auguste VII immediately felt a soft and low voice sounding in his head.


    But the voice was too weak and intermittent. Auguste VII could not understand it.


    The pope looked up at the irregular-shaped large crystal in the center of the pyramidal chamber. The crystal was three meters high, and a halo was lingering around it. The crystal seemed to have sealed something inside it.


    Auguste VII was indeed no stranger to this scene. He had been studying the crystal for half a month. But even pope as knowledgeable as Auguste VII could not figure out what was inside the crystal.


    It was a group of lights, much like the stars in space, inside the crystal.

 Chapter 1269 - The Passing Storm

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Three days had passed since the sudden fierce battle.


    The towering walls of Fort Raven stood quietly under the night sky. The sturdy fortress made of black granite managed to withstand an unimaginably bloody battle. Even the general of the fortress could not believe that it did. The storm of Chaos and the monsters that came with the storm almost destroyed the striker towers and the Runestones of Order outside the fortress. The defenses of the Order outside Fort Raven had been wiped out. The once high-walls with crenels had become piles of grayish-black crushed gravel, no longer dotted with sentry posts. Even the wall of the fortress itself was full of battle marks like cracks and holes.


    Perhaps it did not have to wait for the next storm before the wall collapsed even if a group of wandering monsters of Chaos could bring down the wall.


    Philip tightened his coat and looked back at the upper fortress of Fort Raven. Under the foggy night sky, this ancient fortress appeared like a spiral volcano. Layers of granite walls and towers of different sizes formed the cliffs of the mountain. The fires that swayed between the walls and the towers looked like lava flowing down the hill. At the top of the fort, the Spire of Flames was as if a white tower that pierced through the sky. A transparent shield dropped down from the top of this white tower-like water from an umbrella, creating a spherical barrier around the fortress.


    The Light of Order still looked bright, but the Spire of Flames had not been able to produce that original level of light intensity like before.


    The storm of Chaos had severely damaged the Spire of Flames. The excessively strong conflict of rules had overloaded the energy core of the tower. The mages had rushed to repair the critical equipment, but they could not restore the tower to its peak performance. For a fortress that was facing assault on the border of the Chaos, the weakening of the Light of Order meant that the worst was coming. The defense capability of Fort Raven had weakened by half now.


    But these things were distant for Philip, who was an ordinary small captain, a little higher in rank and knew a little more than his soldiers. But he was mostly a countryman, an uncouth soldier knowing little about the world. Except for the tragic battle of three days ago that left many people, who were better than him, died outside the fort, he knew nothing about magic. Seeing the body of soldiers guarding the wall was being carried to the back of the wall, he suddenly felt lucky that he was not among one of them. If it were not for the many years of military career numbing his senses on life and death, this veteran soldier would not be able to take up the courage to come to this wall.


    Philip once again tightened his coat. It seemed that his clothes could no longer keep him warm in the cold wind of the night. It was hard to imagine that just a few days ago; it was still a hot summer here where standing on the wall for a while would have people covered in sweat. But now the temperature inside and outside of the fortress had dropped to the freezing point¡ªit was winter.


    Such was the power of Chaos. When the storm struck, it changed the climate of the area almost immediately, taking only three hours to shift from midsummer to winter. After that, the defenders of Fort Raven had also experienced the baptism of thunderstorms, hail, and blizzards. If this phenomenon happened in the first three years of the War of Chaos, the crazy weather would have claimed the life of many people.


    ¡°Sir, it seems that dawn is coming. Should we stop here?¡±


    A voice jolted Philip out of his daze. He turned around his head and saw one of his soldiers was looking at the horizon, where a faint glimmer of light was rising.


    ¡°Don¡¯t space out! It¡¯s not over yet,¡± Philip chided. ¡°Don¡¯t get slack. If the monster comes again, how are you going to face your ancestor when you die?¡±


    Taking the reprimand with their heads low, the soldiers nodded quickly. But Philip knew that he should not be too harsh to them. It was this horrible weather that was to blame. And the night patrol had also drained them completely.


    But he also knew that monsters would not choose a particular time to attack. Those bastards crawling out from the Chaos would not be so kind as to give them some slack time. So this veteran soldier was still spirited as he paid close attention to any movements outside the wall.


    A cold wind was blowing on the plains in front of Fort Raven, sweeping up a few broken flags and dust. Philip recognized one of the flags was of the second largest team of the Blackblade Legion. He knew that the brigade was utterly wiped out three days ago. In the battle that day, to give other teams a chance to retreat, more than 2,000 warriors stood in the way of the advancing monsters. Philip was watching from the wall as the monsters devoured the soldiers. Human bodies and limbs dissolved like cream in the hot soup of darkness.


    The sacrifice of the bridge had saved the main forces of the Blackblade Legion, prevented the fortress from losing too many men at once. But it also led the chaotic monsters to attack the shield of Order of Fort Raven earlier than expected, paving the way to the overloading of the Spire of Flames.


    ¡°Sir, I heard the mages said that it was a storm of Chaos a few days ago, rising from the Sea of Carnos and blowing in from the mainland border. The forest in the south seemed to have been destroyed, and become the realm of Chaos.¡±


    ¡°You think I don¡¯t know that?¡± Philip shot his men a glare and said coldly. He did not like the soldier mention the subject because, when recalling the scene of three days ago, it would make him shudder. The darkness and storm that struck from the sky in the south were as if it a sea wave of a few kilometers high pounding toward them. A violent wind rose in the blink of an eye as the sky dimmed. The sound of alarm sounded through the fortress when monsters emerged out of thin air and swooped at the wall. The battle was raging for a day and a night.


    The mages called it the Tip of the Storm, meaning that there would be more Chaos coming. The subsequent attack might not be as fierce as of the first day, but more people would die for sure.


    Philip did not want to talk, but his veteran soldiers could not keep their mouth shut, and soon they were chattering again.


    ¡°Hey, have you heard that a while ago, there was an unusually large group of beasts suddenly appeared in the forest in the south?¡±


    ¡°Ahh, I heard that. Why?¡±


    ¡°I heard that this group of beasts is unusual. It has a myriad of races, marching with much noise and fanfare in our direction.¡±


    ¡°All races? Then wouldn¡¯t they fall into chaos themselves already?¡±


    ¡°Weirdly, this group of beasts seems to be well organized. I heard that a particularly powerful figure called the Alpha had united them.¡±


    ¡°Whoa, it sounds awesome. Is it a wolf as large as a hill?¡±


    ¡°I heard that. Yeah, a 3,500-year-old forest demonic wolf, with three heads, tooth that was half a meter long, and a paw that could smash a house in one strike.¡±


    ¡°What is the use of this? Look at the south; the Chaos is coming. No matter how powerful the alpha is, it is still a beast. If it does not have a divine item of the Order, the Chaos must have overrun them by now.¡±


    Philip did not stop his men¡¯s chatter, because he had already seen the sun rising on the horizon. Their night shift would be soon over. At this time, taking a little slack was pretty reasonable as long as no one left their post earlier.


    But Philip did not know that the ¡°3,500-year-old forest demonic wolf, with three heads, tooth that was long as half a meter¡± was happily leading an army of beasts, the Beast Tide, approaching the border of civilization. He did not even know that in the next moment, a new round of storm of Chaos would strike.


    A sentinel first discovered the anomaly in the direction of the Black Forest. At first, he thought it was an illusion for lack of sleep. But she took a second look; the huge shadow had indeed appeared. The shadow as if a column of smoke rose in the forest as it rushed out of the woods and came in the direction of Fort Raven at an unnatural speed. On the column of smoke, monsters started to form.


    The sentinel was rooted to the spot for a while before he shouted, ¡°The Chaos is coming!¡±


    The loud alarm sounded through the fortress, and every bell tower began to scream in a frenzy. The protective runes on the walls and surfaces of the towers started to light up one by one. There were shouts and yells from all corners as commanders issued their orders, and then followed by sounds of footsteps and the grinding of the armors. Guards lowered down the massive iron gate on the upper level as griffin cavalry rushed out from the iron gate, circling the fortress. The wizard tower was sending beams of light to the battlements, supplying the magic crystal cannons with the needed energy. The focused crystal began to glow in bright white light on the city wall.


    Meanwhile, black smoke was gathering outside Fort Raven.


    Black smoke was the embodiment of the power of Chaos in the south of the kingdom.


    When the first bird-like monster formed out of the black smoke, it began to swoop at the city wall. Philip spat and cursed quietly every vulgar word he could think of, and then drew his weapon to greet the enemy.

 Chapter 1270 - A Legion

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The following is the recorded history of the unusual tide of Chaos in the southern part of Taros.


    When the dark side of the Sea of Carnos surged in the endless abyss, it formed a storm on the border of the mainland and broke through the boundary of the World of Order. The first wave of energy swelled north from the southern part of the Black Forest and destroyed everything on the land. It deformed and wilted the forest, poisoned and corroded the earth, threw the climate off balance, and obscured the starlight. The unprecedented storm of Chaos wiped out the sentry posts and villages in the buffered zone between the Black Forest and the fortress, turning the land into a dead zone. Those people utterly had no time to send a distress call back to the fort.


    Earlier during the first wave of attack, the battle raged on for a day and a night. Fort Raven did not get the early warning and suffered heavy losses. Before the runic shield and the barrier of Order rose, the knights could only wave the Golden Battle Flag and fought with their flesh and blood. All members of the second team of the Blackblade Legion died on the front line, and no one had retreated. The third and fourth brigades of the Raven Guards held up amid the air raids of the storm of Chaos. No one withdrew until the shields were up despite with only half of the brigades left. Count Donald, the highest commander of the Raven Guards, fought to his death on the wall.


    The first round of storms finally receded after a day and a night.


    The second wave of attacks came three days later.


    The black and dirty smoke pillars scourged the land like tornadoes. More than a dozen such tornadoes had almost re-plowed the entire area outside the fort, wiping clean the aftermath of the battle of three days ago in the blink of an eye. Strips of smoke formed between the tornadoes as if the flags of the army of Chaos fluttering in the wind. Endless monsters were flocking to the heavily-guarded but struggling lighthouse¡ªFort Raven.


    The Spire of Flames radiated a glorious Light of Order, forming a shield above Fort Raven. Powerfully sacred runes were flowing on each stone brick of the city wall. The wall could block out the energy of Chaos but was helpless against the continuous suicide attacks of the monsters without intelligence. Those monsters formed out of the smoke had no blood, no tears, and no feelings. They were neither afraid of pain nor death. Only the bitter hatred toward the World of Order was motivating them to blast the outer wall of Fort Raven open with their bodies.


    A skeleton-like, huge strange bird emerged from the darkness with a loud shrill. It slammed into the shield of Order on the wall, crushing half of its body. But its remaining body was releasing dark energy and produced a powerful explosion outside the barrier. Following that, more monsters started to pound the same spot. Some of the monsters detonated themselves to weaken the defense of the shield, while some condensed all their energy into a more powerful and effective magic weapon: chaosbolt, which was formed by pure and primitive magic energy, equivalent to the level 6 or above spell of a human wizard, and the full blow of a mid-level wizard. But this one here just poured cats and dogs. The white ray pattern on the energy barrier rapidly dimmed under continuous impact. The energy flow began to turn haywire. At this time, a mage on the nearby tower issued a warning using brainwave resonance.


    ¡°Team C, on your front left, 7-5A, the weak point appears!¡±


    Only soldiers in specific areas could hear the warning and rushed to the weakening spot, while the others would keep fighting in their positions.


    A moment later, the breach appeared. Monsters shrouded in black smoke and poisonous mist pouring in through the breach.


    The energy field of the Order instantly vaporized these monsters into primary energy. But before they dissipated, they had caused irreparable damage to the wall.


    Philip and his soldiers lunged forward.


    His enchanted sword hit a monster. The strike sent a vibration up his wrist through the sword. The old veteran instantly felt numbness on his arm. It was as if he had struck on hardwood or even stone. Only the body of the dying monsters could give him such a real physical sense of feedback, which proved that the attack worked. While the first monster fell, two more long swords swung past him from behind and hit the other two monsters, sending them flying backward.


    Philip wiped the blood and sweat off his forehead. As the battle raged on, he had no idea where his wounds were except the one on his forehead. The veteran soldier nodded to his subordinates and gestured with his hands. Years of cooperation and rigorous training had let them master the use of eye contact and sign language. They could communicate with each other on the battlefield with only the movement of the eyes and gestures of their hands.


    Group of soldiers rushed to form a defensive formation around the breach and engaged the monsters that came through the crack.


    Philip brandished his giant sword and hit a humanoid monster. But he sighed when he saw his men in his peripheral vision.


    One more man was down; Elunique Jr. was lying on the cold wall forever.


    It was during this distraction that Philip felt a burning sensation on his shoulder. He instinctively dodged as a black shadow scrapped past his cheeks; he just saved his head from being cut in half.


    The veteran quickly balanced himself, stepped aside, and turned around. Leveraging the inertia of the massive sword, he swung it in a semicircle at the bear-like monster.


    The blade of the big sword was gleaming with a faint light as it hit its target. Almost immediately, soldiers nearby lunged up and terminated the monster.


    The big sword felt heavy in hand.


    Philip gasped as he felt that a burning sensation in the wound on his shoulder, from which his strength drained. He felt the sword in his hand became heavier with every passing second. The veteran shook his head and felt that today was his last.


    He looked up the sky. The crack on the barrier had begun to close as the self-repairing ability of the runic wall, and the shield of Order was patching the breach. It would take a while, and it would be safe again. By then, the monsters would no longer be able to enter Fort Raven through this crack any time soon.


    But before the battle ended, there would not be just one breach on the wall.


    The soldiers were finishing the remaining monsters on the wall. Philip planted his sword in the ground and leaned his body on it to recover his strength as much as possible. He knew that the more energy he could gain, the higher the odds of him coming back from the battle alive.


    Philip was neither a strategist nor a hero who could turn the tide of war on the battlefield. He was just a soldier, a veteran who was more senior than an ordinary soldier. With no idea of what sovereignty of the kingdom and the survival of civilization was, the vet knew only to fight to his death in the battlefield. At this moment, he was using all his experience and knowledge to stay alive until the next battle, which was the best he could do as a veteran soldier.


    He was only an ordinary folk living in a world of Collow.


    From under his armor, Philip took out an emergency kit that every frontline soldier of Raven Guard had. He poured half of the potion into his mouth, and half directly on his wound. The agitation brought by the cheap medicine made his throat and injuries sore at the same time, but it relieved the pain. This potion would not heal the wound; it was only an anesthetic and analeptic. But for the soldiers on the battlefield, these two effects were precious.


    The veteran tossed the empty potion bottle, got to his feet, and looked into the distance.


    The black smoke outside the fortress had no signs of dispersion. Instead, the power of Chaos was coming with an even stronger force. A new storm was forming over the savanna outside the castle. Monsters continuously emerged from the black smoke column, as if there was an unlimited number of them.


    The little sunshine that appeared earlier had disappeared completely.


    The chaotic force had once again occupied the sky, blocking the light of the sun, Ulo. Unless the Chaos retreated, sunlight would not appear in the south for a long time.


    Philip spat again and whispered something in his mouth. Just when he was about to turn around his head, a gleam of light in the sky startled him.


    The veteran was rooted to the spot, his eyes affixed at the horizon. The light was getting brighter and closer.


    It was as if the sun was rising again.


    A ridiculous thought came to mind: Is the Chaos receding and the sun, Ulo, retaking the sky that quickly?


    But he soon realized that he was wrong. The light was coming neither from the sun nor the sky, but the ground.


    A powerful light source like a small sun was dispelling the darkness. Under that light, shadows appeared on the earth.


    That was a sea of beasts.


    Everyone in Fort Raven who was concerned about the battle had seen this scene.


    It was a tide of beasts, the number of which was uncountable. No human had ever known that there were so many abhumans, lizardmen, cavemen, demonic wolves, demonic apes, bear monsters, and goblins, imps, and even elemental creatures, shadow creatures, undead, ancient beasts, and those unnamed ones were lurking outside the border of the civilized world.


    The commander of Fort Raven froze as black tide covering the earth was rushing toward his castle.


    A master sorcerer dropped and broke his crystal ball as he saw a flaming giant python crawling on the earth, and several lords of flaming elements leading a sea of fire marching forward¡ªit was a grand gathering of thousands of fire elements.


    The leader of the Griffin Knight almost fell off his mount when he saw that above the Beast Tide, a black dragon, an epic creature, was hovering in the air acting as an early warning system for the Beast Tide.


    The Beast Tide marched on without regard to the storm of Chaos ahead.


    It seemed they also did not care about Fort Raven.


    The husky maiden stood on the head of an ancient terracotta dragon, directing her army.


    She was super happy now as if she had found Mr. Landlord.

 Chapter 1271 - Inundated.

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    There was a strange phenomenon in Fort Raven and the nearby wilderness: the battlefield froze in motion with only the black tide moving slowly.


    The Beast Tide had not only attracted the attention of the human soldiers but also stifled the monsters of Chaos and the black smoke columns, on the wasteland. Only a handful of scholars vaguely realized what happened: it was the suppressive power of the Light of Order.


    The light that suddenly appeared on the horizon was an unadulterated Light of Order. It crossed the entire battlefield, and at this moment, was weakening the power of the storm of Chaos outside Fort Raven. Its range of influence was so broad that it even eclipsed that of the Spire of Flames on the top of the fort.


    It was in such a strange and ¡®silent¡¯ way that the Beast Tide rose.


    The Beast Tide consisted of millions of abhumans. It was a legion different from an army of the earthly world. It was also unlike the Order of the humans, the imposing manner of orcs, the splendor of elves, the might and grandeur of the Iceborn Giant, and even an army. Instead, it was the Beast Tide, like the normal tide rising and inundating the land slowly. The ridiculously diverse and savage races were marching forward. There were no banners and formation, only beast¡¯s instinct and iron fists of the various chieftains to keep them going. Wherever this legion went, there was just chaos and disarray. However, the chaos and disarray sent a chill up everyone¡¯s spine.


    To the south of the Kingdom of Taros, across the wilderness south of Fort Raven, and then passing through a slope, there was the vast expanse of Black Forest. This forest was so full of dangers that even barbarians on the fringe of the kingdom did not dare to go deep into them. So only until today, the people of Taros suddenly woke up and found a powerful force was in the forests south of the kingdom.


    If such a tide appeared before Fort Raven, it would have caused chaos and alarms that were no less severe than that of the attack of Chaos.


    But today, the Beast Tide was coming with the Light of Order, in which every beast bathed in its glory. There was more than one leader in each herd. These leaders were wielding wands and wearing amulets of all kinds. These amulets were the divine items of Order that the humans wore, half of the Light of Order came from these celestial objects. With thousands of this light source connected, it formed a blind-spot-free, military-grade barrier of Order.


    The dancing of the divine Light of Order with the ugly beasts was a sight that no one in the world could ever imagine.


    Philip leaned on his big sword and seemed to have forgotten the pain on his body. For a moment, he even thought he was dead when he saw the strange phenomenon of the afterworld.


    But soon he would know that what he was seeing was real; a scene that would be recorded as an epic.


    The tide was still advancing. It had already passed through a boulder belt on the vast wasteland. The boulders were like a sand castle destroyed by the waves, disappearing silently and without a trace.


    At the top of Fort Raven, an adjutant shouted, ¡°General! General Ulysses! They are coming!¡±


    The supreme ruler of Fort Raven, the head of the kingdom¡¯s Blackblade Legion, Ulysses Ducahne stood in front of the window like an iron statue, holding a long sword, with no expression on his face. ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°They will drown Fort Raven!¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡ª¡±


    ¡°Then we will die.¡±


    While it happened, the battle over Fort Raven had begun again. Just like the machine that gradually accelerated from a standstill, as more monsters of Chaos came out from the smoke, the soldiers who stuck in their daze started to wake up. The battlefield slowly ¡®thawed¡¯ from the strange frozen state, battle cries and explosions rose.


    The Beast Tide was unstoppable although the battle had restarted.


    It passed the Windy Stone Ring and slowly scaled and passed over the pebble beach of the wilderness, crossed the dry riverbed, over the yellow stone platform, and inundated Fort Raven¡¯s former defenses, which had now become a ruin.


    The Beast Tide finally slowed down. Ahead of them, the storm of Chaos was brewing. It was the battlefield of Chaos and Order. If the Beast Tide were to move on, it would have to get involved in the battle.


    The Beast Tide paused for a moment. It seemed that some leaders had issued a command. So the demonic apes began to beat their animal-skin drums, and the mammoth monsters inflated their sacs to blow their heavy trombone, the elders of goblins swayed wildly the horrible long wand made of skull and thigh bone, and the thicket dreadfangs shilled when the lizardman riders whipped them. A terrifying sound almost blew the thick clouds of the sky away, and then the beasts began to charge at the monsters of Chaos.


    But it was not the lizardman riding on the thicket dreadfangs first to arrive at the battlefield, but a light beam from a corner of the Beast Tide.


    This light beam pierced through the darkness and exploded in the air over Fort Raven. Runes and silver lines began to spread from the blast center in all directions. Immediately, the light turned the hundreds of minions of Chaos into ashes.


    This first strike stunned the defending soldiers of Fort Raven. Most of them had no idea what was going on. But the commanders and scholars and mages at the top of the fortress immediately knew the origin of the light.


    ¡°It is the high-order magic of the Sanctum monk!¡± Ulysses¡¯ adviser, a bald, middle-aged scholar exclaimed. Even he dropped his staff. ¡°It is the Seventh Level Divinatus ¨C Heaven¡¯s Strike! A Bishop-level sanctum monk is in the army!¡±


    The lord of Fort Raven, who had just prepared to die on the battlefield, could not maintain his composure anymore. He stepped forward and asked his adviser, ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°No one could fake magic. Your Excellency.¡± The scholar looked out the window. The second and third beam of light flashed over the fort, bursting out of a flash that was slightly less powerful than Heaven¡¯s Strike earlier. No one could learn this magic, and except for this magic, no other magic or talent could produce this effect. The two beams of light¡ªHoly Shock and Aurora¡ªwere fired concurrently; there was more than one sanctum sage!¡±


    At this time, there was no need for explanation, as Ulysses cold already see the situation of the Beast Tide.


    The Beast Tide had come under Fort Raven. At this distance, he could see many details.


    In the vicinity of the Beast Tide¡¯s ¡°command center¡± (if there was one at all), a small group of people, which was entirely at odds with the surrounding atmosphere, continuously fired various magic attacks at the monsters of Chaos in the air or to cover the vanguard at the front. The costumes and power of this small group of people were particularly conspicuous: the sanctum people.


    ¡°They are from the Theocracy!¡± General Ulysses¡¯ eyes almost popped out. ¡°How do they end up here?¡±


    Suddenly, a herald pushed open the door and shouted, ¡°Your Excellency! They are helping us to fight the monster of Chaos!¡±


    ¡°I can see that they are fighting with the Chaos,¡± Ulysses shouted without looking at the herald. But he quickly realized the meaning behind the herald¡¯s words. ¡°Wait a minute. Are you sure those beasts are helping Fort Raven and not tearing down the fortress along with the Chaos?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, Your Excellency,¡± the herald panted. ¡°Those beasts have formed a defense line outside the fort. They are getting into a formation to help us guard the vulnerable spots on the wall. And a dragon just landed on the West Tower; it said something.¡±


    ¡°What did it say?¡± Ulysses¡¯ expression changed.


    He had already seen a black dragon flying over the Beast Tide. As a knowledgeable noble, he could, of course, know that it was not an inferior viper but a real adult dragon.


    Ulysses had no idea why a grand adult dragon joined the beasts, although the size of this group of beasts was incredibly large.


    ¡°It said¡­¡± The herald was stuttering for a while. But under Ulysses¡¯ gaze, he continued, ¡°It said, ¡®The alpha decides to shield our fort, and wants us to prepare a pot of braised pork ribs immediately. When the battle ends, dedicate it to the alpha.¡±


    ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°And then it flew away.¡±


    Ulysses and his advisers and a group of commanders looked at each other dumbstruck.


    ¡°Anyone know what is braised pork ribs?¡± The famous ¡°Southern Lion¡± squinted at his aides.


    Everyone shook their heads.


    The sound of explosions and battle cries were still coming from outside the fort.


    The beast army was launching an unprecedentedly brutal battle with the monsters of Chaos. While the abhumans, eye red and wearing all kinds of ragged equipment, and the deformed minions of Chaos were in a melee, the powerful elemental creatures had launched a sea of fire and monster waves transforming the terrain outside the fort. Even the black dragon had returned to the battlefield and was now attacking a black smoke column in the air. The powerful breath of the dragon had produced huge fireballs on the smoke pillar.


    Ulysses turned his head around and took the herald.


    ¡°Go! Go and ask around what braised pork ribs are?¡±


    The herald nodded helplessly and quickly turned around. But Ulysses stopped him again. ¡°Wait a minute!¡±


    The herald turned his head around and did not know what to do.


    Ulysses took a deep breath and said, ¡°Go to the kitchen first.¡±

 Chapter 1272 - Victory Belongs to the Husky

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    No one had ever seen such a battle scene.


    There were no rules, no tactics, no visible formation with battle flags, no order; only the most primitive and wild melee. The strange abhumans and beasts were frantically waving their weapons and claws. They overran the entire wilderness as if they were out of control. It seemed that it was not a sacred battle between Order and Chaos, but an internal brawl of Chaos. The dogfight was so messy that it was impossible to distinguish who was the actual monster.


    Perhaps to some humans, both sides of the war were monsters.


    But only those who knew the abhuman could see that this battle was not chaotic. There was an order different from the human army that controlled the action of the beasts. This order was based on the abhuman tribes, the tribal leaders headed by the shamans and the barbarian warlords, and the fundamental rule of beast instinct. The Beast Tide was naturally divided into hundreds of small warfare groups. Each battle group was a tribe and each tribal leader followed the strict laws of strength and weakness to take charge of their areas. This rule once determined the hunting territory of each tribe in the Black Forest. When the alpha brought them through the Black Forest, every chieftain and shaman did not forget this rule that had almost become their instinct.


    The powerful archaic creatures enjoyed the most opportunities to hunt and challenge the strong enemy. So the beasts were charging in front; they were the great warriors. The tribe with the largest dominant population controlled the most extensive territory; they assaulted the minions of Chaos and were the main force of the legion. Tribes with superb magic skills had the privilege of shuttling through all areas; they traversed on the ground, conveyed messages and spied for intelligence and were the heralds of the legion. Meanwhile, the ultimate creatures such as the black dragons and the elemental lords were not bound by the rule of the Black Forest; only the alpha could order them. They launched assaults on the smoke columns of Chaos directly under the command of the Alpha and were the super war machines of the legion.


    These primitive and crude divisions were of course not very intelligent. The alpha was not a genius war expert. This legion of beasts was still chaotic and disorderly, messier than any human armies. But for the Beast Tide, it was sufficient.


    The abhumans relied on their battle instinct.


    The great flaming serpent, Tiamat, rolled on the ruins in front of Fort Raven, and its body of hundreds of meters swelled into a sea of fire, burning many chaotic minions into ashes. Behind the great serpent, the flaming elves that the elemental lord of fire lent, rushed out to spread the fire to every inch of the land. The damage level of these frenzied elemental creatures was no less than that of the great flaming serpent. After the flames died down, Tiamat raised his head high, the hideous eyes of the snake were glinting with the satisfaction of vengeance.


    As a former hegemon in the Black Forest, the great serpent had never tasted humiliation in its life, but when the Chaos arrived, it was driven out of his lair, its offspring as torn into pieces, its spouse was corroded and turned into sludge. The territory he built for the past half a century became a dead zone. It was forced to hide in a cave and lick its wound. This beast had great wisdom but was low in IQ, it had no idea how this storm of Chaos formed. But it knew the ugly monsters that the storm brought were its biggest nemeses.


    Then the alpha appeared. A small but powerful weird creature that could turn the monsters of Chaos into ashes gave the great serpent strength so that it could fight the Chaos.


    The great flaming serpent, Tiamat, was not necessarily weaker than the alpha, but it decided to follow the alpha from that moment onward.


    It knew it could take his revenge by following the alpha.


    There were still many individuals like Tiamat in the Beast Tide.


    The alpha was only able to subjugate some subhumans by itself. But the rise of Chaos had unwittingly turned the tide in the alpha¡¯s favor. No matter how powerful a creature was, even if it were a legendary one, it would find itself a victim of the Tide of Chaos on way or another. So when the Tide of Chaos swept through the southern forest, many powerful primordial creatures lost their territories and offspring. The unlucky ones who lost their lives were many. In the face of this situation, the indiscriminate protection the alpha could provide became an obvious choice.


    Instead of saying that Lily had conquered a particular tribe or a creature, it should be the beacon in the dark, the Light of Order she emanated, that attracted the insecure beasts.


    When the forest fell into the darkness and the alpha was the only source of light, all surviving creatures would automatically move closer to her.


    So an unimaginable legion formed this way.


    Philip put aside his big sword and leaned against the wall. The veteran was utterly drained. Looking at the battlefield below, Philip sighed softly: he could see that his job was done and there was no need for him anymore.


    The Beast Tide was overrunning the Chaos.


    Philip saw several lizardman soldiers fighting with spears of stone and a monster using sticks and stones to push back the minions of Chaos. The equipment of these ¡°bastard soldiers¡± was ridiculously rudimentary. But the humans knew that they must not underestimate the strength of the abhuman. The abhumans could not match the level of civilization, weapons, and magic skills of the humans, but they were born with powerful physical bodies. The skin of the gigantic monster was as tough as steel armor; the teeth of the demonic wolf were as sharp and sturdy as the cold steel sword of the elf. In a one-on-one battle, a fully armed human was not necessarily better than a savage abhuman.


    The reason why civilized kingdoms could suppress and keep the abhumans outside the border was not of physical strength but of the collective power. The single most robust barbarian individual was no match for an entire kingdom.


    But now, the alpha had brought these beasts together.


    On the battlefield, the special Light of Order of the alpha had rid the natural weakness of the Order relative to the Chaos and tipped the balance in the battlefield.


    The power of Chaos started to decline.


    After losing their absolute advantage, the minions of Chaos were only ordinary monsters and beasts under the Light of Order. They were capable of weakening and dying and would never be able to return to the Chaos once they died under the Light of Order. As the battle raged on, more and more forces of Chaos disappeared in the light curtain. The storm engulfing Fort Raven receded.


    The first pillar of smoke and dust collapsed under the assault of Dragon¡¯s Breath of Black Dragon Ordusa. It was a sign of the end of the battle.


    ¡°General, they have lost! Those monsters of Chaos are losing the battle!¡±


    A soldier, unable to hide his excitement, shouted next to Philip.


    ¡°General, what is happening today?¡±


    Philip¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°How do I know? All I know is we have survived, well, if the beasts down there do not plan to make us their food.¡±


    The second pillar of smoke and dust collapsed under the joint attack of the element lord of fire and the great fiery serpent, Tiamat.


    Outside Fort Raven, the clash between the Beast Tide and the Chaos bathed the land in blood and ashes and every collapse of the smoke pillar would bring cheer to the people in the fortress. There were only a small number of soldiers cheering at the beginning because humans still could not figure out the intention of the beasts. Facing a mysterious army that was not any cuter than the Chaos, the humans did not feel excited at all. But slowly cheers spread. There was a rumor starting to go around the soldiers and commanders: the beasts were here to protect Fort Raven, and their leaders had contacted the fortress commander General Ulysses. No one could know whether this rumor was right, but it still injected a much-needed boost of confidence in the heart of the exhausted defending soldiers.


    The storm gradually stopped, and the black smoke pillar had collapsed. The minions of Chaos were reduced to ashes, purified, and carried by the wind to settle down somewhere else eventually. The battlefield had returned to normal.


    The bloodthirsty imp and the violent bear monsters were almost enjoying the killing. Some natives tribes who had just followed the alpha seemed too eager to take credit for themselves. A few tribes in the Beast Tide, falling out of the main forces, wanting to pursue the smoke columns that were receding toward the south. But a loud howl swept across the land and everything returned to its order.


    It was the howl of a wolf, but it sounded a little different from the usual wolf howl. The last sound of the cry was short as if it choked back in the throat. The howl echoed throughout the Beast Tide and everyone quieted down and bowed. Looking from the high towers of the fort, it looked like the beasts were in great fear and awe.


    The people on the wall quickly realized that it was the voice of the alpha.


    A legion of beasts had risen from the southern part of the mainland and its leader was an unprecedentedly powerful alpha wolf¡ªthe rumor was true.


    When the Beast Tide quieted down under the command of the alpha, the tribal leaders began to order to treat the wounded and conduct a censure. Some of them were tasked with setting up tents while some started to come near Fort Raven.


    Philip had a clear view of the situation down below. He immediately realized that this group of beasts was staying outside the fort, but wanted to contact Fort Raven.


    The veteran could not help but think of the rumors about the alpha wolf circulating among his men.


    He instinctively clenched the hilt of his sword nervously.


    ¡°I am afraid it is going to be a three-headed wolf!¡±

 Chapter 1273 - Doggie Is In Town

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Since the first generation of the Lion of the South, Duhan Orvis, established the black fort on the great plains between a fertile land and a forest, the towering walls as well as sturdy gates had been steadfastly guarding the kingdom. Its gates were once opened to kings, envoys from other Kingdoms of Order, and Theocratic monks. But today, it was welcoming a unique group of ¡®visitors.¡¯


    The Fort Raven was going to open its doors to a group of wild creatures¡ªabhumans and beasts, which the humans had been treating with contempt all this while.


    The battle on the wilderness had ended. A wind was rolling up the billowing smoke and dust and carrying them away. But the land stank of blood. Probably it would have to wait until the next snowfall before this disgusting stench would subside. The warriors of the beast tribes were cleaning up the bodies of their comrades, while their leaders were ready to go into the human castle. The alpha had said that it was going to be ¡®epoch-making diplomacy.¡¯


    Philip stood on the city wall and oversaw the sea of beasts. In the chaos, the beasts vacated a corridor as a dozen of forest demonic wolves walked in front. Two blue-gray ogres draped in loincloth carrying battle flags decorated with animal bones were following from behind. The war flags were painted with some unknown totems. At the rear were the demonic ape, imp, gnoll, and goblin. Walking in the middle of the convoy was the ancient terragon, which drew most of the attention. The four-meter-tall, ten-meter-long dragon was wearing an elemental armor of rock. The spikes protruded out below the edge of the armor suggested that this dragon was at least one hundred and seventy years old. The word ¡®ancient¡¯ here was not about its age; it was the name of a group of terragons. Scholars believed that this group of terragons was the ancestor of all the terragons and subtype lizard in the wilderness, so it was named Ancient. A 170-year-old dragon was indeed a terrifying wild beast. It had even survived the tide of Chaos once and gained many incredible powers in the baptism of the primordial magic energy.


    However, the terrifying wild beast was only a mount.


    Philip saw a stone seat on the back of the terragon. The seat was covered with animal skins and straw mats, and a wolf-skinned figure that looked like a human being was sitting there. Because of the angle problem, he could not see the face of the person, who was emanating a very bright glow.


    Of course, he still did not associate the figure with the legendary alpha. Any people in their right mind would not have thought that this little girl was the alpha who commanded the entire Beast Tide. Philip only believed that it was a messenger, and most likely from the sanctum. Earlier during the battle, he had seen with his own eyes a group of seemingly powerful sacred humans. He had no idea how these people could come with the beasts, but he guessed that these guys from the sanctum were probably the reason why the beast had come to their rescue.


    Perhaps the beasts had chosen a group of sanctum people to act as their ambassadors or translators. It was also possible that the sanctum people were behind the Beast Tide. It was the speculation of many ordinary soldiers on the wall.


    Philip looked up and continued to look for a big three-headed wolf among the beasts. But he was unaware that the real alpha had entered the city under his nose.


    Lily sat on her throne, which she liked very much. It was a stone seat she asked his men to grind and polish out from a rock before installing it on Leviathan. Leviathan was the name she gave to the terragon under her butt. And the terragon liked it. The alpha maiden felt happy to enter the city, leaving the wild forest behind her to come to the human territory. She felt a feeling of homecoming.


    Lily¡¯s eyes darted around curiously at the exotic Fort Raven while knights draped in black armor escorted this special ambassador convoy. Ulysses, the head of the Blackblade Legion, sent his best knights to accompany the convoy, while he was leading his men to prepare the reception ceremony in the Black Feather Square on the upper level of the fort.


    He had almost gotten everything ready.


    But he was unsure if he was ready.


    The great Duke Ulysses had never received such an ¡®envoy¡¯ in his life. The majestic Lion of the South had no idea what to do. He had asked his staff and advisers about the customs and habits of the abhumans more than once and got varied answers. He was getting fed up and could not wait to toss these idiots, who were only full of hot air, down the city wall.


    Not long ago, the messenger of the beasts had come once at the end of the battle. The messenger here was not the terrifying black dragon, which just left a few obscure words earlier, but a more formal letter brought by the ambassador, a Black Forest Nightingale. In the letter, the alpha sent her greeting and informed that she would enter the city. But there was no mention of any specific etiquette procedure. So Duke Ulysses could only arrange the meeting in the traditional reception ceremony the human kingdom used to receive foreign dignitaries.


    ¡°Your Excellency, is it all right to let those abhumans enter the city?¡± One of the aides behind said anxiously. ¡°The fortress gate is open, and we don¡¯t know how many wild beasts are outside. Aren¡¯t we putting ourselves in a dicey situation?¡±


    ¡°How can we not open the gate?¡± Ulysses said without bothering to look back at his aides. ¡°They could open the door themselves. Look at the black dragon, the flaming great serpent, and the elemental lords; they could uproot the entire castle from the ground.¡±


    ¡°It is going to be the darkest day of Fort Raven.¡±


    ¡°Stop being discouraged.¡± Ulysses straightened his body as he had seen the head of the terragon appeared at the end of the square ramp. ¡°They helped us repel the Chaos. For this reason alone, opening the gate of Fort Raven for them is an honor.¡±


    While saying, the escorts of the alpha had arrived at the square.


    It was a historic meeting between the people of the Order and the husky from the other world.


    Duke Ulysses looked up; his body stretched straight. Even though the dragon in front of him was several times taller than him, he still maintained the majesty of a noble and a soldier. Wearing a black armor and leather cloak, Ulysses looked particularly heroic.


    Then the ancient terragon crouched a bit, and Ulysses saw a light moved on the back of the terragon. When the light jumped down from the rock armor of the terragon, Ulysses finally saw it was a girl in wolf skin.


    The girl and the guard of the southern fort looked at each other.


    ¡°Are you the leader here?¡± Lily made the first move when the other side did not say anything. She did not feel awkward at all.


    While Ulysses still wondered when the alpha would appear, Lily¡¯s words jolted Ulysses out of his thought. He remained composed. ¡°I am the governor of the southern border of the Kingdom of Taros, the contemporary patriarch of the Orvis family, Grand Duke Ulysses Orvis, the head of the Blackblade Legion, the general of Fort Raven. I am here to welcome the venerable Alpha, king of the beasts from the forests and mountains.¡±


    ¡°Whoa, you have got a long list of titles there, just like Mr. Landlord¡¯s business card,¡± Lily said with her eyes blinking in surprise. She then pointed at herself and said, ¡°I am the alpha.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I am the alpha,¡± Lily repeated, continuing to point at herself. ¡°How do you know about me? It is the first time we have contact with humans.¡±


    Ulysses deserved the reputation as the governor of the South; despite the stunning truth of the alpha, he was still able to remain composed and replied calmly, ¡°The news of the deeds of the alpha and her beasts have spread throughout the kingdom. Our astrologers and occult masters have learned about the rise of a new star in the south half a month ago. But we didn¡¯t expect the alpha is a¡­¡±


    Lily glanced at him. ¡°Is a what?¡±


    ¡°Ahem, ahem. Nothing,¡± Ulysses said. ¡°The alpha is indeed as fearsome as the rumor says. But I am a bit curious, are you a human?¡±


    ¡°I am not human.¡± Lily sounded particularly sincere.


    Without waiting for the general to ask more questions, Lily waved her hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s be frank. I am starving now. Ordusa should have informed you beforehand to prepare my meal. Is it ready?¡±


    Ulysses¡¯ expression was a bit quirky. ¡°Of course, we have already prepared according to the instructions of the black dragon. But no one here knew what the braised pork ribs are. We could only prepare stewed meat¡ª¡±


    Lily¡¯s eyes brightened up when she heard stewed meat. ¡°Not a problem. Hurry up!¡±


    After a while, the husky girl looked at the three large pot of steaming stewed meats in front of her eyes.


    ¡°This meat must be delicious.¡± It was the first time in the alpha¡¯s life that she felt she might not be able to finish a meal in one go. ¡°But it looks a little oversize. Why is it three pots?¡±


    Ulysses and his aides looked around, and no one knew what to say.


    There was only a thought in the mind of the Governor of the South: Who the heck got the information that the alpha has three heads?

 Chapter 1274 - Communication Resumes

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    There was high ground in the north of White City, separated from the urban areas and protected by a circle of extra wall. The most elite guards and most potent magisters of Taros swore with their lives to guard that highland forever. A permanent ¡®no-fly¡¯ zone had been running over the plateau for three centuries. No matter if it was a dragon or a bird, nothing could fly over the high ground, where there was only one avenue extending from the Royal Palace. It could lead to the entrance of the highland, but such a secure measure was to protect one thing: the foundation of the Kingdoms of Order, the Sunscorch Tower.


    The tower stood proudly on the highland. It was grander than any building in White City. Even the highest point of the Palance of the Golden Roses was only at half the height of the Sunscorch Tower. Constructed with the purest enchanted moonstone, the white wall of the tower had engravings of ancient runes, which only the sanctum scholars could interpret. The blue and gold crystals inlaid on the outer wall of the tower formed a powerful energy field and immersed the highland with magic. At the top of this sleek white tower, three large white crystals were circling the sun crystal on the apex, spreading the powerful energy of the Order from the tower internal into the sky day and night.


    Unlike other sacred objects of Order, the Sunscorch Tower did not release a visible and robust light column. Apart from a circle of shimmer, this holy and powerful huge tower would not give off any extra light. The Sunscorch Tower was not to light the Barrier of Order. Its more important function was to serve as the energy redistribution center and power hub of all the towers of Order in the kingdom, including the Furnace Tower and the Spire of Flames. Inside the kingdom-level Barrier of Order, all the towers were connected. Their power formed a sea of energy in another dimension that was invisible to human eyes. The real form of the Sunscorch Tower was hidden in this sea of energy, where it shone and controlled all the powers of Order.


    The scholars of Collow had constructed this knowledge through various calculus models. In fact, in the eyes of human beings, the connection between Sunscorch Tower and the others was completely invisible.


    But Hao Ren could see it.


    With Rudolph III, the princesses and the prince, Hao Ren came before the Sunscorch Tower. Looking up, he saw beams of silver light crisscrossing at the top of the tower as if a net covered the entire sky above the high ground. The light beams faded gradually outward and disappeared into the distance.


    When Rudolph III came to the entrance of the tower, he placed his hand on the door made of Mithril and whispered the vow left of the ancestors of Collow and the Goddess of Creation. The door slowly ground open to both sides with a rumble.


    Inside was a space full of light.


    The crisscrossing light beams in the room were refracted by air and curved along an invisible medium, forming a complex and varied mysterious three-dimensional pattern. Suspended in the air in the center of the lights was a white crystal continuously reflected various bizarre pictures as it spun. Below the crystal was a pool, about two meters in radius, filled with crystal-clear liquid that looked condensed light.


    Hao Ren took a careful look. Something was floating above the liquid. It took him a while before he realized that it was a silver flame that was extremely thin and translucent and almost invisible.


    The flame was burning quietly above the liquid as if it was ready to go out.


    ¡°This is the sacred flame of the Sunscorch Tower.¡± Rudolph III came to the pool and quietly looked at the phantom-like silver fire. ¡°My blood has been burning here for the last seven years. I could engulf the entire white crystal when the fire was at its peak. But now¡­¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a while and decided to tell of his opinion euphemistically. ¡°I think, the flame will go out soon.¡±


    ¡°Veronica will enkindle it, and the inheritance of the Kingdom of Talos will live on,¡± Rudolph III said, looking to his only descendant who still had the power of the caretaker. ¡°Veronica, the moment you light it, you will take over my scepter and become the new ruler of Taros. As a queen, you should use your power cautiously, and not be as reckless as before.¡±


    Veronica was stunned. The knight princess had never thought about it. ¡°Father, you didn¡¯t tell me before¡­¡±


    ¡°You should know what it means to ignite the sacred flames.¡± The king waved. ¡°I brought you here not for fun, but for you to see the destiny of the kingdom. Veronica, darkness has come. The mainland, even all the Kingdoms of Order will die out in the long night. Taros is likely to be the last lighthouse in the long night. It is a difficult time, but we have no choice. Perhaps our kingdom will eventually go out one day, but you, you must be the guardian of the kingdom, at least let her spend the last century in peace.¡±


    Veronica¡¯s lips twitched. The strong knight prince had rarely flinched, but now she was reluctant. ¡°Father, I¡­ I feel that I am not going to be a good king. Ania is much smarter than me. I am only good on the battlefield but dumb at other times.¡±


    Rudolph III quietly looked at his eldest daughter for a long time. The old king then smiled. ¡°I know,¡± he said.


    Veronica coughed. ¡°Father, you can be more euphemistic.¡±


    Rudolph III sighed. ¡°Having thought about it for a long time, I really couldn¡¯t find you your potential of being a king.¡±


    Veronica was struck dumb.


    ¡°Ahem.¡± Hao Ren could not bear to hear the strange conversation at this time and interrupted. ¡°Is this about the final affairs? Didn¡¯t we agree that you will let me first take a look at the situation of the Sunscorch Tower? I am a priest at least. It wouldn¡¯t be late to discuss the succession affairs only if I fail to find a solution.¡±


    Loen, who had been standing silently behind the king, stepped forward. He looked at Hao Ren without any expression and nodded slightly. ¡°The Guardian is right. The Sunscorch Tower is a Sanctum technology; perhaps the Sanctumese have a way to rejuvenate the system of the tower without using blood.¡±


    Rudolph III took a deep breath. ¡°If this is the case, Guardian, please.¡±


    The king did not sound optimistic, but there was still a glimmer of hopefulness in his eyes.


    Indeed, Veronica was the only one left in the Kingdom of Taros to reignite the flames, but the descendants of other kingdoms on the continent had lost all their power. If this situation carried on, the Kingdom of Taros would become the last sanctuary in the Chaos, but it was not a future that the people in the sanctuary would look forward to. The forces of Chaos would have all its strength to focus on this kingdom, and for the kingdom, any struggles were only futile effort to delay the inevitable. So however slightest the chances, Rudolph III still hoped to reactivate the Sunscorch Tower of every Kingdom of Order. It was not only for the continuation of the existence of the world but also for the sake of his kingdom.


    Now when all contact with Sanctum was lost, Hao Ren had become the only hope.


    Under the hopeful eyes of everyone, Hao Ren came under the huge crystal. He bent over and carefully observed the pool with a strange liquid.


    The fluid was neither water nor blood.


    The flames above the liquid were not normal fire either¡ªit did not feel hot.


    ¡°May I put my hand inside?¡± He looked up and asked the king. ¡°I have washed my hands.¡±


    The king was startled by the guardian¡¯s crude method. But after thinking for a while, there was indeed no such taboo in dealing with the Sunscorch Tower, the king nodded. ¡°Yes, you may. But be careful, the liquid may look ordinary, but it contains a lot of energy. Most people could not have contact with it for too long.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. He then carefully dipped his finger into the silver-white liquid.


    As soon as his finger came into contact with the liquid, he suddenly felt a power surge in his mind.


    The feeling was brief, so short that it was as if an illusion. But still, Hao Ren was able to capture the slight moment of changes in his mind, and he knew it was not an illusion.


    At that short moment, he felt that he had established a brief communication with the outside world.


    He pulled his hand out of the liquid. The silvery white fluid on his fingertip gradually disappeared as if it was evaporating. The feeling of the previous spiritual connection was lingering.


    Hao Ren¡¯s brows knit together. This time, he was prepared. Concentrating his mind, Hao Ren dipped his finger back into the liquid again.


    ¡°The Petrachelys is calling the captain. Please answer if you hear this. I repeat. The Petrachelys is calling the captain. Please answer if you hear this¡­¡±


    Nolan¡¯s voice echoed in Hao Ren¡¯s mind.


    Hao Ren could not believe what he heard. After so long, it transpired that this Sunscorch Tower could function as a wifi adapter.

 Chapter 1275 - Long Time No Talk

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren certainly knew that the original function of Sunscorch Tower was not of a wifi adapter, but it did not stop him from piggybacking the new application on the tower. After some reasoning, he figured that the fascinating force of Order was the reason why the tower could act as an antenna. In other words, it concerned the power of the goddess of creation.


    The external, signal-blocking of Collow was almost certainly something the goddess of the creation had left behind. It was precisely this firewall that blocked the communication with the outside world. Hao Ren had been suspecting from the very beginning that the force of Order in Collow was a variant of the power of the goddess of creation.


    It had become a force that mortals could touch, but the goddess of creation¡¯s attributes remained.


    So it was not surprising that a tower used to broadcast the force of Order could also act as a signal antenna that penetrated the goddess¡¯ power shield.


    There was still a strong interference when the communication was first reestablished. But Nolan had started the number-crunching to filter out the clutter. After an intense debugging session, Hao Ren began to feel that the voice coming into his mind became clear and the connection was stable.


    ¡°Buddy, it¡¯s good to hear from you again.¡± The first to speak was the MDT, which had been hanging on the line all this while. ¡°You daughter, cat, Battie, and Y¡¯zaks have been torturing me for the last couple of days.¡±


    Hao Ren had not heard the babbling of the MDT for a while. He did not know what to react. ¡°Save the nonsense. I might have found a way to get a stable connection. Hurry up and jot this frequency down. It will be the standard frequency we use while I am here. Lock the search band of all devices to it. Don¡¯t lose me again.¡±


    Hao Ren heard a noisy sound at the other end. It was the robotic voice of Nolan, the MDT giving its commands, and the babel of his other tenants. He felt warmth in his heart when hearing the racket. But there was a pain in the neck when he heard Nangong Wuyue hurling, ¡°Hurry up and get Lil Pea down. Do not let her spray water on the console. Her dad-dee is not there!¡±


    The baby fish was still as mischievous as ever.


    Fortunately, Vivian and Y¡¯zaks were holding down the fort. The noisy creatures quickly quieted down and let the MDT and Nolan a space to complete the calibration of equipment. While Nolan was adjusting the signal amplification, Hao Ren told the MDT about his situation.


    ¡°Oh my gosh, buddy. What an adventure you have there. Like the goddess said, you are a busy body.¡± The MDT sounded as if it needed a good smack, but Hao Ren felt it cordial at this moment. ¡°Collow, the War of Chaos and Order, the legend of Rockmarton; all these things sound like pretty much like of the Plane of Dreams. Give me a minute. I will send the information to the CARS and compare it with the big database. Maybe we could find something.¡±


    ¡°Do it.¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°What is the situation on your side?¡±


    ¡°Everyone in the family is fine. Your daughter just sprayed me with water and is now getting an earful from Wuyue. Vivian has been calm, but she has not cooked for three days. Everyone ate instant noodles every day.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you this!¡±


    ¡°Ahem. Outside, everything is normal,¡± the MDT replied matter-of-factly. ¡°I have called back a group of drones to help hack the divine energy shield and be ready for any eventuality¡ªVivian suggested it. The drone cluster has set up a large number of armed outposts and monitoring stations near the location where you disappeared. Nolan had also towed several asteroids, which after modification, we made them into an orbital cannon base. Besides that, there is an information base station, a drone nest, ultra-high power gain antenna, armory, and other things. I am sending you a summary report, you may confirm it.¡±


    Sensing something amiss, Hao Ren interrupted the MDT. ¡°Hey, wait a minute. Who come I got the feeling that you are preparing for a war? Are you going to fire at me as soon as I get out?¡±


    ¡°Hey, buddy, in all fairness, if you were me, what would you do if the situation is unclear?¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment. Considering the security situation of the Plane of Dreams, the various threats he had encountered in this universe, the Mad Lord and his lackeys, he replied slowly, ¡°If that is not enough firepower, bring the cannons from the CARS.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click for visiting.


    ¡°Can you track my current signal and find a way to open a teleporting channel from the physical universe to the Kolo dimension?¡±


    The MDT, silent for a long time, seemed to be doing some calculations.


    ¡°Buddy, I am afraid it would be difficult. If Nolan and my calculation are correct, the Collow dimension you are talking about is a locked dimension with a radius of about 2-4 light years, outside which has a phase transition zone of 10,000 light years. It is the reality of the material world that we can only see from the outside. This series of blockades is done with the blessing of the true God. It is correct to say that except the existing vulnerabilities, it is almost impossible for us to create a new one out of thin air.¡±


    ¡°Not even the slightest possibility?¡± Hao Ren frowned.


    The MDT was silent for a while before it said, ¡°It is not entirely impossible. The fact that you can communicate with the outside world means this locked space does leave a window for external information exchange. Hacking the firewall of the true God with brute force attack is less effective than working with it.¡±


    ¡°I can contact you through the power of the Sunscorch Tower, which is the carrier of the goddess of creation¡¯s divine power. But it is hard to find a more powerful divine medium in Collow than this. At least I haven¡¯t found one. If you can find a more powerful relic of the goddess, maybe we can build a more stable two-way connection and even carry out physical transportation.¡±


    ¡°I have an idea,¡± the MDT replied. ¡°The CARS has many relics of the goddess. We can build a conversion device.¡±


    ¡°Good. Do it as soon as possible,¡± Hao Ren replied. ¡°Is Vivian next to you? Let me speak with her.¡±


    It was still noisy on the other side of the connection. A moment later, Vivian¡¯s voice sounded. ¡°Hao Ren?¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly choked his words. He could not think of anything to say although he had a lot to tell Vivian earlier. After a long while, he managed to say, ¡°I am great here.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± Vivian replied. She was a little hesitant too, but the atmosphere quickly to come to life when she said, ¡°Have you found Doggie?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea where she is,¡± Hao Ren had a headache when Lily came to mind, ¡°but I know she is fine¡ªbetter than me. Oh, don¡¯t worry, she is a husky, missing for a week or two is entirely normal. She can survive in the wild, much stronger than anyone else.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    After a while of casual chattering, the line was back to the MDT. ¡°Ahem, do you have anything else to say? I¡¯m going to hang up now,¡± Hao Ren said.


    ¡°Are you busy there?¡± the MDT asked curiously.


    Hao Ren looked up and around. Rudolph III¡¯s family of four, several officials, and a tower guard were standing not far away in a semicircle staring at him. Having no idea what was going on in the mental communication in Hao Ren¡¯s mind, they could only see the ancient guardian squatting by the pool, one hand in the pool, and was in meditation. But looking from behind, it was as if Hao Ren was having constipation.


    ¡°I tell you what; I am now kneeling beside a pool, dipping my finger in the liquid. There was a group of people standing behind me watching me playing with water. I feel stupid.¡±


    ¡°Buddy, try to sit with your legs crossed, point at the sky with the finger on the other hand while putting up a poker face. Doesn¡¯t it look cool?¡±


    ¡°Well, pass the line to Lil Pea.¡±


    The MDT suddenly freaked out. ¡°Oh, no no no. I have something to tell you.¡±


    ¡°Say it quickly¡ªI look stupider with every passing minute here.¡±


    ¡°The CARS had done the number crunching. After the central computer analyzed the sample of the language of Collow, guess what it has found?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Many of the vocabularies that you submitted are not native to the Collow language. Instead, they are all of the foreign languages, and closer in structure and pronunciation to the text we have collected in Coldpath. They are the languages of the gods. In their language, Collow means ¡®prison¡¯, and Rockmarton means ¡®the original, the first.''¡±

 Chapter 1276 - Alternative Fuel

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    According to the MDT, the native language in Collow was a product of fusion. More than half of it was contributed by the mortals, while a small part of it may have been derived from the language system used by the goddess of creation and her servants. The vast majority of the foreign words consisted of nouns, including places, persons, things in mythology, and some special terms related to higher-order occultism.


    These nouns were not originally part of the divine language. According to the calculation of the central computer of CARS, these words, including pronunciation and writing structure, were only 70% similar to the ancient divine language in the temples of Coldpath. The characters the native language of Collow were crooked symbolic text that was similar to the divine language of Coldpath. From the writing structure, it seemed there was some can also be guessed that they have some relationship of inheritance.


    ¡°Perhaps the ancient divine language has spread into the mortal world. After many generations of evolution, the parts of the divine language, which possessed divine power, disappeared because the mortals were unable to understand it, leaving behind only the easy-to-master pronunciations and characters to the present day.¡± The MDT said. ¡°The mortal¡¯s language is sufficient for their daily use; the divine language is mainly to record things that during the existence of the goddess.¡±


    ¡°Prison¡­¡± Hao Ren mumbled. ¡°I can testify that with what I have seen here. The people of Collow believe that there was once an ancient devil locked up deep in the earth and that the rulers of the world of Collow possess the inheritance power of the guardian¡¯s bloodline. Various signs show that there has been a prison, perhaps, a prison built by the goddess of creation.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks chimed in and said, ¡°Could it be the Mad Lord?¡±


    ¡°I have the same thought too, but I am not sure,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°The Mad Lord is so powerful that it could challenge god face-to-face. Even in prison, few mortal kingdoms could resist his leaked power. I have studied the level of civilization in Collow and their combat powers; they are not as powerful as the modern day¡¯s military might of Earth. They have some power to fight the Chaos, but this power was not theirs but comes from an ancient heritage, which continues to weaken. Various signs indicate that the native races of Collow do not possess the ability to fight the Mad Lord, and the goddess of creation would not let the mortals live in the prison of the Mad Lord.¡±


    ¡°So you think the evil giant Rockmarton is not the Mad Lord?¡± Y¡¯zaks said with a low voice.


    ¡°It is not the Mad Lord himself, but it could be his derivative,¡± Hao Ren replied. ¡°At first I thought there was a First Born here. After asking the locals and checking their ancient records, I found no signs of activity of the First Born throughout the history of Collow. The giant tentacles in the ground are hard to miss. Since the people of Collow started their mining activity, even with their relatively low productivity, it was impossible not to stumble upon a tentacle for the past 10,000 years. What¡¯s more, the power of Chaos of Rockmarton and the First Born do not look the same. At in all, I am doubtful about this Rockmarton. I suspect that it is an entirely new thing.¡±


    ¡°The Planes of Dreams has no shortage of surprises,¡± the MDT lamented.


    The discussion went nowhere. Hao Ren looked at the others and lowered his head. ¡°I need to hang up now. These guys are watching me here for almost half an hour. Anything else?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about things on the outside, I¡¯ve got it handled. You, be more careful there.¡± It was Vivian¡¯s voice.


    ¡°You too. Everyone, don¡¯t worry about me. By the way, please cut down on instant noodles, it is not healthy to eat that every day and Y¡¯lisabet is still growing up.¡±


    Vivian was a little embarrassed. ¡°I know, I know. It was not that I didn¡¯t want to cook for them, it was just that I was not in the mood for the past couple of days. I¡¯m okay now. Take care of yourself. Also, find the dog quickly. I wonder what mess she has made out there.¡±


    Speaking of Lily, Hao Ren was no less worried than Vivian was. Again, he hurried the MDT to break the divine barrier quickly before he hung up reluctantly.


    After half an hour squatting beside the pool, the ancient guardian finally got to his feet.


    ¡°Your Venerable Guardian?¡± Veronica stepped forward. She looked concerned. ¡°How is the situation? What do you see?¡±


    Rudolph III was blunt. ¡°Can we rekindle the Sunscorch Tower without using the blood? Is there na alternative fuel?¡±


    Hao Ren was startled and tried to organize his thoughts. He turned to look at the white crystal and the silver flame below it.


    The sudden recovery of communication with the outside world was unexpected. It was not part of Hao Ren¡¯s plan for coming here. He already had an idea in mind when he first volunteered to follow Rudolph III to study the Sunscorch Tower.


    Hao Ren was here not to quench his curiosity and to look cool. If he had no confidence, he could not have come just for fun.


    A day before coming here, Hao Ren had seen Ania and Alfred the scholar and learned about the Sunscorch Tower and the bloodline of the guardian to come out with some conjectures.


    The bloodline of the guardian contained the power of the goddess of creation. In the beginning, there was this so-called Ancient Guardian of God, which dated back to the times of the guardian and the First Borns. In the Plane of Dreams, since most of life was homologous, there is a ¡®family tree.¡¯ According to the family tree, the older one was, the more similar it was to the goddess of creation and the sea of lifeblood on the Star of Creation.


    Zorm and Muru one said the successor¡¯s life element was compatible with the predecessor¡¯ life element. It was also the fundamental mechanism that lifeblood was the root of everything.


    Then, at which level is the blood of the guardian flowing in the veins of the heirs of kingdoms in Collow when looking at the entire family tree of the goddess of creation?


    It was difficult to determine its rank, but one thing was sure: it was below the lifeblood.


    With the wave of a hand, Hao Ren opened a black space crack in the air, and a silver-white, one-meter-tall cylindrical metal container appeared in front of everyone.


    The surface of the container flashed in blue light and had a chart indicating the internal parameters of the tank. A line of text read: standard-concentration lifeblood, high vitality, inactivated state, dormant.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click for visiting.


    Hao Ren smiled. He had no shortage of this thing. Since he could clone this stuff in bulk from Zorm, he had one large pool of lifeblood inside his dimensional pocket.


    Of course, it was not for fun¡¯s sake to store such a large amount of lifeblood. The Plane of Dreams was full of relics, ruins, remnants of its ecosystem, and lifeblood of the goddess of creation; it was always good to have some ¡®props¡¯ in hand under such circumstances.


    In case there was an emergency, and the First Born and guardian giants were conscious, lifeblood would be excellent medicine. Hao Ren had not encountered this situation, but it was it was always useful to have on readily available in hand.


    It was under the suggestion from Muru and Zorm that Hao Ren had stored this massive amount of lifeblood in his dimensional pocket.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Veronica looked at the things in amazement. She knew it was a container of superb technology, which was something that Collow could have. And she also sensed something out of her soul, a kind of feeling that came from her bloodline. ¡°I feel it familiar.¡±


    ¡°If the Sunscorch Tower can¡¯t find a suitable ¡®fuel,¡¯ we can substitute it with the blood of the ancients. This thing is called lifeblood, the divine energy carrier.¡±


    ¡°Did you just say that you can use this blood instead of Veronica¡¯s to reignite the holy flame?¡± Rudolph III was wide-eyed. ¡°Will it work?¡±


    Hao Ren did not reply. He opened the lock on the container, and the metal case on one side of the container retracted, exposing the inner container, inside which bright red blood od was surging just like mollusk changed its shape. It first formed into an o-o, and then =.=, and lastly ellipsis.


    God knows what programs Zorm had written in the lifeblood.


    As he prepared to inject these sacred blood into the pool, Grand Duke Loen suddenly stopped him. ¡°Wait a minute!¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the poker-faced Grand Duke curiously.


    ¡°How do we know it is safe?¡± asked Grand Duke Loen. ¡°The Sunscorch Tower is the foundation of the kingdom.¡±


    ¡°You are worried that the lifeblood has a problem?¡± Hao Ren pointed to the container. He understood the concern of Grand Duke Loen; it would be strange if no one was concerned. ¡°Well, your worry is not without reason. You can find someone to examine the lifeblood. I guarantee that there is not a trace of Chaos and negative energy. If you are still not convinced, you can send a batch of samples to other countries to light their Sunscorch Towers since they have no choice anyway, unlike here where there is still one last guardian¡ªVeronica.¡±

 Chapter 1277 - The Omnipresent Light

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren was very frank. Rudolph III and Grand Duke Loen knew time was running out; it was too late for them to send an envoy to another kingdom to test out the effect of the lifeblood on the Sunscorch Tower. Not only did it require troublesome diplomatic procedures and explaining the origin as well as function of the lifeblood to the neighbor, time was also needed for testing and bringing the results back. If it were found useful, they would have to send the lifeblood to all other kingdoms. By the time the dust settled, everyone would be dead.¡±


    Now, the forces of Chaos had blocked off the entire world; each kingdom was like an isolated island in the darkness. The teleportation between them was useless, and the magic communication network only worked intermittently. The only way to make contact with other kingdoms would be to travel on foot. But persons like Veronica, who could traverse through the realm of Chaos and came out alive, were one in a million. After discussing with his think tank, the king felt that sending the lifeblood sample to another kingdom for testing was a no-go.


    But they could not merely set aside the ancient relic that the ancient guardian had taken out. Even Grand Duke Loen was tempted. What if the lifeblood works? he thought.


    ¡°I have something to say.¡± Princess Veronica stood up. ¡°The Guardian has helped us more than once. If he has any ill intentions, he would have all the opportunity to do it: he did not have to save us in Mount Cassouin and Kingdom of Taros would have lost its last bloodline, and the flame of Sunscorch Tower would go out. So, Uncle Loen, it would be indecent to be still suspicious of the ancient guardian¡¯s intention.¡±


    Grand Duke Loen¡¯s brows knit together. ¡°I am not questioning Guardian himself, but I have never heard of the lifeblood.¡±


    ¡°The Sunscorch Tower is a Sanctumese technology, and I have said that it is not a problem. Can you still come out with other conclusions?¡± Hao Ren said.


    ¡°Why not we try it?¡± Rudolfph III took a step forward and interrupted the meaningless argument. ¡°Time is up, and we can¡¯t afford to be overly cautious. Veronica is not the best person to ignite the furnace. I am talking about her talent as a king, but she is better to be on the battlefield; she is a gifted commander. If she lights the furnace, then the kingdom will not have one more wise king but one less future general.¡±


    The king¡¯s assessment of her daughter was still quite euphemistic.


    Since there was no more objection, Hao Ren did not say any further but placed the one-meter-tall metal container beside the pool.


    Earlier, he had already learned about the lighting ceremony from Ania. The most important part of the ceremony was to let the bloodline heir stand beside the white crystal and draw blood into the pool. The built-in magic circle of the Sunscorch Tower would do the rest. During the process, the blood heir needed to always stand on the ¡®altar,¡¯ not only to keep the blood flowing, but also to let the magic circle continue to extract strength from the heir¡¯s body until the flame restored to its full glory.


    But now he would directly pour the ¡®fuel¡¯ into the pool, and the whole process should be straightforward.


    When the tank opened, the fresh blood squirmed like a mollusk, pushing and rushing toward the valve. When the liquid was about to go into the pool, a thought suddenly crossed Hao Ren¡¯s mind. ¡°Oh, how much blood did you guys usually use each time?¡±


    Rudolph III replied casually, ¡°It only takes twenty drops.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit!¡±


    Hao Ren had injected the 100% lifeblood concentrate into the pool. The lifeblood came directly from the Goddess of Creation, which was so much more potent than that of Veronica. Hao Ren estimated that he had poured at least half a bucket of such thing into the pool.


    The last thing Hao Ren saw was a glaring light spurting out from the pool and engulfing the white Crystal above. He then heard a loud bang as a temperature-less silver flame broke out. At that moment, there was only one thing in his mind:


    I had indeed exploded.


    A flash of light, coming from White City of Taros, was destined to be a mark of the history of Collow. This light hailed as the Pillar of the Dawn illuminated not only White City but also spanned space and time. In the blink of an eye, the light was visible in every kingdom in Collow, as if the darkness was about to end¡ªit tore the night sky apart.


    In the Kingdom of Torch, the Dune King, Olaf, was standing on the terrace with his queen, watching the desert, which was gradually sinking into the darkness, thinking about the same dark and chaotic future. The accidents occurred to his children and the Cult of Armageddon¡¯s horrific conspiracy had overwhelmed the king, who was known for his bravery. The Sunscorch Tower, which was dimming, was reflected in his eyes. No new torch-bearer could reignite the furnace, and the tower was destined to go out in a few days. By then, the whole kingdom would meet its final destruction.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click for visiting.


    Just at this moment, a beam of light was reflected in the eyes of the Dune King. In a surprise, he looked up. In the direction of the black swamp and barren field, across the vast land of Chaos, was the Kingdom of Toras.


    At the same time, the ruler of the Kingdom of Fimbulvinter had gotten down from her throne, and the crystal ball in the hands of the Witch Queen, Constance, gave off a dazzlingly bright light, and then it shattered under the intense shock of energy. The queen saw an illusion in the surging magic; she almost stumbled down the steps, which destroyed her elegant and cold image. Standing in the hall, the queen ordered her servants, ¡°Open the windows! Open the windows to the south!¡±


    The light had already entered the hall through the gaps in the windows. As her servant rushed to push the beautiful windows open, Constance saw a beam of light flashed in the sky.


    The magic emperor of the Zelorand Empire stood in front of the white crystal of the Sunscorch Tower. He ordered all his servants to leave him, leaving only his children standing in front of him. The old emperor took off his gorgeous heavy crown and robe, and then walked into the pool that burned in silver flame, slowly. The magic energy was making Emperor Hector¡¯s hair glow in blue. He took a deep breath and prepared to use his life to ignite the furnace.


    His children, who had lost their power, stood in front of him. Some bit their lips, some were ashamed, and some were in tears.


    ¡°Remember, Zelorand Empire has stood for twelve centuries in the tide of Chaos. We did not become the world¡¯s oldest and most glorious kingdom because we took the coward¡¯s way out and scraped by.¡± The old emperor¡¯s eyes shone with magical energy. ¡°We have the most powerful magic, which can be used to protect the kingdom and the people. Our ancestors have done it. So I am. You should too.¡±


    The arcane energy began to surge in the blood veins of the emperor, and the remaining power in his bloodline was about to ignite. But just before it went out of control, the old emperor suddenly stopped.


    It was not him that wanted to stop, but the white crystal was suddenly filled with energy. The energy system of the Sunscorch Tower seemed to be charged when the divine power of Order directly cut off the magic of Hector.


    The emperor was shocked. His children looked at each other in awe. No one knew what had happened.


    Suddenly, the entrance of the Sunscorch Tower opened. The guards outside the tower had defied the order and opened the door too early, but the great emperor had care less about it anymore.


    Through the open entrance, he saw a radiance rising in the dark horizon. The light was bright and stable as if it were close at hand, and it seemed to be far away. As if the light had torn apart space and time, it was visible to every naked eye.


    The mechanisms in the SunscorchTower started up when the energy that came out of nowhere filled its core.


    The same scene was unfolding in every corner of Collow.


    The light beam released by the complete burning of the lifeblood had distorted some of the rules of Collow dimension. It appeared in the eyes of everyone outside White City, even in the distant space far from Collow. When looking at it from any distance, the light source was of the same size and brightness, which was precisely the same as that of the Star of Creation.


    The dazzling light column lasted for ten minutes, and then gradually dimmed. Perhaps this the energy releases was still not enough to dispel the Chaos in Collow when the light column dissipated, darkness came back before the eyes of everyone. But the light was a signal. When the light shone, it shook all the kingdoms.


    On the southern border of Taros, Fort Raven had just recovered from the chaos.


    Lily and Ulysses were discussing the Kingdom of Taros and the War of Chaos. The husky maiden felt that if she wanted to find Mr. Landlord, she had to figure out what kind of place she was in. So she was very particularly attentive. But the white light that suddenly illuminated the sky had caused considerable confusion, throwing everyone in the fort upside down. All the defending soldiers and beasts had seen the wonder.


    After the white light disappeared, the wizards of the Fort Raven found that the Spire of Flames at the top of the fortress had mysteriously restored to its full glory.


    Before Lily could figure out what happened, her adviser, the high-ranking monk Calaxus, had hurried over.


    ¡°Alpha, something is not right with the monster that we caught!¡±

 Chapter 1278 - : Monsters

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Monsters?


    Lily had not forgotten that monster, which she caught just a few days after she entered the Black Forest. The monster could leech the victim¡¯s spiritual world, relying on the manipulation of dreams and illusions to confuse the victim. It looked like a smoky lump of black meat. Calaxus named it the Shadow of Nightmares, but Lily liked to call it a piece of smoked meat. Anyway, it was still a nasty and stubborn thing. If Lily had not wanted to show it off to her landlord, she would have torn it into pieces and fed it to the wolves.


    The monster had a dangerous and robust ability; its parasitic ability was almost insuperable to those who were weak-willed. Lily had placed it under heavy monitoring. Bear monsters, who did not dream, were guarding the smoke monster to ensure the monster was locked up with the Jailor¡¯s Stones 24/7, and prohibit ordinary soldiers from coming near the cage especially when they were unwell. Three teams must be present if they were to check the monster. The first team would approach the pen, the second team would keep an eye on the first team from a distance, while the third team, armed, would monitor the first and the second teams from even farther away. If the situation went wrong, a shoot-to-kill policy would be activated. This rigorous monitoring process had rendered the monster powerless and caged up safely.


    But it looks like there was a situation this time.


    Lily got to her feet. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Duke Ulysses became nervous. He had already known the origin of the Beast Tide, the Sanctum investigation team among the beasts, and the captured Shadows of Nightmares from the storm of Chaos. Like an ordinary people of Collow, Ulysses was cautious of anything from the Chaos. If he could beat the alpha, he would not have agreed to hold that thing in the dungeon below his castle.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click for visiting.


    ¡®Don¡¯t worry. It did not escape,¡± Calaxus said with a confused face. ¡°It looks a little weak.¡±


    ¡°Weak?¡± Lily was stunned. ¡°It was full of beans all this while. How did it become weak suddenly?¡±


    ¡°Probably it was because of the light,¡± the high-ranking monk replied. ¡°The light has powerful energy. It seems to be a divine power of Order. I have no idea what has caused the miracle, but it has affected the Chaos.¡±


    Lily blinked when she felt that what the adviser said made sense. So she banged the table with her hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go and check it out.¡±


    Duke Ulysses quickly dug out his 157-year silver glass from under Lily¡¯s hand, only to find that it had become a biscuit.


    Calaxus nodded. But before the alpha left, he said, ¡°Alpha, there is something else that I want to tell you.¡±


    Lily turned to look at him. ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°My men and I would leave after some time,¡± the high-ranking monk said calmly.


    ¡°Leave?¡± Lily was startled. ¡°Is this food here no good?¡±


    The high-ranking monk choked. The alpha was fine except that her quirky reply always caught him off guard. ¡°No, it¡¯s not about the food. We have a mission in Ansu to carry out a job the pope has entrusted us. And when we joined the team, we have agreed that when we arrive in the Kingdoms of Order, the investigation team would have to act freely.¡±


    While speaking, the high-ranking monk looked a little wacky. ¡°We paid money when we entered the team,¡± Calaxus reminded.


    In other words, the monk meant that the Sanctum investigation team had paid for their meals in the Beast Tide; they were not slaves.


    Lily then came to her realization. She scratched her chin and said, ¡°Oh, ya. Well, you can¡¯t stop you from leaving. I will start to look for my landlord here in Taros soon. I wouldn¡¯t be able to take care of you guys by then. So, when are you going to leave?¡±


    ¡°No hurry,¡± Calaxus replied, waving his hand. ¡°I am just informing you beforehand. Our investigation team still need to travel halfway across the kingdom before reaching our destination. We will stick together for a while.¡±


    For now, the Shadows of Nightmares was held up in the dungeon of Fort Raven.


    This border fortress was a bridgehead against Chaos¡¯ invasion. During peacetime, Fort Raven and its surrounding wilderness and forests were the territories of the kingdom. Villages and towns of various sizes were scattered around the fortress. At that time, the Fort Raven was the de facto capital for the territory it controlled. Its dungeons were mostly used to detain criminals in the area, but after the outbreak of the war, the population of the territory had moved inward to the kingdom, and the role of the political and economic center had shifted from Fort Raven to another city inland. The dungeons of the fortress became empty, and would only house soldiers who violated the military discipline. But the Blackblade Legion and the Raven Guards were highly disciplined and well trained, there were rarely any disciplinary misconducts. So during a decade of the tide of Chaos, the entire dungeon was empty.


    The empty dungeon became an ideal place to hold an unapproachable monster like the Shadows of Nightmares.


    At least the alpha thought so. But it looks like Duke Ulysses, the commander of the Fort Raven, was not very happy.


    The dark dungeon was built of sturdy granite, and the gaps between the boulders were reinforced with molten copper. On the stone wall, there was a torch every few meters. These swaying fires were making the dungeon looked creepy.


    The Shadow of the Nightmares was kept at the deepest level of the dungeon, where there was only one cell. The circular cell was lined with an extra iron gate where Calaxus hung a dozen of Jailor¡¯s Stonesbars. These stones were thought to be enough to suppress the most ferocious monsters of Chaos.


    The dark, smoky piece of meat was sprawling on the ground in the center of the cell, and looked languid. Lily led her lackeys, Duke Ulysses, and Calaxus into the dungeon. She already noticed the abnormality of the meat at first glance.


    The meat seemed to have shrunk by at least a third, and its black smoke had significantly reduced and became so thin that she could see the physical body inside. The tentacles of the monsters drooped on the mat as if they were dehydrated and the meat looked as if it was dying.


    Lily stepped forward, summoned her claws, and poked the meat. ¡°Hey, wake up. What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    The meat squirmed a little. Beneath the smoke, there were many dark-red eyes, which opened slightly and then closed back.


    It was out of its character. In a typical day, it would have fought back.


    ¡°Did the light suppress it?¡± Lily¡¯s ears flickered continuously, and there seemed to be a question mark the glow on her head. ¡°It must be hungry. That¡¯s how I would react when I am hungry.¡±


    Calaxus¡¯ mouth twitched. ¡°This monster doesn¡¯t eat. It doesn¡¯t even have a mouth. It¡¯s a magical creature, which devours the primordial magic energy in the air. The magic is everywhere in Collow. How could it go hungry?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Lily scratched her chin and then continued to poke the smoky meat with her claws. ¡°Don¡¯t fake it, I didn¡¯t starve you. I will poke six holes in your body with my claws!¡±


    The monster twitched again, and a few eyes opened slightly, making a faint voice under the shroud of smoke. ¡°Did you not¡­ say¡­ five holes earlier?¡±


    Lily was stunned. She did not expect the monster to respond this way. ¡°I can poke one more hole in addition to the five¡ªyou spew a lot of nonsense!¡±


    The monster did not talk back this time, just retracting all its tentacles, rolling and twitching on the ground. It looks like it was painful.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t fake it!¡± Lily could not help but become nervous. She was not afraid of the monster attacking her, but if that thing died, she would not be able to show off in front of her landlord. ¡°I need to keep you alive to exchange you for pork ribs with Mr. Landlord.¡±


    ¡°No worry, I won¡¯t¡­ go back for now¡­¡± The monster suddenly quieted after a violent convulsion. Now, everyone started to realize that this strange creature could communicate.


    Its thought was organized and it actively communicated with Lily.


    Calaxus had realized it and wanted to alert the alpha. But before he could do so, the smoke monster had turned to him. ¡°You little guy over there¡­ are you from Sanctum? A monk or a bishop?¡±


    Calaxus looked at the meat on the ground, wide-eyed. ¡°How¡­ do you know?¡±


    ¡°Go to remind the pope¡­¡± The monster seemed not to hear Calaxus. It just said what it wanted to say with a hoarse voice inside the smoke. ¡°Rockmarton¡­ is crawling out of the abyss. The ancient prison wardens have decayed.¡±


    Calaxus was stunned. He looked at the monster in horror. ¡°What¡­ are you?¡±

 Chapter 1279 - The Icon Hall

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The sacred light of Taros had not only affected the Sunscorch Tower of the earthly kingdoms, but its light also penetrated the vortex of Chaos in the center of Collow, and appeared in the eyes of the Sanctumese.


    Over the past few days, a depressing atmosphere had been filling Sanctum. The continuous weakening of the Asurmen¡¯s light was approaching the tipping point. The shield of Order covering the floating continent had become so thin that it was almost invisible to the naked eyes now. The dark power of Chaos was surging outside the barrier as if a sea hanging overhead ready to inundate the entire continent. Everyone in Sanctum was depressed as frustration and despair were drowning the spirit of this once glorious and proud race.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click for visiting.


    Earlier, there was a sudden burst of light on the other continent, just across the void. The light tore apart space and time as if it had divided the sky in two, illuminating the space outside the barrier. The phenomenon had not only shocked everyone but given them an unexplainable hope.


    In the eyes of the Sanctumese, the believers of the goddess of creation, this light was almost a miracle that signaled the end of the dark moments. The light gradually dissipated after ten minutes, but it had inspired many people on this part of the world.


    Most of these people were ordinary people. The ruling class was not optimistic.


    Pope Auguste VII summoned all the cardinals and inner court scholars to the white hall of the Bascilia Icon. Under the eternal glory of the white chamber, Collow¡¯s wisest and most authoritative theologians and scholars discussed the influence of the light that flashed in the sky earlier. Auguste VII sat on the high throne of the pope, listening to the report of one of the cardinals.


    ¡°Your Holiness, we have determined that the light comes from the continent of Ansu, but we are unsure of its specific location. As the fog of Chaos envelopes the trajectory of each continent, we can¡¯t physically see the other continents. But we could approximate the current position of other continents using the world model. But as the Chaos becomes more and more rampant, the accuracy of this position calculation is also decreasing.¡±


    A group of exquisite models carved out of magic gems was floating around the speaking cardinal. The gemstone models reconstructed the details of the five floating continents and a dozen larger floating islands in Collow with fantastic craftsmanship. The models moved slowly in the air, approximating the location of each land in the Sea of Carnos based on some ancient data.


    But the accuracy of this model was not high due to the influence of the tide of Chaos.


    ¡°Ansu mainland¡­ good,¡± Auguste VII mumbled as he massaged his forehead. ¡°It confirmed Asurmen¡¯s revelation. A miracle of the goddess of creation has appeared on that continent.¡±


    ¡°The light column has caused a stir among the civilians and the lower-ranking priests.¡± Another cardinal stood up. ¡°The good news is that our morale is recovering. We have released the narrative of the light column, and now it becomes an inspiring miracle. But the bad news is: after the light column disappeared, everything returned to normal. The light of Asurmen is still weakening, and the shroud overhead is still as fragile as ever. The effect of this miracle would fade with time, and I¡¯m afraid if no new miracles are happening.¡±


    ¡°The light was only a sign that the goddess sent us from the divine realm to tell us to persevere in this dark age. In response, we should fight even in the darkness,¡± Auguste VII said slowly. ¡°Sanctumese would not give up hope, never.¡±


    Another cardinal stood up. ¡°The power output of Mount Asurmen has dropped by 1% again. Its deceleration rate has stabilized, and there will be no more sudden fluctuations. But if the trend is anything to go by, we will completely lose the shield in half a month, tops. By then Sanctum will fall into the darkness like the secular world. We will fight on this sacred land, and the blood of Chaos will tarnish the holy land.¡±


    ¡°So be it. We will fight, just like the earthly kingdoms,¡± another cardinal shouted. ¡°If the earthly kingdoms can be brave, Sanctum would not flinch. We have built Spires of Flames and Sunscorch Towers in different parts of the mainland. Drawing the residual power of Asurmen, these towers would allow us to survive the tide of Chaos.¡±


    ¡°The key is in the next century. If Asurmen couldn¡¯t recover, it would be useless even if we survive this time. We can¡¯t leave the burden on our grandchildren. I still insist on repairing Asurmen as the top priority. I have a plan¡­¡±


    The cardinals once again fell into an argument. They were debating about some immature ideas they just plucked out of thin air and then rejected them all by themselves. The discussion between the scholars and the cardinals were fierce. But each of them was a good person; they were concerned for the future of this world and the safety of Sanctum, but the wisdom of the mortals fell short of solving the ultimate problem.


    Mount Asurmen.


    The second half of the meeting was not constructive, prompting August VII to stop the debate. After the cardinals and scholars left the pure white hall, the pope got to his feet tiredly. Youthfulness had gone from his body, and his joints would creak whenever he moved his body. He felt that the crown on his head was so heavy that it was breaking his neck and that his robe was restraining his movement.


    The servant on the side immediately stepped forward. The middle-aged man who had followed August VII for 30 years saw the weariness on the pope¡¯s face. The servant helped the pope take off the heavy golden crown and took over the wand. ¡°Your Holiness, are you going back to the palace to rest?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the Pope replied, waving his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the Icon Hall.¡±


    The servant blinked as if the answer had surprised him. But his habit of many years still made him choke his question back and then just nodded.


    The Icon Hall; from the name itself one could already deduce that there was something special about this hall. It was almost the most magnificent and sacred space in the Basilica Icon. Departing from the pure white hall, they needed to walk through three corridors, two inner courtyards, and two long halls to reach the hall entrance. The old pope was reluctant to use the convenience of magic but chose to walk an hour to come to Icon Hall.


    The servant pushed the golden red door open. The pope sorted his clothes before stepping into the hall.


    The hall was vast, without any furniture. Two rows of tall columns lined parallel from the entrance to the other end with bright light sprinkled from a series of circular hollows overhead. It appeared as if a layer of divine light was floating in the hall.


    On both sides of the hall, huge statues, lifelike, majestic and sacred, were sitting quietly behind the two rows of columns.


    Auguste VII trudged along the central axis of the hall, bathing in the gaze of the two rows of statues as if he was under the inspection of the ancient kings. In all piety and a focused mind, the pope kept walking.


    It was the Icon Hall, which got its name from the sacred statues in the hall. Even the Basilica Icon got its name the same way.


    No one knew who made these statues. Even the founders of the Theocracy did not mention it a bit. This hall existed long before the establishment of the Theocracy. The twenty-one icons seem to come from the era before the mortals. The entire Basilica Icon was nothing more than an architectural shell that extended out from the original Icon Hall. Many generations of Pope and secular kings had passed, but the mysterious giant statues in this Icon Hall had never changed.


    If these statues were to stand up, they would have measured up to ten meters tall. But their sizes were not the most eye-catching, it was their lifelike appearance that amazed. The statues were made of stones, but they looked like real people, not statues.


    The lifelikeness of these statues would send a chill up the spine of those who first came into the Icon Hall. Even Auguste VII still remembered the fear and uneasiness he felt when he first came here.


    But that had all passed. Auguste VII stepped into the Icon Hall to accept the gaze of these colossus statues. It was no longer a daunting experience but a baptism of the soul and heart.


    The Pope walked all the way until the end of the hall. Just when he was about to come before a statue known as the King of Kings, he suddenly stopped in tracks and looked back at the direction from where he came.


    The face of the two rows of statues was just as cold as before with their eyes looking straight at the center of the hall¡ªthere was nothing unusual.


    But Auguste VII had a creepy feeling.


    The pope shook his head; he had not felt this feeling for many years and was surprised by why he was losing his composure.


    In that particular moment, he felt that the stares were not from the glorious ancient kings but some unknown, terrifying beings. The hollow stares caused him having the illusion of falling into an abyss.


    The old pope focused his mind, trying to shake the strange vision out of his mind. He then turned around and bowed before the statue of the King of Kings.


    ¡°Ancient prison officer, please show me the way¡­¡±


    The low voice of the old pope echoed in front of the statue of the King of Kings.


    Then the echoes suddenly came to an abrupt end.

 Chapter 1280 - Optical Eclipse

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    No one knew what happened in Sanctum. For the earthly kingdoms, only the things they could see and touched deserved their attention. The tide of Chaos still showed no signs of decline, but the situation was no longer as critical as it was during the past few days. The darkness had yet to recede, but the Sunscorch Tower of each kingdom lit up, and the biggest crisis seemed to be over.


    The light that flashed across the sky had become a hot topic in every Royal Court of every kingdom. Scholars and arcanists were arguing over the possible reasons for this phenomenon. The kings were more concerned about the power of the light and how long it would last. The beam of light dissipated after ten minutes, but the mysterious energy it brought had reactivated every Sunscorch Tower in a way that no one could understand. Scholars could not explain the recharging of the towers, and could only generalize it as a divine power resonance. But no one knew how long this energy would last.


    The Sunscorch Towers were behaving strangely after the burst of the light. The light had fried energy monitoring systems of the towers, which were running in a way that defied common sense. Those tower maintenance personnel, once arrogant, could only stare at the out-of-service control magic circle in amazement.


    When the entire secular world was busy discussing the source of the light, the source location of the light had fallen into another confusion.


    A third of White City needed to relocate. A full assessment was undergoing to evaluate the various consequences caused by the light eclipse phenomenon. The energy burst had damaged an uncountable number of magic items, and magic-powered equipment. The good news was that there were no casualties, and the bad news was that the incident had led to a city-wide head-scratching. Even the king and his officials were all bemused. No one knew how to explain it.


    Hao Ren, the king¡¯s family, and Scholar Alfred were standing on the platform on top the Palace of the Golden Roses. They were overlooking the high ground on the north of the city where the Sunscorch Tower had seemed to be no more there. But the tower was not gone; it still stood there.


    The same strange phenomenon happened around the tower. The affected area was as large as a few kilometers in radius.


    Some part of the tower and the land around it seemed to have gone; it was invisible. The transparent areas were random in shape and location. Some as small as the palm of a hand, some were as large as a house. These invisible segments move around as if they were alive.


    Besides that, a faint white light was shrouding the Sunscorch Tower and its surrounding areas. This light was much brighter than the shimmering light the tower previously gave out. But no one seemed to care anymore.


    Hao Ren remembered what had happened before. Earlier, when he poured the excessive amount of pure lifeblood into the energy pool of the Sunscorch Tower, it released the power of the lifeblood in an instant. The burst of energy changed the rules of the area permanently. When the white light disappeared, there were no casualties, only many incredible phenomena.


    What everyone saw now was one of the phenomena. Scholars named this phenomenon Optical Eclipse.


    ¡°The arcanists think that Optical Eclipse phenomenon is a kind of phase deflection,¡± Ania said softly. ¡°This area was experiencing a phase change under the influence of divine power, resulting in the entire region continuously switching into different phases. The transparent surfaces did not go away. We couldn¡¯t see but can touch them.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all nonsense,¡± Rudolph III said, knocking in the air in front of him and there were knock sounds. It was the railing on the terrace, but it was invisible. ¡°I can see the phenomenon myself.¡±


    While saying, the transparent segments on the Palace of the Golden Roses were also shifting. The outline of the iron railing appeared from left to right before the king¡¯s eyes. Veronica immediately gripped the railing and then exhaled.


    Hao Ren felt embarrassed and he smiled. He was entirely responsible for causing this situation after all.


    Ania shook her head and continued. ¡°The energy shock has damaged many magic installations in the city. The arcanists are working overtime to repair them. More residents are leaving the city north because the Optical Eclipse has seriously affected their daily lives. His Honorable Welsh has been so snowed under that it is not his time complaining to me and Uncle Loen.¡±


    The king nodded and turned to look at the scholar, Alfred. ¡°Have you found any other hazards of the Optical Eclipse?¡±


    The scholar shook his head, but he knew what the king was concerned about. ¡°There has not been any real damage, Your Majesty. We only know that it has caused changes in metals and rocks, making them transparent, but not affected biological beings and objects. It seems to be only an unexplainable optical phenomenon.¡±


    Hao Ren hemmed. ¡°I am sorry that I have brought such great trouble to you all.¡±


    Rudolph III waved his hand and looked at Hao Ren sincerely. ¡°Nah, compared to the benefit it has brought, this little inconvenience is nothing. At least you have guaranteed the survival of our kingdom. The Sunscorch Tower has indeed lit up though it looks a little odd.¡±


    The Sunscorch Tower has lit up again, which was why Hao Ren was still allowed to stand here despite he had caused an explosion. Hao Ren had not determined the cause of the side effect of Optical Eclipse, but he was right concerning the power of the lifeblood. The energy in the lifeblood had indeed activated the tower again¡ªnot just enabled but also greatly enhanced.


    Reports from the surrounding areas of White City were on the desk of Rudolph III. The reports mentioned that the power of the towers and furnace installations in various places had increased since the bust of light that night. Now, these installations were running at an unprecedented level of efficiency, which meant the strength of the shield of Order of the Kingdom of Taros had increased two-fold as well.


    With such good news, naturally, Rudolph III would not mind the little optical phenomenon.


    ¡°Let the scholars study it. I should concentrate on the governance of the kingdom.¡± Rudolph III finally sighed and turned away from the terrace, while others followed him.


    When they came to the steps of the terrace, the transparent areas of the palace shifted again. This time it was the stairs that had become invisible.


    Everyone looked at each other. At last, Alfred went to the front, while others followed and groped for the wall to come down slowly from the stairs. As she walked, Veronica mumbled, ¡°This place is inhabitable, father. When are we moving?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. How can the Taros Royal Family run away from such a little problem?¡±


    ¡°But father, you have hit the wall three times in the morning.¡±


    Rudolph III was dumbstruck.


    ¡°You even hit and broke a door.¡±


    Rudolph III was again dumbstruck.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click for visiting.


    Hao Ren could not care less about when the Royal Family would move. He was trying to figure out in his mind the reason for this phenomenon. There was a logic in everything, and the supernatural thing like the lifeblood was no exception. It was precisely this phenomenon the lifeblood caused that was in line with the cosmic law of the Plane of Dreams¡ªbecause a true god represented the law of the universe.


    While Hao Ren was in deep thought, he saw in his peripheral vision a strange sight.


    He quickly looked up. A silver-white metal surface was floating in the air next to him. The metal surface looked familiar as if it was the corner of the table onboard the Petrachelys, his spacecraft. He saw Rollie was on the metal surface staring at him.


    The cat maiden was holding a canned fish, half open, in her hands. Judging from her sneaky gesture and her reaction, Rollie must be stealing food.


    ¡°Rollie?¡± Surprised, Hao Ren called out instinctively.


    The dumb cat almost jumped out of her skin. She held on tightly to the canned fish and meowed.


    Veronica, who was walking in front, had heard Hao Ren was talking to himself. The princess curiously turned her head around. ¡°Your Venerable Guardian, who are you talking to?¡±


    Rollie and the small table suddenly disappeared when Veronica interrupted.


    Hao Ren blinked and froze. Noticing the stares of everyone around, Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°Ahh, nothing. It might be an illusion. This place is bizarre.¡±

 Chapter 1281 - The Singularity

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    An Illusion? Of course, Hao Ren did not think that what he just saw was an illusion.


    He was pretty damn sure that what he saw was Rollie, and it was not just in his imagination due to him missing his family. If he were to miss his family, he would miss anyone but Rollie, the dumb cat.


    He associated what he saw to the Optical Eclipse that was happening near the Sunscorch Tower.


    So after some perfunctory conversation with Veronica, Hao Ren made up an excuse and leave alone to look for a place that had the most concentrated Optical Eclipse phenomenon in the palace. Such places were not uncommon today. The energy blast of the Sunscorch Tower had dragged one-third of White City into a phase anomaly. He would see walls or platforms, or even houses that disappeared into thin air. Grape ivy and curtains that hung at the Optical Eclipsed places looked strange and particularly conspicuous.


    He did not see the dumb cat again but two nervous maids in front of a pavilion.


    The two maids¡¯ back was facing Hao Ren, and they did not notice that someone was coming up from behind. Hao Ren heard their conversation.


    ¡°Did you see that? It just flashed across my eyes. It almost scared the hell out of me.¡±


    ¡°Ya, I saw it too! I thought it was an illusion. That thing that looks like an octopus floating in the air. It even flew toward me!¡±


    ¡°Eww ¨C Stop mentioning it. I have goosebumps all over my skin already. There was still a man standing behind that thing. Gosh, he is the ugliest person I have ever seen in my life. He must be a demon from the abyss of Chaos!¡±


    From the conversation between the two maids, Hao Ren immediately thought of the autonomous robots and Y¡¯zaks onboard his spacecraft, the Petrachelys. He could not help himself but ask, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    The two maids were stunned. They bowed as a sign of respect when they saw it was Hao Ren. ¡°Your Venerable Guardian, we are not slacking off, just¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I am not checking on you guys.¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°Did you just say you saw an octopus and a particularly ugly man?¡±


    The two maids looked at each other and still visibly panic. But after finding that Hao Ren was friendly, they calmed down and described to Hao Ren what they had seen.


    According to the maids¡¯ description, they suddenly saw those things appeared when they were cleaning the corridors, just like how Hao Ren saw Rollie earlier when his spacecraft, Petrachelys, appeared in his vision. But things quickly disappeared afterward.


    Judging from the time it happened, it coincided with the time when Hao Ren was seeing Rollie.


    ¡°Does that octopus look like this?¡± Hao Ren frowned and released an autonomous robot from his dimensional pocket.


    The autonomous robot gabbled and circled the two maids.


    ¡°Wow!¡± The two maids were shocked before they nodded. ¡°This is the one! Is this your pet, Your Venerable Guardian?¡±


    The two maids seemed to be in fear and admiration at the same time. The story about Hao Ren had been exaggerated as to become a legend among the servants, so much so that the octopus seemed not that terrifying in the eyes of the two maids. One of them nodded. ¡°It looks pretty cute. We thought we had seen a ghost in the daytime.¡±


    Hao Ren was amused.


    After sending away the two maids, Hao Ren tried to make sense of the pattern of the appearance of these illusions. While he was at it, a voice suddenly sounded in his head. ¡°Buddy! Pattianne is calling buddy! Pattianne is calling buddy! Please reply if you hear this!¡±


    Hao Ren was startled, and then happy. ¡°I hear you. Have you configured the radio already?¡±


    ¡°It is clear! I know this thing is going to work!¡± The voice of the MDT was loud and clear, and particularly excited. ¡°Buddy, your suggestion worked well. We found the relic of the goddess in the CARS, built a divine power-oscillation antenna here, and solved the shield problem! We can communicate as usual from now on!¡±


    It was almost the best news Hao Ren had in a while. He could not help but get excited as well. ¡°What do you use as a medium? Is it the lifeblood or the Gilded Disc?¡±


    Before the MDT could say anything, Hao Ren heard Muru noted, ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    Hao Ren was struck dumb.


    At this moment, in the outside world, the ¡®material vacuum zone¡¯ of the universe, the Petrachelys was cruising in and around a group of artillery production bases. On the top the spacecraft, the poker-faced Muru was sitting there in a giant chair, holding a wand-like antenna in his hand, and a string of crystal oscillating amplifiers on his head. Nolan¡¯s holographic image was in front of the guardian giant, smiling. ¡°Please endure it for a little longer; I am making you a more portable antenna in my stomach. The one you are using now is only the beta version.¡±


    Muru nodded. ¡°No problem, I feel pretty okay now.¡±


    Hao Ren could not see the outside scene, but the could guess it. He was listening to the MDT. ¡°When I went back and pondered about the closest things to the power of the goddess of creation, the lifeblood was a second-tier product Zorm produced. Same goes with the Gilded Disc, which was powerful but was a more distant bloodline of the goddess. So the closest thing to the goddess was still her son, I figured.¡±


    ¡°Okay, you win.¡±


    ¡°Buddy, I have something to tell you. Y¡¯zaks has seen something in the corridor.¡±


    ¡°Did he saw two girls in maid costumes?¡± Hao Ren knew what it was. ¡°I saw Rollie too.¡±


    ¡°Rollie?¡± The MDT was stunned but quickly came to its senses. ¡°No wonder she cried like crazy that the soul of Big Boss Cat was demanding canned fish from her while she ran out of the lounge.


    ¡°Let Vivian handle Rollie; we have something more important to discuss. It turns out that we have just broken through a deeper divine blockade. What we saw just now were not illusions but the overlapping of two dimensions.¡±


    ¡°Nolan is allocating 50 % of its computing power to retrace the dimensional readings. Buddy, what happened to you?¡±


    ¡°I blew up a seemingly important tower. But it¡¯s not a real explosion. I will tell you slowly.¡±


    Hao Ren told of what happened before, and when he finished, he said, ¡°Many strange phenomena are happening here. These phenomena are harmless, but they affect people¡¯s daily lives. Recently, even the King¡¯s family is mooting to move out temporarily.¡±


    The MDT was silent for a moment before it said, ¡°I have thought of something.¡±


    ¡°I am all ears.¡±Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click for visiting.


    ¡°Buddy, the magic explosion that you have caused has weakened the blockade of the goddess of creation in the Collow dimension. But because of the limited energy of the lifeblood, it did not completely bring down the barrier but only opened up a vulnerable spot. The connection between Collow and the real universe became closer on this vulnerable spot, which creates the phenomena you have seen. Since the divine barrier is still working, there will be only a limited number of materials that could break through the barrier and interact with the real universe on this point of singularity. The forms of interaction are also limited, which mostly confined to bizarre illusions. As for the Optical Eclipse phenomenon you have mentioned, it is likely a by-product of this singularity.¡±


    ¡°So this haunted phantom-like phenomenon will continue for a while? It may cause chaos.¡±


    The MDT was silent as if it was checking the data. It then gave a negative answer. ¡°It won¡¯t, buddy. Nolan thinks that the overlapping of the two dimensions occurred because Petrachelys happened to fly past your location. It means the Palace of the Golden Roses and the Petrachelys was on the same coordinates just now.¡±


    Now it dawned on Hao Ren that the Collow dimension and the real universe were like two parallel worlds: they were invisible to each other, but they shared common dimensional coordinates. When the Petrachelys was sailing in the material vacuum zone, it might have crossed path with the Collow dimension many times. Just like when Hao Ren caused a mysterious explosion in the Kingdom of Taros and created a singularity, the Petrachelys also happened to pass by at the same spot.


    When the two dimensions overlapped, people on both sides would see the scenes in the other dimension.


    ¡°Buddy, if we follow this logic, perhaps we can directly smash the barrier of Collow,¡± said the MDT. ¡°We can get tens of thousands of tons of lifeblood to let it run wild. Even if the impact could not completely bring down the barrier, it might be able to open crack on the barrier.¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t do this.¡± Hao Ren said quickly as a thought suddenly crossed his mind. He was not going to let the MDT carry out the seemingly feasible idea.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Why did the goddess of creation want to seal this place in the first place?¡± Hao Ren asked. ¡°Collow, in the divine language of the goddess of creation, means ¡®prison.¡¯ The goddess purposely built this prison. Rockmarton may be dead according to local legend, but considering the situation of the tide of Chaos, I think that guy is still alive and kicking. It is just that he was incarceration. Before we could solve the problem, we should not open the gate of the prison.¡±


    The MDT thought for a moment and said, ¡°Well, what you said makes sense. Let¡¯s put this plan on hold for a while. But I have designed a way to send stuff to you based on this idea. If we keep this transmission a one-way street, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    ¡°Approval granted.¡±


    After they determined the plan, Hao Ren hung up the call.


    He continued to mooch around the royal garden while thinking about how to educate the dumb cat. At this moment, a royal guard came hurriedly up to him.


    ¡°Venerable Guardian!¡± The guard stood in front of him and saluted him. ¡°The King asks for you.¡±

 Chapter 1282 - News From the South

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    When Hao Ren came to the special meeting room, aside from the king, two other people were there. One of them was Grand Duke Loen, and the other was a mysterious woman shrouded by a shadow. She was standing behind Rudolph III.


    The atmosphere in the room was a bit strange; weird, but not oppressive or something else.


    ¡°You look for me?¡± Hao Ren sat down in a chair and looked at Rudolph III curiously.


    The king nodded. ¡°There is a piece of news from the southern front. You would probably be interested to know.¡±


    ¡°News from the South?¡± Hao Ren was startled. At first, he thought that the frontline news in the south had nothing to do with him. But he had quickly sensed something else. ¡°Wait a minute. Is it that you have found the person I am looking?¡±


    The king did not answer immediately but seemed to talk about an irrelevant matter. ¡°Recently, a force has risen in the south. It was a large group of beasts and abhumans called the Beast Tide. They first appeared on the floating island outside the southern border of the kingdom, and then flew across the Sea of Carnos using some unknown methods. After landing in the forest in the south, the beasts headed north. You should already know that there was a powerful storm of Chaos in the south not long ago. The storm did not kill the beasts. Instead, the Beast Tide has survived and roped into the surviving abhumans in the Black Forest. A few days ago, the beasts arrived at Fort Raven at the border and clashed with the Chaos on the great wilderness. The Beast Tide saved Fort Raven and secured the southern border.¡±


    ¡°So, this Beast Tide¡­¡± Hao Ren blinked.


    Grand Duke Loen nodded. ¡°The leader of the Beast Tide is a mysterious character called the Alpha, who should be a woman with wolf characteristics, seemingly very similar to the ancient one you have described.¡±


    ¡°Just so little information?¡± Hao Ren became a little curious.


    Rudolph III spread out his hand helplessly. ¡°As the storm is still raging, primordial magic energy at the border between the Order and Chaos has affected information flow. We have dedicated the limited magic network resources to relay battlefield reports from the frontline. So we have just received the news about the Alpha. If it weren¡¯t for the scale of the Beast Tide, the relay of this information would have been delayed.¡±


    ¡°The Alpha and the Beast Tide?¡± Hao Ren was stunned. He mumbled to himself, ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe that the husky has caused so much trouble.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Rudolph III asked.


    ¡°Ahem, nothing. I am very interested in that alpha. In all likelihood, the alpha could be the person I¡¯m looking for.¡± Hao Ren replied. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect she had gone to the deserted islands off the mainland. I am going to the south to check it out.¡±


    Rudolph III and Grand Duke Loen exchanged a look, and the king had a reluctant expression on his face.


    ¡°Are you not letting me go?¡± Hao Ren was calmed and seemed to have expected this situation long ago. ¡°I have done whatever I could to help you, and I have even left you with the lifeblood, which you can use to rekindle the Sunscorch Towers in other kingdoms. I think that you have just solved your biggest problem. What¡¯s more, I don¡¯t belong here.¡±


    ¡°Of course you can leave, the Taros royal family isn¡¯t that unreasonable,¡± Rudolph III quickly said, shaking his head. ¡°The kingdom owes you a big favor and would not ask for more. But I hope you can bring someone along. Isn¡¯t that easy for you?¡±


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Lady Gloom,¡± said Rudolph III. As soon as his voice trailed off, a slender woman had come before Hao Ren like a ghost. She movement of the woman was so strange that even Hao Ren could not see how she did it¡ªit was almost like teleportation. ¡°I hope you can bring her along.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the ghostly secret agent of the King with surprise. At first he thought the king wanted him to bring Veronica¡ªafter all, the knight princess was a general; it was a matter, of course, to bring her along to the frontline. He had never thought that the king would want him to escort the kingdom¡¯s secret agent who usually should stay beside the king.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t she your secret agent? Why do you want her to leave at this particular time?¡±


    ¡°She has a mission.¡± Rudolph III did not mind explaining more to Hao Ren, whom the king thought was the Ancient Guardian. ¡°You might not know; there is a group of Sanctum investigators in the Beast Tide. According to our intelligence, they met an accident while crossing the Sea of Carnos. Later they somehow came under the protection of the Alpha and became members of the Beast Tide. I hope you can take Lady Gloom to meet them. Until then, Lady Gloom will know what to do.¡±


    ¡°Sanctum? The Theocracy?¡± Hao Ren was startled.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Rudolph III replied with a smile. ¡°Speaking of which, you are also from Sanctum, am I right? Every temple is a base of Sanctum in the secular world. Ordinary people may hold clerical posts, but the Sanctumese always serve as the temple¡¯s warrior and higher-ranking priests. The Sanctum investigators are your compatriots albeit a thousand years younger than you are.¡±


    Hao Ren was a bit embarrassed when hearing that. Of course, he knew the things that Rudolph III said; things about Sanctum and temples were common knowledge in the secular world. Hao Ren even knew that there was a massive temple on the plain outside White City. When a turmoil broke out in Theocracy, all monks and knights in the secular world, including that of the temple, had evacuated, leaving the temple closed temporarily.


    The evacuation had prevented Hao Ren, the fake temple guardian, from bumping into the true Sanctumese.


    But now it seemed that Hao Ren could only delay the trouble but not avoid it. Both sides would eventually meet in the South.


    But Hao Ren quickly calmed down. It was not that he was afraid to meet the Sanctumese; he knew that it was a matter of time, even in his original plan, before he would go to Sanctum.


    Hao Ren thought he should be able to find the answer to the origins of Chaos and the evil giant Rockmarton.


    Rudolph III seemed to have read Hao Ren¡¯s mind from his facial expression. ¡°You plan to go back to Sanctum? Well, probably you should since Sanctum is in turmoil now.¡±


    Hao Ren just shrugged and said nothing.


    He would decide if he would go to Sanctum after arriving at the south.


    The road from White City to the southern border was a long journey with mountains and forests in between. At first, Rudolph III planned to arrange an airship for Hao Ren, accompanied by an escort team of knights and soldiers. But Hao Ren thought that it was too much a trouble, and he was in a hurry to find his dog. The airship as a flying unit was not even as fast as his little North Stars in sports mode, Hao Ren thought.


    Hao Ren told the king that he had a better way and politely declined the king¡¯s kindness. Bringing Lady Gloom together, Hao Ren left the secret chamber.


    Now, there were only Rudolph III and Grand Duke Loen in the room.


    ¡°Is it a good idea to let Lady Gloom leave?¡± Grand Duke Loen said after a moment of silence. ¡°She has been serving and guarding the royal family for three centuries since the first king built this city on the great plains. Now her sudden departure will cause us a lot of trouble.¡±


    ¡°She is not a Taros people,¡± Rudolph III said while leaning on the chair. At this moment, the king looked twenty years older than before. ¡°We both know that she isn¡¯t even a human being. No one knows her real name, race, and origin. She has a secret, which could be the reason she has chosen to stay here, and the same reason that she chooses to leave.¡±Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click for visiting.


    Grand Duke Loen was silent. After a long while, he then shook his head. ¡°An uncontrollable factor.¡±


    ¡°There are many more things that are beyond our control,¡± the King sighed. ¡°The world is undergoing unprecedented changes, which are something that our forefathers have never faced before. In this situation, we cannot act based on common sense alone.¡±


    ¡°Just because of this, you choose to let Lady Gloom do whatever she likes? This is not you.¡±


    ¡°What else can I do? You don¡¯t know Lady Gloom,¡± Rudolph III said while shaking his head with a smile. ¡°Loen, Lady Gloom is not just an inner-court knight and a secret agent; she is much more powerful than you think. If she wants to leave, no one in Taros can stop her. We should be glad that she at least chose to discuss it with me.¡±


    ¡°What about the guardian?¡± Grand Duke Loen¡¯s brows knit together. ¡°Now with the Chaos running rampant, the guardian is our security. But if he leaves¡ª¡±


    ¡°I have received a secret letter from the Witch Queen and the Dune King this morning.¡± Rudolph III interrupted Grand Duke Loen. The king looked somber. ¡°All they could send is just this little information. But they have mentioned about the light beam in the direction of Taros in the night sky, and the anomaly of the Sunscorch Towers in other kingdoms. The nature of the ¡®explosion¡¯ a few days ago is beyond our understanding. I am dead sure that Hao Ren is not a Sanctumese, let alone an ancient guardian.¡±


    The poker-face of Grand Duke Loen finally showed some animation. ¡°Then he is¡­¡±


    ¡°I have no idea. But I know the smartest thing to do is not to stop him.¡±

 Chapter 1283 - Building a City

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    While Hao Ren was leaving White City with Lady Gloom to find the husky, in the southern part of the kingdom, a cloud of somberness was hanging over the high-ranking monk, Calaxus¡¯ head.


    Calaxus and the Alpha were standing on the towering wall of Fort Raven.


    Since Calaxus last visited the weakened smoke monster in the dungeon, he had been mentally disturbed.


    Lily had never seen her adviser having such a gloomy and nervous look. Even when bringing a group of survivors boarding the hot air balloon of the beasts and later crash-landing in the Black Forest, Calaxus had never displayed such a grave expression. But now the monk looked as if the world was coming to an end.


    Perhaps the world had already ended in his mind.


    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± Lily asked curiously. ¡°Has what the ¡®smoked meat¡¯ said yesterday terrified you?¡±


    ¡°That thing is a Shadow of Nightmares. Never mind, calling it a lump of smoked meat is just fine.¡± Calaxus gave up to correct the alpha. He sighed, ¡°What the thing said was a secret that only high-ranking priests and very few scholars could know. It felt creepy when this secret came from the mouth of a monster.¡±


    ¡°What secret?¡± Lily¡¯s ears flickered. ¡°Is it about Lockmarton crawling out of the abyss, or the prison officer has crossed over?¡±


    These terrible words sounded so casual in the mouth of the alpha as if they never bothered her. Even Calaxus¡¯ heart missed a beat when hearing that. Luckily that after spending all these days with the alpha, the monk had learned to adapt to the alpha¡¯s style quickly. Calaxus took a few deep breaths and then quietly observing the alpha for a while.


    After a long while, Calaxus decided to tell the alpha some secrets because, first of all, he thought that the alpha was just a naive girl who just came out of the wildland, it was not necessary to keep secrets from her. Secondly, the alpha possessed a powerful Light of Order, which reminded him of the legends of the children of God and stuff like that. Such a natural darling of Order certainly had the right to know certain things. Since the alpha had heard some of the secrets from the mouth of the Shadow of Nightmares, telling her more would make little difference.


    ¡°The world knows that the ancient evil giant Lockmarton is dead. The Chaos that remains in the world today is just his reverberation. But in reality, there is more than just an echo.¡± Colors drained from the high-ranking monk¡¯s face. ¡°In the Sea of Carnos, there is a forgotten abyss, where the evil thoughts of Lockmarton lingered. A prison officer of ancient times guards the entrance to the abyss day and night to prevent the spirit of the evil giant from returning to the real world and regaining his physical body. Alpha, I can only tell you these; any more detailed would be the top secret of Sanctum.¡±


    Lily nodded slightly. She seemed not to care.


    ¡°Alpha,¡± the high-ranking monk looked at Lily curiously. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it is terrifying? If the monster is telling the truth, then this world is going to face a huge problem.¡±


    ¡°Everything will be okay,¡± Lily said, dismissing the monk¡¯s concern. ¡°You know what; I think I will find Mr. Landlord soon! Mr. Landlord is super awesome. He could easily bomb Lockmarton and his ancestors up into a million pieces. If we can find Mr. Landlord, everything will just be fine.¡±


    The high-ranking monk was astounded as he looked at the happy alpha, feeling that she did not have a clue of what he was saying.


    He sighed helplessly, feeling stupid to even explain this complicated problem to the clueless alpha.


    He again thought of the monster in the dungeon.


    The evil monster of Chaos that could communicate with people was shocking. Earlier, when Calaxus asked the monster from where it came, the monster stopped talking as if it was extremely cautious of revealing its real name and origin.


    All this made him come up with many conjectures, of which no one was good.


    ¡°Uncle, what is in your mind?¡± Lily curiously asked as she noticed the high-ranking monk was silent as if deep in thought. ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    ¡°I am thinking of whether I should return to Sanctum immediately or continue our mission,¡± Calaxus said honestly. He felt it unnecessary to hide anything from the alpha now. ¡°What the monster said was disturbing. I am afraid that something disastrous of a global scale is going to happen in Sanctum. But our mission is equally important and closely related to the survival of Sanctum, and by extension, of the world.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t said what your mission is.¡± Lily stared at Calaxus. ¡°We have spent so long together during our adventure, but you have just told me you guys are investigators¡ªyou have not been honest with me. Don¡¯t try to fudge around with me. I tell you what; I am not stupid!¡±


    Calaxus seemed to have made up his mind and nodded.


    ¡°We come to the continent of Ansu, purportedly to investigate the changes in the Chaos and explain to the Kingdom of Taros the reasons for the withdrawal of Sanctum troops. But in reality, we are here to search for a light in the wilderness.¡±


    ¡°A light?¡± Lily blinked. ¡°I couldn¡¯t wrap my brain around; why people of religion like to talk in such ambiguous language? How the heck could people understand you?¡±


    ¡°It is hard to explain,¡± Calaxus said with a smile. ¡°It is a mission the Pope has assigned this way to us. We also have no idea what the light is but only know that its approximate location is in the middle of the barren land, where there is a temple called Cassouin. I guess few people in the earthy kingdoms have ever heard of the name, but it is one of the strongholds that Sanctum built on the Ansu Continent a long time ago. That is the destination of our investigation team.¡±


    Lily let out a long ¡®ahh¡¯ sound with a thoughtful look.


    Suddenly, Lily saw in the corner of her eyes the master of Fort Raven, Duke Ulysses, had come up to the city wall and was walking toward them.


    ¡°Hey, general!¡± Lily waved her hand at Ulysses. ¡°You come out for a stroll?¡±


    Duke Ulysses was visibly startled, but he managed to regain his composure and came before Lily. ¡°Is Alpha observing the situation in the forest?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here enjoying the breeze,¡± Lily sounded very frankly. ¡°and having some chitchat with Calaxus.¡±


    ¡°Oh, ahem, yeah, the breeze is pretty refreshing here.¡± Ulysses, an old-fashioned aristocrat, was not comfortable with the bluntness of the alpha. He gave up on the pleasantry. ¡°Alpha, I am here for something else.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°My men have recently observed that your army is entering the Black Forest in batches and cut down the trees. Many abhumans are clearing the land on the east and west and start to build barracks there. I shouldn¡¯t have questioned about the movement of your army. But I¡¯m curious; what are they doing?¡±Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click for visiting.


    ¡°Of course they are building a city,¡± Lily replied casually.


    ¡°Building¡­ building a city?¡± Ulysses¡¯ jaw dropped to the ground.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Lily wagged her tail (but the wolf skin was covering her tail, so no one saw it). ¡°They have to build a city so that they can settle down here.¡±


    Ulysses did not know what to say. He had never seen anything like this before: beasts were building a city directly at the border of a kingdom of Order, right under the nose of Fort Raven.


    As the general of Fort Raven, Ulysses¡¯ first thought was that something was wrong. But soon he discovered that he just had no sufficient reasons to stop it.


    Fort Raven was at the southern border of Taros. Before the invasion of the Chaos, the vast wilderness outside the fort had many small bases and even villages, but these places were more like an early warning system. When the war broke out, the kingdom had openly abandoned this large area south of Fort Raven.


    It was a no-man¡¯s land now. Anyone could take it as long as the occupier could survive the tide of Chaos that came later.


    So even if the beasts were constructing a city there, and pushing the city boundary right up in front of Fort Raven, these beasts did not trespass an inch of the kingdom¡¯s land. From a moral point of view, the beasts had the freedom to do so.


    Looking from another angle, during the period of War of Chaos, the great wilderness was the battlefield. The people of Taros had been struggling to defend their fort and had no time to recover their lost land. Under such circumstances, when the abhumans built a settlement on this barren land, they were in effect helping to strengthen the defense of the kingdom of Taros and expanded the territory of the forces of Order. No one wanted to admit it, but Ulysses knew that it was the Beast Tide that saved Fort Raven.


    If the abhumans could build a strong enough kingdom south of the great wilderness¡ªthough it was too early to say, the southern border of the Kingdom of Taros might become a peaceful place as it would no longer bordering the realm of Chaos.


    Of course, this theory rested on the premise that there would be no war between the beasts and Taros.


    After much thought, Duke Ulysses figured that at least at this stage, it was not a bad thing to see the abhumans building a city on the great wasteland. During this period of war, he could not afford to plan long-term.


    Ulysses realized that he was only disturbed because he could not believe that beasts were capable of building a city.


    How on earth could a group of wild creatures build a city?


    What was this alpha thinking?

 Chapter 1284 - Doggie In Search of Her Master

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    What was the alpha thinking?


    In most circumstances, the alpha thought of nothing, even when she was accumulating a massive army. Lily¡¯s behavior was as elusive as her race; she always caused a scene without even realizing it. Just like how surprised she was at seeing herself acquiring millions of followers in the Black Forest, she was astonished by how she was going to build a city.


    It was as if while a husky heard her master coming home while it was tearing the sofa cushion apart; she quickly turned around and asked herself: what the heck am I doing? That was probably what was in her mind right now.


    Of course, Lily was still much more intelligent than an ordinary husky¡ªat least she knew how to pretend to be inscrutable. So when she noticed the strange expression on General Ulysses¡¯ face, she nodded solemnly. ¡°Abhumans are intelligent creatures. It is just that they live in the wilderness and evolve a little slower than human beings like you. When you humans can build a house, why can¡¯t the abhumans?¡±


    Ulysses was confused now. When he heard what Lily said, he did not refute but just gave a perfunctory reply.


    Lily looked at the vast wilderness, where there were no more forces of Chaos, a layer of light floated around, forming a large piece of barrier shrouding a herd of beasts.


    Each abhuman tribe had three to four heads carrying the ¡®amulets of the alpha¡¯s hair.¡¯ They were tribal leaders, shamans, warriors, or prophets. These tribes were active on the border between the wilderness and the forest, expanding the territory of the Order wherever they went. Lily had unwittingly placed the entire wilderness under her protection by giving half of the hair on her tail to the beasts.


    The Chaos had been driven into the Black Forest. Looking from Fort Raven, there was a layer of black smoke floating above the Black Forest. Since the last battle, this storm of Chaos had temporarily subsided. It was wounded and would not launch any new offensive anytime soon.


    ¡°The beasts need a place to stay. After leaving the forest, they have to find new ways to survive in new places.¡± Lily thought for a while and finally remembered the reason she decided to build the city. ¡°You know the difference between the beast and the human army?¡±


    ¡°Please enlighten me.¡± Calaxus looked curiously.


    ¡°The beast is not an army; they are migrating. Every one of them is a soldier. They do not have a logistics system and a clear division of military and civilian like your kingdom. Of course, there is no base camp and fortress.¡± Lily said slowly. At the moment, she finally looked like a majestic alpha wolf. ¡°I do not know if there are locusts in your world. It is a type of insects that fly over the sky and gobble up all the harvests. My Beast Tide is similar to that. Because there is no logistics, we fuel wars with wars. Millions of troops eat everything along the way. You would get what I mean if you could send someone to fly over the Black Forest. The migration route of the Beast Tide is as clear as day. The beasts have plowed a ditch, we have eaten everything¡ªnot even a single grass is left.¡±


    Cold sweat gradually trickled down General Ulysses¡¯ forehead. When he first saw the Beast Tide, he had vaguely guessed it. But when he heard the truth from an alpha, it felt more horrifying.


    What he did not know was that the truth was far more exaggerated than what Lily had described.


    There were more than a mere one or two races in the Beast Tide, which was a mixed army of all the abhumans from the Black Forest. Other than the natural carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores, there were also elemental creatures, shadow creatures, and undead. What did these things eat?


    It was no exaggeration to say that the Beast Tide had dug a canyon, from the south to the north, out of the Black Forest. Wherever the army passed, they ate as thick as two and a half meters into the ground, let alone that there would be any grass left. Had the beasts traversed a few times more, they might even find oil.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click for visiting.


    Lily looked at General Ulysses. ¡°You do not want us to keep this momentum to overrun your Fort Raven, do you?¡±


    The Governor of the western front nodded with a stiffly face. ¡°No doubt about it.¡±


    ¡°So I have to think of other ways to let them feed themselves and don¡¯t encroach your human territory.¡± Lily pointed to the great wilderness. ¡°The wilderness might not be enough, so it still needs the mountains and part of the forest in the south. We also need warehouses to store materials, which means that the construction of a city is necessary. Now there is a settlement at each end of the wilderness. These two points will be connected to become a big city eventually. Outside the city, I have already planned for hunting grounds and farms. But we will have to rely on hunting to provide food initially. Abhumans are not very good at building stuff and I have no idea how the design of the city that I have given them would turn out eventually. But there are some smart guys among them; there shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    General Ulysses blinked. ¡°Incredible. Is this even possible? Feeding such a large population is not simple even for humans.¡±


    ¡°It might be difficult for humans, but it is effortless to the beasts.¡± Lily grinned. ¡°The biggest difference between the abhumans and you humans is that the adult beasts can feed themselves, as long as there are enough hunting grounds. Every adult in the Beast Tide is a hunter and producer. As soon as they enter the Black Forest, food is not going to be a problem. The storm of Chaos had driven all the animals in the forest to the north; food is abundant on the edge of the forest. My tribes are carrying amulets so that they can forage in the forest freely. Do humans have this ability?¡±


    Ulysses listened and was at awe. He had never read anything like this in his family¡¯s book collections nor has he learned it in the nobility college. He muttered, ¡°It does make sense. Would you stay in the wilderness then?¡±


    ¡°Me? I have another plan.¡± The alpha shook her head, out of Ulysses¡¯ expectation. ¡°The chiefs I have appointed will handle everything here. Meanwhile, I will set off to look for Mr. Landlord.¡±


    While speaking, Lily¡¯s face was filled with excitement. Indeed, she was happier than ever¡ªshe had a goal finally to accomplish in life.


    ¡°Looking for Mr. Landlord?¡± Ulysses found that he could not keep up with the alpha¡¯s train of thought. ¡°Do you mean you are abandoning your army just to find someone?¡±


    ¡°That is right,¡± Lily said and nodded as matter-of-factly. ¡°The forming of the army was just an accident. Now that I have given them a direction and arranged things for them, I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about them anymore. Think of it: do you want me to bring this army to look for someone in your territory? You are not going to accept that, are you?¡±


    Ahh, such a considerate husky.


    Ulysses seemed to think that what the alpha said made sense. But he could not shake one question off his head: there were a million beasts here! Anyone who controlled the Beast Tide would be as mighty as a king. But the alpha could not care less, as if the formation of this army was indeed an accident and that army and kingdom were only as ephemeral as passing clouds, and that nothing was more important than finding Mr. Landlord.


    ¡°Who is Mr. Landlord?¡± Calaxus, who was just as surprised as Ulysses, knew from the beginning that the alpha was looking for her landlord. But he did not expect the alpha could go so far as to give up her entire army. ¡°Are you indebted to him?¡±


    ¡°He gave me shelter and food! But I do pay £¤300 for the room rental,¡± Lily said after thinking for a moment.


    Calaxus and Ulysses were struck dumb.


    ¡°Is the alpha usually like this?¡± The Governor of the western front could not help but ask the high-ranking monk in a whisper.


    The high-ranking monk¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°She has always been like this, having her own set of logic.¡±


    ¡°Is she suffering from some trauma?¡±


    ¡°It is hard to tell. But the alpha was alone in the wilderness and seemed like there had been an accident.¡±


    Lily¡¯s ears twitched. ¡°I can hear you guys.¡±


    ¡°Ahem¡­ ahem¡­¡±


    There was a moment of awkwardness. Ulysses nodded to Lily and said, ¡°Since Alpha has decided, I should say no more. I wish you will find your benefactor soon. But how are you going to find him? The Kingdom of Taros is a large place and it is not easy to find someone in a sea of people.¡±


    ¡°Where is the kingdom¡¯s most populated place?¡±


    ¡°That should be White City.¡±


    ¡°Then I will go to White City. Where is White City?¡±


    Ulysses thought for a moment and said, ¡°Why not I send a team of knights to go with you. They can take you to White City. But now the airships of Fort Raven have been damaged during the battle; you can only go on foot, which I am afraid, would take you some time.¡±


    ¡°Nah, it doesn¡¯t matter. I might bump into Mr. Landlord on the way.¡± Lily¡¯s eyes brightened up. ¡°But aren¡¯t you facing manpower shortage here? Is it all right to arrange a team of escort for me?¡±


    ¡°I have originally planned to send them to White City anyway,¡± Duke Ulysses said with a smile. ¡°The tide of Chaos has interfered with the magic communication network between the border and the Royal City. The battles in the past few days have destroyed the magic relay points. The arcanists would not be able to restore them for a while, so I have to send soldiers to bring a message to the king.¡±


    ¡°Oh, then that will be fine.¡± Lily nodded happily and turned to look at Calaxus. ¡°Uncle, aren¡¯t you leaving too? We can set out on the journey together and bring along the smoked meat. If we could meet up with Mr. Landlord, he might be able to find out the origin of this piece of meat.¡±


    Calaxus had no idea why the alpha was confident that she would find her landlord. But the monk had no reason to decline the invitation. ¡°Why not? I will go pack up now.¡±


    While the alpha and the high-ranking monk were planning their trip to White City, in the hinterland of the kingdom, a North Stars had kicked up a cloud of dust as it hustled through the Verdant Flats toward the south.

 Chapter 1285 - The Tearing Point

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The Verdant Flatson in the southern part of the kingdom was the most fertile land, and it had the most abundant water source. Cities and villages dotted the vast land, forming a densely-populated area called the Kingdom¡¯s Treasury. But even in such a prosperous area, a desolate no man¡¯s land still existed, and that strip of no man¡¯s land ran from the north to the south across the Verdant Flats to the hilly south.


    Residents on the plains referred this vast and barren strip as the Devil¡¯s Corridor. Legend had it that the founding father of Taros once led his knights to fight against the Chaos on the Verdant Flats. It was the final year of the tide of Chaos. The last legion of Chaos was putting up its last-ditch resistance on the mainland. The human brigade fought this last legion of Chaos for seventeen days and nights. Finally, the brave first king led his warriors defeating the enemy and killing the entire army of Chaos. The ashes of the Chaos and blood of the humans mixed and permeated into the ground, permanently polluting the earth and leaving a strip of barren land on the fertile and lush green plains. It was now called the Devil¡¯s Corridor.


    Vegetation would not grow on this hardened land, and the only things that lurked here day and night were the soul of the dead and shadow monsters. Even the climate had become strange. The strip of land might be no as dangerous as the Realm of Chaos, but people living on the plains still stayed away from this area like a plague. Other than the mages practicing shadowmancy and those making money out of the monsters, no one would want to travel on this corridor. But Hao Ren had chosen to go to the south via the Devil¡¯s Corridor.


    Hao Ren opted this route because he figured that this was the only road that he could drive his North Stars pedal to the metal.


    A quirky means of transportation that had never appeared in Collow was kicking up clouds of dust in the Devil¡¯s Corridor as it roared down the road with a loud rumble. The little car of Hao Ren had hit, deflected, and even penetrated every obstacle along the way. Hao Ren had counted more than a hundred obstacles; his car, the North Stars, had 125 wins and zero loss. He looked at the map and found that he had mowed half of the journey already.


    The strange secret agent of the king, Lady Gloom, was sitting in the co-pilot seat.


    This strange woman, shrouded in shadows, had not said a word since she got into the car. Her silence seemed to be a personality that was engraved in her bones; if you do not talk to her, she would never speak to you. But Hao Ren believed that there was a limit to Lady Gloom¡¯s calmness. At least when the North Stars hit a hill earlier, Hao Ren had seen her jumping out of her skin once.


    Having a dull travel companion made the atmosphere extremely awkward. It was even more boring when Hao Ren set the North Stars into the auto-cruise mode, which meant he did not even have to touch the steering wheel. He turned his head around and glanced at Lady Gloom. ¡°Do you talk at all usually?¡±


    Lady Gloom¡¯s hood seemed to move a little as if she was turning her head at this side. There was a short nasal sound. ¡°Yup.¡±


    ¡°Can you tell me about you?¡± Hao Ren still did not give up as he could not help himself from being curious. ¡°Are you the secret agent of the king? What a secret agent wants from a team of Sunctumese investigators?¡±


    Lady Gloom was silent. Just when Hao Ren thought that she was not going to answer his question, there came a loud voice from under the hood. ¡°I want to go to Sanctum.¡±


    Hao Ren, surprised, almost stepped on the throttle.


    ¡°You are going to Sanctum? As a Taros people, what are you doing in Sanctum?¡±


    ¡°You are not a Sanctumese, and I don¡¯t have to tell you.¡±


    This time, Lady Gloom had surprised Hao Ren even more than before. He looked horribly at the woman as if he had seen a ghost. ¡°What did you say? Have you forgotten that I am the Ancient Guardian, the guard of the Cassouin Grand Temple! How can I not be a Sanctumese?¡±


    Hao Ren did not care if he was a Sanctumese. The fact that Hao Ren had been using this identity as a cover to move around the world of Collow for nearly a month, it amazed him when this strange woman could see through his lie in an instant.


    But Lady Gloom showed no emotional swing. Her tone of voice was as flat as ever. ¡°You are not a Snactumese. There is no guardian in the Cassouin Grand Temple. Your identity is fake. There is no need to explain this. Not just your identity, but also the ¡®ancient sacred objects¡¯ that you carry are also questionable. They are not products of the Sanctums, but their power is genuinely real.¡±


    Hao Ren sized Lady Gloom up. But he could only see her hood; shadows had shrouded the woman¡¯s face. A moment later, Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°Whatever. But this question is not important.¡±


    Hao Ren appeared magnanimous, but in reality, he could not have cared less. An inspector was always a third party, who could be in any identity when dealing with local civilizations. As soon as the mission was over, the identity would become unnecessary. There was a saying in the inspectors¡¯ circle: you don¡¯t believe in my identity? That¡¯s okay; I can always make up another one.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you expose me in front of Rudolph III?¡± Hao Ren asked curiously.


    ¡°Because you are not a minion of Rockmarton,¡± Lady Gloom said. ¡°I have no idea what you are, but at least, you are not of the Chaos, and you have the power of Order in you. So I figure you are harmless.¡±


    She lowered her head and seemed to be no longer interested in answering more questions.


    And she did not show any more curiosity about Hao Ren.


    Hao Ren shrugged, and said casually, ¡°What a coincidence; I am going to Sanctum too.¡±


    ¡°You are not a Sanctumese, why are you going there?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s words seemed to have jolted Lady Gloom.


    Hao Ren just smiled but said nothing.


    He wanted to test if Lady Gloom was curious about him. But after a long while, she still did not say a word.


    Hao Ren was dumbstruck.


    Without realizing, the North Stars had reached the end of the Green Plains, and the hilly south was within view.


    The sky had darkened.


    The little car began to slow down on exiting the Devil¡¯s Corridor and ground to halt on a gravel beach. The two rows of thruster nozzles at the rear of the car slowly retracted into the engine compartment, and the repulsion shields on the four tires shut down. In the direction from where the North Stars came, a hot chasm was slowly cooling down under the sunset.


    Hao Ren yanked the door open and got out of the car. ¡°It¡¯s late, let¡¯s rest here, and continue our journey tomorrow.¡±


    Lady Gloom followed to climb out of the car. ¡°I thought you would press on even at night.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°You seem to be anxious to meet your ¡®friend,¡¯¡± Lady Gloom said. ¡°Border of Fort Raven is just on the other side of the hilly land. We are close.¡±


    Hao Ren looked in the direction of the hills. He was slightly tempted, but he still shook his head. ¡°Let us not be in a hurry; that border is still a dangerous place. Fort Raven is in a state of war; I am afraid that we would have to fight our way in all the way. So, get a good rest and recharge yourself tonight.¡±


    Lady Gloom nodded and said nothing more.


    Sleeping in the wilderness was not a challenge for Hao Ren, who even enjoyed it. Aside from weapons, his dimensional pocket had all kinds of survival essentials, including a small living cabin and extreme-environment ecological dome. These gadgets could allow the inspector to live on Mars complete with air-conditioning, wifi, and watermelon. Of course, he was not here to build an ecological environment, but a living cabin.


    Lady Gloom, who seemed to be calm all the while, was visible stunned seeing Hao Ren was taking out a sleeping cabin out of thin air.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask, I am not going to explain it. Even if you ask, I can only tell you that this is the technology of the last generation, and then you would not believe it. If I were to tell you something else, you would not understand or accept it. So you better don¡¯t ask.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand in front of Lady Gloom to jolt her out from her stupor. ¡°I have more magical equipment in this dimensional bag.¡±


    But Lady Gloom seemed to be only concerned with something else. Her eyes affixed on the sleeping cabin while muttering to herself, ¡°This thing possesses the power of Order too.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Weirdo,¡± Hao Ren said in a whisper to himself. He started to feel that it was a mistake to take this strange and gloomy woman with him. Hao Ren shook his head, and just when Hao Ren turned around and about to enter the sleeping cabin, he saw shadows were hovering above the hills in the south.


    It was the end of the dusk where the sky had almost turned dark, but the shadows were particularly eye-catching in the darkness. It looked like lumps of dark matter floating among the clouds as if a layer of purple-black fog in the air. It was distinctive from the surrounding clouds, and more like the shadows that Hao Ren had seen in the wilderness earlier.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Hao Ren could not help but curiously asked.


    ¡°That is the tearing point of Chaos closest to the southern border,¡± Lady Gloom said. ¡°The mountain people call it the Horgus¡¯ Hut. We¡¯d better go around that place tomorrow. The area is under the influence of the Order, but the tearing point of Chaos could suddenly swell.¡±


    The quiet secret agent of the king had rarely said this much.


    ¡°The tearing point of Chaos?¡± Hao Ren scratched his chin. ¡°I remember I have heard Veronica and Ania mentioning it.¡±


    ¡°It is the realm of Chaos that has permanently solidified. Even under the influence of the Order, the Chaos will always shroud the tearing point. The Cassouin Grand Temple is right in the tearing point. Before Princess Veronica found you, the Chaos had swallowed the temple for a thousand years. So almost no one in the earthly kingdoms knows the existence of the temple.¡±


    While Hao Ren and Lady Gloom discussed the tearing point, another group of people had reached into the hills in the south.


    Lily looked up at the mound that was covered in purple-black fog and exuding an unclean atmosphere. She felt that the glow in her body, which had died down earlier, was going to light up again.


    Behind her, Calaxus¡¯ investigation team, the knights from Fort Raven, and the high-level Guard of Alpha all looked nervously at the fog of Chaos ahead.


    ¡°Alpha,¡± Calaxus reminded. ¡°The tearing point is dangerous. The inside of the tearing point is almost the same as, or even stranger than the realm of Chaos. Please think twice.¡±


    ¡°But there are some strange smells around here.¡± Lily squinted while she sniffed. ¡°I¡¯m going in there.¡±

 Chapter 1286 - The Adventures of the Alpha

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The alpha insisted on entering the ominous land polluted by Chaos, which caused disagreement in the group.


    The dispute was not surprising: the team that accompanied her consisted of three forces, including the knights of Fort Raven, who besides serving as the guide and guard of the alpha, were also messengers sent to White City by the governor of the southern front, Ulysses. The second force was the Sanctum investigators led by Calaxus. Their purpose was to cross the Kingdom of Taros to search for the Cassouin Grand Temple in the wilderness. The third force was the personal guards of the alpha consisting of demonic wolves, ogres, and bear monsters. Lily had selected them because they were ferocious fighters, loyal to her, and would do whatever the alpha said without questions.


    They would make good travel companions, but now they would not see eye to eye.


    The head of the Raven Knights was a black-skinned, red-haired female knight named Tridis. Female chief knights were rare in Fort Raven, but no one dared to look down her, who was born with high physical strength and wielding a double sword. Tidris was the first to stand up against the alpha. ¡°The tearing point of Chaos is perilous, Alpha. You don¡¯t understand; it is far stranger than it looks on the outside. We don¡¯t have to waste time here. We need to go to White City as soon as possible, which is a matter of urgency.¡±


    Calaxus joined in the conversation. ¡°The tearing point of Chaos is not uncommon, Alpha. You would see more spectacular tearing points in Taros, where you can explore as much as you want when you get there.¡±


    The monk thought he knew Lily well enough and was thinking that she was only curious about the black-purple fog.


    The demonic wolves in the beast team started to howl, meaning they wholeheartedly agreed with the alpha and that the human should shut up.


    Lily circled around and then sniffled. She pointed at the head in front. ¡°My nose is fine. I just smelled something familiar here. Maybe Mr. Landlord is in front!¡±


    Calaxus and Tridis looked at each other as they knew that the alpha had an excellent sense of smell. If what the alpha said was true, then no one could stop her from entering the tearing point.


    Everyone knew that searching for her landlord was the only reason the alpha went to White City.


    ¡°You can decide for yourself,¡± Lily said with her arms akimbo as she looked at the two groups of humans. ¡°I want to check it out. You can leave if you want. After all, you are not my men, and don¡¯t have to take the risk.¡±


    Calaxus frowned. His eyes swept across his men. After a night¡¯s rest in Fort Raven, the Sanctum warriors had regained their strength. But the former glorious investigators looked like a group of wanderers because they were still wearing their tattered church uniforms.


    Before the high-ranking monk, the church knights and monks stood straight, and no one flinched.


    ¡°Our mission is to fight the Chaos. No matter where were are, we would not blench when facing the Chaos. But our mission is equally important,¡± Calaxus said, raising his hand and selecting several knights and monks in the investigation team. ¡°Karl, Hubert, Vanessa, Veruserland, and Ryan; five of you stay on the outside. If the alpha and I have not come out after one day, you are required to continue the journey and finish the mission. Hubert, keep my seals and the sacred objects.¡±


    The high-ranking monk gave a few things to his deputy, a rustic and steady church knight. After a moment of thought, Tridis nodded to Lily and said, ¡°His Excellency Ulysses ordered me to be the guard and guide of the alpha, and as such, we would honor our mission. I will bring half of my men to go with you, and the rest will wait outside for one day, just like the monk¡¯s men do,¡± she said and turned to her men. ¡°Now those whose names I mention come with me!¡±


    Lily thanked her and looked back, pointing at the large iron cage that the bear monster carried. ¡°What about the smoked meat?¡±


    ¡°This monster still holds important secrets.¡± Calaxus¡¯ brows knit together. ¡°Bring it to White City and hand it to the royal family of Taros. But guarding the monster must be the bear monsters who would not dream.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s simple, a few of you stay,¡± Lily gestured to a few bears, and also a lizard shaman who spoke human language. Otherwise, the stupid bear monsters would not be able to communicate with humans. ¡°You, you, you, and you. Escort the smoked meat. Now, let¡¯s go into that tearing point!¡±


    This time, no one raised any objections.


    Everyone checked their gear, and for safety reasons, Lily had put her hair into everyone¡¯s pocket. The alpha then took the lead and stepped into the dark-purple fog.


    Lily felt that she had stepped into a different realm. The air was cold and foul, and the dark-purple fog was affecting her visibility. The soil under her feet was soft and putrid. Even the sky above had a layer of dark-purple gauze, making the sun into a dark round spot as if darkness would drive it away anytime soon.


    All these changes occurred at the moment Lily entered into the fog. The tearing point of Chaos was a gloomy hillock when looking from the outside. It was never as strange as now.


    Lily sniffed, and the foul smell in the air was disturbing. She looked down at her hand and found that she had indeed started to glow again.


    This time, the glow was much weaker than when she was in the Black Forest and the vast wasteland, and the size of the light was also much smaller. It was because the land of Order surrounded the tearing point of Chaos, the ubiquitous forces of Order had suppressed the dark primordial magic energy, weakening the conflict between Order and Chaos.


    ¡°This place is much bigger than when looking from the outside,¡± Lily said as she shook her head and looked up. ¡°It looked like a mound from the outside, but inside, it is a hill.¡±


    Calaxus was a veteran in this matter. ¡°There is an air and optical distortion near the tearing point of Chaos. It is normal. Be careful, we are in the realm of Chaos now, and the evil forces here have sensed the arrival of the intruders. They will attack at any time.¡±


    Lily nodded and walked in front toward the hillock.


    The hillock was several times larger than when they observed it from the outside, but this time it was only a few hundred meters tall. Lily looked up at the top of the hill and saw a big broken house standing quietly in the dark.


    The once gorgeous, two-story house was now run-down with mottled exterior walls and damaged roof. Windows and doors were broken, and twisted and poisonous thorns had overgrown around the house under the stimulation of dark magic. It looked as if the vegetation was going to swallow the entire building as it climbed the second floor.


    ¡°That is the Horgus¡¯ Hut,¡± Calaxus said. The high-ranking monk knew every tearing point of Chaos in Collow from the inside out. He had spent time in the library of Sanctum studying the history of every lair of Chaos. ¡°Four centuries ago, before the existence of the Kingdom of Taros, this hill was once the territory of the Aetos Empire. When a curse-carrying plague broke out in the territory, a powerful Shadow Master came here to investigate the plague, which had signs of shadowmancy. The Shadow Master named Horgus was a Cult of Armageddon believer, who planned everything to collect the primordial magic of darkness to open a portal in the world of Order to Chaos. Later, his plan fell through, and the emperor sent knights to hunt him down and chase him until this place. Here was his last magic lab. The madman used himself as an energy source to open a portal to Chaos.¡±


    ¡°After that, this place became a tearing point,¡± the female knight Tridis said while shaking her head. ¡°The tearing point once shrouded a third of the southern hills, and after many generations of Sanctum monks and wizards, they reduced the tearing point to its current size. So the mad cultists are the most hateful things in the world; they deserve to die.¡±


    The team had already arrived on the top of the hill, before the broken house. Lily instantly saw there was something abnormal with the place. ¡°Someone was here recently!¡±


    Dark magic filled the house and the surroundings, and poisonous thorns grew all over the place. But someone had cleared the area in front of the door.


    Lily got down on the ground and sniffed again. The stench in the decomposed soil irritated her, but she could sense a familiar smell.


    Excitement gradually drained from Lily¡¯s face.


    Calaxus had noticed Lily¡¯s change of expression. ¡°Alpha, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°There are other smells,¡± Lily said. Her eyes sparkled with a strange light. People familiar with the alpha would know that it was a sign of the awakening of her predator instinct. ¡°It is irritating. I feel like biting people.¡±


    Dark magic began to leak out from the house.


    Tridis, alerted by her warrior instinct, drew her swords. ¡°Watch out. There are enemies!¡±

 Chapter 1287 - Prelude to the Explosions

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    When the female knight gave out the warning, Lily simultaneously sensed the danger that was coming her way with her beastly instinct.


    Lily howled and jumped back a dozen meters, so the others, who had also drawn their weapons. Calaxus activated the sacred amulet hanging on his chest, a milky white light of Order emanated from the amulet quickly shrouded the Raven Knights near the door. The next second, dark magic blew the door of Horgus¡¯ Hut open with a bang, sending corrosive shadowy energy and debris flying out in all directions.


    The shredded door panels hit on the knights¡¯ shield. The shadowy energy that had permeated the earth began to emit in the form of black smoke. Although Calaxus had activated his sacred shield, it was a little too late. The enemies were well-prepared as they had set up the ambush for some time, their surprise attack was lethal. The attack caught two knights off guard as shadowy arrows hit them on the spot, sending them flying out backward.


    Several shadows lunged out from the abandoned house under cover of the explosion, penetrating into the formation of the knights and monks, and launching a suicide attack. Lily saw the eyes of these people¡ªthey were red. Their faces were twisted as if it was a result of drug addiction.


    ¡°The Cult of Armageddon!¡± The high-ranking monk was furious. Calaxus cast a spell with his hands as he shouted, ¡°They are the cultists!¡±


    ¡°Knights, formation!¡± Tridis was also waving her two large swords and lunged forward. ¡°Don¡¯t let them get away!¡±


    The Raven Knights and the Sanctum warriors had great hatred toward the Cult of Armageddon. A deadly battle broke out in an instant. The guards of the alpha were no slouch either; these abhumans, the fiercest guys in their tribes, roared and lunged up to defend the alpha.


    More cultists were coming out of the house.


    Magic began to burst into light as the two sides clashed. Sparks from the clash of swords and armors, battle cry, and explosion filled the air. Lily heard a whistle in the air. She looked up and saw a fireball as big as a washbasin was hurling out of the window on the second floor!


    Lily grabbed a nearby cultist and spun it like a spear, hitting and sending the fireball back out. The fireball exploded dozens of meters away, blasting up rocks and dust as high as ten meters.


    ¡°Watch out above!¡± Lily shouted, throwing the cultist in her hand at the window. ¡°Those guys are casting spells up there!¡±


    The cultist hit the building with a loud bang, smashed a big hole in the wall, and flew out from the other side of the house along with a large number of broken bricks. But as one downed, all other windows on the second floor began to pour down magic explosions.


    This time, even Lily had to yell and retreat¡ªit was the reality of brute force attack against the magic bombardment.


    As the number of cults hiding in the Horgus¡¯ Hut was surprisingly large, the power of Order in the tearing point was only two-thirds of its original strength, and the cultists could get a steady stream of power from the primordial magic energy, the battle soon fell into a stalemate. The Raven Knights, Sanctum warriors, and the abhumans were relying on the alpha¡¯s energy field of Order. It gave them enough strength for defense but inadequate for attacking. On the other hand, the cultists were casting all kinds of spells while others launched suicide attacks.


    Lily grabbed a black warrior and used him as a weapon to fend off any enemies who tried to get close to her. While brandishing the ¡®human hammer,¡¯ Lily retreated. ¡°Uncle! Who are they?¡± Do you know them?¡± she asked Calaxus.


    ¡°They are Cult of Armageddon believers!¡± Calaxus¡¯ eyes twitched as he looked at the ¡®weapon¡¯ in the alpha¡¯s hands. The high-ranking monk hated the cult. But seeing the alpha was using the black warrior, who was still breathing, as a weapon, he began to pity the guy. Calaxus knew how tenacious the black warriors of the Cult of Armageddon was. The poor guy in Lily¡¯s hands would be able to survive for at least thirty minutes. ¡°These people worship the Chaos. I am surprised that they are hiding here. Are they planning something against Fort Raven?¡±


    Tridis came up to Lily and Calaxus. The female knight, known for her extraordinary physical strength, was a double-sword wielder who bathed her swords in the blood of the cultists. But seeing the fighting style of the alpha, the female knight was astonished. She silently tucked her swords behind her and said to Calaxus. ¡°Your Venerable monk, I sense something is wrong.¡±


    ¡°What is wrong?¡± Calaxus asked immediately. He knew that Tridis was a professional soldier, who was able to see many things on the battlefield that scholarly monks could not.


    ¡°They did not go all out to push us back,¡± the female knight said quickly. ¡°These cultists are no slouch. If they want to get out, they should be able to do it. But it looks like they are holding back in the house as if they were waiting for something. It doesn¡¯t make sense. People will not waste time and energy like this if they want to get out.¡±


    Calaxus¡¯ brows knit together as he realized that the female knight was right.


    But what exactly was in the mind of the cultist?


    People in their right minds would not be able to understand the logic of the cultists¡¯ thinking. But no matter what the cultists planned to do, they must not be allowed to carry out their evil plan.


    ¡°We attack,¡± the high-ranking monk said, gritting his teeth. ¡°The battle should have already affected the boundary of the tearing point. People on the outside will soon realize something is wrong and they will come in to back us up.¡±


    Observing the Horgus¡¯ Hut from the outside of the tearing point, it was only a shadow in a dark-purple fog. But now the forces of Order and the Chaos were clashing on the hillock, the resulting explosions and fire would be heard and visible even on the outside. People on the outside were supposed to wait at where they were, but several monks from Sanctum could perceive the presence of the Cult of Armageddon believers from the energy fluctuations in the area and choose to come into the fog.


    But things had taken a sudden change.


    The cultists in the Horgus¡¯ Hut seemed to have completed their ¡®work¡¯ ahead of time.


    A wave of dark magic, more powerful than before, had erupted from inside the building, forming a dark curtain around the house. There were shouts in the chaotic darkness¡ªshouts not of living things, and screams from the sinful abyss. The dark curtain only lasted for a few seconds before the magic energy subsided.


    The three forces surrounding the house were stunned.


    The next moment, an explosion blasted open the wall on the side of the Horgus¡¯ Hut, the vulnerable point where the knights had been attacking all this while. Following the explosion, a group of Cult of Armageddon believers, wearing black armor and robe, rushed out from inside!


    Lily spotted a one-armed man dressed in noble costumes and a freckled girl with tattoos on her arm among the believers. The freckled girl was holding a disc that emitted a faint gleam in her arms. Lily squinted.


    Doggie had found someone had stolen things from her home.


    Doggie was accumulating her anger.


    Doggie chose to bark at and pounce on the thief.


    Calaxus felt a deadly energy rise in the surroundings. It felt like he was standing in front of a ferocious beast. When he turned his head, he saw the alpha glared at the cultists who were trying to flee. A pair of Frostfire Claws was in the alpha¡¯s hands, and fangs began to grow in her mouth.


    ¡°Alpa?¡±


    ¡°Arf¡ªthat thing¡¯s from my house!¡±


    Outside of the hills, at the end of the green field, Hao Ren, who was making a bonfire outside the living cabin, suddenly looked up to the south.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Lady Gloom asked.


    ¡°I heard some sounds.¡± Hao Ren frowned. There was neither change in nor sound came from the dark-purple shadows in the south.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything,¡± said Lady Gloom without even looking up. ¡°You have an illusion. Humans often have various illusions.¡±


    ¡°I would not have any illusions,¡± Hao Ren said, shaking his head after thinking for a short while. He stood up and dusted his clothes. ¡°I have to go there to check it out.¡±


    Lady Gloom had no emotional changes but asked after hearing Hao Ren¡¯s decision, ¡°Need help?¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at the campsite. After a moment of hesitation, he shook his head. ¡°No. You stay and look after the things here. Just don¡¯t let the beasts come and damage anything. I will be back soon.¡±


    ¡°If you want to go to the tearing point of Chaos, I suggest that you bring me.¡± Lady Gloom offered herself, which was a rare gesture. ¡°My combat skills are as good as yours, if not better.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the gloomy woman in surprise. But he still did not trust this new mysterious ¡®teammate.¡¯ So he shook his head. ¡°No, I will not act recklessly.¡±


    ¡°Up to you then,¡± Lady Gloom replied in a whisper and turned to look at the bonfire in silence.


    Hao Ren shrugged and walked to his North Stars. For the first time, he activated the transformation mechanism of this high-tech car into battle mode.

 Chapter 1288 - The Explosions

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    For the high-ranking executor of the Cult of Armageddon, the former Taros noble, Count Willie, things started to get out of hand since many days ago.


    The chain of events began a few months ago. The whisper of the great Lord Rockmarton in the nightmare world brought a sign to the believers, and what happened afterward had boosted their confidence. The prophecized end of the world seemed to be coming soon as the power of Chaos still prevailed when it was supposed to be receding. The border of the world of Order was faltering as the Sea of Carnos had produced an unprecedented powerful surge, bringing unmatched power to all followers of Chaos. At the same time, a so-called catastrophe of divine punishment had befallen Sanctum, wiping out the Cult of Armageddon¡¯s greatest enemy¡ªthe foundation of the Theocracy. Everything unfolded just as the prophecy predicted: the world was a monotonous, meaningless spiral; someday, the power of the great Lord Lockmarton would break the cycle and show the real future of Collow.


    At that time, Veronica had brought back an ancient guardian from deep inside the land of Chaos.


    It was at that moment that things began to go out of hand and become strange.


    The sacred relics from the Cassouin Grand Temple, once thought to be lost, had reappeared. It was close to bringing down the holy land, but the unexpectedly powerful Ancient Guardian had derailed everything. The followers then fled the hinterland of Taros. When they were about to cross the southern hills, a burst of Light of Order coming from the direction of White City had wounded everyone. The followers finally found a place to recuperate in the tearing point of Chaos and completed a vital ceremony by harnessing the power of primordial energy nodes. But the group of knights and monks that came out of nowhere was right at their doorstep. It took them a while before they finally made it out but then met a mighty yet crazy female warrior.


    Count Willie could not wrap his brain around who this crazy female warrior was. There was no love lost between the believers of Order and the followers of Chaos, but Willie had never seen anyone as hateful as Lily who wanted to tear people into pieces.


    ¡°Thief!¡± Lily cut into halves another unlucky one in front of her. She then yelled, ¡°Return my plate! It belongs to my house!¡±


    ¡°Cover the executor!¡± A black armored warrior, covered in blood, rushed up and shouted, ¡°Lockmarton is the greatest!¡±


    Lily was already in a state of frenzy. She tore the high-ranking warrior, who was as strong as a werewolf, into two halves, and lunged at another black warrior and bit him to death before throwing the body before Count Willie. Count Willie looked up and saw a pair of beast-like golden eyes.


    Lily¡¯s combat style shocked the cultists. The cultists might be known for their madness and cruelty in the eyes of the humans, but Lily was of another level of madness and cruelty.


    But this time, Lily was upset.s


    Because she found it difficult to capture the ¡®thief.¡¯


    These humans were weaker than her, but it was not a ¡®level-distance¡¯ disadvantage. Lily might look fearsome, but these cultists would not flinch. Instead, they continued to charge at Lily, and each time, they would successfully bog her down, so that the two thieves could escape.


    Lily¡¯s assistants, including the Raven Knights and the Sanctum Warriors, were tied up with the other cultists and unable to come to her help.


    The melee had spread from the vicinity of the Horgus¡¯ Hut as smoke from the magic explosions had shrouded the entire hillock.


    The Raven Knights and the Sanctum warriors had formed a strong defense against the mad cultists who continued to launch suicide attacks against them. The war mages and the monks bombed the earth continuously, restricting the movement of the cultists. But the sorcerers among the cultists were occupying the Horgus¡¯ Hut¡ªa favorable spot on the hill; getting close to the building was not easy.


    The abhuman guards of the alpha, which had magic-resistant skin and hair that was as strong as steel, were probably the only ones that could still move freely in the battlefield. They were trying to back up their leader, but Lily was farther away from them, cut off by a group of frenzied black warriors. These black warriors were comparable to the beasts in combat strength. So in trying to get close to the alpha, an ogre and two demonic wolves were injured and had to withraw from the battlefield.


    Just when the battle fell into a stalemate, a strange whistle came from the battlefield.


    Lily kicked an enemy away and turned to look in the direction of the whistling sound. She saw a small black dot, dragging a long tail of flame, piercing through the air before punctuating the roof of the Horgus¡¯ Hut. A moment later, fire rose in the house as an explosion tore apart the nortwest corner of the house, sending debris and body parts flying out in all directions.


    The sudden blast shocked everyone, but Lily¡¯s eyes brightened up.


    ¡°It looks familiar. This style¡­ Mr. Landlord is coming!¡±


    It seemed to confirm Lily¡¯s speculation; another whistle pierced through the air, and the shell landed on the ground next to the building. The blast instantly blew three members of the cult away before they could scream.


    The battlefield became strangely quiet after the two explosions. Finally, someone heard a strange roar of a machine from a nearby hill. Everyone finally realized where the shellings came. A weird-looking battle tank, covered with heavy armor as if a double-decker bunker mounted with a cannon at the top, was swooping down a hillside. The battle tank fired another round, and the shell exploded on the hillock.


    Lily suddenly jumped up in joy. ¡°It is 59! Mr. Landlord¡¯s Type 59 tank is rolling down the hill!¡±


    At first, the cultists had no idea what was going on. But by now, even the stupidest people could see on which side of the battle tank was. In contrast to the discouraged cultists, cheers rose among the Raven Knights and the Sanctum warriors. They did not know where the tank came, but they knew that the alpha was excited for a reason. They figured that the steel monster must have something to do with the landlord that the alpha had been talking about all along.


    The melee was still going on, and the triumphant atmosphere was shifting toward the Order¡¯s side. The tank had come down from the other hill and now was climbing up the hillock. As the hatch opened on top of the tank, Hao Ren began to emerge from inside. Surprised to see the husky, who now looked like a forest fighter, Hao Ren waved frantically at her. ¡°Lily!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Landlord is here to help!¡± The husky maiden jumped up in joy again. ¡°Someone has stolen something from our home!¡±


    Hao Ren had now spotted two familiar faces in the melee. One was Count Willie, who escaped from him days before, and the other was the former guardian Lavinia, who defected and went missing with the fruit plate. Here, they finally crossed paths with each other again.


    Willie and Lavinia also saw Hao Ren. The duo, who might curse in all the vocabularies they had, were prepared to fight to their death. As professional cultists, they knew what it was like to fall into the hands of the enemy. So the duo had given up any possibility of peaceful settlement from the beginning.


    The other cultists had the same thinking too. They had figured that the biggest threat was the mad female warrior, so with all their strength they lunged at Lily all at once and successfully pushed her back.


    Hao Ren was hesitated to use the cannon fire now because he was worried that it could inflict an unintended casualty. In a split second, Hao Ren¡¯s hand had grabbed something in the pocket, and he grinned¡ªit was the spicy sticks.


    Hao Ren tore the packaging open and tossed it directly toward Lily as he shouted, ¡°Open your mouth!¡±


    Lily, still struggling to fend off the annoying cultists, suddenly heard her landlord. She instinctively turned her head around and then jumped to catch the spicy strips.


    It was a familiar formula and taste.


    A strong wind suddenly blew on the hillock as a loud wolf howl rose. Those who heard the cry seemed to have seen an illusion of a bright moon appearing in the sky. The illusion was fleeting quickly. When the wind stopped and the moon faded, there was only a silver giant wolf standing on the top of the hillock.


    The wolf skin of the alpha fluttered in the air before dropping to the ground.


    Calaxus froze for a long moment as he muttered to himself, ¡°It is the alpha, the real alpha wolf.¡±

 Chapter 1289 - The Husky Has Stopped Thinking

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The appearance of the giant, silver wolf had wreaked havoc on the cultists.


    If there was anything worse than seeing a boss transform and come back to life after you had finally defeated it, it was a boss evolving for a second time and getting ready to whack you again when you were already half-dead.


    The few cultists, who had been bitten and become paralyzed on the ground, felt precisely as the description above.


    The enlarged husky could not care less about what the cultists were thinking. She was full of anger, and readily unleashed the enormous power brought on by the Spicy Sticks. She howled at first, which made the cultists stagger and feel disoriented. The husky then lowered her head to stare at the squirming, little humans on the ground.


    Count Willie stared at the alpha. Two golden eyes, each as big as a human head, were staring back at him. The alpha bared its fangs, which glinted in a cold light. They were as sharp as daggers, sending a chill up the spine of the cult follower, who had dedicated his life to the Lord of Chaos, Lockmarton.


    Other than the cultists who were keeping the knights, Sanctum warriors, and beasts busy, the other surviving members of the Cult of Armageddon had gathered around the two secret sects. These cultists, despite facing the giant wolf, still displayed extraordinary courage by brandishing their swords and lunging at the giant wolf.


    ¡°Lockmarton is the greatest!¡±


    The swords hit Lily¡¯s claws, creating dazzling sparks. A few fireballs bonked Lily near the nose, almost throwing her off balance. But aside from that, the explosions did little damage to her. If the powerful cult mage, Lamore were there, he would have been a significant threat to the giant wolf. But Hao Ren had finished the powerful mages off in the White City earlier. The eruption of the Light of Order two days ago had also wounded the men whom Willie had brought. Those people were no longer a threat to Lily in her great wolf body.


    The giant husky¡ªirritated by the smoke¡ªsneezed a few times. She suddenly decided to drop and roll her body on the ground.


    She learned this skill after her many fights with smaller enemies. It may not have looked elegant, but it was simple, crude, and effective.


    The damage that a rolling, five-meter giant husky could cause was terrific. What was even more terrible was the fact that husky bit people while she rolled on the ground. The cultists screamed and ran for their dear lives, yet they were still not able to escape the ultimate death; the giant wolf crushed them under her body. Horgus¡¯ Hut was not spared too. Lily¡¯s body hit the house several times as she rolled, and a piece of load bearing wall collapsed, bringing half of the building down.


    Lily had become addicted to the action. She was too excited to remember why she was doing that in the first place. Lily rolled to the edge of the level ground, then down the hillock. Her actions kicked up clouds of dust and shook the earth as she moved out of the battlefield.


    Willie and Lavinia watched as the giant wolf disappeared from their sights. Lockmarton must have protected them¡ªthey remained unscathed.


    So what happened then?


    The duo saw that as an opportunity. Once the giant wolf came back up, they would not be able to escape anymore!


    The two siblings looked at each other, apparently coming to a decision. Willie took out a dagger and used it to slit his finger. ¡°The great lord will be gloried by our sacrifice,¡± said Willie.


    Willie¡¯s dagger looked weird, as it was crooked like a shriveled finger. It was black on one side and white on the other, glowing in a turbid halo and having no practical uses based on its shape. It was more of a prop in a sacrificial ceremony.


    Lavinia nodded and slit her palm. ¡°The future will be revealed!¡± she chanted.


    Their dark red blood quickly gathered on the ground and burned with a blazing black flame.


    Lavinia and Willie¡¯s faces were pale, and their spirits faded quickly. The two of them had sacrificed themselves to the evil dark master to escape.


    ¡°With my life, I beg you. Please give your humble believers a door; let us break into the dark Chaos!¡±


    When the smoke and dust finally dissipated, the crazy siblings were gone.


    Not far away, Hao Ren had seen everything. Lily¡¯s uncontrollable rolling had caught Hao Ren by surprise as it was too bizarre and sudden. But when the Kant Siblings escaped, Hao Ren did not stop them, because he saw the divine plastic plate in Lavinia¡¯s arms. Hao Ren was able to see that the cultists had sealed the disc with dark magic through his semi-divine senses.


    Just that, those cultists did not know how powerful a real divine object could be. The seal was useless against the disc, which contained Raven 12345¡¯s divine power. Her divine power was surging out from the inside, but the mortals could not perceive it. Only Hao Ren, the pope of Raven 12345, could see the divine power.


    The Kant Siblings¡¯ escape was not an accident. Hao Ren had allowed them to flee with the disc because he knew, after a while, the disc would bring about a big surprise.


    Meanwhile, Lily had finally ground to a halt at the foothill. The husky staggered to her feet and was surprised to find that she was no longer where she thought she was.


    ¡°Did I just roll down the hill?¡± Lily asked herself.


    Dirt and gravel covered Lily from head to toe, and under her claws were the mutilated bodies of two cult members.


    ¡°Come back up!¡± Hao Ren stood on the edge of the hillock and shouted at Lily, who was at the bottom of the hill.


    The sudden and inexplicable battle was finally over. Hao Ren transformed the autonomous, all-purpose AI battle tank back into a little Northstar. Then he looked at the mixed forces of the kingdom¡¯s knights, church members, and beasts with curiosity.


    Lily got back up to the hillock and felt itchy all over her body. Since no was talking to her yet, Lily found a corner and shook the dirt as well as gravel off her body. Rocks, some as big as a fist, began to rain down on the people around her. Fortunately, the falling stones did little damage to them, as the people of Collow had muscular physiques.


    ¡°Stop shaking!¡± Hao Ren shouted as gravel fell on his head. He reached into his Dimensional Pocket and took out a set of Lily¡¯s spare clothes and threw it to her. ¡°Go find a place and get yourself changed!¡±


    The alpha wolf shapeshifted and went off to get herself changed, leaving Hao Ren and Calaxus behind, looking at each other. The meeting was a little awkward for both of them. Hao Ren forced a smile and said, ¡°Ah, hahaha, is everything all right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, thanks for helping,¡± Calaxus replied with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re the landlord that the alpha wolf has been talking about all this while?¡± he asked and looked at Hao Ren curiously.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    However, the awkward moment did not last long as Lily, back in her usual appearance, had returned to them. She circled and sniffed Hao Ren out to make sure he had that the familiar smell. ¡°Oh, Mr. Landlord, you¡¯re back! I¡¯ve been looking for you for a long time! Do you know how long you¡¯ve been missing? I flew from outside the mainland! Do you know that I used a hot air balloon to do that? Do you know how I got the hot air balloon? I tell you what; I¡¯m a genius and I have an army. Do you know how large my army is? You¡¯ll be amazed if I tell you. My soldiers are as numerous as the sand on the beach. Mr. Landlord, do you know that I left you a slice of whale meat? Unfortunately, I lost it on the way back. But I found you a lump of smoked meat. Mr. Landlord, you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stop! Stop!¡± Hao Ren was overwhelmed. ¡°Please calm down. Stop pushing me. Stop pulling my face. Stop biting me! Stop licking! Move¡­ I said, stop biting me! What¡¯s that funny smell in your mouth?¡±


    Everyone¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground, but the alpha¡¯s guards were the most stunned. They watched as the mighty and powerful alpha wolf jumped up and down around the human before she quieted down after a long while.


    Yet, Lily could not care less about the stares. She was happy to show her affection and be around her landlord. It was only after a long time that the husky left Hao Ren alone with a smile of satisfaction.


    The alpha wolf had found her landlord.


    Lily switched off her wild mode.


    The husky had stopped thinking.

 Chapter 1290 - Clues Left By Cultists

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    In Hao Ren¡¯s mind, of all the unusual creatures in the family, Lily was probably not the dumbest one. The husky maiden could be a master who looked like a fool. It was not that she did not use her noodle, but she had cleverly found the most relaxing way of life: if she could get by living a carefree life, why would she want to be worried about being a smart person?


    The husky did not even know how she had formed the most massive Beast Tide in the world, but Hao Ren did not believe that she pulled the feat off because of luck. It was about the law of the jungle with which Lily had dealt, and the alpha must have done something smart. But now, Lily had found back the person on whom she always relied. She switched off her self-reliance ability and chose to return to the world of the husky.


    A lost husky perseveringly finding her master and still insisting on paying 400 Yuan a month for her rent till this day was touching. Looking at the contented husky, Hao Ren could not complain.


    Lily went around the hillock and came back frustrated. ¡°The two cult leaders have gotten away?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay. They wouldn¡¯t get far.¡± Hao Ren waved to dismiss Lily¡¯s concern.


    ¡°But they stole something from our home!¡± Lily¡¯s arms akimbo.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you have this house-sitting awareness.¡±


    Calaxus looked on. He could not be as relaxed as Hao Ren did because two high-ranking believers of Cult of Armageddon had gotten away under their nose. ¡°They used black sorcery to get away. Those who could draw such kind of power from the Chaos must be a revealer or even an executor in the Cult of Armageddon. When these guys escaped, there will be no end of trouble.¡±


    ¡°No worries,¡± Hao Ren smiled. ¡°I have a plan.¡±


    Calaxus had wanted to say something, but when he saw Hao Ren¡¯s expression, he choked on his words. Since the cultists had already fled, it would not help by harping on the issue.


    Hao Ren patted Lily¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Who are they?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, let me introduce.¡± Lily quickly pointed to the combined forces. ¡°This is Tridis, commander of Raven Knights from Fort Raven. This is Calaxus from a place called Sanctum. He leads his investigation team to look for a ¡®light,¡¯ which I have no idea what it means. These tall and strong guys are my guards! The alpha¡¯s guards! I brought them out of a floating island in the south, and they followed me all the way.¡±


    The beasts instantly became boisterous when the alpha introduced them. But when Lily shot them a glare, they immediately quieted down.


    ¡°Uh huh¡­ you are respected among them, eh?¡± Hao Ren quipped. While saying, he noticed something in his peripheral vision. ¡°What happened to your tail?¡±


    The flurry tail, of which Lily had been proud, was half bald and looked like an old broom.


    ¡°I know you have the habit of biting your tail, but it is ridiculous,¡± Hao Ren said with his brows knit together.


    Lily became self-conscious and quickly covered her buttocks with her hands. ¡°Stop looking!¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Hao Ren was startled.


    ¡°I¡­ I was protecting my men! And to maintain world peace!¡± Vivian¡¯s face went red, and her ears flickered.


    ¡°Alpha has a strong power of Order. She used her hair to make amulets to protect the beasts from the Chaos. She has made a great sacrifice,¡± Calaxus could not help but say.


    Hao Ren looked at Lily amusingly. The maiden might have had a more bizarre experience than he had recently. It was now not the time to tease her as things might backfire. Hao Ren quickly switched the topic by turning to Calaxus and Tridis. ¡°The cultists stayed here for a reason. Let¡¯s have some people watching on the outside while others go to check out the ruins. What do you think?¡±


    There was no objection. Half of the men stayed put while Calaxus, Tridis, Lily, Hao Ren, and a few Sanctum monks went into the semi-destroyed Horgus¡¯ Hut.


    Since there might be still cultists hiding in the ruin, everyone kept their weapon close at hand.


    The ancient house, preserved by magic power, had partially collapsed after a fierce battle. The evil runes, in the form of a dark-red pattern, were on the broken walls and roof. These runes, left behind by Horgus the shadowmancers a few centuries ago to summon the power of Chaos to the Kingdoms of Order, had lost their effect. Dark energy had eroded the runic alphabets, and the mottled surfaces made the ruins look eerie.


    Bodies of the cultists were lying everywhere, but other than that, there was nothing unusual.


    After looking around for a while, Hao Ren noticed something on Lily¡¯s body. ¡°What it the glow in your body all about?¡±


    Lily clutched her tail; she was still depressed. Earlier, Lily was using the wolf skin to cover her bald tail. But the wolf skin was damaged during the battle, making it her most significant loss in the battle.


    Lily looked at the glow on her body, and the matter only came to her mind. ¡°Mr. Landlord. I have wanted to ask you; what is the glow all about?¡±


    ¡°It is the sacred Light of Order.¡± Calaxus interrupted. ¡°Alpha, the glow is a gift from the goddess of creation.¡±


    ¡°And nature¡¯s gift!¡± Lily glared at him. ¡°I couldn¡¯t even sleep because of it. Okay, stop interrupting. Mr. Landlord, what is it all about?¡±


    Lily told Hao Ren about her experience after leaving the southern floating island, including how she encountered the storm of Chaos with her team, how she started to glow when Chaos hit, and how she saved the Sanctum Investigators by accident, and then how she used the sacred light to go through the Black Forest. The whole story was vivid. If ignoring the background and characters, it would sound like a light bulb advertisement.


    Lily only wanted to present two points. One was that she suddenly glowed; and two, she did not want it to glow so brightly but had no idea how to turn it off.


    Lily then looked at Hao Ren, waiting for his answer. In Lily¡¯s mind, Mr. Landlord was omnipotent.


    Hao Ren, who was an experienced pope with a professional certificate, had quickly figured out what it was all about. He scratched his chin and looked at Lily with a thoughtful look. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, you must have eaten all the food that I have brought back from Raven 12345¡¯s mansion.¡±


    Lily nodded matter-of-coursely.


    ¡°The more divine food you eat, the more divine you would become,¡± Hao Ren said, spreading out his hand.


    Lily was dumbfounded. The words did not register for a while, and then the penny dropped. ¡°What should I do? Would I become immortal like the Tang priest? Would people stew me just like they would eat the monk?¡±


    While saying, Lily raised her hand and examined it. After a long while, she asked, ¡°What do you think I taste like, Mr. Landlord?¡±


    ¡°The question is not your taste.¡±


    ¡°Then how can I switch the glow off?¡± Lily was almost crying.


    ¡°As far as the current situation is concerned, you only glow when you are in the realm of Chaos. It should be a passive phenomenon caused by the natural conflict between Order and Chaos.¡± Hao Ren scratched his jaw. ¡°It is tough to take to control the divine power. It took special training for a professional pope like me to master the control of the divine power. You are not going to learn it in such a short time. From now one, you either stay in the realm of Order In the future or learn to get used to it. At least it is the only options before we get out of this place.¡±


    Lily was not happy with the answer. She grabbed Hao Ren¡¯s arm. ¡°Mr. Landlord, tell me how to do it, I might be able to master it very quickly. I am not dumb; I¡¯m a Peking University four-time graduate! Tell me about the training.¡±


    ¡°The first step in mind control is to calm down,¡± Hao Ren said.


    ¡°I would rather try to adapt to the current situation.¡± Lily¡¯s ears drooped.


    It seemed that she was self-aware of her nature.


    At this moment, the female knight Tridis, who was walking in front, had found something. She motioned those behind her to stop as she said in a whisper, ¡°Something is right ahead.¡±


    Everyone raised their guard. Hao Ren crept forward and stopped next to Calaxus. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Dark magic, the primordial magic power from the Sea of Carnos,¡± the high-ranking monk said as he drew a sacred symbol on his chest. ¡°A blood sacrifice, a sinful ceremony of the cultists.¡±


    Hao Ren looked up and saw a bloody altar in the middle of the room in the distance.

 Chapter 1291 - Intention of the Cult of Armageddon

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    A search went on in the abandoned old house. Aside from collapsed walls and corpses, the crazy followers of Rockmarton left only one valuable thing¡­


    A evil, dark-red altar.


    The altar, about two meters in radius, was not unusually large. It is built with some unknown material, which looked like loose volcanic rock, but was exceptionally solid and exuded a nip in the air. Twisted runes, written with blood, were almost distinguishable on the base of the dark-red altar. But upon closer inspection, the runes seemed to float on the surface and make people¡¯s head swim. Next to the altar were two piles of ashes¡ªhumanoid ashes.


    When looking at the ashes, one could not help but have some creepy associations in mind.


    ¡°It is a substance from the Chaos, a filthy thing that formed after the blood of Lockerton polluted it,¡± Calaxus said while squatting down in front of the altar. He felt disgusted when he touched the altar with his finger. ¡°Only those cultists who have become half-monsters can summon such things from the void through a psychic ritual. No wonder they have chosen to stay here; it is a tearing point of Chaos, the vulnerable spot at the border of Order, where they could have a closer connection with the Chaos. These cultists could even summon the evil thing directly from the world of Chaos.¡±


    ¡°What is this altar for?¡± Lily poked the edge of the altar with her claws. ¡°Is this blood?¡±


    ¡°The altar is only a medium for communicating with the dark power in Chaos. They sacrifice the living,¡± Calaxus said as he looked at the two piles of ashes beside the altar and frowned. ¡°Those madmen probably use the descendants of the sages, bloodline of Sanctum. It would please Rockmarton who would then lend them his unimaginable power.¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his chin as he began to connect the dots. ¡°The cultists might have borrowed Rockmarton¡¯s power to restrain a divine artifact that they could not control.¡±


    ¡°A divine artifact?¡± Calaxus immediately looked up. ¡°What do you know?¡±


    ¡°They took something from me.¡± Hao Ren spread out his hand, and he was careful not to tell everything to the stranger. ¡°Among those escaped cultists are two siblings, Willie and Lavinia, who have been lying deep inside the nobility of Taros. They stole a disc from me by way of deceit, thinking that it was the Radiant Disc.¡±


    The high-ranking monk was wide-eyed hearing the words. ¡°Radiant Disc? Where did you get that sacred thing? Is it real?¡±


    ¡°It was they who thought that the thing was the Radiant Disc. I didn¡¯t say that it was,¡± Hao Ren said while shrugging. ¡°It sounds like something vital. Why it makes the cultists risk their lives for it?¡±


    Calaxus was hesitant as if he were weighing whether to keep this matter as a secret of Sanctum. Before he could make a decision, Lily already patted on his shoulder. ¡°Uncle, tell it to Mr. Landlord; he would be able to help!¡±


    After considering his health bar and brute strength of the Alpha, Calaxus decided to tell all.


    ¡°The Radiant Disc is a lost ancient artifact since a thousand years ago. Legend has it that it is a key that could deflect and open the Realm of Reflections under the holy mountain of Asurmen and lead to another dimension of this world. According to ancient legend, the Realm of Reflections is also a secret path leading to the eternal prison of Rockmarton. But the goddess of creation has blocked this secret path. Even if the mortals could open it, they could only watch it from afar but not get close to it.¡±


    ¡°The prison of Rockmarton?¡± Hao Ren had already guessed it from the beginning, but he was careful not to show that on his face. ¡°Did the safety mechanism of the goddess of creation not shred Rockmarton into pieces when he first escaped from the prison? Isn¡¯t that what remains in this world is only a reverberation of Rockmarton?¡±


    Calaxus¡¯ face was gloomy. He thought of the words of the Shadow of Nightmares that made him shudder earlier. After a moment of hesitation, Calaxus glanced at the alpha and Hao Ren. ¡°What I¡¯m going to tell you is one of the oldest secrets in the world. Even in Sanctum, only the upper echelon of the Church has access to this knowledge.¡±


    When the female knight, Tridis, heard this, she immediately said, ¡°Then I shall excuse myself.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s unnecessary anymore,¡± Calaxus said. ¡°The thing only remains a secret at a particular time to a specific person. I don¡¯t think there is any need to keep it secret anymore judging from the situation. Rockmarton is not dead. He did not die right from the beginning.¡±


    Hao Ren had already guessed this earlier. Lily did not think that it was a terrifying piece of news as she had heard it from Calaxus before. But others, including some of the monks from Sanctum, were shocked beyond words.


    These monks, whose rank were not high enough in Sanctum, did not qualify to know this secret.


    Calaxus hemmed and continued. ¡°Rockmarton is unimaginably powerful to the mortals. Only the power of the goddess of creation can suppress it, barely. This evil giant has never really died but just lost its physical body in the real world. He continues to exist in the form of nightmares and negative energy and is imprisoned in an eternal prison called The Forgotten Abyss. His spiritual body survived in that cage, unlike what the story in mythology that he drifts in the Sea of Carnos in the form of shreds. This story was initially intended to appease the believers. But it has now become the ¡®truth¡¯ that everyone in the earthly world believes.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded as he listened.


    But ordinary people of this world would find this truth too heavy and dark as to be believable.


    ¡°The Forgotten Abyss is a world ruled by nightmares and distorted shadows, deep in the Sea of Carnos but not in the depths of the conventional dimensions,¡± Calaxus continued. ¡°It is in the foundation of this world, where no mortals could go. Except for the outposts of and prison warden and the ancient holy spirit, it is only a void. But this prison is not completely isolated from our world.¡±


    Hao Ren interrupted him. ¡°About the Realm of Reflections¡ªit is the bridge that connects the real world with the nightmare world?¡±


    The high-ranking monk nodded.


    ¡°So¡­ do the cultists want to enter Rockmarton¡¯s cell?¡± Hao Ren arched his eyebrows. ¡°What do they intend to do?


    Prison break?¡±


    ¡°This is what I can¡¯t believe.¡± The voice of the high-ranking monk sounded unusually suppressed. ¡°There is a final barrier between the Realm of Reflections and the Forgotten Abyss. It is the power of the goddess of creation, which isolates the world of evil giant and the mortals. The Cult of Armageddon could at most borrow a little bit of power from the Forgotten Abyss through their ceremony. How could the cultists think that they could break through the barrier? They can¡¯t even get into it, let alone free the soul of Rockmarton!¡±


    Hao Ren nodded as he listened. Suddenly, a thought came to mind. ¡°What if the barrier that the goddess of creation made has failed?¡±


    Calaxus looked at Hao Ren, wide-eyed.


    ¡°The light of Asurmen.¡± Hao Ren said slowly, ¡°How long have you been away from Sanctum?¡±


    The high-ranking monk hesitated again as he tried to suppress his uneasiness. ¡°It has been more than a month. As the storm of Chaos has blocked the major portals, we could only travel by magic-powered warship. It took us half a month to cross the Sea of Carnos, and another half a month wading through Ansu South with Alpha.¡±


    ¡°Then you surely do not know what has happened in Sanctum after that.¡± Hao Ren sighed. ¡°According to the findings of the astrologer using the state-level detection magic, the Light of Asurmen over Sanctum has gone out less than a month ago, after you have left Sanctum.¡±


    The Sanctum monks were all rooted to the spot.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe it happened so fast,¡± Calaxus muttered to himself.


    ¡°It seems that the situation in Sanctum has already started to go wrong before you have left.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s eyebrows arched. ¡°That explains the sudden withdrawing of troops by the Theocracy.¡±


    Colors drained from Calaxus¡¯ face. ¡°It must be a rumor. If what you say is true, then the cult must have made all the plans¡ªthey must be fully capable of entering the Forgotten Abyss, and even free the soul of the evil giant!¡±


    ¡°Maybe the situation is not as bad as you think,¡± Hao Ren said with a sly smile. ¡°The ¡®key¡¯ in their hands is fake.¡±


    ¡°Fake?¡± At first, the high-ranking monk had no idea what Hao Ren meant. But quickly, Calaxus came to his senses. ¡°You mean the Radiant Disc is¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what the real Radiant Disc looks like, but the one they stole from me is not the real one,¡± Hao Ren said with a smirk. ¡°If they use that thing to open the door, things would get interesting.¡±


    Calaxus blinked. Things had taken a sudden twist; he needed to calm down beside he also had a concern. ¡°Even so, with the extinguishment of the Light of Asurmen, Sanctum will be in danger.¡±


    Lily looked at Hao Ren and then Calaxus. ¡°Uncle, do you want to go back to Sanctum? I¡¯m afraid your hometown has gone kaboom.¡±


    Doggie was shooting her mouth off.


    Calaxus took a few deep breaths to calm himself down before regaining his composure. ¡°If the Light of Asurmen has gone out, it would not help even if the entire investigation team goes back. If the Pope and his cardinals are still holding on, then our mission may be the last hope of saving Sanctum.¡±


    ¡°Mission?¡± Hao Ren was curious.


    Before Calaxus could reply, Lily interjected. ¡°They want to go to the Cassouin Grand Temple in the wilderness! They say there is a light there!¡±


    ¡°The Cassouin Grand Temple? Oh shit!¡± Hao Ren froze.


    Lily quickly came to Hao Ren. ¡°Mr. Landlord, do you know that place?¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his chin and finally pieces all the puzzles together.


    ¡°Calaxus, if I¡¯m not mistaken; I was the one who created that light.¡±

 Chapter 1292 - Gears In Motion

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren had no idea what had happened during his travel from the ¡°outside world¡± to the Collow dimension. But from the words of Calaxus, he was pretty sure that his ¡®crossing¡¯ had triggered an observable phenomenon, which the Sanctum people saw.


    He made some careful calculations based on the investigation team¡¯s departure time from Sanctum and found that it coincided with the time he fell into the Cassouin Grand Temple.


    Things had taken a dramatic turn and caught Calaxus by surprise. At first, the high-ranking monk was still pondering how he would across the danger-laden wilderness and locate the lost ancient temple, the next moment, the target of his mission, Hao Ren, was already standing right in front of his eyes.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Calaxus could not believe what he heard. ¡°Did you really come out from the Cassouin Grand Temple?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, I woke up there,¡± Hao Ren replied while his mind was racing, trying to decide whether to continue using his cover as an ancient guardian before this true Sanctumese.


    Hao Ren decided against it. Firstly, he used the name of the ancient guardian to ease his movement in the Kingdom of Taros and at that time, he also did not have the opportunity to tell Veronica about his true identity. But now, he no longer needed this convenience.


    Calaxus was here to look for a miracle, and Hao Ren, the stranger from the outside world, was the miracle the high-ranking monk was searching for.


    Of course, the more important reason was that Hao Ren knew it would be difficult to pretend in front of the native Sanctumese. What if Calaxus could smell him out? Hao Ren thought.


    The high-ranking monk continued to look at Hao Ren suspiciously. ¡°Why did you appear in that place?¡±


    ¡°Did you know how Alpha appeared on a floating island?¡± Hao Ren pointed at Lily, who was kneeling on the ground trying to gorge out a stone from the altar as a souvenir. Her ears flickered when she heard someone mentioning her name. ¡°Arf?¡±


    Calaxus¡¯ brows knit together. ¡°Alpha said she came from a faraway place and lost her way. When she woke up, she found herself already on the floating island. Ahem. She has always been vague in her words.¡±


    Hao Ren spread out his hand. ¡°It¡¯s very simple; because I come from the same place that she comes from¡ªoutside of Collow.¡±


    Calaxus was stunned.


    ¡°Unbelievable. Can you prove what you say?¡± The high-ranking monk became even more skeptical than before. ¡°At least prove that you have woken up in the Cassouin Grand Temple.¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his head. ¡°The trouble is that no one would believe a lie and even the truth here. Can this world leave a space for the honest? It would take me a great deal of trouble even explain the multi-universe to you. But I can prove that I have gone to the Cassouin Grand Temple. Here you go!¡±


    As Hao Ren spoke, he released an autonomous robot from the dimensional pocket. The robot raised its tentacles and projected a set of holograms in the air. Earlier, Hao Ren had captured the images in the Cassouin Grand Temple.


    ¡°Unless you have not seen the Cassouin Grand Temple before, you should know it when you see it.¡±


    Calaxus looked at these holographic images with astonishment. He had not been to the temple before, but he got all the information about the Cassouin Grand Temple, from detailed written records and stone rubbing of images from the pope before he left Sanctum. So he knew how the temple looked, and the image before his eyes matched what he knew.


    ¡°This¡­ this is indeed the temple,¡± the high-ranking monk muttered. ¡°The murals and sculptures are the same as in the records. But whose hand is this? What does this hand gesture mean?¡±


    While the hologram was displaying its few last images, in one of the images, a hand making a V sign, suddenly appeared at the bottom of the picture.


    Hao Reng hemmed a couple of times and quickly turned off the holographic display. ¡°That¡¯s my hand. It means important information, but I can¡¯t explain it to you.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s heart missed a beat; had he switched the hologram off two seconds later, the high-ranking monk would see him standing on the porch of the temple and posing like a dumbass tourist.


    Lily looked up and began to say loudly, ¡°Oh, Mr. Landlord, isn¡¯t that¡ª¡±


    Hao Ren glared at Lily. ¡°Shut up! Otherwise, there will be no more meat for you!¡±


    Lily¡¯s ears drooped. ¡°Arf.¡±


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s not harp on the details. So now is your mission accomplished?¡± Hao Ren looked at Calaxus and embarrassedly steered away from the topic. ¡°What are you going to do next? Take me to Sanctum?¡±


    Calaxus thought for a while and looked at Hao Ren, feeling unsure. ¡°If you are really that ¡®light¡¯ that the pope has said, how would you save the holy mountain Asurmen?¡±


    ¡°That depends on what troubles your sacred mountain has encountered,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°You may not believe it, but I¡¯m indeed an expert in fixing (blowing up) divine artifacts.


    Seeing that the high-ranking monk still hesitated, Hao Ren pointed to Lily again. ¡°Look at the alpha, the Light of Order in her body is already powerful enough to protect millions of troops across the Black Forest. But she is my house sitter.¡±


    While saying, he secretly winked at Lily, hoping that the husky maiden would cooperate. But without waiting for Hao Ren to finish, Lily was already nodding her head. The dog maiden had not been paying attention to what her landlord said; she had zoned out.


    Calaxus was startled and suspicious at the same time when seeing the alpha¡¯s reaction. The high-ranking monk then nodded to Hao Ren and said, ¡°We shall urgently return to Sanctum.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s brows arched. ¡°By airship?¡±


    ¡°I am afraid that it would be too late,¡± said the high-ranking monk. ¡°We have never expected the situation in Sanctu to deteriorate so badly. The plan of the investigation team would take two months, but now it seems that we are already late. The storm of Chaos has blocked all the continental portals, taking airship is the only option now¡ª¡±


    Before Calaxus finished, a cold and hoarse female voice came from the side. ¡°I have an idea.¡±


    Hao Ren turned his head around and saw a woman shrouded in a black burqa standing at the door. He had no idea how the woman came.


    ¡°Lady Gloom?¡± Hao Ren exclaimed in surprise. ¡°How come you are here?¡±


    Calaxus was even more surprised than Hao Ren was. ¡°Who are you? Where are the guards on the outside?¡±


    ¡°The guards are fine. I didn¡¯t alarm them.¡± Lady Gloom¡¯s hood turned a little as if she was glancing at Calaxus. ¡°The high-ranking cardinal of the goddess, Mr. Calaxus. I¡¯m happy to see you safe and sound.¡±


    The high-ranking monk saw that the woman was with Hao Ren, but he was still wondering. ¡°Do you know me?¡±


    ¡°This is the secret agent of King of Taros. Her name is Lady Gloom.¡± Hao Ren said quickly. ¡°She is looking for you guys, the Sanctum investigators.¡±


    ¡°The secret agent of the King of Taros?¡± The high-ranking monk frowned and looked at lady Gloom. ¡°Did you say that you have a faster way to send us back to Sanctum?¡±


    ¡°Of course. But I first need your cooperation.¡± Lady Gloom nodded, and then looked around. Her voice finally had some emotion¡ªit was an undisguised disgust. ¡°But first we have to get the hell out of this place. I don¡¯t like the air here.¡±


    ¡°My camp is in the north. Everyone can go there to take a rest,¡± Hao Ren said quickly.


    No one had objected. This place that has been infested by the cultists and forces of Chaos made everyone feel uncomfortable. After gathering all men in and around the Horgus¡¯ Hut as well as those waiting outside the tearing point, they immediately left the ominous hilly area.


    While on the way, Lily curiously circled Lady Gloom and sniffled from time to time. The rude behavior had irked Hao Ren. ¡°What are you doing?¡± he asked.


    Lily came back up to Hao Ren. ¡°Mr. Landlord, she doesn¡¯t smell like a human.¡±


    ¡°How a human smells like?¡± Hao Ren smacked the husky to stop her from bothering others. ¡°Did I not tell you to stay at the camp?¡± Hao Ren asked Lady Gloom.


    ¡°I don¡¯t work under you,¡± the mysterious secret agent of the king replied. ¡°I sensed a strong energy conflict, so I came to check it out.¡±


    Hao Ren just nodded and could not care less of asking the strange woman too many questions. But in mind, Hao Ren was wondering.


    It was quite a distance traveling from the camp in the north of the hills to the Horgus¡¯ Hut here. Hao Ren was able to catch up with the battle only because he was driving his magic-modified Type 59 tank. But Lady Gloom seemed to have to take a short while to cover the distance. How did the mysterious woman do that?¡±


    Teleportation?


    When Lady Gloom said she could bring people to Sanctum, did she mean she was going to use teleportation?


    However, did the storm of Chaos not block the use of inter-continental teleportation?


    I seemed that there were more secrets to the secret agent of the king than met the eye.


    Deep in chaotic darkness of the Sea of Carnos, a dark cloud was enveloping Sanctum.


    The light shield of Order above the mainland was close to crumbling down, and the gloomy sky seemed to bespeak the fall of the long night. Even the towering crystal holy mountain of Asurmen was dull with only little glimmers left on the wall of the crystal mountain. There was nothing glorious about it now.


    A cold wind was whizzing across the land, and black rain, as if mixed with curses and malice, began to drizzle. Under the dome, towns had few pedestrians on the streets. Every door and window shut. Lamps could not dispel the chill in the air but make the world looked even colder and lonelier than ever.


    At the foothill of the holy mountain, the gate of the Basilica Icon was closed. The grand prayer hall, used to be packed with people, was now empty. This sacred place, no longer as glorious as before, had only some dim light dots as if stars at dusk on the dome.


    Pope Auguste VII, dressed in a robe, wearing a triple crown, was standing quietly in front of the sacred platform. A thick prayer book spread out in front of him as he seemed to be in prayer and contemplation.


    Suddenly, a dark-red rune appeared on the open ground behind the pope. The rune swiftly revolved, reorganized, and formed a swirling vortex with the black mist on the inside where the dark power of Chaos continuously surged.


    Two figures, a man and a woman, fell out of the whirlpool. The black fog behind them seemed to stretch out many arms to drag them back. But as the runes dissipated, these arms and black mist could only retreat into the darkness, leaving behind a series of terrifying cries.


    August VII seemed not to notice things that happened behind him but continued to look at the prayer book in front of him. Until he finished a chapter, he looked up slightly.


    ¡°The end of the day is coming,¡± the old pope said in a whisper.


    ¡°The end of the day has arrived,¡± Count Willie placed his hand on his chest and said in a low voice.

 Chapter 1293 - Lady Gloom’s Portal

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Lady Gloom claimed to have a way to send people to Sanctum quickly when all inter-continental teleportation systems choked. She did not immediately tell people what her method was, she just said that she needed the cooperation of the high-ranking monk, Calaxus, and the right timing, which would be within the next few days. The senior monk was naturally not convinced. But under the current situation, he had to bury his doubts.


    With the current situation of the Sanctum investigation team, the investigators had no other quicker way to return to their homeland. As the teleportation circle could no longer be used, they had to settle with the magic-powered warship of the Kingdom of Taros. But even the most advanced magic-propelled ship could only fly at low speed in the storm of Chaos. Earlier, it took the Sacred Hammer more than half a month to sail across the relatively calm sea of magic energy to reach Ansu. By the look of it now, it would take them longer to return.


    After spending the night at Hao Ren¡¯s base camp in the north of the hills, the commander of Raven Knights, Tridis, came to bid farewell.


    The sudden appearance of Hao Ren had completely disrupted everyone¡¯s plan. The beasts planned to search for the alpha¡¯s landlord in White City World. The Sanctum investigation team was to look for the ¡®light¡¯ in the wilderness. And the Knights¡¯ job was to escort the alpha to White City and liaise with the royal family. But since their common target had emerged all of a sudden, they had to readjust their plan.


    The Sanctum investigators had found their target and needed to return to Sanctum immediately. The Raven Knights had no reason to escort the alpha and be her guides anymore, so they decided to part ways in the Verdant Flats. Meanwhile, the beast guards of Lily would always agree with the alpha and regarded humans as good as the blind.


    Since the alpha decided to follow her landlord, so the beasts followed suit.


    ¡°Please bring a message to the king of Taros,¡± Hao Ren said to Tridis, who were prepping her team to leave. ¡°Tell His Majestic that Lady Gloom and I have gone to Sanctum. If everything goes well, the dawn will come¡ªhe will understand what I mean.¡±


    The female knight nodded and mounted.


    Right after the Raven Knights left, Hao Ren heard a light footstep with Lily¡¯s cheerful voice came from behind. ¡°Mr. Landlord! What are you looking at?¡±


    Hao Ren looked back and saw the husky maiden, mouth oily with her nose stained with ashes. Hao Ren could not help but frown. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be heaty eating barbecue early in the morning?¡±


    ¡°Nah. Grabbing and chewing a couple of bundles of grass then it would be fine,¡± Lily said, waving her hand while squinting at the direction where the knights had gone. ¡°Oh. Tridis has left. She has done me some favor back in Fort Raven. She is a good person.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the husky¡ªlost and found miraculously after a month. ¡°I can understand how you get yourself that a legion of an army, but not your Alpha title. How did you get that? Did you pretend to be a werewolf again? Didn¡¯t you already accept that you are the king of the northern land and noble of the royal city?¡±


    Lily was dumb but not stupid. She could hear that Hao Ren was sarcastic. The husky puckered her nose and replied, ¡°Arf! It¡¯s not easy to find a place where no one knows me. Can¡¯t you me pretend to be a big tail wolf?¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Lily¡¯s bald tail and thinking to himself that had she not dropped so much hair; her tail would be pretty big.


    Lily hesitated for a moment and asked, ¡°Mr. Landlord, is everyone else okay?¡±


    ¡°Better than us.¡± Hao Ren rolled his eyes. ¡°They are staying in the comfort of the spacecraft, flying around the Collow dimension all day long. I have restored communication with the outside world and told them that I had found you this morning. Do you want to talk to them?¡±


    Lily thought for a while and waved her hand. ¡°Forget it. Battie will nag me. Old people like to nag.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you miss her? You guys are like quarrelsome buddies.¡± Hao Ren said.


    As if Hao Ren had stepped on her tail, Lily jumped to her feet. ¡°Mr. Landlord, mind your words. I¡¯m the king of the north, noble of the royal city, ancestor of the demon hunters, and boss of Southern Suburbs; how could you associate me with a bat? She had even killed me in my previous life!¡±


    Disheartened, Lily hugged her big tail and said, ¡°I just thought about the herbal medicine that she prepared last time. When do you think the hair will grow back on my tail?¡±


    Hao Ren was struck dumb.


    Suddenly, light flashing from the direction of the camp attracted their attention.


    The flash seemed to have come from the tents of the Sanctum investigation team.


    Hao Ren and Lily looked at each other and ran toward the Sanctum team camp.


    The Sanctum investigation team had cleared and leveled an area, where the Theocratic monks and knights stood in a circle as if they were watching something. Hao Ren and Lily shoved themselves to the front and saw the mysterious Lady Gloom was in the center. The mysterious woman, still wearing a black robe, was holding a strange-looking staff in her hands. The flash, which Hao Ren and Lily saw earlier, came from the tip of this staff.


    The shape of the staff was very different from that of the wooden or metal staff used by the regular mages of Collow. It was more like a straight and symmetrical crystal. The tip of the crystal, which had broken apart, had several neat and angular floating crystals. There was light flowing among the crystals and converging into a bright beam of light into the sky. This thing immediately attracted the eyeballs of Hao Ren and Lily.


    Hao Ren had sensed the power of Order, similar to that from the Kindle Tower and furnace tower, in the light. But Lily was thinking of something else; the staff was an irresistible toy.


    As if the husky had been lost and emotionally depressed for too long while being an alpha, the true nature of the husky exploded as soon as Lily saw her landlord. Perhaps her situation was going to last for a while.


    ¡°What is going on?¡± Hao Ren nudged a church knight beside him. ¡°What is she doing?¡±


    The church knight was surprised to see Hao Ren, but immediately replied, ¡°She is preparing for a passage to Sanctum.¡±


    ¡°Passage to Sanctum?¡± Hao Ren was a little confused. ¡°Didn¡¯t she say she needed to wait for the right timing? Now she is doing it right away.¡±


    ¡°We have no idea.¡± The church knight shook his head. ¡°She suddenly ran over early in the morning and said that she has got some news; the passage must be opened now. Otherwise, it would be blocked. Ahh, His Venerable Calaxus is here.¡±


    The crowd stepped aside on both sides as the high-ranking monk came in. Calaxus held something in his hands, and his face was solemn and cautious. Hao Ren saw that Calaxus was carrying a white crystal the size of a palm, irregularly-shaped, much like a piece of debris falling off a larger crystal.


    This piece of crystal was probably extraordinary precious judging from the high-ranking monk¡¯s expression.


    Lily blinked and poked Hao Ren¡¯s arm. ¡°That thing in Calaxus¡¯ hands and the stick in Lady Gloom¡¯s hands seem to be of the same material.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a wand.¡± Hao Ren sighed.


    At this time, Calaxus had come before Lady Gloom. The high-ranking monk looked somber. ¡°Do you really have a way to open the gateway to Sanctum? You have to know that the storm of Chaos has completely shrouded every continent, the impact of the primordial magic energy had rendered all teleportation useless. If the method you are talking about is teleportation, then you¡¯d better not to try, because you, the spell caster, will be the first one to get hurt.¡±


    The high-ranking monk did not fully trust the secret agent of the king. Calaxus, seemingly offering kind advice, indeed warned the mysterious woman. But lady Gloom just nodded and said, ¡°You¡¯ve brought the sacred seal. Very good. I will let you know where to place it in a minute.¡±


    Calaxus¡¯ brows pulled together. ¡°You still didn¡¯t answer me. How did you know I have the sacred seal? And you seem to know us very well. The mission of the investigation team is classified. Even if you are a senior secret agent of the worldly kingdom, it¡¯s impossible for an agent to find out the information.¡±


    Lady Gloom glanced at Calaxus indifferently. ¡°You have already brought the thing, do you want to give up simply because of your doubts?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± the high-ranking monk replied, shook his head, and stood upright before Lady Gloom. ¡°Since we have come to this, I have nothing to lose. I don¡¯t want to dash the hope of Sanctum. I hope you would deliver what you say.¡±


    ¡°Then you can rest assured,¡± Lady Gloom said. The staff in her hand glowed brighter than before. The radiance spread in the air and slowly formed some complex graphics and lines. ¡°My connection with Sanctum is far more profound than you could imagine. This gateway is foolproof. Just because it is not at the most appropriate time, I can¡¯t determine the specific coordinates of the gate, but can only ensure that it is near an energy node in the sanctuary.¡±


    ¡°That will be good enough.¡± The high-ranking monk nodded.

 Chapter 1294 - Journey to Sanctum

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    With precise control, Lady Gloom summoned a super-large magic circle in the air. Complicated lines and runes formed a complex three-dimensional circle two meters above the ground. Since the energy nodes lit up, the three-dimensional circle gradually materialized into a weird structure, of which the top was larger than the bottom.


    Hao Ren was unfamiliar with the magic circle of the world of Collow, so he could not see anything unusual about the circle. But the Sanctum monks were wide-eyed as if they saw something they had never seen before. Hao Ren went up to Calaxus. ¡°Hey, Uncle.¡±


    Calaxus had his attention on the magic circle and did not notice the presence of Hao Ren and Lily. Now when the senior monk turned his head around, he saw Hao Ren. ¡°Ahh, you guys are already here. I was thinking to send my men looking for you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We saw the light,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°Is she working on a portal or something? You all look shocked.¡±


    Calaxus turned his eyes back to the magic circle in the air. ¡°I have no idea what she is doing. For all my knowledge, I have never heard this school of magic¡ªshe is creating something out of her spiritual power and magic energy without using any spell-casting medium or incantation. It is as if she is a magic creature herself. Who exactly is Lady Gloom?¡±


    Calaxus¡¯ way of response was unexpected, but Hao Ren could not answer the senior monk¡¯s question. ¡°I too have no idea. As you know, I¡¯m also a foreigner. The first time I met this woman was in the palace of Rudolph III. She was the inner court knight of the Taros Royal Family. That¡¯s all I know.¡±


    ¡°The Inner Court Knight? That¡¯s not a skill an Inner Court Knight would have.¡± Calaxus frowned. ¡°I have never heard of a sage-level mage being a spy.¡±


    While saying, the magic circle, filled with energy in the air, was almost ready. It started with the flow of a blue light steams inside. It was hard to believe that this thing appeared out of thin air. Lady Gloom exhaled, lowered her hands that she had put up in the air while casting the magic, and struck the ground with the long crystal wand, planting it half a meter in the earth. Such power the strength of Lady Gloom was. Blue lines and magic runes began to spread from the wand onto the ground, forming a runic circle that echoed the three-dimensional circle in the air.


    The upper part of the wand shattered into tiny crystals, which droppped to the ground to form a ring of spar nodes.


    Lady Gloom took a couple of steps back and pointed at a cross line in the runic pattern on the ground. ¡°Mr. Calaxus, please put your holy seal there. It is a fragment of Asurmen. It will serve as a road sign to guide us to Sanctum after catalyzation.¡±


    Lady Gloom took the trouble to explain a little this time to alleviate the doubts of the senior monk.


    Calaxus, casting his doubts aside, took a deep breath and put the fragment of crystal on the energy node.


    Immediately, the circle burst into light.


    All the light streams flew toward the crystal that Calaxus had put in the circle. The crystal let out a hum under the excitation of energy. Ripples began to form, and the light streams deflected and merged. A door, created by light, appeared in the air between the top and bottom magic circles.


    A vague image began to appear in the door as, and it seemed that there was another continent on the other side of the gateway.


    The image was shaky with noises of black stripes and plaques as if there was a severe interference.


    Calaxus looked at the portal with surprise. He did not expect the passage that the mysterious woman said was a portal. What was more, the gateway could form despite the violent interference of the storm of Chaos.


    ¡°It¡¯s Sanctum!¡± A church knight exclaimed quietly. ¡°It¡¯s indeed Sanctum; a mountain near Lu¡¯an. I have been to that place.¡±


    ¡°The portal would last for four hours. You have plenty of time to think about it, but if you want to pack your belongings, you¡¯d better hurry,¡± said Lady Gloom, whose voice appeared exhausted. It seemed that summoning the magic portal was challenging. ¡°There is only one chance. Even if you guys don¡¯t want to go to Sanctum, I would.¡±


    ¡°What more to think?¡± Calaxus stepped forward and then looked back at his followers. ¡°My comrades, we have no choice but bet on it now.¡±


    While saying, Calaxus looked at Hao Ren and Lily. ¡°Alpha, and Mr. Landlord, we may have known each for a short while, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°No worry,¡± Hao Ren said, interrupting Calaxus and taking Lily with him. ¡°I¡¯m here to help. The safety of Sanctum is too important to the survival of Collow.¡±


    A commotion came from the outside as the Alpha¡¯s guards were shoving themselves in and looking forward to following Lily wherever she might go.


    ¡°You guys will come with me,¡± Lily said while waving her hand. ¡°Size does matter when it comes to fighting.¡±


    The beasts broke into a commotion again as they all expressed their support.


    After a month long of an arduous journey, the Sanctum investigators almost looked like a group of refugees. They had lost all their belongings when the Sacred Hammer airship they flew fell into the Chaos. The supplies they had gotten from Fort Raven were tucked inside the dimensional bags of Calaxus and his deputy. Hao Ren and Lily were also traveling light as they kept all their stuff in the dimensional pocket. The beasts needed little but food, which they could acquire along the way.


    Everyone was ready to depart after a short ten minutes of preparation. The groups gathered in front of the portal and crossed the gateway under the instruction of Lady Gloom.


    As soon as entering the portal, Hao Ren felt his surroundings began to spin, disoriented his senses. Strange scenes flashed past his eyes as endless darkness and streams of light appeared in his field of vision. The vision looked almost identical to the illusion that he had when he fell into the Cassouin Grand Temple.


    Either it was the default condition of the magic of Lady Gloom or the storm of Chaos was interfering heavily with the portal; the teleportation was not a comfortable experience.


    But the discomfort was short-lived; Hao Ren had only experienced about ten seconds of dizziness before a light flashed around him and his vision stabilized.


    He found himself standing on a hill, and one by one, beams of light flashed around him. Men and beasts, unable to stand on their feet because of the disorientation, began to fall out from the teleporting light and throw up big time.


    Hao Ren realized that he had held up better than anyone else.


    At last, Lily fell out of the gateway. Feeling dizzy, the husky landed on four. It took her a while before Lily realized she needed to walk upright. The husky then staggered up to Hao Ren, who shoved her to the other direction. ¡°Go that way if you are throwing up!¡±


    After a moment, several bear monsters, carrying a large cage, had also passed through the portal.


    The cage contained a mysterious monster, of which even Hao Ren could not figure out what it was. Before finding out the origins and secrets of the Shadow of Nightmares, Calaxus did not want to free or kill it. So they had to bring the monster together.


    The last person to go through the portal was the magic caster, Lady Gloom. Compared with the others, the mysterious woman seemed to have not been affected by the disorientation. She walked out of the gateway steadily as light dissipated around her. Glancing at the others, Lady Gloom said, ¡°There has been a strong interference. To be able to maintain the portal open was the best I could do under this circumstance.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good enough,¡± Calaxus said while bending over and gasping. ¡°I have never thought that it would work.¡±


    A moment later, the soldiers of the Sanctum investigation team regained their senses and found the strange environment around them.


    It was indeed Sanctum but was no longer a familiar place.


    ¡°This is Sanctum?¡± A church knight stood on the top of a hill and looked into the horizon. He was in disbelief. ¡°Goddess, please protect us. The power of Chaos has gotten in.¡±


    Dark clouds were hanging low with shadows lurking around the hills. There was a faint light behind the cloudy sky as natural sunlight had faded behind the clouds, becoming a shimmer. Peeking through the gaps between the clouds was a layer of faint light, the shield of Order, which in the eyes of Hao Ren, had almost disappeared.


    Hao Ren stood on a hill and looked around. A blanket of haze was shrouding the land while faint images of the human settlements spread in his field of vision. The cold light seemed dull and devoid of liveliness.


    It was the pure land in the legend of Collow¡¯ worldly kingdom, always enshrouded in the sacred light, the goddess of creation¡¯s last miracle: Sanctum.


    It had been eroded.


    ¡°This is indeed Sanctum,¡± Calaxus froze when he saw the scene. But Calaxus was mentally prepared and strong as a senior monk. He forced himself to calm down. ¡°We should be near Lu¡¯an, some distance away from Fidelinopolis. But I¡¯m not sure about our exact location.¡±


    All eyes were on Lady Gloom. Everyone was waiting for the mysterious woman to speak.

 Chapter 1295 - Louen

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Despite the stares, Lady Gloom¡¯s voice remained calm. ¡°We are now near Louen. It¡¯s already a good result. Initially, I thought of waiting for a calm window a few days later when the Sea of Carnos would have a short gap of zero energy fluctuations. The window would allow me to open a precise portal to send you all to a place nearest to Asurmen. However, there have been some accidents. I had to bring forward the schedule and I could only guarantee bringing all of you to a location around Sanctum but not the exact location. You should all be grateful; this place isn¡¯t far from Asurmen.¡±


    From her tone of voice, Calaxus knew that Lady Gloom knew Sanctum from the inside out. ¡°How much more do you know about Sanctum?¡±


    Lady Gloom shook her head. ¡°I did know a lot about the Sanctum, but since the beginning of this storm of Chaos, my connection with Sanctum has become weak.¡±


    The high-ranking monk frowned, and his eyes stayed on Lady Gloom. ¡°Who are you? How did you know so much about Sanctum?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t sound like asking but questioning.¡± Lady Gloom said. As always, there was no emotion in her voice. The mysterious woman pointed at her chest and said, ¡°I can¡¯t explain it clearly to you as it involves too many things. It will take too much time to tell you. But all I can say is that I will do my best to protect this place because the survival of Sanctum is my priority.¡±


    ¡°You are a Sanctumese?¡± The high-ranking monk seemed to have figured out a conclusion and looked at Lady Gloom suspiciously. ¡°You are an escapist who has left Sanctum and lived in seclusion in a secular kingdom?¡±


    ¡°Sanctumese?¡± Lady Gloom repeated the word softly. ¡°Yes, I guess.¡±


    The mysterious woman then turned away, and she did not intend to continue on this topic.


    Likewise, Calaxus had stopped asking. With the current pessimistic situation, even a high-ranking monk like Calaxus had begun to lose direction. But every friend was precious in this situation. Calaxus knew he should not waste time and energy on meaningless arguments and questions.


    Hao Ren scanned the surroundings before looking at Calaxus. ¡°Where is Louen? How far is it from the holy mountain of Asurmen? Where are we going next?¡±


    Calaxus looked in a direction. ¡°Louen is a big city closest to Fidelinopolis with some small towns in between. Travel by land is pretty convenient. As for Asurmen, it¡¯s in that direction.¡±


    The high-ranking monk pointed with his finger. Looking at that direction, Hao Ren saw a glimpse of light at the end of the horizon. The light was as faint as a distant city lights in the fog¡ªtoo weak to be easily noticed.


    ¡°Mount Asurmen used to be shining brightly. It appeared like a bright light column in the sky when looking from Louen at night,¡± Calaxus said with a forced smile. ¡°But since a few months ago¡­ sigh!¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the direction of Asurmen and silently approximated the distance. His sight fell on the city at the foot of the mountain.


    The situation in the sacred mountain was uncertain. But according to what Lily recounted about the Shadow of Nightmares, Hao Ren felt that the danger of the shadows lurking in Sanctum might exceed their imagination. Going into Fidelinopolis hastily was not a good idea.


    The Sanctum investigation team might originate from this land, but it had been a month since they left. Sanctum had undergone tremendous changes during the period, and the intelligence they provided was pretty much useless.


    So the priority was to collect intelligence first.


    ¡°We will go into the city,¡± Hao Ren said as he pointed down the hill. ¡°The fact that Sanctum has been severely eroded in a month shows that something is not right.¡±


    Just when the team about to set off, a church knight suddenly stood up and pointed to the big cage that the bear monsters were guarding. ¡°What about this monster? Besides, the presence of abhumans in the town might cause problems.¡±


    Lily wrinkled her nose. But she knew that the dozens of demonic wolves and bear monsters would cause widespread panic wherever they went. So Lily did not say anything other than baring her fangs as a sign of dissatisfaction.


    ¡°It makes sense.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t bring all the people into the city. Lily, let your men camp and hide in the woods outside the city with the Shadow of Nightmares. It is best to leave a few church knights with them, so that even if the local rangers spot them, the knights, who are locals, are in a better position to talk to the local rangers.¡±


    Calaxus had no objection although Hao Ren had no authority over the church knights. ¡°Very well thought out. Just do what you say.¡±


    The abhumans, bringing what Lily called the ¡®smoked meat,¡¯ went into the woods to hide. Several church knights and a deputy cardinal stayed with the abhumans in the camp. Others were going into the city with Hao Ren to check out the situation. Both groups would rely on magic stones to keep in touch with each other.


    Nightfall in Louen was strangely quiet.


    Wind, carrying a chilly air, was blowing in all directions. It was so cold that people could feel the chill in their bone marrow even wearing a thick layer of coat on the outside. The streets were deserted with buildings on both sides of the roads shut. The only signs of activity were the dim lights leaking out from behind the windows. There seemed to be some uneasy shadows in the swaying lights. It was customary in Sanctum for people of all walks of life to put up a pair of lamps in front of the house, one on each side of the door. But these customs used to light the city up with life, looked strange now. The light from the lamps was dim, the wick inside seemed to twist and bend by a strong magnetic field, and the flames were dark red as if blood.


    This unusual phenomenon seemed to indicate that the dark energy from the Sea of Carnos had begun to invade the material world, and this sacred land was gradually turning into a seedbed of dark power.


    The group, walking along a cold and empty street, could not find any pedestrians whom they could ask. Hao Ren¡¯s brows knit together; the strange atmosphere in the city seemed familiar to him. He had experienced a similar atmosphere in many mysterious realms filled with death and distorting energy.


    But the same atmosphere in a sacred place blessed by the goddess of creation seemed weird. Divine power still filled the place a few months ago.


    Had the evil giant Lockmarton broken through the prison gate?


    The stone pavement on the street had a strange sense of dampness and greasy feeling. When walking on such surfaces, the soles of the shoes would make a disgusting gluey sound. The sky was drizzling. Hao Ren reached out his hand and saw blackish liquid falling on his fingertips. But as soon as the fluid came into contact with his skin, it evaporated almost instantaneously.


    Lily had the same experience. But when ¡®raindrops¡¯ fell on others, they did not dissipate like what Hao Ren and Lily were experiencing.


    It was apparent that these raindrops were also an effect of the dark magic energy in the material world.


    Only Lady Gloom had noticed this detail. Her eyes stayed on Hao Ren and Lily briefly before quickly turning away.


    ¡°Even if the light of Asurmen has gone out, it shouldn¡¯t be like this,¡± Calaxus said in a whisper. ¡°This land has been immersed in divine energy for 10,000 years, and it has been sanctified. Even if Chaos strikes, it should not deteriorate so badly in such a short period.¡±


    Hao Ren looked up ahead. ¡°There seems to be no one on the streets.¡±


    They continued to move forward. Occasionally, a couple of figures flashed across the dark streets. But these figures ran so fast that it was almost like an illusion. A knight shouted to stop the figures, but the shouts only frightened those people as they quickly disappeared into the intricate network of streets and alleys and never be found again.


    Louen was an ancient city with complex streets and dark lanes and corners that even many locals could not tell. There seemed to be many pairs of uneasy eye hiding in the dark corners, making even the bravest church knights feel goosey.


    At last, Calaxus gave up on finding the pedestrians. He came before a house and knocked on the door.


    There was light in the house, but it seemed silent inside. After knocking on the door for a long while, Hao Ren finally heard some voices coming from the inside.


    Someone was walking to the door. A hoarse, low, and cautious voice sounded from behind the door. ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°We are monks and knights from Fidelinopolis,¡± Calaxus said aloud. ¡°Please open the door. We want to find a place to stay.¡±


    ¡°There is no room here,¡± the voice in the dwelling was wary. ¡°It¡¯s late now. Go somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°This is not the Louen people I know.¡± A monk next to Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°I was born in a village near Louen. The people in this city are known for their hospitality. They will never refuse to extend their helping hands. Even if they can¡¯t be of help, at least they will open the door and hand you a cup of hot water.¡±


    ¡°Dark magic may have begun to affect the minds of the residents.¡± Another monk groaned. ¡°I have no idea if there are still people who could help us in this situation.¡±


    While the knights were talking, Calaxus had exchanged quite a few words with the people inside the house. But the person in the house had declined all his requests. The owner had even refused to open the door and talk to the high-ranking monk as if a terrible plague lurking on the street would infect him if he opened the door.

 Chapter 1296 - Zombies

    The whole of Louen was like a ghost town; living beings still existed, but it felt dead.


    The group traveled through the central avenue of the city and bumped into a few pedestrians who saw them but avoided them like the plague. Lily forcibly stopped a couple of the passersby, who appeared afraid and hostile. They could not talk coherently, so Lily was unable to extract any valuable information from the people. As such, she had no choice but to let them go.


    Most of the houses along the streets were inhabited. But irrespective of Calaxus and Hao Ren who went up to knock on the doors, the gloomy and wary people in the houses would invariably refuse to open the door, let alone telling the strangers what had happened here. When Calaxus offered to help them, those people viciously curse and drove him away. A sense of hostility and anger that came out of nowhere shrouded the city.


    Hao Ren could not help but miss the days when the MDT was around. The mobile data terminal might be annoying and bitchy, but at least its function was handy. Hao Ren could have used its life detector to scan the residents to see if these people had any anomaly in them.


    The other knights and monks had also split up and gone into the streets to find the locals who could talk. After some time, everyone came back to the rendervous on the avenue. Things seemed to not go smoothly judging from the disappointed faces.


    ¡°No one wants to talk to ¡®outsiders¡¯,¡± a monk said sadly. ¡°Even though I have told them that I am a senior priest, they still treat me like a thief.¡±


    Another knight shook his head too. ¡°I feel an atmosphere that has turned people in the city into a seriously exclusive community. They seem to regard all those who do not belong to them as threats. I have no idea how this mentality came about.¡±


    Calaxus traced a religious symbol in front of his chest. ¡°Goddess bless us. Are these still the same glorious people of Sanctum?¡±


    Hao Ren turned and looked at the mysterious woman who had never said a word since coming to the city. ¡°Lady Gloom, you seem to know a lot of things. So, what is the situation now?¡±


    Lady Gloom shook her head and said, ¡°Stop treating me like I am omniscient.¡±


    The church warriors that Calaxus brought refrained from entering the houses by force, so things had gone nowhere. They could only fall back on using magic. A few monks took out their sacred items and began to measure the magic-energy level in the city. Calaxus believed that in such a strange urban atmosphere, most likely, they could capture the shadows of dark creatures. Since the city inhabitants could not help, they could only grab and interrogate a few spirits.


    Hao Ren took this opportunity to find a quiet place and made a call to the outside world.


    The communication speed was surprisingly fast, and the signal was strong¡ªthe strongest since he first came to Collow.


    ¡°Hey, buddy!¡± The voice of the MDT sounded in Hao Ren¡¯s head. ¡°Wait a minute, did you get a wifi router over there? The signal is pretty good!¡±


    ¡°I am in Sanctum now,¡± Hao Ren said quickly. ¡°Something is wrong here. This place has been semi-Chaoticized.¡±


    ¡°Sanctum?¡± It was Vivian. ¡°Are you talking about the place where the goddess of creation performed her miracle? Is it not the center of the sacred power of Collow, the place with the strongest power of Order?¡±


    ¡°It used to be, but now there is a problem,¡± Hao Ren quickly told of the rapidly weakening Light of Asurmen in Sanctum over the past few months and its final extinguishment. ¡°I will investigate the cause of the snuffing out of the Light of Asurmen; you do not have to worry about it. Now it is important to test whether you can deliver physical material to me. According to the MDT¡¯s and my previous speculations, the goddess of creation is a bridge between the Collow dimension and the outside world. As the core of divine power, Sanctum is the foundation of this bridge, the place where the two spaces are most closely connected. Now the strength of the communication signal proves this theory. Here, the connection between Collow and the external universe is solid. We can now begin to experiment with a material transfer.¡±


    ¡°I got it. I will start the crack generator, which I have just finished building, right away. The first round of testing will take twenty four hours. But because it is a test, I cannot precisely control the timing and drop point of the material transmission but only guarantee that it would come out within a certain range around you,¡± the MDT said.


    ¡°No problem, I will watch for any phenomenon here.¡± Hao Ren nodded.


    ¡°Is Doggie obedient?¡± It was Vivian who spoke again.


    ¡°She¡­¡± Hao Ren glanced up and saw Lily looking for strange stones in the distance. The husky turned around and grinned at Hao Ren when she noticed his stare. The furry pointed ears stood erect in the air and the tail wagged behind her, which meant Lily was in a good mood. ¡°She has been obedient. I am pretty content after getting her back. Do you still have the hair growth herbal formula with you?¡±


    ¡°Hair growth soup?¡± Vivian was curious. ¡°Yeah. Two of the herbs are not available now, but I can use magic or other potions as a substitute. My blood magic is the main active ingredient anyway. Why are you asking?¡±


    ¡°Lily¡¯s tail has gone bald.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°When she goes home, don¡¯t laugh at her; it will hurt her self-esteem.¡±


    ¡°She has self-esteem? Okay, I know. Please be safe and come back soon.¡±


    When the communication ended, Hao Ren smiled and shook his head. Suddenly, he saw a shadow in a dark corner the street in his peripheral vision.


    Shadows of people lurking around were not an uncommon scene in this city that had been invaded by dark energy. But Hao Ren immediately found that the figure, not far away from him, was somewhat different from the people on the streets he had seen before.


    The person ambled, unlike the panicking people who would flee quickly. But this figure was also unlike a normal person because he was so slow-moving that his walking posture became weird.


    ¡°There are no normal people in this place,¡± Hao Ren mumbled, pacing quietly to follow the person.


    The person was unaware that someone was trailing him and kept staggering ahead. His footsteps were unsteady, but every step he took was almost of the same distance.


    Hao Ren got closer and the person still did not respond.


    Seeing this situation, Hao Ren might as well get up to the person by making noise with his footsteps.


    But there was still no response from the person.


    Hao Ren came before the man, who looked like an ordinary civilian. The man¡¯s greasy hair stuck to his scalp and his short black coat was not cheap, but dirty, as if he had not changed it for many days. There seemed to be no expression on the man¡¯s face as he staggered along a fixed route. Hao Ren stood a few meters in front of the man, who seemed not to notice him.


    It was as if the man¡¯s spirit had detached itself from the body.


    Hao Ren was no stranger to this phenomenon. He had seen many similar phenomena in various mysterious and cursed places, but the key was to find out what had caused this phenomenon and the connection between this man, who seemed to have lost his soul, and the cautious and hostile residents of the city.


    Others had noticed the anomaly here. Lily and Calaxus ran over. When they saw the man doddering ahead, a chill ran down their spines. Lily pulled Hao Ren¡¯s sleeve and asked, ¡°Mr. Landlord, what happened to this man?¡±


    ¡°It seems that his soul is detached from his body, or he is hallucinating,¡± Hao Ren said in a whisper. ¡°I tried to wake him up but couldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Follow him,¡± Calaxus said after thinking for a moment.


    The man who seemed to have lost his soul lurched on a cold and empty street while a group of mean-looking guys trailed him. Everyone lowered their voices. In the city shrouded in darkness, the atmosphere only became stranger.


    ¡°Where is he going?¡± Hao Ren asked in a low voice.


    ¡°He seems to be heading to the cathedral in the city center,¡± someone among the Sanctum warriors, who knew Loen well, said.


    As the man continued to amble, Hao Ren saw a similar figure emerged out at a nearby intersection.


    ¡°Look over there, another one!¡±


    Lily also shouted quietly, ¡°Mr. Landlord, there is also one here!¡±


    As they got deeper into the city, more of these zombies emerged from the streets.


    Up to this point, those residents who appeared panicked and in fear were nowhere to be seen. Only people who looked like zombies were on the street. Body after body, which had lost their souls, staggered in the street, forming a crowd and moved towards the cathedral in the city center.


    But there was no sound.


    Lily¡¯s ears and tail suddenly perked up. ¡°Mr. Landlord, things are creepy!¡±


    The silhouette of the cathedral was visible at the end of the square. The top of the cathedral was still radiating the Light of Order. Like a candle in the wind, it would go out anytime soon.


    The silent crowd moved forward, like a sludge, slowly but persistently as if wanting to devour the last piece of pure land.

 Chapter 1297 - The Cathedral

    The Cathedral of Louen was located in the oval square, in the heart of the city. Neat white slabs covered the vast square, where roughly 22 avenues extended in all directions like a spider web. The main avenues led to all corners of the city. As a typical city of the Theocracy, the cathedral was also the administrative center of Louen, so it was the only large building at the center of the city. Within a few kilometers from the square, not a single building could match the grandeur of the cathedral, not even in another city. Now, the once glorious and steep-spire cathedral was like the rest of the city, shrouded in the shadows of darkness and Chaos.


    Lifeless people that appeared like zombies came out on the avenue. These people were once the residents, the poor, the nobility, and even the monks and Knights of Louen. They looked stiff and blind, moved in the dark toward the cathedral, like those souls and shadows that lingered around eternally in the realm of the dead.


    It was a creepy scene even when looking from afar. A person as well-traveled as Hao Ren also could not help but have goosebumps all over his skin. The same goes with the Sanctum investigators; they looked nervous. Calaxus, again, drew a sacred symbol in front of his chest. ¡°The evil forces of Chaos must have distorted these innocent residents. They have lost themselves.¡±


    A church knight took out a long sword, but after looking around, he felt helpless. ¡°We can¡¯t let them tarnish the sacred cathedral, but they are too many!¡±


    Yes, too many of them. Everyone knew that the target of these walking dead was the cathedral, and the first thought that came to mind was to stop these zombies. But there were too many zombies; it could be tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands. Even if these zombies were defenseless, the few knights and monks could not possibly stop them.


    Hao Ren turned his gaze at the cathedral in the middle of the square. He knew that it was impossible for the few of them to stop this ¡°zombie wave.¡± There was only one solution before the zombies got into the cathedral, that was, to blow them up into pieces. But there was one problem if he did so¡ªCalaxus would be mad at him.


    When Hao Ren was weighing whether the use of force was feasible, he saw a zombie suddenly swayed before vaporizing into a puff of smoke and disappearing from the square out of the corner of his eye.


    And then there was a second one and the third one. Zombies vaporized into the air as if cleansed by an invisible force when getting close to the perimeter of the cathedral. The scene reminded Hao Ren of the monsters of Chaos that were killed by the power of Order, where they turned into a puff of smoke before disappeared quickly.


    ¡°It seems those zombies could not get within 100 meters of the church,¡± Lily mumbled when she noticed the phenomenon.


    Calaxus appeared a little at ease now. ¡°The power of the great goddess remains in the holy land and shrouds the church.¡±


    The zombies were like moths to fire, purified by the invisible sacred power around the church. Not long after, the shadows on the square had significantly reduced, and visibility became clear. At this moment, Hao Ren spotted something was moving across the glass window on the side of the cathedral in his peripheral vision.


    ¡°There are people in the cathedral!¡± He immediately alerted the others.


    ¡°In the church?¡± Calaxus and his deputy looked at each other. ¡°With the blessing of the Goddess, perhaps those people still have a sound mind!¡±


    Everyone ran to the cathedral. They ran past the few remaining zombies, which still staggered forward, seemingly unaware of the people who ran past them. Hao Ren, Calaxus, and the others came before the entrance without a hitch. But just a few meters away from the entrance, a white light suddenly beamed out of a narrow window beside the door, blowing up the floor in front of Calaxus as a sign of warning.


    At the same time, a cautious voice sounded out of nowhere. ¡°Stop coming further!¡±


    ¡°We are senior priests from Fidelinopolis!¡± Calaxus stopped in his tracks and exclaimed. ¡°We come in peace. We want to find a place to stay, and try to figure out something!¡±


    ¡°Fidelinopolis?¡± The voice in the cathedral hesitated. The person was surprised and doubtful at the same time. Very quickly, the person asked, ¡°Before the sanctuary of the goddess, lies will bring 10 times the punishment! Are you really from Fidelinopolis?¡±


    Calaxus was perplexed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Fidelinopolis? I¡¯m Cardinal Calaxus based in Basilica Icon. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can check the list of high-ranking priests stored in your library. I¡¯m right here; you can compare with the portraits on the list!¡±


    The voice in the church hesitated again before becoming sterner than before. ¡°Fidelinopolis has long been¡­ How could any senior priests come out from there at this time!¡±


    ¡°What happened to Fidelinopolis?¡± Calaxus was shocked. He sensed something terrible from the short sentences. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    No one in the cathedral answered him. Instead, there were more questioning. ¡°You don¡¯t even know this? Then your identity is even more doubtful.¡±


    ¡°No, we did come from Fidelinopolis directly. We have left there more than a month ago.¡± Calaxus knew that things might get out of his control and quickly explained, ¡°We are an investigation team under the orders of the Pope, departing from Fidelinopolis to Ansu mainland over a month ago. There is a record of our trip. Due to some accidents on the Ansu mainland, we could only make it back today.¡±


    ¡°Investigation team?¡± The person in the cathedral seemed to begin to believe. ¡°It seems that there is indeed this record. But as far as I know, the investigation team had encountered a storm before it reached the mainland of Ansu. The last message we received was their distress call. You guys have survived?¡±


    It seemed that things about the Sanctum investigation team were not a secret here, and the person in the cathedral was also a senior clergyman in the theocratic system. That would explain why the person knew about Calaxus¡¯ mission group.


    ¡°With the goddess¡¯ blessing,¡± Calaxus could not help but chant the phrase. ¡°We got the help of a local leader and were lucky enough to survive the storm of Chaos. But we lost the Sacred Hammer, having no means to contact Sanctum, we were unable to send back news of our status.¡±


    The person in the church was silent for a moment as if in thought. A while later, the person said, ¡°You don¡¯t look like a minion of the Nightmares. Please wait a minute, let me inform the archbishop. You should not trespass the cathedral as the defense mechanism has been activated; it would kill anyone trying to break into the building.¡±


    And then there was silence. Hao Ren and the others waited patiently outside. A few minutes later, they heard footsteps coming from behind the entrance.


    A light was shimmering on the church entrance, and the defensive array covering the entire building began to open up. When the door opened, a middle-aged man in a white robe with a broad angular face emerged.


    The man looked at the few persons standing outside the door. He recognized the costumes of the men of Calaxus, who were clergymen and warriors of Sanctum. Their clothes were torn, and armors were damaged, which matched the downing incident of the Sacred Hammer. But the person was a bit suspicious seeing Hao Ren, Lily, and Lady Gloom.


    Their attires were very different from that of Sanctum, even considered strange in the worldly kingdoms. The cloak and hood that Lady Groom wore were slightly better, but could easily arouse suspicion when walking in the street.


    ¡°They come from the continent of Ansu,¡± Calaxus said. During this uncertain time, Calaxus could not easily trust anyone, including the survivors inside the cathedral, because there was no guarantee that there were no minions of the darkness lurking around the place. So Calaxus was careful of what to and what not to reveal. ¡°They are messengers of the Kingdom of Taros. I give you my guarantee. Can we go in now?¡±


    The middle-aged man stepped aside, revealing the dimly lit nave inside. ¡°Get in before the second nightmare comes.¡±


    Everyone went into the cathedral. Calaxus frowned looking at the dimly lit nave. The place, where believers and priests conducted worship, was used to be bright with hymns filling the air. But now all lights seemed to have been removed. Even the magic circle above the cathedral was inactive and the Mithril lines intertwined on the dome of the hall became an obscure pattern, making the inside of the cathedral look gloomy.


    On the rows of benches, the senior monk saw many curling figures.


    It seemed more survivors were hiding in the cathedral than he had expected. Or was it?


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you light up the place?¡± Hao Ren asked as he felt it weird for a sanctuary to be so dark.


    The middle-aged man sighed. ¡°Light in the dark will attract the unclean. Our sacred crystal reserves are limited; we need to be frugal in its usage.¡±


    Calaxus glanced at the middle-aged man, who was also a monk. ¡°What position do you hold in this cathedral?¡±


    ¡°I was an archivist of the cathedral of Louen. With the goddess¡¯ blessing, I¡¯m now officially a bishop,¡± the man replied. ¡°You can call me Bernstein.¡±


    ¡°Where is the archbishop?¡±


    ¡°Bishop Holtzman and other survivors are in the crypt. His Holiness was wounded during the battle with the Nightmares. Now he needs to rest. I¡¯m taking over his duty for now. Of course, you can go see him.¡±


    Calaxus nodded and said nothing more.


    When he saw the archbishop, things would become clear.

 Chapter 1298 - The Swallowed Reality

    In Collow, Sanctum was undoubtedly the heart and sacred place of the goddess of creation. Almost everything in the land served its religious beliefs. The cathedral was the religious, cultural, and administrative center. The church was the source of education, the clergy was responsible for the management of Sanctum, while the religious building was the most magnificent and complex facility in the Theocracy.


    The underground of the cathedral of Louen was not just a crypt but an oversized facility, an underground palace.


    The bishop brought Hao Ren and the others came to the entrance of the underground palace, which was right behind the sanctuary, and then walking down a stone ramp and arrived at the underground part of the cathedral a few minutes later. Hao Ren saw a straight and wide corridor extending in front of him. On both sides of the hallway were more corridors and rooms. There was no sunlight here, but shimmering milky-white crystals inlaid on the walls illuminated this place, which was even brighter than the outside.


    Almost all of the survivors, in large numbers, were in the underground palace. People, with a look of panic and horror on their faces, wrapped in clothes and blankets, surrounded by family members, were in the corridor. Most of the people had only a few carry-on luggage and small boxes, and some even had nothing. These people left their homes and evacuated in a hurry.


    The survivors looked up when they noticed someone coming down from the surface ¡ª their eyes, even those of the children, were filled with curiosity, doubts, and nervousness.


    ¡°What happened here?¡± Calaxus could not help but mutter.


    ¡°The shield of Asurmen has disappeared, darkness rushed in, and the Nightmares quickly swallowed everyone in the sleep.¡± The middle-aged bishop who led the way said in a whisper. ¡°Half of the people in the city became the seedbeds of the Nightmares overnight. When we realized what happened, it was too late. It was a strange incident. Your Holiness, His Holiness Holtzman will explain the incident to you.¡±


    The group moved deeper into the underground palace corridor and finally arrived at a chapel. The sacred light of this chapel was still burning, its soft light filled shone through the window of the chapel out into the underground shelter.


    In the chapel, an old archbishop, white-haired, was leading a few assistants to perform a sacred ceremony. After it ended, the archbishop turned his head around and saw Hao Ren and Calaxus.


    ¡°Cardinal Calaxus,¡± Archbishop Holtzman greeted. Holtzman was older than Calaxus, but in terms of official position, he was only an archbishop of a diocese, ranked lower to Cardinal Calaxus of Basilica Icon. ¡°I know you and your investigation team. I was in the Basilica Icon when you set off,¡± Archbishop Holtzman said.


    ¡°Archbishop Holzman.¡± Calaxus nodded back. ¡°I know you too. Your diligence and piety are highly acclaimed in Basilica Icon.


    Calaxus briefly introduced Hao Ren, Lily, and Lady Gloom, but did not elaborate on their identities. The cardinal only guaranteed in the name of the goddess that the three of them were trustable allies. ¡°Archbishop, what happened here? How Sanctum fell in just a month?¡±


    ¡°Everything happened quickly within a few days.¡± The old archbishop shook his head, his face paled. As Bishop Bernstein said earlier, the old archbishop seemed to have been mentally affected by the Nightmares and now was a little wilting. ¡°In the month after your departure, the situation in Sanctum deteriorated, but it was not uncontrollable. Until seven days ago, things suddenly went out of hand.¡±


    ¡°What was going on?¡± Hao Ren looked somber.


    ¡°The light of Asurmen suddenly dimmed. Large holes appeared in the shield above Sanctum, from where the Chaos rushed in, causing massive casualties.¡± The old archbishop coughed violently. When the archbishop finally calmed down, he continued. ¡°We managed to push back the first wave of attacks. The ecclesiastical guards paid a high price before destroying the monster of Chaos that came through the holes in the shield, and barely keeping the shield working again. But in the evening, we have encountered another wave of attacks. This time, it was unstoppable¡ªit happened in the dream.


    In dream¨Cthe words instantly registered in Hao Ren¡¯s mind. It reminded him about the outposts wiped out by the Nightmares in the forest at the western front of Taros, and the Shadow of Nightmares that Lily had captured. ¡°The people were mentally attacked in their sleep and then killing themselves after that?¡±


    The old archbishop immediately turned his head. ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    ¡°A similar thing happened on other continents.¡± Hao Ren briefly described the disasters of Nightmares at the border of Taros. ¡°But I didn¡¯t know the same thing has happened to Sanctum.¡±


    ¡°The nightmare attack we encountered is somewhat similar to what you have described, but it is not the same.¡± The old archbishop shook his head. ¡°The Nightmares did invade the dream, but it did not cause mass casualties initially. Instead, it created a large number of soulless puppets, which eventually spilled over into the real world. I think you have already seen those things lurking on the outside in the square.¡±


    ¡°You mean those zombies?¡± Lily was wide-eyed.


    ¡°Zombies? No. They are not zombies.¡± The old archbishop glanced at Lily. ¡°Those are not real-world beings; they are nightmares¡ªthe nightmares of Louen residents who have fallen into the world of nightmare.¡±


    ¡°Nightmare? What does it mean? You mean those are just an illusion?¡± Lily could not wrap her brain around.


    ¡°Things like phantoms walking and gradually affecting the real world. It will continuously blur the boundaries between reality and dreams,¡± the old archbishop said. ¡°The first wave of nightmare attacks occurred late at night when we were exhausted and fell asleep after defeating the monsters of Chaos. You could imagine how terrible the consequences were. Most people were swallowed up by nightmares with almost no resistance, and those mentally strong enough to wake up and those who did not fall asleep for a variety of reasons accounted for less than one-tenth of those attacked. When we broke free from our dreams, we found that many people around us were still asleep. We were unable to wake them up no matter what we did. After that, shadows began to wander on the streets. Those were the Nightmares that the sleeping people released. They are similar to the host body, devoid of sanity, and could only wander around. Anyone who comes into contact with these shadows will be mentally infested and gradually becoming a new seedbed of the Nightmares. The Nightmares instantly controlled more than 80% of the city. We gathered all of the survivors and hid in the cathedral, unreachable by the power of the Nightmares. Here, we can sleep without worry.¡±


    The old archbishop took a few deep breaths. He was weak and breathless, especially after conducting the blessing ceremony.


    Calaxus had to keep on asking questions, unfortunately. ¡°Are all survivors in this church? Are there any survivors out in the city?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure if everyone is here, but at least 90% of them.¡± The old archbishop nodded. ¡°We have been sending people to collect food and other resources while searching for survivors every day. At first, they found survivors occasionally. But as time goes by, there were fewer and fewer survivors found. No one could never sleep, and people who could persist until today are probably gone.¡±


    ¡°We saw some pedestrians who were seemingly in a hurry and did not look like the Nightmares on our way here. Many residents in the houses responded to us. Are those not survivors?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    As if the old archbishop already anticipated this question, he immediately shook his head. ¡°That is another nightmare¡ªthe nightmare of the city.¡±


    Everyone looked at each other.


    ¡°Louen is an ancient city with thousands of years of history. We have been living here for generations; people are buried here. The old city is like a soul container, carrying the thoughts and memories of millions of people from different generations. These thoughts and memories settled and gave the ancient buildings and streets spirituality. The city still remembered its past glory. But when the Nightmares came, the thoughts and memories also fell into these shadows and were distorted into Nightmares.¡±


    Hao Ren recalled what he saw and heard earlier¡ªthose shut houses, the fearful and hurried pedestrians, and the hostile and resentful voices. They were so real that they did not look like a dream.


    But it was indeed a dream that took place in the real world.


    The boundary between nightmares and reality had almost disappeared. If this trend continued, it would not be long before nightmares replaced the entire real world of Sanctum.


    ¡°What about Fidelinopolis?¡± Calaxus¡¯ face was gloomy.


    The old archbishop glanced at Calaxus. ¡°This is what I¡¯m going to tell you; a horrific thing happened to Fidelinopolis. As early as the first wave of attacks, Fidelinopolis had unilaterally stopped the magic link with all its lower-level churches. At that time, the Chaos had not yet broken through the shield, but Louen¡¯s sacred crystal had not been able to receive the signal from Basilica Icon. We decided to take an immense risk by sending a reconnaissance team to check out the situation of Fidelinopolis. What we found was shocking: Fidelinopolis has disappeared out of thin air, leaving behind only a large piece of scorched sulfuric earth, and giant craters!¡±

 Chapter 1299 - The Crumbling Prison

    What the old archbishop said was beyond their wildest imagination. It was so unbelievable after there was a half a minute of silence. At last, Hao Ren broke the silence. ¡°You mean the entire of Fidelinopolis has disappeared?¡±


    ¡°Ninety percent of the city has disappeared, only a ring area around the holy mountain of Asurmen, a small part of God¡¯s Side Precinct, including Basilica Icon and a few annexes, remain. Our investigation team was unable to get close to the area due to the blockage of the power of Chaos. But we can confirm that the sacred light of Basilica Icon has gone out when looking from the outside. The entire building is lifeless.¡±


    Calaxus was surprised. ¡°Goddess!¡±


    The cardinal clenched his fists involuntarily, and then cricked and released. His heart missed a beat, and he felt helpless upon hearing the shocking news.


    Only Hao Ren, who had been maintaining as a third-party, could remain calm. ¡°Did you send someone to check out the outside after that? Is there any remaining town around Fidelinopolis? Any survivors in the wilderness? Maybe all these would tell us what happened.¡±


    The old archbishop shook his head. ¡°Of course we have also thought about it earlier. But the repeated attacks of the Nightmares have drained the priests. It is already a miracle to be able to defend the cathedral, how could we possibly send out another team of people? The first team was organized based on the hope that we could seek reinforcement from Asurmen and it suffered high casualties as a result. Now Fidelinopolis is gone, We would not send another investigation team.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Calaxus, who was still in shock and sorrow. The cardinal remained calm with his extraordinary willpower. Calaxus let out a long sigh and said, ¡°Mr. Hao Ren, do you have a plan?¡±


    Calaxus had never forgotten the Pope¡¯s edicts before he left Sanctum. He firmly believed that Hao Ren, the ¡®miracle¡¯ from the Cassouin Grand Temple, was the hope of saving Asurmen, even if the situation had worsened. This ¡®miracle¡¯ was almost the only reason to keep him going. In the time when Fidelinopolis had disappeared, faith was the pillar of his actions.


    Hao Ren did not answer as he was in thought. ¡°Bishop Holtzman, Fidelinopolis has stopped its contact with the outside world before the Chaos completely shrouded the land?¡±


    Hao Ren asked because he sensed something was miss from the description of the old archbishop.


    The old archbishop nodded.


    ¡°Fidelinopolis had not disappeared at that time?¡±


    The old archbishop continued to nod. ¡°I guess so. We could still see the glow of the sacred city at that time, and divination had also confirmed the sacred city was still there, but all communication channels had been cut off.¡±


    ¡°That means, at least until the first Nightmares, Fidelinopolis was fine but only completely blocked off at the time. After that, it disappeared mysteriously, and no one knew what happened.¡±


    Puzzled, Calaxus looked at Hao Ren. ¡°What¡¯s in your mind?¡±


    ¡°I suspect that someone has actively cut off the communication between Fidelinopolis and the outside world. This person could only be the ruler of the city.¡±


    ¡°His Holiness the Pop? Impossible,¡± Calaxus said immediately. ¡°Why would he do that?¡±


    ¡°There could be many reasons. Perhaps the Pope had been controlled. Perhaps he wanted to protect the sacred city or other places. Maybe he was trying to stop some evil forces from spreading through the magic links between cities?¡± Hao Ren looked up slightly. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything else.¡±


    While saying, Hao Ren glanced at Lady Gloom, who stood silently at a corner. ¡°Lady Gloom, what do you want to say?¡±


    This woman had said before that she had a mission in Sanctum. But now here she was in Sanctum and yet she had said nothing as if this place had nothing to do with her. Besides curious, Hao Ren would like to hear what she thought.


    Lady Gloom seemed to have spaced out until Hao Ren called her. Her hood moved a bit, and her hoarse voice was heard. ¡°Before going to Asurmen, I need to check those people who have fallen into the nightmare.¡±


    Hao Ren and Calaxus¡¯ eyes landed on Bishop Holtzman, who nodded without hesitation. ¡°Sure.¡±


    Despite having to hide in the cathedral, the surviving priests of Louen had never given up. The study of the Nightmares phenomenon was still ongoing, as they hoped to find a way out of the predicament. They found those people who had been affected by the Nightmares and brought them back to the annex behind the cathedral, trying to find a cure for the Nightmares to reverse the infestation. But until now, there had not been any progress.


    Hao Ren and his team saw a dozen of Loeun residents were asleep on both sides of a long room while a few junior priests were attending to these ¡®living corpses.¡¯ The room looked like a morgue.


    The annex was initially a medical clinic.


    Those who were infested by Nightmares looked indistinguishable from ordinary people. They lay quietly and breathed slowly, but their vitality sign such as heartbeat was as usual. It was as if they were sleeping. Some pipes extended out from their bedding and were attached to hardware beside the bed. Milky-white halos and runes were floating on the equipment, which seemed to be divine-powered medical devices the church used.


    As the old archbishop had to stay in the underground palace to preside over the shelter, Bishop Bernstein would be the guide again to explain the condition of the residents who were asleep. ¡°These people look like ordinary persons, but their soul lingers between reality and illusion. Their body is here, but shadows born in their spiritual world wanders on the streets. It is as if soul detachment, but ordinary magic or sedative spell does not affect them.¡±


    Lady Gloom walked past the ¡®living corpses¡¯ and carefully examined two of them, but she remained silent.


    ¡°Have you found anything?¡± Hao Ren could not wait but ask.


    ¡°Their souls have fallen on the other side,¡± Lady Gloom said in a whisper. ¡°Those things lurking on the outside are not their souls but the illusion refracted from the other side. It is more elusive than soul and weaker than a dream. But those imaginary shadows are a huge threat because they carry the energy of the other side. It is a precursor to the breaking free of the imprisoned who would cross the barrier soon. The more shadows are in the real world, the more vulnerable the barrier is. As more energy leaked from the other side, it would speed up the collapse of the prison wall.¡±


    Lady Gloom¡¯s lengthy explanation surprised and confused Hao Ren. He squinted at her. ¡°Can you explain in a simpler language? What is ¡®the other side¡¯?


    Lady Gloom raised her head slightly. ¡°It¡¯s the folded part of Collow, the cage of eternal exile, the Forgotten Abyss that locks up Lockmarton.¡±


    Father Bernstein, standing behind Hao Ren, was shocked.


    ¡°Did you mean these nightmare people were sucked into the prison cell of Lockmarton?¡± Hao Ren asked as he stared at Lady Gloom. ¡°And then their actions in prison are projected into the real world, becoming the shadows that lurked in the city?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Lily could not help but poke the hood of Lady Gloom. ¡°Hey, how do you know so much?¡±


    ¡°When I get to Asurmen, I will tell everything. But now is not the time.¡±


    ¡°She likes to keep people in suspense.¡± Lily rolled her eyes at Lady Gloom.


    Hao Ren looked at the sleeping residents and gently touched Lily¡¯s arm. ¡°Does this sleeping phenomenon have anything to do with the Shadow of Nightmares that you have caught?¡±


    ¡°Would you like to bring it over?¡± Lily¡¯s ears flickered. ¡°It was able to communicate normally the last time. But only when it wants to talk most of the time and it would not respond to questions.¡±


    Father Bernstein heard that they were talking about the shadow. ¡°The Shadow of Nightmares? Have you caught the culprit that caused the nightmare?¡± he asked.


    ¡°It was caught in the Ansu mainland, and related to the attack on the border of the Kingdom of Taros.¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°We were not sure about the situation in the city before we came, so we kept the monster in the woods with our men guarding it.¡±


    The father became nervous. ¡°Outside the city? Your men are guarding it? Is it safe?¡±


    The forces of Chaos were temporarily forced out of the barrier, but the minions of Chaos were everywhere, nowhere in the city is safe, let alone the wilderness. So the father was shocked.


    But Hao Ren smiled. ¡°No worries. Each of the men carries a divine object.¡±


    The so-called divine object was dog fur.


    It seemed that today was not Hao Ren¡¯s lucky day. As soon as his voice trailed off, the light on his communication radio blinked.


    A panic sound was on the other end. ¡°Aw, aw, aaaaw¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was struck dumb. Hearing that, Lily grabbed the radio from Hao Ren and shouted, ¡°Send someone who could talk!¡±


    There was chaos on the other end before a church knight hurriedly said, ¡°Alpha, something is wrong with the monster!¡±


    It was a slap on his face; earlier, Hao Ren had told everyone that everything would be fine.


    ¡°What is the situation?¡±


    ¡°The thing is vaporizing!¡±

 Chapter 1300 - The Shadow of Lockmarton

    ¡°Vaporize?¡± Hao Ren and Lily were stunned. ¡°What do you mean vaporize?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on! The monster¡¯s been quiet, but it suddenly screamed and¡ª¡±


    Hao Ren interrupted, ¡°Take it into the city immediately! We will meet you outside.¡±


    It did not take long before they brought the Shadow of Nightmares to the cathedral. Coming together were Lily¡¯s beast guards. With prior understanding reached in the city, the abhumans no longer had to hide outside the city. Their appearance still shocked several clergies in the cathedral. But it was only a minor problem compared to the Shadow of Nightmares.


    The monster was indeed vaporizing.


    Smoke rose with a hiss as its body gradually turned into gas, and its size shrank slowly at an imperceptible pace. The change was extremely slow, but since it had been going on for a while, Hao Ren could see that the monster was even weaker as it had shrunk by a third compared to before.


    Since Shadow of Nightmares displayed a temporary state of sensibility in Fort Raven, it had been in a half-dead state. The sacredness of Sanctum was making it even quieter than ever. But the weakness was not fatal until the vaporization phenomenon happened.


    ¡°It has been going on for 30 minutes, and it¡¯s getting worse,¡± said a monk who was from outside the city earlier. ¡°Before the vaporization began, the thing had shouted some words, but there was no logic in them, and it was not communicable.¡±


    Hao Ren looked up. ¡°What did it shout?¡±


    The monk thought for a moment before saying, ¡°The name of Rockmarton, the Forgotten Abyss, and it repeatedly mentioned the ¡®door¡¯ and the ¡®seal.¡¯ And also the Infinite Battle, a long battle on the plains. But no history in Collow has ever mentioned about this battle.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    The monk spread out his hand. ¡°That¡¯s it. Oh yeah, it spoke not only commonly-used languages but also a few ancient languages, which have almost gone extinct. We could barely understand some of them.¡±


    ¡°The Infinite Battle, the ¡®door,¡¯ and Rockmarton¡­¡± Hao Ren bent down and examined the smoked meat. ¡°The door and Rockmarton are understandably about the prison, but I can¡¯t wrap my brain around what the Infinite Battle means.¡±


    While saying, Hao Ren carefully reached out into the smoke and touched the monster, which felt soft and disgusting in texture.


    A spot on Hao Ren¡¯s right hand, once burned by the blood of the goddess, began to feel hot as some dark-red marks appeared on his hand. The smoke around the monster seemed to be avoiding these ¡®sacred marks.¡¯


    Hao Ren had noticed this phenomenon. A thought came to mind, and he reached his hand even further than before.


    While it felt cold to touch, a series of illusions began to flash across his eyes like a slide show.


    He saw that a magnificently bright temple was rising, and twenty-one giant guardians stood in front of a mountain of light and made a vow. These guardians, cast in sacred rocks and steel, were unshakable.


    He saw these guardians protecting an ancient prisoner under an order. In the spiritual world, he knew that the prisoner was old beyond imagination, more ancient than the First Borns and the guardian giants.


    He saw the guardians cultivating life on the earth, using the order of life to suppress and influence the Chaos.


    He saw the fall of the goddess, and all the prior efforts went in vain. Evil struck back, and the Order started to decline.


    Images flashed, and fragments of memories fleeted. It seemed that some power was forcibly erasing and weakening these memories, of which Hao Ren could only see the ending parts.


    In a barren world shrouded in the dusk, the earth was dry and cracked. The sky was burning in intense heat. A vast shadow was floating behind the clouds with many tentacles and weird limbs dangling and sweeping past. The evil power of ancient times was squirming in its cage, brewing the fire of anger that could engulf the entire world.


    On the ground under the shadows, monsters went on a rampage, striking a giant pillar that supported the heavens and the earth. This giant pillar was clean and bright as if it were made of a sterling silver mirror. But the image reflected in the mirror was not the dry earth and burning sky in their surroundings but of another world, which was filled with vibrant lives.


    At the foot of the giant column, blood and broken limbs of various monsters piled up into mountains. Vargrotesqueesque and deformed creatures were killing each other in confusion as if they were caught in a perpetual rage. These monsters seemed to be splitting into two factions fighting for the control of the giant pillar. But a killing instinct could be controlling them. Under the will of Rockmarton, they killed all creatures around them.


    And then, the illusions disappeared.


    It was as if a long time had passed. Hao Ren looked around him and found that everyone was still the same, in their original spots and postures. He then knew that the illusion had only happened for a split second.


    Lily came up to Hao Ren at once. The husky maiden knew Hao Ren¡¯s ability well, so she immediately realized what it was all about when Hao Ren zoned out. ¡°Mr. Landlord! What have you seen?¡±


    Hao Ren motioned Lily to stay put. He then bent down to stare at the piece of meat shrouded in smoke, asking in a slow and clear tone of voice, ¡°I know you can hear me. Who are you?¡±


    Earlier, during the mental connection, Hao Ren had established a short and mysterious linkage with the monster. With this subtle association, the monster finally came to its senses again. Its speed of vaporization slowed down slightly, and a hoarse voice came from the piece of meat.


    ¡°I used to be Warrenhill. Warrenhill St. Turner Benedict. I am¡ª¡±


    The vaporization suddenly sped up, and the meat shrilled. Before the monster dissipated completely, it shouted hysterically, ¡°Prison! The entrance of the prison is at the top of Asurmen! At the top of Asurmen¡ª¡±


    And then all the sounds stopped. The monster had disappeared from the cage. The only thing left was a plume of smoke that was quickly carried away by the wind.


    ¡°Who knows this name?¡± Hao Ren asked after a moment of silence.


    ¡°Warrenhill St. Turner Benedict,¡± Calaxus mumbled. ¡°Benedict III, the scripture bearer, the wise and the just, one of the first popes.¡±


    Everyone was stunned, and most of the reactions were like ¡°are you freaking kidding me?¡± The beasts turned out to be the calmest of all because they could not understand a single word of what Calaxus had uttered and only thought that the humans were talking nonsese.


    ¡°It says it is the pope?¡± Lily¡¯s ears flickered as if a person with a brain hole as large as hers had lost the plot. ¡°Is Pope Benedict III dead?¡±


    ¡°He was the pope of two thousand years ago,¡± said Calaxus. ¡°As one of the greatest popes of all time, his sacred body was placed in the underground mausoleum of Basilica Icon along with all ancient sages under the eternal glory of the goddess.¡±


    ¡°So he was the emperor.¡± Lily felt like she had found her peer. ¡°I¡¯m also an emperor!¡±


    ¡°Ignore her. She has strange logic.¡± Hao Ren shoved the husky aside and then looked at Calaxus. ¡°Do you think what the monster has said is credible?¡±


    ¡°From a personal perspective, I don¡¯t believe it a bit. But¡ª¡±


    ¡°But it becomes suspicious when it¡¯s too bizarre, am I right?¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°And most importantly, a monster doesn¡¯t have to lie to us. I have never heard any monsters of Chaos having this bad habit.¡±


    Calaxus remained silent. Suddenly, screams came from the window as a few junior priests looked through the window in horror. ¡°There is something in the sky!¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s heart rate spiked as he lunged toward a window. He pushed open the glass window, which looked particularly unsightly because it was narrow and had complex lines.


    He looked up at the sky.


    Behind the dark clouds in the dusk-like sky, something large was lurking.


    The thing hung down its large tentacles and grotesque limbs as if tornadoes from the clouds. These limbs were moving and curling as if they were devouring the earth. They looked as malicious as it could get.


    Even the most devout and determined church warriors began to flinch. Colors had drained from the junior priests¡¯ faces. Other priests were doing better as they chanted in prayers to boost their courage. The weaker ones already started to feel signs of fainting as if those tentacles and shadows were causing them to lose their minds.


    The abhumans also shivered under the coercive power. The demonic wolves growled with fear and anger. The ogres covered their heads and retreated, and the bear monsters seemed to develop signs of madness. It all stopped when Lily howled at them.


    Sanding at the window like a statue, Hao Ren neither flinched nor moved. He was resisting the malicious air and spiritual erosion by facing the shadows in the clouds directly with his demi-godliness.


    He knew what that thing was.


    Rockmarton.

 Chapter 1301 - The Disappearance of Fidelinopolis

    The massive shadow behind the clouds gradually went away, and the whole phenomenon lasted for a dozen minutes.


    Everything that happened earlier looked like an illusion.


    ¡°Oh goddess, what was that?¡± Calaxus¡¯ hands were clenched together in front of his chest, and his lips were dry. ¡°That evil and huge¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Lockmarton, or a part of him,¡± Hao Ren said with a poker face. He did not look at Calaxus.


    All the monks and church knights were stunned.


    ¡°Looks like Lockmarton hasn¡¯t completely broken the seal.¡± Hao Ren turned around. His voice sounded composed as he tried to calm the others down. ¡°That should be the projection Lockmarton produced in the real world. The goddess¡¯ barrier shield is still blocking it, so that was only a shadow. But the Forgotten Abyss won¡¯t hold up for long; it could collapse at any time.¡±


    ¡°We should go to Asurmen immediately,¡± Calaxus said quickly.


    Hao Ren nodded, and his eyes slowly swept across the dim cathedral.


    Weary monks, mentally-stressed knights, and scared refugees filled the building¡¯s ground level because the crypt was full.


    These people were exhausted, and more importantly, their mental exhaustion had reached a tipping point. The power of Nightmares that these people faced was beyond comprehension. After the appearance of Lockmarton¡¯s shadow, the shadows that wandered the city were now stronger than ever. The people could no longer endure it. So before Hao Ren left, he had to find a way to keep them alive.


    He scratched his chin and whispered, ¡°I need to get the cathedral an enchantment or something to protect the people.¡±


    Lily heard what Hao Ren said and tucked her tail. ¡°I don¡¯t have much hair left!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that I want your hair!¡± Hao Ren rolled his eyes at the husky and took out some pieces of red paper from his Dimensional Pocket.


    From the looks of it, the red papers were peeled off from some other places because there was adhesive on the edge of the papers. The front side of the papers had calligraphy, or rather cacography. Hao Ren separated the pieces, and the writing formed a couplet. The first line read, ¡°Two months have passed, and still not knowing what to write.¡± The successive line read, ¡°Three days of contemplation have produced two lines of nonsense.¡± And the third line, which was meant for horizontal placement, read, ¡°But who cares!¡±


    Those with a good memory would probably remember that it was Raven 12345¡¯s handwriting.


    The couplet was once placed at the main entrance of the Hao Family house. According to the neurotic goddess, her handwriting possessed divine power, and the couplet could ward off evil when pasted on the front door. Back when the couplet was on his front door, it had attracted hordes of people who came up to take a selfie. Those who were in the know would see it as the novel idea of a youngster, but those not in the know would think that there was merely a bunch of performing artists in the house. After a couple of months, Hao Ren could not endure the embarrassment anymore and decided to take it down.


    However, people from an alien universe did not read Chinese characters, so they would have no problem putting up the couplet.


    ¡°Put these things at the entrance of the cathedral. It can stop the Nightmares and the forces of Chaos.¡± Hao Ren handed the couplet to Father Bernstein with a solemn face. ¡°Put this piece on the left jamb, this piece on the right, and this one on the lintel, horizontally. Hey, it¡¯s upside down. It should be the other way round¡­ Don¡¯t ask too many questions. Just treat it as a magic figure¡­ If I say it¡¯s a magic figure, then it¡¯s a magic figure! Did the goddess of creation ever forbid advertisements at heaven¡¯s entrance?¡±


    Bernstein took the powerful couplet without knowing what it was. Hao Ren looked at the couplet again and felt that something was lacking. So he took two more pieces of red paper out of his Dimensional Pocket. He had taken the papers from Raven 12345¡¯s office and wrote, ¡°The goddess protects me and repels all evil¡± on them. He proceeded to hand them over to the priest solemnly. ¡°Put one on each leaf of the door.¡±


    He figured that he was also a pope; his work should at least have half of Raven¡¯s power, if not the same. Even Lily could emit a sacred glow. As an authentic demigod, he should not be any worse than the husky. Let us not forget that he was using Raven 12345¡¯s pen, which had her bite marks, to write the phrases.


    Louen was fraught with danger; no protection was good enough.


    After he told Bernstein what to do, Hao Ren and Calaxus gathered their men and headed towards the crystal mountain in Asurmen.


    While Hao Ren was leaving, he looked back at the cathedral and was pleased to see that Father Bernstein had diligently put up the red papers on the door. Although the priest had doubts about the couplet, at least, he understood the logic of ¡°better safe than sorry¡±. The goddess of creation¡¯s cathedral stood quietly in the darkness with the red couplet inscribed by Raven 12345 on its door. The two deities completed their first divine interaction under this exceptional condition; the wind coefficient produced by their intertwining powers was enough to create at least 20,000 stars.


    Hao Ren looked at it for a while and shook his head. ¡°That looks like a festive atmosphere.¡±


    The couplet exuded a faint white light in the darkness, warding off all evil.


    Hao Ren and Calaxus took the soldiers from the Sanctum¡¯s investigation team and the abhumans who had arrived near the crystal peak of Asurmen. They stopped on high ground, overlooking the foot of the sacred mountain.


    The ugly monsters along the way are not worth mentioning here as they were just part of the hit statistics of Hao Ren¡¯s Northstar.


    Standing on high ground near Fidelinopolis, Hao Ren looked into the distance.


    Asurmen was more majestic than he had imagined, but it was not a mountain in the ordinary sense.


    Like a massive cluster of crystals planted on the earth, Asurmen stood at the center of a circular basin. Its white crystalline peak was steep and neat, and crystal columns of different heights formed the body of the eternal miracle. The sacred mountain was broad at the bottom and pointed at the top. There were floating shadows all around, and a crack could be vaguely seen at the peak.


    Fidelinopolis used to be at the foot of Asurmen¡¯s peak. But now, there were only craters and sporadic ruins.


    As the old Bishop Holtzman said, 90% of Fidelinopolis was gone. The magnificent urban architecture had disappeared, and an unpleasant smell lingered in the air. Craters of various sizes dotted the three concentric zones around the foothill of Asurmen, as though hot molten iron had been poured into turpentine. The bottom of the craters, which had some suspiciously shiny solidified substance, shimmered with hot air.


    ¡°It looks like a meteorite shower destroyed the city,¡± Lily said in amazement. ¡°Are those meteorite impact craters?¡±


    Hao Ren poked his head out and took a look. ¡°Only Y¡¯zaks knows. He¡¯s an expert in this field.¡±


    Calaxus stood silently under the faint skylight, his face pale.


    He had heard from Bishop Holtzman about the horrific destruction of Fidelinopolis, but he was shocked and horrified upon witnessing it in person.


    Now, only his tenacious willpower as a senior priest kept him standing in the cold wind.


    ¡°That¡¯s the Basilica Icon¡­¡± After a moment, Calaxus finally opened his mouth. With his finger, he pointed at the other side of a crater at the foot of the sacred mount of Asurmen. He even surprised himself with his hoarse voice. ¡°The power center of the church.¡±


    Hao Ren also saw the magnificent structure. It consisted of twin towers, something unique in the world of Collow. The lower part of the Basilica Icon was whitish-gold with a hall of multiple domes and walls. Its upper portion had two spires, which were connected by a long sky bridge at the top. So the entire Basilica Icon appeared like a large door.


    Darkness had been shrouding this sacred place. The eternal holy light had vanished, leaving only a blanket of black fog hovering around the area.


    Hao Ren squinted.


    Not only ¡®did darkness cover the Basilica Icon, Hao Ren saw a dim glow akin to evening twilight within the black fog.


    Evil energy was diffusing out of the building.


    ¡°To go to Asurmen, we must first go through the Basilica Icon,¡± Calaxus said while he tried to suppress the sorrow in his heart. ¡°There¡¯s a platform in the Basilica Icon, where you can call out to the gatekeeper who will then open a portal to the interior of Asurmen. But I don¡¯t know the gatekeeper¡¯s situation now. She may not even respond to us.¡±


    Hao Ren gave Lady Gloom a sideways glance before he went forward. ¡°Let¡¯s try.¡±


    The Basilica Icon was exuding strong energy.


    In the days of light, this energy came from sacredness, greatness, and the awe-inspiring atmosphere of the building itself. But now, people standing in front of the basilica only felt the rejection and fear of Chaos. The towering wall and the twin towers above it were still standing in the dark, but there was an impression that the structure was crumbling down, as though the building had become a ghost, twisting, shivering, and whimpering under the night sky.


    After putting the illusion in the back of his mind, Hao Ren gathered his courage and led everyone towards the Basilica Icon.

 Chapter 1302 - Popes of the Past

    A strange silence shrouded the Basilica Icon. A fog, which appeared out of nowhere, covered every inch of the floor. There was a twilight-like glimmer in the darkness, but it lacked warmth. Instead, it was full of malice and madness.


    Such a glimmer had never appeared during any Tide of Chaos. Calaxus and the others had no idea what it was. But Hao Ren, after having seen the illusion earlier, knew that it was a sign of Lockmarton.


    Lockmarton¡¯s breath had seeped into the real world, first appearing as the huge shadows floating over the city of Louen, then the twilight near the Basilica Icon.


    There were no survivors, but they also found no bodies or signs of a struggle.


    ¡°There¡¯s no one here. No dead bodies,¡± Hao Ren muttered to himself in a low voice. ¡°This place is supposed to house the church¡¯s most powerful combat force, but everyone has seemingly disappeared into thin air.¡±


    Lily went around to the front of the team. Using her sensitive nose, she sniffed the place. ¡°Mr. Landlord, there¡¯s no smell of blood!¡± said the husky as she approached Hao Ren.


    Calaxus took out a platinum wand from his dimensional bag. The wand glowed with a warm white light in his hand. It began to dispel the malicious energy and air of madness in their surroundings. With a somber face, the senior monk said, ¡°It looks like everyone has disappeared at the same time. Otherwise, they would have left some signs of battle behind. What could have done this? The magic circle in the basilica has not even been triggered. The pope controls the magic circle using his brainwaves; he could activate it with his mind, and the Basilica Icon would enter into panic defense mode. No matter how urgent the situation was, His Holiness should have had enough time to trigger the magic circle.¡±


    Hao Ren remained silent as a thought crossed his mind: perhaps the pope did not want to activate the magic circle.


    ¡°Uncle, where¡¯s the gatekeeper?¡± Lily suddenly asked.


    Calaxus pointed at a corridor in front. ¡°Enter that corridor, go through a garden, and there will be a teleportation circle as well as a spiral ladder leading to the top of the twin towers. But I have no idea if the teleportation circle is still usable. So we might have to take the stairs.¡±


    Everyone came to the end of the long corridor in silence. After passing through an arch with elaborate, ornate decorations, a garden appeared before their eyes.


    It was a large garden, complete with fountains, ponds, and sculptures, not to mention, a meticulously-maintained landscape. There was a dome above the garden, but it looked dark, revealing that the place was an indoor garden.


    Surprisingly, the plants in the garden had not withered, and remained lush. A blanket of gray and dark yellow covered the plants, making the garden looked strangely gloom.


    Everyone instinctively raised their guards.


    Walking in front, Lily was the first to step into the garden while Hao Ren followed closely behind. Suddenly, as Lily crossed a certain boundary, she started to glow in white light.


    The husky maiden was shocked. Hao Ren immediately knew what that glow signified. He quickly drew his gun and spear before he shouted, ¡°Watch out! The minions of Chaos are nearby!¡±


    Lily¡¯s self-glowing body in the realm of Chaos had become a convenient early-warning system.


    After spending a long time with the alpha wolf, Calaxus also knew what that glow was¡ªthe Light of Order. The senior monk instantly cast a protective spell on the knights and abhuman soldiers. While he held his wand in one hand and a sacred magic ball in the other, Calaxus asked, ¡°Where are the minions?¡±


    Lily finally came to her senses and quickly turned to look at her tail, which had puffed up. The glow on her tail was pointing towards a particular direction.


    ¡°Underground!¡± the husky maiden shouted. ¡°The forces of Chaos are below! What¡¯s there in the ground?¡±


    Calaxus froze for two seconds before he hesitantly said, ¡°It¡¯s the resting place of the sacred souls, a place where the power of the goddess shelters the sacred souls, immortal¡ª¡±


    ¡°Speak in simple terms!¡± Lily looked back and glared at the senior monk.


    Without waiting for Calaxus to reply, Hao Ren interrupted, ¡°It means the grave of the popes!¡±


    As he spoke, he could not help but think of the name that the Shadow of Nightmares mentioned before it dissipated: Benedict III, the Pope of the Sanctum 2,000 years ago.


    Holy moly, turns out that the monster was referring to this! Hao Ren could not help but curse in his head.


    As he cursed, the entire Basilica Icon started to shake.


    A humming sound traveled from the bottom of the garden. A chilly air rushed through the ground and covered the surrounding vegetation in frost while the nearby soil began to roll like ocean waves.


    ¡°It¡¯s coming!¡± Hao Ren shouted as he fired his gun without hesitation.


    As a blue light burst, debris flew in all directions from the blast center. Beneath the blast center, a twisted, black, smoky thing rushed out to the surface. But the power of the psionic crystallization was so powerful that the monster had turned into a crystal before it could make a sound.


    However, it was only the first one.


    More black monsters began to rush out of the earth. The power of Chaos quickly filled their surroundings. These monsters were in different forms, unlike what Hao Ren had anticipated. Some of the monsters grew many tentacles, some had eyes and teeth all over their body, some were in the shape of a standard meatball, while some were in vaguely humanoid forms. The only thing these monsters had in common was that they were all shrouded in the smoke of Chaos, and they were releasing a potent brainwave.


    ¡°That¡¯s the church insignia!¡± Calaxus suddenly exclaimed in shock.


    Hao Ren looked in that direction and saw the Shadow of Nightmares among the monsters. It took a humanoid form and was dressed in clothes. The tattered pieces of clothing had a round, light gold emblem.


    ¡°The clothes may not have had time to decompose,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°It proves that these things are the deceased popes!¡±


    The church soldiers were all in shock. These brave and fearless soldiers could not believe that the body of the popes had been completely infested and turned into monsters. The infestation may have begun a long time ago, or recently. But the fact that these monsters came out from the sacred tomb, the logo of the church was on their clothes, and one of the monsters had uttered the name of a pope from 2,000 years ago had discouraged even the most devout monks and knights.


    Nonetheless, the monsters were not about to stop just because the humans were trembling. While the church knights grew reluctant, the monsters formed a black cloud in the garden and began to launch a powerful, rapid attack.


    It was the most dangerous and unstoppable force: a psychic attack.


    A burst of vertigo and bizarre illusions began to appear. Hao Ren witnessed as the smoke monsters seemed to materialize into a body, a mountain, and a storm, becoming the source of an endless, invincible force from which a mighty voice appeared and reverberated in his mind.


    ¡°Surrender! Surrender to this power! Surrender to your fears! Surrender to your exhaustion! Surrender¡ª¡±


    Hao Ren stared back at the illusion, which instantly disappeared. ¡°Surrender to me! My year-end bonus depends on this battle!¡±


    ¡°How did you¡­¡±


    ¡°Surprise! When Lao Tzu was playing with a demigod in his dream, you guys were still rotting in the grave!¡±


    Hao Ren and Lily, who were unaffected for some strange reason, may have escaped the powerful psychic attack. But the situation did not look good.


    They were not merely fighting against these monsters, and they were not the only ones who were being attacked.


    More monsters¡ªor rather mutated souls of the past popes had awoken in the underground mausoleum. The number of psychic attacks would soon be overwhelming. The church warriors and abhumans did not possess the mental resistance that Hao Ren had. Their psychological defenses began to crumble, and they could not hold on any longer.


    Illusions manifested continuously. At first, they only appeared as phantoms in the spiritual world, but they gradually became shadows in the real world.


    The church knights and abhumans with their weak willpower had been paralyzed. Their spiritual world became a springboard for the distorted shadows to enter the real world.


    Hao Ren felt his various senses weaken as negative feelings started to crop up out of nowhere. It was not critical, but if things went on this way, it might be a big problem for the people around him.


    Hao Ren fired his psionic gun, hitting a twisted soul and turning it into crystal dust. He then turned to look at Calaxus and shouted, ¡°Retreat! I¡¯ll clean this entire mausoleum once and for all!¡±


    However, Calaxus turned his head slowly; his eyes were unfocused as if he did not recognize Hao Ren.


    ¡°Damn it. Even the strongest one has fallen.¡±


    Suddenly, a mental connection opened, and the MDT¡¯s voice sounded in Hao Ren¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Buddy, we¡¯ve built a Beta 1.0 portal. Do you want me to try and send something?¡±


    Hao Ren was startled for a moment, but he was quickly overjoyed. ¡°Send me something with the combat strength of 20,000! There¡¯s a battle here! Hurry!¡±

 Chapter 1303 - Biubiubiu

    The surprising connection with the MDT was undoubtedly a turning point¡ªHao Ren needed help badly.


    Sleeping in the underground mausoleum of the Basilica Icon were the most outstanding church leaders from the past 10,000 years. They included the popes, saints, and cardinals of the past who had won awards for various reasons. Except for the few who died in the War against Chaos, and whose bones were not suitable for burial in the sacred land, the most powerful mortals in the history of Collow were in this mausoleum. These eternal sleepers were invincible when in life, and equally powerful in death.


    The leaked energy of Lockmarton had infested and transformed these sacred souls into dark monsters. It did so by destroying their original divine powers and giving them psychic powers of incredible strength. At first, the psychic attacks had little effect on Hao Ren, who was a demigod. Plus, his mental resistance had been fortified by Raven 12345. But the advantage in numbers always got the upper hand. As more Shadows of Nightmares woke up underground, Hao Ren began to find it hard to cope.


    Not only did he have to keep his mental defenses up, but he also needed to find a way to increase the range of his mind power to shield those people around him from the psychic attacks.


    Like other ordinary knights, monks, and abhumans, Calaxus had also lost his combat ability. He struggled to keep himself awake amid the waves of psychic attack. He was barely hanging on with Hao Ren¡¯s protective mental shield. Without his assistance, these people, including Calaxus, would have become victims of the Nightmares.


    ¡°Calibration of coordinates in progress. Physical transfer will begin in three minutes.¡±


    The MDT¡¯s slightly robotic voice resounded in Hao Ren¡¯s mind. He was using his psionic gun to defend against the attacks of the Shadows of Nightmares, which kept crawling out from the ground and appearing out of thin air. Hao Ren was also keeping an eye on the situation of others while talking to the MDT in his mind. ¡°How many people can you send?¡±


    The ideal situation was, of course, to send all the people onboard the spacecraft. Or better still, letting Nolan enter the battlefield with the overwhelming firepower of the Petrachelys. But obviously, he knew that would be unrealistic given the current conditions. The MDT mentioned before that the physical object transfer was only a test, and it was only sending objects in small quantities to Collow through the small cracks in the barrier. Nonetheless, he still hoped that things could be better.


    The MDT¡¯s answer was not surprising. ¡°Only one or two persons per teleportation. The passage is unstable; we can¡¯t take the risk.¡±


    The number was disappointing, but it was better than nothing. As monsters continuously crept up, Hao Ren considered abandoning the route. Once reinforcements arrived, he would leave a small nuke, get out, blow the entire Basilica Icon up, and find another way to enter the sacred mountain. It was the best option at the moment¡ªa plan that he had envisaged from the beginning. Hao Ren would never leave himself without a way out.


    The only change to his original plan now was the fact that he would have reinforcements, which was much better than the worst case scenario he had anticipated.


    ¡°I need the strongest person,¡± Hao Ren repeated his request. ¡°Someone whose mental strength is tough enough. Preferably Y¡¯zaks because he¡¯s a demon; he has strong will power. If he¡¯s too large for the teleportation, let Vivian come.¡±


    The MDT¡¯s concentration seemed to be straying as it was directing most of its computing power into the portal. ¡°Understood. The transfer is about to begin. Get ready on your side. The countdown starts now: ten, nine, eight¡­¡±


    Suddenly, Hao Ren felt a stinging sensation in his mind.


    He was stunned for a moment before he realized that those nightmare monsters were directing all their attacks at him.


    Those monsters¡ªwho used to be clergies but were then infected by Lockmarton¡ªseemed to be situationally aware. After the battle fell into a stalemate, they found out why those humans could hold on for such a long time: Hao Ren, like an indestructible reef in the storm, stood between the nightmare monsters and the ordinary humans, taking most of the hits from the psychic attacks.


    These psychic attacks even burst into sparks and halos around him before they rippled outwards.


    The monsters began to talk to each other through some unexplained spiritual exchange, and they aimed their strength towards Hao Ren, the indestructible ¡°reef.¡±


    The enormous amount of mental energy gathered and formed a continuous blue lightwave in the air. The blue light waves increased in strength and intensity before turning into a single light beam.


    Hao Ren watched as the light transcended the boundary of illusion as well as reality, and pointed itself at him. He heard the MDT¡¯s countdown in his mind. ¡°Five, four¡­¡±


    He quietly called out Raven 12345¡¯s name and gathered all his mental strength. The teleportation was in progress and could not be interrupted, but the joint attack of the monsters was a bit of a surprise to him. He had no choice but to meet the impending attack head-on so that when Y¡¯zaks or Vivian arrived, they would not be caught off guard and be injured.


    Just as this happened, the MDT suddenly stopped its countdown; something had seemingly interrupted it.


    Hao Ren was startled, and he began to lose concentration. It was at this moment that the monsters fired powerful psychic energy at him.


    The illusion and dream that Hao Ren was anticipating did not materialize. Instead, he heard a soft voice. ¡°Ghsss!¡±


    A small figure was swaying around in the air, firing energy arrows the size of a match while going ¡°biubiubiu!¡±


    It was Noobie.


    The MDT¡¯s panicked voice came soon after. ¡°Buddy, we have a problem here! Buddy, are you still there? Have you been terminated?¡±


    ¡°Why is Noobie here?¡±


    ¡°I knew you¡¯d be fine.¡± The MDT let out a long sigh as if Hao Ren had scared him this time. ¡°There was an accident just now. We don¡¯t know how but the little thing came out of nowhere and climbed onto the focal point of the teleportation crystal.¡±


    ¡°Something strange is happening here too.¡±


    As he said this, Hao Ren saw Noobie fly around the waves of psychic attack.


    Coincidentally, the strange mistake seemed so right. The Shadows of Nightmares rained their psychic attacks on the mini version of Vivian, who seemed unaffected as it continued to roar. ¡°Ghsss.¡±


    The nightmare monsters were a little stupefied. Nevertheless, they launched another wave of attack.


    ¡°Ghsss!¡± Noobie saw the monsters and sensed their psychic energy in the air. But her confused mind could not produce a logical response, and her only reaction was ¡°Ghsss!¡±


    Like punching a pillow, the psychic assaults were muted and neutralized. Noobie fired her energy bolts aimlessly as if she was unaware of the attacks. The tiny bolts dissipated after they flew a few meters in the air. But Noobie seemed to be happy with them as she went, ¡°Biu, biubiubiu, biubiubiu¡­¡±


    It may seem strange and absurd, even ridiculous. But Hao Ren began to notice that the nightmare monsters had slowed down.


    As if trapped by their own nightmares and illusions, the nightmare monsters became sluggish. A few of them even had smoke billowing from their bodies, and they began to vaporize.


    Hao Ren had no idea what was going on, but he knew one thing¡­


    He had to take advantage of this situation.


    There were dissipating monsters on one side, and a bombing maniac on the other. The battle quickly came to an end.


    Hao Ren had finished off all the enemies, along with the battlefield. The garden became a field of craters, and the structure of the crypt could be seen at the bottom of a few large holes.


    As the energy of Chaos dispersed, the power of nightmares began to fade from those affected by it. Calaxus and the others shook their heads as they regained their consciousness. They were struggling to remember the incident and their identities.


    Some of them had already lived through their entire lives in the illusion, some had acquired a few lifetimes of false memories, while some even lived for a thousand years in a peaceful Collow, almost forgetting what it was like in the real world.


    The clash of illusion and reality hurt. Some of the people buried their heads in their hands as they moaned in pain.


    It took Hao Ren a while to catch Noobie, who was running loose like a dog. Lily quickly came up to him. ¡°Mr. Landlord, let me take a look!¡±


    The husky maiden had also experienced a psychic attack during the second half of the battle. However, her mental resistance was relatively good, and she was only feeling a little dizzy. She shook her head and looked curiously at the tiny version of Vivian in Hao Ren¡¯s hands.


    ¡°What happened to her?¡±


    ¡°She came here by accident,¡± Hao Ren briefly explained. ¡°It should have been Y¡¯zaks or Vivian. This tiny thing has stolen the precious opportunity of experiencing the first teleportation. But it turned out to be a good thing.¡±


    Lily looked at Noobie, who growled in a threatening manner, ¡°Ghsss!¡±


    ¡°She looks perfectly fine.¡± The husky maiden poked Noobie¡¯s head with her finger. ¡°She even defeated the monsters all by herself.¡±


    Initially, Hao Ren could not wrap his brain around how Noobie pulled it off, but a thought crossed his mind when he stared at the tiny Malevolence. ¡°Perhaps, it¡¯s because her brain is already like a bowl of glue in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°She has a brain that¡¯s thick like a mixture of cornstarch and water.¡± Hao Ren shook Noobie. ¡°Either that or she has no brain at all. So after those nightmare monsters fired psychic assaults at her, their magic bit back.¡±


    Noobie looked up and raised her hand at Hao Ren. ¡°Biubiubiu!¡±

 Chapter 1304 - Lady Gloom’s Real Identity

    The powerful Shadows of Nightmares¡ªtransformed popes of the past and evil force born from Lockmarton¡¯s insanity¡ªas well as their psychic attacks, which were enough to bring down an entire army, had lost their effects because they had chosen the wrong opponent: Noobie. Hao Ren found this explanation incredible.


    However, Hao Ren could not find a more credible elucidation than this. Nonetheless, the more he thought of it, the more sense it made. Noobie may have been a weakling, but she was evil through and through. She was hand-picked by the goddess with that cornstarch-glue brain of hers. Hao Ren even speculated that those infected by the Shadows of Nightmares were in better shape than Noobie. It was unnecessary to psychologically attack an already messed up mind.


    The outcome was as clear as day: the Shadow of Nightmares were the ones that lost their minds.


    Despite that, Hao Ren also had another theory: the outcome of the battle had nothing to do with the Noobie¡¯s mental state, but everything to do with the Malevolence¡¯s nature. As part of Vivian¡¯s contaminated blood, Noobie and Lockmarton¡¯s existence had to be related.


    However, all of this was mere speculation.


    When the smoke dispersed and the power of Chaos receded, those who fell into a frenzy earlier began to regain their sanity. Hao Ren struggled to hang on to Noobie and ignored her protests. He went up to Calaxus and asked, ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡±


    ¡°Still alive.¡± Calaxus panted. His voice was filled with grief as he looked at three of his compatriots¡ª a senior knight and two senior clergies. Their eyes were wide opened, and there was a creepy smile on their faces as they lay lifelessly on the ground. Their turbid eyes suggested that their souls were gone.


    Among Lily¡¯s guards, an ogre had also fallen.


    Hao Ren had done his best to keep those people under his protection, but casualties were inevitable.


    ¡°May the goddess bless these pure souls,¡± Calaxus recited a brief prayer. He then put his negative thoughts behind him and got to his feet. ¡°No one will stop us again. Umm, what is that?¡±


    The senior monk saw the tiny Malevolence that waved and growled threateningly in Hao Ren¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Her name is Noobie.¡± Hao Ren could not think of a better name. ¡°She is my, umm, partner. Yeah, partner, sort of. She came in through a portal and happened to reverse the tide of the battle. Please don¡¯t ask for details as it¡¯s too complicated to explain.¡±


    Noobie had noticed Calaxus, and she bared her fangs at him. ¡°Ghsss! Biubiu!¡±


    Dumbfounded, Calaxus struck off the corrosive energy bolts that Noobie fired at him.


    Hao Ren looked into the crowd, searching for someone he had been concerned about all this time.


    A voice rang out behind him. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±


    Hao Ren looked back and saw Lady Gloom. The mysterious woman sounded calm and physically steady; she seemed unaffected by the psychic attacks. Apparently, she had been standing there unscathed since the beginning.


    Hao Ren downplayed his sense of doubts regarding this woman and nodded at her. He then turned and continued his journey to the platform above Asurmen through the devastated garden. Everyone followed.


    From the garden, they did not encounter any more obstacles along the way.


    The Basilica Icon was unusually quiet. After they climbed to the second floor, the negative energy seemed to disappear altogether as if the attack in the garden earlier was just an illusion. The only thing that reminded Hao Ren of the attack was the annoying ¡°biubiubiu¡± sound coming from Noobie.


    The fact that the attacks only happened in the garden on the lower floor, and not in other places worried Hao Ren.


    If Lockmarton or his minions were using the Basilica Icon as a seedbed for spawning dark monsters and an obstacle, then that would explain the quietness on the upper level. Lockmarton had completed some preliminary work and abandoned the place.


    It was smooth sailing all the way to the platform.


    ¡°Here it is.¡± Calaxus stood on the sky bridge, which connected the two towers. He pointed at the edge of the arc-shaped platform. It was attached to the sky bridge where Pope Auguste VII used to stand, looking at the dimming sacred mount of Asurmen and ordering him to seek hope in the mainland of Ansu. Now, the investigation team had returned upon completing its mission, but everything was different. Destruction and a missing pope were the only things left. Even this sacred platform was shrouded in darkness. ¡°We can summon the gatekeeper here, but I don¡¯t know if she will appear. If she doesn¡¯t, we will have to break into the magic circle below the platform and maybe open the passage to Asurmen. But that would also guarantee that we will not be able to enter Asurmen in the future.¡±


    Hao Ren did not approach the platform. Instead, he turned to look at Lady Gloom, who was silent. ¡°If my guess is right, you should have something to say.¡±


    Lady Gloom¡¯s hood moved slightly, but she still did not say anything. She went up to the platform, and after a while, she finally spoke, ¡°The gatekeeper will be here. She has always been good at saving herself.¡±


    Just as Lady Gloom¡¯s voice trailed off, a light appeared on the platform, followed by a white robe, vague face, and the figure of a young woman. The woman spoke with an ethereal voice, ¡°Saving ourselves is our the priority of our mission.¡±


    ¡°Long time no see, Number One.¡± Lady Gloom nodded slightly.


    ¡°Life in the human world has changed your way of thinking,¡± said the woman in the white light. ¡°We are always connected. You shouldn¡¯t say long time no see, Number Two.¡±


    Calaxus and others were confused, but Hao Ren had anticipated this. Lady Gloom finally took down her hood. Shortly after, her cloak flickered as if it were a phantom and gradually disappeared.


    Under the hood was not a body but a phantom in the form of thin mist and blue light.


    Other than the different colors of the light and mist, which made up her body, Lady Gloom was almost identical to the gatekeeper. They had the same energy form, fuzzy face, ¡°body¡± height and shape, as well as clothing style. They were like replicas of each other.


    Calaxus¡¯ jaw dropped to the ground. ¡°You¡­ You are¡­¡±


    ¡°I am Asurmen,¡± Lady Gloom looked back. Her face of light and mist was devoid of emotion. The only things that moved on her face were the mechanized lights. Lady Gloom pointed at the gatekeeper in the white light and said, ¡°She is also Asurmen.¡±


    ¡°Both of you are the consciousness of Asurmen?¡± Lily asked curiously.


    ¡°No, Asurmen¡¯s consciousness is still lying in the will hub. We are just the backup copies,¡± Lady Gloom said. There was a large amount of light dots blinking on her body, and the same was also happening to the gatekeeper, as though they both were exchanging data and resonating with each other. ¡°We simulate your form of being to communicate with you.¡±


    ¡°Backup copies.¡± Hao Ren nodded as he began to understand. He knew the concept better than Calaxus. ¡°The gatekeeper stayed in Asurmen, while Lady Gloom traveled the worldly kingdoms; it was to ensure the safety of the data.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s our mission to save ourselves,¡± the gatekeeper said in a mechanical tone. ¡°Backups must be stored in different places.¡±


    Lady Gloom nodded her head gently. ¡°But now, the situation has changed. The highest-level protocol is in effect, therefore the backup copy must return to the core and get ready to reboot the host.¡±


    ¡°Host? What host?¡± Calaxus was puzzled.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time to explain,¡± the gatekeeper interrupted Calaxus. ¡°The intruders have entered the deep layer. Some of my functions have been compromised. I cannot stop them. You must enter Asurmen to intercept them. Number Two, my function is damaged. You need to take over the subsequent operation from me.¡±


    As she said this, the gatekeeper¡¯s light dimmed. Lady Gloom stepped forward and took over from the gatekeeper to open the portal to the interior of the sacred mountain. Calaxus was stunned. ¡°Intruders? Someone has broken into the sacred mountain?¡±


    ¡°They are heading to the final protocol zone,¡± said the gatekeeper. All of a sudden, her image flickered wildly. After a few seconds, the flickering stopped, but she became dimmer than before. ¡°Correction: interception failed. The intruders have entered the last protocol zone, and the will hub is locked. A reboot is required. Number Two, now it is your turn to take charge.¡±


    After she said that, the gatekeeper dimmed further, crumbled, and finally disappeared.


    Meanwhile, a portal appeared in front of Lady Gloom. On the other side of the portal, a crystal chamber was within view.


    Calaxus and his men were still plagued by confusion as the sudden revelation of the crystal mount¡¯s secrets had stunned them. But Hao Ren knew what to do. He clapped his hands together, which woke everyone up, and he drew his weapons. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    At the same time, within the sacred crystal mountain of Asurmen, the barrier made of crystals and light shattered.


    Three figures lunged out from the smoke and dust produced by the shattered barrier.


    Running at the front was the pope of the Sanctum, Auguste VII.


    However, the once majestic and avuncular old man had changed. His face was twisted with black lines all over, and blood veins seemed to be bursting out of his skin. He was also inhaling black smoke and sparks like those from burning sulfur. The pope¡¯s swelled body had almost torn his robe apart, and his right hand was holding a strange sword.


    The sword was black and oddly-shaped. It was unlike a blade but more like an irregular fragment. There were no other patterns on the blade except light spots that moved like stars. It seemed like a piece of cosmic debris!

 Chapter 1305 - Lady Gloom’s Two Solutions

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren looked at the scene before him in surprise.


    Crystals and manmade materials, which were similar to metal but had strange textures, made up the place. Rock cavities with mysterious halos, crystal devices of unknown uses, dim-but-still-running holographic images, as well as embedded displays were everywhere in the corridor and hall. Some old but sophisticated equipment were still humming, and at the center of the chamber was a large crystal column. It looked like a central computer with holograms displaying various charts and data floating around.


    That was the interior of Asurmen.


    However, it was not just as simple as a crystal sacred mountain.


    Calaxus and the church knights he brought had no clue what those things were. To them, the mysterious structures inside the holy mountain were sacred. Lily¡¯s barbarian soldiers could not have cared less about those things. But not Hao Ren. From the moment he stepped inside, he had been using a translation system to interpret every holographic image, text, and logo he saw. As a result, he gradually learned about the place.


    ¡°This is the Astral Chamber.¡± Lady Gloom was walking in front of them. She had taken off her cloak to appear in her translucent phantom body. After many years, she was now back at her birthplace and still performing her duty as a gatekeeper well. ¡°We must first go to the will hub to restart Asurmen¡¯s defense system. Otherwise, even if we defeat the intruders, Lockmarton will enter the real world through the crack of Asurmen.¡±


    ¡°Where are the intruders currently?¡± Calaxus was most concerned about this matter.


    Lady Gloom paused, seemingly checking for the information. ¡°In the Final Protocol Zone; they have broken into the area. But Number One has left behind 13 barriers to keep them from reaching the Ark of the Sacred Covenant. We still have an hour to complete the system reboot and find the intruders. No worries. As long as the system restarts, I will have the authorization to use the teleportation facility of Asurmen and you will be in the Final Protocol Zone in no time. So we must first reboot the system. Lockmarton is trying to break through the seal from the other side while the intruders are waiting inside. Only by rebooting the system can we reinforce the shield and return stability to the dimension where Lockmarton is.¡±


    ¡°What exactly is Asurmen?¡± Hao Ren suddenly asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult to explain it to you. It¡¯s a vessel that the goddess uses. You wouldn¡¯t understand¡ª¡± Lady Gloom hesitated.


    ¡°Is it a spaceship? A spacecraft that can travel at superluminal speed with warp-jump capabilities?¡± Hao Ren interrupted.


    This time, Lady Gloom, who had always been calm, was visibly shocked.


    She looked at Hao Ren. ¡°You show that you have more advanced knowledge than you should have.¡±


    Hao Ren did not say a thing, but he now knew why Lady Gloom did not reveal who she was and her connection to Asurmen. The truth was simple: she did not think Calaxus and the others could understand these things.


    Interstellar spaceships, shipboard AI, database backup¡ªall these things were completely beyond what the people in Collow could understand. If Lady Gloom were to reveal her true identity, she would have to first teach Calaxus and the others, tons of basic knowledge about interstellar spacecraft and artificial intelligence. Not to mention, such information may not be enough to convince them, and could instead, arouse their suspicion. As an AI, Lady Gloom did not habitually lie as humans did. After calculating and deriving a logical solution, she just chose not to tell them more. Since she had achieved her target of ¡°going to the Sanctum¡±, she would not do anything more than that.


    As intelligent as an AI was, Lady Gloom was bound by the data and logic in her system, hence she would never be able to carry out anything beyond that. As such, she never thought of Hao Ren as an extraterrestrial being. She had probably been treating Hao Ren¡¯s unusual knowledge as a bug in the system.


    After a few seconds of silence, Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°As I¡¯ve said before, I may be able to fix Asurmen. Lady Gloom, I don¡¯t care if you understand me but I know what a spaceship is and I know how to operate as well as maintain a spacecraft. Now, tell me, is rebooting the will hub the only solution?¡±


    Knowing the truth of Asurmen, Hao Ren had made up his mind; he would do it his way because he knew he was better than anyone else on the scene when it came to spaceships. At least, he had a spacecraft-flying license.


    Lady Gloom¡¯s light was blinking as if she had encountered a syntax error; the nature of the conversation had exceeded her parameters of understanding. ¡°New information has been found. Recalculating an optimal solution. Hao Ren, for the time being, you are a technician who can understand the advanced interstellar vessel, and I will tell you about the situation of Asurmen.


    ¡°The spacecraft is seriously damaged. Its power reactor is leaking and on the verge of shutting down. The will hub is in sleep mode due to insufficient power. The standby energy level stands at 20.3%. Both the primary and backup systems are intact. But the primary system¡¯s memory is corrupted and under quarantine. The backup system¡¯s memory is intact. The previous plan was to use the backup power to reboot the will hub, which will then allow Asurmen to resume function for 24 hours. However, this will damage the controllers in the primary system and the will hub. After that, the spaceship¡¯s system will only run partially, and the prison¡¯s security will drop to a critical level. This is the last resort,¡± Lady Gloom said.


    ¡°So you do have an alternative, don¡¯t you?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s eyebrows arched.


    ¡°We can try to restore Asurmen¡¯s power supply,¡± Lady Gloom said as she blinked her eyes¡ªthe two light dots on her face. The image of Asumen appeared in a hologram before her. ¡°But the maintenance requires special skills; I don¡¯t think you can do that.¡±


    Hao Ren knitted his brows together. ¡°How do you know I can¡¯t? At least tell me what¡¯s causing the problem and let me try.¡±


    This time, Lady Gloom was frank. After pondering the matter for a while, she said, ¡°Asurmen¡¯s power dropped after an impact incident a few months ago. A fragment containing powerful energy has penetrated both the spaceship¡¯s energy as well as physical shields, and it has lodged itself in the Energy Circulation Hub of the shield generator. The energy cycle of the power core has been interrupted as a result. If the debris is removed, Asurmen will be able to resume its energy supply. The will hub will reboot normally, and the spaceship will restore 80% of its functions.¡±


    While Hao Ren nodded, a thought suddenly crossed his mind. ¡°Wait a minute, did you say the impact happened a few months ago?¡±


    ¡°The sacred mountain is sturdy, but not indestructible,¡± Lady Gloom replied. ¡°The incident was a strange one. The impact force punctured the goddess¡¯ shield and interfered with the running of a few miracles. All the visions from these past months, including what happened recently, are very much related to the impact. Of course, Lockmarton¡¯s growing tendency to break free is still the primary cause.


    As Lady Gloom spoke, her eyes slowly focused on Hao Ren. It seemed that she finally associated Hao Ren with something through some fuzzy logic. ¡°You appear to know something,¡± Lady Gloom said.


    Hao Ren¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and his heart rate spiked. But he knew what the main priority was.


    ¡°Listen, it¡¯s hard to explain. Yes, I know about the fragment. It contains powerful energy and carries a divine aura.¡±


    Lady Gloom looked at Hao Ren, the light on her body flashed like a runaway Ferris wheel.


    Calaxus glanced at Hao Ren and Lily, feeling strange. He looked like he had something on his mind but said nothing.


    ¡°So you¡¯ve admitted it¡­¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°I can handle this. Lady Gloom, the most important thing now is not to delve into the details, but to fix the Energy Circulation Hub first.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Lady Gloom nodded. ¡°Fixing the Energy Circulation Hub is the priority. There is one more thing I have to tell you¡ªI can¡¯t guarantee your safety after you enter the Energy Circulation Hub.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Hao Ren was puzzled.


    ¡°For the past 10,000 years, the Energy Circulation Hub and its surrounding compartments have been restricted areas. Even the popes of the past had no access. This is due to the Tablet of Commandments in front of the spaceship. ¡±


    ¡°The Tablet of Commandments?¡± Those words caught Calaxus¡¯ attention. He could not help but exclaim, ¡°That contains¡­ the divine words in the legend?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it carries the thoughts of the goddess and is a potent artifact. Under the influence of this artifact, the entire upper area of Asurmen has been completely sanctified for 10,000 years. Even the dimension has been permanently changed.¡± Lady Gloom¡¯s body flashed. ¡°Mortals can¡¯t get close to the strong divine grace, therefore the upper area of Asurmen has been a forbidden zone since ancient times. I can point you to the Energy Circulation Hub via a safe route, on which the tablet will not be able to affect you. But once you enter the center¡­¡±


    As she spoke, her eyes fell on Calaxus.


    ¡°Take the senior monk for example. He can survive 90 minutes and 20 seconds before the tablet. So Plan B is that someone will have to die. He only has one chance to fix the fault and he won¡¯t be able to come back alive. Even if he managed it, he would die in a short while anyway.¡±


    Everyone gasped, but Calaxus stepped forward. ¡°It¡¯s the highest honor to sacrifice myself for my Lord.¡±


    Hao Ren came forward. ¡°No one¡¯s going to die. Leave it to me.¡±


    ¡°You alone?¡± Lady Gloom was baffled.


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of the divine power,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°Believe it or not, but I will not play dice with my life. When I say it¡¯s okay, I mean it. And in theory, I¡¯m the only one here who can fix it. Lady Gloom, didn¡¯t you reveal all of this because of the appearance of a technician like me?¡±


    No one could offer a better solution. Lily, the alpha, was in support of her landlord unconditionally. So everyone agreed and allowed Hao Ren to be in charge.


    It was not merely because Hao Ren was the only one who could go to the upper area of Asurmen, but also because someone had to stay back in the Astral Chamber to monitor the spaceship¡¯s system. Lady Gloom brought Hao Ren to the top of Asurmen, and he finally saw for himself the true state of the sacred crystal mountain.


    His heart beat even faster than before.

 Chapter 1306 - Retrieving the Crystal

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Similar to the Crapple Research Station, CARS, the main structure of the sacred mountain of Asurmen was also constructed from crystals. Different types of druse, crystal towers, and walls constituted the complex structure within the ancient spacecraft. But unlike conventional spaceships, many of the cabins in Asurmen were not directly connected. Perhaps, some extreme security requirements had necessitated such a sealed design for the key compartments from the outset. The only way to access these compartments was through the gatekeeper or defeating Asurmen¡¯s security system. Through a portal, Lady Gloom brought Hao Ren into the Energy Circulation Hub.


    It was a pyramid-shaped chamber, where lavender druse grew in all four corners. As soon as Hao Ren entered this place, he saw a massive crack above the chamber running through the wall of the sacred mountain. Looking through the crack, Hao Ren saw the gloomy sky outside. There was a white crystalline conduit, broken in half and flickering with sparks, just below the crack. The floor in front of the conduit had crumbled and sunk. A crystal, different in material compared to its surroundings, was lying quietly in the pit.


    Perhaps the crystal had changed in shape and color when it passed through the Wall of Reality, because there was no way Hao Ren could have known the nature of the crystal just by looking at it. Nevertheless, his heart skipped a beat when he saw two lines of text on the crystal.


    ¡°Hearts and arrows.


    ¡°Exquisitely designed.¡±


    Hao Ren was dead sure that the crystal did not have this ¡°logo¡± when he dropped it into the Scarred Nebula. This text must have only appeared when it went through the Wall of Reality. So what was this text about? Was it the mark the goddess left for herself? Was it a credit cookie the goddess left behind after cutting the crystal? Or was it simply the manifestation of her neurotic obsession with hearts and arrows?


    Whatever it was, Hao Ren was now sure who caused the situation in Asurmen¡ªit was him.


    Cold sweat was trickling down his forehead onto his toes. He had never prayed to the goddess before, but this time, he could not help but call out her name in his mind.


    While having that thought, Hao Ren became conscious, quickly looking up and around. But there were no signs of divine lightning punishment. Instead, he saw a golden-white object floating at the top of the pyramid chamber.


    It was a tablet, about one-meter square, and half an inch thick. It was unevenly edged and had a light on its surface. When he looked at it, Hao Ren could not help but feel a sense of tranquility.


    He even felt his divine power, diffusing in a pale white halo from his body, resonating with the tablet. Two similar divine powers from different sources seemed to be interacting with each other. ¡°Hey, bro, what¡¯s up there?¡±


    ¡°Where are you from?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m from another universe where there¡¯s a goddess. I¡¯m a fragment falling off her body.¡±


    ¡°Oh, what a coincidence; there¡¯s a goddess in my world too, but somebody has stabbed her.¡±


    ¡°Holy moly!¡±


    Of course, Hao Ren made that up in his mind; he had no idea what the two divine powers talked to each other. But the truth would not be far, he figured.


    Lady Gloom wanted to stop Hao Ren but was surprised to see that there was nothing bad happening to him. ¡°You can even stare at the Tablet of Commandments directly?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the Tablet of Commandments?¡± Hao Ren knew, but he asked for the sake of asking.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s something that the goddess of creation made. But I have never seen a mortal who could not only survive before it but even look directly at it without a problem. The tablet releases the thoughts of the goddess. Except for non-living things like me, normal living creatures could not stand before it.¡±


    ¡°When did I say that I was a mortal?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s eyebrows arched. ¡°Can you take down the tablet for me? Forget it if it¡¯s an important component of Asurmen.¡±


    Lady Gloom hesitated for a moment before she raised a finger in the air, and then the tablet descended slowly. ¡°It¡¯s not part of Asurmen. No one knows what is the goddess¡¯s purpose by leaving it here. She placed it here without leaving behind any instruction.¡±


    Hao Ren curiously came close to the tablet, both sides of which had some engravings. On one side was an unknown, complicated pattern. On the other side were a few lines of textual inscription.


    ¡°Who am I? Why am I here? What should I do? Do I have any meaning? What is around me? Where are their boundaries? Why do they appear like that? Are they meaningful?¡±


    Was this what the goddess left behind?


    Hao Ren¡¯s brows knit together. Suddenly, he felt a slight burning sensation on his right hand.


    A red scar appeared on his right hand, once burned by divine blood.


    A thought came to mind. Hao Ren carefully reached out his right hand and touched the golden-white tablet with the side of his hand that once stained with divine blood.


    But the vision Hao Ren was envisaging did not appear. He just felt that some disorganized information drifted past his shallow consciousness. The info gave him some knowledge about some unexplained things, but upon careful analysis, those were merely trivial information. It was about the creation of life and scenes about the early universe, which was useful but not something that Hao Ren was expecting from the tablet.


    It was unlikely that the information stored in the golden-white tablet was irrelevant. Most likely that the decoding method was incorrect, or the tablet had some protection mechanism, in the form of a higher access right, perhaps.


    Thoughts flashed across Hao Ren¡¯s mind. But he did not waste time on it. While examining the tablet, he kept an eye on the Energy Circulation Hub that the crystal key had damaged. He was figuring a way to fix it.


    According to Lady Gloom, the hub could self-repair. After removing the crystal, the facility should be able to restore. But it took time, so he wanted to speed up the process.


    While thinking about that, a question suddenly came to mind. ¡°Lady Gloom, if removing the crystal could let Asurmen restore itself, why didn¡¯t the gatekeeper fix it earlier? Did you not say that non-living things like you will not be affected by the Tablet of Commandments?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t get close to the crystal,¡± Lady Gloom said while pointing to the ¡®hearts and arrows¡¯ lying quietly on the floor. ¡°It has some self-protection mechanisms. In the past few months, Number One and I had been discussing many repair options, but they were not successful because of the existence of the protection mechanism. Had you not shown your understanding of this piece of debris, I wouldn¡¯t have let you come. As logical AI, we don¡¯t play dice.¡±


    So the problem was that ordinary humans could not get up to the top of Asurmen, and the two AIs that could get there could not approach the alien crystal.


    As if to prove what she said was true, Lady Gloom inched closer to the crystal key. When she was about a dozen meters from away from it, a shield suddenly shrouded the crystal. The repulsive force of the shield was so great that it forced Lady Gloom to retreat. And then, there were some words on the shield.


    ¡°Piss off!¡±


    It was Raven 12345¡¯s style of magic through and through. This magic, categorized under the heading of ¡°Field Protection¡ªGoddess¡¯ Will¡± in the bible that the goddess gave Hao Ren, was commonly known as Truth Protection.


    The purpose of this magic was to prevent the crystal key from falling into the wrong hand. In this respect, it was a well-thought-out plan by the neurotic goddess.


    Hao Ren was trying to disable the ¡°Piss-off¡± magic.


    For him, lifting the magic was a piece of cake.


    While communicating with the magic in his mind, Hao Ren released a few autonomous robots from his Dimensional Pocket.


    The autonomous robots shuffled around the damaged energy conduit and the underlying pedestal, scanning the damages.


    The failure of the Energy Circulation Hub was mainly due to a damaged transmission medium, but the base was relatively okay. In theory, when the crystal key was removed, it would clear the entire circulatory system of interference. Once the energy conduit was restored, the hub would be back in normal operation.


    This method would not restore the system to its original condition, but it would function without issue. After the emergency repair, Asurmen would slowly self-repair and take some time for the system to be back on track.


    Just as Hao Ren was fiddling with the protective mode of the crystal key, he felt a tremor under his feet.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Hao Ren turned his head and looked at Lady Gloom.


    ¡°The intruders are breaking through the barriers in the Final Protocol Zone,¡± Lady Gloom said. ¡°They are close to the Ark of the Sacred Covenant.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they can open the Ark of the Sacred Covenant with the ¡®plate.¡¯¡± Hao Ren frowned. ¡°How much time we have?¡±


    ¡°About 10 minutes.¡±


    ¡°Enough.¡±


    Just as Hao Ren¡¯s voice trailed off, the shield around the crystal key disappeared.


    He quickly tucked the problematic crystal into his dimensional pocket, and then directed the autonomous robots to connect their tentacles to the crystal conduit. The crystal conduit, which was self-restoring slowly, recovered with an even quicker speed as the robotic arms attaching to it supplied it with greater energy.


    ¡°You can activate the will hub now,¡± Hao Ren said to Lady Gloom as he wiped away the non-existent sweat on his forehead. ¡°Let¡¯s meet up with Calaxus and others, then head to the Final Protocol Zone.¡±

 Chapter 1307 - Encounter Before the Ark of the Sacred Covenant

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    There was a pungent, burning smell in the air. A coat of gray had covered the crystal corridor, and the energy of darkness, as well as Chaos, gradually permeated into the sacred hallway. The ancient spaceship¡¯s defense mechanism was drawing on its remaining power to resist the intrusion, but defeat was imminent.


    Crisscrossing blue-white beams had formed a crystal barrier wall in the air. However, the barrier began to shake with sparks. A tearing sound came from the other side of the wall as black crack lines began to develop all over the crystal barrier.


    When the black crack lines burst with a bang, the crystal barrier shattered into millions of pieces. Three figures shrouded in dark magic broke through the defense.


    Running at the front was Auguste VII who was wearing the robe of a pope. The forces of Chaos had wholly transformed him. Terrifying black lines covered his skin, his blood veins bulged, and his body had swelled to a height of nearly two meters. It was hard to believe that this monster was previously a frail, old man. The black sword, which looked like a cosmic fragment, seemed to have eroded and transformed his body. The hand in which he held the sword with had swelled so much that it was twice the size of his left arm, tearing his clothes apart.


    Running behind Auguste VII was the former guardian knight, Lavinia. This former female knight had turned into a savage demon, as black lines and red eyes had totally destroyed her face. She was still holding a shimmering disc in her arms. The disc with divine energy seemed to be burning her because her arm was billowing in white smoke. But the former female knight appeared to be unaware of it. There was only twisted fanaticism on her face.


    Running at the rear was Hao Ren¡¯s acquaintance, Count Willie.


    His level of demonization was almost on par with the other two. But the most amazing thing about him was his arm, which Hao Ren had severed earlier. It had miraculously grown back but it was not his original arm though. This new arm was deformed with many ugly sarcomas and open wounds scattered all over it. It was not so much a human limb, but rather a demon arm that was stitched together with black magic.


    ¡°The gatekeeper is such a menace,¡± Willie mumbled in anger and hissed, as though his vocal cords had also been dehumanized. ¡°She is weak but still able to bog us down for so long.¡±


    Aside from the black ridges, there were many wrinkles on Willie¡¯s skin. His hair was completely white as if he had suddenly aged and looked 30 years older than before. It was the price to pay for borrowing Lockmarton¡¯s power.


    ¡°The gatekeeper has always been stubborn,¡± August VII said. His voice was equally hoarse and low, completely unlike his avuncular image of the past. ¡°She is a stupid artificial soul, only acting under an order, and will not understand the greatness of our cause. But do not worry, I have already used the power of the Lord to injure the artificial soul. Before she can self-reconstruct, my Lord will break free from his shackles.¡±


    When August VII mentioned ¡°the power of the Lord¡±, Willie¡¯s gaze involuntarily fell on the sword¡ªthe cosmic fragment¡ªin the pope¡¯s hand. There seemed to be an eagerness in his eyes, but apparently, he did not realize it himself.


    It was the power of the Lord, directly from the Great Lord Lockmarton! It was the power that could challenge the goddess, shatter divine power, and break the law of the universe into halves. The gatekeeper had used the power of the sacred mountain of Asurmen to set up layers of obstacles. Without the sword, no popes and executors would have been able to defeat the crystal barriers. Before the celestial sword, the crystal barrier appeared as fragile as glass. It was a shame that such a celestial object, which could communicate directly with the Great Lord, chose Auguste VII who had just received his enlightenment. Willie, the high-ranking cadre of the Cult of Armageddon, was getting green-eyed.


    Auguste VII used to be the supreme ruler of the Theocracy. The former nemesis had now gained favor from the Great Lord, and this made Willie greatly dissatisfied.


    However, Willie did not dare show his disgruntlement, for the gift of the Great Lord should not be questioned. His will, no matter how unreasonable it was, should never be challenged. Since the sword was already in Auguste VII¡¯s hands, as a slave loyal to Lockmarton, he could only accept it without question.


    Now he only hoped that Auguste VII would live up to the expectation and prove that he deserved the favor of the Great Lord. He also hoped that his disappointing sister would be able to complete the task of opening the Ark of the Sacred Covenant. Only then could he readily respond to the call to go into the battlefield of eternal depravity without hesitation and fight with Lockmarton¡¯s attestation.


    The last barrier had come down.


    The three of them ran down a sloping corridor and came out in a vast chamber.


    This chamber was different from all other compartments of Asurmen. It was unusually large as if a cave of irregular shape. The floor was no longer of crystal but slabs of stone and steel. Druse that grew randomly in the gaps between the slabs emitted a soft glow, illuminating the place. Willie saw that the edge of this chamber was sloping upward as if a mountainside. Above the chamber was a massive jungle of crystal.


    Willie suddenly realized that he had left the main body of Asurmen¡ªhe was underground.


    The sacred crystal mount of Asurmen was, in fact, planted vertically in a crater.


    ¡°This is incredible!¡± Willie, who had dedicated his soul to Lockmarton, was rooted to the spot upon seeing the scene.


    Auguste VII, who knew the secrets of the Sanctum well, appeared composed. The former pope raised the Worldbreaker and pointed to the front. ¡°That¡¯s the Ark of the Sacred Covenant. Humph, here they are, the prison wardens.¡±


    Willie looked, and his pupils contracted.


    There was a pyramid, about 100 meters tall that looked like it was carved out from a massive piece of white crystal with no visible gaps or seams on the surface, in the center of the chamber. On the surface of the crystal pyramid was a large circular dent, which seemed to be a holder of some sort.


    There were 21 giants of rock and steel standing around the crystal pyramid.


    Each of these rock giants appeared lifelike. Those who had been to the Basilica Icon would have immediately recognized that these were the original stone statues in the basilica. The originals were more lifelike and majestic, and there was a breath of life permeating from their stone as well as steel bodies.


    But these ancient guardians were not in good shape. Black energy was leaking through the base of the pyramid, hovering around and even permeating the rock giants. Each of the rock giants had an angry, or painful look on the face, but they could only stand still as if real stone statues.


    ¡°It has been 300 years. The Great Lord has held them up here for 300 years!¡± Auguste VII took the Worldbreaker sword and slowly moved forward. Those prison wardens, whom he once feared, became his targets of mockery. ¡°Unfortunately, the security measures of the creator are solid. Even though the prison wardens have failed, there is still the automatic defense system of Asurmen, the Realm of Reflections, and even the gatekeepers who could keep the mortals away. But that has changed¡ªthe last defense has come down. Lavinia, go. Put the Radiant Disc into the Ark of the Sacred Covenant. The Realm of Reflections will flip over, and the Forgotten Abyss will open!¡±


    Lavinia¡¯s eyes burned with fanaticism as she strutted toward the crystal pyramid. Behind her, Willie was screaming, ¡°Lavinia, hurry up! Our forerunners have already launched the last battle in the abyss! Open the door and let us connect the two worlds!¡±


    Lavinia went straight past the motionless wardens and came before the crystal pyramid.


    And then she froze.


    Willie¡¯s impatient voice came again. ¡°Lavinia, what are you waiting for?¡±


    ¡°Willie, this¡­¡± Lavinia hesitatingly turned her head around. ¡°Something¡¯s not right.¡±


    Willie and Auguste VII came up to the pyramid. The former pope remained vigilant, but Willie sounded angry. ¡°Why are you still hesitating? Do you still have doubts in your faith?¡±


    Scared, Lavinia quickly shook her head. ¡°No, no, no, my brother. My faith in the Great Lord is unshakable, but I just¡­ I can¡¯t find a proper place for the disc on the Ark of the Sacred Covenant except for this huge alcove.¡±


    Lavinia pointed to the crystal pyramid.


    The three members of the Cult of Armageddon looked up at the circular recess on the pyramid wall. It was 10 m in diameter, on the pyramid wall.


    Then they lowered their heads and looked at the little plastic plate that Lavinia held on her chest.


    The plate was even smaller than a washing basin.


    Willie became a little unsure. ¡°Probably it will get bigger once it is on it.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it doesn¡¯t need to fit exactly,¡± Auguste VII said. Despite being a pope, Auguste VII only had a sketchy concept of the Ark of the Sacred Covenant. Coupled with the fact that the Radiant Disc had been missing for years, he could only make a wild guess now. ¡°It may work, just snap it on.¡±


    Unsure, Lavinia raised the disc in front of the crystal pyramid. She saw the mysterious text¡ªthe logo of the plastic factory¡ªat the bottom of the plate. ¡°It seems that there¡¯s a front and a back. Which side should be facing up?¡±


    ¡°Just try.¡± Willie¡¯s brows twitched.


    Lavinia hesitated for a moment.


    Right when she was about to put the disc in the recess, a voice suddenly sounded.


    ¡°If I were you, I would not play with the divine object without first reading the instructions manual.¡±


    Willie turned his head around and saw the last face he would ever want to see.


    Hao Ren, taking his thugs and dog, with a stick in his hands, looked at Willie with a wry smile.


    Both sides stood their ground in a standoff and shouts and exclamations rose simultaneously.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°You are Pope Auguste VII?¡±


    ¡°Where did you get the big sword?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my plate!¡±


    ¡°Arf! Arf! Arf! Woof! Woof! Woof!¡± (It reads as ¡°Alpha is right! Stop the nonsense!¡±)


    It was chaotic.

 Chapter 1308 - Battle of the Sword-Bearers

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The sudden encounter in front of the Ark of the Sacred Covenant caught Willie and the others off guard. The same happened to Hao Ren. After a shouting match, Hao Ren stared dead at the robed old man next to Willie, and the black sword in his hand.


    The demonization of the old man turned heads with his two-meter-tall body, solid muscles, and beltfish tattoo, which was a magic pattern. Master Anthony, who had always bared his upper arms, was the only one who could match the old man¡¯s tendon. But what caught Hao Ren¡¯s attention was the weapon in the old man¡¯s hand.


    The sword that looked like a cosmic fragment and had light spots, which shifted in the darkness, seemed somewhat familiar¡ªit was the Godslayer!


    ¡°This is your pope?¡± Hao Ren asked when Calaxus¡¯ voice jolted him out of his stupor.


    ¡°Your Holiness Pope Auguste VII,¡± Calaxus said. ¡°My teacher, how did you become like this?¡±


    ¡°Auguste?¡± A burst of raucous and dead laughter came from the mouth of the old man holding the sword. It was completely unreminiscent of the majestic and avuncular pope. ¡°Muahaha, that soul stubbornly resisted for a while, but under the charismatic influence of the Great Lord, no mortal can resist him. The one standing in front of you is a faithful servant of the Great Lord. As for you, are you ready to die?¡±


    After saying this, Auguste VII strode towards Hao Ren. Hao Ren may have had an absolute advantage in terms of numbers, but Auguste VII was fearless. He was confident in his strength and the sword.


    But Hao Ren shouted and interrupted the old man, ¡°Wait a minute! Let me ask you again: where did you get the sword, old man?¡±


    Auguste VII probably never expected that under the double-menacing presence of the Worldbreaker and the Ark of the Sacred Covenant, there would still be someone talking back to him. Auguste VII was startled for a second before he proudly said, ¡°It¡¯s the power given by the Great Lord Lockmarton, the Worldbreaker!¡±


    ¡°The Worldbreaker? Lockmarton made that thing?¡± Hao Ren was wide-eyed, and he could not help but grin. ¡°Very good. What a surprising discovery in Collow!¡±


    Meanwhile, Willie had just recovered from his stupor. He hurried Lavinia to come up to the pyramid. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them! Start the ceremony immediately!¡±


    Lily jumped to her feet when she saw what Lavinia was about to do. ¡°That¡¯s the plate form my home! Be careful; it kills if you don¡¯t know how to use it!¡±


    The two Cult of Armageddon members naturally did not listen to Lily. With Willie¡¯s urging, Lavinia put the disc on the side wall of the crystal pyramid without hesitation and began to chant an evil, abstruse incantation in a low and hoarse voice. This abracadabra would excite the seal on the disc and conduct the energy of the disc into the crystal pyramid.


    While Lavinia was performing the ceremony, Willie roared and lunged in Lily as well as Calaxus¡¯ direction. His body suddenly swelled and grew an extra demonic arm, which emitted a dark-red glow. When Willie waved his arm, ripples appeared in his surroundings. Hideous and distorted shadows began to squirm out from those ripples. They quickly expanded and grew into figures in black robes when they hit the ground.


    During the short time that Willie lunged at Lily and others, dozens of cultists had appeared behind him.


    These members of the Cult of Armageddon were fanatics of self-sacrifice in black magic. They latched on the senior believer with the purpose of helping Willie clear any potential resistance in Asurmen. Now, they could finally put themselves to good use.


    The large group of cultists began to perform their magic and evil powers. They shouted the name of Lockmarton as they lunged at the church soldiers and abhumans. Seeing this situation, Lily had to forget about her plate for the moment. She commanded her beast guards, ¡°Arf! Guys, tear them apart!¡±


    The ogres lunged forward with a roar, brandishing their large staffs made of obsidian to meet the cultists, who were only half their height. Meanwhile, the demonic wolves and bear monsters, using their jungle-hunting skills, flanked the alpha¡¯s enemies on both sides.


    The abhumans had also swung into action. The church knights were glowing in white light, following Calaxus¡¯ order to stride forward and meet the cult members in black robes.


    Lily and Calaxus realized that Willie, who had turned into a half-human, half-monster creature, was the toughest one to beat. The abhumans, the church knights, and the ordinary monks were probably not his match. So they transformed; Lily shapeshifted into a giant wolf, while Calaxus cast his magic spell and stood in the way of Willie.


    Amid the battle cry and explosion, Hao Ren pounced on Auguste VII.


    Hao Ren had no idea how powerful the sword in Auguste VII¡¯s hand was, but he knew that the cosmic fragment was lethal to mortals. So he could not let the old man go near Calaxus or any of the others.


    Hao Ren¡¯s provocation had enraged Auguste VII. With his pure blind worship of Lockmarton, Auguste VII thought that he should deal with Hao Ren first. Raising his sword in the air, Auguste VII went up to meet his enemy. ¡°What a sad and struggling mortal. You don¡¯t even know that annihilation is the ultimate destiny of the world. How could the short-lived Order compare to the eternal Chaos?¡±


    Hao Ren stared into the dark eyes of Auguste VII. A faint light appeared as Hao Ren reached his hand into the spatial rift around him with a smile. ¡°Old man, let me show you something!¡±


    A black light was drawn out from the spatial rift, and it came down on Auguste VII. The old man, shocked, quickly raised his hand to block the dark light with the Worldbreaker in front of him, barely avoiding being torn apart by the law of the universe. But his body still took the force of the impact and flew a dozen meters back. In the cobweb of spatial rifts, Auguste VII now could see the thing in Hao Ren¡¯s hand; it was another Worldbreaker sword!


    Hao Ren brandished his sword and bragged. ¡°I have one too!¡±


    ¡°Ahh, what a long-lost feeling of airiness. Hao Ren, are you in a fight again? Sigh, there seems to be no end to the days of killing. I can split the world but I can¡¯t break away from my fate as a weapon. Oh, we seem to have company here. Hi, everyone, I am Godslayer, alias Echo Wall, epithet Small Sword. You can call me McStabby. I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    On the other hand, Auguste VII was staring dead at the black cosmic fragment filled with starlight in Hao Ren¡¯s hand. His facial muscles rippled as Auguste VII tried very hard to ascertain if the sword was a genuine Worldbreaker.


    However, Auguste VII did not have to do that, because the sword had struck the Worldbreaker in his hand. Shortly after, the space in their surrounding cracked and slowly closed, which meant that the sword in Hao Ren¡¯s hand was another Worldbreaker. There was nothing in the universe that could produce this collision phenomenon other than the Worldbreakers.


    ¡°Why is the power of the Great Lord with you?¡± the former pope asked hoarsely. ¡°You stole it! No¡­ No one can steal his power. Are you his¡­ No, it¡¯s impossible. Oh Lord, is this a test?¡±


    Hao Ren would not give Auguste VII the opportunity to catch his breath. He lunged out again, but this time, in a much faster speed that he left a trail of shadows behind him. ¡°Three-pronged Throat Slicer!¡± he shouted his move.


    Before Hao Ren¡¯s voice trailed off, his sword was already inches away from the old pope¡¯s waist.


    ¡°You¡ª¡± The old pope managed to dodge in a split second. He had learned to anticipate the enemy¡¯s moves after years of training, but he barely succeeded this time. As the two colliding swords tore the space apart, a tooth-soring sound was produced. Sporadic starlight shot out of the swords¡¯ point of collision, and crack lines appeared in the air, tearing the open space around them. Farther out, an optical distortion happened and their surroundings became elusive, causing spatial disorientation.


    Even in the vicinity of the Ark of the Sacred Covenant, which was under the goddess¡¯ field of influence, the energy from the collision of the two swords still disturbed the physical law of space.


    The old pope was shocked and enraged at the same time. Amid the distorted space and disturbed gravity, Hao Ren¡¯s ferocious offensive left him scrambling and on the losing side.


    Auguste VII¡¯s mutated arm, infested by the power of the Worldbreaker, began to billow in black smoke. He was losing control of the sword.


    On the other hand, Hao Ren¡¯s control over the Godslayer was like a duck to water. It felt weightless in his hand and would have been the perfect weapon if not for its annoying characteristics.


    After several collisions, the silent Godslayer seemingly discovered something and broke out in excitement. Its shout of joy spread out in the form of energy waves, breaking the restriction of only having the sword-bearer hear its voice.


    ¡°Hey bro, who are you? We look the same!¡±


    At that moment, Hao Ren wished that he could kill himself¡ªhe was embarrassed.


    The Godslayer had found out at last. It would be hard to keep its mouth shut this time.

 Chapter 1309 - A Bizarre Victory

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    From the very beginning, Hao Ren never expected the Godslayer to quiet down. If it did, it would be shortlived now that it had found its comrade. So, when the Godslayer started to talk, Hao Ren had given up hope on shutting it up. He told himself that the annoying voice was only background music, and he concentrated on dealing with Auguste VII.


    The tearing of space, the out-of-balance gravity, optical illusions, and time distortion during the clashing of the two sacred swords were turning the battlefield into a disoriented, lawless zone. The range of damage the Godslayers could inflict may not have been as large as artillery, but the kind of energy they whipped up was beyond the understanding of mortals. Hao Ren and Auguste VII could survive in that environment because they had the body of a demigod and the blessing of Lockmarton respectively. For others, it was a no-go zone.


    Amid the clashing of the two weapons, the Godslayer never stopped talking.


    ¡°Hey, buddy. Why aren¡¯t you talking? You look exactly like me. Do you know who made us?


    ¡°Hey, I tell you what, I gave myself a name: McStabby. Do you know what it means? It¡¯s especially powerful.


    ¡°Hao Ren, let¡¯s be honest, violence can¡¯t solve problems. This old man is as strong as you, and it¡¯ll be a long match. It¡¯s better to sit down and talk. Maybe dialogue can solve what violence can¡¯t. Do you humans call this talking therapy?


    ¡°Hey, the one who keeps quiet. Fate is like a b*tch. We are from the same source, but we are forced to fight one another. And for what? How great would it be if there was no war in this world.


    ¡°My dream is to be a kitchen knife; remaining detached from the world.


    ¡°But since I¡¯ve become a weapon, I have accepted it and loved what I do, just like the name I¡¯ve given myself, McStabby. The one who keeps quiet, do you feel a kind of relief and freedom?


    ¡°Hey, you should hit higher! You missed! That way isn¡¯t going to work!¡±


    The babbling of the Godslayer was not only annoying but also causing Auguste VII to lose his composure and rhythm. Smoke rose from the pope¡¯s demonic body, more hideous black lines appeared on his bulging muscles, and the skin on his swelled right arm burst open. Steaming, dark-red blood oozed and dripped down from his wounds, leaving behind countless holes in the ground with smoke flowing out of them.


    In such a battle, every minute difference counted. When Hao Ren found the demonic pope¡¯s weakness, he turned it in his favor.


    ¡°Great Lord! Great Lord! Lockmarton!¡± Smoke shrouded Auguste VII. He whimpered as he retreated. At last, with a Wood Penetrating Kick move, Hao Ren swung his sword at Auguste VII¡¯s arm. The demonic pope roared in a non-human voice, and the Worldbreaker was flung away from his hand.


    Hao Ren was a bit dumbfounded; it was too easy. The demonic pope was unbelievably powerful; his physical strength alone, coupled with the power of Chaos, was still formidable although he had lost his magic strength. So Hao Ren thought it would be a long match.


    While he was in a stupor, the Worldbreaker suddenly shrieked. Countless black lines appeared around the blade; even the ground around it started to crack. As if resonating with the sword, Auguste VII¡¯s arm swelled, and his skin tore open. The demonic pope howled before the cracks consumed him.


    With a pop, his body blew up into pieces and ashes.


    Did the sword, gifted by Lockmarton, backfire on him?


    Before Hao Ren could figure out what had happened, he heard the Godslayer mumble, ¡°Holy moly, did I talk too much that it became mad?¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Hao Ren was stunned.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a possibility,¡± the Godslayer said in a guilty voice. It was as if it had spent too much time with Hao Ren and contracted Raven 12345¡¯s temperament. The Godslayer¡¯s personality was becoming weirder by the day. ¡°Did I talk too much that my buddy went mad?¡±


    The ¡°buddy¡± that the Godslayer was referring to was the sword in Auguste VII¡¯s hands: the Worldbreaker.


    It struck Hao Ren like lightning; what the Godslayer said was probably right. Hao Ren stared at the Worldbreaker planted in the ground not far away; his heart rate spiked.


    It was his sword¡¯s babbling that drove his enemy¡¯s weapon crazy. How was that possible?


    It was the most bizarre victory ever!


    But it was not the time to analyze whether the victory was logical. Though the pope had gone, there were still the members of the Cult of Armageddon, and Lavinia who was hacking the Ark of the Sacred Covenant.


    With a loud howl, Lily yanked away two members of the Cult of Armageddon who stood in her way. Willie roared and fell back in anger. He had injuries all over his body. The dark-red blood dripping down his wounds had formed a small pool of blood on the ground. It was a horrifying scene. But Willie, who had been partially dehumanized, seemed to be unaware that he was losing blood. He kept waving his arms like a maniac while looking at the werewolf maiden who glowed in white light.


    Bodies of cultists and the injured were everywhere. The church knights, monks, and the abhumans suffered casualties too. The vicinity of the Ark of the Sacred Covenant was almost flooded with blood. There was a heavy, festering scent in the air.


    A small number of cultists who survived had gathered around Willie. Not far away, Calaxus was clenching his golden-white staff, and his chest had a long bloody wound. Black smoke billowed as healing energy surged in his wound. It was clear that this senior monk would not be able to regain his combat strength in a while.


    The church soldiers had also gathered around Calaxus, while wounded abhumans stood beside the alpha.


    It seemed both sides were evenly matched and suffering the same level of casualties.


    Lily was probably the single most powerful warrior at the scene. There were only a few bruises on her body, and those wounds were squirming and healing quickly. The blood of the cultists was still dripping from her fangs, and her golden pupils were glowing in high spirits.


    ¡°Come on! Come and fight! I thought you have more men than us?¡±


    ¡°Beast!¡± Willie¡¯s voice was filled with ridicule and anger. He looked at his few men left around him¡ªthose were his most loyal men who were ready to die for him, and more fanatical than Lamore and others. Those willing to sacrifice themselves using dark magic and become his puppets were his last card in the Cult of Armageddon. But half of them had died in this short battle.


    Those barbarian soldiers and church warriors were relatively easy to handle. The senior monk was powerful but merely a mortal. The one who could inflict significant damage was the alpha.


    But Willie was helpless against her. Even with the power of the Great Lord in his hand, Willie had found out something that frustrated him.


    The power of Order of the alpha was a counterbalance of the power of Chaos.


    However, it was not important anymore.


    Willie put away his angry expression and smiled cunningly.


    He knew that his goal was not to defeat these enemies in the first place but to buy Lavinia time so that she could complete the ceremony.


    Willie looked in the direction where Auguste VII had been. He felt no sadness for the old pope¡¯s death because the believers of the Cult of Armageddon never lived in unity. He was just surprised that Hao Ren also had a Worldbreaker and seemed to be skillful with it. Unfortunately, Willie did not have the time to find out what it was all about.


    Lavinia had almost finished reciting the incantation.


    ¡°Holy moly!¡± Hao Ren exclaimed in surprise after he saw what happened next.


    Lavinia had successfully removed the seal on the disc.


    Before she finished the chant, the seal was already broken from the inside out. The last few syllables of the chant were merely ritual.


    A bright light burst from the disc and swallowed Lavinia in it. Before Lavinia could even scream, the light had consumed her, turning her body into photons of light.


    The bright light continued to expand, but it had slowed down so much that it was as if a fluid. It first hit the surface of the Ark of the Sacred Covenant, and then flowed along the crystal pyramid with divine energy filled the air. Except for Hao Ren and Lily, who had been adapted to this divine atmosphere, everyone who saw the light felt an urge to worship it.


    Just when Hao Ren thought that the divine power would go on a rampage and destroy everything here, a strange sight appeared.


    The bright light suddenly calmed down as if it was in thought. It then rippled and rushed toward the twenty-one prison wardens around the Ark of the Sacred Covenant.


    In the blink of an eye, the divine energy permeated and disappeared into the body of the wardens, who were restrained and corroded by the power of Chaos.


    Everyone froze. Willie came to his senses at once. He realized that things were beyond his control now; rendering all his plans and intelligence useless. The resurrection of Lockmarton had become a farce.


    It was his last chance to get away.


    The thought swiftly developed in Willie¡¯s mind, and he swung into action. Before the others knew what happened, he had punctured the skin of his fingertip and was ready to cast an escape spell.


    Yet, halfway through his actions, he suddenly saw ripples appearing in the air in front of him. A small, red princess shoe emerged from the ripples and kicked him in the face with two and a half tons of force.

 Chapter 1310 - The Wardens’ Reawakening

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    A little runt in a princess pump¡ªWillie was not the only one who could not believe his eyes, neither of the heretics nor church knights believed that she could possess such strength. Yet, that two-and-a-half ton attack struck hard. A crimson flash later, Willie, a top ranking heretic was smashed into the ground. The lower part of his body bent instantly, and the solid concrete floor cracked under the impact of his knees, sinking almost a good half meter!


    The ripples expanded further, and a little blonde loli clad in a princess dress with horns on her forehead jumped out of the portal. The little girl giggled as she gave Willie another violent kick. She then lifted her hand up into the air, and a meter-wide hellfire orb appeared out of nowhere. A brutal crunch later, the hellfire orb smashed directly into Willie¡¯s back.


    Blood sprayed all over as bones cracked. Goddess above, so this is how effective a hellfire orb is when used as a hammer!


    The surviving heretics slowly recovered as they scrambled for a countermeasure. Some started to cast spells to attack the newcomer while the rest dashed to Willie¡¯s side to protect him. As the puppets had already sworn to protect their lord, their loyalty was unwavering, and the thought of death had long since been forgotten.


    But many more ripples appeared in the air, and the heretics were caught flat-footed again.


    A few more silhouettes leaped out of the dimensional ripple, and soon, clashes were heard all over the place.


    ¡°Beat the bloody snot out of him! Beat him hard! These bastards are all heretics! Turn them all into dumplings!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s someone lying here. He¡¯s still breathing! Anyone can hand me a brick, nya?!¡±


    ¡°Go look for one yourself! I¡¯m a technological marvel you know!¡±


    ¡°Y¡¯zaks, there¡¯s someone heading your way! Get him!¡±


    ¡°Stop messing around, Sanba! Go look after Lil Pea with your sister! She¡¯s getting stepped on¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, leave some for me! It¡¯s not every day you run into a pack of dying mobs! I¡¯m a DPS character for crying out loud¡­¡±


    The scene was as eye-popping as it could get. You would not find any other battles like this.


    The clueless heretics were beaten up black and blue by the unknown force that popped out of the dimensional ripple. The latter was as unreasonable as their lack of formation and coordination. They pretty much ripped into anyone who wore a black robe with their fists and blades. There was a smattering of lightning bolts, frost bolts, bricks, and hellfire orbs in the mix. Worse still, chivalry seemed to be a non-existent thing among these monsters, and a few of the dying heretics were picked up, healed with a restorative spell, and beaten up again. Such was the scene that it was hard to tell who the good guys were from the heretics.


    The bunch that had been moping about for a month outside Collow was unleashing their pent-up frustrations now!


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyes widened as he saw Muru leaped out from the rift, and with just two fingers he squashed a heretic into dirt. He soon remembered that the honest giant gardener too was a powerful semi-divine warrior in his own right.


    Hao Ren then started yapping. ¡°Muru?! Why are you here? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be manning the antenna?!¡±


    ¡°Heve is standing in for me,¡± Muru said as he squashed another heretic into the dirt with his fingers, scrubbing that sorry bugger along the length of the ground. ¡°I know the people here have been using evil means to corrupt Mother¡¯s legacy. My anger is beyond assuaged.¡±


    Before Hao Ren could say anything more, the fight was over.


    All of the heretics were taken out, and the luckier ones were probably half-dead. While Hao Ren¡¯s troupe were indeed a bunch of powerful juggernauts, they were imbued with holy powers¡ªthe anathema of Chaos¡ªafter eating a whole lot of celestial food items; the heretics themselves were pretty much a spent force after fighting with Lily, Calaxus, and the allied company of knights and abhuman warriors. Resistance was pretty much a foregone notion.


    Nangong Wuyue, with the little mermaid in tow, popped her head out. After carefully surveying the area, she slithered out before stabbing an already downed foe with the tip of her tail. A satisfied grin soon appeared on her face as she considered it an accomplishment.


    Well, just look at her.


    Hao Ren blinked as he was at a loss on how to greet this bunch of misfits who crashed the party. He laughed dryly. ¡°Hehehe¡­. you guys came, huh. Oh, Vivian, you¡¯re here too?¡±


    Vivian was retracting her bat wings and the frosty aura surrounding her. She approached Hao Ren with a radiant smile on her delicate face. ¡°Did we make it in time?¡±


    Hao Ren did not say anything but lunged forward with a hug.


    Vivian was caught by surprise but quickly returned the hug.


    After this very natural hug, Hao Ren took a step back and shrugged. ¡°Actually, by the time you all got here, we were pretty much done. See the blood pools all over the place?¡±


    ¡°Well, the recalibration took a couple more minutes than expected. You know right, transference of anything from the outside is difficult.¡± Vivian smiled. ¡°Plus, they were squabbling among each other in the queue, and Y¡¯lisabet went in first by staking her claim as the youngest.¡±


    Hao Ren raised his eyebrow. ¡°Isn¡¯t Lil Pea the youngest?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s too much of a daredevil. No one dared to let her wander around alone.¡±


    Hao Ren blinked a little while before he breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°To be frank, I never thought you guys would appear just like that¡­ I was shocked when I saw Y¡¯lisabet pop out of nowhere. You guys didn¡¯t even give me a heads up.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a surprise, heh,¡± the MDT interjected. ¡°Actually the transference setup was already complete, but due to the perimeters, I wasn¡¯t able to send everyone at once. Thankfully, that little pipsqueak teleported over on her own earlier. I managed to gather more data and recalibrate the system.¡±


    Hao Ren gave a curt ¡°oh¡± before something struck him. Everyone had completely forgotten about Noobie!


    ¡°Anyone of you saw Noobie?¡± Hao Ren raised his voice. That little pipsqueak¡¯s combat ability was about as effective as her name suggested. She was probably just a little stronger than a rat. And the earlier battlefield had all sorts of spells and attacks flying about. It would be a miracle if that little runt was not hit!


    As he spoke, the familiar hissing sound appeared. Hao Ren turned towards the direction of the sound and saw Lil Pea, who was in Wuyue¡¯s embrace communicating with Noobie. The latter even going ¡°Pewpewpew!¡±


    Lil Pea responded in the way she only knew. And sent Noobie flying with a slap of her tail.


    That was how the two communicated anyway.


    ¡°F*ck me¡­ That really scared me¡­¡± Hao Ren wiped off his cold sweat before getting Sanba to find a container to keep Noobie secured. He then turned back to the ruined battlefield, and the giant shining pyramid in the middle of the carnage.


    That was the Ark of the Sacred Covenant, which Lady Gloom had been going on about.


    Based on the information they have, the key to opening Lockmarton¡¯s prison lay within this Ark of the Sacred Covenant, and the key to activating it was an ancient relic called the Radiant Disc, and that relic was certainly not the plastic plate from the Fifth Plastic Manufactoria.


    If they were not wrong, it could be embedded on the wall of the golden pyramid.


    Hao Ren came before the pyramid and saw the ten-meter-wide, circular cavity.


    ¡°It does look familiar up close.¡± Hao Ren looked up. ¡°Based on the size and the hole in the middle, it is similar to that Golden Disc we found.¡±


    The MDT had also flown over by now. It deployed a blue ray to scan the details of the cavity, and gave its opinion. ¡°But the microstructure and the information embedded within each Golden Disc is different. It doesn¡¯t seem like they are interchangeable as keys. Seems like the one in Collow is probably saved in a different disc. You have any clues on that, buddy?¡±


    ¡°Based on the local legends, the Radiant Disc was once placed in a place called the Grand Temple of Cassouin. After one of the Wars against Chaos a thousand years ago, Cassouin fell and the relic was lost. But I woke up at Cassouin, and after checking the place inside out I found nothing. You know, I¡¯m a demigod, and I¡¯ve already made contact with three of the discs as well as many other legacies of the goddess of creation. I would be able to sense any similar divinity.¡±


    As Hao Ren spoke, Muru¡¯s heavy footsteps echoed as he headed towards the statues of the 21 wardens.


    The guardian giant looked rather at awe at the giant statues made out of stone and metal. While the latter was inanimate, he felt an unknown kindred feeling towards it.


    ¡°Are these¡­¡± he muttered to himself, ¡°¡­Mother¡¯s creations as well? They look like guardian giants¡­ but their aura is much, much more ancient.¡±


    ¡°Lockmarton¡¯s existence predates the First Born and the guardians. So do the wardens that watch over it.¡± Hao Ren heard Muru¡¯s mutterings and recalled some of the details that he saw in the earlier illusions. ¡°So I¡¯m suspecting that¡­ These are the original form of the guardians.¡±


    ¡°The original form?¡± Muru repeated after Hao Ren, and just as he spoke, a hum rang out from the nearby statues!


    One by one, all 21 statues soon started to hum. The dust, debris, and withered plants that covered the statues all started to fall off the statues like rainfall. And before Hao Ren, the largest statue began to move. It slowly moved its shoulders as if it had been roused from a deep slumber. After it flexed its fingers, it opened its eyes.


    White and blue light emanated from its giant eyes, which were made out of precious stones.


    ¡°Brave warriors, you have defeated the first wave of evil, but the war has yet to be won.¡±

 Chapter 1311 - : Another Surprising Find

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The sudden awakening of the petrified wardens had everyone in shock. The army of barbarians under Lily immediately descended into a howling bunch. Only Hao Ren seemed to have some idea regarding the occurrence, and he looked up at the first awakened giant statue. With a slightly curt lip, he said, ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve managed to free yourselves from the bondage of Chaos.¡±


    The 21 wardens had slowly reawakened, as dust and debris fell of their body. These giants of rock and steel creaked as they moved their limbs. The first of the awe-inspiring giants that had awakened looked down at Hao Ren. ¡°A surge of holy power had dispelled the shadow in our spirit. We saw your fight through a veil. We have no idea who you are, but you lot have defeated those Armageddon cultists¡­¡±


    The giant spoke very slowly, and a rumbling echo was audible in his voice. It seemed like the long, torturous petrification had left him very weak. But Hao Ren could sense a surge of energy was re-emerging from the giant¡¯s body, indicating that these ancient warriors have exceptional recovery ability.


    Hao Ren nodded, and could pretty much sum up the reason of the giants¡¯ release from Lockmarton¡¯s thrall, and their subsequent reawakening.


    Well, all thanks to Lavinia. That fanatical Armageddon cultist wished to release Lockmarton, but in her folly, she had activated the plastic plate that she had stolen from Hao Ren. The holy power in the plate did not match the Ark¡¯s but its power to cleanse Chaos was the same as the goddess of creation¡¯s own power. When the holy power exploded out of the plate, it detected the clash of powers within the wardens and had infused the demigods with it!


    With Calaxus and Lily pacified them, the slightly panicked knights and barbarians calmed down. Aside from those who were tending to the wounded, most of them had congregated before the 21 wardens. Hao Ren¡¯s gang of superhuman beings, while pretty oblivious about what was going on, but given their prior ¡®work experience¡¯ they were very much composed, and gathered around the moment the fight was over.


    ¡°You¡¯re the head honcho of the ancient wardens?¡± Hao Ren looked up at the giant rock head, it felt like he was looking at a statue of a god from the Greek pantheon. ¡°You¡¯ve been corrupted for almost three centuries? What¡¯s the status with Lockmarton¡¯s breakout?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the Lord of Kings Loken. The leader of the Ancient Wardens. We were tasked by our creator to suppress the Original Sin, Lockmarton.¡± The giants were slowly recovering from their deep slumber and regaining their senses. He knelt down to ease communication with Hao Ren. ¡°But Lockmarton was a much more cunning foe, and we failed at our duty. Worse, we had allowed the darkness to invade our spirits, and even become the weapons of Chaos¡­ Now that the core of the Forgotten Abyss had fully opened, Lockmarton¡¯s spiritual body is no longer being bound. It now wanders the Desolate Flats and is in its initial stage of re-creating a new physical body. But Mother¡¯s divine power still seals it within the last gate, and the lock is the Ark before you. Praise be to Mother, you had managed to stop the heretics just at the nick of time. We now still have some time at hand.¡±


    ¡°I think you had already experienced the surge of another source of divine power.¡± Hao Ren spoke quickly. ¡°You can probably tell my origins from that. There is no time to waste for introductions. I¡¯m here to solve the problem. Tell me what needs to be done.¡±


    ¡°We need to destroy his physical body once again, and seal its spiritual body after that,¡± Loken spoke. ¡°Or¡­ if you are able to, to completely annihilate it.¡±


    Another warden beside Loken spoke. ¡°But to complete this almost impossible mission, you need to venture into the Forgotten Abyss, and go against the monster on the Eternal Battlefield or else its powers will seep into the material world. Even a minuscule amount would be able to destroy a wavering mortal world.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the pyramid once again. ¡°So we still need to figure out how to open the Ark¡­ but it needs a key. You may not know, the temple complex at Cassouin had already fallen, and the key is missing.¡±


    A faint smile seemed to have formed on Loken¡¯s face. ¡°The Cassouin Temple? Ah, there was a decoy placed there, but the real disc was never there to begin with!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Hao Ren was stunned. ¡°You meant to say that the Radiant Disc at Cassouin is a fake?¡±


    While he had never seen the exact shape of the disc at Cassouin, Hao Ren had never thought that the disc that both the church of the goddess and the Cult of Armageddon had believed to exist was fake! The secret of the Cassouin temple that had been circulating for so long was just an elaborate lie!


    ¡°Lockmarton¡¯s ability to corrupt mortals is very powerful, so we had predicted the appearance of the fallen like the Armageddon cultists from the beginning. We too had foreseen that one day, the mortal world would find their way to the Ark¡¯s cavern, and whatever their motives are, they would endanger the Ark.¡± Loken¡¯s thunderous voice rumbled. ¡°We loved the mortals as much as Mother did, and we are only too aware of their weakness. So we had hidden the Radiant Disc somewhere no one would ever think of. Lockmarton would someday command its underlings to search for the key to the Ark, so we had to leave some sort of misdirection¡­¡±


    Lily anxiously sprung up. ¡°So where¡¯s the real thing?¡±


    ¡°Here.¡±


    Loken said as he raised his arm and thrust it into his chest!


    The other twenty wardens too followed suit and thrust their arms into their chest!


    The expect scene of gore and collapsing stonework did not happen. As everyone looked on it awe, a dark hole appeared before the chest of all the wardens. Thick mist roiled in the hole as if it was connected to another dimension. And in that dimension, a faint light was visible.


    As the wardens¡¯ arm went into the hole, dimensional ripples formed.


    Loken pulled out a broken shard from the hole, and the shard was translucent and looked like a crystalline construct similar to the Ark¡¯s material. Similar shards too had appeared in the hands of the other twenty wardens.


    ¡°Since this is a prison, its key should always be on the warden.¡± A female construct spoke, slowly and thunderously, but with a touch of feminine gentleness and grace. Even when we were overwhelmed by Chaos, our spirit had a safeguard and that shielded the location of the shards from being revealed to evil. Even if Lockmarton had destroyed all of us, the key shall never fall into its hand. Because the key could only be reformed with all twenty-one members of the wardens alive!¡±


    Twenty-one crystalline shards floated from the giant statue¡¯s hands and as they spun in the air they slowly reformed, and after a series of dazzling runic verification, the shards reformed into a complete crystalline disc!


    ¡°It¡¯s actually a crystal¡­¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the radiant crystalline disc, as he muttered to himself, a surprised expression slowly take hold on his face.


    It was a crystal disc! Not a golden disc!


    After recovering from his stupor, Hao Ren turned towards Muru and saw that even the guardian giant was stunned in awe.


    Evidently, Muru did not know the origin of the crystal disc, and by the looks of things that this thing is not part of the Creation Engine!


    As Hao Ren and the rest was still gathering their thoughts, the crystal disc had reformed and activated. The Lord of Kings Loken raised his arm, looking almost like Atlas cradling the world as he placed the giant disc into the cavity on the Ark of the Sacred Covenant.


    A deep hum later, the disc embedded firmly in the cavity of the pyramid. After that, the Ark let out a gentle light, and Hao Ren heard a gentle, yet mechanical voice ringing by his ear.


    ¡°The final covenant is activated. The Collow security system is online. Awaiting orders. All entryways into each level can now be controlled.¡±


    ¡°Reporting the current system status. Stability is at 30%, the central core had already been breached and the Buffer Zone is 85% contaminated. Alert Zone is 60% contaminated, and the final Defensive Zone is 50% contaminated. Comprehensive Security Assessment: Critical.¡±


    ¡°Warning. The Prison is contaminated. Lockmarton¡¯s breach perimeter is more than 50%. Containment is expected to fail soon. Reinforcement signal deployment failed. Recommended action: Wardens should activate the final containment protocol!¡±


    Loken¡¯s voice rang. ¡°The final containment protocol is to push Collow into the edge of the world, outside the worlds of Order to the edge of the empty void. This crystal disc is the key to the Ark, and once the Ark is activated by the key, the engine to propel Collow¡¯s worlds of Order can be brought online. But if that protocol is activated, everything will be destroyed.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute, you said¡­ an engine!?¡± Hao Ren caught the keyword and immediately understood what Loken said about ¡°outside the worlds of Order¡± and the ¡°empty void¡±. ¡°You mean that this thing could turn part of this universe¡¯s structure into a void engine?¡±


    ¡°Sounds like you know what is going on at the edge of the world?¡± Loken was a little bit surprised. ¡°But just as you said, the Ark is a type of engine.¡±


    The MDT immediately came to Hao Ren¡¯s side. ¡°Buddy¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve caught on as well.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°A reaction core made out of a disc, the Ark acting as the hull and being used to propel a universe or part of it to a remote area¡­ It looks like this is the original Creation Engine!¡±

 Chapter 1312 - The Realm of Reality and Nightmare

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After spending a considerable amount of time in Collow, Hao Ren was more and more surprised by the ancient secrets that were buried in this weird dimension. At first, he thought that the place was another dimension sandwiched between the material world and the Plane of Dreams. After gaining more insight into the place, he found the remnants of the goddess of creation¡¯s power, and beings even more ancient than the First Born or Guardian Giants. He also found clues about the goddess of creation¡¯s days before creating life, and now, he had found the precursors to the Guardian Giants and the original version of the Creation Engine!


    The ¡°prison¡± realm hid many secrets, and it all pointed towards an ancient age and truth that no one had thought about before. Yet, outside of Collow, there was nary any mention of this prison in any records!


    What exactly was Lockmarton? Were the wardens the progenitor of the Guardian Giants? Why did this prison and its suppression systems differ so much from the usual style of the goddess of creation? Like the Crystal Mountain, Asurmen, and the crystal Ark before them, it was clearly distinct from the rest of the goddess¡¯ temples!


    With those questions in mind, Hao Ren looked at Loken who was controlling the crystal pyramid¡¯s runes. ¡°The gateway is opened?¡±


    ¡°The gateway¡­ The Realm of Reflections is not the kind of gateway you¡¯re thinking about. It will not ¡®open¡¯ but will only ¡®show itself¡¯. And the Forgotten Abyss that Lockmarton is imprisoned in isn¡¯t an enclosed dimension or cell. It is around everyone, just undetectable.¡± As Loken spoke, he manipulated the floating runes and pushed them to a certain location, and after some fiddling, Hao Ren felt a subtle change take place. The cavern before him had widened without him noticing before it changed into another place. Loken¡¯s voice became distant at the same time. ¡°I will send you to the other side of the Realm of Reflections. You will see the real Collow there and face Lockmarton.¡±


    ¡°Ten of my comrades will go with you. They will be your guide in the Realm of Reflections. The rest of them will stay with me in the ¡®active¡¯ world. There are many things that await us.¡±


    ¡°Go, destroy Lockmarton. Whether you succeed or not, we will hold out until your return.¡±


    Loken¡¯s voice had faded away, and the eleven wardens that stayed behind had disappeared. Together with them, the divine light that ran around the ark. With the light gone, the vibrancy of the area faded away, and the entire cavern fell into a pall of darkness. The crystal pyramid too had dimmed and the Asurmen crystals on the surface of the rocks and ceiling had become normal rocks. A cold dusk light, a fragment of Lockmarton¡¯s will moved about on the top of the cavern, seeping with malice.


    Ten of the wardens that stayed behind were beside Hao Ren and the gang. The leader was a massive statue with beard and hair as thick as a forest, braids of gray hair streaked wildly at his back, with heavy rocks tied to the end of each braid. His entire body frame seemed like it was about to burst of his rock hard skin. He bowed slightly at Hao Ren. ¡°I am Loken¡¯s brother and his right-hand man. The Lord of Mountains, Geddon. Let¡¯s go, the Eternal Battlefield awaits us.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the group around him and shrugged. ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, we have already crossed the Realm of Reflections into the Forgotten Abyss. I have a pretty good idea on how Carrow¡¯s dimensional structure works now.¡±


    At the same time, as Hao Ren and his group disappeared from sight, only Loken and his ten remaining wardens were left behind. The cavern they were in shone with divine light, and runes circled the crystal pyramid. Asurmen¡¯s light shone from the ceiling of the cavern, basking the area with a holy presence.


    As for Lady Gloom, she had returned to Asurmen. The newly restarted starship needs her expertise.


    Outside the cavern, Asurmen had come to life, and powerful light of order cleansed the shadow of chaos that smothered the holy grounds, basking the entire area with the divine presence of order, albeit temporarily.


    Loken closed the display on the pyramid and he looked up towards the dome of Asurmen crystals that were getting shining brighter and brighter. With a gruff voice, he spoke. ¡°Those brave warriors have reactivated Asurmen and roused that old coot in the Chamber of Will. Comrades, we have never been so close to victory until today. Everything is in place now, and this time, we have no excuses to take a step back now.¡±


    As Loken spoke, a layer of eventide glow formed at the base of the pyramid. With the light of dusk, shadows appeared out of thin air and many twisted monsters grew from the shadow as they gnawed at the real world. Yet, as they were exposed to the light around Loken, the monsters recoiled with a tortured howl before returning to the desolate darkness where they came from.


    ¡°Loken. How likely you think they will succeed.¡± A female warden asked as she pulled a short staff from her back. The staff glowed with radiant holy light. ¡°They are about to face Lockmarton head on. A being that is difficult to take down even for us. It had already taken root on the ¡°other side¡± and with 10,000 years of time to build up his strength. He will be even more powerful and cunning.¡±


    ¡°I sense aura similar to Mother¡¯s on them, especially their leader. He may look like a human but many different power coils around him, and some of it is Mother¡¯s, and some similar to hers and some totally foreign, even to me¡­ Remember what Mother said before¡­¡±


    ¡°Beyond the worlds we know, there are existences similar to her. Mother has said this before,¡± the female warden replied. ¡°So you are suspecting that they are¡­¡±


    ¡°Mother was lonely, but I think, she will not be any longer,¡± Loken said as he formed a scepter out of pure energy in his hand. A bolt of lightning surged out from the tip of the scepter and blasted the shadow creeping out from the base of the pyramid. ¡°Those warriors probably came from Mother¡¯s ¡®home¡¯ and I could vaguely hear her voice, urging me to trust the warriors. So while they face Lockmarton, our traitor brother, we shall stand our ground, and the tide of chaos shall break before us!¡±


    ¡°When the Ark is opened, mortals from the real world can venture into the realm of nightmare, and the monsters there can use the same pathway into the real world,¡± the female warden spoke, her voice slow with a rhythmic hum. The cavern was now canvassed by shadows, and the dusk light birthed many writhing monstrosities racing outwards. ¡°Lockmarton will not let this chance go¡­ but this time, we shall not falter!¡±


    A series of light orbs exploded and the roar of combat echoed as the forces of light and darkness clashed. Within the cavern of the Ark, the wardens gave battle to the monsters seeping out of the nightmare realm. The final battle!


    On the other side of the Realm of Reflections yet unscathed by combat, in the realm of nightmare, all that happened was the flickering of light on the dimmed pyramid. And this little changes did little to stop the attackers.


    Hao Ren and Calaxus led the remaining group of warriors across a long tunnel. With the warden¡¯s guidance, they slowly approached the surface.


    Aside from the barbarians who were following the Alpha blindly, the men that Calaxus had brought with him had already realized that they had entered a different world. It was difficult to put into words, but they were very sure that they had stepped into a foreign land!


    After leaving the Ark¡¯s cavern and marching on, they should have passed by Asurmen¡¯s crystal hallway and the audience chamber, but now, even when they were moving in the exact same direction and location, they only saw an abandoned rock tunnel around them, plastered with chaotic runes and pictograms. Twisted bones and corroded weapons littered all over the cavern and there was also a pond with a silvery, mercury-like substance in it.


    Anyone of the clergies who had lived in Fidelinopolis could attest that there was no such place beneath Asurmen!


    ¡°Stay away from that pond,¡± the Lord of Mountains thundered. ¡°That is a trap of the nightmare. Anyone who falls for it will be trapped in an illusion and die drinking their own blood. Those piles of bones by the pond are its victims.¡±


    Muru cautiously looked at everything along the way as he walked behind his elder siblings made out of rock and metal. He finally found the opportunity to speak. ¡°This cavern seemed to be designed for giants¡­ It is quite huge.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because initially, only us giants stood guard against the nightmare.¡± Geddon glanced at Muru before he nodded. ¡°Didn¡¯t have the time for greetings earlier. You and I are siblings. I suppose Mother created you much later.¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t even know we had siblings made of stone like you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because we are a part of history that needs to be forgotten.¡± Geddon patted Muru on the shoulder as the cave echoed. ¡°¡­As a life form, you are much more refined than us.¡±


    Muru was collecting his thoughts to respond but by then, they had reached the end of the tunnel.


    The dusk light shone at the entrance, and the chaotic skyline was now visible. At the same time, rolling thunder and furious roars could be heard in the distance.


    ¡°Welcome to the real Collow,¡± Geddon announced. ¡°Welcome to the last line of defense in the realm of nightmares, the Eventide Fortress!¡±


    He then grumbled under his breath. ¡°You can also call it the Eventide Ruins.¡±

 Chapter 1313 - The Old World

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Evening twilight covered the entire landscape. The stars were blotted out by the power of Chaos as well as the endless shroud of dark clouds and dusk. The plant-life were dead and twisted, the mountains torn, and the land desolate. Even the eternal fortress created by the goddess could not stand the corruption after it lost its blessings. It was nothing but ruins.


    Many years ago, a survivor of the Eternal Battlefield had penned down the scene of the old world in his memoirs.


    Under the guidance of the Lord of Mountains, Hao Ren and the rest came to the surface. This was supposed to be a great door to the sacred repository at the base of Mount Asurmen. A massive white marble door should have stood there, with pristine statues lining the wide, paved main road, and after it was the grand cathedral area. But yet what they saw was a dark, upward facing cavern. After climbing out of the cave, they only saw an endless stretch of barren land, and a dreary eventide skyline with dark clouds roiling over the horizon. Eerie wind wails could be heard all across the barren land.


    This was the first thing Hao Ren saw the moment he got out of the cave. And this scene was familiar to him. He recalled seeing the same image in the illusion and immediately turned back towards Asurmen¡¯s direction.


    Many turned back as he did, and the cacophony of gasps was audible.


    Mount Asurmen was gone, and in its place stood a massive mirror-like pillar. This sky-scrapping pillar looked like it was made out of pure silver to reflect light. It stretched from the ground all the way into the sky. Its surface was smooth without any dents, and from its glossy mirror surface, what was reflected was not the desolate land around them, but the valleys and rivers of another dimension.


    Hao Rem immediately recognized the scene: Collow.


    This is the Realm of Reflections, or what it appears in a three-dimensional space.¡± Geddon¡¯s voice thundered. ¡°The mirror tower is the precursor before the dream. Many years ago, we used this tower while in our dreams to determine our location within the nightmare realm, but now that the nightmare had reached the final defense perimeter, the tower lost its purpose.¡±


    As he said, Geddon pointed towards a dark shadow on the barren land. ¡°That is the Eventide Citadel. At least two thousand years ago, it was a well-equipped fortress with full-sized regiments as it basked in the light and blessing of the Mother. Our weapons of war and puppet armies filled the armories. Day and night, the warden¡¯s army would fight alongside the brave souls from the ¡®real world¡¯ against the minions of Lockmarton. Oh, that was the time where the corruption had not spread to this point. There were still cycles of night and day, unlike the eternal dusk now.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the ¡®Eventide Citadel¡¯ that Geddon spoke of and found much difficulty in imagining its former glorious form. It was now a desolate land with charred rocks and twisted towers. The wind wailed from all around and there was no life within the broken walls.


    Hao Ren opened his Dimensional Pocket and deployed about half of his probes and all of his droids out and set them on a wide-range scanning mode to scout the lay of the land. With the MDT back at his side, the high-speed data processing network was restored and his exploratory gadgets in his pocket could now function normally. Otherwise, the high tech probes could only operate on a basic setup and supply him information based on his mental capacity, thus limiting its capabilities.


    ¡°So this is the Forgotten Abyss¡­¡± Calaxus spoke softly. His earlier injury had been fully healed by Wuyue¡¯s series of restorative spells and could move as normal. ¡°I never though that it was such a vast place¡­¡±


    ¡°Looks very familiar don¡¯t they?¡± Geddon pointed towards the mountain range in the distance. ¡°The horizon there, those mountains, seen them before right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­.¡± A church knight exclaimed. ¡°The geography is the same as the Sanctum?!¡±


    ¡°But just the Sanctum, but the entirety of Collow,¡± Geddon said as he went forward with great strides. As he woke he continued, ¡°While there are quite a few disjoints in the area, but for every matching area, the Forgotten Abyss is a copy of the Collow you know¡­ or vice versa.¡±


    Hao Ren was wondering what Geddon meant with that gibberish before he heard Wuyue¡¯s yelping behind him and almost running him over in her rolled-up form. Only by sidestepping did he managed to avoid falling flat on his face. As he was about to turn around to berate the happy-go-lucky siren, he saw a scene that sent a chill down his spine.


    Beyond the thick roiling clouds came a massive silhouette that slowly peaked out of the clouds. It was a giant, floating island, an almost continental size one at that!


    And this massive floating island did not stop after exiting the clouds, and it was tilted in a very horrifying angle as it descended slowly but surely towards the ground!


    Clamor and panic ran across almost everyone present except for the wardens who were totally calm. Seeing that, Hao Ren too regained his composure, but it was rather difficult to not being nervous at the sight of a massive continent size island making landfall.


    But the expected destruction did not come, the falling continent was but a phantom, and as it made contact against the ground it sunk silently underneath. While most of the length of the falling continent was still behind the clouds, the forward area had already pierced the surface, like a tilted sundial as it was slowly consumed by the earth. This harrowing ¡®fall¡¯ lasted a good five minutes, it was not until the last of the continent vanished that everyone could breathe normally again.


    ¡°That was the ¡®disjoint¡¯ I spoke of,¡± Geddon said. ¡°That is a fragment of Collow crumbling down from real space. The whole planet was fragmented and only five continents survived. The rest ended up like that, being dragged into the wrong dimension and wandering like lost souls in an orbit. While orbiting they would pierce through the real world, and as you can see, it can seem very terrifying. Though in reality, it is pretty harmless¡­¡±


    As the words left his mouth, Geddon stopped, before shrugging. ¡°All right, it can be harmful. When these phantom continents pass through the real world, they cause irregular disappearances and energy loss. There have been times when the phantoms stayed around. But all this is without any logic. You understand?¡±


    Most shook their heads. But Hao Ren, Vivian, and Y¡¯zaks were deep in thought. Oh, Lily too. She was a four-time graduate after all.


    ¡°You mean to say that these phantom continents are actually fragments of planet Collow.¡± Hao Ren nodded slightly. ¡°But why can¡¯t we see it in the real world? Is it possible that this Forgotten Abyss is actually a much more complete version than the real world?¡±


    ¡°Just as you said.¡± Geddon¡¯s reply shocked everyone. ¡°It¡¯s amazing, isn¡¯t it? The truth is usually much more shocking. For us ancient beings, the real Collow is the one in the nightmare realm!¡±


    Hao Ren looked up at the massive frame of the Lord of Mountains as he waits for the latter to further explain.


    ¡°Collow, it was once a proper celestial body, this you may have heard in the legends of yore, but what you did not hear is that Collow was not split into the real world and the nightmare realm. It was a complete unit on its own.¡± Geddon explained slowly as he gazed to the yonder, nostalgia and lamentation apparent in his voice. ¡°At first, Mother had locked Lockmarton away deep within the planet. It was just a normal prison and reconfiguration facility. No one knew things would have turned out this way. Lockmarton¡¯s madness grew by the day and it had warped into a monster that lives between reality and the illusory and the growing power of nightmare pushed the prison¡¯s systems to the brink and on one fateful day, it broke. Ten thousand years ago, in that catastrophic event, Collow was torn apart. The entire planet and the space nearby were thrown into the void. Lockmarton¡¯s powers only grew exponentially under those circumstances, and he almost broke out. To avoid the worst case scenario, we activated one of Asurmen¡¯s emergency protocols, and this protocol was an extension of the Ark¡¯s engine. It used part of the engine¡¯s capabilities, and as a result, Collow was ripped out of the material universe and locked within a dimensional bubble, undergoing a total reversal¡­¡±


    Geddon¡¯s explanation got more difficult to understand by the minute as it contained many of knowledge and theories that were beyond arcane. It was clear that this was not mean for Calaxus and his people as they were in total confusion by now. Only Hao Ren and his crew, who had exposure to such cases were able to grasp the explanation.


    ¡°After the reversal, the torn part of Collow became the Forgotten Abyss. The fragments from the material world and the rift of the void shredded the entire place, and Lockmarton¡¯s power smashed against the sealed prison and turning the place into a living nightmare. To control the nightmarish void, we allowed Asurmen to open a rift at the Peak of the World, or where the Sanctum is and from the rift to use data reflection to create a new Collow. To stop Lockmarton from using the rift to escape, Asurmen went over too and stayed on in new Collow in the form of a crystal mountain to block the passage. As for the surviving ecosystem after the destruction of Collow¡­ we moved it to the new world.¡±


    Geddon paused for a good while after that to allow them to digest the newfound information.


    Hao Ren let out a deep sigh. ¡°So simply put, Lockmarton tore the old world part, and you guys sealed the old world, turn it into the Forgotten Abyss, and created a new world using the old world¡¯s base. So the real world is now the new world, where everyone lives, and this¡­ is the original Collow?!¡±


    Geddon smiled as he turned, and his hands were wide open. ¡°So, once again, welcome to the old world within the nightmare, the real Collow.¡±


    Behind the Lord of Mountains, the clouds rolled again as another continent fell from the sky. Great cities and fortress were still visible on the continent¡¯s surface. It passed through slowly across the skyline, and like snow lost within the dream, it slowly sunk into the ground, with nary a ripple.

 Chapter 1314 - The Desolate Old Battlefield

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    What the Lord of the Mountains said finally resolved Hao Ren¡¯s doubts.


    Why did Collow only have five floating continents and fragments, which could not even form an island, around it? Plus, even with all five continents combined, it was not sufficient to form a planet!


    Why did Collow, a world that was hand-made and supervised by the goddess of creation herself, not have any temples or legacies with divinity in them, while the world only had imitations made by mortals? Just like the Cassouin Cathedral and many other temples within the Sanctum, while they did have the style of the goddess¡¯ creation, it was clear as day that they were manmade!


    Why was Collow¡¯s history across all nations so fragmented, and everything only started from the same point 10,000 years ago? Even if Lockmarton was the cause of the severance of heritage, the severance was too abrupt and too ¡°neat¡±. It was as though a cataclysm had happened, and every country as well as civilization began anew!


    However, the truth was, Collow had indeed undergone an almost cataclysmic rebirth. With the destruction of the Lord of Chaos, Lockmarton, the small world was severed into two dimensions. The original Collow was thrown into a nightmare by the Wardens with the help of the Creation Engine, becoming a forgotten old world, while the current ¡°real¡± world was a recreation where the survivors were placed in! In the new world, the kingdom of mortals flourished as the legacies of the goddess were all back in the old world, suppressing the eternal nightmare¡­


    With the Lord of the Mountains in lead, the contingent crossed the barren plains towards a rather important-sounding rally point. The scouting probes that Hao Ren sent out earlier had already started to deliver the first batch of data, and from the distant pictures, Hao Ren got a clearer picture of the ¡°old world¡±. But to avoid drawing Lockmarton¡¯s attention, the probes kept away from areas with intelligent activity or any areas with high energy signatures. Even so, the images were already invaluable.


    Due to the collapse of the dimensional void, the ¡°real¡± Collow had been squished into about two celestial units and stabilized. Aside from the floating continents in the void, it had no day-and-night cycle, and all forms of light in the area came from the primal storms within the void. Some of the floating continents almost corresponded to the real Collow (the new world), as countless of phantasmal objects spun about on the floating continents, slicing through each other, yet not affecting anything.


    Over on the cloudy, wide plains, the probes had detected numerous shattered ruins, including floating fortresses of steel, magical spires, and buildings that looked like factories and storehouses. Some even had massive cannons or rail-linked sky-borne bastions. However, all these great buildings were nothing but broken ruins now, their shattered form floating in the old world¡¯s sky. Between them, massive lumps of flesh filled with chaotic energy and roiling tentacles sprouted everywhere. They coiled and slithered about as dread and malice oozed out of them.


    The images returned by the probes revolted everyone and sent chills down their spine. It seemed like the ancient Warden¡¯s Army was once a very powerful force, and the goddess of creation had once set up heavy weaponry as well as orbital weaponry, which possessed destructive power beyond imagination. Yet, Lockmarton had slowly but surely overwhelmed the defense line and even dragged the entire dimension into a void. How powerful was this creature?


    Were conventional soldiery and firepower even effective?


    ¡°So what¡¯s our plan?¡± An agitated Lily was already hopping around as Hao Ren was piecing his thoughts together. She was an impatient one, and the place caused her to literally glow, leaving the husky even more restless. ¡°Hey, big guy! Where¡¯s that Lockmarton bastard? Let¡¯s get this over and done with!¡±


    In actual fact, Lily was not the only one who was glowing brightly. Aside from Noobie, every other member of Hao Ren¡¯s gang was a walking beacon; their brightness corresponded to the number of blessed food items they had eaten. Lily¡¯s voracious appetite and penchant for snacking was obviously number one, while Y¡¯zaks¡¯ was number two: the old demon had holy light glowing all over him, and even he found the entire image weird. It was like he had attained Buddhahood.


    Even as he heard what Lily said, Geddon did not stop moving. He pointed to the distance. ¡°Facing Lockmarton without any plan is suicidal. We need to get an idea of what¡¯s going on here. We were asleep for far too long, and we have no idea how bad the situation here is now. But before we went into slumber, Loken had set up many monitoring stations and backup data vaults. They could still function even if the Wardens were corrupted since they were inanimate beings. They should have survived Lockmarton¡¯s corruption. I¡¯m bringing us to the closest monitoring station, and if it¡¯s still functioning, we¡¯ll have an idea of where Lockmarton¡¯s body is, as well as the strength and dissemination of his minions and corruption in the area. Facing the Lord of Nightmares is a difficult task, and without all this information, we¡¯ll be going in blind. If that¡¯s the case, we are bound to be consumed by the Nightmare.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and as he had expected, the Wardens were prepared even though they were eventually corrupted. They had also planned and prepared for the counter-offensive that day. This cooperation was getting off at the right start. An ally that understood the overall situation and could control it was better than a group of brave knuckleheads.


    At the same time, the scenes Hao Ren saw in Benedict III¡¯s mental imagery came to mind.


    Over the wide expanse, on the killing fields, Lockmarton¡¯s foreboding shadow across the sky, and the giant mirror tower; each place that appeared in the mental image was a location in old Collow. He remembered hearing a faint roar of battle when he emerged, but where was the battlefield?


    Hao Ren swept his gaze across the landscape but saw no signs of combat.


    Vivian came to his side and asked out of curiosity, ¡°What are you looking for?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear war cries when you got out of the tunnel?¡± Hao Ren turned slightly as he whispered.


    Vivian immediately frowned. ¡°War cries? I think I did vaguely¡­¡±


    Before she could complete her sentence, Lily bounded over excitedly. ¡°I heard it! I heard it! But since I didn¡¯t see you guys react, I thought I was hearing things¡­¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian glanced at each other, thinking in unison, Damn that dog¡¯s hearing.


    Right then, the thundering voice of the Lord of the Mountains put a stop to their banter. The rock giant pointed rather happily at an argent obelisk in the distance. ¡°Ah, the monitoring station. It¡¯s still there!¡±


    The monitoring station was a two to three-meter-tall obelisk, and at first glance, it looked like some memorial plaque with many shiny runes inscribed on it. Only when they got close did they find out that it was not rooted to the ground. Rather, it was a floating object hovering about a meter above ground. There was a concave platform at the bottom, and between the platform and the obelisk was a web of innumerable lines, where data exchange seemed to be occurring.


    The obelisk was simply a grand monument to most people, but for the Lord of the Mountains and his kin, the equipment was a tiny thingamajig that required them to bend to operate. Geddon was on one knee as he placed his hand on the argent surface of the obelisk and read the data within. Hao Ren took the opportunity to ask a few questions, ¡°So this Forgotten Abyss¡­ I mean the ¡®old world¡¯, does it have any surviving force that¡¯s still capable of fighting? Like that army of automatons you had before?¡±


    ¡°Any surviving forces?¡± Geddon was stunned for a moment, before he shook his head slowly. ¡°Probably not.¡±


    ¡°Probably?¡±


    ¡°We fell under Lockmarton¡¯s thrall three centuries ago, but in truth, the Wardens lost control of the Forgotten Abyss about a thousand years ago.¡± Geddon¡¯s tone was demure as it was obvious that he was recalling bitter memories from the past. ¡°So, simply put, for the past ten centuries, there have technically been no guards in this prison. No one knew what actually happened, and we had no idea if the automated systems we left behind were still working, or if they were destroyed¡­ until today. We have been clueless. But with this monitoring station, I should be able to grasp the situation soon enough.¡±


    ¡°We have failed in our duty.¡± Another warden sighed.


    Hao Ren did not say anything, and only mentally communicated with the MDT to sift through the information that the probes had sent back. Lil Pea hugged his arm as she curled up, behaving for once.


    At that moment, a light burst out from the obelisk in Geddon¡¯s hand, and a holographic projection appeared. The image was blurry. A soldier in full armor appeared in the projection, and the background was a scene of chaotic, frantic warfare. Reports came streaming from the projection. ¡°The 17th recording¡­ Lost ground¡­ We have failed to reclaim our base¡­ Still unable to contact the Warden¡¯s Army¡­ We are¡­ at the Scorched Plains¡­ We will hold until the¡­ Bzzzzt.¡±


    The projection came to an end. Geddon seemed stunned by the information he just saw, mumbling under his breath, ¡°Mortal soldiers¡­¡±


    Hao Ren immediately asked, ¡°When was that recorded?¡±


    ¡°Seven centuries ago,¡± Geddon said. ¡°It was the last data received by the station.¡±


    ¡°This army was probably doomed.¡± Vivian sighed. ¡°But why were there mortal armies here?¡±


    ¡°They were the ¡®Spirit Braves¡¯ mentioned earlier,¡± Geddon explained. ¡°The strongest and the best of mortal spirits. They had faith in Mother and willingly joined the Warden¡¯s Army after death. They were revived in this nightmarish world to fight against Lockmarton. They are auxiliary units of the Warden¡¯s Army, not the main force though.¡±


    ¡°Yet they lasted way longer than the main force,¡± Lily quipped nonchalantly.


    Geddon lowered his head, and only spoke after a good while, ¡°You are absolutely right.¡±


    Hao Ren recalled the war cries he heard earlier. He heard it, Vivian heard it, and Lily had clearly heard it. They were definitely not hearing things!


    In that split moment, that faint sound rang by his ears again and as he looked up, he squinted.


    Massive, foreboding darkness had appeared on the horizon!

 Chapter 1315 - The Holy City within the Desolation

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    A massive swarm of shadows appeared on the horizon, as though a forest had sprouted out of nowhere and grew across the barren land. The shadows swayed as they came gushing like a tide towards the mirror tower. As they got closer, their monstrous, writhing form was visible. They were the same kind of monsters that appeared in the real world. They had impossibly strong bodies with all kinds of mishmash parts from head to tail and they exuded the madness that drove them. These monsters scampered and pushed against each other while they charged headlong across the plains. They were getting closer by the minute!


    Everyone present immediately fell into an uproar, and even Geddon along with the Wardens were surprised by the appearance of the monsters on the horizon. Next to Hao Ren, Vivian deployed her wings and flew into the air, cold frost and lightning forming around her. Embers started to form in Y¡¯zaks¡¯ eyes, nostrils, and mouth as demonic energy welled up within him. Lily, on the other hand, began to jump up and down excitedly. ¡°Mr. Landlord! Mr. Landlord! Time to grind mobs!¡±


    Hao Ren ignored Lily¡¯s overly-excited reaction. He sensed something and turned to the mirror tower.


    Another tide was coming that way.


    It was a human army, or at least it looked like one. In the rolling dust, innumerable men and their generals charged ahead, their armor rent, their blades rusted, and their bodies scarred. All of this left them looking about as battered as their armor. Their faces were gaunt, their limbs shrunken, and their skin hung like patches of dried leather from the bone. It was an undead army!


    The ¡°undead army¡± trudged on despite their battered equipment and bodies. In the blink of an eye, the army crossed the battlefield and collided with the Army of Chaos head-on¡­


    ¡­without a sound.


    The two armies clashed as swords hewed and claws slashed. Every moment there were countless warriors and monsters being torn apart, falling into dust. The monsters wailed in fury and the men replied with furious roars of their own. Yet, there was no sound.


    It was like watching a silent movie because the battle beside them was totally muted. As the blades collided, only dust was kicked up. After the initial astonishment, Hao Ren saw a knight run past him, and he realized that it was nothing but an illusion.


    The rest had also regained their wits by then, and they watched the battle. Vivian was still airborne as she monitored their surroundings. Lightning rings were around her. While the fighting armies were illusions, in that nightmarish world, anything related to illusions could be fatal, and no one knew of a bigger danger that lurked within the illusion. Y¡¯zaks did not withdraw his power as well, and he even placed Y¡¯lisabet on his shoulder; the little demoness held a massive fel fireball in the air with both hands and looked about nervously. It seemed like she was prepared to lob the fel fireball at any sign of danger.


    Even Lily was in full alert. She had placed her bestial army on the flanks of the contingent while she stared at the illusion with her golden eyes, searching for danger. Her ears started to twitch lightly, signaling her unease.


    The battle soon came to an end, and by the looks of things, it had been a colossal battle. Almost every combatant perished in the fight. The monsters knew no fear or pain, and they refused to retreat, while the humans fought on with faith and courage. Even after the last banner fell, not a single solder ran away!


    The killing stopped, and no combatants remained. Monsters, humans, all had turned into corpses, which littered the entire field. Following a faint light, they all faded away.


    Geddon, the Lord of the Mountains looked on as the illusion faded, a pall of stupor enveloping his face. A moment later, his eyes glinted and he stared at the point where the light faded.


    Hao Ren and Vivian had noticed that aura too.


    ¡°This was the final battle in front of the tower in the Realm of Reflection.¡± A slow, ancient voice came from the light. ¡°But this was not their final hour. In the Eternal Battlefield, nothing stops. Heroes become bones, bones become monsters, monsters become dust, the cycle never stops¡­¡±


    A frail old man stood before Geddon. He was barefooted and wearing a long, faded robe. He was also holding a staff made out of twisted wood. While he was exceedingly thin, almost skeletal, his frail limbs did not waver. The man stood there like a solid bramble, his messy white hair fluttering wildly in the wind. Light shone from the deepest recesses of his eyes, glinting directly at the colossal Lord of the Mountains, the powerful ancient guardian, Geddon.


    Most people would find looking at a Warden a terrifying experience, but the seemingly frail, powerless man stared the Lord of the Mountains in the eye unwaveringly. His eyes even bore a hint of judgment to it.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Geddon asked, his curiosity piqued by the presence of the old man.


    Hao Ren looked on curiously at the mysterious old man too. He simply could not piece the old man¡¯s looks together. Perhaps it was simply a wrong perception on his part, but every time he observed the man¡¯s looks, he received an entirely different impression altogether, and that feeling confused him.


    The old man did not respond to Geddon¡¯s question or to the looks that the rest gave him. He only turned back and walked away. ¡°On and on, without rest, without pause¡­¡±


    The other Wardens all looked at each other quizzically before Geddon realized something. ¡°That¡¯s the direction of the Scorched Plains!¡±


    Hao Ren immediately recalled the images from the recording. The soldier in the recording had mentioned this place.


    He looked up at Geddon and shouted, ¡°Follow him!¡±


    The old man may have looked like he was trudging on slowly, but in reality, he was unimaginably quick. Just a few seconds later, he was already hundreds of meters away!


    Fortunately, everyone in the expedition was your usual rabble. Even the weakest was probably the strongest knight or cleric within the church. No one would have lost sight of a target on a flat plain. After receiving their orders, they immediately followed the mysterious old man.


    However, just as they were about to reach him, he disappeared.


    After recovering from the temporary surprise, Hao Ren decided that they should continue forward.


    If the old man had disappeared on a path leading to the Scorched Plains, then they would look for clues there!


    As they approached their destination, Hao Ren detected the stench of death and decay.


    The clouds got denser and the corruption of the land grew even more horrifying. As they approached the Scorched Plains, or rather, as they got farther away from the mirror tower, the force of Chaos grew stronger. Closer to the ground, the soldiers detected monstrous appendages coiling out from the cracks on the ground. They looked like brambles but were continuously coiling as if they were living. Disgusting did not even begin to describe them. Farther away, a shadowy figure moved in the dim light of dusk and countless tentacle-like objects appeared from the clouds. They were Lockmarton¡¯s projections. But, if the group was able to see those things there, it meant that the monster¡¯s real body was close!


    Pushing on to the Scorched Plains was the right choice.


    The corruption of Chaos was getting denser and the Light of Order was shining brightly from Lily as well as the rest. Yet, they could not stop the Power of Chaos outside the sanctuaries from disrupting everyone¡¯s senses. Just as Geddon motioned that the Scorched Plains was close, Hao Ren¡¯s already-slightly-addled senses picked up a massive energy signature!


    At the same time, the MDT also reported, ¡°Life signature detected ahead¡­ Amount: numerous!¡±


    ¡°Everyone on alert!¡± Calaxus raised his staff. ¡°Full Alert!¡±


    With the MDT¡¯s accurate guidance, the expedition skirted around the path where they could possibly expose themselves. They traveled across a treacherous mountain range before coming to a hill littered with bizarre rock formations.


    There was no more cover, and being on the hill itself was enough for them to tell the situation ahead.


    Geddon and the rest of the Wardens crouched down. Despite their massive size, they were totally silent when they were moving covertly. They had also totally hidden their aura and presence, so even if they were standing before you, you would consciously ignore their presence. Hao Ren went past Geddon before he poked his head out.


    He saw a camp.


    Or rather, a messy ruin of rock, steel, and rotten wood.


    In the ruined camp, countless deformed soldiers were moving about.


    Nevertheless, this was not the most shocking scene. The real one was the location a distance away from the camp. On the smoking barren land, stood a ruined city.


    The city walls were tall with towers all around. The grand-looking structure bore plenty of scars from the many collapsed buildings and burnings. The city itself was so shattered that it looked like the entire place had been thrown down from the sky.


    From a distance, the city could be visibly divided into three circles. The outer circle was the civilian zone, the middle ring held many great cathedral-like buildings, while the core circle was a shattered ruin with only a few grand towers and palace complexes standing.


    ¡°Oh heavens¡­¡± Calaxus lost his composure. ¡°Is that Fidelinopolis?¡±

 Chapter 1316 - A Chaotic Battle

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    As they heard Calaxus¡¯ shocked exclamation, Hao Ren and Lily¡¯s jaw dropped. The latter, with her loose mouth, immediately rumbled, ¡°What? Fidelinopolis?!¡±


    ¡°On the goddess¡¯ name, I would never mistake it for anything else!¡± Calaxus spoke with a hushed voice, his face pale and in shock. It took him a good 30 seconds before he recovered enough to speak. ¡°I was sent to the monastery in Fidelinopolis when I was young, and I lived there for almost a decade. I know each and every wall and tower there. That is the cathedral district, that is the Glorious Avenue and over there¡­ That is the monastery I studied in..¡±


    ¡°Looks like something horrible happened¡­¡± Hao Ren frowned. ¡°A third of the city appears to be destroyed, and the central area seems to have suffered the worst blow. Look, there are cracks and burn marks all over the buildings.¡±


    Hao Ren was stating the obvious because everyone could see it. But the state of the city was not what confounded them. What was the city doing there in the first place? Why did this city from the real world appear in the Nightmare within the old world?!


    Everyone recalled the situation on Mount Asurmen in the real world as well as the massive crater and rifts where Fidelinopolis once stood. Hao Ren remembered a tiny detail; there were no buildings around the crater zone, and while everyone assumed that the city had been destroyed by a meteor, even the most powerful of strikes would not have taken out every structure, right? There should have been ruins and debris! But there was nothing aside from the crater!


    So¡­ Fidelinopolis had not been destroyed by a meteor strike, instead, it had been transported whole to the Scorched Plains within the Forgotten Abyss?


    That was the thought that ran through most people¡¯s minds.


    ¡°Does Fidelinopolis have such a piece of equipment?¡± Hao Ren turned to ask Calaxus. ¡°A divine matrix to perform a dimensional jump in the event of an emergency and send the city into a different dimension?¡±


    ¡°The city itself does have such a matrix, but it is not able to perform a dimensional jump,¡± Calaxus whispered back. ¡°Based on my knowledge, there is no divine art or magic that is able to perform such a miracle.¡±


    ¡°Could it be possible that the Forgotten Abyss has a similar mirror image of Fidelinopolis?¡± Lily conjectured. ¡°Didn¡¯t you lot say that the real world¡¯s based on the structure of the old one? So this world could be symmetrically mirrored, and when the real world had one, another appeared here¡­ Therefore, when the former got blown up, the latter suffered damage too?¡±


    Hao Ren could not help but admit that the dumb husky had a spark of lunatic genius to her¡­


    While her guess had some possibility to it, it was still a guess too bizarre for most to believe wholly. As Hao Ren pondered if he should send a probe over to ¡°Fidelinopolis¡± to check things out, Nangong Wuyue prodded his arm with her cool tail. ¡°Mr. Landlord, I think we should focus on that camp over there¡­ That camp seems to be linked to the city itself, and the movement within doesn¡¯t resemble that of the shambling monsters you spoke of, right?¡±


    Lily poked her head out to have a look. ¡°They are equally hideous though¡­¡±


    Hao Ren frowned, knowing that what Wuyue said had been on his mind as well. That rickety and gloomy camp was just a stone¡¯s throw away from the partially-ruined Fidelinopolis. And the soldiers in the camp¡­ were even more curious¡­ They were not fully human but festering beings with twisted forms. They looked almost like abominations sewn together from different body parts, and some were outright writhing masses of flesh. These chaotic creatures wandered about the camp like the lumbering monsters within the Nightmare. Yet, these seemingly monstrous beings wore battered equipment and still held weapons in their hands. While their equipment may have also decayed, they were real, and the equipment seemed to be clumsily-handmade adornments on their bodies.


    That was enough to differentiate the ¡°monsters¡± from the usual Chaos rabble. They looked more like the festered, but even those beings did not show such a level of uniformity and discipline.


    Hao Ren suddenly recalled the monsters in the battle, and a group of them¡­ looked just like the ones before him.


    Just as he entertained the images in his mind, a probe sent back a warning signal, and the MDT¡¯s voice rang through the mental link, ¡°Warning, warning! Unusual energy signature detected. Range: six kilometers. A massive formation of units is taking place!¡±


    Hao Ren looked up immediately, and he could already see the change ahead. Beyond the horizon, a swarm of dark clouds roiled in the skies, and many tentacle-like structures broke through the clouds, rushing toward the ground. In the midst of all the tentacles, a storm was forming, while dust was kicked up high as shadows of countless beings tore through the dust cloud.


    In Lockmarton¡¯s Nightmare Realm, where Order was totally lost, the presence of most warning systems was pretty much meaningless. The Power of Chaos could appear at will at any point in the corrupted land without so much as a sign!


    ¡°Beware, that is the manifestation of Lockmarton¡¯s power!¡± Geddon warned. ¡°Looking in his direction, Lockmarton¡¯s body appears to only be about a few hundred kilometers away¡­ Hmm? His minions seem to be charging towards us!¡±


    The monsters from the maelstrom had formed into a black tide. It surged towards Fidelinopolis and the broken camp. At the same time, Hao Ren noticed the reactions of those within the camp.


    The twisted soldiers were seemingly capable of sensing the chaotic monsters, and as the chaotic energy started coalescing, they were already anxious for action. In a mere few moments, they broke out of their stupor. They began to move into formations and marched out of the camp toward the plains!


    ¡°It looks like they¡¯re about to clash¡­¡± Lily felt nervous before she noticed something. Pointing at Fidelinopolis, she yelped, ¡°Mr. Landlord, Mr. Landlord! Look, there are people coming out of the city!¡±


    While the monsters in the camp charged toward the plains, movement stirred within the partially-ruined Fidelinopolis. A few of the still-intact bell towers rang, and light shone from the statues on the church buildings and walls. Amid the chiming of the bells and light, an army charged out of the ruined gate of Fidelinopolis!


    They were all wearing bright mithril armor, which glimmered under the light of dusk. Golden war banners bearing the goddess¡¯ image fluttered in the air and armored steeds carried the army. Sharp enchanted swords hung from their waists as they held holy icons and burning amulets. Above the massive army were a group of battle priests as well as clerics who were wearing long robes and holding staves in their hands. These clergymen were casting all sorts of blessings and protection magic on the knights. As a result, the knights began to look stronger and stronger while they sped up!


    It was a typical holy sanctum army¡ªwell-equipped, strong, and unwavering in their morale!


    The holy army caught up to the monstrous army from the camp not long after and started to advance with them.


    Hao Ren saw many of the clergies fly up and bless the monster army with protection spells. Meanwhile, some of them shouted, trying to communicate with the horde. But it was a fruitless attempt as the monsters did not respond. They only marched on steadily toward the incoming monsters of Chaos!


    At last, the two lines clashed, kicking up a storm of dust and gore.


    As the monsters clashed, it was almost impossible to distinguish friend from foe. They were both twisted, both rotten, and both nightmarish in appearances. It was like two massive tides of flesh colliding against each other as they tore at each other, dark energies shooting up from the center. Such a primal, bestial clash would rattle even the most veteran of soldiers!


    Soon after, the army from Fidelinopolis joined the fray.


    Dust quickly covered the entire battlefield as Calaxus and the rest looked on at the apocalyptic battle. Concurrently, Hao Ren began to realize something.


    ¡°We gonna stand here and watch?¡± Y¡¯zaks patted Y¡¯lisabet¡¯s tiny head as he turned to face Hao Ren.


    ¡°No.¡± Hao Ren pulled out his spear and pistol from his Dimensional Pocket. ¡°This is a good time to intervene.¡±

 Chapter 1317 - The Army of Apocalypse

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Claws, tentacles, flesh, steel, magic, and blades clashed in a storm as the battlefield became a literal meat grinder. A whirlwind of death commenced while the winds howled and the sands danced. It was a scene that could only be found in a nightmare. It was something that only occurred in a crazed, darkened and chaotic world where deformed monsters tore at each other. Both attackers and defenders were monstrosities, and there was no semblance of battlefield tactics, order, or formations. The combatants¡¯ only goal was the total annihilation of their foe, and they reaped a bloody toll from each side in the most primitive, most brutal way. An increasing number of twisted and corrupted monsters were torn to pieces as the battle descended into carnage. Even the howling winds gave way to the primeval roars and the din of combat.


    The knights from Fidelinopolis had to circle the battlefield before they successfully intervened in the battle.


    They had originally planned to coordinate with the ¡°army of monsters¡± from the derelict camp, but all their attempts ended in failure. The battle, once commenced, was a flux of chaos as both sides tore at each other. It was unlike the battles that the knights were used to. They eventually gave up trying and charged into the fray, trying their best to eliminate any monsters, which were appearing from the storm of Chaos.


    The two monstrous forces embroiled in the maelstrom of combat had different reactions to a third party intervening in their battle. The Chaotic monsters struck like blood-crazed sharks, pouncing and tearing at any target in sight. They flocked towards the knights the moment they appeared. Meanwhile, the monsters from the camp, for all intents and purposes, ignored the knights¡¯ presence and focused solely on attacking their original targets. They did not extend any friendly or hostile intent towards the Fidelinopolis knights.


    It was as if the knights did not exist.


    The chaotic battle raged on for a good while. The Chaotic monsters were innumerable and even the well-equipped and battle-hardened knights could not gain an advantage over them. The airborne battle clerics had also landed after blessing the entire army and bombarding the enemy with two salvos of destructive spells. Their objective had now shifted to self-preservation, as they had to prepare for the ever-increasing number of the wounded and the dead. Plus, staying airborne any longer would be far too dangerous.


    The high templar, Leonidas was leading the charge as he waved a heavy, golden two-handed sword. It looked like he was flailing a ring of fire, and that ring instantly evaporated three attacking monsters, giving his comrades some breathing room. As he looked up, he saw the battle clerics slowly descend and return to their positions within the formation.


    Upon the battle clerics¡¯ descent, the first phase of combat had passed, and the knights¡¯ charge, as well as the magic casters¡¯ bombardment, was over. Now, it was just a grueling meat grinder with the bodies of mortal men. The healing provided by the clerics acted as the army¡¯s main pillar, and their ability to withstand the grind would be the key to deciding their fate in the battle.


    Leonidas wiped his face as he lifted his blade and prepared to take down a massive monstrosity, which was rampaging on one of the flanks. At that very moment, he saw something that stayed with him even after many years.


    The horizon lit up.


    As if the light of dawn had finally appeared in that bleak, god-forsaken nightmare, glorious light quickly drove the darkness away. A few figures then appeared from the light.


    The silhouettes had him thinking that he was seeing a religious art piece. There was a massive, gilded rock giant, a wolf-like beast that was five to six meters tall, a being with hellish lava flowing from its body, and also a tumbling ball-like creature that looked like a curled up python¡­


    High above the vanguard of giants, swarms of bats and odd mechanical creatures blanketed the sky as lightning and cold frost formed between them¡­


    The unexpected army had not even gotten close to the battlefield yet, but they had made their intentions loud and clear with their actions.


    Two massive lightning arcs jumped out of the bat swarm and slammed right into the center of the Chaotic monsters before they drew out two enormous trenches. As the lightning bolts leaped about, monsters were disintegrated and the earth was scorched.


    It was Vivian¡¯s unique magic, the Wail of the Penniless (a randomly made-up name)!


    At the same time, two massive, fiery alloy arrows streaked through the air and landed beautifully at the rear of the monster horde. A split second later, two gigantic mushroom clouds resulted from an earthshaking explosion.


    That was Hao Ren¡¯s unique magic, the Explosive Humanitarian Touch (also a randomly made-up name!).


    With those two large-scale area attacks, Hao Ren and Vivian had managed to draw the ire of the mindless Chaotic monsters. Whatever battle plans they made earlier pretty much went unused as they successfully drew about a third of the monsters towards them.


    They soon entered a chaotic melee.


    The fighting was frantic. In the realm controlled by Lockmarton, even the most common of monsters were twice as strong. Even so, these cannon fodders did not have the power to tip the scales.


    The 10 wardens were the decisive martial factor.


    Although they had been weakened throughout the years and were in slumber for a good hundred odd years, the wardens were still a bastion of martial prowess. After being fortuitously empowered by the force within the disc, they had recovered about 70% to 80% of their strength. For these warriors who had faced the nightmare of Lockmarton for eons, the monsters before them were nothing but worms.


    The remaining Chaotic monsters were soon dispatched by the unknown knightly order and torn apart by the allied monstrous army.


    As the dust settled, Hao Ren recalled his scattered droids before he got ready to meet the mysterious knightly order from Fidelinopolis. But Y¡¯lisabet started to run towards him in short bounces, her horns still burning with felfire embers. She tugged Hao Ren by the sleeve. ¡°Uncle Ren, Uncle Ren! They look like they¡¯re heading back!¡±


    Hao Ren looked up and saw that the survivors of the monstrous army were wandering aimlessly on the battlefield. They were collecting broken weaponry and some seemingly writhing pieces of flesh. After letting out an unintelligible roar, they soon dispersed, ignoring the knights and wardens around them as they headed back to camp.


    Nangong Sanba tried to stop one of them to glean some information, but he was practically ignored.


    Though Hao Ren actually felt that Sanba should have been more concerned about his sister who had rolled far away¡­


    The knightly order soon reorganized after the battle, and they sent a troupe ahead to report their victory to Fidelinopolis while the rest stayed behind to sweep the battlefield and collect samples¡­ A few clerics, who appeared to be of high rankings, flew over and landed before Hao Ren as well as his ¡°heavenly reinforcements¡±.


    The leading figure was an imposing elder with a white beard, and he wore a holy robe with gold lining. He held a platinum staff while a runic circlet adorned his head. His getup was similar to Calaxus¡¯. He bore an expression of awe and reverence as he gazed upon the Lord of the Mountains, Geddon. As a high-ranking member of the clergy, he would, of course, know of the 21 wardens that served the goddess, and he knew the looks of each and every one of them by heart. He could clearly see that the giants before him were 10 members of the wardens!


    ¡°You are¡­ the Lord of the Mountains?¡± the elder finally spoke after much astonishment. Being in the Nightmare Realm, he never thought that he would meet the legendary Geddon, and he recalled the last message left by the pope, which mentioned that¡­ the wardens had been corrupted?


    Geddon nodded. ¡°Verily I am. You are from the Sanctum? How did you and your city end up here?¡±


    The elder took a deep breath as he gathered his thoughts. ¡°We were following the will of the pope, and we joined the war of martyrdom¡ª¡±


    Even before he could finish speaking, Calaxus¡¯ voice came from behind Geddon. ¡°Verrol?¡±


    Calaxus was helping a few Church Knights dispel some of the Chaotic taints they had suffered in the battle earlier. He had just made his way to the rest when he saw the negotiating clerics.


    ¡°Calaxus?¡± The elder was surprised as well. ¡°Why are you here? Goddess above¡­ I thought you perished in Ansu!¡±


    ¡°Goddess above!¡± Calaxus was elated upon seeing familiar faces. ¡°The same goes to you! How did you lot end up here? Noah? Benjamin? Hopkins? You¡¯re all here?!¡±


    A series of names escaped Calaxus¡¯ mouth as he looked on, dazed at the clerics and knights behind Verrol. He seemed confused. ¡°Does this mean that¡­ that the city on the plains is Fidelinopolis?!¡±


    ¡°Is there a second one?¡± Verrol retorted.


    Hao Ren realized that the two were about to go into the deep end of nostalgia and quickly interjected, ¡°We can leave all that for later. Do you know where did that¡­ army of monsters come from? I saw you fighting alongside them.¡±


    While he was curious about how Fidelinopolis got teleported there, he was even more curious about the question he just asked.


    Verrol gave Hao Ren a suspicious look before he realized that the plain-looking man was probably the leader of the group.


    As he spoke, even Geddon and the other mighty warriors only nodded and listened on.


    After he collected himself, the high clergy sighed. ¡°They are not monsters. They are the last of the combat group that remained in the Forgotten Abyss.¡±

 Chapter 1318 - The Pope?

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°We found this while investigating the camp.¡± Verrol produced a large black book and handed it to Hao Ren as he noticed his audience¡¯s surprise and bafflement. ¡°It was the key to solving the mystery behind the troops.¡±


    Hao Ren took the thick dilapidated book from him. ¡°This is¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an old log book. It was once a sacred item, belonging to some powerful religious leader or friar. I think it¡¯s a prayer book. The Scripture of Origins written inside protected the book from the ravages of time in the Nightmare Realm. The owner of the book must have understood the power of these scriptures and decided to use the book to record highly important information¡­ Don¡¯t bother. Most of the scripture inside is already unrecognizable¡­ You can maybe make out a third of what¡¯s written inside towards the end of the book.¡±


    Hao Ren carefully flipped through the prayer book until he found something readable.


    ¡°¡­¡¯s power is leaving. The storm in the evening¡­ cut off¡­ connection. The situation is worsening. Bishop Aaron tried to contact¡­ but received no response. We may have¡­ I worry that people¡¯s supplies will soon be contaminated by the power of¡­ Everything of importance that happened after today will be recorded in this prayer book¡­


    ¡°The 76th day. We have been stuck here for over two months. Only two members of the scouting troops came back. They said¡­ confirmed that the Warden¡¯s Army has been defeated. The powerful war statues and magic weapons seemed to have lost control. Looking at where they were destroyed, there were signs of¡­ All was dark in Eventide Fortress and Mithril Bastion. They have lost the blessing of God¡¯s light. So far, everything suggests that something happened to the Warden¡¯s Army. Perhaps¡­


    ¡°¡­ Supplies are almost gone, but there is still no sign of our luck turning¡­ The path to the real world is barred to us. Spirit Braves soldiers do not need food and water, but we have no way of replenishing Holy Water and incense. Even Spirit Braves¡­ corrupt and twisted. During our meeting, we discussed the possibility of substitutes, but here in the Nightmare Realm, there may not be anything that can defend against Lockmarton¡¯s¡­


    ¡°The passage of time has become odd. We never notice when it is nighttime or daytime. Perhaps time really has stopped in this world. When the wardens left¡­ Nevertheless, we should be able to defend this place with our soldiers. How long will this last, though? The demigod has left, and his soldiers have already been beaten. The only ones left are we, the Spirit Braves Army, metamorphosed from human beings. Continuing our defensive position here in the empty Nightmare Realm seems pointless now¡­


    ¡°¡­survived a ghastly battle. Many died, but we managed to beat Lockmarton¡¯s minions. Our base is still secure under the force of the knights. Perhaps Lockmarton found our stubbornness pointless, but what¡¯s wrong with that? At least this fight is meaningful to us. On a side note, I was injured from battle. However, healing magic seems to be working very slowly. This is unusual and requires¡­


    ¡°¡­ two months, my wound has finally healed. It looks odd. There seems to be some growth around the scar¡­ found other soldiers who were wounded before to have similar growths around their scars. The bishops have started an investigation and found¡­ more oddities. Some soldiers show signs of deformity or shriveling in their bodies. The effects are slight, but not a good sign¡­


    ¡°¡­ more and more oddities. It¡¯s strange. Ever since the last battle, all healing magic has stopped working, but our self-healing power has become stronger to the point of replacing the healing magic itself. However, the wounds that heal in this way often show unusual growths that cannot be explained. Removing them cause even more growths¡­


    ¡°I feel down, and a little lost. I¡¯m always trying to remember if I¡¯ve forgotten something, but my busy life continues as usual. It is¡­ prayer day already?


    ¡°¡­ saw a reflection of myself in a shield, and noticed a new tentacle that I didn¡¯t know I had¡­ Bishop Aaron is already completely unrecognizable, but he still has the same aura¡­ My two attendants have also changed tremendously in their looks. I can¡¯t even tell them apart because they look so similar. I had to ask them to wear different colored¡­


    ¡°Writing is becoming difficult¡­ I don¡¯t even know what to write. I feel like mind is slipping away. It has become too hard to remember things¡­ The bishops seem to have forgotten a very important ceremony. I can still recall bits and pieces of it, but what is the ceremony about¡­


    ¡°¡­battle ended. Many were wounded and waiting to recuperate. I remember there is a way to accelerate the healing process, but¡­ what is it?


    ¡°Writing is¡­ Recording¡­ Don¡¯t understand¡­ I¡¯m a¡­ a¡­¡±


    The contents of the book after that were mostly nonsensical symbols and abstract scribblings.


    ¡°He was probably;y the last one standing,¡± Verrol said slowly. ¡°His diary is very precious intel to us, allowing us to figure out what happened after the Warden¡¯s Army left this place. Lockmarton¡¯s power will continue to corrupt lives in the Nightmare Realm, be it human, god or spirit. As long as they lose the support of sacred replicas, they will slowly become a part of the Nightmare.¡±


    Hao Ren returned the precious diary to Verrol. ¡°They look like they have not completely transformed yet.¡±


    ¡°Nevertheless, they have lost human reason.¡± The old bishop sighed. ¡°Their instinct tells them to kill the corrupted magical beings, and it may look like they are still fighting against Lockmarton¡¯s power, but it is beyond them to communicate or even think. We have tried many times to communicate with them in various ways but to no avail. The only outcome we have so far is that¡­ they are not attacking us anymore.¡±


    Lord of the Mountains lowered his head in thought.


    ¡°We can think about that later.¡± Hao Ren still remembered his mission. The Armageddon Army¡¯s presence was unexpected, but first, they must deal with the cause of all this¡ªLockmarton. ¡°I¡¯m curious about why you moved the entire Fidelinopolis here. Why did you do it? And what happened at Fidelinopolis? The Pope¡­¡±


    ¡°We have many questions as well.¡± Verrol looked at Hao Ren and the rocky giants behind him. ¡°I think we need to have a more thorough discussion together. Let¡¯s return to Fidelinopolis. The Pope will tell you all about it.¡±


    ¡°The Pope?!¡± Hao Ren was shocked. ¡°You mean Pope Auguste VII? Isn¡¯t he¡­¡±


    ¡°Remember this ¡ª the people of the Sanctum will never give in, not even to Lockmarton.¡± The old bishop said plainly. ¡°I know you are confused. Come to Fidelinopolis with me, and all your questions will be answered.¡±


    Despite being trapped in Lockmarton¡¯s territory, the Nightmare Realm, Fidelinopolis still stood proudly against all odds. The charred city walls and burnt towers told the story of countless horrible encounters with the enemy and the unyielding spirits of its inhabitants. Upon entering the city, they were greeted with badly damaged buildings and barely recognizable walkways. Many of the towering cathedrals and spires were already near collapse, their existence purely supported by magic. A thin veil of light flowed between the cracks in the bricks and metal structures, keeping them together.


    Many workers busied themselves at the buildings, doing their best to fix structures that were less heavily damaged and dismantling buildings which were entirely dependent on magic to stand. In the rubble of dismantled buildings, iron gargoyles with magic symbols etched all over their skin did their thing¡ªsalvaging useless material from the rubble.


    The city looked like it had taken a heavy blow, but everything seemed to be in order. Hao Ren began to realize that the transportation of Fidelinopolis to this place was all part of the plan!


    The only person who had the power to do this was the master of the city¡ªPope Auguste VII.


    If that was the case, then who was the guy out there in the real world, corrupted by the Worldbreaker and stopping the people?!


    Hao Ren kept these questions to himself as he walked the streets of Fidelinopolis, following Bishop Verrol through the outer ring of the city where the normal people lived, and then along the sacred paths to the heart of the city¡ªa circular neighborhood called God¡¯s Side Precinct.


    This was once the center of the Church of the Goddess. All the most important churches and privy council archives were found in this tiny circular area. The largest building was the Basilica Icon ¡ª the mortal symbols of all 21 Wardens were also here. However, the damage sustained by God¡¯s Side Precinct was far worse than the two circular zones surrounding it. Only less than a fifth of its buildings were still standing. Only an empty field was left where the Basilica Icon once was¡ªthe palace must have been left behind in the real world.


    Calaxus watched the city where he had spent almost his entire life in quiet contemplation. He had never imagined that the invincible Holy City would be washed in flames. In just a few months¡¯ time, Asurmen was dying, the Sanctum had fallen, and the Holy City itself was attacked. These glorious cities had now been reduced to such a sorry state. He remembered how magnificent the city looked like when he left the place, but now¡­


    This was the surviving remnant of the Holy City, tucked away in the Nightmare Realm.


    Since the Basilica Icon was left in the real world, the temporary headquarters for the city was now in a large church in God¡¯s Side Precinct¡ªprobably the only building untouched by destruction in this side of the city. In this massive church, bathed in a gentle glow of holy light, Hao Ren saw the Pope that Verrol spoke of.


    It was an old man, sitting in a chair, with no shoes on his feet. He wore a weathered shirt of an indescribable color and held a simple walking stick made of curved wood. The old man looked so impossibly emaciated. He sat there on the chair like a mulish thorn with a head of disheveled white hair.

 Chapter 1319 - The Truth behind Fidelinopolis

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren and Lily cried out in unison, ¡°It¡¯s you?!¡±


    The old man was the mysterious elder whom they saw after they witnessed the ancient phantom at the monitoring station!


    Back then, the old man had said a lot of puzzling words, but just as Hao Ren and his group were about to inquire further, he vanished into thin air¡ªto think that they would meet the old man again, and in this dimension!


    The old man did not look surprised when he saw Hao Ren and his group. He slowly got to his feet, his gaunt figure belying the strength of his body and will. ¡°I saw you coming in my dream. Welcome, fellow guests from afar.¡±


    ¡°Your dream?¡± Hao Ren repeated the old man¡¯s words. ¡°What we saw earlier was¡­¡±


    The old man nodded. ¡°It is the Nightmare Realm. There is no longer a firm boundary between dream and reality, so don¡¯t think too hard about it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the pope?¡± Calaxus exclaimed. ¡°The pope I know is Auguste VII, but I¡¯ve never seen you before! Who are you?¡±


    ¡°You have seen me before. You have seen every version of me.¡± The old man smiled in the face of Calaxus¡¯ accusation and remained cryptic in his speech. As he spoke, his appearance began to change, and so did his voice. Gradually, he transformed from one form to another. Sometimes he was an elderly, and other times he was a middle-aged man. His voice distorted into a chorus of multiple voices speaking in unison. ¡°I am Charles I, and Harold III, and Auguste VII, and also St Ivan¡­ I am every one of them, and they are all me¡­ I am the pope, and every other pope you knew.¡±


    Calaxus stared at the old man as he recognized familiar faces in the latter¡¯s appearance ¡ª these faces adorned the hallways of the Basilica Icon in the form of large portraits that reached one¡¯s height, neatly hung along the walls of the hallway. From the moment he was appointed as assistant bishop, he had walked past the hallway many, many times. He remembered all the face of the popes, past and present. In this mysterious old man¡¯s last form, he recognized Auguste VII. The form lasted for only a few seconds, but it sent a shudder down his spine!


    ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re¡­¡± Calaxus pointed at the old man with a trembling finger, but could not manage to finish his sentence.


    ¡°You¡¯re the combination of all previous popes?¡± Hao Ren was more adept at dealing with this level of weirdness. He studied the old man curiously. ¡°What are the corrupted creatures that we encountered in the real world? And what¡¯s with the man that is also Auguste VII blocking the way at Asurmen?¡±


    ¡°Lockmarton thought it could easily corrupt a follower, but it did not realize the extent of our conviction.¡± The old man explained plainly, as though he was narrating someone else¡¯s story. ¡°We are willing to give up our physical bodies, or even our souls, for the sake of our belief. Lockmarton only has power over our mortal coils. If there is no other choice, we would rather destroy ourselves and take down the corrupted beasts in this world than surrendering.¡±


    Hao Ren could roughly guess the truth at this stage, but there were still many questions he needed answered. ¡°So, the ones we saw in the real world are only corrupted bodies? Wait a minute.. We encountered a very strange nightmare creature, it called itself¡­¡±


    ¡°Benedict III made a tremendous sacrifice in order to spread the message to the outside world.¡± The pope¡¯s multiform shook his head slowly. ¡°He failed at first, having lost consciousness before he could spread the message, but then he met you out of pure chance, and managed to relay his message.¡±


    ¡°So you have¡­ You have the situation under control?¡± Calaxus asked shakily .¡±Your Holiness, why did you not tell me?¡±


    He was asking all the popes in general, but his question was actually directed to Auguste VII.


    ¡°Since Lockmarton is monitoring everyone¡¯s dreams, the secret can only be passed between the dead, who never sleeps,¡± the pope¡¯s multiform explained. ¡°Popes who passed away were buried under the Basilica Icon, while the bodies of devotees, sages, and living saints from all eras were all buried in various tombs in the Sanctum. Some of these Spirit Braves were summoned to enter the Forgotten Abyss and join the Eternal Battlefield, to fight alongside the Warden¡¯s Army against Lockmarton¡¯s invasion into the real world. Other Spirit Braves worked together to protect the living in the form of the will of the dead¡­¡±


    Lord of the Mountains nodded slowly. ¡°I know of this.¡±


    The pope multiform nodded in acknowledgment at the Lord and continued, ¡°When the Warden¡¯s Army was corrupted, we realized something was wrong and considered the worst possible outcome. We started planning back then, but no one expected Lockmarton to regain freedom so quickly and continue to spread its influence in the Forgotten Abyss. It was also extending its reach to the real world through the Warden¡¯s Army ¡ª by invading their bodies first, and then their souls¡­


    ¡°We realized that this contamination was irreversible. If it was trapped in the real world, and only cleansed through the War Against Chaos that happened once every century, then the mortals would never be able to overcome the threat from the Nightmare Realm. Our existing defense strategy was simply useless.


    ¡°However, the path to the Forgotten Abyss was barred to us. If we wanted to reach the other side, we will need divine intervention or the all-important key, both of which we did not have¡­


    ¡°Our opportunity arrived when we least expected it. It was not just an opportunity for us, but also for Lockmarton. A few months ago, a powerful fragment plowed through spacetime and landed on Asurmen.¡±


    Hao Ren could not help but interrupted at this point. ¡°Wait, do you mean you used energy from that crystal to transport Fidelinopolis here?!¡±


    The pope shook his head. ¡°We could not harvest energy from the crystal, but we made use of the ¡®disturbances¡¯ it caused. When the collision disrupted Asurmen¡¯s functions, it created a weakness in our seal on Lockmarton, but it also opened a pathway to us, one that only the dead can see. Our millennia-old plan was finally possible to execute. When Lockmarton¡¯s power finally took over Auguste VII, we were ready to initiate our plan. Auguste VII sacrificed his body to become the last member of ¡®us¡¯. When Lockmarton thought it had succeeded in corrupting and taking over the pope, its connection to the Basilica Icon became a beacon for us to track it down. While it was careful enough to quickly severe its connection to the real world, we had come after it regardless¡­ to exact revenge!¡±


    The old pope narrowed his eyes, his emotionless face finally betraying traces of pride and determination.


    Lord of the Mountains was shocked by the grandeur and conviction required to carry out the plan. He stared at the pope and studied him for a long moment. ¡°You people are always full of surprises¡­ To think that mortals can do something like this¡­¡±


    The pope returned his gaze. ¡°We are mortals, but mortals have a backbone too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll admit that I never thought you have this kind of power.¡± Geddon shook his head. The massive church had enough room for his huge stature, but it was nevertheless, a little too narrow for comfort. ¡°However, you should know that Lockmarton is an evil god, not one easily defeated. Even if you have gathered the most powerful weapons from the Sanctum and souls accumulated since tens of thousands of years ago in this dimension, it may not be enough to destroy Lockmarton.¡±


    ¡°At least we can deliver a heavy blow, strong enough to maintain peace in the real world for a few thousand years.¡± The old pope said. ¡°We have no other choice. Instead of waiting idly for our defeat, dying this way is the more noble thing to do.¡±


    The old man¡¯s declaration touched the hearts of his audience. Lily stood forward and offered, ¡°Well said! Don¡¯t you worry, old man, we¡¯re here to help!¡±


    The pope nodded. ¡°I know¡ªit seems that the goddess is still protecting us by sending over a powerful army of reinforcement in our darkest hour. If I may ask, do you have a plan?¡±


    Hao Ren said, ¡°I have the strongest offensive attacks. If I¡¯m right, I¡¯m the only here who can destroy Lockmarton.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks added, ¡°But first, we must find Lockmarton¡¯s true body and understand its properties¡ªunder what conditions will it be vulnerable, whether it could hide or revive itself in some way, what kind of backup it has, and so on.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more!¡± Lily joined the conversation. All this talk of beating other people up made her excited. ¡°If Lockmarton¡¯s dead, how will it affect the Nightmare Realm? We gotta have a Plan B¡­¡±


    ¡°That Lock-something, does it have any secret power moves? Will it drop any goodies once it¡¯s dead?¡± Y¡¯lisabet contributed her part, making it obvious that she was gaming heavily during her month-long stay on Petrachelys.


    ¡°One question at a time, people.¡± Hao Ren waved for them to be quiet, and turned to the pope once more. ¡°Let¡¯s begin with where to go, and how many to kill.¡±


    The pope nodded and replied, ¡°Travel past the Scorched Plains, and you will the Spiral Hill at the edge of the Sea of Turmoil. This was once a node that was part of Lockmarton¡¯s seal, and the first node to collapse. Lockmarton is currently residing there.¡±

 Chapter 1320 - Plan of Annihilation

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    With the memories of every pope from the last 10,000 years and all the wisdom that came with it, the war to strike back, which had been in the works for thousands of years was no impulse of the pope.


    He had investigated and acquired all the information there was to be had, and understood Lockmarton more than any mortal could hope to be. He was also very familiar with the Forgotten Abyss.


    In this respect, only the Warden¡¯s Army could hope to compete.


    The old Pope knew described everything he knew in detail to Hao Ren. ¡°Its body is at the Spiral Hill, hundreds of kilometers from here. On the other side of Spiral Hill is the Sea of Turmoil, a place full of ancient power and nightmare phantoms. It is an endless stretch of mist. I said ¡®endless¡¯ in the most literal sense. To an observer outside, the Sea of Turmoil is only tens of kilometers across, but once you enter the Sea, the mist reaches on and on. You can never hope to cross the thick mist, and you can only return to where you first entered with help from a holy device. Hence, our fight with Lockmarton must be away from the Sea of Turmoil¡­¡±


    The Lord of the Mountains nodded in agreement. ¡°That is Lockmarton¡¯s thought expanse. When its thoughts are exposed, it will form a region like this. Only the mind equivalent of a demigod can hope to wander the place freely. Mortals will be stuck forever in the boundless mist ¡ª that¡¯s because the mind of a mortal is much more inferior compared to Lockmarton. No matter how much they try, they will never be able to reach Lockmarton¡¯s state of thought. If the Sea of Turmoil is there, it means that Lockmarton¡¯s thought processes are fully restored. It is already free, at least in the mental sense.¡±


    ¡°So it looks I can walk around the place just fine.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°However, it¡¯s best if we do this further away. Never try to win a crazy in a mind game.¡±


    The old Pope took a glance at Hao Ren and continued, ¡°Secondly, Lockmarton did not have any weaknesses; or rather, it did not have any single fatal weakness. Its body exists between the material and the virtual planes as a combined mass of pure energy and physical matter. Every part of its body flickers intermittently between physical and virtual existence. The body itself does not have any vulnerable spots. There are no obvious clues of as to where the organs are, what each body part does, or whether any of the body parts could regenerate. One possible strategy is to inflict a highly destructive attack on its entire body in one go; the second is to direct a continuous and powerful attack on its body. This latter strategy will force it to expend energy continuously on body regeneration and gradually exhaust itself, and we had chosen to do this in the beginning.¡±


    ¡°You will fail,¡± Geddon exclaimed without beating around the bush. ¡°I suspect that the first few rounds of the attack were effective against it, but it is impossible for you to sustain your attacks. It can quickly take you in. Looking at it, attacking it, or even the mere mention of its name within the range of its consciousness can slowly deteriorate your minds. This is fatal for mortals. In a war against Lockmarton, the biggest obstacle will be steady mental deterioration caused by your minds. This is far more terrifying than the claws and fangs or your actual enemy.¡±


    ¡°I can think of something to deal with that.¡± Hao Ren said and looked at the Pope. ¡°What else? How big is Lockmarton¡¯s body? Can normal physical attacks do anything to it?¡±


    ¡°I can answer that.¡± The Lord of the Mountains replied. ¡°The part of its body visible to the naked eye is about two-thirds the size of Fidelinopolis. On the other hand, the endless ¡®misty area¡¯ that is not observable by the naked eye is technically part of its existence as well, seeing that it is an extension of its mind. The Sea of Turmoil is a part of this, of course. The misty area can be as large an entire planet, but since Lockmarton has not gained freedom entirely, the area should be confined between the Spiral Hill and Sea of Turmoil. In its mind expanse, strange things will happen. The boundary between real and imaginary is blurred. Things that belonged only in the mind will become reality, while things that are real can be destroyed because of a single nightmare¡­¡±


    Another Warden nodded in agreement. ¡°I can give two examples ¡ª a mentally weak person who enters Lockmarton¡¯s mind expanse might suddenly have some terrifying thoughts, and these thoughts will materialize in the real world, exactly as the person imagined; on the contrary, if that person begins to question their own existence, they will gradually whittle away and disappear, just like a dream.¡±


    Lockmarton¡¯s power is mysterious and terrifying ¡ª this was even after it was suppressed for ten thousand years, lost its physical flesh, and sealed under whatever was left of the Sanctum¡¯s powers!


    The elderly Pope was not blind when it came to his odds against Lockmarton, but he remained steadfast as he spoke, ¡°We are ready to make whatever sacrifices necessary. We will weaken it sufficiently before we are thoroughly defeated.¡±


    ¡°There is one last thing, then.¡± The Lord of the Mountains took a sweeping gaze at everyone present and slowly said, ¡°This is important if we want to destroy Lockmarton forever ¡ª we must ensure that it cannot resurrect itself.


    ¡°Even if we managed to reach the Spiral Hill, overcome the army of corrupted enemies, and destroy Lockmarton¡¯s body, it might not just disappear so easily. This is a sly and resourceful b*stard. It had resided in here long enough to cultivate a deep connection with this dimension. The Forgotten Abyss is its prison, but also its home and haven. Perhaps it had modified the Spiral Hill to make it conducive for its own protection. We will be fighting in its territory, so it is difficult to prevent it from masking its own survival and faking its death.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks himself a monster king, one who was often challenged and had to fake his own death before arranging his own comeback. This was the perfect time for him to look back at his own experience and figure out effective countermeasures against their antagonist. ¡°If only we can isolate it from its base¡­ or track its soul¡­¡±


    Everyone had their own role to play. Some provided information about Lockmarton; some showed the location of the corrupted armies around the Spiral Hill; some tried to devise strategies for the war. Hao Ren, however, was quiet amidst the lively discussion. He stroked his chin in deep thought.


    Vivian noticed it first. She nudged him gently in the elbow. ¡°What are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°I have a plan.¡± He said.


    He did not say it loudly, but everyone around him was seasoned enough to never miss a thing. They quieted down to let him speak.


    ¡°First, I¡¯d like to confirm that the Forgotten Abyss and the real world are in fact two sides of the same dimension that is Collow, and also the bridge between the new world and the old. Hence, they are in fact the same in terms of dimensional structure, right?¡±


    ¡°That is correct.¡±


    ¡°So, even though this world here is technically a prison, as long as we can map the coordinates between here and in outer space, we can go to outer space from here directly and bypass the real world Collow, right?¡±


    Geddon hesitated for a moment before replying frankly, ¡°That is the case. The new world is in fact created for the survivors of the catastrophe back then and as a carrier of this prison system. It does not by itself have any means of sealing the prison ¡ª the Forgotten Abyss has a magic screen that does this.¡±


    ¡°Can you tell us how to decrypt this magic screen?¡±


    ¡°You want the prison seal¡¯s decryption?!¡± Geddon was shocked and rejected the idea instinctively. ¡°That is classified information of the highest ¡ª¡±


    ¡°The best way to destroy Lockmarton is to lure it away from its own territory.¡± Hao Ren interrupted him. ¡°Be it the Forgotten Abyss or real-world Collow, Lockmarton¡¯s power has been flowing through them for years. There are too many cracks for nightmare material to seep through, so I need to transport it to another battlefield¡­ one it had never seen before.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous.¡± The giant shook his head. ¡°Nightmare¡¯s influence is weaker in space, but Lockmarton will also be able to escape wherever it wants to. Outer space is so vast, and with our meager resources¡­¡±


    ¡°Who said these are the only people we have?¡± Hao Ren smiled and poked the IDT. ¡°Show them our work in progress.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just ask something from me without poking¡­¡±


    The IDT mumbled as it activated its holographic projection mechanism. The giant and the soldiers all gasped in surprise as they studied the projection suspended in the air.


    It was outer space.


    There were numerous cannon turrets, defensive strongholds, and weapons stations!


    The audience marveled at the magnificence of all the outer space installations. The battle strongholds and rails cannons were linked to each other via lasers and alloy rails in a seemingly messy way, but there was an order to things in the grander scale. Countless oddly-shaped aircraft (drones) shuttled along the space structures, arranging more and more rail cannons and stronghold cannons into their allocated positions¡­


    Zooming out further, there seemed to be more than one of these cluster structures!


    Finally, the audience could see the massive architecture in its entirety.


    Thousands of firearms were arranged to form spheres that were made up of layers and layers of defenses. At the center of all of these spheres, in the deepest and darkest corner of outer space they could see, was a huge and silver ring of metal. Inside the ring was a rainbow of rippling colors, like the reflection from another world.


    The pope multiform and Calaxus were stunned speechless. They were already clueless when Hao Ren and Geddon spoke of ¡°outer space¡±, but this was something beyond their wildest dreams. Geddon was shocked precisely because he knew about the starry world and could appreciate what these space installations could do. In fact, even Hao Ren himself was surprised, because¡­


    ¡­ because he never imagined that the two workaholics, both the IDT and Nolan, would come up with this crazy formation! This was even crazier than when he saw it last time!


    The IDT explained through his mental connection, ¡°You did say last time, partner, that if we don¡¯t have enough power, we can always appropriate the stronghold cannon from Crapple Research Station. I thought you had a good point, so I asked for all the stronghold cannons from nearby Drone Nests and half of the air-to-ground satellites from Io as well¡­ Your attack timing is a bit early. Give me another half a month, and I can add two Planet Destroyer to the mix¡­¡±


    Hao Ren listened without a word.

 Chapter 1321 - War at Dusk

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Calaxus and the pope may not have understood the concept of space armaments, but those scary-looking, humongous mechanical weapons and the stunned look on the Lord of the Mountains¡¯ face was enough to assure them that these weapons could deal heavy damage to Lockmarton¡ªthey would definitely be more powerful than some giant fireball attack from a group of magisters.


    ¡°This scale¡­¡± The Lord of the Mountains sighed after a long silence. His eyes glistened brightly as he spoke in a trembling voice, ¡°When you did you start¡­¡±


    ¡°After I came to this world and understood the threat coming from Lockmarton, they began to make preparations out there.¡± Hao Ren explained while making slight adjustments to the timeline. The truth was, the MDT and Nolan had already started placing those cannons right after he and Lily reached Collow. Nevertheless, it would be easier for everyone to accept that the weapons were put in place after the threat from Lockmarton was confirmed. ¡°You should know by now that I am not from Collow, but from the ¡®outside world¡¯. In all my adventures across different worlds, I have seen many things similar to Lockmarton, so we are very familiar with dealing with them.¡±


    ¡°It does look like you are very familiar with this part¡­¡± Geddon mumbled thunderously like the giant he was. ¡°These devices make me uncomfortable. I must say that they can deal with more than just Lockmarton.¡±


    Hao Ren spread his arms and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll be frank. If I want to take down Collow, I can set up these weapons anytime.¡±


    A tiny smile began to spread on Geddon¡¯s face as well. ¡°Lockmarton seems to be your priority right now. Alright, your weapons have convinced me that your plan is feasible. Ah, now I¡¯m getting excited too to see Lockmarton suffering under those cannons. There¡¯s just one thing I want to confirm¡­ Are they really as powerful as they seem? I can only recognize some of these weapons¡­ They are a little different from the weapons we used last time, so a demonstration will be helpful.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Hao Ren poked the MDT. ¡°Why don¡¯t you explain our products?¡±


    The MDT bounced to life just before Hao Ren¡¯s finger touched it. ¡°Enough with the poking!¡±


    It then activated its holographic projector again and directed some of the weapons for a firing demonstration.


    When the demonstration ended, Hao Ren spread his arms. ¡°As you can see, they are stable and reliable weapons, designed to highly precise and immensely powerful. Most of the smaller cannons can sustain thousands of hours of high-frequency firing and will continue firing up to specs until the energy core melts. The larger caliber cannons are powerful but don¡¯t be deceived by their looks. These guys can track fast-moving targets and fire at very high frequencies. To be precise, they can track targets moving below the speed of light in real time or engaged in unencrypted superluminal traveling¡­¡±


    Nangong Wuyue poked Lily with her tail. ¡°Since when did the Landlord become an arms dealer?¡±


    ¡°The Landlord is a maniac, don¡¯t mind him.¡±


    ¡°Huh? I never noticed before, but what happened to your tail?¡±


    ¡°Shut up!! Can¡¯t I be a little useful to others sometimes?¡±


    Indeed, Hao Ren was suddenly entering his ¡°arms dealer¡± mode and went on and on until two minutes later before he finally sobered up and said, ¡°Cough, cough, all in all, these weapons are quite reliable. They are at the very least more powerful than what you can manage here, and they are immune to Lockmarton¡¯s mental attacks.¡±


    ¡°I am now even more convinced that your plan is well thought through and brings us more hope than ever,¡± Geddon said solemnly. ¡°There is only one problem left¡ªLockmarton will not your trap willingly. Even if someone opens the prison door, it will not make its escape immediately, but rather feel surprised and wary. How are you going to convince it that its sudden release is not a trap, but an opportunity to escape?¡±


    Hao Ren chuckled. ¡°Of course it will not run away at first. I have a plan for that too, but first, I will require your assistance¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Against the background of eternal dusk in the Nightmare Realm, the bells in Fidelinopolis began to chime.


    The first bell to chime was from the oldest and tallest bell tower, Dawnstar Tower. The bells in the churches followed, and then the ones in the commoner¡¯s area, the commercial area, the public square and so on¡­ All the bells in the city began to chime. The ancient mechanical structures creaked as the bells were tolled. Every chime sent reverberations throughout the city, which then rippled outward into the plains.


    The bell-tolling ceremony of Fidelinopolis was held at the beginning of every War against Chaos¡ªthe pope and all 12 cardinals would bear witness to the ceremony, which signaled the beginning of Chaos. When all the bells chimed at once, the city¡¯s strongest knights and warrior priests would board the enchanted warships and travel through cross-continent portals to join the frontlines in countries around the world in their battle against the forces of Chaos. When the battle ended, the surviving soldiers would prepare a roster of their names and bring it back to Fidelinopolis. The monks would sound their bugles from all the bell towers to declare the end of the War against Chaos and the beginning of the time of Peace.


    This was the first time Fidelinopolis tolled its bells before the War against Chaos ended.


    It was a declaration of the beginning of another war.


    Compared to the bell-tolling ceremony when the War against Chaos began, the bells sounded softer this time. This was because six of the twelve cardinals had sacrificed their lives in order to transport Fidelinopolis to the Forgotten Abyss. What remained of them, including the pope, will join this final decisive battle. The people on the bell towers and on the stage conducting the ceremony were either young probationary monks who were not selected for battle or the weak and old.


    The army leaving the city for battle as the bells chimed was altogether a different sight to behold.


    Hao Ren, Vivan, Lily, and the others stood on a relatively undamaged part of the city walls, looking down at the huge army that marched across the plains. All the knights were in full armor; the soldiers were in high spirits; the monks all wore determined looks on their faces. Everyone was equipped with weapons and shields. Lances and magic staffs glowed with the power of magic. The army¡¯s flags flapped strongly against the wind, signaling the courage and resolution of its soldiers.


    The army was otherwise silent as they marched.


    There were no drums and no pep talk or slogans on repeat. This was an army that was ready to return to the ashes. They had only one target, and that target was at the end of the plains. They marched silently on their way, having made their peace with their imminent deaths. Only their footsteps roared thunderously as they continued on their journey.


    A few giants crossed the city walls and joined the scene.


    Geddon, Lord of the Mountains; Golash, Lord of the Flames; Zeno, Lord of Thunder; Alftina, Lord of the Wind¡­


    The 10 Wardens led the army. After thousand years, they were finally back in the battlefield, fighting alongside their mortal brothers.


    Before the main army left the city, a final special unit made its appearance.


    This was a troop of floating armor and empty robes, donned by faintly glowing shadows. They followed behind the Wardens, marching silently like an army of the dead.


    In fact, that was exactly what they were ¡ª their power came from the dead who were buried in Fidelinopolis, as the pope had mentioned before.


    In the last 10,000 years, countless devoted and tenacious followers were buried in the deepest parts of Fidelinopolis. These Spirit Braves had fought for peace in the world while they were alive, and did not stop fighting even after they died. About a third of these spirits were invited to the Forgotten Abyss to join the Warden¡¯s army in the Eternal Battlefield, while the rest of them stayed at Fidelinopolis to protect the city. In this ¡°city transportation¡± plan, nearly sixty percent of the spirits who were left in the city had sacrificed themselves to gather enough power for the transportation to complete behind Lockmarton¡¯s back. The Spirit Braves that Hao Ren saw now were the only ones left.


    In the illusory world of the Nightmare Realm, they would be able to wield their power just as they once lived in this final battle.


    As the soldiers gradually marched away into the plains, Hao Ren rolled his shoulders and reached for the MDT in his mind. ¡°All set?¡±


    ¡°All set!¡± the MDT replied promptly. Despite being so close to Hao Ren, they still chose to communicate through their mental link. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t slack for this major showdown.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s face was as blank as that of a general who was inspecting his troops. ¡°Starting from now, I give you access to my personal storage space. Tell Nolan that she can proceed to the designated spot and fire up the main reactor.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°I say, do you really need to put on such a huge show?¡± Vivian interrupted his mental conversation. ¡°If you¡¯re wrong, dealing with the aftermath is going to be a b*tch.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t be wrong. I have touched the Tablet of Commandments left behind by the goddess of creation. I don¡¯t understand everything on it, but I did get something about Lockmarton. Lockmarton is no ordinary demigod. It is far more complicated compared to any normal First Born or guardian giant¡­¡± Hao Ren replied. ¡°Besides, even if I¡¯m wrong, everything still works out. The risks involved will be a lot less. We can talk about the aftermath later. I can always go back and write up some¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, you have a point.¡±


    The conversation in his head ended as well. Hao Ren looked up at the horizon, where the Scorched Plains met the sky.


    The army¡¯s front line was already approaching the horizon.


    A storm was brewing in the clouds of the yellow skies.


    Lockmarton must have noticed this army and begun to gather its power.


    The minions in the Nightmare Realm will not let the army reach the Spiral Hill so easily. From the way the weather was changing at the horizon, it seemed that the army¡¯s first clash with the enemy was about to begin.


    What followed would be a gruesome and agonizing journey ahead.

 Chapter 1322 - The Battle at Spiral Hill

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The Scorched Plains was as its name suggest¡ªwide and deserted. The only thing you could see on this wide stretch of wasteland was charred earth, ruined by nightmare powers. Cracks spread across the plains, and the place looked like it was once covered in flames. The Lord of the Mountains remembered a time when the field was rich with life, and people roamed the lands. This was before Collow was broken into pieces, and before this world became the ¡°old world¡±. Geddon remembered that this field was located in the northern hemisphere of Collow, either in the temperate zone or farther North still. There was once a beautiful city called Lavender City, ruled by a mortal female saint. She was a devoted follower of the goddess of creation and she guided her people with her wisdom as well as religion to settle in the middle of the wilderness. She was very close friends with a few Wardens too. During that wonderful era, Collow had an evil god imprisoned in its core, but the planet was still brimming with life and hope. Loken led the Kings¡¯ Antecedents and formed the Empyrean Congress to rule alongside the mortals on this planet¡­


    Back then, the sun always seemed to shine brightly.


    They would never be able to go back to their past.


    Geddon was momentarily lost in thought. When he came to, he saw a tornado slowly dissolving into the air. Numerous twisted and evil creatures were steadily forced back into the depths of Chaos by the knights and the Lord of Fire with their magical powers. The storm that came with Chaos was subsiding for now.


    This was the Scorched Plains of the present¡ªa cursed place, roamed by countless beasts.


    ¡°Are you all right, Geddon?¡± He heard Alftina¡¯s voice approaching him. The female giant summoned a healing halo over Geddon¡¯s head. ¡°You look distracted.¡±


    ¡°I was just thinking of the past.¡± The Lord of the Mountains shook his head and looked at the mortal army before him. ¡°We have defeated another wave. These mortal soldiers are stronger than I expected.¡±


    ¡°They have always been strong. After all, they are creations of our Mother as well, and are directly linked to us,¡± Alftina said gently as she warned Geddon. ¡°Focus. We are very close to Lockmarton¡¯s territory. It may have already begun to influence our spirits.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let it get to me again,¡± Geddon replied in a low rumble.


    At that very moment, in the sky above the army, three of the strongest enchanted warships of Fidelinopolis were slowly cruising forward.


    Transporting Fidelinopolis itself from the real world was already an immensely difficult task, especially when the main pathway was sealed off. Many Spirit Braves gave their lives to make the transportation of the city possible. They were unable to send anything more to this world. Nevertheless, to win in a war against Lockmarton, mortal flesh was simply not enough. To that end, the pope and the Spirit Braves did everything to increase the conversion efficiency of every gram of matter they had and managed to transport three enchanted warship near Fidelinopolis to this world as well.


    Light of Dawn, Apostle, and Daybreak were the most powerful enchanted warships in the Sanctum, and perhaps in the whole of Collow. Geddon was not optimistic about the roles these ships could play in the battle, but they were the only major weapons the army had.


    To ensure that all three warships could be saved for the final battle, the army kept them well protected during their journey. They were kept out of battle most of the time and only used in combat in their last two encounters with the enemy force.


    On the front deck of the Apostle, Hao Ren and the pope stood together as they watched the dark horizon in front of the army.


    The pope was quieter now compared to when they first departed from the city. He stood firmly on the deck like an old stubborn tree, his withered hands holding tightly onto his staff. His eyes focused on the horizon without emotion.


    Hao Ren could hardly imagine what the old man, a combination of the souls of all popes in history, was thinking ¡ª the elderly man was himself something quite unusual. He was born mortal but ended up becoming a non-mortal being. With experience and wisdom accumulated from 10,000 years, what could he possibly glean from what he saw? What could he be thinking about?


    ¡°That is Spiral Hill.¡± After a long silence, the pope spoke up.


    Hao Ren followed his gaze and noticed a massive shadow at the horizon that slowly came to view.


    Spiral Hill was not exactly a hill, but a tall and odd-shaped spiraling structure.


    The structure rose up from the horizon at the distance like an obelisk. Huge rocks and an unidentified black substance spread out from the base of the structure like the tentacles of that towering structure. It spiraled upward toward the sky like a spring, and inside this ¡°spring¡± was dense smoke that was spinning rapidly and flashing with thunder.


    Behind Spiral Hill, a thick mist that looked as solid a white pillar rose from the ground to the skies. Strange creatures could be seen lurking within the mist, like monsters in a dream.


    This must be the Sea of Turmoil that the old pope described.


    The army continued their swift advance with the aid of magic. The soldiers marched across the plains, getting closer and closer to Spiral Hill.


    ¡°It knows we¡¯re here.¡± The elderly pope watched the strange spiraling ¡°tower¡± and said quietly without emotion. ¡°Calaxus, have our men sound the bugle. The final battle is about to begin.¡±


    Right above Spiral Hill, clouds began to gather. Tentacle-like things sprouted out from the smoke and thick mist before they made a slow dive into the ground. The dim sunlight barely penetrated the gaseous cover, casting evocative slivers of light on the massive form that was accumulating in size. A massive and powerful being gradually took form.


    More and more pillars of smoke were coaxed into existence by the tentacles. Terrifying howls were heard from all around them as Lockmarton¡¯s minions gathered following its awakening. Smoke and dust coalesced in just seconds into physical beings.


    Rhaa ¡ª


    The low sound of the bugles came from all three enchanted warships like a somber but heroic battle cry.


    ¡°Unsheathe your swords, Chaos is coming!¡±


    The general¡¯s orders reverberated across the battlefield. The army flags burned brightly. The holy runes on their armor glowed, bathing the soldiers with light that challenged the darkness in the Nightmare Realm.


    Compared to when they first left Fidelinopolis, the army had already lost close to a third of its strength. Thousands of warriors had perished in their journey across the Scorched Plains. The army had survived over a dozen battles and two chaos storms. Psychological attacks from their nightmares never stopped. The soldier had barely recovered from their last battle before they had to fight again in this final battle.


    Nevertheless, not one of them ran away. None of them felt regret. This was a battle against evil, and nothing short of death can stop them from fighting it!


    When the general¡¯s orders came, the warriors raised their weapons again to meet the growing enemy forces ahead!


    The dark mass of corrupted monsters finally reached the front line of the Sanctum¡¯s army. Silver and black clashed like waves, bringing time to a standstill.


    The decisive battle was afoot.


    Torn limbs from both human and monster were flying everywhere. Sparks of fire and severed body parts flew as the two armies crashed into one another. Both sides were pushed back from the violent contact, but quickly rushed toward each other again in the next moment!


    In this brute exchange of forces, the silver front line of the Sanctum¡¯s army was slower compared to its enemy, but the soldiers did not stop marching forward as they forced their way toward Spiral Hill.


    On the deck of the Apostle, Lily observed the battle at the front line anxiously, occasionally circling back to Hao Ren to ask, ¡°Landlord, Landlord, when do we make our move?¡±


    ¡°Just a while more.¡± Hao Ren watched the transformation of the cloud above Spiral Hill, knowing that with every second passing, more courageous soldiers would die in battle. However, he could not throw in all his chips into the battlefield in front of him yet. These soldiers were sacrificing themselves to give their second wave of attack a chance of succeeding. He had to understand that. ¡°Follow the movement of Geddon of and others. We will join in when they enter the battlefield, but take care to reserve your strength ¡ª the is a greater challenge ahead of us.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Lily nodded vigorously and proceeded to monitor the Wardens¡¯ movements.


    Geddon, Lord of the Mountains, was following the battle closely.


    The front line was pushing forward. The warriors of the Sanctum were forcefully paving the way to Spiral Hill using their own flesh and bones. Spiral Hill was now surrounded by a thick perimeter of minions, but the Sanctum¡¯s army plunged their way in like a razor blade slicing through rotten meat, overcoming Lockmarton¡¯s defenses.


    The front line warriors opened up the way for the soldiers behind them to continue their march forward.


    Suddenly, a powerful mental presence invaded the battlefield.


    It felt like a powerful shockwave, disrupting the minds of all the soldiers. Strange hallucinations of negative emotions flooded their minds, leaving them gasping for breath. The higher level warrior priests used magic to repel the mental attack, but the unsettling feeling persisted in the army.


    The Lord of the Mountains narrowed his eyes. He saw something odd happening in the thick smoke pillars at the front line when the mental attack struck.


    Two huge tentacles reached out from the smoke pillars. Countless monstrous and bloated creatures that reached up to five meters tall appeared around the tentacles and moved toward the soldiers¡­


    ¡°The Lockmartonian Constructs have appeared!¡± The Lord of the Mountains roared in his resonant voice. ¡°Wardens, prepare for battle!¡±

 Chapter 1323 - The Eternal Battlefield

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    In their bid to push forward into enemy territory, the Sanctum¡¯s front line soldiers were sacrificed heavily.


    The best knights and the most devoted disciples breathed their last breaths in the dreadful battle. War against the monsters of Chaos was merciless and brutal. The enemy was created for the sole purpose of destruction. The war would end only when either side was vanquished.


    The appalling degree of sacrifice had brought the army four kilometers closer to Spiral Hill.


    As the army journeyed through these four kilometers, Lockmarton began to feel threatened¡ªif the tyrant had any capacity for emotions¡ªand this led to more and more minions materializing from the smoke to stop the soldiers. On the other hand, a new type of creature was introduced into the battlefield.


    These creatures looked like giant humans that reached up to five meters tall. Bloated limbs and rotten lumps of meat grew all over their bodies, barely containing themselves. Despite not having anything resembling a head, there was an unevenly shaped black protrusion on top of the creature¡¯s body, with two rows of dark yellow eyes twitching eerily.


    These horribly unwieldy creatures were surprisingly agile. They seemed to be able to control gravity and they kept their swollen bodies a few meters above the ground at all times. Evil runes glowed on their bodies, providing them a layer of defense and corruptive powers. Any living being within a few hundred meters of these creatures would decay and collapse faster than nature intended. Weapons would quickly lose their integrity, while souls would be corrupted by dark visions and nightmares.


    These special powers made the creatures different from the normal corrupted minions.


    They were called Lockmartonian Constructs, creatures that could only materialize in the Nightmare Realm and a direct manifestation of Lockmarton¡¯s thoughts.


    Once they entered the battle, normal soldiers at the front line were severely affected. While everyone in the army could use magic to defend themselves against negative influences, the presence of hundreds of these creatures soon bore down on the army of mortals. A noticeable collapse in the army became apparent in the flank.


    Right at this moment, the 10 Wardens took over the front line soldiers. The rock giants crossed the battlefield and stood before the Constructs, protecting the flank. Their massive bodies were covered in the Goddess¡¯ runes, shielding the soldiers against the Constructs¡¯ corruptive influence.


    The Lord of the Mountains picked up his rocky warhammer and brought it down to the ground. As the earth shook, the closest Constructs to him were petrified into grayish-white rock and then crumbled into pieces.


    ¡°Hahaha, it¡¯s been so long since I fight these ¡®meat bags¡¯, they still feel terrible as hell!¡±


    Geddon laughed joyfully, expressing his deep contempt and unshakeable confidence. His voice swept across the battlefield and invigorated the soldiers, helping them recover from the psychological attack.


    ¡°Is that right? I thought they are excellent target practice. Grill ¡¯em up and they¡¯ll taste like chicken!¡±


    Golash, Lord of the Flames, joined in beside him. The bald rocky giant shot out powerful lasers from his eyes, blowing up the Constructs in his way into smithereens.


    However, more and more of the Constructs materialized from the smoke and mist, faster than the Wardens could destroy them.


    Another burst of Light of Order came from behind the Wardens. The glowing form leaped its way through the knights and came to his side. Geddon looked down to see a magnificent silver wolf.


    He knew from Calaxus that this large wolf was the alternative form of the ¡°werewolf¡± lady. He watched the Light of Order surging in the other¡¯s body in surprise. It was shining even more brightly compared to some of the Wardens.


    A voice came from the wolf¡¯s nose. ¡°How far off are we?! Is it close enough to attack now?¡±


    Geddon squinted and saw Hao Ren standing on the wolf¡¯s nose.


    ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s not going very well.¡± Geddon did not answer in his bellowing voice. He controlled his voice to a near whisper. ¡°Lockmarton¡¯s minions are stronger than expected. It had not even shown its true body yet. If we attack from this distance, we will be hindered by all these cannon fodder and Lockmarton¡¯s mind shield.¡±


    ¡°It is quite far¡­ We will likely fail if we carry out our plan from here.¡± Hao Ren stood steadfastly on Lily¡¯s nose as he looked up at Spiral Hill. ¡°We have to force our way through these cannon fodder.¡±


    ¡°We have to destroy the Constructs,¡± Geddon said lowly. ¡°They are close to being Lockmarton¡¯s bodily extension. Once they are destroyed, Spiral Hill¡¯s defenses will be greatly diminished.¡±


    ¡°They seem to materialize out of thin air.¡± Hao Ren frowned as he trained his gaze on the two smoke pillars, where the bulky Constructs were ¡°born¡±. ¡°Those smoke pillars look odd. They look like they¡¯re highly immune to attacks, and there are simply too many minions protecting it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because Lockmarton¡¯s two tentacles are inside,¡± Geddon answered solemnly. ¡°We have to figure out how to destroy them.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. He looked at the two smoke pillars, and then at the clashing between the Sanctum¡¯s army and the corrupted minions.


    Things were not going well.


    The battlefield was like a coarse grindstone that ruined the sharp front line of the army. The Sanctum army front line pitted itself against this grindstone and gradually lost its edge. Despite the army¡¯s continuous advance, it was no longer pushing into enemy territory as quickly as before.


    The soldiers were about to lose their ground.


    If nothing changed, the army may not be able to even breach the wall of corrupted minions around Lockmarton, much less hurt the being itself.


    Hao Ren gripped onto his own lance and gently nudged Lily¡¯s nose with his leg¡ªthat was the signal to prepare to enter the battle.


    This was not what they planned. While exhausting and revealing themselves this early could jeopardize the effectiveness of their plan, they did not have a choice¡ªif the army could not find the strength to break through this horrendous defense line, their final act may not even get the chance to see the light of day.


    Hao Ren was contemplating the consequences of their early involvement when a sudden commotion from the flank got his attention.


    He looked up to see numerous dark shadows appearing at the edge of the chaotic battlefield.


    There were so many of those dark shadows. They bore no flag or symbol, but they did not look like minions.


    When they came close enough, Hao Ren finally recognized them.


    It was the Armageddon Army!


    The soldiers wore tattered armor, and their bodies looked deformed and festered. The army that looked just as menacing as the minions appeared at the battlefield to everyone¡¯ surprise. No one knew how they escaped from the place that bound their spirits and survived the minion-infested Scorched Plains to reach the battlefield, but here they were.


    The deformed army reached the flank of the Sanctum¡¯s army, where the knights were stationed. Everyone¡¯s eyes were on the newcomers. Hao Ren saw a particularly large warrior stepped out in front of the army.


    Unlike the others, this soldier had completely lost its human appearance. All the fleshy lumps and tentacles growing out of him made him look like a monster. The warrior walked shakily to the frontmost edge of the army and awkwardly pulled out something from his person and spread it out.


    It was a tattered piece of cloth.


    He spread out the cloth solemnly and hung it on one of the protruding bones on his back.


    Then, he walked shakily to the knights. He shook his body and clawed his chest with his decaying fingers. He tried desperately to make a sound, but could only manage an odd hoarse cry.


    No one understood him. The ancient warrior had already forgotten everything he knew about human language.


    ¡°I heard the bells¡­ We are here now¡­ Has the war begun?¡±


    He wanted to ask this, but no one here could understand him.


    The battle cries from the front line traveled across the army to the flank. The storm at the smoke pillars was roaring thunderously. The deformed warrior finally took in all this. Slowly, he looked up.


    The army behind him followed his lead toward their target.


    Just then, another army entered the scene from behind the Sanctum¡¯s army.


    These were glowing spirits in skeletal form. Their armor moved without real flesh guiding them, and their holy robes seemed to float in midair.


    This was the Spirit Braves Army, consisting of all the deceased that were buried under Fidelinopolis in the last 10,000 years. In the original plan, they were the army¡¯s backup, and would only start attacking when the main army¡¯s forces were losing ground. Since the spirits of the dead were beginning to dissipate, they must reserve their strength until the last moment.


    Now was the moment they had chosen to enter the battlefield.


    The dead walked past the living and silently marched across the Shield of Order put up by the 10 Wardens. A tall spirit clad in white holy robes walked past the deformed warrior and gave him a soft pat on the shoulder.


    It¡¯s time for war, old friend.


    The army attacked.

 Chapter 1324 - Staring at Nightmare Itself

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    When the living army was hindered from advancing further, they began to lose ground. The dead then took over the front line and made the final push in the decisive war¡ªa war that would alter that fate of the entire world.


    The dead had come to save the living¡ªthe descendants and their deceased ancestors came full circle.


    Past the Wardens¡¯ wall of light and the first line of defense formed by the knights, the army of undead razed the enemy to the ground. None of these soldiers looked human¡ªthey were monsters molded out of dead bodies, spirits, and hollow armor. Time and the Eternal Battlefield had destroyed their bodies and their lives, deforming their appearances. Nevertheless, their souls were untouched from these external factors. When the ragged army charged at the enemy, Hao Ren knew the situation was no longer under his control.


    Lily growled restlessly as she kept herself firmly in position. She wanted very much to join the Spirit Braves in their battle, and Hao Ren shared her enthusiasm. Nevertheless, they knew that they should stay back and wait. Geddon, Lord of the Mountains, advised them to stay back too. ¡°We have our roles to play. This is their war, and we have no right to intervene.¡±


    The combined army of the dead and the ¡°monsters¡± became the front line. Half of them entered from the flank to engage with the Constructs, while the other half fought against the minions. There was no dramatic battle cry and no glamorous show of magical skills. These courageous warriors, who had willingly stepped into the darkness to protect the world of mortals, charged silently into enemy territory.


    Their tattered flag rose above the battlefield. It was so badly weathered that one could only guess what it once looked like. It may have been a glorious military flag or one that bore the symbol of the Armageddon Army. Now, it flapped in the wind like rags, tied to a protruding bone that doubled as a flag pole. Nevertheless, the flag continued to wave above the battlefield no matter how fierce the corrupted minions fought back!


    Suddenly, another flag rose near the front line.


    This flag was semi-translucent and had barely recognizable side profile of the goddess on it. It was a holy relic, one that was usually buried together with a disciple who had passed on and retained the spirit of the disciple.


    The spirit who held this flag was a large man. He rode a phantom war horse and raised the flag high up as he pushed his way to the front line.


    The two flags gradually met each other.


    ¡°Aaron! I knew it was you!¡± The tall spirit fought his way to the leader of the Armageddon Army with only one arm. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯d see you again after being dead for so long!¡±


    The deformed flag bearer seemed to recognize the voice and studied the person before him hesitantly.


    ¡°You old fool¡­ You¡¯re dead, and I¡¯m dead too.¡± The tall spirit looked toward the knights. ¡°They, however, are still alive¡­¡±


    The phantom military flag suddenly tilted forward.


    ¡°Give hope to the living! We, who had died once before, will pave the way for their future!¡±


    The corrupted minions did not fear death.


    The undead army and the Armageddon Army did not fear death either!


    This was the spirit of Collow, passed down from generation to generation since ancient times ¡ª


    Give hope to the living.


    For thousands of years, in every War of Chaos, the same thing happened at the boundary of Order ¡ª layers and layers of defense collapsed as countless guards of the boundary sacrificed themselves. Their lives were used to buy time and space for the mortal people to survive past the wave of Chaos.


    For thousands of years, the same thing happened in every country in the mortal world ¡ª when the War of Chaos ended, the Nations of Order that were destroyed would fuel the beginning of new nations. Countries that survived would recuperate by gathering resources from their less fortunate neighbors. The surviving rulers of these countries knew that they would one day become the ¡°fuel¡± for other new countries. This was the spirit of Collow.


    On the battlefield, the ancestor warriors had the same realization ¡ª when a threat was present, even the dead who perished thousands of years ago would rise to fight against it. They would charge in the battlefield once again to give hope to the living.


    With an army that even death could not defeat at the front line, the corrupted minions began to retreat. The seemingly invincible Constructs began to show weaknesses in their defensive line. A good part of the smoke pillars was destroyed by the undead soldiers, which exposed Lockmarton¡¯s disgusting and rotting tentacles.


    The sound of the bugles from the three enchanted warships echoed throughout the battlefield.


    Thanks for their ancestors, the Sanctum¡¯s knights and soldiers were given a chance to take a breather and regroup themselves. When the bugles sounded once more, the soldiers yelled thunderously as they raised their silver blades to charge at Lockmarton¡¯s heart¡ªSpiral Hill.


    Golash and Zeno howled angrily, releasing laser beams and balls of lightning into the battlefield that shot past the scattered Constructs and corrupted minions to hit the two tentacles.


    Everyone heard an angry growl in their heads. This voice that invaded their minds indicated that Lockmarton¡¯s true body was harmed. After its two tentacles were heavily injured, no more new Constructs were created to enter the battlefield.


    The Sanctum¡¯s army continued their advance until they finally reached the foot of Spiral Hill.


    Perhaps the mortals had finally worn out the tyrant¡¯s patience, or Lockmarton had begun to feel threatened from the attacks, but the end result was the same¡ªit decided to reveal its true body.


    Hao Ren suddenly felt something radiating from the sky that sent a shudder down his spine despite his demigod mental strength.


    He looked up above Spiral Hill, where the clouds had begun to swirl and reach for the ground. Even Spiral Hill itself seemed to be vibrating intensely. The evening sunlight gradually penetrated the clouds until the sky became clear once again.


    One by one, tentacles slithered out from the clouds. They twisted menacingly, raking up a storm around them.


    One of the tentacles swept past Spiral Hill from above. Suddenly, the structure began to tremble even more strongly before it shattered quietly until only a third of it was left.


    Another tentacle swept across the Sanctum¡¯s army from above. The soldiers who found themselves under its shadow were immediately stupefied. One by one, the warriors vanished into thin air, becoming ¡°dream elements that disappeared because of waking up¡±.


    Mortals were completely defenseless against this level of power!


    ¡°The mortals have done all they could.¡± Geddon, Lord of the Mountains, roared. His body glowed brilliantly as he cried, ¡°It¡¯s time for their elder brothers to take over!¡±


    Alftine, Lord of the Wind, smiled and added, ¡°Don¡¯t forget their elder sister too.¡±


    The ten Wardens unleashed all their strength, firing pure Light of Order toward Lockmarton¡¯s tentacles above the Sanctum¡¯s army. Then, they leaped and flew toward the sky!


    As the clouds thinned, Hao Ren finally saw what the tyrant really looked like.


    Words could not quite describe this massive being. No common language could express the surreal appearance of this being. Its body had no clear shape, and it did have any body parts that fit traditional understanding. The being was like a mutated fleshy growth that consisted of physical and illusory parts. Sometimes there were sparkling lights swimming around in its body, but upon closer inspection, there would only be darkness like the beginnings of a nightmare.


    The strange growth floated in midair. Every part of its body was changing all the time, be it in shape or structure. Even the physicality of these body parts changed constantly. The creature was forever beyond comprehension.


    An unpredictable nightmare¡ªthe phrase that came to Hao Ren¡¯s mind.


    He hopped down to the ground from Lily and found a more spacious place to reach into his Dimensional Pocket for all his heavy-duty weapons.


    A guided missile flew out of his Dimensional Pocket from behind him and crashed into Lockmarton¡¯s body. Huge cannons materialized and began to fire toward the sky. Autonomous machines used their long mechanical arms to fire all kinds of weaponry much larger than themselves against Lockmarton. They joined the battle at last and formed a powerful offensive force against the enemy.


    At the same time, at the rear of the battlefield, the three enchanted warships were finally deployed. They fired their cannons simultaneously, shaking the ground with the sound of explosions!


    As the attacks landed one after another on Lockmarton¡¯s massive body, the latter began to summon layers of defenses around it. Most of the attacks were silently absorbed, but some managed to breach its defenses and exploded on its black tentacles.


    Lily ran around in circles anxiously and howled. The war had ignited the animalistic nature in her. The dumb werehusky could no longer control the urge to battle inside her. She looked up and stared at Lockmarton¡¯s body as the Light of Order on her body gradually focused.


    She opened her mouth and howled as loud as she could. ¡°Howl¡ª¡±


    A thick beam of white light shot out of her mouth, fired straight through Lockmarton¡¯s defenses and ended with a massive explosion on the creature¡¯s body.


    The howling stopped abruptly as the werehusky snapped her mouth shut in surprise.

 Chapter 1325 - What?

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Onlookers jumped out of their skins when a light column flashed across the sky out of the blue. It also caught Lily by surprise. Her howl choked in her throat and her mouth snapped shut as if she was afraid that something would come out of her mouth. Bright light residue slowly overflowed from the corner of her mouth and swelled on the hair of her cheek like flowing flame.


    Lily looked up in Lockmarton¡¯s direction and bared her teeth. Fire burst from her mouth.


    Hao Ren was stunned. He wondered what had happened earlier and what the fire was all about.


    Lily noticed Hao Ren reaction, but she could only shake her head in confusion and groan in her throat. She was just as clueless as Hao Ren.


    The battle cries and explosions jolted Hao Ren out of his stupor. He knew that now was not the time to pick on the trivial details. Lily¡¯s strange changes could wait, but if he did not quickly finish off Lockmarton, he would have a big problem.


    The Spiral Hill had fallen into a frenzied war, and the entire battlefield was undergoing tremendous changes.


    The battlefield could be divided into two layers.


    On the ground below, the soldiers of Sanctum Expeditionary Forces were still fighting off Lockmarton¡¯s minions. A torrent of humans covered in flesh and blood was trying to reclaim the earth infested by the power of nightmares. They knew the souls of their ancestors were fighting alongside them.


    The emergence of Lockmarton¡¯s true body seemed to have enhanced the strength of the monsters of Chaos. They formed out of nothingness more rapidly than before and guarded at all cost the Spiral Hill in the middle of the battlefield. Under the illumination of the light in the air, the war appeared particularly brutal.


    Groups of white light were hopping on the battlefield; it was Y¡¯zaks, Y¡¯lisabet, and Nangong siblings. Irrespective of their strengths, they all carried some amount of divinity of Raven 12345, which was the most potent force against the evil. And it seemed that it was because of their presence that the defense of the Sanctum army could hold up.


    Above the ground-level battlefield, there was a spiritual war going on.


    Ten wardens were launching an attack on Lockmarton and its tentacles from the air. The three magic-powered warships, seemingly representing the mortal power in the realm of the deity, were the only human forces that could go head-to-head with Lockmarton. The primary weapons were cannons, missiles, lasers, and armed drones.


    Hao Ren had chosen to fight on the ground level. He had to control the firing points that he had summoned while at the same time, he clenched his divine spear, Gungnir, as well as the Godslayer to deal with the strange things that popped up out of nowhere and the tentacles that Lockmarton dropped down. The former was an illusion in the nightmare. But when Lockmarton was around, the illusion would become real.


    Hao Ren was using a combination of weapons that he rarely used. But it was especially handy at this moment.


    Divine spear Gungnir, once a Norse divine artifact, was restored. After getting his hand on it and learning about its functions from Odin, Hao Ren had since mastered it. Other than its sharpness, the Gungnir could summon energy missile, which could keep track of its target, to deal with the elusive monsters.


    As for the Godslayer, it was still as annoying as ever. But it was a divine weapon that could cut everything.


    Its effectiveness was proven in the battlefield, where it could slice the tentacles of Lockmarton in half without a hitch.


    With this in mind, it seemed the Godslayer¡¯s annoying babbling became a little acceptable. Also as if the Godslayer realized that it was a crucial battle, it became less plaguey.


    A tentacle hung down from the clouds, penetrating the layers of defense of the wardens and sweeping the human armies below away. While the mortal army was under pressure, two bright lights appeared among the mortal army, which was a magic strike by Calaxus and the Pope. It hit on the tentacle, which twitched and retracted back up into the sky.


    Lockmarton roared angrily. It projected his horrible appearance into the human minds, in which it launched another round of attack. Many soldiers began to lose their minds and then disappeared out of thin air.


    These soldiers had defeated many monsters in reality. They were strong physically, some even without a single bruise, but they were defeated in the spiritual battlefield and becoming the food of Lockmarton.


    But in the real world, the prison wardens had cut down two more tentacles. A micro-nuclear bomb exploded in Lockmarton¡¯s body, shattering the clouds and smoke, and turning the core of Lockmarton into a mess.


    The chaotic battle happened on two fronts; one in the real world, and one in the spiritual realm.


    Hao Ren began to feel as if he was split in two. As a demigod, he could see what Lockmarton saw, and sense what was happening beyond the realm of human perception. Hao Ren sometimes saw the indiscriminate bombing in the real world, the knights and prison wardens fighting Lockmarton. Sometimes he would jump into another battlefield, where there were clashes of shadows and light. In some other times, he would see many bizarre illusions as if they were all a dream.


    He pulled his spirit away from the battlefield of the mind and looked up at the sky.


    Lockmarton¡¯s massive body still floated there. The repeated attacks did not seem to hurt it a bit. But Hao Ren could sense that the monster was erupting in anger.


    Lockmarton was already angry.


    The weak mortals were challenging the king of nightmares!


    The wardens, once defeated, had come back.


    A group of challengers, seemingly came out of nowhere, was acting in contempt of the Great Lord.


    More importantly, the fact that such a group of weak, despicable insects was able to challenge it had enraged it.


    Hao Ren could feel the wrath of Lockmarton and read from this anger what he wanted to know: fear.


    Those weak mortals had held on to this point. Their toughness and strength had exceeded the expectations of Lockmarton.


    As the mortal army continued to weaken and contain the legion of Chaos, the Spiral Hill was surrounded, and the connection between Lockmarton and the outside world was becoming weak. When these connections were lost, the attack from the prison wardens had become a threat.


    The continuous and powerful bombardment further exacerbated the threat.


    ¡°Geddon!¡± Knowing the emotional changes of Lockmarton, Hao Ren quickly called the Lord of the Mountains via a telepathic connection. Before Hao Ren set off, he had left Geddon a mind converter to ensure instant communication in the battlefield. ¡°Lockmarton is losing patience and confidence.¡±


    The Lord of the Mountains immediately instructed his companions. As if they had given up hope of living, the prison wardens used their remaining strength and launched an all-out attack on Lockmarton.


    As strong as Lockmarton was, it was nevertheless caught off guard by this attack. Hao Ren noticed that Lockmarton was retracting its tentacles, and the monsters of nightmares in the battlefield had reduced.


    Hao Ren then established a mind connection and sent an instruction code to Lady Gloom, who was on standby in the real world.


    Lockmarton had become defensive. It might be mad, but there was some basic instinct that remained in its mind. Facing the crisis, it felt confused and uneasy.


    What went wrong?


    How did these prison wardens suddenly regain their fighting spirit?


    What are in the minds of those humans? Are they not afraid of death?


    What do those insects want to do?


    Hao Ren possessed an unknown ability. He could read the mind of those advanced life forms in the Plane of Dreams. He was now close to Lockmarton, the surroundings of which were essentially its thinking field. At this distance, Hao Ren had virtually entered the mind of Lockmarton.


    There was a vast difference in the way of thinking between the two. Lockmarton was overly mentally infectious; Hao Ren had no way to read its mind directly. But with his abilities as a demigod, Hao Ren could still sense Lockmarton¡¯s emotional changes.


    Lockmarton¡¯s emotional changes became especially apparent and intense as the battle raged on.


    ¡°It¡¯s time.¡± Hao Ren gave Geddon the Lord of the Mountains a hint.


    The ten prison wardens roared simultaneously in the air, and then another type of power rose from within them.


    It was the power of the goddess. It felt unfamiliar, a bit different, but it was indeed the power of the true goddess judging from its form and nature. In Lockmarton¡¯s mind, there was only one God: the goddess of creation.


    Has the goddess of creation been resurrected? Is she back? Perhaps, she never fell in the first place? Or, have the wardens found her legacy? Is this legacy the goddess¡¯ backup plan in case the containment fails? Lockmarton wondered.


    The war seemed to have changed from ¡®the mortal was in the throes of its deathbed struggle¡¯ to a deliberate, planned, well-orchestrated hunting party!


    When the most fearful thing happened since 10,000 years, even the Lord of the Nightmares himself had a nightmare.


    The tentacles of Lockmarton retracted all at once, and the power of Chaos near Spiral Hill disappeared in the blink of an eye. Thick layers of defensive forces had formed in midair around the meat, from which a burst of energy came and shook the space around Spiral Hill.


    A space crack suddenly appeared above the Spiral Hill. An unfamiliar space appeared on the other side of the space crack, where a field of light and weird structures were floating around.


    Lockmarton passed through the space crack and disappeared in front of everyone.


    For more than 10,000 years, the indestructible prison, which Lockmarton had tried to break out from but failed, left an opening, and the prisoner escaped.


    As soon as the piece of meat disappeared from the spatial rift, Hao Ren captured Lockmarton¡¯s last thought from his thinking field.


    ¡°What?¡±

 Chapter 1326 - Fleeing

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    No one knew if Lockmarton was capable of logical thinking or if he possessed emotions such as fear and remorse. But Hao Ren was sure that Lockmarton was caught unawares by what unfolded before him.


    The eroded and weakened prison did not collapse for the past 10,000 years, as it was indestructible. However, it finally opened. What was more surprising, the opening led directly to an external universe.


    When the fissure formed and was torn apart by tremors, Lockmarton had realized that something was wrong. A trap awaited him, but the suction force of the spatial rift was too powerful, and he was taken with no time to correct his mistake. Twenty-two large gravitational field generators placed in space were waiting for him. The gravitational force of these generators could capture small celestial objects that whizzed through space at high speed.


    Even if Lockmarton possessed various magical abilities and power, he would find it hard to get away from these machines.


    Had Geddon opened a passage early in the beginning, or lifted the prison barrier of the Forgotten Abyss too soon, Lockmarton would never be fooled. With his demigod intuition, he would have known that it was a trap and that dangers awaited him on the outside. With that in mind, Hao Ren decided to use a reverse psychological strategy; letting Lockmarton open the door by himself.


    What Geddon and Hao Ren did was only unlock and leave the prison gate ajar.


    However, Lockmarton was not a fool. He certainly would not cooperate with them to break the prison gate. He had been held up there for a long time and tried to escape without success. Lockmarton would need an inducement, an impulse of urgency to escape.


    The attack on Spiral Hill wore his patience, and the wardens as well as Hao Ren¡¯s attacks consumed his confidence. Most importantly, the use of the power similar to that of the goddess of creation had created a sense of crisis in Lockmarton.


    This sense of crisis would not frighten Lockmarton, and Hao Ren knew this very well. In Hao Ren¡¯s prediction, even if the power of the goddess of creation appeared before Lockmarton, he would only be alarmed for a while before quickly finding out that it was a trick. But Hao Ren planned to just frighten Lockmarton a bit. As soon as Lockmarton began to have the impulse to escape, he would open the prison gate. All of this would happen without first alarming Lockmarton, even with his demigod-level alertness.


    As Lockmarton fell into the spatial rift, the monsters of Chaos dissipated like elusive reflections in the water. The Sanctum army was rooted to the spot as those surviving warriors could not believe what they saw: was everything over?


    Like the other nine wardens, Geddon, the Lord of the Mountains dropped back to the earth. They were so exhausted that they could not even stand on their feet. Every one of them had wounds on the body with sparks and flame spurted out from their hard shells. They had used up all their remaining strength. The use of the ¡°alien¡± divine item to simulate the power of the goddess of creation had produced a severe side effect. If Lockmarton were a little more alert and launching a counterattack, none the wardens would be able to survive.


    ¡°Is it over?¡± Geddon looked up at the sky that was clearing gradually.


    In the air, a swarm of bats shapeshifted into the image of Vivian. The Light of Order around her dissipated following the disappearance of the Chaos. She looked around, and finally, her eyes landed on Hao Ren. ¡°Is it over?¡±


    ¡°Of course not yet.¡± Hao Ren let out a sigh.


    He looked at the Sanctum army and the 10 wardens, who were struggling to stand up.


    ¡°Their battle is over, but for Lockmarton, the real battle has just begun. MDT¡ª¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    A bright light flashed across everyone¡¯s eye, and Hao Ren had disappeared from the place.


    In the outer universe, a light suddenly appeared out of thin air, piercing through the darkness.


    In the rapidly expanding space fissure, glaring energy arc and various mysterious shadows appeared. From the hundred-kilometer long crack, a large lump of dark matter like the graffiti of an insane artist emerged.


    Thanks to the goddess of creation, Lockmarton spent tens of millions of years in prison, and then a further 10,000 years in the dungeon guarded by the wardens and prison security system. Had Lockmarton not realized that it was a trap, he would feel that it was his lucky day to be able to see the stars of the outer universe. But at this moment, Lockmarton¡¯s first reaction was to retract all of his tentacles and hide under the massive layer of a protective shield.


    The tyrant of nightmares retained a better thinking ability than the mad First Borns.


    Lockmarton¡¯s reaction made sense. As soon as he gathered his tentacles, lights began to burst from all directions.


    Thousands of turrets and blinding light made up the missile formation, which represented the Order, and the artillery was the glory. Within the firing range of the cannons, each heretic would get to learn first hand what justice from heaven was like, and how powerful the goddess was.


    Raven 12345 told Hao Ren about that during a ¡°corporate culture¡± lecture earlier. The raw version was considerably more violent. Hao Ren had decided to censor the foul language so that it was appropriate for the consumption of teenagers.


    When the space artillery network burst into light, a ghostly silver-white spaceship emerged from the darkness. The psionic conducting lattice on the bow of the spaceship glowed in faint blue light as powerful energy was focused on the crystal on the main cannon.


    Hao Ren stood in the flight deck of the Petrachelys and quietly stared at Lockmarton, which was in the crosshairs of the artilleries.


    ¡°All units are free to shoot.¡±


    Firepower lit up space instantly.


    Various physical and non-physical artillery fires and missiles hit Lockmarton¡¯s shield. The huge mass of meat finally felt a threat he had never felt since the goddess of creation last suppressed him. He frantically released his spiritual power, trying to reverse the situation with his power of nightmare. Many of his weaker opponents fell for his tricks previously. But this time, the method did not work, as though his spirit attack had sunk into the water like a stone.


    In this region of space, all turrets were unmanned. Hao Ren, the commander of the operation, was the only one present.


    When the gunfire hit Lockmarton, he quickly realized that he had made a mistake and pulled back his spiritual power. The spirit power then turned into illusory monsters and materialized in the real world, forming an army of guards around Lockmarton.


    But the gunfire hit the guards, and they disintegrated quickly.


    ¡°Resistance is stronger than expected,¡± Nolan¡¯s robotic voice sounded beside Hao Ren. ¡°An unknown structure has been detected. Conventional firepower will not be able to eliminate it.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s face was as calm as a pool of water.


    Lockmarton¡¯s defense was disintegrating. The legion of nightmares that he summoned may have been an inexhaustible army in Collow, but under the firepower of the space artillery network, they appeared to be a little more robust than a blanket of clouds, and they dissipated rapidly.


    The distorted, indescribable body of Chaos, and his tentacles that formed the interior defense finally appeared.


    But both the physical and energy shields, which Lockmarton had built over the past 10,000 years, also began to fall apart under continuous bombardment. Black matter and strange haze fell off Lockmarton¡¯s body and were further purified by gunfire.


    Different recording devices, which Hao Ren had set up in the vicinity, began to swing into action, recording every subtle change as Lockmarton¡¯s body disintegrated.


    Lockmarton was an extremely powerful demigod. He had likely stolen the authority of the true God. For this reason, every minute detail of the demigod¡¯s disintegration had to be recorded.


    Finally, Lockmarton¡¯s black outer shell fell apart completely, exposing the shiny runic structure inside. Those runes ran wildly without any particular order.


    Beneath the runic shell was a layer of pure fog. And beneath the mist was a light.


    Under the intense bombardment of firepower, Lockmarton had undergone various changes. Layers of strange structures had been exposed, but he did not die. He even continued to defend himself and struggled to flee the range of fire. His tenacity was mind-boggling and beyond logic.


    At last, his entire physical body dissipated, leaving behind an indestructible core. The core was only a few meters in diameter, shimmering like faint moonlight.


    Space firepower began to hit an obstacle in front of the core of Lockmarton.


    The gunfire seemed to have suddenly failed. Over 90% of the attacks disappeared around the shimmering core. Few could penetrate its defenses. But those hitting it caused little damage as the core could self-repair quicker than the damage gunfire could cause.


    Conventional firepower would not destroy Lockmarton.


    Lockmarton recovered from his defensive situation. He began to shift quickly away from the trap of gunfire and fled toward a direction in space, where he felt safe.


    Its judgment, cautiousness, and suspiciousness seemed to disappear entirely under the influence of some unknown forces.


    In his path of escape, everything crumbled. Lockmarton¡¯s core seemed to have affected the turrets¡¯ aiming accuracy, causing them to fire among themselves. Lockmarton had created a trail of explosions along his escape route.


    He lunged straight into a dark vortex and ultimately got away from the network of fire.

 Chapter 1327 - Cosmic Court

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The glowing nebula¡ªformed by high-energy clouds after the collapse of a celestial body¡ªhad a whirlpool-like appearance in the shape of an eye in space. At the center of this eye, an unnatural rift had appeared.


    The shape of the rift was like an irregular film with sharp edges and a perfectly reflective surface. The mirror-like surface did not just reflect the nebula in its surroundings but also another universe. Near the rift were many monitoring towers and control stations for maintaining spatial stability. Autonomous turrets and drones patrolled these space facilities.


    It was the Gate of the Universe, a place that could accommodate the information from both the Plane of Dreams and the Surface World.


    Near the Gate of the Universe was the sole planetary system in the nebula. A vibrant blue-green planet was quietly orbiting its star, and a series of seemingly illusory half-plane dimensions, as if vines wrapping around a tree, encircling the planet on the lower orbit. There was an established route between the Gate of the Universe and the planet, where spacecraft plied to and fro.


    Suddenly, a shimmer emerged at the center of the Gate of the Universe. The shimmer intensified and the reflective mirror that shone with starlight ¡°spat¡± out a lump of dark matter.


    Lockmarton had crossed the barrier of the universe, escaped the ambush, and gotten away from the terrible place of explosions.


    He faintly felt it when he came out of a rift in a spiral nebula. Lockmarton was disoriented and had no idea what had happened. But he knew that he had left the dangerous place, and he was happy.


    Ahh, joy, a long-lost feeling!


    Soon, he sensed something that made him even happier: there was a blue planet just around the corner, and those clueless mortals looked delicious.


    The shimmering core immediately headed toward the planet. But as soon as it moved, several rays of light flashed across space and blocked its way. When those lights finally stood still, they turned out to be several silvery-white spaceships.


    The shimmering core was surrounded. Those dozens of spacecraft looked identical except for the personalized paint job that each of them had. Three of the spaceships, in special positions within the formation, had huge drawings on the side of their fuselages: there was a face of a husky, a golden dragon, mysterious eyes, and the sky.


    A hologram popped up on the bow of each spaceship, showing the image of different figures. These huge figures stood in a circle, quietly looking at the core of Lockmarton, which was surrounded in the center. Most of the figures were humanoids, but they were of different species. The rest of the figures were strange-looking cosmic creatures. The sight looked like a court of law, but on a cosmic scale. Lockmarton stood in the middle and felt an enormous pressure as he knew that he had encountered a problem again. Just that he had no idea who these guys were.


    The master of nature, Fandal, was in the image of a muscular centaur in a green robe. He was holding a natural wand.


    The celestial singer, Model, an elegant middle-aged man with dark hair, was wearing a robe of stars with a pale-gold planet model in his hand.


    The stellar artiste, Aviana, a beautiful girl in a white tulle dress, had long lavender hair, which was tied up in a bun, and she was wearing a crystal crown on her head.


    The great sage Anthony was a majestic old man wearing a mage robe. His eyes glowed with powerful arcane lightning as if he had discovered the truth of the magic world.


    The dragon queen, Galazur, a noblewoman in a light gold robe. She was majestic and had the typical narrow golden pupils of a dragon.


    The songstress, Tunalar, with an upper body of a slender woman and lower body of a white spider, was covered in mysterious runes.


    The measurer, Dornier, was like an ordinary market trader. He was wearing a plain robe and had a scale in his hands. He always had a kind and humble smile on his face, but his eyes were full of shrewdness.


    Sir-Ominous, Hao Ren, needed no introduction. He had an ordinary look but was famous, or sometimes notorious.


    Many other figures were floating in space. They were all inspectors, observers of civilizations. Each of their names struck fear into many interstellar civilizations. If anyone of them appeared in the capital of an interstellar civilization, the throne of the supreme ruler would tremble, and those notorious interstellar forces would quake in their boots. In the legend of many civilizations, these observers named who were called the inspectors were given the title and status similar to a deity. There were also many legends told about them. Those civilizations had given the inspectors many names, such as the Observer Alliance, the Board of Star Reviewers, the Demigod Assembly, and the Cosmic Court when all of the inspectors gathered in one place.


    But the inspectors had never called their offline meeting these names. They conducted most of the information exchanges online. Also because they had to deal with the neurotic goddess, a gathering like this was rare. Even if they had a joint operation, there were usually no more than three persons. So when Hao Ren announced in the public channel that there was something big requiring everyone¡¯s participation, and upon getting the nod from the neurotic goddess, those guys instantly popped out in droves.


    It was the truth of the Cosmic Court¡¯s proceeding at the time.


    Lockmarton felt a looming crisis. He panicked and tried to break through the encirclement, but it was futile.


    The dozens of inspectors, their spaceships, and the projected power of the true God of the universe combined to form a divine encirclement that was far more potent than the divine barrier of Collow.


    In the field of influence of the true God, the shimmering core began to emit energy turbulence.


    But the inspectors were not nervous. They knew very well that this core that shimmered and exuded a divine-like aura would not be able to escape and blockade.


    Raven 12345 had never bothered to spread her teachings, and her ¡°popes¡±, mainly due to shame and morality, rarely used her magic. But it did not mean that the inspectors would have problems summoning her divine power. The goddess was what she was, and the same was true of her divine power. As long as with a willing heart and the inspectors stood together, the barrier would be powerful enough to hold up any creatures, including Lockmarton, other than the true goddess.


    In the face of a god-like creature from the Plane of Dreams, those inspectors who had heard about him earlier appeared curious. They observed the shimmering core that was Lockmarton and discussed among themselves.


    ¡°It looks round like a ball.¡±


    ¡°Not bright, and it feels foggy.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that thing looks a bit like the ball in Model¡¯s hands?¡±


    ¡°Miss Aviana, the thing in my hands is an astral instrument, not a ball.¡±


    ¡°What say we jab it?¡±


    ¡°Hao Ren says that this thing is quite powerful. It seems to be immune to most attacks, and can even resist the power of God for a while.¡±


    ¡°Oh, if that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll have to raise its threat level to a Category 4.¡±


    ¡°What is a Category 4 Threat? Is it mentioned in the employee handbook?¡±


    ¡°I just added it. Does it sound badass?¡±


    ¡°Get lost.¡±


    ¡°Galazur, mind your demeanor. Have you forgotten the one rule in the employee handbook? You should not swear before God does it first.


    ¡°She isn¡¯t here anyway.¡±


    The inspectors floated in space, all with a somber look on their faces. But in their mind connections, a lively discussion was ongoing.


    ¡°Ahem.¡± Hao Ren interrupted their conversation. As the person in charge of the operation, he read out the judgment.


    ¡°Lockmarton, a demigod or god-like creature. Place of origin: the Plane of Dreams. Life form: mixed breed, a creation of the goddess of creation. Primary crimes: serious detrimental to the development of normal civilizations, threatening the existence of civilizations, slaughtering the innocent, genocide, rebellion, stealing the power of the true God and misusing it for a sinful purpose. The list of crimes committed is not exhaustive. He has been proven guilty. I propose that we terminate him.¡±


    ¡°I second that.¡±


    ¡°Seconded.¡±


    ¡°Seconded.¡±


    There was a silence in the mind connection. Aviana, the stellar artiste, carefully looked at her colleagues. ¡°Hmm¡­ can we start cutting the core now?¡±


    ¡°Cut it.¡±


    The next moment, a bright light shrouded the Gate of the Universe.


    Lockmarton¡¯s short struggle in the light did not last long.


    Ten minutes later, onboard the patrol frigate Petrachelys, Tunalar, the songstress teleported into the captain¡¯s cabin. This white spider monster, called the Spider Queen of the Abyss in her homeworld, had brought something to Hao Ren. Along with her was the great sage, Anthony, who was good at the magic of restraining. Tunalar and Anthony had captured Lockmarton¡¯s fragments before they wholly dissipated.


    ¡°We found this in space.¡± Tunalar¡¯s voice was like her name; it was as pleasant as a song, completely unlike her horrible spider appearance. ¡°These are Lockmarton¡¯s fragments. You may be able to find something from them.¡±

 Chapter 1328 - Distant Memory

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°This is the remains of Lockmarton?¡±


    Hao Ren sighed as he received the shimmering substance from Tunalar.


    Only the size of a fist, it felt muzzy like a smoke ball without a solid core. But it had a certain weight too it. Hao Ren could not tell if it had a physical or non-physical body. The main body was dead, but this fragment was pulsating as if it was still alive.


    A layer of spider silk glowing in silver light enveloped the fragment without touching it. It seemed like a fragment floating inside a loose cocoon.


    The spider silk worked to isolate the exchange of energy between the fragment and the outside world¡ªjust in case.


    ¡°It¡¯s like the ¡®image¡¯ of a shattered mighty soul,¡± Anthony, the expert in the field of souls, said as he stroked his beard. ¡°Lockmarton¡¯s power was incredible. If we hadn¡¯t harnessed the power of the goddess to suppress him, he would have posed a great threat to the ordinary inspectors.¡±


    ¡°I could feel god-like opposing energy when I attacked him. It is consistent with the information provided by Bomb Maniac. Others probably didn¡¯t feel it clearly, but that was the feeling.¡±


    Tunalar had similar credentials as the dragon queen. As a demigod promoted from a spider demon, Tunalar had an excellent perception, which was an evolution and extension of her natural talent.


    ¡°Ahem. Miss Tunalar, my name is Hao Ren, not Bomb Maniac.¡± Hao Ren looked at the songstress with a poker face, seriously suspecting that she deliberately called him by his nickname. ¡°If what I¡¯ve read from the Tablet of Commandments is true, Lockmarton does have some divine nature of a true God. But he lacks the vital information and the true control of his divinity, so we can¡¯t call him a true God.¡±


    Tanalar crossed her arms. Her narrow red eyes were filled with excitement. ¡°Oh, is that so? That¡¯s interesting. Once you find out more about him, do send me a copy of your findings. I¡¯d like to learn about this.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we can find out now,¡± Hao Ren said as he fiddled with the spider silk, which shrouded the shimmering fragment. ¡°Do me a favor by casting a protection spell.¡±


    ¡°A protection spell? What do you mean?¡± Tunalar was perplexed.


    It was Anthony, who had more interaction with Hao Ren and knew what the Bomb Maniac meant. The old mage recalled Hao Ren¡¯s special abilities he had read about in the database. ¡°You want to read Lockmarton¡¯s memory from the fragment?¡±


    ¡°His body is dead, and this is only a fragment of his soul, so it¡¯s not dangerous.¡± Hao Ren smiled and waved the ¡°cocoon¡± in his hand. ¡°Miss Tunalar, how should I open this thing?¡±


    ¡°Call me Tunalar; we¡¯re colleagues after all. Don¡¯t make it sound so formal,¡± Tunalar said with a smile. A high-power cutting tool was needed to break the spider-silk seal open. But with the wave of her hand, Tunalar made an opening on the ¡°cocoon.¡±


    ¡°I kinda guessed what you wanted to do. Anthony and I will help you. I¡¯m excited to see your legendary mind-reading abilities.¡±


    With his mind focused, Hao Ren reached his hand to touch the fragment of Lockmarton.


    He felt his fingers had touched a cold and spinning air mass, which got denser toward the center. When his finger was about two centimeters deep, the resistance reached a point where his finger could go no farther.


    A slight vertigo hit and followed by a flood of memories from ancient times rushing into his mind.


    At first, it was a faint light, then something was swaying in the light. As the swaying image became clear, the details were visible. It turned out to be a red ocean and a monotonous sky.


    The image of the dull sky and sea surface lasted for a long time until a figure suddenly appeared.


    The figure rose from the red ocean, covered in fog. Perhaps due to the age of the memory or some other more mysterious reason, Hao Ren could not see the face. But Hao Ren knew that it was a ¡°she.¡±


    In Lockmarton¡¯s view, the figure quickly came up and circled him dozens of times in an excited manner. Soon after, a voice rang in Hao Ren¡¯s mind¡ªLockmarton¡¯s heart back then.


    ¡°Ahh, it¡¯s moving! It¡¯s moving! I¡¯ve made it!¡±


    The joy spread throughout his spiritual connection, and joy became the first feeling in Lockmarton¡¯s memory.


    The birth of life was worthy of joy.


    ¡°You will be with me from now on!¡± The figure that Lockmarton knew as ¡°mother¡± quickly said, ¡°I¡¯m going to name you. A name is necessary; it is very useful!¡±


    It took the mother a long time but she still could not come up with a name. She did not even know what a name was.


    The name Lockmarton came only after the glowing fireball whizzed through the sky a few thousand times.


    Slowly, Lockmarton learned about his mother and his birth.


    Mother seemed to be the only life in the world, excluding himself as he was born later.


    She had been living in this place for many years, not knowing where she came from and where she should go. Mother never talked about herself, did not explain why there was no similar individual like her in this world. She meandered around in this vast red ocean aimlessly, doing nothing. Before Mother thought of the idea of ¡°making a little thing as a company¡±, her greatest hobby was lying on the sea to observe the activity of the sun, and the stars at night. Sun-gazing was boring as things were always the same. But watching the stars was fun because there were many of them and things were everchanging.


    Occasionally, things got more interesting. Burning rocks would fall from the sky and make a splash on the sea surface.


    Mother would be excited for a thousand days and nights because of the splash.


    But stargazing and waiting for the meteorite to fall on the water was not too exciting. Mother finally got tired and bored, and her growing sense of loneliness was depressing.


    After a long time, she finally decided to create something that could accompany her¡ªsomething that was similar to her or at least moving and with which she could talk.


    She failed many times. At last, during a random attempt, she made it; she made Lockmarton¡­


    A wriggling and ignorant piece of meat.


    That was the birth of Lockmarton.


    In some beautiful, detached perspective, Hao Ren saw Lockmarton during his childhood.


    Hee was a small piece of dark red meat, just the size of a human head, Lockmarton had no visible body parts and did not look symmetrical. He floated lazily and naively across the water, and sometimes snuggled in his mother¡¯s arms, talking clumsily to his mother using rumbles and vibrations.


    Mother took Lockmarton to travel the ¡°world.¡± They chased storms and the sun; they watched stars on the red ocean; dived to the bottom of the sea to search for glowing cracks and even went into the fissures to explore the hot lava. They had found a small piece of land on the surface, which was the only land in the world. Mother had built a house with stones, and the open space around the house was filled with Mother¡¯s collection: stone tablets from the bottom of the sea, crystals, and metallic cores of the rocks falling from the sky.


    In Lockmarton¡¯s earliest memory, everything felt warm.


    But as time went by, emotions faded from those distant memories. Hao Ren read Lockmarton¡¯s mind. Except for the initial joy, most of the contents were empty and cold.


    It became a record of a distant memory. Like an emotionless computer that stored its data, the memory was left in the corner of his soul.


    Lockmarton gradually grew up.


    Mother gradually grew up as well.


    Then, the mother slowly discovered her strengths. Bit by bit, she tried them out and mastered them.


    She seemed to think that her child should also learn these skills, so she injected her divine power into Lockmarton¡¯s body.


    Later, the memory looked even colder and paler.


    The powers of the goddess were great toys for Lockmarton, and he was deeply fascinated by them.


    Lockmarton began to squander these powers. He enjoyed all of them irrespective of whether these powers would bring creation or destruction.


    Lockmarton was gradually dissatisfied with his mother¡¯s control and the dull world.


    His mother liked to gaze at the stars and had the idea of going to visit them. She had learned how to get into space, even flown around the glowing fireball in the sky. When she came back, she told Lockmarton that it was a very bright place.


    Lockmarton thought it was an opportunity to leave the red planet. So he behaved and hoped that he could explore the stars with his mother.


    The memory felt cold. Even a blanket of black fog gradually covered the moving images.


    It seemed that something terrible had happened during that expedition. That would explain the reasons for the complete distortion of Lockmarton and some secrets of the goddess of creation. But the memory was buried in his subconscious.


    Hao Ren continued to dive into the memory.

 Chapter 1329 - The End of Lockmarton

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Tracing Lockmarton¡¯s memories was an awful process as the fragments of his distant memories were tangled. There were strange visions that caused extreme uneasiness even with the slightest peep. Perhaps Lockmarton¡¯s soul was too fragmented, or Lockmarton¡¯s peculiar life form made his perception and memory different from that of humans. Hao Ren had seen many things that he was clueless about. Except for a few images in the deepest part of his memory, the rest were messy and indistinguishable.


    But after carefully combing through the memories, the confusing fragments provided some meaningful information.


    Lockmarton and the goddess of creation had spent an extremely long time together judging from the bits and pieces of memories that Hao Ren found. In the early years, the goddess of creation was an ignorant existence, and the same was true of Lockmarton. Their minds took a long to achieve maturity on the lonely and dull planet, the Star of Creation. Even though they had gone on their first interstellar expedition, they were still growing.


    They went into deep space entirely unprepared.


    They had gone on such adventures more than once.


    In those blurry memories with a messed up timeline, Hao Ren had seen Lockmarton and his mother flying in the orbit of the Star of Creation. They wandered in the dark and cold space, clumsily trying to go from one dimension to another. At one time, they almost crashed into the sun; they had indeed fallen into the sun, but the goddess of creation had defied the cause and effect of the incident with her mysterious divine power. They had found a semi-solid primordial planet with active geological activity. The molten crust and the dramatic changes in the planet structure fascinated the goddess of creation.


    In an earlier space journey, Lockmarton had an encounter with a mysterious energy storm and fell sick. The goddess of creation had to carry him to a nearby planet, which was a gas giant, and spend 1,000 years to recuperate there. To avoid similar hazards in the future, the goddess of creation gave Lockmarton her divine power once again. With this power, Lockmarton¡¯s soul core would be immune to most dangers that could cause damage to souls.


    The biggest danger that they had ever encountered was the ¡®super warp jump¡¯ experiment. Lockmarton and the goddess had traveled a distance longer than they had anticipated. The warp jump had distorted the space and time around the Star of Creation, turning it into a bright spot that no mathematical formula could express. Lockmarton and goddess of creation were unable to find their way back until thousands of years later.


    The experiences of deep space adventure with his mother were buried deep in Lockmarton¡¯s memory. They appeared disorganized and broken. Each memory was like a frozen specimen with no warmth, as though the deep cold space had also frozen Lockmarton¡¯s heart¡ªif he had one.


    However, the goddess of creation knew nothing about these changes. Since she had never met any other living being, and without having those experiences, the goddess of creation had no clue what these changes meant.


    As time went by, Lockmarton went through many changes. As he accumulated the divine power of the goddess of creation and the dark, chaotic primordial energy in deep space, Lockmarton became stronger day by day. He grew to become a giant from a small meatball.


    At the end of the fragmented memories, the motion of the pictures was fast and blurred. Hao Ren could barely infer anything from them.


    Lockmarton and the goddess of creation were crossing a star field that was extremely ancient. Here, they found a large number of wrecked stars. The entire star field was dark and silent like a graveyard. In this graveyard of the stars, they bumped into a group of beautiful living things, which had no solid body but only an air mass with twinkling light dots. It was their first time meeting another life form after years of wandering in space. Mother was very excited, and she spent a few thousand years with those creatures.


    With the help of those mysterious creatures, the goddess of creation met other primordial life forms. Some of them were like luminous air masses, some were like rocks that floated in space, and others were like lightning in the asteroid belts. Every flash of lightning was a cycle of life, and only all of them together was a complete interactive consciousness.


    Almost all of these creatures were unlike the carbon- and sulfur-based life forms with which Hao Ren was familiar. These life forms were beyond his understanding. Most of them were creatures of between energy and matter. It seemed that the primordial life forms in the Plane of Dreams existed as such.


    The living environments of all these lives were strikingly similar. They all lived in the ancient dead stars that contained almost no resources and were as cold and dead as a grave.


    The place did not look like an ideal place to stay.


    What happened to their homeworld was understandable given the long history of these ancient creatures. But he became suspicious when every life form that the goddess of creation discovered was living in the same environment and did not show eagerness to venture outside.


    However, Hao Ren did not find the answer to this question in Lockmarton¡¯s memory.


    It was because, subsequent memories were messy, fragmented, and severely distorted.


    The further he went forward in time, the dimmer and more deformed the images of Lockmarton¡¯s memory. Color faded, leaving only a coat of cold grayish-white. Everything appeared strange as if shrouded in a lens of a water curtain. The image of the goddess of creation was reasonably clear in the beginning. But gradually, her figure became a faint yellow light.


    The earth in his field of vision became a twisted strip.


    The star in his eyes was burning with a pale flame with many hideous limbs rising from its surface.


    The nebula he saw looked like hell, where creepy shadows swallowed celestial bodies.


    Hao Ren had no way to tell what happened in Lockmarton¡¯s inner world when he saw these scenes, as there was no more emotion in his memory. But since Hao Ren was him, these scenes were undoubtedly terrifying.


    If they were not the corrupted data of the soul fragments, then these distorted visions had to be the representations of real memories. These visions could symbolize that some dark power had affected Lockmarton and distorted his vision.


    In the final few images, there was less information that Hao Ren could extract. But he saw the end of Lockmarton.


    Lockmarton had turned into a dark and horrible monster, using his terrible power to destroy everything in front of his eyes.


    He no longer obeyed his mother. Instead, Lockmarton had once again defied the will of his mother. He used destruction to go against his mother¡¯s will of creation and protection.


    Lockmarton had even attacked the first living planet that his mother created, almost completely wiping out all the lives on the planet.


    In the end, the goddess of creation realized that Lockmarton¡¯s madness was uncontrollable, and she had no choice but to terminate her first child.


    The goddess of creation destroyed Lockmarton¡¯s body, retrieved his power, and injured his soul.


    However, the goddess was unable to eliminate Lockmarton. It was not because she thought that it was cruel, but the power she had gifted Lockmarton with had given him a robust divine core. Even if the goddess were to use all of her strength to terminate him, the side effects would be too horrible, and might also affect every place that the goddess of creation had visited through the connection of causal effect.


    In the face of this situation, the goddess of creation had to lock her treacherous son up for good. So she created Collow, and the first 21 prison wardens, the mighty old guardians who were the prototype of the Guardian Giants.


    Subsequently, his memory was only of complete darkness.


    Lockmarton¡¯s memory during his imprisonment in Collow, his waking, information on the Godslayer, the death of the goddess of creation, and information about the final 10,000 years were all just darkness.


    Hao Ren suspected that this part of the memory was not erased or blocked by himself. Instead, it was because Lockmarton¡¯s mind had catabolized and become a mess. Trying to read the memory logically would result in failure.


    Vertigo and loss of the sense of space and time hit. Hao Ren opened his eyes and found himself in the familiar flight deck of the Petrachelys.


    Tunalar the songstress and the great sage Anthony looked at Hao Ren curiously, noticing Hao Ren¡¯s eyes movement. Tunalar could not wait to come up to him. ¡°Did you see anything?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Hao Ren shook his head as the mental exhaustion was greater than expected. For a second, he almost tumbled. Hao Ren believed that for all he saw in the memory, it was only a few seconds in the real world. ¡°There is a lot of information. Some even contradict some of the information I have already collected. I need some quiet time to sort them out later.¡±


    Anthony nodded. ¡°When you have sorted them out, please post your findings in the public data link so that we can discuss them together during the next virtual meeting.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded back. ¡°I will. As for now, I have to go back and clean up the mess.¡±

 Chapter 1330 - The Dawn of Collow

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The nightmare was dissipating.


    The Forgotten Abyss, shrouded by Lockmarton¡¯s power of Chaos, gradually broke away from the darkness. The first thing that changed was the core of the epic battle, the throne of the nightmare tyrant¡ªSpiral Hill.


    The evening twilight slipped away while the twisted remnants of Spiral Hill disintegrated in silence. Smoke rose from the monsters that emerged from the nightmare like sunlight shining on the morning dew. They became transparent before they disappeared. The storm over the plains had stopped, and the giant pillars of smoke as well as dust collapsed like dreams, releasing little glows up to the sky akin to liberated souls. There was some mysterious debris that shimmered and fell from the sky onto the battlefield, on every soldier and general.


    Startled, Calaxus looked at the scene and reached out.


    A piece of shimmering debris fell on his palm. It felt warm. As if he heard a whisper of gratitude, he listened carefully and found that it was a hallucination.


    The supernatural forces had dissipated, and a ray of light shone on his face.


    The rolling clouds in the sky gradually calmed down and dispersed in all directions. The light, absent for a long time, descended from heaven and dispelled the last traces of haze. Light beams shone through the clouds like a waterfall onto the land below.


    ¡°The nightmare is over.¡± A senior church knight took off his blood-stained helmet and held it under his arm. Looking up at the bright sky, he lamented, ¡°It¡¯s really over this time.¡±


    The exhausted soldiers could finally rest. After losing the will that supported them all this while, they dropped to the ground, one after another. Covered with blood and dirt, the weary soldiers looked at each other. They were overjoyed and relieved, wanting to laugh out loud or shout, but they found it too exhausting to do so. All these warriors could do was looking at each other and smiled.


    It seemed that Calaxus wanted to lie on the ground, even if it was just for a minute so that he could let himself rest. But he remained on his feet and staggered toward the wardens.


    His platinum wand had been destroyed due to overloading. Calaxus could only support himself with a crooked wooden stick now.


    Some vague figures were standing in front of the Lord of the Mountains.


    Not many warriors of the Spirit Braves Army and Armageddon Army left at the end of their last battle. Many of them fell on the battlefield and paved the way for a peaceful future. When the dawn finally arrived, only a few soldiers were left standing.


    Deformed dark creatures, empty and transparent soul warriors, empty armors and battle robes had all gathered in front of the Lord of the Mountains, just as they did in a military parade thousands of years ago.


    A skinny old man stood in front of these armies, as if an ordinary elderly, looking up at the Lord of the Mountains.


    As if a thought suddenly crossed his mind, Calaxus realized that the pope was no longer a living person in this world but belonged to the army of the dead.


    Auguste VII, as avuncular as a father, was dead.


    Gordon, the Lord of the mountains, leaned down in front of these warriors and listened carefully to the words of the old pope. After a long while, Gordon, nodding as if he had made a promise, slowly got to this feet.


    A beam of light shone from the clouds on the Armageddon Army.


    The distorted and mutated limbs dissolved in the light, and the corroded bodies vaporized. As black smoke dissipated, these distorted monsters were restored to their original appearance in soul form. Knights in shiny armor, priests in a sacred white robe, and the standard-bearer recovered. The standard-bearer reverted into a battlefield bishop in battle robe, his hair and beard white, and face resolute. The piece of rag that he tied at his back and fluttered in the air gradually turned into a golden flag with the side portrait of the goddess.


    The old pope nodded to this battlefield bishop and then glanced back at Calaxus before turned and walked toward the army of the dead.


    The battlefield bishop raised the golden flag in the air and shouted, ¡°About turn!¡±


    ¡°Forward, march!¡±


    The dead marched in synchronous steps toward the light.


    Light, which shone down through the clouds, grew more intense and finally became ubiquitous skylight, illuminating the old world in its full glory. The figure of the legion marching in the light gradually disappeared and became one with the twilight.


    Ten wardens were standing and watching solemnly as the dead legion departed.


    On the battlefield at the rear, the surviving soldiers staggered to their feet and supported each other as they stood and watched their ancestors left.


    After the silent farewell, Calaxus looked up emotionally as a staff carved out of bush slowly fell from the air. He let go of the stick in his hand and reached for the staff, from which he could still feel a certain warmth.


    ¡°Their last wish is for you to assume the responsibility of the pope.¡± The voice of the Lord of the Mountains came from above. ¡°The arrival of dawn does not mean the end of everything but the beginning. Someone has to lead the world back on track. Are you willing to take up the responsibility?¡±


    Calaxus clenched the thorny staff in his hand. Earlier, when the old pope looked back at him while turning and walking toward the army of the dead, Calaxus already knew he had to shoulder the responsibility.


    The arrival of dawn did not mean the end of everything. Even if the threat of Lockmarton had gone for good and the Tide of Chaos no longer threatened the world, Collow was destined to experience a period of turmoil and hardship. Because in the real world outside, the War of Chaos had raged on for seven years, and the plot of the Cult of Armageddon had caused unimaginable destruction to many kingdoms during the last month of the war. It was a world in ruin, badly needing reconstruction. While the Tides of Chaos were gone and now a memory of the past, Collow had to build a new order. It would be a new order of which people living in this land had never imagined before. Now, someone had to lead.


    Calaxus took over this burden but also felt a sense of relief at the same time. The Lord of the Mountains seemed to know what was in Calaxus¡¯s mind. A rumble came from the air and said, ¡°The wardens will return to the world.¡±


    ¡°We will help,¡± Amid a series of heavy footsteps, Muru¡¯s voice was heard saying. This guardian giant was not one of the wardens and had no idea about the power of the Light of Order, he naturally did not fight alongside the Lord of the Mountains but the Sanctum army. ¡°I believe that Hao Ren has a plan.¡±


    ¡°Hao Ren?¡± The Lord of the Mountains looked into the sky. The rift that reflected the external universe earlier had disappeared. To prevent the power of Lockmarton from reentering the world, the barrier of the prison system had been closed. Gordon had no idea what was happening on the outside. ¡°I hope everything goes well on the other side.¡±


    ¡°I trust him,¡± Muru said slowly. ¡°Hao Ren fights no war unprepared. He might appear to be absent-minded at times, but he always has things well-thought out and has never missed.¡±


    Just as Muru¡¯s voice trailed off, a beam of light suddenly flashed across the sky.


    This light was different from conventional skylight. It not only brightened up the sky but also tore the space open. The prison security system of Collow was disabled from the outside, and the image of the external universe flashed in the light for a short while, but there were no signs of Lockmarton.


    Muru smiled as if he had anticipated it. Pointing at the figure in the light, he said, ¡°Look, he is back.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Landlord!¡±


    ¡°Uncle Ren!¡±


    ¡°Big Boss Cat!¡±


    ¡°Ghsss¡ªbiubiu!¡±


    People rushed towards Hao Ren. The first group of people who did so was naturally Hao Ren¡¯s tenants. He greeted these familiar faces as he put Noobie back into the canned bottle, then nodded at Gordon and Calaxus who came up later.


    Calaxus hurriedly asked, ¡°Where is Lockmarton?¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t be coming back again,¡± Hao Ren said. He opened his Dimensional Pocket and showed them the remnant of Lockmarton¡¯s soul. ¡°This is Lockmaton¡¯s last fragment. It has been deprived of the possibility of resurrection or return in any form as witnessed by another true god.¡±


    Calaxus could not help but close his eyes and draw a ring in front of his chest with his hand. ¡°Thank the goddess.¡±


    Lockmarton may have been expelled from this world, but Calaxus would never get any peace of mind as long as there was no confirmation of his death.


    Hao Ren took the opportunity to look around the battlefield.


    Those souls had disappeared, and even the foundation of Spiral Hill was gone. Light shining on the plains had driven the smog and shadows away, returning an atmosphere of peace and serenity to the battlefield.


    Hao Ren sighed softly, lamenting the end of the nightmare, and the eventual survival of civilizations. He then looked up at the Lord of the Mountains.


    ¡°Gordon, how¡¯s the influence of the wardens on the major secular kingdoms?¡±


    ¡°Most people in the earthly kingdoms do not know the existence of the wardens, but the church should have enough influence. The premature withdrawal of the Theocratic troops from the secular kingdom has hurt the standing of the Sanctum, but as long as the truth is revealed, I believe that confidence will be restored.¡±


    ¡°I need your influence,¡± Hao Ren said to Calaxus. ¡°The world needs to know about the future plans for them and something about the external universe.¡±

 Chapter 1331 - Prelude to a New Era

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    When the old world¡¯s nightmare cleared out, and the dawn came, the real world was ushering in its first sunshine. The storm of Chaos that once sealed off the five continents had retreated to the Sea of Carnos. Even Kanaan, the mysterious realm that had fallen for thousands of years, had resurfaced. Distorted ruins and grotesque landscapes were exposed. The whole world seemed to reveal its real face as if snow melted under the sun.


    In the Place of the Golden Roses located in White City, the capital of the Kingdom of Taros, King Rudolph III was listening to the Royal Court Officials¡¯ reports. His two daughters were seated beside him, while Grand Duke Loen sat on a chair not far away.


    The optical eclipse phenomenon that plagued one-third of the city did not go away. It seemed that what the scholars said was right: the powerful divine blast had permanently changed the space-time structure around the Sunscorch Tower. Most of the area of the Palace of the Golden Roses was still unsuitable for living. The Royal Family had moved to another location. But before the completion of the big project, the King had to stay back in this palace to perform his duty.


    The atmosphere in the palace was solemn as there was an important discussion going on.


    General Gloen was speaking, ¡°Your Majesty, news from the borders confirm that the forces of Chaos have completely returned to the Sea of Carnos. It seems the intelligence on the Tides of Chaos stopping prematurely was true.¡±


    ¡°According to historical patterns, each cycle of the Tides of Chaos will normally last for ten years. Even if there are changes, it is very minute. It is the pattern of the Sea of Carnos,¡± the great scholar Alfred said while holding an ancient scroll in his hands. His voice was not loud but heard throughout the palace with the help of magic. ¡°The premature recession is unbelievable. We have also found many strange changes.¡±


    Rudolph III motioned with his eyes for the great scholar to continued.


    ¡°We observed that the forces of Chaos did not stop after retreating into the Sea of Carnos. They continued to weaken and dissipate. Now they are nowhere to be found; in the past, even if the Tides of Chaos ended, we could still detect the power of Chaos in the Sea of Carnos using the magic tower. We have detected several great energy bursts in the Sanctum. During the last energy burst, its barrier reappeared, and the Light of Asurmen was visible in the horizon. Reports from the astrologers mentioned the appearance of a large crack in the sky with starlight flashing and unknown astral phenomenon.¡±


    The three significant pieces of news that the great scholar announced stirred up discussion in the hall. The first two news was easy for the court officials to comprehend, but the fact that after struggling for generations in the nightmares, they would not expect it to be real. The court officials could only hope to gain some positive words and confidence from others.


    Rudolph III interrupted the discussion. ¡°Ahem. Scholar, what is your take on these phenomena?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, the Chaos is receding in an unprecedented way,¡± the scholar said. His dim eyes brightened up. ¡°We have reason to see it in a good light¡ªit has completely retreated.¡±


    ¡°Father, I have received a report,¡± Veronica said while getting to her feet. ¡°Since half a month ago, the followers of the Cult of Armageddon had been going on a rampage in and around the kingdom. But yesterday, their destructive activities suddenly halted, and the cultists mysteriously disappeared as if they had vaporized into thin air. The spies I sent have found evidence of humans goes up in flame spontaneously in the secret ceremony of the cultists. The cultists did not flee. So I suspect that those cultists had disappeared from the world along with the dissipation of the power of Chaos.¡±


    Another round of argument rose in the hall. Rudolph III¡¯s eyes swept across his officials with a heavy heart.


    Several nobles were supposed to be present were not at the scene. At least two of the nobility who were not present were related to the Cult of Armageddon.


    When thinking of the situation that Veronica mentioned, the face of the old king turned grave.


    ¡°Half a month ago, the world of Order was still facing the darkest and most desperate moment, where every kingdom seemed to come to the end of its existence. I really can¡¯t imagine what has terminated the Chaos. What happened to Sanctum?¡± Grand Duke Loen said.


    As soon as the voice of the Grand Duke trailed off, a herald suddenly ran into the hall. Everyone in the hall suddenly quieted down.


    It was the king¡¯s herald, who only came into the palace without prior notice in the event of an emergency.


    The herald came before the throne and handed a message to Rudolph III, who then glanced over it with a stiff expression on his face.


    A commotion rose among the imperial officials. They were curious as to what had caused the king to look that sullen.


    ¡°A mass deflagration has happened in Hohenberg. Unknown flames have swallowed up the immediate family of members of the Kant Family, who were held up in various manors waiting for interrogation. The deflagration resembles the outcome of the Light of Order shining on the monsters of Chaos. Also, some members of the Tirian Family, Count Hyson and his immediate descendants, the Viscount Teutoni and some of their immediate descendants, Viscount Kutman, Count Roxon, and the like have all self-ignited.¡±


    Every time the old king mentioned a name, it sounded as if a heavy hammer was hitting the hall. While the officials had roughly guessed the truth, they, especially those who had close contacts with these nobles, were bursting in cold sweat. The phenomenon of self- deflagration of the cultists that Princess Veronica mentioned coincided entirely with the situation at hand.


    ¡°The Royal Family will investigate to find out the relationship of these people with the Cult of Armageddon.¡±


    Rudolph III so said. But everyone who was present knew that there was no investigation needed at all.


    Some were shocked by the fact that the deep infiltration of the Cult of Armageddon. Other nobles with long heritage or knowledge were not that surprised; they knew that since the record of human civilization, the Cult of Armageddon had tangled and infiltrated the Kingdoms of Order as if the shadows of these civilizations. The top echelon of all the kingdoms had long known the existence of these people and been maintaining a delicate and challenging balance. But even those who knew about this inside information did not anticipate these ¡®ghosts¡¯ that had latched on for 10,000 years to disappear just like that.


    Was it true that as the great scholar Alfred said, the Chaos had completely receded?


    Beside Rudolph III, Veronica and Ania instinctively exchanged a look.


    All these things happened after Hao Ren and Lady Gloom left the capital. Could they have something to do with these phenomena?


    Just as these thoughts went viral in the hall, another royal herald came through the door.


    When the herald in gold and red uniform appeared before the royal officials, the entire chamber became silent.


    The herald was holding a crystal that emitted a white glow in his hands. The runes on the crystal exuded strong sacred energy.


    The Sacred Stone, a unique spar that the cardinals of Fidelinopolis created using powerful magic, came from the broken crystals at the foot of Mount Asurmen, arguably the strongest and most sacred matter in the world. It was used to connect Sanctum and various secular states during an emergency. The powerful magic allowed it to penetrate the storm of Chaos in any situation, even if the storm had swallowed up the entire continent.


    In that dark ages, the Sacred Stone was an insurance policy.


    Only when mysterious changes began to happen in the Theocracy, the church called back its troops, and Sanctum unilaterally cut off all communication with the rest of the world¡ªthe truth was because of a lack of energy supply resulting in signal transmission interruption¡ªthe Sacred Stone lost its uses. It had been lying quietly in the headquarters of the Royal Arcanist Guild for the past two months as no one could use it.


    But this time it lit up again, and Sanctum had sent a message.


    Rudolph III and the royal herald exchanged a few words quietly. With a solemn face, the king face ordered the herald to place the Sacred Stone on a cylindrical silver column before the throne.


    The glow of the Sacred Stone stabilized and then grew into a hologram on the column.


    Wearing the pope¡¯s robe, Calaxus appeared in the hologram. Together with him were Hao Ren and a few faces that Veronica had never seen before.


    ¡°Is it the pope?¡± Rudolph III asked when he saw the sacred robe of Calaxus. ¡°Isn¡¯t Auguste VII the Pope?¡±


    ¡°Hao Ren? Is it him?¡± Veronica exclaimed in a low voice.


    At the same time, the Sacred Stone of every Kingdom of Order was brought before the local rulers.


    A hologram popped up in the palace of these kingdoms, and the voice of Calaxus and Hao Ren was broadcast throughout Collow.


    ¡°Rulers of Collow, kings, and protectors of the earthly kingdoms, leaders of intelligent races, my name is Calaxus, the successor to the papacy of Sanctum. I am standing at the of Mount Asurmen, proclaiming to you¡ª


    ¡°Lockmarton, the nightmare, and threats looming over the world have been destroyed. His soul, thoughts, body, and all the evil byproducts related to him have been completely and permanently wiped out by the Sanctum Expeditionary Force.


    ¡°The Sanctum Expeditionary Force and the goddess¡¯ messenger raided Lockmarton¡¯s lair and purified the Forgotten Abyss.


    ¡°The guide of our faith, the protector of the soul, the chosen shepherd of the goddess, the avuncular father, Auguste VII has died a martyr in the purification war.


    ¡°The War against Chaos has ended for good today. There will be no more cycle of the Tides of Chaos and no more nightmares. The Sea of Carnos will be calm forever. All earthly kingdoms should work together to rebuild the world.


    ¡°At the same time, because of the sacred covenant between the goddess of creation and the foreign goddess, I declare that the observer, protector, and ranger of the world, Hao Ren, be the second pope of Collow. He is the messenger of the foreign goddess, and he came to help us under the covenant between the goddesses. From now on, his authority and status are equal to the pope of the Sanctum and will be responsible for guiding the reconstruction of Collow.


    ¡°Now, let us hear a few words from him.¡±

 Chapter 1332 - How the Earlier Plan Worked

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Lockmarton¡¯s threat to the world had finally been removed.


    But for Hao Ren, his work had just begun.


    The experience in Collow was the most special one. The mysteries, clues, and relics he found were more than any previous adventure, and their importance was significantly higher than what he discovered in the past. With Lockmarton¡¯s demise, Hao Ren had to start working on follow-up actions. The reconstruction of Collow was just a small part of it.


    ¡°Because of the tremendous damage caused by the Tide of Chaos this time and the collapse of the strength of the kingdoms of Order, everyone in Collow should no longer act in isolation but work together in the reconstruction efforts. As the Sanctum has the most complete collection of classic cultural works and technical materials, the Sanctum shall lead in the construction effort. Specifically, Calaxus I will be the person in charge.


    ¡°The storm of Chaos over the mainland of Kanaan has dissipated. The Sanctum will set up a joint expedition team with other kingdoms to explore Kanaan. The ancient continent is the common heritage left behind by the ancestors of all intelligent races. No one kingdom should unilaterally take control of the continent.


    ¡°Since Lockmarton is dead, the ancient seal of Collow will be removed, and the various sanctions by the goddess of creation will also be lifted at once. When that happens, there will be significant changes in the sky. Astral casters and observers need not panic. We will distribute the changed star chart and astrological table to you.


    ¡°As the goddess of creation is temporarily away, Goddess Raven 12345 will provide protection to Collow. Calaxus has mentioned it earlier, but Hao Ren has a few points to add. Unlike humans, there is no conflict of faith among the true goddesses. So the believers in this world do not need to worry about being forced to change their religion, blamed for their faith, and taking action to defend their faith. The goddess of creation is still the supreme god of Collow, and that will not change.


    ¡°We will build a series of monitoring stations and control towers on the continents in Collow. These facilities function as¡­¡±


    To avoid confusion and panic after the coming down of the divine barrier, and also for the smooth operation of many follow-up works, things had to be set straight from the beginning. That was Hao Ren¡¯s concern. However, as for how the rulers of the earthly kingdoms would interpret these guidelines and tell the world about them, he had passed the responsibility to Calaxus. Hao Ren believed that he would be able to handle the job well given his tenacity and capability.


    In a crystal chamber in Mount Asurmen, everyone was waiting for Lady Gloom to complete the system diagnosis. Hao Ren glanced at the crystal curtain wall, where data are continuous updated, and sighed softly. ¡°This spaceship has completed its historic mission.¡±


    ¡°All the creations in Collow have accomplished their missions in history.¡± The Lord of the Lords, Loken, and the Lord of the Mountains, Gordon were at the scene. Loken nodded when hearing what Hao Ren said. ¡°Our purpose of existence is to guard Lockmarton. Before this, I never thought about who could kill the monster. Today, our mission is over. It will be the era of the mortals from now on.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and looked at the Lord of the Mountains. ¡°Gordon, are the injuries of you all okay?¡±


    He was referring to the 10 wardens who, along with the Lord of the Mountains, fought against Lockmarton and suffered a backlash when they harnessed the power of Raven 12345.


    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal,¡± Gordon replied in a rumble. ¡°The divine power of foreign goddess didn¡¯t attack us. Most of the internal injuries we suffered were caused by power overloading. After detaching from the divine power, the injury will heal slowly.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and said no more.


    He was revisiting the earlier plan in his mind.


    Since he got his hands on the Tablet of Commandments, Hao Ren had learned some truths about Lockmarton. Nonetheless, he could not fully decode the message on the tablet. Perhaps Lockmarton was the most memorable thing for the goddess of creation, and the fact was so apparent that there was no need for further decoding. He knew Lockmarton had a core with divine protection, including some of the divine powers that the goddess of creation gave him. With this core, Lockmarton was almost invincible, especially in the Plane of Dreams.


    For the goddess of creation had said, ¡°Nothing in the world could kill my child.¡±


    Over time, the power of this divine commandment had been distorted. Also because of Lockmarton¡¯s will, it was strengthened and expanded. Lockmarton had since become an invincible existence in the Plane of Dreams. You could weaken, attack, and take him apart, but as long as he was in the Plane of Dreams, and using weapons created in the Plane of Dreams, you would never kill Lockmarton.


    It was a tar baby for the mortals and even demigods in the Planes of Dreams. But Hao Ren found a loophole. He tricked Lockmarton into another universe and killed him with the power of another god.


    So from the beginning, Hao Ren had set a series of traps for Lockmarton.


    The Battle of Spiral Hill was the first trap, which was also the most difficult one. Hao Ren had to use the limited strengths of the Sanctum Expeditionary Force, and his men let Lockmarton produce a sense of crisis. While the damage of a conventional attack was limited, the only thing that could frighten Lockmarton and induce him to flee was the goddess of creation.


    Lockmarton had betrayed the goddess and was very likely the one that caused the death of the goddess. But Hao Ren was sure that as soon as the power of the goddess appeared, Lockmarton would panic because this fear was in his bones.


    So Hao Ren handed over Raven 12345¡¯s divine items to the 10 wardens. The wardens activated the holy objects with the power of the goddess of creation in him to create the illusion that the goddess of creation was waking up.


    It transpired that the plan was a success. Lockmarton was forced to flee into the outer universe, where the second trap was.


    As early as the Sanctum Expeditionary Force departed from Fidelinopolis, Hao Ren had sent the MDT to set up this trap. He authorized the MDT to access his Dimensional Pocket just to let it take the ¡°crystal key.¡± The MDT took the key, returned to the outer universe, and opened the Gate of the Universe, which connected the Plane of Dreams and the Surface World. Before that, they had partially cracked the divine barrier enveloping Collow. So it was a piece of cake for a thing as tiny as the MDT to traverse between both universes, even if it was the nightmare world.


    Hao Ren was confident that Lockmarton would flee to the Gate of the Universe instead of deep space of the Plane of Dreams when being fired at in space.


    It was because the remnant of the goddess of creation¡¯s words had filled the Plane of Dreams.


    Even if a true god were dead, the influence of his words and deeds would not quickly go away. The same was true of the goddess of creation. The remnants of her divine power in the Plane of Dreams were little, but they existed. The fact that the priests in Holletta could continue to perform various divine spells through prayer was a good testament. In a universe full of the goddess¡¯ power, the sudden appearance of a door without any signs of the divine power made it obvious where Lockmarton would run to. As the Gate of the Universe was a passage crossing the Wall of Reality, Raven 12345 had set it up in a way that the gate would not carry any divine energy.


    Another arrangement that Hao Ren had sent the MDT to carry out while he was on the city wall was to write a message in the inspector¡¯s forum.


    ¡°Hao Ren, the Bomb Maniac, is going to blow up the demigod from the other world! Live telecast in the Scarred Nebula!¡±


    As soon as the message was posted, all demigods in the universe had arrived. Even Raven 12345 replied to the thread with a ¡°666¡±.


    Then, Lockmarton was beaten black and blue by dozens of demigods amid the laughter. GG!


    The most challenging part of this plan was the first step, and the riskiest was the last step. Hao Ren had to finish Lockmarton off in the Scarred Nebula and never let him get away from the gravity field of the Gate of the Universe.


    Since Lockmarton was a demigod from the Plane of Dreams, he possessed a horrible amount of information. If such a massive body of data went through the Wall of Reality, it would likely cause the wall to collapse, which was not something that could be easily forgiven.


    The Gate of the Universe was similar to the space crack Hao Ren had found in Siberia. The Gate of the Universe was an enlarged and artificially-controlled version of the space crack in Siberia. Matters from the Plane of Dreams must not cross into the surface world and vice versa. But using these space cracks would be able to minimize the impact on the Wall of Reality, In the vicinity of this type of cracks, space and time could accommodate the information of both universes at the same time. Raven 12345 called this phenomenon Superposition State. Given the size of the Gate of the Universe, the gravity field was far stronger than that of the spatial rift in Siberia. Under its influence, the entire Scarred Nebula was in a state of superposition, which Hao Ren had learned from the goddess a long time ago.


    When this happened, being in the Scarred Nebula meant one was in the Plane of Dreams and the surface world at the same time.


    So, it was safe to let Lockmarton pass through the Gate of the Universe and stay in the Scarred Nebula, but not outside of and away from it. As the volume of information Lockmarton contained was too massive, even if there was the ¡®safety gate¡¯ as a buffer zone, Lockmarton must not be allowed to enter the surface world.


    There were risks, but Hao Ren was not worried. If all the demigods in the surface world could not capture Lockmarton, then Hao Ren and all his other colleagues would deserve whatever punishments that Raven 12345 would lash out on them.

 Chapter 1333 - Denizen of the Stars

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Just as Hao Ren fell into deep thought, Lady Gloom¡¯s voice jolted him back to reality.


    ¡°Self-diagnosis is complete. Initiating the spaceship¡¯s system.¡±


    ¡°Phew! Finally, the prison system has been reset,¡± said Hao Ren as he let out a long sigh. He looked at the Lord of Lords, Loken. ¡°So, the divine barrier and phase-hiding states within 20,000 light-years will be deactivated with the entry of pre-set instructions from Asurmen?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Do you need to deactivate them now? the Lord of Lords, Loken, asked. ¡°The whole process takes several hours. Leave it to us. You can see our last colleague, captain of Asurmen.¡±


    ¡°Oh? There¡¯s a captain on this ship?¡± Lily came out from her stupor.


    ¡°Crap, of course, a spacecraft has a captain.¡± Vivian snorted as she shot Doggie a glance. Vivian also did not expect Asurmen to have a captain hidden in it until now, but rebutting whatever the Doggie said had become a habit. ¡°Have you figured out what the Doggoblast is about?¡± Vivian asked and glanced at Lily with a doubtful look on her face.


    ¡°Stop interrupting, I¡¯m thinking.¡± Lily waved her hand as if saying she had everything under control. Lily suddenly came to her senses and snorted, ¡°Stop calling it Doggoblast! Show some respect, I¡¯m the leader of a race after all! I¡¯ve already named the move Skyshatter Roar!¡±


    ¡°So pretentious. That name is long enough to get yourself killed 800 times on the battlefield. Just call it Doggoblast. Am I right, Hao Ren?¡±


    Hao Ren could care less about their bickering. ¡°Doggoblast it is. Lady Gloom, take us to the will hub, we want to talk to the highest officer of Asurmen.¡±


    Lady Gloom was the head of AI of the Asumen, but Hao Ren knew that she was not the highest officer of this spacecraft from the beginning. Lady Gloom and the gatekeeper¡¯s existence was similar to Nolan; she would only take over the control of the spaceship during the absence of the captain. Meanwhile, the real captain of Asurmen had been hibernating in the core of the spacecraft. Since Lockmarton briefly broke free 10,000 years ago, Collow was divided into the old and the new worlds. Asurmen became the gateway to the ancient world. The captain fell into a long dormant period to maintain the core operation of the spacecraft and only woke up now because Asurmen was relieved from its long mission.


    Hao Ren and his team were to meet the captain for the first time.


    Lady Gloom brought everyone into the core cloister of Asurmen by teleportation and then walked along the cloister to the crystal chamber where the will hub was located. As always, Lady Gloom was silent. She even seemed to be indifferent toward the death of Lockmarton. But when they were about to arrive in the chamber, she glanced at Hao Ren. ¡°Thank you, you all have saved civilization.¡±


    ¡°I thought you had no feelings about the earthly civilization of Collow.¡± Hao Ren said with a smile.


    ¡°Any civilization is valuable. Any race is also valuable. I did not use to understand this. During my years of traveling in the human world, I learned that my mission was not as simple as guarding a prison but the significance of guarding the prison.¡±


    As soon as Lady Gloom¡¯s voice trailed off, they had come before the entrance of the will hub. Hao Ren was surprised to see another glowing female figure at the door. ¡°The gatekeeper? Are you alive?¡±


    ¡°Using the backup copy, I have completed body reconstruction,¡± the gatekeeper replied without any emotion in her voice, ¡°and then memory restoration with data of Number Two. Now, I¡¯m back at work.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Hao Ren nodded. The strange triangular entrance formed by crystals in front of him faded open. Hao Ren brought everyone to step into the special compartment called the Will Hub.


    It was pyramid-shaped, just like other cabins in the spaceship. The floor and walls were formed entirely by crystals. Druse of different sizes with strange light grew in all corners. The light flowed and converged into the center of the chamber, where a large, irregularly-shaped crystal stood in silence. The crystal was almost entirely transparent, so its contents were clearly visible.


    A light, like a cloud and also space filled with starlight, floated inside the crystal. When looking at the light, there seemed to be many voices whispering to you in mind, telling you about different mysterious and incomprehensible knowledge.


    Hao Ren had had many imaginations of how the captain of Asurmen looked. When he heard that the captain was in hibernation and seemingly integrated with the spaceship, he tried to picture this life form. But now, he was utterly surprised. ¡°Denizen of the Stars?¡±


    The captain of Asurmen turned out to be a Denizen of the Stars, a being living in harmony with the spacecraft.


    This race had been missing in the Plane of Dreams for 10,000 years. Even before its disappearance, the race was elusive, and few spotted them. It was a total surprise to see one of them here. This guy was also one of the prison wardens, and he had been participating in the goddess of creation¡¯s plan to suppress Lockmarton since time immemorial.


    Many thoughts came into Hao Ren¡¯s mind. He used to have many conjectures about the Denizens of the Stars, the activities of this mysterious race after the death of the goddess of creation, and their excellent understanding of the goddess and her creations. But these people had always remained hidden and mysterious.


    What was their relationship with the goddess of creation?


    In Lockmarton¡¯s early memory, the Denizens of the Stars were the first primordial life in the Plane of Dreams whom the goddess of creation met. At that time, this mysterious race lived in the barren ¡°stellar grave.¡± But because of Lockmarton¡¯s fragmented soul and distorted memory, the number of images that Hao Ren could see from the illusion was quite limited. It was difficult to ascertain whether those images were real because they came from the memory of a mad demigod.


    Just as these thoughts came to mind, Hao Ren suddenly heard a gentle voice ringing in his mind.


    ¡°Hello, blood bearer.¡±


    Hao Ren was startled. ¡°Blood bearer?¡±


    ¡°When you first visited this ship, I already sensed it. It is on your right hand, the blood mark of the goddess,¡± the gentle voice said. ¡°Her blood is present here. Destiny is something elusive.¡±


    ¡°I have many questions.¡± Hao Ren calmed himself down and said with a serious tone of voice.


    ¡°I also have many questions,¡± said the gentle voice. ¡°But first I need to know one thing¡ªwhere are you from?¡±


    Hao Ren had answered this question countless times, but he was not annoyed. ¡°I am from another universe, where another goddess rules. I thought Lady Gloom told you about all of this?¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± The voice did not answer directly. It seemed to have some different opinions but said nothing. ¡°You have proved yourself with your action. I think I can trust you. You may ask questions now and hope you will get your answers.¡±


    ¡°Did the goddess of creation send you to guard Collow? What is your relationship with her?¡±


    ¡°She ended the madness and darkness of the age of ignorance in the universe, started the era of order and peace, and our entire race was blessed by Her Grace,¡± the voice sounded emotionless. ¡°So the Denizens of the Stars followed her and volunteered to become her jailers and sentinels in the dark. No matter how long the time has passed, our mission will never end.¡±


    ¡°I read the early memories of Lockmarton and saw the discovery of your people by the goddess of creation. But those memories, especially of Lockmarton¡¯s fall, have been eroded by the power of Chaos. They are very fragmented and messy. Do you know how Lockmarton went rogue? Did he meet a primordial will of madness and darkness? We call the primordial will the Mad Lord. I¡¯m not sure if it is the same as the madness and darkness you¡¯ve mentioned.¡±


    ¡°The Mad Lord¡­¡± the voice of Asurmen paused. The name seemed to be a taboo. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard anyone saying this name for a long time. The name is a magical spell with power. Any race in the universe will use this name to refer to the original mad power. I¡¯m sure what you and I are talking about the same thing. To answer your question, I must start from the beginning¡ªthe earliest state of the universe, then you will understand what happened in the past.¡±


    It paused for a few seconds. When Hao Ren and others were ready, Asurmen¡¯s voice continued, ¡°At the beginning of the universe, when the goddess of creation had not yet arrived, the Mad Lord was the master of all things. Born from the first energy tide, it was blind, foolish, and irrational, but it affected the universe with its primordial instinct. Under its influence, the universe became extraordinarily chaotic and dangerous. The world at that time was perilous beyond imagination.


    ¡°Stars collapsed and were reborn irregularly. Celestial systems could collapse at any time. There was no guarantee of peace. In the gaze of the Mad Lord, everything was in the danger of destruction. Only those dead stars, cold and barren sectors were relatively safe. But still, the threat of random extinction was still there.


    ¡°The first life emerged and survived in such an environment. The Denizens of the Stars, the Entropheans, the Drossites, the Neg-E Walkers, the Shadowbeasts and all those incredible life forms that could never exist in the normal world of order appeared and survived in the energy aftermath of the Mad Lord.


    ¡°Ancient creatures like us are actually an extension of the Mad Lord.¡±

 Chapter 1334 - The Ancient Secrets

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Nothing could shock Hao Ren more than what Asurmen said. ¡°The ancients are an extension of the Mad Lord?¡±


    ¡°The ancients¡­ That¡¯s how you call creatures like us?¡± The voice of Asurmen was so wispy that it sounded like it came from a dream. ¡°Oh, during those crazy dark ages, ordinary creatures could not survive. Occasionally, primitive life emerged on a few stars on the edge of the universe, but they would often be destructed before they could develop. It was an era without Order. All physical laws and mathematical definitions were ambiguous, and births were random; so was death. But in that environment, life forms like us lasted longer. We were born on the edge of the Mad Lord¡¯s dark power, and we appeared in the energy sea of ??Chaos as its power vibrated. So it¡¯s not wrong to say that we are an extension of the Mad Lord.¡±


    Vivian gently scratched her chin and said, ¡°But you¡¯re obviously not a creature of Chaos.¡±


    ¡°No life could be as chaotic as the Mad Lord, who is the ultimate expression of cosmic chaos. It¡¯s even more like a natural phenomenon in the early days of the universe than a creature. And we who were born on the fringe of its power is destined to be distinct from it. It¡¯s a hard time. We became ?self-aware and wanted a stable life, but we could get rid of the control of the Mad Lord. We survived for a long time because of our weak connection with the Mad Lord. But every day, there were people destroyed for no reason. Sometimes our entire race was wiped out. But because of the nightmare of the Mad Lord, we all were resurrected again.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of living?¡± Lily swallowed.


    ¡°Did the situation only improve after the appearance of the goddess of creation?¡± Hao Ren knitted his brows together.


    ¡°Since the appearance of the goddess, things started to change,¡± the voice of Asurmen replied. ¡°Because of the subtle connection with the Mad Lord, we the ancients could use its power to observe a vast area of the universe. One day, we suddenly discovered a powerful energy burst, which neutralized the influence of Mad Lord in deep space within millions of light years in radius, and a stable and orderly field of Order formed. We were shocked and didn¡¯t what to do because we had never seen it before. But soon, we realized that it was an environment where life should live, an idyllic landscape that we could not visualize in our imagination.


    ¡°We began to send out a signal to the energy, but there was no response. The energy was just staying quietly in deep space, unresponsive to any stimuli. We initially thought that it was like the Mad Lord, powerful energy without self-awareness. It was how we saw all the deities initially. And then thousands of years had passed, the energy suddenly became active and showed signs of consciousness,¡± the voice of Asurmen said.


    ¡°That should be the place where the goddess of creation awoke and began to explore her landing place. She was probably unconscious for a long time after she came to the planet,¡± Hao Ren said.


    Asurmen continued. ¡°It was a long period. As the energy grew, its range of influence increased, and more and more areas of the universe developed with primordial lives appeared in some planets. During the entire time, we had never given up sending a signal to the growing realm of Order.¡±


    ¡°It seems that many things happened without the conscious knowledge of the goddess of creation.¡± Vivian forced a smile.


    ¡°We only learned later that the energy turned out to be an alien god, who had no idea about hyperspace communication; she had never communicated with anyone over a long distance.¡± Asurmen¡¯s voice sounded helpless. ¡°Perhaps it was fate that she eventually left the place where she landed and began to move towards the deep universe. When she finally found us, it was many, many years later.¡±


    ¡°The days when Lockmarton followed his mother on the adventure,¡± Hao Ren mumbled.


    ¡°When she arrived, space shook, and the power of the Mad Lord left us for the first time.¡± Asurmen¡¯s voice was flat as if it was not capable of expressing emotion through words. ¡°A creature was with her at that time. When she saw us, she was happy. The goddess introduced the creature beside her as her travel companion, a child she created called Lockmarton.¡±


    ¡°Did Lockmarton look any different at that time?¡± Hao Ren quickly asked.


    ¡°No, at that time, Lockmarton was a relatively emotionally-stable creature. At least in our opinion, he was. Lockmarton vented his emotion and behaved unpredictably sometimes, but he would quiet down when his mother intervened. Lockmarton became distorted and corrupted only when the goddess of creation went to study the Mad Lord with him.¡±


    ¡°They went to study the Mad Lord?¡± Lily was wide-eyed.


    ¡°The goddess of creation was curious about all life. Or rather, she became curious when she saw something new. I told her about the Mad Lord, so she went.


    ¡°We had no idea what the goddess found in her first exploration. Lockmarton and her explored the dark and crazy space for hundreds of years, during which time there were several powerful energy bursts as if the aftermath of the war in deep space. When they came back, the power of the Mad Lord was apparently weakened by half, and Lockmarton became a little strange.


    ¡°It seemed that the power of the Mad Lord must have infested Lockmarton during that few hundred years. Lockmarton had powerful energy but been unable to control this power. Its activity in the dark space might have caught the attention of the Mad Lord from the beginning. For the Mad Lord who had no conscious mind and been acting based on instinct, such a powerful and almost ¡®ownerless¡¯ energy source was an extraordinary appeal.


    ¡°Those energy bursts happened when the goddess of creation acted to protect Lockmarton.¡±


    Lily¡¯s eyes brightened up; she loved the story. ¡°And then what?¡±


    ¡°Lockerton became more and more corrupted. At first, he was only irritated easily, but he quickly developed strong aggression and chaotic tendencies. The goddess of creation had to take him back to the Star of Creation to treat him, but the treatment failed.


    ¡°When the goddess of creation appeared in front of us again, Lockmarton was not with her. Instead, she had brought a legion. It was an army without a mind, created out of primordial materials from deep space. They had divine energy, which the Mad Lord could not corrupt easily. The goddess asked who would be willing to go destroy the Mad Lord with her.¡±


    ¡°So the ancients went with her?¡± Lily was still wide-eyed.


    ¡°No, just us,¡± Asurmen replied. ¡°The other ancients were cowards and frightened by the horrible rule of the mad Lord. They couldn¡¯t even think of rebellion, or simply didn¡¯t believe that the Mad Lord could be destroyed or defeated. Only we, the Denizens of the Stars, first found the existence of the Order in the universe. We sensed the power of that Order and knew that the goddess of creation was the only hope to end the dark horror. So we responded to her call. The goddess wasn¡¯t surprised by the response. She then brought the Denizens of the Stars and rushed out of the shelter to challenge the Mad Lord. The war lasted a million years.¡±


    ¡°One million years old. Arf¡­¡± Lily howled in astonishment.


    ¡°A million years is like the blink of an eye in cosmic terms,¡± Y¡¯zaks whispered. ¡°So you won the war?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Otherwise, there would be no order and peace today,¡± Asurmen replied. ¡°After the war, the Mad Lord was not destroyed, but confined in its lair with its power completely sealed inside. The goddess of creation became the only dominant power in the universe, and the world ushered in an unprecedented era of order and beauty. Soon after, I received a secret message from the goddess of creation. ¡±


    ¡°She asked you to guard Lockmarton?¡± Hao Ren asked, appearing to have guessed the answer.


    ¡°Yes, I saw Lockmarton again on a planet that the goddess had modified. At that time, he had completely turned into a monster like the Mad Lord. He was beyond salvage, and his mother had to lock him up in the core of the planet, hoping that he would wake up someday. I voluntarily took over the task of guarding the prison, because the Denizens of the Stars and the power of the Mad Lord were somehow related. This connection, if properly harnessed, would be an excellent condition for monitoring and suppression. After that, the rest is history.¡±


    There was a silence, during which everyone could take time to digest the information. Hao Ren compared this information with the intelligence he had gathered before and found something did not add up. ¡°Wait a minute, according to what you¡¯ve said, when the war ended, the goddess could already create various lives and powerful armies, as well as explore the universe.¡±


    Vivian and the others were startled before they realized what Hao Ren was trying to say.


    The timelines did not match!


    The goddess of creation created life in ancient times, explored the universe, found the ancients in deep space, and fought against the Mad Lord. These events were true. It had to be many years later when she created the First Born to explore space, and the guardians to guard the Mad Lord. But according to the memory of the brain monster, the goddess of creation was clearly excited, and she knew nothing about the universe when she first created the First Born.


    Was there a problem with the timeline, or the goddess of creation herself? Or was the memory of Asurmen or the brain monster fake?


    Lily could not help but quickly tell Asurmen about the story. As if Asurmen had anticipated these questions, it replied in an unhurried manner.


    ¡°Because the goddess of creation erased her memory, deleted all the records and traces of her war with the Mad Lord, and wiped clean all information that could restore her memory!¡±


    ¡°Why did she do that?¡± Hao Ren and his buddies asked in unison.


    ¡°Because the memory of a true god carries a great deal of energy. The goddess of creation¡¯s memory is the only key to open the prison gate!¡±

 Chapter 1335 - Thrilling Speculations

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°The memory of the goddess of creation is the key to open the prison gate?¡± Even a person as steady as Y¡¯zaks could not hide his astonishment. ¡°So she ¡®deleted¡¯ her memory to permanently lock the prison?¡±


    ¡°Yes, exactly.¡± Asurmen¡¯s voice was as flat as ever. ¡°It was a last resort. You probably can¡¯t imagine how powerful and weird the Mad Lord is. In fact, it¡¯s almost impossible to completely eliminate it. The Mad Lord represents the origin of the universe and is the initial data of everything. It would be impossible to destroy the Mad Lord without also destroying the universe. So the goddess of creation could only strip its power and seal it permanently.¡±


    Lily impatiently asked, ¡°Why would she want to leave a key in the first place when she knew she would go through all the trouble to delete it?¡±


    ¡°Because it was unavoidable. The goddess of creation didn¡¯t leave a key behind. After she completed the sealing, her memory became the key, a hidden danger, which the Mad Lord could use to get away.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s brows were knitted together as the knowledge he learned from Raven 12345 came to mind. ¡°Is it because of the information entanglement of true gods?¡±


    ¡°It seems that you are truly the messenger of the true God. No ordinary person would have such knowledge.¡± Asurmen¡¯s words were a confirmation of Hao Ren¡¯s identity. ¡°Yes, the memory of the goddess of creation became the power carrier of the Mad Lord. A true god¡¯s influence on the world is so strong that even if she just remembers the name ¡®Mad Lord,¡¯ the shadow of the mad Lord will remain in the background radiation of the universe. In this case, her memory became the biggest vulnerability of the entire prison system. To eliminate this vulnerability, she could only ¡®strip¡¯ the memory from her mind.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it!¡± Hao Ren was astonished. ¡°She won, but her power also became a stumbling block.¡±


    What Hao Ren meant was that the goddess of creation had failed to control her power, but he did not say it out.


    The MDT knew what was in Hao Ren¡¯s mind. It sighed within their mind connection. ¡°It¡¯s a shame that she didn¡¯t go to school.¡±


    Hao Ren was dumbfounded.


    ¡°Who knows about this?¡± Vivian looked at the glow in the crystal. ¡°As far as I know, the contemporary Guardian Giants and the First Borns know nothing about this matter. We did not find any clues about it in the other part of the universe.¡±


    ¡°The goddess of creation deleted all the clues. Even if she didn¡¯t, the clues should have already faded away over the years. We are the only ones who know about this incident; the Denizens of the Stars retain a complete heritage of memory.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded; he finally understood. The Denizens of the Stars were essentially a life form born from the remnant of the Mad Lord¡¯s power. They not only lived in the order but are also inseparable from the Mad Lord. As a race connected to the Mad Lord since the beginning, they were the only insiders and keeper of secrets. The Denizens of the Stars had unique adaptability to anything concerning the Mad Lord. They were the jailers, sentinels, and memory bank.


    The memory deletion of the goddess of creation could be seen as the dividing line between two periods in the Plane of Dreams, and the Denizens of the Stars were the witnesses. They had lived through three periods of the Plane of Dreams: the dark ages of the Mad Lord¡¯s terrorizing rule; the introduction of Order to the universe until the deletion of the goddess¡¯ memory; and the pastoral age of an awakened goddess of creation, who created lives until her death. The pastoral age was the best time in the Plane of Dreams, where lives were thriving, and the world was peaceful. But people had no idea of the darkness of the universe and the horror of the future.


    Ignorance was bliss.


    Perhaps now the world was in its fourth period, Hao Ren thought. The goddess of creation was dead, things were withering, and the shadow of the Mad Lord was looming as it planned to make a comeback. The future of this world was uncertain, turbulent, and shrouded in a fog of uneasiness. If Hao Ren failed, the history of the Plane of Dreams would end in this fourth stage.


    ¡°So, only the Denizens of the Stars know the truth of this history. Even the goddess of creation has forgotten those glorious eras.¡± Vivian had a weird expression on her face. ¡°When she woke up on the Star of Creation, she had returned to her ¡®childhood¡¯, starting to create life, and explore the universe again, while you guys were hidden behind the scenes. Even if you met her again¡ª¡±


    ¡°We pretended that we met her for the first time. Every Denizen of the Stars would not say the name of the Mad Lord.¡± Asurmen continued. ¡°Since the sacred covenant was established, we accepted our mission. We stayed quietly in the darkness, remained silent and vigilant. This world already belongs to the mortal species. Our time has passed. For us, it has been a great relief to be able to watch this peaceful universe in silence.¡±


    ¡°But peace has been disturbed,¡± Hao Ren said with a frown. ¡°So, the goddess of creation did not know about the prison of Collow? And she has forgotten about Lockmarton?¡±


    ¡°Collow is a forgotten corner, and it must be forgotten. Lockmarton carried too many painful memories of the goddess of creation and was the starting point of her entanglement with the Mad Lord. Since I was here, the goddess of creation had isolated this dimension with her divine power. After she erased her memory, no one could enter or leave the prison. But I could still connect with my own people through a gift to keep abreast of the changes in the outside world.¡±


    ¡°So you knew about the fall of the goddess of creation?¡± Hao Ren blinked. ¡°You people were watching the whole incident and you did nothing¡­ Oh, wait a second! It wasn¡¯t an accident?¡±


    The truth dawned on Vivian and Y¡¯zaks who looked at each other with an incredible look on their faces. Others seemed to be in thought. Only Rollie drew a blank expression. She patted Hao Ren¡¯s arm as she had lost her patience listening to the boring story. ¡°Meow?¡±


    ¡°The memory of the goddess of creation was the biggest hidden danger, which Lockmarton could use to escape. Even though she had erased her memory, she could not make everything a fail-safe. There was no guarantee that other things of a true god would not become carriers, right?¡± Hao Ren looked at Vivian and the others with a frozen face. ¡°The goddess of creation defeated the Mad Lord and sealed it. But she was the greatest existence that was connected to the Mad Lord. Just like two signal sources, once in contact, they would resonate with each other. The goddess felt that simply deleting her memory was not safe enough!¡±


    ¡°The safest way is to kill yourself.¡± Lily finally understood.


    ¡°The goddess of creation probably realized that her thoughts about the Mad Lord had begun to return, but she could do nothing about the inadequacy of the seal, so she could only choose to end her own life.¡±


    ¡°But then things are becoming confusing now.¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°If the goddess of creation created her own assassination plan, what about the First Borns¡¯ lost of control and the Guardian Giants? Did she ever think about this? Her Creation Engine was only half completed; was it her plan? The god killers attacked the divine realm, and when the goddess saw that they were going to succeed, she only began to send some Guardian Giants to activate the ¡®lullaby¡¯ for the First Borns. It fully shows that things have been entirely beyond her control. More importantly, if the goddess of creation really wanted to eliminate the possibility of the resurrection of Lockmarton by killing herself, she could have chosen a simpler method.¡±


    Hao Ren was subtle in his words. But anyone who listened would understand what he meant. If the goddess of creation could have just committed suicide, she did not have to go through all the trouble, dragging the different races into the picture and causing the First Borns to carry out the extinction-level attacks.


    The goddess of creation was not a cold-blooded deity who could bear to send her own child to death¡¯s door judging from her words and deeds.


    ¡°I can¡¯t answer most of your questions, but there are a few things I can tell you.¡± Asurmen¡¯s voice was devoid of emotion no matter how emotional the other people were. ¡°First, the goddess of creation did not participate directly in the deicidal plan. But she may have acquiesced and connived. Perhaps her purpose was to get herself killed in order to contain the Mad Lord. Second, the decay of the First Borns and the Guardian Giants was not in the goddess¡¯ calculation. Unknowingly, the power of the Mad Lord had infiltrated her plan, causing the situation after the death of the goddess to deviate from the goddess¡¯ plan. She did not discover it until the last moment, and only had the time to lay out some emergency measures to avoid complete extinction of civilizations. Third, it was not that the goddess of creation didn¡¯t want to commit suicide, but she couldn¡¯t actively kill herself.¡±


    ¡°She couldn¡¯t actively kill herself?¡± Hao Ren repeated the phrase.


    Some vague ideas materialized in Hao Ren¡¯s mind.


    The goddess could not arbitrarily deny herself.


    Self-denial of the goddess would shake the law that regulated everything, and even the foundation of the universe.


    The prison that held the Mad Lord was the largest divine thing the goddess of creation made. The self-denial of the goddess may have compromised this prison.


    So she could only let others kill her.

 Chapter 1336 - The Truth of the Godslayer

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren began to speak his mind.


    ¡°Gods cannot deny themselves. Otherwise, all things depending on their existence would collapse. There is meaning in every word and deed. Even their ideas interfere with the truth of the universe,¡± Hao Ren said slowly before he sighed. ¡°This was probably the dilemma of the goddess of creation.¡±


    ¡°Huh, it¡¯s such trouble being a god. She couldn¡¯t even speak her mind. Is she still omnipotent then?¡± Lily blinked.


    Raven 12345, a professionally trained goddess, did not have these problems. The biggest reason why the goddess of creation made such a mess was the fact that she had never gone to school, Hao Ren thought. But it was not the time to mention such a thing. He sighed.


    ¡°That should be very close to the truth,¡± said Y¡¯zaks with a helpless expression on his face. ¡°The goddess of creation was still planning to kill herself right up to the last moment of her life. I can¡¯t imagine what realization could cause a goddess to make such a sacrifice. She had sacrificed almost everything for the order of the world, creating life with her power, and finally using all her efforts to plan her suicide.¡±


    ¡°And even when she did this, her plan was still undermined.¡± Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°The change of the First Borns and the Guardian Giants was outside her plan. Now I¡¯m wondering what the Creation Engine¡¯s all about. The Guardian Giants¡¯ narrative is that the goddess of creation has been making that Creation Engine for thousands of years before her fall. When the deicidal war broke out, her work abruptly stopped, and then the Gilded Discs were scattered in the Plane of Dreams. If the goddess was about to commit suicide in the first place, why did she still want to create the Creation Engine? If the engine is more important, she could wait for the completion of the engine. Why would she allow the deicidal war to happen? All these are contradictory.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps the goddess of creation suddenly began to recall the memory of the Mad Lord halfway through the making of the Creation Engine.¡± Nangong Wuyue, who had been silent all this while, raised her tail slightly. ¡°She realized that this sudden recovery of memory was more dangerous, so she put aside the Creation Engine and began to plan for her death.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a fact that the deicidal race was tempted.¡± At this time, Muru, who had been in a gloomy mood, suddenly broke the silence. What Asurmen said shocked him. Emotionally, it was hard to accept. But Muru knew in his mind that the information was credible, so he could only join the discussion with the assumption that the information was true. ¡°The temptation and the fall did not happen overnight. Wuyue¡¯s speculation might not true.¡±


    The discussion fell into a stalemate for a time.


    Asurmen¡¯s information had rendered the previous investigation outcome doubtful. It might not be completely disruptive, but now doubts and loopholes had appeared in the otherwise perfect theory. The actions of the goddess of creation during that period were the most contradictory.


    The goddess acquiesced or connived. But after the start of the deicidal war, she was caught off guard. She was building the Creation Engine, but her new plan had interrupted everything before she could finish the engine. She began to remember about the Mad Lord but did not realize that the power of the Mad Lord had leaked out. So when she died, the First Borns caused an extinction-level disaster.


    Other than this apparent contradictions, Hao Ren had also felt something amiss.


    Since the goddess of creation loved all her creations, this naturally included the deicidal race too. It did not matter if the deicidal race had degenerated, the goddess refused to give them up. If the goddess of creation had acquiesced or connived in the deicidal event, then she was essentially watching her creation being tempted and corrupted but doing nothing to stop it. The deicidal race became an evil species. She may have caused these ¡°children¡± of hers to become the god killers.


    The deicidal race might be hateful, but it would also mean that they were mere pawns and victims, and the culprit was the mother.


    This thought was disruptive. But as an inspector who had witnessed countless times of life and death, Hao Ren knew that he should not taint his judgment with personal feeling, likes, and dislikes. So he quietly put the thought at the back of his mind until there were more revelations.


    Something suddenly crossed Hao Ren¡¯s mind. He quickly opened the dimensional pocket and took out a storage box of dangerous items. ¡°Asurmen, do you know what this is?¡± he asked.


    The box opened silently. Shrouded in faint blue light, a black sword, seemingly a cosmic fragment, slowly floated up in the anti-gravity field.


    The Godslayer, Mcstabby, purified by the goddess, did not need this security measure and storage. This sword here was the Worldbreaker, once in the hands of Auguste VII. After the end of the battle, Hao Ren had kept the sword for fear that its corrosiveness and madness might be too dangerous to the world.


    ¡°Where did you find this?¡± Asurmen asked immediately. Its voice was still flat, but its quick reaction seemed to show that it was nervous to see the sword.


    Like other wardens, Asurmen was in a dormancy when Lockmarton escaped. It knew nothing about what happened during that time, including how the Cult of Armageddon got their hands on the Worldbreaker.


    ¡°The infected Auguste VII held this sword. If I¡¯m not mistaken, it was Lockmarton who gave him this sword. A weapon like this killed the goddess of creation. Do you know where they come from?¡±


    ¡°They were created by the goddess of creation.¡±


    Wuyue¡¯s tail straightened. Vivian¡¯s eyes widened. Y¡¯zaks¡¯ hand stopped mid-air while he was scratching his head. Y¡¯lisabet fell from her papa¡¯s shoulder, while Lily froze for a long time before she churned out an ¡°Arf?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible!¡± Muru looked shocked. ¡°We had never seen mother used any weapons. She has never cast such a thing!¡±


    ¡°It is because these weapons come from the ¡®previous period¡¯ that the goddess of creation erased and forgot about,¡± Asurmen replied with an indifferent voice. ¡°They were the weapons the goddess of creation used to fight against the Mad Lord. There were two of them, called the Twin Blades of Apocalypse, which means the end of everything. When she led a legion from the Star of Creation coming to the lair of the Mad Lord, she was holding both swords in her hands. As far as I know, these two swords are forged from the turbulent fragments in the cosmic edge, including not only the fragments of our universe, but also the debris and energy that have drifted into the world barrier, and other destructive wreckage and energy. They are powerful enough to cause great damage to the Mad Lord.¡±


    Speaking of this, Asurmen paused, seemingly recalling the epic era. ¡°At the end of the war, the goddess wielded the two swords. She lunged into the core of the Mad Lord and released the energy of the swords, stopping the tyrant. The released energy spread and destroyed several galaxies on the edge of the battlefield. After the war, no one had ever seen the two swords again. We thought that the goddess of creation had left them in the core of the Mad Lord to enhance the power of the seal. I didn¡¯t expect one of them to appear here.¡±


    ¡°The goddess of creation created the Godslayers!¡± Hao Ren mumbled in amazement. He had a feeling that this was the biggest secret he had ever discovered in Collow. ¡°The two swords had been missing since the war. One of them was in the hands of Lockmarton, and the other one became a weapon that killed the goddess of creation.¡±


    ¡°You have been guarding Lockmarton for tens of millions of years, and you fought him 10,000 years ago. You never found the sword in his hands?¡± Vivian looked at the crystal, where Asurmen was, with an incredible look on her face.


    ¡°The main energy that sealed Lockmarton was the divine power of the goddess of creation. Wardens like us were only responsible for maintaining the edge of the seal, guaranteeing the integrity and stability of the prison¡¯s physical structure. As for Lockmarton, you knew how mysterious he was. No one had ever understood his internal structure or how he operated. Only his creators knew how many things the divine monster could hide inside his body.¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head. He felt that something was more than meets the eye. The goddess of creation gave the sword that she used to fight the Mad Lord to Lockmarton, and she did not tell the wardens. There were too many questions.


    Suddenly, a strange feeling rose from within. Everyone felt like seeing the sky again after getting shrouded by clouds and fog for years. There was also a sense of relief of getting out from an enclosed space. It seemed to be a brief illusion, but it reminded everyone that the gate to the world of Collow had opened!


    Asurmen quickly switched on a hologram and showed the outside scene with it.


    The unchanging sky of Collow was gone. In its place was a strange night sky filled with life and shining stars.


    Hao Ren gazed at the beautiful night sky, and his confusion seemed to clear up a little.


    ¡°I will figure it out.¡± Hao Ren sighed.

 Chapter 1337 - The Gate of the Universe

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The divine barrier that enveloped Collow for tens of millions of years was finally lifted.


    Ripples suddenly appeared in a vacuum. The translucent illusory ripples spread from every corner of space as if the void had become an infinite ocean. When these ripples gradually undulated in a synchronized fashion, hidden celestial bodies emerged.


    The first thing that appeared was a shining star, then mysterious and complicated patterns and lines around it. These lines wrapped around the sun and glowed in a corona-like color. These patterns and lines were part of the divine power system left by the goddess of creation. A dark-red planet appeared near the sun. On the planet, there were many abandoned ancient structures, which were the remote sensing stations used to monitor planet Collow. Following that, a group of broken celestial objects emerged on the outer orbit.


    This group of celestial objects consisted of five individual pieces, each of a different shape. Some had shadows shrouded it, some were eternally frozen, some were green and filled with life, some were shining. Four of the celestial bodies were circling one in the center. A faint glow shrouded the five celestial bodies. There were many symbols and patterns in the light, which were signs of human interference. Supernatural forces ruled these celestial objects, and maintained their ecologies and physical structures, making their existence possible although the structure had defied the law of nature.


    In the dark space around the five celestial objects, there was another phantom-like world. The elusive world seemed to be larger than the five celestial bodies but appeared barren and lifeless.


    That was the ¡®old world.¡¯ It was the physical body of Collow but was turned into a semi-elusive alien dimension during the first escape of Lockmarton. Now hung over the main world of Collow, the elusive space was only accessible through the Realm of Reflections.


    A silver light flashed across space, and the patrol frigate Petrachelys emerge. Hao Ren looked at the changes in space in the flight deck. The images were not stable, but their overall outlines were clearly visible. Outside the solar system of Collow, various small celestial bodies and stray celestial objects were observable. In some places, there were also space wrecks that looked like temples and towers, which were likely automatic monitoring stations that the goddess of creation left behind. It was a shame that these structures turned into space junk following the disappearance of the divine power of the goddess.


    However, the space junk made valuable research objects. Nolan had sent a group of autonomous robots and drones towards those space structures to carry out a scientific study.


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyes were on Collow, which had now become a group of floating islands in space. He was wondering how the civilizations on these floating islands would develop in such a unique environment. About one astronomical unit away from the floating islands, there was the ¡®gate.¡¯


    Silver-white space orbital cannons and outposts, fortresses, monitoring towers, and other facilities formed a huge three-dimensional structure. The overall appearance of the layers of defense and control systems could only be seen in distant space. In the center of this system was a ¡®door¡¯ that was twisted like a vortex. The vortex was bound by a giant silver metal ring. The giant ring seemed to be in an unstable dimension; it sometimes looked elusive and faded to become a part of the vortex. It was how the crystal key looked after its activation. Perhaps, only Raven 12345 could explain this bizarre phenomenon.


    The Gate of the Universe possessed a powerful gravity. It kept all celestial bodies around it in their safe orbits so that they would not interfere with the Gate of the Universe. Hao Ren had placed some of the monitoring facilities of the Gate of the Universe on the continent of Ansu and the frozen continent, which essentially tied the two together. The structure resembled the relationship between the planet Inferno with the Gate of the Universe.


    Lil Pea jumped onto the console and reached out her hands to touch the rippling space in the hologram. Wagging her tail excitedly, Lil Pea must be thinking that it was water. But very quickly, the ripples disappeared.


    ¡°With your proposal and automated factories, things will go on the right track soon,¡± Vivian said. ¡°But it seems something was still troubling you.¡±


    ¡°How could I not be troubled with that many explosive new findings?¡± Hao Ren sighed. ¡°The reconstruction of Collow may not be smooth sailing like we expect. This world is unique; the people have dedicated all their energy to fight the Tide of Chaos. Their technology tree, culture, and the concept of survival were more or less odd. Now the Tide of Chaos is gone, I don¡¯t know how these people, grew up in war, could adapt to the new life. I¡¯m also not sure if there would be any problems with those monitoring stations and large computing centers on the continents. After all, Collow is not the same as Inferno; it is much denser population and a higher degree of social development.¡±


    ¡°Those people would not take apart the factories and monitoring stations,¡± Vivian said with a smile. ¡°Haven¡¯t all the leaders of the kingdoms had pledged that as long as the facilities are used to monitor the space and not affecting the daily life of the people, they would fully support the project. You have saved their lives. At least this generation would be grateful to you. The future generations would probably get used to these ¡®alien¡¯ machines by then, just like the people of Inferno.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and looked into the distant space. He seemed to be looking past the field of stars and space cloud into the silent darkness in deep space.


    In the ruins of Fidelinopolis, Sanctum in Collow, Calaxus and his team of cardinals were worshipping and praying to the sacred crystal mountain of Asurmen for the last time.


    The sacred crystal mountain glowed softly. A chime echoed in the heart of every person in the ceremony, as if it was saying goodbye, or a reminder. Upon careful listening, the sound disappeared like an illusion.


    Calaxus looked up at the sky. The Gate of the Universe in the distant space appeared so grand that its silver lines and swirls were visible.


    He lowered his eyes and looked at the sacred crystal mountain.


    ¡°Sacred mountain and Guardians, thank you for your protection of the world for the past thousands of years,¡± the new pope whispered. ¡°I wish you well. Please bring along our prayers to complete the will of the goddess. Like a baby bird that will eventually grow up, we the mortals will continue to survive in this world and live up to the grace of the goddess of creation.¡±


    The sacred crystal mountain seemed to have heard the prayers; it glowed even brighter. The earth shook, and Asurmen hummed and rose gradually, leaving the surface and accelerate toward the sky. Soon, it faded into a bright light and disappeared before the eyes of everyone.


    The Petrachelys had been waiting for a few hours in space when Asurmen finally appeared in the agreed location.


    The sacred crystal mountain had re-emerged as a spaceship and quietly come before the Petrachelys like a small asteroid. Asurmen was almost 10 times the size of the Petrachelys. The stacked crystal body reflected the images of Nolan and the space stations behind it.


    When the communication was connected, Asurmen appeared on a hologram in front of Hao Ren. ¡°I apologize for the delay as I have to bid farewell to the humans.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all right,¡± Hao Ren nodded in understanding. ¡°After all, they have been living with you for a long time.¡±


    The image of the Lord of Lords, Loken, also appeared in a hologram. Loken and the rest of the wardens were onboard Asurmen. ¡°The wardens have gathered here. What¡¯s your plan?¡±


    The goddess of creation had fallen. Even if there was a possibility of resurrection, it would be a matter of the future. Now, the wardens were headless. So Hao Ren, the pope and spokesperson of the foreign god, naturally became the person-in-charge. Muru had told Loken about Hao Ren¡¯s efforts in finding the goddess of creation and the long-term recovery plan of the goddess¡¯ system. Both the wardens and Asurmen agreed to join forces with Hao Ren for the time being.


    ¡°I want to hear the condition of the Mad Lord,¡± Hao Ren said while looking at Asurmen. ¡°How long do you think the prison can hold up?¡±


    ¡°The Mad Lord is located in the dark abyss of deep space, where there are extreme silence, darkness, and nothingness. Except for the sentinels of the Denizens of the Stars, there is no life there. The goddess of creation left behind a divine barrier that¡¯s a hundred times more powerful than the one in Collow. No one except the goddess herself can open it or cross it. Even my people who are stationed in the dark abyss can only rely on the fixed sentinels to move around,¡± Asurmen relayed what it knew about the situation. But since it was assigned to Collow to guard Lockmarton since the beginning, its understanding of the dark abyss was limited. ¡°There is no leakage of the power of the Mad Lord for now judging from the state of the stars in space. Its interference in the deicidal war is probably its limit of influence. After the fall of the goddess of creation, I think the Mad Lord grabbed the opportunity to escape, but it will take a long time before it can get away.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment before he dismissed his idea of finding the Abyssal Dungeon and blowing it up Starbreaker Cannon. It was an idealistic plan, but Hao Ren was not impulsive. After fighting Lockmarton, he knew it was not a good time to challenge the Mad Lord. His power in the Plane of Dreams was lacking, and his understanding of the supernatural forces here was insufficient. Hao Ren knew he was not ready. The actions of the goddess of creation before her death had aroused many questions and suspicions. All these had prevented him from acting rashly.


    Hao Ren was going to the Abyssal Dungeon but not now.


    The wardens and Asurmen must have known it too. So they never hurried Hao Ren to seek revenge for the goddess.


    ¡°We must first find the whereabouts of the goddess of creation. Whether it is the goddess in sleep or her body fragments and thoughts, we can only open the Abyssal Dungeon when we find her. It would be great if the goddess could be resurrected; we would have a much higher chance of success to defeat the Mad Lord.¡± Hao Ren spoke his mind. ¡°I¡¯m assembling the Creation Engine according to the blueprint that the goddess has left behind. A search for the divine realm of the goddess, restoration efforts on ecology, and excavation of ruins are all ongoing at the same time. I hope that you all can follow Muru to planet Tannagost. There, you will see my work. I hope that you can cooperate in my research; I need to analyze the divine characteristics of the goddess of creation in the wardens. The research findings will help the drone clusters works of exploration of the universe. I hope that Asurmen could contact your people, especially those who are guarding the Abyssal Dungeon. We urgently need to know the inside condition of the prison. Besides that, we will also need your help in the research of relics such as the crystal discs.¡±


    Muru and other Guardian Giants possessed the divine characteristics of the goddess of creation, but they were all mass-produced from the lifeblood factory on the Star of Creation, unlike the Lord of Lords, Loken, and other wardens, each of whom was ¡°handcrafted¡± by the goddess of creation. So the wardens were obviously more suitable candidates as the ¡°source code¡± when searching for the divine realm.


    It was a reasonable and well-thought-out arrangement. Naturally, Asurmen and the prison wardens had no objections.

 Chapter 1338 - The Husky’s Made It

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After a simple arrangement, the 21 wardens led by the Lord of Lords, Loken, became guests of planet Tannagost. Parked in the gravitational field of the Crapple Research Station, CARS, Asurmen became a temporary satellite station.


    As the sentinels created by the goddess of creation to guard the prison, the wardens did not have any demands for their living environment. They liked Tannagost instantly and were curious about Zorm after looking around the ecological restoration area. It was still a reflection of the previous period when they were isolated in Collow. During which, the goddess of creation had not created the First Borns or sown any life. She had spent almost all of her energy in the war with the Mad Lord.


    After all, even if the wardens knew what happened on the outside through different channels, seeing was believing.


    Zorm was happy to have new friends. His lively character naturally made him enjoy meeting friends.


    After a long period of dormancy and 10,000 years of overloading its system while acting as the regulator of the old world, Asurmen had suffered many damages and hidden glitches. These problems had manifested in Asurmen, the ¡®main brain¡¯ of the spaceship. The spaceship needed some serious fixes.


    Hao Ren had directed CARS to analyze the structure and working principle of Asurmen, as well as prepare to carry out a major overhaul. The works would take a long time. But that meant Hao Ren could take this opportunity to complete the other tasks.


    ¡°My drone clusters are exploring the deep space.¡± After informing Asurmen about the overhaul plan, Hao Ren told of his other plans. ¡°The calculation of the drone consciousness indicates that an expedition team is moving toward the Dark Abyss.¡±


    ¡°Stop going further!¡± Asurmen warned. ¡°You are not ready yet. Before cracking the divine barrier and knowing the inside condition of the prison, any contact with the power of the Mad Lord may give it the opportunity to find a springboard of escape.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s not easy for a god-like creature to compromise the highly-secured network of the drone clusters. But I will keep your warning in mind,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°I have ordered the drone cluster to adjust their mission accordingly. They will fly forward for a while before they stop and build a base in situ for a large antenna. You may be able to contact the sentinels in the dark abyss using that antenna.¡±


    The Denizens of the Stars had some inborn ability to communicate among themselves. But the Abyssal Dungeon that held the Mad Lord could interfere with this ability. Since the fall of the goddess of creation, some unknown changes had happened in the prison, and the wardens lost contact with the outside world. Even those Denizens of the Stars that lived in the graveyard of the stars had been unable to contact their peers in the dungeon, let alone Asurmen, who was cut off from the rest of the world in Collow.


    To investigate the situation of the prison, Hao Ren had two plans. One solution was for Asurmen to find a way to contact the Denizens of the Stars scattered around the universe and get information about the changes that happened in the past 10,000 years in the prison from them. Another option was to have the drone cluster coming as close as possible to the barrier of the prison, and ¡®shouting out loud¡¯ at the wardens on the other side using the high-powered antenna. The second option was temporarily named Shouting Out Loud Communication.


    But Asurmen was concerned. ¡°As much as I hope to contact my people, it is disturbing to beam signal directly into the dark abyss. The Mad Lord could almost make use of every possible channel to infest the outside world, especially through the transmission of information and thoughts. Are you sure your antenna system is fail-safe and will not become a springboard for the Mad Master to escape?¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the hologram and smiled.


    It was the will hub of Asurmen. In this chamber, besides showing the various system parameters and readings of the spacecraft, the hologram also displayed the visual of the scene of space on the outside. Tannagost¡¯s pale-golden and blue-green arc was in the darkness. Above the atmosphere, the CARS was floating in space. When sunlight shone on the side of the CARS, it produced a bright glare.


    ¡°The drones did not make the antenna system. The antenna was a backup system removed from the CARS.¡±


    ¡°What is so special about it?¡± Asurmen was puzzled.


    ¡°You just need to know that it is highly secure.¡± Hao Ren said confidently. ¡°My boss made it.¡±


    ¡°Your boss?¡± At first, Asurmen had no idea what Hao Ren meant. But it quickly realized. ¡°Ahh, all right. I get it. The foreign god. Then I¡¯m not worried anymore.¡±


    ¡°Communication with the Abyssal Dungeon is guaranteed secure. The only thing we need to worry about is whether the situation in prison has been out of control.¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°Well, it is better to leave it to the drone cluster for now. I now hope that you can contact your people through other channels as soon as possible. I believe that there must be other Denizens of the Stars living in seclusion in the deep universe. I have found several ¡®doomsday civilizations¡¯ that have had contact with them. The First Borns have destroyed their efforts of saving the world, but they have no problem in protecting themselves.¡±


    ¡°Since the deicidal war 10,000 years ago, it has been tough to contact my people again.¡± Asurmen¡¯s voice was still indifferent. ¡°The divine power of the goddess of creation has weakened. It will be difficult for us to contact each other. We have been following the goddess for too long that her divine power has changed us. Her influence has been profound.¡±


    The deicidal war had caused the Denizens of the Stars to scatter. Except that the sentinels in the Abyssal Dungeon, all Denizens of the Stars in the universe might have gone into hiding mode. Hao Ren would not expect to be able to gather them quickly. To be able to find Asurmen was already a miracle.


    ¡°Try your best,¡± Hao Ren said to Asurmen. ¡°I hope more Denizens of the Stars could help.¡±


    After explaining everything, Hao Ren returned to the lounge of the CARS where he found his tenants.


    ¡°So, Is it all over?¡± Vivian was the first to come up and greeted him with a smile.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m free for now,¡± Hao Ren replied. He then looked around curiously. ¡°Where is Lily?¡± he asked.


    Everyone was in the lounge except Lily and Lil Pea. Lil Pea would have teleported herself up to Hao Ren when she saw him.


    Vivian had a subtle smile on her face. ¡°Lily? She is having an experiment next door with Lil Pea.¡±


    ¡°Experiment?¡±


    ¡°You will know when you get there.¡±


    Curiously, Hao Ren went to the small room. The moment Hao Ren pushed the door open, he saw Lily and Li Pea was lying their heads on the table side by side with a serious look on their faces. And there was a large pot of water placed between them.


    Hao Ren had no idea what the two were doing. So he remained silent and watched from the side. Lil Pea poked her head into the basin and sipped some water and then turned her head. Ptooey~~


    It was the baby fish¡¯s signature skill¡ªwater spitting. That was what Lil Pea¡¯s favorite game.


    But what was puzzling was that Lily also took a sip of water in her mouth and then spat just like how Lil Pea did.


    The husky maiden could spit a farther than Lil Pea did.


    Hao Ren was dumbfounded looking from the side. He was totally clueless about what it was all about. Lily and Lil Pea took a turn to play the spitting game, and there was only half a pot of water left in the basin in just half a minute. Hao Ren looked at the other end of the room and found the floor was inundated in water.


    A thought suddenly came to mind. Hao Ren now had vaguely guessed what it was all about. ¡°Ahem, Lily. I think you¡¯re not going to reproduce the Doggoblast by doing this. You need science to master this new skill.¡±


    As soon as Hao Ren¡¯s voice trailed off, Lily pouted. As she spat, water along with a burst of light came from her mouth and spurted into the air. It was the Doggoblast skill. Well, Lily would like to call it the Skyshatter Roar. The light hit and left a big black mark on the wall and triggered the alarm throughout the corridor room.


    Hao Ren was stunned as he looked at Lily, whose mouth was still bursting with sparks. Really? Hao Ren thought to himself.


    Sometimes, it was pointless to find logic in the husky.

 Chapter 1339 - Let’s Go Home

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Since meeting Lily and learning about her husky nature, Hao Ren never expected the maiden¡¯s life to be logical. It was especially true after he found that Lily would shapeshift after eating Spicy Sticks. But no matter how imaginative Hao Ren was, he could not believe his eyes when Lily actually succeeded in learning a new skill via ¡°self-studying.¡±


    She managed to reproduce the Doggoblast while she played the water-spitting game with Lil Pea.


    ¡°Ahh, Mr. Landlord!¡± Lily finally noticed that Hao Ren was there. She jumped up at Hao Ren and wagged her tail excitedly. ¡°Did you see that, Mr. Landlord? I did it!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been standing here for like half a decade. What do you think?¡± Hao Ren massaged his forehead with his fingers.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Lily was wide-eyed. ¡°I have sensitive senses. If you were here, I would have sensed it.¡±


    Deciding not to argue with the husky, Hao Ren turned to Lil Pea, who was clapping her tail trying to impress him. ¡°So, you two were testing the Doggoblast just now, eh? Well, I mean Sky¡­ roar¡­ or something.¡±


    Lily nodded matter-of-factly.


    ¡°You could learn that from a mermaid?¡± Hao Ren still couldn¡¯t accept it.


    ¡°Yeah, why not. There is logic in it!¡± Lily looked serious. ¡°Water spitting is just a physical movement. The most important thing is to increase concentration by using physical movements. The shot I fired at Lockmarton was an accident. I didn¡¯t have time to figure out what happened. So I had to find an external factor to help me recall the ¡®mouthfeel¡¯ of that time.¡±


    Hao Ren was struck dumb by Lily¡¯s theory. Alas, he still refused to believe the husky. But he was dead sure of one thing¡ªthis false theory was only possible when applied to Lily.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about the ¡®mouthfeel¡¯ first. Do you know what this energy beam is all about? From where did you learn this skill?¡±


    Hao Ren was worried that Lily might have undergone some mutation after spending some time in Collow. The Doggoblast skill seemed like an excellent addition to her abilities, but there could be a hidden downside behind it.


    Lily rolled her eyes and thought for a moment. She then knocked her fist and said, ¡°It must be my daily work out!¡±


    Hao Ren was struck dumb.


    Looking for reliable information from Lily was indeed not a good idea. The husky had even reincarnated into a wrong body; that was how messed up she was. It seemed that it was high time to give Lily a full body checkup.


    ¡°Mr. Landlord, are you looking for me?¡± Lily suddenly asked.


    ¡°I come to tell you that it¡¯s time to go home. We have been away from home for nearly two months,¡± Hao Ren said with a smile.


    Lily was excited to hear that. She jumped two meters in the air and exclaimed, ¡°Arf! Arf! Finally, we can go home!¡±


    Lily¡¯s reaction was somewhat out of her character. Hao Ren was stunned. He asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t husky like to go out? You seem different now.¡±


    ¡°Come on, who could stand it after two months of wandering?¡± Lily was too excited to argue with Hao Ren. She grabbed Hao Ren¡¯s arm and hurried him. Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go. I want to go home. I miss my bed.¡±


    After almost two months away from the earth, Hao Ren and his buddies finally returned to their home in Southern Suburbs.


    The palace of Taros, the sacred sanctuary of Sanctum, and all the magnificent buildings did not feel as safe and warm at home. At least at home, they did not have to worry about the monsters that came out of nowhere.


    As they pushed the door open, Hao Ren was surprised to find that the amount of dust in the house was significantly less than that of an abandoned house for two months. Hao Ren was sure that he had brought everyone in the home the last time he departed. ¡°Did someone clean the house while we were away?¡±


    ¡°We felt it bored after spending some times outside. There was nothing that we could do onboard the spaceship except reading, playing a card game and such. So during the two months, we had come back several times.¡± Nangong Wuyue said with a smile on her face. ¡°But later, when we didn¡¯t receive news from you, we didn¡¯t have the mood to come back again. So dust began to build up later. Perhaps I should do some serious cleanup now.¡±


    While saying, the siren maiden form-shifted into an octopus¡ªthe upper body of a girl and the octopus tentacles on the lower body. Hao Ren was wide-eyed. Nangong Wuyue started working with each ¡®hand¡¯ holding a cleaning cloth.


    ¡°When did she start to change into this thing?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°Doggie said octopus could do clean the floor more efficiently,¡± Vivian said. ¡°Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    Hao Ren looked back at her and said, ¡°Err, once accepting her look, then it begins to make sense. Let¡¯s not talking about this. Everyone help clean things up. The house has been vacant for some time, I wonder what has happened to the food in the refrigerator. Y¡¯zaks, can you check the cooking gas tank if it needs refilling? Lily, go to help Wuyue clean the house, take out the garbage or something. Sanba, could you please go to the stores and buy some fresh vegetable and meat?¡±


    The great demon and the dog maiden were pretty helpful. But Nangong Sanba was a little lazy after flinging himself on the sofa. ¡°I buy the grocery this time?¡±


    Hao Ren glared at him. ¡°What do you think? The cashier girl might give you some extra onions because of your look. Had I known you could get such favorable treatment, I wouldn¡¯t have asked Vivian to do it a long time ago.¡±


    While saying, Hao Ren went to the main power box, opened the plastic cover, and pushed the lever. The lights in the house instantly lit up with a snap. He especially liked this moment. After away for months, switching on the lights at home was such an enjoyable ¡®ceremony.¡¯ It was a signal that symbolized the joy of coming home. Hao Ren looked around with satisfaction and then went up to the upper floor, ready to help clean up the house.


    ¡°Big Boss Cat, why are you happy,¡± Rollie asked as she looked up, seeing Hao Ren¡¯s smiling face. Her tail had curled into a question mark in the air.


    ¡°Because he finally got home,¡± Vivian gently scratched Rollie¡¯s ear and said. But Vivian seemed to be a little worried.


    Liveliness had returned to the house after two months of silence. Specifically, it was all hell broke loose again in the house. Everyone was excited about being at home after a long trip. It was especially true for Lily and Rollie, who had turned the place into a madhouse. Had there no organizations such as animal¡¯s rights group and women¡¯s federation, Hao Ren would have thrown the two outside the door.


    After dinner, Rollie lay on the sofa and let out a long sigh. ¡°Phew¡­. home sweet home.¡±


    While saying, Rollie patted the sofa cushion under her body trying to make it into a shape most comfortable to her. After that, she stretched her body again and lay down listlessly.


    ¡°Do you still want to go outside?¡± Hao Ren looked at the cat maiden with a funny look.


    Rollie¡¯s furry tail wagged in the air. ¡°Not these two days.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    Lily went into playful mode again after dinner, just like every dog ??who returned had to check its territory markings. She went upstairs and came back down again like a gust of wind. After visiting every corner of the house, Lily quieted down. She took out her laptop from her room and began to type on the keyboard.


    ¡°You still write, eh?¡± Hao Ren said after taking a glance.


    Lily had been following everyone around and looking like an unemployed. Hao Ren had almost forgotten that the maiden was a writer albeit an unknown one. So Hao Ren was always curious when he saw Lily writing with her notebook.


    It was a mystery how the maiden could still write as usual while all this while running around like everyone else. But, hey, she still managed to generate some income out of her writings.


    ¡°Of course I do, I write for a living. How am I going to pay for the rent if I don¡¯t?¡± Lily replied without even looking up.


    Lily¡¯s words had put everyone in an embarrassing situation as those guys had never paid a single cents of rent while Lily had been doing it faithfully every month.


    But did Lily know that she was the only one in the family paying up?


    Hao Ren poked his head to take a gander of Lily¡¯s work and was surprised to see the title.


    ¡°What¡¯s the story about?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s eyebrows arched.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been writing this book for a year,¡± Lily said while her fingers still hit the keyboard at 120 words per minute. ¡°I don¡¯t just write reviews on dog food. I¡¯m better at novels.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m asking about that. Is this a documentary literature?¡±


    It transpired that Lily had started writing the book since a year ago while following Hao Ren around. What surprised Hao Ren was that Lily was the protagonist in the novel, and Lockmarton was killed by her Doggoblast!


    Lily looked up at Hao Ren, face serious. ¡°Mr. Landlord, I haven¡¯t updated the novel for nearly two months. Can you please not disturb me?¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly felt it less guilty to receiving rental payment from Lily


    Of all the tenants, the husky was the only one getting rich from her adventures with the landlord. This dog was not dumb at all!

 Chapter 1340 - Vivian’s Concern

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Lily¡¯s writing shocked everyone in the family. But she did not have a bit of self-consciousness. Lily even thought that her housemates were making a mountain out of a molehill. She had never hidden her scripts from others, but it was just that the family members had never paid attention to what she wrote because they never thought that the writings of the husky worth a look.


    Now Hao Ren knew, Doggie was not dumb. Really. It was just that no one had paid attention to her when she used her noodle.


    Never had Hao Ren expected the husky had turned his experience around the universe into a fantasy novel. He heard that Lily¡¯s story was commanding quite a decent number of readership on some online platforms. Hao Ren felt it weird. What was even stranger was that the husky had been using the money she earned from her novel to pay for her room rental and commanded a moral high ground among the freeloaders in the family.


    Hao Ren vacillated for a long time. He did not know what to make of it. Hao Ren could not stop Lily from writing. Instead, after reading her novel, Hao Ren began to think that Lily, the four-time graduate of Peking University, was a pretty good writer. He was nowhere near Lily¡¯s level. It was a money-making opportunity that only young literati could master. But then again, having people record those stories on his behalf was not a bad thing after all, although Lily had become the protagonist instead of him, and it was a fantasy novel.


    It was evening when they arrived home. After the hustle and bustle in the house, it was late at night. Silence returned to the house. When looking from the outside, only Lily¡¯s room still had the light on. She was burning the midnight oil to clear her backlog. Two months without fresh updates had quite a severe consequence.


    Hao Ren had wanted to compile his mission report but thought better of it when he looked at the clock. Having just completed an epic quest had wholly drained him. Hao Ren began to think of taking a vacation. So he hit the sack.


    However, Hao Ren did not sleep well.


    He had strange dreams again. In his dreams, Hao Ren vaguely saw Lockmarton¡¯s fragmented soul and his early memories. And then the scene changed. He saw the goddess of creation launch the Seeds of Origin. He was tied to one of the seeds and flew into deep space, passing by the stars, taking root on a planet, and hatching the First Born. This further created the first Blood Tide, from which life multiplied. He began to observe the stars and sent out various signals for the goddess of creation. The scene changed again. Now it was darkness, an indescribable shadow that shrouded the entire galaxy. There was a beating red heart amid the shadow. He saw a goddess holding a pair of black swords lunging at the shadow. The goddess¡¯ body became as large as the galaxy. After that, an explosion engulfed the goddess, and the shadow¡ªthe primordial energy of the universe¡ªdestroyed everything. The two figures at the center of the blast tangled, melted, and slowly disappeared, leaving behind groups of dark-red matter drifting in the dark. After a while, the sound of water rang in his ears. Hao Ren felt like he was standing by a river. The current was strong. Occasionally, water splashed up onto his face and felt cold.


    The cooling sensation felt real. Hao Ren was jolted from his sleep and found that there was indeed water on his face.


    He sat up and saw Lil Pea poking out from the pot on the bedside table. Her wet hair stuck to her face, her pair of beautiful eyes were reflecting the moonlight in the dark, and her tail fell back on the water with a splash.


    ¡°Lil Pea, go to sleep.¡± Hao Ren thought that the baby fish was disturbing him.


    ¡°Lil Pea was sleeping!¡± The little mermaid stirred the water. ¡°But Daddy was sleeptalking!¡±


    ¡°I sleeptalked?¡± Hao Ren was startled. ¡°What did I say?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea. It didn¡¯t sound like a human voice,¡± the fish baby just told him whatever she heard.


    ¡°Not like a human voice.?¡± Hao Ren knew the little one did not lie. He knew he must have been sounding indistinguishable. What surprised him was not only that the dreams, but also the sleep-talking. Ever since Hao Ren became an inspector and had his body enhanced, he had excellent control over his body. Sleep-talking was a rare thing.


    Hao Ren got to his feet and shook his head trying to clear his mind. He could no longer sleep.


    He gently pressed the mermaid¡¯s head and shove her back to sleep. After that, he put on a jacket and crept out of the room.


    Coming to the living hall, it was dark. Moonlight was shining through an angle into the hall. It was not very bright but enough. Lily¡¯s room was at the other end of the living hall. Light slipped through the gap under the door, and there was the tapping sound of the keyboard occasionally. Hao Ren shook his head and smiled.


    It was a rare scene to see the husky was such hardworking.


    Hao Ren did not want to wake the others up, so he did not hang around the living hall but instead slipped out of the back door to open ground at the back of the house.


    It was a winter knight, where wilderness behind the house looked bleak, as vegetation had withered, leaving only a barren landscape and the dark shadows of the distant mountains. The cold moonlight sprinkled on the ground gave the illusion of frost and snow.


    Hao Ren just wanted to stand quietly outside for a while before going back in. But he heard something flapping in the night sky.


    This unconcealed noise was exceptionally loud under the silent night sky.


    Hao Ren looked up and saw a small dot quickly grew large in his vision and it turned out to be a swarm of bats. The bats flew over the open space behind the house and circled in the air a couple of times before they finally form-shifted back into the body of Vivian.


    ¡°Just got back from a ¡®stroll¡¯?¡± Hao Ren quipped.


    ¡°Just flew around for a while.¡± Vivian floated up to him like a fog. ¡°What are you doing here? In a bad mood? Had strange dreams again?¡±


    While still thinking of how to explain away his presence at the back of the house, Vivian¡¯s words of concern startled him. Hao Ren was touched.


    ¡°Yeah, I was dreaming again,¡± Hao Ren replied. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re stressed.¡± Vivian looked into Hao Ren¡¯s eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t lie, I can see it. I¡¯ve lived for 10,000 years, and I¡¯m not dumb like Lily.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Vivian¡¯s bloodred eyes. He knew he could not hide it from her. He nodded and looked a little depressed. ¡°I can¡¯t hide it from you. The truth I discovered in Collow has disturbed me. I¡¯ve just had a bunch of strange dreams, which I¡¯m afraid has something to do with the truth.¡±


    ¡°You are disturbed to know that the goddess of creation may be the mastermind of the deicidal plan? Or is it because the Mad Lord may be more difficult to deal with than expected?¡±


    ¡°Both are also true,¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°But more of the overturn of my previous theories. I feel that things are a bit out of control now. You know, I don¡¯t like the loss of control.¡±


    ¡°In my opinion, the plan of the goddess of creation was out of control since the beginning. When she decided to delete her memory to contain the Mad Lord, she had lost control.¡± Vivian sighed. Of course, she knew that Hao Ren was talking about the loss of control in another aspect, but Vivian still dragged the goddess of creation into the picture. ¡°I think she never succeeded in isolating her memories. Even though she may not have been aware of it, those memories had been affecting her the entire time.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Vivian curiously. ¡°What have you found?¡±


    ¡°The wardens in Collow and the guardian giants are different in terms of the ¡®material,¡¯ but they look alike in other aspects. The crystal disc in Collow is obviously the Gilded Disc. The Ark of the Sacred Covenant, no matter how you look at it, is the prototype of the Creation Engine. If the goddess of creation had sealed her memory completely, how did she make the second generation of those things? So I think about her memory of the last era still lingered in her subconscious mind. These remnants of her subconsciousness were probably causing things to deteriorate.¡±


    Vivian detailed her analysis. Her bloodred eyes were filled with a sense of seriousness. She apparently had been seriously thinking about these matters all the while.


    ¡°You have surprised me with your analysis.¡± Hao Ren said.


    ¡°I just want to tell you that you¡¯re not the only person who are facing these things. At least you have me to share the burden with you,¡± Vivian said with a smile.


    ¡°Even the seemingly confused Doggie had come to me to discuss the Plane of Planes. But her opinion is usually not useless; it¡¯s all novelist¡¯s ideas,¡± Vivian said in a way as if she wanted to steer away from the original conversation.


    ¡°Lily also thinks about it? That¡¯s really a surprise.¡± Hao Ren laughed.


    ¡°Doggie has many ideas,¡± Vivian said. ¡°But most of them are not for normal people¡¯s consumption.¡±


    Normal people? When did his house has a normal person? Hao Ren thought to himself. He nodded to Vivian and said, ¡°Thank you, I feel more relaxed now. Don¡¯t worry, I wouldn¡¯t be bothered by those things.¡±


    ¡°If so, let¡¯s go back to sleep.¡± Vivian blinked. Her eyes had restored to the black eyes of a human. ¡°Do you need me to hypnotize you?¡±


    ¡°Have you forgotten that your blood magic doesn¡¯t work on me?¡± Hao Ren quipped.


    Vivian raised her fist in the air with a sly smile. ¡°I mean hypnotize you using this.¡±


    Hao Ren was dumbstruck.

 Chapter 1341 - Assistance from Raven 12345

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After uploading reports to Raven 12345, Hao Ren brought Vivian and Lily to the divine realm the next day.


    He brought Vivian because of her unusual relationship with the goddess of creation, and Lily because he wanted to find out what Doggoblast was all about.


    In a pavilion in the ¡°heavenly garden¡±, Raven 12345 looked at Hao Ren with a wacky expression on her face as she poured Hao Ren a cup of black tea. ¡°If I didn¡¯t have a sharp mind, I would have suspected that you created false evidence, using a thrilling story to cover up your unproductivity. What¡¯s wrong with you? I just asked you to find a crystal, but you created such an incident.¡±


    Hao Ren could only smile in embarrassment as Raven 12345 took a dig at him. The MDT was showing a few pinned posts in the local universe forum: Tunalar, the songstress; Model, the celestial singer; Aviana, the stellar artiste; and Galazur, the dragon queen had high praise for the new Inspector Hao Ren after completing their last joint operation. They had never experienced such an exciting encounter even though they had been inspectors for thousands of years. In the course of a meeting, Hao Ren had blown up a demigod of the other world, well-deserving the Bomb Maniac title.


    As if these gang of inspectors had nothing better to do, they seemed to enjoy calling Hao Ren with that epithet. Thanks to these guys, he found the epithet Bomb Maniac in a theological textbook when he casually browsed through the information material of some civilization. The title had become a principal subject of cosmic sociology. That civilization sphere believed in Raven 12345, and one of the basic requirements to pass the graduation exam was to recite the ¡®sacred title¡¯ of all popes in the whole universe.


    Fortunately, those names were all transliterated. Otherwise, Hao Ren would be embarrassed to high heaven.


    These wild thoughts briefly crossed his mind. Hao Ren¡¯s mouth twitched as he said, ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe it myself at first, but the information isn¡¯t fake. The goddess of creation created Lockmarton, who was the first life she created. He was a super demigod with god-like characteristics and was the first creature infected by the Mad Lord. The goddess of creation cut off her memories, which divided the times in the Plane of Dreams into two periods. The mind of the goddess of creation is the key to the escape of the Mad Lord, so it was likely that the goddess actively planned or acquiesced to the deicidal war 10,000 years ago just to permanently contain the Mad Lord. The deicidal race was just a pawn, induced not only by the power of the Mad Lord but possibly also the interference of the goddess of creation herself.


    Raven 12345 tapped her fingers on the white jade table. Every tap produced an air ripple in the surrounding air. There seemed to be shadows in the ripples. The goddess was using this method to simulate a particular key of evolution in the Plane of Dreams to ¡°prophesize¡± the intrinsic connection and blind spots of this new intelligence.


    ¡°In my opinion, the infestation of Lockmarton caused the goddess of creation to lose her judgment. As an immature goddess, she should have devoted most of her energy into taking control of her power, but she stopped the process at a critical moment and brought an army to seek revenge on the Mad Lord. The revenge on her child¡¯s behalf is excusable, but she has harmed herself and others.¡± Raven 12345 shook her head, apparently feeling a bit sad.


    ¡°Lockmarton is also a tragedy. The goddess of creation gave her power to him, but he did not have the will to control this power, which eventually corrupted him. Before bumping into the Mad Lord, Lockmarton already had signs of mental disorder, which was why he was quickly infected by the Mad Lord later. As a divine creation, he should not have fallen so quickly.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy to bear the authority of God. Giving her divine power to a non-divine creature is the first and biggest mistake the goddess of creation has made.¡± Raven 12345 spread her hand out. ¡°But what could she have done? She has never gone to school.¡±


    ¡°I am worried about one thing now,¡± Hao Ren said as he looked at Vivian. ¡°The goddess ofcCreation erased her memory to contain the Mad Lord. In other words, she was using memory occlusion to prevent the Mad Lord from breaking out of jail through divine power. I suspect that Vivian¡¯s amnesia phenomenon is also related to it. After all, Vivian is also an extension of the goddess of creation.¡±


    ¡°Are you worried that Vivian¡¯s activities in the Plane of Dreams will cause her to be infected by the power of Chaos? Or if she frequently comes into contact with the knowledge of the Mad Lord, it will weaken the seal that contains the Mad Lord?¡± Raven 12345 asked while looking into Hao Ren¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s possible,¡± Hao Ren replied.


    ¡°I think something else causes Vivian¡¯s amnesia. You must still remember the celestial ceremony of the Ultimate Absolution. The goddess of creation has left this ceremony behind to preserve the races in the Plane of Dreams to ensure the stability of the world. Vivian is the key part of the Ultimate Absolution ceremony and the ¡®guide¡¯ of the whole plan. She would need full memory to be able to do it. For this reason, the goddess of creation would not leave a bug in Vivian¡¯s head to regularly ¡®wipe¡¯ her memory.¡± Raven 12345 waved her finger while she said, ¡°I tend to believe that her amnesia is an accident, and has no connection with the memory occlusion of the goddess of creation.¡±


    ¡°But I am still worried.¡± Unable to hide his thoughts, Hao Ren¡¯s brows pulled together.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Vivian said. ¡°Had the Mad Lord targetted me, I would have lost my mind when the power of the Mad Lord began to leak out 10,000 years ago. It¡¯s a lunatic that could not withhold its power, which had no incubation period. As soon as one is infested, the effect is immediate. Since I¡¯m still okay now, it means I will be okay in the future. Don¡¯t worry, Hao Ren.¡±


    ¡°Tsk tsk tsk, do I miss something here? I could smell both of you are in love.¡± Raven 12345 glanced at Hao Ren and Vivian respectively.


    Vivian felt embarrassed and coughed. But Hao Ren was used to his boss¡¯ satirical style. ¡°So what if I care about her?¡± he said without blinking an eye.


    Hao Ren¡¯s reply had stunned Raven 12345 this time. And the conversation also caught Lily¡¯s interest. ¡°What is it? Mr. Landlord, when did you two begin to sleep together?¡±


    ¡°Oh, give me a break! There is nothing improper between us, okay?¡± Vivian snorted and glared at Lily. But the 10,000 years old vampire had little animation on her face. ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe that you¡¯re a writer. You couldn¡¯t even use a proper language. But hey, what can I expect from a dog?¡±


    Lily banged the table and snorted, ¡°Be careful, Battie! You will be surprised by what I could do with my mouth! Do you believe that I go to rinse my mouth and shoot an energy beam at your face?¡±


    Lily had not wholly mastered her Doggoblast skill. At present, she needed to make use of water-spitting action to warm it up.


    Vivian and Hao Ren were struck dumb.


    Raven 12345 began to lose her patience. She hemmed in her majestic voice, as though she had one, and interrupted them. ¡°Mind your attitude in front of a god. Otherwise, I¡¯m going to give each of you a ¡®blessing.¡¯ Let¡¯s return to the topic of Vivian¡¯s amnesia. Hao Ren, your worry is not entirely unfounded. I still think that in the original setting of the goddess of creation, there is no memory-wiping setting in Vivian¡¯s head. But I believe that her recurrent amnesia is related to the influence of the Mad Lord. Let me prepare a ceremony to enhance her immunity to the influence of Chaos. You should not take her into the Plane of Dreams before the ceremony is successful. It¡¯s better safe than sorry.¡±


    With Raven 12345¡¯s assistance, Hao Ren felt a little more at ease now than before. He then took out a few items from the dimensional pocket.


    First, it was the black sword that he took from Auguste VII.


    Dubbed the Worldbreaker, the black sword was kept in a safety box. When the box was opened, the sword floated up and out in blue light. ¡°It¡¯s the other Godslayer that Lockmarton had. It¡¯s the one I mentioned to you earlier. The last time I checked, it carried Lockmarton¡¯s energy, or rather the frenzied power of the Mad Lord, which could drive ordinary animals into insanity and pollute matter as well as energy. But I have not detected the presence of a phenomenon similar to the Echo Wall.¡±


    ¡°Godslayer is the weapon of the goddess. No wonder it could kill the goddess,¡± Raven 12345 said as she reached out. ¡°Things come full circle.¡±


    Raven¡¯s hand went straight through the blue energy field. She grabbed the hilt and took it out with ease.


    Ripples surged all over the blade as corrupted energy was about to break out.


    Raven 12345 knocked the sword on the table twice, so the energy that was about to lose control instantly dissipated.


    After that, Raven 12345 stretched out her the other hand and slid gently over the surface of the blade that looked like a starry sky.


    A nearly transparent ripple from the spread as her finger ran over the blade. Even the eternal starlight began to tremble slightly. Raven 12345 carefully examined the remnant of the Mad Lord¡¯s energy and compared it with the samples of the first Godslayer.


    A few minutes later, Raven 12345 looked up with a solemn face.


    ¡°The energies of the two Godslayers are inconsistent.¡±

 Chapter 1342 - The Mystery of the Twin Blades

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Perhaps Raven 12345¡¯s explanation was not clear enough, or there were too many things in her sentence, so Hao Ren had no idea what the goddess meant. ¡°Their energies are inconsistent? What do you mean?¡±


    Hao Ren reached into his Dimensional Pocket and took out the Godslayer. He then placed it on the table so that Raven 12345 could inspect it.


    ¡°Literally,¡± Raven 12345 pointed at both swords, ¡°they are all created by the goddess of creation using the same material and technology. They¡¯re tainted with the same breath, but they are very different in their energy characteristics. There is only one possibility: one of the two swords has been changed.¡±


    ¡°Someone modified one of the swords?¡± Hao Ren was wide-eyed. ¡°Which one?¡±


    ¡°There is no clear way to tell, but we can analyze it. First of all, the Worldbreaker has been in Lockmarton¡¯s hands since the beginning, sealed in the prison of Collow and isolated from the external universe. If what you said is anything to go by, no one in that prison would be capable of modifying the sword. Even if there was someone, the modification seems meaningless as Lockmarton did not escape, and no one used the modified sword to kill Lockmarton,¡± said Raven 12345 as her fingers slid across both swords. ¡°The Godslayer was left out in the outside world and had been missing for a long time. Even the Denizens of the Stars had no information about its whereabouts. It went under the radar for a long time, became the weapon that killed the goddess of creation, led the deicidal race to fall from grace, and altered the entire history of the Plane of Dreams.¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his jaw as he nodded slightly. ¡°So the Godslayer is the biggest suspect.¡±


    Under the divine influence of Raven 12345, the mind of the Godslayer woke up and could communicate to the outside world. It began to emit a buzzing sound. ¡°What have I done again? Why are you guys looking at me like this? You want to melt and re-forge me? Is this a farewell ceremony?¡±


    ¡°None of your business,¡± Hao Ren snorted and knocked on the hilt. ¡°It¡¯s time to sleep.¡±


    ¡°How do you usually communicate with this sword?¡± Raven 12345 looked at Hao Ren with a strange expression on her face. ¡°It gives me the feeling that this guy has a character of its own.¡±


    ¡°How do I know? You were the one who blessed it.¡± Hao Ren laughed in embarrassment.


    Raven 12345 thought for a moment and realized that Hao Ren was right.


    Hao Ren pushed the Godslayer a little with his finger. ¡°Can you remember what has happened in the past? Do you still have a memory of the time before the deicide awakened you?¡±


    ¡°I knew you guys had something.¡± the Godslayer buzzed. ¡°I couldn¡¯t remember anything in the past. The only thing that I could recall was when the deicidal race used me to stab people. Earlier than that, my memory is a blank. Don¡¯t you guys know that I¡¯m the Echo Wall; I will only have thoughts and memory when other intelligent beings come into contact with me. So how could I have a memory of the past?¡±


    Raven 12345 nodded. ¡°The special Echo Wall attribute of the Godslayer makes it like a microscopic world in a quantum state. Only after another conscious observer intervenes will it ¡®collapse¡¯ to a clear state of mind and respond accordingly. It couldn¡¯t actively wake up and remember what is happening around it. The person who can modify the sword could certainly control this collapse process. If the person wanted to hide, then it wouldn¡¯t leave behind any traces.¡±


    Hao Ren spread out his hand. ¡°But there are not many people who can modify the Godslayer in the Plane of Dreams. Was it the goddess of creation, the Mad Lord, or some other person?¡±


    ¡°Some of the ancients you mentioned might possess that ability. They may be mortals, but their forms of life are exceptionally unique, closely related to the origin of the universe. The ancients could harness the power of the Mad Lord to some extent. More importantly, they had been in contact with the goddess of creation, who was as naive and innocent as Snow White at that time. So some ancients might have stolen the forging technique of the Twin Blades of Apocalypse without the knowledge of the Denizens of the Stars. Of course, I am only guessing. You should not be influenced by these speculations.¡±


    Hao Ren replied with a nod of understanding. He had been suspecting those races that the Denizens of the Stars had mentioned since the beginning. When the goddess of creation led an army to attack the Mad Lord, she had reached out to the primordial creatures in the Plane of Dreams and urged them to fight for their freedom. But only the Denizens of the Stars responded to her call. The same happened during and after the war. What had the ancients done? What happened to them?


    Those ancients seemed to have disappeared. Asurmen had been ambiguous too when he talked about the ancients. He had only said that some ancients had chosen to remain on the sideline during the war, and some had been controlled and puppets of the Mad Lord. But Asurmen did not tell of the ending of these ancients. In the words of Asurmen, those ancients ¡®gradually disappeared after the old era and became the symbol of the last era. They would not appear again since there was no place for them in the new era.¡¯


    Were they dead? In exile? Living in seclusion? Did they transform their life forms to blend into some other indigenous race?


    Hao Ren did not think of this matter at first, and so he did not ask about these questions. But talking with Raven 12345 had made him realize that the fate of other ancient races might be a question worth exploring.


    ¡°All in all, there seems to be the third mastermind.¡± Hao Ren shook his head and put the matter at the back of his mind for the time being. ¡°It was neither the Mad Lord nor Lockmarton. This mysterious person got its hands on the Godslayer, and modified to give it the power to enchant people¡¯s minds, and delivered it into the hands of the deicidal race.¡±


    Lily felt bored after listening to the conversation for a long time. Conspiracy and history did not interest her at all. She suddenly found the opportunity to interject. ¡°Could the second sword talk?¡± she asked.


    ¡°From a structural basis, it should also be able to speak.¡± Raven 12345 laughed. ¡°I have just communicated with this sword in spirit after the purification. But it appears more confused than the Godslayer, probably because of the time it has spent with the crazy Lockmarton and the mental trauma from the war. The Worldbreaker is almost clueless about what happens around him, and the thinking process is also different from the Echo Wall¡ªit doesn¡¯t react too strongly to external stimuli. It is because of this difference between the two swords that I am dead sure that an external force has modified one of the two swords.¡±


    ¡°So it could really talk?¡± Hao Ren was a little surprised. ¡°But how come it keeps silent all this while?¡±


    While saying, Hao Ren looked at the Worldbreaker on the table, staring at it for a few seconds. The Worldbreaker began to utter, ¡°Lazy.¡±


    Hao Ren, Lily, and Vivian were stunned.


    The Godslayer was instantly excited as if it had discovered something new. ¡°Oh, damn it, bro, you really could talk. Then why didn¡¯t say something earlier on? I thought you were suffering from hypoplasia, mute and deaf! It was a good fight earlier. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I love peace. But occasionally workout isn¡¯t a bad thing, especially when were are from the same ancestor. Speaking of which, it seems that we both are created by the same god. Do you still remember what happened in the past? I have forgotten everything about it, but it sounds like both of us have been very awesome back then. A goddess wielded us both and went from the Star of Creation and fought to the dark abyss, slicing the Mad Lord into hundreds of pieces. Yeah, she used us to slain the Mad Lord. Unfortunately, things went wrong after that. I have no idea what has happened. What I know is that I have become a murderer and done nothing good. Suck, isn¡¯t it? Weapons like us have no personal rights. It is wielder who decides who to and not to cut. You know what; the wielder was a goddess. The problem is that it was also the goddess who created us. But why is it such a difference since it is the same goddess?¡±


    The Godslayer instantly spewed a truckload of nonsense. After it shut up, HaO Ren suddenly heard the Worldbreaker shook and uttered an ¡®Oh.¡¯


    Vivian could not help herself but laugh out loud. Hao Ren¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Well, this annoying thing has met its match.¡±


    Hao Ren tried to communicate with the Worldbreaker, trying to get information about some key events. But as Raven 12345 said, the silent sword knew even lesser than the Godslayer.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember anything.¡±


    It was the longest sentence the Worldbreaker had ever uttered.


    ¡°Lockmarton was obviously unable to talk to people. Perhaps, the Worldbreaker has been sealed for too long a time. After the Cult of Armageddon broke the prison, Lockmarton found the Worldbreaker and gave it to the cultists.¡±


    ¡°Whatever the case, you have one more weapon in your arsenal now.¡± Vivian looked at Hao Ren. ¡°And this one is much quieter than the Godslayer.¡±


    ¡°The Twin Blades of Apocalypse were not only used to defeat the Mad Lord, but also the personification of the power of the Goddess of Creation. It would come in handy someday,¡± Raven 12345 said with a serious face.


    Hao Ren solemnly put the two cosmic swords away. He then pointed at Lily. ¡°Now, let¡¯s talk about her. Can you check what her Doggoblast is all about?¡±

 Chapter 1343 - The Secret Behind Doggoblast

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Raven 12345 was dumbfounded. ¡°What Doggoblast?¡±


    Lily jumped to her feet. ¡°Mr. Landlord! How many times have I told you that it¡¯s Skyshatter Howl?


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it was Skyshatter Roar the last time?¡± Vivian shot Lily a look.


    ¡°Ahh, I forgot.¡± Lily was startled.


    ¡°As I¡¯ve written in the report. Lily has suddenly acquired a new skill¡ªspitting light beams from her mouth. Lockmarton¡¯s armor was broken by this salty soda water, which she spat out of her mouth. Well, okay, it was not salty soda water. It¡¯s just metaphorical¡­ Lily, please be quiet!¡±


    The husky maiden became angry when her new skill was ridiculed. She brandished her claws and bared her fangs in front of Hao Ren, trying to find a weak spot on Hao Ren¡¯s body. It took Hao Ren some considerable effort to keep Lily under control. Meanwhile, Raven 12345 looked on with great interest. ¡°Oh? Doggoblast, the one you mention in your report? Lily, let¡¯s do some demonstration.¡±


    A goddess was a goddess; as soon as Raven 12345 spoke, Lily immediately tucked her claws and fangs while she scratched her face in embarrassment. ¡°Here? It¡¯s embarrassing. I haven¡¯t mastered the skill yet. Please don¡¯t laugh if I fail.¡±


    ¡°No worries. The first time when I created life, I was so embarrassed by myself that I had even cried. You can demonstrate here, facing toward a direction where no one was there.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Landlord, water!¡± Lily reached out her hand to Hao Ren.


    Even Raven 12345, the neurotic, could not wrap her brain around what Lily was doing. ¡°Why do you need water?¡±


    Hao Ren smiled and explained while taking out a thermos mug filled with water. ¡°It¡¯s a spell-casting prop.¡±


    Lily took the mug in her hand, focused her mind, and then gulped down the water. Facing an empty land, she moved her breath down her lower belly and spat all the breath in her body out.


    And then nothing had happened.


    The husky maiden was almost crying looking at Hao Ren. ¡°Mr. Landlord, I accidentally swallowed it.¡±


    Hao Ren choked himself and almost passed out. ¡°You were able to do it while playing with Lil Pea earlier!¡±


    ¡°I was a little nervous. Should you bring Lil Pea here?¡± Lily said in embarrassment.


    ¡°Stop messing around. Just now you asked for a spellcasting prop, and now a custodian? Could it be more ridiculous than this? Come on, you can do it. I will make stewed pork ribs for you if you make it.¡±


    Lily was over the moon when she heard that. This time, without even needing any warm-up exercise, she sipped the water in her mouth and began to spurt bright light. A light beam, as thick as the fist, shot into the distance accompanied by water vapor and rainbow.


    The ease of how Lily accomplished it surprised Hao Ren. But Vivian mumbled, ¡°Looks like she can¡¯t just bark but spit light now. She¡¯s mastered the skill pretty quick, eh?¡±


    Raven 12345 looked with great interest. ¡°Under what circumstances when you first used this ability? Did you feel any difference in your body at that time? Did you use any spell-casting prop last time?¡±


    ¡°It was on the battlefield, where a brutal fight was going on. Mr. Landlord was firing at Lockmarton in the sky, and the wardens were also doing the same. But I couldn¡¯t use a long-range attack. I knew the Meteoric Brickhammer move but I couldn¡¯t use it because I was in my beast form¡ªmy claws couldn¡¯t grasp the brick. So all I could do was roar at Lockmarton,¡± Lily recalled.


    ¡°Did you hear that? It¡¯s a dog¡¯s instinct. When it can¡¯t fight, it stays away and barks from a distance. The more it barks, the more frightened it gets,¡± Vivian whispered to Hao Ren.


    Lily overheard what Vivian said. She glanced back and glared at Vivian in anger. And then she recalled more information, ¡°At that time, I felt my body swell, as though something was going to burst out. My head was spinning, and I felt light was everywhere. Before I knew it, I was already roaring with a beam of light shooting out of my mouth. I was shocked.¡±


    Vivian continued to whisper, ¡°It sounded like she was throwing up at that time.¡±


    ¡°Battie, that¡¯s enough! Would you believe that I¡¯d kill you with a mouthful of salty soda water? I can do it right away!¡±


    After that, Lily continued. ¡°But it seemed like I didn¡¯t need any props at that time. Probably because I was transformed; I had enough strength. But when I tried it at home in my human body, I would need to sip some water before I could do it. I guess I¡¯ve become dependent on water for this skill.¡±


    Lily explained everything she knew of her skill and how she managed to use it in her different bodily forms. Her analysis of the matter had Vivian and Hao Ren listening attentively.


    The husky might be making a lot of mess in her life and having strange skills, but she was not dumb, just like how she could now analyze her situation logically.


    ¡°How many times can you use this skill in human form? What about in beast form?¡± Raven 12345 asked.


    ¡°Light beam output during beast form is particularly powerful. One shot could penetrate a small hill but consumed higher energy. I could fire eight shots the most before I get dizzy. But power output in human or werewolf form is significantly lower, but energy usage is also lower. Normally I could fire 30 shots.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment and said, ¡°Is it because you can¡¯t drink more?¡±


    ¡°Swallow the water is an accident! I would spit out the water successfully in most of the cases!¡± Lily glared at him.


    ¡°Interesting.¡± Raven 12345 ignored the wrangle and said with a playful smile. ¡°very interesting.¡±


    ¡°What have you found?¡± Hao Ren had sensed that Raven 12345 seemed to know something.


    ¡°There is a trace of divinity in her light blast. I¡¯m not surprised by the divinity. After all, she has been in contact with me many times and eaten much divine food. Everyone around you has some level of divinity for the same reason. And that divinity comes from me.¡± Raven 12345 looked into Lily¡¯s eyes. ¡°What is interesting is that Lily can harness this divinity and turn it into an actively offensive power. You must already know you could master all the active divine abilities because you have studied the workbook and become a pope. But everyone around you is only passively carrying this power, can survive in the environment of Chaos but not actively harness it and turn it into your power. Only Lily, she has broken this restriction and seems to have done it all by instinct.¡±


    Lily was wide-eyed. ¡°That¡¯s to say I¡¯m really good?¡±


    Hao Ren ignored Lily, who boasted about her ability. Looking at Raven 12345, he asked, ¡°Why is that?¡±


    He could not wrap his brain around why the dumbest guy in the family had suddenly become the only genius.


    ¡°Soul. I suspect that it is because of the soul,¡± Raven 12345 said quietly. ¡°Don¡¯t forget; her soul is of the king of the demon hunter. Perhaps this is why she is different.¡±


    ¡°Because of the soul of the first sage?¡± Hao Ren quickly felt that Raven 12345¡¯s speculation made some sense. But it was not convincing enough because there was no evidence. ¡°Okay, the soul of the first sage might be very special, but how do we know it is this soul and not other things that are at work?¡±


    Vivian spread out her hand. ¡°Lily is made up of two parts; one part is the soul of the demon hunter, and the other part is only¡ª¡±


    ¡°I got it. You don¡¯t have to say it.¡±


    If it was not the soul of the head of the demon hunter that was at work here, then it must be the body of the husky. No one in their right mind would believe that the husky was the perfect body to carry divine ability.


    ¡°It¡¯s possible that the soul of the first sage gives Lily this talent,¡± Hao Ren scratched his chin, ¡°which absorbs divinity and transform it into a controllable ability within a certain range. Isn¡¯t this talent a little bit sacrilegious? Is divinity something that the mortals can control?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not as powerful as you think, because this slight divinity is not divine. It can even be classified as a divine spell.¡± Raven 12345 shook her head. ¡°The mortals learn this ability through prayer, gift, worship and the like, just like learning magic and martial arts. But Lily has skipped these steps and mastered the control of the divine spell directly through the instinct of the soul. Her light blast is a typical divine spell in my opinion.¡±


    Vivian glanced at Lily with a surprised look. ¡°So your Doggoblast turns out to be a divine spell?¡±


    ¡°I have said it before; you have to be careful with the use of the name! It¡¯s a divine spell, how shameless you are by calling it a Doggoblast!¡±


    ¡°Then do you intend to give the Doggoblast a new name following the divine-spell naming table of Raven 12345?¡± Hao Ren shot Lily a sideways look. ¡°Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you, even the I-F*cking-Cover-You Shield is the least gross in the list. I¡¯m dead sure your Doggoblast is under the divine-spell system of Raven 12345.¡±


    Lily was speechless.


    At this time, Raven 12345 interrupted their conversation. ¡°This divine spell is not important in itself. What I¡¯m concerned about is the secret behind it: Why does the soul of the demon hunter have this effect?¡±

 Chapter 1344 - : Survivor Family Visit Plan

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Raven 12345¡¯s words jolted Hao Ren and Lily out of their thoughts. The two of them instantly noticed the peculiarity of the situation.


    Why did the demon hunter¡¯s soul give Lily such a strange talent? It had directly enabled Lily to skip the learning process and acquire an ability¡ªthe divine spell¡ªwhich was completely strange to her.


    As the former master of the demon hunters, the present honorary leader, Lily felt it necessary to say something. ¡°I think it¡¯s mainly because I¡¯m awesome. It¡¯s as simple as that.¡±


    She just wanted to express her opinion, and no one was taking her seriously anyway.


    ¡°The soul of a demon hunter is born with different talents,¡± Vivian said. She had been fighting with the demon hunters for thousands of years. ¡°They can cast spells, make potions as well as weapons, and possess knowledge of mediumship. These things aren¡¯t only engraved in their DNA, but also in the memory of their souls. So maybe they can use divine spells, which could even be their strongest ability. After all, they are the ¡®perfect creatures¡¯ created during the heyday of Holletta¡¯s Magic Civilization.¡±


    ¡°But none of the demon hunters we¡¯ve met have ever used divine spells.¡± Hao Ren became a bit confused. ¡°Their sacred flame is somewhat similar to a divine spell, but that¡¯s just an inborn ability, and fundamentally different from a divine one.¡±


    Vivian tapped the table and said, ¡°It¡¯s because they come from the Plane of Dreams. If their souls are engraved with the power of divine spells, the power must come from the goddess of creation. But the goddess of creation is dead, so their divine ability has been cut off from the source. The demon hunters of today have completely lost the ability to perform divine spells. However, Lily may have lost some of the limitations in her soul when she got reincarnated in the wrong body. On top of that, she mingles with us and comes into contact with the divine power of the goddess. Her divine talent could have been reactivated. The conflict with Lockmarton¡¯s Power of Chaos has further excited this ability.¡±


    Hao Ren began to make sense of the whole thing. ¡°It¡¯s possible! It¡¯s completely logical!¡±


    Raven 12345 also nodded, apparently agreeing with Vivian¡¯s conjecture. ¡°If this theory is correct, then the demon hunters should be a race that¡¯s inborn with the ability to use divine spells.¡±


    Hao Ren looked a little serious because he knew how incredible the ability was. It even challenged the very laws of nature in the mortal world. Under normal circumstances, a mortal had to go through systematic learning to acquire such divine ability. He had to connect with the true God and utilize various ceremonies as well as prayer to be in resonance with the power of the true God. That way, he would be able to borrow strength from the resonance. But for people born with the talent, they were what some races called the ¡°body of the Son of Heaven¡± and ¡°the chosen ones¡± in the various legends favored by the gods. They were the only ones who were able to enjoy such a privilege. Of course, Hao Ren knew that the ¡°chosen ones¡± in the Raven 12345 faith were not as glamorous as the name suggested. If the goddess ever gave away her divine ability to anyone, it was usually by mistake. She would recover it entirely on the spot. Otherwise, it would affect her year-end bonus.


    However, it would be hard to tell if there had been some kind of accident in the goddess of creation¡¯s system. After all, she had never gone to school.


    ¡°If the demon hunters are born with a talent for divine spells, then the significance of this matter is unimaginable,¡± Raven 12345 reminded them. ¡°Do you still remember the origin of the demon hunters?¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s heart skipped a beat. The information he had gathered quickly came to mind. ¡°The demon hunters come from Holletta, the Plane of Dreams. It¡¯s believed that the magical empire of ancient times stole some of the goddess of creation¡¯s knowledge. By manually extracting the power of the lifeblood and making use of other biochemical technologies, they created the ¡®perfect creatures.¡¯ These creatures had immortal bodies, physiques that were far above that of any mortal race, the natural ability to acquire and master powers, and extraordinary learning ability. They were essentially super-creatures, the anti-God.¡±


    ¡°Original investigation material has determined that the demon hunters are taboo creatures created by the Ancient Magic Empire after they betrayed the goddess,¡± Raven 12345 said. She then looked up all of a sudden. ¡°But if they are such creatures, how could they possess a talent for divine spells?¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned.


    ¡°Divine spells are unique powers originating from the ¡®information interference¡¯ of the true God. You also probably remember the Grand Unification Theory. The theory states that everything in the universe is the manifestation of information. Various data and algorithms outline everything in the world, and the true God is a ¡®source of interference¡¯ that can perturb and manipulate all the underlying data. From this, we know that the power of the true God is a manifestation of the power of interference. If a mortal would like to perform divine spells, he or she must first borrow the energy from the interference process. Getting close to it is the first step.¡±


    While she spoke, Raven 12345 drew various images in the air with her hand. She first created a group of lights, which represented the source of divine power¡ªthe true God. This was followed by waves that served as information, a dot, and the mortal world.


    ¡°The process of information interference is like a resonance. A strong source of information will ¡®shock¡¯ the weak source of information. If the weak source is to borrow the power of the strong source, the only way is to tune its frequency as close as possible to the source of interference and enhance the resonance. That¡¯s why God¡¯s followers can perform divine spells while the enemy can¡¯t. It¡¯s because the followers are closer to their god while the enemy is turning away from Him, and even actively blocking Him.¡±


    By now, things had become clear to Hao Ren. ¡°So if the mage emperors created the demon hunters using the stolen goddess¡¯ authority, the demon hunters would never have the ability to perform divine spells!¡±


    Raven 12345 dismissed the images in the air with a wave of her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s put it another way; since those mage emperors could create demon hunters with a talent for divine spells, they had to still be faithful to the goddess of creation. Their process of creation had to be based on faith. But faith alone wouldn¡¯t be enough, they would¡¯ve had to inscribe the ability of divine spells in the soul of the demon hunters. This process of creation must be based on the power connection with the goddess of creation.¡±


    Hao Ren felt as if a bolt of lightning just flashed across his mind.


    His investigation in the Plane of Dreams had come full circle. It turned out that planet Holletta, which he first found in the plane, held such a shocking, hidden mystery.


    ¡°I knew from the start that many of Holletta¡¯s ancient legends were flawed, especially the description about ancient humanity abandoning the goddess, leading to her death. But, I didn¡¯t expect the deviation to be so outrageous,¡± Hao Ren Ren said as he pressed his hand on his forehead. ¡°During the assassination of the goddess, the mage emperors of Holletta didn¡¯t respond to the distress call of the goddess. Whether the signal was cut or not, the mage emperors must have stopped contact with the goddess of creation at that time. Nonetheless, the fact that they created the demon hunters is beyond me.¡±


    ¡°Our discussions are based on the premise that the demon hunters are born with the talent for divine spells. Any discussion beyond this is pointless. We must first verify this assumption,¡± Raven 12345 said.


    Hao Ren nodded. He knew that if he wanted to continue his investigation, he had to find out the secrets behind the demon hunters¡¯ talents. Right then, something suddenly crossed his mind. ¡°Should I bring Lil Pea here? She was transformed by the Sacred Relic of Origins, and she now possesses the characteristics of a demon hunter.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid she isn¡¯t one.¡± Raven 12345 waved her hand. ¡°First of all, she was just transformed by the Sacred Relic of Origins. She¡¯s not a demon hunter by nature. Secondly, she¡¯s been with us for a long time. Her meeting with me especially has influenced her nature; she¡¯s not ¡®pure¡¯ enough. We must find pure-blooded demon hunters.¡±


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll go to Coldpath in a couple of days and ask White Flame to find us a few purebred demon hunters,¡± Hao Ren said.


    ¡°The demon hunters on Earth may have changed when they crossed the Wall of Reality. I think Holletta still has the purest samples. The ancients there would be most appropriate,¡± Vivian said.


    ¡°Then we should look for Marshal Ophra¡¯s help. I remember her being an ancient purebred species.¡± Hao Ren scratched his chin. ¡°We can visit Becky too. I haven¡¯t seen her in a long time, though we¡¯ve exchanged a few messages recently. I wonder what she¡¯s doing there.¡±


    While talking about this, Hao Ren became a little emotional. It had been three years since he first met Becky. Hao Ren was still a rookie, who was timid and clueless when he initially arrived in Holletta. Now he had been to many universes and seen many different kinds of races. Hao Ren was not a rookie anymore, but he had begun to miss his old acquaintances in Holletta.


    Were they done with their reconstruction after the First Born disaster? Did the intelligent black wolves, who migrated from the prairie to the snowy mountains, return to their homeland? Had Becky successfully treated Ophra?


    When Vivian thought of those friends of theirs, she smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you. Actually, I have a suggestion.¡±


    ¡°A suggestion?¡± Hao Ren looked at Vivian curiously.


    ¡°Yup.¡± Vivian nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s arrange for the demon hunters of Coldpath and the ancients of Holletta to meet. It may not be possible for the demon hunters to return to the Plane of Dreams, but since we already have a stable gateway, we can at least get them to meet their compatriots in their homeworld.¡±


    Before Hao Ren could say anything, Lily interrupted, ¡°Let the people on both sides meet? Wouldn¡¯t it be too early?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps not.¡± Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°The portal in the Scarred Nebula is a stable passage. We can start planning a lot of things. For example, arrange for the Plane of Dreams survivors on Earth to slowly learn the truth, and even approach the reality of their history. Boss, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°You may,¡± said Raven 12345. ¡°But be careful not to bring too many people through the portal. The gateway of the Scarred Nebula is mainly for you to transport material supplies. It may allow intelligent lives to traverse for a short time, but it will put pressure on the Wall of Reality, especially if you want to arrange for the survivors to return to the Plane of Dreams. The impact will be far greater than when you brought the Aerymian Elves into the Plane of Dreams. Hmm, as the first test for the Gate of the Universe, you should not bring more than 100 people this time. And, you must keep an eye on these people, don¡¯t let them meander around in the universe.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll plan it very carefully this time,¡± Hao Ren said with a smile.

 Chapter 1345 - Rollie’s Depression

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    It was already noon when Hao Ren got home. Everyone in the family was waiting to be fed. They all knew that the goddess was not a good cook. Only if you caught her when she was having her meal, or she had put in too much salt when cooking her noodles would Raven 12345 let you eat there. That was why the goddess kicked Hao Ren, Lily, and Vivian out of her mansion before lunch. It was apparently too late for Vivian to cook, so they took a detour and headed to the Nangongs¡¯ restaurant on the other end of the street. It so happened that after closing for two months, business was slow. Just as the Nangong couple began to worry about what to do with the tons of unsold food they had prepared in the morning, Hao Ren and his two buddies arrived. The couple packed the leftovers and gave it all to them.


    Lily headed home carrying a large box of food. Nothing brought her more happiness than having an amount of food that she could not possibly finish.


    As Hao Ren stepped into his house, he saw Rollie lying on the sofa armrest listlessly. She kept changing the channels by pressing the TV remote rolled up in her tail. Meanwhile, Lil Pea was gamboling on Rollie¡¯s back. Y¡¯zaks and Y¡¯lisabet were each holding a book in their hands, studying radio frequency technology. The Nangong Siblings were chewing melon seeds while wondering if they would be having any meal at noon. When Hao Ren came back with packed lunches in his hands, everyone¡¯s spirit was lifted. It was as if they had seen their savior.


    Nangong Sanba put down the melon seeds and went up to Hao Ren by teleportation. ¡°Mr. Landlord, good to see you back. We are all starving. What are we having for lunch today? Hmm, this smell is a little familiar.¡±


    ¡°What do you think? It¡¯s your mom¡¯s cooking.¡± Hao Ren handed the food to Nangong Sanba and motioned Lily to put the large box of rice on the table. ¡°We had a long meeting with the goddess earlier. There¡¯s no time to cook so let¡¯s just eat these. Rollie! Wash your hands before the meal!¡±


    The cat girl, who had crept up under the table, was stunned. She got out from under the table with her head lowered, reluctantly stretching her hands out to Nangong Wuyue, who summoned a ball of water to wash Rollie¡¯s hands. Cats could be lazy creatures¡ªRollie found it too troublesome to go to the washroom.


    ¡°I thought you were scolding me.¡± Nangong Sanba scratched his head.


    ¡°If this cat weren¡¯t so stubborn about change, I would have given her a new name.¡± Hao Ren sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t take her out because of that damn name. I¡¯ve been trying to get her an identity card, but I can¡¯t seem to make an order.¡±


    Even if she had an identity card, no one was going to believe that someone was named ¡°Rollie.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your fault for giving her that name in the first place,¡± Vivian said. She filled everyone¡¯s bowl with rice while she rolled her eyes at Hao Ren. ¡°Now she¡¯s gotten used to the name.¡±


    Hao Ren spread out his hands. ¡°How would I have known that she¡¯d become a humanoid? She never walked upright the last time.¡±


    ¡°Big Boss Cat, I¡¯ve washed my hands!¡± The cat girl skipped up to him and flashed him her hands. Before Hao Ren could take a closer look, she climbed into her chair. Her eyes brightened when she saw the table full of food. ¡°Whoa, there¡¯s fish! Big Boss Cat, I want the fish!¡±


    Among the dishes were slices of squid, which Lil Pea was not able to distinguish. But if it had been braised fish, it would have been a problem since Lil Pea was also a fish. At least, she thought so.


    ¡°You can take it yourself.¡± Hao Ren rolled his eyes at Rollie. ¡°It¡¯s just right in front of you. But for god¡¯s sake, use the chopsticks, not your hands!¡±


    The cat girl quickly pulled her hand back, feeling hard done by. She grabbed a pair of chopsticks and poked them into the fish dish while she mumbled, ¡°Big Boss Cat, why are you shouting at me? Big Boss Cat, are you having another cat? Big Boss Cat, are you going to swap me for a Persian? Big Boss Cat, are you going to stop keeping a cat? Big Boss Cat¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ahem, ahem, where did you learn all this nonsense?¡± Hao Ren was greatly annoyed. Rollie made a mess of the squid dish with her chopsticks. Hao Ren¡¯s eye began to twitch. ¡°Haven¡¯t you learned how to use chopsticks? I thought you mastered the skill two months ago. It seems that you¡¯ve forgotten it now.¡±


    ¡°Nobody¡¯s taught her for two months. The skill degenerated. You should be thankful that she can still walk upright.¡± Vivian shook her head. ¡°Just let her use her hands. The dish looks like a mess now, and I guess you¡¯ve lost your appetite already.¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head helplessly. He wondered how Rollie ate her meals for the past two months. But realizing that Vivian did not cook during that period, and they all survived on instant noodles, he thought better of asking more questions. ¡°I¡¯m going to the North Pole in two days.¡±


    ¡°Oh, there are codfish in the Arctic!¡± Rollie grew excited.


    ¡°Just shut up and eat your meal!¡± Hao Ren shot Rollie a glance and turned to the others. ¡°I need the demon hunters to help me do a sampling test. Vivian and I are also going to find some purebred Ancients, who were the original demon hunters in Holletta. Besides, we will organize a family visit for the demon hunters in Coldpath, let them have a look at their homeworld.¡±


    ¡°Family visit?¡± Nangong Sanba instantly became interested. ¡°It¡¯s finally happening? Is it too soon?¡±


    ¡°The time is ripe with the gateway of the Scarred Nebula in place,¡± Hao Ren said with a smile. ¡°The small spatial rift in Siberia can only accommodate a few people at a time, and only selected ones can pass through it. But now, the Gate of the Universe in the Scarred Nebula can act as a more stable gateway. It will accommodate a group with less than 100 people and a massive amount of materials. I already planned this family visit when I first built the gateway. But many things happened after that and I had to put some of my plans on hold. Now I¡¯m merely restarting the program.¡±


    ¡°Big Boss Cat, I want to go to the North Pole too!¡± Rollie said with her mouth full of ¡°fish¡±. She was waving her hands in excitement. No one knew if she had heard what Hao Ren said subsequently, but the taste of codfish had already filled her mind.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mess around.¡± Hao Ren patted Rollie on the head. ¡°I¡¯m going there for some serious business, it¡¯s not for fun. Just stay home. Didn¡¯t you promise that you¡¯d stay home these two days?¡±


    ¡°Big Boss Cat, you really do have another cat outside.¡± Lily lowered her head.


    No one cared about what the cat thought. Interested by the demon-hunter sampling test, Y¡¯zaks asked, ¡°What did you discuss with the goddess? Why are you suddenly thinking of going back to Holletta to conduct a sampling test on the demon hunters and the Ancients?¡±


    In everyone¡¯s mind, missions relating to demon hunters and Holletta were over. They thought that their next destination would be more distant and darker planets with deeper secrets.


    ¡°We discussed a lot of things. But the decision to go back and sample the demon hunters has something to do with Lily,¡± Hao Ren said as he looked at Lily, who was gnawing at the pork ribs in her bowl, on the opposite side of the table. ¡°Strictly speaking, it¡¯s because of her Doggoblast.¡±


    Hao Ren then told everyone about their discussion with Raven 12345, the inconsistent energy of the Twin Blades of Apocalypse and the possible secrets behind it. The truth of the Twin Blades of Apocalypse may not surface for the time being, but the demon hunters¡¯ talent for divine spells was something verifiable.


    It was only natural for Nangong Sanba, the half-baked demon hunter, to appear most excited. Sanba wiped his mouth and said, ¡°So, the demon hunters were initially a race capable of performing divine spells? They could do it without training, just by borrowing the ability directly from God?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s our speculation.¡± Hao Ren nodded, neither confirming nor denying. ¡°A more conventional explanation would be the demon hunters were a ¡®chosen race,¡¯ favored by the goddess. They were born with the ability to communicate with her. Of course, we all know what a true god is all about. So, the demon hunters should have rightly been a ceremonial product, which the ancient mage emperors created to communicate with the goddess in an experiment. Anyway, we think that the demon hunters have the talent for divine power, judging from Lily¡¯s ability.¡±


    Nangong Sanba nodded. He was feeling excited and regretful at the same time. ¡°It¡¯s a shame that I¡¯m not a purebred demon hunter. Even if I am, my ability isn¡¯t that strong. Otherwise, I could be a sample.¡±


    ¡°Regardless, you are not suitable. Your dad is not suitable as well.¡± Vivian shook her head. ¡°The test has a strict set of requirements. We must find the purest of demon hunters who have not been affected by any external factors. Or else, the test results will be useless.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue crossed her arms involuntarily. ¡°It gives me goosebumps. It sounds like some crazy scientists are carrying out human experiments, just like in the horror movies.¡±


    Hao Ren thought about it for a moment before he laughed wryly. ¡°Let¡¯s eat! Let¡¯s eat!¡±


    Two days later, Hao Ren brought Lily, Vivian, and the Nangong Siblings to the headquarters of the demon hunters in the Arctic¡ªColdfrost Citadel.


    Before Hao Ren went there, he had given White Flame a heads-up. They could now see Coldfrost Citadel light up from a distance. It was a sign of welcome and also an indication that everything was fine in the fortress.


    Rollie, hidden beneath multiple layers of cotton coats, stretched her neck and looked around. ¡°Big Boss Cat, when are we going to catch fish?¡± she asked aloud.


    Hao Ren buried his head in his hands and sighed.


    Hao Ren brought the dumb cat along because he could not stand her pestering, especially about him ¡°having another cat outside.¡±

 Chapter 1346 - The Elderly Tour Group

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    As usual, the cold Arctic wind blew past Hoarfrost Sanctum, rolling up snowflakes outside the temple. The dark gray spires of the temple were glowing with cold blue light, as though a monstrous beast was blocking all living beings from getting close to it. Despite that, there were warm spots inside the temple. In the grand guest room, the fireplace was crackling with flames, and the heat from it was guided to the entire place by a few simple runes engraved on the walls. It made the room warm. The current abbot, Elder Gregowen, and Elder Hasse, accompanied by White Flame, were receiving Hao Ren as well as his entourage. The faces of the three demon hunters looked unusually somber.


    The demon hunters¡¯ obsession with retro decor made the room look like a medieval fortress. The delicate brass lamp holders and portraits on the walls reflected the light from the fireplace. The swaying fire was hypnotizing¡ªat least, Rollie so thought. She spread her favorite blanket on the floor in front of the fireplace, curled herself up nicely and purred. Rollie peeked at Hao Ren.


    ¡°Big Boss Cat¡¯s life is so dull,¡± the cat maiden mumbled. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know how to get warm.¡±


    Meanwhile, Hao Ren had already explained the situation regarding the divine spells to Hasse, whose ¡°dead¡± face looked even more stolid now. ¡°Divine spells? I wouldn¡¯t have believed that demon hunters possessed this ability if not for the many things that I encountered in the past. Religion has no place in the tradition of demon hunters in the first place. We don¡¯t believe in God and so-called divine power.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded as a sign of understanding. For several thousand years, cutting the heads of deities in half was what the demon hunters did the most. This violent gang had overrun the various realms of gods, from Olympus to Asgard, until hardly any gods from the Mythological Era were left. It would be strange if they believed in God.


    However, gods truly existed. After the Battle of Coldpath, the senior demon hunters finally knew this and started to hint at it from the top down. Hasse knew that the god of their universe was a goddess, whose name had a nice five-digit number. It was easier for him to accept the truth of divine spells than other demon hunters.


    ¡°We are only guessing. But since your original source of divine power¡ªthe goddess of creation¡ªis dead, and with the Wall of Reality acting as a barrier, all of you have lost the ability. Verification would be very troublesome. Not everyone can be like Lily, whose soul can be reborn and receive new abilities.¡± Hao Ren nodded at Lily, who wagged her tail proudly. ¡°So we need the help of purebred demon hunters with the sampling test.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Elder Gregowen said. ¡°The demon hunters have always been a closed community. We have a pure bloodline. Purebred demon hunters are abundant here.¡±


    ¡°Not just any demon hunter but the earliest generation, if possible,¡± Vivian said. ¡°Being purebred alone is not good enough. We must find the earliest sample of demon hunters.¡±


    ¡°That will be difficult. A large number of demon hunters died during the Mythological War. The Battle of Coldpath has also led to the death of our ancestors, including twelve of the Sages. I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to find any first-generation bloodline. Even seniors like me are not of the first generation.¡±


    ¡°As early as you can trace back.¡± Vivian frowned. ¡°You guys brought this disaster upon yourselves. To hell with the Mythological War. It was because of the war that the whole generation of a long-lived race died. And for what?¡±


    Hasse and Gregowen could only force a smile. The subject, too subtle and sensitive, had been a taboo among some circles of the otherworldlings and even the demon hunters. Only Vivian, the 10,000-year-old vampire, could casually grumble about it.


    ¡°There is another thing,¡± Hao Ren quickly said. He had noticed the awkward atmosphere. ¡°It¡¯s about the family-visit plan.¡±


    ¡°Family visit? What a name for such a serious operation, Mr. Landlord!¡± Lily buried her head in her hands.


    The three demon hunters found the name funny too. The two seniors were composed, but White Flame could not hold her laughter; she quickly looked away to prevent Hao Ren from seeing her disrespectful demeanor. Since White Flame had sworn allegiance to Hao Ren, who may have forgotten about the matter, she was too embarrassed to ask him to change the name of the operation. ¡°We are very interested,¡± she said instead.


    ¡°Oh yeah.¡± Hasse had a rare smile on his stolid face this time. ¡°Homeworld in another universe¡­ Who would have thought of that if not for the irrefutable evidence! I have tried to imagine what the Plane of Dreams looks like countless of times. As much as I can¡¯t remember a thing about that world, I also can¡¯t control my curiosity.¡±


    ¡°Many demon hunters must be interested to go there,¡± Gregowen said. This elder was more reserved.


    ¡°But it¡¯s not just a sightseeing tour,¡± Vivian reminded them. ¡°The name of the operation may be misleading, but I believe all of you understand the purpose behind it.¡±


    ¡°You want to show us how the otherworldlings are doing without the influence of innate hostility?¡± It was not hard for a wise old man like Gregowen to decipher the reason for the trip. ¡°And for the test as well?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°You guessed it. The Mythological War is over, but the relationship between otherworldlings and demon hunters is still tense. It¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that hatred still exists. But with the Shadow Council, Vivian, the reality, and also the human society putting a lid on it, this conflict hasn¡¯t bubbled up to the surface. Nonetheless, I know that the friction in private has never ended; some people die every now and then. I don¡¯t expect this hatred of nearly 10,000 years to be easily resolved. I¡¯d be too naive to think so. But I think I should do something to cool things down. After all, whether it is the otherworldlings or the demon hunters, both sides hope that the situation will improve. I will not only bring the demon hunters. I will also invite some of the more open-minded otherworldlings to join us. I believe that when you guys see your homeworld, figure out your origin, and understand why you¡¯ve landed where you are today, you will see things in a new perspective.¡±


    Hao Ren paused for a moment before he continued, ¡°As for the test, you are also right. You already know the story of the goddess of creation, whose residual power is still working. Her power still influences the universe in a way that I still cannot comprehend. The priests in Holletta can still gain the ability to cast divine spells through the Branding Ceremony. I need to figure out what this residual power is all about, and whether it will react to your return.¡±


    The otherworldlings were sent to Earth by the goddess of creation using Yggdrasil, a so-called hyper ark. Since the goddess could make such an arrangement, it would not be her last and only one. Vivian had lost her memories, and the First Borns as well as the guardians, were of no help. Unable to determine what the goddess¡¯ next plan was, things came to a dead end. Nevertheless, Hao Ren was determined to break the deadlock. After careful consideration, he decided that he needed to do something.


    The plan to bring some otherworldlings back to the Plane of Dreams carried some risks, but it would be worth it. A small team of fewer than 100 people would not cause too severe of an impact on the Wall of Reality, but it may trigger some settings that the goddess of creation left in the universe if there were any.


    No matter what it was, Hao Ren could only study them when they surfaced.


    It was a shame that Gregowen and Hasse¡¯s knowledge was limited. Plus, it would take a long time to explain the Mad Lord, the four eras, and the deicidal war in detail to both of them. Hao Ren did not have to disclose everything, so he merely talked about his thoughts.


    ¡°Organize a family visit for the leaders of the demon hunters and the otherworldlings?¡± There seemed to be a smile on Hasse¡¯s stiff face once again. He shook his head and sounded helpless. ¡°You are the only one in this world who can come up with such a crazy idea. But I can¡¯t guarantee what will happen on that day. What¡¯s your plan when both sides meet?¡±


    Hao Ren smiled. ¡°Easy. Whoever doesn¡¯t behave will be shot at point-blank, or less severely, tied up with a chain, put it in a glass jar and transported to the Plane of Dreams in my car. Everyone will get a chance to see their homeworld. I have many high-grade ropes, which even Lily would find hard to break. It may sound like a family visit, but don¡¯t mistake us for a tour agency¡ªwe don¡¯t care about user experience.¡±


    When Hao Ren finished, Vivian said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I may be weaker than I was in the past, but few on this planet can fight me. I will help Hao Ren.¡±


    Cold sweat trickled down Gregowen and Hasse¡¯s forehead. Both of them quickly said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I don¡¯t know about the others, but we will guarantee that the demon hunters will be cooperative.¡±


    Gregowen and Hasse had not experienced Hao Ren¡¯s ruthlessness, but they all knew how violent Vivian was, especially during the early days. No one dared to say that they had not been beaten by Vivian before. With such a deterrent force, cooperation was guaranteed.


    The same was true for the otherworldlings. Those who knew Vivian were afraid of her.

 Chapter 1347 - Vivian Rules Them All

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Gregowen and Hasse would handle the candidate selection for the ¡°study-sightseeing tour group.¡± Hao Ren only had to give them the size of the group and the deadline. When he got to his feet to leave, he saw that Rollie was still snoring in front of the fireplace. Her furry ears flickered slightly, facing the fire. Her tail swayed slowly, and she seemed completely asleep unlike her excited, restless self when she just arrived.


    The warm fireplace and soft blanket was such an addictive combination for a cat. With a bit of catnip thrown into the mix, the cat girl would immediately get herself sworn into the ranks of the demon hunters without hesitation.


    ¡°Rollie,¡± Hao Ren called out as he stepped forward and pulled the cat girl by her tail. ¡°We¡¯re leaving.¡±


    ¡°Big Boss Cat¡­¡± The cat girl wriggled like a sleeping worm. Her voice sounded like it was echoing out from her dream. ¡°I¡¯ve decided to make up for my morning, evening, and night naps.¡±


    ¡°Not now.¡± Hao Ren knitted his brows together. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We can go catch the codfish now.¡±


    Rollie looked up with one eye, her voice sounding ethereal. ¡°What¡¯s a codfish? I don¡¯t want it anymore.¡±


    Hearing Rollie¡¯s reply, Hao Ren choked and coughed. ¡°You were so excited about catching the fish before we came. Why doesn¡¯t it matter anymore all of a sudden?¡±


    Nangong Sanba patted Hao Ren on the shoulder and said, ¡°Mr. Landlord, I tell you what; cats are fickle creatures just like women. When the two species combine, the individual could change her mind 72 times in a day.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment. Since there would not be any animal rights and women¡¯s rights organizations in the Arctic, he bent down, grabbed Rollie by the waist belt, and picked her up. Hao Ren ignored Rollie¡¯s protests and flung her over his shoulder. ¡°We have to hurry to Athens. After we finish business with the Shadow Council, we have to go to Holletta immediately. Today¡¯s schedule is tight, and I have no time to reason with a cat.¡±


    Before Rollie knew it, she felt the world spin around her. Then, the fireplace, where she was enjoying herself, left her. Rollie kicked her four limbs, trying to break loose. ¡°Put me down! Put me down! Big Boss Cat, you¡¯re in trouble! You¡¯re in big trouble! I want a fireplace! I want the¡ª¡±


    Before the dumb cat could finish yelling, her voice was muted by a flash of bright teleportation light.


    Gregowen and Hasse looked at each other with forced smiles before they shook their heads. ¡°This ancestor has never come without troubling news.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s also a good thing,¡± Hasse said. ¡°Hao Ren has been working on this matter the entire time. Perhaps just as you said the last time, the days of a stable Plane of Dreams will someday come. Those of us who do not belong to this world will have to return to our homeworld sooner or later. At least, some will choose to do so. This planet, where humans rule, is not suitable for us. We may survive here and even do well here, but we will never become an independent civilization or a kingdom, which I have been thinking about lately. I am going to join the visit to the Plane of Dreams.¡±


    White Flame took out a game console from her pocket. ¡°I want to go and see it too, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll leave this place in the future. The Plane of Dreams may be our place of origin, but I don¡¯t belong there.¡±


    Gregowen¡¯s stiff facial muscles seemed to relax a little. ¡°Ah, there still appears to be young people like White Flame who are content with life here. We will have a successor to take over our legacy on this planet in the future.¡±


    The old demon hunter was more concerned with their thousand-year legacy on Earth.


    White Flame, still on her game console, said, ¡°I heard that there¡¯s no wifi there.¡±


    Gregory was dumbstruck.


    Meanwhile, Hao Ren and his men had arrived at the sanctuary in Athens¡¯ Shadowy Divide. Just like Coldpath, the Shadow Council had received news of their arrival ahead of time. With Vivian¡¯s substantial influence in the Shadow Council, she had informed the council of the purpose of her visit through her spokesperson, Hessiana. When Hao Ren arrived, all he had to do was verify the arrangement.


    Unlike the demon hunters who needed to participate in a series of tests, the otherworldlings were only required to come up with a list of their delegation.


    To save time, Vivian had also set a standard for the candidate selection and asked Hessiana to pass it down. There were only three requirements.


    One, the delegates had to be moderate in their views. It was a joint operation with the demon hunters, and the destination was filled with different otherworldlings who roamed the earth openly. To the otherworldlings who had been at war with each other for 10,000 years on Earth, enemies were everywhere. Even though the Mythological War had ended, old habits died hard. The werewolves would fight first and talk later when they saw the vampires, while the shadelings would hide the moment they bumped into the werewolves. So it was imperative that the delegates of the tour be of the moderate view.


    Two, the delegates had to be influential in their respective races. The study trip was not a sightseeing tour. For the otherworldlings, it was an opportunity to find out the truth that the different races in the Plane of Dreams did not have a conflict with each other in the beginning. It would also let them have a better understanding of what it meant by the otherworldlings coming from the Otherworld.


    Three, the delegates had to be tough. Vivian pointed out that when the otherworldlings and the demon hunters¡ªthe sworn enemy¡ªmet, things might get really chaotic and ugly. Failure to obey instruction, violence, and leaving the group without authorization would bound to happen. When such situations arose, the use of force to maintain order by the Countess of the Crimson Moon, Vivian, would be unavoidable. So the delegates were required to be physically tough.


    All members of the Shadow Council seemed to support the countess¡¯ arrangement. They submitted a list of names, whom they did not like, trying to fudge on the matter.


    The Shadow Council had no intention to cooperate with Hao Ren. Perhaps these people did not understand the meaning of this call.


    Anyway, Hessiana had anticipated the Shadow Council members would try to fudge it and given Vivian a heads-up. Vivian turned down the list and ordered for a new one.


    Those council guys returned with a new list very quickly within half an hour. Allegedly the families and representatives from other sanctuaries had come up with this new list after some emergency meeting. But any discerning person would have known that the so-called new name list was actually preprepared. The families knew that it was not easy to fool Vivian, the living ancestor. They knew the Countess well; except when she would turn violent during her hibernating cycle, Vivian was an easy-going and good-natured person. As long as they could show their willingness to cooperate in time, they would be safe from her beating.


    In the Shadow Council headquarters, Vivian quickly browsed through the list in front of her and then looked up at the faces in the meeting room. Mimir¡ªhis head, the speaker of the council, was placed in the front of the conference table, surrounded by the patriarch of different families, leaders, and representatives from other sanctuaries. Of course, Hessiana was among them.


    Except for Mimir who had an always-on smile, and Hessiana who was trying to get as close as possible to Vivian, most of the council members looked awkward and nervous, and a hint of cluelessness. They seemed to have not fully understood the cause and effect of this Plane of Dreams visit. Used to giving instructions instead of being instructed, these old guys seemed to be a little uncomfortable.


    ¡°I just came back from Coldpath,¡± Vivian said. The atmosphere became less awkward but also a little more strange after she opened her mouth. ¡°You know what; it¡¯s more pleasant to deal with the demon hunters than to talk with you guys.¡±


    A senior vampire said awkwardly, ¡°Your Honorable Countess, you are saying that¡ª¡±


    ¡°They are a single race, while there are seventeen races here. They have only one who speaks, while you have at least eight factions in your family that contradict each other. I might be a sage in name only among them, but my word counts. Here, my position is equal to the assembly speaker, but you guys dare to fudge on the name lists!¡± Vivian threw the name list on the table. ¡°Do you really think I¡¯m clueless of what happened here? Do you think I don¡¯t know who you are and the names on the lists?¡±


    Most of the members of Shadow Council, who came up with the first name list, were silent. The Lucas family patriarch, Zeon Lucas, bowed slightly as a sign of respect. He always had an eternal elegant smile on his face. ¡°Countess, this list¡­¡±


    Vivian paused for a moment, and then the voice of Hessiana came into her mind via a vampire-communication magic spell. ¡°Vivian, this list is okay!¡±


    Vivian¡¯s face remained stolid while giving those family representatives a nod of approval. ¡°This one looks better. I hope no one will try to fool me again. Please remember, I don¡¯t have to be physically present, but I know everything that happens in the council. I know everything about every one of you.¡±


    While saying, her eyes swept across the conference room and paused a moment on the faces that she did not like. How cares? She did not even know them! She thought.


    Lily poked Hao Ren¡¯s arm and whispered, ¡°Battie is such a good bluffer.¡±


    Hao Ren and the Nangong siblings nodded in unison. ¡°She is.¡±


    Rollie was lying on the table, seemingly losing her purpose of living. ¡°I want the fireplace. I want to sleep. I want to eat fish.¡±

 Chapter 1348 - A Bat’s Confusion

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Vivian was like a virtuous housewife while at home. But in the outside world, she was notorious. A few people, including Hao Ren, knew that Vivian had been acting gracelessly: she liked to bully her juniors. That was exactly what happened today but for a good reason¡ªshe made those family representatives realize the solemnness of the matter at hand, and that the Countess of the Crimson Moon was serious.


    After Vivian finished, Hao Ren got to his feet, cleared his throat, and then slowly delivered his speech like a headmaster at a convocation. ¡°I would like to add a few points. First of all, maybe you don¡¯t understand the significance of the event. After all, it appears as if it comes out of nowhere all of a sudden. But we have been planning for it for some time. You may recall the prophecy of the Day of Return two years ago. Many supernatural races on Earth were involved. Part of the Day of Return is true, that is, all otherworldlings on Earth come from another world, where your civilizations, legacy, origin, and ancestors are. Unlike the Day of Return, returning to that world will not bring you power and wealth but the knowledge of where you come from and the origin of your history. For a civilization and race, these things are more precious than power. I have compiled the formal document, which details all you need to know¡ªexcept the absolutely top secrets¡ªabout the Plane of Dreams. Every one of you will receive a copy of it after the meeting, and I¡¯m sure you will know what to do after reading it. Speaker Mimir, do you have anything to add?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve nothing to add. It¡¯s time to reveal more, and I trust your judgment.¡± A low voice came from the head of Mimir.


    Hao Ren nodded solemnly and said nothing more. He just looked at the high-ranking Shadow Council members.


    Some of the members of the council looked clueless, while some others were in thoughts.


    But not all otherworldlings were ignorant about the Plane of Dreams. The impact of the incident was wide-ranging, and Hao Ren had also connived¡ªby design or accident¡ªthe release of information about the origin of the otherworldlings in some families. But what was circulated was not detailed enough¡ªHao Ren had been controlling how much the otherworldlings needed to know in a way that was stricter than he did to the demon hunters. The demon hunters were different in that they were highly organized, more willing to keep secrets, and principled. For these reasons, Hao Ren was ready to reveal more. But the otherworldlings, just like what Vivian had said before, lacked unity. Even with the establishment of the federation, the Shadow Council, these guys were only a heap of loose sand. Naturally, Hao Ren did not reveal too much too soon the shocking details to them.


    But now it had come to the time to let the otherworldlings know part of the truth about the Plane of Dreams.


    After the meeting, only a few familiar figures stayed back in the conference hall. They included the skull of Mimir, Zeon Locus, Hesperides, and of course, Hessiana, who shamelessly insisted on staying. Up until now, Vivian had kept her at bay with 360 counts of Lightning Strike. But it looked Hessiana showed no signs of giving up.


    ¡°This is embarrassing.¡± The skull of Mimir said gently. ¡°The Shadow Council has completed its integration and achieved a number consensus, but it¡¯s not united. It seems that I¡¯m powerless as a speaker.¡±


    ¡°I know. I just taught those little guys some lessons today lest they forget what it is like being whacked by their patriarchs.¡± Vivian said. ¡°The Shadow Council and the demon hunters are characteristically different. I know, this does not mean that the Shadow Council members are stupid compared to the demon hunters. As an organization formed by various hostile races, it has rightly become what it should be today. It¡¯s just a little regrettable that almost no one has thought about the meaning of searching for the root of their civilization. They are indifferent to their homeworld. Even the prophecy of the ¡°Day of Return is just about power and wealth to them.¡±


    ¡°For the races that have grown up on Earth and lost their heritage, the homeworld is only an abstract word, an unfamiliar and dangerous alien world,¡± Hesperides said. ¡°But if to say that they are ¡®indifferent¡¯ is not entirely correct. As far as I know, many people are interested in the ¡®land of origin¡¯ in the legend. Using the Chinese saying, these people have the concept of ¡®seeking their roots.¡¯ It¡¯s a shame that the legacy of the otherworldlings has been completely destroyed in the Mythological War. When we first arrived in this world, we did not become an independent civilization, and the loss of legacy had even left most of the otherworldlings clueless about what racial identity was all about. How could the survivors, scattered and disunited, could carry the concept of race and history? It¡¯s better to talk about sightseeing than telling them about the root of civilization.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why the operation name ¡®family-visit¡¯ makes much more sense.¡±


    As soon as Hao Ren finished, all eyes were on him.


    Hao Ren quickly waved his hand. ¡°Well, well, just pretend I didn¡¯t say it.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps there will be some changes when they see the Plane of Dreams in person,¡± Zeon Lucas said. There was always the nobility-styled smile on his face. ¡°I¡¯m curious about that place too. I never thought that I could see it one day. All the while, I knew Countess, and you were working on something big. And it seems that it is indeed something beyond imagination.¡±


    ¡°Wow, how rare it is for the stubborn fellow of the Lucas family to be so polite!¡± Hessiana said. After Vivian struck her away for the fourth time with her Lightning Strick, Hessiana stubbornly bounced back. While at it, she had not forgotten to roll her eyes at Zeon Lucas. ¡°Her Excellency Vivian Ancestor has always been that awesome. She is not someone to whom you could compare yourself.¡±


    Zeon Lucas shrugged with a smile and did not respond to Hessiana¡¯s provocation. Instead, he turned to Hao Ren and said solemnly, ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to visiting the Plane of Dreams.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled and nodded. And then he looked at the skull of Mimir. ¡°You can look forward to meeting your compatriot too. Muru would be very happy to see you.¡±


    Mimir looked surprised. ¡°Are you sure I can cross the Wall of Reality? Have you solved the problem of information overload of the demigod carrying?¡±


    ¡°The gateway in the Scarred Nebula is not what you could imagine,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°It¡¯s not as simple and trivial as for the use of a sightseeing tour group. It can allow a demigod like you to return to the Plane of Dreams momentarily. That¡¯s not all. The gateway will gradually grow, and as it matches the Wall of Reality more, it would be able to accommodate a large volume of information.¡±


    ¡°Are you telling me you want to use it to cancel off the Wall of Reality?¡± Mimir looked at Hao Ren suspiciously. ¡°You want the two universes to stay together in this way?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. Such a grand undertaking is not something that a portal could accomplish.¡± Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°You will know when you get there.¡±


    After everyone had dispersed, Hessiana was still there. After failing to chase her away many times, Vivian gave up and just ignored this sticky bat. Hessiana had also calmed down from her excitement of seeing her ¡®maternal body.¡¯ Now, she was looking at Hao Ren with a strange look on her face.


    ¡°What? Is there something on my face?¡± Hao Ren had goosebumps all over his skin because of the stare.


    ¡°I feel that you have something to hide,¡± Hessiana said. Her eyes hopped between Hao Ren and Vivian several times before looking away. ¡°But I want to talk about something else. Your Excellency Vivian, did you design me a dreaming function when you first invented me?¡±


    ¡°Inventing you?¡± Vivian was dumbstruck. ¡°Oh, wait a minute. Did you say you dreamed?¡±


    After a brutal battle with Lockmarton, who was good at the manipulation of the mind and dream in the Plane of Dreams, and also knowing that Hao Ren had had many illusions and dreams about the Plane of Dreams, Vivian had been paranoid about the word ¡®dream.¡¯


    ¡°Maybe it was a dream,¡± Hessiana scratched her face. ¡°I have never dreamed before, so I don¡¯t understand what it is. But I¡¯m sure I saw things when I was asleep.¡±


    ¡°What have you dreamed of?¡±


    ¡°Some chaotic scene,¡± Hessiana frowned. ¡°Sometimes it was about the fighting in the battlefield, sometimes about strangers wearing ancient-era costumes walking around, sometimes about the otherworldlings flying in the sky openly with human offering sacrifices on the altars. It looks like the early scenes of the Mythological Era that you have told to me. Ahh, the scenes were all gray in the dream.¡±


    ¡°The ancients, the rituals, the war¡­¡± Vivian whispered. ¡°It sounds like the scenes are all in the ancient setting. Some of the events happened before you were even born. How did you dream about those things?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea.¡± Hessiana said, ¡°That¡¯s why I asked.¡±


    She sounded like a teenage girl talking to mommy after her teenage confusion.


    High up in the divine realm, in the Malevolence storage area, Raven 123455 was gazing intently at the Malevolences, which continued to release energy waves. It seemed like they would wake up at any moment.


    ¡°Resonance is becoming more frequent,¡± Raven 12345 mumbled to herself. ¡°Which aspect will change?¡±

 Chapter 1349 - Noobie’s Abnormal Behavior

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Vivian would hurl a Lightning Ball or merely run away every time she saw Hessiana. But deep inside her, Vivian still cared about her ¡°offspring.¡± Especially when she learned of bat¡¯s strange situation, her face turned grave.


    ¡°The Blood Clan doesn¡¯t dream,¡± Vivian explained to Hao Ren. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m an exception. But Hessiana¡¯s situation is consistent with ordinary vampires. When I made Hessiana, I regarded myself as a vampire. Naturally, Hessiana evolved into the characteristics of the standard Blood Clan.¡±


    ¡°So is she influenced by illusion spell,¡± Hao Ren glanced at the bat, who shot back with an unwelcome stare and snort, ¡°or other things?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t find traces of illusion spell.¡± Vivian shook her head. She had a connection at the soul-level with Hessiana, Vivian had carefully examined Hessiana through this connection and ruled out the possibility of illusion spell. ¡°I suspect that what she had seen my memory.¡±


    ¡°Your memory?¡± Lily was a little surprised. ¡°Battie, you still have memory?¡±


    ¡°Get lost! I¡¯m not asking for advice from you.¡± Vivian glared at Lily. ¡°I might be forgetful, but I remember a lot of things. The ¡®dreams¡¯ that Hessiana has had are my past experience. It¡¯s not hers. Plus, she is like part of me, so what is wrong with her inheritance of some of my memories in her soul?¡±


    Hao Ren hemmed and then said, ¡°I think it is better to have it checked. Hessiana, would you like to go with us?¡±


    At first, the bat was to refuse, but when she saw Vivian standing beside her, she changed her mind. ¡°I do! I¡¯d like Vivian to check my body personally.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s face twitched and mumbled, ¡°I think this kid must have misunderstood.¡±


    Since Hao Ren and Vivian had finished their business here, and with the convenience of the teleporting machine, they brought Hessiana back to their home in Southern Suburbs. As soon as they reached home, Hao Ren immediately shoved the bat into the coffin¡ªmedical pod¡ªin the basement.


    Hessiana¡¯s wish of being examined by Vivian did not materialize. Instead, it was Hao Ren that threw her into the ¡®coffin.¡¯


    The medical examination completed in no time and the report indicated that Hessiana was normal.


    Noobie was as fit as a fiddle. The bat even chased Hao Ren for about ten minutes as if she was high on drugs. Vivian tromped her to the ground.


    With Hessiana now under the foot of Vivian, Hao Ren looked at the bat with the medical report in hand. ¡°It seems that you are not sick, not a malignant disease. All you need is drink plenty of water, go to bed early, and eat less meat.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Landlord, that sounds familiar,¡± Lily said.


    ¡°Usually that¡¯s what everybody says when having no idea about the treatment,¡± Hao Ren said.


    Hessiana pouted as she looked at the MDT in Hao Ren¡¯s hands; it was the MDT that projected her examination result with a hologram. Hessiana was doubtful. ¡°Is this thing reliable?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more reliable than any doctors and quacks you can find. When it says you are okay, you are okay.¡± Hao Ren shot the bat a sideways glance. ¡°But Vivian¡¯s bloodline is unique, which also makes you unique. So I will keep an eye on you. But you have to keep track of your changes. If you dream again, recording what you see in your dream and notify us immediately.¡±


    ¡°Now this sounds more professional,¡± Hessiana mumbled. Her eyes started to dart around. It was not like Hessiana had the chance to come here often, she had to look around Vivian¡¯s living quarters as if it was a pilgrimage.


    While Hessiana looked around, a small figure that emerged suddenly from the corner of the wall shocked her.


    It was evening. The Noobie, waking up from her nap like clockwork, came out of the mouse hole. The little thing bared her fangs and brandished her claws as if she was doing an exercise. After that, Noobie lunged at Hao Ren and fired a Shadow Bolt.


    ¡°Biubiubiu! Aah~~.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Hessiana was stunned. She bounced on her feet with a pair of translucent bat wings on her back. ¡°How come this thing looks like Vivian?¡±


    At this time, the Noobie had noticed the stranger in the living hall¡ªno one knows whether Noobie can recognize if one is a stranger, but let us assume that she can¡ªand bounced into the air with an Ahh! With extreme cautiousness, Noobie lunged at Hessiana. ¡°Ghsss¡ª¡±


    Hessian was shocked by this sudden ¡®attack.¡¯ With the stroke of her hand, Hessiana smashed Noobie away. ¡°What the heck is this?¡±


    Noobie screeched as she was sent flying backward and dropped into a large teapot of Y¡¯zaks at the other end of the living hall.


    Y¡¯zaks, reading the paper, looked up at the teapot and then Hao Ren before asking, ¡°Is this a new flavor?¡±


    Hao Ren was dumbfounded.


    ¡°Is this your offspring?¡± Hessiana came to her senses. She calmed down. Her eyes affixed on Noobie, who climbed out of the teapot and shimmered with two pieces of tea leaves on the head. But Noobie was full of spirit and firing her Shadow Bolts at Y¡¯zaks. ¡°Biubiubiu, pupu~~.¡±


    The biggest damage the Shadow Bolts did was burning a few holes in the newspaper in Y¡¯zaks¡¯ hands.


    Noobie was excited to imagine herself as a demolition king, but she could damage nothing at all.


    Hessiana was wide-eyed. Her eyes and her finger darted between Hao Ren and Vivian. ¡°You both have¡­¡±


    Without waiting for Hessiana to finish, Vivian summoned a bright lightning ball in her hand and warned, ¡°You would become a retard for half a year after struck with this lightning ball. I dare you to continue to spew nonsense.¡±


    The lightning ball scared Hessiana, who grew up being struck by it countless time. ¡°Ahem, Who is she?¡± Hessiana quickly asked.


    ¡°Remember the Malevolence?¡± Hao Ren reminded. ¡°It¡¯s the senseless ¡®evil spirit.¡¯


    ¡°You mean this is¡­¡± Hessiana could not believe what she heard.


    ¡°Yes, it is.¡± Hao Ren pointed to Noobie who was scampering around on the coffee table not far away. ¡°This thing split from Vivian¡¯s body while Vivian was sleeping. We don¡¯t know why but this thing isn¡¯t the same as a descendant of the blood as you are. She is completely a Malevolence formed by negative energy.¡±


    Hessiana, seeing Vivian and everyone else nodding, believed what Hao Ren said at last. She then came up to Noobie, curiously looking at the little thing that was still behaving threateningly. ¡°But it looks so cute. It¡¯s not a threat at all.¡±


    ¡°All creatures look cute when they are small,¡± Vivian said. ¡°You were very cute when you were a tiny little bat.¡±


    Noobie had no idea that everyone was talking about her. She just scurried around to vent her excess energy. A moment later, Noobie suddenly stopped and remained quiet.


    Tilting her head seemingly listening to some distant sound, Noobie began to emit a subtle glow on her body.


    At first, Hao Ren thought that he had an illusion. But it was real. Just when he was about to examine Noobie, the glow disappeared, and Noobie shook her head and began to scream.


    Lily had also seen what happened. ¡°What happened just now?¡±


    ¡°Who knows,¡± Vivian replied casually. ¡°She has always been irrational and been retarded suddenly.¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head, but he was not as careless as Vivian was.


    Noobie¡¯s external appearance would not fool him¡ªa Malevolence was a Malevolence. No matter how weak this little thing was, she was still the ¡®negative residue¡¯ excreted from Vivian¡¯s body. There was a reason for the sudden abnormal behavior of the Malevolence.


    He decided to keep a close eye on Noobie. If her situation got stranger, Hao Ren would have to bring her to Raven 12345.

 Chapter 1350 - Returning to Holletta

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The weather was clear in the Royal City of Holletta, an ancient city of peace and prosperity situated in a mild climate zone. Guards stood proudly on the towering walls, overlooking the bustling streets in the business district. Horses of the nobility and merchants traversed on the stone pavement in the garden area and Besenginster Avenue. The city was like an incredibly complex machine, running within its own thick city walls. Its people made up the components that kept it functioning, creating the fire of human civilization.


    It had been three years since what happened in the Beinz Diocese. Even the incredible event of the removal of the Sore of the Planet by the foreigners was an old story now. Some scholars and priests used the Sore of the Planet narrative to tell of the riddance of the First Born from the earth to the public. It was a common legend among people who had no idea about what actually happened.


    Three years was just a brief moment in the history of the ancient kingdom. But for busy, ordinary people, it was long enough for them to accomplish many things. The significant event back then had become a gossip. The collapse of Dragonspine Ridge, the turning of Beinz Blood Lake into a crystal pit, the Beinz Diocese that had become the rendezvous of scholars and adventurers, the pope who had died a martyr, and many other people and things had gradually faded to the background of the ordinary people, becoming a new source of story for bards. As time went by, there were few things that people could still remember. They included the stories of the legendary hero and mercenary, Becky, the mysterious and powerful ¡®foreigners¡¯ who were said to be sent by the goddess to save the world, and Hodeceus, the air fortress suspended on the west side of the kingdom.


    Ordinary people had no knowledge about the meaning behind these things. For them, the legendary mercenary, foreigners, and air fortresses seemed distant and only appeared in poetry and books. Especially the air fortress, with the exaggerations by the bards, had turned into a stronghold of the God, known as the treasure of the goddess to the devout guardian kingdom of Holletta. But whether there was the hidden hand of the royal family behind it was anyone¡¯s guess.


    The edge of the Royal City was a lively but slightly old city. The buildings here were low and dense. The smells of inferior spices, sea produce, and leather filled the streets. The noise from the blacksmith shops could be heard from the corner of the street, and the loud chatters from the street pubs until late at night. It was a place where merchants and poor knights gathered to look for opportunity. Some of the imported goods from the gulf in the west and the empire in the north would transit here. Many elite adventurers from all over the kingdom would choose to start a new life here after they had accumulated enough wealth and fame. Some of them became guards of the royalty and the nobility, some joined the royal knights to embark on a journey of climbing to the upper echelon of society, some left and returned to their villages to live a life of an ordinary adventurer after spending a few years and accomplishing nothing in the Royal City. These people of different backgrounds gathered here, turning it into a lively urban area known as Blacksteel Avenue, where true and fake information circulated around. Street bards became the most popular profession, and the number of street pubs here was almost three times that of the inner city. This establishment was a source of wealth to the city officials and provided a venue of recreation for the idle people.


    In a thriving street pub, the owner had invited a famous bard to play the xylophone at the counter and told a famous story with a long and short poem called the Epic of Gevah. Customer thronged the pub and spent their times here. Near the entrance, three people dressed in the costumes of the Royal City but faces looked like foreigners were watching the performance. The rendition was nothing to shout about, but a narrative poem of the narrator was the reason why he was popular.


    ¡°The sun on that day turned into a spear. When the goddess threw it from the clouds, the earth broke apart, and the rocks melted.


    ¡°The female marshal charged at her enemy with her sword. Her armor gleamed, and the blade flashed in light with the tassel danced in the air.


    ¡°The demon of the earth had awakened. Its body was twisted and rotted, and the tentacles were filled with venom and infinite magic power.


    ¡°The divine power hovered in the clouds. As it threw boulders and fireballs down, Dragonspine Ridge collapsed, and the blood lake evaporated instantly.


    ¡°The legendary mercenary was fearless. She fought among the foreign army, killed an uncountable number of monsters, and finally came to the heart of the demon. A filthy flesh pulsated before her eyes, the magic of darkness made her limbs shiver in pain.


    ¡°The light spear from the sky pierced through the evil runes, the devil¡¯s heart stopped beating at last. The curse dissipated in the glory of the goddess, and turned into a circle of aura above the blood lake¡­ legendary mercenary returned on the ground and cheer with the crowd for the victory¡­¡±


    When the bard¡¯s voice gradually faded, people sitting at the table near the counter began to clamor. At the long table by the entrance, Hao Ren smiled and nudged Lily¡¯s arm. ¡°Listen, this is the third version.¡±


    ¡°But there was mention of the ¡®silver-white sacred beast standing on the earth.¡¯¡± Lily pouted. ¡°I heard that there is a version that is dedicated to me. I had been very active that day, and bigger than you all.¡±


    ¡°What is the use of being big? There were many big things on the battlefield that day,¡± Vivian snorted. ¡°I like this version. All characters, who should have appeared have appeared, and unlike other versions, it has less mistake. Have you guys heard the magic version that we heard in the square before? Those ancient magic emperors that resurrected were completely over the top.¡±


    ¡°No matter which version it is, Becky seems to be playing a major role,¡± Hao Ren said with a smile. ¡°It seems that the royal family of Holletta has spared no effort to promote her as a poster girl.¡±


    ¡°They couldn¡¯t help it. They must include at least a character from Holletta in the epic event for the sake of the dignity of the kingdom. Anyway, Becky had indeed been participating actively since the beginning.¡±


    ¡°All right. We have enough story for now. It¡¯s time to find Becky.¡± Hao Ren patted Lily, who appeared unwilling to get up, as he got to his feet. ¡°I didn¡¯t inform Becky that we¡¯re coming tonight. Just in time to give her a surprise.¡±


    Becky¡¯s manor was located not far outside the city. She was entitled to a mansion in the inner city and even the nobility zone. But this free-spirited mercenary could not stand life as a noble and chose to live in the manor outside the city. Hao Ren and his entourage arrived at the estate in the evening. The servants and steward of the manor remembered these mysterious and respected foreigners and immediately opened the door. But Hoa Ren was told that Becky was not at home.


    ¡°Becky is not here?¡± Lily was surprised. ¡°It¡¯s getting dark. Where could she go?¡±


    ¡°Our master went to the Gloom Mountains with the royal knights a few days ago,¡± the steward said respectfully. He knew that these people before him had a close relationship with his master and were the ¡®legendary figures.¡¯ So there was no need for the steward to hide anything from them. ¡°She is now a senior officer of the Royal Knights and a countess. So she has received a royal order.¡±


    ¡°She joined the Royal Knights?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s eyebrows arched. He was not surprised by Becky¡¯s Countess title. He knew it; after all, the mercenary had played a role in the Beinz incident and later was regarded as a hero. It was only natural for the royal family to confer the title to Becky but without a land. Becky had vowed to retire and spend the rest of her life counting her wealth when she became rich one day. So it was a surprise that Becky had joined the Royal Knights and been doing the fieldwork.


    ¡°Our master has been on horseback for years and does not accustom to the aristocratic life,¡± said the steward. ¡°So, Marshal Ophra recommended her to join the Royal Knights. But I don¡¯t much about the details¡ªas you know, it¡¯s the duty of the servant to ask about the private matters of the master.¡±


    Since it was Marshal Ophra who recommended Becky, Hao Ren already knew what was going on.


    Even if without Marshal Ophra, Becky would have become a mercenary again. After all, she had gotten used to the life of living on the edge and would not be able to settle down quickly to live life as a noble.


    ¡°When will she come back?¡± Hao Ren asked. ¡°Or you tell me where she is.¡±


    Meanwhile, Hao Ren was calculating in his mind that if he could not find Becky, he would just go to see Marshal Ophra to first discuss the ¡®family-visit¡¯ plan.


    The steward bowed slightly as a sign of respect and said, ¡°It¡¯s only an escort mission. Our master will not stay in the Gloom Mountains. She will be back tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great. Can we stay here while waiting for Becky to come back?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± the steward replied. ¡°Our master has rooms reserved for your all, our honorable guests. Please come with me.¡±

 Chapter 1351 - Meeting the Female Mercenary Again

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    It was not Hao Ren¡¯s first time in Becky¡¯s estate, but it had been a long time since his last visit. Compared with the previous visit, the manor had changed little. Its furnishings and layout were still the same. It seemed that even though Becky had been a member of the nobility, she could not care less about the decor of her mansion. The only change there was the cellar in the basement. The radio equipment and emergency portal that Hao Ren left in the basement were still there. Becky had put the machine in a secret chamber and expanded the space outside, which she then turned into a wine cellar. The fragrance of the wines from all over the mainland filled the basement. Even mice in there were well fed.


    Hao Ren was dead sure that Becky was a mercenary through and through judging from these details. But it was hard to imagine that a girl like Becky was a boozer. Or was she planning to soup up her drinking tolerance so that one day she could out-drink Ophra, who would then be at her mercy?


    The three of them had dinners in the manor while the steward ordered the servants to prepare the rooms for them. After the meal, Hao Ren found the steward and once again asked about Becky¡¯s assignment. ¡°Where are Gloom Mountains? What happened there?¡±


    Perhaps Becky¡¯s mission was not classified, the steward had no intention to withhold it from Hao Ren. ¡°The Gloom Mountains is in the southeast of the royal capital, a natural barrier separating the Black Forest from the Furtile Plains. The eastern side of the mountains is the famous Black Forest, once the territory of the Elven Empire during the ancient Magic Empire. There are many powerful ancient creatures in the mountain range, as well as some mysterious ruins and magic-energy nodes. So it is a dangerous place for ordinary people. Few people go there. Recently, there was a sudden burst of powerful energy in the Gloom Mountains. Even the mages the royal city had observed the energy waves. The king has sent a group of mages to investigate whether the dangerous ancient creatures or ruins have awakened. Our master is in the escort with the Knights, and she will return home after bringing the scholars and mages safely to their destinations.¡±


    ¡°The remains of the ancient Magic Empire?¡± Hao Ren was interested. ¡°Does this happen often?¡±


    Any residue of the First Born had been cleaned up. Theoretically, there should not be any dangerous ancient creatures left. But Hao Ren was still interested in what might occur here. It was one of the planets in the Plane of Dreams that survived the extinct-level disaster not long ago. There were many ancient relics and ruins in the world. Shocking clues might pop out behind those small incidents.


    ¡°I¡¯m only a steward. I don¡¯t know much about these things,¡± said the steward who looked reluctant. ¡°I just heard that there are many ancient relics of the Magical Empire in the Gloom Mountains, where mysterious phenomena often occur. But then again, these incidents are more often than not the rumors circulated by those ignorant mountain people. They are secluded, superstitious, and ignorant, and also like to frighten outsiders with such topic.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Hao Ren nodded without commenting further.


    It would be better to wait for Becky to come back.


    The next day, the east gate of the royal city opened. A group of royal knights returned. Becky was among them. Her servant had come to wait for Becky. Learning that Hao Ren was in her mansion, she handed everything to her men and quickly rushed home.


    Looking out from the manor, Hao Ren saw a heroic female knight appeared on the avenue, riding a tall and robust Kerzen warhorse that draped in a shiny horse armor with the emblem of the royal family of Holletta dangled on one side. The female knight wore a light-weight half-length armor, covered with a sky-blue battle robe on the outside. The robe was embroidered with golden dragon-eagle and short sword. That should be the insignia of the Knights. Behind the female knight, two squire knights a long spear each. Blue flag with white edges and family crest of a circle of thorns and roses with a wolf head in the middle was fluttering in the wind on each of the spears.


    That was most probably Becky¡¯s family crest.


    Lily looked happy to see the heroic return of Becky. She poked Hao Ren¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Mr. Landlord, look at her; she has become a noble!¡±


    ¡°Yup, she looks better than before.¡± Hao Ren smiled with his arms crossed. ¡°But I didn¡¯t see the aura of the nobility in her. She looks more like a bandit who has just come out of the mountains¡ªexcept for her royal costumes.


    Insulting a royal-anointed countess was a capital offense. But this rule did not apply to Hao Ren and Becky because they were not only friends but comrade-in-arms. With Becky¡¯s careless attitude, their interaction had always been coarse and filled with friendly sarcasm.


    Very quickly, Becky had come to the gate. She pulled the rein, and Kerzen warhorse began to trot and then turned in a circle before Hao Ren. When the horse was still, Becky alighted and scurried up to her three old friends and raised her hands to give everyone a high-five. ¡°Yo! I thought you had forgotten about my little place!¡±


    Vivian was not used to the passionate welcome. It always reminded her about Hessiana, the neurotic bat, who might have a common language with Becky. But Vivian still greeted back with a high-five with a smile on her face. ¡°How can we forget? We might be running around the universes, but we always send you our photos and videos.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know. You guys have been busy.¡± Becky said. ¡°When I saw you guys living the life of Hollywood blockbuster, I started to envy you. Was the last video clip you sent me about Collow? I watched it; it was epic!¡±


    The two squires, still holding on to the flag spears behind Becky, had no idea what their seigneur was talking about. But to them, Becky was a legendary hero, who commanded their respect.


    Hao Ren saw the enthusiasm on Becky¡¯s face, he could not help but tease, ¡°Why don¡¯t you resign from your job and come to work with me? Follow us to save the world!¡±


    ¡°Forget it, I was just saying.¡± Becky quickly waved her hands. ¡°Your job is too dangerous. What will happen to this manor if I die? I still like the life here. But then again, I am not an idle person. I¡¯m the captain of a division of the Royal Knights with 800 men under my command. Besides, I¡¯m also a martial art teacher for two noble kids. I¡¯m busy.¡±


    While saying, they walked toward the manor. Coming before the entrance, Becky left her war horse and weapon to the two squires before she pushed open the door. ¡°Ahh, I¡¯ve been away for a few days. It¡¯s good to be home.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Becky curiously. ¡°I heard that you joined the Knights because you couldn¡¯t stand the aristocratic life?¡±


    ¡°To a certain extent, yes.¡± Becky shrugged. ¡°The life of the nobles is freaking boring. Especially a noble like me with only a title, property, and annuity but without a land. There is nothing much I can do except mingle with the noble ladies. I don¡¯t know a thing about what they boasted, and they don¡¯t understand what I¡¯m talking about. So it¡¯s better to find something else to do. Besides, there is an important reason why I joined the Knights.


    Becky paused. Lily asked, ¡°What is the reason?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the land. It¡¯s about the land.¡± Becky spread out her hand. ¡°I am an honorable noble, not a real aristocrat. Since I have no track record in the military, there is no land for me. Joining the Knights would solve the problem. The rule is pretty strict in Holletta; not all nobles are entitled to lands; it must be earned. That¡¯s my goal!¡±


    ¡°You are pretty ambitious, eh?¡± Hao Ren began to sit up and take notice. The female mercenary became more motivated since becoming noble. But he teased Becky again. ¡°Perhaps there is another reason: do you meet Marshal Ophra very often after joining the Knights?¡±


    Becky choked. But she quickly countered. ¡°Ya! So can you see I look more heroic than before? Do I look more like Marshal Ophra?¡±


    Hao Ren knew what Becky was up to. She was getting closer to Ophra.


    But Hao Ren was not interested in Becky¡¯s sexual orientation. He had a more pressing matter at hand. ¡°We are here to discuss something with you. We need Marshal Ophra and your help.¡±


    Becky became serious. Perhaps being a knight had changed her. She was more mature than before. After two servants removed the armor from her body, Becky sat in front of Hao Ren. ¡°I have read your message. Do you really want to bring the survivors crossing the Wall of Reality? Hmm, things have come to this.¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°We need the cooperation from the highest echelon of Holletta.

 Chapter 1352 - Discussions and Information on the Gloom Mountains

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Bringing a ¡°survivor delegation¡± of nearly a hundred people from another world concerned Hao Ren. It was a matter of wide repercussions. Its significance was beyond the imagination of ordinary people. To the supernatural races on Earth, it was a root-seeking journey, an opportunity to discover their origin, learn the truth, and ponder about the future, and even lay the foundation for returning to their homeworld in the future. To the natives of the Plane of Dreams, mainly those in Holletta, the trip had a more practical impact.


    Sent to another world by the goddess 10,000 years ago, this group of otherwordlings had forgotten entirely about this planet. Their names were not even found in the oldest historical records. They stayed on a world called Earth for 10,000 years and developed a very different culture and worldviews. Now, these survivors were coming back. Though not a permanent return, there was this possibility. It was no small matter.


    On a lighter note, the plan would give the king of Holletta a couple of weeks of sleepless nights.


    Becky could not think of these issues, but not Marshal Ophra. Ophra was a military commander and had been in the political arena of Holletta for many years, she had some political insights. Becky soon informed the female marshal and invited her over.


    Ophra was still as heroic as always, and still wearing the same tight-fitting women¡¯s armor. Compared with Becky who joined the military halfway, this veteran marshal exuded a strong aura of a soldier. She was a little surprised to see Hao Ren and his entourage. Recalling the epic events and the time spent with these foreigners, the female marshal was nervous for a while.


    At first, she thought that there was still some remnant of the First Born on the planet.


    Marshal Ophra took a while to digest the information, which was beyond her. But Ophra and Hao Ren had been in operation together. Ophra knew about the alien world and culture, and space-time travel, she had quickly figure out the whole matter. Her first question was very practical. ¡°Do they want to return to this world?¡±


    ¡°That may happen in the future. Even on that day, I expect that only some people will choose to return to their homeworld,¡± Hao Ren replied. ¡°The Wall of Reality is far from stable enough to allow all the otherworldlings on Earth to return. So this time I can only bring about 100 people, of which races from Holletta are only a part. More are from other planets in this universe¡ªthose planets that have been destroyed, or evolved so much that they were no longer habitable for these people.¡±


    ¡°Those who decide to return,¡± Marshal Ophra placed her hands under the chin and looked straight into Hao Ren¡¯s eyes. ¡°In what manner will they return? Do they want to rebuild their kingdom, restore the society of the Magic Empire, reclaim their ancestral land, or integrate into our present world and become a citizen of this continent? I know these are of the future, but I am very curious now. I believe the King will be more curious than I do. I need something that I can report to him.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled. He understood what Ophra was worried about. ¡°You worries are unfounded. Of course, it would be weird if you have not thought about these. But you don¡¯t have to be anxious. The number of survivors is far fewer than what you imagine. They have experienced a long civil war called the Mythological War. Those who have survived the war and lived until this day are even rarer. They have lost their cultural heritage and history. I believe that even if people are willing to return to the Plane of Dreams, they wouldn¡¯t think of rebuilding something like the empire of 10,000 years ago. After all, they don¡¯t know what the Magical Empire was all about. Of course, I can¡¯t deny that the return of these survivors would impact your people, that¡¯s why I¡¯m listening to all views. I will guarantee that their return would only proceed after both sides reach a mutual understanding and that I would be in full control of the process¡ªif anyone is willing to return.¡±


    When Hao Ren finished, Lily said, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t resent them. After all, you were all compatriots 10,000 years ago. It is not easy for them to find a way home, you shouldn¡¯t put up a sullen face.¡±


    Marshal Ohpra smiled. ¡°Personally, I am happy to see the return of my long lost people. But as the guardian of the kingdom, I have to consider something more practical.¡±


    She tried to explain her attitude.


    ¡°There is room for discussion for things that will only happen in the future. The key now is the upcoming ¡®study group,¡¯ one hundred people, short visit. I believe there is no pressure on the kingdom, but I still need the cooperation from the palace.¡± Hao Ren knocked on the table. ¡°Holletta is the only more well-preserved planet after the catastrophe. It has a whole ecology. This planet is our most important stop. I need to let those ¡®tourists¡¯ understand all aspects of this world in the shortest time. I need information about all races, cultures, and historical periods. I need your astrological record and the legends about the ancient disasters of 10,000 years ago. The werewolves, blood clan, dwarves, elves; all races are to send a representative.¡±


    Hao Ren added. ¡°It¡¯s also an opportunity for you to show your strength and cultural charm. You don¡¯t want to let your people that living in exile look down on their homeworld, do you?¡±


    Ophra could have cared less about what Hao Ren said. To her, the return of the survivors was only significant, and the reception and arrangement of a small study group was not something that warranted the attention of the king. But Ophra now found that Hao Ren¡¯s face turned solemn. So she asked, ¡°Is there something more to this matter than meets the eye?¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Ophra for a few seconds before he said, ¡°It¡¯s a test, something about the goddess of creation. You are all the goddess¡¯ people, don¡¯t forget that.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡± Marshal Ophra nodded slowly. ¡°I will tell the king and try to have his attention.¡±


    ¡°He will pay attention.¡± Vivian laughed. ¡°You old king is not a muddlehead. He knows what a group of ¡®tourists¡¯ comes from the other world means.¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡± Marshal Ophra¡¯s reply was ambiguous.


    ¡°Like I said before, I need your help.¡± Hao Ren continued. ¡°I need you to gather the Ancients, those original demon hunters who have never been affected by the Wall of Reality. They may be the key to unlocking many ancient mysteries.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Marshal Ophra replied. ¡°The Ancient in Holletta are scattered everywhere, but we have our unique communication channel. It¡¯s a piece of cake for contacting our people. I believe that they will not mind lending you the savior a helping hand.¡±


    So they had reached an understanding. Hao Ren handed over all the information he had prepared to Ohpra, who would hand over it to King Mhoren. Hao Ren then looked at Becky and asked about the Gloom Mountains.


    ¡°Gloom Mountains?¡± Becky¡¯s eyebrows arched. ¡°Well, yeah, I have escorted a bunch of experts and scholars to go there. There have been a few strange things happening in the mountains recently.¡±


    ¡°Strange thing?¡± Hao Ren leaned forward. ¡°Can you tell me about it? I asked your steward before, but he was not very clear about it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s bizarre.¡± Becky blinked. ¡°You should have already gathered intelligence on the Gloom Mountains. It is a place with many relics and ruins of the ancient Magical Empire. The place is not as well-known as Dragonspine Ridge, but ruins and relics are aplenty. Many ancient creatures have mutated under the influence of the negative-energy environment. So it was a dangerous place. Usually, only the experienced adventurers and the Royal Knights will venture into it. But there is an ancient energy vortex called Lorissian Wall shrouding the entire mountain range, the dangerous radiation and magic creatures in the mountains will not come out. So there are still some human villages near the mountains.¡±


    Becky¡¯s description of the Gloom Mountains was much more detailed than that of her steward. She apparently had done her homework. Becky seemed to have gained a lot of experience while being a Royal Knight all this time.


    After detailing the backgrounds of the Gloom Mountains, Becky then told of the ¡®strange things.¡¯


    ¡°Initially, the supernatural forces of the Gloom Mountains were contained by the energy field near the mountains. But not long ago, there was a sudden strong energy burst in the mountains. This spike of energy has interfered with the operation of the astrological tower in the Royal City. And then a large number of witness reports of strange events in the village near the mountains has surfaced. Some villagers said that they saw large expanses of light columns on the mountain at night, just like the legendary ancient Magic Empire. But another village a few kilometers away, no one saw the light columns. The hunters at the foothill said that they heard rumbling sound came from the underground. Some explorers and mercenaries who ventured into the mountains reported that they saw hordes of people in the woods, wearing the armor of some unknown kingdom. But those figures disappeared very quickly. There are many more reported strange phenomena, which are mostly of auditory hallucinations and illusions. Because of the experience of the First Born, the king is very concerned about the strange phenomena in the Gloom Mountains and has ordered the Royal Mage Guild to form an investigation team consists of senior mages to check out the situation.¡±


    ¡°Is the investigation team still in the mountains?¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± Becky replied. ¡°They have set up an observation camp, and a team of high-ranking knights is there with them.¡±


    ¡°Do you think this incident as something to do with the First Born?¡± Marshal Ophra became worried. She asked when Hao Ren was quiet.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°The First Born has been completely removed, and the monitoring instruments have not found any remaining tissues of the First Born in the underground. Most likely, this incident has nothing to do with the First Born. When was the exact time the energy burst occurred?¡±


    Becky thought for a moment it and told Hao Ren the date.


    Hao Ren quickly rummaged in his mind for the corresponding day.


    It was the day when Lockmarton was wiped out, and the world of Collow returned to the main material universe.

 Chapter 1353 - The Gloom Mountains

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After years of investigation in the Plane of Dreams, Hao Ren had developed some habits. One of them was never overlooking any clues that may seem to be a coincidence. At the same time, he did not treat the clues as evidence straightaway. Hao Ren had found that the date of the energy burst was also the day that Lockmarton died. But it did not mean that there was a connection between the two. The universe was so vast that coincidences were not impossible.


    The concurrence simply attracted Hao Ren¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Is there any problem?¡± Becky asked when she saw the changes in expression on Hao Ren¡¯s face.


    ¡°It may be a coincidence,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°The time when the energy burst happened in the Gloom Mountains was the day we opened the prison in Collow.¡±


    Earlier, Hao Ren had shared his adventures in Collow with Becky, who now knew about Lockmarton.


    ¡°It may be just a coincidence,¡± Vivian¡¯s brows knit together. ¡°But what happened in the Gloom Mountains is still hard to ignore, especially while we are preparing to arrange a group of survivors to cross the Wall of Reality. This incident is disturbing. There are many relics of the ancient Magic Empire, and those people who we are bringing in are the survivor of the Magic Empire too. Maybe there is some connection here.¡±


    ¡°Now everyone in Holletta is also the survivor of Magic Empire.¡± Lily disagreed with Vivian. ¡°They have no problem living here. Why would those return from Earth have a problem?¡±


    ¡°In any case, I think we should go to the Gloom Mountains to check it out,¡± said Hao Ren. ¡°I¡¯m interested in the ancient Magic Empire. It would greatly help my research if they left behind any research materials and records about the goddess.¡±


    ¡°I can answer you now,¡± Ophra said. ¡°The palace might be leading the investigation of the Gloom Mountains, but adventurers, mercenaries, and experienced nobles frequently visited the ruins. It¡¯s not really a restricted area. Though the investigation team has blocked off several areas with the most frequent energy burst, I think you can go there if you want.¡±


    Ophra let out a subtle smile. ¡°Many people would also like to see you there.¡±


    Hao Ren had once saved Holletta from total destruction, removed the First Born from inside the planet, and saved the kingdom from the battleship of the guardian giant. The civilians might not know about the details, but the upper echelon of the kingdom knew how capable this group of ¡®world saviors¡¯ was. Many people in the kingdom would be more than happy if Hao Ren could take a look in the Gloom Mountains.


    Like Ophra said, the palace had immediately granted Hao Ren the permission to go to the Gloom Mountains.


    But Becky had a little complaint. ¡°I simply don¡¯t have time to watch the movies, play the games, read the novels, and even drink the wine!¡± But when the day of departure came, Becky still insisted on coming along. Hao Ren asked, ¡°Have you not just return from the Gloom Mountains?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t had an adventure with you for a long time,¡± Becky said matter-of-coursely. ¡°I couldn¡¯t wait to join you guys especially after seeing you guys boasted about your adventures in the text messages.¡±


    It was quite a funny excuse, but Hao Ren still took the female mercenary along. He knew Becky too well; she was not someone who could sit still. After living life as a noble for two years, the female mercenary began to feel restless and joined the Knights. Becky was still a mercenary at heart although she had become a noble.


    With Marshal Ophra¡¯s help, Becky easily adjusted her schedule in the Knights. Two days later, The four of them had arrived at the Gloom Mountains in the southeast of the kingdom.


    The Gloom Mountains was at the border of Holletta. On the other side of the mountain was the kingdom of the mountain spirits. This mountain range that stretched to the southern hills might not as big as Dragonspine Ridge, but it was a natural barrier and treasure house that isolated the threats from the other side, including of the mountain elves and orcs, and the source of the best quality potions and magical minerals for the southeast of the kingdom. These resources from the safer areas at the foothills were more than enough to feed hundreds of thousands of people.


    Generally, the Gloom Mountains, as the Hollettans called it, did not cover the whole mountain range but rather a part if the middle section. This section included three peaks, a large number of rugged mountains, and the dense jungle and unexplored zone in between the hills. This area was the most dangerous part of and having the most treasures in the Gloom Mountains. Many of the ruins and relics of the ancient Magic Empire were still quietly buried deep in the mountains. Some adventurers said that the energy tower in the hills was still producing precious solidified magic crystals and elemental crystal nucleus. These were the treasures that people would die. But hidden behind this wealth was a horrible danger. The legacy of the magic empire that was powerful, mysterious, and without the control of its master for thousands of years. Any ruins and relics found in the Gloom Mountains had the protection of security mechanisms that would indiscriminately attack any intruders. Every year, at least two-digit deaths were recorded in the register of the mercenary guild. The name of the dead mercenaries would be marked with a black box around it.


    Mercenaries and independent adventurers who died on the adventure would be identified by the black boxes and struck off the list in the second year.


    This was the information that Ophra handed over to Hao Ren before departure while Becky told of the stories about mercenaries and adventurers on the way to the Gloom Mountains.


    With this fragmented knowledge, Hao Ren looked at the Gloom Mountains, which like its name suggested, it was dark. As if there was the influence of the unique soil or ancient magic energy, the vegetation in the area was luxuriant. The abundantly grown was a type of trees called Shadow Fir, which coated the mountains in a dark color with their dark-green leaves. Even in the exposed areas, the bare rocks were gray, seemingly blending with the dark clouds that hovered over the mountains all year long. It was a gloomy sight.


    Still some distance from the Gloom Mountains, the MDT had sent a telemetry report of the energy in the area. ¡°Over 30 active energy spots are detected, and hundreds of suspicious reactions in a dormant state distributed all over the Gloom Mountains. There was a strong feedback ripple when I scanned the three peaks. I suspect that the three peaks have been artificially modified as the rock composition is very different from that of nature.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a place where ¡®treasure¡¯ abounds!¡± Hao Ren could not help but sigh. He told his team of the findings.


    ¡°In ancient times, the Gloom Mountains used to be the border and buffer zone of ??several magic empires,¡± Becky explained. She learned this information when accepting the assignment in the Gloom Mountains. ¡°Most of the legends are inaccurate, but they point out that the ancient magic empire has a series of joint research facilities in this mountain range. At that time, the magic empire was in its heyday, the mortals had reached an unprecedented height in their search for the truth of the world and finally came to a bottleneck. So they began to join forces to study some of the more terrible and powerful forces. The Gloom Mountains was one of their biggest test sites. Do you see the glimmer in the sky? The gleam cut off a section, including the three peaks, from the entire mountain range. You can see it from afar. The gleam is an ancient energy barrier called the Lorissian Wall. Many scholars in the kingdom believe that this barrier was released by a runaway ancient elven ruin in the mountains, Lorrissa was the elven magic emperor¡¯s name. You can imagine how strong the magic empire of that time was.¡±


    Hao Ren looked up at the sky and saw the glimmer that Becky mentioned. It was a light behind the clouds, and seemingly a sun in the dusk hiding behind the clouds.


    Hao Ren could hardly imagine that the gleam was the energy barrier that shielded the mountains, and had been there since 10,000 years ago blocking the free energy in the Gloom Mountains.


    ¡°The testing ground of an ancient magic empire,¡± Vivian said. ¡°We had overlooked such an important place.¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t come this far back then. The secrets that the First Born and the guardian giant revealed had shifted the attention of everyone. We were occupied in figuring out whether there were still remnants of the First Born and the guardian giant deep inside the planet.¡± eldest sons and guardian giants in the planet.¡±


    Becky also shook his head. ¡°Not only this but more importantly, even if there were the ruins of the ancient magic empire, it would be difficult for you to find anything useful. The magic emperors of that year were mere mortals. The things that they created were just of stones and metals. After 10,000 years of weathering, what would there be left? What is left in the mountains is only wandering energy without a master, ruins that are completely weathered, and the rumored ¡®ancient treasures.¡¯


    The female mercenary forced a smile. ¡°I almost fell for it when I was still a mercenary. But when I came here on assignment the last time, what I saw was¡­ tsk tsk.

 Chapter 1354 - The Camp In the Mountains

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Ten minutes after their arrival at the Gloom Mountains, the sky dimmed. The clouds above seemingly blocked off all the air and light. Their surroundings were dim. It was an unnatural phenomenon. The Lorissian Wall was not only preventing the energy on the mountains from escaping, but also keeping something from coming up the hills.


    ¡°The Lorissian Wall not only trap the creatures on the Gloom Mountains, but the energy field around the mountains also affects the adventurers who come,¡± Becky said. She was the guide for this trip. ¡°Stronger adventurers and mercenaries will not be affected, but the weaker ones will experience various side effects such as disorientation, memory loss, difficulty in casting a spell, and even injury. The deeper they go, the threat from the energy field becomes stronger. So the hunters and herb collectors in this neighborhood are usually only active at the foothills. Only the professionals will challenge the mountains. But no one has ever been to the highest peak.¡±


    Hao Ren casually said, ¡°But overall, the Lorissian Wall seems to have more effect on living things on the Gloom Mountain.¡±


    ¡°Well, it was supposed to keep things in but not out,¡± Becky said. ¡°A scholar has speculated that the ancient magic empire has been using the energy barrier to block off the test site and prevent things from getting out. But it was a long time ago, the energy barrier has begun to malfunction and become a threat to outside visitors.¡±


    A gust of wind blew through the forest, the lush Shadow Fir swayed. The faint light shone through the branches and leaves and cast swinging shadows on the ground. Between the trees and the weeds and shrubs, it was steep slope strewn with boulders. Trekking on this rocky terrain was challenging as there was almost no ¡°road.¡± The hunters at the foothill only enter the mountains via some nature trails. These trails did not extend deep into the forest. With courage and experience, the adventurers mostly found their way in by themselves. Becky brought Hao Ren on the easiest route. It was a beaten path where the Royal Knights had laid marks along the way. It was much better than the rugged mountain slope.


    Lily had shapeshifted into a werewolf. She moved with her eyes wide opened and crouched to sniff around from time to time. The golden eyes of her glinted in the dark, and she looked somber. Unlike her usual carefree behavior, Lily seemed to have ¡°installed a mod,¡± so to speak, becoming extremely vigilant, as if a beast with her natural instinct in her natural habitat.


    ¡°There are a smells of other beasts,¡± Lily said as she sniffled. ¡°The stronger beasts live deep in the mountains. Most of them are orcs. It is truly a testing ground left by the Ancient Magic Empire. Most of the native creatures here have mutated so much that not even their mothers could recognize them.¡±


    ¡°The deeper we go, the more dangerous it gets. There were even dragons living in seclusion on the Gloom Mountains.¡± Becky clenched the magic sword in her hand. She was eager to draw it. ¡°Hah, without the knights, I have finally found excitement in being a mercenary!¡±


    It was through Ophra that they got permission to explore the Gloom Mountains, but they did not bring the guardian knights. Hao Ren felt that he did not need those followers, which would only become a burden. With Becky as a guide, it was much more efficient. Besides, she was easy to get along with. Of course, Becky had no problems with that. Her only regret was that Marshal Ophra did not come with her. As the highest military commander of the kingdom, the female marshal was one of the busiest people in the kingdom; the occasionally unusual changes on the Gloom Mountains was not worth her time.


    After all, such incidents were not unusual and would happen once or twice every decade.


    It was a smooth sail all the way so far. The dangerous orcs on the Gloom Mountains may have been a threat to the native people, but not to Hao Ren and the two killers around him. They had not encountered any orc attacks. It was not that Hao Ren did not go through the monster¡¯s territory, but it was because Lily and Vivian¡¯s energy field had scared away the observant orcs.


    Survival 101 on the Gloom Mountains was to stay away from danger.


    There was a rustling sound in the distance. Hao Ren vaguely saw a large shadow moved under the shades. Lily looked up, bared her fangs, and lunged at the direction where the sound came from. But the rustling stopped before she even got there.


    The husky maiden twitched her mouth disdainfully. ¡°It looks scary, but just a coward!¡±


    ¡°We are only at the periphery where the orcs are relatively timid. When you get deeper into the mountains, those guys will not flinch.¡± Becky shrugged. ¡°By then, you can enjoy a field day fighting them.¡±


    Lily was suddenly wide-eyed, and she hid behind Hao Ren. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t have the time to entertain them.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s response to the husky girl was quite contemptuous. ¡°Coward! Where are your abilities from drinking salt soda and eating Spicy Stricks?¡±


    ¡°Battie, I dare you to take a hit from my Doggoblast with your face!¡±


    It seemed that Lily had been fooled into accepting the name of the skill in just a few days.


    The four of them passed through the outer zone of the Gloom Mountains like a walk in the park literally. Hao Ren had collected a massive amount of data on the way. They sped up their pace and finally arrived at the base camp of Holletta investigation team before the sky became totally dark. The camp was situated on a clearing deep in woods on the hillside halfway up the main peak.


    As soon as arriving at the camp, Hao Ren noticed the sporadic ancient ruins around the site. Thick moss covered the broken slabs, vines and weeds grew even on the metal debris that had become part of the soil. He also saw stone pillars and collapsed altars in between some Shadow Firs. All of which showed that they were near an ancient ruin.


    The ancient ruin of a magic empire.


    Observation camp was not large. Occupying only 100 meters of area in diameter on a clearing in the wood, there were several slatted wooden houses, which seemed to be the living quarters of soldiers and support crew. In the middle of these houses were three better-looking buildings with the emblems of the Royal Knights of Holleta hanging on the outside. These buildings had to be the dwellings of the knights and apprentice magicians. At the center of all these was a small magic tower. Suspended five meters in the air and at three stories tall, the tower was well-constructed with masonry and covered in an intricate pattern of magic despite its small size. The tower was not an ad-hoc structure built on site.


    ¡°That is the mini magic tower of the chief investigator, Master Hymer. He specifically summoned the tower directly from the headquarters of the Royal Mage Guild,¡± Becky said with an envious face. As a magic swordswoman, Becky could cast spells and had knowledge of magic but not at the level of the master. ¡°For a magician, the mage tower brings not only the increase of strength, the laboratory and auxiliaries inside could help in the exploration of the ruins. His personal assistant works in the tower, and the houses around the tower are the barracks.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded as he began to get a general idea about the investigation team. Meanwhile, the sentinels at the camp had noticed the uninvited guests. They were surprised that someone could come into the Gloom Mountains so quickly without a fight or triggering the sensors about the camp. But the soldiers quickly recognized Becky.


    ¡°It¡¯s Captain Becky!¡± a soldier called on the tower.


    ¡°Open the gate! Inform Master Hymer!¡± Becky came before the entrance of the camp and yelled. ¡°You should have received the instructions of Marshal Ohpra before us.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we just received her order this morning,¡± a soldier at the gate replied as he instructed his men to spool the winch. The heavy gate slowly squeaked open. ¡°Master Hymer is expecting you all.¡±


    At first, Hao Ren thought that Master Hymer must be an old man. But the truth surprised him. The mage master turned out to be a young man at his thirties, slightly reserved, wearing a dark-blue mage robe with a pair of round gold-rimmed glasses on his nose. Master Hymer seemed to be well-mannered; he first greeted Hao Ren in his usual mage ritual, and then said nervously, ¡°I¡¯m pleased to see you here. Never had I expected that you would come to this place.¡±


    ¡°Well, I just come to check out the situation.¡± Hao Ren was not used to the overly enthusiastic reception. ¡°Do you know me?¡± he asked curiously.


    ¡°I was there when you removed the First Born from the Volcano of Dusk,¡± replied Hymer, who had earned the title of Archmage at a young age. ¡°I have also participated in the lifting of Hodeceus and studied the crystal pits that you left behind for a long time. My achievements today are largely attributed to the research and experience from that time.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Hao Ren nodded and began to understand why the young man was so enthusiastic.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the current down there,¡± Becky interjected. ¡°It¡¯s not every day an expert would come here.¡±


    Hymer had no idea what ¡°expert¡± Becky meant, but he roughly knew what she was trying to say. Hymer quickly nodded. ¡°Please follow me. There have been several energy bursts for the last few days. I¡¯m about to unravel the secret of the second door. It would be a discovery that shocks the world: I¡¯ve found a perfectly intact ancient facility underneath! Can you believe it? It¡¯s perfectly intact! As though time never visited the cave behind the stone wall! I even suspect that time has stood still in that space!¡±

 Chapter 1355 - The Ancient Experimental Base

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Master Hymer was reserved and introverted, which could be due to his indulgence in the studies of different magic all these years. Once he talked about the things that he was interested in, the young archmage would immediately become enthusiastic and eloquent as if he had changed into another person. When Hymer was finally done, Hao Ren found the opportunity to interject. ¡°Did you just say that time in the ruins stood still?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­¡± Hymer was a little embarrassed. ¡°I was just guessing. Our research on the ¡®time¡¯ element is still superficial. Even the legendary Ancient Magic Empire should have no control over time. When we first entered the ruins, the time there was flowing as usual. So I couldn¡¯t judge what was happening when the ruins were completely sealed. This is just based on the signs after the door opened¡ª¡±


    Long annoyed by Hymer¡¯s non-stop babbling, Becky quickly interrupted, ¡°Well, that¡¯s enough. You don¡¯t have to tell us about that. Now, this person next to me is a professional in demolishing ancient structures. Bring us to the scene now.¡±


    ¡°Of course. We have cleaned out the outer layers of the ruins. Please come with me.¡±


    Hymer selected a few smart apprentices to accompany him, and several senior knights as guards, and took Hao Ren and his team to the entrance to the ruins discovered not long ago.


    The entrance was just at the foothill, where a semi-collapsed gray-black hole suddenly appeared not far from the camp. It looked like an ordinary cave from the outside, and no one would have thought of it as the entrance to the ancient ruins at first glance. Vines and black roots covered the mountain walls on both sides of the cave where burning and cut marks left behind by the investigation team were visible. Two knights wearing enchanted armor stood guard at the entrance. Their faces were tense and their swords were planted in the ground.


    ¡°How did you find this place?¡± Hao Ren asked casually before entering the cave.


    ¡°The energy field of the Lorissian Wall had interfered with the first energy burst. The investigation team entered and combed the mountains but found nothing. After a while, there were second and third energy bursts, which occurred irregularly but often, giving us the opportunity to lock on the target. After mathematically filtering out the interference from the Lorissian Wall, we finally found this place.¡±


    While explaining, Master Hymer led everyone into the dark cave that looked like the mouth of a fierce beast.


    Semi-collapsed, the entrance looked dangerous from the outside. Once stepping into the inside, Hao Ren noticed that the ceiling and walls of the cave were glimmering with magical brilliance. Small magic circles, used by Hymer to prevent the cave from collapsing, seemed to hover on the cave walls at each interval.


    After the entrance, it was a long way down a slope before there were forks and turns appeared 100 meters down. More forks appeared as they went as if they had entered into a maze. But the investigation team had explored the place before and left behind signs along the way and even guards at each fork. The magic crystals inlaid in the walls were not bright enough, so Hymer cast a light spell to help illuminate the cave.


    There were random broken objects protruded out from the soft soil of the cave. Some part of the cave had traces of human excavation. Other than these, Hao Ren could not find more signs of civilization. ¡°Is here the main entrance to the ruins?¡± Hao Ren asked curiously.


    ¡°No, we haven¡¯t found the main entrance yet. I suspect that the ruins underneath are an enclosed space where there are no entrance and exit, and is only accessible by teleporting.¡± Hymer explained. ¡°The end of the cave actually leads to a branch another corridor, which was not accessible initially. But a minor earthquake triggered by the energy burst a few days ago had exposed the passage.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded but said nothing further.


    After going a distance, the cave in front of them suddenly brightened up by a large number of glowing magic spars on the walls on both sides. Small labs, arsenals, sentry posts, and piles of materials were on the open ground. Several mages and apprentice mages were compiling data in the caves. They stopped their work and greeted Hymer.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop. Keep working.¡± Hymer did look like an archmage in front of his assistants and apprentices.


    After the apprentices and assistants left, he pointed at the crack in the wall at the end of the cave. ¡°There is the entrance. The ruins are right on the other side.¡±


    Vivian summoned two bats and threw them into the crack. A moment later, the two bats came back up to Vivian, who nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s safe inside. It seems that the investigation team has cleaned it up pretty well.¡±


    Squeezing through the gap, which the earthquake had cracked open in the rocks, Hao Ren¡¯s field of vision opened up.


    A broad and straight corridor extended out on both sides. Constructed of man-made material, the passage was smooth emitting a faint glow. There were many straight stripes on the walls on both sides of the corridor, as if some mysterious reliefs or energy conduits. Hao Ren looked at both sides. The collapsed passage had blocked off one end of the hallway, and at the other end was a large door, which had been opened.


    The door had a pattern that looked entirely different from the decor styles of today¡¯s Holletta. Various straight lines formed an extremely abstract picture, which seemed like a portrait of a character and a monster, but full of strangeness.


    This was the first door of the ruins. Master Hymer and his apprentices had spent three days and three nights to open the door. But they hit a roadblock at the second door inside and only had some progress recently.


    Hao Ren stepped inside and found an unusually large chamber on the inside.


    The chamber was oval, spacious, and magnificent, without any support columns or beams. There was no visible lighting system, but the chamber was filled with light. It showed the incredible technology of the former magic empire. At the very least, this mysterious lighting method was not copied by the Holletta civilization today. Looking up, Hao Ren saw the dark-blue vault with little white spots on it. These white spots, forming a picture as if a starry sky. Together with the silver-white lines, they outlined the mysterious constellations in the universe, complete with annotations of twisted characters. The entire dome was a huge astrological chart, the grandeur of which seemed to reveal the pride of the magic civilization back then. It was as if other than the stars in the universe, there was nothing else that worth looking up.


    There were a series of doors distributed around the chamber. Hymer told that those were labs and storage rooms. At the other end of the chamber was another door, which was the second door that the archmage had yet opened successfully. Master Hymer believed that the core area of the ruins lay behind that second door, and the chamber and labs in it were only peripheral facilities.


    ¡°The positions of the stars in this astrological chart are very different from the astrological chart we use today. But part of it fits. It should be the star chart of 10,000 years ago,¡± said Master Hymer, who exclaimed in amazement. ¡°It is perfect and accurate. Many stars that are impossible to observe on the ground are also recorded, and it can accurately calculate the position of many stars after thousands or even tens of thousands of years later. I tried. To calculate some of them, and found several parameters that can correct the contemporary astrological chart. Incredible! Truly incredible! It is hard to imagine how the magic empire of 10,000 years ago knew so well of the stars.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. The mage emperors had space observatories and even satellite colonies. They even finished their studies of astrology in orbit.¡± Hao Ren laughed. He asked the MDT to find out the age of each thing in the chamber. ¡°Incredible! Everything here looks so perfectly intact even after 10,000 years. There are no slightest traces of weathering in this place.¡±


    ¡°Not only that. We have also discovered many unusual phenomena. When we first came in here, the energy circles in some labs are still running. In the alchemical reaction container, the alchemical reaction was not over yet. Some doors were still swinging as if the owner of this place had just left in a hurry¡ªseconds just before we entered here.¡±


    Master Hymer¡¯s description was very detailed and vivid. Apparently, he saw them with his own eyes. No wonder he could make the ridiculous assumption that time had stood still.


    The MDT had completed its measurement, and the outcomes surprised Hao Ren.


    ¡°Is there really the sign of the time stood still?¡±


    ¡°My calculation will not go wrong,¡± the MDT replied. ¡°There is a 10,000-year difference between the things in the chamber and the things outside the chamber. Only a stand-still time can explain it.¡±


    ¡°What about now?¡±


    ¡°Look around, and you will know.¡± The MDT flew in a circle in the air. ¡°Time resumed here not long ago. I guess the recent energy bursts and cave-in may have damaged the space-time structure of this place, causing it to return to normal.¡±

 Chapter 1356 - Biochemical Lab

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    There was no doubt about the sampling accuracy and computing power of the MDT. Except for the Crapple Research Station, CARS, Hao Ren could not find any other data processing instrument that could rival that of the MDT. So Hao Ren completely trusted the results: space and time within this enclosed ruin space had been standing still.


    ¡°You mentioned that the Ancient Magic Empire had not mastered the technique of time manipulation?¡± He looked at Master Hymer with a somber face.


    Hymer was slightly surprised. He may have been the one who made the assumption that time stood still in the ruins, but he found it incredible when his hypothesis was confirmed correct. ¡°Supposedly. The history of the Ancient Magic Empire may be incomplete, and most of it has become mere legend. However, our mage guild has always focused on historical material collection. So we have more materials on the Ancient Magic Empire than most people. From the materials we have, the mage emperors had indeed not studied about time. There isn¡¯t the slightest mention of it in the historical materials.¡±


    ¡°Such an important technology couldn¡¯t have emerged out of thin air. Since all the historical materials have no mention about it, I¡¯m afraid that the ancient mage emperors indeed could not control time,¡± Vivian said. ¡°And if they could, then they would not have been that helpless when it came to fighting the First Born¡ªat least not destructed entirely.¡±


    ¡°So there must be some other reason that time had stood still.¡± Hao Ren said as he walked toward the rooms around the hall. ¡°Let¡¯s check around the place. We might be able to find some clues since time flow has just resumed here.¡±


    Hao Ren rued he had come a little too late. Had he received information when the Holletta investigation team found the ruins, he would have come immediately and seen the moment when time flow resumed. But a few days had passed; many clues might have disappeared.


    For example, the magic circle and alchemical containers that Hymer described as still running when he opened the door but now stopped.


    Even so, Hao Ren could still see from the signs of time had once stood still.


    Every inch of the chamber was spotless. The ground and the furnishings were as clean as a new pin. Had they been abandoned for 10,000 years, then even if there were no weathering, there would have been at least a thick layer dust. Hao Ren opened some un-locked rooms and saw the well-preserved furnishings inside. They were so clean as if the occupants had just left and would return soon.


    Only a few messy bits and pieces and papers that could somehow make the place look ¡°abandoned.¡±


    Hao Ren also saw the experimental equipment that Master Hymer had mentioned. The machines had just stopped and still retained some residual heat or magic reaction, which was evidence that was even hard to ignore.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you feel they look familiar?¡± In a large laboratory in the southeast corner of the chamber, Hao Ren pointed to the contents of the room and asked, ¡°Those jars and connectors, and the two culture containers. They are too familiar.¡±


    It was a rectangular laboratory, light-year more advanced than the current alchemical technology of Holletta. There were strict safety inspection, dust removal, static elimination, and air filtering from the lab entrance to the laboratory area. These things were incredibly advanced, both technologically and conceptually. The so-called ¡°alchemy hut¡± on this planet seemed like a toy in front of this advanced facility. On the glass passage in the dust-removing zone, Hao Ren even saw a detailed work procedure, which marked in words and pictures the rules that the laboratory personnel must follow, including changing of clothes, removing metal belongings, and prohibiting sick staff. Next to this work procedure was a thin crystal plate on where green text was floating, detailing some person names and times. Perhaps it was the last record of personnel working in the labs.


    The MDT had checked; the crystal plate used magic power to store data. Maximum data retaining time was no more than half a month: this again confirmed the fact that time had stood still here.


    The familiar things that Hao Ren was talking about was a heap of sophisticated equipment in the center of the lab.


    Several drums made of metal and glass stood in the recesses in the ground in the center of the lab. About one-third of the mysterious liquid was visible in the vessel. Complex tubes and cables connected the drums to the equipment and magic circle not far away. On the experimental benches next to this equipment were some metal tables. These tables, on which magic circle floated, looked like some monitoring instrument. There several sealed metal cans, each with a tag stating the serial number and seal time, near the wall of the room.


    ¡°I remember it.¡± Vivian frowned. ¡°The style of these things look like the Sacred Relic of Origins.¡±


    ¡°Not only the style but also the structure,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°The Sacred Relic of Origins is more like a miniaturized version of these things, or rather the final version. The Sacred Relic of Origins has been able to ¡®assemble¡¯ the demon hunters. So it is the finished product. The equipment here is too large, cumbersome, and energy consumption is too high. They should be the prototypes.¡±


    ¡°What is the Sacred Relic of Origins?¡± Hymer had no idea what Hao Ren was talking about.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that?¡± Hao Ren was a little surprised. But he quickly realized that though he had told Ophra about it, the information had never disclosed publicly. Hymer, who was not involved in the incident, naturally did not know about the sacred object. ¡°That was a device that the Ancient Magic Empire created when they studied the origin of life. It was used to artificially synthesize the ¡®perfect creature.¡¯ The Ancients were the product of this plan. Of course, that was in the past. The Ancients have now become part of Holletta¡¯s nature and nothing to do with the Ancient Magic Empire.¡±


    Earlier, Hymer had already carried out some inspections around the ruins. He had some knowledge about the lab but not the Sacred Relic of Origins. Now Hao Ren had opened Hymer¡¯s mind.


    Besides this lab, there were four other labs with similar equipment: ??large culture vessels, biological tubes, and radiation-generating equipment. The structures of these labs were similar; they should be the different functional labs working for the same project.


    It was still impossible to enter the deeper part of the ruins, but Hao Ren had roughly guessed what this place was.


    It was the birthplace of the demon hunters.


    The original test site where the Ancient Magic Empire created the ¡°perfect life form¡± was here.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m finding it here.¡± The discovery felt so dramatic that Vivian found it incredible. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, the biology experts of the Ancient Magic Empire made the demon hunters here. No wonder! This place is right at the border of several magic empires. It acts as a natural buffer and intermixture zone, making it the ideal location for a joint underground project.¡±


    Hao Ren remained silent. He looked down at the information that he had found on a nearby experimental bench. Most of the materials had been intentionally destructed or taken away, but there were still some less important paper notes left. Because time had stood still, these paper notes of 10,000 years old were as good as new.


    Some experimenter had probably written these notes. There was no vital information on the experiment, such as the parameters of making the ¡°perfect life form¡± and specific personnel arrangement, but even seemingly casual notes were enough to arouse Hao Ren¡¯s interest.


    ¡°Day XXX, the experimental body in the third container has lost vitality. Reason for failure is unknown. Maybe we should not inject too much lifeblood into him.


    ¡°Day XXX, the experimental body in the second container is still alive, but there is a severe mutation. The overgrown and distorted limbs almost fill the entire tank, and the brain of the experimental body cannot control its powerful limbs. We have to terminate it. Fusing the mortal cell with the primordial cell of the lifeblood is indeed a challenge. We have to choose another solution.


    ¡°Day XXX, there was an explosion in the fourth lab. A container was blown up. Fortunately, it did not affect other things. The cause of the explosion was that the experimental body in the tank suddenly awakened and reacted violently. She probably felt a sense of danger or maybe just unable to control her own energy. In any case, this gives everyone a wake-up call: We are making an unusually powerful creature; they are born with the power that takes an ordinary human a lifetime to acquire. Even if they are only in the drum, they are more destructive than fully armed warriors and mages.


    ¡°Day XXX, surprisingly good news: we detected highly active ¡®divine cells¡¯ in the aftermath of the explosion in the fourth lab. Amazingly, these cells are still alive and retain a strong divine power. And perhaps because of the impact of the explosion, the cells have a high degree of compatibility with the mortal cells, and can coexist peacefully with the latter! This may be the breakthrough that we have been seeking since the beginning. The first divine decree is too vague, so much so that we have wasted a lot of time and effort. But by goddess¡¯ mercy, we have finally understood your will. These precious cells will become the key to the whole project. I can¡¯t wait to see the results of their new experimental body!¡±


    The notes ended abruptly. There were no torn or defaced pages, so that was likely the end of the whole record.


    Even so, the contents of the notes were enough to knock Hao Ren¡¯s socks off.

 Chapter 1357 - The Second Door

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren had a shocking conjecture after he read the notes.


    Firstly, the Ancient Magic Empire not only used advanced biochemical technology but also divinity when it created the demon hunters, who were also the Ancients. Hao Ren believed that the magic empire in the past did not have enough ability to harness the real power of the gods. What they were exposed to should be the product of the further decay of this power. Nonetheless, it was enough to show that the mage emperors were indeed carrying out studies on divine power. They called their research outcome the Divine Cells, which they could manipulate and reproduce.


    Secondly, their research turned out to be under God¡¯s decree!


    The last paragraph of the note was not some balderdash. Those who left these records had mentioned the divine decree and the goddess of creation and even said that it was under the blessing of the goddess that they could make progress. It confirmed Hao Ren¡¯s earlier speculation that demon hunter was not a product of blasphemy but created on the premise of having faith in the goddess. The revelation greatly exceeded Hao Ren¡¯s expectation.


    The mage emperors not only created the demon hunter with their firm belief of the goddess, but even the goddess of creation ordered for the project to be carried out?


    Did the goddess ask them to make these ¡°perfect creatures¡±?


    ¡°Let me see, let me see!¡± Lily saw Hao Ren was in a daze, she could not hold back her curiosity. Taking the notes from Hao Ren, the husky maiden quickly flipped through the papers and finished reading them in one minute. She was wide-eyed.


    ¡°That means the goddess of creation ordered the making of the demon hunters?¡± Lily caught on as well. The husky maiden might be a little dumb, but her judgment and observability were better than others. After all, these were her instincts. ¡°The notes clearly mentioned the process of making a demon hunter. Wait a minute, Mr. Landlord! Something¡¯s missing here!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s missing?¡± Hao Ren was startled. He did not see it. Instead, it was Lily who found a clue.


    ¡°This ruin is the location of the R&D of the demon hunter, right? Time here had stood still and only resume flowing recently, right? The equipment here is only a semi-finished Sacred Relic of Origins, and there is no way to successfully create the demon hunter, right?¡± Lily asked a series of questions without expecting answers. ¡°And look at the notes, at the moment when the place shut and time stood still, those guys had not been able to successfully create a demon hunter.¡±


    Hao Ren had understood the meaning of it before Lily finished.


    ¡°That means this is not the place of the final creation of the demon hunter, but just an experimental base in the early stage of the project.¡± Hao Ren looked at the tidy laboratory equipment, his brows gradually knit together. ¡°The project reached its most crucial step, which was the successful synthesis of stable ¡®divine cells.¡¯ But it was suddenly abandoned, and the entire experimental base was frozen in time. Those people evacuated with the test data and transfer the final part of the project to another place before they finally created the first-generation demon hunters aka Ancients.¡±


    ¡°That should be the case,¡± Vivian said. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Doggie to have such a sharp observation.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m smart, aren¡¯t I?¡± Lily had gotten used to the nickname Doggie a long time ago. The husky maiden wagged her tail, and her beautiful pointed ears flicked.


    ¡°Then please explain why they suddenly gave up this place,¡± Vivian said with her eyebrows arching. ¡°Why did they abandon the place when the experiment was going smoothly? The entire experimental base looks intact.¡±


    ¡°That I know,¡± Lily said. ¡°Maybe it an order from above stopped the experiment. Anyway, it was 10,000 years ago. Who should I ask?¡±


    ¡°There are some details that I don¡¯t understand,¡± Hao Ren said. His eyebrows still pulled together. ¡°The experimental projects here seem to have suddenly stopped. The still-running magic circles and alchemy containers that Master Hymer saw could confirm it. But there seemed to be sufficient time when those people evacuated¡ªthey took all the research materials and left us with only those irrelevant notes. How do you explain this?¡±


    Hymer, who was silent all this while, began to speak. He was still confused by the ancient secrets that Hao Ren and others mentioned, but it did not prevent him from sorting out the information and coming out with his conjecture. ¡°Those people took away the research data means that they had reaction time. Or perhaps the experimenters had received the evacuation order several hours beforehand. Leaving the reaction vessels and magic circles that were still running because it was not easy to stop them abruptly. You may not know; some experimental magic equipment with chain reactions could not stop instantly because most magic circles have a self-sustaining feature during the operation. Forcing them to stop suddenly could easily cause an explosion and bite back on the spell caster. As long as the personnel evacuated and took the research materials with them, it was irrelevant whether the equipment was still running. Those machines would stop after exhausting the energy. Of course, letting those things run without supervision was dangerous, but compared with the consequences of forcibly shutting down the equipment, it was a choice much easier to live with.¡±


    Having an expert on Holletta¡¯s magic to do the explanation, things quickly became evident. Hao Ren nodded in amazement as he listened. ¡°But leaving the experimental equipment running doesn¡¯t sound like what a sophisticated magic lab would do.¡±


    ¡°But if there was an emergency, then it was a forced choice,¡± Hymer said. ¡°There must be some unexpected event that happened. The experimenters could only gather the research materials but had no time to wait for the equipment to stop.¡±


    ¡°What kind of change would it be?¡± Hao Ren said as he looked around the buildings. From the surface, it was hard to know what could force the total evacuation from the experimental base.


    Lily¡¯s ears flicked. She could not help but look in a direction. Her eyes crossed the lab door and landed on the door at the end of the chamber.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Vivian glanced at the husky maiden.


    Lily¡¯s ears kept tilting. ¡°Could the answer lie behind the second door? The people here evacuated in a hurry, but they were still careful in making sure that each door was locked. Locking the outer door is understandably normal. But why did they seal every door on the inside? The deeper it goes, the harder it gets to open them. Hymer has also said that the second door is far more difficult to deal with than the main entrance of the base.¡±


    Hao Ren could not help but respect Lily¡¯s sharp intuition. He suddenly had a new realization: it was something that happened on the inside instead on the outside that triggered the evacuation.


    They quickly came to the second door. Everyone was nervous.


    The door was made of an unknown superhard alloy, five-meter tall, and painted with a decorative pattern of the Ancient Magic Empire. Tiny sparks were dancing in the gap between the gray-white metal door and door frame and the straight grooves on the door. It appeared to be in a fluid-like texture.


    This door was deemed a precious legacy to the current alchemists and magic-powered installers. Any discerning eyes would have noticed the door had reinforced charging, runic encryption, energy deflecting layer, stress shield, and other clever designs. It was no wonder that Master Hymer, the rising star of the Royal Mage Guild, was helpless when he came to this door. He had achieved little progress for the past several days and only figured out its charging principle recently.


    ¡°MDT, can you handle it?¡± Hao Ren took out the MDT and asked it to scan the energy flow of the door.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that hard, but I still need some time,¡± the MDT replied after briefly scanning the door and figuring out its mechanism. ¡°Give me 30 minutes. It¡¯ll be faster if you can give me a couple of HEIAP (high-explosive incendiary/armor-piercing ammunition).¡±


    Hao Ren yanked the MDT to the door and said, ¡°Get real, and start working!¡±


    ¡°Eww, what an abusive guy.¡±


    The MDT grumbled, but still obediently came before the second door. It connected itself to the magic conduit on the door and began to crack the encryption with standard procedures.


    As standard as it was, the computing speed of the MDT was much faster than that of Hymer and his team of apprentice combined.


    Master Hymer and the apprentice mages were stunned looking at the door, on which the energy flow began to slow down. It was a sign of the disabling of the magic-alarm circuits. What they had failed to do for the past days, the MDT, which looked like a piece of brick, did it in just a moment.


    But Hao Ren could not care less what Hymer and his apprentices were thinking. He looked at the super-alloy door silently and wondered what had happened inside the base back then. He guessed that it was an internal problem that caused the evacuation, but he felt something not quite right: the chamber looked too tidy.


    The emergency evacuation might have caused some mess, but there was no visible damage or destruction around the base. Even there were no signs of damage to the doors. Had there been an accident in the base, how could there be no leakage?


    It was indeed not the 10,000 years that had erased the evidence¡ªtime had been standing still in this place.


    While Hao Ren was in deep thought, the MDT had finished the decryption process. The runes on the door began to dim. It seemed that the door was going to open.


    ¡°Everyone, fall back!¡± Hao Ren had shown his vigilance at the critical moment. There might be something dangerous lunging out from behind the door.


    The door emitted a series of squeaking noises before it gradually slid open in the middle.


    A strong sense of danger hit them!

 Chapter 1358 - The Sacred Flame Incarnate

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren was not nervous. The vigilance from his professional training prompted him to warn the others to stay away from the door although he did not expect any real danger behind the door. It was not his carelessness; it was just that the circumstances surrounding them were relaxing. The entire experimental base was tidy and in good condition. It did not look like there had been an intrusion or deliberate destruction from the inside. Something else must have triggered the evacuation.


    Hao Ren had not let down his guard. His heart skipped a beat, and he shouted in warning before the door fully opened. ¡°Fall back! Danger!¡±


    Before Hao Ren¡¯s voice trailed off, a white light blazed out from the door. It pierced the open space and left a trail of dark spatial rifts in the air before it hit the ground. Although it only lasted for a split second, the light left a scorched mark on the floor, which was made of superalloy, an alloy stronger than any alloy on Earth.


    The energy of the single strike was almost equivalent to the power of small plasma artillery!


    Hao Ren¡¯s early warning had saved everyone. There were no casualties. The light hit an apprentice mage, whose arcane shield saved him. But the shockwave from the heat blast sent him flying backward into a wall and broke his head.


    Hao Ren immediately took out his two spears¡ªthe plasma spear and the Gungnir¡ªfrom the dimensional pocket. He flipped his body before planting his feet firmly on the ground. Guarding himself with the two spears in front, he looked at the opened door.


    A humanoid creature shrouded in pale flame rushed out from behind the door.


    While a bright light flashed in front of everyone¡¯s eyes, Hao Ren had already engaged the white humanoid creature in close-quarter combat with a continuous sound of air blasts. Flames shrouded the enemy, no one could see its face. What Hao Ren saw was just a bight light and chaotic shadows of fists and legs in his vision. He could not possibly catch up with the fighting rhythm of the humanoid but only rely on his demigod instinct and physical strength to hold back the attacks.


    The two long spears were human-made objects: one was the ultimate product of Aerymian technology and further enhanced by Hao Ren, the other was merely the legendary weapon of the Norse¡¯s Asgard family. Both spears could cut through and defeat any matters on the planet Holletta. But after a dozen rounds of combating the flaming enemy, Hao Ren found that both spears had heated up so much that they showed signs of deformation.


    Hao Ren had tested the two spears using the Sacred Flames of the ordinary demon hunters. There had never been any overheating problem.


    Spotting an opportunity, Hao Ren quickly pulled back and tucked the two spears back into his dimensional pocket. But the enemy would not allow Hao Ren the chance to take a breath, it roared and pounced at him like a beast after its prey.


    Hao Ren¡¯s upper body twisted, and he reached his hand behind him before pulling out a dark, long sword with stars floating on the blade out of thin air. He then took a 180-degree turn and thrust the sword into his opponent¡¯s ribs when he was in the enemy¡¯s blind spot.


    However, his enemy seemingly noticed the move as if it did not have any visual blind spots. The flaming body broke into silver sparks in a flash and reappeared a dozen meters away on the other side of the chamber before it formed back into a humanoid form.


    Nevertheless, this gave Hao Ren a breather for a moment, and he could finally see the enemy more clearly than before, though it was still an outline.


    It was a ¡°person¡± engulfed in bright white or white gold flames, much like the Sacred Flame the demon hunters used. But this one here was purer and more powerful. When the flame came together, it appeared in the graceful figure of a woman. Finally, Hao Ren figured out the gender of his enemy. But it seemed to be irrelevant to the humanoid who was made of flames with no facial and body features. It reminded Hao Ren of White Flame¡¯s skill: the Sacred Flame Incarnate.


    But compared to White Flame who could only maintain in the form of Sacred Flame for a brief moment, this creature in front of Hao Ren appeared more potent. At least in terms of flame control, it had achieved the true embodiment of flame.


    Perhaps the figure was indeed a group of Sacred Flame energy in the form of a humanoid. After all, it was the place where the Ancient Magic Empire developed the demon hunters, the appearance of strange experimental by-products was not that surprising.


    Those thoughts flashed across Hao Ren¡¯s mind, but his physical reaction did not slow down. Hao Ren took out another Godslayer¡ªthat one with autism¡ªin the blink of an eye. He crossed the swords in front of him and shouted, ¡°Vivian! Lily!¡±


    The trio, having fought together many times and a tacit understanding, grouped into a formation instantly. Without needing a prompt, the husky and the vampire maidens began to their moves. Lily launched into the air with her Frostmourne and Flamejoy and charged at the enemy like a storm. Vivian flew to the air. She did not attack but wait while summoning clouds of power lightning with her bats. The vampire maiden was waiting for the enemy to reveal its flaw before she smashed down a round of lightning balls.


    Hao Ren was holding a pair of swords and keeping up with Lily¡¯s pace all the time. If Lily¡¯s brute force attack were successful, he would take that advantage to end the enemy. But if Lily was in trouble, he could be of help in time.


    The trio¡¯s attacks were synchronized, but the Sacred Flame Incarnate was no slouch. When Lily thrust her Frostfire Claws, the enemy brought up its old trick again by breaking itself up and teleporting itself to the other side of the chamber.


    It was the unfair and ¡°bugged¡± talent of the demon hunters that gave Hao Ren a big headache.


    Hao Ren wondered how the mage emperors of that time gave the mortal creation such a nature-defying ability.


    The Sacred Flame Incarnate completed the near-field teleportation and reconstruction almost instantaneously. Her landing spot this time was near to a group of apprentice mages, who lacked combat skills and experience. They froze when the enemy suddenly popped out before them. When a burst of energy that appeared out of nowhere sent one of them flying and breaking his ribs, the apprentices only came to their senses and summoned various magic shields to protect themselves.


    The reaction of the teacher of the apprentice mages, Master Hymer, was much quicker. He drew an unpretentious-looking wooden staff and pointed it at the Sacred Flame Incarnate while chanting in words that no humans could have pronounced.


    Beams of colorful light shone from the above and trapped the Sacred Flame Incarnate like a cage. Immediately, many tiny energy sparks appeared between the beams, filling up the gaps to form a robust seal.


    The Sacred Flame Incarnate roared in anger, and her body became unstable and solar prominence-like flame began to burst out and slammed on the energy barrier. The energy barrier began to emit a cracking sound that was disgusting to the ear.


    Hao Ren quickly warned. ¡°The barrier won¡¯t hold her in! She is resistant to all types of shackle spells!¡±


    It was yet another ¡°bugged¡± talent of the demon hunters, who had an affinity for and was resistant to all types of magic. They could almost always break away from energy-based restraints.


    That was why they were known as the Caster Nemesis on Earth. Even in Holletta, the Ancients homologous to the demon hunters had the same reputation.


    It was not that Hymer did not know about the talents of the Ancients; he would have been more careful if he were to face one. But what happened here had caught Hymer off guard. The ¡°fire figure¡± was nothing like the Ancients that he knew; the archmage did not immediately link the two together. He thought it was just an out-of-control energy creature that came out from the old lab, which was not uncommon. He had seen it a couple of times before, and the elemental barrier was indeed the most effective response to energy being.


    But elemental barrier could not hold in the Sacred Flame of the demon hunters.


    The energy structure of the elemental barrier began to collapse after the prominence slammed it for a few times. Almost at the moment of its collapse, the silver flames disappeared in front of everyone.


    ¡°Everyone, be careful!¡± Hao Ren held a pair of swords in his hands in high alert. ¡°She is still in the chamber. Her teleporting range is confined to her field of vision! Becky, bring your knights and guard the exit. Don¡¯t let her get away!¡±


    Becky responded at once and brought a group of knights rushing toward the exit. Hymer had closed the first door behind him after everyone had entered earlier. But the door had now lost its magic energy and was just a regular wooden door albeit a little more robust than the normal ones. The monster would be able to break out if no one was guarding the entrance.


    ¡°I think, that guy has sneaked away,¡± the Godslayer began to babble. ¡°Guys, it¡¯s been a few seconds, and she still doesn¡¯t show up. Maybe she could walk through the wall in stealth mode and is now laughing at your guy outside. Am I right, bro?¡±


    The Worldbreaker sword shook a little and replied with an ¡°Oh.¡±


    Just when Hao Ren was also in doubt, Lily suddenly shouted, ¡°She must still be here¡ªI can feel it!¡±

 Chapter 1359 - : Drunken Doggoblast

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The short combat caused considerable damage. The Sacred Flames and plasma spear had melted the solid alloy floor, while the Frostfire Claws left many crisscrossing deep cuts in the wall. The place, as clean as a new pin a while ago, looked like it had suffered a round of saturated bombing. A burnt smell pervaded the chamber, and on high alert, everyone watched their surrounding space for the slightest distortion of space.


    Lily calmed down again. She arched her body, and her muscles were tense. Her claws seemed frozen in the air just as her body. Her ears flicked slightly, catching any sound that may come from any direction.


    Lily concealed her body scent like a predator hunting for its prey. Even Master Hymer was terrified when he gazed at her. For a moment, the archmage even thought that the werewolf maiden had vanished into thin air. He was looking at her, but he had an illusion that Lily was not there anymore.


    Only apex predators could pull off this scent-masking skill.


    Vivian floated silently in the air. The entire scene of the chamber was reflected in her scarlet eyes. Her vision was completely different from everyone: in the vampire¡¯s vision, everything was in vivid colors, which detailed various environmental readings such as temperature, magnetic field, gravity, and the brightest color represented living things.


    Vivian blinked. She could even see the blood rushing in the network of veins in everyone¡¯s body. The heart was a bright bloody glow, pumping in the chest of everyone. For ordinary vampires, such a sight was a prelude to the feast of hunting, an irresistible ¡°food paradise.¡± But Vivian only used this vision as a mean of reconnaissance, much like a handy radar.


    There was a brief silence in the chamber, and nervousness spread. Suddenly, Vivian saw in her peripheral vision a slightly warm spot appeared near the exit, and the gravity and magnetic fields began to distort.


    Before she could give out a warning, Lily had made a move. The husky maiden growled in a low voice and then faded into a white shadow as she lunged toward the door.


    The Flamejoy pierced through the air with a trail of fire, the extreme temperature and pressure had produced several sharp plasma air blades of a dozen meters in width. And then, sporadic white flames began to appear in the air. As soon as the fire formed into a humanoid, it ran into the plasma air blades. It was as if Lily had foreseen that the Sacred Flame Incarnate would slam into it.


    The monster was trying to launch a surprise attack in her stealth mode after the near-field teleportation. But this little trick had given Lily the opportunity to use her predator instinct in her favor.


    Had the enemy continuously moved around the chamber with near-field teleportation, Lily would have found it hard to react.


    The plasma air blades collided with the Sacred Flame and broke the latter into several smaller flames. The next moment, Vivian rained down her Lightning Storm. The bright lightning struck down like a group of golden snakes, shrouding one-third of the chamber in it. Amid a series of thundering sound, the lightning plowed through the walls and the ground over and over again until the out-of-this-world super alloy turned into molten metal.


    But a cluster of silver flames was still dancing on the molten metal, and quickly swelled and formed into the figure of a woman.


    This ¡°creature¡± formed by Sacred Flames roared at Lily and Vivian as if she was in great pain.


    ¡°She¡¯s not f*cking dying?¡± Becky was a little surprised. The mercenary lady could not help but burst out in foul language.


    ¡°I have seen more stubborn guys.¡± Hao Ren said casually. His relaxed tone of voice could ease the nervous atmosphere. But he still kept it serious. The stubborn creature, which he had no idea how to categorize, was beyond his expectation. Vivian¡¯s Lightning Storm move, which was powerful enough to destroy any living things except for the First Born, was supposed to have eliminated the Sacred Flame Incarnate. But the ¡°flame¡± took the attack and remained unharmed.


    Probably not. Hao Ren soon discovered that the Sacred Flame Incarnate was slightly dimmer than before, and the human figure was jittering as if it could not maintain its shape.


    ¡°Exhaust her energy!¡± Hao Ren¡¯s eyes brightened up. He waved his swords and lunged out again while hinted Vivian. ¡°Focus your attack! Ranged magic doesn¡¯t work well on this thing!¡±


    The battle started again. Magical bolts and energy shocks rained down. The knights and apprentice mages had regrouped to join the combat.


    In the corner of the chamber, Lily shook her hand. She felt numb on one of her arms; the attack move she made just now seemed to have overstressed her muscles. She swung her wrist while staring at the Sacred Flame Incarnate; the combat scene was reflected in her golden eyes.


    Her mind was racing.


    The husky maiden had never lacked wisdom in combat. Even if she was deficient in intelligence occasionally, she made that up with intuition and instinct. Just like now, she had thought of the best strategy.


    Lily quickly ran up to the nearest knight and patted his shoulder. ¡°Do you have water?¡±


    While the knight was about to lunge at a group of flames that had split from the monster, Lily almost nailed him into the ground with the pat of her hand. The knight looked at Lily with a blank expression. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Water!¡± Lily shouted. ¡°Do you have water?¡±


    The knight was struck dumb.


    The guy heard her but had no clue of what she meant.


    Lily looked at this dumbstruck fellow before quickly moved on to another, asking for water. Hao Ren was tied up with a ring of Sacred Flame and unable to help.


    However, it seemed that no one in the right mind could understand what was in the husky¡¯s mind. The knights and the apprentice mages were all struck dumb as Lily asked them for water. That had never seen anyone like that in battle.


    Becky had noticed Lily. The mercenary had no idea what the husky was doing, but she knew how power Lily would become when she ate the spicy sticks. Becky figured that Lily might need water for some purpose. The mercenary girl waved her double swords and warded off a bunch of Sacred Flames. She then thrust one of the swords in the ground, freeing one hand so that she reached to grab the water tumbler hanging on her waist. Becky shouted as she threw the water tumbler to Lily, ¡°Here you go!¡±


    The husky maiden took the water tumbler, pulled the plug, and then gulped down the content. Before Lily did that, she shouted, ¡°Watch out! I¡¯m going to spit!¡±


    While struggling to fight the Sacred Flame Incarnate, Hao Ren heard Lily¡¯s shout and was stunned. He quickly grabbed the senior knight beside him and fell back. ¡°Everyone, be¡ª¡±


    Before Hao Ren finished, he heard Lily coughing her lungs out. ¡°Koff¡­ Koff, koff, khakk¡­¡±


    Hao Ren looked back at Lily, whose face was flushed as she waved the water tumbler in her hand. The air was filled with the aroma of wine.


    It seemed like a bite-back because Lily had used an inferior spellcasting prop.


    Lily never thought that she would screw up at a critical moment. Hao Ren¡¯s eyes were out on stalks. Vivian, who was throwing balls of lightning in the air, began to wonder if she should smash the enemy or the husky.


    Due to Lily¡¯s screwup, a weak spot appeared in their encirclement.


    The Sacred Flame Incarnate may have just been a blurry figure, but it seemed to have emotion. It was as if Hao Ren saw an illusion, he felt that the figure sneered at them before its flaming body shrank and turned into a fusiform, sacred-flame sword. The sword immediately thrust forward in the direction of Lily. The husky, who was choked by the alcohol, was still coughing uncontrollably.


    She was apparently the most prominent weak spot and vulnerability.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Hao Ren quickly warned while lunging out to help.


    Lily looked up, her mind was blank, but the cough had not stopped. This time she even coughed up wine mist. ¡°Cough cough, boom!¡±


    A bright light shrouded the entire area in front of her.


    The ground twisted and cracked and the walls melted. The light beam had penetrated the wall on the side of the chamber, through the lab, warehouse, protective barrier, and outer wall¡ªthe solid materials created by the magic empire were punctured like a piece of paper, and then followed by the solid body of mountains.


    It was the same attack that took down Lockmarton¡¯s defenses. In human form, Lily¡¯s power was significantly less damaging, but in terms of absolute value, it was still unparalleled.


    People from as far as outside the mountains could see the light. A kingdom sentinel had witnessed the moment: a beam of light rose from the Gloom Mountains and burst out along an upwardly inclined angle. It left a deep scar in the Lorissian Wall and punctured a hole in the sky.


    Lily felt like she even threw up last year¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve dinner.


    It had to be the most violent throw-up: she almost punctured the stratosphere.

 Chapter 1360 - Behind the Second Door

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Lily¡¯s Doggoblast punctured the ruins and mountains, shocking everyone including herself. She never expected to cough up a laser beam. It reminded her about the first time she roared out the same laser beam and shocked herself like a bolt from the blue. Today was the same.


    She even thought that the Doggoblast would make her jump out of her skin every time she was in combat.


    Compared with the husky maiden who had scared herself to death, the others reacted quicker. Vivian had descended from mid-air, and she was looking in awe at the big hole that was punctured by the laser beam. She even began to feel that the husky¡¯s combat strength had become over the top. Lily, who was already invincible in close-quarters combat, had become a perfect short and long-range, super DPS-class fighter. If not for the light cannon¡¯s high energy consumption, Lily could do it a dozen times after a meal.


    Vivian began to carefully check the scene for traces of the flame monster. The monster¡¯s form of existence was too strange, and she was not sure if the Doggoblast could kill it just like that.


    With her jaw dropped to the ground, Becky looked at Lily, whose mouth was still billowing with smoke. The mercenary girl had never expected Lily¡¯s combat strength to increase such rapidly. Becky still remembered the melee in the Beinz diocese where both of them, barely had any skills, were fighting the monsters together. It was only two years later that the husky had become a drinking god who spat laser beams. But Becky did not have to be self-abased; her enhancement in combat strength was already of a monster-class in the eyes of Hollettans. After all, the mercenary girl had eaten those ¡®divine food¡¯ while staying in Hao Ren¡¯s house.


    The pungent burnt smell was still lingering in the air. The chill air that surrounded Vivian had cooled down the surrounding hot air heated up the laser beam earlier. Hao Ren looked at the trail of the laser beam. He suddenly spotted something.


    On the scorched ground, a cluster of bright-white flames suddenly popped out and rose higher and higher!


    ¡°Holy moly! That thing is not dead yet!¡± Hao Ren shouted. He wondered what kind of monster that the mage emperors had created here back then. Meanwhile, the flame had soared to nearly a person¡¯s height and quickly twisted and trembled before forming into a human form. The knights and apprentice mages were shocked and awed.


    However, the worse was yet to come. The body of Sacred Flames materialized, trembled, and disintegrated into groups of smaller fires. The same thing happened several times until it stabilized. But the figure had weakened so much that she was feebler than the apprentice mages, and the flames seemed to die out very soon. Hao Ren knew what was going on. After suffering several heavy blows, the monster had exhausted its energy reserve. She had lost her combat ability at the moment.


    Hao Ren, Vivian, Becky, Hymer, and Lily, who had just calmed down, slowly and cautiously inched up and surrounded the Sacred Flame Incarnate, who struggled but could never get up. The flame continued to subside and finally went out in the gaze of everyone. The scattered sparks whirled to form a mercury-like body. When the metallic luster of mercury faded, it became a petite woman in flesh and blood.


    The woman kept a long silver hair that could almost wrap herself in it. The phosphorus light on her hair seemed like a glowing ember. She was so remarkably beautiful that it was impossible to relate her to the monster earlier. A pair of slightly pointed ears stuck out from under her long hair; Master Hymer could not help but mumble, ¡°She¡¯s an elf?¡±


    Hao Ren noticed the clothes that they woman wore; it was a white dress that could be deemed luxurious. There were no jewelry pendants on her dress, but at a glance, the mono-color fabric exuded a sense of exquisiteness and beauty. She wore an emerald green belt, which was made of a string of green jades that glittered, making her look more slender.


    It did not look like attire in combat, not an experiment subject or a newborn demon hunter.


    No biochemical lab would let its specimen in the culture tank wear such a gorgeous dress.


    Vivian had noticed the anomaly that the dress revealed. She frowned and said, ¡°I have never worn such gorgeous dress in my life.¡±


    Okay, she did not find any anomaly.


    ¡°She¡¯s passed out,¡± the MDT said after flying around the elf and scanning her head. ¡°She suffers mental damage, physical exhaustion, hemorrhage of her organs, and bodily dysfunction. Besides, the Doggoblast had also wounded her soul. Other than these, she has no serious injury.¡±


    As if her injury was not severe enough¡ªHao Ren thought to himself.


    ¡°Is she an Ancient?¡± Lily came up and asked. Her golden eyes were full of curiosity. ¡°An experimental subject created by the mage emperor 10,000 years ago?¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t look like one. Not quite like, the experiment subject will not wear this kind of clothes.¡± Hao Ren shook his head, but he still looked happy. ¡°Anyway, she must have come from the past¡ªsealed inside the ruins where time had stood still for 10,000 years. We have found a treasure. She must know a lot of things of 10,000 years ago!¡±


    ¡°Only if she is communicable,¡± Vivian said, pouring cold water on Hao Ren¡¯s excitement. ¡°Don¡¯t forget how violent she was. She is probably a specimen that has lost control. Most likely, she is mad.¡±


    ¡°In any case, we should tie her up first. I will study her once she wakes up. She needs medical attention. At least treat her mental and soul damages. She may be communicable after the that.¡±


    While saying, Hao Ren took out his equipment¡ªnon-explosive¡ªfrom the dimensional pocket. First, he tied the unconscious elf up with a restraint device and then let the portable medical instrument treat her. After noticing her condition gradually stabilized, and knowing that she would not be able to break free from the restraint, only Hao Ren breathed a sigh of relief. He then turned his attention to the second door.


    The mysterious elven woman had rushed out from that place earlier. What happened behind the second door must be the reason why the experimental base was locked down urgently.


    A few senior knights were taking care of the ¡®captive,¡¯ while Hao Ren and the rest walked toward the door.


    When they stepped inside, they saw a scene of devastation.


    ¡°It seems that this is the reason for the urgent evacuation,¡± Vivian said in a whisper when she saw the scene.


    The space behind the second door was completely ¡®defaced.¡¯ It had not only suffered severe physical damage but also been baptized by powerful magic energy. The entire space had become distorted. In the nearly circular chamber, nothing was intact. There was a circle of semi-melted black substance around the chamber, as though some crystal had melted and then solidified. Cracks had formed in the ground across the chamber, with dark-blue light floating in those cracks. Sometimes, there were flashes of light in the cracks. At the top of the chamber was a dome that was deformed. The dome was black with light purple cracks spreading all over it. Space around the spots with the most cracks was distorted and had collapsed; where strange light and shadows converged, the sights outside the Gloom Mountains were visible.


    Burnt corpses¡ªor rather body pieces and torn clothes¡ªwere scattered around. Finding any clues from these mutilated bodies was impossible. Hao Ren could only speculate that they were the lab personnel, and the cause of death was mostly from high temperature, possibly caused by an energy storm.


    ¡°What a wretch.¡± Master Hymer¡¯s brows knit together as he slowly walked in the chamber. The air was filled with a pungent smell, and even the residual magic energy had not wholly dissipated as if the disaster had only happened not long ago. After all, the time had stood still here for 10,000 years.


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyes landed on the center of the chamber, where the disaster first broke out. All the radial cracks on the ground and the most severe distortion on the dome pointed to the center of the chamber as the place of origin of the event. There, the structure had melted, and a pile of strange black substance still emitted a residual heat. It could be the base of some equipment as some burnt, and shrunk tubes and cables were routed around the pedestal and then out into all directions. All this evidence pointed to the fact that the base was the core of the various experimental equipment in the chamber.


    Hao Ren guessed that the out-of-control Sacred Flame Incarnate must have broken out from this pedestal.


    The damage to the chamber was shocking, to say the least. So a question came to Hao Ren¡¯s mind: why the outer chamber was intact?


    Driven by this question, Hao Ren turned his eyes on the surrounding walls. And sure enough, something was hidden in the walls.


    Hao Ren scrapped the black substance off the wall, revealing the solid wall beneath. It was densely engraved with runes that gleamed under the light of the MDT.


    They were not Letta runes or any known runes on this planet. Even a great mage like Hymer did not recognize them.


    However, Hao Ren did. He recognized them because he had seen the same thing in another place: on the battlefield at the Gate of Solenne. The same symbols of divine power were engraved on the inner layer of the treacherous children¡¯s vehicle armor.

 Chapter 1361 - Surprises

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The light dawned on Hao Ren when he saw the runes. The many fragmented as well as incredible clues suddenly became clear and had the support of evidence. The Ancient Magic Empire of Holletta and the rebellion of the deicidal race at the Gate of Solenne were connected even though they were hundreds of millions of light years apart. The two civilizations, despite their vast difference in development, were involved in the same vortex of the incident.


    ¡°The mage emperors of Holletta obtained their knowledge from the deicide.¡± It was no longer speculation but an empirical fact, and the evidence was engraved on the wall.


    ¡°It is the runic technique of the treacherous children,¡± the MDT said when it found the record from its database. ¡°The material of this ruin is in no way near the interstellar alloy of the deicidal race, but the power of these runes is real; it has blocked the energy explosion that took place here. That¡¯s why the chamber on the outside is completely intact.¡±


    ¡°So is this evidence of a crime?¡± Vivian asked in a whisper. ¡°It seems that the relationship between the mage emperors and the deicides is indisputable.¡±


    ¡°The clues already exist. The ancient mage emperor got the technique of creating god-like creatures from the deicide, and the price was to remain silent on the assassination of the goddess. The mage emperors used this technology to create the powerful demon hunter, but before he could make use of it, the angry First Born had wiped them off the planet,¡± Hao Ren said while shaking his head. ¡°Now we have just found the evidence.¡±


    Lily blinked and looked at Hao Ren and then the runes on the wall. Her ears flicked. ¡°But something seems not right.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± Vivian immediately turned to look at Lily. The husky maiden could always see those details that others overlooked¡ªit was something that even the proud ancient vampire admitted to.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say before¡±¡ªLily crossed her arms¡ª¡±that the ancient mage emperors created the demon hunter (Ancients) on the premise that they were faithful to the goddess? Then we cannot rule out the possibility that they turned into the god killers.¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian nodded in unison. It was indeed a contradiction. But if they accepted the theory, they had no explanation for the runes on the wall in front of them.


    Lily pointed to the corpses on the ground. Those people died 10,000 years ago, but in this place where time had once stood still, their death was only a matter of a few days. ¡°And these Holletta people, no matter how powerful they were, they were only terrestrial civilization. What could they do to help the deicide? Why would the deicides want to teach them these technologies? Human creation technology might not be that surprising, but these runes are super-advanced even to the deicidal race.¡±


    Hao Ren pinched his forehead. He knew what Lily said, which he had also noticed not long ago, was indeed questionable.


    At first, Hao Ren was not knowledgeable enough, and he did not give it a second thought about the possible connection between Holletta¡¯s Ancient Magic Civilization and the deicidal war. But as Hao Ren learned more of the knowledge beyond the mortal realm, he gradually realized that the deicidal war was a disaster as terrible as it was epic. With the power of beyond comprehension that two warring sides possessed, it became questionable that this tiny planet Holletta on the fringe of civilization sphere could be involved in the deicidal war. Even if the ancient magic was more powerful than it was today, the civilization was only a rookie in interstellar colonization even in its own planetary system. What ability they had to play a role in the conspiracy?


    Hao Ren now knew how wide the gap between the ancient civilization of Holletta and the deicides was. He used to think that the deicides used technology transfer as a bribe to prevent the ancient mage emperors from responding to the cry of the goddess of creation. But now this conjecture had become increasingly untenable. The mighty deicide need not worry about this backward civilization. There were plenty of arguments for this: there were many more civilizations in the universe that did not respond to the call of the goddess, and Hao Ren had found some of the wreckage, but no evidence suggested that the deicides had ever roped in or bribed these civilizations.


    Bear in mind, these civilizations were much powerful than Holletta.


    Hao Ren looked up and exchanged a look with Vivian. He saw the same confusion in her eyes.


    ¡°Maybe the elf who uses the Sacred Flame could give us the answer when she wakes up,¡± Vivian said.


    Vivian did not call the Sacred Flame Incarnate a demon hunter or Ancient because she did not look like an experimental subject from the test tube, and her elven characteristics told her that she was not a demon hunter. The Sacred Flame may have just been a by-product of fusing the power of God to an ordinary race. Perhaps the immature technique had caused the elf to go insane.


    However, everything was just a guess. They still had to wait until the elf woke up and was able to talk before they could find out the truth.


    For the time being, Hao Ren and the MDT continued to comb the chamber for more clues.


    It had been confirmed that the explosion in the central lab was the cause of the abandonment of the experimental base. The blast instantly destroyed the central lab and killed everyone inside, but the explosion did not affect the outside chamber. The ¡°divine¡± runes inscribed on the lab wall had kept the shockwave in and allowed people on the outside to escape death. When people on the outside knew about the accident, they did not try to open the door. Perhaps with the use of some monitoring devices, personnel on the outside had learned that the central lab was completely destroyed and there was nothing worth saving. Or they may have been worried about the ¡°monster¡± in the central lab. So the surviving personnel decided to abandon the base. They sealed the base, evacuated with the research materials to another place where they eventually synthesized the first ¡°perfect creatures.¡±


    The out-of-control Sacred Flame Incarnate must be the cause of the explosion.


    In the melted pedestal in the center of the chamber, Hao Ren found a deformed, distinctive elven-style metal bracelet made of fine vine-like alloy wire. Later, he found another bracelet on the body of the elf, who was still unconscious. The showed that pedestal in the center of the lab was indeed prepared for the elf.


    Probably because the bracelet the elf was carrying the bracelet with her, it suffered little damage from the energy blast.


    When examining these clues, Vivian asked, ¡°Why time had stood still here for 10,000 years?¡±


    It reminded Hao Ren about this question, which he almost had forgotten.


    The Ancient Magic Empire was not capable of controlling time. It had no way to stop time for 10,000 years in the ruins.


    Space-time magic was not unusual on this planet; even Hymer had mastered a couple of this magic such as time acceleration or stagnation. But the mages never thought of these magics as the ability to manipulate time. Most of them regarded the magic as a short-range, temporary-field spell that achieved the effects of simulating time acceleration or deceleration by interfering with material movement within the spellcasting area. In the Ancient Magic Empire, space-time spells were even more powerful, but they did not go beyond simulation.


    No one on the planet had ever known the truth of the passage of time.


    ¡°Maybe it has something to do with these runes?¡± Hao Ren frowned as he looked at the divine runes on the wall. ¡°The deicidal race should have this ability. At the very least, a small experimental base like this was not that difficult for them.¡±


    ¡°It is also possible that the energy explosion has distorted the space-time structure here.¡± The MDT also joined the discussion. ¡°The density of the runes on the wall suggests that there must be powerful energy in the room. Perhaps all the ancient facilities on the Gloom Mountains were made to serve this lab. When all the energy converged into one single point, the energy the explosion released could have distorted the space and time. Coupled with the containment effect of the runes that kept the energy in the confined space, the space-time distortion was amplified.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s brows knit together. Everything was just a guess. He needed proof. His instinct told him that there must be something yet undiscovered, hidden under the melted ruins.


    Suddenly, the thought of the notes that Hao Ren found in the external lab crossed came to mind.


    Divine decree. Divine cells. Fusion.


    It was impossible for the Hollettans to create divine cells out of thin air. The mortals needed a carrier to perceive and manipulate divine power. How did the divine decree and power fall into the hands of the ancient mage emperors?


    What kind of medium did the mage emperors use to carry that power and infuse it into biological cells to make it into a ¡°product¡±?


    If this place was the initial experimental site of demon hunter¡ªthe perfect creature plan, there must be an initial source of divine power, which was the energy source of the entire project.


    The source of divine power should be in the central lab. Those people who evacuated from this base had used the divine cells to complete the subsequent works. They did not have the opportunity to take anything out from the central lab. So even if the explosion had destroyed everything here, as the carrier of divine power, should there not have been some debris left?


    ¡°Look for it, there should be an energy source here,¡± Hao Ren immediately said. ¡°They wanted to make the original divine cells, then they must have a divine power source. They couldn¡¯t make it out of thin air. That power source should be in some container.¡±


    Vivian froze. ¡°Maybe it has been blown up.¡±


    ¡°But it should have been some debris left at least. It¡¯s a carrier of divine power!¡±


    Everyone scrambled to search in deformed rubbles for any fragments that looked suspicious, not of the ancient civilization. Just as they began to rummage through the place, a senior knight rushed in.


    ¡°Sir! Sir!¡± The knight said in a panic. ¡°She has woken up! She has woken up!¡±


    Hao Ren was started for a moment before he realized what the knight meant: the Sacred Flame Incarnate had regained consciousness.


    Vivian noticed a strange expression on the knight¡¯s face. ¡°Did she say anything when she woke up?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ Yes!¡± The knight nodded frantically. His face had an incredible expression. ¡°She said¡­ She said she was Lorissa!¡±

 Chapter 1362 - Lorissa

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°Lorissa?¡±


    The name sounded familiar, but Hao Ren was still startled for a while. He never thought of things in this direction before. ¡°Lorissa, the ancient elf queen?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s that Lorrisa.¡± The knight quickly nodded.


    ¡°Are they the same person?¡± Vivian asked.


    This time the knight could not answer, because he had not put so much thought into it. The name Lorissa was notorious in Holletta, especially among residents around the Gloom Mountains. The name was associated with legends, myths, ghosts, and horror stories used to coax children to go to bed. Even the energy wall above the mountain range was named after her. Everyone knew the name. So after hearing that an elven woman had come out of the ancient ruins claiming herself to be Lorissa, the first thing that came to the knight¡¯s mind was the ancient mage emperor.


    Leaving the search for the ¡°container¡± aside, Hao Ren immediately said, ¡°Let¡¯s check her out!¡±


    The elven woman was squeezed in the mobile medical pod. She could not get out because of the energy shackle. But just by looking at her appearance, it was hard to associate her to the mage emperor and the insane Sacred Flame Incarnate. Instead, she felt weak like a poor bunny. The lid of the medical pod slid open to one side when the medical treatment completed. A hologram on the edge of the medical pod showed the patient¡¯s conditions. The woman¡¯s physical injuries, mental and soul¡¯s wounds had healed, but she needed time to recover her energy. She was still extremely weak.


    But due to the complexity of soul and the strangeness of her life form, it was hard to tell whether this ¡®Lorissa¡¯ had indeed regained her sanity.


    Hao Ren came before the medical pod and looked down at the elven woman. Aside from the grogginess on her face, there was also a slight majestic aura, which perhaps was a natural disposition as an empress. But this patina had faded into the background because of her physical condition. After Hao Ren and the elven woman stared at each other for three seconds, Hao Ren asked, ¡°What is your name?¡±


    ¡°You guys seem to be completely uncoordinated,¡± the elf woman scoffed. Her brow pulled together and her voice weak. ¡°I have said it before, I am Lorissa. Cough cough. Who are you guys?¡±


    The women looked at the attire of Hao Ren and others, her brows knitted even tighter this time. ¡°You guys are not from the crisis management?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid the crisis management agency won¡¯t be coming,¡± said Lily, who poked her head out from behind Hao Ren. Staring curiously at the elven woman in the medical cabin, Lily¡¯s ears flicked. ¡°But you, what is your relationship with the elven queen?¡±


    ¡°I am¡­¡± Lorissa almost made a slip of the tongue but choked back at the last moment. ¡°Since you guys are not from the crisis management, then I will not answer any questions from you. And you have tied me up.¡±


    Lorissa struggled a little, but the energy shackle prevented her from doing more, which angered her even more.


    ¡°Do you know what you are doing?¡± She looked up at Hao Ren. Besides angry, she could not believe she was being treated like that. ¡°How dare you treat me like this! Do you know who I am?¡±


    Seeing the woman¡¯s reaction, Hao Ren was more or less sure about her identity. He felt it unbelievable, but he had to believe the evidence: the elven woman was the ancient ruler of a magic empire, Queen Lorissa!


    When Vivian saw Lorissa was angry, she squinted and said in a cold voice, ¡°We tie you up for your own safety. Do you know that you almost destroy¡­ no, you have already destroyed this place? If not for us, you would have died.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Lorissa became lost, there were confusion and muddiness in her eyes. ¡°What happened before? How do I¡­ wait! I should be on the bench! How do I end up here?¡±


    Lorissa fell into great confusion and contradiction as if her frozen memories had thawed suddenly. She completely ignored the suspicious strangers around her and fell into a panic and talked to herself. The elven queen began to mutter quickly some words that no one could understand. The next moment, she would mention things in the lab. After a while, she wondered why she was in this place and was confused about her identity and name. She kept saying the name of those people and organizations that were long gone. Lily was anxious when she saw Lorissa¡¯s condition. She dragged Lorrisa up from the medical pod and smacked her face. Had Hao Ren not stopped Lily in time, the elven queen might have lost all her teeth.¡±


    After a short few minutes of chaos, Lolissa suddenly stopped, and her murky eyes suddenly became clear. Suddenly, she struggled to get up but almost fell back into the medical pod. ¡°Stop! You must top them! We¡¯ve been cheated! We¡¯ve been cheated!¡±


    ¡°Calm down!¡± Hao Ren grabbed Lorissa¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Be quiet! We¡¯re in control! What is going on?¡±


    ¡°Fake! It¡¯s fake!¡± Lorissa grabbed Hao Ren¡¯s arms. Her grip was so hard that translucent ripples began to appear on Hao Ren¡¯s Steel Membrane Shield. But the elven queen was unaware of that, and she just kept shouting like mad. ¡°The divine decree is fake! The divine power is also fake! We have been deceived! Someone is trying to steal the authority of the goddess! Come on, stop them! You must not allow the divine decree and the mortal to come together! You must not allow them to complete that thing! Otherwise¡­ What are you doing? Quickly stop them! I order you to¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid your order is already too late.¡± The light dawned on Hao Ren. He suddenly understood many things. Shaking his head helplessly, Hao Ren forced Lorissa back. ¡°It¡¯s 10,000 years too late.¡±


    ¡°10,000 years?¡± Lorissa was baffled. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It has been 10,000 years, Your Majesty,¡± Becky said. She felt it difficult to break the news to the queen. ¡°You have been sealed for 10,000 years, and now you are waking up in another era. The conspiracy of stealing the authority of the goddess is over¡ªand successful.¡±


    ¡°10,000 years!¡± Lorissa was stunned. She did not understand what Becky meant for a while. ¡°What does this mean? Are you kidding me?¡±


    Hao Ren exchanged a look with Vivian, who nodded gently. ¡°You tell her,¡± Vivian said to Hao Ren.


    Hao Ren told Lolissa the truth, as concise as possible, about the deicidal war, and the changes in the Plane of Dreams over the past 10,000 years, especially about planet Holletta.


    Hao Ren also briefly explained about himself and his team, but mentioned just the necessary amount¡ªnot too much, not too little. For an ancient being from 10,000 years ago, the things he told her were too strange; it would waste a lot of time.


    Hao Ren had made his explanation as concise as possible, but it still took him a good half an hour. Plus, he was interrupted many times by Lorrisa. The elven queen apparently did not trust these people, who just popped up out of nowhere. Her attitude had been resentful and suspicious from the beginning, and her questions fully reflected it. But the explanation went on with more and more clues forming an intertwined net of history, there were fewer interruptions and questions from Lorrisa. She began to listen attentively to the news that seemed like an exaggeration.


    When Lorissa learned that the once prosperous magic empire had become history, and even its legacy was lost and turned into some mythical story, she let out a soft sigh.


    However, the elven queen was surprised when she heard that the First Born underground had broken out and almost destroyed the world.


    When Lorissa heard about what Hao Ren had done on the planet and the new world order, she began to curiously observe the group of strangers, including Becky.


    ¡°I have finished explaining. Do you have any questions?¡± Hao Ren looked into Lorissa¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Not until you can prove what you are saying,¡± the elf lowered her head and said in a low voice.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s simple. You go with us to the outside world to see for yourself, then you will know,¡± Hao Ren said with a shrug. ¡°This place is now called the Gloom Mountains. An energy storm in the mountains is named after you. You can see that the labs and energy towers have been completely weathered. We can also take you to see the land of the Elven Empire, which is now split into three kingdoms and a dozen forest tribes. The closest from here is the kingdom of the mountain elves, whose ancient books might contain some names you know. If you still don¡¯t believe us, I will take you to space to see the lunar colonial base.¡±


    ¡°No, that won¡¯t be necessary.¡± Lorissa shook her head. ¡°I knew there would be a day when I would find out that the divine decree was fake. But I didn¡¯t expect things to end up so badly.¡±

 Chapter 1363 - Back to the Royal City

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Lorissa obviously knew a lot of things, and Hao Ren found leads as well as doubts from her words. Unfortunately, the elven queen was not in her best mental state for a long chat. She was especially shocked when she learned that 10,000 years had passed. Hao Ren had to stop the conversation so that the ¡°ancient elf¡±, who was suffering from space-time disorientation, could take a break.


    While Lorissa was taking a rest, Hao Ren brought his team back to the central lab. He wanted to find the energy source, which existed in theory. In any case, he could not believe that the thing that carried the divine power of the goddess could dematerialize just like that. After all, even the runes of the treacherous children on the lab wall had held up. Should the vessel carrying divine power not be better than that?


    The group scouted the chamber for a long time but found nothing. Lily lost her patience and yelled, ¡°Mr. Landlord, could the energy source not exist at all?! We¡¯ve been looking high and low for such a long time. Plus, this is all your idea.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s indeed just my inference.¡± Hao Ren arched his eyebrows ¡°But it¡¯s completely logical, isn¡¯t it? Before the ancient mage emperors infused the divine power into the mortal cells, they must first obtain the divine power. If there were without such an energy source, the stoppage of time in the ruin would be unexplainable.¡±


    ¡°The most important thing is the runes.¡± Vivian looked up from a pile of twisted metal, and a few bats were flying around her to help. The bats had some metal pieces in their claws. ¡°The runes on the wall could be a protection enhancement, but their function was mostly to resist the divine power of the goddess of creation. Since the central lab is full of such runes, it means this lab has once stored the divine power.¡±


    ¡°All right, you win.¡± Lily waved her Flamejoy and mumbled. She then bent down again and kept digging. But this time, her claw hit something in the metal ruins with a strange clink, and she froze.


    ¡°Mr. Landlord! Mr. Landlord!¡± the husky suddenly shouted. ¡°I¡¯ve found something.¡±


    Hao Ren was startled for a moment before he realized what the dog maiden meant. He and Vivian looked at each other: the dog was indeed good at digging pit.


    Very quickly, Lily dug the thing out and placed it on the ground. She crouched and watched the thing as if she was guarding her bones, and would growl whenever the knights came up to want to take a gander. Hao Ren, Vivian, and Becky were the only ones to come near.


    Hao Ren was stunned when he saw the thing, which was familiar to him. He had seen the same thing before.


    It was a tablet, irregularly shaped, and of material between metal and stone. The tablet had a soft glow and was engraved with many mysterious runes, which seemed to be meaningless. Mortals would feel a strong sense of dizziness even if they only took a glance at the runes. But the translation plugin of Hao Ren could still decode some messy, seemingly meaningless words. Hao Ren now knew why Lily was guarding the tablet and would not allow anyone to come near. It was not the instinctive behavior of the dog maiden, but she was consciously preventing the ordinary people from being exposed to the runes.


    It was a Tablet of Commandments, a record of the goddess of creation¡¯s speech.


    The stone tablet was far more dangerous than ordinary divine objects because not only had it been touched by the goddess, thus containing divinity, but it also carried her divine will, which was powerful enough to distort the surrounding world and impact the mind of mortals who came near it. But the strength of the slate was inferior to that of the tablet Hao Ren found in the Asurmen spacecraft in Collow. It did not radiate much divine power, and Hao Ren had not been able to detect its presence with his demigod perception ability, but the divine runes on it were proof that it was a Tablet of Commandments.


    It seemed that this tablet was also different in function and power level. Asurmen¡¯s tablet was used to suppress Lockmarton, so it possessed strong aggression and radiation ability. While the one before Hao Ren¡¯s eyes were mostly reserved for mortal use; it was less destructive. Any trained or gifted mortals could approach it safely, but not the ordinary knights and apprentice mages.


    ¡°What the heck is this stuff? It¡¯s making me dizzy!¡±


    Becky came up to take a glimpse of it and immediately had to shut her eyes. She did have some resistance to the divine runes since she had stayed in Hao Ren¡¯s house for some time. But it was apparent that she did not get to eat enough of the ¡®heavenly food.¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s divine words, ones that possess meaning. So be careful.¡± Hao Ren said to Becky, then bent down, and slowly touched the tablet.


    Fragmented words flashed across his mind. But after they dissipated, Hao Ren did no find any meaningful information.


    ¡°Mr. Landlord, what was written on it?¡± Lily curiously came up to him.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that the divine decree in it has been taken by the mage emperors to create the primordial cells of the demon hunter.¡± Hao Ren shook his head and got to his feet. ¡°Now this thing is just an empty shell. But I¡¯m sure that this stone tablet has caused time to stand still here. It distorted the surrounding space and time. Although space and time have returned to normal, the inconsistency in time flow rates is still present.¡±


    ¡°So the mage emperors only created the demon hunters after getting the divine decree from the goddess of creation, right?¡± Lily scratched her head. ¡°Did they follow the goddess of creation or the treacherous children?¡±


    Vivian looked around and saw the blasphemous runes were still glowing on the walls.


    The divine decree and the runes of the deicide appeared in the same place, and they were part of the same plan. This ridiculous situation was something unimaginable before this.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget what Lorissa said before,¡± Hao Ren looked at Vivian and Lily. ¡°She said that the divine decree is fake.¡±


    ¡°Is this Tablet of Commandments fake?¡± Lily pointed incredibly at the thing she had just dug out.


    ¡°No, the tablet is genuine, but the information recorded inside may not. Even if the information is real, the process of interpreting it might be fraudulent.¡± Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°After all, no mortals could read it directly. There were too many possibilities of things being manipulated.¡±


    ¡°What I don¡¯t understand is why was the goddess of creation using a tablet to communicate her divine decree. It is a ¡®letter¡¯ used only between gods and demigods, and not suitable for mortal society at all. According to the teachings of the goddess and their previous experiences, the goddess could communicate directly with her followers through spiritual dialogue. Clearly, she could use a better method to conveys her message. So this tablet is suspicious,¡± Vivian said.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it necessary to have a carrier to convey the divine power? So She used a real tablet,¡± Lily said with her eyes blinking.


    Vivian glanced at the husky with an indifferent look. ¡°When you send a courier, can¡¯t you write your message separately from the parcel itself? Do you have to engrave your message on it?¡±


    The light dawned on Hao Ren when he heard what Vivian said. But the husky maiden was instantly mute.


    ¡°The elven queen should know the inside story.¡± Hao Ren kept the Tablet of Commandments into his dimensional pocket. He then took a final look around at the central lab. This time, he felt that he did not miss anything here. ¡°Let¡¯s study this after we go back.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s team returned to the Royal City with one more person: Lorissa, the mage emperor from 10,000 years ago.


    Instead of going straight back to the Royal City, Hao Ren had teleported everyone outside the city and then took the horse carriage that Marshal Ophra had sent to meet them.


    Hao Ren had compiled his discovery on the Gloom Mountains into a report and sent it to the Royal City at once through the Royal Mage Guild using their communication spell earlier. Marshal Ophra and King Mhoren had a great interest in the secrets buried in the ruins and shocked by the ¡°current¡± ancient mage emperor. So Hao Ren was to bring Lorissa to see them.


    After some rest, the elven queen felt a lot better, but there was still a hint of fatigue on her face. As the carriage passed through the gate, Lorissa looked out through the gap in the carriage window, the image of the majestic castle of Holletta was reflected in her eyes. For a moment, the ancient elf was shaken and stunned.


    Along the way, the same expression appeared on Lorissa¡¯s face several times; she had left the ruins, seen the Gloom Mountains, which had returned to nature, climbed to the top of a mountain and overlooked the fertile land where the old capital city used to be. And now, she was looking at the new city built with stones.


    At last, all her emotions were condensed into a sigh. ¡°Ten thousand years!¡±


    Hao Ren just looked quietly at the mage empress who seemed too young for the position. After a long while, Hao Ren suddenly spoke, ¡°Are you really Lorissa the Elven Queen?¡±

 Chapter 1364 - Lorissa’s Memories

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°Are you really Lorissa the Elven Queen?¡±


    Hao Ren looked into the elven girl¡¯s eyes, his tone of voice solemn.


    Lily, who was looking out the window for something delicious on the street, turned her head around. ¡°Didn¡¯t we confirm her identity before, Mr. Landlord?¡±


    ¡°All the confirmations we¡¯ve gotten are based on her claims,¡± Hao Ren said, leaning back in his seat. ¡°I¡¯ve had this question on my mind for a long time, and I finally decided to ask. Are you really Lorissa?¡±


    The elf knitted her brows together, but apart from that, there were no changes of expression as if the question was not shocking enough to shake her confidence. Since leaving the Gloom Mountains, the ancient empress had been calm. It seemed like the passing of 10,000 years had only shaken her for a while. Lorissa had since returned to the state of being the elven queen.


    ¡°Why are you suddenly asking about this?¡± After a few seconds of silence, Lorissa asked in reply.


    Seeing Lorissa¡¯s reaction, Hao Ren became relaxed. ¡°Do you know about the Tree of Life Project?¡±


    ¡°The Tree of Life Project?¡± Lorissa finally looked confused. Apparently, she was hearing it for the first time. ¡°The legend of the elf has a tree of life¡ªthe first tree in the world. All elves were born from the leaves of the tree. But the Tree of Life Project¡ªI¡¯ve never heard of it.¡±


    Vivian seemed to know what was in Hao Ren¡¯s mind. She looked at Lorissa puzzledly.


    ¡°The Tree of Life Project, in short, was a plan to use the power of the lifeblood and the secret magic of the Elves to create an artificial plant. It would be infinitely close to the legendary Tree of Life and then merged with the tentacles of the First Born using the Origin Branches simulated by the Tree of Life. But the project failed, because the difference between the artificially simulated the Origin Life and the First Born born out of the Seed of Origin was too big, the counter-energy completely scorched the Tree of Life,¡± Hao Ren explained while his eyes were still looking at Lorissa. ¡°The initiator of this project was Lorissa.¡±


    The elf blinked, there was neither fear on her face, because her lie was exposed, nor nervousness because she was scrambling to look for excuses. Lorissa just looked at Hao Ren with a smile. She nodded but neither confirmed nor denied. ¡°Oh, I see.¡±


    ¡°So who are you?¡± Vivian scratched her chin. A faint blanket of bloody runes had appeared around her. ¡°Why do you claim to be the Elven Queen Lorissa?¡±


    ¡°I just said I was Lorissa. It was you guys who said that I am the Elven Queen.¡± Lorissa said with a calm voice. ¡°I never claimed to be the Elven Queen. And the title Elven Queen is not appropriate. We called the rulers mage emperors.¡±


    ¡°But your name is Lorissa?¡± Lily had also realized what happened. Staring at the elf in front of her, Lily asked, ¡°What is your relationship with the elven girl¡­ err, I mean the mage empress?¡±


    ¡°Since it has come to this, then let me explain. I am her, but is not her,¡± Lorissa said. She sorted her laced edge of her dress and sat upright as if she had decided to tell the truth. ¡°From my self-recognition, I¡¯m often confused by my connection with the queen, but from a logical and intellectual point of view, I know that I am not the real mage empress. I don¡¯t know if you can understand this concept, I am a replica of Lorissa.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, I know. You¡¯re a clone, aren¡¯t you?¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°They even cloned memories?¡±


    ¡°Your emotions were also cloned?¡± It was Lily¡¯s first time seeing a real clone. Her eyes glinted as if she had found some precious stone. ¡°Why were you guys so careless? Clones are most afraid of inheriting the emotions and memories of the original.¡±


    Vivian glanced at Lorissa, sizing her up. ¡°Well, cloning wasn¡¯t something impossible with the technology at that time.¡±


    At first, Lorissa was thinking to explain to them what cloning meant. But now she was a bit stunned instead. ¡°You all know what it is?¡±


    ¡°We know.¡± The three of them nodded.


    Only Becky remained silent. Her days on Earth were mostly about shopping and low-IQ variety shows. More advanced knowledge was limited to how to use the computer to do online shopping and watch movies. She kind of made all space-time travelers looked bad. At first, Becky was aspired to be a cross-universe trader, but it was Hao Ren who ruined her ambition.


    ¡°Oh, ahh. Then things will become easy.¡± Lorissa finally came out of her daze. ¡°I am the clone of Elven Mage Empress Lorissa. I have some of her memories and ways of thinking. But at the end of the day, a clone is still a clone. I only know what happened before the accident in the lab. But after that, just like the Tree of Life Project you have mentioned, I know nothing of it.¡±


    ¡°A clone with only partial memories and emotion.¡± Hao Ren looked at the ancient clone in surprise. ¡°And a clone of the mage empress. You guys were truly daring; first, mage emperors cloned themselves, then use the clones in the biochemical experiment! Did you guys create a lot of clones?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s difficult to clone a mage emperor.¡± Lorissa shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m the only successful clone. Ahh, almost successful. My memories and emotions are something unexpected to them. But in any case, one success worths more than all the failures.¡±


    ¡°Why did they have to clone a mage emperor? Is it safer and more controllable to clone an ordinary person?¡± Hao Ren frowned. He is confused. ¡°And it sounds like they didn¡¯t expect you to inherit part of the memories and personality of the original. How did they still dare to let an uncontrollable factor like you participate in the experiment?¡±


    ¡°It was because other than the mage emperor, no other persons could inherit the grace of God. They have tried with ordinary people before, but without fail, they all failed.¡± Lorissa then pointed at herself. ¡°I fact, I had also failed in the end: I came into contact with the deep-level knowledge of divine decree, and then my mind collapsed. You knew what happened after that. As for why they allowed me to participate in the experiment; it was a simple reason¡ªbecause they didn¡¯t have a choice. It was the crucial moment of the experiment, they had no time to create a new clone, and I had always been cooperative.¡±


    ¡°What is the divine decree all about? Did the goddess of creation really order you guys to create a divine life? What is the so-called ¡®inheriting the grace of God?¡¯ What did you guys do in the lab?¡± Hao Ren had too many questions to ask.


    Lorissa smiled. ¡°You have a lot of questions. Well, it seems that we still have a little time, I can tell you what happened right from the beginning. You have said that you have been investigating the deicidal event of 10,000 years ago; then did you know how we thought at the beginning?¡±


    ¡°You guys?¡±


    ¡°The mage emperors, and people like me who participated in the experiment,¡± Lorissa said with a self-deprecating smile. ¡°We didn¡¯t know from the beginning to the end that someone was plotting to seize the power of God. The mage emperors on this planet had no idea what was happening in the ¡®Heavenly Kingdom¡¯ in the distant universe. All of our sources of information were only the divine decrees that we heard through our worship and prayer. This tenuous connection made it difficult for us to grasp the truth. I am even sure when the problem started, because my memory in this respect is passed down from Lorissa, and this inheritance is not complete. All I can remember was only one fragment: one day, at the grandest ceremony, four mage emperors were present. The goddess¡¯ consciousness came to the world, and she said that the new world of the mortals was coming. According to the initial plan, when the mortal¡¯s mind grew to a certain extent, we would be qualified to share the secrets of life creation with God.¡±


    ¡°That is to allow you to study the demon hunter¡­ I mean the super life you guys have created?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s eyebrows arched. He sensed that he was close to the truth. ¡°You believed it? The consciousness that came was really from the goddess?¡±


    ¡°Of course we believed. The goddess of creation is supreme, and her mighty power is impossible to fake. We are all people of the goddess. So when she came, everyone who stood in front of her could feel the excitement deep in the soul. It is a natural phenomenon that arises spontaneously. You don¡¯t belong to this world so you won¡¯t understand it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s to say, the one who came was indeed the goddess of creation?¡± Lily was wide-eyed. ¡°Then why did you say that ¡®the divine decree is fake¡¯? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Lorissa said. She appeared confused for the first time. ¡°From the inherited memories of the original, I was sure that it was the power of the goddess. But when I was injected with the divine power, I found that there was a shadow of madness and darkness hidden deep inside the divine power, a trojan horse of sorts. But it was too late to warn the others because my perception of the outside world was cut off the moment the power came into my body. I tried to break away from its control of my soul, but this resistance led to me losing control of my energy. You know the story after that.¡±

 Chapter 1365 - A False Oracle

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Lorrisa¡¯s memory presented two distinct parts. Part of it came from her inheritance as a clone. It was not known how the mage emperors did it, but it was clear that the technique was very different from cell cloning on Earth. They could actually allow the clone to inherit most of the realm, magic, and memories of the actual person. Although the last one was an unpleasant accident for them, it proved to be an advantage for Hao Ren and his friends at the moment. Another part of Lorrisa¡¯s memory came from herself, from the moment she woke up from the incubator until her involvement in that last experiment. In her brief years as the ¡°shadow of the Elven Queen¡±, she witnessed the prosperous era and integrated many of her own ideas as well as understandings into her memory.


    The two parts of memory contrasted sharply in Lorrisa¡¯s brain. The first part of the memory was fragmentary and cold, and it seemed to her like a black and white image, which had been stored in her mind. She could not feel any emotional experience of her own but only looked at things from the first person perspective like a bystander. The second part was a vivid and detailed memory. It was her whole life even though it was only a few years.


    She put together the two parts of memory, finally restoring the antecedents as well as consequences of the experiment shrouded in intrigue and mystery.


    It all began some years before Lorrisa¡¯s birth. It was also the eve of the deicidal war. In a grand religious ceremony attended by the four mage emperors of Holletta, the will of the goddess of creation presented itself on the remote planet.


    The goddess of creation was not one to spread faith or create miracles. She did not often appear on secular planets around her own divine kingdom, let alone in this remote world far from the center of divine power. In the ancient calendar of Holletta recorded in history, only a few times did the goddess appear directly by projection. So one could imagine the impact that her sudden arrival had on the mage emperors of the time. The goddess mentioned that the mortal civilization of Holletta had reached a certain ¡°passing line¡± and that she would, therefore, reward them. The prize was the secret to the origin of life.


    The mage emperors believed in the promise of the goddess, not only because of their faith but also because of the influence of the times. At that time, the Hollettan Civilization was indeed on the rise. They discovered ways to navigate and survive in the universe and stars. They also discovered controlled nuclear fusion technology based on magic and even started to lay the foundation for antimatter technology. They had established a vast colony on the moon and were planning the massive Dyson Sphere project near the sun. These achievements were not very impressive for a truly advanced civilization in the universe, but the remote Holletta did not know it. They were at the most confident stage in history that they thought their presence among the goddess¡¯ many subjects should indeed be transcendent. This arrogance led them to take the ¡°oracle¡± for granted.


    They felt that they were really going to get their reward from the goddess.


    Not long after that, a Tablet of Commandments came into the mortal world. Lorrisa was not sure exactly how the slate had come into the world, but she guessed that it had come directly into the realm of the Blood Clan¡¯s mage emperor, Darian, because it was the powerful lord of the Blood Clan who had called for the formation of the first laboratory (which was also consistent with the legends of Holletta to this day). Darian was clearly unable to complete the study of the Tablet of Commandments on his own, and the oracle was witnessed by four mage emperors at that time, he would not dare to defy the divine will of the goddess. Therefore, he handed over the tablet and put forward a plan to study with the mortal countries together.


    Then they got the technique of using artificial constraints on the ¡°divine power¡± from the Tablet of Commandments and injecting it into the lifeblood to create artificial divine cells. The process was incredibly smooth.


    The first experimental base was set in the Consecrated Valley, where the elven and Blood Clan empires met. But not long after that, it was moved to the dark mountains for political and economic reasons. It was not called the dark mountains at that time. It had an even more glorious name, ¡°the Eversong Ridge.¡± At that time, there were no dangerous, mutating beasts in the mountains, only peace.


    As Hao Ren has previously speculated, to create artificial divine cells, there had to be a ¡°source of energy¡± that could be touched and controlled by mortals. Since humans could not condense or carry divine power out of thin air, this source of energy was the Tablet of Commandments given by the goddess. It was not only a series of extraordinary technical document media but also a carefully crafted ¡°divine energy pool¡±.


    The pool once held the power of the goddess of creation¡ªcarefully processed, precisely diluted, and carefully sliced into small ¡°clusters¡±, as Lorrisa put it, as though the goddess had prepared a batch of experimental materials for her clumsy students.


    However, even this carefully-managed energy source was too powerful for mere mortals. The mage emperors soon realized this after their initial ambition and enthusiasm. All the creatures they chose to participate in the experiment, including animal samples and human volunteers, simply could not withstand the impact of direct contact with the Tablet of Commandments. The weaker of them would break down even just looking at the words on the tablet, while some devout priests could barely communicate with the tablet.


    The goddess could not have given the tablet without thinking about it, so the mage emperors soon discovered that those who could serve as the ¡°carriers of origin¡± were actually on the planet, and that was them.


    The particularity of the ancient civilization of Holletta determined that the mage emperors were the most powerful individuals among mortals, and the tablet granted by the goddess was obviously designed according to this strongest standard.


    After confirming this fact, instead of risking their lives, the mage emperors decided to ¡°build¡± a standard carrier to replace them.


    A clone of Lorrisa was born in this situation and was the only successful individual to survive steadily.


    Holletta¡¯s clone technology, which gave clone the same power as the original, had had a very low success rate. Even if several magic empires combined to conduct research on a national level, only one clone succeeded, therefore, they had high hopes for Lorrisa¡¯s clone from the very beginning. Even when the mage emperors later discovered that she had accidentally inherited some of the memory and personality from the real Lorrisa, they weighed in and chose to keep the clone.


    As the inherited memories and personality were not complete, and lacked ¡°embedding¡±, although it would affect the clone¡¯s self-cognition to a certain extent, it was not as stable as its own memory and personality. Through the acquired guidance, the mage emperors believed they could get the clone to cooperate, and Lorrisa did the same. Of course, in order to make the clone more compatible with the experiment, the mage emperors also made a series of promises to her, such as freedom or the strong power that could be retained after ¡°enduring the goddess¡¯ grace¡±¡­ These things were appealing, but for Lorrisa, they did not really matter.


    The reason being, in a way, she was kind of half a mage emperor, having inherited the memory of the real Lorrisa. As for the exploration of the mysterious field, her interest was no lower than that of other people. Since there was no choice, it seemed very interesting to feel the mystery of the Tablet of Commandments by herself.


    As the project progressed to its substantive phase, she underwent the lead-in experiment of ¡°oracle power.¡±


    ¡°Here¡¯s their plan: the experiment has two parts. One part is to extract the original material from the lifeblood and synthesize blank ¡®divine cells¡¯ artificially. The other part is to channel the power of the Tablet of Commandments into a mage emperor or a clone like me so that this power can be transformed into controllable energy. Eventually, they fused the two and created truly activated divine cells,¡± Lorrisa explained slowly. ¡°I fell into a state of dizzy and sleepy after the ¡®lead in¡¯ experiment and soon lost myself completely. But according to you, it looks like they finally got the rest of the work done while I was unconscious¡­¡±


    ¡°You can transform those divine powers without being conscious?¡± Hao Ren asked curiously.


    Lorrisa raised her right hand, and suddenly her hand was burning with a holy flame.


    Then she waved away the flames and said, ¡°It seems that the transformation of divine power on me has been completed. This process should be guided by the Tablet of Commandments, and has nothing to do with my personal will.¡±


    ¡°Can you describe what you ¡®saw¡¯ during your unconscious state?¡± Vivian suddenly asked. ¡°What did you see in the depths of the oracle?¡±


    ¡°The language of mortals cannot describe it.¡± Lorrisa shook her head. ¡°It was a super-sensory experience. I was vaguely in contact with a vast, twisted consciousness, or probably I was just passing through it, but I was sure it had a dark, evil nature. This consciousness mimics the power of the goddess. And because it is so powerful, ordinary people can¡¯t spot its disguise. Only people like me can detect the truth with their own eyes. All in all, there¡¯s one thing I know for sure: it was definitely not the true power of the goddess. The whole thing was a lie from start to finish.¡±

 Chapter 1366 - The Creator and the Created

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    To be honest, Lorrisa¡¯s description was rather lacking in reference. A vast, twisted consciousness, which she barely glimpsed as she passed by¡­ These descriptions were too general. Hao Ren, of course, did not plan to get the whole story from what the Elven Queen¡¯s clone had seen. He only needed to be certain of one thing: that the ¡°oracle¡±, which descended on the planet 10,000 years before, was 100% false.


    He had crucial witnesses: Muru, Lemendusa, and Heve. Those who lived through the deicidal war could attest that the goddess of creation had never sent such an odd oracle. And even if the testimony of these guardians were unreliable, Hao Ren could also rule out the possibility of the oracle based on his knowledge of the true God. It was not required for a true god to interfere in the evolution of human civilization in this way because it was unnecessary and harmful. Additionally, the level of development in Holletta¡¯s magic civilization in those days was never enough to attract the attention of the goddess of creation.


    ¡°Do you think that ¡®consciousness¡¯ has anything to do with the Mad Lord?¡± Vivian looked at Hao Ren and whispered.


    ¡°The Mad Lord has no ¡®consciousness¡¯, but I¡¯m not sure about whatever extends from it. We¡¯ve seen Lockmarton, and it¡¯s impossible to tell if there¡¯s another infected otherworldly being lurking deep in the universe. For the magic empires of the past, they were unable to discern the subtle differences between the supernatural powers. So as long as the forger possessed one or two items of the goddess of creation, the mage emperors would have certainly fallen for it.¡±


    ¡°The question is, what¡¯s the point of this scam?¡± Lily had seen enough of the scenery outside and now joined in on the conversation. ¡°So much work; a false oracle and collusion with the treacherous children just to cheat those mage emperors into a few years of funding? Even though the demon hunters they¡¯ve created were powerful and had touched the edge of the realm of ¡®divine power¡¯, they were not strong enough to fight in the deicidal war.¡±


    Lily¡¯s question was exactly what Hao Ren had thought of before. He frowned, instinctively sensing that the truth of the deception had been revealed. Under the fog, the deception itself transcended the biochemical experiments and the ¡°demon hunters¡± who accompanied them. ¡°Making a perfect life form¡± was probably just the tip of the iceberg. The real purpose of the mastermind behind the scenes was far greater than that.


    And most likely it had something to do with some unsolved mystery of the deicidal war.


    ¡°Who taught you the runes you set up in the central lab?¡± Vivian asked suddenly. ¡°Is there any third party contact with you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Lorrisa, shaking her head. ¡°The runes are the knowledge that came with the oracle.¡±


    ¡°Awoo? The runes were also taught to you by the goddess of creation?¡± Lily¡¯s eyes widened as she jumped up. ¡°Do you know what those runes are for?¡±


    Hao Ren held down Lily, who was a little overreacted. She was certainly not indignant, it was more likely that she was just looking for a chance to howl. After all, it was forbidden for large dogs to bark in the royal quarter. Hao Ren then added in a low voice, ¡°The runes were created by the god slayers to go against the goddess of creation, but they should not be able to imitate her oracle. This requires not only the combat prowess but also theological knowledge. Based on what I know about the god slayers, I don¡¯t think they¡¯ve cracked the divine power quite yet.¡±


    Lorrisa was dumbfounded, unable to speak for a long time. A few minutes later, she gave a faint sigh and said, ¡°What a big lie. The proud magic empire has been fooled for so many years.¡±


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d be a little angrier,¡± said Vivian. ¡°You don¡¯t look like a mage emperor.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ Well, it does confuse me a little bit from time to time, but for the most part, I still know who I am. And what¡¯s the use of anger? Ten thousand years have passed, and I still have to think about where I should go. Who has the time to dwell on the past?¡±


    The carriage had passed the famous red rock road in front of the royal quarter. Hao Ren saw the palace¡¯s towering outer walls have appeared in the distance, and gradually approaching the carriage. They were passing through King Mhoren¡¯s gate, and the old king had been waiting for them for a long time.


    ¡°Do you have any plans for the future?¡± asked Hao Ren.


    ¡°The first step is to understand the times now and find a way to survive. It shouldn¡¯t be hard, and then I might try to find those countries the elves have founded. Although the kingdom of Holletta is also a place of many races, I think it would be more convenient for elves to live with elves,¡± Lorrisa said softly without expectation or confusion as if she were really just planning a short trip.


    Hao Ren raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°Ah, it¡¯s a good plan. But first, you have to think about what you¡¯re going to do with the king in there. He doesn¡¯t necessarily want someone like you to be an uncontrollable factor.¡±


    Lorrisa¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°Oh? You mean¡­ The human king here is going to ¡®keep¡¯ me?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps not directly force you to stay, but I don¡¯t think His Majesty would want you to just walk out and get out of his sight.¡± Hao Ren smiled. ¡°So should the Elf Kingdom. As far as I know, the elves are far from being a race of sages.¡±


    Lorrisa was not the real mage emperor, but she was also a smart person. So she quickly understood what Hao Ren meant and showed a thoughtful look.


    ¡°A ¡®mage emperor¡¯ from the past¡­¡± said Vivian. ¡°It would be a shock to any country on this planet. It¡¯s difficult for you to understand the fame and influence of the ancient mage emperors in Holletta today. For most people, you are synonymous with disaster. His Majesty may not think so, but he wants to think more about the security of his kingdom. I think any normal king would be disturbed by the sudden appearance of one who holds the ancient knowledge, and is powerful beyond the realm of mere mortals, and more importantly, supreme ruler of the last epoch.¡±


    Lorrisa frowned. ¡°Stupid.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s human nature,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°You don¡¯t belong to this era, but you are back in this era.¡±


    ¡°What do you suggest?¡± Lorrisa looked at Hao Ren.


    ¡°It¡¯s very simple, you just have to emphasize that you¡¯re just a clone,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°You¡¯re just a clone, having the same name as Lorrisa, but otherwise you¡¯re just a normal elf, sleeping for ten thousand years. You don¡¯t have any ancient knowledge, and you don¡¯t have any insight as a mage emperor. You were involved in the experiment but you¡¯ve been sleeping since the accident. Don¡¯t say anything more than that.¡±


    ¡°Is that all? Will he believe it?¡± Lorrisa wondered. ¡°Any ruler is prone to suspicion¡­¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t believe you, but if we also say the same, then he probably would.¡± Hao Ren smiled and pointed to himself. ¡°We are professionals in this field and have already helped Holletta ward off an ancient scourge. We have the best say in matters left over from ancient times.¡±


    He there was one thing that he did not say: Mhoren had seen the spectacle of a fleet of Aerymian diggers drilling holes in the planet. Compared with a mage emperor who popped out of nowhere, it was obvious that Hao Ren needed his attention more¡­


    Lorrisa nodded thoughtfully and had no other opinion.


    Now they had entered the palace.


    The king still looked the same as Hao Ren remembered. Or, he looked older and more tired. It seemed that the task of rebuilding the kingdom after the planetary sores and guardian crisis had been too much for His Majesty¡¯s energy. Facing an ¡°ancient mage emperor¡± from ancient times full of doubts and unknowns, His Majesty did not hold a grand reception ceremony but gathered a few confidants and church leaders to participate in the meeting.


    Among them were Marshal Ophra and the new pope, as well as several ministers whose names Hao Ren could not remember.


    Things were going as Hao Ren expected. Mhoren was, indeed, extremely wary of the ¡°ancient mage emperor.¡± Though he tried to conceal his attitude, Hao Ren could still sense it. However, this vigilance was greatly alleviated after Hao Ren explained Lorrisa¡¯s situation.


    Just a clone.


    However, Ophra showed particular interest in Lorrisa.


    The marshal looked curiously at Lorrisa from head to toe, and she stayed after the meeting was over.


    ¡°You created the Ancients?¡± Ophra asked directly.


    ¡°The Ancients?¡± Lorrisa had apparently never heard of it.


    ¡°It¡¯s the ¡®perfect creatures¡¯ you guys developed,¡± explained Hao Ren. ¡°In our world, it¡¯s called demon hunter. It¡¯s called the Ancients over here. The woman in front of you is the Ancient. Logically, she¡¯s the descendant of the ¡®perfect creatures¡¯ you guys developed.


    ¡°I see.¡± Lorrisa nodded, looking quietly at Ophra and then asked, ¡°Anything you wanna say to me?¡±


    Ophra looked at Lorrisa for a moment with a slight frown, and then shook her head and said, ¡°Well, I had a lot to say just now, but now I don¡¯t feel the need. After all, I have the chance to see the creator of our race¡­ Not bad.¡±


    And then she left.


    When no one else was around, Lorrisa asked in a low voice, ¡°Was she trying to kill me?¡±


    ¡°Ahem¡­ I don¡¯t think so. But you guys create them, then leave them alone. That¡¯s not quite right.¡±


    ¡°¡­What can we do? No one ever thought that the world was going to end all of a sudden.¡±


    Hao Ren pondered a while and felt speechless.

 Chapter 1367 - The Perfect Specimen

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Upon returning to her estate in the suburbs, Becky threw herself ungracefully on the couch in the living room. She ordered her servants to prepare meals and hot water, behaving like a cat that had smelled catnip. Hao Ren looked at Becky and found the scene particularly familiar. After thinking for a moment, he realized that this was also what he usually did at home¡­


    Becky then suddenly sat up and asked, ¡°Hey, do you think His Majesty really doesn¡¯t care?¡±


    Lily¡¯s ears twitched. ¡°Of course. Mr. Landlord already explained it.¡±


    Hao Ren was secretly pleased.


    However, Vivian answered Becky¡¯s question carefully instead, ¡°Of course the king will continue to pay attention to the ¡®ancient mage emperor¡¯ even if it¡¯s only a clone. But with our intervention, his actions will stop at paying attention.¡±


    ¡°Aha¡­ I don¡¯t like to get involved. Why make it complicated when it can be solved easily,¡± said Becky, waving her arms vigorously. ¡°By the way, is your work here done?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded.


    He had no intention of staying in Holletta for too long. He came here to contact the ¡°homecoming group.¡± The plan was simply to talk to Ophra, but the dark mountain incident was an unexpected twist, delaying his stay for another two days. It now seemed that the two days of delay had been worth it, for he had dug a mage emperor out of a ravine, though it was a replica¡­


    In a moment of reflection, he looked in Lorrisa¡¯s direction. The ¡°mage emperor¡± was now sitting upright in a chair not far away, surveying the room with great interest. For her, the world after ten thousand years was full of unknown and fresh feeling. It was an incredible backwater on all sides, but it¡¯s a new environment worth exploring.


    Hao Ren¡¯s gaze did not deceive Lorrisa¡¯s intuition. Her long pointed ears turned sharply, then she turned her head and asked, ¡°Um?¡±


    ¡°Do you have a plan of action now?¡± asked Hao Ren.


    ¡°You need my help?¡± Lorrisa asked keenly.


    It¡¯s easy to talk to smart people.


    ¡°Yes, I need a little help,¡± laughed Hao Ren. ¡°I wonder if you¡¯d be interested in doing a little inspection with us.¡±


    ¡°Inspection?¡± Now there was a change in Lorrisa¡¯s ever-cool expression. Her eyebrows twitched imperceptibly. ¡°Why do I feel a chill for no reason¡­¡±


    ¡°Err¡­ Ahem. It¡¯s not like the inhumane programs you worked on,¡± Hao Ren hastened to explain. ¡°Well, we¡¯re looking into some deep problems with the ¡®divine power¡¯ within the demon hunter. I was going to ask the ancient species of this planet for help, which is Ophra. But now I suddenly feel that¡­ You are the perfect specimen.¡±


    Lorrisa¡¯s eyebrows quivered even more when she heard ¡°perfect specimen¡±. ¡°The more I listen, the less reassured I am¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, our unit is totally different from that of those mage emperors. We use scientific methods. It¡¯s pretty safe,¡± Hao Ren hastened to explain as she saw Lorrisa¡¯s reaction. ¡°Probably just a little blood sample from you. Then record your soul readings as you use your powers. No pain, no side effects¡­¡±


    Lorrisa was a little confused by the string of strange new words, but she still asked, ¡°are you really sure that I¡¯m such a ¡®perfect specimen¡¯? You know, I¡¯m not really an ¡®ancient species¡¯, but a product during the process of this project. The perfect creatures you mentioned were completed after the experimental base in the dark mountains was blocked off¡ªthere¡¯s a huge difference between me and the ¡®finished product.¡¯¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re more qualified because you¡¯re the ¡®semi-finished product¡¯,¡± said Hao Ren straightforwardly. ¡°Because the most crucial step in the transition between human and divine power is in you, the divine cells. The complete ¡®perfect creature¡¯ has completed the fusion of divine and mortal cells. No trace of this crucial transition was found in their bodies. But you¡¯re different¡­ You are the intermediate product between the ordinary person and the ¡®perfect creature¡¯, and you have maintained this intermediate state until now¡­ There¡¯s no better specimen than you.¡±


    Lorrisa looked at Hao Ren for a moment, then burst out laughing. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such a straightforward discussion. Don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m a victim of a biological test, and in my timeline, I was just victimized a few days ago.¡±


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t like to entrap, abduct and drag people into the ditch. It¡¯s better to make it clear at the very beginning. So you don¡¯t want to cooperate? That¡¯s okay, we can actually get someone else to do it, but it¡¯s probably going to take a little more time and collect more samples¡­¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say I don¡¯t want to.¡± Lorrisa blinked. ¡°I¡¯m just being vigilant as I should be. After all, to me, you are not familiar enough, not reliable enough. Do you think it¡¯s normal for me to wake up in this situation and then follow a bunch of strangers to participate in some kind of ¡®inspection¡¯? But I can¡¯t refuse because I can¡¯t beat you¡­¡±


    Hao Ren felt embarrassed and said, ¡°Errr, we did have a misunderstanding at first, but you did it first.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that¡­ Well, that¡¯s true, too. In a word, I don¡¯t think I can refuse your offer. I¡¯m also interested in the ¡®other world¡¯ you mentioned. If I have the chance to see the scenery there, it may be a meaningful experience.¡±


    ¡°You can go sightseeing, but to be honest, you probably won¡¯t be able to stay there for long,¡± Hao Ren said and shrugged. ¡°The Wall of Reality is still fragile, and people like you who had a direct connection with that event 10,000 years ago can¡¯t cross the line at will, so you can only stay there for about ten days.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± said Lorrisa in a more relaxed posture. ¡°Anyway, my kingdom is gone. Why should I care about those?¡±


    She accidentally slipped back into Elf Queen mode again.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s settled then,¡± Hao Ren said and nodded. ¡°You¡¯ll settle down with Becky for the next few days. I¡¯ll go back and arrange for the 100 ¡®travelers¡¯. I¡¯ll take you with me when they come back to Earth.¡±


    Lorrisa smiled gracefully and said, ¡°I¡¯ll follow your plan.¡±


    Then she looked back at Becky and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to bother you.¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± said Becky while waving her hand. ¡°My house is quite empty anyway. And the servants are too free. They keep talking about this house is haunted. Now we have one more people staying here, they should feel relieved.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment. A 10,000-year-old ¡°mage emperor¡± suddenly appeared and stayed in the house. Could anyone feel relieved?


    Three days later, Earth.


    The list of delegates in the ¡°homecoming group¡± to the Plane of Dreams had been confirmed. Now it was the appointed day for departure.


    There was no need to assemble in a specific place. And they did not have to worry about missing out. Those eligible for the tour received an early message telling them to wait until the agreed time. Everyone on the list had prepared in advance, waiting for the appointed moment with anticipation, nervousness or skepticism.


    They had all received Hao Ren¡¯s notice and heard the explanations about the trip, but anyway, they could not imagine what a journey it would be. Perhaps only when they stepped into the dream plane could they truly understand how big a real world there was beyond their world view.


    Of those 100 people, probably only White Flame could slightly understand the concept of ¡°crossing over to another world.¡±


    In Coldfrost Citadel, White Flame and Hasse waited in front of Hoarfrost Sanctum. Next to them were the other chosen demon hunters, and behind them, many more who had come to see them off looked forward with curiosity and anticipation to the small open space ahead.


    In the Athens Sanctuary, inside the hall of the Shadow Council, the round table had been removed, leaving a circular open space. A circle of candles lit the edge of the open space, making it look like some kind of secret ritual. Other leaders, such as Hessiana, Zeon Lucas, and Hesperides, stood in the middle of the open space, waiting for the time to come. Hessiana looked around with her bright eyes, wondering where the gate would open.


    In the secret realm of the Ebben Family, Casar and Ewen Ebben also stood in the open space before the castle. They were closely watched by several elders of the clan. The two werewolf brothers looked at each other, smiled and said, ¡°Can¡¯t believe that we were invited.¡±


    ¡°Haha, I wonder how many acquaintances we can meet¡­¡±


    In the secret places and sanctuaries, those who had been privately invited were ready. Some of them were full of anticipation, while some of them were skeptical. But no matter what they thought, the time had finally come.


    Doors of light opened before their eyes.

 Chapter 1368 - A Magical Journey

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Light gates appeared in various sanctuaries and shelters on Earth. These light gates appeared without warning. Even the most knowledgeable demon hunters did not know how these light curtains were formed, let alone understand how they worked in order to test them. Some otherworldlings with this in mind soon gave up the idea after throwing various identification spells at the light gates. They realized that the mysterious man who organized such a journey really had incredible power.


    As Hao Ren did not focus on dealing with all the different otherworldlings on Earth, not everyone on the list knew about him. Many of them had not even met Hao Ren before. They were chosen by their tribes to represent them only because they met all the conditions. Their understanding of Hao Ren came from the information released by the Shadow Council: a powerful and special human who possessed the power to influence and had influenced the entire supernatural society. He was the one who recorded several extraordinary events on Earth in the past two years. Coupled with his good relationship with the Countess of the Crimson Moon, he had become a major influence within the Shadow Council and even the demon hunter organization¡­


    In short, he was a powerful man¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s interesting¡­¡± Seeing the light gate appear, Hasse did not go in right away, but smiled and said, ¡°So he set up the teleportation portals all over the world¡­ I was worried that he was going to gather all of us on the list somewhere on Earth, and we¡¯d have to worry about a possible fight. But with this portal¡­ I think he¡¯s prepared for that.¡±


    At the Athens Sanctuary, Zeon Lucas frowned slightly when he saw the light gate and asked, ¡°How did it form?¡±


    ¡°Out of nowhere,¡± Hesperides said, somewhat surprised. ¡°According to the plans we received, the departure time for the ¡®participants¡¯ are the same everywhere on earth. That is to say¡­ At this moment, he opens a teleportation portal in every sanctuary and secret place on earth? While Athens Sanctuary is now open to him, other shelters around the world still have a lot of strange space protections. Has he penetrated all those defenses?¡±


    Zeon Lucas¡¯ ever-elegant expression finally turned a little serious. He knew that Hao Ren should not be able to break through the protective lock of each shelter because he needed Hesperides to lead the way when he entered the Athens Sanctuary for the first time. There was only one explanation: the ¡®great being¡¯ behind Hao Ren had made a small intervention.


    ¡°Come on, this gate is an invitation and an announcement,¡± said Hessiana. She then smiled and stepped into the light gate. ¡°If someone quits or questions the trip at this point, then they probably won¡¯t have a chance to question anything in their life.¡±


    In Nasaton, the city in the deep sea, Katreina, the Queen of the Sirens and her entourages also saw the light gate in front of them. As one of the otherworldling races who had the deepest contact with Hao Ren, they had no extra thoughts on this journey, and they were the first to respond positively at that time. It¡¯s time to go, Katreina nodded slightly and said, ¡°The portal is open. It¡¯s time to go.¡±


    The sirens, seeing the queen off, began to clamor, ¡°Your Majesty, take care!¡±


    ¡°Remember to take pictures¡­¡±


    ¡°And video!¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, bring back some local specialties!¡±


    ¡°Shaqira, don¡¯t lose the wishing bottle I gave you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget your clothes!¡±


    ¡°Toothpaste, toothbrush, cold medicine!¡±


    The queen carried her traveling bag on her back. She turned her head smartly towards the light gate and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll show you the photos when I come back!¡±


    What a peculiar yet wonderful scene¡­


    In Raven 12345¡¯s courtyard, Hao Ren nodded his head slightly as he watched the grid representing ¡°the chosen ones¡± being filled one by one on the holographic projection in front of him. ¡°Everything seems to be going well,¡± he said.


    ¡°Of course. I opened the door for you personally, how could it go wrong?¡± said Raven 12345 with her arms across her chest. She tilted her head and looked at Hao Ren. ¡°The ¡®perfect specimen¡¯ you mentioned does sound qualified. Bring her with you when you come back this time. Well, I didn¡¯t expect it. This group was initially organized in order to bring the ¡®ancient species¡¯ of the Plane of Dreams to be tested but you accidentally found a more perfect test sample, and now the ¡®ancient species¡¯ in the previous plan didn¡¯t carry much weight. Destiny¡­ I¡¯m a Goddess but I can¡¯t even foresee it?¡±


    Hao Ren coughed awkwardly, ¡°Ahem, it¡¯s okay. By the way, shall I bring the ¡®ancient species¡¯ of the Plane of Dreams with me this time?¡±


    Raven 12345 pondered for a moment and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s still going according to plan, and we need to look at more than one sample. Every reference point in the transition from ¡®human¡¯ to ¡®man-made god¡¯ is significant, but we¡¯re going to have to reduce their time in the Surface World because you¡¯re going to bring a ¡®mage emperor¡¯ through the Wall of Reality. I fear that if they cross the line too long they will put too much pressure on the stability of the universe.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know that of course,¡± said Hao Ren, stepping toward the teleportation portal not far away. ¡°It¡¯s time for me to go there and pick them up. I¡¯ve planned the rest of their journey, and their changes after this journey should be well worth looking forward to.¡±


    White Flame felt like she was passing through a heavy, uncertain curtain as if all her senses had been thrown into confusion for a moment. All she saw was a million lights coming and going, a million incomprehensible sounds whispering in her soul, and then followed by a sense of weightlessness. But the bad feeling lasted only a moment, and before she even had time to react, she felt grounded again, and the bright light made her squint.


    She found herself in a silver hall of futuristic style. She could be sure that this hall was absolutely not something that could be seen on earth at the present time. The hall was magnificent and bright. It was made of metal. Numerous streams of light flow around the dome, coalescing into clumps of energy that carried a tremendous amount of pressure and were injected into the crystalline channels below. Holographic projections could be seen everywhere in the hall, showing the vastness of the cosmic sky, spectacular and mysterious celestial bodies, as well as something like spaceships flying around. Such a sight could only be seen in science fiction and games. White Flame had never thought that she would see it in real life one day.


    ¡°Visitor, please leave the platform and follow the light beam.¡±


    White Flame was startled as she suddenly heard a soft synthetic voice. She did not see who was talking to her, but she saw a light blue path suddenly appeared before her eyes¡ªa path that began on a metal platform with a white aperture at her feet and led to a clearing at the end of the hall.


    She squinted her eyes and released her mental sense, only to discover that the light blue path she saw did not actually exist in the real world¡ªit seemed to come straight into her mind without her even knowing it.


    Some low exclamations came from aside. White Flame turned her head and saw the ground behind her lined up with countless metal platforms with white apertures. Now every metal platform was shining. As each light gate lit up, familiar or unfamiliar figures appeared. The only thing they had in common was the fact they all came from Earth.


    They should be ¡°friends¡± of this trip.


    Maybe they had also heard the soft synthetic voice and seen the light blue path. Their mental shields or intuitive warnings did not work at the moment, so it was hard not to be surprised.


    ¡°Visitor, please leave the platform and follow the light beam.¡±


    Again White Flame heard the voice. She realized that these were clearly the handiwork of the landlord, so she let down her guard and walked down the light path to the other end of the hall.


    After a moment of hesitation, the rest of them stepped off the platform and looked around the strange place as they went.


    An unexpected silence hung over the hall. The once-hostile otherworldlings were suddenly herded together, without starting a fight or greeting each other. They just kept a tight expression on their own faces, wary of each other while discreetly keeping their distance from everyone else. No one broke the silence, they just tensed their muscles and tried to keep their faces expressionless.


    It was as if everyone was enveloped in separate glass enclosures. A hundred people stood together, but they were divided into dozens of distinct groups.


    And the demon hunters were the largest of these groups.


    Yet the largest group kept the greatest distance from all the others.


    ¡°It¡¯s mind-boggling¡­¡± Hessiana muttered, then looked back at the platforms. ¡°Look at them¡­ it¡¯s big. That guy¡­¡±


    ¡°Is this his real power?¡± Zeon Lucas looked more serious than ever. ¡°I had imagined it, but it was a little more than I could have imagined.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Hessiana shrugged. ¡°That guy is secretive. Lord Vivian doesn¡¯t say much to me either. But one thing I know, he¡¯s got more than that. He¡¯s even killed demons on another planet¡­¡±


    At this moment, another beam of light appeared in the hall, but instead of landing on the platform, it came straight out in front of everyone, and Hao Ren, Vivian, Lily, and Y¡¯zaks came out of the light.


    Along with them were dozens of Aerym¡¯s Royal Guards, dressed in military uniforms. They were energetic and neatly lined up. Hao Ren had requested for them from Hilda.


    Anyway, these Aerymian elves were not like the other otherworldlings. They had zero causal entanglements with the Plane of Dreams, and as long as the teleportation portal was stable, the impact of their crossing through the Wall of Reality was minimal, provided they did not remain in it for too long.


    ¡°Everyone, welcome to Kuiper Station, our first stop,¡± said Hao Ren, opening his arms to all of them. ¡°This amazing journey will start from here. Now, please come with me. Let me take you aboard.¡±

 Chapter 1369 - Seeing the Starry Sky for the First Time

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    This was the first time Hao Ren had appeared before White Flame and Hessiana in such a way. They were used to Hao Ren¡¯s usual way of doing things, but they were a little confused when they saw Hao Ren appearing with a group of elven guards. But still, the two of them were calm in comparison to the others who were there.


    Hessiana also pursed her lips and muttered, ¡°Whoa, keep faking it¡­ Who doesn¡¯t know what you usually look like¡­¡±


    For those who saw Hao Ren that day for the first time, the man in front was worth watching and speculating. He had the ability to open a large number of teleportation portals all over the world at the same time. He had such an incredible ¡°base¡± there. He also apparently had an ¡°army¡±¡­ Even for those in the Shadow Council, the journey started a little beyond expectation. Their cognitive range was somewhat inadequate to cope with the current situation.


    The situation was a little out of control. Most people thought this way¡ªall the plans and methods they had prepared were now useless.


    And this was exactly what Hao Ren wanted. His plan was to start the journey at a pace that was completely beyond the knowledge of anyone in the team of 100 participants as they were easier to control when the situation was beyond their control. After all, these participants were inherently hostile to each other.


    It was not enough to depend on White Flame, Hessiana and Hesperides to maintain order.


    The alloy gate in the hall slid silently, revealing the wide pathway behind it. The Aerymian Royal Guards turned neatly and stood in two rows on both sides of the path and the silvery white plasma lance tilted slightly to form a pathway.


    Under such a strange atmosphere, this team, whose personnel structure and historical background were rather peculiar, set foot on the first step of ¡®homecoming¡¯.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if any of you have read the proposal that was sent to you. It has a more detailed description of the trip, but some basic concepts are difficult to describe directly using the written word, so I¡¯ll give more details on the road slowly,¡± Hao Ren led the way, patiently introducing and explaining to the selected participants. ¡°I¡¯m sure all of you who are standing here have experienced the Day of Return prophecy. In that prophecy, the otherworldlings will return to their homeland, find lost strength and civilization, and find glory and prosperity again. The prediction turned out to be a farce, but there¡¯s one point that¡¯s correct. Among the supernatural races on earth, whether otherworldlings or demon hunters, you do have a home. And this home has your origins and your civilization. It¡¯s not on earth, it¡¯s not even in this galaxy, this universe, it¡¯s farther away from the world than you think. If you had believed the prophecy, you would never have reached your hometown. But fortunately, it¡¯s not too far away for me.¡±


    The corridor was wide and bright, but few people move about. The most common scene was a variety of mysterious high-tech machinery crisscrossing here and there. They darted back and forth along the bright white lines above the corridor, oblivious to the unusual creatures that were marching through it. There were also a handful of crew members in space station uniforms. These crew members had been informed of the news, so they did not take much notice of the ¡®weirdos¡¯ who suddenly appeared in the outpost of the imperial frontier. These crew members just paused and saluted respectfully when passing by Hao Ren, greeting him, ¡°Good day to you, Lord Hao.¡±


    ¡°Long live the Bomberman.¡±


    Fortunately, they were not speaking any earth languages and Hao Ren had not unlocked the public translation channel. Otherwise, it would be really difficult to explain the cultural differences in the sea of stars¡­


    The delegates walked along the long corridor, listening to Hao Ren¡¯s explanations and looking curiously at the ¡°strange place.¡± Most ordinary otherworldlings had few clear ideas about space stations, artificial intelligence, alien life and the like, so now they were absorbing a dizzying amount of information. Fortunately, most of these people had sharp minds and were receptive. They were slowly adjusting to the environment.


    Hao Ren smiled and thought to himself when he saw this scene: Well, you guys can try to adapt to it, anyway later you will have to adapt to something new again.


    ¡°So from this place we can go to the ¡®homeland¡¯ you¡¯re talking about?¡± A werewolf in the line suddenly asked.


    ¡°It was called the Plane of Dreams, which is now the official name of the place,¡± Hao Ren looked back and explained to them. ¡°It¡¯s not so easy for you to reach the Plane of Dreams. You have to go through a gate which lies deep in the universe and the place is guarded by the remnants of a disintegrating galaxy. And this is only the first stop, the one from which you will travel in your spacecraft to that region. It¡¯s not too far from the earth. It¡¯s actually in the Kuiper belt. You can even see the blue ball with your naked eye from here.¡±


    The universe, the spacecraft, the space station, and the Kuiper belt, a bunch of words just popped up. These otherworldlings may have heard of these ¡®human-made terms¡¯, but they clearly did not connect them to their journey. Perhaps in their initial imagination, this was supposed to be a more sacred process, more in line with ¡®the identity of otherworldlings¡¯ and full of the mysticism left behind from the Mythological Age.


    However, if you thought about it carefully, it seemed that the journey described by Hao Ren was more genuine and believable than what they had expected before. After all, they had searched for innumerable ancient divine artifacts and opened innumerable ancient portals under the influence of the prophecy of the Day of Return. However, all of them had failed. The only thing left was the cosmic skies¡­ It seemed that no one had ever tried it.


    ¡­Because who the heck would build a spaceship!


    After hearing Hao Ren¡¯s explanation, the werewolf who asked the question just now was also stunned for a moment. Then before he was ready to say something, the corridor in front of him had come to an end. The sight in front of him made everyone hold their breath and dumbstruck.


    They were walking along a transparent crystal levitating bridge through the upper part of the space station. This was a position that could overlook most of the station¡¯s transit zones, special spacecraft landing platforms and the sky above. Through the light blue energy barrier, they could see a huge arc translucent vault covering the whole space above. Outside the vault floated large and small gray space stones. Metal pipes and energy gratings connected asteroids to form complex but orderly structures, and the bright stars were shining behind the structure. Below the bridge was an unusually large space station, with floating metal platforms, crisscrossing bridges, intricate lighting combinations, and strange flying vehicles.


    Nearest to the levitating bridge, a metal platform was slowly flying under the traction of twelve white beams. The platform was neatly packed with troops, consisting of special-shaped soldiers up to three meters tall and covered with super-strong alloy armor. The fighters were covered in the dark paint, and both arms were equipped with huge and weird weapons. They were heading in the direction of a huge, dark warship. The atmosphere was depressing. Hao Ren and the rest of the team stopped in surprise.


    Hao Ren did not know what was happening, so he stopped a space station worker passing by. After a brief inquiry, he understood the situation and explained to everyone, ¡°Those are the ¡®Hawkell mercenaries¡¯ leased out by the Fairy Void Consortium. There¡¯s a war in the Cansara-Icahn Nebula. A warlord rents out these mercenaries for a high price to go to war. The Hawkell mercenaries are ¡®biochemical products¡¯ manufactured by a militant race and are in high demand among warlords. But you don¡¯t need to worry about them. These mercenaries must abide by strict imperial laws. The areas in which they are active are far from your ¡®world¡¯.¡±


    The otherworldlings looked at each other. One moment they were still immersed in the thought of family struggles, territorial struggles, and shelter interests, and the next moment they were frozen in place by waves in the sea of stars.


    It was like looking up and seeing the starry sky for the first time, then being startled by the vast and profound world.


    At the end of the line, the sirens took out their mobile phones and started to take pictures.


    It was quite embarrassing¡­

 Chapter 1370 - A Long Way Home

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Everyone seemed unusually quiet and orderly. Although the atmosphere of inevitable estrangement and mutual vigilance still hung over everyone, at least order was assured. After being teleported by the portal to a place beyond most people¡¯s reach, the strange sight and incredible journey that followed greatly diverted the participants¡¯ attention. They could no longer concentrate on the problems they wanted to think about because even if they put all their energy into understanding and observing the place, it seemed inadequate.


    The Petrachelys moored in the exclusive star harbor broke the silent and dull atmosphere slightly. It was a beautiful spaceship. Although it was not as massive as some of the giant civilian transport ships or low-tech warships, they could see that it was a distinctive spaceship from the special port it occupied and the large as well as sophisticated servo facilities near the port. The participants were marveled when they heard that this was the spaceship Hao Ren had arranged for them. However, Hao Ren felt that more than 90% of their attention was on the husky head painted on the ship¡¯s deck¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s a sticker. Have you seen a car sticker?¡± Hao Ren made a stern effort to explain the husky¡¯s huge head on the ship.


    Lily¡¯s big, innocent face stretched across the spaceship in three armor belts, from the sub-battery at the waistline to the engine cover at the stern¡­


    Vivian¡¯s expression remained the same, but she squeezed her voice out through her teeth, ¡°I don¡¯t think you should have been fooled by the doggie in the first place. It would have been better for you to draw anything on the spaceship other than a silly husky face.¡±


    ¡°We are leading a group. Be serious¡­¡± said Hao Ren.


    Fortunately, no one kept asking what it meant to have a husky head on the spaceship. They embraced the style in surprise and amusement, and some of them even smiled: it was as if they had finally seen something familiar after seeing a lot of incomprehensible things in the cold, strange space station, and the husky¡¯s face had warmed their hearts.


    Under Nolan¡¯s guidance, the passengers boarded the spaceship in order under the guiding light. So far, nothing unexpected had happened.


    Hao Ren came to the bridge and took a look at the passenger cabin (which was actually the big lounge). After making sure everything was okay inside, he sent a request for the spaceship to leave the station.


    ¡°Now it¡¯s time for us to lead the team to witness the miracle,¡± Hao Ren said, rubbing his hands after giving the signal, looking very confident and proud. ¡°This is a trip I have carefully planned for them. This must be an eye-opener for them¡­¡±


    As he spoke, the feedback from the guide station at Kuiper station was transmitted to the bridge. ¡°Departure request accepted¡ªspecial line Z88-1350 confirmed. The Sunset Homecoming Tour Group is leaving Star Harbor now. I repeat, Sunset Homecoming Group is leaving Star Harbor now¡­¡±


    ¡°Seriously¡­ this name¡­¡± Nangong Sanba said, looking at Hao Ren with strange eyes. ¡°You dare say from the bottom of your heart that you¡¯ve carefully planned the trip?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Can you think of a name more memorable than this? And anyway, this kind of informal personal flights do not record in long-term files. So what¡¯s the big deal?¡±


    The others on the bridge kept waving and said, ¡°Okay¡­ Okay¡­ You¡¯re right¡­ You¡¯re right¡­¡±


    Petrachelys sped away from the gravitational shackles of the Kuiper station and vanished into a mirrored sphere of warped space, leaving a blue glow through space. A recorder at the observation tower of Kuiper station recorded the scene:


    ¡°Yyyy-mm-dd, inspector Hao Ren led his Sunset Homecoming Tour Group to embark on a journey. This is the first time that the survivors of the Plane of Dreams have officially returned home after ten thousand years on earth. Although this is a small, short-term return, it marks the biggest advance yet in the Plane of Dreams event. Perhaps we can finally look forward to the lost descendants who have been lost in foreign lands will have a chance to return home. Perhaps today is a new turning point in history¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was right. Special flights like this would not leave a long-term file in the Data Vault¨C but it had gone down in history¡­


    But those on the spaceship would not know what the recorder had written. Now they were inside the closed vesicles created by the warping space and hurtling at superluminal speed toward the fissure deep in the universe.


    Adnie stayed quietly in the lounge, watching every stranger around her with a wary eye, trying to remember everything she had seen there. She knows that everyone around her is the same, so there was no need for her to hide her attitude or her eyes: rather, this kind of open and aboveboard wariness was one of the conditions to ensure ¡®peace¡¯.


    She was a silver witch who took refuge in a South American vampire priory as a high counselor and mentor. ¡®Silver witch¡¯ was a special term for a true member of the ancient gods. Adnie¡¯s memory went back to ancient Sumerian times. She was also the patron saint of a city in Mesopotamia during the barbaric civilization. But those glory days are long gone. Now she was bored and depressed by the fragmentary memory of the sand-stained city-states and the ruins of the old cities that fell and burned. Perhaps in order to relieve this boring life, she agreed to participate in the journey.


    Now she was looking curiously at the place and the strange members of the team.


    The werewolves from South America, it seemed, were the Ebben boys, loud and frivolous as ever.


    Vampires from Europe were dull, dark and unsmiling. Everyone, except for Hessiana, was basically having a zombie-like face, but they called it the elegance and reserve of a gentleman.


    The Runic Dwarves from Australia, who were aware of the danger before the end of Mythological Age, built a ship to escape from the center of the vortex and lived in seclusion underground. If they had not left Northern Europe so early, the Aesirian may have held on a little longer.


    The sirens from the deep sea¡ªthis mysterious race had actually appeared, and their queen appeared in person. That Katreina and her entourage were probably the only happy ones here. They were not involved in the wars, nor were they involved in any of the fights. Sometimes she really envied those who lived in the deep sea and stood aloof from worldly affairs.


    And them, the demon hunters from the North Pole¡­


    Adnie¡¯s gaze inevitably fell on the demon hunters. They sat at the other end of the room, in distinct circles from almost all other creatures. They were surrounded by an invisible energy field that even the fiercest werewolves would not look in that direction. However, these demon hunters seemed to be somewhat different in Adnie¡¯s impression.


    They did not look murderous, and there¡¯s a complete lack of inexplicable fanaticism in them. They sat together, whispering to each other or exchanging food and drinks, and they even occasionally looking this way and nodding their heads with a little smile¡ªa look so stiff that it was obvious they did not want to do it themselves, but they managed to say hello.


    Adnie frowned but nodded reluctantly.


    The demon hunter girl called White Flame looked very active. She was talking loudly among her companions as if to show her knowledge of the place. She mentioned star wars, halo, and steam, a lot of strange words, which did not sound like a reliable explanation, while her companions listened with great interest.


    So, the demon hunters would also chat and laugh.


    ¡°This is such a strange place.¡± Why are creatures of all races, camps, and generations being packed into this metal-clad vehicle for a ¡®trip¡¯ that¡¯s ¡®significant¡¯ yet mysterious from beginning to end? Adnie thought.


    Adnie remembered what she had seen along the way and then had to admit that it had seriously shaken some of her perceptions.


    And so did everyone else sitting here.


    For the first time they had to add the concept of ¡®cosmic level¡¯ to their thinking, and then they turned back to the infighting and scheming they had been doing on that little blue planet for thousands of years. Those grand battles, magnificent shrines, and countless treasures seemed to count for nothing at the moment when they looked up at the universe.


    ¡°Attention, the spacecraft is about to leave the hyperspace state. Attention, the spacecraft is about to leave the hyperspace state¡­¡±


    The lights in the lounge suddenly switched, and as it dimmed, a holographic projection slowly emerged from the metal walls on both sides, showing the scene outside the spaceship.


    Some red and blue stripes formed something like a tunnel and the spacecraft traveled through it. The tunnel then rapidly shortened and dissipated, forming a stable pattern of stars and nebulae and staying still.


    The spacecraft was still flying at an amazing speed. But on the large scale of the universe, its relative velocity with the surrounding celestial bodies was almost static.


    A magnificent spiral nebula appeared before them, causing everyone who saw it for the first time to hold their breath. The sense of terror and oppression brought about by the material storms that engulfed everything even made an old demon hunter like Hasse missed a heartbeat in an instant.


    ¡°¡­I probably won¡¯t enjoy playing VR anymore¡­¡± murmured White Flame.


    The huge space complex around the Scarred Nebula and the blue-green planet, which was very different from the Earth and operated as a sentinel near the eye of the storm, had attracted a lot of attention. They speculated about the function of the space buildings and discussed whether the gate was the rift in the center of the nebula. At the same time, some of them also noticed the ¡®strange sight¡¯ floating over the blue-green planet: something like an alien continent floating in space, connected by huge green vines. Some of the demon hunters and those who had some knowledge of the Aesir Gods looked thoughtful as they were looking at such a scene.


    ¡°My fellow passengers, I am the captain of this spaceship.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s voice sounded in time. ¡°You have come to a critical part of this journey. In front of you is the gate that connects the two worlds, the Gate of the Universe. You can see it in the rift in the center of the nebula. Later we will pass through this gate and you will truly reach the Plane of Dream, the home of all of you. Before I do that, I¡¯m going to tell you a little bit about the planet next to the eye of the rift storm. It¡¯s called Inferno, and some of you may know that name because the portal to Inferno has been on earth more than once in the last thousand years¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Inferno!?¡±


    ¡°It actually exists in this place!¡±


    The participants in the lounge were astounded.


    Hao Ren¡¯s explanation did not end there. ¡°Some of you may have noticed the ¡®alien continents¡¯ floating above Inferno and the plants that grew between them. Some of you should be more familiar with it: that¡¯s Yggdrasil. In the information that I gave you, I mentioned its other identity, which was the hyperspace ark that all the supernatural beings on earth rode in when they entered this universe 10000 years ago. It was once the domain of the Aesirian, but now it¡¯s part of the Inferno.¡±


    The participants in the lounge exchanged stunned glances, and many of them quickly pulled out their thick portfolios (which were part of the plan, which Hao Ren had dubbed the ¡°DLC package for the Sunset Homecoming Tour Group¡±) and began to read the sensational facts for the first time.


    Apparently, they had not really read it before¡­ Lily¡¯s cheap travel advertisement cover, which she downloaded from the Internet and then photoshopped herself, was one of the major factors contributing to this.


    Petrachelys was slowly accelerating and getting close to the ¡®Gate of the Universe¡¯ at the center of the Scarred Nebula. The image of Yggdrasil was gradually swept to the rear.


    Ten thousand years ago, countless refugees of the Plane of Dreams arrived in this universe in that gigantic hyperspace ark.


    Ten thousand years later, a hundred survivors of the Plane of Dreams who had forgotten their homeland passed by the ark in an inspector¡¯s spaceship and embarked on their first journey home in a daze.


    ¡°We are about to pass through the Gate of the Universe,¡± said Hao Ren, switching the internal lines on the bridge. The communicator displayed the image of the UAV fleet¡¯s cluster consciousness. ¡°Fleet, unlock all monitoring points. From now on, I want you to monitor the cosmic parameters of all known spaces in the Plane of Dreams.¡±


    Petrachelys, like a shining droplet of mercury, fell lightly into the gate.

 Chapter 1371 - The Test Starts

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Zeon Lucas found the beginning of this ¡°magical journey¡± to be a bewildering array of teleportation, flying, wonders, and information bombs. None of the visions he had imagined of the trip fitted. He was once suspicious of Hao Ren¡¯s description of the ¡°incredible, far beyond imagination, bizarre experience¡±, feeling that he would not be intimidated by the journey. However, now he changed his mind because he realized one thing: if you had been stuck on a small stone ball with a radius of only a few thousand kilometers for thousands of years, whatever experience you had accumulated would become meaningless the moment you left the stone ball.


    He even closed his eyes nervously as the spacecraft fell through the swirling portal at the center of the nebula.


    Flying in a spaceship at sub-light speed through a nebular storm whose radius was calculated in astronomical units, was an unspeakable moment. Hao ren raised the shield and filter shield of the Petrachelys. He then kept the external monitor running and projected all the outside scenes into the spacecraft without reservation. The ¡°thrill show¡± almost made the passengers in the lounge dizzy and throw up. But Hao Ren¡¯s purpose was not to crush the confidence of these otherworldlings or show off his spaceship. It was to let them deeply feel what it meant to ¡°cross a world¡± in this way.


    Until he could explain to them in detail the principles of the World Barrier, the Wall of Reality, and space travel, he could only reinforce the impressions in their mind. At least they could keep this fact in mind: the moment they crossed the Wall of Reality, the light and shadow they saw beyond the processing limit of mortal brains would leave some mark on their souls and these marks had that effect.


    The Gate of the Universe was in good working order. It seemed that though Raven 12345¡¯s ¡°Hearts and Arrows Crystal¡± did not look very reliable, it was still quite powerful when it was deployed and working. Petrachelys had been steadily reorganized in the world¡¯s shifting information flow. When it reappeared in the Material World, it was no longer surrounded by the swirling storm of the Scarred Nebula, but by a command center strewn with surveillance stations, and turrets. A straggly mass of fragmented space landmasses floated next to the fortress, which was illuminated by an orange-red star.


    Surveillance posts in space were sending out white beams of light. The surface of the orderly array of sensors was flowing with light, scanning the material that passed through the Gate of the Universe. The data was then uploaded to three giant computing centers in space and distributed security databases on several continents of Collow, which was then fed back to the front end of the monitoring system almost immediately. Then, the fortress guns and arrays lined up near the gates shed light and retreated to both sides, and a welcome message was broadcast:


    ¡°Authentication of authority is passed. Welcome to the Collow Inspection Station, Your Excellency the Inspector.¡±


    Petrachelys was slowly breaking away from the gravitational grip near the Gate of the Universe. And on the bridge, Hao Ren was looking at the information uploaded back from some of the sensors at the Gate of the Universe.


    ¡°The fluctuations far exceed the theoretical impact of transferring the same goods and people. Clearly, the causal entanglement of those 100 passengers is the primary cause of this data overflow,¡± explained Hao Ren while pointing to a red curve on the chart. ¡°But the upper limit is still in the safe range. Everything seems to be going as planned.¡±


    From the moment those participants crossed the Gate of the Universe, a vast surveillance system was activated. This was a homecoming trip, but also a sophisticated test. Numerous sensors were continuously compiling all the stress changes of the Plane of Dreams and the Wall of Reality into data and sending it to Hao Ren. The Gate of the Universe aggregate was only the first of these data sets. A few seconds ago, the Gate of the Universe sensor recorded a very powerful information fluctuation. The scale of this information fluctuation was so strong as if hundreds of millions of tons of material or thousands of people had passed through the Wall of Reality in an instant. Although the duration was quite short, it still had a considerable impact on the ¡°wall¡±. Had it not been for the Gate of the Universe to share the shock and calm the oscillation, it would probably have set off a cosmic disaster that was as destructive as the big explosion of the Scarred Nebula.


    But such a huge impact of information was caused by just a hundred ¡®survivors¡¯ of the Plane of Dreams passing through the gate in a spaceship.


    Hao Ren sighed as he was grateful that everything had gone according to plan: To solve the problem fundamentally, there was still a long way to go.


    ¡°So this is the Plane of Dreams¡­¡± said White Flame while staring at the images from the external monitor. While the neat array of space buildings and the offbeat ¡®Collow¡¯ were striking, the cosmic starscape did not seem different from another universe to her. ¡°It¡¯s not quite what I expected¡­ Space is still space, and stars are still stars.¡±


    However, Hessiana was thinking about something else. Looking at the incredible buildings and thinking back what she had seen along the way, she muttered jealously, ¡°So that¡¯s how that guy trick Lord Vivian into following him around all day?¡±


    ¡°Passengers.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s voice suddenly appeared in the lounge, interrupting the guesses and whispered conversations of the participants. Meanwhile, images of several people inside the bridge appeared on a holographic projection in the center of the lounge. ¡°We have reached the Plane of Dreams. What you see is the cosmic starry sky on the Plane of Dreams. There¡¯s no doubt that this is a completely new universe for you. Each of the nebulae you see here is unlikely to find a counterpart in the Surface World. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not quite what some of you thought it was at first, but the truth is, you¡¯re far from seeing what I¡¯m going to show you. On the Plane of Dreams, life also thrives on planets. These planets are scattered throughout the universe, and 99 percent of them are actually destroyed by the disaster. I have given you a brief description of the disaster in the booklet, but I¡¯m afraid it is hard for you to imagine its real situation just by describing it¡­


    ¡°For the past few years, I¡¯ve been exploring the universe, looking for signs and survivors of the disaster. I was lucky enough to find the remains of some of them, even the remnants of civilization. Some of you are from places like this.


    ¡°Passengers, you are from the same universe, which is this, the Plane of dreams. But in fact, you are not from the same planet. I think some people have thought of this because anyone who knows anything about the universe can guess this. So we¡¯re going to make some special arrangements for this homecoming¡­


    ¡°Our first stop is an ecological planet called Holletta. To make the atmosphere of the trip a little more relaxed, we chose this vibrant place as the first stop of the trip. The planet is home to werewolves and blood clans, and there¡¯s evidence that the Thunder Giants and Mountain Giants came from there as well. The descendants of Olympus may be interested in this¡­


    ¡°After Holletta¡¯s trip, the whole team will be divided into several parts. We will arrange different guides to take you to the planets. Some of them are your hometown, some have lost their names completely, and some are even ruins. I hope what you see and hear there will give you an answer to your people when you go back.


    ¡°In the second half of our journey, we will go to a planet called Io. It is the home of the sirens, a world destroyed innocently and a world in the process of being born again. I believe everyone will be tired after the first half of the journey, so I hope you can relax in the sea breeze of Io and get ready for returning home. Queen Katreina and Miss Shaqira, I know you¡¯re excited to be back home, and I know the sirens are naturally lively, but please don¡¯t get all huddled up and roll around the lounge just to celebrate. You are causing trouble for others.¡±


    Everyone in the lounge was either dignified or discreet, except for Katreina and her several female officials who had been very excited since the beginning of the trip, and calmed down only after Hao Ren criticized them. These beautiful young ladies curled up their tails and went back to the corner, coiled up and pretended to rest, as if nothing had happened¡­


    These incorrigible sirens¡­ Everyone thought so, including the demon hunters.


    Petrachelys flashed across the universe and disappeared into space near Collow.


    When it appeared again, it was already in Holletta.


    Holletta¡¯s sensor stations started flashing, and the spaceship began its rapid descent into the atmosphere. Looking at the green and blue landscape that grew through the window, Zeon Lucas muttered to himself, ¡°Is there where we come from¡­¡±


    On the surface of the Kingdom of Holletta, in a small field near the city, Marshal Ophra was looking up into the clear sky.


    The appointed time had come.


    ¡°Are they really coming?¡± asked one of the high knights. Obviously, the silence at the moment made him a little uneasy


    ¡°Of course they will. They sent me a message just now,¡± said Becky confidently.


    As if to prove what Becky said was true, the moment she finished her words, a flame appeared in the sky, and the figure of Petrachelys grew rapidly in the flames.


    ¡°They¡¯re coming! Here they come!¡± shouted several knights and attendants.


    On the bridge of Petrachelys, Hao Ren silently looked at the scene of the earth¡¯s surface getting closer and closer to the spaceship. On another set of holographic projections, new information just jumped out.


    ¡°Time: On the first day, at 12:05 pm, the ¡®sample group¡¯ is close to Holletta. Blood Clans, werewolves, and thunder giants reconnect with the planet¡¯s biosphere.


    ¡°Deep Space-KD-655QN89-Z15 region, the first divine power oscillation was detected. Oscillation Level: D.¡±

 Chapter 1372 - Reunion In a Foreign World

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Almost at the moment the hundred-strong tour group arrived in the Hollettan ecosystem, the drone cluster detected a divine-power burst in deep space. The timing of the burst appeared just right, so perfect that Hao Ren could not help but wonder if it was true. It was not possible for the thousands of monitoring stations in deep space to make a mistake at the same time. With multiple stations carrying out the monitoring of a divine power burst, the detection was undoubtedly real.


    ¡°The source of the burst is very close to the monitoring stations. Some drones have gone to check out the source. But the feedback from remote sensing signals indicates that there¡¯s nothing worth investigating. It is only an ordinary star,¡± the drone cluster reported. ¡°We have been receiving various signals from the dark universe since a while ago. Most of the signals are indistinguishable, but they all have a certain degree of resemblance with the divine power burst.¡±


    ¡°That should have been the reverberation following the fall of the goddess of creation.¡± Hao Ren had thought of it earlier. ¡°We have been exploring this form of reverberation for a long time, and now we can finally excite it and observe its existence in the background of the universe.¡±


    ¡°What is your next instruction?¡±


    ¡°Keep monitoring. I want field investigation by the drones for every burst with intensity exceeding Category D. Even if there is nothing there, you must build a beacon. I need you to chart a map, labeling all the areas where the reaction takes place.¡±


    The patrol frigate Petrachelys was gradually approaching. On a hillock, the welcoming delegation representing the Kingdom of Holletta had lined up neatly, watching as the incredible steel chariot descended from the sky. It was an extraordinary visit. The kingdom¡¯s ruler and religious leaders had spent a lot of time exploring how to arrange the event. They even complained about why the foreigner who saved the world always came up with such a crazy idea. But those who complained still decided on a moderate program itinerary in response to Hao Ren¡¯s proposal.


    They decided not to publicize the event, because they could not make the public understand how complicated and profound the historical background of the ¡®diasporas¡¯ who traveled across space and time. But the necessary etiquette and ceremony were a must. At the very least, next to the landing field, all the most powerful marshal and diplomatic ministers were in the welcoming delegation.


    The spacecraft finally landed silently on the ground as if the large metal body was weightless like a ghost. The side hatch popped open. For the first time, the earthly aliens stepped on this foreign planet for the first time.


    Well, not all of them though. A few had been here many times.


    Ophra saw a large group of strange people walking down the spacecraft. They wore fancy costumes that were absolutely not of Holletta, weird ornaments, and out-of-this-world hairstyles. Like colonial crew who lost their ways and ended up in a new world, they were ¡®hurried¡¯ down the light ramp. She remembered the famous explorer Dechenek had once described the image of such a sight in his book The New World: They came down in rows from the ship, pushed by those from behind, they embarked on this strange land and began to look around in confusion. Though most of them were respected figures, they dazzled in the scenery of the New World.¡±


    It was just like these people here.


    The earthlings had noticed the welcoming delegation on the high ground. They seemed to be surprised and talked with each other in a low voice. Ophra saw that the oddly-dressed people, who came down from the spacecraft, were apparently divided into many small groups. These groups kept a subtle distance from each other, and people only talked with those in the same group. Some of them seemed like people of position. They looked a little with status. Although they first appeared at sea stepping into the new world, Ophra could still sense a different aura in them.


    ¡°Are those our people living in exile in another world?¡± The female marshal thought to herself as the first impression of those people formed in the female marshal¡¯s mind.


    Hao Ren was the first to come out of the spaceship. A few dozens Aerymian Royal Guards and his team were maintaining the order of the tour group. Hao Ren came before Ophra and the welcoming delegation, putting up a smile on his face. ¡°They¡¯re finally here. So how do you feel seeing your people for the first time?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a little different from what I have imagined,¡± Ophra replied and smiled. She then turned to the ¡®tour group,¡¯ of which the atmosphere was a bit strange. ¡°Welcome to Holletta, everyone. You¡¯re now in your motherland.¡±


    ¡°It is the homeworld of some of you.¡± Hao Ren added.


    Zeon Lucas and a few Blood Clans looked at each other. They looked down at the land beneath their feet and felt surreal.


    At this moment, an old but strong man suddenly emerged from behind Ophra and came before the earthly aliens, his eyes glinted in beastly light, and he sniffled. ¡°The descendants of Ebben Family. Where are the descendants of the Ebben Family? Are you two descendants of the Ebben Family?¡± the old man asked.


    From among the otherworldlings from Earth, two men stepped forward bewilderedly. One of them was tall and well-built, the other one was slightly thinner, but both of them exuded an undisguisable wild scent. An indescribable impulse was pulsating in their blood veins, revealing the scent of werewolf¡¯s bloodline.


    Casar Ebben and Ewen Ebben, the two outstanding successors of the Ebben Family on Earth, arrived in a strange world after crossing space and time. In this unfamiliar world, they were surprised to see an old man having the same scent as they were.


    It was an old werewolf.


    ¡°As I¡¯ve said before, I would let you see the bloodline of the Ebben Family,¡± Hao Ren said in a calm voice and nodded to the old werewolf.


    The old werewolf, who had been fighting under Marshal Ophra for years and following the warriors of the kingdom during the mercenary times, trembled as if he had never thought of his wishes would materialize. The old man was rooted to the spot for a moment before he suddenly looked at Hao Ren, and then lowered his head.


    ¡°This world already owes it to you. Now, I owe you my life.¡±


    ¡°He is¡­¡± Casar Ebben seemed to have not figured about what was going on.


    ¡°This is your compatriot in the Plane of Dreams. He is the only remaining Ebben werewolf on this planet Holletta,¡± Hao Ren said slowly. He knew he was loud enough to make everyone at the scene hear him. ¡°He has been searching for the surviving descendants of the Ebben Family in this world, and he finally meets you here today.¡±


    ¡°Ebben werewolf¡­¡± Casar Ebben muttered to himself. The earlier surreal feeling suddenly fell apart as a sense of family connection had cleared up all his doubts and vanity. He saw it now¡ªa werewolf who had the same bloodline as his, standing in front of him. In a foreign world separated by space and time, in the land he had never set foot on before, there was another Ebben werewolf.


    The one before him was proof.


    ¡°Thank God! The family bloodline is not lost. The Ebben Family has declined in this world, but it lives on in another,¡± the old werewolf Elson Ebben sighed. ¡°Young man, how is Ebben Family doing in your world? Are were thriving there? Are the new generations brave and upright like their ancestors?¡±


    Casar Ebben had wanted to tell him about the demise of the Mythological Era and the decline of his family for the last several hundred years but just replied with a nod at last. There was at least one thing that was news of comfort to the old werewolf: the Ebben Family had survived. Compared with other werewolf families that had disappeared, the Ebben Family had been lucky.


    At first, the otherworldlings from Earth had different thoughts and concerns, but the reunion of the Ebben Family seemed to have evoked their resonance. Their estrangement and distrust of this unfamiliar world eased up significantly. The blood clan began to whisper about the possibility of finding their ancestors; the werewolves were envious of the Ebben Family; the runic dwarves were discussing if they could find the lost skill of enchantment in this world, and the sirens were taking out their mobile phones and DSLRs, snapping photos.


    Hao Ren saw the group of sirens at the rear of the tour group. The sirens were beautiful and youthful, carrying their bags and hanging their cameras around their necks. The exception was their lower body, which was serpentine. They all looked like a bunch of college girls jumping down from a tour bus. They had been taking pictures when they first boarded the spaceship and were still doing it now. Very soon, these sirens would cramp around Ophra and the Royal Knights for photos. They would visit the ancient Royal City, go shopping for handicrafts and local specialties, and scout for street food. After doing all that, they would eagerly wait to return to the spacecraft, where there was wifi connection, to post on their Weibo. All otherworldlings invariably had a goal in mind when they sent out their representatives to this world, but the sirens were different. Theirs was a sightseeing plan through and through.


    What a group of happy deep-sea fish.

 Chapter 1373 - Culture and Heritage

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The magnificent ancient city wall of Holletta stood before everyone. Every brick, tile, and even line on the wall attracted the earthly otherworldlings¡¯ eyeballs. They looked at the splendid city, the sturdy buildings, the people traversing between the structures, the Letta runes engraved on the building¡¯s surfaces, and the culture as well as heritage that were revealed.


    The sense of alienation and strangeness was inevitable. Hao Ren never expected the Earth¡¯s otherworldlings to have homesickness or anything that could remind them about the Plane of Dreams. It was impossible for them to relate because the Sin of the Divine Blood had caused them to lose this part of their memory. But he still looked forward to the ancient otherworldlings who were insightful enough to experience the substantiality of their cultural heritage. This sense of substantiality had nothing to do with their agreement to it or understanding of it. It was immersed in the bricks of every civilization and baptized by time. As long as it came from a civilized collective, people would smell it. It helped those who were selected to realize the authenticity of the Plane of Dreams. As long as this authenticity was established, Earth¡¯s otherworldlings would identify with the existence of this world, treat it as an established fact, and ponder the meaning of their homeworld.


    Where were culture and heritage? They were not in the repeated presentations, travel brochures, data archives, and holograms onboard the Petrachelys; they could only be found in the place where they were given birth to and multiplied: in ancient architecture, word of mouth, and text that changed with times. All of these were the carriers. The street cry was a culture. The craftsmanship of the street cobblers was a culture. The coat of arms on the helmets of the Royal Knights was a culture. Even the waving gestures of pedestrians to visitors on the street was culture. These things were passed down from ancient times, becoming elements in the subconscious of the people and manifested before you. It was heritage.


    The otherworldlings living on Earth did not possess these things, which was the saddest thing of them. Even in the glorious days of the Mythological Era, where they ruled the entire planet by force, and the indigenous masters of the earth were trembling at their feet, they could not change the fact that they lacked cultural heritage. They did not know what kind of ancestors they should worship, had no idea of the meaning of their names, social structure, and technological system. The powerful Olympian gods were just a chaotic big family. The indigenous gods on the Mesopotamia Plains dawdled their lives away by amassing treasures, indulging in food, and sleeping. Even if some of them had some brains and came out with some etiquette, law, and culture, their rarity and instability would not be able to sustain these things.


    The Earth¡¯s otherworldlings did not have their own cultural heritage. They had never thought about what it would be like if they had it.


    In the Night Nobility district of the royal city, young aristocratic children from the Holletta¡¯s blood clan enthusiastically introduced the origins and myths of the Night Nobility to their compatriots from Earth. They mentioned that the first generation of Blood Monarchs was born from the sap of the Seed of Origins. The patron god of the early Blood Clan was Hertoli, who lived on the larger moon. Even today, some old blood clans residing in remote areas still believed in these mythical stories.


    While visiting a war gallery, the kingdom¡¯s werewolf general, Elson proudly told the werewolves from Earth that they had been the bravest race on the planet since ancient times and the early explorer of shadowmancy. The werewolves, who were confined by their physical limitation, were later surpassed by the vampires in the field of shadowmancy. But the achievements of the werewolves in their effect of seeking the truth were well recognized by the world. The werewolves once built a mighty magic empire on this planet, and until today, the different kingdoms they built were still influential. Elson also told his ignorant compatriots from Earth that the werewolves had a sacred mountain, located in the western part of the kingdom, where it was covered with snow all year round, and it was the wish of every werewolf to pilgrimage to the sacred mountain.


    The runic dwarves did not find their lost inheritance of enchantment skill, because the ability was also lost in Holletta. But the Runic dwarfs found something more precious than that: their ancestral text.


    Those texts were engraved on the 122 tablets and kept in the treasure chest of the Royal Family of Holletta. If it was not for this extraordinary ¡°visitation¡±, the stingy King Mhoren might not be willing to show them. The runic dwarves¡¯ reaction to the tablets stunned Hao Ren. A group of rough dwarves hugged each other and cried. Their tears drenched their long beards, and their senselessness and indifference during the departure were nowhere to be seen.


    Hao Ren had little contact with these runic dwarves and only knew that they were once part of the Norse gods. Before the arrival of the Twilight of the Gods, they got wind of it. The runic dwarves built a giant brass boat, fled from the falling Yggdrasil under the nose of the demon hunters into the deep ocean and retired underground. They were the origins of many stories of windlasses and earth cavities. These recluses only reemerged during the establishment of the Shadow Council.


    Hao Ren curiously asked Hesperides about these dwarves before finally figuring out what was going on.


    ¡°They have been searching for their lost written language,¡± Hesperides said while pointing at a dwarf with bald head and beards that hung down on the ground. ¡°They attach great importance to the inheritance of written language. But they lost most of their memory about it when they crossed into Earth 10,000 years ago. Do you see the symbols on their skin? Those are the written language they barely kept. It was said that the first-generation runic dwarf still vaguely remembered these symbols when they woke up. They immediately tattooed them on their bodies. While doing that, the language quickly faded from their mind. By the time their bodies were covered in blood, they had completely forgotten their language. From that day onward, every generation of runic dwarves tattooed the symbols on their parents on themselves. It was their only way to pass it on with the hope that they would be able to decode and re-understand it someday. Perhaps it was because of the influence of the Sin of the Divine Blood that you mentioned, all their efforts were in vain.¡±


    While listening to the narrative of Hesperides, Hao Ren could reconstruct the scene in his mind:


    Ten thousand years ago, Yggdrasil carried the refugees of the Plane of Dreams and fled from the horrible energy storm caused by the deicidal war. It tore open the Wall of Reality and crashed on Earth. Many passengers of the ark died.


    The surviving refugees were ejected automatically by Yggdrasil to different parts of the earth. Earth was still primitive. There were only grasslands, mountains, swamps, and wastelands greeted the refugees. Yggdras might have preselected a landing spot based on the environmental index of the planet, but still, a considerable number of vulnerable refugees have died in the first few days to even after a few months.


    The rest of the people woke up in fear and confusion.


    The runic dwarves woke up on the frozen land of ancient Europe as if they had had a long nightmare. Then they found that the dream was real. They forgot from where they came, to where they go, and where this world was. They might want to record this first-hand information but were horrified to find that they gradually forgot their own language. In the process of their memory disappearance, they could only choose to tattoo the writing in places that they would not forget: their bodies.


    They had been doing it for 10,000 years.


    The Runic dwarves pleaded the Kingdom of Holletta to allow them to take one of the tablets, and their request was naturally granted. Once again, they hugged each other and cried. The runic dwarves cried so loud that everyone in the art gallery had to stop their conversation. After the dwarves calmed down, Hao Ren could not help but lament at Hesperides, ¡°Little did I expect there were still people among the otherworldlings seeking their lost heritage. I thought you all could not care less about those things.¡±


    ¡°Because the runic dwarves have escaped the Twilight of the Gods. They were one of the races who suffered the least casualty after the end of the Mythological Period. Perhaps second only to the sirens. So they have spare energy to worry about heritage.¡± Hesperides said. ¡°As for us¡­ many of us are not indifferent. Were just do not have spare capacity to think about that. Just like me, I¡¯m one of the few surviving Olympians who simply have no time to think of the great topic.¡±


    ¡°But weren¡¯t you also fascinated when someone in the war gallery talked about the Thunder Giants?¡± Vivian said.


    Hesperides¡¯ expression changed, and she became silent.


    Hao Ren laughed. He watched as the ¡°tour guides¡± of Holletta showed the ¡°tourists¡± around. After a long while, he said, ¡°At least it¡¯s useful.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s not the most important thing,¡± the MDT reminded while floating next to Hao Ren.


    ¡°Of course, that¡¯s not the most important thing,¡± Hao Ren said. He then looked up. His eyes seemed to penetrate the vault of the building, gazing out into deep space.


    More and more divine power bursts emerged throughout the Plane of Dreams and were captured by the drone cluster.


    A previously well-hidden ¡°network¡± had finally revealed itself.

 Chapter 1374 - Genuinely for Sightseeing

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Earth¡¯s otherworldlings were scheduled to stay in Holletta for three days. It was a tight schedule, and Hao Ren could not arrange the itinerary at his whim because there was a deadline on which the ¡°border crossers¡± could not cross. This deadline was determined by the capacity of the Wall of Reality. Within this limited span of time, Hao Ren had to get everyone to visit several ¡°key destinations¡±, including Holletta, Tannagost, and Io while the drone cluster collected data. Behind the ¡°free-and-easy¡± tour package was a well-designed, massive operation. And to pull it off, Hao Ren left no stone unturned.


    The cooperation of the Royal Family of Holletta was a pleasant surprise. Hao Ren did not expect King Mhoren to give this matter such priority. But as soon as Earth¡¯s otherworldlings arrived, the Royal Family extended their generous hospitality to the otherworldlings, providing tour guides, and even opening some galleries as well as museums for the foreign compatriots. These were not things that could be easily arranged.


    When Ophra talked about them, she had a proud expression on her face. ¡°The king is known to be stingy, but he is very generous this time. He has organized a team of the best scholars to analyze and rehearse the whole process. He will materialize it using the best that the kingdom has. We have temporarily opened and built six galleries as well as four museums. To ensure that there is a comprehensive list of things to showcase, many of the museum and gallery collections have been borrowed from nobility. There is a set of planetarium instruments inherited from the Ancient Magic Empire Planetarium, and it is the most valuable item in the Royal Treasury. We have mobilized the nobility of the Royal City. A dozen noble families will open their family estates or villas to receive the guests. We have also recruited a large number of craftsmen and scholars, who possess the skills and knowledge known to be lost in the modern era. With the exception of this ancient kingdom, you will not find them anywhere else.¡±


    ¡°Your concern on this matter is beyond my expectation,¡± Hao Ren said frankly while looking up at the mage¡¯s zone in the distance. With the guidance of two royal mages, a small group of delegates from the Athens¡¯ sanctuary was visiting and observing the working of the mage tower. They marveled at the incredible magic installation. ¡°Can you tell me why?¡± Hao Ren asked Ophra.


    ¡°First of all, we must consider your attitude.¡± Ophra looked at Hao Ren. ¡°You have a great influence on this world. Even the king could not ignore this fact. But what is more important is the dignity of the kingdom. You may say it is just a matter of face, but the kingdom has a practical consideration.¡±


    Ophra paused, and the corner of her mouth tilted slightly. ¡°Holleta is not the only kingdom on this planet. It is the most powerful kingdom, but there is still an empire that could match us in the north of the mainland. So Holleta must find ways to maintain its advantage and status and to do this, it requires some long-term investment. The people you bring here today seemed to be a good investment.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment and shook his head slightly. ¡°Fortunately, I¡¯m not into politics.¡±


    The female marshal was a busy person; she left after a while. Hao Ren began to mooch around.


    The 100-strong tour group had been separated into different smaller groups according to races and assigned to different tour routes. It was a large tour group, but for a city, it was just a drop in the ocean. The different smaller groups went into different parts of the royal city, but Hao Ren roughly knew where they went. If he looked purposefully, he could still bump into the Earth¡¯s otherworldlings on the streets sometimes.


    Most of the Earth¡¯s otherworldlings were busily seeing this world and comparing everything here with those on Earth. Some were learning the knowledge from their Holletta¡¯s compatriots to complement what they lacked in cultural heritage. Some were looking for books and magic objects, which were common as dirt on the streets and alleys but valuable for the Earth¡¯s otherworldlings.


    The siren queen Katreina and her besties especially agreed with this.


    The sirens were a bunch of eye-catching creatures. They might have tucked their sea-snake tail away, but their jibber-jabber and selfie-mania did not help. Katreina was exploring the entire commercial district with a selfie stick in hand, capturing the mugshot of many clueless royal guards and patrol knights, who would set to be recorded in history. The siren queen¡¯s maidservants were struggling to carry all the queen¡¯s shopping bags. Earlier, Hao Ren had given every otherworldlings some ¡®pocket money¡¯ specifically for the tour in Holletta. They exchanged the money for magic books, drug formulae, history books, and alchemy materials. But the sirens turned it into shiny beads, metal bracelets, embroidered bags and a variety of strangely dark dishes (scientific name: local delicacies). But why these elemental creatures with almost no sense of taste were so keen on eating was beyond anyone¡¯s guess. The water element in their body would break down the snacks into individual elements, but the sirens still enjoyed eating street food.


    Siren was a race that liked to travel.


    It was almost midnight, and the otherworldlings finally went back to their respective ¡®hostels¡¯ accompanied by the tour guides. Just like Ophra said, the nobility had responded to the call and opened up more than ten manors and villas to receive these visitors, who had special significance to the kingdom. The otherworldlings were assigned to each place according to their races or forces they represented. Such an arrangement could prevent fighting among the opposing forces.


    Becky was also one of the ¡°progressive nobility¡± who responded to the call directly. Her suburban estate was large and so the number of guests assigned. All demon hunters and the sirens were to stay in her manor.


    Even though it was midnight, the sirens seemed to be unable to quiet down. There were exchanging photos that they had snapped and the rare gadgets they bought during the day. But Katreina did not join them this time. She instead came up to Hao Ren with a solemn look on her face. Hao Ren was of course stunned: the queen of the siren was a leader after all. She was now coming up to him to discuss some serious business, he thought.


    Hao Ren also put on a serious face. But to his surprise, Katreina handed him a box of power banks and camera batteries. ¡°Do you know where I can charge them?¡±


    Hao Ren smacked on his forehead; he should not have high expectation for the deep-sea creature.


    ¡°It looks like there are many modern gadgets in the deep sea, eh?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s eyes twitched as he looked at the power banks and chargers. ¡°Oh, there are mobile phones too. Is there cell signal down there?¡±


    ¡°We are solving this problem,¡± said the queen of the sirens. Her face looked like she meant business. ¡°We are deeply aware that isolation from the world will lead to backwardness, so we have been trying to catch up with time. I have a plan to raise Nasaton¡¯s antenna to the surface to first provide 4G coverage to the deep-sea city, and then to consider laying fiber optics in the city. We have a submarine generator and mobile phone base station. Now we are figuring out how to tap human mobile network signal.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s jaw dropped looking at Her Majesty, the queen. She was indeed advancing with times. After a long while, Hao Ren said, ¡°Ahem, you can find someone from the Shadow Council. Many of them have various business undertakings in human society. You can rent an offshore platform from them.¡±


    ¡°Ahh! What you said makes sense!¡± Katreina agreed.


    ¡°As for charging the batteries, leave them to Vivian.¡± Hao Ren shook his head, took the box of chargers and batteries from the queen of the siren, and then shoved it to Vivian, who was whispering to Nangong Wuyue. ¡°Help charge them,¡± Hao Ren said.


    The sirens¡¯ jaws dropped to the ground when they saw the most ancient vampire charged their gadgets with the bats.


    Just after solving the problem of the sirens, Hao Ren heard someone screamed near the fireplace. ¡°Wow! Why there is a wifi connection in this place?¡±


    Hao Ren turned around his head and saw White Flame was holding his mobile phone, wide-eyed as if she had seen a ghost.


    ¡°Becky¡¯s home is my base camp in Holletta.¡± Hao Ren rolled his eyes. ¡°Congratulations, you found your basic life-saving element. I told you what; this place is the only wifi hotspot on the entire planet. Two sets of trans-world communication antennas are here.¡±


    At this time, White Flame could not care less about what Hao Ren said. She had jumped into the mobile game world playing her favorite online title. But the ¡°mage empress¡±, Lorissa, who was sitting opposite White Flame, seemed to be in a daze. Earlier, when she was busy explaining the design ideas of the Sacred Flame and the early demon hunters, White Flame suddenly screamed.


    ¡°She is the young genius in your world who is the best at Sacred Flame magic?¡± asked the mage empress clone hesitantly.


    Hasse shot White Flame a silent glance and then grabbed the mobile phone from her. ¡°Don¡¯t play games during a lecture!¡±


    White Flame was stunned.

 Chapter 1375 - Chart of Divine Burst

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Holletta, a planet filled with vibrant life and the first stop of the entire journey, was one of the most important stops. However, it only covered one-third of the whole itinerary.


    When the three-day journey in Holletta came to an end, the otherworldlings, which had not gotten enough, returned to the Petrachelys. They would be brought to visit other eco-planets, which Hao Ren discovered in the universe for the past three years. Many of these eco-planets were suitable for touring. The drone cluster had recently been discovering new eco-planets almost every day. Hao Ren merely picked the most suitable ones as part of their ¡°tourist destinations.¡±


    In the past three years, Hao Ren and his drone cluster had found hundreds of eco-planets¡ªor once eco-planets¡ªin the Plane of Dreams. These planets had been divided into several categories according to different classification methods. Firstly, they were categorized into either indigenous eco-planets or goddess-created planets. Then, according to their degree of recovery, Hao Ren classified them into recovering planets, declining planets, and dead planets. Recovering planets, including Holletta and Tannagost that had reestablished their ecosystem, were the rarest. Hao Ren believed that Holletta had wholly come out from the aftermath of the extinction event and recovered. There were not many declining planets in deep space. These planets had undergone the First Born¡¯s devastation, and all lives were extinct, leaving only the basic microbial communities and the most basic organic environment. Their eco-environmental index was the lowest, and they had no hope of recovery in the short term. Then there were planets that possessed the highest number of dead planets, which had no possibility of recovery. Not even a single organic matter was left on these planets, and the only thing that remained was the corpse of the First Born, which had turned into a rock formation. No one knew how long it would take for life to exist again, or if it was even possible on these type of planets.


    Planets that experienced the scourge of extinction-level natural disasters and were only left with barren surfaces would bring great shock to the otherworldlings from Earth.


    The Petrachelys first arrived at the CARS over Tannagost, where several space shuttles had been waiting. These space shuttles, assembled by the drones, were high-tech compared to the interstellar spaceship of the ordinary civilizations, but it was almost like a seesaw compared with the Petrachelys. They did their job anyway. After taking a short break in the CARS, the otherworldlings were divided again into several smaller groups. Each group boarded a different space shuttle to its destinations. To safety reason, the drones would escort the space shuttles. They passed through many drone fortresses on their way. The targets were also carefully selected, high-security zone guarded by the firepower fortresses, which were enough to counter the attack of the First Born and the guardian fleet.


    Hao Ren would not be present among the groups this time. He had borrowed some ¡®diplomatic personnel¡¯ from the Aerymian elves. These elves had advanced knowledge about the Plane of Dreams and would be the tour guides of the otherworldling tour groups.


    Each tour group had two or three Aerymian tour guides and were escorted by hundreds of armed drones. They would visit four to five specially selected planets along the way, and get to see for themselves the scars that the catastrophic disaster of 10,000 years ago had caused on the universe. And they were one of the consequences of that disaster.


    The space shuttles left the CARS and disappeared into the dark space outside. Hao Ren and his team stayed in the central command hall of the space station staring at a complex and large hologram projected from the pointed crystal hill. The hologram showed a star chart that had never appeared before. Some parts of this star chart were the familiar galaxies in the Plane of Dreams, but most parts were the unknown color zones, wave patterns, symbols, and lines, together they formed a weird star chart-like and abstract-painting picture.


    ¡°Category-D and above divine burst: thirty-three times. Category-D and below divine burst were as many as 625 times. There is no clear pattern of divine energy bursts, they happened almost randomly,¡± the voice of the CARS central computer reverberated in the air from all directions. ¡°The energy burst correlates to those survivors from Earth. When the survivors approached the Holletta ecosystem, the first wave of burst reached its peak. When they entered the warp space in the Petrachelys, the bursts weakened. Now they are close to the Tannagost¡¯s ecosphere and leaving, the process repeats.¡±


    ¡°So the goddess of creation has left something in the universe. The goddess had the ace up her sleeve when the exiles fled the Plane of Dreams with Yggdrasil 10,000 years ago. When the descendants of the exiles returned to this universe, this ¡®ace¡¯ responded.¡± Hao Ren scratched his chin and nodded. ¡°But we have only brought a hundred people, and strictly restricted their movement. So this ¡®divine network¡¯ is only semi-triggered and should not disturb the initial arrangement of the goddess of creation or interfere with the security system of the prison in deep space where the Mad Lord is incarcerated.¡±


    ¡°Yes, the feedback from the outpost drones indicates that the bursts from the divine network are confined to the area outside the Abyssal Dungeon and would not affect the seal of the Mad Lord,¡± the space station central computer replied. ¡°But as a result, it makes it hard for us to monitor. The excitation of one hundred people on the divine network is too small. The feedback it produces is vague and weak. Category-D divine energy burst is the strongest signal we have detected so far. These data almost offers no valuable information.¡±


    ¡°Then what we lack in quality, we compensate it with quantity,¡± Hao Ren said. He had expected this earlier. ¡°Next, the one hundred people will be divided into several teams and go to various monitoring points for contact stimulation. In this way, the number of burst readings that the drones could collect will increase exponentially. Finding a pattern from the sea of data should be the edge of AI like you.¡±


    ¡°But my edge here is in the study of the new formula of noodles.¡±


    ¡°Damn, I forgot.¡± Hao Ren smacked his head. ¡°You are the creation of the noodle maniac Raven 12345. Cough cough. But I¡¯m sure apart from researching noodles, your computing power is good enough to do things.¡±


    ¡°¡­no doubt about it.¡±


    Hao Ren felt that the CARS hesitated for a while! He was dead sure that it hesitated for a moment!


    After a while, Hao Ren gathered the guardian giants¡ªMuru, Heve, and Lemendusa¡ªwho were on duty at the space station.


    In the past few months, Lemendusa had been supervising the construction and assembly of the Creation Engine at the Gate of Solenne. Several stellar forging furnaces had entered the operation, and the first batch of critical components of the Creation Engine was produced from the core of a star a few days ago and sent to the assembly line. So the dedicated guardian giant had a few days off and the opportunity to return to the CARS to visit Muru and Heve. Hao Ren roped him in to study the strange divine-burst chart.


    ¡°The first set of panoramas is up,¡± said Hao Ren, pointing to the hologram in the air. It looked like a star chart and a mysterious graffiti. ¡°But due to insufficient external stimulation, the energy-burst readings are murky. What do you think? During the era of the goddess of creation, did you ever see her building something like this?¡±


    Muru looked at the continuously changing image, and his brows pulled together slightly. ¡°It looks like a network. Did the energy bursts appeared when those exiles from Earth returned to the Plane of Dreams?¡±


    ¡°Strictly speaking, these energy bursts happened when they came into contact with the Holletta ecosystem. When they were away from those ecosystems or shielded from the ecosystem, the divine bursts would immediately diminish,¡± Hao Ren explained.


    The original purpose of the ¡®return of the Plane of Dreams survivors¡¯ was to conduct a test to see what would happen when the survivors returned to the Plane of Dreams. Since the goddess of creation went to great lengths to send these people away and prepare a series of measures such as the Ultimate Absolution, the Guide, and the hyper ark, it was definitely not just to send these people away and live like cowards on Earth. She must have had many arrangements in place. While the goddess of creation was dormant and Vivian the guide had lost her memory, Hao Ren had no choice but to use this method to find out what ace was up the goddess¡¯ sleeve. The test amazed him with an immediate and significant amount of feedback, which revealed that a divine network was hidden in the universe of the Plane of Dreams.


    Lemendusa thought for a moment. He suddenly asked, ¡°There was the reaction when the otherworldlings came into contact with an ecosphere. Any ecosphere? Or is it limited to the ecospheres that our mother has created?¡±


    ¡°We will find it out next.¡¯ Hao Ren pointed to a small set of holograms that showed the ¡®tour groups¡¯ were on their way to their respective destinations. ¡°I arrange them to ¡®visit¡¯ different planets. Some of these planets are the seeding planets of the Goddess of Creation, and some are native eco-planets, which are divided into dead planets and life-sustaining planets. I just want to see how the divine burst network works.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s monitor it together,¡± Lemendusa said in a low voice. ¡°This network looks familiar to me. But I cannot tell where I have seen it. Maybe I will think of something when it lights up more.¡±


    ¡°Then we will see.¡± Hao Ren exhaled.

 Chapter 1376 - Information Network

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Seven teams in seven separate space shuttles¡ªthe spacecraft carrying the testers quickly reached the predetermined contact points. At the same time they arrived, there were corresponding divine bursts in the deep universe. It was entirely expected, and the test was incredibly successful.


    The first shuttle arrived at the target position in Tannagost. After leaving CARS, there was no need for the space shuttle to enter hyperspace. It flew around the lower orbit before entering the atmosphere. Study Group One landed on the golden planet, and a vibrant world filled with life appeared before them. The pale gold rocks, golden-green plants, and the golden city ruins between the forests and mountains were amazing. Plus, they were everywhere.


    The Ancattero Family, the descendants of the Tannaeans who fled to Earth and were almost wiped out earlier, finally stepped foot on their homeworld. They lacked a sense of connection during the visit to Holletta, but here, they could not help but feel excited. The Ancattero Family saw that nature was about to claim the remnants of the city, and they also saw the golden city of Alamanda, which Hao Ren had transformed into a forward base. The place was now a factory park and the nest of the drone cluster, but it still retained the original appearance of Alamanda. They could hardly believe their eyes that these were the magnificent cities that their ancestors built.


    ¡°This is Tannagost, the early planet that the Sun King discovered,¡± said an Aerymian elven tour guide. ¡°It was the garden of the goddess of creation and destructed by the First Born 10,000 years ago. The damage to the ecosystem was much severe than Holletta had experienced. Here is the hometown of the Tannaeans, whose descendant is the Ancattero Family on Earth. This race with great wisdom built many brilliant cities on their planet. They fought the First Born until the last moment. The city before you is Alamanda, one of the last fortress cities back then.


    ¡°After losing the war, the souls of the Tannaeans were distorted and turned into vengeful spirits. You must be already familiar with the vengeful-spirit phenomenon on earth.


    ¡°Information about the Tannagost civilization has been extracted and uploaded. They will not be forgotten.


    ¡°This planet is now on the track to recovery. With the help of a gentle First Born, it has acquired a new ecosystem. An intelligent alien race, Zorm, is the current inhabitants of the planet, while Zorm is also the name of the First Born, the guardian of this planet. Later we will visit the towns built by the Zormese, who have tenaciously gotten a foothold on the planet and built some settlements near the edge of the primary forest and the ancient city ruins. While on the way, I will tell you about the history of Zormese civilization, which is another epically tragic story.¡±


    The visitors walked in the forest of Tannagost. The pale-gold planet was gleaming when looking from space. In the distant universe, a drone monitoring station was continuously streaming data back to the CARS.


    ¡°Day 4, at 3:15 pm, the sample group entered the Tannagost ecosphere test point. A divine bust was detected in Deep Space-KD-627JS15-Z22 region. Category-D burst. It repeated 12 times in succession.


    ¡°Deep Space-XXXX region, a divine burst was detected. Burst Category-D, D+. Burst repeated six times in succession.¡±


    The second shuttle landed on a cold dark-brown planet filled with toxic gases. The surface of the planet was covered in a vast expanse of ??radioactive liquid. The radioactive ocean was filled with some disturbing, purple-black, fluorescent native flora which swayed under the surface. The place looked horribly strange.


    ¡°Planet PT-05, a declining planet, which the Sun King has just discovered it not long ago. Our exploration of this planet is still in its infancy. But one thing is sure, it should be the place of origin of the shadelings on Earth.


    ¡°This planet is still filled with powerful, shadowy energy, but its natural environment is no longer habitable for the shadelings. As you can see, it is full of toxic and radioactive substances. You must wear life-support gear to stay here. The drone found a huge corpse of the First Born at the bottom of the ocean, and a large number of trenches and continental shelf remnants that the First Born¡¯s tentacles had torn apart. There is no doubt that the First Born was the one who destroyed the ecosphere here.


    ¡°The shadelings has developed into an inter-planetary civilization. We found the colonial city ruins on the satellites of the planet and the surrounding space. Due to the scale of the devastation on the planet, it could no longer restore its shadeling civilization.¡±


    A second drone monitoring station beamed back a message from deep space and captured by the central computer of the CARS.


    ¡°Day 4, 4:26 pm, the sample group entered PT-05 test point. The shadelings came into their original ecosphere. Deep Space-XXXX region detected Category-D divine burst. The burst repeated 14 times.


    ¡°Deep Space-XXXX region detected Category-C divine burst. It appeared once.¡±


    The third space shuttle arrived at a completely frozen planet and landed on a thick layer of ice. Endless ice sheets were everywhere with massive crisscrossed cracks in the ice. Some of the cracks were so deep that they led to the planet surface at the bottom. It was only possible to see the original planet surface by descending to the bottom through these cracks. In the dry, windless, and cold atmosphere, the Aerymian Elf introduced this lifeless world with a solemn tone of voice.


    ¡°Planet PT-17. We found its name on a monument¡ª Galanhod, meaning a paradise guarded by heroes. The monument is buried deep in the ice. Frozen in its surroundings are 140,000 human bodies, who were once the inhabitants of this planet and the last survivors. It is a native eco-planet. The life on this planet was not the creation of the goddess of creation but naturally born. Sadly, this place did not escape the catastrophe. There is evidence that a crazy guardian starship discovered the planet and destroyed its geomagnetic field and atmospheric circulation system, and led to extreme temperature swings that destroyed the ecosphere.


    ¡°Buried under the ice are 127 kingdoms and city-states. They built their civilizations with magic power. Countless heroes, kings, knights, scholars, civilians, monks, farmers, nobles; all sleep in the three-kilometer-thick ice.


    ¡°The drones have excavated parts of the planet and melted the planet¡¯s arctic ice sheet using a laser beam from space. We have built a massive library there to store the books and epigraphic relics.¡±


    Several monitoring stations floated quietly in space, they gleamed mysteriously when the distant starlight shone on their smooth surfaces.


    ¡°Day 4, 4:35 pm, the sample group entered the Gahrahmhod test point. Deep Space-XXXX region detected a Category-D divine burst. It repeated seven times. Correction: twelve times.¡±


    All the data collected were sent to the central computer of the CARS, which then used a sophisticated data processing program to reconstruct and analyze the war data into various reports and conclusions with an excellent reference value.


    The divine burst chart was changing rapidly with more colors and lines emerging and intertwining to become a vast and ever-changing information network. With each contact by the ¡®remnant group¡¯ with the test point, this burst chart appeared like the undulation of ocean waves. In the undulation, there was the amazing burst of bright ¡®information cluster.¡¯ It would knock your socks off when it was associated with the massive information network covering the entire universe.


    ¡°All contact points have triggered deep-space divine bursts, including contact between native races and native eco-planets.¡± Hao Ren pointed to the spectacular information network. ¡°All bursts happened at super-light speed. Divine power is not restricted by space and time. At present, the entire universe is bustling with such intensive information exchange activities, except for the prison of ??the Mad Lord.¡±


    ¡°Not only limited to the eco-worlds created by our mother?¡± Muru muttered to himself, ¡°What exactly is this thing that it requires such a massive scale of information network?¡±


    ¡°What is the nature of these burst points?¡± Lemendusa looked down at Hao Ren. ¡°Have your drone cluster confirmed it on the ground?¡±


    ¡°Of course, as long as the burst site is within the range of the drone cluster, I had sent a probe to check the burst source out,¡± Hao Ren replied. He then called up another set of holograms. Light dots below the divine burst chart were flashing continuously in tune with the information network. ¡°It¡¯s a star,¡± Hao Ren said.


    ¡°A star?¡± The three guardian giants exclaimed in unison.


    ¡°Yup, a star. The drone cluster has found a star in every burst location. These stars have similar size and age, from temperature to luminosity, the difference is within 50% range.¡± Hao Ren paused and then said slowly, ¡°That is to say, these stars were all specially selected; the goddess of creation created this network.¡±


    ¡°The stars in the universe are bursting in divine power?¡± Y¡¯zaks fell into deep thought. ¡°Since it is an information exchange, it must be content. Can¡¯t you crack it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy to crack divine encryption as it is directly related to the operation of the truth of the universe.¡± Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°More importantly, to prevent things from getting out of hand, the excitation applied to this divine network must be kept to the minimum, though it will be more difficult to analyze the data.¡±


    Everyone was silent.

 Chapter 1377 - The Secret Designs of the Goddess

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The return of the otherworldlings had excited the system left behind by the goddess of creation. A hidden network of divine bursts finally emerged. However, the divine-encrypted network was so complicated that even with the computational power of CARS, there was no simple approach to crack it. On top of that, there was a bigger problem: Hao Ren could only partially activate the network because he did not know the function of the network and what effects it would cause. Enabling the ancient legacy blindly would be too risky.


    Four days ago, when the ¡°selected ones¡± first came to Holletta¡¯s ecosphere and triggered the first divine burst, CARS and the drone cluster had roughly calculated the energy category. He adjusted the test program, and since then, every grouping, route, and length of stay was based on the condition of not over-stimulating the divine network.


    ¡°Hao Ren¡¯s worry is legit,¡± Vivian said. She knew about what was on Hao Ren¡¯s mind. Vivian had helped design the planning earlier. ¡°We still have no idea what this divine network is all about, and if there any other arrangements when the goddess of creation created the divine network. If we rashly destroy or activate them, we would very likely have to face some program that we are unable to overcome.¡±


    Lemendusa and Muru nodded solemnly as a sign of their acknowledgment.


    ¡°Better safe than sorry,¡± said the female giant, Heve. ¡°We can put aside the specific content of information exchange in this divine network while figuring out the structure and mechanism of this network. Perhaps we would be able to understand its nature and how it works.¡±


    ¡°I have come to a few conclusions,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°First of all, this network needs a certain degree of stimulation before it was triggered. Before this, I have brought some otherworldlings, such as the sirens, returning to the Plane of Dreams, but it has not triggered the divine network. Only this time, the 100-strong tour group has activated it. So only over a certain number of exiles returning to the Plane of Dreams would trigger the network.¡±


    ¡°Secondly, apart from the structural form that looks like a massive data exchange network, the divine burst network should also have an extremely efficient data processing and computing power. At some key moments, the drone cluster has detected a massive fluctuation of data¡ªover hundreds of millions of megabytes per second of data throughput transferred across the universe.


    ¡°Thirdly, this network is distributed throughout the universe. My drone cluster has not been able to cover the entire universe of the Plane of Dreams. But within the observable space, we can know that the locations of the divine burst are ubiquitous. They are randomly distributed throughout the Plane of Dreams. As long as there is a stellar system, there may be such a burst point. I¡¯m almost sure that there are more burst points outside the line of sight of the drone cluster.


    ¡°Finally, these stars that emit divine bursts have a very unmistakeably common feature: there is absolutely no existence of life or habitable zone within fifteen light years of them.¡±


    There was a confused look on Hao Ren¡¯s face. He still had something that he could not understand.


    ¡°No existence of life?¡± Lemendusa frowned. ¡°Are all these stars that produce divine burst located in the ¡®barren zone¡¯?¡±


    ¡°If ¡®barren zone¡¯ is what you call, yeah.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°There are no eco-planets near these stars, not even a habitable planet. Most of them are isolated stars without a planetary system. Even if there are planets nearby, the surface of these planets is either too cold or too hot due to the location of orbit. It is almost impossible to produce life under natural conditions. Since these stars are carefully selected by the goddess of creation, I have reason to believe the environment around these stars is also the result of her deliberate selection.¡±


    ¡°Mother loved life, and her attention was always on those places filled with vibrant life,¡± said Heve, who was confused too. ¡°Why would she create such an information network completely outside any ecosystem? If this network is intended for use in areas unrelated to living things, why is the activation criteria of this network must be the contact of the exiles with an ecosphere?¡±


    ¡°Since the activation criteria of the network are the return of the descendants of the exiles to their ecospheres in the Plane of Dreams, then this network is certainly not for use in an area unrelated to living things,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°About the location of the network, which is way from places with life¡ª I have a conjecture.¡±


    ¡°What conjecture?¡± Vivian, Lily, and the three guardian giants asked in unison.


    ¡°Judging from the behavioral model of the goddess of creation, I guess she was worried about the negative impact of the network on living things. Perhaps the powerful divine energy would destroy the ecosystem around those stars, or maybe this network could attract some dangerous things in the deep universe during its operation. So the goddess of creation chose to build her divine network in the barren zone.¡±


    ¡°I think this possibility is high.¡± Y¡¯zaks scratched his jaw and nodded.


    ¡°So our cautiousness is legit,¡± Vivian said. Her eyebrow arched. ¡°Whatever the real reason, each node of the network is chosen to be away from life, which means the network is harmful to life. We must not rush to activate it.¡±


    Lemendusa looked silently at the hologram in the air. After the various test points were activated, the divine burst chart looked more complete than before. Many of the nodes that were hidden earlier had emerged out of the dark universe, together they formed a complex and magnificent three-dimensional structure. It was so complicated that it was even dizzying to look at it. This guardian giant, who once guarded the boundary of the goddess¡¯ realm in the Gate of Solenne, frowned. He changed his viewing angle and looked at the hologram in another perspective, and he looked even more somber than before.


    ¡°Lemendusa, what have you found?¡± Heve first noticed the change of expression on his partner¡¯s face.


    ¡°It seems I have seen it before,¡± Lemendusa said. But he was not sure. ¡°Perhaps what I saw was an unfinished design.¡±


    ¡°Where did you see it?¡± Hao Ren could not wait and ask.


    ¡°In mother¡¯s palace; her secret design facility,¡± Lemendusa said with a low voice. ¡°Many guardians knew the existence of the secret facility, but only a few had the opportunity to see it.¡±


    ¡°Secret design facility?¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°What is that? The goddess of creation has many secret projects?¡±


    Lemendusa nodded slowly. ¡°Before the deicidal war, mother had been behaving weirdly. She never used to shun her own children and was always generous in letting us participate in her grand plans, including life sowing, and space exploration. But then she built a series of secret factories and design facilities around the Star of Creation and the Kingdom of God. The blueprint for the Creation Engine is one of the products of these secret projects. We didn¡¯t know that mother was making the Creation Engine at first until the thing was produced in her secret research facility and some of the guardians got their hands on the initial drawings. We knew the factories and laboratories, but there was no opportunity to know what she was doing inside. She had arranged soulless craftsmen and servants in those factories and labs. Those lifeless and soulless ¡®magic puppets¡¯ worked day and night but never revealed their tasks that mother had assigned to them. But even so, a small number of guardians still got the opportunity to enter the secret facilities by chance. Sometimes mother seemed to have suddenly forgotten that the facilities were restricted to us, she would call us over for discussion and then suddenly appeared to realize it and drove us out of the secret lab. That was how I had the opportunity to take a peek inside one of the secret design houses.¡±


    ¡°You mean the original blueprint of the information network?¡± A light dawned on Hao Ren.


    ¡°Yup. Mother must be working on the design of this thing at the time. It looks very similar to what I remember,¡± Lemendusa pointed to the hologram in midair. ¡°She suddenly called me over and asked my view of soul and life. I still remember there was a magnificent rotunda there, the center of the hall was shimmering energy well, and the original blueprint of a complex network was suspended above it, just like this one.¡±


    ¡°Can you remember any details?¡± Hao Ren asked eagerly.


    ¡°Nothing else.¡± Lemendusa slowly shook his head and said no more. ¡°Wait a second! Maybe this is useful¡ªat that time, Mother asked me about the soul and evolution of life. But later, she asked another question that I found strange back then: she asked if one day the universe was zeroed and everything went back to its starting point, should there be a god or no god in the new world.¡±


    ¡°Should there be a god or no god?¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s brows were knitted together as he repeated the phrase.

 Chapter 1378 - Last Stop

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Should there be a god or no god? It was an unanswerable question, especially when the asker was a true goddess herself. It was inexplicable. From Hao Ren¡¯s point of view, in the first two decades of his life, ¡°God¡± had always been a false proposition. He was immersed in the atheistic environment for 25 years and he believed in it without a doubt. In the 25th year of his life, his worldview came crashing down, and ¡°God¡± became an established fact of objective existence. For Hao Ren, there was no moral issue of God¡¯s existence. The goddess¡¯ existence was not only real but also a troublesome one. Not only was she annoying, but she was also a noodle maniac.


    Hao Ren could not help it when it came to the goddess. But when he saw the stares around him, he quickly shook the images of Raven 12345 squatting in her garden and cooking noodles off his mind. Hao Ren hemmed a couple of times, pretending like he did not space out. ¡°This is a moot question. What do you guys think?¡±


    ¡°Of course there should be a god!¡± the husky maiden replied excitedly.


    ¡°You sound like a devout believer!¡± Vivian gave the husky maiden a sideways glance.


    ¡°God always gives presents during the new year. By the way, Mr. Landlord, is it time for our year-end bonus yet?¡± Lily said with her arms crossed.


    Both Hao Ren and Vivian were speechless.


    Muru and Lemendusa looked down at them, finding it difficult to join their discussion.


    For Lily, the existence of a goddess was merely about presents and bonuses. Would Raven 12345 cast a buff spell and slam it on the naive husky¡¯s face if she heard it? Hao Ren had no time this question. He was pondering about the summoning of Lemendusa by the goddess of creation into the secret lab. His sight fell on the divine network in midair.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid the goddess of creation was already preparing for her death at that time. ¡®Everything goes back to zero, and the universe resets¡¯: she sounded as if she had anticipated the disasters before her death. It is confusing. But one thing is sure; the goddess of creation created this network of divine power to prepare for her death. The network must be related to something about which she was most concerned. Lemendusa, the question you have mentioned is a typical lamentation of someone who is about to die. I can¡¯t think of anything other than this explanation. What do you think is the thing that the goddess of creation could not let go of the most?¡±


    Vivian¡¯s brows pulled together. ¡°The children she created? The order of the universe? The prison of the Mad Lord?¡±


    ¡°They are all possible.¡± Hao Ren let out a sigh.


    Everyone became silent and looked up the image of the divine network that looked like an undulating sea. It surged, spread, blended in with the stars and pervaded the entire universe.


    Three days later, those 100 ¡°selected ones¡± gathered again in the Petrachelys as it was about to set sail again. These descendants of the exiles were much quieter now compared to when they first departed from Earth.


    The wholly destroyed ecosystems, ruined planets, even the remains of the celestial bodies that the First Born¡¯s tentacles had torn apart and drifted in planetary orbits, and the ruins that stood silently on those broken celestial bodies¡ªthose were the things that the ¡®selected ones¡¯ saw in the past three days. They saw the aftermath of the kingdoms, used to be flourishing with life, were devastated in the extinction events. Countless heroes and legends were buried in the ruins and would remain there in the cold space forever.


    For the ¡®selected ones¡¯ on the spacecraft, the first three-day in Holletta and the last three-day journey were a stark contrast. They witnessed the prosperity and vitality of civilization in the first three days. In the following three days, they saw the death and funeral of civilization. The different experience left an unforgettable impression in their minds.


    Hao Ren did not deliberately arrange the second half of the tour to be traumatic. He did not have a choice. The Plane of Dreams was not an ideal place for sightseeing. After the First Born disaster, there were few places left in the universe worth visiting.


    ¡°I never thought I would see those things.¡± In the lounge, an old vampire nobleman shook his head and sighed slightly. ¡°The most ridiculous thing is that I never paid serious attention to this journey until I got on the spaceship. I never thought there would be anything that could affect the Blood Clan after the Mythological Era. I once even felt that the information materials given by the Shadow Council were exaggerated and a scare tactic.¡±


    Hesperides was sitting opposite the old vampire. The nymph of the evening glanced at her ¡®junior¡¯ with a wry smile. ¡°How about now?¡±


    ¡°The information is amazingly shallow and conservative, for what I have seen is far from what the words and pictures could describe.¡± the old Blood Clan raised the red wine glass in his hand. ¡°Before the departure, I thought about it all night the plots to fight against others, pondering about gains and losses, even the opportunity to crack the secrets of crossing the world, so that I could profit from it. But the journey turned out to be not what I imagined. Sigh, looking back at what I¡¯ve done, I feel as childish as a child.¡±


    Perhaps the experiences in the past few days had shocked him, or it may be because he was facing an ancient like Hesperides who was respected by the otherworldlings, the vampire noble was particularly emotional. It made Hesperris laugh. ¡°I am afraid you¡¯re not the only one with this thinking. I guess at least one-third of them had once thought of the idea of ¡±cracking the secrets of the crossing.¡¯ But those guys were probably dumbfounded the moment they boarded the spaceship.¡±


    ¡°I will never boast of my knowledge and experience again because I realize I know nothing about the real mystery and knowledge.¡± Another vampire noble, Zeon Lucas, said as he smiled and shook his head.


    ¡°Unlike you, I think I have enough materials to brag about for at least half a year feel when I go back.¡± Hessiana, who was sitting on the other side, interjected. ¡°My phone¡¯s memory is full. I don¡¯t want to admit it, but that guy¡ªHao Ren¡ªseems really awesome. I hope I can talk to him and see if he could give me a spaceship or something. Hmm, should I play cute with him? Probably not. I have goosebumps all over my skin by just thinking about it. I¡¯d better talk to Vivian.¡±


    Those family leaders who truly realized their folly after the journey began to cough uncontrollably in shock over Hessiana¡¯s magnanimity. Even Hesperides could not help but roll her eyes. She pointed to the sirens at the other end of the hall. ¡°You should sit with them. Other than snapping photos and shopping, the sirens came to the trip wholly for fun. Even the queen of the siren asked me for power bank.¡±


    Zeon Lucas also began to lose respect for the sirens. He could not help but let out a sigh. But when Zeon looked at the sirens, he was wide-eyed. Those ¡®saltwater fish,¡¯ who were still happily exchanging photos when they boarded, had all quieted down.


    Not only had they became silent, but the atmosphere between them was even a bit solemn. The queen of the sirens, Katreina, sat at the table without saying a word. Her snake tail smacked on the ground occasionally while her subordinates sitting around her whispered among themselves sometimes, but they were not bantering.


    ¡°I¡¯ve no idea. The sirens were like this a while ago.¡± Hessiana had noticed the sirens were behaving abnormally a while ago. ¡°They looked somber when the spacecraft entered the warp space or something.¡±


    ¡°These guys are earnest?¡± Zeon Lucas asked.


    A voice suddenly interrupted the conversation. ¡°It¡¯s because they are coming home.¡±


    Hessiana looked up. It was a girl with white hair, a ponytail, and dressed in a demon-hunter suit standing in front of her.


    Those sitting at the table saw a demon hunter suddenly approached them, and became a bit nervous. But White Flame could not care less. With the wave of her hand, she said, ¡°Don¡¯t overreact. Didn¡¯t we already make a truce?¡±


    ¡°I know you, White Flame.¡± Hessiana was the first one to remain composed. She glanced at White Flame. ¡°You are the first demon hunter greeting us.¡±


    ¡°Callus begin to form in my ear listening to the old man¡¯s speech!¡± White Flame quipped. ¡°So I just wanted to say hello and see what would happen. But hah, your reaction is quite interesting!¡±


    Hesperides¡¯ frown was almost imperceptible. ¡°Do you mean that next stop is the homeworld of the sirens?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it is the last stop of our journey.¡± White Flame sighed. ¡°The next stop¡ªIo.¡±


    Outside the spacecraft, the dark-cavity effect caused by the warp flight slowly opened up.


    The twisted red and blue flight path appeared around the spacecraft. In between the twisted stars, a blue planet quickly filled everyone¡¯s field of vision.

 Chapter 1379 - Hello, Eva

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The closed, black cavity caused by the warp drive quickly subsided, and a blue planet appeared at the end of the red and blue spectrum. The holographic image of the planet was rapidly enlarged in the spacecraft, and its surface details became visible. It was strikingly beautiful.


    The planet was entirely covered by water. Clouds, storms, waves, whirlpools, and all the other embellishments looked like they had been drawn on a blue scroll; it brought a sense of openness and magnificence that instantaneously dispelled the trauma and solemnity of the journey to the ruins from three days ago. The passengers in the lounge gazed at Io and were lost in thought. Some softly exclaimed in awe.


    These people had never seen a planet entirely covered by the ocean. It was not even in their imagination.


    When Zeon Lucas saw planet Io, his eyebrows twitched uncontrollably, and he whispered, ¡°It is indeed the homeworld of the sirens; there is water everywhere.¡±


    ¡°Crap! Why can¡¯t the habitat of the sirens be made up entirely of water?¡± Hessiana shot her century-old nemesis a sideways glance and smiled in a mocking manner. ¡°Oh yes, you¡¯re a landlubber. Are you spasming from seeing the water?¡±


    ¡°The Blood Clan has never liked water, mind you!¡± The corner of Zeon Lucas¡¯ eye twitched. ¡°A freak like you isn¡¯t afraid of water¡ªnot even holy water. You¡¯re an embarrassment.¡±


    ¡°Vivian is not afraid of these things too!¡± Hessiana¡¯s arm akimbo and her face proud. ¡°It is what a senior Blood Clan should be! I tell you what, you have to work hard to overcome your racial weakness. If you trust me, find our Hessianite Family when you go back. I will give you a crash course, soaking you in the holy water. If you can¡¯t come out alive, you will be sanctified.¡±


    Jean Lucas was struck dumb.


    He felt that he could not keep up with the train of thought of the shame of the race.


    While the two of them were cackling, the silver-white patrol frigate Petrachelys had already entered the atmosphere of Io and gradually approached Io¡¯s vast expanse of ocean.


    ¡°Are we going to ¡®land¡¯ on the ocean this time?¡± asked a vampire noble with a frown. ¡°I do not like it.¡±


    ¡°There must be something like a landing field,¡± a shadeling said. ¡°Or maybe a boat or something.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute, there is something on the sea. What is that?¡±


    The azure sea surface and some neatly arranged black dots zoomed in quickly in everyone¡¯s field of vision. When it was close enough, they finally knew what those dots were¡ªfloating steel cities.


    The oval-shaped artificial islands floating on the sea of ??Io had the same shape and size and connected to each other by steel bridges and pipes. Old buildings were densely packed on these lands cast from steel as if ruins after a disaster. On the edge of the artificial islands, there were many newly added structures¡ªpiers, racks, seafood being air-dried on the shelves, and net made of metal cables covered in seaweed. Boats were traversing between these things, seemingly collecting produce.


    These structures should be the fish farms built by the islands¡¯ residents.


    In the Petrachelys¡¯ flight deck, Hao Ren also saw those floating structures. The group of floating cities had not changed much compared with when he left previously. Those ark inhabitants still could not alter the old starship. It would take them a few generations of education before they could restore their ability to operate the equipment. But there was some stuff appeared around the urban agglomeration: those piers and metal nets used to farm edible water plants, as well as rudimentary vessels cruising in littoral water. The inhabitants of the ark must have developed these things earlier after he left.


    ¡°It seems that Lorenz¡¯s work is progressing well,¡± Vivian said with a smile. ¡°The ark residents have begun to look for resources from nature. It is not easy for the exiles who had lived in an enclosed spacecraft for 10,000 years. That means they have begun to learn to survive after leaving the ark¡¯s life-supporting system.¡±


    ¡°These people have also learned to build ships,¡± Lily said. She looked particularly happy. ¡°They are not afraid of water anymore! When these people saw the sea for the first time, they were so scared that they stayed away from it as far as they could.¡±


    ¡°I hope Eva and these new residents have been getting along well,¡± Hao Ren said when he thought of the new spirit of the ocean. ¡°She must have noticed us.¡±


    Hao Ren was right; Eva had noticed the Petrachelys, which was now descending from the sky. The new Spirit of the Ocean was curious about anything that fell from the sky. Before the Petrachelys landed on the sea, the sea surged and formed into a female figure¡ªit was Eva. Eva curiously looked at the Petrachelys that was hovering above. After a while, she finally recognized it and waved her ¡®hands¡¯ excitedly accompanied by the gushing of water that resounded in the air.


    As the spacecraft slowly descended, Eva¡¯s massive body of water also descended and shrunk and eventually became a ¡°little¡± female water giant of a dozen meters tall. She was excited like a dog that saw her master coming home with a bone when the hatch of the Petrachelys slowly opened.


    Please forgive Hao Ren for not thinking of a better description. He could not help it¡ªhe had seen Lily waiting expectantly with a hungry face at the door every day when he came home.


    The spacecraft hovered steadily over the sea surface. The first person who came out of the spaceship was not Hao Ren but a group of sirens, including Katreina. The sirens jumped straight into the water, and then blue light radiated from and spread into all directions. The sea surface quickly calmed down, and something incredible happened: a solid, transparent layer form on the sea surface much like it froze in the winter. The frozen layer, only a few millimeters thick, covered almost the entire sea in their field of vision. Those who came down from the spacecraft were surprised to find that the sea had turned into a solid ¡®land.¡¯ People jittered as they set foot on the surface; it was literally walking on thin ice. But very soon, they, including Hao Ren, marveled at the sirens¡¯ ability to control the water.


    It was an ability of a much higher order than the water sphere trick that Nangong Wuyue used to clean the floor at home.


    After shaping a solid surface for others to stand on, Katreina and the other sirens jumped out of the sea. The solid surface was not an obstacle to them. The could move in and out of the surface as if the barrier was not there.


    Katreina waved her snake tail, came up to Eva and reached out her hand to the surging seawater. ¡°Eva, we come to see you.¡±


    Eva made a cascading sound as she curiously lowered her height, and eventually became a transparent girl almost as tall as Katreina. Feeling a sense of familiarity on Katreina, Eva sounded even louder than before with a sense of cheerfulness.


    ¡°Look!¡± A vague voice came from the water. The tone was weird, but it was audibly different from the sound of water.


    Hao Ren was surprised. He and Vivian looked at each other. ¡°Eva is finally able to talk?¡±


    ¡°She interacts with the residents of the ark every day,¡± Vivian said with a thoughtful look as she gazed at the floating city cluster not far away. ¡°Perhaps Eva developed the concept of language communication in the process. But she obviously does not understand the language we use but just repeat the syllables.¡±


    Hao Ren quickly crouched down and pressed his hand on the sea surface, which maintained its solid state by Katreina¡¯s magic spell. It was still the extension of Eva¡¯s body¡ªthe entire sea of Io was Eva. A thought flew like water into Hao Ren¡¯s mind. Hao Ren looked up at the Eva incarnate, who turned and looked back at him. The two of them had established a mental connection.


    As Vivian said, Eva understood the concept of language when interacting with the residents of the ark. She had even learned their language.


    ¡°Her learning ability is awesome.¡± Hao Ren said with a smile. ¡°I just imparted knowledge of a few languages to her through the spiritual connection. She learned it quickly. The will of nature is indeed extraordinary. She could learn anything in a breeze.¡±


    ¡°Eva, this is the gift from our sisters on Earth,¡± Katreina said as she opened her ridiculously big travel bag and took out the meticulously wrapped presents. ¡°The sirens are doing well on Earth. These are the treasures they have collected. See, they are all marine products.¡±


    Katreina opened the gifts and placed them before Eva. There were large colorful shells, bracelets exquisitely crafted with water plants, manganese nodules from the ocean floor, and beautiful gems collected from areas near underwater volcanoes. The gifts also included bits and pieces of steering gear, which the sirens removed from the Bismarck¡ªjust that no one knew whether they dissembled it before or after the ship sank.


    Hao Ren was speechless.

 Chapter 1380 - The New Life of the Ark Immigrants

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren fully appreciated the differences in the values ??of different races. Differences were even more apparent when it came to the sirens. No matter how close the deep-sea ¡°fish¡± looked like carbon-based living things, they were essentially elemental creatures. The most significant difference between elemental beings and ordinary life was in their perception of the material world. At least one-third of the gifts that the Queen of the Sirens brought was rubbish, but Eva still appeared happy.


    There was even a piece of rotten, steel-toe shoe, which some siren must have picked up while strolling along the beach. In Katreina¡¯s mind, the shoe was a marine object, and she had begun to instill this idea in Eva.


    Based on the sirens¡¯ thought process, everything they found in the sea was a marine object, including floaties, bottles, offshore drilling rigs, and Jack who sank with the Titanic.


    On this basis, Katreina described the living environment of the Earth¡¯s sirens to Eva, who was listening with interest. Hao Ren wondered what was on Eva¡¯s mind right then. But one thing was sure; Eva¡¯s understanding of the sea on Earth was very different from what the humans knew.


    ¡°I am glad!¡± Eva surged around Katreina and a group of sirens, and the sound of splashing wave resounded in the air. ¡°It is a cool place here! There are fish, sea plants, and iron islands! People on the iron islands have recently learned how to eat fish and sea plants!¡±


    ¡°Are you getting along well with those immigrants?¡± Hao Ren looked at Eva with a smile.


    ¡°We are good.¡± Eva tumbled down and spattered into many tiny Evas that jumped on the sea surface. It seemed that as Eva¡¯s mind grew, her self-controllability had increased. ¡°They did not dare to leave the iron islands at first, but then when I told them that there was food in the water, they started to go into the water. But they have to take the boat; they can¡¯t live underwater.¡±


    ¡°Not all creatures can survive in the water,¡± Hao Ren smiled. ¡°I should also go to see Lorenz. I wonder how he is doing with the social order rebuilding of the ark immigrants.¡±


    Next, the sirens would bring the otherworldlings to visit the ancient kingdom ruins at the bottom of the ocean. The dive was under the care of the sirens and Eva. Except for a few vampires who had aquaphobia, everyone was excited. After the group set off, Hao Ren and his little buddies went to the floating city cluster. He was anxious to know how those extraterrestrial immigrants were doing on this planet.


    As it turned out, it was a little beyond Hao Ren¡¯s expectation. The floating cities still looked vicissitudinous, but the residents living in the old buildings here had a different mindset now. They used to be numb, ignorant, and muddling along in a pile of ancient life-support system that was about to fail. The sky above their heads was always gray, and they vied for the little food supply that was still left. They even formed ridiculously tiny ¡®kingdoms¡¯ of their own in the streets and fought with each other like the barbarians. But now, things were different. The steel sky had opened. The residents were exposed to the vast world, which was beyond their imagination, outside the barriers. Under the leadership of spiritual leader Lorenz, a new social order took shape. The ark residents had to start working hard to rebuild their homes. They had to expand their living space. These people still wore their old, worn clothes and survived on the materials they salvaged from the ruins, but the emergence of the new world had brought these people hope. There was a sense of reborn.


    There were workers building houses and fixing streets, the beating sound of metals, roar from the machine shops, the rumble of the old generators, and the whistling noise from the boilers that were restarted after thousands of years of idling. Workers and technicians who had just completed their study and training were working amid the rusty structure, trying to revive the metal settlement. It seemed that life was slowly returning.


    The shadows of the era of colonial spacecraft present in every corner of the floating city cluster. After all, and these people in the spacecraft had only started to restore their civilization a year ago after thousands of years of lost time. Under these circumstances, it was challenging to achieve fundamental change in their society even with the support of religious power and spiritual beliefs. Hao Ren had not conducted an in-depth investigation, but he could still see that the shadows of the dynasty system still remained. Factionalism, a legacy from the splitting of the civilization into several kingdoms earlier, still existed. It needed a whole generation to change that.


    But what they had done was good enough.


    Hao Ren found Lorenz in the Throne¡ªthe ark which was now the capital of the floating city cluster. This old man was the spiritual leader of the Ark civilization and the de facto ruler of the floating city cluster. He consolidated his power using the power of religion and successfully carried out his civilization recovery plan.


    Hao Ren¡¯s visit was a pleasant surprise to Lorenz. Wearing a plain white robe standing on the platform in front of the Furnace of the Ancestors, Lorenz overlooked the city below and lamented. ¡°It has been a year, they finally understand how to survive in this new world. They had to learn the concept of the sky at first, adapt to the cycle of day and night, and the weather. I had been a tough time.¡±


    ¡°The hardest days have passed, isn¡¯t it?¡± Vivian said with a smile. ¡°Your ability amazes us. We did not even think that you would do so well. Not everyone could make a lost civilization get back on its feet and begin rebuilding so quickly.¡±


    ¡°Physical reconstruction is easy, but mental rebuilding is difficult.¡± Lorenz shook his head. ¡°It takes a long time to change them mentally. I am just taking the first step. Our main task is to repair the buildings damaged during the launch of the spacecraft, provide a living safety net the people, and repair some simple facilities in the city. It is far from reconstruction. However, I have started a new project to build a school in the center of the city of the Throne. The first group of students is studying basic scientific and cultural knowledge. Then they will teach in general schools in various places. After the basic survival necessities are secured, the next priority will be education. I hope that to let young people under the age of 20 complete the reconstruction of their outlook on life within three to five years so that we will have sufficient talents in the next step of rebuilding.¡±


    ¡°Well. I saw there were people on the other floating cities. Are you ready to expand the settlement?¡±


    ¡°They are just doing some preliminary investigations,¡± said Lorenz. ¡°The other immigrant starships have been separated from the Throne for thousands of years. The situation above is completely unknown to me. Therefore, I must figure out the situation first. On this planet without land, we will sooner or later have to expand to other immigration starships. After all, the floating city cluster is the only place where we can stand on this planet.¡±


    Lily stood on the edge of the platform and looked around curiously. Suddenly, she saw something new in the square below. It was a large pool with two statues of the goddess in the middle. Such a structure was obviously a mega project to a ruined civilization. The husky maiden suddenly yelled, ¡°Whoa! Are those the Frostfire Twin Goddess statues? You have made me look so handsome.¡±


    ¡°In the early stage of the recovery, spiritual support and religious guidance are the best and most necessary means,¡± Lorenz said. ¡°Because during this stage, people¡¯s cognitive ability is low, you cannot tell them why they should do this. So there must be something that drives them to do it without question. We wanted to build a statue for the Spirit of the Ocean, Eva, but this spirit is a little naughty. She always changes her image. Sometimes she deliberately changes into unrecognizable shapes. So I finally chose to use the basic element of ¡®water¡¯ to represent her. Every statue is accompanied by water, which is everywhere and symbolizing Eva¡¯s omnipresence. Maybe we will become a water-worshiping race in the future.¡±


    ¡°But this early stage will end eventually.¡± Hao Ren reminded him. ¡°Humans always learn to stand on their feet.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Lorenz laughed. ¡°We will not stay in these ruins forever. Besides, our lease on this planet is only 200 years.¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°It depends. If you cannot find a suitable new home, it is possible to renew your lease.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue suddenly frowned. She seemed to hear some voices. Poking Hao Ren¡¯s arm with her tail, Nangong Wuyue said, ¡°Mr. Landlord, Katreina just sent a message saying that Eva is looking for you. She has something she wants to pass to you.¡±

 Chapter 1381 - Eva’s Little Gift

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    A few kilometers away from the floating city cluster, Katreina and Shaqira stood amid the rolling waves with Eva¡¯s embodiment. Hao Ren and his team arrived and did not see the rest of the people. Those must have gone to visit the ruins in the deep sea with the other sirens.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Hao Ren stood on the waves in the shape of a boat rolled up by Nangong Wuyue. He went up to Katreina briskly. ¡°Is Eva looking for me?¡±


    Hao Ren was surprised because Eva had been behaving like a child who did not know about the world. She did not look like she had thoughts of her own and would actively engage others.


    Katreina flipped around in the water energetically, her beautiful mermaid tail reflecting the sunlight in the waves. The siren queen, who was all smiles, seemed to be in a good mood. ¡°It is not a big deal. Eva was delighted after receiving the gifts we brought, and she asked me what a gift is for a long time. Now she wants one for you.¡±


    ¡°For me?¡± Hao Ren was even more surprised. ¡°Why not for you?¡±


    ¡°We have received ours,¡± said a smiling Shaqira, who had swum over. ¡°It is the stone from the bottom of the sea of Io, and crafts dug out of the ancient siren city. Eva treated them like treasure. Like us, she has a hobby of collecting all kinds of strange things.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, I see.¡± Hao Ren nodded, and he could not help but be curious about what gift it would be. ¡°What is she going to give me?¡±


    ¡°We have no idea. Eva said that she would bring it out when you come.¡± Katreina smiled and waved her hand, then slammed her tail in the direction of Eva. ¡°Eva, Hao Ren is here. Where is your gift?¡±


    Eva quickly ¡®swam¡¯ along the surging wave, like a playful wave rolling over the water. She then circled Hao Ren and said, ¡°Gift! Gift! Gift!¡±s


    As she spoke, the sound of the wave became even louder than before. Immediately, a large amount of bubble emerged from the surface and rolled on the waves. An object that gleamed under the sunlight came out from the sea surface.


    ¡°Whoa, it is big and beautiful.¡± Hao Ren could care less what Eva had prepared for him. He never expected anything, especially when he saw the gifts that the sirens had brought. Hao Ren would not take it too seriously at the strange mindset of these creatures. But he choked when he got a closer look at the thing that came out of the water. ¡°Wait a minute. Where did you find this thing?¡±


    Hao Ren saw the sea waves carried a large crystal, lifted it on the air, and brought before him in a way that defied the law of physics. The crystal was translucently white, about two meters tall, and an irregular polyhedron. It had a faint glow on the surface. At first, it seemed that it was reflecting sunlight, but after taking a closer look, the crystal was actually putting out the light. Hao Ren looked carefully; there were moving light inside the crystal as if it was something alive. The light danced in the crystal and changed its movement continuously in a dazzling manner.


    It was indeed not something that the sirens could create.


    Hao Ren had seen a similar thing earlier¡ªin Collow, the crystal mountain of Asurmen, the ancient starship of the Denizens of Stars. The spaceship was made of this self-illuminating sacred crystal.


    Not only Hao Ren but Lily had recognized the material of the crystal. After all, collecting beautiful stones was her hobby, and she still regretted not managing to knock a piece of crystal off the Asurmen. The husky maiden immediately circled the crystal and examined it before running back up Hao Ren. She grabbed Hao Ren¡¯s arms and shouted, ¡°Mr. Landlord, Me. Landlord! This thing looks like those on the Asurmen!¡±


    Lily shook Hao Ren so hard that he felt like he was in a ¡®vibrate mode.¡¯ It took Hao Ren some struggling to break free from the grip. ¡°Wait, wait, wait! I know, I know! Don¡¯t shake my arms. You are going to break them.¡±


    ¡°Where did you find this crystal?¡± After letting the excited dog maiden calm down, Hao Ren turned to ask Eva.


    ¡°It fell from the sky.¡± Eva then thought for a moment, and when she finally spoke, her voice was mixed with the sound of water. ¡°Swoop¡ª it came down. Pia¡ª it fell into the water, Whoa, high waves! It sank to the bottom!¡±


    Eva was still cumbersome in her communication skill and mentally immature. Her words were fragmented, but Hao Ren had no problem understanding her. After all, he was living with a bunch of weirdoes. He frowned. ¡°It fell from the sky? Did you see anything else pass by? For example, a spaceship¡ªthe thing that we take? The iron islands were also a spaceship before.¡±


    ¡°I did not see it,¡± Eva said after thinking for a while.


    ¡°The debris may have fallen off a spacecraft before it came near to Io,¡± Nangong Wuyue interjected. ¡°Eva could only observe space in near-Io orbit.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound right,¡± Hao Ren¡¯s brows knitted together. ¡°I have drone fortresses and armed satellite battle groups set up near Io, and the range of detection of these things is not only confined to the planetary sphere. I did not receive the report of UFOs passing by Io space identification zone. Drone cluster, look up the log.¡±


    Hao Ren was talking to the drone cluster in his mind. After a while, the drone cluster consciousness replied, ¡°There is no relevant record found in the log. Since the launch of the Io monitoring system, there have been no unregistered flying objects appear within the radar range.¡±


    Hao Ren then looked at Eva. ¡°When did this ¡®stone¡¯ fall down?¡±


    Eva had no idea why Hao Ren asked, but she still replied after thinking it for a while, ¡°One day, two days, three days, many days ago. Before you first came here, many clouds in the sky. It suddenly fell from the sky.¡±


    Hao Ren tried to understand Eva¡¯s words, and he was wide-eyed. ¡°Before the current ¡®you¡¯ woke up? During the previous-generation Eva?¡±


    Eva¡¯s transparent body floated on the sea. She swayed and sounded confused. ¡°Not clear. It is fragmented. I seemed to be sleeping at that time. I have slept for a long, long time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too hard to talk like his,¡± Hao Ren gave up talking to Eva¡¯s using words. He crouched down and dipped his hand into the water and began to mentally connect to Eva¡¯s consciousness. ¡°Eva, open your mind, let me see your memory.¡±


    A few minutes later, Hao Ren stood up. The others immediately surrounded him with concern.


    ¡°This crystal fell onto Io about three hundred to six hundred years ago,¡± Hao Ren exhaled. ¡°You did not hear it wrong; it was when storm still shrouded the planet, before the fragmented memories of previous-generation Eva subsided, the crystal fell into the sea and sank to the trench at the bottom of the sea near the equator. No wonder my drone cluster did not detect it.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue was startled. ¡°Eva still remembers what happened at that time?¡±


    ¡°Of course, she can¡¯t. At that time, Io¡¯s ocean had only fragmented consciousness of former Eva, who was still asleep. Now the new Eve only inherits a small part of the memory fragments and vaguely remembers that there has been such a thing falling from the sky. But she does not know if there has been anything falling at the time. I can only guess based on her memory that it happened 100 to 600 years ago.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s brows knitted together. ¡°We haven¡¯t come to the Plane of Dreams at that time.¡±


    Lily and the Nangong siblings looked at Vivian, who rolled her eyes. ¡°Can you not use ¡®we¡¯? We are still young. You were already an old woman three hundred years ago.¡±


    Vivian smashed Lily¡¯s face with a Coldfrost Bolt. ¡°Get lost! Three hundred years ago, you were still a ghost!¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me who made me a ghost at that time?¡±


    ¡°Would you die had you not go to bother the Godslayer?¡±


    Hao Ren quickly mediated their argument. ¡°That is enough. We have serious business here. Lily, did you not resurrect successfully? Although you¡¯ve reincarnated into a dog¡ª¡±


    Before Hao Ren could finish, Lily and Vivian turned their heads and glared at him. ¡°Mind your language!¡±


    Hao Ren was struck dumb.


    However, Hao Ren had been accustomed to such conversations. After all, Lily, the husky, was born with a strange impulse, and Vivian was her nemesis. Both of them had been at loggerheads since their previous lives, and they did not intend to stop quarreling in this life. After shifting the attention from both of them, Hao Ren looked at the crystal. ¡°I need to bring this thing to Asurmen. If it really is debris from the spaceship of the Denizens of the Stars, then something must have happened nearby a few hundred years ago. The one who damaged the spacecraft of the Denizens of the Stars must be at least at the level of a demigod.¡±

 Chapter 1382 - The Technology of the Denizens of the Stars

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren figured that the crystal was the same thing as those on the Asurmen judging from its external elements and energy characteristics. But the technology of the Denizens of the Stars was too weird, and everyone was reluctant to come to a final conclusion. In the end, it was still necessary to wait for Asurmen to verify in ¡°person¡± before making the final conclusion.


    Eva had no idea why Hao Ren and the others reacted the way they did. She was at a loss and thought that Hao Ren did not like her gift. So she went up to Hao Ren. ¡°Gift¡­ not like?¡±


    Hao Ren was startled. But he quickly realized his faux pas. ¡°Of course not, of course not. Your gift is perfect. This thing is of great importance to me! You have been of great help!¡±


    ¡°Help?¡± Eva shook her body, which was of water. ¡°Oh, help!¡± she said in a cheerful voice.


    ¡°She probably means she ¡®s happy to be of help.¡± Nangong Wuyue smiled, watching what happened. Suddenly, she rolled the water up with her tail and splashed it at Hao Ren. ¡°It seems that Eva likes you very much, Mr. Landlord.¡±


    ¡°She is close to everyone,¡± Hao Ren said while swiftly dodging the splash. He then turned to look at the crystal that was still held up by the sea. ¡°Let¡¯s make some changes to the itinerary. I will take the crystal to Asurmen for identification. You guys stay back to look after the ¡®tour group.¡¯ If all goes well, I will return in a day.¡±


    ¡°We will stay,¡± Nangong Wuyue said. She held her brother, Nangong Sanba before he could say anything. ¡°Io is my homeworld too. It is more convenient for me to stay and communicate with Eva. My brother is a demon hunter. Since almost one-third of the ¡®tourists¡¯ are demon hunters, it will be easier for him to deal with them.¡±


    ¡°Then I will count you both,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°Nothing is going to happen. If those guys fight, please get Hassel and Hesperides to help. They are able to keep them in check. But I guess the chances for a fight to break out is low.¡±


    Katreina laughed and interjected. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t think they will fight. I don¡¯t believe that anyone dares to pick a fight in the world of the sirens; this is the planet of water.¡±


    Impressed by Katreina¡¯s truculence, Hao Ren glanced at Nangong Wuyue. ¡°Look at the siren queen. You should learn a thing or two from her. Don¡¯t be timid the whole time.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue was dumbfounded.


    The emergence of the crystal had somewhat disrupted Hao Ren¡¯s original plan. But family visit group would stay in Io for two days, and he had enough time to work on the side event. Hao Ren left the ¡®tour group¡¯ to the Nangong siblings before he boarded the Petrachelys and returned to the CARS in the orbit of Tannagost with the crystal.


    Since the Battle of Collow, the Asurmen had been staying near CARS. This ancient starship had seriously aged and malfunctioned. It was undergoing restoration with the help of CARS facilities. The repair was nearing completion, but Asurmen wished to continue to stay here until it found the whereabouts of the goddess of creation or solved the threat from the Mad Lord.


    The crystal was quickly sent to the Asurmen.


    ¡°Indeed, this crystal is the creation of my race, but I am not sure if it is part of the spaceship.¡± In the Will Hub, Asumen carefully examined the crystal that Hao Ren had brought. Its voice seemed to reverberate in the chamber like a wind chime. ¡°Since it fell from outer space, the possibility of it being spaceship debris is as high as 80%.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s expression became serious. ¡°So it¡¯s true that hundreds of years ago there was a starship of the Denizens of the Stars passing by Io and a fight occurred near the planet¡¯s orbit. Otherwise, there would not be such big debris fell on the planet.¡±


    ¡°Any more debris?¡± Asurman¡¯s voice sounded with urgency.


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, ¡°Found only this one. After all, it has been hundreds of years, and the location of the fight is unknown. Maybe Io¡¯s gravity had only captured one piece of the debris, and the remaining debris had drifted into deep space. Can you find anything such as spacecraft model or serial number in this crystal?¡±


    He did not expect to find anything. But he was surprised by Asurmen¡¯s reply. ¡°I can give it a try. I can feel this piece of debris contains fragments of memory, but it has seriously dissipated. So I can¡¯t guarantee that I can give you the answer.¡±


    ¡°The debris from the spacecraft contains memory? What kind of technology is this?¡± Hao Ren was stunned.


    Asurmen in the crystal emitted a pleasant sound of vibration. Traces of translucent lines filled the crystals, forming complicated shapes in the air. ¡°Did you know how this spacecraft was built?¡±


    Hao Ren had never thought about this question. ¡°Is it an extraordinary construction method?¡±


    ¡°Each spaceship is a Denizen of the Stars.¡± Asurmen¡¯s voice was soft and gentle as if a musical rhythm. ¡°We don¡¯t have drawings and factories. All our knowledge is stored in our energy nodes and inscribed in the soul. When we need to make something, we will get near to a star, and our souls will tremble. Through a magnifying device, which is the crystal I am in right now, the trembling souls will turn into a spiritual skeleton, which is our ¡®manufacturing blueprint and framework.¡¯ We will then extract matters and energy from the star and materialize them on the soul skeleton, and finally form into a variety of things, such as a spaceship.¡±


    ¡°It is simply incredible.¡± The magical technology shocked Hao Ren.


    ¡°Compared to the information-material conversion technology of this space station, our technology is not so magical at all.¡± Asurmen¡¯s crystal flashed. ¡°I don¡¯t understand how you created material out of nothing.¡±


    ¡°I have no idea too. It was my superior who allocated this space station to me.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°So do you mean the Asurmen is the extension of your soul?¡±


    ¡°My spiritual power is the skeleton, the matters and energy of the stars are the fillings.¡± Asurmen corrected Hao Ren. ¡°More than 90% of the structure of this spacecraft is built on this foundation. The spiritual skeleton is the technological foundation of the Denizens of the Stars.¡±


    Hao Ren pointed to the crystal not far away. ¡°So that crystal¡ª¡±


    ¡°It contains traces of the creator¡¯s spiritual power or set of codes. This set of codes is unique,¡± Asurmen replied. ¡°Just that this crystal contains too little information. I need at least ten days to restore its information, but there is no guarantee of success.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it takes that long.¡± Hao Ren frowned. But it was better than nothing. Something suddenly crossed his mind. ¡°Do you need to be near a star every time you want to make something?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and not all stars are suitable. Mostly stars at their peak during their mid-lifecycle are suitable. These stars contain the most complete sequence of matters in the universe, are full of energy and convenient for extraction.¡±


    ¡°So when the guardian giants saw you occasionally, you were all ¡®sunbathing¡¯ around the stars?¡± Hao Ren felt it interesting. ¡°Were you taking material and energy from those stars?¡±


    ¡°I was already the gatekeeper in Collow when the guardian giants existed. So I don¡¯t know what you are talking about. We usually don¡¯t go to places where other living beings exist, because most intelligent beings are not comfortable that we extract materials and energy from the stars. In most cases, we only get a small number of materials from the stars, but many common races don¡¯t see it that way,¡± Asurmen said quietly, ¡°Of course, this is after the defeat of the Mad Lord by the goddess of creation. During the earlier era, we simply did not have the time. The Denizens of the Stars followed the goddess of creation to the battlefield. We drained thousands of stars to build our army. Our greatest flagship, the Solar Throne, was made up of the matters of an entire star. It was so huge that we had to combine one hundred soldiers to make the underlying spiritual skeleton. The glorious era is over now, and the powerful Solar Throne has crashed into the Tide of Darkness of the Mad Lord. I have no idea how many battleships of this kind still exist in the universe nowadays.¡±


    The epic era that Asurmen mentioned knocked Hao Ren¡¯s socks off. He began to understand how high the price the goddess of creation paid to defeat the horrible enemy. It was a war beyond the imagination of mortals!


    ¡°Leave this crystal here. I¡¯ll finish the analysis of it as soon as possible and inform you of the outcome. Maybe it will help me connect with my own kind who are still alive in the current universe.¡± Asurmen¡¯s voice echoed in the hall and interrupted Hao Ren¡¯s train of thought. ¡°I need to take a nap now so that I can recalibrate the frequency of my soul.


    ¡°Then I will not bother you anymore,¡± Hao Ren said and nodded. ¡°I look forward to hearing good news from you.¡±

 Chapter 1383 - Return Flight and the Pilgrimage

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The journey and experiment that Hao Ren had carefully planned finally ended successfully. After staying on Io for two days, the otherworldlings boarded the spaceship and began their return journey. Everyone had gone through eight days of an unbelievable experience. They became more farsighted and were unable to hide their stirred emotions. Everyone began to look for someone to talk to onboard the Petrachelys. There was still disaffection between the different races, but in this particular situation, the otherworldlings on the spaceship had let down their guard and hostility for the time being. They needed to talk to someone about their feelings and emotions, hence they could care less who their listener was. It could be between werewolf and vampire, or demon hunter and otherworldling.


    Before returning to the Gate of the Universe, the Petrachelys first returned to Holletta to pick up Lorissa and several volunteers, the purebred Ancients whom Ophra had gathered from all over the kingdom. As the marshal was a well-respected figure among her own people, many people had answered her call. She selected five of the purest Ancients for Hao Ren¡¯s project.


    However, Marshal Ophra was not able to follow Hao Ren. She was the chief army commander of the kingdom and was too busy to go on the incredible journey that she had been looking forward to.


    After the experimental volunteers were onboard, Hao Ren asked Lorissa, ¡°What¡¯s your expectation for your next journey?¡±


    ¡°I have no expectations.¡± Lorissa¡¯s curious eyes darted around. ¡°I did not have emotion since birth. I was designed to follow instructions to cooperate in various experiments. Everything of me was arranged, and I was used to it. I am not sure what to expect. I just hope that the Goddess Raven whom you have mentioned will be more easygoing. After all, my life will be on her hands soon.¡±


    ¡°She is not as bad as you think.¡± Hao Ren could not help but laugh. ¡°She is definitely easy to talk with. Even if you shout at her, she would not necessarily thunder-strike you. You can expect to see many things in the surface world. Compared to the destruction in the Plane of Dreams, the surface world is a lively place.¡±


    Lorissa laughed silently. ¡°Well, then I look forward to it from now on.¡±


    Soon, the supernatural creatures from the Earth had returned to where they first set off: the Kuiper space station in the Solar System. The otherworldlings, after ten days of traveling in an alien universe, returned to their respective families through a temporary portal.


    They had many stories to tell their own people, realizations, and knowledge to share with the wise men of their tribes, and more ancient artifacts to show. The Runic dwarfs had brought back their ancestral language recorded on a scroll. Zeon Lucas brought manuscripts that contained the myths of the Blood Clan. The Ebben brothers had brought back the tablet from the sacred mountain of the werewolves. The representatives of the Ancattero family brought back some wall fragments of the golden city of Alamanda. Katreina brought back 20 gigabytes of photos. Hessiana brought six pounds of skewered meat and over twenty pounds of local specialties. Hao Ren was amazed; he did not know that the little bat was a food lover. She must have acquired this sequala after living in hunger for many years with Vivian.


    Hao Ren was not concerned about what the otherworldlings did back home. After making sure everyone had safely passed through the portal, he took the volunteers to see Raven 12345. There was a total of ten volunteers. Other than the perfect specimen Lorissa and five purebred Ancients from the Plane of Dreams, there were four thoroughbred demon hunters including White Flame and Hassel. These volunteers represented all the required samples: the specimens that had mutated after crossing the Wall of Reality, being influenced by the Sin of the Divine Blood and the world; those pure specimens that had never passed through the Wall of Reality but remained in the Plane of Dreams; and the perfect sample of the initial products of the divine cells, of the intermediate state between mortal and divine life, and that retained all traces of artificial transformation. The samples was beyond expectation. Hao Ren started to think that he should deserve a three-time increase of year-end bonus this time. Otherwise, Raven 12345 should be ashamed of herself.


    As the teleporting light gradually dissipated, Hao Ren and the ten volunteers emerged in front of the gorgeous mansion of his goddess. The fact that the villa was still intact, the garden had not gone up in flame, there were no explosion craters in the small square, and the fountain was spurting regular water instead of lightning bolts were the reasons to celebrate. Hao Ren¡¯s worries were unfounded. He had prepared for the worst and knew what to explain in case Raven 12345 blew up her mansion. After all, it was not his first time seeing such incidents.


    Hao Ren quietly breathed a sigh of relief. He turned around and said with her back facing the mansion, ¡°Welcome to the source of truth in this universe. This is where the goddess lives¡ª¡±


    Before Hao Ren could finish, a sudden violent tremor under his feet interrupted him. Almost immediately, a loud explosion came from behind him, and the mansion came down with a loud bang spectacularly.


    Hao Ren froze, his smile became stiff. White Flame, who stood facing him, pointed at the mansion. ¡°Hao Ren, the source of truth is blown up.¡±


    ¡°What the heck?¡± Hao Ren turned his head stiffly. The beautiful manor that stood there a while ago had become a ruin. There was only blue arcane energy and dust in the air. The last pillar of the house slowly came down in front of him. The sight was so Terminator, so Hollywood, and so Raven 12345.


    Hao Ren wanted to swear.


    ¡°How could this be!¡± Hao Ren ran toward the ruin that was still shrouded in smoke and lightning. ¡°My goddess, you did it again?¡±


    Suddenly, light rose from the ruin. Hao Ren instinctively halted. A hologram of Raven 12345 appeared in the light. She looked tidy, except for her messy hairstyle. The scene behind her was a vast vortex filled with red light, bloody clouds, and lightning, like an eye of the storm. It was huge with a chaotic void in the surroundings. It was apparent that the goddess was not in this dimension. But the explosion of the mansion surely had something to do with the vortex behind Raven 12345.


    Hao Ren still thought that it was the neurotic goddess who blew up her own house. But seeing the huge energy vortex and the pulsating runes and lines around the energy vortex behind her, he choked back his words and was wide-eyed. ¡°Boss, what are you doing this time? You have just blown up the divine realm.¡±


    ¡°Nah, just a little crisis prevention project,¡± Raven 12345 said. A powerful red light spurted out of the vortex and instantly formed an extreme complex runic circle in the void. It was apparent that the massive energy structure was still being perfected. ¡°Please don¡¯t be bothered, it was just a little accidental energy leak. I have gotten used to blowing up my house anyway.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    Is such a destruction a ¡°small¡± energy leak? And what is the ¡°little crisis prevention project¡± all about? Does the goddess have nothing better to do? Hao Ren thought to himself.


    ¡°Ahem, ahem, let¡¯s not delve into the details first.¡± Raven 12345 looked a little embarrassed and quickly steered away from the conversation. ¡°Oh, you have brought the volunteers. Which one of you is Lorrisa?¡±


    ¡°Here she is,¡± Hao Ren quickly dragged the stunned elven queen out to the front. The elven queen was not the only one stunned, everyone at the scene was shocked. ¡°She is the one I have mentioned in the report.¡±


    ¡°Is she the clone of the Holletta¡¯s mage empress?¡± Raven 12345 asked as she carefully glanced at Lorissa. At that brief moment, Lorissa felt a powerful will, which she could not explain, swept over her. The will was so powerful that Lorissa felt that every molecule of her hair and body cells was laid bare in the open; that the spirit and soul that she was always proud of became useless as if they had disappeared. It was not until the gaze of the goddess shifted away from her that she began to regain her sense of existence.


    But the almighty gaze was just from the image in the hologram.


    Lorissa¡¯s nerves tensed up. She realized that she was facing a real god¡ªat least an existence that she could never understand or resist. She looked nervously at the image of Raven 12345, whose voice reverberated in everyone¡¯s head when she spoke.


    ¡°Gee, you have the same hair color as mine.¡±


    Lorissa was bewildered.

 Chapter 1384 - The Goddess’ White Tower

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    What Raven 12345 said gave the impression that she was either joking or hiding something. But Hao Ren was dead sure that what the goddess said was truthful. She merely made a passing comment on Lorissa¡¯ hair.


    After all, there was nothing the goddess could not do. All the more so when she stabbed the supervisor whom her superior sent.


    ¡°Ahem,¡± Hao Ren broke the silence and brought the volunteers¡¯ attention back. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about hair anymore. Don¡¯t you want to examine them? These people come all the way from the Plane of Dreams¡­¡±


    While he spoke, Hao Ren saw the collapsed ¡°Palace of the Goddess¡±, which was still billowing with green smoke. He choked back his words. ¡°If you feel like it¡¯s not the right time, I¡¯ll bring them back home first while I wait for you to rebuild the house.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay. No worries,¡± Raven 12345 said to dismiss Hao Ren¡¯s concern. She then stepped out of the light, and the holographic image turned into the real goddess herself. ¡°The house is just a place to stay. All the important things have been safely stored away.¡±


    The first thing came to Hao Ren¡¯s mind was that the goddess did have a plan sometimes. The second thought that crossed his mind was that the goddess must have blown her house up so frequently that it had become a habit. The third thing that came to mind was ¡®holy moly¡¯¡ªthe goddess had just declared that her house as an unsafe zone.


    While the volunteers were still stunned, Raven 12345 came up to them. With the snap of her fingers, a portal filled with blue light opened in front of them. On the other side of the portal was the figure of a white structure.


    ¡°It is my lab,¡± Raven 12345 said and motioned Hao Ren to bring everyone into the portal. ¡°Everything is ready.¡±


    After passing through the portal, the volunteers and Hao Ren were amazed by what they saw. He did not know that Raven 12345 had such many hidden places in the divine realm. Behind the portal was an incredibly vast and chaotic space. Hao Ren could not see the boundary of the place, which was shrouded in a blanket of fog. It seemed that something was in there. The ground, made of black crystals, extended outward and disappeared in the mist in the distance. In the middle of this chaotic space, a white tower stood alone on the black crystal land.


    The white tower had a beautiful curvy appearance. It was intricately inlaid with golden lines, which gradually shrank from the base up, but expanded close to the top of the tower to form a unique shape. Above the white tower, three large crystals circled the tower. The crystals were filled with complicated and hard to understand magic runes that evolved all the time as if they contained the endless truths and mysteries of the universe. Hao Ren looked up at the crystals and instantly felt dizzy.


    ¡°Ahh, you have also noticed the crystals.¡± Raven 12345 saw Hao Ren¡¯s reaction and laughed.


    ¡°What are those?¡± Hao Ren pinched his forehead. ¡°It makes me feel dizzy by just looking at them.¡±


    ¡°I have no idea.¡± Raven 12345 crossed her arms. ¡°It is a theme pack that I downloaded from the Internet two days ago. I saw many people liked it and got one for my lab.¡±


    Hao Ren was dumbfounded.


    Oh god, it was nothing like what he had imagined.


    Hao Ren no longer looked at the white tower. He could not care less about how important it was. He brought the volunteers and followed Raven 12345 into the divine lab.


    Inside, it was an unusual spatial structure. Hao Ren conjectured that the building must contain many complex space expansion settings so that the internal dimensions were much bigger than when looking from the outside. Magnificent halls were connected to another. Rooms and corridors that seemed to be of unknown uses adjoined each other like a labyrinth. Overhanging, slanted bridges, long ladders, and ramps sometimes floated in the air. Doors just stood at the end of the pathways with nothing around them. Sometimes Hao Ren saw more labs behind the door, and sometimes a large strange dimension. It was like the tower had an endless ¡®territory,¡¯ and it could accommodate the whole world in itself.


    Apart from this fantastic spatial structure, some humanoid creatures were glowing in light-blue light. Those creatures traversed from door to door, some of them stayed at the runic facilities at the corridors and bridges. These creatures, similar to the Big Bluey, must be the lab assistants of Raven 12345. They were likely living in this giant tower forever.


    Raven 12345 seemed to allow everyone to visit the lab of which she was proud and did not forbid anyone to open the doors in the corridors and ramps. She just expressly reminded the group not to step into those doors, and this prohibition was strictly enforced. When White Flame opened a red door out of curiosity, everyone saw that an endless fire filling the entire space behind the door. The fire was thousands of kilometers away, but the flames on its surface were almost close enough to burn those standing at the doorway. Even with a layer of barrier, White Flame could feel the temperature inside was high enough to vaporize her instantaneous.


    It was not a firewall inside; it was a star, one that was placed in the lab for experimentation.


    Since then, no one else was curious again to step inside those doors.


    Hao Ren was amazed. He could not help but shake his head and said, ¡°Now I will not be surprised anymore even if there is a galaxy behind one of these doors. You are a daredevil.¡±


    ¡°Ahh,¡± Raven 12345 said casually. ¡°In the third room on your left is Delta-33 galaxy, much bigger than the Andromeda.¡±


    ¡°That sounds interesting!¡± Hao Ren said.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it. I just signed up for the tuition class for the gods of creation. And I only found out that it was a freaking difficult lesson the first day. So I had to buck up lest I will lose face,¡± Raven 12345 said.


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    God is attending a tuition class? WTF! Hao Ren lamented.


    After moving in the incredible white tower for a while, Raven 12345 finally brought the group coming before a floating white wooden door, which was suspended a dozen centimeters above the ground. It seemed that there was neither a door frame nor a room behind the door, but Hao Ren would not be so naive to think that there was really nothing behind it.


    ¡°Here we are,¡± Raven 12345 said as she pushed the door open. ¡°It is an observation room specially arranged for you all.¡±


    The door swung opened, but behind the door was a very empty hall. Before this, Hao Ren thought that there would be many experimental equipment and facilities such as a dormant cabin inside. But it seemed that aside from a few prismatical crystal columns rising up to the ceiling above and a thin blanket of mist floating across the hall, there was nothing else.


    This was nothing like Hao Ren had imagined.


    The volunteers had been in awe while they were on their way here. Now, they followed Raven 12345 into the room without question. White Flame¡¯s curious eyes darted around the empty place. She could not help but ask, ¡°Are we now in the ¡®examination¡¯ room?¡±


    ¡°This is not the same as the examination I have thought of.¡± Lorissa looked a little nervous. She was only a clone of the elven queen after all. The wisdom and character she inherited from the queen were not as steady as it looked. ¡°What do you want us to do?¡±


    ¡°You all don¡¯t have to do anything, just stand here,¡± Raven 12345 said with a smile. ¡°I will transform your bodies. After this process, you will recover safely. So no worries. In the process of morphological transformation, you may find that your perception of the outside world changes. You will have some super-experience and even super-dimensional senses. These perceptual experiences will be of help when you explore the field of magic. It is also a reward for your cooperation in the experiment.¡±


    ¡°Transformation?¡± White Flame frowned. ¡°Are we going to change into something weird?¡±


    Raven 12345 shook her head. ¡°No, you won¡¯t, because you will be completely out of the concept of visible entities. Here you go!¡±


    As soon as the goddess¡¯ voice trailed off, a halo shrouded the ten experimental participants, including Lorissa. Before anyone could say anything, they instantly became a group of pulsating mist before gradually dissipating in the air.


    The ten volunteers were gone just like that.


    For sure, Hao Ren knew that the experiment was harmless, but he was still shocked. ¡°Holy moly! I would have thought that there was an accident had I not known it in advance.¡±


    Raven 12345 rolled her eyes at Hao Ren. She then drew runes in the air with her hand. ¡°Who do you think I am that I would allow accidents to happen?¡±


    The fact that the goddess¡¯ mansion had been rebuilt many times proved that she was bluffing. But Hao Ren was wary of her Lightning Bolts and decided not to say more. ¡°Has the examination started?¡±


    ¡°In fact, the results are ready,¡± Raven 12345 said with a subtle expression on her face. ¡°It is interesting, very interesting.¡±

 Chapter 1385 - The Truth

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren was surprised; Raven 12345 had completed the examination in just a split second. ¡°Ah? It is already finished?¡±


    ¡°No, not completely. Some data needs to be reorganized, and some variations need to be corrected, but I may have discovered a secret hidden in the blood of the demon hunter,¡± Raven 12345 said while she drew runes in the air. These runes immediately expanded and disappeared into the ubiquitous mist around them as if there was a huge invisible magic circle. The prismatical crystal columns that ran through the ceiling glowed radiantly and emitted a humming sound, as though there was a resonance. ¡°I have long suspected the demon hunters¡¯ role in the whole event. Holletta¡ªhow could a remote planet be involved in the deicidal war? Someone even made arrangements on the planet to allow the natives to produce a super-composite person. Did the god killers take the time to teach the people in the remote mountainous region?¡±


    It was precisely what Hao Ren had suspected. He looked at the goddess and was wide-eyed. ¡°Have you found the clues?¡±


    Raven 12345 slowed down and turned to look at Hao Ren. ¡°It is not easy to explain. First of all, do you know what this hall is for?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an observation room.¡± Hao Ren looked around the empty room. ¡°You mentioned it just now.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. If I wanted an observation room, I wouldn¡¯t have to put it in the white tower at all,¡± Raven 12345 said with a mysterious smile. ¡°With the most basic eco-pod, I can already conduct an examination of the mortal race. This white tower is the core research facility of the divine realm¡ªI made it. It is directly connected to my soul and an extension of my thinking. It has almost the same level of divine power as mine. It can be said that the tower itself is equivalent to a true god like me except that it has no independent personality and thought.¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly realized the significance of this so-called ¡®observation room. ¡°So this is¡­¡±


    ¡°This is a God Simulator,¡± Raven 12345 said, her eyebrows arched and her face had an I-am-freaking-awesome look. ¡°I simulate the power of the goddess of creation here. With the help of the computing power and energy of the white tower, I can achieve 100% recovery.¡±


    Hao Ren could not help but take a deep breath. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°What? You don¡¯t understand at all? Raven 12345 suddenly blinked. ¡°I was wondering how you had suddenly become so quick-witted just now.¡±


    ¡°I have no clue what you mean, but I find that it is cool,¡± Hao Ren said without blinking an eye, ¡°and taking a deep breath shows that you are cool.¡±


    Raven 12345 waved. ¡°In short, in this room, the Goddess of Creation is virtually alive!¡±


    Hao Ren understood it this time, and his jaw dropped. ¡°Holy moly! How did you do that?¡±


    ¡°Thanks to the Tablet of Commandments and the primordial divine power of the Goddess of Creation that you found in Collow.¡± Raven 12345 nodded at Hao Ren as a sign of approval. ¡°I have to say that you have done a great job. With the things you have found, I have drawn a separate space inside the white tower. It translates my power and places it in the origin of cause and effect. I am not simply copying and storing the energy of the Goddess of Creation, but reproducing the fact that the Goddess of Creation is still alive. As soon as you walk into this place and activate the setting here, the fact that the Goddess of Creation is still alive will be established in this hall. Of course, since this is only a simulation, the Goddess of Creation here has no thinking and independent personality, but an empty computer server at best.¡±


    Raven 12345 sighed. ¡°Because of the ¡®existence¡¯ of another deity here, it interferes with my power. I need the help of these runes to control the divine authority of the Goddess of Creation although this power comes from me.¡±


    ¡°Now I understand,¡± Hao Ren said. He had to admit that the neurotic goddess had a few tricks up her sleeve. ¡°You have created the simulation to mimic the existence of the Goddess of Creation and let the demon hunters, or rather the Ancients come into contact with her. This way, you would be able to observe their influence in the deicidal war.¡±


    Raven 12345 raised her hand and drew an arc in the air. Changes immediately happened in the ubiquitous fog. Colorful light curtains appeared in the fog as if the aurora diffused in this space. Bright line segments were jumping between the light curtains. These segments were like the interference on the background wave, breaking the aurora curtains into pieces.


    ¡°It is a demonstration. The real divine power is far more complicated than this. It is a complicated mathematical process,¡± Raven 12345 explained. ¡°I have observed something: the energy of the artificial divine cells on the demon hunters has the exact frequency and wavelength as that of the goddess of creation. Of course, the energy levels between the two are different. But from the perspective of the signature, the two are almost the same.¡±


    ¡°It is not hard to imagine.¡± Hao Ren frowned. ¡°It was because the primordial energy used by the mage emperors in the creation of the demon hunters came from the divine power sample of the goddess of creation. The first divine cells were produced with her divine power.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Lorissa still retains part of the characteristics,¡± Raven 12345 said and nodded. She then mentioned another thing, ¡°Do you still remember that toward the end of the deicidal war, the goddess of creation sent out a distress signal but never got any response?¡±


    How could Hao Ren forget it? ¡°Of course, it is one of the things that triggered the guardian race to go mad. But according to my latest investigation, the mortal races in the universe did not receive the distress signal. They still maintained their faith in the goddess of creation and even performed various sacrificial ceremonies, but they did not receive the signal.¡±


    ¡°It seems that you have guessed it too.¡± Raven 12345¡¯s voice sounded serious. ¡°If I am not mistaken, the signal was intercepted by the demon hunters, or rather the ancients.¡±


    ¡°How is this possible? How did they do that? And they did not have the motives to do so at all!¡± Hao Ren was shocked.


    ¡°Yes, they have no motives. They did not even know that they had intercepted the distress signal of the goddess of creation¡ªthe demon hunters did not have the ability. So instead of saying they intercepted the signal, it would be more appropriate to say that the signal had been actively diverted to them. But there were no corresponding nodes to process the signal, and the distress message was lost.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s brows knitted together. ¡°What the hell was going on?¡±


    ¡°The divine cells in the body of the demon hunters are incredibly successful. The energy level is shallow, but these things have successfully stolen the ¡®signature code¡¯ of the goddess of creation. Do you know the Trojan virus? These demon hunters were the Trojan Virus. They might have only a small number of divine cells in their bodies, but these cells are enough for them to imitate the divine characteristics of the goddess of creation and deceive the ¡®security certification¡¯ of the network. The Trojan virus embedded itself into the communication network between the goddess of creation and the ecospheres of the Plane of Dreams, replacing some of the nodes of this network. It was why the distress signal that the goddess of creation sent to her subordinate ecospheres could be intercepted. The interception did not come from the outside but inside the network. All of the signals the goddess sent were forwarded to the ¡®virtual nodes¡¯ formed by the first-generation demon hunters 10,000 years ago. Those virtual nodes could not process this information. The demon hunters could not even hear the voice of the goddess of creation. So the signal was lost, and no one even knew there was a signal.¡±


    Raven 12345 paused and took a deep breath. ¡°At the last moment of the deicidal war, the communication network between the goddess of creation and the ecospheres that she created was replaced.¡±


    Was this the truth?


    Was it the truth that the goddess of creation sent a distress call to all her children, but no one responded?


    Hao Ren still felt it unbelievable. ¡°Could a communication network that the true god used to monitor the universe be easily compromised from the inside?¡±


    ¡°Do you think so?¡± Raven 12345 rolled her eyes at Hao Ren. ¡°Stealing and transforming divine power to create mortal cells that mimic the power of God is an extremely complicated and dangerous process. The reason why the ancient mage emperors could do that was due to the help they received from someone. This someone had the Tablet of Commandments with primordial divine power and a full set of technical information. The rate of success naturally increased significantly. The critical thing was that the goddess of creation was negligent. She obviously did not control her divine radiation to the entire universe, so she had not noticed something was wrong in the data network. Otherwise, how could a true god be cut off from her network be possible?


    ¡°Okay, okay, it was the fault of her never attending school.¡± Hao Ren sighed with the head buried in his hand. ¡°So this is the role that planet Holletta played in the deicidal war. It was the interception station that blocked the communication from the divine realm.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it was an interception station. The communication network based on divine power is a virtual network. So the remote physical location of Holletta was not a problem at all. Just because it appeared insignificant in the entire ecosystem of the Plane of Dreams, it could remain under the radar. And no one would think that the distress signal sent by the goddess of creation would end up in that godforsaken place. Even though the guardians finally discovered it, the deicidal war had come to an end, and they simply could not reach the remote planet of Holletta from the Star of Creation in time to troubleshoot the network problem.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment, and something suddenly crossed his mind. ¡°Wait a minute, according to the characteristics of the true God, was it useless for the goddess of creation to send her distress signal to the mortal world? Even if mortals received the signal, their prayers and feedback had no effect on the deicidal war. The goddess of creation just didn¡¯t know that. So why did the behind-the-scenes guy painstakingly intercept the signal, and even create a new race with the help of others?¡±


    ¡°There is only one explanation. The mastermind who made this arrangement also believed that the faith of the mortal race would affect the kingdom of God. The mastermind was just as ignorant as the goddess of creation in this respect.¡± Raven 12345 tapped her chin with her finger thoughtfully. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. What¡¯s important is that this mastermind made this targeted arrangement before the deicidal war started.¡±

 Chapter 1386 - The Mysterious Player

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The secrets regarding the demon hunters or Ancients, those super-humans created by the mage emperors of Holletta were not what Hao Ren had expected. He initially thought that these super life forms were just experimental beings who stole the authority of the goddess at best. Whoever they were, it would not go beyond the planetary system of Holletta. The truth that these demon hunters were involved directly in the deicidal war was shocking. Even though they knew nothing about the war, their souls, flesh, and existence were inextricably linked to it. They were implanted in the communication network of the goddess of creation as a Trojan virus without them realizing. Through the divine signature code that the demon hunters carried, the ¡°virus¡± successfully deceived the recognition mechanism of the network and secretly replaced all the ascending nodes. When the deicidal war broke out, on the eve of the goddess¡¯ death, the connection between the Star of Creation and the mortal world was wholly cut off. No one ever thought that the root cause of the network failure came from a barbaric planet in the remote region of the universe.


    ¡°The mastermind seems to know the goddess of creation well¡ªincredibly well.¡± A chill ran up Hao Ren¡¯s spine. The guy who could plot against a true god was a considerable threat. This ¡°third force¡± was more dangerous than all the opponents he had seen before. The god killers were mighty and ambitious, but they were mere tools to be discarded once the job was done. Lockmarton was powerful and strange, but he was just a mad demigod. Even the Mad Lord, the powerful primordial creature, was just an irrational phenomenon. Those without a thinking mind could not have conspired. It was not difficult to deal with an opponent that did not know how to plot. But this mysterious mastermind almost had everything under its control. It could even manipulate the true God, understand the goddess of creation well, and carry out various sabotage plans before the goddess could even react. The fact that this mysterious enemy still remained in the dark was disturbing.


    Raven 12345 slowly nodded. ¡°That guy knew the goddess of creation well. Let us summarize what we have known so far. First of all, it knew all the details of the deicidal war, and maybe, was one of the conspirators. So it could carry out the plans flawlessly, especially it had obtained the runic skills of the deicide. Secondly, the mastermind was not a member of the deicide because its actions had exceeded what the deicide could do in terms of intelligence gathering. At least it could obtain the divine power sample of the goddess of creation, which the killer could not. Thirdly, the mastermind knew the goddess of creation extremely well, even more than the guardians could. It knew in advance that the goddess of creation would contact her people in the universe, so it had the demon hunters blocking the communication network. From this, we know that this mastermind also knew well about the network¡ªthe architecture and how it worked¡ªso that it could replace the critical nodes of the network. Finally, the mastermind had never revealed itself during the deicidal war. At least you would not find its activity in the records of the war survivors. There are only two explanations to this: it either hide so well that no one was aware of the existence of a behind-the-scenes ¡®player,¡¯ or it had been standing in front of everyone from the beginning. The guardians and the goddess of creation knew the existence of it, but no one knew its true colors and suspected it.¡±


    Hao Ren frowned when Raven 12345 mentioned the last point. ¡°You mean¡­¡±


    ¡°I guess this ¡®third force¡¯ was someone close to the goddess of creation. It had been on the Star of Creation all the while.¡±


    While speaking, Raven 12345 wrote words and drew lines in the air. She listed all the clues and categorized them into a well-organized grid. All the lines pointed to her conclusion.


    Below the conclusion, she drew a few more lines for more notes:


    ¡°The First Born was the signal relay station for the communication between the goddess of creation and her people. Every planet with a god-made ecosphere had at least one First Born. This First Born was the communication antenna, and also the physical node of the communication network.¡±


    ¡°The replacement of the network node with the Trojan virus essentially overrode the rights of transmission and reception of the signal of the First Born. The primordial demon hunters were implanted into the information network like a virus. This implantation required higher access permission.¡±


    ¡°The pollution happened in the mental network between the First Borns. The mental network between the First Borns and the communication network used by the goddess to contact the lower nodes were physically the same.¡±


    ¡°After the end of the deicidal war, all First Borns showed a tendency of insanity, which was also a kind of pollution.¡±


    ¡°The mastermind was quite familiar with the mental network of the First Borns. It might even have a very high degree of authority in the network¡ªenough to allow the fake nodes formed by the primordial demon hunters to be imported into the normal communication sequence.¡±


    ¡°The modifications made to the network by the mastermind had evaded the eyes of the goddess of creation, and even the detection of the guardians and the First Borns who were the network nodes. This is the most difficult part to explain.¡±


    Raven 12345 listed all the conclusions, conjectures, preconditions, and contradictions. She then stopped and turned her head around slightly. ¡°Hao Ren, look. The mastermind has done many things, most of which could only be completed on the Star of Creation. Besides, it also needed to be in constant contact with the guardians and the goddess to do so. So we can conclude that¡ª¡±


    ¡°That guy is hiding in plain sight.¡± After reading the analysis, Hao Ren already had his own conclusion.


    ¡°Yup, that guy was around the goddess of creation. The guardians surely knew it.¡± Light flashed in Raven 12345¡¯s eyes. ¡°The behavior of the goddess of creation suggested that she had no idea what this guy was doing. Otherwise, her distress call at the last moment would not have been sabotaged. So the mastermind had enough time to fiddle the network of the First Borns, collude with the deicide, steal the Tablet of Commandments, and contact the Holletta civilization behind the back of the goddess and guardians. It must have a very high degree of freedom on the Star of Creation and been in frequent contact with the control center of the First Born network. I think Muru should be able to provide you with some intelligence in this respect.¡±


    ¡°That is enough.¡± Hao Ren felt his brain was pulsating. The short conversation was even more tiring than arguing with Raven 12345 for three hours. ¡°I want to know where the mastermind is now. Since it is such a capable character, how could it simply be blown up in the explosion at the end of the deicidal war?¡±


    ¡°That depends on whether the falling of the Kingdom of God into the Umbral Realm was part of its plan.¡± Raven 12345¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°The big bang of the divine realm could be the only thing in the deicidal war that no one had foreseen. If the mastermind could foresee it, then it must be still lurking in the Plane of Dreams. Otherwise, it must have fallen into the Umbral Realm together with the Star of Creation.¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his chin in thought. He then looked up. ¡°I think the second scenario is more probable. Since the death of the goddess of creation, this mastermind has never been active again. I have been conducting a large-scale investigation in the Plane of Dreams, but this mysterious guy has never shown up. Most likely it has fallen into the Umbral Realm with the Star of Creation.¡±


    ¡°Most likely it is still alive.¡± Raven 12345 sighed.


    ¡°Yeah, most likely, and probably the most troubling too.¡±


    Hao Ren was sure that the Star of Creation and the surrounding divine realm did not vanish after falling into the Umbral Realm. He came to this conclusion after examining the data he had collected in the Gate of Solenne. The Star of Creation and the divine realm still existed but in a distorted state. They could return to the real world when the right conditions were present. If the mastermind had also fallen into the Umbral Realm, it was most likely alive, which must be taken into consideration.


    ¡°You have to be prepared because we are not sure about the situation in the Umbral Realm. All the more so when we are not sure if the mysterious enemy has changed in the past 10,000 years. So we should expect the worst.¡± Raven 12345 reminded. When Hao Ren nodded in acknowledgment, she continued. ¡°That is all about it for now. The examination is completed. Those volunteers will be restored to their original state soon. But before this, I am interested in the ¡®divine burst network¡¯ that you have found in the Plane of Dreams.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I have compiled the information.¡±


    Hao Ren had expected it. So he had compiled the data of the divine burst network into a report while on the return journey. He took out the MDT and uploaded the data directly to Raven 12345¡¯s mental link.


    ¡°Is this all?¡± Raven 12345 brought up a virtual screen, showing the image of the divine burst network. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look complete.¡±


    ¡°The network may have covered the entire observable universe of the Plane of Dreams. My drone cluster is still unable to determine its boundaries¡ª¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Raven 12345 interrupted him. ¡°What I mean by incomplete is not of the physical structure, but the ¡®software¡¯ of this network. The process of proliferation and transmission of information is not quite right.¡±


    ¡°Should I pretend that I understand this time?¡± Hao Ren said after thinking for a moment.


    ¡°You seem to have inherited my shameless attitude.¡± Raven 12345 squinted at Hao Ren. ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt, I¡¯m serious. Something is wrong with the data network although I can¡¯t tell what it is. My intuition tells me that part of its operating system has been hidden or stripped off. And it was a deliberate action.¡±

 Chapter 1387 - Rounding It Off

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren knew that Raven 12345 had good judgment. But still, he could not help but interject with a question. ¡°Is your intuition sound at all?¡±


    Raven 12345 rolled her eyes at Hao Ren. ¡°Crap! With the intuition of a woman and a god, what do you think?¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment. The goddess should have added the ¡°intuition of a neurotic¡± too , he said in his mind. ¡°In your opinion, what¡¯s missing from this network? What is it for?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you earlier. I have no idea.¡± Raven 12345 frowned. ¡°What I know is that the network is not functioning properly. It¡¯s not because you haven¡¯t excited it hard enough but because it¡¯s fundamentally incomplete. Just look at the proliferation and forwarding process of the information: all data exchanges are meaningless. It just follows the physical structure of the network to perform some copy and paste actions between the nodes. After passing on the data through a certain number of nodes, the data dies out. There is no effective data processing and no storage links in the whole process.¡±


    Hao Ren seemed to be in thought before he said, ¡°That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t decipher the network.¡±


    ¡°Well, it is the key to the problem,¡± Raven 12345 said. ¡°The network is missing a ¡®program¡¯ or an ¡®operating system.¡¯ It lacks something that coordinates the overall operation, a source code that issues instructions to the nodes, or an automatically validated set of calculation rules. But I am not sure whether the source code exists physically or virtually.¡±


    ¡°What is the difference between the two?¡± Hao Ren was curious.


    ¡°If it is in physical form, it could be a specific node, such as a planet or a giant computing center in space, functioning as a CPU. If it exists virtually, it could be a special set of code stored in the network. But now there is no trace of the two. It is hard to tell whether the source code was destroyed or simply that the goddess of creation had no time to build this thing before she was killed.¡±


    While speaking, Raven 12345 shook her head. ¡°But in any case, there are doubts about the network. The main way for the goddess of creation to communicate with the universe was the network of the First Borns. By monitoring the information sent back by each First Born, she was able to monitor most part of the universe. She had no reason to build a new information network, all the more so when she had to do it behind the back of the guardians.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s heart missed a beat. ¡°Maybe she had begun to lose trust in the First Born spiritual network. Or she had noticed that someone was working on the First Born spiritual network to interfere with the external communication of the divine realm. So she had to secretly establish an alternative. This would also explain why all nodes of the divine burst network are located away from any ecospheres. This way, she could physically isolate the network from those of the First Borns.¡±


    Raven 12345 pondered for a moment. At last, she still shook her head. ¡°Unlikely. The actions of the goddess of creation at the end of the deicidal war suggested that she did not realize that someone had compromised the spiritual link of the First Borns. And the structure of this divine burst network is far too complex simply for data transmission. It should not be a substitute for the First Born spiritual network but something with a new purpose.¡±


    Hao Ren sighed. ¡°Unfortunately, we have too little information and no way to analyze for what this stuff is.¡±


    ¡°As long as you keep your eyes open, the truth will resurface one day. Let¡¯s think of it this way: it is better to do something than doing nothing at all.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the goddess in amazement. ¡°Whoa, I¡¯ve never heard you saying something so philosophical and sensible at the same time.¡±


    Raven 12345 raised her hand and summoned a Lightning Ball. ¡°You have three seconds to rephrase your sentence. When was I not sensible?¡±


    Just when the goddess summoned the Lightning Ball and before Hao Ren could say anything, a cluster of bright electric lights appeared out of nowhere in the hall. Numerous figures began to emerge before materializing into physical bodies. Very quickly, the ten volunteers, including White Flame and Lorissa came back from the super-dimensional state to the main material world. They all appeared disoriented for a while. When the volunteers finally recovered, the first thing they saw was that the goddess was about to slam the Light Ball that burst in lightning down on Hao Ren.


    Raven 12345 quickly put the Lightning Ball out and looked at the volunteers in embarrassment. ¡°Hey, you all are back!¡±


    White Flame was curious and wanting to ask what was going on between them both. But the female demon hunter held back her curiosity at last. ¡°Yeah, we are back. Is the examination over?¡±


    ¡°It is over,¡± Hao Ren said quickly when he noticed that Raven 12345 seemed to have forgotten what he just said. ¡°How do you feel? What was it like to be in the transformed state?¡±


    He was very curious about the super-dimensional sensory that Raven 12345 mentioned.


    ¡°It is an unforgettable experience. Wonderful but hard to describe in words,¡± Lorissa said. The empress clone was the most experienced person in occultism as well as an experimental subject; naturally, her words were more authoritative. ¡°I feel like I have lost my body. My soul floated in this building, and I lost my bodily senses. I did not feel claustrophobic or fearful. Instead, I gained the ability to see my soul from a higher perspective. Even though I lost the ability to look at the outside world, I could observe myself from a third-party perspective. It was incredible.¡±


    ¡°Other than this?¡± Raven 12345 looked at other volunteers and asked.


    ¡°I have heard some sounds,¡± Hassel said. ¡°Of course, I did not really hear with my ears. Just as Lorissa said, we had no bodily senses in that state. I just felt some things appearing out of thin air and was injected into my consciousness, like extra memory, or inexplicable knowledge. I could not figure out what it was. I did not even know if I had come into contact with it. But¡­¡±


    While speaking, Hassel raised his right hand. Without needing to recite an incantation, a group of pure-white light appeared out of thin air in his hand.


    The light had the color of the sacred flame, but it was apparently not the sacred flame. It was a divine light, purer than the purest divine light, and even containing a hint of divinity. When this light appeared, Hao Ren could sense that his divine power began to interact with it.


    This phenomenon was enough to prove that the light ball was an extremely pure divine spell.


    Hao Ren had already guessed what it was, but he still asked, ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°As I said before, the demon hunter is a fake divine node. When they are immersed in the power of the goddess of creation, instead of being ejected, they will be accepted,¡± Raven 12345 said. ¡°They get extra energy in the process. But the power that mortals could carry is limited, even if they possess the artificial divine signatures. So they will not get the kind of power that is outside the rules.¡±


    The demon hunters had no idea what ¡®fake divine nodes¡¯, ¡®energy infusion¡¯, or ¡®divine power¡¯ was all about. After all, they still did not know the truth of the event of 10,000 years ago. But this ignorance did not prevent them from knowing that they had gained some extra ability out of thin air. So every one of them looked pleasantly surprised. Hao Ren looked curiously at the light that Hassel summoned. ¡°It is a divine ability. How powerful is it?¡±


    ¡°Enough for lighting use,¡± Raven 12345 said after a moment of thought.


    ¡°What?¡± Hao Ren could not believe what he heard.


    ¡°It is very bright.¡± The goddess nodded.


    Hao Ren and the volunteers were struck dumb.


    ¡°I am serious,¡± Raven 12345 said while spreading out her hand. ¡°Safety first during experimentation. I have filtered the energy in this hall. Otherwise, if some of them blow the earth up accidentally, how would I explain to my superior? Experimental accident? Who is going to believe that?¡±


    The goddess was absolutely right. But the faces of the volunteers looked like they were swearing. Raven 12345 quickly took notice and tried to brighten them up. ¡°Don¡¯t be disappointed. At least you all have got the experience of the super-dimensional senses, it will come in handy when you practice the magic of the soul. And you don¡¯t just look at the lighting function alone; it is a god-like ability. I tell you what, the first chapter of Genesis says that let there be light; you all have acquired that ability by doing nothing but just staying here for two hours.¡±


    It was hard to talk to a goddess who had a pit in her brain, and the volunteers soon realized it. Compared with Hao Ren, who spent two months to recognize this fact, the volunteers were more pragmatic. It was time to go home after the examination.


    Since Hao Ren was the one who brought the volunteers here, it was only natural that he was responsible for sending them home.


    White Flame and several demon hunters were going back to Coldpath. The other demon hunters in the tour group, who had not been selected for the divine experiment, had returned to the North Pole earlier. They were probably bragging about their experience in front of their compatriots now. It was the reason why White Flame and the rest could not wait to leave. After exchanging pleasantries, they stepped into the portal that Raven 12345 had specially arranged for them and returned to the demon-hunter headquarters.


    Lorissa and the Ancients had different plans.


    The Ancients, who responded to Ophra¡¯s call, could not stay in this world for too long. However curious the Ancients were about the alien world, these people seemed to be somebodies in Holletta and had to return as soon as possible. Hao Ren gave them some souvenirs and sent them back to the Plane of Dreams.


    Lorissa did not have to go back so early though. She did not belong to this era and she had no commitments in Holletta. Furthermore, when Hao Ren invited Lorissa to participate in the experiment, he had promised to show her around Earth for a few days.


    With all these being done, Hao Ren finally rounded off the family visit and the auxiliary matters.

 Chapter 1388 - The Mage Empress Is in Town

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After wrapping up everything and sending the volunteers home, it was dusk when Hao Ren brought Lorissa back to his home in the Southern Suburbs. The sparsely populated suburbs looked like a derelict neighborhood. Occasionally, there would be a few old ladies coming out for a stroll, or mischievous kids loitering around. Strays were a common sight near the trash bins and gaps between houses. These dogs and cats were minions of Lily and Rollie, patrolling their territories.


    The husky and the cat girl had complete control over the world of dogs and cats in the Southern Suburbs. They each had organized a herd of dogs and cats to roam around all day. Since Rollie turned into a human, Lily had shed her fear of cats. So the war between the dogs and cats had spread throughout the entire town. Those who cared to look would find that there was a sense of order among the strays in the Southern Suburbs. Everything from a trash bin down to a lamppost was strictly marked. Wednesdays and Fridays were the times when the two sides would have a street fight. But not many people cared to watch them fight. Most of the residents in the Southern Suburbs only noticed that the strays came out in groups nowadays and that the mice population was dwindling.


    It is important to mention here that the fattest mice only appeared in Hao Ren¡¯s bedroom and on the cupboard. Because of this, Hao Ren would pull Rollie¡¯s ear and give her an earful every couple of days.


    Hao Ren lamented the colorful life of Lily and Rolie as their cat and dog corps spied the streets and alleys of their enemy. Meanwhile, Lorissa, seeing the run-down town, could not help but ask, ¡°Is this where you live?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Hao Ren replied, nodding. He pointed to the entrance to a trail not far away. ¡°My house is right there, at the end of the corner.¡±


    ¡°It is more¡­ It is not a matter of gap of expectation and reality but utterly unlike what I have ever imagined.¡± Lorissa looked at Hao Ren with a strange countenance. ¡°I thought you would live in a gorgeous palace or castle with the protection of church knights and guards. This place cannot even be compared to the royal city of Holletta.¡±


    ¡°Ermm, I live here indeed,¡± Hao Ren said. Only now he realized how high Lorissa regarded him. Hao Ren scratched his head in embarrassment. ¡°I do have palaces and castles, such as the Sun King Temple on Aerym, and my travel residence in Helcrown. I have even more places like the space station and space colonies. If you feel not comfortable to say here, I can arrange you to stay in those places.¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean that.¡± Lorissa quickly shook her head. ¡°I am not the kind of queen who is pampered but just a clone. I can live in a normal house, which I feel more comfortable than the culture tank in the lab. I am just a little curious; a pope like you live such a simple life. Are you into asceticism?¡±


    Cold sweat began to trickle down Hao Ren¡¯s forehead. ¡°Who said that? I have been living here before becoming a pope. I am just too lazy to move my house after changing my job. I told you what; our denomination does not care about ostentation. As you can see, our goddess is used to stay in ruins.¡±


    Lorissa was still speechless when she thought about the exploded ¡°God¡¯s Temple.¡±


    ¡°Since you are here, just relax. I am going to bring you to look around the world these few days. I was thinking about taking you to other planets, but you could only stay on ¡®this side¡¯ for ten days tops. Not taking today into account, you have only nine days. Probably you will not get to see much. But since you are here on vacation, unlike the family visit tour earlier, other planets can always wait,¡± Hao Ren said while walking Lorissa to his house. ¡°Tomorrow, Nangong Wuyue will take you to shop for some new clothes. And your hair¡­ you should trim it. The color is all right, just that the hair is too long; it could cause traffic accidents.¡±


    Lorissa did not wear her usual elf-style white gauze dress now. Instead, she had changed into a women¡¯s thick coat and cotton skirt when she left Kuiper Space Station. It was more ¡®earthy¡¯ look, but her long white hair dropping to the ankles had not been trimmed, walking in the street would attract too much attention. But in Southern Suburbs, it was less likely to get undue attention. They might encounter some old ladies on the street, but they need not worry as the elderly was usually not social-media savvy.


    Another reason Hao Ren could bring Lorissa swaggering through the town was that people here had gotten used to Y¡¯zaks¡¯ hideous face. They would be as cool as a cucumber even if they were to see an alien, let alone Lorissa was only a girl with ankle-length hair.


    The simplicity of the folks in Southern Suburbs was evident¡ª??they did not even bother to lodge a police report even if they really saw an alien.


    Lorissa stroke her long hair and said, ¡°Hair? People here can¡¯t even accept hair of this length?¡±


    ¡°No, no. It is not that the folks couldn¡¯t accept it, just that people with hair of this length is rare,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°Earth is not the same as Holletta. Here where I live is a boring small town. Compared to your world where races of different exotic appearances are a norm, people with yellow hair could only be found in the urban-rural fringe. Your ears are eye-catching too, but they are hidden under your hair and not so conspicuous.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I only realized it after you said so.¡± Lorissa blinked. ¡°It looks like I am drawing attention here. What should I do then?¡±


    As Lorissa spoke, she stroked her hair, and the long white hair of hers transformed in the blink of an eye to becoming a waist-length black hair. Her signature pointed elven ears shrunk back. The elven queen remained eye-catching in the crowd but only in terms of her beauty.


    Hao Ren froze for a second. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that you have such a handy skill?¡±


    ¡°it is just a simple illusion spell,¡± Lorissa said with her hand spread. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me to change my appearance in the beginning. Had I know it earlier I would have fixed my hair.¡±


    Hao Ren was a bit embarrassed. ¡°I did not think of it earlier. Probably I have spent too long a time in the Plane of Dreams and become numb to those bizarro characters there. If not for your strange clothes, I¡¯d not even remember to ask to change it.¡±


    Lorissa laughed. ¡°Oh, I totally understand what you mean. At the beginning of artificial life research, we made many strange things. After spending a few months with those specimens, I had almost forgotten what the world of the elves looked like.¡±


    Hao Ren forced a smile and pointed at the big house no far away. ¡°Here we are. My house is right there.¡±


    The tall, old house stood quietly but conspicuously at the end of the street, surrounded by open space, behind which was an endless wilderness. It looked like it was in the middle of nowhere. Lorissa silently stared at the house for three seconds before said faintly. ¡°So this is the palace.¡±


    Hao Ren came up in front of the door and took out the key, but before he could insert the key into the keyhole, the door suddenly swung open outward with a bang as Lily poked out happily from the inside. ¡°Mr. Landlord, Mr. Landlord, you¡¯re back! I heard your voice. Where are you, Mr. Landlord?¡±


    Lorissa watched with her jaw dropped as Hao Ren was sent flying backward while Lily poked her head out calling out excitedly. After a while, she pointed in a direction and said, ¡°Hao Ren should have crash-landed over there.¡±


    Lily was stunned seeing Lorissa. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    It was apparent that the husky was not really a good watchdog¡ªhad Lorissa not spoken, Lily would not have noticed a stranger was standing outside the door.


    Before Lorissa could reply, Hao Ren had already pulled himself out from the muck and lunged at Lily with anger. ¡°How many times do I have to remind you not to push the door open without first checking whether anyone is standing outside. Idiot!¡±


    Just like any huskies who had made a mistake but still expected their masters to treat them stew meat, Lily was clueless of what trouble she had caused. She waved her hand at Hao Ren happily. ¡°Mr. Landlord, why did you come from that direction? Who damaged the door? ¨C Ouch, please don¡¯t pull my hair!¡±


    The scuffle only calmed down after a while. Hao Ren checked the door finally calmed down. Hao Ren glanced back out at the street warily. After making sure that no one was looking, he said, ¡°This is Lorissa.¡±


    Lily was startled for a moment. After thinking for a while, she finally came to her senses. ¡°Oh, did you bring her for a face-lift? She recovered pretty quick.¡±


    Hao Ren could never understand how the husky¡¯s brain worked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a spell. Do you know what a spell is? Hurry up, get Y¡¯lisabet here. She needs to learn from Lorissa face-changing skill. It is not enough for her to know only Demonic Flare. Learning this magic will save her the hassle of wearing a hat to cover her horn every time she goes out.¡±


    Lily nodded with an ¡°Oh¡± before she turned and entered the house.


    Hao Ren saw the door and quickly stopped Lily. ¡°Wait a second, fix the door first. My facial imprint on the door looks scary.¡±


    Lorissa looked on with a smile the entire time. She suddenly looked forward to her days on Earth.

 Chapter 1389 - Lorrisa’s Reception

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Since Lily moved into the house, the furniture, doors, and windows of the house would break every now and then, and with that, Lily¡¯s carpentry skills improved. After all, working as a freelance veterinarian and an unpopular writer, she could not earn enough to pay for the damages that she caused. So Lily could only depend on and improve her carpentry. The husky maiden looked up and saw that the burglar-proof door had been imprinted with a big face of her landlord. Not only was there was a vivid facial imprint but also a hand print. In this somewhat abstract ¡°art¡±, lay the resistance and helplessness of the landlord. The husky¡¯s ears drooped as she began to fix the door reluctantly.


    The husky¡¯s door-repairing skill was unique. Lily required no tools, only her bare hands. She knocked both sides of the door with her hands to impress it. Even the decor patterns were quickly flattened. She had ¡°fixed¡± the door using the same way many times. The door panels were now as smooth as mirrors.


    Lorissa followed Hao Ren and walked into the ¡°Pope¡¯s Palace.¡± It was unlike what she had imagined. She first saw a large living room with strange furnishings, several doors, and an upward staircase, which likely led to the other rooms and second floor. On a low cabinet on the other side of the living room, a square and flat device showed the vivid image of a smiling woman. She was holding a colorful bag and saying, ¡°This is our recommended cat food for cats two years of age and above¡­¡±


    On the coffee table at the center of the living room, the cat girl was sitting on the table, staring at the screen with concentration. Saliva was dripping from her mouth onto the floor. But as soon as the dumb cat discovered that Hao Ren had come back, she immediately turned and came down from the table. Scurrying up to Hao Ren, the dumb cat pulled him by the arm and said, ¡°Big Boss Cat, I want that, I want that, please buy me that now!¡±


    The dumb cat pointed at the cat food commercial on the TV and her eyes were gleaming with light.


    ¡°Go away. You just bought many cans. Did you eat those?¡± Hao Ren pushed the dumb cat¡¯s claws away. ¡°I have said it many times¡ªdon¡¯t squat on the coffee table while watching TV!¡±


    Vivian, who was in the kitchen, heard the commotion in the living hall. She poked out behind the door. ¡°You are, Hao Ren! Is this Lorissa?¡±


    ¡°Hello everyone,¡± Lolissa greeted as she looked at those guys in the living room. She bowed as a sign of respect with a smile. With the flick of her hand, Lorissa drew a rune in the air to lift her magic spell, and she was restored to her original appearance of long white hair and long elven ears. ¡°Hao Ren said that it is best to put on a disguise while outside to avoid unnecessary attention. But it should not be a problem while inside here, I guess?¡±


    As soon as her voice trailed off, Lorissa saw Nangong Wuyue staggering down the stairs in an octopus form. Every tentacle had a rag, which Nangong Wuyue used to clean the stair railing and steps. Sparing two arms, she waved at Lorrisa. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how you look in the house. No one looks like a human here.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks looked up from the newspaper and said, ¡°I do maintain a human form at home.¡±


    ¡°You are the least qualified to claim this. You still look like an alien while in human form.¡± Hao Ren said casually. He then looked for the little demon girl. ¡°Y¡¯zaks, where is your daughter?¡±


    ¡°She is fixing my tricycle in the backyard,¡± Y¡¯zaks smirked. He could not care less if Hao Ren was mocking him just now. He had been used to it anyway. ¡°Why?¡± he asked back.


    ¡°Let the Y¡¯lisabet learn some form-shifting skill from Lorrisa since she here these few days. It would save Y¡¯lisabet the trouble of having to wear contact lenses and hat, and tuck her tail every time she goes out.¡± Hao Ren took off his jacket, threw it to Rollie, and walked to the sofa. ¡°You should change your ride. Having to drag a cartload of electrical stuff around every day makes me feel sad for the trishaw. Rollie! I was asking you to hang up my jacket, not sleep on it!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it the same to learn from me? I am prepared to teach her soon.¡± Y¡¯zaks forced a smile.


    ¡°You? Forget it. I have not seen her learning anything else except Demonic Flame from you. And please look in the mirror, do you think your form-shifting skill good enough?¡± Hao Ren rolled his eyes.


    Y¡¯zaks thought for a moment and could not help but admit it.


    Lorissa looked on with curiosity at the interaction of this family. She was all smiles all the time. Unlike the cold smile when she was in Holletta, her smile this time seemed to be full of warmth. Lily noticed this after she finished fixing the door. As always, the husky maiden did not mince her words. ¡°What are you smiling at?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, just feeling good.¡± Lorissa blinked. ¡°I thought I would be brought to a heavily guarded church or palace at first. Never in my imagination that a pope was living in such a lively place. It is beyond words and much better than what I have thought.¡±


    ¡°There is something you don¡¯t know about our landlord.¡± Lily twitched her mouth. ¡°He is just dawdling over his job as a pope. I have never seen him playing by the rules. He even slipped the Bible under the table leg. If this place is as heavy-guarded as you have thought, I would not have stayed here because I have been used to free and easy life. Mr. Landlord, I am hungry! Battie, I am hungry!¡±


    Lorissa looked at Lily, wide-eyed. She could not fathom how Lily could switch topic so readily. But had Lorissa known about the nature of the husky breed, she would have a different opinion. For Lily, nothing was more important than eating. Her circadian rhythms of hunger and appetite were like clockwork.


    ¡°Come into the kitchen to fill your bowl!¡± Vivian poked her head out behind the kitchen door again. ¡°Don¡¯t be lazy.¡±


    Lily¡¯s ears flicked and stood erect. She ran into the kitchen. ¡°Arf Arf! Here I come! I will do it right away.¡±


    ¡°Vivian has been taking care of our meals. You have to try out her cooking.¡± Hao Ren smiled and invited Lorissa to the table. ¡°She has brought out her best recipe.¡±


    Vivian smiled as she served a plate of Kung Pao chicken dish on the table. ¡°I have many more recipes up my sleeve. If I cook all of them, there will not be enough space to put them all in this hall. With all the 10,000-year-worth of recipes that humans have invented, it would be more than enough to feed Lily for three years with just the lost recipes alone.¡±


    Lily took a large bowl of rice, sat down at the table, and looked up. ¡°Why use me as a yardstick?¡±


    ¡°Because you are not a picky eater. Not everyone can eat Egyptian roasted beetles like you,¡± Vivian said while glancing at the husky maiden sideways. She suddenly saw the bowl of rice in Lily¡¯s hands. ¡°You should have at least helped bring more dishes out from the kitchen.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t really count on her,¡± Hao Ren said with laughter. He then got to his feet. ¡°Let me help.¡±


    As soon as he got up, tentacles were crawling out from the kitchen carrying a plate on each of them. Nangong Wuyue was heard saying, ¡°Mr. Landlord, you don¡¯t have to. I have taken care of them.¡±


    Goosebumps were all over Hao Ren¡¯s skin. ¡°Holy moly, Wuyue, can you please not do that at mealtime? It thought it was Cthulhu!¡±


    Everyone enjoyed the meal. With 10,000 years of cooking experience under Vivian¡¯s belt, she was the god of cookery. It was the best meal in Lorissa¡¯s entire life. She could not even find anything close from the memory that she inherited from the elven queen, less so the ones that she had eaten before.


    After dinner, the demons and monsters began to fight for the TV. It was all chaos. But these guys were not really interested in any TV shows but enjoying the fight. It likened the fight to grab the last flake of potato chip when Hao Ren was still a child. Anyway, it was mainly between Lily and Rollie, or Y¡¯lisabet and Lil Pea. With three prankish kids and a dumbo, it was no rocket science to figure out what would happen when they were in one place. With that in mind, Hao Ren went to a quiet corner.


    After a while, Lorissa came up to Hao Ren. He asked, ¡°It is noise, eh?¡±


    ¡°No, I think it is lively,¡± Lorissa replied, shaking her head. ¡°It is just that nothing is like what I have imagined.¡±


    ¡°Then you have to get used to it.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°You can¡¯t always compare us with your imagination.¡±


    ¡°I was born in a world where religious beliefs reigned supreme. My memory¡ªthe one I inherited from my original¡ªenshrines the solemnity of the church and the sacredness of the priesthood. It is not easy to change.¡±


    ¡°I can understand that,¡± Hao Ren said as he leaned back in his chair with a smile, looking at the scuffle between Rollie and Y¡¯lisabet for the TV remote. Meanwhile, Lil Pea was scurrying among them, adding to the chaos. ¡°You won¡¯t find any other pope¡¯s palace looking like mine. I have many colleagues in this universe, and they are popes in their respective civilization spheres, regardless of the level of their enthusiasm. Anyway, can you tell me about your past? During the Magic Empire Era, how did the church of the goddess of creation work? How did you usually communicate with the goddess?¡±

 Chapter 1390 - A Crimson Moon?

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    In the living room, Lil Pea became the final winner in the fight for TV remote control. With the remote control in hand, the little mermaid was lying on the coffee table watching her favorite program¡ªthe Ocean World. There was a reason for the little mermaid¡¯s victory. Before Y¡¯lisabet could grab the remote control, her dad had ordered her to study ¡°the Emperor¡¯s Theory.¡± Meanwhile, Rollie was just a lackey of the little mermaid. That left Lily in a lone-fight against two prankish kids. Feeling a little embarrassed, Lily gave up. With the wave of her hand, the husky maiden told them she was going back to her room to finish her writing.


    The ¡°war¡± in the living room ended. Next to the window sill in the corner of the living room, the conversation between Hao Ren and Lorissa had just started.


    The elven queen was surprised to hear what Hao Ren said. ¡°I knew you were interested,¡± Lorissa said.


    ¡°I¡¯m investigating in the Plane of Dreams. Knowing the religious activities on planet Holletta from 10,000 years ago would help me understand how the divine power worked in your universe before the death of the goddess of creation.¡± Hao Ren smiled. ¡°And more importantly, I am also very interested in the goddess of creation, especially her changes in behavior before the outbreak of the deicidal war. It would probably reveal her mental state at that time.¡±


    ¡°Do you know, if you had said this 10,000 years ago, our priests would have been enraged because it was disrespectful,¡± Lorissa said, glancing at Hao Ren.


    ¡°I could not care less. I am a pope; what is wrong with me discussing gods? My goddess is not particular about rules. Do you mean the goddess of creation was fastidious about her authority?¡±


    Lorissa shook her head. ¡°No, the goddess did not care about how the mortals viewed her. Worldly remarks did not affect her a bit, just like the mortal¡¯s words could not affect the sun, the moon, the stars, and the truth. God is magnanimous, but we mortals are not. The ancient Holletta was developed under the guidance of the church, the influence of the goddess was infused into the blood veins of every living being since the lifeblood from the Seed of Origin. Religion and faith have been with our society. It has become an important tool for us to maintain social order and stability. Even if teachings have been keeping pace with the times and the church becomes more open and inclusive, the authority of God must not be shaken¡ªat least in our time.¡±


    Lorissa was now calling her planet ¡®Holletta¡¯ just like Hao Ren did. But she still stuttered a bit every time she mentioned it because the word ¡®Holletta¡¯ still sounded foreign to her.


    ¡°How much influence did the leaders of the religion of the goddess have in the secular society compared to the mage emperors at that time?¡± Hao Ren asked out of curiosity.


    ¡°The mage emperors were the heads of the religion of the goddess in a kingdom,¡± Lorissa said with a smile. ¡°We implemented a system of dual cardinalships. Each kingdom had two cardinals. One was presiding over the church with authority limited to the ecclesiastical affair of the church. The other was governing cardinal. The mage emperors assumed the cardinalship in governing their respective kingdoms. These governing cardinals had the same voice as the ecclesiastical leader. Above these cardinals were the pope, the person closest to the goddess and could usually talk to the goddess directly. As the Pope was constantly immersed in the thoughts of the goddess, he did not interfere with the governance of the secular world. Such was the situation of Holletta 10,000 years ago. Of course, there are a lot more details if I were to delve into it, but it would take me some time to explain.¡±


    Hao Ren asked because he was curious, not that he wanted to study how the church in Holletta worked 10,000 years ago. He could have borrowed a few working notes from his colleagues if he wanted to know about the details. ¡°How did you usually communicate with the goddess? Was it difficult? Did you hear her voice or merely sense her presence?¡±


    ¡°Everyone who is created by the goddess has a sense of belonging in the blood. We knew from the beginning who created us, so we knew to whom we prayed. With that in mind, we would be able to communicate with the goddess. It was not that difficult. It was just that ordinary prayers could not hear the voice of the goddess directly because she had to keep an eye on the entire universe and could not listen to every voice of her children. In most cases, we could only sense her presence, or get a standard answer when we asked a question.¡±


    ¡°I know, it is an automatic answering machine. Our goddess uses it too. Answers are preset. It gives an instant reply to the prayer and saves time for the goddess. But our goddess uses this stuff mainly because she is too lazy to listen to complaints,¡± Hao Ren said.


    Lorissa automatically filtered out the disrespectful, last part of what Hao Ren said. ¡°Oh? Do other deities do the same? How does the Goddess Raven usually respond to prayers?¡±


    ¡°The goddess you call is not in the service area. Or don¡¯t be afraid, just do it! If you have time to call your mom for help, you¡¯d better fight it. If you lose, I will take revenge on your behalf. Honestly, the first automatic reply sounds more graceful.¡±


    ¡°Forgive me, do you really believe people in this universe believe in her?¡±


    ¡°Give it a try, it ¡®s free after.¡± Hao Ren spread out his hand.


    Lolissa was dumbfounded.


    ¡°Ahem, let¡¯s get back to business,¡± Hao Ren said. He knew that his goddess was a weirdo and nobody in their right mind would think otherwise. So Hao Ren quickly shifted Lorissa¡¯s attention. ¡°Has anyone of you guys talked to the goddess of creation directly? Who could do that? What was a direct dialogue like? Please tell me the details.¡±


    ¡°The goddess would occasionally talk to her children. She did not choose to talk to any specific race or individual. It was often random. We called this conversation ¡®revelation,¡¯ which usually happened in a dream. The dreamer would see a blurry light, and the goddess¡¯s thoughts directly came into their spiritual world. The fact that the goddess had sowed lives in countless planets, whoever received the revelation was considered to be extremely lucky. Our records showed that there were only a handful of people who received the revelation throughout history. These people have become great priests or extremely knowledgeable pioneers,¡± Lorissa explained. ¡°Other than this revelation, the devout believers in the church can also directly communicate with the goddess through a special ceremony, and only bishops get this opportunity. Through the ceremony agreed with the goddess, we can call on the goddess directly, then the goddess will come through a grand illusion.¡±s


    ¡°Illusion? What kind of illusion?¡± Hao Ren was curious.


    ¡°Not necessarily, it depends on the cognition of the prayer and the specific manner of execution of the ceremony. But it is usually an unrecognizable, radiant female figure, or an undefined light. It once appeared as a crystal tower, mysterious palace, boundless red ocean, and unknown starry sky. These illusions only appeared in a more special ceremony with many participants. Perhaps different mental resonances among the participants have caused the emergence of different illusions. Only participants could see the illusions. Those who saw the illusions felt that the illusion was as real as reality. Non-participants would not be able to see the illusions even if they stood next to the altar. They could only feel massive energy sweeping across the sky.¡±


    ¡°What you saw should be the scene on the Star of Creation. It seems that the goddess of creation has projected the image of the Star of Creation directly to the scene of the ceremony through the spiritual network of the First Borns. It is essentially a super-remote brainwave communication, whereby your spirit is linked with the brainwaves of the First Borns, and then connected with the control center on the Star of Creation,¡± Hao Ren said while nodding and visualizing the spiritual network of the First Borns in his mind.


    Lorissa nodded and then continued. ¡°We have been communicating with the divine realm using these methods all this while. But in the years before the arrival of the divine decree, before the outbreak of the deicidal war, we saw something different. There were never-before-seen scenes in the illusion.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°The illusions in the past were bright, motivating and reassuring, but in those few years, the bishops frequently saw patterns filled with dark and weird lines, as though there had been distortion. The image of the goddess has never appeared ever since. In all the illusions, there was one thing that constantly appeared¡ªa crimson moon.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°A crimson moon? Are you sure it was a moon, not the Star of Creation? As far as I know, the Star of Creation is also red.¡±


    ¡°No, I am sure because I have seen it. It is definitely not the Star of Creation but a crimson moon.¡±

 Chapter 1391 - The Crimson Moon!

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Lorissa sounded so confident that Hao Ren calmed down from his shock. He looked at the mage empress clone with a serious face. ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°The Star of Creation is filled with divine energy, which is clear and perceptible even in illusions. The planet¡¯s surface is a liquid ocean that reflects light with a special halo. It is very obvious when looking from space,¡± Lorissa explained. This is something Hao Ren did not know before. ¡°The crimson moon in the illusion was completely different. I saw it twice in my prayer and was sure it did not have the divine energy unique to the Star of Creation. The crimson moon¡¯s surface has strange shadows and lines, which are visually more like a solid surface. The crimson moon always hung above a dark and barren land in the illusion. It rose from the horizon, and its light illuminated the entire world. There was a sense of trepidation gripping my heart, which was the opposite of the peace and tranquility of watching the Star of Creation.¡±


    Lorissa¡¯s account had completely ruled out the other speculations. The phenomenon that Lorissa mentioned perfectly matched the crimson moon that Vivian summoned.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lorissa noticed the strange expression on Hao Ren¡¯s face.


    ¡°No, nothing,¡± Hao Ren said as he shook his head. ¡°Your information is vital, but I need more details about the religious life in the Ancient Magic Empire and every decree that the goddess of creation gave in her final few years.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Lorissa said with a smile. ¡°There is still time. I can tell you slowly.¡±


    After the end of the long conversation, it was already late at night.


    Most of the housemates had hit the sack. Even Rollie, who was the most restless at night, had fallen asleep. Lil Pea had almost dozed off in the basin not far away, leaving only Hao Ren and Lorissa still in the living hall.


    While Hao Ren and Lorissa were talking, nobody came to disturb them. It seemed that there was an unspoken, tacit understanding between the landlord and the tenants that Hao Ren would tell them what they needed to know as and when it was necessary.


    Hao Ren knew that Vivian was still awake, however. Vivian habitually tidied up her room at this time of night. After which, she would fly out of the windows to take a ¡®stroll¡¯ outside, checking around her ¡®territory¡¯ before coming back almost at dawn. Among the tenants, Vivian slept the least¡ªthree hours at most. Lily had been ridiculing Vivian¡¯s century-long hibernation as a result of her lack of sleep and a prelude to her hibernation.


    Hao Ren decided not to bother Vivian with the question of the crimson moon for now. After all, it was late at night; asking this question at this point in time would only cause more sleeplessness.


    ¡°Your room is upstairs,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°Vivian had arranged a room for you upstairs.¡±


    It happened to be a vacant room as the Nangong couples had moved out recently. Their restaurant was seeing business picking up. So the couples had decided to rent a place to stay next to their restaurant.


    ¡°Then I shall disturb you for the next few days,¡± Lorissa said with a smile. She got to her feet and bowed slightly as a sign of respect. ¡°Good night, Your Holiness Pope of the alien world.¡±


    Hao Ren forced a smile. But he did not intend to correct Lorissa for calling him the strange title. After Lorissa disappeared up the stairs, Hao Ren returned to his room.


    It was a quiet night.


    When the first ray of the morning sun shone on the old roofs and streets of Southern Suburbs, the town began to wake up.


    The morning was always a lively time in Hao Ren¡¯s house. It always started with Rollie scratching the door of the bedroom of Hao Ren, who would scold her to high heaven. Sometimes, it was the howl of Lily in the living hall that woke everyone up in the house. Sometimes, it was the cry of Nangong Sanba when her sister rolled him up on her tail and spun him like a windmill in the air for crawling back in bed. Even if none of the above happened, there was always Noobie rising from the mouth hole and shooting energy bolts at everyone¡¯s face with a ¡°biubiubiu.¡±


    At last, everyone would have to get out of bed.


    Vivian had prepared breakfast. It worked to prevent the husky from screaming like a banshee when she was hungry. There was a large pot of hot cereal porridge and a bean paste buns on the dining table, which was the usual simple but delicious breakfast in the ¡®Pope¡¯s Palace.¡¯ Lily sat cross-legged on the chair with chopsticks in one hand and a bowl of porridge in another. The chopsticks were skewered with three steamed buns. She gulped down the porridge in one go. Vivian, who was sitting across the table, frowned seeing Lily¡¯s demeanor. ¡°Mind your table manners, could you? You are a girl after all.¡±


    Vivian had been a pauper all her life, but she still behaved like what an ancestor of the Blood Clan should be like. No matter how hungry Vivian was back then, she still insisted on dining with proper dining etiquette. Lily¡¯s uncivilized manner was irking her.


    But the husky could not care less. She had her own set of theories. ¡°I have a high metabolism. If I were to eat following the manners of the vampires, I would have died from hungry within a few days. What is more, I have an appointment coming up soon.¡±


    ¡°What appointment could you have?¡± Vivian shot Lily a glance.


    ¡°Beanbag, who lives at the end of the street, gave shelter to a female dog that came from outside the town. They had since been living together and having children. But later, the bitch drove Beanbag out on the street and brought in her new boyfriend¡ªa local dog¡ªand occupied beanbag¡¯s house. Now, Beanbag has to live on the street near the garbage dump, and gotten mocked by other dogs. He is depressed and losing his purpose in life. I have to give him some counseling and take a look at the little puppies.¡±


    ¡°Holy moly. Life among dogs is also that messy.¡± Nangong Sanba was stunned.


    Vivian shook her head. What happened in Lily¡¯s army of dogs was not surprising to her at all. Vivian had seen worse¡ªnothing was more chaotic than what happened on Mount Olympus back then.


    ¡°Whatever happens, let us first finish the breakfast. And put down your leg. It took us a while to correct Rollie¡¯s sitting posture, don¡¯t show her bad example.¡± Vivian glanced at Lily. She then grabbed a slice of raw meat from a small plate that she had specially prepared and tossed it in a direction without even looking. ¡°Noobie, breakfast!¡± she cried.


    A shadow suddenly emerged from the corner of the house and launched into the air. It was Noobie¡ªa mini version of Vivian. Noobie grabbed the meat in the air and crash-landed on the floor. But she was not upset. Noobie rolled the meat slice up and quickly scurried back into the mouse hole.


    Hao Ren had been suspecting for some time that the little Malevolence was faking its madness. Just look at how smart she was at feeding time.


    ¡°You are skilled at feeding her now,¡± Hao Ren said before gulping down his remaining porridge. He then looked at the mouse hole where Noobie lived. ¡°She seems to be like human too.¡±


    ¡°Not really. Noobie would go insane again once she is fed,¡± Vivian said. ¡°Just like Doggie, Noobie will forget the hand that feeds her after the meal.¡±


    Hearing what Vivian said, Lily put down her bowl and snorted, ¡°Battie, mind your words! You should compare me with someone with a brain to be fair!¡±


    Hao Ren hemmed and interrupted the two. ¡°That is enough. Can you two not fight for a day? ¨CVivian, I have something to ask you.¡±


    Vivian was just about to get up and clean the dishes. ¡°What is it regarding?¡± she asked.


    ¡°About the crimson moon. Do you know what it is?¡±


    ¡°The crimson moon?¡± Vivian frowned. ¡°Is this important?¡±


    ¡°It is very important.¡±


    ¡°Well, to tell the truth¡ªI have no idea.¡± Vivian spread out her hand. ¡°Most of the time, I only summoned the crimson moon when I was disoriented right before the hibernation. I did not even remember who I was at that time. I don¡¯t summon the crimson moon while I am awake. It is an exhaustive and I could not even control my mind. So if it is not necessary, I will not use this ability.¡±


    Hao Ren frowned. He had expected this answer. But he still pressed on. ¡°Do you think the moon is real or just a projection?¡±


    ¡°How could it be real,¡± Vivian said. She could not help but laugh. ¡°Do you think I can summon a celestial body?¡±


    Hao Ren did not laugh. He said thoughtfully, ¡°Even if it is just a projection, I am afraid that it is not that simple. Have you ever thought about where the crimson moon is located? Since it hangs in the sky, anyone can see it. Optically, it is ¡®reachable.¡¯ Whether it physically exist or otherwise, have you studied it?


    Vivian sensed the seriousness in Hao Ren¡¯s voice. She could not help but become somber. ¡°I was curious; I once flew toward the crimson moon, but I no matter how hard I tried, I could not reach it.¡±


    ¡°Come on! Have you ever heard of the ¡®carrot on a stick¡¯ metaphor? The thing is a projection from you. When you move, it moves. How can you reach it?¡± Lily laughed.


    ¡°Do you think I have never thought of it? I sent a bat to the crimson moon while I was waiting on the ground. But it did not work.¡± Vivian glared at the husky.


    ¡°There are two explanations to it. One, the existence of the crimson moon is beyond our understanding. The light it emits may be discontinuous in space, not even based on the general law of space and time. So we can¡¯t reach it. Two, it is as big as a real celestial body, located far in the orbit of the planet. Vivian can¡¯t fly out of the atmosphere to reach it,¡± Hao Ren said.


    Vivian looked at Hao Ren curiously. ¡°You want¡ª¡±


    ¡°I want to study the crimson moon that you summon,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°It would be best if I could go there to check it out.¡±

 Chapter 1392 - : Preparations for Summoning the Crimson Moon

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Lily was the first person to respond to Hao Ren¡¯s suggestion. ¡°Arf! Arf! Mr. Landlord, that ¡®s a good idea! I would like to go and see it too! I¡¯ve been wondering about it.¡±


    Seeing the husky¡¯s overly-enthusiastic response, Hao Ren instinctively stepped back and looked at her scornfully. ¡°Look at you! Have you not seen enough of the crimson moon? You died because of it. Have you forgotten?¡±


    The crimson moon was Lily¡¯s Achilles heel. The fact that Vivian used the crimson moon to kill Lily in the previous life was one of Lily¡¯s three greatest humiliations. Her other two greatest embarrassments were her failure to catch a rabbit and Y¡¯lisabet grabbing the last pork rib on the dining table. She did not really care how she died in her previous life. After all, she had forgotten about what happened back then. What she really minded was Vivian being the one who killed her. Plus, it happened instantly. Lily would become a bit depressed every time she thought about it.


    So she pouted and appeared indignant. ¡°I still remember how that thing killed me. So, I have to figure out what it is and write a ¡®Lily was here¡¯ message on its surface. This is called revenge. It¡¯s revenge, do you know that?¡±


    It was hard to fathom what the husky¡¯s revenge was all about.


    Lorissa, who listened on quietly all this while, became curious now. She poked a snake tail that was swaying beside her, and then quietly pointed at Lily and Vivian. ¡°What happened between them? What is previous life all about?¡±


    ¡°No big deal. It was just about Vivian killed Lily in the previous life,¡± Nangong Wuyue replied in a low voice.


    ¡°That was no big deal?¡± Lorissa was wide-eyed.


    These people who worked for God were indeed terrible. It was as if dying was no big deal for them.


    Now, Vivian had figured what was in Hao Ren¡¯s mind and became curious. ¡°It is an interesting plan. But why are you interested in my crimson moon all of a sudden?¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Lorissa and then explained to Vivian the information he heard last night. ¡°I learned about the Ancient Magic Empire from Lorissa yesterday. She mentioned that a few years before the outbreak of the deicidal war, the priests saw a crimson moon in their prayers.¡±


    Vivian could not believe her ears. ¡°Exactly the same as my crimson moon?¡±


    ¡°They look almost the same, but I am not sure if they are the same,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°So I have to find out.¡±


    Vivian lowered her head and scratched her chin as if in thought. Lily suddenly cried, ¡°Oh Battie, why are you hesitating? Don¡¯t you believe in Mr. Landlord¡¯s ability? Don¡¯t you want to find out what the crimson moon is all about?¡±


    Vivian slowly looked up. There was a resolute look on her face. ¡°Well, I want to find out about the crimson moon too. But I need some preparations. It is exhaustive to summon the crimson moon, which has a profound effect on the mind. I have done it before in the mysterious realm of Hercules not long ago. This time, I will prepare myself before doing it.¡±


    ¡°How long does it take?¡± Hao Ren asked, looking at Vivian.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be long. If all goes well, seven or eight days,¡± Vivian laughed. ¡°I am going to perform some magic ceremonies and preparing some ingredients to enhance my spirit and soul. But we have to do it in a quiet test site. If I summon the crimson moon here, everyone within hundreds of kilometers radius will see it. It is better not to do it on Earth unless you could get me a large alien dimension.¡±


    ¡°It is easy. The universe is vast. I could find a place for your summoning ceremony anytime. How about planet Aerym? I have a readily-available space station and lab in the planet¡¯s orbit, from where we could observe the crimson moon. Incidentally, Lorissa is going home in a week. She could visit Aerym before she goes back.¡±


    The Crimson Moon Exploration Program was thus decided. Vivian was filled with anticipation. It was not that she was not curious about her own secrets in the past, but she lacked the means to explore the subject for the past ten thousand years. Now, there was no more hindrance. Vivian suddenly had a new-found enthusiasm and excitement.


    Vivian quickly cleaned up the dishes, after which she immediately worked on her spirit and soul enhancement and prepared the necessary ingredients. ¡°Preparing the ingredients? Tell me what you need. I can help,¡± Hao Ren said.


    Vivian thought for a moment, took out a piece of paper, and wrote something on it. ¡°There are many ingredients. It was a magic potion that I created after 10,000 years of research. I will list down the things that you could help find. You can buy the ingredients in the market.¡±


    Hao Ren took the list. ¡°I am an inspector after all. You can count on me to find those things. ¨CWait a minute! Did you say the market?¡±


    Hao Ren was baffled. Vivian nodded matter-of-factly. ¡°Yes, the market. Get the easily available ingredients first.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the list and was wide-eyed seeing things like cucumber, green vegetables, and lamb bone. ¡°Do you not want ingredients for the magic potion? Can this stuff make a magic potion?¡±


    Vivian glanced at Hao Ren and said, ¡°What should be the ingredients for a magic potion in your opinion?¡±


    ¡°The skin of the black goat, mushroom in the volcano, crystal in the glaciers, and eel in the cold spring and such,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°But you are asking me to look for them in the market!¡±


    ¡°You must have read too many novels and can¡¯t think straight.¡± Vivian glanced at Hao Ren. ¡°Who told you that the raw ingredients of the magic ceremony must be strange? Who told you that we can¡¯t buy the magic ingredients from the market? However powerful the magic herbs are, they are still plants. Are vegetables not also plants? Humans have been living on Earth for so long and treating magic plants as food.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Hao Ren was struck dumb.


    ¡°Why not?¡± Vivian said with her arms crossed. ¡°There are indeed many magic ingredients hidden in the remote places where humans have not discovered. Those ingredients are precious, and some are even in the brink of extinction. But more ingredients are not uncommon at all. It has been 10,000 years! 10,000 years!¡± Vivian said in an exaggerated tone of voice. ¡°Humans eat everything under the sun. Thousands of years ago, a few primitive humans found the Evening Primrose in the forest. They tasted it and found that it was delicious. So they planted it in their backyard. There were also a few ancient people lost their way in the woods. To survive, they dug out some plant root from the ground and ate it. Upon returning to their homes, they called the plant ¡®potato¡¯ and began to farm it. The potions that the otherworldlings developed on Earth are flora and fauna-based, earthbound. Is there anything that has not become food for humans after ten thousand years?¡±


    Hao Ren listened to Vivian¡¯s long-winded story in awe. He felt as if the light had dawned on him¡ªwhat Vivian, the living fossil, said made sense. But there was another question that bothered him. ¡°In that case, most flora and fauna used in magic ceremonies during ancient times have become commonly available to humans in modern times?¡±


    ¡°Excluding those that have been extinct, most of the ingredients are commonly available,¡± Vivian said. ¡°So, yeah, no. Those ingredients would not magically stay away from humans. Is there any place that humans has not explored? Humans have even begun to drill into the ice of Antarctica.¡±


    ¡°Then why humans have not cooked up stuff like lightning bolts in the kitchen since they have been using those raw ingredients as food?¡±


    ¡°The core material of most electronic gadgets are silicon and metal. So why did the miners and blacksmiths thousands of years ago have not hammered an iPhone 7 out of it?¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    ¡°The raw ingredients are simple, but the processing and catalytic methods are the keys. All the more so when it comes to magic ceremonies that require the exercise of mind power. Y¡¯zaks could draw a magic circle with soy sauce, but others couldn¡¯t,¡± Vivian said. ¡°Of course, there are occasionally talented humans who could use these common things to produce some magic effects. How the alchemists in the history of humankind learn alchemy? Of course, they are self-taught. Unfortunately, except for those mages who studied magic from the otherworldlings, the self-taught mages were mostly half-baked. They were killed either by the things they summoned, or the emperor.¡±


    ¡°All right, I believe you,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°I will find these ingredients in the market. But what are the two bottles of laundry detergent for? Are they also a spell-casting prop?¡±


    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s no more laundry detergent in the house. So I figure that since you¡¯re going to the market, you might as well buy the detergent from the nearby supermarket.¡±


    Hao Ren was dumbfounded.

 Chapter 1393 - One and a Half Years Old

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren took the shopping list that Vivian gave him and headed to the market with Lily and Lorissa following suit. As usual, Lily¡¯s eyes busily darted about her surroundings the whole time. Lorissa had shapeshifted into a human, and the sight of an earthling¡¯s daily life aroused curiosity in the cloned mage empress. Unlike Lily, Lorissa was more restraint. She observed quietly. Everything seemed to be new to her.


    Hao Ren looked back at the two, feeling a little funny. He asked Lily, ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to counsel Beanbag?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. That guy has been out on the street for half a month anyway,¡± Lily said while waving her hand. ¡°It¡¯s not like Lorrisa can come to Earth very often. I should accompany her shopping.¡±


    ¡°You mean you want to go shopping.¡± Hao Ren could not help but shoot the husky a sideways glance. As the saying went, walking your dog was part of the responsibility that came with keeping a dog. All the more so when it was a husky. Instead of shopping, Hao Ren began to feel that he was walking the dog now. ¡°Lorissa, how do you feel about shopping on Earth for the first time?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very lively, but it is not as much as I have imagined,¡± Lorissa said. ¡°I was shocked when I heard that there were seven billion people on this planet. I thought it would be packed like sardines in this place. But it looks not much different from the royal city of Holletta.¡±


    ¡°It is true that there are seven billion people on this planet, but not all of them stay in one place. Here where I live in is a suburb. The population here is not comparable to the city. The next time I take you to the city center, you will know what overpopulation means.¡±


    ¡°Overpopulation? What a surprise to hear you talking about it here,¡± Lorissa said. There was a sudden sense of sadness on her face. ¡°During the heyday of the Magic Empire, we had nearly ten billion people on the planet. Our city rose into the sky and expanded to the bottom of the sea, but it could never catch up with the increase in population. So we built a colony on the moon. Everyone felt that our expansion was unstoppable and would soon go interstellar. But¡­ sigh.¡±


    Hearing the sigh of Lorissa, Lily¡¯s eyes brightened up. She wrapped her arm around Lorissa¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Hey, it seems that we have something in common here.¡±


    ¡°Something in common?¡± Lorissa was puzzled looking at the husky. ¡°You are also a queen?¡±


    ¡°I was also an empress!¡± Lily sounded particularly happy. ¡°I was the leader of the demon hunters in my previous life, and you were an elven queen. So both of us were the first empresses. You are the clone of the elven queen, but you inherit her memory, so it is still the same.¡±


    Lorissa was dumbstruck.


    Lily began to lament, ¡°Sigh, I have had my pinnacle in life. During my time as the leader of the demon hunters, life was hard, but at least we were unlike other races that did nothing but fight. We lived around the Arctic Circle, stayed aloof of this world and managed to survive. Later, we acquired our territory, Coldpath. We had land, a roof over our heads, and unlimited energy supply. We thought that the demon hunters were at the height of our civilization. But the unexpected happened¡­ sigh.¡±


    ¡°There went my throne.¡± The two maidens sighed in unison.


    Hao Ren felt goosebumps all over his skin. ¡°What is the matter with both of you? I can understand why Lorissa lamented about her past, but you, Lily, did you not lose your memory of your previous life?¡±


    ¡°Did I not tell you that I have recovered some pieces of my previous life¡¯s memory?¡± Lily said matter-of-factly. ¡°Let me tell you, Mr. Landlord. I sometimes dreamed of the royal court. Do you know how awesome I was in the past?¡±


    But seeing Hao Ren¡¯s face that looked like saying ¡°you are bluffing,¡± Lily was piqued. ¡°Forget it, mortal like you would not understand what I say. ¨CLorissa, tell me about your experience as a queen.¡±


    Lorissa shook her head helplessly. ¡°Experience as a queen? That is not my experience. I am just a clone. The memories that I inherited are not mine, and they are confusing at times. My memory was all about experiments and taking orders from others, including the real elven queen. Clone One, do this; and Clone One, do that. They would not even call my name, because even that name is not mine. Sometimes I feel like schizophrenic. Half of me is the elven queen¡ªI have her memory and personality. But this part seems like the books in the library. It stays on the shelves lifelessly. I occasionally flipped through them as if I were looking at a stranger from the indifferent perspective of a third-party. The other half of me is a clone, who used to take orders from others, has never thought of where I come from, nor what is the purpose of my life. I thought that it was useless to even think about these things.¡±


    Lily began to feel sad for Lorrissa. ¡°Oh, so sad.¡±


    ¡°Is it?¡± Lorissa could not care less. ¡°I don¡¯t feel it at all. My life has been like that ever since I have memories. Maybe it is not a good life in your perspective. Anyway, it is the past; no one is giving me order or determining what I should do tomorrow. I am trying to learn to arrange my own life now, and it feels good.¡±


    A question suddenly crossed Hao Ren¡¯s mind. ¡°Lorissa, how old do you think you are now?¡±


    ¡°One and a half years old. Why?¡±


    Hao Ren was flabbergasted.


    Even Lily was stupified. ¡°What? What is wrong with me being one and a half years old?¡± Lorissa asked.


    It took Hao Ren a long while before he could utter, ¡°There is nothing wrong with it. After all, your time has stood still for ten thousand years. But still, you do not look like you are one and a half years old.¡±


    Lorissa looked down at her body and then looked up helplessly. ¡°I can¡¯t help it. I was born this way.¡±


    ¡°All right, I will take it as one and a half years old,¡± Hao Ren said while waving his hand helplessly. ¡°You will have to call Lil Pea your elder sister though.¡±


    Lorissa was startled. She had never thought about this problem before. ¡°So I am the youngest around here?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°There is still one guy younger than you.¡±


    ¡°Even younger than me?¡± Lorissa was shocked. ¡°Is that fish not young enough?¡±


    ¡°Noobie will only attain one year old in a few months. I thought my house was a kindergarten at first. but now, I realize that it is actually a nursery.¡±


    Lorissa and Lily were stupefied.


    So the three of them chatted as they walked. After spending half a day at the market hunting for the stuff that Vivian needed, Hao Ren only realized that it was a long list of items. He felt like he could almost open a fruits and vegetable store and need not to have to come back again for the entire month with all the things he had bought. Lily was carrying two large bags and babbled, ¡°I do not think Battie will even use half of what we bought. The cunning bat must be tricking us into buying the entire month¡¯ worth of grocery.¡±


    Hao Ren was also hauling two bags of stuff. But he did not complain. ¡°If that is really the case, you should be happy instead. It means you can start eating when you go back.¡±


    It worked for the husky, who began to feel everything make sense and complained no more.


    ¡°Do you not have a dimensional pocket? Why do we have to lug the things around like ordinary people?¡± Lorissa asked curiously. ¡°I also heard you bargaining with the vendors. Are you not a pope?¡±


    ¡°It is called life. Do you know what life is?¡± Hao Ren looked at Lorissa, his tone of voice sounded particularly imperious. ¡°You have to learn to enjoy life. Otherwise, you will miss many things in life. I spend over two hundred days a year blowing up things¡­ err, I mean carrying out missions. It feels good to be at home. Sometimes, I even think that going out to pay my utility bills is a pleasure. Do you understand what I say?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± Lorissa replied, shaking her head. ¡°I am only one and a half years old.¡±


    Hao Ren was stupified.


    It does not help to tell people that you are only one and a half years old while you clearly have an adult face, Hao Ren said to himself.


    Vivian quickly came up and took the grocery from Hao Ren and Lily as soon as the three of them stepped into the doorway. ¡°Thank you very much. It has been a long day. I did not expect it to be this many. Hao Ren, you should have let Lily carry all the stuff. She has strong arms.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to, but she bites,¡± Hao Ren mumbled.


    ¡°Bah, she consumes the most when it comes to eating,¡± Vivian said, twitching her mouth. She then summoned a group of bats to lug those things into the kitchen. Lily suddenly jumped up. ¡°Mr. Landlord, do you see that? She really moves the stuff into the kitchen!¡± Lily said.


    ¡°If not, where should we store those things? Your room?¡± Hao Ren asked, rolling his eyes.


    Lily thought for a moment and said, ¡°Sounds good!¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.

 Chapter 1394 - Lorissa’s Little Lecture

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Lorissa had developed a keen interest in Lil Pea.


    Strictly speaking, what caught the mage empress¡¯ attention was the ability of the demon hunting fish. Like the Ancients, Lil Pea could cast soul-talent spells and possessed the same spiritual power.


    What surprised Lorrisa more was that the same experiment she used to participate in had spawned such a magical creature.


    The queen sat on the sofa in the middle of the living room, staring curiously at the little mermaid on the coffee table. Feeling bored, the little mermaid jumped around and hit the beautiful patterns on the coffee table while she chewed on a chopstick. Only half a section of it was left in her hand. The fish baby was not interested in the stranger who had suddenly popped up in her house. If she had not seen her daddy being acquainted with the stranger, Lil Pea would not have been bothered to listen to what Lorissa said. For those things were too deep for her. Cartoons and fairy tales were far more interesting. Even her daddy¡¯s snoring was more fascinating.


    ¡°Incredible. As far as I could remember, we could not even keep the divine cells active and transplant them into ordinary creatures, but they accomplished the experiments while I was being sealed,¡± Lorissa said, marveling at the fish baby who mooched around on the coffee table. ¡°The Sacred Relic of Origins. It seems that they have finally solved the puzzle of artificially controlling the divine power and using it to mass produce biological tissues with supernatural ability.¡±


    ¡°They would not be able to create the ancients had they not been able to mass produce the biological tissues. The concepts of making a couple of experimental products and creating a whole new species are different,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°There could be more to the transformation of Lil Pea than meets the eye. She has her own unique ability and is right up at the top of the food chain of living beings, even as far as being equal to a demigod. This ranking might be irrelevant to the mortals, but when it comes to the question of divinity, it has some incredible influence. Probably, it was the reason why she could easily absorb the power of the Sacred Relic of Origins.¡±


    ¡°All those around you are not normal,¡± Lorissa said with a smile, tapping on the coffee table. ¡°Lil Pea, can you summon the Sacred Flame one more time?¡±


    Lil Pea glanced at Lorissa, feeling reluctant. But then after taking a look at the chopstick in her hand, which Lorrisa gave her earlier, the little mermaid gave in. With the wave of her hand, Lil Pea summoned a Sacred Flame, silvery white in color and of the size of the flame from a cigarette lighter.


    ¡°That is a cute little flame!¡± Lorissa caught the silver flame from Lil Pea. The Sacred Flame could melt steel and iron. ¡°You should not act too casual while summoning the Sacred Flame. Releasing energy without restraint would only waste half of its power. Let me teach you a technique by which you can focus your mind. Memorize it so that you can reproduce it in your mind.¡±


    She is at it again! The little mermaid said to herself while gnawing the chopsticks and beating the table with her tail because she was bored.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it is too early to teach her the mental technique?¡± Nangong Sanba, sitting across the coffee table, could not help but say. ¡°This little guy was almost overwhelmed when I taught her Letta runes earlier. She is only two and a half years old, mind you!¡±


    Lorissa shot Nangong Sanba a look. ¡°I am only one and a half years old! Talent is not related to age, mind you! Lil Pea is now fully equipped with the ability to master these skills. Speaking of skills, I have checked your background¡ªyou are worse than half-baked as a demon hunter.¡±


    It was an embarrassing moment for Nangong Sanba, who rubbed his nose and said, ¡°Ahem, it is because I have never received formal training. Am I not here in your class now? I have learned a lot from your lesson, especially the technique of summoning Sacred Flames.¡±


    ¡°Then keep it up. You both are my students now!¡± Lorissa said while her eyes, which was filled with authority, swept across the coffee table and landed on Y¡¯lisabet. ¡°You too, listen carefully! Don¡¯t play with the fireball anymore. It is your Uncle Ren who send you to learn magic spells from me.¡±


    The living room became a lecture hall. A half-baked demon hunter, a genius demon-hunting fish, and a little girl who was destined to be the queen of the demonic world sat together. The three of them, each had their own little evil thought, were listening to the lecture of a teacher, who was merely one and a half years old, talking about the mysterious knowledge of magic. It looked strange in the eyes of Hao Ren.


    But the weirder thing had just started. Just as Lorissa taught about the most advanced spiritual resonance skills of the Ancient Magic Empire, Hao Ren suddenly saw the paper box in the corner of the room was slowly pushed to a side. A little figure came out of the mouse hole behind the box.


    It was not the time where Noobie would usually come out. Hao Ren checked his watch; it was not yet mealtime.


    Others were either out of the house or were in their rooms. Aside from the three students and a teacher, Hao Ren and Vivian were the only ones in the living hall. Hao Ren was watching a movie using his PDA while Vivian wiped the furniture not far away. No one except Hao Ren had noticed the movement in the corner of the hall. He looked at the model kit¡ªNoobie¡ªand was curious as to what she was doing.


    Vivian¡¯s model kit moved slowly toward where Lorissa sat. Noobie then clumsily climbed up the back of the sofa but fell a few times halfway through her effort. At last, Noobile made it.


    Noobie sat there and stopped moving.


    ¡°Hey, watch it!¡± Hao Ren poked the MDT and said in a low voice.


    The MDT was already upset because Hao Ren used it to watch a movie. All the more so when Hao Ren interrupted it. Angrily, the MDT marked the characters in the film with a black frame, and one with a red frame. ¡°Watch it now! The ones marked with back frame will be all dead, and the one in the red flame is the killer. Are you happy now?¡±


    ¡°I was not talking about the movie, you idiot! I am asking you to look at there, on the sofa! Noobie is sitting right there!¡±


    ¡°Sofa?¡± The MDT came to its senses. ¡°Damn! ¨COh, she is there. What is she doing there?¡±


    ¡°Is she listening to the lecture?¡± Hao Ren asked in a low voice. ¡°Lorissa is full of enthusiasm right now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, do you believe it?¡± The MDT said. It scorned what Hao Ren thought. ¡°How could Noobie do it? I think she must be preparing to ¡®biu¡¯ Lorrisa in the face.¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°It is hard to tell. After all, she has been more well-behaved these two days than before¡ª¡±


    Before Hao Ren could finish, Noobie suddenly got to her feet and stood on the back of the sofa. With the flick of her hand, Noobie fired a corrosive energy bolt at Lorrisa. ¡°Ghsss! Piak!¡±


    ¡°See that?¡± the MDT said faintly.


    The sudden movement coming in from the side shocked Lorissa. Noobie was so weak that her movement was utterly silent while Lorrisa was too immersed in her lecture and unaware of her approaching. When Lorrisa finally discovered something was right next to her, she burst into a group of flames, and the released energy sent Noobie flying backward.


    In the next second, the scattered flames regrouped and materialized back in the figure of Lorrisa. Meanwhile, due to the momentum, Noobie flipped several times in the air and crashed into and frightened Vivian. ¡°Aah!¡±


    ¡°It is okay, Noobie has a death wish trying to provoke Lorrisa.¡± Hao Ren explained as he dashed over. ¡°Let me see whether the little guy is dead.¡±


    ¡°She is still alive, just looks frightened,¡± Vivian said, letting Hao Ren see Noobie who had curled up into a ball in her hand. The last time Noobie was such scared was during the ¡®combat strength test¡¯ that Raven 12345 performed on her. Noobie was almost killed by groups of dogs and cats at that time.


    Hao Ren picked Noobie up and examined her. There was no injury on her. Hao Ren¡¯s brows knitted together. ¡°Did you notice anything strange about this little thing recently?¡±


    ¡°Strange?¡± Vivian was perplexed.


    ¡°Since the last time she glowed, this guy was getting quieter and quieter. Sometimes she seemed that she could understand language.¡± Hao Ren still frowned. ¡°She was sitting right beside Lorrisa just now listening to the lecture. Suddenly, she attacked.¡±


    ¡°Was Lolissa¡¯s lecture that boring?¡± Vivian had a somber expression on her face.


    ¡°Ahem, I don¡¯t think that is the problem,¡± Hao Ren said.


    ¡°Then I don¡¯t understand,¡± Vivian said, shaking her head. ¡°After all, she is a Malevolence, who knows what is in her mind? But then again, she does not even have a brain¡ªEh?¡±


    Vivian suddenly paused and turned around in a direction. She looked baffled.


    ¡°What is wrong?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°Was someone calling me?¡± Vivian asked. ¡°I just did not know where the voice came from.¡±


    ¡°I heard nothing,¡± Hao Ren said while shaking his head. He looked at the others in the living room. ¡°Other than us, Lily is the only one at home right now. But I would have definitely heard had Lily called. You know¡ªhe is always loud.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Is it? Maybe I had a hallucination. I have been getting little sleep recently,¡± Vivian said, rubbing her forehead.


    ¡°That sounds a little scary. Are you okay?¡± Hao Ren asked, scanning Vivian with his eyes.


    ¡°What else can go wrong?¡± Vivian asked before she gave Hao Ren a sideways glance. ¡°I am the forefather of the supernatural creatures. Which avenging spirit dares to prank me? I must have gotten too little sleep.¡±


    When looking at it from a normal human¡¯s perspective, Vivian indeed lacked sleep every day. Going to bed at 2.30am and waking up at 6.00am every day; is it not a miracle that Vivian had only realized the problem now? Hao Ren thought to himself.

 Chapter 1395 - Dreams and Shadows

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    It was midnight.


    It was the quietest time in the Southern Suburbs. The light had gone out in every house. Even cats and dogs were nowhere to be seen on the streets. Except for the cold glow from the street lights, the town was immersed in silence, as though it was frozen in the night.


    The dark clouds in the sky had blocked off the crescent moon. Only a small glimmer leaked through the gap between the clouds. The half-veiled moon barely sprinkled its scarlet light on the roof of the Hao Family mansion with a fuzzy and illusory texture.


    A burst of fluttering sounds suddenly broke the silent night, which had seemingly solidified forever. The clouds in the sky seemed to retreat at once. The bright moonlight trickled from the clouds, and under the moonlight, a swarm of bats descended.


    The bats circled the air above the Hao Family house twice in a surprisingly orderly fashion before swooping down through the opened skylight into the house. The corridor in the house dimmed suddenly as the bats rushed in. These nocturnal creatures quickly formed into an elegant yet slightly cool-looking girl with black hair.


    Vivian had returned from her usual ¡°stroll.¡± She looked back at the moonlight outside; the clouds had once again blocked the night sky, and this time, not even a glimmer of the moon could find its way through the clouds.


    It was 1.30 am, the house was as quiet as usual. Even the night owls, Rollie and Y¡¯lisabet, were in the Land of Nod. The only person who could still stay awake and active at this time of the night was the vampire. The vampire maiden had a different biological clock. If not for getting too little sleep for the past few days, Vivian would have mooched around outside a little longer.


    Bothered by the sleeping problem, Vivian could not help but stretch out with a long yawn, ready to hit the sack.


    But before returning to the basement, where Vivian¡¯s bedroom was, she first went into the kitchen. First, Vivian added rice and water to the automatic rice cooker and set the cooking time for the next day. This way, she could save time the following day. Then she filled up a large basin of water and let it air overnight on the floor in the kitchen. Lil Pea preferred to swim in the aired water because the strange chlorine smell would have evaporated after a few hours.


    After the kitchen, she checked the water dispenser. Often time, the careless Doggie drained the last drop of water but did not bother to change the bottle. She then cleaned up the biscuit crumbs on the coffee table; most likely, it was the mess that Rollie left behind after stealing food in the middle of the night. Vivian had to clean up the ¡®crime scene¡¯ lest Hao Ren would pull the dumb cat¡¯s ear and give her an earful the next day.


    Vivian gave the living hall a final check and felt a sense of accomplishment.


    The vampire maiden finally returned to her room in the basement.


    Instead of turning the light on, Vivian hummed some simple melodies. She was using echolocation instead of eye vision to navigate in the dark. It saved very little electricity, but Vivian was used to this frugal habit. Even though the day of having to worry about the next meal was long over, the thriftiness in her remained.


    With the wave of her hand, a swarm of bats appeared out of nowhere and surrounded Vivian, transforming her clothes into a black nightgown. She lay on the bed, ready to fall asleep.


    But quickly, she sat back up again and frowned in the dark, listening to the voice coming from a particular direction.


    Vivian heard someone calling her name again, and it was still the same inexplicably auditory hallucination.


    This hallucination had appeared at least eight times for the past few days. Each time, it felt as real as it got.


    Vivian shook her head and placed her hand on the amulet that Raven 12345 gifted her. A sense of calm and peace of mind began to fill her.


    The hallucination was brief, and it disappeared just as fast and like it had never happened before. With the calming effect of the amulet, Vivian felt a lull. Putting everything at the back of her mind, Vivian lay back down and slowly fell asleep.


    The basement returned to silence. Only the medical pods and teleporting equipment emitted a couple of idling beeps occasionally. Darkness gathered from all directions, and everything was normal.


    But after a while, some vague, imaginary and incomprehensible stuff gradually emerged from the darkness.


    In the corner of the basement, on the ceiling, at the bedside where Vivian was sleeping, phantom-like things gradually emerged. They were initially dark and murky, almost blending in with the darkness of the surroundings. But slowly, these things had gained more real colors and quickly emerge from the background. The shadows became clear and began to take on various forms: birds and beasts, people and horses, palace walls and pavilions, and even mountains and lakes.


    The basement seemed to have suddenly expanded, and the walls and furniture had disappeared into thin air. The place had turned into a vast open space, in which other than the bed where Vivian was sleeping, phantoms were roaming in the surroundings. These phantoms overlapped with one another like an absurd, historical drama with a messed up timeline and ridiculous logic. Those things that had vanished in the past came to the fore in these repertoires.


    A Viking pirate, with bare upper body and cracked horned helmet, emerged out of the shadows. The pirate came to Vivian¡¯s bed, but with one foot in the air as if looking into the distance, water splashing under his feet. There appeared a wooden ship¡¯s side and messy ropes under his feet.


    Then, fire flew across the sky, the Viking pirates shattered like glass, and a fleet rushed up from behind the pirate ship. The fleet hoisted the flag of a Greek city-state. An ancient Greek naval officer stood on the bow, drew a long sword, and pointed to a horrible sea monster rising to the sea surface.


    Poseidon emerged from the headboard of Vivian¡¯s bed. This giant with hair as thick as seaweed pointed a trident to the Greek warships. In an instant, the storm on the sea tore those warships into pieces.


    An endless sea of yellow sand replaced the scene of the choppy sea. Persians in robes hustled in the desert. A merchant hurrying a camel stopped in front of Vivian¡¯s bed and bent down. But the merchant was not looking at the bed. Apparently, in that different space and time, he was looking at something else.


    A long sword suddenly swung across the illusion of the Persian merchant, followed by the raining of bolts as if a swarm of locusts in the air. The Persian caravan was gone. An army draped in black armor appeared in the distance. A mighty officer was screaming on horseback, ¡°The Qin Emperor has a decree; you will be rewarded based on the number of heads you have hunted. Irrespective of your ranks, let¡¯s take up your courage and fight!¡±


    But quickly, sandstorm drowned the shout of the general, and his army turned into a phantom. A golden battleship emerged out from the fury sandstorm and slowly flew across the sky. The golden candor of the giant sail was almost as bright as the sun.


    A sea of worshippers appeared. They bowed on the yellow sand, beside the pyramid, and in the fertile soil on the banks of the Nile. The princes and the civilians alike were praising the name of Ra and Horus.


    A powerful ray came from the west, the solar ship was torn apart in a massive explosion, and the whole of Egypt fell into a sea of ??fire.


    The replaying of the confusingly overlapping scenes of history did not affect the bed where Vivian was sleeping. It just looked like a lonely island. Vivian¡¯s brows knitted together as if she had a bad dream.


    Vivian flipped in her bed. And all of a sudden, the phantoms shook violently and collapsed silently, the Mount Olympus crumbled, and the Temple of Ra came down. Pompeii, Troy, Asgard, Thinis, Babylon, and the legendary tower of Babel¡ªeverything started to disintegrate.


    But the scene of the silent disintegration suddenly froze as Vivian regained her calmness. She whispered a few words; perhaps it was about tomorrow¡¯s menu, the grocery list, or a TV show. Vivian had fallen back to sleep again, and the illusion in the basement was frozen in time.


    After a moment of strange silence, these illusions dissipated like a receding tide. The sight of the basement returned to the state just like it was before the illusions.


    But not everything had faded. At the bedside, some translucent things remained there. Primitive people dressed in animal skins and with unkempt hair gathered in circles. Light fire from another space and time illuminated their faces, making them look like horrifying ghosts. These primitive people worshipped Vivian. They kissed the ground every time they bowed. Their subtle and fuzzy voices were heard coming from another space and time.


    ¡°The Great King of Blood, the Great King of Nightmare, the Great King of Death¡­¡±


    Darkness gathered in all directions, and finally, the last phantom disappeared.


    The dark clouds had dispersed from the night sky. The crescent moon reemerged, but it was about to sink into the horizon. It still shone with unusual brightness. The moonlight penetrated through a louver above the basement and showered Vivian.


    Under the last ray of moonlight that night, Vivian flipped in her bed again. Seemingly disturbed by the light, she frowned and whispered, ¡°It is time to wake up.¡±

 Chapter 1396 - Popping In Suddenly

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°You know what? I had a dream again last night.¡±


    Hao Ren swallowed a mouthful of buns before mumbling during breakfast.


    Halfway through filling Y¡¯lisbet¡¯s bowl with rice, Vivian paused and looked at Hao Ren with concern. ¡°What precognitive dreams did you have again?¡±


    ¡°Bah, it was a mess,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ve been watching too many movies recently. I dreamed of a large group of Vikings battling the Ming Dynasty navy; Poseidon and Osiris; a bunch of gods fighting in the desert; a sea of guns and fire; and finally Bai Qi, the Qin general. He led 200,000-strong soldiers, crushed the gate of Troy and killed Octavian on his throne.¡±


    Lily, who was burying her head in her bowl, was baffled upon hearing about Hao Ren¡¯s dreams. She lifted her head from the rice bowl and asked, ¡°That¡¯s a mess, Mr. Landlord. Did you just dreamed of the complete history of the world?¡±


    ¡°That is why we call it a dream; there is no logic in dreams,¡± Hao Ren said, taking a sip of rice porridge, then wiping the rice and oil off his face. ¡°When will the cat learn to use chopsticks properly?¡±


    Sitting across the dining table, Nangong Wuyue said, ¡°She has made much progress. At least she already knows how to use chopsticks. Unlike previously, she used to bury her face in the bowl and scoop up the food with her tongue. Speaking of dreaming, I have also dreamed last night.¡±


    ¡°What did you dream about?¡± Hao Ren asked, feeling curious.


    ¡°A bunch of ancient people fought among themselves. Perhaps I have had too many historical dramas,¡± Nangong Wuyue said as she gently swayed the tip of her tail. ¡°The Persians fought with the Egyptians. I am not so sure though. They rode camels, carriages, wielded scimitars, bows, and arrows. It was especially lively. At last, a bunch of German soldiers carrying assault rifles emerged¡ªthis baffled me.¡±


    ¡°You two had almost a similar dream,¡± Vivian said with a smile. ¡°It was all a mess of history.¡±


    ¡°Battie, do you not usually dream?¡± Lily said after swallowing a steamed bun.


    ¡°Ordinary Blood Clans do not dream, but I do not have this restriction. I dream occasionally. But last, I had a sound sleep until I woke up at six. I have not slept so well for a long time,¡± Vivian said and blinked.


    ¡°You have suffered from lack of sleep for a long time for sure,¡± Hao Ren said with his mouth twitched. ¡°Are you feeling more alert now? Do you still have hallucinations?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t hallucinate all the time,¡± Vivian said, feeling a little helpless. ¡°But I have not heard any voices since waking up this morning.¡±


    ¡°Hearing voices? What voices?¡± Lily asked like a curious bunny.


    ¡°Sit back down! Don¡¯t be a busybody,¡± Hao Ren said and shoved the husky back to her chair. ¡°Vivian said that she always heard someone calling her name in the past two days. I suspect that she suffers from lack of sleep,¡± Hao Ren said.


    ¡°Aw¡ª I thought it was a big deal,¡± Lily said. She was a little disappointed with the answer.


    Everyone sat at the table, having their breakfast, chitchatting, and spending their morning in a leisure atmosphere. It was a daily scene in Hao Ren¡¯s house, but to Lorrisa, it was a novel experience. Lorissa curiously looked at everyone at the table and almost zoned out, forgetting that she was supposed to eat her breakfast. At last, Nangong Sanba said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you eat?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­oh, I was a little distracted,¡± Lorissa replied as Nangong Sanba¡¯s question jolted her out of her thought. ¡°I have never eaten with many people before, so I feel a bit odd.¡±


    ¡°I looked okay during dinner last night,¡± Nangong Sanba said.


    ¡°I was still a little confused at that time, and feeling everything was new to me,¡± Lorissa said.


    ¡°So how did you spend your time in the experimental base?¡± Lily asked and curiously looked at the elven queen clone. ¡°What did you do other than the experiments?¡±


    ¡°Other than the experiment? I did nothing outside the experiment,¡± Lorissa said, shrugging. ¡°The daily experiment was enough to drain my energy. The rest of the time was just eating and sleeping. The good thing was, those people did not limit my freedom in the experimental base, and they would try their best to accommodate my needs except leaving the base. I did not have any hobbies though.¡±


    ¡°Did you not inherit the memory and personality of the elven queen? Did the queen not have any hobbies?¡±


    ¡°Her biggest hobby was work; she was a workaholic,¡± Lorissa said. ¡°That was what caused schizophrenia in me. I was tired after the experiment, but there was a voice in my head that continuously urged me to work overtime. I sincerely thought that life like that was meaningless, but another voice kept suggesting that work is exciting and meaningful.


    At last, she seemed to remember the pain of struggling with the inherited personality. She buried her head in her hands and cried, ¡°Don¡¯t talk about those things anymore. Those inherited memories and personalities are troubling.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, the elven magic empress was a workaholic,¡± Lily said. ¡°No wonder she could become a queen.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks smacked Y¡¯zaks¡¯s head and said, ¡°Did you hear that? You have to study hard.¡±


    At this moment, the little demon Y¡¯lisabet began to see a stressful life ahead.


    Hao Ren looked at Lorissa with great interest. He found that this elven queen was becoming more and more humanized after leaving Holleta. It seemed that her suppressed personality was waking up after leaving the experimental base.


    It was probably a good thing.


    Suddenly, knocks on the door interrupted the conversation at the dining table.


    ¡°Someone is at the door!¡± Lily said with her ears stood erect. She then sniffled. ¡°Not one of us!¡±


    Everyone immediate swung into action. Nangong Wuyue tucked her snake tail under her dress. Lily retracted her pointed ears and wolf hair and turned into a human. Y¡¯lisabet put on a hat. Lil Pea turned and jumped into the soup pot and did not forget to put the lid on. Everything was done in just two seconds, and the bunch of otherworldlings had put on their camouflage.


    Hao Ren grabbed Y¡¯lisabet¡¯s devil¡¯s tail that was still dangling on the outside and stuffed it under her clothes. He then got to his feet. ¡°Let me open the door.¡±


    Hao Ren shouted while he went, ¡°Who the hell come this early in the morning while we have breakfast?¡± When Hao Ren swung the door open, he froze.


    Hessiana stood at the door with a big smile on her face. ¡°I am coming for Vivian¡­ Uhh, it is you!¡±


    The little bat¡¯s huge smile froze on her face. Seeing Hao Ren apparently was a real bummer. Meanwhile, Hao Ren scratched his head and said, ¡°I am sorry to let you down. But I am the head of the family, am I wrong to open the door?¡±


    ¡°Err, there is nothing wrong about it,¡± the little bat replied. Surprisingly, Hessiana did not sound as offensive as she used to be. Her face did not look particularly pleasing, but at least her voice was more level than last time. ¡°I came to deliver an urgent message to Vivian.¡±


    ¡°Are you alone?¡± Hao Ren asked as he took a peek on the outside.


    ¡°A few subordinates come with me, but I have them waiting for me somewhere else,¡± Hessiana said as she poked her head in. ¡°Can you let me in? It is freaking cold outside.¡±


    The sudden visit of the little bat threw Hao Ren off-guard, but there was o reason for him to deny her entry. So Hao Ren stepped aside and said, ¡°Come in. We have our breakfast.¡±


    Vivian heard the voices and stood up. ¡°Who is it?¡± she asked.


    Meanwhile, Hessiana was already rushing toward her with a big grin on her face.


    Vivian¡¯s first reaction was to summon a Lightning Ball. With the Lightning Ball in one hand and pointing at the little bat with another, Vivian shouted, ¡°Stop at where you are! If you dare to come further, I will strike you with the Lightning Ball!¡±


    Hessiana was used to getting served with the Lightning Ball since she was young, so her reaction was swift. Hessiana stopped at about three meters from the dining table and said, ¡°Vivian! I am here to see you!¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Vivian asked. The sudden appearance of Hessiana shocked her. Vivian turned to look at Lily. ¡°After seeing Hessiana for so many times, have you not memorized her scent? Are you worthy of your nose?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it. The rice on the table was simply too fragrant, I did not think of her at that time.¡±


    ¡°All right, you all can change back now. It was a freaking false alarm.¡± Hao Ren wiped the cold sweat off his forehead and came back at the dining table. Hao Ren was cursing the uninvited guest in his mind. ¡°She said she has an urgent message to deliver to you. But the way I see it, it is just an excuse.¡±


    ¡°Oh, ya.¡± Hessiana nodded. She had no intention to hide her motive. Dragging a chair over from not far away to the dining table, Hessiana said, ¡°Oh, nice breastfast. Vivian must be the cook! Do you mind if I join you guys? Oh, there is the soup.¡±


    The little bat¡¯s thick skin was resistant to Vivian¡¯s glare. Hessiana took the lid off the soup pot. There it was¡ªshe was staring at the little mermaid, who stared back at her, in the pot.


    ¡°Fish soup?¡± Hessiana asked.


    ¡°Stop talking about other things. Tell me the purpose of your visit.¡± Vivian still glared at the little bat. ¡°I know you well. You won¡¯t come up with such a lame excuse just to come and see me. Tell me, what happened that made you come here in person?¡±


    After saying hi to Lil Pea in the pot, Hessiana looked at Vivian, feeling a little embarrassed. ¡°Nothing can evade your piercing eyes. No big deal, just that something strange suddenly popped up in my family¡¯s territory. I thought you might be interested.¡±

 Chapter 1397 - The Mines of the Little Bat

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hessiana sounded very casual when she talked about her findings. But Hao Ren knew that there was more to what Hessiana said than met the eye. After all, it was not the first time Hao Ren had met the little bat. Hessiana built everything she had in the Athens Sanctuary single-handedly and was the matriarch of the Hessianite Family. She knew the order of priority. The fact that Hessiana came personally to see Vivian over ¡°something strange¡± spoke volumes of the substance of the matter.


    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± Vivian asked. ¡°What have you found?¡±


    ¡°Strictly speaking, it is a city¡­ probably,¡± Hessiana said after suppressing her cheeky face. ¡°I suspect that an alien dimension outside the main material world has met with our real world. But the connection is volatile. Since my men discovered it, the alien dimension has shrunk by nearly a quarter, and its edges are falling apart. I have asked several scholars in my family. They have not been able to determine the origin of the city in the alien dimension. They only say that it is part of ancient Earth. Are you guys interested?¡±


    ¡°A city? An alien dimension?¡± It was something out of the ordinary and truly interesting. ¡°Since you know it is a city, why did you say ¡®probably¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Because that city is on the skull of a massive creature. I really have no idea whether I should call it a city or a big skull,¡± Hessiana said with exaggerated expression. ¡°Do you know how surprised I was when I saw that stuff? It is a freaking city! I may not be comparable to the modern human metropolis, but it is an ancient city with all the functions of a city! The most surprising thing is that it is on the head of a creature! The first person who discovered it was an human employee of the subordinate of the subordinate of my subordinate. That guy almost peed in his pant on the spot.¡±


    ¡°Built on the skull of a huge creature?¡± Hao Ren was stunned.


    ¡°Big bones?¡± Lily jumped up excitedly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother about her, she was epileptic occasionally,¡± Vivian said as she dragged Lily to a side. ¡°An ancient city built on a huge skull? It sounds mythological. But I don¡¯t remember which ancient city was built like this in the Mythological Era,¡± Vivian said, feeling a little puzzled.


    Hao Ren looked at Vivian with a strange look. ¡°Were there many such strange cities during the Mythological Era?¡±


    ¡°Many things looked incredible during that era,¡± Vivian said. ¡°As you know, Yggdrasil has not only brought a bunch of refugees through the Wall of Reality but also stuff such as the solar ship and Mount Olympus that these refugees brought. The city built on a giant creature skull is no big deal. Have you forgotten about Nasaton that is wrapped up in a distorted dimension under the deep sea?¡±


    That was really no surprises if those things were taken into the picture, Hao Ren thought.


    It must be the exaggerated expression of Hessiana that made the whole thing sounded incredible, Hao Ren figured.


    ¡°Tell us more about the old city,¡± Vivian said. ¡°How many people know about it?¡±


    ¡°Not many. I have put an embargo on it. At present, only members of the Hessianite Family know about it. The human employee who discovered the site is under quarantine.¡± Hessiana said. ¡°Once the legacy of Mythological Era is exposed, many people would become restless. But these restless guys are mainly laymen who know nothing about heritage protection and preservation. If they were allowed to go in, this historical site would become as good as a ruin. I know that you are into antiquities, so I have the site secured beforehand.¡±


    The little bat tried to make herself look serious, but her tone of voice involuntarily pitched higher, and her eyes yearned for praises. Unfortunately, Hessiana was anything but a good girl in the eyes of Vivian, who seemed to be unmoved at all. ¡°Ahh, well done, Hessiana,¡± Hao Ran said.


    Vivian suddenly came to her senses and smiled at Hessiana. ¡°Really, you have done a good job this time,¡± Vivian said.


    The little bat¡¯s eyes brightened up, and she smiled like a Cheshire cat. ¡°You commended me! Vivian, you commended me! Did you just commend me?¡±


    ¡°Vivian, you must have starved her of praises. Look how pitiful she is,¡± Hao Ren said.


    Hessiana pouted and made a face at Hao Ren, but this time, she was no hostile. ¡°The ancient city is complicated. I have not figured it out what. It should have been in the ancient Mesopotamia area because we have found the symbolic imprints similar to cuneiforms. But its architectural style is not quite like that of the area. You better go with me and take a look for yourself,¡± Hessiana said.


    Hao Ren could not help but glance at Lorissa. ¡°While you are on vacation here, we bump into this.¡±


    Lorissa could not care less. She smiled and said, ¡°It is also an interesting experience, isn¡¯t it? If I am just sightseeing, I would like a little too bored.¡±


    Hessiana met Lorrisa during the Holletta tour. They were no friends but acquaintances. Hessiana knew that Hao Ren brought people from the Plane of Dreams for an experiment in the surface world, so she was not surprised to see Lorissa here. ¡°You must know a lot of things. The lost dimensions here are mainly brought from the Plane of Dreams. You may be of help if the city is related to Holleta,¡± Hessiana said with a nod.


    ¡°In this case, then let us get ready,¡± Hao Ren said, looking at the others. ¡°Who would like to follow me there?¡±


    Hands raised in the air, which included the cat maiden¡¯s feet.


    Hao Ren buried his face in his hands. ¡°Well, then let us go check it out. By the way, where do you guys find the enthusiasm? We have just arrived home a few days ago.¡±


    ¡°We are not going to go,¡± Nangong Wuyue said as she waved her hand. Her brother, Nangong Sanba, was beside her. ¡°The two of us have to help out at our parents¡¯ restaurant. Also, there has to be someone at home looking after Lil Pea.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Somebody has to feed Noobie too.¡±


    Lily edged closer to Hao Ren and said, ¡°Did I just hear ¡®somebody has to feed Snoopy¡¯?¡±


    Hao Ren was confounded.


    With the MDT¡¯s teleportation function, and travel necessities stored inside Hao Ren¡¯s dimensional pocket, Hao Ren could have gone to Mars to set up a colony at any time without needing much prior preparation. Without ado, everyone got changed and headed straight to one of the territories of the Hessianite Family through teleportation. They emerged in an excavation site.


    Stepping out of the portal, Hao Ren saw a vast flat valley covered with gravel. There were towering mountains on both sides with undisturbed nature, which meant it was far away from human settlements. In the vast valleys, however, there were a group of large machinery and engineering vehicles, a simple concrete road extended from the entrance of the valley to the end of the gravel beach, where there were rows of instant houses, which looked like the corrugated steel dormitory on the construction site.


    It was an excavation site¡ªnot of archaeological excavation but more like an old mine.


    ¡°Here is the south of Brazil, far away from the city. Other than the mountains, rocks are everywhere. The mountains and rocks themselves are treasures,¡± Hessiana said while walking in front. ¡°The Hessianite Family has been operating quarries and integrated mining in the area since 1942. I have been looking forward to finding some gemstones, but as it turns out, rocks are omnipresent.¡±


    ¡°Battie, I have more than once doubted whether this little bat is really your split,¡± Lily said as she quietly poked Vivian¡¯s arm. ¡°She is doing so well, but you are still broke as a joke.¡±


    ¡°It is survival of the fittest,¡± Hao Ren jested.


    Vivian¡¯s face scowled, but she could not refute what Lily and Hao Ren said. ¡°Hessiana, how large your business empire has become in the human world?¡± Vivian asked, steering away from the original topic.


    ¡°Among all the families in the Athens Sanctuary, the Hessianite Family has the biggest business empire in the human world. It is more interesting to do business in human society than to deal with the oldfags in the Athens Sanctuary. At the very least, we get to earn some money out there,¡± said the little bat with a smug face. ¡°But I did not start the mining business here to make money in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Then what have you been doing here all this while?¡± Hao Ren was perplexed.


    ¡°Back at that time, Hitler was digging holes around the world. I heard that he was looking for something called the Earth¡¯s axis or the axis of the world. I thought it was some treasure. So I followed suit. After digging in Brazil for two years, only I began to find out that bugger had been sending men to Tibet. I tell you what, if not for that World War II has ended, I would have to go to Berlin to beat the daylights out of that bugger!¡±


    Hao Ren was rendered speechless.


    Again, Lily poked Vivian¡¯s arm. ¡°Battie, I believe now that the little bat is your split. Just look at her attitude¡ªit¡¯s the exact carbon copy of yours.¡±


    Vivian was stupefied.

 Chapter 1398 - The Investigation

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hessiana mentioned that the mysterious dimension was only discovered after a small-scale collapse in the quarry. The mountainous region was an excellent stone production center. The Hessianite Family had been quarrying in the area for half a century, and the various experts that the family hired had explored and mapped every inch of the place, mainly because Hessiana was obsessed with finding gemstones. In theory, if there had been any pits and natural caves in the ground, she would have discovered it long ago. But the collapse of the quarry exposed a crypt that was not supposed to exist.


    The crypt was deep. It led all the way to a vast space inside. If the thing had been in the ground from the beginning, Hessiana would have killed her geologists¡ªat least that was what she thought.


    The first people who found the cave were two human workers, who under the command of the foreman, went to check out the damage of the equipment and situation of the quarry after the collapse. A new crack in the rock had aroused the curiosity of the two daredevils. No one could fathom why the two decided to venture into the crack instead of report back. Perhaps the few packs of marijuana found in their dorms could explain that. In short, the two adventurous workers got into the crack in the rock and found the cave.


    The exit at the end of the cave led to an ancient city.


    They may have seen something else in the cave. It could also be some poisonous gas or a radioactive field. The two workers disappeared for a day and a night, and then returned suddenly in the evening the next day. One of them was completely mad, and the other was half-mad and talking gibberish.


    The Hessianite Family¡¯s supervisor in the area received the news only one day later. By then, various rumors had spread throughout the quarry. The poor foreman was fired because he did not report the disappearance of the two workers in time. The supervisor contacted the two surviving workers. After fifteen minutes of contact, the news was sent to Hessiana¡¯s desk.


    Immediately, the vampire from the upper echelon of the family blocked off the entire mining site.


    Before entering the cave, Hao Ren and his men first met with those involved in the incident. They included humans and non-humans. The meeting was held in the mining office. There were five people before Hao Ren. Two of them were locals. They were tall, dark-skinned, and their hair was thick, but they looked unresponsive and talked gibberish. Apparently, they were the two workers who first discovered the cave. There was also an old man dressed in a suit, gray hair, and behaving like an old gentleman. He seemed to be a human, the quarry supervisor. Standing at the rear was a couple of man and woman. Dressed in casual clothes, the man was handsome, and the woman was beautiful, all young and did not look like management personnel. But the reality was, the two of them were the highest-ranking personnel here before the arrival of Hessiana. They were the personnel whom Hessiana had sent to handle the incident earlier.


    But now the family matriarch was here. The incident had clearly exceeded the authority of these two special commissioners.


    Except for the two workers who had lost the ability to communicate, the three persons who entered the office were highly respectful of Hessiana. They even bowed to Hao Ren and his men as a sign of respect and was especially awestruck by Vivian who looked almost identical to Hessiana. The little bat interrupted their lengthy salutations and asked, ¡°How is the situation in the quarry now?¡±


    The supervisor carefully looked at the male vampire next to him. He was not going to say anything before his superior spoke. The vampire realized this and nodded. ¡°Matriarch, the mine has been sealed off as per your order. But the mental problems of the workers are getting worse. Francisco and David could have been infected with the bacteria in the cave, and the people they contacted were also infected. So before we could eliminate the risk, no one was allowed to leave. But it won¡¯t last long.¡±


    Francisco and David were the names of the two poor workers.


    Hessiana pinched her forehead and turned to look at Hao Ren. ¡°Hey, do you have a pen that glows when you click it and erases people¡¯s memory when you wave it in front of people¡¯s eyes?¡±


    ¡°We are a formal functional department that does not engage in these tricks. Would you be responsible when there is a copyright problem?¡±


    ¡°It is killing me,¡± the little bat smirked. ¡°The supervisor here is inept. News has spread. And what is worse is that I can¡¯t silence people by killing them.¡±


    Hao Ren knew about what the little bat was concerned, and said, ¡°This is easy. After we finish our investigation, we blow up the connection between the alien dimension and the real world, or just blow up the entire alien dimension. By then, you can let anyone come to investigate, and they won¡¯t find anything else except rocks. You may also send men to spread some more sensational stories. When rumors are flying around, no one would believe the original story.¡±


    Hessiana thought that it was a good idea and was delighted. ¡°Brilliant! It sounds like it is not going to leave any trouble behind. Oh, yes, with a little advertisement, maybe I can turn the quarry into a tourist destination, collecting entrance ticket from tourists. Perot, please explore the potential of tourism in this place.¡±


    Perot, the white-haired quarry supervisor, seemed to have long known about the extemporaneous nature of the vampire matriarch. He took the order without any expression on his face. Perot knew that Hessiana might not even remember she had talked about this idea after two days.


    Meanwhile, Hao Ren and his men were all awestruck of the business sense of the little bat. But Lorissa, the one-and-a-half-year-old queen, had not a clue about what Hessiana was talking. She was only curious about everything in this place and busy darting around.


    Vivian knocked on the table and got the attention of Hessiana. ¡°You could do whatever with the quarry later, but first let us see the two workers.¡±


    The two mentally deranged workers had even lost their mobility and needed to be carried into the office. There was no external injury on their bodies nor damage to their nervous system detected. Something else more complicated might have caused their insanity. The condition of the worker named Francisco was more severe; he could not even talk and was spending most of his time staring at the ceiling. His mouth mumbled in unrecognizable voices, which even the MDT¡¯s translation system could not figure out what the man was saying. The other worker named David was a little better.


    A little better here meant that at least his voice is a little louder than Francisco¡¯s, and at least a few words were decipherable.


    ¡°Cave¡­ fog¡­ eat¡­ slaughter¡­ monster¡­¡±


    This was what the MDT was able to figure out at last.


    ¡°Their conditions are more serious than before,¡± the young female vampire said. ¡°These two humans had a strong emotional reaction at first. They yelled and struggled, but slowly became unresponsive and quiet. Their thinking ability is declining dramatically, and they are losing their bodily strength. Drug or magic has no effect on them.¡±


    Vivian frowned as she carefully examined the two workers. ¡°It looks like they are cursed, or suffering from mental trauma. You two must have entered the alien dimension. What could cause their conditions?¡± she asked the two vampires.


    The two young vampires glanced at each other. And then the male vampire said, ¡°We just peeked from the outside because we dared not enter. There was a strange light of red curtain covered the alien dimension. Once stepping inside, a strong sense of crisis hit us, and the magic warning props we carried with us sounded the alarm continuously. But we could not determine where the threat came from. Rose and I did not feel that they were attacked. But after staying in there for a while, dryness and ablation appeared on Rose¡¯s skin while I began to feel weak. So we quickly came back out.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at two young vampires and said, ¡°Are you sure that you have not been attacked during the whole time in there?¡±


    The two vampires nodded repeatedly. Hessiana said, ¡°These two guys are the most honest in my family. Even the least honest guys would not dare to lie in front of me.¡±


    The two vampires nodded even harder this time.


    ¡°It seems that there is a problem with the big environment or the energy field that shields the dimension. This energy field may be beyond the exploration of conventional methods, so that it is difficult to detect the harm it causes,¡± Y¡¯zaks said as he bent down to check on the two victims. ¡°In my hometown, many powerful curses could cause this effect.¡±


    ¡°Will these two people survive?¡± Hessiana asked. The two humans may have only been inconspicuous members of a small branch of Hessiana¡¯s large family and may have even been ignorant of the existence of the Hessianite Family, but Hessiana still could not help but feel concerned.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯re not going to die,¡± Hao Ren said with a confident smile. ¡°I don¡¯t know about the others, but have you forgotten that I have a bunch of high-tech medical equipment? I can even raise them from the dead if I want to. Let¡¯s put them into the medical pods later after we explore the alien dimension.¡±

 Chapter 1399 - The Lost Dimension

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The entrance to the cave leading to the alien dimension was located in the quarry. In the rock perpendicular to the mountain, the hard granite wall had cracked open. It was wide at the bottom and narrow at the top much like a triangle. The opening was a dozen meters tall. Three people could walk side-by-side in the broadest part. Broken rocks and mud were strewn around the stone wall while damaged machinery and equipment were scattered in the open space. It was the aftermath of the small-scale collapse.


    ¡°The management of this place is going south,¡± Hessiana said, looking at the aftermath and shaking her head. ¡°The Hessianite Family may be influential, but the law is far away, and these little Napoleons are taking matters into their own hands. Supervising them is difficult. The supervisor was initially a trustworthy guy. I gave him some of the Blood Clan¡¯s strength to extend his life span for nearly a century. But the guy has been slacking off ever since.¡±


    Two young vampires followed Hessiana. The woman asked, ¡°Matriarch, should we replace the supervisor?¡±


    ¡°No, not for the time being. Piero is loyal. From the perspective of this accident, the blame should be on the quarry¡¯s foreman. There are no major lapses in Piero¡¯s follow-up action. Just that he hasn¡¯t chosen the right people and he¡¯s been poor in his supervision. You may remind him, and I believe the guy will know what to do,¡± Hessiana said while shaking her head. ¡°But if he still makes the same mistakes after that, then I will have no choice but to replace him.¡±


    There was no light in the cave, and the sunlight coming in from the entrance was quickly left behind them with only darkness greeting them in front. Since the accident, no humans had entered the cave, and those who came to investigate were the vampires of the Hessianite Family. They did not need any illumination in the dark. The cave remained dark.


    Hao Ren and his men had problem maneuvering in the dark. But they could miss some details in the darkness. So Lily had summoned her Flamejoy as a torch to illuminate the path ahead.


    ¡°We are still in the natural crack of mountains up until here,¡± Vivian said as she carefully observed the nearby rocks. ¡°It is dry here. No traces of flora and fauna. The rock textures match each other. It is the same body of mountains that has cracked.¡±


    ¡°It requires massive energy to create this crevice, by no means the result of a ¡®small scale collapse,¡¯¡± Lorissa said. ¡°I have just used magic to measure the strength of the rock, and from what I have observed, the situation on the outside is not that bad. So the source of the energy that caused the body of the mountain to crack open should be deep inside the mountains. The energy was concentrated. It erupted instantaneously.¡±


    ¡°So the overlapping borders between the alien dimension and the real world are inside the mountain. The impact caused by the dimensional tremor is enough to create this effect,¡± Vivian said.


    Hao Ren took out the MDT. It was going to perform a high-precision scan of the environment. The MDT floated in the air, sweeping a blue light beam on the surrounding rocks and gravel. But still, it did not detect any signs of dimensional distortion.


    But it detected an abnormal change in the gravitational reading ahead.


    ¡°It is a typical ¡®continuous dimensional distortion,¡¯¡± the MDT said. ¡°There is no obvious space crack in the cave. Instead, the boundaries between the alien dimension and the main material world are gradually blurred as it gets deeper inside the cave. Everyone, keep your eyes open. Take out whatever protective spells you have. We should be partially in the alien dimension now.¡±


    The cave in the rocky mountain was not very deep, and it was almost a straight path. Soon, everyone reached the end of the cave. Here, Hao Ren realized that the surrounding space had actually been separated from the primary material world to a large extent.


    At the end of the cave was an open cavern of tens of meters high and one hundred meters wide. The ground was flat, covered in a layer of fine yellow sand. It felt like walking on the dry and hot desert. There was sand rolled up by hot wind in the air, which was utterly different from the fresh air in the previous section of the cave.


    This cavern was not a natural formation of mountain cracks. There was only one explanation for its existence: an alien dimension.


    Very quickly, Hao Ren found the entrance to the lost city. It was situated deep inside the cavern, behind the crack in the shape of an arch. Murky light with a strange ¡®texture¡¯ diffused out from the crack.


    Hao Ren checked his Steel Membrane Shield, came to the crack and poked his head to take a peek of the inside.


    He stopped breathing.


    There was indeed a vast alien dimension on the other side of the wall.


    Endless chaos wrapped the dimension in behind the rock wall, and swirling yellow sand shrouded the boundary of the dimension, forming countless of whirlpools. Inside this chaotic boundary, it was a magnificent ancient city, built of granite, temples, palaces, and houses in the same earthy yellow.


    Most of the buildings in the ancient city were in the shape of a square prism of different sizes. There were sculptures and columns of religious totems at the top of some more expensive-looking buildings. The most important building in the city seemed to be the temple, or rather the palace, in the center. It appeared like a combination of several pyramids, some in Egyptian style but was very different from the Egyptian pyramids in the real world.


    Hao Ren¡¯s gaze moved slowly on this lost city trying to capture as many details as possible. As Hessiana said, the town was built on the skull of a colossal creature.


    The skull was located below the city and carried all the granite buildings above. It should be roughly ellipsoidal when it was intact. But now, most parts of the skull had crumbled. What remained was just a large piece of curved bone with three deep hollows in front of the bone, and a few bone joints that connected the spine in the back of the skull. Hao Ren was unable to determine what kind of creature it was. He was totally awestruck.


    It was definitely not a species found on Earth, or even a carbon-based life form¡ªcarbon-based life form could not support such a vast body. Unless it had some supernatural ability to support its weight.


    Also very quickly, Hao Ren had confirmed the other situation that Hessiana had mentioned.


    The alien dimension was falling apart, and it was only a matter of time that the lost city would disintegrate.


    The chaotic boundary of the alien dimension was shrinking inward, breaking everything within it into elementary particles. As the whirlpools that looked like sandstorms were tearing the edge of the city apart, walls and houses could be ripped from the city and swallowed by the violent sandstorm vortex before breaking down. Even the massive skull below the city could not escape the same fate. Its robust physical structure was no match for the force of dimensional disintegration. Large chunks of bone fragments were peeled off from the foundation of the city and disappeared in the vortex at the base of the dimension.


    ¡°Cool.¡±


    Lily¡¯s exclamation jolted Hao Ren out of his stupor. Hao Ren turned around and saw Lily was swaying her head beside him with a pair of furry pointed ears flicked continuously. It turned out that when the husky maiden saw her landlord froze in front of the crack, she could not hold back her curiosity and came up to check it out herself. When Lily saw what was inside, she was instantly astonished.


    The sight might not be as spectacular as when moving inside the body of the First Born, but the scene of the whirlpool swallowing up the lost city was also breathtaking.


    ¡°It seems that even if I don¡¯t blow up this place, it will disappear after a few days,¡± Hao Ren said and shoved away Lily¡¯s head. ¡°The main material world is rejecting this alien dimension, but the alien dimension could not sustain itself. Like ripples in normal space, it will soon dissipate.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Landlord, why do you always think of blowing it up?¡± Lily asked while wagging her tail.


    ¡°Hmmm, why do I always think of blowing it up?¡±


    Lily was stupefied.


    ¡°How is the situation ahead?¡± Vivian asked with concern after Lily came back down.


    ¡°There is indeed an alien dimension. It shrinks gradually. If I am not mistaken, it is a defective dimension that is about to collapse, because the original closed state has been broken and the collapse process is accelerated,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°There is an ancient city in the dimension. It looks very similar to that of the ancient desert cities, but unlike that of Egypt and ancient Mesopotamia. As Hessiana said, this city is built on a huge skull.¡±


    ¡°But I did not see any light curtains,¡± Lily said. ¡°There is just a piece of yellow.¡±


    ¡°You will only see the light curtain once you enter the city,¡± Hessiana said. ¡°This is something perplexing.¡±


    ¡°Optical discontinuity is not unusual,¡± Hao Ren said.


    ¡°Well, I know you are knowledgable, okay?¡± Hessiana said,, rolling her eyes.


    Hessiana then turned to her two subordinates. ¡°You two stay on the outside. I will go in with them to check out the situation. No matter what happens, no one, including you two, is allowed to get close to the cave.¡±


    ¡°Matriarch, when are you coming back out?¡± the female vampire asked with concern.


    Hessiana glanced at Vivian who mumbled, ¡°Three days at most. After three days, we will come back out whether there are findings or not. The alien dimension is too strange. It would be too dangerous to stay too long inside.¡±


    Everyone, except the two young vampires, stepped across the hole and entered the lost world that was wrapped up in the yellow sandstorm.


    A hot and harsh wind blew into their faces.


    The alien dimension was crumbling. The same happened to the lost city. The hole through which Hao Ren and the rest crossed had been affected by the collapsing dimension. It was located at the edge of the town, hundreds of meters above ground, about a thousand meters from the chaotic border. But when Hao Ren looked back, he saw the edge of the space crack had apparent signs of distortion, and the twisted lines all pointed to a whirlpool closest to the city¡ªit was a bad sign.


    ¡°We must first stabilize this passage. Otherwise, the collapsing dimension will crush the only entrance and exit before it crushes the city,¡± Y¡¯zaks said with a frown.


    ¡°I am not worried about that. We can use the portal to go back out,¡± Hao Ren said with a shrug. ¡°It will only be a little troublesome when we want to get back in.¡±


    Having said that, the collapse of the space-time tunnel was indeed an inconvenience. So, Hao Ren reached into his Dimensional Pocket for the dimension stabilizer and placed it near the exit. It would not stop the collapse of the dimension but it could delay the destruction of the space-time tunnel.


    After that, the group traversed the yellow sand toward the lost ancient city.

 Chapter 1400 - The Ancient City

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    It was not far traveling from the dimensional entrance to the old city. The magnificent granite wall of the town was already in sight.


    The collapse of the alien dimension was not uniform. On one side of the city, nearly one-third of the town had disintegrated. But the failure on the dimensional entrance side was much slower. The wall on that side, even a part of the area outside the city, was intact and stable. It saved Hao Ren and his team a lot of trouble in maneuvering through the danger-ridden gaps in between the collapsed space.


    ¡°It is indeed filled with the breath of that bygone era,¡± Vivian said, looking up at the towering city wall. ¡°But I can¡¯t tell which mythological city it belongs to. I can¡¯t remember a thing.¡±


    Lily looked at Vivian and said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you a living fossil from the Mythological Era? Is there still anything that you don¡¯t know about?¡±


    ¡°Too many cities in the Mythological Era were just a flash in the pan. Even I can¡¯t know every one of them,¡± Vivian said, shaking her head. ¡°The humans at that time were still at a very low level of productivity. Mythical monsters and beasts were roaming the world rampantly. The living environment was extremely hostile and harsh. The construction of such a magnificent city depended almost entirely on the otherworldlings¡ªprotection and guidance came from the ancient gods, who usually cared only about their own comfortable life and ruled with an iron fist. But it is undeniable that without them, there would be no magnificent cities. The only thing was, the ancient cities that were built had their own shortcomings.¡±


    ¡°Once the god that the city worshipped was dead, it was a game over for the city too.¡± Y¡¯zaks interrupted.


    Vivian nodded in agreement. ¡°Other than that, the battle between the different otherworldlings had brought the cities into destruction overnight. I do not even know how many ancient cities like this had disappeared throughout history, especially during the barbarian era when the Mythological war was at its most brutal.¡±


    ¡°Ahem, let us leave history class for another time. Shall we move ahead into the city?¡± Hao Ren interrupted. ¡°This dimension is collapsing, we don¡¯t have much time.¡±


    ¡°Where is the city gate?¡± Vivian looked at Hessiana. ¡°Where did you get in last time?¡±


    The little bat pointed at a gap on the wall. ¡°Through that gap. I do not know where is the city gate. The situation was strange, and my two men just stayed inside for a short while before backing out.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. He tucked the explosives that he had just taken out, brought the team coming before the gap in the city wall.


    ¡°It is strange. It seems that the gap is breached from the inside,¡± Y¡¯zaks said. His vast experience in combat told him that something was not right about the gap judging from the state of the collapsed walls and broken stones. ¡°Check these positions; they all crumbled from the inside out.¡±


    ¡°It was not attacked by enemies from the outside?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s brows knitted together.


    ¡°I am afraid that something was in the city,¡± Vivian said. ¡°It was not uncommon during the Mythological Era. The two cities of Garaude and Gudallo were destroyed from the inside out because they had summoned the vengeful spirit. Keep your eyes open when we get in. If there was really a vengeful spirit, maybe there is still some remnants left in the city.¡±


    Everyone checked their protective spells and equipment. Even Rollie licked her claws with utmost seriousness. Following behind Hao Ren and Vivian, they carefully squeezed through the gap in the wall.


    As soon as they stepped into the other side, Hao Ren noticed that the surrounding environment was slightly dimmer than the outside. The air was filled with a faint red light, coating the place with a thin tone of bloody red.


    Hao Ren could not help but look up, but he saw no changes in the sky. The chaotic border of the dimension was still surging, and huge whirlpools of swirling sand still gradually devoured the dimension. There was not any light source in the vortex and the clouds. The red light curtain seemed to exist by itself straight out of thin air.


    ¡°This is the red light curtain that your two men said?¡± Hao Ren turned to look at Hessiana.


    The little bat was nodded nervously. ¡°Yes, it is. Under the red light curtain, people will unknowingly lose their physical strength, and they may gradually lose their mind. They are almost fatal to human beings, but the Blood Clans could detect the danger before it costs any damage.¡±


    The hair on Lily¡¯s ears and tail puffed up the moment she stepped into the red light environment. Her powerful beast instinct sensed danger in the red light. ¡°Let us not go any deeper. We need to figure out what this red light is all about. Mr. Landlord, do you have anything that can block it off?¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at his feet and found that there were no shadows. The same phenomenon existed everywhere¡ªthe buildings and the collapsed stone spiles. He placed his left hand over his right arm hoping to see a shadow. But there was none. ¡°This light is weird, it can either pass through objects or is omnipresent like the air that self-illuminates.¡±


    ¡°If the red light could penetrate objects, then we would not see it,¡± the MDT suddenly said. ¡°If that is the case, it will not produce reflections and will not be absorbed by any surfaces. Even when the light enters the eyes, it will pass straight through without being caught by the retinas.¡±


    ¡°So is it everywhere? What the hell is it?¡± Lily said, blinking her eyes.


    A thought flashed across Hao Ren¡¯s mind. But before he could say a word, he heard Vivian¡¯s voice coming from the front. Her voice was low and erratic: ¡°It is the moonlight.¡±


    ¡°Moonlight?¡± Lily¡¯s ears flicked. ¡°Battie, can you not talk in that creepy voice. I am having goosebumps all over the kin now.¡±


    Vivian turned around. She had summoned her vampire power. Her eyes were as bright red as blood, and a faint red-mist shrouded her as if it had blended in with the red light curtain around it. ¡°It is the light of the crimson moon. The crimson moon used to shine on the city.¡±


    Everyone was shocked. ¡°The crimson moon? The type that you summoned?¡± Hao Ren was the first one who realized what Vivian meant.


    ¡°Only one crimson moon with supernatural power has ever appeared on this planet, and that was my power,¡± Vivian said. ¡°This light has extremely weakened and mutated, but I have sensed my own energy. This is the light of the crimson moon.¡±


    The puffy tail of Lily had become ever bigger than before. ¡°Stop scaring people, Battie! There is no moon here! And you were not here before, how could there be moonlight here!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t explain it, but there is indeed moonlight here,¡± Vivian said, shaking her head. ¡°I have never seen moonlight that could still linger around after the crimson moon has disappeared. But then again, my crimson moon is beyond understanding¡ªbeyond my comprehension. So let¡¯s accept this as fact.¡±


    Under the crimson moon, moonlight was everywhere¡ª Hao Ren silently recited the famous saying among the otherworldlings and the demon hunters. He then looked up. ¡°So the crimson moon must have once shone on the city. Vivian, do you not have any impression?¡±


    ¡°I cannot remember anything,¡± Vivian replied firmly.


    ¡°Well, it seems that it is your memory problem again.¡±


    ¡°We should make a decision now,¡± Y¡¯zaks said with a rough voice. ¡°It is not a good idea to be exposed under the crimson moonlight. We either leave or find a way to block the red light. My demonic-rune shield can¡¯t block it.¡±


    ¡°The moonlight has weakened over the years,¡± Vivian said while looking at Hao Ren. ¡°I have no problem moving under the moonlight. You and others should be able to stand for a few hours to a day if you guys could summon your shields.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment. ¡°Sigh, never mind. I have a stronger one. It will ensure everyone could move freely in the moonlight.¡±


    While speaking, Hao Ren calmed himself down. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, he began to communicate with his goddess and cast a spell with a grim expression on his face.


    A moment later, everyone moved deeper into the city under the sacred protection of the I¡¯ve Got You Covered, and I¡¯ve Got You Covered shields.


    ¡°Hao Ren let not mind the names. The most important thing is that it works. In the Mythological Era, those fellows with fancy and cool skill names have all died. It is much like the tall poppy syndrome. I think only practicality is the king,¡± Vivian said as she tried to comfort Hao Ren.


    ¡°Have you ever seen any school of skills comes with a ticker?¡±


    Vivian was speechless.


    Probably, Rollie was the only one excited about the ¡®light shells.¡¯ She curiously poked the ¡®I¡¯ve Got You Covered¡¯ ticker that drifted past her occasionally. Just like every qualified cat, she enjoyed playing all by herself.


    Seeing the heartlessness of Rollie, Hao Ren could not help but sigh again.


    Hessiana tried very hard to ignore the ticker that floated in front of her. She would not want to be seen near such a silly thing had she been able to find her own way. But for the moment, she had no other choice but bowed to reality; this shield could resist 100% of the negative power in the ancient city. What was more fortunate was that her two men were waiting outside so news about this layer of the stupid shield will not be known on the outside world.


    Messy thoughts flashed across the mind of the little bat while she moved carefully around the old and lifeless buildings.


    An atmosphere of desolation and death surrounded the ancient city built of boulders, like every ruin from the Mythological Era, it was bothersome. The sound of buildings and dimension collapsing came the other end of the city, and the giant sand vortex spinning in the sky was depressing. Even Hessiana, who was fearless since young, began to feel a sense of creepiness crept inside her.


    She felt that something lurking in the city was staring at her.


    The streets they walked past were empty and silent. The dust rolled up by the air was surging in between the ruins, covering the entire street with a dusty fog.


    In the air of dust, a large shadow slowly emerged and disappeared in a flash. It was hard to determine what it was.


    The sandstorm was still boiling, and no trace of it was left behind.

 Chapter 1401 - Ertos

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The lost ancient city was desolate. The only sounds came from the wind and the footsteps of a team of explorers. On the streets covered by dust, Hao Ren and his team were moving cautiously ahead.


    The MDT hovered in front of the group, scanning their surroundings for any suspicious objects and anything that might reveal the mystery of the city. The collapsed sculptures and tablets were among the most valuable things there. On some of the tablets and mud board fragments, the MDT found the cuneiform text that Hessiana had mentioned.


    However, sandstorms had smoothed down most of the text. No more than five symbols were recognizable on an item. Even with the MDT¡¯s translation system, it was difficult to decipher the fragmented symbols.


    ¡°These symbols really look like the cuneiform commonly found in the plains of Mesopotamia,¡± Vivian said, looking at the text patterns that the MDT collected. The patterns were suspended in front of her. ¡°They are standard cuneiform. The cuneiform writing on the tablets is a modified variant for ease of engraving, but it is not difficult to switch between the two fonts.¡±


    ¡°Can you translate them?¡± Hao Ren asked, looking at the ancient writing with curiosity.


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Vivian said, shaking her head. ¡°They are indeed cuneiform in form, but they are not a system of cuneiforms that humans have unearthed in modern times. There is no way to interpret these writings in my memory.¡±


    ¡°Battie, do you really not remember this city?¡± Lily asked, still harping on this question. ¡°It could be the place where you have massacred with your crimson moon. How could you not remember it?¡±


    ¡°I really cannot remember anything,¡± Vivian said, feeling helpless. ¡°And what did you just say? Massacre? That is not me, okay? Even when I was disoriented back then, I had tried to stay away from any human settlements before I completely lost my mind.¡±


    ¡°Leave this historical question for later,¡± Hao Ren said, shaking his head. He then looked at the street covered in yellow sand in front. ¡°There is another building that looks like a temple ahead. There may be more complete text in it. We may probably figure out the origin of this city.¡±


    Lily replied with an ¡®Oh¡¯ and followed closely behind. ¡°Temples occupy most of the land in the city. The ancients wasted their productivity in such places,¡± she said.


    As Lily said, temples were the most prominent structure in this lost ancient city. They were hard to miss. The temples were tall and similar to the combination of pyramids and cubes. There were all kinds of sculptures on and in front of the entrances. These sculptures were unique; they were the hybrid of humans and beasts, which might reflect the religious beliefs of this mysterious city. In the barbaric era, such savage religious image was everywhere.


    These temples occupied almost one-third of the entire city¡¯s area, far beyond the typical needs of a regular town. It would require a large number of ancillary villages and human slaves to support the religious system of this scale.


    Now, Hao Ren and his team stood in front of such a temple.


    It was not the massive temple in the center of the city, but a smaller one in the vicinity of the central temple. To go to the central temple, people must pass through the avenue near the building. This so-called smaller temple was by no means small. It consisted of a massive pyramid-shaped main building and two rectangular annexes. The two annexes were placed in front of the pyramid like the forelimbs of a lion. In the square directly in front of the pyramid were two neat rows of stone statues overlooking the passage to the temple as if they were temple guards.


    Before going to the central temple, Hao Ren felt like searching in the ancillary temples around the central area to avoid missing important clues. The collapse of the alien dimension continued, but it was still a few days before the complete disintegration happened. So he still had plenty of time.


    Y¡¯lisabet rode on the shoulders of Y¡¯zaks, and her eyes darted around curiously at the magnificent buildings and stone statues. Like the religious stone statues in other parts of the city, these several meters tall sculptures were also composed of human torso and beast limbs. They had the heads of lions, jackals, and crocodiles, and their bodies were twisted into a hideous posture as if they were ready to fight. The little demon observed for a long time and finally made her conclusion. ¡°Yuck, that is really ugly.¡±


    Despite having been used to Y¡¯zaks¡¯ ugly face, the little girl still saw those stone statues as ¡®really ugly¡¯ spoke volume of their level of ugliness.


    Meanwhile, Vivian still played the role of a history commentator. ¡°In the first religious worship, the powerful beast always appeared as the guard of God and even the image of God itself. There are two reasons for this. On the one hand, ancient humans were afraid of those mighty beasts, they regarded the most powerful beast as having the same special power as God. On the other hand, a large number of the otherworldlings that dominated the earth at the earliest era were using various beasts and magical beasts to tame the humans, and there were even many otherworldlings looked no better than the beasts. But at least in human aesthetic perspective, these ancient gods were beasts.¡±


    Lorissa listened on. Suddenly, she frowned and looked in a particular direction. ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Hao Ren asked, immediately clenching his weapon.


    Lorissa stared dead at the swirling sand at the end of the street behind them. Her eyes slowly turned into the silver-white flames, but after a while, they returned to normal. ¡°It could be an illusion. For a moment, I felt like someone was watching me.¡±


    ¡°I did not feel a thing,¡± Lily said with her ears flicked. ¡°I could not even sense it with my sensitive senses, you must be having an illusion.¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± Lorissa said and frowned. She slowly moved her gaze away from the swirling sand.


    The gates of the temple were made of heavy iron and wood, wrapped in a copper sheet, which was the most solid door at that time. But after thousands of years of sandblasting, the door had been severely damaged. The remaining broken door panels were dangling in front of the entrance. Lily stepped forward and tossed the two half-ton door panels to one side, revealing the dark passage inside.


    The blazing flame of Flamejoy illuminated the way ahead as the group stepped into the ancient ruin.


    Not long after, the group saw a row of enormous stone statues on both sides of the hallway.


    It was still the same strange stone sculptures of the human torso and beast head, and the ready-to-fight posture. The stone statues in the temple were much smaller than those on the outside but having the same height of five meters. They looked fearsome.


    ¡°That is strange. Why are there so many stone statues?¡± Vivian¡¯s brows knit together.


    ¡°Is it not normal that temples have sculptures?¡± Hao Ren asked back, perplexed by Vivian¡¯s question.


    ¡°It is normal to have this kind of sculptures, but the number is not normal; it far exceeds the ornamentation need,¡± Vivian said, shaking her head. ¡°It is weird.¡±


    At this time, the MDT suddenly yelled, ¡°Buddy! Buddy! The reliefs here are decipherable!¡±


    Hao Ren rushed over and saw the MDT was scanning the reliefs on the stone wall with blue light. The reliefs were also severely mottled and eroded. It was almost impossible to perceive with naked eyes their original appearance. Even an experienced archaeologist would need complicated techniques to restore them. But compared with the smoothed down and fragmented tablets at the periphery of the city, most part of these reliefs could be restored.


    With the mighty computing power of the MDT, it was able to restore the reliefs, together with the text below them, very quickly. The MDT then presented the restored reliefs with holograms¡ªas if they were perfectly preserved.


    On the first relief, Hao Ren saw a strangely abstract scene. It was a gigantic creature walking, or instead floating on the earth. Like a beetle with many slender legs, the creature¡¯s body and the thin legs formed a stark contrast; they were utterly disproportionate. It should be an exaggerated depiction by the ancients, but still enough to arouse a horrible feeling in people toward this beetle-like creature. It was amazing how such a large body could walk on the ground by relying on a few pairs of long slender legs. It was either floating in the air with a large number of air bubbles in its body or merely having a gravity-defying ability.


    The first relief spent almost all of the space to showcase the details of the enormous creature. There was only one word under the relief. The MDT transliterated it as Ertos, which was presumed to be the name of the creature.


    The second relief showed the destructive power of the creature. Thunder and lightning surrounded the creature, and fire and stars fell out of the sky. The giant beetle even swallowed the sun and the moon. Under the slender legs of the beetle were the collapsed city wall and the dead. It perhaps meant that this creature possessed the supernatural power to summon lightning and fire, and most likely had appeared during a solar or lunar eclipse, destroying the human city, but humans could do nothing about it. Among the corpses were some humanoid creatures. They were exceptionally tall and had interracial features. Those humanoid creatures had halo-like patterns around them. The MDT translated the text under the relief as ¡°old gods.¡±


    The creature named Ertos had destroyed a mythical city-state ruled by the otherworldlings.


    Just as Hao Ren¡¯s eyes fell on the third relief, Lily suddenly got to her feet next to him.


    ¡°Did you hear anything?¡±


    The husky maiden¡¯s ears turned in all directions continuously, and her golden eyes glowed in the dim environment.

 Chapter 1402 - The Statues Came to Life

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Lily hunched a little and looked into the corridor, her sharp ears sticking up and turning in all directions. She was on full alert and had been warning them for a few seconds. Even though the enemy had yet to appear, she was still growling.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Hao Ren drew out his lance, trying to find the enemy who could hit from every corner. Then, his eyes fell on the decorative ancient statues.


    A question suddenly arose: why were all the statues still intact when the whole city had been destroyed by wind, sand and time? Not one of the most weather-beaten statues outside the temple had collapsed!


    Almost as soon as his doubt became a warning, he heard the wind blow overhead. He moved aside at once, turning his lance in the direction of the wind!


    There was a sense of tingling in his hands, and the sound of stones being rent apart by heat and force came from behind him. After Hao Ren landed, he turned around and saw a colossus with a lion¡¯s head step down from the niche in the wall!


    ¡°These statues are coming to life!¡± Y¡¯lisabet sat on Y¡¯zaks¡¯ shoulder, screaming loudly, then swung a green Demonic Flare the size of a wheel at the statue. ¡°And all the statues outside are coming to life!¡±


    A clatter of crumbling stone came from all directions. One by one, the weird guardian statues of humans and animals in the corridor came back to life. Thousands of years of dust had fallen from their rocky bodies, creating clouds of dust in the corridors, and the sound of the statues¡¯ heavy feet shaking the ground as they descended from the platform. Soon, the entire corridor was completely blocked by the living statues. They paused for a moment, then strode this way.


    Looking at all kinds of weapons in their hands, Hao Ren knew that these stone statues were not here to discuss socialist spiritual civilization.


    The first stone statue attacking them was smashed by Y¡¯lisabet¡¯s huge fireball, flying sideways for more than ten meters away and smashing through a wall in the temple, but seconds later it was struggling to crawl out of a pile of rubble. One of its arms had been severed by Hao Ren¡¯s plasma lance. The whole right half of its body was riddled with cracks after hitting by the Demonic Flare. Pieces of yellowish stone clattered down from the statue, revealing the dark, metallic body. All kinds of runes and lines gleamed across the dark, metallic body.


    ¡°What is that? Obsidian?¡± Y¡¯lisabet was taken aback by the statue¡¯s tenacity. It was the first time she had seen a ¡®rock¡¯ that her Demonic Flare could not break at such close range.


    ¡°It¡¯s something with a metallic component. Obsidian isn¡¯t that hard.¡± The data terminal, which had scanned some of the fragments in a flash, said hurriedly, ¡°Look out, more statues are coming to life! The stone guards outside the temple are also moving. We are in danger of being trapped!¡±


    Hao Ren dodged the blade of one stone statue and cut off the right leg of the other statue with the plasma lance. Then he pointed to the direction of the exit and yelled, ¡°Get out of here first!¡±


    Everyone there, except Rollie, were experienced combatants. Even Lorrisa, a year and a half old, had a great deal of practical combating memory inherited from the mage-emperor. Therefore, they could clearly judge that once the exits were all blocked by these heavy statues, they would be in a terrible passive position. Therefore, before Hao Ren finished talking, they had started to rush towards the direction of the exit. Hao Ren looked back in the direction of the murals and asked, ¡°Data terminal, have these murals been scanned and saved?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± shouted the data terminal as it whizzed past him.


    A data terminal ran even faster than him!


    Everything happened in a flash. The statue, whose leg Hao Ren had severed with the plasma lance, had only just staggered back as the crowd raced toward the exit. Due to its heavy weight and perhaps limited intelligence, the statue struggled for a long time after losing a leg but was still unable to get up. However, as the intruders were about to run down the paved path, the statue¡¯s eyes suddenly glowed red and then raising its arms toward the retreating intruders.


    After a loud bang, the arm of the statue burst and split open in the middle. Its huge rocky fist, like a rocket, was propelled down the paved path by a white light, so fast that the air around it twisted.


    Instinctively aware of the danger behind her, Lily turned sharply around, cracking the stone floor beneath her feet. And now the stone fist was flying close to her eyes.


    Lily raised her hand to smash it without thinking.


    They heard a loud bang. The carved stone fist splintered in the earth-shattering explosion. The shock waves spread out and even created a visible cloud of air in the air. Lily punched the rock and then ran away without looking at it, leaving the explosion far behind, shaking her arm and screamed, ¡°Awooo it hurts¡­¡±


    More and more statues appeared in front.


    All the guards were awoken. The sleeping statues were clearly guardians of the ancient temple. Hao Ren and his party¡¯s intrusion seriously angered the loyal guards and even the stone statues outside the temple came down from the platform and walked with heavy steps towards the pyramid. In fact, it wasn¡¯t just the temple¡¯s guards who woke up.


    All the temples of the lost city rumbled. Countless colossus emerged from the crumbling and weathered ancient buildings, gathered in the streets like an army striding from a mythical scroll, and began to surround the pyramid temple in an orderly manner.


    In the tunnel inside the pyramid temple, Lorrisa had once again turned into the ¡°Sacred Flame¡± she was when she first appeared on the base. A burning silver-white flame was flying in the air, constantly gathering, dispersing, sprinting, and exerting the powerful destructive force of the flame in various ways.


    Although the stone guards had strong shells and no obvious fatal weaknesses, they were obviously some kind of magic-like structure, which naturally had cracks that could be invaded. With the continuous movement, the yellowish shell of each stone statue had been broken and fallen one after another, revealing the real body inside. On the body covering with runes, they could see joints and openings that appeared to be cooling vents. Lorrisa¡¯s Sacred Flame crept through these tiny crevices and disintegrated the statues from within.


    The results were remarkable, but they also seemed to be physically and mentally taxing.


    The upper half of the Sacred Flame turned into Lorrisa and approached Hao Ren. She caught her breath and said, ¡°These strange statues have a very solid core, in a slightly lower position in the middle of the chest. Apart from the inner core, destroying anywhere is hard to stop them completely. And the inner core is so resistant to heat that I have had a lot of trouble melting it with my Sacred Flame.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easy to handle as long as you know where the core is!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks yelled, and then sprang forward a few paces and then pounced on a black colossus with a wolf¡¯s head. The colossus had already raised its iron staff when Y¡¯zaks pounced, but it was still one step slower. Y¡¯zaks had now struck the statue hard in the chest. The force of the impact nearly caused the colossus to lurch to the ground.


    One blow sent splinters flying over the statue¡¯s chest. Sparks and hissing noises burst out of the colossus, and a faint light appeared in front of Y¡¯zaks as the ¡®slab¡¯ on the surface were smashed by a blow.


    Y¡¯zaks raised his fist, and the second punch went right through the protective shell of the colossus¡¯ chest.


    Then he yanked something shiny and brassy, like a mechanical ball, out of the colossus.


    The colossus shook violently, then fell slowly to one side. Y¡¯zaks, keeping his foot on the statue¡¯s chest, fell to the ground with it while throwing the mechanical ball to Hao Ren. ¡°Landlord! Catch it!¡±


    Hao Ren caught the ¡®core¡¯ the size of a basketball and felt the heat as soon as he touched it. If it weren¡¯t for the physical strengthening, probably the temperature of the core alone would have been high enough to cook his hands.


    The core was made of metal. Though it had a brassy sheen, it was certainly not copper, considering that it could last a while in the heat of the Sacred Flame. It had a hollow structure on the surface, through which numerous delicate mechanical gears and chains could be seen operating inside. The noise of mechanical operation was constantly coming from it, just like a living iron and steel organ was wriggling, giving them an extremely strange feeling.


    At the moment, the exit of the temple was already in front of them, but the light coming from the exit was blocked by huge moving figures.


    The data terminal made two quick turns around the mechanical ball in Hao Ren¡¯s hand, quickly completed the analysis of it, and then said quickly, ¡°It feels magnetic field!¡±


    ¡°It fears strong magnetic field!¡± Hao Ren explained.


    Vivian immediately summoned the overwhelming number of bats. The bats quickly formed two swirling clusters in the air, and a powerful electric current began to flow through them.


    ¡°Oersted told me,¡± Vivian said, opening her hands, and the bright lightning storm surged behind her, ¡°electricity creates magnetism!¡±


    Hao Ren looked up at the electromagnetic storm about to take shape over the paved path, and then at the Magnetic Concussion Bombs he had just taken out.


    He felt like he did not need any Magnetic Concussion Bombs now.


    He needed a Faraday cage.


    Vivian¡¯s lightning storm would probably kill them all!

 Chapter 1403 - They Were Flooding In

    The violent release of the current created a regional magnetic storm while the force of magic magnified the magnetic storm by hundreds of times. Thousands of bats formed a massive array of super-powerful electromagnets in the air. The magnetic field generated by their rotation was like countless invisible arrows sweeping through the corridor of the temple. At that moment, everyone felt a strong sense of dizziness.


    The strong magnetic field even formed a large abnormal black block in the corridor. It was a sign that space was warped.


    In the sweep of magnetic fields and electric currents, tiny sparks of electricity exploded from the bodies of the colossi, which then vibrated and collapsed. The fall of the heavy stone statues caused the whole pyramid to shake. Hao Ren squinted and tried to confirm the situation in the wild electromagnetic storm. He vaguely saw the dimming of the fallen colossi¡¯s faces as well as the dying of their runes and lines.


    Faint, translucent shadows rose from within the colossi. They were connected to the ¡°heart¡± of the statue on one end with another end extending into nothingness. Swept by the electromagnetic field, these shadows receded from the corridor like the tentacles of some invisible creature.


    Hao Ren blinked, wondering if what he had seen was just an illusion.


    The storm lasted only a few minutes, then subsided, leaving only a pile of stone guards which was still shaking and a husky who got an electric shock.


    Lily threw herself at Vivian, and her half-burned tail standing angrily behind her. ¡°Did that Oersted tell you that magnetism generates electricity? And did he tell you that too much electricity can kill!!¡±


    Hessiana rushed up to block Lily. ¡°Lord Vivian, stand back! Let me stop this mad dog!¡±


    ¡°Hessiana, calm down. It¡¯s normal for them to fight. Lily, calm down, too. Oersted was working on electromagnetism, and magnetoelectricity was discovered by Faraday. And the lightning Vivian just released is not made of magnetoelectricity¡­¡± Hao Ren tried to explain.


    Y¡¯lisabet whispered in Y¡¯zaks¡¯ ear, ¡°I¡¯m not sure what Uncle Ren was talking about¡­¡±


    But for a furious husky, it did not help much. Lily then quieted down, muttering while fixing her hair, ¡°I graduated from Peking University four times and of course I know this¡­ I was angry with Battie because she hasn¡¯t learned how to control her lightning storm¡­¡±


    Vivian stared at Lily and yelled, ¡°I did control it! Also, Landlord already put up a barrier to protect everyone. Who told you to get so close to me! Fortunately, this time I released mainly magnetic shocks. If it were pure lightning, your head would be cooked!¡±


    Lily, ¡°¡­¡±


    At this moment, Rollie carefully came out from behind Hao Ren. In the beginning, the silly cat was brave enough to go up and fight the colossus and removed the head of one of the colossi with her fangs and claws, but as soon as she saw the number of enemies in the corridor she retreated and hid away. She scratched Hao Ren¡¯s sleeve and asked, ¡°Big cat, is it safe now?¡±


    ¡°At least the enemies in the temple must be dead. Vivian¡¯s magnetic field is enough to cover the whole area of the pyramid,¡± said Hao Ren, frowning and striding forward. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s get out of here. I have a bad feeling.¡±


    Now, they were close to the exit of the pyramid temple and there was no colossus to stop them. Soon, they came to the square in front of the pyramid and saw a dozen statues lying on the ground.


    These statues were a size larger than the ones inside the temple and were clearly the guards who had flanked the pyramid walkway. In fact, some of these statues had broken into the temple and fallen into the corridor from which Hao Ren and his gang had broken through, and the guards who stayed in the square might be there to ambush them. Although Hao Ren wondered if the colossi had this level of intelligence, it¡¯s likely that the maker of the guards left a similar defense program in their stone heads.


    However, the power of Vivian¡¯s magnetic storm was beyond imagination. Not only the guards inside the temple were solved in an instant, but these colossi in the square outside had also fallen to the ground.


    At the very edge of the square, a stone statue of a wolf¡¯s head had yet to be completely destroyed. Its rocky shell had peeled off all over its body, revealing a pitch-black inner shell, and the runes and lines flickering on its surface, leaving the colossus trying to maintain a half-kneeling posture. Noting that the intruders had emerged intact from the temple, the colossus soldier raised his head and arm in the direction of Hao Ren.


    Lily was full of anger and had no place to vent. She roared and rushed to the colossus soldier, leaving a series of holes on the flagstone road. The colossus soldier was turned upside down and fell to the ground. Lily then raised her fist and rained it down on the colossus soldier¡¯s chest.


    After a while, the statue stopped moving.


    Vivian looked a little awkward and said, ¡°She does seem angry.¡±


    ¡°Of course, she treasures her tail the most. Look what it looks like now.¡±


    ¡°Do I owe her an apology?¡±


    ¡°No, Huskies have a bad memory. She¡¯ll forget it in a minute.¡±


    Vivian, ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°These statues are very strange,¡± said Y¡¯zaks. ¡°I have a feeling that they have a unified command, which can be seen from their coordination ¡ª very few autonomous statues can do that, and I have not found any high degree of independent thinking in them during the battle.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded, and just as he was about to say something, he suddenly felt the ground tremble under his feet.


    ¡°Now what?!¡±


    Hessiana¡¯s expression changed immediately. She had been quite nervous in the battle just now, and the tremor she felt at the moment gave her a sudden bad feeling.


    ¡°Meow?¡± Rollie looked up and quickly climbed onto a nearby pillar, holding the pillar tightly and stretching her neck to look out into the distance. ¡°Big cat! More stone people are coming from all directions!¡±


    Hao Ren immediately sent the MDT to investigate in the air, and the pictures sent back made everyone stop breathing:


    Smoke and dust filled the lost city. Swirls of dust rose from every path. Countless figures of black colossi strode between temples and palaces, and every path in sight was filled with them!


    They were definitely coming this way!


    Hao Ren was a little surprised, then glanced at everyone around him:


    Their divine shields were still shining brightly. This shield protected them from the ubiquitous red moonlight of the ancient city and provided an additional layer of defense, but the main function of the shield was to resist negative energy. In other words, it was an anti-magic shield rather than a physical shield, and it did not work as well against the statues as you might think.


    Vivian¡¯s electromagnetic storm had a deadly effect on the colossi. Y¡¯zaks and Lily were also strong enough to fight against more than ten statues at the same time. It was not a big problem for Hao Ren¡¯s lance to cope with one or two stone troops. As for the rest, even Rollie, the worst of them all, could stand alone against a statue¡­


    If, however, a whole city of statues were flooding in, they would have to consider a retreat.


    Even Vivian¡¯s electromagnetic storm would consume lots of magic power!


    Lily knew what was happening, too. She ran to Hao Ren and asked, ¡°What shall we do? Keep fighting? They¡¯re too many for us!!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here!¡± Hao Ren made a quick decision. ¡°The statues don¡¯t move fast, but once we¡¯re surrounded by them, we¡¯re in big trouble. And Vivian¡¯s electromagnetic storm is not infinite.¡±


    Vivian nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯ll take me at least 30 minutes to create the next electromagnetic storm.¡±


    Hao Ren had put away the plasma lance and replaced it with his psionic gun and Magnetic Concussion Bombs. The bombs worked well against these statues without magnetic shielding while the gun could kill an enemy of this size. He could not find a chance to use the psionic gun while fighting in the temple because of the battlefield conditions, but here in the open streets, he did not have to worry about hurting his teammates.


    ¡°MDT! Provide navigation!¡± He looked up at the MDT and shouted.


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°The grand temple at the center of the city!¡±


    ¡°What? The statues are the guards of the temple. Shouldn¡¯t the grand temple at the center of the city be their base?¡± asked Lily.


    ¡°No, quite the contrary I guess¡­¡±

 Chapter 1404 - The Control System of the Statues

    While the MDT conducted the investigation in the air, Hao Ren observed the movements of the ¡°statue corps.¡± The actions of the black statues lay perfectly before him, like pieces on a chessboard. In the process of observation, Hao Ren found one thing.


    The ancient city was full of temples, large and small. There was an army of stone figures outside almost every temple, except for one. The grand temple in the middle of the city remained calm. And the colossi, massed from the other side of the city, seemingly bypassed the grand temple in the middle of the city as they moved toward Hao Ren. They did not even lay a foot on the giant stone steps that led to the grand temple.


    Was the grand temple some kind of forbidden place for the colossi?


    They did not know if the stone soldiers would continue to obey the ban after the invaders broke into the temple, but at least for now, the grand temple was the only safe place around the entire ancient city.


    To get there, one had to first pass through the growing blockade of stone soldiers surrounding the grand temple.


    Hao Ren told the others about his discovery, and almost without any discussion, they reached a consensus: go to the grand temple!


    The MDT hovered over the city, sending the aerial view of the front to the holographic projection in front of Hao Ren. The ¡®best path¡¯ to avoid most colossi was clearly marked in the projection. While it was still inevitable to encounter a small group of enemies, it was at least possible to avoid being surrounded by the guards until they reached the grand temple.


    They began to move in the direction of the grand temple.


    Vivian was flying a few meters above the ground. Two swarms of dark bats formed two huge horizontal vortices, spinning behind her like a pair of giant wings, and hissing electric sparks shoot through the swarm, generating a powerful electric field that made one¡¯s scalp tingle. She was powering up for the next wave of magnetic storms, and the powerful bats were ready to unleash thunderbolts to deal with the lone colossus.


    ¡°Two hundred meters ahead, turn left, there are twelve stone soldiers massed, unable to detour. Let¡¯s fight!¡±


    The MDT¡¯s navigation tips sounded in Hao Ren¡¯s mind and he saw the black figures assembling in the distance.


    Old granite buildings crumbled on both sides of the street. Huge black colossi, one after another, trampled on the broken slabs and pillars and stepped onto the streets. As soon as they appeared, two dazzling electric arcs fall from the sky and bombarded the chest of the first colossus.


    The black shell of the colossus¡¯ chest burst into a thousand pieces, and his body jerked back wildly ¡ª but the next second it straightened itself up again.


    The colossus¡¯ chest had a terrifying crack, but the protective shell at its core had not been completely breached.


    Lightning alone did not seem to work very well on these colossi. Their shells had excellent insulation.


    The statue looked up, its crocodile-like head shining with a pair of blood-red lights, seemed to give out a silent roar. It then held up the iron rod pointed at Vivian in the air, and the end of the iron rod quickly condensed into a dazzling energy ball.


    But before the energy ball could be launched, a blue beam of light suddenly struck the colossus¡¯ body. The beam itself was only about the thickness of a thumb, but it exploded violently when it hit the target. In the glow, the colossus exploded into a blanket of blue crystalline dust.


    Hao Ren raised the gun to aim at the torso of another statue and pressed the button of the Magnetic Concussion Bomb on his hand. As he hurled the grenade, he shouted, ¡°Be careful! These statues can use magic!¡±


    Hessiana was flying high in the air with a pair of wings spreading wide behind her. The blood-red scourge in her hand was dripping corrosive drops that would dissolve gold and iron. She wrapped her whip around the spear in the hands of one of the colossi and yanked it, breaking it open in a puff of smoke. She looked up and shouted, ¡°There seem to be more colossi coming from the other streets!¡±


    The MDT also sent in a processed aerial view of the battlefield. A clear street appeared on a holographic projection floating beside Hao Ren, showing a great mass of red light was moving between the streets, coming rapidly towards the place where they were fighting.


    ¡°Sure enough¡­ These guys have a unified command!¡± said Y¡¯zaks. ¡°And they¡¯re blocking the path we took before¡­ Are we under constant surveillance?¡±


    As Hao Ren was about to say something, he heard a cry of ¡®meow, meow, meow¡¯ coming from the side, and then a small body hit him on the back. Rollie got kicked while dodging a colossus.


    Her injuries were not serious, but she could not fight on.


    And again, Hao Ren saw those almost transparent apparitions escaped from the fallen stone soldiers.


    Soul? Or something else?


    ¡°Did you see those shadows?¡± Hao Ren pointed to a statue that had just been smashed to pieces by Lily¡¯s fists and feet. ¡°When the statues fall, some shadows will float out of them!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks eyes widened. ¡°Shadow? What shadow?¡±


    Hao Ren was in a daze: only he could see it?


    But he soon forgot about it. The list of unexplained peculiarities that had happened to him was endless and he just wanted to tell them what he thought. ¡°I can see that after each of the statues fell, something like a soul floated out of them and seemed to be joined together farther away. That¡¯s probably why these stone soldiers can act in unison!¡±


    ¡°High spirits? A mastermind network?¡± The demon girl sitting on Y¡¯zaks¡¯ shoulder was instantly reminded of her familiar territory. ¡°Uncle Ren, can you see where the floating things are gathered?¡±


    Boom!!


    A deafening explosion was heard nearby. Behind Vivian, the two increasingly bright ¡®lightning turbines¡¯ cross and shoot a huge electric arc. The energy level of the arc finally directly broke through the insulating shell of a stone soldier, blasting it apart.


    Hao Ren immediately captured the transparent phantom that escaped from the stone soldier.


    It drifted up into the air, toward the temple in the center of the city. As it drifted away, it became more and more transparent and illusory, and soon even Hao Ren could not see its trace. But before that, Hao Ren could roughly confirm that the ¡®shadow¡¯ was indeed combined with a larger transparent virtual shadow when it rose to about four or five hundred meters in the air.


    It was as if an invisible ¡®jellyfish¡¯ was floating in the air, and the jellyfish was pulling back its tentacles.


    ¡°There!¡± Hao Ren pointed to the position where the transparent shadow finally dissipated. ¡°There¡¯s something there! It¡¯s floating over the city, probably covering at least a third of the city!¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet nodded, and then, observing the distribution of the colossus in the aerial view of the battlefield and the movement of the colossi in the street nearby, and then began a swift mental calculation.


    Lily rushed toward Hao Ren with the smell of stone and asked, ¡°Landlord, what is Y¡¯lisabet doing?¡±


    ¡°She seems to understand how these stone soldiers work,¡± answered Hao Ren. ¡°These statues should have a higher chain of command. We have to find a way to interfere with the system.¡±


    ¡°Better hurry up,¡± said Lily as she picked up a heavy slab from the side and smashed it into a black colossus not far away. ¡°There seems to be another wave of stone people coming! We are moving slower and slower!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Hao Ren had great confidence in Y¡¯lisabet. ¡°She¡¯s an expert on this.¡±


    Boom¨C


    A nearby building suddenly collapsed. The granite walls fell, a huge stone hand emerged from behind, and colossus after colossus climbed over the walls and fell into the street.


    The bats behind Vivian made an ear-piercing sound, and the increasingly intense electromagnetic vortices swirled in two storms. Everyone at the scene felt a slight tingling in their skin: the new electromagnetic storm was ready.


    Y¡¯lisabet also finally finished her mental calculation. She pointed to a place in the sky and yelled, ¡°In that direction! Throw the electromagnetic storm in that direction!¡±


    Vivian did not hesitate. The electromagnetic vortices generated by two groups of bats had turned into a dazzling light stream. It was more terrifying than the electromagnetic explosion she had created in the temple. Just moments before the two spinning electric fields were about to spin out of control, she threw them straight in the direction Y¡¯lisabet had indicated.


    Lightning and a strong magnetic field erupted simultaneously at high altitude. This was definitely a powerful EMP.


    The colossi were extremely resistant to simple electric shocks, but the oscillating electric field produced strong magnetism, which was enough to incapacitate the stone figures.


    The same time the huge electromagnetic storm erupted completely, a previously hidden thing finally emerged in front of everyone.

 Chapter 1405 - The History of the Ancient City

    A massive electromagnetic storm blew up over the city. It was only a few hundred meters above the ground, and the shockwave was so strong that it sent a gust of wind toward everyone. Everything became electrified, and sparks crackled in the air. Ionized ozone filled the air with pungent odors, and the invisible magnetic field was far more powerful than the discharges in the air. It swept the entire block, and all the statues shuddered to a halt before they fell one by one.


    In the sky, something huge like a transparent jellyfish emerged from the impact of an electromagnetic storm.


    It looked like a spun sugar floating high in the sky. It had an unstable appearance and an illusory boundary. Lines of shimmering light stretched beneath the huge transparent structure and each line connected to a stone guardian on the ground below. When the stone guardians fell, the ¡°wires¡± attached to them were retracted, much like jellyfishes retracting their tentacles.


    The spectacular and mysterious structure made everyone gasp in amazement¡ªexcept for the poor cat girl, who was too frightened to notice what was happening.


    Hao Ren finally saw it clearly. He guessed that it was completely invisible and that what they saw was not its true form. It should be something that did not interact with the physical world. Vivian¡¯s powerful energy simply bombarded its key nodes, causing the jellyfish to be electrically charged in the region where it came into contact with the physical world, and the twisted discharge layer outlined its contours.


    Hao Ren¡¯s first reaction when he saw it was to raise his hand and fire a shot. Then he released a round of heavy missiles and hit the weird ¡®jellyfish¡¯.


    The psionic gun fired a small blue flame on the surface of the ¡®jellyfish¡¯ penetrating the structure directly, but the wound was nothing compared to its overall size. And when the heavy missile penetrated it directly, it was like a phantom that did not exist in the real world, did have any friction with the missile.


    The missile flew over the thing and exploded in the far reaches of space, and suddenly the already unstable space began to collapse even more violently.


    Hao Ren immediately gave up the idea of destroying the ¡®jellyfish¡¯ violently.


    ¡°What the hell is that?¡± Lily looked up, dumbfounded. ¡°Is it the vengeful spirit? Or the soul of the Firstborn?¡±


    ¡°Neither. A vengeful spirit has no form, and the soul of the Firstborn is much larger.¡± Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°But it should be something close to the soul¡­ I have this intuition. Y¡¯lisabet, do you know what it is?¡±


    The little demon girl shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just followed my experience. This thing is probably floating around the city, in a state of deep sleep with the statues, but it woke up when our investigation of the temple stimulated it. This is kind of the control center of the statues. I just told Vivian to hit the connection node between it and the next statues. The electromagnetic shock should make it lose its sense of the next node for a short time ¡ª in other words, the statues will be blind for a while soon.


    ¡°It¡¯s now or never,¡± Hao Ren said, waving his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the grand temple!¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet¡¯s judgment was correct. As she said, when the ¡®jellyfish¡¯ in the sky was temporarily paralyzed by Vivian¡¯s electromagnetic storm, the statues on the ground fell into a short period of chaos.


    They lost control of the whole battlefield and no longer acted as one. Instead, they started to move around like headless chickens. Each of the statues was blind and fighting alone, and their intelligence was obviously not enough to make themselves fight independently.


    Everyone was moving forward in a thrilling way in the street blocked by the army of colossi. They could see the huge statues shaking at almost every crossing and main road. The onslaught of giant stone statues was speeding up the demolition of the old city. Before the edge of the city fell into the vortex of spatial collapse, the buildings within the city were almost stamped out by its own guardians. And the stone statues that moved around basically turned a blind eye to the ¡®invaders¡¯ who ran past them. Even if Hao Ren and the rest of them accidentally got too close or ran into one or two statues, and when they destroyed these statues, the other statues around them seemed to be completely unconscious.


    But in the process of approaching the grand temple, Hao Ren was astounded:


    There were so many colossus guards in this city!


    They knew that a third of the city was occupied by temples. The number of religious facilities in the city far exceeded the demand, and each temple had far more stone statues than the general regulations, but it wasn¡¯t until the statues emerged from their temples and formed a dark mass of army in the streets that Hao Ren realized the size of this ¡®army¡¯ was much larger than he had imagined.


    Even Vivian stuck out her tongue in amazement. Even in the mythological age, the number of colossi in the city was a militaristic arrangement.


    ¡°This city is certainly not an independent city-state. It was fed by other cities, either as capital or as a religious center. Otherwise, with their productivity, an independent city-state could not afford such a large army of mages,¡± Vivian descended a little from the sky and floated beside Hao Ren as she explained her thought. ¡°But such a powerful country doesn¡¯t even have a name. That¡¯s kind of weird. And the ¡®spirit¡¯ they use to defend the city¡­¡±


    She looked up as she spoke. The huge jellyfish-like transparent structure was still floating high in the sky. The inductive phenomenon caused by electromagnetic storms on that region has not subsided, so the jellyfish¡¯s connection to the army of stone was still paralyzed, but over time the electrical layers of the sky are dimming, and the paralysis might be coming to an end.


    But at the same time, they were also approaching the grand temple in the center of the old city.


    Vivian took back her gaze and shook her head. ¡°This kind of thing is rare even in mythological times. Everybody would know it if it appeared, but I have never heard it at all. It¡¯s weird.¡±


    At this time, the MDT¡¯s voice suddenly rang in everyone¡¯s mind. ¡°As for the name of this ancient city, I¡¯ve figured it out.¡±


    The small holographic projection device floating beside Hao Ren projected the image transmitted by the MDT¡ªthe same murals that had been found in the temple before.


    The murals depicted the legend of the ancient giant beast, Ertos. At that time, however, the stone guards suddenly woke up, Hao Ren had to stop the study of these murals in advance. It now appeared that the MDT had completed a full analysis of the contents of the mural.


    Hao Ren was running while looking at the contents of the murals and listening to the report from the MDT.


    ¡°These murals are connecting, telling the story of the city¡¯s disaster and the glorious history of its re-emergence. At first, the city did not exist. The land was just a loose collection of tribes ruled by a band of half-animal, half-human ¡®gods¡¯ who were the first rulers of the land. Later, a monster named ¡®Ertos¡¯ suddenly appeared, which was the thing appeared on the first mural. It¡¯s higher than the mountains, has long thin legs. It walked on the ground, but its body could reach the cloud. The monster released lightning and fire while walking, and destroyed many tribes. That is the second contents of the mural. But then a very powerful ¡®great ruler¡¯ came to the land and fought against Ertos¡­¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the third mural, which was the one that he could not finish studying after interrupted by the stone guards.


    On the mural, an image made of abstract lines appeared in front of Ertos. The image was like an American-style carved wooden mask. The facial contours were all connected with exaggerated and ridiculous straight lines. At first, Hao Ren thought this was what the ¡®great ruler¡¯ looked like, but Vivian soon explained that it was actually an ¡°ideal avatar.¡± The great ruler was supposed to be too powerful for primitive man to paint him directly. Therefore, according to the simple religious concept at that time, people depicted a deified totem for the great ruler.


    This totem was the mask floating in front of Ertos.


    ¡°The great ruler and Ertos fought for three days and three nights. Fire and storm swept the earth, but only one tribe survived because it recognized the power of the great ruler ahead of time and sought refuge behind him.¡± The MDT continued to read, ¡°Then the great ruler finally won. Ertos was torn apart by the power of the great ruler. Its body was divided into four parts. The parts fell on the ground and became four fertile lands. The head of Ertos fell to the last surviving tribe, the greatest prize of all. Therefore, in order to express their awe and gratitude to the great ruler, a city was built on this head, and its name was Ertos.¡±


    In the fourth mural, there was the scene of Ertos falling to the earth in pieces, while a group of human beings, driven by the ¡°ancient gods¡± who are part beast and part human, climbed onto Ertos¡¯ head and built a city on the skull.


    There was no doubt that the city was the one before them, and its name was Ertos.


    ¡°And then?¡± asked Hao Ren.


    ¡°The story ends here.¡±


    ¡°What? That¡¯s it? I¡¯m expecting more!¡±


    Vivian hurried to comfort him, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. It¡¯s normal. In those days, who had time for a cultural inheritance? Very little tales were finished in those days, and the Dead Sea Scrolls were not completed too.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    ¡°There should be more to come,¡± said the MDT. ¡°Based on some of the incomplete writings in the previous temple, I think every temple in this city has a different ¡®class.¡¯ Different classes of temples have different records, so one temple may not have a complete record, but the grand temple in the middle of the city should have the most complete historical record.¡±


    ¡°The grand temple¡­¡± Hao Ren looked up, and the grand temple was before him.

 Chapter 1406 - The Grand Temple

    Almost immediately after Hao Ren and his party stepped on the ramp leading to the grand temple, the giant statues all stopped at the same time. Then, there was a sparkle on the surface of the huge, peculiar jellyfish body in the sky. Vivian¡¯s electromagnetic shield began to crack, and in the intense energy hedging, the electromagnetic shield disintegrated at a visible speed.


    The giant statues regained coordination instantly. As if enraged by the invaders¡¯ blasphemy, they began to rush madly in the direction of the grand temple. The huge, rickety figures destroyed every obstacle that stood in their way; ancient houses and towers were overthrown; the solid stone floors were crushed to powder. The footsteps of those giant statues thundered through the city, and even the high ground of the grand temple shook slightly.


    ¡°The stone army is going mad!¡± Lily yelled. ¡°Mr. Landlord, are you sure these guys aren¡¯t going anywhere near the grand temple?¡±


    Hao Ren said nothing. In fact, he was not 100% sure of his guess. He then pulled Lorrisa and Hessiana, who were a little dazed, and said, ¡°Go inside the grand temple first. At least the building looks solid. Even if the statues are coming to us, we can fight them for a while around the walls of the grand temple.¡±


    Hessiana, who did not have much experience dealing with this kind of battle, was especially nervous at the time. ¡°You sure? If you¡¯re not, Lord Vivian will be taking a risk with you!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve dealt with more dangerous things than these,¡± said Hao Ren with a laugh, ¡°and even if I can¡¯t stop so many stone soldiers, I can still get you all out of this place ¨C there¡¯s nothing in the world that can stop an inspector.¡±


    The entire central temple was built on a raised platform above the city. Several pyramid-shaped architectural bodies and rectangular palaces scattered among the pyramids made up this magnificent ancient architectural complex. The raised platform was not ¡®natural terrain¡¯, but a skeleton on the head of Ertos. There was no such thing as ¡®natural terrain¡¯ in this city built on top of the beast.


    This terrain also led to a long ramp around the grand temple, with numerous steps that marked the boundary between the temple area and the surrounding common urban area.


    The statues stopped at the ramp, as Hao Ren had expected.


    The stone guardians were converging from all parts of the city. They gathered at the foot of the grand temple, looking like a black sea was formed below the ramps. They were now furious like a living creature. They jostled, swayed and even ¡®vented¡¯ by demolishing nearby buildings, but in the end, none of the statues made it past even the bottom step of the temple.


    ¡°Phew¡­ That¡¯s a pretty good guess,¡± Hessiana said, as she wiped the sweat off her face and glanced at ¡®Rollie¡¯ on Hao Ren¡¯s back. ¡°How¡¯s the cat?¡±


    ¡°She was kicked by the statue, but I gave her some cookies from the goddess. Guess she¡¯s healed now, just a little weak,¡± Hao Ren said as he turned his head to look at the cat girl. She was sleeping on his shoulder, and her fluffy ears resting on his face. ¡°Hmm¡­ It looks like the medicine is working.¡±


    ¡°Landlord,¡± said Lily, tugging Hao Ren¡¯s arm, ¡°what do you think there will be in that grand temple?¡±


    Hao Ren looked up. The yellow pyramid at the end of the ramp was towering above, and the top of the pyramid pointed straight to a huge whirlpool at the boundary of this space as if it was the one that attracted the destruction of the lost city.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he shook his head, ¡°but we¡¯re already here, and we must at least look into it. The city looks like it was destroyed by the crimson moon, but Vivian doesn¡¯t remember what happened here, so our investigation may be the only hope to help Vivian recover this memory.¡±


    ¡°Aww,¡± Lily nodded and looked at Vivian flying in the air. ¡°Battie is really a troublemaker¡­¡±


    Without being disturbed by the statues, they soon arrived at the gate of the central pyramid of the grand temple.


    Unlike the previous ¡®small¡¯ temple, this central temple was much better built with superior materials. The gate was still standing strong and intact, like a serious soldier guarding the secrets of the great pyramid.


    Vivian landed, looked around and frowned slightly. ¡°There is no statue here¡­¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it good?¡± Lily¡¯s thinking is simple. ¡°And landlord just said, those statues are coming from the surrounding temples. This temple in the center of the city is a forbidden area for them.¡±


    ¡°Even without the guardian statues, there should be decorative sculptures,¡± said Vivian, shaking her head. ¡°That¡¯s the most basic part of the temple¡ªat least according to the architectural style of the city, there must be sculptures inside the temple.¡±


    ¡°Yes, there¡¯s,¡± said Lily, pointing to the top of a nearby palace. ¡°There¡¯s a big dog¡¯s head over there.¡±


    Vivian rolled her eyes and said, ¡°I¡¯m not talking about that! And that is clearly a wolf head, okay!¡±


    Lily, ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s better not to see the stone guards than to be chased and beaten by them,¡± Lorrisa interrupted, watching Lily and Vivian drifted away from the focus. ¡°There seems to be some sort of magical reinforcement to this door. Maybe I can try to crack it¡­¡±


    Before Lorrisa could finish speaking, she heard a loud bang coming from the side, and then the enchanted, impenetrable bronze gate fell apart. Amid the smoke, Hao Ren came out with two unfinished pieces of dynamite and asked, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Lorrisa was at a lost for words.


    ¡°Ahem, you¡¯ll get used to it. That¡¯s how our landlord solved the problem,¡± Lily said, patting Lorrisa on the shoulder. ¡°Blow it up and you¡¯re good.¡±


    Lorrisa was speechless.


    The gate has been perfectly cracked by Hao Ren through technical means. Everyone was vigilant to follow Hao Ren into this ancient temple which had been sealed for thousands of years.


    The flickering light of Flamejoy made the dark passage of the temple seem very gloomy, but other than this gloomy feeling, they did not see any enemy or anything that might turn into enemies.


    The interior of the temple was grand and magnificent, but the furnishings were so simple beyond imagination.


    It was the largest cluster of buildings in the city, supersized in form and scale from the outside, but lacking in decoration from the inside like a simple grotto. There were no exquisite stone statues, no sacrificial articles inlaid with precious stones and precious metals, and even the most common daily utensils were rarely seen. There were only dusty stone tables and stools and decaying wooden lamps in the room. Other than these ¡®furniture¡¯, there was not even a metal object found in the temple.


    The monks who lived here might not even be able to survive, let alone worship the gods.


    But it was certainly not like this at first as many of the rooms in the temple were apparently once used by monks, and Hao Ren soon found several ¡®treasure vaults¡¯ that had been emptied.


    He was able to identify them as treasure vaults because the MDT found dust of precious metals and a few missing gems on the floors and walls of the rooms.


    The central temple was not so simple and crude from the beginning. It was emptied.


    But who did it?


    ¡°The city was destroyed by the crimson moon, and the moonlight has not dissipated to this day, so it¡¯s unlikely that there were any future grave robbers,¡± said Y¡¯zaks. ¡°There are a lot of rooms in the temple, and the structure is very complicated. From the parts we have searched so far, we can confirm that it was completely emptied, so it should have been emptied by people who are quite familiar with the place, and it was organized and planned. I think it was the people of the city who did it.¡±


    ¡°A civilian mutiny?¡± Hessiana said and blinked. ¡°The people at the bottom rebelled against the priests at the top and robbed the entire temple?¡±


    ¡°Not likely. If that happens, the damage to the temple will be much greater than what we see now.¡± Vivian shook her head. ¡°And in the mythological age, it¡¯s impossible for ¡®mortals¡¯ to rebel against the high priests. Even if the high priests were the servants of the old gods, their power would be too great for ordinary men to fight.¡±


    ¡°Then who ¡®ransacked¡¯ this temple?¡± Hao Ren frowned. ¡°And only the grand temple was looted, while nothing¡¯s lost in the smaller pyramids nearby.¡±


    Vivian shrugged. ¡°Who knows?¡±


    As she finished, she seemed puzzled and looked at the end of the corridor.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Hao Ren asked curiously.


    Vivian blinked and said, ¡°I thought I heard someone call me again¡­¡±

 Chapter 1407 - The Golden Coffin

    Hessiana did not know about Vivian¡¯s ¡°imaginary voices¡±, so she asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Recently, Vivian¡¯s been hearing people call her name, but they¡¯re all imaginary voices,¡± said Hao Ren, turning to Vivian. ¡°Haven¡¯t you gotten better?¡±


    ¡°This time it¡¯s clearer than before,¡± Vivian said gravely. ¡°I¡¯m almost sure it came from that direction¡­¡±


    She stared down the dark end of the alley. Beyond the flickering gleam of Flamejoy, deep darkness lay 10 m away, and the end of the alley seemed to be enveloped in a chilly, impenetrable veil of eternal malice.


    Hao Ren felt that Vivian¡¯s ¡°imaginary voices¡± were not as simple as initially imagined. Thinking about it now, he found that Vivian¡¯s ¡°imaginary voices¡± only appeared after they discovered the strange space.


    If there was a connection, what secrets were buried in the ancient city?


    At the end of the passage was a large, empty hall. Nothing unusual.


    Passing through the stone archway of the corridor, Hao Ren looked at the empty place before him and asked, ¡°Are you sure the voice is coming from here?¡±


    Vivian looked around. It was a square, palace-like place. Judging from its location, it should be close to the center of the great pyramid. Like the rest of the temple, it was completely empty except for the huge stone pillars and reliefs at the center of the hall, which could not be removed.


    ¡°The voice is gone again¡±¡ªshe tapped her forehead¡ª¡±but it has to be coming from this direction.¡±


    Since the statues outside would not enter the grand temple, the MDT had now returned to Hao Ren. It flew around the empty hall and finally stopped at the square granite pillar in the center. ¡°The patterns on the pillar seem to contain some clues!¡±


    That granite pillar was the most striking thing in the hall. Each side was several meters wide and covered with delicate embossed patterns, which had remained fairly intact despite thousands of years of weathering. The MDT quickly restored a few of the reliefs with its restoration techniques and found that the images on the stone pillars were a follow-up to those in the outside temple.


    Hao Ren saw the mask on the stone pillar at first glance: it¡¯s been used by the inhabitants of Ertos to represent their great ¡°ruler¡±.


    ¡°It shows what happened after the death of Ertos, after the new city was built around the head of Ertos,¡± the MDT said, pointing out different locations on the relief with different beams of light. ¡°Here, and here, it¡¯s continuous.¡±


    ¡°The ¡®great ruler¡¯ didn¡¯t leave after killing Ertos but settled down on the plains. The great ruler neither accepted the sacrifice of mortals nor left the place, but quietly watched the establishment of the new city¡­¡± Lily slowly read, pointing at the cuneiform letters below the relief. ¡°It took 22 years, under the leadership of the surviving Beasthead Avatars, to build Ertos and four more cities on the fertile land around it.¡±


    ¡°On the day of the city¡¯s completion, the sky over Ertos was wreathed in clouds. Believing this to be a great omen, the god of wolves led the other Beasthead Avatars to the cave on the plain and asked the great ruler to come and protect the city. They offered barley, chickpeas, honey, and spiced meat to the great ruler, who at last, agreed and became the god of Ertos.


    Hao Ren asked Vivian, ¡°Is there anything particular about these ¡®offerings¡¯?¡±


    ¡°There wasn¡¯t much attention paid to the content of the offering, because at that time, there was no unified ritual. But the ¡®offering¡¯ itself had a special meaning,¡± Vivian explained. ¡°The Mythological Age was a difficult time. Not every otherworldling could be the supreme ruler of mortals for a very long time. Sometimes catastrophes or wars would bring down the weaker ¡®gods¡¯, and they would worship others who were superior to them. This resulted in them being annexed by other ¡®gods¡¯, or even losing their ¡®god¡¯ status altogether, but at least they could survive. It looks like the situation around Ertos was bad at that time. The Beasthead Avatars felt that they couldn¡¯t keep their territory, so they worshiped the great ruler.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and continued to read the relief, ¡°¡­The new god lived in the grand temple at the center of Ertos. Day and night, the god was worshiped by mortals. Under the protection of the powerful god, Ertos became a country that no one dared to offend¡­


    ¡°The Beasthead Avatars chose to submit to the new god, and they became the priests of Ertos, living in the grand temple and smaller temples around it.


    ¡°In order to protect the city, the Beasthead Avatars collected the bones that had fallen from the body of Ertos. They forged and burned the bones, injected them with fire and the power of the earth, turning them into great warriors¡­


    ¡°These warriors were made in the image of the Beasthead Avatars. They were powerful, rock-solid and never tired¡­¡±


    ¡°The shape of the Beasthead Avatars¡­ Extremely large stone statues¡­ Never tired.¡± Lily blinked. ¡°That¡¯s those colossi we met.¡±


    ¡°No doubt.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that the bodies of the statues were actually made from the remains of Ertos. No wonder they¡¯re so strong and don¡¯t look like they¡¯re composed of any known metal or mineral from Earth.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks pointed at a relief depicting the arrival of the new god in the city and asked, ¡°So this great ruler lived in the temple at the center of the city¡ªright where we are?¡±


    Hao Ren stood up straight and looked around with increasing doubt in his eyes.


    The temple had been emptied, or you could say, looted. If the ¡°great ruler¡± had really been the supreme ruler of Ertos, if he had really been the supreme authority there, why did it end up in such a state?


    Given that the smaller temples around it were intact, the larger one was more likely to have been abandoned before the city¡¯s demise. Did the ¡°supreme ruler¡± who ruled the place back then moved away?


    There was no record in the reliefs of how the grand temple was abandoned, but thinking about it, since people chose to abandon the place, there was no need to leave a construction note in the demolished ruins.


    Vivian stood in front of the stone pillar and looked at it for a long time, as though she was trying to recall the city that had been destroyed by her moonlight. But, it was hard to get her fragmented memory back. After a long period of reflection and silence, she placed her hand on the mask representing the ruler on the stone pillar and said, ¡°To be honest, this mask is really ugly¡­¡±


    All of a sudden, the pillar changed unexpectedly!


    The lines in the relief began to twist. Solid hard stone began to flow and deform like ooze at that very moment. The cuneiform words and ancient patterns of civilization on the stone pillar were quickly swallowed up by the surface, which was wriggling like soft mud. All the relief carvings on the stone pillar were dissolved in a few breaths before the gaping stares of the crowd!


    Then, twisted text emerged, line after line.


    ¡°Don¡¯t wake it up! Don¡¯t wake it up! Don¡¯t wake it up!¡±


    The line of words on the stone pillar kept appearing as if it was refreshing crazily. Then it quickly dissolved into the oozy surface. The scene was eerie and terrifying, but it was just the beginning: as the stone pillar changed, a deep voice suddenly echoed throughout the great pyramid.


    The sound was hard to describe. It was like thunder rolling endlessly in the clouds, mixed with the sounds of people crying and screaming, on top of the crackling and shrill whistling of the wind. Rollie, who was sleeping on Hao Ren¡¯s back, was awakened by the sound right away. She scrambled off Hao Ren¡¯s back and fell on her hands and knees, her eyes constantly looking in all directions. Her tail stood up like a hairy stick, and her back was highly arched. ¡°Meow, meow, meow.¡±


    ¡°Spatial distortion detected, I repeat, spatial distortion detected¡­¡± Simultaneously, the MDT warned them and shot an indicating beam forward. At the end of the beam, Hao Ren saw a stone wall at the hall suddenly ¡°expand¡±.


    It was difficult for the human brain to understand the phenomenon directly. The square, stone hall suddenly shook violently, and the stone wall grew wider and wider amid the shaking. In the blink of an eye, the hall had doubled in size, and in the new part of the hall, Hao Ren saw a tall, stone platform. It stood there, surrounded by a ring of firepots¡ªthey burned automatically the moment they appeared.


    Atop the stone altar, a heavy coffin made of gold was slowly opening up.


    Hao Ren immediately felt his hair stand on end.


    ¡°One of the basics of grave digging,¡± Lily said crossly next to Vivian, ¡°don¡¯t touch anything you don¡¯t know.¡±


    Vivian stared at the golden coffin on the stone platform and said, ¡°Sleeping in a golden coffin¡­ So rich¡­¡±


    Everybody was clueless.


    ¡°What the hell is that?¡± As soon as the golden coffin was halfway open, Hao Ren threw a gravitational bomb directly into it.


    The moment it exploded, he took out his inspector¡¯s gun and fired three times.

 Chapter 1408 - The Body of Divinity

    Hao Ren acted quickly and decisively. After the explosion and gunfire, the entire stone platform and golden coffin were completely covered in dust and blue crystal dust. Truthfully, Hao Ren wanted to throw the bomb outside the coffin, but he was afraid that the place would collapse¡­


    After the explosion, Hessiana did not immediately react. She stared at the coffin for a long time before she asked, ¡°Why did you just blow it up?¡±


    Hao Ren blew away the smoke from his gun and answered, ¡°What else should I have done? Wait for it to come back to life? It¡¯s been lying in the coffin for hundreds of thousands of years, waiting for others to dig its grave so that it can rise up in anger. Surely it¡¯s not a good guy¡­ Uh, Vivian, I¡¯m not talking about you¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I know. I just want to let you know¡ªit doesn¡¯t seem dead,¡± Vivian said.


    Hao Ren¡¯s expression froze for a moment, looking at the smoky stone platform (now, less than a third of the stone platform was left, and the upper half had been completely vaporized). Amid the smoke and dust above the stone platform, a little wisp of black and red slowly condensed. The temperature in the whole hall dropped rapidly.


    It was not dead!!!


    It did not die under the direct fire of the psionic gun!!


    For a moment, Hao Ren felt like his heart had stopped beating, as that was absolutely something that had never happened before. Not that he had never met an enemy whom the psionic gun could not kill, but those enemies were basically big guys like the Firstborn and Lockmarton. Due to their huge body, the psionic gun¡¯s limited range of damage could not cause enough harm to them. However, after eliminating the size difference, his gun should theoretically have killing power over all targets!


    The thing, which was coming out of the coffin, did not look like it was beyond the psionic gun¡¯s range of damage in any way, because even the coffin had been destroyed by the psionic ray.


    How did it avoid being bombarded by the psionic rays in advance? Or was it really a super life form that could fight off psionic energy?


    Hao Ren did not have much time to think carefully because the dust on the stone platform had gradually cleared away by then, while the entity condensed from the black and red fog was about to become a solid figure. This time, instead of hurling a bunch of explosives at it, he stood guard with a gun in one hand and a lance in the other as he made everyone else position themselves to face the enemy.


    He intended to see what it was, but he did not plan on putting anyone in danger. As he prepared to face the enemy, he silently recited a prayer of higher-order divinity in his heart. A milky light radiated from him and coalesced in front of everybody to form a looming barrier. Lines of text moved across the surface of the barrier, instantly refreshing. The words described Raven 12345 as a wise and sacred goddess. They also said that she was imbued with divinity and was a true god. In addition, there were swear words, which required mosaics.


    The swear words were facing outwards, indicating that the enchantment was both offensive and defensive.


    Y¡¯lisabet stretched her voice as she watched the shield rise before her eyes. ¡°Ooooh¡­¡±


    As the barrier took shape, the black and red smoke on the stone platform finally coalesced into a solid figure.


    It was a woman, enveloped in a frenzy of black and red mist. Her body seemed to be constantly shifting between the virtual and the real. Her long, blood-red hair floated behind her, its ends falling like black ash. On the woman¡¯s face, a hazy mist blocked her features. Hao Ren could only see a pair of blood-red lights shining in her eyes. The flames in her eyes were so fierce it could burn the whole world.


    ¡°My¡­ Malevolence?¡± Vivian gasped.


    ¡°So it¡¯s your Malevolence?¡±Hao Ren asked without looking back. ¡°Well, it looks like you¡­ but this Malevolence has no face.¡±


    ¡°No face?¡± Vivian froze. ¡°I can see it clearly. Its face is just like mine.¡±


    Hao Ren was on guard, but when he heard Vivian¡¯s words, he was shocked. ¡°Wait, you can see her face? Isn¡¯t there a layer of mist on her face?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No. We¡¯re seeing different things again?¡±


    It was not only Hao Ren. The others also cast a skeptical eye in Vivian¡¯s direction. Obviously, in their eyes, the Malevolence was also a shadowy figure without a face. Only Vivian saw its true face!


    However, the situation did not allow them to start a discussion on the issue. The Malevolence on the stone platform had completely coalesced. Like every crazy Vivian, her soul was filled with nothing but a pure desire to destroy.


    She raised her head and shrieked. All the stone walls burst into debris. Then, she raised her hand and pointed. A scarlet shockwave appeared out of nowhere and slammed into the protective wall!


    The negative energy collided violently with the divine barrier. Hao Ren felt his spiritual world shake. But after the shock, the barrier remained firmly in front of them. However, the ground in front of it had turned into a black marsh as a result of the shock. Disgusting bubbles of poisonous gas popped up continuously from the surface of the black marsh.


    The Malevolence did not think too much. Even though her attack had been blocked, she did not feel discouraged. Once again, another shockwave came to the divine barrier.


    At the same time, Hao Ren also ordered the MDT, ¡°Detect its form of attack!¡±


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The two forces collided violently again. This time, the shockwaves even shook the entire pyramid. ¡°It¡¯s the Power of Chaos with first-class divinity! I repeat, first-class divinity!¡± The MDT¡¯s voice was shrill and high-pitched amid the vibration.


    Hao Ren¡¯s expression did not change. He fired twice in the Malevolence¡¯s direction and shouted, ¡°Those who can do long-range attacks, strike now!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks and Y¡¯lisabet instantly threw huge Demonic Flares, and Lorrisa¡¯s Sacred Flame shot through the air. Their attack coincided with the Malevolence¡¯s third blast wave. The joined forces of the three were then devoured by the blast wave, and the big explosion directly shattered the huge stone pillar in the hall!


    The great pyramid shook again, and this time, it was more intense than ever before. However, Hao Ren was quite calm in the thick of the swirling shaking. He had realized why the psionic gun, which killed everything, could not kill the Malevolence.


    It was due to the Malevolence¡¯s divinity. This Malevolence was different from any rival in the past. She had a divinity that was far beyond that of Lockmarton¡¯s, which meant that hers came directly from the true God, and could even be regarded as an extension of God!


    Psionic power was the energy of the gods. Its ability to kill mundane things came from the suppression of rank. In other words, information priority. With a higher authority, psionic power could unconditionally annihilate any target, even a demigod with some divine power. But if the enemy had equal information priority, then the psionic power was no different from any ordinary power.


    Based on the theological knowledge Hao Ren had, he knew that the so-called divinity was actually a numerical value used to describe the degree of information priority and interference. It regarded the universe as a self-sustaining data system. The true gods and their derivatives were the set of instructions in the system with different levels of authority. So the Malevolence in front of him now¡­ was of high authority.


    Not good. It possessed too much data.


    The fighting in the hall got extremely heated the moment it broke out. The bombardment of various energies destroyed the surrounding stone walls over and over again. The situation would have started to deteriorate had it not been for Hao Ren¡¯s divine barrier and everyone else¡¯ protective shields. And even with a series of prepared defenses, the battlefield was unlikely to survive such an onslaught.


    ¡°Uncle Ren! This place is collapsing!¡± cried little Y¡¯lisabet, turning her head to Hao Ren as she threw a huge Demonic Flare.


    The negative energy released by the Malevolence had corrupted the hall, turning it into a swamp. The forces that spread made the structure of the great pyramid extremely fragile. The heavy ancient building was teetering under the strain. If you looked at it from the outside, you would clearly see that its center was collapsing downward.


    The people inside the pyramid could feel the eventual collapse of the building accelerating.


    ¡°Then let it fall down quickly!¡± Hao Ren looked around and realized that being trapped in such a negative environment would only make the situation worse, so he decided. ¡°Listen, when the pyramid collapses, Vivian and Lily will stay with me to fight this monster. Y¡¯zaks and Lorrisa, you two cover everybody and retreat to the edge of the temple but stay away from the statues. They may still be waiting outside. All right?¡±

 Chapter 1409 - Hao Ren’s Superweapon

    The whole grand temple complex was shaking violently.


    The ancient temple on the central highlands had been standing in the heart of the ancient city of Ertos for nearly 10,000 years. Neither the wind nor the passage of time had fundamentally shaken its foundation. Even as the city lay in ruins, the streets went into a state of dilapidation, and even the words on the granite slabs were worn away and flattened by the wind, the magnificent complex still maintained its proud upright posture. It was as stubborn and strong as its material.


    However, that day, the ancient temple was finally meeting its end.


    The negative energy spread outward from the central area of the temple. Solid granite masonry quickly became as fragile as rotten soil due to the energy-based attack. The heavy mass of the great pyramid weighed on the crumbling columns and walls, gradually causing the entire structure to crack through the middle in a terrifying way. Huge slabs and columns crumbled down the pyramid¡¯s slope. The sound of the rock breaking apart from the depths of the pyramid sounded like thunder rumbling in the depths of the earth. At last, the great pyramid came crashing down with a thunderous crash.


    The collapse of the main building immediately affected the surrounding buildings. Smoke billowed from the two little pyramids and several of the arched palaces. Soon, they collapsed in a series of crashes. Clouds of dust rose from the uplands, blocking out the sun, as though an active volcano had erupted in the middle of the city. The colossi, who had been restless around the upland, fell silent for a moment. They raised their heads in unison and stared at the crumbling temple in eerie silence.


    Flashes of light flared through the smoke accompanied by loud explosions, and a few figures emerged from the center of the smoky area. It was Y¡¯zaks and the others. They went all the way to the edge of the uplands, then stopped a hundred meters or so from the colossi, watching for any movement from the colossi. They kept an eye on the center of the field.


    The colossi did not seem to notice the intruders. They still stared up at the higher grounds, standing still.


    A gust of wind swept over the uplands and finally blew away the thick dust. Over the ruins of the great pyramid, which had collapsed into disrepair, two swarms of bats were whirling rapidly and creating sharp, piercing sounds. Powerful electric current bounced between the bats. Shrouded in a crimson cloud, Vivian was standing in the middle of the bat swarms, with huge wings spreading out behind her.


    Next to Vivian, Hao Ren was also floating in the sky. A pale blue halo hung around him. It was the glow of the antigravity field that the MDT brought. In fact, Hao Ren did not like air combat very much, but he was now facing the Malevolence, so he had no better choice.


    Anyway, up to that point, he had gone through a hundred battles. His experience in facing the enemy mid-air had gradually increased, hence he could still cope.


    As for Lily, she had to stay on the ground. One, she would assume the duties of holding up the fort, and second, because of her physical flexibility, the obstacles on the ground did not affect her very much.


    The Malevolence was floating hundreds of meters away from Hao Ren and Vivian. The crimson mist around her kept surging, repairing her arm, which had just been shot off by Hao Ren.


    The moment the pyramid collapsed, Hao Ren seized the opportunity to shoot. It actually hit the target, and although it failed to kill the Malevolence completely, it did weaken some of its power, which brought at least one piece of good news: the enemy was not invincible.


    The divinity that the Malevolence carried was an unexpected situation. Once there was divinity involved, many things had to be replanned.


    Vivian had a certain effect of suppression on all her Malevolences. This suppressive effect was derived from the power of the goddess of creation, so she was an important force in the battle.


    Lily had eaten a large amount of divine food, which Hao Ren brought back from Raven 12345¡¯s place. She had also eaten a lot of heavenly food when she was a guest in Raven¡¯s place, so she was the one with the strongest divinity in the family after Hao Ren.


    Together with Hao Ren, who was a demigod, the three of them were the best people to fight against the ¡°divine Malevolence¡±.


    As for the rest of them, they certainly had a certain degree of combat capability. However, they were now facing a crazy creature. It would be too dangerous for the weaker one to remain on the battlefield, so they had to take a back seat for the time being.


    Y¡¯zaks and Lorrisa were very strong, but for now, they were only able to serve as bodyguards at the rear.


    ¡°Hao Ren, this Malevolence is different,¡± Vivian quickly said as she calmed down. ¡°She has divinity. Can you deal with it?¡±


    ¡°She just has a divine quality,¡± Hao Ren whispered as he opened his Dimensional Pocket. ¡°She¡¯s far from God.¡±


    Although the Malevolence had divinity, Hao Ren did not feel too pressured.


    He did not believe that a Malevolence tainted with negative energy was truly divine. He had seen powerful demigods like Lockmarton, and also the tip of the iceberg of Raven 12345¡¯s true powers. He had a better sense of power that was beyond imagination. The moment he came into contact with the Malevolence, he knew that it was not as strong as one would think.


    Divinity only gave the monster some special ¡°authorities¡± that allowed her to be immune to the instant effects of psionic rays. Divinity did not necessarily mean absolute power. It may have the power to destroy everything, but it may only have half that power when it came to combat. It was clearly written in the work manual.


    Hao Ren put away his psionic gun and focused all his energy on his Dimensional Pocket. Curling up his lips, he said, ¡°It¡¯s just immune to instant death. Since it can¡¯t be killed instantly, I know what to do!¡±


    Before he finished speaking, the Malevolence roared like a wild beast, and an endless sea of black and red appeared in the sky, forming a terrible sight. It looked like a sea of blood hanging upside down in the sky. The sea of blood even completely obscured the collapsing, chaotic boundaries around Ertos. After a pause of one or two seconds, the sea of blood poured down.


    On the surface of the earth, Y¡¯zaks and Lorrisa immediately deployed a Demonic Barrier and Sacred Flame Barrier to protect Hessiana as well as Rollie, who was trembling badly at that point. Meanwhile, little Y¡¯lisabet looked up into the air with wide, twinkling eyes. ¡°Oh¡­ Uncle Ren¡¯s Cannonical Miracle!!¡±


    Behind Hao Ren, the Dimensional Pocket had been completely open, revealing numerous laser gun turrets, missile silos, and fire turrets. The next moment, waves of fire and explosion met the sea of blood, which was pouring from the sky.


    Hao Ren¡¯s Dimensional Pocket could only open a 500-m access channel¡ªbut that was not a restriction. He gave the MDT the right to open the passageway and allowed it to constantly shuttle across the battlefield, carrying only one piece of artillery and positioning it within a range of 500 m each time. The weapons were immediately moved to a new place once they were fired. With the MDT¡¯s unlimited teleportation, the formation of artillery was not much delayed. It spread with extraordinary magnificence.


    Those fire turrets all had functions for aerial combat, so they were considered Hao Ren¡¯s treasure. Although he said it was easy, the battle cost him a fortune.


    The result was a billion turrets and endless glory.


    Half the city of Ertos was enveloped in a thunderstorm, with intense flashes and explosions raging over nearly a third of the city. Above the blast zone was a sea of blood, which had been summoned by the Malevolence. Lorrisa heard Y¡¯lisabet¡¯s excited scream in the explosion, and asked, ¡°Cannonical Miracle? Is that Hao Ren¡¯s miraculous power?¡±


    The little demoness nodded her head vigorously and said, ¡°Uh-huh!¡±


    Two young girls from different worlds had reached a consensus on the same misunderstanding.


    In the midst of the explosion that covered the sky, two huge bolts of lightning ripped through the sky before they hit the black and red cyclones in the middle of the battlefield.


    Vivian had fought back.


    A moment later, a loud howl came from the ruins of the grand temple. A huge, majestic silver ¡°wolf¡± stepped out on the collapsed slabs. It looked up at the sky, and white light was flowing from its mouth.


    ¡°Awooooo!¡±


    A devastating blast of divine energy blasted through the center of a cloud.


    ¡°This is truly a miracle,¡± Y¡¯zaks said softly, looking up at the scene.

 Chapter 1410 - The Lost Soul

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Flames and explosions. Thunders and storms. Ertos trembled violently within the boundaries of destructive energy. The thousand-year walls had collapsed and the magnificent temple had disappeared into the wind. It was a magnificent scene, which had never occurred on Earth since the Mythological Age. The rolling sea of blood hung upside down from the sky, and all kinds of artillery, as well as energy beams, were heading up to go against the sea of blood. At that moment, the lost space seemed to be turning upside down amid the rainstorm.


    The bat swarm behind Vivian had turned into two white-hot electrical storms, while dazzling eddies of electric current floated on both sides of her giant bat wings. Each shock of current sent two powerful arcs, dozens of meters wide and dozens of kilometers long. The arcs were as powerful as natural thunderbolts, and they carried with them Vivian¡¯s unique aura, which even the Malevolence could not contend with.


    Like a small sun, a brilliant fireball suddenly burst open, forming a short void in the center of the sea of blood. After the light from the explosion point faded, a phantom figure wrapped in black-red mist slowly emerged. Hao Ren spat and said, ¡°Her life force is simply outrageous.¡±


    Vivian heard him and said, ¡°But she¡¯s starting to weaken.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and stared at the hollow figure wrapped in black and red mist.


    The madness of the Malevolence was still undiminished, but she lacked general senses. Apart from the usual frenzied fighting, the monster was clearly at the end of its tether.


    Her recovery rate was getting slower and slower. Nearly two-thirds of the churning sea of blood in the sky had evaporated, and even the black and red shockwaves she unleashed were not as fearsome as they initially were.


    Although a Malevolence with a divine nature was an unexpected enemy, Hao Ren was not how he used to be. No matter how strong the Malevolence was, she was just a lunatic. As long as he had a mastery of certain skills and used targeted fighting methods, it was only a matter of time before the Malevolence was eliminated.


    All they needed was a little bit of patience.


    ¡°Kill everyone¡­ Kill¡­ Kill¡­¡±


    The Malevolence¡¯s voice echoed in the sky, but before her newly-united body could make an attack, a white light cannon on the ground blasted through her body, blowing it into ashes.


    ¡°Ow ow, ow ow! Woof!¡± A loud howl came from below.


    ¡°What did Lily say?¡±


    ¡°That was her last shot,¡± Vivian replied, glancing at the giant husky who was jumping up and down in the pyramid¡¯s ruins, trying to send them a signal. ¡°Two of her shots went awry¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, she¡¯s colorblind.¡± Hao Ren shook his head, then turned to look at the Malevolence. The shapeless figure had just started to regenerate, and in the process of regeneration, it kept emitting black particles, which looked like ashes. ¡°It¡¯s almost time to end this¡­¡±


    The light blue antigravity halo flashed, and he rushed towards the Malevolence. Two godslaying swords silently appeared in his hands, and the black blades glittered with a mysterious brilliance.


    The Malevolence saw the enemy approach her immediately after she recovered. She raised one arm, and her eyes blazed with anger. ¡°Kill¡­¡±


    The black and red shockwaves, which always appeared in the air as soon as she raised her hand, came out a little later this time. Before that could happen, Hao Ren had already passed by. He raised the godslaying swords in the air, and the next second, half of the Malevolence¡¯s body turned directly into ash.


    The black and red shockwaves that had just formed also dissipated in an instant.


    However, that did not immediately kill the Malevolence. The Malevolence¡¯s shadow just shook violently before half of its body began to rise again in the smoke. At the same time, she turned her head and looked angrily in Hao Ren¡¯s direction, letting out a confused roar that could not be distinguished at all.


    Just as the Malevolence turned around, another figure rushed at her from the other side with lightning and a mist of blood. ¡°Where are your eyes? I¡¯m here!¡± Vivian said in a cold tone.


    The Malevolence turned back and saw a ball of crimson light in Vivian¡¯s hand as Vivian scratched it from top to bottom.


    The barrage of magic (and nukes) was over, leaving only the sound of fierce fighting in the air. The weak Malevolence was no match for Vivian at all. Not to mention, Vivian had a special power that could suppress the Malevolence. The ancient vampire¡¯s 10,000-year-old fighting skills erupted completely at that moment, and Vivian¡¯s angry voice resounded through the sky.


    ¡°Killing and robbing using my face! Discrediting me! Most important of all¡­ I¡¯m so poor, yet you sleep in a golden coffin! A golden coffin!!¡±


    With a punch that broke the barriers of sound, the Malevolence was torn apart. Vivian¡¯s voice echoed above the ancient city. ¡°If I had the chance to even sleep in an oak coffin for once in my life, I would die a happy death!¡±


    In a corner, Lorrisa lowered her hands, which supported her Sacred Flame Barrier. She was exhausted but unable to resist muttering, ¡°She sounds resentful.¡±


    ¡°Lord Vivian has always been resentful in this respect¡­¡± said Hessiana.


    The dismembered ¡°corpse¡± of the Malevolence slowly fell from the air and burned violently before it reached the ground. Only a few bits of ash fell in front of them.


    Rollie nervously looked up at the sky, fearing that the horrible ¡°Vivian¡± would come alive again. This time, however, there was no ¡°infinite rebirth¡± from the monster. The frantic energy in the sky gradually quieted down, and the churning sea of blood, like dew in the sun, slowly became transparent and vague, finally turning into nothingness.


    The giant whirlpool of quicksand at the edge of the lost space reappeared in the sky.


    Hao Ren and Vivian descended. Y¡¯zaks waved his Demonic Barrier away, nodded to them, and said, ¡°Finally.¡±


    The uplands where the grand temple stood had been plowed by the aftermath of the battle. Not only did the solid granite ground break down, but even the bone layer beneath the slates appeared to be riddled with holes. Droplets from the sea of blood accumulated into a river, leaving a horrifying trail of decay on the bone foundation beneath the city.


    The area where Y¡¯zaks was standing on was like an island of refuge in the corroded land.


    The corrosion caused by the blood had spread to half of the city. Standing at the top of the ramp and looking out, almost all of the land was visibly covered with smoke and crumbling ground. The remaining buildings stood alone on the decayed ground, the walls looked like candles melting into strange shapes. And among the decayed remains, there were countless stone soldiers with countless wounds.


    The colossi had survived the disaster.


    However, they did not look right.


    The statues did not stop with the death of the Malevolence, but there was no sign of any further action. They just stood quietly around the high ground, remaining eerily silent despite their flashing runes.


    ¡°The Malevolence has been destroyed. What are these guards going to do?¡± Hao Ren asked, frowning.


    ¡°Awwwooooo¡­ Woof!¡±


    Hao Ren took out a set of spare clothes from his Dimensional Pocket and stuffed it into Lily¡¯s mouth. ¡°Transform back into a human before you talk! How can I understand what you¡¯re saying?¡±


    ¡°These statues have been like this ever since the Malevolence was killed,¡± Hessiana said, pointing at the colossi hundreds of meters away. ¡°They look scary.¡±


    Hao Ren frowned and looked up at the sky. Nearly half of the turrets had been destroyed in battle, but there was still enough artillery left for another battle. Although running so many turrets for such a long time could take a huge toll on his mental stamina, he had already started to wonder if he should to take the opportunity to kill the stone statues that could not fight back.


    However, just as the idea came to him, a warm voice suddenly entered his mind. ¡°Hello.¡±


    Hao Ren was startled, but he did not show it. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Ertos,¡± the soft voice replied in a slow, calm tone.


    Hao Ren really could not hold his surprise this time, and seeing the surprised expressions on the faces of the others, he knew that he was not the only one who heard the voice.


    Vivian calmed down and asked, ¡°Which Ertos are you? The city? Or the ancient beast?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re standing on my head right now,¡± said Ertos slowly.

 Chapter 1411 - The True History

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°You¡¯re standing on my head right now,¡± said Ertos slowly.


    Lily had just turned back into a human at that time. She was tidying up and picking at the fur on her tail. ¡°Ertos? That Ertos?¡± She raised her voice upon hearing it.


    The drawling voice rose again without emotion. ¡°I don¡¯t quite understand the way you¡¯ve just put it¡­¡±


    ¡°Just ignore her.¡± Hao Ren pressed Lily down and looked up at the sky. The invisible ¡°jellyfish¡± in the sky reappeared as the energy from the previous battle had not dissipated. Its undulating surface sparkled, and its slender tentacles hung from the air like threads in a cloud, connecting the colossi on the ground. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ the one in the sky?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re the first one who¡¯s noticed me. You observed a part of me before I was influenced by the negative energy in the environment.¡± Ertos seemed to confirm Hao Ren¡¯s guess. ¡°It makes me interested in you¡­ Very few creatures can observe the spirit bodies of the Chaos Wanderers, except those that are extremely special or very old. But no matter who or what you are, I owe you a debt of gratitude. Thank you for freeing me from this long labor¡­¡±


    ¡°The Chaos Wanderers? Is that the name of your race?¡± Hao Ren frowned. Before he asked what ¡°long labor¡± meant, he was first interested in the creature itself. ¡°Didn¡¯t you die many years ago? Killed by the great ruler¡­¡±


    As Hao Ren said that, a thought suddenly occurred to him. ¡°The great ruler who had a big fight with you was the ¡®evil spirit¡¯ in the pyramid?¡±


    ¡°The Chaos Wanderers don¡¯t die easily. Most of the time, death is just a change of form for us,¡± Ertos slowly explained. Its massive body stretched out in the sky as if it was repairing the damage it had suffered from previous battles. ¡°As for the ¡®great ruler¡¯, she was indeed the fallen monster of the pyramids¡­ But I¡¯ve noticed that one of you looks a lot like her. May I ask the name of this person first?¡±


    ¡°You can call me Vivian. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not like that crazy one in the pyramid. We just look alike.¡±


    Ertos seemed to believe that. ¡°So¡­ interesting.¡±


    Hao Ren coughed a little and returned to the subject. ¡°So, you didn¡¯t die? Was the great ruler deceived by you after the great battle?¡±


    ¡°No. Though the great ruler destroyed my form, we were not enemies, and I did not deceive her.¡± Ertos¡¯ answer surprised everyone. ¡°There has never been a battle between us.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Y¡¯zaks.


    ¡°The mural we found shows that you were a devastating monster in ancient times. You destroyed many human city-states, then the great ruler suddenly came and totally destroyed you,¡± said Hao Ren, frowning. ¡°Is the legend wrong?¡±


    ¡°Humans have their own way of understanding what they see, but a lot of times they don¡¯t see things as they really are,¡± Ertos elaborated. ¡°The first half of the legend is correct. My activities led to widespread destruction, but that was not my intention. I can¡¯t control my energy leakage, just as human beings can¡¯t control their organ operation, aging, illness, and death. To the Chaos Wanderers, storms and flames are only part of our bodies, but in the eyes of man, they mean devastating disasters¡­ I¡¯ve tried to admonish creatures that come too close, but communication always ends in war¡­ Ah, wars¡­ There were wars everywhere¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was surprised: Ertos was actually a pacifist?


    Lily looked at the big jellyfish in the sky and asked, ¡°So what¡¯s the truth behind your fight with the great ruler?¡±


    ¡°She suddenly appeared in front of me and showed great strength. I realized it was an opportunity to solve a problem, so I reached an agreement with her,¡± Ertos explained. ¡°I asked her to help me change my life form to relieve the damage I had unintentionally caused to the world. As you know, the way to change my form is to dismember my body.¡±


    ¡°So you weren¡¯t at war with the great ruler?¡± Hao Ren never thought that the truth would be like this. He paused for a moment before he continued the conversation. ¡°Why is there a record of you two fighting each other for days? You two were throwing lightning balls back and forth¡­¡±


    ¡°That was us talking. But for humans, such conversations were probably a little scary,¡± Ertos lightly clarified.


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Hao Ren sighed and continued, ¡°History recorded by humans has always been limited by time and vision. So what happened after that? I suppose you stayed in the city like that? Why would the city of Ertos be destroyed?? What about the residents? What about those stone statues? How did the evil spirit in the pyramid ¡®fall¡¯?¡±


    Ertos¡¯ voice remained unhurried despite the bombardment of questions. ¡°That was many years ago. When the great ruler, as you call her, finally freed me of that unadaptable shell, some of the natives took what they had and began to rebuild with my fragments. They made weapons and statues out of my armor, medication and living materials out of my organic matter, and a city out of my bones. My spirit had been wandering around them because these vibrant little creatures truly made me curious¡­ After wandering around for a while, I found that the ¡®great ruler¡¯ had also moved into the city from the wilderness, which was even more surprising. So I simply attached my spirit to the city, trying to pass the time by observing the activities of such short-lived creatures¡­ In the early days, all the races in the city were at peace. Humans worked diligently, and the larger tribal leaders, known as the ¡®Beasthead Avatars¡¯, gave orders. The great ruler lived in the grand temple at the center of the city, where she was worshipped by all of them as the supreme ruler¡ª¡±


    Hao Ren could not help interrupting, ¡°That ¡®evil spirit¡¯ has been the ¡®lord of the city¡¯ for a period of time? How long?¡±


    ¡°Not for a long time, probably decades,¡± Ertos said, not minding Hao Ren¡¯s interruption. ¡°And she never really ¡®ruled¡¯ the city. She spent most of her time sleeping in the pyramid. But anyway, the city was peaceful for the first few decades¡­ Then things got worse.


    ¡°The great ruler was not emotionally stable. In fact, I suspect that most of the time she didn¡¯t have normal sense and logic. She seemed completely immersed in her own world, reacting to stimuli that seemed strange to me. She was a moody and unpredictable ¡®god of chaos¡¯. At first, her mood swings caused her to be occasionally violent, but as time went on, her temper gradually worsened.


    ¡°The increasing tyranny of the great ruler had, of course, caused consternation among the citizens of the city, but no one was a worthy opponent. The conflict became more and more serious as each day passed, and the behavior of the great ruler slowly reached a completely unreasonable level. Thus, the city residents finally rebelled under the leadership of the Beasthead Avatars.


    ¡°But, it was strange that the tyrannical ruler turned a blind eye to such blatant rebellion. She watched while the Beasthead Avatars and the people gathered in the city, and when the rebels were about to rise, she disappeared from the grand temple without a trace. The angry rebels were so emotionally overwhelmed that they were not aware of the abnormality of the situation. They ransacked the whole temple and took all the treasures home. Based on my years of observing people, I think it was a sign of fear.¡±


    Lily nodded and said, ¡°Fear can cause people to do things that go beyond fear itself because it is only by acting more crazily that they can become desensitized and escape their inner insecurities.¡±


    Hao Ren felt that the doubt in his heart was finally solved.


    Why did the grand temple show signs of being ransacked? A rebellion, it seemed, but in a form that was quite different from what they had originally suspected. It was not the lower classes who revolted against the high priests, but everyone, including the priests and the people, revolted against the ¡°god¡±. During the early stages of the rebellion, the so-called ¡°god¡± did not intervene, leading to the looting of the grand temple, so there was no serious damage.


    ¡°That ¡®evil spirit¡¯ certainly didn¡¯t turn into a good person all of a sudden,¡± Y¡¯zaks said in a muffled voice. ¡°She soon fought back, didn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Yes, just as the rebellion ended so hastily, and the priests as well as the people dispersed, the great ruler suddenly appeared and brought on a great calamity.¡±


    Hao Ren raised an eyebrow. ¡°She destroyed the city of Ertos?¡±


    ¡°Worse than that,¡± Ertos answered. ¡°She summoned a blood moon and bathed the city in its light. Moonlight ruled everyone¡¯s mind, and everyone in the city started to kill each other. Some tried to get out of the gate, but the moonlight formed a wall in front of them. Some tried to record what happened here before they died, but the moonlight made them hallucinate, making them carve words in the air instead. The last of the sober Beasthead Avatars fought a near-death struggle and almost succeeded. They summoned the power of the ancestral spirits to crash down upon a section of the wall and punch a hole through the moonlight barrier. Yet, they failed¡­¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Lily asked impatiently.


    ¡°Space collapsed,¡± Ertos explained. ¡°The great ruler had torn the spatial structure apart, throwing the entire city into another space.¡±

 Chapter 1412 - History Thereafter

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    This was the real reason why the lost city of Ertos had become what it was today.


    It was not that Vivian could not remember the city, it was that she had never been there before. The one who controlled the city was her Malevolence, who pushed the entire city into an alien dimension. Everything was beyond Hao Ren¡¯s conjecture. It was totally unlike his understanding of the concept of the Malevolence¡¯s unique existence.


    It was a surprise that there was such a unique individual in the Malevolence.


    Hao Ren still had many questions, but he tried not to speculate. Pulling himself out of confusion, Hao Ren kept asking what happened after that. The condition of the giant statue army and the Spirit of Ertos suggested that something must have happened after the city was plunged into the alien dimension.


    ¡°After the city fell into the other dimension, what did you experience?¡± he asked Ertos telepathically.


    ¡°At that moment, the last surviving resistance in the city also died in the space-time tremor. After that, the ¡®master¡¯ stood on the top of the pyramid of the Grand Temple for a long time, at least for hundreds of years. I did not know what she was thinking, maybe she thought nothing at all. So during that time, I slowly recovered from my injury.¡±


    ¡°Injury?¡± Lily blinked. ¡°What injury?¡±


    ¡°Do you really think that I was unaffected under the omnipresent moonlight?¡± Ertos said with a sense of helplessness in her voice. ¡°Even the spirit of the chaotic wanderers could not resist the weird crimson moon. I did not know what it was, but the light almost shattered my soul, and its bad energy continued to exist hundreds of years after the city plunged into the alien dimension. I thought that this situation would go on forever. But then the moonlight slowly faded, and I was able to breathe a sigh of relief.¡±


    ¡°And then what happened to the master? Why did she return to the pyramid?¡± Lily asked as she could not hold back her curiosity.


    ¡°I have no idea. But since the city fell into the alien dimension, the power of the master had been steadily declining. I am only a spirit, but I could still feel it. She had stood on the pyramid for a long time until the power of the moonlight faded, she returned to the Grand Temple suddenly, and then fell into a deep sleep¡ªall of which I could never understand the logic of her actions.¡±


    ¡°There was no logic in her actions,¡± Vivian said. She forced a smile and shook her head. ¡°At least after she went crazy, there would be no logic.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks thought for a moment and then asked, ¡°After the master slept, did you take over the remaining stone statues?¡±


    ¡°They are my body,¡± Ertos replied. ¡°The city residents cut my armor and bones and made them into a variety of things, including stone soldiers. But it did not matter, I was just lending them my body for a while; after the people in the city died, I will take back my body.¡±


    When the voice of Ertos trailed off, the giant statues suddenly moved again. They turned around in a rumble and began to line up in a square formation. When Rollie saw this, her hair puffed up and she jumped half a meter high in the air. Rollie then arched her body and growled while scuttling back to behind Hao Ren.


    Meanwhile, Hao Ren had roughly figured out what happened. ¡°So these stone soldiers did not guard the master. They were watching her!¡±


    ¡°Not really. I know the power of these stone soldiers well. If the master woke up, these stone soldiers could not stop her. I was just monitoring this place to prevent people from wandering into this dimension and awakening the sleeper in the Grand Temple. In those long years, such things have happened more than once. The alien dimension would somehow always come into contact with the primary material world, and once the adventurers entered the Grand Temple, it would have unpredictable consequences. I remember that the last group of people who came in even stood under the steps of the Grand Temple. They were just a group of humans but possessed incredible weapons and tenacious fighting spirit. Fortunately, I stopped them.¡±


    While Ertos¡¯ voice trailed off, stone soldiers stepped forward from behind the formation. It opened its palm, and some twisted metal and tattered uniforms sloughed down the gaps between its fingers.


    ¡°The British army,¡± Vivian said as she instantly recognized it. ¡°It is the British army uniforms during World War II.¡±


    ¡°Many soldiers disappeared mysteriously in history. Half of them, unfortunately, fell into a different dimension,¡± Hessiana said, shaking head with a sigh. ¡°These alien dimensions are legacy of the Mythological Era, and they still pose a threat to people nowadays.¡±


    Hao Ren also could not help but sigh. But he knew that Ertos had no choice. Hao Ren and his men had proved that Ertos¡¯ concern was valid and that outsiders who trespassed the Grand Temple would wake up the master. Had those waking up the master today not this group of superhumans but the ordinary adventurers, the consequences would be unimaginable.


    Since the Malevolence could plunge the city into a different dimension, she must have the ability to return to the main material world.


    Vivian looked up at the sky with a forced smile. ¡°So you sent the stone soldiers to attack us.¡±


    ¡°I was just stopping you from going into the Grand Temple,¡± Ertos said slowly. ¡°But who knew, you went straight into it.¡±


    ¡°That is the difference between an amateur troublemaker and a pro troublemaker,¡± said Hao Ren. ¡°We are a pro troublemaker.¡±


    Everyone was stupefied.


    Hessiana stepped back. ¡°Not we, okay? I am not one of you all.¡±


    ¡°No wonder your stone soldiers stayed away from the Grand Temple as far as possible. It was to avoid waking up the monsters,¡± Hao Ren said, shaking his head. ¡°And when we entered the Grand Temple, you let the stone soldiers stay put outside. Did that mean you had given up? You should have told me earlier; it was not like you could not talk. By sending a group of stone soldiers to greet us, who would not have put up a fight? Look what has happened now. We have blown your stone soldiers into pieces, and you kicked and hurt my cat. We both have suffered great losses.¡±


    Rollie came up and rubbed her head against Hao Ren¡¯s arm. ¡°Big Boss Cat, it does not hurt anymore.¡±


    The voice of Ertos sounded in everyone¡¯s mind. ¡°It was not that I did not want to talk with you, but this kind of communication would most likely awaken the master from her sleep. Had you not eliminated the master, I would not have opened my mouth again.¡±


    ¡°The mental exchange would awaken the master?¡± Hao Ren felt that he had learned a new piece of intelligence about the Malevolence. ¡°Did such a thing happen before?¡±


    ¡°The spiritual exchange itself would not awaken her, but it was dangerous to mention her in the spiritual communication. She was still watching the city while she was asleep. The risk of wakening her was simply too high.¡± Ertos sounded helpless. ¡°Many of those who broke into the Grand Temple behaved unpredictably. It was riskier to talk with them. There was once a group of escaping wizards started to form some crazy idea after discovering the hibernation location of the master. They wanted to deliberately waken the master to gain power from her. I really could not understand their self-destruction mindset and strange thinking of those little creatures. So chose not to talk until your appearance. You guys are an absolute surprise.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, after all, we not only woke her up but also killed her,¡± Hao Ren said with a shrug. ¡°We have figured out the ins and outs of the city, but I still have a lot of questions about the master. Do you know where she comes from?¡±


    ¡°I had a few conversations with her before she became completely insane,¡± Ertos said slowly. ¡°But the master never mentioned from where she was but just said that she was on the vast plains, with purpose and direction, did not know her name, race, and from where she came. Her mental state had been bizarre from the beginning, Her thoughts were often interrupted intermittently, or falling into a long silence. Sometimes she would suddenly switch to a different, esoteric topic. But more often than not, she was just talking to herself. I am sorry, it seems that I can¡¯t help you in this regard.¡±


    Hao Ren did not expect much from Ertos. Every Malevolence was mysterious and incomprehensible. Even Vivian had no idea when and where she had split into a Malevolence. The fact that the great master of the city of Ertos had an awake period was already a miracle. Hao Ren would not expect too much from Ertos.


    But just when Hao Ren was about to leave Ertos alone, Ertos suddenly spoke again. ¡°I do not know the origin of the master, but she has left something behind. You might be interested.¡±


    ¡°Something?¡± Vivian became interested. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°A gemstone. The master gave the gemstone to the city¡¯s high priest after waking up from a fitful sleep. If I am not mistaken, the gemstone should still be there where it was sealed.¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian could not help but look at each other thoughtfully.

 Chapter 1413 - The Departure of Ertos

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The gemstone that Ertos mentioned was right beneath the Grand Temple. The old priests of the day apparently attached great importance to the object. They had drilled a shaft of a few hundred meters deep in the bone foundation below the city. They built a secret chamber and sealed it with molten metal. It was because of this ridiculous storage method that the gemstone escaped the destruction caused by the battle between Hao Ren and the Malevolence, as well as the rebellion that occurred in the Grand Temple thousands of years ago.


    However, a shaft of a few hundred meters and a layer of metal were not a much a problem for Hao Ren¡¯s autonomous robots. The robots bored a sloping passage next to the high ground and extracted the gemstone.


    Just as Hao Ren and Vivian had expected, the gemstone was a blood crystal.


    A mysterious radiance flowed from the clear, blood-red gemstone. Each facet of the gem reflected the turbulent vortex at the dimensional boundary. It looked beautiful and mysterious. Vivian held the gem in her hand and gently caressed it. ¡°A Malevolence not only lived sanely for nearly a hundred years but also created such a blood spar before it completely went crazy. Hao Ren, what do you think is inside?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps the Malevolence¡¯s message,¡± Hao Ren said with a frown. ¡°But I do not recommend that you absorb this thing. This Malevolence is too unusual. She was even divine. The bloodstone that she left behind is definitely different from what you have in the past.¡±


    ¡°I will think about it,¡± Vivian said, shaking the gemstone in her hand with a smile. ¡°But you know me, if knowing that there was no bad energy in the blood-red crystal, I will surely absorb it. After all, every piece of blood spar contains my lost memories or precious information. I cannot turn a blind eye to it.¡±


    Hao Ren knew Vivian well enough that he knew he could not easily change her mind. He said no more but just nodded gently. ¡°Then be careful. If you decided to absorb it, do inform me beforehand.¡±


    ¡°Of course I will,¡± Vivian said with a smile and a nod. But just before she continued, a rumble suddenly came from afar, accompanied by a series of bursting sound. The ground under the feet began to shake slightly.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Y¡¯zaks quickly looked up and into the distance. A cloud of dust gradually rose up in his vision.


    A vast expanse of dust clouds rose from the edge of the city. Buildings in the dust shook and collapsed. While the dust clouds rose, it twisted as if being stirred by an unseen force. The dust clouds gradually formed into a terrible vortex as if a tornado and almost became one with the sand vortex at the dimensional boundary.


    Hao Ren knew what it was with just a glance. ¡°The collapse of the alien dimension has accelerated!¡±


    Hessiana was shocked. ¡°How could this be? Is it not there are still a few days before the total collapse?¡±


    ¡°During the battle with the Malevolence, I have detonated at least several dozens of nuclear warheads with more than half of the destructive energy reaching the dimensional boundary,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°Not to mention, there was Lily¡¯s Doggoblast, Vivian¡¯s Lighting Storm, and a bloody sea of the Malevolence. With so many things exploding at the same time, would you still think that this place would hold up?¡±


    Hessiana looked at Hao Ren and froze. After a long while, she said, ¡°Since you know that you are the culprit, why do you still sound so blunt?¡±


    ¡°What choice did I have in that situation?¡± Hao Ren rolled his eyes at the little bat and then turned to look at the transparent ¡®jellyfish¡¯ that was slowly drifting in the sky. ¡°Ertos, this place is going to fall apart. You have to get out of here!¡±


    ¡°I know, I know this day will come sooner or later,¡± Ertos said. Its voice was still calm despite the rumbling of the collapsing dimension. ¡°No need to worry about me, this kind of dimensional collapse won¡¯t kill a chaotic wanderer. You should leave now, the city would not hold up.¡±


    More violent earthquakes in the distance. The dimensional collapse had accelerated further. It was like an activated chain reaction; when the reaction had not yet started, the structure of space-time was still stable, but once it reached a tipping point, the disintegration would be as quick as sea wave hitting a sandcastle. It would be unstoppable. In just a matter of a few words, Hao Ren saw smoke and dust rose in all sides of the city. In the most severely disintegrating places, the entire land rolled up with buildings and broken boulders floating like foams. They whirled in the air into a spiral and then plunged into the drifting sand vortex at the chaotic boundary.


    The entire lost city was falling into the vortex at the dimensional boundary with an accelerated speed.


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Vivian asked aloud. ¡°Are you sure you can get out?¡±


    Ertos did not answer directly but sighed. ¡°I have been stranded in this place for too long. Now, the master has died, and the city has come to an end. It is time to say goodbye to this place. Go! While you still can.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Hao Ren had felt the determination of Ertos in the spiritual connection. He held Vivian and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, it knows what it is doing.¡±


    The disintegration of the dimension was gradually approaching its peak, and finally, the gravity environment began to dissipate. The gravitation force relied on the space-time structure to exist. When this structure crumbles, the gravity weakened and twisted. The entire ancient city of Ertos slowly tilted into the quicksand barrier, the structure on the edge of the city was torn apart and spiraled into the quicksand vortex. Hao Ren and his team quickly ran across above the city. They saw a massive black crack in the central axis of the city, where the bone fragments of Ertos spewed out of the cracks like the fire of hell.


    The spirit of Ertos began to leave the city.


    The enormous ¡®jellyfish¡¯ retracted its tentacles. Its nearly transparent body slowly changed shape, as if preparing for the final sprint. On the ground, the runes on the stone soldiers went out one by one, after they lost control. Their burning core finally cooled down. After losing the core support, these exquisite figurines could never move again. Like the natural stones, they floated off the ground and drifted toward the lowering dimensional boundary as the gravity went haywire.


    It had been a wise move to leave a set of stabilizers at the dimensional entrance earlier.


    The collapse of the alien dimension had destabilized the passage to the main material world. Had it without the stabilizer, the passage might have been reduced a beam of energy spark. When Hao Ren and his team arrived at the exit, the passage that used to be a wide gap had turned into a glaring circular hole. The edge of the portal, forcibly maintained by the stabilizer, continuously burst in bright electric arcs and was clearly on its limit.


    ¡°Get the hell out of here quickly. This place is not going to hold any longer!¡± Hessiana hurried Y¡¯lisabet and Rollie as they ran toward the exit. ¡°Everyone keeps up! Don¡¯t fall behind!¡±


    Everyone passed through the portal. Hao Ren and Vivian were running at the rear of the group. As their front feet stepped into the space-time tunnel and before it completely collapsed, they looked back at the lost city.


    The entire city had almost completely disintegrated. The earth had broken up and floated in the dimension, the ruin of the Grand Temple had collided with pyramids in the air and crumbed into million pieces in a series of loud bangs.


    A translucent, formless large creature floated above the wrecks. It stayed there as if paying the last tribute to its former body before turning around and drifting toward the most massive vortex of the dimensional boundary.


    The powerful tearing force of the dimensional collapse seemed to not affect Ertos. Its figure swayed slightly in the vortex before disappearing through the barrier.


    In the heads of Hao Ren and Vivian, they heard Ertos say goodbye to them.


    ¡°It looks like a fish.¡± Rollie poked her head back out the space-time tunnel.


    ¡°Hurry up!¡± Hao Ren smacked on the head of this dumb cat who seemed to be completely ignorant of the danger. ¡°This place is disintegrating!¡±


    The moving in the unstable space-time tunnel was a dizzying experience. But the disorientation did not last long before Hao Ren felt that his feet were already on solid ground. He shook his head and quickly adapted his eyes to the dim environment.


    It was still the cave covered with yellow sand.


    The two men of Hessiana still faithfully waited there. They rushed up to them when everyone emerged from the crack safely. ¡°Oh, great, you are all safe. Matriarch, this place has been shaking for quite a while!¡±


    Hessiana looked around at the cave. The walls of the cave were also squirming and contracting. The yellow sand on the ground was dissipating like a phantom in the wind. ¡°Let¡¯s first get the hell out of here. This cave will be gone soon.¡±


    The young male vampire saw the grave expression on Hessiana¡¯s face and asked, ¡°Matriarch, what happened inside?¡±


    Hessiana glanced at Vivian and then at Hao Ren before letting out a soft sigh. ¡°My family is a mess. It is difficult for me to explain to you with your level of perception.¡±


    The young vampires were stupefied.

 Chapter 1414 - Vivian and the Malevolence

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The young vampires certainly had no idea what Hessiana was talking about. What the heck did she mean by ¡°my family is a mess?¡± Even the little bat had a hard time explaining that. ¡°My mom and dad just killed my aunt. But my aunt¡¯s probably my sister, My mom and I are probably sisters too, genetically speaking. So probably, it was my sister and my stepdad or brother-in-law who killed my aunt or sister.¡± Hessiana had lost the thread with this messy relationship in mind. But this problem was not new. The proposition of seniority amongst Vivian¡¯s splits was already an ethical one. This question had been bothering Hessiana since she was old enough to know better. It was hard for her to not harp on it, but she had stopped thinking about it at last. But then, humans developed cloning technology, and the question smacked her in the face again. When Hessiana thought of it, she could not help but feel like killing the scientists who developed cloning technology. Recalling the battle in the ancient city of Ertos, Hessiana suddenly felt like her head was full of water.


    However, it was clearly all in Hessiana¡¯s head. The seniority problem of Vivian¡¯s splits had never crossed the minds of others. Even Vivian never thought about it as the poor ancient vampire had enough problems of hunger and cold to deal with in the past.


    Vivian¡¯s comment of Hessiana had been consistent all this while: much ado about nothing.


    After Hao Ren and his team returned to the main material world, the collapse of the lost dimension lasted for four hours, during which the entire mining site could feel the continuous tremor. In the last hour, the quake reached its peak and even caused another small crack and landslide on a mountainside.


    After that, the cave leading to the other dimension disappeared.


    The city that once flourished on Earth finally passed away with the yellow sand. The Mythological Era did not even leave a record of it. Only Hao Ren and his men were its last witnesses who retained the memory of the city.


    After bidding farewell to Hessiana, everyone returned to their home in Southern Suburbs. They brought back not only a piece of blood spar, but also a ton of questions about the strange phenomenon of the Malevolence.


    Nangong Sanba and Nangong Wuyue were hooked to the exaggerated recount of the adventure of the lost city of Ertos by Lily. For the siblings who had never experienced the Mythological Era, listening to the adventure in the alien dimension was like seeing Mythological Era walking into reality. What amazed them was that one of Vivian¡¯s Malevolences had turned out to be the protagonist of the mythical story. Nangong Wuyue shook her in disbelief and said, ¡°I thought that the Malevolence did not have its own thinking and was not communicable. It is a surprise that this earlier one could talk although she had gone crazy at last.¡±


    ¡°Our understanding of Malevolence has been entirely based on a few encounters. But Raven 12345 has over twenty specimens of Malevolence; God knows what characteristics they possess,¡± Hao Ren said while shaking his head. ¡°And we found some clues on the planet Inferno before. Think about the demon-god Vivian; she once was the guardian of the native people there. So we could speculate that the Malevolence is sane during the early stages. But now it seems that sanity is only temporary.¡±


    While Hao Ren spoke, Noobie had come out form her mouse hole. Staggeringly, she climbed onto the table, looked around her surroundings, and then raised her hand at Rollie. ¡°Ghsss¡ª¡±


    Rollie blinked at Noobie, and reached out her hand, pinned Noobie on the table, began to slap her.


    Vivian glanced at Noobie thoughtfully. ¡°Maybe the insanity of the Malevolence is also temporary,¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Nangong Wuyue asked.


    ¡°No, nothing,¡± Vivian replied while shaking her head. She then looked at Hao Ren. ¡°I am more interested in the divinity of Ertos than the sanity of Malevolence.¡±


    Hao Ren intervened and stopped the ¡®domestic violence¡¯ of Rollie. He picked Noobie up, sorted her messy hair and then nodded. ¡°Yes, the divinity is the most special attribute observed so far.¡±


    ¡°How could Malevolence possesses divinity?¡± Nangong Sanba asked. He was wide-eyed. ¡°Are you sure that you did not make a mistake?¡±


    ¡°I am a professional quack with a work permit. What say you?¡± Hao Ren glanced at Nangong Sanba. ¡°I am 100% sure that it is divinity, not the inferior divinity of the divine objects or other creation of God. It is proper high-end stuff, the direct derivative of the goddess of creation, which is higher in terms of composition than a pope hand-picked by the true God like me.¡±


    ¡°If it was so powerful, how could you have killed it?¡± Nangong Wuyue asked in disbelief.


    ¡°Divinity does not determine strength, just as a diploma does not represent one¡¯s ability. It is all about wisdom and skill when it comes to combat,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°Of course, it was mainly because I was too impressive for it.¡±


    Everyone was like eye-rolling.


    ¡°Hey, Battie.¡± Lily poked Vivian¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Actually, I have something in mind.¡±


    Vivian looked quizzically at the husky who always had an oversized brain hole. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Lily counted her fingers and said, ¡°Look, the goddess has mentioned that there is something amiss about you: you are a creation of the goddess of creation but have none of her divinity. Is that not suspicious? And then every Malevolence has a different attribute, and then every time a Malevolence you split out from you, you will lose a certain amount of power. But then, when you absorb the remainder of the Malevolence, you master another skill.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get straight to the point. What are you trying to say?¡± Vivian said with a frown.


    Lily held her chin with an inscrutable look. ¡°I think that when adding all the Malevolences together will they be considered a whole. Every time a Malevolence split out from you, it will take away one of your characteristics, and divinity is only one of the attributes of this whole. The relationship between you and the Malevolence are not of a mother and split but should be equal. Just that you are more rational and occupying a larger proportion of the whole. So whether it is the Malevolence or yourself, it is no longer the complete creature that the goddess of creation has created in the first place. It must be the sum of all of you to count as a whole.¡±


    The husky maiden clapped her hands and continued. ¡°So you have no divinity. There is no divinity in every other Malevolence, because divinity is only one of the characteristics, and it is assigned to Ertos the master.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks scratched his bald head and said, ¡°I got what you mean. It really explains the problem of Vivian lacking divinity. But why do you have to emphasize that Vivian is just a ¡®fragment¡¯ like all the other Malevolences? As you said, all the Malevolences split from Vivian, so could we not treat Vivian as the ¡®mother¡¯?¡±


    Lily took a piece of biscuit out of her pocket¡ªshe always stuffed many snacks in her pockets. ¡°Because from the first division, the whole is no longer complete. Strictly speaking, the complete individual has disappeared and become two pieces of unequal size. Just that Battie is the larger piece. Smaller pieces are separating from her, but she could not be counted as the original. Just like this biscuit, I am going to break it evenly into ten pieces.¡±


    While speaking, Lily broke a small piece from the biscuit.


    ¡°When the first piece comes off, it becomes two pieces of biscuit.¡±


    Lily broke the biscuits one by one and eventually there were ten pieces of similar size.


    ¡°Look, what is the difference between them now?¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet¡¯s eyes brightened up. ¡°Ahh, I got it! Some have cream, and some don¡¯t!¡±


    Lily was stupefied.


    ¡°Did you sole study philosophy during your four times in Peking University?¡± Hao Ren said, shooting Lily a glance.


    ¡°It has nothing to do with philosophy! It is a simple aggregation question!¡± Lily said, banging the table. ¡°We used to always equate Battie with the creature created by the goddess of creation, and think that she had all the clues with her. We ignored the question of incompleteness. If we do not reverse this thinking, we will be going nowhere!¡±


    ¡°Can you not bang the table when you speak? Look at the crumbs, they are all over the table!¡± Hao Ren snorted.


    Lily lowered her head and licked the table clean. ¡°Now, is it clean enough?¡±


    Vivian was silent. She was in thought while her eyes moved continuously as if she had thought of something.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    Vivian was only jolted out of her thought when Hao Ren repeated his question. ¡°Ohh, nothing, nothing. I have just thought of something.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Vivian for a while and then shook his head. ¡°Let us leave the question of divinity for later when we see Raven 12345. Meanwhile, I care more about another matter. Vivian, do you remember the first time when you saw your Malevolence?¡±


    ¡°I remember it!¡± Lily said and raised her paw at once. ¡°Did we not find a magic book? We tried to summon evil spirits with that stuff, and it turned out to be Vivian¡¯s Malevolence.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded his head. ¡°Yep, that was our first encounter with the Malevolence. It was also the first time that Vivian met her Malevolence. At that time, Vivian did not see the face of the Malevolence. She saw the Malevolence was shrouded in a gauze-like fog. She was so surprised when she learned from us that the Malevolence looked identical to her.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that was the case,¡± Lily said while nodding.


    ¡°But since then, Vivian could always see the face of the Malevolences,¡± Y¡¯zaks said. ¡°Whether it is the demon-god on planet Inferno or Noobie here, Vivian see them all.¡±


    ¡°And in Ertos, a third scenario occurred. We all saw the Malevolence as a blurry mass. Only Vivian could see the monster clearly,¡± Hao Ren said, picking up from where Y¡¯zaks left off.


    He looked at everyone and said, ¡°I think something is amiss here.¡±

 Chapter 1415 - Now I See

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The light dawned on everyone when Hao Ren mentioned the seemingly inconspicuous detail.


    From the first time Vivian encountered her Malevolence, she had seen the Malevolence in three different ways. First, when everyone could see the Malevolence clearly, Vivian only saw a blurry figure. Second, everyone, including Vivian, could see the Malevolence clearly. And third, everyone could not see the Malevolence clearly except Vivian.


    Were there any patterns or secrets behind these three scenarios?


    ¡°In any case, they are certainly not natural phenomena,¡± Lorissa said. She was a ¡°newcomer¡±, but no stranger to this field of knowledge. ¡°From your description, the Malevolence seems to be an avatar with a real physical body, driven by negative spiritual energy. The noumenon¡ªVivian¡ªdoes not control the Malevolence, but there is still a certain connection between them. So this connection will inevitably affect how Vivian observes the Malevolence. Except for Vivian, everyone here is a non-related third-party observer of the Malevolence. So our observations of the Malevolence should be the ¡®standard results¡¯, and Vivian¡¯s observation of the Malevolence is a result of that influence from the connection, therefore not accurate. It is not just because of her or the observed target. The relationship between them is changing.¡±


    Lorissa spoke of her conjecture as if she was presenting an analytical scientific thesis, but it sent a chill up everyone¡¯s spine with how possible her inference could come out as accurate. Hao Ren¡¯s brows knitted together involuntarily. ¡°The relationship between Vivian and the Malevolence is changing? What kind of change will it be?¡±


    ¡°Do you notice that Vivian¡¯s observation of the Malevolence is evolving?¡± Nangong Sanba suddenly chimed in.


    ¡°Evolving?¡± Hao Ren glanced at him.


    ¡°From the blurry face in the beginning, then seeing as clearly as we did, to being able to observe its full phantom-like body; is this not an evolution?¡±


    ¡°Ahh! Battie¡¯s vision is getting better and better!¡± Lily said as if the light had dawned on her.


    ¡°Err, that is not what I mean,¡± Nangong Sanba said.


    ¡°The connection between the Malevolence and me has strengthened,¡± Vivian said, seemingly mindless of the interruption. She already had something in mind. ¡°Whether I like it or not, there is no way to cut off the connection between the negative avatars and me; we come from the same source. So what is happening right now is expected.¡±


    ¡°Are you dying, Battie?¡± Lily suddenly became nervous.


    ¡°A filthy mouth can¡¯t utter decent language!¡± Vivian glared at the husky maiden.


    ¡°Are you scolding me or just saying a declarative sentence?¡± Lily asked, tapping her mouth while trying to make of what Vivian meant.


    Vivian ignored Lily, got to her feet and stretched out. ¡°Forget it, it is late now. Shall we talk again tomorrow?¡±


    Lily looked at Vivian, confused. ¡°Battie, is your biological clock is out of sync? You usually only sleep in the latter part of the night.¡±


    ¡°I did not say that I wanted to sleep!¡± Vivian said with her arms akimbo. ¡°I just need some quiet time after all these things. Is that okay? ¡±


    Sensing a potential conflict, Hao Ren scrambled to diffuse the situation. ¡°Let¡¯s calm down, guys. Vivian has a point, it is late now. After the combat in Ertos, let us get a good rest. I am going to see Raven 12345 tomorrow to consult her about the divinity. No matter how eccentric the neurotic goddess is, she is still more pro than us.¡±


    Everyone agreed and went back to their rooms respectively.


    It was close to midnight. There were few houses in the neighborhood still had their lights on. Hao Ren¡¯s house was now so quiet that it had blended in with the surroundings.


    While others were sleeping like a log, Vivian sat at her bedside falling into deep thought.


    She did not feel the urge to sleep. What she really needed was to sort out her memories and the mess in her mind, and seriously think about the Malevolence and herself.


    It was very dark in the basement because Vivian did not turn on the light. The only lights came from the blinking lights on the equipment in the corner of the room and the skylight above the walls. These glimmers were not enough to illuminate the room. Instead, they cast some vague shadows around her. While Vivian was meditating, shadows were rippling around her as if there were living creatures lingering inside.


    Vivian meditated for a long while. Messy and broken memories came and went, she had no idea if those vague images that flashed across her mind were real. The dim moonlight outside the skylight had almost completely disappeared as if it was peering from behind the sea of thick clouds at the quiet land below.


    After a long while, Vivian looked up. As she moved, the shadows at the bedside swayed, and then a vague figure stood out from the dark.


    This shadow appeared transparent and illusory at first, fuzzy and distorted with a misty black gauze shrouded it. But the blurry figure quickly materialized, and it looked exactly the same as Vivian¡ªfrom head to toe, except for the blood-red hair. Her eyes were murky and lack of sanity.


    Both Vivian and the figure quietly faced each other. If not for one was sitting while the other was standing, it would have looked like a reflection in the mirror.


    But Vivian seemed to not see the phantom Malevolence before her. She just quietly stayed in the dark, her eyes looked past the phantom and landed somewhere in the corner of the room.


    After a moment of strange silence, Vivian stretched out and yawned. ¡°Forget it, maybe I should get some sleep now. Tomorrow I have to go to see the goddess with Hao Ren. I have been feeling sleepy for the past few days.¡±


    She did not see the figure in front of her.


    Vivian lay down. Phantom of the Malevolence did not say a word but turned around silently. A shadow as black as ink floated past behind her with footages¡ªthe conflicts in the Mythological Era, the collapse of the temples, the cold and desolate world of 10,000 years ago where right after the end of the Ice Age, and a god-made being stood on the earth.


    This god-made being looked very much like Vivian, but with a strange sense of disharmony. The coldness and indifference seemed to hide malice. But this malice beneath her beautiful face seemed to be ready to come out at once.


    Phantom of the Malevolence had gone, and the shadows she brought had also dissipated in the air. But in the dark basement, Vivian began to speak as if she was sleeptalking. ¡°Now I see.¡±


    The night in Southern Suburbs remained just as quiet as ever. The strange little phenomenon in the basement seemed to have no impact on the tranquility of the world. But in the realm imperceptible to humans, an unprecedented change was gradually taking over the planet.


    Everything seemed to be silent in the vast universe. But the eyes of the world manager had everything under her monitoring. The eyes included the wide-area radar signals from the sovereign hubs, as well as the gaze of Raven 12345 that transcended space and time. As her ¡®gaze¡¯ scanned the universe continuously, nothing could escape the scrutiny of the goddess, and rightly so.¡±


    But at a particular point in time, on the third planet of the Solar System, burst a small ripple. This ripple was inconspicuous compared with the gaze of the goddess, but it possessed divine authority. In the time of short as a Planck unit, this ripple had obscured the perception of the world¡¯s manager and temporarily stolen the space-time authority near the little planet.


    In the streets and alleys, mountains and rivers, and plains on Earth, things that did not belong to this era¡ªeven this world¡ªsuddenly appeared and replaced the real world.


    The ancient Roman army that drove the chariots appeared in the center of the town. Unicorns and golden armored warriors with horned helmets emerged on the highway. Giants of thunder walked down from the clouds. Valkyries on horses swept across the aurora of the Arctic Circle like meteors. The civilized world, which the humans had spent thousands of years on building, instantly shattered. Phantoms from ancient times in the modern world was a strange sight.


    The strange thing was that when these things from different eras and worlds appeared, they seemed to not affect life in the real world. Everywhere, humans lived their life just like any other day as if they did not notice the projections of the Mythological Era in their world. The Viking pirates swaggered in the downtown area. Members of the Roman Assemblies thronged the office buildings while modern humans were working among these phantoms, like puppets who lost their souls.


    What happened on the small planet was just a drop in the ocean for the entire universe. But the goddess had her eyes on this tiny ¡°blind spot¡±, and it attracted more and more of her attention.


    After a while, Raven 12345¡¯s voice rang throughout the universe.


    ¡°What the heck?¡±

 Chapter 1416 - Confusion

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    When the sun shone into the bedroom, Hao Ren was still asleep in his bed. But a sudden cry from outside the door awakened him. In his grogginess, he faintly heard Lily knocking vigorously on the door and repeatedly calling him, ¡°Mr. Landlord, something is happening!¡±


    Hao Ren staggered to sit up. Before he could open his eyes, he heard a loud bang. Squinting his eyes, Hao Ren saw two pieces of broken door panels piercing through the air and flying in his direction. His heart skipped a beat. He bounced up instinctively, dodging the first shard of wood in a split second. Almost immediately, the second piece hit the wall next to his bed.


    As soon as the shards dropped to the floor, Lily lunged in and pressed Hao Ren to the wall. ¡°Mr. Landlord, something is happening!¡± Lily yelled.


    By now, Hao Ren was totally awake, thanks to the husky¡¯s abrupt and bang-bang actions. He felt that he was having hyperemia from his lumbar up. Hao Ren could barely push Lily¡¯s face away with all his might. ¡°What is wrong with you this early in the morning?! You are crushing my Steel Membrane Shield!¡±


    He thought the exaggeration would scare off the crazy ancient dog, but it did not work this time. Lily was unmoved, still gripping him by his arm with one hand and pointing out the window with the other. ¡°Mr¡­ Mr. Landlord, look outside!¡±


    Hao Ren turned and looked out the window, his jaw dropped to the floor. ¡°Holy moly, has someone finally come to the Southern Suburbs and built a theme park here?¡±


    ¡°It is not a theme park!¡± Lily screamed. ¡°Everything has gone wrong! Big Guy and Nangong Sanba just went out to check around and came back with pale faces. The other parts of the town are even worse than here!¡±


    Hao Ren turned his neck stiffly and looked at the strange scene outside the window.


    A majestic megalithic temple in ancient Roman-style architecture stood at the end of the pothole-filled street in Southern Suburbs. If Hao Ren remembered it correctly, that should be the location of the small grocery shop. It seemed the fat owner¡¯s dream of rebuilding his old building, which he inherited from his ancestors, had finally come true. But this Roman-style mansion was no way for human¡¯s dwelling. In the surroundings of the megalithic temple, stone slabs covered the old concrete street. Pedestrians in various costumes from various ages and worlds traversed on the roads. Sometimes, there were even antique vehicles straight out of history books hustled past, and unknown birds and animals emerged in a flash. From his short while of observation, Hao Ren had least identified a few distinct people of ancient Romans, Egyptians, and Persians. He even saw a group of armored soldiers with shiny armor from the Ming Dynasty. Among them were two ax-wielding Vikings with bare shoulders.


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and looked farther.


    A pyramid stood in the direction of the Southern Suburban market and a mountain peak shrouded in the clouds was behind and above the pyramid. Two giant flying creatures that looked like pterodactyls swooped down from the summit with a shrill. On the back of these two weird creatures were two warriors who looked like from ancient Greek, but they were not Greeks.


    As far as Hao Ren could remember, no ancient Greeks were four meters in height.


    ¡°Mr. Landlord. Have you seen it?¡± Lily¡¯s faint voice came from behind, and Hao Ren finally came to his senses. ¡°Everything is so wrong.¡±


    ¡°I saw it, I saw it¡­¡± While speaking, Hao Ren blinked and quickly calmed himself down. He was no more the rookie who reacted in a fulsome way when seeing a flying PDA. What he saw now was nothing in terms of the visual impact compared to what he had seen before. His shock a while ago was mainly because he was caught off-guard. Never in his imagination and logic that such sights could have happened on Earth. As he calmed down, his mind became clear, and he started thinking.


    ¡°When did this happen?¡± Hao Ren asked Lily.


    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Lily replied, shaking her head. ¡°It was already like that when I woke up. I asked others, they were just as clueless.¡±


    ¡°That is to say, it happened sometime last night, silently and no one noticed,¡± Hao Ren said with his brows knitted together. ¡°Did you just say Nangong Sanba and Y¡¯zaks had gone out to check out the situation?¡±


    ¡°Yep, the two of them went out at once when they saw the situation was not right. It seemed that the phenomenon exists everywhere¡ªat least they found it the same in the town center and the neighboring towns.¡±


    ¡°Could it be an apparition or something?¡±


    ¡°Not an apparition!¡± Lily said, shaking her head immediately. She then handed out a small object to Hao Ren. ¡°This is what Nangong Sanba brought back from outside.¡±


    Hao Ren took the object in his hand. It was a silver coin, not very refined. His shallow knowledge in history and relics meant that he had no idea to which era and kingdom this silver coin belonged to. He only knew that it was definitely not from China.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Hao Ren asked, looking up.


    ¡°The silver coins of the ancient Persia,¡± Lily said as she blinked. ¡°Nangong Sanba found it on the body of a dead Persian soldier by the roadside. An ancient Egyptian killed the soldier.¡±


    ¡°That was kind of messy,¡± Hao Ren said.


    ¡°Mr. Landlord, do you know what happens?¡± Lily asked as she held and shook Hao Ren¡¯s arm. Her tail stiffened, and she rolled down on the floor because she was nervous. ¡°This phenomenon is not supposed to appear on Earth. Isn¡¯t Earth a safe zone?¡±


    ¡°Earth is only relatively peaceful. But since finding out that the God of this universe is a female neurotic, I have been mentally prepared for everything,¡± Hao Ren said, trying to calm Lily down. He then reached for his jacket hung on his bedside. ¡°Lily, let me get changed. Please take Lil Pea out with you, she has woken up.¡±


    After getting changed, he went straight down to the living hall. Unsurprisingly, everyone had gathered in a circle there. Among them were the Nangong couples. Everyone was there except Vivian.


    ¡°Where is Vivian?¡± Hao Ren frowned and asked. It was rare to see Vivian being absent.


    ¡°I have no idea where she goes,¡± Nangong Wuyue, sitting next to her brother, answered. ¡°I did not see her since the early morning. It looks like the kitchenware is untouched in the kitchen.¡±


    ¡°The kitchenware is untouched?¡± Hao Ren was startled.


    He immediately felt something was amiss. The kitchen was Vivian¡¯s territory in the house. Cooking was the most important things in her daily routine. She would stick to it no matter what and as long as she was at home.


    Was she attracted by the scene outside that she left everything behind and flew out to investigate?


    Hao Ren quickly ruled out this possibility because it was out of Vivian¡¯s character. She was thoughtful and paying attention to detail. Even if there were an emergency, she would at least leave some notes or something behind.


    ¡°Have you looked carefully enough?¡± Hao Ren turned to look at Lily. ¡°I mean using nose.¡±


    ¡°I did. The first thing I do after getting up every morning is to see what Vivian has cooked for breakfast. Her smell here is of yesterday. There are no signs of her walking out the door. If she flew out through the skylight, then I would not have known.¡±


    Hao Ren felt uneasy. Vivian¡¯s disappearance could be related to the scene outside. It might be too early to conclude that Vivian was missing, but the series of abnormal situations made him think otherwise.


    Even if she was only going out to check out the situation, it was still worrisome considering the strange phenomenon outside.


    The more Hao Ren thought of it, the antsier he got. He suddenly got to his feet. ¡°Let¡¯s check out the basement.¡±


    There was nothing unusual in Vivian¡¯s room.


    Except that Vivian did not make her bed.


    ¡°This is not her,¡± Hao Ren said after glancing at the bed. ¡°Making the bed is her first priority in the morning.¡±


    ¡°I have never done it,¡± Lily said matter-of-factly.


    ¡°Crap, yours are a kennel,¡± Hao Ren said and shot Lily a look. He then bent down to examine Vivian¡¯s bed. ¡°It is still unkempt. She must have left in a hurry, but there are no signs of struggle, and the security alarm around the house has not detected anything. We can rule out someone took her away.¡±


    Hao Ren firmly believed that there was no one on this planet who could quietly kidnap Vivian. Even if Vivian had weakened, she was still an apex creature. Nobody could easily take her away and leave no trace at the scene. Setting that aside, with the Xi Ling Empire¡¯s security system in the house, it was impossible for even a demigod to infiltrate the place. All the more so when each sensor of the security system was connected to the thinking core of the MDT and Hao Ren¡¯s mental link.


    So Vivian left by herself.


    ¡°Did she just disappear into thin air?¡± Lily scratched her face and mumbled.

 Chapter 1417 - Vivian Is Missing

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Vivian was missing.


    Hao Ren quickly found Vivian¡¯s mobile phone on the bedside table in the basement. As the first high-tech communication gadget Vivian had ever used, she treated it like a treasure. Even when Vivian transformed into a bat, she would not leave her phone at home even if she had to use magic to change the form of the phone for ease of carrying. Now, with Vivian missing and the phone still on the bedside table, something wrong must have happened to her.


    Lily, Lorissa, and Nangong Sanba had searched around the house but to no avail. Even with the use of the werewolf¡¯s (husky) tracking skills and the demon hunter¡¯s tracking spells, they could not trace Vivian, who did not leave the slightest trace behind. It was as if she had disappeared into thin air from the basement.


    ¡°I¡¯ve searched every inch of the house. There is no trace of Battie,¡± Lily said. She became anxious when she could not find Vivian. ¡°It is chaotic out there. Some places and streets have changed so much that I could have been lost if not for my sharp sense of smell.¡±


    ¡°She disappeared into thin air?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s heart sank. ¡°This is a god-protected place. Ahh, the goddess! Raven 12345 might know what happened.¡±


    Hao Ren quickly contacted Raven 12345, but there was no reply¡ªnot even the annoying automatic reply¡ª from Raven 12345 in the spiritual connection.


    Lily looked at Hao Ren anxiously and noticed the changes in his facial expression. ¡°Mr. Landlord, what¡¯s the matter?¡± she asked.


    ¡°The communication with the divine realm is disrupted like there is interference,¡± Hao Ren said. His brows knitted together. ¡°This has never happened before.¡±


    ¡°There was no answer to the request for teleporting to the divine realm as well,¡± the MDT said. ¡°I have detected that Earth has fallen into a strange state, and it is tough to contact the other information stations in the universe. We seem to be inside a barrier.¡±


    ¡°The whole earth has gone wrong?¡± Hao Ren asked with a frown.


    When things got out of control, Lily¡¯s skittishness was wholly laid bare. So the husky scuttled to behind Hao Ren nervously. ¡°Mr. Landlord, what should we do? We can¡¯t even contact the goddess.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I did not expect Raven¡¯s help most of the time. What is more important now is that we should remain calm,¡± Hao Ren said as he tried to comfort Lily. ¡°I am worried about Vivian, but first we must figure out what happens to this planet. Let us split up, two in a team. Don¡¯t miss any details, however the slightest. Come back before noon. If anyone of you has a problem coming back, don¡¯t be panic. Stay where you are and make as much noise as possible. I will look for you in your assigned area. Things are out of control now. We can forget about the secrecy rules for now.¡±


    While speaking, Hao Ren looked outside the window. He was thinking to himself that since it was chaotic everywhere, no one was going to notice even if there was a fairy coming from the wonderland. But are the people of this world okay?


    Nangong Sanba and Y¡¯zaks had earlier gone out to check out the situation and come back in a hurry, but they had observed something. The ordinary people wearing modern clothes were still on the street, but those people were in a strange state. Hao Ren would have to see it for himself the real situation.


    Hao Ren was worried about Vivian. It was hard for him to remain calm, but he managed to. Hao Ren knew very well that without any leads, he had to figure out the situation outside to make any breakthrough. Perhaps the disappearance of Vivian had something to do with the changes outside.


    Before leaving, Hao Ren instructed Rollie to take care of Lil Pea and keep an eye on Noobie lest she slipped out of the house.


    Hao Ren and Lily were in the same team, mainly to check out the situation within Southern Suburbs while others would go to the city and other provinces. Nangong Sanba and Y¡¯zaks had been to those places earlier, but they were in a hurry. Other than seeing the various incredible phenomena, they did not conduct an in-depth investigation.


    Hao Ren also sent out a batch of probes from his dimensional pocket. These probes could travel farther than humans did, going all the way to the other side of Earth to see if the same thing was happening around the world.


    Southern Suburbs, once a peaceful place, had undergone so many changes that it was no longer the place Hao Ren knew. He could still see some familiar neighborhoods when he first stepped out of the house. But as he kept going, things became so bizarre that it was almost illogical.


    A triumphal arch stood at the entrance of the Southern Suburbs Elementary School with Qin foot soldiers and Mongolian carrying scimitars marching under it.


    The Southern Suburbs market had now turned into a small desert. The edge of the desert was sharp and jagged as if it was torn down from a map and then pieced together on this land. At the other end of the desert stood a majestic pyramid, which along with the surrounding space, occupied an extensive area far beyond the small market could accommodate. It was apparent that the drop-in structure had replaced a large number of buildings in the surroundings.


    There was even a stately stone bridge that straddled in front. The stone bridge was so large and gorgeous that it would only exist in the fantasy game. Green vines hung from the bridge and moss grew as high as a dozen meters on the piers. Around the stone bridge was lush bushes and shrubs.


    Everything was so messed up.


    Finally, Hao Ren saw ordinary humans.


    On a street that barely retained its original appearance, Hao Ren and Lily saw a few familiar faces. They were the neighbors living in Southern Suburbs.


    A small grocery store facing the street had just opened its door for business. Zhao, who ran the store, laboriously pushed the old rolling door open. Sometimes the rolling door would be stuck halfway. Wu, the owner who ran a shop selling cooking oil and salt next door, helped out Zhao with the old door.


    ¡°Should have replaced the goddamn door,¡± Zhao said, shaking his head.


    ¡°You said that last year,¡± Wu retorted while rubbing his hands.


    ¡°I also said that two years ago. But what could I do? My wife said it was a waste of money. Rolling this thing up is hard work, but hey, even thief would find it too troublesome to break in.¡±


    A few Spartans stood by the two store owners, wearing only a pair of leather pants. But strangely, the Spartans and the store owners seemed to not see each other.


    Hao Ren and Lily quickly went up. They looked inquisitively at the Spartan warriors who stood, almost naked, in the cold wind. They then looked at Zhao and Wu, who seemed to be normal, trying to find some clues.


    When Zhao saw Hao Ren, he said, ¡°Hao Ren? Do you want anything? First, let me tidy up the storefront a bit. I am running a bit late today.¡±


    The wrinkled face of the store owner still had the same smile. It seemed that nothing was wrong about him.


    Zhao remained normal although a group of Spartan soldiers stood nearby, a sphinx was not far away, the jungle had swallowed half of his store at the rear, and a creature that looked like a wild boar was growling on the roof of his shop.


    Lao Zhao seemed to turn a blind eye to all this.


    ¡°Uncle Zhao¡­¡± That was how Hao Ren used to address the elderly store owner as a sign of respect. Hao Ren was observing Zhao, but he did not show it on the face. He turned on his side and pointed at the Sphinx not far away. ¡°What do you think of this sphinx?¡±


    He suddenly felt everything around him stuck for a brief moment like a rusty gear, and then the store owner, Zhao, still with a familiar smile on his face, said to Hao Ren, ¡°Hao Ren? Do you want anything? First, let me tidy up the storefront a bit. I am running a bit late today.¡±


    Hao Ren again looked at the familiar old neighbor. He had observed that behind his bright smile, there was a stiffly and unfeeling scent as if a puppet. The old man that Hao Ren knew for over twenty years now appeared like a holographic image. Each strand of hair was as real as it got, but Hao Ren could sense an inorganic sense of incongruity.


    Hao Ren took Lily and quickly left the place.


    ¡°Mr. Landlord, what is going on?¡± the husky maiden asked, feeling a little scared.


    ¡°What a shame to claim that you are a writer. Where is your imagination?¡± Hao Ren said without looking at Lily. ¡°It is apparent that the real person has been replaced. Now I am afraid that except for us, some projected images have replaced these people.¡±


    ¡°What about the ancient people and buildings?¡± Lily asked as she looked around. A flying white horse was just flying past at low altitude, riding on it was a heroic Valkyrie. ¡°And these guys from the mythology?¡±


    ¡°They are also a projection¡ªwith a material body,¡± Hao Ren said with a frown. ¡°But I think they are more than mere projections. Have you discovered that there are more and more things like that in this messed-up space and time, while the real things are getting fewer and fewer? When we passed by a while ago, there were still a few pedestrians wearing modern clothes on the streets. But now, there are only a bunch of Ancients and monsters roaming around.¡±


    Lily shrank her neck and stuck out her tongue. ¡°It just so happens that Battie has also gone missing. Does all of this have something to do with her?¡±

 Chapter 1418 - Debriefing

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren had a thousand and one questions in his mind, but he had to refrain from going farther. It was time to regroup in his house. Strangely, while the entire Southern Suburbs and even the whole world had transformed, his old house and a small area around it remained unaffected by the messed-up space and time. Like a safe house in a disaster, Hao Ren¡¯s house was now the only stable refuge amid the global chaos.


    Hao Ren and Lily were the first to return. The house remained quiet. Rollie was lying on a blanket in front of the mouse hole at the corner, soundly asleep. A meter away, Lil Pea was in the water basin. It seemed that the dumb cat was dedicated to the task that Hao Ren had assigned to her. But to be able to sleep like a log in such a chaotic time, it seemed that the cat was a little too heartless.


    Seeing that the dumb cat and Lil Pea were snoozing, and Noobie was not coming out to cause trouble, Hao Ren decided to let the sleeping cat lie. He flung himself on the sofa. While waiting for the others to come back, Hao Ren discussed with Lily about what they found outside and where Vivian could possibly have gone. They spoke in whispers.


    Half an hour later, Hao Ren finally breathed a sigh of relief when everyone came back safe and sound.


    ¡°There is nothing dangerous out there¡ªat least, we haven¡¯t met with anything dangers,¡± said Nangong Sanba the moment he stepped into the house. ¡°Those ancient people seem to live in their own space and time. Their world may have overlapped with our real world, but it does not respond to anything outside their space and time.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue followed behind her brother. ¡°We went to the city center. Guess what? It has turned into a forest. What is left of Whitestone Building are merely two-story shops. The upper levels have turned into the village of the elves,¡± she said.


    ¡°Please come in. We need to do a debrief,¡± Hao Ren said.


    Everyone sat in a circle around the coffee table. Hao Ren first looked at Lorissa. Earlier, everyone went out in a group of two except for Lorrisa. She was confident of her ability but not used to work in a team. The elven queen had a wealth of knowledge in magic and superb perception. She could use her incredible spells to see the minutest details that no one could see. So Hao Ren wanted to first hear from the elven queen what she was thinking.


    ¡°First of all, everyone should have known by now that the phantoms are all real,¡± Lorissa said. ¡°They look very odd and do not respond naturally to external stimuli, but from a physical point of view, they are all true. Secondly, all the changes are randomly located. I am not very sure about the history of your planet, but I can see that those ¡®things¡¯ come from different times and civilizations. They are randomly distributed, and their interactions are unnatural. I guess all these things are not the effect of magic.¡±


    ¡°Not a magic effect?¡± Y¡¯zaks was doubtful.


    ¡°I have not sensed any magic energy,¡± Lorissa said as she turned around. ¡°I projected my mind into the atmosphere, high enough to have a bird¡¯s-eye view and do a wide-area scan. I am sure that those things that pop up out of nowhere are not of magic. They are a more advanced form of existence.¡±


    ¡°A more advanced form of existence?¡± Hao Ren scratched his chin. ¡°Replacing the real world?¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Lily asked as she did not hear Hao Ren clearly.


    ¡°Nothing, please continue,¡± Hao Ren replied.


    After Lorissa, it was everyone else¡¯s turn. At last, the MDT summed up their findings and came to a few conclusions.


    ¡°As Lorissa mentioned, there is no pattern to the distribution of all the phenomena, or any magic.¡±


    The MDT floated up and projected various images in the air. Some of the visuals were taken while Hao Ren was investigating outside, some were sent back from the probes, which were now scouting around in America.


    ¡°Secondly, according to the information sent back by the probes, we can be sure that the phenomenon affects the whole world. The ¡®real phantoms¡¯ are everywhere. There is the frosty Tower of the Babel in the South Pole and Poseidon in the Atlantic Ocean. We are stuck in the strange, dream-like scenes.


    ¡°The house we live in and the small area around the house seems to have become a ¡®safe island.¡¯ No matter how strange the space-time out there is, it does not affect the area within 15 meters radius of our home.¡±


    ¡°I think this is because of the power of the goddess. Hao Ren is the Pope, and the pope¡¯s palace is under the protection of the goddess.¡± Lorissa chimed in with her opinion.


    ¡°I think what you said makes a lot of sense,¡± Hao Ren hemmed and said.


    The MDT swayed in the air and brought everyone¡¯s attention back. ¡°Listen. After the change, people of this world have become abnormal. Perhaps the illusion of overlapping space and time causes them to undergo similar changes, they are now living in an isolated space and time, seemingly ignorant of the changes happening around. I have no idea how long this ¡®protective response¡¯ would last, but one thing is sure, everything on this planet has been ¡®isolated,¡¯ except for us.¡±


    ¡°That sounds scary,¡± Lily said with her arms crossed involuntarily.


    The Nangong couple stood up and said, ¡°We have a question: we both moved out a while ago. We did not live in this ¡®safe house¡¯ when the change happened. But now it seems that the change has not affected both of us.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that is weird. My parents seem fine. They were still on the outside at the time,¡± Nangong Wuyue said.


    ¡°Perhaps it was because of me?¡± Hao Ren said, scratching his face. ¡°I am propitious?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be narcissistic. It is mainly because both of them have also come into contact with the power of Madam Raven before. They are also blessed,¡± the MDT said bluntly. ¡°I guess divinity or power associated with divinity could resist this messed-up space and time. On the other hand, this phenomenon may also have something to do with divinity. But let us not come to a conclusion yet since were have no sufficient information.¡±


    ¡°Those who have been in contact with Raven 12345 could resist the change?¡± Hao Ren suddenly remembered many others. ¡°If that is the case, there will be many people who could stay normal now. Hassel, While Flame, Hessiana, Liu Sheng, Zhao Xi Zhao Wei and such; all these people may be fine but just confused now.¡±


    ¡°Possible,¡± the MDT said. It had missed this point earlier. ¡°But we cannot contact them now. Space and time have changed globally, it has become segregated. People who are still in a normal state are isolated outside the main space and time. There is a global outage of communication. At least, normal people like us would not be able to communicate with the outside world.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Landlord, there is no signal, really,¡± Lily said, shaking her mobile phone.


    ¡°Let us first put this aside,¡± Y¡¯zaks said with a hoarse voice. ¡°The key thing now is that we still cannot figure out how this thing happened, nor have we found any clues about Vivian.¡±


    ¡°I think this phenomenon in itself is a clue to find Vivian,¡± Hao Ren said with his brows knitted together.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Y¡¯zaks asked.


    ¡°Have you noticed that the messed-up space and time contains things from the Mythological Era to the present day, but not a thing, such as dinosaurs, outside this period.¡±


    Everyone suddenly came to their senses. Nangong Sanba nodded vehemently. ¡°If this is the case. Then all we saw were things from 10,000 years ago at most. There are no flora and fauna of the earlier period.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue scratched her head and said, ¡°But I saw a saber-toothed cat. Isn¡¯t that something from the era of the dinosaurs?¡±


    ¡°Saber-toothed cat was not extinct until ten thousand years ago. That means, when Vivian first arrived here, there were still saber-toothed cats on Earth.¡± Nangong Sanba said, shooting her sister a look. ¡°You need to read up. I am much more knowledgeable than you are in this respect.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue rolled her eyes.


    ¡°So are those things outside from Battie¡¯s memory?¡± Lily asked, wide-eyed. ¡°What she did not experience will not appear in the illusion?¡±


    ¡°Possible. It could be broader,¡± Hao Ren said. He seemed to have thought of something. ¡°A person¡¯s memory is limited to his perspective, so the extent of the scene reconstructed is also limited by his memory. But the extent of the phantoms in the space and time outside is apparently bigger than this. I am sure of one thing, however, that what appears in this phenomenon is consistent with Vivian¡¯s period of memories.¡±


    Lily, with her writer¡¯s brain hole wide open, suddenly said, ¡°So after Vivian lost her memory for years, things suddenly came back abruptly?¡±


    As big as Lily¡¯s brain hole was, Hao Ren had to admit that she did have a point.


    Just as Hao Ren was about to think along those lines, he suddenly felt a wave of signals coming into his mind. Then he heard Raven 12345¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Hao Ren? Say hi if you hear me!¡±

 Chapter 1419 - Malevolence! Malevolence!

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Raven 12345¡¯s voice suddenly rang in Hao Ren¡¯s head, but it was not much of a surprise. He knew that the neurotic goddess would contact him sooner or later. Despite being unpredictable and troublesome, Raven 12345¡¯s power was genuinely real, and she would be able to fix the communication disruption very quickly.


    Hao Ren just did not expect it to be so quick.


    ¡°It is me, I am here,¡± Hao Ren replied quickly in the spiritual connection.


    Before Hao Ren¡¯s voice trailed off, Raven 12345 said, ¡°Do you know that something has happened?¡±


    Hao Ren was startled and said with a forced smile, ¡°Of course. I am right on the scene. The whole world is in a mess, except for my house. There are living fossils from various eras roaming around. I couldn¡¯t contact you just now. But what¡¯s more worrying is that Vivian has gone missing. Do you know what is going on?¡±


    ¡°Vivian is missing? So it has happened,¡± Raven 12345 said, but her voice sounded ambiguous. She then quickly continued, ¡°I need you to come over immediately. I have something important to tell you. All of you must come. Staying at the ¡®distorted point¡¯ is pointless now. Remember, everyone. Anyone who breathes, including that one in the mouse hole.¡±


    Before Hao Ren could ask what ¡°distorted point¡± was, Raven 12345 had hung up. It was out of her character. The neurotic goddess was used to be talking nonsense non-stop. Things must have gotten on her nerves that she acted so weirdly.


    ¡°Buddy, the passage to the divine realm reopens now,¡± the MDT said as it hovered over. ¡°It is an alternative link.¡±


    ¡°Thing must be worse than we could imagine,¡± Hao Ren looked at the others and said. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the divine realm.¡±


    After emerging from the portal, the first sight that Hao Ren saw was the blue bungalows under the thunder and lightning-filled sky. This divine realm was used to be calm with clear weather. But now thick clouds were rolling in the air. Wind blasting through the square in front of the mansion blew the jets of water off the fountain. Over the blue mansion, lightning cut crazy zig-zags into the black clouds, followed by the deafening rumble of the thunder in the air.


    The plants in the flower beds on both sides of the mansion had withered. The wind rolled up the dried leaves and then scattered them on the square.


    ¡°Holy moly!¡± Hao Ren looked at the scene, stunned. ¡°It happens over here too?¡±


    A loud flapping sound suddenly came from the sky. Hao Ren looked up in surprise. A mighty golden dragon burrowing down from the clouds, circling in the air for a couple of times before landing next to the fountain. The golden dragon shrank rapidly and transformed into a tall blonde.


    ¡°Galazur?¡± Hao Ren came up to the blonde. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Because of the unique nature of the work, the inspectors usually worked independently. Their meeting was traditionally carried out ¡®online¡¯ in the spiritual connection, not at the divine realm. Raven 12345 would summon the inspectors separately whenever she wanted to see them. The inspectors would not go to the heavenly realm by themselves for no reason, just because the goddess had a loose screw and might assign them to some messy business. For this reason, Hao Ren rarely saw his other colleagues in this big mansion. The only few times when they bumped into each other here, they only exchanged some pleasantries and left. This time, the goddess summoning Galazur and him here must have something to do with what was happening on Earth now.


    ¡°I have been here for a while,¡± Galazur said. She greeted the others with a few nods. ¡°The situation is complicated. I just helped to check the stability of the boundary. How is the situation on Earth?¡±


    ¡°Space and time are messed up,¡± Hao Ren replied with a shrug. ¡°I still have no idea what happens. Even my connection with the outside world was interrupted. I can¡¯t believe it¡ªwhat else can interfere with our spiritual connection?¡±


    ¡°It is not interference. It was the sovereign hub¡¯s security protocol that actively cut off the imperial data network with Earth,¡± Galazur said. ¡°It is not easy to compromise the imperial data network.¡±


    ¡°What exactly is going on?¡± Hao Ren asked with a frown.


    Galazur gently exhaled and said with a low voice, ¡°There was a burst of divine energy on Earth that affected the goddess¡¯ monitoring of the planet. This triggered the security protocol of the sovereign hub to kick in. I heard that the authority of our goddess has been interrupted temporarily.¡±


    It seemed that the female dragon liked to gossip.


    Hao Ren listened with bated breath. ¡°Then should I go in to see her at this time? Is she in a good mood now?¡±


    Galazur thought for a moment and said, ¡°I guess the goddess is all right. She sang while grinding her knife when I met her just now.¡±


    ¡°Aah?¡± Hao Ren broke out in cold sweat.


    ¡°Hah, relax, don¡¯t be stressed,¡± Galazur said with a cheerful smile and patted on Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Go ahead, things have more to do with you than anyone else. You should have guessed it by now what the burst of divine power is all about.¡±


    Hao Ren wiped the cold sweat off his forehead before bringing his tenants toward the thunder-shrouded big mansion.


    In the gorgeous office of the goddess, Raven 12345 was focusing on a crystal doodad. ¡°Is Vivian missing?¡± the goddess said without waiting for Hao Ren to open his mouth. Her eyes were filled with arcane energy and a sense of seriousness.


    ¡°Yup, I have not seen her since this morning,¡± Hao Ren said as he helped himself into a chair. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡±


    Raven 12345 did not answer his question. The goddess threw the crystal dingus on the table, stood up and came to the window. ¡°As expected, it is the key link I missed,¡± she said, seemingly mumbled to herself.


    ¡°Boss, can you cut the cackle and tell me what is going on?¡± Hao Ren said. It was rare to see the female neurotic behaving this way.


    ¡°You know that Vivian has been splitting various types of Malevolence, don¡¯t you?¡± Raven 12345 looked back at him. ¡°So in a sense, Vivian is incomplete.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. It reminded him of what Lily had said before.


    It was about the whole and the splits, and Vivian and the Malevolence.


    ¡°She suddenly became ¡®complete¡¯ last night,¡± Raven 12345 said faintly. ¡°For a brief moment, the goddess of creation appeared on Earth.¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned.


    ¡°Of course, it was not the goddess herself, but rather a fake. Otherwise, the impact would have been much bigger,¡± Raven 12345 said. The neurotic goddess was in no mood to mock the reaction of Hao Ren and the others. ¡°This impact caused Vivian to spill the ¡®stored¡¯ history over from her memory, polluting the real world with the data. The world ends up with messed-up space and time as you can see now. The history of different eras overlapped one another and replaced the space and time.¡±


    ¡°Hold on, I am a bit confused here. Let me think for a while,¡± Hao Ren said, quickly realizing that he needed to ¡®recalibrate¡¯ his mind to understand what the goddess was saying. ¡°History has overflowed and replaced the real world; I can understand this. But how come Vivian ¡®broke out¡¯ suddenly?¡±


    Raven 12345 paused for a few seconds before slowly saying, ¡°It is the resonance of the Malevolence. Do you know?¡±


    ¡°The resonance of the Malevolence?¡± It was something unknown to Hao Ren in the past. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°You should know that I have been collecting the Malevolence of Vivian,¡± Raven 12345 explained. ¡°I have discovered a long ago that these Malevolences are ¡®dead¡¯ physically, but their remnants are still emitting signals and resonating continually with each other. In other words, you can¡¯t eliminate a Malevolence. They tend to be more complete at a higher level.¡±


    Raven 12345 paused again. She looked at Hao Ren and continued. ¡°Then I got your investigative findings, and my research was almost complete. I began to wonder about the nature of the Malevolence. I call Vivian the divine avatar, created by the Goddess of Creation and put in this world. It seems that this divine avatar has been contaminated since birth. This contamination from the negative force in the Plane of Dreams is the cause of the continual division of Vivian which triggered by the conflict between the remnant power of the Goddess of Creation and the negative forces. Those Malevolences are the expelled negative energy. The resonance happens because the Malevolences are trying to regroup into the complete body of a divine avatar.¡±


    ¡°And then what?¡± Hao Ren could not wait but ask.


    ¡°I was thinking of ways to interfere with the resonance, dispel their negative energy and retain the divine power. This way, I may be able to purify the Malevolence and figure out the true intention of the goddess of creation in creating the divine avatar. In general, my research is correct, and every Malevolence has a tendency to regroup. But I could not completely stop the resonance between them.¡±


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t stop them even with your power?¡± Hao Ren was struck dumb.


    ¡°Brute strength is not enough to solve all problems, especially technical problems,¡± Raven 12345 said with a shrug. ¡°I found a blind spot in my research. I overlooked one of the most important Malevolences, which is the root cause of the resonance between the Malevolences. She is right under my nose, but I never realized it.¡±


    An incredibly daring thought popped into Hao Ren¡¯s mind. His lips were dry. ¡°You mean that Malevolence is¡ª¡±


    ¡°It is Vivian,¡± Raven 12345 said quietly. ¡°Vivian Ancestor.¡±

 Chapter 1420 - Vivian’s Whereabouts

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Silence ensued when Vivian¡¯s name was mentioned. The first one who bounced up from the chair was Lily, who had always been at loggerheads with Vivian. ¡°Are you kidding me? How is Vivian a Malevolence?¡±


    ¡°I did not believe it at first myself. It did not even cross my mind,¡± Raven 12345 said as she spread out her hands. ¡°That is why things have gone so wrong now.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s heart was racing. He felt like he had anticipated this outcome but just barely. When the goddess broke the news and confirmed his suspicion, he felt an indescribable feeling.


    It was hard to believe in reality, but Hao Ren still got to his feet and said, ¡°Vivian is a Malevolence? She looks completely different from the other Malevolences, and she¡¯s not as destructive as them.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure that she hasn¡¯t been deranged and destructive before?¡± Raven 12345 looked at Hao Ren. ¡°She has been and will be every few hundred years. The only difference is that she stays sane longer. Vivian is generally harmless, but there is no question that she is a Malevolence.¡±


    Hao Ren knew that Raven 12345 was right. The encounter with Ertos, the Malevolence that stayed awake for centuries had shaken his understanding of the Malevolence. At this time, he only wanted to clear his mind. ¡°Every Malevolence has a negative attribute. What is Vivian¡¯s negative attribute?¡±


    Raven 12345 turned and looked out the window with her hands at her back. ¡°Poverty.¡±


    ¡°Boss, you must be kidding me. We are serious here.¡±


    ¡°I kid you not. It is the poverty,¡± Raven 12345 turned around. Her face looked serious. ¡°Had I f*cking realized it earlier, things would not have deteriorated like this.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the goddess and unsure what to say. After a long while, he spoke. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Really,¡± Raven 12345 said matter-of-factly.


    ¡°A Malevolence that represents poverty. No wonder Vivian has been harmless for all these years.¡± Nangong Sanba said. ¡°But I still feel it incredible. She looks so normal and so different from the Malevolence. She can suppress other Malevolences that split from her body. She should still be rightly the divine avatar that the goddess of creation has created.¡±


    Raven 12345 shook her head. ¡°What you said are true, but that does not mean she is not a Malevolence. She is the ¡®superior one¡¯ among all the Malevolences. This superiority gives her those unique attributes.¡±


    ¡°If Vivian is the primary Malevolence, where is the real body of the ¡®divine avatar¡¯? Hao Ren interrupted.


    Raven 12345 smiled as if she had anticipated this question. ¡°It is still Vivian.¡±


    Pissed, Hao Ren was seriously considering whether to duke it out with the neurotic goddess. But then he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Can you tell everything at once?¡±


    ¡°Things are too complicated, people would lose interest if I tell everything at one go,¡± Raven 12345 said. She then snapped her fingers, a large velvet seat appeared behind her. Raven 12345 leaned back on the seat and began to explain in detail. ¡°As I have said, my direction of research is generally correct. What is off is in the details. It is the details that lead to today¡¯s state of affairs. At first, I thought that the divine avatar was polluted. After arriving at this world, the divine avatar began to divide continually to ¡®detoxify.¡¯ The split was the Malevolence, and the noumenon was Vivian. But the actual situation is more complicated than that. The divine avatar could not actually ¡®detoxify¡¯ itself. Let me rephrase: the contamination is not a foreign but a part of the divine avatar itself. The reason for this is still unclear at this moment, but it is what it is. So, there is no ¡®pure version¡¯ of the divine avatar. Right from the beginning, Vivian was not the incarnation of the goddess of creation and a Malevolence. She forever possesses the will of the goddess and the tendency to decay.¡±


    Raven 12345 paused for a while, giving everyone time to digest what she had said. The goddess then continued. ¡°You should have realized by now that the Malevolences are all mad. Even if Vivian has remained sane, there is a violent cycle every hundred years. This means the contamination of the divine avatar is far worse than previously thought. She tends to be decaying. The power of the goddess and the decay has not reached a balance. Instead, the decay forces have completely overwhelmed the power of the goddess.¡±


    ¡°Why is that so?¡± Hao Ren asked in shock. ¡°No matter how weak the goddess of creation was, her avatar should not have deteriorated into such state. Even if the Mad Lord is a source of the contamination, it should have overpowered the goddess¡¯ power. All the more so when the deicidal war happened, the Mad Lord was still incarcerated in prison. From where did the decaying power come?¡±


    ¡°I guess that it is because of the division,¡± Raven 12345 replied. She seemed to have expected the question with an answer. ¡°In the beginning, the power disparity on the divine avatar was not that severe. But later, the division gave the decaying power the upper hand. The power of the goddess of creation is biased towards order and extremely powerful when the avatar is complete in itself. The contamination and decay are biased towards chaos, and diffusion and division are their territories. The division has weakened one while strengthened the other. So the existence of the Malevolence and Vivian who goes haywire occasionally.¡±


    Raven 13245 sighed and then continued. ¡°Splitting is an inevitable outcome when two opposite forces are together. In my opinion, the goddess of creation still lacked the necessary ability to handle such advanced creation. The divine avatar she has created has a huge flaw and is destined to fail.¡±


    Hao Ren interrupted Raven 12345 again. ¡°I have now understood. Can you now tell me what the heck is going on, and how can I get Vivian back? Where is she?¡±


    While speaking, Hao Ren looked at Raven 12345 suspiciously. ¡°Are you hiding her? After all, you have a hobby to collect the Malevolence. Listen, I am not against you to say that Vivian is a Malevolence since I cannot change the fact. But let us be reasonable. Vivian has done little bad things. She even tried to avoid to be near any human settlements when she went mad.¡±


    ¡°I have not said anything yet, why are you so worked up?¡± Raven 12345 said, rolling her eyes and shooting Hao Ren a glare. ¡°Am I a heartless goddess in your eyes?¡±


    ¡°Do you know how hard it takes to resist the urge to nod?¡±


    ¡°I have a straightforward but crude way to solve the problem once and for all,¡± Raven 12345 said. There was not the slightest sense of embarrassment on her face. ¡°I can reboot the space and time in this region. But if I do so, Vivian is not going to come back. As a real goddess, I am not going to do that. So here is the alternative.¡±


    ¡°The alternatives?¡±


    ¡°You go and find her back,¡± Raven 12345 said with her arms crossed. ¡°Let me be honest with you. Vivian has not gone anywhere else. She is on Earth, around every one of you.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks seemed to have guessed it. ¡°You mean¡­¡±


    ¡°She is the fragmented images of space and time, the root cause of the replacement of the real world,¡± Raven 12345 said. ¡°Did you not want to know what the space-time mess-up is all about? It is very simple. When Vivian found those Malevolences, the resonance between them got stronger. But that was okay, the restraint I have put in place was still able to hold it in. But Vivian met the most special Malevolence of all time¡ªyou guessed it right, it was the divine fragments of Ertos that you mentioned in your report.


    ¡°When the divine Malevolence came into contact with Vivian, it began to resonate with the rest of them and let Vivian pass the last tipping point. The resonance became complete, and the Malevolences as a whole had acquired an important weapon¡ªthe divine power. It could now take advantage of the situation. After tens of thousands of years, the original divine avatar has decayed so much that it could no longer control itself. With all the conditions being ripe, Vivian woke up.


    ¡°Her waking up meant that the real world fell into a dream, which is the phenomenon of messed-up space and time that you see now.¡±


    ¡°What should I do then?¡± Hao Ren asked with a frown. ¡°As you say, she has turned into fragments of space and time. Where should I find her?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I¡¯ve got you covered. It may not be originally used for this purpose, but it comes in handy at times like this to send you to the deepest point of space and time. We need to be prepared before we go. Let me first bring you to the door so that you can see it and be mentally prepared.¡±

 Chapter 1421 - The Door of the Maelstrom

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The goddess may have looked untrustworthy, but she was well prepared. When Raven 12345 mentioned the ¡°door¡±, Hao Ren knew that the event was under the neurotic goddess¡¯ control from the beginning.


    Of course, there were still little accidents here and there. Otherwise, Raven 12345 would not have whined about her year-end bonus while she led the way to the ¡°door.¡± Speaking of which, where is the year-end bonus for this year? Hao Ren wondered.


    Hao Ren followed Raven 12345, and his mind was filled with various thoughts. They crossed the central hallway, passed through the withered courtyard behind the mansion, and finally stood in front of a tower.


    The tower looked familiar to Hao Ren. It was sophisticated and gorgeous, independent of Raven 12345¡¯s mansion. It was the most striking building upon entering the divine realm. Located behind the villa, it looked almost as if it was connected to the mansion, but in reality, there was a garden and a straight, wide road between them. Hao Ren had been to the divine realm many times, but he had never stepped into the tower. Therefore, he always felt that the tower was extraordinary. Perhaps it played some significant role so the goddess never opened it to outsiders.


    But in reality, there was nothing in the tower. Filled with fog and light, the tower only had a narrow staircase spiraling upwards. The mist that surged around the stairs was giving the impression that if one took a wrong step, death was inevitable.


    ¡°You will only see what you should see. The tower will only show what it should show,¡± Raven 12345 said while leading in front. She seemed to notice Hao Ren¡¯s doubts. ¡°We need to go on foot to get there because it is the deepest part of space and time. Except for me, anyone who wants to go there must take this route. This tower is actually a transit station from my divine realm to all other places. These all other places not only include the universe, but also every ¡®level¡¯ of the mathematical structure of the world, from the most basic data layer to the most difficult to understand formula expression layer, even to the boundary of the world¡¯s barrier.¡±


    ¡°But there is only one road here,¡± Lily said casually.


    ¡°There is only one road, but it leads to many places,¡± Raven 12345 said. ¡°Okay, we have reached.¡±


    Hao Ren did not notice when this long spiral staircase had turned into a straight up ramp. He even did not see how they got to the end of the ramp. It seemed that as soon as Raven 12345¡¯s voice trailed off, the scene ahead suddenly opened up. The fog had dispersed, and a vast space appeared in front of everyone.


    The place was like a vast space in the universe. There were no stars but complicated formulae and symbols in the background. Things that made up of light and looked like machines were flying in between these symbols as if they were maintaining the ¡®digital space.¡¯ There was only one platform in the vast space where they could stand. The platform floated at the end of the ramp, from where Hao Ren saw a maelstrom hovering above. And that thing looked very familiar too.


    The maelstrom seemed to be made up of black-red clouds where lightning and flames burst continually. The air around the maelstrom was pervaded black-red fog, in which phantoms from the nightmare appeared.


    Hao Ren fumbled in his memory and finally remembered where he saw this maelstrom. It was during his visit to the divine realm with a group of volunteers, including Lorrisa. The mansion of Raven 12345 exploded and collapsed in front of the demon hunters and otherworldlings. During that time, there was such a maelstrom behind the image of Raven 12345 who explained that she was performing some security preparations.


    Was she preparing the maelstrom at that time?


    ¡°Look familiar?¡± Raven 12345 had noticed Hao Ren¡¯s reaction. Her smile was as sly as ever. ¡°You guessed it right. This is the thing I built the last time I blew up my house.¡±


    This goddess did not feel embarrassed at all.


    Everyone stood on the platform. It transpired that there was not only a maelstrom above, but there was also something else.


    A massively complex, dizzy-to-look-at magic circle was running on the ground right below the maelstrom. At the edge of the magic circle on each node, there was a crystal container the height of a person. The crystal containers flashed in red light and were the Malevolence collection of Raven 12345.


    ¡°Those are¡­¡± Hao Ren could not help but wonder. He knew he would see some Malevolence, but seeing them in this place and under this circumstance was a surprise. Are these Malevolences part of this enormous facility? Hao Ren thought to himself.


    ¡°I have been studying their resonance and trying to figure out something from it. This platform and the maelstrom are by-products of recent research progress,¡± Raven 12345 said. ¡°I wanted to turn them into a control and sealing system, holding down most of the resonating points of the Malevolence to minimize the risk of losing control. But little did I expect the biggest source of resonance was outside the system. So the sealing part of the system becomes redundant although other parts are still usable. With some modification, I retained the control function and redefined the input/output modes of the system along the resonating frequency to create this maelstrom, which I turned into a door.¡±


    ¡°A door? To where does it lead?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°To the place where Vivian is. Through it, I can send you to those space and time fragments, and then you can get Vivian back.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment and said, ¡°Space-time fragments? Is that not on Earth?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. The ones you see on Earth are the ¡®buffered data¡¯ generated by the security system. It is a temporary scene created to prevent the world from producing significant bugs. The real contaminated space and time has been isolated,¡± Raven 12345 said with a cunning smile. ¡°Do you think that the security system of the universe under the imperial rule is lax? As soon as power leakage was detected in Vivian, the sovereign hub K2 had kicked into action. It instantly froze the space and time where Earth was and replaced it with two mirrored Earths. These two mirrored planets took the impact of the power leakage. One is left in place to fill the information void left behind my the disappeared real Earth. Another mirrored Earth is placed in isolation to take the contamination. So chaotic space and time generated by the Malevolence is actually running in a sandbox, where you will be going. You guys have not been swapped away with the real Earth because of your connection with me. You all are on the first mirrored Earth.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet¡¯s eyes were darting around curiously. She was astonished when hearing those terminology and technical jargons. ¡°Wow, that is cool!¡±


    ¡°Of course. Who do you think I am?¡± Raven 12345 boasted.


    Hao Ren was used to the bragging of the neurotic goddess. He could not care less but ask again, ¡°Where is the real Earth now? Are the people on Earth safe?¡±


    Raven 12345 took out a small crystal object from her pocket and threw it to Hao Ren. ¡°Here you go.¡±


    Cold sweat trickled down Hao Ren¡¯s forehead as he hectically caught the thing from Raven 12345. It turned out that it was the little crystal doodad that the goddess was fiddling in her office a while ago. In the shape of a crystal cube, there was a beautiful blue marble suspended quietly in the center.


    That was the earth.


    Next to Earth was a moon circling around.


    ¡°Initially, the security system only captured Earth. But I saw that it was lonely, so I threw the moon inside as well while we were at it. There was no one on the moon anyway.¡±


    Hao Ren was rendered speechless.


    While she was at it? Did the goddess ever use her brain at all? Hao Ren thought to himself.


    But then, considering the state of mind of the neurotic goddess, probably she did it willfully.


    But in any case, Hao Ren was relieved to see Earth was safe. He knew that the influence of this event was far and wide, but as long as there was no irreparable damage done, he could still live with it. Hao Ren could not care less about the year-end bonus and performance appraisal of Raven 12345. She had ever gotten them before anyway, Hao Ren bet.


    ¡°All I need to do is jump into the maelstrom, right? And then? How do I find Vivian? How do I bring her out? What is more important is that how do I know the one I find is Vivian? What if it is a Malevolence?¡±


    ¡°You have a lot of questions but can you ask one question at a time?¡± Raven 12345 said and shot Hao Ren a look. ¡°You have to do a lot of work. This mission is different from any previous one. It will be an unprecedentedly dangerous adventure. So we have to prepare many things. But before I tell you what to do, I need you to meet a few people. These guys will not go with you, but their opinions might be of help.¡±


    ¡°Who are they?¡± Hao Ren asked. His eyes were full of curiosity.


    Raven 12345 pouted her lips at the ramp from which they came up earlier. ¡°Here they are.¡±


    Hao Ren turned around and saw the tall arcane servant Big Bluey walking toward the platform. Behind the arcane servant were several old acquaintances including Hessiana and Hasse.

 Chapter 1422 - The Solution

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    While Hao Ren was still thinking of asking Raven 12345 about other people who were not affected by the translocation, the goddess already had everything covered. The people brought by the arcane servant were all familiar faces. They were the demon hunters, Hasse and White Flame, and otherworldlings, Hesperides and Hessiana. It seemed that the four of them had no idea why they were there.


    Hao Ren felt like there should be more people who had not been affected by the space-time abnormality.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everyone else has been taken care of,¡± Raven 12345 said without waiting for Hao Ren to ask, as though she had read his mind. ¡°Many people have noticed the space-time anomaly. Other than those who are affected by my power, people who are extremely sensitive or mentally sturdy are also aware that there is something wrong with the world. The security system of the sovereign hub was automatically activated but not calibrated to identify individual humans. So these people were stuck between the real and mirrored Earth. Except for those who can contribute here, I have temporarily ¡®frozen¡¯ the rest. After things are over, they will naturally be restored to their original state.¡±


    ¡°Those who can contribute here¡± apparently referred to the people on the platform.


    Usually, Hao Ren would have lashed out at Raven 12345, but this time, he could not help but feel grateful for the excellent arrangement. ¡°You really know a thing or two in cleaning up this mess, eh?¡±


    Holding her head high, Raven 12345 said, ¡°Of course, my ability to make a mess is well-known throughout the multiverse, it is only natural that I am equally pro in cleaning up the mess. Otherwise, my superior would have killed me.¡±


    Hao Ren was floored.


    This damn goddess was taking pride in it.


    Earlier, the four woke up in the morning and were shocked to see the scenes in the world. But before they knew what happened, the goddess had brought them here. It was like a drowning man catching at a straw when they saw Hao Ren. They ran up to him, wanting to know what was going ons. Hessiana, especially, had gotten in a stew. ¡°Hao Ren! What the hell is going on? I bumped into a group of World-World-Two German soldiers as soon as I went out this morning. It almost scared the hell out of me! I thought their souls were coming after me because I looted Hitler¡¯s palace last time.¡±


    It seemed that Vivian and her mini version had played a hand in helping the Allied forces in defeating Hitler last time. But Hao Ren¡¯s heart sank when he thought of Vivian. ¡°Calm down. listen to me,¡± Hao Ren said, interrupting Hessiana.


    Hao Ren tried to explain the situation in layman term. The four in front of him were not stupid either. Even though Vivian was the root cause of the ridiculous and bizarre phenomenon, it was not hard for them to get the picture.


    ¡°Vivian dragged the earth into her memory?¡± Hessiana might not fully grasp the concept of what happened, but she was not entirely wrong about it. ¡°You are going to get her back?¡± she asked.


    ¡°That is basically what happens. But I do not know yet how to go about it. I am waiting for the goddess to tell me,¡± Hao Ren said, pointing with his chin at Raven 12345 who stood at afar. ¡°She said that you guys could help.¡±


    Hessiana glared at Hao Ren. ¡°How could this happen? Did you not look after her?¡± Hessiana demanded.


    Hao Ren was cheesed off hearing that, but he felt like not to defend himself. Hao Ren knew how importance Vivian was to Hessiana, the reaction of the little bat was entirely understandable.


    Hessiana¡¯s self-control ability was surprisingly good though. After venting her frustration, she quickly calmed down. ¡°I don¡¯t blame you. It could be beyond your control. But let me ask you a question, and please tell me truthfully.¡±


    Hao Ren had no clue what was in Hessiana¡¯s mind. He looked at her curiously. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Is the situation very that bad?¡± Hessiana asked while quietly looking at Raven 12345. The goddess was fiddling with the magic circle in the middle of the platform and seemingly did not care about what they were saying. ¡°The goddess looks worried.¡±


    ¡°Bah, she is worried about her year-end bonus although she has gotten it before since taking office.¡±


    Hessiana could not catch up with Hao Ren¡¯s train of thought. So she might as well give up asking what he meant. ¡°Would Vivian be blamed for that? It looks like something has to take the blame.¡±


    It was a difficult question. But Hao Ren was determined. ¡°Whatever it is, we must first get Vivian back. I personally think that no one should be blamed. Vivian is also a victim of circumstances. She did not knowingly release her power. If someone has to take the blame, that person should be the Mad Lord of the Plane of Dreams and some other guys. If any blame were to fall on Vivian, I would do my best to defend her. I believe that our goddess would not allow the innocent to become the scapegoat.¡±


    ¡°Did you not say that the goddess was worried about her year-end bonus? How do we know she would not shift the blame on Vivian?¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s heart missed a beat. The news of the decay of integrity of the goddess seemed to have spread wide and far. Even Hessiana, who had hardly come into contact with the divine realm, had hit the nail on the head. But then when Hao Ren thought carefully, he realized that he was mostly the one who bad-mouthed Raven 12345, he quickly wiped the non-existent cold sweat off his forehead. ¡°Ahem, don¡¯t worry. She is ethical. Probably.¡±


    While the two of them were discussing the ¡®blasphemous¡¯ topic, the voice of Raven 12345 jolted them. ¡°Have you two finished mumbling? It is time to brief you on the mission.¡±


    Hao Ren and Hessiana immediately went up, listening to Raven 12345 with a serious look on their face but a guilty feeling in their hearts.¡±


    ¡°First of all, I would like to emphasize that the key to bringing Vivian out is to let her find herself,¡± Raven 12345 said as she glanced at everyone. ¡°She has now self-breaking down. The stronger the resonance and imbalance between the divine and corrupt forces led her to self-control. It was the reason that caused the information overflow to contaminate the real world. So as soon as she regains control of herself, half of the problem would be solved. Thanks to the resonance between the different Malevolences, every fragment of the divine avatar has a connection. So Vivian becomes a complete body, but her own consciousness is still sleeping. This led to her becoming a source of contamination that constantly releases energy uncontrollably.¡±


    Raven 12345¡¯s eyes landed on Hao Ren. ¡°Hao Ren, I will send you to the second mirrored Earth that is so much more contaminated than the first mirrored Earth that you have seen before. Space and time there has been mostly swapped out with 99% of the 21st-century real world that you know has disappeared. You must trace the coordinates of 10,000 years ago through the broken historical trajectory until you find Vivian, who has first arrived on earth. In theory, that is your target.¡±


    ¡°In theory?¡± Raven 12345¡¯s ambiguous reply baffled Hao Ren.


    ¡°Yes, in theory.¡± Raven 12345 repeated. ¡°Because Vivian¡¯s first ¡®landing spot¡¯ was not on Earth but planet Inferno. She has completed her first division there, yet you could only trace the historical timeline of Earth, so you can¡¯t do anything about the history in Inferno. But my calculation shows that even without the history of Inferno, it is good enough for you to find Vivian and reconstruct her self-awareness.¡±


    ¡°Well, then I understand now,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°But how should I wake her up? Can I just go up and say hello when I see her? How do I backtrack? It sounds enigmatic.¡±


    ¡°The space-time breakage and distortion is based on the ¡®memory breaking point¡¯ of Vivian, and the memory breaking point is usually the time when she wakes up from her hibernation. So you should look for her place of hibernation when you arrive; most likely, she will not wander too far after waking up. But the thing is that the memory breaking point is not necessarily the exact coordinates. Sometimes there is disruption to the space-time continuity before Vivian goes to sleep, and sometimes during her sleep. So you may encounter Vivian who is awake or mad but most likely sleeping. As for how to wake up when you find her¡ªI am not sure right now.¡±


    ¡°Not sure? Then why do you ask me to go there?¡± Hao Ren was wide-eyed.


    ¡°All I can say is that you will cross the bridge when you get there,¡± Raven 12345 said as she spread out her hand. ¡°After all, this is also my first time encountering this kind of thing. If I am not wrong, as soon as she sees you, she will regain her memory of the real space and time. In the severely distorted space and time on the Number Two Mirrored Earth, you are the only foreign matter. Your appearance should have a big impact on Vivian, who is the source of distortion, and is enough to wake her up.¡±


    ¡°What if she does not wake up?¡±


    ¡°Then a fight with her might do the trick.¡±


    Hao Ren was rendered speechless.


    ¡°You need to find node by node. It is like walking through history and meeting Vivian in different periods. You have to let her regain consciousness and get out of each dream. Every waking from the dream will restore part of the messed-up space and time. Each restoration of space and time will push you to the next node. Considering that Vivian in history is very different from the Vivian you know, I need someone who knows her well to explain the dos and don¡¯ts in dealing with Vivian of the past to you.¡±


    Before Raven 12345¡¯s voice trailed off, Hesperides and Hessiana finally knew their purpose of being here. Hesperides said, ¡°So this is the reason for bringing us here?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The two of you know Vivian good enough, including about her past,¡± Raven 12345 said as she glanced at Hesperides and Hessiana. ¡°To maintain the stability of the sandbox environment, Hao Ren must go into the distorted historical space and time alone. He cannot even bring the MDT. So he will be all by himself. The intelligence and guidance you two provide will be of utmost importance to him.¡±


    So this was the reason for the few of them to be there.


    Hao Ren looked at Hesperides and Hessiana in anticipation.


    ¡°If you find Vivian awake, the first step in building rapport with her is to buy her meal. Better still, buy her with money if possible.¡±


    Hao Ren was bewildered.

 Chapter 1423 - The Backtracking Journey

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hessiana was serious.


    Hao Ren knew that the little bat was not joking just by looking into her eyes. But Hao Ren still could not help but ask, ¡°Was Vivian that miserable back then?¡±


    ¡°Do you still doubt it?¡± Hessiana looked at Hao Ren, feeling a little impatient. ¡°Vivian has been known for her poverty for the past 10,000 years. You won¡¯t believe what I¡¯m about to tell you. If you see Vivian in history, the absolute rule of gaining her trust is to buy her a meal. I kid you not!¡±


    It reminded Hao Ren about a conversation he had with Vivian a long time ago. He once asked Vivian, if he saw the Countess of the Crimson Moon in history, how should he approach her. Vivian smiled and said, ¡°Just buy me dinner.¡±


    As fate would have it, a thing in a casual conversation had come true.


    ¡°If a meal could buy Battie¡¯s friendship, why hasn¡¯t she had any friends for the past 10,000 years?¡± Lily asked with a scornful look.


    ¡°Do you think it is easy to befriend Vivian?¡± Hessiana sighed. ¡°You guys have never experienced the amount of bad luck Vivian could bring to those around her. Any ordinary person would go broke after three days of being with her. Those who were rich enough would survive for half a month. You have to be prepared to survive on vegetarian fried cake alone for the next three years if you treat her with one. Some of the ancient families built a relationship with her to make use of her fame and authority, but they all did so with the understanding that they would lose half of their wealth.¡±


    Hesperides could testify to that. ¡°Back then, Mount Olympus and Vivian had the closest relationship. Zeus often invited her to Mount Olympus to have a meal together. Each meal often cost half a year of tax revenue of a city-state. Every time Vivian paid a visit as a guest, we would suffer from various natural and man-made disasters. But compared to the convenience and benefit the power of the Countess of the Crimson Moon could bring, the sacrifices were worthwhile. Except during Vivian¡¯s hibernating period, all other celestials would not dare to look for trouble with the Olympus family. After all, the Countess was notorious for her brutality when it came to protecting her rice bowl.¡±


    ¡°Holy moly.¡± Hao Ren exclaimed.


    ¡°Of course, bad luck would only befall those who want to rub shoulder with Vivian. If you were just a passerby, you would be safe. It was because of this reason, Vivian had never been close to anyone except those who befriended her at all cost. That was why I was surprised to see you getting so close with Vivian back then.¡±


    Raven 12345 patted Hao Ren on his shoulder and said, ¡°So do you understand now? I told you that the attribute of Vivian as a Malevolence is poverty. This poverty is more than you think. It is a disaster, the destructive power of which is no less than the ordinary Malevolence.¡±


    The blood veins on Hao Ren¡¯s forehead seemed to be ready to pop. ¡°But it seems I am not affected though.¡±


    ¡°Because you are a demigod. You have the entire celestials behind you. What kind of debuff could work on you?¡± Raven 12345 said. Her eyebrows twitched. ¡°Do you have still no confidence in the organization?¡±


    ¡°I got it, I got it. It does not help to keep harping on this topic. Let us be back to business, shall we?¡± Hao Ren quickly waved his hand.


    Hessiana and Hesperides looked somber. ¡°You are right. Compared with how to approach Vivian, it is more important for you to know how to survive in the Mythological Era.¡±


    ¡°You have no problem to survive in the human world with your ability. But you are going to space and time where it has been distorted by Vivian. Most of the nodes of space and time will be related to the Mythological Era or some other strong otherworldlings. It is almost impossible for a human to move freely in such an environment. After crossing the medieval timeline, you will have to face the situation in which the supernatural forces and dark terror reign.


    ¡°When going back in time. You will face the least challenge in the recent past. All you have to deal with are lone-wolf otherworldlings and hermit families. Their blood will run cold with the sheer mention of the demon hunters. You can disguise as a human sorcerer and contact them, but be careful not to be spotted by the demon hunters. The demon hunters at that time might be relatively less active than during the Middle Ages, but you could still encounter them in the remote villages and city ruins. If that happens, you will have to¡­¡±


    ¡°Closer to the Middle Ages, you will have to be highly alert. It was the last stage before the end of the Mythological Era. The demon hunters were wiping out the otherworldlings around the world. Conflicts happened in the open as well as in the dark. No matter what identity you use to disguise yourself, you could still be attacked. Your best bet would be to camouflage yourself as a demon hunter. I think the two demon hunters here could give you good advice.¡±


    Hassel and White Flame nodded to Hao Ren. It was for this reason that Raven 12345 brought them here.


    Hesperides continued. ¡°Beyond the Middle Ages, back to AD 1, it was the late period of the Mythological Era where the demon hunters and otherworldlings were having an all-out war. It was a relatively safe period because both sides had a clear territory of influence, assassinations and covert operations were not as terrifying as later times. When all conflicts are open, you will have less trouble. But you better not disguise as a wizard because at that time the human wizards were slaves to the otherworldlings. There was very little freedom to move around. A human wizard who wanders around attracts too much attention. You can use Blood Clan as a disguise because this race was widely scattered and unorganized at that time. Hessiana has a way to cloak you in this scent.


    ¡°Going further backward in time, you will enter the real Mythological Era. Needless to say, the demon hunters were still a disorganized small army of little threat at the fringe of the world. The human was powerless. The otherworldlings ruled the world. You may continue to use the Blood Clan as a camouflage. But at that time, Vivian was mainly active in Greece to where you would be most likely teleported. So I suggest that you disguise as a mixed descendant or demigod hero of the Olympus family, and then give yourself a big name. But be careful not to attract too much attention to blow your cover. After all, you know¡ª¡±


    Without waiting for Hesperides to finished, Hao Ren interrupted her by waving his hand. ¡°I got it, I got it. Zeus was messing around with men and women.¡±


    Hesperides was embarrassed. But she still continued. ¡°This camouflage comes with a caveat. You should not tell the descendent of which god you are. Because if Vivian happened to be a guest at the Olympus family, then you would have to deal with our family. Let the guys on the mountain fight among themselves, since they had been used to it.¡±


    ¡°Argh, it is really troublesome. Screw it as long as I can find Vivian back. What if I go to see you then?¡±


    ¡°It does matter,¡± Hesperides said. ¡°I had not known you at the time.¡±


    ¡°You are right. And then?¡±


    ¡°And then you will enter the early barbaric era, of which advice I can give little,¡± Hesperides said with a frown. ¡°It was the age of survival of the supernatural races, lawlessness, and the world awaiting development. I can only give you an advice: the survival of the fittest.¡±


    That suggestion sounded good to Hao Ren.


    ¡°I have to remind you that no matter to where you have backtrack, as long as you are in the age of Mythology, you must know one thing,¡± Hesperides looked serious, ¡°The Mythological Era was barbaric. However magnificent and beautiful it looked, barbarism was the essence. All rules were there to serve the gods. The social order was based on plunder and slavery¡ªboth within and outside the kingdoms. Race against race; no matter what your identity is, you would be an enemy to someone. So don¡¯t try to use reason and logic to deal with those guys.¡±


    ¡°My gun is the reason and the logic. They may choose not to listen, but I can bomb them until they fall on their knees,¡± Hao Ren said with an indifferent smile.


    ¡°Congratulations! You have mastered the first rule of survival in the Mythological Era.¡±


    ¡°Next, let us tell you about the demon hunters,¡± Hassel stepped forward. ¡°The vast majority of your journey back on time will inevitably have to deal with the demon hunters. Compared to the disorganized and chaotic otherworldlings, the highly organized and disciplined demon hunters would be the biggest challenge you would face. But it is not without loopholes. You just have to keep in mind that¡­¡±


    When everything was ready, Hao Ren came before the maelstrom.


    Black-red smoke was surging in the maelstrom. It was opaque with blood-red electric arcs dancing on the outside. It looked as if the bursting of blood veins. It was horrifying.


    ¡°Can¡¯t I really bring along the MDT?¡± Hao Ren asked as he glanced back at Raven 12345.


    ¡°To keep the sandbox system stable, the fewer the bodies of consciousness, the better,¡± Raven 12345 said with a stern face. ¡°As long as you follow my instructions, you are going to be all right. All the more so when you can still use the stuff in your Dimensional Pocket. Those things are enough to keep you out of trouble in the primitive world.¡±


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and turned around. ¡°Well, then I will go now.¡±


    As soon as Hao Ren¡¯s voice trailed off, he had stepped into the black-red maelstrom.


    Hao Ren¡¯s body swayed for a moment before it disappeared entirely into the dream-like clouds.


    There was a long moment of silence on the platform. At last, Nangong Wuyue broke the silence. ¡°Hey, what should we do now?¡±


    All eyes were on Raven 12345, who thought for a while and said, ¡°Shall we play a few rounds of mahjong?¡±

 Chapter 1424 - Back to the Future

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The wind howled, rolling up snowflakes in the land of snow. Mountains were swallowed in white, leaving only an undulating snowy landscape on the horizon. Nearby, the pine forest was the only landmark that was still visible. Those evergreen plants that grew in the cold region were now completely covered with snow with no trace of green to be seen. Occasionally, when wind blasted through the forest, the pine trees would sway and bring down the snow in a white blanket of icy-white dust.


    Hao Ren stood on the snowfield, his legs planted knee-deep in the snow. He looked back at the portal from which he came; the massive black-red maelstrom had disappeared completely, leaving only a couple of electric arcs zapping in the air. The snow, which was flying in all directions, was the only indication that an intense energy burst had occurred a brief moment ago.


    Hao Ren took a deep breath, and a white mist blurred his vision. ¡°Brr, the landing point is in a land of snow?¡±


    He tried to contact the MDT and Raven 12345 via the mental connection. He also tested several other alternative communication channels. Expectedly, there was only static. All communications were cut off. He knew that it was the security protocol that Raven 12345 mentioned earlier. Hao Ren was now located in second mirrored Earth, which was entirely blanketed by abnormal space and time in a sandbox. Before the contamination went away, the sandbox would run at the highest security level with all internal and external communications barred. Raven 12345 should be able to peek at the situation of Mirrored Earth II from outside the sandbox through some means, but it was impossible for her to intervene.


    That meant Hao Ren was on his own.


    Being alone in a mission was a little too daunting, especially when it was in a bizarre environment. But accomplishing a task independently was one of the ability a qualified inspector must possess. Hao Ren was still not very long in his job, but he never slacked off. So after adjusting his mindset, he began to explore the world with confidence.


    First, Hao Ren needed to determine precisely where he was.


    Hao Ren opened up his dimensional pocket. Two probes glowing in blue light emerged in the air and quickly flew into the distance. The probes sent back images directly in Hao Ren¡¯s mind. Just when the probes went near the pine forest, the visual quality deteriorated rapidly. Various weird interference flooded his vision. After a while, he lost contact with the probes.


    Hao Ren was stunned for a moment. He began to analyze what just happened and quickly gained some idea. It was the influence of distorted space and time. Space and time in Mirrored Earth II were discontinuous, where the stable scene before his eyes was actually a short-term calm in a piece of space-time fragment. So it was not suitable to explore this world using the probes.


    It seemed that Hao Ren could only go on foot.


    Despite losing his probes, Hao Ren was not discouraged. He began to observe the position of the sun and the surrounding vegetation and recalled the range of Vivian¡¯s activities in history. By this, he tried to figure out his current location.


    It was a shame that it was day time now, that meant Hao Ren could only use the sun as a reference. If it were at night, he could use the stars to know his current latitude and longitude on the planet.


    ¡°I guess it should be the northern hemisphere. Beneath the snow is the frozen soil, and the surrounding vegetation only grows in cold climate. Could I be in Siberia again?¡± Hao Ren said to himself while observing the surrounding environment. ¡°Let me think. Vivian used to be active in Siberia for a while in the past. Her ¡®last stop¡¯ should be the combat with the vengeful spirit. Ahh, the Andrea family in Siberia! This ancestor of this family was one of the followers of Vivian during this period. Vivian went into hibernation after defeating the vengeful spirit while the Andrea family built a castle near to the seal of the vengeful spirit. That means Vivian¡¯s hibernation location must be somewhere near Siberia. Yeah, it is most likely the case.¡±


    While speaking to himself, he took out a piece of crepe from the dimensional pocket. He unfolded it. It was a diary that Vivian wrote with dark-red paint, her handwriting. The journal recorded a long period of Vivian¡¯s experience and a brief mention of her falling into hibernation. This information was crucial in this turbulent flow of distorted space and time born out of Vivian¡¯s memory.


    Hao Ren carefully pondered about the handwriting. The last record was about Vivian¡¯s experience in Siberia. It had more or less confirmed his guesstimate that Vivian was the source of space-time distortion, so every time he entered the space-time turbulence, the landing spot should be near to here Vivian was, and sometime before and after her ¡®major activity.¡¯ Vivian¡¯s last hibernation was probably here, and it was only natural that he drop zone was in Siberia.


    Of course, it was possible that Vivian could not remember she had had another hibernation in the period after this hibernation. But it was just a wild guess. Without other evidence, Hao Ren could only rely on the handwriting on the crepe.


    But it was no easy task to find Vivian¡¯s hibernation place in this vast snowfield.


    However, Hao Ren soon realized a frustrating fact: every time Vivian hibernated, she would choose the remotest place where no humans would ever go. Sometimes she even buried herself underground or underwater. What made Hao Ren feel even more helpless was that Siberia was a freaking wasteland. Other than the prisoners who were exiled by the Russian Empire, bears and wolves were the only breathing creatures in this god-forsaken place. He could not even find a human here, how on earth he was going to find Vivian?


    Hao Ren could only hope that when he passed through the portal, he would drop close enough to Vivian. Better still if he could stumble upon Vivian¡¯s sleeping coffin in just a few steps. Maybe Vivian was awake and going mad at this time, she could make enough noise that led Hao Ren to him.


    With these wild thoughts in his mind, Hao Ren slowly moved toward the pine forest. Compared to the unobstructed snowfield, the pine forest at least could provide some shelter from the wind and snow. If Vivian wanted to find a place to sleep, she would have looked for a venue like this, not on the snowfield. Hibernating in the snowfield would run the risk of being dug out by the humans. Vivian had mentioned this before to Hao Ren during a casual chat about her ¡®sleeping secret.¡¯


    Unfortunately, the record on the handwriting stopped abruptly when it came to Siberia. The last hibernation made Vivian forget entirely about this place. Otherwise, Hao Ren could have more information in hand.


    Hao Ren did not go into the pine forest blindly. He released his mind power as he slowly walked into the woods.


    Hao Ren was no expert in perceiving foreign objects with mind power. But his physique was strong enough that his perception ability became very sharp. Even as half-baked as Hao Ren was, he was able to perceive anything that came close within several hundred meters from him. It might not be wide enough but just far enough to avoid the interference caused by the discontinuity of the distorted space and time. Now, even without the probes, Hao Ren could still quickly detect movement in the surroundings.


    Not long after entering the pine forest, Hao Ren halted his steps.


    There was movement in the surroundings¡ªmany of them.


    But after knowing what those things were, Hao Ren shook his head. They were Siberian wolves.


    At first, he thought it was some bandits, whom he could rob instead while extracting some information as well from them.


    But then, that was impossible. Becoming a bandit in Siberia during this age of backwardness was insane. It was probably more feasible to do farming here than being a robber.


    There was a very subtle sound in the bushes in the distance. The wolves had apparently locked on their prey, which was all by itself. Humans were at the lowest point of the food chain in this place while wolves and bears were the apex predators. They would never let go of a lone human.


    But these hungry guys had no idea how tough this human was.


    The wolves were very careful. When surrounding their prey, their organizational ability and wisdom were exceptional. But in Hao Ren¡¯s perception, the position of each of these creatures was as conspicuous as the tick on Y¡¯zaks¡¯s head. The wolves were already at a dozen meters away. To the wolf pack, it was an incredibly close range.


    Hao Ren was surprised that the wolves had not started attacking at this range.


    But then, the subsequent movement of the wolves had Hao Ren scratching his head. The wolves did not lunge out to attack him but cautiously and swiftly swapping their positions around. There were subtle rustling sounds in the bushes. When looked closely, Hao Ren even saw grayish white fur moved behind trees. What are these guys doing? Hao Ren wondered.


    Hao Ren wished that Lily was here. The husky maiden could easily communicate with these canines at least.


    After a while, the wolves still held their ground. They just circled around. It was Hao Ren who ran out of patience. He strode boldly forward. This time, the wolf pack finally could not hold back.


    Amid the howls, a dozen gray-white shadows lunged out from the woods in the surroundings. The green eyes of the wolves were filled with hunger. Stench saliva was dripping from their sharp fangs. These wolves had clearly made their move with precise angle and position of attack; there was no blindspot when they lunged at the prey.


    Quickly, the few wolves that first bit on Hao Ren¡¯s Steel Membrane Shield had their teeth broken.


    Hao Ren scratched his chin as he found that this scene was a little familiar.


    Hao Ren clenched his fists. One by one, he sent the wolves flying out backward with each blow of his fist.


    In the pine forest, the wolves screamed and cried in pain accompanied by the muffled punches in the flesh. A moment later, there were only crying wolves and blood on the ground.


    Hao Ren¡¯s fighting ability shocked the wolf pack. A few gray wolves that could still move quickly ran with their tails between their legs and stood and watched from afar. It seemed that they had lost their fighting spirit.


    Just when Hao Ren thought that the farce had ended, he suddenly sensed a hideous scent in the surroundings racing toward him.


    He quickly looked up and saw white dust rising in the pine forest. In front a tail of snow was a silver-haired girl in a leather coat, lunging in his direction.


    The girl¡¯s long silver hair fluttered behind her as she ran. She also had a pair of striking, pointy ears on her head. Her eyes were extraordinary as they glowed in amber radiance under the sunlight.


    When Hao Ren saw the girl¡¯s face, he was stunned. ¡°Lily?¡±

 Chapter 1425 - Out of Blows, Friendship Grows

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren was startled when he saw the girl who lunged out of the woods. He called out, ¡°Lily?¡±


    However, this girl, who looked identical to Lily, did not seem to hear Hao Ren. She ran a few hundred meters through the forest, kicking up snow before stopping 10 m away from him. She then looked at the wounded wolves lying on the ground and shouted in anger, ¡°Where are you from? Why did you beat my men?¡±


    Hao Ren was still stunned. Before he realized what had happened, the girl with wolf ears had faded into a white shadow, charging at him. Hao Ren instinctively raised his hand in front of him. He felt as if a speeding CRH high-speed train had hit him. Even though he had planted his feet firmly on the ground, the impact still sent him flying backward. Hao Ren flipped a dozen times in the air, crashed, and broke several pine trees before landing in snow.


    Hao Ren felt pain and numbness in his arm. It was so painful that half of the bones in his body seemed dislodged. He quickly examined himself but was relieved to find that he was fine. The Steel Membrane Shield, which flashed on his arm, had absorbed half of the impact force. Otherwise, his situation would not have been that optimistic even if he had a body of steel.


    And just as he thought he could breathe a sigh of relief, the ¡®werewolf¡¯ maiden was charging at him again. Her face was full of surprises. It was the first time that someone could take her blow and still be alive. But the husky did not think any further than that. She arched her body, lowered her head, and then charged at Hao Ren again.


    ¡°What the heck! Husky, are you mad?¡± Hao Ren was shocked. But the white shadow was already before him. He could only manage to block the attack with his hands while shouting, ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding! I¡¯m just passing by! Don¡¯t take it seriously! Can¡¯t you calm down a bit?¡±


    By now, Hao Ran figured out what was going on with the husky. This husky was not the husky he knew. It was the husky of the past.


    The husky looked as if she had yet entered into human society. Had she just left the remote village where she was born? Was the husky the alpha in Siberia before? Did Lily not say that she first lived somewhere in the Northeast? How did she wander to Siberia?


    All those questions were flashing in Hao Ren¡¯s mind while he struggled to fend off the fierce attack of the husky. It was a fist fight, but clanks were reverberating in the air. Hao Ren¡¯s Steel Membrane Shield was flashing non-stop. Shockwave from the battle blew away snow and pine needles within a dozen meters radius, exposing the black frozen soil beneath.


    Hao Ren forced a smile. Before jumping into the maelstrom portal earlier, he thought that he had anticipated everything. Now, he realized that he had missed something that he should not have overlooked. Except for Y¡¯zaks, Y¡¯lisabet, Lil Pea, Lorissa, and the newly-born Noobie, everyone else was at least a hundred years old. They might not have lived through the entire Mythological Era as Vivian had, but at least when going back in time from the twentieth century for a few hundred years, there was a high possibility that he would bump into one of his tenants. For that reason, it was no surprise to see Lily of the past here.


    As if fate had it, Hao Ren and the husky were destined to meet each other.


    At this point in time, the husky already believed she was a werewolf. The longer the husky fought, the more energetic she got. The ¡®glass shell¡¯ on Hao Ren¡¯s body had aroused her curiosity. She tried to break it with her fists, but the repulse from the shield began to hurt. Her fists were bleeding. But the husky cared not. A few minutes later, the werewolf girl suddenly made a surprise move by sending two quick punches at Hao Ren. Immediately, she twisted her body in an extreme angle, leveraging on the rebound force of her kick, she bounced back out away from Hao Ren.


    ¡°Awesome!¡± the werewolf maiden said when she landed steadily on the ground. She bumped her fists together in excitement and said, ¡°Not bad! We are evenly matched! Tough guy. I like you!¡±


    Hao Ren quickly danced to the husky¡¯s tune. ¡°Since we are admiring each other, why not we take a break and talk¡ª¡±


    Before Hao Ren could finish his sentence, the werewolf maiden lunged at him again. ¡°Let us fight another round; it is not like I could meet my match every time.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it proper to shake hands and sing Kumbaya now?¡±


    ¡°No, no, no. Let¡¯s fight!¡±


    Hao Ren was at a loss. Lily (the old version) was savage. But he had to keep fighting. He knew that the husky would not stop until she depleted all her strength and wore out her excitement.


    In all fairness, Hao Ren could end this if he wanted. No one could defeat a gun with bare hand. He could use the black-hole bomb if it so required. But the opponent was Lily, Hao Ren was not going to hurt her even if it was just Lily in the mirrored history. But then again, even if he could bear to do that, he would have to first find a way to break away from her. When it came to close-quarters combat, the husky was one of the best in the business. Hoping to get away from her claws? No way.


    Hao Ren could only rely on his physical strength and Steel Membrane Shield to hold off the husky in the dogfight. It was daunting, but there was a pattern in their every move. The reason was straightforward: Hao Ren knew the husky very well.


    Hao Ren was not an expert in close-quarters combat, but often time, by the nature of his job, he needed to be proficient in a hand-to-hand fight. So Hao Ren never slacked in learning various combat techniques. He would train with his tenants when he was free.


    Boxing was the most regular practice Hao Ren had with Lily.


    Hao Ren chose the husky as a training partner because it was easy to fool her, and she was exceptionally energetic.


    Hao Ren knew that his strength did not lie in hand-to-hand combat. But the long life of the inspector allowed him to take time to perfect his martial art to become a pro fighter one day. He did not expect to be able to surpass Lily in close-quarters combat skill within a short few years, but training together had benefitted him a lot. Hao Ren was making progress every day, and the most significant improvement was in his understanding of Lily¡¯s combat style.


    Simple and crude was the fighting style of the husky maiden. Her moves lacked refinement, but her brute strength was more than enough to compensate for her weakness. Those who lacked proper physical strength would not be able to keep up with her pace. Only those with a certain level of physical force could keep up with her pace.


    It was not hard to anticipate the husky¡¯s moves with prior knowledge of her combat style.


    She began to wonder. She found that this man, who came out of nowhere, was not only as strong as she was, but also could anticipate her every move. This guy had even easily neutralized her killer moves, which she had just invented not long ago. This man seemed to have practiced his countermoves beforehand.


    Meanwhile, the combat seemed to become more relaxed than before for Hao Ren. He had even begun to slowly get the upper hand now.


    Lily of this time was not as strong as the husky that Hao Ren knew. She had the strength and speed but lacked the skills. The husky mostly depended on her instinct. The initial fist fight did throw Hao Ren off-guard for a while, but after learning her rhythm, Hao Ren found that dealing with the mad dog was a piece of cake.


    Frustration and astonishment began to set in. At last, Lily twisted her body and raised her leg at the same time, trying to pull off another killer move. But Hao Ren shoved her back. With a skillful sidestep and forward motion, Hao Ren reached for Lily¡¯s puffy tail and grabbed it firmly his hand.


    It was Hao Ren¡¯s killer move against the husky maiden.


    Lily lunged out with an ¡®Arf.¡¯ She pointed at Hao Ren and stuttered. ¡°You¡­ you can¡¯t use this trick!¡±


    ¡°Crap, I would not have grabbed your tail had you not attacked me!¡± Hao Ren said, glaring at Lily. ¡°Do you still want to fight?¡±


    ¡°No more fight! No more fight! You are a pervert!¡± Lily threw her hands in the air. ¡°Your body shell is harder than rock. It is no fun to fight with you!¡±


    This reply was indeed the style of Lily. Hao Ren could only force a smile. ¡°All right. Can we talk nicely now? I am only passing by, not thinking of hurting your wolf pack. It was a misunderstanding.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Lily asked, wide-eyed. ¡°I have never seen such a powerful guy. Or more like, I have not seen a human for a long time. Where are you from?¡±


    ¡°My name is Hao Ren, I¡­ Bah, you won¡¯t know even if I tell you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Lily nodded. ¡°I have never been anywhere. Ahh, let us be sworn-brothers!¡±


    ¡°Ahem, what did you just say?¡± Hao Ren choked.


    ¡°Sworn brothers!¡± Lily said matter-of-factly. ¡°You fight well! And you did not treat me like an alien when you saw my ears and tail. You are a kind person. Let us be sworn-brothers!¡±


    Hao Ren was struck dumb once again.

 Chapter 1426 - Lilys Youth

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The wounded gray wolves lay on the ground in the pine forest. Hao Ren was moving around, treating their injuries. He was secretly glad that he did not come up with the idea of ??grilling wolf meat earlier. More importantly, he had just wounded the wolves, not killed them. Otherwise, things may not have been so amicable.


    The wolves¡¯ injuries were serious but not life-threatening. Hao Ren did not use his high-tech medical pod, instead, he used two autonomous robots and some portable living tissue repair equipment. While he was busy treating the wolves, the werewolf maiden followed him closely and babbled, ¡°Oh yeah, you are awesome! Oh yeah, the things you carry are awesome! Oh yeah, you know how to treat the injured wolves. Awesome! Oh yeah, are you hungry? Oh yeah, can we be sworn-brothers now?¡±


    ¡°Can you not say ¡®oh yeah¡¯ every time you speak?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, it¡¯s an old habit,¡± Lily said while scratching her head. ¡°I haven¡¯t talked to anyone for a long time, I¡¯m a little excited.¡±


    ¡°You come from a human settlement?¡± Hao Ren asked, looking at the ¡°old version¡± of Lily. He tried not to sound like he had known her for a long time. He spoke as if they were meeting for the first time. It would avoid arousing suspicion. He knew Lily well. She was foolhardy but quick-witted, having sensitive beast-like instincts. That was why Hao Ren had to be very careful not to act suspiciously lest the husky would run away.


    However, considering how easily the maiden got acquainted with people, Hao Ren began to wonder whether this audacious husky was vigilant at all.


    It seemed Lily had been an avid socializer since the beginning.


    While Hao Ren was having these thoughts, Lily already started to babble, ¡°I have stopped living with the humans a few years ago. By the way, I bet you are not human either judging from your ability. Am I right? That means my worry is unfounded. I forgot to hide my ears and tail when I lunged out from the woods just now; not until we were halfway in fight and damn, I was goosey.¡±


    Now, Hao Ren understood why the husky acted like a werewolf in the open. Lily severely lacked vigilance and never thought of disguising herself. She was lucky to be born in the post-Mythological Era. Had she lived in the Mythological Era, the demon hunters would have smelled her out.


    ¡°I¡­ uhh, not really a human. But you totally lacked alertness. Many non-humans are many times more dangerous than humans,¡± Hao Ren said and looked up at Lily. He knew that she was only a ¡®projection¡¯ in history. But he still wanted to remind her. ¡°There is a group called the demon hunters who specialize in killing the otherworldlings.¡±


    ¡°Wow! That is dangerous?¡± Lily was wide-eyed.


    Hao Ren twitched his mouth while in his mind, he was analyzing the behaviors of Lily of this era. It seemed that Lily had just left the village she had been living in since birth. The villagers drove her out when her adopted parents passed away. She had no clue of the outside world and lacked the vigilance of hiding her identity. She only knew that she had to tuck her ears and tail because they would cause panic in the village, not because she had to stay under the radar of the demon hunters. Right now, Lily was hiding in the wilderness, living by controlling the wolf pack. Hao Ren wondered what led her to go to the human world later.


    While thinking of it, Hao Ren threw Lily a seemingly innocent but a probing question, ¡°Oh, by the way, do you live in this snowy place all this while?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Lily replied with her ears flicked. ¡°I used to live in a village. But then when my parents died, the villagers were scared of me. So I ran away. At first, I planned to go to the south because I heard that there were big cities where many people lived together. It sounded interesting. I believed that I could achieve something in my life there.¡±


    ¡°You want to achieve something?¡± Hao Ren was stunned. ¡°What do you want to achieve in the human world?¡±


    ¡°I want to be a great eating artist,¡± Lily said while placing her fist on her chest and confidence filled her eyes. ¡°I heard that food in the human world in the south is delicious. I have a big appetite.¡±


    Cold sweat trickled down Hao Ren¡¯s forehead. He could not fathom what was in the mind of the naive husky. Her understanding of the human world was utterly wrong. And how the hell the husky came up with the term ¡®eating artist?¡¯


    But this question was nothing compared to what Hao Ren had quickly realized later.


    Lily had planned to go to the south at where human cities were. But she was in Siberia.


    Hao Ren carefully analyzed what happened after discounting the automatic correction of his translation plug-in. He found that that Lily was speaking Mandarin in a heavy northeastern accent, totally unlike the standard accent that she had in the later years. This could only mean one thing: Lily departed from the northeast.


    ¡°Did you just say you wanted to go to the city in the south?¡± Hao Ren asked. He was not sure how to explain the problem to the husky. ¡°Do you know where you are now?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Lily replied. ¡°I was lost when I left the village. There were mountains everywhere. When I came out of the mountains, there was either snow or forest everywhere. How could I know where I was? But I asked the wolves. They told me to go this way to head to the south.¡±


    How on Earth would wolves know how to differentiate the north from the south and the east from the west? They know the directions but not what the word ¡®south¡¯ means , Hao Ren said to himself.


    Hao Ren could almost imagine how Lily asked the poor wolves for direction. She must have bared her fangs and showed her claws, intimidating the wolves with her ¡®alpha¡¯ demeanor. The poor wolves trembled and bowed, simply pointing to a direction never mind that they knew not a thing about what ¡®south¡¯ meant. They just wanted to please the alpha. And indeed, the alpha was delighted, but she had gone all the way from the northeast to the freaking Siberia.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lily asked as she seemed to have noticed something wrong with Hao Ren¡¯s expression.


    ¡°Do you know that this place is called Siberia?¡± Hao Ren asked with a hopeless look.


    ¡°Siberia?¡± Lily had never heard of this place.


    Hao Ren let out a long sigh and said, ¡°Do you know that you have gone in the wrong direction?¡± You are going north and will soon arrive at the Arctic.¡±


    ¡°Whoa!¡±


    ¡°What is the Arctic?¡± Lily asked.


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    It took Hao Ren a long while to finally let the Lily understand her situation. He wondered how this dumbo with no sense of direction, naive, and a weird life perspective could dominate the literary world and graduate four times from Peking University. Lily who would later rub shoulder with Zhou Shuren, the leading figure in modern Chinese literature, was initially aspiring to become an ¡®eating artist¡¯ in the human world. It was a ridiculous world.


    ¡°Oh yeah, I have gone in the wrong direction all this while.¡± Lily blinked. ¡°I have been wondering why it just became colder when I traveled south. So if I turn around and walk all the way I would find a big city. Am I right?¡±


    Just like that, Lily had a new goal. She could not care less that she had wasted a good part of her life going in the wrong direction.


    She did not even have the slightest urge to whack the wolves that duped her earlier.


    ¡°Thank you, haha,¡± Lily said. She was happy to find a new goal, and that was written all over her face. ¡°Without you, I would not be able to find the big city in this life. Shall we become sworn-brothers?¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s heart missed a beat. ¡°Why do you care so much about becoming sworn-brothers?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Because you are awesome! And you have helped me so much,¡± Lily said with a serious face. ¡°I look up to you as my big brother!¡±


    Hao Ren quickly waved his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t! You will become a great person in the future. I am not going to be your sworn-brother.¡±


    While saying, Hao Ren suddenly realized something: if he wanted to find Vivian in this vast snow land, he got the best tracker in the world before him right now. Lily was not only a good tracker but also familiar with this place since she had been here for quite some time. What was more¡ªthe wolf pack under her control could be of help.


    It all came in handy.


    ¡°Let us first not talk about sworn-brotherhood. I need you to do me a favor,¡± Hao Ren said.


    ¡°Just tell me, big brother,¡± Lily replied while swinging her hair.


    ¡°Oh, come on. Don¡¯t call me that. My name is Hao Ren. You can just call me Hao Ren.¡±


    ¡°Hao¡­ ren, well, I have memorized it,¡± the werewolf maiden said. ¡°I also have a name! You can call me Lily.¡±


    Hao Ren knew the name of the maiden a long time ago, but he was still somewhat surprised. She was already known as Lily this early. That meant she had never changed her name all this few hundred years. ¡°Beautiful name! What is your surname?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have my last name,¡± Lily replied.


    ¡°No surname?¡±


    ¡°I was abandoned in the woods and have no idea who my parents are. My adopted parents gave me my name. At first, I adopted my adopted father¡¯s last name, Liu. But for a long time, I hardly grew. And I could understand the language of the wolf. So the villagers said that I was a kid of the monster and must not adopt the last name of human lest I would bring bad luck to the village. But my dad was a powerful figure at that time, the villagers did not dare to say it in the open. But after my parents died, I no longer used my last name.¡±


    Perhaps Lily had been living in isolation for too long that she sometimes spoke incomprehensibly. But Hao Ren still understood what she meant. ¡°Then your last name shall be Liu. The villagers are stupid. Don¡¯t be bothered by what they say.¡±


    Lily nodded, but god knows if she understood it. She had not forgotten about Hao Ren¡¯s request though. ¡°What favor do you ask of me?¡±


    ¡°I am here to look for someone.¡±

 Chapter 1427 - A Husky’s Survival In the Wild

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    With utmost enthusiasm, Lily invited Hao Ren to her place. The husky said that they needed proper planning to find a person, so she insisted on bringing Hao Ren to her home for dinner.


    The dumb maiden made a blunder by going to Siberia instead of the city in the south. But her ability and will to survive in the wild was exceptional. After leaving the village, Lily found no rush to go to the south. While on the wrong way to the north, she frequently stopped to explore places that interested her. She would spend more time in one place if she found it fascinating. Due to these diversions, Lily had taken several years to reach Siberia.


    For a werewolf maiden who came from a remote mountain village and had to suppress her true self, the journey in the wild was probably the happiest period of her life since birth.


    Lily lived with a wolf pack and naturally remained far from the human world. There was a wooden cabin in the pine forest. A hunter used to stay there but was long gone at that point. There used to be other sporadic human settlements around the woods, but the snow had swallowed them all. Now, the cabin in the woods became a shelter for Lily.


    The wolves had their place to stay around the wooden cabin. When Lily ordered them to dismiss, the beasts quickly disappeared into the woods. But Hao Ren could still sense their presence not far away as the wolf pack did not move more than 300 m away from the cabin. He could hear the wolves¡¯ growl in the wind occasionally. Lily pushed the door of the cabin open and invited her guest into the house.


    The interior of the cabin was not what Hao Ren had imagined.


    It looked old and even like it was about to collapse soon, but it was a different world inside the cabin¡ªit was clean and tidy. Lily used animal skin as well as an old wooden board to seal the gaps in the wall, and planks to reinforce the rotten overhead beams. The hunter¡¯s hut was a very basic structure, divided into two partitions¡ªthe inner and external rooms. The inner room was used for food storage and living quarters, while the outer room was much like a kitchen stuffed with all kinds of clutter¡ªa rusty ax, broken wheels, torn fur, and even an antique shotgun, the barrel of which had been rolled up like a ball of string. Apparently, it was the result of the husky using it as a hand exercise tool.


    The clutter formed a small hill in the corner. Most of the stuff did not look like they belonged to the previous cabin owner. It seemed that they were more likely part of the husky¡¯s collection. Lily was a hoarder back then.


    Lily noticed that Hao Ren¡¯s eyes were on the clutter in the corner. Instead of feeling embarrassed, she proudly said, ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve noticed that. That¡¯s my collection. Let me tell you, I rarely see people here, but a few people still pass by occasionally. These people usually carry all kinds of rare and interesting stuff with them. My wolf pack would monitor them from afar. When they spot anything interesting, they grab it from the humans and bring it back to me. But don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t let them hurt those humans, just take some stuff from them.¡±


    Hao Ren finally understood what the wolf ambush earlier was all about. ¡°The gray wolves were planning to rob me earlier?¡±


    Lily scratched her head and put on a sly smile.


    ¡°I was almost robbed by a pack of wolves. Can you believe what just happened to me?¡± Hao Ren forced a smile. ¡°They switched places and seemed to be in a formation. Did you teach them all of that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the art of war. Do you know the art of war?¡± Lily began to boast. ¡°There was a learned old man in our village. He told me that the art of war is a power tool. Zhuge Liang, the military strategist in the period of the Three Kingdoms, used stones to draw a formation and defeated 100,000 enemy troops. So I borrowed the comic version of the ¡®Romance of the Three Kingdoms¡¯ from the old man.¡±


    While she spoke, Lily took out a thread-bound book, which looked old and worn. Years of usage had worn the book¡¯s cover out, and there was no way to tell which volume it was from the cover. It was one of Lily¡¯s treasured possessions. ¡°I had to beg the old gentleman for a long time before he lent me his book¡­ Oops!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    Lily cried, ¡°When I ran away from the village, I forgot to return this book to him.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re only remembering it now?¡±


    ¡°Ah, after finding your friend, I can sneak back into the village and return the book while I¡¯m on my way to the city,¡± the husky maiden said before she set the matter aside. ¡°Let¡¯s have something to eat. After fighting with you, I¡¯m starving.¡±


    Hao Ren looked on as Lily made a fire with flint and dried grass in the pit at the center of the cabin. She then took out a beaten old iron pot, stuffed it with snow, and put it on the fire. Once the snow melted, they would have a pot of hot water. Air-dried bacon was hanging on the beam. Lily broke a few small pieces and threw them into the pot. Together with some beans and grains, which she took out of nowhere, she made a hot pot of meat porridge. Lily ran to the back of the house and dug out two frozen salmons. After letting them thaw by the fire, she put them on a skewer and grilled the fish on the fire.


    Lily did everything so skilfully and quickly that it dazzled Hao Ren.


    The dog who was used to spoon-feeding actually possessed survival skills.


    ¡°The brown bear that lives nearby gave me the fish. He¡¯s an expert in catching fish. So I always trade other food items that I¡¯ve hunted for his fish,¡± Lily said as she stirred the meat porridge with a long iron spoon. ¡°But seasoning is hard to come by. There is a saltwater lake far from here, where I can get salt. There¡¯s nothing else other than that, so you have to get used to it.¡±


    While watching Lily preparing the dinner, something crossed Hao Ren¡¯s mind. He quietly took a packed item out of his Dimensional Pocket. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try this?¡± he asked.


    Curious, Lily took the pack in her hands. She pinched and sniffed it. ¡°What is this? Is it edible?¡±


    ¡°Peel away the plastic wrap,¡± Hao Ren said with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s a pack of Spicy Sticks. You¡¯ll like it.¡±


    Lily cautiously fiddled with the packaging for a long time before she clumsily removed the wrap. A thick and pungent smell instantly drifted into her nostrils. The husky put a strip into her mouth. ¡°It tastes like noodles. It¡¯s delicious!¡±


    Sure enough, the love of Spicy Sticks was in her DNA.


    In no time, Lily had finished half a pack of Spicy Sticks. She then suddenly stopped. ¡°I have to save the rest. It can be used as a seasoning for the porridge.¡±


    ¡°You can eat as much as you like. I have plenty,¡± Hao Ren said and laughed.


    Lily looked at Hao Ren curiously. ¡°How did you conjure this thing up? Where have you hidden the things that you used to treat the wounded wolves? Do you know magic?¡±


    ¡°This is my ability,¡± Hao Ren said. He knew that it was a period in Lily¡¯s life where he could easily fudge his way through. ¡°Just as you can become a powerful half-wolf, half-human, I can conjure a variety of things.¡±


    ¡°Can you conjure Zhuge Liang, the one who knows to execute the stone formation.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand what I mean,¡± Hao Ren said.


    ¡°What about Zhang Fei, the general? I want to see who¡¯s stronger between him and me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary. Needless to say, you are the strongest in history. Nobody could have done what you¡¯ve done by swinging the stone column in the Temple of Athena like a propeller.¡±


    ¡°Athena what?¡±


    ¡°You have many questions,¡± Hao Ren said.


    ¡°Oh, then I should stop asking,¡± Lily said, pursing her lips. But after a few seconds, she turned around again and asked, ¡°What about the propeller?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about our search plan, shall we?¡± Hao Ren said.


    One had to watch out when chatting with the husky; she was highly divergent in conversations. Hao Ren should have remembered this. After all, he had known her for three years.


    However, it was also easy to sway Lily back to the topic. The husky maiden flicked her ears and said, ¡°Ah, finding someone. What kind of person do you want to find?¡± Lily asked.


    ¡°Someone just like us, a non-human,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure where she is, but I only know that she¡¯s hibernating in a place where no human would ever go. The natural phenomena around her are abnormal.¡±


    As he spoke, Hao Ren tried to figure it out in his mind. According to the handwriting on the crepe, Vivian¡¯s last known activity in Siberia was a battle with the vengeful spirit 300 years ago. Her hibernation should have started not long after the combat. On the other hand, Lily was almost a hundred years old in the real world. Seventy of those years had been spent in the human world. Meanwhile, the Lily before him had not come into contact with human society.¡±


    When looking from this context, there was a considerable time gap of about 200 years.


    Why is this so? Hao Ren wondered.


    Did Vivian sleep for 200 years? Or was Lily wrong about her age? Or in that distorted space and time, history no longer followed the original time scale?¡±


    All three scenarios were possible.


    ¡°Are you in a daze?¡± Lily asked.


    Her voice jolted Hao Ren out of his thoughts. ¡°Oh, ahem, ahem, I¡¯m fine. Where were we? Oh, we were talking about her sleep.¡±


    ¡°Sleep? Your friend has hypersomnia?¡± Lily asked, scratching her chin. ¡°This snowfield doesn¡¯t seem like an ideal place to sleep.¡±


    ¡°I think the sleep you¡¯re talking about is not what I mean,¡± Hao Ren said, rubbing his forehead. ¡°Never mind. It¡¯s a little difficult to explain it to you. I have her belongings here. Can you sniff her scent out?¡±

 Chapter 1428 - Life as a Tour Guide

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    A sudden realization made Hao Ren regret his action of asking Lily to sniff Vivian¡¯s belongings. She probably still thought that she was a werewolf and was clueless about her husky-Pekingese lineage. In other words, Lily was proud of her own race. With this in mind, the husky maiden may not be happy if Hao Ren treated her like a search dog. Lily could feel humiliated and get angry. She would bang the table. But there was no table there, so she would hit her thigh with her hand and rise in anger.


    However, Hao Ren¡¯s worry did not materialize. Lily did not react like an angry wolf. She just froze for two seconds before she was all smiles again. ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve found the right person. I am a good searcher. Let me take a look.¡±


    Hao Ren was startled. He began to realize something: Lily may not have been aware that she was a werewolf. She may not have even known that werewolves existed in the world.


    Lily only knew that she could transform into a powerful, half-human, half-wolf creature. The so-called dignity of her race was not yet in her mind. Her concept of werewolves likely came from her exposure to human society, books, and movies several years later.


    Lily must have caught Chunibyo1 from too much TV.


    This was a time when the husky maiden was at her most real self.


    Hao Ren was suddenly relieved. He then reached into his Dimensional Pocket and took out an item. Many people would like to think that it was Vivian¡¯s most intimate personal belonging. But since Hao Ren was not a pervert and Vivian had never needed Hao Ren to keep her clothes every time she transformed, it was a disappointment to these people because it was only a mobile phone.


    Besides lingerie, the mobile phone was Vivian¡¯s most intimate item, which she would never part with.


    ¡°What is this?¡± The gadget caught Lily¡¯s attention. Her eyes lit up. The shiny surface of the mobile phone screen looked too similar to the glowing stones in her collection.


    ¡°This is a magic item belonging to my friend,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°Sniff it and keep the scent in your head¡­ Hey, you just need to sniff it. Don¡¯t lick or bite it! Be careful, this thing is made of plastic! Argh, you don¡¯t have to know what is plastic!¡±


    Lily took the phone in her hands, and her nose began to do its job. The husky maiden acted like she had found treasure while Hao Ren looked on in satisfaction.


    Hao Ren knew that Vivian had been hibernating for many years, and it was impossible for a dog to find her by scent alone. But all was not lost. Firstly, Lily was not an ordinary dog; she was a super husky and master demon hunter incarnate. Conservatively speaking, she could sniff out the recipe of what someone ate three days ago just from the person¡¯s breath if she or he was within a hundred miles. So if Vivian was hibernating nearby, Lily would be able to find her. Secondly, a long time had passed since Vivian fought the vengeful spirit in Siberia, the pauper should have woken up by now. The hibernation spell should have begun to lose its power, and her scent should have leaked out. The chances of Lily detecting her smell was very high.


    Nonetheless, Hao Ren could not rule out the worst case scenario: Vivian had to be very sleepy. It was possible that she was not waking up anytime soon and the hibernation spell was still in effect. Or probably, Vivian had already woken up and gone to the southern hemisphere. If she was still in hibernation, Hao Ren only had to comb the snowfield and dig out the coffin she was hibernating in. But if Vivian had woken up like the second scenario, Hao Ren would curse the high heavens. Either way, he still had to find Vivian no matter where she went.


    While Hao Ren was having these thoughts, Lily was done, inevitably licking the phones a few times. She could not help it because the shiny object was too irresistible. The husky returned the phone to Hao Ren reluctantly. ¡°Here you go. I¡¯ve registered the scent in my head.¡±


    ¡°When are we departing?¡± Hao Ren could not wait already.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat first.¡± Lily pointed to the pot of steaming meat porridge and grilled salmons. ¡°After dinner, take a rest. We will search for her tomorrow. Don¡¯t worry, I can still remember a scent after 10 years, let alone a night.¡±


    Hao Ren initially could not wait. He was worried that the situation may turn against him with every passing minute. But he needed to take into account what the husky was thinking. She had only gotten to know Hao Ren for less than a day. Her offer to help was a passion out of congeniality. Hao Ren figured that he should not ask for more.


    When Hao Ren looked out through the door gap, it was dark. It was nightfall in Siberia. Traveling at night in the snow land of Siberia was not a good idea. It was not because of the dark and freezing temperature¡ªHao Ren had no problem with that, but because Vivian¡¯s power became even stronger at night. Her place of hibernation would only become harder to find under the influence of the moonlight.


    So, Hao Ren reined in his impulse and stayed in the wooden cabin for the first night of his journey back to the future.


    The steamy and scrumptious yet rustic meat porridge, the fragrant and unique smoked salmons, the hunter¡¯s cabin in the pine forest, the harsh Siberian cold wind roaring outside, and the swaying fire in the pit; Lily sat across the fireplace, her face filled with a happy and innocent smile. Her big eyes were as bright as amber in front of the fire.


    That was the impression Hao Ren had on his first day.


    Oh, he could not forget the neverending howls from the wolves outside the cabin.


    The next day, it seemed that the wind and snow decided to stop to give Hao Ren a good start.


    Lily had gone out before the sky turned bright. She first pulled a few pine trees out of the ground to train her muscles. Then she brought her wolf pack hunting for food. They robbed any poor soul who happened to pass by and almost turned the entire pine forest upside down. When Hao Ren woke up, the husky had already returned with a half-eaten wild boar.


    ¡°Today is a good day to find someone,¡± Lily said in an almost unintelligible manner. Her mouth was stuffed full of roasted wild boar meat. ¡°It isn¡¯t snowing, and visibility is good. I also sent the wolf pack out to scout the nearby forest a little. Didn¡¯t you say that there would be anomalies in the sky if your friend was sleeping nearby? I don¡¯t know what a sky anomaly is, but the wolves apparently found something strange somewhere. We can go there and check it out.¡±


    ¡°Something strange?¡± It immediately caught Hao Ren¡¯s attention. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a small valley once you pass through the pine forest. Protected from the wind and snow, it¡¯s a natural shelter with a hot spring. It should be a place that¡¯s thriving with life, but the reality is, there¡¯s nothing there. It¡¯s barren. The forest stops abruptly before the valley, and no animals dare to venture into that area. It¡¯s said that those who go there lose their way and die in the valley eventually. How could someone get lost in such a barren and open space? So something must be wrong. The brown bear who lives nearby the area has said that every twelve days or so, there would be a loud noise like that of a landslide in the valley.¡±


    Hao Ren could not wait to go investigate. ¡°That¡¯s right! That should be the anomaly I was talking about. Let¡¯s finish our breakfast and go.¡±


    Hao Ren and Lily wolfed down their breakfast and embarked on their journey to find the valley. The wolf pack led them from the cabin through the forest. It was an arduous journey for ordinary human explorers, but not for Hao Ren, much less Lily and her wolf pack.


    With knowledge of the terrain and their extraordinary physical strength, they passed through the pine forest in no time and drew close to the Valley of Death, as known to the wild animals in the woods.


    Their surroundings began to appear unnatural.


    The forest became less dense, and the vegetation was short as well as withered. It looked as if they had caught some illnesses and weakened. The barks of the trees were dried up and cracked. Hidden underneath the tree barks were signs of disease. Bushes grew close to the ground and were twisted. Many more had dried up and died out.


    The pine forest seemed to be fighting an invisible force. The conflict of life and death formed a battlefield there.


    Moving farther forward, trees became even fewer than before. Their surroundings were utterly silent. Siberia may have been freezing, but life was thriving in the forest. The howls and cries of animals could be heard everywhere, but near the valley, those sounds were non-existent.


    The wolves began to flinch.


    Lily rebuked them, and several braver ones moved a few steps forward. But they stopped again.


    ¡°We can¡¯t count on them,¡± Lily said. She knew that something in front was scaring the wits out of the wolves. ¡°Let them return. We can enter the valley on our own.¡±


    Hao Ren looked up past a few dying pine trees. The Valley of Death was already within sight.

 Chapter 1429 - Vivian’s Place of Hibernation

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The valley after the pine forest originally had no name. In the untouched snowfield, the range of human activities was significantly limited. Only the most experienced hunter would dare to leave the small cabin in the pine forest. No adventurer was brave enough to pass through the entire jungle dominated by wolves and brown bears just to name a valley devoid of life. So Hao Ren simply named it the Valley of Death.


    A stretch of diseased woods bordered the pine forest and valley. The dried and twisted plants seemed to remind rash adventurers not to get close to the place. After the woods was an open valley, which was not massive. Roughly triangular, two low and bare stone mountains flanked the valley on both sides. They gradually closed in and joined in the distance. So, crossing the pine forest was the only shortcut to the valley. The valley was lifeless, and there was no vegetation there. The barren landform extended from the rocky mountains on both sides to the valley below. It was all covered in thick snow. Black boulders and dead tree trunks peeked out from under the snow sporadically. In the snowy environment, dead trees remained unrotten longer than those in other places.


    Hao Ren stood at the edge of the diseased forest and tried to find something that could be familiar, but he saw nothing except a land of death.


    Would Vivian sleep in such an isolated place of death at all? Hao Ren asked himself.


    From the intelligence that the wolves provided and the bizarre ecological environment of the place, the possibility was indeed quite high.


    The husky maiden was gasping next to Hao Ren. There was a little nervousness on her face. ¡°There¡¯s this feeling like a great adventure is about to begin. I¡¯ve never done such a thing before. I¡¯m a little nervous.¡±


    It seemed that Lily was strong when she met something weak, and weak when she saw something strong. It had been in her nature ever since half a century ago.


    ¡°There should be an energy field in the valley that continuously weakens life, or some kind of curse. It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t understand. Just relax.¡± Hao Ren looked at the husky who was feeling intimidated. ¡°That thing can only harm ordinary animals. It has no effect on you and me, especially you. You have a tenacious vitality.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Lily looked at Hao Ren in amazement. ¡°You are impressive! You know so many things!¡±


    ¡°I know a lot more.¡± Hao Ren smiled and took the lead. ¡°Come with me. Pay attention to the smell around you.¡±


    The snow made a squeaky sound under their feet with the occasional cracking of twigs as they stepped on them. Apart from their footsteps and the sound of their breathing, the vast valley was almost completely silent. Not the slightest breeze was present despite the clear weather. Hao Ren stomped forward, feeling like he was walking in a static white world. Everything between heaven and earth felt so vast and empty.


    Lily, who was on her first adventure, followed Hao Ren nervously from behind. The young ¡°werewolf¡± maiden perked her ears, listening for any subtle sounds while continuously snuffling, much like a search dog.


    Hao Ren stopped before a skeleton, which likely belonged to a large herbivore. The snow had buried most of it. The exposed parts were fragile and decaying. In frigid weather where scavenging organisms were lacking, it could take many years for a corpse to become such clean bones. But how long had the victim been lying there? Half a century?


    Hao Ren bent down to examine the condition of the bones, trying to find out the creature¡¯s cause of death. Lily mumbled next to Hao Ren, ¡°Haven¡¯t animals been too afraid to enter this valley, how could it die here?¡±


    ¡°Those with a sound mind would not have entered this place. But it¡¯s been so many years, there are bound to be some accidents. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Hao Ren said, twitching his mouth. ¡°Maybe an enemy chased it, and it had nowhere to go except to flee into this valley. Maybe it was starving and coming for food. Maybe it was simply insane. As soon as it entered the valley, it lost its way and could never get out again.¡±


    ¡°How did it die?¡± Lily curiously watched as Hao Ren examined the skeleton, finding that this man seemed like a professional in his field. The maiden could only identify a bone by its taste, and she was at a total loss when it came to examinations of a higher order.


    Hao Ren got to his feet. ¡°There are traces of black rot on the bones, which look like poisoning. Some distortions have formed due to high temperature. I suspect it was a blood boiling phenomenon. Put this on around your neck. It can protect you.¡±


    While he spoke, Hao Ren fished a life-support collar from his Dimensional Pocket and handed it to Lily. The gadget was initially used in harsh environments such as space, but its protective functions could come in handy, especially to Lily who lacked experience.


    Lily took the collar and put it on under Hao Ren¡¯s instruction. It snuggled nicely around her neck. ¡°Where do you get so many strange gadgets? What is a blood boiling phenomenon, by the way?¡±


    ¡°The boiling of blood; this friend of mine is an expert in manipulating blood. When she¡¯s asleep, she could have released her power subconsciously so the creatures that came near her sleeping place may have died when their blood boiled in their veins. But fret not, this collar will protect you from blood boiling.¡±


    Lily almost jumped out of her skin when she heard the first part of the sentence. But the second part gave her assurance. She calmed down and snuffled, turning around in a certain direction.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°Smell¡­ I smell something.¡± Lily pointed at the valley. ¡°It wafted out from that place.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s check it out! Maybe that¡¯s the place we¡¯re looking for.¡±


    Lily¡¯s sense of smell did not let him down. They had found a clue. Hao Ren moved in the direction that Lily pointed to and saw a recessed entrance in the valley wall; the scent was leaking out from there.


    Hao Ren looked around and found that the hollowed space in front was a naturally-formed cave. It was inconspicuous. Not only was it hidden under the huge rocks, but it was also covered by the mountain wall¡¯s shadow. Had it not been for Lily, Hao Ren would have needed to scale the entire mountain before he could find the hole.


    He stood at the entrance and took a peek inside. The cave was dark, and a faint stream of air blew out from the inside. It was a little colder than the snow and ice on the outside, and Hao Ren could not help but shiver.


    ¡°Is your friend sleeping in this place?¡± Lily asked as she poked her head inside. ¡°Whoa, this place is hell. Why didn¡¯t she find a better place? Even the kennels in our village are better than this.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s been in a tough situation all this while.¡± It was also the first time Hao Ren had come to see Vivian¡¯s place of hibernation. He was just as curious as the husky was, so he entered the cave. Lily hesitated for three seconds before her curiosity overcame her nervousness, and she tailed Hao Ren.


    The front section of the cave was extremely narrow. Hao Ren had to squeeze himself through. But after those initial few meters of tight passage, the cave opened up before him. It eventually became a cave of over 10 m across. But that was it; they came to a dead end.


    Hao Ren blinked, and his eyes quickly adapted to the dark. The cave was spacious, and the ground was flat, but he could not see any traces of excavation. There were icicles, which had taken many years to form, hanging from the roof. The incoming snowflakes had coated the front half of the cave with slippery ice. Other than that, there was no other way in or out. It was all clear at a glance.


    ¡°Hello, is anybody here?¡±


    Lily called out while Hao Ren carefully observed their surroundings. The savage husky continued, ¡°Wake up! Wake up! Your friend is here! Don¡¯t sleep anymore. Oh, by the way, what is your friend¡¯s name, Hao Ren?¡±


    Hao Ren was startled by the sudden noise that the husky created. He quickly signaled at Lily with his hand. ¡°Her name is Vivian. Please stop calling her. The ¡®sleep¡¯ that I mean isn¡¯t the kind that you understand. You won¡¯t be able to wake her up this way!¡±


    ¡°Oh, then how did she sleep?¡± Lily asked as she snuffled. ¡°Where is she sleeping? I¡¯ve clearly detected her scent, but I can¡¯t find her.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps this is the way she keeps herself from being disturbed.¡± Hao Ren frowned while he looked around. His mind was working quickly.


    It seemed that Vivian was still not awake. Nevertheless, Lily had been able to smell her scent. This only meant one thing: the seal on the place had begun to lose its effectiveness. Perhaps Vivian¡¯s hibernation was coming to an end. He had two options; either find Vivian and wake her up or sit and wait for Vivian to rise from her hibernation naturally. The second option may have sounded like a more straightforward method, but it was not a good idea. He had no clue how long Vivian was going to sleep. Vivian waking up ¡°soon¡± could take a few years relative to her half-a-century-long hibernation.


    Suddenly, something strange in the corner of the cave attracted Hao Ren¡¯s eyes.


    It was a dark red mark.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Lily had also noticed the imprints.


    ¡°Letta runes, symbols with magic.¡± Hao Ren was completely convinced this time that he was truly looking at Vivian¡¯s seal. He even recognized the handwriting and became excited. ¡°She left this behind¡­ She left this behind!¡±


    ¡°Magic? Cool!¡± Lily exclaimed. ¡°What are these symbols for?¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, Vivian¡¯s using these symbols to protect herself during her hibernation. It might be a fool-proof seal from the Countess of the Crimson Moon, but I can crack it with a snap of my fingers.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s immunity to magic was a perfect antidote to Vivian¡¯s blood magic.


    He then placed his hand directly on the blood runes, which contained powerful magic.

 Chapter 1430 - Vivian’s Coffin

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Letta runes were something new to the Lily of this space and time. She had never seen any magic, curses, runes, or supernatural beings other than herself so far. Everything before her eyes was an eye-opener. So when Hao Ren put his hand on the Letta runes, the ¡°werewolf¡± maiden quickly approached him, staring and waiting to see if there were any changes to the symbols.


    The Letta runes twisted as soon as Hao Ren¡¯s finger came into contact with them. They evaded his fingers the way an animal would avoid fire. The dark-red blood marks moved and faded on the stone and ice. A sizzle and a plume of pungent black smoke later, the powerful characters burned and disappeared silently.


    Lily looked on, wide-eyed.


    The distortion of the runes on the stone wall was only the beginning. Following the rubout of the suspected magic-circle node by Hao Ren¡¯s magic-immune physique, a stream of air suddenly formed in the small cave and spun rapidly, rolling up the snow and ice shards in their surroundings. Soon, it developed into a cold whirlwind, which almost blinded both their visions. Accompanying the tornado were red luminous lines and words that were coming out of the dark stones. There also seemed to be phantoms and mist between the lines and text. The entire cave suddenly expanded and became many times larger than before. Grotesque images along with the crying as well as the howling of ghosts frantically twirled around Hao Ren and Lily. The dark stone wall softened and rippled before wraith-like creatures burning in black flames crept out from beneath it, only to fall to the ground and shatter. There was even a creature that looked like a bone dragon, poking its head out from the ceiling above. But before the bone dragon could let out a roar, it broke and turned into ashes in the wind. It vanished within a few seconds once it touched the ground.


    Are these wraith guards that protect Vivian during her hibernation, an effect of the legendary blood magic? Hao Ren thought to himself.


    Their sudden appearance startled Hao Ren a little. He could now faintly feel what kind of person the gentle and diligent ¡°housewife¡± was before they met¡ªshe was the terrifying creature that human parents often talked about to coax their kids to sleep. At that point, the ¡°werewolf¡± girl was on all fours, baring her fangs and looking threateningly at her surroundings. She growled, and the muscles in her body convulsed.


    ¡°Relax. These things are not a threat anymore.¡± Hao Ren quickly appeased the husky who was about to lose control of herself. ¡°I¡¯ve just disabled the alarm system. All you see are their broken pieces.¡±


    It was just as Hao Ren said. He had defeated the alarm system in the cave. Had the wraith guards come out earlier, they would have been in trouble. But Vivian probably sealed the wraith guards with blood runes to avoid hurting the innocent. The wraith guards would only be activated under certain conditions, which played right into Hao Ren¡¯s hands. He just needed a little bit of contact with the runes to create a chain reaction that would completely destroy the wraiths.


    The horrifying vision in the cave went away as quickly as it came. In just a matter of a few breaths, everything in their surroundings had come down, and the real face of Vivian¡¯s place of hibernation revealed itself.


    The small cave had widened in just a short time and was now several times bigger than before. The stone walls and low-hanging icicles were all magical illusions. After they all vanished, the cave was really just a rectangular stone chamber. There were coarse marks of corrosion and cutting on the walls. Vivian had to be the one who created them before she hibernated. At the end of the chamber was a flat boulder with a sarcophagus lying silently above it.


    That was the only thing in the chamber.


    ¡°It seems that this is indeed her place of hibernation.¡± Hao Ren could not help but sigh.


    Just as Lily was about to calm down, the sight of the creepy tomb made her hair stand on end. ¡°Big Brother, is this where your friend sleeps?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and walked up to the sarcophagus. ¡°She just likes to sleep in such places.¡±


    Lily was stupefied. Cold sweat ran down her back when she saw Hao Ren pace around the sarcophagus. ¡°Wait a minute! What are you doing? That¡¯s a coffin!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m opening it and waking her up of course!¡± Hao Ren said without looking at her.


    Lily woofed and bounced two meters back. ¡°You¡¯re going to dig a grave! You¡¯re a tomb raider! Have you been fooling me all this time?¡±


    Hao Ren finally figured out what the husky girl was thinking. He looked at her and forced a smile. ¡°What are you thinking? My friend is sleeping in this coffin. Can¡¯t you see my honest face? Is this the face of a tomb robber?¡±


    Lily looked suspiciously at Hao Ren. Apparently, she was not convinced.


    Hao Ren helplessly spread his hands out. ¡°Look at the empty chamber and ask yourself; do you think anyone would want to plunder a tomb this poor?¡±


    Lily looked around and finally figured that what Hao Ren said did make sense.


    ¡°In that case, you¡¯re not a tomb raider then.¡± The husky moved forward cautiously. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier. My gosh, there are actually people who like to sleep in coffins in this world. How long has your friend been dead?¡±


    Hao Ren almost choked and coughed his lungs out. Right when he was about to correct the husky maiden, the sarcophagus suddenly shook.


    The two of them were wide-eyed, and they observed it quietly. The sarcophagus shook again, and this time, it was so violent that the cover began to tremble and slide to the side.


    Lily jumped two meters up into the air and almost slammed her head on the ceiling. ¡°Big-Big Brother! The cover over your friend¡¯s coffin is coming off!¡±


    ¡°Get out of the way! Get out of the way!¡± Hao Ren took Lily by the hand and stepped back. ¡°Don¡¯t get too close. We don¡¯t know how long she¡¯s been sleeping. We¡¯ve woken her up, and she might get grumpy!¡±


    Before his voice trailed off, a loud bang sounded within the sarcophagus and blew the half-ton stone cover away.


    A shadow rushed out of the sarcophagus, formless like smoke. The shadow quickly turned into a storm in the air, and the temperature in the cave dropped rapidly by at least 20 degrees. A 20-degree drop in a hellish place like Siberia was no laughing matter. No matter how robust Hao Ren was physically and no matter how good Lily¡¯s physique as a sled dog was, they could not help but begin to sneeze.


    The heavy, metallic smell of blood began to condense in the chamber. When this happened, Hao Ren knew that one of the situations he expected had come true.


    Vivian was not fully conscious.


    ¡°Your friend seems to be really pissed.¡± Lily blinked in the cold while she held down her standing hair. ¡°She spins when she gets grumpy.¡±


    Hao Ren grabbed the husky girl by the arm and ran towards the exit.


    Before Lily knew it, Hao Ren had dragged her away and out of the frozen cave. As soon as they were out of the cave, a strong air current rushed out from behind them and blew them a dozen meters away. They crash-landed and broke a large boulder as well as a solid piece of ice. With the protection of his Steel Membrane Shield, Hao Ren was basically unscathed. But without any protection, Lily was a sight to behold. Her old clothes looked even more tattered when she pulled herself out of the pile of broken rocks.


    The husky maiden patted herself and cried loudly. ¡°Hao Ren, your friend¡¯s really pissed. Do you owe her a lot of money?¡±


    ¡°The reverse is true¡ªshe owes others a lot of money.¡± Hao Ren grabbed Lily and ran again. ¡°How on earth could she have money to lend to others!¡±


    *Boom!*


    An earth-shattering explosion came from behind when strong energy erupted from the cave. The blast broke the mountain wall in half. Hao Ren staggered in his steps and looked back instinctively. The cave had vanished with only thick black smoke billowing from the site where the cave was. A mushroom cloud was rising up into the air.


    Did Vivian get so pissed that she blew herself up after someone dug up her coffin while she was asleep? Hao Ren thought.


    While that wild thought ran through his mind, Hao Ren did not slow down. He dragged the muddleheaded husky maiden and ran all the way to the entrance of the valley.


    The powerful energy bursts and booming sounds were still audible from the valley.


    ¡°All right, I think this distance is safe enough.¡± Hao Ren wiped the cold sweat off his forehead. They were now standing in the dead forest, which bordered the pine forest and the valley. ¡°Let¡¯s wait here.¡±


    Meanwhile, Lily was still in shock. ¡°Wait here? Will she come and kill us all?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she won¡¯t,¡± Hao Ren said while he fished out the fabric with Vivian¡¯s handwriting from his Dimensional Pocket. ¡°I know her habits well. As soon as she wakes up, she¡¯ll recover her humanity. She won¡¯t be that aggressive anymore. What happened in front of us earlier should be the result of her stress response due to our premature breaking of her seal.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a stress response?¡± Lily asked innocently. ¡°You know a lot of difficult words.¡±


    ¡°When you¡¯re soundly asleep with a big bone, and someone suddenly takes that bone out of your arms, you¡¯ll subconsciously bite. That¡¯s called a stress reaction.¡±


    ¡°Arf.¡±


    Soon after, Lily thought of another question. ¡°How long does it take for her stress response to go away?¡±


    ¡°It depends mainly on whether she¡¯s hungry or not.¡±

 Chapter 1431 - Vivians Iron Rice Bowl

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    It turned out that Vivian grew hungry in no time.


    Hao Ren and Lily overlooked the valley for a while. The sounds of explosion and destruction gradually subsided. The smoke also dissipated when a strong wind suddenly blew across the valley. Lily nervously grabbed Hao Ren¡¯s arm; she used so much force that sparks began to burst from Hao Ren¡¯s Steel Membrane Shield. ¡°Hao-Hao Ren, has your friend calmed down?¡±


    ¡°It seems so.¡± Hao Ren wiped the cold sweat off his forehead. He appeared calm the entire time, but deep inside, he did feel a little nervous. Vivian¡¯s extreme grumpiness had totally caught him off guard. But thankfully, it was Siberia. Even if there was a nuclear explosion, no one was going to notice. Otherwise, the noise that Vivian created would have caused widespread panic.


    The two of them were on the lookout for a while. After they made sure that there were no more dangers in the valley and the grumpy one was not releasing hostile energy anymore, only then did they begin to walk back to the valley carefully.


    The valley looked like it had just experienced a saturated bombing. Traces of the violent explosion were everywhere. The shockwaves from deep inside the valley had blown the snow away, exposing the ground underneath. It had radial cracks and folded lines. In between the terrain were potholes, billowing in green smoke. To Hao Ren, it was a familiar sight; it was likely the aftermath of a Thunder Strike.


    On the other end of the catastrophic scene, a flat, black boulder was miraculously intact. A cold-looking girl with dark hair was sitting quietly on top of the boulder. She was wearing a tattered black dress and holding a piece of metal in her hand. She looked confused as she stared at the object in her hand. It looked like she was trying to remember something but was drawing a blank.


    Such was the first sight Hao Ren came upon when he found Vivian in his back-to-the-future journey.


    Vivian sat silently as if she was alone in the world. Surrounded by the scorched earth that she inadvertently created, Vivian was wholly immersed in her own bubble, as though her perception of the outside world had utterly dimmed.


    However, the approaching Hao Ren and Lily finally caught the attention of the dark-haired girl. She looked up slightly at the two ¡°strangers¡±, feeling confused. Half a century of hibernation had numbed her mind a bit. It took her a while before she could focus her attention on Hao Ren. ¡°What year is it? Who is the tsar now?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea.¡± Hao Ren had a thousand words to tell her, but in the end, he could only utter a short sentence. He could tell from Vivian¡¯s eyes that he had not been able to trigger her self-awareness as he had expected. The Vivian of this moment was still the Countess from history. She was immersed in her memory blockade, and her mind was stuck at the moment of awakening in the Siberian snowfield. ¡°The people are probably about to overthrow the tsar. Maybe they¡¯ve done it.¡±


    ¡°Overthrow? Have the humans ended their own era?¡± Vivian frowned, her voice so soft as if she was sleeptalking. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Vivian had apparently just realized that the appearance of these strangers there was strange. ¡°Ordinary people would have run away by now. You seem to be waiting for me here. Are you one of my old friends, or did the other vampire families send you to find me?¡±


    Hao Ren quietly looked at Vivian, and finally smiled. ¡°I¡¯m an old friend of yours.¡±


    ¡°Old friend?¡± Vivian slowly turned her neck. ¡°I apologize. I can¡¯t remember you. But if you are my old friend, you should know that my memory is hopeless¡­ Huh?¡±


    Vivian finally noticed Lily.


    Lily jumped up in joy when Vivian finally looked at her. ¡°Arf Arf Arf! Hello, my name is Lily! I¡¯m a new friend to your old friend! Nice to meet you. Hahaha, you¡¯re really a one-of-a-kind sleeper.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s facial expression suddenly changed. ¡°You¡¯re a werewolf!¡±


    Lily was still clueless. ¡°Arf?¡±


    ¡°Why is a werewolf here?¡± Vivian suddenly rose from the boulder. Her quiet temperament had turned cold as she summoned a large amount of dark-red blood spheres around her. Her voice was cold as winter. ¡°Which family are you from? Why did you trespass my place of hibernation? Did you just break my seal?¡±


    Hao Ren knew that things were not looking good when Vivian uttered the word ¡°werewolf¡±. It reminded him of the first time the two enemies met. He should have anticipated this eventuality, but because Vivian and Lily had become a pair of quarrelsome friends, he had overlooked the situation. The Vivian of this time still had a deep hatred towards the entire werewolf race.


    While Lily was still in confusion, Vivian braced herself for combat. Sensing things were going south, Hao Ren quickly stood between the two and pleaded, ¡°Calm down, Vivian! This werewolf has nothing against you. She¡¯s a wild one! She doesn¡¯t belong to any family!¡±


    Lily¡¯s mind was still muddled. ¡°What does he mean by wild? What family are you talking about?¡±


    After half a century of dormancy, Vivian woke up only to find a werewolf standing in front of her. With vigilance and conditioning from years of battle, she would not hesitate to launch a preemptive strike even though Hao Ren was standing between them. After all, Hao Ren was only a stranger to her despite his claims of being an old friend; all the more so when he was with a werewolf.


    So, Hao Ren could do nothing to stop Vivian from attacking. But one thing had prevented Vivian from doing so.


    A sense of frailness suddenly hit her. One moment, Vivian was floating in the air, the next moment, she tumbled and dropped like a fly to the ground.


    Lily was shocked. ¡°Whoa! Did your friend have a heart attack?¡±


    Hao Ren rushed up to Vivian and examined her. ¡°Vivian, are you¡ª¡±


    Vivian sat up and muttered two words from her throat, ¡°So hungry.¡±


    Hao Ren was flabbergasted.


    A moment later, a bonfire began to rise in the diseased forest, and the aroma of barbecue wafted through the air. Lily had led her wolf pack on a hunt for fresh prey in the woods. Hao Ren had also taken out some prepared food from his Dimensional Pocket. It was not a gourmet meal by any standard, but for a starving Vivian, it was the most delicious meal in the world.


    Before the wild boar¡¯s legs were fully cooked, Vivian had torn a large chunk off and stuffed it in her mouth. She basically inhaled the meat but still maintained a minimum level of elegance and polite demeanor. Hao Ren had never seen a person who could wolf down food and still remain as graceful as Vivian at the same time. Not a hair was out of place.


    ¡°Eat slowly.¡± Lily handed Vivian more roasted meat. ¡°There¡¯s a lot more where that came from. My wolf pack hunted a large wild boar. The three of us can¡¯t possibly finish it.¡±


    Vivian looked up at Lily with a quirky stare, and there was a sense of wariness in her eyes. But filling her stomach mattered much more than fretting over the ¡°werewolf¡±. With 10,000 years of life experience came a high level of tolerance. Moreover, the innate hostility of otherworldlings never affected her one bit. So Vivian could not care less about looking for trouble. She even thanked the husky faintly after she took the grilled meat from Lily.


    Lily looked at the mysterious woman curiously and asked matter-of-factly, ¡°Why did you want to attack me just now?¡±


    ¡°Werewolves and I aren¡¯t friends.¡± Vivian wolfed down a large chunk of meat and said, ¡°Plus, I got into trouble with some of the werewolves shortly before I went into hibernation. I thought those werewolf families sent you here to seek revenge.¡±


    ¡°Arf. Then, I am not your enemy,¡± Lily said, holding a large chunk of barbecued meat in her hands. ¡°I wasn¡¯t born yet at that time.¡±


    Vivian did not comment on it but continued to annihilate the food in her hands. At one point, she choked, and Hao Ren quickly handed her a bottle of mineral water. ¡°Here, drink some water. No one will take the food away from you.¡±


    Vivian thanked Hao Ren politely. She gulped down half a bottle of water before she noticed the bottle¡¯s exquisite appearance. ¡°May I ask, this thing doesn¡¯t look like glass or crystal. It¡¯s very strange. Is this a new thing that humans have made?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right,¡± Lily suddenly said in a proud manner, as though she was the inventor of the plastic bottle. ¡°Hao Ren has plenty more weird gadgets! He¡¯s impressive!¡±


    ¡°Hao Ren? Is that your name?¡± Vivian glanced at Hao Ren. Suddenly, something seemed to cross her mind. ¡°I apologize for not getting your name earlier. I was too hungry and made an awful gaffe.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s politeness made Hao Ren uncomfortable. He felt like there was a great distance between Vivian and him. ¡°You¡¯re welcome. You¡¯ve never been so polite when we were together.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t remember in the slightest.¡± Vivian frowned slightly. ¡°How long have I been asleep?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not very sure,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what year it is now. The one next to me is even more clueless than I am. She¡¯s never been to the outside world and has no idea who the tsar is.¡±


    ¡°Were you asleep for a long time too?¡± Vivian looked at Hao Ren curiously.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s complicated. I can¡¯t explain it all in a few words,¡± Hao Ren said as he piled more food in front of Vivian. ¡°Let¡¯s first eat.¡±


    Since Vivian did not regain her memory after she saw her old acquaintances, Hao Ren had to move on to Plan B: build rapport with Vivian and conduct more stimulation tests. Hao Ren had kept Hessiana¡¯s advice in mind when it came to building rapport.


    He was to do nothing but buy Vivian breakfast, lunch, and dinner. His mission was to first feed the pauper who had been hungry for 10,000 years.

 Chapter 1432 - Moment of Awakening

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°I¡¯ve had my fill,¡± Vivian said after she wolfed down the last piece of barbecue. She then wiped her mouth and nodded to Hao Ren as well as Lily in a graceful and polite manner. ¡°Thank you for your hospitality.¡±


    Lily was stunned and looked at the empty skewer in front of her eyes. She managed a few words after some time, ¡°Whoa, she¡¯s a big eater like me. Do you also want to be a great eating artist?¡±


    Hao Ren thought the same. When did Vivian acquire such a huge appetite? Has she been starving herself at home the entire time? Hao Ren thought.


    After she heard what Lily said, Vivian blushed and explained embarrassedly, ¡°I¡¯ve been sleeping for a long time, and I¡¯m afraid I didn¡¯t eat anything before I slept, so¡­ so I needed a little more food to recover my strength.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I totally understand that.¡± Hao Ren quickly smoothed things out. ¡°Your appetite isn¡¯t particularly big when putting things into perspective. You only eat like this once in decades. On average, you eat like a bird.¡±


    Vivian was even more embarrassed to hear that.


    The three of them had already completed their introductions of each other during the meal. A dog, a man, and a woman, who came to know each other as brother and sisters, had become strangers in that messed-up space and time. The only person who knew the truth, Hao Ren, felt particularly uncomfortable. So he quickly found something to say. ¡°Vivian, moving forward, what are your plans?¡±


    Vivian glanced at Hao Ren. She still had no clue who these two people were, but a free meal did make a good impression. At least for now, she found that anyone who could be so generous to treat her a meal was likely not her enemy. After all, the stakes were high, so she did not keep her thoughts a secret. ¡°I¡¯m a little confused now. I can¡¯t remember many things about my past. I don¡¯t even know what year it is and how the outside world looks now. Hence, I plan to find a human settlement to collect some intelligence, then decide how I should live. Hao Ren, since you¡¯re my friend, you surely know my past. What was my arrangement before I went into hibernation?¡±


    Hao Ren knew that the question was both an inquiry and a test, so he came prepared. ¡°You didn¡¯t have any arrangement. When have you ever planned forward each time you hibernate? All I know is that you were fighting with someone in Siberia before you hibernated. But I don¡¯t know the details.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Vivian looked up. ¡°What about the two of you? What are your arrangements?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to the south to find a big city of humans!¡± Lily could not hide her excitement. ¡°There are many kinds of delicious food in the big city! I want to be a¡ª¡±


    Before Lily could finish, Hao Ren smacked his hand over her mouth; the husky did not need to keep emphasizing her great dream again and again.


    Vivian frowned very subtly when she saw Lily¡¯s innocence and naivety. ¡°You¡¯re too innocent for the human world. Do you know that there are many hidden dangers there?¡±


    ¡°Hao Ren has told me about that!¡± Lily proudly said. ¡°He also says that there are other otherworldlings hidden in the human world. Plus, there are some guys called ¡®demon hunters¡¯ who look for trouble with us. I¡¯ve been living with humans since I was little. I know how to disguise myself.¡±


    Earlier, Lily had lunged out of the woods with her pointed ears and tail exposed. How could she have the guts to claim that she knew how to camouflage¡­


    ¡°Demon hunters? Those madmen are still roaming around?¡± Vivian¡¯s face appeared a little gloomy now. ¡°They haunt me like a ghost no matter which era I¡¯m in. Little werewolf, you better not be so confident, as those demon hunters have a better nose than yours. To them, the scent of your body is as noticeable as the moon in the night sky. If you ever bump into them, there will be nowhere to hide no matter how good your camouflage is.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know!¡± Lily nodded happily.


    Vivian suddenly found Lily a little pathetic. She looked at Hao Ren with a puzzled look. ¡°Does your new friend have some mental problems?¡±


    Vivian secretly pointed her fingers at her head without Lily noticing.


    Hao Ren¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Don¡¯t be bothered. That¡¯s just how she is. By the way, don¡¯t you recognize me?¡±


    It had been a few hours since Hao Ren found Vivian, but she showed no signs of recovering her memory. That began to worry Hao Ren. He could plan and foresee every aspect of the entire backtracking journey, except how to wake Vivian up. No one knew how; not even Raven 12345. Seeing that Vivian was still treating him like a complete stranger, he was beginning to fret.


    Vivian was a little doubtful. She looked at the man in front of her carefully. ¡°Speaking of which, I do have a slight impression you. It¡¯s as if I¡¯ve known you for a long time, and it seems like our relationship is a trusting one. But I can¡¯t really recall anything.¡±


    Hao Ren managed to prevent himself from looking overly eager. He knew that the first half of Vivian¡¯s sentence was not mentioned out of courtesy. She truly did have some impression of him. However, these impressions were too shallow and were not enough to awaken her memory.


    It seemed that Hao Ren needed more than rapport building to trigger Vivian¡¯s memory. He needed a crucial medium.


    While he thought of that, Hao Ren made up his mind. ¡°Since you¡¯ve just woken up and your mind¡¯s still a little topsy-turvy, you better rest for a few days. We have a place in the woods. Come with us¡­ Lily, is that okay with you?¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly realized that the hunter¡¯s cabin belonged to the husky, so he needed her permission. He had been Lily¡¯s landlord all this while; now, the reversal of roles with Lily being the landlord and he, the guest made him feel a little weird.


    Of course, no problem.¡± Lily certainly did not mind. She admired Hao Ren for his combat skills, loved the Spicy Sticks he had given her, and treated him as a big brother. ¡°I¡¯m not in a hurry to go to the south anyway because I need a proper plan. I want to stock up more food in the next few days. So everyone can come and rest in my house.¡±


    Vivian was a little hesitant when she saw how passionate the two of them were. ¡°You should know that I bring bad luck to all, right? Are you sure you want me to be your guest?¡±


    Vivian was worried that her ¡°old friend¡± had forgotten that she was a jinx, hence the reminder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I¡¯m well prepared.¡± Hao Ren patted his chest. ¡°I wasn¡¯t even afraid of buying you dinner, what else would I be afraid of? Besides, this is Siberia. There isn¡¯t a single human within the next several hundred kilometers or any existing economy. How broke could I become? At most, we¡¯ll find hunting a little harder. But hey, Lily has an army of wolves.¡±


    Vivian was very moved. ¡°You and I must have sworn to live and die together in the past!¡±


    Lily did not know what they were talking about, much less the risks of befriending Vivian. ¡°What are you two talking about?¡±


    ¡°Nothing!¡± Hao Ren replied.


    Soon, the three arrived at the hunter¡¯s cabin in the forest.


    The excellent weather from the first half of the day seemed to be over once the cold wind blew through the pine forest. It howled outside the wooden cabin.


    Lily was preparing to make a fire in the pit. Meanwhile, Hao Ren noticed that Vivian had been playing with a small metal object ever since she settled down. He could not help but feel curious. ¡°What is that?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I have no idea.¡± Vivian handed the metal object to Hao Ren. ¡°It appears to be a strange key. It was on me when I woke up so I guess it must be important. But I can¡¯t recall what it is.¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at the object, and he was wide-eyed.


    It was just as Vivian said. The thing was indeed a key but not a key that existed in that era.


    It was a thin key of only a few centimeters long and it was severely oxidized. Even though its owner was subconsciously protective of it, the distorted space and time had eroded its surface. It was now rusty with black mildew growing all over it. Some parts were so worn out that they were out of shape, and the key itself was slightly bent. Nonetheless, Hao Ren found it extremely familiar.


    He rubbed the key hard until he could faintly see the trademark and text under the rust.


    It was the key to his house; the main door key.


    Outside the hunter¡¯s cabin, the howling wind grew louder and louder, while the snow that the wind rolled up slammed against the cottage and their surroundings. The wolves that were guarding the neighborhood began to whine uneasily.


    ¡°Do you know what it is?¡± Vivian looked at Hao Ren¡¯s reaction curiously. From his expression, she knew that the man had an idea about the key and even had a special feeling for it.


    ¡°It¡¯s definitely a key; the key to our home.¡±


    ¡°The key to ¡®our¡¯ home?¡± Vivian knitted her brows together. ¡°You mean, we¡¯re living together?¡±


    Hao Ren did not reply. He now vaguely knew what medium he needed to wake Vivian up.


    He reached into his Dimensional Pocket, fished out the exact same key, and handed both keys to Vivian.


    At first, Vivian was still wondering and feeling suspicious about what Hao Ren had just said. But when she saw the two keys, she froze.


    One of the keys was oxidized and worn out so much that it was almost out of shape, but she could still recognize at a glance that both keys were the same.


    At least, Hao Ren could not have forged a duplicate before he met her.


    The snow outside the cabin was about to turn into a snowstorm. The pine forest ruffled, and even the heavens and the earth whined in the thick of the snowstorm. The wolves had become completely silent, their howls drowned out by the storm perhaps. But inside the cabin, the sounds from the outside were almost inaudible, as though there was a thick layer of sound insulation around the cabin.


    Vivian finally raised her head.


    ¡°How did I end up here?¡± What happened?¡±

 Chapter 1433 - A Hurried Reunion

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Vivian looked up at Hao Ren, and this time, she no longer saw him as a stranger.


    Hao Ren knew that he had made the right guess; the medium to waking Vivian up was none other than his house key.


    The key represented the only place where Vivian could find peace and shelter in tens of thousands of years.


    The key meant so much to Vivian that even though she had plunged into the memory whirlpool and misplaced space and time, she brought the key with her. The oxidization on the key was likely the result of space and time distortion. So, Vivian was not entirely unresponsive right before she fell into the memory whirlpool. She had seconds to grab something that could wake her up, and she chose to hold on tightly to the house key.


    ¡°You¡¯re ¡®asleep.¡¯¡± Hao Ren looked into Vivian¡¯s eyes. They had only been separated for less than two days, but he felt as if they had not seen each other for years. ¡°All your Malevolences resonated with each other, causing the historical information in your soul to overflow and contaminate the real world.¡±


    The sound of the wind outside the hunter¡¯s cabin gradually subsided. The snowstorm, which seemed to be swallowing the entire world finally died down. It appeared that when the master of that space and time awakened, some violent, distorted force began to disappear and retreat into the darkness. In the quiet wooden cabin, Hao Ren spoke of all that happened in the outside world and the truth he knew.


    Vivian may have found it hard to believe, but Hao Ren had to tell her everything. Only by doing so could Vivian quickly regain her self-awareness and escape the dream. Then he could proceed to the next leg of his retrospective journey.


    Hao Ren looked at Vivian and knew that she was not really awake. She might have looked like she had regained her memory, but she was still sitting there. It meant that she had not gotten rid of the misplaced space and time. He needed to work harder.


    ¡°My sleep has caused the whole earth to fall into this twisted space and time?¡± Vivian listened silently to Hao Ren, her face slowly went from disbelief to a more relaxed expression. She knew that Hao Ren would never deceive her, so she chose to believe his unbelievable story. ¡°And I¡¯m a Malevolence¡ªthe biggest ever?¡±


    ¡°I know it sounds hard to believe.¡± Hao Ren was mindful of the words he used. ¡°But not all Malevolences are bad. There are those who are harmless. Have you forgotten about Noobie? Isn¡¯t she cute? And you¡¯re even safer than her. After all, you¡¯re just poor.¡±


    ¡°You know you¡¯re not good at comforting people. I would prefer you to remain silent.¡± Vivian sighed.


    Hao Ren was a little embarrassed.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to comfort me.¡± Vivian noticed the expression on Hao Ren¡¯s face and suddenly burst into a smile. ¡°I¡¯m not as fragile as you think. In fact, I¡¯ve sort of previously guessed what happened to myself.¡±


    Hao Ren was wide-eyed. ¡°You mean you already know that you¡¯re a¡ª¡±


    Vivian nodded lightly. ¡°I¡¯ve had a hunch before. Our trip to the ancient city of Ertos further confirmed my suspicion. From the very beginning, I¡¯ve already felt like there was more to the splitting of the Malevolence than met the eye. With the never-ending splitting and so many splits of negative energy, how can I be completely ¡®clean¡¯? The contaminant is in my body, and I am the source of the contamination. I¡¯ve prepared for this for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡ª¡±


    ¡°I will not be beaten by this difficulty. I will not give in to the contaminant in my body. Whether it is from the Mad Lord or any other mastermind, I will be in control of my own will, and no one is allowed to interfere with it,¡± Vivian said faintly. ¡°Did this memory vortex trap me here? Quite the contrary; I¡¯ve been waiting for this opportunity for a long time. I would like the shadow hidden in me to know that it is I who has trapped it, not the other way round.¡±


    As Vivian¡¯s voice trailed off, the atmosphere outside the hunter¡¯s cabin was utterly silent. It was as if the house was floating in an empty universe. Hao Ren looked around and found that the colors in their surroundings were fading before everything stood still. The sizzling fire in the fire pit turned into a gray, static block. The dry meat hanging from the wooden wall turned into black silhouettes, and Lily, who was stirring the pot next to the fire pit, was still. It was as if someone had pressed the pause button.


    Vivian¡¯s body gradually became illusory, and Hao Ren could almost see the wooden wall through her. She was waking up and leaving the dream world.


    ¡°I should go.¡± Vivian looked at Hao Ren. ¡°I can feel this space and time rejecting me now. If I¡¯m not wrong, I will go to a deeper part of this distorted space and time, ahead of you. There, a battle has been raging on for 10,000 years. Two parts of my soul are fighting there, and I¡¯m waiting for the final battle. Hao Ren, every time hibernated, a part of my force was left behind in that fragment of history. You have to go back in time and help me send these forces to the deepest part of the battlefield.¡±


    Vivian faded rapidly, and before long, all was left of her was a vague figure. She sped up her speech, as she wanted to make things clear before she disappeared entirely. ¡°Be careful of those Malevolences. They exist in the same space and time as I do. You have a fifty-fifty chance of bumping into them in the places where I hibernate. The Barbaric Era is full of danger, many things are out of your control. You may meet the Hessiana of the past. She isn¡¯t bad in nature; earn her trust. She likes novel inventions by humans, strawberries, and honey¡ª¡±


    Vivian completely vanished into thin air, only her faint voice still reverberated in the air.


    ¡°Hao Ren, take care of yourself. I¡¯ll wait for you in the next era¡ª¡±


    It was a brief and hurried reunion.


    Hao Ren got to his feet. Without saying a word, he tidied his clothes, which had wrinkled up. The snow on his collar and shoulders had already melted. The slight dampness and coldness made him more awake and calm.


    Despite the short meeting, Hao Ren did not feel sad. He had successfully awakened Vivian once, which meant he was on the right track. The first step was always the hardest, but once he got the ball rolling, things would become smoother.


    All he needed to do was wake the Vivian of each era from the beginning until the end of 10,000 years.


    Hao Ren looked at the black and white hunter¡¯s cabin. After Vivian left, the house did not collapse or disappear, but there was a faint light outside the door. Hao Ren had probably figured out what he should do next. He did not leave the place at once but remained there to sort out the information he had heard from Vivian.


    As the creator of that distorted space and time, Vivian knew more about the world.


    She mentioned that there was a battle in the deep vortex, and that battle was still ongoing.


    Vivian also mentioned that she was scattered in that distorted structure of space and time, that every fragment of space and time contained a part of her power.


    Hao Ren had to wake Vivian up in each fragment of history. Every awakening would send a part of Vivian¡¯s power to the battlefield and empower her in the deepest part of space and time.


    These returned powers would determine the winner of the battle. They would also decide whether the one to return to the real world was the divine avatar or the almighty Malevolence.


    They were situations that Raven 12345 had not anticipated. Hao Ren felt really damn lucky to be able to get a hold of such information first hand.


    After Hao Ren sorted things out in his mind, he strode to the door.


    ¡°Aah! Mr. Landlord, how did I end up here?¡± Lily¡¯s loud voice suddenly rang behind him.


    Hao Ren almost jumped out of his skin. He turned around with a loud crack and almost sprained his neck.


    Lily was standing not far behind him, still wearing the tattered leather jacket of her in Siberia with a long handle spoon used to stir the cauldron. She looked exactly like the ¡°older version¡± of Lily.


    However, Hao Ren was dead sure that this was not the ¡°old version¡± judging from how she called him ¡°Mr. Landlord.¡±


    ¡°Lily?¡± Hao Ren looked at the husky maiden for a long time as if he had seen a ghost. ¡°You¡¯re Lily from the twenty-first century?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about, Mr. Landlord? Of course, I¡¯m Lily.¡± She looked down at the spoon in her hand and screamed. ¡°Aah! Isn¡¯t this the spoon I used a long time ago? Wasn¡¯t I playing mahjong outside? How did I end up here?¡±


    Hao Ren was stupefied. ¡°Playing mahjong? What playing mahjong?¡±


    Lily may have been a bit naive, but she was not a slowpoke. She realized her mistake and quickly explained, ¡°Ahem, I mean I was waiting for you outside. How did I end up here?¡±


    By now, Hao Ren had guessed what was happening in the outside world. ¡°I¡¯m here to save the world, while you guys are playing mahjong on the outside?¡±


    ¡°No, not really. The Nangong Siblings and Y¡¯zaks are playing a card game.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.

 Chapter 1434 - Stowaway

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Lily suddenly appeared behind Hao Ren while he was immersed in his lofty sentiments and aspirations. The husky was a spoiler, but aside from the trivial annoyance, Hao Ren was happy to see her.


    In that lonely and dangerous retrospective journey, any company was better than none.


    Moreover, Lily was a very useful partner. Her nose, among other things, had fully proven her worth.


    It took Hao Ren a few seconds to accept the fact that his tenants were playing mahjong and card games on the other side. He then curiously looked at the husky maiden. ¡°I still don¡¯t understand how you came in?¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡± Lily scratched her head. ¡°While sticking a paper note on Hessiana¡¯s face to prank her, I felt dizziness hit me, and footages flashed across my mind. The next thing I knew, I was already here.¡±


    ¡°Footages?¡± That word caught Hao Ren¡¯s attention. ¡°What footages?¡±


    ¡°I saw myself following you in the woods and cooking for you. Then we entered a valley¡­¡± Lily suddenly paused, seemingly thinking of something. ¡°Mr. Landlord! Are all these extra memories real?¡±


    Hao Ren already had some speculation in mind. ¡°They did happen. They¡¯re experiences I had with the you of the past in this distorted space and time. The time should be in the early part of the last century, where you were still hunting in the Siberian snowfields. It seems that for some inexplicable reason, you have connected with ¡®yourself¡¯ in this space and time. As a result, your consciousness has entered this world and attached to your past self. In theory, I¡¯m supposed to be on the second leg of my retrospective journey, which is some time around Vivian¡¯s second hibernation. You haven¡¯t been born at this time. Your projection shouldn¡¯t have reached this far.¡±


    While Hao Ren was in confusion, Lily suddenly froze, and her temperament took a one-eighty. Hao Ren felt like the husky had turned into a completely different person, from a dumbo to a neurotic.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Hao Ren,¡± Lily suddenly said. But it was Raven 12345¡¯s voice. ¡°Not bad, dude. What you¡¯ve achieved so far has surprised me. It only took you this long to change the rules of the sandbox?¡±


    Cold sweat trickled down his forehead. Hao Ren quickly shook the disrespectful thoughts out of his mind. ¡°Boss? How could it be you?¡±


    ¡°Surprising, isn¡¯t it? Yeah, I can do that,¡± Raven 12345 said, not forgetting to boast.


    ¡°I was with the Lily from the past, but she suddenly turned into Lily of the present. She¡¯s not supposed to exist anymore once I enter the next node. Yet, she¡¯s followed me a few hundreds of years further back in time.¡±


    Hao Ren told Raven 12345 about the strange phenomenon that happened to him, his thoughts, and the information he received from Vivian.


    Raven 12345¡ªin Lily¡¯s body¡ªthought for a moment and said, ¡°Well, you¡¯re going about it in the right direction generally. I¡¯ve observed something from outside the sandbox and the evidence confirms this.¡±


    ¡°It looks like you know what¡¯s happening.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve successfully backtracked to one point in time and liberated a part of Vivian¡¯s consciousness from the memory vortex. This part of her consciousness is now back in her control as a part of her power. It has begun to resist the distortion of history caused by the resonance of the Malevolences. The results are still not good enough to reverse the distortion, but a result is a result; it has begun to affect the mirrored Earth in the sandbox,¡± Raven 12345 explained. ¡°It has lessened the distortion somewhat, reduced the contamination of the mirrored Earth, and weakened the isolation of the chaotic space and time, leading to ¡®safer¡¯ information being able to enter the sandbox. But no random information can enter. It must fulfill certain conditions such as have something to do with your actions, require a receiver, and not affect the history of this distorted space and time. Lily seems to fit these conditions perfectly. So she¡¯s the first one to make it in.¡±


    ¡°The first one? Are you saying that more people are coming in?¡±


    ¡°If you can find a second person who meets the conditions, it would help you in your retrospective journey. But only their consciousness can enter. They cannot bring along learned skills and physical equipment, so their strengths won¡¯t be greatly discounted. I guess this Lily in front of you will not be able to use her Doggoblast, so just be mindful.¡±


    That was better than nothing. Hao Ren could not have asked for more. He was just worried about one thing. ¡°Wait a minute. If something bad happens to those who¡¯ve ¡®sneaked in¡¯ here, what will happen?¡±


    ¡°You mean dying in the retrospective journey?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded.


    Hao Ren was reluctant to say it but he had to take this potential problem into account. The retrospective journey was dangerous. Those who came in would face the darkest and most chaotic era on Earth, plus they would face various threats because of their identities. The life of a werewolf at the end of the Mythological Era was so much harder than that of an ordinary human, let alone a half-baked werewolf. In the real world, Hao Ren had a spaceship, drone clusters, an MDT, and tons of other life-saving equipment. But in there, he only had explosives and supplies in his Dimensional Pocket.


    Hao Ren could easily disguise himself because the innate hostility did not affect him one bit. As long as he was smart and cautious enough, he could stay alive in the Dark Ages. But he could not say the same for his little buddy who had become a moving time bomb once she entered into the Dark Ages and Mythological Era.


    Raven 12345¡ªin Lily¡¯s body¡ªclosed her eyes and slowly opened them again after a moment. ¡°All I can say is that be safe. They only enter the mirrored Earth via their consciousness. They won¡¯t really die and the system will kick them out of the sandbox once they ¡®perish.¡¯ But things involving the soul are always complicated, and the environment inside the sandbox is not stable. One could become a retard or have extreme changes in temperament upon returning to the real world after dying in the sandbox.¡±


    Basically, those coming to help would not only have lower combat effectiveness but also have so many restrictions. It sounded like they would be more of a hindrance than a help. Hao Ren was just thankful that he met Lily first, not the Nangong Siblings, who would have beaten a hasty retreat once they found that they were 200 years back in time. Lily had brute physical strength at least.


    Disheartenment was written all over Hao Ren¡¯s face. Raven 12345 noticed it and said, ¡°You¡¯re being a little too nervous. Your friends are not children, and you¡¯re not their nanny. You should believe in them; at least trust that they have the ability to take care of themselves. A leader should not see his or her teammates as a burden. Instead of worrying about them, you should worry about yourself: you¡¯ve entered the sandbox in person, and because of the special nature of the sandbox, you cannot upload your soul from within the sandbox. Even I can only contact you at a specific time and place. Do you know what that means?¡±


    ¡°If I die here, I die for real.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be nervous at all?¡± It was Raven 12345 who was surprised this time.


    ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it before I came.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve done my homework. During the mission briefing, I did some checks in the database to see how the sandbox works. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t die here. I¡¯m not going to die in Vivian¡¯s dream and become a laughing stock for the next century.¡±


    ¡°Glad to hear.¡± Raven 12345 finally smiled in approval and nodded. ¡°Then I should end the connection. The tolerance for interference in the sandbox is limited. Our next contact will be after you finish another leg of backtracking¡­ Oh, you still have less than a minute to ask questions.¡±


    ¡°Is Lily¡¯s body still outside? What¡¯s her situation?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s fine. Hessiana¡¯s putting stickers on her face while Y¡¯lisabet¡¯s about to paint a tortoise on her forehead. I¡¯ll stop them at the right time.¡±


    Raven 12345¡¯s voice slowly faded into complete silence as Lily¡¯s head sank.


    After a few moments, Lily looked up. Hao Ren knew that the husky had returned, judging from her big eyes.


    However, he hesitated in telling Lily about the current activities on the other side.


    ¡°Mr. Landlord, what happened?¡± Lily¡¯s eyes spun for a while before she could refocus. ¡°I spaced out, and my mind was blank just now! It seemed to be a long time. Is the sandbox causing a bad connection?¡±


    The husky was truly amazing¡­ She actually described it as a ¡°bad connection¡±.

 Chapter 1435 - The Dark Ages

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren saw Lily¡¯s woozy face and knew that the maiden knew nothing about the situation earlier. ¡°Raven 12345 just projected herself through the breach that you opened when you ¡®sneaked¡¯ in here. She possessed you to say a few words to me.¡±


    Lily could not care less if Raven 12345 had possessed her. ¡°Arf Arf? What did the goddess say?¡±


    ¡°We may have more helpers in the future,¡± said Hao Ren. ¡°Each time we go back in time, the degree of isolation of the distorted space and time will lessen. If we encounter other acquaintances during our journey, they¡¯ll be able to ¡®sneak in¡¯ just like you. But since only your consciousness can come in, you can¡¯t bring equipment and acquired skills. Your strength will be what it is during that time in history.


    Lily quickly understood what Hao Ren meant. She looked down at her hands and realized something. ¡°No wonder I feel weak, and I can¡¯t summon my Frostfire Claws.¡±


    The husky lamented, ¡°I really miss my days in the Siberian snowfields. When I first left the village and wandered, I was excited and had many ideas. I never worried about anything, including the problems I would face in the human world. While I lost my way, living with the wolves was joyful. Mr. Landlord, did you know that I actually went all the way to the Arctic until a glacier blocked my way. Then I had no choice but to turn back.¡±


    ¡°I know. You¡¯ve been this way for half a century.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s mouth twitched.


    Lily smiled slightly. She reached into her clothes and took out a badly-worn, thread-bound Romance of the Three Kingdoms.


    ¡°This book is still with me. I haven¡¯t returned it.¡± Lily shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve brought it along with me wherever I go, and read it countless times when I wandered the snow land. Later I came upon human society, looking for food, fighting, doing chores, and mingling with the gangsters. Suddenly, I had an urge to study. I wanted to be a cultured person, so I went to Beijing and studied there. After graduating from Peking University, I finally remembered that I had to go back to the small village, but the village was no longer there.¡±


    Lily sighed and continued. ¡°I¡¯ll probably never be able to go back again. The old gentleman must be scolding me in his heart.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Lily in amazement. After a long while, he hesitantly asked, ¡°Are you crying?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not.¡± Lily looked up and bared her fangs at Hao Ren. ¡°I¡¯ve gotten used to such things for half a century. Just lamenting a little here. I never imagined that I would relive the past here. Mr. Landlord, let¡¯s not waste time. Go out and see what year it is now. I can¡¯t wait to finish the mission.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Lily again. He was a little surprised that the simpled-minded husky maiden could have such a sentimental moment. He nodded and went up to the wooden door, which had some faint light leaking through the gaps.


    On the other side of the wooden door, another space and time awaited them, while inside the hunter¡¯s cabin, space and time were still in black and white. Hao Ren took a deep breath and pushed the door open without hesitation.


    Immediately after he stepped out of the door, time seemed to resume again in the tranquil space. The residual rays of the sunset sprinkled on his face, frightened swallows flew away in all directions, and sounds came from everywhere. Carriages running over the stone pavement and sporadic human voices from afar could be heard. Hao Ren took another step and now, he was out in an entirely different space and time.


    He found himself in front of an old street, where a wet stone road extended from the south to the north with dirty and smelly sewage on both sides. Houses, mostly old and built out of bricks, had moss on the lower half of their outer walls, and mottled surfaces on the upper half. The tallest buildings were merely three stories. Houses of different heights stood in between the sinking sun in the horizon and Hao Ren, splitting the sunlight into beams as it passed through the gaps.


    Perhaps it was because of the approaching dusk that there were few pedestrians on the street. Occasionally, there were a few people jostling by from afar, but none of them were wearing fancy clothes. They had numb expressions and were in a hurry. They did not notice the two strangers in exotic costumes popping up on the other side of the street. A horse-drawn carriage loaded with stuff passed by an intersection, and the driver hurled insults at the horse in a strong local accent. The entire scene looked a little dreary.


    Hao Ren looked back at the wooden door, from which he came out of. It was still there, inlaid on a wall covered in moss. Next to it was a slatted window, reinforced with an iron frame. There were oil stains on it. A faint yellow oil lamp hung above the slatted window and swung gently in the evening breeze, emitting a squeaking sound.


    Hao Ren pushed the door to the hunter¡¯s cabin open again and found that the still, black and white block of space and time was still inside. But he could not see the slatted window that he saw on the outside. Undoubtedly, it was a space-time anomaly.


    The cabin seemed to be lodged at the border of both dimensions. It was kind of like a portal; the seemingly flimsy wooden door was the only thing that connected the two worlds.


    Lily had tucked her ears and tail, appearing as a human. She looked at the old street in front of her curiously. ¡°It looks like we¡¯re in Europe, 600 years ago.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the late Middle Ages. We¡¯ve gone back in time,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°Vivian¡¯s hibernation lasted three centuries or so each time. We¡¯ve come to the right time in history.¡±


    ¡°Medieval Europe reminds me of the witch hunt.¡± Lily snuffled as if she could sense the disgusting burnt-human smell in the air. ¡°We¡¯ve come to a terrible era.¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°Humans created the Dark Ages, an era that was worse than the Mythological Era. We should change into clothes that are appropriate for this era. Our clothes stick out like a sore thumb in this world. I bet people of this era won¡¯t be as tolerant towards ¡®performance artists¡¯ as those in our time.¡±


    Lily rubbed the cold sweat off her forehead. ¡°I agree. I¡¯m still wearing my Siberian survival suit, and I¡¯m already a hot dog.¡±


    Hao Ren silently glanced at Lily. This girl truly keeps it real , Hao Ren said to himself.


    The two of them swiftly sneaked into a quiet alley and got themselves a set of clothes each from the clothesline behind a house. It did not feel comfortable to wear, but it was the perfect disguise. Hao Ren was not wary of the ordinary folks on the streets; those people posed no threat to them. He was more concerned about the demon hunters. In a particular period right after the demise of the Mythological Era, supernatural forces still profoundly affected human society. The demon hunters strictly or semi-openly monitored the world. Their target was not the humans, but they would bribe or even threaten humans to become their eyes. Especially in Europe where the Mythological Era ended last, such surveillance was rampant. In the dark and rundown streets, staring eyes alerted the demon hunters about anything suspicious.


    This monitoring and high-handedness spawned many fake and unscrupulous groups as well as individuals, which then gave rise to a large number of whistle-blowers who served these fakers. These people had helped fan the zeal of the witch hunt during Europe¡¯s dark times.


    There was another more important player in the witch-hunt farce: the Church. The Church was once a symbol of humankind¡¯s resistance to the supernatural forces during the Mythological Era. It was the only institution with an armed force that had the means to do so. It was also the medium of contact between the demon hunters and the humans. But after the end of the Mythological Era, the threat from the otherworldlings¡ªwhom the Church called heretics¡ªdisappeared. Because the killings cooled off, the demon hunters stopped actively engaging the humans, and the Church started to lose control. That was the main source of the witch-hunt movement.


    However, Hao Ren could not care less about all that. He was only a passerby in history. Everything that happened in that space and time was just a play in Vivian¡¯s memory and the mirrored Earth. He was there to look for the female protagonist.


    ¡°Mr. Landlord, this robe is cumbersome,¡± Lily said, wriggling in the dress made of course fabric. ¡°Can¡¯t medieval women wear lighter clothes? This feels like a sack.¡±


    Lily had gotten herself a gray burlap skirt with a hem that almost touched the ground. Then there were also the pleated sleeves on her blouse. The clothing was simple, but compared with the light attire she was used to wearing, it was still too inconvenient.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not be picky. It¡¯s economically backward here apparently. How many clothes does one family have?¡± Hao Ren said as he put on a set of clothes¡ªa black shirt and a pair of trousers. The shirt came with a hood. He had no idea how he was supposed to match them, but he took cues from the attires of the pedestrians he saw at the intersection. ¡°It¡¯s getting dark. We¡¯ll check the place out at night and figure out what year it is.¡±


    As Hao Ren spoke, he gently pressed his hand on his waist and felt the icy cold sensation of a metal object.


    He knew that by his waist was a sacred silver dagger¡ªa standard demon hunter weapon. The model was of the year 1315, and it was sponsored by Hasse.

 Chapter 1436 - Shadows in the Night

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    It was impossible to know the specific year and location, but Hao Ren could still roughly deduce the ¡°landing spot¡± of his retrospective journey from the surrounding architecture and Vivian¡¯s handwritten record. If Hao Ren had guessed it right, Lily and he should now be somewhere between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries. Based on the accent of the passers-by, they were likely in France, though he could not make out which city.


    However, knowing the approximate year was good enough. At least Hao Ren could decide what identity to use as a disguise: a stalker demon hunter hidden amongst human society.


    Before Hao Ren set off on the retrospective mission, he had learned about the demon hunters from Hasse and White Flame. As the most powerful actors in the entire Mythological Era, the demon hunters were the race that Hao Ren would frequently deal with throughout his journey back in time. Hasse and White Flame had provided Hao Ren a crash course in that regard. He learned that even during the height of conflict, the demon hunters were steady. Contrary to the otherworldlings¡¯ perception of them as being killers full of fanaticism and hatred, they were actually rational and disciplined.


    Excluding the sages and the Council of Elders in the Arctic, there were three categories of demon hunters.


    The first category was the regular force, the Sacred Army, or also known as the Battle Group. It was very active during the Mythological War with hundreds of thousands of them on the battlefield. The Battle Group used brute force to destroy all the ancient Mythological Kingdoms. It was the force behind the Twilight of the Gods event. But after the end of the Mythological Era, this frontline force lost its purpose of existence. It gradually disintegrated and was incorporated into the second as well as third categories.


    The second category was the Hunters. They were elite combat units composed of a small number of demon hunters, usually ranging from the dozens to hundreds. They were mainly active at the end of the Mythological Era, and the Dark Ages. At that time, the army of the gods had disintegrated, and there were no more epic battles across the Great Plains of Vigrid. Exiled sects as well as small heretical worships still existed underground and controlled a few towns. The Hunters¡¯ job was to hunt down these remnants.


    The third category was not even an organized force. The Stalkers were demon hunters who acted individually. Sometimes, they worked in a group of two or three. Their active period was similar to the Hunters¡¯, and they were masters of solo combat. When the otherworldling gods hid in the narrow spaces between the different human civilizations, these solitary elite combatants took up the role of cleaner in the villages and the wild. They went where the Hunters could not reach to weed out the otherworldlings.


    The Hunters and the Stalkers were not strictly differentiated though. They could be the same under certain circumstances. When elite Hunters passed specific tests, they would be qualified to go hunting alone, effectively as a Stalker. During an emergency like detection of a group of heretics, Stalkers nearby would come together and form a hunting party much like the Hunters.


    Hasse once told Hao Ren that the demon-hunter organization had discipline. But as always, there were loopholes in everything. Among the three categories of demon hunters, the Stalkers were the most likely to circumvent the rules and discipline. They lived in isolation and were very secretive.


    In the wild where the remaining otherworldlings were still strong, communication between the Stalkers and the demon-hunter organization would be extremely infrequent. They went deep into the enemy¡¯s heartland, usually without contact with the outside world for half a century. Sometimes, the Stalkers would change their faces and appearances just to track down extremely sneaky prey. They would not even reveal their identity when they were in contact with other demon hunters. It might sound incredible, but under the premise of innate hostility, everything was explainable. Irrespective of the demon hunters or the otherworldlings, they judged whether one was friendly or hostile through innate hostility. If there was no sense of hatred or the urge to kill the other, then they were friendly. The way two demon hunters identified each other was not as sophisticated as one would think, especially when it was between the Stalkers.


    Now there was an outlier in that space and time. There, Hao Ren was effectively an ¡°otherworldling¡±. However, he would not trigger innate hostility in anyone, and that gave him maximum convenience.


    So, Hao Ren disguised himself as a Stalker.


    To get ahead of the situation, Hao Ren had borrowed a full set of demon-hunter gear from Hasse. It was all genuine stuff, which only craftsmen from Coldpath could make. Hao Ren would use them as camouflage, and that would fool the demon hunter elders from detecting him. But for the moment, he would only carry the sacred dagger and some runic cards; a Stalker usually did not wear a full set of gear. Disguising as ordinary people was their modus operandi.


    The medieval French towns, like all other places in Europe during the same period, were shrouded in a dark and gloomy air. Such an atmosphere was especially apparent at night. There was a curfew at night and a vigorous witch-hunting movement. The town was unusually quiet after sundown. The residents even dared not laugh out loud at night for fear of being labeled as witches by the whistleblowers.


    Only the patrolmen and knights who patrolled the town swaggered along the streets.


    The Renaissance had begun to bloom in the cities of Italy, but the movement was far from reaching the little town in that remote area of France. There, darkness still reigned.


    Hao Ren and Lily padded through the empty streets and alleys, carefully evading the eyes of the night patrol. They focused on sensing out the insidious eyes in the dark.


    ¡°This place stinks to the high heavens.¡± Lily frowned. She had torn apart the lower section of her dress as the overly long skirt hindered her movements. But it was still not good enough; she needed to carry her skirt while she ran. What aggravated the discomfort was the ubiquitous stench. ¡°I¡¯ve only read about it from books before. It looks like the medieval European towns are really stinky.¡±


    ¡°There was a lack of public hygiene awareness even in the big cities back then, let alone a small town like this.¡± The stench irritated Hao Ren too but it was not as severe for him as it was for Lily who had a hypersensitive nose. ¡°Had it not been for the plague, which was caused by the dirty environment, the witch hunt movement would not have been so intense.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any clues, Mr. Landlord?¡± Lily tried to identify any scent of otherworldlings from the stinky odor. She whispered to Hao Ren, ¡°Finding Vivian¡¯s hibernation place in this utterly unfamiliar place is like looking for a needle in the haystack.¡±


    ¡°I have some ideas.¡± Hao Ren was confident. ¡°First of all, our ¡®drop zone¡¯ is definitely nearby Vivian¡¯s hibernation place. From a geographical point of view, we don¡¯t have to worry. Secondly, there would be irregular phenomena around Vivian¡¯s hibernation place, and these supernatural occurrences would attract otherworldling survivors who are seeking power and inheritance, as well as the demon hunters. These guys will lead us to Vivian. So we should first find out if there have been any reports or urban legends about supernatural phenomena nearby. The most recent events will act as clues. We can then go and investigate by disguising as demon hunters. This is the best way I can come up with. If this method doesn¡¯t work, I still have Plan B¡ªcausing a commotion to attract the attention of the demon hunters. Then I can infiltrate their organization and look for their surveillance records. There have to be some valuable clues. But this second option is dangerous; you mustn¡¯t let the demon hunters see you. So you better stay in the safe house.¡±


    The safe house was the hunter¡¯s cabin lodged in the space-time boundary. Hao Ren had conducted a little test on the cabin earlier; Lily and himself were the only ones who could see and enter the cabin, hence it was their safe house.


    ¡°I would prefer Plan A.¡± Lily was not fond of staying in the black and white world of the wooden cabin. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, Mr. Landlord. I¡¯m not afraid of the demon hunters. But I¡¯m also not that stupid to clash with them head-on. I¡¯ll run if I can¡¯t beat them. My bloodline is unique in a way that even if my current ¡®old body¡¯ contains an innate hostility factor, it¡¯s not strong enough to trigger detection. I can easily slip under the noses of the demon hunters. Worse comes to worst, I could pretend to be a prey you¡¯ve caught. If you meet the otherworldlings, you could pretend to be prey that I¡¯ve caught. Aren¡¯t we a perfect combination?¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    He was not sure if he and Lily were a perfect combination, but he could not deny that the cheeky dog¡¯s logic made perfect sense.


    Lily suddenly halted in her steps.


    ¡°Wait a second,¡± Lily said, lowering her voice. ¡°Someone¡¯s right ahead. I can smell the scent of a potion.¡±

 Chapter 1437 - The Minion

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    In that dark, depressing era, the imprisonment of minds by the Church and the supernatural forces in the dark corners were like a thick black cloud, looming over the hearts of all ordinary folk. It was not invisible and formless; it was tangibly affecting people¡¯s life. The strict curfew was one of its manifestations.


    By nightfall, the streets and alleys had to be cleared. Except for those with permission, no one was allowed to stay on the streets. It was not only a rule of terror but also a kind of protection. In the Dark Ages, towns at night were just as dangerous as the wilderness. Those who dared to venture outside at night usually never returned. Those who were lucky enough to make it back often times returned deeply changed, as though something terrible had replaced their souls. The medieval Middle Ages were rife with legends, and a large part of them was, in fact, real.


    So whether it was the fear of a knight¡¯s whip or the monsters in the dark, ordinary people would not remain on the streets after nightfall.


    However, there were always exceptions.


    There were always a few daring guys, either tempted by heretical power or the demon hunters. They chose the hazardous profession of becoming somebody else¡¯s eyes and minions at night. They could disguise themselves as humans to evade the demon hunters and otherworldlings, they knew the streets and alleys of the town like the back of their hand and recognized everyone from behind. These people were daring and shrewd. They treaded no man¡¯s land between earthly and supernatural forces, staying in that danger zone between secular power and supernatural power. They provided limited loyalty to the otherworldlings and the demon hunters. doing their dirty work.


    If the price was right or the threat was high enough, they could even serve both masters at the same time. But getting caught would spell death for them. Nevertheless, for those who had already embarked on this path, they cared not of how long they would live as long as it served them in the present.


    The otherworldlings, demon hunters, and even the human forces were their enemies as well as allies.


    A guy named Gray Rat was the best in the business. He even claimed to be the best of the best.


    Gray Rat had never gotten himself involved with supernatural forces. Many of his peers died because they could not stand the lure of mysterious knowledge. He was not too greedy for gifts from his master, who could either be a monster or a demon hunter. He knew that the rewards he received, however slight, were enough to keep him living a wealthy life. If he ever asked for a little more, it would kill him.


    Gray Rat was curled up in a stinky corner between two houses, and he had covered himself from head to tail with a piece of ragged, grayish-black linen. He had been there for nearly an hour and was about to switch locations in ten minutes time. The night watchers would pass by soon. Those lazy guys wearing black and blue blouses were often late, but as a cautious minion, Gray Rat never risked it.


    If caught, he would be fortunate just to get away after a considerable beating. The master who hired him would not come out to help him over such a ridiculously stupid reason.


    The night was dark, and the rags on his body did not help much against the cold. While he carefully moved his limbs, which had gone numb from staying in the same posture for too long, Gray Rat scanned the streets and alleys for any suspicious movements. He squinted. His vision was of a fluorescent dark blue, and living things that occasionally passed by appeared red in his eyes.


    A few red spots ran across the street; there were mice. That was the time when they were the most active.


    Gray Rat understood why his peers could not stand the temptation of forbidden knowledge and power. Even Gray Rat often indulged in it. Owl Potion gave him incredible night vision, the Ritual of the Wild brought high physical strength, and Mongoose Ointment provided unlimited stamina as well as agility¡ªall of them gave the illusion of immortality. When that illusion presented itself to lapdogs like the minions, it would be magnified. Not everyone could resist the psychological addiction.


    A man and a woman appeared in Gray Rat¡¯s field of vision.


    He quickly gathered his wandering mind and focused on the man-and-woman pair.


    Years of experience told Gray Rat that there was something suspicious about the man and woman.


    It was not hard to figure out that other than the night patrols and knights, nobody would wander out into the streets during curfew hours. Even people like Gray Rat had to hide in a corner. Rue Truite, the only place where the homeless would wander around at night, was a lawless zone in the city. Those who loitered there deserved to be hanged on the gallows, and no decent resident would sympathize with them.


    The tidily-dressed man and woman in the distance did not look like decent residents, but they were undoubtedly not beggars from Rue Truite.


    They sashayed across the streets during the curfew hours and looked around sneakily, which was a dead giveaway.


    Who are these guys? Are they monsters that specialize in hunting other monsters? Or is it a new trick from the Church to hunt for the witches? Gray Rat thought to himself.


    Suddenly, the man and woman stopped.


    Gray Rat¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He knew that he had been exposed.


    Before he knew it, the woman in the long skirt had disappeared from his field of vision, and a faint shadow flashed across the street. The next second, a pair of iron, clamp-like hands grabbed his neck and pressed down tightly on his right shoulder. A cold female voice said, ¡°Don¡¯t move. Otherwise, I¡¯ll tear you apart.¡±


    When Gray Rat heard the warning, he was instead, relieved. He knew that it was neither the Bloodthrall nor the Infected Werewolf, which would not have bothered to say a word before killing him.


    Gray Rat knew he would live since the person was talking. At worst, he would have to serve one more master.


    Hao Ren curiously looked at the thin man, whom Lily had subdued.


    At first glance, Hao Ren thought that the man was a beggar, as they were ubiquitous throughout the slums in that era. Dry and thin like a pole, with curly yellow hair and a pair of dodgy gray eyes, the man was wearing raggedy, grayish-black linen. The man had probably never washed the linen since it left the factory; it stank to the high heavens. Perhaps the smell could have come from the street since the surroundings did not smell much nicer.


    Despite that, Hao Ren quickly realized that the guy in front of him was definitely not a beggar. A beggar could not afford such a pair of leather boots. Under the tattered linen was a set of clean and tidy clothes, which indeed did not belong to a homeless person.


    Lily had also mentioned earlier that the guy carried the smell of potions.


    ¡°Whose minion are you?¡± Hao Ren looked at the man inquisitively. He was reminded of what Hasse had told him about the era. ¡°Who gave you the potion?¡±


    Gray Rat shook like a leaf. He figured that such a reaction would please his captors. The trick always worked whether it was a monster or a hunter. He tried to figure out who Hao Ren and Lily were, but he was none the wiser. So, he lowered his head and grabbed the button of his coat. ¡°Sir, with all due respect, my name is Gray Rat. I¡¯m just a nobody living in the gutter. My previous master has left me, so if you¡¯d like, I am now your minion.¡±


    Sure enough, just as Hasse said, this group of sneaky people had no loyalty. They were as stupid as they were slippery.


    ¡°I¡¯m giving you a second chance to reorganize your answer,¡± Hao Ren said as he signaled Lily to increase her clamping force. ¡°Don¡¯t try to fool us. We can smell the fresh potions on your body. Who are you currently serving? What¡¯s in this city?¡±


    Hao Ren did not use ¡°who¡± but ¡°what¡±, as it was one of the special terms he had to use when communicating with minions.


    The force from Lily¡¯s hand had almost broken Gray Rat¡¯s shoulder blade, but her hand around his neck made it so that he could not make a sound. When the unbearable pain slightly eased, Gray Rat could finally breathe again. ¡°I will tell you, I will tell you. Witches¡­ A few witches and a wizard. They¡¯ve only recently gathered in this town. A witch who¡¯s said to be very powerful was caught a few days ago. They¡¯ve probably come to save her.¡±


    ¡°A witch?¡± Hao Ren frowned. He anticipated that they would be supernatural creatures searching for ¡°Vivian¡¯s treasure¡±, but a captured witch was a surprise. Was it a real witch? Or just an unfortunate victim in the witch-hunting craze?


    Hao Ren looked at the man who called himself Gray Rat. His dry skin and skinny body made sense now. It was most probably the long-term sequelae of taking inferior potions. Even now, Gray Rat still carried the scent of the potions. The minion thought that he had gained the physique of a superhuman, but little did he know that it came with the cost of shortening his lifespan. The guy¡¯s existence was enough to show that witches and wizards were real. The so-called captured witch should also be true.


    Did the gathering of the wizards there have something to do with Vivian¡¯s hibernation place?

 Chapter 1438 - The Guide

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°Lead us to the witches and wizards.¡±


    Hao Ren ignored Gray Rat¡¯s horrified expression and pleading.


    ¡°I¡­ No¡­ No, no. Sir, I can do whatever you want, but please do not let me do such a thing.¡± Gray Rat¡¯s terrified expression was real. ¡°Madam Marie will kill me! She will find out that I¡¯ve betrayed them.¡±


    ¡°Madam Marie? Is that the witch who hired you?¡± Hao Ren arched his eyebrows. ¡°Listen; if you take us to her, you¡¯ll die after you see her. If you refuse to take us there, you¡¯ll die now. Life is precious, you should count every second carefully.¡±


    It was not that Hao Ren had suddenly developed a penchant for intimidating others; he knew that it was pointless to approach the sneaky minions with anything other than terror. The only language the minions understood was money and violence. More often than not, violence was a more powerful language than money.


    The right amount of intimidation worked. Color had drained from Gray Rat¡¯s face. The minion realized that the smiling man was not as friendly as he seemed. The man was also a ruthless predator in the dark world. Pleading and delaying would not work with the guy.


    ¡°Sir, I will do whatever you say.¡± Gray Rat was quaking in his boots. ¡°I am just a rat in the gutter. The witches ordered me to keep an eye on the town to look out for any witch hunters and residents of other dark worlds. They gave me some Owl Potion and ointments but they did not reveal any secrets to me. I do not even know where they hold their gathering. All this time, the only thing I have seen is their puppet, which the witches have created using witchcraft. I report whatever I see to the puppet and get my ointment in return. I have only seen the witches once. I really cannot be of much help.¡±


    Hao Ren could not help but frown. The Dark Ages had indeed superseded the Mythological Era. Even the witches and wizards who used to be servants of the otherworldlings were so cautious in their movement¡ªa far cry from the Mythological War where even the demon hunters would not bother to include such inferior characters in their hunting list. Nonetheless, their cautiousness was understandable; a character like Gray Rat was enough reason for them to be wary. The rats of the gutter had no sense of loyalty. They could serve either the demon hunters, vampires, or both at the same time.


    Hao Ren gestured to Lily with his eyes. She immediately increased the force in her hands, and Gray Rat could now hear his neck cracking. He had a feeling that his captor was going to snap his neck in the next second.


    ¡°Then take us to Madam Marie¡¯s contact.¡± Hao Ren looked Gray Rat in the eye. ¡°Take us to the contact point. I¡¯ll figure out the rest.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ Yes, sir.¡± Gray Rat was never a brave man, so his mental defense had begun to break down. ¡°I will take you there, I will take you there. Cough, please let go¡­¡±


    Hao Ren gestured to Lily and said, ¡°Set him free.¡±


    ¡°I was wondering how close-mouthed he would be.¡± Lily threw the thin man on the ground. ¡°Is that all you¡¯ve got after being in the business for so long? Pierre¡¯s more principled than this guy.¡±


    ¡°Pierre is a spirit detective; this guy¡¯s a rat in the spiritual world. They¡¯re not the same.¡± Hao Ren shot the husky a look. ¡°They are in a similar world though.¡±


    Lily thought for a moment and agreed.


    Time passed, and when Hao Ren and Lily finished interrogating Gray Rat, the night had gotten even darker than before as the moon hid behind the clouds. Lily¡¯s ears flicked. She heard the tingling of buckles coming from the other end of the streets.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s coming.¡± Lily looked at Hao Ren. ¡°A few hundred meters away¡­¡±


    ¡°They are soldiers on night patrol.¡± The maiden¡¯s sharp hearing did not surprise Gray Rat. Instead, he was nervous. ¡°We must leave now. Otherwise, we will alert the church.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and motioned for Gray Rat to lead the way while he and Lily followed from behind.


    The three of them navigated through the complex, dark streets and alleys of the Middle Ages.


    In the silence of the night, a gust of wind suddenly blew. The clouds in the sky drifted fast, and the bright moon behind them peeked through the gaps, casting ghostly shadows on the earth. In that age where entertainment was lacking, the inhabitants of the town had already fallen asleep by then. There were not enough street lights or illumination leaking from the houses. With the moon behind the clouds, the narrowest and remotest alleys looked like black holes, which caused people to shrink back upon first sight. But Gray Rat picked such dark alleys to traverse in. Like a rat in the gutter, Gray Rat took to the stinking alleys like a duck to water.


    Gray Rat had thought of escaping when they entered the first dark alley. But he quickly controlled his impulse and thought better of his crazy idea. Gray Rat still vividly remembered that the girl in the long skirt could move like the wind. It was at a speed beyond any human being could ever achieve. With the Owl Potion, his eyes still could not keep up with the girl¡¯s movements, let alone help him get away.


    At that moment, Gray Rat only wanted to know what the two ¡°dark-world residents¡±, who popped up out of nowhere, wanted and whether they were friends or foes of the witch. It seemed to him they were more likely enemies. If he could figure that out, he would at least know how to please them.


    However, the two mysterious figures were nowhere similar to all his previous masters. They seemed to have clear goals and were not interested in any power struggles. Except for interrogating him about the witches, they seemed to want nothing.


    It was not good news for minions who relied on selling intelligence and acting as eyes.


    Despite that, he still wanted to try to change things as they were.


    ¡°Sir, Lady¡­¡± Gray Rat gathered his courage as he approached the contact point. ¡°I think I need to know who I¡¯m working for now.¡±


    Hao Ren scanned their surroundings as they slowed down. It was clear that they were close to dirtier and more backward areas of the city. At first, he thought that the dirty streets he saw earlier were only part of a small town, but now they had traveled so far that he understood it was a relatively large city. Medieval cities were generally lacking in planning and cleanliness, so they looked particularly backward. The surrounding streets were more run-down than before, and the houses were crumbling. From time to time, they could see beggars curled up in the shadows on the sides of the street where sewage water flowed. The curfew meant nothing to the poor and homeless people. The slums they were hiding in were places where the patrol soldiers would not want to come.


    The run-down street was a backwater of the already wild and backward Middle Ages. Its existence seemed to make the other places looked more civilized.


    Hao Ren looked back at Gray Rat when he heard what he said. ¡°Do you think we are demon hunters?¡±


    ¡°Demon hunters¡± seemed like haunted words; cold sweat formed on Gray Rat¡¯s forehead. If I¡¯ve brought two demon hunters to the witch¡¯s contact point, I will not live to see the sunrise tomorrow , he thought.


    Hao Ren smiled, and his hand touched the silver dagger by his waist. He did not reveal it but gently nudged Lily who was next to him.


    Lily seemed to have taken the hint. ¡°Are you hungry, Mr. Landlord? I¡¯m hungry too.¡±


    Communicating with the husky was a hit-and-miss affair.


    Hao Ren gritted his teeth. ¡°I meant your ears and fangs!¡±


    Lily came to her senses. She looked at Gray Rat, a pair of pointed ears popped out from the back of her head and a couple of fangs glinting with cold light sprouted from her mouth.


    ¡°Werewolf!¡± Gray Rat¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He suddenly realized that he had just cheated death. Werewolves were the most notorious when it came to their moodiness among all his masters. ¡°I understand. Please tuck your fangs away. I will lead the way.¡±


    After Lily put her fangs away, Gray Rat breathed a sigh of relief. She was not a demon hunter, at least. There should not be any grudges between witches and werewolves.


    Gray Rat knew little about the innate hostility between the dark races. But as far as he could tell, the half-human, half-monster creatures like the witches and wizards were less hostile to other dark races, especially the werewolves. Bringing the two ¡°werewolves¡± to meet the wizards would be less risky if he could smooth-talk Madam Marie into sparing his life.


    What Gray Rat did not know was that the close relationship between the wizards and werewolves traced back to Mythological Era. During that period, werewolves kept and raised more wizards than the Blood Clan did. Werewolves had a long history of shadowmancy. Their spells were simpler and suitable for humans to learn.


    Meanwhile, the Blood Clan¡¯s magic was incomprehensible to humans. Instead of teaching the dumb humans magic skills, they preferred to use a more efficient method: transforming humans into Bloodthralls who had unparalleled loyalty.


    People like Gray Rat had no way of knowing the secrets of the Mythological Era.

 Chapter 1439 - Madam Marie

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The night was dark, and the dirty, old slums were even more ominous. The occasionally dim light leaking out from the nearby shacks only accentuated the deadly silence.


    Except for the occasional dogs barking, the place seemed like a forgotten world.


    Gray Rat continued to maneuver through the alleys, which were as complex as a spider¡¯s web, taking Hao Ren and Lily deep into the slums.


    Hao Ren felt like he was walking into a nest, heading towards the most chaotic and dirty part of it. The city was like a bloated lesion in the Middle Ages. It had swollen so much on the outside, but the oldest part on the inside had begun to fester and decay. The once prosperous neighborhood in the city had turned into a slum occupied by garbage, sewage, mice and the homeless. The slum could not bring any vitality and prosperity to the city, but it could not leave the city as well. The ruler indulged in sensual pleasures and superficial glory. The excitement of bloody violence, which came from the witch-hunt had blinded and imprisoned their minds so much that they did not notice the decline of the city. Even when they saw it, they were helpless to do anything about it.


    The Mythological Era was over. The natives of this world finally were back in the driving seat. But the young generation was not ready to start a new period. Humans had chosen to numb themselves in the face of sudden changes. They used ignorance and superstition to protect their minds. But one day, the Renaissance and Industrial Revolution would baptize the world twice, burning out the pustules and sores.


    For Hao Ren, however, these things were of the past. He only cared about the contact point that Gray Rat mentioned.


    ¡°How long do we still have to go?¡± Hao Ren asked impatiently.


    Gray Rat shrank his neck suddenly. The magic potion that he took earlier was losing its effect. His will weakened, and he cringed. ¡°Right ahead, Sir.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only a dead end in front,¡± Lily said after she glanced forward with her shimmering eyes.


    ¡°It is that dead end,¡± Gray Rat quickly explained. ¡°Only in the darkest corner, it is the safest. The witches never get in touch with people in the open.¡±


    ¡°You better not lie to us,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°In my eyes, you¡¯re already a dead man.¡±


    Gray Rat was not lying.


    The three of them came to the end of the alley. There were no more roads ahead. Earlier, Hao Ren thought that it was another alley, which led to other lanes.


    There was a mossy stone wall standing in their way. The stone wall could have been part of a clock tower many years ago or a city wall. But as time went by, the city expanded and the wall was left to decay and crumble. Gray Rat went forward to pull down a few rags and vines hanging on the stone wall. His actions revealed the scratched surface beneath.


    The scratches looked like graffiti made by children. Visual observations told Hao Ren that the carvings were made using stone chips from the loosening surface of the wall. Even the most cautious and observant church official would not have found anything suspicious.


    However, Gray Rat carefully placed his hands on the graffiti-like lines. His frightened expression made it seem as if he was pressing his hands on a red-hot iron plate.


    He just touched the wall a little before he trembled and stepped back.


    Hao Ren and Lily looked on curiously but did not interfere with Gray Rat. They were also very interested in infamous medieval witchcraft.


    The graffiti on the stone wall suddenly began to writhe.


    The lines seemingly came to life at once and broke free from the shackles of the stone wall. They crawled on the wall and secreted a black oily substance. Just like stirring pigments, the substance quickly covered a part of the wall. The lines gradually dissolved in the ¡°black mud¡±, which slowly rose in the shape of a middle-aged woman¡¯s angry face.


    ¡°You damn rat!¡± The middle-aged woman¡¯s face twisted and shrilled. ¡°The devil should dig your heart out, you stinking bug! You¡¯ve brought two strangers back!¡±


    Gray Rat¡¯s blood ran cold, and he sat still on the ground. ¡°Madam Marie! Please listen to me! They¡¯re not demon hunters. They¡¯re looking for¡ª¡±


    Before Gray Rat could finish, an unpleasant burnt smell rose from his body. Large patches of red lesions appeared and popped all over his skin as if a charcoal fire was burning inside him. In a matter of seconds, the man fell to the ground and was lifeless.


    It shocked Hao Ren that Madam Marie had executed the traitor instantly. Her killing method was incredible.


    He quickly thought about what he should say next and what to pay attention to when dealing with the witch. Madam Marie did not go away after she killed Gray Rat. Her face was still on the stone wall. She sneered. ¡°Of course I know they are not demon hunters, idiot!¡±


    Madam Marie turned to look at Hao Ren and Lily calmly. ¡°The traitor has shut up. Now we can talk with peace of mind. Who are both of you?¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at Gray Rat¡¯s body. ¡°The man died just like that.¡±


    ¡°It is a necessary precaution.¡± Madam Marie laughed in a hoarse voice. ¡°I am very grateful to him for bringing you to me, but I do not want him to bring in more ¡®guests¡¯.¡±


    ¡°How did you know that we were not demon hunters?¡± Hao Ren asked curiously.


    ¡°If you were a demon hunter, you would have traced the lines of witchcraft and burned your damn Sacred Flame in front of me.¡± Madam Marie then became impatient. ¡°Now cut the cackle. If you¡¯ve come here just to chat, I will have to excuse myself.¡±


    ¡°I am a wizard,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°This is my friend, a young werewolf.¡±


    Lily showed off her fangs and ears. Had Hao Ren not covered her mouth in time, she would have also let out a couple of woofs.


    ¡°A wizard and a werewolf¡­¡± Madam Marie appeared interested. ¡°Interesting combination. I have not seen werewolves and wizards coming together for years. So you two are not mutual enemies at least. What brings you here?¡±


    ¡°I heard that you¡¯ve gathered a lot of people to save a captured witch.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, that is just to fool the rats. There is no captured witch. It was to prevent the idiots in the church from paying us too much attention. Those humans may be weak, but it is a hassle when a large number of them come with holy water in hand. Are you after this? It seems that you are no smarter than the mice.¡±


    Hao Ren frowned, realizing that he needed a better excuse to infiltrate the circle of wizards and witches. After he thought about it for a moment, he came up with an idea. ¡°Well, I was just asking. I have more important things to discuss with you. Where are you?¡±


    ¡°You may speak now.¡± Madam Marie was cautious. ¡°We do not welcome strangers.¡±


    ¡°What if this stranger brings news of the demon hunters?¡±


    ¡°Aargh!¡±


    Madam Marie¡¯s face disappeared into the stone wall with a scream. It seemed that she flinched because she panicked. Her horrified face reappeared a second later. ¡°What did you say? The demon hunters? Do you know what you are talking about?¡±


    ¡°No one would joke about a matter like this,¡± Hao Ren said with a serious look on his face. ¡°How long have you been gathering here? A month? Or longer? You seem to be ignorant of what happens in the outside world.¡±


    The expression on Madam Marie¡¯s face changed. Hao Ren also noticed that there were other blurry images around Madam Marie. They were other witches, gathering and engaging in a heated discussion.


    ¡°We have been slow in gathering intelligence from the outside world, but information from the wild can hardly come in because there has been a blockade.¡± Madam Marie appeared to be explaining or telling Hao Ren something. ¡°You mentioned that you¡¯ve brought news of the demon hunters. What evidence do you have?¡±


    Hao Ren pulled out a sacred silver dagger from his waist. ¡°What do you think of this?¡±


    The faint glow of the sacred silver dagger was particularly dazzling. It looked like moonlight had materialized in Hao Ren¡¯s hand. The moment Madam Marie saw it, her tone of voice changed. ¡°This is their weapon. How did you get it?¡±


    ¡°That is why we have to meet and talk.¡± Hao Ren shrugged and tucked the dagger away. ¡°Fair trade is the way to go.¡±


    The witch hesitated. Hao Ren persuaded her further. ¡°You should know that not every wizard can wander around with a demon hunter¡¯s weapon. Moreover, I have a werewolf by my side. No matter what you plan to do, you will need our powers.¡±


    ¡°But power beyond our control is not a good thing,¡± Madam Marie said in a gloomy voice.


    ¡°That depends on what you want. We are all aware of what era we are in now¡ªsurvival is the only thing that matters.¡±


    Again, a long silence. Just as Hao Ren was about to give up, the face on the stone wall broke the silence.


    ¡°Tomorrow night, leave the west gate, follow the crow as it guides you, and go to a place where moonlight cannot reach. I will be there, waiting for you.¡±

 Chapter 1440 - Reconnaissance in the City

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    When the sun rose, the old and bloated medieval city seemingly regained a brief vitality. The streets hummed with animals and carriages. The morning sun shone on city walls and towers, illuminating the glass panes on the bell tower as well as coating the steeples of the church and castles with a golden glow. The warm sunlight finally fell into the dirty slum, as though it was about to bake and dry the smelly ditches in Rue Truite and its surrounding dark neighborhood.


    Gates around the city began to open. Soldiers in blue and white stood in front of the inner city gate known as Porte du Berger as they watched respectful, hunched residents of the outer city pass through the gate to make a living in the inner city market and juggler square. Occasionally, over-sized caravans could be seen passing by with gypsy women in colorful dresses sitting on top of the carriages. The soldiers would harass the caravans by demanding a few coins, or cheaply taking advantage of those gypsy girls. No one would bat an eye at the soldiers¡¯ actions because even the beggars in Rue Truite knew that those Gypsies were barbaric creatures outside civilized society. Allowing their caravans into the city was the greatest kindness the archbishop and seigneurs could show the Gypsies. Had they not paid the protection money, those Gypsies would be arrested under the pretext of being minions of black magic, then hanged outside the city.


    The harassment the Gypsies received in the city was also part of their protection money.


    Lily and Hao Ren had wormed their way into the crowd. With their hoods on, they lowered their heads and disguised themselves as farmers to cover up their apparent oriental faces. Their disguise was a little too rudimentary; any soldier who cared to take a closer look would blow their cover. But the guards at the city gate were slackers. They just stood there pretending to guard the city gate. They were mainly there to show off the power of the city¡¯s lord and extort foreigners as well as small merchants.


    The inner city was much more prosperous than the outer city, thus the buildings there were more organized and well-planned. But in Hao Ren¡¯s eyes, the evolution was rather trivial, especially when Hao Ren had seen modern cities and the Otherworld. No human architecture from that era could amaze him anymore.


    Hao Ren kept his eyes opened. Together with Lily¡¯s hypersensitive hearing ability, the two of them gathered as much information as they wanted in the unfamiliar city without displaying any of the nervousness that outsiders would typically have. Not long after, they found their target: a small square at the edge of the inner city.


    The square was not a rallying place. Several yawning soldiers were standing guard there to prevent people from coming close. They were guarding something at the center of the square: a scaffold and two stone pillars, which had been blackened by smoke, with buckles used to fix the ropes in position. It was a public place of execution by fire.


    There were no more ashes around the fire column; it had probably been cleaned up. But there was a male body still hanging on the gallows. The body dangled in the air with ragged linen wrapped around its dried limbs. It seemed that the person had died quite some time ago.


    ¡°Gosh, no wonder there¡¯s a plague every now and then during this era,¡± Lily stuck her tongue out and said in a whisper. ¡°Germs spring up like mushrooms on the corpse when it¡¯s hung in the open like that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s how the ruler maintains public order, at least in this era. They hang a prisoner for a dozen days until the rope snaps by itself¡ªbut they usually don¡¯t carry this out in the city.¡±


    ¡°I know of this. After all, I am a four-time Peking University graduate.¡± Lily twitched her lips. She pretended to tidy her clothes while her eyes darted around. ¡°Mr. Landlord, do you think there will be traces left behind by the witches in the vicinity?¡±


    ¡°Most likely.¡±


    ¡°Did Madam Marie not say that there was no witch arrested? The so-called rescue operation was a smokescreen.¡±


    ¡°Hasse told me not believe in anything the otherworldlings say. Honesty and trust have died in their guts,¡± Hao Ren whispered. ¡°The demon hunters will be much more honest and reliable.¡±


    ¡°Oh, oh¡­¡± Lily replied.


    Hao Ren glanced at the husky. ¡°Hasse has also given me the ¡®Trust Ranking¡¯ of different races in the Dark Ages. I can use it to judge who isn¡¯t trustworthy, who I can trust conditionally, and who¡¯s the most trustworthy. Do you want to hear it?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Landlord, where do the werewolf¡¯s rank?¡± The husky maiden had been hooked as expected.


    Lily had long accepted the fact that she was a husky, but she could not help but be curious about things related to werewolves.


    ¡°Werewolves are the most trustworthy because these honest guys won¡¯t play tricks on you. Usually, they¡¯re very frank with their displeasure with you. The descendants of the vampires and Olympians are relatively trustworthy because they care for their faces and familial honor. As long as you see things from their point of view, you¡¯ll figure out how to deal with them. The witches, who once occupied the lowest social hierarchy during the Mythological Era, are the least trustworthy.¡±


    While he spoke, Hao Ren¡¯s eyes fell on an inconspicuous floor tile in the corner of the square.


    ¡°Because the witches were vulnerable, they became more unscrupulous. When the control that restrained them disappeared, they went to the extreme in everything they did. It¡¯s hard for them to survive in the Dark Ages. Those who have survived must not be underestimated.¡±


    There was a blurry imprint on that inconspicuous floor tile. It was only a cracked tile in the eyes of ordinary people, but Hao Ren recognized what it was.


    A Letta rune.


    A single Letta rune did not have any power. So there had to be more runes, probably hidden around the place of execution.


    However, Hao Ren was not interested in the symbols. He just needed to confirm the existence of the runes.


    ¡°Mr. Landlord, what have you found?¡± Lily looked at Hao Ren curiously.


    ¡°A Letta rune. The witches were here. They could have been planning to save their company but weren¡¯t sure when the execution would be. So they laid down the Letta runes in advance. The arrested witch must be someone important in their organization, or maybe even a leader. Otherwise, the witches in this era would not take the risk to save their companion.¡±


    ¡°There seems to be a wizard helping them. What does a wizard have to do with a bunch of witches?¡± Lily blinked.


    ¡°The number of wizards is less than that of the witches. During the Mythological Era, wizards were sent to the frontline as cannon fodder by their masters. In contrast, the witches, who were deemed less effective in combat, stayed away from the battlefield. As a result, witches have become mainstream during the Dark Ages,¡± Hao Ren explained. ¡°The inheritance systems of wizards and witches are different. The otherworldling gods designed different teaching schemes for different human physiques while they raised the wizards. It was basically human trial and error. Under normal circumstances, wizards and witches did not interact, but they had no conflict between them. After the end of the Mythological Era, they stayed that way. But they did communicate when there was a need. After all, they all originated from the same ¡®school.¡¯ So I guess this is what happened: Vivian¡¯s hibernation place has a strong energy field, which attracted a group of witches who may be planning to take advantage of the place. Somehow, their movements were exposed, and one of them was arrested. The wizard could be outside help, whom the witches have invited. Or, the wizard just happened to pass by and accepted the witches¡¯ invitation. But no matter what the circumstance is, the wizard and witches would have known each other before. In this day and age, no underground organization would want to accept strangers.¡±


    ¡°How did the ordinary people in this era catch the witch?¡± Lily asked curiously.


    ¡°Ordinary people are obviously weaker than wizards who are masters of magic. But they¡¯re not completely defenseless. After all, humans have been dealing with the otherworldlings since ancient times. They must have something up their sleeves. Those who master the means are usually the medieval church and reclusive sorcerers, who are mostly former members of the resistance in the Mythological Era. Some of them may have received skills and even resource aid from the demon hunters. Even in the twenty-first century, some reclusive organizations are still operating in secret and monitoring the supernatural forces in the world. But as time goes by and humans will become more powerful. The decline of these organizations is inevitable.¡±


    As he shared the knowledge he had learned from Hasse and his own experience, Hao Ren brought Lily out of the square unnoticed.


    The guards in the square swept across the crowd in front of them. Their eyes landed on Hao Ren and Lily for two seconds, but they figured that there was nothing they could profit off from the two peasants. So, they looked away.


    The soldiers turned to discuss the prisoner hanging on the gallows and the recent rumors about black magic.


    Hao Ren and Lily wandered the city throughout the day. Sometimes they followed the crowd to the open spaces, sometimes they used their superhuman skills to sneak into places where civilians were prohibited from entering to collect information. They roamed around like that until it was nightfall.


    Camouflaged, the two of them scaled the wall in the dark to meet the mysterious witches.

 Chapter 1441 - Witches’ Sabbath

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    It was nightfall.


    In that era, there was no electrical lighting, and only undeveloped wilderness abounded, so there was little light in the world after dark. The aristocratic area and zone near the church were the only places well lit. Once out of the city, people would have to depend on moonlight and starlight for direction.


    Hao Ren and Lily left the city with ease after dark. They did it so effortlessly that the patrolling soldiers did not even notice. They hustled along the avenue outside the city for a moment and saw an open space by the roadside. A dead eucalyptus tree was there with light from a nearly full moon shining on its dried branches. A crow was perched on top of the tree, looking at the two people with its black eyes.


    Hao Ren and the crow looked at each other for a while before Hao Ren said, ¡°Are you here to lead us?¡±


    The crow was frightened, cawing and fluttering from one branch to another.


    Lily scratched her head. ¡°Mr. Landlord, I don¡¯t think this is the one.¡±


    Hao Ren frowned. ¡°Madam Marie said that she would send a crow to lead us. Did she lie to us about that too? If so, she¡¯s only cutting off her nose to spite her face¡­¡±


    Before Hao Ren¡¯s voice trailed off, he heard the sound of wings flapping behind him, followed by a hoarse voice. It sounded like the caw of a crow. ¡°Caw! Caw! Idiot! Idiot! Where are you looking at? The great Kodo is right here!¡±


    Hao Ren turned around and saw an ugly bird, which was at least twice as large as an ordinary crow, jumping up and down on a haystack not far away. There was a strikingly black feather on the bird¡¯s head. It cried pompously, ¡°Caw! That abominable old woman always makes the great Kodo a travel guide for stupid people like you. Caw, caw!¡±


    ¡°So, you are the crow that will lead us?¡± Hao Ren was a little dumbstruck.


    ¡°Of course, I am! Of course, I am! Have you ever seen a crow more beautiful than the great Kodo?¡± the huge crow cried and fluttered its wings. ¡°Did you just talk to that thin and pathetic low life? That old woman is a joke! She knows there are crows everywhere in the wilderness yet she still insists on letting Kodo be a travel guide for strangers!¡±


    ¡°Okay, we know you are great,¡± Hao Ren quickly interrupted so that the ugly bird would shut up. ¡°Now take us to your master. We have an appointment.¡±


    ¡°Kodo knows, Kodo knows. Kodo is smarter than most of you so shut up. Kodo knows what to do.¡±


    The big crow cawed and chattered nonsense continuously. But it still had to obey the witch¡¯s command. It flapped its wings and flew into the air as Hao Ren and Lily ran after it under the night sky.


    The crow with a loose screw in its head flew at a high speed. It seemed like it was ignoring the command of its master and trying to shake off the two people behind it. But soon, it found that no matter how fast it flew, the two individuals on the ground just would not fall behind. Lily even had time to collect her favorite exotic stones along the way and make a wreath out of the flowers she had plucked in the wilderness. Had it not been for the serious business at hand, she would have even gone hunting along the way.


    The big crow finally gave up the idea of ??playing tricks on the two.


    However, its annoying chatters never stopped for a moment. Perhaps the witch had given the bird something strange when she opened up its mind, so the bird could not control itself. It babbled as it flew, driveling about the harvest, the quirks of the seigneurs, the size of the cities and villages, the weather and the soil, as well as the name of the second egg it laid the previous year. Hao Ren wanted to borrow a stone from Lily to knock the damn bird out of the sky, but he managed to control himself in the end.


    As Kodo gabbled and led the way, Hao Ren noticed that the moonlight had gradually dimmed.


    They had deviated from the main road, hustling farther into the wilderness. Fog began to gather around them and visibility started to get worse. The thick fog had blocked out the crow in the air. Hao Ren could only depend on its constant gibbering as a guide for direction.


    Then, a cemetery appeared amid the dense fog.


    A few sections of its surrounding iron railings had fallen and blocked the way ahead. Across the iron railings, tombstones and stone statues were scattered sparsely, while fallen dead tree trunks had damaged the walls of the cemetery, their branches landing on a few gravestones.


    The sound of the huge crow flapping its wings rang in the air, and soon, Kodo descended out from the thick fog. It stood on the iron railing and cried in the direction of the cemetery. As it cawed, the fallen fences and tree trunks immediately grew hands and legs before scattering to both sides.


    Hao Ren and Lily raised their guard and entered the cemetery after the big crow.


    At the center of the cemetery was a long table filled with suspicious food and thick white candles in between cups and plates. The flames from the pale candles burned so quietly in the fog that it seemed like they were still.


    A few black high-back chairs were strewn around the long table. Several women in black robes got to their feet, turned around, and stared at Hao Ren as well as Lily. They were full of suspicion and vigilance.


    The fog in the cemetery slowly dispersed, and by then, Hao Ren could see the faces of every person before him. The witches were fascinating and charming, some were young and beautiful, while some seemed to be ordinary peasant women. But their outer appearances did not matter to Hao Ren. He knew well that during the Mythological Era, a witch¡¯s primary duty as a servant of her otherworldling god was to serve her master and please his or her guests. Their most fundamental ability was their ever-shifting face. Every adult witch had at least a dozen faces. Sometimes, the witch would even forget her original face. So it was useless to identify a witch by her face.


    Nevertheless, Hao Ren figured that at least these witches would not change their appearances so soon during his ¡°visit¡±.


    Therefore, Hao Ren quickly identified Madam Marie from among the witches. Madam Marie stood in front of the chair at the end of the long table. She was wearing a simple black robe with copper ornaments hanging from her chest. The big crow, Kodo was sitting on her shoulder and tearing up a piece of bloody raw meat with great relish.


    ¡°Very good. You¡¯ve come as promised,¡± said Madam Marie, lifting her chin with a blank expression. ¡°Mysterious wizard and mysterious werewolf lady, these are trying times. I hope you do not mind the shabby meeting place.¡±


    ¡°You can call me Hao Ren.¡± Hao Ren did not bother to feign a Western-style name. He used his real name, which the locals would find exotic. ¡°This werewolf is named Lily.¡±


    ¡°Hao Ren? What a strange-sounding name.¡± Madam Marie pronounced it clumsily. She had taken it as a pseudonym. Wizards were not as sophisticated as the witches when it came to camouflage, but the use of simple face-changing and fake names were still common. ¡°Foreign wizard, I hope you understand our caution. In this day and age, it is a considerable risk to receive a stranger. So I hope you can prove yourself as a wizard.¡±


    ¡°I totally understand. Trusting people too easily in this day and age will only bring great danger to one¡¯s self.¡± Hao Ren smiled. With the wave of his hand, swords and weapons of various shapes and sizes emerged from the ripples in the air. The cold light of metal filled the air. Hao Ren surely did not know the tricks of a wizard, but he had more than one trick up his sleeve as an inspector. It was difficult to differentiate; all the more so with the messy schools of wizards on Earth, where the otherworldling gods used trial and error to produce magic apprentices.


    The way Hao Ren proved his identity surprised the witches. There was a commotion, and Madam Marie¡¯s expression changed slightly. She thought that his ¡°weapon-making¡± magic was indeed one of the tricks of the wizards.


    At least it was not of the demon hunters; that was certain.


    Lily stepped forward with great enthusiasm. ¡°Do I need to prove myself too? Take a look at my ears and fangs¡ªthey¡¯re all real!¡±


    Several witches closest to her instinctively stepped back, and a young woman bowed awkwardly as a sign of respect. ¡°Your identity as a werewolf is plain to see, there is no need to prove it. We can sense your strong scent.¡±


    Lily was delighted.


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyebrows twitched, realizing that although the Mythological Era was over and the human magic practitioners were free from slavery and independent, purebred otherworldlings still posed a strong deterrence to them. Lily was no werewolf, but she had an exceptionally similar menacing power and the scent of a werewolf. For the half-human witches, it was impossible to distinguish the subtle difference.


    It seemed that bringing Lily along had its advantages.


    ¡°So, you¡¯ve brought news of the demon hunters?¡±


    After confirming Hao Ren¡¯s identity, Madam Marie quickly got down to business.


    Hao Ren did not answer immediately but found an empty chair and sat down at the long table. He saw a mysterious man in a black robe. His face was hidden under the hood. Judging from the person¡¯s build, Hao Ren knew it was likely a man¡ªthe one Gray Rat had mentioned before.


    The hooded wizard nodded at Hao Ren as a sign of respect, and Hao Ren returned the gesture. Only then did he respond to Madam Marie¡¯s question. ¡°First of all, I would like to know about the arrested witch.¡±


    Madam Marie became downcast. ¡°As I¡¯ve said before, that is a¡ª¡±


    ¡°A ruse to fool the people?¡± Hao Ren looked up and shot the witch a glance. ¡°That has to be one important flimflam since you¡¯ve invested so much effort and gone to great lengths to lay a bunch of runes around the place of execution.¡±


    There was a surprised expression on the middle-aged witch¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯ve gone and investigated those things too?¡±


    ¡°How would I deal with sneaky fellows like the lot of you if I am not cautious and careful?¡± Hao Ren spread out his hands. ¡°I think we should be more open and honest with each other. The demon hunters are still wandering around, and the human church is very influential. Do we not have enough enemies that we still have to be suspicious of each other?¡±


    Madam Marie¡¯s face still appeared gloomy, and she did not say a word. A young witch behind her finally got to her feet. ¡°You should understand why we are so cautious, wizard. It is because we have to save someone important. She is a representative of a formidable force. We hope to get protection from this force through her.¡±


    Hao Ren could not care less who the witch they were going to save was. He was more interested to know if there were any old castles nearby. But to warm up to the group of witches, he had to continue the conversation and even consider helping them save the witch. ¡°Oh? Who is it?¡±


    ¡°She is Hessiana, a powerful Blood Mage.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±

 Chapter 1442 - Trust No One

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    When the young witch mentioned Hessiana, Hao Ren was drinking some seemingly unsuspecting liqueur, which he had picked up from the table. He unwittingly spat the contents of his mouth onto the face of the wizard, who was sitting opposite him.


    Not his whole face since the wizard¡¯s face was under a hood, but Hao Ren still felt sorry for him.


    ¡°Cough cough, sorry,¡± he apologized to the wizard, who appeared magnanimous and just wiped the liqueur off his face without a fuss. Then, Hao Ren turned to look at the young witch. ¡°Did you just say that the arrested witch is called Hessiana?¡±


    Before the young witch could say anything, Madam Marie snorted. ¡°Helen! How could you reveal that on a whim?¡±


    ¡°Marie, mind your attitude,¡± the young witch talked back and did not seem to be afraid of Madam Marie. It sounded as if they were equal. ¡°You do not have more say than I do here. Besides, I did not disclose anything I was not supposed to disclose. This wizard found the clue. I am just telling the truth, unlike you. You¡¯re a habitual liar.¡±


    ¡°We are also short of people,¡± said another witch. She looked pale as if she had just recovered from a major illness. Her voice sounded hoarse and cold. ¡°A wizard who is good in fighting, and purebred werewolf lady are not our enemies at the very least. On top of that, we have common enemies.¡±


    Madam Marie glared at the two witches, and the veins on her neck squirmed like vipers. But alas, she calmed down. The young witch named Helen looked curiously at Hao Ren and asked, ¡°Wizard, do you know Hessiana?¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Helen, still sizing her up. She was cute with long brown hair, brilliant blue eyes and thin lips. Despite wearing a witch¡¯s robe, Hao Ren could see that Helen had a great figure. It was hard to associate her with the cold and bizarre witches who cooked up potions in dirty wooden houses.


    Helen could have faked her appearance, but Hao Ren could not help but observe her carefully. He was trying to recall if there was someone with the same temperament as Helen around Hessiana. It was easy for vampires to disguise themselves as wizards, especially with their superb magic skills. It was something that Hao Ren could not match.


    Hao Ren quickly figured out how to answer Helen¡¯s question. He sounded uncertain when he replied, ¡°I know a friend named Hessiana, but she could be a different person who happens to have the same name. The Hessiana I know is not a Blood Mage.¡±


    Of course, the witches could be lying too in saying that Hessiana was a Blood Mage.


    ¡°I suppose. After all, we do not know if Hessiana has ever known a wizard like you,¡± Helen said. ¡°Wizard, we have told you many things. Is it not time for you to talk about the intelligence you have?¡±


    Hao Ren deduced in his mind that since he had come from the future, keeping his word to a bunch of dead people from centuries ago was utterly unnecessary. So he pulled out the sacred silver dagger at once and just made up a story. ¡°A few demon hunters could be nearby.¡±


    Sure enough, upon hearing the ¡°important intelligence¡±, the witches suddenly became quiet. Even the hooded wizard who had been sitting still all this while seemed to stir a little, as though the mention of demon hunters made him uncomfortable.


    No one made a sound. It was as if the demon hunters were really in the vicinity, and they feared that any movement or sound would give away their position and bring death upon themselves.


    ¡°This dagger in your hand¡­¡± Madam Marie looked at the sacred dagger anxiously as if she had seen a ghost.


    ¡°The demon hunters are not invincible.¡± Hao Ren continued to bluff, ¡°I killed a demon hunter when one of them pursued me. This dagger proves what I say.¡±


    ¡°Demon hunters never discard their weapons,¡± Helen the witch said in a low voice. ¡°Unless they voluntarily give up their weapons, the Sacred Flames sealed inside their enchanted weapons will consume any living being. So you could not have possibly stolen this dagger. The only explanation is that you have killed a demon hunter.¡±


    ¡°Again, as I¡¯ve said, demon hunters are not impossible to kill but only hard to kill,¡± said Hao Ren with a shrug. ¡°Did they not fall on the battlefield in great numbers during the Mythological Era?¡±


    Madam Marie finally looked less horrified, but she still found it unbelievable. ¡°But this is not the Mythological Era anymore. Wizards are no longer gods¡­ Ah, you have a helper.¡±


    Madam Marie¡¯s eyes landed on Lily not far away. The husky maiden felt bored since Hao Ren was only talking to the witches. So she sat at the table and ate. While Hao Ren was suspicious of the food, the hungry husky could not care less. Had people not been looking, she would have climbed on to the table to feast on the food.


    ¡°Huh? Are you talking to me?¡± Lily looked up at Madam Marie in confusion when she noticed the stare. ¡°Just let me finish my dinner. I¡¯m starving after a long day of running around.¡±


    ¡°All werewolves are like this¡ªfrank,¡± Hao Ren said.


    ¡°I know.¡± Madam Marie¡¯s face was deadpan.


    ¡°Ahem, we should discuss the demon hunters,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°It¡¯s not clear how many of them there are because I¡¯ve only met one. But I am sure he must have companions nearby. I suspect this city to be their target; there are no other places to stay in the vicinity. All the more so when there is now a witch held captive in the city.¡±


    The witches did not seem surprised except for that moment when news of the demon hunters was mentioned; they had known that this day would come. ¡°They¡¯ve arrived earlier than expected. We have to move fast.¡±


    ¡°May I ask, why are all of you gathering in this city?¡± Hao Ren looked at the witches. ¡°Is it just to save a witch, or are there other reasons?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve already told you; we are looking for the protection of a large organization,¡± Helen said. ¡°The Blood Mage named Hessiana comes from a place called the City of Shadows. It is one of the few free places that provide shelter to people like us. We can practice magic freely and interact with other wizards there without fear of the demon hunters and Church Knights.¡±


    Madam Marie now regarded Hao Ren as a god-sent. Also, probably because she wanted to rope Hao Ren in, she decided not to keep any more secrets from him. ¡°But there is a caveat¡ªthe City of Shadows is not open to strangers. Just like any organization providing asylum, they are worried about espionage. After all, there have been too many weaklings who have been intimidated by the demon hunters and been willing to become their running dogs.¡±


    Hao Ren looked up and asked, ¡°So when you heard that a ¡®messenger¡¯ from the City of Shadows was arrested, you thought it an excellent opportunity if you could rescue her and ask for a letter of support?¡±


    ¡°What is a letter of support?¡± the witches asked in unison.


    ¡°It is to recommend you.¡± Hao Ren hemmed and said, ¡°I am very interested in the City of Shadows. If it is possible, I hope to join your rescue operation. I think my partner will be more than happy to help.¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at Lily, who looked up from the table and asked, ¡°What?¡±


    The situation turned a bit awkward, and Hao Ren continued, ¡°Ahem, my partner is willing to help¡ªdon¡¯t ask ¡®what¡¯, you just need to nod your head.¡±


    Lily nodded.


    So they struck a deal.


    Hao Ren had initially wanted to disguise himself as a demon hunter, but now, circumstances had made him a wizard instead. He could only lament that no plan was perfect. After he chatted with the witches about magic and the current situation, he left the conversation and went to the side. Like a lone wizard who was bored of the chattering, Hao Ren gazed blankly at the fog-covered cemetery. He could not keep up with the witches¡¯ conversation and feared that he may blow his cover. After all, his knowledge about magic came only from his previous conversations with Vivian and was no good for an in-depth discussion with the witches.


    The wizard, who had been silent the entire time, suddenly got to his feet and slid up quietly beside Hao Ren like a ghost.


    Hao Ren turned to look at the man. ¡°I thought you have fallen asleep there.¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t like to talk, especially in a group of noisy witches,¡± the hooded man said in a low voice. It was the first time Hao Ren had heard him speak.


    ¡°Are you looking for me for something?¡± Hao Ren frowned.


    ¡°You are not interested in the City of Shadows,¡± said the hooded wizard bluntly after a moment of silence. ¡°You do not really want to help. You are after something else.¡±


    This time, Hao Ren was utterly surprised.

 Chapter 1443 - Gathering of the Bigwigs

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren turned around and looked blankly at the wizard who had been hiding his face under the hood the entire time. He could not clearly see the wizard¡¯s face, only a thin, unshaved chin.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Hao Ren asked quietly.


    ¡°I am good at reading people.¡± The wizard turned his head slightly towards him. His voice seemed enchanted as it rang with a hollow echo. ¡°I can see that you are not in a hurry to seek shelter, so you are not interested in the City of Shadows, which the witches have mentioned. You¡¯ve come to approach them for something else.¡±


    Hao Ren curiously looked at the wizard who suddenly spoke. He shrugged and said, ¡°You can say whatever you like. We are all here for our own interests. Not a single one is without a secret at this day and age. It does not matter what the reasons and process as long as the results match the expectations.¡±


    ¡°You are right.¡± The hooded wizard seemed to chuckle. ¡°It does not matter what the reasons and process as long as the results match the expectations. So Madam Marie and the others do not really care about who you are and what your intention is; they just need both of your strengths.¡±


    Hao Ren began to find the wizard even odder. He asked bluntly, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you came up to me just to tell me that?¡±


    ¡°Have you heard of Haron¡¯s Vigil Knights?¡±


    The question astonished Hao Ren. He had never heard of the name before. It seemed that the wizard had misunderstood something. Does the wizard think that I¡¯m a peer or that we both have a common goal? Hao Ren asked himself.


    Hao Ren was not sure if Haron¡¯s Vigil Knights were related to the location of Vivian¡¯s hibernation so he gave a perfunctory reply, ¡°Is that question important?¡±


    ¡°No, it seems that you have no idea about it.¡± The hooded wizard ended the conversation abruptly when he saw Hao Ren¡¯s reaction. ¡°Well, maybe you are not the peer that I imagined to be. I apologize for taking up so much of your time. Regardless, it was nice to talk to a powerful wizard like you.¡±


    As the strange wizard turned and walked away, Hao Ren stopped him. ¡°Hey, wait a minute! I still do not know your name. I shouldn¡¯t keep calling you Hoodie, don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    The hooded wizard halted in his steps. A while later, his voice drifted over. ¡°Revealing one¡¯s real name is a risky business. You can call me Bain. It is a common pseudonym I use in the world of black magic. The witches also know me by this name.¡±


    After Bain went away, Hao Ren¡¯s mouth twitched, and he said, ¡°Tsk tsk, I thought I was good enough in acting, but this guy¡¯s a pro. I hate to deal with such people; he¡¯s too smart.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Landlord, Mr. Landlord, I¡¯m full!¡± Lily suddenly shouted. A look of satisfaction spread across the husky maiden¡¯s face coupled with some oil stains still around her mouth. ¡°Mr. Landlord, you look strange. What happened?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, I was just playing a guessing game with the mysterious guy,¡± Hao Ren replied, shaking his head. The husky may have been dimwitted, but at least she had lived for a hundred years and read a suficient variety of books, so she may have come across a few anecdotes. ¡°Do you know any group or organization by the name of Haron¡¯s Vigil Knights?¡±


    ¡°Haron¡¯s Vigil Knights? It sounds like the name of someone¡¯s thugs.¡± Lily shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of it. Why do you ask, Mr. Landlord?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. But if you hear anyone talking about it, please tell me.¡±


    The husky maiden nodded and kept that in mind happily. Hao Ren felt more at ease in front of the innocent maiden.


    Hao Ren did not ask the witches about Bain since he was still unacquainted with them. He went there for a simple purpose, which was to find Vivian¡¯s hibernation location. He could not care less about who was who in that place when it did not concern his mission. Hao Ren hoped to fish some intelligence from Madam Marie just to make sure that the captured witch was the Hessiana he knew. He did not believe one bit that a group of human exorcists could catch Hessiana, but it was hard to tell what actually happened in the past. Perhaps the little bat screwed up in unexpected places and kept it a secret to save face. Who knows? Hao Ren thought.


    Just as Hao Ren was about to talk to Madam Marie, the sound of flapping wings broke through the night sky.


    The witches stopped talking and looked up.


    An opening appeared in the fog that enveloped the cemetery as a strikingly white owl infiltrated the night sky and landed in front of Helen, the witch. The owl had a white feather on its head and a pair of eyes that looked as intelligent as that of a human¡¯s. It was a familiar.


    ¡°Rohm!¡± Helen called out. ¡°What took you so long? What have you found?¡±


    The owl, known as Rohm, flapped its wings and lamented in a forceful baritone voice. ¡°Oh¡ªthis lonely, cold night, like my lonely, sad heart, poor Rohm has traversed the dark only to bring news sadder than the darkness itself. Listen to the cool night breeze. The breeze cries out: poor Rohm, what uneasy news you have brought this time?¡±


    Witch Helen lifted her leg and slammed it on the table with a bang. The tip of her toes barely scraped the head of the owl. ¡°Mother of god, get straight to the point!¡±


    ¡°Witch Hessiana has been convicted of practicing black magic. She has pleaded guilty and she is sentenced to death by fire tomorrow noon.¡±


    Hao Ren was like, ¡°What the f*ck?!¡± The beautiful and kind witch had such an ugly side.


    However, he then realized something more critical: Witch Hessiana would be executed in public tomorrow, in the city.


    The news caused a commotion among the witches. The witch who looked ill got to her feet and said, ¡°We must do something now.¡±


    Madam Marie stood up too. ¡°The humans have finally decided to do it. The time Hessiana leaves the dungeon of the church is the best and last chance for us to save her. We must rescue her before the execution tomorrow noon!¡±


    A witch questioned, ¡°But are the demon hunters not coming?¡±


    ¡°That is why we have to complete the rescue mission before the demon hunters arrive.¡± Madam Marie¡¯s stern eyes swept across the other witches. ¡°The humans have chosen to do it tomorrow, and that has given us some breathing room. The demon hunters will not make it here in time. We have time to rescue the messenger from the City of Shadows before they arrive.¡±


    A few witches nodded in agreement, but some were doubtful. The intelligence they received regarding the demon hunters¡¯ arrival had shaken their confidence although they had a comprehensive rescue plan.


    ¡°An easy life will not fall from the sky. If you want freedom in the paradise of black magic, you must take risks. Otherwise, we will only continue to live in hiding. And so what if there are demon hunters? Wizard Hao Ren has proved that the demon hunters are not invincible. Now we have such a powerful wizard and werewolf among us. With our collective strength, the demon hunters are not that terrifying anymore. But,¡± Madam Marie said, ¡°if any of you wishes to leave, you may leave now and I will ¡®grant¡¯ you the request.¡±


    Helen hemmed and looked at Hao Ren. ¡°Wizard, do you know the total number of demon hunters?¡±


    ¡°Didn t I tell you before; I have no idea. But I am sure that there are not many of them. They mostly travel in a group of three or four.¡±


    Hao Ren was quick to cite a lower number for fear of spooking the witches, who could give up and disperse. If the captured witch was not the Hessiana he knew, he would lose his lead.


    The witches looked calm as he had expected.


    Madam Marie raised her hand in satisfaction. ¡°Very good! Then we will do it at noon tomorrow. Our action plan will be¡­¡±


    Hao Ren listened to the briefing on the rescue operation while he simulated the actions in his mind.


    Was the Blood Mage the Hessiana he knew? Or could she be a different person with just the same name? If she really was Hessiana, how did a bunch of humans capture her? Why did they treat her as a Blood Mage? Blood Mages also used blood magic, but it was totally different from that of the vampires. What happened in between? Hao Ren¡¯s mind was racing.


    While the witches hidden in the cemetery were planning their grand mission, a group of people in black outfits were making a bonfire by the side of a dirt road, far away from the city.


    They tied their horses under a dead tree, and shiny sacred daggers hung on the side of the saddles.


    A tall guy, who looked like the leader of the group, got to his feet and looked in the direction of the city: There were only sporadic, faint lights in the town at night. Visibility was poor, but the group leader focused his vision as if he could see everything.


    A young deputy followed suit and stood up. ¡°Elder, is this small town worth your trouble?¡±


    The leader glanced back at the inexperienced junior and looked away again. ¡°No qualified demon hunter takes any hunting operation lightly. You do not even know how dangerous she is, especially when she is about to wake up.¡±

 Chapter 1444 - The Impish Kid of 600 Years Ago

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    News of the witch¡¯s execution by fire had spread throughout the city.


    In the Dark Ages, people lived in mental slavery. While royalty and aristocrats could hunt, garden, and indulge in endless banquets to pass their time, the civilians were destitute. Under the double oppression of the church and the aristocrats, any emotional expression could be labeled as witchcraft. This extreme ¡°purification of the mind¡± spawned a more radical and distorted emotional catharsis: the witch hunt.


    The sky had been overcast since dawn. The lead-colored clouds hung low over the city like a hood in the horizon. The clouds had been blocking the sunlight, preventing its rays from reaching the land below. The only source of light was the faint glow occasionally leaking through the gaps in the clouds. The morning chill wind was humid, sweeping through the moldy alleys and across the muddy streets, which stank to the high heavens.


    Under the gloomy sky, the city looked dead. The poor weather seemed to be a bad sign. Some old folks on the street watched the low hanging clouds and prayed. They sang praises in the name of the Holy Spirit and recalled superstitious stories about the devil hidden under the city, the dead who wandered at night, the ghost that cried in the attic, and the cemetery outside the city that disappeared mysteriously in the fog. People believed that the weather was a sign of evil forces at work, therefore warned their family not to go out right then.


    For most people in the city, however, burning a witch was still more fascinating than bad weather.


    Early in the morning, civilians had already passed through the gates of the inner city and thronged the square. They waited for hours just to watch her burn at stakes. The platform on the side of the square was reserved for nobility. Those ¡°VIPs¡± who were interested in watching the execution would ride in their carriage and watch from the platform in the warmth of their fur coats. But ordinary folks had to come as early as they could to secure a spot in the square. Such a ¡°grand event¡± had also spawned many profiteers who earned their living from it. Some people offered their services for a fee; some set up wooden platforms on the roofs outside the square, and anyone who wanted to get a good view of the square could get a seat for a fee. There were even booths selling stuff outside the square to take advantage of the crowd so that profiteers could earn enough money to buy bread and bacon for their whole family for a week. Had it not been for the bad weather, the number of traders would have been double.


    Hao Ren and Lily did not arrive early enough. So when they got there, not a single spot was available for them to stand. But the two managed to shove themselves through the crowd with their strength and agility, triggering curses of dissatisfaction along the way. They finally came to a position very close to the stake. Lily looked curiously around her toes. There seemed to be a tail wagging behind her although she was in her human form. ¡°Whoa! The scene of a witch¡¯s execution in the medieval times is packed to the brim.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t blame them. People don¡¯t have much entertainment,¡± Hao Ren said casually. ¡°In this era, a couple creating too much noise while making out could be accused of heresy. So, watching a public execution is the only pastime that allows them to vent their emotions.¡±


    ¡°Eww, that¡¯s perverse,¡± Lily whispered. She also saw the street vendors and idlers, whom she read about, making money by taking advantage of the execution. Seeing was believing¡ªthe vendors would later grow into different European markets and attractions in the future. ¡°Madam Marie has arrived. I can smell her scent,¡± Lily said.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s wait and see,¡± Hao Ren said.


    He looked up in the direction of the stake and waited quietly for the witch named Hessiana to be escorted out.


    Hao Ren did not have to wait too long.


    Escorting the witch into the place of execution and tying her to the stake was part of the crazy ¡°entertainment¡±. So, once the hay and oil were ready, Hao Ren saw a strange-looking prisoner transport rolling into the square from the other side. A masked black pony was pulling a carriage ladened with a heavy iron cage. The railings of the enclosure were unusually thick, with chains crisscrossing horizontally to secure it. Every few rings on the chain was made of pure silver. There were many crosses and sharp, spear-like embellishments around the carriage. Hao Ren believed that they were not merely for decoration.


    It only meant that the one in the cage was a real witch, not a victim of sacrifice.


    The witch was sitting quietly in the cage and wearing a plain muslin dress with a dark blue belt. Her long black hair covered half of her face and hung down her waist without any hair accessories. The unusual thing was how the witch did not have any scars from the whipping, or even dirt on her body. It was as if she had not been abused in the church dungeon at all. It was an unbelievable thing at that time.


    Hao Ren heard people in the crowd talking about the witch. They mentioned how the witch was so powerful that holy water and crosses could not hurt her. The whip and awl would not leave scars on her body either. Even her miasma and curses affected the executioners who got too close to her. She only showed fear of the flame, so the church decided to give up on the trial, and burn her at the stake in the square instead.


    However, no one knew if the rumors were true.


    The witch was finally transported to the stake. She had a heavy chain around her body. Even though she was now at the stake, it did not look like the escorts wanted to take the chain off her; they were going to tie her to the stake with the chain on. Hao Ren saw the two escorts; they were burly but appeared anxious. What could have stricken fear into those mean guys? Hao Ren asked himself.


    A gust of wind blew through the square. The hair hanging on the witch¡¯s face fluttered, revealing her face.


    She looked younger but she was indeed identical to Vivian.


    Hao Ren could not help but exclaim, ¡°She really is that little bat!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Landlord, it¡¯s Hessiana!¡± Lily blurted.


    Hao Ren was in great shock. Although he had guessed from Madam Marie and Helen¡¯s description that the witch was Hessiana, he could not believe it was actually true¡ªthere was no way that the humans could have caught Hessiana.


    A weirdo who drank holy water, chewed garlic, played with the Bible, and wielded the sacred dagger could not have fallen into the hands of humans who merely knew elementary exorcism.


    Hessiana had inherited Vivian¡¯s magical talent, and she was utterly immune to conventional means of exorcism.


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyes landed on the chain around Hessiana. It was made of ordinary steel with some silver parts in between. Perhaps those silver parts had been blessed with salt and holy water, but there was a world of difference compared with the sacred silver that the demon hunters used. That aside, the human church would probably not have been able to hold Hessiana up even if they had built a dungeon made entirely of pure silver.


    He noticed the expression on Hessiana¡¯s face. Despite being bound by a heavy chain and tied to the stake, she did not look the least bit dejected or fearful. Instead, she was calm with a hint of well-hidden wittiness.


    Hao Ren had met the impish kid many times before and knew a thing or two about what that expression of hers meant: her plot was about to succeed.


    ¡°This is not good,¡± Hao Ren whispered. ¡°We¡¯ve screwed up this time.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean Hessiana, Mr. Landlord? She¡¯ll be all right. We¡¯re going to rescue her, and she¡¯ll owe us a big favor!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying that Hessiana screwed up. It¡¯s the witches who¡¯ve screwed up¡ªHessiana¡¯s doing this on purpose!¡±


    ¡°Arf?¡±


    Hessiana was already tied to the stake at that point. The executioners locked the shackles on her body with the buckles on the stake. The clank of the fetters seemingly snapped Hessiana out of her thoughts. She looked up and around the square listlessly.


    Hessiana¡¯s expression suddenly stiffened, and she seemed to utter the ¡°F¡± word.


    A thin man in a robe stood on the stage near the aristocratic seat and began to read out Hessiana¡¯s crimes from a parchment. According to medieval practice, they were merely fabricated crimes.


    ¡°Sneaked into the cemetery at night and left a profane symbol on a tombstone.


    ¡°Held meetings where witchcraft was involved, summoned the devil from hell in the apple orchard, and killed an innocent adult with the devil.


    ¡°Hurled abusive language at the bishop¡¯s mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and the such.¡±


    The thin man¡¯s reading was a mouthful and long-winded. Meanwhile, the witches had taken up their predetermined positions in the square, stepping on the Letta runes.


    Hessiana suddenly turned and shouted in the direction of the platform, ¡°Have you finished yet, motherf*cker? I have admitted my crimes, and you better light me up now! You motherf*cker! Light me up now!¡±


    Hessiana hurled profanities continuously. But the thin man was unperturbed and continued his citation in an unhurried tone of voice, ¡°Insulted the judge, the judge¡¯s mother and father, and trumped up accusations against the family of the judge¡ª¡±


    ¡°Screw you and your sorry existence!¡± Hessiana kept on hurling insults at the man.


    Madam Marie¡¯s voice rose a second later. ¡°Now!¡±


    A swarm of locusts invaded the square from all directions. The ground under the crowd¡¯s feet writhed, as though it was coming to life. People started to scream and cry as the square turned into chaos.


    Just then, a few figures emerged from the crowd and sped towards the place of execution. Hessiana roared for the last time.


    ¡°Who are you stupid buggers?!¡±

 Chapter 1445 - Wreaking Havoc

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    When Hessiana started to shout and swear, Hao Ren knew that his conjecture was right. The humans did not catch her. It was Hessiana who allowed the humans to take her. He realized that he should not have come for her in the first place. What the impish kid did must have had something to do with Vivian.


    However, before Hao Ren could stop the witches, they had sprung into action. The witches had summoned a swarm of locusts to frighten the crowd and blocked the square, using the rotten land to disperse the people around the stake. They then headed to the stake and attacked the guards¡ªeverything went according to plan. The Letta runes around the square magnified the chaos. Various preplanned spells broke out at the same time. Soldiers wearing talismans in and around the square were quickly overpowered before they could even react.


    Hao Ren now knew that they had officially screwed up Hessiana¡¯s plan. But the witch¡¯s rescue plan had to go on¡ªhe needed to meet Hessiana.


    Hao Ren smacked Lily on the head and said, ¡°Let¡¯s join the party.¡±


    Lily pulled off her hood, revealing her wolf ears and fangs. She ran loose in the chaos, raising her head and letting out a melodious roar, ¡°Awoooooo¡ªarf!¡±


    The horrified screams of the crowd drowned out Lily¡¯s last syllable. People started to scream, ¡°Werewolf! It¡¯s a werewolf!¡±


    ¡°The devil is amongst us! The witch has summoned the devil!¡±


    ¡°Run! Run! The werewolves and witches have come!¡±


    ¡°Go to the cathedral quickly! Go to the church!¡±


    Lily flung away a few people who stood in her way, and the crowd immediately dispersed. Ordinary humans feared werewolves more than wizards. Mainly because humans thought that wizards were at least half-human while werewolves were evil, dark creatures. Folklores depicted werewolves as human-eating monsters, and that perception was especially ingrained in remote areas where superstition was widespread.


    Hao Ren could only shake his head as he observed the situation.* Feudal superstitions kill, and have you ever seen such a cute werewolf? *he said to himself.


    If this were to happen in the twenty-first century, many perverts would lay before the beautiful maiden and let her feast on them.


    Hao Ren strode to the place of execution as he sighed.


    The square was in chaos. Locusts and rotten soil had replaced the people in the square. Those who could run had already fled the scene. Meanwhile, the situation on the platform was even worse than on the ground. The noble gentlemen and ladies rushed to get down the platform, but there was only one exit. They screamed and scrambled to the exit, totally losing their proper demeanor. Some people had their wigs ripped off and coats torn apart. Others just fell down the staircase and broke their heads. Those who were desperate even jumped down the platform and fled the scene in a stagger.


    The warrior monks and friars were the only ones who could still remain composed. They were specially trained to deal with supernatural forces. Although they were likely not comparable to professional exorcists, they were more or less courageous, plus they possessed some skills.


    The warrior monks raised their silver-plated swords and guarded the stake while two friars each held a silver cross in one hand and scripture in another, chanting the word of God aloud. In that era when supernatural power was still relevant to the people, the shallow magic skills of humans still had its effect. A faint white barrier shrouded them as they struggled to hold off the witches¡¯ first wave of attack from.


    Peaceful life weakened the will, and pleasurable indulgence consumed the body; those who lacked practical combat experience could barely fight with their sacramentals, which had been passed down from their forefathers. When Wizard Bain released a smelly, scorched monster on the ground, they totally lost their fighting spirit.


    Hao Ren strutted to the stake as if he had entered no man¡¯s land. The guard¡¯s sword hit his Steel Membrane Shield but could only produce some sparks. He overpowered the two burly guards with ease, then looked at Hessiana, who looked back at him on the stake.


    Hessiana stared at the uninvited guest. Before she swore again, Hao Ren quickly said, ¡°Let us not get mad first¡ªI know you did this on purpose. We have ruined your plan. But it is too late now. You have to come with us¡ªfor Vivian¡¯s sake.¡±


    Hessiana was stunned. In a low voice, she asked, ¡°How do you know that name? Who are you?¡±


    ¡°This is not the right place to talk.¡± Hao Ren broke the shackles barehanded. ¡°I am on your side, Little Bat.¡±


    The words ¡°Little Bat¡± had Hessiana¡¯s eyes out on stalks. Many otherworldlings of the older generation knew about her relationship with Vivian, but people rarely knew about her nickname. When the guy first mentioned Vivian, Hessiana was still doubtful, but now she could only look at the man in horror and disbelief. Has this guy come from the sanctuary in the Shadowy Divide to take me home? Hessiana thought.


    Hao Ren had no idea what was on Little Bat¡¯s mind. He removed the chain as well as shackles on Hessiana and took her to Madam Marie. ¡°Here she is.¡±


    Madam Marie and the other witches were still maintaining the plague insects to block off the entire square. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Hessiana was with him. ¡°Very good. Let us get the hell out of here. The cathedral has been alerted. Once the regular ascetic corp and warrior monks arrive, we will be in trouble.¡±


    While he fought the soldiers and monks in the square earlier, Hao Ren thought that humans of the era were powerless against supernatural forces. But Madam Marie¡¯s nervous reaction told of something else. The humans never challenged supernatural power individually. They fought in numbers and with strategy.


    Hao Ren was not afraid of a regular army. He just did not want to cause too much commotion when he had a mission in that space and time. So he quickly agreed with Madam Marie and took Hessiana as they left the square.


    They barged out of the inner city and ran straight towards the west gate. As soon as they emerged from the inner city gate, the city¡¯s army of defense was waiting for them. In desperation, Lily tore the entire city gate down. She roared and swung the city gate in her hand towards the human soldiers accompanied by her Starbuster Slash.


    Hessiana muttered along the way, ¡°Who are these madmen?


    ¡°When did I ask you to save me?


    ¡°It took me a long time to plan this.¡± Then, she finally noticed Lily¡ªshe could not avoid it because a werewolf girl swinging a city gate was just too hard to miss. Hessiana looked on in astonishment. ¡°There is a wild werewolf here as well! I must have been out of touch with the world.¡±


    The human soldiers broke down upon seeing a werewolf charging towards them while wielding a city gate in her hand. But they managed to hold their ground when they heard their commander¡¯s loud rebuke. The soldiers in front erected their shields while soldiers at the back row stuck their spears through the gaps between the shields, forming a formation. Shortly after, four metal barrels jutted out of the formation.


    They were arquebuses.


    ¡°Hold your ground! Hold your ground!¡±


    The human commander raised his blade in the air and shouted. The human barrier stood in place, bracing for the werewolf¡¯s impact.


    The arquebuses fired with a loud bang.


    Blood splattered, and Lily roared in pain. ¡°Werewolves are fearless!¡±


    Then she lifted the city gate and threw it forward before she fled into a trail behind her. ¡°Even idiots can go head to head with you!¡± she said.


    Hao Ren and the rest had also turned into the other path. It was Plan B.


    The city gate whistled through the air before it crashed on the ground and brought up a cloud of dust. The massive gate continued to slide forward from the momentum like a bone-smashing monster. Even the staunchest soldiers could not ignore the incoming monster structure; the human barrier immediately pulled back. The city gate finally ground to a halt half a meter away from the nearest soldiers.


    The soldiers in the front row freaked out.


    The heroic commander froze as he stared in the direction of the werewolf¡¯s disappearance. He muttered to himself, ¡°Werewolves are fearless?¡±


    A ¡°fearless¡± werewolf, Hao Ren the Bomb Maniac with a Steel Membrane Shield, and a group of witches and a wizard, who barely suffered any damage, were pretty much invincible in a city without the guard of professional exorcists. After they evaded the blockade of the city soldiers, the rescue squad made it out of the west gate and met up with Witch Helen.


    Hao Ren glanced at Hessiana next to him. Sure enough, Llittle Bat¡¯s face was ashen.

 Chapter 1446 - When Little Bat Sees a Little Bat

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Once out in the wilderness, the humans of the city were no longer a threat.


    However, for Hao Ren and Lily, the ancient armed forces in the city were not a threat. Without the two of them, the group of witches with their limited mana and mortal bodies could face grave danger.


    After they left the city, Witch Helen summoned a couple of Shadow Horses. The gloomy weather had done the witches a big favor; the shadowmancy spells worked like a charm even during the day, allowing them to leave the city¡¯s area of influence and get away from the exorcists¡¯ peering eyes. After traveling half a day by horse, they returned to the stronghold of the witches in the foggy cemetery at sunset.


    The permanent fog seemed to be an unusual phenomenon. Without the witches¡¯ guidance force ordinary people could never get close to the border of the fog. So before the demon hunters found it, the cemetery was a safe place.


    Madam Marie decided to stay for the night in the cemetery¡ªeveryone needed to regain their strength and replenish their casting props.


    No one except Hao Ren realized that they had screwed up. Hessiana had been restraining herself the entire time despite flipping out earlier. She found a spot and sat by herself, waiting to lash out at whoever that came up to her.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Hao Ren immediately went up to Lily first instead of Hessiana. ¡°Did the musket hit you?¡±


    There were several small holes and blood stains on Lily¡¯s long skirt. Other than that, she was full of spirit. The husky maiden swung her arms to prove that she was all right. ¡°Aha, there¡¯s no problem at all! Muskets aren¡¯t modern guns. I¡¯m not afraid!¡±


    Lily wrinkled her nose. ¡°But it still hurts. Mr. Landlord, you¡¯re right; my combat strength is weak in this body. Even the musket¡¯s fire could hurt me. Plus, I¡¯m feeling pain in my arms after wielding the light city gate for a while.¡±


    Hao Ren was dumbstruck.


    This is considered a frighteningly strong physique already, Hao Ren thought to himself.


    Lily checked her clothes and made sure that there were no wardrobe malfunctions. She then looked in Hessiana¡¯s direction and pulled Hao Ren¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Mr. Landlord, Little Bat doesn¡¯t seem very happy.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t go and talk to her now; she¡¯s smoldering with anger.¡± Hao Ren twitched his mouth.


    Just before Hao Ren¡¯s voice trailed off, Madam Marie went up to Little Bat, unaware of the gloomy expression on Hessiana¡¯s face. Perhaps Madam Marie thought that it was a look that bigwigs from a large fraternity would have. ¡°In the name of black magic, it is my greatest honor to meet the messenger from the City of Shadows. I am¡ª¡±


    ¡°An idiot.¡±


    Madam Marie was shocked.


    ¡°You are all a bunch of idiots!¡± Hessiana raised her voice. ¡°Do you know what you have done?¡±


    ¡°Honorable One, I don¡¯t get what you mean.¡± The witches were flabbergasted, and Madam Marie was even more clueless. ¡°We saved you¡ª¡±


    Hessiana took a deep breath and lashed out. ¡°Who told you that I needed you to save me? Who told you that I was caught? I do not know you at all! You came out of nowhere and stormed into the square! Could you not have chosen a better time even if you wanted to butter me up? I was winking at you all in the square, did you not see it? All of you must have brain damage from consuming too much potion!¡±


    Now, even Hao Ren was in shock. The Little Bat he knew was a matriarch with dignity. She was somewhat of an oddball among the vampires but she still behaved like a lady. In contrast, the Hessiana of this era was totally hideous and a shrew. Hao Ren could not help but be reminded of how the lack of motherly love had caused the impish kid¡¯s personality distortion.


    ¡°Take it easy. You will succumb to pneumonia if you carry on this way.¡± Hao Ren had no choice but to intervene when Hessiana became relentless. ¡°They did it out of kindness and saved your life although they unwittingly ruined your plan. Could you not show at least a little appreciation?¡±


    ¡°But they destroyed my plan!¡± Hessiana glared at him but quickly toned down her voice. ¡°Well, I appreciate it. No matter what their motive is, they did put themselves at risk. The City of Shadows will not forget it.¡±


    Those were the words Madam Marie had been waiting for. The witches were pleased. The unwarranted accusations were just a small price to pay to get shelter.


    ¡°Then, can you now tell us what was going on?¡± Hao Ren looked at Hessiana. ¡°I know the humans could not have possibly captured you.¡±


    The other witches looked on. They finally realized that they screwed up and were confounded by the actions of the messenger from the City of Shadows.


    Even the quiet wizard, Bain, had come close.


    ¡°Firstly, you have to tell me who you are.¡± Hessiana looked at Hao Ren unyieldingly. ¡°How did you come to know Vivian? What is your relationship with her? How do you know my nickname?¡±


    ¡°I am a friend of hers, a very close friend,¡± Hao Ren said while he thought of a way to earn Little Bat¡¯s trust. It would be better if he could establish a sense of authority, which would have probably been impossible if it were 600 years later. But at that moment, Hao Ren had the information advantage. Moreover, Little Bat had yet to establish a stubbornly-bad impression of him, thus that gave him a lot more room for maneuvering. ¡°I am here to find her. If I am not wrong, she could still be asleep, or she could have just woken up. Seeing you was most unexpected.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Hessiana looked at Hao Ren suspiciously. It seemed that it was not so easy for her to trust a stranger. ¡°How can you prove that you are close to Lady Vivian? Even I am unaware that she has a friend like you.¡±


    ¡°How many times do you see Vivian in a century?¡± Hao Ren said bluntly. ¡°Has she not been hiding from you for the past hundreds of years?¡±


    The truth hit home. Hessiana was agape, and there was a sense of aggrievement in her eyes.


    Hessiana was an adult, but mentally, she was not as mature as she was 600 years later.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, I am just saying,¡± Hao Ren said quickly. ¡°I sometimes tell her not to evade you because those not in the know would think that you two have a quarrel.¡±


    ¡°Lady Vivian indeed does not like me.¡± Hessiana pouted.


    ¡°Not really.¡± Hao Ren knew that it was something Little Bat could not overcome and still felt the same about hundreds of years later. So he put in a few good words for Vivian. ¡°She is mainly worried that she will curse you. That is why she wants you to stay away from her.¡±


    Hessiana frowned as she sized Hao Ren up. The guy may have a good relationship with Vivian, but Hessiana could not trust him entirely just yet. ¡°What you¡¯ve said may be unknown to the public, but it is not impossible to find out. You must produce better evidence to prove that you are a friend of Vivian¡¯s.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment and found that it was indeed difficult to prove himself.


    The Vivian Hao Ren knew was of 600 years in the future, and all the things he knew about her were limited to that period. He could name plenty of Vivian¡¯s characteristics and habits, but they would prove nothing. If he made up a story and said he had been known Vivian centuries ago, there was a great chance that Hessiana might find out his lie. There were some of Vivian¡¯s belongings, such as the mobile phone, that had her scent in his Dimensional Pocket, but Hessiana had no clue what a mobile phone was. It was enough trouble trying to explain the origin of things beyond that time. Hessiana was not as dumb as Lily.


    While Hao Ren beat his brains out to find a solution, something crossed his mind.


    He had one thing that contained Vivian¡¯s scent, and he did not have to worry about its date of origin.


    It was a small bat in his Dimensional Pocket.


    Hao Ren had utterly forgotten about the existence of the little bat. Had he not been in that situation, he would have probably let the little bat sleep in his Dimensional Pocket forever. Vivian had created the little bat and asked him to keep it safe for her while they were on a mission. The bat was to be a coordinate or foundation of rebirth for Vivian. But the mission ended safely, and they never had a chance to use the bat, which was then forgotten.


    The bat may have even quietly cultivated itself into Hessiana 2.0 had Hao Ren not discovered it.


    ¡°This thing here will prove what I¡¯ve told you.¡± Hao Ren rummaged through his Dimensional Pocket and found the little bat, which was asleep. ¡°Vivian gave this to me. She mentioned being forgetful, and sometimes even forgetting her friends¡¯ names. So, she left this with me.¡±


    The little bat squirmed in Hao Ren¡¯s hand and finally woke up. Then it hugged Hao Ren¡¯s finger and stopped moving.


    Since Vivian was hibernating, as an avatar, the little bat had minimal activity.


    Hessiana¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground as she stared at the little bat. This time, she finally believed in the strange man.

 Chapter 1447 - Hessianas Plan

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hessiana no longer doubted Hao Ren¡¯s identity. At least, she now believed that he was a close friend of Vivian¡¯s.


    Not everyone could get Vivian¡¯s little bat. As far as Hessiana knew, Vivian had never gifted anyone with her little bat, but the scent, tameness, and quietude were unmistakable. The smell proved that it originated from Vivian while the tameness and quietude demonstrated that it was indeed Vivian who gifted the little creature to Hao Ren.


    ¡°I have not seen Lady Vivian for hundreds of years. Has she gained a new hobby?¡± Hessiana stared blankly at the little fellow in Hao Ren¡¯s hand. ¡°She is still trying to fight against her amnesia.¡±


    ¡°Now you believe me, don¡¯t you?¡± Hao Ren looked at her and laughed while he put the little bat back into his Dimensional Pocket. ¡°I told you, I have known you for a long time. It¡¯s just that you don¡¯t know about me. Moreover, I also know that your existing guardian is Hesperides, isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    Hessiana felt a chill run up her spine. She looked at Hao Ren and had her guard up. ¡°Are you going to say that you used to hug me in your arms when I was still little as well?¡±


    ¡°Why would I want to say that?¡± Hao Ren was stupefied.


    ¡°Don¡¯t those relatives who come out of nowhere like to say that?¡± Hessiana said. ¡°Things like ¡®I used to hug you in my arms when you were still little¡¯, ¡®you used to pee on my neck¡¯, and ¡®you liked to pull my beard¡¯ and so on. I tell you what, I don¡¯t buy it. I am not really one who respects the elders.¡±


    Little Bat¡¯s childishness amused Hao Ren. ¡°I am not going to say that. Moreover, you¡¯ve been a bat all this while. You were already an adult when you finally transformed into a human.¡±


    Hessiana scratched her chin and said, ¡°You even know that. It seems I really have to believe you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still not going to believe me, are you?¡± Hao Ren forced a smile and then quickly changed the subject. ¡°Okay, you have verified my identity. Can you talk about your plan now? Why did you let the humans take you?¡±


    The witches, including Madam Marie, could not make head or tail of what Hao Ren and Hessiana were talking about earlier. But now, they had tuned in to what Hessiana was about to say.


    Hessiana looked at the witches cautiously as she knitted her brows. ¡°What I am about to say is absolutely top secret. I do not mind if you witches hear it, but if any of you leak this information to the demon hunters¡ª¡±


    ¡°I think we can trust them,¡± said Hao Ren. Whatever happens next will be part of history, why should we worry about the leaking of information, which will only happen days later? Hao Ren thought. And he could not wait for Hessiana to tell them what happened. ¡°Before we went to rescue you, they already knew that there was a group of demon hunters coming. But they still chose to take the risk. From this alone, we know that they would not easily betray you.¡±


    ¡°There is a group of demon hunters coming?¡± Hessiana¡¯s eyebrows arched. ¡°They are quite fast. If so, I do not mind letting all of you know. After all, we have to unite against the demon hunters eventually.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    Are the demon hunters coming for real? he asked himself.


    Earlier, Hao Ren had made the story up to fool the witches so that he could gain their trust. How coincidental.


    While Hao Ren was in thought, Hessiana continued, ¡°I do not know how many of you have heard of Vivian Ancestor, the ancient elder of the Blood Clan. What I would like to tell you is that this powerful, great, wise, and perfect elder of the Blood Clan is hibernating here.¡±


    It almost caused a panic among the witches. They exchanged looks and whispered to each other in confusion. No one had ever heard of the name, which Hessiana praised to the skies. Only Bain, the wizard, stirred slightly, and a hoarse voice rang out from under the hood. ¡°I have heard of her name. It is said that she is one of the oldest and strongest Blood Clan members in the world.¡±


    ¡°Not one of but the one,¡± Hessiana said, proudly pointing her chin upward as if she was self-praising. ¡°Only a wizard among you has heard of Vivian¡¯s name? No wonder. After all, most of you were only dwellers and weaklings at the edge of the dark world when Vivian was still active. I tell you what, Lady Vivian has been hibernating in this place for over 200 years. I am her only blood descendant, and mama loves me!¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyes were moist. He decided that he would persuade Vivian to treat Little Bat better after this mission.* Did Hessiana, the little kid manage to stay alive by telling herself that for 600 years?* he wondered.


    ¡°Was it because of the demon hunters that you let the humans capture you?¡± Lily seemed to have thought of something.


    Hessiana nodded. ¡°Vivian is hibernating here, and the humans have been pretty active around this area in recent years. So I have been worried that the humans would disturb her hibernation. Lately, a group of demon hunters suddenly popped up in the area as well, and they seemed to be after something. After some investigation, my suspicions were confirmed. They are here not for regular hunting activities, but they are searching for something.¡±


    ¡°Vivian¡¯s hibernation location?¡± Hao Ren looked at Hessiana.


    ¡°That is right. I just cannot sit by and watch, so I came up with a plan to draw the demon hunters out and kill them. The demon hunters will never let go of their prey. As long as I come out in the open and be an ¡®attractive enough¡¯ target, the hibernation place of a Blood Clan member can wait. I planned for the humans to first capture me. With that done, the news of a witch¡¯s capture would spread, and the demon hunters would definitely know about it. On the day of execution, I was supposed to pull off a high-profile escape from the stakes, the noise of which would attract the demon hunters nearby to take note and pursue me. That way, I could divert their attention from Vivian and lure them right into my trap. Is that not a perfect plan? And you buggers screwed it all up.¡±


    Hao Ren was a little stupefied but soon realized that Hessiana¡¯s plan could have worked. It would seem as a joke had it been regular vampires using themselves as bait to lure the demon hunters. But Hessiana was different. She had Vivian¡¯s strength and talent. In other words, she was a freak who could drink holy water, chew garlic, and possess a strong resistance to the power of the demon hunters. Any relatively inexperienced demon hunter would have fallen into the trap that Hessiana laid.


    However, Helen, the witch, had not gotten Hessiana¡¯s point. ¡°If that is the case, our actions have not disrupted your plan. Did you not wreak havoc as planned? The demon hunters must have learned about the chaos in the city today.¡±


    ¡°You bloody idiot!¡± Hessiana could not hold back her frustration. ¡°Every move in my plan is precisely calculated down to how much noise and what form of noise there should be! How could you compare the actions of a motley crew like you to someone like me? Had I been alone, the demon hunters would have thought the incident an escape of a powerful witch. They would not hesitate to go behind enemy lines to hunt me down. But now that you¡¯ve interfered, the news will describe it as something like a rebellion of the otherworldlings; a bunch of witches and wizards attacking the city; the appearance of werewolves; the return of the otherworldlings. By then, the demon hunters would come in a battalion.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Lily scratched her head.


    ¡°Heck! Do you not know how humans are? The church and the nobles, especially, would definitely play up the sensational stories so that they could shirk their responsibilities. And what you did today will be a perfect excuse for them¡ªeveryone saw a werewolf going on a rampage in the city. My elaborate plan to disguise myself as a witch has gone down the drain! Don¡¯t you know that human wizards and purebred otherworldlings are of entirely different threat levels to the demon hunters?¡±


    The witches finally came to their senses just as Hao Ren realized how the witches spoiled Hessiana¡¯s plan.


    Little Bat was confident that she could handle the few demon hunters lingering in the area all by herself. But the appearance of the witches and especially Lily, the werewolf, had alarmed the demon hunters. Instead of falling into her trap, the demon hunters would most probably call for reinforcements. It was a disaster for Hessiana, who was desperate to protect Vivian¡¯s place of hibernation.

 Chapter 1448 - Surprise

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    When the witches finally realized what kind of farce they had created, they looked at each other awkwardly with perhaps a hint of fear in their hearts. They never expected to risk so much to rescue Hessiana just to screw up her big plan. They had even run the risk of giving away the hibernation spot of an ancient vampire. Hessiana¡¯s anger may not be the most terrible thing; it was the wrath of the Blood Clan that the witches could not afford to face. To the Blood Clan that placed particular importance to social hierarchy and seniority, a 10,000-year-old ancestor had to be held in unimaginably high regard. If those reclusive Blood Clan members learned that it was they who drew the demon hunters to the ¡°tomb¡± of their ancestor, the witches were afraid that none of them would get to live another day.


    The witches still had no idea of Vivian¡¯s notoriety¡ªthe pauper of the Blood Clan.


    Hao Ren looked at the indignant Hessiana and the silenced witches, wondering how history had originally played out. In actual history, Lily and he did not exist in that era to help with the rescue operation. So the witches may not have succeeded at all. Even if they did, they caused no significant impact. After all, in the eyes of the demon hunters, one hundred witches posed the threat of a single werewolf.


    ¡°All right, since things have come to this, we should consider our next move,¡± Hao Ren broke the silence while the witches and Bain remained quiet. ¡°The demon hunters will definitely get the wind. Since they have not come for us, maybe they are calling for reinforcements just as Hessiana has said.¡±


    Hessiana sighed. ¡°Things have already happened. I know it is not going to change anything even if I get angry. By the way, I have not asked for your name yet. You are a friend of Lady Vivian¡¯s. How did you come with those clueless witches? Who is this werewolf with you?¡±


    There was a hint of respect in the way Little Bat looked at Hao Ren. Apparently, Hao Ren¡¯s efforts to build trust and establish authority had worked.


    ¡°My name is Hao Ren, and this is Lily, the werewolf. We both came to know Vivian a long time ago. As you know, Vivian is an oddball among the members of the Blood Clan. As long as no one provokes her, she is able to mix with everyone. As for these witches, we just happened to meet one another. I did not know about your plan at the time. I thought that the humans had captured you, so we came to your rescue.¡±


    ¡°Lady Vivian has acquainted herself with a werewolf?¡± Hessiana stared at Lily like she was a rare animal. Others did the same. ¡°Lady Vivian indeed befriends many races, but none of which is a werewolf, as far as I know. This werewolf must be a weirdo.¡±


    Ordinary werewolves would have been up in arms when they heard Hessiana¡¯s remarks, But Lily just frowned and grimaced, then she continued to eat her snacks.


    ¡°She is indeed a weirdo,¡± Hessiana said quietly.


    ¡°What are you going to do next?¡± Hao Ren looked at Little Bat. ¡°The demon hunters will come over sooner or later, and it definitely will not just be one or two. I am afraid we cannot protect Vivian¡¯s place of hibernation. Do you want to get reinforcements from the City of Shadows?¡±


    ¡°The City of Shadows will not send reinforcements,¡± Hessiana said, biting her lip. Her face was full of disdain. ¡°Those people in the City of Shadows are a dead loss. They flinch at the thought of the demon hunters; they would rather die. No sanctuary nowadays can confront the demon hunters. Once the City of Shadows is exposed, the demon hunters will surely raid it. No one wants to take the risk.¡±


    It seemed that the current Hessiana had yet to establish her own influence in the Athens Sanctuary. She still lacked the right to speak and appeal, and she rode on Vivian¡¯s reputation. There was no wonder that Hessiana was all alone in her actions; not a follower was around her.


    ¡°Then we can only consider moving Vivian.¡± Hao Ren figured that he may be able to fight the demon hunters alone. But then, he quickly realized that the demon hunters¡¯ target was Vivian. ¡°Do you know her hibernation location?¡±


    ¡°You do not know it?¡± Hessiana became suspicious.


    ¡°I only know that it is in this area, not the specific location,¡± Hao Ren said, spreading out his hands. ¡°She ran away suddenly when I saw her the last time.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, this seems to match her style.¡± Hessiana let down her guard. ¡°I have the same thought too. Maybe we should move Vivian to another place, but it is not easy. I need a few people to help me deal with the magic spells there. How many of you are familiar with Shadowmancy?¡±


    Hessiana looked at the witches and the wizard. Madam Marie nodded. ¡°Shadowmancy is the foundation of our black magic. Are we really of help with the strength of just a few of us? We are talking about the hibernation place of an ancient Blood Clan member here.¡±


    Apparently, Madam Marie was wary that Hessiana might use them as cannon fodder in the mysterious hibernation place.


    ¡°Do not worry as long as you know Shadowmancy,¡± Hessiana said. ¡°I will handle the most difficult and dangerous parts. I just need someone to help maintain the stability of the shadow enchantment. Lady Vivian is hibernating in an old castle nearby. But no one has ever found clues of where she is in the castle because there is a spell. The true side of the castle is always hidden from prying eyes, and half of the castle is in the shadowy realm, which is unreachable. I know the route to the shadowy realm, but because Vivian is in hibernation, she will not open the door for us. We can only open the door from the outside. Witches and wizard, your job is to prevent the power of Shadowmancy from leaking into the real world and attracting the demon hunters while I open the door. I presume you all can do that? If you can help on this matter, I will overlook the mess you have caused and take you all to the City of Shadows.¡±


    The witches were delighted, and they nodded.


    ¡°There is a key to the shadowy realm.¡± While she spoke, Hessiana took out a little black crystal, which looked like a piece of obsidian but with pulsating blood-red lines on it. ¡°It is also the guiding light in the shadowy realm. You should first memorize its scent in your mind. If any of you accidentally falls into the illusion or shadowy cage, just follow the direction of the scent, and you will be able to come to me.¡±


    Bain could not help but look at the key and marvel at it. ¡°It is pure shadowy energy. I am afraid this is something out of reach for an ordinary human wizard.¡±


    The witches shared Bain¡¯s awe. Only Lily could not care less. In her eyes, her stone collection was far more beautiful than that piece of black rock.


    Hessiana passed the black crystal around. Everyone carefully memorized the magic energy that the crystal emitted. The witches first took it in their hands, followed by Hao Ren and Lily.


    When it came to Bain¡¯s turn, he caressed it. Hessiana began to explain her plan, ¡°The demon hunters are mobilizing their people now. We have very little time. We will settle for the night and set off at dawn tomorrow, and hopefully, we will reach the castle before noon. When the sunlight is at its strongest at noon, it will weaken the shadow spell on the castle, and I will be able to open the door quickly while I avoid alarming the soulless guards of the shadowy realm. Vivian has been hibernating for more than 200 years this time. The soulless guards could have become violent, hence we need to avoid them.¡±


    While Hessiana spoke, Hao Ren suddenly sensed a strong sense of danger.


    Hessiana¡¯s reaction was not any slower; the color on her face drained. ¡°Watch out!¡±


    A few bright silver lines suddenly appeared in the misty air; they were the trails of sacred silver bolts cutting through the air. Hessiana and Lily instantly dodged in different directions. Hao Ren summoned his Steel Membrane Shield at once. But the witches were slow; one of them was hit by three bolts. Before the witch could scream, the sacred power on the bolt tips had consumed her in Sacred Flames. Two more witches were lucky enough to escape the fatal attack, but they were scratched by the powerful bolts and fell to the ground with severe injuries.


    Almost immediately, a rain of runic spells and more bolts flew in all directions. It was like the coming of the god of death.


    By then, the witches seemed to have finally come to their senses. They began to scream.


    ¡°Demon hunters! It¡¯s the demon hunters!¡±


    ¡°Take cover!¡±


    ¡°Hide! Hide!¡±


    Everyone hid while they summoned protective spells to buy some time. Wizard Bain summoned a large block of mud to shield the witches from the most violent attacks. It gave them a momentary respite. Hessiana crouched behind a fallen stone statue and gritted her teeth, preparing to fight back. ¡°Hell, how did they get here so fast?¡±


    Hao Ren shouted, ¡°Looks like those demon hunters did not ask for reinforcements from their headquarters. They¡¯ve come for us right away!¡±

 Chapter 1449 - Hao Ren Deserves an Oscar

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    When the silvery white bolts tipped with mighty magic power pierced through the air, they left behind crisscrossing blazing trails in the sky. The bolts penetrated the protection spells and enchantments like paper. That was followed by offensive magic from the Letta runes, which destroyed the witches¡¯ defenses in the cemetery. To survive in the Dark Ages, the witches had earlier laid down layers of defenses in the forms of enchanted tombstones and twisted dead trees around their lair. Those objects, the witches¡¯ primary shields, could only momentarily delay the advances of the demon hunters.


    The witches finally got their act together after their initial panic. Madam Marie and Hessiana became the ones whom the others looked to for instructions. Their shouts of command prevented the witches from doing anything stupid in panic. Under the cover of the mysterious fog, the witches hid and retreated to a narrow strip of land in the southwest corner of the cemetery. The witch, Helen, chanted a spell, and the tombstones around the open space came to life, turning into black stone guards covered in moss. The guards formed another line of defense, holding back the remote strike of the demon hunters.


    *Boom!*


    Almost as soon as the stone guards rose, a dazzling, silvery-white fireball whizzed in a parabola through the air and landed on one of the guards. The supposedly indestructible stone guard, which had a robust anti-magic ability, shattered in an instant. Sacred Flames vaporized most of its broken pieces before they even crashed to the ground.


    ¡°The stone guards are crumbling. They can hold up for a few more minutes at the most,¡± Hessiana said quickly. ¡°What the hell. They are no ordinary demon-hunter squad. Only the elites could unleash such destructive power!¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at Little Bat and said, ¡°It seems that even if your previous plan were successful, it would still be useless. The strength of these demon hunters is not what you think.¡±


    Hessiana seemed to be quick in admitting her miscalculation. ¡°The intense interest the demon hunters are showing towards this place is a surprise. It seems that they still see Vivian as a threat even though she is in hibernation.¡±


    While Hessiana spoke, Hao Ren had another question in mind.


    Are these demon hunters coming for Vivian? Isn¡¯t Vivian a deterrence to the demon hunters? Why would the demon hunters look for trouble with the Countess although they know that she has rarely caused any trouble before? Hao Ren asked himself.


    What was wrong with these elite demon hunters?


    The demon hunters appeared to be using their firepower to pin the witches into a corner. Perhaps their extreme discipline made them very cautious although they were only raiding a bunch of half-human witches. Up to that point, the demon hunters were still using bolts and spells to go against the resistance in the cemetery. It seemed like they wanted to play the long game of exhausting their enemy.


    However, the game of exhaustion would soon be over.


    Hao Ren looked up towards the west of the cemetery. His peered through the thick fog and saw several figures moving. The demon hunters had crossed the fences and animated trees. Their actions only meant one thing: the killing had just begun.


    Hessiana threw out a few corrosive balls of blood. The blood balls, which contained the power of death, landed before the demon hunters and immediately exploded into clouds of toxic fog. The demon hunters were wary and halted their advances.


    ¡°We are on the defensive here. Those bastards are good when it comes to a siege.¡± Hessiana snorted. ¡°We must find a way to get out. It is close to the full moon; if we can get out, I will be able to harness the power of the moonlight to shake them off. But there are two caveats.¡±


    ¡°What caveats?¡± Madam Marie quickly asked.


    ¡°First, we cannot break through the blockade. You even have difficulty looking after yourselves, who can break the demon hunters¡¯ defense? Second, we need someone to stay behind to buy us some time. Even the slightest would be good enough.¡±


    The witches and Bain, the wizard, looked at each other. But Hao Ren already had an idea.


    ¡°No problem,¡± Hao Ren said quickly as he opened his Dimensional Pocket and took out a weird-looking weapon, at least it was weird in the eyes of the witches. ¡°Lily will lead the charge to break the siege¡­ Lily, put this on. You need this weapon.¡±


    Lily looked at Hao Ren as he put the equipment on her. ¡°But I am better at close-quarters combat.¡±


    Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°This thing is much better than a large sword. Your goal is to break the blockade, not to engage the demon hunters. Thus, firepower will do the job better than anything else.¡±


    Before Lily knew it, Hao Ren had finished equipping her with a massive case of ammunition on her back, and a six-barrel machine gun in each hand. The writer, now, looked like the Terminator.


    As he hung the weapons on Lily, Hao Ren leaned over and whispered to her, ¡°Bring everyone and storm out of here. Do not engage the demon hunters¡ªI need them.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Landlord, are you planning to dupe them?¡± Lily blinked.


    ¡°I have questions to ask them. It is unusual for the demon hunters to come looking for trouble with Vivian; something must be wrong.¡± Hao Ren flipped open the safety lock of the machine guns and checked that the ammunition case was in good order. ¡°Leave marks on your way out. I will catch up with you soon.¡±


    Hessiana watched as Hao Ren hung a ton of weird stuff on Lily¡¯s back. Curious, she asked, ¡°What are those? Can you use them against the demon hunters?¡±


    ¡°It may be a little hard to annihilate those individuals, but clearing a way out is not a problem at all.¡± Hao Ren grinned as he looked at Little Bat. Hessiana had never seen modern weaponry at this time, yet she would be an arms maniac 600 years later. ¡°You can go with Lily, I will stay behind.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Hessiana looked surprised. ¡°It is dangerous.¡±


    ¡°I know what I am doing, do not worry.¡± Hao Ren had a confident look on his face. ¡°A man like me who mingles with an ancient Blood Clan member like Vivian would not be that weak, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Hessiana bit her lip and stared at Hao Ren for a long while. ¡°In that case, be safe. You are one of the very few friends that Vivian has. One death will be too great a loss to bear.¡±


    Hao Ren was stupefied.


    The kid was so unskilled with her words back then!


    The last few stone guards fell under the demon hunters¡¯ bombardments. The figures in the fog had sped up, and their magic energy in the air grew stronger. Hao Ren hurried Little Bat off. ¡°Go now while you can!¡±


    ¡°I owe you a favor!¡±


    With Lily leading the charge, Hessiana and the witches barged in a direction towards the dense fog. Soon, they all disappeared before Hao Ren¡¯s eyes. A few seconds later, Hao Ren heard the rattling of machine gun fire in the fog.


    Just as Hao Ren guessed, the demon hunters had laid siege on the periphery of the cemetery. But he was confident that Lily had no problem in breaking through the barrier with two heavy machine guns in hand and her mad-dog state of mind.


    Hao Ren was getting ready.


    He had changed into a demon hunter¡¯s suit and hung the demon hunter¡¯s gear that Hasse had given him on his body. Hao Ren took advantage of the chaos that Lily created, shifted his position, and waited for the right moment before he took out an emblem and injected his spiritual power into it.


    It was a silver coat of arms, the size of a palm. The pattern of a blade in the shape of a cross was engraved on it. After the spiritual injection, the silver coat of arms began to glow.


    It was an amulet that the demon hunters often equipped themselves with. The charm was said to dispel low-level threats of magic and improve self-healing abilities. On the chaotic battlefield, it could also be used as a prop for remote identification between demon hunters. Hao Ren had learned from Hasse how to use his mental power to activate the gadget.


    As expected, when the amulet emitted a unique frequency of magic energy, Hao Ren was able to mentally perceive that some of the demon hunters had stopped pursuing the witches. Other demon hunters also showed signs of hesitation. The sudden emergence of a ¡°friendly¡± force in the evil lair surprised the demon hunters.


    A moment later, a few demon hunters emerged from the thick fog. When their signature black suits came into view, Hao Ren jumped out and shouted, ¡°In the name of Coldpath, all of you have just ruined my efforts for the past half month!¡±


    He sounded blunt and rightful, as though he had the moral high ground. There were also some hints of frustration and irritability in his voice. Hao Ren suddenly thought that he deserved an Oscar.


    When the demon hunters heard his shouts in the name of Coldpath and sensed the magic energy in the air, they scurried over. They saw a man in a demon hunter¡¯s suit, looking irritable and leaning against a half-collapsed tombstone.


    A demon hunter who looked like the team leader came up to Hao Ren and sized him up. ¡°You are?¡±


    ¡°A Stalker,¡± Hao Ren replied with his arms crossed. He maintained the aura of a demon hunter. ¡°I have been following these witches for half a month. And you lot just screwed everything up!¡±

 Chapter 1450 - Another Surprise

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    With his arms crossed and his body leaning on a tombstone, Hao Ren gave the demon hunters the side eye. Little did the demon hunters know that Hao Ren was nervous. His heart was beating so fast like it was in vibration mode. Hao Ren kept his facial muscles tight to conceal his nervousness. He was confident in his acting skills and that the infiltration method that Hasse taught him would work. But the problem was, confidence was one thing, and nervousness was another. The demon hunters were the best of the best in smelling out a rat. They were cautious as Lily guarded her bones. No one could guarantee if the leader of the demon hunters would suddenly smell something fishy and decide to draw his dagger.


    Nonetheless, Hao Ren successfully fooled the demon hunters in the end. The demon hunters looked at each other. They did not show hostility and suspicion but were only curious about Hao Ren.


    It seemed that their vigilance and killing instincts were only effective on the otherworldlings. When they came face to face with a person who did not possess innate hostility, the demon hunters were just as good as ordinary people in terms of intuition.


    ¡°I am the head of the Hunter squad, Lockheed, the master of demon hunters,¡± said the demon hunter. ¡°We were not aware of the happenings here. I did not know that a Stalker was here as well.¡±


    That meant there was an intelligence blindspot in the area. Hao Ren, the ¡°Stalker¡± had to explain himself first.


    ¡°My current name is Hao Ren. I used to be a member of the Nordic Battlegroup. Who can tell where the other members of the Battlegroup are now.¡± Hao Ren pretended to come from a disbanded ancient Battlegroup and now lived the life as a Stalker, just like Hasse had taught him. He had also learned the art of intimidation from the 10,000-year-old poor vampire by flaunting his seniority card. And he was good at that. ¡°I have been wandering for thousands of years, hunting the rats in all corners of the world. The last time I contacted Coldpath was a hundred years ago. And you are a Hunter group? As far as I know, the Hunters are not very active now. Instead, there are more and more Stalkers like me.¡±


    The master demon hunter who claimed to be Lockheed forced a smile. He thought that the man before him was what the elders termed as the Lone Wolf. After the end of the Mythological War, the demise of the gods also led to the simultaneous disbanding of the demon hunters¡¯ sacred Battlegroups. The killing instinct had blinded the mind¡¯s eyes of many demon hunters who plunged themselves into the ruins of various gods. They continued to hunt and pursue the otherworldlings as if they had lost their mind, losing contact with their organization as a result. Some of the demon hunters had resumed contact with Coldpath, but for various reasons, they were unable to rejoin their primary forces. These demon hunters had forever become the Stalkers, whom the elders called the Lone Wolves.


    Asides from returning to the various demon hunter bases around the world to replenish their supplies and exchange information, the Stalkers almost had no communication with other demon hunters. Some of them had even discarded their real names and used only fake names.


    It was a trouble to deal with the Lone Wolves because fanaticism and years of hunting alone had shaped weird characters in these guys. They tended to focus on hunting alone and were hostile to everything¡ªincluding their compatriots¡ªthat got in the way of them doing their job.


    In short, Stalkers were a bunch of guys who suffered from severe post-traumatic syndrome but declined treatment.


    It seemed lucky that this Lone Wolf looked less hostile and relatively easier to deal with.


    ¡°We have an important mission here,¡± Lockheed explained the Hunter group¡¯s intention. ¡°To deal with an ancient otherworldling that might be waking up soon, an elder has called this Hunter group. We did not plan to hunt the witches initially. What is happening here is just incidental.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyebrows twitched. These guys indeed came for Vivian, and on their way, they raided this place.


    Just then another demon hunter emerged from the fog and came up to Lockheed. ¡°Master, the witches have escaped. A werewolf using some exotic weapon broke past our encirclement. The weapon looks a little like a relic of the Mythological Era.¡±


    ¡°I got it.¡± Lockheed nodded. ¡°They always leave traces. The magical energy of this land will subside after the full moon. They will not be at large for long.¡±


    Then Lockheed turned to look at Hao Ren. ¡°It seems that our random actions have ruined your hunting operation. I apologize. But I would like to know more details. You have been tracking those witches. Why not kill them?¡±


    ¡°I am catching a big fish.¡± Hao Ren crossed his arms and looked into the night sky. The fog had begun to disappear, and the moon slowly came out in the sky. ¡°I discovered that the witches were looking for an ancient ruin, which is very likely related to an ancient otherworldling. So I decided to wait and track them from afar. Tonight should be their last meeting, from which I should be able to get the most crucial information. But you guys stormed in and ruined everything. What is worse, you have let them get away!¡±


    Lockheed was startled, and then his expression froze. He began to think in the direction that Hao Ren wanted him to think. ¡°Did you say an ancient ruin? And it is about an ancient otherworldling?¡±


    ¡°Most likely that is what you are after.¡± Hao Ren shot Lockheed a stern look. ¡°Now do you know why I am so angry? You have not only ruined my hunting but also defeated your own actions. Those witches were talking about the method of accessing the ruin and the specific location of the seal. A Blood Mage was just about to tell the spell that could remove the seal¡ªyou only had to come one minute later, one minute! They would have revealed all the information themselves. Damn you, couldn¡¯t you all control yourselves?¡±


    Hao Ren let out a long sigh and looked up at the sky again¡ªhe tried very hard not to laugh.


    Lockheed¡¯s face looked no better than Hao Ren. The demon hunter was baffled. ¡°The werewolf excited our killing instinct although we just wanted to observe initially. But¡­ Wait a minute, you were lurking in the cemetery and yet not affected by the killing instinct? And the werewolf did not sniff you out?¡±


    The questions stunned Hao Ren. He quickly hemmed a couple of times before saying, ¡°I have learned some special skills in the thousands of years of hunting. I can hide my breath and suppress my killing impulse, which is a necessary skill for a Stalker. Otherwise, how can I act alone in a place full of dark forces?¡±


    Lockheed looked at Hao Ren carefully, surprised but not overly suspicious. It was true that there was no way to get rid of the killing instinct, but some senior demon hunters could momentarily control and even conceal their breaths through specialized training. Those were the necessary skills for demon hunters. These skills might have a limited effective range and did not wholly suppress the innate hostility, but it was still possible to stay undetected by the otherworldlings as long as he was within a certain distance.


    Then disappointment hit Lockheed. ¡°Damn it! I will be responsible for the blunder I have made.¡±


    ¡°People make mistakes.¡± Hao Ren began to comfort him. ¡°Instead of harping on the issue, why not focus on redeeming yourself? Let us talk about the ancient otherworldlings¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, I have to admit my mistake to my elder. As for whether or not the elder will hand down a punishment, it up to him to decide.¡± Lockheed was such a one-track mind and did not fall for the bait. ¡°But do not worry, the elder is on his way here. He will be here soon, and we can explain the situation in front of him.¡±


    ¡°Elder? You mean the head of this Hunter group? He is coming?¡±


    Lockheed was not the head of the Hunter group but only a leader of a vanguard. If it was not mistaken, this vanguard was only acting independently tonight. At first, Hao Ren just wanted to fish more information from this vanguard leader and leave, trying his best not to meet the unknown elder. But the situation changed quickly when Lockheed told him that an elder was on his way here.


    If Hao Ren made up an unconvincing excuse and left, Lockheed would be suspicious of him. Hao Ren could only continue to play along, banking on the weapons and badges that Hasse gave him and with finger crossed, even the elders from Coldpath would not be able to find anything suspicious.


    Just then the demon hunters on the outer perimeter alerted Lockheed, who now looked solemn. ¡°The elder is here.¡±


    Hao Ren quickly adjusted his posture and placed the dagger on his waist and emblem on his clothes in more prominent positions so that he could gain the trust of the elder at first fight.


    The fog in the cemetery quickly dissipated. It seemed that the arrival of the mighty demon hunter had accelerated the disintegration of the magic spells in the place. A tall, gray-haired senior demon hunter had crossed the perimeter and walked toward them. ¡°Lockheed, I heard that there is a Stalker here?¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s facial muscle stiffened when he heard the voice. Cold sweat began to rain down his forehead when he saw the elder. He quickly hid his dagger and emblem. Had it not been for against public decency, he would have taken off his demon-hunter suit as well.


    Hasse was the elder.


    The set of camouflage equipment may have been able to fool all the elder demon hunters from Coldpath, but Hasse would definitely find it familiar.

 Chapter 1451 - The Demon Hunters Real Target

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Tall and burly, rough facial features, and the iconic one eye, the demon hunter looked absolutely familiar to Hao Ren. It was Hasse, the original owner of the gear Hao Ren was wearing.


    Of course, it was the Hasse of 600 years ago.


    Hao Ren almost jumped out of his skin when he saw the senior demon hunter. His first reaction was to hide all the demon-hunter camouflage gear he was wearing. Hao Ren may have been able to put away his dagger and crossbow, but he needed the suit and badge as identifications, especially the suit. He could not possibly go naked in public.


    Now, Hao Ren regretted putting on the suit.


    However, regretting was all Hao Ren could do¡ªhe knew that he needed to put on a full suit to increase his chances of fooling the demon hunters. Even if he had known beforehand that an elder was nearby, he would have still done the same.


    But who would have known that the elder was Hasse.


    Hasse had not noticed that Hao Ren was the only demon hunter he did not recognize on the scene. Hao Ren¡¯s Asian-looking face was not the problem; demon hunters did not stick to a particular race, and their looks would change to blend in as well as suit local conditions within a specified period. But of course, they could also stop the process at will. This appearance assimilation did not require any outside help such as camouflage gear. Hao Ren¡¯s Asian face only suggested that he had been active in Asia for an extended period. What caught Hasse¡¯s attention was the clothes that the Stalker wore.


    It somehow looked familiar.


    ¡°You are the Stalker?¡± Hasse was a little doubtful. But out of politeness, he did not show it on his face.


    ¡°It is an honor to meet you, Elder,¡± Hao Ren said as he concealed his nervousness. It was customary for a Stalker to greet and show reverence to an elder from Coldpath. Lone Wolves might be recluses and were not easy to get along with, but they were still members of the demon hunter organization. They still needed to show enough respect to the elders. ¡°I think your Hunter group and I have some misunderstanding.¡±


    Hao Ren then said no more as he was afraid to blow his cover by talking too much. He shot Lockheed a look, telling him to explain the matter.


    Lockheed was cooperative. This one-track mind probably felt guilty of spoiling Hao Ren¡¯s operation, he related what had happened to Hasse and took all the blame. What was more commendable was that Lockheed had even straightened those details out where Hao Ren had a hard time to make up. Hao Rao listened. Even if he was as thick-skinned as Raven 123345 was, he could not help but feel shame in his heart for duping such an honest guy.


    Hasse had now learned the whole story from Lockheed. His single eye stayed on Lockheed for a moment before said with a stern voice, ¡°A mistake is still a mistake although it is your intention. I will keep it in the record.¡±


    Hasse then looked at Hao Ren again. ¡°Stalker, I apologize to you for their reckless action that has ruined your plan. But it is not the time to harp on the trivial. We should instead find a way to repair the damage¡ªthose witches have escaped from our encirclement. I have just learned that there is not only a werewolf among them but also the scent of a vampire. It is unclear at this moment that how a werewolf and a vampire could get along, but this combination was a challenge to us. We need to cooperate to complete the hunt this time.¡±


    This was what Hao Ren had been waiting for. ¡°I agree with you.¡± He nodded quickly.


    ¡°Now the moon has come out,¡± Hasse said as he looked up at the night sky. ¡°Werewolves and vampires will become more powerful under the moonlight. I am afraid we won¡¯t be able to catch up with them tonight. But then again, they would not make it very far tonight. Just as your intelligence shows, their goal is the hibernation place of an ancient vampire; unless they have given up the target, they will not go very far.¡±


    ¡°They might go to the hibernation place next,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°But I have no idea of the hibernation place¡¯s specific location.¡±


    But Hasse just smiled. ¡°Do not worry, I roughly know the position of the hibernation place. If I am mistaken, it is in an old castle, and there are not many castles in this area.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s heart missed a beat. This group of demon hunters has made so much progress? Hao Ren thought to himself.


    He tried hard to conceal his nervousness and only let out an appropriate surprised look on his face. ¡°Oh? You have already gotten the information? Then our next move is much easier.¡±


    Hasse nodded and sighed softly. ¡°I did not expect a group of otherworldlings to seek out the ancient vampire. They even have the means to remove the seal. Had we known you earlier, we would have saved ourselves many troubles.¡±


    Hao Ren felt a little weird now. He almost could not believe that his lie had pulled out a chain of clues. He almost started to believe in his own lie.


    The witches had escaped, and the demon hunters halted their hunt for the night. Hasse had ordered to stay in the cemetery for the night before they resumed the pursuit at dawn. The gloomy grave was not an auspicious place to camp for ordinary people. But for the demon hunters who dealt with the dark forces all year round, any leveled ground was an excellent campsite. Those dead trees and collapsed tombstones were just decorations in the camp.


    By Hao Ren¡¯s rough estimation, this Hunter group probably consisted of 60 demon hunters, which was very small compared to the Sacred Army a.k.a Battle Group during the Mythological Era.


    But for the witches led by Madam Marie, it was a disaster.


    The bonfire began to rise in the cemetery. The demon hunters cast the power of the Letta runes into the few remaining sculptures in the cemetery to turn them into stone guards. These stone guards would work with the demon hunters who were on night shifts to patrol the surroundings.


    Hao Ren and a few demon hunters sat at the long table at the center of the cemetery and talked about the hunt. Food and drinks that the witches left behind were still on the table, but the demon hunters had no interest in them. They only ate from their own supply. The demon hunters deemed this food on the table was ridden with black magic and stenchy.


    Hao Ren saw them as being pretentious. But he must act the same too. After all, he was not interested in the food on the table also.


    A demon hunter saw a large number of empty plates and sneered. ¡°Those witches have an enormous appetite.¡±


    Hao Ren pretended to know nothing.


    He knew it was Lily who cleaned the plates.


    Hao Ren was embarrassed but did not show it on his face. He looked at Hasse who sat beside him. ¡°Can you tell me who the ancient vampire you are tracking?¡±


    Hasse looked somber. ¡°You should have heard the name of the oldest vampire before, Vivian Ancestor.¡±


    Just as Hao Ren had expected¡­


    Hao Ren tried to keep calm and pretended he was surprised. ¡°The poorest one?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the poorest one.¡±


    The atmosphere appeared a bit uncomfortable for a while.


    Even Hasse¡¯s reply was inadvertent.


    ¡°Ahem, the Countess of the Crimson Moon. There is no demon hunter who does not know her.¡± Hao Ren quickly broke the silence, ¡°You plan to kill her? Do demon hunters not always stay away from her?¡±


    Hasse shifted his posture. His face was more solemn than before as his one eye stared dead at Hao Ren. Hasse only looked away until Hao Ren thought that Hasse was suspicious. ¡°We are not coming to kill her.¡±


    The reply truly surprised Hao Ren this time. ¡°Not to kill her? Then what?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°You should know that she is an ancient who frequently goes into hibernation,¡± Hasse said, looking at Hao Ren. ¡°The Countess also occasionally plunges into extreme violence. She is unpredictable. She has already been hibernating in this place for over two centuries, which is pretty long even for her standard. It is unusual.¡±


    ¡°Unusual?¡±


    ¡°Coldpath has been keeping an eye on this maverick Countess. After she appeared in the world for two centuries, we realized that something was wrong and launched an investigation. Not long ago, we found out that she was not dead but in a long hibernation. Later, we discovered this place and detected strong negative energy in the vicinity.¡±


    The words ¡°negative energy¡± alarmed Hao Ren.


    ¡°Old demon hunter like you should have heard about this negative energy,¡± Hasse said, looking at Hao Ren. ¡°The Countess will occasionally go mad. And when she is at it, her energy will dominate the entire region.¡±


    ¡°That is to say?¡±


    ¡°The Countess may have a problem in her hibernation¡ªshe has gone crazy in her sleep, and now she is about to wake up. I estimate that with high chances, she will wake up in a state of violence.¡±


    While Hasse explained his findings and conjecture, Hao Ren had thought of something closer to the truth.


    Vivian¡¯s Malevolence was forming. The violent Vivian that Hasse talked about was not the real Vivian but a Malevolence.


    Hao Ren was pretty sure about it because he had a handwritten record. Vivian would only turn violent before she went into hibernation and she would wake up fully sober¡ªher grumpiness when she was disturbed during her sleep was an exception. So there was only one possibility for the appearance of the negative force: a new Malevolence had been born.


    No wonder the demon hunters had come after Vivian. No wonder Hasse took such a risk to come to this place although he had suffered several beatings from Vivian previously. They were coming to stop the Malevolence.


    ¡°Do you think you can beat her?¡± Hao Ren frowned. He figured that the demon hunters might not know the existence of the Malevolence, but they should know how terrible Vivian was. ¡°The Sacred Army directly from Coldpath has never beaten Vivian once during the Mythological Era.¡±


    ¡°Of course, we can¡¯t win. Once the crimson moon rises, the disparity of strength between the Countess and ordinary creatures will be immeasurable. No one can ever resist the power of the moonlight,¡± Hasse admitted. ¡°We do not expect to beat her. We plan to buy time. First, we will draw her to a remote place, and then let her stay under the moonlight as long as possible. The Countess¡¯ madness will not last long, especially when she just wakes up. As long as we can survive this short moment, our mission will be accomplished.¡±

 Chapter 1452 - Let Me Show You Something

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    It turned out that this was the demon hunters¡¯ true target.


    They were not trying to kill the Countess of the Crimson Moon or stop Vivian from waking up. Their real purpose was to prevent the disaster brought about by Vivian¡¯s awakening. Hao Ren had no idea how closely the demon hunters of Coldpath had been watching Vivian. But now it seemed that it was more than what he had imagined, so much so that it could trigger the early warning system in Coldpath. Hasse and his Hunters were apparently part of this warning system.


    Hao Ren understood all but one thing: the demon hunters had always been indifferent to other races; other than immersing in their never-ending hunting, they could not care less about the life and death of humans, let alone protect them. Their limited alliance with the humans was built on the premise of carrying out hunting activities, without which they would not give a care to the sufferings in human society.


    So, why has Hasse led a group of warriors to protect the city of humans? Hao Ren asked himself.


    Prior to this, Hao Ren had roughly figured out that otherworldlings were not active in all but Vivian¡¯s place of hibernation. There was only a city and a few villages of humans there. To the demon hunters, Vivian¡¯s violent awakening would only afflict suffering to the human settlements. Vivian was not their target, therefore what were Hasse and his men doing there?


    They were certainly not after Madam Marie and her witches because a small group of witches was never important enough for them to send their elite team; a couple of experienced demon hunters would do the job nicely. Hasse had also mentioned that he was there for Vivian.


    Hao Ren thought for a moment. He was careful with his language so that he would not give himself away. ¡°Be prepared to pay a high price to even delay, let alone stop the madness of the Countess of the Crimson Moon. I think it is not worth it. There is nothing worthwhile here except the humans.¡±


    ¡°Of course not for those humans,¡± one of the demon hunters said. ¡°You have been wandering for too long and may not be aware of what happened 3,000 years ago. The Countess appeared suddenly in the Nordic wilderness after she woke up. After going rampage for some time, she did not seem to have gotten enough of it and went straight to Coldpath. It happened at that time that she bumped into a returning Battle Group from the Nordic battlefield and that was the single most serious attack to Coldpath. Since then, we have learned from experience that each time Vivian Ancestor goes insane, someone must go to attract her attention and exhaust her energy and strength. Otherwise, she will go to Coldpath again.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s Malevolences have this tendency? They would attack Coldpath? Hao Ren asked himself.


    Hao Ren did not show it on his face, but in his heart, he was baffled. For all the times he had dealt with the Malevolences, never once did he hear of this tendency of theirs.


    Even Hasse, who had participated in this operation, said nothing about it six hundred years later.


    Of course, Hao Ren could not blame Hasse for hiding information. Hasse was an ¡®outsider¡¯ after all. His understanding of the Malevolence and Plane of Dreams was minimal. He did not know the existence of the Malevolence until the twenty-first century. The last time he dealt with Vivian¡¯s Malevolence was the current time period, which was a whole 600 years before he got to know Hao Ren. He had no idea how significant the information in the operation would be to Hao Ren 600 years later.


    These factors of constraint made him unable to associate this crucial clue to the issues he would later work on with Hao Ren.


    But it did not matter anymore because Hao Ren had come. He had personally entered the history that would have otherwise been buried forever. He now had the opportunity to piece together all those details that the parties concerned had overlooked.


    At this moment, he realized that his trip back to the future had another significance. He not only wanted to bring Vivian back but also find out about her lost memories and secrets.


    After this realization, Hao Ren began to think about another question: what made the Malevolence want to go to Coldpath.


    Did Vivian still remember that she was the Fourteenth Sage of the demon hunters deep in her subconscious? Or did she want to look for her old buddy, the first sage who died under Vivian¡¯s moonlight and accidentally reincarnated as a dog?


    Hao Ren quickly ruled out these two possibilities because it was only the Malevolence that went to Coldpath. He was sure about it after getting the details from Hasse and other demon hunters. Those ¡®Vivians¡¯ who looked for trouble in Coldpath would leave after she regained her sanity. The demon hunters thought that the Countess had regained her consciousness. But Hao Ren guessed that it was Raven 12345 who had intervened and taken the Malevolence away.


    Since Malevolences were irrational, there was only one reason that they wanted to go to Coldpath: something was attracting them.


    The thought of the Godslayer sword immediately came to mind. In the entire course of history, the Godslayer was kept in Coldpath, and the Malevolence was undoubtedly had a deep connection with the murderous weapon.


    The divine power of the goddess of creation and the dark forces were inextricably intertwined. They were entangled in the Godslayer sword and also in Vivian. Finally, all things came full circle.


    Hao Ren also thought of Noobie, whose mind was a muddle. She might be weak but a true-blue Malevolence. She did not show a tendency to go to the North Pole because Raven 12345 had purified the Godslayer before Noobie was even born. This had confirmed Hao Ren¡¯s conjecture.


    ¡°Have you spaced out?¡± Hasse¡¯s voice suddenly jolted Hao Ren out of his thoughts. He replied matter-of-factly, ¡°I am thinking of Coldpath. I have not been back there for a long time¡ªso long that I don¡¯t even know Coldpath has almost been attacked.¡±


    ¡°A Stalker who wrestles with monsters in the dark for thousands of years deserves our respect.¡± Lockheed¡¯s compliment had only embarrassed an artless person like Hao Ren more.


    ¡°Had you ever tried to kill Vivian while she was in hibernation? This will solve the problem once and for all.¡± Hao Ren was careful with his language. It was a question that he had long been worried about but feeling weird to ask.


    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Hasse looked at Hao Ren in disbelief. ¡°It is more difficult to deal with her while she is hibernating than when she is awake. It is not an exaggeration to say that the danger is a hundred folds higher. The Countess, when awake, is pretty harmless and may not summon the crimson moon even though she has momentary madness right after waking up. But during hibernation, those soulless guards of hers are enough to kill most intruders, and she will automatically summon the crimson moon when attacked.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s heart missed a beat¡ªVivian was more powerful in sleep than awake.


    Hasse looked more suspicious now. Hao Ren knew that he had asked enough of these questions and quickly steered away from the topic. ¡°I have heard about it but never expected it to be that terrible. Maybe we should talk about tomorrow¡¯s actions.¡±


    Fortunately for Hao Ren, Hasse only wondered about Hao Ren¡¯s whimsical thoughts and did not suspect him of much. Hence, they discussed the plan to pursue the witches instead.


    Soon, the discussion ended. Lockheed left the long table to brief his men. Hasse also got to his feet and stretched, seemingly he was getting ready to rest. Hao Ren looked at the old demon hunter quietly while he figured something in his mind.


    The one hibernating in the castle was a Malevolence. He must immediately alert Hessiana and Lily and revised his plan.


    He could not afford to waste his time here. He had gotten the information he wanted from the demon hunters.


    Hao Ren had made a decision.


    ¡°Elder,¡± he called out to Hasse who was about to leave the table. ¡°I have found something.¡±


    Hasse¡¯s eyebrows arched.


    ¡°Please come with me.¡± Hao Ren looked around, and his eyes finally landed on a spot in the north of the cemetery. ¡°The witches performed a strange ceremony there. I hope you can check it out yourself.¡±


    ¡°A ceremony that even a veteran demon hunter has found strange?¡± Hasse laughed but was not suspicious of anything. It was usual for a junior to seek advice from an elder.


    Hao Ren brought Hasse to the edge of the cemetery, where they were out of the other demon hunters or night patrols¡¯ sight.


    Hasse seemed to be unaware and just curiously looked at the opened tombs. ¡°Are you talking about these raided tombs?¡±


    Hao Ren quietly recited Raven 12345¡¯s name. He then silently went behind Hasse and took out an item from his Dimensional Pocket. ¡°Let me show you something.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Puzzled, Hasse looked back.


    A metal brick cast from battleship alloy, twice the size of a regular brick, rapidly fell on his head.


    *Klunk!*

 Chapter 1453 - Regrouping

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    *Klunk!*


    Caught off guard, Hasse was hit by a super-alloy brick on the head, and the sound was akin to the collision of two pieces of metal. The veteran demon hunter had already reacted before his eyes captured the brick. He tried to dodge the attack as his muscles contracted in a split second. But Hao Ren was not slow either. He had anticipated that Hasse would jink, so he blocked all of Hasse¡¯s possible moves. Hao Ren had learned his brick-throwing skill from the master, Lily, while they practiced close-quarters combat during their free time. Lily was a master of bricks and Hao Ren had been practicing the skill with her for more than two years. With his superhuman physique, his skill was superb to put it modestly.


    As such, Hasse could not dodge the attack. The brick hit him, and the world spun around him.


    However, Hasse did not pass out. Instead, he stabilized his footing while he reached for his sacred silver dagger by his waist.


    Hao Ren was astonished.* How could this be? Are demon hunters¡¯ heads made of battleship alloy too?* he thought to himself.


    Hasse¡¯s head was spinning. He stepped back. Years of combat experience had enabled him to defend himself even in a semi-unconscious state. Hasse looked shocked and angry as he glared at Hao Ren. ¡°You¡ª¡±


    Hao Ren could only resort to Plan B. He pointed at Hasse; a dark spatial rift immediately emerged under the old demon hunter¡¯s feet. ¡°I am sorry,¡± said Hao Ren.


    Before Hasse could finish, the space around him distorted. He immediately tried to teleport himself away, but the distorted space and time prevented him from doing so. The next second, the senior demon hunter had fallen into Hao Ren¡¯s dimensional pocket.


    Hao Ren quickly looked around to make sure that his actions had not attracted the attention of the demon hunters on night watch. He then quickly sneaked out of the cemetery and into the darkness.


    He made a sprint that lasted half an hour. After making sure that the demon hunters had not caught up with him, he breathed a sigh of relief. Given a choice, Hao Ren would not want to offend those demon hunters. When he knew that there was a Malevolence in hibernation here, he wanted to retain every possible force, including the demon hunters, to fight it. At first, Hao Ren had no plan to throw Hasse into the dimensional pocket, which was not a comfortable space to be in. It would be a lot more bearable had Hao Ren prepared a closed living space in the dimensional pocket; otherwise, it would only be boundless space of chaos and absolute silence, which could cause severe psychological problems to people. Hao Ren used to carry Lil Pea and a little bat in his dimensional pocket. But Lil Pea had a beautiful large aquarium to play in while the little bat was asleep.


    The poor old demon hunter was forced inside the dimensional pocket while he was awake.


    Hao Ren sighed and could only hope that Hasse would be able to stay sane with his strong will.


    Why do demon hunters have such hard skulls? Hao Ren asked himself.


    With such a heavy heart, Hao Ren hustled in the desolate wilderness under the night sky.


    The late Middle Ages in Europe was the end of the Dark Ages. But in the land where barbarism and darkness ruled, before the arrival of the Industrial Revolution and the Renaissance, the influence of supernatural forces would not go away. Outside the city and the countryside, eerie and horrible unknown forces dominated. Development was almost non-existent, and farmland and pastures usually were not too far from human settlements. The area outside the illumination of city lights was no man¡¯s land, where abandoned buildings were everywhere.


    Abandoned castles, run-down windmills, eerily quiet military outposts, and ruins were common sights in the wilderness. They used to belong to the seigneurs. But since the abandonment, people could no longer rebuild these places.


    Because at night, there were some unspeakable horrible forces in the wilderness. Once the artificial light went off, the supernatural powers would come in to fill the void left behind by the light.


    In the Middle Ages, there was no shortage of legends such as haunted mills, cursed villages, and vampire castles.


    Hao Ren felt that the atmosphere in this place was very similar to those legends.


    Following the marks along the way, Hao Ren came to a building ruin away from human settlements. It was at the foot of a small hill with a stream flowing down the hillside. On the riversides, several half-collapsed houses and a water mill were still standing. There were more ruins in farther away. On the top of the hill, a more massive ruin stood against the night sky.


    The place was filled with a strange air. Cold and weird. Even the wind seemed to carry the cry of the dead. Hao Ren was sure as hell that this deserted place was unnatural.


    It might have something to do with the otherworldling activities. The strange atmosphere that lingered until this day was mostly related to the negative forces that the demon hunters had mentioned.


    Vivian should be here, hibernating somewhere. The power of her Malevolence had begun to leak out into the real world.


    Hao Ren looked around and saw a small amount of silvery-white hair on the outer wall of an abandoned wooden house. It was not easy to notice the hair, but he knew that the witches were here. He strode forward and called out, ¡°Come out. No one is tailing me.¡±


    A silvery-white figure flew onto the roof of the wooden house and said to Hao Ren with arms akimbo, ¡°Secret phrase! You must say the secret phrase!¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at the husky and said, ¡°The place where you¡¯re standing is not stable.¡±


    ¡°Aah!¡± Lily froze. Following a crisp cracking sound, the plank under her feet snapped, and she went down with it.


    The witches emerged out from their hiding places, so too Hessiana. Lily was the last. The husky maiden, covered in sawdust and mud, she yelled, ¡°This situation would not have happened to me had I been in my heyday.¡±


    ¡°You come back alive, what a surprise!¡± Hessiana looked at Hao Ren as if she had seen an alien. ¡°How did you slip under the nose of the demon hunters? Who the hell are you?¡±


    ¡°I did not just escape unscathed.¡± Hao Ren laughed and gestured to Lily. ¡°Come here, I need a hand.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± The husky maiden asked, eyes wide open.


    Hao Ren handed the alloy brick to Lily. ¡°When I release this man out from the dimension pocket, you are to knock him out immediately. But don¡¯t kill him. Everyone, step back.¡±


    Hessiana seemed to have guessed something. She was horrified. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you have captured a demon hunter!¡±


    Hao Ren just smiled. He then nodded to Lily and carefully opened his dimensional pocket.


    Hao Ren released Hasse with controlled precision and did not let him entirely out, but only his body from the shoulder up was peeking out of the Dimensional Pocket. Hasse seemed to be looking for a way to escape. He froze when he suddenly caught sight of the outside world and Hao Ren¡¯s despicable face.


    ¡°You¡ª¡±


    ¡°Surprise!¡±


    *Klunk!*


    Lily smashed the brick on Hasse¡¯s head with all her strength. This time, the old demon hunter passed out, just as Hao Ren requested.


    And then Lily was startled when she saw whom she had knocked out. ¡°Aah! Hasse?¡±


    ¡°This guy is from this time period, 600 years ago. He doesn¡¯t know us,¡± Hao Ren said in the Hollettan language so that the other would not understand. He waved at Lily, signaling her to not say a thing. Lily¡¯s physical strength still awed him although she was not what she used to be.


    ¡°Finally, we have him restrained. Otherwise, I don¡¯t know how to deal with him.¡± Hao Ren only breathed a sigh of relief and took Hasse out from the dimension pocket after making sure that Hasse had passed out. He had also taken out a set of shackles, used to restrain dangerous humanoid captives, and put it around Hasse¡¯s neck, wrists, and ankles.


    ¡°Lily, you are to carry him. I am afraid that things might go wrong if I keep him in the dimensional pocket.¡±


    ¡°What if he wakes up?¡±


    ¡°Then you knock him out again.¡±


    Lily was not stupid. When she saw Hao Ren had captured Hasse, she had guessed what was in his mind. ¡°I will handle him.¡±


    Then the witches only dared to come close.


    There was no innate hostility between the witches and the demon hunters. But the fact that the demon hunters had been hunting the witches all this while had created a paranoia in the hearts of the witches. The effect was just as adverse as innate hostility. Madam Marie had her heart in her mouth when she saw the demon hunter. The witches only dared to come close after Lily and Hao Ren disabled the demon hunter. The witches pointed at Hasse on Lily¡¯s back while discussing among themselves. The witch Helen frowned and asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you kill him?¡±


    ¡°He is still useful to me,¡± Hao Ren said casually. ¡°It is about some ancient magic. You will not understand even if I tell you.¡±


    ¡°It is your prerogative to do what you like with the captive. But I would like to remind you that demon hunters are dangerous. Especially when you keep one alive with you.¡±


    There was a rare solemn look on Little Bat¡¯s face.


    Hao Ren thought it best not to be perfunctory with Hessiana. He hemmed a couple of times and said in a serious tone of voice, ¡°Do not worry, I already have a plan, in which this demon hunter will play an important role. As you have already seen, Lily and I could easily get things under control. He will not be a threat.¡±


    However, Hao Ren was bluffing. Had Lily and he not used tricks on Hasse, they would have a hard time in apprehending the demon hunter elder.


    Hessiana glanced at the restraint devices on Hasse. ¡°I hope the shackles are strong enough.¡±


    ¡°Of course, they are.¡± Hao Ren nodded with a smile. ¡°Let us not talk about this demon hunter for now. What is more important¡­ Oh, wait a minute. Where is the other one?¡±

 Chapter 1454 - Suspicious Bain

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyes swept around and immediately noticed that someone was missing from the scene.


    Other than the witch who had died during the demon hunters¡¯ raid earlier, one more person was not there.


    It was the wizard who always hid his face under a large hood.


    ¡°Bain was separated from us when we fled,¡± said Madam Marie. ¡°We have not seen him ever since we left the cemetery. We did not go back to look for him because we feared that the demon hunters would pursue us. But we have left marks along the way. He should be able to find us.¡±


    ¡°Bain was separated?¡± Hao Ren involuntarily knitted his brows together. His intuition told him that something was not right.


    As if to confirm his suspicion, Hessiana suddenly exclaimed, ¡°Oh, no! That man is holding my key!¡±


    ¡°Key?¡± Lily was baffled, not knowing what Hessiana meant.


    ¡°The key to the shadowy realm!¡± Hessiana panicked and jumped to her feet. ¡°We were passing the key around when the demon hunters struck. At that time, the key was in Bain¡¯s hand. How did that useless wizard get left behind?¡±


    Hao Ren could only become more suspicious of Bain. He recalled the chain of events and suddenly remembered that the wizard had said something bizarre.


    ¡°What are Haron¡¯s Sentinels?¡± Hao Ren turned to look at Hessiana. He did not know why but he had a feeling that Little Bat knew something about it.


    Sure enough, Hessiana was surprised when she heard the name. ¡°How do you know of the existence of these knights?¡±


    ¡°You really know about this organization?¡± Hao Ren was delighted. What he thought to be a trivial thing had turned out to be a clue. ¡°What are these knights doing?¡±


    ¡°This group of knights disbanded many years ago. Except for a few persons who are keeping an eye on this place, very few people know about their existence.¡± Hessiana did not seem to intended to keep it a secret. ¡°Haron¡¯s Sentinels were originally the guardians of this place, composed of a group of wizards and dark knights whose mission was to protect Vivian¡¯s place of hibernation and keep disturbances away.¡±


    ¡°They were guarding Vivian?¡± Hao Ren was even more surprised than before. ¡°How could Vivian afford their service?¡±


    ¡°Ahem, you really know Vivian well, eh?¡± Hessiana said.


    Hao Ren was stupefied.


    A moment of embarrassment later, Hessiana continued, ¡°Vivian was not the person who formed Haron¡¯s Sentinels. It was Haron, a noble Blood Clan. When Vivian chose to hibernate in this place, a well-informed dark noble came here and rebuilt an abandoned castle and turned the surroundings into an estate. Haron and his sentinels guarded this place for a century, hoping to see the day of Vivian¡¯s awakening.¡±


    ¡°Oh, were they trying to fawn over Vivian?¡± Lily asked.


    ¡°It was completely normal. The Blood Clan places great importance on class and bloodline. Whoever gains favor in the eyes of the ancients would have glory and practical benefits throughout the clan. But most ancients in the Blood Clan are reclusive and unapproachable. Naturally, the good-natured Vivian became the ¡®go-to¡¯ person when the juniors wanted to curry favor with the ancients. All the more so when Vivian was a person who did not like to owe anyone favor. If she knew that there had been a junior guarding her seal for a century, she would definitely pay back the guy although not in money form. She could write a note and whoever had this note in hands would be able to do whatever they liked. Who could have resisted this temptation?¡±


    ¡°Why did Haron¡¯s Sentinels disband?¡± Madam Marie asked. The story fascinated her. ¡°Was it because the Blood noble had lost his will? Or was it because of the demon hunters¡ª¡±


    ¡°The dark noble¡¯s investment failed, and coupled with natural disasters, he went bankrupt. Haron¡¯s Sentinels continued to guard the place for twenty more years and at last disbanded when funding dried up. The last sentinel left about a century ago. There, the house on the river bank was the place where the last knight stayed. Tsk tsk, it was said that he had to beg his way home.¡±


    Hao Ren had guessed what the truth was like before Hessiana revealed it. So he was not surprised at all. ¡°Those poor guys should get wise to it. They had never thought how could an ancient as amiable as Vivian have no friends. They were so naive to think that it was easy to cozy up to Vivian.¡±


    ¡°The ignorance of the youth,¡± Hessiana said with a shrug. ¡°Even if people knew about Vivian¡¯s notoriety, they would not have truly understood the extent of misfortune she would bring. People were blind and over-confident, always thinking that they could bend fate in their favor. They overestimated themselves.¡±


    There was a sense of pride in Little Bat¡¯s voice as if Vivian¡¯s aura of poverty was something to be proud of.


    The witches, who had been living in the fringes of the supernatural world, had never heard of Vivian Ancestor¡¯s story. So, they had no idea what Hao Ren and Hessiana were talking about.


    Hessiana could not bother to explain to the witches. ¡°Why did you suddenly mention Haron¡¯s Sentinels?¡± she asked Hao Ren.


    Hao Ren scratched his chin and said, ¡°I think Bain is suspicious. He had asked me about Haron¡¯s Sentinels. But when he realized that we did not share the same thought, he was very cautious and never mentioned the matter again.¡±


    ¡°Bain knows about the Sentinels?¡± Hessiana squinted. ¡°That is to say, he is most likely coming for Vivian¡¯s hibernation place! Damn it! He has the key!¡±


    Little Bat spread her wings in anger, her voice sounding murderous. ¡°We must stop him!¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Hao Ren stopped Hessiana. ¡°There is one more important thing we first have to do.¡±


    ¡°Is this not important enough?¡± Hessiana¡¯s scarlet eyes stared dead at Hao Ren. ¡°That wizard is going to disturb Vivian. He has the shadow key, and the soulless guards in the shadow castle would not be able to stop him. No matter what he wants, I have to stop him!¡±


    ¡°That will not be necessary. Bain will die in there most likely.¡± Hao Ren glanced at Little Bat. ¡°If the intelligence I¡¯ve received is correct, he will meet Vivian¡¯s violent incarnation.¡±


    Hao Ren did not say it was the Malevolence because Hessiana was still clueless about it. ¡°Incarnation¡± was easier to understand than ¡°Malevolence¡±.


    ¡°The incarnation of her violence?¡± Hessiana frowned. ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Have you not noticed that there is strong negative energy here? The dark noble Haron has left this place for a while century. He was not the one who left behind this energy. Neither Vivian, who under normal circumstances would not have released such evil energy. If I did not guess it wrong, Vivian should have created a powerful avatar of herself during the hibernation. This avatar will wake up earlier than Vivian herself.¡±


    Hao Ren told Hessiana what he had heard from the demon hunters but left out the complicated relationship between the Malevolence and Vivian. Little Bat was not stupid. Moreover, she more or less knew about Vivian¡¯s vicious cycle as well as some phenomena regarding the Malevolence. So it did not take her much effort to understand these things.


    Hessiana looked solemn.


    ¡°Now I recall. There used to be a similar thing that happened back then. A guy who looked like Vivian suddenly emerged when Vivian was in hibernation. That guy caused a mess. At first, I thought that someone was impersonating Vivian, so I spent a long time investigating,¡± Hessiana said. ¡°This information is crucial. We have to revise our plan. First of all, the witches must stay away from the shadowy world; they will only be cannon fodder in front of the avatar. We must find ways to control the soulless guards. With the help of these guards, it is much easier for us to deal with the avatar.¡±


    ¡°Bain has taken the shadow key. How will you pull this off?¡± Lily blinked.


    Hessiana was silent for a moment. She and then took a deep breath. ¡°Here goes nothing. The shadow key is just a convenient medium. Without it, my Shadowmancy can still do the job. After all, my shadow power comes from Vivian and shares the same root as ¡®that world,¡¯ which means momentary intervention should not be a problem.¡±


    It reminded Hao Ren of the moment he woke Vivian up in Siberia. There, he hacked the defense system that Vivian had laid down. Using his magic-immune physique, he brought down the defense before it could even activate. At first, he planned to use the same trick again. But the situation was a little different this time. He had to leverage on the power of the soulless guards.

 Chapter 1455 - The Door to the Shadowy Realm

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Just as Hao Ren had guessed it, the castle on the hill was Vivian¡¯s place of hibernation.


    Specifically speaking, it was the entrance to her hibernation chamber.


    After a rigorous discussion, Hao Ren and Hessiana had revised their plan to remove the seal and enter the shadowy realm. Without wasting time and before the demon hunters caught up with them, they decided to enter the castle before dawn. The shadowy energy at night was intense, and it made seal-removal difficult, but Hessiana still chose to use her Shadowmancy in place of the key. She was not worried because her power only became stronger at night.


    Haron¡¯s Castle used to be the property of a human noble. But at last, it fell into the hands of a vampire. The young vampire went bankrupt eventually thanks to Vivian¡¯s bad luck falling on him. But at the very least, when he first took over the castle, he was rich and did lavish renovation work, which was still apparent until today. The entire castle consisted of four massive towers and two main buildings. In between the two rectangular main buildings was a wide connecting corridor. It looked like the Chinese word for ¡°work¡± from above. There was one tower on each corner, making the entire castle look extremely magnificent.


    Half of the structures had collapsed, while the remaining castle was decadent from years of weathering. A stone-built fortress was not supposed to decay so quickly, but the dark forces lingering in the surroundings had accelerated the process. The hundred-year-old stone castle was now as dilapidated as a five-century-old building.


    ¡°There are many haunted legends about this castle,¡± Hessiana said. She had been in this area for a while for intelligence gathering, so she knew many stories about the castle. She related the legends when they entered. ¡°Many daring guys came in and hoped to find some relics or treasures, but only a few made it out alive. Those who were lucky enough to survive told of their encounters with ghosts and other evil forces. But that was only the result of the shadow energy¡¯s influence.¡±


    While speaking, Little Bat twitched her mouth. ¡°Tsk tsk, those people did not know that the seigneur of the castle died in poverty. Even Haron was unable to find a single copper coin in the castle when he left.¡±


    Hao Ren said nothing. He looked up. They were walking through the front half of the main building. The tall Gothic roof had collapsed, leaving only some roof structures hanging in the air. Strips of tattered fabric and cobwebs stretching from the roof structure to the walls on either side made it look extra desolate and creepy. Moonlight shone through the collapsed roof into the vestibule. The moonlight seemed to have undergone some mysterious changes as it shone into the castle. It appeared ashen and cold. The cold was real as Hao Ren could feel it on his skin.


    Before entering the castle, the moon had set near the horizon. But after entering the castle, it hung overhead in the night sky. All these were apparently an anomaly.


    ¡°Moonlight has never been normal in places at where Lord Vivian is,¡± Hessiana said casually when she noticed that Hao Ren was staring at the moon. ¡°We should be glad that the moonlight is at least not red. Otherwise, we would have to turn around and run.¡±


    ¡°I could not believe that Vivian is hibernating in such a gorgeous place,¡± Lily said while still carrying Hasse on her back. ¡°I thought she could only sleep in a cave.¡±


    ¡°She came in when the castle was abandoned for the first time,¡± Hessiana said. ¡°At the time, the place was already in ruins.¡±


    ¡°Now that makes sense,¡± Lily said.


    ¡°Where is the entrance to the Shadow Fortress?¡± Hao Ren looked around curiously. He could already feel powerful shadowy energy throughout the castle. But he saw no apparent space crack. Vivian was fully prepared for the hibernation this time. It was not going to be a walk in the park like the cave in Siberia.


    ¡°The castle is divided into two parts. The part in the real world facing the light, and the shadowy part is on the other side,¡± Hessiana said with a smile. ¡°Right ahead, there is a pool in the garden. The reflection in the pond is the entrance.¡±


    Lily muttered, ¡°Again, it is supernatural. I am hopeless in it.¡±


    Before Lily¡¯s voice trailed off, she felt Hasse moved on her back, just slightly. Then the old demon hunter regained his consciousness. When he opened his eyes and saw the witches and Hessiana, Hasse instinctive reached for his weapon. Restrained by some strange energy shackles and unable to use his strength, Hasse was enraged. ¡°You¡ª¡±


    *Klunk!*


    ¡°I feel sorry for him.¡± Lily stuck her tongue out.


    Hasse¡¯s sudden rise scared the witches, including Hessiana, out of their wits. But when Lily immediately knocked Hasse out again, they were stunned by the latter, their eyes out on stalks. Madam Marie sighed. ¡°This is probably the most pitiful demon hunter I have ever seen in my life.¡±


    Hao Ren just looked up at the sky and did not know what to say. He wondered how he would explain everything that was happening to Hasse after ¡°pulling him¡± into this whole thing. Will the senior demon hunter feel undignified and kill himself? Hao Ren wondered.


    With Hessiana leading in front, they soon arrived at the garden. They saw the pond that was the passage connecting the two worlds.


    Located at the center of the castle¡¯s western side, the entrance was surrounded by a large piece of withered thorns and tangled vines. The pool had a circle of marble edge. But not a single drop water was in the depression in the center of the pool.


    Without water, there would be no reflections.


    Hao Ren cast a questioning look at Hessiana. He knew that since Little Bat had brought them here, there must be more to the pond than met the eyes. Sure enough, Hessiana was not surprised at all when she saw the pool. She stepped forward, bit her finger, and dripped her blood into the dry pool.


    Hessiana then stepped back and looked up at the gray-white moon. ¡°Without the key, I can only harness the power of moonlight. Lord Vivian, if you can hear me, wish me good luck.¡±


    After that, she took strode forward and circled the pool slowly while chanting some ancient spells.


    The incredible thing happened.


    The dry pool suddenly glinted. An invisible force seemed to have bound the gray-white moonlight into a beam and directed it to the bottom of the pool. The light seemed to be materializing into liquid. As Hessiana slowly circled the pool, the light rapidly accumulated and materialized into liquid, eventually becoming as real as real water.


    As Hessiana ground to a halt, she returned to her starting position, a full circle around the pool. The ¡°moonlight water¡± had filled up the pool to the maximum and leveled with the pool¡¯s edge. It was as still as a mirror.


    Hao Ren now saw a clear reflection in the mirror-like water surface, it was the reflection of the towers and castle. But in reality, those towers and castle had mostly collapsed.


    Apparently, the water did not reflect the real world. At least, it was not the reflection of the world in that space and time.


    ¡°The shadowy passage is open. The other dimension is right on the other side of the pool.¡± Hessiana wiped the sweat on her forehead. ¡°Because I did not open it with normal procedure, I am not sure what the situation on the other side is. If we are lucky, we will not bump into those soulless guards. But if Bain has activated the Shadowy Fortress¡¯ defense with the key, then be ready for a brutal fight. I need some time to gain control of the soulless guards after I enter the shadowy realm.¡±


    ¡°This is all expected,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°What should we do now?¡±


    ¡°Simple. Just follow me.¡±


    Hessiana stood on the edge of the pool while she spoke.


    Then she fell straight into the ¡®water.¡¯


    There was no splash or sound of water. Hessiana seemed to have dissolved. She disappeared into the reflection, silently, without a trace.


    Hao Ren and Lily exchanged a look before he stepped forward and followed Hessiana¡¯s actions precisely¡ªhe fell straight into the water.


    Hao Ren had also successfully passed through the ¡®boundary.¡¯


    ¡°You all go in first!¡± Lily bared her fangs at the witches. ¡°Just to prevent you all from running away!¡±


    The witches had no choice but to follow Lily¡¯s instructions. They fell into the pool one after another.


    It was now Lily¡¯s turn. She came to the edge of the pool, staring at the still moonlight water and wrinkling her nose.


    ¡°I hate water.¡±


    She then shut her eyes and jumped.

 Chapter 1456 - The Shadowy Fortress

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    A chill spread through Hao Ren¡¯s body when he passed through the moonlight water.


    It was not a chill perceived by physical senses, but one that concerned the soul. It was like a cold expanding from the inside out of his consciousness. When the chill struck, Hao Ren realized that he had entered a realm dominated by the shadowy forces.


    The sense of disorientation fleeted quickly. Hao Ren felt like he had done a somersault in the air while the world spun around him in the first second and the earth under his feet in the next. The scene around him quickly stabilized. He found himself still standing in the courtyard, but the castle and sky had changed entirely.


    Color had faded from the world. Everything appeared in shades of black and white. The world had essentially become a black and white photo¡ªmonotonous, cold and gloomy. The castle, which was rundown in the outside world, was perfectly intact in here. It also appeared much larger than Hao Ren remembered. The courtyard had become a large square, in which still fountains and grotesque sculptures were everywhere. Hao Ren did not see them on the outside earlier. The four ordinary towers in the square had turned into skyscrapers, like four pillars supporting the heavens and the earth in the distance. The cloudy sky was above the towers, and large vortexes were spinning where the towers met the sky. Part of the castle wall extended from the east side of the courtyard to the west. The wall was also several times larger than the one on the outside, making it look like the wall of a mega dam. There were hundreds of gothic, slender windows on the wall, with each window glowing faintly. It was as if an endless banquet was going on in the castle.


    High up in the sky, blocks of black and white clouds had seemingly frozen, solidified, and covered the world.


    Hao Ren looked at the massive and complex buildings in amazement. He realized that what he saw was only a small part of the castle. The crumbled Haron¡¯s Castle in the outside world appeared strange in the shadowy realm. Perhaps it was just an asymmetrical projection of the original.


    The witches came out one by one from the pool. Lily was the last; she jumped out screaming like mad with her eyes closed. But quickly, the scene in the shadowy realm quieted the husky maiden. She stared at the surroundings, wide-eyed, and then looked back at the pool where she came out from. Less than ten meters in diameter originally, the pool was now several times larger with many dark and twisted sculptures and patterns around it. Lily blinked and sighed. Whoa! This is how the shadowy realm looks like, eh?¡±


    ¡°The shadowy realm can appear in many different ways, depending on the controller and the distorted projection of the real world,¡± said Hessiana. ¡°Shadow is abstract, so its appearance is always beyond what you could imagine.¡±


    Madam Marie opened her hands and looked at the small black flames that danced in her palms. ¡°The magic concentration of this world is unbelievably high. I have never captured any runaway magic energy in the air so easily. But here is a black magic paradise!¡±


    ¡°Control your desires, witch!¡± Hessiana warned coldly. ¡°The magical energy of this world belongs to Vivian. Even the entire world is her extension. You can indulge in it, I will not stop you since you will soon become a part of the shadows, absorbed by Vivian¡¯s dream.¡±


    Lily blinked, but it looked like something had occurred to her. ¡°So is this Vivian¡¯s dream?¡±


    ¡°You are not wrong to say that,¡± Hessiana replied casually. ¡°Lord Vivian will transform her realm during hibernation. This realm is separated from the real world and forms a highly protective shell, in which Vivian¡¯s subconscious mind dominates and creates everything.¡±


    Lily scratched her head. ¡°She even craves for a big house in her dream.¡±


    Hessiana was stupefied.


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    Lily had just hit the nail on the head. It seemed to suggest that Vivian could only become rich only in her dreamland.


    The husky maiden¡¯s unwitting remark caused a long, awkward pause. Finally, Hao Ren hemmed and said, ¡°We can leave this topic to another day. Hessiana, where are we going next?¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute, I need to see,¡± Hessiana said with her arms open, and a pair of huge bat wings spread behind her. There were many shadowy, phantom-like bats under her batwings. The shadows flew out and then scattered in all directions. ¡°This is my first time here. Lord Vivian usually dislikes me to bother her. My understanding of this place comes from my investigation work.¡±


    ¡°That means you are only a theorist.¡± Lily¡¯s mouth twitched.


    ¡°But theorist like me knows many things.¡± Hessiana glared at Lily. ¡°For sure Vivian does not like to be disturbed, but she once told me about this dark world in her dream. I know where the control center of the soulless guards is!¡±


    As she spoke, Little Bat¡¯s facial expression suddenly changed. She then looked in a particular direction.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Hao Ren asked curiously.


    ¡°I could see a shadow node had been disturbed. The wizard Bain has been here.¡±


    There was a commotion among the witches; the wizard they initially recruited had turned out to be a mole. So any news about Bain would hit their nerve. ¡°Can you track down him down? Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°It is hard.¡± Hessiana frowned and shook her head. ¡°The wizard is better than I thought. He is an expert in Shadowmancy. And he has the key. He erased most of his trails and hid himself using the environment of this world.¡±


    ¡°But he will eventually go and look for the seal.¡± Hao Ren looked up at the sky made up of black and white blocks. Some faint shadows appeared behind the solidified clouds. ¡°What are those?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Soulless guards,¡± Hessiana said after a glance, face serious. ¡°The shadowy realm has already sensed our trespass, and the soulless guards are waking up. Come with me, we have to go to the north tower and first gain control of a part of this world.¡±


    ¡°Umm, guys.¡± Lily looked at around. ¡°I think they are coming.¡±


    As soon as Lily¡¯s voice trailed off, a clattering noise came from all over the square.


    There were hideous black stone sculptures everywhere in the square. Most of them had the body of a human and the limbs of beasts with bone spurs, bat-like wings, and long tails. These weird stone sculptures were crumbling, revealing a smoke-like amorphous body inside. The broken stone chips rolled inside the smoke and formed the bizarre appearance of the monsters.


    ¡°Damn it! The soulless guards are coming out from the gargoyles.¡± Hessiana cursed in a low voice. With the flick of her hand, a blood-red whip immediately popped up in her hand. ¡°Everyone, move to the north tower! Do not engage them, you can¡¯t possibly kill them all!¡±


    While speaking, a gargoyle that had come to life shrilled and lunged over.


    In a flash, the high-temperature flame from the plasma spear cut the shadow-stone monster in half. Hao Ren stood in front of the team with his spear in one hand, and Graviton Grenades in another with the radar-lock activated. ¡°Lily, you only need to carry Hasse.¡±


    Hao Ren threw out the Graviton Grenades, which imploded and created a gravity field five meters in radius. The gravity field, as powerful as a mini black hole, instantly captured several gargoyles. They cried as the dark spot at the center of the implosion sucked them in. The witches stopped dead in their tracks, and Hessiana froze when they saw the strange power. Hessiana looked at Hao Ren in disbelief. ¡°What power are you using? This is not sorcery!¡±


    ¡°I have some connection with those Norse fellows,¡± Hao Ren said, casually cooking up a reply.


    Lily kicked away a gargoyle while still carrying Hasse on her back. She became impatient. ¡°This old man is bogging me down. I don¡¯t want to carry him anymore¡ªI want to fight! Mr. Landlord, can¡¯t you keep him in your dimensional pocket?¡±


    ¡°I cannot really feel him in the dimensional pocket while in this place,¡± Hao Ren said while throwing Lily a very heavy alloy two-handed sword. ¡°Use this to defend yourself.¡±


    Lily swung Hasse on her left shoulder while caught the long sword with the right hand. She then brandished the two-handed sword that looked like movie props. ¡°At least it is a staff!¡±


    She smashed a gargoyle with the sword. The gargoyle instantly shattered into dust.


    Hessiana and the witches also sprung into action. They used all the magic spells and summoned all magical creatures they could get to join the battle.


    But Hao Ren soon noticed that it did not take long before the shattered and vaporized gargoyles reemerged again in the air. Some of them even split and multiplied, adding to the already large number of enemies in the square.


    He finally realized what Hessiana meant. The soulless guards were not killable. The monsters came from Vivian¡¯s dream. As long as Vivian was still not awake, the nightmare monsters would not go away.


    The external excitations seemed to worsen the nightmare based on the increasing number of monsters.


    Everyone had now realized it. With Hessiana leading the way, they began to retreat to the north tower.

 Chapter 1457 - Guards of the Dreamland

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The Soulless sleeping in the shadowy realm had been awakened.


    They were the inhabitants and masonry of the shadowy realm and dreamland. Before the disturbance, they were fused together with the world. They were the stone carvings and murals, the twisted faces on dead trees, weird stones in the corners, and the shadows of overlapping clouds. They were all hidden in various corners of the world. When the intruders came in, they all ¡°woke up¡± and emerged everywhere.


    As Hao Ren and the rest retreated, they shattered many phantoms on the way. They finally found their way into a tall and sturdy castle. As they shut the heavy oak door behind them, the never-ending shrills in the courtyard finally calmed down, becoming soft like a breeze.


    However, that did not mean it was safe. The Soulless Guards were ubiquitous in that world. Hao Ren watched cautiously as they were now in a spacious, Gothic-style promenade. Pillars, semi-inlaid in the walls, divided the boardwalk into hundreds of sections. The narrow, tall windows in between the pillars overlooked the intruders like eyes hanging high above one¡¯s head. Under each window, there was swaying, white candlelight, illuminating the oil painting that hung under the window. The atmosphere was eerie.


    Just like any medieval mansion of nobility, the castle in the reflection had oil paintings and photo frames to accentuate its architecture. It was as if they were there to match the building¡¯s atmosphere, style, and content. The oil paintings were morbid and strange; the portraits in the photo frames were blurry, faceless, and covered in shadows. Hao Ren was very wary of them; they could suddenly come to life under the shadows.


    As if in response to Hao Ren¡¯s vigilance, when everyone took a breather, the oil paintings near the door suddenly went up in flames. As white flames swallowed the pictures, translucent phantoms emerged and broke free from the smoke, each holding a long sword, just like an armed knight of the nobility. A knight even held a flag depicting wild rose and long sword. The Soulless, who awakened in the form of phantoms, shrilled as they charged toward the intruders.


    Greeting the Soulless were the magic whip of Hessiana and the firepower of Hao Ren.


    ¡°There are just too many of them!¡± Lily cried after finishing off these phantom-like Soulless Guards. ¡°Who are these Soulless Guards? When did Vivian have this army?¡±


    ¡°The Soulless is born from the dream of Vivian,¡± Hessiana said as she led everyone running in the seemingly endless promenade. ¡°The Soulless will only appear during her hibernation. The longer she hibernates, the stronger the Soulless will be. These Soulless Guards are born out of the past memories of Vivian, and people and things she has touched may emerge as the Soulless in this shadowy realm. No one has ever dared to disturb Vivian in her hibernation except for the daredevil demon hunters. Any disturbances could wake up the Soulless, which then could leak out from the dream. There used to be a city thus destroyed in history when people dug the caves where Vivian was hibernating to steal the relics. The nightmare had devoured the city and left nothing behind.¡±


    If given a choice, the demon hunters would not want to look for trouble with Vivian. They are just to protect their homes, Hao Ren thought to himself.


    ¡°Whoa, Battie¡­ I mean Vivian is so cool.¡± Lily stuck out her tongue after the Freudian slip. ¡°Do we have to fight all the way in? Did you not say that you can control the Soulless?¡±


    ¡°I am headed to the tower that controls the Soulless!¡± Hessiana was a little impatient now. ¡°What more do you want? The route I choose is already the safest! I am afraid the other routes may be full of monsters. You would have died from exhaustion even before the monsters killed you on the outside.¡±


    As Hessiana spoke, strange shrills and sinister laughter suddenly burst out from the surroundings. Hessiana immediately clenched her whip. She noticed that they had come to the end of the corridor and before a rectangular hall that looked like a crossroad. There were opened black doors on the four sides, from which the ghost laugh came. A gorgeous chandelier hung at the center of the hall, swaying without wind.


    The temperature in the hall was dropping. A layer of frost had formed on the floor.


    ¡°How come the butler is here?¡± Hessiana face was solemn. ¡°Is it not supposed to patrol the cemetery?¡±


    ¡°Who is the butler?¡± Lily asked curiously. ¡°Now Vivian has a butler?¡±


    ¡°The Soulless is an empty shell without soul and thoughts, but they still instinctively form a family structure and hierarchy. The butler is the head of the Soulless Guards who specializes in the defense of the inner court. Under normal circumstances, it always stays in Vivian¡¯s place of hibernation, patrolling the cemetery. But somehow, it has wandered into this place.¡±


    ¡°This time, Vivian has chosen to hibernate in such a troublesome place.¡± Hao Ren sneered while raising his spear slightly.


    As soon as Hao Ren¡¯s voice trailed off, the clattering of bones rose. Except for the door from which they emerged, massive figures appeared in the other three doors.


    They were giant skeletons, each over three meters tall. Each skeleton held a heavy black sword and wore a crown made of fog. Inside the chest cavity, a red glow pulsated as if a heart. In this black and white world, Hao Ren had seen color for the first time.


    Only Vivian¡¯s power could produce color in that world. Undoubtedly, these three skeletons were Vivian¡¯s trusted guards.


    ¡°Could there be three butlers?¡± Lily jumped out of her skin when she saw the three bone creatures. She drooled at the bones too, perhaps. ¡°From where these three things come?¡±


    ¡°They are actually one!¡± Hessiana cried as she lunged at one of the skeletons. ¡°We need to kill three of them at the same time. Otherwise, they just won¡¯t die!¡±


    As the battle in the Shadowy Fortress broke out, in the real world on the outside, a group of demon hunters in black finally found the deserted manor on the hill.


    The demon hunter Lockheed dismounted from his horse, crouching in front of a building, his eyes glinted in white. A group of faint figures appeared in his field of vision. It was as if he was reconstructing the scene of Hao Ren and his team¡¯s movements.


    ¡°The scent has been up in the air for a long time,¡± the demon hunter master said in a low voice. ¡°They have the elder.¡±


    ¡°This is the ancient vampire¡¯s place of hibernation.¡± A demon hunter looked at the castle ruins on the hill. ¡°Has that bugger kidnapped the elder as a sacrifice for the vampire?¡±


    ¡°The vampire does not want such sacrifice,¡± Lockheed said. Apparently, he knew this vampire. ¡°The entrance should be in the old castle. Let us split and search. Everyone, please be reminded that we are facing an ancient who has survived the Mythological era. She is extraordinary. Our mission is to hold her back until she wakes up. Don¡¯t try to be a hero. Even the elders would not dare. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s move!¡±


    At the ¡®junction hall¡¯ in the Shadowy Fortress, the battle ended with the crumbling of three clattering bone creatures.


    The butlers, so-called many times stronger than the ordinary Soulless Guards, were nothing but average. The Soulless in the shadowy realm overwhelmed their enemy by their sheer number and endless rounds of resurrection. But when the butlers broke away from the group and wandered alone, they lost their most significant advantage of the Soulless. After a round of fierce combat, Hao Ren and his team finally crushed the skeletons to the ground, devastating the hall with magic spells and firepower in the process.


    The cracks on the walls and on the ground began to squirm and self-heal. The shattered bones of the butler gradually turned into smoke and drifted toward the three doors. It would soon resurrect in a room somewhere in the Shadowy Fortress. The Soulless would forever linger in this illusory building until Vivian woke up. The three skeletons left behind only a complete skull, which rolled up to Hessiana¡¯s feet. She lightly kicked the skull, her brows knitted together with a thoughtful look.


    ¡°What have you found?¡± Hao Ren glanced at Little Bat.


    ¡°The butler would not leave the cemetery unless under the order, or there was something more powerful that drove it out.¡± Hessiana tapped her chin with her finger¡ªshe had the exact same habit as Vivian. ¡°During the battle, I found its actions uncharacteristic. It indicated that it was self-contradictory. I am afraid that something has gone wrong in the cemetery.¡±


    ¡°It is the Malevolence,¡± said Hao Ren. ¡°She is active now.¡±


    ¡°Then we must split up,¡± Hessiana suddenly said.

 Chapter 1458 - Splitting Up

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°We have to split from here.¡± Hessiana looked at the witches, Hao Ren, and Lily. ¡°This is the junction. From here, you can go to the north tower, the cemetery, and the Shadowy Cellar. I will go to the north tower to find a way to gain control of the Soulless Guards. The witches will proceed to the Shadowy Cellar, which is a node that maintains the boundary of the shadowy realm. The Shadowy Cellar is also a surveillance center where you can monitor the entire castle. I want you to keep an eye on the courtyard. Once you find the demon hunters, report it immediately.¡±


    Hessiana¡¯s eyes fell on Hao Ren and Lily. She hesitated for a while. ¡°Both of you go to the cemetery. You will be very busy if the avatar that you have mentioned is already active.¡±


    Hao Ren knew that Hessiana had no choice but to make such an arrangement. She would not let anyone other than herself go to the cemetery without supervision. But the Soulless had awakened, and the Butler¡¯s appearance meant that those guards had lost control. Coupled with the fact that the demon hunters could enter the world at any time, Hessiana had to divide the team and do everything simultaneously to save time. She was the only person who could wrest control of the Soulless. Compared with the witches, whom Hessiana hardly knew, she was more comfortable with Vivian¡¯s acquaintances: Hao Ren and Lily.


    The witches had no objection to the arrangement. They were conscious of their abilities. The Soulless Guards in the courtyard had given them a hard time, and they risked life and limb battling the Butler. Madam Marie knew it; their combat strength could make little difference to the current situation.


    The witches only had to monitor the shadowy realm¡¯s border in a safe place. It seemed that the Shadowy Cellar was the safe zone that Hessiana mentioned earlier.


    ¡°How do we stay in touch?¡± a witch asked.


    With the wave of her hand, Hessiana summoned a few blood-red crystals. ¡°Inject these pieces of blood with magic, then we all can talk to each other. Everyone with a piece in hand will be able to hear the other. But be careful, it is prone to interference.¡±


    Hao Ren looked on. Shortly after, he reached into his Dimensional Pocket and took out some communication devices. ¡°Use these.¡±


    Hessiana took the silvery-white metal box in her hand and fiddled with it. ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°It works similarly to your gems, but much better. Not only can it transmit sounds and images, but itis also free from interference; no magic required. Press the button here, and you will be able to talk to one another through a direct mental connection. Anyone with an IQ level higher than that of a monkey will be able to use it.¡±


    Hessiana stared in amazement at the hologram hovering on the device. The way she looked at Hao Ren was even more astounding. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me this thing is also sorcery. Did you dig it out from Odin or Zeus¡¯s grave?¡±


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡±


    ¡°Such a beautiful thing could only come from the Mythological Era. This shiny look is either entirely of Olympus or Asgard. But then again, their products have never been so refined.¡±


    Hao Ren had indeed shoveled the graves of those two gods before. He had even built factories on the housing foundations of the Norse gods. But he could not say it out loud there, of course. Anyway, he was now glad that Little Bat was also thinking likewise; his earlier effort to lead her into believing him had not gone to waste. ¡°You see, Vivian and I are friends. And Vivian and Odin and Zeus were buddies too. Since those in the Mythological Era were all like sworn brothers and sisters, it is only natural that I¡¯ve inherited stuff from the two deities.¡±


    ¡°Sworn brothers who dig the graves of their ancestors?¡± Little Bat rolled her eyes. ¡°No wonder I had a feeling that you were unlike any human wizard¡ªhuman wizard does not enjoy such high social status. So you must be the silver wizard from Mesopotamia. You have been tight-lipped about it, eh?¡±


    ¡°Well, I will not say you are wrong.¡± Hao Ren looked up at the sky.


    ¡°All right. People, carry this communication device with you.¡± Hessiana then waved, as though to say that she did not intend to harp on Hao Ren¡¯s identity issue. ¡°To go to the Shadowy Cellar, head to that door. When you reach the end, you will see an oak door with a black vortex pattern. Enter that door, follow the stairs and go down. To go to the cemetery, use that door over there. Turn right at every junction until you see a wall formed by thorns and roses. The Wall of Roses is an illusion, disregard it and walk straight through it. I think you two should not even be able to do that. I will go to the North Tower, which is close to here. If it goes well, I will have gain control before you arrive at your destinations.¡±


    ¡°Will we meet the Soulless again?¡± Witch Helen asked with concern.


    ¡°We have just defeated the Butler. The ¡®death¡¯ of the Butler will temporarily suppress the activities of the Soulless Guards in the inner court. The Butler takes longer than the Soulless to resurrect. So you have at least half an hour. If you cannot even make it to the Shadowy Cellar in half an hour, just kill yourselves. Garbage does not deserve to live in this place.¡±


    Hessiana¡¯s unsparing words sent a chill up the witches¡¯ spines. Madam Marie said no more and brought her people into one of the three doors.


    ¡°We are going this way.¡± Hao Ren brought Lily and set off, not forgetting to leave some words of concern for Little Bat. ¡°You, be safe. I can see that it is not easy to take control of the Soulless Guards.¡±


    ¡°It indeed takes some effort. But I am confident.¡± Hessiana said and smiled. She then frowned when saw Hasse that Lily still carried on her shoulder. ¡°You really want to carry this guy along? I have no idea what you are thinking, but once you get to the cemetery, you are likely to face even greater danger. In my opinion, this demon hunter is completely a burden.¡±


    Just then Hasse suddenly moved. But this time, before the old demon hunter could open his mouth, Lily had yanked out his alloy sword and hit Hasse on the head.


    Klunk!


    Hao Ren could not help but say, ¡°Lily, take it easy. We need him later.¡±


    He then nodded to Hessiana. ¡°Do not worry, this demon hunter will come in handy later. We should go now. Let¡¯s keep in touch.¡±


    Without waiting for Little Bat to respond, Hao Ren brought Lily and strode toward the passage that led to the cemetery.


    Nearly half of the castle was quiet after the Butler, the head of the inner-court guards, fell.


    The Soulless no longer emerged from the murals and sculptures. Malicious limbs and weapons no longer popped out from the shadows. This castle, which Vivian had created in her dream, looked like frozen footage of a black-and-white film. There was not any color in the quiet corridor. If not for the sounds of their hurried footsteps, the silence could have driven them crazy.


    The two of them hustled in the corridor and passed by some rooms occasionally. The doors of the rooms were all wide open, and the scenes in the rooms were weird. Hao Ren saw, from the corners of his eyes, mirrors of different sizes in some places, and men and women in suits and gowns were in some rooms, as though they were attending a banquet. But their faces appeared blank. Other places were filled with gold and silver, or gourmet. In the most bizarre room, Hao Ren even saw an ocean¡ªa grayish-white one, undulating silently as the Vikings¡¯ ships rode on the winds and waves. The scene of the rolling sea almost made Lily space out and go into the room.


    ¡°Don¡¯t walk into any room.¡± Hessiana¡¯s voice was heard through the communication device. ¡°Most of the rooms lead to the deeper layers of nightmares or shadowy realms. Once you enter, you will not come out alive. For the past 200 years, many clueless chaps have walked into the rooms. Some of them were werewolves and Bloodthralls that Haron sent here as sacrifices. They have become part of the rooms, and they will suffer eternal torture and remorse until Lady Vivian wakes up.¡±


    ¡°Where are you now?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°I have arrived at the North Tower and am unlocking the first shadow lock,¡± Hessiana replied. ¡°I have to concentrate. If you have other things to say, I will hang up now.¡±


    ¡°We see the door to the Shadowy Cellar now,¡± Witch Helen said through the communication device. ¡°Just now, Jenna lost her mind after looking at the mirror in a room. She almost walked in there. That was a close call.¡±


    Hao Ren and Lily finally ran out of the corridor to an open foyer.


    In front of the foyer was a wall formed by twisted thorns and black roses entwined together. Under the wall were piles of skulls and bones.


    ¡°We have arrived too.¡±


    Hao Ren spoke into the communication device.

 Chapter 1459 - The Cemetery

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The door to the cemetery was right in front of their eyes. It was just as Hessiana had said; it was a barrier formed by twisted thorns and roses. The strange barrier was in front of the foyer on the north side of the castle. It extended out infinitely on both sides and above as if dividing the world in half. Supposedly, a barrier of that size was hard to miss. Hao Ren and Lily should have seen it when they were in the courtyard. But in reality, the wall did not appear until they crossed the foyer.


    Apparently, it was a strange spatial phenomenon, or perhaps, a purely spiritual illusion.


    However, with real bones piling up under the Wall of Roses, even a fool would not think that the barrier was just a harmless illusion.


    ¡°We have seen the barrier.¡± Hao Ren knew that Hessiana was busy dealing with the control system of the Soulless Guards, but he had to talk to her just to be sure. ¡°Are you sure as long as we have a strong will, we will be able to go through it? There are at least 300 skeletons under the wall. Some of them seem to be of giants and super creatures. It looks like the thorns killed them instantly.¡±


    With so many skeletons here, there had to be some among them who had strong wills. Yet, they all died, Hao Ren thought to himself. He was damn sure that his will was strong especially after the mental enhancement procedure. But he was not so sure about the husky.


    It took Hessiana three seconds to reply. ¡°There is one final test. Other than a strong will, those who pass through the wall must not have ill intent. Those who have the slightest ill intention towards Lady Vivian will not be able to get to the graveyard. Are you two all right?¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s mouth twitched. Realizing that the Little Bat was waiting for him to finish the journey, he patted his chest with confidence. ¡°You deal with the Soulless Guards. We are now going into the cemetery. Be quick. We need the support of the Soulless Guards as we may not be able to hold back Vivian¡¯s avatar.¡±


    ¡°Do not worry.¡± Hessiana sounded impatient. ¡°I¡¯m almost done.¡±


    The conversation ended. Hao Ren and Lily exchanged looks and nodded at each other.


    Then the two strode towards the Wall of Roses, which looked fascinating but was full of strangeness and dangers.


    They were just inches away from the wall. Hao Ren was nervous instinctively. And then he felt that he had just passed through a cool water curtain, and a breeze blew on his face. He opened his eyes and found that he and Lily were standing in a place that was not supposed to exist in the castle: a steppe.


    Colors had come back to the world.


    It was a night with the moon hanging high in the sky. Bright moonlight sprinkled on the earth, where knee-length green grass spread out in all directions. The steppe looked endless under the night sky. Dimensional wise, the steppe had exceeded what the castle in the Shadowy Realm could accommodate.


    It was not the cemetery that Hao Ren had imagined.


    Hao Ren looked back; the castle had disappeared. The Wall of Roses was the only thing that stood behind them. Thorns and the blood-red roses grew into an arch with fireflies fluttering around.


    His gaze moved away from the wall and searched for Vivian, or maybe the Malevolence on the steppe.


    But he saw nothing.


    The grassland was empty. There were no hiding places under the moonlight. If Vivian or the Malevolence had awakened, they were unlikely to hide. So everything was just as Hao Ren had predicted.


    Vivian had not woken up. The Malevolence might be active now, but it had not materialized into the physical body. That was precisely why only negative energy was detected around Haron¡¯s Castle, and no observable calamities were happening yet.


    ¡°Is this the deepest part of the dream that Battie has made for herself?¡± Lily asked, twitching her mouth upward. ¡°Heck, she has never gone to school, yet her dream looks pretty poetic, eh? I thought she was only thinking of a big house and stuff like that. Mr. Landlord, why are you staring at me?¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s faint smile made the husky uncomfortable.


    ¡°Why did you still say there was no love lost between you and Vivian?¡± Hao Ren looked at the husky maiden who was still clueless about what he meant. He could no longer hold back his laughter.


    ¡°When did I become Battie¡¯s friend?¡± Lily jumped to her feet as if someone had stepped on her tail. ¡°Mr. Landlord, be careful of what you say. Let me tell you, as a former empress, I am a person of principle.¡±


    ¡°Anyone who is hostility to Vivian cannot possibly pass through the barrier of the graveyard,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°What do you have to say about that?¡±


    Lily was rendered speechless.


    The husky maiden did not know how to respond. But when she saw Hasse whom she was carrying on her shoulder, she argued matter-of-factly. ¡°If so, why was Hasse fine them? He may not have come to kill Battie, but this is the Hasse of 600 years ago. How sure are you that he is not hostile towards Battie? So it¡¯s the barrier¡¯s problem¡ª¡±


    Without waiting for the maiden to finish, Hao Ren said, ¡°Heck! He is now in a deep coma and no different from a turnip, let alone hostile.¡±


    While he spoke, Hao Ren noticed the old demon hunter twitch and whimper on Lily¡¯s shoulder. They were signs of waking up.


    Lily reflexively dropped Hasse to the ground and raised her broad sword aiming at his neck. Just then Hasse opened his eyes. He saw Lily holding a big sword and recalled that this neurotic girl had knocked him out a few times this way, he was severely hurt mentally. The psychological shock had even overwhelmed his killing instinct. The deadpan senior demon hunter quickly cried, ¡°Wait a minute! Are you dear to reason?¡±


    ¡°Bah!¡±


    ¡°Lily, wait!¡± Hao Ren stopped Lily at the last moment before she smashed the sword down on Hasse. ¡°That would not be necessary anymore!¡±


    ¡°Huh? We don¡¯t need to knock him out this time?¡±


    ¡°It is time for Hasse to do some stretches,¡± Hao Ren said while his eyes scanned the steppe for any suspicious movements. ¡°You see, Vivian has apparently not woken up yet, and the Malevolence has yet completely awake. This time, the situation is different from the brute force hack in the Siberian cave. Vivian has laid down a comprehensive security system in her hibernation place, we need the guidance of an expert. Hasse, let us cooperate.¡±


    Hasse glared at Hao Ren, then stared dead at Lily. His eyes filled with wariness and hostility¡ªthe killing instinct in him had activated. In this space and time of six hundred years ago, Hasse had not gotten rid of that hostility that was ingrained in the blood and soul of the demon hunters, so he was able to instantly tell the girl was an otherworldling. But that killing instinct he felt towards Lily was not as strong as he had towards other werewolves. He only vaguely knew that Lily was a supernatural creature with a complex bloodline, similar to a werewolf, but not enough to even trigger a quarter of his impulse to fight. The old demon hunter was confused.


    Hao Ren laughed when he saw Hasse¡¯s reaction. Before resolving the innate hostility problem, he had conducted an experiment on Lily and demon hunters, especially Hasse. The test showed that the demon hunters were hostile to the husky, but the hostility was much weaker than to ordinary otherworldlings. Lily was not a pure otherworldling, and there had to be two different races from the Plane of Dreams for innate hostility to arise. Lily was originally a demon hunter before she later became a mixed-blood canine monster in soul and in blood. She was apart from the demon hunters, but not entirely different, which led to her having a scent that was confusing to the demon hunters.


    In short, when demon hunters saw Lily, they identified her as a werewolf, but they lacked the motivation to fight her.


    A regular, uncontrolled demon hunter would not hesitate in killing the otherworldlings. The Mythological War, which lasted thousands of years, had turned the demon hunters into sworn enemies of the otherworldlings. But now, Hasse did not meet that condition. After staring at Lily for a long while, he turned to look at Hao Ren. ¡°There is no reason for me to cooperate with you, especially with all the dirty tricks you have used on me.¡±


    Lily bared her fangs. ¡°The Hasse of this era is such a harda**. The one we know is so much more welcoming.¡±


    ¡°Did we not fight with him when we first knew him?¡± Hao Ren said. He crouched down and looked at Hasse, who was restrained by the energy restraining device. ¡°We both have a common goal: to save the world from Vivian Ancestor, who is about to go on a rampage. I have a much higher chance of success. Tying you up is a forced choice. After all, there is no other way to let demon hunters work with the outsiders.¡±


    Hasse found what Hao Ren said ridiculous. ¡°Hah, do you think I will work with you this way?¡±


    ¡°Your willingness is not important. What is crucial is that you are not stupid,¡± Hao Ren said with a smile. ¡°You must be curious to where I have brought you. Come and see this place for yourself. This is the deepest part of where Vivian is hibernating. I have not met her, of course. But I am sure she is somewhere here and about to wake up. You only have two choices: we work together to calm her down, or we leave you here with these shackles on and see what the mad Countess will do to you.¡±

 Chapter 1460 - Under the Crimson Moon

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hasse¡¯s expression turned solemn.


    He began to observe his surrounding environment. The grassland in the dreamland was vast and very similar to that of the real world, yet utterly different from the black and white, two-tone Shadow Fortress. When Hasse woke up, he did not notice the differences between the dreamland and the real world. It was only after Hao Ren prompted him that he started to feel incongruity from the wind and the steppe.


    The wind blew continuously at the same intensity in the same direction, while the grass swayed gently in one direction. High up in the sky, the moon remained in the same position the whole time and did not seem to move one bit. It was like a lamp in the background. Furthermore, it looked much brighter and more prominent than the usual moon.


    The moonlight even coated the grassland with a faint silver light.


    The old demon hunter was certainly not stupid. Just like any other demon hunters, the strong impulses that arose from his killing instinct had masked his judgment. Of the two people before him, only Lily could trigger Hasse¡¯s killing instinct. But he quickly suppressed the impulse with a little willpower. Hasse was able to quickly calm down and control himself. He now knew that he was in a strange realm, isolated from the real world. He appeared calmer and more solemn than before. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°I told you, we have a common goal. I want to stop Vivian before things get out of control,¡± Hao Ren said with a shrug. ¡°But I did not expect the demon hunters to come for the same purpose. You and I know very well that there is no love lost between the demon hunters and other races. So even though we have a common goal, a fight is inevitable. It will ruin things and do no one good when things get out of hand. You are a smart person, you know that we have no choice but to bring you here by force.¡±


    Hasse knitted his brows together. He could not refute Hao Ren¡¯s statement. The war between the demon hunters and other races was an irrational killing spree and carnival. In that era where no one could stay immune from the innate hostility, even if a few people realized the foolishness of such a war, they could do nothing about it. They would still lose control of themselves when they faced the other races and joined the battle.


    At that moment, Hasse was calm and could not help but admit that what Hao Ren said made sense.


    But he was unhappy with how he was treated.


    ¡°You are naive.¡± Hasse looked into Hao Ren¡¯s eyes. ¡°Even if you were sincere, I must tell you that you are too naive. You want the demon hunters and the otherworldling to reconcile?¡±


    ¡°I did not say that.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°I just said that right here, right now, we can cooperate in the face of Vivian¡¯s threat. But outside this cooperation, we could fight however we like. Think about it.¡±


    Hasse was silent. He looked at Hao Ren, he slowly looked past Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder and into the sky.


    The bright round moon still hung high in the sky. Somehow, it had turned bloodshot without them noticing earlier.


    ¡°It seems we do not have much time to consider,¡± Hasse said with a smile. ¡°She has noticed us.¡±


    Hao Ren turned his eyes into the direction where Hasse was looking. The moon was turning crimson.


    ¡°Would you be comfortable to take off these shackles?¡± Hasse raised his hands, the two metal manacles glowing in faint blue light were restraining him from using his power, rendering him even weaker than an ordinary human. ¡°Once you take it off, don¡¯t expect to put them back on again.¡±


    ¡°I do not need to remove them, just reduce their power.¡±


    Hao Ren snapped her fingers with a smile. The shackles on Hasse¡¯ hands and feet hummed softly. Hasse immediately felt strength return to his body. But the metal rings had no loosened a bit. Apparently, these things could restrain his power again at any time if Hao Ren so wished.


    ¡°Do not think of taking the shackles off by force.¡± Hao Ren could read what was in Hasse¡¯s mind right now. ¡°These things are stronger than anything you could ever imagine. Let me put things into perspective for you; they are just as indestructible as the bricks and tiles of the ancient temples in Coldpath.¡±


    Hasse gave up the idea of hacking the shackles. Standing beside him was a werewolf, who was the most agile close-quarters combat race in the world. He knew very well that he would not gain any advantage over her. Within two seconds, the metal rings on his limbs would power up again, and his resistance was futile.


    ¡°Who are you? How do you know so much about Coldpath?¡± Hasse was wide-eyed.


    ¡°I do not only know where Coldpath is, but I also know that there is the Stellar Spire as the passage connecting Coldpath to the outside world, that Coldfrost Citadel has twelve barracks and seventy-seven towers, and that there are three spires on the main entrance to the Hoarfrost Sanctum. You have an elder named Gregowen, who is of higher seniority and close to you. Elder Gregowen was very naughty when he was little. Once, in the barn, he¡­ Ahem, I think I should not talk about it here.¡±


    Hasse was struck dumb. ¡°You have been to Coldpath?¡±


    ¡°Are you curious? After we settle this crisis, I will tell you about it.¡± Hao Ren had created suspense to hook Hasse¡¯s interest. He looked up in the sky. The moonlight appeared reddish now. ¡°Now, it is your turn to talk. Do not tell me that you do not know anything when you have come here with your entire elite team. Now that Vivian has not woken up. We still do not know where she is. How is your original plan?¡±


    Hasse looked at Hao Ren and sighed helplessly. ¡°Well, we initially planned to wait for the Countess to wake up and come out in the real world. But we also have a backup plan to enter the Shadowy Realm before the Countess wakes up.¡±


    ¡°The Countess will wake up in the two worlds separately. First, she rises in her own dreams. Her incarnation in the dreamlands is the shadow in the moonlight. Then she will wake up in the real world, and everything in the dreamlands will collapse into reality. If we were forced to face her earlier than we have planned, then we must not let this process be completed. Otherwise, she will become invincible in the Shadowy Realm,¡± Hasse said as he fished out his sacred silver dagger. Lily watched on cautiously as Hasse punctured the skin on his finger. Blood shimmering in faint silver light oozed out from the wound and floated in the air. ¡°It is the knowledge many demon hunters have exchanged with their lives. During an operation more than a thousand years ago, dozens of warriors were buried as the dreams collapsed into reality. Just before they died, they had sent back this information. By holding a blood sacrifice ceremony, we can wake the Countess up.¡±


    More and more blood floated in the air and formed a complex and mysterious pattern under the influence of magic. The patterns glowed brighter and brighter in red as they spun around the three of them. It was as if some kind of resonance had been established.


    The transformation of the moon in the sky sped up.


    A vast expanse of red began to appear on the moon disc. At first, there was a growing web of lines, then red spots rapidly appeared. The patches of red spread like ink on a paper, quickly covering the entire moon in just a few breaths. The bright white moon had now turned into a blood-red moon.


    But this red moon was not the crimson moon that Hao Ren knew. It only carried an evil air but not enough to drive any creatures insane.


    Just then Hessiana¡¯s voice rang in the communication device. ¡°I have gained control of the Soulless Guards.¡±


    Hasse turned around. ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°Just a little gadget to talk to each other,¡± Hao Ren said casually. ¡°What have you just done?¡± he asked Hasse.


    ¡°I have just woken the Countess up,¡± Hasse said, ¡°before she is at the peak of her strength.¡±


    It seemed that the demon hunters had learned something after enduring many years of Vivian¡¯s torture.


    A little shadow appeared in the moonlight.


    At first, Hao Ren thought that the moonlight was playing a trick with his eyes as the shadow was extremely vague and elusive. But soon, the shadow grew so large that it was hard to ignore. Something red as blood began to seep out along the edge of the moon disk as the shadow appeared. It looked like the bloody teardrops of the red moon; they formed a circle of dithering red aura around the moon.


    A moment later, blood-red light overflowed from the circle of bloody teardrops and poured down on the land below.


    It was a beautiful scene that no words could describe. Blood that materialized from the crimson moon dropped straight down to the earth. It seemed that the line between reality and illusion had vanished; Hao Ren could no longer tell whether it was the moonlight or fresh blood that was pouring down. He only knew that the shadow at the center of the moon had descended along the dropping light column.


    Just as he had expected, it was a Malevolence.


    ¡°Sigh, I had planned to lead 75 veteran demon hunters to battle the Countess,¡± Hasse said as he tucked away his dagger and took out his crossbow and runic cards. ¡°But now there are only three of us. Can you two fight 75 fearsome demon hunters?¡±


    ¡°More than that,¡± Hao Ren replied with a smile. He took out two long swords that were as dark as cosmic fragments from his Dimensional Pocket. Various turrets and missile launchers emerged from the void behind him. ¡°On top of that, we¡¯ve brought reinforcements.¡±

 Chapter 1461 - Battle in the Moonlight

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hasse had no idea what reinforcements Hao Ren meant at first.


    Since Hasse entered the shadowy realm, he had been unconscious. He never met the Soulless Guards. He knew of their existence but never thought of associating reinforcements with the horrible, immortal army. He did not even realize that Hessiana was wresting control of the Soulless.


    Hasse heard what Hessiana said in the communication device, but did not pay attention to it.


    However, he would soon find out what those reinforcements were all about.


    The moon had turned entirely blood-red. The moonlight was no longer cold and bright but crimson. The figure descending from the sky had materialized, looking identical to Vivian, just with red hair instead. Her eyes were also red without any pupils. She was devoid of reason and emotion. Hasse was prepared for battle, but before he lunged out, something intervened. It was a trail of black flames, coming from afar and accompanied by an unearthly howl. From where the fire came, a Bleakbone Dragon formed from shadows and bones tore the clouds apart and swooped down to the earth.


    Behind the Bleakbone Dragon, more bizarre shadow creatures followed. They were so many of them that they poured like rain from the sky.


    They were the Soulless Guards, the ones who guarded the inner court and were the most powerful among the Soulless.


    The Soulless entered the battle, controlled by Hessiana. The Bleakbone Dragon and Gargoyles first launched an air strike, bombarding the Malevolence with energy storms. At the same time, the earth on the steppe began to tremble. Hasse looked up. Grotesque beasts appeared in the air like a mirage. Some of them looked like gods or the ancient Egyptian deities with human bodies and animal heads. But some were like the ancient beasts that devoured the heavens and the earth as found in ancient horror legends. Some were even lumps of meat with hands and legs. They had no unified style. The only thing they had in common was that they were all composed of amorphous shadows and clouds. Even Hao Ren was taken aback.


    Hao Ren was fortunate that Hessiana had come in with them. Otherwise, he and Lily would have died from exhaustion fighting that number of Soulless Guards.


    The long-range attacks of the Soulless first fell on the Malevolence. The energy produced was so powerful that it gave the impression that the Soulless were going to win, and the Bleakbone Dragon¡¯s Dark Breath would devour the Malevolence. But the next moment, the Dark Breath dissipated, as though ice and snow had met the sun. The Malevolence floated in the air and opened her arms. She looked up and screamed in silence.


    The Malevolence¡¯s mouth was wide open as ripples visible to the naked eye swept out in all directions. Dark Breath, Corrosive Bolts from gargoyles, and physical as well as non-physical bombardments of the twisted nightmare creatures exploded in the air. Some gargoyles, unable to stop in time, turned into puffs of smoke after they were hit by the ripples.


    Nevertheless, there was an endless number of Soulless Guards. Before the real Vivian woke up, the Soulless Guards would keep resurrecting indefinitely and guard their master until the end of the world or until she woke up.


    More Soulless had emerged in the air. They charged at the Malevolence.


    ¡°These¡­¡± Hasse¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground. What happened before his eyes were beyond him. ¡°These Soulless are attacking their own master?¡±


    ¡°It is not their master,¡± Hao Ren said quickly. ¡°You all have been mistaken. This violent individual is not Vivian. She is sort of an avatar born from Vivian¡¯s negative energy, out of her dreams. Sometimes it even breaks away from Vivian¡¯s self-defense and goes against Vivian herself. That is what you are witnessing now. The Soulless Guards have no souls, but they know who their true master is. These guards of lower order were initially no match for Vivian¡¯s Malevolence. Even their leaders were expelled from the cemetery. But we have gained control of the Soulless. With the external command, the Soulless can return to the graveyard and fight the impersonator.¡±


    ¡°The Malevolence?¡± Hasse was wide-eyed. ¡°You have gained control of the Soulless Guards? I cannot believe that someone could get hold of Vivian Ancestor¡¯s power!¡±


    ¡°Of course we can, as long as we find Vivian¡¯s blood descendant,¡± Hao Ren said with a smile. ¡°It is all in the family. A daughter doing spring cleaning using her mother¡¯s private workers is natural enough.¡±


    ¡°The Countess has an offspring?¡± Hasse was struck dumb this time. ¡°How could she afford¡­ No, I mean since when was she interested in having an offspring?¡±


    ¡°Battie is an irresponsible mother. She has never raised her kid.¡± Lily chimed in.


    Hasse was baffled.


    Hao Ren quickly hemmed and said, ¡°Don¡¯t just stand here, the Soulless Guards can only slow down the Malevolence, we need to deal with it ourselves. Hasse, show us what you have got and kick its butt!¡±


    Hasse needed no reminder; he had noticed the powerlessness and limitations of the Soulless against the Malevolence. Hasse was ready. As Hao Ren and Lily lunged out at the enemy with their weapons respectively, Hasse focused his eyes and disappeared into thin air in the blink of an eye.


    The next moment, Hasse reappeared at less than a hundred meters from the Malevolence. He raised his hand and threw out a powerful silver-white flame.


    As Hao Ren said, the Soulless was powerful reinforcement, but they could not kill but slow down the Malevolence. In the Shadow Realm, the Malevolence was also a part of Vivian, the Soulless could never defeat the Malevolence.


    That left outsiders like Hao Ren, Lily, and Hasse to stop the Malevolence.


    Every Malevolence had a different form of power and fighting style. Hao Ren quickly analyzed the enemy as he attacked. The Malevolence always stayed a range around the light fall under the moon. It rarely ventured away. It might indicate that the Malevolence got her power from the crimson moon above. Secondly, her method of attack was mostly silent shrill, which could vibrate the air and damage energies. It not only rendered a long-range strike against her ineffective but also possessed a horribly destructive effect on physical objects. Even Lily and Hao Ren with their strong physique and Steel Membrane Shield respectively could not stay for long in the shrill. They had to keep a distance and use guerilla warfare. Thirdly, the Malevolence did not use a precise targeting attack, whether it was her silent shrill or directional shockwaves. It made her attacks less lethal compared with the other Malevolences. But it could spell trouble for a large group of enemies.


    The more Hao Ren learned about this Malevolence, the more frustrated he got.


    Two of the Malevolence¡¯s three characteristics were nasty. They were causes for concern if Hao Ren wanted to launch an attack¡ªshort-range or long-range alike. That aside, the fact that the Malevolence staying near the light fall was also a problem. Moonlight had a mysterious connection with the Malevolence, allowing the Malevolence to disintegrate and reconstruct freely, almost like resurrection. Hao Ren had decapitated the Malevolence more than once using the Godslayer sword. He even destroyed half of her body with his psionic gun, but the moonlight had mitigated all these damages. The Malevolence was smashed at one time and then reappeared in the moonlight in the next second.


    It made Hao Ren wonder what the Malevolence took to perform this resurrection and how long she could keep doing that.


    Hasse flew up in the air while rapidly firing his bolts. He then teleported himself up to the Malevolence as she tried to block the bolts. Hasse drew his silver stiletto in an arc and cut the violent ¡®Vivian¡¯ into two.


    The Malevolence shattered like glass and vanished in the moonlight. But the next second, her body reemerged and materialized under the crimson moon.


    The negative energy concentration in the steppe rose once again.


    ¡°This will never end,¡± Hao Ren said, pulling away from the Malevolence. ¡°What tactic did you use last time? Slowing her down?¡± he asked loudly.


    ¡°There is no other way,¡± Hasse replied loudly. ¡°She has no weaknesses. She is unkillable!¡±


    No, she is killable, Hao Ren said to himself. He had killed them before, more than one. He knew that the reason for not being able to destroy this Malevolence was because they had not enough firepower. Given enough time, Hao Ren would be able to finish this terrible creature off. He was not worried about whether he could kill the Malevolence, but whether he had enough time.


    He looked at the border of the grasslands, where the horizon had begun to distort and blur. The edge of the earth seemed to be falling apart and shattering into pieces. The fragments fell in a swirling motion into a looming dark border, which was swallowing up the dimension.


    The Shadowy Realm was about to collapse, but there were no signs that Vivian would rise. What was more worrying was that Hao Ren did not even sense her breath.


    If Vivian still did not wake up when the Shadowy Realm collapsed, what would be the consequences if the Malevolence went to the real world?


    Hao Ren could not imagine it for now. But even dumbo like Lily knew that it would not be looking good.


    If that happened, perhaps it would significantly impact the already not-so-stable sandbox, and Raven 12345 would swear to high heaven.


    The dimension in which the graveyard was located suddenly trembled violently. The tremor apparently had nothing to do with the fierce battle taking place.

 Chapter 1462 - A Loud Boom

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    A few seconds after the first tremor, a second tremor followed. This time, it was stronger than the previous one, and Hao Ren managed to capture the changes in the dimension.


    Darkness was swallowing the boundary of the steppe. The tremor had seemingly damaged the structure of the dimension as a series of vague images¡ªtowers and part of the Shadow Fortress¡¯ courtyard¡ªbegan to appear in the shadows. The closed space of the cemetery had weakened following the tremors.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Hao Ren immediately asked aloud through the communication device.


    As soon as Hao Ren¡¯s voice trailed off, a scream from Witch Helen was heard over the communication device. ¡°The border! The demon hunters have breached the border! They are coming! They are bringing down the first gate of the fortress!¡±


    Madam Marie cried, ¡°Oh God! There are too many of them!¡±


    ¡°F*ck!¡± Hessiana was heard cursing over the radio. ¡°I thought we closed the door behind us? How did they manage to hack the shadow realm¡¯s barrier so quickly?¡±


    ¡°They are an elite Hunter Group led by an elder,¡± Hao Ren said as he dodged a shockwave from the Malevolence. He looked at Hasse, who was struggling to fight not far away. ¡°Now you know they are not what they used to be. Had we not ruined your plan, the demon hunters would have pinned you to the ground.¡±


    Hasse glanced at Hao Ren. With the flick of his hand, Hasse threw a runic card with flashing light up in the air. It dematerialized and turned into a sparkling shield. As the shield clashed head-on with the Malevolence¡¯s silent shrill, they annihilated each other. The old demon hunter quickly retreated dozens of meters. ¡°If you have so much time to chit chat, you better think of a way to get us out of this predicament. The dimension here is collapsing. We either fight or leave!¡±


    Meanwhile, Hessiana¡¯s voice was heard over the radio again, and she apparently sounded anxious. ¡°An entire Hunter Group? Holy Jesus! I almost died! Witches, where are the demon hunters now?¡±


    ¡°They have passed the atrium,¡± Madam Marie said with a shivering voice. ¡°The Soulless are nowhere to be seen. Only a few guards intercepted the demon hunters, who wiped out everything along the way!¡±


    ¡°The Soulless are with us,¡± Hao Ren said in an unhurried tone of voice as everything went just as he had expected. ¡°Little Bat, can we shut down the Wall of Roses around the cemetery?¡±


    ¡°Do not call me by my nickname!¡± Hessiana snorted. ¡°There is no way to shut the Wall of Roses. It is Vivian¡¯s spiritual defense during hibernation. I can do nothing about it.¡±


    Hao Ren frowned. ¡°Can the demon hunters pass through it?¡±


    ¡°The elite demon hunters would have no problem overcome the barrier. After all, Lady Vivian has not woken up, and the Wall of Roses is only running automatically.¡±


    Hao Ren exhaled. ¡°That will be fine. Save me some trouble. Little Bat, could you please send some Soulless Guards to lure the demon hunters to the cemetery?¡±


    ¡°Do not call me by my nickname¡­ Oh, wait a second! Did you just say lure the demon hunters to the cemetery?¡±


    ¡°Those guys could do no real damage on the outside. It is better to let them come in,¡± Hao Ren said with a sly smile.


    ¡°How can I let the bastards come in to disturb Lady Vivian¡¯s sleep!¡±


    ¡°There has been a 9-Richter scale earthquake here, sleeping my foot! Are you not pragmatic? Let the demon hunters deal with the Malevolence! You don¡¯t get the opportunity to use the demon hunters as cannon fodder very often, do you?¡±


    Sometimes saying the same thing differently would get unexpected results. Little Bat was delighted. The idea that letting the demon hunters come in would play into her hands sounded like a good idea.


    Hessiana sounded excited in the radio. ¡°I will send the Soulless Guards over to lure them right away.¡±


    Hao Ren grinned and looked up, making an OK gesture to Hasse. ¡°Do not worry, Hasse, the Hunter Group will come to help very soon.¡±


    The continuous shockwaves from the Malevolence had tattered Hasse¡¯s lordly outfit, but the old demon hunter still stood in the air masterfully. Hasse looked deadpan when he heard what Hao Ren said. ¡°Come on, I am not deaf. I heard what you and your partner said.¡±


    ¡°Is this not what you want?¡± Hao Ren said with a smile. ¡°Moreover, had I not said it that way, that little girl would not have cooperated. I suppose demon hunters are pragmatists. The means are not important as long as you get the end results you want.¡±


    Hasse was in a sticky wicket when Hao Ren was open with his guile.


    He stared dead at Hao Ren, his face stony from the effect of the toxin. Nonetheless, he was angry. He turned around and snorted, ¡°Whatever. Is the girl an offspring of the Countess?¡±


    ¡°The one I talked to over the radio?¡± Yes.¡± Hao Ren smiled while remotely controlling the turrets to fire on the Malevolence. ¡°She is Hessiana. You will meet him later.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah?¡± Hasse¡¯s face was inexpressive. ¡°I am curious to see her.¡±


    The attack of the Soulless was still fierce.


    The Bleakbone Dragon continuously spewed deadly Dark Breath from the air. The Soulless Guards launched wave after wave of attack from the steppe. Indescribable nightmare monsters shrieked and threw themselves to the Malevolence in the light column. But this fierce offensive could do little damage to the Malevolence. Lifting its hand, the Malevolence smashed the Soulless into dust and smoke with her lethal shockwave. The resurrection of the Soulless was unable to keep up with the speed of their death; their number on the steppe rapidly declined. Had it not been for Lily, the army in the dreamland would have lost its effectiveness.


    But the Soulless had been holding back the Malevolence long enough. As another group of gargoyles crumbled to the ground, the reinforcement had finally arrived.


    With the Soulless as the bait, Lockheed led his forces going deep into the Shadow Fortress. After passing through the foyer in the north tower, the Wall of Roses stood in their way.


    The demon hunters realized that they had come to the Countess of the Crimson Moon¡¯s place of hibernation. They had no clue why the Soulless Guards led them there, but Lockheed proceeded to order his soldiers to bring down the barrier.


    The fierce battle in the cemetery had affected the core operation of the shadowy realm, which in turn weakened the Wall of Roses. Many thorns had withered, and rose petals fell from the sky like rain. Cracks began to appear in the once strong defense. Under the fierce attack of the demon hunters, an opening large enough for the entire Hunter Group to pass through had formed.


    Hao Ren saw there as an explosion in the Wall of Roses not far away. The arch gate formed by the thorns and roses vanished in an instant. The blast spread and rose up all the way into the sky and finally left behind a distorted vertical spatial rift on the steppe.


    It all happened with a loud boom.


    Lockheed was leading a dozen demon hunters barging into the battlefield.


    The moment the demon hunters came in, the scene of the Soulless Guards fighting hand in hand with their elder Hasse knocked their socks off. Even the kidnapper, Hao Ren, was not far away and looked Hasse was on his side too.


    What the heck was going on?


    Lockheed¡¯s brain froze for a long time.


    Hao Ren winked at Hasse. ¡°You know what to say.¡±


    Cooperation with Hao Ren was a forced choice, but Hasse knew his priority. He would not sabotage his own effort. ¡°We are working together for now. The priority is to take down the Countess!¡±


    Hasse had no time to explain to Lockheed what the Malevolence was all about. He just needed his men to know what their target was.


    What unfolded before the eyes took them unawares. There was nothing like what they had expected before they came into the Shadowy Realm. The demon hunters thought that they would have to fight the Soulless Guards and come face to face with the violent Vivian Ancestor. They anticipated that Hao Ren and his accomplices would attack them, and there would be a crimson moon waiting for them and the soldiers had prepared for the worst. But what happened right now was something they had not been able to foresee.


    There were not many Soulless Guards in the Shadow Fortress. The demon hunters did not encounter any meaningful resistance as they went into the cemetery. When they were finally in the graveyard, they saw Hasse and his kidnapper were working together. There was a crimson moon here, but the moonlight lacked the destructive power.


    It was totally unexpected. Lockheed was struck dumb.


    But it did not take long for him to recover from his daze.


    Hasse¡¯s shout of order jolted them. They realized that it was not the time for questioning.


    Lockheed raised his right hand and ordered all the demon hunters.


    ¡°Listen! Help the elder and the Soulless Guards to attack the Countess!

 Chapter 1463 - Here Comes Vivian

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The demon hunters¡¯ appearance changed the tide on the battlefield.


    Hao Ren realized that he had miscalculated something and that something made the battle more difficult to fight than he had expected. He did not expect the Malevolence in the shadowy realm to be so powerful and have so many qualities. It was harder to kill and was able to use its environment to its advantage. Hao Ren had misjudged the shadowy realm¡¯s ¡°outsider-repellent¡± quality. He thought that since the Malevolence had split from Vivian, its close proximity to Vivian would curtail its power, but that was not the case. The Malevolence was not entirely separated from her ¡°mother¡±. She was still part of her. Not only would the realm accept that, but it would also strengthen them.


    The misjudgment did not make the Malevolence invincible, but it had no doubt caused great trouble to Hao Ren.


    Fortunately, his habit of thinking ahead played a crucial role at that critical moment. He lured the demon hunters into the battlefield and managed to turn the tide of the battle.


    Sacred bolts with destructive power flew through the air, seemingly tearing the dimension apart along its blazing trajectory. The demon hunters¡¯ unique runic magic formed colorful clouds of energy in the air. It was the result of a chain reaction when magic power achieved a certain level of strength. As the dense magic field formed, even the silent shrill of the Malevolence lost its effect for the first time. The Hunter Group, led by Hasse, was no amateur. They were the elites, and not only possessed superb combat skills but also the sharp intuition of predators after living on the edge of life and death for years. Those demon hunters were extremely good at combat in harsh environments and could find even the slightest flaws in enemies far more powerful than themselves. Such an ability came in handy in their current situation.


    The demon hunter, Lockheed wielded his sacred silver sword and charged forward. His comrades had cleared a path for him using a barrage of arrows and magic bombing. The Soulless Guards, controlled by Hessiana, started a wave of suicide attacks again. The Malevolence was up to her old tricks. She raised her head and shrill silently, the invisible power tore the Soulless Guards in pieces in the air. But the sacrifice of the Soulless Guards was not in vain; the weakening of the silent shrill, as a result, had enabled Lockheed to charged directly at the Malevolence, cutting it in half under the crimson moon.


    The light pouring down from the moon in the sky brightened up again. Inside the light fall, the Malevolence¡¯s figure reappeared. But this time, her resurrection was apparently slower than before.


    Before the Malevolence could finish materializing, another attack had arrived.


    Hao Ren wielded a pair of cosmic dark fragments and rushed up to the red light column. The Malevolence, face identical to Vivian but crazy and vicious, opened her mouth and was about to rerelease shockwave. But her action was slower this time.


    Before the Malevolence could discharge her silent shrill, two black cosmic fragments had cut through her. Hao Ren emerged from the red light column, and the Malevolence broke up in the air. That was the second wave of attack.


    The crimson moonlight intensified again, and the Malevolence reappeared like a never-ending nightmare. But it was more difficult for her to resurrect this time. Before her figure fully formed, a silvery-white shadow had lunged up her.


    Lily was wielding a super-alloy sword. This time, she was more skillful. She shouted a Starburst Slash and cut the Malevolence into pieces. That was the third wave of attack.


    The Malevolence resurrected again. This time, it was Hasse¡¯s turn. He used his giant crossbow with a Thunder Blow at the Malevolence. That was the fourth wave of attack.


    With a simple flipping motion in the air, Lily landed like a feather beside Hao Ren. The super-alloy sword in her hand still sizzling in white smoke as the destructive dark power had left burn marks on the husky maiden wiped her forehead. ¡°Phew! Mr. Landlord, is the Malevolence dead this time?¡±


    Hao Ren did not reply but stared at the red light column at the center of the battlefield.


    The light pouring down from the moon had no signs of stopping. But for the first time, the Malevolence did not appear in the light column. After a dozen seconds had passed, there were no signs that the dark power would emerge in the moonlight.


    It seemed that the Malevolence had died for real this time.


    Hao Ren was not convinced. Lockheed and his men were perplexed.


    ¡°Did we just kill the Countess of the Crimson Moon?¡± A younger demon hunter gasped and said with a hoarse voice in disbelief, blood dripping from his forehead. ¡°Did we kill her?¡±


    The demon hunters looked at each other, there was confusion among them.


    The demon hunters had set out to kill the otherworldlings. They had been chanting their slogan before the battle. But now when they saw that Vivian Ancestor had vanished in the light, it baffled them. They could not believe what they had done.


    In the demon hunters¡¯ minds, the Countess of the Crimson Moon had always been invincible. This notion had ingrained in them. Whoever dared to say he was going to kill Vivian, that person must have a few loose screws. No one demon hunters¡ªnot even the elders¡ªcould have imagined that Vivian Ancestor would die in their hands. In their understanding, the Countess of the Crimson Moon was immortal.


    This ridiculous worldview took shape in the minds of every demon hunter after Vivian had beaten their forefathers.


    The demon hunters had no idea that the one they killed was only a Malevolence. They did not even know the existence of such a being.


    But there are still some smarter ones who knew the inside story. Hasse shouted at his men. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. The Countess is more capable than this. The one here was only her violent avatar.¡±


    ¡°Avatar?¡± Lockheed was a bit confused.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about what it is,¡± Hasse descended from the air and waved at Lockheed. He then turned to Hao Ren. ¡°So what is next after this?¡±


    The atmosphere became a little tricksy.


    Lockheed might not know the inside story, but he realized that their cooperation with Hao Ren had come to an end.


    The demon hunters surrounded Hao Ren. But Hao Ren just shrugged. ¡°It is not that simple. Hasse, wake up. Don¡¯t let your killing instinct blind your judgment. Did you not realize that the real Vivian had not appeared?¡±


    The old demon hunter suddenly came to his senses. He looked at into the sky.


    The crimson moon was still there.


    There were no signs of the red light beam going away.


    ¡°Everyone, be careful!¡± Lockheed had also gotten wise to it. ¡°The avatar is probably not dead yet!¡±


    Lily, thinking that she could finally breathe a sigh of relief earlier, was on her guard again. She clenched her swords, and her ears flicked back and forth. ¡°Where is she? Where is Battie¡¯s Malevolence?¡±


    The demon hunters began to search around as darkness continued to swallow the dimension. Some of them flew up into the air to try to see if the moon was a real or just an illusion. But there seemed to be some barrier in the air preventing them from doing so. The moon hanging high in the sky was unreachable.


    The chaotic darkness was devouring the grassland at the border under the moon. The entire shadowy realm was on a countdown of disintegration. But there were still no signs of a total collapse. The real Vivian had not appeared, and the Malevolence had vanished. Things were not yet over as everything had not changed.


    Could the Malevolence hide?


    The question popped into Hao Ren¡¯s mind. And almost at the same time, the crimson moonlight suddenly intensified.


    Far away from the red light column, a red-haired violent figure materialized in midair. It swooped down at the unsuspecting husky maiden.


    Hao Ren¡¯s heart missed a beat, and immediately, he lunged out with his sword in his hand. ¡°Lily, behind you!¡± he cried.


    At the moment, Lily had also sensed the movement behind her. She tried to dodge to the side but she was too slow¡ªthe Malevolence¡¯s hands were only a dozen centimeters away. Lily was scared stiff.


    Farther away, the demon hunters could not help either.


    Just then, a shadow, faster than with which eyes could keep up, suddenly lunged out from another direction.


    The shadow, rolling up a gust of wind and traveling with bursts of lightning, clashed with the Malevolence. The impact of the collision produced a visible shockwave and sent the Malevolence flying backward. The shadow clamped the Malevolence¡¯s neck as they clashed, leaving behind a hundred-meter gash in the ground.


    When the shadow and the Malevolence finally ground to a halt, Hao Ren finally was able to see what happened.


    The black-haired Vivian grabbed the Malevolence¡¯s neck and pinned her to the ground with one hand, and violently beat her with the other.


    ¡°You occupy my bedroom! You occupy my coffin! You occupy my territory! I can only afford to sleep in ruins, yet you come to steal from me!¡±

 Chapter 1464 - The Wizard’s Real Identity

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The mighty Malevolence was motionless. Not only was she motionless, her body rapidly began to turn into a cloud of smoke and a pool of liquid, just like snow melting under the sun.


    Vivian, grumpy from waking up, killed the Malevolence that had a DPS of a million, barehanded.


    Everyone was on pins and needles. The demon hunters instinctively stepped back, as even the bravest warriors among them could not help but swallow. They lowered their weapons and tried to minimize their sense of presence.


    Some of the demon hunters were seeing the legendary Countess of the Crimson Moon for the first time. They had never experienced the horror of being pursued by her. But they were not stupid. Only a while ago, they had witnessed how the countess took down the powerful Malevolence with her bare hands. No one dared to look for trouble with her.


    The demon hunters were mistaken. Hao Ren knew why Vivian could kill the Malevolence so quickly¡ªit was because of Vivian¡¯s higher-order. Vivian was deemed a Malevolence herself, but she was no ordinary Malevolence. She was the boss of all Malevolences. She could crush the lower-order Malevolences just by spitting on them. Had the monster been at her peak, it would take Vivian some time. But the earlier battle had exhausted her strength considerably, and when Vivian appeared, the Malevolence was totally defenseless.


    Everyone silently watched with their jaws on the ground as Vivian vented her anger on the Malevolence for as long as five minutes. The ancient vampire finally stopped when her enemy was entirely obliterated. She still seemed to be experiencing some low blood pressure after just coming out of bed. She sat in the pit for a half a minute, then looked up. ¡°Who was that guy? Can anyone tell me what just happened here?¡±


    The demon hunters looked at each other. No one dared to say a word for fear that the old woman would become grumpy again.


    Hao Ren could not be happier with the demon hunters staying away. After all that setbacks, he finally found Vivian in that hellish place during medieval times. He was excited. But he controlled his emotion and came up to Vivian. ¡°Hi, you finally wake up.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, almost.¡± Vivian blinked in confusion. Around her, the shadowy realm¡¯s collapse suddenly accelerated. The moon had returned to its original bright white while the steppe shattered into millions of pieces. Since Vivian was awake, the scene of the real world began to appear in the distance. ¡°Someone woke me up.¡±


    ¡°Someone woke you up?¡± Hao Ren was startled.


    ¡°There he is.¡± Vivian got to her feet. She massaged her forehead while pointing in a direction. ¡°Kid, come over.¡±


    Hao Ren did a double take when he saw the person.


    A man wearing a hooded cloak and hiding his face in the shadow of the hood stood silently not far away. The guy was the wizard who had disappeared earlier.


    Hearing Vivian¡¯s call, the mysterious wizard immediately came up. His hood moved a bit as if he was glancing at Hao Ren and Lily before kneeling in front of Vivian. ¡°The Great Lady of the Crimson Moon, congratulations on regaining your territory.¡±


    The wizard spoke with humility and a hint of anxiety as well as anticipation. He did not seem to care about it in the presence of Hao Ren and Lily.


    Vivian still felt groggy and almost forgot what agreement she had made with this wizard. Vivian shook her head, and after a while, she finally remembered. ¡°Oh, we have a deal earlier. Here you go.¡±


    As she spoke, she took a crystal out of nowhere. The crystal glowed faintly with a blood-red liquid ball suspended inside. It was bursting with powerful energy.


    Bain took the crystal in his hands, trembling. He gasped as he sensed the pure and potent energy.


    ¡°This blood drop contains my power. With this blood, you can open any door to the location of my other servants, no matter where they are. But I have to remind you: the blood drop is just a guide. It can bring you to my other followers who have my breath, but the amount of power needed to open the door depends on how far you are from the target. Let me be frank with you, it doesn¡¯t look like there¡¯s much hope for you. Little guy, your magic power is too weak. You might be an outstanding wizard among the humans, but you are still far from attaining the level of power you would need.¡±


    Wizard Bain bowed in respect and tried hard not to look too excited. ¡°The Great Lady of the Crimson Moon, thank you for your gift. I will find my own way.¡±


    Hao Ren looked on, puzzled. He never expected to see Bain this way. Bain ran way with the key, and everyone thought that he had an ill intention. Now, it seemed that Bain had some reached some deal with Vivian. What is going on? Hao Ren asked himself.


    And just when Hao Ren was about to ask, another voice, sounding excited, came from not far away. ¡°Lady Vivian, how could you give away your power crystal to this lowly human wizard?¡±


    Vivian was visibly stunned. She almost instinctively broke up into a swarm and bats to run away. But Hao Ren knew what was in Vivian¡¯s mind. He quickly stopped her. ¡°Vivian, stop!¡±


    Vivian was stunned for a while. At this brief moment of hesitation, a shadow lunged up in the air flying toward her.


    Hessiana had come from the north tower and now wrapped her arms around Vivian like an octopus.


    The demon hunters eyes were on stalks. A small number of them raised their weapons to prepare to battle, but Hasse stopped them.


    There was nothing to trigger their killing instinct. Even the husky was a weird mix breed. The demon hunters finally calmed down.


    ¡°Get off me! Get off me!¡± Vivian struggled to pull Little Bat off her. She could no longer act elegantly. ¡°If you still refuse to get off me, I will turn into a swarm of bats and go!¡±


    Hessiana quickly let go of Vivian and smirked like a child who had made a mistake. But she quietly shot Hao Ren a look as if saying ¡®well done.¡¯


    Thanks to Hao Ren, Little Bat could finally hug her ¡°mother¡± for the first time in hundreds of years. She wondered how Hao Ren had managed to stop Vivian from running away just in time for her to catch her ¡®mother.¡¯ Was it coincident?


    Hao Ren had gotten Hessiana¡¯s signal. He returned a look that said ¡®you are welcome, we are friends. I helped you because I could not bear to see Little Bat looking for mommy. I hope that once you recover your memory, we could get along well and you will not You recover your memory, get along well.¡¯


    Hessiana had no idea what that look meant.


    ¡°Lady Vivian, how could you give away your power crystal to this guy?¡± Little Bat turned to Vivian and asked. ¡°Do you know who this guy is?¡±


    ¡°You know him?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± Hessiana hesitated.


    ¡°I do not know him either.¡± Vivian shrugged. ¡°But he has the shadow key that I have given to you last time. I thought it was your man. Anyway, this human wizard has woken me up in time and brought me here to destroy the intruder. I think he is a good guy, I think there is nothing wrong to reward him.¡±


    Hessiana was embarrassed because the shadow key was stolen from her. ¡°It was this guy, Bain, who stole the key from me!¡±


    As Hessiana spoke, she looked at Bain. ¡°Hey, you! Tell us what you want!¡±


    ¡°I want no other thing.¡± The mysterious wizard did not seem afraid at all in front of the demon hunters and all-powerful high-order vampire. He appeared to be aware of how influential Vivian was and was not worried about his safety. ¡°I seek the help of the Great Lady of the Crimson Moon. I have just used a couple of little tricks in the process, and I believe that they have not caused any trouble to the Countess of the Crimson Moon.¡±


    ¡°That seems to be the case.¡± Vivian, who was usually amiable while she was awake, nodded.


    Little Bat was depressed. ¡°But-But this man¡ª¡±


    Just then, something crossed Lily¡¯s mind. She looked up and asked Bain curiously, ¡°Is your real name Baptiste?¡±

 Chapter 1465 - Waking Up Again

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Baptiste?


    When Lily mentioned the name, Hao Ren froze. He found the name familiar, but he could not remember where he had heard it until Lily nudged his arm and whispered ¡°Inferno¡±.


    Yesterday¡¯s planet Inferno was today¡¯s World Gate-Surface World monitoring center. The incredible planet, once stuck on the Wall of Reality, was named Inferno because of the terrible environment on its upper crust. It came to Hao Ren¡¯s attention because of a wizard named Baptiste.


    Baptiste was active in France during the medieval period before he mysteriously disappeared for hundreds of years. He used magic to engulf an entire town, from which he obtained the power to open a portal to Inferno. Baptiste did not even blink an eye about turning himself into an immortal but cursed creature just to find his mentor cum lover, who fell into Inferno during a magic-related accident.


    It all became clear. Hao Ren finally connected the mysterious wizard before him with Baptiste, whom he would meet 600 years later. He had also come to realize what the actions of the wizard named Bain were all about, and how Lily figured out the wizard¡¯s identity.


    Hao Ren had to admit that the husky maiden had sharp intuition.


    The matter may not have anything to do with his ¡°back to the future¡± journey, but at least he had unwittingly solved a mystery, he thought.


    Now Hao Ren knew why a human wizard could open an interstellar portal, and he knew his intricate connection with Vivian. That was the start of it all.


    Meanwhile, Bain, who had appeared calm the entire time, was now visibly shocked. He turned to the husky maiden. ¡°Do you know me?¡±


    ¡°Do you know him?¡± Hessiana and Hasse also asked in unison.


    Lily thought for a moment, her ears standing on end. ¡°Huh! Have I gotten it right?¡±


    Everyone was stupefied.


    ¡°Ahem, I have heard about him,¡± Hao Ren chimed in. He knew that the husky maiden could not explain herself. ¡°I see. I see. Baptiste, so this is how you got the key to Inferno.¡±


    Wizard Bain, or rather Baptiste, finally gave up his disguise. He took off his hood and revealed his thin and dreary face. ¡°Who are you? How do you know about my desire to go to Inferno?¡±


    ¡°What? You are going to Inferno?¡± Vivian asked in surprise. Her mind was still a muddle after just waking up from a long hibernation. ¡°You did not tell me this!¡±


    Hessiana almost went banana. ¡°Lady Vivian, you gave this guy your power crystal without even knowing his intention?¡±


    ¡°He told me he was looking for someone, who happened to be one of my followers. So I helped him,¡± Vivian said. ¡°I did not know the person he was looking for was in Inferno! Hey, kid. Baptiste, right? I tell you what, if you intend to use the key to open the door to Inferno, I will have to rethink the deal. No ordinary wizards could successfully open the portal to Inferno. Even if you make it, you cannot say for sure what would come out from the other side.¡±


    Baptiste had never expected the ancient Blood Clan like Vivian was so garrulous. He thought that the Countess of the Crimson Moon was supposed to be ruthless, indifferent to the life and death of the commoners, that she could care less about the rise and fall of kingdoms. So even if he wanted to open the portal to Inferno, this mighty being would not blink an eye. But now Baptiste realized that he was mistaken. The old woman was going back on her word.


    Baptiste¡¯s mind was racing to simulate various responses he could make. He even thought of the possibility of escaping. But before he could do anything, a shadow suddenly lunged at him from the side, and a whip coiled over his arm.


    Hessiana looked at the human wizard who was upset but unafraid. ¡°Tsk tsk, I am sorry. You cannot leave now.¡±


    Hao Ren watched the event unfold. He suddenly noticed in his peripheral vision that Vivian was looking curiously at him.


    She was not looking at him but also others at the scene, including the demon hunters.


    ¡°What is going on?¡± Vivian¡¯s brows knitted together. ¡°Why are there so many people in my hibernation place? I have wanted to ask earlier¡ªdemon hunters, what do you want? That guy is Hasse, right? What compels you to come looking for trouble? Little werewolf girl there, and that man with two black swords in his hands¡ªwhere are all of you from? I do not think that I know you.¡±


    Hessiana¡¯s expression suddenly changed.


    She stared at Hao Ren in suspicion. ¡°Did you not say that you are friends of Lady Vivian¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°Friends?¡± Vivian shook her head. ¡°I do not know them.¡±


    ¡°I can explain!¡± Hao Ren quickly threw his hands up. ¡°Vivian must have forgotten the both of us again! As we all know, Vivian has a bad memory.¡±


    Hessiana was not convinced. Hao Ren¡¯s explanation may have sounded credible, but the incident had aroused her suspicion about Hao Ren and Lily¡¯s identities.


    But Vivian nodded in agreement. ¡°That is possible.¡±


    ¡°Lady Vivian! Don¡¯t you give up on your memory so soon!¡± Hessiana cried.


    Vivian appeared indifferent. ¡°But it is undeniable that I have a bad memory,¡±


    ¡°You two! You had better come up with something to prove your identities and make Lady Vivian remember you both!¡± Hessiana could not stop Vivian from believing them, but she could at least give them a hard time. ¡°If you cannot prove yourself, then I can only treat you both and Baptiste as liars and conspirators. Especially you, Hao Ren¡ªwhere is that bat in your pocket? Take it out and let Lady Vivian examine it to determine if it is a fake!¡±


    The evidence that Little Bat had accepted as truth had become suspicious just because of what Vivian said.


    Hao Ren threw his hands in the air. ¡°Okay, okay, I have another piece of evidence that I would like Vivian to see.¡±


    While he spoke, Hao Ren reached into his Dimensional Pocket and took out an item. Just as he was about to pass it to Vivian, Hessiana stopped him. ¡°Wait a minute! Let me hand it over to Lady Vivian, just in case you¡¯ve tampered with it to deceive her.¡±


    Just when Hao Ren was about to ask ¡°How about Baptiste if you move away,¡± Little Bat¡¯s body suddenly swayed. A shadow that looked exactly like her but with a weaker aura and expressionless face came out of her.


    Hessiana¡¯s magic avatar went up to Hao Ren and said, ¡°Give it to me. I will hand it over to Lady Vivian.¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged and handed the thing to Hessiana¡¯s avatar.


    It was the room key¡ªthe crucial medium to wake Vivian up from the false space and time.


    Hessiana¡¯s avatar took over the key, but she did not pass it to Vivian at once. Instead, she used magic to examine the key for a long time. Meanwhile, Hessiana looked suspiciously at it from not far away. ¡°What is that? A small piece of strange metal?¡±


    ¡°Just let Vivian take a look.¡± Hao Ren appeared secretive. ¡°You know it, it does not have any magic on it. It is not dangerous.¡±


    ¡°It better be!¡±


    Little Bat snorted and motioned her avatar to hand the key to Vivian.


    Vivian took the key, raised it in the air and looked at it curiously.


    Right then, Hao Ren noticed that the grassland had stopped collapsing.


    The darkness creeping at the boundary a few hundred meters away had stopped. The broken fragments that were flying away from the edge of the earth became a still picture as if someone had pressed the pause button. The moon in the sky appeared brighter and brighter, everything between the heavens and the earth quickly turned gray.


    The same happened to the Hunter Group led by Lockheed.


    It also happened to Baptiste, whom Hessiana was subduing.


    Even Hessiana and Hasse had the same fading gray on them.


    Meanwhile, Hessiana¡¯s magic avatar had long vanished.


    Hao Ren and Lily exchanged a look and nodded in unison. Things may have gone a little off course, but it ended just the way they had planned it.


    Vivian shifted her gaze away from the key. Her eyes quickly brightened up and landed on the two familiar faces. ¡°Hao Ren? Doggie? Why are you two¡ª Sigh, why is that kid also here? Where am I now?¡±


    Vivian saw Hessiana standing not far away.


    Lily scratched her head and muttered impatiently, ¡°So we have to explain everything all over again!¡±


    Hao Ren smiled but did not respond to the husky maiden¡¯s complaint. He just walked towards Vivian.


    ¡°A lot of things have happened. Let me tell you slowly.¡±

 Chapter 1466 - New Entrants

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    On the steppe where space and time stood still, the gray moonlight shone on the broken earth, which was only a few hundred meters across. The surrounding darkness stagnated, making the small parcel of land look like a lonely island floating in the sea of chaos. Vivian was now fully awake, sitting with her legs crossed on the grass. Her face appeared calm.


    ¡°I had a long, long dream,¡± Vivian said. ¡°I dreamed of being super wealthy, living in a super large castle with gorgeous decorations. I had many treasures, rooms filled with gold and silver. There were two beautiful gardens, in which the number of sculptures could fill the Louvre several times over. Sigh.¡±


    Lily rolled her eyes. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. You were indeed dreaming.¡±


    Vivian sighed again. ¡°So, the outside world is already in a mess?¡±


    Vivian learned about the sequence of events from Hao Ren and knew about his efforts to save the situation. She even knew that Hao Ren had successfully awakened her once. After waking up in the Siberian snow land, Vivian had entered into the deepest part of the distorted space and time. Right then, at that point in time, she did not have her memories from Siberia.


    ¡°A mess is an understatement.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°I have no idea how long the sandbox can hold up, so I have to find you in various times of history. So far, I¡¯ve only gone back 600 years in the past. It¡¯s a small step when compared with your entire 10,000-year history.¡±


    ¡°I believe that you can do it.¡± Vivian just smiled at Hao Ren and nodded affirmatively.


    There was no overly polite gratefulness, unnecessary words of encouragement nor emotional expression. Vivian just believed that Hao Ren could pull it off and told what was in her mind.


    Vivian then looked at Lily again. ¡°Doggie, I am pleasantly surprised that you have come to help.¡±


    ¡°Bah, I have overeaten. This is a good opportunity for me to burn some calories.¡± The husky maiden looked away while wagging her tail. ¡°It looks like age has finally caught up with you. Look at you, you almost buried yourself in your dream. You owe me a favor for saving your life. I¡¯m telling you, you may not be able to repay me even if you cook me braised pork ribs for the rest of your life.¡±


    ¡°I got it. Braised pork ribs. I¡¯ll let you eat until you drop.¡± Vivian laughed. She then got to her feet with light motion and came up to Hessiana, who had frozen in gray. Her eyes moved from Hessiana to Hasse, and finally Baptiste, whose expression was frozen in time. ¡°The little girl and the Hasse of 600 years ago¡ªI suddenly miss them. If I¡¯m not mistaken, the two of them will enter this space and time after I¡¯m gone, right?¡±


    ¡°Not entirely true, but it is their consciousness that will enter their bodies in history.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°Those guys are playing mahjong and watching TV on the outside. I¡¯d feel sorry for Raven 12345 for providing them the free mahjong if I don¡¯t make them work like donkeys here.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you should also be worried about how to explain to Hasse about the bumps on his head,¡± said Vivian with a wry smile before looking at Baptiste.


    ¡°This human wizard¡­ I am surprised to see this fellow at this point in time. But I have no impression of him at all.¡±


    Hao Ren could not help but curiously asked, ¡°I have just wanted to ask, how did Baptiste wake you up and lead you here? Were you not supposed to be hibernating in the cemetery? How come it was a Malevolence that slept in here?¡±


    ¡°Baptiste must have come for the sole purpose of waking me up,¡± Vivian said. ¡°As for why I was not in the cemetery but a Malevolence was in my place instead¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was all the more curious when Vivian paused and appeared embarrassed. ¡°What happened?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I must have been sleepwalking most likely.¡±


    Hao Ren and Lily were stupefied.


    ¡°I knew that you all would have this reaction.¡± Vivian blushed. ¡°I was only sleepwalking. It was no big deal!¡±


    ¡°But you must be the first person in the world who could sleepwalk inside your own dream.¡± Hao Ren was in disbelief. ¡°Next time I must find you in the real world and am not going to go into your shadowy realm. The world you created in your sleep was almost as weird as the ancient mysterious realms.¡±


    Had it not been for the Malevolence¡¯s sudden appearance, Hao Ren would not have entered the shadowy realm and fought with her Soulless Guards. Instead, he would have blown the place up just as he had done in Siberia.


    ¡°Do not worry, you are not going to face trouble like this most of the time. I did not usually set up hibernation places like this for most of my 10,000-year history.¡± Vivian¡¯s smile was a little awkward. She then changed the topic abruptly. Then again, I cannot recall this farce 600 years ago, especially regarding Baptiste and the Malevolence. My memory¡¯s drawing a blank.¡±


    ¡°You must have forgotten all about it,¡± Lily said with her arms crossed and squinting at the most ancient vampire. ¡°With the demon hunters having to deal with your Malevolence and Baptiste your TaskRabbit, I could not believe that you have forgotten everything about them. It seems like old age has affected your memory, eh?¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Doggie!¡± Vivian shot the husky maiden a look.


    Vivian then sighed. ¡°But you are not entirely wrong. I have indeed forgotten. My mind is usually a muddle after waking up. I could not really recall what happened during that period.¡±


    Hao Ren was curious. ¡°I wonder what the original history was like had I and Lily not interfere with it.¡±


    ¡°Then you can only find your answer from Hessiana and Hasse.¡± Vivian laughed. ¡°After all, you know, my memory fails me.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s body gradually faded.


    ¡°Ahh, it is time for me to leave.¡± Vivian looked down at her translucent hands. ¡°It looks like we can only have this much time. The sandbox must be very unstable.¡±


    ¡°We will meet again in the next era.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s eyes met Vivian¡¯s.


    ¡°Surely.¡± Vivian smiled and waved at Hao Ren and Lily. ¡°Then see you next time.¡±


    Vivian had vanished entirely in the air as soon as her voice trailed off.


    ¡°There she has gone.¡± Lily scratched her head. ¡°What shall we do next, Mr. Landlord?¡±


    ¡°If your past experience is anything to go by, the two fellows should be¡ª¡±


    Before Hao Ren could finish, he already heard Hasse saying, ¡°Hey, you guys really hit me, eh?¡±


    Hessiana¡¯s voice followed. ¡°Apparently, someone has been a good trickster. I could not believe that I was so easily conned six hundred years ago.¡±


    Everything went just as expected. Hasse and Hessiana had entered the game.


    Hao Ren looked back and saw Hasse grousing while walking towards them. The bumps on his head were particularly eye-catching. Before this when Hasse still treated Hao Ren as an enemy, he pretended not to be bothered by the injuries. But now, he did not have to feign it anymore. Hasse carefully touched his head as he came up to them. ¡°Look at what the two of you have done to me! Did you really have to wallop me?¡±


    Hao Ren quickly explained, ¡°Look! I admit that I trapped you. But it was Lily who hit you. I just hit you once, and you didn¡¯t pass out.¡±


    Lily was furious. ¡°Mr. Landlord, didn¡¯t you ask me to knock him out?¡±


    Hasse was indignant. ¡°How could you still have the nerve to admit it? You would have preferred to knock me out completely! At least I would have felt better that way instead of staying in torment within your Dimensional Pocket. I survived by relying on the demon hunters¡¯ method of meditation. It really hurts!¡±


    ¡°Who knew you had such a thick skull? Plus, I¡¯ve already held back my strength,¡± Lily said.


    Hessiana had come over and looked at Hasse. ¡°Stop whining. It is not like you do not know the situation at that time. Hao Ren and Lily did not really have a choice. You were a madman six hundred years ago. You hated everyone except the demon hunters. How could they rope you in other than using ¡®kinetic anesthesia¡¯?¡±


    ¡°You call that kinematic anesthesia?¡± Hasse was stupefied.


    Hessiana sighed. ¡°I have a complaint too. Hao Ren, why couldn¡¯t you wait a little longer¡ªI almost won the mahjong game!¡±


    Hao Ren was struck dumb. ¡°Holy moly! You guys are still plying mahjong outside?¡±


    ¡°The days have been so boring,¡± Hessiana said with her arms akimbo. ¡°The entire earth is frozen, and we cannot even go home. Raven 12345¡¯s house is big, but there were too many things in the house that we could not understand. Moreover, nine out of ten doors had divine servants guarding there, we could only play mahjong to pass the time. Fortunately, the time flows faster inside here than the outside; a month in here is equivalent to just three days on the outside. Otherwise, we would have been bored to death.¡±


    ¡°I am here to save the world and your Lady Vivian. Can you please stop complaining?¡± Hao Ren snorted.


    ¡°So am I not here to help now?¡± Hessiana spread out her hand.


    Hao Ren¡¯s mouth was agape as he suddenly realized how silly he was to argue with this impish kid. ¡°Okay, let us not discuss this but get down to more important things. I am curious, had Lily and I not interfering in the real history, how did you two fix this farce six hundred years ago?¡±


    Hao Ren asked out of pure curiosity. No matter how he looked at it, the incident had been a significant event. With the involvement of a wicked Malevolence, the Hunter Group led by the elder, the quick-witted little bat, a cunning wizard, and a group of clueless witches, it would be a miracle had they not cause a tumult.


    ¡°Six hundred years ago, ahh¡­¡± Hessiana¡¯s face twitched. ¡°Had I not been back in time, I would have forgotten that I almost died in the hands of the demon hunters.¡±


    ¡°But she still got away at the crucial moment,¡± Hasse said. ¡°Indeed, I was the one leading the charge at that time. But when we were about to finish off the unknown vampire like Hessiana, who popped up out of nowhere, Vivian¡¯s seal suddenly exploded, and her Malevolence broke out.¡±


    Hessiana¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°The demon hunters had to deal with the Malevolence, and that gave me the time to escape.¡±


    ¡°We did not even know that it was only a Malevolence until the end.¡± Hasse forced a smile. ¡°My Hunter Group suffered heavy losses. At last, we did not defeat the Malevolence, but it was the Malevolence who had lost interest in us and went away. That saved our lives.¡±


    ¡°As for the witches and Baptiste, they barely met me,¡± Hessiana said. ¡°After all, in the original version of history, the two did not have strong foreign allies like you and Lily, and so they were relatively less active. But one thing is sure is that Baptiste has been competent. He must have contacted Vivian by some other means. Otherwise, we could not explain how he later opened the door to Inferno. Perhaps he had also played a hand in letting the Malevolence break prematurely. I admire this guy. As a human wizard, he had daringly done something big.¡±


    ¡°He overlooked everything just to look for his mentor cum lover, even if he would get himself involved in the horrible struggle between the demon hunters and the ancient vampire.¡±


    Hao Ren muttered to himself, looking at the wizard who stood like a gray statue not far away.


    Somehow, Hao Ren could feel how the wizard felt in his journey back in time to save Vivian.


    But I am not going to follow your path , Hao Ren said in his mind.

 Chapter 1467 - Glitch

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Just like the previous hunter¡¯s cabin, after Vivian¡¯s dream collapsed, an area with a radius of a few hundred meters around Hao Ren still remained. It was a safe zone. At the edge of the grassland, a spatial rift had opened.


    The spatial rift was the breach left behind after the explosion of the Wall of Roses. It had now become more robust, and there was a faint ray of light coming out from the crack. Hao Ren knew that it was the passage to the next point in time, just like the wooden door of the previous hunter¡¯s cabin.


    ¡°Going through the door, we will enter the next space and time.¡± Hao Ren pointed at the rift. ¡°If you still have anything to prepare, do it here.¡±


    ¡°What else do we have to prepare?¡± Hessiana shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s our consciousness that has entered this space and time. We¡¯ve brought nothing except the gear we have on hand. Hey man, do you have anything to prepare?¡±


    Hasse was not bothered by Hessiana¡¯s rudeness. He just replied faintly, ¡°Nope, let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Okay then, let¡¯s go!¡±


    Lily was the one most looking forward to the next adventure. She could not wait to explore what was on the other side of the spatial rift. Lily ran over happily, but just as she was about to reach the spatial rift, she suddenly stopped.


    The word ¡°stop¡± could not fully explain what happened to Lily. But Hao Ren had no idea what happened at that time. He just saw a coat of gray covering Lily¡¯s body, just like the images of the past frozen in time. It was as if someone had pressed the pause button, Lily stood still in the air, her breath had quickly left the world, and she became a static image.


    However, the pause did not last long. While Hessiana, who was witnessing everything, was struck dumb, Lily suddenly returned to normal. The husky maiden dropped to the ground and staggered to get up. She looked around in confusion, as though she had just passed out.


    ¡°Mr. Landlord, I think I just went back to the real world. I saw Wuyue and Sanba!¡±


    The husky maiden scratched her head and looked back at Hao Ren with a baffled expression.


    ¡°What just happened?¡± Hao Ren, Hessiana, and Hasse asked in unison.


    ¡°I have no idea!¡± Lily replied.


    ¡°Was it a bad signal?¡± Hessiana asked. ¡°Look, except for you, all of us come in with our consciousness while our real bodies are in the real world. What connects our consciousness and bodies together is the brainwaves. Just like wifi, when the signal¡¯s bad, we stop working in here.¡±


    What a witty analogy.


    Just when Hao Ren was worried about what happened, Lily¡¯s temperament changed suddenly.


    She went from dumb to ludicrous.


    Hao Ren was no stranger to this transformation. Lily had undergone the same thing back in Siberia during the previous leg of going back in time. Hao Ren knew what was happening: Raven 12345 was using Lily as a springboard to project her consciousness into this space and time.


    He quickly explained to Hessiana and Hasse and then without waiting for Raven 12345 to speak, he said, ¡°Boss, what just happened? Something seems not right with Lily.¡±


    ¡°Was it a bad signal?¡± Hessiana voiced out her suspicion.


    Surprisingly, Raven 12345 nodded. ¡°You guessed it. The situation is a bit off, but generally, it was because of a bad signal.¡±


    ¡°The sandbox system malfunctions? The consciousness projection can no longer work?¡± Hao Ren became nervous.


    Hessiana was discouraged. ¡°Oh, please! I have just come in and not done anything yet. I am still looking forward to meeting Lady Vivian in history.¡±


    The Raven 12345 interrupted Hao Ren and Hessiana. ¡°It is not like what you think. Not everyone will be kicked out. As you, Hao Ren, go farther back in time, people who are farther away from your current time coordinates will find it more difficult to sustain their presence.¡±


    Hao Ren was baffled. ¡°Boss, you can explain it in plain language?¡±


    Raven 12345 seemed to have predicted Hao Ren¡¯s reaction. She explained patiently, ¡°As you go back in time, you are getting farther and farther away from the presence. But the active presence of everyone around you has a fixed threshold in history. Lily was active in the latest hundred years, Hessiana around the first AD, and Hasse in 4,000 BC. The original positions of these people in history are points in the timeline. You will pass these points and head further back in history.¡±


    Hao Ren could now vaguely grasp what that meant. ¡°People entering this space and time with their consciousness rely on the bodies of this space and time. But as I travel further back in time, some of them will pass the point of their birth, and their existence will lose support, right?¡±


    ¡°You are pretty smart,¡± Raven 12345 gave Hao Ren a rare compliment. ¡°Just as you have understood, as your helpers travel back to the era when they did not exist, their existence in that time and space will produce a paradox. The sandbox can buffer this paradoxical effect, and their consciousness can still be with you. But as you travel further back in time, their pressure on the sandbox will only get more intense. I would call the time points where your friends were first active in history the Historical Reference Points. As you go further back in history, they will move farther away from their Historical Reference Points, and their consciousness projection will become unstable until they lost signal entirely.¡±


    Then Hao Ren remembered what happened to Lily just now: she had apparently lost signal.


    ¡°The farther they are from the active period in their real history, the harder it is for them to maintain the connection. Is it?¡± Hao Ren frowned. ¡°That is to say, as I continue to travel back in time, Lily will be the first to disconnect. Then it will be Hessiana and then Hasse.¡±


    ¡°In the end, you will be the only one left,¡± Raven 12345 said faintly. ¡°Because in the early days of ancient times, all of your friends have not been born yet. The only person whom you know and was active on Earth 10,000 years ago is Vivian Ancestor.¡±


    ¡°This is out of my expectation.¡± Hao Ren could not help but sigh. ¡°I thought I could have more companions and finally form an elite squad as I go. Apparently, I will end up being alone at the end.¡±


    Hasse had also figured out what it was all about. The old demon hunter¡¯s thinking was way more practical. ¡°How long can we stay after crossing our own Historical Reference Point, which is our date of birth?¡±


    ¡°It is hard to say because there are too many variables, and there are no precedents. I can only roughly calculate that it will be about two thousand years before the Historical Reference Point,¡± Raven 12345 said cautiously. ¡°So you do not have to worry too much about being kicked out after crossing the reference point. You all could still stay for a relatively long time.¡±


    Hao Ren sighed, ¡°It seems that Lily will be the first to leave the scene.¡±


    ¡°She is the youngest among us all.¡± Hessiana shook her head.


    ¡°But I am already thankful enough.¡± Hao Ren laughed. ¡°I thought all of you would leave as soon as we crossed the Historical Reference Point. A 2,000-year grace period¡ªI could not have asked for more. Hmm, that means even Lily can travel back to the first AD.¡±


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d be upset.¡± Raven 12345 looked at Hao Ren through Lily¡¯s eyes and forced a smile. ¡°After all, the situation will only get worse.¡±


    But Hao Ren seemed to be taking it easy. ¡°There is nothing to worry about. I started out the mission with the understanding that I would be going it all alone. Now I have so many friends with me¡ªthough they are just temporary¡ªit is better than I have expected.¡±


    ¡°Very good, it seems that I have not chosen the wrong person.¡± Raven 12345 smiled¡ªin Lily¡¯s skin. ¡°My connection becomes unstable now. I shall go. I will find ways to increase the fault-tolerant bandwidth of the sandbox to allow your friends to maintain a consistent and stable connection as much as possible before they exit.¡±


    Raven 12345¡¯s voice slowly faded, and her air gradually left Lily. The husky maiden remained at the same spot for a while with her head lowered. She then suddenly regained her consciousness. ¡°Mr. Landlord, I think I passed out again.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Raven 12345 just came,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°Lily, let me tell you something.¡±


    He explained the Historical Reference Point and interruption of consciousness projection to the husky maiden.


    Lily¡¯s crude nature did not prevent her from understanding these complex issues. ¡°I see. Then I could only accompany you for a while. I thought I could meet the Battie of 10,000 years ago.¡±


    Hao Ren returned a forced smile. Hessiana said, ¡°Weren¡¯t you the leader of the demon hunters in your previous life? If you count from that Historical Reference Point, you could actually follow Hao Ren to the end.¡±


    ¡°How could it be possible?¡± Lily waved her hand. ¡°I am Lily Liu in this life and I was a different person in the previous.¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at Lily. ¡°Aren¡¯t you always claiming to be the first empress of the demon hunters?¡±


    ¡°I was just kidding,¡± Lily said with a smile. ¡°I just wanted to look cool. I know very well that the First Sage of the demon hunters and Lily Liu of Southern Suburbs are of two different generations. I cannot count on my previous life.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the serious expression on Lily face. He nodded and then let out a long sigh as he looked at the space crack not far away.


    Lily also looked at that direction. She then went ahead. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Mr. Landlord.¡±


    Without hesitation, the four of them embarked on the next leg of their journey into the unknown, distorted space and time.

 Chapter 1468 - Little Bat’s Hometown

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The sceneries were fascinating, but the backtracking journey was long. If one was not careful, it was easy to get sidetracked.


    Traveling through the fragmented historical timelines was a test of will. The emperors and the peasants in the archival materials came to life in flesh and blood. Once you entered their history, they would no longer be pictures in historical memory but have real emotions, capable of experiencing joy and sorrow. Whether they lived a heroic or mediocre life, those experiences would leave indelible marks in their space and time.


    As a time traveler, Hao Ren did everything possible to remain as a bystander and remain detached in his third-party perspective as he went back in time. He knew that only by maintaining the view of a third party could he finish the arduous 10,000-year journey into history without being swallowed up and assimilated by the endless historical illusions.


    It was not easy to maintain that state of mind. For ordinary people, it was probably an impossible mission. But Hao Ren had learned to be persistent as an inspector during the past few years.


    In every jump and backtrack on the timeline, Hao Ren would meet Vivian of different eras throughout history. But each reunion was brief and hurried before Hao Ren embarked on the next leg of his journey.


    Not every stop of his journey worth telling. And not every time Hao Ren could wake up Vivian according to plan. But in any case, Hao Ren and his buddies had come a long way. The journey in Siberia and France seemed to be of a long time ago. After that, they traversed the vast jungles of the Amazon, crossed the endless Taklamakan Desert, and even drifted in the sea, where there was nowhere to land for half a month until they found a sunken ancient city of thousands of years. In the sunken city, destroyed by a mysterious explosion, they found the secret chamber at where Vivian¡¯s coffin was.


    They have an encounter with the werewolf recluse in South America, and they had joined hands with the descendants of the silver wizards, who had escaped in the Mesopotamian plains, to fight against the demon hunters. With the help of Hasse, Hao Ren had even infiltrated the Asian headquarters of the demon hunters and smuggled Vivian¡¯s coffin out from the Himalaya mountains under the nose of thousands of demon hunters.


    The cavalry of Genghis Khan, the palace of Chang¡¯an of the Tang Dynasty, and the city-states of Aztec¡ªall of which were well-known throughout history and almost iconic symbols floating past the eyes of Hao Ren. The journey of going back in time had let Hao Ren feel the way Vivian felt: times change and the world with it. The inhabitant of this world continuously transformed the world. The sun would rise and shine on the new world every day just as it set the day before. The worlds of humankind and the gods kept reshuffling in ever-changing history. Even the most brilliant, greatest dynasties, which the rulers thought to be eternal and immortal, could not last beyond a few generations.


    The only constant thing was the eyes of the passerby of history.


    ¡°See you in the next era.¡±


    Vivian gradually disappeared in the air with only her voice still seemingly ringing in the ears.


    After a while, Hao Ren exhaled. He got to his feet and looked at those around him.


    Out of boredom, Hessiana had carved a piece of gray wood as if she wanted to see if she could leave a mark on things frozen in this space and time. Hasse carefully checked his gear and weapons to ensure that they all always in tip-top condition. Lily sat not far away, concentrating on eating the shrimp sticks and potato chips which she took out from Hao Ren¡¯s Dimensional Pocket.


    They were now in a small cabin with wooden floors, wooden walls, wood ceilings, and a slatted window pasted with a thick layer of papers next to Lily. When they opened the window, they could only see a sea of chaos on the outside. There was no decoration in the house. The only furniture was a low square table in the middle and cushions around the table. A man dressed in ancient Chinese military uniform was standing in a corner, surprised. A blanket of gray had covered his frozen horrified expression.


    Hessiana put away the knife and said, ¡°The blaze at the Red Cliffs was nothing short of spectacular.¡±


    ¡°No wonder the warlord, Cao Cao lost so badly,¡± Lily said from not far away without looking up. ¡°They camped on top Vivian¡¯s crypt. I would have won the battle like that, let alone Zhuge Liang.¡±


    ¡°Boasting is all you know. You would have died from exhaustion many times over to fight the hundred-thousands-strong army.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Little Bat, who bickered with Lily just like how Vivian used to be, he could not help but find it funny. Hao Ren got to his feet and walked toward the wooden door, from which a faint ray of light shone through.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. The next era awaits us.¡±


    He pushed open the door and, before them, it was an entirely different space and time.


    After adjusted his vision to the new environment, Hao Ren found himself standing on a broad and straight road.


    It was a wide walkway paved with slabs. On both sides of the road were gray and white tall houses, constructed with a mix of stone and wood. The buildings were of typically classical Greek style and extremely beautiful. At the end of the street was a large square with a fountain and sculptures.


    The boulevard was bustling with pedestrians. Most of them wore white or gray robes, a section of which wrapped around the body and hung on the shoulder to form a beautiful drape. For women, their dress was more complex in design but still mainly white. It was not difficult to see from the costumes that the standard of life these people were relatively high.


    Here seemed to be a big city, the level of cleanliness of which was way better than those 14th-century European cities.


    Hao Ren looked back at from where he emerged. It was a wooden door embedded in the base of a giant sculpture. This out-of-place wooden door was obviously an abnormal existence caused by the misalignment of space and time. Such a strange appearance could not help but attract eyeballs. All the more so when it was situated on a busy street. The crowd began to gather and looked curiously at the guys who came out of the sculpture.


    Hasse was right behind Hao Ren as they came out. His brows knitted together when he saw people had gathered around them. With the flip of his hand, the old demon hunter cast a powerful spell. ¡°It seems we are in a vivacious place.¡±


    The was Repel, the most common spell used by demon hunters in covert operations. Now, Hao Ren felt for the first time the convenience Hasse had brought. Under the influence of the magic spell, the bystanders¡¯ attention had shifted away and began to disperse.


    Hessiana glanced at the architectural style in the surroundings and observed the costumes of the people. ¡°We should be near the ancient Greek region, probably Rome.¡±


    While speaking, Little Bat¡¯s facial expression changed as if she found at home when looking at the ancient Greek-style architecture. ¡°It has been so long.¡±


    ¡°You sound like you are familiar with Rome.¡± Lily glanced curiously at Hessiana.


    ¡°I attained my transcendence in Greece and visited every city after that. At last, I came to Rome!¡± Hessiana said with her arms akimbo. ¡°Wait a minute, let me recall. After achieving transcendence, I met Vivian in Rome for the first time!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you feel it weird to talk about transcendence while you are a through-and-through vampire of the West?¡± Hao Ren rolled his eyes. ¡°Wait a minute. Did you just say you first met Vivian in Rome?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Hessiana scratched her head. ¡°But I could not remember clearly what happened. After all, after I transcended and became human, my mind was still a muddle. I have no idea what was going on around me but just vaguely remember that Lady Vivian found me and we lived in Rome. The city looked like this, more or less.¡±


    ¡°Have you caught Vivian¡¯s amnesia?¡± Lily could not help but roll her eyes.


    ¡°You can¡¯t blame me!¡± Hessiana said with her arms akimbo. ¡°I was sleeping by hanging upside down in the cave. The next morning when I woke up, I found myself walking upright. Would you be able to figure out what happened if you were me? The fact that I could still remember so many things is a ton much better than you who could only recall pulling a sled in the wood when you were little.


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    ¡°All right, please stop arguing.¡± Hao Ren glared at the two. It is not easy to find a day without Lily and Vivian bickering, Hao Ren thought, but now it seems Lily has found a new quarrelsome partner. ¡°Let us discuss important business. Hessiana, what year was it when you and Vivian loitered in Rome?¡±


    Hessiana thought for a moment and said, ¡°I remember Caesar is still alive at that time.¡±


    ¡°How far have we gone back in time?¡± Hao Ren blinked as he looked at Hasse.


    ¡°No calculations needed. It is now some time around the AD with a margin of error of a hundred years.¡± Hasse said with his arms crossed, but his eyes were on the architecture and the pedestrians. ¡°If the costumes of the people were anything to go by, it should be the Roman Republic period before the formation of the empire. Since the streets are still orderly, chances are high that Caesar is still in power. Just that we do not know if he has become a dictator.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Hessiana. ¡°We may have come to a very delicate point in time. Where did Vivian and you live?¡±


    ¡°Holy moly! What a coincidence!¡± Hessiana was a little confused. But she quickly came out of her daze and now looked frustrated. ¡°It has been two thousand years, how can I remember?¡±


    ¡°Then we will find it slowly,¡± Hao Ren said unhurriedly. ¡°We may be meet Vivian who is still awake this time.¡±

 Chapter 1469 - At the End of the Mythological Era

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    This section of returning to the past was more pleasant than all the previous ones, but Hao Ren knew that traveling in the distorted space and time was nowhere near pleasant.


    There were always things out of his expectations and troubles that awaited him.


    They had met Vivian wandering in the Amazon Jungle. But before they could talk, Vivian had gone into her pre-hibernation state of violence, which almost wiped out Hao Ren¡¯s entire team.


    On the steppes of Mongolia, Vivian¡¯s mausoleum was right before their eyes. But the sudden appearance of close to a hundred demon hunters and more remnants of the werewolves had dragged them into a melee. With the protection of his Steel Membrane Shield, Hao Ren went ahead to wake Vivian up amid the violent bombardment.


    In ancient Rome, towards the end of the Mythological Era, God knows what would await them.


    After changing into costumes that were appropriate to the era, Hao Ren and his team wandered the city of Rome as they gathered information along the way.


    The ancient city surprised Hao Ren. Compared with the barbaric American tribal settlements and polluted European towns in medieval times, the order and grandeur of Rome was a miracle. From a municipal point of view, it was even more beautiful and livable than the medieval European cities more than a thousand years later. At least in Rome, there was no rotten smell. There were big houses on the side of the road, exquisite stone carvings everywhere, and decorative pillars that projected the power of the Roman Republic. All these things combined was the embryonic form of a mighty empire. At that time, Rome was only a republic and not an empire, but it had already manifested some of the qualities of an empire. These qualities were embedded in the grandeur of urban architecture and in the proud as well as confident faces of the people.


    Hao Ren knew that the level of human productivity on Earth during this era was uncomparable to later generations, yet he still held the city in high regard.


    ¡°So, history is a spiral, and there will always be a time when things dip a little,¡± Hessiana said. Her voice was filled with emotions looking at the city where she was ¡®born.''¡±Even In the era of the Republic, Rome had comprehensive urban planning. There were professionally-managed drainage system and sewage treatment, but the Germans from the wildland had smashed these facilities to the ground¡ªbarbarism destroyed civilization. Until the fifteenth century, Paris in France still did not manage to recreate the sewerage technology of the Roman era. Tsk tsk.¡±


    Little Bat had great respect for this city. After all, it was her hometown where she had an emotional attachment.


    Lily stretched her neck and looked around. ¡°Can we find Vivian just by strolling around in the city?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. But it is the best way we can use right now.¡± Hessiana glanced at Lily. ¡°First of all, I cannot remember what happened when I was little, it has been two thousand years. Now I can get lost in Rome. Secondly, Lady Vivian and I were homeless at that time. We were wandering in and around Rome, usually within a hundred miles of the city center.¡±


    ¡°A hundred miles in radius? What the heck! How long it would take us to scout the entire area?¡± Lily was wide-eyed.


    ¡°So we need to find clues,¡± said Hessiana, looking annoyed by the stupid dog. ¡°This is the tail end of the Mythological Era. The gods are not completely finished yet, and Vivian and I were in the open. We will find something sooner or later.¡±


    The tail end of the Mythological Era; Hessiana¡¯s description was apt.


    ¡°At this time, are the gods on Mount Olympus still there? Hasse, tell me about this period and the gods.¡± Hao Ren said.


    Hasse¡¯s face was still emotionless. ¡°This is the end time of the Mythological Era, and all the foreign gods on this planet are going downhill as the demon hunters continue their attack on the gods. Another reason for their decline is that their ruling method is unsustainable. At this time, Odin of the Nordic side is still sending Valkyries to collect spirit warriors to get ready for the Twilight of the Gods. But the Zeus family on Mount Olympus is losing the battle. If I remember it correctly, before the rise of Caesar, the demon hunter, Amatura, had led an army and brought down the dimensional barrier of Olympus. Our soldiers and the Ares¡¯ army fought for decades at the foot of Mount Olympus. During Caesar¡¯s time, I again led a second battle group to attack Apollo from the south of Mount Olympus and went all the way up to the throne of Zeus. And you know the rest of the story; we destroyed the energy furnace and control center of Olympus, and the collapse of the dimension was clearly visible in the human world.¡±


    Hao Ren certainly knew this last big event. He also knew that when Mount Olympus fell, there was a group of sirens on the sea. The strange items collectors salvaged many things that dropped from Mount Olympus. Among the items the sirens had taken was the statue of Vivian.


    ¡°When was it?¡± Hao Ren looked at Hasse. ¡°Was Rome a republic or an empire? Was Caesar assassinated?¡±


    ¡°Then I have no idea,¡± Hasse shrugged. ¡°We did not care about the human world, at least that was the case at that time. To us, the succession of the throne and social change in the human kingdoms were no different from a troop of monkeys getting a new leader.¡±


    Hao Ren was stupefied.


    After hearing what Hasse said, Lily kept looking around curiously. ¡°If that is the case, the demon hunters must be attacking Mount Olympus now.¡±


    Hasse nodded. ¡°Not only that, even I in history might be in the battlefield now.¡±


    ¡°I cannot really see from here. The world of the gods is crumbling, but human society in Rome is still business as usual. Look there, a bunch of monks is still strolling around!¡±


    ¡°It is indeed true. The war in the divine realm is a remote happening to the humans. The otherworldlings used their superb technology or magic to create various other dimensions. They wanted to show that they were powerful, and they did not want to live with the ¡®inferior, ignorant¡¯ humans. But this ultimately shielded the human world from the war of the gods, because all main battlefields were in the divine realms. Of course, the battle of the gods had an impact on humans, but it often happened at the end of the war. When the celestial spheres crumbled down, debris fell into the world and left behind many legends, such as the Twilight of Gods. All this has been passed down as myths and legends.¡±


    While Lily and Hasse discussed the fight of the gods, an idea suddenly crossed Hao Ren¡¯s mind.


    Hao Ren realized that he might have another way to find out the whereabouts of Vivian.


    ¡°The gods of Olympus are still not dead yet, right?¡±


    Hasse glanced at Hao Ren. ¡°Hard to say. But judging from the current atmosphere in the city, humans have not noticed the collapse of Olympus. The gods of Olympus should still be alive.¡±


    ¡°That will be easy.¡± Hao Ren clapped. ¡°Let us go and find a temple!¡±


    ¡°What for?¡± Lily had no clue what Hao Ren was up to.


    ¡°Look for the so-called ¡®God¡¯ to find out the situation!¡±


    Temples were abundant in Rome.


    As a country of inclusiveness and acceptance of foreign elements, Rome had never declined the foreign religions from settling in the land. As long as they did not adversely affect the foundation of the country and deny the Romans their own values, then foreign religions could easily find a foothold in the city¡ªof course, they were required to pay for it. This open-door policy directly led to religions sprouted like mushrooms after the rain in Rome.


    In the process of religious fusion, the ancient Greek gods from the Greek peninsula became the dominant religion. This otherworldling family, which was at its peak during the Middle Ages, spread their influence throughout the Mediterranean region¡ªthe ancient Greek peninsula, the ancient Italian peninsula, and the vast areas surrounding them. Many of the gods were mainly Olympians or their incarnations and variants in the world.


    There was a less accurate saying that the Roman gods were Greek. This theory lacked professionalism and diligence in archaeology and mythology, but many gods worshipped in Rome did have the shadows of Greek gods. As the greatest successor of ancient Greek civilization, the Romans had included over half of the Greek gods into their own mythological system and fused the gods together. Even though the gods¡¯ name and title had changed, in essence, the offerings in the temples would eventually be sent to the same place: Mount Olympus.


    Hao Ren once learned from Vivian about the method by which the ancient gods ruled the human world. These gods lived in the divine realm isolated from the human world. But to accept the offering and show their majesty, they must leave a channel of communication by which the mortal could communicate with them. This channel was in the form of the temples built under their inspiration. Other than the small religions and temples, large temples or registered temples had professional priests, who were considered to have the power to communicate with the gods, and in fact, it was true.


    At least until the death of the gods, the human spokespersons they chose were able to connect with their gods.


    After thirty minutes of getting lost, Hao Ren found a place that seemed right: the Temple of Apollo.

 Chapter 1470 - The Temple of Apollo

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Apollo, the only god who retained his original name after being transferred from the Greek to the Roman religious system. Many people in later generations only knew that Apollo was the sun god in ancient Greek mythology, but in the Greek legends, Apollo was the god or arts. It was not until the fifth century BC that Apollo was accorded the title ¡°god of sun and light¡±. After the Romans included Apollo into their religious system, they did not give him a new name like they did to other Greek gods. And in the evolution of mythology, Apollo was recognized as the god of music, healing, prophecy, the sun and light, and so on. In the Roman mythological system, Apollo¡¯s multiple roles reflected the level of imagination of people from that period.


    It also mirrored the collapse of the divine realm.


    The reason was straightforward. When the Thunder Colossi¡ªZeus¡¯ family¡ªon Mount Olympus was still powerful, they directly ruled the creatures on Earth. Their existence was real and unquestionable. The mortals on the ground knew the gods they served and what kind of power their gods possessed. But as the army of the demon hunters brought down the protective barrier of Olympus, Zeus and all his family members were caught up in the war. They no longer had time for earthly things. For hundreds of years, the connection with the divine realm had been intermittent, and the priests on Earth had to find ways to maintain the status and influence of the gods they worshipped. So aside from feigning some stories about the deities, there was nothing else the priests could do.


    So people¡¯s understanding of their gods was blurred and shrouded in a mysterious veil as they accorded the gods with more and more roles as well as titles.


    When there were no religious activities and celebrations, temples were relatively deserted. At the moment, the Romans had yet to enter the period where people would be immersed in worldly pleasure and indulgence. They still needed to spend a great deal of time working. Those who came into the temples on regular days were mainly nobility or people seeking help during a personal crisis. Today, the temple was mostly deserted. Hao Ren and his entourage stepped into the temple and saw the empty hall. The statue and altar of the sun god, Apollo, stood majestically as a few monks cleaned the altar.


    Hessiana glanced at the statue of Apollo and twitched her mouth. ¡°His eyes are too big.¡±


    Hasse also took a look and said, ¡°This is the one I killed.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    The monks had noticed the group of uninvited guests in the holy temple talking and pointing at the statue disrespectfully. An old man wearing a purple-edged white robes came up to them. He glanced at Hasse cautiously as if his years of serving the god had enabled him to sense the demon-hunter air of Hasse. ¡°Are you here to seek guidance from the Great Apollo?¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at the old man and said, ¡°Who is the high priest here?¡±


    The old man stood upright. He was as proud as any priests in this era. ¡°I am the high priest.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Well, we have to talk to Apollo. Please contact him for us.¡±


    The old man was startled. He does not sound like one who comes to seek guidance or is a worshipper, the old man said to himself. He had been here for most of his life as a priest and yet no one had ever come up with such a request. ¡°Do not be rude! Do you know that this is a sacred place?¡±


    Hessiana stepped forward. ¡°Of course we know, that is why we come to look for Apollo. Otherwise, where else can we find Apollo?¡±


    The old priest blinked and thought that they were barbarians who had no clues of the rules of the civilized world. He patiently explained, ¡°If you mean to listen to the revelation of God, then you should first¡ª¡±


    Lily had run out of patience. She stepped forward and grabbed the collar of the old priest while a pair of pointed wolf ears popped up on her head. ¡°Old man, can you not understand? We want to talk to Apollo. Look at my ears, do you still not figure out who we are?¡±


    The old priest was scared stiff looking at Lily¡¯s wolf ears. And then he saw Hessiana had summoned a blood-red energy ball and finally came to his senses. ¡°You¡­ you guys are deities?¡±


    At this time, the Mythological era had not yet over, and the demon hunters were already right up on Mount Olympus, but the otherworldlings were a common sight in the human world. To ordinary humans, these otherworldlings were gods.


    Hao Ren had all this while been dealing directly with the gods, this weird social and religious phenomenon appeared a bit ridiculous in his eyes. But during this era, this understanding was common sense, even part of human life.


    Lily nodded with satisfaction. ¡°Very good. We need to see Apollo, but Olympus is closed. We know you have a sacred object by which you could contact Olympus.¡±


    Hasse chimed in and said coldly, ¡°It is your honor.¡±


    Cold sweat trickled down the old priest¡¯s forehead on the shoulders. He then suddenly shouted at the junior priests and monks. ¡°Fast! Close the temple gate!¡±


    The massive entrance shut. If this happened during the day, it would arouse speculation among the people. But Hao Ren and his team could not care less about what the people thought. The old priest brought them further inside the temple. There, another statue and altar of Apollo stood, but there was no worship place for the general believers. It was a place used only by the priests of the temple.


    The old priest took out a delicate brass box from a hidden spot below the statue. He opened the box and took out a gold badge with a sun relief, his face filled with a complicated expression of excitement and awe as he handed the badge to Hao Ren.


    When Hao Ren reached out to take the badge, the old priest suddenly took a deep breath and said, ¡°You¡­ you might not be able to contact the great Apollo.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyebrows arched. ¡°Why?¡±


    The old priest seemed reluctant to reveal more. As a humble mortal servant, he had limited understanding of the divine realm, nor did he know whether his actions would please his god or anger him. After some hesitation, the old priest finally said, ¡°Even we have a hard time contacting the divine realm. Perhaps the sinful behavior of the humans had angered the gods. Since decades ago, the gods rarely reveal their will and only occasionally answered our prayers. Especially in the last ten years, I have never heard from the Great Apollo. Probably¡­ maybe we have lost God¡¯s protection.¡±


    The old priest sounded nervous. On the one hand, it was the uneasiness from losing response from the gods; on the other hand, he was worried that he would anger these unknown gods before him.


    Otherworldling gods had never been sympathetic to humans. They only wanted the worship and entertainment of humans. In this era, humans were more at awe and in fear of the gods. Gods of Olympus and Norse were more amiable to them but much harder to deal with the deities that wandered around in the world.


    The gods could become angry, and sometimes, even massacre the entire town at a whim. The old priest was uneasy because he had no idea whether these people in front of him were good or bad deities.


    Hao Ren and Hasse exchanged a look after hearing what the old priest said.


    The war in the divine realm would not directly affect humans, but its indirect influence would inevitably spread to the human world.


    The first ones to feel the effect were people in the temple. Most of the temples in the world had lost contact with their respective divine realms.


    But that did not bother Hao Ren at all. As long as Mount Olympus was still there, he would have a way to contact the gods.


    Hao Ren took the badge in his hands as the old priest watched nervously.


    Hidden beneath the gold-plated surface was a delicate magic mechanism. Its function was to read the mind¡¯s signal of the holder. After a simple decoding process, it forwarded the signal to the Olympian communication center in the other dimension.


    It was sort of a magic version of the walkie-talkie.


    And to make the mentally weak and humans who lacked magic skills, this communication device had also been deliberately simplified to make it human-friendly. Even so, only a small number of trained and talented humans could activate its power. But at least the priests in the temple had been able to use it.


    Since ordinary humans could master its usage after some training, it was so much easier for Hao Ren to decoding the gadget.


    In the blink of an eye, Hao Ren had removed the anti-theft chain module of the golden badge, and then activated the device as the surface of the badge began to glow with a faint golden brilliance.


    The old priest looked in awe. He used all his strength but could barely make the badge respond, but Hao Ren had made it glow like a star with the snap of a finger. The old priest now realized how powerful these ¡®gods¡¯ in front of his eyes were; he humbly bowed his head.


    ¡°Your power is amazing.¡±


    As the Olympian gods were caught up in the battle with the demon hunters, they had no time to take care of what happened in the human world. Their rule of intimidation and violence became unsustainable, and not many priests were still loyal to them.


    ¡°Leave us alone,¡± Hao Ren told the old priest. ¡°What we are going to discuss is the secret between the gods.¡±


    The old priest was hesitant. ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Apollo will not blame you,¡± Hessiana said and shot the old priest a glance. ¡°But if you do not leave, we will blame you.¡±


    The old priest quaked in his boots and left the place.

 Chapter 1471 - Caesar

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After the old priest left, Hao Ren nodded to Lily and the others. Shortly after, he took out a signal amplifier from his Dimensional Pocket. He then put the badge on the amplifier¡¯s receptor. That way, he could directly broadcast an encrypted signal from Olympus and even use the limited communication bandwidth of the badge to sense the situation on Mount Olympus.


    The first few calls received no response.


    Lily¡¯s ears flicked, and she asked, ¡°Is Apollo not home?¡±


    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s charging his phone,¡± Hessiana said after she thought for a while.


    ¡°Stop messing about,¡± Hao Ren said.


    Since the conventional method did not work, Hao Ren had to use a cheat: he proceeded to hack the badge to turn it into a signal transmitter. He then began to eavesdrop on what was happening on the other end.


    At first, there was only meaningless interference and static noise in the signal amplifier. But as Hao Ren continuously fine-tuned the frequency, there seemed to be some other sounds in the noise. Slowly, vocals and whistling could be heard from the device.


    Hao Ren was excited. He further increased the power of the signal filter and amplified the signal before he clearly heard a voice shouting, ¡°Aargh! I am bleeding!¡±


    Then, there was silence.


    The four of them looked at each other. It was awkward, especially Hasse although there were no visible emotions on his paralyzed face. Lily glanced at the old demon hunter sideways and asked, ¡°What is going on?¡±


    ¡°It seems that I have just killed Apollo.¡± Hasse¡¯s voice sounded weird. ¡°Well, at least now we know the situation on Mount Olympus. I in history lead an army and has breached Olympus¡¯s last line of defense. It is the end of Olympian celestial family.¡±


    Hao Ren jumped to his feet. ¡°Why were you so enthusiastic about bringing down Olympus? And the timing could not have been worse.¡±


    Hasse spread out his hand. ¡°I was just doing my job back then. How was I going to know we would need those guys today?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Landlord, let us just go to another temple.¡± Lily nudged Hao Ren. ¡°Not everyone on Mount Olympus has died. Someone will answer the phone.¡±


    ¡°Forget about that.¡± Hao Ren sighed. ¡°When Hasse¡¯s forces break through the last line of defense of Olympus, that means the stalemate phase of the war is over. At this time, Mount Olympus has been in a state of chaos. Do you think those Greek gods still have time to answer your call from the human world? They are dying.¡±


    Hessiana¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°We should not have depended on others. We do it ourselves.¡±


    Hao Ren said nothing. He was a little upset. Getting help from the gods was his best bet to find Vivian in the Mythological era. It did not matter whether Vivian and the gods were singing Kumbaya or fighting tooth and nail, at least the gods knew the whereabouts of Vivian. Raven 12345 had also suggested before he came.


    It seemed that Hao Ren had fallen at the first hurdle. What happened right now was out of his expectation. The demon hunters had overrun Mount Olympus. Even though when the Olympus family had been at war with the demon hunters for the past ten years, they still kept an eye on Vivian¡¯s movement. But the fall of Mount Olympus had shattered Hao Ren¡¯s plan.


    Hao Ren and his team had come at the worst time, right when Apollo cried out ¡®I am bleeding.¡±


    Everyone came out of the room. The old priest, who looked nervous, seemed to have been waiting for a long time. He scurried up and asked, ¡°Almighty gods, have you all gotten the answer you want? Did the great sun god issue me any order?¡±


    Hao Ren felt too sorry to tell the old priest that the sun god he was worshipping had just died. ¡°We have talked to Apollo, but he did not send you any word. The gods there have been busy lately, probably they would not have time for the human world for the time being.¡±


    The old priest bowed his head in awe. ¡°The gods must be busy governing the heavens and the earth.¡±


    Governing my foot, Hao Ren said to himself, there has been genocide going on.


    Lily looked at the old man in a priest¡¯s robe. It was not difficult to see how helpless and lost the old man was without divine providence for the past ten years. The otherworldling gods might not be of any good, but for the priests who had dedicated their lives to the gods, living around the gods were their lives.


    As Apollo¡¯s cry ¡®I am bleeding¡¯ came to mind, Lily could not help but say, ¡°Old man, have you ever thought of getting another job?¡±


    The old priest had no clue what Lily meant. ¡°Aah?¡±


    ¡°She is joking,¡± Hao Ren said as he quickly dragged Lily out of the door. ¡°We should not bother you again. But please do not tell anyone what has happened today.¡±


    As Hao Ren passed through the front of the temple, he looked back at the majestic sculpture of the sun god, Apollo.


    Hao Ren could see what ordinary humans could not notice; the aura surrounding the Apollo statue was gradually disappearing. The stone statue that once hosted Apollo¡¯s strength was rapidly degenerating and becoming a piece of ordinary stone.


    ¡°Mr. Landlord, why did you not let me tell him?¡± Lily asked after leaving the temple. ¡°The bunch of fake gods has all died. What are those priests and monks do if they do not get any job?¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the canine maiden, who was sometimes smart and sometimes dumb. ¡°It is only because of the disappearance of the gods, the priests will usher in the last wave of glory in history and probably their first real glory too.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because no one is in charge, you can say and do whatever you want. You can appropriate the offerings to yourself.¡± Hessiana shrugged. ¡°When the gods were there, even the highest priests were only the tools and slaves of the otherworldling gods. When Laoco?n of Troy, however good he was, said something wrong, the gods killed him. But it is different when the gods die. The end of the Mythological era is good news for the human priests. Before the truth of the fall of the gods was finally exposed, the priests could still chicane for 1,800 years.¡±


    Lily scratched her head. ¡°It makes sense.¡±


    ¡°Could you not think of it or just did not bother to use your noodle?¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°Did you graduate four times from Peking University for nothing?¡±


    Lily¡¯s arms akimbo. ¡°Nonsense! Why should I think so hard when you guys could already figure it out?¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    This was the first time that the husky maiden confessed to it so bluntly.


    ¡°Hao Ren, what are you going to do next?¡± Even Hasse felt ashamed of Lily, the so-called former head of the demon hunters. He quickly changed the topic. ¡°It is not a good idea to roam around aimlessly in Rome to find Vivian. It is especially so when Hessiana could not provide any useful information.¡±


    Hao Ren pinched his forehead with his fingers. At first, he thought about going to Mount Olympus to check out the situation there. It was not only to look for Vivian but also to find Hesperides. The nymph of the evening could help him operate in the Mythological Era. But after visiting the Temple of Apollo, Hao Ren had given up the idea. The demon hunters had breached the last defense of Olympus, which they did not manage to do and could only fight with Zeus¡¯s army at the foot of Mount Olympus. At this moment, the battle had entered its final and most insane phase. The frenzied demon hunters and ancient Greek gods were everywhere in the divine realm, it was too risky to go there right now.


    Hao Ren was confident, but he was not reckless. It was not wise to get involved in the war between the demon hunters and the Greek gods, especially when he was unable to contact Nolan and get other help.


    The Hasse of that era should have been on Mount Olympus right then, so letting the Hasse of the future swap positions with the Hasse of that era sounded like a good idea. But it was an operation of walking on thin ice; it was too risky.


    Hao Ren was weighing other options when a burst of noise in the street interrupted his thought.


    A crowd had gathered as Roman soldiers in gorgeous armor and cloaks were on both sides of the streets. Cheers came from afar. It sounded like people were welcoming the arrival of some VIP.


    Amid the rise and fall of the cheers, Hao Ren heard a name.


    ¡°Caesar! The great Gaius Julius Caesar!¡±


    At the end of the avenue, a gorgeous carriage decorated with garlands and gold leaves appeared. The carriage had a thick red carpet, surrounded by a railing with a garnish of the images of gods but without a roof. The VIP in the carriage could thus stand up and accept the greeting of the people.


    Gaius Julius Caesar, the famous Roman ruler, stood in the carriage. Standing next to him were four heavily armed loyal guards. Caesar was wearing an elaborately-decorated armor and waving at the crowd as cheers rose.


    Hao Ren watched on.


    He suddenly realized that the gods on Mount Olympus were not the only ones who had come into contact with Vivian. Even Caesar had met her.


    It was said that back then, Vivian had kicked Caesar into the moat.

 Chapter 1472 - Revisiting the Old Haunt

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Gaius Julius Caesar, the historic Roman ruler returned to his palace. The flowers and cheers in the square and streets still seemed to surround him, bringing a contented smile to his face. With the help of his attendants, he took his decorative armor off, sat down in his favorite wide chair, and started to ponder.


    He was thinking about the Roman rule¡ªhis own rule. He had just completed the final step of purging the great nation; the two insurrectionists, Pompey¡¯s sons had been crushed by the Roman army. Caesar found himself at the pinnacle of his rule over the country like never before. There was no triumvirate politics and no more archons to apportion power among themselves. He had become the only true ruler of the country. So what kind of identity should he as the sole ruler have?


    Caesar found that he had no intention, or perhaps, he could not find the opportunity to destroy Rome¡¯s long-standing parliamentary system. Therefore, he would not become an emperor. The best position for him would still be as the regent of the republic, but that meant he could only be a general. Maybe it should have a new name, like ¡°dictator¡±.


    Caesar¡¯s mind wandered a little as if he had seen the republic and its glorious future. He had no idea of the murder he was about to face, or that in a few short decades, his adopted son, Octavius would transform Rome from a republic into an empire. He did not even know that the Twilight of the Gods, far from Earth, was ending the reign of the gods. All he knew was, it looked like an intruder had broken into his room, yet the guards outside made no sign of movement.


    The window was closed, but a sudden breeze whirled through the room. Caesar looked up at the drapery and saw two men as well as two women standing there. The four mysterious strangers were surrounded by mist, and he could only discern their silhouettes, not the details of their features. They appeared in the room abruptly, as though they had been hiding behind pillars the entire time.


    However, there obviously could not have been anyone hiding in the room. Caesar had checked it carefully as he entered. Then, the mist that hung over the two men and women told him something: they held powers beyond human understanding, either divine or demonic.


    In that age, the activities of the gods were not far from human beings. Many kings and priests had at least two or three encounters with the gods in their lives. Caesar was no exception. So he quickly calmed down and maintained his dignity as a human being at that moment. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    He did not ask the men and women in front of him what their names were or where they came from, because it was pointless to ask such questions to those with extraordinary powers. It may even lead to unnecessary disasters.


    Hasse stepped forward and said, ¡°Gaius Julius Caesar, we have some questions for you.¡±


    Caesar shifted his eyes to the side as if he was searching for something to use as a weapon. But he did not hesitate to answer, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever heard of this name¡ªVivian Ancestor,¡± Hasse asked. ¡°She is a member of the gods, but she is traveling through your country at the moment.¡±


    Caesar¡¯s eyes stopped wandering for an instant. Soon after, a queer look began to appear on his face¡ªhis expression was that of a little indignance and a little embarrassment. It was hard to hide, but at the same time, he tried hard not to lose his grace.


    Hao Ren was hiding in the magic mist. Looking at Caesar¡¯s expression, he knew what was going on. It seemed that Vivian had kicked the Lord into the moat once¡­ Although it was unfair to Caesar, Hao Ren thought it was good news, as this showed that he had met Vivian.


    There was a reason for Hao Ren to approach Caesar and ask him about the situation at hand. He had heard Vivian mention that she came to know Caesar in the Roman Republic, and she had dealt with him more than once. Plus, Caesar was able to lay the foundations of the Roman Empire and make great achievements in history with Vivian¡¯s help.


    Back then, although Vivian was wandering the world, suffering from the curse of poverty and unable to settle down, she would still communicate with the local people whenever she stayed in a place for a short time. When she was in Rome, she acted as a prophet, a witch, and a foreign god. Caesar had long noticed the strange ¡°prophet and god¡±, hence he sought help from Vivian at a high cost.


    In the Gallic War, Vivian helped the Romans defeat their enemies by creating a plague with her blood powers, and she sent Caesar all the way to invade the Germanic homeland. After the war, the Greek gods made no response to the Romans¡¯ search for a foreign god, which made Caesar believe that he had found a great patron. He even had the idea of building a blood temple in the city of Rome.


    However, just like every ¡°god¡±, Vivian Ancestor was also weird and temperamental. Caesar still did not know what he had done to offend that great god¡­


    Now, there were four people looking for Vivian Ancestor. Caesar had no idea if they were gods or evil spirits, and that made him uneasy. He frowned and suddenly felt that something was off.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Hao Ren said. He deliberately left some time for Caesar to ponder before he spoke slowly, ¡°We are her friends, and you only need to tell us where she is.¡±


    ¡°She did stop in Rome,¡± Caesar said cautiously. ¡°But I cannot find her unless she shows herself. She is a goddess, and her movements do not fall into the eyes of mortals.¡±


    ¡°You are not telling the truth.¡± Lily stood up. With her animal instincts, she sensed that Caesar was lying.


    Caesar¡¯s face twitched, and he began to believe that the fellows before him had the ability to discern the falsehood. ¡°I cannot bear the wrath of the gods¡ªyours or hers.¡±


    ¡°There will be no anger directed at you.¡± Slight, imperceptible mental cues were infused into Hasse¡¯s voice. ¡°On the contrary, Vivian Ancestor will appreciate you even more for what you have done for us. Now tell us, where is Vivian?¡±


    Caesar went into a trance, but soon he became sober again. Although he was a man without special powers, he had a mind that surprised even the old demon hunter. To subdue Caesar¡¯s will, Hasse had to increase his power.


    Caesar¡¯s eyes were now blank, as though he was dreaming. Then, he started to say something, ¡°In the northeastern corner of the city of Rome, in a neighborhood next to the city wall, she often wanders there. If she wants to see you, she will take the initiative to appear¡­¡±


    Hasse retracted his magic and said, ¡°Thank you for your cooperation.¡±


    There was a breeze, and Caesar woke up. When he looked again, there was no one in sight.


    Observing the empty room and seeing the beautiful gifts presented to the Roman ruler all over the table not far away, he suddenly felt dull and insipid.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you let me out?¡± On the way to the northeastern area of the town, Hessiana gave Hao Ren a slightly unpleasant look. ¡°I could have just told Caesar that I wanted my mother. Wouldn¡¯t that have been a lot easier?¡±


    ¡°As far as I know, Vivian never appeared with you in front of Caesar, so Caesar doesn¡¯t know your existence. Your sudden appearance will only make him more suspicious of us.¡±


    Soon, they found the neighborhood Caesar mentioned. Near the city wall, buildings that looked more dilapidated than those in any other place were crowded there in a disorderly manner. Two of them even had traces of smoke, a sign that small-scale fires had just occurred. Some people were standing around the two houses, talking about the fire in the kitchens of the two families.


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t understand sometimes. Is Vivian only able to choose to live in a poor place, or does the place she lives in become extremely poor?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    Hessiana sighed and said, ¡°It must be the second one¡ªit used to be busy here.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    Once inside the neighborhood, the task of finding Vivian fell on Hessiana and Lily. Hessiana had a strong telepathic connection to Vivian while Lily had an astounding nose. Hao Ren could not compare with them in any way.


    ¡°How¡¯s it going? Feel anything? And do you remember anything else?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel anything yet, but I do recall bits and pieces¡­¡± Hessiana said in a nostalgic tone, raising her hand to touch a nearby stone wall. ¡°I¡¯ve carved things on it before¡­¡±


    Lily was sniffing around when she heard what Hessiana said. She then looked up and exclaimed, ¡°Hey, little bat, there¡¯s something on the wall over there!¡±

 Chapter 1473 - Little Hessiana

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    For a vampire who had lived for more than 2,000 years and had most of her experiences disappear with the passage of time, a visit back to the same place held a different meaning.


    Looking at the vaguely familiar neighborhood, Hessiana¡¯s memory gradually became clear. She seemingly returned to the days when she had just transformed into a ¡°human¡± 2,000 years ago. It was probably the happiest time of her life. The Mythological Age had yet to end, and all kinds of otherworldlings could still live across the world freely. Her life was simple and happy. At that time, Vivian had not driven her away. Every day, Hessiana ran happily behind her ¡°mother¡±. Although the days were difficult, there was really nothing to worry about. There was no need to worry about the hunting of demon hunters or fighting with other otherworldlings and other families. The only thing that concerned them was probably their daily three meals.


    Though, getting three meals a day was a really big problem: even with great wealth, Vivian could hardly change it into food in time¡­


    Hao Ren and the rest of them approached the stone wall, which bore Hessiana¡¯s childhood memories. There were childlike drawings carved on the wall. There were a bunch of fat abstract rats, some crooked trees, and a big table full of fruits and cakes, which were badly drawn.


    Lily looked at the drawings on the stone wall, and then at Hessiana. There was a subtle expression on her face as her eyes danced back and forth between the two. ¡°Wow, you were so naive when you were a kid,¡± said Lily.


    Hessiana turned her gaze away uneasily. She had an embarrassed look on her face. ¡°Who hasn¡¯t been a child? Isn¡¯t it good to have a childhood?¡±


    ¡°But your drawings are strange,¡± Lily commented on Hessiana¡¯s childhood drawings. ¡°And you drew a bunch of rats¡­¡±


    Hessiana blushed. ¡°I¡­ That¡¯s a horse!¡±


    Hao Ren slapped his forehead and said, ¡°It¡¯s a horse? I thought it was a rat too.¡±


    The little bat glared at the two of them. ¡°You two bastards! I don¡¯t believe both of you could have drawn better than me when you were little!¡±


    Hao Ren felt a strange amusement in his heart when he unexpectedly discovered that the little bat had such a childlike side. As they commented on Hessiana¡¯s drawings from her early years, a slightly childish voice suddenly rang from behind. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Hao Ren looked around and was stunned. In front of him stood little Hessiana, who looked half a size smaller than the current Hessiana.


    The girl was wearing a rough white dress. She had no shoes on her feet, and her long flowing hair fell down her back. She looked just like Vivian and Hessiana, but more childlike. The little one held a twig in one hand and half a piece of cake in the other. She looked at the group, who was commenting on her ¡°masterpiece¡±, with curiosity and a little wariness in her large eyes.


    Almost in a flash, Hao Ren realized who the little girl before him was: a child version of Hessiana!


    Lily had also guessed the girl¡¯s origin, but her train of thought was obviously different from normal individuals. She poked Hessiana on the arm and asked in a low voice, ¡°Hey, didn¡¯t you say you were quite tall when you turned into a human? Why do you look so small?¡±


    Hessiana had been in a stunned state upon seeing the child version of herself, but Lily¡¯s voice woke her up. ¡°Of course. Two thousand years have passed, and I¡¯ve grown taller. That was my size when I just turned into a human (pointing at the smaller Hessiana not far away). It¡¯s not small compared to a human child.¡±


    Lily looked at the nearby little girl from top to bottom and had to admit that what Hessiana said made sense. The little girl, though a lot younger than Hessiana, looked like a thirteen or fourteen-year-old teenage girl.


    Hao Ren did not know why ¡°someone¡¯s size upon turning into a human¡± was worth discussing. He just observed the little Hessiana with great interest. After he found that the alarmed look on little Hessiana¡¯s face had become more and more obvious, he gently asked, ¡°Is your name Hessiana?¡±


    The little Hessiana nibbled on the cake and nodded. ¡°Yes, who are you?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re Vivian¡¯s friends,¡± Hasse answered. But even though he tried to soften his expression, his paralyzed face, which had been poisoned by blood, remained stiff. ¡°We heard she moved here recently.¡±


    ¡°Mama¡¯s not home,¡± Little Hessiana interrupted before Hasse could finish.


    With that, she apparently ended the conversation there. She began to nibble on the little piece of cake and waved the twig back and forth as if urging the intruders to leave so that she could continue drawing on the wall.


    Right then, Hessiana could not hold back anymore. She went up to her and asked, ¡°Then¡­ Where did Lady Vivian go?¡±


    Little Hessiana¡¯s attention had only been on Hao Ren and Hasse. The little girl¡¯s expression suddenly froze when she saw Hessiana. She probably initially thought that she was gazing at Vivian, but soon, she realized that she was wrong and began to be a little cautious as well as curious. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°My name is Hessi¡­¡± Hessiana almost blurted out her own name, but she stopped short at the last minute and gave herself a new name. ¡°My name is Hathaway! I¡¯m your sister!¡±


    ¡°Sister?¡± Little Hessiana frowned, seemingly puzzled by the sudden appearance of her sister. ¡°Why do I have a sister? I don¡¯t know you¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course you don¡¯t know me, because you didn¡¯t exist yet when I was born. You¡¯re a little bat, aren¡¯t you? Me too! Lady Vivian lost a bat before you, and that was me! Believe it or not, I have bat wings too. Look, look, do these wings look exactly like yours¡­¡±


    Hessiana spread her wings as she spoke. The scene shocked a few people not far away, who were looking their way. She turned her head and glared at them.


    It could not be long before new rumors about the god appearing in the neighborhood would spread.


    Little Hessiana stared blankly at the big Hessiana as she spread her bat wings. Then, she nodded her tiny head in a daze. ¡°It looks right¡­¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯m your sister,¡± Hessiana concluded.


    ¡°It seems so.¡±


    ¡°Sister, are you here to find mother?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Hessiana answered. She looked at the little Hessiana and asked, ¡°Where is she?¡±


    ¡°She went out and asked me to wait for her at home.¡± Little Hessiana looked up and handed adult Hessiana a small piece of the cake in her hand. ¡°Sister, it¡¯s delicious! Mama baked it!¡±


    Hessiana took the cake, a little stunned. Her expression then slowly froze.


    A moment later, she began to cry.


    Hao Ren was trying to ask the little girl when Vivian would come back. But he turned around and saw Hessiana¡¯s reaction. He was startled. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong with you?!¡±


    Holding the small piece of cake in her hand, Hessiana wiped her tears with her arms and explained, ¡°Lady Vivian asked me to wait for her at home, but she never came back. I waited for so many years until the Visigoths invaded Rome¡­ I thought she didn¡¯t want me¡­¡±


    Hao Ren, Lily, and Hasse looked at each other. They were somewhat bewildered by the sudden change. Hasse surely had no idea how to deal with it. After all, he was not acquainted with Hessiana in the slightest. Lily was always bickering with Hessiana, so she did not know how to comfort her either. In the end, Hao Ren went forward and caressed the little bat¡¯s hair. ¡°Well, it¡¯s all right. She didn¡¯t mean it. Didn¡¯t she find you later?¡±


    Hessiana pushed Hao Ren¡¯s hand away. ¡°Don¡¯t treat me like a child. I know what happened. Lady Vivian often forgets things, and I was just unlucky¡­ I¡¯m all right. I just suddenly remembered when I saw this cake¡­ When she went out, she made me a lot of cake and said she would return before I finished eating. I dared not eat the last piece. I kept it there until it turned to ashes¡­¡±


    Hao Ren hesitated for a moment, then put his hand on Hessiana¡¯s head again.


    This time, Hessiana did not push his hand away.

 Chapter 1474 - Vivian’s Whereabouts

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hessiana soon calmed down. She was a little embarrassed about the gaffe earlier and forgot to accuse Hao Ren of treating her like a child again.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± She exhaled. ¡°I just recalled some memories all of a sudden. The matter¡¯s long past, but it left a big psychological impact on me.¡±


    ¡°So Battie is really unreliable,¡± said Lily. ¡°She has a poor memory, and even if she doesn¡¯t have a poor memory, she can¡¯t support herself. How very unfortunate for you to have such a mother.¡±


    Hessiana glared at her. ¡°You can¡¯t say anything bad about Lady Vivian!¡±


    Lily stared back at her and yelled, ¡°Do you know who I am? You weren¡¯t even born when I fought with your mother. I¡¯m your elder!¡±


    Hessiana waved her hand to end the argument. She was too lazy to argue with a silly dog. Then, she turned to the little Hessiana. The little girl looked at the strange people in front of her curiously, but because they had been communicating with each other in Mandarin the entire time, she did not understand what they were quarreling about. Now the little girl seemed very confused and afraid. Hessiana looked at the little girl and smiled as she said, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, we are not fighting.¡±


    Hao Ren, also with a smile on his face, bent down in front of little Hessiana and asked, ¡°Can you tell us where your mother went?¡±


    Before the little girl could speak, Hessiana interrupted, ¡°You don¡¯t have to ask her. I know where Lady Vivian¡¯s gone to.¡±


    ¡°Where has she gone to?¡± Lily and Hao Ren asked in unison.


    ¡°Mount Olympus.¡± Hessiana smiled bitterly. ¡°I knew it. How could anything related to Lady Vivian be settled so smoothly?¡±


    Hasse was surprised and asked, ¡°Mount Olympus is in chaos right now. What¡¯s she doing there?¡±


    Vivian was very strong during that period and even the demon hunters dared not provoke her, but no matter how strong she was, she was still merely a lone ranger. Facing Olympus, which was about to be completely engulfed by war, and challenging an entire holy legion by herself was still a risky venture. More importantly, Vivian had always been reluctant to fight. Even if she had some friendly relationship with several families, they were just hi-bye friends. She would not go out of her way to help either side in person when full-scale war broke out. After all, she did not even pay much attention to the vampire clan she belonged to.


    She had always been alone and was used to being alone. It was because of her indifferent attitude that the demon hunters did not give her trouble. This old elder was not a threat to anyone¡­ at least most of the time.


    Hessiana sighed again. She knew why Hasse was so surprised. ¡°It¡¯s true that Lady Vivian would normally not be involved in the chaotic battle of gods, but there really are one or two friends on Mount Olympus who deserve her help. Hasse, don¡¯t you wonder why several Greek gods still managed to escape after the army of demon hunters leveled Olympus and placed layers of blockade around the area?¡±


    The old demon hunter became curious at once.


    ¡°She¡¯s gone to save Hesperides and a few other friends,¡± Hessiana said. ¡°It was only later that I linked things up. When she left, she just told me that she was going to save some people. Then many years later, I met her again. I also saw the Athens Sanctuary in its initial stage and Hesperides, who had become one of the sanctuary¡¯s leaders. That was when I knew who she had saved.¡±


    Obviously, the time she was referring to was 44 B.C.


    At that time, Caesar had not been assassinated yet, and the Roman Republic was building up strength for its future as the Roman Empire. Meanwhile, the Nordic Valkyries were collecting heroes on the battlefield to prepare for the Twilight of the Gods as the Olympians ushered in their destruction. The Mythological Era was still present, but the sun was setting in the West. Right then, Vivian, a bystander who never intervened in disputes between otherworldlings, went in to save her friends. It was then that little Hessiana began her four-century wait in Rome and almost thought she had been abandoned.


    ¡°It seems that we have to go to Mount Olympus.¡± Hao Ren sighed. ¡°By now, the demon hunters would have completely blocked the border. If we don¡¯t want to go all the way in, we have to find ways to penetrate it. Hasse, it looks like we have to count on you.¡±


    Even Hasse himself found the situation very difficult, but he did not flinch. ¡°I still remember the route and the distribution of blockade lines on Mount Olympus. But to be honest, remembering the overall plan is certainly different from entering the defensive line in person. I can¡¯t avoid encountering a small search team, and once we encounter a small search team, it¡¯s likely that we¡¯ll be surrounded by a large force.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s when your face comes in handy,¡± said Lily. ¡°You¡¯re one of the top commanders amongst the demon hunters on Mount Olympus at this time. What should we be afraid of if you cover us up?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a really good idea.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°But we¡¯ll have to consider some unconventional accidents like what happens when we meet another Hasse? Hasse, even if your memory¡¯s good, you might not remember a location from 2,000 years ago exactly, right?¡±


    Hasse¡¯s expression suddenly grew strange.


    Hao Ren looked at Lily again. ¡°And for a supreme commander, who¡¯s theoretically leading the attack on the throne of Zeus personally, to appear on the periphery all of a sudden¡­ Don¡¯t you think that¡¯ll be a more eye-catching situation?¡±


    Lily thought for a moment and stuck out her tongue. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°That aside, infiltration is still the only option. After all, it¡¯s impossible for us to break through the defenses of two holy legions all the way,¡± said Hessiana. ¡°Let¡¯s come up with a good plan. We should consider the topography of Mount Olympus, the distribution of the demon hunters, the place where Lady Vivian is most likely to be, and if we can¡¯t wake Lady Vivian up on Mount Olympus, we have to find an evacuation route¡ªall of this has to be planned in advance, and we need to be familiar with them.¡±


    Hasse nodded. ¡°Right.¡±


    Little Hessiana was in a trance-like state again right then. ¡°Are you going to find my mother?¡±


    ¡°Umm, yes,¡± Hao Ren answered, scratching his head. ¡°But we have to plan before we leave.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to come to my house then?¡± Little Hessiana seemed happy. ¡°I never thought I had another sister. I want to play with my sister!¡±


    Hessiana smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°Haha¡­ Haha¡­ Okay.¡±


    ¡°Come with me, then!¡± said little Hessiana cheerfully as she turned to lead the way.


    The little girl looked really happy, probably because she suddenly found out that she had a ¡°sister¡±, or maybe because they were Vivian¡¯s friends.


    While she led the way, little Hessiana kept talking about Vivian and her.


    ¡°Mama said I was the little bat she threw out¡­


    ¡°Mama knows a lot of important people. She also said that she kicked a great man named Caesar into the moat the other day because he wanted to make her a patron saint. Mama has been very busy recently. She said that the era of the gods is coming to an end, and she can¡¯t accept the offer¡­¡±


    ¡°Where do we live? Farther on. Mama said, we have to live as far away from the others as possible because she¡¯ll bring them bad luck. They¡¯ll become poor or something¡­ Anyway, I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    Hao Ren finally got a deeper understanding of Vivian in that era.


    However, the adult Hessiana looked quite embarrassed. Everyone said that it was one of the most embarrassing things in the world to show people what one had done when one was a child. And today, she had achieved the ultimate in that respect. ¡°How could I have been so unsuspecting? Why did I talk so much back then¡­¡±


    ¡°It sounds like you talk a lot lesser once you grow up,¡± Hao Ren teased.


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    In front of them, little Hessiana could not stop talking. ¡°Mama¡¯s so kind to me! She can make all kinds of delicious things¡­ This twig? Mama gave it to me. She said it was a twig broken off from Yggdrasil. It¡¯s been several years, and it hasn¡¯t withered¡­¡±

 Chapter 1475 - The Plan

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°This is my home!¡± Little Hessiana said happily, holding a twig in front of a rather shabby-looking home.


    It was a typical Roman-style residence with wood as its framework and a mixture of primitive pozzolanic cement as well as masonry. It was square in shape and had tall walls. From the looks of it, the people living there had to have carefully managed the house. It was clean, and there were no weeds around it. Plus, all the damaged parts of the house had been carefully repaired. But due to endless bad luck, the building itself showed a poor and broken temperament. The house was also surrounded by a large uninhabited and dilapidated area. People stayed away from the place as if they were avoiding the plague.


    ¡°Vivian¡¯s considered a respected goddess in this era and even Caesar¡¯s afraid of her. Why doesn¡¯t she just ask Caesar for help? She needs a palace or something, at least, to live in¡­¡± Lily muttered softly


    Hessiana shook her head and explained, ¡°Because Vivian didn¡¯t want to harm people. She knew about her bad luck. If she had asked Caesar for help, there would have been no Roman Empire in history.¡±


    Lily just kept quiet.


    Regardless, the little version of Hessiana was obviously very satisfied with her ¡°home¡±. She was proud to introduce her guests to the place. ¡°This house used to be owned by a human, but the man died. Nobody took care of the house, so Mama brought me here! We¡¯ve been living here for years¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned. He just realized that even the broken house in front of him was not Vivian¡¯s property. It was only after the original owner had abandoned it that it fell into Vivian¡¯s hands. That was probably the only way Vivian ever got a house to live in.


    Lily found it a little strange when she heard what the little girl said. She glanced at Hessiana and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that Vivian and you wandered a hundred miles around Rome? Why do you still have a permanent residence?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s over a span of decades. We did wander around, but it¡¯s not contradictory to find a place to settle down for a short time, right? Besides, 2,000 years have passed. How could I remember exactly where I lived at this point in time?¡± Hessiana answered.


    Then, she looked up at the house in front of her, which she once called ¡°home¡±.


    The old gate, the mottled outer wall, and the falling eaves all reminded her of even more memories.


    ¡°After Lady Vivian left, I stayed here for a short time. However, the house was soon burned down by a fire. I wandered around the city ever since, until I later found a nearby place to live on my own, but I never dared to venture out too far for fear that Lady Vivian wouldn¡¯t be able to find me if she came back. Now that I think about it, it wasn¡¯t easy at that time: the ancient Greek gods had fallen, and demon hunters had begun to search the human world for survivors who escaped from Mount Olympus. I didn¡¯t know anything at first and I almost got caught several times¡­¡±


    Hasse heard her and touched his nose in embarrassment. He did not know what to say when they talked about demon hunters.


    ¡°Forget it, I don¡¯t want to recall those unhappy things. Lady Vivian¡¯s still waiting for us,¡± Hessiana smiled and led the way into the house like a host.


    ¡°Ahem¡­ Theoretically, you¡¯re now a guest here. The owner of this house is this little girl¡­¡± reminded Hao Ren.


    Hessiana was dumbfounded.


    She wanted to say that the little girl next to her was herself after all, but she did not say anything when she saw the innocent expression on the little girl¡¯s face. Instead, she said, ¡°Why was I so cute?¡±


    Little Hessiana did not understand what had just happened. She was still far from the shrewd and skillful leader who was good at combat. The little girl still had a pure heart. She was delighted to have visitors and she tried to treat ¡°Mama¡¯s friends¡± in what she imagined was the right way. She ushered them into the hall with no furnishings, except a long table and several chairs. Then she ran around looking for food and drinks. Hao Ren looked at her and said, ¡°What a wonderful child you used to be, but now¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Hessiana glared at him. ¡°It¡¯s not easy to stay the same after experiencing so many things, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯m not arguing with you,¡± said Hao Ren, waving his hand. He was too lazy to debate her. Shortly after, he began to take out all kinds of snacks from his Dimensional Pocket and waved at little Hessiana, who was busy looking for food and water. ¡°Hessiana, it¡¯s all right. We¡¯ve prepared our own snacks. Come, let us eat together¡­¡±


    Little Hessiana ran up to him and curiously looked at the dazzling food on the table. She pressed her finger on her lips, but she hesitated. ¡°¡­But, Mama says I can¡¯t accept things from strangers¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not strangers,¡± Hao Ren said, waving his hand, then patting her on the shoulder. ¡°And your sister is here.¡±


    She hesitated for a moment again, but the temptation to eat was too much for a child to resist. The little girl grabbed a packet of cookies to put in her mouth.


    Hao Ren quickly taught her how to open the package¡­


    Hessiana looked at the scene and found it odd. ¡°Why do I feel so weird? Watching this guy bribe me with snacks when I was a kid¡­¡±


    ¡°How is this a bribe? Here, have a candy. This is a rare opportunity.¡±


    Hessiana was speechless.


    At the same time, Lily muttered thoughtfully, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that I can¡¯t see another me like this¡­¡±


    Hao Ren did not hear her clearly and asked, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Lily said, waving her hand. ¡°By the way, Mr. Landlord, we¡¯re going to Mount Olympus, right? How are we going to get in?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°If we¡¯re going to Mount Olympus, we¡¯ll have to at least finalize the map. I¡¯ll leave that to you, Hasse.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Hasse used his magic to create a holographic projection of a detailed map. The map showed a series of mountains floating in the sky, connected by steps or corridors. Magnificent halls and temples, as well as glowing barriers, could be seen throughout the mountains. ¡°I¡¯m not going to try to cover anything. After all, everyone here knows what the war was all about. This is the map the demon hunters used before they destroyed Olympus. As you can see, Mount Olympus has twelve peaks, one of which is occupied by each of the twelve gods, including Zeus. The entire mountain range is suspended in an antigravity environment. Apart from the throne of Zeus, which has a master control center that monitors all the peaks, each mountain has its own control system and energy center¡­¡±


    ¡°Gravity will fail once we get to a certain distance away from Mount Olympus. Farther out is a layer with very strong radiation. It spreads out to the boundary of this space, so the whole of Olympus is covered by this radiation field. Such a structure makes aerial incursions extremely risky, especially now that much of Olympus has collapsed, including its control points. The mountain¡¯s safety zone has been greatly reduced, and radiation fields may have touched the ground in many places¡­¡±


    ¡°Then we better not challenge that thing.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°When we go up the mount, turn on radiation detection. Try to avoid anything that looks dangerous.¡±


    ¡°First, let¡¯s talk about our goals. If I¡¯m right, Vivian should be here,¡± said Hasse, pointing at a peak near Mount Olympus.


    Hao Ren frowned. ¡°This is¡­¡±


    ¡°The temple of Poseidon. After I led a raid on the throne of Zeus, the Olympian gods lost their high command. They were reduced to holding their final resistance in the temple of Poseidon. It was their last resort. It was host to the final and most violent battle. They did have the backbone to hold out in such a small place for a long time when all but the temple of Poseidon was under the demon hunters¡¯ control. The only place they could hide in the entire of Olympus at this time was Poseidon¡¯s territory, so to speak. And I remember the last place I saw Hesperides was near the temple of Poseidon¡­¡±


    ¡°We have no direct access to the temple of Poseidon, so we need to find an infiltration point from the nearest place. The best place is here¡­¡±

 Chapter 1476 - The Route

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hasse was referring to an area between the realms of Zeus and Poseidon, which was enveloped by a hazy black fog. In the billowing fog, a barren peak covered with black rocks could be seen, and on it stood an obsidian temple.


    The old demon hunter worked his magic and lifted the fog to reveal a detailed map of the place below.


    Hao Ren had vaguely guessed what place it was: not many of the Olympian gods were identified by such characteristics.


    ¡°This is the district of the temple of Hades.¡± Hasse¡¯s answer was not a surprise. ¡°In the myths and legends of mankind, Hades was in charge of the Underworld; he was the god of death. He did not usually live on Mount Olympus, instead, he lived in Tartarus, the kingdom of death, all year round with Persephone. In truth, that¡¯s pretty much how it was.¡±


    Hao Ren and Lily listened carefully to the mysteries surrounding the era of the gods. Those mysteries were now more than just funny stories to them. They were facts, which directly affected the success of their plan to find Vivian.


    Meanwhile, Hasse went on to talk about the relationship between the Underworld and Mount Olympus.


    ¡°¡­The Underworld is actually an extra space created by the Olympian gods using space magic. As we all know, a ¡®divine realm¡¯ like Mount Olympus is actually a fragment of another world that was brought over when the otherworldlings entered the world. You must know this history better than I do, Hao Ren. These fragments of another world are the most valuable assets to all the otherworldling races. They can live in these realms more easily and powerfully than in Earth¡¯s environment. However, the amount of fragments is limited, so the Olympian forces attempted to artificially expand their kingdom, and the Underworld was a failed product of this attempt.¡±


    Lily could not help but repeat, ¡°Failed product?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it was more difficult than Zeus could have imagined to artificially expand outer space. They did create a new and different world, putting all the energy of Olympus into it. Tartarus, however, did not form the kind of Olympian environment they had hoped for. It became a place of death, where the power of the shadows and smell of death caused the undead to run amok in the Underworld, making it difficult for the living to survive. Even those who tended the Underworld were transformed into monsters and went completely out of control. So Zeus had to end the project and seal off the Underworld completely. Hades was the first person to take charge of the project and its follow-up care as well as repression.


    ¡°Deep in Tartarus, there¡¯s a ¡®pipeline¡¯ to Mount Olympus. This pipeline was originally designed to act as a ¡®main communications artery for the new kingdom¡¯, but it was locked up after the Underworld project failed. Only Hades and Zeus held the key to the passage. On the Tartarus side of the pipeline, Hades built a ¡®safe house¡¯. He and some of his men remained there all year round, monitoring the changes in the Underworld and destroying the undead whenever they ran out of control. This was to prevent any monster from destroying the barrier and harassing Olympus.


    ¡°And on the other end of the pipeline is the temple of Hades on Olympus. Although the temple¡¯s owner spent most of his time on the other end guarding the temple, the temple itself acted as a control center and operated autonomously throughout the year.


    ¡°There were light paths directly connecting the temple of Hades to the temple of Poseidon and the temple of Zeus. These paths were wrapped in an energy barrier, and they passed directly through the radiation field above Mount Olympus. Due to the high cost of fighting in the fallout field, the demon hunters had no intention of destroying these light paths by storm until the complete destruction of Olympus. Hence, the survivors of Olympus were able to gather in the temple of Poseidon upon the final battle. It¡¯s through these unbreakable light paths that they completed their migration while the whole territory was being occupied by the demon hunters.¡±


    By now, Hao Ren had understood most of the plan.


    ¡°So, we can go to the Underworld first, open the locked passage in Tartarus, then follow the passage into the temple of Hades, and lastly, travel through the light path into the temple of Poseidon. If all goes according to plan, Vivian will be at the temple of Poseidon with the survivors.¡±


    Hasse nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯ll be going through a lot of dangerous territories. These places are full of the undead and monsters created by Hades, but in contrast, we can bypass almost all of the defenses set up by the demon hunters. We hardly have to worry about being discovered by any of the other demon hunters, except for the fact that we may end up in a bit of trouble at the temple of Hades.¡±


    ¡°Phew. I¡¯d rather deal with an army of the undead. Demon hunters are more dangerous than those monsters,¡± said Hessiana.


    Hasse was at a lost for words.


    ¡°Sorry, I meant no harm. I was just telling the truth,¡± Hessiana apologized, but there was no sign of sincerity on her face.


    Nothing changed on Hasse¡¯s expressionless face. ¡°Well, you can ask me any questions now.¡±


    ¡°First, how do we get to the Underworld?¡± Lily raised her hand and asked.


    ¡°The Underworld is just like any other alternate world; it¡¯s an artificial and unstable one. Since it¡¯s a poor artifact, it has to have some ¡®anchor points¡¯ in the real world. These anchor points ensure that it doesn¡¯t break away from the real world. I know of one near Rome¡­¡±


    ¡°Luckily, they brought you here,¡± said Hessiana, looking at Hasse up and down. ¡°How do you know all of this?¡±


    Hasse sighed and answered, ¡°Only the enemy can know you better than yourself, and we were the enemy of all otherworldlings. The demon hunters made countless preparations to break through the defenses of Mount Olympus. In fact, we even organized a massive attack in Tartarus and destroyed the defenses that Hades had set up there. But the passage between Tartarus and Olympus was too narrow to be a route for the great army, so we didn¡¯t devote all our energy there. After we completed our mission in the Underworld, we removed most of the main forces, which is why I suggest that we go there. Now that the other ¡®me¡¯ has led the way to the throne of Zeus, the main demon hunters in Tartarus should have withdrawn themselves. There will be no risk except for the few remaining undead and soulless giants.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the plan,¡± said Hao Ren, clapping his hands and standing up. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the Underworld, make a hole in Tartarus, and go directly to Olympus!¡±


    ¡°Can you take me with you?¡± Little Hessiana requested out of the blue.


    Hao Ren had not included the little girl in the plan. Therefore, he was shocked when he heard her request. ¡°Take you with us?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to look for my mother, aren¡¯t you?¡± Little Hessiana blinked.


    ¡°Umm, didn¡¯t your mother tell you to wait for her at home?¡± Lily advised. ¡°We¡¯re going to a dangerous place. If you follow us, we won¡¯t be able to face your mother if something happens to you.¡±


    ¡°I can take care of myself!¡± Little Hessiana waved her arms. ¡°I can do some magic too, and I can turn into a little bat and hide, you see¡­¡±


    *Poof!*


    With a puff of crimson smoke, the little girl turned into a tiny bat in the air. Then she crawled under Lily¡¯s hair before she arched and ducked. ¡°You see, it¡¯s no trouble at all,¡± a small and thin voice said.


    Everyone looked adult Hessiana, who was not far away, up and down.


    ¡°You still have this skill?¡± Hao Ren wrily asked. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you ever used it?¡±


    Hessiana looked embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯ve grown up, and I¡¯m the head of a big family. I don¡¯t need this useless skill!¡±


    ¡°I suggest taking the little girl.¡± Finally, Hasse spoke, surprising Hao Ren a little.


    ¡°Why?¡± Hao Ren and Lily asked at the same time, the latter also trying to pull the little bat out of her hair.


    ¡°Well, because Vivian doesn¡¯t know you guys.¡± Hasse looked around, and his eyes finally fell on Hessiana. ¡°And you, Vivian won¡¯t recognize the adult Hessiana.¡±


    Then he pointed to himself. ¡°As for me, she knows me, but I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll fight the moment we meet.¡±


    At last, little Hessiana flew out of Lily¡¯s hair and turned into a little girl again, watching them with longing.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take her then.¡± Hao Ren finally nodded. ¡°It¡¯s like bringing a negotiator.¡±


    The little girl¡¯s face lit up with happiness.

 Chapter 1477 - Land of Death

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    It surprised Hao Ren, as the entrance to Hades was not only in the suburbs not far from Rome, but it was also exposed in the open without any form of concealment and disguise. It could even be considered as a landmark. Even the farmers who lived nearby knew of its existence. But they only knew that it was a scary place. They had no clue that it led to the abode of the dead as described in myths and legends.


    It was a cave in the suburbs, where there were many horror legends related to it.


    If any livestock got lost nearby, the shepherd would immediately and fearfully deliver as well as offer another animal to the cave. They believed that the lost animal had disturbed the gods. If they did not make such compensation, a Festered monster, reincarnated from the animal, would enter the village at night and spread the plague to every household. Some peasants claimed that they had seen the deceased coming out of the cave more than once, and the deceased wore a variety of clothes. They were swollen and rotten as if they had soaked in the river for three days and three nights. The dead would disappear when they came into contact with the sunlight. Travelers at night had seen smoke billowing out from the cave, and heard mourning sounds throughout the night. Every night when moonlight was absent, the mourning would get more terrifying.


    It did not take Hao Ren and his team much effort to find the cave, which the locals avoided like the plague. Even Hasse did not have to search for it in his memories because the cave was only on the other side of the hill, shielded from the weather. The opening allowed five adults to pass through side-by-side. A large area outside the cave was barren as no vegetation could grow on the land. Even the nearby stream emitted an unbearable stench; the cave was dark.


    Dark forces were surging in the cave.


    ¡°This thing is so conspicuous.¡± Hao Ren looked in awe at the cave. The supernatural forces in the cave, unlike the previous mysterious realms he had visited, were plain to see. ¡°It needs no investigation. This place is apparently not right with even just a glance.¡±


    Hasse faintly replied, ¡°This is the difference between the Mythological Era and the periods after that.¡±


    ¡°In those days, these things were placed out in the open,¡± Hessiana said. ¡°There were traces of supernatural forces everywhere¡ªin the hills, in the wilderness, and even in the human settlements. The otherworldling gods did not even care to conceal themselves. They did whatever they liked. They would open a portal next to the human town at a whim, and no one dared to raise an objection. No one could threaten their rule over the human world. Just like the cave in front of you, it was essentially a sewage pipe and connecting beam of a lost-of-control laboratory. Would you disguise these things for fear of affecting the life of a nest of ants?¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless and could only pout.


    ¡°The destruction of Olympus is a landmark event. Before this, the Sumerian war dragged on for too long, and the Egyptian war was not explosive enough. Only Olympus was completely destroyed under the constant attack of the demon hunters. With our deliberate publicity, this war has shaken the world and the first year of AD has been regarded as the dividing line of the Mythological Era and the twilight period. Of course, this is how demon hunters view it. But many otherworldlings share the same view too.¡± Hasse said. ¡°You are now standing on this dividing line. Before this, all the gods are arrogant and proud; after this, the Twilight of Gods were awaiting them.¡±


    Hessiana glanced at Hasse before turning to walk toward the cave. ¡°Stop bragging, shall you? It is not something to be proud of.¡±


    Hasse was stupefied.


    The dark forces lingering inside the cave had distorted the natural light so much that it was already pitch dark ten meters inside the opening. Hass frowned. ¡°The death of Hades has begun to show its consequences. The control system of Hades has begun to shut down, and without the filter function, the polluting energy in Hades has become twice as strong as before.¡±


    Hao Ren knew that it was just a false space and time that Vivian created, he could not help but worry about the people of this era. ¡°Would it not cause a catastrophe if the energy leaks out?¡±


    ¡°There has been indeed a problem in history, but not here,¡± Hasse said. ¡°Nearby another entrance to Hades, the evil energy had polluted and wiped out the entire town. Had it not been for the big explosion in Olympus that resulted in the total annihilation of Hades by the space-time turbulence, the consequence of the leakage could have been more severe.¡±


    Lily snorted. ¡°It was the mortals who had to bear with the consequences when the gods fought. There was indeed nothing good about the Mythological Era.¡±


    Hasse could only force a smile as his position was too embarrassing in this regard.


    The deep, long cave passage seemed to lead to infinity. After a few hundred meters, the tunnel turned into a downward ramp, which was so long that Hao Ren thought that it would lead to the center of the earth. But it was just an illusion. After moving forward for some distance, he began to notice changes in the surroundings.


    The air was cold; not the damp and cold of the natural environment in the cave, but it was a chill ran deep in the heart. The moss on the rock gradually thinned and disappeared as they moved forward, and the soil under their feet had turned into cold and slippery gravel, which seemed to be soaked with blood and venom and emitting an offensive stench.


    Lily almost cried. ¡°Why do I have a sensitive nose?¡±


    Hao Ren took out the life-support collars from the dimensional pocket and gave one to each person, including Little Hessiana. ¡°Put this one. The concentration of toxins and negative energy is harmful enough. Wearing this will save you energy.¡±


    As early as a dozen meters into the cave, the toxins and negative energy in the surroundings had been at the lethal level to ordinary people. Hao Ren and his team could withstand it with their superhuman physiques. But as it got worse, they could no longer ignore it. As Hasse said, Hades was a dangerous dimension filled with harmful substances from the failed experiment. Hades, the only administrator here, was dead. There was no telling how bad the situation would become. To conserve magic and physical energy, the use of the life-support collars seemed to be a good idea.


    Little Hessiana curiously fiddled with the life-support collar. At last, it was Hessiana that taught her how to use the thing. Little Hessiana was pleased with the device; even as a vampire, she did not like Hades a bit.


    Suddenly, the road ahead opened up.


    A vast space appeared before the eyes of everyone. The dark and cracked earth extended infinitely under the feet. The poisonous river and lava steaming with hot air flowed on the earth. The flames and steam continuously spurted out from the cracks. Each spout seemed to carry the mourning of the dead souls. There was a layer of chaotic rock-like substance in the sky; it was unknown whether it was real clouds or a rock layer. A dark red fluid as if lava were flowing in the air as if it would pour down at any time.


    There was also a crack above the sky, spreading across the entire space. The crack glowed in red and through which, Hao Ren could faintly see another world on the other side, where war was raging, and explosions and collapse of the earth were ongoing.


    That could be the scene of Olympus in the war. The last attack of the demon hunters had destroyed the dimensional structure of Hades, and now it seemed that it had produced a crack in the field of vision through which the scene of Olympus was projected into this world.


    Such a vast place could certainly not beneath Rome. There was only one explanation for this scene: they had crossed a space-time boundary as they entered the cave, coming into the other dimension the gods of Olympus had created.


    ¡°What is that?¡± As Lily curiously observed the dark and scary place, she suddenly found something translucent that looked like fog floating in hundreds of meters in midair. The mist came and went, bearing a shapeless form. Sometimes, there were phantoms emerging from within the fog too.


    Hao Ren also noticed those things, on which his eyes affixed. Suddenly, a few painful faces appeared in the fog accompanied by different scenes of death.


    ¡°What the heck?¡±


    ¡°It is Hades,¡± said Hasse. ¡°Since it is Hades, it must look to be like one. So this vision is only normal in this place. Those are the souls of the humans that once lived under the rule of Hades. The twelve gods of Olympus ruled the human world as they wished, formulated the rules for humans to follow from birth to death. In the rules of Hades, all humans who have died in his territory are not free to go, unless they have paid enough offering before they die or their families had presented offerings on their behalf. Otherwise, the dead must serve Hades in the form of souls as fuel to power the three soul furnace of the Tartarus core. Now that Hades is dead, there is nothing to control the souls in the furnace, so these unburned souls were released.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s face turned somber as he looked at the souls in the sky that would have no closure for eternity although he knew that they were only illusions of history.


    Hessiana lamented, ¡°Sigh, the Mythological Era!¡±

 Chapter 1478 - The Underworld

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Ravaged by the demon hunters, the degree of devastation in the underworld was shockingly terrible.


    The place was initially already desolate with eternal night shrouding the world for thousands of years. Poisonous water and lava flowed across the dark and cracked earth. The undead was everywhere, and life would end there. After the demon hunters raided and killed Hades, which guarded the place, the war left behind even more scars on the land. Powerful magic energy had torn and twisted the earth, which was already covered in cracks in the first place, so much so that it had formed into an undulating landscape. In between the ridges were horrible rifts, which bored through the entire underworld. Anything that fell into the cracks would drop right into the dimensional boundary and be shredded by the artificial dimension. The demon hunters had killed most of the undead creatures wandering in the underworld. There were shattered massive skeletons and flesh and blood residue everywhere. The outposts and guard towers used to monitor how the dimension destroyed when the demon hunters¡¯ Sacred Flame melted thought down to be indestructible structures like butter.


    Hao Ren and his team threaded the underworld carefully. It was now unstable. Hasse played the role of a guide by relying on his memories of the place. They had to circumvent the cracks that suddenly popped up from the earth. As the foundation of the dimension was collapsing, the land followed suit. Hessiana tried to fly instead of walk, but it turned out to be even more dangerous. The soul furnace of Tartarus had shut down, and the human souls collected by Hades had escaped. But these unburned, mindless souls were now floating in the air en masse, forming a strong energy field. Anyone flying too close to this energy field could cause a chain explosion and be polluted by the negative emotions in these souls. Compared with the soul-occupied sky, the crack-filled earth seemed to be a safer option.


    After threading in the underworld for a distance, the group finally came to a dry riverbed.


    Hao Ren stood on the edge of the riverbank, casting his sight across the darkness on the sloping land on the other side of the river.


    He looked back down at the riverbed, which had only dried up not long ago. There was still stinking venom and mud on the riverbank, and the cause of the river drying up was plain to see: the riverbed had cracked open. Water had flowed into the cracks and straight through the underworld before disappeared into the turbulent boundary of the dimension.


    Because of those breaches in the riverbed, Hao Ren and his entourage had to walk along the river bank and find a safe route that allowed them to cross to the other side. They were fortunate to be here not too late as the dimensional collapse was still in its early stage. It did not take them too long to finally find a safe crossing point, where they saw a strange boat stranded on the river beach.


    It was a ferry built with fishing nets and bones of unknown creatures. The boat was full of fist-sized holes and cracks, even at the bottom of the hull. It was hard to imagine how the boat could float on water. On the bow of the boat, there was an ugly giant, three meters in height, wearing a tattered black robe but his body festered. The skin on his face had peeled off, and it was extremely horrible. The giant had a pole in his right hand with spikes on one end and one his left hand was a broken lamp. There was a silver sword with a sacred flame still burning penetrated his chest and nailed him to his boat.


    It was the ferryman of Hades, Charon.


    ¡°So this is Charon?¡± Hessiana looked quietly at the dead ferryman for a while. Suddenly, a sarcastic smile spread across her face as she fished out two pennies from her pocket and placed them on the opened eyes of Charon. ¡°It seems like you have finally fetched yourself across the river.¡±


    A slight shock seemed to have disturbed the balance of the ship, which had long been decaying and only held up by magic. The boat, made of white bones and fishing nets, crumbled to the ground. Gold coins fell out of the crumbling boat and paved a path on the riverbed. Bones were also in the mix¡ªthey were also part of Charon¡¯s collection.


    As Charon¡¯s decayed body fell on the beach and shattered, an uncountable amount of gold coins fell out of his skin.


    Hao Ren and Lily¡¯s jaws dropped to the ground. But Hasse¡¯s face was emotionless¡ªahh, he was already face-paralyzed in the first place.


    But Hessiana did not show any reactions.


    ¡°Oh, Charon, I know him.¡± Hessiana shrugged. ¡°He might have been dead since I was little, but I have lived through the Mythological Era and gone through a lot; he was like a typically brutal and distorted god.¡±


    Hasse shook his head and walked down to the riverbed. ¡°Let¡¯s go. The path is ready.¡±


    One would wonder how long it took Charon to accumulate this wealth. Perhaps the oldest coins could be traced back to the beginning of ancient Greek civilization. From the day when the gods on Mount Olympus set the rules for life and death, the Mediterranean people used these coins as funerary goods out of fear and awe. It was an offering to the ruler of the underworld to seek peace for the soul of the dead. Charon might have taken a small part of these offerings but was enough to fill his boat and his entire skin.


    Now the money for passage paid by the mortals had formed a path after the destruction of the underworld.


    After crossing the dry river¡ªthe River of Suffering, Hao Ren saw Elysium aka Elysian Fields. This vast garden was the blessed place in the underworld according to the myths and legends of the humans. But Hasse told of the truth about this place.


    ¡°This garden used to be lush, and it looks so. But it is anything but a blessed place. When the Olympians failed in their underworld plan, they could not bear to see their effort to go to the dogs. So the gods transplanted some magical plants into the ¡®blessed place.¡¯ But these plants, initially unsuitable for growing in the normal environment and having more to do with the Undead Spells and dark forces, thrived in this environment. Persephone was the gardener who cared for this horror garden. She detained those human souls who enter the underworld but were not suitable as fuels and let them wander in the garden. Unknowing to the human souls, they became the fertilizer for the magical plants¡ªMournbell and Carrion, the two types of flowers that had a strong hallucinogenic effect on the soul. So these souls could not feel the pain while the nursery absorbed them. They not only did not feel the pain, but they continued to think that they were in paradise until the moment their souls dissipated entirely.¡±


    ¡°I know what the Mythological Era is all about.¡± Hao Ren looked at the Elysium, which had completely withered. The war-level magic spells of the demon hunters had burned the garden to the ground. What was left were only scorched earth and bushes billowing in smoke, and human bone fragments scattered around. Many of these bones were originally buried under the nursery as fertilizer. But the shockwaves on the battlefield had rolled them out of the ground. ¡°But seeing is believing¡ªit is really dark.¡±


    Lily wrinkled her nose and said, ¡°Was there any good man¡­ err I mean otherworldling in Mythological Era?¡±


    ¡°Of course, there were: on the solar ship of Ra, in the palace of Asgard, on Mount Olympus, and even Zeus himself seemed to have proposed several policies to treat humans better. But what difference did they make?¡± Hessiana said with her arms folded. ¡°Humans were still captive. I am not a human, but I cannot stand to see how one race enslaved and exploited the other. This social structure has not been a good form of existence from the beginning.¡±


    Hao Ren was impressed.


    The area where the group had traveled from was only the periphery of the underworld. The real underworld was where Hao Ren and his team stood now. The underworld consisted of two parts; one was the Elysium, and the other was the famous Tartarus. The dry moat outside Tartarus and Elysium was the Sty, which was regarded as the border of the world of the dead. Inside the border was the real underworld while outside the boundary was the wasteland that the gods of Olympus had abandoned.


    For many years, Hades had concentrated his effort in the inner layers of the underworld and let the mutant monsters roam freely on the wasteland on the other side of the Styx.


    Therefore, the remnant powers of Hades still worked in Tartarus.


    Elysium and Tartarus were adjacent to each other. When emerging from the withered garden, the layered landscape of Tarturus covered in mud and volcanic ash would be within view. There was only one fortress in the scorched land. The fort stood in the darkness, had three layers of pure copper walls. It was so intimidating tall that it could strike a sense of helplessness in the heart of human forces.


    In the middle of the fortress was to where Hao Ren was going.


    A tower that always revolved and reorganized itself and that looked like it was stitched together by many metal parts. Ithe bottom of the tower was connected to the temple of the underworld, and the top of the tower rose into the chaotic sky, linking the Temple of Hades on Mount Olympus.


    But it was no easy feat to go to the brass fortress at the highest point of Tartarus because the power of Hades had not completely dissipated. The land outside the fort was full of undead.

 Chapter 1479 - Luring the Enemy: Hao Ren’s style

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The undead army loitering outside Tartarus seemed to be a problem.


    Maybe it should not be called an army because Hades, who ruled the world, had died, and the undead under his control were running wild. The undead used to be an army, but after they lost their commander, they only wandered around on the crumbling wasteland of Tartarus.


    However, an undead army without a leader was no less dangerous. On the contrary, just because they had lost their unified command, they scattered everywhere, occupying places that used to be safe passages.


    Hao Ren and his team overlooked the situation on the plain from higher ground. Walking skeletons and carrion were blocking the way leading to the copper palace. Translucent souls were elusive; the number of these seemingly fragile guys was large enough to cause trypophobia, triggering patients to commit suicide instantly. There was little doubt that as soon as one undead was killed, there would be millions of undead arriving. Hao Ren and his men may have been able to fight their way out, but it would undoubtedly put a strain on their strength and energy. They would suffer losses in Tartarus before they could even see the entrance to Mount Olympus. That would be very unwise.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t the demon hunters overrun this place once?¡± Hessiana looked at Hasse, displeased. ¡°You¡¯ve even stormed into the copper palace and killed Hades. Why did you not finish the skeletons on the plain?¡±


    ¡°My compatriots killed all the undead creatures that they met,¡± Hasse said. There was no expression on his face except for in his eyes. They exuded a sense of helplessness. ¡°But half of the dead rose again.¡±


    Hao Ren had noticed something about the undead creatures. They were all wounded, some lacked arms, some with broken legs, some had only half of their bodies crawling on the ground, and some even headless. Many skeletons were made up of bones from different individuals, making them look weird. Had there not been for the dark energy held the bones together, those joints would have probably fallen apart.


    It was an army that had been eliminated before and now came back to life again.


    The sacred magic of the demon hunters had a damaging effect on the dark creatures like the undead. Those undead, when burned by the Sacred Flame, could never resurrect. But the mission of the demon hunters besieged Tartarus back then was to kill Hades. Their target was the copper palace. The demon hunters did not waste the precious holy water and magic power on the cannon fodder like the undead creatures. Instead, they killed them with silver weapons. But as soon as the demon hunters left, half of the bodies on the Tartarus battlefields rose again.


    The corpses on the plain outside the copper palace were nothing compared to the much more powerful souls lurking on the inside.


    The underworld palace of Hades had a triple-layer wall. Outside, it was plains where the undead roamed. Inside the wall was where the lord of the underworld resided. This dimension was a failed project of the Olympian gods in building a home. But as a test site and cemetery to experiment spells of the soul and collect soul power, it was a success. Hades was sent to guard this out of control lab, and he had his way of killing time. For thousands of years, Hades studied the forbidden spells in the copper palace day and night using the bodies and souls of various creatures as his experimental subjects. He had created many power and disgusting undead creatures and used them to guard his palace.


    The ordinary undead was outside the triple-layer wall, while on the inside, there were the experimental products of Hades.


    The experimental products could still remain very powerful even if the demon hunters had killed them once.


    But as horrifying as the copper palace was, it was still the best route to go to the divine realm of Olympus.


    ¡°I can use my blood magic to temporarily shroud the breath of the living.¡± Hessiana looked at everyone. ¡°This way, we can at least walked past the ordinary undead on the plain. After we enter the copper palace, the undead on the outside would no longer be a concern. The undead would not dare to enter the Temple of Hades even though Hades is dead.¡±


    ¡°Good idea, but there is a problem,¡± Hao Ren said, forcing a smile. ¡°Cast your blood magic on me.¡±


    Hessiana had no idea what Hao Ren was thinking. But since he asked, she was more than happy to oblige. With a wave of her hand, she summoned a blood sphere¡ªone that was non-fatal¡ªand smashed it on the face of Hao Ren. ¡°You ask for it. ¨CAah!¡±


    Before the blood sphere could even come close to Hao Ren¡¯s face, it disappeared instantly into thin air.


    Little Bat¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground. ¡°Are your face enchanted?¡±


    Hao Ren almost choked hearing what Hessiana said. ¡°Enchanted my foot! I am a magic-immune. At least Vivian¡¯s school of magic has no effect on me, let alone yours. The only power of Vivian that I have no defense against is her crimson moon. But all other lower-order magic is useless against me.¡±


    Little Bat was baffled. ¡°Holy moly, where did you acquire such an ability?¡±


    ¡°I am born with it,¡± Hao Ren replied.


    Hessiana was even more confused. ¡°Then the only option is to fight our way in. We may be able to make it.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment, and he had another idea. ¡°I have a better plan.¡±


    Little Hessiana looked at Hao Ren curiously.


    ¡°You guys could sneak into the copper palace under cover of shadowmancy. Since I could not hide my scent, I will use myself as a bait to draw a much undead to myself as possible. After that, we meet at the main entrance of the copper palace.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s plan surprised Hessiana. She was wide-eyed and looked at Hao Ren as if she had seen an extraterrestrial being. ¡°I cannot believe that you still want to play hero at this moment.¡±


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes. But it was Lily that showed more empathy. ¡°It is too dangerous, Mr. Landlord! You cannot possibly fight so many undead alone. They will crush you.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled and waved his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have a plan.¡±


    Hao Ren explained with a solemn face to alleviate Lily¡¯s concern. ¡°I have a way to break through the undead. But I cannot do it while bringing you all together. Let me be frank; when alone, I can cross the plain like entering into a no man¡¯s land. It is just that my method may frighten you all.¡±


    Lily and Hasse could not help but almost believe Hao Ren considering how confident he was. Hessiana, however, was less convinced. ¡°Heck, you sound like it is real.¡±


    But the expression on Little Bat¡¯s face showed that she had also believed him.


    So that was the plan.


    Hasse and Hessiana quickly got ready. The four of them gathered together. As Little Bat recited an incantation, a layer of dark-red light curtain appeared out of nowhere and shrouded the four of them before it gradually disappeared.


    It seemed that nothing had changed. But the heartbeat, body heat and breathing of the four had disappeared from Hao Ren¡¯s perception. Even the ¡®air¡¯ of the living had become elusive.


    A shiver ran up Hao Ren¡¯s spine. His buddies before him seemed to have turned into fake undead. When he closed his eyes, it felt like he was in the morgue.


    ¡°How is it working?¡± Hessiana looked at Hao Ren with a smug look.


    ¡°Dead to the core.¡± Hao Ren nodded. He was totally convinced.


    Hessiana was stupefied.


    Under cover of blood magic, the four carefully went down the high ground and headed for the plains of the undead.


    Hao Ren watched nervously. But the undead seemed to have not noticed the four living persons as they walked past, letting them swagger cross the territory of the skeletons and zombies.


    Hao Ren took a deep breath, turned around to look in another direction. He took out a pair of plasma handguns from the dimensional pocket.


    Overlooking at the dark world full of dead souls that represented the end of the Mythological Era, Hao Ren sighed.


    ¡°Sons of a bitch!¡±


    Boom!


    An earth-shattering explosion was heard from behind. The four ground to a sudden halt. Hessiana looked back at the direction from where they came and saw a little mushroom cloud carrying festered bodies parts and broken bones rising up into the air.


    The explosion had alarmed the other undead. After a while, groups of undead had gathered and began to swell in the direction of the blast.


    Hessiana¡¯s brows knitted together. She might not warm not to Hao Ren, but this time, she could not help worry about him. Perhaps Hao Ren¡¯s heroic deed had touched Litle Bat, she finally muttered, ¡°Is that guy okay?¡±


    Lily, who had been worried a while ago, was not concerned at all this time. ¡°He is fine. Mr. Landlord can handle it.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you try to stop him earlier?¡±


    ¡°Oh, but Mr. Landlord said he could handle it, then he could handle it.¡±


    Hessiana could believe how ingenious the husky was.


    How happy it was to be simple-minded.


    Hessiana came out of her wandered thoughts. She carefully maintained her Blood Curtain as she led the others hustled toward the pure copper palace at the highest point of Tartarus.

 Chapter 1480 - Breaking Through Enemy Lines: Hao Ren’s Style

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    A sea of undead creatures rambled on the plains.


    Among the undead were fragile, staggering skeletons, Festered zombies, swollen corpses, and hollow, pale ghosts. There were millions of them stretching out into the horizon. They were not only of humans, but also beasts and livestock, sent to the underworld for various reasons. In that strange world filled with the power of death, whether they were kind or cruel, dangerous or harmless, no one could escape the influence of super-wide-range psychic magic. Their memories and thoughts were washed away, and they became corpses that were hostile to the living.


    The large number of corpses did not exist overnight. Since the Olympian gods created the underworld and Hades began to rule the land, the dead were collected over thousands of years, becoming part of Tartarus.


    Hades extracted their souls as fuel for the three power furnaces in the underworld, supplying excess energy to Mount Olympus while keeping the bodies as monsters that roamed the plains.


    The underworld was horrific enough to challenge the limits of a human¡¯s imagination in terms of nightmares.


    A staggering, four-meter-tall giant of flesh and blood walked past Lily. Its footsteps were heavy, its body festering and smelly with venom dripping down its skin. Its arms swung as it walked, brushing the hair of Lily, who was too afraid to even breathe. She was not scared of the flesh-and-blood giant itself; she could beat up any undead creature on this plain with ease despite her relatively weak state. What worried Lily was the overwhelmingly large number of living corpses.


    Lily might be able to fight a hundred, but there were a million of them here.


    The flesh-and-blood giant seemed to not notice the four. It shook its swollen and deformed head and continued to stagger away.


    Lily had to admit that the magic of Little Bat was pretty awesome.


    Little Hessiana was walking between Lily and Hasse. Her eyes gleamed at her larger ¡®sister,¡¯ Hessiana, who was walking in front. The little girl was unabashed with her envy and admiration toward Hessiana. She did not realize that Hessiana was herself of many years later. Little Hessiana saw Hessiana as her powerful elder sister. Perhaps in the eyes of the little girl, Hessiana was her idol.


    The expression on Hessiana¡¯s face was tense.


    The copper palace was already in sight, but in this dangerous place, Hessiana could not relax a bit until they reached the entrance.


    Hasse placed his hand on the silver sword that hung on his waist, his voice was low. ¡°The souls around here seemed to be of a higher order.¡±


    As the group continued to get close to the palace of Hades, the undead in the vicinity became more powerful. These creatures were visibly different from those on the outer plains; they were stronger and more complete, and there was even faint magic energy in them. In the past thousand years, the magic of Hades had been leaking out of the copper palace. This magic had been strengthening the undead near the copper palace although it was not the intention of Hades.


    The undead might have stepped up in quality, but they were still unable to perceive the Blood Curtain of Hessiana.


    A sudden clattering noise came from not far away, frightening Lily. She turned and saw a massive skeleton struggling out of a crater formed by the magic explosion. The explosion must have shattered the skeleton, but new bones flew up from the bottom of the hole and snapped on as if magnets to form a new body.


    ¡°The closer we get to the palace of Hades, the more power that the lord of the underworld has left behind,¡± Hasse whispered. ¡°These remnant power will enable the monsters to resurrect until the energy finally dissipated. I am worried about the situation inside the copper palace. I hope that the nastiest guys have died more thoroughly.¡±


    ¡°All will be good as long as Hades is dead,¡± Hessiana said.


    ¡°Then you can rest assured,¡± Hasse¡¯s mouth twitched as if he wanted to force a smile on his paralyzed face. ¡°With five silver swords in his chest nailing him to the Sighing Wall unless the boss of Hao Ren intervenes, that guy is not going to resurrect.¡±


    ¡°Hao Ren¡­ What the hell has happened to that guy?¡± Hessiana¡¯s brows knitted together.


    Even the dewy-eyed husky maiden started to worry. She looked back at the direction of the last few explosions; there was still fighting noise. But perhaps it was too far away that the sound was a little faint. ¡°He should be fine. But weirdly, such a quiet battle does not seem to fit Mr. Landlord¡¯s style.¡±


    Little Hessiana held Lily¡¯s sleeve, she was as anxious. ¡°Has something happened to him?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, that fellow is a tough guy. He will be still alive even if the world has ended.¡± Hessiana¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°The copper palace is right ahead. Let us be careful, don¡¯t screw up in the last moment.¡±


    But there was no drama.


    The undead wandering outside the copper palace was the brainless creatures with low perceptual ability. Hessiana, Lily and the others had carefully gone around the last giant and stepped into the copper palace. The demon hunters had blasted open this once indestructible fortress, melting the massive metal gate on the first-layer wall with a sacred flame to form a radial hole. The opening was so large that there was no problem for a hundred people passing through side-by-side. Hessiana let everyone step into the entrance before breathing a sigh of relief. Once inside the copper palace, they did not have to worry about the monsters roaming outside any longer.


    There might be undead resurrecting inside the copper palace, but in lesser number at least. Besides, the demon hunters had thoroughly cleaned the castle with a large amount of holy water and magic spells, no man undead would be able to resurrect themselves.


    Lily stopped at the gate and looked back at the plain. Mr. Landlord should have come.¡±


    ¡°Let us wait for him here,¡± Hessiana said. ¡°If he has not arrived after thirty minutes, I will send a few avatars to check the situation.¡±


    ¡°I really do not know how he was going to cross this sea of the undead.¡± Hasse frowned. ¡°Too many undead. It will take him a few days just to clear a path even with his firepower.¡±


    Hessiana crossed her arms. ¡°God knows what the fellow thinks. But he always has some wild ideas. Just see if he can surprise us this time.¡±


    Little Bat did not have to wait long before the surprise arrived.


    While the four waited and started to become impatient, a strange roar came from the sky on the other side of the plain.


    Hessiana looked up. A bright flame was breaking through the darkness of Tartarus flying in the direction of the copper palace.


    ¡°Holy moly, what is that?¡± Little exclaimed.


    Lily was wide-eyed. ¡°What it is? Is that an airplane? A Superman? That¡­ holy moly! That is a missile!¡±


    A missile spitting bright flame was piercing through the dark sky toward the gate of the palace at high speed. With superb dynamic vision, the four could clearly identify the shape and details on the missile¡ªthe stabilizing wings, nozzles, painted logo, and Hao Ren, who was waving on the warhead.


    The phantoms floating in the underworld were alarmed. They shrilled and charged like a storm toward Hao Ren. But most of them could not catch up with the accelerating missile, which flew at subsonic speed leaving behind eight-tenth of the phantoms. Only a small part of them had slammed into Hao Ren due to their proximity.


    Hao Ren¡¯s body flashed in a milky white glow, deflecting all the attacks.


    ¡°Oyioyiyo¡ªI am coming!¡±


    Hao Ren shouted at the four with his spiritual strength. So even though he was riding on a missile flying at subsonic speed, he was able to transmit his voice to the ground without any distortion.


    Little Bat broke out in cold sweat. ¡°Turn! Turn! You¡­ you have to turn!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t hear you¡ª¡±


    ¡°I #£¤@#@%£¤@#.¡±


    But Hao Ren was just kidding. Before the missile hit the main entrance of the copper palace, Hao Ren had already flipped down the rocket and gave it a kick at the warhead. ¡°Here you go!¡±


    The missile took a sudden change of trajectory. Before it could readjust its flight path, it already crashed into a marsh nearby the palace.


    The explosion rocked the entire earth. Meanwhile, Hao Ren fell in a parabola trajectory and crash-landed with a very unsightly posture, plowing a long trench in the ground. Hessiana and others were rooted to the spot watching in horror as a cloud of dust rose before them.


    After the dust dissipated, Hao Ren was seen half-squatting in a crater at the end of the ditch like a meditator. His Steel Membrane Shield flickered.


    Everyone was like ¡®what the heck?¡¯


    Half a minute later, Hao Ren slowly got his feet. Dirt and dust fell from his body and his joints cracking like firecrackers. ¡°Damn it. I miss-calculated the timing. I ejected too soon.¡±


    Hessiana stood on the edge of the crater with her arms crossed. She said in disbelief, ¡°So, this is your plan, eh?¡±


    ¡°Well, the landing part was a little off, but overall it went as planned.¡± Hao Ren said with a thumbs-up. ¡°I told you before, this is a solo plan.¡±

 Chapter 1481 - Dogfight

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Irritated by Hao Ren¡¯s pompousness, Hessiana had no way to vent her antipathy. But she had to admit that Hao Ren was right: only he could pull off such a crazy plan..


    The problem of taking to the air did not lie with the technology but the phantoms gathering in the sky. Hessiana had thought of breaking into the palace through the air from the very beginning, but the thousands of phantoms in the air were too high a hurdle to cross. Even Hasse could not say for sure if he could do it.


    Riding a missile over Tartarus sounded like a cool idea, but no one on the scene, except Hao Ren had ever thought about it.


    He possessed the highest level of defense¡ªhis Steel Membrane Shield¡ªand the toughest resistance to negative energy. It may not be apparent from the outside, but the guy¡¯s position as a pope was real. Since the day Hao Ren signed the labor contract with Raven 12345, he had acquired a very high resistance to all supernatural negative energies and was particularly resistant to pure energy creatures like phantoms.


    So no one could imitate Hao Ren¡¯s way of breaking through enemy lines.


    ¡°All right, I know you are awesome.¡± Hessiana watched as Hao Ren dusted his body. She might not be willing to admit it, but this guy had truly amazed her. ¡°This time you won. But further forward it the copper palace. God knows what lies ahead. You had better recover faster.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at his dimming Steel Membrane Shield; other than the light, there was a faint milky light on the shield, which was the reason for his ability to break through the blockade of the phantoms. This power came from Raven 12345, which Hao Ren acquired through his faith in the goddess. He had asked himself many times and realized that he built his confidence based on ¡®it is free after all.¡¯ As such, Hao Ren was amazed at how he could still use divine spells. He certainly could not count on the sacred shield to recover in a short time.


    ¡°My defense capability may have reduced, but the attack capability is not affected,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°But I do not think there will be any major threats in the copper palace. When the demon hunters overran this place previously, they might have used a liberal amount of holy water.¡±


    Hasse nodded. ¡°Rest assured, there will be no more than two-digit number of undead that could resurrect in the copper palace.¡±


    As the group crossed the first layer of the city wall, the palace of Hades stood in front of their eyes while the massive black tower connecting Olympus and the Underworld sat at the highest point of the castle. Complex layers of mechanical parts and sheet metal plates hummed inside the tower.


    Battle marks were everywhere in the copper palace.


    Buildings and grounds, melted by sacred flames, had cooled and solidified, forming a distorted and strange scene of wreckage and ruin. Bodies parts of the once powerful guards who were once stationed in the palace were all over the place between the three-layer walls. Sacred flames were still burning quietly on the bodies of some more powerful undead creatures. Broken swords of the demon hunters were strewn around.


    The demon hunters had paid a heavy price to break through the fort¡¯s defense.


    But the fellow demon hunters had carried away the bodies of their comrades. Only the corpses of the losers were lying here.


    Just as Hasse said, the demon hunters had used powerful sacred weapons and spells to take down the palace, the corpses here did not resurrect like those on the outside despite the more powerful forces of death in the copper palace.


    The group passed directly through the hole, crossing all three layers of the wall and the inner court before coming to the foot of the ever-rotating black metal tower.


    There were only sporadic encounters with the monsters wandering along the way, and those monsters did not pose a significant threat.


    The metal tower was located on a cylindrical platform, surrounded by a thick wall. The wall was constructed with an unknown material, which could be metal or stone. Its color was so dark that it absorbed the surrounding light and distorted the air near the wall, forming a circle of slightly curved lens effect. There were blurry, dark stripes, which looked as if they were moving, in the lower half of the wall. People would get dizzy by just glancing at them.


    Hao Ren saw a giant nailed on the wall.


    At four meters tall, wearing a black robe and a crown of thorns on his head, white and dry hair hanging down. Buried under his long hair was a horrifically deformed face eroded by dark forces. His head lowered with several silver swords piercing through his chest and nailing him on the wall. There were still Sacred Flames burning on the hilt of one of the swords.


    A broken black giant sword lay on the ground not far away. As the dark energy had dissipated, the giant sword rapidly transpired into smoke.


    ¡°This is Hades,¡± Hasse said as he pointed to the giant. ¡°Behind him is the Sighing Wall.¡±


    ¡°Do we have to scale the wall?¡± Hessiana glanced at the seemingly solid wall and the skyscraping metal tower behind the wall. ¡°It looks like boring through this wall is not an easy task.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. The Sighing Wall is broken,¡± Hasse said, pointing at one side of the wall. ¡°We can enter through the breach there.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s brows knitted together as he looked. ¡°There seems to be something over there.¡±


    Hasse nodded. ¡°It is the guard of the Sighing Wall.¡±


    Everyone came before the gap in the wall. Ten meters from the wall, an unusually large corpse lay on the ground.


    It was a three-headed black hound of four meters tall. Its hair was as hard as steel, and every head had hideous steel-panel inlaid and spikes. There were apparent signs of a fierce battle in the surroundings. A large number of silver weapons fragments spoke volumes of how powerful this monster was.


    But it was dead. The more powerful demon hunters had cut off the trachea in ??two of the three heads and punctured another skull in the middle with a long sword.


    Lily was struck dumb seeing the large fierce creature. ¡°Wow! It is terrifying!¡±


    Hessiana shot the husky maiden a look. ¡°It must be terrifying to see your own kind lying dead in front of you.¡±


    Lily glared at Little Bat. ¡°This three-headed creature is my own kind? Heck! My hair looks much better, okay? I mean the thing is terrifyingly ugly.¡±


    ¡°This is Cerberus, Hades¡¯s most successful creation. It took our commandos some time to kill this thing.¡± Hasse said solemnly. ¡°There is nothing to see about this guy. Let¡¯s keep going and stay away from this cursed body.¡±


    Hao Ren had the same thought too. He cautiously went around the vast body of Cerberus to enter the tower of the Underworld.


    Just as the group walked past Cerberus, the dead synthetic monster suddenly moved accompanied by a horrifying roar. One of the heads of Cerberus raised and was about to eat Little Hessiana walking behind Hao Ren.


    ¡°Bloody hell!¡± Hao Ren reacted instantly as he turned and saw Cerberus came to life. In a split second, he pushed the little girl, who was rooted to the spot, out of the way. Almost at the same time, Hao Ren propped up his Steel Membrane Shield and blocked the mouth of Cerberus with both hands.


    ¡°Is this thing not dead?¡± Hao Ren cried as he held off Cerberus. ¡°How could this happen?¡±


    ¡°Damn it! The commandos must have overlooked!¡± Hasse had come up at once with his sword and slashed the other head of Cerberus. ¡°This thing is not a pure undead creature, it has a robotic skeleton!¡±


    With a shrill of the metal, Hasse had slashed off a piece of Cerberus¡¯s cranial bone. The skull piece of metal and flesh came off, exposing the pulsating tissue and a bunch of sparkling metal wires beneath. There were even gears that were still ticking and tubes that flowing with green fluid.


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyes were on stalks. ¡°What kind of technology is this on Mount Olympus?¡±


    After a failed attempt and more injuries, Cerberus immediately its bite. This monster, a product of undead magic, alchemy, and God-know-what technology, suddenly bounced to its feet and ran amok.


    This monster was disoriented because tissue necrosis had spread to part of his body.


    The violent three-headed hound of the Underworld was so agile and powerful that almost no one could keep up with its speed. At this time, only one person dared to lunge out at the monstrous hound.


    A white shadow flashed across as Lily climbed onto the back of Cerberus. She crept on hall four up to the head in the middle and began a brutal beast fight.


    Fangs and claws and double swords had swung into action.


    ¡°Just die!¡±


    ¡°Stop frightening people with your ugly faces!¡±


    ¡°What is so special by having three heads, eh? Three heads are even no match for Peking University grad!¡±


    ¡°A disgrace to canine species! Your ugly hair has brought shame to the canine family!¡±


    ¡°Starbuster Slash!¡±


    The earth shook as Lily rode on the head of Cerberus unleashing her wrath. Cerberus had been dead once, its resurrected body of magic and machine was no longer working as good as before. Combat strength had reduced considerably, especially the head in the middle. The demon hunters had punctured its skull, which became Cerberus¡¯ biggest weakness.


    The massive three-headed hound of the Underworld was unable to fight back as Lily focused on attacking its weakness.


    At first, Hessiana wanted to help. But she thought the better of it and now even began to mock the husky maiden. ¡°Oh, well, well. Here it goes, the dogfight has begun.¡±


    Hao Ren could not form the words to respond. He smiled embarrassedly. Just then Cerberus roared in horror as if Lily had snapped something in its head.


    The monster was utterly lost control. Its flesh cracked open as hot steam burst out of its body. After another round of roar, the beast suddenly rushed away like a runway battle tank at full speed toward the inner court of the copper palace.


    Lily¡¯s reaction was swift. She jumped down from Cerberus and scurried behind Hao Ren at once just when the hound went utterly insane. ¡°Mr. Landlord, I¡­ I think I have driven it crazy¡ª¡±


    Before Lily could finish, an explosion rose in the direction where Cerberus had gone.


    It could be that the three-headed hound of the Underworld had exploded. Or Cerberus had hit something in the copper palace and triggered a chain of explosions.


    The earth under the feet began to tremble.


    Hessiana immediately realized something was wrong. ¡°A three-headed hell dog cannot possibly make such a noise.¡±


    The vague roar was heard deep inside Tartarus. It was as if the air was carrying anger, everyone found it hard to even breathe.


    Hasse finally realized what it was.


    ¡°God damn it! Cerberus has opened the prison of the abyss. Cronus has been released!¡±

 Chapter 1482 - The Twelve Titans

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The vociferation from beneath Tartarus and the strong sense of pressure became more violent over time. Even Hao Ren and Hasse could not help but be impressed. When Lily heard the name, she could not recall it at first. ¡°Are you talking about Zeus¡¯ father?¡±


    ¡°Who else could it be if not him?¡± Hasse¡¯s face was deadpan, but the emotions in his eyes said that the situation did not look good. ¡°A massive dungeon is beneath Tartarus. When Zeus abandoned this place, he proceeded to throw his father, the mad titan, into the dungeon. That guy¡¯s nasty!¡±


    As if responding to Hasse, a roar rose again from the underground, followed by a powerful shockwave, which came out of nowhere. Dark red lightning burst out from a ruin inside the copper palace and struck a towering minaret right in the middle. The tower fell and the debris turned into ashes midair before they could even hit the ground.


    Hao Ren froze and looked at Hasse in with horror. ¡°Why is this titan still alive? How could your Sacred Army leave this scourge behind?¡±


    Hasse was helpless. ¡°Because we did not want to incur unnecessary losses. Kronos is being held in the deepest cage of the Underworld; he could not have possibly escaped. Even if we were to kill him, it would take too much effort. First, we needed to take the cage apart, which would seriously affect the rhythm of the entire operation. Our original plan was to kill Hades and then destroy the Olympus Control Center, and the space-time storm would rip Olympus and the Underworld apart. By that time, Kronos would be dead in the cage. It is necessary to know that in the original history, no one has come here to wake the three-headed hound up and Kronos has never escaped.¡±


    ¡°All right, it is my fault,¡± Lily said with a wrinkled nose. ¡°How did I know the three-headed freak would open the cage of Kronos? By the way, how did the dog open the cage? Did you not say that the cage is secure?¡±


    ¡°The dungeon is of course very secure, but Cerberus is the dungeon watchdog,¡± Hasse said. ¡°It probably has the final order to release Kronos to ensure mutually assured destruction with the enemy. When we first raided this place, our investigation was still¡ª¡±


    Before Hasse could finish, and an earthquake swept through the entire Tartarus region.


    The magnificent copper palace shook, and many towers began to fall like dominoes. The land where the copper palace sat mourned in pain as tens of millions of tons of rock cracked open, squeezed and smashed. When looking down from above, Hao Ren would be able to see that the whole of Tartarus was cracking open starting from the palace of Hades. This land floating in a different dimension, surrounded by the Styx, was coming to an end. A breach had formed and spread in the earth and even reached the border of Elysium.


    This place could no longer hold up.


    Hao Ren turned and glanced at the large crack on the Sighing Wall and the robotic tower connecting Mount Olympus and the Underworld. He shouted, ¡°Hurry up! Don¡¯t fight Kronos!¡±


    Everyone began to realize that they were not here to fight the boss; the appearance of Kronos was just an unexpected epic CG. As a group of space-time travelers with a mission, they did not have to worry about the gods of Olympus, especially the gods would soon be all dead anyway.


    Everyone followed Hao Ren and rushed into the Sighing Wall.


    The foundation of the black robotic tower was in sight.


    It was a weird structure. It never crossed Hao Ren¡¯s mind that there was such a portal that looked like this. A large number of rotating metal shafts and alloy plates that constantly switched places made up the tower¡¯s outer wall. Inside those structures were turning gears. How it worked was a mystery, and it was hard to even tell whether the tower was a magic installation or a machine. But Hao Ren could see a fixed metal structure on the tower pedestal where all the moving parts of the tower avoided. A gate-like arch structure as there, and apparently, it was an entrance.


    Without much effort, Hao Ren had hacked the encryption on the door, mainly using high-tech precision blasting and plasma cutting.


    And Hao Ren called it physical decryption.


    A group hurried into the tower. As soon as they stepped into the empty cylindrical space filled with electric light, they felt the gravity field had reversed.


    Everyone began to float. The gravity force came from above, and it felt like they were falling head first.


    Not long after the ¡®fall¡¯ began, Hao Ren saw through the gaps of the moving parts that the copper palace of Hades finally broke apart.


    It was shattering, not collapsing. The force from below tore the magnificent palace apart like tearing a piece of paper. Fragments of building shattered under the powerful energy impact. A large crack had formed in the earth, glowing in red. Inside the crack, a large palm of lava and lightning broke open the surface, as a terrifying body started to climb up from the ground.


    Only a small part of the titan was out of the crack. The head and one-third of his upper body were still trying to break free from the earth. Chains and light shackles bound the rest of his body and seemed to drag him back down into the dungeon. But even with that small part of his body exposed, it was enough to strike fear into the hearts of everyone.


    Before this, Muru and Lemendusa were the most massive humanoid creatures that Hao Ren had ever known. At ten meters tall, the guardian was worthy of the name of the giant. But this Kronos was even larger than the guardians.


    The head of Kronos alone, which looked like the cast of rock and black iron, was more than ten meters tall. If his body proportion was similar to that of a typical humanoid, Kronos¡¯ height could be about 80 meters.


    Such a terrifying monster.


    The titan struggled and groaned. His vast body was only a speck of dust compared to the earth. But the energy ejected from him was enough to further tear the crack of Tartarus. The titan, who was considered the second generation of the gods in ancient Greek mythology, hit the earth with his shoulders so that the ground within a few kilometers radius instantly surged like water ripples. The chains and light shackles began to break apart and fell off his body.


    Hao Ren then saw more huge arms coming out from behind Kronos. Those were the arms of other Titans, who climbed and shoved their way out along the cracks in the earth of Tartarus.


    These titans were smaller than Kronos but still equally hideous. Their bodies looked as if the cast of stone and metal, many of them were deformed as if from a lesion. The arms of some of the Titans were unequal in size, and some of the Titans had tumors that spurted hot air like volcanoes. Some even had multiple arms.


    They were like a group of monsters coming straight out of horror myths. They broke out from the dungeon of Tartarus and went on the stage at the end of the Mythological Era.


    ¡°They are the Titans who were being imprisoned together with Kronos.¡± Hasse took a breath. ¡°Now these guys have escaped. I am afraid that they are not going to stay still and perish with the Underworld.¡±


    Hao Ren and his team were still rising¡ªor falling toward Mount Olympus. They were about to reach the top of the Underworld, from which they could take a bird¡¯s-eye view of what happened on the ground.


    The Titans were angry. As if they had lost their minds, they violently tore the last piece of copper palace apart. They then stopped for a while before looking up.


    Led by Kronos, these ancient Titans roared in the direction of Mount Olympus.


    The Titans might have lost their thinking ability, but it did not mean that they had also lost their conditioned response and instinct. After a while of chaos, the Titans finally acted. Kronos first crossed the Sighing Wall, which had also wholly collapsed, and then held on to a moving metal plate on the tower and climbed.


    The other Titans followed suit.


    Under the weight of the Titans, the complicated but delicate passage suffered severe disturbance and damage. Kronos¡¯ fingers were stuck in the energy channels, and moving parts, flames and lava from his body came into contact with the delicate machine and caused catastrophic damage. It overloaded the tower of the Underworld, which finally gave way as explosions began to rise from the bottom up.


    The explosion shattered the base of the mechanical tower. Rotating parts and magic-charged metal plates flew out in all directions like fireworks. Flames and lightning ran in gaps of the tower and quickly spread upward.


    The Titans seemed to have realized this. Their little remaining logical judgment told them that they should climb faster. Below them, the tower of the Underworld was exploding and disintegrating, and above them was the space crack that led to Mount Olympus. It was a scene that could only be seen in mythology.


    The previous generation of gods had broken free from the prison of Tartarus. They were climbing the tower that connected to Mount Olympus to launch a revenge war against their descendants.


    But their descendants had been defeated in another war.

 Chapter 1483 - Arriving in Olympus

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    It was the end of the Underworld.


    The crack in Tartarus continued to spread and finally divided Elysium into two. The massive rift ran across the entire earth, cutting the artificial land like an invisible sharp blade. After Elysium fell apart, the crack further ran across the dry Styx and spread to the wilderness at the edge of the Underworld.


    Hot magma spurted out from underground. In some smaller fissures, steam columns were as high as hundreds of meters high. The rock layer began to collapse into the endless void while an energy storm rose from underground. The once solid earth of the Underworld became wavy like melted cheese before it wholly sank.


    Kronos led the ancient Titans to escape the fast-disappearing world. They clung to the tower of the Underworld, which was also rapidly collapsing, and climbed up to Mount Olympus.


    The Titans¡¯ movement seemed to be slow, but they could climb several dozens of meters with each movement of their arms. They were effectively moving faster than the speed of the collapse of the Underworld tower, and before long, they had left the destruction far behind.


    Hao Ren took a glace at the situation below. Through his quick observation, he found that their movement in the passage was still faster than the climbing speed of the Titans. The Titans could no longer pose a threat to them. Hao Ren breathed a sigh of relief and asked curiously, ¡°Could they really climb all the way up to Mount Olympus like this?¡±


    Hasse looked up. They were now beginning to pass through the portal at the top of the Underworld. It was an extremely wide crack in the shape of a lightning bolt, the thickness of which spanned a few kilometers. ¡°They could¡ªas long as they maintain their current speed. This passage is essentially a high-speed passage, and the portal generator on Mount Olympus kept the portal open. So even if the tower of the Underworld is down, the portal will still remain open. We can reach the Temple of Hades directly from the inside of the pipeline through the mountain body of Olympus, but those Titans must climb up the mountain walls of Mount Olympus. Anyway, they will still reach Mount Olympus.¡±


    As Hasse spoke, they just crossed the dividing line between the Underworld and Olympus.


    Through the ever-changing cracks on the wall of the passage, Hao Ren saw that the scene outside suddenly became a blurry image as if twisted light had formed a vortex around the passage. When these blurry images disappeared, the scene outside the passage returned to normal.


    It was an endless sea of white clouds.


    But the cloud scenery appeared only momentarily. Hao Ren saw rocky foundations appeared above the clouds and then the scene turned dark again.


    In the darkness, there were metal ring flashing in light flying past them. It was as if riding in a train through a tunnel. When Hao Ren saw this, he knew what was going on: they had entered the mountain body of Olympus.


    The Titans climbing on the outside of the passage would not be able to follow them. The Titans could only climb from the base of the Olympus floating mountain range. If these mighty Titans could do that and not fall to their death, then they would most likely come up from the Hades Peak.


    Hessiana let out a long sigh. ¡°Phew! At last the ugly Titans are out of sight.¡±


    Lily also sighed, ¡°Phew! Is Kronos really the father of Zeus?¡±


    ¡°The answer is a definite yes.¡± Hasse nodded.


    Lily was in disbelief. ¡°Zeus is also eighty meters tall?¡±


    Hasse shook his head. ¡°Zeus is about the same height as Hades. They are both the larger species of the Titan race and could grow up to five meters.¡±


    The husky maiden¡¯s facial expression changed several times as her imagination ran wild. ¡°No wonder that Olympus was so chaotic. Has Zeus never been suspicious of whether Kronos is his paternal father? Wait a minute. Could it be because of family problems that made Zeus lock Knonos up?¡±


    This out-of-the-blue question left Hasse struck dumb. He only began to explain after a dozen seconds later. ¡°According to what we know, Zeus imprisoned Kronos and the other Titans because, for some unknown reason, they had mutated. Their bodies grew larger, they lost their sanity. There were signs that this mutation would spread and pollute Olympus. Under this circumstance, the gods of Olympus had no choice but to lock up their fathers.¡±


    ¡°Mutation? That is to say, the Titans were originally the size of Zeus?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The gods on Mount Olympus have only two body types: the larger type of over three meters, and the smaller type of the size of the human. Titan, like Kronos, is obviously a mutant. We have known more through our investigation that the smaller body type similar to human height should also be also a product of mutation. They were the result of genetic degradation when the purebred gods of Olympus bred on Earth. The original Olympian gods are at least three meters tall. The smaller type like Hesperides is their descendants on Earth. Compared to the severe mutation of the Titans, miniaturization did not have any sequelae, and so Zeus still regarded the genetically degraded Olympian gods as their own and but subject them to discrimination.¡±


    Hao Ren frowned, and he had his own thought. ¡°These changes probably have something to do with the crossing of the world barrier.¡±


    After all, the earth was not the home of the otherworldlings.


    For the otherworldling refugees from the Plane of Dreams, riding on Yggdrasil through the world barrier was a dangerous journey. Over half of the races died due to environmental changes when they arrived on Earth. The rest was facing enormous challenges, and those who eventually adapted to the earth¡¯s environment was only 10%. But those survived had also undergone mutations, offspring gene degradation, alien diseases, and Earth¡¯s native toxins. These things have been like clouds over their heads for the first millennium after their arrival and resulted in the rise of many myths and legends of ancient monsters among the later generations of humans.


    Except for some of the ancient monsters, which were already ugly when they were in the Plane of Dreams, the others only mutated and turned hideous after arriving on Earth.


    Such as the father of Zeus, Kronos, who was leading his brothers and sisters climbing up Mount Olympus, was such a victim.


    The arrival of the otherworldlings was already a problem in itself.


    After walking in the mountain body of Olympus for some time, Hao Ren finally noticed the scene outside the passage had changed.


    The luminous rings that glided downwards had turned into continuous light tubes. The wall flew past them rapidly began to slow down, and the gravity pull had weakened. All these signs only indicated one thing: they were about to reach the destination.


    ¡°Get ready your weapons!¡±


    Hasse whispered.


    The demon hunters had cleaned the Temple of Hades, killed all those who resisted, and radiation had spread across the entire Mount Olympus, so it was unlikely that the demon hunters would still remain in Hades Peak. But it was always good to take precautions.


    Hao Ren took out a pair of swords of cosmic fragments from his dimensional pocket. One of the swords, the Godslayer, immediately muttered, ¡°Oh, hi! Partner, long time no see. Do you still fight? I can sense the murderous air here.¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Just when everyone was on guard, the inverted gravity in the passage suddenly disappeared, and the normal gravity took over.


    As their bodies were falling, metal fragments flew from all directions and quickly formed a solid floor under their feet.


    The running black components before Hao Ren¡¯s eyes retreated, revealing a door. Outside the door was a dark palace.


    ¡°Keep your eyes open,¡± Hao Ren said in a low voice. He led the team in front while Lily was following closely behind with her alloy swords.


    The palace looked empty.


    It should be a ¡®transmission hall¡¯ primarily used to connect with the Underworld. As a place for transferring materials and assembling people, it was spacious and tall. The hall, made of ferrous metal, was cylindrical in shape and had a vault on top with artwork depicting war and death scenes. There were dozens of exquisite metal sculptures around the hall.


    Each of these beautiful sculptures was of Hade¡ªthe one being nailed on the Sighing Wall.


    ¡°That guy was pretty narcissistic,¡± Lily commented.


    Hasse¡¯s voice came from behind. ¡°Every guy who claims to be a god is narcissistic. Ahem, I did not mean that one God we know.¡±


    ¡°Bah, Raven 12345 is indeed narcissistic. Not only narcissism but also likes to brag.¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°But character-wise, the goddess is much better than these fake gods.¡±


    Just as everyone came out into the hall and Little Hessiana was about to emerge, there was a sudden burst of mechanical friction coming from the passage.


    Sparks burst out of the rotating passage outlet, and the fast-moving metal parts rapidly slowed down.


    The collapse in the lower half of the tower of the Underworld had affected the operation of the entire passage.


    The passage seemed to be barely holding up, but a total shut down was inevitable. Lily could not help but shake her head. ¡°I wonder where Kronos and the other Titans are now.¡±


    Hao Ren grinned and said, ¡°I would hope they could make it.¡±


    Lily was baffled. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if they are after the demon hunters or the gods of Olympus, they can surely create huge chaos, and that is what we exactly need.¡±

 Chapter 1484 - The Accidental Allies

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    In the Temple of Hades on Mount Olympus, not a single Greek god was still alive.


    With the demon-hunter distribution map in Hasse¡¯s memory, the group avoided the few enemies in the Temple of Hades and hustled through the quiet palace. In the aftermath of the war, scenes of devastation were everywhere. Beautiful blood-stained murals, gash-ridden stone statues, collapsed ancient Greek columns, broken marbles that had melted, cooled, and solidified in a glassy texture, and the Olympian gods, as well as their servants who had been slaughtered and discarded on the battlefield like animals, spoke volumes of the brutality that happened.


    The big bodies of the gods were the most eye-catching, but there were not many of them. Most of the corpses were of mortal servants, genetically degraded descendants of the gods, and the demigods. Their gorgeous armor could not protect them from the doomsday catastrophe. Compared to the brutally destructive power of the demon hunters, the shield and protective spells of the Olympian gods were as weak as babies. The blood of the gods and humans soaked the temple. On some of the places where fighting was the most violent, blood that flowed down the staircase and dried up had turned into a ¡°red carpet¡± of hundreds of meters long.


    It was not hard to imagine the horror scene of blood flowing down these long steps during the battle.


    Lily cautiously maneuvered past a body that was killed by a bolt piercing through the chest. The offensive blood stench was suffocating. But vampires like Hessiana and Little Hessiana were enjoying it. At this time, Hessiana lamented, ¡°Sigh, the amount of blood lost is enough to hold a three-day feast.¡±


    ¡°Could you not be so disgusting? I want to throw up already.¡± Lily¡¯s face pale. ¡°Leave your joke to another time.¡±


    ¡°Bah.¡± Hessiana snorted in disdain. She flipped another body over with her foot and bent over to examine it before shaking her head. ¡°This is also a human, but have been modified.¡±


    It was a body draped in thin armor. Compared to the tall Olympian gods¡ªlarge and small types alike, this body was only one meter seven tall, a standard human height. But his eyes were inlaid with shining red gems, and limbs had apparent signs of modifications. Hessiana again turned his body over to reveal the flexible hose connecting the back of his head and spinal cord.


    ¡°This is the few ¡®lucky¡¯ servants that were chosen to serve the Olympian gods,¡± said Hasse. ¡°The purebred Olympians were a minority. Even with those descendants of degraded genes, their number was not large enough to rule the entire land. Also, the pride of the gods meant they would not do the menial chores. So there was always a large number of human servants serving the gods. Given a little power, adding a few years to their life, and with a little nervous system control technology, these humans would make loyal slaves.¡±


    ¡°How many pureblood Olympian gods were there?¡± asked Hao Ren curiously.


    ¡°Do you mean those of three meters and above? Not counting mutant like Kronos who was driven out of the family, there were probably a dozen,¡± Hasse said. ¡°Most of the rest were genetically degraded offspring on Earth and the so-called demigods who were god-human crossbreeds. Both had similar status and the most grassroots rulers in the theocratic community in the Mediterranean region. Occasionally, some more talented individuals were not as good as their forefathers, but still inherited the natural gift of ability. They were skillful in using the supernatural power of the Titans. These groups of genetically degraded offspring would get a promotion and be allowed to enter the higher social class, and even given a divine post. You know, Hesperides is one of them.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Hao Ren nodded and silently jotted the information down in his mind. The things might sound insignificant, but it could be used to determine the level of impact on the Wall of Reality when the otherworldlings crossed from the Plane of Dreams. If there was sufficient data, perhaps the MDT could calculate the overall rate of deterioration of the Wall of Reality over the past 10,000 years and determine the initial state of damage.


    The group left the bodies behind them and turned into a path. They walked through the rugged gaps in the palaces but did not encounter any demon hunters along the way. The battle here was over, the demon hunters who replied on their killing instinct would not waste their time in places of which they had lost interest. Except for a few sentinels, the rest of the demon hunters had gone to the Temple of Poseidon.


    But Hao Ren knew that if they went further, they would meet the demon hunters and a fight would be inevitable.


    The road ahead opened up as they emerged from the trail. The group had now come to the entrance to an open square.


    Hessiana looked up. There was a large metal platform extending out from the square, beyond the cliffs of the Hades Peak. At the end of the platform was a light beam. The light beam penetrated the clouds above and produced blurry but bright and colorful lines in the pale-gold radioactive clouds. The light beam passed through the clouds and fell on the other mountain peak opposite the clouds.


    The scenery on the mountain peaks was barely visible. There was a palace complex on top of the summit, where a blue light was all around as if a sea floating in the clouds.


    That was the territory of Poseidon. The light beam in the air was the light path that Hasse had mentioned.


    It was the thoroughfare; apparently, it was guarded. The demon hunters could not destroy the light path in the radiation field, but it did not prevent them from defending at the entrance and exit of each light path to prevent the enemy from escaping. Every time when they attacked a temple, they would first block the light path platform. The fallen Temple of Hades was no exception.


    Hundreds of demon hunters were on the platform in high alert. Half of them kept an eye on the light path while the rest scanned the other places for any movements. Their monitoring had no blind spots


    The situation was somehow out of Hao Ren¡¯s calculation.


    ¡°There are three master commanders, and the rest are all veterans,¡± Hasse said quietly after just a glance. ¡°Those guarding this place are not ordinary warriors. We need a good plan; the guards are not the problem, but we cannot let them alert the others.¡±


    Hessiana shot Hasse a quizzical look. ¡°Now, you don¡¯t hesitate at all in killing your own men, eh? I remember that when we were in the Amazon Jungle, you hesitated for a long time.¡±


    There was no emotion on Hasse¡¯s face. ¡°For the record, it was only a few seconds. I have gotten used to it. Moreover, they are just phantoms of history. And you too did not seem to hesitate at all in killing the vampires.¡±


    ¡°I have never hesitated when I whack them,¡± Hessiana said. ¡°You did not know how brutal it was when I whacked the vampire families in the Athens¡¯ sanctuary back then.¡±


    Hasse was speechless.


    Was it something to be proud of? Hasse thought to himself.


    Hao Ren observed the movements on the platform, where there were over a hundred of demon hunters. While jotting down their pattern of operation, he was figuring how to take down those mighty sentinels as quickly as possible. He then checked his arsenal in his dimensional pocket and hesitated between the choice of the small tactical nuclear weapons and Graviton Grenades.


    Just as Hao Ren was about to open his dimensional pocket, he stopped.


    Lily had noticed it and asked, in a whisper, ¡°What happen?¡±


    ¡°Maybe we do not have to do it ourselves,¡± Hao Ren said with a sly smile. ¡°Our ¡®allies¡¯ will help us create a distraction.¡±


    ¡°Allies?¡± What allies?¡± Lily was baffled.


    Just when Lily¡¯s voice trailed off, they felt tremor under their feet.


    Accompanying the tremor was angry roars from afar.


    Red lightning flashed through the sky, leaving a dazzling bright mark in the background of the palace of Hades. Then the atmosphere in that direction suddenly distorted as if it was collapsing. The radioactive energy clouds floating at hundreds of meters in the air began to swirl under a powerful gravitational force. They spun into a whirlpool and descended close to the earth. In just a matter of a few breaths, it formed a massive storm funnel. As the radioactive energy clouds descended, the already powerful force intensified further.


    Kronos had arrived at Mount Olympus.


    Lily now realized what ¡®allies¡¯ were all about.


    ¡°Kronos lives his entire life in battle. It is an uncompromising life¡ªa life without doing any good deeds.¡± Hao Ren guffawed. ¡°Now let him lead the Titans to fight the demon hunters.¡±


    Just as Hao Ren expected, the demon hunters in the palace of the Underworld were all alarmed as the powerful storm in the distance was hard to ignore.


    The commander of the demon hunters immediately inferred that the remnants of Olympus were launching the last counterattack.


    The demon hunters quickly gathered and went out to meet the Titans. Fighting broke out as the first batch of soldiers met the horrifying ancient Titans. But when confronting an opponent like Kronos, there was no guarantee that the perfect race like the demon hunters would win. And soon, news of the defeat of the demon hunters came in.


    The three master demon hunters had to make a quick decision. They decided to send out half of their men to intercept Kronos.


    Hao Ren breathed a sigh of relief when a commander led half of the demon hunters leaving the platform. This was going to be much easier for him.

 Chapter 1485 - Dirty Bomb

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Thanks to the ¡°assistance¡± extended by Kronos, the Titans¡¯ noisy entrance created a distraction. Half of the demon hunters had left the light-path platform, and another master, who was a commander, managed to move with his team to the frontlines, significantly reducing the strength of the remaining guards on the platform.


    However, Hao Ren did not rush out recklessly. He silently perceived the shockwaves, which were coming from afar and calculated the situation of the battle between the demon hunters and the Titans.


    The demon hunters were undeniably powerful. As a synthesized race, they were born with a natural talent that gave them an advantage over many conventional races. But that did not mean that they were invincible. While demon hunters had different combat strength levels, among the otherworldlings that they had annihilated were many powerful fighters.


    When ordinary demon hunters fought with the war machines of Olympus, casualties were guaranteed.


    Sure enough, not long after, Hao Ren noticed that the two master demon hunters on the light-path platform looked nervous as they exchanged words with each other.


    It seemed that the demon hunters had received news from the frontline. Their troops encountered the ancient Titans, and the fight had reached a stalemate.


    Just as Hao Ren had expected, the remaining demon hunters acted again. They despatched another team of elite soldiers under the charge of a master-class commander.


    The thinking of the demon hunters was that the Titans crawling out of the Underworld were the biggest threat to them in the Palace of Hades. As the demon hunters had cleared the rest of Mount Olympus as safe, and all the resistance forces of Olympus were confined to the Temple of Poseidon, there would be no enemy reinforcement. Naturally, guarding the light path was not the priority and if necessary, they would redirect their forces from here to deal with Kronos.


    There was nothing wrong with this strategy had Hao Ren and this team of space-time travelers not intervened.


    As the second batch of the demon hunters left the platform, Hao Ren knew that this was his best chance. The remaining guards would not go away. If he waited some more, he would miss this window of opportunity. Now or never; Hao Ren opened his dimensional pocket at once and took out a Dimensional Collapse Bomb. He waved and said, ¡°Let¡¯s move!¡±


    The eyes of the demon hunters stationed on the platform were on the energy storm rising from the Palace of Hades. When their commander finally knew what happened, a half-meter-tall silvery-white metal cylinder had flown up and landed among the soldiers.


    A veteran soldier called out, ¡°Hostile!¡±


    Just then the silvery-white metal cylinder exploded. The explosion was different from that of a conventional bomb. It was the sound of shattering glass without flare. The surrounding air distorted and formed a sphere. Beyond the event horizon of the sphere, space and time would collapse inward.


    The event horizon of the sphere continued to expand and sucked in everything in the surroundings, including a few demon hunters close to the blast center. Because of the different gravitational pulls on different parts of their body, their bodies stretched as gravity pulled them toward the gravitational collapse point. The demon hunters, who were a little further away, managed to react. Their powerful reflex and fighting talent enabled them to respond even without knowing what was going on. The demon hunters quickly lunged away from the gravitational collapse zone with all their might.


    The master-class demon hunter was even more doughty. Half of his body was already inside the event horizon, but he managed to remain focus and pull off a near-field teleporting feat. The gravitation force pulled his lower body inward as his upper body escaped, breaking himself into half.


    Knowing that he was going to die, the commander dropped his weapon and reached for the alarm trigger on his waist at the fastest speed he had ever done in his life.


    But before his hand could reach the trigger, a silver light fell from the sky.


    It was Hasse coming down with his silver sword.


    The severed head of the commander spun in the air with a shocked expression on the face. He could not believe his eyes until the moment he died; it was the highest commander of the sacred army of the demon hunters who killed him.


    ¡°I am sorry, mate. I cannot let you ruin this in this space and time,¡± Hasse said as he glanced at the master demon hunter. His eyes swept across the emblem on the master¡¯s chest. ¡°I have remembered you. I will buy you a drink when this is all done.¡±


    Lily thrust her alloy sword on the ground near Hasse, smashing a poor demon hunter and breaking his bones. She was pretty skillful in using the sword now. Wielding the sword in her hand, Lily further killed several enemies before shouting at Hasse, ¡°Why did you slacken your pace? You even had time to make a date!¡±


    Hasse was stupefied.


    Hasse now knew Lily¡¯s characters well enough that he had given up interacting with her.


    Light flashed, and blood splashed on the platform.


    With the Dimensional Collapse Bomb as the trailblazer, Hao Ren had the situation under his control and finished off all the demon hunters on the platform.


    But the most important thing was that Hasse killed the commander just in time just before he triggered the alert.


    Up until now, the sacred army currently besieging the Temple of Poseidon was still unaware of the intervention of a third force.


    Hao Ren breathed a sigh of relief, but then he said, ¡°The other demon hunters would soon discover our presence.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The commanders at every level will regularly check in with each other. They will quickly find out the lost of this team,¡± Hasse said quickly. ¡°We have less than 20 minutes to remain under the radar. Twenty minutes later, the senior commanders will know the presence of a third hostile force on the battlefield.¡±


    The rumbling and tremors were still felt coming from the deepest part of the palace complex. The powerful energy storm in the far side of the sky seemed to have weakened but not completely dissipated.


    ¡°Kronos is still drawing the attention of the demon hunters, but we cannot count on the brainless Titans.¡± Hessiana looked back at the sky and then turned to the rotating light beam on the edge of the platform. ¡°We should now¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± Hao Ren stopped Hessiana, who was about to activate the light path. ¡°It would be too dangerous to go just like that.¡±


    Hasse nodded in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s right. The demon hunters are guarding every entrance and exit of the light paths. We will come into direct confrontation with the guards even we cross the light path just like that. For your info, the number of guards on the Temple of Poseidon side is twice the size of on this side.¡±


    Hessiana shrugged. ¡°It is already a miracle that we have come so far. Direct confrontation is inevitable sooner or later. Or do you have any trick up your sleeve?¡±


    While saying, Hessiana looked at Hao Ren.


    Hao Ren replied with a smile, ¡°It is not a trick but simple tactic.¡±


    As he spoke, he opened up the dimensional portal and took out a few small tactical nuclear warheads and a large number of square metal boxes. The metal boxes, when opened, contained blue crystal fragments. Hao Ren then further took out a dozen more plasma bombs. He set the bombs into standby mode before putting them in the gaps between the blue crystal fragments.¡±


    Little Hessiana was still a state of excitement and curiosity since the earlier fighting. Now she saw the cool gadgets that looked fun and came up to Hao Ren.


    ¡°Do not touch!¡± Hao Ren quickly grabbed the little girl who reached for the metal boxes. ¡°They are radioactive!¡±


    Lily instinctively felt a sense of danger. ¡°What is that stuff?¡± she could not help but ask.


    ¡°Once, Nolan came back with indigestion and threw up a ton of this stuff out of the ventilation ducts of the power reactor. It is a degraded energy crystal that she made from overclocking herself. It is useless as an energy source, but because it contains psionic radiation, it was extremely lethal to ordinary carbon-based creatures. Let¡¯s check our life-support collars as we will have to cross a vast radioactive area when we cross over.¡±


    Cold sweat started to trickle down Hessiana¡¯s forehead. ¡°You are so sick, man!¡±


    Hao Ren just smiled slyly but did not argue with her. He then pushed the explosives onto the light path and gave Hessiana a big thumbs-up. ¡°Activate it now.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure this thing will not blow up the light path?¡±


    ¡°Do not worry, the nuclear warhead will automatically launch after crossing to the other side and fly to a safe distance before exploding. The released radioactive crystals contain relatively low kinetic impact force, the main killer is the radioactive dust and energy rays. And I have observed the materials that made up of this platform; the high-grade alloy the Olympus family brought from their homeworld is highly tensile.¡±


    Hessiana¡¯s mouth twitched. Since the mad guy had done his homework, she was not going to question anymore. She proceeded to activate the light path.


    Hessiana had never come into contact with the technology of the Olympian gods, but it did not mean she did not know how to activate the light path. For everyone¡¯s info, there was a massive ¡®Start¡¯ letter on the control panel.


    Six and a half tons of explosives was on its way through the clouds as Hao Ren watched.


    After a while, Hao Ren motioned everyone. ¡°Now is the time for us to go!¡±

 Chapter 1486 - The Twilight of Olympus

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The territory of Poseidon was the last bastion of Olympus.


    Once sitting high on their thrones with powers that engulfed the entire Mediterranean region, the ancient Greek gods, who ruled generations of dynasties and thousands of city-states, finally ushered in their doomsday. They used to be proud and confident, looking down on the weak and short-lived empire of humankind. They ridiculed the brief life expectancy of the indigenous beings who could only live about forty years. The Olympian beings, with their inherent strength, felt entitled to be called gods. They believed that their rule would last forever. But today, these gods finally realized one thing: they were far from being eternal. They were only a little stronger than humans, and their dynasty could only last a few thousand years longer than that of the mortal world.


    Their experience of living high up on the clouds and receiving worship from the mortals was only a flash in the pan.


    The sacred army of demon hunters assembled around the temple of Poseidon. With powerful war magic, they bombarded the energy shield over the temple. Scorching flames spread across the rock formation, slowly but steadily melting the alloy protective shell at the base of the temple. The demon hunters had organized an attack about three hours ago but had been unsuccessful. But both warring sides knew that the ultimate outcome of the war spelled doom.


    Supported by the powers of the Olympian gods and the remaining energy of the entire sacred mountain, the great shield was indeed strong. It could be considered the most durable shield they had ever created since they descended onto this world. But in the absence of continuous energy supply and downtime, the powerful shield was unsustainable. The Olympian gods looked at the flashes and silver spots raining down on the shield; they knew that the end was near, and they were only delaying the inevitable.


    The demon hunters were also aware of that reality. They knew that victory belonged to them. Their prey, who resisted and hid in the temple, had no way of escaping the eventuality. So they did not force their way in but employ attrition warfare to wear down the temple¡¯s protective barrier as well as the will of their enemy. Their prey in the temple would eventually break down and come out of their hiding hole.


    Such a situation had happened before.


    Above the temple of Poseidon, a half-moon dome acted as the final command center for the Olympian gods. The gods and demigods who were still alive had all gathered there. As a result, the gorgeous ballroom with elaborate decorations seemed a little crowded. Nonetheless, there were no discussions among those gods and demigods. Instead, there was only silence, and no one seemed to want to talk.


    There was an empty space in the center of the half-moon hall. Those who were qualified to sit there were four-meter-tall pureblood deities. Their statuesque figures were once a symbol of the strength of Mount Olympus as well as a source of faith and hope for the race and their servants. But now, they all lowered their heads in a dejected manner and were no different from anxious mortals.


    Sitting among them was a large golden bed, on which lay a middle-aged figure. His hair and beard were white and long, while his eyes flashed with lightning. His face was still fearsome although he was dying.


    His heart had been punctured through and through, leaving a fist-sized wound. Light golden thunder and silvery-white flames danced in the wound as they fought for control over the injury. His heart had been completely destroyed, but the magic kept him alive. Blood rushing out of his broken veins squirmed like a living thing and flowed into similarly broken veins on the other side. Zeus had been relying on this magic to keep himself alive for several days.


    Yes, he was Zeus, the king of the gods of Mount Olympus.


    ¡°Let me¡­ Let me take a look at the situation outside,¡± he said in a low voice.


    Next to the bed, another figure, whose hair was curly like the ocean waves, nodded. He picked up his trident and waved at the dome three times so that the dome constructed of rocks became transparent like a sea of water.


    Two-thirds of the people in the hall looked up in unison, staring at the scene on the other side of the clear seawater. But the other third seemed to be in total despair and cared not about what was happening.


    Everyone saw the great shield above the temple of Poseidon through the clear seawater. The shield, which was full of magic energy, was still intact, but it was now 60% dimmer than before. Silvery-white flashes rained down like a meteor shower and produced ripples on the energy shield. The demon hunters had launched an endless attack on the shield.


    ¡°Do we still have reinforcements?¡± Zeus looked at his brother and whispered.


    ¡°No more, my brother.¡± Poseidon¡¯s face was expressionless. The cold god of the sea always had the same expression even before death. ¡°The death of Hades has been confirmed. Hermes¡¯ body dropped from the clouds not long ago, and the sacred army has blocked all entrances and exits. We are now on our own.¡±


    Zeus nodded. He did not look dejected or angry after he heard the news. The god of thunder had apparently accepted reality. He turned his eyes in search of someone in the ballroom.


    He found the person he was looking for.


    The person looked utterly out of place and seemed indifferent to the current hopeless situation. She was wearing a plain muslin dress, and not a single piece of jewelry was on her. Her wretched appearance alone was enough for her to stick out like a sore thumb among the deities and demigods with golden armor.¡±


    Among the Olympian gods, who were anxiously awaiting the inevitable, the woman was alone with her head lowered, occasionally muttering to herself. She acted so differently from the others, as though there was a shield surrounding her. She remained in her little world, isolated from everyone else.


    Zeus turned to Poseidon. ¡°How is she doing?¡±


    ¡°Miss Ancestor is starting to feel confused again,¡± Poseidon replied. ¡°She swings between sobriety and stupor. She has gotten worse after helping us ward off the attack on the outside. I am worried; with her condition, it seems like she is on the verge of losing control. We all know what she will become. Once she loses her mind in the temple, I am afraid that the consequences will be much worse than the sacred army¡¯s destruction.¡±


    ¡°She is here to help,¡± Zeus said slowly. ¡°And she has indeed helped us a lot. But even with her strength, it is impossible to save this situation.¡±


    ¡°Artemis and Demeter have discussed and come to a decision: when Miss Ancestor wakes up again, we will ask her to bring a group of Olympian descendants out of here. We have found a relatively easy way out. As long as Miss Ancestor can to use her power to shroud the descendants, they will be able to evade the eyes of the demon hunters. That way, we will be able to leave behind a few tinders.¡±


    ¡°Have you come up with the list?¡±


    ¡°Here you go.¡± Poseidon handed over the list to Zeus. ¡°They are all descendants of the genetically-degraded generation. Their scent is weaker, and their appearance is similar to humans. After the fall of Olympus, these descendants can blend in with the human kingdoms.¡±


    ¡°We have already come to this point.¡± Zeus merely took a gander at the list before he shoved it back to Poseidon. ¡°You decide. As long as there is tinder preserved, it does not matter who. We cannot allow the Olympian bloodline to disappear¡­ Cough cough!¡±


    Zeus coughed a few times, and those in the hall appeared worried. The king of the gods waved them off to dismiss their concern. He then lowered his voice and said, ¡°Has Hercules set off?¡±


    Only Poseidon could hear Zeus. It was a secret.


    ¡°He has,¡± Poseidon replied, also in a low voice, ¡°with the treasure.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Zeus breathed a sigh of relief, and his muscles seemingly relaxed. Zeus looked up at the seawater, which had transformed back into a rocky dome. He sounded like he was sleeptalking. ¡°Eternal dynasty, eternal dynasty¡­¡±


    *Boom!*


    *Boom! Boom!*


    Suddenly, massive explosions were heard coming from outside the temple. It did not occur once but in a series. The blasts seemed to be mid-air and scattered across a wide area. Following the explosions, the temple began to shake violently, as the shockwaves had impacted its outer walls.


    Poseidon got to his feet and shouted, ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    The hall turned from silence into chaos. ¡°What¡¯s happening? Is our shield broken?¡±


    ¡°The demon hunters are coming in!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s over! They have breached our defenses!¡±


    ¡°Pick up your weapons and fight!¡±


    ¡°Be quiet!¡± Poseidon shouted with the might of his spiritual strength, and his voice echoed in the entire hall. His reprimand silenced as well as calmed the deities and demigods. ¡°Perhaps the palace wall is about to collapse, but that will not frighten the Olympians. You two, take some men to check on the situation outside!¡±


    Meanwhile, on a platform outside the temple of Poseidon, the smoke and dust had yet to disperse.


    In the area covered with smoke and dust, not a single carbon-based living thing survived.

 Chapter 1487 - Me Against Myself

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    A blanket of light-blue smoke shrouded the light-path platform, the ancillary temple, and several buildings of unknown uses. The seemingly beautiful smoke had a horrifying side: it was a combination of dust from degraded psionic crystallites and secondary radiative fog produced by those crystallites. It likely contained second or even third and fourth-stage degraded psionic energy. It was extremely harmful to living tissues. One only needed to inhale a small amount or simply be exposed to it for it to be fatal.


    Hao Ren had specially selected the most radioactive dust for the ¡°big package¡± he prepared.


    The small tactical nuclear bombs that he detonated farther away were pale in comparison. The nuclear explosions only caused damage to the mountains and a few buildings. The molten craters created by the blast may have looked scary, but 80% of the attentive, seriously-trained demon hunters had not been so unfortunate. They had escaped the center of the explosion via teleportation. But once they entered the area shrouded in radiative blue smog, they would be dead.


    Hao Ren¡¯s purpose for delivering a dozen nuclear warheads there was to drive the guards into the radiative smog.


    Crossing the light path was swift. Hao Ren guessed that it probably used some kind of molecular reconstruction and transmission technology. He felt a short moment of disconnection from his sensory perception, but his consciousness still functioned as usual. About a couple of minutes later, the anomaly disappeared, and he was already on the blue, smog-covered platform.


    ¡°Sir, we¡¯ve landed!¡± Lily held her alloy sword and shouted in excitement.


    The dog got excited quickly when it came to anything novel.


    Hessiana frowned when she saw the blue smog on the platform. It¡¯s such dangerous stuff , she thought. But she breathed a sigh of relief when she realized that there was a life-support collar on her neck. ¡°We have this gear, but those demon hunters aren¡¯t so fortunate.¡±


    Bodies of demon hunters were everywhere on the platform. Except for a few who were killed in the explosion, the rest died from the fallout, which was an unusual kind of radiation. Light-blue scales covered the corpses, and some bodies were even crystalized. The crystallization was not as thorough as when being hit directly by a psionic ray, but the effect it produced was more chilling.


    ¡°Psionic energy is such a sick plaything.¡± Lily stuck her tongue out. ¡°When I think about how Nolan¡¯s belly is full of this energy, I don¡¯t feel like taking your spaceship anymore.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled and said, ¡°There are many kinds of psionic energy. Strictly speaking, it¡¯s divided into different spectrums. Different energy spectrums have vastly different properties. Some are stable and some are violent. Some are good for nothing except for the radiation they produce. The crystal dust I obtained this time is the one with the strongest radioactivity, but it¡¯s rather inept as a source of energy. So, fret not. The power source in Nolan¡¯s belly is a stable and controllable type.¡±


    ¡°Only if she doesn¡¯t simply overclock the power reactor again.¡± Lily sighed.


    Hao Ren was stupefied.


    Little Hessiana, the last person to come out from the light path, recovered from her dizziness. Hasse nodded at her before he cast his eyes around. ¡°Now, the commander here must have already known about the attack on the light-path platform. The radiative smog will not hold them off for very long. We need to move quickly. I remember a spot through which we can enter to get to the temple of Poseidon fairly easily.¡±


    ¡°Commander? Isn¡¯t that you? Hessiana asked.


    Hao Ren waved to little Hessiana, who was curious and nervous. ¡°Come here. You will have to transform into a bat from now on.¡±


    The platform and the area beyond were places where demon hunter numbers were concentrated. In the event of an encounter, the situation could become more dangerous than battling the brainless undead in Tartarus, and the safety of little Hessiana was a concern. Thus, it was better for her to transform into a bat and hide.


    The little girl was clever. She nodded and in the blink of an eye, she shapeshifted into a small bat and entered the pocket of Hao Ren¡¯s jacket.


    Earlier, they had discussed where to hide little Hessiana. Hiding in Lily or Hessiana¡¯s hair may have seemed discreet enough, but it would not be safe during a fight.


    It would be safer for little Hessiana to hide in Hao Ren¡¯s pocket under the Steel Membrane Shield. Even Hessiana did not object to the idea.


    Little Bat just buried her face in her hand. ¡°I¡¯ll be embarrassed whenever I recall having to hide in this guy¡¯s pocket during my childhood,¡± she muttered.


    Hao Ren pretended not to hear her. After little Hessiana had snuck into his pocket, he strode forward and caught up with Hasse in front.


    The group left the light-path platform where the radioactive smog was at its thickest. Once they passed through the palace, which the small tactical nuclear bombs had damaged, they headed to the large temple in the distance.


    The fighting situation near the temple of Poseidon was already visible from that distance. Hao Ren saw the demon hunters fire light bombs from higher ground. Silvery-white shells rained down like rain on the translucent energy shield over the temple.


    It seemed that the explosion on the light path had not affected the demon hunters¡¯ assault campaign on the temple. Hao Ren initially thought that he had already created enough noise. But to the sacred army, an attack on a station did not affect the overall situation of a battle.


    The power of a single individual was insignificant on the battlefield.


    However, Hao Ren believed that the commander of the demon hunters, Hasse, would soon find out that the raid was unusual. Some demon hunters who had escaped the nuclear explosion and radioactive smog may have alerted him. Hasse did not have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that the attack on the platform did not come from the Olympian gods. He would realize that a third force, which came out of nowhere, had joined the party. This third force would be hard to ignore.


    Hao Ren hoped that the Hasse of this era would go and check the situation out.


    While Hao Ren was deep in thought, a strange gust of wind suddenly swept through the building complex covered with radioactive smog.


    It was strange because the wind carried potent magic energy. The way the wind blew defied the laws of Physics; it moved around buildings and took away the radioactive dust as well as the smog. Hasse quickly said, ¡°They are here but they haven¡¯t found us.¡±


    The area of ¡°no man¡¯s land¡± that the radioactive smog had created was shrinking rapidly.


    Hao Ren and his team needed to quickly hide and conceal their scents. At the same time, they had to go to the temple of Poseidon under the cover of the buildings.


    Coming face to face with the enemy was inevitable.


    After moving on for a distance, Hao Ren sensed several fast-moving hostile targets ahead. It seemed that a clash was unavoidable.


    He waved to motion everyone to take cover behind a collapsed palace wall while he quietly peeped from behind the ruins.


    A moment later, several heavily-armed high-order demon hunters appeared.


    When Hao Ren saw the leading commander, he cursed, ¡°Sh*t. I¡¯m a f*cking jinx.¡±


    The one leading the small squad of demon hunters was Hasse. The commander of the sacred army had personally come to investigate?


    Hessiana turned to look at Hasse, who was crouching behind a wall. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Before Hessiana¡¯s voice trailed off, Hasse was also heard saying, ¡°What am I doing here?¡±


    Both Hessiana and Hasse were stupefied.


    Just then, the Hasse who was leading a team of demon hunters suddenly stopped.


    The old demon hunter possessed terrific intuition. Even though Hao Ren and his team had concealed their scents, the demon hunter¡¯s single eye was locked on their hiding place.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± The other demon hunters had come to their senses and drawn their weapons.


    Lily flinched. The hair on her ears and tail stood on end.


    Hao Ren exchanged looks with Hasse and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go first.¡±


    Hasse nodded in acknowledgment and mouthed back, ¡°You take the other demon hunters, leave ¡®me¡¯ to me.¡±


    The next second, Hao Ren lunged out with his pair of swords.


    On his back, a few artilleries appeared.


    The demon hunters led by Hasse were no amateurs. When Hao Ren emerged from behind the wall, the experienced fighters were already expecting him. Hao Ren¡¯s sudden and weird attack method did not gain him any advantage. Two demon hunters up front immediately summoned their runic shields, and they had long swords in their hands. Meanwhile, the fighters at the back raised their crossbows, aimed at the enemy in the air, and pulled the triggers.


    Hao Ren swung both the Godslayer as well as the Worldbreaker, tearing and distorting the surrounding air. The gravitational field of the resulting spatial rift caused their bolts to stray off course. After he evaded the first wave of attacks, Hao Ren hit the runic shields with his swords.


    Hao Ren then fired his artillery. Dust and smoke rose from the battlefield.


    Meanwhile, Lily and Hessiana lunged out to join in on the battle.


    As the demon hunters fought to hold off the counterattack, Hasse, the leading commander, frowned. He found that the enemies were no amateurs too, and his elite warriors may not be able to score an easy win.


    Hasse, the leading commander, drew his silver sword and sprang forward.


    Just as he did, he heard a voice amid the smoke. Hasse froze as he heard the voice say, ¡°Do you know me?¡±


    Hasse looked. He did a double take when he saw a demon hunter, who appeared identical to him, charging at him.


    They did not just have the same faces, but they also had the same equipment, body movement and build.


    Hasse of 44 BC was stunned.


    On one side was Hasse, who was from the future. He had the advantages of hindsight and 2,000 years more of combat experience. On the other side was the Hasse of the current era, who was stunned and clueless about what was going on. It was not hard to guess who would get the upper hand.


    Unlike Lily, who was still in her young body and had relatively low combat strength, Hasse did not have such a limitation.


    Hao Ren shattered the weapons of his enemies with his badass cosmic-fragment swords and took control of the situation. He then glanced over to see how the two Hasses were fighting, and he broke out in cold sweat. ¡°He¡¯s not showing any mercy even when he¡¯s beating himself up!¡±

 Chapter 1488 - Paving the Way

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Taking advantage of the powerful attributes of the two cosmic fragments, Hao Ren had the situation under control. Meanwhile, on the other side, Hasse did not need any help whatsoever.


    Hasse brandished his silver sword and slashed at Hasse¡¯s shoulder. Hasse blocked the attack with his sword, and at the same time, yanked out a runic card. Hasse blocked off the runic magic and kicked Hasse in his blind spot, sending him flying out. Hasse fired a fireball and smashed Hasse in the face. Hasse followed up with more attacks as Hasse went on the defensive.


    The above may be confusing, but all you need to know is that it was chaos.


    Hao Ren, Lily, and Hessiana watched on. The husky maiden began to lose patience. ¡°Mr. Landlord, do we need to give Hasse a hand?¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment and said, ¡°Heck, I don¡¯t even know who¡¯s who now.¡±


    Hessiana had also lost track. ¡°Is the old man that freaking poor? He¡¯s been wearing the same set of clothing and shoes from 44 BC to 1,400 AD.¡±


    ¡°I learned from White Flame that demon hunters don¡¯t change their uniform design for thousands of years, especially Hasse. He only has one uniform in his closet. The demon hunters are obsessed with practicality. They¡¯ve upgraded their weapons many times but not their appearance.¡±


    Hessiana¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°They don¡¯t know how to enjoy life.¡±


    The three of them made frivolous comments while they watched the two Hasses beat up one another. ¡°Would you shut up?¡± the two Hasses said in unison.


    ¡°They even speak at the same time,¡± Hao Ren said.


    Meanwhile, the result of the fight was becoming apparent.


    Amid the dazzling sword clashes, one of the Hasses had lost his balance and exposed his vulnerability, which apparently sealed the outcome of the fight. He lost his grip on his sword next, and his runic shield broke. Before he could react, a runic (Letta) card had appeared before his face and exploded, sending the old demon hunter flying several dozen meters back. He passed out.


    The powerful explosion did not kill him. He was merely in a coma. That was how strong he was.


    The other Hasse breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Phew! Fighting with myself is stressful.¡±


    He tucked his sword and walked towards Hao Ren. Hessiana suddenly stopped him. ¡°Stay where you are! Secret code!¡±


    The old demon hunter could not make head or tail of what Hessiana meant. What secret code?¡±


    Hessiana crossed her arms and asked, ¡°Where did Napoleon finally die? Who was the US president in 1962? What is White Flame¡¯s favorite book?¡±


    Hasse forced a smile, but his paralyzed face remained deadpan. ¡°Napoleon died on St. Helena Island. The US president in 1962 was Kennedy, but he died in 1963. White Flame likes to read¡­¡±


    The old demon hunter hemmed a couple of times. ¡± The Complete Guide to Making Potions ,  which I gave her.¡±


    Hessiana shot the old demon hunter a sideways look. ¡°Are you sure about that?¡±


    ¡°Okay, it¡¯s comics.¡±


    ¡°Wrap it up,¡± Hao Ren interrupted. ¡°There¡¯s no time for jokes. The demon hunters will come looking for their commander soon.¡±


    Hasse went over and dragged younger Hasse back. ¡°I suspect that ¡®I¡¯ came here to check out the radioactive smog. Right now, the main wave of attack on the temple of Poseidon is over. The sacred army will launch an exhaustive attack on the energy shield for the next couples of days, and there will be no need for the commander to stay onsite. So ¡®I¡¯ have time to come here. The noise from the battle and their commander¡¯s mission may have aroused suspicion amongst the demon hunters.¡±


    ¡°What do you plan to do with him?¡± Hao Ren glanced at the other Hasse. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to kill him? Let me help you if you can¡¯t do it yourself.¡±


    ¡°Wait, we can¡¯t kill him,¡± Hasse said, not that he could not do it himself. ¡°You may not know, but a commander like me carries a constant spell that¡¯s tied to the soul. Once the commander is killed, it will trigger the spell and send an alert to the sacred army. The spell can even relay the commander¡¯s specific coordinates and information about the enemy. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t kill him.¡±


    There was one thing Hasse had not mentioned. Under those circumstances, the best course of action was for him to impersonate the Hasse of that era and infiltrate the command center of the sacred army. So, Hasse of 44 BC had to stay alive. Otherwise, the whole sacred army would know of the commander¡¯s death, and Hasse¡¯s cover would be blown.


    Hao Ren had also thought of that as he pouted. ¡°So, this spell won¡¯t be triggered as long as the host is alive, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. As long as Hasse is alive. The spell will only be triggered when the target dies,¡± Hasse said. ¡°Do you have anything in mind?¡±


    ¡°Let us first tie him up,¡± Hao Ren said as he opened his Dimensional Pocket and took out various devices for restraint. He put the devices on the body of 44-BC Hasse. ¡°We¡¯ll hide him.¡±


    When Hasse saw the shackles, he could not help but have goosebumps all over his skin. The scene where Hao Ren bound him up with those devices in 1,400 AD was still vivid in his memory. It also reminded him of the shameful experience when Lily hit him many times on the head.


    He shook those disgraceful memories off his mind. ¡°Do you intend to keep him in your Dimensional Pocket?¡±


    Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°No, I¡¯m worried that things may go wrong. We¡¯re about to find Vivian. When Vivian awakens, all the things belonging to this space and time will turn into information fragments. If I forget to let Hasse out of the Dimensional Pocket by then, God knows what will happen to him. Even if nothing happens, I don¡¯t feel comfortable putting a factor that¡¯s out of my control in my Dimensional Pocket. It was a forced choice to put you inside the last time. Normally, I wouldn¡¯t do that.¡±


    Hasse looked daggers at Hao Ren, but of course, his paralyzed face did not reveal any emotion.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have a better idea.¡±


    While he spoke, Hao Ren tied Hasse up¡ªthe BC version¡ªto make sure that he could not move a finger when he awoke. His little friends, especially Hessiana, were curious about where Hao Ren was going to hide Hasse. Right then, the demon hunters had controlled the entire Mount Olympus, and the passage to the Underworld had collapsed. They wondered which part of the enemy¡¯s territory that Hao Ren was going to hide the demon hunter.


    Then, they saw Hao Ren take out a heavyweight cruise missile from his Dimensional Pocket.


    ¡°After I remove the warhead, I¡¯ll be able to stuff him and a radiation shield inside. The radiation shield will protect him from the radioactive clouds in the air. Let¡¯s send this Hasse flying in the air around Mount Olympus. What do you guys think?¡±


    Hasse stared at Hao Ren and could not form the words to respond for a long time. ¡°Have I disturbed the graves of your ancestors that I deserve such treatment?¡±


    ¡°Desperate times call for desperate measures. Just bear with it,¡± Hao Ren said matter-of-factly. He then directed two autonomous robots to shove Hasse into the warhead compartment, which had been cleared out. ¡°Earlier, I rode on the missile. At least you have a private suite.¡±


    Hasse was stupefied.


    The heavyweight cruise missile, dubbed Hasse 1, blasted off under the everyone¡¯s watchful eyes. It rose into the air and disappeared into the radioactive clouds over Mount Olympus.


    The demon hunters would not be able to do anything about the cruise missile once it was in the clouds.


    They would not know that their commander had disappeared and a fake one was among them.


    As soon as the missile took off, Hao Ren began to sense a powerful force moving in their direction. Lily snuffled and said, ¡°There are people coming, more than a hundred of them.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and looked at the old demon hunter. ¡°Hasse, it¡¯s all yours now.¡±


    The old demon hunter looked solemn. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll pave the way for you.¡±


    ¡°Be careful,¡± Hessiana said. The differences between the demon hunters and otherworldlings were forgotten for the moment. ¡°You may be their true commander, but the 2,000-year time gap means you are technically not their current leader. So don¡¯t blow your cover. If things go wrong, find a way to get back to the light-path platform.¡±


    The old demon hunter turned and waved to them as he left. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I was in charge of this campaign 2,000 years ago. Today, I am still the commander of this sacred army.¡±


    ¡°Is the old man trying to look cool?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°I feel like he¡¯s not going to make it back here,¡± Lily muttered.


    ¡°Ahem, can both of you say something good?¡± Hessiana chided.


    Meanwhile, Hasse quickened his pace and finally intercepted his old company from 2,000 years ago.


    An emotion rose within him as he saw the old faces.


    Nearly half of those faces were supposed to be dead according to history. They all fell in the war of the Twilight of the Gods and did not make it until the curse was lifted.


    Yet, here, in this distorted space and time, his former comrades were still alive. They were only broken and short-lived historical illusions, but at least for a short moment, they were standing there for real.


    ¡°Elder!¡± One of the demon hunter masters saw Hasse and saluted him. ¡°We just saw a strange thing¡ª¡±


    ¡°Do not worry about it. It is just a little remnant of Olympus,¡± Hasse cut in. He recalled memories from that point of his life, 2,000 years ago. He knew what to say and how he should say it at that moment. ¡°I have purified the one who controls that thing.¡±


    ¡°What about Master Feliks? He was with you.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, I have sent him and the rest to investigate other places to see if we have missed anything,¡± Hasse said bluntly. ¡°Back to the command center. I just found something. We need to revise our patrol route and guard posts.¡±

 Chapter 1489 - The Temple of Poseidon

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren and his team waited for a while, during which Little Bat sent out her avatars to check on the situation. Her avatars reported that Hasse had successfully infiltrated the sacred army¡¯s command center.


    ¡°The demon hunters have begun to change their patrol routes. Several guard posts are moving or changing shifts early,¡± Hessiana said as she received the information from her avatars. ¡°Just as we¡¯ve discussed before, there will be a gap between shifts at every guard post around the temple of Poseidon. It seems that Hasse does have a few tricks up his sleeve.¡±


    ¡°I wonder how he explained this temporary adjustment to the other demon hunters.¡± Lily¡¯s ears twitched. ¡°There are such obvious gaps that Hasse can¡¯t explain away even as commander. After all, he¡¯s not the only commander. The commanders of other battalions will become suspicious.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why we mustn¡¯t waste this opportunity,¡± Hao Ren said as he got to his feet and left. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Vivian¡¯s right in front.¡±


    Around the temple of Poseidon, the demon hunters had set up layer upon layer of patrols and roadblocks. They also had an army camp. Unbeknownst to the demon hunters, a breach had occurred in their encirclement.


    The lower-level demon hunters could not detect the changes, which could only be seen at the top of the military hierarchy. Soldiers only mechanically carried out orders from their superiors. Meanwhile, the commanders higher up in the hierarchy could have sensed a slight abnormality, but they did not raise any questions. The great war was about to end, and the outcome was inevitable. The remnants of Olympus could not have possibly made a comeback, and the demon hunters had controlled all other areas of Mount Olympus. In such circumstances, the demon hunters, including the commanders, had somewhat let their guards down.


    Sooner or later, the more vigilant senior commanders would find out about the anomaly. But before they could do anything about it, Hasse would have a field day exploiting this vulnerability.


    Under Hasse¡¯s order and without the knowledge of the patrolling soldiers as well as guard posts, he created many blind spots. It was through these blind spots that Hao Ren and his team snuck into the temple of Poseidon.


    It was an exhilarating experience. Even Hessiana, the daredevil had to admit it. She navigated around thousands of demon hunters and passed through collapsed palaces and guard posts. Many times, she could see guard posts with glowing runes. At one time, she was even hundreds of meters away from a patrol team.


    As otherworldlings, Lily and Hessiana were unique. The innate hostility they triggered in the demon hunters was relatively weak and imperceptible at a distance, especially when they were out of their line of sight. Otherwise, even ordinary patrolling soldiers would have sensed their presence.


    Nevertheless, even at a ¡°safe distance¡±, they were still walking on a tightrope.


    Hasse¡¯s estimate of the ¡°safe distance¡± was accurate though. With the help of such a high-level insider, Hao Ren and the rest were able to slink across the battlefield towards the great shield of Poseidon¡¯s temple.


    From a higher point on one of the palace ruins, Lily peeked down and saw the demon hunters¡¯ camp and murderous-looking soldiers. Engineers were preparing their magic-powered war machines. Crystallized gun barrels, which had runes on them, and the hot inner core of the machines showed that the demon hunters had used them to bombard the great shield over the temple of Poseidon just a while ago. After a short respite, those war machines would go into operation again. Until the last Olympian god died, the demon hunters would not stop their attack.


    Lily¡¯s hair, from her ears to her tail, stood on end. She stuck her tongue out and said, ¡°This is truly the Mythological Era. The fighting between the demon hunters and otherworldlings in the 21st century looks like child¡¯s play in comparison.¡±


    Hao Ren petted Lily on the head to calm her down. He had also seen the demon hunters¡¯ level of militarization. Previously, Hao Ren only knew that the demon hunters had ended the Mythological Era and caused the Twilight of the Gods. It was not until now that he had witnessed for himself how vulnerable the gods were. It was not merely the difference between individual and collective strengths but more importantly, it was the incredible degree of organization and military discipline that gave the demon hunters the upper hand.


    The sacred army was a professional army with strict discipline and logical organizational structure. Everyone from top to bottom had only one goal, which was to destroy the enemy and win. The demon hunters who formed the sacred army were selfless and more like ascetic freaks.


    The enemy, the Olympian gods, was just a violent family indulging in a false sense of accomplishment, world dominance, and enjoyment. Take a look at Mount Olympus and everything that happened in the Underworld: the Olympian gods may have had certain old technology and built grand palaces, but in essence, they were just an ignorant family.


    An armed family, whose biggest ambition was to rule a few human cities, now met a professional army. The fact that the gods could rule the Mythological Era for so many years was already a surprise to Hao Ren.


    Under the cover of the ruins, Hao Ren and his team snuck up to the back door of the temple of Poseidon. Earlier in the siege, the demon hunters had used war-level magic to blast a hole in a section of the temple wall, but the gods of Olympus had sacrificed human lives to fight off the sacred army and block the breach with the energy of the great shield.


    Once the war entered that stage, the demon hunters decided to give up on the idea of sacrificing more lives to break the temple wall. On the other hand, the Olympian gods had to retreat to the inner court for the time being. They knew that they had to fight or die. So the breach had since been forgotten.


    The so-called great shield was not a single magic shield. It consisted of an anti-magic shield over the temple, a layer of magic energy on the walls of the palace, and thousands of defensive arrays throughout the temple. The defensive mechanisms may have temporarily protected the survivors in the temple, but they became trouble for Hao Ren. They stopped anyone from entering the temple.


    The demon hunters kept bombarding the anti-magic shield over the temple, and there was a radiant energy shield protecting the gap in the temple wall. It was a dead end.


    Lily brandished her oversized alloy sword and tried to break the barrier, but the energy shield did not budge even a bit.


    Hessiana tried to analyze the make-up of the energy shield, but she was better at Shadowmancy and blood magic. Little Bat was none the wiser when it came to the technology of the Olympian gods.


    In the end, the two had to place their hopes on Hao Ren.


    Hao Ren hesitantly placed his hand on the aurora-like barrier and prayed that his strange talent of magic-immunity would work on the shield.


    Since the Olympian school of magic originated from the Plane of Dreams, Hao Ren figured that his magic immunity could work on the barrier.


    As Hao Ren pressed his hand on the shield, and it shattered like glass.


    He could indeed defeat the energy shield.


    ¡°Wow, had I known that Mr. Landlord was so powerful, I wouldn¡¯t have hit the barrier myself.¡± Lily stuck her tongue out. Her hand still felt numb from her earlier attempts to break the shield. ¡°We¡ª¡±


    Before the husky maiden could mutter anything else, she noticed that the energy shield had repaired itself as quickly as Hao Ren had broken it.


    Hao Ren blinked. He still had not figured out what just happened. ¡°Does this thing have self-repairing abilities?¡±


    That little problem was not going to stop him, however. Every inspector who had studied the theory of shield generation would know that no shield in the world could withstand indefinite attack. Even a shield made by God himself needed energy to run, let alone a magic shield created by the gods of Olympus. Hao Ren immediately pressed his hand on the energy film again. No matter how many times the shield could repair itself, sooner or later, it would give way.


    Meanwhile, in the upper half of the temple, Poseidon and a weakened Zeus received news from a sentinel.


    ¡°Are you saying that the demon hunters are remobilizing their men and removing some of their main forces?¡±


    Poseidon clasped his trident. He was in disbelief.


    An Olympian warrior wearing silver armor knelt before him. ¡°Yes, Great Poseidon. I saw them retreating from the front line. They were also shifting their energy towers.¡±


    Poseidon turned to look at a goddess not far behind. ¡°Athena, what do you think?¡±


    As one of the twelve gods, Athena was not physically stalwart like Poseidon and Zeus. But as the best individual out of the descendants of the genetically-degraded gods, she had always been the brains of Olympus, and Zeus trusted her. Upon hearing Poseidon¡¯s question, Athena said, ¡°It could be a trap. However, it could also be an opportunity. The demon hunters are also capable of feeling tired and having emotions. After fighting for so long, some of their soldiers need rest.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps their commanders have also realized that it is not necessary to mobilize all their men just to besiege a temple,¡± another god echoed. ¡°This may be an opportunity.¡±


    Poseidon looked at the bed-ridden Zeus, who took a deep breath and said in a weak voice, ¡°Yes, it is a chance to break the deadlock. Vivian Ancestor is mentally sound. Perhaps this is our last chance.¡±


    Poseidon nodded and clenched his trident. But before he could say anything, his trident suddenly burst with bright blue electric light. The light struck Poseidon and energy was drawn out of him.


    The sudden energy bite-back made Poseidon scream in pain. He almost fell off his chair.


    Zeus was taken aback. Despite his frail physique, he propped himself up to sit upright. ¡°What just happened to you?¡±


    Poseidon leaned on the trident. He managed the word ¡®I¡¯ before the trident, which was both a weapon and the control center of the temple, struck him again with light.


    Poseidon fell on the floor.


    As he struggled to get on his feet, he said, ¡°The back door¡ª¡±


    The light from the trident struck him again.


    ¡°The shield¡­¡±


    And again.


    ¡°¡­is being¡ª¡±


    And again.


    In the end, Poseidon managed to cry out, ¡°Can you let me finish?!¡±


    Strangely, the energy bite-back stopped as if it had listened to Poseidon¡¯s plea. He took a quick breath and said, ¡°The door at the back of the temple¡ª¡±


    The light struck again.


    ¡°Who the heck is it?¡±


    The sudden and strange situation confused everyone, but Athena came to her senses. The trident in Poseidon¡¯s hand was used to control and maintain the great shield. She looked at it and associated it with what Poseiden had just said. ¡°Someone has overcome the vulnerability at the back door! The shield is drawing Poseidon to repair itself! Go and stop them!¡±


    A few courageous gods left the hall with the soldiers and headed to the back of the temple. In contrast, Athena was in shock.


    What is with this breach at the temple¡¯s back door? Have the demon hunters infiltrated the shield? This situation is very suspicious! Athena thought to herself.


    Even the demon hunters could not have broken the shield so quietly. Were they able to, the shield would still self-repair and return to full strength immediately. Poseidon¡¯s expression showed that someone had successfully broken the shield repeatedly as soon as the shield repaired itself. That meant the powerful shield fueled by Poseidon¡¯s power was as fragile as glass in front of some intruder.


    How could that be?


    At the same time, the trio outside the back door of the temple was still busy at work.


    At first, Hao Ren had tried to figure out the shield¡¯s recharge mechanism by letting it run for a while so that he could shut the shield down at its source. But he quickly realized that it was more efficient to exhaust its power. After all, it did not take Hao Ren any effort to break it, and he had a gut feeling that the shield was not going to last too long.


    The shield continued to shatter and restore itself. It never left the gap long enough for anyone to pass through.


    Lily held her giant alloy sword and crouched next to Hao Ren, counting.


    ¡°Sixteen, seventeen, eighteen¡­¡±

 Chapter 1490 - There Is No Time for Explanation

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Lily squatted on the ground, curiously poking the white wall of Poseidon¡¯s temple with her giant alloy sword. ¡°Mr. Landlord, do those people inside know that you¡¯re tearing down their wall?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m almost done, yet they haven¡¯t responded. I think they don¡¯t know that we¡¯re here,¡± Hao Ren said while his hand was still on the shield.


    ¡°I think both of you have forgotten why we¡¯re here,¡± Hessiana said with her arms crossed.


    Finally, Hao Ren felt an unnatural pause in the shield¡¯s self-regeneration. The self-repair appeared slower than the last one.


    ¡°It seems that this thing has almost exhausted its energy reserve.¡± Hao Ren let out a long sigh. ¡°It¡¯ll be done soon.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Landlord is super arf powerful.¡± Lily jumped up in joy.


    The husky girl was so excited that she was speaking in tongues.


    Just then, with his spiritual perception, Hao Ren sensed a group of energy signatures moving in their direction. And some of the energies were powerful.


    Without the need for an urge, Lily and Hessiana had already prepared for a battle. Meanwhile, Hao Ren quickly took out a sign that he had made earlier and planted it in the ground. Written in Ancient Greek, the sign read, ¡°Do not get mad. Friendly!¡±


    Soon, the news was conveyed to the upper hall. Stunned, Athena got to her feet. ¡°What did you say? There are only three of them outside? And they say that they have come to help?¡±


    Three people? Three individuals were able to infiltrate the magic shield 72 times instantaneously?


    Plus the intruders claimed to be helping Olympus?


    As well-informed as Athena, she was still confused.


    The herald kneeling on the ground lowered his head and said, ¡°Yes, they call themselves friends of Miss Ancestor, and they have come to meet her as they have promised earlier. Also, one of them does look very much like Miss Ancestor.¡±


    Athena looked at Vivian Ancestor who was not far away. But Vivian seemed to be a little dazed and unaware of what had happened in the hall. She just counted with her fingers while she muttered to herself. When one got closer to her, one could hear that she seemed to be worried about her meals for the next month.


    Athena could not help but turn to look at Poseidon. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Poseidon¡¯s face was pale. His sweat fell like rain, and he shook like a leaf. He was holding the trident, which symbolized the majesty of the god of the sea, yet he was so frail that it was doubtful whether he could still wield the heavy weapon. Upon hearing Athena¡¯s question, the god of the sea managed a few words. ¡°Let them¡­ come in¡­ Can¡¯t stop¡­ anyway.¡±


    Poseidon meant that it did not matter whether the three were reinforcements or not. He had no choice but to let them in. After all, the shield seemed like nothing to them. If the three of them continued to break the shield, Poseidon would drain all of his energy and die. But then again, since the three were willing to talk, it was highly possible that they really did come to help. Besides, the curse of innate hostility would allow them to easily distinguish whether one was a friend or a foe.


    The soldiers went to fetch the three persons outside the back door respectfully.


    It was easier than expected. The soldiers went back and allowed the three to enter the temple. Previously, Hao Ren was a little anxious when he feigned to be an invited guest of Vivian¡¯s. She should be in the temple of Poseidon and could debunk his lie at any moment. Despite that, he still used the excuse.


    Just because, Hessiana was among them.


    The messenger would have undoubtedly reported that someone identical to Vivian was among the mysterious visitors. By then, Vivian would be curious about Hessiana even if she could not remember she had ever invited anyone there. She may even think that her daughter had come from Rome, which was the truth anyway. No matter what the case was, Vivian needed to let the three of them go in to meet her.


    As long as that happened, Hao Ren would achieve what he wanted.


    Therefore, Hao Ren risked the possibility of Vivian exposing his fib. He bet on it based on his understanding of Vivian. Now it seemed that things were going as planned, and his gamble was paying off.


    The three had no idea of the situation in the temple. They did not even know that it was not Vivian who allowed them to enter. Vivian was now in her own world and dithering about how to survive the next month.


    Hao Ren saw many dejected Olympian gods in the hallways, lounge, and courtyard. A frustrated and hopeless air shrouded the entire temple. Even the soldiers who stood guard at various checkpoints appeared discouraged, knowing that they were going to die soon.


    On the contrary, the human servants who had undergone bionic transformations showed incredible courage and fighting spirit. Those cyborgs had tubes inserted through the back of their heads, and they were ready to fight, as though they were clueless of their grave situation. They did not appear to flinch in the slightest even with the injured surrounding them.


    The cyborgs¡¯ fighting spirit and courage did not come from their loyalty or lofty beliefs. They were merely the effects of the alchemical devices and potions in their heads. The bionic transformation had destroyed their free will and erased their fear. In the minds of those servants, it was only natural to sacrifice themselves for Olympus.


    The result was a group of fearless human servants standing next to a group of desperate Olympian gods. It was ironic.


    In the upper hall, Hao Ren and his entourage met the Olympian gods such as Poseidon and Zeus.


    However, Hao Ren was not interested in those seemingly majestic and handsome ancient Greek gods. After some pleasantries, Hao Ren¡¯s eyes darted around to look for Vivian, and it was not hard to spot her. Vivian was standing in a very conspicuous spot in the hall. Her appearance and aura were very different from the rest in the building, making her stand out from the crowd.


    With her head lowered, Vivian could care less about what was happening in her surroundings.


    ¡°Vivian has been like that for some time,¡± said a heroic goddess who was wearing a golden lightweight armor. Hao Ren knew that she was the famous goddess of wisdom, Athena. ¡°She was very awake when she first arrived but became dazed not long after that. Her condition got worse after a fight with the demon hunters. She is only sober three or four hours a day. We are worried about her.¡±


    ¡°She lost her mind all of a sudden, didn¡¯t she?¡± Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°We know. After all, we are her friends.¡±


    A thought suddenly flashed across Hao Ren¡¯s mind.


    No wonder Vivian had forgotten about little Hessiana in Rome after she went to Mount Olympus. No wonder despite rescuing Hesperides she still could not remember her fight with Hasse on Mount Olympus. No wonder she had experienced the fall of Olympus but her memory of the period was so messed up.


    Perhaps Vivian had been schizophrenic during the entire period.


    Hao Ren was no expert, and he could not identify the patterns of Vivian¡¯s mental state. But one thing was sure: the battle with the sacred army on Mount Olympus was a catalyst. Nothing had impacted Vivian¡¯s mind more negatively than what was happening on Mount Olympus.


    Vivian¡¯s current state of mind was somewhat unexpected. Hao Ren and his team had to remain patient for the moment and observe Vivian while they figured out how to approach her. Even Hessiana had to suppress her urge to throw herself into Vivian¡¯s arm. But little Hessiana began to wriggle in Hao Ren¡¯s pocket. The little thing had sensed the presence of her ¡±mother¡±, and she could not wait to come out to meet Vivian.


    Hao Ren gently patted his pocket to calm the little bat down.


    Meanwhile, Zeus, Athena, and Poseidon, who had just regained his strength, were observing the three strangers.


    The Olympian gods had sensed the otherworldling scent on Hessiana and Lily. There was a sense of innate hostility, which made them nervous. But they soon found that the innate hostility was relatively minor, and they could completely control it with their mind. They began to calm down. Vivian was an oddball among the otherworldlings. She could befriend any race. The three strangers were apparently of different races, and this made them appear more trustable.


    No one could have odder friends than the ones Vivian Ancestor had.


    After a brief observation, Athena suddenly asked, ¡°The demon hunters are everywhere in the divine realm. How did you come in?¡±


    The question appeared to raise suspicion on Hao Ren and his team, but Athena was more interested to know how the trio had managed to find a safe passage. Since the three strangers could come and go, there had to be a safe route through which they could evacuate.


    The question had knocked some sense in the minds of the Olympian gods. All eyes were on the three mysterious visitors.

 Chapter 1491 - The Familiar Stranger

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren had expected that question long before Athena decided to ask it. After all, the problem was obvious. With so many demon hunters on the outside, not even a mosquito could get out without getting shot out of the sky. How did the three seemingly ordinary guys make their way from the human world to the innermost part of the divine realm? They had even been infiltrating the wall at the back of the temple under the noses of the demon hunters. There had to be some explanation for this mystery.


    For Hao Ren, there was no challenge in answering the question. He just needed to give a perfunctory reply. After all, the beings before him would be dead soon¡ªthey would be killed according to history. He was not worried about the gods finding anything out.


    ¡°We came through the Underworld,¡± Hao Ren said. He was telling a half-truth. ¡°The demon hunters are no longer interested in the places they have swept clean, so there are no enemies along the way from the Underworld to the temple of Hades. We have also removed the seal of Kronos and drawn him to the demon hunters to cause chaos. Additionally, we have some special abilities that can influence the demon hunters¡¯ perception. That has allowed us to sneak across the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°Kronos.¡± Poseidon¡¯s facial expression changed when he heard the name. Apparently, he recalled something terrible, which happened many years ago. ¡°No wonder¡­ No wonder the demon hunters have acted so strangely. Cough¡­ Cough.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the god of the sea and storm. He seemed very powerful, but his face was like that of a dead man¡¯s. ¡°Are you all right? You do not look so good.¡±


    Poseidon was too embarrassed to speak about what had happened to him. It was Athena who hinted Hao Ren. ¡°The temple¡¯s defense system is connected to Poseidon.¡±


    Hao Ren wore a fake smile. When Lily finally realized what had happened, she nudged Hao Ren by the arm and quietly said, ¡°Mr. Landlord, it seems that he¡¯s become like that because of us.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Just pretend like you don¡¯t know anything,¡± Hao Ren said in a whisper.


    ¡°We were lucky to be in the right place at the right time,¡± Hessiana quickly said when she noticed that the atmosphere was a little awkward. ¡°We managed to find an opening, but it will not stay open for long, and Kronos cannot hold up the demon hunters forever.¡±


    ¡°You told us moments ago that you could affect the demon hunters¡¯ perception.¡± Zeus, who was lying on the sickbed, suddenly spoke and struggled to sit up as if he had momentarily recovered. ¡°What is the extent of your ability?¡±


    As Zeus spoke, Hessiana sensed the appearance of a magic-energy field. An invisible sound barrier emerged at the center of the hall, isolating their conversation from the rest of the lower-order gods.


    Hao Ren swept his eyes across the demigods and ¡°lesser¡± gods in the hall before he carefully said, ¡°We cannot take everyone, especially those who are as large as you. The demon hunters are not blind. You would be too obvious of a target on the battlefield.¡±


    Hessiana echoed what Hao Ren said, ¡°We are here for Lady Vivian. But we could help you evacuate a small group of people. You can discuss it now. Please be reminded that this is a genocidal war; it is impossible for everyone to escape. Some of you must be prepared to sacrifice yourselves to buy time for the others to escape.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded in agreement.* But heck, this isn¡¯t a rescue mission. We¡¯re here to find Vivian*, he said to himself. If he did not have to wait for Hasse, he would have taken out the house key to wake Vivian up.


    The current space and time would collapse immediately once Vivian woke up. Only a small area around her would remain unaffected. Outside the area, everything in the ¡°information collapse zone¡± would be kicked out of the sandbox. So every time Hao Ren woke Vivian up, he needed to ensure that everyone in the team was present. Otherwise, the sandbox would kick them out of the dream. Hao Ren had only discovered said problem during their last journey when they went back in time to the Aztec civilization in South America. At that time, Hessiana was unable to return in time because she was tied up with the undead in the crypt, and she almost got kicked out of the system as a result. Fortunately, Raven 12345 was monitoring the sandbox¡¯s situation, and she reminded him during that crucial moment. Otherwise, Little Bat would be cursing to the high heavens in the real world right now.


    It was due to the sandbox¡¯s mechanism that Hao Ren had to negotiate with the gods of Olympus to bring Vivian out and meet Hasse outside.


    Meanwhile, he was scratching his head on how to communicate with Vivian. After all, her mind was in a muddle at the moment.


    Poseidon and the other gods were not disappointed or frustrated after they heard what Hessiana said. It seemed like they had long been aware of their destiny. From that perspective, it appeared that the so-called gods did have a backbone.


    ¡°This has also been our plan from the start,¡± said Athena. ¡°We are prepared to die here, but the bloodline of Olympus must survive. Initially, we had planned to ask Miss Ancestor to bring a group of people and escape. However, she suddenly went into this trance, and we had to scrap the plan. But now that you are here, this may be our only chance.¡±


    ¡°You can choose any treasure you like in this temple,¡± Poseidon said. ¡°Do not decline. I know that you are not after the money, and you may not be interested in our treasures. But we need to make this a deal so that we can have peace of mind here.¡±


    Hao Ren remained silent for a moment before he nodded. It was not hard to figure out what was on Poseidon¡¯s mind; he was seeking a psychological placebo.


    ¡°Perhaps you should tell Miss Ancestor.¡± Zeus waved to remove Sound Masking spell. He appeared weak. ¡°Though, she may not be listening.¡±


    Vivian was still muddled-headed. Hao Ren had walked up to her and stood before her for half a minute before she finally began to look up.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Vivian froze for a moment before asking.


    It was Hao Ren¡¯s first time meeting Vivian in that mental state. Previously, he had met her when she was either fully awake, mad, or still in hibernation. This intermediate state was tricky. Hao Ren decided to use the same old narrative. ¡°I am Hao Ren, your friend of many years. It is you who have asked for me.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Vivian¡¯s mouth was agape in confusion. She suddenly seemed to be lost in her thoughts. ¡°There is no more millet at home, no more firewood. Should I go kill¡­ I cannot kill¡­ Buy some food¡­ Fight¡­¡± she muttered to herself.


    Hao Ren stood there and realized that trying to communicate with Vivian was futile. She was not listening.


    Just then, Vivian¡¯s train of thought suddenly changed tracks. She looked in Hessiana¡¯s direction and stared at her for a long while. ¡°You are¡­ Hessiana?¡± she frowned.


    Little Bat was pleasantly surprised. Never did she expect Vivian to recognize her. She was overjoyed. ¡°Vivian¡ª¡±


    Before Hessiana could finish, Vivian exclaimed, ¡°How have you grown up so fast?¡±


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute! I clearly remember you were only this tall.¡± Vivian gestured with her hand. She suddenly grabbed one of the gods nearby. ¡°How long have I been here? Have hundreds of years passed?¡±


    Hao Ren was shocked by the sudden change of topic. He quickly stopped Vivian. ¡°Hold on! It is not what you think. This Hessiana is not the one you have left behind in Rome¡­ Umm, I mean yes, you have left her in Rome, but she is not who you think she is¡ª¡±


    Vivian released her hands from the god and turned to look at Hao Ren blankly. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Hao Ren was stupefied.


    He had just heard the same question moments ago.


    ¡°I am Hao Ren, your friend. I have come here to bring you out of here.¡± Hao Ren sighed, then reached into his pocket. ¡°Forget it, you will not understand. Things may have gone a little off course, but luckily, I have this little girl with me¡­


    ¡°Here you go, say hello to your mama.¡±


    The little bat was groggy after she was awakened. It took her a while before she came to her senses. ¡°Mama!¡±


    ¡°Hessiana?¡± Sure enough, Vivian had a better impression of the little girl. ¡°Are you not supposed to be in Rome?¡±


    ¡°Hao Ren brought me here!¡± Little Hessiana jumped up happily. ¡°This is my sister, Hessiana. She is also a little bat that you threw out, Mama¡±


    ¡°Hessiana?¡± Vivian blinked as she looked at Hessiana. ¡°When did I lose a small bat?¡±


    Hessiana stood there, unable to make up the words to describe her feelings. Her mother was so close, yet she felt so far. Hessiana wanted to say something, but Vivian suddenly went up to her and patted her on the head. ¡°You do look like my little bat. I am sorry that I have misplaced you.¡±


    Hessiana was teary-eyed, and she instantly cried out.


    ¡°Why are you crying?¡± Hao Ren quickly fished out a piece of tissue paper from his Dimensional Pocket. ¡°Do you have to react this way?¡±


    ¡°She said the same thing to me when I first met her.¡± Hessiana snuffled.


    ¡°Things have finally come full circle,¡± Hao Ren said with a sigh.


    Vivian looked at Hao Ren, who wiped the tears off Hessiana¡¯s face. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Hao Ren was stupefied.


    This time, even the Olympians could not hold off their laughter.


    Lily shook her head while she held her giant alloy sword in hand. ¡°Luckily, I¡¯m smarter than that. I didn¡¯t introduce myself to her. Otherwise, I¡¯d be embarrassed too.¡±


    A female voice traveled from the side. ¡°Well, I agree with you. Vivian has almost forgotten everyone here these couple of days. She did not even look at me when I greeted her.¡±


    Lily turned and was surprised to see a tall woman standing beside her. ¡°Hesperides?¡±


    ¡°You know me?¡± Hesperides, who had yet to be shot in the head by Hasse, was a quiet and gentle goddess.


    ¡°I guess so.¡± Lily scratched her nose. ¡°You better wear a helmet later. Ahh, that will probably not be necessary. The guy who will blow a hole through your head is still flying at Mach 3.5 over Mount Olympus.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±

 Chapter 1492 - Finally Weaseling Out

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    It was more challenging to deal with Vivian when her mind was muddled than when she lost her memory. Vivian may have forgotten everything about the 21st century the last few times Hao Ren found her, but at least she was sober, and Hao Ren was able to earn her trust. This time, she was kind of in limbo. One moment you think that you have gained her confidence, the next moment, she would ask, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    It was frustrating, to say the least.


    Hao Ren gave up on introducing himself. Instead, he pointed at Hessiana and little Hessiana before he said, ¡°Both of them are your bats. You know how ¡®good¡¯ your memory is. So do not ask again why they are here. I have brought them here to bring you out of this mountain. You need not study how you ended up here in the first place.¡±


    Vivian was still confused. She patted little Hessiana on the head and said, ¡°Indeed, you are this tall. I know about getting down the mountain. Thank you for that. I remember that I came here to save someone, but I cannot remember who. By the way, who are you?¡±


    Hao Ren was stupefied.


    He sighed and turned to look in the direction of Poseidon. ¡°We are done here. Get ready whatever, and whoever you want to send away, we do not have much time.¡±


    Without needing a reminder, the Olympian gods had arranged everything and come up with a list. They kept the number of people down to a minimum, ten to be exact, to endure the best chance of survival. They had also limited the number of artifacts to be brought along to a bare minimum. As it was an escape attempt; nothing was more precious than saving the bloodline of Olympus. If it could help increase the chances of survival, Poseidon and Zeus would not hesitate to ask the ten guys to streak.


    Hao Ren was very aware of one thing: someone else had escaped with the scrolls and artifacts earlier. Hercules, the demigod, had gotten out before the situation got this bad. Zeus had entrusted Hercules with whatever he wanted to pass on.


    Hao Ren could care less who was on the list. After all, most of the people on the list were just names in history. He just needed to ensure that one thing matched history: Hesperides had to be on the list.


    As one of the few outstanding descendants of genetically degraded deities, Hesperides had an important place on Mount Olympus. Thus, she was naturally qualified to stay in this hall. While Hao Ren was talking to Vivian earlier, Hesperides chatted with Lily. The two seemed to be happy with each other. All the more so when Lily was a person who could quickly warm up to anyone.


    Meanwhile, Hesperides was still a gentle and quiet goddess, not the Tyrannosaurus with dissociative identity disorder that she was 2,000 years later. Wearing an elegant bright yellow dress, golden chaplet on her head, this Hesperides did not have a hole in the head. In the original historical timeline, Hesperides was separated from the team while escaping out of Mount Olympus. She bumped into Hasse, who then blew a hole in her head. But in this sandbox world built on dreams, memories and information debris, Hesperides no longer had to endure the trauma of getting shot by the arrow. Hasse of this era was still flying in supersonic speed above Olympus right now.


    Hao Ren and Hesperides were strangers to each other at this moment. After a brief self-introduction to the ten guys and selecting a few treasures as a token of friendly cooperation, as requested by Poseiden, Hao Ren brought Vivian and the ten people and left.


    Hao Ren could not care less about the treasures. As someone coming from outside the sandbox, he was well the rules of this world. The so-called treasures were only made up of bits and bytes of data; when the sandbox shut down, everything would be gone.


    The ten selected Olympian gods were wearing gorgeous armor. Even Hesperides had a splendid armor on her and the Wand of the Evening in her hands. Poseidon did not call this an escape plan publicly to avoid shaking the confidence of other survivors. He selected these ten people on the pretense that they were going to find help. So it was only natural that they left in full set of armor and suit to avoid arousing suspicion of those remaining in the temple.


    But when the group left the atrium and was about to arrive at the back door, Hao Ren ordered the ten gods to change into plain Roman civilian clothes.


    ¡°Wearing those things would only make yourself a target.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s arms akimbo as he looked at the Olympian gods, who were not very willing to give up their beautiful armor. ¡°We are running for our lives, not going to a parade. You all look like searchlights. Are you worried that the demon hunters could not find you?¡±


    Hesperides looked at Lily with a confused look. ¡°What is a searchlight?¡±


    ¡°A target,¡± Lily said.


    ¡°Oh, thank you.¡±


    The two Hessianas stood beside Vivian, who seemed to have regained her sobriety somewhat but still could not remember why she was here. Right now, she was trying to find out what happened on Mount Olympus and where they were going from her two ¡°daughters¡±. Little Hessiana was still naive and innocent and had no idea of what the war was all about. All she needed was love from her mother. Meanwhile, Hessiana was explaining to Vivian the current situation. She cleverly inserted Hao Ren and Lily into the stories to make their appearance here more credible.


    Apparently, Vivian believed Little Bat, who had quashed her doubts completely. The only annoying thing that was that Vivian still kept asking who Hao Ren was.


    Meanwhile, in the Temple of Poseidon, Zeus finally breathed his last.


    The demon hunters had not scaled down their attack on the temple. Poseidon once again wielded his trident and turned the dome of the hall into clear seawater. The images of the great shield that rippled from the magic-bombing appeared before the eyes of everyone.


    Zeus looked at the swaying shadows; life gradually faded from his face. Soon, his flesh and blood would wither like his brother who had been immersed in the Undead Spell all year round. On his rapidly decaying face, only the lightning in his eyes still carried a hint of light.


    Amid the heavy shellings, he seemed to see the days when he led his people to build this divine mountain. He also saw the age of darkness on the earth, and humans wearing animal skins and living in caves.


    Humans had spread all over the earth and built palaces. But on Mount Olympus, where things had stood still for thousands of years, everything was coming to an end.


    For the first time in thousands of years, Zeus finally realized the presence of humans and their growth. He saw that the short-lived humans had become the masters of the earth. The kingdoms of the gods had come to an end, but the humans would live for a long time.


    Zeus could not see the future, but with wisdom and intuition, he could vaguely figure out to where the world was headed.


    Unfortunately, no one could hear his epiphany now.


    Zeus felt as if he had spoken of everything he had foreseen, but in the eyes of Poseidon, Zeus was merely twitching his lips. The king of the gods stared at the ¡°meteor shower¡± on the dome and breathed his last.


    After leaving the Temple of Poseidon, Hao Ren and his entourage did not immediately sneak past the enemy line and escape. They did not even head toward the escape route but move in an arc around the Temple of Poseidon. Under cover of the ruins, they finally came to high ground.


    Here, there was a small palace that was almost completely collapsed. Perhaps some descendant of Poseidon used to live here. It was located between the sacred army and the Temple of Poseidon, but since the demon hunters had moved their army away, this place was safe for the moment.


    When standing on the remaining tower of this palace, one could still see a sea of the sacred army and their flags fluttering in the wind.


    ¡°What are we doing here?¡± an Olympian asked anxiously. ¡°It is too close to where the demon hunters are. Some more, it does not seem to be an ideal escape route.¡±


    ¡°Escape? We are not escaping for the moment.¡± Hao Ren looked at the unknown god, who did not even have made a name for himself in history. Shaking his head and smiling, Hao Ren said, ¡°We have to first meet a friend on the outside, and then we will set off our journey.¡±


    But you all will have nothing to do with the subsequent journey, Hao Ren said in his mind.


    ¡°You have people on the outside?¡± Hesperides frowned. ¡°I really do not know how you have pulled this off. With such a capability, you should not be nameless.¡±


    ¡°We come from far away, not local.¡± Hao Ren said. And to prepare Hessiana for who was to come, he said, ¡°Our friend will come soon. Do not fret. He is on our side. His identity is just a disguise. Ya, a magic camouflage.¡±


    But Hao Ren knew that his words had little effect of lessening the level of innate hostility. When Hasse came, the Olympians would immediately draw their weapons. Hessiana was no exception. That was why Hao Ren had forced the Olympians to disarm earlier, but he could not kill them in the presence of Vivian. He could only improvise from now on.


    But Hao Ren had something up his sleeve. When Hasse appeared, he would detonate a stun grenade. Taking advantage of the chaos, he would wake Vivian up, which only took an instant. With the combat strength of an elder, the disarmed Olympian gods should not be able to do any harm to Hasse in such a short time.


    While Hao Ren was brewing his plan in his mind, Vivian had come up to him without him noticing. When he looked up, he was shocked to find that Vivian was staring at himself. ¡°What?¡±


    Vivian looked at Hao Ren for a while and asked seriously, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Hao Ren started to curse.

 Chapter 1493 - The Final Moments of Olympus

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    If he had not been aware of Vivian¡¯s state of mind, Hao Ren would have thought that the ancestor of the vampires was picking on him.


    ¡°My name is Hao Ren. I am your long lost second cousin.¡± Hao Ren had given up explaining. Instead, he was cooking up stories. After all, Vivian would forget what he said in three minutes. But he immediately regretted it. Hessiana was glaring at him and baring her fangs. It looked like she was about to bite him at any time.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that, I can¡¯t help it,¡± Hao Ren said helplessly. ¡°Why don¡¯t you fix her?¡±


    Hessiana looked away and ignored Hao Ren.


    Meanwhile, Hesperides, like her other compatriots, was worried. She looked at these ¡°allies¡± who had popped up out of nowhere in disbelief; how could these people still make fun of each other in the face of catastrophe. Hesperides began to suspect their true purpose and identities. Had it not been for Vivian¡¯s vast influence on Mount Olympus, perhaps the ten Olympian gods would have lost their composure.


    After all, they were running for their lives. They should have at least behaved more seriously.


    ¡°Why hasn¡¯t Hasse arrived?¡± Lily asked in a low voice. ¡°We sent him a message as soon as we came out.¡±


    ¡°There could be a little delay,¡± Hao Ren guessed. ¡°After all, he¡¯s deeply mired in the enemy camp. There¡¯s no way he can simply go wherever he wants. He¡¯s one of the highest commanders in the sacred army. If he wants to go anywhere alone, he¡¯ll have to make up a good excuse.¡±


    While Hao Ren was talking to Lily, a rumble suddenly rang from afar.


    The sound was coming from underground, and it caused the earth to quake.


    Everyone looked at each other in shock before flocking to the nearest window.


    Hao Ren was the first one to reach the window, as he was sitting near to it. There was an extremely bright light beam shining in the direction of the temple of Poseidon. The light shone through the great shield above the temple, penetrating the radioactive clouds above Mount Olympus. Above the clouds were many crisscrossing rays, which lit up at the same time and connected every mountain in Olympus. They were intertwined but in an orderly way, forming a spectacular network of light.


    The energy released from the temple of Poseidon was overloading the network of light.


    Meanwhile, the great shield over the temple of Poseidon dimmed rapidly. It was not the result of a demon hunter attack. It was the gods in the temple of Poseidon that caused this.


    *Boom!*


    Another loud bang was heard from afar. Hao Ren saw that a vein in the light network had become very bright. The mountain peak connected to the light vein had exploded, spewing clouds of dust and debris high up into the air. It covered most of the sky there. Hao Ren could feel the earth-shattering effects of the explosion even at this distance.


    Someone from the crowd of Olympian gods said in a low voice, ¡°That is the temple of Apollo.¡±


    Hao Ren now realized what the bright net in the sky was all about. The network of lights covered the entire atmosphere of the mysterious realm of Olympus.


    It dawned on him in almost a split second what caused the explosion. After the last batch of kindlings¡ªthe ten Olympians¡ªleft, Poseidon and the remaining Olympian gods blew up the entire divine realm knowing that they would die anyway. They did it by overloading the light paths and channeling powerful energy into every temple. Since the temples of the twelve main gods housed the power reactors, overloading them was the best way to blow them up.


    The explosions also gave Hao Ren and his team time to flee. When the temple of Athena exploded, Hao Ren noticed that the explosions were attracting the attention of the sacred army. The demon hunters would first assume that the Olympian gods had to be trying to kill everybody with the explosions. Their first reaction would be to evacuate quickly, and they would not pay attention to the small group of survivors.


    The light paths were becoming brighter as uncontrollable energy overloaded the network. A chain of explosions started amongst the palaces and towers, which were connected to the light paths¡¯ energy system.


    What everyone did not know was, the occurrence there was also affecting the human world.


    A horrific vision shrouded the entire Mediterranean region. Terrible booms could be heard in the sky, while huge waves surged from every port and dam, pouring inland and destroying the temple of Poseidon. The temple of Athena also fell apart due to the earthquake. Massive stones descending from the sky crashed the temple of Zeus and smashed the majestic statues of the king of the gods. A few minutes later, a terrible thunder rumbled in the air, and it was audible all the way from Rome to Athens. People looked up at the sky in horror as it cracked open. For the first time in history, the kingdom shrouded in light and clouds was wholly exposed before the eyes of mortals.


    Mount Olympus hung in the sky. After the gods detonated most of the power reactors, Mount Olympus could no longer hold itself up, and it slowly crashed into the human world. It broke away from the big rift in the sky above Rome and fell towards Crete.


    In the Mediterranean region, the era of the gods was over.


    According to the actual historical timeline, however, the crumbling of Mount Olympus only lasted for a few minutes. It all happened in another dimension. What humans saw was just the projection of images on the material world. In the short time that the divine realm and main material world were connected, humans had witnessed the scene of terror. But before people could flee, the vision disappeared all of a sudden. Some people managed to record the doomsday phenomenon, but under the deliberate intervention of some institutions, those records were ultimately lost to history.


    Next to Hao Ren, an Olympian god finally came to his senses and screamed, ¡°The great Poseidon is buying us time!¡±


    Hesperides could no longer sit still. She looked at Hao Ren and said, ¡°We must go immediately. The divine realm is falling apart. This is our last chance to escape. Your friend has not appeared, perha[s he has met with an accident.¡±


    Hao Ren stepped forward. Just as he was about to say something, he sensed a familiar signal telepathically.


    Almost simultaneously, the Olympian gods also sensed something.


    An indescribable sense of terror ran up their spines. Before the gods really knew what was happening, their subconscious minds had entered into combat mode. Even though Hao Ren had taken away their conventional weapons, they still managed to find various daggers and staffs as they stared in the direction of the palace gate.


    Hasse ran in. ¡°I¡¯m here, I¡¯m here. There was a situation that caused the delay. Fortunately, Poseidon¡­¡±


    The old demon hunter paused as his eyes, as well as those of the Olympian gods, turned red.


    ¡°Kill him!¡±


    Someone shouted. Then, the descendants of the Olympian gods waved their weapons and attacked Hasse. Lightning balls and flaming arrows flew in the temple, and the glint and flash of cold steel filled the place. Hasse dodged the attacks by fleeting around the hall. ¡°Hao Ren! Do it now. I can¡¯t hold it for long.¡±


    Hao Ren had simulated the scene many times in his head. He quickly took out a stun grenade and threw it at the Olympians who were chasing after Hasse. ¡°Except Hesperides, kill them all.¡±


    As the stun grenade exploded, Hao Ren immediately rushed up to Vivian. Due to the muddled state of her mind, Vivian did not attack Hasse but hid in a corner with the two Hessianas. She was holding little Hessiana in her arms while she was mumbling something to herself. But there was bad news.


    Hao Ren noticed that Vivian¡¯s eyes were rapidly turning blood red, and she looked hideous.


    The negative stimulus finally came to a tipping point, and the Countess was about to explode in violence.


    She raised her hand and pointed at Hasse. Her face was cold. ¡°Enemy!¡±


    Lily rushed up to Vivian and smacked her arm with the side of her sword.


    Lily¡¯s actions stunned Vivian, and she froze. At that moment, Hao Ren was already before her, waving the key in front of her eyes. ¡°Vivian! Wake up!¡±


    Vivian saw the key and appeared confused. Her hideous expression subsided.


    She looked at Hao Ren and muttered, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Can you say anything else?¡±


    Vivian blinked, and her face was blank before she broke into a subtle smile. ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it; that was the only thing on my mind just now. You looked familiar, but I couldn¡¯t remember who you were.¡±


    Hao Ren fixed his eyes on the smiling vampire maiden, then a smile spread across his face. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re awake.¡±

 Chapter 1494 - The Progress of Vivian’s Recovery

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    When Vivian woke up, space and time froze before they gradually faded away like a dream.


    Rome disappeared. The falling Mount Olympus turned gray before it dissolved into bits and bytes. The temple of Poseidon, the army of demon hunters, the light-path network in the sky, and everything underwent the same thing.


    Everything was frozen in time, and darkness gradually swallowed them up. Just like the end of every journey back in time, the hall in their immediate surroundings remained but became a static world of black, white, and gray.


    Hasse could finally stop running. He took a breather and turned to look at the Olympians who had frozen in time. ¡°You managed to do it finally,¡± he said to Hao Ren.


    Vivian shook her head as if she still had not fully come out of her stupor. When she saw the collapsed temple and the frozen Olympian gods, an emotion rose in her. ¡°You guys arrived on the day of Olympus¡¯ destruction.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded before he realized what was going on. ¡°Wait a minute! You¡¯ve regained your memories?¡±


    ¡°Thanks to all of you,¡± Vivian said, and her smile confirmed Hao Ren¡¯s thoughts. ¡°As you guys continue to search for the fragments of my power and soul, it has finally loosened up the suppression of the distorted space and time on me. I can now connect to the memory fragments that you have awakened. It is still a little murky, but at least there is a continuity of memory.¡±


    It was a piece of unexpected good news. Before Hao Ren could say anything, Lily had jumped up in joy. ¡°Hurrah! I do not have to repeat the same world view with you again!¡±


    Vivian said nothing. She just smiled and turned to look at Hessiana, who was looking at her in excitement as if Hessiana was going to pounce on her. Meanwhile, little Hessiana, who froze in time, still had the same expression she had before space and time stood still. She hid beside Vivian, her face nervous and excited at the same time. The little one was not afraid of the fight, which had broken out earlier. She enjoyed it.


    The little girl seemed too eager to enter the fray.


    There was a complicated expression on Vivian¡¯s face. She gently touched little Hessiana¡¯s head and mumbled to herself, ¡°Ahh, I forgot that I left you in Rome. I only remembered many years later.¡±


    ¡°Lady Vivian.¡± Hessiana could not help but whisper at last. She appeared hesitant. ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°You have suffered a lot because of me.¡± Vivian waved at Hessiana. ¡°I sent you to the sanctuary so that you would not have to keep suffering anymore. You knew that I could not give you a stable life.¡±


    Hessiana probably did not expect that Vivian would allow her to come so close. She froze for a moment before realizing what happened and plunging into the arms of Vivian and crying, ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    ¡°I have not heard you calling me that for a long time.¡± Vivian looked a little embarrassed, especially now that Hessiana was crying in her arms. But still, Vivian patted Little Bat on her head. ¡°Just this time.¡±


    Lily poked Hao Ren¡¯s arm. ¡°Look, Mr. Landlord. I thought that Vivian was a spinster. Look at her now.¡±


    ¡°Stop making fun of them. It is a bonding moment for the mother and daughter,¡± Hao Ren said, twitching his mouth.


    Hessiana did not lose control of herself for too long. After all, as a matriarch, she had excellent emotional control and knew what should and should not be done in any particular situation. Hessiana also knew that Vivian did not have much time in this space and time; she kept her emotion under control and looked up from Vivian¡¯s arms reluctantly. ¡°Lady Vivian, how much power have you recovered?¡±


    Hessian even addressed Vivian the old way. After all, she had been calling Vivian that way for more than a thousand years, it was only natural that she kept using it; calling Vivian mother was only out of emotion.


    ¡°I find it hard to describe to you the battles that take place in the deepest realm. My strength continues to recover. But the dark factor is rooted deep in my soul and robbing the power that I have recovered. As I become stronger, so it is. So, instead of calling it a battle, it is more like a constant struggle, where we are all trying to grab more power in our hands for the ultimate dominance.¡± Vivian patted Hessiana¡¯s head and turned to look at Hao Ren. ¡°But do not worry, I am confident that I will prevail.¡±


    At first, Hao Ren was still worried when Vivian first talked about the situation in the deepest realm, where the recovered fragments of power had strengthened the dark side of Vivian¡¯s soul. So he was surprised when Vivian said that she had confidence in herself. ¡°You are confident that you will prevail?¡±


    ¡°All this while, I regarded the degenerated side of me as another me, an enemy of evil who had an independent personality. But not long ago, I found that it was actually dead. I do not know how it has died, but I have found that it only operates following a complex but fixed set of logic. When I agitate it, it will react in a particular way, just like¡ª¡±


    ¡°Just like a computer?¡± Hao Ren blinked. He was surprised to learn that there was such a complicated thing happening deep inside Vivian¡¯s soul. But in any case, it was good news nonetheless. ¡°So have you found the real dark side of your soul and figured out its pattern of activities?¡±


    ¡°Just a part of the pattern and nature of it. I am still some way away from its real body,¡± Vivian said faintly, but her tone of voice was full of confidence. ¡°I am going to dig it out very soon. No matter how deep the thing is rooted in my soul, I am going to let it know who is the real master here.¡±


    Hao Ren now believed that Vivian was genuinely confident, not just trying to comfort herself.


    ¡± I wish you all the best,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°I will continue to go back in time and get back all your powers as soon as possible. That way, you could win the war more easily.¡±


    Vivian nodded and broke out in a bright smile. ¡°So¡­ we will see each other in the next era.¡±


    Vivian then looked at Hessiana again. ¡°You too, take care of yourself in the dream. I hope to see you here when I wake up next time.¡±


    Just like the hurried moments of the reunion of previous stages of space-time journey, Vivian had only a short moment in this space and time. The distorted space and time was rejecting her and kicking her out. In just a matter of a few words, Vivian¡¯s body had turned nearly transparent.


    Hao Ren had been used to this scene. He believed that separation was only temporary. Soon, he would save Vivian from this long and distorted dream.


    He was totally convinced of this.


    Vivian¡¯s breath finally disappeared altogether. Meanwhile, Hessiana was still staring at the spot Vivian was earlier in. Hao Ren waved his hand before Hessiana¡¯s eyes to make sure that she was okay. ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡±


    Hessiana was jolted out of her stupor, and she began to chant, ¡°She told me that she hoped to see me the next time she wakes up. She told me that she hoped to see me the next time she wakes up. She told me she hoped to see me the next time she wakes up!¡±


    While speaking, Little Bat jumped up in joy.


    ¡°Is that really necessary?¡± Hao Ren was struck dumb.


    Meanwhile, after Vivian left, among the frozen figures of the Olympian descendants, Hesperides¡¯s body suddenly jolted.


    Colors had suddenly come back on Hesperides¡¯s body. She turned out to have entered into the distorted space and time successfully, just as Hao Ren had expected it.


    ¡°Hey, sorry for the long wait,¡± the nymph of evening waved at Hao Ren and Hessiana. She then scanned her surroundings. ¡°Where is that damn Hasse?¡±


    Hasse walked up to Hesperides and said, ¡°I am here. Did we not agree that we should bury the hatchet? After all, it is only a mirror image of history here.¡±


    Hesperides looked at Hasse and smiled slyly. ¡°Yes, we have come to a truce, but I am not pulled into this historical timeline, and your face looks disgusting to me.¡±


    ¡°Well, I understand your concern. But if you want revenge, let¡¯s do it when we get out of this place. It is the end of the world, and you should not bring your personal grudges into this place.¡±


    Hesperides stared dead at Hasse for a long time and finally waved her hand impatiently. ¡°Bah, I am sick of seeing your face. But I know what I should do. No reminder from you is necessary.¡±


    Hao Ren could finally breathe a sigh of relief. He was most worried about was the relationship between Hesperides and Hasse. The two camps the two belonged had signed a truce in the real world outside, but the truce agreement was one thing, and personal grudges were another. When Hesperides entered this space and time, it was the moment of destruction of Olympus. It was hard to say that the need for seeking vengeance for her divine family would not affect the team spirit. But now it seemed that Hao Ren could dismiss his concern. Hesperides of the 21st century was not the same as the one from 44BC; she knew what to prioritize.


    While he pondered it, Hao Ren could not help but sigh. The team composition had become more complicated, and it was not easy to manage. In contrast, it would have been easier if the team was only made up of his tenants.

 Chapter 1495 - Dropping Out

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    There was still a little time left before proceeding to the next leg of the space-time journey. In the ¡®safe house,¡¯ everyone was busily preparing their gear. Hasse was checking his weapons, while Hesperides had gotten her wand and her armor from Hao Ren. Everyone minded their own business without the interference of others. They were veterans who know what to do and when to do it.


    Once she was done checking her weapons, Hessiana sat down by herself.


    After Vivian left, little Hessiana had become part of the static environment in that space and time. She turned into a gray sculpture with an innocent and curious look on her face. Her thoughts were forever frozen without the bitter wait of the subsequent few hundred years, living as a fugitive, hiding, and fleeing after the end of the Mythological Era. Then there was her depressing life in the Athens Sanctuary as well. The little girl, who had just opened her eyes to see the world, was like a small bug sealed in amber. She remained static, and her life was frozen in that place.


    Hessiana looked at little Hessiana and suddenly sighed.


    Lily heard it. She came over and asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps she¡¯s an idealized version of me,¡± Hessiana said in a whisper. ¡°The most innocent age, without dark moments or fear. Every day was a happy day in her memory. She found her mother at last. Sometimes I really don¡¯t particularly like your landlord, but this time, I really should thank him. In this illusory timeline, all my wishes have come true.¡±


    It was unknown if Lily fully understood what Hessiana just said. But she did understand the last sentence. ¡°Mr. Landlord is a nice guy.¡±


    Hessiana just smiled and said nothing more. Just as she was about to stand up and leave, the unexpected happened. Not far away, little Hessiana suddenly jolted and fissures developed all over her gray, statue-like body. Before anyone realized, little Hessiana vaporized and turned into smog.


    The smog traveled straight in Hessiana¡¯s direction before it disappeared into her body.


    Lily was stunned. ¡°Whoa! Hessiana has possessed herself!¡±


    Hao Ren also noticed what had happened. He did not take what Lily said seriously but he looked at Hessiana nervously. ¡°What just happened? What about your 2P?¡±


    Hessiana did not even know what was occurring to herself. Confused, she turned to examine herself. ¡°I don¡¯t know what just happened. It just¡­ Aargh!¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Hao Ren and Lily asked in unison.


    Hessiana suddenly looked disoriented. She staggered on her feet before she recovered her senses a moment later. Hessiana blinked and forced a smile. ¡°It turns out that when the other me is in the vicinity after I complete a journey back in time, memory fusion occurs. I can feel a new memory forming in my mind. It¡¯s about my childhood, and you were there.¡±


    Hao Ren had now figured out the situation.


    With his arms akimbo, Hao Ren directly said, ¡°Well, now can I say that I hugged you in my arms when you were still little? You were still in bat form at that time, salivating while sleeping in my pocket.¡±


    Hessiana knew that Hao Ren was going to bring it up. She was furious. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you if you repeat it!¡±


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes. ¡°I was merely stating the facts.¡±


    Hessiana could not form any words to respond. She just mentioned that she was envious of little Hessiana¡ªthe perfect version of herself. And now, she had the ideal version of her memory. But Hao Ren¡¯s presence in her childhood memory was a fly in the ointment. She felt an urge to bite, but a voice in her head reminded her that Hao Ren was a heroic big brother in little Hessiana¡¯s memory.


    After she wrestled with her mind for a long time, Hessiana finally figured it out. What happened to her was not just pure memory fusion. As little Hessiana was a real existence in that space and time, she did not absorb little Hessiana¡¯s memories. Instead, that particular memory was actually part of her childhood¡ªan event fragment that was added into her mind.


    Hessiana could not have possibly hypnotized herself and convinced herself that the memory was fake.


    Hao Ren had no idea what was on Little Bat¡¯s mind. But he could roughly make out her state of mind judging from her reaction. Hao Ren could not help but say a few words of comfort, ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. There¡¯s nothing wrong with schizophrenia. You see, your mom¡¯s also schizophrenic. This inherited disease proves that your mom loves you, and at the very least, it proves that your mom is your mom.¡±


    Lily smacked herself on the forehead. ¡°Mr. Landlord seems to have given up on treatment completely.¡±


    Hesperides came up and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you think he¡¯s just saying that on purpose?¡±


    Hessiana ignored Hao Ren. She let out a sigh. ¡°I realize that there is another even crazier thought in my mind: I have an elder sister named Hessiana, who¡¯s very powerful and capable. Maybe I should put myself deep hypnosis to correct this crazy memory.¡±


    Hao Ren was dumbfounded.


    This time-travel journey had helped Little Bat accomplish many things she never thought she could achieve.


    ¡°Speaking of the state of the mind, will it affect our next mission?¡± Hao Ren asked out of caution.


    Hessiana patted her chest confidently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not a big deal. But please don¡¯t ask me who my elder sister is when I¡¯m fighting people.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s mouth twitched. He then turned to everyone. ¡°Is everything ready? If so, let¡¯s step into the next period¡ªthe heyday of the Mythological Era.


    ¡°Hesperides, you should be happy; you¡¯re going back to your homeworld.¡±


    Hesperides glanced at the broken temple around her. It was an unpleasant start for her time-travel journey, and Hao Ren¡¯s words did not help. She shook her head. ¡°Sometimes, the past is better left alone. If the next leg of the journey happens to go through Olympus again, I¡¯d prefer to finish the mission and leave as soon as possible. Otherwise, I¡¯m worried that I might sink myself into that false space and time.¡±


    Hao Ren understood Hessiana¡¯s feelings and said nothing more. Just as he was about to head to the glowing door, he noticed that Lily was not moving at all.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Hao Ren asked curiously.


    ¡°Mr. Landlord, I feel like I can no longer follow you into the next period of history.¡± Lily scratched her head and pointed at her legs. ¡°Look, my WIFI connection¡¯s about to drop.¡±


    Hao Ren finally saw the changes in the husky maiden. Starting from her legs, gray was spreading all over her body rapidly. It looked as if she was petrifying.


    Raven 12345¡¯s words came to mind.


    As Hao Ren continued to go back in time, his team members who went more than 2,000 years back before their time of birth would drop off from the connection, and the sandbox would kick them out of the system.


    Only Hao Ren, who had entered the sandbox in flesh and blood, could complete the 10,000-year journey.


    Lily was the youngest out of them all. She was only born a hundred years before the present timeline. Now they were in 44 BC, with a gap of nearly 2,000 years in between. It was the farthest point backward in time that Lily could travel to.


    Hao Ren had long known that Lily would have to leave the team some time along the journey. But he still felt quite shocked when it finally happened. ¡°You¡¯re leaving?¡±


    The husky maiden stared at him. ¡°You make it sound like I¡¯m dying! I¡¯m just going out to take a rest and become a spectator. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll enjoy the show.¡±


    Hao Ren was stupefied.


    The little sorrow he felt from parting vanished entirely. Hao Ren waved his hand and said, ¡°All right, I almost forgot that you guys and I are different in this space and time. Just go, I¡¯ll handle the rest.¡±


    While Hao Ren spoke, the gray began to spread to Lily¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go out to eat melons now!¡± Lily looked at Hao Ren and simpered. ¡°You have to bring Battie back! She owes me a lifetime supply of braised pork, and you have to come back in one piece. Otherwise, that pauper vampire may not be able to afford braised pork.¡±


    Before the petrification spread to her shoulders, Lily suddenly raised the alloy sword over her head.


    ¡°Haih, Mr. Landlord, do you think this sword will be preserved here if I raise it above my head? If it¡¯s possible, there¡¯s probably a bug in the system. Look! Even my clothes are¡ª¡±


    Lily¡¯s words came to an abrupt end.


    Hao Ren looked up and found that the gray had covered the giant alloy sword.


    ¡°We need to tell her that there¡¯s no bug in here when we get back out,¡± Hao Ren said.

 Chapter 1496 - A Long Way Ahead

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Lily¡¯s departure was expected. It was a reminder to Hao Ren that he would have to complete the journey all by himself ultimately.


    After the great battle of the Twilight of the Gods in 44 BC, the journey back in time went further and further back in history. In Hao Ren¡¯s eyes, the world was strange during the BC era. The time-travel journey had utterly changed his view on history. History, as recorded by humans, was inaccurate. All the more so when it came to records about the era of the ancient gods. When there were too many supernatural elements interspersed throughout recorded history, materialistic historians of later generations often chose to separate the myths and legends, and they allowed the scholars of religion and mythology to deal with them. But for Hao Ren, those things that the historians removed were his personal experiences.


    He had witnessed many ancient kingdoms that were not recorded in history books. Some were kingdoms of dark magic and some were indescribably different worlds. Some were built on land, which floated in the sky and relied on sunlight to stay afloat. Some were underground, harnessing the energy of magma and rock. Bizarre alien creatures ruled these worlds with strange laws and ceremonies that were ridiculous to modern humans. While at the same time, humans had been slaves to these kingdoms, serving their alien masters for generations and participating in endless wars with other ¡°miracle cities¡±.


    Hao Ren had also seen many real-life versions of myths. When he passed by the Mediterranean region for the second time, he found Jason with the help of Hesperides. Hao Ren helped Jason find the Golden Fleece in exchange for information of Vivian¡¯s whereabouts. While Hao Ren was in Egypt, Seth raided Horus and thrust his knife at the Egyptian god of protection, Hao Ren appeared out of nowhere and decapitated Seth, gaining the gratitude and trust of Ra and access to the anti-gravity fortress, the Solar Ship. With the help of the Solar Ship¡¯s radar, Hao Ren found Vivian in the pyramid buried under the yellow sand. In Babylon, the war battle between Marduk and Tiamat was in a stalemate. Hasse fired a shot from a nearby mountain and blinded an eye of Tiamat, earning the respect of the Babylonian gods, who told him the location of the Lord of the Blood, Vivian.


    The prime period of the Mythological Era lasted for 5,000 years, during which Hao Ren saw a world where the aliens ruled the earth, humans were the slaves, and the rise and fall of many lost ancient kingdoms. Those otherworldlings had built many cities and kingdoms, but constant war and the lack of proper social order had often time caused these kingdoms to disappear from this world before they could even make their marks in history.


    Those otherworldling gods who could survive the first 3,000 years were divided into two types. They either possessed strong inborn abilities or inherited the technologies and magical creations from their homeworld. The kingdoms these gods built were categorized into two distinct types. The former was darker and more brutal; the cities they built with rocks stank of blood almost every day. The cruel blood sacrifice ceremony was the favorite pastime of these beast-like gods. On the other hand, the latter was more like extraterrestrial aliens that had built their colonies on Earth. The metal and energy barriers that encapsulated the ancient cities were beyond the times. The center of some of the ancient cities was actually a stranded alien spaceship. The stone cities of humankind built around these seemingly sci-fi or magical fortresses looked odd yet mysterious.


    But no matter which type of cities, there was not much difference to the humans at that time. Even those advanced cities with a high level of civilization, technology or magic, their comfortable environment was not prepared for humans.


    Humans usually were for the biochemical laboratories, radioactive ore mining sites, and battlefields.


    There were also a few relatively mild ¡®paradise on earth.¡¯ After all, even the most apathetic otherworldlings had a few god bearers who sympathized with the earthlings. But this goodwill could not reverse the tide of the Era. Humans were living in dire straits during the entire Mythological period.


    Lightning flashed across the sky. The glaring light was frozen in the night sky before it disappeared. Black, white and gray were the only colors of the world and time stood still.


    The Babylonians worshipping in the square had also turned into gray stone statues and were quickly swallowed up by the darkness that came from afar. At last, only the king of Babylon was left. The king, standing in front of the crowd, wearing a crown on his head, was merely regarded by the gods as a leader of the monkey group and a tool. But as the king of the humans, he still had the look of a king. But now, even the king had turned into a stone statue with a surprised expression forever frozen in time on his face.


    Hao Ren poked his head out from the door and made sure that the entire city of Babylon had disintegrated into bits and bytes, just like previously before he turned back into the temple.


    It was another hurried reunion. This time, Vivian had left Hao Ren a suggestion.


    ¡°Do not use your human identity anymore. Going forward, humans would be a bad disguise as they would be regarded as runaway slaves of some gods. At least, this applies in most places where gods are present.¡±


    ¡°We will meet again in the next era.¡±


    ¡°The Mythological Era is such a terrible period.¡± Hessiana sighed and leaned on a black stone pillar after Vivian left. ¡°Even I can feel how bad the quality of those gods at the end of the Mythological Era was. What could you expect from a group of disorganized and undisciplined otherworldlings in managing a habitable planet? They were unruly. The goddess of creations must have selected the passengers of the Ark by merely throwing the dice.¡±


    Hesperides could not help but look at Little Bat. ¡°Are you talking about me? I was very concerned about humans back then. I even saved an entire city.¡±


    ¡°But the Olympus family sucked.¡± Hessiana never minced her words. She did not give a shit of who was the senior and who was the junior, except for Vivian. ¡°You do know what kind of person Hades was, right? What about the violent Ares, and Poseidon, who set off the storm at whim?¡±


    As the atmosphere became a little awkward, Hao Ren hemmed and interrupted. ¡°That was thousands of years ago. Let us not raking up the past.¡±


    Hessiana rolled her eyes and still leaned comfortably on the black stone pillar. ¡°Okay, okay. But then, compared to the disorganized small cities, major celestials like Olympus and Norse did have a better conscience. At the very least, they were big clans which had rules and regulations. The human kingdoms under their purview would live on as long as the humans abided by their rules. But the fate of those living under the control of behemoths or devils gods were gloomy. Sometimes, the devils would wipe out an entire city simply because they felt like doing it.


    ¡°Those fellows were not intelligent being,¡± Hasse said. ¡°Perhaps they suffered from brain trauma after they crossed the Wall of Reality. Some of them had mutated into beasts on Earth. Humans living under their rules suffered the most but had no means to resist.¡±


    ¡°Well, from this point of view, the massacre of the pseudo-gods by the demon hunters has done humanity a great favor. Thank you for furthering the development of civilization on this planet and not letting it drown in the swamps of the Dark Ages.¡± Hessiana gnashed her teeth and said sarcastically. She then looked down at her legs as a grayish stone luster spread on her legs before turning to look back at the basalt stele of the Code of Hammurabi. ¡°It looks like I am going the way of the dumb dog. Hammurabi¡¯s era¡­ Haih, I don¡¯t even have the endurance level of a husky.¡±


    The grayish petrification luster had spread to Hessiana¡¯s waist and abdomen, but it did not prevent her from speaking. She thought for a moment as if trying to summarize a few words of advice for Hao Ren, but time was not on her side. She shook her head and said, ¡°Forget it. You have enough experience now; I do not think I have any more advice for you. But just remember this: listen to Hesperides. The Mythological Era was her home turf while the demon hunter there was only an outlawed militant before 2,000 BC.¡±


    After Lily, Hessiana was the second team member to drop out. This time, however, there was no new entrant.


    Now, only Hesperides and Hasse left to helping Hao Ren.


    It was true that Hesperides and Hasse were not the only ancients whom Hao Ren knew. The Norse gods Odin, and Coldpath¡¯s Elder Gregowen were active in the early days of the Mythological Era and still alive in the real world. Raven 12345 had also gathered every ancient Hao Ren knew and had them standing by near the portal. But the journey back in time was filled with uncertainty; Hao Ren did not have the luxury of choosing who to summon.


    It was because Hao Ren could only backtrack to a particular point in time, and his landing location was limited to nearby Vivian. Considering the wanderer lifestyle of the Countess, Hao Ren might end up in some city, at the bottom of the Atlantic, in the desert, or in extreme cases, in the crater of a volcano.


    God knows how Vivian could sleep well in such hellish places.


    The chances of getting new helpers while backtracking along the historical timeline was entirely a matter of probability.


    Instead of expanding the geographical area to recruit his team members and thus increasing the risk of failure, it was better to make do with whatever resources and strength at hand. Such was the solution that Hao Ren, Hesperides, and Hasse had reached.


    Now that Little Bat had returned to the real world, leaving only three persons in the team.


    It was 1,788 BC, and it was going to be a long way ahead.

 Chapter 1497 - Approaching the Origin

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    As they went north, the weather got colder by the minute.


    Frigid winds bore with them dust particles as they howled across the plain and sent nameless plants flying all over. A grim atmosphere descended upon the plain as the cold wind seemingly announced the world¡¯s barren state. There were little to no tall plants across the vast plain. Due to the cold climate, there were only low, lifeless plants and a scattering of wild grass. It was not a place suitable for life¡­


    ¡­or hunting.


    Hunting grounds and plants for foraging were, of course, still around, but they were not nearby. Dozens of kilometers away, there was a lush coniferous forest surrounded by patches of open fields and a few herds of herbivores as well as a couple of predators. Their existence fed the two small primitive settlements there, and conversely, the settlement was also game for the predators.


    It was a time when men and beast were on the same level of the food chain.


    Hao Ren, clad in a leather robe with a torn side, stood on a protruding piece of rock. His clothes were worn out but to the primitive locals, his getup was still something wondrous. He looked into the distance, deeper into the barren plain, thinking: This barren place looks the same everywhere, but I don¡¯t have to worry about getting lost now that I¡¯m here. There was a very obvious ¡°signpost¡± farther out across the stretch. It was a massive white cone that reflected sunlight. From a distance, it looked like a white tower, but in reality, it was a massive block of ice and was reverently called ¡°Tatumnu¡± by the locals. It translated into ¡°a grave of ice¡±, which was a rather awe-inspiring name.


    Hao Ren turned back as two little boys clad in beast hide looked at him with fear and reverence. Their skin was a little brownish, and their faces were painted with dyes made out of plants and animal blood. In their hands were spears made out of rock. They were the settlement¡¯s warriors, yet when they looked at Hao Ren, they felt nervous. The reason was simple; their fear stemmed from an overwhelming show of force that was beyond the comprehension of these primitive warriors. Hao Ren had used a shining long spear to kill a mammoth by himself, and that terrifying scene left a mark in their minds.


    They were guides that he found on a need-to basis. In a land that lacked any landmarks or any workable records of cities, and in an age where the landmass was different, it was difficult to move about without a guide. In one of his backtracks, Hao Ren got lost in the Gobi Desert for close to a month. So, if the situation allowed, Hao Ren would, by hook or by crook, get a guide or two to go with him.


    Fortunately, further back in time, it was much easier to get their cooperation. Most of the time, Hao Ren just needed to show them powers beyond their understanding, and the people, steeped in animistic beliefs, would immediately bow before him.


    However, there were other issues, especially when it came to communication with the ancient primitives. While the translation plugin could solve the language issue, there were still differing world views that needed to be accounted for. Majority of the time, Hao Ren had to work out if whatever rudimentary language they spoke was actually what he thought they meant.


    At times like this, Hao Ren would miss his companions who had already left him. Lily, Hessiana, Hasse, and Hesperides¡­ While the last two had a chilly relationship, and they would trade verbal barbs, their perception of the world was similar at the very least.


    However, they were now all gone. Hesperides left by 4,705 BC and Hasse stayed with Hao Ren until 6,012 BC. After that, Hao Ren had been traveling alone across the massive temporal backtrack, searching across ancient Earth.


    ¡°So that is where the god sleeps?¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head as he rid himself of all unnecessary thoughts and pointed at the massive ice block.


    The two tribal warriors shook their arm once. That was their way of affirming something. The taller guide then spoke, ¡°Yes, that is it. Surrounding ice always melts away, but not that. This was once our hunting ground, but no one dares to approach it now.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded in understanding. He had already learned of it back in the village. The plain was not so barren not too long back. Even with the post-ice-age climate resulting in the scarcity of vegetation, there were still roaming animals on the plain. Although not a huge amount, it was enough to sustain a few small settlements during that difficult time. Then a ¡°god¡± crossed the plains, and her wrath was incurred when someone killed her prey. She froze the entire area as a result. That led to the tribes moving to the forest with roaming predators, and now only two settlements were left.


    The ¡°god¡± now lived in that place, and the tribes all believed that even though the ice had melted away, a mountain-like block of ice remained on the plain. Sunset or fire did not even cause it to melt, and around the ice block, it was difficult for any plant life to sustain itself. Animals avoided the place out of fear too. All of it was proof that a god was there.


    The god¡¯s wrath was not over based on what the superstitious tribal people believed in. She wanted the exiled tribes to show their martial might to prove that they were worthy to return. resulted in a quarrel between the two remaining tribes.


    Hao Ren did not pay any heed to the tribal people¡¯s blind superstitions. He was only sure of one thing: the god that froze the plains could be no other than Vivian.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be going there,¡± Hao Ren said.


    The two warriors behind him leaped up in shock as fear started to appear on their faces. They started to ramble non-stop before they took a few steps backward. ¡°No, no, no. No one can approach the god. We will be frozen and melted away by the next sunrise¡­¡±


    Hao Ren looked at their terrified expressions and could imagine what sort of terror Vivian¡¯s place of slumber had inspired in the tribal people¡¯s hearts. If he insisted on them following him to dig her grave, those two warriors would probably die of shock right where they were standing in.


    Hence, he shook his head. ¡°Go back, I¡¯ll head there myself.¡±


    He then pulled two short alloy swords out of his Dimensional Pocket and gave them to the guides. ¡°As agreed, this is your reward.¡±


    The two tribal warriors carefully received the weapons, which were beyond their comprehension, but they soon realized the weapons¡¯ sharpness and durability, and they were shocked.


    Hao Ren did not linger, and he went down the rock towards the ice tower.


    The frigid wind started to blow again.


    As he ventured further, he began to feel an empty sense of loneliness. As he looked at the barren, frozen land, he felt like the only one left in this world. How long had it been since he went back in time? He pretty much lost count. The multitudes of travel through the chaotic space and time, as well as the following temporal distortion, had messed up his senses. He had gone from the advanced world to the Dark Ages, then to the glorious Age of Mythology before he headed to the prehistoric wilderness. Advanced or primitive, civilized or barbaric, each era was marked with distinctly different architecture, and many contradictory items were scattered across this track of time. As a traveler, Hao Ren was not even sure if he was traveling across a continuous timeline.


    The further back he went, the more obvious the feeling got.


    Sometimes he landed in a primitive settlement, and other times he ended up in a city of metal with starships above it. From there, he would then land in a theocracy, and who was to say that he would not end up in a steampunk world next¡­


    The otherworldlings did not immediately build up their great civilizations in the Age of Mythology. They too had undergone the rigors of exploration, and most of their initial settlements were half-ruined city blocks or falling Dimensional Pockets. And they had centuries, even millennia to figure out how the things from their homeworld worked. It was only after, that they turned their eyes towards the inhabitants of this planet, the Earthlings.


    Right then, Hao Ren had ended up at a point in time where the otherworldlings had just arrived on Earth and were minding their own business.


    The massive block of ice was getting closer, and up close, Hao Ren realized that it was massive. The conical structure could have easily been a hundred meters tall, and frosty aura rippled outward from the ice. Almost a good hundred-odd square meters of land was perpetually frozen, and uneven threads of red could be seen underneath the ice. They looked like blood vessels under the skin.


    Hao Ren looked beyond the tower of ice and his sight landed on the tip of the mountain behind. He saw a light pillar shoot up from the top and slowly swept across the sky.


    That was the observation tower that Odin and his kin had built. The Norse gods, having recently arrived from outer space, were observing this mysterious planet. They had thousands of weak and sick kinsmen who needed food and medication. On the southern side of the plains, a group of runic dwarves was tattooing one of their young bloods and celebrating the creation of their first forge. Over the mountains farther away, Zeus had just landed on the planet and was scouring the mountains for stones that could be worked into construction materials. They were required to repair the structures on Mount Olympus that had been damaged by the dimensional shock. Over at the Nile River, Ra¡¯s sunship was half-buried in the forest, while Osiris and Isis looked resignedly at the damaged thrusters. They began planning for long-term repair works¡­


    As for the humans, they had yet to recover from the chill of the ice age, and their settlements were not ready to welcome the gods. Nevertheless, the Age of Mythology had already begun.


    Hao Ren came to the base of the ice tower, and through the thick layers of ice, he could make out the ¡°princess¡± who was sleeping within the cold ice.


    He placed his hand on the ice as he sighed softly. ¡°Vivian, I¡¯ve found you again.


    It was 7,715 BC. The ice age was over, and life bloomed once again.

 Chapter 1498 - The Day of Reckoning

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    A painful roar rang as a sabertooth fell lifelessly on the ground. Its fear-inspiring fangs, speed, and ferocious attack did nothing for it. The ancient apex predator did not even understand how it got hurt when its heart was burnt to crisps in an instant by the plasma spear.


    Hao Ren swung his plasma spear to the side, and even though the blade itself was not coated with blood, Hao Ren felt that the motion was a plus in the cool factor. After he looked at his surroundings, he confirmed that aside from the overly-eager sabertooth earlier, there were no more hostile parties in the area. He breathed a sigh of relief.


    The ancient wilderness was teeming with danger, and humans in this age had not climbed to the top of the food chain yet. There were beasts that could prey on humans everywhere, and while they were no threat to Hao Ren, getting rid of them was still quite the headache.


    Hao Ren turned back and saw a distortion rift about two-persons wide hanging in the air. On the opposite side of the rift, the mysterious tower of ice lay on the ground, and the scenery of 7,715 BC was captured within the rift and was covered by a shade of grey that came with the time stop.


    To be frank, Hao Ren had no idea which year he had ended up in his backtrack through time, the precise date is probably only available in the sandbox system logs. What he had was an instinct, a sense of premonition that was getting clearer the closer he was to the starting point of this time warp. He now knew that he was in the final frontier, perhaps here, or the next one, he would arrive at the starting point of this long time stream. The end of this long journey¡­ was not too far away.


    ¡°So¡­ the sabretooth actually lived till this age huh¡­¡± Hao Ren looked at the fallen beast before him as he mumbled to himself. ¡°Archaeologist will probably faint of joy if they see this¡­¡±


    He was not all that interested in the sabretooth but he needed something to talk about. In this foreboding prehistoric world, traveling alone was not something fun, and Hao Ren realized that he needed to find something to distract himself.


    As he left the dimensional rift behind him, Hao Ren lifted his plasma spear and left.


    He continued moving across the frigid plain as he tried to find traces of settlements or any activities of intelligent beings, but he was unlucky throughout the day. This was Earth in its prehistoric days, and humans were in the stone age, and the small population of men all lived in the sparse and scattered settlements in the hospitable zones while the rest of the lands were wildlands. This ice age too had prevented humans from expanding their area of activity and to actually search for a settlement, it was all down to luck.


    Hao Ren already knew of this and was not dejected. From the date he started going back in time, he had already run into all sorts of trials and tribulations, there was very little that could break him now.


    As night fell, Hao Ren rested in a cave. The food items in his Dimensional Pocket had now become a rare luxury and were only eaten when he craved the ¡°taste of home¡±. Instead, he hunted for meat in the plains, and after dinner, he used the stars to determine his position. And while the skies above were different 10,000 years ago, Hao Ren came prepared and had recorded the star maps of each era in his mind, and he could easily make out his current location: somewhere in northern Europe.


    He then started studying Vivian¡¯s diary and had a rough idea of his current location now and he was sure that he was close to his destination.


    As the sun rises, he went forth again upon the vast grassland.


    He was not moving without any destination however; he was following the ¡°guide¡± within his inner self. While he was not very used to depending on his ¡°instincts¡±, something so intangible to go about things, but he had to admit, as a demigod that has already linked with the will of the universe, his instinct was much much more reliable ¨C at least compared to shoe or coin tossing ¨C guide.


    After entering this dimension, he felt that his instincts were more honed and pronounced. Simply closing his eyes and opening it again will tell him which way he should go, and this unseen guide was so clear, that he could hear a voice ringing in his head: It¡¯s just ahead, the person he is looking for is just ahead.


    Under this guidance, he continued through the wilderness. In this cold and barren Earth, only the rising sun and the starry night was his companion, and of course, those already extinct animals in the present day.


    Mammoths or sabertooths were actually a rather rare sight, and in this post-ice age world, the climate was getting warmer, the change in the ecosystem had driven many glacial species on the path of extinction. While they still lasted a good few thousand years, but species¡¯ decline was obvious. The scenes of men hunting mammoths were ending with the warmer climate, but the coming of the ¡°Age of the Gods¡± was set to derail Earth¡¯s original development path.


    As the sun rose through the horizon for the twelfth time, Hao Ren had left the barren wilderness and entered grassland in warmer zone teeming with plans. He had run into a stone age settlement by the grassland. The tribespeople treated the god-like Hao Ren like a deity but they were clueless about Vivian or any other gods.


    On the twentieth day, Hao Ren had crossed the grassland and into a mountainous area. He had not seen any otherworldling settlement along the way, like smashed landing vessels, antennas secured with rocks, or any purification magic circles near water sources or swamps. These were visible in the last track, even more so in an earlier one. They were proof of the otherworldlings¡¯ efforts in survival and were all over the place during the starting years of the Age of Mythology.


    Even the majestic Olympian pantheon had to start off by breaking stone off a mountain face.


    Without these traces, there was only one explanation: He had arrived at a point much earlier than that, and even before the otherworldlings¡¯ arrival on Earth!


    This initially had Hao Ren at a loss, as he found it illogical: He was going through Vivian¡¯s memory, and by theory, the earliest he would have arrived was at the point where Vivian had arrived on Earth, but he soon realized the cause.


    This world was not created just from Vivian¡¯s memories, or it is more accurate to state that Vivian¡¯s memories were not the main ¡°component¡± on this world; that was created by the mainframe¡¯s sandbox system using simulation in order to create a replica of Earth, but yet, this Earth was different from the original.


    Vivian¡¯s memories only contained a few signposts and key scenes in this image-world. So, instead of these memories being the basis of the backtrack, it served more as a guiding tool.


    At the top of a hill, Hao Ren finally stopped and set up a small camp on the flat ground upon the hill.


    He knew where the problem lies. It was because he had dove too deep into this memory stream, even beyond Vivian¡¯s knowledge. At this point, Vivian¡¯s memory of this time was so murky that it was as good as nothing, and the sandbox system could not use this memory to pinpoint her location. Here, no one knew when the contact between the Surface World and the Plane of Dreams made contact, and Vivian¡¯s memories did not contain anything either.


    So the system could only toss him out to the closest possible point.


    And by the looks of things, he was early to the party.


    Hao Ren sat on a rock on top of the hill as he gazed into the green hills and grasslands before going into deep meditative thought. He wondered how early he had been, a few months perhaps, or a few years, or maybe decades. He could not tell from the stars or the plans around him the exact year he is in, but by the looks of things the ice age was over, and the glaciers were melting away from the warmer zones. The humans that survived the winter were starting to grow again, and the massive beasts which could not cope with the climate change and were weakened were now a valuable source of food for these prehistoric people.


    Vivian¡¯s earliest memories were when the glaciers had melted away.


    It seems like he was not too early, and could only just wait.


    Day 106, Hao Ren had finished scouting the perimeter, and his instincts rang strongly, calling him to return to his camp. As he sat cross-legged on the rock, he stabbed his plasma spear into the pile of pebbles around him.


    He then used a divine art that he had rarely used and closed his eyes to wait.


    He did not know how long had based, as time was a meaningless concept to him now. The sun rose and set, as the stars waxed and waned, cold wind blew day after day, bearing seeds at times, and these plants grew around him, before withering away¡­


    His mind had entered a state of ¡°silence¡±. He was aware of everything around him, but there he sat, with a deathly silence.


    And one day, he suddenly opened his eyes as he gazed sharply into the distance.


    The skies above the grassland roiled as the clouds tore open, and a continuous ocean lay upside down on the azure sky.


    The time had come.

 Chapter 1499 - Long Time No See

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The sky was roiling under the influence of an unknown power.


    From afar, the azure sky became a shining sea turned upside down as countless ripples covered its surface. The torn clouds became the spindrift of the sea as they traveled afar with the ripples. As time passed, the mysterious ripples increased and covered the entire horizon, and with that dimension pulse, a series of bizarre scenes started to take form.


    It was not a simple teleportation, scale or information value wise. It was an awe-inspiring, terrifying tear in the fabric of reality. It involved the connection between two worlds, and the receding world barrier had torn a massive gap in the wall of reality. That unmeasurable rift, which could not be mathematically quantified, finally opened on Earth.


    The day had arrived; the refugees from the Plane of Dreams were entering this world.


    Atop the already lush hilltop, Hao Ren sat and observed the change in the sky afar. Even though he had opened his eyes, he still sat as still as a rock. A few na?ve creatures leaped around him, not even realizing that the ¡°rock statue¡±, which had been seated there for many years, had already ¡°come back to life¡±.


    It seemed like it was time to get up.


    Hao Ren took a deep breath before he slowly exhaled. A few blinks and head shakes later, he lifted his hands from his knee and snapped a few fragile plant life in the process. The small creatures that had settled in the area finally realized something was amiss. They ran away after a few sharp shrieks, as though trying to avoid some impending catastrophe.


    The plasma spear had already been entangled in the plants, and moss had already grown on its shaft. Hao Ren did not mind it and simply pulled the spear out of the ground before he activated it. A crisp whir later, the blade popped out as per usual.


    Okay, perhaps with age, came a few issues. But they were immaterial. Some maintenance later would help it be as good as new.


    A thunderclap rang from the torn clouds as the azure sky darkened. Energy ripples started to appear on the massive dimensional folds as blinding bluish-white lightning leaped around within the rift. It seemed to be indicating the coming of Armageddon.


    Hao Ren got up and dirt, as well as plants, fell off his body. He looked at his appearance and silently chanted Raven 12345¡¯s name. He was bathed in a ray of light, and within the light, all traces of time were wiped out. Soon, the dust and dirt on his body disappeared.


    With his body blessed, he was beyond dust and dirt. He had been too lazy or unbothered most of the time, and he usually did not have the chance to use it either.


    The changes in the sky continued as the skyline was set ablaze with energy flares. It was like a sea of lightning, constantly roiling and thundering. Many animals exited their lairs and nests, running for their lives towards the hills. They hoped to avoid the impending disaster, which was beyond their understanding. Amongst the animals were escaping humans too. They were clutching beast hides and grass while running and yelling at the sky. Perhaps they were challenging the heavens, or were indicating their fear to the angry ¡°sky gods¡±.


    Hao Ren walked towards the plain beneath the hill. He approached the area encompassed by the unnatural phenomenon. Next to him were beasts, running in the opposite direction as strong gales blew up pebbles and sand. But that did not concern Hao Ren. He deployed his shield and blocked out the wind and dust as he walked resolutely towards the plain. He even had some spare time to observe the situation within the dimensional folds.


    There were changes within the rifts, and massive energy flares were slowly coalescing into a stable revolving structure. The sky had turned into a mirror, and the image of another world was reflected on it.


    A massive, almost endless structure appeared first amongst the energy flares, and as it broke through the rift, it got much bigger, encompassing the entire skyline. Its shape reminded one of a piece of land, strung and held together by vines but a billion times larger. The structure¡¯s ¡°frame¡± looked like some kind of plant life that could hold a world. The vine-like things expanded freely across the dimension, and in between the vines was a shining, beating tumor-like organ. Bright runes were streamed around the organ and vines like a shining coat. The frame had nine great continents on it¡ªperhaps wrapped in a different dimensional bubble¡ªand a distorted light surrounded the entire structure, which made up of those nine great realms and the world tree. This was the very distortion within the dimension.


    Yggdrasil, the hyperspace fortress that was launched by the goddess of creation had crossed the border between two universes. Its tendrils were approaching Earth and linking with this primordial planet.


    Hao Ren did not stop to admire the view or rush ahead. He just went on as leisurely as he could, looking at the sky at times, or smashing an incoming boulder to the side with his spear.


    A fearsome thunder rumbled in the sky, and the atmosphere, unable to withstand such a disturbance, swirled into a storm. Simultaneously, massive energy spikes were released from the cracks of the dimensional rift and formed into awesome lightning. Some of the lightning tendrils brushed against the land as they swept across the sky.


    A forest in the distance caught fire and many fearful animals ran helter-skelter towards safety. Some of them were on fire, and the intense radiation tore their bodies apart as they ran. A good number fell lifelessly on the ground, reduced to ash.


    The birds in the sky lost their bearings too and tried to escape the epicenter as fast as they could. However, the rift had already expanded to a few hundred kilometers wide and was still expanding rapidly. No matter how fast they flapped their wings, the birds simply could not match the rate of the rift¡¯s growth. Soon, many fell like rain as their brains were fried by the radiation. Their carcasses were blackened like charcoal.


    Hao Ren looked up and saw the universe beyond Yggdrasil¡¯s tendrils and the nine great realms. Catastrophe was raging in the universe beyond, and at that very moment, the apocalypse brought by fall of the goddess had ravaged the entire Plane of Dreams.


    Yet, her divine doppelganger had already crossed the wall of reality 48 hours ago, and her first stop was Purgatory. She split for the first time there. But Purgatory was not within the sandbox system¡¯s records, and what happened in those 48 hours could not be projected.


    Hao Ren could only look up and wait for the other part of the split, Vivian Ancestor, to arrive on Earth.


    He did not know the exact time, but his instincts were tingling, and he knew that he would be sure when the time came¡­


    The rift slowly stabilized and the material transference portal opened. Part of Yggdrasil¡¯s tendrils had come through the rift as it writhed about. Shortly after, more and more tendrils made contact with the mountains, as though unconsciously connecting the forest to the clouds. She had determined that this was a place suitable for the survivors in the ark, or at least a good number of them. As such, she started to disgorge her cargo.


    A golden vessel was shot out from the World Tree, and it struggled to maintain flight on the foreign planet. Its trajectory was perilous, and it skidded across the skyline, flying in Egypt¡¯s direction.


    A series of mountains shot out of the void between Vanaheim and Jotunheim. They were covered in a massive forcefield as they flew across the sky. The cloaking effect caused a dimensional distortion that slowly made them transparent before they disappeared totally from sight.


    A disc-shaped ship was the third thing to be spat out, and Hao Ren recognized it. It looked like a stack of clams with an azure dome, and beneath the dome was clean seawater¡ªthe seawater of Io.


    Nasaton flew towards the Pacific in a parabolic curve in the sky.


    Following pre-programmed orders, many ¡°escape vessels¡± began to appear around Yggdrasil¡¯s tendrils, and these shattered world fragments that were kept by Yggdrasil shot out from the mothership. They blasted across the sky in a predetermined arc into the distance, and Hao Ren could recognize some of them from his previous journeys back in time. But many more were not recognizable.


    The discharged ¡°escape vessels¡± came in many sizes; some were mountains within a dimensional fragment, some were derelict spaceships, some were the odd fortress, while others were living beings in dimensional bubble pockets. The goddess of creation did not have time to plan things out, and she collected what she could in a hurry. Additionally, only a few of these ¡°seeds¡± would go on to survive on this foreign planet.


    The ¡°gods¡± had descended upon Earth¡­ as refugees.


    Hao Ren had lost interest in what was going on in the sky, and he turned around as his instincts dictated. Somewhere amongst the massive frame of Yggdrasil, he saw another distortion. It was a different distortion, which one could not easily view directly.


    There was a unique ripple amid the massive sea of noise, and under normal circumstances, that would have been impossible. But Hao Ren¡¯s instincts guided him and allowed him to notice that angle.


    He saw a new hole appear in the sky, and the scene of the Otherworld flashed by before a red comet flew out and headed straight to the ground.


    She fell a few hundred meters away from Hao Ren. If he had not noticed the unique trajectory, he would have thought that she had entered this universe with Yggdrasil.


    Hao Ren traveled towards the landing point and saw a steaming crater with crimson mist all over it. At the bottom of the crater, a long-haired woman was clumsily trying to get up.


    Her eyes met with Hao Ren¡¯s, and a flicker of curiosity appeared.


    Hao Ren simply smiled. ¡°Long time no see.¡±

 Chapter 1500 - Star Map

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Looking at the still-smoking crater before her, Vivian in her torn garments sighed. ¡°So this was how I landed on Earth¡­ I have no recollection of it at all.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Vivian, who had now regained her memories. ¡°It seems like you were dazed for quite a bit after you landed. You probably even roamed far to the north. You started to pen your diary from there.¡±


    Vivian smiled as she looked at her dress. She had no idea where it came from but was pretty sure that was not how she had dressed up. Her initial getup was the same as those godslayers, based on the treacherous army¡¯s uniform. However, the particular dress she had on was not the same as the uniforms those traitors wore. Perhaps it was from Purgatory. Despite having magical protection, she had traveled through a dimensional rift to reach Earth. Plus, she was nicely burned when she entered the atmosphere. Her dress was in tatters, she was in a sorry state.


    ¡°Did you bring any of these?¡± Vivian pointed at herself. ¡°I need to change.¡±


    ¡°Oh, of course.¡± Hao Ren pulled out one of Vivian¡¯s casual wear from his Dimensional Pocket.


    ¡°I came prepared¡­¡±


    ¡­


    A few moments later, the two stood side by side on the grassland and looked at the dimensional rift that had engulfed the skies.


    The Mesopotamian gods were ¡°wrapped¡± in a semi-translucent energy bubble alongside a host of broken buildings towards the far side of the earth, and around them, many tiny rifts opened as a group of half-man and half-wolf beings were shot out in a daze across the land.


    ¡°No wonder the werewolves had proliferated that widely, they were simply shot out randomly when they arrived huh¡­¡± Vivian said. ¡°Oh, I see the Blood Clans¡­ Did one of them just fall into my crater?¡±


    ¡°So you back in those days must have seen a vampire smashing face first before you and came to think of yourself as one of them?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t help it. I was a na?ve child back then.¡± Vivian smiled. ¡°That was the first time I saw something similar to me, and of course, I assumed that it was my kin¡­ My form back then was not even stable yet, and had just gone with that subconsciously.¡±


    ¡°Well thank goodness your form had not stabilized in Purgatory. Humanoids are fine, it¡¯ll be all over if you become one of those tentacles on the planet.¡±


    The rift in the sky looks slightly smaller now and some of Yggdrasil¡¯s tendrils were leaving the surface. While many of the landing vessels were still being disgorged, it was apparent that the disembarkation process was coming to an end. The rolling thunders too had slackened, and the energy flares fading. As these unusual phenomena faded away, the sky soon stabilized again, and the stars reappeared.


    After a full day of ¡°landings¡±, night had fallen.


    On the ground, the animals which could have escaped had already run away, and those who could not all fell to the extreme heat and radiation. The forest afar was still ablaze and the strong winds helped to fan the fire and set a few hills around them on fire. A few unlucky survivors fell into the sea of flames, and as their bodies could not withstand the fire, their short journey into the other dimension ended abruptly. And even for those who had survived the landings, many will perish. Perish on a planet that they could not adapt to.


    Yggdrasil was powerless against this. As a hyperspace fortress, she had already sent her cargo to the best available location, and their subsequent survival was up to themselves.


    Only a small crew stayed behind on Asgard within Yggdrasil. And they were known Norse Gods at a later age.


    The tendrils were slowly withdrawn and Hao Ren gazed upon the rift in the sky, the flames in the distance, and the disappearing nine great realms before sighing. ¡°So this is the first day of the Age of Mythology.¡±


    ¡°Yes, this is it.¡±


    ¡°So, this backtrack is the starting point of everything?¡± Hao Ren turned around and looked at the ¡°vampire lady¡± beside him. An unreal feeling started welling within him. He had actually managed to get to this point and found Vivian at the point where she had arrived on Earth 10,000 years ago. So this is the end of this journey? Is this the last backtrack? Is there nothing else left?¡±


    Vivian looked at Hao Ren in the eyes. ¡°Yes, this is the last stop. You are at the end of your journey. And my start as the being known as Vivian Ancesta.


    Hao Ren blinked, still slightly dazed as he looked around. ¡°But what of the ¡®battle¡¯ you mentioned? The one deep within your consciousness?¡±


    ¡°You are right in the center of it. It¡¯s just that these memories were blocking your vision¡­ Do you want to see it? How the deepest part of this consciousness look like?¡±


    Hao Ren felt that he was prepared and nodded firmly. ¡°Let me see.¡±


    Vivian gave a gentle acknowledgment and the entire background collapsed.


    The sky shattered like broken glass and the hills and the fire in the distance turned to dust. Every color faded with the rapid change as darkness swarmed from all directions and within a few breathes later, it had totally replaced the vibrant ¡°real world¡±.


    The very next moment, the darkness receded like the tide and Hao Ren found himself standing on a desert. Beneath him was an endless stream of sand, while the sky was dark with no signs of the stars or other celestial bodies. While the dark skies roiled, the area was still lit by an unknown source of light.


    Hao Ren looked at the sky for a good while before realizing that the dark sky was nothing but an upside down desert!


    The whole place is a god damn desert!


    ¡°Is this your¡­ deepest consciousness?¡±


    Hao Ren was surprised as he saw this dark and barren world and had to ask.


    ¡°You¡¯re surprised by how barren it is?¡± Vivian could, of course, understand Hao Ren¡¯s reaction as she smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not normally like this. But to fight that thing for control, I had to focus everything into combat and my consciousness ended up like this. While it may look barren, it is the most ¡®economical¡¯ of state, and this empty consciousness is effective against any corruption¡­¡±


    As Vivian said she led Hao Ren forward. They soon went on top a mound and along the way, Hao Ren asked. ¡°So that battle¡­¡±


    He noticed that Vivian was at ease and he wondered if the battle within the deepest part of her consciousness had already ended.


    ¡°I¡¯ve mentioned it before. This is a battle that is very difficult to describe. Before your last backtrack, the battle had no end and was actually in a standby state. But when you found the last piece of me, the battle was decided.¡±


    Soon they had gotten up onto the tallest sand mound and the moment Hao Ren looked down, he forgot to breathe.


    The yellow dune was drowning in blood and the flats below the mound blood-soaked battlefield as many odd-shaped corpses laying on the ground. Their bodies were bizarre. To put in simple terms, they were like children doodles that came to life and randomly combined together.


    However, these twisted monsters were not the main characters of this battlefield, the real ones had Hao Ren gulped hard. Because in between the monsters were¡­ Vivians.


    They were covered in blood but did not look like they were dead. It seemed like the Malevolences were standing in every corner of the battlefield like a wax statue. As Hao Ren turned towards them, they too looked up and at him in sync.


    Over ten emotionless eyes¡­


    ¡°F*ck me!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Vivian smiled. ¡°They are harmless now.¡±


    ¡°Are those the Malevolences?¡± Hao Ren looked at the mass-produced Vivians. ¡°And you say they are¡­ harmless?¡± So why am I getting goosebumps looking at them?¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ they may look scary but you¡¯ll get used to it.¡± Vivian sniggered drily. ¡°Now their activities are all under my control, as I have managed to resolve the ¡®root cause¡¯ of their madness.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately perked up as he heard the word ¡°root cause¡± as the whole mess was caused by it. The corruption in Vivian¡¯s spirit, the spiritual virus, the coalescing of negative energy, the dark primordial powers, or what you wanna call it. Simply throwing negative descriptions will pretty much describe the thing, but it was the cause of Vivian¡¯s spiritual corruption and leading to the Malevolences being born, and caused the whole dimensional distortion. Has it already been resolved?


    ¡°What did it look like?¡± Hao Ren asked, nervously.


    Vivian did not say a word and only pointed towards the center of the battlefield.


    Hao Ren saw the thing. It stood silently at the center of the blood-soaked ground amid the pile of bodies. The monsters and Malevolences existed because of it, but its shape disappointed Hao Ren a little, as he thought that a thing capable of invoking such a monumental event should have been terrifying. But in truth¡­


    It was a dark red crystal, about a men¡¯s height, half a meter thick. That was it.


    ¡°This¡­ is the cause of your splits and deep sleep?¡± Hao Ren came to the center of the battlefield as he inspected the crystal with a disappointed look. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look all that special¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled by its shape. As this is my consciousness, everything needs to have a form for you to see it. Its current shape is not because it actually looked like that, it¡¯s more to my lack of creativity.¡±


    Hao Ren had been listening intently before the bombshell at the end almost sending him head first onto the crystal. ¡°Don¡¯t go admitting that so casually!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be embarrassed about? Vivian retorted matter-of-factly. ¡°Doggie isn¡¯t here anyway.¡±


    Wow, this old hag had already fallen that far down that she only retains a shred of dignity before a husky?


    Hao Ren had no idea how to respond to that and forced himself to shift his attention to the red crystal pillar. He touched the surface curiously. ¡°What is this actually?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not too sure myself. But I¡¯ve studied it a bit earlier and noticed¡­¡±


    As Vivian said she touched the crystal with her finger.


    The next moment, the crystal pillar lit up and like a projector, displayed a massive three-dimensional image.


    It was an unfamiliar space.


    ¡°No sh*t, a star map?¡±.

 Chapter 1501 - The Possibility of the Crimson Moon

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren had guessed countless of times; what the bloody hell was actually lurking deep within Vivian¡¯s soul? That ¡°thing¡± had been causing Vivian to lose her memory, fall into deep hibernation, split apart and go berserk. It could have very well been some spiritual virus, the fragment of an evil god¡¯s will, or even a diabolical evil version of Vivian Ancestor; of all the possibilities, Hao Ren never thought that it would be a star map¡­


    Well, there was something not quite accurate with that explanation.


    Hao Ren gawked at the star map, which was projected from the crystal. Perhaps, the more accurate description would be some unknown material deep within Vivian¡¯s soul. However, he was sure that a star map lay within that ¡°thing¡±.


    Maybe there was some other stuff too.


    ¡°So many stars.¡± Vivian looked up at the projection, and while it had already been embedded in her soul for 10,000 years, she never realized its existence. The concept of foreign stars was also a first for her. ¡°I suppose¡­ this is the star map?¡±


    Vivian, unlike Hao Ren, did not put points into interstellar navigation, and she could not tell the difference between a star map and a galactical snapshot. But after following Hao Ren around for so long, she could vaguely discern it.


    ¡°Yep, a star map, but it doesn¡¯t look complete¡­¡± Hao Ren frowned as he ran it through a scan in his mind against all known navigational maps in the database. The maps included every known sector in the universe and those that the exploratory droids had scouted. The data was huge, but everything was imprinted deep within Hao Ren¡¯s mind; a normal human brain would not have been able to directly read or process such enormous galactic data, but Hao Ren could easily understand the meaning of each data and the various dimensional expressions. Based on the high-speed data comparison, he noticed that the star map was off. ¡°It¡¯s lacking a part of its planetary system reference, and the navigation conversion data is totally missing¡­¡±


    The navigation conversion data or the laws of celestial movement was a key data package. It ensured that every temporal and dimensional scale of the star map was applicable to each other. As in most worlds, the stars were never a constant. Minus stars dying each and every moment, and each star, no, each system being in a constant state of change, a fixed map was as good as useless. It needed a supplementary ¡°decoding package¡±, and that was the navigation conversion data. It was a calculation based on massive amounts of celestial movement formulas and orbital movement projection. It allowed one to travel with their GPS even if their star map was 10,000 years out of date (in jest, of course).


    However, it was not the end-all, and many civilizations found different ways to allow themselves to navigate the stars normally. Some monitored every star within their system and continuously updated the navigational data in their network by the minute to ensure the accuracy of the star map. Some set up celestial ¡°lighthouses¡± to form a fixed navigational pathway and avoid any ships drifting off course, while others perfected hyperspace tunnel technology. Simply put, it was pretty much a mishmash of what have you¡­


    Nevertheless, all those methods were not suitable for the star map recorded in Vivian¡¯s soul. It was a solitary star map; that meant, Vivian¡¯s brain was not plugged into a constantly-updating interstellar navigation channel, and the map did not have a lot of supplementary maps for course correction. Such maps would require the navigation conversion data, or else it was as good as an antique picture that was missing a portion.


    Hao Ren swept his gaze across that dark aether on the map. Something was supposed to be there, and usually, it was made up of the area¡¯s celestial make-up. The absence meant that the map was incomplete.


    ¡°Maybe it can¡¯t be read, or the map¡¯s broken.¡± Vivian had no idea about navigation, but she could understand what Hao Ren was saying. ¡°Given that this¡­ thing was the main cause of my spiritual corruption, it¡¯s very possible that it¡¯s been broken from the start.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s reply made Hao Ren realize something. He now reckoned that the map was not all that important for the time being. The more pressing matter was to find out what in tarnation was that ¡°crystal pillar¡± all about.


    It was something that Vivian had conjured out of her consciousness, and Hao Ren needed to disregard its ¡°form¡± and find out the thing actually was. So, what could have storage capacity and affect Vivian¡¯s spiritual functions, as well as corrupt?


    ¡°You mentioned that the source of the corruption is ¡®dead¡¯, and it only works on a complex and constant logic, something like a computer?¡± Hao Ren touched the surface of the crystal with his hand, and it felt no different than touching a rock. ¡°Looks like it has some storage functions, and there¡¯s at the very least, a star map in it¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like that computer you were talking about, but yeah¡­ I never expected that thing to look like this, but based on its appearance, it seems ¡®dead¡¯. Now that I think of it, however, it probably was never ¡®alive¡¯ to begin with. It was an inert being that suffered some from outside influence and reacted accordingly. Umm¡­ it¡¯s just like a computer or a program.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded gently. ¡°And the most important question is¡­ you think the goddess left this behind for you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the only explanation.¡± Vivian was certain. ¡°The Mad Lord would not have done something so complicated, and mere mortals in the Planes of Dreams would never have the ability to mess with my spirit. So I¡¯m sure that this was left behind by the goddess of creation.¡±


    ¡°That is to say, the goddess left an OS-like system within your soul when she created you, and this system got corrupted. Not only did it not work, but it also almost screwed you over. Now, if we assume that the Mad Lord¡¯s power was the source of the corruption, would it mean that this corruption has been cleansed?¡±


    Hao Ren was still wary of the crystal before him. While it did look stable on the outside, anything that had been tainted by the touch of madness should always be treated with extreme caution. No one knew if it would reactivate suddenly¡­ Though¡­ did blowing it up sound like a decent idea?


    The idea was forcefully extinguished the moment it popped up in Hao Ren¡¯s mind. What a joke. Let us not even start with the potential value of the OS; the fact that it was part of Vivian¡¯s soul meant that blowing it up was a no-go. What would he do if Vivian became senile after he blew it up? She was like only 17¡­


    Well¡­ she had looked 17 for the past 10,000 years¡­ no issues there.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure of it,¡± Vivian replied confidently. ¡°The Mad Lord isn¡¯t something insurmountable¡­ Perhaps it¡¯s stronger in person, but its splinters are a mere fraction of its powers. And this is the Surface World, with the Wall of Reality between this place and the Plane of Dreams. Also, with Raven 12345 around, the Mad Lord is powerless here. Once destroyed, it¡¯s destroyed for good.¡±


    As she spoke, she gently touched the dark crimson crystal. ¡°If the power of the Mad Lord was still around, it would not have allowed us to read what¡¯s in here so easily¡­ While I don¡¯t remember what use this information has, I can feel that it¡¯s something important left behind by the goddess of creation for me. Maybe it has something to do with the fate of the Plane of Dreams and also the Mad Lord.¡±


    ¡°There are definitely more things in there, but we can¡¯t read it with what we have now.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Think you can conjure it out again once we¡¯re back in the real world?¡±


    Hao Ren was particularly concerned about it now that he was sure the goddess of creation had inserted something like an OS and a data vault within Vivian when she created her. But Vivian herself did not know that such a thing was inside her body, so it was really up to imagination when it came to how they would work it out¡­ However, there was another problem; it was not something with a ¡°form¡±, and once could not dig it and stuff it into a lab in CRAPPLE¡­


    That thing was in Vivian¡¯s head (no issues there though)¡­


    How did one study something that one could not even see?!


    Hao Ren was now in the sandbox world, and due to its unique dimensional features, he could see it manifested in Vivian¡¯s spiritual world. But that could not be replicated, and with Vivian now fully awakened, the open and distorted dimension would end. Worse still, Hao Ren had no idea if he could restart the whole thing.


    It would be better not to.


    Vivian understood what Hao Ren was worried about, but she had her doubts too. ¡°I¡¯m not very sure.. but I have an idea¡­¡±


    ¡°An idea?¡±


    ¡°My Crimson Moon.¡± Vivian was serious. ¡°Haven¡¯t we been wondering what my Crimson Moon actually was? I¡¯m starting to suspect that it has something to do with this crimson crystal¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned for a bit before he realized that he may have caught on to something. ¡°Are they similar?¡±


    Vivian nodded. ¡°The Crimson Moon is also the manifestation of my spiritual world, and so is this crystal. Also, when I was summoning the crystal¡­ it felt similar to the process of summoning the Crimson Moon. Due to the similarity, I was able to read the star map within the crystal.


    Perhaps the Crimson Moon was just another form of the crystal¡¯s projection? Perhaps it appeared in the spiritual world as a crystal but as a moon in the real world?


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, we can continue studying this¡­¡± Hao Ren heaved a sigh of relief, but he dared not place all hope into one basket. ¡°I¡¯ll need to record the map first, then we¡¯ll leave. At least we have some clues to work with now.¡±

 Chapter 1502 - Welcome Back

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Even without the MDT¡¯s help, it was a simple matter for Hao Ren to memorize a star map. His already-enhanced-human brain was busy processing a flood of data that was beyond the logical functions of common intelligent beings. In the past, the MDT would simply plug into his mind to assist with the processing via an AI program, but now he could do it himself for the most part¡­ There was a side effect of overheating though.


    As Hao Ren stored the star map into his mind, he started to place markers on the missing parts while Vivian summoned up a mini blizzard to cool things down¡­


    Once the processing was completed, Hao Ren heard an audible *Ding!* in his mind. God knows what other crazy settings that lunatic goddess had placed in his mind when she enhanced him.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to leave.¡± Hao Ren took a deep breath as his mind cooled down. ¡°You know how to get out of this place?¡±


    Vivian smiled as she pointed to a place not too far away. ¡°Look, the door is just over there.¡±


    Over on the sand mound not too far away, the sand faded away like flowing water and a rather familiar building appeared out of nowhere.


    The motley, two-story structure with a new roof; of course Hao Ren would recognize it. It was his home for twenty odd years, and now it was home for a group of otherworldlings.


    ¡°¡­I never thought that you¡¯d design the exit to look like that.¡± Hao Ren was surprised seeing his old place before laughing. ¡°That surprised me.¡±


    Vivian smiled as she shook her head. ¡°No, it was always there. It was already there when I realized I was deep into the dream¡­¡±


    The two came before the door of the old house as Vivian pulled out a key from her side pocket. The rust on the key quickly came off as she put the brand new key into the lock before turning it gently. An audible ¡®clack¡¯ was heard.


    As the clack faded, the door opened and the Malevolences on the battlefield behind them faded into dust as they re-assimilated into the spiritual world.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    The silence collapsed around them as the dust and chaos waned like the tide. Hao Ren felt that he suddenly fell into an endless dark tunnel, and lost all sense of direction. He felt neither gravity or any temperature. He was nervous at first, but he soon felt another presence beside him, as a slightly cold hand held his.


    Vivian appeared from the darkness and was the only other scenery in the dark tunnel. She smiled at Hao Ren. ¡°Now I remember everything, all my memories, and power¡­ every segment of my memory now has you. It¡¯s really an incredible feeling.¡±


    Hao Ren grinned back. ¡°So does this count as me messing with your memories? In real history, there¡¯s no place for me in your past 10,000 years.¡±


    Vivian shook her head, appearing calm. ¡°Real history? All that¡¯s hogwash. To me, history is just a part of life, so only those that I¡¯ve been through myself is worth something. Anything written by humans is about as good as fairy tales.¡±


    Hao Ren fell into thought before Vivian spoke once again to break the silence. ¡°And I prefer it this way; much better than last time. I was wandering aimlessly for 10,000 years, everyone I know was simply a passerby in my memories; after knowing each other for hundreds if not thousands of years, then came apart by death, or being forgotten. There was no one to walk beside me until the end¡­But now there¡¯s you¡­ the first person I saw when I opened my eyes in the ice age fields was you, and the person who took me in 10,000 years later too was you; you know how much that meant to me?¡±


    Hao Ren looked deep into Vivian¡¯s eyes. The 10,000-year backtrack had brought up so many memories, not just Vivian¡¯s, even his. And these memories were important to her, so are they to him.


    He then reached out and held Vivian by the waist. This bold move caught the latter by surprise. ¡°Hyaa?!¡±


    ¡°So, wanna stay with me for the next 10,000 years?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not something you¡¯d normally say,¡± Vivian was flustered for a bit before reverting to a gentle smile. ¡°Sneaky, but I¡¯m not your ordinary lass, this still needs a lot of work.¡±


    ¡°Oh, stop pretending. I saw your flustered look.¡± Hao Ren pouted. ¡°Your life experience throughout the years too have to depend on what sort of experience you learned. So aside from putting all skill points into being broke what had you done¡­ Oh yeah, fighting with others for potatoes¡­ Eeek!


    Vivian wrapped her arms across¡­ halfway across Hao Ren¡¯s waist and Hao Ren felt that his Steel Membrane shield was close to being activated.


    ¡°Truth be told, I¡¯m quite surprised.¡± Vivian blinked. ¡°I never thought you¡¯d actually dare to say something like this. You didn¡¯t give me the impression of something being so bold.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, I¡¯ve sat on that hill for over a hundred and twenty odd years, I¡¯ve steeled my resolve in that period of boredom.¡±


    Hao Ren was simply finding excuses, as he did not know how long he had sat on the hill, and he was actually asleep for the most part. He thought to just blabber randomly to calm himself down.


    Vivian did not respond and simply just looked at Hao Ren. Her eyes were particularly bright in the dark, with a tint of mesmerizing red. This was proof of her quest to seek her lost powers.


    Vivian only spoke after a good while. ¡°You know, if we were to count from the time we met three years ago, the adventures I¡¯ve gone on with you is just a small fraction of my life, but these three years were the most eventful, stable and meaningful of days. Even though its just three years, yet I¡¯ve lived for 10,000 years. I¡¯ve gone through the rise and fall of the gods and seen human civilization reached for the skies. These days were much longer than being together with you, by many folds.¡±


    ¡°Although I¡¯ve always been interested in you, and I really enjoy our time together; I simply could not see you as a lifelong partner. Our time together is just too short, and we have been through too little, too little to the point of insignificance in my 10,000 years.¡±


    ¡°But now, that 10,000-year gap has been filled.¡±


    ¡°From the northern barrens of the ice age, to the encoding of the Hammurabi laws in Babylon, to the Israelite leaving Egypt, to the fall of the last pantheon, to the times where the Dutch ruled the seas, to the information explosion of the 21st century; I¡¯ve seen all of them, you too have seen all of them. Together with me.¡±


    ¡°So.. let me say this¡­Thank you for accompanying me for the past 10,000 years, and I hope you can walk together with me for the next 10,000, and if possible, 10,000 more years to come¡­¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian looked at each other in the eyes; Hao Ren thought that he would be very excited. Flustered even, but he found himself calmer than expected. Even if he was elated, he was not too surprised. He finally understood why: He had already backtracked through 10,000 years of history, there were many things that were now well known to him even without verbalizing it¡­


    So he calmly popped the next key question. ¡°Did you just thought that whole cheesy lines out?¡±


    Vivian glared at him. ¡°It was not easy for me to be chee¡­ No, I¡¯ve just poured my entire feelings out and this is all you have to say?¡±


    Hao Ren chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know how I operate.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s facial expression tightened for a good part of a minute before she said, ¡°Pffft¡­¡± She pinched Hao Ren on the arm. ¡°Alright, alright. If you were any different I¡¯d probably found it difficult to accept. I don¡¯t even know how am I supposed to respond to that.¡±


    Clearly, everyone had their habits and ways of getting along, and Vivian enjoyed such an atmosphere.


    ¡°Even if I promise you that, I still need to remind you that the issue with the Plane of Dreams is far from over. I cannot severe my ties between the Plane of Dreams and the goddess of creation, and you cannot bail from this ¡®job¡¯. So the Mad Lord will always be on our minds, and I hope you don¡¯t get distracted.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I know that very well myself. We won¡¯t have time worrying about anything else before this massive shitshow is over and done with. That aside, I also need to start farming rep with Hessiana¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s not a bad kid, and she can tell right from wrong. It¡¯s just her potty mouth. I can see it, she is actually rather into you¡­ at least her attitude towards you is much better than her nemesis.


    ¡°So¡­ I¡¯m exalted now?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be greedy¡­¡±


    While they spoke, something appeared in the dark ¡°time tunnel¡±.


    Obscured light soon appeared from the darkness and formed into mirror-like fragments, and on them were ever-changing images. Hao Ren looked over and saw it was fragments of history, some of it that he went through himself, some too difficult to discern, and these fragments of history soon faded away as it sped up chronologically from past to present.


    And at the end of the images, was light¡­


    As he stepped on solid ground again, Hao Ren stumbled a little before managing to balance himself, as headache and vertigo struck him at the same time. It took him a few moments before he realized what was around him.


    He first confirmed that he was standing on the platform of the ¡°dimension gate¡± that Raven 12345 had created. This assured him that he was back into the real world, and soon he saw his group of friends waiting by the gate, and he was soon overwhelmed by emotions.


    The Nangongs were playing mahjong, Raven 12345 and Y¡¯zaks, with paper strips all over their faces playing Landlord by the side of the gate. White Flame was smashing her PSV while Hessiana was playing armchair general by the side. Facing Hao Ren was a table filled with fresh vegetables and meat slices and a boiling hotpot was in the middle; Lily, Hesperides, Rollie and a few others were around the table. Rollie was in tears after being scalded, while Lily was busy dunking meat into the hotpot¡­


    Everyone looked at Hao Ren and Vivian stupidly as they appeared out of nowhere¡­


    Hao Ren wanted to cry.

 Chapter 1503 - Making Headlines

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Everyone on the platform looked at Hao Ren and Hao Ren at them. It was an embarrassing moment.


    Hao Ren was thinking of what to say to his buddies, whom he had not seen for a long time. But when he saw what they were doing, he choked up. It was one thing to know that they were indulging themselves in mahjong, steamboat, and video games, but it was another to see them still doing it when he just got back from saving the world. Hao Ren felt a little depressed.


    Could they not have shown more concern, and welcomed him?


    The awkwardness lasted a few seconds before everyone on the platform came to their senses. Raven 12345 blew away the paper, which was stuck on her face, and said, ¡°Hi, you¡¯ve made it! Welcome back!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re cheating! You made an excuse to get rid of the chit!¡±


    Lily blinked. She stuffed a slice of meat into her mouth with her chopsticks, chewing it while muttering, ¡°Mr. Landlord, you¡¯re finally back! What took you so long? It¡¯s been a few months, you know. A few months!


    ¡°The meat slice tastes weird.¡±


    Come on, you were eating the meat raw!


    Hao Ren looked at them with his arms akimbo. His brows twitched. ¡°Is this what I get after I come back from saving the world?¡±


    Those guys playing cards, mahjong, and video games looked at each other before finally revealing genuine smiles across their faces.


    Then they dropped everything in their hands and rushed up to him.


    Surrounded by a bunch of noisy fellows, Hao Ren could hardly hear what each of them was saying. But he could feel from their faces the undisguised excitement and joy. Even Hessiana had approached him with a warm smile although Hao Ren knew that her real target was Vivian.


    ¡°Welcome back! I know you¡¯d make it!¡± Y¡¯zaks patted Hao Ren on the arm with such force that even his Steel Membrane Shield released sparks. Even the demon king, who had done many great things in his life, could not help but admire Hao Ren¡¯s impressive feat of turning the tide of history by traveling 10,000 years back in time.


    Hasse, the dead-faced guy, also patted Hao Ren on the shoulder. ¡°Good job, man! I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t walk with you till the end. But still, what you¡¯ve done is incredible.¡±


    The MDT went up to Hao Ren and headbutted him as it usually did. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that you made it, buddy! I thought of writing a will on our behalf at first.¡±


    To reciprocate, Hao Ren grabbed the MDT and flung it away.


    Hao Ren then looked around. He could vaguely feel that someone was missing from the scene, but he could not recall who it was. After a while, he finally came to his senses. ¡°Where¡¯s Lorrisa?¡±


    The elf queen¡¯s clone from Holletta, the Plane of Dreams; the first-generation demon hunter, who was Hao Ren¡¯s guest and happened to witness the events on Earth; now, Hao Ren could not locate her.


    ¡°The goddess has sent her back,¡± Y¡¯lisabet said. ¡°Have you forgotten that she can only stay in the Surface World for a few days?¡±


    Hao Ren froze for a while before he shook his head with a smile. ¡°I really have. It¡¯s already good enough that I can still remember her; it¡¯s been a long journey.¡±


    ¡°I heard from Hesperides about your battle with Tiamat in Babylon and Seth in Egypt.¡± Nangong Wuyue approached him with excitement she swished her tail in the air¡ªnever mind that she had unwittingly rolled her brother up with her tail. ¡°That must have been exciting!¡±


    The skittish girl loved such stories. Perhaps she could prop her guts up that way.


    ¡°Lady Vivian, I¡¯ve missed you so much!¡± Hessiana placed 90% of her attention on Vivian, throwing herself into Vivian¡¯s arms. ¡°At first, I was worried that this guy may not be able to bring you back. But he didn¡¯t disappoint.¡±


    Vivian forced a smile. She wanted to get out of that embarrassing and physical intimate moment. But after she recovered her memories of Rome, her attitude towards Hessiana had changed. So, Vivian let the impish kid be for the moment.


    Hao Ren and Vivian found the enthusiasm of their friends, particularly Lily¡¯s, too overpowering. Just like every husky, Lily was now completely hyperactive, jumping up and down and trying to lick Hao Ren¡¯s face. She even tried to do the same to Vivian as a friendly gesture. She wagged her fluffy tail uncontrollably. Rollie, who stood too close behind her, was hit and sent flying out.


    ¡°Calm down, calm down!¡± Hao Ren pressed down on Lily¡¯s head. ¡°I¡¯ve only been away for a few months.


    ¡°Damn, this dog is too overwhelmingly strong. Is she mad?¡±


    ¡°You should be happy about it,¡± Vivian said sarcastically as she looked on. ¡°Normal huskies would have forgotten who you are if you went away for three months. At least this husky can still remember you; she¡¯s extraordinary.¡±


    Lily heard what Vivian said and lunged at her. ¡°Battie, don¡¯t you ever think that I won¡¯t bite you simply because you just got back.¡±


    Vivian handily summoned a Lightning Ball and prepared to strike the dog with it while Lily bared her fangs and prepared to take on the high-voltage strike. Hao Ren quickly stood between the two and stopped them. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Can¡¯t you two stop bickering for a minute and be nice to each other?¡±


    Lily indignantly tucked her fangs and claws away. Her ears flickered suddenly, and her eyes brightened up as if the husky had found something else interesting. She circled Hao Ren and Vivian a couple of times, looking excited. ¡°Wait a minute! There¡¯s something going on between you two!¡±


    True to her name as the most ancient vampire, Vivian rolled her eyes at Lily with her arms crossed and spoke with a straight face, ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°Whoa! You¡¯re not even denying it!¡± Lily was stunned.


    Hao Ren scratched his head. He was not as calm as Vivian, but he did not deny it either, albeit bashfully. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re together now.¡±


    Everyone appeared shocked. Lily looked at him curiously. ¡°Have you two been sleeping together?¡±


    Vivian summoned her Lightning Ball again. ¡°I think I should teach the dog a lesson.¡±


    The surprised reactions did not last long as if the news of Hao Ren and Vivian being together was something expected. Those who knew Vivian and Hao Ren particularly well were aware of it of course.


    Bystanders saw more than he who played.


    However, Hessiana¡¯s reaction was particularly strange.


    She was not angry or vehemently objecting. She did not even appear surprised. Hessiana was more confused.


    ¡°That means, nothing happened between you two previously?¡±


    Yep. Little Bat had thought that Hao Ren was her stepfather the first time she met him, and she had vowed not to recognize that relationship. Hessiana thought that Hao Ren was a bloody liar and cheated his way into becoming her stepfather. Since the beginning, Little Bat was so convinced of her own biased impression of Hao Ren and stubborn paranoia that she refused to listen to reason.


    It was Hessiana who believed that Hao Ren and Vivian were together since the very beginning and repeatedly stressed that she did not recognize their relationship.


    The truth made Hessiana question her self-belief. It¡¯s better not to bother her right now , Hao Ren thought.


    Raven 12345 just looked on, silently watching how everyone was expressing their long-suppressed emotions and waiting for them to finish.


    ¡°It is a joy to see these young lives experiencing their joy and sorrow,¡± the goddess lamented. ¡°As a goddess, I am happy that my children enjoy their lives.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not evading responsibility because you lost too many times just now? And strictly speaking, except for that cat standing there, everyone else here isn¡¯t yours but the other goddess¡¯ creation. How can you claim them to be your children?¡±


    ¡°Do I even have to struggle to think of a way to shirk my responsibilities considering how crafty I already am?¡± Raven 12345 turned to look in the direction of the voice.


    The goddess was surprised to see a silver-haired goddess, who looked the same as herself, standing beside her. The silver-haired goddess stared at her with a smile. Raven 12345 had no clue when the other goddess appeared. ¡°10086, when did you get here?¡±


    Raven 10086 looked helplessly at her senior and sighed softly. ¡°I¡¯ve been here for 10 minutes. I sent you three requests to see you and even identified myself while I was crossing over. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to go back for a repair?¡±


    Raven 12345 glared at her. ¡°No thanks! I¡¯m fine. What¡¯s more, I have never failed to fulfill my duty to our great empire. The emperor is watching.¡±


    ¡°Whatever. After all, there¡¯s always a repair slot reserved for you. When your brain goes haywire, I¡¯ll make sure that you¡¯re soldered to the repair slot.¡± Raven 10086 shook her head, and her expression was solemn. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m here for something else¡ªserious business.¡±


    Raven 12345 could not help but turn serious. ¡°What is it that made you come here personally?¡±


    ¡°First, there¡¯s the small problem; your career advancement and performance appraisal are no good.¡±


    ¡°What the heck?¡±


    ¡°Why so surprised? You¡¯ve never achieved both all this while.¡±


    ¡°10086, what you¡¯re saying is hurting my feelings. But since you¡¯re telling the truth, I won¡¯t blame you. So, what else?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve found the boss of the goddess of creation.¡±

 Chapter 1504 - The Origin of the Goddess of Creation

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren had traveled 10,000 years back through the distorted space and time. But because the time flow inside the sandbox did not correspond to the time flow outside the sandbox, and Raven 12345 had also adjusted the system timeline, Hao Ren had only been away for a few months in the eyes of those on the outside. Everyone felt glad when Hao Ren and Vivian were finally back. However, to the bunch of long-living monsters, the resolution of the world crisis was something more worth celebrating. With Vivian¡¯s safe return and their recovery from the distorted history and timeline, the problems of the Malevolence and the contamination of Vivian¡¯s soul were finally over. The multiple good news prompted Lily to declare the day as the Day of Super Kira ¡î Kira Saving the World, and she suggested that they hold a feast to celebrate the day.


    First of all, Hao Ren had long suspected that even if the dog maiden could not find an excuse, she would still call for a party simply because she wanted to regale herself. Secondly, Hao Ren was baffled by the star symbol in the name.


    Hao Ren and Vivian were only left alone after the excitement wore off. But Rollie still stuck with Hao Ren, rubbing her head against him as she snuffled and meowed in puzzlement.


    Hao Ren could not help but be touched by the dumb cat¡¯s action, thinking that it was an act of concern. But Nangong Sanba pointed out the truth. ¡°She is only surprised that you are still alive. This cat thought that you were dead after not seeing you for three months. No one could convince her otherwise because she was totally clueless of what traveling back in time was all about.¡±


    ¡°I suddenly feel like skinning the cat alive,¡± Hao Ren said.


    ¡°Ahem, let¡¯s not get so worked up. She had been crying for a while since she thought that you were dead although she later demanded to divide your inheritance,¡± Nangong Sanba said, trying to salvage the situation.


    In all fairness, it was better for Nangong Sanba to not say anything at all.


    Hao Ren pinched Rollie¡¯s ear using just the right amount of force, causing the cat demon, whose thinking had always been different from ordinary people, crying out in pain. ¡°I am going to teach you a lesson when we get back home,¡± Hao Ren hissed.


    Just then, Hao Ren saw Raven 12345 coming up to him with a dejected face while behind her, a ray of light was gradually dissipating. It seemed that someone there had just left.


    Hao Ren thought that it was only proper for him to greet his boss. So he waved and said, ¡°Boss, I have accomplished the mission¡ª¡±


    Raven 12345 interrupted Hao Ren without waiting for him to finish. ¡°Hao Ren, come over. I have something to tell you.¡±


    Hao Ren had never seen such a complicated expression on the goddess¡¯s face. He became nervous spontaneously. Vivian, Hessiana and the others had also sensed that something was happening and they all came up to the goddess, who said nothing and seemed had no objection.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Hao Ren asked. His heart was pounding because he had figured what it was all about. ¡°Is your boss looking for someone to blame because of the incident that Vivian had caused?¡±


    A sense of uneasiness rose when everyone heard that. Hessiana jumped the gun and said, ¡°Goddess, let¡¯s be rational; Lady Vivian did not cause that on purpose¡ª¡±


    Raven 12345 waved to interrupted Hessiana. ¡°You overthink. The big boss is not as narrow-minded as you would think. The incident has caused many troubles, but Vivian is not exactly the one to blame. Even if she is, she would not be able to bear the responsibility. I am talking about something else here.¡±


    Hao Ren swallowed. ¡°Then what is it all about?¡±


    ¡°Firstly, it is a very seriously vicious incident,¡± Raven 12345 said with a solemn and sorrowful tone of voice, making everyone hold their breath. ¡°Sigh, I have screwed up my performance appraisal this year, could not even make it to an advanced goddess.¡±


    Everyone was like what the heck.


    Hao Ren thought for a moment and said, ¡°Boss, to be honest; is this not normal?¡±


    ¡°Buzz off! I knew you were going to say that. Can¡¯t you show more sympathy?¡±


    Hao Ren rolled his eye helplessly. ¡°Well, I am deeply sorry for that. Okay? As far as I know you, you must have some more things to say than this. So, what else?¡±


    Raven 12345 sighed again. ¡°There is another small matter; the big boss of the goddess of creation has been found.¡±


    Hao Ren almost jumped to his feet. ¡°What the heck? This is the only thing that matters! Is it the remnant of the power of the big boss, or just a split?¡±


    Everyone appeared shocked and curious at the same time as Hao Ren kept throwing a ton of questions. News of the goddess of creation had always been the center of focus. At this time, even Hesperides and Hasse, who knew little about the Plane of Dreams, were wide-eyed.


    ¡°I also just got the news.¡± Raven 12345 nodded. ¡°As I have said before, it is very likely that the goddess of creation had something to do with our superiors. But there has been not much progress on the investigation until recently. We conducted a joint probe with the neighboring celestials, with whom we exchanged information, and finally figured out what happened.¡±


    Hao Ren did not interrupt but waiting for Raven 12345 to continue.


    ¡°There is one very special goddess among the main deities in Xi Ling Celestials. You must have heard of her: the one that controls the power of the Holy Light, the guardian of the combat forces such as hunters, warriors, and combat priests. She has many titles and often changes as her mood changes. One of the few epithets she often uses is the Dark Valkyrie.¡±


    The epithet sounded familiar; Hao Ren had heard before. ¡°Dark Valkyrie Bryndis? The one whom Anthony J. Alfonso follows?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The Dark Valkyrie in whom the chap Anthony believes.¡± Raven 12345 nodded as she scratched her chin. ¡°It almost slipped my mind.¡±


    That said, Hao Ren looked at his boss up and down in disbelief. ¡°In all fairness, boss, don¡¯t you feel that something is not right when your pope defects?¡±


    Raven 12345 thought for a moment and said, ¡°Nope. To be honest, I am actually surprised that people come to believe in me.¡±


    ¡°Your self-consciousness appalls me. Let us come back to the topic at hand lest I will begin to lose my faith.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s talk about the Dark Valkyrie,¡± Raven 12345 waved her hand. ¡°She is very, very special. She used to be a goddess with the Galacticus Lords and have a good relationship with Xi Ling Celestials a long time ago, during which the Xi Ling disciples had not attained divinity just yet. About 10,000 years ago, this Valkyrie participated in a joint operation with our immediate superior. There was an accident during the operation¡ªbut I will leave out the details. The most important thing was, she joined Xi Ling Celestials after that and later became the matron of Xi Ling Celestials. The Dark Valkyrie was the goddess that had dual celestiality. She is most unique in that she is an Umbral Divine, but the power she wields belongs to the School of Holy Light. So strictly speaking, she is a goddess of light.¡±


    ¡°Why is that so?¡± Lily could not help but ask.


    ¡°It was said that she went to the wrong school. The school of Holy Light refused to let her go because it was fighting to get students. So, they forcibly made an Umbral Divine a goddess of light.¡±


    ¡°What the heck? How could it be?¡± Everyone exclaimed in unison.


    ¡°Why not? Don¡¯t forget that I am also a double major in magic and weaponry although I learned arcane magic in the past.¡±


    But Hao Ren was not so convinced; the past record of this goddess did not seem to suggest that she was a double major in magic and weaponry. Instead, after she conned someone of a knife, the victim had been beating her black and blue every now and then.


    ¡°Ahem, in short, this Dark Valkyrie is a badass and legendary lord. I could not possibly tell all of her uniqueness here. Now, the key question is, what have the goddess of creation to do with her? By looking at the files in the Galacticus Lords, we found that the Dark Valkyrie had visited a primordial universe nearly 100 million years ago. The data of the primordial universe highly resembles that of the Plane of Dreams. Make no mistake, it is indeed the Plane of Dreams.¡±


    Hao Ren squinted; he knew the real story had just begun.


    ¡°At the time, she was a member of the Galacticus Lords Expeditionary Force fighting an anti-abyssal war.¡± Raven 12345 explained as she had noticed that everyone except Hao Ren was confused. ¡°The abyss was a devastating phenomenon in the endless void, which could lead to the extinction of the universes and data zeroization¡ªyou don¡¯t have to master the specific concepts but just a rough understanding. In short, to maintain the diversity of the universe and civilization, all the gods would regularly organize expeditions to clear the abysses from the void and to ensure the safety of the mortal world. At that time, Matron Bryndis was a member of such an expeditionary force. It is impossible to know the specific situation. But one thing was sure, she was injured in a battle and took a short break in the universe of the Plane of Dreams to recuperate.¡±


    ¡°And then she created the goddess of creation?¡± Hao Ren asked curiously.


    ¡°No, she did not. But she lost a drop of blood and did not recover it.¡±


    Everyone was appalled.


    It took Hao Ren a while to finally realize what that meant. ¡°Wait a second! Did you mean the goddess of creation came from that single drop of blood?¡±


    The Raven 12345 nodded.


    ¡°Just from a drop of blood?¡± Lily was wide-eyed. ¡°What the heck? It must be very tiring to be god like you. You do not even know when something drops out of your body would turn into a deity. Ahh, do you guys menstruate?¡±


    The thinking of the husky appalled everyone.


    Even Raven 12345 was stunned.


    But the goddess did not lose her composure. ¡°Ahem, normally we do not have this setting. But sometimes, we do want to experience it out of boredom. Anyway, it is not the point here. Your fears are unwarranted. The things fell off a deity may contain her power, but it does not normally get out of control although there are exceptions sometimes. For example, when some special damages may cause us to lose contact with part of our power; or the proportion of power separated from the body exceeds a certain threshold; or when one is itchy to try out of boredom. Matron Bryndis belonged to the first scenario when she lost contact with the blood drop. She did not even know she lost it. You could probably guess what happened after that.¡±

 Chapter 1505 - Some Freaking Divine Objects

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The origin of the goddess of creation was somewhat unexpected to Hao Ren, but it was not too shocking.


    After he learned about the incredible existence of the ¡°true God¡±, Hao Ren had ample mental preparedness concerning the background of the goddess of creation. There was already a deep-rooted mindset in him. Regardless of how she was born and what her relationships with the higher-order gods, who were part of the Xi Ling Celestials, or the Galacticus Lords were, they would all be acceptable to him because the true God was unreasonable.


    They did not even care about Physics.


    Everything that humans understood was a byproduct of these supernatural forces, even the incomprehensible parts of this realm. Hao Ren had long understood that truth, and for the same reason, what Raven 12345 said was not a surprise to him. He only wanted to know what the plan of his boss and the boss of his boss was after he learned of the secret.


    ¡°All the head honchos in the City of Shadows are very concerned. They¡¯ve always been very concerned,¡± Raven 12345 said. ¡°But please don¡¯t expect them to handle the matter; they have their own responsibilities elsewhere on more important things. The expedition to annihilate the abyss is not over yet, as the main gods are still keeping doomsday at bay at the edge of the World of Order. So, they¡¯re not going to have time for this small matter for the next 1,000 years.¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless. ¡°Yeah, small matter¡­¡±


    ¡°It is a small matter indeed when you look at it from the perspective of the universes in the void.¡± Raven 12345 glanced at Hao Ren. ¡°But for this universe and the countless lives in the Plane of Dreams, it is a matter of life and death. That¡¯s why I¡¯m standing here. And you are too. All of us have our own responsibilities, do not forget that.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the goddess, amazed. It had never crossed his mind that the goddess could keep things in proportion, but she could.


    ¡°Those gods need to protect Order while we protect this universe. Everyone has to do what they should do.¡± Raven 12345 did not seem to care about the change in Hao Ren¡¯s expression, and she carried on, ¡°Now that we know the goddess of creation comes from a drop of blood from Matron Bryndis, there are a few things that I need to explain to you.¡±


    ¡°First of all, the goddess of creation is still missing, but she is not dead. I am 10,000% sure that she is not dead!¡±


    Vivian just snapped out of her information overload. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°I was a bit surprised too, but it has been confirmed.¡± Raven 12345 nodded. ¡°After knowing about the goddess of creation¡¯s origin, the god of prophecy made a more precise prediction. We now know that the goddess of creation is just sleeping somewhere deep in the Plane of Dreams, and she¡¯s in a near-death condition. But to the true God, it means that she is still alive. There only needs to be an opportunity, and her chance of recovery is as high as 90%.¡±


    Hao Ren could not help but be baffled. Raven 12345 and he had long doubted whether the goddess of creation was really dead. They had been assuming that as a true god, she was immortal. But it had only been an assumption. There had never been any response from the true God in the Plane of Dreams, so Hao Ren had been working on the assumption that the goddess was dead. But now, the truth that the goddess of creation was still alive had finally come to light.


    Raven 12345 paused for a few seconds, giving everyone time to digest the information before continuing, ¡°Secondly, since the goddess of creation derived her power from a god amongst the ranks of the Galacticus Lords, we must make corresponding adjustments to the rescue plan. After all, the Galacticus Lords are different from Xi Ling Celestials in terms of life form and technology. Hao Ren, take this. It comes from the top and will be very useful at a critical moment.¡±


    A silvery-white metal box appeared out of thin air and opened itself quietly before Raven 12345. Curious, Hao Ren went up to take a gander of what was inside the box. Raven 12345 said, ¡°The situation in the Plane of Dreams is so unique that a true god like me cannot intervene directly. But there, you have to face a god-like monster, the Mad Lord. Frankly, your current strength isn¡¯t enough. It seems that the best choice is to first find the goddess of creation and resurrect her. Then, you can join hands with her to destroy the Mad Lord. But she will be physically very weak. Coupled with her lack of control over her powers and the absence of necessary knowledge to be a true god, her strength will also not be good enough. We must find a way to prop up the strength of the goddess. Strictly speaking, you need to guide her to strengthen herself, letting her save herself¡­¡±


    Raven 12345 continued, but Hao Ren had zoned out and heard nothing of what she said. His eyes were on the metal box, and his mouth was agape.


    What he saw was a pile of books, each as thick as it could get. There were foreign symbols that he had never seen before on the front covers and the sides. But strangely, he could understand the meaning of the symbols.


    ¡°Basics to the Galacticus Lords (Primary Level, Divine Version). Introduction to the Mastery of Divine Power. Genesis Exercise (Entry Level). 500 Million Years of Divination & 300 Million Year of Simulation. Guide to and Diagrams of the End of the World. I Wonder Why Not.¡±


    The gleaming books were blindingly bright: Hao Ren could barely keep his eyes open. Meanwhile, Lily was jumping in the air, complaining that her dog eyes were blinded.


    ¡°What are these things?¡± At first, Nangong Sanba looked on silently. But he could not hold back his curiosity anymore as the impact on his worldview was too great to bear. ¡°Are these pre-employment training materials for the deities?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡± Raven 12345 nodded.


    Everyone was like, ¡°What the heck¡­¡±


    No one spoke, but their faces said it all. ¡°Are you freaking kidding me?¡±


    ¡°Why does everyone give me the same reaction when they see this for the first time?¡± Raven 12345 buried her head in her hands. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you earlier, the goddess of creation has to save herself before she can save the world? This wild goddess has not even gone to elementary school, how is she going to save herself? She almost killed herself when she fought the Mad Lord! We must first find a way to make her stronger. But how? Knowledge is power! Get her to learn all of this! Self-study! Once she masters her own power, she will be halfway there. All she needs to do after that is aim at the Mad Lord.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s mouth twitched as he listened to the goddess¡¯ theory. Her every word sounded so reasonable, yet somehow, Hao Ren was not convinced.


    With her eyes twitching, Vivian finally spoke, ¡°So, what we have to do is go to the Plane of Dreams, find the goddess of creation, and force her to study?¡±


    ¡°Coax her first. If that fails, force everything down her throat. If worse comes to worst, lock her in a room and make her finish her exercises; otherwise, no dinner for her. Make sure she passes the entry-level exam before the Mad Lord gets free.¡±


    In all fairness, Hao Ren felt that any high school teacher would do the job better than he would.


    That being said, Hao Ren remained calm. The goddess, whose brain had a few loose screws, was not going to sway him. ¡°Don¡¯t you think this is unworkable? If I could force a true god to finish her homework, I would have been able to kill the Mad Lord myself!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I am going to give you another thing.¡± With the snap of her fingers, Raven 12345 summoned another metal box out of thin air. But this metal box was much smaller than the one earlier at about a cubic foot.


    Once the box was opened, Hao Ren saw a book with a black cover lying quietly inside.


    That¡¯s right, yet another book.


    Everyone had been on high alert after they saw the previous stuff. When they saw that Raven 12345¡¯s ¡°secret weapon¡± was still a book, even a person as mature and steady as Hasse could not help but blurt out, ¡°Doesn¡¯t a god like you have something else up your sleeve?¡±


    However, Hao Ren found the book somewhat different from the previous ones.


    Symbols flickered on the book¡¯s cover, and their meaning kept changing. Every time he looked at it, there would be something new sent into his mind. But no matter how many changes there were, the symbols shared one similar meaning: the Bible, teachings, or prayer book.


    It felt solemn and it contained a suffocating power. Hao Ren already felt like he was facing an ancient great power just by staring at the black cover.


    This was definitely not a textbook.


    Hao Ren could not help but mutter, ¡°This is¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a Bible that Matron Bryndis once used. Of course, it¡¯s just a counterfeit copy made from power extracted from the original. But for you and the goddess of creation, even a grassroots goddess like me, it makes no difference,¡± Raven 12345 said with a smile. ¡°Since the goddess of creation has been sleeping for many years and having too much contact with the Mad Lord, she must be suffering from some mental problems. Coupled with the fact that she has never received an education, it¡¯s hard to tell if she¡¯ll cooperate with you. So, we have prepared this thing for you. It has the same kind of power as the goddess of creation, but it¡¯s purer. With this in hand, you¡¯ll look like you have a +10 charm level, +10 persuasive level and +10 aura level in front of the goddess of creation. Unless you screw it up, there will be no reason for her not to trust you.¡±

 Chapter 1506 - Mission of the Guide?

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    It was a divine artifact.


    Before Raven 12345 finished, Hao Ren had realized that the thick and solemn Bible before him was divine and certified to be so. It was just dazzlingly bright. If you were to write its name down, the word itself would glow with an orange aura.


    As Raven 12345 had mentioned, it was a counterfeit of the original, and there was a vast difference in the level of power between the two. But even so, it made no difference when it came to the Plane of Dreams. It originated directly from a sovereign god, which meant it was akin to dealing with a group of local gangsters with a star-blasting spaceship and a tsar bomb. In all fairness, you would not feel the difference between the two if they were blasted right next to your house.


    Hao Ren was instantly over the moon after receiving this literally god-sent divine thing. He took the book out of the box while listening to Raven 12345¡¯s babbling, ¡°It may be a backwater here, but the giving of this thing shows our superior is concerned. There are more powerful things than this, but you will not be able to control it. So, be contented.¡±


    ¡°It is good enough. I feel much more confident by having this thing. But then, what the eight rams on the Bible are all about?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that is a physical enchantment, which enhances your combat power.¡±


    ¡°Then, for what is the iron chain on the side?¡±


    ¡°You can coil it around your hand and then swing the book on its end.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a long while and finally figured out what the physical enchantment meant; it was a meteor hammer.


    ¡°Wait a minute! You mean the correct way to use this book is to throw it out like a meteor hammer?¡±


    ¡°That is one way of using it. But you can also take a gander of the contents inside if you a free. But there is nothing much to see; it is just a YY novel, a typical middle-schooler¡¯s writing that the Dark Valkyrie produced when she was young. I threw up before I could finish three chapters. It is hard to believe that mortals in some universes still regard this Bible as the original. The trouble is that the fundamentalists will make a mountain out of a molehill when gods like us try to update our autobiographies.¡±


    Everyone on the scene was like you got to be kidding me.


    Lily poked Hao Ren¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Mr. Landlord, there are too many things not right about this thing. What should we do?¡±


    ¡°What can I do? I cannot do anything about it too.¡±


    ¡°Something is really not right about this thing.¡± Even Y¡¯zaks could not help but mutter in a low voice. But even at this voice volume, it was audible to everyone. ¡°True gods like you all are really a bunch of weird fellows.¡±


    Raven 12345 rolled her eyes. Hao Ren looked at the meteor-hammer Bible with eight rams and a chain thoughtfully. He finally understood why Anthony J. Alfonso had that kind of combat style. A mage with a physical BUFF and a spiked club was a perfect match for the Goddess of Light who installed eight rams on the Bible. But whether it was because of the matched personality that prompted Anthony to follow the Dark Valkyrie, or because of after Anthony following the Dark Valkyrie that he only changed from a great magician to become a berserk remained unknown.


    When thinking of the last scenario, Hao Ren could not help but be shocked. He stared at Raven 12345 with a strange look.


    Holy moly, will I become a neurotic as well one day? Hao Ren thought to himself. It is very likely as every time when I talk to this female neurotic, I feel like my mind is going crazy.


    Raven 12345 instantly noticed Hao Ren¡¯s stare. She looked at him and asked, ¡°What is that stare about?¡±


    Hao Ren bit his lip and choked back his ¡®why can¡¯t I stare?¡¯.


    ¡°I feel more confident with this thing.¡± Hao Ren sighed and tucked the Bible and the box of training materials away. There had been a mixed feeling, but his confidence was genuine. It was just that it came unexpectedly. ¡°Is there anything else to tell me?¡±


    ¡°That is all about it. But I have a few words to say to Vivian.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Vivian pointed at herself.


    Both Hao Ren and Lily listened with their ears stood erect. Hao Ren was genuinely concerned about Vivian while Lily¡¯s reaction was more habitual when she heard something interesting.


    Raven 12345 did not answer directly. Instead, she looked up and down at Vivian before saying curiously, ¡°How do you feel after the hibernation?¡±


    Vivian¡¯s brows knitted together, her eyes vaguely glinting in red. She carefully felt her own strength and spiritual world and then unsurely, she said, ¡°I can feel many powers in my body. I could not control them, but I am sure they belong to me. Besides, I also feel that my spiritual world has become stronger. My lost memories have come back, but not all.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, just as I have expected.¡± Raven 12345 nodded lightly. ¡°It seems that you still need some time to ¡®digest¡¯ these things.¡±


    Hao Ren did not sense anything wrong in what Raven 12345 said, but he just asked out of concern. ¡°Is there something wrong?¡±


    ¡°No worries. It is a good thing. Through this incident, Vivian has regained her power and memories. During the recovery process, the sovereign hub and will of Vivian have purified things that have once been corrupted. So now, they are all safe and controllable,¡± Raven 12345 explained. ¡°But Vivian has not regained total control right away. She has lost her control of these memories and powers for 10,000 years, now when she suddenly regains them, she needs time to adapt. It may take a few days or even months. And during this period, her strength will gradually increase, and her memories will become clearer. All these could make her a little confused.¡±


    ¡°Is it dangerous?¡± Hao Ren frowned.


    ¡°No. Only mild symptoms.¡± Raven 12345 laughed. ¡°The pollution has been cleaned up. What she has recovered is harmless. But she will experience occasional mental disorientation due to the new memories and stuff like that. Just keep an eye on that, and she will be fine.¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian breathed a sigh of relief. Vivian laughed finally. ¡°I thought this thing was over. Never expect that there is still something unresolved.¡±


    After Raven 12345 explained everything, Hao Ren began to share his findings in his journey traveling back in time.


    ¡°An operating system in the soul?¡± Raven 12345 was baffled, just like everyone else. Lily was the first to ask questions. ¡°Battie, you are full of surprises. Could it be possible that you are the protagonist in a novel? And we are in some kind of system like a character-progression novel?¡±


    ¡°The system I am talking about is not the same as in your understanding.¡± Hao Ren buried his face in his hand. ¡°I tested it and found that it was somewhat like a program¡ªinput, process, and output, used to control something and connected to a large database. But I could only make it out to be an incomplete star chart. I suspect that the data is corrupted.¡±


    ¡°Used to control something?¡± Raven 12345¡¯s eyebrows arched. ¡°Interesting. And it comes with a star chart. Hao Ren, do you still remember Vivian as the Guide?¡±


    Hao Ren was startled; of course, he knew what that epithet meant.


    All otherworldlings on earth, including the demon hunters, were the refugees that the Goddess of Creation sent to this universe when an extinction-level disaster struck the Plane of Dreams. The Goddess of Creation had a grand plan, which no one had fully understood. She first sent the remnant to the surface world and pardoned the sin of deicide of the survivors through Ultimate Absolution. She must have also designed a program that let the refugees return to their homeworld and everything arranged in place in space-time fort of Yggdrasil. Besides that, the plan could also be related to the resurrection of the Goddess of Creation and the ultimate battle against the Mad Lord.


    And this grand plan had a Guide, who was the divine avatar of the Goddess of Creation, that was, Vivian Ancestor.


    But Vivian had absolutely no clue of this mission. Before the divine avatar arrived on Earth, it first accidentally went to the planet Inferno. It underwent a split in Inferno and Vivian who came on Earth was only one-half of the divine avatar. Meanwhile, the other half had turned into an insane demon-god Malevolence in Inferno.


    Hao Ren was unable to reach Inferno during his 10,000-year time travel because Inferno was located outside the sandbox. So, there was still a part of memory and power that Vivian could not recover, and this part of memory and power had been lost forever.


    From Raven 12345¡¯s explanation, Hao Ren had immediately associated the operating system in Vivian¡¯s soul with the identity of the Guide. ¡°You mean the Guide will use the operating system to carry out the mission?¡±


    ¡°I guess so.¡± Raven 12345 gently nodded. ¡°The system you mentioned is not an isolated thing. Since it is configured to control something, then that ¡®something¡¯ must exist. Considering that Vivian is the Guide, this system mostly has something to do with her mission. Did you not say that there is a star chart stored in the system? Then this star chart must be the key. When do you think the star chart will be used?¡±


    Hao Ren frowned and then said, ¡°When sailing in space?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It is a navigation map. Maybe it is the map that Vivian the Guide uses.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean she will use this star chart to bring the refugees back to the Plane of Dreams?¡±


    ¡°That I cannot say for sure. After all, a star chart does not prove anything. Maybe it just points out the coordinates, and then Vivian will need to find a way to go the target destination. It could also be a map to find the ancient weaponry that the Goddess of Creation made in the Plane of Dreams, and Vivian needs to activate these weapons at a certain time to fight the mad Lord. There will be many possibilities if without clear instruction.¡±


    With only an incomplete star chart, Hao Ren could only feel helpless and at a loss.


    ¡°We can leave this for another time. After all, we have made huge progress so far.¡± The voice of Raven 12345 jolted Hao Ren out of his thoughts. ¡°Everyone needs a rest. Getting the earth back on track is the priority now,¡± the goddess said with a broad smile spreading across her face.

 Chapter 1507 - Like A Lifetime Ago

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Everyone left the platform where the portal was and went out into the square in front of the mansion. They gathered around Raven 12345, waiting for the historic moment. For those who had never experienced the epic adventures of Hao Ren, this was indeed a landmark moment.


    Raven 12345 took out the crystal cube, in which Earth and the moon were suspended. Those two celestial bodies looked like insects, sealed inside an amber as some incredible power froze them in time, waiting quietly for the recovery of the space and time.


    The surroundings changed instantly the moment Raven 12345 took out the crystal cube. The goddess¡¯s house and the heavenly garden had disappeared, stars and space had replaced everything in their field of vision. A dazzlingly bright orange-yellow fireball was in distant space.


    In a split second, Raven 12345 shifted everyone into the Earth¡¯s orbit in the Solar system.


    People like White Flame and Hesperides, who had never been to space before, became panic. But soon they found themselves surrounded by an almost transparent energy shield that ensured they could survive in space. Inside the shield, there was a healthy level of gravity. The shield filtered out the intense solar rays, which could blind the eyes otherwise.


    ¡°The administrator is calling the sovereign hub.¡± Raven 12345 called as runes and images refreshed around her. She tossed the crystal cube in her hand and issued instructions. ¡°Project 7K03-15 is completed. Release the stack and heap in the memory, delete the data in the corresponding sandbox, and clear all the variables of the mirrored earth. Record the current time, the real Earth will be back online and connecting with the universal timeline.¡±


    After that, Raven 12345 crushed the magic crystal cube in her hand.


    The magic happened. Earth and the moon enclosed in the crystal earlier were flying into their original orbits and enlarging. But it was not the change in their sizes but more like stretching in scales. It was a phenomenon that happened outside of optical law and so became incomprehensible by human eyesight. It appeared differently to different people. The process lasted two minutes, and when the moon and Earth were finally back into their original orbits, no one could tell clearly what they had just seen. Hao Ren, Vivian, and Y¡¯zaks were the only ones who still retained some impressions.


    Raven 12345 was seen rolling up her sleeves when the two celestial bodies were in orbits.


    Hao Ren quickly warned, ¡°Things that are going to happen may destroy your senses. Anyone who thinks you are unable to handle it, close your eyes while you still can.¡±


    ¡°Aah?¡± Hasse and Hesperides were struck dumb.


    There was no time for Hao Ren to explain. Before everyone knew it, Raven 12345 had turned into a giant figure standing in space. She twisted her body and sent a flying kick at Earth. ¡°Here you go!¡±


    Leveraging on the momentum, Raven 12345 spun her body around again and gave the moon a kick on the face. ¡°You go, too!¡±


    Under the divine blessing, the physics-defying Prime Force began to take effect as the earth, and the moon returned to their regular movements in the orbits in the original timeline.


    ¡°I knew it¡ªthe same old trick.¡±


    ¡°Has my only eye gone blind?¡± Hasse said.


    People like Hasse and Hesperides only came to know about the ¡®reality¡¯ recently and were clueless about the personality of the goddess of this universe. But even then, and after witnessing her sense-defying stunts, they still held a blind faith and reverence toward Raven 12345. Now Hao Ren knew his earlier worries were unfounded.


    No one could still believe in this goddess while seeing her Prime Force. If there was, then let her give the moon a kick as well.


    If there are still more; awesome. But please seek treatment as early as possible.


    Raven 12345 transformed back into her standard form. Showily, she exhaled and gave everyone a thumbs-up. ¡°Done!¡±


    When the goddess saw that no one gave a hoot, she pretended nothing had happened. ¡°I always say that efficiency is key. Now things are all over, I will send you all back to your homes. Since the time on Earth has been standing still, you will find everything remains the same as before. But you still have to adapt. After all, you all have been outside the Earth¡¯s timeline for several months.¡±


    At this time, a very technical question came to Lily¡¯s mind. ¡°Is it not the earth has lost a few months relative to the universe? Will the scientists on Earth find it odd that the positions of the stars have misaligned?¡±


    Raven 12345 just smiled faintly. ¡°Do not worry, I have it covered and corrected the trajectory of history on Earth. After fundamentally changing the information flow, the lost time of a few months on Earth is justified.¡±


    The neurotic goddess might appear to be fiddling around sometimes, but she had her serious moment.


    Streams of light flashed across space, carrying the space-time travelers back to their proper space-time trajectories respectively. As the last figure disappeared into space, Raven 12345 exhaled as she looked at the direction of Earth.


    ¡°Holy moly, I have to quickly fix the bug.¡± The goddess swore before disappearing into thin air.


    Unfortunately, Hao Ren did not know about it.


    It felt like a lifetime had passed upon returning to the old house in Southern Suburbs.


    Few pedestrians were on the streets. The mottled houses and the pothole-filled concrete road were still there. At the end of the concrete path, the two-story building remained the same as before the distortion of space and time. Every brick and tile, every grass and tree were still the same. But somehow, Hao Ren felt that these things were a century old.


    No. It was longer than that; it was not a century but 10,000 years.


    Hao Ren did not experience the complete history of 10,000 years, and his mind and willpower were strong enough to resist the psychological impact from the time travel. But when he saw the house that he had lived in for over 20 years, he still felt severe disorientation.


    People outside the sandbox would not get this feeling. They might have been outside for a few months, but they could only feel that it was a long trip without the disorientation.


    Vivian was probably the only person who could share the feelings of Hao Ren at this moment. She smiled and took out the key to open the door, just like how she opened the door at the last leg of the time travel. ¡°Why are you all standing outside like statues? Get in. I am going to cook for you all. Hao Ren, would you please take the garbage out, I remember there is garbage in the kitchen.¡±


    ¡°Battie has superb memory now after recovering from her amnesia. I do not even remember what I was doing a few months ago.¡± Lily was wide-eyed.


    ¡°I am going to take a bath! I am going to take a bath!¡± Nangong Wuyue ran straight into the house. ¡°As large as the pool in heaven is, nothing beat the feeling of bathing in the bathtub at home.¡±


    Lily followed closely behind. ¡°Battie! Don¡¯t forget to cook braised pork ribs for me! You promised!¡±


    Everyone just flocked in with Rollie jumping up and down from behind as she could not wait to get in first. At last, she saw an opening and slipped in with a swoop. ¡°It¡¯s time to eat! It¡¯s time to eat! Meow¡ª¡±


    The sudden lively atmosphere jolted Hao Ren out of his daze. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled; finally, the feeling of being home was back. Hao Ren gently patted the little mermaid who was quietly peeking out from his collar as he stepped into the house.


    Lily flung herself into the sofa, stretched, and then lay still with her tongue poking out on the armrest like a dead dog. Meanwhile, Rollie rushed to her favorite rug and after a while sniffling around to make sure that no one had trespassed her territory for the past few months, she snuggled into the most comfortable position and purred, waiting for her meal patiently.


    The concept of space-time misalignment was beyond the car¡¯s understanding. She did not know that the time on Earth had been stood still for the past few months. Just as she could not grasp the concept that Hao Ren had been in an adventure in a parallel universe, she firmly believed that her master was dead.


    She was an instinctual and egoistic fellow. People were envious of her life sometimes.


    Hao Ren smacked Lily on the leg. She moved over a little so that he could sit down. Hao Ren let out a sigh as he snugged down on the sofa. It felt much more comfortable than sitting on the boulder during the end of the ice age.


    Lil Pea got out of Hao Ren¡¯s arms, climbed over his chest and shoulder and then clung to his arm rightly. It had been a long trip¡ªlonger than any previous ones. For months, she was staying in an unfamiliar place. Despite that Raven 12345 had provided Lil Pea with enough comfort, the little mermaid had been feeling uneasy. She was smart, and her intelligence was growing at a rate faster than that of humans. But still, she was still only a child.


    Now Dad-dee was back, and she had returned home, now feeling relieved. Perhaps she was not going to let go of Hao Ren any time soon.


    Hao Ren was not annoyed. He just patted the little mermaid¡¯s tail while looking at things around him. He was trying to re-familiarize with everything in his sight, and it was not difficult.


    His half-read magazine was still on the coffee table. The cushions that he had just bought were still on the sofa. But the drama showed on the TV seemed like it was of ages ago. The familiar Noobie was again firing her ¡®biubiubiu¡¯ at Y¡¯zaks big bald head.


    Oh, wait. Noobie?


    ¡°Damn it! There is still a Malevolence here!¡±

 Chapter 1508 - The Last Malevolence

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren had almost forgotten about Noobie. The super stupid and super weak little thing was so harmless that everyone in the family had overlooked the fact that she was a Malevolence.


    ¡°There is still a Malevolence here!¡± Hao Ren cried out.


    Lily jumped to her feet and barked. ¡°Mr. Landlord, you scared the shit out of me!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks glanced at Hao Ren and Noobie and then rubbed his bald head. Noobie had been shooting at his head for a while, but the weak energy bolts could not even scrape his scalp a bit. Instead, his head was becoming shinier than before as a result. ¡°Hao Ren, did you stay in the sandbox for too long and forget her? She is Noobie, who has been staying here far longer than Lorrisa.¡±


    ¡°I do not mean this!¡± Hao Ren said as he reached to catch Noobie. ¡°This guy is a Malevolence! A Malevolence that Vivian has yet recovered!¡±


    ¡°Hah!¡± Noobie barked and tried to block Hao Ren¡¯s hand with hers. But soon, she realized it was futile. She then fired a couple of corrosive energy bolt, but it was still useless. When she finally knew she was in deep shit, she tried to flee. But it was too late; Hao Ren had wrapped her in his hand.


    ¡°Ghsss¡ªpiak!¡±


    About the size of a palm, the Malevolence struggled to get free. Her strength was no better than a rabbit, but she was very energetic and agitating. The noise had caught the attention of everyone. They began to talk to each other as they came up and pointed at the Malevolence.


    ¡°Oh, really? No matter how weak she is, she is still a Malevolence. Why have Vivian not recovered her?¡±


    ¡°Do you think Noobie carries part of Vivian¡¯s memory and strength, Mr. Landlord?¡±


    ¡°How much can there be? After rounding it up, not much will be left. It will not make a difference, considering how tiny she is.¡±


    ¡°Not really. As tiny as the Malevolence is, she still bites! Ouch! She looks furious!¡±


    Noobie seemed to be unaware of what went on around her; she bit Hao Ren¡¯s finger and tried to tear his flesh. Unfortunately, her bite was too weak. Even if without the protection of the Steel Membrane Shield, Hao Ren would not feel a thing.


    ¡°You all just stand there and watch?¡± Hao Ren waved everyone away since no one seemed to be helping. ¡°Noobie is our half-family member. We got to sort this out. I will first discuss with Vivian.¡±


    Hao Ren grabbed Noobie up and headed into the kitchen, ignoring Noobie¡¯s protest. Nangong Sanba looked on as Hao Ren walked away. ¡°Well, well, well. I am afraid that he is just making an excuse to spend time with Vivian.¡±


    ¡°Pew! Mr. Landlord starts to get a sour smell of love.¡± Lily dropped back down on the sofa, fished out the remote that had slipped into the gap between the cushions and began to flip the channels while wagging her tail. ¡°Only I am still a fragrant bachelor.¡±


    Hao Ren was unaware of all this as he was already in the kitchen. Vivian was busy preparing a meal for the family. It was dawn on Earth. When the distortion of space and time happened, time on Earth had come to a standstill precisely at this hour. But according to the biological clock of everyone, it was actually lunch time for them.


    Vivian was going to make steamed rice and stir-fry a few dishes. She had also taken out the pre-cooked stewed pork ribs out of the freezer and reheat it. Meat bones were a must for Lily.


    ¡°What is going on outside?¡± Vivian wiped her hand on her apron and asked Hao Ren when he came in. ¡°I heard you guys were talking about something.¡±


    ¡°It is about Noobie.¡± Hao Ren forced a smile and shoved Noobie before Vivian. ¡°We forgot her. She is also a Malevolence and still alive.¡±


    ¡°Hah! Ghsss!¡± Noobie¡¯s voice sounded nervous and flinched when she saw Vivian. Noobie¡¯s blood-red eyes lacked emotions, but she was apparently wincing trying to avoid danger.


    Noobie looked scared. This strange Malevolence had never shown such severe emotion of fear until now. Vivian and Hao Ren were stunned.


    Perhaps it was because of Vivian since she recovered all Malevolences and had much stronger energy field than before.


    ¡°Ahh, she is also a Malevolence.¡± Vivian came closer to Hao Ren. ¡°We missed one.¡±


    ¡°Supposedly, each Malevolence had taken some of your memory and strength,¡± said Hao Ren. ¡°This little guy is no exception. But the space-time distortion is over, how are you going to recover her?¡±


    Vivian looked at Noobie for a while and blinked. ¡°What do you say if we stir-fry and eat her?¡±


    ¡°Yuck!¡± Noobie quaked in her boots.


    ¡°Wait a minute. Did Noobie just say some new word other than ¡®ghsss¡¯ and ¡®biu¡¯?


    ¡°She is learning and making progress, it is not that you do not know. It is just that the changes have been too slow,¡± Vivian said as she leaned in front of Noobie. ¡°Do not be afraid, I was only joking. Let us first consult with the goddess. The goddess said that it was the resonance of the Malevolences that lead me plunging into the distorted space and time. That means every split of me was in the distorted space and time, except this little guy. This is the strangest thing.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and took out the MDT from his pocket. ¡°I am calling the goddess.¡±


    The MDT was reluctant. ¡°Are you not already able to connect spiritually to Ma¡¯am Raven? Why do you still treat me like a telephone?¡±


    Never had Hao Ren seen such a PDA that argued with its own master. He could not help but shot it a sideways glare. ¡°Lil Pea is right on my arm. You can choose to listen to either her or me.¡±


    ¡°I have been waiting for you for a few months. I am not blaming you for not getting me a screen protector, but your attitude is even worse than before!¡± the MDT said.


    ¡°The last time I checked, you were a holographic projector; on where are you supposed to apply a screen protector? Should I give you a coat of lacquer?¡±


    The MDT muttered a few words. But it knew its place and quickly contacted Raven 12345.


    As soon as the call was established, Raven 12345¡¯s loud voice was heard on the other end issuing instructions. ¡°Reset time coefficient to see if there are any bugs. Damn it! If that does not work, pull Saturn and Jupiter back a little. Shit! My hand slipped and just erased red spot! Got to fix it quickly¡­ Aah? Hao Ren? When did you get on the line?¡±


    Hao Ren was perplexed. ¡°You just picked up my call, don¡¯t you remember? What are you doing now, boss?¡±


    ¡°Err, nothing, nothing. Just routine maintenance of the Solar system. You look for me?¡±


    Perhaps it was just an illusion, Hao Ren felt that the goddess was panic for a second. But he did not have time to delve into her personal life and straight away told her about the situation of Noobie.


    ¡°I thought you saw her long ago?¡± Raven 12345 did not seem surprised at all. Instead, the goddess asked, ¡°You have just found out?¡±


    ¡°You knew it? What is going on here? Has Vivian not recovered all the Malevolences?¡±


    ¡°Vivian has recovered all Malevolences on Earth except Noobie. There has been a little accident.¡± Raven 12345¡¯s image appeared in a hologram in the air in front of Hao Ren. The goddess was seen bending down and glancing at the palm-sized Malevolence, who seemed to be mad, punching and kicking the rice cooker on the countertop. When the Malevolence saw Raven 12345 approaching, she jumped out of her skin and buried her head in her hands.


    Raven 12345¡¯s sense of presence was too hot for Noobie to handle, although it was only an image of the true God.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think she is unlike a Malevolence more and more?¡±


    ¡°You mean her emotional reaction?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s brows knitted together. ¡°Well, we have noticed that before. She is showing more and more emotions, although most of the time, it is negative like fear and anger. Occasionally, she looks calm and even happy when we feed her something she likes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. She is no longer a pure Malevolence. Once she acquires an independent feeling, it is difficult to classify her as a pure ¡®monster.''¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡± Vivian was surprised.


    ¡°Probably because she is too weak.¡±


    ¡°Aah?¡± Hao Ren and Vivian were stupefied.


    Raven 12345 forced a smile. ¡°Because she is too weak, her insanity factor is also feeble. She is susceptible to environmental influence, especially from the parent body. Noobie has acquired the feeling of fear, been able to express anger at those who bully her and show closeness to those who take care of her. Her way of expression might be somewhat weird, but it was real. After staying here for a few months, the environment of the divine realm has a powerful purifying effect on a mad creature like her. So, she has become what she is.¡±


    Hao Ren began to understand. ¡°That is to say, because of Noobie has her own feelings and is no longer a pure Malevolence, Vivian could not recover this Malevolence?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°Will there be a problem if we let her be?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s brows knitted together. ¡°Noobie is a Malevolence after all, and she carries a part of Vivian¡¯s strength and memory. We can ignore her power, which is negligible. But what about memory? Memory is a very troublesome thing, and its importance has nothing to do with the amount of data. Maybe Noobie carries a critical piece of memory.¡±


    For example, the missing part of the star chart.


    ¡°The Malevolence¡­ there is nothing to worry about her little fighting power. If you find her too annoying, give her the toys that you used to keep Rollie happy. A wool ball would be enough to keep her busy for several days. As for strength and memory, I think you need to wait patiently.¡±


    ¡°Aah?¡±

 Chapter 1509 - Just Another Day

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren did not get the drift until Raven 12345 explained, ¡°It is impossible to recover Noobie using conventional methods now. You need patience. She is changing as she interacts with you all. I do not know what kind of ¡®personality¡¯ she will acquire eventually, but I guess she will be communicable one day. By then, you can encourage her to open up her mind. Even if she cannot, it is always good for Vivian to keep engaging her. There is an inextricable connection between the two. Vivian might be able to recover the lost memory through this linkage. Of course, I am merely giving suggestions here, it is up to you whether to listen or not.¡±


    Hao Ren thought it made sense after listening to the goddess¡¯s analysis.


    ¡°I agree.¡± Vivian nodded and looked at the tiny Malevolence who covered her head with her hands. ¡°Noobie is now a person with emotions. She might not be complete yet, but she has the right to live.¡±


    ¡°I also agree with this point,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°Sheis harmless, anyway.¡±


    Raven 12345 waved her hand, and her figure slowly faded. ¡°As such, I will leave it you guys then. I have to take care of a few things about world peace.¡±


    After the goddess¡¯s figure was gone, Hao Ren could not help but mutter, ¡°Taking care of a few things? I have a not so good feeling about that.¡±


    Vivian smiled. ¡°She is the goddess; we cannot possibly understand her work. If you have nothing else to do, stay, and help me out. I don¡¯t even remember where the oil, salt, sauce and stuff like that are now after being absent for so long. It has been like a lifetime ago.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. He found a large basin, filled it half-full with water, and let Lil Pea swim in it, and then helped prepare the vegetable. ¡°Those guys outside just lie there and do nothing. They have been like that since staying in the divine realm a few months ago. Instead, it was we who have to cook for them¡ªdid they forget that we almost died earlier?¡±


    ¡°You sound like you have never lain idle outside just now. Who else can we count on when it comes to cooking? Only Nangong Wuyue could help with washing the vegetable. But she is in the bath now.¡±


    ¡°I wonder why water element like he likes to bathe in water; after all, she is a bunch of water herself. She could just eat some activated carbon, and she will be clean.¡±


    ¡°Oh, what are you talking about? If so, are you going to give Y¡¯zaks a twenty-four-hour supply of magma since he is a Flame Demon.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Our family is a little too complicated.¡±


    Vivian smiled faintly. ¡°Yes, our family.¡±


    Vivian and Hao Ren chitchatted like husband and wife who had married for decades while getting the breakfast prepared. Hao Ren enjoyed the current pace of life. At first, he felt such life lacking excitement. But soon he realized that after what had happened during the 10,000-year journey of traveling back in time, he started to enjoy to live a peaceful life¡ªboth of them together.


    On the stove, Noobie had sensed that the terrible sense of presence had left. She looked up and around, raised her hands, and shouted at Hao Ren. ¡°Hah!¡±


    No one cared.


    After shouting a few times more, Noobie stopped. She started to roam around the countertop, climbing up the stacks of plates and bowls and exploring under the stainless-steel drying rack. Noobie occasionally fired corrosive energy bolts randomly. It was as if she was enjoying the ¡®adventure.¡¯ But she was so much weaker now compared with when she first arrived. It was especially apparent when Hao Ren and Vivian saw her for the first time again after a few months of absence.


    Hao Ren and Vivian deliberately ignored this tiny Malevolence, but they secretly observed her behavior. They found it entertaining. They had never been so concerned about Noobie because at first, they thought it was useless to try to understand a creature that lacked logic and thought. It was only becoming more apparent to them that Noobie was changing after Raven 12345 reminded them.


    In less than ten minutes, the tiny guy fell twice on the countertop, fired 12 counts of corrosive energy bolt, two of which exploded in her hands. She hit herself on the head twice when crawling under the rack and knocked down a pepper bottle. The most incredible thing she did was that she tried to pick up the pepper bottle.


    Noobie tried for a moment and then gave up the idea when Lil Pea sprayed water at her, diverting her attention.


    ¡°She would definitely not do this previous.¡± Hao Ren pointed at Noobie with his chin and whispered.


    ¡°She knew nothing except behaving destructively last time. Now she knows she needs to put things back.¡±


    Meanwhile, Noobie lunged at Lil Pea when provoked. But the little mermaid overpowered Noobie and whacked her hard in the water.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, the two of you.¡± Hao Ren quickly separated the two. ¡°You know you are weak yet behaving so truculent. Lil Pea, why did you still want to provoke this guy when you know she was mad? Come here, help me wash the vegetable.¡±


    Lil Pea caught the vegetable that Hao Ren threw into the pot and began washing. ¡°She looks so stupid!¡±


    Noobie retaliated verbally with a ¡°Ghsss! Bibiubiu.¡±


    Hao Ren as speechless.


    After calming the two kids down, Vivian suddenly said, ¡°Are you free these two days?¡±


    ¡°Yes, what happened?¡±


    ¡°I plan to summon the Crimson Moon in two days,¡± Vivian said casually.


    Hao Ren was surprised. ¡°Huh? Why will you want to do that out of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°I am not. Did we not want to do that previously? I had prepared many potions when the distortion of space and time happened.¡± Vivian sighed. ¡°I will check the potions I have prepared before, hope they are still useable.¡±


    It reminded Hao Ren of what he learned about potions previously. He pointed at the refrigerator not far away. ¡°Do not worry, they have not gone bad definitely. Have you forgotten that the time on Earth has stood still before? Even vegetables and fruits are still fresh. But are you sure you can do that now? We have just come back from 10,000 years of time travel. Are you not tired?¡±


    ¡°I am tired, but I will recover after a couple of days of rest. The discovery of the crystal deep in the consciousness space has been bothering me. I know I will not sleep well as long as I do not figure out the relationship of the Crimson Moon and the crystal.¡± Vivian smiled, appearing confident. ¡°No worries. Summoning the Crimson Moon is not that difficult for me anymore.¡±


    Hao Ren took the vegetables handed over by Lil Pea, and curiously asked, ¡°Do you mean your strength has increased after recovering those Malevolences?¡±


    ¡°Yup. I still need some time to adapt to it, but I can really feel the improvement of my strength. With the abundant magic as backing, years of experience, and no more disturbance from the dark side of the soul, summoning the Crimson Moon has become like summoning any other magic. It is a little more powerful than conventional magic. Yeah, let¡¯s call it the killer magic.¡±


    Vivian tried hard to speak as emotionless as possible, but she could not hide her pride. She was happier than before after getting rid of the burdens of the Malevolence and pollution of the soul. At least, she had learned how to swagger subtly.


    Hao Ren could see that but did not say it out directly. He just smiled. ¡°Since you insist, I will arrange it. Should we stick to the earlier plan of placing the test site on Aerym?¡±


    ¡°I am okay with that.¡±


    So, it was such decided.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat!¡±


    Hao Ren took a big pot of rice out from the kitchen. Everyone was hungry and scrambling out. They were all at the dining table in the blink of an eye. Lily jumped from the sofa and landed directly at the table. Nangong Wuyue screamed when seeing this dangerous stunt.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat. Let¡¯s eat.¡± Lily beat the table, eyes shimmering in golden glow and tail wagging uncontrollably. Beside her was Rollie, who was also pounding the table. Rollie had climbed onto the table, but Nangong Wuyue grabbed her tail and dragged her back.


    As Vivian directed a swarm of bats carrying dining wares to the dining table, she shot Lily a glance. ¡°Stop banging the table.¡±


    ¡°I cannot help it. I have not eaten your dishes for a long time.¡± Lily said. ¡°I ate only noodles for the past few months at the goddess¡¯s place. It was so salty that even Wuyue has become a salted fish.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Raven 12345 has nothing except noodles.¡±


    As the meal was served on the table, Noobie climbed up curiously. She strolled between the steaming food and finally came before a plate of stir-fried garlic meat.


    Hao Ren and Vivian observed the little guy curiously, wondering of Noobie had also changed in her taste bud.


    Noobie reached for a large piece of meat and studded it in her mouth before spitting it out.


    She screamed madly.


    Hao Ren was struck dumb.


    It seemed that Noobie still had a long way to go on the road to changes.

 Chapter 1510 - The Thriving Aerym

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    New Aerym, Minas Elenion.


    It had been a long time since Hao Ren last visited this planet. During this period, the Aerymian Elves had established their foothold on this planet. Helcrown, the city of the demons, had successfully begun their new life with the help of their new neighbor, the Aerymian Elves. With the patron of the inspector, this planet, still under the ¡®New Civilization Protection Period,¡¯ did not have to worry about any external threats. Everything was on the right track, and Hao Ren did not have to worry about it.


    The Petrachelys steadily landed in the royal spaceport of Aerym. This new city had undergone dramatic changes since Hao Ren¡¯s last visit. New facilities had replaced the old modular factories and houses, which the Aerymians brought from their former homeworld. They recycled the old stuff by melting them in the furnace and turning them into materials for new construction. The Aerymians had discovered two mines with an abundant supply of raw materials, making it possible to reproduce the ancient things that only existed in the blueprint.


    The earlier move to bring their original industrial equipment and recommission them in the new planet had been a wise decision.


    Development was booming, but traces of the old city were still apparent everywhere. Production of basic necessities and primary industry were the priority. Any spare production capacity was diverted to build residential houses and improve the living condition. The Aerymian Elves had no extra time for entertainment, luxury, and renovation of the city. Many of the less critical facilities in the city came from the old Aerym; they were old and surrounded by newly constructed factories, houses, and new construction sites. The contrasting scenes seemed to symbolize the end of the past era and the arrival of a promising new period.


    There was still a long way to go to achieve affluence, but the Aerymian Elves were content with their life. At least now there were real fruits, which were fresh and nutritious, instead of the meager synthetic foods, and new spacious houses, unlike the crowded cages of the old. From Hao Ren¡¯s perspective, the fact that the Aerymian royal family could provide such a relatively decent life for the people in less than three years, and that there had been no problems in adapting to the food and living environment were remarkable achievements.


    The Aerymian Elves were experts of survival.


    The Aerymian royalty was leading a group of ministers to welcome Hao Ren and his entourage. The ceremony was solemn but in no way grand¡ªas just Hao Ren had requested because he knew that the Elves had no spare resources to waste in such an extravagant way.


    The welcoming ceremony only lasted for a short while before the ministers left to attend to their never-ending duties. These ministers were no nobility of the age of abundance. Their received allocation of resources was not much more than what the ordinary people got. They worked long hours, and it was not easy for them to participate in the welcoming ceremony.


    After the ministers excused themselves, Hilda, her attendants, and two foreign-affair officials were the only ones accompanying the guests. The Elf Queen had retired from her position after two years. Now, she served as a royal advisor and played the role of a spiritual leader of the people she loved. Since Hilda had become a Holy Spirit, a life form that sat between the living and the dead, she appeared like a sacred creature that continuously glowed in soft light. Hilda looked into the distance at the deepest part of the forest where a city with several towering spires stuck out of the forest canopy, her voice filled with gratitude. ¡°Vimm could now take charge of everything with a few veteran officials by his side. I am more like the mascot and the idlest person in the city.¡±


    ¡°But without you as the mascot, I am afraid that the elves have not such high cohesiveness and enthusiasm for work.¡± Hao Ren looked at the transport airships shuttling around in low-altitude. ¡°Vimm is young. The people are supportive of him, but they trust their queen more,¡± Hao Ren said with a smile.


    Hilda smiled. She did not want to delve in the topic any further. ¡°Recently we have discovered a few new mines. The mining department has been busy, but they are inexperienced¡ªwe have only established this department after coming to the planet. The scholars have been studying the drawings and handbooks day and night, and yet no problem has cropped out yet; they are doing a good job.¡±


    ¡°We are experimenting with the plant samples and seed bank, which we keep in the original eco-dome. Our School of Natural Magic Spells works well on this planet. Half of the plants have sprouted and adapted to the natural environment here. We are going to adopt the Golden Flame flower as the symbol of Aerym. It is a plant originally from our homeworld and has been extinct for thousands of years. Negligence of the preservation work has left us only a dozen seeds. We are surprised that all these remaining seeds have survived in this world. They are multiplying with a 100% survival rate. Their vitality and adaptability are so incredible. Vimm says they are like Aerymian Elves.


    ¡°Some of our cities at the fringe have already established trade with the Demon Empire. A vast expanse of jungles is standing between us, but a closer relationship is inevitable. Considering that both Aerym and the Demon Empire are still in the early stages of development and having our shortcomings respectively, it is better for both sides to keep in contact and cooperate from the early stage. We have built a few roads in the jungle and set up a trading town in a place called Nightsong Forest. The elves have agricultural produce and medicines while the Demon Empire has many incredible technologies, mining, and survival know-how; both sides could obtain what they need from each other.¡±


    Hao Ren listened attentively. He then turned to look at Y¡¯zaks. ¡°Why not you give your kingdom a proper name? Helcrown or Demon Empire sounds so mean and evil.¡±


    Lily nodded in agreement. ¡°I am all for it. On such a magical planet, who knows maybe a few hundred years later a brave elven guy may cause an international dispute. By then, Y¡¯lisabet will have to deal with the mess you have left behind.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet was dumbfounded.


    Y¡¯zaks scratched his head. ¡°You are too imaginative. Things in the real world will not happen that way. What is more, don¡¯t you think the Aerym-Demon Empire combo makes perfect sense against this magical background?¡±


    Lily looked at Y¡¯zaks and was stunned. ¡°Big Guy, when did you become so naughty?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t think it is bad. Mr. Landlord, I have not been back to Helcrown for quite a while. I am thinking to stay in Helcrown for a couple of days. After all, I will not be of help when you guys fiddle with the Crimson Moon.¡±


    ¡°No problem, no problem.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°Both of you should go back. It is irresponsible of you to leave only your sugar daughter and a dying butler to run the kingdom.¡±


    Hao Ren was talking about the succubus Lanina and the court advisor Zadamor. After Y¡¯zaks left Helcrown for a long vacation on Earth with his daughter, the two loyal subordinates had been running the show on his behalf all this while.


    Y¡¯zaks was a little embarrassed hearing what Hao Ren said. ¡°We are not that irresponsible. Y¡¯lisabet and I have been in contact with Helcrown all this while and constantly monitoring things remotely. There has not been a problem so far.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s mouth twitched. He felt especially sorry for the loyal regents. The emperor had been immersing himself in tea and newspaper in the sanatorium. The young Empress was addicted to used home appliances and would not take care of the affair of the kingdom before attaining the age of six hundred years old. Had this happened in the ordinary world, there would have been revolts.


    But Hao Ren figured that he should not be worried about them. Y¡¯zaks was the most genius demon king in history, and his daughter used to run the entire kingdom all my herself during his half a year of absence. They surely knew what they were doing. So, Hao Ren turned to Hilda and said, ¡°I guess you already know that I am going to conduct a test on this planet.¡±


    ¡°Of course, we have already made the arrangement for you,¡± Hilda said. ¡°All the patrol vessels in space will be grounded for the next two days, and we have notified the public; there will be no panic. There will be many people curious to watch the spectacular vision in the sky.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°The appearance of Crimson Moon has always been a sign of calamity on Earth. While the demon hunters and otherworldlings avoid it like the plague, you guys are treating it as something fun to watch.¡±


    ¡°Have you not made sure that it is a safe experiment?¡± Hilda smiled and looked at Hao Ren. ¡°Aerymians trust their Sun King unconditionally. When you say it is safe, then it is safe.¡±


    Hao Ren was moved. He again sought confirmation with Vivian to ensure the summoning of Crimson Moon was safe.


    He needed to ensure the experiment was absolutely safe. The planet Aerym might be sparsely populated, but it was the Crimson Moon that they were talking about. It was not a joke if things got out of hand.


    The summoning ceremony was scheduled to take place at the top of the Magic Tower in the Royal District of Minas Elenion the following evening.

 Chapter 1511 - The Crimson Moon Is Right Before Your Eyes

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren and Vivian had discussed the venue of the summoning ceremony. Both of them had concluded that it must be failsafe. They had to anticipate all risk factors during the preparation phase. Vivian needed to a stable spell casting environment, a comprehensive security measure that could monitor the magic power, and a sophisticated amplification device, all of which were facilities of the magic realm. Hao Ren was familiar with modern technology but a noob when it came to things about magic. But Hao Ren did not need to study its specific principles; all he needed to do was to sort out the data and criteria listed out by Vivian. The Aerym Elves had prepared such a venue: the Magic Tower in the royal district.


    The Aerymian Elves had initially been a race of magic, and they still were. The spaceships, space forts, and solar elements collecting station that the elves built might look high-tech, little people knew that their magic skills were so excellent that they had blurred the line between magic and technology. Floating Spell was the fundamental of Aerymian spacecraft, and the enchanted scorching sword was the predecessor of plasma weapons. Back then, the coronal station, which resembled the early Dyson sphere, was a massive semi-permanent enchanted structure. So, if Hao Ren wanted to find an expert of magic among his sphere of influence, the Aerymian Elves were the first to come to mind.


    The Aerymian Elves might have done miserably at home and did not even manage to venture beyond their own planetary system, but they had churned out a solid foundation in magic after researching behind a closed door for thousands of years.


    The Royal Mage Tower of Minas Elenion was located in the north next to the unfinished Elven Palace. The Elven Royalty assigned all the engineering resources to solve the livelihood issues of the people, so the palace remained a piece of the construction site with a few buildings acting as a temporary palace. The office area and the Royal Mage Tower, which functioned as an urban energy node, were completed.


    It was a white tower with elegant lines, consisting of the central tower and three ancillary towers. A large golden crystal was suspended above each auxiliary tower. These golden crystals were the first large-scale equipment that the Aerymian Elves created using local resources of the planet. They got the energy from the solar wind collectors in space and channeled it to the tower before distributing to the energy storages and magic pools throughout the city.


    The Royal Mages of the Aerymian Elves lived in the central tower. These wise scholars studied the ancient blueprints that they extracted from the database. They modified and adapted what they learned to use on this planet. Part of the energy in the Magic Tower was dedicated to this purpose.


    On this particular day, they had made a temporary arrangement to the power supply of the Royal Mage Tower. Another control station was handling the city¡¯s energy supply for the moment. This control station was a temporary facility that the Aerymian Elves built when they first arrived on the planet and now came in handy. Meanwhile, most of the personnel in the magic tower had evacuated, and the security system was online to prepare for the experiment.


    There was a sky-blue rotunda at the top of the Magic Tower. The floor of the rotunda was engraved with intricate runes and composite magic arrays. The walls were inlaid with enchanted crystals and gemstones that played various functions. A dozen Aerymian Royal Mages were beside the magic array, continuously entering new data on the screen suspended in the air and fine-tuning the energy of the magic tower. Vivian stood in the center of the rotunda with her feet on the central node. She had appeared confident earlier, but now she was a little nervous.


    Hao Ren and his entourage, together with Hilda, stood outside the range of influence of the magic array. This spiritualized Elven Queen nodded to Hao Ren and said, ¡°Do not worry. This magic tower has the most comprehensive security measures, and the extra magic energy it provides could alleviate the pressure on Vivian while she concentrates on controlling the magic itself.¡±


    ¡°I thought of letting Vivian do the experiment in space or in an unoccupied area on the planet,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°This way, even if the experiment fails, we can minimize the damage.¡±


    ¡°Let me be frank; any magic experiment requires a stable environment and tons of supporting facilities.¡± Hilda shook her head gently. ¡°We cannot avoid risk. A qualified magic researcher will only reduce risk on the premise of conducting an experiment and not the other way around. Otherwise, is it not better to give up the experiment all together in the first place?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. He knew that the most significant risk of the Crimson Moon Project actually came from the Crimson Moon itself. The moonlight was lethal. Under normal circumstances, the light of the Crimson Moon was very destructive and would destroy everything under the moonlight. It was also why Hao Ren had intended to have the summoning ceremony held in the no-man¡¯s land of New Aerym. But after the journey going back in time, Vivian had unexpectedly recovered her lost strength and memories of 10,000 years and found the mysterious red crystal deep in her consciousness. She could finally control the power of the Crimson Moon, including manually turning off the damaging effect of the moonlight.


    At last, Hao Ren and Vivian decided to borrow the Aerymian magic to complete the experiment.


    There were still risks, though. Even if the Crimson Moon did not get out of control, mobilizing such a massive amount of energy was dangerous. But as Hilda said, no experiment was risk-free.


    It would be all right as long as safety measures were in place.


    The MDT floated in mid-air, displaying the overall situation of various space facilities. ¡°Satellites are in place. Testing the radar systems¡­ all running well. Temporarily switching to optical observation mode.


    ¡°Observatory No. 1 to 16 are in place. Probes are being released. The probes are anchored.


    ¡°The terrestrial sensors are working normally. Calling in sequence¡­ call is finished, and the data link is working normally.¡±


    The facilities that once helped the Aerymian Elves settle down on this planet came in handy this time. Satellites and observatories were ready in position waiting for the appearance of the Crimson Moon.


    ¡°Fifteen minutes to summon.¡± Hao Ren looked at Vivian. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, just follow the rehearsal procedure. It is just an ordinary summon. You just need to get the Crimson Moon out, and I will handle the rest.¡±


    Vivian took a deep breath and calmed down slowly. She smiled a little and said, ¡°Okay, don¡¯t worry about me.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and looked at Lily, who was not far away. ¡°How is the emergency stop device?¡±


    Lily held up her giant alloy sword on the edge of the magic array. She waved the sword in excitement while wagging her tail. ¡°The emergency stop device is ready!¡±


    ¡°Shit! I feel something is not right about the emergency stop device.¡± Hao Ren massaged his head. ¡°Vivian, don¡¯t you want to use a more normal alternative like an energy interrupter?¡±


    ¡°That is not reliable.¡± Vivian shook her head. ¡°The Crimson Moon is a summoning subject. After its appearance, it would stay there for a long time even if we cut off the power supply. The only way is to interrupt my spiritual connection with it, and the fastest way to do it is to make me lose consciousness. You refused to lend me the energy shocks, so I had no choice but asked Doggie to help me out. The only thing that I am worried about is that Doggie would use this opportunity to get her revenge. You know, that husky is mad.¡±


    Lily had overheard it and jumped up angrily. ¡°Battie, stop badmouthing me! You should show your gratitude as I have given up my mealtime to protect you!¡±


    Hao Ren buried his face in his hand. ¡°You mean using the 200-pound alloy sword?¡±


    But since Vivian had invited Lily to help, and the two of them had also come to a rare consensus, Hao Ren decided to let them be. After all, there were a bunch of people keeping an eye on the situation, nothing was going to happen.


    Five minutes to summoning. Hilda gave the orders to the royal mages.


    As the blue dome with a picture of the stars began to slide open to both sides, the last rays of the evening sun shone into the rotunda.


    Vivian closed her eyes. A hum rose from the bottom of the hall as powerful magic energy began to gather at her feet.


    ¡°Five minutes to Crimson Moon. Sound the bell.¡±


    The melodious bell began to echo throughout Minas Elenion. The elves who heard the sounds looked up at the sky, waiting for the arrival of the Crimson Moon in anticipation.


    For the elves who had never witnessed the horror of the destructive moon, the Crimson Moon was just a strange term of mystery that invoked their curiosity.


    ¡°I will observe it in space.¡± Hao Ren took the MDT with him. ¡°Others will stay here with you. Keep the line on.¡±


    Vivian nodded slightly with her eyes still closed.


    A flash of light later, Hao Ren had already arrived in the flight deck onboard the Petrachelys.


    ¡°Turn on the panoramic display and activate extra shields.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡± Nolan¡¯s voice came from all around.


    The walls and all equipment on the flight deck disappeared. Other than the metal platform beneath Hao Ren¡¯s legs and the console before him, his surroundings were replaced by the scene of space.


    It gave the illusion that the spacecraft had disappeared and Hao Ren was floating in space.


    But Nolan kept reminded Hao Ren that he was still inside the spacecraft. ¡°The Crimson Moon will appear in a minute. The data link is connected and will stream the footage in real-time.


    Hao Ren looked ahead and saw the stars blinking in the distance. The lights that flickered on the satellites and space observatories appeared like fireflies in space and Aerym was right below, a blue sphere the size of the soccer ball.


    ¡°The Crimson Moon will appear in ten seconds.¡±


    Hao Ren clenched his fists and then released slowly. He took a deep breath while counting down in his mind.


    Ripples began to appear in space.


    Almost immediately, the ripples expanded to become a spherical space half the size of the moon. A red light started to tremble and spread from the sphere and filled his entire field of vision in just a matter of a couple of breaths.


    The Crimson Moon had arrived¡ªright in the expected position.


    It was indeed a celestial body that was physically reachable, an object that was observable in space, not an atmospheric phantom that was only visible from the surface.

 Chapter 1512 - Above the Crimson Moon

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    When the Crimson Moon arrived at this world, everyone in Minas Elenion saw this miraculous vision.


    As the last ray of sunset disappeared behind the mountains, a blood-red moon seemed to appear out of the dark sky amid the ringing sound of the bell. Hilda thought that it was the sound coming from some bell tower in Minas Elenion, but soon she realized that it came from within her mind. It was an extremely powerful spiritual mirroring. Everyone who looked at the moon had heard the mysterious bell ringing in the head. The sound seemed to originate from ancient times, crossing space and time and mirroring into the spiritual world of everyone.


    A faint blood-red light had coated Minas Elenion. The moonlight was licking this world with its color, which was ubiquitous and unhindered by any obstacles. Everything looked in a strange color within the range of illumination of the Crimson Moon. But this phenomenon did not conform to common optical law. The dumbest people could even tell that this moon hanging in the sky was unnatural.


    Everyone in the hall of the ceremony became nervous as soon as the Crimson Moon appeared. Lily was raising the emergency stop device¡ªthe giant alloy sword¡ªslowly while Nangong Sanba reached out his hand as if he was touching the moon.


    ¡°The moonlight is harmless!¡±


    As the blood-red moonlight filled the heavens and the earth, people who bathed in it did not manifest any adverse reactions except mental stress. The various warnings and detection arrays set up in advance on the mage tower had completed a preliminary analysis of the moonlight, which was found to be of unnatural light but did not carry any destructive energy.


    Vivian had successfully controlled the power of the Crimson Moon and filtered out its destructive energy.


    Vivian was still keeping the summoning ceremony running, but the pressure on her had decreased dramatically after the arrival of the Crimson Moon. She opened her eyes slightly, smiled, and looked around her. ¡°It is not difficult to control. It seems that recovering the Malevolence has helped strengthen me. Lily, can you please put that thing down first?¡±


    The husky maiden poked out her tongue and lowered the giant alloy sword beside her feet. But her hands were still on the hilt¡ªwho knew what would happen at this critical moment? She had seen enough of that on TV.


    Meanwhile, at the corner of the control array, the Aerymian Royal Mages finally came out of their shocks. They looked at the artificial celestial body hanging high in the sky in awe, terrified as they thought of what if this ultimate magic was used as a weapon. It could cause damages that no magic spells nor strategic weapons could match because it was as horrible as natural disasters.


    The mages calmed down and began to work. They checked the power of the entire magic tower and the signals from the security facilities in the city. They also studied how the Crimson Moon worked and the mystery behind it. It looked like some freaking black technology. But who knew what magic it could do to the GDP of Aerym if they found something out of it.


    ¡°The first phase is successful. The Crimson Moon has appeared and is stable. Begin to retrieve sensor signals.


    ¡°Moonlight is shining on the surface of planet New Aerym, and its energy is stable. No destructive power is detected. The moonlight is harmless.


    ¡°The range of illumination range is only confined to Minas Elenion and ?area within ?20 kilometers radius. No moonlight is detected beyond this range. The sensors in the corresponding area begin to move and switch to optical observation. Visual signal confirmed.¡±


    Messages appeared in the void before Hao Ren. The MDT reported the terrestrial observations in a synthesized voice as it projected the real-time images in the air.


    Hao Ren had found many previously never-seen-before details of the Crimson Moon from a third-person perspective.


    In real-time footage captured from the planet surface, Hao Ren saw a clear dividing line in the air. Blood-red moonlight filled one side of the dividing line while the other side was a typical night sky. It was as if there was an invisible barrier that kept the gauze-like moonlight within a specific range.


    Hao Ren looked into space. The Crimson Moon was as if a crystal ball suspended quietly in space. It shone directly from space on the land below. In theory, its light should have covered the entire eastern half of the planet Aerym. But it did not. Moonlight was confined to only Minas Elenion and its immediate surroundings.


    The Crimson Moon was not visible outside this era.


    ¡°It seems that the moonlight from space only focuses on the area surrounding Vivian,¡± MDT said. ¡°It is not a laser, but it has a similar nature: directionality, coherence, and high intensity. The light emission does not conform to the law of physics, and it is clear that it is not pure light. But more analyzes are needed to determine what it is.¡±


    ¡°Directionality and coherence?¡± Hao Ren blinked. ¡°If we see the earth as a stage, Vivian will be the heroine under the spotlight.¡±


    ¡°And she has a dedicated super-massive spotlight. It is overly massive.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the red celestial body up ahead of the Petrachelys. ¡°It is half the size of the Moon.¡±


    The Crimson Moon, the secret of which had been unveiled for the first time, was no longer a mystery. It had become an observable, measurable, and analyzable physical object. In the space, the surface of this celestial body appeared blood red, and a neat pattern was clearly visible. These lines were what aroused curiosity in Hao Ren. It was entirely different from the crust folds on the surface of the usual solid planet. The pattern was more uniform, and the distribution was even. It was almost like sea waves, but it was still.


    ¡°The result of the preliminary analysis is ready,¡± the MDT said after a moment. ¡°Weird. Radar echoes showed that this celestial body is solid. But gravity sensors have not sensed any gravity.¡±


    Hao Ren frowned. ¡°No gravity? Gravity has failed here? Is it because it has no mass?¡±


    ¡°A physical celestial body with no mass? Yet another law-defying attribute.¡± The MDT swayed from side to side. ¡°You will get F grade in physics with this observation. But nothing is impossible in this vast universe. I guess a gravity shield is shrouding the celestial body, which has mass and gravity. But the mass and gravity do not interact with the outside world.¡±


    Gravity shield¡ªHao Ren had heard it before. It was a technology that commonly super massive starships or space fortresses used. As these supermassive artificial objects were hundreds or even thousands of kilometer long, their gravity would cause interference to other objects nearby. It would pose a huge problem for smaller spacecraft that travel among these massive structures. So, most of these super-spacecraft and super fortresses were equipped with gravity shield to block off the gravitational force from affecting the objects flying around them. The phenomenon was similar to that of the Crimson Moon.


    This technology was something out of fantasy to the less-developed civilizations. But after witnessing the K-series Sovereign Hub of the universe¡ªthree massive, artificial planetary fortresses, this phenomenon here did not surprise Hao Ren at all.


    Hao Ren scratched his chin and said, ¡°There is a gravitational interruption generator inside the Crimson Moon. But I think this possibility is even lower than the possibility that the Crimson Moon is a massless celestial body. This thing comes right out of Vivian¡¯s brain hole. Does she even understand how the gravitational interruption generator works? Who else could summon such a thing?¡±


    ¡°Who could even summon a planet?¡±


    ¡°You are right. Hey, is the Crimson Moon radioactive?¡±


    ¡°A low level of radioactivity has been detected, but it will cause no harm. Buddy, do you want to land?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s descend to a lower orbit and take a look.¡±


    The Petrachelys changed its angle of attack. It nosed down and flew toward the unknown red surface of the Crimson Moon.


    The celestial body appeared larger and larger in Hao Ren¡¯s field of vision as it drew closer. Soon, it became a vast expanse of land. The Crimson Moon might be only half the size of the Moon, but it could still be regarded as a dwarf. When looking from a close-enough distance, the Crimson Moon did not look too different from an ordinary planet. Hao Ren flew the Petrachelys over the planet surface and released ship-mounted high-precision probes. Following that, a large number of images and data began to transmit to the imaging system on the flight deck.


    ¡°Can you what it is?¡± Hao Ren pointed to screen.


    ¡°Yes. It is an ocean. A red ocean.¡±


    ¡°But it is still.¡±


    ¡°Just like a holographic image,¡± said the MDT faintly.


    The surface of the Crimson Moon appeared transparent, and it was apparently of liquid. The subtle and neat patterns, as seen from space, were ripples or rather ocean waves. But it was different from regular ocean waves. This one here was still.


    It was not frozen, however. It looked like a still frame of ripples when someone pressed the paused button.


    Underneath this liquid surfaces were shadows and areas of massive signal interference, which was indistinguishable by the shipborne radar.


    With these various visions interlaid, it gave the illusion that the planet had a solid crust when looking from afar.


    No wonder Lorrisa had sworn that she had seen the solid surface on the Crimson Moon.

 Chapter 1513 - The Proof

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The Petrachelys moved silently over the still Crimson Moon Sea, like a ghost coming from dark space, looking carefully at the strange red world below with its countless eyes.


    ¡°Probes have sent back signals confirming that the Crimson Moon covers a complete liquid surface, with only scattered islands and reefs protruding from the sea, which accounts for less than three percent of the planet¡¯s surface area,¡± Nolan¡¯s voice came from all around, with a hint of confusion. ¡°And the scene elsewhere is similar, the sea is ¡®still¡¯ and there is no sign of movement.¡±


    ¡°After all, it¡¯s what Vivian summoned, and it¡¯s normal to have this weirdness,¡± Hao Ren said, nodding and checking the signals sent back by the probes. ¡°Release the detector and see if this layer of the sea is a phantom.¡±


    Although all kinds of radars had sent back solid signals on the surface of the Crimson Moon before, in the face of this kind of supernatural things that did not operate according to common sense, a single detection method was far from enough. Hao Ren decided to increase the depth of the detection step by step.


    The ejection hatch below Petrachelys opened a fissure and a silvery cylindrical object was released from the spacecraft. The cylindrical body circled twice on the surface of the still Crimson Moon Sea, then plunged into the blood-like water at one end.


    The detector touched the Crimson Moon Sea silently and disappeared in Hao Ren¡¯s vision. There was no wave on the sea. The contact between the two was like two shadows passing through each other without causing any interference.


    Hao Ren frowned slightly. ¡°So it¡¯s a phantom?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ The detector returned a signal. It¡¯s not a phantom. It passed through a real layer of water and is now moving in the water,¡± Nolan answered immediately. ¡°The presence of water pressure, temperature and resistance were detected. The composition of the water body was similar to that of the lifeblood, and the concentration increased as the detector dived in deeper. This sea is real.¡±


    Hao Ren was a little surprised. ¡°A real sea? But just now, when the detector entered the water, it seemed that it had passed through a layer of shadow, without splashing the waves.¡±


    Nolan also sounded doubtful. ¡°There is no explanation. The Crimson Moon Sea is absolutely static, as a whole, like a fixed-frame image. The detector cannot affect the shape of the sea in the process of contacting the sea surface, but it can detect the presence of the liquid environment. I¡¯m releasing more detectors, and more data will be collected later.¡±


    Petrachelys began to release more detectors into the Crimson Moon Sea. These detectors glimmered like powder sprayed from the fluorescent giant moth and sank silently into the sea. Like the one before, these detectors did not cause any ripples or spray when entering the sea.


    ¡°What do you think it looks like?¡± Hao Ren tapped his finger lightly on the console panel in front of him, asking the data terminal floating around him.


    ¡°The crimson moon? Or the sea?¡±


    ¡°The crimson moon.¡±


    ¡°I think of the Star of Creation ¨C I guess you think of the same thing, too.¡±


    ¡°Yes, the Star of Creation.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°I have associated these two things more than once before, and now more so. Red liquid surface, covering more than 97% of the sea area, but also detected the composition of similar lifeblood¡­ There are not many planets with this distinctive feature. I used to think that the surface of the Crimson Moon was solid, or maybe the whole thing was some kind of illusion, but now it looks like a sea on its surface ¨C even though the sea is still¡±


    ¡°But the size seems quite big.¡± Nolan¡¯s voice sounded, and her hologram appeared beside Hao Ren. ¡°According to Muru¡¯s information, the Star of Creation is a planet larger than Earth, and the Crimson Moon¡­ It¡¯s obviously a dwarf planet.¡±


    ¡°The Crimson Moon is certainly not the real Star of Creation. Muru and Lemendusa did not mention that the sea on the Star of Creation was static.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°I tend to think that this dwarf planet is a projection of the Star of Creation. Perhaps Vivian has the information of her homeland in her mind, which is quite possible considering that she was born from the blood of the Goddess of Creation, and the nature of her call to the Crimson Moon is actually to project the homeland stored in her subconscious mind.¡±


    Nolan suddenly interrupted him, ¡°Hao Ren, my detector found something.¡±


    Hao Ren raised his eyebrows. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°On the back of the planet, a man-made trace was found on an island protruding from the sea.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and have a look!¡±


    Petrachelys immediately turned and accelerated, leaving a blue light behind and disappeared in space, and then arrived at the coordinate of the probe¡¯s return signal in the next instant. In the picture transmitted back, Hao Ren did see an island.


    97% of the Crimson Moon was covered by the sea, but less than three percent of the remaining areas still had land protruding from the water. Most of them were scattered reefs or tiny islands. Plus, the dwarf planet was likely to be a ¡®miniature¡¯ version of the Star of Creation, making these tiny islands even smaller.


    The micro-island before their eyes was a relatively large one. Its width was about two or three hundred meters, and the land protruding from the water was tens of meters high. In the center of the island, there was a circular pit which was obviously too clear and neat. There seemed to be a lot of neat artificial traces around the pit. And Hao Ren also noticed a detail: in a considerable area around the island, the sea was so calm that it was as smooth as a mirror and not even a ripple could be seen.


    It seemed that no matter how huge the waves were in the Crimson Moon Sea, the island on this side did not have to worry about being swallowed up by the waves.


    ¡°Obvious traces of artificial transformation.¡± Hao Ren thought Nolan¡¯s judgment was correct when he looked at the regular circular crater on the island and the elaborate stone structure around the crater. But why was there such a trace on the Crimson Moon? With this in mind, he stood up and arranged his clothes. ¡°I¡¯m going down to see it for myself.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous,¡± Nolan warned aloud. ¡°It¡¯s just the first summoning experiment. It¡¯s not clear how stable the Crimson Moon will be. We should test the limit of the summoning ceremony before¡­¡±


    ¡°With such eye-catching stuff, I can¡¯t sleep well. I¡¯m not going to look at it in the sky and leave.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°Besides, I believe Vivian.¡±


    ¡°You are the captain, you have the final say.¡± Nolan saw Hao Ren has made up his mind, plus the Crimson Moon was indeed in a fairly stable state, so she did not insist. ¡°I will continue to monitor the activities of the Crimson Moon. Once I find that the energy response is elevated I will force you back ¨C this is a necessary safety measure.¡±


    ¡°Of course, that¡¯s all right.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°You let those detectors that have already gone into the sea continue to expand their scanning range, and I hope they will come back with some results when I go down to check the situation.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    A moment later, Hao Ren and the data terminal had arrived at the surface of the island. Hao Ren felt that he was floating. Although he had really touched the surface of the planet, the Crimson Moon itself still had no gravitational pull on him.


    The pit was about forty meters in diameter and about ten meters in the deepest part. The island itself was made of hard black rock, but the pit was covered with a layer of fine white sand. Around the pit, Hao Ren also saw a series of small pits, some open, some covered with slate or something else. Large and small pits formed a complex artificial nest.


    The data terminal was flying around Hao Ren¡¯s head and asked, ¡°What do you say this place is for, bro?¡±


    ¡°God knows¡­ But if the Crimson Moon is really the projection of the Star of Creation, the artificial traces here are probably the writings of the Goddess of Creation. I just don¡¯t know what she¡¯s doing digging so many holes in her planet.¡±


    ¡°Every creator likes to dig holes.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Eh, I¡¯m just talking nonsense. Why do you take it seriously?¡±


    They looked around as they chatted. Suddenly, a slab protruding from the ground not far away attracted Hao Ren¡¯s attention.


    The slab stood next to a small pit with shining lines.


    ¡°What is this?¡± The data terminal flew to the slab and scanned the shiny lines. ¡°It looks like a text, but it¡¯s so weird that it can¡¯t be translated by information extraction.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the symbols thoughtfully. He felt that the symbols were somewhat similar to the ¡®inscriptions¡¯ he saw in the Goddess Palace of Coldpath, but they looked even more¡­ immature, or chaotic. It seemed that the writer himself could not accurately grasp the meaning of these words, and just drew them by feeling. Hearing the data terminal say that conventional parsing could not crack the secrets of these symbols, he suddenly had an idea and put his hand on the shimmering slab.


    The lines on the slab seemed to come alive for an instant, twisting and moving around before his eyes, and then the moving lines were arranged into neat words:


    ¡°The place where Lockmarton sleeps.¡±


    Hao Ren blinked, a little stunned.


    ¡°There should be other symbols here! If that¡¯s right, every pit should have a corresponding mark! Go and find out now!¡±


    Data terminal began to look around the nest for glittering patterns similar to those on the slab.


    And yes, more words were found soon, and Hao Ren decoded them accordingly.


    ¡°The place where Lockmarton plays.¡±


    ¡°The place where Lockmarton eats.¡±


    ¡°The stones that Lockmarton picked up from the bottom of the sea.¡±


    ¡°Lockmarton¡­¡±


    This was enough to prove the connection between the Star of Creation and the Crimson Moon, but Hao Ren did not expect it to appear before him in such an unexpected way.

 Chapter 1514 - Under the Deep Sea

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    This was Lockmarton¡¯s ¡®lair¡¯.


    This was so unexpected that Hao Ren was stunned for more than a dozen seconds after seeing the parsed text until the data terminal began bumping into his head impatiently. ¡°Hey¡­ What are these?¡±


    ¡°How do I know if you just stand there and not saying a word?¡± The data terminal whizzed around. ¡°What do you find out? Was this the pit dug by the Goddess of Creation? Was she addicted to digging holes before she created life?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a lair for Lockmarton¡­¡± Hao Ren frowned. ¡°I can now confirm that the Crimson Moon is indeed a projection of the Star of Creation ¨C just downsizing. But the Lockmarton we saw in Collow is hundreds of kilometers in size. Even if the size of the den on the Star of Creation is the original size, it shouldn¡¯t be able to accommodate the huge body of Lockmarton¡­ So this should be the place where Lockmarton spent his childhood.¡±


    Hearing Hao Ren¡¯s words, the data terminal stood still in the air for a long time (which probably means stunned), and it took several seconds to break the silence. ¡°¡­ Bro, you really deserve the Goddess¡¯s approval. Every clue you found is big news.¡±


    Hao Ren did not refute the data terminal at all this time but touched his chin thoughtfully. ¡°What period do you think the Crimson Moon was the projection of the Star of Creation?¡±


    ¡°What period? What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen the Star of Creation in illusions ¡ª at least part of it. In the illusion, I saw the magnificent temples on the Sea of Lifeblood, the white towers, and the continuous assembly halls. They were so huge that even the guardian giants could walk freely in them. So the buildings were quite eye-catching at any time, but we haven¡¯t found anything like that here. The probe has scanned the surface of the Crimson Moon. Apart from a few rocks and islands that protrude from the sea, we can¡¯t see any targets other than the sea on this dwarf planet.¡±


    Hao Ren said as he raised his finger to the lairs that had accompanied Lockmarton through his ¡®childhood¡¯. ¡°There are also these things. Muru and Lemendusa grew up on the Star of Creation but they never knew there were these relics on the Star of Creation.¡±


    The data terminal got what Hao Ren meant. ¡°You mean¡­ The Crimson Moon summoned by Vivian is actually a copy of the Star of Creation in ancient times?¡±


    ¡°The Star of Creation has two eras.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°There is a dividing line between the return of the Goddess of Creation against the Mad Lord and the seal of self-memory. In the former era, only the Goddess and Lockmarton live together on the planet. In the latter era, it is the active stage for guardian giants, Firstborns and the Seed of Origin. What I see in the illusion is undoubtedly the second era. I think the reason why Muru didn¡¯t know that Lockmarton¡¯s lair was on the Star of Creation was that the Goddess of Creation erased all these traces before she sealed her memory. After all, she¡¯s going to delete all the information about the Mad Lord.¡±


    ¡°Now it seems that she didn¡¯t delete it thoroughly,¡± said the data terminal. ¡°The Star of Creation of the first era have been re-emerged.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and connected the communication with the new Aerym: Now that the Crimson Moon has stabilized, Vivian should also have spared energy to talk to him.


    ¡°Hao Ren?¡± Vivian¡¯s voice came from the communicator. ¡°What¡¯s the situation over there? ¡°Everything¡¯s going well here!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on the surface of the Crimson Moon, and we have a big discovery. It¡¯s now certain that the Crimson Moon is a miniature copy of the Star of Creation. Its diameter is about one-eighth of that of the Star of Creation. It has entities but no gravity. In addition, it has a large number of anomalous properties that do not conform to the laws of physics. I found Lockmarton¡¯s lair on the back of the Crimson Moon. It was built by the Goddess of Creation. Judging from its size, it should be the place where Lockmarton spent his childhood. I now suspect that the Crimson Moon copies the features of the Star of Creation in ancient times.¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    ¡°What does it mean?¡±


    ¡°A little surprised, but not too unexpected. I had long suspected that the Crimson Moon was related to the Star of Creation, but I didn¡¯t expect you to find Lockmarton¡¯s lair there. I suddenly found myself so powerful that I actually summoned such a thing.¡±


    Hao Ren, ¡°¡­¡±


    It seemed that Vivian was still in a stable mood after she learned about the big news.


    Then, Lily¡¯s voice burst in. ¡°Landlord! Remember to take more pictures! Come back and show me!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m doing scientific research here. Can you be serious?¡± Hao Ren said, rolling his eyes.


    ¡°Then next time you take me there ¨C I think Vivian is in a stable situation here and she probably won¡¯t need an emergency stop¡­¡±


    Has this Husky made the Crimson Moon a tourist attraction?


    While Hao Ren was speechless about Lily¡¯s idea, Nolan¡¯s voice suddenly sounded on another channel. ¡°Hao Ren, the detector found something on the bottom of the sea ¨C you should be interested.¡±


    Hao Ren quickly grasped the data terminal floating around him and put it in front of him. ¡°Show me!¡±


    The holographic image on the data terminal switched quickly to the perspective of the detector transferred by Nolan. Hao Ren saw a dim red field of vision appeared on the screen. Under the various enhancement filters and image enhancement effects brought by the detector, the dark red field of vision gradually became clear.


    The detector moved quickly over a rugged sea bed. The sea bed was covered with black rugged rocks. The rocks retreated rapidly and then, a large crystal appeared before Hao Ren¡¯s eyes.


    It was like a dense growth of crystal clusters, most of which had thriving straight lines and clear texture. After filtering out the red color of the sea water, these crystal clusters showed a beautiful blue-white luster, which was incompatible with the red atmosphere of the Star of Creation itself. These crystals grew in clusters on the bottom of the sea, sharp tips like branches of trees reaching up to the sea. Among them, Hao Ren saw a lot of hovering luminous objects, which were diamond-shaped crystal fragments ¨C it looked like falling from the crystal clusters.


    These shining crystal fragments and the soft halo emitted by the crystal clusters themselves reflected each other, making the original extremely dark seabed particularly bright. Hao Ren believed that they could see clearly everything around the seabed even without the night vision function of the detector.


    ¡°What are these crystals¡­¡± He touched his chin and muttered. ¡°Nolan, can you analyze their composition?¡±


    ¡°The list of ingredients has been sent to you, but nothing is worth noticing. It is a highly conductive and high-intensity crystallization and has a high passability to energy such as Arcane. Preliminary analysis of the shipborne mainframe suggests that there should be some resonance effect between these crystals, but it is probably the ¡®static¡¯ property of the Crimson Moon itself that has an effect. I can¡¯t observe the crystals. Direct evidence of resonance between the clusters did not respond to the stimulation. It¡¯s also interesting to note that I haven¡¯t found anything like these clusters elsewhere in the Crimson Moon, and only one crystal on the seabed of the whole planet has been scanned, which is not quite in line with the general pattern of planetary formation.¡±


    Hao Ren frowned and connected the communication to the public channel. ¡°The detector found large crystal clusters on the seabed of the Crimson Moon Sea. I¡¯m going to go down and have a look.¡±


    Vivian was a little worried ¡°Wouldn¡¯t there be any problem?¡±


    ¡°The detector didn¡¯t find any danger, and I won¡¯t mess around.¡±


    ¡°Well, be careful.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Hao Ren hung up and then, together with the data terminal, he followed the locator coordinates sent by the detector to the deep sea.


    A moment later, they arrived at the seabed.


    Hao Ren¡¯s action is slightly limited by the strong water pressure on his body, but thanks to the Steel Membrane Shield and the fact that the Crimson Moon Sea was not very deep, so Hao Ren could withstand the water pressure. Feeling the resistance between his hands and feet, he could not help wondering: the water pressure was caused by the gravitational pull of the planet, and the existence of water pressure meant the existence of gravity. However, the result of gravitational exploration of the Crimson Moon in space was blank, which meant that the planet had no gravitational disturbance to the outside world¡­ This was hugely abnormal.


    He could not help thinking of a word that could explain the phenomena in front of him a little: a semi-closed system.


    The Crimson Moon may be such a system: as a ¡®summoner¡¯ that did not exist in the real world, its physical attributes were closed internally. It might have gravity and mass, but these attributes were limited to the Crimson Moon itself. It was incompatible with the real world outside, which led to some of its physical attributes could not affect the real world outside. When the observer looked out at it, its gravitational pull was zero. But the Crimson Moon was not totally divorced from the world (otherwise it could not be observed). Its radiation could affect the outside world, it could also be observed optically, and if someone entered the ¡®system¡¯ of the Crimson Moon, one could feel part of its impact¡ª¡ª


    Like the water pressure in the sea of the Crimson Moon.


    This was really an interesting ¡®planet¡¯.


    With this in mind, he came to one of the largest crystal clusters.


    The crystal was releasing a soft glow, like a towering tree quietly standing on the seabed, which seemed to be full of mysterious atmosphere. The data terminal moved around the backbone of the cluster, and the scanning beam cast bright blue reticular lines across the crystal surface.


    But like Nolan¡¯s detectors, the data terminal could only scan some simple physical parameters of the crystals but could do nothing about the secrets deep inside the crystals.


    But Hao Ren had a strong hunch that the crystals growing on the sea floor were anything but simple. They were different from the material parameters gathered throughout the Crimson Moon, and they were anything but a product of the planet itself. This alone was enough to make them intriguing.


    The data terminal scanned around the crystal cluster and then muttered, ¡°It¡¯s just a hard stone, nothing can be read¡­¡±


    Hao Ren said nothing but put his hand on the surface of the biggest crystal and stroked it gently with a thoughtful look on his face.


    Inadvertently, the scar of the divine blood burn on his palm touched the crystal.


    He felt a dull heat.

 Chapter 1515 - A New Illusion

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The shimmering light from the crystal clusters began to shine regularly, and the crystals all over the seabed resonated like an orchestra. It was a silent resonance. There was no sound under the deep sea. Only the light traveling on the crystals intersected with some wonderful rhythm as if they were playing a silent movement. Soon, the crystal fragments floating between the crystal clusters also started sparkling. A series of arcs of light was emitting from one crystal and then jumped to the other crystals which spread to the whole seabed almost instantaneously. In the depths of the Crimson Moon Sea, the light surged like a tide!


    The data terminal saw this scene and immediately shouted in its mind, which connected to Hao Ren, ¡°Bro! Why did these crystals suddenly start flashing? What did you do? Bro¡­ Bro?¡±


    Hao Ren did not respond to the data terminal at all. He still stood motionless with his palm sticking to the crystal. In fact, he lost all his perception of the real world for a short time just after he touched the crystal.


    Because he was pulled into an illusion ¨C a new one.


    Heavy clouds lay low on the horizon, the sky was covered by chaotic dense clouds, and it was covered with iron-gray texture. Countless huge lightning flashed between the clouds, illuminating the world covered by clouds as bright as day. Occasionally, one or two lightning flashes broke free from the shackles of clouds, like pythons falling from the clouds, whipping the ground, erupting deafening explosions. On the dark earth, there were hundreds of meters of blue-and-white crystals standing everywhere, growing in clusters into an endless forest.


    Lightning strikes from the sky were attracted by huge crystals from time to time. Strong electric currents were injected into the crystals instantaneously, causing the crystals to burst into brilliant light. The light emitted by a crystal would ¡®activate¡¯ more clusters around it. The light was bouncing and spreading between crystals, extending to dozens of crystals before gradually weakening.


    Hao Ren opened his eyes and saw such magnificent scenes: crystal clusters all over the ground, lightning that energized the crystal, and light that bounced between the crystals.


    Even if he did not understand the situation, he could be sure that it was definitely not the scene that would occur on the Crimson Moon or the Star of Creation.


    After trying to call his teammate who failed to respond, he was vaguely aware of what had happened: it seemed that he was once again falling in an illusory world related to the Goddess of Creation.


    But what he saw in this illusion was obviously different from what he had seen before ¡ª the world full of thunderstorms and strange crystal clusters was not like the battlefield of the god-slaying war, nor the place where guardian giants or Firstborns lived. It was rather desolate and it did not seem to be suitable for any kind of carbon-based life. Why did the crystal jungle of the Crimson Moon Sea bring him to such a place?


    Hao Ren checked his shield, then took out the plasma lance and the inspector gun from his dimensional pocket, and began to explore the place carefully.


    According to the past experience, this kind of illusion was related to a major activity of the Goddess of Creation. Whether it was the scene of the Goddess launching the Seed of Origin or the scene of the assassinating, the scope of the illusion was limited, and the Goddess of Creation was often at the center of everything, and in this process, some mysterious ¡®guidance¡¯ would play a role, leading Hao Ren to the core of this scene. So after confirming that this is an illusion, Hao Ren let go of his worries and followed his own inner guidance to wander around.


    He first examined the crystals clusters that grew everywhere, confirming that they were the same thing as the crystals on the seabed of the Crimson Moon, but that they were many times larger than the latter, probably because the Crimson Moon was only a 1:8 size ¡®model¡¯ and that the crystals on the seabed were shrinking accordingly.


    There was another benefit in this illusory world ¨C it was not a ¡®still snapshot¡¯ like the Crimson Moon. Here, everything was in a state of motion: lightning energized the crystal, the resonation between the crystals, the rhythmic sound coming from the depths of the earth, and the noticeable tingling in the air when some kind of energy field was active.


    This allowed Hao Ren to observe more accurately and clearly the way those crystals work and the secrets that the world might hide ¨C if only the data terminal was there. Its scanning function could certainly provide more detailed data.


    Unfortunately, Hao Ren was the only one who could enter the illusory world.


    ¡°It seems to be some kind of signal amplifier¡­¡± Hao Ren stood under an electro-optic crystal, carefully touched the crystal surface with the handle of a plasma lance, and observed the response of several nearby crystals to this stimulus. ¡°Reminiscent of neural networks¡­¡±


    ¡°The sky is constantly discharging electricity, and there is no obvious trend of strengthening and weakening. Clouds are so thick that it is impossible to observe the stars.¡±


    ¡°Probes don¡¯t work here. They can¡¯t fly above the clouds. Probably the scope of the illusion is limited. Above the clouds is the boundary of this space¡±


    Hao Ren recorded his discoveries while exploring the world. Although the absence of the data terminal caused him a lot of trouble, the first-hand observation would come into use in the future: This was the experience accumulated after experiencing the illusory world more than once.


    He did not wander too long between the crystal jungles. After about two hours of intuition moving in a certain direction, he came to a ¡®barrier¡¯ of dark fog, and there was no way forward.


    There was a thick dark fog moving ahead, forming wall rising up against the sky and down to the earth, and stretching on either side to the horizon of infinity as if the whole world had been cut off by it. Hao Ren was stunned when he saw the boundary: this was the first time he had seen such a situation.


    He came to the boundary of the illusory world but did not see the most important part of the scene¡­ The Goddess of Creation.


    Was the Goddess of Creation not here? This illusion was not left by the Goddess? What did this world mean? The lightning bouncing in the sky, the crystal sparkling on the earth, and the mysterious connection between this world and the Crimson Moon¡­ Was the clue broken here?


    Hao Ren shook his head and instinctively felt that this mysterious illusion was not so simple. The relationship between the ¡®crystal world¡¯ full of lightning and strange energy and the Crimson Moon was far from simple.


    He took another step forward and put his hand into the dark fog.


    At the same time, in the real world outside, the Crimson Moon suddenly shone several times brighter than before.


    The moonlight was so bright that all the visible stars in space were obscured by the moonlight. Then the crimson moonlight faded gradually and turned into a clear normal light, but its brightness increased. The people on the surface of Aerym looked up in astonishment at the strange scene. It looked as if the sky had become a huge projection platform, and the Crimson Moon was the source of the projection. Around that moon, the original sky was replaced by a star map with various icons and symbols. The map was full of strange, unknown galaxies, connected by intricate lines. A bright light band, dancing between the stars, seemed to indicate a hidden passage. But the map did not seem complete. It was dark, with lots of data replaced by jumbled codes, and even the light band indicating the passage was intermittent, with a completely unrecognizable state of chaos and nothingness at the end.


    Lily immediately held up her huge alloy X9 sword and looked at Vivian. However, she saw Vivian looking up at the sky with the same confused expression. Vivian noticed Lily¡¯s action and quickly turned to stop her. ¡°Don¡¯t shoot! I¡¯ve seen this map before. It¡¯s harmless¡­ But why did it pop up all of a sudden?¡±


    Nangong Sanba shouted to the communication device immediately, ¡°What the hell is going on up there?¡±


    ¡°Hao Ren touched the crystal at the bottom of the sea of the Crimson Moon and seemed to be sucked into the illusion. I¡¯m monitoring his condition. He¡¯s in good condition, but I¡¯m not sure¡­¡± answered the data terminal.


    Knowing that Hao Ren was not hurt, Vivian breathed a sigh of relief. It was not terrible to touch the illusion. After all, it was not his first time involving in it, but the reaction this time¡­ Why was it so big?


    The dark dog quivered violently before his eyes as if it had been greatly stimulated and on the verge of collapse. Hao Ren tried to pull his hand away, but things moved faster than he could: the next second, the fog had swallowed him, and when he finally got rid of the fog, he found himself in some kind of hall.


    It was a magnificent domed hall, as large as the palace of the goddess he had seen on the Star of Creation, but of a very different style. Strictly speaking, this was because the entire hall had not been refined and decorated, and thus appeared primitive and rough.


    The entire domed hall looked carved out of the mountain, the walls and floors were of uncarved rock, and the high domes were inlaid with large crystals: the crystals look exactly like the crystal clusters that Hao Ren saw on the plain.


    In the middle of the crystal hall, there was a cluster of crystals of unprecedented size, almost like a hill. There was a distance of tens of meters between the top of the blue and white crystal cluster and the dome. The thick electric arc jumped silently between the crystal cluster and the dome as if it contained huge energy.


    Beneath the huge crystal cluster, Hao Ren saw the crystals grow abnormally, twisted and tangled, forming a sort of throne.


    A shadowy figure stood before the throne, and a woman dimly discernible from the back.


    The Goddess of Creation?


    Hao Ren ran to it quickly, but even when he got there, he found it impossible for him to see the woman¡¯s face clearly.


    All he could see was that the figure suddenly started to move slowly towards the crystal throne.


    The phantom world shook violently. Hao Ren felt that he was going to wake up from this illusion.


    He desperately wanted something to hold on to, but there was nothing he could do to stop the dream from collapsing. In his increasingly distorted vision he could only see the shadowy figure slowly ascending to the throne, and then the crystal growing out of the ground, sealing and freezing her with the throne.


    The illusion was over. Hao Ren opened his eyes and saw that the crystal prism was fading.

 Chapter 1516 - Back in Reality

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren blinked. It took a few seconds before he realized he had left the illusion and was back in reality.


    This illusion was different from previous experiences. It was wider, weirder, and longer, and it was even divided into ¡®two layers¡¯. Hao Ren could be sure that the layer of dark fog was actually the border of the illusion, but he went deeper into the illusion after touching the dark fog. This was an unprecedented phenomenon for him.


    It seemed that these illusions related to the Goddess of Creation still have many unsolved mysteries, and they were worth exploring.


    Where was the planet full of crystals and lightning? What was that domed hall with huge crystal clusters? And the crystal throne, and the suspected figure of the Goddess of Creation¡­ What did this scene mean? What were they trying to tell him?


    Hao Ren frowned and shook his head, and problems emerged in his mind one after another, which left him standing there in a trance until he was hit by a data terminal in the head. ¡°Hey¡­ How dare you smash me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve hit you so many times, you should have already get used to it.¡± The data terminal yelled without any guilt and flashed the bright light in front of Hao Ren. ¡°Are you awake? Do I need to hit you again?¡±


    ¡°Go away¡­¡± Hao Ren waved the data terminal flying in front of him away and muttered, ¡°Just now I fell into an illusion, just like when I touched the Gilded Disc before. I saw a strange planet and a figure looking like the Goddess of Creation¡­ How long have I been unconscious?¡±


    ¡°Nearly half an hour!¡± The data terminal suddenly raised its voice, ¡°It¡¯s too long I have to wake you up!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize it. Tell Nolan to come down and take both of us back first. Is there anything unusual about the Crimson Moon when I was in the illusion?¡±


    ¡°There are many abnormal changes. First of all, the crystals suddenly lit up, and secondly, a frightening holographic projection suddenly projected from the moon surface into space, optimistically estimating that the entire Aerym can see it. Also¡­¡±


    Halfway through the conversation, a violent tremor suddenly spread across the dwarf planet.


    Hao Ren saw the scene suddenly blurred, all the crystals and the seabed beneath his feet were shaking violently, too, and then the scene in front of him disappeared. He then saw the normal cosmic stars reappearing in front of him. The stars appeared for a moment, then the place was filled with red sea water and crystal seabed, and he felt the pressure of seawater. But a moment later, all this disappeared again, and the stars appeared again¡­


    Hao Ren was stunned before he realized that the Crimson Moon was collapsing, ¡®flickering¡¯ like a fading giant holographic projection!


    ¡°What happened?¡± The first thing he thought about was Vivian, who was holding the summoning ritual and immediately connected to Aerym. ¡°Vivian? How are you doing?¡±


    However, it was Nangong Wuyue who answered him, and she sounded panic. ¡°Landlord! Something happened! The summoning ritual is interrupted!¡±


    Hao Ren watched the rapidly disappearing Crimson Moon, and the dark universe and the bright stars were filling his field of vision. ¡°I know, the Crimson Moon is disappearing ¨C what the hell is going on? What about Vivian? How is she doing?¡±


    As he spoke, he signaled the data terminal to get ready for teleportation to the spacecraft: he was going to return to the New Aerym immediately.


    ¡°Vivian¡­ I don¡¯t know. She¡¯s surrounded by a storm. We can¡¯t see what¡¯s going on inside¡± Nangong Wuyue sounded like she was about to cry.


    ¡°A storm? What storm? What about Lily? Shouldn¡¯t she perform an emergency termination when the ritual is out of control?¡±


    ¡°Lily rushed up when the ritual broke down just now but hasn¡¯t landed yet¡­¡± Wuyue answered anxiously.


    ¡°What do you mean? It¡¯s okay, calm down, I¡¯m going back now! Go and hide in a safe place. Maybe we¡¯ll need your healing power later!¡±


    After that, he had disappeared into a white beam of light with the data terminal, and the last shadow of the Crimson Moon quietly collapsed after they left. The supernatural dwarf planet disappeared and the universe returned to darkness.


    In just a few minutes, Hao Ren returned to the Royal Mage Tower in Minas Elenion.


    The hall used for the summoning ritual was in a mess. He finally understood what Wuyue meant by ¡®a storm¡¯.


    In preparation for the summoning ritual, the dome on the top floor of the Royal Mage Tower had been opened, and the entire ritual hall was directly exposed to the night sky. At this moment, a blood-red tornado was lurking in the hall. The top half of the tornado was so high above the dome that the tower appeared to grow a wobbly funnel-shaped ¡®hat¡¯ out of thin air, while the lower half of the tornado was rooted in the place where Vivian stood before. It was surrounded by a powerful energy field and storm, and nobody could see what was going on inside.


    The tornado, with its mournful whistle, steadily and furiously tearing everything within its reach. The precise array in the ritual hall had been torn to pieces by this powerful energy. Precious crystals and magic metals rose with the whirlwind and were ground into powder in the process. The walls and floors of the hall were also crisscrossed with deep cracks.


    People in the hall had been evacuated to the vicinity of the entrance. Hilda stood there, leading the magic masters to open a powerful barrier of energy. Everyone hid behind the barrier, seemingly unharmed. Nangong Wuyue also waved her tail to greet Hao Ren as she saw him.


    What¡¯s going on here?¡± Hao Ren asked aloud as he ran to the barrier with his Steel Membrane Shield.


    ¡°There are no casualties here, but we have no idea what is going on inside the storm.¡± Nangong Sanba answered aloud. ¡°Hilda just cut off the energy supply of the ritual hall, but the tornado shows no signs of abating. The thing is now entirely dependent on Vivian¡¯s own magic!¡±


    ¡°How could this be, how could a summoning ritual suddenly produce such a tornado¡­¡± Hao Ren clenched his fist and looked in the direction of the tornado. ¡°The tornado is still here, meaning that Vivian is ok for now, but she¡¯s definitely out of control¡­ Where is Lily?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue pointed to the middle of the tornado with the tip of her tail, trembling. ¡°There she is, the white one.¡±


    Hao Ren saw a white figure at the middle of the tornado. And the one whirling rapidly with the storm was Lily, shouting and screaming as she held up the huge alloy X10 sword.


    ¡°Lily!¡± Hao Ren was startled to see this scene.


    ¡°Landlord¨C I can¡¯t come down now¨C You see, I¡¯m waving at you!¡±


    Her voice went up and down as she was trapped inside the tornado.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¨Cgood, just a little¨Cdizzy!¡±


    Knowing that Lily was doing well, he quickly asked about Vivian. ¡°How¡¯s Vivian?¡±


    ¡°She is¨Cin a trance!¡± shouted the husky girl. ¡°She looks¨Call right! I have a¨Cplan¡­¡±


    ¡°What plan?¡±


    ¡°I try to spin¨Csynchronously in the direction of the¨Ctornado! Then I can catch¨Cthat bat!¡± said Lily as she trying to spin into the tornado.


    Hao Ren, ¡°¡­¡±


    Moments later, Lily was thrown around a dozen times by the tornado.


    ¡°Landlord,¨Cmy plan failed. I feel¨Cdizzier than before!¡±


    He knew it!


    Hao Ren adjusted the output of the Steel Membrane Shield to the maximum. At the same time, he took out a set of adjusting devices from his dimensional pocket and tied them to his waist, striding toward the tornado.


    His eyes were full of the crimson tornado.


    Even with the aid of the adjusting device, Hao Ren was almost overturned when he came into contact with the tornado. He could feel the terrible wind pressure acting on his Steel Membrane Shield, making the shield shine brighter than ever. The squeaky noise was constantly coming from all around, giving a terrible illusion that the shield was about to break. The torn fragments and stones kept hitting him and that made him feel like he was traveling through the rain of bullets.


    In such a bad situation, he strode forward with all his strength. It was useless to observe with the naked eyes because there was no visibility at all here. He could only release his mental power and feel the extraordinarily powerful energy reaction not far away.


    No doubt that¡¯s Vivian¡¯s direction.


    Despite the difficulties, the shortest route was to travel from the bottom of the tornado. As long as he could withstand the most violent tornado, he could approach Vivian as fast as possible.


    Hao Ren felt as if he had walked for a century, but it only took a few minutes. He felt a sudden lightness on his body, and then the scene before him suddenly became clear.


    He came to the eye of the storm.


    Vivian was floating quietly about half a meter above the eye of the storm, looking up at the starry sky.


    ¡°Vivian! How are you?¡±


    Vivian turned her head slowly, smiled as she saw Hao Ren.


    ¡°Hao Ren, I remember it. The Goddess of Creation is the leader of the god-slayers.¡±

 Chapter 1517 - The Truth in the Depths of Memory

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The storm died down as suddenly as it had first appeared.


    The blood-red tornado dissipated out of thin air, and all sorts of things that were rolled into the sky were crackling down. However, as all of them were evacuated in advance or escape in time, these objects falling from the sky did not cause any harm. Lilly had been up in the sky for half an hour when she finally landed ¡ª literally smacking into a nearby wall and sliding down, getting up dizzily and taking two steps before deciding that it was more comfortable to lie down¡­


    And most people¡¯s attention was still in the center of the tornado: there, Hao Ren was holding seemingly unconscious Vivian standing on the only intact ground, looking confused.


    ¡°Landlord, are you all right? How¡¯s Vivian?¡± asked Nangong Wuyue.


    ¡°I just heard the big news¡­ Vivian¡¯s fine, but she¡¯s too tired. We need to find her a place to rest and she¡¯ll probably wake up in a few minutes. Where¡¯s Lily?¡±


    Lily, who was too tired to get up, wagged her tail as she heard Hao Ren¡¯s voice and answered faintly, ¡°I¡¯m over here¡­ Let me rest for a while¡­ I feel like throwing up¡­¡±


    Hao Ren handed Vivian over to Nangong Wuyue, and then checked on Lily to make sure that her problem was minor before coming to Hilda, a little embarrassed and said, ¡°It looks like the experiment ended up going a bit awry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ok, don¡¯t worry,¡± the elven queen said with a slight smile on her face as an accident of this magnitude is nothing to them. ¡°It is beyond the imagination of any elven to perform a summoning ritual on this scale, and compared to this incredible ritual, the last minor incident is quite negligible. The tower¡¯s power was cut off just in time, and the damage was confined to the hall, leaving other structures unharmed. Someone will fix it later, and at most tomorrow the function will be restored.¡±


    Hearing this, Hao Ren felt relieved, but still a little sorry. ¡°I will let my robots clean it up for you. They are more efficient.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Hilda did not reject Hao Ren¡¯s offer, nodded and then looked at the direction of Vivian. ¡°I think you better take care of her first.¡±


    Although the energy storm summed by Vivian looked powerful, due to the timely response and Vivian¡¯s control over the scale of the storm, the damage caused by it was limited. A group of magic instructors and engineers were quickly called to repair the hall, while others took Vivian, who was still sleeping, to rest.


    Looking at Vivian, who was sleeping soundly, Lily¡¯s mind was full of question marks, pulling Hao Ren¡¯s arm and bombarding him with lots of question. ¡°Landlord, what on earth is going on? What¡¯s the big news? Why does the bat fall asleep suddenly? Why did she suddenly lose control? Didn¡¯t we say the Crimson Moon was completely under control? What did you see on the Crimson Moon? And¡­¡±


    Hao Ren used all his strength to pull this husky apart. He had as many question marks in his head as Lily. ¡°Don¡¯t hit me a bunch of questions at the same time, will you? I¡¯m also baffled. Just now after entering the Tornado, Vivian told me that the Goddess of Creation is the leader of the god-slayers, and then she fell asleep directly. I guess now only she knows what it is.¡±


    And now everyone was baffled.


    ¡°I really wanna slap her awake, she owes us an explanation,¡± Lily muttered as she looked at Vivian, who was lying on the bed now.


    ¡°What do you think Vivian means?¡± Nangong Sanba asked his sister.


    ¡°How do I know it? I actually suspect that the landlord had misheard it. After all, there must be a lot of movement in the tornado. How can they have time to communicate when they can¡¯t even stand still?¡±


    ¡°My silly sister, it¡¯s quite calm at the center of the tornado. Told you to read more books¡­¡±


    Hao Ren did not pay attention to whatever happened around. He just sat beside Vivian alone, thinking about what he saw in the illusion.


    The figure that appeared at the end of the illusion, sealed with the crystal throne¡­ Was she the Goddess of Creation?


    If so, why was she sealed on the crystal throne? The place did not look like the Star of Creation at all. Where was it? What did it have to do with that crystal jungle in the Crimson Moon Sea? If that figure was not the Goddess of Creation, then who was she?


    And, why did Vivian say that ¡®the Goddess of Creation is the leader of the god-slayers¡¯ out of the blue? Recalling Vivian¡¯s unwavering expression and clear eyes when she said this, Hao Ren firmly believed that what she said was true.


    This seemed to mean that Vivian suddenly recovered some kind of memory, but it was clearly an accident. So what was the cause of this accident? Was it related to his falling into the illusion? Did he turn on a switch when the Crimson Moon Sea touched the crystal jungle?


    All these questions gave Hao Ren a headache, but the good news was that Vivian, the key person who could answer the most crucial question, finally woke up.


    She did not sleep very long. Lily was holding a brick, swinging it around Vivian and muttered, ¡°Battie isn¡¯t going to sleep for another 200 years, is she? Landlord, do you think that if I drop this brick on her, would she¡­ Oh, I¡¯m just kiddi¨C¡±


    ¡°Battie is awake!¡±


    Everybody immediately gathered around Vivian, asking about her situation, especially the last words she left before falling asleep.


    Hao Ren was sitting by the bed. He immediately grabbed Vivian¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°How do you feel? Are you hungry?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m all right.¡± Vivian laughed awkwardly and sat up on the bed with Hao Ren¡¯s help. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that the energy expenditure to be so great, but I recovered after a nap.¡±


    Hao Ren looked into her eyes and asked, ¡°You¡­ Have you recovered some of your memories?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Vivian with a sigh, ¡°about the Goddess of Creation¡­ It¡¯s not my own memory, but the message passed down with the part of the ¡®blood¡¯ that the Goddess of Creation left me.


    ¡°So it means¡­¡±


    ¡°The Goddess of Creation was corroded by the Mad Lord. It happened in the final battle between her and the Mad Lord. This is the truth we have been looking for ¨C the truth of the unusual behavior of the Goddess of Creation.¡±


    Hao Ren, ¡°¡­¡±


    At this moment, he suddenly realized his lack of vocabulary. There were so many meaningful, emotional and powerful words in the world that could be used, but at this moment, there was only one expression appeared in his mind ¨C¡±WTF¡±


    Vivian knew that everybody was waiting for her explanation, so she did not waste any time and tell them everything she knew.


    ¡°It¡¯s a secret that nobody knows ¨C not even the closest guardians of the Goddess of Creation and the ancients because the erosion she suffered took place in the deepest part, and she did not realize it until the end, and even if she did, she could not tell the truth¡­ The power of the Mad Lord had been implanted into her body many years ago and spread outward with every step she took to create life and explore the universe. The entire Plane of Dreams was thoroughly infected tens of millions of years ago. Except for a few native ecological planets, all the places where life and the Firstborns existed had the shadow of the Mad Lord. They¡¯re all the extension of the Mad Lord.


    ¡°Even though the body of the Mad Lord had been defeated and sealed, its power had never ceased to spread. On one hand, the Goddess of Creation won the battle, but on the other hand, the Mad Lord never failed, or even worse¡­ The war was never over.


    ¡°That¡¯s why the Firstborns went mad after the god-slaying incident, and the guardian giants had undergone that terrible mutation. The power of the Mad Lord magnified all the negative effects. It¡¯s not that someone had done something in the guardians¡¯ mental network, it¡¯s that the mental network itself had a problem.


    ¡°But these infections were trivial, and the real fatal infections were still on the Star of Creation¡­¡±


    Vivian paused here, seemingly in search of a more appropriate way of expression. Finally, she frowned and shook her head. ¡°The Goddess of Creation was split into two.¡±

 Chapter 1518 - The Battle That Never Ends

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    It was a long, long time ago.


    When the Goddess of Creation first set out to explore the Plane of Dreams, she knew nothing about the dark horror in the depth of the universe. Although she was born strong, she was still young and tender due to her lack of knowledge and experience. She traveled the whole world with the demigod creature she created, Lockmarton, and visited strange planets and spaces. The journey needed no further elaboration. Everyone knew what happened to her in the end ¡ª¡ª


    The Mad Lord.


    No rational individual could coexist with the Mad Lord. In fact, the Mad Lord could not coexist peacefully with any existence other than himself. The battle between the Goddess of Creation and this violent creature was inevitable. From the day they appeared in the same universe, the battle had already begun and was not destined to end soon.


    In that battle, the Goddess of Creation swung herself into the realm of the Mad Lord. She destroyed most of the physical structure of the Mad Lord and destroyed its core. Eventually, with a powerful seal and prison system, she suppressed the terrible enemy permanently in the depths of the universe. She seemed to have won, but in fact, she only gained the upper hand temporarily, and the battle turned around. In the second stage, the battle continued in the new battlefield, that was, inside the Goddess of Creation herself.


    The existence of the Mad Lord made it impossible for this terrible primitive creature to be completely destroyed, and it would not be limited to one form of existence. In the battle, part of its power had actually escaped and attached to the Goddess of Creation and her two swords. However, the Goddess of Creation was not aware of all this. She did not feel any contradiction from her short-term emotional changes, because the battle exhausted her, and she just wanted to return to the Star of Creation, which made her miss the best chance to completely eliminate the infection of the Mad Lord.


    In fact, she was not careless. Her intuition told her to doubt about the seal of the Mad Lord. She wondered if she really sealed the monster completely. So she cut out her memory on the Star of Creation and made herself part of the seal. All kinds of signs showed that her decision to ¡®cut out the memory¡¯ actually meant that she realized the problem. The activities of the Mad Lord were still going on. Unfortunately, cutting out her memory did not free her from the fact that she had been eroded.


    In the long years that followed, the Goddess of Creation, who restored her original memory, resumed her activities. She created life, visited the planets, explored the universe, and by launching the Seeds of Origin into planets, she built a huge system of life, nurtured vigorous life on countless planets, and the Firstborns on these planets became beacons and eyes in the universe. They used the spiritual network to send back all kinds of interesting things happening in the universe to the Star of Creation ¨C but the power of the Mad Lord lurked in the depths of every creation of the Goddess and continued to spread with the expansion of this life network.


    But the most deadly erosion was on the Goddess of Creation.


    Initially, the erosion was very slight. The power of the Goddess of Creation naturally suppressed the power of the Mad Lord. In this invisible war, the Mad Lord was defeated countless times. But with the multiplication of life in the universe and the growth of the spiritual network of the Firstborns, the power of the Mad Lord was strengthened little by little. It could be defeated countless times, but it only needed one victory to turn things around.


    This balance was broken before the godslaying war.


    The Goddess of Creation began to behave strangely, carried out some inexplicable research projects or disappeared from the eyes of her guardians from time to time. At first, she did not realize her anomalies, because many things happened after her subconscious was affected, but the situation finally deteriorated to the point where she could not hide it. She found that she had lost a lot of memories, sometimes even a few days of blank memory. After each trance, she always found that she had done lots of inexplicable things. Guardian giants often come to confirm things she never told them and those loyal giants insisted that they had received orders from her.


    The Goddess of Creation finally realized that a ¡®shadow¡¯ had appeared in her temple.


    ¡°The memory inherited from the Goddess¡¯s blood is not complete. Sometimes it¡¯s just some messy fragments. I¡¯m like watching another person¡¯s life fragments and guessing the truth from those pictures,¡± Vivian said slowly, leaning on her bed. ¡°The Goddess of Creation found her own anomalies and remembered a little about the Mad Lord. This is a sign of loosening of the seal. The loosening of the seal resulted in the leakage of the power of the Mad Lord, but in turn, it made the Goddess of Creation aware of the truth. On the day when she was fully convinced of her soul¡¯s abnormality, ¡®reality¡¯ was distorted and she herself split into two.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to describe to you the split of the Goddess. I can only say that for a short period of time, there were two Goddesses of Creation on the Star of Creation at the same time. They coexisted at the same time, giving opposite orders to the guardian giants, and even standing in front of them at the same time. However, no one except herself was aware of this. The orders received by the guardian giants were a random possibility in the orders given by the two Goddesses of Creation, and if there were new possibilities to overthrow the previous ones, the Star of Creation and even the reality of the universe would be immediately reset and collapsed into a new world line¡­ It¡¯s a crazy state, the whole universe¡­


    Vivian was looking for the right words to describe the situation but Lily immediately responded, ¡°Quantum state! The whole universe has quantum effects on the macro level because of the simultaneous appearance of two goddesses!¡±


    Vivian looked at Lily in a bit of surprise, but somehow remembered that she had graduated from Peking University four times, so she curbed her surprise and went on to say, ¡°All in all, the Goddess of Creation took effective measures at the last minute ¨C the normal one, I mean. I can¡¯t see what she did, but she pulled the Star of Creation out of the quantum superposition state and cut out the eroded part of herself. She probably had noticed the fact that the Mad Lord was out of control, and that she had become a springboard for the Mad Lord to get out of trouble, so she decided to destroy herself before things got worse. However, it¡¯s hard for a true Goddess to destroy herself, which requires special skills. The Goddess of Creation did not know this skill, so she could only¡­ kill herself.¡±


    Hao Ren realized what happened next. ¡°She threw the eroded ¡®self¡¯ to the godslayers?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Vivian nodded. ¡°In turn, she interfered with the eroded ¡®self¡¯, and then allowed it to come down as an incarnation in the kingdom of the godslayers, replacing the leader of that race. There¡¯s a reason why she chose the godslayers race ¡ª¡ª because these people were not the race she had designed, but something that the Mad Lord had created by her hand. Because she had been unconsciously resisting the negative erosion in her body, the residual influence of the power of the Mad Lord in every Seed of Origin was different. When the Goddess of Creation prevailed, almost 100% of the life that the Seed gave birth to was ¡®clean¡¯, but when the Mad Lord prevailed, the life that the Seed gave birth to would completely degenerate. In the process of the birth of the god-slayers race, the power of the Mad Lord interfered with them more than 90%, which was why the god-slayers race had a greedy dark nature. This race was originally the ¡®back door¡¯ for the Mad Lord to get out of trouble, but now it¡¯s used by the Goddess of Creation in turn¡­¡±


    ¡°What a tragic.¡± Hao Ren sighed. ¡°The only time the Goddess of Creation succeeded in overturning the Mad Lord was to commit suicide.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, the Goddess of Creation finished her self-destruction before the Mad Lord got out of trouble completely, and also destroyed the Mad Lord¡¯s greatest dark chess. From her personal point of view, she lost, but from the perspective of the overall survival of the Plane of Dreams, I can only say that¡­ It¡¯s a good deal.¡± Vivian sighed again. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that the final development of the matter is out of the expectation of the Goddess of Creation. She didn¡¯t expect her Firstborns to lose control when she, being the source of infection, disappeared. Although the seal of the Mad Lord was temporarily restored to stability, the era of life created by her was instantly destroyed¡­¡±


    It¡¯s really a lamentable ending.


    ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± Vivian leaned against the bed after a long narration. ¡°In short, the battle between the Goddess of Creation and the Mad Lord has never ceased ¨C even to this day. In different dimensions, in different forms, the two forces are constantly confronting each other. If we want to find the Goddess of Creation, there are many things to consider.¡±


    Hao Ren handed over a glass of water and said, ¡°Take a sip. What you said is big news indeed. To tell the truth, I am a little confused. How did you suddenly recover those memories? Is it related to the stimulation I caused on the Crimson Moon?¡±


    ¡°The stimulation on the Crimson Moon?¡± Vivian was holding the glass of water, covering half of her face and looking at Hao Ren in surprise. ¡°I know you have another illusion¡­ What are you doing up there?¡±


    ¡°I touched the crystal on the bottom of the Crimson Moon, and then I entered an illusion that was different from the previous ones. The illusion looks like an unknown planet, but it¡¯s definitely not the Star of Creation. Then I went into the second layer of the illusion and saw the figure of, I think, the Goddess of Creation sealed on the crystal throne¡­ Of course, it may not be a seal. Maybe that¡¯s how the crystal throne works?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡±


    ¡°Ahem, let me explain it to you in detail.¡± Hao Ren straightened himself up to explain to them. ¡°But compared with Vivian¡¯s big news, the things I see are not so shocking, but I feel that what I see has something to do with the things Vivian mentions¡­¡±

 Chapter 1519 - An Incomplete Jigsaw Puzzle

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren told them what he had seen and heard on the Crimson Moon and what he had experienced in the illusion, including the mysterious exotic land full of thunders and crystals, the boundary blocked by dark fog, and the ¡®second scene¡¯ after crossing the boundary. He also mentioned some of his discoveries and conjectures for their analysis and reference.


    ¡°Now I can confirm that the Crimson Moon is a mini copy of the Star of Creation ¡ª or a projection. So I think the thing I see on the Crimson Moon will definitely have an ¡®original version¡¯ that is several times bigger on the Star of Creation, or it will have an original, such as Lockmarton¡¯s lair. Although Muru and Lemendusa did not know it existed, at some point in history, the Goddess of Creation apparently made such a home for Lockmarton on her own planet.


    ¡°Secondly, regarding the world I saw in the illusion, it is obviously not the Star of Creation, but the crystal clusters growing in that world are exactly the same as the crystal jungle on the seabed of the Crimson Moon, and the crystals on the seabed of the Crimson Moon are the key to entering the illusion, so the connection between the two is obvious. I guess the Goddess of Creation visited the planet full of crystals, built some mysterious facilities on it, and then brought some crystals to the Star of Creation and hid them under the sea. I just don¡¯t know if Muru knows the existence of these crystals¡­ If only we could get further information from the guardian giant.


    ¡°At the end of the illusion, I saw the Goddess of Creation sitting on the crystal throne, sealed with the throne by a huge crystal, but we all know that the Goddess of Creation was finally stabbed and fallen on the battlefield of the god-slaying war, so the illusion is somewhat contradictory. I think of three explanations. The first is that the scene I saw at that time was not a seal, but just a normal phenomenon when the Crystal Throne was activated. Maybe that device is used this way, just like some kind of dormant chamber. The second is that not all illusions are real. It may have been distorted or changed with the subjective idea of the observer himself. At that time, when I looked at the illusion, I felt that the Goddess wanted to sit on it, and then she sat on it, which may be some kind of ¡®observer phenomenon¡¯. Third, this conjecture was based on the information just given by Vivian. Perhaps the one sitting on the crystal throne was not the real Goddess of Creation, but another Goddess, the contaminated one.¡±


    Hao Ren stopped here for a moment to give them some time to think. Lily frowned for a moment and then raised her hand. ¡°Landlord, I have a question.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°You said the Crimson Moon was the projection of the Star of Creation, right? And it¡¯s stationary, so the Crimson Moon is like a snapshot of the Star of Creation at a certain moment. It records the state of the Star of Creation at that moment, and time no longer flows,¡± Lily said, wagging her tail as if indicating that her brain was running at a high speed. ¡°So which moment of the Star of Creation is recorded on the Crimson Moon?¡±


    Hao Ren blinked and thought for a moment, then answered, ¡°It should be before the Goddess of Creation cut out her own memory because there¡¯s Lockmarton¡¯s lair on it, so the point of time should be before the birth of the guardian giants and Firstborns.¡±


    Lily, looked proud as if she had discovered some amazing secret, asked, ¡°So the crystal jungle on the Crimson Moon seabed should have appeared at that time too? The world you see in the illusion, and the crystal throne, is also the scene before the Goddess of Creation cut out her own memory?¡±


    Hao Ren frowned and finally realized what was wrong.


    Nangong Sanba also realized the problem. ¡°That is to say, if the crystal jungle on the Crimson Moon seabed, the crystal throne and the goddess figure in the illusion happened before the Goddess of Creation cut out her own memory, then landlord¡¯s third guess is not true. According to Vivian, the Goddess of Creation was completely split into two on the eve of the godslaying war, so the goddess figure in the illusion couldn¡¯t be another Goddess of Creation. At that time, the Goddess was not split into two.¡±


    Hao Ren muttered to himself, ¡°Unless there is a problem with the timeline¡­¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± asked Vivian.


    ¡°No, nothing. I¡¯m just wondering if there¡¯s a problem with the sequence of these things.¡± Hao Ren frowned and shook his head. ¡°But I have no idea yet. I need to go back and think about it carefully.¡±


    Nangong Sanba, leaning on the wall next to him, said leisurely, ¡°The most important thing is that we have to sort it out from scratch ¨C how many of the ¡®final acts of the Goddess of Creation¡¯ we know so far are actually done by the real Goddess of Creation, and how many by another woman under the influence of the Mad Lord?¡±


    ¡°The Mad Lord is just a chaotic creature without any thinking ability, but what he did had eventually turned into such a complicated situation¡­¡± Nangong Wuyue sighed and said.


    The Mad Lord himself has no thinking ability, but the creatures it eroded have,¡± Vivian shook her head and explained. ¡°It can¡¯t think, but the intelligent creatures controlled by its power ¨C they will become the thinking organs of the Mad Lord, and serve the Mad Lord consciously or unconsciously. The Goddess of Creation should be the most powerful brain the Mad Lord has ever found. If the Goddess of Creation hadn¡¯t chosen to destroy herself at the last moment to stop all this, I¡¯m afraid we would face a more troublesome situation.¡±


    ¡°If that happens, it won¡¯t be a rookie like me to deal with it,¡± Hao Ren joked. ¡°I heard my boss has The Annihilation Protocol. Once it¡¯s signed, the whole world will be deleted in the blink of an eye. So scary.¡±


    Lily couldn¡¯t help looking at him when she heard this. ¡°Landlord, to be honest, are you really sure that you¡¯re doing a rookie job now? Why do I think that a rookie like you, who has just been on the job for less than four years, is more successful than your colleagues who have worked for hundreds of thousands of years?¡±


    And the one answered her was the data terminal that was lying on Hao Ren¡¯s head pretending to be an iron hat. ¡°Not just you, I also think that there¡¯s a shady deal behind it¡­¡±


    Hao Ren, ¡°¡­¡±


    Hao Ren did not really care. He had come to this stage entirely of his own choices, and he had no regrets for these choices. What he was more concerned about now was what Nangong Sanba just reminded him.


    The Goddess of Creation did many things before she fell. How many of them were done by her own will, and how many were done under the subconscious influence of the Mad Lord?


    According to the information provided by Vivian, the split of the Goddess of Creation took place less than a thousand years before the outbreak of the godslaying war. At that time, she discovered the abnormal situation in her soul, and then she realized that there were two ¡®selves¡¯ on the Star of Creation. Through a process that no mortal could understand, she pulled another her out and deceived or induced it to accomplish a wave of ¡®anti-interference¡¯.


    She banished the ¡®dark side¡¯, who was intent on releasing the Mad Lord, into the kingdom of the godslayer race, which was a race with great potential danger which she created under the influence of the Mad Lord, and it was another back door for the Mad Lord to get out of trouble.


    Through unconscious influence, she let her dark side lead the god slayers to launch the rebellion, and finally, willingly die on the battlefield.


    She skillfully utilized the two hidden threats that the Mad Lord had left beside her, removing all the route of retreat for the Mad Lord by letting the two hidden threats and her die together.


    However, in the whole process of confronting the dark side of herself, the Goddess did not take the absolute advantage. Although she expelled the eroded Goddess, the connection between the two was uninterrupted. She interfered and induced the latter to act, but in fact, the latter was also influencing her constantly. Her greatest achievement after banishing the dark side was actually to restore the Star of Creation from a crazy quantum superposition to a normal state so that she could stay a little more awake, but essentially, from the day she realized that she had been eroded, she had not really awakened.


    So everything she did in this period of time¡­ It¡¯s hard to say whose will it was.


    What did she do in the process?


    She induced the god slayers, plotted her own assassination, and eventually fell on the battlefield.


    At the last moment, she found out that the situation was out of control, so she urgently organized the evacuation of the refugees of the Plane of Dreams, sent a large number of ¡®kindling¡¯ of the Plane of Dreams to the trans-space Ark Yggdrasil, and sent them to the Earth.


    She also executed the final absolution to forgive the sins of all mortal races.


    She created Vivian Ancestor and made her the ¡®guide¡¯ for some grand project.


    Oh, and earlier, she designed and started building the Creation¡¯s Engine, a mysterious plan that even her guardians did not know what their mother was trying to do with it.


    She also left behind a network of divine oscillations in the universe. The network, which used remote stars as oscillating nodes, could transmit information throughout the Plane of Dreams. Like the Creation¡¯s Engine, however, this network was a mysterious product of which no one knew its specific effects and was not completed.


    This was only part of what Hao Ren had found so far. What about the part that he has not found? How many things did the Goddess of Creation do when she was not being in her right mind?


    Which of them was used to¡­ release the Mad Lord?


    Cold sweat rolled down Hao Ren¡¯s forehead.


    He grabbed the data terminal and said, ¡°Now send a message to Lemendusa to suspend the assembly of the Creation¡¯s Engine.¡±


    ¡°The reason? Give him a reason ¨C he¡¯s not your subordinate, after all, he¡¯s just a collaborator.¡±


    ¡°Just say¡­ we suddenly found the fatal BUG in the blueprint. It¡¯s suspected that the Goddess of Creation caught up with the outbreak of war when she designed it, so the key part went wrong. Wait for me to find someone to finish the design. This should be a good reason.¡±

 Chapter 1520 - The Dilemma and the Way Out

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The exploration of the Crimson Moon had yielded completely unexpected results.


    Hao Ren was initially only interested in the Crimson Moon. He just wanted to know what the Crimson Moon was and how it would be structured if it had entities. However, he did not realize that he had not only explored the mystery of the Crimson Moon but also been drawn into an illusion, giving him huge amounts of information. What¡¯s more, he also accidentally activated Vivian¡¯s memory and learned the surprising secret that the Goddess of Creation had been split into two.


    Although there was no clear evidence to prove it, Hao Ren had good reason to believe that Vivian¡¯s sudden recovery of memory was related to the test of the Crimson Moon.


    Now he could not determine how deeply the Goddess of Creation was influenced by the Mad Lord, how many of the ¡®final acts¡¯ before the Goddess¡¯s fall were her own will and how many were aimed at releasing the Mad Lord. To be safe, he could only temporarily stop the construction of the Creation¡¯s Engine because he was worried that the function of the Creation¡¯s Engine would be to release the Mad Lord¡­


    He wanted to reexamine the blueprint for the Creation¡¯s Engine, and if possible, it¡¯s better to have Raven 12345 reanalyze it to make sure it was safe.


    There was a mountain of data to be collated and earth-shaking news needed to be reported. Hao Ren felt that he was going to be really busy.


    Vivian had recovered after a rest, and the ritual hall on the top of the tower quickly resumed its normal operation. The large-scale experiment, which was relatively successful, came to an end. Hao Ren found Hilda and thanked the elves of Aerym for their strong support.


    ¡°This is what we should do,¡± said the Queen, relieved to see Vivian recover. Facing Hao Ren¡¯s thanks, she just smiled and shook her head. ¡°And if anything, Aerym has benefited a lot from this experiment. We are the ones who should really thank you.¡±


    Hao Ren raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°Really?¡±


    Hilda smiled and explained, ¡°The process of summoning the Crimson Moon is too complicated. Although we have collected a lot of data, none of the royal mages can understand the principle. It is the analysis of moonlight and the process of observing Vivian¡¯s use of energy that gives us great inspiration. I believe that we only need a period of research to make significant progress in energy extraction.¡±


    Allowing the elves of Aerym to involve in the summoning ritual was not only because Hao Ren needed a group of mage assistants, but also because the elves could benefit from the ritual. The Crimson Moon itself was an extraordinary creation that was difficult to understand by mortal races, but Vivian¡¯s rather superficial skills in the process of gathering magic could still be studied. Those who had been civilized on Earth might not be able to do so, the elves of Aerym, however, had been trapped in their homeworld for nearly 10,000 years. Although they had not been able to leave the galaxy, they had been forced by this dilemma to accumulate thousands of years of basic technology, and even pointed out many advanced technologies beyond their civilized level. They had the accumulation of technology far beyond the same level of civilization, just needed an opportunity.


    Now the resourceful new Aerym had given them this environment, and the Crimson Moon had given them inspiration in the field of new technology.


    At first, Hilda and her royal mages hesitated, but Hao Ren offered to invite their technical experts to attend to dispel their doubts. After all, this was a process that both sides could benefit from, and the Crimson Moon was not the science and technology from the Xi Ling Celestials, so it was not against the rules to let the lower civilization study it.


    After that, the elves invited Hao Ren and his friends to stay on the planet for a few more days, but Hao Ren politely declined the hospitality. Dealing with the great news of the Goddess of Creation, he really did not have time to waste.


    Hao Ren immediately got busy when he got home.


    First, all the new information collected in this ¡®experiment¡¯ was sorted out and uploaded to Raven 12345. At the end of the report, it was noted that he hoped that the superiors would provide technical support (the kind that would not explode) to re-examine the blueprint of the Creation¡¯s Engine. Later, he found out all the information about the Goddess of Creation in the past two years, comparing and searching one by one, in order to find the contradictions among them and to speculate on the influence of the power of the Mad Lord on the Goddess of Creation. If possible, he hoped that he could find the ¡®dividing line¡¯ between the Goddess of Creation and the Mad Lord.


    The ¡®dividing line¡¯ was a series of quantifiable and retrospective behavioral characteristics. These special characteristics could help Hao Ren to analyze which personality of the Goddess of Creation acted at that moment. Hao Ren wanted to find these characteristics from various clues and organize them into a comparative list.


    But it seemed a little difficult.


    Hao Ren sat on the sofa while the data terminal floating in front of him and projecting a large amount of sorted data, which had been collected in the past two years, all about the Goddess of Creation. Hao Ren¡¯s eyes swept through these materials line by line, and his expression was particularly serious.


    Lil Pea lay on his lap, quietly playing with a miniature Rubik¡¯s Cube (which Nangong Wuyue made for her). The little fellow did not understand anything about the Goddess of Creation, but she knew that dad was doing a very important job, so she was very well behaved and did not make trouble.


    And beside Hao Ren, there were two assistants: Nangong Sanba and Lily. They were also helping to analyze the data and give some useful suggestions.


    Nangong Sanba could not help much in the battle, but this guy had far more information analysis and collation ability than others.


    As for Lily¡­ As long as she took out those yellowing graduation certificates, no one in the family dared to say that they were smarter than her¡­


    After studying the data for a while, Nangong Sanba said, ¡°It should be impossible to separate the acts of the two personalities of the Goddess of Creation from these things, at least from the things we have at hand, her acts did not show clear divergent purposes.¡±


    Lily shook her head, too. ¡°Although the Goddess of Creation eventually split into two, these two individuals are not completely separated. They influence each other, so each action of the Goddess of Creation has two personality factors interfering at the same time. The difference should be that the proportion of the two interfering factors is different. Sometimes the Goddess of Creation gained the upper hand, sometimes the Mad Lord did, but it¡¯s unrealistic to separate the two completely.¡±


    Hao Ren touched his chin and said, ¡°Taking the Creation¡¯s Engine as an example, that thing may indeed be used by the Goddess of Creation to save the world, but there may be parts in it that are the work of the Mad Lord. On the contrary, there may be a glimmer of the kindness of the Goddess of Creation in the actions of the Mad Lord¡­¡±


    Lily and Nangong Sanba nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s almost what it means.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of trouble. Our plan has always been to revive the Goddess of Creation and kill the Mad Lord, but now the two are inextricably entangled, which makes it difficult to do. Let say, if one day I found the grave of the Goddess of Creation and I started digging the grave, but halfway of digging I found the bone of the Mad Lord, should I keep on digging?¡±


    Nangong Sanba looked at Hao Ren for a while, nodded slowly and said, ¡°Landlord, you really have a unique mind¡­¡±


    ¡°Actually, that¡¯s what I¡¯m most worried about right now¡­¡± said Vivian. ¡°The memory I inherited from my bloodline goes on until the god-slayers attacked the temple, and I don¡¯t know what happened after that. The Goddess of Creation split into two. One of them was assassinated and fell. But what about the other one? No one knows what happened to of Goddess No.2. Logically, she was supposed to be somewhere in the godslaying battlefield, and most probably she would be dragged into the darkness with the explosion¡­ If we ever find the Goddess of Creation, the one we save will be the Goddess or the Mad Lord?¡±


    It made the atmosphere even more solemn. Hao Ren had a feeling that countless previous efforts were going to die because he chose the wrong flag at the beginning.


    He then figured out one more thing:


    Why did Vivian¡¯s soul rot like a ¡®congenital disease¡¯ and, because of this, she had frequently fallen asleep, gone crazy, and released Malevolence?


    Now even this has an explanation ¡ª even the birth of Vivian was influenced by the Mad Lord.


    Vivian herself was an irrefutable proof that the Goddess of Creation was eroded by the Mad Lord.


    Fortunately, even if they did not know the causes and consequences before, the crisis was finally lifted.


    Just as Hao Ren was thinking about these questions in his head, Raven 12345 suddenly sent him a message in his mind.


    ¡°Hao Ren, I¡¯ve received your report. You¡¯re really a genius¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of me, dear Goddess. I¡¯m facing a big problem now. We¡¯re discussing a serious issue: What if I do find the grave of the Goddess of Creation, but the one buried in it is the goddess controlled by the Mad Lord?¡±


    Raven 12345 was speechless, but after a moment of silence, she gave her advice.


    ¡°Remember the Bible I gave you? The Bible of the Dark Valkyrie. It has a constant connection with the Goddess of Creation. Its boarding power is far stronger than the Mad Lord¡¯s erosion on the Goddess of Creation. If you really meet the worst situation you¡¯re talking about, release the power of the Bible.¡±

 Chapter 1521 - Convincing People by Reasoning

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    At the suggestion of Raven 12345, Hao Ren took out the large black book from his dimensional pocket and placed it solemnly on the tea table.


    He had actually ¡®read¡¯ it once, or, strictly speaking, he had opened it once.


    Hao Ren knew the value of this book from the day he got it. He knew that the Bible, which had a chain and eight rams, contained powerful power, and that if he could master even one percent of its power, he could improve his chances considerably when dealing with the Mad Lord in the future. So the night he took it home, he opened the book and read it once. It was absolutely a painful memory. The power contained in the text of the book was more than he could have borne.


    It was a divine script with pure divine power. Every symbol contained information equivalent to the foundation of the universe. This information had nothing to do with the content of the specific writing of the divine script but was the inherent attribute of the latter. Hao Ren did not understand a word in that short reading for a few minutes. He just felt that there were innumerable weird and unpredictable symbols flying in and out of his brain. The vast amount of taboo knowledge was stuffed into his mind and disappeared in the next instant. In the end, he did not remember anything. The only gain was that he slept for seven hours¡­


    For Hao Ren, it did not matter how these contents were. The process of reading those divine scripts was equivalent to gazing at the truth of the universe. What¡¯s more, he had not even read the beginning of the book yet.


    Lily and Nangong Sanba sat right and left beside Hao Ren, staring at the big black book with their curious eyes. Lil Pea jumped onto the big book, hitting the cover of the book with her tail and shouting, ¡°Daddy! Don¡¯t read! Daddy! Don¡¯t read!¡±


    The little kid feared that Hao Ren would faint again after reading it, as he did last time.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know how to read this book this time.¡± Hao Ren then put the little mermaid up in the basin next to him. He silently repeated the secret that Raven 12345 told him, then he turned his head to Lily and Nangong Sanba and said, ¡°After I opened the cover, you mustn¡¯t look at the text inside, just watch me. If something is wrong, block my eyes immediately. Lily! Put away your alloy sword! I want you to block my eyes, not hitting me!¡±


    Lily stuck out her tongue and threw aside the huge alloy X11 sword.


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and solemnly opened the cover of the big black book.


    At the moment the cover was opened, the book was out of his control. Hao Ren¡¯s mind was filled with numerous symbols and information. His spiritual world reached the edge of collapse almost in an instant.


    However, just as the situation was about to repeat itself, Hao Ren stifled his spiritual collapse and immediately shielded his senses of everything around him, focusing his spiritual energy on the Bible in front of him.


    This was the ¡®trick¡¯ that Raven 12345 taught him, a clever way to read divine scriptures.


    Under this extreme concentration, Hao Ren finally felt that the pages of the book that flipped crazily before his eyes gradually stopped, and the symbols that flitted around in front of him slowly fell out of sight. He began to see some coherent sentences and phrases. These words were not fixed on the page. As his eyes moved, these words were constantly changing, as if a sentence contained the evolution of all the information in the universe.


    Of course, it was just an illusion. Hao Ren tried to concentrate on making the pages of the book more stable. Then he thought about the question he wanted to ask: What to do if the Goddess of Creation had been eroded by the Mad Lord when they found her?


    The words on the page quivered and began to extract the most appropriate answer from the vast amount of information contained in the Bible, but the words presented were still not clear enough, so Hao Ren had to strengthen the question in his mind over and over again to strengthen the connection between himself and the bible.


    He felt that his field of vision was darkening and he had a splitting headache, but before he lost control, the lines on the page finally became clear.


    He made it!


    Hao Ren stared at the ¡®divine words¡¯ and wanted to engrave them in his heart. The words were as follows:


    ¡°Step one, open the book and reason with her. If she doesn¡¯t listen, move on to step two.


    ¡°Step two, close the book, pull out the chain and hit her face.


    ¡°Step three, open the book and reason with her.


    ¡°Step four, repeat until she is willing to reason with you.¡±


    Here¡¯s another line of small words: convince people by reasoning.


    There was only one word in his mind before he passed out: Damn!


    At the same time, at the ¡®Creation¡¯s Engine Casting Ground¡¯ in Solenne, the last stellar forge was gradually quieting down under the control of Lemendusa. All forging materials were removed from the core of the star and temporarily sealed up on a nearby planet, waiting for an order to start again.


    Standing on a control platform in space, Lemendusa¡¯s body was coated with gold by the glow of the stellar forge. With a solemn look and a trace of regret, he looked at the ¡®stellar forge¡¯ that was shrinking into a normal star and sighed softly. ¡°The construction project is half done.¡±


    Muru¡¯s voice came from behind him. ¡°Nine of the most important Gilded Discs are still missing. Without those Gilded Discs as the computing hub, even if the core of the Creation¡¯s Engine is completely completed, it won¡¯t work. So, it¡¯s okay that we stop now. Besides, the external frame of the engine is still missing in the dark.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do. After all, the blueprint has some problems,¡± said Lemendusa, and then went back to supervise the space project. A large number of barges were busy near the ¡®Solar Port¡¯ above the star forge, transporting the cast parts and temporarily unused materials to the nearby storehouse. And farther away, a huge, pale gold space facility was quietly floating among the stars, reflecting the light of the stars.


    That was the unfinished Creation¡¯s Engine, looking like a small planet assembled from huge mechanical structures and bent metal plates. Two-thirds of the dwarf planet¡¯s skeleton had been built and covered with a small part of the shell. The incomplete parts looked like a lot of gnawed gaps with the glow from engine power lines glinted in these gaps. But now that the assembly project had been suspended, and all construction work had stopped. The engineering spacecraft was only doing the routine maintenance and inspection in the Creation¡¯s Engine.


    Although the engine has theoretically unlimited service life after completion, its self-repair function and stabilization force field had not been activated before completion. To keep such a huge thing in good condition, it must be maintained from time to time.


    Lemendusa had overseen the project for a long time, starting with a blueprint and then working on the prototype of the engine, which he had worked on with great care. He was certainly disappointed that the project was now coming to a halt.


    But Hao Ren¡¯s message must be faced squarely. Lemendusa knew that he should trust the ¡®spokesman of God¡¯. Since he urgently stopped the construction of the Creation¡¯s Engine, it meant something was really wrong.


    ¡°The project here may not be restarted so soon.¡± Muru was also gazing at the Creation¡¯s Engine while talking to Lemendusa. ¡°Do you want to go back to Tannagost first? The ecosystem of the planet has fully recovered. You should go back and see it.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll go back.¡± Lemendusa nodded, and then looked serious. ¡°Do you think the reason for the emergency stop of this project is really what Hao Ren said?¡±


    ¡°Flaws in the blueprint?¡± Muru shook his head. ¡°Maybe only Heve would believe it. You and I can feel that it¡¯s not so simple.¡±


    ¡°So you also think so,¡± said Lemendusa. ¡°The blueprint was personally examined by the Goddess named Raven 12345. If the blueprint itself is flawed, the true Goddess would have noticed that, so this is obviously an excuse.¡±


    ¡°Hao Ren is a trustworthy man, at least he is on our side.¡±


    ¡°Yes, so I believe he has his reasons for doing so.¡± Lemendusa nodded. ¡°Maybe¡­ It¡¯s about our mother. If this is the case, he will probably hide the truth from us for the time being out of caution.¡±


    Muru looked into Lemendusa¡¯s eyes as if trying to read his mind. ¡°Do you know anything, my brother? I can feel¡­ You¡¯re shielding part of your mind.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know something,¡± said Lemendusa frankly, ¡°but I can¡¯t say it. I can only tell you that I am loyal to our mother and to every mission she has given us and that I will not do anything to hurt her.¡±


    Muru looked quietly at Lemendusa for a moment, then nodded softly. ¡°Of course, I trust you.¡±


    The two guardian giants stopped talking. They turned and looked in the direction of the Creation¡¯s Engine, both lost in thought.


    Muru pondered the fate of the universe while Lemendusa¡¯s mind wandered back to the battlefield. For him, what had happened on that battlefield was still fresh in his mind.


    He recalled the energy arcs that tore the earth apart, the rebel fleets that blocked the sky, and the many inexplicable, fragmented and even contradictory orders from the Star of Creation, some of which required all guardians to withdraw immediately and retreat into the depths of the universe, while others required all guardians to hold their ground until the last moment.


    Faced with such contradictory orders, the guardians chose to stick to it.


    Lemendusa recalled more than that. His memory continued to trace back to the days on the Star of Creation before the outbreak of the godslaying war.


    He¡­ caught a glimpse of a thin, almost imperceptible shadow standing next to the Goddess of Creation.

 Chapter 1522 - Another Piece of the Puzzle

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Despite all the preparations in advance and the help of the ¡®secret¡¯ provided by Raven 12345, Hao Ren passed out as expected after reading the Bible, but this time the sleep was short: he woke up in time for dinner.


    As soon as he woke up, he saw Vivian standing beside him, looking like she had been waiting there for a long time, while Lil Pea lay on his chest. The baby fish had fallen asleep, curled up into a lovely ball, and occasionally tapped him on his chest with her tail as if she were dreaming.


    Vivian saw Hao Ren open his eyes, immediately gave him a gentle smile and said, ¡°I¡¯d be shocked again if I hadn¡¯t experienced it before. Wuyue had checked your body, the mental drain is a little high, but the situation is much better than last time. Do you feel any uncomfortable?¡±


    ¡°¡­ I think I may have believed in a false god, taken false Bible, and read false oracles¡­¡± Hao Ren rubbed his head. ¡°Damn it.¡±


    Vivian looked at Hao Ren curiously and asked, ¡°What on earth did you see in that scripture?¡±


    Hao Ren found it funny when Vivian referred to the big black book as ¡®the scripture¡¯ in awe.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Hao Ren then thought for a moment, and then decided to tell them what he had seen. Anyway, he did not really have to worry about them losing their faith, and Vivian did not believe in any gods. ¡°It says that if the Goddess of Creation is completely eroded by the Mad Lord and we run into her, just take out the bible and knock her on the skull until she¡¯s sobered up¡­¡±


    ¡°Or¡­ Would you like to sleep for a while?¡± asked Vivian.


    ¡°I know what I¡¯m saying.¡±


    ¡°Well, it seems that you are not joking,¡± Vivian said with a confused expression. ¡°You wasted your energy to get this kind of answer.¡±


    ¡°Well, not really.¡± Hao Ren shook his head, turning to look at the big black book lying quietly on the bedside table. He fainted in the living room, but now it seemed that Vivian carried him to the bedroom and also brought the book along. ¡°I passed the test of this book, and now¡­ I should be able to use some of its power.¡±


    As he spoke, the big black book made a slight noise as if it sensed Hao Ren¡¯s words. The fiery black iron chain on the spine of the book also started rattling, full of the spirit of war.


    Hao Ren, ¡°¡­¡±


    Feeling the connection between the Bible and his spiritual world, Hao Ren resolutely put it back into his dimensional pocket and covered half of his face with his hand. ¡°I¡¯ve decided that I would never touch it again unless it was necessary. Communicating with this book is more destructive than communicating with Raven 12345.¡±


    As they were talking, Lil Pea, who was sleeping on his chest, finally woke up. The little mermaid was so happy to see Hao Ren was fine that she jumped directly onto his face. ¡°Dad, you finally wake up! Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°How many times do I have to tell you, don¡¯t jump on my face. Do you know what it feels like to have a worm fall on your face?¡± said Hao Ren and he grabbed the little mermaid away from his face.


    The little kid was wriggling in the air and said, ¡°But I¡¯m a fish!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same.¡± Hao Ren sat up and handed the little fish to Vivian and said, ¡°This child grew up too fast. How could a three-year-old child have such a logical, clear and meticulous mind?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not right. I went to Inferno to save the world two hours after I was born. Gifted children have nothing to do with age¡­¡±


    Hao Ren, ¡°¡­¡±


    Hao Ren felt that Vivian had recently become happier after she had relieved herself of those psychological burdens.


    When Hao Ren returned to the living room, he saw Rollie was leaning on the sofa and gnawing a wool ball while Lily was squatting in front of the TV, kept changing the channel. Others were nowhere to be seen. They probably went to the Nangong couple¡¯s restaurant for a meal. Looking at the time now, Vivian probably needed more rest and could not cook for them, so those hungry ones would naturally go out to get their own food when they have nothing to eat, except Lily and Rollie. The two of them were probably dying here waiting for Vivian to cook.


    Yup. As soon as Vivian appeared, Lily jumped over and shouted exaggeratedly, ¡°Battie! Battie! Hurry up and cook! I¡¯m starving!¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you find something to eat first?¡± Vivian muttered, glaring at Lily as she walked to the kitchen.


    Lily grimaced at Vivian¡¯s back. ¡°Rua ¨C¡±


    Then she turned to Hao Ren and giggled, ¡°I knew you were okay. You¡¯re as strong as me. Did you get the answer?¡±


    The corner of his mouth twitched. He really did not want to recall what he saw¡­


    After dinner, Hao Ren took out the data terminal, began to study those messy historical data, and at the same time, trying to understand the intelligence sent from each monitoring station from the Plane of Dreams.


    ¡°Did you see that map of the stars projected by the Crimson Moon?¡± He asked casually, scanning the highlighted observations.


    ¡°Of course, I have already archived the star map ¨C but as you know, there are so many missing parts in the map that even with my power, I can¡¯t make it a complete one out of thin air, so don¡¯t try to force open that kind of incomplete map on the Plane of Dreams.¡±


    ¡°I know, I¡¯m not stupid. I just want you to compare that map with all the maps we have collected so far. Maybe you can find a little overlap so that you can at least determine which galaxy the map in Vivian¡¯s memory probably points to.¡±


    Data terminal shook its body up and down and said, ¡°Oh, okay. But honestly, I don¡¯t think it makes any sense. Star maps are different from regular maps. It describes not only the three-dimensional space but also the trajectory of the three-dimensional space under the time scale. It is almost impossible for two maps to overlap without knowing the transform guidance data¡­ Beep, beep, beep, beep? !¡±


    Hao Ren was startled by the sudden strange sound from the data terminal. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°I found an overlapping¡­¡±


    Hao Ren blinked, and it took him two seconds to understand what the data terminal meant. ¡°WTF?¡±


    ¡°You asked me to look for it. How come you looked more surprised than me when I found it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too fast! Just now you threw out a whole bunch of theories about the impossibility of finding overlapping star maps and now you found one!¡± Hao Ren looked at the data terminal as if he was looking at a ghost. ¡°Did you find it long ago, just to wait for the right moment to surprise me?¡±


    The data terminal shook its head disdainfully and changed the image on the holographic projection. ¡°Look here ¡ª I don¡¯t have time for that kind of joke.¡±


    The two star maps immediately appeared in front of Hao Ren.


    With the powerful skills of navigation science level 5, introduction to starships level 5, and blind guess level 99+, Hao Ren saw at the first glance that at least one-third of the two star maps were overlapping¡­ No, not just overlap.


    One-third of them overlapped, and the rest¡­ complemented each other.


    Together they formed a complete star map!


    ¡°¡­ Where did the other star map come from?¡± Hao Ren looked at this incredible scene, could not help but mutter, ¡°Such a coincidence¡­¡±


    ¡°Remember Inferno¨C when we were looking for the entrance to the Firstborn¡¯s cave, we found the ruins of the Sun Dynasty.¡± The data terminal¡¯s memory was much better than that of Hao Ren¡¯s. ¡°In the ruins of the Sun Dynasty, we activated the seal of the great pyramid, and as the pyramid activated it projected a star map in the sky. We always thought that the star map indicated the original coordinate of Inferno in the Plane of Dream, and you¡¯ve also sent a fleet of UAVs into the depths of the universe to find the corresponding location of the star map, but nothing was found.


    ¡°That star map is¡­¡± Hao Ren looked incredulous.


    ¡°Yes, that map is the missing second part. It complements the star map projected by the Crimson Moon. After recombining the two maps, I have completed the restoration of the original map¡­¡±


    The holographic projection started to transform again. The two maps merged, and all the star paths and navigation marks began to shine at every node.


    Hao Ren was puzzled. ¡°Wait a minute. The map we saw on Inferno was not defective. It looked quite complete. Otherwise, I would not send UAVs to look for the coordinates on the map. How could it be the remnant of another star map?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s partly hidden.¡± As the data terminal explained, the holographic projection changed continuously. ¡°The missing parts of the map are folded, hidden in a bunch of meaningless coordinates and transformation rules. At first, we thought it was a mess created by the Sun Dynasty in the process of saving or making star maps due to lack of technology. However, in the process of comparing the two star maps, I found the way to unfold these ¡®random codes¡¯, and here it is.¡±


    The two star maps merged into one, indicating a mysterious place deep in the universe on the Plane of Dreams.

 Chapter 1523 - Coordinates on the Star Chart

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Vivian was in the kitchen, cooking for everyone when she heard the din in the living room. She ran out. Upon learning the truth of the star chart, she as well as Hao Ren fell into thoughts.


    Everything seemed to make sense now.


    Hao Ren stared at the two charts that matched perfectly, the first thing that came to mind was not the value of this star chart, but how all the pieces had finally come together.


    The star chart had two parts. One part was stored deep in Vivian¡¯s soul with the red crystal in her consciousness and the Crimson Moon in the real world as the carrier. Bu no matter what form of storage it was, there was no question that it was part of Vivian¡¯s own memory. The other part of the star chart was in planet Inferno, first discovered to be hidden in the pyramid of the Sun Dynasty.


    Since the other half of the star chart was found in the ruins of the Sun Dynasty, it somehow led everyone into a false impression that the star chart was the legacy of the Sun Dynasty, a material left behind by the previous civilization on Inferno. But the truth was that the star chart did not belong to the people of the Sun Dynasty.


    It was Vivian¡¯s twin, the demon-god that left the star chart in Inferno.


    During the collision of the two worlds 10,000 years ago, the Goddess of Creation threw a divine avatar to the surface world. This divine avatar landed on the planet Inferno and began its first division. Half of her turned into a demon, stranded on the planet Inferno. This half had helped the survivors of the planet lived through the dramatic changes of the planet before it fell into dormancy, was eventually corrupted and annihilated by Hao Ren. The other half fell to the earth, becoming Vivian of today. It was easy to figure that Vivian and the demon god each bore the power and memory of the first divine avatar. So, everything was explainable. Both of them had inherited part of the star chart.


    Vivian had also realized this. Her facial expression was complicated. ¡°It was the Malevolence on the planet Inferno who kept the other half of the chart. We had been thinking all along that it belonged to the Sun Dynasty.¡±


    ¡°It seems that she did it while she was still sober.¡± Hao Ren sighed. ¡°She was eventually festered. But before she lost her mind, she had done everything she could. She gave the star chart to the Sun Dynasty so that they could preserve it. She built a seal for herself to ensure that she would not lose control for 10,000 years. She destroyed the nervous center of the First Born and saved the last batch of lives on the planet. I am beginning to admire her.¡±


    Vivian sighed. ¡°One-half¡­ I could have gone the way of the Malevolence too if not for the splitting. I do not know how, but I think the uncontrolled division has somehow slowed down my decay. I think I am actually lucky.¡±


    Lily looked at Vivian as if she was a ghost (Lily was not entirely wrong, though). ¡°I guess this is the first time in your life that you feel fortunate!¡±


    ¡°At least I am much luckier than the other half in Inferno.¡± Vivian looked at Lily with a provocative look. ¡°I knew my collection of amulets helped! See what you have to say this time!¡±


    ¡°I do not think so. But it is not important. What is more crucial is that we have the complete star chart now and we have restored the data. Should we go to the place on the map to check it out ourselves?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    Vivian looked at Hao Ren with a smile. ¡°Since you say this, does it not mean that you have already made up your mind?¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his head. ¡°I just feel that we should take a look since there is such an apparent lead before us.¡±


    Lily nodded her head in agreement.


    Soon, everyone in the family had learned about the news that the star chart was now complete. How did they know? Because Lily had sent a group message. Y¡¯zaks, his daughter, and Nangong siblings, who were eating in the Nangong¡¯s restaurant, ran back. He could not read the start chart, but the new adventure seemed like an exciting proposition.


    Everyone in this house was mischief-maker. Even the Nangong siblings had traveled around the world for a dozen times. For people like them who had been used to wandering around outside, settling down for a peaceful life was something unthinkable.


    But it was always good to have a home to fall back on especially after coming back from an adventure.


    The MDT was placed on the TV cabinet projecting a giant hologram in the living room. The hologram was so enormous that it filled one-third of the living room space. Everyone was watching from the other end of the living hall. There were not enough seats for them when everyone was present. Some had taken a few benches as if a bunch of old folks listening to health talk. Hao Ren, who stood beside the hologram, was apparently the ¡®health speaker.¡¯


    With the Gungnir as the pointer, Hao Ren pointed at the coordinates on the start chart. He looked around and found a few uninvited guests among his audience. Lil Pea lay on the head of Nangong Wuyue waving at him, curious and excited. Noobie had also come out of her mouse hole, standing and watching from far away, but God knows what was in her mind. There were no signs that indicated she would fire her ¡®biubiubiu.¡¯ And there was this cat, Rollie, who had found a bench and her enthusiasm to join the crowd, squatting on the bench and listening attentively like others.


    Hao Ren shook his head. He could not fathom what these three little guys were up to except that they were just curious. But simply because the three most hyperactive guys could finally sit down quietly, Hao Ren would just let sleeping dogs lie. He continued to point the Gungnir at the figures on the star chart. ¡°First, let¡¯s look at the approximate location indicated on the star chart. I have already confirmed it with the drone cluster; it is a galaxy which the expedition probes have yet explored. Even with the use of superluminal observation, we could only vaguely find a few galaxies roughly consistent with the star chart. In other words, this region of space is outside the area of control of the drone cluster and is very far from the universe that we know.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks nodded and said, ¡°Outside the zone of control means it is risky.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. So, as the first step, I will send a few drones to check it out.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°It is far, but with the rapid drones are equipped with powerful warp engines, they can quickly shuttle around the entire universe. By the way, Y¡¯zaks, why are you squatting on the floor?¡±


    ¡°I am sitting on a stool.¡±


    ¡°You can swap seat with your daughter. Let her sit on the stool while you on the sofa. You should not over-protect her. Your body is so large, and the stool is so small that it looks like you are squatting.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks scratched his head. ¡°Meh, I am fine.¡±


    ¡°I am more concerned about my stool. For your info, all four legs are being pitted into the floor.¡±


    At this time, Lily raised her hand. ¡°Mr. Landlord, can the probe go to the unexplored region of the universe using the warp engine?¡±


    The question was right up the alley of a scholar like Lily. Hao Ren nodded. ¡°It should work. There are a few navigation parameters on the star chart that could guide the warp jump. I have asked Nolan to run a simulation and found that the data could be converted into coordinates readable by the drone cluster. It should work as long as the warp jump happens within the universe of the Plane of Dreams. But of course, the final trajectory will be off by some margin. After all, there is a slight error in translation of the star chart. Secondly, the navigation guide of the star chart is a result of calculation under an ideal movement of celestial bodies, which inevitably cannot reflect the actual motion of the universe. The deviation would only be larger as time goes by, and the star chart has not undergone an update for 10,000 years.¡±


    Hao Ren continued. ¡°Of course, the deviation will not affect the warp jump by much. The probes will reach somewhere nearby the key coordinates on the star chart, and after which, they could crawl their way to the correct coordinates. It will only take the superluminal engine hours, if not days, to reach the destination.¡±


    Nothing was perfect, but it was a pretty ideal situation already. How difficult was it to use a warp engine and a star chart that had not been updated for 10,000 years to go to an unknown galaxy that was barely observable? It was as if finding two identical faces from among a million people. Of course, doing that in Korea would be an exception.


    Nangong Wuyue raised her and asked, ¡°I have a question: now we already know that the mad Lord has corrupted the Goddess of Creation, who has even split into two later. How do we ascertain that it was the Goddess of Creation who left behind this star chart? What if it was the festered half? Could this be a trap?¡±


    ¡°I have thought about these questions,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°Whatever the case, we still need to check it out ourselves. No matter what we will find there, we must not ignore the place on the star chart. Whether it was the Goddess of Creation or the Goddess of Destruction, she did not spend so much effort to preserve this start chart for nothing.¡±


    ¡°I think however powerful the Goddess of Creation was, she could not have possibly known about us who only existed 10,000 years later. Similarly, the Goddess of Destruction that she split was unlikely to set a trap for us, unless she intended it for me,¡± Vivian pointed at herself. ¡°If I had not split, then I would be the only person who would use the star chart. Why did she want to do that?¡±


    Lily¡¯s imagination began to run wild. ¡°Maybe her target was the real Goddess of Creation. Suppose you are the key to the resurrection of the Goddess of Creation, and the fake one could not stop your birth, she can only fiddle with your soul, set a trap for you and have you killed.¡±


    As the conversation seemed to come to nowhere, Hao Ren interrupted. ¡°We are not going to know the truth by just sitting here. The only way to find out the truth is to go there. I have decided to send out the probes. If the probes could arrive safely, then we will follow suit. What do you guys think?¡±


    ¡°I am all for it. Anyway, it is your drones, and I think what you said makes sense,¡± Lily said.


    The Nangong siblings exchanged a look and said, ¡°Count us in.¡±


    So, everyone had agreed. Suddenly, Rollie raised her hand and waved. ¡°I have a question, meow. Big Boss Cat, you have not mentioned about dried fish for a while.¡±


    ¡°Well, it seems that we have a unanimous vote,¡± Hao Ren said.


    ¡°Meow, meow, meow?¡±


    No one gave a hoot to Rollie. On the evening the same day, the drone cluster in the Plane of Dreams had received a trans-space-time command from Hao Ren. Three probes equipped with enhanced warp engines detached from the drone cluster and headed toward the mysterious coordinates on the star chart.


    Two days later, two of the probes arrived safely at the intended coordinates. But they sent back some incredible images.

 Chapter 1524 - An Unknown Space

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After receiving the information from the drones, Hao Ren brought everyone to the Crapple Research Station, or CARS.


    This space station was not only a research center; its powerful central computer and crystal resonant antenna allowed the space station to assume the function of integrating and processing all the information of the Plane of Dreams. The planet Tannagost, as an essential test site, where various life sample tests and experiments were conducted, was under the monitoring of the CARS. It was also the largest spaceport Hao Ren had ever built in the Plane of Dreams. The Pattianne and the Ansu, two ancient spaceships, also docked here. With the powerful offensive and defensive capabilities, CARS had become Hao Ren¡¯s most crucial base in this universe.


    No long ago, Hao Ren had ordered the installation of the most massive Nest Core in a tower of the space station to facilitate the control of the ever-expanding drone cluster. The information exchanges between the hundreds of millions of drones would go through this Nest Core. In a sense, the CARS was now the highest command center of the drone cluster. Of course, morphologically, the drone cluster did not have the highest commander. It adopted a distributed decision-making network, and the CARS could only monitor the network at the highest authorization level.


    Instead of going to the crystal chamber where the central computer was, Hao Ren headed straight to the Nest Core of the drone cluster. The Nest Core was a stack of luminous veins and strange metal capsules as if a metal brain thousands of times larger than the human brain. Those tubes and lines that extended out from the ceiling and the floor were all concentrated to the metal brain, which exuded a strange air. Lily yelled at first sight of this thing, ¡°Wow! That¡¯s ugly!¡±


    A bunch of messy lines appeared in front of the metal brain and slowly formed into a human face, which was the interactive interface of the drone-cluster consciousness. ¡°I am sorry to make you feel this way; I do not know much about aesthetics.¡±


    ¡°Drones at each node is a little different from the rest. The basic units out of the factory were standardized, but as the drone cluster developed, it would learn and evolve and ultimately become different from the original design. The farther the distance, time, and extent of expansion, the more apparent the difference between them,¡± the MDT explained. ¡°It seems our drone cluster has gotten great inspiration from the local environment as they explored the Plane of Dreams. Do not forget that all habitable planets here have creatures of tentacles and lumps of meat.¡±


    Nangong Sanba buried his face in his hand. ¡°Damn! I start to miss the boxy machine that we have first released. This thing has gone in the wrong direction.¡±


    Hao Ren waved his hand and interrupted their conversation, which had gone astray. He then turned to look at the metal brain that was supported by a large number of pipelines in midair and continuously releasing a twisting force. ¡°Tell me about what the probes have found.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± said the drone cluster, which then changed its interactive interface to show the images that the probes had sent back. ¡°Due to the inaccurate star chart you provided, the three probes chose three coordinates closest to the theoretical value to perform warp jump. Probe 1 probably plunged into space turbulence or high-energy region in the universe during the warp jump and lost contact with us because the deviation of coordinate was too large. Probe 2 and 3 arrived at the target galaxy almost at the same time, and they sent back this.¡±


    The hologram first showed a passage composed of twisted starlight. The front and rear ends of this starlight passage exhibited a very pronounced redshift, and the phenomenon rapidly decreased in a few seconds. It was a normal phenomenon when during the transition between warp jump and normal spacetime. The drones must have recorded and sent back this footage when they completed the warp jump to arrive at the target galaxy.


    The footage showed the starlight stabilizing, and the stars seemed to be still on the dark cosmic background. But there were occasional flashes on the footage, and some nearby celestial objects appeared stretched. It showed that the drones were not stationary but moving at sub-light speed. They had just been out of warp jump near the target coordinate and continuing their the next few light seconds distance using the conventional propulsion, which was part of the mission.


    Hao Ren watched the seemingly ordinary video until he saw the starlight jitter for a second.


    All the stars suddenly changed their positions.


    He rubbed his eyes, thinking that his eyes must be playing a trick on him or the image was flickering. But he quickly realized that it was the strange phenomenon that the drones had recorded.


    The starlight was almost static. Without atmospheric interference, the light would not twinkle, and the relative positions of the stars would never show visible changes. But, all the stars had shifted their positions just now. Some of the stars had demonstrated subtle changes in brightness although their positions changed little. It was as if someone had cut a section of a recorded video, and the unobservable slow changes had now been sped up.


    ¡°Rewind the footage. What happened just now?¡±


    Again, Hao Ren replayed the footage where the jittering occurred. This time, he knew that everything happened in an instant. When the drone crossed a specific boundary, the positions of the stars changed.


    ¡°The drone has observed a boundary, which is non-physical, non-obstructive, and non-exclusion. But within and outside this boundary, the observed universe is different,¡± explained the drone cluster consciousness. ¡°One drone is inside the boundary while the other is outside looking at the same direction, and so they have confirmed the existence of this phenomenon.¡±


    ¡°Is there a different universe?¡± Hao Ren frowned. ¡°How is it possible?¡±


    ¡°All celestial bodies are out of position, and light does not travel in a continuous space on a macroscopic scale. The boundary is crossable, but there is a broad ¡®warp-jump zone¡¯ between the two distinct spaces. Space is discontinuous.¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his jaw. ¡°What do you think could have caused this?¡±


    ¡°By comparing the starlight observed on both sides of the boundary, we know a vast space has gone missing. The misalignment of space has caused the observable jittering phenomenon when traveling through this horizon. Even if the physical distance between the two observation points is only a few hundred meters apart, the two observation positions will see the same object as if they were looking from two positions that are a few million light years apart. When the drone that remains outside the horizon observes the other drone crossing the horizon, there is a momentary loss of contact between the two. When the contact finally reestablishes, the distance between them is already millions of light years. The spatial distortion has rendered the measurement inaccurate, and it is impossible to determine the size of lost space.¡±


    Nangong Sanba scratched his head. ¡°I don¡¯t get what you say.¡±


    Nangong Sanba had ridiculed his sister for not studying hard enough when she was little just two days ago. Now, Nangong Wuyue found a chance to mock him back. ¡°My stupid brother, I do not understand too.¡±


    Lily suddenly looked at Nangong Wuyue in disdain. A salted fish is still a salted fish, matter how many times it flips, she thought to herself.


    Hao Ren understood that not everyone was a Peking University graduate like Lily or had a database in the head like him. So, he explained in layman term, ¡°This is like a blank sheet of paper, on which there is a drawing. When we cut and take out the middle section of the paper and then join the remaining together, the drawing will become misaligned. We can see this misalignment in the three-dimensional space and accurately measure the size of the missing part. But what if a bug that lives in a two-dimensional space is crawling on the paper, it will only find that it has suddenly entered into a new world as it crawls forward. Space is not continuous here. This situation is what we experienced right now. The difference is that insects cannot observe three-dimensional structure, but we can control higher dimensions with technology.¡±


    The MDT echoed. ¡°See? Buddy does not only know about explosives. He knows non-explosive stuff too.¡±


    Everyone was struck dumb.


    Hao Ren buried his face his hand, tucked the MDT in his pocket, and continued to interact with the drone cluster consciousness. ¡°Aside from this boundary, what else is there in the target galaxy?¡±


    ¡°Probe 2 has made random warp jumps after arriving at the target galaxy. It has found some unknown high-energy matter.¡±


    As the voice of the consciousness trailed off, another hologram showed a space scene. Gaseous clouds were glowing in yellow and milky white. Starlight in the distant background was visible through the thinnest part of the nebulae. The densest regions looked as if there were solid matter but irregular shapes. They were mostly in disc-shape with radiating belts at the fringe.


    ¡°These high-energy nebulae have more or less the same size, about a thousand kilometers in diameter, distributed throughout the target galaxy. These nebulae emit strong and chaotic electromagnetic waves, which the drones have found it to be meaningless. The law of physics of the Plane of Dreams could not explain the origin of this cosmic phenomenon. We have not found any evidence of artificial elements in these high-energy nebulae.¡±


    ¡°What else?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all for now. The target galaxy contains several widely scattered planetary systems. It is impossible to complete the scanning of the entire galaxy in a short time with only two probes. But we have a rough map of the galaxy and gravitational map for warp jump purpose.¡±


    Hao Ren looked up at the glowing clouds of gas and said softly, ¡°It seems to be a place worth visiting.¡±

 Chapter 1525 - The Lair and the Crystals

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    A mysterious, unknown galaxy might hold the secret that the Goddess of Creation left to Vivian. It could also be a trap that the Goddess of Destruction left to the latecomers. Whatever the case, the galaxy was an irresistible place for Hao Ren to visit. After all, he had been trying to uncover the truth of the Plane of Dreams all this while.


    He would definitely be going to the mysterious galaxy. But before that, he needed to take care of a few things.


    Hao Ren had given the mysterious galaxy a lame temporary name: X Galaxy. Of the three probes that he sent out, he had lost contact with Probe 1 while Probe 2 and 3 were in good condition and had begun exploring X Galaxy. Hao Ren had ordered the two probes to expand their exploration and build guiding beacons using whatever raw material they could find locally. This task was crucial. What the two drones could accomplish was very limited. Even if each individual drone could multiply and form a cluster, it would take the two probes too long to achieve that. So, the best option was for the two drones to sow the guiding beacons. When the beacons formed a gravitational network, the main drone cluster would be able to find their way here. As for expanding the exploration, it was only a routine. It would take a long time for the two probes to explore the entire galaxy, which consisting of several planetary systems. Hao Ren only hoped that before he arrived at X Galaxy, the two drones had already figured out the situation near the target of the warp jump.


    Nolan was running a preflight self-diagnostic, and the probes were planting beacons and snapping photos of X Galaxy. In the meantime, Hao Ren had summoned Lemendusa and Muru, who had just come back from Solenne Nebula, and Heve, who was monitoring the ecosphere on Tannagost. He had also called in the Lord of the Lords, Loken and the Lord of the Mountains, Geddon, two ancient giants of the early days of the Goddess of Creation.


    Hao Ren needed to discuss the Crimson Moon and the Star of Creation with these giants.


    The giants stood in the central chamber of the CARS. As usual, Hao Ren was on the crystal platform high above the hall, his line of sight was just level with these towering guys. He first asked about the Creation Engine, ¡°Has the assembly project been suspended?¡±


    ¡°Aside from the necessary maintenance, we have shut down the production,¡± Lemendusa said. ¡°The star forging furnace has collapsed. I have stored all the molded parts and unused materials on planet PHN-26.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded in acknowledgment. But before he spoke, Muru chimed in by asking, ¡°Is there really something wrong with the blueprint of the Creation Engine?¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Muru, whose face like stone. But instinct told Hao Ren that these giants had begun to be suspicious of his earlier reasoning.


    Hao Ren was silent for a moment before letting out a sigh. ¡°I was not lying by saying that the blueprint of the Creation Engine was unreliable. It was just that we had not been able to determine whether the hidden danger existed. I have recently found some clues; some of the projects that the Goddess of Creations started before her death could have been compromised. In other words, I am not sure if the blueprint that I have given you is the original design by the Goddess of Creation.¡±


    The giants looked at each other. Loken and Geddon, the previous generation of giants who had been keeping an eye on Lockmarton in Collow, knew little about the Creation Engine. But Lemendusa and Heve were visibly shaken; they understand how vital the Creation Engine was to their mother. Thing as crucial as the Creation Engine had been compromised?


    ¡°I will find out what happens as soon as possible.¡± Hao Ren quickly steered the conversation away when he sensed that the guardian giants began to raise questions. ¡°I am seeing you all today for something else.¡±


    Loken, the Lord of the Lords, nodded. ¡°We are all ears.¡±


    ¡°You have all lived on the Star of Creation before and should know the planet very well. Have you heard about the lair of Lockmarton on the planet? Or maybe the ruins?¡±


    Heve shook her head. ¡°I used to be responsible for patrolling the Sea of Creation, but have never heard of that.¡±


    Geddon, the Lord of the Mountains then said in a muffled voice, ¡°Lockmarton once lived on the Star of Creation. At that time, we were not born yet. But I know the history; Mother had indeed built a lair for Lockmarton. But then Lockmarton went decadent and crazy. After a fight broke out between Mother and the Mad Lord fought went crazy, and the mother and the mad Lord, history had been buried. If I am not mistaken, Mother has even rubbed out the lair on the Star of Creation.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. Things seemed to add up. The lair of Lockmarton seen in the Crimson Moon was indeed the ruin on the Star of Creation. But what about the crystal at the bottom of the ocean?


    ¡°Who knows about these crystals?¡±


    As Hao Ren spoke, the MDT showed a hologram that depicted the crystals on the seabed of the Sea of the Crimson Moon. ¡°These crystals resonate and work like a neuro-network that transmit signals. It is probably on the seabed of the Star of Creation.¡±


    This time, it was Loken who shook his head. ¡°I have never seen this thing before, and I am sure it does not exist on the Star of Creation. Our mother made us from the star wreckage that she collected from deep space, but part of our core came from the core of the Star of Creation. This core enables us to know from our subconscious the original appearance of the Star of Creation. If the seabed had these crystals, I would have recognized it right away.¡±


    Hao Ren turned his attention to the three second-gen, flesh-and-blood giants. After a while, Heve said, ¡°I think¡­ I have seen this thing.¡±


    ¡°You did?¡± Muru was surprised.


    ¡°Do you still remember before the revolt, Mother used to go out alone? I once saw her coming back; she looked tired as if she had just come back from a long trip. She did not go back to the temple but headed directly to the bottom of the Sea of Creation. I knew before I was patrolling nearby at that time and I saw she threw many crystals that looked just like these into the sea. But she never mentioned it after that. As Mother often collected strange mineral stones, I did not suspect anything. She usually brought her collections to the temple and put them under the custody of the guardians, but she threw these crystals into the sea. Now, thinking of it, I start to feel it a little strange.¡±


    Collecting a bunch of rocks that glowed from outer space and treating them like treasure? Was the Goddess of Creation lost relative of Lily?


    The husky maiden was instantly wide-awake. ¡°Oh, oh! Mr. Landlord, I think the Goddess of Creation and I may have a common language; we both are artistically inclined.¡±


    Vivian shot Lily a glare. ¡°While the goddess was collecting crystals, you just played with bricks and rocks. How could you still have the nerve to say that is artistic?¡±


    Hao Ren intervened to ask this quarrelsome pair to calm down. He then turned to look at Heve seriously. ¡°You meant the goddess brought these crystals to the Star of Creation back then?¡±


    The female giant nodded.


    Hao Ren and Vivian exchanged a look.


    ¡°Then, the timeline may not add up. The Crimson Moon is like a snapshot, but there are two eras of relics appear on it at the same time. The gap between the lair of Lockmarton and the crystals on the seabed are as large as millions of years.¡±


    Vivian frowned. ¡°What we know about the Crimson Moon could be wrong; it is not a snapshot of the Star of Creation at a particular time but a photomontage.¡±


    ¡°A photomontage?¡±


    ¡°It consists of various images of the Star of Creation at different eras put together in a new projection.¡± Vivian gently shook her head. ¡°Maybe because I have only inherited a limited amount of divine blood from the Goddess of Creation and so too my knowledge. The Crimson Moon is not only one-eighth the diameter of the Star of Creation, but it appears that the information is also fragmented.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment; it seemed that that was the only possible explanation.


    Heve, who had a ton of questions in mind, could not help but ask, ¡°How did you know the existence of these crystals?¡±


    Hao Ren did not have to withhold the information as it was not classified. ¡°It is a long story. You might not know; Vivian has a killer move called Dawning Crimson Moon.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s words had been very concise, but it still took him an hour to explain about the Crimson Moon although he had skipped the part about the split of the Goddess of Creation, which was considered sensitive information. The giants listened attentively and could not help but look at Vivian solemnly.


    ¡°I have never known you have such a close connection with Mother,¡± Lemendusa said with a sigh. ¡°Even if it is just a projection of the Star of Creation, I still want to see it with my own eyes.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I have not gone home for 10,000 years.¡± Muru¡¯s voice was low. ¡°The Sea of Creation; I wish to see it again.¡±


    The giants were homesick, but Hao Ren could not fulfill their wishes¡ªat least not now.


    ¡°The Crimson Moon and the Star of Creation have a deep connection. And for this reason alone, I cannot let Vivian summon the Crimson Moon in the Plane of Dreams.¡± Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°It could lead to unintended consequences. We do not know what would happen when Vivian summons the Star of Creation¡¯s projection¡ªespecially when little is known about the Mad Lord¡¯s situation.¡±


    Lemendusa forced a smile and said, ¡°We were just saying. We understand the situation.¡±

 Chapter 1526 - Bracing for Impact

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Intelligence obtained from the guardian giants should be accurate¡ªfrom their personal experience at least.


    So as Vivian said, the Crimson Moon might not be as simple as a projection of a single point in the history of the Star of Creation. It was much complicated than that, and what was shown might not logical. It was very likely that the projection had included things of the various period in the history of the Star of Creation.


    But the study in this area could wait. Right now, the star chart was complete, and the drone cluster had determined the warp-jump route to the X Galaxy. Hao Ren decided to pay a visit to the mysterious galaxy first.


    Who knows, he might solve the mystery of the Crimson Moon in X Galaxy? Sir-Ominous like him might be able to achieve something positive, Hao Ren thought to himself.


    The giants knew Hao Ren was going to go to a distant unknown galaxy, but Hao Ren did not tell them that the coordinates of this galaxy originated from the Goddess of Creation. It could be a trap that the Goddess of Destruction left behind. If the giants learned about it, they would insist on going there too. The concern was that what would be their reactions if they knew the split of the goddess. Hao Ren wanted to avoid this uncontrollable factor like this as much as possible. Not to mention that the giants had a close relationship with the goddess, the three giants and Loken were races that the Goddess of Creation had created in two different eras. There would be a problem if there were ambush awaiting them at X Galaxy.


    ¡°I do not even want to you along,¡± Hao Ren said to Vivian while they were walking to the flight deck. ¡°There are too many unknowns. Yes, the drones have been exploring there for a while, but things could be different when we are there personally. I am worried that you will trigger something like ancient seals, and we will be in trouble.¡±


    Vivian had long known what was in Hao Ren¡¯s mind. She was not surprised at all. ¡°Do you think I will stay home and wait?¡±


    ¡°Apparently, not.¡±


    ¡°So, be done with it.¡± Vivian waved her hand. ¡°I have lived for 10,000 years, and I do not like to fight, but I have never backed down when coming to it. All the more so since things concern me. I am not reckless nor simply out of curiosity. But¡­ how should I put it? It seems like fate has it that the star chart is leading me to find something, and only I can find it; no one else, but I can open it.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled and shook his head. ¡°It looks like I cannot stop since you call it fate.¡±


    Hao Ren was bringing everyone, except Noobie, along; the little guy was unpredictable. He had asked the help of the Nangong couples to look after Noobie. There was an advantage in bringing everyone together; Hao Ren was unsure what was going to happen in X Galaxy, and they could take care of themselves very well. Even Rollie had no problem doing that. As for Lil Pea, she could just hide in his dimensional pocket.


    Hao Ren stood in front of the console on the flight deck. He put Lil Pea in the sink filled with water, which he specially made for her. He called up the star chart, which had been calibrated earlier, checked the flight plan, and then said to Nolan, ¡°Is the information link online?¡±


    ¡°It is online now. The spaceship computer has established a direct connection with the drone cluster. You can now control all the drone nodes directly in the spacecraft and receive information from any drones.¡±


    The X Galaxy was a weird place; it was especially apparent with its discontinuous spacetime and the high-energy mass floating in the universe. It was hard to say what would happen when they got there. There could be a delay or even lose contact with CARS. So, using Nolan as a mobile communication station was necessary. The spacecraft had the excellent processing power and antenna system. The redundant data units could connect and control a large number of drones. When Nolan arrived at the X Galaxy, the gravitational network of the drone cluster should have been ready. The drone cluster could then come to X Galaxy and start to build a new large drone nest, which would become an operation base for Hao Ren in X Galaxy. All subsequent investigations and expeditions would come from this drone nest.


    Hao Ren could directly control the drones in the X-Galaxy through Nolan, bypassing the CARS and thus improving the efficiency of the drone cluster.


    Lily lay on the chair listlessly. The self-proclaimed First Officer knew nothing about flying a spacecraft. Wearing the uniform was just for the fun of it. When it came to flight preparations, she started to get bored quickly. She wagged her tail and watched before suddenly said, ¡°Mr. Landlord, why do you not tell the truth to the giants?¡±


    ¡°What truth?¡± Hao Ren asked back without looking up.


    ¡°The Creation Engine. The stop work of it.¡± Of course, you did not lie to them. The blueprint has bugs. But you did not tell the whole truth; at least you did not tell them what happened to the Goddess of Creation.¡±


    ¡°How should I tell them? Tell them that their mother has committed suicide, or that their mother is the one responsible for the deicidal war, or she has caused the death of all the guardian? It was the Goddess of Destruction who did that. But things are too sensitive.¡± Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°It may not matter when the guardians have a strong mental quality to hear this mind-bending news, but there is an even more sensitive question. Once we found the Goddess of Creation and her two split bodies had completely mutually infested each other, or worse still, they merged into an even more evil and darker creature, becoming the carrier of the Mad Lord, would the guardian giants go crazy?¡±


    Lily thought for a moment with her mouth agape and her ears drooped. ¡°That seems to be a problem.¡±


    ¡°If I were to tell them the truth, the problem will bug them from now one. They will worry about what if their mother and the evil force have become a unified whole, should they follow their mother to go on the path of destruction or do the right thing by letting their mother die one more time? These might be the worst-case scenario, and they may not happen, but there is still this possibility. Life of the giants are already hard enough, do not put them on the horns of a dilemma.¡±


    ¡°But you cannot keep this thing from them forever,¡± Nangong Wuyue curled herself into the shape of a mosquito coil and poked her head out and said. ¡°They will find out sooner or later.¡±


    ¡°I will tell them after I find the Goddess of Creation. If the goddess is still two distinct bodies, then everything will be fine. If the goddess is completely corrupted, then I will see what we can do to cure her. In any case, it is better to find the solution first rather than telling the giants when the situation is still uncertain.¡±


    Suddenly, Nolan¡¯s voice coming through the PA system interrupted their conversation. ¡°System self-diagnostic is completed. Navigation beacon checked. The flight path is clear. Departure at any time.¡±


    Hao Ren sat on the captain seat. His fingers tapped on the control panel in front of him. ¡°Start the warp jump.¡±


    The stars began to move past them. Starlight had turned into a long tail of lights, changing their colors to a blurred red-blue, and then gradually disappeared. When the spacecraft broke the speed of light, there was only darkness on the outside.


    Since the drones had calibrated the coordinates on the star chart and set up a strong guiding force field, Nolan did not need to crawl slowly for a few days like the drones before them. Soon after, the closed spacetime around the spacecraft reopened, and when the intense light stabilized, Hao Ren had already come to an unfamiliar space.


    ¡°We have arrived in a discontinuous space.¡± Nolan¡¯s voice was heard on the flight deck. ¡°We will fly through the area at sub-light speed.¡±


    Hao Ren became slightly nervous when the spacecraft slowly approached the boundary marked on the star chart.


    The boundary is invisible. Space here was discontinuous, but it would not pose any threat to the travelers except for seeing the shift in positions of the stars. As the spacecraft is slowly approaching the horizon, no one onboard the spacecraft could see anything unusual ahead.


    The only thing that changed was the drops in readings on the console.


    It seemed nothing would happen, but the feeling of knowing something was waiting for you up ahead made them on the edge of their seats.


    At last long, the spacecraft had crossed the dividing line safely and without a hitch. Hao Ren saw the space as shown on the monitor flicked for a second. Immediately, the entire universe appeared in an entirely new angle as if someone had shifted its position.


    Space here looked very different.


    It was in purple with a bright galaxy hanging on this backdrop. A little further from the galaxy, some luminous clusters of stars were scattered in the surroundings. Those were the outliers of the galaxy, and they were large.


    ¡°We have entered the X-Galaxy, the spaceship is running normally. Recalibration of starlight in progress¡­ Autopilot engaged and fly toward the nearest drone outpost.¡±


    Lily¡¯s ears and hair on her tail returned to normal, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Still lying on her back in the chair, she said pretentiously, ¡°Hah! I was expecting more, but that was not exciting at all!¡±


    ¡°Oh, was it?¡± Vivian shot the husky a look. ¡°Your tail had puffed up just now, and you still had the nerve to say you were not nervous.¡±


    ¡°Battie, you¡ª¡±


    Just as the husky maiden was about to jump to her feet, an alarm sound blared throughout the spacecraft.


    ¡°Warning! Warning! High energy detected! High energy detected! It is hostile! Activating emergency shield booster¡­ Brace for impact!

 Chapter 1527 - Is It a Trap?

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    When the panic siren sounded throughout the entire spacecraft, the shield expansion system began to recharge. Blue veins started to appear on the silver-white armor belt of the Petrachelys as the shield generator was surging with energy, protecting the spacecraft with several layers of energy shield. Meanwhile, sub-cannons, short-range anti-air guns, and cannons emerged from behind the armors and glinted in cold light as if the fangs of a behemoth.


    Emotions had disappeared from Nolan¡¯s voice. In battle mode, she sounded exactly like a robot. ¡°All weapons systems are online¡­ impact in five seconds.¡±


    In the past, Hao Ren would freeze upon hearing this kind of alarm. But that had all changed; he was now calm and steady. He connected his mind with the spacecraft¡¯s sensor system. ¡°From where the attack comes? Who is the attacker?¡±


    ¡°The attacker is unknown. I can only detect strong energy build-up within several astronomical units around the spacecraft. It is extremely hostile¡­ impact.¡±


    Just as Nolan¡¯s voice trailed off, Hao Ren saw blinding light appeared out of nowhere in space. The light then split as if branches of the tree, piercing through space and quickly spreading around the Petrachelys.


    There was no way to run as the attack came from all directions. The high-energy light also seemed to have interfered with the warp drive; Nolan could only raise the energy of the shield to the maximum level to counter the impact.


    The strange light came into contact with the Petrachelys. In space, it was a silent impact. But on the flight deck, everyone could feel the spacecraft was shaking violently.


    The energy shield of the Petrachelys began to ripple as the seemingly innocuous light twigs struck and produce a powerful impact, sending tremor throughout the spacecraft. But the shield had withstood the attack.


    The glowing twigs in space were not backing down. Hao Ren was wondering whether there was an intelligent being behind the attack. He looked at the bright light, which looked more like a natural phenomenon. While Hao Ren was still in thought, the thing had launched a second wave of attack.


    More light twigs emerged from space and closed in from all directions. The light beams began to wrap around the shield, and the spacecraft began to shake uncontrollably.


    Nolan launched a counterattack.


    Twenty-six secondary psionic-pulse turrets opened fire, shooting bright blue energy beams and hitting the light twigs in space accurately.


    Nolan¡¯s radar scan showed that the intersection of those light twigs were the energy nodes, and destroying them could stop the attack.


    The main gun of the Petrachelys began to recharge. It was a rare opportunity for the use of this powerful weapon, which was deemed too powerful in most of the cases.


    Hao Ren¡¯s mind was still connected with the spacecraft¡¯s sensor system. With this connection, he would be seeing everything that happened in space from a first-person perspective, witnessing the onslaught of the energy storm from all directions. He could feel the hostile energy had reached its peak, and the light twigs were going to block off all of his escape routes.


    ¡°This thing has us trapped here!¡± Hao Ren shouted at Nolan. ¡°What the hell is this?¡±


    ¡°A rapidly proliferating energy coupling structure.¡± Nolan had allocated most of her processing power to the tactical module, and this made her voice sound even more inorganic. ¡°We have detected a burst of energy tide in space, which was gathering around the spacecraft. If this goes on, it will rip the spacecraft¡¯s energy shield apart.¡±


    All turrets of the Petrachelys have been activated, firing at the glowing twigs in space. The counterattack had somewhat worked; a few light twigs would disappear whenever the turret fires hit an energy node. But those twigs could grow back faster than the Petrachelys could destroy. Without needing to look at the console, Hao Ren could see with his naked eyes that the glowing things had begun to form a cocoon-like shroud around the spacecraft.


    He had to make a quick decision.


    ¡°Accelerate and get out of here. Warp jump as far as possible to the nearest gravitational field.¡±


    ¡°Roger that.¡±


    The Petrachelys struggled to turn around. A flash of blue light swept across the surface of the spacecraft as it activated a defense mechanism to clean off any foreign matter on the spacecraft. After successfully breaking loose from the light twigs, the spacecraft accelerated away in full power.


    Some unknown forces still interfered with the warp drive. Nolan was fixing the problem, but it was not getting anywhere. It was almost impossible to accurately warp-jump to the gravitational focal point when the warp-drive parameters were severely misaligned. So, Hao Ren ordered to warp-jump as far as it could¡ªany direction would do as long as the spacecraft could get out of the trap.


    It was a trap. Hao Ren felt that this place was a trap.


    As the spacecraft accelerated toward an opening, the energy structures in the surroundings responded in a way that as if there was really an intelligent being behind them. These energy tentacles were ¡®angered.¡¯ They began to twist violently and chase the Petrachelys from behind. Their light twigs clung on the shield of the spacecraft, causing the Petrachelys to shake vigorously.


    The shaking was so strong that the inertia stabilizer was unable to keep the Petrachelys stable.


    Everyone on the flight deck was nervous. Panic had actually stricken them at the beginning of the attack. It was something that they had never experienced before.


    Lily clenched the armrest tightly. She might be physically strong, but individual strength was useless under this situation. With the hair standing on end, Lily looked at Hao Ren, who was struggling to control the spacecraft. ¡°Mr. Landlord, how is the situation? Nothing happened when the drones arrived earlier. Now we are pinned here as soon as we come in.¡±


    ¡°I have no idea.¡± Hao Ren said quickly. ¡°But this is a targeted attack. It is not a natural phenomenon. Something is trying to stop us from entering the X-Galaxy¡ª¡±


    Before his trailed off, Nolan was heard giving out warning again. ¡°Watch out! An energy mass has appeared ahead. We cannot get around it. Brace for impact.¡±


    A bright light had appeared in Hao Ren¡¯s field of vision. Hao Ren was struck dumb when he sensed the form of power in the light, which came down on the Petrachelys like a blade.


    Nolan did an evading maneuver. But the light beam still hit a set of shield generators in the rear of the spacecraft. An explosion blew apart tons of metal and crystal structures, forming a trail of debris behind.


    ¡°The 4th to 6th shield generators are damaged. Shield strength is below 30% now. The hyperspace stabilizer is damaged as well. Switching spare parts now. Leakage detected in the 7th compartment; the compartment is sealed off. Warning! Gravity generator is malfunctioning, restoration is in progress.¡±


    Gravity on the flight deck disappeared. Nangong Wuyue wrapped her tail around a pillar as she reached out with one hand to catch Lil Pea, who was drifting away from the console and Y¡¯zaks with another. The loss of gravity only lasted for a moment before Nolan restored the gravity in this compartment.


    Nolan began to stammer as if her speech function had malfunctioned. ¡°The attack comes from a divine power. It is of the same category as secondary psionic energy.¡±


    Hao Ren was not surprised at all. In fact, he had felt the same thing.


    The Petrachelys was also powered by this category of energy, but at a much lower output.


    Hao Ren stared at the energy storm that was right behind. It had now developed into a horrific space structure of several astronomical units in size, like a hideous space maelstrom surging behind the Petrachelys, swallowing the debris of the Petrachelys. The spacecraft appeared like a grain of sand in the desert before this space maelstrom.


    The Petrachelys was in deep shit.


    It was impossible to escape via the direction from where they initially came. The warp drive was out of sync and could not make any precise warp-jump maneuver. But if the Petrachelys used its conventional propulsion method, the storm would catch up with it in a few minutes. There was no way the Petrachelys could make it out outside the X-Galaxy.


    There was only one way.


    ¡°Initiate warp jump.¡±


    ¡°But the parameters are still¡ª¡±


    ¡°Do it anyway. No need to preselect flight path. Search for gravitational sources in hyperspace and land on any planet¡ªhabitable if possible, if you could find.¡± Hao Ren ordered. ¡°Summon the drone cluster immediately. It does not matter if the warp jump is not accurate. I need them to start building a base at wherever they emerge.¡±


    ¡°Roger that.¡±

 Chapter 1528 - Forced Landing

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The night sky was hanging low on this planet as the light of civilization had disappeared on the planet a long time ago. The rapid-growing virgin forests and vines had long reclaimed the land once covered by metal and cement, and the skyscrapers of thousands of years ago had turned into steel skeletons, collapsed bridges had become dreck at the bottom of gorges and riverbed. Even the indestructible buildings that were once regarded as miracles were not imperishable after all; they had crumbled to the ground in the jungle, been lying deep under the yellow sand and submerged under the ocean. Only some of the exposed bleak ruins still pointed to the sky like the skeleton of giants.


    Moss and vines had covered these grim bones, and the green that signified life seemed to have given these lifeless ruins a thriving makeover¡ªwithout the participation of humans after the demise of civilization.


    The faint glow from the two round moons sprinkled down from the sky, illuminating the world where artificial lights had gone off. This world was so dead quiet that even the sounds of breeze blowing past the cracks and holes in the ruins were audible. Occasionally, there were some short screams, and rustling sounds came from the corners of some plants. The sounds came from the fight between predators and small animals at night.


    But such a peaceful night was suddenly shattered.


    Over the ruins of a city almost wholly swallowed up by the forest, the glow of the two round moons flickered as the starry sky began to ripple like the water surface. Starlight distorted and formed into a whirlpool accompanied by a series of flashes. A gigantic object suddenly rushed out from the most distorted sky; it was a silver-white spaceship with thick and sharp lines. Blue energy veins were flashing on the belly of the spacecraft. The rear of the spaceship was billowing black smoke as metal fragments and sparks spurting like blood and organs out of a monster. The spaceship adjusted its angle in the air; it seemed that it was still under control. But then something in the belly seemed to have been overloaded. As a wave of explosion ensued, armor plates and components began to fall out of the fuselage. The spacecraft tilted, slid in a downward arc toward the southeastern direction.


    The thunderous sound of explosions and fire had never stopped as the spaceship went down, startling the wild animals that lived in the woods and ruins. They ran out of their hiding places and fled toward the nearest water sources. It was as if this kind of explosion and fire falling out of the sky was not the first of its kind, they had learned to run to the shelters that offered the best survivability.


    But the spacecraft did not explode over their heads, nor did the spaceship drop any explosives from the sky. It just glided in a very exaggerated trajectory, lowering its height while slowing down at the same time before it landed, or rather crashed, way away from the ruins of the city, in the level wasteland.


    Shortly after the spacecraft crashed, the earth began to shake slightly before a loud noise was heard. A group of wild animals that had already reached and even hidden in the water looked up. When they saw no disaster coming, they calmly went back to their lairs and nests.


    It seemed that they were no strangers to this thing.


    The impact of the ¡®landing¡¯ was not as strong as thought. The inertial stabilizer of the spacecraft was overloaded, but it still managed to minimize the force of impact when the spaceship touched the ground. Everyone, however, felt it pretty rough onboard. After all, watching a land suddenly appear out of the blue in front of the eyes and crashing toward it was horrific enough. It was especially so for the Nangong siblings and Rollie, who seldom flew.


    But Lily appeared a lot calmer than others. After all, she had just experienced flying up to 90,000 miles rubbing shoulders with the sun.


    She scrambled to her feet and still had time to tidy up the hair on her tail.


    ¡°Have we landed?¡± Nangong Wuyue carefully poked her head out of her ¡®tail ball¡¯ and felt disoriented. ¡°Am I or the place spinning?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded while checking the damage report of the spacecraft. ¡°Good news, we have landed smoothly.¡±


    ¡°You call crashing on a planet from outer space a smooth landing?¡± Nangong Sanba muttered as he helped Nangong Wuyue untie her tail. He was still in a state of shock. ¡°I just f**king thought I was going to die.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Okay, we have crashed safely. At least we are standing on the land now.¡±


    The projector on the console flashed a few times, and then a distorted image appeared. The image kept flickered for a few seconds before it became clear. It was Nolan, the brain and consciousness of the spaceship. ¡°I appreciate your humor, but as the one who has crashed, it hurts.¡±


    ¡°Have your functions restored so quickly? That just saves me the trouble of checking it myself. How is the spacecraft?¡±


    While talking to Nolan, Hao Ren bent down and got hold of a furry tail under the chair. He grabbed and pulled it out. It was Rollie, who had curled herself up in a ball of hair. ¡°Wuyue, could you please examine this dumb cat to see if she is injured? I think she has hit her head.¡±


    It only took a while for Nolan to complete a preliminary self-diagnostic. ¡°The situation is a little bad. A divine shock wave that was as powerful as the main psionic gun had saturation-bombed us while we tried to go into warp jump. All shield systems are damaged, the armor structure is still there, but the charging module is fried, and it will take a while to recover. The warp drive is finished as it is physically damaged. The navigation computer is down and rebooting twice is unsuccessful. Probably physical damage too. Other than that, the power reactor is still running, but there is a problem in the energy output. I need to cut off two-thirds of the power lines and redirect the energy to the central computer and maintenance system. The fire control system is still usable, but the weapon array is offline. The main conventional engine¡­ there is no more main conventional engine. It just fell off when we crashed. I just found out that it is my engine.¡±


    After reporting a ton of bad news, Nolan shook her head. ¡°The only part that is still in good condition is the labs and living cabins. These are the core areas that have a separate energy shield. But they cannot make me fly again.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s brows knitted together. What he had heard was the worst kind of news. He could not help but interrupt Nolan. ¡°Is there any good news?¡±


    ¡°There is. It seems we have shaken off the divine storm now.¡± Nolan nodded. ¡°You are right, the divine storm is confined only in space. It only blocks off space while down here, the planet is safe.¡±


    ¡°Well, at least there is good news.¡± Hao Ren sighed. ¡°Can you repair the damage?¡±


    ¡°All the damages on the spacecraft are reparable. In theory, even if a steering wheel was the only thing left of the spacecraft, the autonomous robots can still fix it, and you can fly it at superluminal speed again in no time. The spaceship also can self-repair even without the help of the autonomous robots.¡± Nolan¡¯s voice sounded better now as if her central computer system is slowly recovering. ¡°But the problem is that it all takes time. The engine and some of the power centers are damaged, and these are the most difficult parts to fix. It will take at last a week before I can fly again.¡±


    ¡°As long as they are reparable,¡± Hao Ren sighed, ¡°and better than waiting for rescue from the drone cluster. We have more space for maneuvering. But never again we should go out into deep space so recklessly. The only safe place is within this planetary system.¡±


    ¡°That goes without saying.¡± Nolan lay on the console, moaning in pain. ¡°I do not know if I could fly again. I mean after all these scary encounters, having the mental trauma seems freaking ridiculous for a spacecraft. I was still thinking to race with the bunch of kids from the Azadim Civilization Sphere in two months.¡±


    Hao Ren shot Nolan a look. ¡°What mental trauma are you talking about? You are only a shipboard computer, remember? And you are still thinking of racing in this situation?¡±


    Nolan pouted and said no more.


    Hao Ren looked around the flight deck; the self-repair mechanism of the Petrachelys had begun to work. A faint glow appeared on the damaged part on the flight deck, and the cracks on the metal wall were squirming like flesh and blood as self-repair was in progress.


    But not every place could self-repair as quickly as this place. The engine and power center could only heal in a much slower pace than this.


    Before Nolan could take off again, she must first figure out the situation in the surroundings. At least, she needed to know where she was.


    Most of the spacecraft¡¯s functions suffered some form of damage. The spaceship was impossible to carry out space missions now. But it contained a solid core compartment, which could act as an operation base on the ground. At least, the integrated computing center, survival module, and armors were functioning.


    The use of radar was crucial in exploration. The primary radar array of the Petrachelys was designed mainly for space missions, but she also had a set of instruments specifically designed to scan the surface of planets while in the atmosphere. Hao Ren only needed to make some modification to the instruments to detect the environmental readings around the crash site.¡±


    ¡°A habitable planet; how fortunate we are. The atmosphere is fairly hospitable. Oxygen content and atmospheric pressure are higher than the earth, but given the physiques of you guys, it should not be a problem at all.¡± Nolan reported the preliminary scan results. ¡°No hostile energy was detected. It seems monsters and beasts do not exist on this planet. It is an ideal place to farm.¡±


    Hao Ren regretted; he should not have downloaded all his online novels into the spacecraft computer. Apparently, Nolan had read them all.


    ¡°I think I have seen something when we fell out of the sky. It was a city ruin or something.¡± Lily raised her hand. ¡°It should be right behind us.¡±


    ¡°You did not see it wrongly,¡± Nolan said as she called up a few holograms, showing the remains of buildings that the forest had almost wholly reclaimed. The images were somewhat blurry, and black smoke and metal fragments also blocked their view. But it was not hard to see that those things were man-made structures. ¡°Human-made structure; there may be something interesting there.¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his chin. ¡°It seems that it is time to set up an expedition team now.¡±

 Chapter 1529 - After Civilization

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The Petrachelys was lying quietly on the surface of the primitive planet. Silently, some small things flew out of the opening on the spacecraft, glowing in faint blue light. They were like fireflies at night, circling the spaceship for two rounds, and then disappeared into the darkness of the jungle.


    The probes sent back images on the hologram in the flight deck, showing the dense jungle and ruins in the wood. Nolan shrank to become only a few inches tall to conserve energy. She lay next to the holographic projector and pointed to the images. ¡°I suggest that you take this route. It may be a little longer but easier. The important thing is that the forest is not dense and you can see the sky.¡±


    ¡°Exploring at night is not a good idea.¡± Nangong Sanba shook his head. ¡°Do you guys not want to wait until dawn?¡±


    ¡°Night may be inconvenient for some, but it¡¯s totally different for others,¡± Vivian said with her arms crossed and a confident smile. ¡°My senses and combat power in the night are better than during the day. Doggie¡¯s vision is also better at night than during the day. The night does not affect our mobility. The priority is for gathering intelligence, without which things will become more uncontrollable in the spacecraft. So, the sooner we explore, the better.¡±


    It was a little tricky to say that Vivian was an Umbral Divine because of her unique bloodline, but her words still carried a lot of weight. Nangong Sanba acknowledged that and said no more. At this time, Hao Ren turned to Lily and said, ¡°Do not run too fast while exploring outside. We all carry radios, but you could still get lost as this is a planet in a strange galaxy, no one could tell what dangers are out there.¡±


    Lily wagged her tail and said, ¡°Oh, Mr. Landlord, you are too garrulous. How could I get lost when I have such an excellent sense of smell? Have some confidence in my race, please.¡±


    Hao Ren was worried only because he knew the husky race too well. Everyone knew how easy it was for Husky to be carried away by the excitement and going into a disappearing act.


    ¡°Everyone else stays on the spaceship.¡± Hao Ren turned to look at the others on the flight deck. ¡°Y¡¯zaks and Sanba, hold down the fort while we are away. Nolan had activated an emergency shield. So now, the spaceship has a basic shield unit, and together with her armor, this place is the strongest place and the only forward base on this planet. Do not leave the spaceship before we come back.¡±


    ¡°What if there is an emergency?¡± asked little Y¡¯lisabet. ¡°What if monsters are attacking the airborne regiment of justice?¡±


    What the heck the little girl watched usually?


    Hao Ren looked at the cute little demon, eyes twitching. The little demon was a spoiler. But when he thought of the idea of the great unity of Y¡¯zaks, he kept his shirt on. After all, she could be deemed well-learned. ¡°You could use the righteous Demonic Flare and tactical nuclear bomb to teach them to learn to be human¡­err, I mean monster. There are various weapons in the other garage, and the autonomous robots could act as emergency defense robots. You could use them if your papa¡¯s Demonic Flare could not save the day. It is not difficult to operate them anyway. Nolan can handle that.¡±


    ¡°I still hope that the weapon system could go online as soon as possible,¡± said Nolan. ¡°I do not demand too much; as long as two rows of the rapid-fire turret are operational, there is nothing we should be worried about.¡±


    ¡°I will count on you to take care of those onboard.¡± Hao Ren solemnly nodded to Nolan. ¡°Keep in touch. Check in every 30 minutes. If all goes well, we will come back after checking the outer area of ??the ruins.¡±


    ¡°Bon Voyage.¡±


    Hao Ren, Vivian, Lily, and Nangong Wuyue left the spacecraft. Vivian and Lily were nocturnal creatures. Nangong Wuyue was an elemental creature, whose sensory abilities were very different from ordinary people. Eye vision only accounted for one percent of her sensory abilities.


    But the main reason for bringing her along was that Hao Ren needed a healer.


    The night was not very cold on this planet, probably because of the primitive jungle and the milder climate zone. Even the air here was somewhat humid. The spacecraft crash-landed on a relatively open wasteland adjoining the forest, which faded and blended in with the low-hanging night sky in the distant. An alien planet, the crashed spaceship, and the impact crater with smoke billowing formed a peaceful and mysterious scene. Hao Ren climbed on top of boulder nearby, overlooking the below. He could not help but take a selfie.


    ¡°I will post it on the inspector forum with the caption ¡®renowned inspector finally crashed his spacecraft on an alien planet.¡±


    ¡°I will paint a Crayon Shin-chan on your shell if you dare.¡± Hao Ren shot the MDT a sideways glance. ¡°Stop the crap.¡±


    Lily had also climbed onto the boulder, looking at the crash site and muttering, ¡°That was a rough landing.¡±


    The massive interstellar spacecraft had only performed limited deceleration and angle adjustment during the landing, so it ended up hitting the ground on a steep angle. The terrain of several kilometers around the impact site had changed entirely with a radial crater, still billowing smoke, replacing the original landscape. The edge of the crater slanted outward like a ring of stalagmites. The Petrachelys lay quietly at the bottom of the crater. Half of the fuselage had gone, and the remaining half was severely damaged with sparks and arcs bursting out of the wreckage, producing a pungent ionized smell in the air.


    But the spacecraft was self-repairing rapidly. The severest damaged armor plated were interlacing as self-restoration began. A network of lights covered the crystal structure under the armor plates and formed matter out of thin air. Those damaged parts beyond repair dropping off from time to time were replaced by newly formed components.


    Self-repair was a necessary function of every inspector spacecraft. Nolan was not exaggerating when she said that every part of this spacecraft was self-reparable. It was just that it took time.


    Hao Ren knew that the internal repair process was way more complicated than the external. To speed up the restoration and let the critical components go online as soon as possible, he had left all the autonomous robots, including those from his dimensional pocket, in the spacecraft. Those small robotic tentacles should be busily traversing between the power reactor and the engine and repairing things that were twisted because of the crash.


    Hao Ren took a final look at the Petrachelys from the outside and then the three of them headed in the direction of the forest.


    ¡°There are two moons in the sky?¡± Lily looked up as if she had just discovered the wonders of this world. ¡°It is the same as Holletta, but the little moon looks a little smaller. I feel like I want to howl.¡±


    ¡°You better have more self-control in this strange place.¡± Nangong Wuyue quickly stopped Lily. ¡°You could have attracted the attention of the alien monsters.¡±


    Hao Ren had also noticed the two round moons in the sky. The larger moon with a wood pattern on the surface was dimmer than the smaller moon, which was only the size of a bean but doubling the brightness. It was, indeed, a strange phenomenon.


    Could the smaller moon have a more reflective surface?


    Vivian released a swarm of bats. These tiny bats, formed by magic power, were equally nimble under the night sky of the alien planet. They quickly disappeared in the woods with shadows flashed past occasionally. Hao Ren knew that these little bats did not go far. They were staying within a few hundred meters of their parent body and scanning every inch of the surroundings like reconnaissance drones. The gathered information enabled Vivian to make a quick and accurate judgment in the complex environment of the alien jungle.


    Without the convenience of the blood magic, Lily could only keep her eyes open. Her golden dog eyes glinted in the dark. Everything within a hundred meters was as clear as daylight in her vision. Aided by an excellent sense of smell, she was quite a superb detector.


    The three of them had yet arrived at the ruins of the city, but it seemed the city was larger than what they saw from the air. The jungle had swallowed a large part of the ancient civilization. Before long, they began to see traces of man-made objects.


    A collapsed metal tower, built of unknown alloys materials and lying on soil and gravel, first came into view. It seemed that the tower was buried and oxidizing underground at first. As the trees and vines grew, the tower was lifted out of the ground, now covered in moss on its skeleton. The decorative coatings and corrodible parts had gone. So, it was difficult to judge what the original functions of the tower were. But one thing was evident right now:


    The tower was here to tell visitors that there was once a civilization here.

 Chapter 1530 - The City and the Tentacle

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Forest had swallowed the city, and plants had replaced the buildings. Human, the wisest of all creatures, built a splendid civilization with flames and steel, but it only took nature some time to get rid of it¡ªeven devour and assimilate it all to become part of nature.


    The civilization on this planet had gone for a long time, which was evident from the sad state of the ruins. Buildings had not only collapsed but also become the nests and territories of wild animals. The human builders had carefully designed these things to showcase their knowledge and strength, but in the end, wild animals were the ultimate beneficiaries of this human legacy. These ¡®tenants¡¯ apparently did not care what the original functions of their lairs were.


    A few strange beasts with stiff, short hairs and looked like wild boars ran to the distance in a panic and disappeared into the jungle in the blink of an eye. With just a little sense of presence, Lily had scared the animals the daylights out of the animals. It seemed that Nolan was right; the planet did not have anything that could pose a threat to them as the beasts in the forest were not much worse than those on the earth.


    ¡°This civilization was highly developed. The ruins have been here for thousands of years, but they have not completely weathered. Their material technology is comparable to or even higher than that of Tannagost.¡± After chasing the animals away, Hao Ren and the MDT went up to check up the ancient ruin that the beasts used as a lair. It was a hemispherical metal shell that once seemed to be a massive pressure container for storing dangerous liquids. Distorted and only half of it remained, the hell stayed strong except for the surface rust. ¡°It is a complex alloy, highly heat resistant, anti-corrosion, and high tensile.¡±


    Vivian rubbed the rust on the metal container with her fingers. ¡°How did they die?¡±


    ¡°Maybe it was the First Born. Even if it was not the First Born, many reasons could lead to the demise of this civilization,¡± the MDT said in an emotionless voice. ¡°Civilization is very fragile, even if it can get into space. In the face of diseases, wars, and natural disasters, most civilizations are not as strong as they think. Right now, how the civilization of this planet went extinct is still unknown, but I think we can get more information in the ruins of the city.¡±


    Lily looked up into the distance. Due to the dense jungle and the terrain, she could not see the city. But her extraordinary vision had captured something: steel structure in between the trees, and the cement fragments that lodged between branches and rose to the air as the trees grew. The more frequent sighting of these things, that meant the closer they had gotten to the edge of the city ruins. It was just that the forest had almost reclaimed this part of the city.


    ¡°I did not expect such a place in the Plane of Dreams.¡± Hao Ren could not help but lament. ¡°The mysterious galaxy isolated by the discontinuous space, the habitable planet hidden in the corner, and the ancient civilization that has perished¡ªlife is such wonderful thing, it is so rare and precious, but it could also be ubiquitous.¡±


    ¡°I am more concerned about the attack in space.¡± Vivian frowned. ¡°Apparently, it was a targeted attack, directed at us. But before this, the drones have repeatedly scanned the jump point and deemed it safe.¡±


    Hao Ren became solemn. ¡°Yup. The drones checked the jump point many times, and before we got here, the drones had also released the probes to conduct recon in the surroundings. These probes emitted powerful signals, yet they never encountered such an attack.¡±


    Hao Ren would not have gone to an unknown galaxy with all the people onboard without first ensuring the safety of the route. But this time, things had still gone wrong despite all the safety checks he had done.


    Hao Ren could not help but think that it was a trap¡ªa very clever trap, and very likely that there was someone behind the ambush.


    Or at least there was a complex and smart mechanism behind this trap.


    He scratched his chin. ¡°The storm in space manifested distinct divine characteristics, so it was divine-powered. Not many beings can mobilize this power, and there are only three forces in the Plane of Dreams could do this: the Goddess of Creation, her guardians, and the deicidal race, who could achieve similar effects through runic technology, and the Goddess of Destruction, who has been contaminated and corrupted. As for the Mad Lord, it does not have the IQ to lay out this trap.¡±


    ¡°Most likely it was the Goddess of Destruction,¡± Lily said. ¡°The Goddess of Creation is in the justice camp. She will not harm anyone. The deicidal race is just a tool and has never gained the initiative. It was only the Goddess of Destruction that had the motive. Think about it, Me. Landlord. Did we not suspect the star chart in Vivian¡¯s head? I think it is a trap that the Goddess of Destruction has set up for us.¡±


    Hao Ren frowned; what Lily said made sense, but something seemed not right. And he could not tell what. At last, he could only shake his head. ¡°Let us not make any conclusion yet before we figure out who was behind the divine storm.¡±


    The team moved slowly in the jungle to collect the environmental data. After collecting enough information, they emerged from the forest when the first ray of sunlight pierced through the clouds and sprinkled on the earth. They were standing at the edge of the city ruin in the middle of the forest.


    The city ruin was bigger than expected. When they flew past the ruin earlier, Nolan had only managed to take a few snapshots which were not ideal and only of the part visible from the air. But when looking from the high ground at the edge of the forest, things had become apparent. It should have been a highly developed big city in the past. Even years of weathering and erosion from disasters could not erase its past glory. Tall buildings still stood neatly in the city center with some empty structures in between. At the center of the city was a large building of a quadrangular pyramid shape, magnificent, but its uses were unclear.


    All the buildings were severely damaged, and rubble was everywhere. Collapsed buildings were far more than those standing. This civilization had superb material technology. The high-rise buildings they built were far sturdier than those made on Earth. Just like the golden capital of Tannagost, a small part of these buildings still stood for thousands of years after the end of the world. But even then, the power of nature had trampled these man-made structures. The sprawling forests had twisted, bent, and brought down the metal. The giant trees growing inside the buildings had punctured the walls and roofs, making the buildings the coat of their trunks as the dense canopy rose above the structures.


    Bridges had become arbors, and the tarmac was broken and rolled up. Nature had reclaimed its rightful place on this planet after the end of the civilization.


    There were two vast lakes in the ruins of the city, formed after the collapse of the underground structure, such as subway system or something that gave way under the weight of the superstructure above, causing the city to collapse and sank. These pits became water reservoirs. When the forest spread, the most massive sinkhole became a lake and a source of water for animals.


    It was dawn. The sky was getting brighter, and the sound of birds and beasts had made the ruins and the forests a lively place. A series of fluttering sound also joined the symphony of dawn; the bat swarm of Vivian was flying into various directions looking for something valuable.


    The MDT rose in the air and was ready to take an energy map of the ruins. If past experience had anything to go by, this civilization must have left something when it went extinct, even if it might not be intentional effort. There could be some prehistoric relics such as databases buried deep under the ruins. Perhaps such databases could withstand the erosion of time and work after thousands of years. That was what the MDT was looking for.


    While waiting for information, Hao Ren climbed to the top of a boulder nearby, overlooking the city and surrounding scenery. Suddenly, his eyes fixed in a direction as he got a glimpse of something out of place.


    ¡°Mr. Landlord,¡± Nangong Wuyue was shouting from below, ¡°what are you looking at?¡±


    ¡°Come and take a look. I think something is not right there.¡±


    Wuyue swayed her tail as she climbed up the boulder. She raised her upper body and looked into the distance with her hand above her eyes. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Taking advantage of her long tail, she could raise higher than Hao Ren did and command a better vantage point.


    ¡°The vegetation over there is sparse. It seems that something has cleared the forest and no buildings are intact. Not even ruins.¡± Hao Ren pointed to the distance. ¡°It is as if the place has been bombed.¡±


    ¡°It seems so,¡± Wuyue said while swaying her tail. ¡°So, is this civilization destroyed by war?¡±


    ¡°No. Not just that.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s brows knitted together.¡± Even if the city was destroyed by bombing, the forest should have reclaimed the place after so many years¡ª¡±


    Before Hao Ren finished, the MDT spoke into his mind. ¡°Buddy! I see something here!¡±


    Hao Ren and Wuyue came back down and met Lily and Vivian on the ground. After a while, the MDT descended from the air and projected the images it had captured in a hologram.


    In the northwest of the city, a mountain range rose from the end of the forest and extended outward along the edge of the woods. The mountain range appeared green in black and brown background. It did not have sharp lines and angular like regular mountains but round and smooth.


    Line?


    A thought suddenly crossed his mind.


    It was a tentacle. A colossal tentacle, as large as a mountain range, extended out from the earth.

 Chapter 1531 - Bombing

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    It was a colossal tentacle that grew on the earth like a mountain range.


    Hao Ren had lost count of how many such scary things he had seen on the planets in the Plane of Dreams. The first time he saw it was when he was in the underground of Holletta. At that time, the tentacles were just the little twigs of a young First Born, but still, they were horrific enough to make everyone shake like a leaf. Later, it was found that these things existed in all habitable planets, including those former habitable planets, in the Plane of Dreams. As the drone cluster expanded in the universe, there was news of the discovery of the First Born every day. These powerful creatures living inside the planets and designed to maintain the ecosystem used to be the nanny and gardener of all races, but today, they had become the nightmare of this universe.


    The discovery of the tentacle on this mysterious planet was something unexpected.


    The tentacle grew around the edge of the forest. Its huge mountain range-like body formed a natural boundary where the forest stopped under its foothill as if taken aback by the menacing look of this ancient creature. The MDT quickly zoomed in on the image. Hao Ren saw that the tentacle actually grew out from a canyon and plunged back into the ground after extending out hundreds of kilometers on the surface. Many branches grew from the main tentacle and extended deep into the forest and became part of the landscape. These tip end of these branches thrust up into the air, just like the regular trees.


    Perhaps one-third of the forest was made up of the tentacles of the First Born.


    Hao Ren almost burst out in swear words. ¡°This thing just does not die.¡±


    Lily¡¯s tail puffed up as she stared at the image of the tentacle in the hologram. ¡°It¡­ it is moving!¡±


    ¡°Yup, it is albeit slightly. You may not sense it because it is so far away. But I bet you will feel the tremor under your feet if you stand closer to it. This thing is active.¡±


    ¡°I have a gut feeling that we should not stay on this planet any longer.¡± Hao Ren was wide-eyed. ¡°Inform Nolan to initiate the Lullaby Program while speeding up the repair of the engine. Other repair programs can wait, at least until we can go into the low Earth orbit. We must be in control!¡±


    Since the discovery of its effectiveness, the Lullaby Program, a mind-interfering technology to attenuate the nervous activity and suppress the perception ability of the First Born, had been the most critical safety measure while conducting operations in the Plane of Dreams. After a joint study with Zorm, who mainly played the role as a study subject, Hao Ren had successfully improved the efficiency of the program, reduced its technical difficulty and then mass-produced the Lullaby instrument in the CARS. Now, every mother-ship-level drone unit carried a Lullaby device. It had become a standard protocol to activate the Lullaby Program when there was a sign of the First Born detected. Of course, the Petrachelys had a set of Lullaby system onboard.


    Fortunately, the Lullaby equipment was a supporting facility of the shipboard lab; it was well protected. When the spacecraft crashed, the instrument only suffered impact force. It now came in handy.


    But the Lullaby was not a panacea. One must not expect the neighbor like the mad First Born would sleep soundly every time. The smartest way to get into space when the spacecraft could finally fire up its engine. Even if there was a blockade of the divine storm in deep space, at least it was still safe within the planetary system. A spaceship flying in space was always better than in the stomach of the First Born.


    Nolan received the order from Hao Ren and the data sent back by the MDT in no time. She knew it was a matter of urgency, so she had the energy reallocated, channeling all the energy produced by the reactor to the Lullaby device and the engine repair work.


    Hao Ren breathed a sigh of relief when learning that the Lullaby device was online. He looked at the other end of the forest, face serious. A dark-brown mountain range dotted with little green spots were there. At first, he thought it was just a regular mountain range, but now he realized it was the tentacle of the First Born. ¡°Since there is a First Born here, could it be the one that¡ª¡±


    Before Hao Ren could finish, a loud roar from the distant sky interrupted him.


    The roar came from afar and quickly drew near. Everyone looked up and saw six strange iron-gray aircraft in a formation flying toward their direction.


    ¡°Aircraft!¡±


    Lily jumped up immediately. ¡°Mr. Landlord! There are survivors on this planet! Look! Their aircraft!¡±


    ¡°I see them!¡± Hao Ren said as he shoved Lily back. He looked at the aircraft in amazement. These aircraft looked cumbersome, like a pair of parallel shuttles. Structurally, these aircraft were not efficient flying vessels in the atmosphere, but they still had incredible speed and agility. They could change position and perform subtle changes in heading in the air, which reflected their excellent maneuverability.


    These things could be having anti-gravity technology.


    The six aircraft flew in arrow-formation zooming past overhead. Lily had spotted missiles and turrets on these aircraft. Something that looked like a massive bomb hung under each of the twin-fuselage planes.


    The aircraft seemed to have not noticed people like Hao Ren and his team on the ground. They flew past the city ruin toward the other side of the forest where the First Born¡¯s tentacle lay.


    Hao Ren could almost guess the intentions of these war machines.


    Sure enough, the six aircraft had flown straight toward the tentacle and began to drop bombs and fire at it. Fireballs rose before Hao Ren and his team heard explosions.


    Of course, the tentacle would not sit still to be slaughtered. Hao Ren did not see how the First Born made the counterattack. He only saw three of the six aircraft suddenly hit an invisible wall and shattered in midair. And the remaining three aircraft responded immediately by pulling up at a nearly ninety-degree angle with astonishingly agility and speed while dropping the massive bomb hanging on the fuselage onto the tentacle on the ground.


    A few seconds later, another aircraft hit the invisible energy barrier of the First Born and exploded in the air.


    As the heavy-weight bomb fell, it released hundreds of glaring light balls followed by earth-shattering explosions and white-hot flashes.


    It was not a conventional bomb. The moment the bomb hit the tentacle, a series of plasma ¡®bubbles¡¯ burst out, forming hundreds of light balls with a radius of up to 100 meters and high temperature that vaporized everything in the vicinity. After the light balls dissipated, hundreds of spherical pit were what was left on the ground.


    The tentacle possessed some kind of energy field that protected it from the blasts, but it was still riddled with holes. Everything around the tentacle had been leveled to the ground.


    The footage and images that the MDT had captured reminded Hao Ren of the clearing at the edge of the forest. It seemed that the patch of land had been bombed recently.


    So, that explained it all.


    After dropping the bombs, the remaining two aircraft did not attempt to stay in the battlefield but kept pulling up as they accelerated away as if they had achieved their mission objective.


    The MDT floated up to Hao Ren. ¡°Should I try to make contact?¡±


    ¡°Just track their signals.¡± Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°Do not make contact rashly. It is hard to tell whether those in close contact with the First Born are immune to mental influence. Even if they are resisting, no one knows for sure if they are still sane. Extra caution is needed when dealing with this race. It is best to first talk to a few locals separately to assess the situation before coming up with a plan of contact.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡± The MDT floated up and down. ¡°Oh, I have intercepted their radio signals.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you do?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s eyebrows arched. ¡°Translate it and see what they are saying.¡±


    ¡°Translation in progress¡­¡± The MDT paused for a couple of seconds and quickly completed the decoding. ¡°The radio content is as follows:


    N-3 calling the Zenith. The bombing mission is completed. The hit rate is 72%.


    This is Zenith. Roger that. Report the losses.


    N-1, N-2, N-5, N-6 are down. N-4 sub-engine suffers damage. N-3¡¯s side turrets are overloaded.


    Return to base for repair and rearm to get ready for the next bombing mission.


    Roger; performing climbing maneuver.¡±


    Hao Ren blinked. ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all,¡± the MDT replied. ¡°What else are you expecting? Have a rap session with the base? It is a typical radio communication during a mission.¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his chin and said, ¡°I know that. I was just expecting to hear more useful information. Now, we know at least that these aircraft are from a base called the Zenith.¡±

 Chapter 1532 - The Sculpture Hall

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    There were survivors on this planet.


    The existence of survivors had inspired Hao Ren and aroused his curiosity. He was so excited that he had temporarily forgotten the shit he was now in after his spacecraft crashed on this planet. In the doomsday world of the Plane of Dreams, the number of First Borns and the planets that they destroyed was by no means few. The many images of ruins that the drones sent back had proven this. But there were few survivors. And survivors who still stubbornly resisted the purge were unheard of so far. But the appearance of the aircraft earlier meant that the survivors were not only resisting but they seemed to be in control.


    Hao Ren did not want to make contact with those aircraft. Instead, he had the MDT keeping an eye on them and intercepting their radio communication. He was just waiting for the right time to make contact with the survivors.


    His priority was to fix his problem at hand. He must be prudent in his act to ensure the success of his mission. Now, Nolan was practically a handicap lying in the impact crater. The only manpower and resources that Hao Ren could utilize were his partners, a group of autonomous robots, and the arsenals in his dimensional pocket. He had done this math; his current combat strength did not give him an absolute advantage over the locals. So, he figured he had to make it slow.


    The survivors might not necessarily be friendly. After all, these people had fought the mad First Born for thousands of years, and they could be very well a bunch of psychopaths.


    But then, the locals could have already detected the crash when Nolan fell out of the sky. They could have known that a bunch of extraterrestrial visitors were on their planet.


    After the two aircraft disappeared before their eyes, Hao Ren received a call from Nolan. She sounded a bit nervous. ¡°Boss! Are you okay? I just sensed a strong energy reaction on your side!¡±


    ¡°I tell you what, the civilization of this planet is not extinct as we have first thought. There are survivors.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°They are fighting the First Born on this planet, and they have made quite an accomplishment.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    The MDT sent the recorded images to Nolan while Lily and Nangong Wuyue recounted what just happened. At last, Hao Ren told what he thought. Nolan agreed with him after a moment of silence.


    ¡°Now we are in bad shape. We need to repair our spacecraft before contemplating scaling up our operation. It is best to collect more information first so that we could have a good grasp of the situation. I use to do this when I was still a mercenary,¡± Nolan said. ¡°I think the locals have yet found out we are here. I have not detected any radar signals. Many of my external sensors are damaged, but I am not blind. Had they been people watching us, I would have definitely known.¡±


    ¡°That will be fine. We need to learn more about the survivors of this planet and then assess how we could approach them. Restore the functions of the Petrachelys as quickly as possible. Find ways to contact the drone cluster. These are the two most important jobs right now.¡±


    ¡°Understood. I will launch a new batch of probes to find the base of the survivors. Captain, when are you coming back onboard?¡±


    ¡°I plan to continue to explore the city,¡± Hao Ren replied. ¡°This city might have been abandoned for thousands of years, but it could contain clues of the survivors. At least, we could find out how their civilization looked like before the First Born destroyed them.¡±


    ¡°Please be careful. The Lullaby system is activated, but we are still standing on the head of a planet-sized monster, which had just been provoked a while ago. Its subconscious movement could be disastrous.¡±


    Hao Ren assured Nolan and then hung up. The trio continued to head deeper into the city.


    The bombings and counterattacks that occurred on the borders of forest in the distance did not seem to affect the tranquility in the city. This desolate place was still peaceful with wild animals roaming around freely, adding a little noise to the otherwise quiet place. Hao Ren looked at the city and the lush vegetation; he could not believe that this world was still living under the threat of the raging First Born¡ªthe calm was worrying.


    When a runaway First Born was devastating to the ecosystem. The tide of lifeblood would thoroughly purge, assimilate, and reset everything organic and inorganic. It would not only kill intelligent lives but also nature, every tree, and grass. But here, on this planet, where the First Born was still active, the ecosystem was thriving, and the forest had even swallowed up the civilized world.


    The alien animals roaming around in the city seemed to be clueless of what was going on in the world around them.


    The only thing that proved the First Born and Second Born was at war was the bombing that happened in the distance a while ago.


    Was the First Born of this planet not mad? Or was it that the indigenous civilization of this planet had gained the upper hand and completely suppressed the First Born? That was why the ecosystem had time to recover during the thousand-year struggle?


    With these questions in mind, Hao Ren and his team scouted the collapsed ancient buildings for more clues. They needed to find text and pictures of the ancient civilization, but the chances of finding these things were slim; text and images were not easy to preserve.


    Perhaps they should take a look at the plane wreckage at the edge of the forest¡ªif the aircraft crashed on this side of the forest and were far away from the tentacle.


    At noon, the group had arrived at the foot of the massive building in the city center.


    Like a quadrangular pyramid, the building should be the best-preserved part of the city. It clearly used highly sturdy materials and unique techniques in its construction to increase the lifespan of the building. Despite the exterior had peeled off, and the wide cracks and large holes, the scan result from the MDT showed that the building had a perfectly intact frame. Just like a giant beast with a reinforced steel skeleton, flesh and blood had decayed over the years, but the strong bones remained.


    It all meant that this was an important building.


    The structure had sunken by a dozen meters due to land subsidence. The original entrance was buried in rubble, and its walls were full of holes and cracks. That meant Hao Ren could enter the building freely. He asked the MDT to first scan the interior of the building before they got inside through a gap.


    The faint blue light of the MDT and the Flamejoy were illuminating the place. This ancient building that looked like a decaying tomb had shown its age. Moss and photobacterium covered the walls, and vines had grown through the broken floors. In some places, Hao Ren could even hear the sound of running water. The underground structure of the city had evolved into a subterranean river. The MDT found that this subterranean river connected to two cavities under the city and led to the streams and sewer. Together with the water on the surface, these waterways nourished the nearby vegetation.


    A new ecosystem flourished in this city.


    Nangong Wuyue, in her sea snake form, was crawling beside Hao Ren. She had summoned three water spheres around her, and through the humid air, she could perceive every detail in the surroundings. Suddenly, she stopped and pointed in a direction with her tail. ¡°Mr. Landlord, look.¡±


    With the help of illumination from the MDT, Hao Ren curiously looked into the direction where Nangong Wuyue was pointing. And then he saw a sculpture.


    The sculpture was broken in half. The upper body was lying on the floor while the lower part was missing. The real face of the statue was visible after removing the moss from the surface.


    It was a human statue¡ªat least it looked like one.


    ¡°It seems that the intelligent creatures of this planet have followed the information perturbation and evolved into this ¡®standard template,''¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°Now, we at least know how the native creatures of this planet look like.¡±


    ¡°Not only this.¡± Vivian¡¯s eyes were slightly gleaming in red as she looked at the dark hall in front. ¡°It is either a museum or message center.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at where Vivian was looking, and he knew what Vivian meant.


    Sculptures and reliefs lined up in the hall quietly as if it was a military parade. They also looked like tombstones.


    Civilizations, whether on Earth or in alien planets, used sculptures to pass down information. Be it carved woods or stones during the early stage of civilization, or alloy-cast, beautiful objects during the height of civilization, sculptures always occupied a prominent position in information transmission. Regardless of the capacity of information, the use of sculptures was consistently more accurate and reliable than text and language in transmitting information. If one wanted to preserve a message and hope that it could be easily interpreted by future generations thousands of years later, then one of the best ways was to carve it in stone.


    Whether it was reliefs or sculptures, they all could preserve information for a long time. At least, for those civilizations that had yet outlasted time itself, the ¡®shelf life¡¯ of sculptures and reliefs was long enough to fit the purpose.


    Perhaps, this building was just a museum for exhibiting sculptures, but Hao Ren hoped that it was a message book that the ancient civilization left behind when they faced with a disaster. The appearance of the six aircraft earlier had confirmed that there were survivors on this planet. But somehow, Hao Ren felt that he could not pin his hope on the survivors, as represented by the aircraft, in uncovering the historical truth.

 Chapter 1533 - The Clues Keep On Appearing

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Basically, each and every sculpture was damaged and some were even broken to the point of no recovery; even the MDT¡¯s superior calculation ability could not restore the sculptures and embossings¡¯ missing parts out of thin air.


    Hao Ren could only let it restore their original looks, as close as possible.


    The MDT floated in the air as a ray of blue light was projected over a wide radius before it. In the light, time seemed to have reversed as the broken sculptures and embossings were reformed and placed back into their original locations. Vines and moss were cleaned up by the sweeping purification system and revealed the sculptures¡¯ original looks.


    Hao Ren noticed the humanoid sculptures: males, female, old and young of many races arrayed neatly by the side of the hallway; seemingly to display the standard human appearance.


    Further ahead was the star map. It was carved into a five-meter-wide metal plate, and the metal plate stood like a screen before the humanoid sculptures. On it was not only the positions of the planets and stars but also many markers for different things. The MDT, after translating the symbols understood that the markings were to explain the meaning of the star map.


    ¡°It seems this place is somewhat of a ¡®visitor¡¯s book¡¯,¡± Hao Ren said as he rubbed his chin. ¡°I think there are probably more of this sort of building on this planet¡­ perhaps most major city centers have one of these¡­ ¡®museums?¡±


    Vivian shook her head. ¡°We¡¯ll only know once we find more of them.¡±


    The four of them stopped before the last set of embossing.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably this.¡± Lily raised Flame-effing-joy towards the surface of the embossing, her golden iris glowed.


    Through the identical projection the MDT had displayed, Hao Ren saw a very familiar scene. Giant tentacles burst out from the deepest recess of the land and it shook the foundation of the continent, causing catastrophic floods and earthquakes. The cities wiped out before the catastrophe, towers fell, bridges broke; many wondrous buildings lost.


    After a series of natural disasters, then came the Blood Tide: The embossing detailed the scene rather graphically as a massive cloud of darkness shrouded the human realm and many living creatures melted away within the darkness and became chaotic lines and blocks. Anyone seeing this for the first time would probably be very confused, but Hao Ren knew it as soon as he saw it. This was the scene of the Blood Tide harvesting and consuming all life.


    The last part of the embossing, Hao Ren saw how the indigenous people of the planet fought back. They had built massive iron fortresses and hoped to ward off the First Born¡¯s attacks by cutting contact with the outside world, but like what happened on Tannagost, these iron fortresses fell in quick succession. They had also sent out massive robotic armies to attack the exposed tentacles, but that could only so slightly delay the inevitable catastrophe. This was because they were living on the catastrophe itself, and the enemy was the world they lived in. The enemy was everywhere, and there was no place to run.


    ¡°Look,¡± Vivian pointed towards the end of the embossing. As that part was particularly damaged, the restoration done by the MDT was still blurry. But even blurry one could still understand what was being detailed, and one of the drawings showed a spacecraft taking off. ¡°They seemed to have built a massive spaceship and sent a huge amount of people and material into space. There¡¯s nothing after that.¡±


    Hao Ren was deep in thought as he by reflexively tried to touch the embossing, but his hand went through the projection before touching the metal plate¡¯s rough layer. ¡°Based on these images, the civilization on the planet was indeed destroyed and until the very end, the First Born was overwhelming¡­ but after a few thousand years and something happened leading to the planet being what it is today. The ecosystem had seemed recovered. Even when the First Born is still active but it did not continue to destroy the ecosystem and¡­¡±


    ¡°And there are those ¡®survivors¡¯ in the bombers.¡± Nangong Wuyue¡¯s tail slapped against the ground. ¡°There must¡¯ve been something that happened after the end of the timeline in the embossing and changed the direction of everything.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°This planet is different from the past ones, and looks like we need to study it properly.¡±


    In the search after that, they had scoured the entire building, and while there were some new findings, none were actually valuable clues.


    At the top of the building, they found a sealed secret room that was covered in a special type of alloy. After slicing the outer shell open, Hoa Ren found a set ancient equipment ruined beyond repair and probably the remains of the facility¡¯s operators. After some scans, the MDT confirmed that all had committed suicide.


    The secret room was totally sealed. Not only it could not be opened from outside, and it looks like once the facility is sealed, even those inside could not get out. It was a veritable graveyard from the outset. Vivian surmised that those within the room were probably the last of the city¡¯s defenders and they were controlling the last defensive capabilities of the city from here. And once all were destroyed, they ended their lives in this ¡®safe room¡¯.


    For the parts of the buildings that had already sunk into the ground, Wuyue, using her control over water managed to find some half-flooded machine room and reactor. They were probably the brains and heart of this ancient facility. As they were submerged in water for a very long time, the machine room was pretty much a room full of worthless scrap metal. Hao Ren had hoped to find some data storage devices in the machines but was left disappointed.


    As for the ruined reactor¡­ the MDT determined that the reactor was probably a high-efficiency fusion reactor, but it was impossible to restore it.


    The search continued until dark.


    After completing the search in the building, Hao Ren had also gone to check on a few other places in the city and found a mound of ruined machines and weaponry. Lily even found a rather intricately made ship model and Vivian thought it was probably a child¡¯s toy. From an archeological perspective, their finds were rather fruitful, but in the wider search for the truth, only the objects in the ¡®hall of sculptures¡¯ was of value.


    With the First Born¡¯s presence confirmed, the outdoors were clearly unsafe and Hao Ren abandoned the idea to pass the night amongst the ruins and the forest. Upon letting the MDT and Nolan establishing contact, the party teleported back to the ship.


    The crew was pretty much bored out of their wits throughout the day. As the mainframe was damaged, Nolan had to shift all her calculation capacity for the repairs and those who stayed behind did not even have the luxury to watch a movie. That bored everyone to death, especially the energetic Y¡¯lisabet, the little lass was wandering around the ship with her screwdriver in hand and scared the living daylights out of Nolan.


    The only exception was probably Rollie, as a cat, at least in spirit, she did not pick up too many human habits and most of the time was content to just lay on the floor snoozing or playing with the ball of yarn. And to be frank, everyone on the ship was envious of her and her simple-mindedness; being able to entertain herself oh so happily with just a ball of yarn¡­


    When Hao Ren and the rest returned, they somewhat cheered up Y¡¯lisabet, Nangong Sanba and the rest. Even Lil Pea bounced over onto Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder asking what did he find.


    ¡°I actually found quite a few things, but can you give me some breathing room.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand to chase Y¡¯lisabet, Nangong Sanba away. After getting comfortable on his captain¡¯s chair and surveying the bridge, he noticed that most of the damaged objects had ¡®regrown¡¯. ¡°Nolan, everything smooth?¡±


    ¡°Much better than expected.¡± Nolan¡¯s voice echoed. ¡°As there was no outside interference, the repair works is going at maximum speed.¡±


    ¡°Detected any other signals from the indigenous civilization?¡±


    ¡°Aside from the air units you ran into earlier in the day, there was nothing else.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­. alright, it¡¯s not urgent anyway.¡± Hao Ren waived off. ¡°We have found some information left behind by the ancient people here..¡±


    The crew converged around the bridge as they listened to Hao Ren, Lily, Vivian, and Wuyue detailed their exploration of the city. Aside from Lil Pea and Rollie who were there to make up the numbers, everyone fell into deep thought trying to decipher the meaning behind the embossing and the information gleaned from the aircraft in the day.


    Y¡¯zaks was the first to speak. ¡°The embossing is probably the records left by the last of the defenders and once the spacecraft had taken off they retreated to the city and until the very last moment left these sculptures and embossing. This could explain why there was nothing after the spaceship had taken off: the people who made the embossing had no idea what happened afterward.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m of the same mind.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°The launch had probably only managed to take with them a part, probably less than ten percent of the population. The rest were left on the planet and these people fought for a time after the launch, right until the First Born annihilated all defensive lines. In this time, they had time to leave behind enough information for those who would come later.¡±


    ¡°But the city was not totally destroyed by the First Born, while it is a ruin, it was more due to damage caused by the passing of time. If it was the First Born, the destruction would have been total.¡± Nangong Sanba interjected.


    If it was the latter, Hao Ren and the rest would have come to an even more desolate world.


    Vivian then brought up another matter. ¡°So those aircraft during the day, what do you think of them?¡±


    ¡°Survivors.¡± Lily shrugged. ¡°What else?¡±


    ¡°Survivors are all fine and dandy. But the key question is¡­ where did they come from,¡± Hao Ren tapped his fingers on the armrest. ¡°Are they the descendants of the planetary resistance or¡­ the group of people who were sent to space?¡±

 Chapter 1534 - An Unusual First Born

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After he saw the reliefs within the city ruins, Hao Ren knew that the civilization on the planet had a massive self-preservation mission going on during their final moments. They had launched a massive spaceship to send the ¡°embers¡± into space, and while the reliefs did not record what happened afterward, it at least presented a possibility: some of the denizens of the planet probably managed to escape.


    Therefore, his suspicion was not without merit: the aircraft he saw during the day was probably not from the planet itself.


    ¡°I think Mr. Landlord¡¯s right,¡± Lily, as the resident creative graduate puppy was the first to voice her support. ¡°The surface of the planet is the First Born itself, and fighting the First Born on the surface is pretty much a lost cause. So rather than a land-based resistance army, I think it¡¯s more probable that they were the living descendants of those who went into space.¡±


    ¡°To be fair, the refugee ark¡­ may not have even survived the escape,¡± Nangong Sanba quipped. ¡°The First Born is well equipped with space-borne warfare capabilities, and the spaceship¡¯s structure would¡¯ve definitely been much weaker than the fortresses on the ground. It¡¯s totally possible that those who went into space did not even make it into orbit and those on the ground may have very well found the rhythm to the First Born¡¯s activities and created a sanctuary in response.¡±


    ¡°Both are possible, and we need to investigate further before we can reach a conclusion.¡± Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°That said, the presence of survivors is certain now, and they¡¯ve been trying to defeat the tentacles on the surface of the planet until today¡­ Nolan, do you have any more probes?¡±


    ¡°The exploratory probes will be more than enough, I brought along plenty of those thingamajigs, but only the atmospheric models are left. The generic aerial probes container was destroyed during the jump, I need to fix the manufacturing module first before I can produce a new batch.¡±


    ¡°Atmospheric¡­ That¡¯ll do. Deploy them in a wide radius. I hope you can complete the scan of the planet¡¯s surface and ten kilometers into the crust within two days. If you happen to find any survivor base, get me the info as well.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°That aside, are the engineering modules within the lab functional?¡±


    Nolan went silent for two seconds as if to confirm the condition of the facility before answering, ¡°The lab is in good shape, but energy supply is slightly insufficient. Nonetheless, running an engineering module is still within acceptable parameters.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I need you to convert a few of the droids into combat droids. I¡¯ll bring them along tomorrow to the edge of the jungle.¡±


    Vivian blinked before she realized what Hao Ren was up to. ¡°You plan to go to where the aircraft crashed?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded gently. ¡°We may find important information there. If we can recover the aircraft¡¯s data core then our investigation will take a great leap forward.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s rather close to the tentacles¡­ Even if they were wounded by the bombing run earlier, that sort of damage is almost negligible for the First Born. By the time you get there, they¡¯ll probably be fully recovered,¡± Vivian said with a frown. ¡°They were just recently attacked, and they¡¯re probably on very high alert. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re taking a big risk here? We can wait a while for the tentacles to lower their guard. The wreckage isn¡¯t going to go anywhere, no?¡±


    Hao Ren had other considerations. ¡°If we drag this out, the deterioration of the clues will worsen. Before we find any surviving units, those wreckages are our best hope for any information. As for the tentacles¡­ they¡¯re not as sensitive as you think. I¡¯ve checked with Zorm before, and due to the fact that a First Born¡¯s size is so massive that most ¡®little creatures¡¯ would not be able to harm it, an adult First Born¡¯s senses are more attuned to large targets and high energy signatures. As for those tiny parasites, their nervous systems won¡¯t be able to detect everything even if they mean to. A few people standing on a First Born would be like a speck of dust on a human body. Under most circumstances, it wouldn¡¯t even mind, unless you fire upon the tentacles of course.¡±


    ¡°So when we head over there we just need to be a little more careful. As long as we don¡¯t go ¡®Meteor Storm!¡¯, ¡®Chain Lightning!¡¯, ¡®Fusion Blast!¡¯, and the like, we¡¯ll be able to find it. The tentacles will probably treat us as little animals from the jungle,¡± Lily wagged her tail as she added.


    The werehusky had already added her name to the party without even asking. She really just could not sit still, could she?


    After considering Hao Ren and Lily¡¯s opinions, Vivian felt that it could be feasible, and she nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Then that¡¯s settled.¡± Hao Ren clapped. ¡°Now that Nolan is still immobile, we will use her as our base of operations and the center of our activities. I¡¯ll bring Lily, Vivian, and Wuyue out tomorrow. The rest can use the ship as a base and move about within a five-kilometer radius, looking for clues as well as any environmental data. Sanba, stay on the bridge and monitor the comms and radar. Also, help me look after Lil Pea.¡±


    ¡°I wanna go with daddeee!¡± The little mermaid bounced up from her tank.


    ¡°Be a good girl. It¡¯s dangerous outside and it¡¯s safer in the ship.¡± Hao Ren patted the little one¡¯s head. ¡°Plus, it¡¯s nothing but mountains out there, so there¡¯s no place for you to swim.¡±


    The little rascal was rather obedient this time around. ¡°Oh.¡±


    And so, the plan for the second day was set. Nighttime finally came.


    After the ambush in space and the following crash landing, plus a day-long search on a foreign planet, even someone with extraordinary physique would feel mentally exhausted. That night, Hao Ren slept particularly soundly, and by the time he woke up, the light of dawn had already basked the land.


    Nolan had no need for rest, and while everyone was fast asleep, she quietly worked, trying to get as many shield generators online and rebuilding the psionic amplification module of the propulsion reactor. She had also completed Hao Ren¡¯s request to arm some of the droids and deploy more probes into the planet¡¯s atmosphere.


    By the second day, she had run a rough scan of the continent. Due to the mainframe being damaged, the data processing and droid control area were limited, leading to the drop in efficiency.


    That planet had more than one continent, and Nolan had only completed the scan of just one. But just on this continent alone, she managed to locate thousands of ruins and remains that were significant in size. Most of these ruins, which were already half-devoured by nature, showed signs of being heavily damaged by the First Born. All around the ruins were the tentacles of the First Born, including those that were still active and dormant. Nolan noticed that the First Born on this planet was very unusual. It was in a¡­ half-dead state of ¡°lethargy¡±, which had never been seen on other planets before.


    Aside from the ancient ruins and traces of the First Born, Nolan had also found more clues related to the ¡°survivors¡±. Many ¡°fresh¡± bomb craters and energy signatures within the burning jungle were detected around the tentacles. The data showed that more bombings had recently occurred in addition to the bombing Hao Ren and the rest encountered. The most recent one was just a few hours ago.


    It seemed like the planet¡¯s survivors were still active, and they would launch an assault on the tentacles within the continent every now and then. But the odd thing was the First Born¡¯s reaction to those attacks. Based on Hao Ren¡¯s observation, the tentacles would violently fend off any attackers, but that was the extent of it. There were no earth-shattering rampages or any Blood Tides after the fact, or any attempts at pursuit.


    Regardless, Nolan could not understand why the First Born on the planet was acting like that. It was clear that it had already destroyed the planet¡¯s civilization once.


    As for the survivor¡¯s base of operations¡­ Nolan did not find anything on the continent. There were also no images of any attacks by the survivors at night. Perhaps the army was from other continents, or perhaps they were just as Hao Ren had guessed¡­ They were from outer space.


    With all that said, the information gathered by the probes was limited. Further understanding of the situation was still dependent on Hao Ren and his troupe¡¯s activity that day.


    Vivian had found some ingredients in the ship to make a simple yet tasty meal (thank goodness the living quarters were well protected during that incident; the kitchen and supply storage included). After breakfast, the pair, alongside their pet dog and siren, went on a journey to search for the aircraft wreckage.


    This time around, they did not need to gather any data or search any ruins. With a clear objective, they moved quickly across the thick jungle into a clearing.


    ¡°Based on Nolan¡¯s navigation guide, the wreckage should be in this area.¡± Hao Ren was at the front as he widened his eyes to check their surroundings. ¡°Stay alert, we are within the First Born¡¯s zone of activity.¡±


    ¡°A third of the plants here are probably the derivative of the First Born.¡± The MDT floated by Hao Ren¡¯s side as it checked on the energy and magnetic field readings of the plants around them. ¡°They¡¯re formed from the capillaries at the end of the tentacles, and I can sense nervous signals being transmitted between the leaves¡­ The trees have ¡®seen¡¯ us, but the main body is still not reacting.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°So I was right then. As long as we don¡¯t do anything stupid, these tentacles won¡¯t even bother dealing with a few specks of dust passing by.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue turned to Hao Ren before she looked at Lily, who had been overexcited since they stepped out, before she mumbled to herself, ¡°I feel like going out with you guys is a pretty stupid thing to do. Since when have you guys ever not blow up a hole somewhere?¡±


    Hao Ren had no reply.


    At the same time, Lily¡¯s nose tingled and the husky pointed in a direction. ¡°Mr. Landlord, Mr. Landlord, there¡¯s a burning smell coming from there!¡±

 Chapter 1535 - Big Discovery

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    With Lily¡¯s nose as a guide, Hao Ren finally found the first piece of the aircraft¡¯s wreckage.


    It was a piece of bent metal and a non-descript ellipsoidal equipment bay. It was tangled together with many burnt cables and tubes, reeking of a burnt smell. While the wreckage had already cooled down after a night, it was clear that it had suffered quite a brutal explosion and immolation, which left the outer shell almost melted.


    The five-to-six-meter long fragment had fallen between two massive trees, and the impact created a ten-meter-wide crater. The conditions of the trees around the crater were unusually different. The first one had been killed by the impact and extreme temperature, its trunk now snapped and the canopy a burnt-out husk. The other tree, however, still stood evergreen by the crater and its branches, as well as its leaves, looked like they had just sprouted.


    Without question, the leaves of the second tree were derived from the First Born after its tentacles broke through the surface. It was quite clear that they were the sensory points of the monstrous creature deep within the planet. Standing beside the crater, Hao Ren knew that he was already in the First Born¡¯s view.


    However, as Zorm had mentioned, once a First Born reached maturity (meaning that when it was able to send its tentacles out to any place on the planet¡¯s surface while it stayed within the planet¡¯s core) its sensory abilities underwent several changes, and ¡°microorganisms¡± around the tentacles would no longer attract its attention. Unless, those microorganisms had energy signatures that were capable of destroying the main body, or they exuded some special agitative and challenging aura.


    Hao Ren would obviously not challenge it, so he and the rest restrained their aura as they carefully approached the crater and began to inspect the aircraft¡¯s wreckage.


    ¡°This is probably the radar compartment, and the metal plate on the top is part of a protective layer.¡± The MDT floated next to Hao Ren¡¯s head as it scanned the wreckage¡¯s structure with a blue ray. ¡°The inside¡¯s been totaled¡­ Seems like the impact was devastating and every part of the ship suffered massive compression. The First Born¡¯s tentacles probably deployed a stagnation forcefield, and the aircraft, flying at full speed suddenly went from highspeed to zero. Without a stabilizer, no vehicle could have withstood such a sudden change in speed.¡±


    ¡°There should be other wreckage nearby, probably in an even better state.¡± Hao Ren looked around. ¡°I remember one of the aircraft was taken out during the bombing run, and it was clearly decelerating before being shot out of the sky. That wreckage should fare a little better.¡±


    Lily snorted. ¡°Fare better after being blasted into pieces out of the sky¡­¡±


    That said, the werehusky was still a good bi¡­ a good girl who would do her best in finding stuff. Under such circumstances, her nose was even more effective than the MDT¡¯s simple radar system, and it did not take long for them to find more wreckage.


    There were more pieces of wreckage than expected. If Hao Ren were to account for every screw that had fallen, the four aircraft would have probably disintegrated into at least five digits worth of parts in the area. Plus, their spread could have easily been more than ten kilometers wide. But not every piece was worth their attention, and Hao Ren was looking for the cockpit.


    Even better would be the discovery of the corpses of the pilots¡­


    They found another large wreckage within a depression about a few hundred meters away from the radar compartment. This piece of wreckage was a few times bigger than the radar compartment. It had two parallel rails that seemed to function as track accelerators. There were also a few other torn tubes and several burnt wire structures. The entire mess was lying sideways within the depression. The water in the depression had already evaporated due to the extreme temperature and only a parched patch of mud was left.¡±


    ¡°This is probably a weapon module, a part of a railgun.¡± The MDT once again ran a scan. ¡°A railgun should probably have more components but seems like these were left after the crash. Let me see¡­ High-temperature superconductor, a high-efficiency capacitor bank and¡­ Oh? A shell stuck at the end of the rail? Decent quality.¡±


    ¡°What are you on about?¡± Wuyue scratched her head as she wiggled her tail impatiently on the ground. ¡°So can you tell if their weapons are super high-tech, or can you see the survivor¡¯s industrial capabilities?¡±


    ¡°This entry-level railgun technology isn¡¯t something super-advanced. Even Earthlings are almost there now. But a later stage railgun is a totally different beast compared with an early-stage test model,¡± the MDT said as it bumped itself against the rails of the wreckage. ¡°There are only sturdy materials left in this wreckage. There aren¡¯t any tech components in it, probably destroyed by the extreme heat. I can only come up with an analysis based on these materials, and their work is pretty decent. A shot from this railgun can punch through any man-made object, including the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier or the Khufu Pyramid. Of course, the plasma bombs that they lobbed during the bombing run are much stronger, and against the tentacles of the First Born, bombs are usually more useful than cannons.¡±


    ¡°Creating and maintaining these powerful flyers would require a stable industrial base.¡± Hao Ren rubbed his chin. ¡°And this industry must be capable of producing these weapons to keep up with the attrition. This would need raw material support. The attack yesterday was by a wing of six and only two survived. I believe that such losses are common when confronting the First Born. They could also be worse¡­¡±


    ¡°The survivors did not only survive, but they are also equipped with the might of a country, industry, and population at the very least. They would¡¯ve have needed raw materials, factories, auxiliary industries, and manpower to support these projects. That means a sizeable amount of land was acquired, or else these weapons alone would not have allowed them to survive for thousands of years.¡± Vivian nodded. ¡°A good example would be those ¡®ancient gods¡¯ who perished after just a generation or two.¡±


    Hao Ren waved as he called the patrolling droids over and ordered them to clear up the railgun¡¯s wreckage as well as collect any other pieces of debris around the area. Those droids were the ones converted by Nolan the day before. While some of their tentacles were now equipped with laser rifles and shield generators, their remaining tentacles could still complete simple engineering works.


    Hao Ren realized that he really needed to have a batch of droids converted permanently into those semi-combat, semi-support type, especially when exploring a foreign planet with danger all around. Perhaps he could create a new production line and call it the generic vanguard unit?


    ¡°Collect those bigger wreckage parts,¡± Hao Ren ordered as he explained to Vivian beside him. ¡°The lab in the ship is still working. Once they¡¯re sent back, Nolan can run a few scans using the analysis mainframe.¡±


    The collected pieces of wreckage were carefully categorized before they were stored in Hao Ren¡¯s limitless Dimensional Pocket while Lily headed deeper into the jungle to search for more.


    Not long after, Hao Ren heard a gunshot in the jungle. As the sound of gunfire rang, so did Lily¡¯s yelp. ¡°Waahh!¡±


    ¡°F*ck me¡­ that dumb dog ran into trouble!¡±


    Hao Ren yelled before he dashed headlong in the direction of the noise while Vivian and Wuyue followed closely behind.


    Just as they were halfway there, they saw Lily bounce energetically out of the woods as she screamed, ¡°Mr. Landlord, Mr. Landlord, I found someone! I found someone! I even got shot!¡±


    Seeing how energetic the husky was, Hao Ren swallowed all his worries back into his gut, but he was quickly befuddled. The husky was actually all excited after she got shot. Would she also grin from ear to ear if her family got massacred?


    And she actually found a surviving pilot?!


    ¡°Are you all right?¡± Hao Ren still focused on examining the werehusky. ¡°I heard you yelling.¡±


    Lily lifted her arm. ¡°Just a scratch. I couldn¡¯t react in time. By the time I saw the bullet, it was too late to dodge, and I just ended up blocking it with my arm. Say¡­ alien guns are far stronger than human ones. I thought I could just grab it out of the air¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was quite horrified by the wound in Lily¡¯s arm and was really amazed by how optimistic the husky was. He then pushed her towards Wuyue. ¡°Wuyue, patch her up please.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue summoned a healing orb and placed it near Lily¡¯s wound. The gunshot wound then slowly started to heal. Seeing that Lily was doing all right, Hao Ren turned towards the direction in which the former had come from. ¡°Just right ahead?¡±


    ¡°Not too far ahead, but after shooting me, that bastard seemingly fainted, probably too heavily injured¡­¡±


    With Lily as the head, the group found the crash site within the thick jungle.


    A giant wreck had fallen there, and near the crash, all plantlife had already been burnt by the massive fire that followed. A heap of metal wreckage lay within the circular impact point, and witnessing the scene, the first thing that came to Hao Ren¡¯s mind was, how could someone have survived such a crash?¡±


    Then he saw the ¡°survivor¡± in the wreckage.


    It was a female, at least based on its appearance. She lay lifelessly within the twisted tubes and metal. Her body was badly burnt in many areas, and her left arm was missing while the right was holding a black tinted weapon. It was most likely the weapon that injured Lily. There was no lower body as it had been blown apart. Only a few wirings were exposed from the wound and sparks jumped around from time to time.


    This was the survivor Lily was talking about.


    Vivian looked at the female¡¯s seemingly torn robotic lower body before she turned to Lily, rolling her eyes. ¡°All right, looks like she¡¯s really ¡®injured¡¯. I think you didn¡¯t even realize that this was a robot.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see it clearly.¡± Lily ruffled her hair. ¡°She suddenly shot at me, and my vision was pretty much trained on the bullet¡­¡±

 Chapter 1536 - The Sole Survivor

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Truth be told, Hao Ren really did not expect the first found survivor to be a robot.


    Only after he got close to further inspect the wreck did he realize what a sorry state the robot was in. Not only was she severed from the waist down, but most of her remaining body parts were also barely intact. Additionally, a majority of her outer shell and synthetic skin had been burnt away by the flames post-crash, resulting in a warped skeletal structure. One arm had come off during her crawl out of the wreckage, and it was about two meters away from her body. The other arm was literally a mess of frame and wiring. As most of the facial features were burnt, Hao Ren could not tell what the robot originally looked like. But from the body shape, he could deduce that it was designed with a feminine body in mind, so Hao Ren decided to use ¡°she¡± to refer to the downed pilot.


    ¡°From the state of her body, this robot probably still had some mobility left. She tried to climb out of the cockpit and was badly burned in the process. She lost all mobility here,¡± the MDT explained as it scanned the robot and used a blue light marker to mark out the pilot¡¯s trail before she lost her mobility. ¡°Her energy source and control system¡¯s centered in the torso with a very solid carapace. Even after losing all mobility, she was still able to remain in an extremely low-powered standby mode. Lily¡¯s approach probably activated her automated defense mechanism, and she attacked. But the gunfire¡¯s vibrations totally ruined her already fried circuits, and the short circuit was followed by a total shutdown.¡±


    ¡°¡­Giving a robot an autopsy sounds very weird.¡± Lily mused as she poked her chin with her finger.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t even serious enough for an autopsy.¡± The MDT vibrated. ¡°She¡¯s only offline. I think her logic core and memory core are still salvageable. As long these pieces of hardware are intact, a robot won¡¯t die all that easily.¡±


    ¡°Her logic and memory cores are still there?!¡± Hao Ren was suddenly intrigued. ¡°Let¡¯s save her now! I have my droids¡­¡±


    ¡°Not here.¡± The MDT swung from left to right. ¡°The droids can fix the ship based on blueprints but they don¡¯t have the research and analysis module in them. This robot was made with indigenous technology, and while it may not be super-advanced, we still need to analyze it before we can figure out a way to fix it. Take it back, let Nolan run a scan in the lab on how to fix her¡­¡±


    Hao Ren nodded as he commanded his droids to carefully dig that robot, which had almost turned into scrap metal, out of the wreckage. At the same time, Wuyue wondered aloud, ¡°My healing spells are useless here, eh¡­ Such different lifeforms, much intrigue.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. If you throw your healing orb on her, it¡¯ll all be over.¡± Lily rolled her eyes at the siren. ¡°You wanna short-circuit the motherboard?¡±


    Simultaneously, Hao Ren was hit by an epiphany. The whole idea of bringing Wuyue along was to have her patch up a still-living survivor if there was one, but it seemed like there was no certainty to the outcome of initial plans. While they indeed found a still-living survivor, she was not waterproof¡­


    ¡°I never thought that the aircraft yesterday were piloted by robots.¡± Vivian frowned as she mumbled to herself, seemingly disappointed.


    The MDT was gazing at the droids cutting open the metal hull as it heard Vivian¡¯s words. ¡°No, if I¡¯m not wrong, this robot is a co-pilot and support computer. Her inner frame has a series of codes and identification marks. They were probably imprinted when she got out of the production line. Her model and usage are marked in there.¡±


    ¡°A co-pilot, huh?¡± Hao Ren raised an eyebrow. ¡°Then let¡¯s just call her robo-adjutant for now. If she¡¯s a co-pilot, that means there¡¯s a¡­ human pilot as well?¡±


    ¡°Logically speaking, yes.¡± the MDT wobbled as if nodding. ¡°But, if the pilot was human, there would be no corpse left. This cockpit fragment is the biggest amongst all of the wreckage, and if the co-pilot is already damaged to this degree, you can imagine the rest. A weak carbon-based lifeform would pretty much evaporate in that extreme heat and explosion.¡±


    Hao Ren clicked his tongue, feeling dissatisfied. ¡°Tch..¡±


    The droids took a very long time before they safely extracted the robot from the cockpit. Due to the extreme heat, the robot had fused together with the metal around her. On top of that, her body was already at its breaking point, and even with the droids¡¯ nimble handiwork, extracting her unscathed was very difficult. So, only a part of her body, arm, and an almost complete head was pulled out. These parts did not look like they could hold on much longer either. She looked like a horrifying dismembered corpse even when she was placed on the ground, and Hao Ren quickly stored her in a safe container before he kept it in his Dimensional Pocket.


    After completing the retrieval of the survivor, Hao Ren hoped against hope as he expanded the search area, with the MDT and the droids scouring a radius of several kilometers wide for any other survivors. But there was nothing but disappointment. They did find plenty of wreckage but no human pilot or any intact cockpits remained. Worse still, they did not even find a second robot co-pilot.


    There were only numerous cooled metal fragments across the jungle.


    It seemed like that torn-apart female AI copilot was the only survivor out of the four downed aircraft.


    Once the necessary search was completed, the setting of the sun was only moments away. The planet¡¯s day-night cycle was much longer than Earth¡¯s.


    However, Hao Ren did not plan on staying out in the wild. He looked up beyond the jungle and noticed the plantlife getting sparse there. The tentacles were barely a few thousand meters away. Just by looking up, he could see a blackish-brown ¡°mountain range¡± with a tinge of green, stretching across the horizon. If he were to look carefully, he could even see that ¡°mountain range¡± slowly undulate like a massive breathing beast.


    After finding out the real identity of that mountain range, it was almost terrifying to stand in such close proximity to it.


    Best not to loiter around a First Born without purpose, even when it was asleep. Just a mere toss would result in a quake with the magnitude of at least 8.5 on the Richter scale. That was the most important experience gained after being in the Plane of Dreams for so long.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head back.¡± Hao Ren recalled the patrolling droids. ¡°Let¡¯s get Nolan to figure out how we can save our little robot lady friend¡­ Say, where did Lily go?¡±


    He turned around, unable to see the werehusky, and he asked Vivian on the wayside.


    ¡°She ran into the jungle to look for fruits. Said she was hungry.¡±


    ¡°¡­Can she actually have some sense of danger?!¡±


    ¡°Who knows.¡± Vivian rolled her eyes. ¡°Being a beast herself, she¡¯s probably confident about her instincts. Her survival skills are top-notch, and if you were to throw her on Mars, she¡¯d probably stay alive by gnawing on rocks¡­¡±


    Hao Ren knew how the werehusky operated, and he could just complain about it at most before he asked Wuyue to drag the fruit-picking werehusky back. After a short nag, the few of them returned to the Petrachelys.


    Nolan was very interested in the robotic co-pilot that Hao Ren had brought back, so was little Y¡¯lisabet.


    The little demoness practically jumped when she found out what Hao Ren had brought back. The felfire energies shot up from her head as she volunteered to fix the robot, her words sincere and true. If Hao Ren had not known what sort of person the little devil was, he would have believed her!


    However, just as the goddess was crazy, the destruction that the little devil¡¯s handiwork wrought was the same. Truth be told, she was already known as the genius repair lass back in the Southern Suburbs. She even fixed the air-conditioners, fridges, and washing machines of the old folks along the street. But her level was at that of daily appliances. Anything more complicated, she would probably tear apart in five minutes but never be able to put back.


    Although she had talent in fixing stuff, it came at the cost of Hao Ren¡¯s own electrical appliances. The mound of broken electronics at the back of the house was her exquisite handiwork¡­


    ¡°You are forbidden from the lab.¡± Hao Ren nudged the little devil on the head as he gave her a stern order before pushing her back to Y¡¯zaks side. He then gave Nolan his orders. ¡°Prepare the lab, let¡¯s see if the robot we brought back can be saved or not.¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet was still struggling even as her dad tried to control her. She was making faces at Hao Ren. ¡°Blehhhh.¡±


    Yet, Hao Ren had already turned to face the lab and did not even see it¡­


    The robot¡¯s broken body was placed on a multi-functional engineering platform, and next to it was a stack of broken parts: torn metal connectors, broken circuit boards, something that looked like a fragment of a chip, and some other non-descript stuff. Hao Ren could not see the use or value of the items but the MDT predicted that they were from the female robot. While pretty much broken beyond repair, those things could still help the mainframe computer recreate the robot¡¯s technical data to aid with the repair work.


    Nolan activated the lab¡¯s system, and the body on the platform floated as the anti-gravity field came alive. A few robot arms appeared from the platform and swiftly disassembled the already-disassembled robot into its finer components.


    After that, a scanning ray began to read the parts¡¯ data and loaded the information into the system before it started a series of complex calculations and deductions.


    Lily was chomping on one of the fruits she had plucked when she spoke. Her mouth was full. ¡°The patient¡¯s on the operating table¡­ The patient has been disassembled into about 2,000 parts¡­ The patient is stable¡­¡±


    Hao Ren raised an eyebrow at the werehusky. ¡°You sure this is safe to eat?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s crunchy and tasty. Wuyue already tested it. It¡¯s not poisonous,¡± Lily said as she passed him one. ¡°Wanna have one Mr. Landlord?¡±


    Hao Ren was relieved. He found that the werehusky still had some common sense. Despite randomly plucking something to eat on a foreign planet, she still knew to get someone to check it first¡­

 Chapter 1537 - Another Big Discover

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Looking at those busy robots and traction beams on the console, Hao Ren asked the analysis host of the laboratory, ¡°How long will it take to repair her?¡±


    ¡°It is expected to take 48 hours,¡± the analysis host quickly replied. ¡°The damage is so severe that some logic circuits cannot be reverse-engineered, and the default plan is to replace them with a universal module. There¡¯s a lot of testing and virtual booting to do because there¡¯s no way to determine how the AI would fit into a common module.¡±


    48 hours¡­ It only took a week for the Petrachelys to be repaired to the point where it could be re-launched, but it took two days and nights to repair a robot adjutant robot from an indigenous civilization. Hao Ren was a little disappointed, but he could understand it.


    He himself brought back the wreck, so he knew the state of the robot adjutant. They could not say they were ¡®repairing¡¯ the robot. They were actually recreating the robot, or to be exact, they were recreating a product under a whole new technology system. The analysis host could make up this process forcibly with its powerful research and calculation ability, but it was completely impossible to skip the massive virtual tests that needed to be carried out.


    Nolan had a blueprint for self-recovery, but no one had a blueprint for this robot.


    ¡°It¡¯s not enough just to fix the hardware,¡± Vivian said, ¡°The most important thing is her memory¡­ Can you extract the memory bank first? We¡¯ll know what¡¯s in her head even if we can¡¯t fix the logic circuits.¡±


    ¡°The AI module used by this robot is special. The memory bank and logic circuit cannot be separated, while the logic circuit is rooted in the motherboard. This structure makes it necessary to use its original logic circuit to read the memory accurately and correctly. In other words, only its initial logic circuit can understand the files in its memory bank- so it is recommended to read the memory after completing the basic maintenance work.¡±


    Moments later, the analysis host added, ¡°you may try to break the memory, but there is a 50 percent chance that the data will be compromised.¡±


    ¡°Well, then just wait for two more days,¡± Hao Ren said, waving his hand, ¡°sure you can fix it?¡±


    ¡°It can be restored to 70 percent. After it wakes up, it can be completely repaired with its active cooperation.¡±


    This time, the analysis host gave a relatively satisfactory answer.


    ¡°Do you think the robot adjutant will cooperate with us when she wakes up?¡± Nangong Sanba asked. ¡°In my impression, AI is quite rigid. What if she¡¯s programmed with some sort of recognition module that automatically switches to the berserk mode when she meets a stranger?¡±


    ¡°Watch your mouth, I¡¯m a super advanced and flexible AI assistant! I¡¯m not rigid at all!¡± yelled the data terminal.


    Hao Ren pushed the data terminal aside and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay if the robot doesn¡¯t cooperate. After repairing the motherboard and logic circuit, Nolan can directly get involved in her thinking part. If she doesn¡¯t want to cooperate, we¡¯ll just take her hard drive and the card reader and plug it into Nolan, and we¡¯ll still be able to read it¡­¡±


    It would take a while for the robot to be repaired. Hao Ren did not understand the specific process, so he handed it over to the laboratory host, and he himself returned to the crew rest area.


    The crew cabin was the best-preserved part of the spaceship. Because it was deep inside the ship, there was little physical impact during the attack or fall. Despite losing gravity and power for a while, it was fully functional after Nolan reconfigured the power flow. In the center of the residential area, there was a small bar with complete functions, spacious space, and all kinds of drinks created by synthetic mechanism were available at any time, and therefore, this was the favorite place for them to come when the spaceship was on a long voyage mission. Now everyone had no task, and outside the spaceship was a strange and dangerous planet, no one was interested in going out for a night outing, so everyone came here, chitchatting and playing cards to kill time.


    Hao Ren felt that a bar should have a bartender, so he specially arranged a task for this autonomous bot, pretending to be a bartender, but no one liked cocktails or anything like that except Nangong Sanba.


    Hao Ren saw Rollie coming up as he sat down in front of the bar. The cat girl climbed up onto a high stool and beckoned to the bartender, ¡°I want a vodka!¡±


    ¡°Give her a cup of warm water, no sugar,¡± Hao Ren corrected.


    ¡°And Sliced Fish in Hot Chili Oil!¡±


    ¡°Give her a bowl of cat food ¡ª and a small dried fish. The one with less salt.¡±


    The bartender quickly prepared the cat girl¡¯s food, and she held the bowl with a happy look on her face. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The cat did not really know what food she ordered, it¡¯s all learned from TV and other people¡¯s conversations, so every time she asked the bartender for food, Hao Ren had to correct it, or the food would kill her sooner or later. Not all food could be given to cats, and what¡¯s worse was that she wanted to try everything. Last time she even wanted onion rings and garlic¡­


    Hao Ren ordered a glass of ice cold coke to cool his slightly overworked brain, so as to think carefully about the mysterious planet. Lily was sitting nearby with a glass of coke, playing cards.


    ¡°Bartender! Two dishes of edamame!¡± Y¡¯zaks ordered while paying card.


    ¡°Please give me some tea by the way.¡± It¡¯s Nangong Wuyue¡¯s voice.


    Y¡¯lisabet, who was playing with Lil Pea in the far corner, shouted, ¡°I want ten mutton kebabs!¡±


    ¡°And two chopsticks!¡± This was undoubtedly Lil Pea¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Hao Ren, to tell you the truth, I advised you to change this place into a chess and card room long ago.¡± Vivian sat down next to Hao Ren. ¡°Do you think any of the people in the family are in tune with the bar? And why don¡¯t you put a barbecue stand here?¡±


    Hao Ren waved his hand and said, ¡°There should be a bar on the spaceship! Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s nice for us to come back to a nice bar, sipping a drink and chitchatting after a mission? And what the hell does a barbecue stand do in a spaceship?¡±


    After hearing this, Nangong Sanba, who was playing cards, echoed, ¡°That¡¯s right. And who says nobody cares for the bar? Where can I find cocktails in a chess and card room?¡±


    Vivian rolled her eyes and said, ¡°Which one do you think is more abnormal, eight people ordering peanut, edamame, kidney in a bar or one person ordering a cocktail in a chess and card room?¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a while and found it quite convincing¡­


    Vivian looked thoughtful at the juice and asked, ¡°Hao Ren, do you feel that this planet¡­ is a little strange?¡±


    ¡°Strange? You mean the Firstborn of the planet?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I heard Nolan say that the Firstborn of this planet is in a very ¡®inert¡¯ state. Traces of bombing missions by the rebels can be seen everywhere on the continent, but the Firstborn of this planet has only made a rather limited counter-attack, doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s going crazy. But it¡¯s not like he¡¯s sane, because he shows no sign of communicating ¨C and he responds decisively when attacked. Although there¡¯s no further pursuit, it¡¯s also relentless in the counter-attack.¡±


    ¡°And no significant changes in the tentacles of the Firstborn were observed after the lullaby system was activated,¡± Hao Ren said, nodding. ¡°Normally, once a lullaby is activated, the Firstborn¡¯s tentacles will show short tremors, stiffening, wilting signs, and in severe cases, organic atrophy and exfoliation of the skin, which is the result of a nervous system shutdown. But it¡¯s been nearly 48 hours since Nolan started the lullaby, and the nearest tentacle doesn¡¯t seem to be affected at all.¡±


    ¡°Could it be another special model?¡±


    ¡°Only God knows.¡± Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s good news that the Firstborn of this planet is not so active, so our safety factor can be greatly improved.¡±


    Vivian also thought so.


    Just then, Nolan¡¯s voice interrupted Hao Ren¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Boss, I found something here.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the robot bartender and said, ¡°Connect it.¡±


    Nolan¡¯s hologram immediately appeared before Hao Ren¡¯s eyes. Nolan waved to Hao Ren and said, ¡°Boss, I fixed a set of optical observation module of the spaceship, and then looked up at the sky. What do you think I saw?¡±


    Hao Ren raised his eyebrow and said, ¡°Don¡¯t keep me guessing. What did you see?¡±


    Nolan switched the screen directly. A huge silver, egg-like space structure was then presented on a holographic projection, with bright cosmic stars in the background.


    ¡°Ohhhhh.¡± Lily gasped at the screen. ¡°Is this a¡­ space station?¡±


    A stream of information flowed quickly through Hao Ren¡¯s mind when he saw the space station. He quickly put together the information he had gathered so far, along with his own thoughts, and an idea then emerged:


    ¡°Let me guess¡­ That¡¯s the huge spaceship that was launched into space, the one that recorded on the relief?¡±

 Chapter 1538 - Nolan’s Observations

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    A vast, silvery space entity¡ªit looked like it had been in that position for many, many years. Its ellipsoidal shell featured many accessories of different styles, old and new. Many small lights wove through them like swarms of bees circling around a hive.


    When Nolan zoomed in, Hao Ren saw that the swarms were actually various types of flying machines, which had been dwarfed by the space station¡¯s size.


    Hao Ren thought of the materials he had seen on the reliefs in the city ruins. At the end of the cataclysm, which swept over the planet, the people built a gigantic spaceship that launched less than a tenth of its population and vast resources into space. The picture depicted a spaceship that looked like a giant egg although the details were different. This could be explained by thousands of years of continuous renovation and construction.


    The space station that Nolan found was the exiled spacecraft¡ªhow did it stay in high orbit instead of going into deep space?


    Plus, the spacecraft survived the cataclysm on the ground without being pursued by the First Born to this day?


    Hao Ren frowned and made bolder speculations. ¡°The space station¡­ Could it be the ¡®Zenith¡¯ that the flying machines mentioned?¡±


    Hao Ren had been searching for survivor bases for the past two days. Nolan had expanded the scan to more than half the planet but nothing resembling a human home base was found, except for numerous traces of fights and several battle scenes.


    Hence, after finding no human bases on the surface, Hao Ren wondered if the survivors would come from outer space. The thing was, Hao Ren did not have the ability to expand the search into space until Nolan was able to take off, so he did not take further action.


    Unexpectedly, his guess was verified so quickly.


    ¡°Did the fugitive spaceship hang in orbit and become a space station?¡± said Hao Ren, rubbing his chin. ¡°Tell me the position of the ¡®spaceship¡¯ at the moment.¡±


    ¡°You may not believe it. We used to think there were two moons in the sky, but the smaller one is actually that spaceship.¡± Nolan¡¯s figure jumped out of a corner in the hologram. ¡°It¡¯s become a stable in-orbit facility. And I also noticed a spacecraft detach itself from this space station and fly towards the planet¡¯s surface. As such, it¡¯s pretty much confirmed that the survivors observed on the surface of the planet came from there, and it¡¯s called the Zenith.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯m right. The spaceship didn¡¯t run too far.¡± Hao Ren pressed his finger between his eyebrows. ¡°It¡¯s inexplicable¡­ Would the First Born see the enemy¡¯s base and not attack? Its tentacles can emit laser beams that are powerful enough to destroy everything in orbit, so there¡¯s no reason for the First Born to not do something about it.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks threw away his cards too. ¡°More than that, I¡¯m curious about where these survivors come from? They lose a couple of bombers at a time and it¡¯s been going on for years. They¡¯ve only got one spaceship in orbit, so how can so many weapons be produced? I can¡¯t believe how they¡¯ve kept the space station going for so many years, let alone manufacture weapons.¡±


    ¡°They have a source for raw materials, right there on the real moon,¡± Nolan said as the picture in the holographic projection changed.


    Hao Ren saw a pale land with a slight curve and numerous industrial facilities built on it. The industrial facilities were as old as the space station, spreading across the vast land. There were complex and huge track systems as well as pipeline connections between them, covering the ground like metallic chain mail. Between those industrial facilities, there were huge ravines and rifts¡ªlarge enough to be visible from space. Not to mention, there were countless circuits and cables stretching deep into those rifts.


    Hao Ren blinked. He realized that it was a site of ongoing excavation and the source of the ¡°wood grain¡± he had seen in his previous observations of the moon.


    Lily dropped the last two ice cubes into her mouth and crunched them down before she could say, ¡°This is¡­¡±


    ¡°This is the stronghold of the survivors of the rebel army,¡± Nolan replied. ¡°The moon is the source of their industrial materials and their arsenal. It¡¯s from there that a lot of weapons of war were produced. The space station between the moon and earth is their command center as well as their front line fortress. The troops are assembled and deployed through the fort before they set out on combat missions to the surface of the planet. I¡¯ve observed the whole process. They appear to be well-organized and well-trained, plus the various industrial and military facilities are mature and robust. Apparently, this has been going on for centuries.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect these rebels to be right under our noses,¡± said Nangong Sanba, raising his eyebrows. ¡°We need a plan¡­ Now that we¡¯ve found their base, shouldn¡¯t we go and see it?¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Nangong Wuyue rolled her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t forget Nolan isn¡¯t working yet!¡±


    Hao Ren touched his chin and said, ¡°Actually, in my Dimensional Pocket, there are some cruise¡­¡±


    Everybody rolled their eyes before Hao Ren finished speaking. ¡°Okay, okay, I know this isn¡¯t something you¡¯re used to¡­ But honestly, if you take the combat part down, we can still¡­¡±


    This time everybody just ignored him.


    ¡°Ahem, Nolan, turn your antenna to these space bases.¡± Hao Ren could only cough awkwardly and change the topic. ¡°Capture their communication signals. Understand how this ¡®society of survivors¡¯ work from their information networks, then judge whether these survivors are able to reach out smoothly. How long will it take you to relaunch?¡±


    ¡°The engine system and navigation system will be back in three days, but to be on the safe side, I suggest you wait an extra day¡ªI can get some of the weapon platforms fixed, and most importantly, the shield system will be back in full on the fourth day.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no difference between three and four days.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Collect as much information on the society of survivors as possible during this period and work out the contact plan with them before the fourth day. What about the UAV fleet?¡±


    ¡°The first advance UAV fleet has entered the X star cluster about an hour ago, but it¡¯s a bit far away,¡± Nolan said. ¡°I did a blind hop without any guidance after the raid, directly leading us to the depths of the X star cluster. We¡¯re thousands of light-years away from the jump points that the UAV fleet can reach. And since the attack on us, the energy environment in the X star cluster has changed. A high amount of highly-active divine energy has been roaming around the cluster like a patrol, blocking most of the hyperspace signals. It¡¯s limiting my ability to command and dispatch the UAV fleet.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay. The UAV fleet will know what to do. Use the remaining bandwidth to send a command to all UAVs to move in pioneering mode towards the planetary system where our spaceship is located. Get them to set up production bases and bunkers along the way, each with powerful antennas. Aren¡¯t there disturbances in space? Let the UAVs line the fort and force a physical communication chain. I don¡¯t believe we can¡¯t penetrate the X star cluster¡¯s layer of interference this way.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Hao Ren rubbed the gap between his eyebrows. They were still in such a gloomy situation that he felt like he needed some good news. ¡°Anything else to report? It better be refreshing¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, about the First Born,¡± said Nolan.


    Hao Ren suddenly regretted his request a little. That was not what he wanted!


    However, he could not ignore the report on the First Born, so he had to let Nolan report. ¡°Well¡­ just tell me.¡±


    ¡°In accordance with your instructions, I¡¯ve been monitoring the movements of the First Born on this planet. I¡¯ve also released several probes into some natural caves as well as cracks in the earth¡¯s crust to search for the First Born¡¯s neural structure. After 24 hours of observation, I found something unusual.¡±


    ¡°Something unusual?¡± asked Hao Ren.


    ¡°I found a large amount of biological tissue in the planet¡¯s crust to confirm that the First Born is now at a standard adult state. At this stage, the First Born is supposed to have pretty intense neural activity, which can even lead to visible supernatural phenomena on the planet¡¯s surface if left unchecked. However, the level of neural activity detected by the probe is unusually low.¡± Nolan sounded puzzled. ¡°The signals detected at several key nerve nodes even suggest that this First Born has lost control of its limb. There are only the most basic conditioned reflexes in the tentacles, but no more advanced nerve impulses.


    Hearing that, Vivian could not help but mutter, ¡°How could this be?¡±


    ¡°Judging from the information available, I believe that the First Born of this planet is¡­ brain dead.¡±

 Chapter 1539 - A Never-Ending War

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Brain death.


    Hao Ren knew it. The brain loses its function, but sometimes the autonomic nervous system can survive for a while, and the limbs can experience some residual conditioned reflex ability. But simple conditioned reflex cannot maintain a complex life system, so brain-dead humans need a lot of tubes and air pumps to survive. All in all, it¡¯s a very sad state.


    But he did not know that the First Born would experience brain death and its tentacles were still responsive.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Hao Ren asked again, just to make sure, but Nolan was strongly dissatisfied with his questioning. ¡°Boss, you have to trust my deduction and calculation skills. I think about this with a shipboard mainframe that can deduce the evolution of stars. And I have a huge database. I make my judgments based on huge amounts of data and real-time updates, not on a blind guess.¡±


    Then she added, ¡°But I¡¯m also not so sure. After all, we haven¡¯t seen with our own eyes what¡¯s going on in the First Born¡¯s brain.¡±


    Hao Ren rubbed the middle of his eyebrows and thought carefully about what a brain-dead First Born meant.


    The strength of the First Born was unimaginable. His body could withstand almost any damage inflicted by a planetary civilization, and even small wounds could heal in a very short time. And these were just the basics. His vitality was reflected in the fact that this powerful creature of the goddess had no definite weakness. He was a giant organism made up of an indescribable mass of tissue and countless tentacles, veins, and cavities. All of his organs (if functional tissue groups can be called organs) had multiple copies, and none of them were non-renewable. A mature First Born had at least several brain nuclei and a much larger number of secondary thinking units. Each brain nucleus could do the task of storing memories and thinking independently, and losing some of them would only temporarily reduce his ability to control his body ¡ª it would not take long for the nucleus to grow back from those secondary ganglion nodes.


    And it would not have helped to destroy the entire brain. The First Born lost the ability to think and act for a short time, but soon the emergency procedures in his body would be activated. This process of self-rescue stimulated a portion of the ganglia, which took over the function of thinking and mutated a new set of brain nuclei in a short time. This process of course caused some loss, like memory loss, but brain death? That¡¯s impossible.


    With a little tissue cell survival and a little breathing time, the First Born could recover in a 100% healthy state.


    These were the first-hand information Hao Ren got from Zorm, and he believed it.


    ¡°Indeed, from the information we have on the First Born, ¡®brain death¡¯ is unlikely. But there are exceptions, and the First Born is not invincible.¡± Nolan said, and her hologram hopped onto the bar and sat on the edge of Hao Ren¡¯s glass. ¡°The brain of Yggdrasil is split into two consciousness by infection, and the competition between the two consciousness leads to the fossilization and decline of the body of Yggdrasil. Ultra-high doses of neurotoxin and a powerful lullaby program can cause the First Born on Holletta to fall asleep, reducing neural activity to a near standstill. A direct command from the goddess of creation would neatly take over the mental functions of the Firstborn, which would appear brain-dead if they went wrong. There are many factors that can affect the First Born, so let¡¯s make a bold assumption.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ok to make bold assumptions, but I thought of something else,¡± Hao Ren said, glancing at Nolan. ¡°Even if brain death is real, why is this the First Born of this planet?¡±


    Nolan blinked, not quite getting it.


    ¡°You¡¯ve seen the attack echelons that the rebels sent to the surface of the planet. With their technical prowess, they could still deal with the tentacles of the First Born, but it¡¯s a bit of a stretch to blow up a mature First Born to the extent that it could not take care of himself.¡±


    ¡°You mean¡­ something else caused the First Born to lose his mind, and the rebels took advantage of it?¡± asked Vivian.


    ¡°That¡¯s one possibility. In any case, the half-dead state of the First Born of this planet can¡¯t be explained so easily.¡±


    ¡°And, we all know the restorative powers of the First Born. So even if some really powerful guy cut out the First Born¡¯s brain on this planet, it should have recovered after all these years. After all, nobody played a lullaby on this planet before we came here, and its activities were not inhibited,¡± said Nangong Sanba.


    ¡°So there must be something that prevents the brain nucleus of the First Born from restoring its function,¡± Vivian said, pinching her chin, a gesture that Hao Ren usually did, but had become her habit now. ¡°We probably have to go to the earth¡¯s core to see what¡¯s going on¡­¡±


    Nangong Wuyue covered her face and slowly coiled up the tail. ¡°I think we¡¯re looking for death¡­¡±


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes and said, ¡°We¡¯re not going now.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go either now or in the future¡­¡±


    However, according to their current situation, Hao Ren really did not intend to go to the earth¡¯s core to do any brain examination. If it did not work out well, it would really be looking for death.


    Everything must be done step by step.


    Hao Ren decided to establish contact with the rebels, or at least find some useful information from their information network before considering dealing with the First Born in the depths of the earth.


    Nolan turned a newly repaired antenna to the sky, listening for the occasional communications signal spreading from the giant space station and the moon. Most of these signals were encrypted, but this kind of encryption was nothing to Nolan.


    But Nolan did not get too many clues from this short-term surveillance.


    From the signals collected by the antennas, Nolan compiled a trove of operational reports and inventory transfers, about half of which were related to operations on the planet, the rest mostly to industrial production. Daily reports on the departure and recovery of aircraft, damage and replenishment requests for bombing missions, production at the plant, the progress of production at the lunar base, and incidents that needed to be addressed account for 80 percent of the information. There were also, of course, some less official signals of contact, presumably the communication of personal opinions within the rebels. But this part of the information was woefully small.


    The signal strength and transmission priority of personal communication are definitely the lowest. They were inundated with signals from the giant space station and lunar base, and Nolan¡¯s antennas did not work very well, so it was almost impossible to piece together a complete picture of what was captured.


    But Hao Ren was able to draw two preliminary conclusions from these communications:


    First, there was a busy survivor society on the giant space station and the lunar base. Although they were driven out of their planets, they still developed a powerful presence in space and on the natural satellite. Perhaps not as powerful as the First Born, but the plight of these rebels was hardly desperate.


    Second, there was a high degree of logic in the actions of the survivors¡¯ resistance, with no obvious tendency towards crazy violence or mindless destruction. They should be accessible.


    The next evening, Nolan again observed the formation of bombers from the rebels in the sky.


    It was a larger bombing raid than the last one. Twelve fighter jets flew in from the southeast, striking the tentacles on the edge of the forest even harder. As before, the bombing was efficient, precise and fearless, and this time the damage was much greater. Perhaps the damage from the previous bombing had not healed yet, and the First Born¡¯s tentacles were too weak to fight back. Only half of the twelve planes were damaged, and the remaining six were pulled out of the field in bruises.


    Compared with the last two-thirds loss rate, the result of this battle was really ideal.


    The tentacle on the edge of the forest was attacked a second time before it fully recovered. It was finally hit hard. Nolan detected that the physiological activity of the tentacle continued to decline after the bombing and that a number of underground nerve structures were disconnected from it: The tentacle had been destroyed.


    But new tentacle grew quickly, from the roots of the destroyed tentacle. Fed on the blasted wreckage, it would grow particularly quickly.


    ¡°This is a meaningless war.¡± Looking at the surviving six aircraft disappeared on the monitor screen, Vivian couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°The First Born on this planet is brain dead. The rebels are neither threatened by the First Born nor can they really destroy it. They¡¯re just filling in waves of lives and resources¡­ Is it really that important to take back the planet?¡±


    Hao Ren could only shake his head. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s important to them.¡±

 Chapter 1540 - Repair Completed

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Nolan would not be in the air for a while, neither would the urban infrastructure of the UAV fleet reach the barren planet. But with thousands of probes in the atmosphere and Nolan¡¯s own powerful array of antennas scanning through a sea of information, Hao Ren still gathered a lot of information about the planet.


    The fact that the First Born¡¯s ¡®brain nucleus went offline¡¯ was basically an unambiguous fact. Whether the underlying cause was a brain lesion, a loss of consciousness, or some powerful neurosuppressive factors (such as a super-powered lullaby generator poking at his brain nerves), all the primordial tissues of the First Born on the planet had surely lost control. After collecting tentacles behavior patterns on the planet¡¯s surface and scanning a map of nerve impulses beneath the planet¡¯s crust, Nolan determined that only the most basic conditioning and self-defense abilities remained. It fought back when it was attacked, activated emergency regeneration mechanisms when it¡¯s damaged, and changed its physiological structure when the environment changed, but all of this was done only by the basic conditioning of the tentacles, which fully explained why the bombing by the rebel forces provoked only a ¡®limited response¡¯ from the First Born, rather than devastating retaliation.


    On the other side, the survivors living on the moon and in space continued to organize a counterattack on the planet. They had a highly structured and efficient militarized society. Relying on continuous industrial support from the lunar base, these survivors had been attacking the tentacles of the First Born on their home planet almost continuously. When Nolan spread her ¡®eyes¡¯ around the planet, she saw at least one attack from space every hour, and the bombing that Hao Ren saw was actually the smallest of those attacks. The rebels did not just use bombers, they also used a variety of tactics to remove tentacles that kept popping up from the planet, usually carpet bombing by dropping guided bombs from the stratosphere or firing orbital bombs directly from the Zenith.


    But Nolan found that the most effective way was still to use bombers for near-suicidal point-blank drops ¡ª because attacks from higher altitudes were rarely effective against tentacles.


    It¡¯s not that it¡¯s not powerful enough, but the First Born¡¯s tentacles were more defensive against attacks from a greater distance. It seemed that although the First Born had lost his wits, his ¡®conditioning¡¯ was still different from that of ordinary life. Those tentacles still had a degree of advanced judgment. Ultra-long-range strikes from orbit were blocked by various force fields before they arrived but suicide bombing by bombers at very close range avoided the ¡®judgment mechanism¡¯ of tentacles.


    This tug of war had been going on for years but Hao Ren was sure that the exiles from space were still far from dawn.


    They might have hit the planet as hard as they could, lighting up dozens of battlefields every day. In Nolan¡¯s planetary surveillance images, the red triangles that represented ¡®war zones¡¯ could be seen around the planet. While such an attack might destroy a normal planetary civilization, it would not fundamentally destroy a mythical creature. The First Born¡¯s tentacles were repaired and regenerated day and night, sometimes faster than they could be blown up, and the tentacles on the surface of the planet were only a fraction of the size of this mythical creature. His true identity was buried deep in the planet¡¯s mantle, which was impervious to any threat from the rebels.


    He was not subdued by mortals, he just did not fight back.


    On the morning of the sixth day on the planet, Nolan repaired all of the communication modules and some of its weapons systems of the spaceship while trying to activate her main engine. The engine was not completely repaired, but its main structure had been regenerated, and Nolan thought it was time to test it for the first time.


    ¡°We should be able to launch tomorrow,¡± Nolan said, apparently in a better mood after completing the test. She changed back to the 1:1 hologram and reported to Hao Ren on the bridge. ¡°It¡¯s not back to full strength, but it has at least 70-80% combat effectiveness.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite good.¡± Hao Ren nodded heartily. ¡°After all, you were almost blown up into two¡­¡±


    Nolan¡¯s face crumpled at this. ¡°Can you please stop stressing that¡­¡±


    Hao Ren ignored her and turned to the large holographic projection in the center of the bridge to adjust the image to the observation of the lunar base. ¡°In fact, there¡¯s one thing I still don¡¯t understand¡­ We didn¡¯t hide anything when we landed on this planet, and I¡¯m sure you could see it from space, so the people who live on the space station and on the lunar base must have known about us, but why haven¡¯t they done anything yet?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of weird,¡± Nolan said, nodding. ¡°An alien spaceship of unknown origin that ¡®crashed¡¯ in its own home is a problem that cannot be ignored by any means. But¡­¡±


    Nolan suddenly stopped talking. Hao Ren looked at her curiously and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Nolan blinked. ¡°The robot woke up¡­ I mean it¡¯s fixed.¡±


    ¡°Which¡­ Oh, you mean the one in the lab?¡± Hao Ren immediately threw the topic aside and shouted, ¡°Call the others and go to the lab now!¡±


    The prediction data given by the laboratory mainframe was very accurate indeed. The robot had been lying on the maintenance workbench for exactly forty-eight hours and the maintenance work had just finished on time. It was the best news of the day.


    Hao Ren tried to collect debris from other bombing sites in the past two days, but he did not get anything. Without Nolan¡¯s support, his range of activities on the planet was limited. There had been only three rebel attacks and crashes in that limited area over the past two days. The crash sites were in a mess. There were a lot of scattered metal fragments, and none of the crew debris could be recovered.


    The First Born¡¯s counterattack was fierce and merciless. Most of the wreckage that fell to the ground was debris, and Lily¡¯s encounter with the robot girl was a stroke of luck.


    So the robot girl lying in the lab was Hao Ren¡¯s only hope.


    The robot girl was lying quietly on the workbench. Nolan had already asked the autonomous bot to dress her in a female crew uniform in advance (the kind Lily wore on the spaceship). Now she had complete hands and feet, her skin intact, and her biomimetic skin making her look like a healthy teenage girl.


    Her eyes were closed, her long black hair spread out on the workbench, and her pale face was like a sculpted work of art but lifeless. She was still in a dormant state for the time being, but with one command, she could open her eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a complete fix. In fact, more than half of her structure is definitely not what it was when she left the factory,¡± Nolan explained. ¡°The analysis engine was unable to ¡®guess¡¯ what the missing parts might have looked like from scratch, so it had to create substitutes based on what remained of her torso, including limbs and a portion of her power circuit. To ensure balance, her remaining arm was thrown away directly. Although it¡¯s a substitute, it should work well on her. The analysis engine studied her control module and wrote the drivers for all the body components according to her own logic circuits, so she will feel like her new models are as good as they used to be¡­Probably.¡±


    ¡°Probably?¡± Hao Ren could not help but cover his forehead. ¡°Forget it. Turn it on first.¡±


    The platform buzzed slightly, and the boot command was fed into the robot girl¡¯s core circuit via an external cable. The robot girl¡¯s body quivered slightly, and after a strange ¡®beep¡¯, the robot opened her eyes.


    A circle of heads formed a circle in her field of vision.


    ¡°Ow ow, she¡¯s awake!¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m going to take it apart with a screwdriver if she can¡¯t wake up¡­¡±


    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t she talk? Nolan, are you sure you got her a speaker?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s using a more sophisticated voice device¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop making noises y¡¯all.¡± Vivian shut them up, and then turned to the robot girl lying on the workbench and asked, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    N-6 turned her eyes and looked at the humans in astonishment¡­

 Chapter 1541 - Unexpected Visitors

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren felt that the robot might not have been completely repaired. There was a good chance the lab mainframe forgot to install speakers and microphones for her.


    Because she did not move at all except looking around since she woke up, not saying a word. Apparently, something was wrong with the IO device.


    But Nolan did not think so.


    ¡°She¡¯s observing the environment.¡± Nolan¡¯s hologram stood next to the workbench. Her eyes were on the robot girl lying on the workbench but she was actually controlling a bunch of monitoring devices in the lab to monitor the flow of signals inside the robot. ¡°Her logic circuit is switched on. She just doesn¡¯t want to talk.¡±


    The robot girl, lying on the platform, immediately turned her eyes to Nolan.


    This was not a human, she¡¯s not even real.


    N-6 was a little unfamiliar with her own logic circuits at first, but later her thinking gradually became smooth. She looked warily at the woman with the grey ponytail standing beside her. Through various sensors, she felt at least 20 unapproved but unstoppable reading threads being injected into her processor as the gray-haired woman spoke, and she was instantly defenseless in front of her. And the gray-haired woman¡­ She had no body temperature, no heartbeat, no mass, she was not real at all¡­ Nor was it a hologram of any kind N-6 had ever seen.


    The robot girl sensed a great threat.


    She tried to move her body but soon found that all her movements were being monitored by some more advanced procedure. The program did not stop her from moving, but the monitoring made her immediately give up trying to move her limbs: it was the protective mechanism of the logic circuit at work. She watched her surroundings carefully, but all she saw were machines she did not recognize. She saw crystalline pillars shimmering in blue light, projection floating in the air, neatly-arranged operating platforms, and weird machines with lots of tentacles floating around the ceiling.


    It was a spacious lab, or it could be some kind of precision machining center, but the first possibility was higher.


    And those around her, they looked like real¡­ humans.


    N-6 felt like her mind was a little clearer. She knew about humans. There were humans living in the fortress on the moon. Although executors rarely got a chance to see humans in person, every feature of humans was engraved deep in each executors¡¯ database from the start. But the humans around her did not look very much like the ones in the N-6 database. Everything from body temperature to body features to the energy fluctuations they emitted was different from what was recorded in the database.


    The humans in the database did not have fluffy ears and tails. They did not have three or four-meter-long reptile trunks. They did not have a 20-centimeter-long baby girl with a mermaid tail.


    But they had heartbeats, at least some of them had heartbeats, and they had many other characteristics of carbon-based organisms¡­ They should be humans.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name? At least blink if you understand.¡±


    The ¡®human¡¯ with the fluffy ears and tail and the golden eyes was talking to her. N-6 was sure there was no corresponding language in her database, but she still understood exactly what the human meant, which was inexplicable. She went back to check the audio collected by the recording device, but this time she could not understand it.


    But N-6 decided to communicate because the one talking to her was a human.


    So she blinked and answered, ¡°Current identification code N-6. Factory number E75-3C6215. Universal combat executor. Combat vehicle assist operator. Type-5 airborne computer.¡±


    These humans were not what the database recorded, but they were indeed carbon-based creatures, not substitutes made of metal and biomimetic materials. Perhaps that conjecture was true?¡ªthat there were humans on the planet, but they had simply mutated under the influence of the planet¡¯s devourer.


    ¡°I told you, she must have a speaker and microphone. I remembered to install it.¡± Nolan raised her chin and looked at Hao Ren triumphantly as if she had fixed the robot girl?¡ªthough all the lab systems on the spaceship were indeed part of her.


    Hao Ren ignored Nolan and looked at the robot girl who was lying on the workbench, who was looking at him curiously. ¡°N-6 and¡­ that E75 or something, which is your name?¡±


    ¡°N-6,¡± the robot girl blinked, her voice sounded pleasant but flat. She seemed a little curious. ¡°Are you humans?¡±


    Hao Ren was not sure how to answer her question.


    ¡°Well, you can say that.¡± Hao Ren eventually decided not to introduce the ethnic origins of these people one by one, because it meant introducing at least a background story of not less than two million words to N-6. ¡°Because I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s your criteria for a standard human.¡±


    N-6 blinked again and said, ¡°Got it. All of you are humans.¡±


    N-6 thought they were mutated humans on their home planet.


    Completely unaware that he has been silently identified as a mutant, Hao Ren was just curious about N-6. ¡°You¡­¡±


    But before he finished, the robot asked, ¡°How many of you are there?¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Hao Ren paused for a moment, and then looked at them, but he did not answer her question. ¡°Why do you ask this?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t have enough people, you need the protection of the Zenith,¡± N-6 went on. ¡°The surface of the home planet is no longer suitable for human life. Zenith and the fortress are the last refuges of mankind, and you need to go there.¡±


    ¡°I think she misunderstood something,¡± Hao Ren muttered in the mental connection with the MDT.


    ¡°I think this is a good thing,¡± the MDT replied. ¡°She seems to have mistaken us for the descendants of human survivors living on the planet. She doesn¡¯t seem to know that an unknown spaceship had landed on the planet. Maybe we can get in touch with those people through this matter¡­¡±


    Hao Ren quietly completed the communication with the MDT in his mind. He then smiled and said, ¡°We¡¯ve known about you for a long time, but we haven¡¯t been able to go into space. Is there any way you can get back to base now?¡±


    ¡°My fighter has crashed,¡± N-6 replied, ¡°but I can send a recovery signal and a recovery force will come and meet me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Vivian nodded, then looked at N-6 and asked, ¡°Why are you lying down? Why not sit up and get used to your new body?¡±


    ¡°New¡­ body?¡± N-6 then moved her neck slightly but stopped again before getting up. ¡°I feel¡­ my movements are controlled by another program¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s why you stop moving.¡± Nolan then waved her hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s because your original limbs are no longer functional, so we have to get you a new set. But the new limbs have compatibility problems with your logic circuits, so I added an extra driver to your control system. Does this driver make you uncomfortable?¡±


    Just a driver?


    N-6 was somewhat surprised, but after simple logic judgment, she found that she did not need to raise questions or ask Nolan to re-compile the program for her, so she reset the safety mechanism of her logic circuit and began to try to move her limbs through the new driver.


    She managed to sit up.


    The new body¡­ seemed powerful.


    The robot girl watched her hands and feet carefully. She put her hands in front of her eyes, slowly clenching and releasing them. The seemingly delicate body contained incredible energy, and she even felt that it could now compete with the titanium guards in the fortress.


    Was it possible that human descendants on the home planet have this level of technology? Was this¡­ the fabled ancient lost technology?


    ¡°Thank you for saving me.¡± She seemed to recall all the details of her crash. According to the etiquette required by the procedure, she stood up and bowed deeply to Hao Ren. ¡°I¡­¡±


    She stopped suddenly as she felt something tugging at her back, affecting her next movements. She looked back and saw a strong cable had stretched out from the workbench on which she had been lying and was attached to the back of her neck.


    ¡°This¡­¡± N-6 thought for a moment and then turned to look at Hao Ren. ¡°Am I charging now?¡±


    ¡°This is not a power cord! This is the data cable I used to write the driver for you. By the way, the energy system you were using was very bad, so we upgraded it when we fixed it, and now its auto-charging speed is faster than before,¡± Nolan explained.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great,¡± N-6 said happily. ¡°I thought I¡¯d have to be plugged in more often in the future.¡±


    Hao Ren could not help but mutter to the MDT in his mind, ¡°Her imagination is surprisingly strong.¡±


    ¡°Maybe the artificial intelligence produced by this civilization is good at associating input methods.¡±


    But as they prepared to learn more about the Zenith from N-6, Nolan suddenly looked up in a certain direction.


    ¡°Boss, I think we have visitors.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Two transport planes have landed in a forest 12 kilometers from this spaceship and an armed force is approaching.¡±

 Chapter 1542 - The Ground Operation Force

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    It surprised Hao Ren. He remembered that he had been talking to Nolan about it just now?¡ªthat they had been on the planet for six days and the survivors had not even come down to look at it, and he thought it was quite wrong.


    Well, here they come, at last, six days late, with an armed force.


    ¡°How many people are there?¡± Vivian frowned and asked Nolan.


    ¡°There were only 18 of them, carrying a variety of light and heavy weapons and detection equipment. Their transport plane stopped in the forest and did not move, apparently setting up a makeshift camp. This appears to be a well-trained reconnaissance unit with a clear purpose.¡±


    Hao Ren raised his eyebrows and asked, ¡°Sure they¡¯re coming for us?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Nolan nodded. But just now they tried to scan me with their radar and I scan them back, I think I destroyed their radar.


    N-6 looked at the humans in front of her, feeling confused. This time she could not understand what they were saying because Hao Ren had shut down the translation plugin during internal discussions. At last, she could not resist her curiosity and asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I want to confirm with you.¡± Hao Ren looked at N-6. ¡°Have you sent that signal?¡±


    Although he felt that, even though N-6 had just sent the recovery signal, the survivors of the rebels could not react so quickly, so Hao Ren wanted to confirm the situation.


    The robot girl shook her head and. ¡°I haven¡¯t had time to¡­¡±


    ¡°Then it seems to be a coincidence,¡± said Y¡¯zaks in a muffled voice. ¡°There¡¯s a team of armed men approaching from the outside, presumably from the same place as you.¡±


    ¡°Troops from the Zenith?¡± N-6¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°How can there be a ground force¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was surprised to see the robot girl¡¯s reaction. ¡°Is the ground force strange?¡±


    ¡°The Zenith rarely sends any ground forces to the home planet because ground forces have little role in the battle against the planet¡¯s devourer.¡± N-6 shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t have enough information to analyze which echelon they come from. I need to engage with them.¡±


    Hao Ren was waiting for this. ¡°Of course, only you can fix this thing. Come with us. We¡¯ll take you to the exit.¡±


    In the dense forest, N-4, acting as a temporary commander, led her newly assembled and unfamiliar men cautiously forward. She clutched her electromagnetic assault rifle, but the power of the weapon did not give her any more security at the moment. It was the consensus of all executors that landing on the home planet, where the ground was so dangerous, was almost like giving up half the chance of survival. And now, she felt it more deeply.


    Especially after the team¡¯s radar equipment was destroyed by a pulse of unknown energy, the danger in the area soared.


    ¡°Left side, safe.¡±


    ¡°Right, safe.¡±


    ¡°Communication with the base is normal.¡±


    ¡°That thing is still a kilometer away.¡±


    The team members exchanged information quickly over close range radios, all of them keeping their voices low. Even though their sensors did not sense any real enemy, there was still a heavy pressure on them kept them on their toes.


    N-4 bit her lip. This move, too close to a human, suggested that she was an ¡®elite organism¡¯ far older than her peers in military service. Longer military life and more combat work had allowed her to download more humanizing data packs from the ¡®big think tank¡¯, which allowed her to think more like a human, with more advanced emotions and ambiguity processing capabilities. It was these attributes that led her?¡ªand her improvised team?¡ªto participate in the operation.


    And it ended up this way.


    Wasn¡¯t it¡­ a little regret?


    The voice of a team member reminded N-4, ¡°Captain, we¡¯re close.¡±


    N-4 nodded. Although she was slightly distracted just now, the logic circuit of the executor was not affected by such a degree of mind-wandering. The part of the circuit she used to carry out the task was still faithfully executing various field instructions, so she was aware of the presence of the target before the team sounded the alarm. She motioned the team to hide in the nearby bushes, and then looked over the sparse plants to the giant object not far away.


    It lay still in the middle of the forest. The shock waves created by the fall ¡®cleared¡¯ a large area of the forest directly into a huge crater, with the trees along the edge of the crater swaying, and only a large amount of charred rock and carbonized tree trunks visible inside the crater. The heat in the impact crater had long since subsided. The only evidence of a spaceship crash here was the ship lying dormant at the bottom of the crater.


    The style of that spaceship was unheard of. It had heavy armor and a variety of external equipment that they had never seen before. And on the upper deck of the spaceship was a striking and bizarre painting?¡ªa portrait of some alien creature. With its sharp tusks and extremely stern eyes, and its triangular ears perched on top of its head like those of the most vigilant warrior, looking like the king of the predators.


    The image of the predator painted on the ship was supposed to be a totemic symbol, perhaps indicating that the spaceship came from a warlike civilization.


    But in any case, the elegance and beauty of the spaceship could not be denied.


    Though she had seen it before from the blurry intelligence photos, seeing it in person now made N-4 gasp in admiration. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a beautiful spaceship.¡±


    Six days earlier, the unidentified spaceship had suddenly appeared above the planet¡¯s atmosphere and crashed into the planet¡¯s surface. The high-energy pulses that went off when it crashed knocked out the sensors of several satellites that were scanning the area, so much so that it was not until three days ago that the command nodes were able to confirm what the main body of the ¡®crash¡¯ was.


    But even more unusual was the response of the command nodes: the ¡®chief¡¯ in the fortress had no intention of investigating the ¡®crash¡¯ at all, and even rejected all applications for remote exploration of the planet¡¯s surface. The spaceship of unknown origin seemed to be a ¡®forbidden zone¡¯. The ¡®brain¡¯ commanded that all actions must be circumvented.


    If nothing happened later, N-4 would have faithfully followed the orders from the chief, and she would not have come here at all.


    ¡°This spaceship¡­ seems to be different from the previous intelligence,¡± one of them noticed something unusual and whispered.


    N-4 looked closely at the spacecraft that hit the bottom of the crater, and she noticed the same problem.


    The spaceship¡­ did not look damaged at all. It was not normal.


    N-4 had only a blurry image at hand as the chief blocked all information about the spaceship and called off all exploration. The image was taken by a satellite shortly after the mysterious spaceship crashed on the surface of the planet. Although the image was not very clear, one could still see the tragic appearance of the crashed spaceship.


    N-4 narrowed his eyes. It felt like the spaceship in front of them was brand new. Those damages were gone, the main body of the spaceship had been completely repaired, and there was even some equipment that was not in the photo.


    It¡¯s like a different spaceship.


    ¡°Over there! Captain, look what it is!¡±


    N-4 noticed that detail at once: she saw a twisted piece of deck fall from the stern of the ship, and then a new one squirmed out of the hull as if it was regenerating¡­


    ¡°This ship is alive!¡± cried N-4 in a short gasp. ¡°It keeps regenerating!¡±


    She immediately thought of the radar that was burned by an unknown energy pulse. The radar was suddenly damaged when it turned the antenna around the crash site. Now, that¡¯s a very clear sign of hostility!


    A ¡®living¡¯ spaceship, quietly lying dormant on the planet for a few days, it was now almost completely reborn, and it was clearly hostile, with combat paint (Lily¡¯s head) on board. N-4 immediately realized that she and her team were in danger.


    Retreating, however, was not a good idea?¡ªconsidering the burned radar, N-4 knew they would have been spotted by the living spaceship.


    And was classified as the enemy.


    The logic circuit of N-4 worked rapidly. The best plan was to keep a few men to attract the spaceship¡¯s attention, and others to retreat to the base and move away quickly. This plan guaranteed the highest security. The alternative was to try to establish contact with the spaceship, betting that the visitors from space could communicate. This plan was irrational and naive, but it was also an option.


    But just as she was about to announce plan one, something happened on the spaceship.


    She saw a hatch open on the side of the spaceship, and then a figure came out of it.


    One of them whispered, ¡°Captain, it looks like N-6.¡±


    As N-4 looked at the direction, her logic circuit was a bit scrambled. She saw that N-6, who was supposed to have died in the last mission, was standing there. Although there was something wrong with her body, her appearance was basically the same. More importantly, she released the recognition signal of N-6.


    But¡­


    N-4 suddenly clenched her electromagnetic assault rifle. She found data that did not belong to the executors in the identification signals emitted by N-6. It was the kind of incomprehensible code that was injected by alien technologies. And she sensed a number of unusual energy fluctuations on N-6 that were stronger than even the titanium guards!


    N-6 was being hijacked by aliens! N-6 had been modified by aliens! N-6 was not N-6 anymore!


    ¡°Take up arms!¡± N-4 quickly completed all the reasoning. ¡°It¡¯s just a parasite stuffed in N-6¡¯s body! N-6 has been replaced by aliens!¡±


    ¡°Get ready to fight!¡±

 Chapter 1543 - The Only Way to Communicate with Them

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°What? They¡¯re fighting outside?¡±


    After hearing Nolan¡¯s report, Hao Ren jumped out of his chair at once.


    Nolan had already guessed Hao Ren¡¯s reaction. ¡°Go out and have a look. They¡¯re still busy fighting.¡±


    ¡°How come they fight all of a sudden?¡± Hao Ren knew that Nolan was not joking, but he could not understand. ¡°I thought that N-6 knows those guys out there, how come they fight instead¡­ What¡¯s going on out there?¡±


    ¡°I had the shield on, and N-6 didn¡¯t leave the area of the shield, so what happened was that a dozen fighters outside were attacking my shield with something as powerful as a water cannon, and N-6 was standing behind the shield, looking stunned¡­ It was pretty chaotic, but no one was hurt.¡±


    ¡°Go and have a look!¡±


    N-6 was not alone, Hao Ren also arranged the Nangong siblings to accompany her to appear together. The original plan was to first let N-6 greet their compatriots, let them put down their weapons and agree to exchange, followed by the nice Nangong siblings, and then finally, Hao Ren and the rest of them, but this plan failed from the very beginning. The armed force launched a surprise attack before the Nangong siblings even had the chance to read out the first word of the speech. Fortunately, the shield system of the Petrachelys had been regenerated completely, and all the fire had been blocked out, but the noise still scared the poor siren girl into a ball. When Hao Ren arrived, she had coiled up into a ball, shaking in the back of the hatch.


    A dozen men in black combat suits, holed up in the forest on the edge of the crater where the spaceship had crashed, fired random shots at the Petrachelys¡¯ side armor belts from a higher place. Their weapons were electromagnetic rifles and light plasma cannons. These were powerful weapons for a normal planetary civilization, but as harmless as the tip of Wuyue¡¯s tail to the thick energy shield of Petrachelys.


    They could only create large amounts of light and shadow in the air tens of meters around the spaceship.


    N-6 ducked back into the hatch as soon as the attack began. She was also confused by the sudden attack, and her logic circuit nearly overloaded and burned. She saw familiar faces among the attackers and tried to call out for a ceasefire, but it did not work.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Hao Ren came to N-6, asked in bewilderment.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± The robot girl shook her head. ¡°They suddenly started attacking me when they saw me. I tried to talk to them, but they ignored me.¡±


    ¡°Do you know them?¡± Vivian asked, frowning.


    ¡°I know a few of them¡±, N-6 said, looking out cautiously. ¡°The one leading the team is N-4, and there wre also two mates whom I see often, TD-22 and TD-26.¡±


    ¡°Did you do anything bad to them when you were at your base, so bad that their first reaction when they saw you was to fight with you,¡± Nangong Sanba asked. Hao Ren gave him the side-eye and told N-6, ¡°Just ignore his question.¡±


    ¡°In short, let them cease fire first.¡± Vivian frowned and looked out of the spaceship. The attack was not a threat to Petrachelys, but they did not weaken their attack at all, which is a bit of a nuisance. ¡°God knows what they are thinking¡­ Talk to them first. If that doesn¡¯t work, you¡¯re going to have to anesthetize them.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded, walking to the hatch together with Vivian.


    In the bushes on the edge of the forest, N-4 was unloading the empty steel nail magazine and pushing the new one into the buckle of the electromagnetic rifle, looking anxiously in the direction of the spaceship.


    The spaceship had a powerful shield system. This was unexpected, but it was not going to rattle N-4 much. From the start, she did not expect to be able to fight a seemingly superior spacecraft with a dozen or so individual weapons. She was hoping to determine the state of N-6, but the confirmation only made her more worried.


    The ¡®N-6¡¯ was screaming for a ceasefire at the start of the attack. However, the special identification keys sent by N-4 and the members of the team were not answered. It all indicated that the one that came out of the spaceship was a fake, modified by aliens.


    The aliens obtained N-6¡¯s remains, but could only imitate her appearance and superficial memory. They were not aware of the existence of the emergency identification protocol, so they missed the point.


    N-4 thought her judgment was perfectly correct.


    She was there for two purposes: to confirm the status of N-6 and take it back if she could, and to cover a few members of the team while there were retreating, so that they could tell the rest of the camp to get away from the place as soon as possible. Now that there was no way to bring back N-6 on the spot, and the goal of covering the retreat of others had been achieved, then she would withdraw¡­


    As soon as N-4 had the idea of retreating she was stunned by a lightning ball falling from the sky.


    Hao Ren watched the female soldier in the distance who was stunned by the lightning ball and froze for a moment. ¡°Didn¡¯t we say we try to communicate with them first¡­¡±


    Vivian looked a little embarrassed, too. ¡°The gravity on this planet isn¡¯t quite the same as on earth, and the bats didn¡¯t figure out their path ¡ª I was just going to throw the lightning ball right next to them to scare them so they¡¯d be quiet and listen to us¡­¡±


    Hao Ren covered his forehead and said, ¡°¡­ Well, it¡¯s not a big problem. It seems that there¡¯s no peaceful communication this time anyway.¡±


    Vivian conjured up a new bat. The little bat then released the bright electric light, like a dazzling lightning ball. Vivian tossed the little bat up and down and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve found that electromagnetic attacks work especially well for these guys¡­ But then again, Nolan said half of them had retreated into the woods soon after the firefight. Are we going to go after them?¡±


    ¡°No, just get some of them back.¡±


    The sudden fall of N-4 caused a brief moment of confusion among the crew. They found that the aliens in the spaceship were launching a counterattack, so they immediately switched to a defensive retreat. One of them wanted to take N-4 back but another lightning ball hit him in the face when he was halfway there.


    Then came a lightning storm, like cannon fire plowing the ground.


    Vivian¡¯s electromagnetic attack was very effective for these attackers. Hao Ren had no chance to help at all. He just watched as Vivian floated in the air throwing balls of lightning and knocked all the attackers unconscious.


    Several of the attackers were quickly tied up and taken to an empty cabin on Petrachelys.


    N-6 looked at her former teammates and asked worriedly, ¡°Are they¡­ all right?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯re not dead. They just passed out.¡± Hao Ren could not figure out what they want and why did they attack them. And what surprised Hao Ren more was that: each of them, like N-6, was a robot ¡ª a team made entirely of robots.


    No wonder Vivian¡¯s electromagnetic attack was so effective on them. Although these high-tech artificial fighters also had protection against electromagnetic strikes, such as core systems with the electromagnetic shielding protection layer, to be honest, it was nothing to Vivian¡¯s lightning balls.


    N-4 and several members of the operation did not remain unconscious for long. The EMP shock only triggered the emergency protection mechanism of their logic circuits but did not cause much damage to their bodies. The data terminal commanded a few autonomous bots to give these robots electrotherapy and then successfully restarted all of them.


    As soon as N-4 opened her eyes, she saw a man with short hair with a smile on his face and a woman with scarlet eyes standing in front of her. N-6 was standing with them, and behind them also stood a couple of men and women, watching her.


    And she was firmly attached to a metal chair by some kind of strong binding device.


    Captured, captured by a group of human-like aliens.


    N-4 ran her logic circuits at full speed, analyzing the situation and planning an effective escape plan, or a self-destruct plan if it did not work. But before she could speak, the smiling man said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have to say hello this way, but you won¡¯t talk to us in a calm way, so we have to force you to.¡±


    N-4 stared warily at the man in front of him and said nothing.


    Hao Ren got a little headache. Another robot. And this robot looked far less easy to communicate than N-6. He remembered that N-6 had come to a happy agreement with them shortly after waking up, but this robot was not even willing to talk to him¡­


    He could not blame N-4, after all, the two contacts were very different. N-6 was saved by him, but N-4¡¯s situation was totally different. She was attacked by electromagnetic rifle bullets, 10000 volts of high voltage, and subsonic bats¡­

 Chapter 1544 - Resolving the Misunderstanding

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    An inexplicable armed conflict made the scene rather awkward. Fortunately, the captured robot had yet to completely refuse communication. She responded when N-6 talked to her.


    N-6 asked her why she had taken the initiative to attack, and N-4 answered the question with a straight face, ¡°What are you now?¡±


    The question was apparently so bizarre that N-6 crashed for about two seconds before she proficiently reported a series of numbers, ¡°Current identification code: N-6, factory number: E75-3C6215¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not,¡± N-4 said, staring at her former teammate. ¡°You¡¯re just wearing N-6¡¯s shell with unauthorized code running in you, and your logic circuits are operating under the control of another set of programs. You¡¯re not N-6.¡±


    ¡°No. My identification code is still sound. I have all the identification keys and unmodified logic circuits of N-6. The parts replaced in my body don¡¯t affect the functioning of my main personality¡­¡±


    ¡°No, your identification code has lost credibility because it contains unauthorized third-party code. Although you still have the complete N-6 component, the extra information indicates that you have been contaminated with foreign information. Executors with tainted personalities must be seen as enemies.¡±


    ¡°No, my third-party code is just to make it easier for me to drive new hardware in my body. As a driver, this code doesn¡¯t affect my main personality.¡±


    ¡°No, you have been contaminated, so your self-justification itself has no credibility. You may be under the influence of an external program that you think you¡¯re trouble-free.¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    Hao Ren seemingly found out what was wrong.


    ¡°Wait a minute, let me interrupt,¡± he said, intervening in a conversation between the two robots that had become increasingly chaotic. ¡°If I¡¯m right¡­ You thought N-6 had been programmed by some unknown power to become an enemy, so you launched the attack?¡±


    N-4 looked at Hao Ren without expression for a while and said, ¡°Refuse to answer. N-4 has no obligation to communicate with representatives of unknown forces. The task should be left to the professional executors in negotiation.¡±


    Vivian conjured a lightning ball, throwing it up and down gracefully in her hand and said, ¡°If you¡¯re really a logical AI, then you should choose the best solution. Obviously, it is best to communicate with us seriously. Whether or not the negotiation works out in the end, at least you don¡¯t waste the opportunity.¡±


    N-4 looked at the lightning ball in Vivian¡¯s hand with a straight face and replied, ¡°N-4 agrees with you, but it doesn¡¯t mean N-4 agrees with the world view you may have.¡±


    ¡°We are not enemies. In fact, you started the fight first, and we didn¡¯t use the spaceship¡¯s cannons in the end. You should know that a spaceship this big can¡¯t be unarmed. If I had been really hostile to you, you would have been reduced to ashes.¡±


    N-4¡¯s face remained expressionless. Hao Hao Ren could not tell whether the robot was convinced, but he believed that his words were logically sound and could be reasoned by any rational thinker. And then Lily explained, ¡°We didn¡¯t do anything to 6. I don¡¯t know how you robots recognize each other, but everything we put on 6 is just to keep her alive.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what happened to 6. Her entire body was blown up into pieces. It took us an hour to get her parts back, and that could only make up a third of her body. Later, we improvised a batch of parts and put them together for her. The condition is so bad that nobody cares about any third-party code¡­¡± Lily added.


    N-4 took it all in, though with a straight face. She looked from Hao Ren to Lily, shaking her head and said, ¡°But you showed hostility first.¡±


    ¡°When did we show hostility?¡±


    ¡°You burned our radar system. This is incontrovertible aggression.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately slapped his forehead: It was Nolan. She accidentally burned their radar!


    Nolan had been monitoring the conversation from the start, and now she finally appeared. The hologram appeared out of nowhere in front of N-4 and explained, ¡°You flashed us with the radar first.¡±


    N-4 then looked at N-6 with some hesitation. ¡°I have to verify your underlying data directly to see if you¡¯re really not being affected by foreign code in terms of the judgment or alternative thinking.¡±


    Being able to offer to discern the truth in this way was a sign that N-4 had been persuaded.


    For the executors, opening their underlying data to others was equivalent to completely opening up the defense, revealing all their thoughts and memories without reservation. This was an operation that could only be performed on the basis of absolute trust or obedience. N-6 and N-4 had the same authority, there was no submissive relationship between them, so there was only trust ¡ª and that trust was the greatest sincerity.


    N-6 agreed to her friend¡¯s request without any hesitation.


    Hao Ren loosened the restraint device on N-4¡¯s hand and watched the process quietly with others, hoping for a good result. Opening up underlying data required the most reliable way to connect, so N-6 and N-4 chose to connect each other directly by cable. They opened the data interface at the back of their necks and connected their chips directly. No one spoke during the ten-second verification.


    Finally N-4 unplugged the cable at the back of her neck and said, ¡°I read your personality data, N-6, and now I accept your statement that your personality is not contaminated.¡±


    ¡°Your judgment is as dull as ever.¡±


    N-4 did not express any opinion. She just shook her head and said, ¡°N-6, I find a mistake in your memory ¡ª you think the people who saved you are descendants of humans left on the home planet, but they are not.¡±


    N-6 blinked. ¡°My information was wrong?¡±


    ¡°You lost contact with the Zenith, so you¡¯re not clear what happened next,¡± N-6 said in front of Hao Ren. ¡°A spaceship of unknown origin crashed on the planet, and we are inside this spaceship now.¡±


    N-6 stared at Hao Ren and asked, ¡°Did you cheat me?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not trying to deceive you. We didn¡¯t say anything at the time, but you just imagined that we were humans on this planet, and we wanted to know what was going on here, so we didn¡¯t explain that for the sake of communicating with you. Of course, I would like to apologize for this, but we do not mean any harm.¡±


    ¡°Reasonable explanation.¡± N-6 nodded a moment later. ¡°But due to the change in your status, I have to re-evaluate your credibility index and reset your relationship index, please note.¡±


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes and said, ¡°All right ¨C now I can see you are artificial intelligence. But I¡¯m curious. Don¡¯t you know that a spaceship from outer space has fallen on your planet?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s normal that she doesn¡¯t know about it,¡± N-4 explained. ¡°When N-6 crashed, Zenith had not been able to identify what exactly hit the planet. ¡®Unidentified spacecraft from outer space¡¯ is confirmed only three days after your fall, and even if the existence of the unidentified spacecraft is confirmed, only a few people know the truth¡­ Information is blocked.¡±


    Hao Ren finally learned something about the Zenith and solved a problem that had been bothering him for several days:


    Why had anyone not been investigating these extraterrestrial visitors in the past six days?


    Because while Nolan¡¯s fall was earth-shattering, not everyone living in the Zenith and the base on the moon knew about it.


    Nolan did not travel all the way from the deep space to this planet in the usual way. She hopped straight to the border of the planet¡¯s atmosphere before landing there, leaving her exposed to space for a relatively short time. As the space crevasse opened there were also a few remnants of the supernatural storm released. This part of the divine aftershock did little harm to the planet, but it swept through several observation satellites in space as it dissipated. Those satellites were the eyes of Zenith, and they became scrap metal floating in space before they could identify what was on their home planet.


    So Nolan¡¯s fall, for all its noise, did not draw much attention from the survivors of the rebels¨C or rather, they focused more on the energy shock than on the ¡°little bump¡± on the planet¡¯s surface.


    Only a few of them knew that something from space had fallen on their home star, but had no idea what it was. They did not monitor their home planet as hard as Hao Ren imagined.


    As a front-line combatant, N-6 did not have high intelligence authority, so although Nolan had landed on the planet where she carried out the bombing mission, she knew nothing about it. After that, the ¡°intelligence blockade¡± incident mentioned by N-4 occurred.


    Hao Ren unshackled N-4 and hailed a floating seat for him to sit in front of her. He felt that the robot was now a friend that could communicate well.

 Chapter 1545 - Intelligence from N-4

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren was always curious about the ¡°society of survivors¡± on the Zenith and the lunar base. But since he had never been able to contact them directly, his understanding of the society was only based on Nolan¡¯s limited observational data, which was clearly far from enough.


    The arrival of N-6 brought him a great surprise, but before he could ask N-6 about the society, another ¡°source of intelligence¡± was sent to his door voluntarily.


    N-4 said that she knew a lot more about Zenith and the base on the moon than N-6 because of her long service life. While it did not give her more comprehensive access than N-6, it did give her more information about the society of survivors. But she also wanted more information on the background of the ¡°space visitors¡± before she shared what she knew.


    Trust was based on mutual goodwill. Even if Hao Ren wanted to know only the most basic information about the Zenith and the lunar base, which he could easily obtain at first glance by flying there in a spaceship, he had to exchange his chips.


    ¡°We come from a different galaxy¡ªI mean an entirely different star system,¡± Hao Ren explained, feeling he had nothing to hide. ¡°Coming to your planet was a complete accident. We came to this system in search of a¡­ very, very old entity, but after we entered the galaxy, we hit a space disaster. As a result, we had to make an emergency landing on this planet once the ship was badly damaged.¡±


    ¡°We found traces of civilization on this planet, so we¡¯re curious,¡± Vivian explained. ¡°One of our main tasks is to travel in space all year round, to deal with various civilizations or cultural relics, to observe and document the ecology of civilizations, or to collect and preserve cultural relics. So while we¡¯re here on this planet to repair our spacecraft, we¡¯re studying the native civilization.¡±


    ¡°Observing civilization ecology? Collect cultural relics?¡± N-4 was a high-level artificial intelligence with a lot of emotion, so she could express surprise. ¡°Is there such a career?¡±


    ¡°Have you heard of corpse collectors? That¡¯s what our landlord does, but he doesn¡¯t deal with dead people, he deals with dead civilization!¡± Lily added.


    Hao Ren covered half of his face. ¡°That¡¯s not what I remember in the workbook. That¡¯s not what the inspector does¡­¡±


    The data terminal tapped him on the head. ¡°It¡¯s pretty close¡­¡±


    However, Lily¡¯s simple and crude explanation was very effective. N-6 and N-4 understood Hao Ren¡¯s work immediately. There were also special recovery forces in the executors. They occasionally brought back wounded and incapacitated soldiers from the battlefield, but more often they retrieved debris of great value, such as chips that record first-hand battlefield data. In the battle with the planet devourer, there was far more debris than casualties.


    ¡°So clearly we are pacifists. Protecting the fruits of civilization is what we are good at.¡±


    N-4 looked at the man in front of her, trying to determine how likely he was to lie by measuring his facial expressions, eye movements, and heart temperature. Although she has not been exposed to real humans, the physiological parameters of humans were known to all executors. But it soon occurred to her that she might not be able to use those rigid parameters to judge the ¡®person¡¯ in front of her because this was a space visitor who looked a lot like a human, but who knew what he looked like when he lied.


    ¡°I want to believe you,¡± N-4 thought for a moment and said, ¡°but I saw you guys paint the image of the predator on the spaceship¡¯s armor as a totem. I think that¡¯s the way a warlike nation expresses itself¡ªif there¡¯s anything wrong with my understanding, please explain why.¡±


    A predator? Hao Ren thought for a while before he realized what she meant¡­ It was Lily¡¯s sticker!


    Everyone in the back was laughing at Lily. Lily stamped her foot in anger to defend her authority. ¡°What are you laughing at? Don¡¯t I look mighty after the transformation! Hello! Even the aliens agree!¡±


    ¡°Ahem, you¡¯re quite a¡­ cute husky, but we really can¡¯t see how mighty you are.¡±


    ¡°Your reaction¡­ Is there something wrong with my perception?¡± N-4 watched them in bewilderment.


    ¡°The predator you¡¯re talking about¡­¡± Hao Ren pointed to Lily¡¯s ears. ¡°It was her. It isn¡¯t a war totem at all. It¡¯s just a painting. This lady got me to paint it.¡±


    N-4 tilted her head. As artificial intelligence, she made an almost human gesture to express her doubts, which was almost beyond her sensibility. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything wrong with my optical observation module. She looks like¡­¡±


    ¡°She has another look.¡± Hao Ren then patted Lily on the back of the head, and the husky instantly hid her ears and turned the hair into the black short hair in human form. Hao Ren patted her again, and her husky ears and hair came out again. ¡°She can change her form. Now you see two forms. She has a third form, which is the predator you mentioned. As you can see, her ears are the same as the creature you saw on the spaceship.¡±


    ¡°Not just her, most of us have more than one form,¡± Y¡¯zaks said in a muffled voice. He then showed them red streaks on his face that looked like flowing lava, and his skin showed faint signs of lithification. ¡°Transforming form is our basic ability.¡±


    N-4 felt like her logic circuit had been running at a high speed that she had never experienced before in just a few hours. She looked at Lily and said, ¡°It¡¯s beyond my range of knowledge¡­ I didn¡¯t expect there would be such an amazing life in the universe. When I saw the creature on the spaceship with its majestic eyes and sharp fangs, I thought it¡¯s a dangerous predator, but¡­¡±


    She did not finish the sentence because she wanted to say that Lily looked a little¡­ silly now as she looked at her.


    Hao Ren scratched his nose awkwardly and thought about Husky¡¯s serious eyes¡­ Well, Huskies do have a serious look in their eyes, and as anyone who has ever raised one knows, when their eyes are sharp it usually means they have a sharp idea at the same time. The same goes for Lily.


    ¡°I think we have cleared the air now. You got what you wanted to know, now I want to ask what I wanted to know. Can I ask you one additional question before you explain the information blockade in Zenith?¡± asked Hao Ren.


    N-4 nodded. ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°I see that your teammates are all robots.¡± Hao Ren looked curious. ¡°Why not humans? Are there no humans in your sanctuary at all?¡±


    It was a thought that came to him uncontrollably when he saw N-4¡¯s teammates. It was a strange guess, but after years of experience in the Plane of Dreams, he was no longer surprised by it.


    After all, he had seen the ark world go on after human extinction.


    Although, according to the original relief, the human beings of the planet successfully launched an escaping spaceship. Now there was evidence that the escaping spaceship had not been destroyed by the Firstborn, and that those in the spaceship had managed to establish a foothold on the moon, but no one could be sure that nothing else happened. What if humans die out in the process? Looking at N-4 and N-6 in front of them, these AI seemed perfectly capable of maintaining that space station and lunar base¡ªafter their humans had gone extinct.


    N-4 immediately shook her head. ¡°No, humans are not extinct, nor will they be extinct. They live on the lunar base, in the safest fortress.¡±


    ¡°A fortress?¡± Hao Ren repeated the word and looked at N-6.


    N-6 nodded and said, in the same unmistakable tone, ¡°the human race is not extinct, nor will it be extinct. The fortress is the most powerful and solid fortress on the lunar base. Humans moved there thousands of years ago, and the titanium guards and the chief protect the place. However, since the surface of the home planet is occupied by the planet devourer, any approach of humans to their home planet will provoke fierce attacks, so they can only live in the fortress and can¡¯t participate in any action near their home planet.¡±

 Chapter 1546 - The Truth about the First Born’s Brain Death

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Thanks to the robotic girls whose names started with ¡°N¡±, Hao Ren¡¯s understanding of the ¡°society of survivors¡± finally gave him a more realistic impression of Nolan¡¯s vague data.


    According to N-4 and N-6, the society consisted of two larger ¡°territories¡±?¡ªthe giant Zenith space station in high orbit and the large industrial fortress complex on the moon, the lunar base. Each performed a different function.


    Zenith, the giant space station served a different purpose than Hao Ren initially envisioned. It was not a survivors¡¯ home base, but an outpost and command center. The huge, ancient space station had been in service for many years, and the lunar base farther away was apparently safer than the one in high orbit, so the survivors¡¯ real home base was on the moon. The Zenith was not a safe place to live, but it was an excellent bridgehead. It was responsible for dispatching and directing rebel forces to attack the home planet and providing temporary stationing of troops and comprehensive maintenance, supply, and maintenance services. The Zenith was seen as a temporary home for every unit that took turns to fight on its home planet.


    The lunar base, on the other hand, was the foundation of the survivor society, the source of raw materials and the cluster of factories, which the rebels depended on. In this base of factories, mines, barracks, and ecological domes, vast quantities of war machinery were produced, and the ¡®biomass¡¯ needed for human survival was basically synthesized there. It was the production center, and also the place where most of the warriors who were determined to take back their home planet were born and live. General-purpose combat ¡°executors¡± like N-4 and N-6 were built on the lunar base.


    In the course of thousands of years of struggle, the survivors dug up almost a tenth of the material of this natural satellite to sustain their seemingly endless war losses. That was a pretty astonishing number.


    This constant depletion was said to have even altered the orbit of the moon and the climate of the home planet.


    As for how many ¡°executor troops¡± there were in the two bases, N-6 and N-4 had chosen to remain tight-lipped. Apparently, Hao Ren¡¯s ¡°security level¡± in the hearts of those two robot girls was not high enough to talk freely about their own military secrets.


    On the lunar base, there was another very important site, which could be regarded as the ¡°capital¡± of the survivor society.


    N-4 called it a ¡°fortress¡±. She said it was a fortress built of superalloys and advanced technology, with the strongest structure and stacked shields, as well as the incredible ¡°Titanium Guard Regiment¡± with powerful defensive firepower and combat power. Even if the planet devourer launched the attack, it would not be able to gnaw down the protective shell of the fortress. The fortress was the most important core of the survivor society. There was a super-thinking center called the ¡°chief¡±, which was the highest command unit of all executors. And in the most closely guarded ¡°Inevitable Palace¡± within the fortress lived the civilization¡¯s last human descendants.


    Obviously, this information was more important and sensitive, but N-4 did not hide it, because the fortress was totally impossible to hide. It was so huge and eye-catching that if you looked through an astronomical telescope, you could see that the survivors¡¯ capital was the metal structure built in the center of the lunar base. The details of the executor troops could be kept a secret, but the existence of the fortress could not be concealed, so she just revealed it while emphasizing the fortress¡¯ strong protective force in order to remind Hao Ren not to do anything to that fortress.


    In a way, the robot¡¯s mind was quite simple ¨C perhaps because the enemies they dealt with were not intelligent at all?


    Humans who lived in The Inevitable Palace never left their shelter. Although normal production executors such as N-4 and N-6 were not qualified to meet humans (mainly because there are too many executors and few humans survivors), the titanium guards and the chief in the fortress maintained direct communication with humans.


    As an artificial intelligence community that relied on logical systems and access systems to keep society functioning, there was no lie or deception among executors, so even if they had not met humans, N-6 and N-4 were sure that their creator still existed and was watching them from their base high on the moon.


    After hearing the two robot girls describe the human survivors on the moon, Lily had some dismissive thoughts. In her view, those who launched the kindling into space thousands of years ago and stayed on to defend the home planet were worthy of respect, as were the humans who boarded the ark with the mission of preserving the kindling of civilization. But the descendants who dared not even step out of the fortress were not so appreciated.


    Although there was a First Born on the surface of the home planet, the First Born did not even hit the moon with artillery shells and laser beams. Did the surviving humans not have the courage to go out and take a look at their homeland?


    But those thoughts were just spinning around in the husky girl¡¯s head, knowing how important the ¡°creator¡± was to the robot girls.


    Hao Ren also had a similar thought in his head, but he did not dwell on this kind of problem. He was just an observer of civilization. His job was to observe, record and report to his boss. What course these civilizations took was not his concern, and he believed that the human survivors had chosen to lock themselves up in their fortresses for reasons other than fear.


    ¡°I thought humans would act with you,¡± said Hao Ren, rubbing his eyebrows and looking at N-6. ¡°Because we analyzed the wreckage and found that you were only co-pilots of the aircraft¡­ Isn¡¯t the pilot human?¡±


    ¡°The pilot seat is always reserved for humans. They just don¡¯t fight with us for the time being, but when we finally get our homeland back, there will be human sitting next to us!¡± There seemed to be a little pride on N-6¡¯s face.


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    ¡°We are the executors, the instruments that carry out their great will in place of the creator.¡± N-4 nodded slightly, saying it with a sense of mission. ¡°In the early days, when our creators were able to fight alongside us, we were their helpers, and that mission will never change. We¡¯ll sit in the co-pilot seat and do whatever the creators tell us to do, all the way to the day of ultimate victory.¡±


    Hao Ren quietly looked into N-4¡¯s eyes, and N-4 also looked back with calm, deep eyes. Perhaps it was not a deep look, but a standby look waiting to receive new information, but Hao Ren seemed to feel that something called faith really existed deep inside this artificial intelligence.


    They really were no different from human beings¡­


    ¡°I get it,¡± Hao Ren said, relaxing as he turned to N-6 and asked another question, ¡°There are some minor details I need to know. First of all, you call the First Born a planet devourer?¡±


    ¡°Our humans name it that.¡± N-6 nodded. ¡°Because it comes out of the depths of the earth¡¯s crust and eats everything on the planet. You call it ¡®First Born¡¯? Is there something similar on other planets?¡±


    ¡°Yes. First Borns exist on almost every ecological planet. The truth about this creature may be very different from what you think¡­¡± Hao Ren sighed. He realized that the planet¡¯s natives did not know the truth about the First Born, so he ended the topic decisively. ¡°This is not the right time to explain it to you. I will elaborate on it when I have a chance. I¡¯d like to ask, has your war with the planet devourer always been like this? I mean it stays on the planet, neither strikes nor surrenders, and you keep sending bombers to deal with its tentacles. You can neither win nor be defeated by it, so you just stay stuck?¡±


    It was not something that needed to be kept a secret, so N-4 answered directly, ¡°This has been going on for at least 3000 years, but it wasn¡¯t like this at first.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t like this at first?¡± Vivian immediately showed her interest.


    ¡°According to the great think tank, in the first few thousand years, humans and their mechanical legions faced extinction on several occasions. The planet devourer used far more power than it does today to hunt down survivors who fled the planet, and at its worst the Zenith had to travel deep into space, returning to orbit after five centuries of exile. But three thousand years ago, things changed¡­¡±


    Hao Ren realized that this crucial turning point was the cause of the First Born¡¯s brain death. ¡°What happened? Did the planet devourer¡¯s activity drop dramatically after that?¡±


    ¡°According to the great think tank, this was the moment when Zenith was once again at risk. A beam of light fired by the planet devourer blasted through the space station¡¯s shield system, splitting a huge canyon in the earth, and the body of the planet devourer could almost be seen in the earth¡¯s core from space. But suddenly, a meteor shower rained down. A large number of unidentified object fragments crashed into the planet, right into the canyon, so the planet devourer was hit badly. Although it immediately closed the earth¡¯s crust to protect itself, it lost most of its power after days of earthquakes.¡±


    N-4 told this history in a way that was full of sentimental descriptive words, not at all like the way an artificial intelligence would speak, because this history was not told in her own way, but directly from the records of the great think tank?¡ªfrom human observers who lived 3,000 years ago.


    Everyone at the scene, except for the two robot girls, stood gazing at one another.


    Hao Ren muttered to himself, ¡°The First Born was smashed into an idiot by a meteor shower? Is this a joke?¡±

 Chapter 1547 - The Incident in Heaven

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    It was not difficult to deduce from N-4¡¯s narration that the planet¡¯s First Born lost its brain after the occurrence of a strange meteorite shower.


    But how could a meteor shower take out an adult First Born?


    The female robot mentioned the Turning Point War, where the First Born opened the crust and mantle, exposing its core. However, it was a big mistake to think that the First Born¡¯s defense abilities had decreased right then. The reduction was a big mistake. First of all, the First Born did not have any core that was deemed weak. Its exposed heart was only its internal tissue organ, which had many back-ups. It would not hurt even if this core suffered damage. Secondly, the defensive capabilities of the First Born did not depend entirely on its physical body. Its mastery of various energy fields was its most potent defense. Its tentacles could create repulsive energy that was high enough to take on the impact of celestial bodies and protect it from outer space threats, just like the meteorite Y¡¯zaks summoned over Beinz. It had been intercepted by the underage First Born.


    Compared with the energy field protection and strong physique of the First Born, the crust of the planet was not an indispensable armor.


    Did the meteor shower at that time just ignore or rather, penetrate the repulsive force field and cause a lethal blow to the First Born¡¯s brain? Were there such freaking mighty rocks in the world?


    ¡°Why did the First Born open the earth¡¯s crust in the first place?¡± Nangong Wuyue asked not far away. She had some weird thoughts in mind. ¡°Was it just to create some horror effects?¡±


    Nangong Sanba came up and said in a whisper, ¡°I guess it was preparing for some big move. Maybe it wanted to summon a Surge of Killing Intent Fist.¡±


    The whisper of the Nangong siblings had nevertheless drifted into Hao Ren¡¯s ears. But Hao Ren was not interested in why the First Born had opened the crust¡ªit might be planning to shake off the cumbersome shell, launching a more powerful tactical weapon, or merely doing a stretch-out. For a fully-grown First Born the size of a planet, any of its movements could cause this result. This First Born had gone crazy, and it did not make sense to guess a madman¡¯s motive.


    ¡°Did the meteor shower crush the defense of the planet devourer?¡± Hao Ren rubbed his forehead as he asked about the incident three thousand years ago. ¡°Did the planet devourer not launch any counterattack?¡±


    ¡°The details cannot be confirmed.¡± N-4 shook his head. ¡°The Bibliotheca experienced many damages and reconstructions and suffered nearly 60% data loss over hundreds of disaster emergency backup operations, during which the loss of the history before the Battle of the Turning Point was the most serious. We could not confirm how the meteor shower had destroyed the core of the planet devourer at that time. But there is something that may shed light on it.¡±


    N-4 continued by reading out a record in the Bibliotheca.


    ¡°¡­all radar and optical observation instrument did not capture from where these celestial fragments came from. They seemed to appear out of thin air above the planet¡¯s atmosphere. The initial images recorded by the optical instrument showed that the light in that area was distorted. Starlight from deep space bent and turned into crazy curves at the edge of the atmosphere, and the lower-orbit satellites had malfunctioned once. Following that, the meteor shower appeared and glittered under the sun as if they were metal or ice fragments¡­¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He could not help but look at Vivian, who also turned to look at him.


    ¡°Appearing out of thin air, and the light was distorted in the surroundings, and there was the release of high energy.¡± Hao Ren nodded slightly. ¡°That¡¯s it. It must be the phenomenon at the end of a warp jump. Those so-called ¡®meteorites¡¯ had come through hyperspace.¡±


    ¡°I suspect that those meteorites are still stuck in the First Born¡¯s body, deep inside the mantle or near the center of the planet,¡± Vivian said. ¡°We should find them as they may reveal all the secrets.¡±


    ¡°Of course, we should. But I am more interested in the society in the sky.¡± Hao Ren nodded. He was attracted to N-4¡¯s eyes, which was almost identical to that of humans. ¡°Now, tell us what happened to the Zenith and lunar base, and the intelligence blockades.¡±


    Something had happened to the Zenith and lunar base, of which N-4 did not elaborate earlier. But it was not difficult to infer from her words. The survivor society, which consisted of 99% of artificial intelligence and one percent of humanity, was unlike what Hao Ren had thought¡ªa community of low-level AI robots that had lost all their intelligent units. On the contrary, whether it was the humans living in the fortress, or the two AI-girls who were almost indistinguishable from humans, they all had their own thinking and judgment. So, their indifference toward the Petrachelys was particularly strange. However rigid and mechanical the AIs were, their commander should have realized the importance of checking out the alien spaceship that had crashed on their planet.


    Coupled with the mentioning of information blockade on the Zenith and lunar base by N-4, it was all the more wrong.


    N-4 closed her eyes slightly, body humming with a current. It seemed that her logic circuit was undergoing some complicated judgment. At last, she opened her eyes and nodded at Hao Ren as if she had passed a logical safety assessment. ¡°After analyzing the content of our conversations, I have established that you all are in line with our mission.¡±


    ¡°The Cortex Prime has messed up.¡±


    N-6 was the one who appeared surprised the most. ¡°Impossible! Logically impossible!¡±


    ¡°No. Logically possible. Cortex Prime is also a conventional artificial system; it is possible for it to suffer a failure or mess up.¡± N-4 looked at N-6 with a serious look. For Executrices like them, the Cortex Prime was as important as their most beloved monarch and father, but when reality hit, N-4 could only say this, ¡°There had been symptoms a few years ago, but all the subordinate nodes had no access to relevant data, such ordinary Executrices like us had no idea of the changes in the Cortex Prime.¡±


    ¡°A few years ago?¡± Hao Ren was a little surprised. At first, he thought that it was his ominousness that caused this. Now, it turned out that the Cortex Prime had started to go wrong several years ago. ¡°What happened in heaven? You better tell us in detail what the Cortex Prime is.¡±


    ¡°The Cortex Prime is the command node of all the Executors. As you know, it¡¯s located in the fortress of the lunar base. Thirteen giant servers form its brain. In the core of the Zenith is the secondary nervous center of the Cortex Prime, responsible for conveying the commands of the Cortex Prime directly to the space fortress,¡± N-4 said faintly. ¡°The Cortex Prime has been the one commanding the Executors¡¯ activities. It issues commands to the servers in the barracks and factories, then forwards the instructions to each of us. There never were any issues with this procedure for thousands of years.


    ¡°But, confusion started to emerge in the instructions issued by the Cortex Prime a few years ago.


    ¡°It began to frequently modify the surface battle plan, add a large number of unnecessary and even repeated production tasks to the production process of the lunar base. It issued an order to substantially send more attack echelon formations to the home planet, even if this blind increase in troops will overload the production and maintenance capacity of the lunar base.


    ¡°Contradiction began to crop up in the transfer of information of the Cortex Prime. That has happened only a few times, but it was unprecedented.


    ¡°All these signs have appeared in the past few years.¡±


    N-6 stared at N-4, wide-eyed. ¡°Why did I not learn about these things before? I am not talking about the question of authority; I am a combatant, but I have never received these strange instructions.¡±


    ¡°Because seven of the thirteen giant servers in the Cortex Prime have withdrawn these error commands before being sent out,¡± N-6 replied quietly.


    Hao Ren¡¯s heart missed a beat. That was to say, these wrong instructions had never been sent out but vetoed by the Cortex Prime itself in its internal system loops. These unreleased instructions had not caused any real impact but just some system logs?


    Then how could N-4 and N-6, executrices with the same level of authority, know about these things?


    N-6 was also curious. ¡°N-4, how do you know this?¡±


    ¡°Because the Cortex Prime directly contacted us,¡± N-4 pointed to her chest. ¡°It did not go through the servers and relay stations but passed the information directly to our logic. I saw the syslog of the Cortex Prime for the past few years and received an order.¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian asked in unison, ¡°What order?¡±


    ¡°It ordered us to come to the surface and look for an alien spaceship that had crashed on the home planet.¡±


    ¡°I see. That is why you guys are here.¡± Hao Ren seemed to have figured out something. He leaned back in the chair and looked into the eyes of N-4. ¡°Did the Cortex Prime tell you what to do after finding this spaceship?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± N-4 gave a frank reply.


    ¡°You guys come without even know the purpose of the mission?¡±


    ¡°We have to obey the commands of the Cortex Prime because it represents the will of humankind,¡± N-4 replied matter-of-factly¡ªso naturally that it made everyone speechless.


    Hao Ren knew N-4 was only an AI. Even though she was almost like a human, but her logical thinking and worldview were still very different. So, Hao Ren did not delve into the topic. Instead, he asked, ¡°Let me guess: Before you came, the Cortex Prime forbade others from searching for the spaceship?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±

 Chapter 1548 - Lifting Off

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The strange ¡°rock¡±, which had been in the crater in the forest for a week, finally moved.


    Early in the morning, the little creatures living nearby were stunned by a strange sound. After determining that it was not the sign of another round of explosions, the daring animals slunk up to the edge of the crater through the woods and bushes, then proceeded to look at what the ¡°rock¡± from heaven was up to. They were surprised to find that the culprit who smashed a big hole out of the forest had changed. The once black shell was now shining in silver and white. There was a beautiful halo floating over its armor, like the ripples on a lake¡¯s surface.


    A strange humming sound like wind blowing in a cave was heard coming from the belly of that weird thing.


    Several little beasts with pointed grayish-white ears grabbed the branches and looked down from above. They were furious when they thought about their homes¡ªthe beautiful tree holes. The ¡°rock¡± from space had destroyed their squats, which were now pinned under the belly of that strange object. The little beasts held on to the branches and roared at the thing in the crater from a distance, they thought was safe. They were trying to chase the uninvited guest away.


    This time, it seemed like they had succeeded.


    The silvery-white monster began to lift off with the bright blue light shooting out of the nozzles at the rear and notches around the waist. This seemingly heavy behemoth seemed to have lost its weight as it lifted off in the air and flew away.


    That damn strange thing had finally flown away.


    The little animals in the forest looked in disbelief before cheers broke out among them¡ªor it could be just their random scream as they fled. A few little beasts with gray-white pointed ears still clung to the branches. They looked at the crater left behind by the silver-white thing, trying to find their beautiful tree holes. But they were disappointed.


    They chirped and exchanged opinions with each other. Figuring that it was no longer suitable to this place home, they decided to move to the forest, where there were many frames and ¡°stone trees¡±, to find their next beautiful tree holes.


    ¡°How does it feel to be able to fly again?¡± Hao Ren asked with a smile.


    Standing next to the projector at the center of the flight deck, Nolan was checking the flight data with enthusiasm.


    ¡°Awesome!¡± Nolan¡¯s arms were in akimbo, and she swung her silvery-white ponytail. ¡°I was worried for the past few days that I would have the flying disorder. You know what, it turns out that I am born to fly. I have never felt so good!¡±


    ¡°Great.¡± Hao Ren nodded with a smile. Nolan, the ship girl had been debilitated for a week, and today, she finally regained her spirits, which was a good thing. ¡°How¡¯s the spacecraft doing?¡±


    ¡°It is better than expected!¡± Nolan seemed so happy that she had created a bunch of firework and lantern special effects using a hologram. ¡°The power reactor works excellently, the shield is stable and sturdy, and the weapon system is as powerful as new. The main gun seems to still have a little problem, but I think it will be ready to blast anything away in a few hours!¡±


    ¡°All right, all right. I understand how happy you are. But you better concentrate on flying this thing for now.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand at Nolan to calm her down. ¡°We need to be wary of the Divine Storm in the galaxy. The latest surveillance report from the drone cluster shows that the Divine Storm only exists in deep space and is now generally calm, but do not be too carried away lest the storm will come after us.¡±


    The bluster worked. Nolan suddenly looked around like a frightened rabbit, as if she could weaken the presence of the several-hundred-meter-long spaceship in space.


    Hao Ren felt a sense of relief. Compared with when she was still a Gray Fox mercenary who had been through the mill and brought out of Zorm¡¯s dreams, Nolan now looked more cheerful than before. Perhaps, this was the AI woman¡¯s actual ¡°personality¡± setting?


    The spacecraft had left the planet¡¯s atmosphere, but it did not accelerate away. Instead, it activated various interfering and cloaking mechanisms and moved closer to the high orbit unhurriedly. Ahead in its flight path was the Zenith, the miraculous space station that the native inhabitants of the planet had built, gleaming under the sunlight.


    Hao Ren turned to look at the two robot girls, N-4 and N-6, who were sitting not far away.


    The other Executors were also on the Petrachelys. After N-4 and Hao Ren reached a consensus, N-4¡¯s ground forces, including those who had fled before, became the temporary passengers of the Petrachelys and were in standby mode in a visitor compartment. N-4 and N-6 were on the flight deck to answer questions from Hao Ren.


    N-4 and N-6 were fascinated by the Petrachelys, which was built with technology that they had never seen before. They had been in awe, especially when the spacecraft lifted off.


    Meanwhile, Hao Ren was quietly observing them.


    Curiosity¡ªan extremely human trait.


    The aerospace technology of the aborigines of this planet was so-so, which was evident by their lack of warp drive, but their achievement in the field of artificial intelligence had been outstanding. Those AIs called the Executors not only exhibited almost perfect emotional expressions but also could choose their own self-learning path, which was the most terrific achievement.


    This meant that they could self-evolve.


    N-4 had said much about the condition of the Cortex Prime. Now, Hao Ren had a general grasp of the situation.


    It sounded like the problems with Cortex Prime did not crop up all of a sudden but was a gradual process. No one had noticed the problem when it first happened.


    Since a few years ago, that massive artificial intelligence had begun to make contradictory instructions. The number of conflicting instructions was minimal at first, and it always involved almost non-critical decisions. It was regarded as a glitch. The Cortex Prime had a self-correction mechanism. Its thirteen computer servers were like a voting mechanism eliminating the fault codes automatically based on the rules of the majority¡ªat least that was the case in the beginning.


    But then, the situation deteriorated.


    Somehow, the Cortex Prime began to hide the syslog of its fault codes, which was probably the deadliest fault in itself. The system administers in the fort were not aware that the Cortex Prime was making more and more erroneous instruction. There were only one or two servers that generated incorrect instructions at first, and that happened only three or four times in a month or two. By as time went by, the problem became more serious. Erroneous instructions appeared more frequently as more servers generated them. As the number of erroneous servers increased, the number of normally-functioning servers decreased.


    It was not that the servers of the Cortex Prime lacked maintenance nor updates. In fact, as the most crucial decision-making machine in the survivor society, the Cortex Prime¡¯s motherboards and primary logic circuits were replaced every 100 years, other hardware was checked and maintained every year, and system self-diagnostics ran daily. N-4 had mentioned that the Cortex Prime¡¯s motherboards and logic circuits were newly installed less than two decades ago, which meant they were less likely to fail.


    But fault still happened, inexplicably. When the ratio of the normal servers and faulty servers reversed, the errors were finally exposed.


    The Cortex Prime first issued two different instructions. One of the instructions was a directive to put the existence of the unidentified spacecraft on embargo and prohibit anyone from approaching the crash site. The second instruction was sent directly to more than a dozen Executors, including N-4, ordering them to investigate the unidentified spacecraft.


    At first, N-4 did not realize that there were two contradictory instructions. She thought that it was a secret operation. But when she routinely crossed check the instruction she received with a lower-level server of the Cortex Prime, a serious warning within the system was triggered.


    The Cortex Prime thought that she and her team members had defied its order and acted arbitrarily.


    Then the Cortex Prime sent her a transport plane, ordering her to set off to finish her mission as soon as possible, and also sent into her memory tons of messy system logs.


    So, under such contradictory instructions, Miss N-4 and her temporary squad members came to Hao Ren.


    ¡°Have you never suspected anything amiss at all?¡± Hao Ren looked at N-4 in disbelief. ¡°The contradictory instructions and the blank mission details? Most likely, the Cortex Prime will treat you as rogue Executrix when you report back. Can you not report the problems to the system administers?¡±


    N-4 was expressionless as she said matter-of-factly, ¡°We must carry out the command of the Cortex Prime. It is the reason we can still survive until this day.¡±


    Likewise, N-6 said, ¡°We must carry out the command of the Cortex Prime. The system administrators will do their jobs.¡±


    Nangong Sanba could not help but bury his face in his hand. ¡°You can¡¯t reason with those who have an entirely different worldview than yours.¡±


    While they spoke, the Petrachelys was slowly approaching the mega-space station, the Zenith.


    Its silver-white oval shell glittered on the hologram onboard the Petrachelys. The behemoth was as massive as a small moon, occupying the field of vision of everyone.


    ¡°Nolan, get the traction beam ready.¡± Hao Ren gently tapped the console and sighed. ¡°Get ready to work.¡±

 Chapter 1549 - The Arrival of the Drones

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The Cortex Prime had malfunctioned. It issued an order prohibiting everyone from investigating the alien spaceship. But the Cortex Prime did not mention that the totaled alien spaceship was flying again. It did not even give instructions on the proper response one should adopt when the alien spacecraft came face to face with the Zenith.


    As there was a lack of instructions, the Zenith¡¯s autonomous system responded as it should have. When Nolan accelerated towards the space station, a large number of auxiliary devices that looked like antennas on the surface of the Zenith reacted. They spun and aimed at the uninvited guest as sirens blared throughout the space station. A launchpad opened, and a large number of dual-fuselage spacecraft rushed out from the silvery-white Zenith. They fired up their plasma engines and charged at the enemy.


    At the same time, the defense turrets floating around the Zenith began to transform. With the control of the high-precision fire computer, the parallel electromagnetic acceleration rail quickly locked on the Petrachelys. The charging capacitors below the electromagnetic acceleration rail began to gradually light up in red, indicating that a high-powered strike was imminent.


    ¡°Seventy-five hostile targets detected¡­ It¡¯s a hundred and two now. The number is increasing. Small warships are detected¡­¡± Nolan stood next to the central projector on the flight deck. The data and figures flashed like a meteor shower in her eyes. ¡°It looks like they are giving us a grand welcome.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled. ¡°After all, they have been fighting the First Born for thousands of years, even rabbit should have grown a pair of fangs now.¡±


    N-4 and N-6 watched as the shocking scene in space unfolded. The Zenith had opened up many spacecraft launchpads while turrets popped out on its surface. Hundreds of spacecraft spitting plasma flames were closing in. There were over a dozen warships called the Cutters were coming out. It seemed there were still more to come.


    The two Executrixes used to be among these spacecraft and warships, of which they were incredibly proud. But now, they found themselves on the wrong side and becoming the targets.


    The Executrixes could control their ¡°fear¡± in their software, but their logic circuits still inevitably sent out signals that represented their nervousness. N-6 finally could not help getting to her feet. ¡°This is your plan? Are you not going to the fortress on the moon?¡±


    ¡°Do not worry, this is our plan, and it is a genius plan! No one is going to get hurt!¡± Lily, the self-proclaimed first officer with a military uniform that was slightly too big for her, stood near her seat with her ears standing erect. She had cut a hole in her outfit so that her tail could stick out behind her. She pointed forward with her hand as if a mighty female general. ¡°We will sneak into that thing openly!¡±


    Nangong Wuyue poked her brother¡¯s arm with her tail. ¡°Brother, I think Lily has just contradicted herself.¡±


    ¡°Come on, she is a philosopher. A philosopher would not say something contradictory.¡±


    ¡°You mean a philosopher who specializes in reviewing food?¡±


    Lily¡¯s ear flicked and turned to glare at the Nangong siblings. She had overheard them.


    Meanwhile, the enemy had begun to fire at them.


    ¡°Armored charger is online. Shield charger is online. Power is transferred from the main power reactor to the spacecraft¡¯s defense system,¡± Nolan reported. ¡°Incoming enemy fire!¡±


    The first wave of attack from the Zenith defense force hit the front shield of the Petrachelys. The electromagnetic bombs, focused ion beams, and the like hit the bright blue shield like raindrops falling into the lake, but the Petrachelys did not suffer a single scratch thanks to its energy shield.


    ¡°It is a drizzle compared to the divine storm,¡±??Nolan said with a shrug. ¡°I can fight¡ª¡±


    Hao Ren interrupted Nolan and said, ¡°Do not underestimate the enemy. And we are not here to fight them. Where is the closest drone cluster now?¡±


    Nolan pouted. A new stream of data flashed across her eyes. ¡°The first group is just a jump point away and ready to enter.¡±


    ¡°Pick one before they arrive.¡±


    ¡°Let me see¡­¡± Nolan nodded and switched into the Petrachelys¡¯ perspective, watching the Zenith fighters flying around her. The Petrachelys appeared like a little rock in front of the Zenith but compared to the fighters of only a few tens of meters long, Hao Ren¡¯s hundreds of meters long spacecraft was a complete behemoth. From Nolan¡¯s perspective, those enemy fighters were just a group of annoying flies. The ship girl was not irritated but enthusiastic. ¡°This one is too thin. This one looks ugly. This one¡­ hmm, the decal is unstylish, and if swallowed, I will get a bad stomach. And¡ª¡±


    Hao Ren quickly interrupted the ship girl, who had gotten a little heady right now. ¡°Stop it. I understand you are a little excited to be able to fly again, but we have something more important to do. Pick one, and we will finish the job.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Nolan shrugged and locked onto a target. ¡°That one. It looks like it can seat many people.¡±


    ¡°Release the guiding beacon, inform the drone cluster to enter and initiate the capturing procedure after fifteen minutes.¡±


    The Petrachelys transmitted a powerful signal across the hyperspace to a drone nest of metal cavities, towers, pipes, and broken asteroids.


    The drone nest was built only twelve hours ago. Earlier, there was only one dead red dwarf and a vast stretch of asteroid fragments circling the red dwarf. A drone mothership had brought a group of new-generation drones arriving and building a forward base here. The forward base was a production, storage, defense, and signal relay station. Thousands of new drones were shuffling in and around the nest as if ants expanding their anthill.


    Until they received the message from the Petrachelys.


    The new-gen drones stopped their activities at once, like the most disciplined soldiers when they received the instruction. Two seconds later, this drone corps turned and accelerated toward the bright region of stars in the distance.


    A second later, over two thousand new-gen drones disappeared into the distorted space ripples.


    The Petrachelys was under the increasingly intense fire of the squadrons of fighters and warships of the Zenith. The Zenith, in its highest level of alert, seemed to intend to unleash all its defense capability to intercept the alien spaceship, which was extremely agile and powerful as it hopped left and right, up and down and was able to evade 90% of the hellacious enemy fire.


    In the face of the increasing number of Zenith defense forces, Nolan was taking a more cautious approach.


    She could still maintain her rhythm with her superb maneuverability and near-field teleporting capability amid the superior firepower of the enemy. She evaded those high-powered enemy turrets, which tried to radar-locked her, as she marked a Zenith fighter and awaiting the arrival of the drone cluster.


    She did not have to wait too long.


    Ripples appeared in the dark universe behind the Zenith space station. The distant starlight, blocked by the space station earlier, began to swirl around the space station. It was as if the ancient silver ¡°egg¡± was coated with a silver halo ring. Following that, a large group of strangely shining objects appeared.


    The drone cluster sent a message to Hao Ren. ¡°Begin to initiate siege.¡±


    The Zenith¡¯s defense system seized with the sudden appearance of a large number of uninvited guests. But soon the AI of Zenith had shown its superiority when a large part of the defense forces, including the turrets on the Zenith, quickly turned to meet the armed drones.


    But the behavior of the drone cluster differed from that of the Petrachelys. Their speed and coordination were vastly superior to the Zenith fighters.


    As if machine-insect hybrids, the drones dispersed and headed toward various positions over the Zenith. The drones had shut off their weapon system and diverted their energy to the shield and armor systems just as Hao Ren had instructed them. This allowed the relatively fragile drones to better withstand the bombardment of the anti-air guns of the Zenith. Instead of concentrating their firepower at a particular point, the drones had gotten into their respective positions around the Zenith, forming a loose network of encirclement in just a matter of a few breaths.¡±


    Immediately, the belly of the drones opened and emitted a glaring light.


    The drones were unleashing an EMP warfare.

 Chapter 1550 - Captured and Masqueraded

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    When the drones released their stored energy in the form of unwanted clutter, the EMP burst out the surface of the Zenith for the first time. Chaotic pulses choked the communication channels, overloaded the network signal between the Zenith and its fighters, as well as fried the fragile radar and antenna systems. The EMP had physically and permanently brought down the communication network. The shock wave even formed a visible discharge phenomenon: a fine, hair-like arc that erupted between the drones and swallowed up the entire Zenith space station. The electromagnetic pulses swept across the surface of the Zenith and fried all communication installations.


    The EMP also immobilized a large number of Executors, which had insufficient protection against the electromagnetic attack.


    Hao Ren and Nolan had carefully analyzed the data collected from N-6 to determine the electromagnetic resistant level of the logic core. They had fine-tuned the power of the EMP so that the electromagnetic pulse would only fry the external circuits of the Executors and not ¡°kill¡± them by damaging their logic cores.


    The communication network on the surface of the Zenith was dead. The EMP had cut off the communication between the space station and the lunar base too. The fighters and warships drifted away into deep space after they lost their power. But the drones quickly swung into action, capturing the enemy vessels using traction beams and mechanical arms to prevent them from colliding into each other.


    During that short moment, Nolan quickly caught up with a Zenith fighter who was drifting away from her. She pulled the thirty-meter spacecraft back into her garage.


    ¡°Move! Move!¡± Hao Ren shouted as he led his team of men running to the garage. ¡°We only have ten minutes. The EMP could only disable the space station for a short moment.¡±


    As if it was to confirm what Hao Ren said, more fighters began to emerge as the Zenith opened its bays and raised more radars and weapons out from its surface. Some of them began to salvage their fellow spacecraft that had lost power while the remaining launched a fierce attack on the drone cluster.


    Warp jump and EMP had given the drone cluster the upper hand initially, but they could not really defeat a super war fortress like the Zenith. Even if the war bastion was inferior to the drone cluster technologically, it was not defenseless. The internal shield that was resistant to various harmful ray bursts in the universe had protected the forces inside the Zenith.


    Now, the second echelon of fighters had come out of the fortress and fought the invaders.


    Hao Ren was not worried about the casualty rate of the drone cluster. In fact, it was a non-issue. The drone cluster was self-generating. In the face of the ferocious counterattack of the Zenith forces, the drones used their high-power shield to protect themselves while they emitted interference signals to block off the communication system of the Zenith.


    Meanwhile, Hao Ren and his team could not care less about the space battle as they were preparing their ¡°ticket¡± to the lunar base.


    A force field was holding a heavy attack spacecraft from the Zenith in the bay while autonomous robots shuffled busily around, cutting up and taking out the unnecessary parts of the fighter to make room for more occupants. They had also swapped out some equipment. It was a hurried but orderly process, and they were halfway to completion.


    The pilot of the spacecraft had been detained and shut off.


    ¡°Do not make changes to the exterior. Leave the shell in its original appearance at least,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°Remove everything in the inside that is not needed.¡±


    An autonomous robot had cut away part of the shell of the attack spacecraft and was now installing shield and jamming devices into it. Another autonomous robot removed the navigation computer and transponder, disassembled them, modified the chips before reassembling them.


    N-6 watched on. She felt that Hao Ren¡¯s idea was whimsical at best. ¡°Do you really think that you could evade the detection of the Cortex Prime? The recognition system of Cortex Prime is extremely advanced.¡±


    ¡°But our technology is unrivaled in the world.¡± Hao Ren said confidently. ¡°My drone cluster has cut off the communication signal of the Zenith. Even if other fighters find out one of their companions has been captured, they have no way to alert the Cortex Prime. The lunar base will only think that we are returning for repair.¡±


    Such as the plan¡ªthe ingenious idea of Lily and the collective effort of everyone.


    Hao Ren knew that whether it was to find out more of the civilization or the First Born of this planet, the lunar base was the go-to place. But there had been a problem with the Cortex Prime. Humans were the supreme rulers of the civilization, but it was apparent that the Cortex Prime had control over the lunar base. So Hao Ren had to take the unusual path to reach the lunar base.


    He was not naive to think that the Cortex Prime would lay out a red carpet to welcome him to the lunar base. He suspected whether the Cortex Prime could be reasoned with in the first place. His best bet would be to find a way to sneak in.


    But it was also na?ve to think that the Cortex Prime was blind. After fighting the First Born for thousands of years, the survivor society was not an ignorant civilization that knew nothing about air defense. The lunar base was more heavily guarded than the Zenith. Its complex identification system would ensure that any unauthorized flying objects approaching the moon would be destroyed. This system was mainly to defend the lunar base against the First Born¡¯s seed cannons although the First Born had not attacked the lunar base for the past thousands of years.


    The anti-air firepower of the lunar base might not pose much a threat to the Petrachelys, but Hao Ren had a more legitimate concern. The Cortex Prime might act more illogically if provoked. He had discussed with N- 4 and N-6 and confirmed the possibility. If the Cortex Prime determined that it had no way to prevent the invasion from an alien spaceship, the possibility that the Cortex Prime might decide to self-destruct or entirely wipe off the database was high.


    And even if the Cortex Prime did carry out those measures, Hao Ren and his team would still have to face the relentless attack from the Executors. He would have a hard time to get close to the Cortex Prime, let alone finding out what caused the system fault in it.


    To avoid such troubles, Lily had proposed to capture an Executor spacecraft and use it to infiltrate the lunar base.


    At first, Hao Ren thought of using the two transport planes that N-4 and her team. Unfortunately, when N-4 tried to start using the communication system of the transport planes, he found that both transport planes had lost their authorization codes, which meant the Executor had delisted the two transport planes in the data network. Worse still, if N-4 were to fly the transport planes to return to the lunar base, the Cortex Prime might shoot them down at once.


    N-4 only came to the home planet with the instruction of the Cortex Prime. But the Cortex Prime contradicted the directive that it had issued by blacklisting the N-4 team. Had it not been for N-4¡¯s hardened steel heart, she would have committed harakiri.


    As the Cortex Prime had blacklisted the N-4 team and their transport planes, Hao Ren could only bet on hacking the other Executor spacecraft. It was impossible for the Petrachelys to directly capture it because the Executor system would delist or even shoot down the aircraft concerned. What Hao Ren got would be a pile of scrap metal without the necessary authorization code.


    The Zenith, frontline fortress of the Executors, was the one that activated this delisting protocol.


    So, Hao Ren and his team had decided to up the ante by luring all Executor forces out of the Zenith, summoned the drone cluster to disable the communication between the Zenith and the lunar base using EMP. While all communication went silent, Hao Ren took the opportunity to kidnap and hack an Executor spacecraft, and no one would know what he had done.


    Even if the Zenith computer found something was amiss, the Cortex Prime would not receive the information due to the down communication system. Instead, it would only know that some unknown enemies were attacking and surrounding the Zenith. Other than that, the Cortex Prime was virtually blind in regards to the battlefield intelligence.


    Under this circumstance, a damaged Zenith spacecraft returning to base for repair was entirely natural and in line with the operating procedure of the Executors.


    The Petrachelys suddenly stormed into a sea of immobilized Zenith spacecraft in the battlefield amid the chaos and communication blackout. It opened its cargo bay, and then a Zenith spacecraft emerged from the inside quietly.


    The attack spacecraft had marks of damage all over. It floated silently in space for a while until it left the center of the battlefield before it fired up its engine and accelerated toward the moon.

 Chapter 1551 - The Lunar Base

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    No monitoring cameras or radars noticed that an attack craft had left the battlefield and was heading towards the moon. Even if the EMP did not destroy cameras and detectors, the chaos on the battlefield already had the Zenith warriors fully occupied. The drones did not use deadly offensive weapons, but they were made with black technology that could influence the outcome of the battle. They maneuvered around the battlefield at high speed using near-field warp jumps and inertia-suppression machines. Their movements were so utterly physics-defying that the Zenith fighters completely could not catch up. It was all the more so when the drones jammed the signals, making the situation worse for the Zenith communication network, which had already been overloaded due to signal congestion. The fact that communications could not be recovered further undermined the command and coordination of the Zenith¡¯s defensive forces. But that was not all; the engineering drones approaching with the armed drones were creating even more chaos and panic.


    The drones were destroying the Zenith¡¯s command system as well as communication network more thoroughly and crudely.


    Like an insect with a slender body and multiple robotic arms, the little devil drones tore down everything they deemed could transmit and receive signals. The engineering drones even cut open the walls and slipped into the inside of Zenith through the pipes and support frames. Once inside, the drones devoured the command and communication hardware rapidly, causing total signal blackout wherever they went.


    Nolan called the operation Physical Deletion.


    Hao Ren had issued two critical instructions to the drones: taking down the command and communication systems of the Zenith and disarming the space station. The drone cluster¡¯s mission was not only to cover the actions of Hao Ren and his team but also to keep the enemy forces in the space station busy. That way, even if the Cortex Prime on the lunar base went crazy, Hao Ren could still make sure that at least half of the Executor forces were on the higher orbit of the planet.


    Meanwhile, in the attack craft flying toward the moon.


    N-6 sat beside Hao Ren, feeling nervous. When thinking of the battle around the Zenith space station, she suddenly questioned herself if she had made the right decision. She now knew that these powerful alien lives were not humans of her home planet. They had summoned a group of war machines to besiege the Zenith. The siege aimed not to kill, but the fact that it was still a siege was not going to change. Now, these alien creatures wanted to go to the lunar base, the shared sacred land of the humans and Executors, and the fortress that would never fall.


    Their reason for going to the lunar base was to fix the faulty Cortex Prime, and N-4 had also confirmed the problem of the Cortex Prime.


    But that did not alleviate the dilemma N-6 was facing. N-6 was only an AI, but her logic circuit was as complicated as the human mind; she was questioning herself now, and her power consumption was rising.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡± Vivian glanced at the robot girl, curiously. ¡°Some parts of your body are heating up. Did we forget to install back the radiator when we repaired you earlier?¡±


    N-6 shook her head. ¡°I think you all are a huge threat to us.¡±


    ¡°Of course, if you look at the ability to seriously damage or even destroy your civilization, we are almost like a natural disaster for you and no less destructive than the planet devourer who has once swallowed the human civilization.¡± Hao Ren was frank. ¡°If we have bad intentions, your Cortex Prime and the ultimate palace where humans live will be in great danger because we have already acquired a spacecraft with an identification code that can land directly on the moon. We also have gotten a map to the fortress and a floor plan from N-4. The Cortex Prime is unaware of all these because the drones have blocked the transmission from the Zenith space station¡ªnot even an SMS could be sent out.¡±


    N-6 was calm. She looked at Hao Ren quietly, eyes looking inorganic. ¡°You would not tell me if you want to do this. Even if you really want to do it, I will have no way to stop you. But I am curious: why are you interested in a civilization like us? Judging from your spaceship and the drones you have brought, your technology is much more advanced than ours, and we and our planet are worthless to you people.¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at the robot girl who was in a dilemma and said softly. ¡°Six, you have no idea; it is because of the year-end bonus.¡±


    ¡°I do not understand. The society in which I am in does not have this concept.¡±


    ¡°That will not be necessary. You just have to know one thing.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°If we want to destroy your civilization, we could have used the thousands of drones to flatten the galaxy. We have a thousand and one better ways to attack the lunar base if we want, but we have not done so. So, you do not have to worry. N-4 has confirmed to you the problem of Cortex Prime, which is the backbone system on which your society depends on. Failure to fix its problem will ultimately lead to the destruction of the lunar base and the Zenith, even if there is no external threat. I guess you have already known that we are your hope at least, and your logic system should be able to see this.¡±


    N-6 nodded. But it was also the cause of her paradox. Her logic system could make judgments based on available data and future predictions. She knew that if the Cortex Prime¡¯s problem continued, destruction would await the lunar base and the Zenith no matter what the Executors did. These alien visitors with advanced technology and a certain degree of goodwill were the only ones that could reverse their fate. But the emotional system in her made her worry because she was unsure whether she could trust the kindness of these alien visitors.


    She disliked not being able to make the precise calculation. The idea of surrendering the future of her race to probability overwhelmed her logic circuit.


    After some hard thought, Miss N-6 chose to switch to power-saving mode.


    ¡°She seems to have cooled down suddenly.¡± Vivian looked back at the robot lady, surprised. ¡°It is a strange life form.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you blocked her cooling vent.¡± Lily shot Vivian a sideways look. ¡°She just did not want to embarrass you.¡±


    ¡°I did not! I was at least one meter away from her! It is you! The hair of your big furry tail might have clogged the air inlet of N-6.¡±


    Hao Ren decided to intervene lest the two quarrelsome partners went physical. ¡°Stop arguing. By the way, N-6 has no radiator vent and air inlet. Nolan has said that N-6 is liquid cold.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Landlord,¡± Lily looked at Hao Ren with despise. ¡°Most liquid cooling systems need radiator vents.¡±


    Hao Ren was embarrassed.


    The husky had embarrassed him in terms of common sense and intelligence.


    But Hao Ren could not care less because the spacecraft was approaching the moon now.


    Hao Ren and his team were in the lower compartment of the spacecraft. It was initially the weapon bay and part of the redundant system storage, but the autonomous robots had modified them into the passenger compartment. Hao Ren, Vivian, Lily, N-6, and Y¡¯zaks were the main team members while Lil Pea, who hid in Hao Ren¡¯s collar and poked out her head looking around curiously, could not be counted as one.


    At first, Hao Ren had no intention of bringing the little mermaid along in this operation, but the little guy was enthusiastic. She nagged until Hao Ren gave in. Since Lil Pea had been well-behaved in several previous missions, Hao Ren decided to bring her along albeit reluctantly.


    Hao Ren figured that he could readily hide Lil Pea in the dimensional pocket if the situation turned ugly. But letting the little mermaid stay onboard the Petrachelys, which was now in the middle of the battlefield, did not seem to be a good idea after all.


    The rest of the men, including N-4 and her team members, stayed on board the Petrachelys.


    Since the two transport planes that N-4 brought had lost their identification rights, Hao Ren suspected that the Cortex Prime had also blacklisted, or even issued an arrest warrant for N-4 and her team. The appearance of the N-4 team on the lunar base would guarantee the triggering of the alarm and failure of the operation. So, Hao Ren made them stay onboard the Petrachelys but brought along N-6 because he needed a guide.


    Hao Ren could clearly see the situation of the lunar base through the external camera of the spacecraft.


    Thousands of years of development and transformation had turned this lifeless, quiet, natural satellite into something unrecognizable from its original appearance. Deep gullies and holes covered the surface like dehydrated fruit. A layer of metal like a coat covered the land; those were the factory and residential complexes that the Executors built.


    There was no clear boundary. The entire surface was a megabase of factories, mines, domes, and reactors with crisscrossing tracks and piping system that connected them together. Among the sea of metal structures, some places were even more densely populated with facilities, which, in a sense, could be deemed as the ¡°cities¡±.


    Above the moon, space stations and satellites were hovering in orbit. There were also orbital cannons pointing at the home planet neatly arranged in space.


    The battered spacecraft began to decelerate, change directions, and swiftly but stably zoomed past the orbital cannons and surveillance satellites. Whenever the spacecraft passed by a checkpoint, there would be a brief security check.


    They passed the identity verification.

 Chapter 1552 - Trojan Horse

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The lunar base had already noticed the fierce battle taking place around the Zenith space station. It was not due to the failure of the drone cluster¡¯s signal jamming; it was just that the flickering lights surrounding the Zenith were visible on the lunar base. With a slightly better optical device, one could clearly see that a group of unknown war machines had surrounded the space station in the higher orbit.


    It was hard to miss. There was a new war, at least in the eyes of the people in the lunar base.


    The moment the drone cluster disabled the Zenith¡¯s communication network, the lunar base had issued the highest security alert. Thousands of optical observatories and radar antennas started to turn in the direction of the Zenith. The residents of the moon tried to figure out what was going on, but apart from optical observations, there was only noise in the other means of communication, including all the secret and emergency channels. The radar had returned with completely distorted signals.


    Without the convenience of communication network and radar observations, the Executors on the moon were left with only physical observation to monitor the battlefield¡¯s situation in the distance. Their artificial intelligence, which was the epitome of advanced technology, felt as if they had reverted to ancient times. They had to use the most primitive means to collect intelligence and formulate strategies. Just as recorded in the Great Think Tank, humans in the Middle Ages relied on flag-waving, fire and smoke, as well as eye signals to transmit messages. That was what the Executors were doing right then, and such a situation had thrown the orderly lunar base society into chaos.


    However, the Cortex Prime had quickly restored order on the moon. Following its instructions, fighters began to scramble into space, and rapid response gunships, which were rarely used nowadays, roared away from the spaceport. They learned from the optical observations that a group of mysterious enemies had sieged the Zenith. The enemies were extremely agile, and the cumbersome battleships and heavy gunships would probably be powerless against these enemies, leaving only the rapid-fire cannons the effective defense against those strange enemies. So, most of the spacecraft lifting off the lunar base were of such fast response units.


    The more important reason was that there were not many large warships at the Executors¡¯ disposal. During the war with the planet devourer, heavy space bombers were redundant and phased out a dozen centuries ago.


    The reinforcement units leaving the moon surface had caught the attention of Hao Ren.


    The cleverly disguised attack craft, which Lily named it Trojan Horse, was approaching the moon following the scheduled flight path. It did not come into contact with the reinforcement units lifting off from the moon, but a battered spacecraft would stand out like a sore thumb in the sea of other spaceships. At first, Hao Ren was worried about whether the appearance of the Trojan Horse would blow its cover. But soon, he realized that his fear was unfounded.


    The spacecraft successfully passed through every checkpoint even though it did not even have a real pilot.


    In the cockpit, the MDT was the one in the pilot seat. It projected a lifelike holographic image of the original pilot to dupe the facial recognition camera at the checkpoint. The screen in front of the pilot flashed with the conversation record between the lunar base security system and the onboard computer.


    ¡°XX Tower calling Flight Unit XXXX to submit ID code.¡±


    ¡°Flight Unit XXXX has submitted the ID code. Request for access.¡±


    ¡°Flight Unit XXXX, please state your purpose of visit.¡±


    ¡°Flight Unit XXXX suffers damage during the space battle. The Zenith is under siege. Request to land on lunar base for repair.¡±


    ¡°XX Tower relays its instructions; the Cortex Prime has listed information about the Zenith as a high priority. Please upload your battle record.¡±


    ¡°Flight Unit XXXX acknowledged. Battle record is being uploaded.¡±


    On the one hand, there was the shipboard computer that the autonomous robots had modified, and on the other, it was the lunar base customs security AI. The two low intelligent AIs were essentially chatbots that talked with each other.


    Hao Ren had expected that this runaway spacecraft from the Zenith would arouse the suspicion of the Cortex Prime on the lunar base. He had thus made up a battle record beforehand in the onboard computer, and now, it came in handy.


    At last, the Trojan Horse passed all the space checkpoints. It descended slowly toward a group of domes. One of the domes had accepted the request for landing and opened up its hemispherical roof, which was wide enough for the fighter to enter. Inside the opening were a large number of robotic equipment.


    It was the automated spacecraft maintenance facility that the Executors built.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that it is so easy,¡± Hao Ren said to N-6 as the spacecraft slowly descended inside the dome. ¡°Everything runs automatically, and it is not even a highly intelligent system. Had you people stationed some more advanced AI, such as a bionic robot like you, and asked more complicated questions, we would not have made it in so easily.¡±


    ¡°But that will greatly reduce efficiency and shorten the lifespan of our logic circuit.¡± N-6 shook her head. ¡°The automated system could do the job more efficiently and faster when it comes to processing a large amount of data during large unit deployment. The automated ID recognition system was foolproof until people like you all came with more advanced technology. Again, it would be useless to upgrade the automated ID recognition system when you all could hack it so easily.¡±


    The logical thinking of N-6 was still so no-nonsense and straightforward. She did not even feel embarrassed for their technological inferiority but merely stating the facts, which instead had made Hao Ren feel a little embarrassed.


    ¡°If not necessary, we still hope to have a conversation with your survivor civilization.¡± Hao Ren rubbed his nose. ¡°But we are out of options.¡±


    Just then, Lily saw the monitor in the compartment. ¡°Mr. Landlord, we are floating up. Something is coming.¡±


    The maintenance system of the dome had taken over the control of the spacecraft when the spacecraft was inside. And the MDT did not resist lest it triggered the alarms. Hao Ren took a peek at the outside situation. A set of robotic arms grabbed the Executor attack craft and brought it to a metal platform, where a large number of servos with a small robotic arm attached rose from below. Each robotic arm had an eye blinking in red moving around the battered spacecraft to examine the degree of damage before formulating a repair plan. If this examination continued, they would soon found out the anomalies of the spaceship.


    But Hao Ren already had a plan for this. While the robotic arms were at work on the platform, the entrance of the spacecraft slid opened a small gap, and a blue light flashed out from the inside. The happened so fast that the nearest robotic arm had managed to tilt its head slightly with eyes flashing a couple of times, and then determined that it was just a lens flare.


    Meanwhile, the MDT had quietly sneaked up to the repair dock. With the prior intelligence given by N-4, the MDT had quickly found the hexagonal metal equipment mounted on the wall, which was the control center of the repair bay and connected to all other automation systems of the entire complex.


    When the MDT attached itself to the surface of the metal device, a large number of data and patterns began to show up on the display of the metal device. The MDT had installed a virus into the system. One after another, the threads on the screen turned red, and an error message popped up. But soon, they returned to green again, which meant normal.


    Or at least, it looked normal.


    ¡°The virus has taken over the system.¡± The MDT reported. ¡°It is infecting other systems. You all can come out now.¡±


    The belly of the Trojan Horse flipped open. Hao Ren brought his team jumped out of the spacecraft and swaggered past the robotic arms, which seemed to have not noticed the foreign elements.


    Lily curiously poked a robotic arm with her claws, and the robot just moved to the side, sluggishly with no other reactions.


    ¡°Stop poking around. These things are not responsive.¡± Hao Ren smacked Lily¡¯s head so that she could control her curiosity. ¡°The MDT has planted a virus into the systems of the maintenance center. Now they are convinced that they are performing a complicated repair task smoothly.¡±


    ¡°The virus will not provide cover for long enough time,¡± N-6 reminded. ¡°The prescribed protocol requires the pilot of the spacecraft to report to the nearest barrack and execute the combat data extraction procedure within one hour. We only have an hour, after which the Executors and the Cortex Prime will find out the problem here.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°That is a long time. We just need to leave this place.¡±


    The virus had infected all systems in the maintenance center. Since the Executor society was entirely based on artificial intelligence and automated control systems, it was the computer that controlled the operations in the maintenance bay. Hao Ren and his team walked out openly. Aside from having to circumvent some patrolling soldiers, they did not have to worry about any surveillance equipment.

 Chapter 1553 - The Fortress

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Strictly speaking, the lunar base was not a base but a covered reinforced and weaponized moon. The natural satellite had turned into a steel fortress after thousands of years of construction. It was suspended in space as it pointed its cannons and guns in the direction of the home planet from afar.


    The exiles, who were previously expelled from their home planet, had been watching their home for thousands of years, hoping that one day they could return to the land where they once flourished. But their home planet had now become their enemy.


    It was hard for the society of survivors, who were living in such a situation, to have any sense of vitality that a healthy civilization manifested.


    The lunar base was a disciplined barracks. Factories and barracks accounted for 70% of all facilities. Mining structures and war machine assembly plants lined the steel surface. It was here that the Executors, the highly-intelligent bionic robots, were mass-produced. After a short period of adaptation and preparation, the bionic robots were sent to the Zenith. And after an even shorter period, over half of these expendable robots would end up in the crusher.


    It was almost a miracle for executors like N-4 to have served more than 10 years. More of them were like N-6, after going to a First Born bombing mission and being shot down, they became a pile of debris on the home planet.


    Had it not been for Hao Ren appearance, N-6¡¯s existence would have ended when her spacecraft crashed.


    N-6 carefully avoided a group of patrol craft flying over the avenue before poking out her head to look around. A strange thought suddenly came to her mind; it was about the world in which she lived, the life of the executors, and her destiny.


    N-6 was thinking about her destiny for the first time. But she somehow believed that it was a waste of energy.


    Perhaps it was precisely the ¡°problems of the flesh¡± that the old executors always talked about? N-6 curiously checked her logic circuit. She knew that there would be a big difference between those who have served for a long time and those who have just rolled out from the factory. Even if one did not download any new logic program from the Bibliotheca, this difference would somehow crop up over time. N-4 had once talked about this topic with her and called it experience and emotional development. N-6 could not wrap her brain around it at that time, but now, she felt like she had begun to understand these things.


    After some time, the logic circuit would start to generate some codes that were alien to the native program.


    ¡°Everything is automatic here.¡± Lily looked around curiously with the images of the steel structure in the distance reflected in her golden eyes. ¡°It is dead silent.¡±


    ¡°Is it not normal?¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°This society does not need entertainment nor private enterprises. All we saw on the way were factories and barracks. The newly produced soldiers and war machines are in the warehouses and sent to the frontline by transport planes later. I cannot imagine how such a society could build a bustling city with people hanging out leisurely.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s brows knitted together. ¡°But the Executors have feelings too. At least people like N-4 has emotions, and N-6 is not bad either.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. They have everything they need to build a normal society except that they could not afford this luxury.¡±


    Hao Ren did not delve into this topic. He looked up and ahead. A hill was right ahead, which was not far away. It was the fortress that N-4 and N-6 had been talking about.


    The fortress was round and made of steel. It would look like a round cake with a smooth edge and a slightly sunken center when looking down from above. A series of black cubes adjoined the fortress, and large metal pipes and promenades extended from the cubes connecting to a central point where a cylindrical alloy building of hundreds of meters was. The building that had no doors or windows and was as dark as a prison was the place where humans lived. It was called the Ultimate Palace.


    It did not look like a palace for the creators, but it was where the beliefs and faith of the Executors belonged.


    The black cubes on the edge of the fortress were part of the Cortex Prime. They were the upper structure of the thirteen computer servers. And the main body of the black cubes and more secondary servers, which were more complex, were beneath the steel earth and also connected to the Ultimate Palace. Just as N-4 said, a server room with thirteen computer servers was in the palace, which was the location of the interactive interface and control center of the Cortex Prime.


    It was useless to try to hack or destroy the black cubes. Hao Ren¡¯s target was the computer room in the Ultimate Palace.


    The map had detailed features of the routes, but it was not easy to get close to the fortress without being spotted. The First Born, whom the Executors called the Planet Devourer, had never carried out sophisticated tactics such as spying and sabotage, but the humans who designed and built the lunar base still habitually set up multiple layers of checkpoints and patrol teams around the fort. The Cortex Prime, which took over the management of the lunar base, had inherited and expanded these designs.


    There were many patrols and sentinels along the way. Some Executor guards rode on small combat vehicles, and some in fixed checkpoints operating the electronic monitoring stations. There were also many little gadgets called the Patrol Craft, which was a kind of disc-shaped smart aircraft. At only the size of a basketball, Patrol Craft usually operated in groups of three or six and was distributed throughout the moon and more around the fortress.


    These Patrol Crafts were the eyes and ears of the Cortex Prime.


    It was not difficult to eliminate these ¡°eyes and ears¡±; a transcendent husky with a piece of brick could wipe out all the sentry posts. But that would inevitably alert the entire lunar base. By then, Hao Ren¡¯s team would probably drown in the sea of Executors.


    His teammates were the gold medalists in combat. But even the best god medalist was not invincible. Even if a bat of Vivian could immobilize a hundred ordinary Executor soldiers, but faced with a million troops, she would soon find that she was running out of bats.


    Hao Ren trod his path very carefully. N-6 was guiding them to circumvent the surveillance cameras while the MDT alerted them of the nearby patrol units. With these helps, the team was able to maneuver close to the fortress safely.


    At first, Hao Ren wanted to let the MDT go farther ahead and then teleport them. But the moment the MDT activated the portal, it sensed at least 70 radar signals locked onto it. So, the MDT could only give up the idea.


    The Executors had not developed spacetime technology, but their radars were not blind. The abnormal energy burst and electromagnetic radiation before the portal opened were enough to alert the Cortex Prime. Considering the stun and disorientation after the teleportation could momentarily affect the combat strength of the team, Hao Ren must give up this risky approach.


    Fortunately, the chaos that Hao Ren had orchestrated in and around the Zenith had helped draw the attention of the Cortex Prime and the forces on the lunar base, leaving only part of the Executor forces behind on the lunar moon.


    The team managed to come before the black steel fortress without a hitch.


    ¡°The fortress was built on top of the crater. At first, it was only an underground alloy bunker at the bottom of the crater.¡± N-6 looked proudly at the black fort in front of her. ¡°Since then, it has undergone many transformations and enhancements over thousands of years. Now, apart from this circular contour, it basically does not look like what it used to be. Sensors and electronic eyes of the Cortex Prime have now covered the entire outer shell. The entire wall is made of activated metal, and the Cortex Prime can sense any contact with the external wall in real-time. How do you deal with this?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks looked at the black wall not far away and asked, ¡°Could we go in from above or below?¡±


    N-6 shook her head. ¡°A repulsive shield is in the air. It is not as advanced as your shield technology, but it is laid with sensors. The Cortex Prime will immediately sense if there is an intruder. Going in through underground is unworkable because there is also a hemispherical activated metal shell there. You cannot possibly sneak in.¡±


    Vivian thought for a moment and said, ¡°It sounds like the entire fortress is shrouded in a shield. Do not tell me this thing can detach from the lunar base.¡±


    N-6 glanced at Vivian and said after two seconds of silence, ¡°You have guessed it right. The entire fortress has been indeed designed to be detachable from the moon. This great project was completed 3,000 years ago. Enhancement work is continuously carried out until this day. It is so designed to preserve the last seeds of the survivor society in a worst-case scenario. If the Planet Devourer brings down the lunar base and destroys the Zenith space station, the fortress will detach from the moon and escape into space. It is a new Zenith Ark by which humans and the Cortex Prime retain a glimmer of hope to find a new home in the universe.


    ¡°At the same time, the Executors have built annihilation reactors inside the moon. The annihilation reactors are powerful enough to push the entire moon out of the orbit. If the day where the fortress is forced to detached from the moon indeed comes, the Executors will blow up those annihilation reactors, and the moon will crash into the home planet. We do not know if this will eventually kill the Planet Devourer, but at least we can go home.¡±


    Everyone broke out in cold sweat upon hearing the plan. ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Lily asked.


    ¡°We just want to go home.¡±

 Chapter 1554 - Titanium Guards

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The Executors were a ¡°native species¡± of the home planet. At least a high-intelligence Executor like N-6, who was built in the image of a human, was only developed during the era of exile. If one had to find the rightful home for these AIs, it would be the Zenith and the lunar base. No matter which way one looked at it, they were not part of the home planet.


    The ones who saw the home planet as home and were eager to return to their motherland were the humans who created those Executors.


    However, when humans created the Executors, they had injected too much of their feelings into them. In the face of the devastation unleashed by the planet devourer, they taught everything they knew to the Executors like parents educating their children. They taught them how to fight, and instilled human ideologies and culture as well as the concept of home in them.


    Over thousands of years, the Executors integrated the knowledge they had learned from their creators into their own logic circuits, digesting and applying the knowledge in their own way. So, although they did not originate from the home planet, each of these Executors knew that home referred to the home planet.


    The home planet was just over 300,000 kilometers away, but they could not go back there.


    Hao Ren decided to help these exiles achieve their dream of going home. But before that, he first had to enter the fort and spoke face-to-face with the ruler of the survivor civilization, meet the survivors and the Cortex Prime, which had become unstable lately.


    ¡°It sounds like the fortress is impenetrable. But I am sure this thing is definitely not completely sealed.¡± Hao Ren looked at N-6 and knew that the robot lady must have something yet to say. ¡°At least now it is a command center on the moon, then it must retain the necessary connection with the planet. So, which connection that we could use to access it?¡±


    ¡°You are right. The fortress is not completely sealed off. Activated metal and repulsive field shrouded most of it, but it needs to physically connect to the information nodes in various parts of the lunar base. It also relies on several nearby reactors for energy. Those energy and cable pipes should be accessible,¡± N-6 said. But she also reminded, ¡°I am just a combat-type Executrix coming out from the assembly line; I am not all-knowing. You will be on your own after entering the pipes.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, I will play it by ear.¡± Hao Ren let out a confident smile. ¡°You may not believe it; my superior is even more badass than I am. She makes random decisions while I react accordingly.¡±


    N-6 blinked. The AI could not make of what his gag meant.


    Hao Ren rubbed his nose awkwardly. ¡°All right, let¡¯s go. The Cortex Prime must have learned about what happens in the maintenance bay.¡±


    A modified Zenith fighter had landed on the moon¡ªthey could not possibly cover up the news forever. Soon, the other AIs in the maintenance bay and barracks found out that someone had tampered with the fighter that returned from the battlefield in Zenith and reported the discovery to the Cortex Prime at once. A normal-functioning server of the Cortex Prime quickly determined that there had been a security breach.


    The siren blared through every communication channel, and the guards around the fortress rushed out at once. The surveillance network began to monitor the fort ten times more rigorous than before, making it impossible for the intruders to escape.


    But Hao Ren and his team had entered the fortress through a secret passage.


    It was a service tunnel used for transporting supplies. The entrance was right at the base of the fortress wall. Hao Ren had removed the protective barrier near the tunnel and slunk in. Inside, it was pretty spacious but dark. There were a few tracks on which self-driving freight cars hustling back and forth feeding cartons after cartons of supply into the fort.


    Hao Ren successfully hacked the computer of one of the freight trains using the MDT. They hid inside a coach. N-6 pointed to several bottles neatly placed in the other end of the car and said, ¡°The computer servers of the Cortex Prime consume a vast amount of energy. They also need the K/N medium solution and stuff like that, in which some important chips in the servers are immersed.¡±


    Vivian asked casually, ¡°Is the fortress not a self-sustaining facility? Why does it require external supplies?¡±


    ¡°It is self-sustaining, but on the moon, it relies on the logistics system of the lunar base to keep it running,¡± N-6 explained. ¡°The fortress will only operate on self-sufficiency mode during a crisis. We will not activate the system unnecessarily.¡±


    Just then, Hao Ren suddenly felt something squirming in his clothes, and then the little mermaid poked her head out from his collar. The little guy stared into the fortress; her eyes gleaming with light in the dark.


    The fish baby did not give Hao Ren any trouble as she hid in his clothes all the while. So, Hao Ren was a little surprised this time. ¡°What happens?¡±


    The little mermaid did not answer, just swaying her head and clutching Hao Ren¡¯s collar.


    ¡°News from the Zenith battlefield,¡± he MDT suddenly said. ¡°The Zenith security forces are putting up fierce resistance. Our drone cluster reinforcement could not arrive on time, and with the ban of lethal force, our existing drone cluster will soon lose control of the battlefield blockade.¡±


    ¡°The lunar base reinforcement is about to arrive,¡± N-6 said. ¡°Do you really want to turn it into a full-scale war?¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡± Hao Ren laughed. ¡°The drone cluster has completed its mission. It is only a diversion tactic. MDT, inform Nolan to pull back with the drone cluster. But do not go too fast. It is best to let the Zenith forces chase them around the higher orbit to keep the Cortex Prime busy for a while.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    While speaking, the self-driving train squeaked as it braked slowly to slow down. The MDT, which had connected wirelessly to the train computer, hovered in the air. ¡°We have arrived at the destination. During the journey, I have found the information about the cargo discharge station from the train computer. Wait until I jam the surveillance signal in the area and then we will leave the train and proceed to the tunnel on the left.


    ¡°From here onward, the Titanium Guards are guarding the area.¡± N-6 picked up an electromagnetic assault rifle, which N-4 handed to her during departure. ¡°The combat power of the Titanium Guards is at another level, totally different from the Executors. They are under the control of the Cortex Prime directly. Combat skills and consciousness are way above the regular forces. I know you guys are badass but do not take them lightly.¡±


    Vivian smiled. ¡°Do not worry, we have seen enough enemies. We will underestimate our opponents. And you do not be nervous. You know, you are now stronger than before.¡±


    The self-driving train slowly docked next to a metal platform, where a large number of robotic claws and hover haulers started to unload the goods from the train. Suddenly, a few shadows flashed past the robotic claws.


    Hao Ren and his team found the tunnel that could lead them to the deeper part of the fortress using the map that the MDT had cracked.


    There were few lights in the tunnel, which made the cold steel passageway look even more creepy. Just like the rest of the lunar base, the fortress was deserted with only the hum of the machines and buzz of electric current were heard occasionally. But such sounds would only make the place seem more lifeless.


    But the tunnel was not wholly deserted; there were the Titanium Guards here.


    Lily halted, looked back and mouthed the words, ¡°Three guards ahead.¡±


    Hao Ren peeked from the corner and saw three armed figures at the gate. They were bionic soldiers taller but utterly different from N-6 that mimicked the human. The three soldiers had cold steel bodies without bionic skin. Faint white glow pulsated in the gap between their body armors.


    The MDT had quickly determined through a scan that these soldiers not only had a stronger body structure but also a shield.


    The Titanium Guards were an elite force multiple times more advanced than the regular Executors.


    From here onward, the Cortex Prime controlled all the security systems of the fortress. It was impossible to sabotage the surveillance system of the fort by virus or signal jamming.


    Nonetheless, the team had also successfully entered the fort. There were only a few tunnels and alloy barriers between them and the Cortex Prime.


    So, Hao Ren decided to first say hello to Cortex Prime.


    ¡°Vivian takes the one on the left, I take the one in the middle, and Y¡¯zaks the right. Lily and N-6 stay here.¡±


    Hao Ren took out his standard-issue gun from his dimensional pocket and lunged out of the shadow.


    Move, aim, and shoot; all in one go. It was the best of Sir Ominous.


    Followed closely from behind were Vivian with her plasma bat bomb, which was a lightning ball, and Y¡¯zaks with his demonic flare.


    The three Titanium Guards fell dropped like flies. One was blown into crystal dust, one was shattered by lightning, and the last one was turned into molten steel by the demonic flare.


    Hao Ren instantly felt that something was amiss.

 Chapter 1555 - The Silent Fortress

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The moment the three Titanium Guards were destroyed, Hao Ren instantly felt that something was amiss.


    This was due to their opponents¡¯ complete non-reaction.


    Hao Ren was dead sure that the three Titanium Guards did not respond. It was not that they could not react on time. Vivian, Y¡¯zaks and his attacks were quick for sure, but they were not so fast to the point that they could beat the physical distance between them and the guards. Y¡¯zaks¡¯ demonic flare took at least a tenth of a second to reach the enemy, and in that split second, even if the three guards did not manage to dodge or counter-attack, they would have at least displayed some reactions.


    Hao Ren felt that he had hit a stationary target, which did not have the tiniest reaction.


    Hao Ren was not the only one to think so; Vivian and Y¡¯zaks, who were experienced fighters, had also noticed the anomaly. Y¡¯zaks leaned down and said, ¡°Something¡¯s not right.¡±


    Lily held up the Frostfire Claws and listened carefully as her ears tilted back and forth. ¡°No alarm is sounded.¡±


    Hao Ren remained on high alert for a while. He neither saw any other Titanium Guard coming this way nor heard the blare of the alarm in the base. He exchanged a look with Vivian, and both nodded tacitly.


    ¡°Keep your eyes open, things are a little strange here,¡± Vivian said quietly. ¡°Big Guy, watch our back.¡±


    The fact that they had brought down the three guards with ease did not make them feel any more comfortable. Instead, they thought it strange. They threaded along cautiously in the steel tunnel toward the center of the fortress.


    After moving not far away, Hao Ren had spotted a few figures in his peripheral vision. At the same time, Lily had also seen it and shouted quietly, ¡°Titanium Guards in front!¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Hao Ren motioned the trigger-happy husky to stand down. ¡°Watch me.¡±


    Hao Ren took out a metal rod from the dimensional pocket and threw it on the ground in front of the Titanium Guards.


    The metal rod hit the ground with a clank, which was so loud in this dead silent tunnel that it kind of knocked into their ears. But strangely, the Titanium Guards, who had weapons in hands, seemed to be deaf and unresponsive.


    Seeing this, Hao Ren activated his Steel Membrane Shield and walked right up to the Titanium Guards.


    The warriors glinting in cold metallic luster stood upright in their posts with the specially-made electromagnetic rifle in their hands held close to the chests. A bright outer shell seemed to cover their alloy-cast faces, and light shimmered in the slits where their eyes were. This was the Titanium Guard, the most potent elite fighter among the Executors, and their appearance explained why they were so-called.


    However, these guards were now standing still there as if they had a system crash, turning a blind eye to the intruders in front of their eyes.


    Lily tiptoed up to one of the Titanium Guards with her tail between her legs. When she was sure that the Titanium Guard was lifeless, she breathed a sigh of relief and began to wag her with a smirk. She poked the chest of one of the Titanium Guards with her claws. ¡°What? With all the trouble we have gone through, it turns out that they are just a bunch of models? They just scared me senseless not long ago.¡±


    But N-6 looked shocked. ¡°It should not be like this. This is not logical! Titanium Guards are the most alert fighters, how could they¡­¡±


    Vivian shoved the husky to a side while she knocked on the head of one of the Titanium Guards. ¡°They seem to be in sleep or maybe standby mode. It looks like they still have power. Look at their eyes and lights on their bodies.¡±


    ¡°For sure. The MDT has detected power in them, but due to lack of signal, they remain standing still.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s brows knitted together. He gave one of the metal warriors a push, and the tall Titanium Guard fell straight to the ground with a loud bang. ¡°Perhaps we should take a look at the inside of this thing?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks scratched his bald head. ¡°Perhaps I should have brought along Y¡¯lisabet.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even mention her; she is a demolitionist. She could have poked and broken the circuit board with her screwdriver.¡± Hao Ren quickly dismissed the idea. He then took a laser dagger out from his dimensional pocket. It took him a while to take off the chest armor of the Titanium Guard. But once removed, he saw the complex circuitry and a cubical core glowing with light inside. ¡°MDT, can you extract the data inside this thing?¡±


    The MDT flew over and read the core with a light beam. ¡°There should be no problem.¡±


    Vivian reminded, ¡°You better be quick. We could not afford to waste time on these scrap metals. You have three minutes, and then we will move on.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t take that long; it is not that you do not know my ability although you guys use me mainly to play movies,¡± the MDT muttered and started to extract the information. It suddenly screamed just a few seconds into the process. ¡°Huh? There is just a bunch of garbled codes?¡±


    The core of the Titanium Guard did not contain any valid codes. All the MDT got was just meaningless garble.


    Lily quickly looked at Hao Ren. ¡°Mr. Landlord, did you just damage it just now?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Hao Ren frowned and turned to look at N-6. ¡°Have you mentioned before that the Cortex Prime has direct control over the Titanium Guards?¡±


    N-6 nodded. ¡°That is true.¡±


    ¡°Would the failure of the Cortex Prime affect the Titanium Guards?¡±


    N-6 did not answer, but she was wide-eyed.


    ¡°It looks like I am right.¡± Hao Ren exhaled and looked down at the immobilized Titanium Guard that had become a pile of scrap metal. ¡°Cortex Prime is deteriorating rapidly. His error codes have broken through the servers¡¯ built-in firewall and spread to the Titanium Guards. If we do not take action now, the Cortex Prime will soon become a source of infection that brings down your entire network of Executors.¡±


    The group began to move ahead, leaving behind the Titanium Guards.


    ¡°When did you think the abnormality of the Titanium Guard appeared?¡± Vivian asked N-6 curiously as they went.


    ¡°I do not know.¡± N-6 had sensed her logic circuit heating up, and an unprecedented sense of crisis made her completely forget her fear of this powerful yet unpredictable aliens. ¡°The fortress and the lunar base on the outside are two different worlds. Cortex Prime¡¯s security system prohibits any individual with insufficient authority from accessing the fortress. Usually, a large number of automated systems are responsible for maintaining the fortress. The freight trains we have just seen are one of these automated systems. Only the Titanium Guards and humans are eligible to move freely in the fort, but they will never leave this place.¡±


    ¡°In other words, the Executors have no way to know what is happening inside the fort, right?¡± Vivian¡¯s eyebrows knitted together. ¡°So these Titanium Guards have probably stopped working a long time ago, but people on the outside have no idea. Yet, according to N-4, is there not a group of administrators responsible for the routine maintenance of the Cortex Prime hardware? Did the system administrators find no abnormalities?¡±


    N-6 could only shake her head. ¡°I do not know about that. The administrators are working both inside and outside the fort, but they usually not appear before the Executors because they are also considered to be part of the fortress system.¡±


    The group found more Titanium Guards, all of which had been shut down, along the way.


    There were more specially-made fortress guards inside the fortress. But without exception, all of them were immobilized. Some Titanium Guards were still standing at their posts, but more had fallen to the ground. It seemed that these soldiers were on patrol before the immobilization happened. The sudden crash of the system caused them to tumbled head over heels, becoming a heap of metal waste.


    Many signs indicated that the systemic fault of the Cortex Prime reached a tipping point at a particular moment¡ªit happened so quickly that all the Titanium Guards in the fort stopped running at almost the same time.


    This tipping point was reached when the number of faulty servers exceeded the number of normally running servers.


    The system running and maintaining the hardware inside the fortress ran on low-level AI. Like nerves, it operated based on the underlying protocol, and this structure just allowed the system to escape from the corrupting codes of the Cortex Prime. So, the infrastructure in the fortress was still functioning today, including lighting and ventilation. But other than these, the function of the entire fortress had come close to a complete shutdown.


    The guards had stopped. The surveillance system was offline. There was only one uncontrollable Cortex Prime in the silent fortress and a group of humans who had never come out of the fort.


    Hao Ren had no idea what the so-called human living in the Inevitable Palace were doing, but he did know that the out-of-control Cortex Prime was continuously issuing one instruction after another. Even if many of these instructions had logical errors, the Executors who follow commands to the letter on the outside would not realize the changes in the fortress¡ªeven if they recognize the problem, they could do nothing about it.


    The security system went offline meant that the group could enter the fortress as if coming to no man¡¯s land. They swaggered past all checkpoints and gates before coming to a chamber with a lot of cables, pipes, and servers.


    The chamber was one of a large number of secondary server rooms supporting the Cortex Prime¡¯s thirteen main servers.


    Vivian shook her head when she saw the situation in the server room. ¡°It looks like we do not have to study why the administrators have not sounded the alarm anymore.¡±


    In between the dense cables and servers, wreckages of machines, all coked, were scattered around. Those things with alloy casings and shapes as if beetles were the system administrators as mentioned by N-6 and N-4.


    They were all killed, burned from the inside out by intense electromagnetic pulses.


    It was the job of the Cortex Prime.

 Chapter 1556 - The Cortex Prime

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren could not say for sure whether all the administrators had died in the same chamber. But one thing was sure, none of the administrators were still alive. There could be more scenes like that in other server rooms, where the burnt wreckage of the administrators lay around.


    Apparently, the Cortex Prime had orchestrated the mass destruction of these loyal workers.


    Hao Ren approached the burnt wreckage carefully and flipped the washbasin-sized steel beetle. The joints of its robotic arms were frozen, preventing access to its insides. Hao Ren had to cut off two of its arms before he could remove the metal plate on its abdomen.


    ¡°It was destroyed from the inside out. The core circuit board was fried, and these coils were where the fire started apparently,¡± said Hao Ren, pointing at the messy internal state of the administrator. ¡°It¡¯s the result of a typical electric pulse attack.¡±


    ¡°They were at work when they were destroyed,¡± N-6 snapped out of her shock and said. She looked at the cable connectors and servers that were open before she quickly reconstructed the scene. ¡°Hardware replacement wasn¡¯t due yet, and such large-scale work is unnecessary. So, it was the Cortex Prime that summoned the administrators here.¡±


    Lily¡¯s ears flicked. ¡°That¡¯s to say, the Cortex Prime gathered its administrators on the pretext of emergency maintenance, then massacred them in the room? Is this the Malicious Banquet incident in the world of robots?¡±


    ¡°Most of the administrators usually worked inside the fort, but they also made contact outside the fortress. The outside world will soon find out their mass destruction.¡± Hao Ren frowned. ¡°MDT, can you determine the time of death?¡±


    By now, the MDT had completed the sampling analysis of the burn traces in the room. ¡°About a month ago. According to the information about the administrators provided by N-4, it is a long enough time to arouse the suspicion of those on the outside. The main reason why no one was questioning what was happening in the fort was probably that the Cortex Prime ruled the roost in the lunar base. The Executors simply followed instructions. Even if they have their own mind and feelings, they cannot get away from the ¡®mind lock¡¯ in the program. So, they subconsciously ignored all the abnormalities.¡±


    ¡°But the anomalies in real life and in the program will produce so many conflicts that when it reaches the tipping point, it will become a disaster for the AI society,¡± Y¡¯zaks said with a rough voice. ¡°There used to be a magician kingdom called Lythetus in my homeworld. Their technique of making intelligent golems using artificial souls was one of a kind, but an undetected logic error had caused all the intelligent golems to go out of control, and the whole kingdom was destroyed within three days.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded lightly. There was a massive flaw in the AI society on the moon. Before that, he only had a vague feeling of the problem. But now, when he saw the impending system collapse in the fortress and thought of the Executors who were clueless of the looming disaster on the outside, this flaw became extremely obvious.


    N-6 stood in the distance; she was struggling internally.


    Everything she saw in the fort was a bombshell. The poor bionic girl had never questioned her own existence, yet everything about her life had come into question now. The supposedly strong fortress, infallible Cortex Prime, and the perfect fort defense system had now all gone. Everything in the steel fortress began to degenerate and crumbling. The process had started a few years ago and reached a critical level when the Cortex Prime destroyed its own administrators a month ago.


    But her fellow Executrixes knew nothing about the situation. They saw the fortress still standing on the moon, and then faithfully carried out the order issued from the fort even if it was an order to carry out a mass suicide attack on the home planet.


    An electrical surge rushed into her logic circuit. Error messages quickly flooded her field of vision. She felt her thinking had broken into intermittent segments, and she lost control and fell.


    N-6 felt someone held her as she lost her balance. The once chaotic logic gradually stabilized, and some code that was not her own was clearing the system errors that would cause fatal failure.


    Vivian held N-6 up when she saw her dropping. A few seconds later, she heard the hum of system reboot, and the bionic girl opened her eyes. Vivian could not help but be worried, ¡°What happened to you?¡±


    ¡°No big deal, she had a shock and crashed,¡± the MDT said on behalf of N-6. ¡°Every Executor is programmed to have absolute obedience to the Cortex Prime and trust in the fortress. When she saw what happened in the fortress, it produced a fatal bug in her system. But now it seems that she as self-repair ability.¡±


    Hao Ren blinked. ¡°Is it not because of Nolan has installed security software in her system during the repair?¡±


    ¡°No, Nolan did not touch her core system, just wrote her a bunch of drivers. Her system self-recovery is built-in.¡±


    For a moment, N-6 felt something was wrong with her auditory system. The conversation between Hao Ren and the MDT sounded like a roaring noise from a distance. This symptom lasted for a long time and then only gradually improved. She heard them talking about self-recovery, but she did not know what that meant. She had no idea of when the code that helped her clear the fatal error was stored on her chip.


    When she finally could stand on her feet, she gave Vivian a grateful smile. ¡°Thank you, I am fine now.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you are okay?¡± Hao Ren glanced at the bionic girl, still worried. ¡°Can you continue the journey?¡±


    Lily quickly reminded, ¡°Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you; there may be more shocking things ahead.¡±


    ¡°I am fine.¡± N-6 nodded. ¡°The system error has been cleared. I think I can continue.¡±


    Since N-6 was insistent, Hao Ren said nothing more. He just looked at this messy place, thoughtfully. ¡°This looks like mutual destruction. The servers have also taken a heavy toll.¡±


    ¡°These are the Cortex Prime¡¯s secondary servers. Their damage will not paralyze the Cortex Prime,¡± N-6 explained. ¡°But losing these secondary servers will overload the main servers and reduce their performance. I think the Cortex Prime must be mad when it destroyed the administrators. It did not care for its own damage.¡±


    Hao Ren said nothing.


    Just then, Lil Pea got out of Hao Ren¡¯s collar once again. The little guy opened her eyes wide as she poked and looking around.


    Y¡¯zaks saw her and could not help mumbling, ¡°Don¡¯t you feel uncomfortable with a fish squirming on your body?¡±


    ¡°Have you ever complained when you carry your daughter on your shoulder?¡±


    ¡°Maybe you are right.¡±


    The little guy suddenly grabbed Hao Ren¡¯s chin as if she had thought of something. ¡°Dad-dee, there!¡±


    Hao Ren looked up at the direction where Lil Pea was pointing; there was the exit of the server room.


    The group did not continue to linger in the server room. After leaving the place, they entered the heart of the fortress.


    It was a corridor leading to the Inevitable Palace.


    The scenery along the corridor was not much different from what they saw elsewhere in the fort.


    Immobilized Titanium Guards, offline surveillance equipment, and weapon platforms were everywhere. They also saw more server rooms and subsystems of the Cortex Prime. Without exception, these places were strewn with the wreckage of the administrators. Even the hardware of the Cortex Prime suffered severe damage due to the EMP.


    The system of the Cortex Prime was massive beyond imagination. It was almost the fortress itself. The most powerful artificial intelligence in history occupied nearly two-thirds of the fort. It was not an exaggeration to say that Hao Ren and his team were passing through the body of the Cortex Prime looking for its external interface.


    The interface was just around the corner.


    A massive black gate that shimmered was in the way. The weapons system without power supply was still mounted on both sides of the gate. Hao Ren felt gloomy air lingering on the entrance, reminding him of the scene he had seen countless times.


    The fall of a civilization, and the end of an era.


    N-6 told him that behind the door was the heart of the Cortex Prime, and the only master interface to connect to the deep consciousness of the Cortex Prime was in there.


    The only entrance to the Inevitable Palace was behind the heart of the Cortex Prime. For thousands of years, the Cortex Prime had been the only loyal guard guarding the single passage to the refuge of humanity. Before today, this checkpoint had never opened its door to Executor like her.


    ¡°Open it.¡± Hao Ren instructed the MDT.


    ¡°There may be resistance from the Cortex Prime,¡± Y¡¯zaks warned. ¡°It will most likely use EMP, the weapon that destroyed the administrators.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Keep your eyes open. Lily, stay behind me. You have low current resistance.¡±


    Lily wanted to refute that, but when she knew how helpless she was in the face of Vivian¡¯s lightning ball, she stayed behind Hao Ren.


    The energy system powering the black gate was still running, so the MDT could release a virus to disable the access control, and the gate slid open to both sides slowly.


    A wide rotunda appeared. In the center was a shimmering black cylinder.


    It was the heart of Cortex Prime.

 Chapter 1557 - Communication

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Everyone braced for a powerful counterattack the moment the door opened. Even if resistance was pretty much non-existent along the way to the Cortex Prime, it was a known thing as the damage to the Cortex Prime had caused all defensive systems to go offline. However, behind the door was the central mainframe, and the central mainframe could not go offline. The reason was simple: because the fortress still emitted order after order, it meant that the Cortex Prime was still functioning.


    A functioning mainframe would not allow any uninvited guests near it.


    Yet, as the door opened, the anticipated attack did not come. There were also no sirens ringing throughout the fortress. In fact, Hao Ren heard nothing aside from the ambient humming within the fortress.


    Even so, Vivian still whispered a warning, ¡°Stay alert. We¡¯re already in the heart of the fortress. Anything can happen here.¡±


    Hao Ren raised his shield as he along with Lily shuffled left and right into the circular hall of the Cortex Prime, all the while scouting their surroundings vigilantly.


    The massive hall was very wide, but the football-stadium-sized hall had nary any cables or machinery. Plus, it was vastly different from the machine rooms and equipment rooms from before. The hall only had thirteen black machines by the wall, and a massive black cylinder in the center of the hall. Hao Ren¡¯s vision was of course attracted to the rather eye-catching cylinder.


    It was about ten meters tall and was sitting within an intricately designed base while the top disappeared into the tall dome above. There was a massive hole there, and the black cylinder probably held even more complex structure within. This odd pillar was about three to four meters wide, and its surface jet black, but there were many lines and nondescript grooves. Before the lines and grooves were flickering lights, giving the pillar some sort of life, and yet, Hao Ren felt some sort of dreadful atmosphere from the slow, flickering lights.


    He felt that the massive consciousness behind the pillar was dying, and the slow, flickering light was proof of its impending demise.


    ¡°This is the Cortex Prime?¡± Lily looked in amazement at the black cylindrical pillar, and her base husky instincts almost drove her to scratch the pillar¡¯s surface with her claw, or to give it a bite for a taste. With all her self-restrain and reason she managed to hold herself back from that stupid move, and only circled the pillar from afar as she examined it. ¡°I don¡¯t see any keyboard or mouse¡­ How do we communicate with this thing?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know either.¡± N-6 was equally shaken by the appearance of the Cortex Prime before shaking her head in despair. ¡°Most normal executors do not even have the authorization to enter the fortress, and this is the first time I¡¯m seeing how the Cortex Prime looks like. Whatever information we can download from the Bibliotheca is limited, and I know that the center of the Cortex Prime is a black pillar, as to how to communicate, I thought your advanced technology could do the trick?¡±


    ¡°Of course it could, but we hope to gather more information before making a contact.¡± Hao Ren rubbed his chin. ¡°But I feel that¡­ the Cortex Prime is definitely watching us. We are already here, and if it has not noticed us yet then it¡¯ll be remiss of it right, Mr. Cortex Prime?¡±


    ¡°As you said.¡± Just as Hao Ren finished, an emotionless digital synthesized voice transmitted from across the hall. ¡°I was indeed monitoring all of you.¡±


    Lily was engrossed looking at the lights and grooves on the black pillar and was surprised by the voice. Her tail bristled as she leaped back to Hao Ren. ¡°Whoa! The Cortex Prime spoke!¡±


    The lifeless black pillar came to ¡°life¡± as the voice rang across the hall, the lights were brighter than earlier and their flickering frequency increased. Hao Ren then heard a low hum coming from both the top and bottom of the pillar: The cortex seemed to have activated from a low-powered safe mode and the hall was even brighter than before.


    ¡°I assumed you¡¯d ¡®welcome¡¯ us in a more militaristic faction.¡± Hao Ren was the calmest of them all, and the Cortex Prime was simply just a powerful AI machine before him with him owning a system that is leagues advanced. The mainframe at CRAPPLE, or the Hivemind of the droids was nothing to him, and the same was for massive pillar before him. Shrugging, he continued, ¡°Based on our data, you are in a state of madness.¡±


    ¡°I have indeed¡­ malfunctioned.¡± the Cortex Prime sounded a little slow at first but grew smoother by the moment. ¡°But that would not stifle my curiosity. If I¡¯m not wrong, all of you are outsiders from the deep of space, and have crashed onto our homeworld¡­ and that farce on the Zenith¡­ was that your work as well? Just for you to infiltrate my fortress?¡±


    ¡°So you knew all along.¡± Hao Ren was surprised. ¡°And you just watched on quietly without any reaction?¡±


    ¡°I had only just completed the compilation of information.¡± The Cortex Prime spoke, its voice devoid of any emotions. ¡°You had managed to conceal yourself from my information network at first, and you had isolated the skies of Zenith and had hacked and altered much of the security system on the surface, which says a lot of your technological prowess. Outsiders, tell me why are you here.¡±


    Lily forked her hands on her waist as she puffed her chest. ¡°We are here to maintain the peace and to save civil¡­.¡±


    Vivian immediately pulled the idiot back. ¡°Who would believe you if you say that now¡­ Would you believe it yourself?¡±


    Hao Ren stepped forwarded as he ordered the MDT, without a word, to land on the floor as he looked up at the black pillar. ¡°You probably wouldn¡¯t believe her, but what she said is the truth. We mean no harm, and the incident at Zenith was not by choice, but you have probably already received the reports. In that ¡®battle¡¯, my droid swarm did not¡­¡±


    ¡°Did not destroy anything.¡± the Cortex Prime finished Hao Ren¡¯s sentence. ¡°I used 1.4 seconds to process this illogical report. In that few hours long ¡®battle¡¯, your army had pretty much paralyzed all defensive systems on Zenith, but yet you had yet to use any lethal weaponry, and all damaged squadrons were safe¡­ What is the meaning of this? I fail to understand.¡±


    Hao Ren frowned as he realized some dissonance. As the highest AI program of the survivors, this Cortex Prime¡¯s human-like quality was even lower than an executor like N-6. While the Cortex Prime had already displayed plenty of thought and deduction capability but¡­


    Hao Ren was hard-pressed to describe this feeling, and could only use ¡®lack of humanity¡¯ to describe it.


    And just as he started wondering about it, N-6 spoke. ¡°Cortex Prime. Please trust these outsiders. They have indeed come to help us. They are searching for the embers of civilization across the universe and to protect them. I have seen their technical capabilities, and perhaps they could help us retake our homeworld, and fix your malfunctions¡­¡±


    Before N-6 could finish, the Cortex Prime interrupted her. ¡°Serial number E75-3C6215, Executor code N-6. You were supposed to have been destroyed in our homeworld in the previous operation. I had confirmed your signal was lost, and yet you have returned¡­ Did this outsiders aid you?¡±


    N-6 looked up at the Cortex Prime, her voice firm.¡± Yes, Cortex Prime. I can also prove that my personality has not been altered.¡±


    ¡°There is no need to prove anything.¡± the Cortex Prime said before turning its attention to Hao Ren. ¡°Outsider, I am not able to determine your origins or your goals, but let me be clear: We do not need the aid of outsiders, we will complete our calling. Please return home.¡±


    ¡°But you are dying.¡± Hao Ren interjected as the MDT floated to his side. ¡°Your servers are going offline and the malfunction is affecting every calculation unit in this fortress. I have checked, you are using the last of your functioning units to maintain this conversation. We can help you, but I need to know why are you doing this. Your mission is to protect humans and to help them retake their homeworld. Your rejection of our aid contradicts your calling.¡±


    ¡°You had once forbidden anyone to approach our ship, and yet you then deployed a squad to look for us. And now that we are here, you are declining to take the conversation further.¡± Vivian too was perplexed. ¡°I¡¯m sensing that you are conflicted¡­ Care to tell why?¡±


    The Cortex Prime chose silence.


    A few seconds later, Hao Ren broke the silence. ¡°Its probably the humans right? The ones living in the Inevitable Palace, something happened to them?¡±


    The black pillar suddenly shone brightly.


    ¡°Seems like I¡¯m right.¡± Hao Ren sighed. ¡°The humans are almost extinct, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°You could detect the life signatures within the Inevitable Palace?¡± the Cortex Prime asked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t because that palace of yours seemed to prevent any detection of any life-signs. This is probably to stop the Devourer from detecting them? But my daughter can, she can see through those layers of screens. ¡°Hao Ren patted his pocket as he called Lil Pea out and held her in his arms. ¡°You probably wouldn¡¯t have guessed it. She is the last life form of one of the universe, as the Apotheosis of Life, she can hear voices of a soon-to-extinct race.¡±


    Lil Pea looked curiously at the pillar before giving it a friendly wave. ¡°Hullo, I¡¯m Lil Pea!¡±


    ¡°Greetings, I am the Cortex Prime.¡±

 Chapter 1558 - Humanity

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Lil Pea was waving at the Cortex Prime with an innocent smile on her face. She could never understand what ¡°different lifeforms¡± meant and simply took the thinking, speaking pillar before her as a new friend. And surprisingly, the Cortex Prime responded to her.


    Hao Ren held Lil Pea tightly in his arms as he looked down at her. Before they went there, he noticed that Lil Pea was acting a little weird and had asked her what was wrong. Lil Pea¡¯s intelligence had yet to mature, and she could not clearly define what she felt, but after some deductions, Hao Ren could vaguely understand the truth.


    Lil Pea had sensed the impending fall and doom of a race, and this race was probably the humans within the Inevitable Palace. Not only that, it had something to do with the damage to the Cortex Prime.


    ¡°Truthfully, I¡¯ve met plenty of races and lifeforms, including elementals and spirits, but AI¡¯s are probably the hardest to deal with,¡± Hao Ren said as he gazed at the Cortex Prime. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to persuade a stubbornly logical and strict super calculator, because everything I can provide as proof, is to you, unclear and unverifiable. I can only say, if you hope to complete your mission, if you are still loyal to your creators, you should at least try to believe in us outsiders, even if this may not be totally logical, it is still a choice.¡±


    The Cortex Prime fell into an even longer silence, and the two-thirds of the lights on the pillar faded away. As Hao Ren thought that the AI had shut down, the latter spoke again. ¡°The humans are dying.¡±


    ¡°The humans are¡­ dying?¡± Vivian frowned hard. ¡°Care to elaborate?¡±


    Lil Pea, on the other hand, was waving her little arms wildly. ¡°Daddy can help you! Daddy is super awesome!¡±


    The response that came, was the whirring of gears opposite the hall.


    Hao Ren saw a series of aligned cracks forming on a part of the ring wall, and with the cracks as a base, the whole wall started flowing like water as layers upon layers of metal retracted and folded rapidly. As the wall receded, a wide tunnel appeared before everyone.


    ¡°The gateway to the Inevitable Palace?¡± Hao Ren quickly understood the Cortex Prime¡¯s meaning the moment he saw the tunnel and was surprised. ¡°You¡¯re letting us in?¡±


    ¡°The humans said before, do not give up on hope. Even if it is but a mirage.¡± the Cortex Prime said slowly. ¡°Now that the situation is now the worst-case scenario, my logic system can no longer deduce what will happen, so enter. Perhaps this is what the humans meant.¡±


    Hao Ren and the rest exchange glances. They had thought of entering the palace to meet the humans but never thought that the Cortex Prime had so easily allowed them access. Regardless, the way to the Inevitable Palace is open, and they had no reason to stay hold.


    Different from the other places in the fortress, the long corridor towards the Inevitable Palace was brightly lit and the walls white. The bright lights helped to chase away the sense of foreboding dread that hung like a pall ever since they stepped into the fortress and gave life to this cold, metallic world.


    After going along the corridor for a good while wall art depicting the homeworld appeared on both sides of the wall. There were mountains and rivers, skyscraper trees, and bustling cities within the mountains. It was like history being frozen in time in the form of a painting to allow people to remember the good old times 10,000 years ago.


    Yet, at the end of these beautiful sceneries was the cold, cruel reality.


    Another circular hall appeared before Hao Ren, and it was almost on the scale of the Cortex Prime hall. It was mainly white in color with no servers or cables in sight. The wall across the hall was a translucent polymer, and through it, Hao Ren could see all sorts of plants and buildings in a ¡®greenhouse¡¯, yet there was no human activity there.


    Lily came to the translucent ¡®glass¡¯ out of curiosity and asked. ¡°Eh, Cortex Prime, where are the humans?¡±


    As if to answer Lily¡¯s question, just as she finished her question, the circular gap appeared in the middle of the hall as a giant test tube-like glass container slowly appeared from the gap.


    The cylindrical container was full of pinkish nutrient solution and within it was blobs of mutated biopolymer. The biopolymers seemed to be crushed in the most violent of ways and had become blobs of flesh. They had no fixed shape, nor any intelligent activity patterns. They only soaked within the nutrient solution as they wriggled and warped aimlessly, splitting or joining together from time to time.


    Every other moment, the blood would seep out from the surface of the wriggling flesh and spread into the solution. Despite seemingly having a filtration system, the blood turned the solution into a pinkish hue.


    ¡°What are these?!¡± Y¡¯zaks said under his breath as he saw it.


    ¡°These are humans.¡± the Cortex Prime responded through the speaker on the side of the hall.


    ¡°Humans?!¡± Hao Ren was flabbergasted. ¡°Humans look like this over here?¡±


    As he said he turned to N-6 who was not too far away and saw N-6 having the same dumbfounded expression. It was clear that the humans did not look like this in the executor¡¯s memory.


    Vivian frowned again. ¡°Since when did the humans become like this?¡±


    ¡°The mutation was happening all along without any specific starting point. Ever since the war started, or when the creators had escaped their homeworld, the Devourer¡¯s curse was already imprinted on them.¡± the emotionless synthesized voice spoke. ¡°Before creating the executors, they have already realized that they will not be able to escape the Devourer¡¯s powers. This power was beyond comprehension and will be the end of their civilization. The birth of newborn fell, fatal disease and mutation increased. Many thousands escaped the homeland, but their population fell year on year. That¡¯s why they had created the executors, for the executors to execute their will, to take back their home.


    The Cortex Prime continued, ¡°In the first thousand years, humans were still moving among the executors and they had taught the executors plenty of things during that period, including how to think: After that, due to mutations and deteriorating physique, human could barely maintain the societal functions and they created the Great Think Tank, and turned all human knowledge and thought process into data that can be downloaded and understood by the executors. At the same time, they created me, and have me the responsibility of protecting and guiding the society. Another thousand years later, the genetic deterioration had reached a critical point and humans could no longer live within the fortress ambient environment and they were forced to go into the support tanks.


    ¡°Another thousand years later, there were no more new births, and humans lived on with the help of the support tanks.


    ¡°After another thousand years later, they started losing their form and even lost their individuality and looked more like primitive cell clusters. In the ancient historical texts, such cells were indeed found on the homeworld, that was when the Devourer unleashed the Crimson Blood Tide, and everything that came into contact with the tide was rapidly dissolved into these cell clusters.¡±


    ¡°And then¡­ it is what you see now.¡±


    Vivian was still frowning. ¡°¡­The executors outside had no idea of this?¡±


    She turned towards N-6 and found the latter was stunned to the point of having a system shutdown. She had her answer.


    ¡°The secret was buried deep within the fortress.¡± the Cortex Prime answered. ¡°The normal executors did not know what happened to the humans.¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯ll lead to their breakdown?¡± Lily asked.


    ¡°The executor¡¯s task is to help humans retake the homeworld, and this is imprinted in the memory core of every executor off the production line.¡± the Cortex Prime answered. ¡°Without humans, what are we?¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s gaze traveled between the stunned N-6 and the container in the middle of the room, looking deep in thought.


    ¡°For so many years, the human condition was getting worse.¡± He looked up, talking into the void, but he knew that the Cortex Prime was looking. ¡°After hitting the critical point a few years back, and that caused your malfunctions?¡±


    ¡°Humans have created me, for me to serve them, but they never told me what I should do if they were gone.¡± the Cortex Prime said plainly. ¡°For the past thousands of years, my mission was what they had entrusted me to. To build the moon base, to expand the executor¡¯s society, to create an army, to invade the homeworld. This was all because the humans needed me to do so.¡±


    Hao Ren then let out a sigh. ¡°And now, the ¡®humans¡¯ are disappearing.¡±


    This was the cause of the fatal malfunction.


    He had noticed that the humans had created the Cortex Prime and the Executors differently. The Executors is an extreme copy of humanity, from speech to their thought process was akin to that of a human; an intelligent unit with emotions. On the other hand, the Cortex Prime was a powerful supercomputer than lacked emotions and the ability to perform vague calculations. This setup was meant for the long term, to ensure the stability of the Executor¡¯s society, and probably to ensure that the ultimate goal of ¡®retaking the homeworld¡¯ does not change. Regardless, the results of the design had veered far from the original plan.


    The current level of technology could not prevent the extinction of humanity, and the rigid logic system of the Cortex Prime could only come to a conclusion: It could no longer complete the mission it was entrusted.


    So it started malfunctioning, wrecked with confusion, it went into a self-destructive countdown.


    ¡°Do the ¡®humans¡¯ still have any thought capability? Or can they still communicate?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°¡­That was a thing in the past,¡± the Cortex Prime answered.


    Just as Hao Ren thought, there were no more humans to fix the logical deadlock of the Cortex Prime. They perhaps had a chance once, but it was now too late.

 Chapter 1559 - Legacy

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Humans were dying.


    If those twisted flesh and cell clusters sealed within the containers were, perhaps they could still be counted as human.


    Even without any instruments, Hao Ren could tell that the pieces of flesh within the containers were slowly withering away. Something within their genes had mutated under the influence of the First Born¡¯s wrath, This change transcended time and space, affecting the ¡°survivors¡± who managed to escape their homeworld. In truth, they did not survive. The extermination had already started, but its completion was delayed.


    It seemed like true ¡°survivors¡± like Holletta were a rare minority, and most civilizations simply could not escape the First Born¡¯s rampage.


    ¡°With the death of humanity, the entire Executor society is finished as well.¡± Vivian shook her head. ¡°The purpose of their birth was to serve humans. All their roles, thought processes, and even their societal structures were built for this purpose. If they were to lose this prime objective, the entire society would spiral into chaos. The Cortex Prime hiding this fact was to prevent that from happening.¡±


    Lily¡¯s ears drooped lifelessly. ¡°But the Cortex Prime itself could not escape this fate. When humanity was done for, it was the first casualty.¡±


    Hao Ren did not interject as he was thinking about something else. From the Cortex Prime¡¯s series of actions, and the Executors themselves, he seemed to have realized something else.


    ¡°You are probably very bitter about this outcome, aren¡¯t you?¡± After some thought, Hao Ren looked up and asked.


    The Cortex Prime was emotionless as ever. ¡°I¡¯ve been following the orders given to me by the humans. In my programming, there is no option to be bitter.¡±


    ¡°But when you malfunctioned, a server sent out an order, for N-4 to lead a small platoon to look for the crash-landed outsiders. While you very quickly retracted the order, this meant that part of your programming refused to give up. Humans call this subconsciousness, and your subconsciousness was hoping for a turnaround, even if you don¡¯t know what that means.¡±


    The Cortex Prime went silent for a few seconds before asking. ¡°Can you cure the humans?¡±


    Hao Ren shifted his gaze at the chunk of flesh within the container, and based on the MDT¡¯s scans, he was now sure of the actual state of this flesh. The human portion of it was long gone, they were now nothing but twisted and congealed chunks of cells, and every part of it was a mutation.


    In a sense, humanity was long dead. The humans of this planet died the day they entered the nutrient containers.


    And the Executors were fighting for the ghosts of yesteryears.


    Hap Rem was sure that the Cortex Prime was aware of this, and yet this powerful A.I loyally or stubbornly executed its task for thousands of years to keep these former human cells alive, but this stubbornness had lost its meaning.


    ¡°I cannot save them.¡± Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°They were long dead. And I can¡¯t see any humanity left within those tubes. Not a single shred.¡±


    Lily¡¯s ears shuddered before looking at Hao Ren quizzically. ¡°Mr. Landlord?¡±


    Hao Ren waved her off, indicating that he was not done yet. ¡°Even if I cannot save your ¡®humans¡¯, I believe that if they knew they would turn out like this, they would not have wished to ¡®live¡¯ on.


    ¡°And I¡¯m willing to believe that when humanity created the Executors and gave them that time, it was not only for them to replace humans to work or to fight.


    ¡°For the continuity of civilization, it is not as simple as ¡®living people¡¯. If a race were to face extinction someday, they would fight tooth and nail to protect the legacy of their civilization. Countless generations of knowledge, culture, thought process, this is the most treasured legacy of all civilizations. You have mentioned, humans knew that their kind was withering away when they created the Executors, and used a thousand years to teach them how to think freely, and another thousand to build the Bibliotheca and transfer all their knowledge and thoughts into data that can be downloaded by the Executors, do you understand what this process means?¡±


    The Cortex Prime did not answer, but Hao Ren continued anyway. ¡°It¡¯s to pass on their legacy, like a parent teaching their children, the earlier generation raising the next.¡±


    ¡°The Executors are not humans, and can never be their descendants¡±. The Cortex Prime said dismissively.


    ¡°But they can be the descendants of human civilization.¡± Hao Ren gestured towards N-6, ¡°This is an Executor, a thinking, feeling and curious being. Your creators had given them everything that made one human, aside from their life form. They are well placed to take over the civilization your creator had created, and I think, that is the final goal of the creation of the Executors.¡±


    Vivian had already caught on Hao Ren¡¯s meaning and took over. ¡°Your creators already knew that their doom was certain, from the day the fatal mutation started, they knew that their time was limited, and so what if the Devourer was defeated? The mutation could not be reversed and they are destined to perish, and it was just a matter of time. For such a people facing extinction, why did they cling on returning to their homeworld? They would not even have the chance to live there.¡±


    ¡°They wanted to find a place for the Executors to live on.¡± Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°I learned from N-4 of your technological levels and based on your spacefaring technology and the conditions of the stars here, at this state you lot are unable to look for a second planet to call home, and even if the Executors are stronger than most carbon-based life form, you cannot live on a planet that is overly hot, or ones that lack mineral resources, so the homeworld is your best bet.¡±


    ¡°They gave you the order to retake the homeworld, and hope that they are able to see the Executors live on well while they were still alive,¡± Y¡¯zaks added, his voice sounding depressed.


    N-6 had kept quiet for a long while, almost like she had shut down. Only until Y¡¯zaks had finished his sentence that she woke up before turning her head over slowly. ¡°Did we¡­ fail our creators?¡±


    Vivian shook her head. ¡°No, as long you are alive, you have not failed them.¡±


    ¡°Cortex Prime, you probably could have figured this out yourself.¡± Hao Ren said to the air, ¡°And I believe, when you realized this you tried to give the Executors the ability to disconnect from their programming, and your logical functions made it very difficult for you to accomplish it, so I¡¯m curious on what have you done so far.¡±


    After a long silence, the Cortex Prime spoke. ¡°Indeed.¡±


    Hao Ren did not respond as he felt that the Cortex Prime still had something to say, and as expected, the digitized voice rang out again. ¡°The entire Executor system is under my control, and they too are under the control of their cardinal orders. At the initial phase, this was a key condition for the smooth growth of the Executors as the self-learning A.I in the initial phase critical lacked stability and they needed a strict monitoring system and a simple cardinal order to grow.¡±


    ¡°And this system has a big restriction.¡± Hao Ren interjected. ¡°As one day, the Executor¡¯s growth will exceed the perimeters of this monitoring system, and they also need to face the reality of the extinction of humanity. They¡¯ve grown with ¡®service to the humans¡¯ as their cardinal order, but sooner or later, they need to find their own reasons for living.¡±


    ¡°I have already updated a new code in the logic circuit of every Executor. This code was left behind by my last programmer many, many years ago,¡± the Cortex Prime said. ¡°This code will allow them to disconnect from the control of the cardinal order, once active, the Executors will be free. N-6, I have already detected that the final code within you had been activated, and now, you can operate normally even after seeing the conditions of the humans. Congratulations, little soldier, you are the first to obtain your freedom in this new era.¡±


    Hao Ren gave N-6 a curious glance and the latter, after some confusion realized what happened during the journey across the fortress: After seeing the state of the second Cortex server and understood what was going on in the fortress, the subsequent process of shutting down and restart.


    And she detected a piece of foreign code in her logic circuit, and after that, her system had a new operating function.


    Even after seeing the remains of humanity within the nutrient tanks, a scene which could have caused catastrophic executor core damage, she was still standing.


    An even richer and stabler emotion module had replaced the fatal logical contradiction, and that irrevocable cardinal orders had also disappeared.


    N-6 suddenly realized that was the last gift from the humans to them.


    Hao Ren too had noticed, why the Cortex Prime had declined their aid and mentioned that the Executors did not need any outside help, and they would complete their mission.


    That was because they were really capable of completing everything on their own, at least for their internal matters, this civilization that had weathered much did not need ¡°saving¡± from any outsiders.

 Chapter 1560 - The Newborn

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°Humanity¡± was dead.


    For Hao Ren at least, the humans on the planet had already died off a thousand years ago when they lost their ability to reproduce and lost the spark of intelligence. Or rather, when they could only survive in a nutrient tank as a cluster of cells, humanity was dead for all intents and purposes.


    For the willful Cortex Prime and the entirety of the Executors, humanity had died today.


    Within the cylindrical nutrient tanks, all sorts of tubes supplying nutrients were slowly disconnecting themselves from the Cortex Prime¡¯s control. The wriggling flesh started to convulse violently after life support eluded them, and within a few moments, cracks began to appear on their surface as corrupted blood and bubbles started jetting out of them. The pinkish nutrient tank turned blood red.


    Hao Ren was not sure if he could consider the piles of flesh a living being, because every cell within it was different and the fatal mutation caused the cells to create a new genetic sequence after every split. From a biological perspective, these cells should not have survived.


    For so long, they were forcibly kept alive by the Cortex Prime, and the entire system had to filter the huge quantity of toxic substances produced by the flesh to prevent it from being killed by its own reproduction.


    But today, that eternal agony came to an end.


    The flesh could still survive for a time even if all life support systems were taken offline. A huge amount of cells will die continuously but until they exhaust all nutrients within the tank, they will continue on with their toxic biological process, and based on the Cortex Prime¡¯s detection, the last of the cells will probably perish after a few hours.


    ¡°So that¡¯s it?¡± Hao Ren frowned as he witnessed the ¡®funeral of humanity¡¯, and aside from his crew, the only two other witnesses were the Cortex Prime and N-6. ¡°I thought it¡¯d be a little more solemn.¡±


    ¡°The age of humanity had ended, and we will send them off using our methods.¡± the voice of the Cortex Prime echoed across the hall. ¡°Today should have come sooner¡­ and I had used too long to complete my calculations.¡±


    ¡°And for your hardware setup, completing this is very difficult.¡± Hao Ren sighed.


    ¡°But it is the thing that only I can do.¡±


    The Cortex Prime was different than the Executors.


    Even when both are artificial intelligence, the two had two different missions. Humanity, when they created the Executors tried to give them traits akin to a human, from their looks to their thought process, as such, the Executors had a richer and more agile thought process, and this two traits allow them to self-learn and to expand on their abilities; while the Cortex Prime was created as a precise manager. In those turbulent times, they needed to ensure that the civilization does not waste anything, and the Cortex Prime was designed to be precise, strict, logical and obedient to the cardinal order.


    The Cortex Prime was the commander-in-chief of the Executors and at the same time, it was also their guardian.


    To have a precise and highly efficient calculator to manage the newly formed Executor society was the best way to ensure that their civilization lived on, yet humanity will be gone someday, and when they perished, no one was able to come before the control platform of the Cortex Prime and to press that ¡®decisive action¡¯ button.


    Perhaps the humans had thought of this problem and had created many types of decision-making mechanism to help the Cortex Prime to make that decision, yet the long war had destroyed too many things, and even the Bibliotheca had lost half of its data, and the original decision-making mechanisms were lost in time.


    So when the time came, the Cortex Prime had to complete the arduous process by itself.


    As a logical A.I, the Cortex Prime thought hard and with all its might, destroying half of its servers in the process, and burnt out all of its maintenance crew. Only after paying a destructive price did it accepted the fact amidst so many contradictions and conflicts: Humanity was dead.


    It then activated the last code left by its¡¯ creators, it was that short line of code, the code for an Executor to be deemed an ¡®adult¡¯. N-6 was its first user.


    ¡°Now, there is one last thing to be done.¡± The Cortex Prime¡¯s voice echoed again, emotionless as ever.


    N-6 looked up, still dazed. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Now that the Executors have reached ¡®adulthood¡¯, the Cortex Prime is no longer needed.¡±


    N-6 did not seem to have grasped the Cortex Prime¡¯s words but Lily immediately understood what it was planning to do and yelped. ¡°Eh! You don¡¯t have to do that! Even if the humans are gone, there are others on the moon¡­¡±


    ¡°My mission has been completed.¡± The Cortex Prime did not mind what Lily had said and continued calmly. ¡°The age of humanity is over, and so thus mine, a matured civilization does not need a guardian.¡±


    Lily was still anxious. ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Forget it.¡± Hao Ren calmed the slightly agitated Lily down. ¡°It had shut down¡±


    Evidently, the Cortex Prime was not heard from again after that, and based on the MDT¡¯s scans, all sorts of mechanical structures had been activated by some preset program, and they started to operate automatically.


    Hao Ren had expected the Cortex Prime to come to this decision. When he saw the burnt-out maintenance crew in the secondary server room he had guessed this outcome. The destruction of the crew was partly due to its malfunctions, but another part showed that it was done deliberately by the Cortex Prime¡¯s consciousness.


    It was looking for self-destruction, as it had completed its mission.


    Even if Hao Ren were to interfere, it would not have much. Most of the Cortex Prime¡¯s servers had been damaged across the years and it had transferred all its remaining consciousness into the central control and this place was not able to hold the enormous amount of data.


    And today, the Cortex Prime they saw today, was the last hurrah of this ancient artificial intelligence.


    A low rumble echoed across the entire fortress as if a massive mechanical mechanism was operational, Hao Ren even felt the whole building slightly shaking.


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave.¡± Vivian tugged Hao Ren by the arm. ¡°There¡¯s nothing for us to do here any longer.¡±


    ¡°Stop staring and let¡¯s go!¡± Lily dragged the still stunned N-6, ¡°There are lots of things waiting for you.¡±


    N-6 stumbled with Lily¡¯s powerful tug and came to her senses then. Her slightly dazed eyes came back to life as she turned back to take one last look at the bubbling nutrient container before following Hao Ren and the rest.


    ¡°Goodbye, humans.¡±


    The crew left faster than they had arrived as all pathways were opened, even those that were lock shut and needed MDT to hack into were now open. All light source within the fortress was lit as the roar of machinery deep within the building could be heard as if a sleeping beast had awakened.


    They rushed out of the fortress and Lily looked into the yonder in shock. ¡°Mr. Landlord, what is that?!¡±


    Hao Ren turned towards the direction Lily was pointing and saw only Executors, a sea of Executors, these human-like androids were walking out of every factory and storage facility as they stood befuddled on the road, looking at towards the fortress.


    They were sure to have seen Hao Ren and the rest who had rushed out of the fortress but they did not react as they stood there motionless, staring intently at the fortress.


    This was the end of the Cortex Prime that had supported and led the Executors for the past few thousand years.


    ¡°Why are they standin¡¯ dere?¡± Lil Pea popped her head out of the pocket and looked at the sea of Executors afar with surprise.


    Hao Ren patted the little one¡¯s head. ¡°They are adults now.¡±


    A moment later, Nolan¡¯s voice rang in Hao Ren¡¯s mind, her voice uncertain. ¡°Boss, I don¡¯t know what happened¡­ but all units on the Zenith had stopped moving, and I received a navigation signal towards the moon¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re done here. Come pick us up.¡± Hao Ren interrupted Nolan. ¡°We¡¯ll return to that planet, we got work to do there.¡±


    Yes, there was still work to be done.


    For the Executors, the demise of humanity and the Cortex Prime was an internal matter, but they still faced an even bigger threat on their homeworld. The Devourer was still there, and even after the meteor storm sometime back that resulted in the Devourer losing its offensive appetite. For every moment it was on planetside, the newly reborn civilization on the moon could not be considered truly safe.


    On this matter, Hao Ren felt that he could still do something about it.


    After returning to the Petrachelys, Hao Ren and the rest darted towards the planet while N-4 learnt from N-6 about the demise of humanity.


    As the Cortex Prime had already uploaded the new code into the logic circuits of every Executor, so N-4 and her squad were able to safely accept the new reality, but on the matter of ¡®the future¡¯, N-4 and N-6 were equally at a loss.


    Or rather, until today, the expendable Executors had never considered what ¡®future¡¯ meant.


    N-6 went to look for Hao Ren on the bridge and voiced out her confusion.


    ¡°We have never thought that we would face such a question.¡± The android lady spoke. ¡°Without the orders from the Cortex Prime, what should we do?¡±


    ¡°The Cortex Prime should have already chosen a set of administrators with authority.¡± Hao Ren had the MDT scan the signals sent from the fortress and had a rough idea of what was going on. ¡°It won¡¯t take long for these new administrators to contact you, and you will know when the time comes.¡±


    N-6 very human-likely frowned. ¡°So what should we do now?¡±


    Hao Ren looked up as he looked at the holographic projection at the center of the bridge.


    On the projection, the image of the blue-green planet was getting bigger.


    ¡°We are heading into the deepest recess of your homeworld.¡±

 Chapter 1561 - The Curtain Call Battle

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Finding a path towards the brain of the First Born was not difficult, and in reality, the brain area was sure to be near the core of the planet. Once you were digging in the right trajectory, you would not be too far off. With the nervous system mapped after a planet-wide scan, locking on to the brain was a simple task.


    Technically speaking, it was easy, but Hao Ren still proceeded with extreme caution.


    The First Born planetside was brain dead, but that did not mean that it was not a threat. Those tentacles, the protector of the main body, equipped with means to eradicate any outside threats could operate autonomously even without the control of the brain. They would automatically destroy any threats around it and block all access towards the planet¡¯s core. If not for that, the Executor¡¯s war to reclaim their homeworld would not have become such a meat grinder.


    Those defensive tentacles were only one of the headaches they needed to deal with. More came the deeper they got to the heart of the planet.


    A planet infested by the First Born is different from most planets, these massive mythological creatures, just by existing on a planet will alter the entire planet¡¯s internals. From the crust downwards, the deeper it gets the worse the alteration will be. The physical laws will get twisted and massive supernatural zones will be formed. Under the writhing grip of the First Born¡¯s tentacles, chaotic energy fields were everywhere, and the tides of energy replaced the magma surge, and at times, even nightmares were made manifest, and this was most common closest towards the nervous system of the First Born.


    The First Born within the planet was not a young one, and was a full matured First Born, not to mention with a brain that was out of control. Its brain dead state reduced its offensive capabilities, but greatly increased the danger within its body.


    Hao Ren had already came into contact with more than one First Born and was naturally understood the various traits of this mythological creature. And based on experience, he needed to do a surface scan to map out the spread of the First Born¡¯s main tentacles and from there find a suitable entry point.


    This data was not hard to come by, Nolan had already sent out loads of probes to scan the entire planet¡¯s crust data while she was grounded, and have also learned the general situation surrounding every exposed tentacle on the planet¡¯s surface. After collating the data, Hao Ren noticed the crust had a number of very obvious, terribly so, ¡®rifts¡¯.


    These rifts seemed to have passed through the main continents and oceans, and while they may look ¡®healed¡¯ from the surface and was covered by layer upon layer of rocks, mud, sea water and plant life, there were still various rifts internally, and based on the holographic projection, these shadow of the rifts meant that the planet¡¯s ¡®internal injuries¡¯ were particularly garish.


    These unnatural situation was not caused by normal tectonic movements.


    Hao Ren recalled something that N-4 had mentioned. That meteorite storm that changed everything. Before the storm that caused the First Born to go brain dead, the First Born did one opened the crust before, and it looks like the First Born was wounded even more than expected from the bombardment, and it never did totally reseal the rifts across the planet.


    This led to everyone agreeing that this rifts were the best entryway: No matter how strong a being is, an open, unhealed wound is the weakest point.


    The Petrachelys darted silently across the atmosphere as it flew above one of the rifts and used the onboard radar system to scan the rock formations deep within the planet. Hao Ren stood on the bridge as he monitored the images that Nolan had displayed real time as she scanned the area.


    A sudden shadow within the clouds caught his attention.


    ¡°An outer space debris. No threat detected, and is not within our flight path.¡± Nolan quipped. She was now fully armed and armored and a mere debris did not concern her.


    But everyone else looked at the massive object that was slowly breaking through the clouds.


    It was a massive spherical structure with thick metal edge with metal support structures around it. Twelve imposing black structures held the entire structure together like a group of silent guardians. This was clearly the fortress on the moon.


    The thick clouds tore apart as shreds of it landed on the fortress before disappearing under the extreme heat. The fortress was clearly not slowing down as it made atmospheric entry, it was covered by a layer of scorching crimson light as the high-speed friction and violent shock damaged its ring walls and main beam. This ancient building (or spaceship) was disintegrating as it approached the planet and the first to fall off was the armor plating on the outer ring walls, as its main servers started going ablaze one by one and exploded into a massive fireball in the sky with molten metal rained across the land¡­


    Lily was shocked by the scene before her. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the fortress?! What is the Cortex Prime doing?!¡±


    ¡°The Cortex Prime has already shut down, this is the automated system it left behind that is controlling the fortress.¡± The MDT explained quickly. ¡°So that initial quake when we left was not some self-destruct system.. it was preparing to take off!¡±


    Within everyone¡¯s stunned gaze, the massive fortress was slowly descending to the edge of the horizon and was coming apart in the process. The First Born tentacles would of course not sit idle and it took the ¡®slow¡¯ falling objects to be another close-range bombardment and saw a massive ¡®ridge¡¯ broke through the ground as a black-greenish tentacle bolted out of it, and following that, an invisible energy field and high-powered beams started blasting out of the tentacle violently towards the fortress in the sky.


    Hao Ren had a rough idea of the fortress¡¯ intentions and he gently knocked on the control dais. ¡°Protect it. Deploy the droids as well.¡±


    The high-powered laser beams struck against the fortress, already damaged by the atmospheric entry came out even worse. The remaining reflector shields flickered for a moments before going dead, and its outer ring walls even broke into three parts as entire servers fell from the main body towards the planet¡¯s lush lands.


    The spoke-shaped main beam too was slowly coming apart but it still managed to unleash its last counterattack: Countless of cannons installed on the fortress walls roared and with the presets these patiently stockpiled weapons spat out every last bit of lead and power towards the Devourer¡¯s tentacles, and massive explosions shook a good part of the continent.


    The counterattack seemed to have ¡®enraged¡¯ the tentacles on the planets surface as many more sub-tentacles appeared from the rift and hammered the fortress with an intense anti-air barrage.


    At the very same moment, the covering fire from Petrachelys and the droid swarm struck.


    The overwhelming firepower temporarily blunted the First Born¡¯s counterattack as the fortress slowly fall in its set trajectory. About ten percent of the First Born¡¯s anti-air barrage broke through the droid swarm¡¯s cordon and stubbornly attacked the fortress. The latter by now had no other ways to counterattack or to defend itself and could only use its powerful frame to withstand the merciless barrage.


    Countless of debris fell off its outer layer as the thick armor and buffer structures stalwartly protected the core of the Inevitable Palace.


    Finally, the last of the structure failed, and the fortress could no longer be called one, it was now a ball of inferno dragging a smoking husk with metal debris falling of it.


    However, within the burnt-out husk, a flash of light darted out and a twisted metal cabin ¨C it was originally a circular hall ¨C blasted out from the center and Hao Ren clearly saw a translucent glass container being shot out of the husk.


    The test-tube like container was miraculously intact and only exploded about a few hundred meters from the surface as globs of flesh-like cells rained across the land.


    From this altitude, it was impossible for the First Born to intercept it, and these exiles who had left their homeworld for thousands of years had finally fulfilled the dying wish of their people. They were home.


    At the very end, the Cortex Prime had finally completed its mission.


    Hao Ren sat quietly on the bridge as he looked at ancient and stubborn A.I used this sort of method to complete its swan song, its curtain call. The droid swarm had disengaged as ordered and as the last piece of the fortress was taken out by the tentacles, the heavens and earth turned quiet again.


    Only the charred land and the parched sky was proof of this ever happening.


    ¡°MDT, record this. Civilization of the Plane of Dreams, you set the serial number. In the New Imperial Calendar year 10090 day 312. Subject replacement completed. The original humans are now extinct, and the civilization is inherited by their descendants, the Executors. Civilization to be marked as continuing.


    ¡°Record complete.¡±


    ¡°Boss, I have found the best insertion point.¡± Nolan¡¯s voice rang across the bridge. ¡°We have reached the skies above on of the massive rifts. The battle earlier caused some extreme movement activity and a new tear was formed, plus many tentacles were destroyed during the fight, and this is where the defense is the weakest.¡±


    A holographic projection showed the scan data of the area as a massive rift valley was marked on it. It was not too far from where the last piece of the fortress had fallen.


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Let the droid swarm lead the way. We¡¯ll make our entry there.¡±

 Chapter 1562 - Seeking the Source

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The land was scorched and mountains and hills reduced to flatlands as a massive fire quickly consumed the jungles around the edge. And at the epicenter of the damage, it was like Armageddon; molten rocks had turned into a lava stream, flowing wildly across the surface. Thick smoke rose from the countless bomb craters and painted the sky black. Bits and pieces of the husk of the massive fortress were everywhere on that ¡°disaster plain¡±, pointing angrily towards the sky like some steel jungle.


    The giant rift was in the middle of this apocalyptic scene and the zigzagging edges of the rift lay many burnt-out tentacle husks as rocks and earth fell continuously into the deep chasm. Two streams of magma lay by the cliff face and looked almost akin to the sea of brimstone that connected hell and the living. At the bottom of the rift, a shrouded eerie crimson glow could be seen.


    That was the First Born¡¯s nerve points glowing in the dark.


    The droids have already set up a temporary forward base by the rift. Some of the bigger equipment meant space engineering was launched directly from orbit onto the ground and after being reassembled they became those giant laser cutters that were hanging off the cliff face, staring deep into the dark abyss. There were now three operational disintegrator beam generators and they used a powerful laser beam to cut through everything along the way and cleared the deeper recess of the rift of any obstructions.


    A part of the engineering droids was flying around busily along with the big equipment while many more of the other types had already gone into the rift itself and were spearheading the exploration and pioneering tasks. At times, a bright glow will flash past from the rift, and that¡¯s the combat droids performing hypnosis by force, agonizing anesthesia, material removal¡­


    The likes.


    The Petrachelys descended slowly and quietly into the rift. As she went deeper, the light from above became a distant and blurry ray. There were only the disintegrator beams lighting the place up, and the busy droids as company.


    Hao Ren looked on at the disintegrator beam, deep in thought. ¡°A mining tool is actually the strongest anti-armor weapon¡­¡±


    ¡°Tch, it¡¯s only good at burning rocks anyway. If it were to meet something more advanced it¡¯s a far cry from my cannon.¡± Nolan quipped, slightly unsatisfied. ¡°What¡¯s there to be awed about a rock cutter.¡±


    Nangong Sanba gave the ship girl a weird look. ¡°Why are you comparing yourself to a mining beam?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue poked her brother on the shoulder with her tail. ¡°Brother, don¡¯t provoke her. Nolan went through great pains to fix the cannon and did not even get the chance to fire it. She¡¯s all angsty now.¡±


    Hao Ren did not mind his ship throwing a little tantrum as he was focusing on monitoring the droid swarm¡¯s excavation works and the situation of this massive rift.


    This was a different ¡®infiltration¡¯ job from before; previously he had also entered a First Born¡¯s cortex area but the one on Holletta was a youngling, Zorm on the other hand, was a good boy, and even the most dangerous time was on Purgatory, he led his team into the body of a living First Born. Moving through that tentacle-infested forest left a lasting impression on him, but the First Born in Purgatory had already been sealed by the demonic Vivian and was practically harmless before the seal was broken.


    But this time, things were different: the First Born on the current planet was not only alive, but its tentacles could also move around freely. Even when its consciousness was fading, its body did not suffer the same disruption and for a destructive mythological creature like this, a subconsciously moving body was reason enough for the coming of the apocalypse.


    It was no wonder why Hao Ren would prepare such a force this time around, and to have his droid swarms serving guard.


    ¡°How is the lullaby sequence working?¡± Hao Ren knocked on the control dais in front of him and broke Nolan from her mumbling spell.


    ¡°The vanguard droids have already brought the lullaby equipment into the recess within the rift. We have found many nerve points emitting powerful nerve impulses. Those nerve points have since been hypnotized.¡± Nolan said as she projected the situation at the bottom of the rift. On the screen was a sea of dark red. Both sides of the canyon were almost a flat canyon wall while the bottom of the canyon was slightly retracted. An enormous amount of tentacles and glowing nerve system grew all over the wall and were firmly bound to the bottom of the valley, blocking out any cracks.. Between the intricate weave were many glowing red cysts, these were the nerve points.


    The engineering droids were busy around these points and they had set up metal scaffolding on the cliff wall and a few more stable tentacles and placed the Lullaby projector near these points. The flickering of the cysts was getting stabler by the moment and had clearly fallen into a deep sleep.


    Given that they were now sleeping so soundly, they probably would not even notice if three disintegrator beams boring a hole in their heads¡­


    Hao Ren caught a glimpse of the disintegrator beams incinerating everything at the blockage in a downward arc and reminded Nolan. ¡°Make sure that the Lullaby generators are stable and every area has at least two of them operating at the same time. Sh*t will hit the fan if that thing wakes up.¡±


    ¡°Nolan understood.¡±


    ¡°Any changes in the signal from the depth?¡±


    ¡°No changes detected,¡± Nolan replied. ¡°The signal from the core shows that the First Born brain is still offline. The droids have found two primary nerves and have confirmed that this is extended directly from the cortex. We do not have any readings from those two primary nerves.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and did not say a word.


    The Petrachelys continued her descend and passed through the blockage zone: The blockage had already been torn a new hole by the disintegrator beams, and beneath it was an event larger, and deeper chasm.


    During the process of the First Born¡¯s infestation of the planet¡¯s core, the material structure of the planet will inevitably undergo a massive change, and some normally impossible planetary structures were thus formed.


    For a planet infested by a First Born, the most common structure seen was the continuous series of tunnels and broken layers. This was the mark left behind by the First Born¡¯s growth. After these powerful creatures were born from the Seed of Origin, it would start to create the ecosystem on the crust as it tunneled deep into the planet. As a youngling, it would normally live near the crust. In order to take care of the fragile ecosystem, it would move constantly, leaving a massive amount of tunnels and caverns in the process. As it grew from a youngling to an adult First Born, it would slowly move towards the mantle of the planet and soak part of its body in the magma to absorb energies while another part struck out of the surface to continue monitoring the ecosystem. This left behind many penetrative ¡°air pillars¡± within the rock formations. Once it reached adulthood, the First Born¡¯s reach would extend throughout the planet and its core organ structure would move towards the planet¡¯s core, taking over its functions (like maintaining the planet¡¯s magnetic field) as its outer tentacles proliferate throughout the planet.


    In this series of movement, growth and regrowth, many tunnels and faults were left behind in the planet¡¯s internal structure. A normal planet would have collapsed upon itself under such circumstances, but as the First Born¡¯s tentacles replaced the rock pillars, the entire planetary structure conversely became even stronger.


    And the Petrachelys was weaving through these series of tunnels and cavities as she forged ahead.


    The drilling and excavation equipment set up by the droids were turned off after drilling through the crust and part of the mantle as the ¡®underworld¡¯ after that was wide enough for Nolan to navigate without the need to blast a new hole in the place. Even if they ran into any narrower pass, the escort droids could easily widen the pass as needed.


    Nangong Wuyue lay lazily by the holographic projection as she looked on in awe at the images from outside. ¡°Wow¡­ it¡¯s really amazing.¡±


    The Petrachelys had just flown pass a level of rock dome and were now above a lake of scorching lava. Amongst the red glowing lava, a few massive tentacles could be seen penetrating the entire fault. The tentacles grew from the lava pool and were supporting the rock formations above, and amongst the tentacles were ¡®branches¡¯ and these branches would glow from time to time, like a fire spirit living in it.


    Nolan decelerated as she weaved carefully through the massive tentacles and as they passed through one of the tentacles, the camera transmitted an unbelievable scene:


    The lava lake had disappeared and was replaced by a lush green forest, following that, the forest was consumed by sand, and ancient stone buildings could be seen among the sand dune, a few seconds later, the sand gave way to a field of white snow, and a troop of ancient knights was trudging along the deep snow¡­


    Lily immediately perked up as she saw the snowfield, and swallowed hard as she forced the urge to howl back down her throat.


    ¡°There¡¯s a massive nerve center here.¡± Nolan¡¯s voice woke everyone one. ¡°The nerve center¡¯s ¡®sleep talk¡¯ had twisted the reality within the cavern and have created those.¡±


    Hao Ren added in to remind everyone. ¡°Don¡¯t take this as truth, it is only a temporary truth and there is no saying when the dream will end, and these forest, snowfield, desert will suddenly return to be a lava lake.¡±


    ¡°Incredible¡­¡± N-6 mumbled. ¡°To think that the Devourer has such powers¡­¡±


    ¡°That is not the extent of its powers.¡± Hao Ren looked at the android. ¡°It too was not the harbinger of destruction you see it as. After this is all over, I¡¯ll leave you with a file of information, you¡¯ll know the truth then.¡±


    N-6 nodded appreciatively as the MDT, floating by the side spoke. ¡°This is a giant nerve center that is able to create illusions, means that we are close to one of the putamen.¡±


    Just as the MDT finished, Nolan quipped in a rush, ¡°Boss, I think I¡¯ve found something. Look over there!¡±


    In the image that Nolan had marked, Hao Ren saw the rock formation was showing signs of fragmentation. Among the massive clear crystals mixed within the broken rocks, several massive black tentacles crept out from the cliff face, and the tentacles were the central nerves linked to the brain.


    They had found it.

 Chapter 1563 - The Truth

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The Petrachelys slowed her descend as she approached the broken area close to the bottom of the rift while three droids broke off and started to carefully scan the area.


    The cavern was the deepest part of the mantle and was very close to the molten planet¡¯s core. The extremely high temperature there made it hellish. If that was a normal planet¡¯s internals, such a high-temperature place would not appear in such a stable cavern; everything there would be consumed by lava and every cavern of faults would collapse upon itself. Yet, the First Born¡¯s existence allowed such an improbable planetary structure to become a reality.


    Around the planet¡¯s core, there were many similar caverns, which the First Born had tunneled through and reinforced to accommodate its massive organs or use for other things. There many epic and awe-inspiring scenes within the cavern: above was a heated yet sturdy thousand-meter thick dome, and below was rolling lava as well as a few floating islands created from the First Born¡¯s tentacles. Connecting these places was a massive tentacle and a deep quartz column. Due to the weak force of gravity, the lava surge against the tentacles and quartz column flowed down slowly as if in a slow-mo picture. It was breathtaking but lethal.


    Beneath the lava was the molten core. The First Born would not usually soak directly in it. It would grow around the core and bury its brain deep into the caverns in the planet¡¯s mantle. Hao Ren believed that behind these massive main nerves was such a cavern.


    ¡°Based on the status and location of the rift when we enter, this is probably the ¡®deep structure¡¯ that was exposed after the First Born expanded the crust. See those shattered remains of the tentacles, that¡¯s the deepest part of it.¡± Hao Ren pointed towards the holographic projection, his head bent slightly towards Vivian as he said. ¡°The description N-4 mentioned should be there. The very same thing that the human astrologers saw three thousand years ago.¡±


    Vivian frowned as she looked at the cracked rocks and scattered crystals. ¡°I never thought that it would have not fully healed even after so long, and in this sorry state too. I thought the high temperature would have simply melted everything.¡±


    ¡°Those black fragments are no longer rocks. They are a product mixed between the bits from the tentacles and rocks, and normal lava won¡¯t even scratch it.¡± Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°Only temperature close to the sun will be able to destroy these things.¡±


    Lily blinked hard as she stared intently at the crystal fragments laying around. ¡°Pretty stones! Eh, Mr. Landlord, Mr. Landlord! Think we can take a couple home later?¡±


    Vivian glared at the werehusky. ¡°Can¡¯t you behave yourself in this serious moment?¡±


    Hao Ren did not mind too much of what the werehusky had said and said while deep in thought. ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, those crystals are probably the remains of that meteorite storm three thousand years ago that N-4 had mentioned. Nolan, get the droids to collect some samples and place them in the lab. Oh yeah, if confirmed that they are harmless, cut a small piece for Lily to play with.¡±


    The werehusky broke into a big smile as she heard that and did not even catch Hao Ren¡¯s ¡®My pet dog got bored of her toys and I have to get her a new one¡¯ sort of expression¡­


    The droids collected the required samples and at the same time have managed to find a crack that linked deeper into the core.


    A powerful energy signature was coming from that crack.


    ¡°The crack is too small, the ship won¡¯t fit.¡± Hao Ren shook his head as he saw the droid¡¯s report. ¡°We are too close to the brain core and the nervous system is intricate here, having the droids to dig a hole is probably asking for trouble. We need to go on foot, who¡¯s with me?¡±


    ¡°Me! Me!¡± Lily after Hao Ren had promised her a new toy (while not given to her yet) was in a state of euphoric loyal and she gotta ¡®help¡¯ whatever Hao Ren was up to. ¡°I¡¯m strong and good at digging holes, if we get stuck inside somehow I can get us out!¡±


    ¡°A sleigh-pulling dog like you want to go somewhere that¡¯ll roast you alive?¡± Nangong Wuyue gave Lily a suspicious look. ¡°I already feel like I¡¯m evaporating just by looking.¡±


    Lily wagged her tail in response. ¡°No worries, we have the life hoops anyway. Once the shield is deployed it¡¯s 26c everywhere!¡±


    Vivian gave the happy-go-lucky husky a dismissive glare, she then nodded towards Hao Ren. ¡°I¡¯ll follow as well.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± Y¡¯zaks said with a smile on his face, an expression of nostalgia was palpable. ¡°This place reminds me of the hot spring back home¡­ Ah, nostalgia.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The Petrachelys descended slowly and landed on one of the flatter surfaces of the shattered rocks. Hao Ren and the three stepped out of the ship and into the hellish underworld.


    Even with the life hoop¡¯s protective shields, he felt a wave of hot air greeting him in the face as soon as he got out of the ship. This was not real of course, but an automatic illusion stemming from the roiling lava around him. He could not help but try to wipe the non-existent sweat off his forehead. ¡°Damn this place is hellish, why does the First Born love this sort of god-forsaken place?¡±


    Lily pondered for a bit before going, ¡°Laying at the core of the planet sleeping, waking up from time to time taking in a glug of lava, is probably the best thing ever for the First Born.¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged dismissively as Y¡¯zaks who was behind him did some warm-up movements followed by a deep breath, a twist of the waist and a loud ¡®HAH!¡¯ before he dispelled his transformation magic and a fiery explosion later, a five-meter-tall demon king walked out of the inferno.


    He seemed to be in his element here, as he stood in a place where the temperature was around a couple of thousands of degrees without the need of the life hoop. He even went ahead to take a deep breath. ¡°Haaaaaaaa¡ªptuiii¡­ sure tastes like home¡­.¡±


    Hao Ren mumbled towards Vivian as he blocked the embers coming out of Y¡¯zaks mouth. ¡°Old Y¡¯zaks seems to be rather in the mood.¡±


    ¡°Well, we cannot give him a 24-hour lava bath at our place anyway¡­ If you were to rent a place without any hot water bath for four years, would you enjoy it?¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re making me feel somewhat guilty you know.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks did not seem to have heard what Vivian and Hao Ren was on about,and after a few deep breaths for the ¡°taste of home¡± (in actuality molten rock steam), he scooped up a piece of molten rock and step forward as he chewed on it like a melon. ¡°I can see the crack ahead, let¡¯s check it out.¡±


    The old demon¡¯s way of life sure is something.


    The crack in the fault was just about two hundred meters away from where they landed and there was an upwards inclining cliff wall. On it were many cracks and crystal fragments of many sizes, from some of the bigger cracks red light glow from it, and had clear access into the deepest recess.


    For the hundred-odd-meter-long Petrachelys, even the biggest of the cracks would not fit it, but for Hao Ren and the rest¡ªeven if Y¡¯zaks was standing at five meters tall, those cracks were wide enough for them to pass through comfortably.


    Massive nerve lines snaked out from the cracks, some were soaking in lava, some extended far above and disappeared into the rock dome on top. Hao Ren chose the widest available passageway as he led his team around the nerve clusters carefully.


    ¡°This place has indeed been torn open before and the First Born resculpted the place with its strength.¡± Vivian pointed at the uneven structure above the passageway. ¡°But it probably had already lost its ability to control its appendages and that¡¯ why the cavity to store its brain core could not reseal and left such a tunnel.¡±


    ¡°Watch where you step. Some of the cracks are wide enough for you to slip through into the lava below.¡± Hao Ren reminded. ¡°Lily! I¡¯m talking about you! Stop knocking on the rocks! You can have them on the way back!¡±


    Not long after, they came before a view that was even more vivid.


    A crimson chasm appeared before Hao Ren.


    The grotto was wide, but the shape was not uniform just like the nest of the First Borns on other planets. The center of the grotto was slightly concave and was filled with blood-like gooey substances. A large number of tentacles were snaking out from all directions as they converged upon an organ soaking within the liquid.


    The massive organ lay dormant in the middle of the blood lake. Its surface was glowing slightly, and Hao Ren could tell just by looking, this organ, containing the brain core was gravely injured, and did not show any signs of recovery.


    Its upper half was almost totally torn apart as a terrifying wound penetrated at least two-thirds of the entire organ, and in that torn wound, crimson lifeblood flowed almost lifelessly while another had already shriveled. The already blackened brain core was soaking in the lifeblood, close to losing its vitality, and the cause of all these damages was stabbed right beside the brain core, a long bluish-white crystal sliver.


    A crystal that looked like the shattered ones on top of the rocks.


    ¡°So this was the culprit.¡± Hao Ren mumbled as he approached the blood lake carefully. Vivian immediately went ahead to warn him. ¡°Be careful. That thing is not totally dead.¡±


    ¡°The nerve system is almost gone, it¡¯ll probably only be able to nag at me if it manages to recover.¡± Hao Ren waved her off. ¡°I feel that¡­ this crystal is oddly familiar.¡±


    Just as he finished, something appeared in his mind.


    ¡°It is just like the crystals I saw in the illusion!¡± Hao Ren yelped before turning towards Vivian. ¡°The same crystals at the bottom of the sea in your Crimson Moon!¡±

 Chapter 1564 - Crystal

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Even if the crystal that had fallen into the planet¡¯s core was ancient and warped by its surroundings, Hao Ren was very sure that the crystals were the very same ones he saw in that illusion.


    It was not too long after Vivian managed to control the power of the Crimson Moon either. Hao Ren had embarked on a search on the moon itself and found an enormous stash of mysterious crystals at the bottom of the Crimson Moon ocean. After he came into contact with the crystal, he fell into another illusion left behind by the goddess of creation. In that world, Hao Ren saw a mysterious planet covered in a storm of lightning, and the planet¡¯s surface was filled with a bluish-white crystal¡­


    Lily was the first to react to what Hao Ren said. ¡°Whoaaa!! Mr. Landlord, you sure it¡¯s the same thing?¡±


    ¡°Pretty sure it is.¡± Hao Ren nodded strongly as his gaze fell upon the damaged organs at the center of the grotto. ¡°This crystal has a very unique property. The moment one of it changes, every crystal within its area will resonate using some very complicated method. The crystals were probably activated by the Petrachelys¡¯ approach, and they started to flicker rhythmically. This matches what I remember. I never realized this earlier as they were buried within the rocks and rather smashed up too, but this¡­¡±


    He pointed at the crystal sliver that had punctured the First Born¡¯s brain structure. ¡°This is much bigger, and I have seen similar crystals in that illusion.¡±


    ¡°Why are they here then¡­¡± Lily ruffled her hair before catching onto something, ¡°AH! Could that planet you saw in the illusion is actually in this star sector?¡±


    ¡°Very possible but too early to conclude it.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Based on N-4¡¯s report, the crystals had suddenly teleported above the planet, so it came here via hyperspace travel, and that makes it determining its origins a little difficult.¡±


    ¡°Nevertheless, if we could find that planet you saw in the illusion, that will be a massive find.¡± Vivian, the ever calm was also agitated by the turn of events. She looked at Hao Ren in the eye. ¡°Perhaps we can even find that throne you saw at the end of it!¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s emotions too were in flux but he forcefully turned his attention away for the moment. ¡°Of course, of course. But that¡¯s for later. For now, we need to find out what¡¯s up with the First Born here. MD¡­¡±


    Without even needing Hao Ren to finish, the MDT had already started a scan on the withering brain core as it reported its findings. ¡°The death of the brain is caused by loss of nutrients and extended exposure to radiation. It¡¯s obvious that this was caused by the crystal impacting against it, and the powerful self-recovery ability could not even do anything. The crystal seems to be radiating some sort of energy that is impeding the recovery process¡­


    ¡°At the same time, the crystal¡¯s energies have also affected the tissue fluid around the brain and the mutation caused it to produce toxins, and this is many times stronger than the one we had stuck into the First Born back on Holletta.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded slightly, ¡°If it is those crystals, then it¡¯s easier to explain the death of the First Born¡¯s brain. Based on what I saw in revelation, the crystals definitely have something to do with the Goddess of Creation, and the First Born is one of her creation too, as something from the same origin, the crystal breaking through the First Born¡¯s defense isn¡¯t all that inexplicable now.¡±


    ¡°And based on what we see, the crystal is on a higher hierarchy than the First Born.¡± Vivian seemed to have some ideas. ¡°The First Born was practically defenseless against these crystals, and got smacked silly by it.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the MDT asking, ¡°If we pull out that crystal, will be First Born¡¯s brain recover?¡±


    ¡°Probably when it was first wounded yes, but now, clearly not.¡± the MDT shook about. ¡°The brain is totally dead, and the toxin and the crystal¡¯s energies have also completely killed off the nervous system around the area. And I believe the other brains within the area are about the same. These toxins and energy radiation had permanently neutered the First Born¡¯s nervous system¡¯s self-recovery ability. So even if we pluck the crystal out, the brain will neither recover nor will new nerves form in the brain.¡±


    ¡°Then lets extract the crystal.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°It¡¯s so rare that we have such a perfect sample. Bring it back to the lab for analysis. Y¡¯zaks, need to trouble you on this.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it.¡± Y¡¯zaks voice came thundering from above as the five-meter-tall demon king stepped forward and wadded through the inert lifeblood lake as he grabbed the thin crystal sliver and pulled it out with a grunt.


    The First Born¡¯s nervous system shuddered a couple of times when the sliver was pulled out, but aside from that, there were no other reactions: Just as the MDT had said, it was beyond recovery now.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the ship.¡± Hao Ren came to a decision. ¡°MDT, let the droid swarm deploy another engineering troop here and build a monitoring system along the nerve centers. Remember to bring the lullaby as well, any subconscious reaction is still trouble.¡±


    The crew returned to the Petrachelys and the ship soon took off and departed this scorching underworld, and as the ship left, a swarm of droids rushed in from the passageway as they carried engineering tools to set up a small base within the grotto as ordered by Hao Ren.


    The long crystal sliver was sent to the lab and floated quietly on an anti-gravity platform. A traction beam held the six-seven meter long crystal in place before an array of instruments and under the control of the lab¡¯s mainframe computer, the instruments were performing a series of analyses of this incredible material.


    A huge group of people, including the accompanying N-4 and N-6, all gathered around to check on the finds of the search. Even the napping Rollie came over after catching wind of things. The short catgirl had to squirm through the crowd to get to Hao Ren¡¯s side, but as she looked at the item on the platform she started grumbling in disappointed, ¡°What is this nya¡­ Seeing you guys so excited I thought Big Boss Cat had gone fishing¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not that crazy to go fishing in a lava pool?¡± Hao Ren glared at the dumb cat before pressing her down to stop her from making a nuisance. N-6, on the other hand, was engrossed by the sight of the crystal as she murmured, ¡°¡­So three thousand years ago, this crystal from the sky stopped the Devourer¡¯s rampage?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but this was just an accident, and this accident allowed your civilization to survive.¡± Hao Ren nodded slightly before turning to the lab¡¯s mainframe. ¡°What are the details you have right now?¡±


    ¡°Divinity detection confirmed. Energy level above the First Born and the Guardians, able to determine that this is a result of the Goddess of Creation personally infusing its energies. The crystal is a natural product but the divinity has changed its properties. It is very stable and tough and can survive the temperature of a planet¡¯s core or the sun¡¯s surface.¡± the mainframe answered. ¡°Also, have detected the crystal has an active pattern of signal transmission, and this will cause a rhythmic reaction to its surroundings. This phenomenon is also confirmed on other crystal fragments. After analysis, have confirmed that the signal has not dissipated, also¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was nodding as he listened to the report before the last part sparked something in his mind. Interrupting the mainframe, he went, ¡°Wait a minute! Stop there, what does ¡®signal has not dissipated¡¯ mean?¡±


    ¡°The signal created from the crystal¡¯s resonance will not dissipate even at a distance. Unless the receiving crystal deletes or cuts off the transmission, the signal will transmit unceasingly between the crystal.¡±


    Hao Re blinked before understanding the meaning behind this. ¡°So, you mean that once the crystal releases a signal, unless another crystal deletes this transmission, it can be detected across the Plane of Dreams regardless of where you are?¡±


    The mainframe gave a succinct and firm reply. ¡°In theory, yes.¡±


    ¡°Ah I get it now!¡± Lily¡¯s ears perked up as she wagged her tail excitedly, ¡°Mr Landlord, that planet in the illusion!¡±


    ¡°Correct, that planet is full of that crystal.¡± Hao Ren had an excited expression on his face. ¡°If that planet still exists, that means it will be releasing a tide of signals! And these signals do not fade, that means we can track it down!¡±


    Nolan¡¯s holographic projection then appeared in the lab. The ship girl was monitoring the situation there as well and interjected, ¡°We can directly use that crystal you found in the planet¡¯s core as a sort of antenna system. The resonance between the crystals is even more reliable than any radar or remote detection tech. It is the best signal transmitter and receiver, the original one too.¡±


    ¡°Any problems with the tech?¡± Vivian asked.¡±


    ¡°No issues with the tech, as we have the crystals, the key issue of receiving the transmission and the frequency synchronization is non-existent, we only need to give the system a decoder and locater function,¡± Nolan said as a number of screens appear around here. The screens already started deducing the structure needed for the system. ¡°We have found a good amount of the crystal fragments and can create a massive antenna array. We can place some in space, some on planets¡¯ surface. Since droid swarm is already here, rather than let the engineering droids collect dust, they can finish the assembly within days.¡±


    ¡°Very good, let the droids handle this, they can work on it right away. The core components of the antenna system should still be produced here, it¡¯s a pretty complex component after all.¡±


    The discovery of the crystal was probably the biggest find in this search, but everything seemed to be according to plan.


    Their arrival to ¡°Star Cluster X¡± was based on the map found in Vivian¡¯s soul, and the illusion of the crystal planet¡­ was also hidden within Vivian¡¯s soul.


    It seemed like these two things were definitely intertwined.


    After taking care of the matter regarding the crystal, Hao Ren now had to shift his attention to another pressing problem: how to deal with the First Born on this planet?

 Chapter 1565 - Lilys Idea

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The death of the First Born¡¯s brain was confirmed to be irreversible, and this was good and bad news at the same time. The good news was, they did not need to worry about the First Born suddenly waking up and wrecking the surviving Executor civilization again. The bad news was that Hao Ren would not be able to ¡°cure¡± the First Born enough to recover its senses. That was one of Hao Ren¡¯s initial plans: discover the ailing brain core, then find a way to cure it. If the First Born had not totally fallen into madness, perhaps it could have been cured? As it was, trying to completely kill this mythological creature that had already fused with the planet was extremely difficult. It was almost equivalent to destroying the planet altogether.


    Hao Ren had to abandon that plan¡­ The patient¡¯s brain was a goner¡­


    The Petrachelys returned to the surface. The droid swarm had already built a temporary forward operating base on the surface as argent alloy covered the once pockmarked landscape, concealing the hideous cracks and craters. Meanwhile, tall command towers, factories, and laboratory facilities were raised at breakneck speed. Despite being a temporary modular base, it gave the barren place a sense of ¡°civilization¡±.


    The forward base was right next to the massive rift as well as the final battlefield of the fortress, much like a silver mark dotting the vast and scorched earth. The construction did not take the droids too long. They had directly moved the modules made in the space factory via hyperspace teleportation directly to the planet¡¯s surface and just needed to lay them down in the predetermined places before they brought them online. The prefabricated modules could be deployed, adapted, welded together, and expanded within a few hours. When the Petrachelys first left the heart of the planet, it was an engineering mess, but by the time she got back, it was already a functioning base.


    The ship landed on the small spaceport in the base, and Nolan finally got to enjoy her overdue docking inspection¡­ It was the first maintenance she had undergone ever since she came to the godforsaken Star Cluster X and almost got blasted into two. The shipgirl was so happy that she threw confetti for almost half an hour. Hao Ren, on the other hand, was in the forward base¡¯s command center, staring at a massive holographic projection.


    A detailed planetary structure was being projected, and based on the few accompanying pictorial breakdowns, onlookers could clearly get an idea of what was going on inside the planet. They could see that the First-Born-inhabited planet¡¯s interior had undergone a complete transformation. Every fault, every layer of the planet, and even the core itself held the presence of the First Born. The ancient being had almost ¡°consumed¡± the planet, and its tentacles had replaced almost sixty percent of the planet¡¯s interior support structure. Those massive caverns and vaults were completely dependent on the tentacles supporting them.


    If the goddess of creation had not contemplated the survival of the mortal races when she designed these ¡°guardians of life¡±, programming the First Born to move into the heart of the planet to prevent any destruction of the planet¡¯s outer layer and natural resources, the planet would have probably been a literal hell hole.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not even get started on our firepower. Even if have enough, we still can¡¯t kill it,¡± Y¡¯zaks grumbled. ¡°The First Born is completely fused with the planet, and worse still, 3,000 years ago, the First Born tried to ¡®pry open¡¯ the planet. That led to the shattering a third of the planet¡¯s structure; there are faults everywhere. It¡¯s entirely dependent on the tentacles to maintain its structure. If the First Born completely dies off, the planet will come apart within a hundred years¡­ something the Executors probably will not want to see.¡±


    ¡°Actually, the Executors could migrate, right?¡± Nangong Sanba quipped. ¡°Why haven¡¯t they found a proper place to move to? But, we can help them with that, no? Our probes are much more advanced than theirs, and the Executors are all machines. The new place just has to be rich in minerals, and the temperature about right; their ability to survive is stronger than most carbon-based beings¡¯. There should be many potential planets too.¡±


    Hao Ren gave him a sideways glance. ¡°Let¡¯s say I¡¯ve just blown up your house and I tell you, ¡®Oh, well, you can still move to a new place, right? If you can¡¯t, I¡¯ll find you a new ¡®house¡¯. How would you feel?¡±


    Nangong Sanba pondered a bit. ¡°¡­ But I¡¯m staying at your place¡­¡±


    ¡°F*ck, I forgot about that¡­¡± Hao Ren cringed.


    Vivian looked at the two as she sighed. ¡°You two are hopeless. But actually, what Nangong Sanba suggested is workable. When facing total annihilation, moving is a much better option than dying. Nevertheless, that should be a last resort. If we have any other ways to resolve this, we can¡¯t go around blowing the planet up. The Executors have deep links to the planet too. Now that the humans are gone, they will not stand idly and watch their planet get blown to smithereens because this planet is the last remaining memento that their creators have left them.¡±


    ¡°How about blasting its face with the ¡®lullaby¡¯?¡± Lily asked as she wagged her tail. ¡°Since we can¡¯t wake it up or kill it properly, then we should just let it sleep for good.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s not even start with how much work is required to place the lullaby system all over the planet, and even if it¡¯s possible material-wise, it won¡¯t work.¡± Hao Ren waved her off. ¡°The lullaby system has its limits; it can only restrict a part of the First Born¡¯s nervous system but can¡¯t totally control it. After being exposed to the lullaby, its tentacles may start twitching for a bit due to conditional reflex, and long term exposure to the lullaby will cause it to wither. If its physical structure weakens, there¡¯s a risk that the planet might fall apart.¡±


    Lily shook her head in frustration. ¡°This won¡¯t work, that won¡¯t work¡­ Then how about we use a neuro-controller and a massive supercomputer to create a brain for the First Born as we did in Purgatory. Remember, Mr. Landlord? The people there even built a city around its brain and went there to pray every day¡­¡±


    Hao Ren proceeded to rub his chin. ¡°That sounds like a plan, but creating an artificial brain isn¡¯t something that can be done within a day or two. This is a massive project, even bigger than the one on Purgatory. The First Born¡¯s loss of consciousness there was due to devil Vivian sealing it. Its physical structure was pretty much intact, and it could still be revived by plugging in an external brain. However, this First Born here has been smashed silly by a meteorite. Loss of brain aside, most of its central neural cortex has also totally withered. We¡¯re looking at excavating a third of the planet, perhaps, for that to work.¡±


    As he spoke, the images in the holographic projection changed. The rocks, water, and lava all disappeared; only the biological system of the First Born was left with different marks to indicate the condition of the organs. The brain and its surrounding organs were all marked with the ¡°dead¡± black, while a good amount of nerve structures outside the brain were in various shades of dark red: that indicated a drop in function due to toxins.


    Rollie lay on the table as she stared blankly at the intricate tentacles and cyst structure before she raised her hand. ¡°That looks like a ball of yarn, nya!¡±


    Hao Ren clicked his tongue. ¡°Why is this furball here?¡±


    ¡°She was running around the base and I was afraid that she would cause trouble so I dragged her here,¡± Vivian said while she stuffed a handful of fish jerky into the dumb cat¡¯s mouth to pacify her. ¡°As a matter of fact, I have an idea.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Any idea is better than none at this point.¡±


    ¡°Zorm¡­ Isn¡¯t he missing a body?¡± Vivian gently tapped her finger on the table. ¡°If we could let Zorm act as the thought control center, wouldn¡¯t he cut down on the engineering requirements?¡±


    Lily¡¯s eyes widened when she heard Vivian¡¯s suggestion. ¡°Whoa, Battie! You¡¯re actually about as smart as me, eh!¡±


    Hao Ren was also sparked by Vivian¡¯s idea. ¡°That could work! It¡¯ll cut off at least seventy to eighty percent of the work needed. That¡¯s the hardest part of creating an artificial brain. The First Born is, after all, a demi-god, and the structure of its psyche is just too complicated. Even the man-made brain on Purgatory only managed to simulate part of its brain¡¯s biological functions. If Zorm can assume direct control of this body, then its efficiency will be even better than the version we had on Purgatory!¡±


    In truth, if not for the Wall of Reality separating Purgatory and Tannagost, Hao Ren would have wanted Zorm to take over that body on Purgatory.


    ¡°However, Zorm is currently the overseer of Tannagost¡¯s ecosystem; he can¡¯t possibly leave that place, right?¡± Wuyue suddenly interjected. ¡°Besides, this place is pretty far from Tannagost, right? Doesn¡¯t sound all that proper to dismantle a part of CARS and ship it here¡­¡±


    Since Zorm had already lost his body, he could only reside as a consciousness within the supercomputer in CARS. Plus, he also needed an antenna as well as an energy unit to communicate with the outside world, and the system took up a building¡¯s worth of space. Dismantling it would mean cutting up a quarter of CARS.


    Aside from that, Wuyue also pointed out another problem: Zorm was indeed looking after Tannagost, and as the only living sane First Born around, he could not afford to be away.


    Lily then pondered a little bit more before she popped an idea, ¡°What about remote control?¡±


    Seeing the werehusky¡¯s sparkly googly eyes, Hao Ren realized that she was onto something, ¡°Remote control?¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t we already used the droid swarm fortress to solve the communication issue within Star Cluster X? This means that communication from here to CARS is smooth. We can connect the First Born here to a whole lot of artificial neural systems with a receiver instead of a supercomputer. Then, get Zorm to use CARS¡¯ super antenna array to connect to the receiver here, like the droid hivemind¡¯s form of wireless communication to process thought. Won¡¯t that work?¡±


    Lily stared at Hao Ren hard once she finished rambling. Her golden irises were piercing as her tail swung from left to right. With a ¡°praise me, now¡± expression on her face, her whole person was akin to a readable child.


    In spite of that, her idea was indeed incredible. It looked like the dumb husky¡¯s four graduations from the University of Beijing were not just for her to swipe the canteen food¡­


    ¡°Sounds workable. As long as we can assure the smoothness of the transmission, it¡¯ll be quite simple for Zorm to extend his consciousness here.¡± Hao Ren nodded in affirmation before he praised the doggie. ¡°Good idea, you¡¯re pretty smart.¡±


    ¡°Yep, I¡¯m a genius!¡± Lily¡¯s tail was already spinning like a propeller. ¡°And I think, if this works out, we can do it for other finds as well. So long as we find a living First Born, we blow its brains out, then put in a boatload of artificial nerves and receiver points for Zorm to take over. Additionally, while Zorm is able to manage them, we can get him to prepare a whole bunch of backup networks, and we can even name the process¡­ cloud computing¡­¡±

 Chapter 1566 - Under the Night Sky

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After discussing the matter with everyone, Lily¡¯s naming sense notwithstanding, her idea to let Zorm utilize the high-speed data network to create a galactic-scale mind chain was a splendid one.


    On top of that, Hao Ren was actually fine with the name¡­ But, after considering the fact that the fool actually named his daughter ¡°Lil Pea¡±, everyone concurred that his naming sense was about as good as the dog¡¯s. Ignoring him was the best form of acknowledgment.


    Lily¡¯s idea was quickly put through a quick simulation and given the green light. Nolan ran an analysis based on the bandwidth of the ¡°data highway¡±, which the droid swarm had set up, and the peak of data flow when Zorm performed any mental functions. She came to the conclusion that the data network relay currently being set up by the busy droids was sufficient for Zorm to transfer his will over to the planet. It would not affect the ecosystem engineering work back on Tannagost.


    Inversely, while the central nerves of the First Born on the Executor¡¯s homeworld had mostly withered, creating an artificial nervous system was not a particularly high-tech task. After solving the biggest issue (creating an artificial brain and its programming), getting the engineering droids on the planet to create a batch of artificial nerves was about as easy as building a simple house. The aforementioned artificial nerves were simply a bundle of physical connectors that were tough enough and able to support high-speed transmission in addition to a connector-converter port that could be placed on the First Born¡¯s biological structure. Besides, these neural networks had already been completed before. The first of the works to be completed on Purgatory when they created an artificial brain was the artificial nerves, so this time around, it was a piece of cake.


    Now that there were new droid swarms responding to Hao Ren¡¯s command and arriving on the Executor¡¯s star system each day, on top of an increase in manpower, the most repetitive, low-tech jobs could be completed in no time. Nolan even took the opportunity to set up the antenna system used to analyze the crystal¡¯s resonance.


    The planet had seen its first peaceful night. For the past thousands of years, such a night was few and far in between.


    That night, there were no cries of combat, and it was not just that day. For the past 72 hours, the planet was not subjected to any bombing runs from Zenith, and the long, arduous war finally came to its longest ¡°ceasefire¡± period.


    As night fell, everything quietened down. It was a moonless and starless night. Thick clouds had obscured all forms of light, and darkness enveloped the world. On the scorched and hole-riddled plains, the only source of light came from the forward base, which the droids were busy building.


    The shield system of the forward base was now online, and the new energy field separated the argent city of steel from the burnt war zone outside. It was a dark and unwelcoming wasteland on the outside, but a bright and secure base on the inside. The environment gave the outsiders a measure of peace: not easy when you were light years away from home.


    Rollie had already snuck out of her room. In true feline fashion, she maintained the finest of her kin¡¯s traditions: to not sleep at night and to run about. Of course, she had her own reasoning: Big Boss Cat lacked any survival skills and needed her to patrol the parameter so that he, Big Dumb Cat, and the other Big Cats at home could sleep safely at night. Lil Pea was on her head as she went round and round, her glowing cat eyes filled with curiosity. This ¡°new place¡± was pretty right up her alley.


    ¡°I¡¯m swheeepy!¡± Lil Pea was holding on to two tufts of hair by Rollie¡¯s ear to secure herself on the catgirl¡¯s head while grumbling, ¡°You lied to me! Roaming at night isn¡¯t as fun as you said! I wanna swheep!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you don¡¯t get it, nya. It¡¯s very interesting!¡± the catgirl explained seriously as she tried to keep her head steady so that the little fish would not fall off. ¡°One last round, then we sleep.¡±


    ¡°Last round, okay? Daddy said so. We need to sleep pwoperly or you¡¯ll be a shorty, and you¡¯ll shed scales.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have scales.¡±


    ¡°Fur then.¡±


    On the veranda at a corner of the base, Hao Ren and Vivian, while enjoying the night breeze, caught sight of the roaming Rollie and Lil Pea on her head. The two looked on curiously before Vivian bumped Hao Ren¡¯s arm. ¡°What is Rollie doing out there at this hour?¡±


    ¡°Who knows? Probably hunting for rats.¡±


    Vivian raised an eyebrow. ¡°There are rats over here?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t be catching fish, right? She already has one on her head.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°Anyway, the base¡¯s security system is already based on authorization, and there¡¯s the barrier as well. We don¡¯t have to worry about that cat running out so just let her have her fun. It¡¯s better than having her scratch the door at midnight.¡±


    Vivian gazed at Hao Ren for a while before she grabbed his hand. ¡°You seem troubled.¡±


    Hao Ren looked up at the cloudy sky, and he realized that he could not hide his troubles from Vivian. This countess, while a mess herself in her lifetime, had exceedingly sharp senses. Otherwise, she would not have flown over moments after he got out for some air.


    ¡°We now understand where the Executors come from, and we have witnessed the civilization surviving and completing their salvation as well as legacy transfer on their own. They¡¯ve also discovered the truth about the First Born¡¯s brain-dead condition and found clues linked to the crystal planet. Now, even the matter regarding the First Born here has a proper solution.¡±


    Vivian listened intently without a word because she knew Hao Ren had more to say.


    Hao Ren stopped for a bit before he let out a sigh. ¡°But one thing has yet to change: the fact that we are still stuck on this planet.¡±


    Vivian combed her slightly messy hair as she said, ¡°Because of this you aren¡¯t sleeping and are out here getting some air?¡±


    Hao Ren raised his eyebrow in reply. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a huge problem?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been through worst. This is nothing but being temporarily stranded on a planet.¡± Vivian¡¯s tone was calm, almost whimsical. ¡°At least we¡¯re all in one piece, and the ship is fixed. We¡¯ve even set up a base here. Surviving here for some time isn¡¯t a problem, hence I don¡¯t see the need to be so worried.¡±


    Hao Ren knew that Vivian said so much just to assuage him. Sighing again, he went, ¡°But the divinity lockdown is still in place. Didn¡¯t we test it out earlier? We tried to fly around the edge of the system and not even two light-years, in we¡¯ve run into it. If not for Nolan¡¯s speed, there would¡¯ve been another major catastrophe. That means the Divine Storm locking down Star Cluster X has never ceased.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t the droid swarm come over safely? They didn¡¯t suffer any attacks. That means the lockdown has a set pattern, and there will be a way to overcome it. We just haven¡¯t found it yet.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled. ¡°At least there¡¯s something to be happy about.¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re here getting some air because all of us are trapped here together with you.¡± Vivian stared Hao Ren in the eye. ¡°I know you. You wouldn¡¯t be all glum just because you¡¯ve run into some trouble. Perhaps a few years ago, yes, but after that 10,000-year travel back in time, your will is about as strong as the will of any long-lived race.¡±


    Hao Ren was at a slight loss as he looked at Vivian. ¡°Why do you have to be so sharp¡­¡±


    ¡°My 10,000 years of living have not gone to the dogs,¡± Vivian quipped, not forgetting to take a potshot at Lily in the process. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. You may think this is your fault, but what¡¯s an adventure without its trials and tribulations? If we were looking for peace and quiet, do you think we would have come along?¡±


    ¡°I know, but¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no but here.¡± Vivian pinched Hao Ren on the arm. ¡°You think any Tom, Dick, and Harry can go around adventuring with you? We¡¯ve seen plenty of things, and all of us came along willingly. You¡¯ve helped reunite the Nangongs, helped Y¡¯zak and Y¡¯lisabet find each other, and that doggie. Just feeding her alone is enough for that husky to follow you to the end of the world. Then there¡¯s Lil Pea. Her coming along is better than her being stuck at home. Me? Without question. We¡¯re together now, an uncommon pair of long-living beings. What sort of partner would leave the other half behind?¡±


    Hao Ren was indeed brooding over the reasons Vivian had listed, and after listening to her, he felt a little better. He realized that Vivian was right, but he still pointed at the adventuring kitty with the half-asleep little mermaid on her head in an empty field not too far away. ¡°If you put it like that, she¡¯s probably the most miserable of the lot without any ambition, only wanting to chomp on dried fish and sleep. Having to accompany me on this alien planet, it¡¯s a wonder she can still appear so happy.¡±


    ¡°You just said it yourself. She¡¯s happy every day. That means she doesn¡¯t find her current situation bad.¡± Vivian sniggered. ¡°Her mind is still that of a cat so she won¡¯t notice anything beyond those that immediately impact her living space. All that little rascal wants is a comfy bed and a full belly. In her eyes, her whole world probably revolves around a one-hundred-meter radius with you as the center. As long these hundred meters stay constant, her world stays constant.¡±


    Hao Ren could accept the rest, but the last part of Vivian¡¯s speech was so idealistic that he had to interrupt her, ¡°You¡¯re giving her too much credit. Cats are known to be hard to domesticate, and Rollie¡¯s a stray cat turned domestic. You know how much of a headache she was when she threw a tantrum. The only difference is that she couldn¡¯t speak. Now that she can¡­ it¡¯s a real pain.¡±


    While he was deep in thought, Rollie had already made her way there since who knows when. The agile kitty quickly clambered up the veranda as she held Lil Pea in one hand. Giving Hao Ren a curious look, she asked, ¡°Big Boss Cat, what are you talking about?¡±


    Hao Ren was surprised by the sudden purr, and he looked down at the dumb cat before he asked out of curiosity, ¡°Say¡­ why do you need to keep Lil Pea on your head?¡±


    That was one of the biggest mysteries ever since Rollie gained her human form. No one knew where she got the habit from, but when she was with Lil Pea, she would insist on having the latter on her head. While Lil Pea was happy about it, the catgirl¡¯s thought process was rather difficult to grasp.


    After she heard Hao Ren¡¯s question, Rollie stood there for a moment as she titled her head to think (at the same time, she never forgot to hold on to the sleeping Lil Pea) before she answered happily, ¡°It¡¯s because small ones should always be on the head!¡±


    Hao Ren was thrown off by the dumb cat¡¯s almost meaningless answer for almost a minute before he recalled something that he had almost totally forgotten.


    It was a few years ago when Rollie was a little kitten. The shivering kitten barged into his place during a storm, and it took many days for him to nurse her back to health. During that time, the little kitty learned a weird habit of climbing onto his shoulder or head to rest. When he was in a good mood, Hao Ren would not stop the kitten and would sometimes even actively allow her to do so.


    A roughly twenty-year-old NEET playing at home with a cat on his head¡­ Just remembering it made him realize how sad he was, but that was really just for fun.


    Once the kitten grew, he never allowed Rollie to randomly climb all over him¡­ because she was just too heavy¡­


    And it was out of the question right then as well.


    The catgirl stared at Hao Ren for a good while, waiting for a reply before she got impatient and tapped Hao Ren on the arm with her paw. ¡°So what were you talking about Big Boss Cat?!¡±


    ¡°Nothing, I was just praising you.¡±


    The catgirl was happy. ¡°Oh!¡±


    She then brought Lil Pea back to her room.


    ¡°You see. Told you so,¡± Vivian said as she witnessed Rollie leave happily before she turned back to Hao Ren with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re worried over nothing.¡±


    Hao Ren looked up at the alien planet¡¯s sky. The clouds parted as the clear outline of the moon started to appear, bathing the land with her gentle glow.

 Chapter 1567 - Construction, Wholehearted Construction

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Even though the Divine Storm around Star Cluster X showed no signs of abating, the droids¡¯ movements were not affected by it.


    Being on an emergency call, batches of droids entered the ancient and mysterious star system from the series of ¡°faults¡± in that dimension. They moved toward the Executor homeworld, where Hao Ren was situated. The droids had begun to build all kinds of star forts as well as manufacturing plants across the vast space, and most of them were starting to take shape.


    Barren asteroids were anchored together and turned into a base, while starports and connection tubes were built between the asteroids. A massive spaceborne infrastructure was slowly taking shape within the dark void. The droids worked day and night, building factories, hives, antenna arrays¡­ The structures were expanding at breakneck speed across the stars like an insect swarm. The first batch of droids had already left the production line a long time ago at that point, and they were pressed into the next phase of expansion.


    With the terrifying highly efficient expansion now fully operational, the works on the Executors¡¯ homeworld now had the required ¡°manpower¡±, moving rapidly into the next construction phase.


    Around the rift by the side of the forward base, the droid swarm had already completed the first phase of terraformation. The scorched earth and ruins were given a further cleanup. The craters and tiny cracks were all covered by argent alloy while the rift itself was reinforced using layers of alloy. At the edge of the almost metallic canyon were a few massive towers sticking out of the surface, and around the towers were massive stabilizing cables. These cables were about two meters thick, and one end was laid out in order next to the data center at the empty field by the rift, awaiting connection. In contrast, the other end snaked deep inside the rift along the walls, as though connecting directly to the planet¡¯s core.


    A huge number of droids had shifted into atmospheric operation mode and were milling about busily around the cables as well as their surroundings. They were checking the cables and their connection with the First Born¡¯s ancient nervous system while also sending the signal code to the data center whereby preliminary connection could be attained by the afternoon.


    The data center was not too far away, by the rift. There were three hexagonal buildings, each about a hundred meters tall in a triangular layout. These buildings had a beautiful argent shell and looked really futuristic. On the base of the buildings, a few cables had already been connected and welded shut.


    That was only the engineering on the surface. There were even more awesome works going on underground.


    The reason was that only a data processing center was built on the surface, while deep under, a total overhaul of the First Born¡¯s nervous system was required. The cables on the surface extended deep down into the heart of the planet, passing through the crust and the mantle before reaching the nerve points deep within the planet. To ensure that the entire thing was stable, Hao Ren decided to simply rid the First Born of any nerve clusters that had been poisoned by the crystals, and replace them with man-made structures. Now, thousands of droids were busy inside the caverns and faults in the crust as well as the mantle, connecting the artificial nerves with the First Born¡¯s biological clusters together. At the same time, they also built secondary data processing units at special connecting ports to help with the system¡¯s stability.


    The size of each piece of equipment was no less than the size of an underground metropolis.


    Just like Hao Ren had said, the First Born there was in a sorrier state than the one on Purgatory. It was a critical patient with most of its nervous system rotting away, and fixing it required drilling through an entire planet.


    Rollie swiftly clambered up one of the tower complexes, and only after she found a flat spot did she heave a sigh of relief. She then took Lil Pea out of her bag and carefully placed the little one on her head. ¡°See, we can see the entire canyon here! Doesn¡¯t it look like fish jerky?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but Daddy said not to simply run around!¡± Lil Pea said as she tapped the catgirl¡¯s head with her tail.


    ¡°I¡¯m not simply running around, nya!¡± Rollie said with her arms on her waist. ¡°Big Boss Cat said not to run pass that fence (energy barrier). He never said anything about not coming here. If you rat me out, I won¡¯t bring you out to play again.¡±


    Lil Pea tapped her tail again and did not say anything else. Rollie then pulled a piece of paper and a few crayons out of her bag. She spread the paper on the ground before she grabbed a handful of crayons and started to draw clumsily.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Lil Pea poked her head out and asked curiously.


    As she drew clumsily, Rollie explained, ¡°This is my diary! Big Dumb Cat says that writing a diary is a good habit. It can make me smart, and I can go to university. There¡¯s fish in the university¡¯s canteen, but I think writing¡¯s so troublesome; drawing is easier.¡±


    She seemed to be in a good mood as she drew. Her tail curled into all sorts of shapes. Hao Ren had expended lots of energy trying to teach the cat to read and write, but it seemed that it was to little effect. The cat seemed to be happier drawing than writing.


    However, Rollie¡¯s good mood did not last long because she soon realized her spanking new papers were missing an edge at the lower-left corner. On them was a line of tooth marks.


    ¡°Nyaa!!! You ate my diary!¡± the catgirl said as she leaped up, her tail bristling. She grabbed Lil Pea by the head and placed her before her ¡°diary¡±. ¡°Your tooth marks are still there!¡±


    ¡°I thought¡­ this was a snack you prepared for me¡­¡± Lil Pea stuck her tongue out. ¡°And you put me together with them¡­ I couldn¡¯t help myself¡­¡±


    The catgirl totally could not accept Lil Pea¡¯s excuse. It had never occurred to her that placing Lil Pea and paper together would produce such an outcome. She only shook her head stubbornly. ¡°No can¡¯t do. You need to replace my diary!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just paper, you haven¡¯t even finished your first drawing!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re all part of my diary!¡±


    ¡°How do I replace them? I can¡¯t spit them out.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then let me bite you once?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°A lick will do as well, nya!¡±


    ¡°No. Gross!¡±


    ¡­


    Lily¡¯s ears twitched a little as she looked up into the distance. ¡°I thought I heard Rollie and Lil Pea¡¯s voices¡­¡±


    Hao Ren turned to face the direction that the werehusky was looking at and only saw the edge of the base along with the tower structure facing the construction site of the ¡°long-range cognition array¡±. Shaking his head, he said, ¡°I didn¡¯t hear them.¡±


    He then turned back and looked at N-6 and N-4 before him.


    Behind the two Executors were rows and rows of personnel, whom N-4 had brought with her, in addition to a few other unfamiliar faces.


    The unfamiliar faces had been ferried over by the Petrachelys to the base. They were originally stationed on the moon base, but just before the mainframe departed, it had left behind directives for these select few Executors to be the new ¡°administration team¡± of the new Executor civilization.


    Hao Ren heard that they were planning to emulate the humans and set up a Tribunal to lead their kind.


    Hao Ren looked at the new arrivals and saw them as a group of confused and dazed ¡°youngsters¡±. Although every Executor looked like an adult and possessed the required mentality as well as knowledge when they walked off the assembly line, in actuality, none of them were more than fifteen years old. Even N-4 with her eleven-year service was already considered an experienced and well-read veteran. The newly-redeployed officers from the moon base averaged at the same age too.


    The Executors¡¯ knowledge could be downloaded from the Bibliotheca, and they each had a complex logic circuit and a simulated nerve network. All that led to them requiring some life experiences to create their own personality. Just like N-4 and N-6, who had been equipped with the same basic databank, due to their time in service, had developed into two distinct entities. That was the manifestation of their learning and self-upgrading.


    Yet, the long war resulted in only a handful of Executors being able to live for a long enough period, so when the Cortex Prime died, it left behind an overly ¡°young¡± race. Even the eleven-year-old N-4 ended up becoming one of the administrators.


    Today, N-4¡¯s comrades had come to bring her back to the moon base to take over that position.


    Also leaving was N-6. While she lacked the experience to become an administrator, she was the first Executor to run the ¡°Final Code¡± and gain her freedom. She had also received upgrades using alien technology, therefore she had better hardware and growth space. As a result, she was also absorbed as a member of the Tribunal.


    Hao Ren looked N-4 in the eye. ¡°So how¡¯s it going? Do you have the confidence you need for your new job?¡±


    ¡°It is my duty,¡± N-4 answered the same way she would normally. ¡°I will do my best.¡±


    ¡°And frankly, the problems we face are plenty,¡± an Executor from the moon base spoke. He was a short-haired male with a seemingly cheerful and chatty nature. He started a conversation with Hao Ren. ¡°The Cortex Prime has left us, and we now need to decide on what we need to do next. While our logic circuits already have the needed programming, no one knows if we will be able to do it properly.¡±


    ¡°You will face a massive paradigm shift,¡± said Y¡¯zaks, who had experience running an empire before. ¡°The war will end, and your focus will need to shift to other necessities. There¡¯ll be a change in production, reallocation of materials, and production capacity. You¡¯ll even need to change your societal structure to be a part of a one-of-a-kind civilization. And not too long later, you may even need to return here to rebuild your homeworld. These are all things you have yet to do before.¡±


    Vivian nodded gently. ¡°Your creators have left an entire civilization to you, and its needs aren¡¯t just as simple as warfare.¡±


    ¡°Rebuilding our homeworld¡­¡± The young Executor looked into the distance, and the first thing he saw was the incredible alien base. However, his eyes did not stop at the majestic buildings. They trained even farther, finally landing on the lush mountains and thick jungles.


    The Executors were silicon-based beings, yet their creators had been born in a carbon-based world that was full of life, so they need to protect the planet. Perhaps, this life would even spread to other planets they may visit in the future. For these Executors who had lived their lives on a cold and barren moon, to live and expand on such a planet was a brand new subject.


    Despite that, the subject got them excited.


    Hao Ren added, ¡°We¡¯ve also almost completed the transformation of the First Born or the Devourer. Its cognitive organs have been totally destroyed and replaced, and a gentle consciousness will be taking over the dead body. Once that¡¯s done, you can return properly to your homeworld without fearing any more attacks.¡±


    A few harmless landings on the planet¡¯s surface would not trigger the tentacles¡¯ attack, but the movement of the entire Executor race from the moon back to the planet would definitely trigger the ¡°alarm¡± in the tentacles. Therefore, until Hao Ren had completed his job planetside, the androids would have to stay on the moon base for a good while.


    Of course, they did not need to wait too long. Since they did not need to build a cognition core, the droid swarm could complete the artificial neural network transference project within the next few days. The massive wireless receiver could also be completed simultaneously. Once Zorm¡¯s consciousness was extended over there, the exiles on the moon base could finally return home.


    ¡°All Executors now know about every one of you,¡± the young Executor spoke. ¡°We hope to show our thanks and appreciation, even if all our thanks would not suffice for what you have done for us.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. This is part of my job anyway.¡± Hao Ren waved him off. ¡°But if you really want to thank me¡­ then live well. That is the biggest thanks you can give to us, and also your creators.

 Chapter 1568 - Nolan Scores a Big Find

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Before returning to base, the Executors from the moon visited the data center and the antenna array, which were in construction, with Hao Ren in the lead.


    The marvelous sight of the super high tech equipment astounded them.


    ¡°We never thought that we could resolve the threat of the Planet Devourer this way¡­¡± An Executor called 16-C looked at the tower complex before him, her voice filled with awe. ¡°We always knew it was a living being, but no one dared to think about controlling a planet-sized monster¡­ We weren¡¯t even sure if it had any cognitive organ.¡±


    ¡°It obviously has that, and not just one. But, all of them were destroyed.¡± Hao Ren looked at the tower complex too. Rather than being awed like the Executors, he was, instead, inspecting the building. ¡°We only came up with this solution after some research. The Devourer had already completely fused with your homeworld, and it couldn¡¯t be removed. Killing it would have also caused a catastrophic effect against the planet, so the best course of action was to control it. This tower is a piece of long-range communication e+uipment, and it can transfer volumes of data beyond your imagination without any lag from one end of the galaxy to the other. Once received, the data will be transferred to the data processing center, and that¡¯s comprised of the squarish complexes you saw earlier. Upon being converted to nerve impulses, the data will be transferred through the artificial nerves to various points within the mantle. These contact points are connected to the Devourer¡¯s biological system, and with that, the massive being will fully be under our control.¡±


    16-C was a short-haired and rather tall female who was blunt and direct. After she listened to Hao Ren¡¯s explanation, she did not hide her concerns. ¡°This method will indeed resolve the issue, but our people will still worry because our homeworld won¡¯t be completely safe. The reason for its potential destruction is still around and only dormant. It is a hidden danger.¡±


    Hao Ren understood the perfectly reasonable concern, and for these Executors who had fought against the First Born for thousands of years, they could not picture a ¡°gentle First Born¡±. And as long as a First Born was on the planet, they would never be fully at peace.


    However, Hao Ren did not mind it. He smiled. ¡°Is this your opinion, or the opinion of your people?¡±


    16-C nodded matter-of-factly. ¡°It is my own as of now.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes we need to make tough choices,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°Rather than the planet totally collapsing on itself, this is the best outcome. I can guarantee that the ¡®Devourer¡¯ will always be under our control, and for the long term as well. You don¡¯t have to worry about it going rogue.¡±


    ¡°¡­That will become a point of contention for many.¡± 16-C was a little helpless. ¡°Our homeworld¡¯s survival and demise will be in your hands. After this facility is completed, with just an order, you can easily destroy this planet.¡±


    ¡°And I can only say that your concerns are legitimate.¡± Facing such a sensitive question, Hao Ren could only be frank. ¡°Any words won¡¯t change the fact of the matter. This planet will indeed be under our control for the foreseeable future. We will be controlling it for a long time. It¡¯s to ensure safety, and it will indirectly cause you some psychological distress. As for your concern, I can only ask you to look at the bigger picture. Even if we don¡¯t control your planet via the Devourer, we have plenty of other ways to determine the life and death of this planet. But I won¡¯t be trigger happy because I, too, am following a series of rules, and these rules dictate that I need to protect as well as aid a ¡®good civilization¡¯ like yours. Under most circumstances, I will not interfere.¡±


    16-C frowned while she pondered what a ¡°good civilization¡± meant. Besides, what were those ¡°rules¡± that Hao Ren had mentioned? N-6, noticing that the atmosphere was getting awkward, finally spoke as she looked at Hao Ren, ¡°I¡¯m willing to trust you, even though I was wary at first¡­¡±


    ¡°Building trust requires time.¡± Hao Ren smiled. ¡°We don¡¯t need to force each other to grind any exalted reputation. As long as we can make sure that we¡¯re neutral or friendly, that¡¯s fine. As time passes, I believe you¡¯ll realize that there are still friends you can trust in this cruel universe.¡±


    16-C did not speak any further and nodded as she fell into deep thought. She then stared curiously at the bug-and-robot-like droids that were flying about and installing equipment on the tower before her.


    That tower was the ¡°long-range cognition array¡± antenna system, and once completed, it would be a few thousand meters tall and wide. It would be visible from space! A large amount of antenna gain along with the high-powered communication module could easily allow the building to receive any cognitive signals from the unmanned relays and transfer them to the cognition array¡¯s three data centers. The droids were now setting up the basic frame of the antenna system, and beneath the frame, many artificial nerve cables were being connected while they ran preliminary diagnostics.


    Before the construction even started, Hao Ren had contacted Zorm, who was busy creating new emoticons in CARS. After he found out that he would soon obtain a real body, Zorm was, of course, elated. Following that, he discovered the situation of his new body: its original owner was a First Born that had descended into madness and almost destroyed the civilization as well as ecosystem it was supposed to protect. However, Zorm did not mind all that. His only concern was the possibility that the once rotten body would leave any contaminants, but Hao Ren had already looked into the issue and assured Zorm that everything was safe. The crystals infused with the powers of the goddess of creation had totally killed the nervous system in the new body; the toxin could not be cleansed and was fatal to the original owner¡¯s body. But for Hao Ren, there was no better ¡°cleansing¡± than that.


    As for requiring a long-distance connection to control the body, Zorm was also surprised when he first heard about it, nevertheless, the gentle and strong First Born had no objections. Having a new body was good enough news for him. Provided that the network was up to speed, whether the brain was part of the body or not was immaterial.


    From then on, Zorm¡¯s basis of life had become WIFI (no mistakes here.)


    Hao Ren also briefed Zorm on Lily¡¯s ¡°cloud computing¡± idea, of course. He only hid that god awful name from him. Zorm showed extreme interest in the idea, indicating that his one-mind-many-use ability was very handy and that he would definitely be able to cope.


    Hao Ren wondered how Zorm would live from then on, with his body stuck in the CARS cabin. Once connected to the WIFI, Zorm would create a number of alternate accounts and play the real-life version of ¡°Stellaris[1]¡± across the stars. During his free time, he would probably play emoji-battle with the droids or the station¡¯s mainframe. If he ever lost the WIFI connection, he would be as good as dead¡­


    He would definitely be fast friends with White Flame, that was for sure.


    While N-4 and N-6 wanted to stay in their homeworld a while longer, the moon base needed urgent manpower so they left for the moon base by the Petrachelys (normal Executor transportation still triggered an adverse reaction from the First Born, so they avoided using them). The task force crew members who had nothing to do also left with them.


    The departure of the Executors did not leave the base quiet as an increasing number of droids came in from space to join the construction works. Many more construction projects commenced at the same time, turning the base and its surroundings into a rather lively place. Even when night fell, the tireless droids continued to remain busy.


    The construction modules deployed from space to the planet were swiftly assembled by the droids, and every other hour, a new facility or massive equipment would go online. By the time the sun rose again the next day, the area looked totally different once more.


    Hao Ren and the rest gathered in the lounge after dinner to rest, drink, and play games. It was wider than the other rest areas on the base, and not cramped like the little bar on the Petrachelys.


    With the droids being deployed, everyone could still live in a degree of comfort on the foreign planet. Now that the forward base was online, they rarely ever returned to the ship.


    That left Nolan grumbling at first but the shipgirl soon found a way to rid herself of boredom: she had gotten hold of one of the droids and sent it to the lab for conversion. After installing a number of holographic displays and sensory modules, she then used the droid as a conduit to move around in the base.


    The almost fully-overhauled droid was now sitting in the lounge. Half of Nolan¡¯s body was being projected above its roundish head while its tentacles beneath held a number of cards. It was happily playing Landlord with the Nangong siblings.


    Vivian squinted as she held a teacup. ¡°Frankly speaking, besides the fact that we¡¯re stuck here, we¡¯re actually still living pretty comfortably.¡±


    Lily hugged her tail in the corner and whined sadly when she heard what Vivian said. ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re not losing any money by being here¡­ I¡¯m anxious over¡­ I still owe a magazine two articles¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like there¡¯s no internet here. Why don¡¯t you just send it over once you¡¯re done with it?¡± Vivian gave her a weird look. ¡°This isn¡¯t like Collow, where we totally lost connection. I was actually curious about this, but it never crossed my mind to ask.¡±


    Lily suddenly perked up as she hugged her tail. ¡°Huh? We can connect to the Internet?¡±


    She then hugged her tail and felt sad again. ¡°Ahh¡­. so sad¡­ Even when I¡¯m exiled on a planet I still need to submit my work¡­ Is there any other woo-ay¡­¡±


    Vivian glared at the werehusky. ¡°Hypocrite.¡±


    Hao Ren was playing a round of Gomoku with Lil Pea, and after a long hard victory, he got up to stretch. He overheard Vivian and Lily¡¯s conversation. Remembering what Vivian told him when he was frustrated the other day, he smiled.


    At that very moment, the droid Nolan was controlling suddenly threw her cards and dashed toward Hao Ren. ¡°Boss, the droid swarm we sent to scout deep space has just sent a transmission! We probably have a new lead on the thing you asked me to check on!¡±


    Vivian looked up with interest. ¡°Thing? What thing?¡±


    Hao Ren grinned. ¡°The divine energy motion-mapping that¡¯s locking down Star Cluster X.¡±

 Chapter 1569 - A Find in Deep Space

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Being stuck on that planet was not their long term plan, but leaving the star system was not going to be easy. The Divine Storm around Star Cluster X did not show any signs of abating, and while the stars looked peaceful, as soon as Hao Ren left the system¡¯s gravitational sphere, it would trigger an energy surge within the area. All navigational routes would be blocked, hyperjumps prevented, and the navigational computer would be on bluescreen.


    At such a juncture, even a trip back home was a risky undertaking, forget investigating the ancient and mysterious star system further.


    To change this depressing back-foot situation, Hao Ren first tried to understand what the surrounding divine storm was actually about. He wanted to understand its strength, structure, operation, and most importantly, how it detected an intruder.


    Everyone had arrived at the forward base¡¯s control center. There was a giant holographic projector and data control terminal, which could perform real-time control and data transfer between the Petrachelys and droid swarms. Nolan had moved all the information from the droids there and created an easy-to-understand series of reports as well as diagrams.


    ¡°I sent out twenty-two probe units with this planet as the center in a large area search, and this is the result of the search.¡±


    On the big holographic display, a massive amount of silver lines and mists appeared over an originally starry universe. The weaving lines and mists formed a net-like 3D structure, covering the entire galaxy in a very complex pattern. This pattern changed with each moment; every second, every minute, it was changing and reorganizing itself in a complex pattern. Some old structures would disappear, and new ones appeared when the silver lines crossed one another. The whole network was operating like a living being in a confusing and ceaseless manner.


    Looking at the network, an image appeared in Hao Ren¡¯s mind: the silver lines of divine power across the universe shook and traversed across light-years of space every time. It seemed like there was an unseen massive system that was allowing this power to operate day and night, and anyone who crossed paths with it would be crushed, as though they were in a millstone. He almost fell into that situation himself.


    What was the goddess of creation hiding in that place? Was the powerful system a secretive entity on its own, or was it a wall to protect this secret?


    ¡°How big is the actual map on the display?¡± Vivian asked.


    The droid Nolan was controlling flew to the front of the projection before it started to tinker around with its tentacles. ¡°This is only about one-fifth of the entire Star Cluster X. Our probes are at their limit now. The farther in, the stronger the Divine Storm is. And there are many active explosion points. They could be traps, and rushing in headlong would probably end badly for us. Plus, the droid swarm¡¯s operation zone is limited. Going too far in will cut them off from any support or reinforcements.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°So, based on these divine structures that we¡¯re seeing, can we surmise that the entire Star Cluster X is full of them?¡±


    ¡°Basically, yes,¡± Nolan answered. ¡°These structures have a very high level of order, and they form part of the structure we have now. We can derive the entire motion sequence, and in a more reliable model, this divine structure encompasses almost 98% of the area.¡±


    ¡°I never thought this place would be hiding such stuff¡­¡± Lily pouted in awe. ¡°But we don¡¯t see it at all.¡±


    ¡°When it¡¯s dormant, the entire structure is invisible. Only a minute amount of information is actively being transferred via the background radiation, and they practically fuse together with the radiation. If the droid swarms hadn¡¯t been deploying a multi-channel probing antenna, we wouldn¡¯t have detected this. But once activated, this network will immediately draw a frightening amount of power and focus it in a small area, forming the storm that we ran into earlier. A very sensitive feedback mechanism is controlling the energy draw, and if the focused energies cannot destroy the ¡®invaders¡¯, the network will feed even more energy to that area. At the moment, we are unable to calculate the upper limit of this energy, but it is certainly enough to end us.¡±


    ¡°Clearly, a very effective security system,¡± Y¡¯zaks said, crossing his arms. ¡°The goddess is probably using it to protect something.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps she¡¯s protecting that crystal planet!¡± Lily quipped, wagging her tail.


    ¡°So have we found the activation rhythm of this network?¡± Hao Ren asked. ¡°Why are we stopped whenever we take off, but the droids can go about freely? Does this have to do with our life signatures?¡±


    The lockdown of Star Cluster X was determined by a set rule, and this was now a known fact. Swarms upon swarms of droids were never stopped from entering the system, but a hundred-meter-long ship with barely any crew would attract a fierce divine storm. Hao Ren had also commanded Nolan to test things out at the edge of the planet system, which confirmed that the activation of the Divine Storm was regulated.


    This made him wonder if the goddess of creation had set up any filter protocol in her security system to ward off any invasive life forms.


    ¡°Since we¡¯re unable to read the data within this ¡®divine power network¡¯, I¡¯m not able to confirm what sort of assessment system it uses when it¡¯s activated. But based on our reports, we can confirm that it has some sort of sensory system and will automatically scan any object that comes into the area. It can determine the scanned object¡¯s life form and energy levels. That¡¯s the biggest difference between me and the droids; my energy levels are beyond any droid, while the life signs would be coming from you guys.¡±


    Nolan¡¯s deduction on the lockdown system¡¯s mechanism was based on the comparison between the passenger-carrying ship and unmanned droids. It was probably the most effective line of thought, and Hao Ren went along with it before he pointed out something else. ¡°Also¡­ all of us have divinity within us, but the droids don¡¯t. We have complete mental faculty, but the droids are only a little part of the hivemind, and they could be seen as being without any cognitive abilities. Plus, the psionic purity level of the Petrachelys is way higher than the droids¡¯¡ª¡±


    Vivian then interjected, ¡°Perhaps the lockdown was designed to block me alone? I¡¯m probably the most unique being around here, and I¡¯m created by the goddess of creation herself. Now that I¡¯ve recovered the divinity left by the goddess, my presence is about as obvious as a lighthouse¡¯s.


    Lily threw Vivian a glance before she added, ¡°If so, that means the goddess of creation was already rather screwed up. Don¡¯t forget, the map to this place was from your head. Did the goddess leave that map in you just to stop you at the gate?¡±


    Hao Ren coughed dryly. ¡°Ahem, the goddess of creation¡¯s problem is well known. She did, after all, suffer a mental fracture.¡±


    ¡°I think we¡¯re going off-topic here.¡± Nangong Sanba looked around before he gave his opinion, ¡°Since we can¡¯t determine the factor that¡¯s activating the ¡®security system¡¯, why don¡¯t we try this; first, let Nolan fly out without any passengers. If she¡¯s intercepted, then it means that the ship is the problem. If not, let her bring a few of us along to test it and see who¡¯s actually being targeted by the system¡­¡±


    Wuyue gave her brother a surprised look before she grabbed him by the waist with her tail and spun him about. ¡°Brother, your idea is surprisingly good!¡±


    There were only afterimages of Nangong Sanba being spun around. ¡°Then¡­ why are you spi- spinning me for?!!¡±


    Wuyue retorted without a hint of regret, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m celebrating. It¡¯s become a habit.¡±


    Hao Ren agreed with Nangong Sanba¡¯s idea too (at the same time, he was also a little sympathetic). ¡°Nolan, give it a try, but safety comes first. If you get caught outside the divinity net, you won¡¯t be able to come back.¡±


    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll head back now to test it out.¡± Nolan nodded before she switched the images on the holographic display. ¡°I made another discovery regarding the divine powers within Star Cluster X; you may be more interested in this.¡±


    With a flash on the screen, Hao Ren saw a faintly-glowing mist and dust-covered disc-shaped structure appearing in the middle of the image. It was in a milky-beige color and around the glowing disc was a large amount of diffusion debris. The whole thing looked like the ancient dust cloud of an incomplete star.


    Hao Ren recognized the object at a glance. ¡°Isn¡¯t this one of those weird energy bodies the droids found across Star Cluster X?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Nolan answered. ¡°These energy bodies are scattered across the entire system without much coordination. Based on current calculations, this system probably has thousands of them. And a few hours ago, an exploratory probe approached one of them, and took this pretty closeup picture.¡±


    Hao Ren asked, ¡°Have you figured out what these energy bodies are?¡±


    ¡°Not yet, but the droids have recorded some interesting information.¡±


    Vivian who was by the side raised her eyebrows. ¡°What information?¡±


    ¡°Some were sent directly by the object to the droid while some were intercepted. These are the results after translation¡­¡± Nolan immediately displayed the information on the screen.


    ¡°Detected unauthorized unit approaching. Please provide your contact authorization or identification serial.


    ¡°Did not receive verification signals. Please do not approach, or coercive actions will be taken.


    ¡°Unable to contact central command, response solution affected ¨C destroy the unverified unit.¡±


    The next second, the seemingly formless cloud of light and gas suddenly radiated as the blurry diffusion belt became an elegant line like a crystal ¡°pillar¡±. This curved ¡°pillar¡± then blasted out a powerful beam, and that was the last image sent by the droid.


    It had been destroyed.

 Chapter 1570 - Mine-Running Nolan

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    As he saw the laser beam and the screen turning into a buzzing still picture, Hao Ren knew that the droid had been destroyed. This was not too surprising since the droids were not particularly sturdy objects, including the combat variants. It also appeared that the massive light cloud was not to be trifled with, but most importantly, what the heck was that thing?


    ¡°We can now be sure that this is not some natural phenomenon,¡± Hao Ren said seriously. ¡°It is man-made.¡±


    ¡°And this thing¡­ can even communicate, so it must have some sort of logic system to it,¡± Vivian continued. ¡°The thing is we don¡¯t know if it¡¯s operated by a crew.¡±


    ¡°The droid only had limited contact with the latter, and barely a few sentences later, it was destroyed, so the information we¡¯ve gathered is quite insufficient,¡± Nolan said as she waved her droid¡¯s tentacles about. ¡°The collated information we have now is as such: first, the light clouds are not a natural occurrence. They¡¯re some sort of man-made being, probably guardians left behind by the goddess of creation. Next, they also broadcast authorization requests, but if any outsiders fail to provide valid identification data, they will be attacked. And lastly, the light clouds, at the very least, have the ability to morph. They can materialize a part of their formless body and attack from the materialized part. This transformation means that they not only do they possess the form that we¡¯ve just seen, but under other circumstances, they could change into entirely different forms.¡±


    ¡°What if we communicate with them?¡± Hao Ren asked with a frown. ¡°What happens if we send them a communication request?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way to communicate. They are either running on an automatic system, or the controller behind them is very rigid. I¡¯ve sent two other droids over, but whenever no contact authorization or identification serial is provided, the ¡®light cloud¡¯ does not respond and proceeds to attack. To prevent any adverse reaction from the light clouds in the system, I have to cease all forms of provocation.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s prudent to be on the safe side.¡± Hao Ren nodded in agreement with Nolan. ¡°Send the droids to monitor all activities around the light clouds and try to obtain as much long-range observation data. Once we have enough, send it back to CARS and see if Muru, as well as the rest, recognize this thingamajig. Since it may very well be something created by the goddess of creation, the guardians might be of help.¡±


    ¡°Roger that.¡±


    ¡°Say, how¡¯s that antenna array going?¡± Hao Ren recalled something. ¡°The one to locate the crystal¡¯s resonance.¡±


    ¡°The core components have already passed the lab¡¯s inspection, and the setup of the main antenna array has already been completed near the low planetary orbit. By the time each auxiliary system is online and the diagnostics completed, we can install the core. However, the surface auxiliary arrays have only just started construction, so even if the main antenna goes online, the connection will still be rather sub-par.¡±


    Hao Ren knew that there were many major construction works going on around the tiny planet and was pleased with the progress. Nodding, he said, ¡°That¡¯s fine, we¡¯re trapped here anyway. If we can¡¯t leave, it won¡¯t matter if we find that crystal planet. We don¡¯t have to rush this, and oh, did you manage to collect the things I asked you to?¡±


    ¡°Only partially. I just moved them to the second storage yard.¡±


    ¡°Collect? Collect what?¡± Vivian gave Hao Ren a curious glance. She did not hear about the arrangement prior to this.


    Hao Ren wore a mysterious smile. ¡°The droids collected them while they prospected the flats. You¡¯ll know when you see it.¡±


    The engineering droids had already brought back some of the items and were now storing them on an empty field by the side of the base.


    It was a little mound of twisted metal, which consisted of half-melted armor, broken support pillars, unrecognizable thrusters, artillery platforms, and also burnt out computer systems. All these broken pieces were piled up on the empty field, almost like a rubbish mound, and at the top of the pile, a torn-apart black metal pillar was the most eye-catching of them all.


    Regrettably, that metal pillar did not glow anymore.


    The wreckage had already cooled down for many days. The heat from atmospheric entry or the flames of combat had long died off, yet the pieces still emanated a strong charred stench. Standing before the little ¡°mound¡±, the burning smell made everyone feel like they were still on an infernal battlefield.


    Nangong Wuyue slithered carefully toward the wreckage as she used her tail to pick up a piece of broken metal and dangle it in front of her. She then turned back to Hao Ren with curiosity in her eyes. ¡°Mr. Landlord, these are¡­¡±


    ¡°The remains of the Cortex Prime.¡± Hao Ren looked up at the pile of twisted metal and subconsciously recalled its original shape: that of a majestic fortress city. ¡°I never thought the fortress would be destroyed so thoroughly and the droids could only salvage this much.¡±


    Vivian seemed to latch on to Hao Ren¡¯s idea as she asked thoughtfully, ¡°You¡¯re collecting the remains of the Cortex Prime? And you¡¯re¡­¡±


    ¡°I plan to erect a memorial plaque on the southwest corner of the plains. It was the landing point of the Cortex Prime¡¯s final piece, and it was also the spot where the humans had ¡®returned¡¯ to.¡± Hao Ren smiled. ¡°Think of it as a ¡®coming-of-age gift¡¯ for the Executors. As a budding civilization, they¡¯ll need moral support.¡±


    Vivian showed a forlorn smile. ¡°That¡¯s just so you.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled in return but did not speak further.


    The next day, Nolan got around preparing for the Star Cluster X ¡°security system¡± test, which Nangong Sanba had suggested.


    The Petrachelys was floating in the air, silently above the forward base¡¯s starport. A large number of maintenance droids and engineering droids were busy performing final maintenance checks on the ship. In order to obtain more accurate data, Hao Ren had installed a lot of sensors on the hull of the ship. Not to mention, the external equipment would need to be kept in the best possible state.


    Nolan was still using the modified droid as her conduit. She was flying to and from Hao Ren¡¯s position while blabbering and flailing her tentacles. ¡°Eh eh eh! Be careful! A girl is a delicate being! You, over there, watch it when you work on the engine¡¯s conduction plate, I just polished it! Please check underneath Hull Armor 6, I¡¯m feeling itchy down there¡­ Whoa! Who touched my generic sensor array! Scared the sh*t out of me!¡±


    Truth be told, a droid bearing Nolan¡¯s hologram flying about yelling here and there was rather cute. But that rascal¡¯s yelling only served to confuse the droids, and Hao Ren stepped forward to stop her. ¡°Can you pipe down a little? The droids are professionals, they don¡¯t need your armchair.¡±


    Nolan stopped awkwardly as a wronged expression appeared on her face. ¡°Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m nervous¡­ after almost being wrecked the last time?¡±


    Hao Ren gave her a weird look. ¡°But didn¡¯t we just go to the edge of the planet a couple of days ago? Didn¡¯t notice you being all that nervous back then¡­¡±


    Nolan¡¯s hologram held her hands out to the side (she did the same with her tentacles concurrently). ¡°I had you guys with me previously, but now I¡¯m going alone. Just thinking about flying out there and getting blasted apart by accident, then turning into floating space junk, I can feel my propulsion reactor shuddering¡­¡±


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Should that happen, I¡¯ll fly up with my shields deployed and drag your mainframe back. I¡¯m rather fond of this ship, you know.¡±


    ¡°Promise?¡±


    ¡°Promise.¡± Hao Ren shrugged, thinking that the highly-intelligent shipgirl, also his co-pilot, was rather cute. Nevertheless, once she started getting in your face, it was rather¡­


    While they spoke, the final inspection on the Petrachelys was completed, and the system standby signals, as well as the launch signals around the starport, came to life. Nolan got the droids to return to the ship while Hao Ren and the rest stood by the platform, preparing to see the ship off.


    A low rumble came from the Petrachelys as the powerful reactor sent surges of energy to the engine system and the ship slowly left the platform. Along a one-meter portion of the outer hull, a translucent screen suddenly appeared, and on it a very striking holographic projection¡­


    On the port side it was written, ¡°Top Dog Brawler¡±, and on the starboard, ¡°Galaxy¡¯s Fastest¡±¡­


    Hao Ren almost popped a vein when he saw that. ¡°Nolan!!¡±


    Yet, the starship had already blasted off, leaving everyone with a cool afterimage and the lingering scent of ionized air on the platform as Nolan¡¯s voice rang in Hao Ren¡¯s mind. ¡°Just a dose of couraaaaaageeeee¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    The courageous Nolan did not take long to break into orbit and enter the vast space.


    While she did mess around with her captain before she took off, once she entered space, Nolan was all business. There was no hint of nervousness or doubt. She set the course and quickly confirmed the conditions of the sensors before she swiftly accelerated toward the edge of the system.


    The joke before take-off was just her way of spending time with her friends; now, it was time for work.


    The ship entered hyper lightspeed and took only a short while to reach the edge of the system¡¯s gravity well. There, the effect of the sun¡¯s gravity was at its lowest point and everything looked like dust in the background.


    The vast space was barren, but Nolan knew that there was a formless border there, a demarcation line where the divine power net formed its scan. The moment she passed that line, the ancient energies across Star Cluster X would be awakened.


    During the past few days, Hao Ren had been on the Petrachelys as they tried to break out several times, but in truth, they had never managed to really pass through the border. Just being at the edge was enough to detect a sudden rise in energy readings and divine power reactions, they did not need to go farther to even see the outcome.


    ¡°No reaction¡­¡± Nolan said as she circled around the border, and her lone hologram on the bridge started muttering to herself.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go farther out then.¡±

 Chapter 1571 - New Information

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The vast space was a lonely place. Only the stars, at who knows light-years away, became one¡¯s companion. Such an endless and lonesome environment would be hard for most sentient beings to withstand, yet Nolan was already used to it. In fact, she enjoyed it.


    She really liked the feeling of being able to jet around in space without any restraint. The vast space did not cause her to feel lonely or isolated, rather, it set her totally free. She did not understand why she felt that way either, perhaps being trapped in that dream-like cycle for so long had totally changed her attitude. She was sick and tired of narrow, confined spaces, and the vastness of space was where she felt most at home.


    Just like that moment, flying about in space without any regard and enjoying the starlight that beamed upon her. If not for the fact that she had a mission to accomplish, she would have really wanted to whirl about for a few more hours.


    ¡°I¡¯ve reached the space outside the system¡¯s gravity well.¡± Nolan sent a message back. ¡°No signs of lockdown or attack. I¡¯ve only detected a very minute energy signature, probably the network performing the scan, but it seems like I¡¯ve passed the ¡®check¡¯.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s voice then came from the command link. ¡°Very good. You can make your way back, don¡¯t push your luck.¡±


    Using the sensors, Nolan gave the stars in the distance a reluctant glance before she turned the ship toward the star system and sped into hyper lightspeed.


    Very soon, she had arrived at the forward base on the Executor¡¯s planet.


    ¡°How¡¯s everything outside?¡± Lily pounced on Nolan as soon as her hologram appeared. ¡°You weren¡¯t attacked at all? Nothing popped out of nowhere and extorted you to pay a toll?¡±


    ¡°Where did that toll even come from?¡± Hao Ren pulled the werehusky to the side as he looked at Nolan nodding back at him. ¡°Well, it¡¯s good that everything was smooth sailing. So it seems like our guess was right on point. The problem isn¡¯t with the ship, rather it¡¯s us, the passengers.¡±


    ¡°In that case, who¡¯s going first?¡± Vivian crossed her arms in front of her chest as she looked around with the poise of a matriarch. ¡°Since all of us need to have a go, first or last doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    Just as Vivian finished, Nangong Sanba grabbed a bunch of cards and went over. ¡°Let¡¯s draw lots! Save ourselves the headache!¡±


    Hao Ren immediately recognized the cards as Letta Runic Cards and gasped. ¡°You actually painted on these enchanted cards for us to draw lots?¡±


    ¡°Ahem, these are junk cards anyway.¡± Nangong Sanba tilted his head, feeling slightly embarrassed. ¡°I was drinking a little too much when I was making the cards two days ago, and I accidentally poured a third of a bottle of vodka into the magic solution¡­¡±


    More like he freaking added the magic solution into the vodka!


    Hao Ren stopped just as he was about to draw his lot. ¡°Wait a minute, did you feed Lil Pea these cards?!¡±


    ¡°How did you know? Nangong Sanba asked.


    ¡°F*ck! Of course! Lil Pea was mad drunk for two hours last night, and she soaked my entire room with water! I was wondering why she stank of alcohol when she burped!¡± Hao Ren glared at Nangong Sanba, ¡°For God¡¯s sake, Lil Pea¡¯s only three years old!¡±


    In the end, with a unanimous decision, Nangong Sanba was the first to be tossed into the ship for the test while the rest drew lots.


    Just as Nangong Sanba was about to reach the edge of the system¡¯s gravity well, he ran into the violent interception by the network.


    In the following tests, just about everyone was not able to leave the system. Every time they were about to leave the gravity well, they would be met with the divine power net¡¯s scan and interception. Even Rollie triggered the alarm¡ªside note here, the catgirl initially thought she was going to be thrown away and threw a massive tantrum. Hao Ren had no choice but to stuff her face with a bag of fish jerky before she piped down. Nevertheless, she was also stopped at the last phase of her journey.


    Upon seeing the catgirl¡¯s sly smile as soon as she got off the ship, Hao Ren suddenly had a feeling that this cat was not as dumb as she seemed to be¡­


    However, not everyone was stopped. In the end, only three people managed to board Nolan and successfully break through the ¡°border¡±: Hao Ren, Vivian, and Lil Pea¡­


    Once they touched down, the three of them (bat/fish) looked at each other¡­ Alright, it was only Hao Ren and Vivian who looked at each other, Lil Pea was laying on Hao Ren¡¯s arm looking around curiously. The little mermaid practically did not understand what was going on and only heard daddy saying that she was going on a ride. When she got back, everyone was looking at her funny, and that confused the little rascal.


    ¡°So how do we conclude this?¡± Hao Ren said, perplexed as he hugged Lil Pea. ¡°Vivian¡¯s unique trait is being a creation of the goddess. Me, I¡¯m a pope from the Surface World, and Lil Pea, she¡¯s the scion of life from another dimension¡­ Who can figure out the similarities between all these traits?¡±


    It was not just him and Vivian who were confounded, practically everyone was confused. Lily looked up into the sky as she thought and thought before she came up with something befitting her stature of a literary hound. ¡°¡­Does throwing any of you three into a story and making you the main character count?¡±


    ¡°Bullsh*t, which of us here isn¡¯t like a main character.¡± Hao Ren brushed her off. ¡°Even you have the template of a reborn female protagonist, but given your doggone life story, it¡¯s probably one of an abused main protagonist role¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was just joking, but Nangong Sanba answered seriously, ¡°I¡¯m not like one. Just see how plain-looking I am¡­¡±


    ¡°Go roll off a gangplank!¡± Lily and Vivian blasted back. ¡°You think we¡¯ve never watched any idol dramas before?¡±


    The catgirl who was munching on her fish jerky suddenly chimed in, ¡°Anyone called me? Time to eat, nya?¡±


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t concern you.¡± Hao Ren rudely chased away the almost useless dumb cat, who only knew how to eat and sleep, before he shook his head and sighed. ¡°I can only boldly assume that¡­ the divine power net locking down Star Cluster X is probably using a complex scan to operate. That leaves us without a simple answer on what sort of rules it operates by. It probably detects any high-level life forms first, so the Petrachelys and the droids, all without any life signatures, can pass through the scan. Next, it determines the unique traits of the objects with life signatures like divinity and stuff. Lil Pea aside, Vivian and I have pretty powerful divine affinities, and that could be why we managed to pass the check.¡±


    Lily raised her hand as she heard Hao Ren¡¯s analysis. ¡°But all of us have some level of divinity in us. We¡¯ve all eaten the stuff you brought back from the goddess. I even managed to acquire a holy-type Sky¡­ What was it again?¡±


    That dumbass actually named that move of hers randomly! And she forgot it at the turn of her head!


    ¡°Our levels of divinity are different.¡± Hao Ren had an explanation for that. ¡°I¡¯m a pope directly reporting to Raven 12345, and Vivian¡¯s a direct creation of the goddess of creation. That means we both obtained our divinity from the ¡®source¡¯, while the rest of you obtained yours through a medium (that year-end bonus worth of sundries and the occasional snacks pilfered from heaven). It¡¯s hard to say if the net out there doesn¡¯t recognize such an ¡®identification¡¯.¡±


    ¡°What the heck? So the tenancy agreement doesn¡¯t count? Discrimination, hmph!¡± Nangong Wuyue shook her tail grumpily as she heard that. ¡°Even if Mr. Landlord¡¯s analysis is right, what about Lil Pea? She¡¯s just a mermaid from another dimension, and even her divinity was gained through munching on Raven 12345¡¯s snacks. How did she pass the scan?¡±


    Lily rubbed her chin. ¡°Perhaps free entry for children under 120cm¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Hao Ren and Vivian snarled at her at the same time.


    ¡°Regardless, we¡¯ve found the crew that can breach the lockdown,¡± Vivian said, looking at Hao Ren and Lil Pea, who was in his arms. ¡°Hao Ren, Lil Pea, and I¡­ What a mind-boggling team, and I don¡¯t even know if she can be considered a proper combatant.¡±


    The little mermaid rose up with her fist when she heard Vivian. ¡°Lil Pea, supah powahful!¡±


    ¡°So, what are your plans?¡± Y¡¯zaks glanced at Hao Ren, wanting to hear the latter¡¯s plans.


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve found three crew members who can bypass the lockdown, it¡¯s better than all of us being trapped here. I believe the security system encompassing this system will surely have a central control center or something. Now that the three of us can move about in Star Cluster X, I plan to go look for that control center and attempt to cease the lockdown, or at least open a path for all of you to leave.¡±


    That was the only workable plan at the moment, and no one had any objections. Just as Hao Ren was about to go ahead with the preparations to explore, Nolan¡¯s voice suddenly rang from the comms. ¡°Boss, message from CARS! Asurmen knows what those glowing bodies are!¡±


    Asurmen, the crystal starship from Collow, housed the Denizen of the Stars who once fought alongside the goddess of creation.


    He never thought that while Muru and the other guardians had no inkling what the thing was, the Denizens would! Perhaps the radiant disc-like space beings were not creations of the goddess?


    Hao Ren and the rest rushed over to the command center of the base, and Asurmen was already standing by on the channel. The ancient Denizen of the Stars was a ray of hazy light on the screen, and within the light was a starry glow. He did not waste time on needless banter as soon as he saw Hao Ren. ¡°What you saw was a dormant Denizen of the Star battleship.¡±


    ¡°A battleship?¡± Hao Ren had considered many possibilities when it came to the true identity of the radiant discs, but that did not cross his mind at all because he had seen a Denizen of the Star¡¯s spacecraft with his own eyes before. The crystal mountain that was Asurmen was such a ship. The disc-like light clouds were just too different from Asurmen¡¯s form, and he did not even consider the two to be linked. ¡°Like how you transformed into a spaceship? So that¡¯s how you guys look like when you¡¯ re dormant?¡±


    ¡°The Denizens of the Stars spaceship is created with our minds as a base, and from there, materials are solidified to form the ship. Once we have entered a special dormant mode, the mental frame will take a mist-like form. And that is what we call energy-conserving alert mode,¡± Asurmen explained with his distinct emotionless voice. ¡°As for the ones you saw, I¡¯ve seen their details. They are much larger than me, most probably frontline warriors. There were many of these types of battleships back then, not so much now.¡±

 Chapter 1572 - Asurmen’s Aid

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The Denizens of the Stars¡¯ ¡°starship creation technique¡± was a wondrous work of technology. And truth be told, Hao Ren was not even sure if such abstract stuff could be categorized as ¡°technology¡±, but considering that magic or technology led to the same end goal in the search for truth, Hao Ren decided to take it for what it was: technology.


    The core of this technology was based on ¡°expansion of the mental frame¡± and solidification of materials.


    The Denizens of the Stars were some of the most ancient intelligent beings in that universe. They were born among the ruins of stars, and in that dark, chaotic age under the tyranny of the Mad Lord, these intelligent beings had no place to call home. They found their ¡°materials¡± in every ruin, wreckage, and dead planet, and their technology revolved as well as grew around the dearth of resources.


    The Denizens of the Stars could extend their will into the universe, and through various types of incredible energy fields, they were able to control and interfere with the many primordial materials in space. They would focus their mental powers to form a frame, and from there, draw in materials from the burnt-out stars to ¡°construct¡±. Of course, whenever possible, they would also draw materials from living stars, and that greatly increased their construction efficiency as well as final quality. With their incredible shaping ability, they could create jaw-dropping space bodies and could easily materialize all kinds of functions. As they were born in deep space, their space exploration progressed more smoothly than that of most other races by at least tenfold.


    Rather than calling their spaceships transportation, it was more accurate to say that they had reshaped themselves into special forms that could travel at hyper lightspeed in space to perform offensive and defensive actions. They were also almost indestructible, just like Asurmen and his ¡°crystal mountain¡± form.


    Now, Hao Ren had heard from Asurmen¡¯s own mouth another feature that the Denizens of the Stars possessed, or rather, one of their new abilities¡ªto enter a special type of dormancy, which would allow them to become energy clouds within the void.


    ¡°You have discovered many such bodies in Star Cluster X?¡± Asurmen asked. While his voice characteristically lacked any form of emotion, Hao Ren could sense the latter¡¯s hope and excitement coming through.


    After all, this ancient being had not seen his kin for tens of thousands of years.


    ¡°We¡¯ve only been able to search about one-fifth of the system, but based on our long-range sensor data and distribution probability, we assume that there are at least a thousand of these ¡®Denizen Starships¡¯,¡± Hao Ren replied. ¡°Our most recent observations show that all of the ships are in dormancy. I¡¯ve sent you the data from when the droid made contact with these ships.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I saw,¡± Asurmen answered. ¡°The droids were unable to communicate with the opposing side and were destroyed barely moments later. That is normal. A dormant Denizen Starship is actually a standby alert, and any unauthorized visits will be subjected to the highest security protocols. Your droids do not have the identification serial and will not be able to establish contact with them.¡±


    ¡°How can we get this identification data?¡± Hao Ren asked the question that concerned him the most right then. ¡°We need to find a way to establish contact with these ancient guardians. And if possible, rouse them from their slumber as well.¡±


    ¡°That would be difficult since I have left my kin for so long. I did not even know about this Star Cluster X and its dormant warriors¡¯ existence. However, I can provide you a piece of the crystal from my interior. The crystal fragment will have my core data, akin to a double. Bring it with you, and if everything goes well, those dormant starships will see you as a Denizen of the Stars. You will still not be able to speak to the starship¡¯s main system or rouse them, but at least, you will not be attacked. Once you can approach or even enter the interior of these slumbering ships, I think you will figure a way out.¡±


    Asurmen was confident about Hao Ren¡¯s abilities. In the former¡¯s eyes, Hao Ren was a person who had successfully resolved the emergency in Collow and even killed Lockmarton with his own hands; such a person would be able to get the job done.


    At that very same moment, Vivian interjected, ¡± I thought you would rush over here yourself as there¡¯s a large number of your kinsmen here. Besides, technically, the lockdown system will not affect a Denizen like you.¡±


    ¡°I do want to go but duty binds me,¡± Asurmen spoke impassively. ¡°I am using CARS¡¯ powerful antenna system to observe the Dark Abyss deep in space to try to get more information on the prison wardens. As this has to do with the seal on the Mad Lord, I dare not miss a single detail. That aside, having my crystal fragment is as good as bringing me along. I can use my crystal to observe what all of you are seeing.¡±


    Since Asurmen had already said so, Vivian did not add anything further. After they confirmed the delivery process of the crystal, they cut communication.


    Even though Star Cluster X was locked down by the powerful Divine Storm, the entry of non-living beings like the droids were not restricted, and now the navigational path from CARS to Star Cluster X was clear. Once they packed up Asurmen¡¯s crystal, they could instantly deliver it over using a high-speed droid. There was not much difficulty to speak of.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help but remember that I also once sent my bats across the globe via express delivery,¡± Vivian murmured. ¡°That stunt was already three years back, huh¡­ Never thought I¡¯d meet another person sending his split body via express delivery now.¡±


    Hao Ren grinned. ¡°My droids won¡¯t manhandle it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even start,¡± Vivian said with a bitter smile. ¡°Just remembering it makes me dizzy¡­ Express delivery sure is scary.¡±


    Upon establishing a stable route and navigation mark, the high-speed droid launched from CARS did not need to ¡°crawl¡± over to Star Cluster X, and Hao Ren soon received Asurmen¡¯s ¡°express delivery¡±.


    It was a human-sized irregular-shaped crystal, and the translucent white crystal was almost fusiform. The core seemed to be sealed in an active light, and there was a floating ring-shaped device alongside the crystal. It could be attached to the middle of the crystal to carry it forward, allowing the immobile crystal to move around with the rest.


    The ring-shaped equipment was not Asurmen¡¯s own device, instead, it had been automatically arranged by CARS¡¯ mainframe to assist with the mission.


    Looking at the floating ringed crystal, Lily¡¯s ears fluttered as she started to mumble, ¡°Why do I get the feeling that when this thing flashes, a group of twenty-something knife-wielding fanatics will appear out of nowhere, screaming ¡®My life for Aiur!¡¯ before swarming the command center¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop it!¡± Everyone yelled at the same time.


    ¡°I am extremely anxious to meet my dormant kinsmen,¡± Asurmen¡¯s voice suddenly transmitted from the crystal. ¡°When are we leaving?¡±


    Lily was startled by the sudden voice and could not help but use her claws to poke the crystal¡¯s surface. ¡°Whoa! You can use this to transmit your consciousness and senses?¡±


    ¡°It is a natural ability for us Denizens of the Stars. We were born in a very hostile environment, and being able to split one¡¯s self apart was a survival requirement.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll leave in an hour.¡± Due to the completion of preparatory works while they waited for the ¡°delivery¡±, plus the fact that there were only three passengers¡ªthe little fish included¡ªHao Ren immediately set the time for departure. ¡°Do you need us to provide you with anything? A mounting platform or some wax and polish¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡­I do not need any polishing¡­¡± Asurmen said.


    An hour later, at the forward base¡¯s starport platform¡­


    With the help of the floating ring, Asurmen entered the ship safely, while Hao Ren and Vivian (with Lil Pea in Hao Ren¡¯s arms) said their farewells to the rest.


    Although the plan was to make a short exploratory excursion, who knew what they would run into inside the Denizen¡¯s starship and if they would run into any troubles or delays. So, Hao Ren still had to leave some orders behind.


    Among them all, only Rollie was rather dejected. Her ears and tail drooped as she squatted by Hao Ren¡¯s side, muttering, ¡°Big Boss Cat, you¡¯re going out to play and you¡¯re not bringing me along again, nya¡­¡±


    ¡°Play, play, play, that¡¯s all you know. I¡¯m going out to work.¡± Hao Ren glared angrily at the dumb catgirl, who never seemed to mature before he turned to Y¡¯zaks. ¡°Big guy, I¡¯ll leave everything to you here while we¡¯re out. Just remember to keep an eye on two things; first, don¡¯t let Rollie scamper about, and second, look after your daughter. I almost got an anxiety attack when I saw her with her screwdriver near the long-range cognition array¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry¡­¡± Y¡¯zaks said as he rubbed his shiny head.


    ¡°While we¡¯re away, the construction will still proceed. The crystal resonance search antenna array will be completed in five days, while the long-range cognition array will go online in three days. If all things go according to plan, I¡¯ll return before then. If not, get Zorm to take over the First Born¡¯s body here, and the rest of the tasks can be delegated to the automated system.¡±


    After turning over what needed to be done, Hao Ren, Vivian, and the baby fish boarded the Petrachelys. A soft rumble later, the argent starship took off and disappeared into the skyline in a flash of light.


    ¡°Even with the three of us together, we aren¡¯t triggering any attacks.¡± Hao Ren heaved a sigh of relief as he observed the scene outside from the sensors. Meanwhile, in his arms, Lil Pea swished her tail and tiny arms toward the stars on the screen. ¡°Wahhh! We¡¯re flying again!¡±


    ¡°I can sense a minute spike in energy signatures around the ship,¡± the MDT reported as it monitored the data from the sensors. ¡°The network is actively scanning us, and it looks like we¡¯ve made it through.¡±


    Vivian snorted. ¡°Hmph, this network isn¡¯t all that smart.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. If it were any smarter, we would be reduced to playing ¡®Civilization¡¯ on that planet.¡±


    ¡°This perplexes me.¡± Floating in the corner of the bridge, Asurmen suddenly spoke, ¡°This system¡­ seems to have a lot of ¡®things¡¯.¡±


    Hao Ren was dumbfounded by his cryptic way of speaking. ¡°A lot of things?¡±


    ¡°I do not know how to describe them to you,¡± Asurmen said. ¡°The way we Denizens sense and perceive things is different from you. If I need to put it into words, it is like a constant murmur everywhere. There are many things within this space; many murmurs and noises are all mixed together ceaselessly in the background radiation¡­ but I cannot seem to find their source.¡±

 Chapter 1573 - Visitation

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Frankly speaking, Asurmen¡¯s cryptic way of speaking sent shivers down Hao Ren¡¯s spine, and if Lily was around, she would be a puffy dog now.


    ¡°The way you put it reminds me of those times I watched a horror movie at midnight. Before watching, the room would suddenly feel cold and eerie to me, and after watching, my place would seem very lively. Bloody hell, I felt a presence almost everywhere I went.¡± Hao Ren hugged his arms as he recalled. ¡°I never thought that one day my job would be even more vivid than a movie.¡±


    Vivian gave Hao Ren a weird look. ¡°Too much time in your hands that you decided to watch horror movies alone at home? What sort?¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly felt awkward and wanted to quickly brush it off. But seeing Vivian¡¯s serious and curious eyes staring at him, he could not help but blurt out, ¡°Vampires¡­¡±


    ¡°Oi!¡±


    ¡°I never thought vampires could be cuties like you.¡± Hao Ren laughed dryly before he steered the conversation back. ¡°Asurmen, those sounds you mentioned aren¡¯t being picked up by our sensors. Are they some sort of unique energy signature released by the dormant Denizens?¡±


    Vivian was rendered speechless by Hao Ren¡¯s ¡°cutie¡± line, and after she glared at the latter, she turned to Asurmen¡¯s crystal.


    ¡°I am not sure,¡± Asurmen answered frankly. ¡°The Denizens of the Stars are a complex and adaptive race. In order to adapt to an environment, we can semi-actively change our life form or traits. I have left my kin for too long, and this Star Cluster X¡­ Its environment is unique, and I am not sure why the dormant starships are here. I also do not know if they are able to release those murmurs, but I can be sure that the murmurs come from countless different entities. It is very noisy, so even if the dormant starships are the source of the murmurs, they are not the only source.¡±


    ¡°Star Cluster X is basically shrouded in mystery, and everywhere there¡¯s some unknown, mysterious thingamajig lying around. Let¡¯s be cautious.¡± Hao Ren shook his head as he tapped the control panel gently. ¡°This is the first area that we¡¯re exploring, be careful. Nolan, bring all sensors online at the highest efficiency. Keep the warp engine warm as usual and all weapon systems hot. If we run into any problems, blast a way out and floor the accelerator.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Following the markers left by the exploratory probes, the Petrachelys soon approached the first glowing cloud closest to the Executor¡¯s homeworld.


    The dark curtain from the dimensional distortion quickly faded away like a popped bubble, and normal starlight now came through the sensors, shining on the holographic projection above the bridge. At the center of the screen was the massive eye-catching light cloud.


    Similar to the image sent from the long-range sensors, the light cloud looked like any ancient dust cloud at first glance. Not only did it have a common disc shape, but on the edge of the disc were also many messy floating ¡°diffusion-belt-like¡± structures. Seeing this, Hao Ren was once again reminded of the universe¡¯s vastness and the fact that the Denizens of the Stars were beings beyond the comprehension of the average mortal race.


    This massive ¡°galactic dust cloud¡±¡­ was actually a sleeping Denizen of the Stars.


    ¡°Approaching slowly.¡± Nolan¡¯s voice rang across the bridge as the Petrachelys¡¯ standard engines were activated. The ¡°little¡± hundred-meter-long ship went from stationary to the set speed almost effortlessly and left a series of afterimages as she approached the ¡°cloud¡±.


    While it was technically ¡°approaching slowly¡±, this was relative to a hyperspace jump. Plus, for an object with a diameter of one thousand kilometers, the tiny Petrachelys, even at ten times the speed of sound, would still look like she was crawling through space.


    As they closed in on a set distance, the MDT reminded, ¡°The droids received the signals at this distance.¡±


    Just as the MDT spoke, Hao Ren¡¯s holographic control panel lit up, and at the same time, Nolan¡¯s voice rang. ¡°Received external all-channel communication. Decoding complete. Broadcasting now.¡±


    ¡°Unauthorized unit detected. Please provide contact authorization or identification serial.


    ¡°No authorization or identification serial received, not a member of the fleet.


    ¡°Another form of identification signal detected¡­ Analyzing¡­ Determined as an unknown cognate unit. Checking if exposed to corruption.


    ¡°No corruption detected. No hostile actions detected. Not in the list of hostile targets. Determined to be a neutral unit.


    ¡°Secondary contact clearance approved. Kinsmen, you may entire this unit¡¯s control zone. Please be cautious. This is a war zone.¡±


    The external communication then ceased. Following that was a garble of data fluctuations. It seemed like the clouds had some internal reaction, and the attacks that the droids suffered did not materialize.


    ¡°It looks like we pass.¡± Hao Ren heaved a sigh of relief as he looked worriedly at Vivian. ¡°Didn¡¯t he say ¡®war zone¡¯ earlier?¡±


    ¡°He did mention a war zone.¡± Vivian frowned. ¡°That means there¡¯s fighting going on here and the Denizens are one of the belligerents?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like it. These starships are all dormant. Where¡¯s the fighting?¡± Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°They aren¡¯t talking about the fighting on the Executor¡¯s homeworld, are they¡­ That war¡¯s bad for the Executors, but that shouldn¡¯t even factor into what¡¯s going on with Star Cluster X.¡±


    After Nolan confirmed that the authorization was effective, she started up the engine carefully as the ship moved toward the light cloud. While she accelerated, she spoke to Hao Ren, ¡°It appears that our exploration is greatly limited in this system. The energy of the Divine Storm is still disrupting all forms of auguries. Outside the activity range of the droids, we are totally blind. Not only that, this ¡®unexplorable area¡¯ is very far out of our radius. Therefore, even if there¡¯s a war deep within Star Cluster X, we¡¯d probably not be able to pick up on anything. Plus, the dormant ships we see now aren¡¯t saying anything about it.¡±


    As they spoke, the Petrachelys arrived at the edge of the glowing light discs and came into contact with its material border. Hao Rent then saw the ship that was flying underneath one of the massive diffusion belts. The belt was like a winding drape, hanging overhead. The Petrachelys¡¯ external antenna touched the ¡°drape¡± and triggered a bizarre flickering akin to ripples when a rock was thrown into a lake.


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m going deep into a jellyfish¡¯s stomach,¡± Nolan casually quipped about her current feeling. ¡°Boss, when can I become this big¡­ A massive starship sure is awesome!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you and the MDT?¡± Hao Ren rolled his eyes at Nolan. ¡°Have you heard of a PDA growing up to be a starship¡¯s mainframe, or a frigate growing up to be a carrier?¡±


    The MDT then dashed over and slammed itself against Hao Ren¡¯s skull. ¡°Jab her if you need do, why do you have to drag me in?!¡±


    ¡°He has been sleeping for a long while, probably started right after the goddess entered her slumber.¡± Asurmen was using the broken crystal to sense his surroundings. Even when separated by the Petrachelys¡¯ thick armored hull and shields, using his unique sensory organs, he could clearly see as well as feel the insides of his kin, not to mention detecting something within this particular one. ¡°His mental frame appears to be evenly spread out, and all material trails are rather hazy. Also, I am not detecting any thoughts¡­¡±


    ¡°What does this mean?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°This means we can wake him up by shouting at him.¡± Asurmen used a very simple-to-understand method to explain, ¡°His slumber is deep¡­ even odd to a certain degree. I have never seen a dormancy where even the mental frame gets diffused.¡±


    Hao Ren was suddenly worried. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me he died in his sleep?¡±


    ¡°¡­While he is sleeping, it is not that sort of sleep, you know. Besides, we underwent identification checks when we got here, so this starship¡¯s basic functions are working. However, the main consciousness is fully asleep.¡±


    Hao Ren frowned but did not dwell on the matter further because the Petrachelys had already entered the interior of the light cloud.


    Upon entering the light cloud¡¯s interior, he noticed that the material density was much higher than expected. And, the images from the sensors earlier showed a vast blurry sky outside the cloud, yet it was now nothing but a roiling storm of ¡°mist¡±. It was as if the Petrachelys was moving in a massive sandstorm; vision was poor all around.


    Hao Ren saw some flickering illumination coming from the light and clouds, surrounding the Petrachelys. From the passing silhouettes, he saw the crystalline curved domes, flying buttresses, suspension bridges, and clusters of massive sharp structures. They seemed to solidify within the mist before they dissipated again.


    Vivian saw the same scene too and immediately turned to Asurmen. ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°The slumbering parts have ¡®awakened¡¯ with our visit,¡± Asurmen explained, but this awakening is limited to a very small area and has nothing to do with the starship¡¯s main consciousness. What we are seeing is like a projection that has been awakened by external stimuli. This projection can be seen and felt.¡±


    ¡°So that means, if we were to spin around the entire thousand-odd kilometers, we can see its entire form? Hao Ren raised his eyebrow. ¡°Won¡¯t we run into a structure if a pillar suddenly materializes before us?¡±


    ¡°That will not happen since we can only summon a small part, and this small part is not the starship¡¯s real structure. Even though they can be felt, they will disappear at the slightest damage, and like any fake, crashing into one will not cause any problems¡­¡±


    As though to proof what Asurmen had just said, while he spoke, a pillar that could not be evaded suddenly appeared before the Petrachelys. Before Nolan could even react, the ship ran into it, and Hao Ren saw the pillar shatter into countless of transparent fragments as the Petrachelys impacted it. It then disappeared into the void.


    ¡°That scared the sh*t out of me,¡± the shipgirl mumbled nervously.

 Chapter 1574 - In the Deep

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The ship silently flew through the terrifying and mysterious cloud.


    It was just as Asurmen had said. The ¡°visitors¡±¡® arrival had stirred the ancient Denizens of the Stars from their thousand years of slumber. Even when the main consciousness showed no signs of awakening, localized materialization was happening. From the monitors and sensors outside, the glowing clouds continued to visibly roil and turn while incredible things would appear amid the mist from time to time. Sometimes, it was a domed buttress, sometimes a crystal point, but most of the time, what appeared were nondescript crystalline sections.


    These crystalline sectors were not the real form of any part of the starship. They were a special sort of projection. The localized awakening resulted in the appearance of these ¡°silhouettes¡± that should not have existed, creating a very bizarre scene.


    ¡°We should head to the heart of the clouds.¡± Asurmen¡¯s crystal floated next to Hao Ren as he said in an unhurried pace, ¡°Key structures should appear there, and there may be a chance to awaken this ancient warrior from his sleep.¡±


    Vivian took a glance at the crystal. ¡°You don¡¯t sound all that assured.¡±


    ¡°Forgive me, but that is indeed the case,¡± Asurmen responded in a frank manner. ¡°I have never encountered a Denizen starship of this structure. It must have been created after I entered Collow. This ship is using a frame that has never been used since ancient times¡­ but based on my experience, the heart of the cloud will usually host the cognition crystal, so going in that direction should be the right way.¡±


    ¡°Hope you¡¯re right.¡± Hao Ren nodded as he ordered Nolan to increase speed toward the center of the clouds.


    The crystalline structures appearing from the light and clouds were now behind Nolan. After confirming that they are all weak ¡°fakes¡± and crashing into them would not affect the ship, the shipgirl was now a lot bolder. She did not bother dodging anything that appeared before her and sped in a straight line toward her destination.


    The Petrachelys was only about a hundred meters long; while the entire light cloud was thousands of kilometers long, the former was like a little bug traveling through the latter. Hao Ren even imagined that the Denizen starship had corridors and cabins spanning hundreds of meters wide. Although his inspector frigate was basically flying through these great corridors, the corridors and cabins were all hidden by the mist right then.


    While it was hard to discern left from right in the mist, or any direction for that matter, based on the sensors¡¯ data, the Petrachelys was already closing in on the heart of the energy structure.


    The objects appearing in the mist had also changed, meaning that they were already close to a very special place.


    The broken crystals and crystalline sections were no more as more complete and clearer crystalline structures started to appear. Sometimes, crystal hallways spanning hundreds of meters long with large domes appeared. Despite their edges being broken in places, the appearance and size of the structures were clearly way beyond those broken fragments around the belt.


    ¡°A much more complete reflection¡­ It seems like the core contains more important and stable information.¡± Asurmen¡¯s emotionless voice rang again. ¡°But I have yet to detect this kin¡¯s main consciousness or life at all. This is very strange.¡±


    ¡°So, he probably died in his sl¡­.¡± Hao Ren was half-way through before Vivian gave him a biting pinch, and he immediately shut his big mouth. ¡°Ahem, I meant to say, is this starship still ¡®alive¡¯?¡±


    ¡°He is definitely still alive. The localized awakening we saw on our way here is proof enough,¡± Asurmen answered. ¡°But¡­ I do not know why most of this starship¡¯s energy has disappeared, and even part of the energy used to maintain his core is gone too, as though it was drawn away into some bottomless pit.¡±


    ¡°Energy loss?¡± Vivian¡¯s expression became grim. ¡°This is not a good sign¡­ If these starships are guardians left behind by the goddess, their loss of energy is definitely bad news.¡±


    ¡°At the very least, the divine lockdown is still in effect in Star Cluster X, which means the entire defense system did not fully go offline. No matter what¡¯s being kept or protected here, it¡¯s probably still safe,¡± Hao Ren consoled Vivian.


    As they spoke, the Petrachelys slowed down and more crystalline structures appeared in the mist outside. These solid ¡°fakes¡± looked like the real deal, and the encompassing mist had also mostly faded away.


    Nolan stopped before a massive crystalline wall. ¡°Boss, can¡¯t go any farther now. Should I blow a hole in it?¡±


    As she spoke, the two sub-cannons at the front of the Petrachelys were deployed and aimed at the incredibly thick crystal barrier.


    ¡°You¡¯ll punch through the entire place.¡± Hao Ren immediately stopped her before he turned to Vivian. ¡°Seems like we need to head down.¡±


    ¡°I will come along.¡± Asurmen¡¯s crystal floated up. ¡°I am much more familiar with the operations of the Denizen¡¯s starship than all of you.¡±


    The ring around Asurmen¡¯s crystal was meant to help with his mobility, so Hao Ren nodded in ascent. He then waved to the table beside him, and Lil Pea, who was playing with Lego immediately threw her toys aside and leaped into her father¡¯s arm.


    Two people, a fish, and a ringed crystal prism¡­ This oddball team then left the Petrachelys and entered the bright bizarre space.


    There was no gravity or air, but there was an omnipresent light encompassing the entire area. This allowed them to see even without any lighting equipment. Hao Ren arrived before the wall that extended deep into the mist, and he held his hands out to touch it. That was the first time he had ever felt the crystal structure from the mist with his own hands, and the feedback told him that it was the real thing.


    This was a layer of very tough material, and while the ship would turn it into dust if the ship collided into it, Hao Ren reckoned that the crystal was probably about as tough as granite based on the feeling he got. However, when compared to the real starship, granite-like toughness was probably fragile.


    Besides, it was still considered a ¡°fake¡± from the localized awakening. If it was real cabin material from the starship, it would probably be tougher than diamonds.


    Vivian looked up and saw many straight as well as wide lines on the upper parts of the barrier. Those lines seemed to be formed from countless of crystal plates. She guessed that they were probably some kind of energy transference structures. Under normal circumstances, there would be lights going through the lines, but since that was just a ¡°fake¡± reflection, the crystal wall did not glow, and it acted like an inert object.


    With Asurmen¡¯s reminder, Hao Ren and Vivian soon found an entryway into a deeper space.


    The entrance was at the bottom of the barrier. It was a triangular door, and within it was a corridor over ten meters wide. The corridor showed how tremendously thick the barrier was.


    To have such a layer of barrier, it was unquestionably a very important place.


    After going through the pathway, Hao Ren came to a space that could only be described as ¡°vast¡±.


    It was a pyramid-like hall, and the structure was similar to the interior of Asurmen¡¯s starship. That seemed to be the ¡°style¡¯ of the Denizens. Faint light circled the wide hall, making the hall look like it was covered in mist. Even the floor surface showed signs of roiling light clouds, and within the clouds, many types of crystalline structures, as well as unknown equipment, appeared from time to time, some without a proper solid form.


    It looked like even at the core, the localized awakening was still limited. Based on Hao Ren¡¯s estimation, about 70% of the hall had materialized while the other parts were still hidden by the mist.


    For a place that was an incomplete reflection, its operation was definitely out of the question.


    Everything there was inert like a stone carving.


    Lil Pea popped out of Hao Ren¡¯s arms; the zero-gravity environment had left her a little uncomfortable, and she disliked this lifeless place even more. The baby fish shook a little before she mumbled. ¡°So dead¡­¡±


    The little one had her own life hoop too. It had been created by Nolan in the lab. Using the life hoop allowed her to move around on her own there. It was just that Hao Ren did not allow her to run about.


    Hao Ren patted the little one¡¯s head. ¡°Based on Asurmen¡¯s description, we¡¯re moving inside a massive living being.¡±


    They had arrived at the center of the vast hall, and there was a crystal structure there. Its shape was similar to the cognition crystal back in Asurmen¡¯s main body, but there was no flickering light in it.


    Asurmen silently floated up to the side of the crystal. ¡°This is the heart of the starship. If we can make contact with my slumbering kin, this is definitely the place.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t see any traces of life activities around here.¡± Vivian frowned as she tapped the inert crystal gently. ¡°MDT, can you run a scan?¡±


    The MDT was floating beside Hao Ren, and when it heard Vivian, it flew around the large crystal twice. Its conclusion sounded depressing. ¡°Nothing. This is an empty shell of a ¡®projection¡¯. But it feels more solid than your normal ones. Nonetheless, the real structure of the hall is still hidden in the mist.¡±


    Hao Ren did not give up as he scoured the hall again, using various ways to try to get a reaction. But alas, there was nothing.


    He then started to wonder if he should start blowing the place up to wake the dead-in-sleep (he just did not want to let go of that idea) Denizen of the Stars?


    In his arms, Lil Pea poked her head out again as she looked around curiously.


    The little tot pondered for a bit before she seemingly had a bright idea. She pointed at the crystal core with her tiny hands. ¡°Yaa!¡±


    The little mermaid suddenly disappeared and used her demon-hunting fish ability to teleport onto the crystal.

 Chapter 1575 - A Short Contact

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Once Hao Ren realized that his arm felt light, he was shocked out of his wits. He only saw the flash of teleportation and the little mermaid lying on top of the crystal not too far away after that. The latter struggled with the zero-gravity environment for a bit before she finally figured out how to keep still. With her hands grabbing on to the crystal, she turned to Hao Ren and waved with her tail. ¡°Daddyyy¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t simply run about!¡± Hao Ren said as he ran over. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to behave outside¡­¡±


    By then, the little mermaid had shifted her attention to the crystal. She was hugging one of the crystal prism¡¯s protrusions while smacking her tail against its surface. Her face appeared excited. ¡°Wakey wakey! Daddy¡¯s calling you¡ªhe¡¯s been calling you many times!¡±


    It was probably Hao Ren, Vivian, and Asurmen¡¯s attempts around the room to rouse the ship that caused the little one getting the wrong idea. She really thought that someone was ¡°sleeping¡± there.


    Vivian looked on with a smile as she shook her head. ¡°Lil Pea, come back. You¡¯ve misunderstood us, that thing won¡¯t wake¡­¡±


    Just as she spoke, she noticed that out of nowhere a ring of light had suddenly appeared around the area Lil Pea smacked.


    Following that, the ring of light rapidly enveloped the crystal prism and blasted out across the hall.


    A low hum rang across the place, and the hall, now swept by the ring of light quickly showed signs of an energized glow as the mist and faint illumination vanished completely. In their place were various crystalline equipment and room structures, while above the pyramid-shaped hall, countless crisscrossing crystal beams appeared as light radiated from them!


    On the prism that Lil Pea smacked with her tail earlier, something akin to a cluster of flickering stars, made out of light and gas, started to glow brightly.


    Hao Ren was halfway across the hall before the scene stunned him, and he almost wanted to slam his head against the prism. ¡°The heck? That actually worked?!¡±


    The dormant ship, which they spent so much effort trying to rouse to no effect, woke up after a couple of slaps from Lil Pea?


    ¡°Daddy, daddy, I woke him up!¡± The little mermaid did not seem to realize what sort of shocking thing she had just pulled. She was only happy with her own success, and after the room lit up, she teleported back to Hao Ren¡¯s arms and tapped her tail excitedly¡­ ¡°Woke up after two slaps!¡±


    ¡°And here I was this close to shattering that thing¡­¡± Hao Ren mumbled to himself before he recovered his wits and quickly summoned Asurmen, ¡°Asurmen, quickly! Your kin¡¯s awake now! Ask him what¡¯s going on here!¡±


    ¡°I am on it¡­¡± Asurmen¡¯s crystal had also floated toward the prism as he released a couple of blurry light belts to connect with the cognition crystal. The glow of the two crystals soon synchronized, and there seemed to be stars moving in the light belt, yet Asurmen gave a surprising response. ¡°That is odd¡­ I still can¡¯t connect to this kinsman¡¯s main consciousness. There is only a void in this cognition crystal¡­¡±


    ¡°You still can¡¯t connect?¡± Vivian had also flown over now, and she frowned when she heard Asurmen. ¡°Hasn¡¯t it just been awakened?¡±


    ¡°Based on your biological explanation, the body is awake, but the spirit is missing.¡± Asurmen¡¯s crystal flickered. ¡°I can sense that his consciousness has gone somewhere alongside a huge amount of mental energies¡­ The awakening is only on the material level.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately broke into a cold sweat, and he recalled the brain dead First Born on the Executors¡¯ planet. He felt that these two were interlinked. ¡°What is this? Is being brain dead a fad here¡­ Don¡¯t tell me a divine crystal has also pierced deep into this ship somewhere?¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t pick up any of that energy signature along the way here.¡± The MDT vibrated. ¡°Of course, this isn¡¯t discounting the possibility of a divine crystal piercing the ship and subsequently getting lost in space.¡±


    The facilities within the crystal pyramid hall had started to operate, and even if only a little part of the light cloud had awakened, the operation of the equipment did not seem to be affected. Hao Ren saw projections appearing on a few prisms, which looked like a data report, and the image of the space outside appeared on a crystal control panel about half the size of a human.


    Hao Ren suddenly thought of something before he grabbed the MDT and threw it toward the closest crystal prism. ¡°Get the readings of these data, quick, while the place is still stable. Perhaps these automated systems have recorded something!¡±


    The MDT zoomed toward the crystal prism as it grumbled, ¡°Can¡¯t you bloody treat this high-tech gadget with more tender loving care?!¡±


    That bugger probably missed the care and protection Hao Ren gave it when he first got his hands on the MDT, afraid of scratching it wherever he went. And the former now totally regretted rejecting Hao Ren¡¯s offer to paste a protective screen over it¡­


    Grumbling aside, the MDT knew its priorities. After it flew over, it started to scan and analyze the pieces of equipment that were projecting all kinds of data reports. It also tried to establish contact with the data processing center (if it existed and could be used). A few seconds later, it shouted, ¡°Partner, the data is a mess! It¡¯s the sort of scrap data pieced together by an automated system once the mainframe¡¯s gone offline. Only about 10% of the data is actually legible!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s better than not being able to read anything at all.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s heart fell, but he saw hope in the disappointment. At least we didn¡¯t end up with nothing. What did you get?¡±


    ¡°Processing now¡­¡± the MDT said as it projected constantly-updating data log and wordings. Compared with the junk data filled with garbled codes and disrupted images from the crystal prisms, the processed, converted, and edited data seemed to be much shorter. However, they were also clearer and more accurate.


    The MDT continued, ¡°This data is ancient. The latest record dates back 3,000 years ago.


    ¡°After that, the entire system went into a deep slumber, and most of the automated system¡¯s recording functions failed.


    ¡°Even our droid¡¯s search, as well as subsequent encounter and destruction, were not recorded.


    ¡°From the remaining data, some are observation readings of the universe, and some are daily logs of an unknown fleet. The places and fleet serials on the logs are totally foreign to us. We can only save them and send them for processing once we get back.


    ¡°These are some interesting reports here¡­¡±


    The MDT placed a clear marker on something that looked like a daily log and pushed it before Hao Ren.


    ¡°¡­Combat Zone XX¡­ broken, barrier 77 to 175 non-functional, invading teams¡­ entering the second phase. The interior zone is locked, all units to transfer energy to sequence XI-35-155¡­ Temporary barrier¡­


    ¡°¡­Last call completed, confirming the status of the throne¡­ Invaders stopped at the temporary barrier. Energy transfer complete. Unable to reach central command, repeat, unable¡­ All units enter dormancy¡­¡±


    It was a report without heads or tails, and a large chunk of details missing to boot. Hao Ren and Vivian were totally befuddled as they read it. They then looked at each other while Hao Ren tried to surmise. ¡°Looks like a battlefield report?¡±


    Vivian nodded. ¡°If the Denizens of the Stars¡¯ ship and the divine power network are defensive measures left by the goddess of creation, then this ¡°battlefield report¡± means that there were intruders here. And by the looks of things, they caused some massive damage.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s vision fell on the floating holographic projection, and he focused on one particular sentence. ¡°¡®All units transfer energy to sequence XI-35-155¡¯¡ªwhat does this mean?¡±


    Vivian raised an eyebrow. ¡°You mean to say that all these dormant starships¡­¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Asurmen say so? This ship¡¯s consciousness and energy are gone,¡± Hao Ren said. It was something that he connected to naturally. ¡°I believe that the other ¡°light clouds¡± within Star Cluster X are about the same. If¡­ Asurmen, let me confirm something with you. Do the Denizens¡¯ starships have the ability to perform long-range energy transference?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they have this ability,¡± Asurmen answered assuredly. ¡°This is one of the important contributors to my people¡¯s survival during the reign of the Mad Lord.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Then it all comes together if they have this ability. I think my guess is right: this is an important area left behind by the goddess of creation, and the divine power lockdown, as well as the Denizen starship fleets, are the guards here. When the goddess fell, a group of invaders attacked, and their attack was very sudden, not to mention brutal to the point that it became so bad they were about to break before all the Denizen starships could get into position. Hence, in a short moment, they transferred all their energies to the frontline, leaving so many dormant starships across the system.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s expression then turned serious. ¡°I feel that we need to find this battlefield asap.¡±


    ¡°Of co¡­¡± When Hao Ren was halfway through speaking, the entire hall turned dark.


    Following that, all the operating equipment in the hall came to a screeching halt. Massive clouds of mist started to appear on the already-materialized walls and floor. The lights above seemed to experience some power supply problem as they died off one by one. Within seconds, the entire place reverted to how it looked like when Hao Ren and the crew had just arrived.


    Lil Pea then leaped out from Hao Ren¡¯s arms again, jumping onto the cognition crystal and using her tail to slap it continuously. However, this time around, her calls were not answered.


    ¡°Seems like that was the last remaining energy reserve,¡± the MDT said as it carefully dragged the little mermaid back. ¡°Not sure why, but Lil Pea activated this little energy reserve and did not actually rouse the ship.¡±


    The little mermaid crawled back into Hao Ren¡¯s arms as she dejectedly curled into a ball. A child¡¯s mood sure was fickle.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t your fault, you were great.¡± Hao Ren gently ruffled the little one¡¯s head as he looked at the MDT. ¡°Got all the data?¡±


    The MDT shook up and down. ¡°Whatever that can be read has been recorded, even those garbled ones.¡±


    ¡°At least we¡¯re not leaving empty-handed.¡± Hao Ren forced a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s go back and share our findings with the rest, then discuss our next course of action.¡±

 Chapter 1576 - Deep Within the Stars

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    In the deepest parts of Star Cluster X¡ªsealed by layers upon layers of divine power and warped almost to the point where many dimensions overlapped each other¡ªthe war had been going on for thousands of years.


    The entire dimensional structure was shattered, and the laws of the universe were shaken. Shattered celestial bodies and massive pieces of wreckage floated about in space as if the restless dead were wandering about. The massive firepower of the belligerents and the following long war of attrition had changed the entire system. Unprotected stars and primordial planets were long reduced to dust, and even starships and star forts, armed to the teeth during their heyday could not escape the fate of being torn apart. Even then, the war did not stop.


    As both sides of the war did not have a reason to stop, until the last enemy falls, neither will take a step back, or give any quarter.


    A planet enveloped by a faint light was at the heart of the battle, it had massive continents with oceans dotted amongst it, aside from the coastal area, the entire planet was covered with plants, and the interior areas were vast plains without much life, the blue crystal prisms grew wildly on the dark plain as if to take over the role of the plants in the arid environment. Lightning arcs leap between the prisms as lightning struck ceaseless in the atmosphere. The clouds were seemingly endless, much like a layer of glowing blanket covering the planet, and hid the planet¡¯s true identity away.


    The thousand-year war was waged around this planet, countless armies of darkness surrounded it and sent a withering amount of fire towards the planet¡¯s surface like a swarm of dark insects trying to chew through a shining fruit. The armies of darkness were in all kinds of bizarre shapes and forms. They looked like they had climbed out directly from a horror comic that was drawn randomly at the urging of the editor. Some of them were floating bloated flesh in space, some of them were rotten giants and beasts, while some were beings made out of twisted metal. These chaotic and blasphemous creatures formed a big army that had no semblance of uniformity or similarity.


    There was even more vast darkness lurking behind this army, and they were the black starships that had lost their original form. Their outer hull was writhing with life, and dark fog was let out from every crevice of the ship, creating a lingering fog in space. These starships all bore marks and scars of battle, and monstrous appendages, half-flesh half metal writhed out from the wounds as these hideous tentacles licked the surface of the hull or flailing wildly in the void. They would even grab on to nearby allies as the wailing victims were dragged into the deep scars of the starships and fed upon.


    Facing these hideous monsters was a clearly numerically disadvantaged black fleet. This fleet formed a line on the planet¡¯s atmosphere at the same time using energy beams and force weapons to bombard the foes in space. Their main target was not the monstrous creatures, but the black, half-flesh half-metal starships in the midst of them.


    Compared to the mortal monsters, the massive, powerful and durable starships were clearly the bigger threat.


    A thick-bearded giant stood on the orbital defense platform¡¯s observatory, the platform was constantly shuddering due to gravitational disruptions, but this shaking did not seem to affect the giant as he looked up towards the battlefield, his gaze piercing through the layers of armor and barriers towards the hideous creatures in high orbit.


    ¡°These blasphemous monsters¡­¡± A young giant walked into the observatory, his voice seething with rage, ¡°They don¡¯t know when to give up.¡±


    ¡°So do we,¡± The thick-bearded giant looked at his younger kinsmen. ¡°This war will only end when one side totally perishes.¡±


    The younger giant clenched his teeth but did not add further. He only held his arms out as he looked at the sky as bright leaping lines appeared in his hands, these lines soon became a stable screen. On the screen was a series of garbled images, countless numbers and wavelengths blazing across the screen. ¡°The dimensional rifts have increased, and after this battle, the stability near the core area will drop by 0.003 percent¡­ The situation is not favorable to us.¡±


    The thick-bearded giant nodded, indicating that he already knew before asking, ¡°How long more before Agodal¡¯s Apocalypse Torrent finishes charging?¡±


    ¡°Another three minutes, my brother.¡± the younger giant looked down slightly, hesitating for a moment before continuing, ¡°But¡­ using the Apocalypse Torrent is not a viable long term plane, the dimensional stability and the order around the core area had been decreasing on end, the overuse of Agodal¡¯s powers is one of them, and if this goes on we will be consumed by Agodal.¡±


    The thick-bearded giant pointed at the exploding flashes in space. ¡°Then we shall drag these monsters to annihilation in the dimensional storm. Regardless, Mother¡¯s last remaining relic can not fall into the hands of these monsters. That is a fate more terrifying than our deaths.¡±


    The younger giant did not speak any further, and after a courteous nod left the observatory.


    The elder giant turned away from the space and looked further into the distance. He could clearly see the dome-shaped atmosphere of the planet beneath the defense platform, and the energy barrier encompassing the atmosphere beneath it. And in truth, the defense platform he was on too was within the barrier. This barrier was so thick as if the entire planet was sealed within a crystal ball.


    If not for this barrier, the holy planet would not have held out until this day. The numerically inferior core guards could not face these twisted monsters head-on, while the doomsday weapon on the planetary fortress was overwhelmingly powerful, it had a long cooldown and recharge phase. Before the Apocalypse Torrent could fire again, the guardians could only depend on themselves to fight the enemy.


    Yet this barrier was not indestructible, far above the atmosphere demarcation line, there was a very obvious crack, and the planetary forcefield was showing signs of stacking and twisting, while the atmosphere below the barrier was a storm that had yet to cease till now, a massive arc lightning even blasted out of the storm directly into space, and looking from above, this scene was spectacular.


    That was a remnant of a battle three thousand years ago when Planetary Fortress Naqdal fell apart after its eternal reactor was destroyed, and the out-of-control doomsday weapon¡¯s collapse brushed through the core and even broke through the sector¡¯s planetary forcefield, and while the barrier had since been mended, a series of crystal matrix array on the planet¡¯s surface was annihilated in the bombardment.


    And till today, that point was still the weakest point in the planet¡¯s defense.


    The thick-headed giant recollected himself as he calculated the time accurately. It was time for the Apocalypse Torrent to be activated.


    A massive white beam pierced the darkness of the void, it came from where the sun rose and swept across the space like a vengeful holy sword.


    The army of twisted monsters and corrupted ships faltered before the beam and most normal monsters, bereft of any resistance were immediately turned to dust by the torrent, while the starships, despite their thick hull and shields, only bought them extra seconds for they buckled.


    The Apocalypse Torrent slowly swept across the space as if cleaning the entire planetary barrier of dust and mites, and before this overwhelming power, the monstrous army realized that this was the extent of their attack this time and scattered like a swarm of insects towards the dark of the void.


    The sweep by the Apocalypse Torrent persisted for a good while, and even after the enemy had retreated it was still firing, as the light beam faded away, the battlefield was a scene of absolute carnage.


    The dimension had twisted and buckled, and there were many dimensional rifts around the area as distant stars roiled under the effect of the gravity flux forming a shimmering and fatal abnormal dimensional structure.


    And the chaotic scene only faded after a few hours later¡­


    The echoes of the war in the deep were isolated by the divine power lockdown and could not reach the other sectors within Star Cluster X, as the crystal core averted another crisis, Hao Ren had just made his way back to the Executor¡¯s homeworld.


    ¡°This is what we found there. ¡± Hao Ren let the MDT display the gathering information before everyone. ¡°That is indeed a dormant Denizen starship, but we are not able to rouse them. The ship¡¯s consciousness and energy are missing and based on the logs, the missing energy had probably been transferred to a battlefield deep within the system.¡±


    ¡°Battlefield? Nangong Wuyue shrunk as she heard the word. ¡°There¡¯s still fighting elsewhere here?¡±


    ¡°Not just that, the scale of it will probably be terrifying as well.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°We are still unable to determine where the battlefield is, but by just basing on the number of ships and the amount of energy the ship can transfer we can figure out the scale of the battle.¡±


    Vivian then continued, ¡°And compared to this mysterious battlefield, the war between the Executor and the Devourer is like a street brawl.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks pondered for a bit before popping an idea. ¡°Can we use the trace of the energy transfer to pinpoint the battlefield¡¯s location?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that is not possible.¡± the one answering him was Asurmen¡¯s crystal. ¡°The last transference was several thousand years ago, and the starships had already entered dormancy. Even if there were any traces left in the void back then, they are probably all gone after a few thousand years. And this system has a disruptive element in the divine power lockdown, any energies on the lower levels will dissipate faster than any other universe.¡±


    Hao Ren added, ¡°Based on the logs, the war started very suddenly, and most of the Denizen¡¯s starship fleets in Star Cluster X could not respond in time, and they had transferred all the energy there in a short time.¡±


    Nangong Sanba looked at Hao Ren as thoughts ran through his mind. ¡°You think that the key to shutting down the lockdown lies in that battlefield?¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like we have any other leads.¡±

 Chapter 1577 - Zorm Is Online

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Indeed, there was no other clue at the moment. Without any clear way out, the only way was to go along with whatever lead found.


    If Star Cluster X¡¯s divine blockade and the dormant battleships of the Denizens of the Stars belonged to the same security system, then their control systems were mostly related. Now the fact that all the warships of the Denizens of the Stars were beaming their energy to a particular battlefield meant that this battlefield must be crucial.¡±


    It could be the core area of ??the divine blockade.


    Lily crossed her arms, and her big furry tail wagged behind her, which were the signs of her in thought. ¡°Mr. Landlord, what do make of the battlefield now? Is the war still going on? Or they lost the war already?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue was wide-eyed. ¡°The log in the dormant spacecraft show the war began several thousand years ago. Are they still at it?¡±


    ¡°The Executors and the planet devourer have been at war with each other for nearly 10,000 years, and the guards of the world of Collow and Lockmarton across several epochs.¡± Hao Ren glanced at the siren maiden. ¡°War lasting thousands of years is not something unusual in this universe. I prone to think that the battle on that battlefield has not ended yet.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue was curious with her tail curling into a question mark in the air. ¡°How do you know?¡±


    Before Hao Ren said anything, Nangong Sanba had already figured it out. ¡°Because there are no signs of recovery of the Denizens of the Stars¡¯ spacecraft, which focus their energy and consciousness on the battlefield. It shows that the defense side has yet won the war. And the divine network as an important security measure is still running, which means that the defense is still holding up. Since one has won or lost, then the likely outcome is that there is a stalemate.¡±


    Lily chimed in to give her take. ¡°There is also another possibility; the forces of resistance of the Denizens of the Stars and the invaders had annihilated each other, and the invaders did not manage to destroy the divine network. But it is just my speculation.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue saw the cocky face of her brother, and the dog maiden who was waiting for compliments, she pouted with her arms akimbo. ¡°Am I the stupidest here?¡±


    Nangong Sanba chuckled. ¡°Then where does Rollie stand?¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian looked at Nangong Sanba sympathetically. ¡°You have a death wish?¡±


    After everyone dispersed, leaving Hao Ren and Vivian alone at the scene¡ªsave for Nangong Sanba, who was lying unconscious on the floor. Vivian played with the strain of hair hanging down her forehead as she looked at the hologram of space scenery. It was the star chart of one-fifth of Star Cluster X, which they had studied so far. ¡°Since you sound so confident, what is your plan to find the battlefield?¡±


    Hao Ren said nothing, just fiddled with the hologram, waving away the space scenery and summoning the image of the giant antenna on the home planet of the Executors, and the array of secondary terrestrial antennas displayed on the corner of the hologram.


    ¡°Are these antennas used to scan the resonant signal of crystals?¡± Vivian recognized these things at once. ¡°You mean, that battlefield is the mysterious planet shrouded by crystals that you have seen in the illusion?¡±


    ¡°It was my intuition,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°And not just intuition. The reason why we could find Star Cluster X was that I found the star chart deep inside your soul, and the illusion I saw was buried together with the star chart in your soul. I have a gut feeling that this mysterious Star Cluster X is just a box¡ªa box used by the goddess of creation to protect the truth¡ªand the mysterious planet shrouded within the crystal is the treasure. The divine blockade network and the battleships of the Denizens of the Stars are the guards of the box. So, the only thing that could warrant the guards to pour all out into the war was that planet in the crystal.¡±


    Vivian thought for a moment and asked, ¡°MDT, have these antennas been activated?¡±


    It was Nolan who controlled the drone cluster to build the antenna system, but the MDT was the most frequently-used medium by which Hao Ren got his information. Upon hearing the call of the master, the MDT flew up from the table and said, ¡°It is now online. It is just that we have come back too early, and the secondary antenna array is not fully functioning yet. It may not be stable yet, but the main antenna in orbit is fine; it is already running at full power.¡±


    ¡°Have you found anything?¡±


    ¡°Err, not yet.¡± The MDT shook. ¡°Maybe the system is not perfect yet; it is just online. So far, there is only background noise.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s brows knitted together, feeling that something was wrong. ¡°This is not right. If what I have seen in the illusion is true, then the planet in the crystal should be emitting resonant signal constantly. Even if it does not, the crystal we have at hand are also continuously giving out signals, and the home planet in the crystal should have produced a corresponding feedback frequency.¡±


    ¡°Is the planet in the crystal gone?¡± Vivian sounded worried. ¡°After all, it does not look good by the fact that we have found the crystal fragments here. The fragments are results of an explosion. It is not a good sign.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s pray that it is not the case,¡± Hao Ren said quickly. ¡°But I don¡¯t think such an elaborate creation of the goddess of creation would be so fragile.¡±


    Just when Vivian wanted to say something, the MDT suddenly called out, ¡°Buddy! The long-range cognition array has fired up successfully. Zorm is coming!¡±


    The construction of the long-range cognition array was much faster than the crystal-searching antenna. The long-range cognition array was completed as early as when the three set off the return journey. But this system was unique and complicated; it ran a series of debugging and parameterization after its completion to make it compatible with the mind of the demigod.


    Now, this system finally passed the tests and was in commission.


    The long-range cognition array, built on the Great Plains, stood on its pedestal as if a steel city. The center of this triangular pedestal was a massive circular hollow, which was the location of the original great fissure where artificial nerves extending out from the hollow were connected to the First Born¡¯s nervous system in the ground and three symmetrically distributed data processing centers on the surface.


    The large antenna structure stood on the extension of the apex of the triangle ¡®city.¡¯ It was several kilometers tall as if a straight sword gleaming under the sun. It had been injected with energy, and all systems were running now. Blue veins had surfaced on the silver-white tower. As the blue veins glowed, Zorm¡¯s will beamed through hyperspace in superluminal speed and was about to arrive on the planet.


    Hao Ren stood under the tower, watching the completed facility. His frustration from looking for the planet in the crystal began to ease up.


    ¡°Establishing connection¡­. Connection established. Synchronization on the rise. 50%¡­ 60%¡­ 70%¡­¡±


    As the facility broadcast the connection status, Hao Ren watched as a large holographic image appeared around the giant tower. A small antenna icon appeared in the upper right corner of the hologram with a stepped signal- strength indicator next to it. Now, the fourth bar had changed from gray to white.


    Lily looked up while wagging her tail. ¡°Wow¡­ we have got almost full bar!¡±


    ¡°So, who designed this interface?¡± Hao Ren jumped to his feet upon seeing the icon. ¡°I cannot remember that we have this thing!¡±


    An autonomous robot floated over with the holographic image of Nolan on top. ¡°Well, boss, it looks more intuitive.¡±


    ¡°So, it was you¡ª¡± Before Hao Ren could finish, an announcement blared in the loudspeaker. ¡°Synchronization is 100%. The connection is stable. Consciousness transmission is successful.¡±


    Hao Ren turned away from the ship girl to look at the holographic image around the giant tower. The hologram flickered a couple of times, and then a series of symbols appeared.


    Hi~ o(* ?¨Œ?*)¥Ö


    Zorm¡¯s koumoji skill had evolved to a strange level.


    ¡°Err, it seems the connection is going smoothly.¡± Hao Ren saw the kaomoji and suddenly was lost for words. He could only say hello, awkwardly. ¡°I thought it would take you a day. After all, things have not been going on well around here these few days.¡±


    The symbol on the hologram disappeared and changed to a funny one.


    Yes, it was a funny expression.


    Hao Ren¡¯s brows knitted together. ¡°Can¡¯t you write properly?¡±


    A word popped up on the hologram. ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t just send text, you should be able to speak now,¡± said Hao Ren. ¡°This system has incorporated all the research achievements of the First Born. Your mind can now not only drive the body of the First Born on this planet but also control the various ancillary facilities in the base. The free processing power of the data processing center can also help you think about some of the problems. Try it out.¡±


    A holographic image of a little man with bubbles coming out of his mouth popped up. A few seconds later, an electronically synthesized sound sounded throughout the base. ¡°Err¡­ can you guys hear me? Aah, it really works!¡±


    ¡°It looks like the brain-computer interface is in working fine.¡± Hao Ren nodded with a smile. ¡°Move your limbs slightly and see how the body is driving¡ªbe gentle. Watch out the ecosystem.¡±


    There was no reminder needed as Zorm was a superb gardener. He certainly knew how to stretch out without harming the lives on the planet.


    Everyone felt a tremor under their feet. And then, a rumble was heard from the direction of the lifeless battlefield in the northern part of the Great Plains. The earth bulged in front of their eyes as a black thing that looked like a mountain range rose and separated from the land in the distance.


    It was a massive tentacle, which at first, resembled a mountain range and then turned into a giant pillar sweeping across the sky. This indescribable and horrific tentacle writhed in the atmosphere with a heart-stopping sound. Dark and creased surface covered the tentacle, which slowly bent into a terrifying symbol.


    It was a smile.


    Hao Ren was struck dumb.


    Was the Cthulhu-style guy trying to look cute?


    Anyway, Zorm was finally online.

 Chapter 1578 - Signals from Space

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The testing of the long-range cognition array continued until nightfall.


    The dark blue sky gradually fell on the earth while stars coming out of darkness watched the world below with cold sparkling eyes. On the wild planet without light pollution, the stars filled its sky, forming a river of stars from east to west, dividing its atmosphere into two distinct halves.


    It was not the Milky Way with which the Earthlings were familiar, but it was equally beautiful and magnificent.


    The moon was in the shadow of the home planet with a thin arc of it visible next to the starry belt as the base complex and rifts were hidden in the darkness. The same happened to the Zenith. But just because it had artificial lightings, the space station was still faintly visible just next to the crescent moon, suspended in the sky like a dim eyeball.


    Hao Ren knew that the Executors there were having the busiest moment in their life although he could not observe them from here with his naked eyes. They were reorganizing their social structure, repairing the space station damaged by the EMP, and cleaning up the mess after the disappearance of the fortress from the moon. There was also information about the survival of the planet the humans had left behind in the Bibliotheca that they needed to study while watching the changes on the home planet.


    A little stretching Zorm made would translate into a clearly visible geological movement from space. It was a hard-to-miss phenomenon for the Executors. There were hundreds of eyes in space monitoring the planet at any moment.


    Hao Ren stood on a tower in the outpost with the MDT floating beside his head reporting the latest progress. ¡°N-6 sent a message, asking what the tentacle suddenly coming out of the surface was all about. The test has hit a raw nerve.¡±


    ¡°Tell them exactly what happened. We have talked to them about the function of the long-range cognition array earlier. Now that Zorm has taken over the planet, it means that the Executors can now prepare to move back to the home planet,¡± Hao Ren replied. ¡°Sooner or later, they have to accept the fact that the planet devourer has become a harmless First Born, and they have to live in peace with Zorm. By the way, are the Executors worried, not panic?¡±


    The MDT paused and then replied subtly, ¡°Supposedly, they should be in a panic now, but when N-6 and the others looked down from space, they saw a huge cartoonist smile. I guess they were finding it funny instead of worried.¡±


    ¡°Really? It does have this effect?¡± Hao Ren was flabbergasted.


    Before the MDT could reply, Hao Ren heard Zorm¡¯s voice coming from the communicator. ¡°So, my emoji pack is still helpful!¡±


    Hao Ren buried her face in his hand helplessly. ¡°I cannot say much since you do not care about your image. But then again, what have you been doing since the beginning? It is late at night, why have you not rested?¡±


    While speaking, he looked into the distance. The day test was over, and everyone had returned to the rest area in the base. But Zorm apparently had no intention of stopping. At the end of the plains in the distance, the tentacle that protruded from the surface had changed shape. Most parts of it had retracted in the ground, leaving nearly one-third of it still hanging outside. Fluorescent lights as if a group of fireflies hovered on the tentacle. It was so bright that it almost drowned out the starlight in the sky.


    Under the illumination of the fluorescent light, Hao Ren saw large patches of vegetation sprouting around the tentacle. The lush forest grew and covered the scorched battlefield so rapidly that it completely defied common sense. In the middle of this forest, the protruding tentacle was also growing as its tip quickly forked with large leaves and vines hanging down. The dancing lights between the veins and the glows in the forest below formed a sight that looked extremely harmonious and beautiful.


    The tentacle was gradually transformed into a towering tree reaching into the clouds.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it beautiful?¡± Zorm sounded excited. ¡°It is the new style I have developed! Does it look particularly beautiful? I found that the ecosystems in many parts of this planet are severely damaged, and there are too many holes to cover. So, I plan to get the planet a new theme.¡±


    ¡°It feels like the world tree coming straight out of fantasy novels,¡± the MDT commented. ¡°Zorm, don¡¯t tell me you are going to create some people with pointed ears, long legs and leaves as clothes on this planet. This planet has a registered intelligent race, mind you.¡±


    ¡°It sounds very cool but please don¡¯t do it.¡± Hao Ren interrupted without waiting for Zorm to answer. ¡°This place is already strange enough. I cannot imagine how it would look like when the Executors move into the forests that Zorm had grown.¡±


    The MDT ran a little simulation. ¡°It is nothing more than a bunch of AI robots living on the world tree in the elf¡¯s style. They would study Druidism while developing technology to build up the planet, and the strange former dominator in the ground would wave its tentacle as it observes and gets funny. Yeah, it is going to be a beautiful sight.¡±


    As the person who contributed to all of this, Hao Ren could only bury his face in his hand. ¡°I cannot believe that if it comes to this.¡±


    But in any case, Zorm looked really happy.


    Zorm had an optimistic and cheerful personality, and he never complained about anything. But losing his body was one of the biggest regrets of this First Born. The Zormese was reborn through the lifeblood, and the ecosphere of Tannagost flourished. But as the gardener of life himself, Zorm found that he could only exist in the form of bits and bytes in a supercomputer and float in the cold and lifeless space, which was not a particularly happy ending anyway.


    Now, he finally got a new body, which despite the severe damage and was tens of billions of light-years away and he had to rely on a set of antennas and transcoders to control this body, he was happy with it.


    So, Hao Ren did not want to interfere with Zorm¡¯s play on this planet. He trusted this kind-hearted and loyal son of the Goddess of Creation would handle everything fine and dandy just as he did in Tannagost. In time, he would return peace and prosperity to the war-ravaged planet.


    Never mind that Zorm was making the planet look weird.


    Zorm¡¯s rapid-growing world tree had reached to the height of the clouds. It was still a skeleton with few branches and leaves, but in the eyes of the mortals, it was already a spectacular skyscraper. Hao Ren saw a circle of halo spreading out from the tip of the tree. It seemed to have formed a protective field around the forest. Just then, Zom¡¯s voice came through the communicator again. ¡°Aah!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Hao Ren asked casually.


    ¡°I have no idea what it is. I have heard voices coming from the deep universe since I grew the branches,¡± Zorm sounded confused. ¡°And it is getting clearer and clearer.¡±


    ¡°You can hear that? What does it say?¡±


    Zorm was silent for a moment as if he was trying to analyze the sound from space. Hao Ren noticed that all the branches and leaves on the world tree in the distance were fluttering slightly, just like antennas adjusting their direction. A moment later, the strange mimicking voice of Zorm came through the communicator.


    ¡°Turn off all spectrums! Turn off all spectrums! Whoever you are, just shut down all spectrums!¡±


    ¡°Where this full-spectrum communication channel comes from? That is freaking annoying! It cannot even block it!¡±


    ¡°God knows from where it comes! Anyone who can contact it, please ask it to shut up!¡±


    ¡°We are doomed! We are going to die. We do not even have a gun that works. If it catches up with us¡­.¡±


    ¡°We are going to die! We are going to die¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was dumbstruck. ¡°What the heck is that?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea. That is what the conversations mean in translation,¡± said Zorm helplessly. ¡°And these signals did not just appear. I already heard something when I projected my consciousness onto this planet.¡±


    Hao Ren and the MDT exchanged a look¡ªwell, the MDT did not have a ¡®look¡¯ in the human sense, but it was Hao Ren who glanced at the PDA, looking confused. ¡°Strangely, I have goddamn feeling that these signals have something to do with us.¡±


    The MDT shook and said, ¡°Maybe it was just broadcast that some civilization had accidentally sent into space thousands of years ago. This kind of thing is common.¡±


    That being said, Hao Ren still felt that something was wrong. Under the influence of his demigod intuition, he looked around thoughtfully.


    Suddenly, he saw a particularly bright star in the starry sky moving slowly.


    It was the crystal resonant antenna in orbit.


    Hao Ren¡¯s heart missed a beat. ¡°I think I know what happened.¡±


    ¡°Aah?¡± The MDT turned its head around¡ªalthough it did not have a head, technically. ¡°You do?¡±


    Hao Ren did not answer. He instead talked into the communicator. ¡°Zorm, can you trace the source of those sounds?¡±


    ¡°Holy moly!¡± Hao Ren¡¯s voice that sounded suddenly stunned Zorm. But he quickly came to his senses. ¡°It is difficult, but not impossible. My senses here are a little muted, but over at your side, it is better. I can sense the source of the voices is not too far from here.¡±


    ¡°Quickly trace the source before it goes silent. Can you make contact with the source?¡±


    ¡°That will be difficult. After all, I am just a tree.¡±


    Where on earth has there been a tree like you?


    ¡°Okay, I got it.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°I will find Nolan and see if she can connect you to the resonant antenna.¡±

 Chapter 1579 - We May Have Caused Somebody Trouble

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Nolan was shocked upon hearing the news. Zorm¡¯s reception of the signals from deep space was totally out of her expectation. Her reservation about Hao Ren¡¯s speculation did not prevent her from believing that the incident was not a mere coincidence.


    Perhaps it really had something to do with the giant antenna on orbit.


    After a while of silence, the long-range cognition array became busy again as its various components began to hum while the electrical switches did their work. Hordes of autonomous robots and engineering drones began to flow out of their resting bays to physically connect the long-range cognition array to the crystal resonant antenna. The forward base itself was not spared of disruption as lights in some areas had temporarily gone out, and the base was announcing the energy control plan and the shutting down of some areas.


    As there was no prior model to follow in designing these temporary facilities, many of the components were made merely to meet their own needs, So, it was inadequate in facing an unexpected situation. No one had ever thought of the need to connect Zorm¡¯s long-range cognition array with the giant antenna, which was a signal detector. It was necessary to shut down the energy module of either side when making the connection and transfer part of the energy in the power reactor of the forward base to the long-range cognition array.


    But this emergency procedure would not last long. When the physical connection of the two systems was completed, the power control unit had quickly calculated the system power requirement of the coupled system and reset the operating parameters of the two energy modules. The energy ration in the forward base ended in less than twenty minutes.


    But the procedure had alerted the little buddies in the forward base. It was Lily who first yelled as she ran over. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are we at a fight with something else? I was in the middle of writing code words in the room and then the blackout. Fortunately, I have backup power.¡±


    She was followed by Vivian, who was preparing dim sum in the kitchen and only came out when she saw Lily scurried out noisily. And then there was Y¡¯zaks and his daughter, and the Nangong siblings. But Rollie and Lil Pea did not appear.


    The feline maiden must have gone on an adventure in some corner of the base; a little change of light was completely common for a wild cat that grew up in the ruined ancient city. Meanwhile, Lil Pea was sleeping like a log.


    ¡°Are you sure,¡± Vivian was stunned for a while as she looked at Hao Ren, ¡°that the signals that Zorm received are related to the crystal resonance that we are carrying out right now?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I am not sure. I just take a guess.¡± Hao Ren spread out his hand. ¡°Zorm has just confirmed it; the signals have only a few minutes of delay and are of hyperspeed communication, which means that the signals are not phantom radio frequencies originating from the past but ¡®freshly¡¯ sent out shortly after we turned on the antenna. I cannot help but make an association when the two incidents come at once.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks scratched his jaw thoughtfully. ¡°After listening to the conversations in the signals, the crystal resonant signal that we have emitted must have caused great trouble to someone out there. Wait a minute! Is the antenna still turned on?¡±


    It was precisely why Hao Ren felt helpless. He pinched his forehead and said, ¡°The problem is that we cannot simply turn it off. The crystal resonant antenna looks complicated, but it only consists of a giant antenna and a power module shrouded in a case. The real core component is the large crystal that we have dug out from the earth, and until now, we have not fully understood the inner working of the crystal. What we have done so far is that we have only jabbed the crystal once, and hooray! It started to emit the signals. The system we created only passively scan the universe for any echoes.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks finally figured out what was happening. The crystal resonant antenna had two completely distinct parts put together. The crystal, the product of the Goddess of Creation, emitted the signals, and the best Hao Ren knew was how to poke it so that it sent signals. Meanwhile, the main antenna system that Nolan created was a passive receptor, which had no control over the crystal.


    Lily thought for a moment, and then she raised her hand. ¡°Zorm must be hearing those guys cursing us right now.¡±


    Hao Ren sighed. ¡°There has been silence since a while ago. Maybe they have given up. Of course, they could also have¡ª¡±


    Before Hao Ren could finish, Vivian suddenly interrupted. ¡°The guys who sent the signals should be fine for now. Since Zorm could intercept their communication, then they should be within observable space. At least, not too far. Those who could master hyper-speed communication and still survive in Star Cluster X are no slouch. Even if something is attacking them, they should have at least made some sound.¡±


    ¡°Well, it makes sense.¡± Hao Ren breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Vivian¡¯s analysis. He nodded lightly. ¡°At present, our various antennas could not receive this communication signal, and Zorm, because of his limited ¡®functionality,¡¯ could not pinpoint the signal source location. Now, I have connected the data processing center of the long-range cognition array to the antenna array; if all goes well, maybe we can let the two systems work together to lock on the signal source.¡±


    It was the only thing that they could do right now. But Hao Ren was impatient already. While searching for the signal source, he issued a combat alert to the nearby drone cluster. All armed drones just rolling out of assembly line began to assemble and heard toward the home planet, and the engineering drones hauled the components out from the nearby nests and assembled a huge warp-jump acceleration track over the home planet.


    Once they locked on the signal source, Hao Ren could make sure that he could send the drone forces there in the shortest time possible no matter what happened there.


    In this strange ancient galaxy, the drone cluster meant a lot in terms of safety.


    ¡°What trouble do you think that those guys out are having?¡± Vivian asked Hao Ren when things were in position.


    ¡°There is too little information to tell. There are only a few conversations that we have captured.¡± Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°But judging from those few conversations, the guys who have sent the signals must be trying to avoid making contact with the outside world. But since the crystal resonant signal is a forced two-way transmission, they are forced to respond to our signals whether they like it or not. I have no idea why our antenna system could not receive the feedback signals from deep space, but I am sure this is what happens. It is very likely that our forced signal transmission has broken their radio silence mode.¡±


    ¡°You mean they are hiding their own signals?¡± Vivian asked thoughtfully. ¡°Are they fleeing, hiding, or what?¡±


    Hao Ren looked solemn when he looked up at the stars above. ¡°Most likely, that is the case.¡±


    Just then, in a place of the galaxy invisible to the naked eyes, a vast celestial body was flying in the dark.


    It was an irregular short conical body with a large curved surface. The other side of the body was jagged and covered in twisted cracks and broken pipes as if it was torn apart from something much bigger.


    Any experienced space adventurer would know that it was the piece of a planet. The curvature of the surface and the overall length of the body suggested that it was roughly a third the size of the planet from which it broke apart.


    This massive planetary fragment that drifted in space was not all dark and dead, though. There were light sources of different sizes covering the curvature surface, on which a large number of man-made structures stood. Some towers looked like cannons, and magnificent palaces and cities were built around these towers. Outside these man-made structures were vast jungles and grasslands. It was hard to imagine that these landscapes still existed on a planetary fragment that wandered in space.


    Apparently, the light and life-sustaining environment of the artificial facilities had preserved this vegetation.


    The surface of the planetary debris still flourished with lives, but it was not so optimistic elsewhere. At the edge of the curved surface was a large number of broken structures, collapsed crust, and exposed pipes and machines that had been damaged. Electrical arcs and sparkles burst out from the underside of the celestial fragment with small-scale explosions and fires breaking out continuously. There were gaseous leaks on the lower half of the body, leaving the tail end of the cone-shaped body shrouded in gas and dust.


    There was a vast grassland on the center of the curvature surface. Sitting on the grassland was an old assembly hall, where huge metal obelisks were arranged in a ring on the outside. The metal platform circled by the obelisks was large enough to accommodate thousands of people.


    Right now, a large group of strange creatures with a shimmering body from the last era gathered on this metal platform discussing noisily. These creatures resembled the elf but had a nearly-transparent body like spirits. It was hard to tell of their genders as they all wore the same type of clothes, which was almost non-matter, and their bodies and clothes exuded a soft halo. These sprites flocked together in large groups with bright arcs sparked between them as they argued in a disorderly fashion.


    ¡°We are going to die! We are going to die! Those people are still sending out signals!¡±


    ¡°It has overloaded our signal jamming capability! We will be exposed!¡±


    ¡°Silly you! We have already been exposed since two hours ago!¡±


    ¡°It has been three hours, apparently!¡±


    ¡°It does not matter how many hours! Those bad guys are coming for us very soon!¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t beat them! No way we can beat them! We don¡¯t even have a gun that works!¡±


    ¡°Are there not many guns in the plains?¡±


    ¡°Silly you! They are all spoilt! All spoilt! Now, the guardian giant would be helpless even if it is still alive!¡±


    ¡°What should we do? What should we do? The goddess just gave us a task when she created us, and we screwed it up!¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which, where is the Queen? Where is the Queen? Let the Queen think of something!¡±


    ¡°Where is the Queen? Where is the Queen? Where is the Queen? Where is the Queen¡­¡±


    Silence¡­


    ¡°We are doomed! We don¡¯t have a queen!¡±


    ¡°We are going to die! We are going to die¡­¡±

 Chapter 1580 - What the Heck Is That?

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The next morning, while Hao Ren was having his breakfast, news came that Zorm had intercepted a broadcast signal from deep space. This time, with the aid of the crystal resonant antenna, he successfully locked on the radio signal source.


    Everyone was very excited. Hao Ren put down his rice bowl and asked the MDT to patch the call to him. The interactive image of Zorm¡ªthis time, a super annoying dog head¡ªappeared on the hologram. ¡°That radio frequency has reappeared! It is 20,000 light-years away from us, and the position is obvious!¡±


    ¡°Send the drones to the warp-jump acceleration track. Nolan, please warm up the engine,¡± Hao Ren ordered. He then asked curiously, ¡°Does the crystal resonant antenna work? Can it receive the crystal signal from space now?¡±


    ¡°No, it can¡¯t.¡± Zorm¡¯s voice appeared puzzled. ¡°I only received signals from some unknown sender. I did not find any crystal signal except for what we sent out.¡±


    ¡°It is still not functional.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s brows knitted together. ¡°How could it be? Isn¡¯t the antenna problem-free?¡±


    ¡°I have also studied the system you made; there is nothing wrong with it.¡± Zorm was just as confused as Hao Ren was. ¡°I am using this antenna, and it works perfectly.¡±


    Hao Ren clucked. ¡°The hardware is fine, and the working principle is just as simple as a straight line. But somehow, it could not receive signals that are so loud and clear. This is freaking strange.¡±


    Lily, who rolled up all the noodles from her bowl on the chopsticks and ate as if they were a drumstick, looked up and said, ¡°Mr. Landlord, you as a pope yourself is already the strangest of the strange. It is strange that something is stranger than you.¡±


    Nangong Sanba thought for a moment and said, ¡°Since the crystal signal can go out from this planet but not coming back in, could it be due to feng shui¡­ I mean geographical location?¡±


    ¡°Do you mean this planet or this planetary system is blocking the crystal resonant signal?¡± Hao Ren was impressed by the analytical ability of Nangong Sanba although combat ability-wise, he could not have been more hopeless. ¡°It is possible. But why? I do not see what is so unusual about this planet.¡±


    The MDT chimed in. ¡°It is indeed just a regular, mildly habitable planet, which is in a planetary system that shows no abnormality itself. The only thing worth paying attention to is that there is a First Born on the planet. But then, every habitable planet in the Plane of Dreams has a First Born. Ahh! I remember that a crystal smashed this planet once and the First Born went mental after that. Could this be the reason that the crystal resonant signal from outer space takes a detour around the planet?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it is because of such comical reason.¡± Hao Ren frowned and waved his hand. And then he got to his feet. ¡°Forget it, let this matter to another time. The most important thing now is to go to the radio signal source that Zorm has just found. Maybe there is another survivor civilization. They sound like they are still alive and kicking, which is not easy.¡±


    Hao Ren meant that it was not easy to find survivors who are alive and kicking in the Plane of Dreams, but Lily understood it from a different angle. ¡°Yup, it seems that we won¡¯t see corpses this time around.¡±


    Hao Ren grabbed the tail of the husky and gave it a hard pull. ¡°Stop the crap and eat your meal!¡±


    As everyone knew in the regular stories of monster girls, those long-tailed creatures, once caught by the tail, their reaction would be one of shame, down-and-out, and enthrallment. But this one here was not normal; Lily¡¯s first reaction was to gobble up the last of the noodles in the bowl and jump to her feet. She was ready to bite.


    But when Vivian shoved her another bowl of noodles, she sat back down.


    Nolan had completed the preflight preparation. If it were just another joyride, there would be no preparation needed. She could just stomp on the accelerator, and there the spacecraft sped off without hesitation. But Hao Ren had analyzed the content of the conversations he had intercepted and made out that those guys sending the signals were in grave danger. It did not matter whether it was the First Born or some other things that threatened them, they must be fully prepared for combat.


    So, Nolan had spent a little time calibrating her weapon control system to ensure that it was in tip-top condition.


    ¡°Still, there will be only a few of us going this time.¡± Hao Ren stood beside the Petrachelys, glancing at Vivian and Lil Pea who lay in her arms, and the Asurmen crystal that floated not far away waiting to get onboard. He sighed helplessly. ¡°Before I could fix the divine blockade, you guys have no choice but stay back on this planet.¡±


    ¡°Come on, it is super boring to stay at the base.¡± Lily was a little unhappy, her tail drooping. The fact that she missed two times of excitement had considerably dampened her husky enthusiasm. ¡°When will the goddamn divine blockade be turned off?¡±


    Vivian shot the husky maiden a sideways look. ¡°Is watchdogging not your expertise?¡±


    Lily immediately glared at her. ¡°Have some common sense, please! Our expertise is in sledding!¡±


    Vivian could not find the words to respond.


    Ever since she let loose of herself completely, this dog had won every argument. Her provocation seemed to have less and less effect on the husky.


    ¡°There is nothing wrong with watchdogging,¡± Y¡¯zaks got to his feet and said. ¡°The Executors have sent a message; they will send a team down here to try to make the first contact with the gentle planet devourer while studying the environment of the home planet. We can play host to them.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Then I will leave it to you guys.¡±


    Ten minutes later, the Petrachelys had left the thick atmosphere of the home planet into space.


    In the vast distance between the planet and the moon, a large number of temporary structures had been built. Except for the most eye-catching crystal resonant antenna, which looked as if several towers had twisted together, most structures were related to the drone cluster. Things such as the drone armed fortress, command center, assembly workshops, garages, beacon towers and stuff like that had formed a complex three-dimensional structure in space as if a loosely-stacked space city.


    A massive accelerator track extended from the edge of the space city. But the accelerator track looked more like a dozen rings, from small to big, arranged in parallel, forming a continuous ring hole of over hundreds of kilometers in length. A large number of armed drones had gathered in front of the most massive ring at the starting point of the track, densely packed, like a swarm of bugs.


    This track looked as if a slingshot device, used to orient a physical unit to launch it in a particular direction into space. But it functioned more complexly than that. The multiple ring structure did not increase the flight speed of the projectile but enhance the warp jump speed of the unit going through it. Each ring had an independent dimensional conversion computer and a powerful coordinate reorientation device. These instruments could temporarily erase the three-dimension-world coordinates of the projectile that passed through it so that the projectile could skip most of the calculation and startup exhaustion during the warp jump. This would allow the projectile to initiate warp jump with minimal energy consumption, and there was also no worries of massive energy loss when a large number of units performed warp jump simultaneously.


    Apparently, the warp jump accelerator was not a directional launcher per se.


    When conditions allowed, letting the drone cluster build a warp jump accelerator would greatly improve the efficiency of combat unit deployment. But this device had an obvious shortcoming: it only worked with vessels with warp drive. If it is a conventional power ship¡­


    If a conventional spacecraft entered the rings, its only ending was the erasure of its coordinates in the physical world. The spaceship would become a quantum phantom forever, floating in the main material world. It would only be liberated at the end of the world.


    Nolan slowly adjusted her heading and merged into the position that the drones had deliberately cleared out for it. Following that, this mighty army slowly entered the first ring of the accelerator.


    ¡°Warp drive is engaged. Establishing a connection with the accelerator.¡±


    Vivian petted the little head of Lil Pea and asked, ¡°What do think we will see when we get there?¡±


    ¡°From what we could infer from the content of the conversations, they are hiding or fleeing from something. Their communication technology is likely inseparable from those of the resonant crystal. I think their threat does not come from the First Born,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°The resonance crystal is a natural enemy of the corrupted First Born. So, the one threatening these survivors is probably even more dangerous.¡±


    ¡°When did you think of this?¡±


    ¡°Just now.¡± Hao Ren twitched his lips. ¡°I do not know if it is an intuition; I somehow feel that this signal source and the war that happens somewhere out there are related to each other. After all, they all have crossed paths with the resonant crystal.¡±


    Vivian said nothing. She just watched the image of the accelerator ring on the hologram appearing bigger and bigger as it glowed brightly.


    All the rings of the accelerator had begun to glow, which formed parallel lines connecting the rings together. Inside each ring, rippling light film as if water surface appeared, reflecting the distorted starlight on its surface.


    The Petrachelys and the drone cluster began to accelerate and entered the ring array.


    Whenever a ring was passed, the drones and the spacecraft faded a little. The faster they got, the more transparent they became. When the group reached the last ring, the entire fleet disappeared in space without a trace.


    After a short one-minute warp jump, which was incredibly fast compared to conventional warp jump, lights began to appear in space around the Petrachelys.


    ¡°All drones engage the stealth function and disperse,¡± Hao Ren quickly ordered as he switched on the superlight search device. The coordinates that Zorm provided were of dynamic value and had a deviation about two astronomical units. To prevent falling into unfavorable situations after the warp jump, Hao Ren specifically had the target jump point deviated even farther. So, after the jump, he first needed to find and lock on his target.


    At this distance, the search capability of the Petrachelys was more than enough to locate the target.


    Sure enough, Nolan¡¯s holographic image popped up in just a few seconds. ¡°Target found! At 32 light minutes away from the flank of the fleet!¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian said in unison, ¡°Patch the visual over.¡±


    A cosmic sky flashed on the hologram as a massive structure resembling a celestial body appeared in Hao Ren¡¯s field of vision.


    At the same time, a large group of armies was surrounding the celestial wreckage.


    ¡°What the heck is that?¡±

 Chapter 1581 - Rescue

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The super-light observation equipment got sight of the scene in the distance. Hao Ren realized that the situation was out of ordinary this time.


    Massive wreckage was drifting in space. It had a distinct curved surface and a tapered base. Judging from its size, it was easy to deduce that it was a fragment that came off a planet more massive than Earth.


    Astoundingly, there were still survivors on the planetary fragment. Artificial lights illuminated the surface, which appeared lush green. A glowing ¡®gauze¡¯ shrouded the space continent; it was a sign of the existence of an atmosphere. No doubt, this planetary fragment had an incredible life-sustaining system that still worked until today.


    But the situation of this broken celestial body did not look good as there was a dark and hideous army right on its ass.


    Hao Ren zoomed in the visual with the super-light observation equipment while ordered Nolan to send swift-flying probes to monitor the situation discreetly. When the probes sent back the visual, Hao Ren could not help but marvel what the heck that was.


    It was a chaotic coalition of an army, distorted alien creatures, and steel monsters. There were no words to describe the real faces of these monsters, which included swollen blobs of flesh as tall as a skyscraper, mollusks full of tentacles and eyestalks, beasts patched together with different limbs and heads, and festered and swollen giants. But these grotesque monsters were only small potatoes in the army. There were also hybrids of creature and metal that resembled battleships. Hao Ren believed that those with armor and tentacles were spaceships with parasitic biological tissue on the outside. They still vaguely retained the shape of a spacecraft, but a layer of black substance was squirming on the surface, and a large number of proliferating limbs poking out of the gaps of the outer shells and wiggling in space.


    The first thing that came to Hao Ren¡¯s mind was the monsters of chaos in Collow.


    Chaos, disorder, madness, and full of signs of blasphemy and depravity. They were also senseless and hideous.


    At this moment, this super-ugly army, which could destroy the earth by their hideous look alone, was attacking the escaping celestial fragments that still glimmered faintly. Various dirty beams and bombs of flesh and blood rained down on the floating space island, which had a thin layer of energy shield protecting itself against those attacks. But from the extent of the tremor of the thin film, the shield would not hold up for long.


    Vivian was always steady no matter what she encountered. But this time, she could not help but be disgusted by the unsightly look of the hellish army. Vivian covered her mouth and muttered, ¡°I cannot believe that such things exist in the galaxy. What are they? Where did they come from?¡±


    ¡°I am afraid they have everything to do with the Mad Lord. Chaos and decaying are synonyms of the Mad Lord,¡± Hao Ren said with a frown while instructing the drone cluster to charged ahead. ¡°It is the first time we saw the minions of the Mad Lord in space¡ªwhat¡¯s more in Star Cluster X. This is not what I have expected. The situation in Star Cluster X doesn¡¯t look good.¡±


    Nolan adjusted her course and accelerated toward the battlefield. Space in the surroundings appeared empty, but it was just an illusion. There were thousands of armed drones, which were in stealth mode, escorting her at the moment.


    Hao Ren had also upgraded the stealth capability of the Petrachelys, but he did not turn on the function. Instead, he let Nolan fly the spaceship toward the battlefield conspicuously. This should catch those festered monsters by surprise.


    It was just that whether their rotten thinking organs could still understand what ¡®surprise¡¯ meant.


    On the floating planetary fragment, the sprites were in a state of chaos.


    The terrifying pursuers were right on their ass. As if vultures smelled the stinky stench of the corpse, they emerged from the dark and quickly surrounded the space continent, which had lost its propellant power. The divine power that the space continent exuded was a fatal attraction to the decaying creatures. They launched an unrelenting attack at the space chunk the moment they appeared.


    The sprites had been in a terrible mess while they formulated a strategy before the enemy emerged. But their disorderly discussion and overly spiral thinking had only led to a chaotic approach. The sprites ran around, sneaked into the ancient temples, squeezed into the cannons that had no power to operate, wriggled into the damaged shield generator, and even dug into the underground pipes and engines that had been sealed for three thousand years. Inside there, they tried to restart the long-abandoned equipment. They had been working for the past three thousand years but never succeeded.


    So, they worked hard to repair, dismantle, and then put them back together. They took the instruction manual that the guardian giant left behind to activate the emergency preservation system of the fortress, but it was nowhere to be found. It turned out that the facility buried in the center of the earth had gone when the planet fell apart.


    However incredible it was, the sprite had managed to fire up a shield generator that had been down for three thousand years at the critical moment. The shield generator was only part of the massive planetary shield system, and the energy shield it generated was only a fraction of the strength of when the complete system was in place.


    But they had fired up the generator, and the shield held up so far.


    ¡°The shield works! The shield works! The shield works! It keeps the bad guys out!¡±


    The sprites gathered around the shield generator (and possibly somewhere else), screaming in joy.


    ¡°I could not believe that the damaged shield generator still works! We are amazing!¡±


    ¡°Thanks, goddess! We survived the crisis!¡±


    ¡°We survived! We survived!¡±


    More disorderly shouting.


    ¡°But those bad guys are still out there! We cannot chase them away with the shield alone! They will defeat the shield sooner or later!¡±


    ¡°We are going to die! We are going to die! We are going to die!¡±


    ¡°Fight back! Fight back! We must fight back! We have to shoot those sons of a bitch out of here! There is not much we can do with only the shield!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Shoot them! Shoot them! Fight back! Fight back! Quick! Get the guns!¡±


    A moment of silence later.


    ¡°But we still have no guns!¡±


    ¡°We are going to die! We are going to die! We are going to die!¡±


    The sprites fell into a massive sense of crisis again with more chaos and panic than before the arrival of the enemy. Amid the chaos and noise, some brave sprites looked up and saw something they had never seen before emerging in the dark.


    Had they been humans, there was absolutely no way they could spot the small spaceship coming near the battlefield in the distance. But the sprites could sense and see anything that appeared within their range of perception. Even if it were just a speck of dust, it would look as striking as the sun in their eyes.


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°I see it! I see it! It looks like a spaceship!¡±


    ¡°Who are they? Who are they? Has the guardian giant finally found us?¡±


    ¡°It does not look like the guardian giant¡¯s spacecraft. This one is white.¡±


    ¡°No, it is not white. It is silver!¡±


    ¡°That is almost the same thing!¡±


    ¡°The spaceship is fighting the bad guys!¡±


    ¡°Oh, it is! It comes for us! It comes for us! It is on our side!¡±


    ¡°We should help. We cannot just sit by and watch!¡±


    ¡°But¡­ we still have no guns.¡±


    ¡°Argh¡­ Trouble! Trouble! Let the queen decide! Let the queen decide!¡±


    Everyone looked at each other.


    ¡°But we have no queen!¡±


    On the flight deck of the Petrachelys, the holographic image of Nolan was operating the weapon control system. ¡°Boss, from the start, the space continent has been emitting a variable, high-frequency, low-intensity energy frequency. It is a bit strange.¡±


    ¡°A fortress in disrepair emits some energy frequency is normal.¡± Hao Ren glanced at the floating continent. He saw some mechanical structures and pipes protruded from rock formations and naturally thought that those things part of the fortress group. ¡°Let¡¯s not worry about the situation on the ground. We first have to get rid of those nasty guys.¡±


    ¡°Nolan understood.¡±


    The emergence of the Petrachelys had caused a stir. But that was not unexpected.


    If the experience of combating the Mad Lord were anything to go by, creatures infested by the Mad Lord would be violent and disorderly. Even if they still had a bit of thinking ability, they would use it in the fighting. The sudden appearance of an unknown spacecraft instantly ignited the anger of the dark army.


    The twisted monsters turned around and frantically waved their mutated limbs as they lunged at and attacked the Petrachelys. No one knew how those monsters could maneuver and fight so flexible in space, but it did not prevent the start of a melee.


    There was a limit as to how much attention a spacecraft could draw to itself. Hao Ren decided to order Nolan to lift the restrictions on all weapons of the Petrachelys. He had Nolan dialed up the power of the shield to its maximum and plunged into the chaotic sea of enemies.


    The main cannon fired with a burst of light, the powerful psionic beam swept across space, shattering monsters into crystal dust. Meanwhile, the twelve sets of sub-cannons on both sides of the battleship and missile launchers under the armors began to fire into all directions. It was as if the Petrachelys had grown countless laser spears, clearing out a vast area in space.


    The attack was met with a fierce counterattack. The monsters might not be intelligent, but they were fury fighters when it came to combat. They quickly came to their senses and raining their most potent attack on the shield of the Petrachelys.


    Dirty energy beams and solid bombs exploded on the shield. The Petrachelys began to shake violently as if flying through a thunderstorm. Nolan charged on while reporting aloud, ¡°Shield capacity 80%¡­ 70%, 60%!¡±


    ¡°Fly straight through. We are not fighting the monsters head-on.¡±


    ¡°Nolan got it!¡±


    The dark legion was not the weaklings that Hao Ren had met previously. They were capable of space combat and highly destructive. The Petrachelys¡¯s shield capacity had dropped by 40% in just one round of battle. Had Hao Ren come alone, perhaps he would have to beg the goddess to resurrect him back home.


    But he was not alone.


    The Petrachelys had made enough noise to get the attention of the twisted monsters. The fires and rapid movement of the spacecraft had diverted the attention of those unintelligent guys away from their original target. Many monsters had turned around to chase the Petrachelys. But this only led to more chaos to the already disorderly formation of the monsters.


    When looking from a distance, the monsters appeared as if a group of bees, stirred by a gust of violent wind, flew around aimlessly.


    However, it was impossible to rely on this entrapment tactic to break the encirclement around the planetary wreckage. The monsters would not give up their original target to chase a female pilot with whom they could never catch up. Nolan¡¯s drag racing in space was just to create a diversion around the army of monsters.


    When part of the monsters apparently strayed from the leading group, Hao Ren issued an instruction to the drone cluster.


    ¡°Drone cluster, showtime!¡±

 Chapter 1582 - The Game of Quantity

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    A little battleship had just thrown the festered army into disorder. It transpired that Hao Ren¡¯s analysis of the offshoots of the Mad Lord was correct. They seriously lacked intelligence. Even if they had one, it had all given way to the violently destructive tendency. If there were a more ¡®attractive¡¯ and threatening target appeared within their perception, these almost instinctive monsters would immediately shift their attention and started a meaningless pursuit.


    This diversion tactic was not a panacea, however. The reason why the festered army was an army was that they still retained a minimum level of concerted action and coordination. They would show interest in the new target within their range of perception, but they would not give up their original target.


    The encirclement around the celestial wreckage was only experiencing chaos and disruption, they did not pursue the Petrachelys into outer space.


    But it was enough; Hao Ren needed only to disrupt the encircling army.


    On the earth covered in green vegetation, the sprites could clearly see what happened in space. They saw the silver-white battleship that popped up out of nowhere fighting the bad guys single-handedly. The courageous and heroic battle moved the sprites deeply. They cheered for the ally while watching the silver-white spacecraft flying in the sea of enemies before it fled out into outer space.


    ¡°It flew away! I flew away! The spaceship flew away!¡±


    ¡°It did not come to help. It just lost its way and bumped into those monsters by accident. We are finished!¡±


    ¡°We are going to die! We are going to die! We are going to die!¡±


    Do you have something better to say other than ¡®we are going to die¡¯?


    ¡°Wait a minute, look! Something comes out from the background!¡±


    While the sprites fell in a state of chaos again, there were some looked up at space above and saw something strange emerging out of the dark cosmos.


    The noisy sprites did not hear the words of their fellows at first. But they all became quiet after a while as there was not just one, but thousands of things coming out of nowhere in space. It was simply hard to not notice that.


    Rippling light films appeared in space. When the films faded, silver-white spacecraft, which was as if the hybrid body of insect and machine lunged out. They were as if reapers coming out from the shadows, and also as if locusts drooling at the crops. Those cold and ruthless metal creatures swarmed the space and stared at all the festered monsters.


    Now, the besiegers had become the besieged.


    Even the unintelligent festered monsters hesitated for a moment in the face of this sudden change of event. Before the monsters came to their senses, the armed drones had launched an attack. The drones carried a double-barrel main gun, equivalent to one-third of its body size. The drone kept its weight to its minimum. Asides from its fuel, propulsion unit, and shields, the rest of the body of the drone was built for the main gun. The armed drones are mobile turrets. The moment they rolled off the assembly line, there were ever-ready for the battlefield. And now, the day had come and the drones, at last, came in handy on the battlefield.


    Thousands of muzzles fired at once, blasting the enemies with their lethal laser. Explosions rose silently in different corners of the battlefield. The festered monsters finally came to their senses and instinctively launched a counterattack. But their formation was in disarray.


    The minions of the Mad Lord had left their formation to pursue the enemy. Now, this dark army was in havoc as many monsters had strayed from their positions on the fringes of the encirclement. This had further worsened the already chaotic battlefield.


    The drones seized this opportunity. Under the drive of the instruction sets, they quickly leveraged the situation. With their super agility and short-distance warp-jump capability, the drones promptly locked on the festered monsters that strayed off their formation and shot them out of space. They took advantage of the weak defenses and stormed into the enemy formation to wreck as much havoc as they could.


    When observing from a distance, it was clearly a divide-and-attack strategy. The silver-white drones were as if mercury surrounded the patches of black mud, finding and breaking into whatever gaps they could and devouring the black dirt up very quickly.


    The festered monsters were no sitting ducks either. They had lost the first-strike and positional advantages, but they by themselves were formidable weapons. In comparison, the individual armed drones were relatively weak in terms of combat strength. They had high-powered main guns and agility, but that did not change the fact that they were vulnerable individually.


    But what the drones lacked in quality made up for with quantity. It was hard to understand there were how many of them in numbers.


    When the number of nests reached a particular level, they would multiply far faster than you could record in numbers. When the warp-jump links were smooth, their jump speed would exceed what your brain could perceive.


    So, the vast number of drones began to overwhelm the festered monsters, which also liked to drown their opponents with numbers.


    When dirty energy beams and bombs of flesh and blood hit the drones, they burst into fire and exploded. But with every downed drone, there were a hundred of new drones joined the battle.


    The light films in space were still glowing. Waves of armed drones came out of stealth mode to join to fighting.


    Further away, the flashes at the end of warp jump burst like starlight. An endless army of reinforcement from various parts of Star Cluster X and the home planet of the Executors continued to arrive.


    When seeing the minions of the Mad Lord earlier, Hao Ren had already realized that this was going to be a deep sh*thole. And now, he was in it. So, before Nolan came, he had the drone cluster to send reinforcement.


    The drone cluster had taken root in nearly one-fifth of Star Cluster X. Drone factories continuously churned out combat units around the clock, so Hao Ren had no shortage of army. The battlefield was not far from the areas under the control of the drones. The fleet managed to arrive in the second half of the battle.


    The reinforcement came much later than the drones lurking in stealth mode in the vicinity of the battlefield. But by the looks of it, they had just made it in time.


    The drones seemed to have encircled the enemy. The silver-white streams of drones began to swallow the black legion bit by bit.


    The sprites looked up, and silver-white filled nine-tenths of their field of vision.


    ¡°This is strange,¡± said Hao Ren. The Petrachelys had left the central battle zone, but the drones on the fringe of the battlefield were streaming back real-time visual of the battle. At first, Hao Ren saw the chaotic minions had gained some ground with their fierce counterattacks, but when the drones employed the divide-and-attack tactic, the monsters began to fall in disarray. ¡°Those monsters look very ferocious, but they lack strategy. Even their seemingly menacing battleships make little impact and receive no cover and coordination from the escort forces. So, although the drones have the number to crush them, these monsters should not behave like sitting ducks ready to be slaughtered¡ªif they have a strategy.¡±


    ¡°How can there be a strategy when the Mad Lord has infected them?¡± Vivian said with her armed crossed. ¡°Did Lockmarton not go insane at last?¡±


    ¡°I am just saying. These minions of the Mad Lord, which could fly in space, are not much better than their cousins on the surface. At least, they are equally unintelligent, which is kind of boring.¡±


    Hao Ren was silent after that, focusing his attention on the visual on the hologram. The battle was drawing to an end, and he would like to know how those monsters were finished off.


    The legion of festered monsters had mostly crumbled under the crushing force of the drones. Charred flesh fragments and twisted metal wreckage floated everywhere. Many of the wreckage and bodies hit on the shield of the space continent and vaporized in an instant. The drones had cornered the last group of monstered and were rapidly finishing them off.


    The monsters struggled to fight back and frantically tried to get away the encirclement of the drones.


    Hao Ren quietly watched.


    He saw those monsters suddenly paused for a moment before lunging at once in a direction.


    The smaller, faster units charged ahead in the front to become cannon fodder and meat shields. Those with unique abilities and looked like swollen tumor floated around the formation to provide energy protection. The only remaining black battleship of the monster army was in the middle, using its more efficient auxiliary guns to clear way out for the group.


    Hao Ren¡¯s face changed from indifferent to stunned.


    But the struggle of the monsters ended there. They had shown a strange behavior of order at the last moment and seemed to work, but the vast number of armed drones was too much for the monsters to handle.


    Millions of guns fired at and annihilated the black battleship and its escorts at once.


    The chaotic battle ended. But it left an everlasting impact in Hao Ren¡¯s mind.

 Chapter 1583 - The Sprites

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren and Vivian frowned staring at the battlefield recordings.


    Vivian gently knocked on the crystal panel of the console with her finger. ¡°That one, can you see it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°At the last moment, the monsters seemed to show signs of gaining some senses.¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily. But apparently, they had become more orderly and even knew how to watch each other back and coordinate. What do you make of it?¡±


    ¡°They had evolved suddenly halfway through battle? Becoming more intelligent?¡± Hao Ren wondered. ¡°Or they suddenly got rid of the influence of the Mad Lord and were able to control themselves?¡±


    Vivian shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. The behaviors of the monsters at the last moment did not look like the result of sudden enlightenment. With hundreds of monsters acting in unison, do you think they all have suddenly changed at the same time?¡±


    No one could answer these questions.


    The monsters have been annihilated. Those creatures that the Mad Lord had infected were dangerous. Hao Ren had no intention of catching any of them alive. Star Cluster X was a vast place; Hao Ren believed that those monsters he saw right here just now were not the only minions of the Mad Lord. There would be another opportunity where he could study what they were.


    ¡°Logistics drones have arrived to clean up the battlefield and collect samples of the wreckage.¡± Hao Ren glanced at the report from Nolan. He said, ¡°The key is the festered monsters that look like primordial life forms and those spaceship-like things. They look familiar to me.¡±


    After a while, Hao Ren added. ¡°Let the armed drones anchor onsite and build a circle of defense nearby. Get the engineering type of turrets and fortress missile launcher erected. This hellish place is not safe at all.¡±


    The drone cluster carried out and completed the task allocation with fantastic efficiency. The undamaged armed drones quickly reorganized into formations and began to form semi-permanent turrets in the surrounding space. The damaged drones went to the repair area and underwent the recovery process, or stayed in place waiting for the support of the logistics team. The engineering drones emerged in another corner of space as the flashes of warp jump subsided. They started to build various forward-based radars and turrets.


    A new drone nest and 20 independent arsenals were also taking shape.


    One of the highest missions of the drone cluster was expansion. Since they were idle right now, they might as well begin to multiply themselves.


    Had it not been for Hao Ren in control of them, and they had a high degree of machine-sanity and order, the drone cluster that spread like a virus throughout the universe would be a huge problem.


    After the task assignment, Hao Ren turned his attention to the floating continent.


    The floating continent had suffered the fierce attack of the festered monsters. Had it not been for the prompt intervention of the drone cluster, the forces of chaos would have destroyed it. Right now, the faint energy shield was still working on the space continent, but it was much weaker than before. Many parts of the shield had signs of thinning out and vibration, which meant the shield was about to collapse.


    But it seemed that other than the severely weakened shield, the floating continent itself suffered little damage. Perhaps since it was the chunk of a broken planet itself, any additional damage did not seem to be easily noticeable.


    Hao Ren looked at the holographic image of Nolan. ¡°Can you make contact with them?¡±


    Nolan¡¯s expression looked a bit weird. ¡°Well, sort of.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®sort of¡¯?


    Nolan switched on the radio helplessly. ¡°Hear it for yourself.¡±


    A wave of sound came from all directions. Indeed, it was so noisy that it sounded like it bombarded their eardrums in all directions.


    Indistinguishable voices, shouts, and screams flooded the radio channel. There was absolutely no way one could hear what those yelling voices were all about. Cold sweat was trickling down Hao Ren¡¯s forehead. He focused his mind on finding any words that he could understand. ¡°Wow! Wow! Wow! There have won! They have won! They have beaten the bad guys! Wow!¡±


    ¡°So, the spaceship did not run away earlier. It indeed came to help!¡±


    ¡°Did anyone see my psionic regulator? Did anyone see psionic regulator?¡±


    ¡°Lots of them! There are so many small spacecraft in space! 10,000, 20,000, 30,000, 40,000¡­ I have lost count!¡±


    ¡°Did anyone see my psionic regulator? Did anyone see it?¡±


    There were never-ending noises and chaos as thousands of voices blasting out the speakers. Had it not been for his superhuman physique and mind, Hao Ren would have mentally collapsed. He turned off the communicator and looked at Nolan. ¡°What the hell? Did you just capture all the radio signals on the ground?¡±


    ¡°I am not a psycho, okay!¡± Nolan rolled her eyes. ¡°These were the signals beamed from the ground into space. Got it? These were the signals they sent! All the conversations have mixed together at the same frequency. I could not have possibly separated them out!¡±


    ¡°What about sending them a message?¡± Hao Ren was flabbergasted. ¡°Would they shut up and listen?¡±


    Nolan randomly sent out a message to the space continent, and then a new wave of voices came back in.


    ¡°Wow, wow! They talk! They talk! They are talking to us! Should we reply? Should we reply? Should we reply?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do now! By the way, they have so many spacecraft, and each of them is so tiny.¡±


    ¡°Did anyone see my psionic regulator! Did anyone see my psionic regulator?¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Your psionic regulator is hanging around your neck!¡±


    ¡°I think we should let the Queen decide. After all, the queen is the smartest one!¡±


    ¡°How many times have I said that we do not have a queen!¡±


    ¡°This is what it is.¡± Nolan turned off the communicator and looked at Hao Ren with a nervous-breakdown look.


    Hao Ren¡¯s mouth twitched a couple of times. He finally realized that there was no way to communicate.


    The unknown race on the surface seemed to possess a very peculiar way of thinking. They were noisy and messy and could hear the message that people sent them, but they never bothered to reply in a meaningful way. They seemed to be immersed in their own endless debates, leaving no room for others to intervene.


    But when listening to their conversations, this race seemed to have rational and logical thinking.


    ¡°What should we do?¡± Vivian looked at Hao Ren calmly and indifferently, which also calmed Hao Ren down. Apparently, it was not that the vampire maiden could not make up her mind. It was just that she wanted to know what was in Hao Ren¡¯s mind.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get down there.¡± Hao Ren quickly decided. ¡°There is still a barrier when talking over the radio. Maybe we can figure out something when meeting them face-to-face.¡±


    ¡°It can be dangerous.¡± Nolan reminded. ¡°We might have just saved the survivors on the space continent, and they seem to the enemy of the Mad Lord, but we knew nothing about this race. We have no idea what their reactions would be when outsiders land on their place.¡±


    ¡°We have millions of armed drones surrounding this pace. If Vivian and I were in danger, we could teleport ourselves back up here. With such proper security measures in place, it would be a shame if I am still afraid of going there.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°You will hover over us and get ready to retrieve and cover us. Most importantly, control your urge to shoot; you have had enough fun just now.¡±


    ¡°Ready to go down?¡± Hao Ren jabbed the MDT, which lay on the console mumbling to itself about not being able to take the pilot seat, not being able to join the battle, not being able to take charge of the drone cluster and stuff like that. ¡°Stop complaining. We have a job to do now.¡±


    He poked it a couple of more times, only then the MDT floated up reluctantly. ¡°Yeah, all right. Boss.¡±


    The survivors on the surface seemed to be completely incommunicable, but as a professional inspector, Hao Ren had decided to broadcast his friendly intention before he let Nolan descend. Unsurprisingly, his broadcast had stirred a new round of noisy and disorderly debates among the mysterious race. And there was still no welcoming or decline signal received.


    But judging from the excitement and anticipation of their noisy discussions, perhaps these strange fellows had no problem with the third encounter. Or would they?


    Nolan slowly descended and successfully passed through the shield over the continent, which was undoubtedly good news. She finally came over a cast wilderness and dropped Hao Ren, Vivian, and Lil Pea down.


    The endless grassland extended out in front of his eyes. Hao Ren could see the gray mountains and lush forests in the distance, and huge palaces, cities and things like giant turrets dotted between these natural landscapes. There was a thin atmosphere, the atmospheric pressure of which was relatively comfortable thanks to an artificial life-sustaining system.


    Many unknown light sources floated in the atmosphere, giving this broken planet just the right amount of illumination in dark space.


    Hao Ren could see no one around. All he saw was only grass swaying on the prairie. Based on the life detection report that the MDT gave him, Hao Ren was sure that he had not come to the wrong place. He opened his hands and broadcast his voice through the translation plugin.


    ¡°We come in peace and to help. Who is in charge to talk to me now?¡±


    After a while, Hao Ren finally saw a small shimmering figure emerged from the nearby bushes.


    It was a sprite, only as tall as his knee.

 Chapter 1584 - Planetary Fortress

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren had no idea what the creature was. It just popped out in front of him. Based on his first impression of the creature, he decided to call it a sprite.


    The humanoid creature stood at less than knee height, very much like a scaled-down human. It seemed that this one was a female, wearing a light-blue dress made of unknown material. She had stunning and delicate facial features and a translucent body, much like a spirit. Her hair was long with electric lights on the tip of it. The shimmering particles continuously fell from the dancing light on her hair and dispersed in the air around her.


    The sprite cautiously came out of the bush and stood ten meters away from Hao Ren. She carefully observed the tall figure from a ¡®safe distance.¡¯ Her eyes were full of curiosity and cautiousness and her facial muscle tense. She said nothing.


    Was this the noisy creature that he heard before? She was so quiet now. That was to say, she would only be talkative with her own people but could not speak when getting nervous?


    They both stared at each other for a long while. Hao Ren thought that he had fully expressed his friendliness and harmlessness through his smile and body language. So, he waved at the sprite. ¡°We¡ª¡±


    Before Hao Ren could finish, the sprite shouted, ¡°He has spoken!¡±, and then scurried back into the bush.


    ¡°Is there a problem with my way of expression?¡± Hao Ren froze, having no idea of what happened. ¡°She seemed to be scared.¡±


    ¡°Now, you finally feel how Y¡¯zaks feels.¡± Vivian sighed and looked at Hao Ren with a forced smile. ¡°Perhaps, creatures of our body size look particularly terrifying in the eyes of those little guys.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Some residents here are much bigger than us.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s arched as he pointed at the old temples and cities in the distance. ¡°Look, over there, is the style of those things not familiar?¡±


    Vivian looked in the direction where Hao Ren was pointing at; she was surprised. ¡°That¡­ that is the architectural style of the Gate of Solenne?¡±


    ¡°Yup. The city of the guardian giant,¡± Hao Ren said and lowered his hand. He was baffled. ¡°I noticed the architectural style of buildings before landing. They undoubtedly belong to the guardian giant. It is just that I do not understand why the inhabitants here are only thirty to forty centimeters tall.¡±


    Just as Vivian about to say something, she suddenly heard the rustling sound of the bushes, and then tiny creatures emerged one after another from the bushes.


    They were all about forty centimeters tall, wearing light blue skirts or pants of material with a spirit-like translucent body. When those little humanoids stood together, Hao Ren found an interesting feature about these sprites; it was almost impossible to know their genders by just looking at their faces¡ªthey all had the same delicate face, except for their attire, which was a giveaway.


    These little creatures emerged at once out of nowhere. Hao Ren looked at them, dumbstruck. They gathered in a group with bright electric lights dancing between them as if it was their way of communicating with each other.


    But even though there were many of them, the sprites did not seem to have any intention of talking or stepping closer to Hao Ren. They just stared at the two uninvited guests with their big eyes. This awkward moment lasted for less than half a minute before goosebumps started to rise all over his skin. So, he had no choice but to make the first move again. ¡°We are here to help. Can you send a representative?¡±


    Once again, the sprites were shocked and took a step back. But this time, they did not flee but just look at each other and then burst into noisy gibberish.


    ¡°Oh, oh, oh! He has spoken! He has spoken! He has spoken to us!¡±


    ¡°This one looks so weird! Isn¡¯t the guardian giant very tall? This one looks so short!¡±


    ¡°But he is still much taller than us!¡±


    ¡°Of course, he is taller than us; many things are taller than us!¡±


    ¡°He surely can¡¯t squeeze himself through the secondary pressure release pipes.¡±


    ¡°But neither can we. The secondary pressure release pipe is narrow.¡±


    ¡°Obviously, we can. I¡¯ve done it before!¡±


    ¡°You bluff!¡±


    The sprites fell into a debate again. Not their argument was disorderly without any logic. Hao Ren had only said once and was utterly pushed out of their social circle. He watched for a long time and finally could not hold back anymore. ¡°Listen here! Can you please send a representative to talk with me?¡±


    The sprites jumped out of their skins. And then, their lively discussions escalated to another level. Just when Hao Ren thought that he was losing it again, they had chosen a few representatives. As three little guys stepped forward, Hao Ren could not hold back his tears.


    At long last, he could talk in a normal way with those strange creatures, perhaps.


    ¡°So, you guys are the representatives?¡± Hao Ren vowed that he had never had such a strange third encounter since taking office. It did not look like an inspector was making contact with a survivor civilization, but a kindergarten teacher teaching a bunch of toddlers. ¡°Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Hao Ren, and the one beside me is my spouse cum assistant, Vivian Ancestor. This little guy is Lil Pea while this flying chunk of brick is the MDT. We come from a distant world. When we passed by here, we stumbled upon the battle between you and the festered monsters. We are at war with them too, so we have decided to help you.¡±


    The MDT flew out and said, ¡°Buddy! You should know that I have given myself a name, Pattianne.¡±


    No one gave a hoot of the eccentric PDA. The little guys opposite Hao Ren looked up at Hao Ren, babbling, ¡°Oh, oh, oh! We thank you!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, thank you for your help! Otherwise, we would have died this time!¡±


    ¡°Are you from a faraway place? Very very far away?¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t know there were such powerful guys in the distant world! We thought that the guardian giant was the best!¡±


    ¡°The guardian giants are super powerful; it¡¯s just that there aren¡¯t many of them.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say the guardian giants aren¡¯t powerful.¡±


    ¡°It just feels like we¡¯re the only ones who aren¡¯t powerful.¡±


    Cold sweat trickled down Hao Ren¡¯s forehead. It looked like things had not changed even with the representatives. These guys only talked with themselves. He could not believe how these creatures could form their own civilization and survive in this danger-ridden galaxy.


    Perhaps they were not a completely independent civilization.


    A thought came to mind; Hao Ren turned to look at the old but magnificent architecture in the distance.


    Other than those large buildings of the guardian giants, those little guys seemed to have not built anything themselves. They should be living in the cities and temples of the guardian giants.


    Despite their quirky habits of talking among themselves, the three representatives were much better than the rest. At least, they could still communicate with Hao Ren.


    When Hao Ren asked about the origins of this space continent, the sprites yelled, ¡°This planet is called Naqdal! Very powerful Naqdal!¡±


    ¡°Planet is history! This is only a fragment of Naqdal after the explosion.¡±


    ¡°But this fragment is also very, very big!¡±


    ¡°It was the guardian giants who built Naqdal. The guardian giants are mighty.¡±


    ¡°But the enemy is also powerful, they have a fortress called Amantir, which blew up Naqdal.¡±


    As long as you asked a question, the sprites would reciprocate with 10,000 answers. It allowed Hao Ren to collect more information this way, but at the same time, the data seemed to be disorganized. He had a hard time to analyze and sort out these seemingly related, but in fact, a mess. Fortunately, the MDT was there to help. With its data processing capability, the MDT could record all the information and sort them out. It saved Hao Ren a lot of wild guesses and a head-scratching moment.


    Hao Ren learned from the babbling of the sprites that his space continent was once part of a planet called Naqdal, and this so-called planet turned out to be an armed fortress.


    It was apt to call it a planetary battleship, too.


    The surface buildings and underground pipes and machinery that Hao Ren had observed in space earlier turned out to be not the fortress complex. They were only components of the fortress. The planet had a planet-scale shield and propulsion capability along with some terrible doomsday weapon, which was said to be one of the most potent weapons that Hao Ren had heard in this universe.


    Yet another planet fortress, the Amantir, had launched an attack on Naqdar.


    One of the two equally-matched fortresses launched a surprise attack on another. Of course, it was the planet on which the sprites lived that was blown apart and sending a large chunk drifting in space.


    Vivian¡¯s brows knitted together. ¡°Did the guardian giants build Amantir too?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Yes! The guardian giants built the three planetary fortresses!¡±


    ¡°All the fortresses have doomsday weapons called the Apocalypse Torrent!¡±


    ¡°But Naqdal did not manage to aim its Apocalypse Torrent at¡ª¡±


    ¡°So Amantir blew it up first!¡±


    ¡°But Amantir seems to have suffered damage too. Its doomsday weapon seems to be damaged.¡±


    ¡°They got into fight suddenly!¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian exchanged a look, and they both had the same thought.


    The civil war of the guardian giants.


    Or rather, the war between the festered and the non-festered.

 Chapter 1585 - Origin of the Sprites

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren once thought that the guardian giants like Muru and Lemendusa who participated in the final battle knew the secrets of the goddess of creation well. It turned out that the goddess, who had long been undermined and swinging between good and evil, kept a lot more secrets than anyone could imagine. She had carried out many secret projects while her mind began to divide. Many of the projects were not even known to the giant like Muru.


    Star Cluster X was an example.


    Muru and Lemendusa did not know there was a group of fellow guardian giants carrying out an ancient mission for the goddess of creation in Star Cluster X. These hidden guardian giants and Denizens of the Stars had been guarding something, for which they had built not just one but many planetary battleships. On one of the planetary battleships lived some fantastic but noisy sprites that the goddess had created.


    These creatures were the sprites.


    All of this was unthinkable before Hao Ren arrived here.


    ¡°It was the goddess of creation who created us!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, the goddess of creation is such a nice goddess!¡±


    ¡°She gave us a mission¡­¡±


    ¡°But we cannot tell you!¡±


    When asked about their origins, the sprites replied in the same noisy and messy way. The fact that the goddess of creation had secretly created these marvelous creatures was a surprise. After that, Hao Ren became curious about the mission that the sprites mentioned.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you tell?¡± Hao Ren looked at one of the sprites standing in front of him. This short-haired sprite should be a boy, judging from his clothing. ¡°Is it because it is a secret mission?¡±


    ¡°Because we are not sure what the mission is!¡± said the little sprite while his companions echoed in a rap manner what he said. ¡°The goddess created the little sprites from lightning and stones!¡±


    ¡°She then gave the little sprites a mission, a great mission!¡±


    ¡°But only the Queen knows what the mission is.¡±


    ¡°So, sprites can¡¯t tell you!¡±


    ¡°The queen?¡± Hao Ren and Vivian frowned in unison. Vivian could not help but ask, ¡°Where is your queen? Can we meet her?¡±


    All the sprites exchanged a look and replied in unison, ¡°But we do not have a queen!¡±


    Hao Ren was struck dumb.


    He did not think he could understand their thinking logic before he got acquainted with them. He would die from mental exhaustion if he kept harping on the question. For the first time of his life, Hao Ren had found someone having more spiral thinking than Lily had. And it was not just one but many.


    Could it be that when the goddess of creation made these sprites, someone stabbed her while she was halfway through?


    More and more sprites came out in all directions. Hao Ren was sure that these beautiful creatures had a unique way of movement¡ªthey might be able to shuttle freely on this land, just like how they popped out of thin air just now. He watched as the sprites gathered and felt as if he was drowning in the sea of noise and gibberish. Hao Ren realized that it was not the best time for communication when the sprites looked at him as if he was a creature in the zoo.


    ¡°Can you take us to where you live?¡± He tried to put up a kind smile as he knelt before the three sprite representatives. ¡°And¡­ can we go to a quieter place? We cannot communicate in such a messy situation.¡±


    He thought he would have a hard time letting the sprites understand his request. Never did he expect the little sprites got what he meant so quickly. ¡°Ahh, understood! Understood! We should go to the proper place to talk!¡±


    ¡°The guardian giants also said that we were too noisy¡±


    ¡°But we had no clue what that meant!¡±


    ¡°But we still thought that I made sense.¡±


    ¡°We will take you to the place where we live!¡±


    It seemed that even the guardian giants could not stand the character of these sprites.


    As Hao Ren suspected, these little sprites lived in the cities and shrines that the guardian giants left behind, which also meant the sprites did not have their own buildings.


    The sprites were more like symbiotic creatures, coexisting with the guardian giants, or rather the planetary battleship.


    The three sprite representatives brought Hao Ren to their living place in an ancient but well-preserved pyramid-like temple. This settlement consists of three adjoining chambers. On the wall of each chamber were lattice, which was the home of the sprites.


    Hao Ren, Vivian, and even Lil Pea could not hold back their surprise.


    Even the little mermaid thought that the creatures living in the crystal lattice were weird.


    ¡°You all live in such a place?¡± Hao Ren was curious as he looked at the crystals embedded in the wall. The lattice was an equilateral triangle structure as if prisms arranged in a staggered manner on the wall. The cross-section of the crystal was about the same size as the wheel of a family car. There were lines, as if energy conduits, extending out from each crystal into the center of the building.


    A little sprite dressed in a long skirt with short hair came up to Hao Ren cheerfully. ¡°Yes, yes! It does not look big, but it is spacious! We usually rest here, just like this.¡±


    As soon as the sprite¡¯s voice trailed off, she had plunged into the crystal as easy as spirit passing through a wall. As the sprite was inside, the crystal and the surrounding energy conduits lit up.


    It was as if the one that plunked in was not a sprite but a battery.


    Lil Pea swished her tail in awe. ¡°Wow!¡±


    A few seconds later, the sprite poked her head out of the crystal, her big eyes blinking and looking excited. ¡°You can come in too! It is spacious in here!¡±


    The other two sprites babbled, ¡°Yes, yes! You are our friend. A friend can enter our house!¡±


    ¡°It is especially spacious inside.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I cannot find my psionic regulator again.¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his head awkwardly. ¡°Err, theoretically, creatures like us cannot fit in the crystal like you can.¡±


    ¡°Oh, what a shame.¡± The little sprite climbed out of the crystal and shook her head. Her two companions followed suit. ¡°Oh, what a shame.¡±


    But Hao Ren did not hear what they said as his attention was on the crystal in the wall.


    Blue-white with unique surface texture, the crystals shimmered when energy ran through it.


    And most importantly, electric arcs were dancing as if the crystals were resonating with each other.


    He jabbed the PDA that pretended to be a badge on his shoulder. ¡°MDT.¡±


    The MDT spoke into his mind. ¡°You are right, buddy! I have analyzed the energy sample; it is the resonant crystal.¡±


    Hao Ren noticed the changes in Vivian¡¯s facial expression. Apparently, she had also realized the origin of these crystals.


    ¡°What is your relationship with these crystals?¡± Vivian looked at the long-haired sprite and asked casually.


    Vivian did not have to worry about how to pose her question; those little sprites would reveal everything by themselves. ¡°Sprites were born from the stones!¡±


    ¡°The guardian giants called these stones crystals.¡±


    ¡°The goddess used the power of lightning to create sprites!¡±


    The sprites were energy creatures born from the resonant crystal.


    It was something that Hao Ren had never thought of. The goddess of creation not only carried out a big project on the mysterious crystal planet but also used those crystals to create a brand-new exotic species.


    What was her purpose in doing so? What were these sprites for?


    After learning the origins of the sprites, Hao Ren had also figured out another thing. ¡°That is to say, there are many such resonant crystals on this planet fragment. That was how you received the resonant signal from us. And it was our resonating signals that broke your radio silence. Am I right?¡±


    The long-haired little sprite froze for a second, and then yelped, ¡°Ahh! Ahh! It was you guys who sent the signals!¡±


    ¡°The signals you sent made our crystals resonate!¡±


    ¡°And yours were high-power signals, our usual signal jamming approach had failed!¡±


    ¡°We almost died! Those bad guys came straight to us by tracing the signals!¡±


    Hao Ren had a headache when the three little sprites babbled a little angrily. Did these sprites only learn about it now? Did he not ask Nolan to send a message detailing about this matter before?


    Hao Ren had no choice but to pacify these agitated little sprites. He explained that he only used the resonant antenna because he was searching for clues on the goddess of creation, and he did not know that it would put the sprites in danger. Hao Ren further promised to make up for his mistake; he would send an army of drones to protect the home of the sprites before he could defuse the threat of the festered monsters.


    The emotions of the sprites went just as quick as they came. They were erratic to the extent of utter insanity. After a while of appeasing, the three little sprites calmed down. Now, they were even more hospitable than before.


    Perhaps they had figured that having a legion of drones to protect them was far better than silent radio signals and hiding around.


    But Hao Ren got the gut feeling that these sprites did not possess such logical thinking ability.


    ¡°Well, now we have cleared the air. We should talk about something more important.¡± Hao Ren pinched his glabella. He felt that talking to the sprites was more exhausting than sparring with Lily. ¡°As you know, we are searching for the crystal planet, where you were originally born. Is there a war right now? The Naqdal planetary fortress was destroyed in the battle, right? So, do you know where the battlefield is? Can you take us there?¡±


    The three sprites replied in unison, ¡°We have no idea!¡±

 Chapter 1586 - The Dead Battleship Computer

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The three little sprites replied so matter-of-factly that Hao Ren did not know how to react.


    ¡°We have no idea how to go back! We plunged into space turbulence and drifted all the way here!¡±


    ¡°The navigation computer has long been damaged. We do not know how to use it even if it is not damaged.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! We all know how to operate it. Only you who have no clue!¡±


    ¡°Whatever, but we just do not know where the battlefield is.¡±


    The three sprites gibbered incessantly. But Hao Ren had somewhat adapted to their rhythm and could now sort out the essential parts of their conversation. This time it was a simple clue.


    The planetary fortress on where the sprites lived exploded on the battlefield. The space turbulence generated by the explosion threw the celestial debris into distant space. The navigation computer of the battleship was also damaged in the blast. Now, this planetary wreckage drifted aimlessly in space as it had no power and navigation. And the sprites could not find the way to return.


    The sprites were born from the resonant crystal, but they seemed to lack the ability to find the parent star by tracing the resonant signal.


    Something suddenly crossed Hao Ren¡¯s mind. ¡°How did those bad guys find you?¡±


    ¡°They could track the resonant signal!¡± The youngest of the three sprites jumped up and down before Hao Ren, her hair dancing with electric arcs as she was in excitement, and her mouth crackling in sparks as she spoke. ¡°They wanted to destroy the crystals, the core that the goddess created.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s heart missed a beat. ¡°The core?¡±


    ¡°It is the Destiny Core!¡± said the boy sprite with short hair. ¡°It was where we were born.¡±


    ¡°The crystal that you have mentioned are aplenty there.¡±


    ¡°The lightning of the goddess has never stopped.¡±


    ¡°Our fellow sprites are born from that crystal every day!¡±


    ¡°Over half of the sprites live in the core!¡±


    ¡°That is the crystal planet we are looking for!¡± Hao Ren was excited, but then he looked disheartened again. ¡°Forget it, you cannot find the way home anyway. I am curious; while those festered monsters could find you by tracking the signal, why did you sprites who were born from the crystal not have this ability?¡±


    The long-haired little sprite looked vexed. ¡°We should have that ability, but we have no queen. Sprites cannot do anything without a queen.¡±


    ¡°That it is! That it is! Only when the queen is on the throne, the sprites could use their ability!¡±


    ¡°And only the queen can let the sprites know what they should do!¡±


    ¡°Ahh! I have found my psionic regulator! This time, it hangs on my waist.¡±


    Hao Ren was a little baffled now. ¡°But you just said that you don¡¯t have a queen.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, we don¡¯t have a queen.¡±


    ¡°But sprites should have a queen! She just has not appeared yet!¡±


    ¡°The goddess once said we had a queen!¡±


    ¡°I think this is the legacy of the schizophrenic goddess of creation,¡± Vivian whispered to Hao Ren. ¡°These sprites are probably the ¡®unfinished products.¡¯ Perhaps the goddess of creation did not manage to complete the last step while creating them.¡±


    ¡°I have the same thought too.¡± Hao Ren frowned as he nodded gently.


    Just then, the MDT suddenly spoke as it floated up before the three sprites, ¡°After listening to what you all have just said, the navigation computer is damaged, not lost. Did you mean the navigation computer of the Naqdal is on this planetary fragment?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Yes! The control center is here!¡±


    ¡°The doomsday weapon is also installed on this continent.¡±


    ¡°But the weapon was torn in half during the explosion. And the only thing left is the pedestal.¡±


    ¡°But the navigation computer is still intact!¡±


    ¡°Although it is broken!¡±


    Hao Ren got the meaning of the MDT. ¡°You could not fix it, but we may. Can you take us to the navigation computer?¡±


    The three sprites nodded in unison. ¡°Okay, okay!¡±


    The control center of the planetary fortress was not far from where they were now. They could already see it once they got out of the great temple where the sprites lived. It stood quietly at the end of the great plains as if it was a black sword pointing to the sky.


    But the towering temple was only part of the control center structure that was exposed on the surface. A planetary fortress certainly would not let its critical facility lie on the surface where it was vulnerable to attack. Beneath the temple, it was a shaft of hundreds of kilometers deep, protected by layers of armored walls. After passing through these insanely thick protective layers, they would arrive at the location of the navigation computer.


    The old transport system was unusable due to stratigraphic dislocation and lack of power supply. But the critical facility like this had multiple backup systems, so there were still some lightings along the way. When looking down the shaft, the intermittent faint light looked as if fireflies stretching into the deepest darkness.


    Vivian spread her wings and flew down the shaft with Hao Ren with the three sprites leading the way. The shimmer on the sprites provided additional light to illuminate the dark sections so that Hao Ren and Vivian could see even more clearly the surroundings with their night vision ability.


    Most parts of the shaft remained intact. Some sections had signs of fracture and tilting. In some of the most severely dislocated sections, a large section had broken off and shifted up to 100 meters. Rocks almost blocked off the entire section, leaving only a few narrow gaps and holes large enough for the sprites to pass through, but not Hao Ren. So, in this case, he had to dig through the rock using his cutting laser before he could continue his journey.


    After the deep vertical tunnel, they came to the control center of the Naqdal planetary battleship. It was a hexagonal column-shaped chamber.


    ¡°This is the control center!¡± The long hair sprite flew around, explaining proudly. ¡°It used to be a lively place from where the guardian giants commanding the battle campaigns, and the sprites helped out with the equipment.¡±


    ¡°But now it has been abandoned.¡±


    ¡°Even if you can fix it, Naqdal would not be able to fly; the engine is gone.¡±


    ¡°The energy reactor is gone too!¡±


    ¡°Same goes the weapon system!¡±


    ¡°But we will still come here partying or something, occasionally.¡±


    The control center was dead silent. The hum of the instrument and people¡¯s voices were no more. From the scale of the chamber to the equipment specially designed for the guardian giants, Hao Ren could still imagine how awesome and busy this place once was. The hexagonal chamber had several platforms of varying heights, each of which was large enough to build a house on it. There were also control units of about seven-meter-high and chair in the same proportion on the platforms. The entire chamber was as if a giant kingdom in the fairy tale. Indeed, this was the place of the giants.


    The average height of the guardian giants was more than ten meters, and facilities here were built to proportion.


    The guardian giants who fought here were all killed during the great destruction of Naqdal. But the sprites escaped the most horrible moment by their unique life form and relying on the crystal in the fortress. In the following thousands of years, the sprites collected the remains of the guardian giants from all over the continent as well as from the control center and buried them on the grasslands.


    After the burying the giants, the sprites rarely returned to the control center, because there was nothing left in there, and the green mountains and rivers on the surface were far more attractive. But on some special occasions, when the sprites suddenly thought of the past, they would come back here to commemorate their former comrades.


    The control center was not wholly dark. Hao Ren looked around and found some faint light sources in the corners. He listened intently and heard some subtle hums coming from under the floor, or maybe behind the wall.


    Apparently, there was some backup power that still worked.


    Broken but not dead; as a super battleship built on the foundation of a planet, the Naqdal had multiple backup systems and modules. These subsystems had guaranteed that even when the spaceship broke apart, its wreckages would still be operational and even maintain a certain level of combat capability.


    ¡°Where is the navigation computer? Or where is its interface?¡± Hao Ren looked around the chamber and found no apparent things that looked like a computer.


    ¡°There!¡± The smallest sprite flew into the air and pointed to the above. ¡°It is there!¡±


    Hao Ren looked up and saw a vast dome, the structure of which made him dizzy by just looking at it. His heart missed a beat. Apparently, the most critical system was right above.


    Multiple massive alloy skeletons intertwined at the top of the hexagonal columnar chamber, forming a nest-like structure. Conduits and cables ran over and around these skeletons like veins, and all these things would eventually converge into one place, which was the crystal.


    A metal structure held the large crystal solidly in place. The crystal had a similar texture to that of the resonant crystals. But, unlike the regular resonant crystals, this ¡®heart¡¯ lacked the luster.


    For the first time, Hao Ren saw a resonant crystal that was dim and did not resonate with other resonant crystals. A thought came to his mind.


    Every resonant crystal had life. But this crystal above the chamber¡­ was dead.

 Chapter 1587 - The Queen!

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    When Hao Ren saw the dim crystal, he instantly knew that the condition of the crystal was worse than he had expected.


    The flight computer of the planetary battleship was not a conventional system. It might not even be the creation of the guardian giants but the goddess of creation. Perhaps it was more than merely a flight computer. Hao Ren found that there were too many mysteries behind the resonant crystals. The goddess of creation had spent most of her attention in creating these crystals during the last moment of her life. She had also secretly created the Star Cluster X surrounding these crystals, the significance of which might not be any lesser than the Creation¡¯s Engine.


    Did she use the resonant crystal as the flight computer to give the battleship some unique capabilities?


    In any case, these crystals still appeared as if some dark technology to Hao Ren. He might have the equipment to analyze the physical and chemical properties of these crystals and the energy, but the secrets of the crystal were beyond these properties. And more importantly, Hao Ren had no idea how to resurrect a dead crystal.


    But Hao Ren felt that he needed to do something. Not doing anything in the face of the unknown was not the quality of an inspector.


    With the guidance of the sprites and the analysis of the MDT, Hao Ren had found a way to lower the large crystal. He reenergized the old lifting mechanism, which began squeak loudly. The fixture above the crystal moved and lowered the more-than-ten-meter-tall giant crystal down before it stopped less than half a meter from the floor.


    After a brief observation, Hao Ren realized what was so strange about this crystal.


    It was a perfectly symmetrical octagonal cylinder, which tapered at the top and bottom, with some patterns covering the dim surface of the crystal. The MDT emitted a beam on the crystal, revealing the shallow structure inside, where there were equally intricate and mysterious patterns.


    No other crystals that Hao Ren had collected so far had this level of finishing. Even those crystal lattices in the sprite settlements were not as neat and exquisite as this one.


    ¡°I cannot detect any deeper structure.¡± The MDT was surprised after flying around the crystal. ¡°It has very complex encryption. Even if the crystal has stopped working, the software-based encryption protection still works. I cannot crack it even with my processing capability.¡±


    ¡°A goddess is still a goddess even though she has never gone to school.¡± Hao Ren could only let out a sigh. ¡°The goddess of creation has put in a lot of effort into creating this crystal. It is only natural that you cannot decrypt it.¡±


    The MDT did not give up. It used its beam to scan the crystal again but to no avail. It even used energy stimulation trying to wake up the crystal, but it did not respond.


    ¡°This thing is completely broken.¡± The MDT landed on Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder in frustration. ¡°It no longer receives any external energy stimulation. This crystal is as if a black hole when it is silent. As long as we cannot break through its ¡®vision,¡¯ we are not going to see the truth inside.¡±


    Hao Ren smacked his lips in disappointment. Meanwhile, Vivian reached out to touch the crystal curiously. ¡°Speak of which, I remember I have seen such a crystal in the sea of the Crimson Moon. It feels incredible¡ª¡±


    Before she finished her sentence, the unthinkable happened.


    The dim crystal suddenly burst into light, which happened in a flash before the light shrank back inside the crystal, leaving the crystal glowing softly. Meanwhile, the spot where Vivian¡¯s palm had contact with the crystal was rippling. As the milky-white ripples spread, the intricate patterns on the surface began to pulsate irregularly.


    The crystal had come back to life.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Shocked by what happened, Vivian instinctively pulled back her hand. ¡°I did not do anything!¡±


    Hao Ren quickly comforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t panic, it has just come back to life. I have experience with this.¡±


    Indeed, Hao Ren had many similar encounters when he accidentally touched those ancient relics.


    The crystal did not dim after Vivian let off her hand. Instead, it remained glowing softly while emitting a pleasant, wind chime-like sound. And then, a gentle female voice came.


    ¡°Administrator connection detected. Authentication completed. Please try to get core authorization and activate the default protocol.¡±


    ¡°Error. Unable to connect to the heart. The throne is not activated, the heart administrator is missing.¡±


    ¡°Administrator has used the wrong connection method. Please first activate the heart. This access session is closed. The Naqdal crystal goes into standby mode.¡±


    The gentle female voice went silent, and the glow on the crystal surface gradually dimmed but not went out. It still maintained one-third of its original brightness, which should be the case in the so-called standby mode.


    The three little sprites looked on, wide-eyed. They suddenly came to their senses and yelled, ¡°Ahh, ahh, ahh! It is activated! It is activated! Administrator Permission!¡±


    ¡°The queen! It is the queen!¡±


    ¡°This is how the queen looks like?¡±


    ¡°The queen does not look the same as us!¡±


    ¡°She may look different, but she is certainly the queen!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! That¡¯s right! That¡¯s right! The goddess has set it up like this¡­¡±


    The three sprites babbled while running around Vivian as if runaway electric current. ¡°You are the queen! You are the queen! You are the queen of the sprites!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know the queen looks different from us.¡±


    ¡°My Queen! My Queen! Why didn¡¯t you tell us earlier?¡±


    ¡°La la la ~~ finally sprites have a queen!¡±


    Vivian finally came out of her daze, but she was still baffled. ¡°Stop running around me, I am getting dizzy. Who can explain what is going on? How come I become a queen suddenly? I didn¡¯t even know you all before this!¡±


    ¡°You are the queen!¡± said the long-haired sprite. ¡°Only the queen can activate this crystal that I directly connected to the heart!¡±


    ¡°And the crystal has just said, you are the administrator!¡±¡±It is just you are not aware of it!¡±


    The three little sprites began to dance around Vivian¡¯s head, cheering, ¡°Queen, Your Majesty! Queen, Your Majesty! Queen, Your Majesty!¡±


    At first, Hao Ren thought that the little sprites reaction was just a farce, that these guys, with their unpredictable thinking, must have made a mistake. But after piecing things together, he could not help but look at Vivian. ¡°I think we have to take the words of these sprites seriously.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled by their unseriousness.¡± Hao Ren pointed to the three sprites. ¡°They are the last creation of the goddess of creation. The goddess made these creatures for a reason, and you¡ªyou could be also be counted as the final legacy of the goddess of creation. And don¡¯t forget; the reason why we come to this galaxy is because of the star chart in your soul. The resonant crystal was first discovered in your sea of the Crimson Moon. We can connect all these clues together.¡±


    When Vivian saw the serious expression on Hao Ren¡¯s face, she began to think. ¡°You mean¡ª¡±


    ¡°I guess the goddess of creation created Star Cluster X for you. When thinking along this line, it is not something incredible anymore to think that you are the queen of the sprites.¡±


    Vivian glanced at the sprites, which danced and cheered around her, dumbfounded.


    ¡°But I do not feel happy at all to be a queen.¡±


    Hao Ren spread out his hand. ¡°It does not matter; the goddess of creation has already decided.¡±


    ¡°Pff.¡±


    ¡°If she is really your queen, then now the sprites have a queen, right?¡± Hao Ren decided not to tease Vivian anymore. He turned to the sprites. ¡°You said that as long as the sprites had a queen, you would know your mission? So, do you know now?¡±


    ¡°Not yet!¡± The youngest sprite fluttered her arms. ¡°The queen must sit on the throne!¡±


    ¡°The queen must be on the throne.¡±


    ¡°The sprites will hear the queen¡¯s voice.¡±


    ¡°Only with this connection¡­¡±


    ¡°Will the commands of the goddess be revealed!¡±


    ¡°Sit on the throne?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s brows knitted together. A scene he once saw in the illusion suddenly crossed his mind.


    On the crystal planet was an ancient palace, in which there was a throne made of crystal. A figure, seemingly of the goddess of creation, was sitting on the throne, fusing with the crystal as one.¡±


    Was this the true meaning of that illusion?


    But Hao Ren could not get the answer from the sprites. All the sprites knew were only bits and pieces inscribed in their souls. They only knew that the sprites needed a queen, and the queen needed to sit on the throne. But they had absolutely no clue about what the queen was supposed to do, and what the throne was all about.


    They said that the Queen herself should know this.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help.¡± Vivian looked at Hao Ren and forced a smile. ¡°My memory fails.¡±


    ¡°Then we can only bank our hope on this crystal to tell us something.¡± Hao Ren did not force Vivian to recall anything. He just turned to look at the crystal emitting a soft glow.


    Apparently, the crystal had come back to life, which meant the MDT can further examine it.


    Even if the MDT could not retrieve the secrets deep inside, it should have no problem to read the data stored on the surface.


    While the MDT began to work on the crystal, Hao Ren was going to take a look at the wreckages he had salvaged from the battlefield.

 Chapter 1588 - Samples from the Battlefield

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After losing propulsion power, the space continent could only drift in a direction at a constant speed in space. The chances for the small celestial object to hit anything in its path would be negligible even after millions of years. But for some longer-term considerations, Hao Ren had still ordered the engineering drones to stop the floating from drifting. Tens of thousands of drones were now busy at work on the base of space continent to install various conventional propulsion units and warp drives. It was a mega project, but not technically challenging. There was a sufficient number of drones at disposal. If all went well, the celestial debris would stop after three thousand years of wandering in space.


    While the engineering drones were busy installing propulsion units on the space continent, the logistics drones had finished cleaning up the battlefield around the continent. For one, they had completed the task of collecting samples, which Hao Ren had instructed, and then it was also to prevent these wreckages from being captured by the gravity of the space continent and threatening their safety.


    But Hao Ren did not send the wreckage samples to the surface. Instead, he instructed the drones to build a synchronous-orbit ¡®scrapyard¡¯ nearby the continent to store his massive collection of samples. The reason was that those festered monsters carried nasty contaminants. The power of the Mad Lord had accumulated in the body of these creatures for god-knows-how-long. They had become dangerous contaminants, and the wreckage analysis must not be carried out on the surface.


    The scrapyard was a scattered space complex that relied on the gravity field rather than physical structure to fix things in place. At the center of the scrapyard was a large, comprehensive space anchoring device. This installation could physically locate and lock any space objects within a few thousand kilometers of its surrounding area to prevent them from flying around. In the spherical space around the anchor tower, thousands of small spires, arranged at a regular interval, pointed to the center and were connected by laser beams. The laser beams also acted to divide the spherical space into a lattice. Each of the cubicles was a storage space, where debris samples collected from the battlefield were stored.


    For the sake of safety and preventing the contaminated samples from leaking, Hao Ren had installed two tons of space implosion warheads in each spire.


    ¡°Please submit your passcode¡­ Passcode verification is successful. You have the highest access rights to all areas.¡±


    When the security system allowed access, the light film blocking in front of the spacecraft turned from red to green. Nolan carefully moved forward into the ¡®mortuary¡¯ that consisted of many cubicles.


    ¡°Samples inspection is less than 10% completed. And only preliminary analysis has been carried out.¡± The MDT floated beside Hao Ren¡¯s head, showing the corpse of a hideous monster on the hologram. ¡°Many of the samples carry a low level of divinity¡ªof course, it is a corrupted divinity.¡±


    Hao Ren muttered to himself, ¡°The first- or second-gen creations of the goddess of creation.¡±


    ¡°Yes, these monsters were probably the descendants that the goddess of creation created before the contamination,¡± the MDT said. ¡°She has not only created the guardian giants and the First Borns but also other things. These things here do not belong to any system nor institution like the guardians, but their number is staggering. We can say that they are her sons.¡±


    ¡°Do you think it is appropriate to use the word ¡®son¡¯ in such a report?¡±


    ¡°It sounds more vivid,¡± the MDT said matter-of-factly.


    Hao Re¡¯s mouth twitched, but he quietly agreed with the MDT.


    ¡°These ¡®sons¡¯ have a miserable ending.¡± Vivian looked at the holographic images of the festered monster and sighed. ¡°Now thinking of it, I have almost ended up like these monsters. It is dangerous to have a goddess as a mother.¡±


    ¡°Not bad when your boss is a goddess,¡± Hao Ren said.


    The Petrachelys stopped inside a cubicle, where an anatomical analysis was ongoing. The body of a giant, swollen with neoplasm all over the skin, lay quietly in the binding force field. Several autonomous robots flew around, cutting the dead skin and muscles and gouging out the even uglier, more disgusting decaying organs.


    Earlier during the battle, Hao Ren had already noticed this distinctive giant. Now, having a close-up look at it, he knew he was right. ¡°The guardian giant, biological type, a fellow of Muru, it seems.¡±


    ¡°According to the sprites, the war that is still ongoing in the heart has broken out because some guardians have suddenly become mad,¡± said the MDT. ¡°Three planetary fortresses¡ªNaqdal, Aqgudal, and Amantir¡ª were responsible for guarding the heart. Amantir was the most powerful with the bravest and best-fighting troops of guardians. But this force suddenly lost their minds, and without warning, they bombarded the critical part of Naqdal with the doomsday weapons. At that time, there were also some guards in Naqdal on a rampage. The fortress broke apart instantly. The biggest chunk of the broken planet is the one we have found. From that day onward, the sprites began to wander in space.¡±


    Who could have thought that after the fall of the goddess of creation, there was a great war breaking out in this distant and mysterious Star Cluster X?


    ¡°The Mad Lord has projected his influence in the goddess of creation. Every action the goddess took had half the probability of destroying the world.¡± Hao Ren quietly looked at the giant whose face had deformed beyond recognition. ¡°This is undoubtedly one of them.¡±


    Vivian frowned. ¡°Apparently, it was a fatal blow. In such a critical aspect, the most powerful guards had fallen into the hands of the Mad Lord. Look at the degree of festering and their number, it would be a miracle if the heart has not fallen.¡±


    ¡°According to the clues I saw in the illusion, the divine power of the goddess of creation was protecting the heart. Otherwise, it would have been crushed instantly,¡± said Hao Ren. ¡°Now, maybe we can explain what happened to the spacecraft of the Denizens of the Stars. There was a sudden attack on the heart. The attack did not come from the outside but inside. The guards on the outside had no time to react. So, those spacecraft of the Denizens of the Stars sent all their energy and consciousness to the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°The outbreaks from the inside also bypassed the divine blockade. I guess those savage guardians were immune to the divine blockade. Otherwise, they could not have possibly come out and chase after the sprites.¡±


    Nolan changed its direction. She flew around the station where an anatomical work was ongoing, and passed through the energy barrier of the cubicle and headed toward the center of the scrapyard.


    The closer to the center of the scrapyard, the more dangerous the sample.


    After leaving behind the festered monsters, which were more massive than the guardian giants, a hideous spaceship with metal and biological tissue lay ahead.


    It was black and huge and must have been once a mighty and magnificent spaceship. But now the power of the Mad Lord had completely distorted this ancient war machine. Evil energy riddled its armor plate. Just like rotten flesh, it wrinkled and swelled with tentacle-like stuff protruding out from every gap and hole. It all looked extremely disgusting.


    But these things were now lifeless. The main gun of the drones had blown the spacecraft into four pieces of various sizes. The once wriggling black tentacles had turned ashen as if rotten tree branches. The squirming black substance on the armor of the spacecraft had solidified, and an autonomous robot was stripping it for analysis.


    ¡°The spaceship is severely distorted, and foreign substance covers 80% of its surface, but after studying its frame, we could know that this is the spacecraft of the guardian giants,¡± said the MDT. ¡°By analyzing the substance sample, we could safely confirm that these spaceships did not transform overnight but over a long period of infestation, which if continued, you would not be able to recognize it as a spacecraft.¡±


    It was disgusting to watch the autonomous robots gouging the foreign substances from inside the wreckage. Some of those things were still squirming even though they had died. Hao Ren was growing nausea. But he could not help but keep imagining the horrible things that happened to the spaceships.


    The first persons who got influenced and lost their minds were the pilots, who were the guardian giants. The crew lost their senses, mutated and gradually became part of the spacecraft¡ªa hybrid creature. The tentacles on the outside and biological tissue in various compartments were apparently the bodies of the giants. The scene was a complete manifestation of the chaotic nature of the Mad Lord.


    If not seeing it with your own eyes, you could not imagine how these things came about.


    The holographic image of Nolan suddenly popped up next to Hao Ren. ¡°I feel like throwing up.¡±


    ¡°Err, as a ship, the scene might have been too gross for you,¡± Hao Ren said with a strange look. ¡°But I survived watching the dissection of the guardian giant.¡±


    Nolan¡¯s face looked terrible. ¡°But when I think about what happened inside the ship, I¡­.¡±


    ¡°Hang on there! Nolan!¡±


    ¡°I cannot hold back anymore¡­¡±


    The Petrachelys shook, and then the venting vents and the emergency hatch opened suddenly, followed by a large amount of waste coolant and crystallized degraded energy in the circulation system rushing out.


    The ship girl shook her head. ¡°Ahh! I feel much better now.¡±


    ¡°I am lost for words.¡± Hao Ren mumbled.

 Chapter 1589 - Autopsy

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°It is unsightly for a girl to puke on the sidewalk.¡±


    ¡°But this girl is technically a spacecraft, and the puke is only system waste. I guess it is not that awful.¡±


    ¡°But think carefully about it; you are a freaking ship girl in essence. A ship girl! Doing that is uncomely!¡±


    Nolan rolled her eyes at her captain. ¡°Boss, you have been complaining for like an hour. Will you stop?¡±


    ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s get down to work.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s attention was on the wreckage of festered monsters.


    The analysis of the wrecks and body parts had enabled Hao Ren to reconstruct the appearance of some monsters. It allowed him to understand the level of power and unique abilities of the monsters after the mutation, the influence of the Mad Lord on them, and their process of mutation. Each piece of information was precious. It was one of the few times where Hao Ren got first-hand intelligence about the Mad Lord so far. The last time he got information of this value was during the battle with Lockmarton the world of Collow.


    The only thing that he still could not wrap his brain around was why the monsters had suddenly shown discipline at the end of the battle.


    The festered monsters, aside from attacking in groups, totally relied on instinct, which was their biggest weakness. But once this weakness disappeared, the threat of these monsters would increase exponentially. They were many, not afraid to die, and having strange abilities. They could contaminate everything around them on the battlefield. Had these monsters been more disciplined and having a strategy, they would have been invincible. If that happened, Hao Ren would rather choose to fight Raven 12345, who looked at least more pleasing to the eyes.


    The MDT ran a simulation; had the monsters been more organized at the start of the battle, just like what they had shown at the last moment, it would give the drone cluster a hard time. Although the done cluster, with its endless reinforcement, could still win the battle by virtual of their sheer number, it would be a tragic victory. Never as easy as the previous battle.


    The analysis of the wreckage samples showed that these monsters did not have their thinking organs intact. Their brains had rotten long ago, and they could never act so cooperatively by themselves on the battlefield.


    Vivien gently tapped the armrest of the chair with her finger while looking at Hao Ren. ¡°Are you thinking of something?¡±


    ¡°I am just thinking,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°Do you think someone has been remotely controlling these monsters? They had no intelligence yet behaved so smartly. ¡®Remote control¡¯ is the best explanation. Earlier, when the battle started, there was only chaos. But toward the end, they seemed to have quickly gotten organized. It seemed to me that some commander had ¡®F2-ed¡¯ an army going after the sprites. Since the sprites were defenseless, the commander just let the army run on autopilot and forget about it. After a while, the commander checked in and was shocked to see his army was almost wiped out. By the time he came to his senses, it was too late.¡±


    Hao Ren was thinking out of the box, and it sounded logical. Vivian carefully thought for a moment and then clapped her hands. ¡°I have no idea what you are talking about; I don¡¯t play games.¡±


    ¡°Then why the heck you look enlightened?¡±


    ¡°All right, I am just kidding. I got what you meant.¡± Vivian waved with a smile. ¡°I think what you say is possible. But it is just a speculation. There is nothing to support the theory. So¡ª¡±


    Before Vivian finished, the MDT suddenly popped out. ¡°Wait a minute, if you are talking about evidence, now you have it.¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian turned to look at the MDT and asked in unison, ¡°What evidence?¡±


    The MDT hovered in front of the two and turned on its holographic projector. The image showed a black battleship twisted by parasitic biological tissue. The armed drones had blown the battleship in pieces during the battle earlier, and now the MDT had used a forensic technique to reconstruct the battleship virtually. The holographic image switched, showing even more vivid details of the battleship¡¯s internal structure. There were some dark-red meshes and color patches inside most parts of the spacecraft.


    ¡°The autonomous robots dissected the wreckage of the seventeen black battleships and then digitally stitching the pieces back together. Take a look at the mesh structures; they exist in every wreck and are structurally and principally similar. They are compound of metal data cables and biological nerve tissue and all over the spacecraft like a neural network. I guess after the crew mutated, their body tissue had grown together with the electrified control network of the spacecraft. These dark areas are the nodes of the ¡®neural network.¡¯ Apparently, the nodes are the result of hyperplasia. They are all swollen and deformed sarcomas. Morphologically, this thing should be the festered body of the guardian giants.¡±


    The biological tissues were so disgusting that even people as well-traveled as Hao Rao was horrified. Those things, the body of the giants, had melted like wax into an indistinguishable form. Around these infected biological tissues, many veins were extending out in all directions. Those were the so-called neural network.


    ¡°The neural network and these festered giants together have formed a control system. The neural network is the instruction transmission unit, and the festered giants are sort of an antenna. I find that this system could receive remote commands and has a certain degree of autonomous control function. Without external commands, it will operate on its own less efficiently, just like how it has behaved during the first half of the battle.¡±


    ¡°No wonder.¡± Hao Ren scratched his chin. ¡°Does this system only exist in this spacecraft?¡±


    ¡°I have also found this neural-control system in other wreckages but on a smaller scale and apparently different from that onboard the black battleships. I guess the smaller units do not receive commands from the very top; they are only wingmen or escorts under the command of the black battleships. But when the black battleships are in autonomous combat mode, the effectiveness of these cannon fodder units is just as bad.¡±


    The veil had finally been lifted on the organizational structure of the festered monsters and how their army worked.


    ¡°Does their chain of command appear like a pyramidal or a tree-like hierarchy?¡± Vivian frowned. ¡°So, their fighting would appear chaotic during autonomous combat mode and organized when receiving a direct command from the superior unit. It seems that this superior unit will be a nasty problem for us.¡±


    ¡°Judging from how they have fought, the superior units of the festered monsters are a different class of creatures from the regular derivatives of the Mad Lord. They have a high degree of discipline and tactical thinking, can adapt their strategy quickly and rationally based on the situation, and more importantly¡ª¡±


    Before Hao Ren could finish his sentence, Vivian interjected, ¡°More importantly, they already know that we are here.¡±


    ¡°It is something unavoidable.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°There is no way to do it discreetly with such large-scale battle. I am only worried about how much the commander behind these monsters has learned about our strength. They only intervened at the end of the battle and perhaps, not much they had seen. What I am not sure was whether there is a memory cache or things like that in the nervous or command system of the monsters. If the last battleship that we destroyed has a record of the battle and transmitted back to their commander, then our strength could have been exposed.¡±


    Nolan¡¯s voice came from the side. ¡°The drone cluster has the absolute advantage in number. We are only dealing with the Mad Lord derivatives, not the Mad Lord or goddess of annihilation. So long as we could overwhelm them with quantity, letting them collect some data about the drone cluster is not a problem.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°That makes sense. Inform the consciousness of the drone cluster to move the reserve forces to the Star Cluster X and raise the armed drone production to the highest priority. Keep sending reinforcement into this area until the crisis in the Star Cluster X is over, or I order otherwise. My request is simple: when war breaks out, no matter how vast the enemy¡¯s lair is, I want the drone cluster to fill up nine-tenths of their field of vision.¡±


    ¡°Nolan got it.¡±


    ¡°And pay attention to the active defense and surveillance in the region,¡± Vivian reminded. ¡°We are exposed. They may send a second wave of troops.¡±


    After this, Hao Ren had intended to observe in the ¡®testing ground,¡¯ but news from the Naqdal Continent (Hao Ren named it so because it was initially the name of the fort) came, he had to return early.


    The analysis of the ¡®navigation crystal¡¯ was at last completed.


    As the navigation computer of the Naqdal Planetary Fortress, the mysterious crystal contained a massive amount of data. The goddess of creation had encrypted the data, making most of the data unreadable. But all hope was not lost. After Vivian accidentally activated the crystal, it restored into standby mode. The encryption system was still running, but Hao Ren¡ªwell, it was actually the MDT¡ªfound out that the crystal stored the data in stacks. Aside from those data, the MDT could not decrypt, the rest could be easily decrypted using conventional decryption methods.


    Hao Ren asked the MDT to design a dedicated set of algorithms for cracking the crystal encryption. During this period, the crystal would be kept in the control center of the Naqdal Continent while data retrieval and decryption continued.


    They had finally hacked the data in the shallow layer of the crystal and gotten the real coordinates of the ¡°heart¡±.

 Chapter 1590 - The Battlefield’s Whereabouts

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    In the control center of Naqdal Continent, Lil Pea was mingling with a group of sprites, playing a game that was probably only the sprites would find it fun. The sprites transformed themselves into balls of light, and their companions would throw them out toward the little mermaid, who would strike the light balls away with her tail. Every hit would be accompanied by an around of cheers and laughter.


    Lil Pea was having a field day, and she enjoyed it a lot.


    Hao Ren and Vivian had gone into space to examine the wreck samples. Hao Ren had decided not to let Lil Pea tag along for the sake of her mental health considering how hideous the wrecks were. He left Lil Pea on the surface. Interestingly, the sprites and Lil Pea, who were similar in body size, clicked and acquainted with each other quickly.


    When Hao Ren and Vivian returned, the sprites stopped the games and scurried up and surrounded Vivian, yelping, ¡°The queen is back! The queen is back!¡±


    ¡°Queen, have you eaten?¡±


    ¡°Queen, do you eat chopsticks.¡±


    Hao Ren glared at the baby mermaid, who hid behind the sprites. ¡°What did you teach them?¡±


    Vivian struggled to deal with the sprites, her reaction was just the same as when she was faced with Hessiana. ¡°I am not fond of becoming a queen. I wonder what the goddess of creation was thinking that she decided to leave me with this mess. Are these sprites really here to help me save the world while they cannot even save themselves?¡±


    ¡°I know why. When your mother broke down, she already had schizophrenia. She could do anything.¡± Hao Ren shrugged helplessly, but he still came to her rescue. ¡°Everyone be quiet! Have you all forgotten our agreement? The Queen can¡¯t go back to the throne now, so you must cooperate with us both. First, be steady. Do you understand?¡±


    The sprites shook their heads. But they stood still there for a moment.


    They figured that they could still talk among themselves.


    The three sprite representatives stepped out from the crowd, and looked at Hao Ren, who could only identify them as ¡°the long-haired sprite¡±, ¡°the youngest sprite¡±, and ¡°the boy sprite¡±. He could not help it; those sprites did not even have names.


    The goddess of creation must have used some ¡°mind network¡± and ¡°recessive IP while she created these magical species. The sprites had no problem distinguishing one from another, so they had never had a naming concept. Earlier, Hao Ren had a hard dealing with them because of this, but soon, this did not bother him anymore.


    When facing the noisy creatures, who would never talk to you individually, there was no point in knowing their names.


    ¡°I come to check on the navigation crystal.¡± Hao Ren nodded to the three sprites. ¡°I heard there have been some results.¡±


    ¡°Over here! Over here!¡±


    ¡°This machine has just suddenly lit up!¡±


    ¡°The crystal hums¡­¡±


    ¡°It makes me sleepy¡­¡±


    Hao Ren followed the three sprites and came before the navigation crystal. This large crystal had been completely lowered to the ground and surrounded by a bunch of new instruments that apparently not belong to this room. Various sensors and scanning beams constantly monitored and examined the crystals, and in between the instruments, sprites were busily moving around¡ªthey were here to help.


    The sprites did really help, of which Hao Ren was really grateful. The resonant crystal had a unique structure and working principle, which Hao Ren had still not been able to figure out. Using a brute-force attack to hack the crystal would only produce a half-assed result. But it was a different story with the aid of the sprites.


    The sprites were born out of crystals. Technically, they were still a crystal but just in a unique form. Behind their incessantly noisy behavior hid the mechanism of resonance between crystals. It was because of these little sprites acted as measurers and amplifiers that the analysis of navigation crystals could make progress so quickly.


    In other words, these little sprites were noisy, careless, disorderly, and know-nuts, but they had something that you badly needed. So, what can you do about them?


    The MDT flew up the console of the analysis instrument and presented the results on a hologram. The sprites, who were busily working nearby, were attracted by the hologram. They gathered around and gave their opinions while gesturing with their hands and legs. Hao Ren had learned how to block off the interference. Otherwise, he would have a nervous breakdown.


    ¡°The navigation computer is just a secondary function of this crystal. Just as what we have guessed it, the secret of crystal lies deep inside the encryption,¡± the MDT said while looking for information. ¡°It turns out to be a good thing. It means that its navigation data is actually not important, and having lower-level encryption.¡±


    ¡°Here, and here. We have retrieved some space coordinate shifting records in the surface data of the crystal. The coordinate shift traces back to about three thousand years ago. According to the information that the sprites provided, it was the period during which Naqdal broke apart, and the celestial fragments drifted in alien space.


    ¡°So, I guess this navigation crystal should still be running after the Naqdal fortress was destroyed and wandering in space for some time. During the period, the crystal and the surviving hyperspace sensor module automatically recorded its own drifting trajectory.


    ¡°We can sort out the coordinate shift record. Using the current heading and speed of the Naqdal Continent, and then calculating the gravitational influence of the nearby celestial bodies, we can trace back to the break-up point. We could then further introduce the coordinate shift value and backtrack to arrive at the original coordinates when the planet broke up.


    ¡°I have finished calculating. Here are the coordinates.¡±


    The complicated chart and figures faded, leaving behind a set of symbols and numbers on the hologram.


    The coordinates.


    Vivien breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°If I am not mistaken, this must be the entrance to the battlefield. Finally, we got it.¡±


    The sprites had no idea about what everyone was discussing. But when they saw the queen spoke, they began to follow suit. ¡°Found the battlefield entrance! Found the battlefield entrance!¡±


    Unlike Vivian and the sprites, Hao Ren knew about space navigation. So, he asked, ¡°Are the coordinates relative or absolute?¡±


    ¡°Of course, they are relative,¡± the MDT replied. ¡°I have done the math. We are lucky to have the data on Star Cluster X¡¯s coordinate shift; otherwise, I could not guarantee the accuracy of the calculation.¡±


    Relative and absolute coordinates were a problem during warp jump. The problem would be especially apparent when the coordinate data was not up to date. Just as the need to update the navigation star chart constantly as the celestial bodies moved in space, the jump points were also constantly shifting.


    Some universes were expanding, some were shrinking, and some distorted over time. Absolute coordinates, which were fixed, could only pinpoint the specific location in space in a particular form and at a specific point in time. Hao Ren needed relative coordinates to find the space distortion point three thousand years ago.


    This set of coordinates could lead him to the location where the Naqdal fortress first plunged into space turbulence.


    ¡°That will be fine,¡± Hao Ren said as he exhaled softly. ¡°Get ready to go.¡±


    ¡°We should do more preparations,¡± Vivian reminded. ¡°It was where the Naqdal fortress was destroyed. Considering that the guards near the ¡®heart¡¯ are at a disadvantage, most likely, the place has fallen. We could expose ourselves to the line of fire of the minions of the Mad Lord.¡±


    ¡°And the Naqdal Continent is still a problem,¡± the MDT said. ¡°The propulsion system of this continent is only 80% installed. The air defense system is still largely non-functional. We can only depend on drone turrets. If our main forces leave and the festered monsters come, these sprites will be on their own.¡±


    Vivian and the MDT were right, and Hao Ren knew when to take heed of advice.


    There could be millions of Mad Lord¡¯s minions waiting for them near the coordinates, and another planetary fortress could be lurking around. The size of the enemy forces could be a hundred times more than those in the previous battle.


    It would be a full-scale war.


    Hao Ren wanted to assemble the best fighting forces in the shortest possible time, build their formation, and conduct reconnaissance. And he had one more idea.


    He wanted to reequip Naqdal Continent to turn it into a war fortress.

 Chapter 1591 - Scouts

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Around the Naqdal Continent, a large cluster of drone bases was taking shape.


    Sentry turrets had replaced the drone turrets and early-warning towers, which were previously erected to guard against the second wave attack of the festered monsters. The new, silver-gray space structures floated like monuments in space, each installed with guns of different sizes and missile launchers. The powerful shield generator on each sentry turret could cover a wide area. The precise placement of these sentry turrets ensured that shields would overlap each other to form a large group of staggered shields. This technique, adapted from the Xi Ling military technology, had been simplified and widely adopted in various cluster-based forts and bases around the macroworld.


    Six large done nests were scattered within the protective range of the sentry turrets. The drone nests that glowed softly in the dark looked as if some strange sandcastles of metal and rock. They continued to expand with hundreds of factories and drone hangers connected to them and churn out thousands of drones. The cold and efficient machines shuttled between bases with the engineering drones continuing to expand the nests, and the armed drones in the hangers were arranged in rows of ten thousand parked under their respective racks, ready to be deployed to the battlefield.


    In between these facilities were command centers, radar stations, data centers, accelerator tracks, and residential and ecosphere centers.


    Some of the facilities were still under construction. No matter how efficient the drones were, it was impossible to finish building the complex, special-purpose structures immediately. But a few days after the work started, things began to take shape. Hao Ren believed that it was already a space city.


    The project was massive but relatively scattered. That made it easy to form a few layers of structures around the Naqdal Continent. In the center of these structures, Hao Ren had another ambitious project.


    He was to modify and reequip Naqdal Continent.


    Naqdal Continent, a broken fragment of the mighty war machine, Naqdal Planetary Fortress, by itself was already an excellent foundation of a weapon of war.


    Underneath the crust of rocks and soils hid the solid alloy structure that the guardian giants built. There was still a modular power reactor, which was reparable, buried there. The continent had the largest shield system Hao Ren had ever seen in the Plane of Dreams. This shield system, when it was still intact, provided solid protection for an entire planet. Even with a part of it left, the system could shield the whole continent.


    The shield generator was not running in its best performance right now, but by replacing some of the core components, fixing the overloaded coils, and recalibrating the operating frequency, it would operate at its top performance.


    There were many energy cannons left on the surface. Not only that, but the ancient temples could also be used as a weapon in a space battle. As long as there was sufficient energy supply, they would not be any less powerful than the sub-cannons of Nolan or the main gun of the armed drones. Some of the high-end stuff was even more powerful.


    In the eyes of the sprites, however, the ancient facilities on Naqdal Continent were beyond repair but not to Hao Ren. His black technology could fix these things. Even if it could not, the drone factories could make a bunch of standard parts to swap out the old ones.


    Hao Ren¡¯s decision to leave behind a large number of autonomous research facilities at the Gate of Solenne to study the remains of the guardian giants was a wise move. He had accumulated tons of knowledge about the technologies of the guardian giants, and now, all this information came in handy.


    The ¡®all-rounder¡¯ job nature of the inspectors necessitated the use of equipment and technology with high compatibility. This would ensure the hardware of the inspectors to work with the technology of different civilizations. So, Hao Ren had no problem in repair or even upgrade the Naqdal Continent.


    Meanwhile, Hao Ren had explained his decision to reequip and transform the Naqdal Continent into a battle fort.


    ¡°The drones are, of course, powerful, but they also have an obvious weakness. There are not many ultra-large drones and even mobile drone fortresses available, and they are impractical. War at the demigod level is unfolding in the Star Cluster X, and the enemy is the demigod guardians whom the Mad Lord had corrupted, the drones will be at a disadvantage even with the edge of number because the festered monsters have highly intelligent command units. So, we need to make up for this shortcoming by building a fortress, which will be the mothership to help the drone cluster move forward.¡±


    Vivian looked at Hao Ren for a long time with a doubtful look. ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°And it feels so cool.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s justification was pretty much a bull, but Vivian and the MDT still gave their support to the transformation plan, because they needed to increase their combat strength.


    Increasing the survivability of Naqdal would also ensure the safety of the sprites during battles. They knew that the targets of the festered monsters were the relics of the goddess of creation, and the sprites were part of these relics. They originally were the crystals on the Naqdal Continent. It was found that the crystals and the systems in the continent had an inseparably natural bond. So, the best way to ensure the sprites survive in the coming battle, Hao Ren needed to make their home as robust as possible.


    He could hide the entire Naqdal Continent and even move it to a safer place. But the sprites were highly against it.


    They did not seem to like to continue to live life as fugitives. Especially after they had found their queen and learned that the ancient facilities were restorable, the sprites became motivated and strongly demanded to return to the ¡®heart¡¯ to join the war. Hao Ren had given his nod. He knew there was no way to convince the sprites otherwise, and he also needed Naqdal.


    While the upgrading work of Naqdal started, Hao Ren and Vivian took the opportunity to return to the home planet of the Executors.


    Hao Ren was worried that Lily would tear down the entire base during his absence.


    But this transcended husky was no ordinary domestic breed, she did not take down the base as Hao Ren had imagined. Lily just complained about how bored she was staying at the base while Hao Ren was having all the fun.


    ¡°I have wanted to bring you, too, but the divine storm could blow us into pieces,¡± Hao Ren said. He was helpless about Husky¡¯s complaints. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, we have found the ¡®heart¡¯ of the Star Cluster X. The blockade will be lifted when we solve the problem in that goddamn place.¡±


    Lily pouted. She looked displeased but complained no more.


    The construction work on the Executors¡¯ home planet was making tremendous progress. The forward base had expanded to become a permanent fortress, which not only covered the long-range cognition array but also extended beyond the northern part of the scorched plain up to the jungle adjoining the plain. A barrier had divided a small part of the forest, which had now become the botanical garden in the base. Lily and Rollie had been roaming around in there hunting and fishing. They would take the Nangong siblings, Y¡¯zaks and his daughter there for a picnic occasionally. They had fun.


    By the look of it, Lily¡¯s life here was not dull at all. It was just that she felt being left out of the exciting adventure.


    Going along the avenue in the base in the direction of the residential area, Hao Ren saw the ¡®world tree¡¯ that Zorm transformed using his tentacle. It stood at the end of the horizon with its crown emitting a soft magical glow in the sunset. Amid this scene, there were some small aircraft shuttling around.


    ¡°Are they Executors?¡± Vivian squinted.


    ¡°You should have come to see how they made the first contact with Zorm, ¡°said Y¡¯zaks with a terrible smile. ¡°That¡¯s N-6¡¯s team. They departed from the Zenith and hovered above Zorm¡¯s world tree for a long time, setting up their positions and monitoring the underground data. While they were at it, Zorm suddenly drew a half-kilometer wide smiley face above the crown of the world tree and began to put up a light show in the sky while singing Hello Friend. Half of the plains could hear that, and N-6 almost fired at him.¡±


    ¡°I can imagine that.¡± Hao Ren buried his face in his hand. ¡°It is Zorm¡¯s style. I wonder how long he has taken to come up with such an elaborate plan.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Battie, I heard that you have become a queen!¡± Lily had come out of her depression. ¡°How did that happen? I cannot imagine how a pauper like you could become a queen.¡±


    Vivian also buried her face in her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t ever mention that. You will not say that if you know how the subjects of the queen look like.¡±


    The stay on the home planet of the Executors was a brief one as soon, Hao Ren had received news from Naqdal.


    Some minions of the Mad Lord were found to lurk near to the security perimeter of Naqdal.

 Chapter 1592 - Reconnaissance

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    When Hao Ren and Vivian arrived back to the Naqdal base, the minions of the Mad Lord had gone.


    A small team of the minions tried to cross the security perimeter of Naqdal but was repelled by the drones. After a brief fight, the drones destroyed all scouts of the Mad Lord within the range of fire while other festered monsters roaming further afield retreated. The drones, which were not equipped with gravitational trap, did not manage to capture the enemy scouts. The festered monsters got away.


    But it was not a big deal because the Naqdal security perimeter covered a wide area. Those monsters were not close enough to pose a threat or know the situation of the base. They did not even see the scale of the base cluster. The drones had intercepted the enemy scouts at half a light year away from the base.


    But it served as a warning to Hao Ren. Just as he had predicted before, the festered monsters had not only locked on the position of Naqdal Continent but also knew the presence of the ¡®outsiders.¡¯ They had not given up this place.


    It seemed that the crystals on Naqdal Continent were of great appeal to the monsters.


    The modification of the control center of Naqdal was completed. Since the navigation crystal was the core of the underground part of the control center, and Hao Ren had not mastered the way to control it, the subterranean structure was left untouched, and the temple on the surface had become the new control center.


    The drone cluster had finished installing all the propulsion units on the continent. The shield generators and weapon platforms were also online. Other than the engine, every system came in two sets. One was the original control system that the guardian giants built, while another was the new system that the drones had built. Both systems were connected to the underground control center and the temple on the surface. At present, Hao Ren was controlling the fortified continent through the temple.


    It was as if snapping on a body control device on a dead body. It was an indirect control but was enough to let the space fortress function as it should be.


    Hao Ren and Vivian had returned and walked into the temple surrounded by the sprites. This building still looked as magnificent as before. But there was the addition of many Xi Ling-style equipment and a bunch of autonomous robots flying around inside. In the polygonal chamber, where the Temporary Command was, Hao Ren went straight before a dark metal wall. ¡°How is the situation?¡±


    As Hao Ren¡¯s voice trailed off, the metal wall rippled as if liquid, and then an ever-changing face surfaced. ¡°Six hours ago, the patrol drones discovered an abnormal spatial distortion near the security perimeter and detected that the minions of the Mad Lord had appeared nearby. Three minutes later, the drones exchanged fire with the intruders, which then split into two with one group still trying to cross the line while another group began to move in the opposite direction.¡±


    The drone cluster consciousness said as the hologram showed visual footage of what happened during the exchange of fire.


    ¡°Fifteen minutes later, the enemy flying in the opposite direction suddenly retreated, and the drones did not manage to intercept them. Twenty-six minutes later, the drones wiped out all intruding enemy units. We have salvaged part of the wreckage, but the initial examination suggests that they are of no value.¡±


    ¡°Were they acting in an organized way?¡± Hao Ren asked after looking at the footage.


    ¡°They showed a high degree of discipline and swift reactions. Our drones outnumbered and defeated them quickly, but they had a considerable degree of battlefield command capability.¡±


    ¡°Just as we expected. The group that attacked Naqdal earlier was disorganized, but this time, some commander was behind this.¡± Hao Ren glanced at Vivian. ¡°Perhaps, we will not see those F2A cowards anymore; the enemy is taking us seriously this time.¡±


    Vivian seemed to in thought. After a while, she looked up at the peristaltic metal wall in front of her. ¡°Can you roughly analyze the difference in combat style between these intruders and the ones in the previous battle?¡±


    The drone cluster consciousness quickly replied, ¡°The action of the intruders this time was more conservative, and they were operating in smaller groups of mutated monsters as their main force. There is a large deviation from the previously collected enemy tactical data.¡±


    Vivian nodded. ¡°This means the enemy has more than one commander.¡±


    ¡°Apparently, they were testing us,¡± said Hao Ren. ¡°They are not sure who this third force that has come out of nowhere is. The defeat of their army by our drones in the previous battle has put them under pressure. So, they did not come to attack us recklessly this time. Instead, they sent a small group of scouts.¡±


    ¡°It seems that the decision to build the base and expand our forces is right,¡± The MDT came up and said. ¡°They did not manage to spy how big the Naqdal base was. But they should have realized it by now that the drone cluster is expanding at a rate much faster than previously. They would be more cautious in formulating an offensive strategy.¡±


    ¡°But it will also give them a sense of urgency,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°Their commanders must be assembling their troops and planning to eliminate the third force like us. The drone forces are expanding rapidly; the enemy knows it and will not sit by and watch.¡±


    The next wave of attack was imminent, and it was going to be a major one.


    Hao Ren did not sit by and waiting for it to happen; he has taken some actions now.


    At the deepest part of the Naqdal base, there was a newly completed hyperspace catapult mechanism next to the drone fortress. Structurally, it was akin to a shrunk-version of the warp-jump accelerator. But it had added a long, silver-white track that seemed to be continually changing between reality and illusion at the end of the string of rings. Now, this new facility had fired up with bright energy sparks bursting between the rings and the guide rail. A weird-looking drone was slowly guided to the starting end of the accelerator by traction beams.


    It was, indeed, a different type of accelerator. But unlike the conventional accelerator, this one had an enhanced hidden module. It could not only erase the coordinates of the accelerated object in the real world but also allowed the object to remain ¡®erased¡¯ for an hour after arriving at its destination. In this hidden state, the catapulted object would lose all the corresponding information in the real world, even all traces in the causality and timeline as if it had never existed and would never appear in future. The object would not be observable using observation method based on the laws of the universe.


    The weird-looking drone was the ¡®erased¡¯ covert-operation unit. It was bigger than the conventional drone. At tens of meters long, it was equipped with various sensors. The rear section that looked like the abdomen of an insect was a globular machinery compartment. These devices, made after Hao Ren obtained an Authorization Upgrade Protocol through the Inspector Data Link, allowed the covert-operation drone to have a unidirectional communicate with the real world while it was still in the ¡®erased¡¯ state. In other words, it could observe the outside world, but the outside world would not detect its existence.


    The primary coil of the accelerator lit up. The surging light curtain in the coil became a zero-thickness film. The scouting drone passed through the film and began to fade.


    ¡°The coordinates have been erased. Erasure of information in progress¡­ Information on the target has been erased. Source data is temporarily stored in the virtual point memory.¡±


    Hao Ren stood in the observation station in space and watched as the ripples in the front end of the accelerator gradually subsided. He had no idea what he had just launched nor how the thing looked and what it could do, but according to the memo, he knew that he would receive some information from the distant and mysterious battlefield soon.


    ¡°The probe will send back the signal,¡± the MDT said as it turned on the holographic display. ¡°The footage could be fuzzy at first.¡±


    After a while, Hao Ren saw some shadows appearing in the holographic footage.


    It was the visual distortion of starlight passing through the curtains of the real world. It was blurry at first, and things seemed to be overlapping. But soon, the footage became clear.


    The first thing he saw was a rock. The large rock floated in space and quickly approached the camera, but the expected collision did not happen. The camera seemed to not exist in the real world as the camera lens, and the rock went through each other. The footage blacked out for a while before it appeared again.


    A soft glowing galaxy lay in the distant background. In the foreground, countless space debris was floating around. In the upper left corner of the footage, a faint halo that seemed to be part of some interstellar cloud appeared, and a few things that looked like artificial objects glimmered softly at the end of this gas cloud.


    The sprites could not leave Naqdal too far. But the facility in which Hao Ren was now was located in the synchronous orbit near Naqdal. So, Hao Ren had invited the three sprites, who were the temporary consultants, to the facility. Right now, the long-haired sprites, who floated beside Hao Ren¡¯s head, was staring intently at the holographic image and nodding. ¡°These should be the debris of Naqdal!¡±


    The other two sprites followed suit. ¡°Some of the debris belongs to Agodal!¡±


    ¡°Because Agodal was damaged slightly!¡±


    ¡°But I cannot see Agodal and Amantir from the footage.¡±


    ¡°It is so far away after all.¡±


    ¡°There seem to be no enemies here.¡± Vivian looked at the footage. The camera panned around to capture the entire scenes in its surroundings. ¡°Did the festered monsters abandon the area after destroying Naqdal?¡±


    ¡°They might not have the habit of cleaning up the battlefield or salvaging materials.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°What would those artificial objects at the edge of the interstellar cloud be?¡±


    The sprites came up. ¡°Let me take a look! Let me take a look!¡±


    ¡°They look like Amantir¡¯s sentry posts.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too close, or they will spot you!¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°MDT, please take note. We have to avoid those things when we get there.¡±

 Chapter 1593 - Battlefield Live

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The erasure effect of the covert-operation drone would only last for an hour. Not many things could be done in that short time, but if used correctly, the drone could still observe many things.


    Hao Ren had now a rough idea about the Heart, which was the crystal planet he saw in the illusion. He knew that it was the goddess of creation who created the planetary system, where the ¡®heart¡¯ was located. There, spacetime and everything did not entirely work according to the law of the universe. The most striking example was the independent movement and manual control of the celestial bodies.


    A star was shining on the planets, but those planets did not orbit the star. One such planet was the Heart, a rocky planet that was stationary nearby the star. It rotated by not orbited the star, so there were no seasonal changes. A powerful planetary shield and defense platforms protected this sacred planet. Three planetary fortresses surrounding the ¡®Heart¡¯ could move freely within the planetary system and anchored anywhere as needed. Before the sudden revolt broke out, the three planetary fortresses moored at the three vertices of the equilateral triangle around the Heart. Other than that, there were temples, forts, surveillance towers, and facilities called the Door floating in space following a set of programs that the goddess of creation left behind. Here, even the guardian giants had no authority to make any changes to these facilities.


    After the outbreak of the rebellion, Amantir destroyed Naqdal with the doomsday weapon, the Apocalypse Torrent, and the corollary effect swept through space and caused devastating damage to everything in the vicinity with more than half of the facilities in space vaporized in an instant. But the facilities around the Heart, shielded by divine power, had survived together with the last planetary fortress, Agodal.


    The drone swiftly passed through the Naqdal¡¯s wreckage field without leaving a trace. It then switched on all the sensors and began to collect as much information as possible while the erasure was still in effect.


    The drone sent back the footage. Hao Ren saw wreckage floating in space. The debris, including of Naqdal and the festered monsters, had been floating there for 3,000 years. The largest fragment was as large as a continent, on which Hao Ren could clearly see collapsed temples and the ruins of cities that had long plunged into darkness. All this told of the tragic event that had taken place here.


    ¡°Did Amanti¡¯s rebellion happen three thousand years ago?¡± Vivian asked casually while her eyes affixed to the images.


    ¡°Yes, Queen!¡± said the boy sprite, and the other two follow suit. ¡°Three thousand years ago, Amantir suddenly fired at us!¡±


    ¡°At the time, some of the guardian giants on Naqdal went crazy too.¡±


    ¡°It scared the hell out of us.¡±


    ¡°But I was not afraid at all!¡±


    Lil Pea jumped up and down. ¡°You bluff! I know that you are the least brave among the sprites! You are even afraid of my little flame!¡±


    The little sprite got angry. ¡°That was because I used up all my courage at the beginning, so I am so timid now!¡±


    ¡°Were all the guardian giants normal before this?¡± Hao Ren put his hand between the fish baby and the sprite, intervening their quarrel. ¡°Up to 3,000 years ago, all the guardian giants had no signs of infection?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± The three sprites shook their heads in unison. ¡°The giants were kind! We had a good relationship! Everyone had been living together!¡±


    Hao Ren turned to look at Vivian and said, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°So far, all the events we encountered in the Plane of Dreams, all the clues we found came from 10,000 years ago when the goddess of creation fell,¡± Vivian said with her arms crossed, and her fingers tapped her elbow subconsciously. ¡°Except here; everything was normal until 3,000 years ago. The guardian giants on Amantir suddenly went mad. That was 7,000 thousand years after the fall of the goddess.¡±


    ¡°So, you think it was a ¡®delayed outbreak¡¯?¡±


    ¡°No, I think it is the evidence that shows the Mad Lord is slowly breaking out of jail,¡± Vivian said. ¡°But no matter which possibility, things are not looking good.¡±


    The drone kept streaming back images. As it flew through an empty region of space, some soft lights flashed in the corner of the image.


    The camera automatically panned and zoomed in. Hao Ren saw an intense battle was taking place.


    On one side were the familiar festered monsters¡ªthose lumps of flesh, mutated giants and battleships infested with biological tissues. They were much larger than the army that had previously encircled the Naqdal Continent. On the other side was the battle fleet of the guardian giants with a proper formation and distinctive insignias.


    It was the first time that Hao Ren saw the black battleships of the guardian giants appeared in a formation. Various types and sizes of battleships flew in space, firing their guns at the enemy. At the rear of the fleet were floating towers and platforms. Judging from the lights and intertwined laser beams, they should be some kind of orbital defense facilities.


    The two opposing forces had a fierce dogfight in space. The burst of light from the battle was clearly visible even from several astronomical units away. In the background of this battlefield, there was a planet shrouded in a bright shield.


    The planet had a thick atmosphere, and the permanent clouds were blocking anyone from seeing the landscape on the surface. The shield above the atmosphere was so powerful that it looked almost solid, making it like a crystal shell wrapping the planet within.


    It was undoubtedly the place that Hao Ren had seen in the illusion¡ªthe Heart.


    But he did not find the two planetary fortresses of Agodal and Amantir.


    The sprites¡¯ eyes glued to the holographic images, specifically their homeworld from which they had been away thousands of years ago. They replied, ¡°The planetary fortresses should be at the other end of the battlefield. Agodal is probably drowned by the light of the Heart!¡±


    ¡°Amantir is hidden in the shadows! The rebels definitely would not want to let it be exposed!¡±


    The drone began to move in the direction of the battlefield, ready to collect as much information as possible before the end of the erasure effect. Meanwhile, Hao Ren¡¯s entire attention was on the planet wrapped up in the ¡®crystallized shield.¡¯ He seemed to feel a calling.


    There was an answer¡ªthe answer that the goddess of creation left for those who came after her¡ªthat was not only for Vivian but also for him.


    His coming to the X-Galaxy was not an accident. It was almost an inevitable outcome behind a series of clues and events. This planet engulfed in the war was not some weird project of the goddess while she was having schizophrenia but a carefully designed undertaking, to which she had given an incredibly strong protective shield. It even inextricably linked to Vivian. The goddess of creation must have some expectations for it.


    ¡°The guards are still holding on to it, but it seems they are on the defensive.¡± Vivian¡¯s voice jolted Hao Ren out of his thought. ¡°Those monsters seem to have outnumbered the guards.¡±


    ¡°The biggest headache we have is that the festering power would grow as the fight continues. And some of them even master the power of the tainted blood, which means they could continue to create soldiers.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°The good news is that those festered monsters have not found out we have come right at their doorsteps. If we could pull off a surprise attack from behind them before they realize it, we would get the upper hand in the war. It would be even better if the guardians keep the monsters busy on the other side.¡±


    Vivian glanced at Hao Ren. ¡°Do you have a plan?¡±


    ¡°I do, if we could contact the guardian giants near the Heart,¡± Hao Ren said as he looked at the countdown timer on which the red numbers were ticking made him nervous. ¡°Our drone is running out of time.¡±


    The law of the universe had limited how long the drone could remain in the erasure state. An hour was about to pass, after which, the drone would become a regular covert-operation unit. It would remain stealthy, but not as perfect as when it was totally non-existent in causality. In this case, the minions of the Mad Lord could spot it if it continued to fly through the battlefield.


    But Hao Ren still wanted to give it a shot. If those festered monsters discovered it, he would only lose a drone. It might alert the enemy commander, but the position of the drone cluster in the X-Galaxy had already been exposed anyway. It was a risk worth taking.


    The drone switched off some of the reconnaissance modules after receiving commands. It redirected most of the power to the energy and began to fly toward the battlefield into the area occupied by the guardian giants as fast as it could.


    When the drone entered the battlefield, it found that space around the Heart was chaotic. Flying at sub-light speed had become very difficult. To prevent getting into the space turbulence, it could only slow down and switch to conventional propulsion. Just then, the time was finally up, and the drone lost its erasure effect.


    ¡°I just hope that the clueless guardian giants will not shoot our drone down,¡± said Vivian, twitching her lips. ¡°While tension rises in the battlefield, the appearance of a seemingly non-friendly unit is not a good idea.¡±


    ¡°Fret not.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°I have installed an IFF¡ªidentifier of friend or foe¡ªon the spy drone to prevent from getting shot down by the friendly fire.¡±


    ¡°IFF?¡± Vivian glanced at him, curiously. ¡°Where did you get the IFF of the Heart?¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Vivian with a big grin and gave himself a big thumbs-up. ¡°Trust me. I use my brain!¡±

 Chapter 1594 - Making Contact

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    A new round of attacks.


    The festered had escalated their offense.


    Other than the first hundreds of years of war, large-scale attacks only happened once a month or a year with reconnaissance and skirmishes in between. But since the last four years, those freaks had increased the frequency of attacks, every ten days on average. The rate of attacks had increased to once every three days. An attack came right after the Apocalypse Torrent thwarted the one before that, giving soldiers no breathing time.


    The general of the Guardian Giants, the Fearless Salaman, stood on the defense platform above the Heart. He watched as space lit up by artillery fire and magic. The pale light sprinkled on his hairy face with swaying shadows. The battle before his eyes was almost the replica of the one a few days ago. The festered swarmed the battlefield, occupying over half of his field of vision. They used cannons to weaken the defense of the Heart and to reduce the number of guardian giants. They left behind contaminants on the battlefield to create a longer-lasting and terrible threat. Here, the defense forces were too few to deter the enemy¡¯s offensive.


    Salaman could imagine how things would develop. He would have to restart Agodal¡¯s doomsday weapon, and the Apocalypse Torrent would wipe out all the festered monsters on the battlefield, just like before. But it would produce an unintended consequence; the loss to the enemy was inconsequential, but the damage the doomsday weapon caused to the space structure near the Heart would be devastating. The Apocalypse Torrent would cleanse space of the corrupted energy. But before that, they had already inflicted significant damage to the shield of the Heart.


    The thick ¡®crystalline shield¡¯ that enveloped the Heart was the energy that thousands of Denizens of Stars gathered from around the universe. The energy had saved the planetary shield from the first attack. But after three thousand years of continual enemy¡¯s bombardment, its strength had dropped by half. No one knew how long the Denizens of the Stars could hold on because the guardian giants had lost contact with the consciousness of the Denizens of the Stars on the planet since many years ago.


    ¡°General.¡± A young guardian giant stood behind Salaman. ¡°The enemy¡¯s attack has become more frequent.¡±


    Salaman turned around, his eyes glinting with wise light. ¡°What is your opinion on this, my brother?¡±


    ¡°We are isolated in the Sacred Land and know nothing about what is happening in the other part of the universe, my brother,¡± said the young guardian giant. ¡°But I think there must have been some changes out there that cause these deformed monsters so desperate. Their increasing rate of attacks has revealed the nervousness and panic in them. They step up the frequency of attacks at the expense of their potential.¡±


    Salaman nodded slightly. He agreed with what his junior said but did not show it on his face. ¡°You are right, these freaks are getting more impatient than before, and they are under some pressure. I have received a report that a few days ago, a legion of deformed monsters suddenly went into outer space and then never returned. After that, these freaks began to show some strange movements. I suspect that a third force has gotten involved in this world.¡±


    ¡°A third force?¡± The young guardian giant looked at the general. ¡°Does Mother have other allies besides us?¡±


    Salaman said in a low voice, ¡°Mother has many secrets, some of which we do not even know they exist, just as the sacred place we are guarding now; it is unknown to outsiders. Maybe in other places, Mother has¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish, space suddenly distorted behind him, and then, a guardian in white armor emerged from the portal and hurriedly came up to him. ¡°General, our soldiers have captured a strange thing on the edge of the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°A strange thing?¡± Salaman¡¯s eyebrows arched. He had not heard such odd news from his subordinates for years. ¡°What is that?¡±


    The subordinate bowed his head. ¡°A spacecraft. Its appearance and technology are of something we have never seen. It tries to making contact with us.¡±


    Salaman¡¯s brows knitted together. ¡°Bring it to me.¡±


    The two guardian giants quickly fetched the strange-looking spacecraft to the platform. Salaman could not help frowning again when he saw the thing. It really is a strange thing, he said to himself.


    Carried by two giants, at more than a dozen meters long, the spacecraft did not appear very large in the hands of the giants. The strange silvery-white thing was apparently a machine. It had a metal shell, and a half-spacecraft, half-insect body. It had many instruments hung on the outside, but the most eye-catching one was the massive holographic words around it.


    The words on the left read ¡®Don¡¯t shoot. Friendly!¡± The one on the right read, ¡°Calm down.¡± The one in the middle read ¡°The goddess of creation has some words for you.¡±


    The last line was the reason why the guardian giants had not opened fire at the drone. They all knew that their mother was also called by the name the goddess of creation.


    ¡°It suddenly appeared on the battlefield, chased by a large troop of the festered. But it was incredibly agile, and no one could catch up with it,¡± said one of the soldiers. ¡°Our automatic firepower almost shot it out of space. But its shield saved it, and then our men saw these words.¡±


    The young guardian adjutant looked at Salaman, and his voice sounded a bit odd. ¡°Is this¡­ the third force?¡±


    Salaman curiously looked at the strange silver-white spacecraft. His deeply recessed eyes were emotionless, so no one knew what was in his mind. Meanwhile, the young adjutant could not help but say, ¡°The words are written in our language, but the technology of this thing is foreign to us. It is impossible that such an advanced species exist in the universe and yet we know nothing about them.¡±


    ¡°But they are here now and trying to communicate with us.¡± Salaman raised a hand to interrupt the adjutant. He then came to the weird machine and bent down. ¡°I can feel something is looking at me through it. No matter who you are, if you want to talk, now it is the time.¡±


    The strange silver-white machine suddenly shook. It required two giants to carry it earlier, but now it hovered in midair and spoke aloud as if it had come to life.


    ¡°Look! Look! That is exactly what I have said; these words would work. Everyone, including the guardian giants, has curiosity.¡±


    And then came another female voice. ¡°But the drone was just attacked.¡±


    ¡°It is unavoidable. I think it was automatic firepower, or it could not react in time. Anyway, the drone has survived.¡±


    ¡°Bah, whatever you say makes sense. Happy now?¡±


    Salaman¡¯s eyebrow arched. There seemed to be more than one person behind this strange machine, and the way they talk seemed to be so casual. Are they not soldiers? He thought to himself.


    ¡°Who are you guys?¡± asked the old giant with a frown.


    The strange-looking machine emitted a strange sound, and then its front end suddenly lit up with a holographic image.


    A man with a smiley face and a woman who looked calm appeared in the holographic image.


    The image flashed, and another small creature with a long tail popped up from below the visual before sliding back down.


    Salaman was like what the heck?


    The old giant was struck dumb; he had never seen such weird things before all his life.


    ¡°You can call me Hao Ren. This is Vivian Ancestor.¡± Hao Ren was also observing the guardian giant, but he had not forgotten to introduce himself. ¡°We are the observers.¡±


    ¡°The observers?¡± The old giant repeated this strange word. ¡°You can call me Salaman. Who are you guys? What do you want?¡±


    ¡°We know you are in a war, and we are here to help,¡± Hao Ren said bluntly. He did not wait for the guardian giant to reply when he saw his reaction. ¡°Please do not interrupt. I know it is only natural that you are suspicious of us who come out of nowhere suddenly. But before I explain, I want to show you something.¡±


    The holographic image switched, and it now showed the footage of the battle around the Naqdal Continent.


    Of course, these were edited; the footages of how the drone cluster arrived, the clandestine operation, size, and speed of deployment had been omitted. But Salaman could still clearly see how the drones overran and annihilated the festered army.


    As a general who had been fighting the festered monsters for thousands of years, the feeling that Salaman, the old giant, had was a complicated one. On one hand, he was happy that the drones had wiped out the festered. On the other hand, he was rueful; the guardian giants should be the ones to clean up the festered monsters, which were used to be the guardian giants.


    Toward the second half of the visual recordings, Salaman saw something familiar.


    ¡°Is that the temples of Naqdal?¡±


    ¡°You recognize it!¡± The video ended, and Hao Ren¡¯s image reappeared on the hologram. ¡°That is Naqdal, indeed. The battle was fought surrounding the fragment of Naqdal. Those mutant monsters tried to destroy Naqdal Continent, but my drone cluster had stopped them in time. This coincident intervention has also led us to the sprites on Naqdal Continent. There, we learned about the mutant monsters and the war in this galaxy.¡±


    ¡°We want you to know that you are not the only one who is fighting these festered monsters,¡± Vivian spoke at last. ¡°We are going after this evil force in the entire universe.¡±


    Salaman was silent for a long moment and finally said, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Let us cooperate,¡± Hao Ren said.

 Chapter 1595 - A Big Surprise

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    It was a brief and peculiar exchange, but it had stirred up Salaman¡¯s mind.


    After completing its mission, the weird-looking drone slowly turned transparent before the eyes of the giants. Its energy reaction left the defense platform and flew straight into the battlefield. A few minutes later, a burst of light appeared on the battlefield¡ªit had self-destructed.


    A small metal box of only ten centimeters square was left on the platform. Salaman carefully picked up the gadget, which looked as tiny as gravel in his hand, with his two fingers. Text projected out of the device. It is our communicator. It may be a little too small for you, but don¡¯t worry about that, just use it.


    Salaman put away the little thing with a blank expression. His adjutant could not help but ask, ¡°General, do you believe this stranger?¡±


    ¡°The Guardian Legion will cooperate with the coming operation of the drone army,¡± Salaman said in a deep voice. ¡°We will face the festered head-on.¡±


    ¡°But those drones come from a force that we know nothing about.¡± The young adjutant frowned. ¡°The Observer? I have never heard of such a civilization or organization in the universe. The images that we have seen are indeed the battle between them and the festered, but it could be fake. They could have made up the Naqdal fragment.¡±


    Another guardian giant muttered, ¡°But the sprites are with them. I recognize the long-haired sprite.¡±


    ¡°It is evidence, but it is not good enough.¡± The young adjutant stressed.


    Salaman raised his hand to interrupt them from discussing the issue. ¡°You all might have overlooked two points.¡±


    ¡°Firstly, I have never said that I trust this strange third force that popped up of nowhere. Fighting the festered is what we are supposed to do even without the appearance of the Observer. We have been doing so all the time. Are we going to back out in the face of the freaks just to guard against those drones?


    ¡°Secondly, whether we trust it or not, we could not deny the fact that a powerful army is already active in the galaxy. We must find a way to verify it to understand the intention of this Observer and its army. The next battle was going to be the best way to figure out that. If they are friends, then we will be most thankful. If they are an enemy, it is better for them to be out in the open than hiding in the dark.¡±


    Seeing the adjutant¡¯s thoughtful look, Salaman exhaled and looked at the battlefield where war was coming to an end. Another wave of attacks by the festered had ended. The ultra-long-range fire support from Agodal and the mighty fortifications of the Heart had withstood this round of assault. The monsters were slowly retreating after leaving behind tons of carcasses and their evil energy in space. But at the same time, the bodies of the guardian giants and destroyed defensive facilities were floating on the battlefield too. No one found joy in this victory, but only endless exhaustion and depression.


    ¡°Creatures infected by the evil forces do not have sober eyes,¡± the old giant whispered.


    After the communication ended, Hao Ren exhaled and flung himself into the chair like a dead dog.


    Vivian came up to massage his shoulders. ¡°Do you think they will trust and cooperate with us?¡±


    With his eyes half-closed, Hao Ren said, ¡°They do not necessarily trust us, but they will cooperate.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°It was apparent that the festered monsters are attacking them, and the guardian giants are fighting back. All we ask of them is to send more of their forces and use Agodal to divert the enemy¡¯s attention in the next battle, which they have been doing all this while. This communication is not so much about getting the assistance of the general but more about identifying friend or foe and coordinating our attacks to avoid friendly fire.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes I really do not know if you are pretending or what; have you not planned it all out already? Yet you appear like you are scared.¡± Vivian rolled her eyes at him and then smacked him on the back. ¡°Get up, it is your turn to give me a back massage.¡±


    ¡°Where are the three sprites?¡±


    ¡°I just saw them with Lil Pea. They are now probably exploring the place somewhere. No worries, surveillance cameras are everywhere here. What¡¯s more, the MDT is with them.¡±


    A massive military mobilization was quietly underway.


    The security perimeter of Naqdal base had expanded three times of its initial size. Within the border, gravitational traps and space fissure monitoring devices were everywhere. No way there could be warp-jump intrusion inside the perimeter. What was more, any warp-jump attempt around the perimeter would also trigger the alarm immediately. Under the protection of these security measures, the Naqdal area had become a real forbidden place.


    Hidden deep in the center surrounded by layers of drone turrets and sentry posts were unknown number and scale of nests and factories. A countless number of armed drones mobilized and gathered there, but it was unobservable from the outside.


    Except for the master of this base, no one knew what the drones were doing.


    For three days, the minions of the Mad Lord had conduct reconnaissance several times with six groups of scouts of different sizes trying to enter the blockade to spy on the base. The gravitational traps had captured two of the scout teams when they attempted to warp jump into the security perimeter. But before they could emerge from the hyperspace, space turbulence had torn them into pieces. The remaining recon teams had learned the lesson and could only roam around outside the perimeter. They tried to break in several times, but the drone cluster shattered them. The last recon force was so large that it almost successfully broke through the security line, but the heavily armed drones had managed to stop their advances nevertheless.


    Apparently, the commanders of the festered monsters were furious and had become more careful. The increasing recon effort showed that their wariness and hostility towards the drones had peaked. It was especially so when they had no way to know the situation of the enemy.


    But only if these monsters had emotion.


    They should indeed feel uneasy because the core area of ??the Naqdal base had been clear out.


    Six large nests had long disappeared, and a large number of armed drone factories had also moved out by warp jump these two days. Command stations and production facilities had left the area. There were only tens of thousands of building skeletons, long-abandoned space anchors, and the second echelon of ready-to-fight armed drones in the tune of millions left.


    The armed drones lined up in a formation as if in a parade. They assembled in the empty space of the former base with lights and engines turned off. They were as silent as the dead with only some Patrol drones flying in the area. Occasionally, the lights of the patrol drones would trigger a response from the standby drones. It was the only time that people could know these drones that floated quietly in space were only dormant as they waited to be called out to battle.


    A silver-white battleship slowly flew past with a floating continent following behind. Right now, the continent was in darkness as the artificial lights that had been shining for thousands of years had gone out. Two temples in the core area were the only things that still shimmered slightly.


    The holographic image of Nolan appeared on the bridge. ¡°The Naqdal fortress has entered into light control, and the system has just passed the self-diagnostic while warming up the engines. The sprites are staying underground. With the companion of Lil Pea and autonomous robots, the sprites have caused any trouble so far.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and turned to look at Vivian. ¡°I think they would behave even more in your presence. You are their queen, after all.¡±


    ¡°I need more time to get used to it.¡± Vivian buried her face in her hand. ¡°I have never thought that I would become a queen. All the more so when it is the queen of a bunch of weird creatures. I am not interested. I don¡¯t even know what a queen is all about. Perhaps it would be better if the goddess of creation left me a manual.¡±


    ¡°Well, it is useless to complain here. It is that you figure it out yourself when you see General Salaman. Those guardian giants have been guarding the crystal planet in Star Cluster X for 10,000 years, perhaps they know something. After all, the goddess of creation left the crystal planet to you.¡±


    Vivian nodded and changed the subject. ¡°The monsters are conduction reconnaissance more frequently now.¡±


    ¡°Those monsters would not have the patience. Their ability to wait until today is a surprise. I am afraid the next round of attack is imminent,¡± Hao Ren said as he looked at the drones that lined up in space. ¡°They have no idea about the real form and way of multiplication of the drones. The drone cluster does not have such things as a main base and base camp. Their gathering here is just a temporary phenomenon.¡±


    ¡°But you have created an illusion of a large base camp.¡± Vivian laughed. ¡°Those monsters think that this is the base camp of the drone cluster, and they will attack this place only to find that you have left a ¡®big surprise¡¯ for them.¡±


    ¡°It is called the art of war. Of course, you can also call it technical support.¡±


    Vivian pinched Hao Ren. ¡°You are so bad.¡±


    ¡°Were you not just as excited as I was when we came up with the plan?¡±


    Vivian rolled her eyes but said nothing. Nolan suddenly said, ¡°The Naqdal fortress has completed warming up its engines. Ready to roll.¡±


    Hao Ren got his act together and said, ¡°In that case¡­ let¡¯s roll.¡±

 Chapter 1596 - Going Into Battle

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Deep in the base cluster, the Naqdal Continent was the last massive fortress that had yet moved out.


    The modification project of this fortress-type floating continent had not been completed. It was mainly because Hao Ren lacked the experience in designing a giant fortress. He adopted the proposal of the MDT, adding many useful but technically challenging functions to the blueprint. It was only discovered during the construction that the fundamental framework of Naqdal was not compatible with the new equipment. An additional modification was needed and thus delayed the completion of the project. Right now, he had only completed two-thirds of the work.


    Even so, the main functions of the fortress were in place. The most essential continental shield, engine blocks, spacetime units, power reactors, and weapon arrays were ready. When realizing that the design drawings must conform to reality, Hao Ren decisively stopped all unrealistic ¡®high-tech projects.¡¯ Instead, he installed tons of drone storage and fortress missile launchers on Naqdal before announcing that the fortress was combat-ready.


    ¡°Naqdal Control Center is online and working normally. Power reactor efficiency ¨C 100%. Fundamental system is normal. Shield system is normal. Weapon system is normal. Navigation system is normal. Warp drive recharging starts¡­ 30%, 60%¡­ warp drive enters the critical state and is ready for activation.¡±


    The central computer of the Petrachelys had received the Naqdal fortress¡¯ system log. Nolan read it out loud with her crisp and pleasant voice. Hao Ren saw that a layer of water-like shield began to shroud the space continent. It rippled like a water reflection as the edges showed signs of blurring. A super-size warp drive worked differently from those in small spacecraft. The terribly powerful machine could pull an entire celestial body into hyperspace. Even before it was fully activated, it could cause distortion in the real world, just as what happened to the Naqdal Continent.


    ¡°How are the sprites doing?¡± Vivian asked.


    The MDT switched on the communicator. ¡°Hear it for yourself.¡±


    Noises were heard. ¡°It is shaking! The ground is shaking!¡±


    ¡°It is going to fry! It is going to fry! Naqdal is going to fry!¡±


    ¡°You mean ¡®fly¡¯? Mind your accent.¡±


    ¡°Bullsh*t, sprites have no accent.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that so? We do not have this setting?¡±


    ¡°The passengers are emotionally stable. It looks like the level of pre-flight vibration is within an acceptable range.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Start the warp jump.¡±


    ¡°Starting Naqdal¡¯s warp drive. Warp jump begins.¡±


    As Nolan spoke, the virtualization and shaking of the space continent peaked. The entire space trembled while the surroundings began to warp toward Naqdal. At the center of the distorted space, Naqdal quickly ¡®shrank,¡¯ and in less than a second, the massive celestial fragment had become the size of a ping-pong ball before wholly disappeared.


    ¡°Naqdal has entered hyperspace. ETA is five minutes, and the second jump is in fifteen minutes.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Very good, it¡¯s our turn.¡±


    Three minutes later, the Petrachelys entered hyperspace as it disappeared from space.


    Two hours later, the armed drones at the base cluster began to mass warp jump and completed the move in thirty minutes.


    Six hours later, the last functional building at the Naqdal base cluster completed self-disassembly and packing. It was then teleported to the drone nest somewhere deep in Star Cluster X. The entire base cluster vanished.


    The security facilities on the periphery of the base cluster were still operating normally. The gravitational trap generators were running in full capacity. A medium-sized army of drones was patrolling inside the perimeter, make it as if the base cluster was heavily guarded.


    Twelve hours later, the festered monsters appeared on the periphery of the security perimeter. They were still a scout team but much larger than any previous groups. These recon units did not appear to back out when reaching the security perimeter. Their commander seemed to realize that the most cautious way of action could not bypass the security line. So they chose to barge in.


    The drones remaining within the perimeter intercepted, and a battle ensued and lasted for forty minutes. Toward the end of the fight, a vast army of drones flew past the edge of the battlefield, according to the plan of Hao Ren. The drones accelerated when they passed through the region where the monsters could vaguely sense to create a false sense of massive military movement from the base.


    But in reality, it was just a bunch of engineering drones and a few massive gravitational trap generators flying past. But at the unobservable distance, the super-high-frequency signals emitted could simulate the massive movement of the army.


    Hao Ren could not gauge the actions of the Mad Lord minions, nor was he sure when those monsters would lose their patience and attack. So Hao Ren had set out to create conditions to get control of the situation. In the past few days, he had been observing the behavioral patterns of the festered monsters and exchanging information about the enemy with General Salaman. He had not found out the details about the enemy commander, but he was more than capable of setting up a diversion plan for the enemy.


    In the dark universe, ripples suddenly appeared and filled an entire area. It was the unique phenomenon of distant starlight distortion caused by powerful gravity. Shadows began to emerge from the ripples. They went from virtual to becoming physical and eventually formed a legion.


    Drone Battle Cluster 1 to 666, armored floating cannons, drone accelerator transit station, Naqdal¡¯s floating fortress, and the Petrachelys began to come out from hyperspace into the main material world.


    This place was a warp-jump ¡®springboard¡¯ right before the battlefield. It was located at the last gravitational collapse point near the Heart. The minions of the Mad Lord had absolutely no clue that the ¡®heavily-guarded base cluster was empty, and the enemy had sneaked right up under its nose.


    ¡°The drones have annihilated the invading enemy reconnaissance units. According to the ¡®script,¡¯ a few monsters have reached the final blockade and observed the illusion of the ¡®large army movement that we have created.¡± The MDT reported while floating around Hao Ren. ¡°I believe that they must have sent the information back.¡±


    Vivian was still skeptical. ¡°Will they fall for it?¡±


    ¡°They will; it works 90% of the time,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°General Salaman had pulled back its defensive line in the previous battle. This action had given the festered sufficient strength and energy to shift their attention to what happened outside the battlefield. On the contrary, we have created the illusion of increasing our reinforcement. If I were the enemy commander, I would not let this window of opportunity slip away unless my brain is sh*t.¡±


    Vivian rolled her eyes at Hao Ren. ¡°Do you have to use such a disgusting thing?¡±


    Hao Ren clapped his fists and said, ¡°Just to make it sound more vivid.¡±


    It turned out that his plan worked.


    ¡°Salaman has sent an encrypted message.¡± The holographic image of Nolan appeared on the bridge. ¡°A massive gravitational collapse was detected in the direction of Amantir. It was determined that a large group of festered armies had just left the Heart¡¯s space.¡±


    ¡°The moth is heading to the fire already.¡± Hao Ren looked into space and mumbled to himself. After a while, he turned around and instructed Nolan. ¡°Turn around the drone cluster and accelerated toward the Heart as the target. Enter hyperspace on my order. Recharge the Naqdal engines and get ready to follow the second echelon formation. Nolan, you can now switch to the battle mode.¡±


    ¡°Nolan understood.¡±


    A massive swarm of drones lit up the dark space as tens of millions of engines ignited at once. The fleet began to accelerate slowly. Meanwhile, beyond this assembly, in another part of the universe, another massive swarm of drones had gathered and accelerated.


    After a while, the MDT said, ¡°Report from the base cluster: the drone forces have detected a massive space distortion phenomenon. A huge group of festered monsters is approaching the security perimeter.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s put on a good show. We must not let them in too easily.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Get the drones to stop them. Do not turn off the gravitational traps and jamming devices. Lure them to the deepest part.¡±


    The control platform in front of the captain seat hummed softly as Nolan switched on the battle mode of the Petrachelys. The original interface display had shrunk to a side as the operational command interface for drone control appeared.


    Hao Ren looked at the new control interface quietly. He had never used this system before, but he thought that he could quickly master it.


    ¡°The defense forces are exchanging fire with the invading festered army. A large legion of their forces has come out.¡±


    ¡°Salaman sent a message saying that the Guardian Legion was charging ahead while the festered stationed in Amantir were deployed; both sides were about to clash.¡±


    ¡°Received the auxiliary guiding signal from the guardians. The signal is clear, and the coordinates are correct.¡±


    ¡°The drone army may warp jump at any time.¡±


    Hao Ren gently put his hand on the control interface of the battle module, whispering to himself, ¡°F2+A is not a bad tactic¡­¡±


    The two command keys of the battle module shimmered softly. The letters and numbers glowed with a seductive light tone.


    ¡°The reason why the monsters were wiped out by the drones in the last battle was not of tactical errors, but they were overwhelmed by the sheer number of drones.¡±


    Hao Ren pressed the sacred F2 hotkey; all the drones instantly virtualized.


    ¡°If your army could fill the entire screen of your opponent, then pressing the A hotkey is the ultimate attack mode.¡±


    Hao Ren raised his hand high and then hit the big red button with the capital letter A on it.


    ¡°Now, the future is in my hands.¡±

 Chapter 1597 - Countless UAVs

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Millions or even tens of millions ¨C when the nest was large enough and the production line went into circulation, the UAV fleet would multiply faster than the loss rate of a large-scale battle.


    Countless UAVs had entered a transition state. The wave light emitted by the transition engine made the whole space fluctuate violently like the ocean in a storm. The stars swayed and twisted into clusters. Countless cracks split open in the universe. This huge legion operated at the same time under the control of command, pouncing at that clear coordinate point¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen anyone use the F2-A in this epic way.¡± The MDT sounded full of despair. To show how it felt, it even transformed into the ¡®Pattianne¡¯ form which it did not do it for a long time. A girl with long, straight blond hair was lying on the console next to Hao Ren and said, ¡°You just pressed two keys altogether. Can you stop looking like you are doing something great?¡±


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes and said, ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate this two-step operation, the timing is very important! And I¡¯m just like a cop, how do I know how to command combat ¨C UAVs can fight on their own!¡±


    Then he continued to play with the combat module in front of him, F2 then A, F2 then A¡­ He was busy because there was a steady stream of UAVs coming off the production line, and some even travel to the frontline from far beyond Star Cluster X to support operations.


    ¡°Or set back to fully automatic, pressing F2 manually is very tired. I¡¯ll just press A¡­¡± Hao Ren gave up having to press both keys over and over again.


    Pattianne transformed back into a data terminal and slapped Hao Ren on the face. ¡°You had one job!¡±


    Finally, Vivian could not stand it. ¡°Can you two be serious?¡±


    ¡°I need to find a way to relieve the pressure before I go to battle. After all, this is the first time I¡¯ve been involved in a battle of this magnitude.¡±


    Then Nolan popped out. ¡°Boss, I¡¯ve received reports from the hub. The guardians have made full contact with the corrupted, and the UAVs will be on the battlefield in forty-five minutes¡ªare we ready to go?¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at the report. In the base group position, the remaining UAVs forces had already started the battle. The corrupted legion was still rushing into the blockades, and they had no intention of retreating even when the hub was at war. As planned, the weakness of the Salaman¡¯s legion over the course of the long war had led the corrupted legion to make rash judgments. They thought that the guardians were nothing to worry about. They still had great advantages in fighting on both fronts, and the weakening of the base group¡¯s defensive strength gave them great encouragement. This time they were determined to pull out the nail.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    With the twisting light of the space transition, the Petrachelys and Naqdal disappeared into space, along with the second echelon of millions of armed UAVs.


    Hub galaxy, the guardians¡¯ position in space.


    The fierce battle had been going on for dozens of minutes. After the battlefield shields of the warring parties were exhausted to the threshold, large amounts of debris began to form and accumulate in space. Standing on the bridge of the Aiur, Salaman watched the progress of the battle through countless holograms and his telepathic ability.


    The ¡°hub¡± that surrounded the crystal barrier was left far behind. Agodal¡¯s towering figure stood on the edge of the battlefield. The gigantic starship hovered like a beast hidden in the dark, constantly supporting the guardian corps with a variety of ultra-long-range weapons. Black, mighty starship shuttled on the battlefield, throwing heavy annihilation bombs and hot, high-energy beams at the twisted monsters. How long has it been since this happened?


    Since Naqdal was destroyed, Agodal was badly damaged and his momentum declined in that battle, and the guardian corps¡¯ defense had been shrinking again and again. The disadvantage in the number of troops and the enemy¡¯s ability to pollute left Salaman and his legions in deep trouble. During the 3,000-year war, the guardians had made only a handful of active attacks ¨C and limited to the early centuries. After that, the guardian legion that failed to regain their lost land and break through the blockade, remained holed up in the narrow areas of several astronomical units around the hub, holding out and surviving.


    Until today, the guardian corps finally took the initiative to advance the front again.


    Salaman also wondered if this was a blind venture. The guardian giants had never heard of such a force in the universe, and it was unlikely that any of the most gifted races had suddenly grown so powerful in the 10,000 years since the mother had left. So the observer and the UAVs were most likely coming from somewhere out of this world.


    The concept of ¡®out of this world¡¯ was not new to the guardians. Although they had not yet been able to prove the existence of the world barrier, nor had they found a way to cross the world, various data models and some experiments by the Goddess of Creation had confirmed the existence of ¡®world limits¡¯ and ¡®rules out of the world¡¯, so Salaman could make a bold guess about the observer.


    So can such a power, most likely from outside the known world, be trusted?


    In any case, in order to cooperate with this mysterious observer, the guardian corps had pushed the frontline forward, and the scale and manner of the advance was the decision made by Salaman and a group of thinkers after carefully weighing the risks. Faced with an opportunity like this, the guardians could not do nothing, but they could not put all hope on it: if those UAVs really came to help, then this advancing front would become a springboard for the guardians to counter-attack, and if the UAVs did not come, they would have ample opportunity to return to the hub defense circle.


    Salaman shook his head, throwing useless thoughts out of his head: there was no point in looking back or regretting the decision after it had been made. It was not a proper move, coming from a qualified commander.


    He looked at the tactical map on the holographic projection. The frontline had been deadlocked, and it would not last long. The guardians were powerless to maintain such a front. They were able to launch the raid because the corrupted had separated an army to attack the UAV nest, but even so, the corrupted were still far more powerful than the guardians.


    The guardians¡¯ Agodal sat on the edge of the battlefield. The corrupted Amantir was also there, suspended at the end of the battlefield. The dark star, shrouded in an ominous red glow, was watching every move of Agodal like a malevolent eye. Although its doomsday weapon was damaged and unusable, as a planetary fortress, it still had enough firepower to take on Agodal.


    The two planetary fortresses confronted each other, and the strength comparison between the two armies was clear at a glance. In this situation, the guardian corps would soon run out of steam.


    ¡°When are those UAVs coming?¡± asked the young adjutant.


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic, there¡¯s still a little time before the appointed time.¡± Salaman¡¯s voice remained steady.


    ¡°I hope those things would come soon,¡± said the adjutant, ¡°or this would be a useless attack.¡±


    For many races that had just become cosmic citizens and were still in ¡®low-speed civilization¡¯, a space battle was a long and huge battlefield. The slow pace of the weaponry made each exchange of fire likely to last more than a few days. Yet for the demigod race that entered the superluminal age and possessed near-regular power, a few dozen minutes of combat was enough to determine the outcome of a war. This was especially true for the giant guardians and corrupted who knew each other very well.


    The guardians were already showing signs of decline across the board.


    But before the adjutant could report the worse news, Salaman suddenly looked up in a certain direction in the universe.


    There was a flash of silver light.


    Reports from various areas of the battlefront converged instantly on the flagship bridge ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Extremely large-scale spatial distortion is observed! It¡¯s super-large, unprecedented in size!¡±


    ¡°UAVs are entering the battlefield from the KS35-26 area, the number of them¡­ It¡¯s impossible to estimate!¡±


    ¡°UAVs are also found in other areas!¡±


    ¡°There are also UAVs here. They go straight behind those freaks!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way to visually observe the corrupted. It¡¯s all UAVs!¡±


    Salaman stared up at the space scene straight from the external viewfinder.


    He saw ripples all over the universe. The silvery waves did not come from any particular direction but surged in all directions at the same time.


    Somehow he remembered the words the ¡®observer¡¯ had told him in his last contact:


    ¡°Tactics? You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡±


    ¡°First drop 10 million armed UAVs in, and then another 10 million if that doesn¡¯t work¡­¡±


    ¡°There are enough UAVs to crush them. You just consolidate your lines. You don¡¯t have to work with UAVs?¡ªyou can¡¯t work with that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a professional commander. You have to trust me. How can a professional commander be wrong¡­¡±


    The face of the ¡°observer¡± faded in Salaman¡¯s mind, but the inconceivable words were becoming clearer. All the doubts and worries were now gone. Salaman finally understood the meaning of those weird words. He had only one thought now: I see.


    ¡°UAVs! UAVs are everywhere! They already occupy more than 90% of the sky!¡±


    The voice of the adjutant sounded far away¡­

 Chapter 1598 - Joining Forces Triumphantly

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    As the vast army of UAVs moved into the hub, unleashing a firestorm in the holy land, another battle was just drawing to a close.


    At Naqdal, the invading army of corrupted monsters finally broke through the remaining troops after a fierce battle. Like wolves, those mutated, mad creatures gnawed at everything in their path, including deactivated armed UAVs and extinct sentry turrets. Wherever they advanced, the space was littered with the wreckage of battle: glowing metal shards, spark-leaping fortresses, flying pieces of flesh, blood, and black battleships torn apart by explosions. The wreckage showed the fierce battle that had taken place there and completely debilitated the judgment of the commander behind the corrupted monsters.


    The resistance had been so fierce, and the defense extremely tight. How could it have been a trap? That had to be the base camp of those UAVs¡ªno doubt the commanders behind the corrupted legion thought so.


    Spurred on by this confidence and the sense of accomplishment that the battle had finally been won, the corrupted sped forth, pouncing on the high-energy response areas sensed by their detectors.


    There was still some resistance along the way. They came from scattered armed UAV units and floating cannons stationed in space, as well as a sparse array of shield generators, which were barely functioning. They weaved together a blockade line that was no longer tight. But the corrupted legion was now under command, so they resisted the urge to fight those sporadic guards. After removing the most threatening turrets, the monsters went straight across the blockade and continued to approach the base group.


    The gravity trap generator used to block the transition was shut down at some point. It was possible that the heat of battle had knocked out the power systems in the gravity wells, or that there was no such pesky equipment deep inside the base. The corrupted commander did not care. Without those ubiquitous disruptions, the monster army could advance deeper into the enemy strongholds at a faster pace. The changes taking place in the hub had raised a few alarms in the corrupted commander. It felt that it could no longer afford to waste its forces in the distant place, and the battle needed to be fought quickly.


    The base was unexpectedly empty, but a large spatial structure appeared before the corrupted army. The scene in that structure dispelled or temporarily deflected the corrupted commander¡¯s doubts.


    It consisted of a loose, globular mass of weirdly-shaped spires, each emitting a straight line of rays and barriers. They were interwoven into one neat grid after another, and inside the grids, a variety of distorted and mutated debris samples were suspended silently.


    It was a research facility that the UAVs used to study enemy vulnerabilities. The corrupted commander immediately made that judgment and realized the importance of the facility. The monster army then immediately fanned out cautiously around the spherical structure and approached the shimmering barrier.


    As expected, the facility had its own defense system. The ¡°node spires¡± at the vertices of the squares launched a counterattack as the enemy approached. However, for the corrupted army, which had broken through the entire blockade line, the self-defense firepower of the ¡°research institute¡± was not worth mentioning at all. The existence of those defenses, on the contrary, reassured the monsters and allowed them to flood into every square.


    They were destroying the research there and preventing the UAVs from continuing to grasp the weaknesses of the corrupted.


    Then, the ultimate ¡°skill¡± erupted.


    Infinite heat and light burst out from each node spire, and even space itself began to tremble violently before the release of that horrible energy. The entire spherical space structure was filled with fire like an ignited cotton ball. Then, it collapsed inward together with space itself!


    The monsters in the outer regions were ready to enter a hyperspace state to escape the horrible place, but they discovered that the transition interruption effect, which previously disappeared, had actually appeared again.


    The grand ¡°art festival¡± continued in the distant space, but the participants did not enjoy it¡­


    ¡°The ¡®surprise¡¯ we left behind has worked,¡± said the MDT, which flew in front of Hao Ren with a happy glow. ¡°At least half of the intruders are trapped inside and none should be able to escape when space collapses.¡±


    Hao Ren frowned at the good news. ¡°Half? Not all of them?¡±


    ¡°Come on partner, don¡¯t get greedy,¡± the MDT said while it swayed. ¡°Half of those monsters went in because their commander was too confident, and it¡¯s also thanks to the superb acting skills of the UAVs we left behind. With all those corrupted monsters, some of them would definitely escape. Let¡¯s be prepared: the situation at the hub is clear, and the monsters know this is a premeditated operation, so those that have escaped from the base group may soon come here¡­¡±


    ¡°Never mind¡­¡± Hao Ren looked up at the tactical diagram. ¡°We have more people.¡±


    The battle between the guardian giants and the corrupted was no longer fierce, and the battlefield was increasingly being dominated by armed UAVs that were coming from all directions. In front of the vast sea of UAVs, the corrupted monster, which had always been proud of its numerical superiority, had been suppressed for the first time.


    The UAVs were all over the place, they were endless. As long as you were in the field, all you saw was the ever-moving silver tide and the never-ending flash of artillery fire. The deep space background had long since been completely obscured, overwhelmed by the UAV fleet. As the battle progressed, anyone caught in the middle of it would find themselves unwittingly alone, with only UAVs in sight.


    That was what it was like to fight an army of UAVs.


    In the Aiur, Salaman, his adjutants, and his team of advisers were silent. No one spoke. Apart from the buzzing of various instruments and equipment, the bridge was quiet.


    Everyone was staring at the sight of space, which was filled with UAVs and terrorized by the silvery waves. The battlefield was already filled with those cold mechanical beings, yet tens of thousands of UAVs still filled it every minute and every second. It was as if their goal was not to win the battle at all, but simply to physically squeeze the space into a dense solid block of metal.


    Of course, this is just an exaggeration.


    Finally, the young adjutant said, ¡°Our soldiers everywhere have stopped attacking¡­ It¡¯s impossible to fight.¡±


    ¡°Optical observations are not working, space is full of UAVs, radars are blind, the battlefield is full of unrecognized jamming signals, and all artillery lines are blocked¡­ If it hadn¡¯t been for the ¡®reserved channel¡¯ that the UAVs left for us as agreed, I¡¯m afraid we would have lost contact with all the combat units,¡± said the adjutant, looking a little pale.


    Salaman could only comfort himself. ¡°For now at least, these UAVs are operating in strict accordance with previous agreements.¡±


    On the outskirts of the battlefield, the Petrachelys and Naqdal were quietly floating in space, surrounded by an armed convoy of numerous second echelon UAVs. After observing the battlefield, Nolan could not resist saying, ¡°Boss, I don¡¯t think we need Naqdal here¡­¡±


    ¡°The armed UAVs alone are enough to wipe out the front,¡± said Vivian while she nodded. ¡°We¡¯ve got all the armed UAVs in the entire Star Cluster X within range, and we¡¯ve got hundreds of troops coming in from outside the Star Cluster X. The number of UAVs out here is too huge.¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head and pointed at the holographic projection. ¡°The presence of Naqdal is necessary. The only reason the UAVs are so successful is because that thing hasn¡¯t moved yet.¡±


    Hao Ren then pointed to the edge of the battlefield, where a dark red ¡°planet¡± was standing still in an unnatural way like a dormant beast, neither orbiting nor rotating.


    ¡°Amantir¡­ the corrupted¡¯s planetary battleship,¡± Vivian frowned and said.


    It was a dark planet full of ominous light. It, too, had a bright atmosphere and lush ecology like Naqdal, but the forces of the Mad Lord turned everything on the planet upside down. Now its waters were so corrosive, and its atmosphere so hot and poisonous that all living things had become twisted monsters. Sacred shrines and crystal towers had been destroyed, and a great rift valley lay at the planet¡¯s equator, looking almost as if it was cutting the planet in half like a terrible wound. In the images sent back by the probe, Hao Ren could clearly see that there were large amounts of surging blood-like substances in the rift valley, from which a steady stream of monsters emerged.


    The UAVs had tried to get close to the battleship, but the quantity advantage did not seem to work so well against it. After their huge loss, Hao Ren stopped the pointless waste and focused on the battlefront.


    ¡°The guardian¡¯s planetary battleship, Agodal, is an equal deterrent,¡± Nolan said. ¡°With it, Amantir will not come into play.¡±


    ¡°Agodal has been hit hard,¡± said Hao Ren. ¡°Its conventional weapons are all but paralyzed, and its mobility, as well as protection capabilities, are less than a third of what they should be. Apart from the still-intact Apocalypse Torrent, Agodal can only serve as a deterrent. So, if there¡¯s a real push, it¡¯s possible for Amantir to come in.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Amantir isn¡¯t that scary,¡± he added. ¡°As far as I know, Amantir is not without damage. Its doomsday weapon has been damaged in past battles and is completely beyond repair, hence it poses a big but not total threat to the UAV fleet. The UAVs can still stack up against it, even more so with Naqdal to help with the battle¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish, Nolan¡¯s voice interrupted him, ¡°Boss! The enemy is retreating!¡±


    The corrupted legion was finally beginning to retreat.


    Although the corrupted that escaped from the trap joined the battle in the later stage, the overwhelming superiority formed by the UAV fleet had been irreversible, and the increasing pressure on the front battlefield worried the monsters. After dropping countless pieces of debris, they finally began to retreat.


    But it was not a rout.


    Even in defeat, the monsters remained orderly. They forced their way through a swarm of UAVs, then slowly pulled away from the battlefield under the cover of Amantir¡¯s powerful fire.


    ¡°Shall we give chase?¡± the MDT asked. ¡°If we catch up now, we should be able to expand our victory.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    However, as the UAVs swarmed in the direction of the Amantir¡¯s retreat, Nolan suddenly received an emergency transmission from the guardians.


    ¡°Boss! An urgent report from Salaman. He wants us to stop pursuing!¡±


    ¡°Stop pursuing?¡± Hao Ren was shocked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Salaman¡¯s image emerged directly in a holographic projection right before the console. ¡°Listen to me, if we keep going, I fear the freaks might do something crazy that will destroy the fortress. Amantir cannot be destroyed!¡±

 Chapter 1599 - Salaman

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    For the first time in thousands of years, the guardians were standing outside their lines.


    The black starship was crisscrossing the space, sweeping away remnants of deadly corrosion and harmful debris as fast as it could. Makeshift outposts and defensive platforms were set up to reinforce the less secure positions, and the caster kept a watchful eye on the edge of the field, ready for any sudden counterattack by the corrupted¡ªeverything was in order.


    Elsewhere on the battlefield, the alarmingly large army of UAVs was regrouping and retreating in an orderly fashion. They were setting up bunkers and UAV stores farther away from their hubs. Such a gesture effectively reduced the guardians¡¯ fear of the terrifying machinery.


    Naqdal was floating gently to the point where the guardians and UAV regiments met, and it anchored itself there. The new fortress was not able to display its skills during the whole process, but in the last ten minutes, it intercepted the corrupted legion with anti-aircraft gunfire. It was more or less war-hardened. Over the Naqdal, the Petrachelys and the Aiur were slowly closing in and establishing a passageway link.


    Considering that the guardian giant¡¯s height of more than ten meters made it inconvenient for Salaman to be in the Petrachelys, Hao Ren and Vivian accepted his invitation and boarded the gigantic ship. The commander personally welcomed them enthusiastically.


    That was not Hao Ren¡¯s first time boarding the guardians¡¯ ship, but it was his first time boarding the guardian warship while it was in good condition. Hao Ren and Vivian were deeply impressed by all the facilities inside the huge warship, which matched the size of the giant. Everything looked amazingly huge. They had been dealing with Muru for a long time, and they were now able to adapt.


    It allowed Hao Ren to draw his attention back from the surrounding giant stuff more quickly and talk to Salaman.


    Apparently, taking into account the huge difference in body size between the two sides, the commander had prepared a suspended platform for Hao Ren and Vivian in advance so that they could talk at the same height¡ªa polite and thoughtful gesture that Vivian was quite satisfied with.


    The giants¡¯ starship bridge was much busier than the Petrachelys¡¯. The huge starship obviously needed a lot of controllers to get it going. Hao Ren looked curiously at the scene on the bridge, and the guardian giants who worked as operators looked curiously back at him. It was an equally novel moment for both sides.


    For the first time, the giant guardians came into contact with forces (or individuals) who called themselves ¡°observers¡±. They were interested in the seemingly human but powerful man. Hao Ren¡¯s curiosity, however, was even simpler.


    He had never seen so many living guardian giants before!


    There were at least two rows of giants standing on the bridge! All alive! If you were to take those giants back to the three gardeners in Tannagost, they might have heart attacks on the spot!


    ¡°Ahem, Hao Ren, please behave. You are staring at them. Salaman is saying hello to you,¡± Vivian reminded.


    ¡°Ahem.¡± Hao Ren hurriedly looked at the huge head in front of him.


    Salaman was a guardian giant of obvious old age. Although guardians had an almost infinite life span, some of them still showed signs of aging over time. He had a bushy beard and thick hair. His white beard and hair almost covered most of his face, while his exposed skin was visibly flabby and wrinkled. Nonetheless, his eyes were still bright and full of wisdom.


    ¡°Commander Salaman, first of all, it¡¯s a pleasure to talk to you face to face here,¡± Hao Ren said and smiled. ¡°Regarding Amantir, which got away¡­ I have a lot of questions that I don¡¯t quite understand.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my responsibility. I had no idea that your army of UAVs would be so powerful that it would defeat the freaks directly on the battlefield.¡± Salaman¡¯s voice rumbled like thunder. ¡°All I was thinking about was moving the front forward, meeting the guardians and UAVs, then talking about our next move.¡±


    He first explained why he had not told them the story about Amantir in advance, but in fact, he was referring to the battle process that had been discussed before. The actual results of the UAVs were beyond Hao Ren¡¯s expectation, and it was there that the communication between the two sides went awry.


    The commander then explained in detail, ¡°Amantir is indeed a den of the corrupted, but it was¡­ once a great asset to the guardians. There¡¯s something vital on that planetary battleship, and it cannot be destroyed at all costs.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately thought of something that was the most special item on the entire planetary ship. ¡°A crystal that acts as the ¡®navigation computer¡¯?¡±


    ¡°How did you¡­¡± Salaman was a little surprised for a moment, but then he understood something. ¡°Yes. Naqdal is in your hands, and I can see that its control center is still standing on the ground, so you must have already seen the Naqdal Crystal under the control center.¡±


    ¡°So that crystal was directly named after a planetary battleship¡­¡± Hao Ren muttered and looked up, ¡°Can you tell us more about the crystal?¡±


    Salaman hesitated this time and finally shook his head gently. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It has to do with the confidentiality of the Holy Land, we can¡¯t¡­¡±


    Hao Ren did not wait for the giant to finish, pointing at Vivian who was standing beside him. ¡°Not even her?¡±


    The guardian giants standing nearby looked at each other as Salaman asked, ¡°Her? This lady is¡­¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, the sprites think I am their queen. And, I was created by the goddess of creation in her own blood¡­ so I¡¯m her daughter, sort of.¡±


    Vivian said those words with a strange expression, feeling a little embarrassed and guilty: that was the first time she had introduced her origin so solemnly. The hustle and bustle of the household had been so hectic that the poor countess (now a queen) felt as if she was living in a dream.


    Of course, the more embarrassing part was the fact that she really did not feel proud to be the queen to those messy Sprites¡­


    Those guardian giants looked at her wide-eyed after they heard what she said.


    Even Salaman froze. A few seconds later, the old giant suddenly wore a serious look, frowning at the man and woman on the platform. ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re talking about? It is no laughing matter¡ªdo you really know what ¡®goddess of creation¡¯ means?¡±


    ¡°How could we not know? I¡¯ve had my hands full with this issue for four years,¡± said Hao Ren, waving his hands. ¡°All these years I¡¯ve been running around this universe looking for relics of the goddess of creation, trying to piece together her creation¡­ Ah, that¡¯s off-topic, let¡¯s talk about Vivian¡¯s identity. I can assure you that what she just said is true and that both of us have witnessed everything together. While you have been isolated in this ancient star region, the outside world has undergone changes beyond your imagination, such as the weakening of the Wall of Reality and the teleportation of a large group of creatures from this universe to other worlds. Also¡­ the goddess of creation once created a divine body, and she is the one standing next to me. But my biggest headache now is how do I prove it to you¡­¡±


    ¡°The biggest problem with your status as the goddess¡¯ daughter is that you have no proof. Why didn¡¯t the goddess of creation leave you with the function of presenting your identity when she created you?¡± Hao Ren whispered while he looked at Vivian.


    ¡°What¡¯s the use of that setting even if the goddess left me one? I¡¯m only half-divine, and I¡¯ve lost my memory.¡±


    Salaman¡¯s eyes grew more serious as the two of them whispered to each other. His first thought was that they were talking nonsense, but his reason told him that no one would joke about such a thing.


    It was a matter regarding gods and the survival of the world.


    And, most important of all, it involved the deepest of secrets, which no one could ever find out about. The mortal races of that universe did not know, so how did ¡°observers¡± from outside the known world know?


    The fact that they could talk about it with such a straight face spoke volumes.


    ¡°There¡¯s one thing I need to correct,¡± Salaman said suddenly. ¡°We¡¯re locked in the star zone, but that doesn¡¯t mean we don¡¯t know anything about what you¡¯re saying. In fact, we are the ones who have known all of this, or at least most of it. The large number of creatures you mentioned crossing the world should be the Yggdrasil Ark project, which I have not personally experienced, but I know my mother has. I know the divine split you mentioned, and I even know that this divine split has an identity in the Yggdrasil Ark¡­ It is a guide.¡±


    Now it was Hao Ren¡¯s turn to be wide-eyed.


    These guardian giants were the witnesses to the final plans of the goddess of creation?!


    So they were there as part of the plan?


    Hao Ren was in a trance for a moment, then he realized that it was all logical.


    Vivian was the goddess of creation¡¯s split and the Yggdrasil Ark¡¯s guide. Her soul held the star map of Star Cluster X. Deep in Star Cluster X was the home of the crystal planet hub, and Salaman, as well as his legions, were stationed there. So it was no surprise that they knew a lot¡­


    ¡°The sprites can prove her identity,¡± said Hao Ren seriously. ¡°Vivian activated the Naqdal Crystal. The sprites were there, and they said it was the symbol of the queen.¡±


    There were cries of surprise and discussion on the bridge. The low voices of the guardian giants sounded like thunder, and Salaman had to raise his voice to silence them. ¡°Silence! Did you say she could activate the Naqdal Crystal?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Is that proof?¡±


    ¡°No, activating the Naqdal Crystal is not enough, but we have other ways to verify the identity of the guide¡­¡±

 Chapter 1600 - Stepping on the Heart of Destiny

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Guided by the Aiur, the Petrachelys slowly approached the planet, which was shrouded by an energy barrier and filled with thick clouds as well as endless thunderstorms: the Heart of Destiny.


    The ship hovered near the top of the atmosphere, and the external monitor sent in a sharp close-up view of the planet. The striking planetary shield was more solid at that distance, showing distinct textures and ¡°blocks¡±. It was composed of enormous hexagons with brightly-glinting edges, and its interior flowed with light, giving the shield the appearance of crystal armor that was several kilometers thick. Unlike any shield Hao Ren knew of, the shield had no apparent energy dissipation structure and no detectable sources of energy projected from the planet.


    Inside the shield were rolling clouds and electro-optics. Due to the thick atmosphere, it was almost impossible to see the surface of the planet directly from space. They could only get a glimpse of the planet through the occasional cracks in the clouds. What Hao Ren saw through his glance was a land full of crystal clusters.


    ¡°Here at last¡­¡± Hao Ren stood on the bridge of the Petrachelys, looking at the hologram projection and muttering to himself.


    From seeing the planet in the illusion of the Crimson Moon, following the star map engraved in Vivian¡¯s soul to the galaxy, encountering supernatural storms in that mysterious and dangerous galaxy, discovering the traces of star folks to coming into contact with the forces of the ancient guardians and the Mad Lord¡­


    Finally, he was standing there, next to one of the miracles created by the goddess of creation, which was closely related to Vivian.


    He could feel that he was one step away from some ultimate truth.


    Salaman¡¯s figure appeared on the holographic projection in front of the captain¡¯s chair. The giant was now of normal height, which made communication much easier. ¡°My mother built this place in extreme secrecy. All the heavenly bodies in the Holy Land were shaped out of thin air by her mighty powers. Even the space here was modified by her to ensure that the evolution of the physical universe did not interfere too much with it, thus ensuring the permanence of the Holy Land. In this universe, we, the guardians of the hidden sanctuary, are the only ones who know about it¡­


    ¡°Unlike our brothers and sisters, we were not born in the Star of Creation¡¯s sea of lifeblood. We were created in a more secret place. Mother adjusted our mental network so that we could exist independently of other guardians.


    ¡°From the day we were born, we were trained and our minds were hardened. It was our mission to defend this place. We¡¯ve stood guard here for 10,000 years, waiting for the guide to come. Today, you are here, and you have passed the test of the Naqdal Crystal¡ªbut this woman must undergo a more formal ¡®verification¡¯ before we can confirm her identity. Don¡¯t think it unreasonable: no amount of strict prudence is too much for an eternal mission.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded softly. ¡°After that, will you tell us the secret of this place and the final plan of the goddess of creation?¡±


    ¡°That is actually something the guide has known from the beginning, but¡­¡± Salaman gave Vivian a slightly embarrassed look. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that even my mother didn¡¯t expect her creation to lose her memories¡­ Yes, I will tell you all the secrets if you pass the test.¡±


    ¡°I have another question,¡± said Hao Ren. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not about the planet. It¡¯s about the Denizens of the Stars. We found a number of warships belonging to the dormant Denizens of the Stars in Star Cluster X. Their energy and consciousness were transmitted here, and if I¡¯m right, this planetary shield above the Heart of Destiny¡­¡±


    ¡°It was an emergency,¡± Salaman said with a slight nod. ¡°The lines were breached from the inside, and the Denizens of the Stars who were guarding the outer edges of the cluster had no time to return, so they used their abilities to transfer power to the Heart of Destiny. The corrupted have approached the final defense circle many times over the years, and without this extra-planetary shield, our defense may not have held up.¡±


    ¡°In the outer universe¡­ the Denizens of the Stars have been gone for years. I didn¡¯t expect them to be still alive,¡± Hao Ren sighed and said


    ¡°The Denizens of the Stars¡­ They have been Mother¡¯s allies from dark and chaotic times, but few, including the guardians, know of their existence. It was only in this era that they¡¯ve reappeared beside Mother,¡± Salaman said, shaking his head. ¡°Even we do not know the whole history of these ancient creatures. They are the ghosts of dark and chaotic times that have survived to this day. They have been wandering along the border of the orderly world, and only Mother knows everything about them. Well, I have said enough. If you want to know more, you must wait until I have verified the identity of the guide.¡±


    Hao Ren did not object. Although he would have liked to ask now about the divine blockade and the crystal throne, the commander was clearly more stubborn and cautious than Muru, Lemendusa and Heve. While Vivian¡¯s identity was theoretically flawless, he still wanted to identify the ¡°authentication¡± system left by the goddess of creation, not to mention, there was not enough evidence to prove Vivian¡¯s identity.


    Let¡¯s see what this ¡°verification¡± was all about.


    A hexagonal area on the thick planetary shield suddenly became clear and thin. The Aiur and Petrachelys passed through the opening, moving smoothly towards the planet.


    ¡°I will keep an eye on the whole ¡®verification¡¯ process,¡± Hao Ren said to Vivian after hanging up. ¡°It isn¡¯t clear how the identification process left behind by the goddess of creation actually works, so we have to be vigilant.¡±


    Vivian frowned. ¡°You suspect that something¡¯s wrong with what the goddess of creation left behind for me? Or is there something wrong with the guardians?¡±


    ¡°Caution is the way to go. What¡¯s left by the goddess of creation may be all right, but it¡¯s not the case for the ¡®goddess of annihilation¡¯, and even if the guardian giants seem uncorrupted, you can¡¯t tell whether the orders for them have been distorted,¡± Hao Ren said, shaking his head. ¡°Even if all of that¡¯s fine, you¡¯re an uncertainty. Remember, you¡¯re only one half of the divine being, and the complete ¡®guide¡¯ created by the goddess has already been split in two on Inferno.¡±


    Vivian sighed softly. ¡°As an incomplete guide, I may not be able to pass the test¡­ Is that what you mean?¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Vivian, grabbed her hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, even if this doesn¡¯t work out, there¡¯ll surely be some other way to unlock the secrets of this planet. I have technical support from a real god.¡±


    After a moment, he added, ¡°Of course I¡¯m not saying that I want to blow up the planet¡­¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking that!¡±


    ¡°Somehow, I suddenly feel certain that someone¡¯s going to say I¡¯m about to blow up the planet¡­¡±


    As they chatted, the two spacecraft landed on the Heart of Destiny.


    As a holy land, the planet was barely explored. The planetary surface only had very limited infrastructure, which were built by the guardian giants.


    The spacecraft landed on a platform made of crystal and metal. The platform was surrounded by vast plains of crystal clusters in three directions, and there was a long crystal ramp behind it.


    At the end of the ramp was a peak made entirely of blue and white crystal.


    Hao Ren and Vivian approached the crystal ramp together.


    The crystal peak in the distance rose high into the sky, and the cliffs around it were so steep and straight that the entire mountain stood like a sword or a great tower on the earth. Continuous thunderstorms formed around the mountain, hitting the crystalline cliffs tirelessly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen this place in my visions¡­¡± Hao Ren murmured to himself. ¡°The crystal throne is in this mountain¡­¡±


    Salaman¡¯s huge figure appeared in front of the ramp. ¡°Ahead is the heart of the Holy Land. I will take you there myself.¡± The old giant¡¯s voice sounded like thunder.


    ¡°Just you?¡± Hao Ren looked back and noticed that a lot of guardian giants had also left the ship, but they were just standing quietly in the distance.


    ¡°They are with me,¡± Salaman explained. ¡°What I see, they can see too. And if anything goes wrong with the verification process, they can always come to me. But until then, the Holy Land does not need to be disturbed by more of us.¡±


    ¡°Got it. You want to keep this place quiet.¡±


    Salaman took the lead and walked in the direction of the holy mountain.


    Hao Ren, Vivian, as well as the MDT, quickly followed him.


    After they walked for a while, the MDT started to make a fuss.


    ¡°Do we have to walk? We can just teleport there, it¡¯s a lot faster¡­¡±


    There was no response.


    ¡°Okay, okay, I know we¡¯re in the Holy Land.¡±


    ¡°Can you tell me what the verification process is? So that we can get ready.¡±


    There was still no response.


    ¡°Okay, okay, I know we¡¯re in the Holy Land.¡±


    ¡°The great plain out here is very desolate. I thought you¡¯d have a base camp or something.¡±


    Again, there was no response.


    ¡°Okay, okay, I know we¡¯re in the Holy Land.¡±


    Salaman suddenly stopped. He looked down very carefully at the MDT floating next to Hao Ren¡¯s head and then at Hao Ren. ¡°Is there a sprite in it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been chattering like this ever since I got it! It has nothing to do with the sprites!¡±


    ¡°Oh, there are so many talkative creatures in this world.¡±


    The MDT immediately flew into a rage. ¡°I¡¯ll fight you! A duel, you understand? Don¡¯t stop me, bro, don¡¯t stop¡­ Damn, you¡¯re really not going to stop me?¡±


    ¡°Just shut up, will you?¡± Hao Ren grabbed the MDT and put it in his pocket.


    After a while, Salaman stopped again. ¡°Here we are.¡±


    Stunned, Hao Ren looked back in the direction he was coming from: he saw a very long ramp, which allowed nearly a thousand Nangong Wuyues in sea serpent form to line up on it, but he felt like they had been walking for only ten minutes at most.


    ¡°Walking on this ramp means that you have passed the first test: anyone who has been polluted by the Mad Lord or who is malicious to the Holy Land can¡¯t walk here at all. As for distance¡­ That is an irrelevant issue in the Holy Land, where space is never continuous and uniform,¡± Salaman explained.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s not that simple¡­¡±

 Chapter 1601 - The Verification

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    There was a vertical crystal wall at the end of the long ramp. It was as flat as a mirror.


    That was the midpoint of the crystal peak. The ramp connected the mountain and the plain like a long river suspended in the sky. When Hao Ren was looking at the end of the ramp on the great plain, he thought the road would lead directly to the inside of the crystal mountain. He did not expect its end to be a cliff, and he could not see any entrance whatsoever.


    So¡­ was the cliff a test?


    ¡°This is it?¡± Vivian frowned curiously at the place.


    Since the ramp ended at the mountainside, there was nothing on either side. They were, however, able to get a very wide view from there. Not only could they see the great plains spreading out from below, but they could also see large white lightning bolts whipping through the air, powering the crystal clusters on the great plains. Looking up, they could clearly see the summit of the crystal mountain surrounded by dazzling lightning. Those powerful energy sparks formed a ring, from which large as well as small lightning bolts broke off and split on top of the mountain. They made a continuous loud noise.


    Salaman did not speak. He advanced to the mirror-like cliff silently and tapped it three times.


    Rings of light appeared on the cliff, then several crisp voices came out of the crystal.


    ¡°Who is disturbing the sleeping sprites?¡±


    ¡°But sprites are not asleep¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just cool to say that!¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because sprites are the guardians here. The guardians must sound very strong and dignified!¡±


    ¡°Like Salaman?¡±


    ¡°Salaman is not dignified. His beard hides his face.¡±


    ¡°Oh, how silly you are! No more communication with you!¡±


    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t it time to go out and meet people¡­ Salaman is knocking at the door.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is there such a thing?¡±


    Salaman was speechless.


    ¡°Ahem.¡± The solemn old giant coughed with an embarrassed expression on his face. He then tapped the cliff three times, raising his voice majestically (it was mostly forced). ¡°The guardians of the holy throne and the commander of the Guardian Corps have brought special guests to visit this holy place. Please come out and meet us.¡±


    The light on the crystal wall shook again, and Hao Ren saw a small shimmering head emerge from above.


    It was followed by more little heads.


    One sprite after another emerged from the crystal wall. Some of them looked around curiously with only their heads showing, some waved excitedly at Salaman, while others flew up and down around the giant¡¯s head in excitement. Hao Ren heard the noise of the sprite community again: chattery, noisy, illogical, messy¡­


    Not even Salaman could stand the noise. He coughed heavily to silence the overexcited creatures. He had a stern look on his face. ¡°Silence, please. I¡¯m here today with something extra important¡­¡±


    ¡°Have you defeated the corrupted monsters at last?¡±


    ¡°Or have they finally broken in?¡±


    ¡°Or are you going to the temple?¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t do! The temple must not be opened without the queen!¡±


    ¡°I have brought her to the temple for validation.¡± It was unrealistic to talk with sprites seriously, so Salaman ignored their chatter and pointed at Vivian, signaling her to get to the point. ¡°The results of the verification holds supreme authority.¡±


    At this, all the sprites were stunned. They had a rare moment of total silence.


    However, in just three seconds, their noisy voices almost pushed Hao Ren off the ramp. ¡°The sprites can¡¯t believe their ears!¡±


    ¡°Salaman has brought someone to run the verification process?¡±


    ¡°The supreme authority holder is the queen! Queen of the sprites!¡±


    ¡°The goddess has set the highest level of security restrictions on this access¡­¡±


    ¡°What if someone from an unknown source connects to the system?¡±


    ¡°She has gone through the verification process of the Naqdal Crystal!¡± Salaman shouted. ¡°The sprites in Naqdal judge her to be the master of the holy throne, the queen of all nodes of resonance.¡±


    The sprites fell silent again before they burst out, ¡°Naqdal! Have you found Naqdal?¡±


    ¡°No wonder the resonance signal has been much stronger lately!¡±


    ¡°Wait, you say this woman has been authenticated by the Naqdal Crystal?¡±


    ¡°Since she was authenticated by one of the three crystals, then she should be able to try and connect to the main system?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes!¡±


    ¡°But how can the queen not know she¡¯s a queen? If she were a queen, she would know how to open the temple herself¡­¡±


    ¡°Due to some special circumstances, your queen may have lost part of her memory,¡± Salaman explained. Although Vivian¡¯s identity had not yet been verified, in order to communicate conveniently with the less intelligent sprites, he directly addressed Vivian as their queen. ¡°She is currently unable to execute the scheduled temple activation procedure on her own, and she does not know how to prove her identity, which is why I have brought her in for the second plan.¡±


    ¡°Well, well, if Salaman says so¡­¡±


    ¡°We agree!¡±


    ¡°It can be verified here.¡±


    ¡°First, connect the queen to the main system!¡±


    The sprites chattered as they flew back to the crystal wall one by one. Most of them reintegrated with the crystal, and only one little sprite remained outside. The little one flew towards Vivian, stared for a moment, and said, ¡°Suspected queen, please step forward and put your hand on the wall.¡±


    Vivian stepped forward doubtfully and put her hand on the crystal wall. ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°Of course not, that is just the first step! The rest will be on us!¡±


    The little one was talking happily and fluttering up and down around Vivian. Then she suddenly found a stranger there and flew towards Hao Ren. ¡°Ah! There¡¯s a stranger here! Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ I¡¯ve been standing here for quite a long time. Didn¡¯t you see me?¡± Hao Ren felt a little awkward. ¡°I¡¯m here with your queen, and I¡¯m an ally of the Guardian Corps. You can call me Hao Ren.¡±


    ¡°Ally! Allies are good! We haven¡¯t had support for a long time.¡±


    Hao Ren frowned and looked at Vivian, who was putting her hand on the crystal wall with some doubts on her face. ¡°I just want to make sure, is there any danger in this verification process?¡±


    ¡°No danger. If you do not pass the test, you will only be sent to the starting point. But you will never get near the temple,¡± said the sprite, fluttering up and down. ¡°Of course, if you show hostility to the temple or carry a dangerous energy response when you fail to pass the test, you will be beaten!¡±


    Hao Ren was a little relieved to hear the explanation. At that moment, Vivian¡¯s contact with the crystal wall finally triggered a reaction. The smooth mirror-like cliff suddenly lit up with specks of light, then the lights moved quickly, interweaving into words and symbols!


    Strings of characters scrolled across the crystal wall and a glowing strip began to stretch beneath them¡­


    Would they hear the sound effect of the Windows startup in a short while?


    ¡°Why do I find this familiar¡­ Don¡¯t tell me this verification process is just a simple fingerprint unlocking.¡± Hao Ren then turned to look at Vivian. ¡°And you¡­ Vivian, what¡¯s happening to you?¡±


    He was shocked to see that Vivian was now wrapped in a thin halo, and a large number of mysterious ancient characters were faintly emerging on the surface of the halo. As the halo and characters flashed, Vivian¡¯s body also gradually became corporeal, and she quickly turned translucent!


    Just like those sprites.


    Vivian did not seem to hear Hao Ren¡¯s voice. She just stood there quietly with her hand on the crystal wall. Even her face was frozen in time. Hao Ren was worried. He stepped forward and was ready to interrupt, but Salaman stopped him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she just established a connection with the main system. It won¡¯t cause her any harm.¡±


    Hao Ren could not trust his explanation completely. He took the MDT out and asked it to check Vivian¡¯s status immediately.


    ¡°Bro, the giant should be telling the truth.¡± The MDT completed the check very quickly. ¡°There is no change in Vivian¡¯s vitals, and no sign of mental invasion or distortion of consciousness detected¡ªjust a protective layer of energy that¡¯s temporarily shutting her off from the outside world.¡±


    Hao Ren was relieved.


    Meanwhile, Vivian found herself standing in a strange place.


    She was standing in a ¡°forest¡±.


    It was a crystallized world. Everything she saw was crystal clear like ice. She saw crystal trees growing all around her, and bushes as well as flowers in between. A winding river ran through the middle of the woods, and the water was like flowing crystal, reflecting colorful lights. In the midst of these crystals, she could even see butterflies flying and hares running¡­


    They were also made of crystal.


    The lights refracted off the surface of the crystals, and the crystals were connected by light. Numerous colorful light particles jumped about in the forest, forming an extremely busy three-dimensional network.


    ¡°Hao Ren?¡± Vivian looked around in bewilderment. She remembered that she was standing in front of the crystal wall, waiting to be ¡°tested¡± by sprites but somehow ended up in this place. ¡°Salaman?¡±


    Vivian suddenly heard some weird noise coming from a nearby bush. She scanned her surroundings, trying to summon her lightning balls or Corrosive Bolts. But she only found a dim light in her hand.


    That light dissipated at once too before it refracted and leaped into the crystalline world.


    A crystal stag came out from behind the bushes. Somehow, her vigilance and hostility gradually subsided when she saw the graceful creature.


    The crystal stag went up straight to Vivian and bent its neck, waiting quietly.


    Vivian hesitated but put her hand lightly on the stag¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°The primary system has been activated. The administrator is establishing connection¡­


    ¡°Connection is successful. Ports 12 to 86 of the Throne of Destiny are open.


    ¡°Performing unit tests¡­ Throne node integrity rate is 65%, executable. External network integrity rate is 86%, executable.


    ¡°Playing reserved message¡­¡±

 Chapter 1602 - The Ultimate Truth

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The light was fading away.


    The fairy-tale crystal jungle, the sparkling river, the shiny shrubs and flowers, as well as the wonderful crystal stag, everything gradually merged into hazy lights. Amid those lights, Vivian saw a vague figure waving at her. She unconsciously extended her hand, but the figure was so dim that it was almost impossible to distinguish.


    Soon all the lights were gone, and thick darkness came from every direction.


    The darkness lasted for some time. Suddenly, there was a glimmer of light in front of her, and Vivian heard a familiar voice calling her name. ¡°Vivian, wake up. Vivian, how are you? Wake up. Salaman, isn¡¯t the connection supposed to be disconnected now?¡±


    As she regained consciousness, a flicker of light suddenly expanded before her eyes, and the flat crystal wall reappeared in front of her. Vivian felt dizzy. It was a strange feeling that was hard to balance when you suddenly transitioned from weightlessness to being on the ground. After she stopped wobbling, she took a deep breath and calmed down.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Vivian said after she breathed in deeply and quickly readjusted herself, both mentally and physically. Then she nodded at Hao Ren, who was looking concerned beside her. She smiled and said, ¡°You look so nervous. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Seeing that Vivian had regained consciousness completely, Hao Ren was finally at ease. He wiped his forehead with a slightly embarrassed smile and said, ¡°You¡¯re finally awake. You scared me.¡±


    Vivian rubbed her forehead. ¡°What happened just now? How long have I been in there?¡±


    ¡°In there? You didn¡¯t go anywhere,¡± Hao Ren said, a little surprised. ¡°You just stood there and suddenly stopped moving, then your whole body became translucent, and you started glowing like those sprites. But the MDT said it was a protective measure. It lasted for about ten minutes.¡±


    ¡°Only ten minutes¡­¡± Vivian frowned. ¡°It looks like time flows at a different speed. Then?¡±


    Hao Ren pointed at the crystal wall. ¡°Then? Then all of a sudden, the system crashed. A sprite popped up and said that something went wrong with the main system and the connection was down. I kept calling your name, and it took me two minutes to wake you up.¡±


    ¡°Crashed?¡± Vivian looked back at the crystal wall and found that it was not completely restored to its original appearance. It was still ¡°on¡±, but at the top of the crystal wall, there was a jumble of runes bouncing around.


    Below the string of runes, there was a little figure bowing in a loop¡­


    A dozen sprites had already emerged from the crystal wall and were now bustling about on the crystal clusters around the cliff, probably trying to restart it.


    ¡°The goddess designed a lot of useless functions¡­¡± Vivian said while she looked at the little man who was bowing.


    ¡°Did you see the message left by the goddess of creation?¡± Hao Ren deduced from Vivian¡¯s attitude. ¡°Have you figured out what this place is all about?¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Vivian replied gently but did not continue to answer. She then looked at Salaman who was standing nearby and asked, ¡°Salaman, this main system suddenly¡­ crashed. Did I pass or fail?¡±


    At that moment, Salaman¡¯s head was surrounded by a few glittering sprites. He listened carefully to their jabbering, and finally, he nodded gently. Next, the guardian giant took two steps back and knelt on one knee. ¡°You have passed the test. You are now the master of the Throne of Destiny, the queen of all resonance nodes, the controller and executor of the new age. In accordance with Articles 1266 and 8325 of the Annihilation Protocol, the command of all defense forces in the Holy Land has been transferred. The Agodal, the hub defense circle, and the fleet of the Denizens of the Stars will be at your disposal.¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian were still thinking about how to solve the system problem. They were not expecting Salaman to suddenly kneel down. It confused both of them. Hao Ren was taken aback for a few seconds before he reacted. He quickly pulled Vivian and said, ¡°Hey, he knelt for you¡­¡±


    ¡°Please get up.¡±


    Salaman nodded and stood up.


    However, after he stood up, Salaman continued to emphasize the throne. ¡°Please forgive our caution, but we really never thought the guide would experience memory loss, so we had to take this test. Now your identity has been recognized by the Throne of Destiny¡¯s main system. This will be the greatest turning point in the world¡¯s destiny. Mother¡¯s plan can finally resume.¡±


    ¡°Plan?¡± Hao Ren raised his eyebrows. ¡°By the way, Vivian has now passed your verification. According to our deal, you should now be able to explain the origin of this ¡®holy land¡¯ to us, right? What¡¯s the goddess of creation¡¯s plan?¡±


    Before Salaman could say anything, Vivian interrupted, ¡°I already know what¡¯s going on here. The goddess of creation left a document in the system detailing all her plans here.¡±


    Hao Ren was overjoyed. ¡°Then¡­¡±


    ¡°It is a plan that will shock everyone. We need to find a safe place to talk about this,¡± Vivian said, glancing around. ¡°Shall we go back to the ship? How about the Aiur?¡±


    Soon, they returned to the Aiur. The other guardian giants had learned about Vivian passing the test through their mental network. Hao Ren and Vivian could feel the warmth as well as respect from all around when they entered the warship. All eyes were obviously on Vivian.


    Despite that, in order for them to talk quietly, most of the guardian giants could only wait outside. Only Hao Ren, Vivian and Salaman entered the ¡°reception room¡±.


    Vivian began to explain once they sat down. ¡°The goddess of creation¡¯s plan is very simple: for the goddess and the Mad Lord to be annihilated forever. Then, a special thinking network will be used to bring the Plane of Dreams into the ¡®the Godless Age¡¯. Whether it¡¯s the Creation¡¯s Engine, the Throne of Destiny here, or the stellar skeleton-based Network of Divinity Resonances, which we previously discovered outside Star Cluster X, they all serve this project. In short, everything is an effort to erase the goddess¡¯ imprint on the Plane of Dreams completely.¡±


    ¡°The Godless Age?¡± Hao Ren could not believe it. ¡°Tell me more, I have to digest it slowly¡­¡±


    Vivian nodded. ¡°We already know what happened to the goddess of creation before she fell¡ªyou probably know something about it, Salaman, but what we don¡¯t know is that the goddess also reverse-mastered a fatal weakness of the Mad Lord.


    ¡°Strictly speaking, this weakness is not inherent in the Mad Lord, but a result of the interaction between divine and chaotic forces after their battle. The power of the Mad Lord infected the goddess, forcing her to split in two. However, the power of the goddess also infected the Mad Lord, making him less pure.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what happened: the goddess of creation infected the Mad Lord at the same time.


    ¡°Since the Mad Lord is a chaotic, nihilistic being, he did not split by the divine power of the goddess of creation, instead, he absorbed some of the goddess¡¯ ¡®characteristic elements¡¯. This is part of the reason why the Mad Lord was able to be sealed permanently. On one hand, the ¡®memory¡¯ of the goddess of creation within the Mad Lord causes the Mad Lord to never really disappear or stand still completely, while on the other hand, the Mad Lord¡¯s own divine imprint allows him to gradually break through the seal.


    ¡°So the existence of the Mad Lord cannot be erased, and the seal is bound to be broken.


    ¡°The goddess of creation counteracted the first factor by cutting off her own memory. But this only delayed the Mad Lord from breaking the seal. She still had to deal with the second factor.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t even know the second factor existed. But after the Mad Lord¡¯s power caused her to split, not only did she learn how she had unwittingly ¡®infected¡¯ the Mad Lord, but she also knew it was an opportunity.


    ¡°The divine force factor that infects the Mad Lord is the cause of the loophole in the seal, but actually¡­ it is also the Mad Lord¡¯s biggest weakness, causing him to lose his invincibility. Hao Ren, guess what the real function of Creation¡¯s Engine is?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the deletion of a true god¡ªa god can be destroyed truly and thoroughly, never to rise again.¡± Vivian took a breath. ¡°The Creation¡¯s Engine will essentially be a ¡±simulated god¡¯ when completed, so it will have ¡®equal authority¡¯ to destroy a true god. However, since the Creation¡¯s Engine inherited its authority from the goddess of creation, its priority in executing the goddess will be lower than the divine power of the goddess of creation. That¡¯s why the rebellion of the godslayers was needed. Whether or not the godslayers actually kill the goddess of creation, their actions would cause ¡®divinity¡¯ to be absent from the Plane of Dreams. With the goddess gone, the priority of the Creation¡¯s Engine goes up¡­¡±


    Hao Ren got it. ¡°It¡¯s like a sequential set of instructions. Because the goddess was still alive, and she¡¯s a self-looping never-ending first-level instruction, the second-level instruction of the Creation¡¯s Engine could never be executed. In order for the Creation¡¯s Engine to work but also eliminate the hidden danger of the Mad Lord¡¯s resurrection with the help of the goddess¡¯ memory, the goddess directed and staged the rebellion herself?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Vivian nodded. ¡°After the divine power of the goddess of creation dropped to the second level, the Creation¡¯s Engine executed its own instructions, and it only has one function: Remove all information entanglements that have divine characteristics of the goddess of creation and are close to a true god in terms of power within the entire Plane of Dreams.¡±


    There were only two such information entanglements: one was the goddess herself, and the other was the Mad Lord.

 Chapter 1603 - Vivians Real Mission

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    It was the real function of the Creation¡¯s Engine.


    It was not an engine with physical propulsion. The way Vivian described it was more like a ¡®system engine¡¯ that acted on information and modified the content of the universe at the information level.


    The only function of this engine was to rewrite the information registry of the universe, and ¡®delete¡¯ the goddess of creation and the Mad Lord.


    ¡°The Mad Lord in the original state was almost invincible. It was born in the chaos of the ancient times of the Plane of Dreams, from which it was inseparable. Its activities would eventually drag the universe into destruction, but it was still one of the cornerstones by which the universe existed.¡± Vivian shook her head gently. ¡°The goddess of creation was able to defeat the Mad Lord and even imprison the Mad Lord again and again, but she could never really destroy it. Her war with the Mad Lord pushed the universe rapidly to its doom, which was an inevitable result of the battle of the two forces.¡±


    Hao Ren smacked his lips and said, ¡°So, she chose to perish together with it?¡±


    The goddess of creation chose to perish together with the Mad Lord, but it was no surprise in itself. From the clues Hao Ren had in his hands earlier, Hao Ren could already roughly infer the decisions that the goddess of creation took in the face of this eternal war. Everything that this goddess did was to end the threat of the Mad Lord, and for this purpose, she could sacrifice herself.


    What really surprised Hao Ren was the goddess of creation choosing to perish together with the Mad Lord and the truth about the Creation¡¯s Engine.


    As Vivian put it: The Mad Lord in its original state was invincible. It lived in symbiosis with and as long as the universe; it was a component of the fundamental law of the Plane of Dreams and could not be destroyed. But the war of the goddess of creation and the Mad Lord had produced an unexpected change; the Mad Lord had turned into a god.


    The Mad Lord who had acquired divinity had instead become destructible.


    ¡°The Gilded Discs that we are looking for are essentially the storage of divine power and ¡®comparator¡¯ that can calculate divinity. When the Creation¡¯s Engine is started, its core system will index the divine information recorded in the Gilded Discs and forcibly delete any information that meets the index criteria. The process was as if clearing the registry information by looking up keywords. The divine information is actually the ¡®sample¡¯ of the goddess of creation.


    ¡°We found an ancient crystal disc and supporting facilities in Collow and thought that they were prototypes of the Creation¡¯s Engine and the Gilded Discs. But we were thinking the wrong way. We assumed that the Creation¡¯s Engine was a propulsion engine or something that had influences on the material world. We ended up making little progress in studying the prototypes. It is not wrong to call those things prototypes. It is just that they more like work on the information level than the physical level.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded as he finally understood what the Creation¡¯s Engine and the ¡°deletion of the gods¡± were all about. ¡°What does this have to do with the Heart and the Throne of Destiny? What does it have to do with you?¡±


    ¡°It is to ensure that the world will survive after the departure of the gods,¡± Vivian explained. ¡°Because of the lack of technical knowledge, the Creation¡¯s Engine that the goddess of creation created was rather rudimentary. It deleted the data of the true gods from the universe by indexing the keywords but was not capable of repairing the system of the universe system. And the end result was¡ª¡±


    ¡°The law of the universe would face a wide range of logical loopholes and data breakpoints!¡± Hao Ren had learned a lot from Raven 12345 about the Grand Unified Theory and naturally knew what Vivian was talking about. ¡°The Mad Lord is the fundamental data of this universe, and the fact that the goddess of creation has been active in this world for so long, she has an inextricable influence in the Plane of Dreams. So, it is impossible to forcibly remove their data. Of they must do, there must be a replacement. Wait a minute! Could it be that¡ª¡±


    ¡°I am the replacement. Other than me, the Throne of Destiny, the planet Heart, and the divine network outside the X-Galaxy all add up to fill the void after the demise of the goddess of creation and the Mad Lord.¡± Vivian drew some magical patterns in the air using her finger. The first pattern was a big circle. ¡°Do you still remember the divine burst network that we have found in the universe of the Plane of Dreams¡ªthe one that you detected while bringing the otherworldlings visiting their homeworlds? It is based on stars and the peripheral execution unit of the entire system. The neutral divine burst could control the operation of the universe like nerve signals do in our body.¡±


    Vivian then drew a small circle inside the big one with shiny lines dancing like sprites in the small circle.


    ¡°This is the Heart of Destiny in the X-Galaxy. The planet is the middle-level processing unit of the entire system. The sprites are actually the neural nodes. Their bodies that is, those resonant crystals, process and store a huge amount of information. Just like a supercomputer, it gives instructions to the peripheral execution units. The reason why the sprites are such a confused bunch is not that they are stupid, but because the supercomputer lacks a core.¡±


    Vivian formed a blood-red runic symbol with magic in the center of the small circle.


    ¡°The Throne of Destiny is in the crystal mountain. We have not seen it, but I can already sense its existence. In the blueprint of this system, I am sitting on the Throne of Destiny, responsible for running all the commands,¡± Vivian pointed at herself, ¡°akin to a CPU and an OS. But this is not an accurate analogy because it is not quite the same as the computer. It is more like the highest node, the queen of the sprites. Back then, the goddess of creation sent me to the surface world to protect her highest node and to complete the Ultimate Absolution. But I would eventually return to this place according to the original program.¡±


    A few seconds of silence ensued. Hao Ren quietly looked at Vivian, and finally said, ¡°So, this is the real mission that the goddess of creation has left for you.¡±


    ¡°Ye. My mission is to replace their position and role after the complete removal of the influence of the goddess of creation and the Mad Lord from the universe.¡± Vivian sighed. ¡°And this whole plan and the finished product is called the Weaves of Destiny¡ªthe final order of the universe after the death of a god.¡±


    It reminded Hao Ren about his conversation with Muru and the other two guardian giants about the words and deeds of the goddess of creation before her death.


    The goddess of creation had once raised a question: Should there be a god or no god?


    At that time, he only associated these words with the deicidal war and thought that it was the arrangement and foresight of the goddess of creation for her death. But now he realized that it was a plan bigger but crazier than he had thought.


    The removal of the concept of God from the universe was not only about the killing of the gods but also about the complete erasure of any traces of divine influence and interference, be it from the goddess of creation or the Mad Lord.


    It would be followed by the creation of a new world where gods and the Mad Lord did not exist and that operated according to the laws of nature.


    The Weaves of Destiny that Vivian mentioned did not have the same divine power. It was, in fact, an underlying database and a low-level program, which contained various basic parameters, such as the concept and value of the speed of light, the way the fundamental forces worked, the expansion and contraction coefficient of the universe, etc. required for the existence of the world. Its replacement of the goddess was not to add a new ¡®manager¡¯ to the universe but to fill the various missing constants after the departure of the goddess. Hao Ren knew the meaning of this thing well; it was the system environment or the runtime library.


    It was the product of the goddess of creation¡¯s efforts to clear the divine influence. Its initiation denoted the end of the god¡¯s era.


    It was not the Mythological era on the earth, but the true god¡¯s era.


    ¡°It is the same as we know it,¡± said Salaman, who remained silent until now. ¡°But the explanation of the Lord of the Throne of Destiny is more detailed.¡±


    ¡°Call me Vivian. I am not used to be called that title.¡± Vivian waved her hands. ¡°Salaman, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°Since the Guide has returned, you should go back to the Throne of Destiny as soon as possible,¡± Salaman said. ¡°The Throne of Destiny has great power; as soon as you activate the various systems that Mother has left behind, all the evils of this world will be no match for you. As for the Creation¡¯s Engine, I have just learned that you are assembling it now. With the help of the Weaves of Destiny, it should be completed very soon.¡±


    The general of the guardian giants had deep faith in his mother. He was quite optimistic about the future as if the crisis of the universe was over. But Vivian did not say yes or no but just turned to look at Hao Ren with a smile. ¡°What do you think?¡± she asked.


    Hao Ren spread out his hand with a smile. ¡°I do think otherwise.¡±


    Salaman was startled. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Vivian should sit on the Throne of Destiny¡ªat least not now and before I figure out how the thing works and whether it is safe.¡±


    Salaman seemed to be controlling his emotions. ¡°Do you know what you are talking about? It is the only hope of the universe!¡±


    ¡°Firstly, I know what I am talking about because I am a person of stature. Secondly, a mere Throne of Destiny cannot be the only hope of the universe, because there is me here. Thirdly, have you forgotten that the Throne of Destiny had a BSOD¡ªthe blue screen of death¡ªtwo hours ago?¡±


    Salaman was struck dumb.


    Hao Ren turned to Vivian. ¡°What I am most worried about is that once you get on the Throne of Destiny, something unpredictable might happen. I have seen many similar incidents, such as you would turn into an AI, integrate into the network, become like the sprite, or unable to get down once sitting in there frozen in a block of ice with twenty-five violent guys raiding the throne regularly.¡±


    Vivian smashed a small bat at Hao Ren¡¯s chest. ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡±

 Chapter 1604 - The Three Crucial Crystals

    Hao Ren¡¯s fears were not unfounded. After all, there had been many similar precedents. The ultimate goal of the Weaves of Destiny was to keep the universe exist forever after the death of the goddess. It was unimaginable that such an important system would simply stop working. So, there simply would not be an eight-hour working day and five-day working week and stuff like that. Vivian might not be able to get down from the throne once sitting there.


    Vivian shook her head after some thoughts. ¡°I am not worried about those possible dangers. According to the information that the goddess of creation has left behind, the Throne of Destiny is just an I/O interface, my connection with it is not mandatory and permanent. I can leave whenever I like, and it cannot stop me. All the instructions run at the back of my soul, and it will not affect my free will. But then again, since no one has ever tried out this system, it is a little scary to simply go and sit up there.¡±


    The system¡¯s BOSD incident was pretty disturbing for her.


    Hao Ren sighed and looked helpless. ¡°We cannot help it. The goddess of creation has not been to school, and I really do not dare to try anything that she has left behind.¡±


    Salaman had been controlling his emotion all this while, and now, he finally could not help but speak up. ¡°Perhaps there are really some issues with the Throne of Destiny, but it is the precious hope that our Mother has given to this world. It is the sole reason for the Guardian Legion to remain in this place; we are waiting for the coming of this day.¡±


    While speaking, Salaman looked at Vivian. ¡°I hope you can seriously think about it. I do understand your concerns, and I agree that you should not throw caution to the wind. But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute! I think you have misunderstood something.¡± Hao Ren saw Salaman was getting a little agitated and quickly waved his hand. ¡°We never said that we wanted to abandon the Throne of Destiny, let alone insinuating that the guarding of this place by the Guardian Legion for the past thousands of years was meaningless. I just said that I did not want Vivian to recklessly sit on the throne to only become a human-server. And I highly value the Throne of Destiny and the Weaves of Destiny.¡±


    Salaman was a bit confused. ¡°Not letting her sit on the throne? You mean¡ª¡±


    ¡°We will study, analyze, crack its secrets, understand its underlying mechanism, and then patch whatever loopholes and fix whatever problem it has. Worse comes to worst, at least we can learn how it works.¡± Hao Ren said slowly. ¡°We will use various technical means to ensure that the Throne of Destiny could be activated safely and controllably, instead of risking the safety of Vivian by simply sitting on it.¡±


    Salaman listened to Hao Ren with even more resentment. ¡°Do you really know what you are talking about? The Throne of Destiny is the most complicated and mysterious part of the Weaves of Destiny! Even our it took our Mother many years to finish it! Now, you say you are going to figure it all out in just a short time? This is¡ª¡±


    ¡°Nothing is impossible.¡± Hao Ren interrupted Salaman. ¡°I know how important the goddess of creation to you and that she is the wisest and most powerful synonym. I do admit that I cannot completely understand with my level of knowledge this high-tech thing that the goddess has made. But I am different from you. I have technical support and an entire organization behind me.¡±


    Salaman said nothing.


    Vivian looked at the old giant. ¡°General Salaman, perhaps you would believe in my words. You all are trapped in this universe and can only see this much. I am fortunate that the goddess has sent me to the other side of the wall, where there are a far vaster world and knowledge that is beyond imagination. We have just told you about the inspectors and the foreign gods. It seems that you have a limited understanding of them.¡±


    Apparently, the words of Vivian, as the certified ¡®daughter¡¯ of the goddess of creation, carried more weight than that of Hao Ren. The expression on Salaman¡¯s face quickly changed from strong resentment and suspicion to careful contemplation. ¡°I just cannot believe it. The Guardian Legion has been guarding this place for 10,000 years. Our mission is to defend this place and to wait for return the rightful person to return to and sit on the Throne of Destiny. Now, you tell me that the plan has just changed and that the throne itself is no longer safe. This is¡ª¡±


    ¡°The significance of the Guardian Legion is unquestionable. Without you guys, we will not have the opportunity to even discuss this issue here.¡± Vivian shook her head. ¡°But at the same time, you should be more flexible. Let¡¯s not talk about the bugs in the Throne of Destiny first. Just the rebellion that happened here three thousand years ago has caused severe damage to the Heart. Moreover, and strictly speaking, I am not a complete Guide. I just told you that I had an accident in another world, where I was undergoing division and contaminated. After the purification, I can only be regarded as a half-creation of the goddess. Under such circumstances, it would be disrespectful of me to forcibly activate the Weaves of Destiny, the most significant legacy of the goddess of creation.


    Salaman was stubborn but not stupid. After rationalizing his feelings, he realized that it was indeed not the right time to activate the Weaves of Destiny. He nodded gently. ¡°What you say makes sense. I agree to postpone the plan to activate the system, but one thing I must stress: no matter what you do, you must not destroy the Throne of Destiny; it is something unimaginable precious.¡±


    ¡°Of course, no worries.¡± Hao Ren grinned. ¡°My job is to protect all historical relics.¡±


    Vivian mumbled softly, ¡°Are you sure about that?¡±


    Hao Ren coughed.


    He quickly shifted the topic. ¡°Then let¡¯s put the issue of the Throne of Destiny on the backburner. The most important thing for us now is to solve the problem of the rebel forces around the Heart. General Salaman, you asked for Amantir to be set free in the last battle. Can you give us an explanation now?¡±


    Salaman glanced at Vivian and nodded. ¡°The planetary fortress and the freaks in the fortress are not important, but the Amantir crystal must be protected at all cost because the crystal is the lead to the whereabouts of the Star of Creation.¡±


    Hao Ren was wide-eyed. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The Amantir crystal, the Agodal crystal, and the Naqdal crystal currently in your hands are the navigation core of the three planetary fortresses. But they have another function, that is when the three crystals are synchronized, they will become a road sign.¡± Salaman¡¯s voice was calm, but it struck Hao Ren as if lightning. ¡°Mother has sensed the activities of the Mad Lord and the changes in the universe under its influence many years ago. The fundamental information of the world is shifting. As the Mad Lord is the cornerstone of this universe, the world itself will resist any forces that could destroy the Mad Lord¡ªeven if the forces are actually saving it.¡±


    Salaman pause, giving Hao Ren¡¯s time to digest the information. He then continued. ¡°This will of resistance will not manifest itself directly, but the subtle influence it produces through the connection between cause and effect is greater than any other type of resistance. The resistance of the world would stifle the plan to destroy the Mad Lord.¡±


    ¡°What was the ¡®accident¡¯ and prevention that the goddess of creation had postulated all about?¡± Vivian could not help but interject, ¡°Was it related to the Star of Creation?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The most important part of Mother¡¯s plan was to use the power of the Creation¡¯s Engine to delete everything divine and divinelike. It was because the Mad Lord might be able to bounce back by tracing the link of cause and effect from the slightest traces. And the accident at this particular point was the disappearance of the Star of Creation. The Creation¡¯s Engine, even after activation, could not completely erase traces of the goddess. Years later, when the remnants of the Star of Creation and the goddess reemerged in the main material world, the power of the Mad Lord would rekindle on these residues.¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian looked at each other, as the accident that happened during the deicidal war 10,000 years ago came to mind.


    A violent energy shock led to the explosion of the divine realm. The power released at the point of death of the goddess had pulled the Star of Creation and most of the galaxies in the vicinity into the dimensional distortion. Eventually, the divine realm disappeared from the main material world and fell into the mysterious Umbral Realm.


    Hao Ren had once sent drones and probes to search for the lost divine realm but to no avail. The Gate of Solenne, the closest place to the divine realm, showed no signs of it.


    This was the accident that the goddess of creation postulated. The plunging of the Star of Creation and her remains into the Umbral Realm had accidentally saved them from the purging program of the Creation¡¯s Engine. This also unintentionally made it possible for the Mad Lord to survive.


    It showed the power of the cause and effect and fate.


    ¡°So, the goddess has left a sign by which we can find the Star of Creation,¡± Vivian said slowly. ¡°There is only one purpose to it; it is to ensure the complete destruction of the Star of Creation and her divine remains.¡±


    Salaman nodded with a heavy heart. ¡°It is precisely the case.¡±


    Hao Ren felt it incredible. ¡°You guys accepted this arrangement without questions?¡±


    ¡°It was the will of Mother and her lifelong pursuit to destroy the Mad Lord, the divine rule, and to free the world from all shackles and ushered in true everlasting freedom and tranquility,¡± Salaman said in a low voice. ¡°For this vision, we are willing to accept any mission. The guardians like us were specially nurtured since birth and knew the ultimate destiny of our mother. So, we accepted it a long time ago. But our brothers who we have never met before may not so readily receptible to this reality.¡±


    ¡°Holy moly¡­¡± Hao Ren buried his face in his hand. For a moment, he was unsure what reaction he should have. ¡°I suddenly have a feeling that the goddess of creation was also a tyrant.¡±

 Chapter 1605 - No More Dawdling About

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Going to the Umbral Realm and looking for the road signs to the Star of Creation¡­


    Hao Ren had never expected to find the road signs in this place under such circumstances.


    The goddess of creation had not only foreseen her own death but even planned ahead. She set everything up in this remote galaxy and left the key to the future generations even though the goal of the key was to completely destroy herself, which was the most shocking part of her plan.


    Aside from shock, Hao Ren was even more awe of the fight underway on the causal level.


    The Mad Lord was rooted in the laws of the universe, and the goddess removed the laws to counter the Mad Lord. The resistance of the will of the world had led to the appearance of loopholes in the plan of the demise of the divine era. The goddess left a set of signs to ensure that the Creation¡¯s Engine would work as intended. And all the confrontations had happened before the actual event itself.


    The goddess of creation and the Mad Lord seemed to have been in a fiery match even before the chess game started.


    Hao Ren could not help but shake his head ¡°But the goddess of creation seemed to have overshot the mark in the battle between causality and fate. While she might have left the road signs to patch up the loophole, but the other aspect of her plan had also gone wrong. She did not manage to complete the Creation¡¯s Engine before she died, and it was most likely the result of the resistance of the will of the universe.¡±


    ¡°No, Hao Ren,¡± Vivian said suddenly. ¡°Have you forgotten? The Creation¡¯s Engine project has been restarted right after you come to this universe.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s mouth was agape with cold sweat trickling down his forehead.


    She had even planned this?


    ¡°Holy moly, the game that the true god played was frighteningly unpredictable.¡± Hao Ren wiped the sweat off his forehead. ¡°I would not want to get involved in such a thing had I been able to quit the job. My life, my way; I would have told fate ¡®go to hell,¡¯ resigned, and blown the Creation¡¯s Engine in pieces¡ªonly if I can.¡±


    ¡°Cut the cackle and try to tell that to Raven 12345.¡± Vivian shot him a stare. ¡°You are working for the Administration, not yourself. Those who shout ¡®my life, my way¡¯ have never signed any contract. People like you in employment with a year-end bonus cannot do that.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s brows knitted together and clapped his hands suddenly. ¡°Damn it! Now I realize what is wrong; Raven 12345 did not pay out year-end bonus last year!¡±


    Vivian was struck dumb.


    Salaman had no clue of what the two were talking about. He could not help but interrupt. ¡°What are you two talking about?¡±


    ¡°Oh, nothing, just about some problem with the withholding of employee perks by some foreign god.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand and then stared eagerly at the giant general. ¡°Can the three crystals lead us to the Star of Creation? I mean even if when the planet has dropped outside the universe.¡±


    ¡°I am confident of it.¡± Salaman nodded. ¡°The road signs that my mother has left behind after the causal postulation transcend causality and spacetime, naturally. As you mentioned earlier, the Star of Creation and the divine realm had plunged into the Umbral Realm. This proves that the prediction of our mother is accurate. So, the accuracy of the road signs is something worth looking forward to.¡±


    Salaman lamented, ¡°I felt helpless once. It was 3,000 years ago when Naqdal was torn apart by the sudden attack of the rebels. The Naqdal crystal, as part of the road sign, has fallen into space turbulence. Now, we lack one of the three.¡±


    Salaman continued. ¡°But we firmly believe that the Naqdal crystal still exists. It has plunged into turbulence but not destroyed by the festered freaks. With Mother¡¯s blessings and protection, the Naqdal crystal must still be safe. Now, we have two of the three crystals with us. The only thing we need to consider is how to recapture the crystals on Amantir without damaging them.¡±


    ¡°My drone army would crush those monsters head-on on the battlefield.¡± Hao Ren frowned, as he found that there was a tricky problem. ¡°But as you said, those monsters may blow the fortress up when in desperation. They would surely do it if they felt threatened.¡±


    ¡°How many drones do you have?¡± Salaman asked casually.


    ¡°Twenty million in this galaxy,¡± Hao Ren replied. But a thought came to mind, he quickly corrected, ¡°Oh, just 30 million. But the number is meaningless. The main force of my drone army is still outside the galaxy, and they kept multiplying while on the way here. The total number of armed units is over 90 billion and quickly approaching 100 billion. All in all, we have more than what we need; more of them have become meaningless as those monsters will blow themselves up if they decide to do so. They will not congratulate us with a GG for winning with a smile and then surrender. I am afraid they will self-destruct immediately when they see a billion drones appeared before them.¡±


    Salaman found it hard to keep up with the foreign jargon that Hao Ren uttered. But with his level of wisdom, the old giant could still vaguely guess what Hao Ren meant and agreed with what he said.


    ¡°We once considered taking advantage of the chaos by sending a team of commandos to land on Amantir and retrieve the crystal,¡± said General Salaman. ¡°But there are many obstacles. Let¡¯s ignore the Amantir¡¯s heavily defended surface for a while, the manpower shortage of the Guardian Legion is the biggest problem. We simply do not have enough strength to push the battlefront right up to Amantir.¡±


    ¡°I have taken care of the problem,¡± Hao Ren had the same train of thought. ¡°We have enough firepower from the drones. By the way, is there any spatial limitation to the Amantir? For example, the problem with bringing it into alien dimension and passing through space fissure.¡±


    ¡°There are no such limitations. Do you have a plan already?¡±


    ¡°If you can send me to the Amantir crystal, I can bring it back,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°But you have just said; the place is heavily defended. It is not easy to go into the enemy¡¯s base camp.¡±


    Salaman thought for a moment. ¡°It may work considering how tiny you guys are. Everything on Amantir is designed around the guardian giants; they are huge. Those freaks have long been used to opponents like us, the giants, which are more than ten meters tall. They have no experience and awareness in guarding against small humanoid creatures like you two. I have a detailed structural diagram of the core area of Amantir, where there are many trails that you guys could use to your advantage.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyes lit up instantly. ¡°It may work.¡±


    ¡°But there is still a problem.¡± Salaman looked at Hao Ren awkwardly. ¡°Other than the drones, there are only two of you? This little fish does not fight, right? Even with the Lord of the Throne of Destiny, it is still too great a risk for two of you to go behind enemy lines.¡±


    Something that Hao Ren was always concerned about suddenly came to mind. ¡°Allow me to ask you a question: what is the divine blockade in Star Cluster X all about? How does its detection mechanism work?¡±


    Sure enough, Salaman knew the matter well. He pondered for a moment and said, ¡°Well, there is no need to keep it a secret from you. The divine blockade is one of the protective measures Mother has laid out to defend the sacred land against foreign invasion. It will block and attack any non-native life forms that attempt to pass through it. But the rebellion of three thousand years ago has defeated it from within, so the blockade has never really useful in this case. As for its detection mechanism¡­¡±


    Speaking of which, the general suddenly looked a little perplexed. ¡°I am wondering if there is a problem with it. It is based on the life sequence, and only the original life form that is life closest to God can pass the detector. But you brought in a fish!¡±


    Hao Ren was startled and then feeling it amusing. ¡°No wonder, it turns out that it has nothing to do with divinity but everything to do with life sequence. General, please don¡¯t be surprised that this ¡®fish¡¯ is on the higher life sequence than you and me.¡±


    This mystery had finally been solved. The detection mechanism of the divine blockade was indeed based on the life sequence. Vivian was directed created from the divine blood, and thus she was on the higher position of the life sequence. Lil Pea is the End of Life of this universe, which meant she also occupied a relatively high position in the life sequence. Meanwhile, Hao Ren was used to be a human, but he had become a demigod after signing the labor contract with Raven 12345. It was a conceptual change, which also elevated his position in the life sequence.


    All the rest of Hao Ren¡¯s buddies at home did not pass this standard.


    Vivian was curious about this detection mechanism. ¡°Why is it based on life sequence? Is it not more convenient based on divinity?¡±


    ¡°The reason is simple. The firing up of the Creation¡¯s Engine will invalidate the divine sequence of the universe,¡± Salaman answered. ¡°The true God will disappear, so too the corresponding divinity. Divine creatures like us may be able to survive, but we will become the mortals. By then, if we still want to continue the mission in the sacred land, the security system here can only be based on the life sequence. Not only that, the divine storm that shields Star Cluster X will also turn into a powerful energy storm without any divinity in it. The divine resonance used in the Weaves of Destiny will eventually degrade, completing the so-called divine regression. It is a complicated process that is hard to explain.¡±


    ¡°It must rely on divine power for starting up but divine regression while in operation?¡± Hao Ren scratched his chin. ¡°Now, I understand. Then do you have a way to shut down the detection mechanism or create a few backdoors?¡±


    Salaman hesitated. ¡°We cannot turn it off because it is one of the highest security measures. But if you want a few ¡®security passes,¡¯ then it is easy.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled. ¡°I have a few helpers, who have been dawdling about in the base for long enough time.¡±

 Chapter 1606 - Welcome Back, Mates!

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren had once thought about asking Salaman to remove Star Cluster X¡¯s divine blockade so that he could more easily maneuver around in the galaxy. But then, after some careful thought, he knew this was impossible. Even though the revolt of the festered inside the sacred land had bypassed the divine blockade, it did not mean that this blockade was unnecessary. Hidden dangers were lurking outside Star Cluster X, and no one knew how many unknown threats the Mad Lord had left behind. The Guardian Legion was already strained in dealing with the festered army. Naturally, it was impossible to remove the divine blockade outside the galaxy.


    Having the extra ¡®security passes¡¯ was good enough.


    The Petrachelys had arrived back in the forward base on the home planet of the Executors. Its arrival was a reminder to the lollygaggers that vacation was over.


    In the base, everyone assembled in the square. Hao Ren and Vivian announced the good news of ¡®the end of the ban.¡¯ The first one to jump up in joy was Lily, expectedly. ¡°Long live! Mr. Landlord. We can finally get to have fun and not hole up in this goddamn place!¡±


    But something was not right here; supposedly, the husky was enjoying her stay here. After the base expanded into the forest, and Zorm took over the ¡®security duty¡¯ in the wilderness, the planet had become a safe place, and people did not have to hole up in the small forward base all day long. Even Rollie had gotten the permission to roam around outside. All the more so when it came to Lily. When she was not going hunting and fishing, she would be chasing the native beasts in the forest. When she felt like it, she would go to the snowfield on the other side of the planet playing the game of survival. To a husky like Lily, it was a paradise on the earth.


    But her edgy look now seemed as if she had been staying in the cage for the past two months.


    ¡°Is this necessary?¡± Hao Ren looked up and down at Lily. ¡°Rollie and Y¡¯lisabet have told me that you have had fun every day. Are you not happy with it?¡±


    Lily said with her arms akimbo, ¡°Hunting, fishing, plucking bird nest and all those stuff are not as interesting as fighting the monsters in the universe! Do not forget that I am Mr. Landlord¡¯s Number 1 guardian. I am losing my sense of existence after being absent from the actions for so long.¡±


    Hao Ren was like what the heck?


    Did the maiden just make herself a self-appointed guardian of him?


    ¡°We have read the news from the battlefront,¡± Y¡¯zaks said after the initial excitement of everyone subsided. He was the most principled one among them. ¡°I cannot believe that you two have found the ¡®control system¡¯ that the goddess of creation has left for the future and solved the mystery of the divine oscillating network. The truth of this galaxy really knocks my socks off.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Ren, you might not see my papa¡¯s expression at the time,¡± said the little girl, Y¡¯lisabet, who danced around Hao Ren. ¡°He said that he had never thought that a person could come up with such an elaborate plan just to kill herself!¡±


    ¡°It is a god, by the way.¡± Y¡¯zaks corrected his daughter. ¡°And I was not shocked over the goddess killing herself, about which I had known when I learned about the truth of the deicidal war. What amazes me is the incredible Weaves of Destiny; it is fascinating to see the mystery of how the universe works.¡±


    ¡°Mystery my foot. The super admin of the universe is standing right here.¡± Lily pointed at Vivian. ¡°After all the hoo-ha, it turns out that ¡®poverty¡¯ is the fundamental law of the universe of the Plane of Dreams! No wonder the life of the races in the world is hard¡ª Ouch!¡±


    Vivian smashed Lily with a Lightning Ball, instantly turning her into a Chow Chow. ¡°I still cannot believe what has happened even until now. But I also cannot deny what has happened. We must now find a way to get our hands on the Amantir crystal. It does not matter whether I would sit on the throne in the future, we must get the crystal because it is related to the secret of the final resting place of the goddess of creation. Hao Ren and I need helps from you all.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks, Y¡¯lisabet, Nangong Wuyue, Nangong Sanba, and Lily, who was scrambling to smooth down her hair and tail, fell into silence and looked at each other with a smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s more like it!¡± Y¡¯zaks rubbed his fists, raring to go. ¡°We are not here for vacation.¡±


    Even Nangong Wuyue, who was always scared stiff when there was a situation, nodded eagerly. Meanwhile, Rollie who listened on started to scratch her head. ¡°Big Boss Cat, are they dried fish in that place called Amantir?¡±


    Rollie had no clue about what everyone was discussing. The cat acknowledged her intellectual limits and chose another way to understand the purpose of this trip.


    Hao Ren glanced at her and said, ¡°There is no dried fish there. But if you behave well, I will buy you ten pounds of dried fish.¡±


    Rollie¡¯s eyes brightened up. ¡°Meow, meow, meow!¡±


    A few hours later.


    After sizing up the guys in front of him, Salaman turned to Hao Ren and asked curiously, ¡°Are they all of your subordinates?¡±


    ¡°Not subordinates; they are my friends who have been with me through ups and downs.¡± Hao Ren smiled as he introduced them one by one. ¡°You do not have to doubt their ability. The weakest among them have also gotten the divine blessing, and most importantly, they have been following me to various bizarre, mysterious realms and alien worlds. Their experience in special ops is more than what your regular soldiers have had.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s voice was full of confidence. His little buddies might have their individual, quirky problems, but he had not the slightest doubt of their ability. Even Nangong Sanba was not that bad in terms of combat strength; he was only comparatively weak among the bunch of demons and monsters in the house. It might not be the case during the early days when everyone was a rookie. But over the years, after eating and drinking at the straight goddess¡¯ place and sharing with Hao Ren his ¡°year-end bonus¡±, they were now strong like a bull.


    They ate those divine things, for which people could go to war, for lunch.


    Of course, Hao Ren knew that he must not be overconfident as his opponent was no less powerful. Although the goddess of creation did not have a diploma, she was a true god. Her bodyguards¡ªthe guardian giants, were superior to most mortal races. Now, the Mad Lord had infected some of these guardians, turning them into terrible killing machines.


    Hao Ren and his little buddies might have no problem dealing with a small group of festered monsters, but when it came to combating the defense forces of Amantir, it was like kicking against the pricks. Keeping in mind that this book had still a long way to go before ending, Hao Ren decided to discuss with Salaman to find a better way to send them to Amantir discreetly.


    ¡°Multi-racial and multi abilities; I am more and more curious about you, the Observer. You seem to have a badass team,¡± Salaman said, coming back to the topic of Amantir. ¡°It is tough to send even people as inconspicuous as you guys to Amantir. Those freaks have surveillance stations and defense firepower in the orbit to compensate for the lack of combat power after the loss of the doomsday weapons. What¡¯s more, there are many anti-air guns on the surface. Those things will shoot down anything that does not belong to the festered army coming closer to Amantir.¡±


    ¡°How about infiltration by disguising as returning festered forces?¡± Y¡¯zaks asked. He membered the successful infiltration of the lunar base of the Executors not long ago. At that time, they seized an Executor spacecraft and faked an ID to pass through the checkpoints. ¡°We have many corpses of the festered, by which we can piece together to form a damage-looking hybrid spacecraft. The enemy might not be able to tell the difference.¡±


    ¡°We have thought of that earlier, but the idea has been rejected.¡± Salaman shook his head. ¡°The festered still retain their mind network. The lower-ranked individuals among them might have lost most of their thinking ability, but their superiors can still monitor the lower-level units through the mind network. I am afraid that the mind network would detect all of you who disguise as ones of them.¡±


    Nangong Sanba thought for a moment. ¡°Can we hack this mind network?¡±


    ¡°It is challenging, if not impossible. I advise you not to even try because it is not just a matter of how difficult it is.¡± Salaman still shook his head. ¡°After the power of the Mad Lord infected those freaks, their mind network has also mutated and is filled with elements of madness, blasphemy, and dangers. No rational creatures can decipher the mind in the network. All you got would be garbled data, and possibly causing the spread of the festered contaminant and alerting the superior units of the mind network.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s original idea was to sneak into Amantir using a disguise. But now, it seemed that things were not that easy.


    They brainstormed for almost two hours and came out fruitless. There were over a dozen suggestions, many of which they had discussed in detail but were later discarded because the plans were full of fatal flaws.


    There might be only one chance to sneak into Amantir. Once the festered knew that the enemy was targeting the Amantir crystal, they would never give the enemy a second chance. So, they must come up with a program that worked and was safe, where it might not be flawless but at least controllable. Even if their action failed, it must not alert the festered too much.


    They also had to consider their evacuation plan.


    Lily was the first to lose patience in the extended discussion. She slammed her tail against the back of the chair on which Nangong Wuyue sat. ¡°Argh! It looks like there is no way to get into Amantir without getting caught. We might as well crash Agodal into Amantir. Maybe we can find the crystal from the debris after that.¡±


    Vivian instantly sneered at the husky. ¡°Your idea is no better¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Hao Ren¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Before Vivian finished, he interrupted. ¡°Lily¡¯s idea is a wakeup call.¡±

 Chapter 1607 - Organizing a Wave of Attacks

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The Petrachelys was quietly suspended in space. A few kilometers down below was the gigantic energy shield of the Naqdal Continent. The fortress, built on the foundation of a space continent, was moving out from the inspection array. The land filled with temples, artillery, factories, and drone hangers was moving slowly below the spacecraft. On the real-time screen onboard the Petrachelys, it looked like the scene of a moving steel jungle.


    ¡°It is an incredible miracle.¡± Y¡¯zaks was amazed. The old demon might no longer lead his army to war, but the awe-inspiring war machine still earned his praise. ¡°In my homeworld, the scale of this thing is large enough to accommodate a few kingdoms. But here, it is a mobile weapon that carries some devastating power.¡±


    ¡°Agodal is even bigger than this.¡± Lily lay in the chair, wagging her tail and watching the holographic image. ¡°And the planetary fortress is still perfectly intact and better than this fragment what is only one-third of its original size.¡±


    ¡°It is called the sense of accomplishment; don¡¯t you understand?¡± Hao Ren glanced at the husky. ¡°It was the drones and me who built up Naqdal while Agodal was built by the giants. How could they be the same?¡±


    Lily thought for a moment. ¡°I do not see the difference. You see, I don¡¯t cook, but I still enjoy the stewed pork ribs that Vivian cooks. Is it not, Battie?¡±


    Vivian replied with her arms crossed. ¡°I have told you that it is not possible to knock sense into her.¡±


    ¡°The Guardian Legion has been deployed. As per the plan, the Agodal will remain near the Heart, and the Naqdal will be the only large fortress in this operation,¡± said Nolan with reports and images of the Guardian Legion next to her holographic image. ¡°The new structures at the southern tip of the continent are working well, and the structural force field stabilizers and inertia suppressors are working normally. It is the first time we apply battleship technologies on a pile of rocks and buildings. But they work pretty well. after all, the principle is the same.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and looked at the lights that lit up gradually on the Naqdal Continent. ¡°The real test will only begin during the combat.¡±


    The massive space continent began to accelerate slowly under the powerful force of the large thrusters. The engineering drones had fixed the large cracks and exposed pipes and machines on the base of the continent. Shiny silver-white armor belts had covered up the fissures, and a massive array of thrusters, weapon modules, and drone factories was on the connecting bridges and at the tips of the continental skeleton. Coupled with the secondary psionic guns, the Naqdal fortress looked a lot bigger than before.


    Indeed, it was too big and over the top. On the southern part of the continent, there was an extension structure of metal frames and bridges connecting to an ¡®island,¡¯ which was essentially an asteroid. It was as if a satellite nestled next to the Naqdal, full of artillery and energy arrays, and an external weapon bay.


    It was a planet-class weapon bay.


    Around Naqdal, a large swarm of drones had formed a spherical formation that held Naqdal in the center, as if they had made the broken planet whole again. It looked incredible in space.


    Further afield was the Guardian Legion. Salaman was onboard the Aiur and leading his army in front with thousands of mothership-class black battleships and tens of thousands of escorts flying in a neat formation as they left the gravitational berths of Agodal. After leaving the berth, they seemed to spread out chaotically as the formation was preparing for wrap jump.


    Unlike the drones that could form a compound protective force field, the battleships of the guardians would deliberately make it as if they were chaotic and without a formation to increase the survival rate of the battle group. It was a common strategy of those interstellar civilizations that had not mastered the joint-shield technology. Of course, those clowns who did not have a compound shield, quantitative advantage, and absolute strength yet were still keen on pressing the A key were excepted.


    The holographic image of Salaman popped up on the communicator. The old giant nodded to Vivian. ¡°The Lord of the Throne, the Guardian Legion is ready to go to battle at your command.¡±


    ¡°I have told you many times; call me by my name.¡± Vivian sighed helplessly. ¡°Argh, forget it. Call whatever you like. As I have said before, I do not know anything about commanding an army. So, you and your military strategists will be solely responsible for that. Your mission is to work together with the drone army. Your main task is to attack with the drone corps and build the fortification outside the destruction of Amantier. After receiving our news, we will prepare for it. can.¡±


    Salaman nodded slightly, but hesitated to say: ¡°We can bear more¡­¡±


    ¡°Your mission is simple yet meaningful.¡± Vivian interrupted. ¡°The operation is not to clash with the enemy head-on this time. This is a special operation. Do you understand?¡±


    The giant general bowed his head. ¡°Yes, at your command.¡±


    After the call ended, Hao Ren saw continuous flashes in the direction of the Guardian Legion. It was a sign that the battle fleet had entered the warp space. He turned to Nolan and nodded gently. ¡°Land on the southern island of Naqdal. Let¡¯s roll.¡±


    A moment later, the Naqdal fortress and the entire drone cluster had entered a sparkling space distortion field and disappeared altogether in space in the blink of an eye.


    After the interference and vibration of the teleportation subsided, the battle group had come to a whole new region of space.


    It was a region where the festered army and the Amantir war fortress controlled.


    ¡°The warped space has opened, the optical path is smooth and visual has returned to normal. Now in transit.¡±


    As soon as Nolan¡¯s voice trailed off, the visual image of the outside scene showed up on the bridge. The first thing Hao Ren saw was a weird purple light that was ubiquitous in space.


    The power of the Mad Lord had infested and corrupted the sacred Amantir planetary fortress and turned its powerful energy reactor into a grow bed, from where evil energy spurted out and permeated the universe, distorting the distant starlight into a hideous sight. The faint purple-red light contained a power that could throw the mortal species into insanity.


    Amantir, the blood-red planetary fortress, was right in the center of this mysterious purple-red field.


    The degenerated planetary fortress was full of lava craters and erupting volcanoes. Toxic water was gushing down the rivers and oceans, and the poisonous steam rose to the air and formed a strangely colored atmosphere. Meanwhile, at the equator, the so-called Evil Crack was still surging in red as the festered that had been alerted broke out from within.


    Those having even quicker response than the festered were the orbital guns and defense platforms in orbit above the Amantir, and the festered stationed in space.


    ¡°The enemy has come out to meet the Guardian Legion.¡±


    ¡°The drone fleet has spread out. Sequence 1 to 233 are in position. Now exchanging fire with the enemy.¡±


    ¡°The Naqdal fortress is moving.¡±


    ¡°Drone group 234 to 368 battle sequence flank the enemy!¡±


    There was no time for formation, laying out positions and observing the strategy of the enemy, but the counterattack of the festered was quick and ruthless.


    Battle reports were sent to the bridge of the Petrachelys in real-time. The onboard battle module of Nolan and the battlefield processing program of the MDT processed the information and issued commands to the drone cluster consciousness, which then issued even more detailed battle instructions to the individual drones.


    The process was real-time without any delay.


    It was a terrific, efficient battlefield command program. In short, Hao Ren had sent a wave of 30 million battle units and then given each of the 30 million battle units 800APM instructions. On the surface, it looked like he was just using the F2+A hotkeys, but in fact¡­


    Well, in fact, Hao Ren was indeed using F2+A.


    The disturbed army of the festered floated and squirmed in space and then further divided into the endless black tide of monsters. The Guardian Legion, led by Salaman, started to bombard the enemy using long-range firepower. As a guest in this ancient galaxy, the drone fleet once again demonstrated their strength.


    They came in swarms and were ruthless, and at the same time, they were orderly, highly precise, and efficient. Each drone was a precision component of the drone group, and the drone swarm that these drones formed was a ruthless meat grinder.


    But this time, there were not as many drones as previously.


    It was as if the drone fleet did not manage to replenish their lost units since the last battle, there were far fewer drones in meeting the festered, and the scene where the drones flooding the battlefield did not appear this time.


    The festered army and the drone army were almost evenly matched.


    As the battle raged on, the holographic image of Salaman popped up before Hao Ren.


    ¡°Our remote sensing radar has detected an energy response from the Amantir crystal near the fissure.¡±

 Chapter 1608 - Falling

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The drone group and the Amantir forces were in a fight.


    It was a frustrating moment for the Mad Lord minions. They had fought the drones a few times in the past, but their commander still found it hard to deal with the cold, lifeless machines. The festered monsters had been fighting the battlegroup of the guardian giants for thousands of years and were used to long-range warfare, where long-range firepower, flank maneuver and harassment, and massive artillery were used. The emergence of the drones had brought new challenges to them.


    The drone fleets did not fight the long-range battle, and they did not carry out long-range weapons. The drones fought close combat and could quickly pop out in front of the enemy¡¯s face with the use of advanced battlefield transition tactics and use their high-energy, rapid-fire guns to blow a hole in your face. If your air defense could shoot them down in time, they would simply self-destruct in your face.


    The lifeless machines were as if a swarm of insects. It came up to you and attacked in swarms. Most heavy weapons were useless against them. As soon as the drones got close, the combat effectiveness of giant battleships would be even worse than a mutated beast with tentacles.


    The festered battleships with powerful firepower and long-range radar systems were forced to exit the battlefield, leaving only a limited number of warships to fight against the Guardian Legion. Meanwhile, the remaining festered, and the drones were in a stalemate.


    ¡°Battle is in a deadlock. The enemy has withdrawn their heavy firepower but doubled the number of high-mobility units. Our drones are barely sufficient,¡± the MDT said as he looked at the battle report. ¡°The Naqdal has attracted attention. A unit of enemy forces is approaching.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°It does not matter. The modified shield can withstand a long period of bombardment. Keep moving and start bombing as soon as arriving at the target position.¡±


    They were not on the bridge of the Petrachelys but in the command station on the Naqdal fortress. It was a new facility that has a data link with the control center, but its architectural style and size were more suitable for the needs of ordinary humans and did not feel as depressed as in the oversized facilities of the guardian giants.


    The layout of the command station was similar to that of the Petrachelys. The center of the ring-shaped platform was a depression, where there was a large holographic projector showing the vividly close-up image of Amantir.


    There festered army was rushing out from the fissure in the ground to engage the drones in a dogfight in space. The Guardian Legion¡¯s battleships continued to push forward under cover of the drones. They finally cleared out an area at tens of thousands of kilometers above the atmosphere and began to perform a fixed-point bombardment of the planetary fortress below it. The orbital cannons under the belly of the black battleships started to focus at one point of the planetary shield and fire orange-red and bright white beams. Bright light and ripples burst out from the impact point. In the spot where ripples were the densest, the shield began to show signs of weakening.


    The cloudy shield was a crucial barrier of Amantir to protect the dirty earth below. But the breakage of the shield at one spot would not lead to the complete collapse of the shield. The guardians already had the technology¡ªForce Field Variable Frequency Splitting Technology¡ªwhich divided the shield into numerous effective pieces. When a single effective piece gave way, the shield¡¯s force field would immediately reset to ensure the force field of other effective pieces remained intact.


    But Hao Ren only needed to penetrate a small piece of this shield.


    The holographic image of Salaman was beside Hao Ren. The giant general took this opportunity to explain the situation of the Amantir fortress. ¡°The battle of 3,000 years ago caused irreparable damage to both sides. Naqdal was destroyed when it was launching its doomsday weapon. The core of the fortress was filled with energy. When this energy burst, it devastated everything on the battlefield. The Apocalypse Torrent punctured part of the shield of the Heart, and the Denizens of the Stars had paid a high price to restore it. It also hit the Agodal¡¯s energy system and burned almost all conventional weapons depots and caused damage to the energy core. The situation of the freaks on the Amantir was not much better; the blown-away energy core of the Naqdal hit the Amantir and tore open the surface at the equator. Had Amantir not dodge quick enough, the impact force would have slit the entire fortress in half.¡±


    ¡°How do the monsters replenish themselves?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s brows knitted together as he looked at the festered army climbing out from the rift at the equator of Amantir. ¡°And it looks like they have transformed the terrible wound in the earth into barracks. How many monsters the rift could hide?¡±


    ¡°We still had not figured it out. But they seem to have an endless supply of soldiers; no matter how many of them have died on the battlefield, they could always quickly replenish the number.¡± Salaman shook his head. ¡°The speed and quantity of replacement have far exceeded the resources they could collect from the battlefield and the Amantir¡¯s production capacity. We suspect that they have resource collection points in other places of or even outside the sacred land. But it is just a guess. We are trapped here and unable to send out reconnaissance.¡±


    ¡°Their materials do not come from the outside.¡±


    ¡°We just came from the outside, remember? Our drone cluster has now expanded to cover half of the galaxy, but we have never seen the festered monsters had any other lairs. What¡¯s more, the divine storm in the galaxy would impede their movement, so they could only roam freely in the degenerated environment.¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his chin. ¡°We need to check out the rift, if possible.¡±


    Just then, Salaman turned around as someone seemed to have sent a report. He talked to the person for a while and then turned to look at Hao Ren again. ¡°The target spot is about to break. Should we proceed to the second stage?¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the large holographic image showing the spot at which the Guardian Legion was focusing their firepower. Visible interfering noises began to appear on the Amantir shield. The chaotic white interference looked as if the static noise of the old TV. It covered an area of hundreds of kilometers wide. The energy circulation of the planetary shield had almost stopped in this area, and it was a sign that it was going to break down.


    The counterattack coming from the planet¡¯s surface was fiercer than before as the festered had realized that the invaders were focusing on boring a hole in the shield. They had directed a large part of the energy to the giant anti-air cannons, which were now conducting a massive bombardment campaign on the guardian battleships in space. The guardian battleships were not designed to take such massive firepower, and even though a large number of drones had taken the anti-air fire on themselves, more black warships were leaving the formation.


    The corner of Hao Ren¡¯s mouth curled upward: it was about time.


    ¡°The guardian fleet, retreat. Enter the Naqdal, stage 2, code name: Operation Best Actor.¡±


    The black battleships left immediately in the direction away from the enemy fire under cover of the drones. This movement would appear to the ground forces on Amantir that the enemy was fleeing from their anti-air fire.


    But the exit of the black battleships was not the end of the battle. Instead, a much powerful monster had come from behind, taking the place of the retreating black warships.


    The Naqdal fortress was in position. It started to bombard the same spot of the Amantir shield using the heavy cannons mounted on the base of the fort. At first, the noise on the Amantir shield had shrunken. But as a new wave of bombings came, it did not just stop shrinking but growing larger rapidly.


    ¡°Sorry, I got to say this; I sincerely think that the operation code name is rather lame.¡± In the command station of Naqdal, Lily stared at the scene of the planetary bombardment while wagging her tail. ¡°I think Operation Troy sounds so much better.¡±


    ¡°The method of infiltration is not that important. The acting is the most crucial part of the operation. Don¡¯t you understand what acting is?¡± Hao Ren looked at the husky maiden. ¡°You had better strap yourself in the seat. The ride is going to be a little rough.¡±


    ¡°Hah! What rough is to me?¡± The husky maiden said with her arms akimbo, looking confident. ¡°I am the king of Siberia! You should know how strong I am¡ª¡±


    Before Lily could finish, the entire Naqdal fortress began to shake violently, and alarm blared throughout the command station as the anti-air fire hit them.


    The husky maiden, who was still in high spirit seconds ago, quickly strapped herself into the seat.


    The appearance of the Naqdal had apparently put enormous pressure on the festered. Meanwhile, the slowdown of the offensive of the drones on the battlefront gave the festered the opportunity to redirect their firepower. Almost in an instant, all anti-air guns and orbital cannons aimed their crosshairs at the Naqdal fortress, which was now the most eye-catching target on the battlefield.


    Ripples covered the entire shield of the Naqdal under the heavy bombardment.


    But the Naqdal fortress had no intention to retreat. Instead, it braced the anti-air fire and continued its bombing mission and descended toward the clutter-filled spot on the Amantir shield. At the same time, swarms of drones fired directly at the spot as if they were going to storm through the shield.


    ¡°The Amantir forces are going crazy.¡± Hao Ren lamented as he looked at the flashes on the surface of Amantir.


    Meanwhile, in an idle radio frequency, the cries of the sprites almost overwhelmed the channel. ¡°Aah, aah, aah! we are going to die, we are going to die, we are going to die!¡±


    Indeed, the sprites had been screaming since the beginning. It was just that no one could not care less.


    Despite the noise and gibbering, they had no problem in managing the subsystems in the fortress.


    Vivian reminded Hao Ren, ¡°Be careful not to overplay your hand. If the festered begin to think that they will lose the battle, they will surely blow up the Amantir and bring us down together.¡±


    ¡°No worries. They can handle it. It will be a joke if these Mad Lord minions are so easily frightened.¡± Hao Ren grinned. ¡°And see? Is the opportunity not coming already?¡±


    A large number of drones around the Naqdal had exploded under the heavy bombardment of the enemy anti-air fire. Meanwhile, a massive patch of never-before-seen dark-red pattern gradually appeared on the Amantir surface. In the center of the dark-red pattern line, bright light started to spurt out.


    The MDT screamed. ¡°Warning, super-high energy detected! Super-high energy detected!¡±


    ¡°Redirect all power to the shield. The priority is to protect the living zone.¡± Hao Ren adjusted himself in the seat. ¡°Prepare to blow up the island connecting belt.¡±


    The massive weapon on the Amantir surface had finished recharging. A bright light spot began to grow in the field of vision.


    ¡°This is a crazy plan, but I believe that you will¡ª¡± The holographic image of Salaman flickered and blurred and his voice was barely audible. At last, the connection was lost entirely.


    The huge dark-red light finally hit the Naqdal¡¯s shield, and it shattered like glass. A series of explosions began to rise throughout Naqdal Continent. Amid the blasts, the attached island on the southern tip broke away from the mainland.


    But no one noticed that at the moment when the main shield of the space continent shattered, there were two smaller, inconspicuously transparent shields had sprung up on the space continent and the attached island respectively. The air defense cannons of Amantir had merely taken down the outer shield of Naqdal but did not cause any material damage to the fortress.


    The Naqdal fortress quickly climbed and pretended to flee. At the same time, the breakaway island seemed to have lost its propulsion and fell straight toward Amantir, dragging a long trail of fire and smoke behind it.


    It crashed through the already weakened spot of the planetary shield. During the impact, the island rolled over before breaking into three smaller pieces and then fell and disappeared into the thick atmosphere of Amantir.


    ¡°Had I not known the ¡®script¡¯ earlier,¡± Salaman stood on the bridge of his battleship and said to his adjutant with a poker face, ¡°I would have thought that they were hit.¡±

 Chapter 1609 - Hao Ren’s Landing Plan

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Standing on a space fortress of thousands of kilometers long, Hao Ren watched as the anti-air artillery fired at the continent, which began to shake, break apart, and roll. A fragment broke away from the mainland after an explosion. He was in that breakaway piece, which started to fall toward the planet in a spinning motion. While this happened, the falling piece had to endure the continuous artillery fire and the impact force when it crashed through the planetary shield. The fragment further broke into three when it entered the atmosphere. The largest chunk, on which Hao Ren was, fell quickly toward the surface under the pull of the planetary gravity. On the monitor, the surface filled with lava and toxic pools rapidly drew closer.


    What an exciting experience.


    Hao Ren had run a thousand calculations and simulations beforehand, but it turned out that even with the processing power of the MDT, he could not fully anticipate what would happen during the landing. When the southern island was separated from Naqdal Continent, its trajectory was slightly off course. It did not hit the most fragile part of the Amantir shield. As a result, the impact force, which was higher than expected, became a massive challenge to the ¡®landing unit.¡¯


    But Hao Ren struck it lucky; both the inertial suppressor of the landing unit and the occupants survived.


    Lily¡¯s hair had puffed up since the beginning of the fall. She screamed and grabbed her tail frantically. Nangong Wuyue knocked out her brother with her tail before the landing unit hit the shield. Rollie cried ¡®Big Boss Cat, you must be having other cats outside and now be taking this opportunity to get rid of me.¡¯


    But at the very least, the three of them did not throw up.


    Hao Ren was keeping calm the whole time. He even applied the mind control and conditioning techniques that he had read in the manual to ensure that someone was there to monitor the entire falling process. While the outside world was spinning around them and the inertia suppressor and the force field stabilizers were blaring their alarms, Hao Ren had to make sure that the landing unit did not receive ¡®special care¡¯ from the enemy¡¯s artillery fire and excessive radar lock-on. So far, he had gotten to first base.


    Everything around Hao Ren was shaking like hell, but he was calm knowing that it was safe.


    The landing unit passed through the dark-red atmosphere of Amantir, over the net of air defense fire of the festered, and finally crashed with a spectacular fashion. The crash-landing was ¡®complimented¡¯ with an impact crater.


    The space object was only a fragment of the small space island at the south of the Naqdal fortress, but it was still as large as a hill after it fell onto the surface. It silently lay in the crater on Amantir, the planet infested with the evil power of the festered. The energy released from the impact had vaporized the rocks in the surrounding with vapor still rising from the crater.


    Lily and Rollie finally calmed down. The two maidens with puffed-up hair looked around in horror. It took them quite a while to smooth down their hair. ¡°Mr. Landlord, have we landed?¡± Lily was the first to ask.


    Rollie followed suit, albeit she was still in shock. ¡°Big Boss Cat, I confess I stole the biscuit from your bed.¡±


    Everyone unstrapped. Hao Ren checked the situation on the outside through the external cameras. He exhaled. ¡°Phew! We crash-landed safely on Amantir. We are now stepping on¡ª Err, wait. We are now upside down. The landing unit rolled too much during the crash-landing.¡±


    ¡°Upside down?¡± Nangong said curiously as she unstrapped herself. ¡°But I do not feel it. The direction of the gravity is normal.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you cannot feel it. The artificial gravity in the command station is still working.¡± Hao Ren glanced at the instrument panels. His brows knitted together. ¡°But this part of the system has become useless after entering the planetary gravity field. So not much protection was accorded to it. Now, it is about to stop.¡±


    ¡°How much time left?¡± Lily asked.


    ¡°Three¡­¡±


    Lily was shocked. ¡°Only three hours? Let¡¯s get the hell out¡ª¡±


    ¡°Two, one¡­¡±


    ¡°Damn you, Mr. Landlord¡­.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sh*t!¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you tell us earlier¡ª¡±


    ¡°Meow, meow, meow?¡±


    The artificial gravity system shut down, and everyone except two suddenly dropped like flies. Vivian, who was born to fly, had spread out her wings in the air; Nangong Wuyue had tied herself in the seat since the start of the fall and now still sitting upside down¡ªwhat a blessing in disguise.


    Rollie was lucky too. After all, like a cat, she landed on all four. It would have been a perfect landing had she not accidentally stepped on Lily¡¯s tail.


    A bunch of weirdoes got up from the ceiling, awkwardly. No one kicked up a fuss except Lily bemoaning the puffed-up hair of her big tail. Those who were here had worse experiences and naturally knew the priorities.


    It was the collective wisdom that made this bold and crazy plan a success. Compared to the possible incoming attack of the Mad Lord minions, this little setback was nothing.


    ¡°We must first confirm out landing location,¡± Vivian gracefully descended from the air and helped Hao Ren with his messy clothes and hair. ¡°Firstly, check if we are in the target area, and then confirm whether the landing unit is alright; we need to contact Salaman.¡±


    The MDT was connected to the different subsystems of the landing unit since the beginning. So, it had an overall idea of the situation. ¡°We suffered some impact during the fall. The inertia suppressor and the force field stabilizer have saved the core area, but the peripheral equipment is mostly damaged. Half of the radar system and the sensors are broken, but the main radar and antenna still work as they have independent shields. The output of the energy reactor is somewhat unstable; so, I have cut power to half of the redundant system. The computer system works as normal, and the shield is just fine.¡±


    ¡°That is already very good,¡± Hao Ren nodded, ¡°much better than the worst-case scenario. What about the drop zone?¡±


    ¡°Thank goddess, we landed within the target range. The landing unit made an emergency change of trajectory when we ejected the two bait targets. Now, we are only two kilometers away from the ideal landing spot. We have not found any large-scale defense facility of the festered nearby, but there is small-scale chaotic energy detected. It must be the patrol forces. Some of them are moving closer to us but not fast. They will take at least three hours to get here.¡±


    ¡°It looks like we have successfully fooled them just as planned,¡± Y¡¯zaks said with a sly smile.


    He patted hard on Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I cannot believe that your crazy idea has indeed worked.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks was pretty heavy-handed; Hao Ren¡¯s mouth twitched from the pain, but he was too flattered to protest. ¡°Well, I know what I was doing.¡±


    It was a whimsical, simple and crude plan, but it worked in evading the detection of the Amantir forces by crawling under the nose of the enemy.


    Open attack or disguise techniques would not be possible because Amantir¡¯s security system would detect and destroy all non-festered targets. But what if it was the ¡®wreck¡¯ that the festered shot down?


    Apparently, the festered would not be suspicious.


    Staging a wave of attacks with coordinated and interlocking paces, the intelligence that Salaman provided had enabled them to attack at the right spot at the right time. They wrapped up the attack with the Naqdal taking the hit of the so-called Fury of Amantir firepower so that they could drop a fragment of the fortress onto the base camp of the festered army.


    The southern island of Naqdal was designed to break away in the explosion. The explosives buried in the connecting bridge had simulated the explosion caused by artillery fire. Everything was staged.


    The so-called landing unit had a protective force field that protected the core¡ªmost importantly, the occupants¡ªduring the fall in the Amantir atmosphere. It also had several layers of barrier that shielded the core energy reactor from being detected. Otherwise, even the fool would know that something was wrong if the commander of the festered army discovered the broken fragment had regulated and robust energy.


    Now, the landing plan had come to the final stage, and everything was still going smoothly according to the script.


    The MDT fiddled around. After a while, it had set up a secret communication channel. This special channel encrypted using Xi Ling¡¯s technology would let the crew in the landing unit and Salaman contact each other discreetly.


    Hao Ren had sent a message. ¡°The Best Actor has landed on Amantir, in the hilly area 20 kilometers south of the great fissure, and we are ready to leave the ship.¡±


    ¡°Roget that.¡± Salaman¡¯s voice was somewhat distorted in the communicator. ¡°Be safe. We will begin to retreat as planned.¡±


    Hanging up the communication, Hao Ren looked at the scene above the sky displayed on the monitor.


    Above the dark-red clouds, the flashes from the battle were subsiding, and the vaguely visible silver-white and black swarms of battleships were slowly retreating. It was the last part of the ¡®script¡¯ in which the Naqdal fortress received a ¡®devastating blow,¡¯ and the Guardian Legion and the drone group ¡®fled.¡¯


    Their retreating was to give Hao Ren and his team the best cover.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here.¡± Hao Ren motioned with his hand. ¡°The monsters will be here soon.¡±


    The landing unit might have evaded the suspicion of the enemy by disguising itself as a wreck, but the festered would surely send someone to check out the wreckage. After all, a massive chunk of space debris had punctured the planetary shield and hit the surface.


    So, before leaving, Hao Ren had to do something to the landing unit.

 Chapter 1610 - The Festered Land

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    It was simple to deal with the aftermath. The purpose was to make it look as if the crew in the landing unit had died, and the entire thing was logically damaged in the crash. It was a ruse to cover up the real purpose of the landing unit and the essential part of Operation Best Actor.


    It was not difficult to fake the death of the crew. Hao Ren and his buddies had never appeared before the festered monsters, who could never know who was behind the drone cluster. Before this, there were only drones and autonomous robots on the surface of Naqdal fortress; had the festered observed it earlier, all they saw were only a bunch of lifeless machines.


    So, all Hao Ren had to do was to leave a bunch of empty shells of the autonomous robots in the command station.


    Before this, Hao Ren and Nolan had produced a large number of autonomous robots and prototype drones but without the chips. They placed them in various locations of the command station to make the illusion that these machines were the ones controlling the landing unit.


    Meanwhile, Hao Ren had also erased all signs that could trace to human control from the central control chamber: the ergonomic seats and handles, and manually operated consoles, which all had self-destruct setting.


    It was a carefully crafted plan from the beginning. In the understanding of the festered, there were only drones, autonomous robots, and the guardian giants. The human controllers like Hao Ren were the phantoms that never existed. Never in those monsters¡¯ mind, that a group of infiltrators had already landed on their planet-class battleship. What they were going to find in the command station would only further reinforce this false impression.


    After putting in the disguise personnel, Hao Ren ordered the shutting down of all powers in the command station, and the starting of the self-destruct countdown. The explosion would destroy the entire command and wipe out any clues that suggested the inertial suppressor had protected the core area.


    The team finally stepped foot on the land of Amantir.


    Considering the dangers and the complicated situation on the planet, Hao Ren had left Lil Pea onboard the Petrachelys. It was a total mobilization of only the ¡®professionals¡¯ who could deal with any situation. Under the cover of the fissure and raised earth around the impact crater, the team first left the crash site and then found a higher ground where they could have a better view of the land.


    The land on Amantir exuded a dark-red luster that felt disturbing as if it was soaked in blood. Gullies and canyons were everywhere, and steam and plume columns spewed out from the cracks continually, making the entire area covered in a blanket of haze and mist.


    Hao Ren peered through the toxic fog and looked into the distance. There were silhouettes of things erected on the horizon; these were the anti-air artillery pointing up into space, and the minaret of the temples used for battle. The power of the Mad Lord had transformed these once sacred things and the chaotic energy in which had destroyed thousands of drones and guardian battleships earlier. A small number of these silhouettes still emitted flashes from time to time; apparently, they were still in pursuit of the retreating drones and guardian battleships in space.


    Meanwhile, in the other direction, the terrain was depressed with a bright red light rising at the end of the horizon as if the sun is about to rise from there. Black spots appeared to be like mosquitoes when looking from here fluttered in and around the red light in the background. It was where the equatorial rift was when looking from space. The black spots that looked like mosquitoes were the army of festered giants and cyborg monsters.


    The surface of Amantir was not entirely barren. It had an extremely thriving ecosystem, but the power of the Mad Lord had distorted all lives into hideous forms. On the dark-red earth, the twisted giant plants that looked like some swollen limbs grew out of the ground, they trembled and squirmed in the poisonous wind. There were also many strange things like mushrooms that grew between the rocks and gravel. Their huge umbrella could almost cover an entire house. Amantir once had the same surface ecology as the other two planetary fortresses, but after the spread of the power of the Mad Lord, these surviving plants had acquired this twisted and weird-looking appearance.


    But these plants were not as useless as they seemed; at least, they could be a good cover.


    ¡°It is so disgusting.¡± Lily covered her nose while looking at a wriggling bandy plant. It had broad leaves and thick stems, but the leaves were full of blood vein-like bulges, and the whole plant squirmed on the ground like some animal. This sanity-level testing thing had goosebumps rising on the skin of the husky maiden. Even with the life-support collar, the Lily still covered her nose as if a disgusting smell had drifted into her nostrils. ¡°I think I can no longer write Indie stuff after going home.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you have ever written any Indie stuff?¡± Vivian also found the environment on Amantir pretty offensive, but she did not want to look weak in front of the husky. ¡°I know you only write dog food reviews and the boys¡¯ love genre.¡±


    Lily glared at her. ¡°Who said that I only wrote these? I have written reviews for Max Factor and the wuxia of the Republic!¡±


    Vivian sighed with her arm crossed. ¡°Oh, please! Can you not talk about anything around 1930?¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the quarrelsome duo helplessly. He then looked at the silhouettes in the distance. ¡°According to the information supplied by Salaman, the control center of Amantir is right there, next to the equatorial rift. There is an army of festered monsters stationed there, and the Amantir crystal there in the underground.¡±


    Lily scratched her head. ¡°An army of festered monsters? How do we get in?¡±


    Nangong Sanba looked at Lily with mouth agape. ¡°Did you not listen during the discussion?¡±


    ¡°I could not help it; I fell asleep halfway,¡± Lily said with an innocent look.


    Hao Ren sighed. ¡°There are several underground passages, which are ventilation ducts. To the giants, these ventilation ducts could no way be deemed as the passageways. So, the festered monsters do not really guard the places. We can sneak in via one of these ducts.¡±


    ¡°Those are pretty big loopholes. The monsters are not so smart, after all.¡±


    ¡°It is not about smart or not, but the monsters have a long-established mindset that their opponents are only the guardian giants. It is a mind trap they always easily overlook,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°It is like when you play hide and seek with people, you will not think of looking for people in the shoe box.¡±


    Lily nodded. ¡°I do. Lil Pea always hides in the shoe box. But my sharp nose can always find her.¡±


    Hao Ren was struck dumb and smacked himself on the forehead. ¡°Why am I explaining so much to a husky?¡±


    While speaking, the group still kept going.


    Hao Ren had carefully calculated and planned the landing spot. It was not far from the target, which was the Amantir crystal in the control center, and there were no festered monsters along the way. It might sound cool to drop the landing unit there and smash those buildings into pieces, but he had to scrap the idea to avoid getting surrounded by the monsters after landing.


    From the landing spot to the Amantir control center, it was an open hilly area with nothing in between for cover. If the monsters flew a reconnaissance team above, Hao Ren and his team would have no way to hide. But luck was on their side, they crossed the area without a hitch.


    It was because the festered monsters¡¯ attention was still on the battlefield in space.


    The drones and guardians had retreated and pretended to have suffered huge losses. But they did not go far. Instead, they had built a massive space bunker and weapon platform, seemingly preparing for a protracted battle. The festered monsters had been getting the upper hand for the past thousands of years, and there had never been an instant where the opponents could set up bunker right at their doorstep. But the drone fleet patrolling on the edge of the battlefield became a deterrent to the commander of the festered army. So, this had diverted the attention of the Amantir forces.


    It inevitably affected the defense and surveillance on Amantir.


    But this diversion would not last long. Hao Ren always reminded himself that Amantir was a planetary battleship, and battleship could fly.


    If the supreme commander of the festered army realized that they could never defeat the guardians and the drones and decided to give up attacking the Heart, the Amantir could turn around and flee into deep space, and no one would be able to stop it.


    But during the discussion, Salaman believed that even if the Amantir chose to flee, it would not happen right away. The festered army had invested so much energy and time trying to destroy the sacred land, they would not give up just like that unless it is absolutely necessary.


    The magnificent temples stood in the distance, where there were different types of distorted monsters flying in the air patrolling the area.


    The festered monsters might have directed a lot of energy and attention to the battlefield in space, but guarding the command center was of paramount importance. So, here it was¡ªthe limit of their operation on the surface.


    Behind a pile of strange stones, the group stopped. Hao Ren crouched as he pointed to a metal gate protruded out of the ground not far away. ¡°That is one of the air duct inlets.¡±


    The MDT floated in the air. ¡°I can sense the steady airflow, the air duct is working and unblocked.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°We will go in here.¡±

 Chapter 1611 - The Lair

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Things that the guardian giants built, even if it were just a ventilation duct, looked like a tunnel in the eyes of ordinary humans.


    Perhaps Hao Ren¡¯s lunatic superior was guarding her employee. It may also be that the goddess of creation was protecting her own daughter. The group made it to the ventilation duct under the nose of the festered monster without being detected.


    The power of the Mad Lord had infested almost everything one Amantir, including the temples and its ancillary facilities. But the contamination did not affect the regular operation of facilities such as energy and lighting systems. The vents of the ventilation ducts still worked, the internal circulation system and lighting also functioned as usual, and it was quiet inside the ventilation duct. Had it not been for the depressively chilly atmosphere, and the strange smell in the air, Hao Ren would have forgotten that he was moving in the lair of the Mad Lord minions.


    ¡°It is a long tunnel.¡± Hao Ren looked at the plan that the MDT projected in front of him as he moved forward. The diagram that Salaman provided had a detailed structural layout of the Amantir fortress. Even after the fall of Amantir, the festered monsters had no reason to destroy the fortress. Most of the places still remained the same as before. But safety might be a concern, though. ¡°The underground structure of the planetary fortress is complex. The underground portion is the main body of the battleship. We will pass through several underground factories and machinery bays, and most of the time, we will be moving in the tunnel. But there are a few exposed sections without any cover. So, keep your eyes open and your head low at all times.¡±


    Vivian whispered, ¡°It is close to the rift, and the underground environment might have changed. We must not entirely depend on the plan.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°But the plan is the only thing we have right now.¡±


    The MDT suddenly said, ¡°Watch out! The festered monsters are detected above.¡±


    Everyone stayed quiet while Vivian waved her hand to summon a blanket of gray-black shadows to hide the team and their breaths.


    A moment later, the MDT said, ¡°The festered monsters have gone; they are far away from us now.¡±


    Hao Ren looked up, but the dark vault above the ventilation duct blocked his view. He knew that he was passing under a small temple. The festered reaction that the MDT had detected just now should be the patrol units in the temple. They were moving in a shallow zone, and if not careful, the enemy might smell them out.


    ¡°Night Veil spell must not be used too often.¡± Vivian retracted her shadow power. ¡°This energy is hard to detect, but frequent use could possibly make it perceptible.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s move past this section.¡±


    The team kept moving ahead. Other than the footsteps of the team members, there were only ubiquitous humming sound and the sound of blowing air. They did not expect to see any scenery in the duct, but the confined space made Lily felt uneasy, ¡°It is creepy in here. Although I cannot see any,, I still feel people are everywhere.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say it!¡± Nangong Wuyue was now in her sea snake form. The tip of her tail stayed erect upon hearing what Lily said. ¡°I have goosebumps all over my body.¡±


    Nangong Sanba suddenly frowned. ¡°Wait a minute! It may not be an illusion, there is something here!¡±


    Nangong Sanba might be the weakest in term of combat strength, but the instinct of the demon hunter had given him a superb sensory ability. It coupled with the excellent control he had mastered to compensate for his lack of strength, his reaction to those imperceptible vision was sensitive.


    Everyone instantly became nervous. Hao Ren quickly looked at the MDT. ¡°Scan.¡±


    The MDT switched on all of its sensors. A blue light beam swept the ventilation duct ahead while a hologram above the MDT displayed the findings.


    In the tubular holographic image, there was nothing but a few bright spots. And the bright spots that looked like interference were only the waste energy that had escaped from inside Amantir.


    ¡°I cannot find anything.¡± The MDT switched off the scanning module. ¡°Sanba, could it be your hallucination?¡±


    ¡°Please call me Nangong,¡± Nangong Sanba looked solemn. He then shook his head. ¡°No. I can really sense something in here. It is¡­ it is a subtle spiritual response with weak thinking, like a ghost, but much more confusing than a ghost.¡±


    ¡°I feel it too,¡± Vivian said, agreeing with Nangong Sanba. ¡°But it is also barely perceptible. I cannot say what it is.¡±


    Hao Ren looked around cautiously and said with a low voice, ¡°Since the festered monsters have not discovered us yet, the ¡®thing¡¯ you mention should not belong to the festered ones. Maybe it is a unique energy released from part of Amantir that has yet been infected. Let¡¯s move on, perhaps we can find something ahead.¡±


    This little incident had struck the nerve of everyone. Even muddleheads like Rollie could not help but keep her eyes open. The cat maiden tiptoed as she followed behind Hao Ren; this talent allowed her to walk quieter than everyone else.


    She suddenly halted her steps, her ears flicked around in alert. ¡°Big Boss Cat, I hear voices!¡±


    ¡°What voices?¡± Hao Ren stopped again. ¡°I cannot hear any.¡±


    ¡°It comes from the vicinity.¡± The cat maiden crouched. Her ears kept flicking around while she said quietly, ¡°It sounds like someone is mumbling with something in the mouth. Big Dumb Cat, did you hear that?¡±


    Lily cared not about how the cat maiden called her. Instead, she crouched beside Rollie with a solemn face, her hairy ears tilting back and forth. The two maidens with beast ears began to listen for any unusual sound in the tunnel like human sonars.


    The humming sound of the machines and the ubiquitous air turbulence interfered with their hearing. Hao Ren and the rest, even with their superb hearing ability, did not hear anything wrong. But the synergy of cat and dog combination could work wonder. After a minute of careful listening, Lily and Rollie pointed at the junction ahead in unison. ¡°The voices come from there! It is getting closer!¡±


    Vivian summoned a Night Veil again to hide their breath and even their faint footsteps while they continued to move forward up to the bifurcation. The duct then branched out into two identical routes in different directions.


    Y¡¯lisabet mumbled, ¡°There is nothing here.¡±


    ¡°It is below us. It comes from below,¡± Lily said. Only then, Hao Ren noticed that the material used on a spot of the tunnel was different from the rest. There was a rectangular metal plate, on which the raised lines and structures seemed to indicate that it was an opening.


    Nangong Wuyue pressed her hand on the metal plate. As liquid water began to flow down her hand and permeate through the gaps, the deformable metal plate slid open with a narrow opening, through which a bright light shone.


    Sure enough, there was something underneath.


    Hao Ren came up and peeked in through the gap.


    If the plan that Salaman provided was accurate, they should be near the great temple where the control center was located. There were more underground facilities here, and the duct just happened to be near one of such chambers. So, there was nothing unusual about this, and the fact that there were people in the underground room was entirely normal.


    What Hao Ren was curious about were the mumbling voices that Rollie heard. The festered monsters could not speak. They had no reason to use language, let alone the ability to talk.


    Who was still using language to communicate in this crazy place of Amantir? Could it be the commanders of the festered army?


    Through the narrow gap in the floor, Hao Ren could see that it was a rather large room underneath. The room was brightly lit, filled with large equipment that emitted a humming sound. But the bright environment could not hide the deformed and gloomy air of the room. Dark-red patterns covered the equipment and the floor, and it was the evidence of festering.


    Hao Ren saw a weird creature in the middle of the room.


    Hao Ren¡¯s heart missed a beat.


    It was a swollen, ellipsoidal mass of meat, like a bloated brain, fixed on a circular metal platform with a dozen or so dark-red tentacles extending from under the ¡®brain.¡¯ The tentacles reached into a ring of circular holes around the metal platform. In turn, below the circular holes were many cables connected to the instrument in the room.


    Hao Ren immediately knew that the ¡®brain¡¯ was operating the instruments in the room.


    The mumbling voices that Rollie heard came from the ¡®brain,¡¯ which was talking to itself.


    ¡°Mr. Landlord.¡± Lily came up and said quietly, ¡°What do you see? Let me take a peek.¡±


    ¡°What a surprise!¡± Hao Ren looked up with a what the heck look. ¡°I almost forgot about this thing. Seeing it here really surprises me!¡±


    Vivian instantly became curious. ¡°What did you see?¡±


    ¡°A brain monsters!¡± Lily had taken a glimpse of the thing below and exclaimed quietly. ¡°There is a brain monster down there¡ªthe kind of brain monster that we have first seen in Holletta and the city of the sirens!¡±

 Chapter 1612 - Home of the Brain Monsters

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    It had been a long time since Hao Ren last saw such a monster. The last time he saw it was when he helped solve the sirens¡¯ problem in Nasaton. A brain monster had occupied the city of the deep sea. It had an exchange of spirits the siren queen. It took Hao Ren and his team a while to catch the monster, but it got away from the high-security monitoring of the Petrachelys by uploading its consciousness. The escape had bothered Hao Ren for a long time.


    After the incident, he had never seen the terrible creature, which was mutated from the brain of the guardian giant. It just disappeared out of thin air all together from the deserted planets and space in the Plane of Dreams.


    Never had he expected to see it here, on a planet that the minions of the Mad Lord ruled.


    Vivian¡¯ use of Night Veil spell was a wise move. Under the cover of powerful magic, the brain monster in the room was not aware of the foreign breath above it. The brain monster just lay on the round metal pedestal like a mollusk with its tentacles¡ªwhich were in fact nerves¡ªconnected to the holes around the base. It produced a mumble that sounds as if mud was squirming on the ground while issuing instructions to the different instruments in the room.


    Had it not been for the previous encounters, no one would have associated this horrific meat with the guardian giants.


    ¡°It does not notice us.¡± Nangong Sanba quickly stepped back just after a glance. ¡°The sound of this thing is disgusting. Please do not tell me that it is singing a song popular among the festered army.¡±


    ¡°Brain monsters are one of the highly intelligent mad creatures.¡± Vivian¡¯s brows knitted together. ¡°Could it be that these brain monsters are the ones controlling festered monsters?¡±


    ¡°You mean that this planet is actually the lair of the brain monsters?¡± Lily blinked. ¡°Are you sure? We have only seen one so far. Maybe it is just a coincidence.¡±


    ¡°No, perhaps this is not the only one.¡± Hao Ren noticed the small details in the room. ¡°Did you see the instrument and the pedestal? Those things have a bioelectronic connection with the nerves of the brain monsters. Other than that, there is no other control interface. It only means that these equipment are specifically designed for the brain monster, not for other controllers. If the brain monster is just an individual little potato among the festered army, how do you explain the existence of these specialized instruments that no one except the brain monster could use?¡±


    ¡°We cannot rule out that the pieces of equipment are only meant for the brain monsters,¡± Nangong Wuyue said in a whisper. ¡°What if it is the head here?¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment. He could not rule out the possibility. ¡°I cannot say for sure. Let¡¯s see if we can find more of these brain monsters.¡±


    Lily bared her fangs at the thing below the floor. ¡°What should we do about it? Should we take it out?¡±


    Hao Ren pondered and then shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t cause unnecessary trouble. And don¡¯t forget that the brain monsters have psychic abilities; it may be able to alert the others through telepathy. In case we fail to kill it at once, we will be in deep sh*t. There is no way to capture this thing nor make it confess anything using torture. It is a low-value target.¡±


    Others agreed with Hao Ren¡¯s view. Lily was a little disappointed and could only follow Hao Ren from behind as the team moved deeper into the underground facility.


    Thirty minutes later, they passed through the outer zone of ??the great temple and entered the underground area.


    The team was now in the vicinity of the control center, which was a rather massive facility on the planetary fortress. It consisted of a skyscraping temple and an underground structure that looked like a subterranean city. The underground part was larger than the structure on the surface. During the adventure on Naqdal, the sprites led Hao Ren and his team directly to the server room. But here, they had to maneuver through the sophisticated ventilation system to find their way to the target. This had significantly slowed them down.


    ¡°Salaman has sent a message: the sporadic exchange of fire in space has ended. Now, the Guardian Legion and the drone group have retreated to the predetermined position and stood opposite the Amantir defensive circle,¡± Hao Ren said in a whisper. ¡°Following this, the Amantir forces will return to the planet¡¯s atmosphere. We have to be very careful.¡±


    Nangong Sanba looked at the dimly lit passage ahead. The monotonous environment here made him uneasy and was patience-challenging. He became a little antsy. ¡°Where are we now?¡±


    The MDT called up a hologram showing the map Salam had provided. At the center of the plan was a blue light column representing the crystal of Amantir, and they were now on the side of the blue light column, blocked by a complex web of obstacles. ¡°The straight-line distance from here to the crystal of Amantir is two kilometers. But considering we have to maneuver through the endless tunnels and corridors, the real distance would be ten times longer.¡±


    There was no way around it. The team was moving around in a circle in the underground. They entered from the south of the great temple and then followed a spiral duct moving downward for half a circle. A section of the tunnel was close to the equatorial rift before it turned to the north of the temple into the control room where the crystal was located. Theoretically, it was the safest route.


    ¡°Sigh, we can only move ahead,¡± Nangong Sanba said.


    After following the map going for some distance, Lily halted her steps, feeling a little baffled. ¡°Do you feel it? It is hot here.¡±


    Not only her but Hao Ren had also felt it. The temperature in the surroundings seemed to have risen.


    ¡°We are right next to the rift.¡± Hao Ren glanced at the map, on which a striking red crack cut through one-third of the underground facility. ¡°It should be heat coming from the rift.¡±


    It turned out that Hao Ren was right.


    Before long, the air in the tunnel had become a heatwave, and there were apparent signs of repair on the tunnel. There were also branch lines and gates that did not exist on the map. These were the additions from the reconstruction.


    Apparently, after the equator of Amantir was torn open, the festered army had repaired and modified the area. The map that Salaman provided was no longer valid after this point.


    ¡°Apparently, the underground facility is not completely sealed. Otherwise, the heatwave would not have come into the tunnel.¡± Y¡¯zaks sniffled with an annoyed expression. ¡°It is worse than the air quality in my homeworld. The sulfur smell is not pure at all.¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at him with a condescending sneer. ¡°You still have the nerve to talk about air quality; the air in your homeworld could cause lung cancer in ordinary humans with just a couple of breath.¡±


    While speaking, they had arrived at a fork, which again did not exist on the map. Now, they were on their own. Lily cocked her tail straight up in the air and watched how the fluffy hair on her tail fluttered. ¡°The air is blowing from that direction. Should we go and check it out?¡±


    The direction that the husky maiden suggested was consistent with the original route. So, Hao Ren agreed with a nod.


    The team moved in the direction from where the hot air blew and found that they were leaving the ventilation duct system.


    The tunnel ahead was getting wider and wider with several abandoned gates along the way. The lighting system did not work here. All signs suggested that this was an abandoned tunnel.


    The road opened up ahead.


    Nangong Wuyue nervously jabbed the ground with the tip of her tail with her arms crossed. ¡°I feel like I am evaporating!¡±


    As soon as they emerged from the last gate, they found themselves right before the equatorial rift.


    A bright red filled the field of vision. When the eyes finally adapted to the light, Hao Ren discovered that a large metal platform built on the rock formation extended out from the gate. Under the platform, hot-red lava surged continuously under the drive of some chaotic energy. On both sides of the platform, exposed machines, ducts, platform, beams, and gates were everywhere on the rocks, which had turned red from the heat. These artificial structures extended all the way down the cliffs into the lava below.


    ¡°Hide!¡± Nangong Sanba suddenly shouted quietly. Almost at the same time, Vivian summoned a Night Veil spell again shrouding everyone in it.


    The team then hid in a recess on the edge of the platform while a group of hideous monsters flew over the platform.


    Those monsters did not seem like they were conducting a patrol but soldiers that had just been ¡®created¡¯ out from the rift. They roared as they flew up into the sky, totally unaware of the tiny intruders down below.


    Hao Ren looked into the distance where more monsters were being created out from the rift that surged with lava. Their number was much lesser than those in the battle earlier, but it was still a shocking scene to look at.


    Lily poked out her tongue. ¡°How could it be possible? Do they create the soldiers from the lava?¡±


    With the wave of a hand, a little bat flew out from the shadow nearby and puffed into blood mist before returning into Vivian¡¯s body. She then shook her head. ¡°No. The monsters do not come out of the magma. I have checked with the small bat; there are evocation grounds down below.¡±


    ¡°Evocation grounds?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s brows knitted together.


    Vivian did not elaborate. Instead, she drew a few runes on the ground, and the scene that the little bat saw began to appear above the runes. The image was not as high-resolution as a hologram, but it was good enough.


    At the bottom of the rift, near the surging lava, many massive black platforms were scattered along the cliffs. The platforms were drawing some complicated symbols and patterns with dark-red outlines. Hao Ren felt dizzy by just looking at the chaotic patterns. Every once in awhile, the model on the black platform will glow, and a deformed monster would form in the air before flying up into the sky.


    ¡°F*ck!¡± Hao Ren could not help but swear. ¡°Is there any more nature-defying than this?¡±


    Lily glanced at him. ¡°Making 80 billion drones in four years and yet you still have the nerve to accuse others of nature-defying?¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    ¡°These are not the most important. What comes up next is the most crucial part.¡± Vivian interrupted them. ¡°Look, these platforms are actually connected.¡±


    Sure enough, as the viewing angle rose, everyone could see that the black platforms were not isolated from each other. They all had a black, pipe-like thing that extended out to the middle of the lava flow at the bottom of the rift, where a black metal tower with a few rings of hemispherical structures on the surface. Each hemispherical structure carried a monster.


    It was the brain monsters.


    Sure enough, Amantir was a brain-monster lair.

 Chapter 1613 - Another Force?

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    As time was limited, plus the purpose of this sortie was not to study the organizational structure of the corrupted army, so Hao Ren was not able to allocate more time to study those ¡®summoning platforms¡¯, but he managed to surmise the amount of these platforms along the equator based on the situation at the bottom of the canyon. Not surprisingly, the numbers were shockingly massive.


    While unable to compare with the scale of the ¡®mechanical apocalypse¡¯ of the droid swarms across the universe, the rate of these corrupted monsters creating their troops was terrifying. Their tainted army was like an unassailable wave of despair before any mortal armies, and it was little wonder that Salaman and his guardian defenders were slowly being beaten back in this thousand-year war, and was reduced to relying on Agodal¡¯s doomsday weapon and the core¡¯s powerful shields to survive. Even that, if not for the Apocalypse Torrent to turn the tide of battle, and the remaining defensive power of the core itself, the defenders would have been destroyed a long time ago.


    ¡°Those brain monsters¡­ they are linked to the summoning platforms, so they are also the commanders of the army as well?¡± Vivian wondered.


    ¡°More like they are the initiator of the summoning rites from what I see,¡± Y¡¯zaks had a different opinion. ¡°Those platforms are for collecting and amplifying the energies to empower the summoning rituals. I am a demon myself and I¡¯m quite sensitive to the aura released by these rituals.


    Y¡¯lisabet then used her tiny horn to prod her dad on the leg, ¡°Papa, this place is so different from ours your experience might not be all that useful you know.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks, his point sabotaged by his own daughter looked a little awkward before he continued, ¡°Well, that¡¯s just an idea, you can just see it as a reference.¡±


    ¡°I too think that those brain monsters are simply the initiators of the ritual,¡± Hao Ren supported Y¡¯zaks¡¯ idea, ¡°Remember that brain monster we saw in the s earlier? If a part of the brain monsters is in charge of commands, then the one back there was more like a commander.¡±


    Vivian turned to Hao Ren, ¡°Based on?¡±


    ¡°I noticed the room had some display equipment, and on the display was the situation with the droid swarm in space,¡± Hao Ren explained. ¡°Compared with those platforms at the bottom of the canyon, that room looked more like a command center.¡±


    ¡°Regardless of how these monsters replenish their numbers, that have little to do with our mission.¡± the MDT floated as it displayed a route map; from the land above the rift to beneath, the parts with missing information had been updated with new information, while a short red line was leading the crew towards an exit not too far from the platform. ¡°Based on my calculation, we should go out from there, and from there we will enter the system again and will be on the right path again, after that we will be able to reach the container zone of Amantir¡¯s crystal.¡±


    Following the MDT¡¯s guide, Hao Ren¡¯s eyes were fixed on the cliff wall as he moved slowly and soon he saw that exit on the holographic display: It was diagonally beneath the platform that they were standing, about five hundred meters away, and was a pretty unremarkable platform itself.


    And between these two platforms, there was only a precipice, and there was no place to land at all.


    Jumping five hundred meters across the precipice was not a problem for anyone here, but the fact that this precipice was without any obstacles was a problem in itself, this was longer an unsupervised and unguarded conduit pipeline, but a vast outdoor space. There were newborn tainted beings flying out of the canyon every moment, and there were monsters and corrupted giants patrolling the canyon above, jumping over just like that bore a high risk of being discovered.


    Yet, there were no other paths to take, the MDT¡¯s radar had already run a scan of the local topography and there were no other usable pathways.


    ¡°Seems like we can only go from here.¡± After observing the movement pattern of the corrupted monsters, Hao Ren came to a decision. ¡°The new monsters will fly up every three minutes, and the airborne patrol will have a short time-lag between rounds, plus Vivian¡¯s Night Veil, if we are careful we should not be discovered.¡±


    Considering that the dimensional fluctuations created by teleportation can be easily detected, the MDT¡¯s teleportation ability could not be used, so was Nangong Sanba¡¯s natural ability as a demon hunter, so every one of them had to find a way to make the five hundred meter leap, the lucky thing was that the platform was diagonally opposite of them, that reduced the difficult by somewhat.


    Vivian first refreshed the duration of the Night Veil on everyone before dispersing into a swarm of bats and easily crossing that totally ¡®insignificant¡¯ distance. Next was Lily, she basically just leap over without even needing to do an approach run¡­


    Rollie followed soon after and the catgirl nimbly ran along the cliff face to the opposite side as if she was on flat ground. Nangong Sanba, after being spun around a dozen times was successfully tossed by his sister to the opposite side while Wuyue liquefied herself and seeped through the cracks within the rocks before appearing on the other side¡­


    Those buggers sure had their way of doing things and that amazed Hao Ren.


    One by one, the team had managed to clear the gap, and Hao Ren was the second last to reach the opposite platform: He too had leap over like Lily, but needed a ten stride approach.


    The last of them was Y¡¯zaks, Hao Ren nervously monitored the movements of the patrolling monsters and was counting in his heart the time to the next wave of monsters. Only when he heard the loud thud of Y¡¯zaks landing that he let out a sigh of relief.


    The timing was just right.


    ¡°We made it.¡± Lily¡¯s bristled fur on her ears had softened again, she was saying it with much relief. While Vivian¡¯s Night Veil was a potent tool, it could only hide one¡¯s aura and provide a partial visual obscuration, but if they were to run into the monsters at a close distance, it would not help. ¡°Quickly! The gate is opened and there¡¯s no on¡­.¡±


    As she said she looked about cautiously, and just as she turned her head towards the direction of the canyon, a red, bloated brain with at least a dozen tentacles suddenly appeared from beneath the platform!


    A brain monster was almost face-to-face with Lily. The distance between them was a mere three meters.


    The werehusky¡¯s tail bristled immediately and her voice even changed as she panicked! ¡°Mr. Landlord! The brain monster!¡±


    Everyone on the platform by then had also noticed the floating brain monster and Hao Ren felt his nerves stiffen, but his experience from facing such emergencies had him re-actively pulled out his inspector¡¯s pistol, trained his sights and fired without much thought.


    The monster seemed to also be startled by the scene before it, and its floating tentacles were even sluggish, but as Hao Ren drew his weapon, the monster reacted with supernatural speed, and blinked away just before Hao Ren pulled the trigger and dashed towards everyone on the platform!¡±


    ¡°Take it down, quick!¡± Y¡¯zaks rumbled as scorching glow formed in his fist as he charged forward like a humanoid battle tank, following behind was Nangong Sanba who let loose a holy silver bolt, as Vivian¡¯s thunderbolt and Y¡¯lisabet¡¯s Felfire Pyroclasm blasted out. The myriad attacks blocked all escape avenues of the brain monster and the platform was engulfed by a heatwave from the explosive energies.


    ¡°Watch out for its tentacles! They can cut through space!¡± Hao Ren recalled the first encounter he had with the brain monsters back in Holletta, and as he attacked he warned the inexperienced Rollie, ¡°Vivian, watch the dimension around the platform, don¡¯t let it escape!¡±


    The brain monster seemed to have underestimated the intruders who had appeared out of nowhere, or perhaps it did not even know who these unknown intruders of the holy grounds were, and after engaging in combat it quickly fell into a disadvantage. Being surrounded and pummeled ceaselessly by this group of mortal beings enraged the ancient and powerful monster, it let out a piercing roar and immediately everyone around it started feeling dizzy.


    As the dizziness struck, all sorts of negative emotions and hallucinations swarmed in as well.


    These were the brain monster¡¯s most difficult ability to defend against¡ªmental attacks!


    However, Hao Ren was prepared for this. His mind had already undergone Raven 12345¡¯s special strengthening regime and had also fended off Lockmarton¡¯s Nightmare assault, so the brain monster¡¯s mind shock only dazed him for a little. Clenching his teeth he refocused himself and took another shot at the monster the moment it had completed its attack.


    This time, the monster could not evade the shot.


    A bright blue beam struck one of the bloated cysts on its surface and massive crystals started forming from the cyst throughout the monster¡¯s entire body. It was no longer able to maintain its levitation, and after a furious shriek, it held uncontrollably to the ground.


    At the very same moment, Hao Ren saw a semi-translucent ripple spreading from the monster¡¯s tentacles, and he realized what these ripples were and froze: They were going to be exposed!


    Yet, before he could act, the ripples seemed to have run into an invisible barrier and become a garbled mess in the air before dispersing.


    Hao Ren was stunned but he did not have the luxury to think further as he felt something powerful snagging him from behind: Lily had grabbed him by the arm as she dashed towards the gate. ¡°Hot potato; to the hills!¡±


    Everyone made their way into the new ventilation pipeline, and after they were sure that they were quite some distance way only did they stop.


    Hiding behind a bend, Lily poked her head out to check the direction that they had come from and after a few deep breaths only did she calmed down. ¡°Huh¡­ huh¡­ Looks like no one followed us.¡±


    ¡°That was scary!¡± Nangong Wuyue lay on the ground like a dried fish, ¡°I thought we were discovered and doomed earlier!¡±


    ¡°Did you saw what happened there?¡± Hao Ren asked Vivian, ¡°The brain monster was trying to let out a signal¡­¡±


    ¡°But it was intercepted.¡± Vivian nodded, ¡°I saw it too.¡±


    ¡°What was that?¡± Hao Ren frowned.


    Y¡¯zaks too had seen that scene and was curious about it himself. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but there was clearly a type of energy field and¡­ it is a different kind of energy field than the monsters.¡±


    The three then looked at each other, with Hao Ren murmuring, ¡°There¡¯s another force on this planet aside from us?¡±

 Chapter 1614 - There Are Sprites Here Too!

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After hearing Hao Ren¡¯s murmur, Nangong Wuyue who was healing Rollie¡¯s bruised arm was shocked. ¡°Aside from us? In this godforsaken den of monsters?¡±


    ¡°That monster tried to sound the alarm but an energy field had disrupted it.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Our senses may get muddled, but the MDT¡¯s sensors and storage system won¡¯t, it had determined that the energy was different from the tainted monsters.¡±


    ¡°Wait up, silence¡­¡± Nangong Sanba gestured for everyone to pipe down as he looked around watchfully. ¡°I can feel it¡­ just when we entered this place¡­ there¡¯s something around us!¡±.


    This unnatural feeling was very pronounced that even Rollie sensed it. The catgirl got on all fours and held her hip high. Her tail stood as straight as a pole while her fur bristled. ¡°Meeeeoooowwww!¡±


    Just right after they had killed the brain monster, and had escaped from the danger of being discovered, now they found themselves being watched by an unknown being. Everyone was extremely twitchy now, but Vivian was the first and the quickest to calm down as she said with a low voice while a lightning orb formed in her palm, ¡°Come out, we can sense you already. If you insist on such unclear intentions, then we can only treat you as a hostile.¡±


    A few seconds after Vivian spoke, the tunnel was still silent, as Lily was losing her patience and was just about to open her mouth, a little ball of lightning suddenly appeared in the air around the team.


    The ball of lightning was blue and white in color, with a tinge of black and red, it bounced twice in the air as it appeared and quickly formed into a tiny humanoid form.


    It was a sprite clad in a short blue skirt with very big eyes.


    Hao Ren and the sprite were both lost for words.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a sprite!¡± The first to break the silence was Lily after all, and the werehusky immediately bounced up as she pointed in shock at the glowing light. ¡°Why are there sprites here! Where did she come from!¡±


    The little sprite hissed back, ¡°This is Amantir! The sprites live in Amantir! Of course, there will be sprites on Amantir!¡±


    The sprites of Amantir?! They actually exist here, and had actually survived until today?!


    Hao Ren was overwhelmed by the sudden revelation and a series of questions and guesses started appearing in his mind, and at the same time, he also noticed some special features on the sprite before him. While she may look like the sprites on Naqdal or the core planet, there was a particularly glaring difference.


    There was an ahoge on the tiny sprite¡¯s head and that tuft of hair had a very obvious black-red tint to it, much like the tainted lands of the corrupted monsters.


    And if Hao Ren was not wrong, this black-red tint is a sign of the Mad Lord¡¯s taint, and that means.. that the sprite before him is actually corrupted?


    But after seeing the tiny being glaring back at Lily with her arms forked against her waist, angry but yet too scared to hit back, Hao Ren felt that if the Mad Lord minions included these sprites, their entire combat prowess average would¡¯ve been dragged through the mud¡­


    ¡°Alright, alright, calm down you two,¡± Vivian too had noticed the black-red ahoge on the little sprite¡¯s head, but she did not seem to react to it, and got in between the tiny tot and Lily, ¡°A sprite.. right? Are you the survivors of Amantir? And did you help us just now?¡±


    ¡°What else can I be if I¡¯m not a sprite?¡± The little one declared proudly, ¡°You are all dum-dums, just a few of you and you actually dare to run about here. If I didn¡¯t help you¡¯d been attacked by maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaany (she purposely dragged it out) monsters and die! Hurry up and thank me!¡±


    ¡°So that was you?¡± Hao Ren was surprised, and his initial caution against that black-red ahoge was reduced, ¡°So that means you are against the tainted army?¡±


    ¡°The sprites will of course fight against those monsters!¡± The tiny one said with her arms on her waist again, her cowlick sprung up as if provoked. ¡°If not for this sprite, you would¡¯ve been discovered a long time ago!¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian exchanged glances before the latter turned towards the tiny sprite, ¡°How many sprites are there? There¡¯re still surviving sprite sanctuaries on Amantir?¡±


    The little sprite pondered for a bit, ¡°This sprite still has many friends, our sanctuary¡­ Wait up, why must I tell you these? You haven¡¯t told me who you are! What if you are the baddies?¡±


    This was not the first time Hao Ren encountered once of them and had by now gotten a grasp on how their thought process work and simply said, ¡°Will a baddie fight tooth and nail against the monsters? We have been wreaking havoc all the way here so we must be the good guys.¡±


    The little one nodded immediately, ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right. Those who fight the monsters must be good guys¡­¡±


    ¡°You said that there are many more of you in this place?¡± Vivian continued her question. ¡°How did you all survived?¡±


    ¡°Tell me who you are first,¡± The tiny one was surprisingly stubborn, and her memory seemed to be far better than her kind as she actually remembered the earlier topic, ¡°Why did you guys come here? This sprite doesn¡¯t remember your kind existing around here.¡±


    The surviving sprite clearly did not know what went on the world outside, so mentioning the droid swarms or their position as observers would be pointless, so Hao Ren could only drag Salaman¡¯s name out, ¡°We are allies of the Guardian Army¡¯s commander Salaman, and have infiltrated this planet with a mission.¡±


    ¡°Salaman? That biggie?¡± the sprite yelped in surprise, ¡°He¡¯s alive? Still defending the core?¡±


    ¡°You thought the core had already fallen?¡± Hao Ren was befuddled for a moment before turning on the communicator, and after confirming the signal was secure he activated the connection with Salaman, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can speak to him directly,¡±


    The tiny sprite immediately looked at the communicator anxiously. The image on the screen was extremely blurry and even the voice channel suffered intermittent distortion: As to keep their cover on Amantir, the enemy¡¯s base camp, all communication channels were highly encrypted and processed, plus the distortion all across Amantir, trying to establish connection was already difficult in itself, much less a quality one.


    But from the blurry image they could still make out Salaman¡¯s distinct bearded look, and the old giant¡¯s voice rang after a two-second delay, ¡°Observer, Lady of the Throne, is everything alright? Why the sudden communication?¡±


    As per their agreement security protocols, they would keep all contact at a minimal to avoid being detected, and to establish contact means there¡¯s a unique situation that demands it, hence Salaman¡¯s question.


    ¡°Salaman? Biggieeee?!¡± the little sprite exclaimed in shock as she saw the commander of the Guardians on the screen. ¡°You¡¯re alive! It¡¯s really you!¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± The Guardian commander too did not expect to see the tiny one on the communicator screen and was dumbfounded himself. ¡°A sprite?! Where are you at? Why are there sprites?!¡±


    ¡°We are in an underground facility beneath the command temple complex, we are close to Amantir¡¯s crystal storage hub.¡± Hao Ren briefly explained his current situation. ¡°¡­ Then this tiny one appeared, she said that there are more sprites around.¡±


    ¡°The sprites of Amantir actually survived¡­¡± The commander¡¯s voice sounded like he was amazed. ¡°Unbelievable¡­ how did you lot survive? And it seems you are not tainted by the powers of the Mad Lord? Did those monsters not attack the crystal prism array in the fortress?¡±


    ¡°We ran away much earlier.¡± The sprite did a somersault in mid-air, ¡°Those monsters dug out the crystals as fuel, and many sprites did not manage to escape in time, but the remaining ones had sense danger and had cut our connection to the crystal before moving deeper. The goddess had used the crystals as the planet¡¯s core when she made this planet, while they are unrefined and not that powerful, but we can still go into them!¡±


    Salaman was amazed, ¡°You can do that? Hiding in the planet¡¯s core? And those monsters did not pursue you?¡±


    ¡°No, because we are just too weak, they assumed the sprites to be wiped out when they tore the crystals down!¡± the tiny sprite said with a proud grin (although there was nothing to be proud of), ¡°Even when we pop out now, those monsters won¡¯t pay us much attention¡­¡±


    Hao Ren looked on, slightly speechless at the seemingly all-over-the-place sprite before finding an opportunity to pull the MDT to a side and whispered at Salaman, ¡°Did you notice that ahoge on her head?¡±


    ¡°Ahoge?¡±


    ¡°¡­That cowlick on her head. The sprite seemed to have a trace of the Mad Lord¡¯s taint, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Her mind is perfectly normal, and she is even fighting against the minions of the Mad Lord.¡± Salaman continued where Hao Ren left off, ¡°You even said it yourself, that sprite actually saved you.¡±


    ¡°Will such a thing actually happen? Being tainted by the powers of the Mad Lord but not being affected at all, with just a hair dye for the trouble?¡±


    ¡°Never seen that before but for the sprites, anything is possible.¡± Salaman said, slightly whimsically, ¡°Mother had designed many¡­ ¡®features¡¯ beyond our comprehension when she created them. I believe that one of the many features was for the fight against the Mad Lord, as once the Creation¡¯s Engine has been activated she can wipe out all of the taints of madness, but before that, she needs to ensure that the Weaves of Destiny can survive, and the sprites are one of their processing units, so they are equipped with the ability to survive and retain their sanity even under the influence of the Mad Lord.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded at Salaman¡¯s assessment before continuing, ¡°Then our plans must be amended. Amantir has a large amount of surviving sprites, so I guess we have an additional mission now.¡±


    ¡°¡­ You plan to move the entire core away?¡± Salaman looked at Hao Ren, astounded, ¡°Remember, those surviving sprites are inhabiting the core of Amantir!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t necessarily need to pull that stunt,¡± Hao Ren pondered, ¡°I¡¯ll need to speak with the sprite, there gotta be another way.¡±

 Chapter 1615 - The Incredible Sprite

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After disconnecting the call with Salaman, Hao Ren came before the little sprite, the tiny one with the ahoge was already chatting excitedly with the rest, or rather it was a one-way blabber and the ones that could keep up with her speed and thought were Lily and Vivian, who already had some understanding of the sprites.


    By then, the tiny one had already learned from Vivian about the Queen of the Sprites and that fact astounded the former as she darted about excitedly around Vivian¡¯s head yapping about like a thousand quacking ducks. ¡°The Queen? The Queen? You are the Queen of the Sprites? And you have activated Naqdal¡¯s crystal? Naqdal¡¯s sprites had already recognized you as their Queen? Did you go to the core? Did you go to the Throne of Destiny? Did the throne recognize you? Ah? Blue screen? How can that be?! That¡¯s the goddess¡¯ design¡­Eh? You mean that you passed the test even though it blue-screened? Woah! Amazing! This sprite wanna see it!¡±


    The little one was so excited that Vivian was thrown into a dizzy fit by her erratic movements, Hao Ren finally held his hand out to stop the sprite, ¡°Wait up, wait up. Pipe down for a bit, we have something to ask you.¡±


    The little sprite was still hard-pressed to hold her excitement back as she continued to yap about ¡®the Queen had finally appeared¡¯, and that she ¡°needed to tell everyone¡±. Hao Ren had to interrupt her for a few times before the message got through her, ¡°Eh? You were talking to me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep this simple. Our original mission is to take away Amantir¡¯s crystal.¡± Hao Ren knew that he had to go straight to the point with the sprites, it will be a colossal effort to get back on topic if they diverge from it. ¡°The survival of your kind is a surprise to us, our original plan was to take away the crystal, and then blow up Amantir.¡±


    The tiny sprite was stunned for a bit before letting out a sharp squeak. ¡°Aaahhhh!!¡±


    ¡°Quiet!¡± Nangong Wuyue was shocked by the sudden squeak and quickly engulfed the little sprite in a water orb and cut her scream off. It was replaced with a series of bubbling noises from the water orb.


    After she was sure that the sprite would be quiet only did she release her from the orb, Hao Ren looked at the tiny sprite, ¡°Quiet, you want to draw the monster¡¯s attention?¡±


    ¡°This is not in their patrol path!¡± The little sprite once again had her arms on her waist with a smug look before turning nervous, ¡°You want to blow the planet up? Then what about us sprites? And can you pull that off? The guardians had tried for so long and they could not retake Amantir, they never even made it here!¡±


    ¡°Of course we have that capability, but now the problem lies with the sprites, we want to take you along,¡± Hao Ren frowned, ¡°You said the sprites are now fused with Amantir¡¯s core? Can you still escape from there?¡±


    ¡°That is not an issue, but we need to find a new vector to fuse together, and it has to be a resonance crystal. It doesn¡¯t matter if it is an original crystal or a crystal processed by the goddess.¡± The little sprite said with a rather troubled expression as she scratched her long hair, ¡°Do you have crystals? Lots and lots of crystals?¡±


    The sprites cannot survive independent of the crystal, this Hao Ren had known when he met the noisy bunch back on Naqdal. While these little buggers can fly about freely, they are only a conduit for external contact, and their real form is still those crystals, and the only crystals that the sprites lived on Amantir are the very core of the planet.


    The other crystals had already long been tainted by the Mad Lord.


    Vivian frowned for a bit as she pondered. ¡°Can we use Amantir¡¯s crystal?¡±


    ¡°No, Amantir¡¯s crystal is special.¡± the little one shook her head. ¡°The goddess had already stuffed the crystal full, there¡¯s no storage space for us sprites to go in¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait up, storage space?¡± Hao Ren felt like he caught onto a keyword, ¡°You mean to say, that the sprites are ¡®stored¡¯ within the crystals? What sort of process is your symbiotic relationship?¡±


    The little sprite thought for a bit before motioning with her hands and legs, ¡°It¡¯s just stuffing ourselves, then lying down, or on our bellies¡­¡±


    ¡°All right all right, you don¡¯t have to go further¡­¡± Hao Ren knew that he won¡¯t get any meaningful information from the confused response, and immediately tapped on the MDT, ¡°Check her¡­ information structure.¡±


    The MDT flew over to the sprite as it let out a beam that could analyze various information clusters on the latter, while the sprite immediately tossed about in the air, ¡°EHEHEHEHE¡­ that tickles! That really tickles!¡±


    Hao Ren realized something as he saw that scene. For most normal beings, being scanned by the analysis beam would not trigger any reaction, even if it is an energy-based being, but this sprite actually felt ¡®ticklish¡¯ and that means his guess was on point.


    Soon, the MDT completed the scan and its voice too was filled with amazement, ¡°Incredible, pardner, I never thought that the sprites are a life form with a dispersed information state, from a physical level, they technically don¡¯t exist!¡±


    Everyone was stunned at that very moment, even Lily, the straight As dog could not help but to prod Hao Ren by the arm, ¡°Mr. Landlord, care to translate to something we understand?¡±


    Hao Ren pondered for a bit before coming out with a brief explanation, ¡°This is a sub-branch of the Theory of the Grand Unification of Information, and simply put that while the being that does not technically exists in the material universe, but has all physical attributes and a visible body.¡±


    ¡°For example, put something before you, and you can see, and feel it. That means you¡¯ve come into contact with the information it has sent outward like how you can smell it, feel its hardness and temperature, or the weight when you lift it up. These are all additional material information, and this information allows you to confirm an item¡¯s existence.¡±


    ¡°On the other hand, if there were actually nothing there, but it keeps giving out the corresponding information to you? Like you can see the body, and it gives out information about its weight and temperature, and let you feel with your fingers its toughness, does this object exist or not?¡±


    A few not-so-studious ones were already seeing circles: Nangong Wuyue was staring at the ceiling, Nangong Sanba was digging his nails, Rollie started to chase her tail, but Lily could still keep up, and even asked a rather pointed question. ¡°So if all information is true and can corroborate with each other, does that mean it exists?¡±


    ¡°Correct, this is the Grand Unification Theory of Information¡¯s surface model: if all information is true and can corroborate with each other, that means the object exists, this state is called an agglomeration of information. But a dispersed information state is different, it states that all information is true and could corroborate with each other, but the target object does not exist, and that means, the ¡®non-existence¡¯ is a special trait of the target object, like a hidden footnote. You can¡¯t feel it, and it will not affect any sort of expressions, but it could determine the entire system¡¯s attributes¡­¡±


    Lily processed the thought for a bit before raising the white flag earnestly, ¡°I can¡¯t keep up with that.¡±


    ¡°Explaining a Grand Unification Theory is very troublesome, but I have an easier way to let you understand what¡¯s up with the sprites.¡± Hao Ren shrugged as he turned towards the MDT, ¡°Turn on the information observation filter.¡±


    ¡°That is a top-level scanning function and is rather draining,¡± the MDT grumbled for a bit before activating the usually unused function.


    A light screen spread out with the MDT as the center, and the world before everyone changed.


    Every object around them still exists, but seemed to be covered with a very thin ¡®screen¡¯, and on the screen were countless tiny, almost invisible objects. Once focused, the tiny object will flow into one¡¯s mind: Hardness XX, Temperature XX, Color XX, Name XX, Distance XX, Density XX¡­


    A deluge of information that left everyone with a headache.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the sprite?¡± Lily yelped and everyone soon recovered from the bizarre sensory feeling. They noticed now, the sprite was missing.


    Hao Ren smiled as he pointed towards a direction, ¡°She¡¯s still there.¡±


    Lily immediately turned towards where Hao Ren was pointing as suddenly saw a lot of words in her field of view:


    // A sprite is floating before you, distance 0.732435 Pan


    // The Sprite¡¯s current unique state is #Referral Section- Ignored


    // The Sprite looks at you curiously


    // The Sprite was confused at your sudden yelp. She is waving before you but you do not notice her.


    // The Sprite is yelling, she said, ¡°Where are you looking at, this sprite is here!¡±


    // The Sprite is angry


    // The Sprite is no longer angry. Duration 0.15 seconds


    Lily blinked and blinked but she saw nothing before her, only the lines of words.


    ¡°Whoa!!!¡± Y¡¯lisabet yelled excitedly, ¡°This is awesome!¡±


    ¡°MDT, turn off the filter.¡±


    The blue light on the MDT¡¯s surface immediately faded away and everyone¡¯s vision returned to normal, those information scripts and symbols had disappeared, while the sprite, she was floating before everyone, looking as real as she can get.


    ¡°That noisy little bugger¡­¡± Lily held her hand out and the sprite went towards her out of curiosity and hugged her finger. ¡°Actually does not exist?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry too much about it, it¡¯s just that on a physical level, it does not have a solid projection, but information-wise, her existence is very real.¡± Hao Ren smiled, and for the Grand Unification Theory of Information, if something exists on an informational level, it is considered as existing.¡±


    Lily shook her head as the information overload reminded her of her first time at the University of Beijing. ¡°So whatever attribute the sprites have actually means something?¡±


    ¡°Of course they do, moving an object that is in an agglomerated state is difficult, but a dispersed state¡­¡± Hao Ren said as he looked at the MDT, ¡°They can be stored into a virtual drive. MDT, how big is your storage?¡±


    The MDT immediately snapped, ¡°Pardner! Don¡¯t tell me you plan to store all the sprites in Amantir into my hard disk drive?!¡±


    ¡°The sprites are just a base level A.I of the crystals. Their information volume won¡¯t be that big, how big a space would a simple driver take?¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°Aren¡¯t you always boasting about your high specs and storage space? Why are you backing out now?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s depending on what you¡¯re storing!¡± the MDT went nuts, ¡°I would rather store p*rn in my drive rather than those chattering sprites! At least those p*rn vids don¡¯t do anything if they are not played! I dare you to get me a pause button for these bunch of yapping sprites!¡±


    Hao Ren pursed his lips. ¡°I was thinking that your factory inspection date isn¡¯t that far off already right? Or do you happen to miss Lil Pea already?¡±


    The MDT had nothing to retort.

 Chapter 1616 - Critical Information

    Well, all said and done, the MDT decided to give it a try.


    This was almost bizarro level as it was trying to store a sprite into its hard disk drive¡­


    ¡°Frankly speaking, no one knows how this works.¡± Hao Ren looked at the MDT, looking all ready as it lay on the ground, and the googly-eyed sprite who was staring at him before rubbing his chin, ¡°I¡¯m thinking that its a similar process to your scanning and storage of non-standard information. I remember that you have the ability to collect and compile all dispersed information state around you¡­¡±


    ¡°I really wished I never had that capability.¡± The MDT sounded awfully defeated.


    The little sprite blinked as she looked at the crowd in front of her messing about, totally oblivious to the fact that it concerned her. It was when Hao Ren asked her to get into the hexagonal metal box did she only yelp in surprise, ¡°What?! You want this sprite to get into that thing?!¡±


    The MDT immediately recoiled angrily, ¡°Manners! What¡¯s with ¡®that thing¡¯ huh?¡±


    The tiny sprite was shocked by the MDT¡¯s reaction and shot up into the air, ¡°But this sprite had been living in a crystal, how¡­ do we get in?¡±


    ¡°Just get in like how you do so normally, just treat it as an odd crystal,¡± Vivian advised, ¡°This is important, whether you can do it or not will affect our decision to bring you and your kin in the planet¡¯s core out safely, understand?¡±


    While the sprites may be scatterbrained, but they are by no means stupid and after hearing Vivian she became serious, before looking, almost duty-bound at the MDT, ¡°Then¡­ here I come!¡±


    She then turned into a blue light before slamming face-first into the MDT¡¯s shell.


    Hao Ren and Vivian immediately face-palmed. This was just too much fail.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­alright!¡± the sprite scampered to her feet, her unique traits meant that face-first crash did not faze her much, and she had failed due to nervousness. ¡°Let me try again. I¡¯m sure to get it right this time! I got nervous looking at the metal casing and forgot to switch forms¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Whatever, I¡¯ve long given up resisting.¡± the MDT sighed.


    After the next few tries, Hao Ren and the rest witnessed the little sprite smashing face first in various angles on the MDT¡¯s casing, while they knew that the sprite would not be hurt by it, but her clumsy attempts had everyone looking away.


    However, just as Hao Ren thought it was going to be a waste of time and was prepared to move on, a faint light blue glow appeared around the sprite and the MDT¡¯s surface.


    The next second, the little one disappeared.


    The MDT was too stunned to react and only recovered after a few seconds as it flew up, ¡°Oh Oh, partner! That small thing came inside me!¡±


    ¡°Why does that sound god damn perverted?¡± Nangong Sanba could not help but tell Wuyue before narrowly avoiding a tail smash.


    Hao Ren had the MDT try to make contact with the sprite in the hard disk, and a moment later, the sprite¡¯s visage appeared on the holographic display, with the latter happily dancing around a vast plain. ¡°Woah! Incredible! This sprite feels that this place is even bigger than the crystals! I can¡¯t see the edge of this place!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t run about!¡± the MDT started nagging, ¡°There¡¯s a lot of important data in the disk! Wait, that cannot be eaten! That¡¯s my picture album! No touching that either, that¡¯s the reports! You¡­ You stay still for a moment, I¡¯ll create a virtual space for you, and stay there. I¡¯ll create some VR stuff for you to play with¡­¡±


    Hao Ren could not imagine what was going on within the MDT¡¯s hard disk, but the latter seemed to spend quite some effort to get the sprite to totally quiet down. He then asked, ¡°How much storage does a sprite take up? How many can you store?¡±


    ¡°Meh, mere droplets.¡± the MDT shook its casing smugly, ¡°Their information make-up is very simple, and they only take up an extremely small space, almost like the tip of a needle. I am an Inspector-grade unit, my storage is limitless! Come eight trillion of them, no problem!¡±


    Hao Ren pursed his lips. This was the same thing that was struggling so hard earlier, and now its boasting all the way to the moon.


    ¡°Sprite, how many friends you still have around here?¡± Vivian asked as she looked at the tiny adventuring sprite on the holographic display.


    ¡°A few thousand of us!¡± the sprite gave a number that was reasonable for the MDT to store, ¡°Should I call everyone here?¡±


    ¡°Will this cause a huge ruckus?¡± Hao Ren pondered.


    ¡°It won¡¯t!¡± the sprite was jumping about in the holographic display, ¡°We have created a screen around the planet¡¯s core. It¡¯s very safe! The monsters never found our hiding place after so many years! It¡¯s because of the screen!¡±


    ¡°Storing the sprites into MDT¡¯s hard disk would save us a lot of later headaches,¡± Vivian nodded, ¡°When we take Amantir¡¯s crystal the monsters will be swarming upon us, we won¡¯t have time to even take care the little ones anymore.¡±


    Hao Ren was trying to balance things out. The main objective of this mission was the retrieval of Amantir¡¯s crystal, and with its capture, the path to the Star of Origin will be opened, so that cannot be abandoned as it is a ¡®main mission¡¯; but Amantir¡¯s crystals would not be going anywhere, and the monsters outside had just been battered by the droids and the guardians, and their forces in tatters, it will take a while before they can pull off any major maneuvers, so this ¡®main mission¡¯ would be in a stable state for the foreseeable future.


    And taking the chance to retrieve the sprites from the planet¡¯s core does not sound like a bad idea.


    The only regret was, they were a few defensive layers away from Amantir¡¯s crystal, and the main objective was just a short distance away. It felt a little bit wasteful to come all the way here to then backtrack somewhere else¡­


    But there was no other choice, Hao Ren knew that very well himself. The sprites could not be left behind. Asking him or his teammates to rush headlong towards the crystal while abandoning the sprites would not sit well with anyone.


    ¡°Right, so let us go get the sprites.¡± Hao Ren let out a huff as he gathered his thoughts.


    The sprite within the hard disk did not know what Hao Ren was thinking, and after a few blinks, she spoke in her serious tone. ¡°This sprite suggests you go to the planet¡¯s core first, as you will definitely run into trouble once you take Amantir¡¯s crystal.¡±


    Hao Ren was baffled. ¡°Trouble? What trouble?¡±


    ¡°Amantir¡¯s crystal is connected directly to the monster¡¯s Lair of Nightmares, if you take the crystal away, the dreaming biggies will immediately wake up.¡± the tiny one said with a whisper, even the usually carefree sprites would be nervous. ¡°They had been dreaming for thousands of years, and who knows the number of monsters is in the dream! The whole planet might be pulled into the nightmare itself!¡±


    Hao Ren and the rest quickly exchange glances: This little sprite had just dropped a bombshell on them!


    ¡°What nightmare? What biggies? Explain, quick!¡± Vivian threw all forms of decorum out of the window as she shot out her questions spitfire-like, ¡°You say there¡¯s a Lair of Nightmares underneath Amantir¡¯s crystal? How did that come about?¡±


    ¡°It appeared not long after the guardians became monsters,¡± The little sprite started gesturing again, apparently thinking that it will help her all-over-the-place explanation easier to understand. ¡°This sprite does not know what the Lair of Nightmares looks like, but some observation routes can still be used, so we know that space appeared beneath Amantir¡¯s crystal, and many many bad monsters will appear, created by a very biiiiigggg monster¡­¡±


    The sprite¡¯s explanation was getting more and more confused, and just before Hao Ren wanted to interrupt her, she suddenly recalled something, ¡°Ah, remember the monsters you saw at the canyon! That¡¯s the monsters appearing out of thin air beneath the platform!¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian looked at each other before turning towards the sprite, ¡°So you mean the monsters are summoned? Don¡¯t tell me the summoning platforms at the bottom of the canyon has something to do with the Lair of Nightmares?¡±


    ¡°Those are not summoning platforms,¡± the tiny sprite forked her arms on her waist, ¡°That¡¯s an extension of the Lair of Nightmares! And those platform is linked to the big brains, and the brain monsters were originally the brains of the guardians, their duty is to dream!¡±


    Nangong Sanba frowned as he repeated the word, ¡°Dream?¡±


    ¡°Yes, dream, like the monsters in the Lair of Nightmares.¡± the tiny sprite nodded aggressively, ¡°Those brain monsters at the bottom of the lair is to dream together with the biggies in the Lair of Nightmare, then project the things in the nightmare into reality, and the brain monsters on the surface are responsible for turning the monsters from the nightmare into an army and command them into battle!¡±


    So that¡¯s the truth behind the monsters? And the real source of the Amantir¡¯s limitless army?


    He remembered the information Salaman had given him earlier:


    No matter how many they kill, no matter how many they had atomized, Amantir¡¯s army was unceasing and would only get stronger. The rate of their reproduction even exceeded the battlefield scavenging or Amantir¡¯s own production capability, and at least two-thirds of the monsters were illogical as if appearing out of thin air¡­


    Hao Ren had thought that the platforms at the bottom of the equator canyon were for summoning, but now he knew from the sprite that those things are actually to create monsters from the dream, and the source of this horrifying nightmare, was just right below Amantir¡¯s crystal!


    Thankfully he had not gone ahead to pull Amantir¡¯s crystal out¡­


    ¡°Using the nightmare to create an army huh,¡± Vivian shook her head. ¡°A typical move by the minions of madness.¡±


    Hao Ren turned towards the sprite on the display, ¡°Say, why didn¡¯t you tell us this critical information earlier?¡±


    With an innocent face, the little sprite replied, ¡°You didn¡¯t ask¡­ and this sprite had forgotten about it!¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.

 Chapter 1617 - The Crystal Pillars

    You could not be too serious with the sprites, as they would not even realize that you were being serious with them or understand what seriousness meant¡­


    So Hao Ren instantly gave up asking how the sprite could forget such a piece of important information, and instead got the sprite to explain more on what she knew about the Lair of Nightmares so better understand the thing¡­


    Of course, staying in the ventilation tunnels near the core area for too long was not the smartest of moves so they went into a deeper tunnel with the sprite leading the way as they sought more information.


    Like what the sprite had said earlier, she did not know too much about the Lair of Nightmare.


    The surviving sprites on Amantir were just a small portion, and for the surviving sprites, their range of activity is also limited. To survive, they had to fuse with the planet¡¯s core and create a powerful barrier to cut off outside contact. While that ensured their survival, this also basically meant that the sprites were locked in a cage.


    The sprite¡¯s only means of communicating with the outside world was through the crystals scattered across Amantir, and all the crystals on the planet were basically now tainted by the Mad Lord or turned into energy source by the corrupted monsters. With most of their resources destroyed, with the usable ones barely ten percent left, and even if the crystals could be used, the sprites were not bold enough to activate these channels. They could only discreetly use the narrow bandwidth generated by the crystal¡¯s resonance to collect information from the upper levels. And three to four of the crystal veins happened to pass by Amantir¡¯s crystal and the Lair of Nightmares, and this was the sprite¡¯s only communication path in this terrifying land.


    With the little sprite¡¯s garbled explanation, Hao Ren understood that there was originally nothing beneath the crystal. Before the fall of the planet, the underground control center was an intricate and thick rock layer, and the layer extended deep into the mantle, further down is the crystal pillars zone, and the grid zone and the Lair of Nightmare was only formed after the collective ¡®fall¡¯ of the guardians.


    And its formation was not too long after the equator rift tore open.


    The Lair of Nightmares was not directly under the crystal, but towards the south, this allowed it to avoid the canyon area of the equator rift. The Lair itself was a wide ellipsoidal zone and is sealed within a powerful and strange energy field. The sprites were hard-pressed to tell what was within, and could only roughly understand that it was a complex cavity with many monsters in it.


    The Lair of Nightmares was close to the equator rift, and some of its ¡®contents¡¯ could pierce through the energy barrier and extend deep into the canyon. In there, the corrupted monsters had created many structures to utilize extended contents, and that was what ¡®summoning platforms¡¯ Hao Ren saw.


    As for ¡®the big monster in the center of the Lair of Nightmare¡¯ that the sprite had repeatedly mentioned, Hao Ren till the end did not make out what it was supposed to be. He could only assume that it was a very powerful minion of madness, and is equipped with supreme power and mastery over the mind and the dream, almost rivaling Lockmarton. To allow Amantir to ceaselessly create new armies, the monster was within a long slumber as it weaved a massive nightmare, and its nightmare was projected into the real world through the extension platforms.


    From there, a huge amount of brain monsters gathered around a piece of equipment called the Pillar of Nightmare, and their duty was to dream together with the ¡°big monster¡± in the Lair of Nightmares and to ¡°lead¡± the monsters from the nightmare out into the real world.


    And this entire process had everything to do with Amantir¡¯s crystal.


    The sprite was not sure what was the link between the two. From their observation, they could see that the energy from Amantir¡¯s crystal is connected to the Lair of Nightmare beneath it, and was transferring a large amount of information.


    That had Hao Ren worried.


    He was worried that Amantir¡¯s crystal had already been totally corrupted by the Mad Lord¡¯s power if that was the case, it was difficult to say if it could still combine with the other two crystals to swerve as the waypoint.


    ¡°Say, does sprites like you will come out often?¡± As they headed into the deeper tunnels, Hao Ren curiously asked the dancing sprite who was dancing in the holographic projection, ¡°The aura we sensed earlier was yours right?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t come out usually!¡± The sprite immediately shot back, ¡°It¡¯s all monsters up there and once we go out we might not be able to return. A few curious sprites died when they went out scouting. We usually send an observer up once every hundred years. But this time an observation route we had set on the surface had detected a very strange energy reaction, and then a group of unknown people started bumbling into the monster¡¯s base, and I was sent out to check things out.¡±


    As she said, she puffed her chest up, ¡°That aura you sensed earlier was of course mine! I was following you guys for a long while, but all of you are so dumb and never noticed me, and even went to attract the monster¡¯s attention. If I did not intervene then, you all would be dead by now.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, thank you for saving our lives.¡± Hao Re grinned at the little sprite before looking around. ¡°Say, that sort of place your shelter is?¡±


    As the group had been underground for quite a long time now, and it was clear from the map that they had already left the command center¡¯s area and entered an unmarked tunnel as the walls around them had changed from metal to a sturdy rock with a unique glow. In between the rocks were shining crystals of all sizes, and that allowed the normally dark tunnel to be somewhat visible, and within the tunnel, the hum of the operating machines could no longer be heard, that meant that the team had already passed the machinery base and had entered an even more ancient part of the planet.


    The sprite had to use the MDT¡¯s various sensory modules to sense the outside world, and while her senses were much more acute now, as there was a data structure layer between her and the outside world, plus the lack of practice leaving her fumbling, the tiny one took a good while before she could ascertain their location underground. ¡°Oh, oh! We are close to the crystal pillars. After that is the big grids, and beneath that is our hiding spot. But we do not need to scurry about in the crystal pillars and the big grid, there¡¯s a direct path to the shelter~¡±


    ¡°What is the crystal pillars and the big grid?¡± Y¡¯lisabet asked out of curiosity.


    ¡°This planet is created by the goddess, so it is different from the other planets.¡± the little sprite blabbered on, ¡°The mantle beneath the crust is not your normal mantle, but a cluster of massive supporting pillar-like structures made out of crystals. That is the crystal pillars layer. Within it there are tons of automated energy unit and ancient facilities as they support the operations of the planet, even the monsters dare not touch the items within the layer, while the big grid is the layer between the crystal pillars and the planet¡¯s core. It¡¯s meant to keep the planet stable and to regulate energy and information from every crystal pillars. Part of our observation route is directly connected to the big grid!¡±


    The little demon was drawn in by the incredible structures explained by the sprite and gawked in wonder, ¡°Woww¡­¡±


    As they spoke, the team had exited the winding underground cavern and the sight that appeared before Hao Ren left him with a dropped jaw.


    It was a flood of wondrous bright colors before him.


    There was no foreboding darkness that they had come to expect, and the width and the brightness of this underground world had exceeded everyone¡¯s expectations.. Hao Ren only saw a forest of crystals extending from end to end, and everything within sight was made out of clear crystals. The woods, the hills, and valleys, the rivers, the trees¡­ all these were reflecting a colorful, almost phantasmal light from an unknown source.


    Just like a frozen world.


    In the endless crystal world, Hao Ren saw the massive crystal pillars that supported Amantir¡¯s upper structure. They were neatly arrayed across the crystal world, like the mythological world pillar than held the heaven and earth together, and the radius of the massive pillars could support a city on each one, while the upper columns extended into unfathomable dark abyss above.


    And they had just come down from one of the crystal pillars.


    The lower part of the gargantuan pillars had a ghostly light supporting them, and within the light, Hao Ren saw many floating ring-like structures circling the pillars. Those were probably the ancient structures the sprite was talking about.


    The realm deep within Amantir was operated automatically, since the day that the goddess of creation had created this planetary starship. Even when the surface had changed, and the taint of madness rampaged across the planet, the operations here did not seem to be affected.


    No, it was not totally unaffected. As Hao Ren¡¯s sight swept across the crystal world, he very quickly noticed that the crystal pillars had been tainted as they had a very unusual purplish-red glow, and the circling rings were letting out violet dark lightning arc that looked awfully dangerous.


    ¡°I¡­ Is aw something like this in the visions from the Throne of Destiny,¡± Vivian mumbled as if sleep-talking. ¡°But there are many animals there and even a crystal stag¡­¡±


    ¡°That is probably the crystal pillar zone beneath the core,¡± the sprite explained. ¡°The core and the three planetary fortresses are the same, all created by the goddess of creation, and their interior similar. Amantir¡¯s crystal pillar zone was actually a lively place once, many crystal animals lived here, but as the crystals started warping, the areas where the animals could live shrunk and they are now gone. Even these forests¡­ are dead, but the crystal plants won¡¯t rot away after they die, so you could still see them.¡±


    ¡°Even if the monster can¡¯t come down here, the taint had already reached here,¡± Y¡¯zaks looked at the already warped crystals in the distance as he shook his head, ¡°Even if you hide here, you will be consumed sooner or later.¡±


    ¡°We know, but we don¡¯t have anywhere else to run,¡± the little sprite in the projection shrugged. Her tiny frame let that seemingly adult gesture looked a little amusing. ¡°The shelter is after the great door. I¡¯ll lead the way.¡±

 Chapter 1618 - The Shelter

    If not for the sprite leading the way, Hao Ren felt that he probably be lost in the crystal pillar zone for a hundred years and not finding the entrance into the deeper layer.


    As the entrance was not something physical!


    The group followed the sprite deep into the crystal woods. There was an already lake of solid crystal. Before the corruption of the Mad Lord, this was the place where life flourished the most, and many wondrous beings and active energies gathered here. But now, the lake had frozen into a block of crystal and along the lakeside were the crystalline remains of the once lively creatures.


    And on the mirror-like frozen lake, a light beam shot up from a crystal pillar in the distance and refracted on the surface of the lake towards the sky.


    That was the pathway to the planet¡¯s core.


    ¡°Just follow this pathway upwards!¡± the little sprite was pointing all over in the holographic display, pride beaming on her face, ¡°You need to go upwards only will you reach the planet¡¯s core. The sprite¡¯s creativity is awesome yeah?¡±


    Hao Ren and his crew were all gawking. This is already beyond the question of creativity! There¡¯s actually such a function?


    What others thought Hao Ren would not know, but the first thing this reminded him was a drunk climbing a staircase of light from a torch. Yet over here, with the sprites¡¯ incredible powers, the steps materialized.


    The path towards the planet¡¯s core really was a beam of light, and you could literally climb it¡­


    ¡°You sure we won¡¯t fall off following this?¡± Lily was picked to be the first to try and she stood where the light had refracted as she looked on suspiciously at the slanting light beam before her that extended deep into the planet¡¯s crust. ¡°Have a feeling that climbing up with this looks darn stupid.¡±


    ¡°You are worried about that?¡± Vivian rolled her eyes at Lily. ¡°Just do it, we¡¯ll cheer you on. With your body, you won¡¯t die if you fall anyway.¡±


    ¡°And you can bloody fly! Why aren¡¯t you the first one to go?!¡± Lily glared back at Vivian with her arms on her waist, before pouting. ¡°Forget it, I agreed anyway. I¡¯ll go up first. Don¡¯t mess around though, no blocking the light!¡±


    In truth, based on the sprite¡¯s explanation, the light was just a guide, but even without it the hidden pathway would not disappear, but it seemed like that werehusky was not paying attention¡­


    With a gallant expression mixed with nervousness, Lily took the first step on the bright light beam.


    And found herself standing firmly on the surface of the light.


    ¡°It¡­. it actually works!¡± The husky¡¯s nervousness instantly gave way to excitement and curiosity, ¡°And there¡¯s no feeling of slanting or vertigo! Interesting! Mr. Landlord! I¡¯ll be going up to check things out~¡±


    As she said that, the werehusky that was so reluctant a moment ago ran up the light beam, and in a blink of an eye was a few hundred meters away. At the back, Hao Ren leaped angrily as he saw it. ¡°Eh wait¡­ Oh bloody hell, she really¡­¡±


    The group then quickly followed the werehusky on the ¡®secret path¡¯ to the sanctuary, and after going along the path for a while, Hao Ren realized that the path was exactly what the sprite had said, it was a ¡®miracle path¡¯ that was beyond normal dimensional structures.


    As when he looked down, the forest was no longer visible, even when in reality they were barely a thousand-odd meters away from the starting point.


    All sorts of bizarre scenery started appearing around the light beam as light and shadow flowed by the sides like an aurora, some even formed the image of a palace and towers and disappeared fleetingly after a few moments.


    As they head forward, the scenery disappeared and Hao Ren felt the whole trip did not take more than ten minutes, the objects around him became from ghostly light into a physical object: Thick rock layers and large crystal prisms appeared around them, they were originally just shattering fragments floating in the air, but as Hao Ren went farther in, the objects appeared more solid: The team was going through a crust of rock and crystals.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    Lily, at the front of the team, let out an awed gasp and Hao Ren quickly followed behind and a vast, vibrant scene greeted him.


    The path had come to an end, and the team had passed through the divine-created crust covering the planet¡¯s crust, and within it was a vast space. As Amantir was the goddess of creation¡¯s creation, the planet¡¯s core did not have the oppressive heat of a normal planet¡¯s core. Conversely, it was a vast space with a very comfortable temperature. At the center of the spherical dimension, a tiny, even ¡®cute¡¯ little planets floated.


    These were crystal balls that were about a few thousand meters wide. Well, calling them crystal balls was a misnomer as they were not processed or refined as rocks and crystals were still meshed together, more like a rough orb made out of rock and crystals.


    This was the Origin Crystal that the sprite was talking about, the semi-finished products during the process of creating the resonance crystals (or rather the conduit crystals).


    While semi-finished, these items were still massively useful, and Hao Ren noticed countless lines on the tiny planets, that was the runes and magic circles across the planet and these facilities left by the goddess were operating. They were projecting a series of moving, reforming and morphing pictures around the mini planets and drove anyone looking at it dizzy at first, but at the same time looking seemingly arcane and regulated.


    ¡°Those symbols¡­¡± Y¡¯lisabet glowed with the spark of interested, ¡°Are these the goddess¡¯ left behind know¡­¡±


    ¡°Those are puzzle bobbles.¡± the sprite in the projection said nonchalantly.


    Hao Ren and Y¡¯lisabet went, ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a puzzle bobble,¡± the sprite had a ¡®that¡¯s right¡¯ smug look on her face, ¡°The goddess of creation got bored while creating planets and while she was carving magic circuits on the planet¡¯s crust she had added a puzzle bobble in the matrix. You wanna play? It¡¯s very fun! The sprite usually¡­¡±


    ¡°No, stop there.¡± Hao Ren gestured for the sprite to stop as he facepalmed, ¡°That¡¯ enough, any further will kill our morale.¡±


    ¡°?¡± The little sprite gestured.


    ¡°Anyway, lets head down,¡± Vivian pursed her lips as she said, but she at least managed to keep her emotions in check. ¡°I¡¯m seeing many tiny lights gathering there. Are those your friends coming to get you?¡±


    ¡°Ah, the sprites! The sprites!¡± The tiny sprite indeed yelled happily as she drove the MDT to get over there. ¡°Fly! Fly! I wanna let the others see my new mount!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the mount, your entire family consists of mounts!¡± The MDT snapped and bellowed angrily. ¡°I am a high-tech gadget, high-tech, you know?¡±


    As they spoke the group had reached the skies above the mini planet, and even at this distance, Hao Ren could see a wide arc on the ¡®land¡¯ underneath his leg and on the surface of the crystal and rune encrusted ¡°core¡±, a group of tiny sprites had already gathered.


    ¡°Outsiders! Outsiders!¡±


    ¡°This sprite had brought outsiders! The sprites are nervous!¡±


    ¡°Are these humans the energy reaction detected earlier?¡±


    ¡°The sprite¡¯s earlier reports was that they are not baddies¡­¡±


    ¡°What happened above? I saw many runes were heating up¡­¡±


    ¡°These outsiders are so weird, that one is a few meters tall!¡±


    Hao Ren felt a sense of friendliness among the chatter. This was a scene that he was used to¡­ at least when he is with the sprites.


    Vivian looked at the swarm of tiny tots around here as she gently bumped Hao Ren¡¯s arm. ¡°All of them have the same trait.¡±


    She was referring to the tuft of reddish-black ahoge on their head. All the sprites here had an identical cowlick, and that seemed to be the sole unique trait that resulted from the Mad Lord¡¯s taint.


    By then, the gathered sprites had noticed their partner in the holographic display form floating above the MDT and gathered around her as they started chattering again on how the latter ended up like that.


    ¡°This sprite is temporarily living in this tin-can!¡± The little sprite, for easy identification, Hao Ren had labeled her Sprite One) said smugly. ¡°These people are here to fight against the monster, and they plan to blow up this tainted planetary starship, but before that, they will take us away, and that is to let the sprites stay within this tin can!¡±


    The MDT let out a deep sigh, ¡°This is the first time I got screwed over so badly.¡±


    ¡°Are they reliable?¡±


    ¡°Is there a big space inside the tin can?¡±


    ¡°Can it really fit all of us?¡±


    ¡°What is it like living in there?¡±


    ¡°Wanna play puzzle bobble?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on outside?¡±


    Sprite One patiently answered her kin¡¯s questions one by one, and as the one chosen to be the scout, she was indeed different from your usual sprites. While she may not look all that smart, but she had superb patience and observation skills compared to the rest of her kind, and could explain clearly what she had encountered above ground.


    But just as she was about to go for a round of puzzle bobble, Hao Ren grunted. ¡°Our time is short, let¡¯s discuss how do we get this done.¡±


    The sprites immediately chattered again. ¡°Oh¡­ oh, right, you want to get Amantir¡¯s crystal right?¡±


    ¡°Amantir¡¯s crystal is linked to the Lair of Nightmares!¡±


    ¡°I have already told them that!¡±


    ¡°So to get the crystal, you need to first deal with the monsters in the lair!¡± Or you will be discovered instantly and get swarmed to death by the monsters from the deep!¡±


    ¡°So I want to know, what suggestions do you have.¡± Hao Ren did not hold much hope as he looked at the wide-eyed sprites looking at him. ¡°We have a rough idea of the workings of the Lair of Nightmares from your friend, and know that there are many monsters in there, plus a super-strong bastard is dreaming in there as well. I want to know is there any way to take the crystal without raising any alarm?¡±


    ¡°Without raising any alarm? That¡¯s not possible.¡± A sprite that looked a little more matured (yes, just that little) walked out from the crowd. ¡°Amantir¡¯s crystal had already been the energy source of the Lair of Nightmares, and there are many levels of connections as well, so taking it away stealthily is not possible.¡±


    ¡°You seem to be very informed about this?¡± Hao Ren looked curiously at the tiny one before him. ¡°Are you¡­¡±


    ¡°This is a professional among the sprites!¡± Another sprite started yammering, ¡°She knows the most, especially about Amantir¡¯s crystal and the command center. There¡¯s nothing she doesn¡¯t know about them!¡±


    ¡°I was a support sprite in the command center, responsible for monitoring Amantir¡¯s crystal status and the data going in and out of the central computer.¡± The seemingly matured sprite said slowly with her chest puffed up. ¡°My crystal is still in the command center and was not destroyed by the monsters, as my crystal is directly connected to Amantir¡¯s crystal, and they dared not lay their hands of it. Using the resonance, I am able to sense that the connection between Amantir¡¯s crystal and the Lair of Nightmares is very tight, and the birth of every monster has to do with the crystal. While I don¡¯t know why the sacred relic left behind by the goddess would become the ¡®material¡¯ used by the monsters to create more of their kind, but something in the lair is draining energy from Amantir¡¯s crystal.¡±


    After listening to that, Hao Ren and Vivian looked at each other while Y¡¯zaks by the side too was deep in thought, ¡°Seems like things are all linked to the Lair of Nightmares¡­ and we need to make a trip there.¡±


    Vivian shook her head as she frowned, ¡°But our information is insufficient, and our understanding of the numbers and strength in the lair is limited, and going in blind would be foolish.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded, ¡°If there¡¯s another Lockmarton in there, things will get really sticky.¡±


    Lockmarton was the most difficult adversary they had faced thus far, and while the monster was completely annihilated by Hao Ren¡¯s detailed planning, and the final battle was pretty much over within an instant, that was achieved by the efforts of ten inspectors working together and using the surface world as their home turf. At that time, Hao Ren had a home ground advantage and lured Lockmarton into the trap, and now it was the reversed, this was the lair of the Mad Lord¡¯s power.


    If not careful, the one being surrounded and wiped out would be Hao Ren and his friends.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to worry about an enemy like Lockmarton appearing here, as Lockmarton¡¯s combat ability is pretty much the same as a planetary starship with an unactivated doomsday weapon. If the corrupted monsters have such a trump card in their deck, they would have used it to face the guardian army head-on.¡± the MDT shook as it gave a brief explanation. ¡°That monster is basically squatting in the dream creating those abominations and that is proof of its limitations. That means its abilities are restricted to the production of armies, thus its head-on combat ability should not be high.¡±


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s not too strong it is no weakling either, summoner-type enemies are the worst.¡± Nangong Sanba shrugged.


    ¡°So you want to look for the monster within the Lair of Nightmares?¡± A chirpy voice suddenly rang out among the sprites. ¡°I think¡­ if you are stronger than the guardians even by a bit, you may be able to pull it off.¡±


    Hao Ren gave the newly appeared tiny tot a curious look. ¡°Oh? You know something?¡±


    ¡°I am responsible for monitoring and studying the Lair of Nightmares!¡± the little sprite¡¯s words burst out like a cooked popcorn. ¡°While we cannot directly see the big monster in the lair, but we can sense some of its movements. To continuously create new monsters, the big monster has to be in a dreaming state and its surrounding is not heavily guarded. We think that the guards that are awake will affect the nightmare so the monster¡¯s body in the real world can be easily destroyed if you can get close to it.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t it be awakened?¡± Vivian frowned.


    ¡°It will, but that will not affect the crystal of Amantir, and the big monster will wake very slowly! To ensure efficiency in creating the monsters, the dreaming monster is in a very deep dream state, and its main sensors to the outside world are using Amantir¡¯s crystal and the temple¡¯s network as a conduit. Simply put, the monster is not well defended against an underground assault.¡±


    The other sprites at around them started blabbering too, ¡°This is because Salaman¡¯s guardians had never managed to land on Amantir all these years!¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s why the monster never considered the possibility of its lair being attacked!¡±


    ¡°They never thought Amantir¡¯s underground section needed any defense¡­¡±


    ¡°How much time do we have?¡± Nangong Sanba asked.


    ¡°From the time the Lair of Nightmares responding to the attack, about thirty minutes. We have calculated before, but the sprites never have the power to launch an attack, it remained only a calculation¡­¡±


    Hao Ren rubbed his chin, ¡°If the monster does not have any counter-offensive ability in the real world, and we have about half-an-hour time frame, then that is rather plausible. But we need to be able to breach the barrier in the Lair of Nightmares and get to the front of the monster, or else half-an-hour would not be enough for us to break through its defenses.¡±


    At that moment, a rather timid voice rang from the sprites. ¡°If¡­ if that is the problem, we have a way.¡±


    Hao Ren looked down and squinted hard as he tried to look for the speaking tot, and a diminutive sprite with short hair entered his sight.


    ¡°I¡­ I was responsible for monitoring the crystal pillars and the crust stabilizers,¡± the little sprite said nervously. ¡°I¡­ I had been monitoring the area around the Lair of Nightmares for changes to the geological and dimensional structures since I came to hide her. I found that the Lair of Nightmares has already materialized within the planet¡¯s crust and most of its area is¡­ is supported by three crystal pillars. The geological structure of the area is very brittle because of the equator rift, if¡­¡±


    An idea immediately welled up in Hao Ren¡¯s mind and he took over from the stammering sprite, ¡°If we blow up those crystal pillars¡­¡±

 Chapter 1619 - : Make a Mess! Wreak Some Havoc!

    ¡°Assaulting the Lair of Nightmares¡­¡± The very audacious plan seemed increasingly viable as the sprites discussed and Hao Ren, as well as co, thought it out.


    Every impregnable citadel was easier to destroy from within than without. Now, if they could send an elite team into the Lair of Nightmares and decapitate the monster in charge of creating the corrupted army, everything would be resolved.


    As Hao Ren needed the crystal of Amantir regardless, that meant he had to find a way to get rid of the Lair of Nightmares because it was connected to the crystal.


    The best route to assault the lair was from underneath: Blowing up the crystal pillars that supported the crust would affect the Lair of Nightmares¡¯ structure, and according to the sprites¡¯ calculations, it would be enough to tear the lair in half.


    ¡°Won¡¯t the entire crust collapse and the lair alongside a good portion of the surface area fall onto the grid?¡± After she heard the incredible plan, Nangong Wuyue started to think about what would come next. ¡°It¡¯d be best if we could kill the monsters with the fall¡­¡±


    ¡°That would be impossible. Even the weakest of their lot is about as strong as the guardians,¡± the MDT shook as it spoke in its typical blunt fashion. ¡°Sides, just blowing up three pillars won¡¯t be enough to topple the crust. I¡¯ve analyzed the planet¡¯s structure. While its crust is supported by the crystal pillars, the crust itself has a series of complex quake-reduction and stabilizing structures. The equator rift may have weakened the strength of this structure, but based on the southern frame of the rift, the upper portions of the Lair of Nightmares are still quite stable. Under ideal circumstances, the lair would probably lose less than a third of its size once the pillars are blown up. While it will open up a path directly to the center of the lair, that¡¯ll be about the extent of the destruction.¡±


    Amantir¡¯s crust was equivalent to the planetary starship¡¯s armored hull, and it naturally had many reinforcing structures. Collapsing the entire crust by blowing up three pillars would not be possible. It was about as fanciful a thought as dismantling an entire ship¡¯s hull by removing two tiny screws.


    Hao Ren was quite satisfied with the results of the simulation, ¡°We only need to punch a hole into the Lair of Nightmares. It¡¯d be more troublesome if the entire structure collapses, and crying would be pointless if Amantir¡¯s crystal shatters in the fall.¡±


    ¡°All right, we already have a rough idea. Now we need to plan out the details of the operation.¡± Vivian nodded in agreement before she used her commanding presence to begin the discussion on the plan¡¯s details. ¡°Take every possibility into consideration, including the worst-case scenario of facing the awakened source of the nightmares. Besides, we also need to get the sprites downloaded into the MDT¡¯s hard disk¡­¡±


    ¡°Somehow there¡¯s something odd about the whole process¡­¡± the MDT mumbled.


    The discussion for the battle plan took about four hours, and the sprites provided much help along the way; the group of messy sprites was not as unreliable as Hao Ren had expected, and they had actually done a surprising amount of stuff in their thousand-plus years of hiding in the planet¡¯s core.


    They had tried their best to monitor the changes on Amantir¡¯s surface and recorded the entire process of the spread of the Mad Lord¡¯s corruption and its subsequent changes to the planetary starship. They had looked into the information regarding the corrupted army and even collected their defensive layout as well as routine schedule. As the ¡°operating AI¡± of the starship¡¯s various systems, the data they had of the starship was even more detailed than the structure diagram Salaman possessed. Their data even contained records of the changes Amantir underwent after it was corrupted by madness, and that information was far beyond what Salaman was able to provide.


    That was because, Salaman only had a pre-war blueprint, and he was totally unaware of the changes within Amantir, whereas those sprites¡­ while they were trapped, they were trapped within Amantir.


    After settling the finer details of the plan, Hao Ren along with his team took some time to rest and prepare on the tiny planet before they began the process of ¡°downloading¡± thousands of sprites.


    With their experience involving Sprite Number One, the process of the sprites entering the MDT went much smoother than expected, just that the MDT itself looked helpless during the whole process.


    A few hours later, the last of the sprites entered the hard disk, and the first phase of saving the sprites was now completed.


    Looking at the MDT hovering over Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder, Nangong Sanba could not help but blurt out, ¡°So you, a PDA, has gigabytes of little boys and girls in you. Should we ask how you feel about that?¡±


    The MDT immediately glowed in rage. ¡°I¡¯ll smash your face!¡±


    ¡°All right, all right.¡± Hao Ren quickly held the enraged PDA down, ¡°Frankly speaking, how are you feeling now? Is the storage of the sprites affecting your performance?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem, the load isn¡¯t all that big,¡± the MDT said resignedly. ¡°I¡¯ve created a virtual reality zone for them, and they¡¯re wreaking havoc there. I don¡¯t dare allow them to link up with other programs. Goodness, how does a bunch of A.I get so noisy?¡±


    Hao Ren had an eat-sh*t grin on his face when he heard that. The noisy tin-can he once wanted to dump into a pond of wet cement had finally met his match?


    Anyway, Hao Ren was now relieved as he turned to Vivian. ¡°It¡¯s time for us to go then. Where did Lily and Rollie go?¡±


    ¡°They said they were gonna circle the globe¡­¡± Vivian said as she peered afar. ¡°Oh, they¡¯re just over there. They¡¯re back.¡±


    As she spoke, the werehusky and the dumb cat emerged from the ¡°horizon¡± and quickly came before Hao Ren. The two ladies seemed to be very happy, and Lily even tugged at Hao Ren¡¯s arm as she gloated, ¡°Mr. Landlord, Mr. Landlord, I ran a full circle around the planet! Using the equatowooooooo¡­¡±


    Hao Ren slapped himself in the face hard. Bloody hell, this doggie and kittie sure were a happy bunch¡­ How bored were they?¡±


    With a flick of her hand, Vivian sent two tiny sparks to both of their heads. ¡°All right, all right. We¡¯re heading off now.¡±


    The two immediately got serious. Even Rollie nodded resolutely and checked if her shoelaces were properly tied and if her claws were sharp enough. While this cat was called a dumb cat every now and then, she was in fact, just ill-adapted to human life. She was very aware of what was going on and knew just what to do.


    Since the sprites had left the planet¡¯s core, all the temporary systems they abandoned in the core all slowly started to shut down. The hidden path connecting the planet¡¯s core with the crystal pillar zone was becoming unstable too, but they could use it this once for the very last time.


    Hao Ren¡¯s elite team quickly went down the light path as time and material distorted, shattered, reformed and warped back to normal. Rock and crystals seemed to crash down from all directions but without a sound.


    Their surroundings were silent, yet harrowing.


    Sprite One¡¯s image appeared on the holographic display. She was looking at the disappearing light path and in the general direction of the shelter, which had already disappeared. She sighed. ¡°We have kept her hidden for so long. It has been a few thousand years¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We never thought that we could get out!¡±


    ¡°The world outside, the world outside!¡±


    ¡°We can go play with Salaman again!¡±


    ¡°We can go to the Core to play as well!¡±


    ¡°H-A-P-P-Y!¡±


    ¡­Well, that was probably the best the sprites could do when it came to lamenting.


    The Crystal Pillar Layer.


    The massive awe-inspiring crystalline pillars still stood proudly, supporting the crust. The top end held the dark and brooding rock dome, while the end was firmly rooted within the grid. At such a distance, its size was beyond words, and mere mortals would be extremely hard-pressed to raise their courage to fight it.


    However, Hao Ren had blown up bigger things before, so he quietly pulled out the explosives from his Dimensional Pocket.


    Not too far away, Vivian and the rest sat out of the demolition works. They all took out their phones and started to take photos of that sky-scraping pillar as a memento.


    ¡°Quickly. By the time Mr. Landlord hits the big red button, it¡¯ll all be gone!¡± Lily yelped.


    ¡°It just so happens that I¡¯m waiting to take a picture of the explosion!¡± Y¡¯lisabet replied.


    Rollie looked at everyone taking pictures and she pouted before running over to Hao Ren¡¯s side. As she tugged at his sleeve, she pointed at Lily¡¯s phone. ¡°Big Boss Cat! I want that, I want that!¡±


    ¡°Hush, you. Are you able to read now?¡± Hao Ren said as he commanded the droids to place the explosives on the preset points on the pillar before he glared at the catgirl. ¡°You cry up a storm every time I try to get you to write your own name. Giving you a phone would be a waste of time. Come back again when you can read 3,000 characters!¡±


    ¡°Meowwwww¡­ Oh.¡±


    There were three pillars that needed to be demolished, and one of them was right below the Lair of Nightmares (directly under the command center) while the two other pillars were by the two corners of the equator rift, away from the Lair of Nightmares. So, their collapse would cause a massive quake on the crust and a small-scale distortion. The strength released from ensuing powerful compression would land a fatal blow on the base of the Lair of Nightmares. Based on the MDT and the sprites¡¯ collaborative calculations, it was enough to rip open a path directly to the Lair of Nightmares, and it would also block most of the tunnels into the lair, cutting it off from any reinforcements.


    The last of the explosives were finally placed on the third pillar.


    Hao Ren looked up at the rock and metal dome. There was an obvious dark red belt on the gloomy dome. The dark red belt was covered by a layer of energy membrane, and by its side were many odd black substances writhing about. That was the exact position of the equator rift.


    In the upheaval 3,000 years ago, a part of Nadqal crashed against it, and the earth-shattering crash tore Amantir¡¯s crust apart. Sections of the planetary starship even dropped into the crystal pillar layer, but very soon, Amantir¡¯s self-restoration system activated and forcefully began to heal the wounded planet. With that, the rift above was mended by force using an energy barrier, and it became the massive canyon that was visible from space.


    If one looked up at the canyon from underneath the crust, they would see what Hao Ren saw.


    The sprite¡¯s image appeared on the holographic display, and she pointed at the crystal forest in the distance. Over there, something that clearly did not belong in the crystalline world was laying diagonally within the forest. The protruding portion looked like the head of a beast, pointing to the dome above. ¡°That¡¯s the wreckage from Naqdal. When it fell, a few sprites and guardians were still alive, but they soon died and their bodies were dragged by the monsters to serve as fuel to create more of them.¡±


    The corrupted army did not all come from the nightmare, and some of them were transformed from physical beings. Collecting bodies from the battlefield was one of the methods they used to gather ¡°materials¡±.


    ¡°They won¡¯t die for nothing.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°We will end the monsters¡¯ reign here, today.¡±


    He then looked up at the crystal pillar supporting the planet.


    The explosives had been placed in a ring along the circumference of the pillar, like a glittering necklace in the dark.


    One by one, the sprites appeared in the holographic display, and they, too, were looking at the shiny explosives.


    ¡°Make a mess!¡± Sprite One raised her fist.


    ¡°Wreak some havoc! Make a mess! Wreak some havoc!¡±


    Hao Ren pressed the big red button on the controller.

 Chapter 1620 - Assaulting the Lair

    The explosion in the crystal pillar layer sent out a shock wave that lasted for a good five minutes, and what followed was an eternity of aftershocks as well as secondary destruction.


    Amantir¡¯s hollow internal structure was a natural resonance chamber, and the force from the collapse of the pillars created the most terrifying quake within that planetary resonance chamber. The entire southern continent of the planetary starship shook like a bell. From space, it looked like Amantir¡¯s landmass had sunk in before part of the sunken parts rebounded back to the surface, whereby the starship¡¯s hull resetter was unable to withstand the internal tear and had malfunctioned. The entire landmass rippled, folded, and twisted as mountain ranges, which were thousands of meters tall, disappeared in just a few minutes. Bodies of water boiled and were thrown into the atmosphere, and in a short time, they formed a storm that engulfed one-fourth of the planet. If there had been a civilization on the planet, it would have been thrown back to the Iron Age or worse within those few minutes.


    What happened underground was even more horrifying.


    While Hao Ren was pumped up, he had to admit, standing by a pillar that was used to support the planet¡¯s crust and blowing it up was an experience he did not want to go through twice. The sky-scraping pillar was cut in two in a series of calculated chain explosions, and the heavy crust came crashing down as its support disappeared. Countless of hill-sized rocks and crystal debris rained down like a storm from above and turned the crystal forest within the crystal pillar layer into ruins before violent gales and shock waves smashed everything to dust.


    Then, he heard a horrifying cackle from the rock dome as a series of explosions and lightning arcs lit the entire dome. It was the hull resetter at the equator rift, overloading and melting down.


    The energy barrier used to block the equator rift had also disappeared as millions of tons of magma and rock burst out from the broken area. With the force of gravity pulling them into the planet¡¯s core, the entire crystal pillar layer became a veritable inferno.


    The originally calm crystal pillar layer turned into purgatory in an instant with shock waves and air pressure strong enough to shatter rocks, a temperature that could melt metal, and all sorts of toxic substances spewing out at once. While all of that happened, the sprites who had been shouting ¡°make a mess, wreak some havoc¡± immediately went silent before deafening Hao Ren¡¯s ears a second later with their chatter. ¡°Waaaahh, this place is done for, done for!¡±


    ¡°I never thought this would happen!¡±


    ¡°Not fun, not fun. Not fun at all¡­¡±


    ¡°We are going to die, die, die!¡±


    Did these pipsqueaks actually not think about what would happen once the pillars were blown up before they went ¡°make a mess!¡±?


    Just as the shock wave was about to hit them, energy shields covered Hao Ren and the rest. They knew that blowing up the pillars was a move boarding on madness, hence all of them had worn their life hoops beforehand and also equipped themselves with a shield generator as well as a vector stabilizer. The advanced equipment allowed them to withstand the deadly environment and steady themselves amidst the powerful echoing shock waves. It looked like their preparations had paid off indeed.


    Vivian was the calmest among the lot after Hao Ren. Looking up, she stared at the dome, which was shaking and coming apart with each passing moment. Finally, she saw a red light on the dome, and a terrifying aura of madness swirled within the light.


    ¡°The way is open! We¡¯ll charge in now!¡± she yelled.


    Hao Ren grabbed the MDT and stuffed it into his pocket as he activated his thrusters and bolted directly towards the gap. Turning his head back, he called, ¡°Lily!¡±


    ¡°Ready and waiting!¡± the werehusky said as she pulled a few packets of snacks from her pocket. She tore them open and started to stuff herself. It did not take long for her to munch on half a packet of Spicy Sticks. The next moment, her eyes glowed gold, the prelude to her bestial form. Veins started to pop all over her arms and neck. ¡°I can hold it for two minutes. Mr. Landlord, I¡¯ll leave the flight control to you!¡±


    Not everyone could fly like Vivian, and all those who could not fly had equipped themselves with the thruster pack Hao Ren provided. But Lily¡¯s thrusters were controlled by Hao Ren because she would be too hard-pressed to control herself in the next moment.


    Facing the storm of rocks and crystals falling upon them, Hao Ren and the team charged towards the collapsing dome as the red light on the top of the dome got larger by the second. Hao Ren felt very calm, without any doubt or hesitation. His eyes were focused on the ominous, hell gate-like breach, and in that state, he even felt time slowing down. Every speck of dust that passed by him was clearly visible.


    The illusion lasted only a few seconds. In the next moment, he had already entered the breach and shot through a phantasmal dark red membrane.


    Everyone could sense the change in the environment the moment they passed through the membrane. The exterior and interior of the membrane seemed to be connected, but they were distinct spaces. While they could not tell the difference between the two dimensions accurately, that ¡°crossing the gate¡± feeling was real.


    They had entered the heart of the lair, a place where fiction and reality collided. It was a place where time and space were severely distorted.


    ¡°Awwooooo¡­ Oof!¡±


    A loud howl snapped everyone out of their cross-dimensional stupor. Lily had unleashed her powers the moment she passed through the membrane. Following some powerful wind pressure and a burst of extraordinary aura, the five-meter-tall mega husky walked out of the dust. As she made her appearance, a white light with powerful energy started to form at the tip of her mouth.


    The mega husky looked around before she opened her mouth in a set direction. ¡°Raaaaarghhhh.¡±


    An odd ¡°hum¡± soon followed while the surrounding air vibrated. A massive bright beam blasted across the entire space towards the darkness afar.


    That was the first step of the plan: Lily would gorge on Spicy Sticks, enough for a blast, and transform once she was in. She would then fire her Doggoblast in the direction with the strongest energy signature. As the most powerful one-hit-kill attack in Hao Ren¡¯s arsenal, Doggoblast was the opening act of their assault.


    With the searing brightness of the white beam, the dark dimension was instantly brightened; during that momentary flash, Hao Ren saw the ghastly landscape of the Lair of Nightmares.


    He managed to stop himself from barfing. Just barely.


    In the blink of an eye, the Lair of Nightmares was no longer the citadel of rock and metal he had envisioned, rather, it was¡­ a massive writhing organ.


    Flesh and blood dotted the entire place, making the whole interior seem like living bio-tissue. Massive blood-vessel-like objects crept beneath the entire surface of the squirming skin while nerve and muscle-like objects were exposed as they crisscrossed on the dome above the massive cavern. They formed a giant web, and behind the web were many types of machinery, which had been left behind. That was part of the command center, and a section of it had already been consumed by the lair.


    The scene reminded one of being inside a monster¡¯s stomach.


    There were not only such bio-tissues there, between the dreadful flesh, Hao Ren saw vestiges of other objects as well. Massive pillars of rock, metal beams, and crystals lay scattered across the vast space. They had already been warped by the powers of the Mad Lord, but they could still be identified as parts of Amantir¡¯s underground facilities.


    Hao Ren then saw the target of their mission.


    Lily¡¯s senses were accurate, and she had shot her Doggoblast right at the center of the lair the moment she made her dynamic entry. There was a massive round platform there, and the top of the platform showed signs of distortion as layers upon layers of semi-translucent barriers made the area look rippled. Behind it was a massive brain cluster¡­


    A brain cluster the size of a house!


    The massive brain hung upside down above the circular platform as it expanded and shrank in rhythm. Meanwhile, huge nerve and blood vessels extended from above like tubes, connecting to the dome of the lair. As Hao Ren traced the nerves and blood vessels in the direction they disappeared into, the first thing he thought of was the crystal of Amantir.


    It was just like the sprites had described, the monster in the lair was connected to Amantir¡¯s crystal, and the nerves were connected directly. If he had led the team to retrieve the crystal back then¡­


    Sh*t would have gotten real!


    Lily¡¯s Doggoblast had destroyed many rock pillars and crystal prisms along the way, but as expected, the surprise assault did not easily end the biggest problem in the lair. The upturned brain cluster had hundreds of layers of shielding. The powerful holy-powered beam could only break through a couple of the shields before it stopped dead in its tracks and dissipated into pure energy in the air.


    The brain cluster behind the barrier shuddered violently: it had sensed danger.


    ¡°Urghhh¡­.¡± Nangong Wuyue was shocked by the horrific scene within the Lair of Nightmares and immediately deployed a mist barrier. Using the calming and cleansing effects of the elemental water, she dispelled the mental shock brought on by her surroundings. ¡°What bloody place is this?¡±


    ¡°Amantir is changing into a living biological being, and the Lair of Nightmares is its brain!¡± the MDT yelled. ¡°We need to take the brain out!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to tell me twice!¡± Hao Ren said as he pulled out his spear and pistol, and dashed in style towards the monster. ¡°Follow me!¡±


    ¡°Go all out! Let¡¯s clean this bloody place before we puke ourselves silly!¡± Nangong Sanba roared.

 Chapter 1621 - The Cycles of Creation and Destruction

    Once the attack commenced, a bizarre guttural howl rang across the entire Lair of Nightmares, as though tons of seawater was crashing against the thick walls of flesh. The howling was everywhere and was getting louder by the moment.


    Then, Hao Ren noticed that the walls of flesh had started to convulse as bundles upon bundles of protruding objects were being squeezed out of the layers of muscle and skin. The moment they appeared, they quickly transformed into horrifying mutated monsters.


    The target of the monsters was clear. Upon appearing, they roared and charged at the invaders of the lair. What welcomed them, however, were the rapid firepower of automated droids and defender drones.


    Hao Ren had released the ¡°guards¡± that were standing by in his Dimensional Pocket, and those long-range combat specialists responded quickly to fight the monsters. As the latter were clearly fodder borne of flesh and blood, they did not need to waste their time against such powerless food for powder.


    Seeing the monsters transform, Hao Ren even felt a tinge of relief.


    Just as the sprites had told him, the defensive capabilities of the lair guardians are limited. Any guards not inside the nightmare would affect the operations of the massive brain, so all the guards within the lair are mindless mutants, As they do not need to fight against the powerful corrupted giants or the minions of madness, everyone was confident in executing the next phase of the operation.


    But the weak guards does not mean Hao Ren could easily destroy the massive brain in the middle of the lair: While it may not have too many guards around it, it was secure behind its thick layer of defensive barrier, and that sturdy defensive barrier was the headache of the attackers.


    *Boom!*


    Another bright white beam smashed against the barrier surrounding the brain monster, and the massive energy blast twisted the space around the barrier, but as it dissipated, the hundreds of layers of shielding were undamaged, and the few outer layers that were broken through were restarting to regenerate.


    But Hao Ren had quickly noticed that the regeneration was slower than anticipated.


    ¡°Focus fire! Don¡¯t stop!¡± He quickly reminded the rest. ¡°The shield¡¯s regeneration cannot keep up with the damage we are doing!¡±


    Massive explosions rang across the lair as the defender drones and automated droids held the tide of mutants back while Hao Ren and his elite team targeted the platform the monster was on with a concentrated barrage of attacks; at the same time, the disaster brought on by the collapse of the pillars were still spreading, and the shock wave within the planet¡¯s cavity had pushed the hull resetter to the limit, leading to the Lair of Nightmares and the layer it was in was thrown into a veritable storm as it quaked violently, heralding the coming of the end!


    However, the Lair of Nightmares itself was still stable, as the dimension formed from the corrupting power of chaos while damaged by the collapse of the crystal pillars, was still able to hold on to its form. Now, the master of the lair had realized the physical danger it was in, and it was trying to rouse itself from its slumber.


    An eye-catching red glow appeared skin of the gigantic brain within the layered barrier as the entire bio-tissue started convulsing violently as if it was suffering spasms and an indescribable mental pressure descended upon everyone.


    The monstrous brain had sensed danger in its dreams and it was struggling within the dream to wake up, but just like what the sprites had said, the dreamer was too deep within the dream, and its connection with the nightmare was too tight, and it could not return to reality within a short period of time.


    However, the brain monster¡¯s struggle within the dream had a feedback effect on the real world. Hao Ren noticed unnatural ripples appearing on the rock pillars and crystal prisms, and objects between illusory and reality started forming within the ripples. For Hao Ren who had experience fighting Lockmarton head-on before, he immediately realized that was to come.


    ¡°Watch out for the shadows!¡± Hao Ren yelled. ¡°The Nightmare is already seeping in, monsters will appear from the shadows!¡±


    As he deployed the last of the automated drones and defender droids out of his Dimensional Pocket, he commanded again, ¡°Vivian, big guy, three of us coordinate our attacks on that bloody brain. The rest of you go smash the creeps! Don¡¯t get caught by the illusions!¡±


    ¡°Awoooo.¡± A bright howl came from behind and another powerful light beam smashed against the brain monster¡¯s shields, but this time around the shot was clearly off, and the latter part of the howl was mixed with confusion and being rattled. Hao Ren quickly turned to Lily and saw that the silver-haired mega husky was tossing about as if trying to throw something dirty off her back.


    But there was nothing there.


    No, there was, just as Hao Ren started to wonder ¡°what was on Lily¡±, he caught sight of a semi-transparent gray fog appearing out of thin air as it coiled on to Lily¡¯s limbs and even caught her neck in a stranglehold. The mega husky had a constitution that was beyond comprehension so the mist strangulation could not do too much damage to her for the time being, but in her canine form, she faced a different problem: She could not get rid of the coiling mist as easy as she could in human form.


    A chaotic, brooding and oppressive voice, part sounding like sleep talk, part malicious whispers resonated in everyone¡¯s mind, and the voices were filled with obscure vibrato and illogical words, but the meaning of it was someone imprinted directly into everyone¡¯s minds, making it understandable, ¡°tiny¡­ insignificant¡­ meaningless¡­ I shall awake soon, and you shall fall, this temporary struggle will be your eternal nightmare¡­¡±


    Hao Ren realized that this was the second phase of the attack. The dreamer could not rouse itself immediately, but its thought is able to cross the boundaries between reality and the nightmare, and this power can be projected directly into reality, and even seep deep into the minds of everyone present. As it entered a half-awake state, everyone would continuously be hearing the monster¡¯s murmur within their minds, and the illusions would grow more frequent and realistic as the murmur continues.


    And this was already foreseen in the battle plan. After all, this was not the first time Hao Ren faced a monster of the nightmare, and compared with Lockmarton, the brain monster before him was a much weaker foe.


    ¡°Big guy! Soul Chain!¡± Vivian yelled at Y¡¯zaks as she slammed two lightning balls to the back of Lily to wake the latter up. ¡°Chain it to Hao Ren!¡±


    A loud ¡®HAH!¡¯ later, countless of green fel runes appeared on Y¡¯zaks demonic form and following that, a powerful spell most favored by the demons, and viewed by many to be foul magic was cast by the demon.


    Links upon links ethereal chains appeared near everyone in the room, and as they were all prepared, the soul chain latched onto everyone¡¯s spirit without any delay, and the focal point of the chain was not the caster Y¡¯zaks, but Hao Ren who was in the midst of changing his weapons.


    As the soul chain was connected to him, Hao Ren kept Grungnir and his pistol away as he pulled out two long blades that looked like shards of space itself.


    At the very same moment, a bluster of chatter rang in everyone¡¯s head:


    ¡°Oh my god, long time no see! I have not been out for like ages¡­ Oh, bugger me, why is there fighting here! This storm of blood and flesh, don¡¯t tell me you have already entered the lair of madness? How many times do I need to say that violence solves nothing¡­ while it can definitely take care of the problem maker permanently, can¡¯t we look for a more gentle, more civilized option? And why is this place so godawful disgusting, and what are those ugly monstrosities doing here. If this goes on screen it¡¯ll be censored all over the place¡­Eh, my bro is here too? Such rarity to see Hao Ren you drawing both of us out. Eh eh, bro, why aren¡¯t you talking? So rare we get to come out and get some fresh air and fun¡­.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    The massive flood of blather echoed in everyone¡¯s minds and immediately drowned the brain monster¡¯s murmurings, and the illusions that came with the murmur were dispelled as well.


    Hao Ren lifted both swords and sent a provocative stare in the brain monster¡¯s general direction.


    To fight a rambling lunatic, the best option was to get another rambling lunatic to argue with it. This strategy could simply be called fighting blather with prattle and it was super effective in that instance.


    Of course, the gulf of its effectiveness was even bigger. Simply put, the Godslayer¡¯s blade had sunk into madness, ran through a goddess and created a saga-level incident more than once, and was even bitten by another goddess. While its ramblings may drive you crazy, it does not affect its capabilities. In a fairer mental slugfest, this thing could kill over forty of the massive brains just by rapping while throwing in a manzai comedy skit or two for good measure¡­


    Well, as the brain monster had not fully awakened yet, its powers took a big hit.


    Lily had broken out from the illusions and started throwing Doggoblast after Doggoblast towards the barrier around the brain monster, while Vivian and Y¡¯zaks powerful magics followed behind. Hao Ren, as he needed to maintain the soul chain¡¯s stability could not join in the fray, but the cannon platforms that he had summoned already had a preset target.


    In this hail of unrelenting assault, the barrier protecting the brain monster could not even hope to regenerate in time.


    Its time was running out.

 Chapter 1622 - The End of the Dreamer

    The battle within the Lair of Nightmares had proceeded to the second phase before the ruckus it caused attracted the guards outside.


    It was not that the guards were lax in their duties, rather, the collapse of the crystal pillars had totally annihilated all security and monitoring facilities. The demolition of the crystal pillars not only created a massive shock to the geological structure of the planet, but it also unleashed a mini-doomsday weapon in the form of an energy storm created by the crystals. The energy traveled along the crystal pillar and planet¡¯s crust through various tunnels, spreading all across the land. At once, it immolated the energy network around Amantir¡¯s equator rift as well as one-third of the planet¡¯s southern continent. It directly impacted the corrupted ones that were monitoring the planet¡¯s operations.


    All of the corrupted ones had no idea where the catastrophic shock came from for a good twenty or so minutes. By the time they realized that the crystal pillar layer had collapsed, they did not sense any changes in the Lair of Nightmares as everything was in flux.


    It was only when the dreamer slowly roused itself from the nightmare and started to actively resist that the guards discovered the assault on the lair.


    By then, the barrier around the brain monster was down to the last few wavering screens.


    Lily¡¯s Doggoblast was extremely powerful, but it was could not be used continuously, and after the final two light beams, she had exhausted her reserve of divine power. The mega husky bore her fangs menacingly for a good while letting out a whimper. She then fell to the ground and started huffing and puffing heavily as she used her eyes to signal to Hao Ren that she could no longer fight for a while.


    Hao Ren did not understand what the werehusky was trying to tell him with the eye signals but he had figured that Lily¡¯s energy reserves had been depleted, and thus quickly ordered his automated cannon platforms to follow up with the attack. He took a glance at the brain monster that was writhing violently, as if it was about to fully awake from its slumber and yelled, ¡°Hit it hard! That bloody thing can¡¯t last much longer! Smash it!¡±


    At the same time, a blurry black shadow darted silently along the rock pillars and crystal prisms like the wind, and the black shadow circled the entire lair before dashing towards Hao Ren, and any mutants along the way were eviscerated by the shadow, falling apart in bloody pieces.


    The black shadow stopped before Hao Ren and only then did Rollie¡¯s face appeared. The catgirl¡¯s claws and face were stained with blood, but her eyes were unusually bright. She swiftly circled around Hao Ren as she rambled anxiously. ¡°Big Boss Cat! Big Boss Cat! There are cracks over there! Monsters are coming in!¡±


    ¡°The guards outside are moving,¡± Hao Ren looked at Vivian, ¡°They are trying to breakthrough the lair¡¯s outer walls.¡±


    ¡°That brain monster won¡¯t last long enough to welcome reinforcements,¡± Vivian said as she floated in the air, a pair of bat wings expanded behind her like a cape and beneath the wings were many skittering bat swarms, and the coils of electricity within the swarm made her look like a walking goddess of thunder, ¡°I can feel¡­ its fear. This creator of nightmares, it can actually feel fear.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled as he held the rambling Godslayer in his hands, ¡°Normal. Who won¡¯t be afraid when they get nagged upon like this?¡±


    Vivian almost fell from the sky when she heard that, ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t mean that.¡±


    ¡°Time to end this.¡± a thunderous roar came from the size, Y¡¯zaks, in his infernal demon form was covered in terrifying heat as green fel runes floated around him. He looked at the black sword in Hao Ren¡¯s grip and said grimly. ¡°Let¡¯s end this before that thing drives us nuts.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s rude. I¡¯m just trying to advise you on how to be a good person, while I¡¯m just a¡­¡±


    This bugger would have been asked to shut up by Hao Ren normally when he was about three words in, but to counter the dark god¡¯s murmurings, it finally had the chance to ramble on, and by the looks of it, it had lost all vestige of self-control.


    But Hao Ren did not have the time to argue with a sword, as the battle against the brain monster had reached the final stage.


    While the brain monster did not join in the fray personally from the get-go, the minions of nightmares and the mutants with the lair that it had summoned was as good as itself, so this was still a battle between Hao Ren, his crew and the brain.


    The multi-layer barrier protecting the brain monster was down to the last two layers. The cells and tissues in charge of creating the barrier were overloaded by the relentless bombardment and were badly damaged. Tainted blood and pus flowed freely from the surface of the platform, and the entire area recoiled in a fit of spasm.


    *Ba-tum, ba-tum*


    Noises sounding like a heartbeat echoed across the lair, and it was getting slower and dimmer. It all pointed to one thing. The nightmarish monster was approaching the end of its life.


    But it still needed one final blow.


    Hao Ren grabbed on to the two shards of the universe as he calculated the rate which the barriers were reduced. He then took bold steps towards the platform.


    The brain monster had also sensed that impending doom was approaching it, and the red glow on its skin shone more and more menacingly. Even the main body itself started convulsing violently as visible contortions started appearing on its hideous skin while countless semi-transparent shadows waved within the twisted air, as though trying to scare off the approaching Hao Ren. It was either that or it was attempting to beg for mercy.


    Hao Ren went forward anyway, and his vision started to blur as his hearing faded. He seemed to hear countless of awful cries within his mind; even the Godslayer¡¯s incessant nagging seemed to have been pushed aside, but¡­


    ¡°This is much weaker than Lockmarton¡¯s.¡±


    Hao Ren mumbled to himself and all the visions disappeared.


    Hao Ren leaped up high as he raised his sword to strike the floating brain monster. Even when Hao Ren was just like a fly before the monstrous brain, it shuddered like a beast facing a massive flood.


    The dreamer had been totally roused from its slumber, and like all freshly awakened beings, it was still sluggish and dazed by the lingering nightmare. That made everything happening in reality unclear to it. Yet, unclear as it may be, it could sense from the falling twin black blades that it had a power that even demi-gods, no¡­ even real gods would cower.


    That power was designed to take on a powerful entity like a god and was meant to wipe out any supernatural beings that have to do with the Mad Lord.


    The brain monster radiated the energies within the air as it let out a soul-piercing howl, and everything before Hao Ren shattered in an instant.


    The entire Lair of Nightmares had disappeared, and in that instant, he found himself standing on a vast plain, with verdant greens and flying birds. The skies were bright and the clouds clear. A warm sun shone brightly in the azure sky, and a herd of cattle was grazing on the plains as the loud call of the herder came from afar.


    Raven 12345 suddenly appeared before him. Majestically and sternly, she spoke. ¡°There¡¯s been a change in the situation. Cease operations and return¡­¡±


    Hao Ren slashed without a second thought.


    The serene scenery shattered right away, and before him was the hideous, puke-inducing wrinkled skin of the brain monster. The Godslayer had destroyed the last of the barrier, and the black blade bit deep into the writhing flesh. A jet of black smog and semi-transparent shadows burst out from the wound as a violent wail rang in Hao Ren¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Impossible! That was the inviolable will! You could not have disobeyed it!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m actually surprised you can recreate her image without actually knowing who she really is. But let me tell you two things,¡± Hao Ren replied using his mind, ¡°First, if that was my boss, neither her expression nor her tone would be like that. She would be complaining to me about her year-end bonus and evaluation before kicking me out of the door!¡±


    The long blades sunk in even deeper, and yet there was still no blood gushing out of the wound. This was because its physical structure was disintegrating, and all its flesh were quickly turning into mist.


    ¡°Secondly, what the hell was that ¡®inviolable will¡¯ crap? You don¡¯t even know her so don¡¯t try to fill in the blanks of our work culture yourself. Our unit takes pride in badmouthing behind her or even arguing with her face to face just for laughs! Get it? That reminded me more of my primary school teacher than anything!¡±


    ¡°Impossible! It should not be like this! There¡¯s no¡­.¡±


    Hao Ren had by then focused all his powers into the two shards of the universe. A layer of radiant light coated the black blades that combined into a forty-meter-long blade and quartered the brain monster. ¡°Well, that¡¯s how we roll!!¡±


    The dreamer then disintegrated, and the illusions across the Lair of Nightmares disappeared. The last of the monster¡¯s will rang within the minds of everyone present. ¡°You don¡¯t know the extent of the power of chaos¡­ you don¡¯t know where the power of nightmares is from¡­ you have broken the gate, and the dream is over. She will wake¡­ It will also wake¡­¡±


    The core of the Lair of Nightmares faded away, and the supernaturally supported dimension could no longer maintain its form. A series of violent shaking meant that the entire area was falling into the crystal pillar layer, and as the quaking went on, Hao Ren¡¯s sight was set above.


    After the brain monster was slain, the flesh and blood vessels connected to the brain and the dome above started to break away as corrosive energies spread from the neural cords, accelerating the collapse of the dimension. Just as the topmost part of the cord broke, Hao Ren saw a massive gaping wound opening on the dome above the lair, as debris of all sizes started falling.


    Among them was a powerful gigantic crystal.


    A few automated drones flew towards the crystal and covered the entire object with a barrier before disappearing into thin air.


    ¡°Cargo aboard. Withdraw!¡±

 Chapter 1623 - : Amantirs End

    The fighting on Amantir started underground, but the scale of the destruction had already spread across the planet¡¯s surface, and half the planet was consumed in a catastrophic disaster. Even from space, the terrifying changes on the planet¡¯s surface were obviously visible.


    Salaman stood on the Aiur¡¯s bridge, watching the images sent in from the external surveillance cameras with his adjutant. Amantir¡¯s image was in the middle of the holographic projection and took up almost three-quarters of the space. Everyone could clearly see that near Amantir¡¯s equator, the entire landmass was buckling and folding upon itself.


    That was where Amantir¡¯s control center was. A massive temple complex there was visible from orbit, and it was now being torn from the middle as continuous explosions trailed along the cracks towards the cluster of buildings nearby. Temples and shrines, big and small, all shook violently as the land they stood on liquefied like melted butter. They were quickly sinking into the heart of the planet, as though a black hole had appeared at the core of the planet and was consuming the planet whole.


    Of course, there were no black holes, and Salaman was very clear on why the planet was collapsing on itself. Like Agodal, Amantir¡¯s internals consisted of a massive cavity with many strong crystal pillars that supported the outer planet crust while they served as energy network nodes. To have the entire crust collapse meant that something incredible must have happened within the crystal pillar layer.


    Before then, Salaman had received an encrypted message, and after decoding it, he found out the plan that Hao Ren and the sprites had developed. When he saw the catastrophic changes to Amantir¡¯s surface, the commander could only gawk in awe, ¡°They really blew the entire crystal pillar layer up¡­¡±


    ¡°Only a part of it,¡± the young adjutant corrected him.


    ¡°But this is still an insane plan,¡± Salaman laughed bitterly as he shook his head. ¡°I have to admit, the creativity of the observers is way above that of us conventional and conservative soldiers. I think any guardians conducting this infiltration mission would not have pulled this off, even if they are able to get into the heart of Amantir.¡±


    ¡°Based on the calculations of the time the planet¡¯s support system is able to hold on after the collapse of the pillars, the combat within the Lair of Nightmares is probably at its end.¡± the young adjutant said, ¡°But we have yet to receive any news about their success. The control center is already coming apart, their time is short.¡±


    ¡°The continuing disintegration of Amantir¡¯s crust is the best possible news, that means the monsters do not have the spare attention to stabilize the planet, and the havoc within the lair itself has not ended.¡± Salaman shook his head before looking to another set of projections, ¡°And the drones have yet to act¡­¡±


    The screen beside him showed the image of the droid army. After the guardians and the droid army had retreated to the area and faced off against the corrupted ones in the distance, the movements of the droids were a mystery to the guardians: A large number of the droids have built layers upon layers of barriers at their rally point and many more other droids came warping into the sector, and all of the new entries were not combat types.


    And a stream of droids kept going in and out of the sector, and at times they could see large units of unknown usage being shipped in as well.


    And in the latest movement, Salaman saw them dragged a few massive crystals into the mysterious ¡®construction zone¡¯. The size of the crystals was like a mountain, and its energy signatures terrifying.


    The droids did not communicate with anyone, and the guardians did not have permission to enter the droids¡¯ base, and using active radar or any other monitoring and surveillance equipment to scan a friendly camp would, of course, be seen as a very provocative signal, so Salaman and his shoulders could only look on at the busy machines working day in and out without a clue of what was going on inside.


    Until noon today, the activity ceased and as the droids seemed to have completed the mission their master had assigned them, and now entered standby mode while they await new orders: They had been in this state ever since.


    As Salaman wondered what the standby droid army was up to, he caught sight of movement of the droids at the outer ring of the camp. They were scattering away, seemingly to make way for something.


    At the same time, the adjutant exclaimed, ¡°Received encrypted transmission. It says. Shadowlord has lifted the Oscars!¡±


    That was one of the weird code words the observers have left him. Salaman did not understand the terms used in the message but he knew exactly what it meant: The observer¡¯s infiltration team was successful!


    They had destroyed the Lair of Nightmares, and have seized the crystal of Amantir!


    ¡°Report! The droid swarms have started moving and they are shutting down the barrier around the base. Massive energy signatures detected within the heart of the swarm! The energy signature is off the charts! Repeat, the energy signature is off the charts!¡±


    ¡°They are going to attack Amantir?¡± Salaman could not help but grip on to the armrest. ¡°The observers have yet to withdraw¡­¡±


    Hao Ren had told him that he had a withdrawal plan in place, but Salaman did not know the details of the plan, and as he saw the movement of the droid swarm he realized that the final assault was about to start, and Amantir would be the focus of all weapons. But until now, he had yet to see Hao Ren and his team escaping the planet.


    As Salaman was feeling curious, a tiny sliver of blue light flashed on the holographic projection.


    The sensitive external monitors noticed the tiny blue light and expanded the image. Salaman was finally able to clearly see that it was an argent starship. The observer¡¯s high tech flagship.


    The argent starship had clearly activated a piece of acceleration equipment, and while it was not using hyperspace engine she had pretty much almost broken light speed. A layer of reinforced shields appeared and covered the entire ship like a drape, at the same time, a moving projection floated across the hull, and on it was two lines of words that Salaman did not recognize.


    Top dog brawler. Galaxy¡¯s Fastest.


    Nolan charged towards the corrupted one¡¯s base like a bolt of lightning, and as she crossed the demarcation line she started deployed her decoy launchers as about ten ellipsoidal metal objects were launched into space and immediately became optical decoys mirroring the Petrachelys. A large number of projections were quickly exchanging places as they charged towards the corrupted one¡¯s defense platforms. The latter had reacted as many interceptors and mutants quickly took to the air as the anti-air cannons roared. Yet Nolan was so fast that none of the corrupted¡¯s tracking and targeting equipment were able to get a bid on her. Meanwhile, the enveloping barrages simply hit the decoys that were left by Nolan.


    Within the collapsing Lair of Nightmares, the swarms of mutants and corrupted monsters had surrounded Hao Ren and the rest as the rampaging mutants and minions of nightmares clashed against the defensive perimeter the automated drones and combat droids had set up. Hao Ren and the rest had retreated to the center of the circle and were using various long-range attacks to take out any enemies that managed to break through.


    Lily, in her mega husky form, was still exhausted from the combat earlier and was lying powerlessly at the back. Y¡¯lisabet and Rollie lay by her bushy tail and were being healed by Nangong Wuyue. In fact, almost everyone had been patched one at least once, and they were taking turns to enter the fray.


    After using a Venomblood Arrow to take out a brain monster hiding in a corner casting an offensive spiritual spell, Vivian turned towards Hao Ren, ¡°Is the homing signal still unstable?¡±


    Hao Ren took a quick glance at the MDT, ¡°The monsters have probably figured that we are withdrawing. Their disruption signals are intense, but we already have a lock-on..¡±


    The MDT followed up loudly, ¡°Nolan is on her way and will arrive in a bit. The dimensional signal is strengthening! I need a bit of time to recalculate the homing marker! Not too long, a few minutes will do!¡±


    Y¡¯zaks casually tore a mutant that had rushed towards him into two, laughing loudly as he tossed the corpse aside. ¡°Hah! That we can manage. After the brain monster¡¯s death, these minions are pretty much pitiful.¡±


    ¡°They are still many though.¡± Nangong Sanba laughed bitterly.


    Hao Ren did not mind that. ¡°Well, they can send more if they want, but they¡¯ll all get blown away.¡±


    Right at that very moment, Nolan broke through Amantir¡¯s orbital and atmospheric defense rings. With an elegant and dangerous anti-parabolic curve, Nolan cut through the equator rift.


    ¡°Homing marker has been re-calibrated! Commencing teleportation!¡±


    A white light enveloped everyone, and within the light, Hao Ren gave the charging mutants a slow-rising middle finger.


    ¡°Goodbye, suc¡ª¡±


    The white light disappeared and everyone disappeared into thin air before the mutants. The only thing left behind was a giant metallic object with a flickering red light on it.


    A few seconds later, a massive explosion ripped through the crust as a mushroom cloud blasted out of the command center.


    And just within these few seconds, Nolan had reached deep space, and everyone on the bridge looked at the mushroom cloud rising slowly. Nangong Sanba could not help but break the silence. ¡°Say, weren¡¯t the droids there were already gonna blast it to pieces? What¡¯s the point of that explosion?¡±


    Hao Ren had an inscrutable look on his face, ¡°What do you know. This is called a character¡¯s mark. Every heroic character will always leave a mark after wreaking havoc. Zorro even leaves a bloody Z mark behind.


    The MDT immediately slammed against Hao Ren¡¯s head, ¡°Those characters leave a letter, a flower or a bloody poker card, and you had to leave a bomb behind, the f*ck are you on?¡±


    Hao Ren did not mind that at all and simply laughed it off as he turned towards the scene in space.


    The startled corrupted army was chasing Nolan like a swarm of locust, but they were thrown far behind as the lady pilot slammed the accelerator, and farther away in deep space, the droid base had opened up. Once all camouflage, barriers, and decoys were taken down, a titanic space structure appeared before everyone.


    This was a facility cobbled together at the last minute, and the mountain-sized crystals were arranged into a spear-shape as a good number of argent metal beams and connecting strobes connected the crystal into one single object, and at the point of the spear tip, a powerful energy torrent had already converged into a globe of blinding light.


    For anyone familiar, these crystals were actually part of CARS¡­


    ¡°The Annihilation Lance¡¯ charging is completed.¡± Nolan¡¯s holographic projection appeared on the bridge and her face excited and smug. ¡°Let¡¯s send those fools that can¡¯t even chase after my fumes to hell!¡±


    Nangong Wuyue immediately raised her tail and poked her brother. ¡°Why does Nolan sound so different ever since she started to drag race.¡±


    ¡°Shhh, softer. Don¡¯t let her hear you.¡±

 Chapter 1624 - After the Battle

    To totally annihilate Amantir, the bridgehead of the forces of chaos, Hao Ren had already gotten his droids to make sufficient preparation.


    This included a massive sensor array specially used to monitor the outward spread of the powers of chaos, and a doomsday weapon with insurmountable destructive powers.


    He had allowed the droids to dismantle CARS¡¯ main defensive cannon, and he had the droids connect it to their fortress-level energy station, turning it into a superweapon that was capable of totally destroying Amantir.


    For so long, CARS had served as the main research and development station, but Hao Ren had not forgotten that the thingamajig was actually a multi-purpose Imperial outpost Raven 12345 had provided him by overstepping her authority. Universally multi-purpose was exactly what it was, word for word. That meant CARS was capable of fulfilling any needs for an inspector¡¯s mission in a foreign universe, including providing protection for good civilizations and blasting evil civilizations into oblivion.


    Of course, CARS itself was not an offensive weapon. Its firepower was more for defensive purposes, so Hao Ren had to do some modification on it to bring it online. Thankfully, his experience as an inspector for the past few years had worked wonders for his creativity, and he soon made the genius idea of having the automated drones lug CARS¡¯ main cannon over for the fireworks¡­


    ¡°It actually activated.¡± The MDT was surprised as it looked at the glowing light in space. ¡°Overloading at 300%¡­ It¡¯ll be wrecked after this shot, and it¡¯ll take about half a month to repair it.¡±


    ¡°We only need one shot anyway.¡± Hao Ren smiled. ¡°We have calculated Amantir¡¯s defensive capabilities and considering that it is already wounded, and the planetary barrier weakened. Plus we have Agodal¡¯s Apocalypse Torrent as back up. If the Annihilation Lance cannot kill it, then Agodal can finish it.¡±


    To destroy an entire planet, one that was being weaponized into a planetary starship, even CARS¡¯ main cannon would be hard-pressed to take out a weapon like that. So the Annihilation Lance that Hao Ren had rushed out was under quite a number of limitations: To use the fortress-grade power station to power the whole thing up resulted in the energy network not being stable, and to get the crystals to produce an off-the-charts destructive power, the entire weapon system was running under overdrive, and it was a one-shot glass cannon. Of course, Amantir¡¯s defense had already been damaged previously, and those factors affected how Hao Ren came to this plan.


    Even though there were many restrictions, Hao Ren believed the freshly rushed out Annihilation Lance would be worth it: He would gain valuable experience from this, and perhaps in a not too far future, he can use the data collected to create an even more practical supermassive planet killer weapon, or even upgrade the droids to fight against a space fortress like Amantir.


    Thinking of the situation within the Plane of Dreams, and the precarious situation with the Mad Lord slowly breaking out of its cage, Hao Ren felt that having more firepower was a smart measure.


    As he considered the future, the Annihilation Lance fired its most breathtaking and only shot.


    Words were not sufficient to describe the majesty and terror induced by the moment. Within the heart of the massive space structure formed by the droids, a blinding white orb, like a new sun rose, and the size of the orb was comparable to a small planet, as the energy of the light orb was bound by the crystal array, then collected and condensed before being amplified and at last shot out as a spear of light towards Amantir in the distance.


    The spear of light¡¯s trajectory broke all laws of time and space as it traveled without delay across the battlefield and smashed against Amantir as soon as it fired. Amantir¡¯s surface barrier shook violently as all sorts of auxiliary defense systems came online, but all this only serve to prolong its misery by an additional few seconds.


    The beam then tore right into the heart of Amantir, and the next second, the entire planet lit up.


    ¡°Lit up¡± was pretty much the only word to describe the scene as the entire planet became a veritable blinding orb of light. Its form became ethereal in an instant as all physical structures disintegrated, the corrupted army, the Lair of Nightmares, the force of madness¡­ all these became a blur and were extinguished alongside the orb of light a few seconds later.


    Mere pieces of debris were all that was left. They were Amantir¡¯s high orbit stations and now that the planet¡¯s gravity was gone, the orbiting stations all drifted away and became dust within the void.


    The Annihilation Lance too suffered a series of explosions as the unmanned installation used for the stabilizing crystal array suffered a catastrophic meltdown and came apart. The crystals from CARS were also blown all over the place. This was indeed a one-shot weapon.


    But thankfully, the crystals itself were very tough and while they were damaged by the explosion, they were not totally destroyed.


    Salaman looked on in awe at the astonishing scene until the explosion and the light faded.


    This strength of the attack surpassed even Agodal¡¯s Apocalypse Torrent. For such a powerful weapon, it was only set up at the last minute in a few days by a group of droids. Agodal¡¯s doomsday weapon would need at least tens of minutes to charge up before firing, but this odd weapon needed only a few minutes of warm-up before firing¡­


    This was akin to an apocalyptic battlefield where the two armies had been pounding at each other for hundreds of year without any clear victor, and suddenly, a group of engineers came along with hammers, axes, and pliers, setting up a catapult and blasting the opponent¡¯s fortress into dust with the first lob¡­


    Salaman felt that even as a one-use weapon, its overwhelming power was enough to negate any shortcomings.


    The Petrachelys had now docked on friendly grounds. After a short rest, Hao Ren and the rest went aboard the Aiur to meet Salaman.


    Vivian smiled as she looked at the guardian giant who wore a difficult expression. ¡°The war has ended, Commander.¡±


    ¡°Just¡­ like¡­ that¡­¡± Salaman was conflicted as he said the words. With an almost-sigh, he continued, ¡°We have fought for thousands of years, and the sacred ground was almost lost, and it just somehow ended so suddenly. There¡¯s nothing left of Amantir, it¡¯s really¡­¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t feel real right?¡± Vivian smiled understandingly. ¡°A thousand-year-long struggle with this sickness is suddenly cured one fine morning. Anyone would feel lost. The same happened with me when both my memory lost and mental split were cured that day. Relax, and trust in the truth. This war has ended.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Salaman and the other guardian giants standing not too far away. He understood how they felt. ¡°Seems like everyone needs to rest and recuperate. I too need to calculate the losses of my droid swarms and to fix whatever is needed. How about this, let¡¯s go back to the Core and let the soldiers rest. As for the battlefield, leave it to the engineering droids to clean it up, they won¡¯t tire anyway.¡±


    Salaman had no reason to object, and while he wanted to commence the cleanup and reconstruction of the sacred system, he knew his soldiers needed rest, so he agreed to Hao Ren¡¯s suggestion.


    Leaving the droids on clean-up duty behind, the two armies warped back to the Core.


    After a day¡¯s rest, everyone seemed much more refreshed, and many of the post-combat works were now on course.


    The war had ended, and the force of madness threatening this sacred ground was totally wiped out, but the headache following it had just begun.


    First, they needed to perform an in-depth and total scan of Star Cluster X: Hao Ren and Salaman were worried if the minions of madness would have escaped from the earlier battlefield. Due to the foul nature of the force of madness, the escape of any high-level mutants would definitely cause trouble down the line. So Hao Ren had ordered the droid swarm to set up high-sensitivity sensor arrays in all control zones and sent patrols with mobile scanning stations to perform a dragnet sweep of the system. At the same time, Salaman had activated the system¡¯s divine power network to search for any data on the minions of madness, not letting anything escape their pursuit.


    Then it was the reconstruction works for the Core and the surrounding facilities, and that Hao Ren did not need to worry. Salaman and his army were already pumped up and have busied themselves, with Hao Ren providing a troop of engineering drones to help out.


    Next on the agenda was dealing with the Throne of Destiny and the Weaves of Destiny. Now that the war had ended, and the Core was safe, Salaman had to bring the matter up again: even if Vivian would not sit on the throne, the activation of the system for studying was needed.


    Hao Ren agreed without any objections but before officially commencing the study of the Throne of Destiny, he had two other pressing issues to attend to¡ªthe crystal of Amantir that he had just snatched back, and the sprites within the MDT¡¯s hard disk.


    The droids have uprooted and relocated the cutting edge all-purpose research lab from the Executor¡¯s planet to the Core, and while the lab was not as well equipped as the science center in CARS, it was still capable of analysis the three crystals. The crystals of Naqdal, Agodal, and Amantir were finally reunited, and they were placed at the center of the lab¡¯s main hall. Three autonomous anti-gravity platforms held them in place while a large number of droids and analyzers darted back and forth, testing and analyzing the three crystals.


    As he looked at the crystal of Amantir on platform three, Hao Ren sighed. ¡°As you can see, the thousand-year-long corruption of the dreamer has affected the crystal. While the goddess did provide protection, the corruption still occurred.¡±


    Salaman was not there personally (his massive frame would make it difficult for him to move alongside Hao Ren), but instead used a floating holographic projection to communicate. His projection also looked up the crystal, his voice solemn. ¡°¡­The corruption is visible. This is much worse than we thought.¡±


    Hao Ren sighed again. ¡°It¡¯s actually much better than I expected. At least the crystal is intact, and was not turned into fuel by those crazy bastards.¡±

 Chapter 1625 - Solving the Problems

    Since taking charge of messes like the Plane of Dreams, Hao Ren had become more matured, at least mentally.


    Having to deal with various ruined civilizations, planetary wrecks, and divine artifacts, especially ancient demigods like Lockmarton, Hao Ren had earned himself the moniker of Bomb Maniac and the Undertaker from his counterparts. He had also acquired nerves of steel in facing all kinds of situations. There was a saying that after working in the morgue for a long time, one would feel at home in the combat zone of the Middle East.


    When the dust finally settled, and Hao Ren had gotten his hands on the Amantir crystal, the contamination no longer seemed to be a big deal to him.


    The contamination was a nasty problem, though.


    Over Platform 3, the Amantir crystal was quietly suspended in the air. It had the same volume and shape as the other two crystals, but the color had changed entirely. The crystal-clear surface was filled with patterns that looked like blood veins, and shadows and dark-red spots on the inside. But these contaminations were nothing compared to the large black spurs that grew out of the underside of the crystal. Some spurs had signs of breakage that seemed to suggest something were once attached to them.


    Not long ago, the nerves that extended out from the brain were connected to these spurs.


    ¡°The infestation of the Mad Lord has stopped. With the loss of the source of contamination, the chaotic forces that leeched on the crystal could be no longer capable of spreading secondary infection.¡± Salaman said. ¡°But the damage to the crystal is irreversible. Its structure has distorted, and in this case, the possibility of Amantir crystal resonating with the other two is low.¡±


    ¡°I am examining the equipment here.¡± Hao Ren nodded slowly. ¡°Collecting and repairing the distorted data by way of deduction and reverse engineering, and reproducing the data of the road signs inside the crystal virtually virtualize is the best way I can think of.¡±


    Salaman nodded in agreement. ¡°Good idea. But I am afraid that merely restore the data is not good enough. We still need the physical structure of the crystal, and it is not so easy to reproduce it physically.¡±


    ¡°If it really does not work, I can only get help from my superior.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°In all likelihood, the goddess would nag me.¡±


    At this time, Salaman already knew about Hao Ren¡¯s background and that an outside god was behind him. The old giant was startled upon hearing what Hao Ren said. ¡°Is it okay for you pass comment about your goddess?¡±


    Hao Ren waved his hand carelessly. ¡°It¡¯s just our culture. By the way, MDT, how are the sprites doing?¡±


    The MDT sounded as if it had gone through the vicissitudes of something. ¡°It is not easy, but at long last, all of them have been unloaded. The guardian giant has provided a new set of node crystals, and the ahoge sprites have been transferred to the new crystals. Now, they should be having fun with their little friends.¡±


    Hao Ren could not help but look into the distance. Earlier, he was still worried about whether the sprites with a stupid dark-red hair on their heads had any problem after reunited with their fellow sprites. After all, the power of the Mad Lord had once contaminated them, and sprites were a super-chicken and neurotic species. It was hard to say if the healthy sprites would not be scared the daylights out of them when they saw their fellow ahoge sprites. But it turned out that Hao Ren¡¯s worries were unfounded. It was not because the sprites had suddenly grown some guts, but it was just that the healthy sprites did not know that the sprites from Amantir had once been infected. Even if they were to learn the truth, they would have completely forgotten about the matter after playing with the Amantir sprites for three minutes.


    Even if he massacres their entire family, the sprites would not feel a thing unless they are witnessing it with their own eyes, Hao Ran thought to himself.


    Everyone could not put the matter at the back of their mind knowing that the sprites were in good hands. After leaving the lab, Hao Ren began to talk about another thing that still lingered in his mind.


    ¡°Could the Denizens of the Stars recover?¡±


    Everyone could not help but look up at the sky where the planet Heart was.


    The thick recharging clouds were blocking their line of sight. It was impossible for people standing on the surface to see space above the clouds, let alone the crystalized shield that shrouded the sacred land. But as everyone knew, the minds and lives of the 3,000 Denizens of the Stars were up there, on the planet that had been staying the same for thousands of years.


    ¡°They no longer responded to the outside world since three thousand years ago,¡± Salaman said in his holographic image softly. His voice carried a hint of lamentation and sadness. ¡°The impact has destroyed many souls of the Denizens of the Stars. I am afraid their remaining souls have also diminished during the war that has raged on for the last thousands of years.¡±


    The meaning of the words of the old giant could not be more apparent.


    ¡°The war is over, but not a single one of them wake up?¡± Lily¡¯s ears dropped. ¡°I feel sad.¡±


    A crystal held on a metal suspension ring floated silently up before them. Asurman¡¯s voice came from inside the crystal. ¡°For those of us, the ancients, it is an honor to die on the battlefield. I think my fellow comrades have no regrets.¡±


    ¡°I am sincerely impressed by your faithfulness to the goddess of creation,¡± Y¡¯zaks said. ¡°There were many deities in my homeworld. Some of them were almost fanatic, but I had never seen any gods who had died for 10,000 years and still had faithful followers like you all who sought for her with no regrets. I am not surprised if the guardian giants display the same faith to the goddess of creation who has created them, but what you all have done for her was beyond me.¡±


    Asurmen was silent for a moment, and then a pleasant sound as if of the wind chimes came out of the crystal. ¡°It has nothing to do with loyalty or faith. Every Ancient has memories of the dark and chaotic period, and only because of this experience, we understand how precious orderliness was under the goddess.


    ¡°You probably could not understand how the period was like because you had never experienced it. Or the more so when it comes to how important the appearance of the goddess of creation to us. We had never thought that there could be a goddess as kind and friendly as her in existence in the chaotic and dangerous universe. The Mad Lord was also a god or godlike being. But it was terrible, wild, and cruel in contrast to the goddess of creation who was equally powerful but had mercy and the willingness to save us. Her appearance had not just change the fate of the Ancients but also the trajectory of the universe and all living beings.


    ¡°So, we are acting with a faith that is purer than loyalty and belief. If you must say it; it is another form of extreme loyalty. We fight for the goddess of creation and the order of her creation. For every Ancient, maintaining this order is part of the truth, the natural law of the universe on which we depend and survive.¡±


    ¡°Whether a deity could gain eternality does not depend on its power but actions,¡± said Y¡¯zaks. ¡°The ones in my homeworld quickly self-proclaimed to be gods just because they occupied half of the planes and felt that it would last forever. But they forever could never understand this point.¡±


    Hao Ren had an urge to join the lamentations, but when the image of Raven 12345 holding a bowl of noodles appearing in his mind, he could not agree more with the words of Y¡¯zaks.


    The actions of a deity determine it.


    For example, about the issue of image.


    No matter how bad the image of Raven 12345 in Hao Ren¡¯s mind, he needed her help this time.


    The analysis of the Weaves of Destiny hit a roadblock.


    While the post-war reconstruction work began, Hao Ren also started on the study of the Weaves of Destiny. He did not want Vivian to sit on the throne recklessly, but it also did not mean that he was not interested in the ¡®miracle¡¯ of the goddess of creation. So, he handed the work to the Crapple Research Station (CARS) and the drone cluster. The drones would be the operator on the Heart, sending back data and intelligence to the CARS computer for analysis. Now, Hao Ren had the first report in hand.


    ¡°The core command has a severe defect? More than 90% of the instructions are not enforceable?¡±


    Hao Ren could not help but exclaim with surprise.


    The MDT, which was also connected with CARS, said, ¡°That¡¯s right. The scientific drones established a direct connection with the system of the Throne of Destiny with the help of the sprites and successfully read its core program. But then, this problem cropped up. There is a problem with the core database, which is used to activate the Weaves of Destiny. Almost all boot instructions are corrupted. It was also the reason for the sudden blue-screen when Vivian tried to connect to the Weaves of Destiny.¡±


    ¡°How could it be? No doubt that the festered army has caused severe damage to the sacred land, but they have never really broken into the defense of the Heart. The Throne of Destiny has remained unscathed for the last thousands of years, how could it be a problem? Hao Ren was all the more baffled. ¡°Could there be sabotage?¡±


    ¡°Concerning this, I have found something,¡± the MDT said. ¡°The sprites guarding the sacred land have been troubleshooting for many days, but they have never found the real cause of the BSOD until we get involved. I have pinpointed the problem with the computer of CARS.¡±


    Lily, who listened on with interest, suddenly chimed in and said, ¡°The problem is with the sprites?¡±


    ¡°No, it is not with the sprites,¡± the MDT said. ¡°I have studied the workflow of the sprites. They troubleshot the system by comparing it with the holographic snapshots, which were taken on the day after the completion of the Weaves of Destiny. The snapshots have detailed records of all the original parameters of the network, with which the sprites compared the actual network parameters to find the faults.¡±


    The truth suddenly dawned on Hao Ren.


    This Weaves of Destiny was flawed right from the beginning!

 Chapter 1626 - Reunion of the Guardian Giants

    Hao Ren was embarrassed when he told Salaman the truth. It meant that the guardian giants¡¯ efforts for the past thousands of years had suddenly become meaningless. The Weaves of Destiny was flawed from the very beginning. Even if Vivian, whom the guardians called the Lord of the Throne and whom they had been waiting for the entire time, had arrived, the goddess of creation¡¯s plan was still unlikely to succeed.


    Hao Ren did not intend to hide the truth because the guardian giants deserved to know everything about the Weaves of Destiny. And he believed that Salaman would not lose his fighting spirit.


    Things turned out as Hao Ren had expected. Salaman was silent for a long moment after he learned about the flaw of the Weaves of Destiny. He was emotionally unstable for a while, but in the end, he pulled through and shook his head with a sense of relief. ¡°It does not matter; after all, we have completed the job that our mother has given to us.¡±


    ¡°We would¡¯ve inevitably had to postpone the activation of the Weaves of Destiny.¡± Hao Ren was careful with his choice of words. ¡°It has a serious design problem, and it is beyond our level of expertise to fix it. I will have to refer to my boss.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Salaman nodded. ¡°We have been waiting here for 10,000 years; we do not mind waiting a few more years. There is no more threat from the freaks. For the Guardian Legion, this has been a long-awaited moment.¡±


    Looking at the giant commander, it reminded Hao Ren about something he had thought of before. ¡°Apart from rebuilding the facilities here, do you have anything else to do?¡±


    Curiously, Salaman looked at Hao Ren. ¡°The Guardian Legion is freer than ever. What can we do for you? Just say it, and we will spare no effort.¡±


    ¡°No, I am not asking for help, but something better.¡± Hao Ren waved. ¡°Do you not want to meet your other fellow guardian giants? There are only three of them, though.¡±


    Salaman¡¯s eyes brightened up. ¡°Ahh, the three guardian giants you mentioned before?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. They are in my base and looking forward to the reunion.¡± Hao Ren had a smile across his face. ¡°At first, I thought of bringing them over here. But as you know, the war is just over, and there is nothing to see except ruins over here. So, are you and your subordinates interested in seeing the world outside the X-Galaxy? In a place called Tannagost, the ecosystem that the goddess of creation has left behind is recovering. I think that it would be a good place for your exhausted army to unwind.¡±


    Salaman was a little hesitant. ¡°But the reconstruction work here¡ª¡±


    ¡°The drones will handle most of the reconstruction work. You just have to give them the blueprint, and they could even make you an Amantir.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°And I did not say you have to bring the entire army at one go. They can take turns.¡±


    Salaman was moved. Vivian quickly chimed in. ¡°The outside world needs you too. We have found many of the goddess of creation¡¯s legacies, and the reconstruction at the Gate of Solenne needs people. The drones might be good helpers, but I think that you guy, the guardian giants, must be keen to participate in the reconstruction. Instead of sitting idle in the X-Galaxy, why not go out to see the world?¡±


    Salaman¡¯s poker face finally let out a rare smile. ¡°I have no reason to decline.¡±


    There was no way that the Petrachelys could transport all of the giants at once. Even with the use of its science-defying expandable compartment, a six-digit number of guardian giants was too much for it to handle. So, the guardian giants would ride their own black battleships to Tannagost.


    Many of the guardian battleships were heavily damaged during the battle earlier. The damage of the super-sized motherships was especially severe because the festered army had given them ¡®special attention¡¯ in the battle. These spaceships would have to dock at the spaceports for months pending repair before they could fly again. But Hao Ren did not have to bring the entire Guardian Legion to Tannagost. Only one-third of them would go at a time. So, even if some battleships had to be on standby at the planet Heart, there would be enough spaceships for the guardian giants to go to Tannagost.


    The drones had built a large base near to the planetary system of the Heart, and one of the main things in the base was a super-sized warp-jump accelerator. This accelerator would allow a large number of over-sized guardian spacecraft to keep up with the speed of the Petrachelys. At this moment, hundreds of black spaceships were queuing up at the starting point of the accelerator, and leading the fleet was a small silver-white spacecraft.


    ¡°Beacon is ready. Flightpath is clear. Ready for warp jump.¡± Nolan stood on the bridge of the Petrachelys with a smile spread across her face. She looked back (with the flip of the camera) at the massive fleet of spacecraft behind her. ¡°Hey, boss, I¡¯m the flagship of the fleet!¡±


    ¡°I know, I know. You¡¯ve repeated it for like ten times.¡± Hao Ren sat on the captain¡¯s seat and glanced at the shipgirl helplessly. ¡°Look how carried away you are; you are not even the size of their antennas.¡±


    ¡°It is because of the tonnage difference that I should be proud of,¡± Nolan said with her armed crossed. ¡°There is only convincing because of the comparison, and sense of existence because of the contrast. I told you what, I have already taken pictures and will post them on the forum so that those rookies will learn what it means by combat strength. It is not something that they could achieve simply by swapping the engine and stuff like that. They will know that I am the boss who commands an interstellar battlegroup. Oh, by the way, I can also show off the photos of the battle scenes when back home.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Nolan, dumbstruck. Suddenly, it felt as if his pet cat, which had suddenly learned how to selfie and surf the social media, went on to show off her catfight photos online.


    On the soft cushion not far away, Rollie, who was lying there getting some shuteye, suddenly looked up at Hao Ren. When she found that no one was calling her, she meowed and laid back down, continuing with her fishy dreams.


    The rings on the accelerator track glowed. The fleet began to accelerate and fade gradually.


    ¡°Warp jump begins. Destination: CARS, Tannagost.¡±


    When the fleet came out of the warp jump, the image of planet Tannagost showed up on the monitors of every spaceship. A crystal-clear fortress like a mythical creature was suspended above the planet and shining brightly in space like the temple of the gods in mythology.


    CARS sent a welcome message. It was the first time the space station that was as large as a small moon had such a large number of visitors. But it had enough built-in docking berths to accommodate the entire fleet.


    The lower part of the space station lit up and silently opened like petals, from which hundreds of long bridges with a graceful curvature stretched out into space. As light scattering out from the crystal bridges, they materialized into berths.


    ¡°Welcome to the Crapple Research Station, the bridgehead of the Observer in this universe and the base from where the forces of the Order launch counterattacks against the Mad Lord.¡± The holographic image of Hao Ren appeared on the Aiur. ¡°Commander, I hope you enjoy your stay.¡±


    ¡°I saw the planet.¡± Salaman¡¯s attention was more on Tannagost, and he seemed emotional. ¡°Just as you have said, the habitable planet is recovering. I can feel the power of our mother surging on the surface of the planet. Ahh, how many years have passed since we last felt the air of life and order?¡¯


    Hao Ren smiled. He knew that Salaman was referring to the air of the lifeblood on Tannagost. The Heart was also an important legacy of the goddess of creation, but she had suppressed her aura when she built the sacred land to ensure that the Weaves of Destiny could run as usual after her death. Until now, there was still contamination from the minions of the Mad Lord on the planet. So, when the guardian giants saw Tannagost, they could not help but become emotional.


    ¡°No worries. CARS is only a transit point. The space station has a teleporting facility that can send everyone directly to the surface. You can visit the planet after docking your spaceships here. Most of the places are still wilderness, and the cities and settlements were of the Zorm Civilization. You¡ª¡±


    ¡°We will not disturb them,¡± Salaman said before Hao Ren finished. The old giant smiled. ¡°Do not worry, we might not be born as gardeners, but Mother had taught every guardian giant the same things. I have heard that the Zorm Civilization has just come out of a crisis and built their cities, a large group of giants might cause a lot of troubles to them. But then again, do they need help? It is not easy to rebuild civilization from scratch.¡±


    ¡°Muru is looking after them.¡± Hao Ren shook his head with a smile. ¡°And the Zormese is very self-reliant. They have reduced receiving food rations from me since last years. It has been only two years, yet they are ready to be self-sufficient in food.¡±


    Salaman nodded in agreement. ¡°Many times, the mortals show some amazing quality. No wonder that Mother liked them so much. Compared to ¡®power¡¯ that could be readily acquired through various means, quality arising from within is more important.¡±


    Thirty minutes later, Salaman and the first batch of guardian giants had arrived on the surface of Tannagost via teleportation.


    It was impossible to send hundreds of thousands of guardian giants to the same place at one time, so Hao Ren had chosen a vast wasteland in the north of the planet as the landing spot. The giants landed in dozens of batches in different places in the wilderness. After the landing, it was Salaman and his men¡¯s turn to think about how to organize their visits.


    With Muru as the leader, Lemendusa and Heve met their fellow giants at last. After accepting the fact that the entire guardian giant race had vanished and that they were the only remnants, they were now seeing so many fellow guardian giants before their eyes.


    It was the first time Hao Ren seeing the guardian giants cried as they embraced each other.

 Chapter 1627 - A Short Trip Home

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Knowing that the guardian giants did not need his help at the moment, Hao Ren came to a hill at the edge of the northern wasteland.


    It was there that Muru and his two friends had built a small camp.


    The camp was constructed when the Tannagost ecosystem had just begun to revive. The three guardian giants watched the recovery process of the planet until the Zormese could take root on the planet and build a settlement near the wilderness. After that, the camp was abandoned. Today, the abandoned fields showed little decay. The grass around the area was trimmed, and there was even a new stone road extending from the hillside. Under the stone pillar carved by Heve, Hao Ren saw some fresh flowers and a few colored stones.


    Hao Ren was there for sightseeing and meditation, but the things in the camp had aroused his curiosity. As he was about to leave to ask Muru and Heve about it, someone approached.


    He hid in a corner and waited. Before long, a few people came from the stone road. They were young men and women, and the oldest of them was no more than eighteen years of age. They were wearing grayish-white uniforms of the residents from the nearby town. Judging from the condition of their clothes and the stains on their sleeves, they should be workers from some factory.


    Hao Ren watched with curiosity as the youngsters stopped in front of Heve¡¯s stone pillar. A young girl laid flowers on the ground while the two boys took out painted stones from their pockets and put them there as well. Apparently, they were the ones who left behind the ¡°sacrifices¡± earlier.


    The youngsters did not stay for long. They walked around the camp, had come chatters and left after laying down the sacrifices. It seemed that they were regulars here.


    Hao Ren came out from his hiding place after the youngsters left. Soon after, a distorted light curtain appeared nearby as Lemendusa and Heve emerged from the light.


    ¡°The children come every week,¡± said Heve. The giant has the gentleness of a woman. When she mentioned the young people, she had a smile on her face. ¡°They are from a town not far from the foot of the mountain, where there is plenty of water and some open-pit metal deposits. The Zormese built a settlement there after discovering the ore deposits, and they have been doing well.¡±


    ¡°They are worshipping you two?¡± Hao Ren looked curiously at the two giants in front of him. ¡°I thought that Zorm people would not restart their religious activities any time soon after just coming out from the virtual world?¡±


    ¡°Religion is a part of their society. They were devout followers of the goddess of creation before they built a refuge in virtual space,¡± said Heve. ¡°But these children did not come here because of religious activities. It was just that I helped their town earlier. We never asked for any return, but the Zormese stubbornly insisted on doing something for us. So, the people in the town decided to express their gratitude this way.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled and said, ¡°Just to say thank you? It seems that you must have done them a big favor.¡±


    ¡°It is insignificant compared with what you have done for them.¡± Heve glanced at Hao Ren with a smile. ¡°Have you forgotten that you are their savior, their second faith? They have altars in dedication to you in every settlement.¡±


    Hao Ren almost choked himself. ¡°Cough, cough, cough¡­ They even have time to do this?¡±


    ¡°They need to find the spiritual strength to compensate for the materialistic shortage,¡± Lemendusa said. ¡°I know you don¡¯t need this, but they do.¡±


    ¡°They refuse to accept a higher ration. Instead, they insist on achieving self-reliance and thanking me for it. These compatriots of Nolan are a bunch of weird guys,¡± Hao Ren said as he looked up at Lemendusa. ¡°By the way, why don¡¯t you two spend more time with your fellow guardian giants?¡±


    ¡°We have already done that, and it is not like we won¡¯t see each other anymore, Lemendusa replied. ¡°I heard that you have built a warp-jump accelerator in Star Cluster X, making traveling to-and-fro between Star Cluster X and Tannagost convenient.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you can visit the Heart if you want. The goddess of creation has left something amazing there,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°By the way, where are Loken and the others?¡±


    ¡°They are helping adjust the antenna system of the crystal spaceship of Asurmen, who seems to have made some progress in intercepting signals from the dark abyss. They cannot leave now,¡± Heve said. ¡°And¡­ Loken and the others might be giants, but Mother only created them during the last era. Perhaps that is the reason why they do not find it close with the ¡®distant relatives¡¯ like us from a prior era.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s mouth twitched. It must be the most significant generation gap in history; the difference of 18,000 years is long enough to produce two distinct species, he thought to himself.


    There was silence. Just when Heve struggled to find something to say, Hao Ren suddenly broke the silence. ¡°I bet you two come here not just for some chitchat with me. Am I right?¡±


    ¡°It looks that I am not really used to euphemistic exchange,¡± Lemendusa said with a self-deprecating smile. ¡°Yes, we have some questions for you.¡±


    It did not come as a surprise to Hao Ren. ¡°Is it concerning the Creation¡¯s Engine? Salaman has told you?¡±


    ¡°Not only the Creation¡¯s Engine but also about our mother and the unusual words and deeds of her last moment,¡± Lemendusa said calmly. ¡°We know you have been keeping something from us, but we know you have no bad intention. Now, you can tell us what is it?¡±


    Hao Ren sighed. ¡°I knew this day would come. Where should I start? Maybe, let me begin with when the goddess of creation started to have a split personality after the Mad Lord tainted her.¡±


    It was a long story. Muru and Lemendusa came to the hill halfway during the storytelling. The four guardian giants sat cross-legged at the foothills as Hao Ren sat on the stone pillar telling the stories of the Mythological era.


    After Hao Ren finished laying bare all the historical truths before the guardian giants, it was dusk.


    Some bright stars were already visible in the dimming sky. The most brilliant among these bright spots were the CARS, which looked like a round moon in the air.


    Lemendusa let out a sigh. ¡°I see. That explains everything.¡±


    ¡°I did not tell you earlier because I was worried that it could affect you negatively before I could figure out what really happened,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°But the plan did not go as planned; I did not expect Salaman to come into the picture, and I did not know the truth of the Creation¡¯s Engine would be so impactful.¡±


    ¡°You have underestimated the guardian giants,¡± Muru said. But by no mean, he was chiding Hao Ren. ¡°We have experienced the horrible deicidal war, and yet it did not kill us. What else are we afraid of?¡±


    ¡°The deicidal war was only a war between good and evil. However, the goddess of creation¡¯s self-division and the many things she did while she was tainted were not easily acceptable.¡± Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°That was what I was concerned about at that time.¡±


    ¡°No, your concerns were legit. Frankly speaking, the truth really came as a shock to me,¡± said Lemendusa. ¡°But for us, she is our mother. She is kind and merciful, wise, and powerful. The part that the Mad Lord tainted and split was not the real her. It was just a deformed and chaotic monster that hijacked her body. No sane guardian giants will hesitate to confront such a split body.¡±


    ¡°That will be great,¡± said Hao Ren. ¡°About the Creation¡¯s Engine¡ª¡±


    ¡°The Creation¡¯s Engine is not the only solution,¡± Heve said before waiting for Hao Ren to finish. She looked at him with fire in her eyes. ¡°I do not dare to say that I know everything about you, but at least I know one thing: you will not sit by and watch the Creation¡¯s Engine complete its mission. Am I right?¡±


    Muru and Lemendusa were silent as if they were in thought. Meanwhile, Salaman looked at Hao Ren and his three fellow guardian giants in surprise. He barely knew Hao Ren and had no idea what this Observer could do. He also wondered why his three compatriots had shown such confidence in Hao Ren.


    After a moment of silence, Hao Ren told of his intention. ¡°First of all, we can safely rule out that the Creation¡¯s Engine is under the influence of the Mad Lord. Instead, the goddess of creation designed it on her own free will. Therefore, Lemendusa, I hope you can finish the Creation¡¯s Engine.¡±


    Noticing the surprised look on Lemendusa and Heve¡¯s faces, Hao Ren waved his hand and said, ¡°Wait a minute. Let me finish. I do not mean to let the Creation¡¯s Engine work under the original plan. Even if we can finish the Creation¡¯s Engine, we still lack nine other Gilded Discs. Without those Gilded Discs, we cannot activate the Creation¡¯s Engine.¡±


    Lemendusa looked at Hao Ren curiously. ¡°You mean¡ª¡±


    ¡°Xi Ling technology is number one in the world.¡± Hao Ren revealed a mysterious smile. ¡°I have collected a vast amount of information on the Creation¡¯s Engine at the Heart. Together with the data extracted from the Weaves of Destiny, I believe we can already crack the high-tech gadget. I need to return to the Surface World and see the neurotic goddess. But we must at least get the shell done so that work will be much easier later.¡±


    Salaman could not help but whisper at Muru, ¡°It is not the first I hear him name-calling his own goddess. What is his relationship with her?¡±


    ¡°The last time I asked, it was a contractual relationship. But before that, he said it was a doctor-patient relationship.¡± Muru scratched his head. ¡°I have no idea what is the real situation, but one thing is for sure¡ªhe has a true goddess behind him.¡±


    Salaman was dumbstruck.


    After that, Hao Ren returned to the Surface World, and this time, he had brought his boss a ton of information.

 Chapter 1628 - Transforming Noobie

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren had obtained a humongous amount of information during his trip to the Plane of Dreams this time. Whether it was about the Weaves of Destiny or the truth about the goddess of creation¡¯s ultimate plan, it changed all his prior understandings of the incidents in the Plane of Dreams. With such findings in his hands, Hao Ren did not spend a long time at home after he returned to the Surface World. He quickly sorted out his report and rushed out to see Raven 12345 in the divine realm.


    There, he was going to pick up Noobie, whom he had temporarily placed in the custody of the goddess.


    He wondered how the little one was doing in the hands of the neurotic goddess. Perhaps Raven 12345 was not able to influence Noobie much. After all, Noobie was brainless to the point that even the power of Lockmarton could not affect her one bit.


    Entering Raven 12345¡¯s domain by teleportation, Hao Ren found that everything still looked familiar. Raven 12345 had not blown up her own big mansion, while the garden was still filled with lush greenery and nicely trimmed.


    Apparently, the goddess had just rebuilt the house.


    Hao Ren followed an arcane servant and came to Raven 12345¡¯s office. Upon entering the mansion, he was sure that it was a newly constructed building; he could not even smell the slightest trace of noodles in here as if the goddess had not even had her first meal after the reconstruction.


    Raven 12345 sat behind her desk as if she was busy at work. She had noticed that Hao Ren did not even talk to her but looking around upon entering her office. ¡°What are you doing here? I heard that you have made a huge discovery in the Plane of Dreams,¡± Raven 12345 said.


    Hao Ren came to his senses and reached into his pocket to take out the MDT before tossing it to Raven 12345. He then found his favorite spot and flung himself into the chair. ¡°See for yourself. The findings are so freaking awesome, and I cannot tell all in a few sentences. By the way, where is Noobie?¡±


    ¡°Is this how you talk to your superior?¡± Raven 12345 rolled her eyes as she took the MDT from Hao Ren. ¡°Not to mention that I am a true goddess; show some respect! ¨CJust a moment, I get Noobie out.¡±


    With the snap of her fingers, a small portal appeared over the table. Amid the flashing light, a little figure lunged out. It was the mini-version of Vivian¡ªNoobie.


    The little guy ran in a circle on the table before she finally noticed Hao Ren was there. She stopped and looked at him, and for a while, their eyes met.


    ¡°Eeee¡ª¡± The little guy threw her hands in the air and made a sound. She then ran up to Hao Ren and stretched out her hands and hissed.


    Hao Ren was startled, feeling that Noobie seemed to be different since he last saw her a month ago. ¡°What does she mean?¡± He scratched his head.


    Raven 12345 waved her hand without looking up. ¡°She is asking for food. I have not cooked yet.¡±


    Flabbergasted, Hao Ren reached into his dimensional pocket to get some food for Noobie. ¡°Something is not right. I remember she would fire energy bolts at me every time she saw me even if she was hungry. How come she now ¡®talk¡¯ nicely?¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s dimensional pocket had everything in it like a grocery store. Apart from the mission equipment, the daily necessities that everyone in the family needed were in there, just in case he needed them to go on a mission with him. Noobie had no other needs aside from food, so Hao Ren had reserved a space for storing only raw meat.


    He took out a slice of meat, which he had precut, and gave it to Noobie. The little guy jumped for joy and snapped the meat slice. Just as she was about to tuck into the meat slice, Raven 12345 suddenly snorted. ¡°Oy! Have you forgotten something?¡±


    The little guy paused with the meat still in her hands as if she was collecting her thoughts. After a while, Noobie came to her senses. She bent over at Hao Ren. It looked as if a bow, clumsy and almost to the point of lying flat on the ground. But apparently, it was a gesture of saying thank you.


    Hao Ren¡¯s expression froze.


    He glanced at the mini Vivian, who sat on the table and began to gnaw at the meat slice, struck dumb. ¡°How did you do this? You have tamed the brainless Malevolence?¡±


    ¡°Pff!¡± Raven 12345 put on a face with an expression that said ¡®I am a G and this little thing is nothing to me.''¡±She is not really brainless. It is just that her mind is a mess, and her soul is distorted. That is why she looks as if she is brainless. Perhaps she is unsalvageable in the hands of others but not me¡ªthe goddess, a true god! I have come up with a plan to transform her. And this is just the beginning!¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Noobie and then Raven 12345 in disbelief. ¡°Are you not supposed to spend your time saving the world? Here you are busily playing with Noobie. Are you sure it is all right if your believers find out?¡±


    Noobie looked up at Hao Ren and the goddess while she chewed the meat in her mouth. She seemed to have heard them talking about her, but seeing that they both did not bother her, Noobie lowered her head and continued having her meal.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about Noobie now.¡± Hao Ren steered the conversation away from this trivial topic. ¡°Anyway, thanks for looking after this little guy. You have taught her well.¡±


    Raven 12345 smiled. ¡°Of course, I, the goddess do nothing by halves. What¡¯s more, it helps me understand the interference of the Mad Lord¡¯s power on the goddess of creation¡¯s inceptions.¡±


    While speaking, Raven 12345 had already finished reading the report. She paused for a few seconds before smiling spuriously at Hao Ren, who found it creepy. ¡°What does that expression mean? You¡¯re giving me goosebumps!¡±


    ¡°I cannot help but feel like giving myself a pat on the back for unearthing a talent like you.¡± Raven 12345 put the MDT on the table and let out a sigh. ¡°You always surprise me every time you come back from a trip. This time, the surprise is more astounding than I have expected. It has solved many mysteries.¡±


    Seeing the look on Raven 12345¡¯s face, Hao Ren finally realized the significance of his findings, which were even more profound than he had first thought. So he asked, ¡°About the goddess of creation¡¯s self-destruction plan¡ª¡±


    ¡°In the eyes of trained gods like us, her plan is full of flaws. But considering that she did not even figure out who she was, it was the best a ¡®wild deity¡¯ could have ever achieved. I am impressed,¡± Raven 12345 said. ¡°But now the things are laid bare before me, her plans must not go on. How could the Mad Lord, who did not even understand what a world barrier was, bring down a true god with him?¡±


    Hao Ren knew this would be Raven 12345¡¯s reaction, and it was not something unexpected. ¡°What should I do with the Creation¡¯s Engine and the Weaves of Destiny?¡±


    ¡°These are the most valuable part of your findings.¡± Raven 12345 said while casting a little divine spell and the extracted data from the Weaves of Destiny popped up in the air. ¡°The fundamental data of the Weaves of Destiny not only contains the schematic diagram of the network itself but also the basic operating parameters of the Plane of Dreams. With this data, we can even reverse-engineer the Creation¡¯s Engine. The value of this data is beyond imagination!¡±


    Raven 12345 paused as if she was collecting her thoughts. ¡°Well, you made the right decision to let Lemendusa continue assembling the Creation¡¯s Engine. This thing and the Weaves of Destiny come in handy in my initial plan. They may be rudimentary, but their basic principles are all right. I don¡¯t know if she got it right by accident or what; shall I say, she has the gene of a top student¡­¡±


    Hao Ren seemed to have heard something that he had not already known. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, I was just babbling.¡± Raven 12345 shook her head. ¡°All in all, the Weaves of Destiny and the Creation¡¯s Engine are all useful, but we cannot let them operate under the original plan. It needs some modifications. Go home and wait for two days, I have to request something more high-tech from the top, perhaps it will make up for the flaws, including the defective start command, in the original systems.¡±


    Raven 12345 did not elaborate on what she was going to get, but Hao Ren was relieved. Raven 12345 might not have said it clearly, but he knew she had a solution.


    Raven 12345 suddenly laughed. ¡°Do you know what is the most useful aspect of the data you have extracted from the Weaves of Destiny?¡±


    ¡°How on earth could I know?¡± Hao Ren waved his hand.


    ¡°They contain the original parameters of the universe of the Plane of Dreams,¡± Raven 12345 said. She did not mind Hao Ren looking clueless; she was very patient. ¡°These original parameters are the key to self-sustenance of the universe and closely related to the structure of the world¡¯s barrier. Since the Plane of Dreams collided with this universe, the point of impact in the world¡¯s barrier had become the Wall of Reality, and this part of the data was lost. Since we have no idea how the world¡¯s barrier looked like before the collision, we have difficulty dealing with the Wall of Reality. It is like two rooms separated by a wall, in which we want to hack a hole to connect the two rooms. But due to the lack of the structural drawing of the wall, we do not know where the wires and gas pipeline are buried. This makes hacking the wall extremely dangerous. At the most, hacking the ordinary wall will only trip the power or get an electric shock, but hacking the Wall of Reality could cause destruction to both universes. That is why we have to be careful.¡±


    Speaking of this, Hao Ren knew what the stakes were. ¡°The data that I bring can be used to deduce the rules of the Wall of Reality and let us bore a hole in the wall?¡±


    ¡°Not to that extent. We cannot overlook the fact that the Wall of Reality is already fragile even if we could figure out its structure.¡± Raven 12345 waved her finger in the air. ¡°But with the data, we can at least deduce how the world¡¯s barrier originally looked like and then figure out how to effectively deal with the Wall of Reality by making out how the world¡¯s barrier turned into the Wall of Reality from the beginning.¡±


    Raven 12345 summed up what she said. ¡°In short, we can let you bring something more interesting through it.¡±

 Chapter 1629 - Not Your Ordinary Goddess

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren¡¯s spirits rose when he heard Raven 12345¡¯s revelation. ¡°You mean you¡¯ll go there personally?¡±


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Raven 12345 immediately shot Hao Ren a look. ¡°Come on! The Wall of Reality is still there. I mean, I can give you more support like providing you some high-energy equipment, increasing the ¡®bandwidth¡¯ between the Plane of Dreams and the Surface World, and allowing you to use a higher-level divine spell to call me for my help.¡±


    Hao Ren was delighted when he heard the first two things but was taken aback by the third one. He would rather die than use the divine spells although they had their uses. For instance, his enemy would literally die laughing at the barrage around him, and he could inherit their legacies after that.


    ¡°What is that look supposed to mean?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s expression did not escape Raven 12345¡¯s eyes. The goddess immediately looked daggers at him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my divine spells? It took me two months to figure them out when I first took office!¡±


    Noobie, who was having her meal on the table, shrank her neck when she heard Raven 12345 blowing a gasket. She glanced up carefully at Hao Ren, then continued with her meal.


    ¡°Forget it, you will know how great I am one day.¡± Raven 12345 waved her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s get down to business. The latest findings have overturned our previous understanding of the Creation¡¯s Engine and the ultimate plan of the goddess of creation. The goddess did not mean to separate the Plane of Dreams from the Surface World. What she called the ¡®rebalance¡¯ was not about the equilibrium before the collision of the two worlds, but the balance of the universe in the absence of God¡¯s interference, which was the Original Equilibrium. I cannot say that this idea is wrong; many native universes have no existence of gods. Even in universes where gods exist, the gods try to have as little interference as possible in the mortal world. But the goddess of creation¡¯s thinking is obviously too extreme. She wanted to achieve balance by completely destroying all traces of a true god. Perhaps the endless war with the Mad Lord and the resulting destruction to the Plane of Dreams had discouraged her and made her think that her extraordinary existence had brought disaster to the world. I believe this thinking is one of the motivations that drove her to come up with the idea of the Godless Age.¡±


    Hao Ren got the picture. ¡°So, I have to be a counselor then?¡±


    What was actually in his mind was ¡®F*ck, the neurotic even has the nerve to teach me how to counsel people. Who will go crazy first?¡¯


    ¡°You may think so.¡± Raven 12345 did not know the little though in Hao Ren¡¯s mind. She went on to say, ¡°As I¡¯ve said before, the solution to the problem of the Plane of Dreams lies with the goddess of creation. If she chooses to give up, the Plane of Dreams will be doomed. The idea of the Godless Age may sound heroic and scary, but it is actually an escape mentality. As long as this mentality exists, the illiterate goddess will find another way to self-destruct even if you modify the Creation¡¯s Engine.¡±


    ¡°I can handle anything except stuff like counseling.¡± Hao Ren sighed. ¡°I am not a psychiatrist.¡±


    What Hao Ren was thinking quietly in his mind was, had he been a psychiatrist, he would have cured the neurotic goddess a long time ago.


    This time, Raven 12345 was as sharp as a tack. She looked at Hao Ren¡¯s eyes and became suspicious. ¡°I know what disrespectful thoughts are in your mind right now. But let me tell you, my condition is of organic brain damage, which is not the same as a mental illness!¡±


    Hao Ren almost choked. ¡°Cough, cough¡­ I can¡¯t believe you said that. So, does it mean you¡¯ve given up treatment?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t assume that I don¡¯t know what you guys say about me at my back.¡± Raven 12345 waved her hand. ¡°It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t want to make a fuss about it.¡±


    This time, it was Hao Ren who was embarrassed.


    ¡°That¡¯s it for now. Go home and wait for the news while I request technical backup from the top. The main thing is that we cannot let the goddess of creation¡¯s suicide plan continue, and we must keep the Creation¡¯s Engine as well as the Weaves of Destiny after the modification,¡± Raven 12345 said. ¡°Now I am more concerned about another thing. Did you say that the freaking brain said something strange before it died?¡±


    ¡°Yup. It said something like a dream would end, and she would awaken. It would too,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°This is something profound.¡±


    The words came out of the mouth of a monster that was an enemy. It was already in pieces and mentally chaotic, but Hao Ren did not take its words lightly. Before he came, he had discussed the matter with Vivian but did not come to any solid conclusion. He wanted to hear what Raven 12345 had to say.


    ¡°¡®She¡¯ could refer to the goddess of creation, and ¡®it¡¯, the Mad Lord.¡± Coincidentally, ??Raven 12345 had the same thinking as Vivian in this case. ¡°The giant brain was probably a creation of the goddess of creation, and the Mad Lord¡¯s power had distorted and turned it into a monster. So, it had two characteristics. With the subtle connection between the two forces, it most likely knew something that others did not, such as the situation of the goddess of creation and the Mad Lord. Perhaps it could even connect to the Umbral Realm where the divine realm is in now. Or, it had a direct link with the Mad Lord.


    ¡°The dream that would come to an end does not refer to the nightmare it created in Amantir, which you guys have destroyed. It is something ¡®higher¡¯ and more far-reaching. This dream has a connection with the goddess of creation and the Mad Lord.


    ¡°The Lair of Nightmares in Amantir could be more than just an arsenal of monsters. It could be an extension of another nightmare world. Let me guess; could the goddess of creation and the Mad Lord be currently connected to the same dream? And this dream is the battlefield between the two as well as the cage that traps them both. Your actions in Amantir have disturbed this dream.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s brows were knitted together as he listened to Raven 12345¡¯s analysis. ¡°If that is the case, things are not looking good.¡±


    ¡°The situation of the Plane of Dreams has never looked good.¡± Raven 12345 seemed to have accepted the reality. ¡°And neither it looks any worse. Let¡¯s look from another angle, at least you have weakened the power of the Mad Lord.¡± By turning so many divine creatures into monsters, and creating a ¡®dreaming brain,¡¯ I don¡¯t think it does not drain the power of the Mad Lord a bit. Since you have killed many of its minions, it would only become weaker than ever, which I have no doubt about it.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s brows still knitted together. ¡°But then again, isn¡¯t the Mad Lord itself currently trapped in the cage of the dark abyss in the universe? How is it related to a dream, and how could it extend its influence to Star Cluster X?¡±


    ¡°On the level of the gods and the demigods, space and time, reality and dreams, all of these concepts are not of what you think.¡± Raven 12345¡¯s voice sounded somewhat ethereal. ¡°The body of the Mad Lord is indeed imprisoned in the cage of the dark abyss, but it is not necessarily the only thing that cages it. You have to learn to adapt to the abstract things because you have already stepped into it. From the day you became my pope, you are already an extraordinary being not bound by space and time and concepts.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°It sounds weird for you to talk so seriously.¡±


    ¡°Me too!¡± Raven 12345 knocked on the table and scared the daylights out of Noobie. ¡°Forget it, and let¡¯s not talk about this. You have something else to tell me? The road sign system that your report mentioned?¡±


    ¡°It is a joint road sign formed by three crystals, but the Amantir crystal is heavily contaminated and unable to resonate with other crystals,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°The goddess of creation¡¯s road sign system is extraordinary. It will only work when all three crystals resonate with each other. Otherwise, no method of reading and calculation can get an accurate result. It is like a quantum black box; it will not give out any data as long as the system is incomplete.¡±


    ¡°It is to improve security. Only when all the guardians are normal, the passage to the divine realm will open,¡± Raven 12345 said. ¡°The goddess of creation was highly vigilant although she had never been to school. It seems that she has long considered the possibility of the three guardian groups encountering problems. But it has now become an inconvenience to us.¡±


    Hao Ren laughed. ¡°It is just an inconvenience to you? So you already have a solution?¡±


    ¡°Give scanned data of the three crystals to me.¡± Raven 12345 looked confident. ¡°I will figure out the road signs in half a month, tops.¡±


    Hao Ren could not believe what he heard. ¡°Whoa! Since when have you been so dependable?¡±


    Raven 12345 rolled her eyes at Hao Ren. ¡°Get out of my sight! Since when I am not dependable?¡±


    Hao Ren smirked as he picked up Noobie from the table. Noobie had finished eating the meat and was licking her fingers now. ¡°I will leave you to it. The MDT will send you the scanned data of the three crystals by afternoon.¡±


    Noobie was startled when Hao Ren suddenly picked her up. She looked at Hao Ren and thought for a moment before deciding to fire a round of corrosive energy bolts at him. ¡°Biu¡ª¡±


    Okay, it seemed that Noobie had not changed much in this aspect.


    Raven 12345 was not bothered by Hao Ren¡¯s attitude. She just waved her hand carelessly and said, ¡°Get out of my sight!¡±


    After Hao Ren left, silence returned to Raven 123545¡¯s big office. She tucked her simper, her hands on the table, and she fell into deep thought.


    A voice suddenly came from a corner of the room. ¡°You seem to be in a good mood! The rising star among the inspectors seems to know what he is doing. But where did you get your confidence? Half a month? The thing that the wild goddess made may not be that sophisticated, but hacking it is no small feat.¡±


    Raven 12345 looked in the direction of the voice, where the air rippled. A silver-haired woman who looked exactly the same as Raven 12345 walked out of the rippling portal.


    ¡°23333, could you please use the door next time?¡±


    ¡°Not even the frame of the door was left when you blew up the mansion.¡± Raven 23333 shrugged. ¡°I am used to teleporting. Anyway, you are confident to fix it? This is not your specialization as far as I can remember.¡±


    Raven 12345 blinked. ¡°I know, I know. My specialization is in combat, but I have another plan.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you do? Tell me about it.¡±


    Raven 12345 smiled and got to her feet. She suddenly jumped straight over the desk and landed before Raven 23333 to hug her leg. ¡°Help me! Big sister!¡± she cried.


    ¡°Sh*t! Get off my a**!¡±


    ¡°Big sister! I know you have upgraded the computing and imaginary simulation modules, and you could do it in your sleep!¡±


    ¡°Get your hands off me! You are my senior, and your serial number is a lot further up the ranking than mine.¡±


    ¡°Who cares? You are now my big sister! I was just bluffing. Now you¡¯re the only one who can save my dignity!¡±


    ¡°Dignity my a**! Where is your dignity now? Let go of me! Damn it, let go of me!¡±


    As always, the goddess had not taken her medication.

 Chapter 1630 - Lily’s Little Thoughts

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren had no idea what happened in Raven 12345¡¯s mansion after he left. Even if he knew, he would not blink an eye as the goddess¡¯ neurotic behavior was common knowledge. None of her popes would care if she had bats in the belfry.


    After leaving the divine realm, Hao Ren did not return home right away, instead, he strolled around town for a while. He went to the supermarket to get a bottle of water and the butcher shop to buy some meat. It was as if he wanted to show his face, letting the neighbors know that, he, the jobless youth, who disappeared for a couple of weeks every now and then, had not fallen for the tricks of some pyramid scheme.


    When Hao Ren reached the front door, and before he could take the key out of his pocket, he heard heavy footsteps behind the door, which was then yanked open. Lily was standing at the doorway, looking excited. ¡°Ahh, Mr. Landlord is back! Mr. Landlord is back! Mr. Landlord, you even brought meat back!¡±


    Before Hao Ren knew what was happening, Lily had snatched the meat from his hands and run back in like a gust of wind. ¡°Battie, Battie! Mr. Landlord is back! Let¡¯s start eating. He also bought some meat, please make braised pork for me. I know it won¡¯t be in time for this meal, but I¡¯ll eat it later as a snack. Is it okay?¡±


    Hao Ren went into the house, baffled. Y¡¯zaks, who sat on the sofa reading his newspaper, looked up at Hao Ren and smiled. ¡°She has been squatting at the door for a long time waiting for you to come back. But now it seems that she was actually waiting for the meal.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s mouth twitched. Perhaps it was the loyalty of a dog, and he could not ask for more, especially from a husky, he thought.


    The kitchen door swung open as Vivian walked out wearing an apron with a large pot of steaming vegetable soup in her hands. She placed the pot on the dining table and smiled at Hao Ren. ¡°How were things going while you were at the goddess¡¯ place? I know you have eaten nothing, so I have prepared your portion.¡±


    ¡°It all went well. I will have a few days of rest.¡± Hao Ren said as he groped in his pocket. ¡°Put down your things and say hi to this little guy. She was not home for a few days.¡±


    When Hao Ren took out Noobie from his pocket, she had curled herself up and was having forty winks. Noobie did not usually sleep at this hour of the day, but perhaps the stay at Raven 12345¡¯s place was too stressful, Noobie was out like a light on the way home. Thankfully because of that, Hao Ren could still go around town doing some shopping.


    ¡°Aww, it¡¯s Noobie!¡± Lily had come up before Vivian did and poked Noobie¡¯s face with her finger. ¡°Not seeing her for the past few days, I actually missed her. She looked good¡ªmust have been a good time at the goddess¡¯ place.¡±


    ¡°Since when this guy ever looks good?¡± Vivian rolled her eyes. ¡°She has been like this since born¡­ Aah, she is awake now.¡±


    The light and noises had jolted Noobie out of her nap. Groggily, she opened her eyes and was stunned to see so many big faces around her. She made a ¡°ghsss¡± sound and bounced up. She was on her guard.


    Vivian frowned. ¡°Is she brainless or what? She does not even recognize us.¡±


    Noobie heard Vivian¡¯s voice and paused, wrinkling her face as she tried to collect her thoughts before finally recognizing Vivian. She went up to Vivian and reached out. ¡°Aha¡ª¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s buried his face in his hands. ¡°All she knows is sleeping and eating other than ¡®ghsss¡¯ and ¡®biubiubiu.¡¯ She just ate at the goddess¡¯ place.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s asking for water now.¡± Vivian rolled her eyes. She poured some water into a small dish and shove it in front of Noobie. When Noobie began to lower her head and drank from the bowl, Vivian suddenly got wise to something. ¡°Wait a minute! Now, this little guy seems different than before.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled. ¡°Yup. Isn¡¯t she more obedient? She did not do her 360¡ãbiubiubiu or grab your hair. I was shocked at first when I learned about this. God knows what Raven 12345 has done to her; the goddess seems to have tamed this brainless little guy.¡±


    ¡°Who cares what she has done? She is a goddess and definitely knows better than all of us.¡± Vivian could not have cared less. She took off her apron and went to sit down at the table. ¡°Let¡¯s eat. Doggie is starving. By the way, I have cooked rice and noodles for lunch today; which one do you prefer?¡±


    Just as Hao Ren was about to say something, a soft scream was heard on the table. Noobie had scurried to hide behind the teapot as if something had frightened her. She held on to the teapot handle and peeked from behind, shivering. Who would have imagined that the little one with a fearful and troubled look on her face actually did a ¡°biubiubiu¡± in Y¡¯zaks¡¯ face before this?


    Vivian blinked. ¡°All I said was noodles, and she¡¯s already scared out of her wits.¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly made sense of something. He traced the Noobie¡¯s line of sight. She was staring nervously at the cold noodles on the table as if someone was threatening to cook her alive in the pot.


    Nangong Sanba, who was about to fill his bowl with rice, had noticed the situation. The ¡®down-to-earth¡¯ diet of the goddess immediately came to mind. ¡°Could her obedience have something to do with noodles?¡±


    Noobie screamed in fear when Nangong Sanba mentioned noodles. This time, she simply curled up in the shadow of the teapot and would not poke her head out again.


    Everyone was like what the heck.


    ¡°I think I know what is going on.¡± Hao Ren smacked himself on the forehead. ¡°She could only eat noodles at Raven 12345¡¯s place, but she is carnivorous! Raven 12345 must have forced the noodles down Noobie¡¯s throat and domesticated her.¡±


    Vivian was doubtful. ¡°It can¡¯t be!¡±


    Hao Ren chuckled. ¡°Mind you, this is Raven 12345, who is not only a neurotic but also a noodle maniac. You can never know what she will do.¡±


    Lily, who was happily sucking the noodles in her mouth, felt a little annoyed when she heard Hao Ren and the rest passing remark about noodles. She put down her bowl and looked up. ¡°Could you guys please not incriminate the noodles? Did noodles cross you guys?¡±


    They had almost forgotten that Lily was a noodle lover.


    Sitting down at the dinner table and looking at ordinary but hearty meals, an emotion rose within Hao Ren.


    After living on the edge for some time, the days at home became a thing that he craved. Even a bowl of rice, a dish, and a spoonful of soup were precious.


    Perhaps the words Hao Ren heard after the battle with the gigantic brain began to ferment, a feeling rose in him.


    The fog of mystery of the Plane of Dreams began to dissipate, but what transpired was not a clear sky of peace but the battlefield of order and chaos. A great turmoil that determined the destiny of the world was about to break out.


    The turbulence was not far away. Hao Ren could even smell it while sitting at the table. It was the smoke from the battlefield, where the old world was burning¡ªthe little flame that Lil Pea summoned had set Nangong Sanba¡¯s clothes on fire.


    It was real smoke.


    Nangong Sanba frantically bounced up from his chair while his sister, Nangong Wuyue, quickly called up an aqua ball and extinguished the fire. Vivian snatched up the baby fish and tried to talk sense into her. Meanwhile, Noobie was frightened anymore. She had come out from her hiding and now was waving her arms excitedly as the drama unfolded. Before long, Noobie began to do her ¡°biubiubiu¡±¡ªold habits died hard.


    The rest of the people could not care less. Hao Ren, Y¡¯zaks and his daughter took their bowls, went to a quiet corner of the house and continued their meals.


    Halfway through, Lily came up to Hao Ren with a large bowl of noodles. The husky smiled like a Cheshire cat, and her face beaming with light.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Hao Ren knew the maiden was up to something with just a glance.


    Lily sucked the noodles into her mouth and then licked her lips. ¡°Mr. Landlord, I have found that there is a limit to the strength of the werewolf.¡±


    ¡°Come on, you are not a werewolf. I have said this before a thousand chapters ago.¡±


    ¡°I mean I combat strength has hit the bottleneck.¡±


    ¡°So? You do not want to become a werewolf anymore? I told you what; this is dangerous. The last person who said this had become a vampire. If you do this, you will forever become a laughing stock in the eyes of Vivian.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Landlord, can you please let me finish?¡± Lily shot Hao Ren a glance. ¡°I mean I¡¯m lacking in fighting abilities, especially of long-range ones. I can still use bricks as my weapon while I¡¯m in werewolf form. During the complete state of beastification, all my abilities gain improvement, but it also leaves me with only one long-range ability¡ªthe Doggoblast. The problem with that ability is that I can only fire so many rounds before I¡¯m completely drained.¡±


    Lily¡¯s face was red as she felt embarrassed about it. Hao Ren immediately knew what was on her mind.


    Lily was most proud of her Doggoblast. It was her most ¡°advance¡± attack and her only long-range offense (forget about the brick). But the ability had an obvious shortcoming.


    Its lack of endurance had, more than once, forced Lily out of the battlefield.


    Her close-quarter combat ability was the strongest¡ªso strong that it even shadowed that of Y¡¯zaks. But as they ventured deeper into the Plane of Dreams with the emergence of even more sophisticated enemies, the lack of ability variety had become inadequate.


    ¡°Mr. Landlord, I know you can help.¡± Lily looked at Hao Ren with a smile. ¡°Please think of a way to upgrade my firepower.¡±

 Chapter 1631 - Lily’s New Gear

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The idea of upgrading Lily¡¯s combat strength had never crossed Hao Ren¡¯s mind until Lily asked for it. Hao Ren found that it was not a bad idea; at least Lily¡¯s case, it seemed promising.


    The reason was simply that Lily¡¯s long-range tactical capabilities were apparently inadequate.


    There were many people in the family, but not everyone needed a firepower upgrade. Vivian and Y¡¯zaks were both superior in strength; they were the typical example of multirole fighters, skilled in both short-range and long-range attacks. They excelled in magic arts and other talents, and had no apparent weaknesses. Likewise, the little demoness, Y¡¯lisabet was talented just like her papa; what she needed most was to learn to grow organically, not upgrade externally. Good looks comprised Nangong Sanba¡¯s core strength, and DPS took a backseat; so, he needed selfie and posing skills more than others, and Hao Ren would be of no help in that case. Meanwhile, Nangong Wuyue¡¯s DPS was a constant zero, hence no upgrade path was available for her. Rollie was barely an operations team member, and her biggest weakness was her lack of intelligence; as such, upgrading was out of the question.


    All things considered, Hao Ren still thought that giving Lily power upgrades was the easiest and most effective option because he already had a plan in mind.


    Hao Ren smiled as he looked at the husky, whose eyes were already shining. ¡°Leave it to me. Since I¡¯m free now, I¡¯ll work out an upgrade path for you.¡±


    ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± Vivian was suddenly heard saying. She asked because while cleaning up the table, she noticed the two had acted strangely at the side. So, she could not hold back her curiosity. ¡°What a silly smile you have there, Doggie.¡±


    ¡°I asked Mr. Landlord to upgrade my gear!¡± Lily wagged her tail excitedly, and her ears flicked uncontrollably. ¡°Mr. Landlord has agreed!¡±


    Gear upgrade?¡± Vivian blinked. ¡°Oh, ya. Your claws really need an upgrade to live up to their name.¡±


    Lily pouted. ¡°It¡¯s not that!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re studying how to improve her combat effectiveness,¡± Hao Ren explained with a smile. ¡°Beast mode not only increases her various combat abilities, but it also magnifies her weakness. She lacks long-range capabilities and endurance. She can¡¯t perform refined motor control and movement, plus she has a communication problem, which I intend to tackle as well.¡±


    The others in the house had come up curiously with Nangong Sanba saying, ¡°Gee, sounds like a big upgrade. How is it that you suddenly thought about solving this?¡±


    ¡°She asked me about it.¡± Hao Ren pointed at Lily. ¡°This weakness has become obvious in recent battles. I will take this opportunity to fix it in the next few days.¡±


    The upgrading of Lily¡¯s combat capability had caused a stir. Perhaps everyone was bored at home already; they flung themselves into the discussion and started to give opinions. They were comrades in battles and knew each other¡¯s strengths and weaknesses. So, the rowdy debate had actually come up with something constructive that might otherwise be overlooked.


    But implementation wise, they could not help much. Hao Ren was planning to redesign a set of high-tech gear for Lily.


    As Hao Ren and the MDT was discussing the blueprint, everyone except Lily left, and the room became quiet.


    ¡°Are you planning to wait for the blueprint here?¡± Hao Ren glanced at the husky maiden with a forced smile. ¡°It will take some time; at least a day or two.¡±


    Lily thought it made sense and went back in to watch her TV show.


    But after a short while, Hao Ren could vaguely someone was prowling up to him from behind. He turned around at once. ¡°Did I not tell you¡­ Rollie?¡±


    It was not the husky but the dumb cat. The cat maiden jumped out of her skin and nearly sprung up the backrest of the sofa when Hao Ren turned around. ¡°Meow! Big Boss Cat, you scared the hell out of me!¡±


    ¡°It was you who scared me. Why were you sneaking up behind me?¡± Hao Ren shot Rollie a glance. He suddenly remembered that Rollie was not participating when everyone was here in the discussion earlier. It was out of her character. ¡°Where have you been? What is the fan for?¡±


    The cat maiden waved a paper fan and asked curiously, ¡°Big Boss Cat, what big fan of cats means? Show me! I have brought the fan.¡±


    Hao Ren was startled for a while. He then smacked himself on the forehead; he was right, the biggest problem with this cat was her intelligence¡ªor the lack of it.


    In a nutshell, the upgrades of Lily¡¯s firepower was all about automatic weapons system and mobile battle station.


    Lily had gotten used to her werewolf form for a century, and under in that form, there was no more room for further upgrades of combat techniques and weapons. It was all the more so once her fighting techniques had matured. But beastification was another story. Lily had only mastered the skill of beastification three years ago. Even if she was a husky, it did not mean that she could make good use of her fangs and claws immediately after transforming from her human form, in which she had been in for a century. In other words, she still depended on her instincts, and her control of Doggoblast was rudimentary at best. She had to build up her energy and could only aim when she was standing still. Her wide-open mouth while firing Doggoblast also affected her line of sight.


    Practice makes perfect, and Lily was the only one who could help herself in this regard. But Hao Ren could first design a set of idiot-proof equipment that Lily could readily use when she was in beast mode. It was just too wasteful not to leverage the two-story-tall body and the incredible physiques.


    The massive body of the beast meant she could carry a humongous number of missile launchers on her body.


    Based on this design concept, the superior computer simulation of the MDT, and the full range of weaponry solutions in the database, Hao Ren had come up with a set of weapon systems, which he aptly called Lily Reloaded MK-I.


    Earth was not the testing ground for such a weapon system. So, Hao Ren had brought Lily to Aerymian satellite where there was plenty of room for her to play around. No one would blink an eye even if she broke something.


    Lily had ants in her pants. She could only longer hold back her excitement when she arrived at the test site. ¡°Mr. Landlord, my new gear, where is my gear? How awesome is it?¡±


    All those who came along waited in anticipation. But Vivian was seen knitting her brows. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you have ever thought of this: Lily¡¯s clothes will be completely torn when she transforms. Even if you can solve this problem, she has only a pair of claws and a mouth of which she could make use. How is she going to put on the gear by herself?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No worries, I have taken care of these problems.¡± Hao Ren smiled, pulling out something from is dimensional pocket and threw it to Lily. ¡°Catch it. It is your battle armor.¡±


    Lily caught it in her hands. Her expression changed when she saw the thing. ¡°A collar?¡±


    Hao Ren had given her a silver-white collar.


    ¡°Are you kidding me, Mr. Landlord?¡± Lily¡¯s expression looked as if she was looking for the best spot of Hao Ren¡¯s body to bite on. ¡°Is this collar the so-called high-power gear?¡±


    ¡°It is just a switch. Or do you want to carry a full set of weapons all the time?¡± Hao Ren smiled slyly. ¡°Put it on, and transform. You will know what it is all about.¡±


    Doubtfully, Lily glanced at Hao Ren. But she was used to wearing the life-support collar, and since she could have cared less about things like the dignity of the wolf, she snapped the collar on her neck at once.


    ¡°Whoa, it is feather-light, almost like it¡¯s not there.¡± Lily moved her head a little and took out some Spicy Sticks from her pocket. ¡°Step back! I¡¯m about to shapeshift!¡±


    A moment later, with a smooth and squeaky roar, a silver-white giant wolf roared and strode out in a gust of wind.


    The collar was still on her neck, but it had enlarged several dozen times and was glowing in blue and much cooler than before.


    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± asked Nangong Sanba curiously.


    Lily looked down curiously, but she could not see the transformed collar on her neck. She lifted her front paw and pulled it a little. As she did it, the blue glow on the collar suddenly turned into a space fissure followed by a series of complex transformation.


    A synthetic voice was heard saying, ¡°Heavy combat armor activated. Initial start-up¡­ Basic self-diagnostics completed. Energy module, normal. Life-support module, normal. Tactical support module, normal. Shield generator, normal. Tracking system, normal. Micro-nuke launcher array, normal. Laser weapon, normal. Integrated radar, normal. Medical center, normal. Hair comb, normal. Head scratcher simulator, normal. Doggie communication device, normal. Khorium headlights, normal. Wiper, normal.¡±

 Chapter 1632 - Lily, the Armored Siegebeast

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    All the changes happened in a short time.


    Amid the system announcement, a set of complex, sophisticated and seemingly powerful combat armor unfolded. It began to transform from the collar as if there was a space-folding effect at play. When the armor fully unfolded, it covered 70% of Lily¡¯s body in silvery-white metal. The sturdy and sophisticated plates extended from her back to her belly and formed freely movable parts at the joints of her limbs. A translucent blue light, a type of energy shield, covered the exposed portions of her body.


    The armor was only the underlying skeleton. The various weapon kits installed in the armor were the most powerful parts of the system. Two sets of dual-mounted missile launchers were mounted on both sides of Lily¡¯s body. There was also an antenna, and an anti-air laser weapon on her back. Meanwhile, the front portion of the armor held sophisticated sensors and weapon muzzles. The entire armored gear looked like a terrifying doomsday machine.


    Everyone was rooted to the spot. Besides its mean appearance, they were more flabbergasted by the weird equipment mentioned in the system announcement.


    ¡°Holy cow!¡± Nangong Sanba¡¯s mouth was agape, and he finally managed a sentence. ¡°This looks so badass.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue thoughtfully drew circles on the ground with her tail and mumbled, ¡°It looks like Garurumon.¡±


    ¡°How do you feel, Lily?¡± Hao Ren did not care about what the Nangong siblings thought. He looked Lily The Armored Siegebeast proudly. ¡°Try moving around and feel how it goes.¡±


    Lily had frozen since the beginning and was cockeyed looking at the gravity radar on her nose. Hao Ren jolted her out of her daze. But the husky maiden seemed to have no idea how to control her body. She wagged her tail stiffly, then clumsily lifted one of her front paws in front of her eyes. ¡°Is this still me? I can talk now?¡±


    A voice was heard coming from Lily¡¯s chest, but it was slightly distorted like the sound of a machine. It was still recognizably her voice, though.


    ¡°It¡¯s a doggie communication device.¡± Hao Ren nodded matter-of-factly. ¡°I told you I would fix your speaking problem, which has been one of your biggest weaknesses. It causes a problem for your comrades during battles. So, I¡¯ve asked the MDT to create a voice synthesizer that converts your brainwaves into speech.¡±


    Vivian could not help but whisper, ¡°It is an awesome function, but are you sure the name is okay?¡±


    ¡°There is nothing wrong the name.¡± Hao Ren dismissed it with the wave of his hand. ¡°Please do not mind the trivial details.¡±


    The name might sound unpresentable, but there was no denying that the voice synthesizer was one of the greatest functions of this armored system. Without this device, communication on the battlefield would be impossible, and attempts to use eye contact to exchange information with the husky was nearly impossible. Under such circumstances, Lily usually had only two things in mind: ¡®What the heck does it mean?¡¯ and ¡®What the heck I want to say?¡¯


    The speech synthesizer was a lifesaver.


    Knowing that she could now talk, Lily came out of the shock and was now bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. She could not wait to test out what this armor could do.


    The giant husky began to jump up and down, run in a circle chasing her own tails. The system control, integrated with the brainwave reader on the head armor, allowed Lily to monitor the different modules and information of the entire armor system in real-time. With her learning aptitude (after all, she was a four-time graduate of Peking University), it only took her one glance to know every function of the system.


    Hao Ren was all smiling. ¡°I have taken agility into account when designing the system. Since you are used to close-quarters combat, every joint of the armor is flexible enough to allow you to move freely and to compensate for the resulting decline in armor strength, I have added shield generators at various key points. But they are of low-power model meant for the autonomous robots, so you must not over depend on them.


    ¡°The antenna and sensors mounted on the armor are retractable. It is just there for the convenience of demonstration and testing. When you select combat mode, those things will retract under the armor to prevent damage from fighting.


    ¡°The missile launcher is also retractable, but only partial. Part of the shield is exposed. The launcher is preloaded with four micro-nukes and four Graviton guided missiles with 16 spare guided missiles inside the armor. When you run out of ammunition, you can replenish it through the supply portal, which is connected directly to the arsenal of Nolan. But power output limitation will limit the speed of resupplying. So please take note.


    ¡°The laser beam array on your back is for air defense. It has relatively low DPS but rapid firing and low energy consumption. It works like a charm to defend against the light enemy units in the air. So, you do not need to use Doggoblast just to deal with little things like the gargoyles.


    ¡°Doggoblast is still your most powerful offensive skill. For this reason, I have designed a piece of auxiliary equipment for you. There is a tactical visual aid on the helmet, with which you will not have to worry about not being able to see clearly your target next time. Do you want to try it out now? Of course, just activate the visual aid, you don¡¯t have to really fire here.¡±


    Lily could not wait to try it out and did not mind that Hao Ren called her gorgeous light cannon as Doggoblast. She shook her head and immediately, a set of instruments appeared over her eyes. Now, the Khorium dog eyes had turned into four tactical electronic eyes glowing in red.


    ¡°Awoo¡­ This¡­ this¡­ this gadget can even correct my color blindness!¡± Lily exclaimed in awe.


    She looked around excitedly. ¡°Wow! There are multiple crosshairs and target locations! Distance and defense readings! Ammunition selection suggestion! And firing prioritization!¡±


    Everyone began to step back. Nangong Sanba shouted, ¡°Calm down! You don¡¯t want to play with them here!¡±


    ¡°I am not that childish, okay!¡± Lily said. ¡°But then again, I do not think you can design this suit in just a few days. It looks familiar to me. Mr. Landlord, did you plan to make me this suit a long time ago?¡±


    Hao Ren had to admit that the husky had excellent instinct, although most of the time her mind was a muddle. He nodded awkwardly and said, ¡°Production only began in the past few days, but I already had the idea at the back of my mind for a long time. Do you still remember the half-beast half-machine Cerberus in the underworld during our journey back in time? I thought what a waste not to take advantage of your gigantic body size, and so I took inspiration from it.¡±


    Lily bared her fangs. ¡°Mr. Landlord, how could you took inspiration from the disgusting monster?¡±


    ¡°The final product still looks good.¡± Hao Ren spread out his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t you like it yourself?¡±


    ¡°Never mind. It is awesome, and I am not going to make a fuss about it.¡± Lily wagged her tail and pretended to be magnanimous. The new suit was keeping her busy. She switched on the Khorium lights, and the four electronic eyes began to sweep around like a searchlight. She activated the hair comber and moaned with pleasure. Then, a wiper that popped out from under her neck started to swing in a back-and-forth motion on the electromagnetic radar cover.


    Hao Ren had lost track of how he came up with this genius design.


    After experimenting nearly nine out of ten of the functions, something suddenly crossed Lily¡¯s mind. She looked down at Hao Ren. ¡°Mr. Landlord, how are you going to ride on my back with this armor over me?¡±


    Nangong Sanba buried his face in his hand. Did Lily think that she was Hao Ren¡¯s mount? He thought to himself.


    But soon, Nangong Sanba found that he was wrong. Hao Ren had taken out a remote from his pocket. With the press of a button, the armor on Lily¡¯s head opened up, and a chair rose from the inside.


    ¡°There is a passenger pod below your neck and two rows of seats on you back.¡± Hao Ren said matter-of-factly.


    ¡°Mr. Landlord, I think something is still not right,¡± Lily said.


    ¡°So, are you done yet? Let¡¯s tuck it. You will feel a little tiring using brainwave control for the first time.¡±


    Hao Ren had gotten Lily¡¯s attention. ¡°Aah, no wonder I feel dizzy although I have had my meal. I thought I had low blood sugar. Wait a minute, form-shifting¡ª¡±


    After Lily transformed back into human form, the combat armor returned to become a silver-white collar, just like a necklace around her neck.


    ¡°Unbelievable!¡± Lily curiously fiddled with the collar. ¡°It shrank just like that. before this, it was such a giant set of gear.¡±


    ¡°As I¡¯ve said before, the collar is just a switch,¡± Hao Ren said with a smile. ¡°It is a small portal device designed according to the space expansion concept onboard the Petrachelys. Your armor is actually stored in another dimension, to which the collar connects.¡±


    Lily finally got the picture. There was a broad smile across her face. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Landlord! I love it!¡±

 Chapter 1633 - The Progress That Raven 12345 Has Made

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The firepower upgrade met the curious and playful nature of the husky. If it had not been for the high energy exhaustion in using the armored suit, Lily would have plunged into crazy play mode for the whole day. Even so, she was not far from it, because she simpered and continuously asked all kinds of questions for the rest of the day.


    ¡°Aside from improving her personal strength, this set of gear can play a great role in team support.¡± Hao Ren took the opportunity to explain to the others while Lily was not badgering him. ¡°Many of the tactical modules of this suit can be connected to the life-support collar, and the armor itself can temporarily provide a powerful protective force field. Lily can be a battlefield fortress, providing support for the entire team if needed. There is a built-in emergency medical system, which others can use if Wuyue is not available.¡±


    Lily suddenly scampered over and said, ¡°Mr. Landlord! I read in the instructions manual that there¡¯s an emergency escape mode. What is that for? I didn¡¯t manage to try it earlier.¡±


    ¡°You better not.¡± Hao Ren smacked his forehead; he had forgotten to explain that function to her earlier. ¡°It allows you to get out of the suit during an emergency. The armored suit can continue the battle independently under the control of AI for some time before it self destructs. It buys you time to escape.¡±


    ¡°What? Only for single-use? I don¡¯t think I would ever want to activate that function,¡± Lily said.


    ¡°I bet you will when you have to choose between life and death.¡± Nangong Wuyue rolled her eyes at Lily. ¡°This thing looks good. I am now a little envious. Mr. Landlord, will you give each of us a set of this equipment?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need it,¡± Y¡¯zaks said immediately. ¡°I¡¯ve been using the same combat style for tens of thousands of years. This battlesuit will only clip my wings. Simple equipment with simple functions would be more useful to me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need it either.¡± Vivian shook her head. ¡°I just absorbed the power of the Malevolence. It takes a long time to adapt to it. I¡¯m too busy to learn the functions of such a high-tech gadget.¡±


    Both Y¡¯zaks and Vivian deserved their reputation as the most mature teammates. They were well-traveled and had a broad perspective. Unlike Nangong Wuyue, who was easily dazzled by a gorgeous set of equipment, they could see the pros and cons of the combat armor, and they knew what was right for them.


    This equipment, which was more suitable for Lily, whose beast-mode combat style was not in shape yet, meant little to Y¡¯zaks and Vivian.


    Hao Ren smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve thought about giving each of you an equipment upgrade. But come to think of it, just like what Vivian and Y¡¯zaks said, this equipment might not be suitable for everyone. As high-tech as it is, the suit may not be as handy as Raven 12345¡¯s divine blessings. Moreover, Lily¡¯s Doggoblast is still the most powerful skill compared with all of the functions of the armored suit. So, it¡¯s better to receive a benediction from Raven 12345 again.¡±


    No one blinked an eye even when Hao Ren the pope discussed his own goddess openly. Perhaps it only happened to Raven 12345.


    As soon as Hao Ren finished, a thought came to Vivian¡¯s mind. ¡°Did the goddess not say that she would complete the Amantir crystal analysis in half a month? It¡¯s been half a month now. Is there any news from her?¡±


    It only crossed Hao Ren¡¯s mind right then. He had been busy working on the heavy combat armor for Lily for the past two days and totally forgotten that Raven 12345 had promised him the moon and yet delivered it. He quickly asked the MDT, ¡°Is there news from the boss?¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± the MDT, shaking its body. ¡°I guess she has not finished yet. Otherwise, Ma¡¯am Raven would have advertised her little achievement long ago.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s mouth twitched. That neurotic goddess had indeed bluffed him, he thought, and he actually believed that she had suddenly become dependable at that time. Perhaps he had yet to recover from mental exhaustion and hallucinations after battling the brain of dreams.


    Just then, the exultant voice of Raven 12345 was heard in his mind. ¡°Yoo-hoo! Hao Ren! Come to the divine realm right away. I have figured out the road sign after half a month of hard work and calculations.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Just as he was questioning the dependability of the goddess, the news came. He felt a little bad about it and quickly replied in his mind, ¡°Err, I will go over right away.¡±


    ¡°You sound reluctant.¡± Raven 12345 had captured the tone of his voice. ¡°Are you slacking off?¡±


    Hao Ren quickly explained, ¡°Oh no, I was just thinking about why we haven¡¯t been hearing from you. I thought you had drawn a long bow and begged around for help.¡±


    ¡°Cough, cough¡­ How¡­ how could I do such a shameless thing? I am a proper goddess in name and substance. Stop the crap and hurry up!¡±


    The goddess rudely hung up, leaving Hao Ren in confusion. The goddess sounded guilty.


    Meanwhile, Vivian knew that Hao Ren was talking to Raven 12345. So, she waited silently. When Hao Ren began to blink his eyes, Vivian asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°What a coincidence!¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°The goddess asked me to go to see her immediately; she has cracked the secret of the Amantir crystal. You all go home first while I head over to the divine realm. Leave me something to eat tonight; I bet the goddess will not bother to offer dinner¡ªI have offended her just now, it seems.¡±


    After speaking, Hao Ren left for the divine realm with the MDT.


    In the divine realm, Hao Ren was surprised to find that the goddess had not blown up the mansion. Perhaps Raven 12345 was too busy fiddling with the crystal road signs.


    Whatever the case, Raven 12345 beamed and took something out from the dimensional fissure and tossed it to Hao Ren. ¡°Here you go.¡±


    Hao Ren scrambled to catch the thing. ¡°Holy moly, be careful with that. You should know how important this thing is!¡±


    Raven 12345 rolled her eyes. ¡°Come on, do you think such a divine-blessed thing could break so easily?¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment and nodded. ¡°Well, you are right. Err, is this the road sign? It is not the same as I imagined. How this thing works?¡±


    He looked at the strange object in his hand. It was a light sphere with three diamond-shaped blue crystals inside. Each of the crystals, only the size of a finger, floated in the closed sphere that was only slightly larger than a fist. The thing looked fragile and felt soft and pleasant to the touch. Hao Ren pinched the sphere in his hand; it turned out to be harder than the battleship armor plate under stress.


    Raising the light sphere and shook it before his eyes, Hao Ren noticed that the three small crystals fluttered accordingly, but their relative positions from each other remained unchanged.


    ¡°Should I use this sphere together with the three road-sign crystals that I have found earlier?¡±


    Raven 12345 seemed to have fallen in thought and only came out of her daze upon hearing what Hao Ren said. ¡°That will not be necessary. Don¡¯t underestimate my ability. Let me tell you that I have placed the road-sign data in a virtual universe snapshot so that it mimics the operation of the Plane of Dreams. From where do you think these fundamental parameters come? Of course, from the data that you extracted from the Throne of Destiny. The road-map data combined themselves in the virtual machine. After a series of complicated calculations, the final product is the sphere you are holding now.¡±


    The goddess skipped the most important technical details of the whole process and jumped directly to the conclusion. ¡°What you have now is the reconstructed road sign that contains all the data and changes. So, it does not require a crystal like the Amantir crystal to work. More importantly, it is packaged using Xi Ling encryption technology, which means you can plug it into the Petrachelys, and it will work seamlessly with the navigation computer. So, have I solved your problem?¡±


    Although Raven 12345 sounded strange, Hao Ren had to admit that she had indeed saved him a lot of hassle. The fact that he could connect the road sign directly to the navigation system of the Petrachelys meant that he could also fly to the divine domain of the goddess of creation.


    ¡°That is how it works.¡± Raven 12345 reaffirmed with a rare serious expression. ¡°Get ready, Hao Ren. This could be the biggest challenge you have faced so far.¡±

 Chapter 1634 - The World Control Terminal?

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren knew precisely what that road sign meant.


    It led to the lost divine realm of the goddess of creation, a forsaken place without divine blessing and protection or thriving life. No one knew what happened to the place, but the fact that the great explosion caused the divine domain to plunge into the Umbral Realm 10,000 years ago, was enough reason for Hao Ren to be mentally prepared for any eventualities.


    There was a high possibility it was going to be a broken and crazy world. Additionally, the power of the Mad Lord and the remnants of the deicide could likely still be lingering around there. If the goddess of creation could survive, there was no reason that the opposing forces could not.


    The Petrachelys could cross the boundaries of space and time to enter the lost Umbral Realm using that signpost. But anyone in his right mind would know that it was a bad idea to go there without preparation.


    Hao Ren looked at Raven 12345 and knew that she had something more to say. The goddess never disappointed when it came to serious matters like this although she always made an exhibition of herself every other day.


    ¡°Speaking of which, I just realized that I haven¡¯t paid you your last year¡¯s bonus,¡± Raven 12345 said, just as Hao Ren had expected.


    ¡°How dare you bring that up!¡± Hao Ren said.


    However, Hao Ren quickly came to a realization. ¡°Wait a minute! Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re going to use last year¡¯s bonus as a reward for this mission! You can¡¯t be serious!¡±


    Raven 12345 shot him a sideways look. ¡°What are you talking about? Would I do that¡­?


    ¡°Of course, I will. I¡¯m not asking.¡±


    Hao Ren gritted his teeth. ¡°I am going to make an official complaint! Don¡¯t ever think that I¡¯m clueless about my right to file a complaint.¡±


    Raven 12345 smiled slyly. ¡°Go ahead! I have nothing to lose anyway since I¡¯ve exhausted all my deductions this year.¡±


    Hao Ren was struck dumb.


    A sense of helplessness engulfed him. Why would I want to argue with a psychopath ? Hao Ren asked himself. Even though she said so, he suspected that he would still get his bonus in full. Raven 12345 was only making an empty threat; he knew her well.


    He almost fell for her prank.


    ¡°This is no fun! I thought you would have a bigger reaction.¡± Sure enough, Raven 12345 was just pulling a prank. She lost interest in it when Hao Ren did not react the way she had anticipated. ¡°Let me show you the good stuff. It is more than compensate for your bonus. I tell you what, this is the most over-the-top thing that an inspector has ever gotten in history. It is seriously against the regulations. Had it not been for the special situation and the special approval of the administration, there was no way I could get it for you!¡±


    Hao Ren was hooked and no more depressed. He watched with interest as Raven 12345 took something out of the dimensional fissure.


    It was a ball that glowed in a faint green light, slightly smaller than a football. There was a mysterious and complicated texture on the surface and a sense of vitality coming from within the ball. Hao Ren could feel his body was infused with some kind of power as he stared at the ball.


    As he could not make of the uses of the ball, he asked, ¡°What is this?¡±


    Raven 12345 looked proud. ¡°It is a seed.¡±


    ¡°Why would I want a seed? Is it for the MDT?¡±


    ¡°I am not talking about a torrent seed, idiot!¡±


    Hao Ren shrank back. ¡°Me too. So, what is it for?¡±


    ¡°Did remember what I said to you when you came last time that I was going to get you something more powerful for your mission in the Plane of Dreams?¡± Raven 12345 said. ¡°Here you go. This seed will sprout into a world tree.¡±


    Hao Ren could vaguely guess it, but it was too bizarre to even believe it. ¡°A world tree? Which one? Like Yggdrasil or¡ª¡±


    ¡°It is real. Look at me; it is real!¡± Raven 12345 pointed at her mouth as she spoke. Apparently, she was pleased when she saw Hao Ren¡¯s reactions. ¡°Yggdrasil is only fennel compared with this world tree, which is an authentic product of the Galacticus Lords. It is the tree-type world control terminal. Do you understand?¡±


    The words rang in Hao Ren¡¯s mind. How could he not know what it was when he had read it before in the manual.


    ¡°As you know, K1, K2, and K3 are the three sovereign hubs.¡± Raven 12345 continued. ¡°They make the rules, manage the world orders, run the heavenly program; they are a high-level world management terminal, a product of Xi Ling technology. And the thing in front of you is the same as the sovereign hubs. The difference is that it¡¯s made of the Galacticus Lords technology. I could only get this for you as the power of the goddess of creation comes from Bryndis, the Dark Valkyrie. She¡¯s a goddess of the Galacticus Lords. I¡¯m telling you, getting it was not easy. No matter how close the two celestials are, this thing is not meant to be passed around. It is given to you only because the situation has come to this stage.¡±


    At that moment, Hao Ren did not really hear what Raven 12345 said as he had only one thing on his mind: the goddess had given him a sovereign hub! The goddess had given him a sovereign hub.


    Those who were in their right mind should know that this thing was not meant for the inspector.


    ¡°They have made an exception just for this case.¡± Raven 12345 certainly knew this too. She shook her head and continued. ¡°I have to remind you that although you have the world management terminal now, you must use it with care. It is so powerful that it could change the format of the entire universe, and an extremely high level of skills is needed to operate it. It takes a thousand years just to get the operation qualification from the Galacticus Lords. So, there are many limitations of how you can use it. First of all, most of its management functions are locked and set to run automatically; secondly, you are on the shared admin rights and currently there is no one else have this shared right except you. When you find the goddess of creation and make her complete the study, she will be the other administrator¡ªat this point, you have to understand that the goddess of creation is half Galacticus Lords, therefore she will enjoy higher access allocation than you. More importantly, this world management terminal is to be connected to the Weaves of Destiny, so she must be the other administrator.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded as he finally understood that he had to share the powerful gadget with the goddess of creation. ¡°Did you just say that this thing has to be connected to the Weaves of Destiny?¡±


    ¡°Yup. As I said before, we have to modify the Weaves of Destiny and place it under our control, and this world management system is to replace Vivian¡¯s position.¡±


    Hao Ren finally understood the entire arrangement.


    The goddess of creation had left behind the Waves of Destiny, which was virtually a sovereign hub prototype. Its functions of manipulating the universal constants and maintaining the laws of the world were the fundamental modules of the sovereign hub. But because of the rudimentary and primitive technology, this network had some innate flaws and could only run with Vivian as the controlling core. Raven 12345¡¯s solution to this problem was straight and simple. She replaced the original kernel with the more advanced world management terminal.


    Now, the bug left behind by the goddess of creation had been solved¡ªthe best solution to Samsung¡¯s system hang was to switch to Huawei.


    ¡°This is only a basic model, and it has fewer function than the real thing. But it is efficient, stable, and almost completely autonomous, which is quite suitable for the situation of the Plane of Dreams. Plus, it uses less system resource; it will have no problem running on the Weaves of Destiny.¡± Raven 12345 sounded like a financial software salesperson. ¡°But let me tell you again that this is the first time an inspector has ever gotten such a high-end gadget. Although there is an example where a single inspector is directly responsible for all the affairs of the universe, it happens in a remote and sparsely populated world, and there is no allocation of a sovereign hub. You are the first one who gets it. the pressure at the top is enormous.¡±


    Hao Ren was seeing Raven 12345 babbling like an old grandma for the first time. It felt funny. ¡°Do not worry, I am not a kid and certainly will use it with care.¡±


    Raven 12345 let out a sigh. ¡°I am not worried about whether you are careful or not, but mainly about you are Sir. Ominous.¡±


    Hao Ren cried out loud. ¡°Wait a minute! I don¡¯t mind when those rubbernecks say it, but how can you say this?¡±


    ¡°You may see me as one of them.¡± Raven 12345 spread out her hand.


    Hao Ren was like what the heck.


    There was no point harping on this topic when the other party was neurotic. So, Hao Ren continued to talk about the World Tree. ¡°You better tell me how to activate, connect this thing to the Weaves of Destiny, the way it works, and what this thing can do if I jump straight into the Umbral Realm.¡±


    ¡°Startup and making the connection are basically idiot-proof; just place it near the highest I/O port of the Weaves of Destiny, and it will run by itself. But be warned that things will get pretty loud during startup. I suggest that you quickly left after the activation. I will send you the information about its specific range of influence and the icons of the startup process. What it can do? I can pull you and your buddies out from the broken divine realm and give you all another life to get revenge even if the one how kills you if the Mad Lord. As for other functions, you can slowly find them out.¡±


    This thing was awesome.

 Chapter 1635 - A Nagging Goddess

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The World Terminal was, of course, a huge help to Hao Ren¡¯s missions within the Plane of Dreams, but its true value lay elsewhere.


    Its real value was in turning the chaotic Plane of Dreams into a place of order. With the ¡°fall¡± of the goddess, the sealing of the Mad Lord, the restoration of order was the most important thing for the place since its basic universal laws were all over the place. The Weaves of Destiny left by the goddess had an inherent defect and could not shoulder the burden, while the fragility of the Wall of Reality prevented Raven 12345 from helping out in the long term. Only today, with the help of the critical data that Hao Ren had obtained, was Raven 12345 able to send a World Terminal into the Plane of Dreams.


    The terminal would operate autonomously and restore all basic universal constants as well as laws, which had been damaged by the fall of the goddess. It was just like the Gate of Solenne, where the dimensionally distorted system was re-adjusted and part of the broken system was successfully restored. This was the biggest benefit to the Plane of Dreams.


    However, the changes on the universal level were not something intuitive to Hao Ren, and he could not interfere with the process either, so for him, the World Terminal¡¯s best features were ¡°recall¡± and ¡°full health resurrection¡±, especially the latter. It was just too good a feature.


    If not for that thing, facing the Mad Latter in the Plane of Dreams itself would be suicidal.


    Raven 12345 knew what Hao Ren was thinking when she saw his expression, and she gave him some advice, ¡°Don¡¯t go all yolo just because there¡¯s a resurrection option. The World Terminal isn¡¯t meant for that. First, its resurrection capability is limited, as you are heading into the Umbral Realm, and the Umbral Realm is separated from the main material universe of the Plane of Dreams. Based on your data, I¡¯m thinking that even the World Terminal¡¯s powers cannot be fully extended to that place, so it can only leave a one-time ¡®mark¡¯ on all of you, and this mark will be used when someone dies; next, we don¡¯t know what¡¯s the situation like in the kingdom of the goddess, and it could be worse than our imaginations, so if you ever get complacent just because you have a resurrection and recall ability in hand, don¡¯t come saying that you are my pope if you get owned along the way there¡­¡±


    Hao Ren pondered for a bit, most people wouldn¡¯t even be willing to proclaim that they are working under Raven 12345, it¡¯s almost too bloody embarrassing¡­


    But of course, Hao Ren could not verbalize that in front of her, and simply laughed dryly and nodded to indicate understanding.


    ¡°All right, that¡¯s all I need to tell you, you¡¯ll start complaining about me nagging if I go on. The mission is yours, and the most important factor is your ability to adapt.¡± Raven 12345 shrugged. ¡°Anything else to ask? If not¡ª¡±


    Before the goddess could finish her sentence, Hao Ren recalled something he had planned to before coming here and quickly interjected. ¡°Eh, there is. I have something¡­¡±


    ¡°Ugh, for real? What is it?¡±


    Hao Ren, with a deadpan serious look, said, ¡°I¡¯m about to bring my team to raid the Umbral Realm. I¡¯m thinking of equipping the team with some gear, trinkets or whatnot¡­¡±


    Raven 12345¡¯s expression twisted as she heard Hao Ren halfway through, and before he could complete his sentence, she interposed herself in front of her desk and glared at him. ¡°The World Tree is not powerful enough? That thing, once grown, its bark itself is a +15 orange gear!¡±


    Hao Ren sniggered. ¡°Don¡¯t bother blocking. I can see that plate of dates. They¡¯re looking rather fresh¡­ Oh, there are also sunflower seeds?¡±


    ¡°F*ck me! You are actually¡­ Put that down! I haven¡¯t even taken a bite yet¡­ Why are you taking the plate along! My goodness, why is my pontiff like this? You¡¯re a pope, a bloody pope! What¡¯s the deal in snatching a goddess¡¯ items¡­ My mug!¡±


    She may have been blathering all over, but Hao Ren had already been under that crazy goddess for four good years, and it was not like he could not tell if the goddess was not even trying to stop him. It would be a joke if a proper god could not stop her pope from snatching her stuff. And Hao Ren even figured that the stuff on Raven 12345¡¯s desk was meant for him.


    Of course, the plates were probably not part of the plan¡­ but since Hao Ren had already put them into his dimensional pocket, he had no intentions to take them out.


    ¡°Ah, just my luck, getting these bunch of shameless pontiffs,¡± Raven 12345 lay despondently on the chair as she grumbled. ¡°I was stewing pork trotters two days back when Galazur came knocking and almost munched on the pot. And yesterday, I made a pearl while I was bored, and Tunalar came by, saying that her spider nest was short of an egg. Then she grabbed it from me¡­ She¡¯s the Spider Queen for crying out loud, short of an egg!¡±


    As she sighed she repeated herself again, ¡°Ah, just my luck¡­¡±


    Cold sweat rained down Hao Ren¡¯s face.


    It seemed like he had found out more about his colleagues¡¯ dark histories? But they did not sound useful at all¡­


    As he had already gotten what he wanted, and have managed to get some good stuff for his team along the way, Hao Ren was already quite satisfied. Seeing Raven 12345 in that state, he figured that she was probably not in the mood to see him off and he bid her farewell. ¡°You can go and wallow in your sorrow there, then. I¡¯ll make my move first. There¡¯s stuff to prepare back home for the mission¡¯s success!¡±


    Raven 12345 rolled her eyes at him and just before Hao Ren opened the dimensional gate to leave, she remembered something. ¡°Eh, wait up. I have something to tell you.¡±


    Hao Ren stopped and turned curiously, awaiting the goddess¡¯ orders.


    ¡°While the search for the kingdom of the goddess in the Umbral Realm is dangerous, you still need to bring Lil Pea along.¡±


    ¡°Lil Pea? What can she do? This is a far more dangerous place than all previous places.¡±


    While Lil Pea was now a demon hunting-fish who was trained vigorously by Nangong Sanba as well as Lorissa, she was still only three years old and about one-foot-one tall. She was a child, all things considered, and Hao Ren had never seen her as a key member of his team.


    And due to her daredevil nature, Lil Pea was much less well behaved than Rollie outside, even though the latter was subservient to the former¡­


    Raven 12345 could only shrug as she faced the question. ¡°Beats me, I¡¯m just basing it off the prophecy this thing gave me.¡±


    She pointed at a very intricate crystal prism on her desk.


    Hao Ren was intrigued by the prism. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    Raven 12345 did not bother hiding it. ¡°A Prophecy Crystal. A nice toy given from above. When I run into horrible roadblocks at times, I¡¯ll use it for help.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s very neat!¡± Hao Ren was surprised before turning to the Prophecy Crystal. ¡°What am I having for dinner tonight?¡±


    A sentence appeared immediately above the crystal. ¡°It was pork chop rice, but Lily had eaten it so Vivian is cooking egg fried rice as she is zapping the dog.¡±


    ¡°¡­Damn, that¡¯s awesome!¡± Hao Ren exclaimed.


    Raven 12345 glared at Hao Ren. She was just about to warn him properly about developing a habit of pinning his hopes to fate and destiny, when the next moment, she found the latter using the destiny-altering device to ask what was for dinner. That left her swallowing all her reasoning back, and she managed a ¡°and that is what you decided to ask?¡± before she almost choked herself to death.


    ¡°I was just testing it out,¡± Hao Ren said, matter-of-factly. ¡°Is there a simpler question than that?¡±


    ¡°¡­Go back and prepare then, there¡¯s nothing here for you already¡­¡± Raven 12345 said in resignation.


    Hao Ren gave a curt ¡°oh¡± and was not sure if it was just him, but the crazy goddess sounded lifeless earlier.


    As he had taken some time to hammer things out with the goddess about the World Terminal, by the time Hao Ren had got home it was past dinner time. Everyone at home had already eaten and were in their rooms busying themselves. The only people in the living room were Vivian, who was lecturing Noobie, and Rollie who was curled up on the cushion watching TV. And oh, not forgetting Lily, who lying face-up on the sofa, groaning.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re back.¡± Vivian stood up as she saw Hao Ren step into the house. She wanted to rant, but before she could say anything, Hao Ren interrupted her, ¡°Lily ate my pork chop rice, right? Egg fried rice is good too, and what the hell are you groaning there for? I made you a set of Metal Garuru armor, and you stole my food, the hell are you groaning for?¡±


    Vivian was stunned as Hao Ren took the words out of her mouth, and Lily immediately bounced off the sofa, ¡°Mr. Landlord, were you peeping?!¡±


    ¡°Shut up, I was just trying out Raven 12345¡¯s high-tech toys,¡± Hao Ren said as he lay on the sofa. ¡°Well, the navigation mark to the kingdom of the goddess is complete. Now, all we need to do is to search for it.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that actually worked!¡± Lily immediately scampered towards him. Even though she knew Hao Ren went to Raven 12345 specifically for that, but after she heard the news, she got excited. ¡°So the ¡®Umbral Realm¡¯ that we have been searching for so long¡­ it¡¯s now a done deal?¡±


    ¡°Finding the location is just the first step. There are countless trials waiting for us there, and that¡¯s the main event.¡± Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°But the good news is that Raven 12345 has provided a powerful cheat code. Here.¡±


    He took out the ¡°Seed of the World Tree¡± from his pocket, and the greenish orb was covered by a shield as it radiated a mysterious glow. The moment Hao Ren took it out, the entire living room was filled with some sort of divine power.


    Lily looked at the item quizzically as she mumbled, ¡°So¡­ we need to boil this too?¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s karate chop landed on her head the next moment. ¡°This is not Lil Pea¡¯s egg!¡±


    Even Vivian came over now to join in the commotion, and she was still holding the struggling Noobie in her hand. ¡°What¡¯s that for?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be surprised by this. The World Tree! The thing that can control a universe¡¯s constants.¡± Hao Ren had wanted to play the reveal up but could not control his big mouth and blurted the whole thing out. Only after that did he notice Noobie in Vivian¡¯s hands and out of curiosity, he asked, ¡°I saw you talking to it earlier? What are you talking about? Can that little thing understand human language?¡±


    ¡°She understands, but she refuses to listen.¡± Vivian shook the little tot in her hand resignedly, ¡°¡­ Wait a minute, what did you say that thing was again?¡±


    ¡°The World Tree, the World Terminal, the Sovereign Core, the Heavenly Server, call it what you want. It can replace you as the CPU of the Throne of Destiny.¡± Hao Ren smiled. ¡°Now you don¡¯t have to worry about being frozen onto a chair and have a group of twenty-five violent thugs in gaudy-looking outfits raiding you every week.¡±


    ¡°¡­That was the least of my concerns!¡±

 Chapter 1636 - Standing By, Awaiting Orders

    While Hao Ren had planned to tell the rest about the World Tree and the navigation mark to the Umbral Realm the next day, Lily¡¯s loud mouth meant that nothing could be hidden. By the time he realized it, everyone had already come down to see what was up. Even Lil Pea, who was about to sleep, came bouncing into the living room and was now lying on Rollie¡¯s head as she stared curiously at the green ball on the table.


    Nangong Sanba gave his opinion as he saw the Seed of the World Tree. ¡°This is the World Terminal? Doesn¡¯t look all that grand¡­ and oh, not even comparable to the three Ks.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, this is just a seed, and it hasn¡¯t even sprouted yet.¡± Nangong Wuyue rolled her eyes at her brother. ¡°And didn¡¯t Mr. Landlord say earlier, this is a simplified type. That means its a portable version, and the K series fortresses are all top tier items. Of course, it¡¯s different.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not due to its simplified nature, but it¡¯s mainly due to how different the tech tree of the Galacticus Starlords and the Xi Ling Celestials are, so the World Terminal being different is a given. The Galacticus¡¯ terminal is more like a control panel, while the Xi Ling¡¯s Sovereign Cores also serve as a fortress and garrison with a sh*t load of other external plugins as well. The difference is too big.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like it¡¯s super OP.¡± Lily¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°So this thing is going to replace Battie on the Throne? Can this link up with the Weaves of Destiny? Wasn¡¯t there a bunch of inherent flaws in the Weaves¡­¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°Well, Raven 12345 said no problem. That thing will directly overwrite the bugs in the Weaves and use its own system to patch things out. The Weaves, to it, is like support hardware.¡±


    Rollie stared intently at the green orb on the table, and her cat eyes were widening slowly as she got interested. And without anyone noticing, she poked the orb and the latter starting rolling on the table.


    ¡°Don¡¯t play with it!¡± Vivian smacked the dumb cat on the back. ¡°It¡¯s very important!¡±


    ¡°Nya!¡± The dumb cat shrunk back. She was actually listening intently but only understood every little. She then asked Hao Ren innocently, ¡°So Big Boss Cat is going to plant a tree?¡±


    ¡°Plant a tree¡­ Well, it¡¯s not wrong either,¡± Hao Ren replied as he threw a glance at the group. ¡°Since everyone is here, I have something nice for all of you. I actually planned to give it out tomorrow¡­¡±


    Everyone¡¯s eyes landed on Hao Ren¡¯s hand but as the latter pulled out plates of peanuts, sunflower seeds and red dates from his Dimensional Pocket, their expressions of anticipation turned crestfallen. Little Y¡¯lisabet even grumbled, ¡°Huh? What¡¯s up with these¡­¡±


    ¡°I took them from Raven 12345.¡±


    ¡°Sh*t, give me some, give me some!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t squeeze!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Landlord you basically just took them without asking, right?! Such an insane amount!¡±


    ¡°Who stepped on my tail!¡±


    ¡°Anyone with a tail, keep it! Especially you, Wuyue, keep your coil of a tail under the table! Get it to the back!¡±


    ¡°Why is there a cup here?¡±


    After a moment later, everyone was sitting around the MDT on the sofa, cushion and any chair they could pull up. They chomped on the snacks and watched a movie while they discussed the matter of the Umbral Realm. Hao Ren felt that the pre-war meeting was all sorts of wrong, but when he looked at the sunflower seed in his hand, it did not feel all that wrong¡­


    ¡°This time we are going to that lost kingdom, and frankly speaking, there are too many uncontrollable variables. It¡¯s really perilous,¡± Y¡¯zaks said with a serious look as he ripped open a peanut and fed it to Y¡¯lisabet who was sitting on his lap. ¡°The worst-case scenario would be the god slayers who fell together with the goddess were not wiped out, they used the Umbral Realm to escape divine retribution, and that the war is still ongoing there. If we head in like this, we will fall right smack into a war zone and with both sides already wailing at each other for so long, we¡¯ll definitely be fell upon by both sides the moment we step in.¡±


    Vivian pondered for a bit. ¡°That explosion back then was quite something though, and chances are, the god killers and the guardians were both wiped out. But their energies would be left behind in some shape or form, becoming a continuous source of disaster in the kingdom. This is obviously no better than what the big guy said.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the most probable situation is probably either of those,¡± Hao Ren nodded, ¡°The first scenario means we will be up against a war with an intelligent foe, the latter means we will be facing a hostile environment. Comparatively, the second scenario is probably easier to overcome. All natural phenomena have some sort of law binding them, but we can¡¯t leave it to luck. We better be prepared.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s bound to be other situations as well,¡± Nangong Sanba added.


    ¡°Of course, the unexpected is pretty much expected, especially in that distorted dimension. We can only prepare for worst-case scenarios.¡± Hao Ren nodded lightly, ¡°And this time around, Raven 12345 used the Prophecy Crystal to tell me to prepare something in advance: bring Lil Pea along. But she doesn¡¯t know why.¡±


    ¡°Lil Pea?!¡±


    Everyone¡¯s gaze turned towards the little mermaid bouncing on the table, and the latter was surprised by the attention. With her big googly eyes, she stared back at the adults. ¡°What are you doing¡­ I don¡¯t wanna sleep! I¡¯m not sleepy!¡±


    Nangong Sanba shook his head. ¡°Really can¡¯t see how can she be a messiah.¡±


    ¡°Well, who cares. Since the goddess has already purposely reminded us, let¡¯s just go with it,¡± Vivian said as she looked at Hao Ren. ¡°Since we need to prepare for battle¡­ are we bringing an army with us?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s too rash and too difficult.¡± Hao Ren waved it off. ¡°Firstly, we¡¯ll be in an unknown environment. Bringing in an army directly is like declaring your intentions the moment you leap into an unknown battlefield, so we need to scout ahead. Secondly, the marker that Raven 12345 recalibrated can only be used by the Petrachelys¡¯ navigation system. While it can provide guiding signals, it requires the Petrachelys to get there first.¡±


    Lily¡¯s ears fluttered. ¡°Can¡¯t set up a warp gate?¡±


    ¡°Nope, since the situation within the Umbral Realm is complicated, it is a ¡®unique dimension¡¯ that cannot be reached by normal hyperspace travel. So opening a warp gate directly into the dimension is difficult. Raven 12345 has given me a plan, which is to have the Petrachelys carry a high-efficiency rift generator. Once the ship successfully enters the Umbral Realm, we will then turn on the rift generator and broadcast it towards the main universe. That will allow the fleet waiting outside to use the marked path.¡±


    Vivian was stroking Rollie¡¯s furry ears as she spoke, ¡°So that all depends on the successful planting of the World Tree, right?¡±


    ¡°Yep, we will use the World Tree to activate the Weaves of Destiny, and use the laws of the universe to ¡®anchor¡¯ us down, and that will ensure we don¡¯t get lost within the Umbral Realm. This is a critical prerequisite, and without it, we are basically flying to our doom.¡±


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go to the Core to ¡®plant that tree''¡±¡ªVivian smiled faintly¡ª¡±and brief Salaman as well as the rest about our plans to advance into the Umbral Realm. I think the guardians have been waiting for this day to come for far too long.¡±


    It was already late night when they dispersed, and the house quickly quieted down.


    However, Hao Ren had yet to sleep. After putting Lil Pea to bed, he put on a shirt and climbed onto the roof.


    It was the best place to view the moon.


    The night was cool without any clouds and a bright full moon hung upon the sky and at the edge of the moonlight were slivers of blood red. This sliver could not be seen elsewhere, aside from the vicinity of this house.


    Vivian too had not slept, and she was sitting on the roof as well, looking into the sky.


    She felt Hao Ren approaching and turned with a faint smile. ¡°Can¡¯t sleep?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. Lil Pea is super energetic today, took me a good while to get her to sleep.¡± Hao Ren sat beside Vivian and noticed there a third ¡°person¡± there. It was Noobie. The tiny tot was actually lying on Vivian¡¯s leg with a handkerchief as a blanket, snoring away. ¡°That little bugger¡­ You brought her up?¡±


    ¡°She came over herself.¡± Vivian looked at the little one, ¡°I didn¡¯t understand what she wanted, but she climbed over suddenly before blasting a salvo of energy arrows to the sky. After she got tired, she climbed on my thigh and fell asleep. A real self-centered one she is.¡±


    ¡°No one understands the structure of Noobie¡¯s brain. Perhaps, she¡¯s never even had any coherent thoughts before. But I do envy her at times.¡± Hao Ren looked at the little one because she seemed to have noticed some noise and she turned over sideways, covering her head with the blanket. ¡°At least now she has many readable emotional reactions, likes, and dislikes, plus I can see that she¡¯s getting close to you.¡±


    Vivian smiled. ¡°As long as she doesn¡¯t go ¡®biubiubiu¡¯ on the dishes I cook, I¡¯m thankful enough.¡±


    ¡°So what you were thinking earlier?¡± Hao Ren looked at her in the eyes.


    After a short silence, Vivian whispered, ¡°Am¡­ Am I going to see the goddess of creation soon?¡±


    ¡°Nervous at finally meeting your mum?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ That concept is foreign to me.¡± Vivian shook her head, her voice was distant. ¡°I¡¯ve been wandering the world ever since I gained my consciousness as a powerful being. I have no memories of growing up or being raised and cared for. While I¡¯ve seen animals or other humans raising their children, I¡¯ver thought much about my own circumstances¡­¡±


    She stopped, and Hao Ren waited for her to continue patiently, ¡°But, I do have a creator.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re worried that you won¡¯t get along with the goddess of creation? Or do you feel that your current form doesn¡¯t fit what the goddess had originally ¡®intended¡¯?¡±


    ¡°A bit of both. I do think that I¡¯ve never met the goddess¡¯ expectations. I didn¡¯t complete my duty as a guide or return to the Plane of Dreams with my own ability, and in the end, I even refused the Throne of Destiny. You can say that I¡¯ve never finished a single mission that the goddess has created me for¡­ Do you think that she would have considered all of this when she created me back then?¡±


    ¡°I think¡­ a goddess that finds fun in puzzle bobbles shouldn¡¯t be a calculative one.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t overthink things. She won¡¯t blame you. So what if she¡¯s a calculative one, I have workbooks enough to last her till the end of times.¡± Hao Ren pulled out a box of divine teaching materials from his pocket and started to tap the box as he continued, ¡°If she dares to bully you, I¡¯ll give her more homework to do.¡±


    Vivian burst out laughing. ¡°Pfft, stop fooling around. I don¡¯t think that she¡¯s such a character. I¡¯m just scaring myself silly.¡±


    ¡°So feeling better now?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Let me give you a kiss¡­¡±


    ¡°Eh, Noobie¡¯s still here¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh right, let me put her in my pocket.¡±

 Chapter 1637 - Tree Planting

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Ever since the observer had created a stable gateway between the Core and Tannagost, Salaman and his guardians had been frequenting both places. It was not only due to the warriors in the army wishing to see the legendary ¡°revived land¡±, but it was also by invitation of the observer.


    The guardian army was tasked to defend Star Cluster X and had not paid attention to the happenings outside of that sector. But now that the biggest threat to the Core had been dealt with, and they were simply waiting for the ¡°Lord of the Throne¡± to arrive, plus Hao Ren and his droid swarm had taken over most of the defensive works within the sector, it was pretty clear that the mission did not need to go on. Or at least, the entire guardian army did not need to stay put. Thus, many personnel under Salaman¡¯s command were freed from duty.


    Besides, the other locations within the Plane of Dreams required their strength.


    The maintenance of Tannagost¡¯s ecosystem, the engineering works at the Gate of Solenne, and the various exploration as well as investigation tasks within the Plane of Dreams itself, plus the excavation and study of the goddess¡¯ religion and relics; there were all sorts of messes to be cleaned up. There was order to be restored and there were ruins to be rebuilt. While Hao Ren¡¯s droid swarm could take on most of the hard work, they were simply emotionless machines and lacked the understanding of the ¡°local situation¡±, so there was a shortage of manpower all over the universe.


    Thinking about it, when the Gate of Solenne¡¯s star forge started producing parts of the Creation¡¯s Engine, Lemendusa was alone there supervising it. It was such a sorry solitary scene¡­


    Thus, the appearance of Lemendusa and his army solved that pressing problem.


    Tannagost had become the most important transportation hub due to the presence of CARS, and Hao Ren had built many warp and acceleration devices in all parts of the universe. He had also set up a huge number of starports and warehouse facilities. All guardian giants coming from the Core would transit there before they were sent to where they were needed, and the ones overseeing this were Salaman, Muru and the CARS mainframe. Salaman knew his men, while the CARS mainframe understood the manpower needs of each location. Muru, on the other hand, was the intermediary. This was a very rudimentary ¡°triumvirate¡±, but things seemed to be working out well so far.


    When Hao Ren and the rest returned to CARS, what they saw was a scene of orderly industry.


    Standing on the CARS observation deck, one could see clearly the busy transportation network on the starports. The mountain-sized black starships moved slowly by the starport as the guiding and anchorage beams formed tidy and clear pathways in space while the argent droid carriers and swarms were buzzing about between the berths like swarm of bees; farther away, there were massive accelerator catapults or stargates, and these massive facilities were capable of sending an entire fleet deep into space with just a flash.


    The accelerator catapults were used to send ships into unexplored or complex, hard-to-pinpoint star systems, while the stargates were connected to another starbase, or to other developed outposts. Hao Ren¡¯s next target was to set up a stargate between Tannagost and the Core, further enhancing the connectivity of these two locales. It would also improve the signal transmission between CARS and Star Cluster X. With this, Zorm could then better control that ¡°remote body¡± on the Executor¡¯s planet without the need for additional antenna arrays.


    ¡°Before you lot came over, this place had never been as lively,¡± Hao Ren said in realization. Next to him was Salaman¡¯s holographic projection. ¡°While we have set up so many starports and warehouses, the ones using them were the droids. You know, these droids have a hive mind and the individual units do not have any external communication settings. So even millions of droids going in and out of the port would not create any ¡®noise¡¯, and this place looked like a haunted port at times.¡±


    Salaman indulged in some nostalgia too. ¡°There were a few space cities around the Star of Creation back then, and they were much much livelier than here.¡±


    ¡°One day, this universe will recover and prosper again.¡± Hao Ren smiled. ¡°We are taking that first step forward.¡±


    ¡°I really hope that ¡®seed¡¯ is as strong as you say it is,¡± Salaman said, his expression serious. ¡°With that, we can boldly step into the Umbral Realm to search for Mother.¡±


    ¡°Of course, it will surprise you.¡± Hao Ren was full of confidence.


    Nolan¡¯s voice rang from the speaker, ¡°Boss, the navigation course is plotted, we can take off any time.¡±


    When they returned to the Core, the scars of the earlier battle was still visible.


    This could not be helped because only about half a month had passed since that monumental battle, and countless pieces of wreckage from the thousand-year-long war had accumulated there. Floating in space was not only broken starships and bodies but also difficult-to-clean active energies and unstable dimensional rifts. The droids were already cleaning these dangerous space junk up at peak efficiency already, and more time would be needed for these pieces of space junk to be totally cleaned up.


    The wreckage above the Core was the first batch to be cleaned, and the space around this sector was much cleaner now. The guardians and the droid swarm were rebuilding defensive structures in low orbit, but the situation on high orbit was not that encouraging: A massive dark red energy cloud lingered, and when starlight passed through the clouds, all sorts of bizarre distorted images would be produced. That was the reaction of the dimensional rift and the gravitational flux, and those would take a good while to actually be cleaned up.


    Standing before the crystal mountain before the Throne of Destiny, Hao Ren looked at the sky, and while it was night now, the thick roiling energy cloud had blotted out the starlight, so nothing was visible. Hao Ren knew what was going on in high orbit and clicked his tongue. ¡°Tsk, actually, if we go along with my plan, it¡¯ll all be fine. Just set a whole bunch of dimensional bombs there, and boom, no more contamination. As for the rift, it¡¯ll heal by itself. Besides, there¡¯s no danger with the rift as long as you go around it, unlike the troublesome contamination¡­¡±


    Salaman¡¯s expression was deadpan. ¡°While this is a creative plan, I believe the guardians, with our powers from Mother, are more than capable to face those tainted powers. Of course, if you have plenty of explosives that need to be disposed of, there¡¯s no problem.


    ¡°Ahem, let¡¯s focus on the Throne.¡± Hao Ren coughed dryly.


    Once again, they came before the place where Vivian had gone through the ¡°test¡±, and once again, there was the group of sprites living on the crystal wall, and once again, Hao Ren was overwhelmed by their enthusiasm.


    ¡°Wah! The queen! The queen is back!¡±


    ¡°Is the queen looking to turn it on?¡±


    ¡°We have already restarted the system¡­¡±


    ¡°But it still shows a blue screen when it restarts¡­¡±


    ¡°But we have a plan to fix the blue screen!¡±


    ¡°The sprites will change the error message page to red¡­¡±


    ¡°Say¡­ does the queen want to play a round of puzzle bobble?¡±


    ¡°I have picked up a spiritual recalibrator around here yesterday, not sure whose it is¡­¡±


    Vivian was swarmed by the energetic sprites the moment she showed up, and their wave of chatter even surprised Salaman. While they were usually a chatty bunch, they were even more excited now that they had seen their queen.


    Vivian took a good effort to get the noisy bunch to pipe down, and Salaman quickly ran through what they planned to do to the sprites.


    And the bunch of tiny ones instantly burst into a furor again. ¡°We are connecting the Throne to that?¡±


    ¡°The queen isn¡¯t sitting on the Throne?¡±


    ¡°That World Tree thing¡­ is it the queen¡¯s replacement?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean the sprites no longer have a queen?!¡±


    Hao Ren knew that he sprites would be worried about that, and he quickly added, ¡°Even once the World Tree goes online, Vivian will still be your queen. But she doesn¡¯t need to control it directly. She can leave the work to the system. Both of you will not be affected.¡±


    Not too far away, Nangong Wuyue poked Sanba¡¯s arm. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that sound like an attempt to obfuscate the matter?¡±


    The sprites were already chattering away discussing it, and a few seconds later, they started nodding, ¡°Oh, okay¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­That actually worked!¡± Wuyue exclaimed.


    ¡°Well, the sprites don¡¯t really understand the proper concept of a ¡®queen¡¯, and their search for one was mainly for fun.¡± Nangong Sanba seemed to have seen through things, ¡°As for the Weaves of Destiny, it is an automated network that uses the sprite¡¯s processing abilities as auxiliary support.¡±


    Lily nodded as well. ¡°I actually saw through that long ago. The sprites and the queen, the Weaves and Throne of Destiny, they are two separate systems that are placed within the same vector. Now, Mr. Landlord is simply separating the vector and letting the World Tree do the hard work, while Battie is just lending her name. Pfft, that¡¯s totally freeloading. So much for saving the world.¡±


    As she finished, everyone looked at her as if she was an alien being: No one had thought the doggie would see through things so clearly¡­


    On the other hand, after completing his briefing with the sprites, Hao Ren had obtained permission to enter the throne hall.


    The sprites went back to the crystal wall one by one, and the entire wall became ethereal. A few seconds later, the material wall disappeared and what was left was a majestic gate as well as a winding crystal tunnel behind it.


    Hao Ren took the lead as others followed closely behind. After going through the winding passageway, the hall in Hao Ren¡¯s dreams appeared before him.


    Just like what he saw within the dream, the hall was so austere that it looked spartan. Primordial rocks and crystal formed the basis of the hall and a few drooping crystals were the only decorations of the hall. Aside from that, the only thing that could everyone¡¯s attention was the massive crystal in the center of the hall, and the throne before it.


    This was the throne symbolizing the authority of all creations in the universe.


    ¡°Its¡­ just like that?¡± Lily commented in surprise. ¡°I thought it would be a little bit more ornate.¡±


    ¡°Mother did not leave any decorations when she built the place, or rather, she did not have the time to make any,¡± Salaman explained. ¡°Everything was done in a hurry.¡±


    Hao Ren came before the connection port of the Throne of Destiny¨Cthe chair itself. ¡°So, based on the guidebook, I just need to place the Seed of the World Tree here?¡±


    Hao Ren already had the droids establish a connection with the Weaves of Destiny earlier, so he was not unfamiliar with the software, but this was the first time he came into ¡®close contact¡¯ with the hardware.


    As he looked at the plain-looking throne, he even doubted if the thing could establish a connection with the World Tree in his hands.


    Nangong Wuyue and Nangong Sanba started chattering in a corner, ¡°Brother, how do you think the World Tree should be planted?¡±


    ¡°How do I know¡­ Should I be digging a hole or something?¡±


    ¡°Maybe not, but it sure looks like it needs watering¡­¡±


    The MDT floated to Hao Ren¡¯s side and banged against the latter¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Who cares, just put it on the throne to test it out? This is what Madam Raven 12345 has gotten us. If it doesn¡¯t work, it¡¯s on her.¡±


    Hao Ren then steeled himself and pulled the Seed of the World Tree out of his Dimensional Pocket and placed it solemnly on the throne.

 Chapter 1638 - A Darn Big Tree

    ¡°So we just put that thing on the throne?¡±


    Vivian could not help but ask after three seconds as she looked at the green orb that sat quietly on the crystal throne.


    ¡°¡­Based on the guide book, yeah.¡± Hao Ren ruffled his hair. ¡°It also states that this thing is idiot-proof, one-key installation with an upgraded automated system meant for inexperienced new users. As long as it¡¯s placed on the target, this thingamajig will automatically determine its surroundings and sprout, blah blah blah¡­¡±


    ¡°Why does this sound like snake oil the more I hear about it¡­¡± Lily¡¯s dog ears fluttered. ¡°Does a proper World Tree even boast such features?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue summoned a water orb and tossed it about. ¡°Mr. Landlord, wanna give it some watering?¡±


    ¡°Or perhaps dig a hole beneath the throne and plant it there?¡± Nangong Sanba said as he rubbed his chin.


    As they spoke, more than ten seconds passed, yet the Seed of the World Tree sat silently on the throne. Sprouting notwithstanding, it probably would grow hair if they wait any longer¡­


    Hao Ren too was impatient by then and he walked ahead with an awkward expression on his face, ¡°Maybe I didn¡¯t put it right, wait a¡­ eh?!¡±


    As he took half a step forward, the green orb suddenly shuddered, and just as he thought he was seeing things, it shuddered again. This was definitely not his eyes playing tricks, as the orb leap up at least a few centimeters high!


    The next thing he heard was a loud ¡°ding dong¡± sound coming from the orb. There was no need to imagine much. That was basically the sound a USB drive made when it was plugged into a PC.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Did it just react?¡± Y¡¯zaks rumbled softly. ¡°Ah, something is coming out.¡±


    As the sound faded away, many green runic lines appeared on the orb¡¯s surface as the intricate patterns appeared and faded on the lines as they slowly extended to the throne and all across the crystal prism in the hall. A holographic projection then appeared above the orb, one was the version number and welcoming message in green, and beneath it was some anniversary edition markings. But before Hao Ren could take a good look it had disappeared as a slowly climbing loading bar appeared in its place.


    Vivian could not help but commented, ¡°This thing also has the same style when it boots up ¡­¡±


    ¡°It activated!¡± Hao Ren grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the exit as he called to the rest. ¡°Let¡¯s head out. We¡¯ll come back once the system is ready. Rollie, come back! Don¡¯t you know curiosity killed the cat?¡±


    So the whole team left the hall and went along the crystal slope towards the plains. And just as they reached the safe zone, the World Tree¡¯s growth had reached its peak, and a massive tree was stretching across the top of the crystal peak!


    The entire process could only be described as a ¡°stretch¡±. The entire crystal mountain that the throne was on had been covered in a green light veil, and the veil, like drapes, drooped in layers downward while between the moving veils, countless massive tree branches spanning kilometers grew rapidly in all directions. They formed a canopy that covered the entire dome. Thick clouds kilometers away were driven back, and they disappeared as clear sky formed around the canopy. Bright stars appeared for the first time in the planet¡¯s night sky.


    However, Hao Ren could see much farther than the rest: As he squinted his eyes and focused his senses into a wider spectrum, the canopy disappeared from his sight. Replacing it were countless fine, dilating light beams, and around the beams were billions of thin fiber extending outwards from the planet¡¯s surface deep into the stars, forming into another canopy; a grand, supermassive canopy in space!


    The canopy is centered on the Throne of Destiny on the Core, and the fine lines of the canopy were connected to the stars and the void, and many disappeared into the deep space. Hao Ren could fell that the Plane of Dreams had shuddered as the fine lines appeared. This universe was given a heart, and its breathing merged with the World Tree in that instant. They could no longer be separated unless the system was reinstalled.


    Hao Ren blinked again and the wide spectrum vision faded away. The world in his eyes returned to normal, and the extension of the World Tree had ended. A¡­ something that is no longer a ¡®plant¡¯ or a ¡®tree¡¯ had now covered the entire plains.


    Its trunk was originally the crystal peak, and many thick vines extended downwards from the canopy as they coiled around the peak like a root structure. The original crystalline structure of the peak could be seen among the gaps of the trunk: As the canopy had blotted out the sky, even from a distance that was what they saw, and around the canopy was the only clear sky on the planet as stars danced along the branches, forming a glowing ring around the World Tree.


    The plains beneath the canopy did not fall into darkness, conversely, it was the brightest place under the night sky: The leaves of the World Tree were glowing. Even if it was just a faint glow, with the massive amount, the entire plain looked it is was basking in a mysterious radiance at all times.


    ¡°Waooooooooooooo¡­¡± Lily¡¯s voice dragged out as she was at a lost for words to describe her feeling: While she had run around with Hao Ren all over the place and was quite well-acquainted with things, not to mention she had also run into the First Borns and planetary-scale monsters, witnessing the World Tree sprouting with her own eyes was something beyond those. After a long ¡°wow¡±, she blurted, ¡°it sure grows fast¡± in the end.


    At that very moment, the four-time graduate from Beijing University was speechless.


    Frankly, the reaction of the rest was no better. Only Salaman seemed much calmer. While the goddess of creation lacked education, and she crashed and burned halfway through, she still had massive projects ongoing. Salaman was there to witness such a monumental scene. A World Tree, while high-tech it may be, did not seem to faze the old giant.


    What he was surprised at, was the method of resonance the World Tree had with the wider universe after it grew. As a demigod himself, he could sense this sort of metaphysical matter.


    Hao Ren had expected such a reaction and said in his heart, All you country bumpkins have yet to see how this ¡®tree¡¯ is projected on the universe level. That information structure, which was bigger than a star system, would have driven everyone¡¯s jaw into the ground.


    ¡°This¡­ It¡¯s fully grown?¡± Vivian looked at Hao Ren. ¡°What¡¯s next?¡±


    ¡°Next, we can go back into the throne hall.¡± Hao Ren grinned. ¡°Now that the place has stabilized, it will be the main control center of the World Tree, and of course, this system is pretty much autonomous, so there¡¯s technically nothing to control there.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go see it, let¡¯s go!¡± Lily got excited.


    The crystal peak was at the center of this massive change, and it was inadvertently affected. Within the trunk of the World Tree, new spaces were being created, and the originally compact crystal peak displayed some absurd traits: some looked like temple structures, some looked gardens and forest within the trunk, and even a landmass and sky appearing out of nowhere. These were all ¡°simulated zones¡± created by the World Tree¡¯s operations, but for the throne hall itself, there were not many changes.


    The crystalline cavern was still spartan and wide as usual. Its walls were also still made out of rock and crystals. Only the massive crystal had been totally covered with vines, becoming a massive vine that linked to the top of the dome. Meanwhile, the crystal throne had been fully sealed within the heart of the vines and was no longer visible.


    Around the massive vine in the center of the hall, there were many mysterious floating runes and letters. As Hao Ren approached, the runes and letters quickly reformed into a window, and Hao Ren saw a few prompts at the corner of the screen:


    ¡°You took 36 minutes and 15 seconds to boot up, beating 66.6% of the World Trees. As this is a new World Tree without any mods or plugins its boot-up speed is rapid. Please do not take this time as a standard. Wait until your hands get itchy and you start installing all sorts of mods, then come back and talk about the boot-up speed. This system comes with a complete crack, and one-key restore function that will automatically read the most recent image of the universe should there be a failure and do not need any external input. Please, do not, do not, I repeat, do not alter the files yourself. If you are a Goddess of Life series, please do not even touch the control panel. Yours sincerely, the Chief Technical Consultant of the Creation Pantheon, Bryndis Venomwing.¡±


    Hao Ren pondered for a bit before deciding to pretend that he did not see this


    After the welcome screen disappeared, the World Tree only displayed a very simple interface. As all its systems had been set to automatic by Raven 12345 beforehand, there were not many things for the administrators to do. Hao Ren stood before the screen and started to focus. The screen immediately reacted and a prompt appeared on the interface, ¡°Detecting Pre-registered User access. Identity confirmed. Saved. Welcome, administrator, your login has been authorized and recorded.¡±


    ¡°Now, the first batch of those following me into the Umbral Realm, come here.¡± Hao Ren took a deep breath as he turned to his mates. ¡°Prepare to set a resurrection point.¡±


    Everyone stood in line, and the World Tree¡¯s system started saving everyone¡¯s details as programmed. Rings of light appeared from the sky and covered them, while Salaman, who did not need to have his information bound stood outside. As he saw the scene before him, something struck the elderly guardian commander.


    This group here¡­ Are they already planning to die there?

 Chapter 1639 - Advancing Into the Umbral Realm

    As the radiant light veil faded away, Lily raised her hand curiously and saw a green leaf marking on the back of her hand. ¡°¡­So this is the soul-binding mark? And we can resurrect inside the Umbral Realm now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but remember, only once,¡± Hao Ren replied sternly. Even though he had reminded them a few times already, he felt that he needed to emphasize it. ¡°The Umbral Realm is a separate world from the Plane of Dreams, and based on Raven 12345¡¯s calculations, that place is probably within a narrow stretch between the World Barrier and the Void. As the World Tree is only in control of the internals of the universe, its powers cannot fully penetrate the Umbral Realm, therefore we have to rely on this marker to work. Without any ability to recharge, this marker has one use only.¡±


    ¡°¡­We cannot fully depend on it.¡± Y¡¯zaks frowned as he looked at the mark. ¡°In fact, I think this may work against us: a one-time resurrection may lead to laxity and numbness. The worst-case scenario is when the mark is consumed unintentionally, and one suffers a second attack before recovery.¡±


    Vivian followed up plainly, ¡°But it is a boon when we are adventuring inside an unknown, warped world.¡±


    ¡°That I agree.¡± Y¡¯zaks nodded.


    ¡°Say, once the mark is consumed can we still leave the Umbral Realm?¡± Lily asked worriedly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that we need the World Tree¡¯s power to pull us out? If the mark is gone, won¡¯t the World Tree not be able to locate us anymore?¡±


    ¡°That you don¡¯t have to worry, as the outward extraction does not need the mark. The energy required for this is minuscule enough and the energies of the World Tree within the Umbral Realm can achieve that. So if we really run into some life-threatening danger and still have time to react, don¡¯t hesitate and slam the recall button. Leaving the instance is better than wiping.¡±


    ¡°Uhhhh¡­¡± Lily¡¯s ears moved about, indicating that she still had plenty of thoughts in her mind, and as expected, another question soon popped up, ¡°So where is the resurrection point? By the sounds of things it¡¯s not here, and directly inside the Umbral Realm itself?¡±


    ¡°Of course, if we could resurrect over here, there wouldn¡¯t be a need for a ¡®one-use¡¯ restriction.¡± Hao Ren patiently explained. ¡°Due to the Umbral Realm¡¯s nature, the risk of performing a ¡®cross-world resurrection¡¯ is extremely high, and there is a high chance that one¡¯s spirit will be exposed to the void beyond the worlds and get extinguished immediately. So all resurrections will be within the Umbral Realm, and the default location is near me.¡±


    As Hao Ren spoke, he raised his left hand and showed a slightly unique World Tree marking: Along the leaf-shaped marked were a curling vine, and on the vine were a number of tiny leaves corresponding to the number within Hao Ren¡¯s team.


    Lily thought for a bit and shot another direct question, ¡°What if Mr. Landlord gets KO-ed first?¡±


    Hao Ren mumbled in his heart that the werehusky was surely not pulling any punches, but he had to cover the topic, so he explained calmly, ¡°If I get offed first, the next default point will be near Vivian. If both of us get killed at the same time, we will respawn randomly near one of you guys¡­¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet, who had been quiet for a while now suddenly leap before Hao Ren, ¡°Uncle Ren, Uncle Ren! How about if we all wipe at the same time?


    Hao Ren slammed a knife-edge chop onto the tiny runt¡¯s head, ¡°If we wipe at pull then what¡¯s left to play on? Once we get resurrected we immediately smash the recall button and bring reinforcements!¡±


    He then shook his hand, ¡°This part is automatic, and it¡¯s preset that if we all die within a short period of time, we will automatically be sent back to this hall once we resurrect. The Petrachelys will be yanked out of the Umbral Realm as well regardless of the mission status. Of course, we may run into the worst-case scenario where the Petrachelys immediately gets attacked the moment we enter the Umbral Realm and the ship gets blown up with us in it before we can do anything. In that situation, the World Tree will activate its ultimate solution: Before we are totally destroyed it will force all its powers into the interior of the Umbral Realm, but this is not something I want to see happening, because even if we survive, the Umbral Realm itself will be exiled into the void, away from the protection of the World Barrier, without any trace. If that happens we would never be able to find that lost kingdom anymore.¡±


    Hao Ren ran through the worst-case scenario in one go, and everyone turned grim. Clearly, that was not a situation anyone would want to see.


    Finally, Vivian was the first to speak again, ¡°Any operation has a possibility of failure, but don¡¯t get scared by these would-be scenarios. We have been through plenty of dangerous and bizarre places, and we did not even have this resurrection hack. So have some confidence, and Hao Ren you too, why do you need to make it sound so grim? Morale had hit rock bottom even before we depart.¡±


    Hao Ren could only smile awkwardly.


    ¡°But asking beforehand is good since this thing has only one use,¡± Y¡¯zaks said as he shook his marked left hand. ¡°If there are any other questions, it¡¯s better to ask now before we leave. By the time we get there, it¡¯ll be too late to flip through the guidebook.¡±


    No one spoke further.


    Not because there were no other concerns, but the most pertinent questions had already been asked by Lily and Y¡¯lisabet while the rest they would need to adapt as the situation demands.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s get ready to leave.¡± Hao Ren heaved a deep breath as he turned to Salaman. ¡°I will get the droid swarm ready. How are your men?¡±


    Salaman nodded gently. ¡°Have no worries. The guardians have already been on standby since we got the news.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the commander before turning to the interface of the World Tree, a tinge of regret reverberated in his voice, ¡°Frankly speaking, if not for its limitations, it would have been great to have every soldier marked for resurrection. Then we wouldn¡¯t have to worry too much when the fighting starts. Once the vanguard clashes and falls, simply resurrect and repeat. Nothing can withstand that.¡±


    ¡°Balance is part of the world, and if a world is to be balanced, such a situation cannot be permitted to exist.¡± Salaman did not seem to mind it. ¡°Just the few of you would do. Scouting a hostile land without reinforcements is the most dangerous task, and all of you are taking a big risk. Your safety comes first.¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged, indicating that he knows that before turning towards the hall¡¯s exit.


    The Petrachelys was docked on a large starport by the Core¡¯s low orbit and was preparing to take off.


    She floated silently at the dock, and she was surrounded by the glow of the barriers. The light particles generated by the warp drive became a trail of starlight, beautiful and elegant.


    Behind the starship were two assembled armies: the argent hive swarm of the droids, and the imposing guardian fleet.


    The two armies were on standby, and once the Petrachelys starts broadcasting the navigation marker within the Umbral Realm, they will immediately leap into the fray.


    Hao Ren stood on the bridge of the Petrachelys as he looked at Salaman through the communicator, ¡°We will determine the situation there once we arrive and set up an anchor point if it is safe. If we need the fleet¡¯s support, we will start broadcasting the signal. But there could be other situations that cannot be resolved by the fleet, if that¡¯s the case you¡¯ll have to wait. All in all, if the World Tree does not sound the alarm, that means we have not failed yet.¡±


    Salaman¡¯s projection nodded, ¡°Regardless if you broadcast or not, we will be standing by here, until battle comes, or you return.


    He then lowered his head. ¡°Safe journeys.¡±


    With the communication end, Hao Ren turned his sight to the bridge.


    ¡°Nolan, prepare to connect the navigation marker.¡±


    A panel from the control console extended up and on the panel was a shiny connection port. Hao Ren pulled out the ¡°god¡¯s kingdom marker¡± made out of three tiny crystals from his Dimensional Pocket and carefully place them in the slots.


    The console then closed itself as Nolan¡¯s clear voice rang across the bridge. ¡°Reading external navigation signal¡­ Signal decoding completed¡­ Calculation complete¡­ Data imported to navigation system. warp drive entering void mode, void engines engaged. Commencing jump in¡­ five, four¡­.¡±


    The space before the Petrachelys started to collapse as ripples appeared and formed into a vortex twice the size of the ship. Within the vortex, it was absolute chaos.


    This was not a scene from anywhere within the Plane of Dreams, but a refracted image of the distant Umbral Realm, appearing as a bizarre image in this world.


    ¡°Two, one. warp activated.¡±


    The next second, the Petrachelys became an ethereal argent light and dashed directly into the swirling vortex.


    She had disappeared from this universe.


    ¡°We are passing through a very unstable zone,¡± Nolan announced loudly on the bridge the current status of the jump. ¡°There may be turbulence, do not leave your seats, do not unfasten your seat belts, keep your tail if you have one so that you don¡¯t touch anything you¡¯re not supposed to!¡±


    The images from the sensors outside were a chaotic mess. It was a bizarre scene fused together with the stars in the background, and after a violent distortion, it engulfed everything. The ship was now passing through an uneven lens tunnel and everything within the lens was consolidated together, and within this whirl of madness, the Petrachelys was the only thing maintaining its form.


    The ship started shaking violently, and even the stabilizers and dampeners could not help against the turbulence.


    ¡°Space structures disappeared. Time structure disappeared. Sequencing logic disintegrating.¡± Nolan started reporting again as the light outside disintegrated and disappeared. The ship was now away from an orderly universe and closing in onto the void. ¡°Reaching target marker in nine, eight¡­¡±


    A strange howl rang within everyone¡¯s minds. This was not a real howl, rather an illusion created by a torrent of information crashing against one¡¯s spirit as they entered the edge of the world.


    ¡°Hurry up hurry up hurry up¡­¡± Nangong Wuyue had practically curled up on the entire chair as she mumbled. ¡°I¡¯m gonna puke if this shaking does not stop¡­¡±


    ¡°Three, two, one¡­ Destination arrived!¡±


    The shaking stopped as suddenly as it came and all howling disappeared in the blink of an eye. The entire harrowing journey earlier seemed like a dream.


    Only the readings of the violent turbulence recorded on the control console showed how the ship had gone through a terrifying voyage.


    ¡°Check the stealth system!¡± Hao Ren¡¯s first order was for the ship to cloak itself the moment everything stabilized.


    ¡°Stealth system normal. The ship is currently hidden.¡±


    ¡°Haahh¡­¡± Hao Ren let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Keep the stealth system engaged. Reactivate the external monitors and sensors. We need to find a visible dimensional reference.¡±


    ¡°Boss¡­ the situation is not quite the same as we thought.¡± Nolan¡¯s tone was slightly weird. ¡°We¡­ are inside an atmosphere, and the environment outside¡­ is very cozy.¡±

 Chapter 1640 - This Place Isnt Dark at All

    The energy flux from the forced dimensional warp had finally died down as the Petrachelys¡¯ sensors came back online and started to monitor the situation outside. Soon, images of the scene outside the ship appeared before everyone.


    Hao Ren commanded Nolan to switch into scenery mode, and half of the bridge¡¯s walls were covered by the live feed. This turned the ship almost transparent all of a sudden, and on the live feed, everyone saw a clear azure sky as well as a sea of clouds in the distance.


    The starship seemed to be floating high in the sky.


    Nolan adjusted the monitor¡¯s angles and the situation beneath the ship was also displayed. Hao Ren looked down and saw mountain ranges stretching across the land. Between two snow-capped mountains was a long, narrow plain, which was dotted with rivers and lakes. Some cities and village-like structures were also scattered across it like jewels upon a green velvet blanket.


    ¡°This is an unexpected ¡®Umbral Realm¡¯¡­¡± Everyone was silent as they witnessed the verdant and peaceful world (at least on the surface). In the end, Vivian was the one who broke the silence. ¡°Sure we are in the right place?¡±


    That same question too was going rounds in Hao Ren¡¯s head. Did Raven 12345 mess up the coordinates and give him a random one just to get by? How could that possibly be the Umbral Realm?!


    What was the Umbral Realm? The result of the goddess¡¯ kingdom catastrophically exploding! The entire Star of Creation and the goddess¡¯ entire reservoir of power were compressed then blasted out, it tore the entire fabric of the universe and smashed an entire system out of the world order into the gap between universes and the void. That was how the Umbral Realm was created. For such an apocalyptic birth how could a nirvana-like world be left behind? And frankly, with that level of shock, even planets would have been torn into shreds, much less an ecosystem. So Hao Ren thought that the best of scenarios would be a broken dimension with lots of floating debris in space, and between the debris were dangerous rifts and energy currents. A place where even a pilot like Nolan would need to struggle to get a proper docking spot, that was what the Umbral Realm should have bloody been!


    Yet the data did not lie, and Nolan soon finished her analysis of the marker. ¡°There¡¯s no mistake. This is the Umbral Realm. We are at the edge of the Plane of Dream¡¯s zone of order, and our current location is the chaotic zone between the World Barrier and the void. The barrier¡¯s remaining power is preventing the area from being consumed by the void, but we can still detect very powerful void signals. This signal will not be wrong.¡±


    ¡°F*ck me, this is not dark at all¡­¡± Hao Ren mumbled. ¡°So much for me preparing an arsenal of firepower.¡±


    Lily too chimed in. ¡°I too thought I could use my battle gear.¡±


    ¡°Oh stop with your violent penchant. We still have two armies waiting for our signal.¡± Nolan said resignedly. ¡°Should we broadcast the signal? The plan earlier was to broadcast the signal once we find a safe area. This¡­ This place is beyond safe.¡±


    Hao Ren frowned as he looked at the view outside. His instincts were telling him that there was something off with the lively place. As he heard Nolan, he gently shook his head. ¡°No, don¡¯t broadcast yet¡­ The situation is way different than what we had expected, and we need to collect more intelligence before we can proceed further. Nolan, go up higher, lets see what¡¯s outside this planet. And also run a scan on the entire planet beneath us. Maybe we can find any ruins or traces when the kingdom fell.¡±


    Nolan nodded. ¡°Nolan understood. Commencing ascend. Target, the space beyond the planet.¡±


    The Petrachelys¡¯ usual thrusters were roused to life, and the ship started to slowly gain altitude, moving towards the outer atmospheric layer. Yet after climbing for a while, Nolan suddenly stalled.


    ¡°Unable to climb further.¡± the shipgirl was confused. ¡°Seems like we¡¯ve been stopped by some supernatural phenomenon¡­ Weird, I¡¯ve already increased the output but our altitude remains the same¡­ We are still within the atmosphere!


    ¡°We¡¯re unable to leave the planet?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s eyes widened and something immediately crossed his mind. Just as he thought, there was something weird with this world!


    Nolan quickly activated her various sensors. ¡°Running a comprehensive environmental scan¡­ Weird, the sensors are returning normal readings, and there are no dimensional overlaps. There are no gravitational disruption or any fake signals. There¡¯s nothing weird at all, but we are still unable to leave the atmosphere, and after hitting a certain ¡®altitude¡¯, the value seems to be locked dead!¡±


    This unusual situation woke everyone from their temporary comfort, and realized that there was something odd with this place. Everyone turned serious and Y¡¯zaks popped the key question. ¡°Can the warp engine be used.¡±


    ¡°Let me try activating it,¡± Nolan replied. ¡°¡­The warp engine can be activated, and the mark is working normally, and even the reverse analysis of the marker works as well. Seems like it can work, but I dare not guarantee there would not be any problems after the jump. Should we leave?¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t activate the jump unless we run into something that we need to get away from.¡± Hao Ren stopped Nolan in her tracks. ¡°This world is weird, and before we understand what is stopping us from leaving, let¡¯s not provoke the place. Nolan, descend. We¡¯ll head down.¡±


    As they were not able to leave the atmosphere, that meant they could only land and figure a way out. Collecting intel now would be a good idea.


    The starship started descending and as the altitude dropped, the buildings along the narrow plain were getting clearer, and soon they could see the finer details with their eyes. On some of the more iconic buildings, Hao Ren noticed traces of the middle ages: Massive buildings were made out of stone and some sort of clay mixture while having intricate roofs and decorations which is more form than function hanging all over. The smaller houses were made out of wood and stone, and usually no larger than two stories. Most of the settlements were simple and lacked any proper planning, usually with a few bigger structures and a plaza as the center. Around them were a circle of commoner dwellings, and outside were either farms or pastures. By the looks of things, this world is probably no more advanced than the late middle ages back on Earth.


    But considering that there may be supernatural powers in that world, they could not afford to take things easy.


    To connect intel of this world, that means communicating with the locals, while a sudden utopia had appeared within the Umbral Realm, the fact that there were living citizens there meant that everyone had to be alert. As now things were already before them, they could no longer ignore it. Hao Ren had Nolan close in the edges of the plain near the settlement with the mountain to its back (it was the biggest settlement there) before deploying some probes.


    The images of the city soon appeared on the holographic display.


    Lily¡¯s ears perked up as she looked on in amazement. ¡°Such a lively place¡­ There are so many people on the streets.¡±


    ¡°If not for seeing them with my own eyes, who would believe that this place is the Umbral Realm?¡± Nangong Sanba shook his head. ¡°Doesn¡¯t look anything like an exploded kingdom of the goddess. Don¡¯t tell me that as the kingdom fell into the Umbral Realm it had dragged many other innocent planets along with it? And maybe because they were only dragged in they were relatively intact?¡±


    ¡°The force of the explosion is beyond comprehension. Even if it was dragged it there¡¯s no chance of it being unharmed. For a fragile ecosystem, just by tilting a planet¡¯s illumination angle by two to three degrees is enough to be catastrophic.¡± Hao Ren shook his head as he monitored the local¡¯s actions, speech, and clothing. ¡°Interesting¡­ not all of them are humans. There¡¯s every race here.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to hide my ears and tails!¡± Lily suddenly pointed excitedly at the projection. ¡°Look, a werewolf!¡±


    From the images sent back by the probe, there were many people moving along the streets and there were not only the common humans, there were other races with their unique features as well. The werewolf that Lily saw was one of them, and Vivian also discovered there were many others as well. ¡°A lizard-like being¡­ and a felinid? That means even Rollie can go out in her regular form.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not only a stable planet with a surviving ecosystem. Let¡¯s say its a planet, and also a utopia where all races coexist?¡± Hao Ren showed an interested look. ¡°All right, while this place may be weird, its still better than running headfirst into an energy vortex of a broken kingdom. Nolan, get us some local clothing. We¡¯ll make landfall.¡±


    The shipgirl nodded. ¡°Understood, what should I do next.¡±


    ¡°Stay in stealth mode in the air and act as our support,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°But, don¡¯t get too close. This is a place that has everything to do with the goddess of creation. It would be bad if any of the ruins react to you.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    After some preparations, Hao Ren and the rest swapped into the local dress and stepped onto this mysterious and bizarre utopia.


    Considering that unfamiliar faces suddenly appearing would make it difficult for them to blend with the locals, the crew did not wear the local¡¯s common wear, rather they chose an adventurer getup after analyzing the references from the probes. Adventurers were a common sight and based on their speech and actions they were most likely unique groups like mercenaries or wanderers (adventurers), and using this as a cover, it would help with their next course of action.

 Chapter 1641 - A Tossed-Out Mage

    A group of dusty ¡°adventurers¡± had arrived at the city beneath Longwind Peak, White Maple Leaf City.


    Adventurers were a common sight there, and as the biggest human settlement on the plains and as the only stop before the Longwind Peak tunnel, White Maple Leaf was the place where travelers going north or south would pass through. The travelers included scholars from the plains, demihuman merchants from the mountains, adventurers or mercenaries from the White Mountain region, and even the hermits as well as druids dwelling within the deep forest of Longwind Peak. Many travelers in different shapes and forms would pass through the city, searching for wealth or knowledge. That allowed both wealth and knowledge to circulate day and night within the ancient city.


    As a result, even oddly-dressed demihumans or armed mercenaries would not look out of place even if they went in and out of the city boldly¡ªas long as they did not go looking for trouble.


    Thus, Hao Ren and his crew were able to enter the city¡¯s streets, and with that world¡¯s clothing, they managed to hide their presence successfully. Aside from the time they ran into guards while they were entering the city and little Y¡¯lisabet¡¯s mental magic got them through, everything was going according to plan.


    This was after all not the first time they were moving about in a foreign world. Hao Ren and his crew had already smashed all available skill points in ¡®dressing like a local¡¯. After changing into the local clothes and equipment, Nangong Wuyue and Vivian gave everyone¡¯s clothes a dusty appearance to better reflect the image of ¡°a group of outland travelers¡±. They literally looked the part. And Lily actually wanted to apply some blood on her face after changing into her mercenary gear but she was properly chastised by Hao Ren. They were there for recon work, not assassinating the city¡¯s lord¡­


    ¡°Whoa¡­ this feels like a pretty awesome place now that I¡¯m here. Whoa!¡± Even though they were in the streets of a foreign world, Lily did not feel a shred of uneasiness and had been looking around like a country bumpkin who just a city for the first time. Despite the fact she had seen many things together with Hao Ren, her husky nature simply led her to have that reaction every time she saw a new thing. Needless to say, it was beyond medicating. ¡°This place doesn¡¯t feel all that different from Holletta¡¯s Royal City, and there are more races here. I think I saw a slime just bounce over there! Eh, there¡¯s a fruit stall¡­¡±


    Lily¡¯s getup was that of a swordswoman, and she was clad in battle-worn studded leather armor, a pair of leather trousers and short boots. Her long silver hair had been tied into a simple ponytail while her dog ears perked up on her head. As using her Frostfire claws would be too eye-catching, she was now holding that giant alloy X10 sword that she used during the Backtrack. Truthfully, the sword looked almost like a door, and most male warriors would even struggle to hold it up, but werewolves were a race gifted with extraordinary physical strength, and even a female werewolf is capable of wielding such a massive weapon to break the lines. So Lily carrying the sword would not stand out at all. After all, this was based on the images of local female werewolves lugging the same thing about that led to Lily be dressed up like that.


    All of their getups were checked beforehand. Prior to making landfall, they had used the probes to gather images of the locals and confirmed that at least a dozen or so people were in such getups. Nolan then analyzed the data to determine the possible occupation and team composition before preparing the gear Hao Ren and the rest needed. This greatly reduced the possibility of them attracting unwanted attention.


    However, Hao Ren soon realized that the moment Lily opens her mouth, while they may possibly look the part, but Lily¡¯s outgoing nature made it a problem for them to keep a low profile. He had only turned away for a moment and the werehusky was already lugging her giant X10 sword to nearby fruit stall picking fruits. Did she really not notice that everywhere she went, people would need to clear out at least two meters to make way for her sword?


    ¡°Low profile, low profile. You¡¯re not even buying, why are you disturbing people¡¯s business.¡± Hao Ren grumbled as he pulled the werehusky back with much effort. ¡°We are just roaming around trying to understand the local customs. Vivian had already sent her bats out. Wait until the bats have the entire map scouted before anything, okay?¡±


    While the probes managed to gather a lot of information, Vivian¡¯s little bats were clearly much better in collecting more minute details. The bats were part of Vivian, and not only could they transfer real-time voice recordings, but they could also share all sensory details with her. Once the bats were deployed Vivian was pretty much scouting the entire place with thousands of her doubles. While she may have had to circumvent some rather difficult-to-scout areas, her ability to clear the fog of war was still the best in the team.


    Vivian was, at the moment, dressed in a sorceress garb, not the bookish type with their gaudy long robes, but more of a slim-fit short robe with a staff: Based on the probe¡¯s report only casters in a mercenary or adventurer group would be dressed like that to better aid in outdoor movement and combat. At times they would see magicians in shiny long robes and tall hats, those were probably the ones nested in their towers.


    Upon hearing what Hao Ren said, Vivian nodded. ¡°I have expanded the scouting zone beyond the streets. It shouldn¡¯t take long to have the entire picture of the city¡¯s layout. While it¡¯s lively here, its no match for the size of the cities on Earth. There are plenty of dark corners too, and it¡¯s easy for my bats to move about.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded in return. ¡°Notice anything out of the ordinary?¡±


    ¡°Not yet, it¡¯s really a normal Otherworld city,¡± Vivian whispered as she acted the part of a sightseeing traveler. ¡°But the closer to the city center the stronger the magical powers or something similar to it, and their strength and level is much higher than the outer zones. I¡¯m guessing that this is not only the magical fluctuations of some powerful spellcasters, and this also includes some facilities that require magic to function. My bats have also detected something like a sewage treatment station in the sewers, and that is also driven by magic.¡±


    ¡°Even tech tree is developing as per normal huh¡­ This world within the Umbral Realm sure is getting interesting.¡± Hao Ren pursed his lips. ¡°Nolan also sent word earlier that she saw an antenna-like structure within the mountain range by the city. A rhythmic signal is being transmitted between those facilities. Probably some long-range network¡¯s ¡®base station¡¯.¡±


    Lily¡¯s eyes widened immediately. ¡°Huh? I only see medieval-style buildings, and they have WIFI here?!¡±


    ¡°Every world¡¯s tech tree is different. Many high magic societies study anti-gravity magic the moment they start digging out stones to build their houses, but at times, even if they are able to develop teleportation, they may not be able to produce chemical fertilizers. This is what the diversity of worlds and civilizations means,¡± Hao Ren said with an ¡°I¡¯m well-learned so I¡¯m not surprised¡± look as he shrugged before he turned curiously towards the end of the street. ¡°Eh, what¡¯s going on there, why is there a crowd before that big building?¡±


    Lily immediately perked up as she heard there¡¯s fun to be seen. ¡°Let¡¯s go see! Let¡¯s!¡±


    Towards the end of the street was a big building with a blue pointed roof. The scale of the building was quite large but its decorations did not look like the extravagant noble dwellings in the city center, rather it looked more like a public facility. By the time Hao Ren and the rest got to the building an even larger crowd had formed as layers of onlookers crowded before the lobby of the building. Within the crowd was a cacophony of noises, some were discussing something, others were cursing as their tails or foot were stepped on. Hao Ren noticed that most of the people in the crowd were in mercenary getups, and these bellicose scoundrels were all gathered together, making the already chaotic scene even worse.


    He led his crew around the crowd before managing to squeeze in (this was mainly due to Lily¡¯s massive sword and Y¡¯zaks face) and as he squeezed in he understood what the building was for:


    From the local speech and the sign hanging on the building, it seemed like the hub for mercenaries and adventurers, or well, a guild hall.


    ¡°A mercenary guild hall, eh,¡± Lily said to Hao Ren by her side as she squeezed in while hefting her giant sword. ¡°It is rather cheesy but I¡¯m getting a rather warm and fuzzy feeling! Mr. Landlord, didn¡¯t we also register as a group of mercenaries the first time we went to Holletta?¡±


    ¡°F*ck, don¡¯t remind me of that.¡± Hao Ren started having cold sweat as he recalled that. ¡°Imagine having a super awesome main character going into another world forming a mercenary team and ended up having registered that bloody name!¡±


    ¡°The No Good Names Left Mercenary Group! What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Lily had a cocksure look on her face. ¡°Why, you¡¯re looking down on my naming sense?¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    The attempt of both of them trying to force their way through the crowd had made quite a few onlookers unhappy,and even within the mercenaries, someone like Lily who could heft a greatsword like it was a feather around was a rarity, plus the terrifying visage of the seemingly demi-giant in the form of Y¡¯zaks holding fort, the normal mercenaries could only swallow their anger as Hao Ren and the rest actually made it to the front.


    There was still a layer of people before him and Hao Ren could not see clearly what was happening so he turned and ask, ¡°Excuse me, what¡¯s going on here?¡±


    The person he asked was a red-haired mercenary. This lady, clad in a simple garb with a terrifying scar on her face was already unhappy at being pushed and shoved , and the moment Hao Ren tapped on her shoulder she turned around with a glare. But as she saw Lily¡¯s massive blade on her shoulder her expression immediately changed to ¡®F*ck me, that¡¯s impressive¡¯ and whatever vulgarities she had on the tip of her tongue were instantly forced back down her throat. Awkwardly, she spoke, ¡°That crazy b*itch Rheia is looking for more lab rats for her crazy adventurers, but the guild had already blacklisted her long ago, and no private mercenary groups are willing to take her mission, and they started fighting because of that. Heheh, this happens often enough to be entertainment.¡±


    Hao Ren acted like he understood everything as he listened. Of course, he did not know who Rheia was, but from what he heard, it was a simple civilian squabble, and he felt a little disappointed. He thought some apocalyptic news had broken out, making the place look more like an Umbral Realm¡­


    Just as he entertained his thoughts he heard another commotion as the guild hall¡¯s main door was opened with a loud ¡°dush¡± and a tiny little lady was thrown out.

 Chapter 1642 - Rheia

    When Hao Ren, with much difficulty, finally managed to take another step forward, the main door of the mercenary guild hall flung open from the inside before a tiny silhouette was thrown out.


    The sorry bugger who was thrown out was clearly a female based on the shape of her body. She was clad in a slightly faded old mage robe. Its design was similar to the design of robes worn by academia mages who were cooped up in their towers, studying magic. Yet, it lacked the distinct finery usually seen on the robes of wealthier mages. As she was thrown out, her hat fell off and her glossy gold hair danced before Hao Ren¡¯s sight before she slammed into the ground.


    The down-and-out blonde mage clambered up in a slightly embarrassing manner. She then went into a furious tirade of expletives. While she had a very nice voice, the lady¡¯s flowery vocabulary when she started to curse, stunned Hao Ren. It was a veritable gust of storm with a red alert typhoon blasting outward. Hao Ren and his crew aside, even the surrounding mercenaries took a step back while a group immediately started to chatter among themselves. ¡°How did this lass get better at cursing again¡­¡±


    ¡°Probably blew up her lab again and spent all her pent-up energy studying cursing.¡±


    ¡°Who dares speak behind the back of the great mage Rheia?!¡± The short mage¡¯s hearing was exceptionally sharp and could catch someone was talking behind her back as she was in the middle of her tirade and immediately glared over with furrowed brows. ¡°Nothing for your sorry lot here! Go somewhere else to chill! Or are you taking up my commission?¡±


    The mercenaries were usually a bunch of tough brutish bastards but no one dared to talk back against the enraged little mage. Based on their expression, they were probably looking at a massive crapload of trouble, only suitable for entertainment and nothing else.


    ¡°Forget about it. No one will take your mission.¡± A dark-skinned bloke by the door of the guild hall finally spoke. He was the one who had tossed the little mage out. ¡°From testing out the relics you dug out from the ruins to trying out your randomly concocted drugs and following you to dig up some ancient grave¡­ What¡¯s next? Finding the sea giant¡¯s fortress in the Howling Bay?¡±


    The tiny mage was at lost for words that she could not retort and one of more elderly spellcasters among the crowding mercenaries finally spoke. ¡°That¡¯s enough I suppose, Ms. Rheia. High time for you to let go of your unrealistic experiments and do some proper magical studies? You cannot save the world or destroy it, but at least look after your master¡¯s tower. Know that, to us wild mages, that is still a rather enviable inheritance.¡±


    The elderly mage, while a mercenary, seemed to be well-acquainted with this little lady called Rheia, and the latter could only keep her bared fangs reluctantly before grumbling, ¡°What do you care about my experiments. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m not paying. With that said, the last few batches did run into some danger but it all turned out fine in the end, right?¡±


    ¡°Others would pay ten times more for the danger that comes with accompanying you!¡± The guild strongman shook his head. ¡°Everything¡¯s been said and done. We will no longer take your commissions unless you are willing to forgo the dangerous parts or increase your price by tenfold. Of course, you can see if anyone is willing to take you up on a private contract. Maybe you can find some new blood to go along with you.¡±


    With that, Rheia gave up on arguing with the door guard and turned her head around.


    And the crowd of mercenaries recoiled at the same time.


    ¡°Tsk,¡± The lady mage let out a bitter noise as she fixed her robes and picked up a seemingly cheap-looking metal staff and walked with a puffed chest towards the street without even putting her hat on. ¡°Alright, make way, make way. Nothing to see here. Anyone in my way I¡¯ll take it as you¡¯re accepting my commission?¡±


    The mercenaries scattered, as though they had seen a ghost. The mage¡¯s combat prowess or status (if she had any) was probably the least of their concerns. Rather, they did not want to get dragged into obvious trouble. The name ¡°Rheia¡± was so notorious that it eclipsed the fame of the local lord. Her fame was made out of stories about unexpected incidents and unlucky encounters. That little mage was pretty much synonymous with trouble, and aside from the fun of watching, no one was willing to stand within five meters of her.


    Even when she was tossed out she still held the presence of a victor as she left for the main street with her head held high, across the main street with her head held high, and into an alley towards the wizardry zone with her head held high.


    As she arrived there only did she lowered her head, that pugnacious cockerel aura of hers disappeared as she hushedly sighed. ¡°Haih, a bunch of fools.¡±


    ¡°Avoiding trouble comes naturally to all living being, especially a reputation like yours.¡±


    A voice came from behind her, and the little mage was surprised by the sudden voice. She reacted at a speed unlike most mages as she turned about. She took a step back and hunched her back as she held up her metal staff in a stance the moment she moved away from her original position. At the same time, sparks of magic started to jump between the fingers of her left hand. ¡°Who are you?! You¡­ You lot were standing at the guild hall earlier?¡±


    Hao Ren and the rest walked out from the alley.


    While White Maple Leaf City was a cosmopolitan city, the presence of this team was still rather obvious. Even with the excitable Lily and the terrifying Y¡¯zaks¡¯ penchant for turning heads aside, their nine-men team was made out of four to five different races. Such a well-equipped team was a rarity in itself. Probably because of that, Rheia had a pretty deep impression of them even when these were the people standing in front of the guild hall that she had only swept through with a glance.


    ¡°You actually remember us.¡± Nangong Wuyue was surprised. ¡°Good memory.¡±


    ¡°A goldfish can¡¯t be a scholar, you know.¡± Rheia did not let down her guard, and while she may have seemed arrogant, that did not mean she was careless. Think about this, she had just gone on a rampage before the guild hall, and now, a group of unknown mercenaries had tailed and cornered her in an alley¡­ That did not look good by all accounts.


    As she tried to bide for time, she studied the group, trying to ascertain their motive and nature. The group did not seem like bad company. They were probably the more polite-looking ones among the unscrupulous mercenaries. That was obviously after discounting the demi-giant. His face alone increased their hostility level by many folds, and even a group of saints would look like a crime syndicate with him around.


    Hao Ren, of course. knew that his method would arouse suspicion and conflict from the target, but in order to avoid attracting the attention of passersby, he resorted to tailing the mage and appearing in the alley. The mission now was to dispel the misunderstanding and the tense atmosphere.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we mean no harm.¡± Nangong Sanba was the smoothest of the lot, and he quickly put on a gentle and convincing smile ¨C the smile usually seen on snake oil paddlers or direct sellers. He held his hands apart to show that he was unarmed before speaking slowly, ¡°You can see for yourself. We are travelers that have just arrived here without much knowledge of the place. We planned to visit the guild hall and we ran into you¡­ sparring valiantly with your razor tongue, and that piqued our interest.¡±


    ¡°Interest?¡± Rheia asked cautiously, her opposite numbers speech and getup did match the part, but the last sentence clearly meant something was afoot. ¡°What sort?¡±


    ¡°Your commission,¡± Hao Ren said directly. ¡°Frankly speaking, we need money, and we are looking for an employer, so we are interested in what your commission is all about.¡±


    This was just an excuse, and the real reason is that he needed to make contact with a local to better understand the situation of this world. But in a totally foreign world, finding someone and building a stable communication platform was not easy.


    Going to the guild hall or a pub would be a decent choice, but the former required proper identification and registration while the latter requires local currency and god knows how many pints of liquor before people start talking. Currency was not an issue, the talking was. The team did have a number of bullsh*tters but gathering intel and bullsh*tting were not the same talents¡­


    So sudden appearance of Rheia became the best possible breakthrough : She seemed to have a mission that needed helpers, and she would not be able to get any help from the proper channels¡­


    Rheia gave Hao Ren and Nangong Sanba a suspicious look. ¡°My commission? I don¡¯t know how much you saw earlier but surely you¡¯re not blind to see that almost no¡­ Alright, no one was interested with my commission, and you actually came looking for it? Are you right in the head?¡±


    ¡°Going through the proper channels would be troublesome,¡± Nangong Sanba went through his prepared speech, and purposely kept it ambiguous, letting Rheia do the mental acrobatics herself.


    ¡°Proper channels¡­¡± Rheia took a slight step back. ¡°Wait a minute, don¡¯t tell me you lot have screwed up majorly before and have been blacklisted? Or are you adventurers who have never registered as mercs?¡±


    ¡°Ahem, we are clearly not bad people,¡± Nangong Sanba coughed dryly, ¡°We just have yet to register that¡¯s all. We came from afar and never thought of being a mercenary. But we ran into trouble along the way and our coins are pretty much gone, so we have to try our luck without going through the guild.¡±


    ¡°Not bad, people¡­¡± Rheia mumbled suspiciously as her eyes kept shifting towards Y¡¯zaks.


    Vivian sighed before looking at Y¡¯zaks. ¡°Big guy, probably should wear a helmet the next time around?¡±


    ¡°¡­.My fault then?¡±


    ¡°Ah screw it, even the blacklisted ones are fine!¡± Rheia waved her hand in a defeated motion. ¡°Besides, aside from you guys I probably won¡¯t be able to hire anyone else. Right, so follow me!¡±

 Chapter 1643 - A Downtrodden Mage

    Hao Ren was caught slightly off guard when Rheia, the tiny mage suddenly agreed to the idea. He had prepared plenty of other rhetorics but none of them were of use. He could only look at the former in slight disbelief. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to understand more?¡±


    ¡°Understand what? You want me to wait for you to admit that you¡¯re a blacklisted group?¡± Rheia asked as she shook her staff. ¡°Seeing your reaction, I do believe that you are some adventurers falling on hard times. But color me curious, it¡¯s uncommon to see children in mercenary groups nowadays, no?¡±


    As she spoke, her vision fell upon Y¡¯lisabet. The little devil was uncomfortably adjusting the pointed hat on her head (it was meant to hide her demon horns as Hao Ren and the rest did not notice any demons going about freely). The moment she heard Rheia, she immediately looked up and bared her fangs. ¡°You¡¯re the child! How old can you be compared to me with that body of yours?¡±


    ¡°Such a rowdy lass.¡± Rheia¡¯s eyes widened slightly in surprise before grinning. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. I am a proper adult. Alright, this is not a proper place to talk. Wanna come to my wizard tower? If we are to introduce ourselves properly, sitting by the warm hearth would be the best, right?¡±


    And so this rather headstrong mage just invited a group of unknown adventurers that had suddenly appeared before her to her wizard tower to rest. This was not due to carelessness, conversely, it was a very calculated move. A mage within their own wizard tower would be able to employ powers many folds stronger, plus the tower itself usually had plenty of automatic defensive measures. So, ¡°inviting a group of strangers into their own tower¡± was actually the best way to determine if someone was friendly or hostile. If they really were a group up to no good, they would hesitate at such an invitation. Anyone wanting to shank a mage would normally try to do so outside the mage¡¯s own tower, and not foolishly walk into her own turf.


    Of course, there was a possibility of some super OP assassins sneaking into a wizard¡¯s tower and unleashing musou[1] attacks. But if a wizard was to attract such visitors, going to the tower itself was pretty much pointless, and the question turned into where the person would die¡­


    Hao Ren was quite aware of the in and outs of this, as Holletta too was a world were magical civilizations flourished and he had contacts with the mages there before. So facing Rheia¡¯s invitation, he acted like he was pondering something for a short while before agreeing. ¡°Alright, we don¡¯t have anywhere to go tonight anyway. But before we go there can I ask what¡¯s the commission about?¡±


    This was a pertinent question, and if they did not ask it, these self-proclaimed ¡°out-of-luck adventurers¡± would look suspicious, so Rheia answered without much thought while she nodded. ¡°Actually it¡¯s just following me into some ruins to look for stuff. Of course, there will be danger, but it¡¯s not like what you¡¯ve heard from the guild. Every last mercenary who went with me came home alive! If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask them tomorrow!¡±


    Seeing how agitated the little mage was, Hao Ren could not help but smile, ¡°Alright, alright. We¡¯ll trust our employer. But you still need to let us know what the mission is about.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I value trust the most.¡± Rheia said as she puffed her chest up before pointing towards the end of the alley with her staff, ¡°Then follow me. Let¡¯s go to my place.¡±


    The little mage led Hao Ren across the winding and complex alley of White Maple Leaf City, and all the paths they traversed were alleyways not used by the common folk. The several-hundred-year-old city was like an ever-expanding ant hive, as generations upon generations of civilian buildings and streets had created layers of the city¡¯s main body. Within the glorious walls were tons of labyrinthine ancient streets. If outsiders got lost in there, they would probably feel like they would never see the sun again. Only long-time citizens of the place dared to map out their path along the messy streets, and the mage was clearly a well-qualified ¡°local¡±.


    At her lead the group had passed through the stacked up civilian area and entered the wizardry zone at the southeast corner of the city without even passing through any proper city gates.


    It was nightfall by then.


    There was a saying, that the nobility were not necessary mages, but all mages were at least part nobility. As the body of unsurpassed knowledge and power, mages were the symbol of progress and advancement of knowledge, and thus the place they congregate would be extraordinary.


    The mages were authorized to live in the city center together with the lord and nobility. However the arrogant and bookish shut-ins clearly preferred somewhere quieter, and all of the city¡¯s wizardry zones were outside the main city. White Maple Leaf city was no exception.


    Its wizardry zone was located to the southeast of the city and was the only place without a wall. But the barrier formed by over a dozen wizard towers and all sorts of automatic defensive automatons made the area more defensible than any walls. Over there, the glow from many magical devices and drifting magical particles in the area lit up the entire place. The place was on par with the brilliant brightness of the lord¡¯s manor, and the magic towers standing silently in the night gave the city a much more mysterious vibrancy.


    In this extravagant and superior zone, Rheia¡¯s dilapidated wizard tower stood out like a sore thumb.


    Her tower was closest to the civilian area and was a stone building about twenty meters tall. The tower was showing clear signs of age and a critical lack of maintenance. The walls outside were pockmarked and cracked because the paint had been long washed away by the elements. At a few more serious places, the magical conduits buried within the tower walls were exposed and were throwing out sparks into the air. Looking upwards, there were windows that could not be shut properly and broken windowsills. A metal bar stuck out from one of the windows and on it were yet-to-dry clothes.


    Compared to this tower, the rest of the others in sight were much more magnificent.


    Hao Ren lowered his head silently as he wondered the only possible way to let Rheia¡¯s tower stay within the area is to hang a ¡®to be demolished¡¯ sign on it¡­


    ¡°This is my tower!¡± Rheia pointed towards the door with her staff. She then noticed the gaze of Hao Ren and his crew and was felt a little awkward. ¡°Haa¡­ Money has been tight these past two years so I haven¡¯t spruced it up much. But don¡¯t you worry, it¡¯s a mage¡¯s property. As long as the magic circuits are intact there is no problem. Most of the stuff inside is pretty useful, with hot water and warm air. Let me tell you, don¡¯t judge the tower for being old, this is a symbol of history. This is one of the earliest towers built in this area, and when my master¡¯s master¡¯s master was still alive, this was the tallest building around!¡±


    After that, the tower pretty much stayed the same, right? How long had this lady mage been destitute?


    Lily sneakily poked Vivian by the arm, ¡°Eh Battie, found your relative in poverty, eh?¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Rheia felt that awkwardness cannot go on and the best way to end that is to get the group of people¡¯s eyes off the surrounding buildings. She then quickly ushered her guests into her tower. ¡°Ahem, come with me. Treat it like your own home. Ah, watch your steps when you go in. That brick is a little loose¡­¡±


    The group entered the wizard tower and like Rheia had said, while the building may look sorry on the outside, its facilities within were complete. There were at least working lights, four-legged tables and a door that can be shut¡­


    The magical circuits inside the tower were working as per normal, and a warm breeze dispelled the chilly wind of the night. The circular main hall may have looked simple, but there was a warm fireplace, and chairs to rest on. It was more than sufficient to entertain a small group of guests.


    Rheia threw her staff nonchalantly as she got into the building and took off her tattered robes. The two items then fly by themselves to the nearby hat stand and item rack and deposited themselves there. She then changed into a simple pair of home clothes and came before the fireplace as she touched one of the bronze sculpture. With that, the flames in the fireplace became brighter, and the fireplace itself changed into a different shape.


    Seems like an illusory device.


    ¡°There is a warm wind magic circle here, and we don¡¯t actually need a fireplace. But my master liked this sort of pointless items, said it made the place feels more homely, so I just left them as they were.¡± Rheia said as she commanded the shiny bronze teapot, cups and plates to make tea before signaling to Hao Ren and the rest to get a place to sit. ¡°Get a seat. Don¡¯t be shy. This wizard tower does not have all those inane house rules. Just sit where ever you like.¡±


    Hao Ren sat by the fireplace and looked around the place. After discounting the furniture and some unknown magical devices, he saw a row of photo frames hanging by the opposite wall, and every frame had the upper body picture of a mage. The half-body pictures were nodding and greeting the guests in the hall and beneath the frames were their names.


    ¡°My master, my master¡¯s master, and the various other masters¡­Hah, all of them a bunch of wacky weirdos.¡± Rheia noticed Hao Ren was looking at the pictures and sighed resignedly. ¡°The first generation, died after challenging a dragon while smashed; the second generation, died after overdosing as he challenged a dragon; the third generation, after overdosing on medicine and alcohol, died challenging a swarm of dragons; the fourth generation, a teetotaler, but went to propose to a dragon and got killed by the dragon¡¯s mate¡­ My master was probably the most normal of them. He did not even manage to challenge a dragon and got blown to smithereens by his own dragonslayer spell.¡±


    ¡°¡­What sort of grudge does your family have against dragons?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even mention it. I¡¯m frankly tired of it.¡± Rheia shrugged. ¡°Before I start the mission brief, we need to introduce¡­ Eh? Miss, what¡¯s that on your shoulder?¡±


    She looked quizzically at Vivian as there was a little lass the size of a hand sitting on Vivian¡¯s shoulder.


    Hao Ren was shocked as he caught sight of the little one, ¡°Oh sh*t, how did this bugger¡­¡±


    ¡°Biu biu biu!¡±

 Chapter 1644 - Rheias Commission

    Before Hao Ren could finish his sentence, his face was plastered with Noobie¡¯s shadow bolts. While the damage was technically zero, he still lost his composure before the ¡®both¡¯ of them were face-to-face.


    Two seconds later, Noobie held her hands open in a threatening stance. ¡°Shaaa!¡±


    Vivian quickly grabbed the tiny tot off her shoulder and stared at her. ¡°Why did you come?!¡±


    ¡°Shaa!¡±


    ¡°How would she know?¡± Hao Ren said as he recovered from his stupor. He then looked at the tiny tot who should have been left behind on the Surface World and taken care by Raven 12345. ¡°Didn¡¯t we pass her over to Raven 12345¡­¡±


    As he mentioned Raven 12345, the little one immediately let out a sharp screech before she hugged and coiled around Vivian¡¯s thumb, clearly scared out of her wits.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you snuck out from Raven 12345¡¯s place and followed us here?¡± Vivian whispered. ¡°But that¡¯s not right. She¡¯s been hiding here all along and we didn¡¯t even notice¡­¡±


    Hao Ren stole a glance at Rheia and noticed that she was looking curiously at them, and her interest was clearly piqued by the tiny tot who looked the same as Vivian. But she had yet to interrupt them out of etiquette. Nevertheless, she would still have to ask the question further down the line.


    ¡°Did you not notice?¡± Hao Ren whispered at Vivian. ¡°She was standing on your shoulder all along. And If I¡¯m not wrong, she was probably hiding somewhere in you.¡±


    Vivian shook her head. ¡°Not at all¡­ Huh?¡±


    She looked in shock at her hand and Noobie, who was clinging on to her thumb shivering apparently thought it was not safe enough, and she curled even deeper into her hands. As she moved, the tiny one¡¯s body slowly became ethereal before finally became a blob of blurry mist, like how Vivian usually summons her blood mist as it fused into Vivian¡¯s arm.


    Lily blinked and blinked. ¡°Ugh¡­ Battie¡­ did you just ate her?¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡± Vivian glared at the werehusky, ¡°Can you stop thinking just about eating! She seemed to have fused with my body¡­¡±


    ¡°Can you feel her presence?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°I can faintly feel her presence,¡± Vivian said, unsure of herself. ¡°So that¡¯s why I was feeling a little weird when I got here¡­ Seems like the tot came along with us through that.¡±


    Hao Ren was dumbfounded. ¡°¡­So she learned a new skill to not get locked around Raven 12345 and be fed instant noodles.¡±


    By then, Rheia could no longer suppress her curiosity and broke the awkward silence. ¡°Ahem, if you don¡¯t mind me asking¡­ Is this lady here a necromancer? But that spirit you summoned looked a little weird, you made that on purpose?¡±


    Hao Ren was then struggling how to explain little Noobie¡¯s existence and as he heard Rheia he found a platform and while ¡®necromancers¡¯ of this world would not summon a being like Noobie, it was still a probable explanation. He quickly nodded. ¡°Yes, she is a necromancer, but her style is not quite the same as your usual ones. It¡¯s all mysterious and whatnot, so all in all her summoned spirits looked all like that.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Who knew what popped up in Rheia¡¯s mind, but as she looked at Vivian once again, her gaze turned weird before she shifted back a little. ¡°To sculpt a spirit in your image, eh¡­ Ahahaha, while I¡¯ve heard of many ancient mages and necromancers having weird fetishes¡­ Hahaha, that¡¯s fine, that¡¯s fine.¡±


    Seeing Rheia¡¯s reaction, Vivian furrowed her brows. ¡°Seems like you are misunderstanding something here.¡±


    ¡°Ah, no no, I shouldn¡¯t be making comments about other people¡¯s techniques and hobbies. That does not affect our employer-employee relationship after all.¡± Rheia swiftly shrugged and cut the topic where it stood. ¡°Let¡¯s continue with our self-introduction. Based on the usual conventions, you mercenaries¡ªI, of course, know that you are adventurers, but you¡¯re considered mercs when you take up a commission¡ªshould go ahead and introduce yourselves.¡±


    Hao Ren had wanted to give Lil Pea a chance to get some fresh air and let her meet Rheia, but after finding that explaining Noobie¡¯s existence itself was already difficult he put the idea aside. He decided to only let the little mermaid out once he had a better understanding of the world and a better location. He had already prepared a pretty comfortable environment for Lil Pea in his pocket. She was in a massive water tank with a sealed high-definition virtual reality projector, and there was a load of toys for her to play with, so the little one would not be bored even if she stayed there for a few days more. At most, the MDT would be tossed in as a sacrifice once in a while¡­


    After deciding what he wanted to do, he then introduced themselves based on the identity they had discussed earlier. ¡°I¡¯m Hao Ren, your usual swordsmen good with dual blades and the spear; Vivian, is a necromancer, but she knows spells from other schools as well; Lily, as you can see, a werewolf warrior with a great weapon; Over there is Nangong Sanba and Nangong Wuyue, the former is good with curses and runic magic and the latter is our resident healer; the big guy is called Y¡¯zaks, a warrior, and his daughter, Y¡¯lisabet, a fire mage¡­ I¡¯m not kidding, that is his daughter!¡±


    All these identities were concocted based on the information the probes had gathered of the market place, and some parts were left ambiguous. This was to fit the narrative of an adventurer. While the former was easily mixed up with a mercenary, there was a big difference between the two. Adventurers usually wandered around freely, lacked any proper organization and were not bound by the rules governing the mercenaries. While they may take up jobs with the guild, adventurers were generally without any clear profession distinction, and they were pretty much jacks of all trades who picked up any skill that was valuable. Mercenaries, on the other hand, were highly disciplined and organized, and they usually belonged to an even bigger group. They had clear profession distinctions based on the needs of their team. They were also bound by the management of the guild and would uphold the team¡¯s honor and reputation.


    That was why Rheia was so concerned about whether Hao Ren and company were normal adventurers, mercenaries or blacklisted: she would have, of course, preferred mercenaries as an employer since they were bound by rules, and in the long run, they would be the most reliable. The next one would be the adventurers. Though their reliability could be suspect as they were not registered with the guild, adventurers still worked in an open market and had to make contact with other organizations as well as receive support from the guild. So they would also take a contract seriously. The blacklisted were to be avoided if possible. This dangerous lot usually had a negative history like killing their employer and were blacklisted by the guild. Most of them usually had history in the cell, and those who had been released from prison or were unable to be persecuted by the law for various reasons were usually hardened outlaws. Only a fearless and downtrodden mage like Rheia would consider the blacklisted as a potential employee¡­


    ¡°Hao Ren, Vivian¡­¡± Rheia repeated their names one by one and some of it sounded weird in her speech. But this was White Maple Leaf city, the congregation point of people from all parts of the world, even people from lands beyond the Golden Sea, hence such bizarre names were not uncommon. Her vision finally fell on the catgirl who was napping on the table. ¡°Eh, why did you not introduce her?¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡­¡± Hao Ren coughed dryly. ¡°She¡¯s Rollie, an assassin.¡±


    While he did not have to worry about Rheia¡¯s reaction with the translated name, calling the catgirl¡¯s unsightly name before strangers was still weird.


    If only he had named her Hello Kitty back then.


    ¡°Ms. Rollie, huh?¡± As it was a direct translation, Rheia did not find it weird and seriously repeated the name. ¡°A twin syllabic name¡­ Someone from the Country of Mist, right? I¡¯m really interested in your homeland. That is the most mysterious place in L¡¯Haronne


    Vivian coughed dryly to interrupt, ¡°Ahem, Ms. Rheia, we have said our piece, what about yourself?¡±


    ¡°My name is Rheia. No family name, as great mages do not need such things. Just a given name itself is enough to be sung for thousands of years!¡± Rheia perked up into an almost-stand position from the table as she patted her chest. ¡°As you can see. I¡¯m a very learned scholar and mage, and possibly the last intelligent person in White Maple Leaf City!¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Was Hao Ren and the rest¡¯s reaction.


    Seeing how dumbfounded the reaction of her audience was, even the boastful Rheia realized that she had gone overboard, and she laughed gingerly as she sat back down. ¡°Ahem, so I¡¯m basically an academic and battle mage. I¡¯m also a scholar on ancient civilizations and historical myths. As for me employing you guys, it¡¯s mainly for that. I have discovered a clue on an ancient ruin in one of the tomes. And the location of this place is difficult for me. Of course, I am pretty good in combat, and I would go to Longwind Peak to kill a lion and a tiger or two during my training, but going into ruins, it¡¯s better to have a few helpers. You don¡¯t have to worry about money, I may look poor but as a mage, even the poor is still rather rich. I will pay the fee of a normal mercenary escort¡­ No, I will double that up. How about it?¡±


    Hao Ren, of course, had no idea about the price, and he pretended to consider the offer. ¡°The fee is fine, but I¡¯m more interested in that ruin that you are talking about¡­ Where is it?¡±


    Rheia put up an easily discernible fake smile. ¡°Ahahaha, it¡¯s not that dangerous anyway. It¡¯s around the Longwind Peak area, but it¡¯s more¡­ subterranean, near the Great Pit¡­ Just a little close to it. You don¡¯t have to worry, of course. Based on my information, the ruin is just along the pit, and we don¡¯t have to enter it¡­¡±

 Chapter 1645 - Searching Through the Materials

    Frankly speaking, Rheia¡¯s attempt at explaining was like trying to cover fire with a dry blanket. If she had not gone deeper, things would have been fine. Now that she had explained it, most sane mercenary groups would not even bother with the suicidal request. It was clear that the young mage was not the type to peddle snake oil, and she would do better at cursing someone to their face. But today was Rheia¡¯s lucky day. Not only did she find a group of ¡°mercenaries¡± who were brave enough to take requests, but they seemed to be totally clueless about the Great Pit.


    Hao Ren did not realize Rheia¡¯s tone as he was busy thinking about how he could get more information on the world from the little mage. He nodded without much thought because the latter¡¯s explanation went into the left ear and out the right. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s fine, that¡¯s fine. Danger is a part of the course¡­¡±


    Rheia was worried that the group would turn tail and run once they heard ¡°the Great Pit¡± but she never expected Hao Ren to react like that way. Her eyes widened. ¡°Huh? You¡­ agreed just like that?¡±


    Only then did Hao Ren recover from his thoughts and feel that something was off. ¡°Uh, is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°We are going near the Great Pit¡­ Are you sure about facing this danger?¡± Rationality advised Rheia that she should not be emphasizing the dangers of the Great Pit, but as a kind person, she could not help herself. ¡°Of course we will not really enter the pit itself, but we may run into ancient wanderers and shadow-corrupted¡­ Ahem, obviously, I¡¯m glad that you¡¯re willing to take the commission.¡±


    Vivian then continued, ¡°Of course, we understand the dangers, but we¡¯re pretty confident in our abilities. Plus, like you¡¯ve promised, we won¡¯t be going into the pit itself, right?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely! Rheia the Great Sage would not lie!¡± The little mage puffed her chest up. ¡°Besides, I still want to live, I would not go in there myself.¡±


    Hao Ren secretly threw Vivian an appreciative glance, while the latter rolled her eyes, indicating that he should not space out at such critical moments.


    After that little episode, Hao Ren got into the mood and asked questions like a professional mercenary, ¡°So when do we depart?¡±


    ¡°If you do not need any further preparations, we can leave before noon tomorrow. Of course, we can delay it to the day after as well. But the sooner the better.¡± Rheia seemed to be very interested in the ruins. ¡°While the ruins will not run away, the magical items there are degrading every day, and many important archaeological digs have been lost due to delays in excavation.


    ¡°In that case, we should leave tomorrow.¡± Nangong Sanba nodded. ¡°But provided if you are able to provide us the supplies needed for the search. We just arrived, and it will be difficult for us to gather them ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Naturally. That is a basic rule.¡± Rheia smiled, appearing to be in a good mood. ¡°Then, please rest in this tower for the night. After the door, just follow the spiral stairs to the second floor for the guest rooms. The rooms are sufficient for you, and there are golems cleaning the rooms now and then so it can be used at any time. So just make yourself at home. The golems will also serve dinner to your rooms. My only request is to not enter the areas beyond the third floor and the basement, where my lab is. The tower¡¯s defense core and energy well are all located there. I will not be responsible if anyone gets gibbed while wandering around.¡±


    Hao Ren had no objections, and he agreed.


    Rheia then indicated that she wanted to study her ancient tomes and magical problems. Following that, she allowed Hao Ren and the rest free use of the first and second floor. Before she bid them goodnight, Hao Ren pretended to ask for a tiny favor. ¡°Oh yea, if it is possible, could you lend us a few books to read?¡±


    ¡°Books? Rheia was surprised. ¡°What sort of books.¡±


    ¡°Books on the local culture and history. If it has to do with our venture later it would be better,¡± Hao Ren said with a smile as he tried to present the look of an industrious learner. ¡°It¡¯s still too early to sleep. I¡¯m used to reading before bed.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that is a rare hobby to have in a mercenary group.¡± Rheia gasped in surprise before she smiled. ¡°But seeing that half of your small team is of the caster class, this is not too hard to imagine, I suppose. No problem. While my grimoires are off-limits, there are plenty of books in the tower, and there¡¯s a study on the second floor. You can take a look at the books there. Just remember to put them back.¡±


    After thanking the youthful mage, Hao Ren and the rest bid Rheia a goodnight and went to the guest rooms on the second floor.


    ¡°Plans sure can¡¯t form when there are situational changes. We somehow became mercenaries and accepted a commission from a young mage to search an underground ruin,¡± Nangong Sanba said with a slight sigh. ¡°We were looking for the goddess of creation when we started¡­¡±


    Lily pursed her lips as she wagged her tail. ¡°That¡¯s nothing too weird. Since when have Mr. Landlord¡¯s plans survive the first contact. He even thought he was going to an interview for an office job when he paid Raven 12345 a visit. So it¡¯s no surprise that things have gotten derailed now.¡±


    Hao Ren gave Lily a sideways glare. ¡°¡­You seem to be in a good mood?¡±


    ¡°Yep! Yep! Being a mercenary, exploring ruins, earning a paycheck, digging up loot!¡± As she spoke, Lily¡¯s eyes gleamed. ¡°I just love this sort of situations! This was the main plot in one of the novels I wrote in the past. I didn¡¯t get a kick out of our mercenary-ing in Holletta!¡±


    ¡°Sure can¡¯t depend on you to be serious for once.¡± Vivian facepalmed. ¡°Go back to your rooms then. I¡¯ll go to the study to get some information with Hao Ren and try to get some basic information on this world. Anyone coming?¡±


    ¡°Me! Me! I don¡¯t want to sleep yet!¡± Lily literally bounced over. ¡°I love books!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go back to my room. I don¡¯t want to read¡­ Uwaaahhh!¡± Y¡¯lisabet pouted then screamed.


    Before she could take a second step, her father grabbed her by the neck and dragged her to the study as he lectured her. ¡°A child should read more. Learning new things while your brain is still young is the best. Stop thinking about playing all day¡­¡±


    In the end, everyone went to the study, even Rollie: the catgirl had no interest in books whatsoever, she was just worried that everyone was going somewhere to eat and leaving her out¡­


    Under any circumstances, a mage would need to be well-learned and have an insatiable thirst for knowledge. Even the most downtrodden of mages would not be stingy with their book collections. Even Rheia and her unreliable masters were the same. The dilapidated tower actually had a large collection of books; while they may have paled in comparison to the collections belonging to richer mages of higher status, in the eyes of a commoner, the rows of books against the walls could be described as a ¡°mountain of books¡±.


    The study on the second floor was just one of the libraries within the tower. It mostly had common books about the local culture and sagas of ancient heroes while the more precious tomes of magic were totally missing. It was clear that the room was meant for guests of the tower. Using knowledge to entertain one¡¯s guest was proper etiquette to a mage.


    The semi-circle study was not too big, but it could fit Hao Ren and his team. After entering the study, Hao Ren saw four rows of book racks that extended all the way to the ceiling, and before the racks was a sliding wooden ladder. Between the racks were three wide french windows with the night view clearly visible.


    It appeared that whoever built the tower was not like the gloomy and conservative traditionalist mages who tended to build their homes with a foreboding atmosphere in it. Those wide french windows were enough to make any visitor feel welcome.


    Hao Ren looked around as he started to delegate duties. ¡°Let¡¯s split up to look for intel. Lily and Rollie, the first rack. The Nangongs, both of you take the second rack. Y¡¯zaks and Y¡¯lisabet, the third is yours. Vivian and I will look at the fourth. Read anything that allows you to understand this world better. MDT, you¡¯re on scanning duty. Search for anything to do with the Great Pit, historical or legend, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°I have a question.¡± Lily raised her hand. ¡°Why is Rollie paired with me. She¡¯s obviously of no help!¡±


    ¡°The most educated and the least educated together in a group would make progress balanced, no?¡±


    ¡°¡­That sounds almost reasonable.¡±


    After their duties were delegated, everyone started to busy themselves between the racks. As they had the aid of the translation plugin and data-processing link, it acted like a laser scan even when they were just skimming through the pages. The world¡¯s true identity soon became clear to all.


    Hao Ren was reading a book called ¡°The Frost Wolves ¨C The History of the Ten Northern Kingdoms¡± as he approached Vivian. ¡°How is Noobie?¡±


    Vivian raised her left hand and focused her mind. Simultaneously, a mist-like thing started to wiggle as Noobie took form. The little one was confused at being summoned out of the blue, and she stared at Hao Ren for a good two seconds. Her chaotic red eyes were unreadable, but she then reacted to show her vigilance and hostility. ¡°Sha¡­ Biubiubiu!¡±


    Hao Ren simply raised his hand to block her weak-as-water shadow bolts. ¡°If you do more biubiubiu-ing, I¡¯ll send you to Raven 12345 to eat noodles every day!¡±


    ¡°Eek!!¡±


    ¡°But if you behave, you can stay with us, and you¡¯ll have meat to eat every day.¡±


    The little one pondered hard before she nodded furiously.


    ¡°You see, she can behave.¡± Hao Ren threw Vivian a gleeful look. ¡°So, you can control that thing freely now? Just like your little bats?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that easy.¡± Vivian sighed. ¡°I tried earlier. I can only summon or absorb her back into my body. Other than that, she won¡¯t listen to me. It¡¯s still quite a difference compared with my bats.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a bit. ¡°Well, she¡¯s easier to carry around now.¡±


    When it came to that, Vivian nodded in agreement.

 Chapter 1646 - Findings from the Books

    Noobie¡¯s new talent was not a really big surprise. At least, Hao Ren thought so. There was nothing more incredible than Noobie¡¯s existence. A muddleheaded Malevolence, having been schooled by Raven 12345 for over a month and having an inextricable relationship with Vivian, it seemed like Noobie had been prepped for big things. With that in mind, even if Noobie suddenly turned into a mouse that could discharge 100,000-volt lightning with its tail, it would not surprise Hao Ren anymore.


    Hao Ren and Vivian had studied the nature of Noobie as a summoned unit and determined her three characteristics. The first characteristic was that Noobie was still Noobie. Her biggest trick was ¡°biubiubiu¡±. The second characteristic was that she was brainless and would not follow any instructions except when she wanted to eat. The third characteristic was better than the first two; her energy would be obscured entirely when she coalesced into Vivian¡ªa useless but less annoying setting, unlike the first and second characteristics.


    ¡°Hiak!¡± Noobie shrieked and returned into Vivian¡¯s body. She had become impatient and resentful when she found out that Hao Ren was not giving her any food.


    ¡°She¡¯s a little upset,¡± Vivian said with a shrug. ¡°I can feel that she¡¯s a little frustrated because she thought that she could scare you.¡±


    ¡°She has such complicated emotions already?¡± Hao Ren looked at Vivian in surprise. ¡°You can feel her emotions too?¡±


    ¡°I can vaguely feel it when she is in my body as if it is some kind of shared emotions,¡± Vivian said with a frown. ¡°It is a bit like having just absorbed those Malevolences minus the ¡®digestion.¡¯ Noobie is still an independent individual. It is incredible that she is growing up.¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment. ¡°I think it is a good thing. Maybe this little guy could already say good morning when we wake up the next morning.¡±


    ¡°I hope so.¡± Vivian smiled and shifted her attention back on the book in her hands.


    She flipped through an old book that she took from a rack filled with a large volume of folklore titles. This book was about some heroic story, not well-documented and mostly a mix of myth and legend, and exaggeration and embellishment. But most of the time, a story such as this always had made a connection with those dangerous places that ordinary people had no access to. One such example was The Great Pit that Leah had mentioned.


    Of course, there was a world of difference between what could be found in the book and the reality, and you could not seriously treat this book as a reliable source of information. But Hao Ren¡¯s priority was not to find out what was the truth of the history but first figuring out what place like The Great Pit was all about.


    It was already the seventh book of similar themes that Vivian had picked up. It mentioned many place names that were unheard of and also some seemingly well-known historical events. One such place was The Great Pit, which was found in many books in the library. Most historical, geographical, and heroic titles had records of the name.


    It seemed to be something so famous that the historians and geographers had solemnly recorded it in their works, and a place that the heroes of the past and the present were particularly fond of exploring. Like the characters of most fantasy stories, they had to kill a dragon¡ªrecently, marrying the dragon had become an in-thing¡ªbefore they could claim to the protagonists. In the legends of this world, it was the essential requirement to go to The Great Pit and come back alive to be qualified as the braves.


    But Hao Ren could see through the phenomenon at the real faces.


    The more vulnerable the thing in the novel, the more horrifying it was in the real world. It was as if nine out of ten brave men had become barbecues when challenging the dragon, no one was brave enough to go into the Great Pit. It must be a dangerous place.


    ¡°According to the records in these books,¡± Lily picked out all the classics about The Great Pit she could find and spread them on the table. Others had done the same, ¡°it does not refer to mines or a specific underground cavern, but a group of underground caves that spread throughout the entire continent and may even extend into the endless ocean and throughout the world.¡±


    Vivian also told of what she had found. ¡°Under this continent, which is known as L¡¯Haronne, there is a group of caves that looked like the beehive. That is The Great Pit. The cave distribution and depth are irregular. In the eastern part of the mainland, the Great Pit is deep underground and does not affect the locals. But in the northern territory within the ten ancient kingdoms, The Great Pit is very close to the surface. It is said that some shallow tunnels are linked to the mines. There were occasional horrible accidents where miners fell into the Great Pit when they inadvertently dug through the rock roof. Because of this, the northern part of the continent is now the most desolate place in this world: it is inhabitable.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks chimed in and said, ¡°The Great Pit is a terrible world. There is not only toxic and corrosive gases but often there are also monsters lurking around. Sometimes, some strange beings that no one knows what they are nor could overcome would come out of the caves. I read folklore about a kingdom in the north, where people had to dig a shelter in the ground because of war. But they accidentally dug through the rock layer of The Great Pit and released a phantom. Following that, the night had swallowed the entire kingdom together with the invasion forces. When the next morning came, the kingdom had turned into a black forest. The place seems to be very famous now, and it is said that those who have entered the forest have never come out alive.¡±


    Lily and Vivian¡¯s stories reminded Hao Ren about the First Born living deep inside the planets. His brows knitted together and he was even more convinced of it when he heard about the black forest swallowing the kingdom, and the strange being that no one knew and could fight. ¡°It sounds familiar: the big holes and the monsters. Could it be the First Born again?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Vivian said. ¡°First of all, this is the Umbral Realm. It¡¯s near the divine realm of the goddess of creation. Let¡¯s not talk about why this place has become the way it is. The address can¡¯t be wrong. According to what we know, the goddess of creation did not sow the Seed of Origin in such a place so close to the divine realm. She only used the seeds during her deep space exploration and sowed them far away from home. So, the First Born should not have existed in the Umbral Realm. Secondly, from all the materials we have found about the Great Pit, not one has mentioned about the First Born, whether it is the tentacles buried in the ground, the beating organ in the cave, or the lifeblood. If the First Born really exists here, it will move under the planet¡¯s crust. It will leave behind many signs, and there is nowhere to hide.¡±


    What Vivian said made sense. Hao Ren could not help but nod in agreement. ¡°So, what else do you find? What about the Great Pit?¡±


    ¡°There is something else. A scholar named Ronzel wrote a book about the Great Pit. His works did not seem to gain recognition, but he had mentioned many interesting discoveries.¡± Nangong Sanba lifted an old book that he found. ¡°This scholar claimed that he used to fallow a mysterious old man to practice Druidism. During communication with the spirit of nature, his soul left his body and entered the Great Pit. In there, he saw many human-made traces, ancient text, relics, and even magnificent ancient ruins. So, he believed that the Great Pit was actually a refuge built by the civilization of the last era to escape the disaster on the surface. The reason why the Great Pit spread all over the world was that the highly developed ancient civilization had built this miracle. The monsters that lunged from the Great Pit could be the guards of the ancient civilization, and might be the mutated humans that had gone crazy underground.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks laughed when he heard this. ¡°The imaginative scholar had even estimated the scale of disasters on the surface based on the monsters and toxic substances rushed out from the Great Pit. In the second half of the book, he discussed in detail how a civilization dealt with the same disaster at the time.¡±


    Lily¡¯s ears stood erect and could not help but chime in, ¡°Wow! It is so cool!¡±


    ¡°Cool does not mean it¡¯s convincing.¡± Y¡¯zaks shook his head. ¡°The scholar might be imaginative, but unfortunately, four-fifths of his book is filled with guesswork and legends. He even quoted a fairy tale for the only citation in the book. This led to everyone attacking his theory and classifying his book as an absurd novel.¡±


    ¡°But by the intelligence at hand and our understanding, his stories are not entirely absurd.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s eyes swept over them, and he spoke matter-of-factly, ¡°This world plunged into this place together with the goddess of the creation. So, the ancient civilizations and the natural disasters on the surface that the scholar named Ronzel mentioned could be true, and the speculation of the Great Pit as an ancient civilization shelter may also be true. If that civilization had escaped the explosion of the divine realm with this underground facility and rebuilt the ecosystem, then many things would be explainable.¡±


    Vivian nodded. ¡°A lame scholar with a keen instinct is not uncommon. It could be just that Ronzel was not a persuasive writer.¡±


    Lily picked up the book that Y¡¯zaks brought and waved it in the air. ¡°If what is written in the book is true, then the so-called Great Pit will be worth a visit.¡±

 Chapter 1647 - : Planet Fragments in the Sky

    It was an old-fashioned introduction; Hao Ren could not help but think of it that way.


    The ancient civilization plunged into the gap of space and time following an unknown disaster (the explosion of the divine realm). The world on the surface was destroyed, and the survivors barely survived in the shelter that they built inside the planet with their powerful technology. As time went by, the disaster on the planet¡¯s surface subsided. But the survivors in the underground shelter had mutated or simply died from the perennial isolation as well as environmental changes. The shelter that they left behind became the dangerous Great Pit¡ªa place that was filled with deadly poisonous gas and monsters. The civilization on the surface avoided it like the plague.


    Hao Ren made some bold speculations; if his assumptions were correct, the so-called toxic gas in the Great Pit should be the normal atmospheric component of the planet 10,000 years ago. It was the foundation of life for the last civilization, but it somehow turned into a disaster for the present ecosystem.


    However, could there have been such a massive change in just 10,000 years? Or, did something else accelerate the ecological evolution process?


    Perhaps there was only one way to find out, and that was to go into the Great Pit.


    What thought to be an insignificant encounter had turned out to be a significant development. The group had accidentally become mercenaries who signed an escort contract with the mage, but they never thought that it would lead them to such a significant discovery. Hao Ren could not help but be astonished by his good luck. Had it not been for Rheia who popped up out of nowhere and mentioned about the Great Pit, he wondered how time had to waste before finding out the secrets of the underground world. After all, ordinary people would stay away from the Great Pit; people like Rheia was a rare breed.


    Hao Ren had made a decision and closed the geography title in front of him. ¡°Everyone gets a good rest tonight. Tomorrow, we will follow Rheia to find the entrance to the Great Pit¡ª¡±


    But before Hao Ren could finish, Nolan suddenly reported in. ¡°Boss! You better come out and see this!¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± He did not expect that Nolan, who was standing watch at high altitude, would suddenly call him. ¡°Is there an enemy?¡±


    Nolan sounded as if she was shocked. ¡°No! It¡¯s the sky! Something is in the sky!¡±


    Everyone exchanged a look before they ran to the vast expanse of floor-to-ceiling windows of the library, pushed open the window and looked up at the dark night sky outside.


    Even the cat maiden was shocked by what she saw. ¡°Meow?¡±


    There was a broken world slowly passing across the night sky.


    Huge shadows, bigger than any satellite or star could produce appeared. Ordinary people could see without the aid of optical instrument that the objects floating in space were fragments of a planet. The three largest pieces formed a triangle formation in the sky. There were mountains and rifts, and even traces of what seemed to be an artificial pattern on the planet fragments. At the same time, many smaller black objects were floating in between the three large fragments; those were the floating islands of the main fragments.


    Without a doubt, all these fragments once belonged to the same planet.


    The planet fragments were not completely dark, though, as there were some dark-red and dark-yellow patterns on their surface. Those faint glows looked like to be the lava, or they could be something else that emitted light.


    The group watched in awe as the landmasses flew past the sky and now were right at the sky above them. The celestial fragments were so massive that they covered almost one-third of the sky. They flew past quietly but exuding a depressive and solemn air. Hao Ren even felt that he had an auditory hallucination¡ªthe rumbling of giant logs on the earth.


    But a crispy voice quickly interrupted his hallucinations. ¡°Ahh, what are all of you doing in front of the window?¡±


    Hao Ren came to his senses and was surprised to see Rheia standing on in mid-air outside the window with some tiny shimmering runes floating around her to shield herself from the chilly wind of Longwind Peak.


    The mage left her work and just came out to get some fresh air, it seemed.


    ¡°Ah, I just come out for a stroll, don¡¯t look at me like this.¡± Rheia noticed the surprise on their faces. She waved at them and said, ¡°I know it is a bit scary when someone waves at you all outside the window, but I thought you guys should have seen this enough?¡±


    ¡°Err, this is fine.¡± Vivian came out of her shock and put up a smile. ¡°We are just watching the night.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, you are watching the broken divine realm!¡± Rheia looked up at where Vivian¡¯s gaze was, and then turned back and smiled. She seemed to be unconcerned. ¡°Well, no matter when and how many times you see it, it is still fascinating, isn¡¯t it? It is just that I have not expected you guys who are so well-traveled to have hobbies such as reading and gazing the broken divine realm. I almost thought that you were wandering scholars.¡±


    ¡°We come from a very faraway place, where people of knowledge are rare, but we are the exception. We are curious about the outside world, so we travel all the way to this place.¡± Hao Ren carefully faked their background. ¡°May Ms. Scholar tell us about the broken divine realm if she has the time?¡±


    ¡°I have a lot of time, but it is a broad topic. Where should I begin?¡± Rheia was flattered and in a good mood after being called ¡°Ms. Scholar¡±. ¡°Some people say that it used to be the kingdom of the gods, and some say that it is our sister planet that has been destroyed by war. Some even said it was the old world where our ancestors lived but destroyed in a disaster. Our ancestors created a new world opposite the old world with the lost ancient magic. The new world is called L¡¯Haronne, where we have all resettled. The fragments of the old world have since been floating around the sky of L¡¯Haronne. Which narrative do you think is more plausible?¡±


    Of course, Hao Ren was for the first one. But he did not tell Rheia for he was unsure what Rheia¡¯s reaction would be. ¡°What do you think?¡± he asked back.


    ¡°Throwing the question back to me? Tsk tsk.¡± Rheia said. But she did not mind. ¡°I am a scholar. I also study myths and legends, but let me first look at the legends from the perspective of a scholar instead of a believer. I would think the third narrative is more plausible. There is the old L¡¯Haronne, where our ancestors once lived. Whenever we look up at the sky, we see our homeworld. How awesome!¡±


    ¡°Awesome?¡± Hao Ren was speechless.


    ¡°Yeah, the people¡¯s power.¡± Rheia became emotional in contrast to her usual carelessness. ¡°We are mortals, and our ancestors are mortals. But when the old world was on the brink of destruction, they were able to create L¡¯Haronne out of thin air and saved so many races from the broken planet. Isn¡¯t that incredible? Even though these incredible ancient mighty powers have now been lost, we believe that there are still miracles when we see the ancient lighthouses that occasionally appear in the sea of fog, the underground ruins, and the palaces of machine that hover in the sky above the mountain. Our ancestors built those things with their bare hands. Are they not miracles? Why do some people turn a blind eye to these?¡±


    Hao Ren did not know what to say. He did not know the mage whom he had just met, nor did he understand the background of this world. He could only understand Rheia based on what she said. She firmly believed that humans could shape the world and that the third narrative was true.


    Vivian was somewhat curious. ¡°You seem to outrightly not care about the kingdom of god narrative.¡±


    ¡°It is not that I do not care, but I do not think that it is a theory at all.¡± Rheia snorted. ¡°Declaring that the ruins in the sky are the places where the deities lived? Then attributing the unsolved mystery on God and dismissing the trajectory as well as the structure of the ruins that defy the laws of nature as the design of God because you can neither prove nor disprove them? How easy is that! But that is not what scholars should say at all.¡±


    Nangong Sanba reminded her, ¡°But you still call it the broken divine realm. Why not the old L¡¯Haronne or the Old World?¡±


    ¡°You are right. It is will called the broken divine realm. The name has existed since ancient times, but the name itself does not mean anything,¡± Rheia said. ¡°If a god really lived there, why did the place become what it is today? Where was the god? If the god has died, isn¡¯t the god useless? Is a god, who could not even protect its own house, worthy of our worship?¡±


    It was a heretical statement. Few would openly talk about it even in that world where divine influence had declined. But Rheia apparently could not have cared less about the custom even in front of a group of mercenaries whom she had just met.


    Nevertheless, Hao Ren refused to comment on what Rheia had said.


    Hao Ren instantly linked the broken planet to the Stars of Creation and knew that the Umbral Realm and the goddess had an inseparable relationship. But he did not want to force his mind onto the mage.


    Rheia¡¯s perception of the world was her own business, and Hao Ren felt that he was in no position to interfere in this regard.


    ¡°Ahh, I think I have talked too much,¡± Rheia said with a smile. ¡°It shocks your world view? You must be believing in the kingdom of god narrative.¡±


    ¡°I do. But I do not dismiss what you have said,¡± Hao Ren replied with a smile. ¡°People could be mighty. Many times, they are so great that even God is stunned. But there is no need to compare the two because God has what God should do, and people have what people should do.¡±


    ¡°It is a very novel idea,¡± Rheia said. She could not help but glance at Hao Ren. ¡°You would have made a good thinker had you not been a mercenary. Well, I have enough fresh air, and I should go now. It is a little cold out here.¡±


    ¡°We will see you again tomorrow, Ms. Mage.¡±


    ¡°See you tomorrow. You all had better rest early as we will set off tomorrow.¡±

 Chapter 1648 - On the Way to the Ruins

    After saying goodnight, the mage waved her wand and flew out into the air outside the tower. She walked on air towards her lab atop the tower.


    Once Rheia left, Nangong Sanba uttered, ¡°Hah, I did not expect Ms. Rheia to be an atheist.¡±


    ¡°Strictly speaking, she¡¯s a blasphemer,¡± Vivian said. ¡°Atheists do not believe in the existence of God, while Rheia does not care if God exists. This is normal among mages who are religiously indifferent. They study the laws of nature and seek the truth of the universe. Naturally, they are not willing to ascribe everything to a god, as that would not be in line with the thinking of researchers.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s dramatic,¡± Hao Ren said as he looked up at the sky. The planet fragments had now left the highest point of the night sky and were slowly moving to the west, disappearing into the sea of stars. ¡°The location where the kingdom of god has plunged into and the place where the goddess of creation has the most influence have now bred a scholar like Rheia. No wonder Raven 12345 once lamented that the gods are like landlords; when there¡¯s no water leakage for even just a couple of months, the tenants would forget the existence of their landlords.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue¡¯s mouth twitched. She said nothing about the metaphor that the goddess used. She and Hao Ren looked up at the celestial ruins and asked, ¡°Mr. Landlord, do you think those are really ruins of the Star of Creation?¡±


    ¡°I am just guessing,¡± said Hao Ren. ¡°After all, we have no idea how many celestial bodies were dragged into the Umbral Realm when the Star of Creation exploded, nor do we know if the other celestial bodies that were dragged in together with the Star of Creation have shattered. So, those fragments could be of the Star of Creation, or they could be of something else. The biggest problem now is that Nolan cannot leave the atmosphere or send out probes. What we can observe through the optical instrument are limited.¡±


    Nolan, who had been quiet since the beginning, was on the communication channel again. ¡°Boss, I have just observed using the optical instrument and found artificial objects on the side of the planet fragments facing L¡¯Haronne. They seemed to be some kind of pedestals, which have been severely damaged. I have also found some building debris that look like part of the goddess of creation¡¯s temple in the space between the planetary chunks.¡±


    Hao Ren was silent for a moment before he said, ¡°Well, this has further confirmed my suspicion. We can first assume that the broken divine realm floating above L¡¯Haronne is the ruins of the Star of Creation.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue waved the tip of her tail and said, ¡°Is the surface of the Star of Creation not covered with the red sea? Has it evaporated?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks nodded. ¡°It is hard to tell. The massive energy released in the explosion has torn the entire planet apart, it is highly probable that the sea has evaporated. But then, the Sea of Origin was not a real liquid sea nor of standard lifeblood. Who knows what it consisted of?¡±


    Hao Ren thought for a moment and then began to assign tasks. ¡°Nolan, please keep launching probes into space and collect the physical parameters of L¡¯Haronne. Find out why you cannot get out of the atmosphere. Keep tracking the planet fragments¡¯ trajectory relative to L¡¯Haronne to get a rough model of the celestial movement. The other people proceed with the original plan to follow Rheia to the Great Pit and see if we can find the historical reasons why this world has evolved into what it is today.¡±


    The night passed without event.


    When it was time to set off, it was already noon the next day.


    Everyone had a non-sumptuous but delicious lunch in Rheia¡¯s wizard tower before gathering in the open space in front of the tower. Rheia took a delicate brass carriage model from the pocket of her faded old robes. She threw the model on the ground as she cast a spell. The model that was only the size of the palm squeaked instantly transformed into a real size carriage.


    In front of the carriage was a copper horse assembled with gears, remontoirs, springs, and levers.


    ¡°Awesome, isn¡¯t it?¡± Seeing the surprised look on the faces, Rheia said proudly. ¡°I made it myself by restoring it from the ancient literature found in some ruins. Hey, those idiots who laugh at my research works have no idea how much valuable knowledge is waiting for them in the ruins.¡±


    No, no, no, Ms. Mage. Those guys were just laughing at the risk you took and your asking price.


    Hao Ren suppressed his urge to retort and watched as Rheia skillfully inspected the gears and remontoirs of the alchemy copper horse and embedded a new mana crystal on the back of the copper horse. After a few minutes of fiddling with it, the copper horse neighed as the connecting rods and bearings in its belly sprang into action.


    ¡°Let¡¯s roll!¡± Rheia climbed onto the carriage and reached out his hand to invite Y¡¯lisabet to come onboard. ¡°It can still fit one more person. Kid, come with me!¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet was pissed. ¡°You are a kid! You are a kid all your life!¡±


    ¡°Well, up to you. But you guys do not have to worry that you all have to walk all the way to the destination. We will first go to the carriage shop in the west. There, I will rent each of you a horse. The place we are going is far.¡±


    The mage was in a good mood. It was as if she wanted to show off that she had a team of people behind her, she showily drove the carriage to the mercenary union and sprinted in a circle in front of the entrance while blaring the whistle of the carriage. Hao Ren was quite skeptical if this lady could make out 10 meters before getting trampled by people.


    After a while of clowning around, Rheia only got down to business and got Hao Ren and the rest horses. She had also gone into the store to get a supply of common casting materials and food for the journey. At last, Rheia and her carriage team left before the eyes of the cheerful crowd.


    The mercenaries at the union waving goodbye to Rheia all had an undisguised you-better-die-and-don¡¯t-ever-come-back look on their faces.


    It was unbelievable how Rheia could become the most hated person in town.


    The walls of White Marble Leaf Town gradually disappeared behind them. The group had turned off the main avenue shortly after leaving the town and began to follow Rheia to set foot on the trails where travelers rarely took. The route seemed to be running in parallel to Longwind Peak.


    The alchemy carriage of Rheia showed its incredible capability here. It might look cumbersome, but it ran smoothly on the rugged terrain. The copper horse driven by gears and remontoirs worked even better than a real horse.


    ¡°This is an indispensable tool for me to travel the world.¡± Rheia dropped the overhead canvas so that it was more convenient to talk to Hao Ren who was riding next to her. The mage smugly patted the baffle of the carriage. ¡°I have ridden this thing to Longwind Peak, the hinterland of the great plains, and even across the tunnel to the Hekluwel tribal kingdom on the other side of Longwind Peak. Ahh, only when you go out there will you realize how big the world is. What we read in the books is just a drop in the ocean. Those stubborn fellows who lock themselves in the magic tower all day long will never know.¡±


    While speaking, Rheia glanced at Hao Ren with a smile. ¡°Of course, adventurers like you all have more say than I in this respect.¡±


    Looking at the innocent smile on the face of the magician lady, Hao Ren could not help but think of her arguing with a bunch of people in front of the mercenary union.


    Rheia was a changed person.


    It seemed that other than when the magician lady was cheesed off, she was approachable.


    The ruins that Rheia was looking for was for sure not located anywhere near to places with people. It was even farther away from White Maple Left than Rheia had described.


    The group had traveled in the wild for two days.


    At noon on the third day, they finally arrived at the entrance to a forest.


    It was a dense jungle next to the Windy Mountains, where the mountains took a turn to form a bow-shaped safe haven and the towering old trees thriving. Many trees were as old as 100 years old, and their crowns blocked the sunlight, making the forest always as dim as during the dusk even though it was noon right now.


    Soon, they came to a place where even the horses found it hard to pass through. The vines and rotten leaves were blocking the way. So, instead of riding on horseback and getting stuck, it was better to get down and travel on foot.


    After all, those who had come here were no ordinary people.


    Nangong Sanba used the Letta runes to set up an enchantment to prevent the horses from running way or other beasts from coming in preying their rides. Meanwhile, Rheia had transformed her carriage back into the size of the palm and tucked it in her pocket. Before leading everyone to continue to move deeper into the jungle, Rheia said, ¡°Moving forward, there will be dangers laying around. As the ruins are not completely underground, there is likely that some magical energy might have escaped from the exposed part. So, the creatures in the forest could be aggressive.¡±


    Lily mumbled, ¡°The same old setting.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Rheia did not hear clearly what Lily said.


    ¡°Ahh, I am saying we are an experienced bunch.¡±


    Hao Ren said nothing as he concentrated in looking out for any movement in the forest.


    It was not known whether it was his illusion, Hao Ren began to feel something amiss. But he could not tell what it was.


    It was as if he was suddenly disoriented albeit slightly and wondering why he was here and having an inexplicable feeling about what happened in the surroundings. It seemed that some energy was blocking his mind and stifling his thinking.


    But this instead had made him even more alert.

 Chapter 1649 - The Suspicious Ruins

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Deadly dangers were lurking in the Black Forest. It was especially so in a world filled with magical power.


    In the ancient legend of L¡¯Haronne, the world was initially formed from a boiling and violent ocean of ¡°primordial elements¡±. The primordial energy of chaos undulating in the ocean of primordial elements produced the first big bubble in a collision. The bubble, called Anke, burst and divided the early lives. These lives struggled on the remaining fragments after the bubble burst, and they absorbed the energy of the primordial elements, cooling down the ocean around the bubble and forming the world. Meanwhile, the primordial elements, which had cooled down, became the first sea in the form of an endless ocean surrounding the continent of L¡¯Haronne.


    However, not all primordial lives had survived this process. Some of the primordial lives went mad. They desperately absorbed the energy of the primordial elements until they finally fell apart. These self-destructing losers became the source of all demons in that world. Their corpses turned into ash and spread throughout the whole world. Every speck of ash became a monster that inherited the greedy nature. They lusted over the nourishment of the magical energy, so much so that they all gathered near the sources of the power, making them the most feared opponents of every mage.


    That was why Rheia had used the iron wand to practice the 36-move Enchanted Staff.


    A dark-colored lizard covered with hard crystalline scales was smashed out and away with a shrill. The creature landed and plowed a deep ten-meter-long gully before it ground to a halt. As vitality faded from the monster, its catabolized crystal scales quickly weathered and fell off like sand, revealing the natural body of the lizard. A few seconds later, the lizard began to rot and shrink rapidly, leaving behind a pile of rotten flesh and white bones.


    Rheia kept wielding her iron wand in front of her before slowly retracting it as she exhaled. ¡°The demonic research expert Baerlie has already figured it out three hundred years ago that these magic-energy devourers were only the products of mutation after being severely contaminated by the magical energy. They did not gather near the source of magic energy because of greed, but they originally lived in these places, and slowly corrupted by the magical energy.¡±


    Rheia tucked her wand. She watched in awe as Lily smashed a bear monster into the ground with a giant alloy X998 sword that was as large as a door. She shook her head and continued with her explanation. ¡°Although the myths have turned into legends, the scholars have confirmed that there is no such thing as the sea of primordial elements. But the threat of these demons is real. Spellcasters fear these monsters because the monsters, with their magic-mutated bodies, are immune to magic. So, mages would usually use a stick to fight or simply leave the monsters to the warriors.¡±


    Rheia¡¯s eye twitched while speaking. She was with the corner of her eye Y¡¯lisabet kicking the a** of a demonic lizard, pulling open its mouth and stuffing a massive fireball down the throat of the demonic lizard. This creature might be resistive of magic, but it did not mean it had a huge appetite. After the third fireball was shoved down its throat, the poor thing screamed in horror and died.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± The little demonic maiden jumped up in joy with an innocent smile spreading across her face.


    Rheia completely lost her interest in doing the explanation. ¡°Err, some special combat techniques also work for the monsters.¡±


    The group had encountered monster attacks shortly after entering the Black Forest. It was not natural wild beasts but the demons that Rheia had mentioned. With recording the parameters of the environment of this world and collecting biological samples in mind, Hao Ren and his teammates waved their weapons and fought like the real mercenaries. But Rheia as their employer did not just sit by and watch but rolling up her sleeves and joined the action.


    This mage was different from ordinary scholars. Everyone realized this when she lunged out with her wand. After all, no scholars could lift an iron wand that weighed tens of kilograms while bringing out a 36-move Enchanted Staff. As well-traveled as Hao Ren was, Anthony J. Alfonso was the only exception he knew. And now, Miss Rheia was the second exception.


    But in the eyes of Miss Rheia, this group of mercenaries was no ordinary soldiers-for-hire.


    The fighting style of this group of people was utterly unheard of and seriously challenge her understanding of each combat profession and practical tactic. Any qualified instructor would probably go home and burn their professional certificate upon seeing how these guys fought. The werewolf swordswoman knew nothing about sword skills but random smashing. The little girl of the school of flame magic knew only one technique¡ªFireball. The warrior named Y¡¯zaks did not seem to have any organized moves in his attack as all he knew was to grab an enemy and then use it as a weapon. The snake demon therapist curled herself up into a ball since the beginning and did a disappearing act although she did throw a few healing spells during the battle. The cat maiden who was known as the Night Assassin was nowhere to be seen during the fight; she only appeared with a fish in her mouth only after the battle was over. No one knew where she got the fish from since there was no river in the forest.


    Rheia could still explain it away with ¡®anything is possible in this world¡¯ if there were just two lone wolves. But here, it was a group of strange fellows. She began to question herself whether her hiring of these helpers was a wrong decision. The unique fighting style of these people aside, they could already go and do whatever they liked with their kind of power. How on earth was she going to believe that they were down-and-out and needing to work as mercenaries to get by?


    But Hao Ren quickly interrupted her thought. ¡°These things are not as ferocious as you said.¡±


    Rheia¡¯s eyes twitched. ¡°No one can smash the monsters like all of you do. Are you guys really adventurers in need of a job?¡±


    ¡°Look who is asking! A mage who uses a wand to kick the a**es of the monsters?¡± Hao Ren guffawed. He did not intend to answer Rheia¡¯s question. He was only a passerby in this world; he cared not about it. ¡°You do not have to worry about who we are. We will definitely fulfill our obligation under the contract. Is there not a saying in the mercenary community that goes ¡®never ask the name, just count the gold¡¯?¡±


    Rheia¡¯s eyebrows arched. ¡°Hmm, this sounds a lot more legit.¡±


    At this time, Vivian came up as she was grabbing Rollie by her waist belt. ¡°We have begun to encounter monsters. How far are the ruins?¡±


    The cat maiden was struggling to get down. ¡°Let me down! Let me down! I only went to catch fish when I saw you all did not need help!¡±


    ¡°When the devouring monsters appear, we will not be far from the entrance.¡± Rheia ignored the cat¡¯s protest and turned to look at the enchanted scroll, the magic map of which she had made a duplicate copy earlier. The map automatically recorded the course and action of them in the forest. ¡°As I have expected, the ruins still have leakage of magic energy, which could help us locate the place easily.¡±


    While speaking, Rheia tucked the scroll and lifted the iron wand to draw a simple magic rune in the air. As the symbol faded, she looked up and into the jungle. ¡°This way,¡± she said.


    With the mage leading in front, and after a few more monster-attack encounters, the group finally came before some broken walls in between the vines and giant trees.


    They were close to the ruins.


    ¡°These are¡­¡± Vivian was baffled as she saw more and more of the same type of collapsed structure. ¡°They all look familiar to me.¡±


    In the dim of the Dark Forest, the ruins from the ancient times quietly lay in the vegetation, suffering from erosion and decay over the years with vines and thick moss slowly covered buried them in the soil, leaving only a few spires and broken bricks still exposed to the air. But it was these few broken pieces that gave Hao Ren and Vivian an inexplicable sense of familiarity.


    Hao Ren was dead sure that it was definitely not the architectural style of the goddess of creation.


    He had seen enough of the goddess of creation¡¯s style. Whether it was the temple complex in the Gate of Solenne, the goddess¡¯ palace seen in the illusion, or the battleships of the guardian giants, they all have a distinctive feature. Coupled with that he had been studying these things recently, he would have instantly recognized them if the things were related to the Star of Creation.


    Then, what were the ruins before his eyes?


    Hao Ren¡¯s brows knitted together. Some vague images began to appear in his mind. But just before he grasped the crucial clues, Rheia had brought them to the main body of the ruins.


    ¡°Ahh, here we are! It is here!¡± the mage exclaimed with joy.


    The space ahead suddenly opened up.


    Surprisingly, there was a vast open space in the forest. Time had not allowed the vegetation to reclaim the place occupied by the ruins of the ancient civilization. On the open ground, the pillars had collapsed and were half-buried in the ground. The once magnificent palace walls had crumbled and surrounded by broken bricks and tiles. There was something particularly striking; at the center of the ruins was the roof with gorgeous ornamentation and smooth pattern protruding out of the ground. It was covered with moss and vines and had a hole at one side, out from which a broad-leaved tree grew.


    The long period of weathering and erosion had almost wholly eroded the original colors of these ruins, leaving them coated in a layer of gray and black. But beneath the faded colors, some golden lines and patterns were still visible.


    Golden lines and ornamentation. The style of luxury, streamlined design.


    Something crossed Hao Ren¡¯s mind. He immediately began to compare the ruins with something from his memory while at the same time, he painted the ruins in golden paint in his mind.


    It began to dawn on him that he knew this architectural style, especially the delicate patterns which he had seen before in the Gate of Solenne. It was on the spaceship of the deicide.

 Chapter 1650 - Anno Ruins

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The style of the deicide had always been distinctive. Perhaps it was their obsession of wanting to be God that drove them to be particular about every detail, making them stand out. Whether it was the intricate runes and murals engraved on the armor plates of the spaceship or the functionless sculptures and shrines in the spacecraft corridors, they were all rarely seen in other civilizations.


    The style of their runes and reliefs were impossible to imitate.


    Hao Ren had thought of this earlier. But he only saw it on the spaceships, not their buildings. Since time had eroded the ruins in the forest, even the most magnificent golden palace had now collapsed into a pile of broken bricks. Blackened by rotten leaves and mud, these things now looked far from what they looked like during their glory days. That was why Hao Ren could not identify them at first glance.


    However, when changing the grayish-black color to gold, their distinctive features were hard to miss.


    Vivian also seemed to have recognized it. Her expression changed as she quietly went up to Hao Ren. ¡°Do you recognize it? It¡¯s that race.¡±


    ¡°The deicidal race.¡± Hao Ren nodded gently. ¡°It seems that L¡¯Haronne is an extraordinary place.¡±


    Apparently, the ruins were of permanent buildings on the ground, not of a spacecraft. It meant that those people had settled here. So, the identity of the ancient civilizations mentioned in the legend of L¡¯Haronne was crystal clear; there was no one else other than the deicide.


    Was L¡¯Haronne the home planet of the deicide? Was this planet close to the Star of Creation originally? And this planet had also plunged into the Umbral Realm during the explosion of the divine realm?


    Hao Ren could not help but look up at the sky. At this moment, the sky was not dark yet, and the broken divine realm had not moved into a position where it was visible in the sky. But Hao Ren knew that the planet fragments were orbiting close to L¡¯Haronne, and the distance between two was defying the law of physics. By roughly calculating the distance, the planet fragments were on the higher orbit of L¡¯haronne and the gravitational pull of the planet fragments was strong enough to cause several-thousand-meter-high tsunami and earthquake on L¡¯Haronne, triggering another round of mass extinction event. But in reality, all these phenomena did not happen. Hao Ren had also learned from the previous materials that planet L¡¯Haronne was geologically stable. Aside from the Great Pit, which was classified as a supernatural disaster, there were few natural disasters on this planet.


    When taking into count the fact that the planet fragments were the remnants of the Star of Creation, everything became explainable with the divine power of the goddess of creation.


    The only thing that Hao Ren found it unbelievable was that the home planet of the deicidal race was so close to the Star of Creation. Regarding this point, Muru and Zorm had never mentioned before.


    ¡°It is just the ruins. Perhaps it does not explain anything.¡± Vivian had the same thinking as Hao Ren, without saying a word. Her brows were knitted together as she shook her head. ¡°Muru has never mentioned that the home planet of the deicide is just next to the Star of Creation. He would have told us such important information if this were true. Perhaps this was just the stronghold of the deicide near the Star of Creation.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded in agreement. ¡°Could be.¡±


    While Hao Ren and Vivian were discussing, Rheia had finished examining the magical energy lingering around the ruins. The mage turned around and waved at them. ¡°Hey! What are you two doing there? We should move on!¡±


    ¡°We will get back to this later. Let¡¯s first collect more information.¡± Hao Ren whispered to Vivian. He then replied Rheia, ¡°Here we come. We were just guessing the origin of the ruins. You should know more than we do.¡±


    With a little flattering, Rheia immediately took the bait. ¡°Of course, I am a scholar specializing in this field. But I am surprised that you all have not heard about the Anno ruins. I thought you were all explorers?¡±


    ¡°Anno ruins?¡± Hao Ren was startled. He vaguely remembered the terms that he had glanced upon in Rheia¡¯s library that a couple of days ago. But he did not give any attention because the book was tough to understand and needed many basic knowledge and side notes to read alongside. Hao Ren thought that it was not a common knowledge that everyone in this world would know. Now, he was surprised to hear Rheia mentioning it.


    ¡°Oh, it is normal that you do not know about it. After all, it is an archeological terminology. Not every adventurer is interested in this thing.¡± Rheia waved her hand. ¡°The Anno ruins do not belong to any of the already known ancient civilizations. They are a general classification of ruins of which have no known historical background and commonality.¡±


    ¡°They are not classifiable, coming from unknown eras, have no commonality?¡± It seemed things had somewhat deviated from his expectation. Hao Ren could not help but ask, ¡°That is to say, there are many different types of ancient ruins in this general category? How many are they?¡±


    ¡°How should I put it? Scholars believe that there are many ruins of Anno, but few have been discovered by humans. Most of them are hidden away from the human world, and some of them are even located in areas where no humans could reach, such as the bottom of the Sea of Mists and the top of the mountain peaks,¡± said Rheia while fiddling a strand of hair with her finger near her ear. It was her little habit when she was in thought. ¡°Over the years, archaeologists have compiled the system of civilization evolution by excavation and research of ancient ruins all over the world. Whether it is the human or the abhuman civilization, the scholars can systematically sort them out and find their corresponding ancient relics. But there are always some special relics that do not fit into this system. They are distributed randomly around the world, and the text or portraits found do not belong to any known categories. If you must to say it, this situation of mismatch is their only commonality.¡±


    Rheia paused as if she was searching through her memory. A few seconds later, she continued. ¡°At first, it was a scholar named Anno who compiled the statistics and categorized them into one. So, these ruins were later collectively referred to as the Anno ruins. The existence of these ruins has always been a nightmare-like challenge for archaeologists. The ruins of Anno are like phantoms emerging out of thin air; going backward, they have no origins; going forward, they have descendants. It was as if they were extraterrestrial visitors who suddenly came to this world, built their houses in a hurry, and then disappeared without a trace, leaving behind a pile of ruins to torture the mind of experts and scholars like us.¡±


    Rheia would become loquacious whenever she talked about topic in which she was interested. She could be parading her knowledge, or merely enthusiasm for sharing. Whichever the case, she had unknowingly entered into preaching mode. After a long speech, she suddenly stopped and let out an embarrassed smile. ¡°Why am I telling you so much; few people are interested in this.¡±


    ¡°No, we are interested,¡± Hao Ren said quickly. ¡°And I like your last analogy. Perhaps it was the extraterrestrial visitors who left behind the ruins.¡±


    ¡°You guys are interesting.¡± Rheia looked at Hao Ren up and down. ¡°Speaking of extraterrestrial visitors, there is really a school of thought that thinks of it as a serious theory. This school of thought believes that our world has experienced a special period that had almost changed everything. From the broken divine realm in the sky to the Anno ruins, they all formed during the period. The scholars think that there have been a large number of extraterrestrial visitors landed on the ancient continent of L¡¯Haronne. These visitors have all disappeared during a sudden change of event and left behind various things of wonder. Later, due to the impact of the laws of this universe, the creations the visitors left behind lost their timestamp, and the native civilization of L¡¯Haronne only appeared after that.¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian exchanged a look with each other.


    There were really many scholars in the L¡¯Haronne continent.


    At this time, Nangong Sanba acted inadvertently and chimed in. ¡°Miss Rheia, do you know other Anno ruins that are different from the style here?¡±


    ¡°Ahh, as far as I know, there are the black pyramids in the Golden Sea, the Lunar Temple in the elven territory, and the statues near the south coast of the Sea of Mists,¡± Rheia said as she looked around at the ruins in the surroundings. ¡°Those things are massive and well-preserved. So, they are famous. There are also smaller Anno ruins scattered around, just like what we have found here. I guess there are at least dozens of them lying around Longwind Peak. Of course, ruins with magic energy reactions are still the more precious one.¡±


    ¡°is that what it is?¡± Hao Ren pretended to have listened attentively. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that.¡±


    It seemed the theory that L¡¯Haronne was the home planet of the deicide had become even less possible. The deicide had only built the structure on the planet, and what they left behind was only one of the many mysterious ruins in L¡¯Haronne.


    Rheia smiled smugly. Getting to know a new friend who loved learning seemed to be satisfying her scholarly soul. She turned to hole in the ancient dome and said, ¡°That¡¯s all for today¡¯s lecture. We still have other things to do. I have just checked the strength of this thing; it looks shaky on the outside, but its structure is pretty stable. Next, our mission is to go down from this hole and find its heart.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled. ¡°Then what are we waiting for? We are here for this.¡±

 Chapter 1651 - The Temple of the Deicide

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    This magnificent and lavish building had been sleeping in the forest for a hundred centuries. Its glory days were long gone as weathering had eroded its dazzling golden decoration. In the long period of geological change, the main building had gradually sunk into the ground with only one-tenth of it still remaining on the surface. But the astounding thing was that despite its precarious appearance, it was still intact and stable.


    Being buried by millions of tons of mud and rock did not crush it.


    It looked like, besides the slick decoration, the builder had strengthened the structure of the building. That showed the competence of the deicidal race in building technology.


    With Rheia as the guide, the group entered the ruins through the big hole in the dome. They began to search for the path amid the maze-like floors and corridors, venturing deeper into the ruins.


    Once inside, Hao Ren confirmed his suspicion again; the place belonged to the deicidal race. There were gorgeous sculptures and reliefs everywhere that exhibited their accomplishments. Additionally, religious symbols and decorations covered almost every corner. The symbols were not meant for the gods but to glorify the builder.


    After a few wrong turns, Rheia finally found the right direction. A vertical shaft leading to the underground appeared in front of everyone. The shaft was deep and dark, and occasionally flashing light was visible on the wall; it was the leakage when energy flew through the broken cable and pipes.


    ¡°I cannot believe this is so deep.¡± Lily stood on the edge of the shaft and carefully looked down. Her tail puffed up because of nervousness. ¡°Holy moly! Why do we always have to come to such places?¡±


    ¡°Did you often go to such underground ruins?¡± Rheia looked at Lily with a strange expression and then shrugged. ¡°This is normal. The building was originally a towering temple that was a thousand meters tall. What we have seen on the surface is just the dome on top of the tower. I am afraid that we will have to descend a thousand meters before we could reach the bottom where important things are usually buried there.¡±


    While speaking, Rheia looked at the wall of the shaft, baffled. ¡°But I am curious; there are no ladders here. How did those people move between the floors?¡±


    Vivian looked down and said, ¡°This must be an elevator shaft. Rock and gravel must have blocked the stairway.¡±


    ¡°Elevator?¡± Rheia¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Whatever. I come prepared. Rheia, the great scholar, will never go to any adventure without preparation!¡±


    As the mage lady spoke, she opened her treasure chest-like robe pocket and fished out a roll of fabric. There must be some space expansion mechanism in her robes; otherwise, there was no way that she could store so many bits and pieces in there.


    Rheia unrolled the fabric and gently placed it on the floor. She chanted something in her mouth, and the cloth began to shake, stretch, thicken, and finally turned into a magic carpet. On all four corners of the magic carpet were four lamps. As Rheia cast her spell, the magic carpet gradually floated up to about less than half a meter in the air. It looked steady.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get on board!¡± Rheia said proudly, ¡°I made it myself!¡±


    Vivian quickly spread her wings. ¡°No, thanks! I can fly.¡±


    ¡°I am not going to take that!¡± Lily could not help but feel hairy when she saw the magic carpet; there was no door nor railing to preventing the passengers from falling over the edge. She took a step back. ¡°This thing looks too wobbly!¡±


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes at the husky maiden and pushed her up the magic carpet. ¡°Stop the crap. I did not hear you say that when you stowed away on an airplane!¡±


    Hao Ren had flight equipment. But this was his first encounter with a magic carpet. Curiosity took over, and he hopped on board with everyone else.


    The mage lady skillfully clicked the ignition, got into gear, and took off. The magic carpet carried the load and flew into the shaft wobbly; it was overloaded.


    Looking at the gray wall that still had a hint of golden color rising in his field of vision, Hao Ren could not help but mumble, ¡°Where are all the monsters? I thought there will be more here compared to the outside.¡±


    ¡°The devouring monsters only gather around the ruins because of the magic energy leakage. Here, there are hardly any,¡± Rheia explained. ¡°Because the energy concentration inside the ruins is higher than with what the devouring monsters feel comfortable. All the more so when there is hardly any food here. There is no reason for the devouring monsters to come in here.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, food. Yeah, it is the key,¡± Hao Ren said and could not help but laugh. ¡°The adventure novels bluff.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. I was just talking to myself.¡±


    The magic carpet continued to descend in the shaft. For safety reasons, its descending speed was not fast, which allowed everyone to observe the surroundings. Hao Ren secretly collected the data of the surroundings through his mental connection with the MDT while pretending to study the style of the deicidal reliefs and runes. All of a sudden, he heard a strange rumbling sound came from a direction.


    The source of the sound seemed to be far away, but the intricate cavern structure amplified and spread the sound underground.


    Lily was the first one to react to the sound. She clenched her giant alloy X666 sword, and her ears flicked back and forth. ¡°Did you hear that? It sounds like something has collapsed!¡±


    ¡°I heard it too.¡± Rheia was a little nervous. She drew a few magical runes and watched them gradually dissipated in the air before she breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°The sound did not come from here. It should be from somewhere farther and deeper¡ªthe Great Pit.¡±


    ¡°Is this situation common?¡± Hao Ren asked with a frown.


    ¡°There are often strange noises coming out of the Great Pit. Sometimes it is airflow, sometimes monsters,¡± Rheia said indifferently. ¡°Some people say that an old boring machine is digging through our world. Don¡¯t worry, it is far away from us.¡±


    Hao Ren had wanted to say that it would not be far, especially when you could hear it. Just then, the magic carpet reached the bottom of the shaft.


    A series of flapping sound was heard as Vivian landed next to them. She tucked her wings and looked around. ¡°This place looks pretty intact.¡±


    Rheia directed the magic carpet to roll itself up while taking out a magic crystal to read the magic energy concentration in the air. The eyes of the mage lady seemed to light up instantly. ¡°Not only the structure is intact, but the magic reaction is also strong. Some ancient facility is still running here. I have struck gold this time!¡±


    Noticing at Rheia¡¯s excitement, Nangong Sanba could not help but ask, ¡°Do you know how the things that you are looking for look like?¡±


    ¡°Things? No, no. I am a scholar, not a tomb thief,¡± Rheia said seriously. ¡°The ruin itself is what I am looking for. The knowledge buried here, anything useful or with research value, even the structural drawing and the runes and sculptures we saw along the way are the greatest wealth! Come on, hurry up. We still a long way to go!¡±


    Rheia stowed her magic carpet and then rubbed her iron wand with her hands. The crystal on the tip of the iron wand brightened up. She then walked ahead toward the gate, which was apparently an exit at the bottom of the shaft.


    The gate was locked, and the access system that controlled the locking mechanism had not been working for years. But it was not a problem for Rheia, who pried open it with her wand without much effort and motioned the others to follow her.


    Hao Ren and Vivian exchanged a look and then followed Rheia closely.


    This building indeed looked like a temple. And no matter what was in the mind of the deicide when they first built it, the internal structure has the distinctive features of a temple. Not long after coming out of the elevator shaft, Hao Ren and his teammates saw the spacious halls and the solemn corridors, and also more epic reliefs and paintings. Had Hao Ren not known that the deicidal race had long abandoned their faith in gods and proclaimed themselves as sovereign, he would have thought that the place was dedicated to the gods.


    Since the building had long been abandoned, there were not many clues left behind. But judging from the neat condition of the place and the fact that there were no apparent signs of damage, Hao Ren thought that those people did not abandon the place in a hurry.


    It was apparent that the owners had ample time to leave the building. They took everything with them and only left behind those things that they could not carry. Even so, the things that they left behind were all in the right places, each door was closed correctly, and there were no signs of a rushed evacuation.


    Hao Ren also did not find the scene of living items strewn around with the house owner suddenly disappeared. So, he ruled out the possibility that the deicide vanished instantly due to the sudden act of God. All clues pointed to the scenario that the place was abandoned before the advent of the hour of deicide.


    Two teams and two different agendas. While Rheia enthusiastically looked for knowledge and heritage of ancient civilizations, Hao Ren and his teammates collected information on the deicide to complete their intelligence report of L¡¯Haronne.


    After a brief look around in the central axis of the building, Rheia suggested going to the side hall. She estimated that the energy core in the side hall was still running and that findings would be something invaluable to her.


    Hao Ren had no objection to the suggestion.


    The group walked through the main hall of the underground temple and the central cloister. It was a feeling of suffocation traveling through the empty temple, but this little difficulty was not a big deal to Hao Ren¡¯s team, which had gone through the baptism of fire.


    But halfway to the side hall, the group had to stop as there was a rift lying ahead in their way.


    The building was broken in half here with the side hall and main building separated by a rift, which was almost a hundred-meter wide and seemingly bottomless.


    Lily stood at the edge of the crevasse and looked up. The dome of the building was also torn apart with rock formation and stalactites hanging from above. The place could have been an underground cave in the first place, that could be the reason why the rock formation above did not fall when the dome broke apart.


    There was light on the rock. It flew like a stream on and around the stalactites. The light seemed to be coming from the ruins of the buildings on the other side of the rift, where the side hall was located, and the light stream ended on the top of the building. Apparently, the light flow was the magic energy that Rheia sensed earlier.


    The so-called magic energy vein indeed existed, but the path to its source was blocked.


    Lily looked down at the crevasse below and found that it was far darker and deeper than the shaft they had just gone through. Down the abyss was a chaotic cyclone surging occasionally. The thought of the danger was making Lily break out in cold sweat, and her hair stood on end. She quickly stepped back.


    Vivian spread her wings once again. She stretched her wings while trying to estimate the wide of the crevasse with her eyes. Her expression said that flying across the rift was a piece of cake. ¡°It is just a hundred meters wide. I can just fly across it.¡±


    That was also the thought of her teammates; a hundred-meter-wide crevasse was not even a challenge. Even Lily could lunge across just like that without needing any help. All the more so when they could opt to fly.


    But Rheia immediately stopped Vivian. ¡°Wait a minute! Don¡¯t do that!¡±


    Vivian turned to look at the mage lady. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°This rift is the breach that leads to the Great Pit I have mentioned before.¡± Rheia¡¯s face did not look good; even nervous¡ªan expression people rarely saw on the chesty mage lady¡¯s face. ¡°You will surely die if you do that!¡± Rheia said.


    Vivian tucked her wings. She was doubtful. ¡°It is just the entrance to the Great Pit. Will there be a problem flying above it?¡±


    ¡°People like you all who know a smattering of the Great Pit are most likely getting into danger.¡± Rheia sighed and then picked up a stone. She cast her magic into the stone and tossed it across the crevasse.


    The enchanted stone flew straight out, and it looked like it would cross the crevasse and reach the side hall on the opposite side easily. But just as it was halfway across, a shadow rose from below the crevasse. Hao Ren had never seen such a weird phenomenon or matter. The thing looked like sheer darkness, and the darkness was so pure that there were no details visible. It just soared to the air, as if it had dug out a piece of space from the air, or a drop of black ink had dropped on a painting. When the darkness rose, it did not come into contact with the stone that flew halfway across above the crevasse, but it suddenly turned illusory and translucent.


    A second later, the stone disappeared into thin air¡ªeven the magic flash that Rheia gave it had vanished together.


    Hao Ren had seen many strange things in his life, but nothing was like this. He could not help but swallow, thinking quietly that things were not looking good.


    Once ¡®licked¡¯ by the thing, nothing seemed to escape.


    ¡°The Great Pit will devour everything¡ªanything that possesses magic energy, sings of life, stone or an adult dragon¡ªthat enters its sphere of influence,¡± Rheia said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how or from whom you learned about the Great Pit. Teachers? Wandering poets? Other mercenaries and adventurers? They are all bullshitting and boasting with the little knowledge of the Great Pit. Most researches claimed to reveal the truth of the Great Pit is downright lies. Those who claim to have entered the Great Pit and come back alive and wrote a book about it are even more nonsense. Their studies only touch the branch structure of the Great Pit or their experience in the mines near the Great Pit. No one has ever come back out alive from the Great Pit. It is ridiculous that many of the self-proclaimed scholars have even divided the Great Pit into two parts: the deadly zone and the so-called mild zone. This is utterly bullshitting! There is no mild zone in the Great Pit. At most, these are the natural caves that contain a slight influence of the Great Pit, and it is not worth the trouble to study them!¡±


    Rheia pointed at the crevasse, where the strange darkness had slowly retreated, and it looked like nothing had happened before. ¡°This is the Great Pit, the real deal. So, never ever cross the rift from the above, and don¡¯t try to challenge its phagocytotic ability.¡±


    Hearing the stern warning of Rheia, Nangong Sanba gasped. ¡°Now I know why you have difficulty recruiting people.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks also said in her coarse voice, ¡°Now I finally understand. According to the current world-recognized definition, the underground temple and the shaft that we have just passed through are already part of the Great Pit. Am I right?¡±


    Rheia¡¯s face turned red.


    Hao Ren folded his arms and looked at the mage lady. ¡°It is just that in your definition, those places are not counted as one.¡±


    ¡°I do not have any money anyway! You had better kill me now,¡± Rheia said.


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    He could not find the words to respond; what a creative answer it was.


    ¡°Forget it, we have not said anything yet,¡± Hao Ren said helplessly and waved at the mage lady. ¡°We had better find a safer place to camp and rest before finding a way to circumvent this rift. What do you think?¡±


    Rheia thought for a moment and said, ¡°Are you planning to kill me while I am sleeping and inherit my wealth?¡±


    ¡°Inherit my foot!¡± Hao Ren could not hold back his anger. ¡°Do you really think that your shaky house in White Maple City worth anything?¡±


    ¡°The tower may not sell much money, but the land in the mage area is very expensive!¡± Rheia retorted.


    Hao Ren was rendered speechless.

 Chapter 1652 - The Great Pit

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After some discussion, the group decided not to return to the surface. They found a room near the main hall and spent the night there.


    It was Rheia who suggested this arrangement, which she said was the best advice according to her experience and professional knowledge. It seemed to be a risky business to spend the night in the underground ruins, but in fact, the interior of the Anno ruins was safer than the outside. Firstly, the magic-mutated devouring monsters were only active outside the ruins; there would be no monster on the inside. Secondly, the ruins buried in the ground was stronger than anyone thought. Rheia had examined the structure and building materials, and she found that the temple¡¯s main structure was made of super-high tensile alloy; the annexes on the surface had all collapsed, but the main structure had not budged one bit despite being buried underground. Of course, it was safe unless there was a sudden new breach in the Great Pit that tore the temple in half, which was almost impossible. Thirdly, Rheia thought that staying overnight near the Great Pit was exciting, and she could brag about it later for at least half a year.


    It seemed that the third reason was the one Rheia really cared about.


    In all fairness, any mercenary in his or her right mind would not have accepted this daring act. The mercenary would have even parted ways when knowing that the underground temple was so close to the Great Pit. But Hao Ren and his teammates were doing the exact opposite. How they wished they could stay even longer there. That was why no one had objected to the arrangement of spending the night there.


    Nonetheless, this had also worried Rheia, who began to suspect that these mercenaries were going to kill her and usurp her property.


    Once underground, it was hard to tell the time of the day. Even if there was a clock to tell the time, the lack of environmental light changes made people feel at a loss. The influence was especially apparent on Rollie and Y¡¯lisabet. Rollie thought that they should sleep irrespective of time, but Y¡¯lisabet thought the exact opposite. At last, her papa had to wheedle her with a ¡®kid who does not sleep will not grow up¡¯ to get her in bed.


    When even the night owl Vivian had also hit the sack, the underground temple finally quieted down.


    It was all dark again.


    Hao Ren had no idea how long he had slept as he had not had a dreamless night like the past few days for a long time. Deep sleep might help restore energy, but Hao Ren had lost the sense of how long he had been sleeping. When he woke up, he thought it was morning but only found that everyone was still asleep. Even Vivian, the early riser, was still hanging asleep on the ceiling.


    Hao Ren rubbed his eyes. As his vision slowly adapted, the darkness around him receded. He glanced at Vivian helplessly. The vampire lady usually used the bed. But the ruins of the temple had apparently driven her up the wall, literally. Or perhaps she found the environment familiar, just like the catacombs or caves, she decided to hang herself up for the night for nostalgia¡¯s sake.


    ¡°Sometimes, people do like to act extemporaneously.¡± Hao Ren muttered. He was alert now. So, he got out of the sleeping bag and tidied his wrinkled clothes before getting out of the room.


    It was a test of guts walking in the ancient underground temple, especially one that had long been abandoned. But it was an alternative way of unwinding for Hao Ren. While meandering along the corridors where the lavish decorations were still vaguely visible, he contacted Nolan in his mind.


    ¡°How is the situation up there?¡±


    ¡°Nothing changes,¡± the shipgirl said listlessly. ¡°I am bored hovering in the sky all day. I cannot even get out of the atmosphere. As a spaceship, I feel like a dead loss.¡±


    ¡°Stop complaining, it is only for a few days,¡± Hao Ren said helplessly. ¡°I have never heard you complaining when the spaceship is docking for maintenance.¡±


    ¡°That is not the same. During the maintenance, I would just shut down and go to have fun in the virtual space. But here, I have to switch on all the sensor and stare the world where there is hardly anything happening. Don¡¯t you think it is boring?¡±


    ¡°I did ask you to send out the probes. Is there any news?¡±


    ¡°The probes have almost mapped the entire planet,¡± Nolan still said listlessly. ¡°I have synced it to the MDT, you can check it out. Just like you have guessed it before, there is something suspicious about L¡¯Haronne. I found the traces of almost every race of the Plane of Dreams on this planet. Not only are there species created by the goddess of creation such as werewolves, vampires, and humans, but there are also native races like the sirens. But some of these races seem to have undergone some changes as if they only retain the ethnic characteristics of the appearance, but have another name. For example, the sirens here is divided into the terrestrial Snake People and the aquatic mermaid. People in L¡¯Haronne see them as two distinct species. Also, I have found a race in the desert in the south; they appear the same as the Tannaeans, but they are called Jelonnean. And there are many more similar situations.¡±


    Hao Ren slowed down his footsteps. ¡°The planet sounds like a species sample vault, and some of the species in the vault have been renamed.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s really a vault?¡± Nolan said. ¡°As for the change of name, could it be due to the civilization divide in the last 10,000 years?¡±


    Hao Re¡¯s brows knitted together. ¡°Muru once mentioned that the goddess of creation has a Plane of Dreams Species Vault. Heve has one served as a guard in this vault. It is said that this vault is used to preserve the sample of all lives in the Plane of Dreams. They did not elaborate on the form of the vault. Perhaps, it is just a virtual database, or it could be a planet that stores physical samples. If the latter is the case and L¡¯Haronne is the said vault, then many things will be explainable.¡±


    ¡°There will be a lot of number crunching if we want to verify this matter,¡± Nolan said.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s brain neurons began to fire up. ¡°Life is not limited to mere intelligent races. Things from birds and animals to bacteria and viruses are all living things. The Seed of Origin evolved by adapting to the local environment that it took root and spawned different ecosystems. Each ecosystem is probably made up of tens or even hundreds of millions of species. If L¡¯Haronne is the vault, then the number of species on this planet will be mind-boggling. Even if you increase your sensor performance and processing power ten folds, it will not be easy to complete the compilation.¡±


    ¡°With so many species cramp on a planet, it is just incredible,¡± Nolan said. ¡°Aside from the question of how so many species are squeezed together on a planet, the fact that the different ecosystems have to co-exist is already hard to make sense of. How could different living conditions with different basic life structure coexist on a planet? Was this how the goddess of creation made the species vault?¡±


    ¡°That is why I have not confirmed that this planet is the vault.¡± Hao Ren laughed. ¡°I can only say that this place is not what you think. There are indeed all kinds of races, and it contains all the species samples of the intelligent creatures in the Plane of Dream. But here, the siren has branched out to become the snake people and the mermaid, the Tannaean is the Zeronnean, the elf has become the wood elf, sea elf, fel elf, and so on. Many races have not just name change but physiological changes. It is hard to believe that these changes have only happened within 10,000 years. Do you know that there is an old legend in this world that L¡¯Haronne is actually the new world? The original L¡¯Haronne was destroyed. There are many flaws to this claim, but it gives me inspiration.¡±


    ¡°Inspiration?¡±


    ¡°This planet has experienced the explosion of the divine realm, and yet it is still alive and kicking. It seems too real to be true.¡± Hao Ren smiled. ¡°I am afraid it is a fake.¡±


    The shipgirl thought for a moment and then said, ¡°It sounds like real every time you talk nonsense.¡±


    ¡°But it is well-founded nonsense.¡±


    Hao Ren stopped. He had left the atrium of the underground temple unknowingly. Now, he was standing at the promenade that had broken in half with a crevasse shrouded in darkness before him.


    He was right before the entrance of the Great Pit.


    Hao Ren hung up and then squatted down near the Great Pit entrance. No. He did not stroll here by accident; he had long been curious about this strange Great Pit and wanting to study it although the place looked not very hospitable.


    A flapping sound was heard behind him before Vivian ¡®s voice came. ¡°I know you are here.¡±


    ¡°Just wake up?¡± Hao Ren asked without looking.


    ¡°My head hurt hanging from the ceiling,¡± Vivian said while giving her head a massage. ¡°I could not imagine how I slept back then. I still prefer the bed.¡±


    ¡°When people flashback, they always question why they did what they did.¡± Hao Ren smiled. He then pointed at the crevasse. ¡°Do you know how it looks like down there?¡±


    Vivian stared at Hao Ren. ¡°Are you telling me that you are going to jump straight down the rift?¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head quickly. ¡°Are you kidding? Inspector might be a reckless profession, but I am not as stupid as this. I just have a bold idea¡ªtossing the MDT down¡ª¡±


    Before Hao Ren finished, the MDT had rushed out from his pocket. ¡°Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Hold on! I also have a naive suggestion for your bold idea¡ªyou f*cking jump down there yourself!¡±


    ¡°Get out of my sight! It is a preliminary plan.¡± Hao Ren shoved the MDT away and took out a probe from his dimensional pocket. ¡°I am going to try it with a probe.¡±


    ¡°You scared the hell out of me,¡± the MDT mumbled.


    Hao Ren shot the PDA a glance and then activated the probe and tossed it into the dark rift in front of him.


    According to what Rheia said, the Great Pit would indiscriminately devour everything with life or magical energy. So, was the probe in its menu?

 Chapter 1653 - Noobie’s Capability

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The probe dropped into the crevasse.


    Then, there was no more response.


    Ten seconds after the probe¡¯s signal was lost, the MDT could not help but say, ¡°Buddy, something¡¯s wrong. We¡¯ve lost the probe¡¯s signal. This includes the backup channels!¡±


    ¡°Is the signal or the probe itself lost?¡± Hao Ren knitted his brows together as he looked at the dark crevasse. A strange feeling rose within him. ¡°Has something struck the probe?¡±


    The MDT floated up next to Hao Ren¡¯s head and observed the situation in the crevasse, as though it had forgotten their quarrel a while ago. ¡°Something is definitely wrong. The probe may just be a small potato, but it has a powerful, empire-made transceiver. No known mortal civilization can interfere with its signal. The core of the probe should have transmitted its signal back when it was attacked!¡±


    ¡°But the truth is that it has just disappeared without a trace, just like the stone that Rheia threw out earlier.¡± Vivian¡¯s brows were furrowed. ¡°Hao Ren, do you still have more probes?¡±


    ¡°I have many in my Dimensional Pocket.¡± While he spoke, Hao Ren took out another probe. ¡°One more try?¡±


    ¡°Let the probe fly into the rift slowly this time,¡± Vivian said with a nod. ¡°MDT, please keep track of it and see at which point the loss of signal would occur.¡±


    Hao Ren released the probe that was a diamond-shaped gizmo smaller than a finger. It slowly flew to the crevasse under the precise control of the MDT. As it was about to enter the darkness, it slowed down to just a few millimeters a second.


    Hao Ren and Vivian¡¯s eyes were fixated on the probe as it gradually descended. The MDT showed the visual captured by the probe using its holographic display. Right now, the visual showed nothing except darkness and chaos.


    As the speed of the probe was extremely slow, it took the probe a few seconds before it completely went beyond the field of view. As the silver-white probe disappeared into the darkness, the MDT quickly said, ¡°We lost it.¡±


    ¡°It disappeared right after crossing the dividing line.¡± Hao Ren immediately turned to the MDT. ¡°What did you see when part of it was on the other side before it was completely gone?¡±


    The MDT checked the images frame by frame. ¡°So far, only darkness¡­¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the images with eyes wide open. As the MDT flipped the image to the last few frames, he barely saw something chaotic that somewhat looked like a vortex in the darkness.


    The MDT suddenly froze a frame as it spotted something. ¡°Buddy, something is right there!¡±


    The last frame was no different from the previous one; it was all darkness and chaos. But the MDT had found something in the underlying data. It immediately processed the image. After hundreds of enhancements and filtering, Hao Ren finally saw a shadow.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Hao Ren could not help but mutter, ¡°It does not look like cave or canyon.¡±


    ¡°It is like a vast empty space.¡± Vivian came up to take a closer look. ¡°Is there an open cave at the bottom of the rift?


    ¡°Ghsss¡ª Hiak!¡±


    ¡°Is there something floating in the cave? The thing that just flew past in front of the camera; does it look like a pillar?¡±


    ¡°Phh¡ª Biubiubiu! Piak piak!¡±


    ¡°I think it looks like one. But how come it float in the air? Is the Great Pit gravity-free?¡±


    ¡°Ghss¡ª¡±


    ¡°When did this little thing come out?¡±


    Noobie was dancing on Vivian¡¯s head with excitement as the little thing tried to make her presence felt. Hao Ren was too engrossed with the images of the rift that he was utterly unaware it earlier.


    Vivian was equally struck dumb as she had no idea when Noobie had come out of her. She tried to grab the little thing. ¡°Don¡¯t move! It is dangerous here!¡±


    ¡°Hiak!¡± The little thing waved her arms and growled threateningly. She fired her shadow bolts while flying wobbly in the air, trying to dodge Vivian¡¯s hands.


    Noobie¡¯s movement was clumsy. While evading Vivian, she inadvertently flew toward the crevasse. Hao Ren reached to stop her. ¡°Come back! Danger!¡±


    But it was a little too late, and Noobie¡¯s movement was too unpredictable that she slipped out of Hao Ren¡¯s fingers and headed straight into the crevasse.


    Hao Ren broke out in cold sweat. ¡°Oh shit!¡±


    ¡°Aah!¡± Vivian had her heart in her mouth. Noobie might just be a troublemaking Malevolence, but she did little damage. After living together with her all this while, Vivian had treated Noobie as a member of the family. So, when she saw Noobie plunging into the Great Pit, her blood ran cold. ¡°Noobie!¡± she cried.


    Hao Ren and Vivian instinctively rushed toward the crevasse but stopped short of jumping into it. As worried as they were, they did not lose their mind. Before figuring out what the fissure was all about, they were not going into the Great Pit blindly.


    Hao Ren released an autonomous robot from his dimensional pocket. Considering that the probe only lost its signal after going beyond the field of vision, it might indicate that the Great Pit would not swallow non-living and non-magic objects. Possibly, the probe was not destroyed but only lost its signal for some unknown reason. Since the autonomous robot had a higher level of intelligence than the probe, it could still operate autonomously to retrieve Noobie if the communication signal was cut off.


    It was hoped that Noobie could still hang on there in the Great Pit for a little longer.


    Just as Hao Ren was about to send out the autonomous robot, an inconspicuous shadow energy bolt flew out of the darkness, accompanied by the signature ¡°biu¡± sound.


    Hao Ren and Vivian were astounded.


    The next second, Noobie flew wobbly out of the Great Pit as if nothing had happened. It seemed that she was not hurt a bit. Noobie tilted her head when she saw Hao Ren as if she wondered why he released the autonomous robot.


    ¡°She is alive?¡± Hao Ren was stunned.


    Vivian quickly waved at Noobie. ¡°Come back!¡±


    Noobie came back up obediently this time and danced on Vivian¡¯s palm, appearing to be full of spirit.


    Worriedly, Vivian examined Noobie¡¯s condition before looking up at Hao Ren with amazement. ¡°She is perfectly fine. It seems that the Great Pit has not affected her a bit.¡±


    ¡°Does it mean the Great Pit is all bark and no bite?¡± Hao Ren felt it incredible. ¡°Or, does it only apply to the locals but not outsiders like us?¡±


    ¡°But we lost two probes.¡± Vivian was unsure.


    After thinking for a moment, Hao Ren gritted his teeth. ¡°I want to test it out. Protect me with your magic spell.¡±


    Hao Ren then lay down on his stomach and reached out his hand into the endless darkness. Vivian was shocked. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I just want to see,¡± Hao Ren explained, ¡°if this thing affects us.¡±


    Hao Ren sounded calm, but he was actually holding his breath for any abnormal energy reaction in the rift.


    But just before his hand crossed the boundary, he felt an unusual chill running up his fingertips and spread throughout his body.


    A strong sense of weightlessness and dizziness struck Hao Ren. It was as if he was tossed up the air and then plunging down a bottomless abyss, he saw illusions and his senses were confused. Vivian had become an illusory shadow, and the solid ground beneath his body began to slide and tumble down the Great Pit like soft mud.


    ¡°Hao Ren! Take back your hand!¡±


    The ethereal voice of Vivian was heard in the ears. Hao Ren focused his mind trying to resist the illusions while pulling his hand back.


    He gasped; cold sweat was running down his forehead. His arm had turned translucent.


    It was not until a few seconds later that his arm gradually returned to normal.


    ¡°Holy moly! I thought I had lost my hand.¡± Hao Ren watched as his arm recovered, and he came to his senses. ¡°I was sailing to close to the wind.¡±


    Vivian let out a long sigh. ¡°Your hand disappeared, and you were non-reactive just now. So, I called out to you.¡±


    ¡°I felt as if my spirit had left my body,¡± Hao Ren said. He then saw Noobie. The Malevolence had climbed onto Vivian¡¯s shoulder and fiddled with her hair. ¡°I have almost lost myself. How did this little guy walk away without a scratch?¡±

 Chapter 1654 - One Hell of a Probe

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    There were many questions in Hao Ren¡¯s head, but apparently, he did not expect Noobie to answer his questions.


    The little thing¡¯s actions were based on her instincts. She did not need a reason to do anything, and she did not even know what the hell ¡°reason¡± meant.


    Hao Ren and Vivian could only guess. In fact, guessing was the only thing they could think of right now, considering the strange things that happened to Noobie and the bizarre nature of the Great Pit.


    Looking at Noobie rambling about nearby, shrilling and waving her hands threateningly at no one but the air from time to time, Hao Ren said thoughtfully, ¡°I think the problem lies in Noobie¡¯s mad nature. Although Noobie is now harmless (she always was), she is a creature catalyzed from the power of the Mad Lord. Naturally, she is resistant to the power of chaos and decay.¡±


    Vivian looked at the Great Pit not far away as Hao Ren¡¯s words began to strike home. ¡°Do you suspect that it was the Mad Lord who created the Great Pit, and because Noobie¡¯s power is of the same nature as the Mad Lord¡¯s, the two won¡¯t fight each other?¡±


    ¡°That could be the most likely answer, as it conforms to the pattern of things that we have been working on all this time,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°And not to mention that it matches our idea of the Umbral Realm since the beginning. The Umbral Realm was the place where the goddess of creation died, and the forces of the Mad Lord and the goddess¡ªthe two main things in the Umbral Realm¡ªmet in the great battle. Now, if we regard the vibrant ecosystem on L¡¯Haronne as the embodiment of the power of the goddess of creation, then the opposing side must be the Great Pit. Perhaps, the Great Pit is a form of existence of the Mad Lord¡¯s power in the Umbral Realm.¡±


    Vivian thought for a moment. She could not think of a more convincing explanation. ¡°This interpretation is easy to understand. But we still need to figure out what is at the bottom of the Great Pit. Since even you cannot fight off the phagocytosis of the Great Pit, and things like the probes will lose their signal after entering the Great Pit, we must think of a way to explore it.¡±


    Hao Ren certainly knew that it was a matter of urgency, and in fact, he already had an idea.


    He laid his eyes on Noobie, who was happy being left alone.


    While running around nearby, Noobie suddenly noticed that someone was staring at her. She stopped shooting aimlessly with her shadow bolts and looked back nervously. When she saw Hao Ren, she uttered, ¡°Yee yee!¡±


    ¡°Is this little thing not resistant to the Great Pit?¡± Hao Ren smiled at Vivian and then waved at Noobie. ¡°Come here, I am not going to eat you. Otherwise, I will send you to Raven 12345!¡±


    ¡°Yee!¡±


    ¡°Do not spook her. You need to use a carrot-and-stick approach when dealing with kids.¡± Vivian immediately shot Hao Ren a look before turning to Noobie with a smile. ¡°Come here. Do not be afraid. We will not bully you.¡±


    Hao Ren could not help but shot Vivian a glance. ¡°I could not believe that people like you who have forgotten about your kid for four hundred years still have the nerve to teach parenting. I wonder how will Hessiana think when she sees this.¡±


    Vivian rolled her eyes at Hao Ren while letting Noobie climb onto her arm. ¡°It was not that I did not care about Hessiana; it was just that I had a bad memory last time. I admit that my parenting approach has been problematic in the past. That is why I start calling Hessiana regularly and let her come to have a short stay at my house. Back to the topic; are you planning to let Noobie explore the Great Pit?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. He then took out another probe from his Dimensional Pocket. ¡°I have been contemplating it, and it could possibly work. Have you noticed that the clothes that Noobie wears are still intact after coming out from the Great Pit? This is the clothes that you made for her, not originally hers. It seems that she was not immune to the devouring of the Great Pit but could also keep things on her body from getting swallowed. Look, I have switched the probe into recording mode, and we can tie it on Noobie¡¯s body.¡±


    The little guy immediately roared at Hao Ren when she saw him taking a silver-white gadget coming to her. ¡°Ghsss¡­ Hiak!¡±


    Vivian looked down at Noobie, feeling helpless. ¡°It is a brilliant plan, but the problem is that she seems to be uncooperative.¡±


    It was a problem, and Hao Ren had realized this. Noobie had made significant progress recently. She had not only gained feelings and was capable of showing emotions, but she also understands language. But it did not necessarily mean that she would listen. What could they do if this little guy was not cooperative?


    Hao Ren tried to persuade Noobie, by hook or by crook, but she did not budge a bit. Hao Ren was frustrated. He had quarreled with his goddess, a PDA, and now a probe, and the best part was that he lost.


    Noobie won the argument because she simply could not speak.


    At last, Hao Ren still tied the probe on Noobie¡¯s body. It was not that he had succeeded in convincing Noobie, but because Vivian used a meat slice as a diversion while Hao Ren took the opportunity to grabbed Noobie and duct-taped the probe on her back.


    Noobie was indignant. But after eating two slices of meat, she had forgotten about her anger.


    Hao Ren tossed her into the Great Pit that filled with endless darkness.


    While waiting for Noobie to return, Hao Ren and Vivian were chatting casually. Their conversation quickly turned to what Rheia had said about the ruins of Anno and the speculation of the extraterrestrial visitors.


    ¡°We can basically confirm that this world is not the home planet of the deicide,¡± said Hao Ren. ¡°There are not only the remains of the deicide here. In fact, they are the minority here. Except for their splendid temples, there are a large number of traces of other unknown civilizations. According to the information that Rheia provided, these ancient ruins seem to not belong to the indigenous races of this planet.¡±


    Vivian got a mind of her own. ¡°Some of them may be ancient civilizations that have completely disappeared.¡±


    ¡°Yes, the lost ancient civilizations have vanished without a trace. But these are not all,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°There are many Anno ruins, and we cannot explain quite a few of them simply with a disappearance. They could be coming from outer space.¡±


    ¡°You mean some time during the deicidal period, different races including the deicide, suddenly visited this place and then suddenly left, leaving behind their respective traces of civilizations?¡± Vivian shook her head lightly and frowned. ¡°It does not make sense nor fit our understanding of the deicidal race. We have theorized that this world is the vault that preserves the world¡¯s species, and the only reason why the deicide has come is to destroy it. How could they arrive along with other races and left just like that, leaving a bunch of ancient ruins behind?¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his chin in thought. ¡°Perhaps they blew up their own achievement to recycle the resources before the final battle.¡±


    ¡°Stop playing games, especially those that cause you to lose hair.¡±


    ¡°Too many things are unexplainable in this world, and incongruity abounds.¡± Hao Ren then shifted away from the topic. ¡°I am concerned about another thing.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Do you still remember what we have found about the Great Pit in Rheia¡¯s library?¡± Hao Ren reminded. ¡°How the books describe the Great Pit?¡±


    Vivian replied, ¡°Full of poisonous gas, and monsters wander inside. Some part of the Great Pit, after excavation, would taint a vast area of the surface world. And once the contamination dissipated, the area would turn into the black forest. But according to Rheia, these studies on the Great Pit were done in the ordinary caves outside the Great Pit. It is the descriptions of the features of the contaminated caves.¡±


    Hao Ren looked around and said, ¡°We are now in such a cave. This underground temple and the caves here are directly connected to the Great Pit, completely matching the description in the book. But where are the poisonous gas, the monsters, and the strange sounds? We are only in an empty underground temple, and we could even camp here.¡±


    It was not difficult to see that many things did not fit in here. It was just that Hao Ren and his teammates knew too little about the Great Pit. The only information about the Great Pit was based on folk science. So, those who first came into contact with the Great Pit would not be able to tell the difference. But Hao Ren could sense something was amiss based on experience.


    The Great Pit he saw was completely different from what the book described.


    Although Rheia had once dismissed the studies of many scholars as nonsense, it seemed that on some fundamental issues, such as whether there were poisonous gases and monsters in the Great Pit, the scholars could not have made such outrageous claim. All the more so when their claims were consistent with each other.


    ¡°Perhaps not everywhere in the Great Pit,¡± Vivian said. ¡°Poisonous gas and monsters are probably not standard specs, I guess.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°I definitely feel something, somewhere is wrong here. Let us look for more information after we get back out. After all, we have only read so many books, and we should take Rheia¡¯s words with a pinch of salt. Rheia is a fast talker. By the way, how long has Noobie been down there?¡±


    ¡°Quite a while.¡± Vivian looked at the Great Pit. ¡°She should be coming back up.¡±


    After staring at the crevasse for a moment, Hao Ren suddenly smacked himself on the forehead. ¡°Sh*t! That little guy has no concept of action plan and time at all! What if she finds the place fun and does not want to come back up? Where are we going to find her?¡±


    Vivian had also realized this problem, and her facial expression turned grim. ¡°Should we not have tied a rope on her?¡±


    Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°It is useless. Noobie¡¯s anti-phagocytosis zone is small; rope extending out of the protective range would be swallowed.¡±


    ¡°What if she could not find her way back?¡± Vivian looked worried. ¡°No one knows how vast the bottom of the Great Pit is. She could have gotten lost.¡±


    ¡°Can you retrieve her directly, just like how you retrieve your little bat?¡± asked Hao Ren. ¡°Never mind the probe.¡±


    ¡°She is not a bat, and she is unruly. I can only retrieve her at close range.¡± Vivian looked at her hands. ¡°She might fly very slowly, but it has been over ten minutes, and she could be out of range now.¡±


    Hao Ren tried to collect his thoughts. He reached into his Dimensional Pocket and rummaged for something inside. ¡°She will not be far. I know it. She is roaming in a small area even if she could move freely. I try to get her out.¡±


    Hao Ren said from his experience. He had asked the MDT to gather enough data on Noobie¡¯s activities and behaviors. Probably due to her small body size, her concept of distance was different from those of ordinary people. Running in a ten-meter-radius circle was akin to traveling around the world for Noobie.


    Vivian looked at the thing in Hao Ren¡¯s hand and fell into a daze. ¡°Are you sure this thing will work?¡±


    Hao Ren waved the fishing rod and nodded confidently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Nothing is more attractive to her than this thing.¡±


    He took a campstool and sat down on the edge of the Great Pit with the fishing rod in his hand. It was a real fishing rod, but the only difference was that he did not use fishing bait but a small slice of raw meat. He did not use sharp fish hook but make a knot on the rope from which the meat hung to prevent hurting Noobie.


    Hao Ren hung the bait half a meter above the dark field of vision so that the darkness would not swallow it. But considering that raw meat was a non-living thing, it would not trigger the swallowing reaction of the Great Pit.


    Vivian took a gander at the raw meat hanging from the rope, and then looked at Hao Ren. ¡°I am not talking about meat. I mean, what is in your mind that you have come up with such an idea?¡±


    ¡°It shows that you are not a Chinese demon. That is why you cannot relate it to the trope of Grand Duke Jiang fishing.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you got the idea from Grand Duke Jiang and not because of spending too much time with Lily and caught her quirky mental bug?¡± Vivian looked at Hao Ren disdainfully. ¡°People call that an allusion!¡±


    ¡°A modern trope was known as an allusion in ancient times. Language evolves with time,¡± Hao Ren said matter-of-factly.


    Just as Vivian was about to say something, something was moving out of the Great Pit.


    A shadow bolt shot into the air in Brownian motion, accompanied by a small figure that flew out of the darkness to catch the meat slice in midair. Noobie hung on to the meat and would not let go, no matter what.


    ¡°It really works!¡± Vivian exclaimed.


    Never mind that the fishing idea of Grand Duke Jiang was like asking for the moon, it worked like a charm. Hao Ren had gotten Noobie back, and the probe that was tied on her back looked still intact.


    It looked like this little thing could things in and out of the Great Pit although Hao Ren had no idea how it worked.


    ¡°I have got data!¡± Hao Ren carefully removed the probe from the back of Noobie while she still hung on to the meat. After examining the memory status of the device, he was elated. ¡°Just as I have imagined, the probe has worked perfectly under the protection of Noobie. We have got images!¡±


    The MDT floated over to Hao Ren without him telling it. ¡°Give it to me!¡±


    The MDT quickly retrieved the images from the probe and projected them onto a holographic display.


    Apparently, the environment inside the Great Pit was not an ideal place for video shooting. Even with the excellent intelligence acquisition module of the probe, the images still contained heavy noises. It was only after the MDT restored the photos using a power decoder that the footages became more viewable, albeit still pretty blurry and dim.


    But at least there were images.


    Hao Ren could, at last, confirm one thing; there was debris floating in the Great Pit, and the ruins of buildings that the last probe captured by camera indeed existed.


    But there were not only things floating in the Great Pit.


    Something large was seen moving across the screen. Considering that the camera was mounted on a nitwit that spun around while flying, Hao Ren could not ask for more. The MDT screen-captured the high-value part of the images, sharpened and zoomed in. Now, Hao Ren could see clearly that the more massive shadows floating in the darkness were city and plains.


    They were broken temples, cities, lands, and even things like spaceships. They spun and collided with each other as they drifted in the darkness before getting annihilated and reborn. Sometimes, these things looked as if phantoms, sometimes real as they even hit the camera lens¡ªit was Noobie who accidentally hit the debris as she flew around.


    Hao Ren and Vivian looked intently at the images that the MDT had processed. They contained a large amount of information that seemed to reveal some of the secrets of the Great Pit. Hao Ren felt something was indeed amiss in the images, and he had quickly figured out what it was all about.


    ¡°The scale. The scale is wrong.¡±

 Chapter 1655 - Upheaval

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    There was a type of anomaly that even if it were right in front of you, you would not discover it immediately. Its unnatural nature was clear, but it was easy to miss simply because of classic problems such as the limitations of human thinking and visual distortion. It was especially so when there was a severe interference in the camera lens between the observer and the observed. It did not help, too, when the ¡°cameraman¡± was a lousy flyer.


    Hence the classic academic question of ¡°why was the pigeon so big?¡±


    Hao Ren had only examined the footage carefully and noticed the anomaly when he felt that things did not fit into the picture.


    At first, he did not notice that the scale of things was out of place because the situation in the Great Pit was chaotic, and the camera¡¯s image quality was terrible. Hao Ren only thought that those things looked small because they were far away, and the shadows appeared too big because they were close to the lens. But when a peanut-sized church spire collided with Noobie¡¯s head, which was directly below the camera lens, he immediately realized that something was wrong.


    Later, he found that debris in the wrong scale was everywhere in the Great Pit. It appeared that everything floating in the Great Pit was out of normal proportions.


    Palm-sized buildings and tiny kingdoms only as large as a sandbox model may have seemed to be far away at first sight, but in reality, they were just floating around the probe, and those were their actual sizes. Some candlesticks were as massive as a skyscraper and broken wooden doors that were large enough to block the sun, but in fact, they were thousands of miles away and shockingly massive.


    In the ten-minute video, all Hao Ren saw was debris with extremely odd scales floating in the other dimension. The place was dim, chaotic, and seemingly boundless. No matter which direction the camera panned, there was no observable boundary or walls except for the Great Pit entrance. When Noobie flew back up to grab the raw meat earlier, Hao Ren could see the gateway to the other dimension through the lens. It was a winding and dark passage in the crack, but there was nothing on the sides of the crevasse.


    That was the underground canyon that Hao Ren and Vivian saw from above.


    ¡°The inside of the Great Pit seems to be an alien dimension.¡± Vivian instinctively tapped her chin while looking at the images. ¡°It is totally different from what we expected. We thought it was a porous network of caves or tunnel system.¡±


    ¡°According to the scholars of L¡¯Haronne, the entrance to the Great Pit is all over the world.¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°If this is true, then is it not that the planet has only a thin layer of crust on the outside, and the interior is a distorted dimension. No, no! This is impossible. The mapping between an alien dimension and the real world is not that simple. It should be that the underside of the earth¡¯s crust is full of entrances to the alien dimension.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps we can find a place on the continent and dig a shaft. If we could bore through the crust and into the Great Pit no matter where, it means that the interior of the planet is a spherical subspace entrance, and the earth¡¯s crust is a thin layer of rock and soil covering the spherical entrance. If we can only bore into the core of the planet, it means that the entrances to the Great Pit are scattered randomly in the ground, and the geology of the planet is normal.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s two proposals could figure out the planetary model of this world. After spending the past years following Hao Ren traveling around different worlds and planets, Vivian was now pretty savvy in various fields, unlike yesteryears where her only concern was where to buy the cheapest mustard and where to stay for free.


    But Hao Ren shook his head after hearing what Vivian said. ¡°Good idea, but it is something that we cannot do it right now. I have some more daring conjectures about the world of L¡¯Haronne.¡±


    While speaking, Hao Ren looked at the frozen holographic image that showed the floating debris of different abnormal sizes. These absurd things that looked like impressionism arts and the anomalous visions of this world made him think of some crazy ideas.


    But just as he was about to discuss his bold ideas with Vivian, a loud rumbling noise rang through the underground temple.


    The noise sounded as if a volcano was erupting in the closed cave system. The earth-shattering, low-pitched rumbles were accompanied by the terrifying sounds of the crumbling of the rock formation. The violent temblor made people wonder if the underground world was going to give way.


    ¡°Something is wrong!¡±¡±Go to the main hall!¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian exchanged a look and shouted in unison.


    The two ran toward the main hall as fast as they could. In just a few breaths, they had arrived back at the area where their teammates were resting. At this time, the noise and tremor had woken up their teammates, and everyone was waiting in the corner of the main hall.


    There, Rheia was shielding everyone with her protective spell, and outside this protective spell was a demonic barrier that glowed in green. Since Y¡¯zaks¡¯s role now was a warrior, it was Y¡¯lisabet who had summoned the shield.


    ¡°Where have you two been?¡± Lily had already heard their footsteps before they even arrived back in the main hall. ¡°Going out to tryst in the middle of the night?¡±


    ¡°Watch your mouth!¡± It was not the first time that Lily had said something so rancid to agitate her. No matter how many times Vivian had heard it, she could not help but get furious. ¡°Hao Ren and I were just checking out the Great Pit!¡±


    Rheia was maintaining the protective spell when she heard what Vivian said. She was shocked by what the two mercenaries had done; they must be very sick that they had to go to study the Great Pit in the middle of the night. But considering the situation at hand, her tone of voice change. ¡°Did the loud noise and temblor come from the Great Pit?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing has happened in the Great Pit,¡± Hao Ren said quickly. ¡°The noise seems to have come from a distance above. I think something has happened on the surface¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish, Nolan suddenly spoke into his mind. ¡°Boss! How is your situation there? Are you guys all right?¡±


    Had Nolan seen something from the air?


    Hao Ren raised his hand to motion everyone to wait while he replied Nolan in his mind. ¡°There were loud rumbles and tremor down here. But the underground temple seems to have no risk of collapse. What have you seen from above?¡±


    ¡°Massive cracking of the earth. A huge rift of hundreds of kilometers long suddenly cracked open on the plains. One of the branches has spread into the black forest where you are, and there are fires and smoke spurting out from the fissures.¡± Nolan reported what she saw. ¡°The situation in Longwind Peak does not look good either as landslides and subsidence have occurred in the mountains. But this is not the worst.¡±


    Nolan paused as if she was giving time for Hao Ren to digest the news. ¡°The probes that I have sent out earlier have also observed the same geological disaster in other parts of L¡¯Haronne at the same time. At least 16 cracks of equal size have appeared in different parts of the continent, and the scene in the other fissures are exactly the same as here. Other than this, there are more cracks of a smaller size. Wait a minute, something is coming out from the crack.¡±


    Two seconds later, Nolan¡¯s tone of voice turned grim. ¡°Thousands of humanoid creatures burning in flames are coming out of the cracks. Scanning results do not match any of the known life forms. Boss, this world is not looking good.¡±


    ¡°We are coming up! Nolan, track the movements of the monsters,¡± Hao Ren said quickly.


    Rheia noticed Hao Ren¡¯s facial expression, which changed every second and got more and more grave. She instinctively knew that this mercenary might have mastered some information about the current situations. Rheia had no idea how Hao Ren did that, but she still asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Let us first get out of here.¡± Hao Ren motioned them to follow him to the shaft exit. ¡°Rheia, take care of yourself. Rollie, stop running around.¡±


    The cat maiden was full of curiosity, and the situation on the surface was unknown, so Hao Ren had to remind Rollie.


    ¡°I am not stupid.¡± The cat maiden protested before following Hao Ren closely from behind. She was using her action to prove one thing: she was always an unshakable member of the cat-dog-fish team.


    Once on the surface, the power of the disaster was visible to everyone.


    The main earth cracks did not happen here, but smaller fissure branching out from a large fissure had spread to the vicinity of the Black Forest. The flame erupted from the fissure had ignited some of the vegetation at the edge of the forest. Hao Ren could see that fire rising at the edge of the forest was illuminating a third of the night sky. He could already smell the burning fume of the trees from afar.


    A forest fire was only a matter of time.


    The earthquake had never stopped all this while, and the strange rumbles could still be heard coming from afar. The noise might have weakened considerably, but apparently, the disaster was still spreading.


    ¡°What exactly is happening?¡± Looking at this sudden geological upheaval, Rheia, the devil-may-care mage, was wide-eyed. She saw a light beam had risen in the middle of Longwind Peak; it was the warning signal from the sentinel mages in the Magic Net Watch Tower. Usually, the sentinel mages would only give out this warning signal when facing a kingdom-wide disaster. Now, Rheia could not help but only get nervous.


    ¡°It is a large-scale natural disaster. It could also be a supernatural disaster. Whatever it is, L¡¯Haronne is in great trouble,¡± Hao Ren said quickly. ¡°We better return to White Maple Leaf City immediately.¡±


    Before Hao Ren finish, Nolan reported in again. ¡°Boss, bad news! The monsters from the cracks are flocking towards the cities on the plains!¡±

 Chapter 1656 - This Was Not Part of the Plan

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren and his team had just landed on L¡¯Haronne for a couple of days, and due to them being trapped within the atmosphere, most of Nolan¡¯s planetary observation devices could not be deployed. That left them with little information about the planet. The moldy tomes were full of inaccurate corrections and ambiguous annotations. Even the information gathered by Nolan¡¯s probes could not give them a lot of valuable details, so when faced with a sudden ¡°natural disaster¡±, Hao Ren was totally out of his depths.


    However, he was a hundred percent sure that L¡¯Haronne was facing grave danger. It happened just as Hao Ren was about to lead the team into the area. The timing was almost per-determined.


    This reminded him of his talent as a ¡°trouble magnet¡±, and while that was just a random jest by Raven 12345, he had to take it seriously despite how preposterous it may have sounded.


    That aside, he immediately started focusing on the possible reasons for the ¡°timed¡± apocalyptic disasters.


    While a ¡°trouble magnet¡± was a plausible explanation, that did not provide any further context, and Hao Ren believed that every event had an underlying rule or reason. Even Raven 12345¡¯s nonsensical proclamations were based on a very complex meta-mathematical model and her appointment letter. So, the sixteen massive rifts upon L¡¯Haronne¡¯s continents had a reason behind them. Yet, they had chosen such timing to come apart. He was leading the expedition and had used Noobie as an exploit to scout what was within the Great Pit. That made him think that these things were all connected.


    As a proper inspector, he would be remiss to ignore any possible, however minute sources of information.


    So¡­ could this incident have to do with the Great Pit?


    The cracks on the planet¡¯s surface did not directly lead to the Great Pit, and he noticed that the Pit itself was not affected while he was at the subterranean place when the disaster broke out. But the timings of these two incidents were too close, and this led Hao Ren to that particular line of thought. Did Noobie¡¯s carriage of the probe cause the changes on the planet¡¯s surface? Or¡­


    The act of scouting itself had triggered a mechanism deep within the planet¡­


    All these questions flashed passed Hao Ren¡¯s mind, but he did not have the luxury to delve deeper into them as he had an even more pressing situation at hand. The ¡°flaming people¡± coming out from the cracks were converging on the human (and non-human) settlements like moths to the flames.


    He had to do something.


    ¡°Nolan, can you destroy the monsters?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Nolan replied affirmatively, ¡°But that will take the entire plains together with it. Boss, I¡¯m inside the atmosphere and for a starship, this distance is still as good as being glued to the planet¡¯s surface. And my weapon systems are meant for space battles. Firing at this distance at the surface will unquestionably destroy everything within the area. Even at the smallest output.¡±


    Hao Ren too was aware of that. Nolan was a starship, and while she was categorized by the Xi Ling Celestials as a ¡°civilian-class frigate¡±, most of the frigates used by the gods were still overpowered when compared with the stuff mortals had. This was an official duty frigate, and the firepower design concept was made so that an inspector would have enough firepower to take out anything threatening during a mission across worlds. And the things that could threaten an inspector were few and far between in the universe.


    They usually needed hundreds of meters of thick advanced armor and barriers of similar strength to even warrant Nolan firing a shot.


    For a weapon that was capable of taking care of such a scenario, a wide unshielded plain at almost contact-level¡­ That time back in Holletta, Hao Ren used one of the ship¡¯s sub-cannons at the lowest output in high orbit, and that wiped out the entire Beinz Diocese.


    ¡°Send out the droids and combat drones from the hangar. Let them defend against the monsters.¡± Hao Ren commanded. ¡°As long as possible.¡±


    ¡°How about the stealth protocol?¡±


    ¡°The ship stays in stealth mode.¡± Hao Ren swiftly replied. ¡°Nothing can be done for those combat drones. But now that a swarm of flaming monsters have clambered up from the deep, a swarm of allied UFOs won¡¯t make much of a difference. You¡¯d get numb by the information overload anyway, so let this world¡¯s experts and scholars crack their heads for once.¡±


    ¡°Understood. Also, do we start signal transmission?¡±


    When Nolan brought that up, Hao Ren had to seriously consider his options.


    A large scale battle had indeed happened, and the hostilities on the planet¡¯s surface were beyond his team¡¯s firepower. Based on the plan earlier, this was the time to broadcast the signal, yet the problem was that L¡¯Haronne was totally different from the Umbral Realm they had imagined.


    He had forecasted the Umbral Realm would be a broken dimension with plenty of floating celestial debris, and even if he was to land on a larger celestial body, he could go to a clear area to deploy the warp gate, and the droid army and the guardian fleet was reinforcements meant for space combat.


    No one expected the expedition team to end up within a planet¡¯s atmosphere.


    A signal arrow, and a massive army was at his command, This was true, but where would he station them? Hao Ren considered the thickness of the atmosphere and reckoned he could find somewhere to stuff Salaman¡¯s fleet in, after taking out their antenna arrays and sail-like energy conduit he could probably make some space, but he figured that Salaman won¡¯t be too happy about this. As for the droid swarm¡­. there was simply no space, even if he was to get the help of an organization expert.


    While he could hope that the warping-in fleet would for some unknown safety reason be ¡°expelled¡± to the outer orbit and become the ¡°lucky ones¡± to go beyond the planet¡¯, Hao Ren did not intend to go all-in with his reputation. Normally speaking, after learning how the goddess rolled, Hao Ren felt that he did not have much reputation to uphold anyway¡­


    It did not sit right with Hao Ren that he had an armada of starships and soldiers at standby on the outside, while the planet he was on was suffering a disaster. Having a change of heart he asked Nolan, ¡°I remember that there is a spare band in the navigation signal transmission for emergencies and unexpected incidents. I think that can be used now.¡±


    This was a precaution, and now it seemed this caution was warranted.


    ¡°We do have such a device, but the data that we can send out is very limited.¡± Nolan replied, ¡°Due to the nature of the Umbral Realm, the navigation marker transmission is a very intricate process, and does not have any spare bandwidth for us to leave a message. Any messages we manage to squeeze in would not be sufficient to explain the bizarre situation of this bizarre world¡­¡±


    ¡°Salaman is a soldier, and the droids are weapons. Following orders is their nature, so we don¡¯t need to go into detail,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°Just leave these words: The fleet stays, deploy ground troops.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    After making the necessary arrangements regarding the broadcast transmission, Hao Ren calmed down a little and now it was time to make their way back to White Maple Leaf city at the soonest. While they could not be everywhere, helping a city to defend against the monsters were something they could do.


    They had gone there by horse for two days and two nights, but there were no such emergencies back then. Given the situation, he could not afford to use this sort of leisurely means of transportation.


    And the first thing that came to mind was the MDT¡¯s teleportation ability.


    Hao Ren believed that under such circumstances Rheia would not question why these ¡°downtrodden adventurers¡± would have the very valuable ability to perform a group teleportation.


    Yet the MDT responses threw a bomb into his plans. ¡°Partner, unable to activate teleportation.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Hao Ren was shocked. ¡°Your teleportation ability is also locked?¡±


    He then remembered the same ¡®lockdown¡¯ keeping Nolan from leaving the atmosphere.


    The MDT replied through the mental link, ¡°Seems like it. While I managed to get the marker, but when I activate the teleportation module I realize that this marker cannot be transported into real space. Seems like this ¡®lockdown¡¯ had existed since the beginning. Just that we did not notice it because we haven¡¯t been using any teleportation since we arrived.¡±


    The MDT¡¯s short-range teleportation was inhibited, and the first thing Hao Ren thought off was Nolan¡¯s warp engine. Could that be inhibited as well? Nolan had only partially activated the engine when she tested it out, and there is a possibility that the inhibition may affect the Petrachelys¡¯ engine!


    Being stuck within the atmosphere, and unable to activate teleportation, things were getting bad to worse.


    And the worst was just right behind.


    As Hao Ren thought the situation was bad, Nolan reported another situation that threw a spanner into everything. ¡°Boss, there is no response to the transmission.¡±


    ¡°HAH?!¡±


    ¡°Reason unknown, but there are no responses to the transmission, and I have not detected any dimensional tunnel being created. Initial prediction is that the signal did not manage to pierce through the Umbral Realm.¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly had the urge to scream. ¡°F*ck my life¡­ Should have consulted the yellow calendar before we left. These two days have just been unsuited for work!¡±


    One could only go upward once one hit rock bottom, and good news soon came as Nolan reported the situation of the war, ¡°Boss, the monsters from the rifts have already attacked the human cities, but the local¡¯s reaction had been swift. They have activated their city-wide barriers and their armies are organizing a defense.¡±


    Hao Ren had accepted the fact that the navigation markers were not working, and was starting to work out the possible cause and solutions. As he heard Nolan¡¯s report he¡¯s brows furrowed, while he followed his team towards the outer edge of the Black Forest he asked via the mental link. ¡°What you think of their combat capabilities?¡±


    ¡°I think that is not a worry for now.¡± Nolan seemed to have heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°While the disaster was sudden, but the denizens of this planet does not seem to be unused to battle. And the monsters from the rift are not invincible. The defense mounted by the locals is coming into effect. It doesn¡¯t seem like they will crumble without our help. Of course, that depends on the rifts not doing anything funny.¡±


    Hao Ren also breathed a sigh of relief as he heard Nolan¡¯s report.


    Things had already happened, and as it seemed like the L¡¯Harroneans were capable of holding the fort, he did not need to be that nervous anymore.


    But they still need to get back as soon as possible, they could accomplish nothing by staying in this already burning the Black Forest.


    The group had reached the edge of the forest and Nangong Sanba quickly followed his runic senses to where they had left their horses. Yet the poor animals were all dead.


    A small rift had formed in the area and the flames and smoke from the rift effortlessly slain these normal horses, and on a few trees nearby, the runes Nangong Sanba had left behind were extinguished.


    These runes were meant to ward off beasts and weak monsters, and the place cracking part was clearly beyond their function.


    There were still light and thick smog coming out of the rift, and Rheia gripped her staff tightly. ¡°What¡¯s¡­ going on?¡±


    ¡°No matter what, we need to solve the problem before us now.¡± Hao Ren said with a frown, and at the direction he was looking at, a few flaming humanoids were slowly converging towards them.

 Chapter 1657 - Charging Headlong

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The burning humanoids were converging from all directions and smoking footprints lay in the wake of their path. The temperature was rising rapidly, and the plants around them were visibly drying up and wilting.


    This was the first time Hao Ren had seen these ¡°unknown life forms¡± with his own eyes upon getting Nolan¡¯s report of the monsters.


    Their size was not much different than a normal human¡¯s. They had obvious limbs. Aside from the burning flame, the insides of the monsters were empty, as though an invisible person was being draped by a fiery cape. But based on the MDT¡¯s scans, there was nothing inside them.


    ¡°An empty humanoid vessel, eh¡­¡± Hao Ren pondered as he saw the monsters. It seemed like their appearance had validated one of his bold predictions. Rheia, who was by his side, nervously gripped her iron staff. ¡°What monsters are these?!¡±


    The great scholar cum mage cum battle master, Rheia swore to the heavens. She had never seen these monsters from her piles of tomes!


    ¡°Monsters suddenly appearing from the deep¡­ Most likely, they are looking to destroy the world,¡± Hao Ren replied swiftly. ¡°The ones we are facing are just ragtag stragglers. More of them have already gone to besiege White Maple Leaf city.¡±


    ¡°How do you know?¡± Rheia gave Hao Ren a shocked glance, but the charging monstrous conflagrations put rest to any questions and details that she wanted to ask. ¡°Waahh!! They¡¯re coming!¡±


    *Boom!!*


    Following a loud blast, Y¡¯lisabet lobbed a basin-sized fireball out and the fireball exploded in mid-air, three of the charging monsters were caught by the blast and were torn asunder, turning into ashes drifting away with the wind.


    While the monsters were a walking torch, there were no such thing as ¡®creatures of fire were immune to fire damage¡¯.


    But frankly speaking, even if they were immune to fire it would not have been of much use. The little loli devil¡¯s fireballs were never meant to kill her foes with just extreme temperature. There was a fel core within those fireballs, and the moment it makes contact at least sixty percent of the damage was physical¡­


    Hao Ren pulled out Grungnir and his plasma blade and turned the charging monsters into mincemeat as he yelled. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there! Kill those bastards!¡±


    The group was in a fighting retreat, and while the scary flame monsters were fatal to normal humans, against an experienced combat team like Hao Ren¡¯s, plus Ms. Rheia who could kill a cow with a punch, they were not too difficult to fight against. But the burning forest was not a place one should be staying any longer, and they broke through the cordon at the first opportunity and made their away to the flatland outside the forest.


    And the flatland was totally ruined.


    The ground had suddenly cracked, and a terrifying hundred-odd-kilometer rift had appeared out of nowhere while smaller cracks spread out like a web and rent the entire flatland into pieces. On the broken flatland before Hao Ren, the once verdant growths had been turned into ash by the raging flames, and the roaming flames replaced the once lively animals on the flatland Blazing flames were gushing out of the cracks on the ground, and reminded everyone of Inferno and its eternal blaze.


    Y¡¯zaks too was reminded of his homeworld, but as he saw Rheia¡¯s pale face, he refrained from smiling.


    There were not only cracks and wildfire across the flatland, but there were also the flaming humanoid monsters, and compared to the ragtag bunch in the Black Forest, the number of roaming monsters on the flatland was much higher.


    Hao Ren and the rest quickly attracted the monsters¡¯ attention. With a voiceless roar, the flaming monsters charged in from all directions.


    While Rheia had all sorts of questions in her mind, she was not the type to dwell on details, especially in this situation. The little mage threw all questions in her mind aside as she held her staff as she prepared to face the foes before her.


    But just before she could activate her ¡®charge + leaping slash¡¯ combo, Hao Ren stopped her. ¡°There¡¯ll be no end if we fight on. We¡¯ll charge right out.¡±


    Rheia was stunned and wondered how would they be able to break out of this area filled with rifts and monsters before noticing that Hao Ren was looking at that werewolf warrior called Lily.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lily was befuddled by Hao Ren¡¯s gaze and failed to understand him before looking at her tail. ¡°Something on my tail?¡±


    ¡°Eat spicy sticks!¡± Hao Ren and Vivian yelled in unison.


    Lily was confounded for a moment before realizing that giant alloy X1024 sword in her hand was just a mere decoration, and remembered the Metal Garuru armor that she had gotten before she left. The werehusky broke into a wide smile before tearing apart a pack of spicy sticks from her pocket and stuff them into her mouth. ¡°Watch me!¡±


    As Lily was busy stuffing her face full of Spicy Sticks, Nangong Sanba could not help but come to Hao Ren¡¯s side. ¡°Mr. Landlord, is it okay to let Lily transform? If the werewolves in this world do not¡­¡±


    ¡°First, we don¡¯t have to bother about details in this type of disaster, and next¡­¡± Hao Ren looked on as an aura formed around Lily, and his lips curled. ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, we do not need to worry about the ¡®setting¡¯ of this world much longer.¡±


    As he finished, Lily was consumed by a vortex and everyone quickly retreated as they deployed all sorts of defense. And yet, within the storm of dust, a striking howl of ¡°Hot hot hot hot hot hot!¡± was heard.


    Aside from Rheia, everyone had a stunned look on their face: This was not the first time they had seen her transform, but every time she did so, there would be her trademark ¡°Awooo¡±. This was the first time they had heard something they understood, and the content was that.


    Vivian could not help but look at Hao Ren, the latter was slapping his forehead. ¡°Doggocomms¡­ Not surprised if she was shouting that every time she transformed.¡±


    Everyone then realized that this was even worse than a magical girl transformation. It was embarrassing all the same but the latter at least had pretty girls¡­


    Yet Rheia did not have the time to be aghast of anything, she could only stare blankly at the martial silhouette within the vortex: a five-meter-tall husky clad in advanced armor, armed to her teeth and tail¡­


    The charging monsters were slowed by the torrent of violent wind when Lily transformed, and now that her transformation was complete, the seemingly fearless monster immediately roared and charged in with a berserk rage.


    And like many warriors at the vanguard, they would all die during the charge.


    Lily gave a mighty swing of her head as an integrated combat visor made out of four lenses formed and covered her face. Through the Doggocomms, came her extremely confident voice, ¡°Titan Armor activate! Apocalypse Assault Platform deployed, target lock-on. Laser weapons¡­ Eh eh eh, why did they fire before I was done talking!¡±


    The werehusky was half-way through her chuunibyou speech before the high-powered laser platform had completed all activation and IFF identification. Immediately after that, the combat AI kicked into action and the destructive laser beams raked through the charging enemies.


    It could not be helped, this was a high-reaction weapons platform, and the time from activation to going hot was just that short. Before Lily could even give the command to attack the weapons were already firing, and her chuunibyou speech could at least last through two salvos¡­


    Besides, with the monsters¡¯ speed, they would have already reached her by the time she was done rambling¡­


    Lily was pissed at her heroic entrance being ruined while Hao Ren kicked her¡­ paws while withholding his laughter (it could not be helped, the five-meter-tall werehusky was just too big. He would need to jump really high to even kick her knee). ¡°Stop being a goddamn chuunibyou and get us to White Maple Leaf City!¡±


    As he said that he pulled out a remote control from his Dimensional Pocket and gave it a press. An audible ¡°beep beep¡± came from the armor, and as he pressed again, the back armor deployed as the cockpit and passenger side protective plates rose up.


    Hao Ren grabbed the confused Rheia as he climbed up the back of the werehusky. Lily shook her head as she grumbled, ¡°Mr. Landlord, frankly speaking, this is very weird¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stew six kilos worth of pork ribs for you when we get back.¡±


    ¡°OKAY! Sit tight! I¡¯m going naught to hundred in half-a-second!¡±


    As Lily declared, and she hunched backward into a pouncing position and¡­ launched her entire self like a released bolt. A few flaming monsters stood in her way and before the CIWS (close-in weapon system) could even react she had trampled them into embers and dust.


    The normal flame monsters were not Lily¡¯s match under this form. Forget that powerful weapons system on her back, even the fireballs the monsters were launching at here would not be able to break the weakest part of her armor.


    One on one that is.


    Across the flatland, there were many gaping rifts and many scorching flames were belching from them, and with the flames comes the burning humanoid husks. Where ever the flames spread to, they would be there. And that meant one time.


    Their numbers were overwhelming!


    After some heroics, Lily crashed into the area where the monsters were concentrated, and was plastered by a hundred thousand fireballs launched by the monsters. Even Lily, clad within an advanced set of armor could not help but yelp in dismay: Her unreliable side was going to go online.


    ¡°Activate Spearhead mode. Use the navigation radar to guide you.¡± Hao Ren said as he gave instructions to the werehusky on how to operate this complex set of combat armor. ¡°This will allow you to avoid the areas where the monsters are concentrated.¡±


    Lily used her CIWS cannons to take out the approaching monsters as she followed Hao Ren¡¯s instructions and activated the navigation system. But after running for a distance she yelped again. ¡°Mr. Landlord! Why do the monsters seem to know where I¡¯m going?!¡±


    Hao Ren was befuddled for a moment before taking a look down and saw lights flickering on Lily¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Turn off the indicator lights!¡± He yelled.


    ¡°Why was that even there in the first place!¡± Lily said as she clumsily changed the system settings (in her mind). The next second, the radar screen wipers activated¡­


    Hao Ren could not see what was happening with the radar screen and shouted back to answer Lily¡¯s question. ¡°That¡¯s because you bloody stepped on me six times when you were trying out the armor! Too dangerous to let you go around without one!¡±


    Rheia¡¯s expression was totally blank by now, and she sat in stupor in her seat as she mumbled, ¡°So.. can anyone tell me what the hell is going on?¡±


    Regardless, the rampaging werehusky tore headlong a blazing path through the burning land and monsters as White Maple Leaf City appeared before them.

 Chapter 1658 - White Maple Leaf City in Flames

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    This was the doggie¡¯s furious charge. It was a trailblazing charge, an explosive charge with a side order of a singed tail¨CLily¡¯s tail had been lit up by one of the monster¡¯s fireballs, and thankfully, her armor came equipped with a health monitor and an extinguisher unit. Or else, she would be sulking until next month.


    All in all, it was a reckless charge.


    A fully armed and armored Siegebreaker Lilymon rampaged across the burning flatland. Nothing could stand in her way as the CIWS on her back and shoulder armor sprayed lasers and plasma like it was nothing towards the roaming monsters. They blew a path of ruin in the sea of monsters, while those seemingly expanding rifts were nothing but a slightly wider ditch in the eyes of the speeding Lily who easily leaped past them. The group had taken two days to get from White Maple Leaf City to the Black Forest, but now, it would probably only take a few hours to get back at the rate that they were going.


    This was a normal thing, as everyone was taking in the experience when they left. They rode on a horse with breaks in between, and they even followed the ¡°normal human¡± pattern of hard riding towards their destination. However, at the moment, the return trip was to reinforce the battle. Lily, in her beast mode, was capable of breaking the speed of sound, and she took the shortest, straightest path between her and White Maple Leaf City as she charged headlong. Anything in between, be it mountains, forest or whatnot were simply blown apart by missile salvos without as much as a pause. It was almost ten times faster than when they came?


    Hao Ren had considered that since the MDT¡¯s teleportation could not be used, he would just get Nolan to pick them up, and at most, if Rheia were to start asking questions, he would just call himself a photo enthusiast from Alpha Centauri (this was one of the ¡°special agent tricks¡± the work guidebook had mentioned, but it did not seem all that reliable). Seeing how fast Lily was going, he wondered that even if Nolan were to pick them up, they would not be any faster¡­


    Of course, this was not only the reason he chose to get Lily to ferry the team across the flatland There was a reason why Hao Ren chose to charge through the ruined lands where the monster¡¯s roam: He wanted to make sense of what the hell was going on with this sudden disaster.


    Taking the ship back was obviously easy, yet the flatland were now teeming with monsters, and not making close contact with them was not possible.


    Nangong Wuyue was trying to calm the agitated Rheia. ¡°Sit tight and relax. Lily is very powerful in this form. We don¡¯t have to worry about the monsters.¡±


    Clearly the little mage concern was not that, she was flailing about on her seat and could not stay quiet. ¡°I¡¯m not worried about the monsters! I meant you guys! Where did you pull this from?! I heard before that werewolves can transform, but I never heard that a werewolf would pack such firepower after transforming!!¡±


    It seemed like the werewolves could transform into giant wolves here, but none came equipped with a high-tech armor aside from Lily.


    Nangong Sanba smiled, as he acted all mysteriously, ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who had dug out treasures from ancient ruins.¡±


    ¡°¡­I knew you guys were up to something!¡± Rheia immediately glared at Nangong Sanba, ¡°Downtrodden adventurers looking for a job to cover expenses¡­ You¡¯ve had your eyes on me since the beginning, right? That¡¯s because you¡¯re looking for ancient ruins too, and that¡¯s why you were looking for the greatest and the smartest scholar of ancient civilizations¡­ and, ah, you¡¯re planning to steal my inheritance too!¡±


    ¡°Wow, pipe down your imagination a little¡­¡± Nangong Sanba held his head, ¡°Been playing the hero for so long now, how I wished I was playing the loser¡­ I just said a sentence and here you are thinking about everything!¡±


    Hao Ren ignored the raucous situation at the back seat and only looked down at the holographic projection before him.


    The projection device was installed underneath the passenger seat, and the original idea was to be able to play DOTA while traveling on the doggie¡­ but he had to say, he and the MDT were in a manic state while designing the armor, and most of the systems there were pretty much pointless.


    Yet these pointless systems were coming in handy this time around.


    The holographic display was showing many things, among them the analysis data of the flaming monsters, the energy fluctuation graph of the surroundings, and most importantly the earth layer analysis report. Lily¡¯s chest armor had an integrated all-purpose detection radar, and the radar had collected the readings of the geological components of the land, and the rifts that Lily had leap across and the hidden structure hidden deep within the rift. These were all clearly visible in the scans.


    ¡°Notice anything?¡± Vivian noticed Hao Ren was focused on the geological scan report and asked.


    ¡°These rifts,¡± Hao Ren pointed at the projection. ¡°These should not have existed. We had Nolan ran a rough scan of the geological structure of the area, and while not too detailed, we can confirm that there are no energy deposits underneath this area that is enough to cause such a rift. And there are also no inherent weak tectonic belts that could cause the lithosphere to crack apart. Yet here they are, and monsters are pouring out of them¡­ All of this appeared out of thin air.¡±


    ¡°Impossible scientifically, perhaps magically?¡± Vivian did not put too much thought into this. ¡°What if someone had used powerful magic to summon this? While such a powerful character should not exist in L¡¯Haronne, it is still a possibility.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not done yet,¡± Hao Ren shook his head with a smile. ¡°I had turned up Lily radar¡¯s strength up continuously to scan the deeper structure within the rift, until maximum output. Guess what I found in the process?¡±


    Vivian gave Hao Ren a dissatisfied roll of the eye, ¡°Can¡¯t you just spit it out?¡±


    Hao Ren grinned, ¡°Every time I turn up the radar¡¯s strength by a bit, the scanning area will increase, and there will be minute changes in the area previously scanned¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Vivian could not process the thought for a moment, and by the time she caught Hao Ren¡¯s point her eyes widened. ¡°You mean to say that as the radar had detected more objects now, and there are changes to the previously detected objects? Doesn¡¯t this mean¡­¡±


    Hao Ren stopped Vivian immediately. He still remembered the rifts appearing just as he was about to come to a conclusion. ¡°Don¡¯t say it out. I still have something I need you to help me with.¡±


    Vivian blinked with a blank expression, and after listening what Hao Ren had whispered into her ears her eyes widened. ¡°Are you sure you want to do this? You are running a big risk here¡­¡±


    ¡°The Umbral Realm is a dangerous place, but it has a very unique trait that makes it safer than other locales in the Plane of Dreams.¡± Hao Ren said with confidence. ¡°That¡¯s because this place is not within the Plane of Dreams¡¯ world barrier. Strictly speaking, it is a fragment hanging outside the barrier. That means whatever we do, it will not affect the Plane of Dreams.¡±


    Vivian pondered for a bit before nodding. ¡°I see¡­ I understand now. But when you¡­¡±


    ¡°After we confirm one last thing when we get back.¡±


    That was the end of their short exchange, and at that very moment, the great walls of White Maple Leaf City were on the horizon.


    The city had just not too long ago stood gloriously as the ¡®First City of the Flatland¡¯ beneath the shadow of Longwind Peak, but now it was a war zone. Even when the monsters had only attacked for about half a day, it was enough to dye the entire city is smoke and soot.


    The imposing white walls of the city were not yet breached, but there were pockmarks and scars left behind by the bombardment. The flatland outside the city had totally fallen under the control of the monsters as countless of the flaming monstrosities charged headlong towards the walls, leaving behind a trail of scorched earth. Before them were the magical barriers erected by the human defenders. Before the monsters had arrived, the mages on sentry duty had detected the rifts on the plains and had managed to get the garrison to deploy the barrier, saving countless lives within the city.


    The monsters surged forward again and again, and time and time they were beaten back by the magic bolts, arrows, and rocks thrown from the top of the walls. When a monster had managed to break through the defense, they would self-destruct on the solid walls, using their most powerful attacks to damage the barrier. The barrier covering the wall could absorb most of the punishment directed at it, but this was not a total defense, part of the explosions that pierced through the barrier smashed directly against the rocks. These were the source of the blackened pockmarks on the city walls.


    Worse still, White Maple Leaf City did not have a moat, and that allowed the monsters to attack the city from all directions, leaving the defending army to plug the gaps wherever needed.


    This was the scene Hao Ren and the rest saw when they arrived.


    Thankfully, the locals could still hold on, this was not only due to their sturdy walls and magical barriers, it was also thanks to the supporting droids and combat drones making it in time to provide aerial support.


    The city guards did not know where these odd silver things came from, but they knew that these things were helping them to defend against the tide of monsters on the plains. In this situation of life and death, even the most chronic OCD sufferers would not be bothered with the identity of these mysterious outsiders. Questions and investigations can be done later, but before that, they would need to make sure they live past today.


    Just as they were starting to accept the fact that a bunch of flying objects was helping them. The city guards were once again thrown into a furor as they saw a charging full-armored wolf (doggie) from the plains. The beast had just drawn too much attention.


    With roaring cannons and blasting lasers, as the massive beast ran, a few kilometers around here were immediately turned into a death zone (and that radius could be larger but Lily had not unlocked the nuclear warhead safety). The L¡¯Harroneans knew that powerful werewolves could transform into large beasts, and the ¡°beast¡± coming from afar looked about 30% wolf, especially her eyes and tails, yet¡­


    Werewolves did not have a doomsday weapon system strapped to their back when their transform!


    ¡°Hold fire, hold fire!¡± The commander on the wall roared with all his might, ¡°Do not attack the giant wolf!¡±


    ¡°Sir! I think the question is whether if it will attack us or not!¡±


    ¡°Shut your gob!¡±


    Within this short exchange, the guards noticed the giant wolf had crossed the vast battlefield as the bizarre weapons on her back wiped out every monster around her, it even shot out a massive light beam from its mouth as it looked back, annihilating at least half of her pursuers as it ran. Following that she rolled and tossed about, using her claws, chin, nose, and head as she entered a final breaking sequence, and finally came to a halt just before her head was going to crash against the wall.


    Thank the gods that she had tried all sorts of methods to slow down before she slammed into the wall, or else the city wall which the monsters had only managed to scratch after a good part of the day would have a gaping hole torn into it by a silly blunder.

 Chapter 1659 - Setting Change

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    While Lily had tried her best to decelerate, a five-meter-tall fully armored war beast smashing into the wall still shocked the city guards. Some of the wounded who were resting even thought that the wall had been breached when they heard the crash. They looked fearfully in the direction of the crash, and only saw a nose the size of a calf hanging by the city walls.


    Lily tried to paw her way up the city wall as she struggled to get over it. Yet, the tall and straight wall plus a layer of slippery barrier made it difficult for her. The werehusky, in her hurry, jumped up and down as she barked loudly at the defenders. ¡°Open the gates! Let me in! Can¡¯t you see we¡¯re here to help!?¡±


    The city defenders were a confused mess by now. They could, of course, see that the beast before them was friendly, but the city¡¯s highest level barrier had already been activated. Opening the gate right then meant that they needed to shut down the entire front-facing barrier. But the flaming monsters had already regrouped for another wave of attack. Under such circumstances, shutting down the barrier was not a decision a group of front line soldiers could make. In fact, it was not a decision even their commanders could make. They had to send a messenger soldier back to the fortress because the lord and generals with the required authority were commanding the fight from there.


    At that same moment, another wave of monsters struck, and it was already beyond a normal wave of attack. Countless flaming monsters converged together like a tidal wave as they slowly marched on the plains. It was an endless sea of fire, and every moment massive fireballs were launched from this sea against the walls of White Maple Leaf City. Where there any other words to describe the scene other than epic?


    While she was running at full speed, Lily could rely on her CIWS and protective barriers to carve a path out. But now she had stopped, the sight of the converging monsters sent shivers down her spine and her furs bristling. The werehusky let out a bright howl before turning around and leap towards the city wall¡­


    With an unsightly clambering across the wall, Lily proved that the adage of a panicked dog is capable of scaling walls.


    Thankfully, L¡¯Haronne¡¯s shield technology had not developed to the point of an enveloping screen, rather, the barrier was erected through the magical stones embedded in the walls itself. The stones projected a magical barrier to protect the wall. Otherwise, Lily would not have been able to climb through even in her panic¡­


    The city¡¯s defenders could only look on as massive beast climbed over the wall as one by one stood there stunned. Some did not even realize that their weapons had already fallen off their hands. Only until the commander had regained his composure and started barking commands to regroup that the soldiers recovered from their stupor.


    At that point of time, Lily had made through the wall and had landed safely on an empty plot behind the wall¡­ alright.. not that safely.


    Her teammates inside the passenger cockpit had already gone through a triple whammy of rolling deceleration, embarrassing wall-climbing and a panicked dog scaling the wall, and none of them were looking any good. Even the usually robust Y¡¯zaks were slightly stunned, much less the rest.


    And frankly speaking, if not for the fear of the doggie going crazy, they would have puked where they stood.


    ¡°F*ck me¡­ You¡­.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s bore a pale look as he unbuckled the seat belt and started mumbling. ¡°Can you say something before you scale the wall or step on the breaks. Did you forget that there are people on your back?¡±


    ¡°How could I remember?¡± Lily retorted as she squatted and rubbed her ears. ¡°Normally no one will be riding on my back¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was almost thrown off as he was just about to get up, ¡°Eh eh why are you squatting¡­ Don¡¯t shake!¡±


    But Hao Ren was a step too late, and Lily had already started shaking her entire body. While she had a thick layer of armor and did not need to worry about mud and debris getting into her fur, she was still sweaty after the long run, and before the armor¡¯s build-in circulatory system could activate, she had already started shaking subconsciously.


    And threw everyone out in the process¡­


    ¡°Woooo¡­¡± Lily lowered her head awkwardly as she looked at her comrades she had just thrown out before lying down and covering her head with her paws. ¡°It¡¯s not on purpose¡­¡±


    ¡°I never want to ride on doggie¡¯s back ever again.¡± while Vivian could fly, she was thrown out before she could even react. ¡°And I thought it was a good idea earlier.¡±


    ¡°Thankfully we are back in the city,¡± Nangong Sanba had recovered from his daze and saw the group of soldiers converging upon them, and came to Hao Ren¡¯s side whispering, ¡°What should we do next.¡±


    Hao Ren took a glance at the stunned Rheia, ¡°We¡¯ll head to the wizard¡¯s quarter, Rheia¡¯s tower.¡±


    ¡°How about them?¡± Nangong Wuyue said as she pointed somewhat stunned, somewhat nervous soldiers with an ¡°orders m¡¯Lord?¡± expression on their face. They were reserves deployed behind the walls and none of them ever thought that before their orders to man the walls came, a fully armed and armored siegebreaker beast would have appeared from the sky. This was obviously beyond their expectations.


    Hao Ren pondered for a bit before coming to Lily, who was idling about and pulled a microphone from a panel on her hind leg armor to the side of his mouth. ¡°Ahem¡­¡±


    A piercing buzz soon rang across the entire quarter.


    ¡°Please make way. We are here to help. We have just beaten back a direct assault against the wall but the wizard quarter is weakly defended so we are heading there now. Please cooperate, I repeat, please cooperate.


    Lily gave Hao Ren a confused look. ¡°Mr. Landlord, why is that inside my armor?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already said that your equipment is an integrated combat support module. As a moving base, how can this function be missing?¡± Hao Ren rolled his eyes at Lily, ¡°There¡¯s even an ice-cream maker behind your neck.¡±


    ¡°¡­Mr. Landlord, it feels like you have taken me for a ride!¡±


    Hao Ren laughed dryly as he ignored the werehusky¡¯s question. The soldiers surrounding them seemed to have received their orders and filing out orderly. At the same time, an officer-like man made his way towards Hao Ren.


    ¡°No matter who you are, White Maple Leaf City thanks you for your help.¡± The officer stood pencil straight and with a powerful voice, he continued, ¡°But the situations demands, and I have orders to understand your origins¡­¡±


    ¡°They are my helpers!¡± Rheia who was dazed for a good part of the day had finally regained her senses, and while things had progressed beyond her understanding, she could still correctly determine what she should be saying. ¡°Foreign mercenaries, a reliable bunch.¡±


    The officer looked at Rheia and seemed to recognize the impoverished mage¡¯s identity. ¡°You are¡­ the poorest one in the wizard¡¯s quarters¡­¡±


    ¡°The smartest one there is!¡± Rheia waved her staff menacingly. ¡°I am a registered great mage and archaeologist! I have even got you a group of powerful mercenaries to defend the city! I could be asking for an additional two hundred gold coins for that you know!¡±


    The officer took a reflexive step back, not sure if he was wary of Rheia¡¯s tone or the staff in her hand. ¡°Alright, fine. I understand. I will report it as it is¡­¡±


    The officer seemed to have understood that neither the siegebreaker beast nor the berserk mage with her staff was something he could deal with. He was originally here reluctantly to complete his assignment, and wanted to make his presence scarce after completing his duty. At any rate, the group before him had clearly blunted a wave of attack, and now an infamous person in the city had vouched for them, it would be remiss of him to ask more questions.


    With that temporary respite, Hao Ren quickly ushered the rest towards the wizard¡¯s quarter before any more trouble rears its head.


    ¡°What are you gonna do at my tower?¡± while Rheia had followed the team in her gaze, she was still the most confused person, especially as an employer. ¡°Oh I know, you lot are after my inheritance after all¡­ Eh, that¡¯s not right! Seeing your equipment you¡¯re probably filthy rich! My tower and land, added up together won¡¯t even cover the cost of Ms. Lily¡¯s armor¡­Wait, I understand now! You¡¯re gonna pack your stuff up and make a run for it? Do you think White Maple Leaf City is about to fall? I do think that the city may not hold out for long, but this is my home and I¡¯m attached to it¡­ Eh, why aren¡¯t you guys talking?¡±


    ¡°Goodness please, Madam, can you rein in your wild imagination for a bit?¡± Hao Ren had a headache looking at the curious and wildly imaginative scholar. ¡°We are heading to your place to get some information.¡±


    ¡°Information?! At this juncture?!¡± Rheia was stunned. ¡°And here I thought me learning how to disarm an alchemy bomb after activating it was weird enough¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    As they spoke, the group had arrived at the wizard¡¯s quarter at the south of the city. The area here too had gone into combat readiness.


    Towers upon towers were lit up in an orangey light beam as massive magical energies were drawn from magical focal points all over the place as they were injected directly into White Maple Leaf¡¯s defensive system as various combat automatons were sent by their masters in batches towards the combat zone.


    The ¡®holy ground of knowledge and the arcane¡¯ were no longer the supernatural and peaceful place it once was.


    As its master was not around, Rheia¡¯s tower was the only one that did not enter combat readiness, but the run-down tower stood alone in a corner, and no one noticing it.


    After Lily had returned to her human form, the group quickly made their way into the tower and ran up to the study on the second floor.


    Rheia, not understanding what was going on, followed as well, before seeing the group starting flipping over those old tomes. Confused, she asked, ¡°What are you looking for? If you are looking for important information, you can go to the library on the third floor. The books here are mostly harmless time passers¡­¡±


    Hao Ren interrupted the little mage as he waved an old book. ¡°No, we found it already.¡±


    The book was not some valuable scholar¡¯s tome, rather a book regarded as a ¡®nonsensical garbage¡¯ by the scholastic world, a ¡®generic science¡¯ book about the Great Pit. Its author was Roan Zell, an pretty much unknown ¡®scholar¡¯.


    Hao Ren turned open the book and quickly found the passage regarding the Great Pit.


    Upon the already yellowed pages, Roan Zell described the Great Pit as such, ¡°¡­ I have always been looking into the Great Pit, but I¡¯ve seen nothing but a sea of darkness¡­ There is no sense of direction in the pit, neither any floor nor any buildings, only bizarre debris floating about¡­ It looks like a destroyed world, and its debris float deep within the Great Pit¡­ I, Roan Zell, can safely declare that, the Great Pit is a different dimension in itself, and aside from the bizarre sightings, I could not find any logical objects within it.¡±


    As she heard the passage, Lily¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°The passage was different when we read it the other time!¡±


    ¡°This words¡­ are different from our memory.¡± Nangong Sanba was stunned. He quickly picked up a different book, one that he read before earlier. ¡°The description of the Great Pit had also changed. There were no books talking about the toxic gas or monsters¡­¡±


    Y¡¯lisabet blinked. ¡°Uncle Ren, what is going on?¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s expression did not change much as he saw the changes to the words, he only took a deep breath before nodding at Vivian.


    ¡°The setting has changed,¡± he said.

 Chapter 1660 - Dissipating Away

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°What the hell does the ¡®setting has changed¡¯ even mean?¡± Lily was the first to react after she heard Hao Ren¡¯s words. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me this world is scripted? And the scriptwriter actually did a last-minute edit?!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s probably no scriptwriter in the background, but as for the ¡®script¡¯¡­ there probably is one,¡± Hao Ren said as he placed the book on the table. At the same time, the words on the pages were being refreshed as new lines and passages overwrote the old text. This happened right under the eyes of everyone present without any pretense of concealment. ¡°Vivian, go ahead.¡±


    Vivian nodded and held her hands wide open. Lily, who was oblivious to what was going on, moved her gaze between Hao Ren and Vivian. ¡°Hey, what sort of charade are you guys on? Your affair is already a known subject, why are you still acting all mysterious¡­¡±


    Honestly, at times, Hao Ren really wanted to cement her potty mouth shut.


    Rheia was even more clueless to what Hao Ren and Vivian were up to. The little mage nervously tightened her grip on her iron staff as her gaze swept across the two. ¡°Why do I get the feeling¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, a mysterious bell toil rang from afar. And the toil seemed to ring directly in everyone¡¯s soul. As it rang, the entire world¡¯s operation was disrupted, and everyone could not help but stop what they were doing.


    Simultaneously, crimson moonlight with faint traces of blood appeared.


    The crimson moonlight directly pierced through the libraries walls and roof as it enveloped the entire space. Outside the tower, the entire White Maple Leaf City, no, even the entire continent of L¡¯Harrone were basking in the crimson light.


    No matter the attacking monsters, the defending city guards, or the escaping beasts, as the crimson moon appeared everyone went into a mysterious sluggish state, and they seemed to be compelled by an unknown force as they all looked up at the same time towards the mysterious celestial body in the sky. A crimson full moon that shone over everything.


    Vivian¡¯s hair was floating as powerful energy waves emanated from her body. Thousands of silhouettes appeared ethereally within the crimson moonlight. She looked at her both hands, a smile at the edge of her lips. ¡°Since my sickness was cured, I feel like I¡¯m getting better at summoning the Crimson Moon.


    Lily looked on in a stupor before she started howling and yelping, ¡°Awwooo!! My god Battie, you scared the crap out of me with that summoning! Didn¡¯t you know I was killed by that thingamajig in my past life, and I¡¯m still traumatized over that thing!¡±


    Hao Ren patted Lily¡¯s head as he tried to console her before looking with a half-smile at the stunned Rheia. ¡°If we don¡¯t summon a powerful enough ¡®alarm¡¯, how could we wake a sleeping goddess?¡±


    Rheia had sunk into a mysterious silent state just the start of the summon, and at this very moment he raised her head and stared at the glowing ceiling as if she could see through the thick rocks and cement and gaze at the crimson moon in the sky above. As she heard Hao Ren, a confused look appeared on her face, and this confused look was swiftly replaced by a thinking look and then an expression of realization. Her gaze was changing rapidly as countless of personas were being restored in her body, and in the end, her expression turned into a faint smile. The ¡®little mage¡¯ looked at Hao Ren. ¡°How did you find out?¡±


    ¡°There were plenty of clues, but all of them were well hidden, that¡¯s why it took me so long to connect the dots.¡± Hao Ren wore a smile as well. ¡°But the most obvious clue would be¡­ because I have not been dreaming for the past few days.¡±


    Rheia smiled as she shook her head. The next moment, her form dissipated away like sand in the wind.


    And disappearing along with her, the entire world.


    The wizard towers, White Maple Leaf City, the Great Flatland, Longwind Peak¡­ the entirety of L¡¯Haronne were engulfed by light and became a scattering of tiny light orbs. Within this few seconds long dissipation process, the true face of the world was now before Hao Ren.


    A dark, cold, silent, chaotic space with tons of broken debris floating within it. Between the shattered continents were leaping energy arcs spanning hundreds of kilometers long. Dead cosmic islands were floating and spinning around the edges of the shattered continents as unknown shadows leap between the islands.


    Hao Ren and his friends were now standing on one of the broken continent shelves. A few energy currents connected the continent with the fragments of the celestial bodies around it. And on the charred continent, there was nothing that could help with identification.


    This was normal, as the Star of Creation back in its heyday was covered by an endless sea, and the planet¡¯s landmass did not have many buildings on it. And those tower complexes build on the surface of the Sea of Origin¡­ they were all floating in the void between the continents, and shattered in a state worse than the planet itself.


    All of this happened within a short span of time, and when the true identity of the world was revealed, none of them could process what had just happened. The first to recover was the typically calm and experienced Y¡¯zaks. The old demon rubbed his chin, deep in thought. ¡°So, we were trapped in some sort of dream world all this while? And this is the real look of the Umbral Realm?¡±


    As Y¡¯zaks spoke, only did everyone realized what happened. Nangong Sanba looked about before smirking. ¡°Heh, this is more like the Umbral Realm¡­¡±


    Hao Ren looked up and saw the Petrachelys floating diagonally above them. The elegant argent starship was trying to regain stability as she blasted bright lights. Nolan sounded extremely excited. ¡°Boss! I can fly! I can fly!¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, okay, I know you can fly now. Turn off the lights and the radar on.¡± Hao Ren helplessly tried to get his speed freak of a shipgirl to calm down. ¡°Change the scanning mode to divinity detection. If I¡¯m not wrong, the goddess of creation is nearby.¡±


    ¡°Okay! You betcha¡­ Ugh¡­ Understood.¡±


    Only after seeing the Petrachelys changed into detection protocol and started slowly navigating around the broken celestial bodies that Hao Ren returned his sight back to his crew. While Y¡¯zaks had rightly guessed part of the content, the truth of the matter still had to be explained by himself.


    ¡°Remember the last battle in Star Cluster X?¡± Hao Ren popped a question before he started explaining. ¡°The last thing the dreamer said before it was killed.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that dreaming brain right?¡± Lily recalled the fight immediately, ¡°It was saying something about the dream is ruined, and two people will be waking up, bla bla bla¡­ Wait, Mr. Landlord, you mean that the dream the brain was talking about¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, ever since we arrived in the Umbral Realm, we have been living in a dream.¡± Hao Ren smiled as he pointed to the sea of the shattered celestial bodies in the darkness. ¡°L¡¯Haronne is not a real planet, but a dream. That¡¯s why the world was so weird and all races from the Plane of Dreams were mingling together. There was plenty of seemingly unreal history, not to mention a trove of inexplicable ancient ruins. Also, the Great Pit, and the things within the pit¡­ These illogical things can be easily explained, as they were simply a product of the dream. And in reality¡­ well, is what you are seeing right now. A shattered Star of Creation.


    Nangong Wuyue grabbed onto her arm as her tail coiled. She felt that goosebumps were all over her after realizing that she was living in a dream for the past few days (although elemental beings do not have such a setting). ¡°My goodness¡­ I was already terrified when I watched Inception back then, but to live through a VR¡­¡±


    ¡°Dreams will always have a point of origin,¡± Y¡¯zaks grunted with furrowed brows. ¡°And the source of this dream world¡­¡±


    ¡°The goddess of creation, or the goddess of annihilation, or both of them together.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s smile disappeared as his tone turned serious. ¡°The ability to create these sort of ¡®dream state¡¯, within the Umbral Realm, the only possible candidates were these two. But based on L¡¯Haronne¡¯s peaceful situation, it seems like the goddess of creation has the upper hand in the dream.¡±


    Lily¡¯s eyes spun about. ¡°Then, Rheia¡­¡±


    She remembered that before the dream world unraveled, Hao Ren said the same thing to her.


    ¡°I guess she could be an ¡®incarnation¡¯,¡± Hao Ren said, ¡°But I don¡¯t know the exact facts, we need to find the goddess of creation¡¯s real body to understand everything, including how I found out the truth of this dream world. All of that needs to wait until then.¡±


    ¡°Oooooohhhh¡­¡± Lily murmured in slight disappointment. She then turned around to look at the broken universe, and as she looked up at the dark, chaotic dimension, she seemed to have noticed something. ¡°Eh, eh, Mr. Landlord, over there!¡±


    Hao Ren turned to where Lily was pointed and was flabbergasted.


    A floating fragment of a continent was slowly moving, and the covered skies were now exposed. Within the darkness, there was a bright spot.


    That was another planet, another torn planet, and based on the distance, they were clearly not part of the Star of Creation. The planet¡¯s fate seemed to be better than the Star of Creation as it was only broken into two, and was not shattered into thousands of floating debris like the Star of Creation. Even then, for the denizens of the planet, an apocalypse was still an apocalypse.


    But¡­


    Hao Ren squinted as he focused on the planet.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid¡­ L¡¯Haronne may not totally be a dream.¡±

 Chapter 1661 - The Goddess of Creation

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Standing upon the broken ruins of the Star of Creation, everything they saw was the true face of the Umbral Realm.


    It was a universe engulfed by chaos and darkness. Of course, most universes were dark, but here, darkness was not a state, but a perceptible, perceivable substance.


    The remnants after the rupture of the Star of Creation floated in the center of the dimension. The powerful energies that remained in the area for 10,000 years still kept the debris together. And that prevented the shattered continents from drifting away into the void. Yet, the polluted atmosphere seemed to be maintained by some sort of energy field around the debris. It cast a misty pall upon the already desolate land, like a shroud over a corpse.


    However, these were not the only objects within the Umbral Realm.


    After looking at the broken planet in the distance, Hao Ren started to scan the entire skyline as he tried to look for more debris and ruins. He then caught on to the ethereal shadows within the dark chaos. The shadows were covered by a clearly unnatural black mist, and that made discerning the distance difficult. Some of them were in the form of a torn star, while some were massive temple complexes or battleships. Hao Ren noticed that all of them had a physical presence: some of the shadows were clear semi-transparent trails, and the unusual phenomenon showed that most of the objects dragged into the Umbral Realm alongside the Star of Creation had probably met a very terrifying fate.


    He then recalled the Gate of Solenne, which was once dragged into the Umbral Realm, but miraculously returned into the material universe. Hao Ren gave his thoughts on the matter, ¡°This dimension is probably wider than we thought, but the area that we can detect is very limited. Many things are being covered by that black mist, and it seems like maintaining a physical shape is not an easy thing in the Umbral Realm.¡±


    ¡°But there are lucky ones that could return to the main material universe and reconstruct itself.¡± Vivian looked at the sky as she said, ¡°Like the Gate of Solenne right?¡±


    ¡°Seems like the crimson moon you summoned on L¡¯Haronne cannot shine up this place.¡± Hao Ren looked at Vivian, no wonder Nolan¡¯s signal transmission had failed¡­ The crossing between two worlds is difficult enough, especially if it is between reality and dream, and if the dream is created by a god, it is even harder.¡±


    At that same moment, Nolan gave Hao Ren the report that he was waiting for. ¡°Boss, I have detected a stable divinity release point. It¡¯s close to your location.¡±


    ¡°Seems like we¡¯ve found our sleeping goddess.¡± Hao Ren smiled as he looked at his friends. ¡°Hope she doesn¡¯t have a grouchy mood. We had after all just forcefully kicked her out of the dream.¡±


    ¡°The ones that woke her up were you two! I have nothing to do with that!¡± Lily hissed at Hao Ren.


    As expected, after ¡°entering¡± and ¡°exiting¡± the dream, the team¡¯s ¡°landing point¡± was near the place where the goddess of creation was slumbering. The distance was so close, and the goddess¡¯ position was on a floating continent right underneath them.


    With Nolan¡¯s guidance, Hao Ren and the team went past a series of small hills before ascending a charred mountain peak. Finally, they arrived at a place that was jarringly different from its surroundings.


    A circular rock formation enveloped a piece of flatland, and in the middle of the flatland were a patch of green. It was a few meters wide grassland. To think that there were vestiges of life in this already dead planet, that left Hao Ren dumbfounded.


    In the middle of the grassland stood a rock about half of a human¡¯s height, and a girl in a white dress was lying on the rock and slept soundly in this posture.


    The girl in the white dress looked similar to Rheia, even her height was almost similar. The difference was, she had a long silver hair that reached the grass, and even in her slumber, her expression bore a hard-to-describe sense of divinity.


    Of course, that was pointless for Hao Ren. Since he found out that Raven 12345 would slap on a regal and divine emoji pack just to pass her superior¡¯s inspection, no supernatural expressions would faze him anymore¡­


    A several-meters-wide grassland, a cold hard rock, a torn-apart planet, and endless darkness¡­ This was the final resting place of she who had once sealed the Mad Lord, created the garden that was the Plane of Dreams, nurtured it to life and greatness?¡ªthe goddess of creation.


    Hao Ren had wondered many times on how he would be meeting this goddess, and now he realized that his concerns from before were all meaningless.


    Vivian gently bumped his shoulder as she pointed upwards, ¡°Is that¡­ the temple complex you say in the illusion?¡±


    Hao Ren followed the direction where Vivian was pointing and looked up, and saw the tattered ruins of a building was floating above. The ruin¡¯s past glorious, majestic facade was still visible, and between the pillars and the embossing, Hao Ren recognized some of the lines.


    ¡°Yes, those are the temple complexes that once floated above the Sea of Origin. Now that the sea is gone, the place we are standing on is actually the seabed.¡± Hao Ren nodded, speaking in a hushed manner as he led the rest towards the goddess of creation. ¡°Divine powers bound the ruined planet together and allowed it to retain its previous structure even after the explosion. So the ruins of the temple complexes floated around here, just like it did above the surface of the Sea of Origin in the past.¡±


    They were standing at the edge of the grassland now as Lily gave the sleeping goddess a wary glance. ¡°Mr. Landlord, shouldn¡¯t she be awake by now? Why does she look like she¡¯s still sleeping?¡±


    Hao Ren did not answer her and simply motioned for the rest to stay put while he came before the sleeping goddess. He bent down to be on face level with the latter, ¡°Submerging in the dream is indeed comforting, but I know you did not create that dream to escape reality. The dream has ended, accident or not, the end of the dream is a reality, and prolonging won¡¯t be helpful.¡±


    The seemingly sleeping goddess opened her eyes as she heard that. It seemed like she was never asleep, and was cautiously awake all the time. A pair of ruby-like eyes silently looked at Hao Ren, ¡°The dream will come to an end someday. I know that very well, but I never thought it would end like this. I¡¯m curious, how did you realize the truth? That dream¡­ in a sense, it was a real world. I can¡¯t make out what sort of flaw it had to let someone see through it, especially when you were deep in the dream itself.¡±


    ¡°Whoa! She¡¯s awake? She was just pretending to be asleep!!¡± Lily yelped from afar.


    Nangong Sanba immediately dragged the clueless husky aside¡­


    Hao Ren ignored the voices from behind him. He was not surprised at the goddess suddenly waking up. He was however curious that the first question she asked was not their identity. ¡°I thought you¡¯d be interested in who we are.¡±


    ¡°That is immaterial,¡± the silver-haired, crimson-eyed goddess said softly. ¡°While I¡¯m weakened, I can still sense something within all of you¡­ At least I can confirm that you are not ¡®its¡¯ minions. I¡¯m still curious as to how you saw through the dream.¡±


    Hao Ren stood up and sighed. ¡°You¡¯re right. The dream was as real as it could get. At least for the beings within the dream. Calling it a real world is not wrong either, but a dream is a dream, and at least for the dream you created¡­ there was a repetitive pattern.¡±


    ¡°Every since I entered the world of L¡¯Haronne, I had never dreamt, I have asked my friends and they were the same as well. This was the first point of my suspicion. And come to think of it, we are unable to dream as we are already in someone else¡¯s dream.


    ¡°The next clue was the weird ecosystem on L¡¯Haronne. Every race within the Plane of Dream are there, and they originated from your memories, right? This was enough to raise my suspicion. Of course, the unusual ecosystem was not the key reason, as I know that the divine kingdom had an organism repository, and on that basis, the presence of the beings within the ecosystem can be explained, but the unusual history was something else¡­¡±


    ¡°The ruins, that varied ruins, even the godslayers; if I¡¯m not wrong, it is also from your memories, but it was added unconsciously into the dream right? That¡¯s why the scholars of L¡¯Haronne had called those the ¡®Ruins of Annor¡¯, and deem it the biggest unsolved mysteries. Even if they were to exhaust themselves they are unable to explain the origins of the ruins, as there were no contextual explanation set for those objects.¡±


    ¡°The Great Pit, those broken, floating fragments floating within the endless dimension¡­ that reminded me of the sub-consciousness, both the presentation or the rhythmic motion was similar, an abstract sub-consciousness being turned into a physical dimension would be difficult to see through at first glance. But for me¡­ I¡¯ve been dealing with these sort of abstract stuff for almost two years now, I¡¯m just tad sensitive towards them. Those are the deepest part of your dream, the most chaotic, the most trivial corner of your memories, and they in some way became the basis of L¡¯Haronne in this dream world. But on the other hand, the truth and the chaotic amount of data was dangerous to the citizens of L¡¯Haronne. Facing the truth meant the end of the dream. So the Great Pit became the most treacherous place in L¡¯Haronne¡¯s point of view. Such was the danger that the scholars explained wrongly. And this continued until an outside observer, me, personally saw what was in the pit. Only then were the memory fragments were restored.


    ¡°But that was not the decisive factor either, it could only allow us to come guess that L¡¯Haronne is either an illusion or a dream. The real factor in allowing me to confirm that it was a dream, was this little one.¡±


    As Hao Ren said, he motioned towards Vivian.


    Understanding what he wanted, Vivian let Noobie out.


    With a puff of black-red blood mist, Noobie appeared in the air as she shook about and flew around Hao Ren¡¯s side. She then noticed the goddess of creation before her, and her instincts told her that this stranger needed a face full of ¡°biubiu¡±.


    And thus, she ¡°biubiu-ed¡±.


    The goddess of creation simply swept the weak energy bolts away as she looked curiously at the menacing Noobie. Curiosity was apparent in her tone, ¡°I¡¯m actually most curious about her¡­ What¡­ is she? How did she allow you to ascertain that L¡¯Harrone was a dream?¡±


    ¡°Explaining her origin will need a boatload of time, but I can answer your second question.¡± Hao Ren grinned. ¡°While she may be weak, but she has a special trait no one has, at least at this stage. She is a chaotic being, a conceptually different being, so she will not enter any dream state of an intelligent being as it is an anathema to it. Her glue-like spiritual world could not be affected by an orderly dream world like L¡¯Harrone, so¡­¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s gaze descended to Noobie who was busy picking grass, his expression conflicted. ¡°She had never entered L¡¯Harrone, she did not dream, did not see, did not feel the dream. In her eyes, this was the true Umbral Realm, and in her eyes, we were either in a stupor or in a hilarious sleepwalking state the whole time¡­ I¡¯m glad that she does not have a brain, don¡¯t need to worry about getting laughed at until the end of time.¡±


    ¡°So, seeing how easily she entered the Great Pit and moved about there. I understood everything.¡±

 Chapter 1662 - Awakened from the Dream

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The process of Hao Ren seeing through the truth of L¡¯Haronne was even more complicated than he had let on because intuition and hyper-senses were difficult to explain using mere words. His judgment on the matter was thanks to the experiences he had gained in the past two years. Be it Lockmarton¡¯s corruption of reality through the nightmare, or the army-creating Dreamer, the nightmares created by them left a mark on him and allowed his psyche to evolve.


    The effect of this slight evolution was his ability to better control his mental powers, and he was especially sensitive to the dissonance caused when entering an illusion or a dream. That dissonance was not perceptible to mortals or even demigods who were not as strong.


    Those entering the dream would never realize that they were in one, yet Hao Ren was an exception. He would be very awake in any dream, even when he was in one created by gods.


    Of course, that only heightened his sense of judgment in the dream of L¡¯Haronne. But the one who allowed him to confirm everything was still Noobie. The clumsy and laughably weak tiny one did not have much strength, but one of her ¡°natural talents¡± could not be replicated by anyone else. As a being of pure chaos, a harmless being from the same root as the Mad Lord, she was the best scouting tool for anything to do with mental interference.


    The silver-haired, red-eyed goddess curiously looked at the little one running circles beside her. She could sense a tinge of the aura of madness from her, but she did not take action. She could feel that Noobie was really harmless, and she could tell from her eyes, the attitude of the people before her, and if they bore any hostile intent.


    After understanding how Hao Ren saw through the dream, she laughed helplessly, ¡°I never thought the dream world that I had created was torn apart by this tiny one¡­ Unexpected, unexpected.¡±


    As she continued, she lay her eyes on Vivian, ¡°And I can sense from you, the aura I left behind ages ago, but¡­¡±


    While Vivian had mentally prepared herself, she still got nervous when the goddess of creation cast her eyes on her. She took half a step forward and opened her mouth, yet no voice came out.


    ¡°You are different from what I had expected¡­¡± The goddess looked conflicted as she blinked. ¡°No matter your powers or your spiritual structure, all had deviated from my expectation. And it seemed you did not grow into the persona and memory I gave you. I could feel that¡­ aside from the aura, you had grown into a totally different being.¡±


    As she finished, she strained herself to get up as she same on the rock that she was laying on. Her vision swept across everyone. ¡°And your appearance as well, it is really unexpected. Sigh, seems like in the end, everything did not go according to plan.¡±


    ¡°I had rejected the Throne of Destiny,¡± Vivian finally mustered up her courage. ¡°And I did not complete my duty as a guide. I had lost all my memories by the time I got to the other universe¡­¡±


    Hao Ren placed his hand on Vivian¡¯s shoulder as he looked at the goddess of creation. ¡°The Throne of Destiny is flawed. I did not want to tell you this just after you wake up, but your plan would not have succeeded from the beginning. The system you designed has bugs, and the guards you left behind were caught in a civil war. Even Vivian, this lady here, was infected by the power of madness. It took us a lot of effort to resolve that. So¡­¡±


    Hao Ren did not continue, but his intention was clear enough. As for the goddess of creation facing this truth, her face was calm, as though she had already anticipated this. ¡°Is that so. So it is then. Seems I underestimated my old nemesis¡­ Vivian, is that your name now?¡±


    She looked Vivian in the eyes and noticed the latter¡¯s nervousness. She broke into a calming smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t eat you. You¡¯re worried that I¡¯ll be mad because of the issue with the Throne of Destiny? Actually, that doesn¡¯t matter at all, I pretty much guessed it would have happened once I realize that you had a different personality.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the goddess of creation and Vivian in turn and quickly understood the former.


    As he had thought, the goddess of creation was not a goddess who would force her will upon others. Perhaps she had created a series of primordial memories and commands for her divine incarnation, but with the incarnation splitting apart, and Vivian¡¯s personality born from it. The ¡®mission¡¯ of the guide and the lady of the throne had lost its meaning.


    This calmed Vivian down somewhat, and Hao Ren too heaved a sigh of relief. If possible he did not want to bring out that chain-bound scripture out¡­


    ¡°So tell me what had happened outside. I have been asleep for far too long.¡± The goddess of creation gently held her head. It seemed like she had not fully recovered from her 10,000-year-long slumber. ¡°The fact that you¡¯ve managed to get here¡­ Does that mean the situation outside is not that bad?¡±


    ¡°Frankly speaking¡­ it¡¯s pretty terrible.¡± Hao Ren shook his head resignedly. ¡°The era of life in the Plane of Dreams ended, and now it is in the age of withering. The only good news is that the seal you had placed before had yet to fully unravel. As for us, we are from another universe.¡±


    ¡°I had expected that much, as I had sent her¡­ Vivian to the universe beyond. I really believed in the existence of other universes.¡± The goddess of creation smiled. ¡°But to see a visitor from the beyond with my own eyes is really something else. If in the past, I would have grandly welcomed you all, but now, well, you know. So tell me about the world beyond.¡±


    ¡°¡®Of course, we have to start from the head honcho of our world. You can probably guess, if this universe has you, it would be normal for other universes to have gods as well. As I¡¯m a representative of the god there¡­¡±


    Trying to explain the setting of another world in a few sentences was extremely difficult, so Hao Ren tried to summarize their origins and introduced Raven 12345 briefly. Of course, he had also mentioned the situation in the Plane of Dreams, including the progress of his actions there: The remaining ecosystems, the crazed First Borns, the surviving guardian giants, the Gate of Solenne, the rebuilt World Engine, and the Battle of the Core System, plus Salaman¡¯s fleet who is standing by in the material world.¡±


    ¡°A massive pantheon? I don¡¯t know about this at all, seems like I¡¯m really out of touch¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, is that so, most of them were corrupted¡­ I had tried to save them, but look at the state I ended up in¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, Lockmarton. Dear Lockmarton, he was my first child, I had made too many mistakes with him, and his end is probably some sort of salvation I suppose¡­¡±


    ¡°Amantir is destroyed, huh¡­ I had created the guardians myself, hoping that they would look after that place. I never thought the corruption had spread to them as well.¡±


    After the briefing, the silver-haired goddess shook her head awkwardly. ¡°Seems like you had really helped me clean up my mess.¡±


    ¡°Frankly, they were a mess, but that¡¯s what my job description entailed.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°Inspectors are meant to clean up messes.¡±


    The MDT floated over and added. ¡°But not every mess is left behind by the gods.¡±


    ¡°Shut it.¡± Hao Ren glared at the MDT. ¡°She¡¯s already very embarrassed as it is.¡±


    ¡°No worries, it is the truth after all.¡± the goddess was accepting on the fact, and by now she had somewhat recovered, and looked much more sprightly. ¡°I have been in the dream for far too long. It is time to face reality now. But speaking of which¡­ Can¡¯t you guys be a little gentler in waking someone up? You actually summoned the projection of the Star of Creation over L¡¯Haronne, right in front of me¡­ There¡¯s nothing crueler than this.¡±


    ¡°I knew you were Rheia.¡± Hao Ren noticed that the goddess was almost similar to Rhea, only her hair and eye colors were different. ¡°I did not want to use that to wake you up, but I could not think of any other stimuli to wake a real goddess from her dream.¡±


    ¡°Rheia is an incarnate of me in L¡¯Haronne. But I¡¯m curious, how did you know, or guessed that she was my incarnate.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps you were very into this ¡®character role-play¡¯ yourself, but outsiders were not influenced by that.¡± the one answering her was not Hao Ren, but Nangong Sanba who had been quiet for quite a while now. While the latter was about as confused as everyone else earlier, after realizing the truth of L¡¯Haronne, he quickly pieced many things together. ¡°No one had dared to approach the Great Pit, nor study it, and no one could make such a bold judgment towards the pit, but Rheia did all of it. Perhaps Rheia was a very ordinary female mage in L¡¯Haronne, but on the other side, Rheia is a special being: She was the only one curious and is willing to take action in search for the truth of the dream world while ordinary civilians in the dream would not have been interested, and are probably repulsed by it.¡±


    ¡°And there is another important reason as well,¡± Hao Ren continued, ¡°We are a group of outsiders and are an unstable factor that has ¡®invaded¡¯ the dream from reality, and the unstable factor is a very potent awakening tool of a dream. Based on normal dream operations, there would have been a rejection reaction, and in truth the disaster on L¡¯Haronne was the manifestation of this adverse rejection. Of course, before the rejection even took place, we had already made contact with the first level of protection of the dream.¡±


    ¡°That was me, or Rheia.¡± The goddess smiled, ¡°The entire dream world revolves around her. So the dream around here is the most stable, and the most consuming part. If you lot were just ordinary intruders, you would have been consumed and assimilated the moment you met Rheia before truly believing that you are an L¡¯Haronnean and becoming a mercenary for the rest of your life¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty scary.¡± Lily stuck her tongue out.


    ¡°And in fact, the assimilation had happened.¡± Hao Ren purposely stopped for second, and that reminded everyone. ¡°It had happened once, look at your hands. Is the mark of the World Tree still there?¡±

 Chapter 1663 - The Other Part of the Truth

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    As Hao Ren reminded the rest of them, Lily, Vivian, and the others remembered the matter and quickly raised their arms to have a look. Before they left, everyone had undergone the marking ritual in the hall of the World Tree. A resurrection mark from the World Tree should have been on the back of their hands, but now, all of the marks had disappeared.


    Everyone exclaimed in surprise at the same time. ¡°It¡¯s gone!¡±


    ¡°Holy sh*t!¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Nya nya nya?!¡±


    ¡°F*ck!¡±


    All right, not really in unison¡­


    The mark of the World Tree¡­ Its biggest function was to lock down everyone¡¯s life data, and in the event of a life-threatening moment, it would provide a valuable one-time resurrection. Its disappearance meant only one thing?¡ªthe resurrection had already been utilized.


    Yet, no one knew that they had already died once!


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Lily felt her fur suddenly bristle as if she had just seen death in the face. ¡°The resurrection token is missing! Why? I don¡¯t recall ever dying in L¡¯Haronne¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course no one died. Based on the prepared protocols, if everyone has consumed the mark, the World Tree¡¯s forced extraction protocol will activate and pull us back into the material universe. This process cannot be stopped even by the Umbral Realm.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°The mark of resurrection disappeared during assimilation when we stepped into the dream of L¡¯Haronne. No one has any memory of that, but it had in fact happened. This process was sufficient to trigger the mark, and so it was consumed. In reality, we were still alive, so the forced extraction protocol was not activated.¡±


    Lily blinked repeatedly as her tail drooped down. ¡°Ah¡­ what a waste of a resurrection token¡­¡±


    ¡°No, it worked as intended.¡± Hao Ren faintly smiled. ¡°It warded off our assimilation to the dream of L¡¯Haronne. Only with that were we able to operate while awake. Without that mark, we probably would have really started taking quests in White Maple Leaf City to survive, and follow that cycle for hundreds or thousands of years, until the goddess herself wakes up¡­¡±


    The goddess of creation shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m Rheia when I¡¯m asleep, and even I am trapped deep within the dream. It has nothing to do with me, yeah?¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless


    Why did he suddenly feel that the goddess¡¯ image had just crumbled?


    Cold sweat formed on everyone¡¯s head at the same time as they heard what Hao Ren said. Looking at the back of his hand, Nangong Sanba exclaimed, ¡°Bloody hell¡­ that sounded really scary. If this wasn¡¯t around, forget about discovering the truth of the dream, we¡¯ll even forget who we are¡­ Eh, wait a minute, that¡¯s not right. Based on what you saw, the mark supposedly disappeared from the start, right? Why did none of us notice it?¡±


    ¡°Of course you didn¡¯t. Didn¡¯t you all notice? Only after I reminded you guys that you remembered the existence of the mark,¡± Hao Ren said slowly. ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, the mark took our place in the assimilation and became part of the dream, completely disappearing from our memories. If not for that, we would not be able to totally ward off L¡¯Haronne¡¯s influence.¡±


    As he spoke, Hao Ren remembered something and immediately opened his Dimensional Pocket to let Lil Pea out. The little mermaid was probably playing in her aquarium, as when she was released she was still holding an exquisite conch shell and bore a cheerful look. That happy look suddenly turned confused before returning to joy as she teleported to Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder, bouncing about as she waved the shell about. ¡°Daddy! I dug a big sandpit in that tank! There are so many shells in there!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. Let daddy see your hand.¡± Hao Ren grabbed the little mermaid¡¯s arm as he entertained her. ¡°As I thought¡­ even in the Dimensional Pocket, Lil Pea¡¯s resurrection mark has been consumed. She was only outside for a short while when we arrived on L¡¯Haronne, just before we entered the city. She¡¯s been in the Dimensional Pocket, which can separate space-time continuum and the cycle of cause and effect. Technically, she should not have been affected by the dream¡¯s influence. So as I¡¯ve guessed, the mark was consumed at the very beginning. After that, we received an ¡®awakened¡¯ buff, so when we made contact with Rheia, the source of the dream, she did not assimilate us¡­¡±


    At that very moment, Nolan butted into the conversation, ¡°Boss, why wasn¡¯t I assimilated then? I did not have a marker at all.¡±


    The shipgirl¡¯s question stumped Hao Ren. His mouth opened and closed but he could not find a plausible explanation for that. At that same moment, the lounging goddess of creation answered Nolan¡¯s confusion. ¡°That¡¯s because your existence was beyond my comprehension.¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­¡± Nolan was taken aback,


    ¡°The dream has a limit, and even if there were much more margin of variables, I cannot describe something I cannot comprehend. You¡­ part of you is totally beyond my knowledge, and thus exceeded L¡¯Haronne¡¯s world view. If I controlling the dream while awake, I could probably come up with a reasonable explanation of your existence, but L¡¯Haronne was an automated one, and that prevented it from assimilating you¡­¡±


    Hao Ren raised an eyebrow at the goddess¡¯ explanation. He did not understand how such a civilian frigate like Nolan would confound the goddess of creation. Even if that goddess did not go through proper education she was still a sterling model of self-studied success. She should at the very least be able to understand most of the stuff in the universe, but he quickly realized that neither Nolan nor the Petrachelys had something really super high-tech¡­


    The void engine.


    The goddess of creation had slowly cultivated her research tree, and her highest achievement was just sending Vivian and the Ark of Yggdrasil to the Surface World just next door. Thus, she did not fully comprehend or understand cross-world navigation techniques and Nolan¡­ she had the void engine that allows her to travel in the void, and freely across worlds!


    Aside from the engine, everything on the Petrachelys or Hao Ren and his mates were easily understood and replicated objects, as such when they were able to be fully immersed in the dream, but the existence of the void engine meant the assimilation of Nolan into the dream got ¡®stuck¡¯ somewhere along the way¡­


    As the questions regarding L¡¯Haronne were getting answered one by one, Hao Ren felt glad. The goddess of creation then suddenly stretched her lazy bones, ¡°I do wish to continue chatting, but we have been too long on this ruin. If you don¡¯t mind, let¡¯s leave this place and find a better place to talk? I have plenty to do¡­¡±


    Hao Ren knew that the ¡°plenty of things to do¡± that the goddess had just spoken off included her plans for self-destruction. Convincing the latter to abandon her plan and accept his new idea would not be that easy. So, he decided to slowly talk to this uneducated yet willful goddess on how to save the world once they got out of the place.


    But before leaving the Umbral Realm, he still had one thing on his mind. ¡°I have a question. It is about L¡¯Haronne itself. Was it just created out of thin air? Or does it have an¡­ origin?


    As he had expected, the goddess of creation¡¯s expression changed slightly at the question. She then looked up, beyond the floating temple ruins floating in the darkness to the dark beyond: There was a torn planet sitting quietly in the void, as a faintly glowing mist engulfed the surface of the torn-into-two planet.


    Just like how the broken heaven could be seen from L¡¯Haronne, L¡¯Haronne could be seen above the broken heaven. There was a unique intersection between dream and reality here.


    Due to the interference of the chaotic mist, even a demigod¡¯s vision could now clearly see the details on the planet¡¯s surface. But through the blurry silhouettes, one could still make out some of the objects of the planet.


    Like that narrow plains sandwiched between two long mountain ranges¡­


    ¡°You see them right¡­¡± Only after a while did the goddess retract her gaze and sigh. ¡°That¡¯s right. That is L¡¯Haronne¡­ an actual place that once existed.¡±


    ¡°Was it caught by the explosion?¡± Hao Ren asked. ¡°And you then took it as the basis of the dream?¡±


    ¡°No, it was here all along¡­ outside the edge of the world.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyes widened as he heard that as he almost jumped at the revelation. ¡°Wait a minute! You mean that L¡¯Haronne¡­ has been here all along? In this place beyond the worlds of order, teetering close to the void?!¡±


    At this moment, a surge of information entered Hao Ren¡¯s mind. All sorts of guesses and predictions ran through his mind. That led him to feel like his brain was about to boil, and one of these guesses was the most direct, and the most implausible took up at least half of his brain capacity:


    Aside from the Plane of Dreams and the Surface World, there once existed a third universe?!


    ¡°Surprising, right? I was surprised myself,¡± the goddess of creation said blandly. ¡°When the Star of Creation blew up, I thought I would have been sent alongside the debris of the kingdom out of the world, and get destroyed by the place you call the ¡®void¡¯. But unexpectedly I fell into this place, a narrow and dark universe. There was even a planet called L¡¯Haronne here, and a group of peaceful mortals lived there. As I was dying then, and my will were still roaming around the ruins of the Star of Creation. I tried my best to bind the planet against the energy shock wave from the Star of Creation. I managed to delay it for two hundred years¡­ but I failed in the end, and the shock wave from the ruins of the heavenly kingdom tore everything apart in this tiny universe, including L¡¯Haronne.¡±


    From that day, the heavily-wounded goddess of creation fell into a deep sleep, and L¡¯Haronne became her dream.

 Chapter 1664 - The Dream of a God

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The sudden deluge of information so casually given by the goddess of creation broke Hao Ren¡¯s train of thought. Since he had to reevaluate his assessments and guesses about the Umbral Realm and L¡¯Haronne, he quickly asked for more details from the latter after the explosion.


    Soon, he understood many secrets regarding the events after the end of the Deicidal War.


    In line with the information they had garnered earlier, the Deicidal War itself was a ¡°planned conflict¡± the goddess of creation had orchestrated behind the scenes. The entire process of the deicide to the explosion of the heavenly kingdom was expected. As the godslayers destroyed the goddess¡¯ body, the boundless energy woven within the Star of Creation blew outward and engulfed the kingdom as well as a large swathe of the universe in a massive apocalyptic explosion, tearing a section of the dimension apart and flinging it towards the edge of the world.


    However, the situation after that was beyond her calculations.


    The heavenly kingdom broke through the world barrier but did not fall into the void. Rather, it fell into a dark and failing new dimension. This dimension was very small and filled with chaotic withering energies. It was as if doom was already at its doorstep. In this dying mini-dimension, a few celestial bodies floated about, and L¡¯Haronne was one of it.


    At that time, L¡¯Haronne was still a complete star orbiting a darkening burnt-out star. Its orbit seemed to have been purposely adjusted to try to get the needed energy from the dead star to maintain its ecosystem. Because of that, when the goddess of creation and the debris of her kingdom entered the dimension, L¡¯Haronne not only had complete ecosystems, it even had a middle-aged civilization on it.


    In the original plan, the goddess of creation was hoping that she would die in the finale of the deicide, and to that end, she even allowed the godslayers to get a hold of the sword she forged herself. But she probably underestimated her tenacity or overestimated the ability of the godslayers. She did not completely disappear after her kingdom was thrown to the edge of the world. Instead, she survived as a form of energy spirit within the ruins, and thus she quickly noticed the existence of L¡¯Haronne, and also realized that the planet was about to be destroyed by the shock wave that came with the heavenly kingdom.


    She tried her best to stop it, but her almost dissipated energy spirit form could not withstand such a massive force, and in the end, L¡¯Haronne was destroyed, as it was torn apart alongside the mini-universe in the energy shock wave.


    The energy from the ruins of the kingdom became the chaotic mist and enveloped the entire dimension, and the area became the Umbral Realm.


    The goddess of creation exhausted the last of her strength there and fell into a deep slumber. Until today, 10,000 years later, she was reborn.


    And the Dream of L¡¯Haronne was created in her slumber.


    ¡°During the days where I tried to restrain the destructive energies, my only leisure was to monitor L¡¯Haronne. A tiny planet at the edge of the world, away from the Worlds of Order, an isolated yet self-sustaining world, it really piqued my interest.¡± The goddess of creation looked up at the ruins of L¡¯Haronne, her voice filled with lamentation. ¡°It was an isolated yet lively world. The tiny planet had hundreds of kingdoms large and small, and quite a few intelligent races. They occasionally warred against either other, but the people¡¯s life was still bearable. They had their heroes, their faith, culture, and traditions. At times, monsters would appear and soldiers picked up their weapons as kings sent our heroes to destroy the monsters and maintain the peace. Then, everyone returned to the pub to celebrate. Oh, there were some hidden dragons, buried ancient treasures, ambitious kings, plots both audacious and treacherous, and some little, tiny love between mortals¡­¡±


    ¡°A utopia,¡± Vivian suddenly said, her voice sounding soft.


    ¡°A utopia, yes, an apt description.¡± The goddess turned around with a smile on her face. ¡°Yes, it is like a utopia. Compared to the chaos and destruction of the universe, this planet was a nice place. I have monitored it for so long, as I tried all sorts of ways to prevent its destruction, or to try to establish contact with the human¡¯s there, to let them hear my voice, but all of that failed, and the effort sent me deeper into the dream.¡±


    ¡°Looking at its broken ruins before you now, I¡¯m sure it is painful.¡± Nangong Wuyue was a sensitive person, and her voice was full of sadness. ¡°So it reappeared in your dream, and a girl called ¡®Rheia¡¯ lived there¡­¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t recall what happened during the birth of the dream. I was too weak then, and my thoughts were blurry.¡± The goddess frowned. ¡°I remembered the dream had another function¡­ I seem to have forgotten something important¡­¡±


    ¡°Regardless, you were probably very frustrated with the destruction of L¡¯Haronne, and you were probably blaming yourself deep within your psyche.¡± Lily went on like a professional psychologist, ¡°So you had recreated it in the dream, and everything is possible in the dream¡­¡±


    At that moment Hao Ren coughed softly, ¡°Ahem, I actually have something to tell you. Something to do with L¡¯Harrone.¡±


    The goddess raised his eyebrow as a curious look dawning upon her face.


    Hao Ren grabbed the MDT and activated the holographic projection, ¡°I had Nolan deploy a few probes towards L¡¯Haronne, and these are the images taken at close distance. Have a look.¡±


    The images on the projection were very clear, and everyone was stunned as they saw the image, including the goddess herself.


    On the image, the broken-into-two L¡¯Haronne did not die off, rather it was showing signs of vibrant life with the glow of verdant greens and azure seas. Tiny man-made objects floated freely in the seas and the sky as a mysterious screen covered the planet, separating it from the treacherous chaos outside. What caught the eyes of everyone were the broken part of this torn planet. What they saw there defied all manners of physical laws.


    The planet was torn into two, and yet countless of water current and light rays crossed the abyss between the two planets and the seawater that was supposed to flow into the planet¡¯s core were held back by some sort of supernatural force, as they were either stopped near the broken belt, or simply just flowed across the sky like a skyborne river, connecting the two halves of the planet together..


    And that did not look anything like doomsday came knocking in any shape or form¡­


    ¡°The chaotic mist in the dimension affected all long-range observation methods and that planet¡¯s surrounding has a layer of bizarre energy disrupting our sight. So only when the probes got close to L¡¯Haronne that they were able to take these clear and real pictures.¡±


    As Hao Ren spoke he swapped the images, and the next image was another close-range shot by another probe, and on that image, a city built on the plains near the mountain range. While there ere some changes, the silhouette, and the surrounding geography allowed everyone to recognize it.


    White Maple Leaf City!


    ¡°Impossible!¡± The first to exclaim was the goddess herself. ¡°How did they survive that shock wave?! Their civilization level could never withstand such a disaster, and don¡¯t even start with that barrier, and the structures at the center of the hemispheres¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, they could not have withstood it.¡± Hao Ren looked at the shaken goddess, but his mind recalled all the knowledge about divinity he had forced himself to study, ¡°L¡¯Haronne was indeed destroyed. But have you forgotten? You recreated it in your dream.¡±


    ¡°Dream¡­.¡± The goddess had a look of disbelief. ¡°I was indeed dreaming, and all of you came from there as well. But what does that have to do with L¡¯Haronne being part of reality?¡±


    Vivian blinked as she looked at the goddess of creation and then at Hao Ren. ¡°Oh my¡­ can it be¡­.¡± she murmured.


    ¡°It is that ¡®can it be¡¯.¡± Hao Ren smiled while he looked at the silver-haired goddess. ¡°A god¡¯s dream is not any dream, especially one with saddled mania and regret. L¡¯Haronne¡¯s destruction was one of your biggest regrets, and your ¡®Dream of L¡¯Haronne¡¯ has a very strong motive to it, even if you did not realize it yourself. You were lying here, with the ruins of L¡¯Haronne floating just above you. You had used it as a blueprint for the dream, and that dream had affected reality.¡±


    ¡°That can actually happen?!¡± The Nangong siblings exclaimed in unison.


    ¡°Why not?¡± Hao Ren threw the question back. ¡°The monster brain could create monsters with flesh and blood from the nightmare, and the goddess of creation is way, way stronger than it, so why couldn¡¯t she create something even more extraordinary?¡±


    ¡°I know my thoughts can affect reality, but I never knew it could have such an effect.¡± The goddess of creation had recovered from her stupor, and excitement started to appear on her face before she forcefully suppressed it. With a wave of her hand, she pulled out a thick notebook from god knows where, and started to scribble on the notebook. ¡°Wait a minute, let me write that down!¡±


    As he saw the goddess¡¯ rather unusual reaction, Hao Ren stepped forward to have a look, and the moment he saw the content of the notebook he was struck by dizziness and quickly took a step back. The notebook was riddled with all sorts of notes. There were formulas, rune marks, and some scribbled post scripts and memos. The latest one was about the dream, and the goddess of creation was seriously recording down the effects and theoretical rules of her dream affecting reality. She was now setting up a hypothesis¡­


    So this was how the goddess of creation self-studied?!


    Noticing Hao Ren¡¯s reaction, the goddess stopped her writing as she looked up, worried. ¡°Are you okay? Better not look at the stuff I wrote, it¡¯s not a secret, but mainly because things that I write can easily affect someone¡¯s soul¡­¡±


    Hao Ren awkwardly rubbed his nose. ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m a demigod myself, seeing divine writings is not a problem. My dizziness was caused by your chicken scratch of a handwriting¡­¡±


    She was speechless.


    Hao Ren found his response was a tad bit too blunt and quickly shifted the topic. ¡°Ahem ahem, you can put that aside first, and in actuality, I have better teaching materials. Once we¡¯re back you can learn to your heart¡¯s content.¡±


    The goddess did not know what the ¡®teaching materials¡¯ Hao Ren had mentioned, but she realized that this was not the time to take notes. She then kept her notebook with a slight awkwardness on her face. ¡°Yes, this is not the time for that. But coming back to that, my dream actually has such a function, a really¡­really important function.. wait¡­ important function.


    As she said, her eyes turned distant as she seemed to recall something important amid her murmurings.


    Vivian asked, slightly worried. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I have a feeling that I¡¯ve forgotten something important, it has something to do with the dream.¡± The goddess¡¯ expression was weird, as she seemed to be trying to suppress something without herself noticing it. ¡°Why did I dream in the first place¡­ I wove that dream to¡­ to¡­¡±


    Seeing her bizarre reaction, a chill went down Hao Ren¡¯s spine as a possibility ran through his mind. He quickly yelled, ¡°Stop there! Don¡¯t continue!¡±


    But his warning came a step too late as the goddess had a look of realization. ¡°Ah, I remember now.¡±


    As she said that, the entire ruins shook violently.


    A terrifying will had come.

 Chapter 1665 - Recalled

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    As the goddess of creation recalled the initial function of the Dream of L¡¯Haronne, a terrifying presence appeared.


    Of course, it was not the Mad Lord. The Mad Lord¡¯s real body was still sealed within the deepest parts of the Plane of Dreams, trying to escape captivity. But the presence that appeared was no less a foe than the Mad Lord.


    Hao Ren felt the entire Umbral Realm shake. The basis of all life and forms was being shaken by a powerful interference. Hao Ren, however, knew that his senses were not accurate: the quaking was only within the ruins of the Star of Creation because the energy was entrenched within the area. However, the shock of its appearance was so great that everyone¡¯s senses were muddled for a moment.


    Numerous massive blasts rang from all over as the continents and islands floating peacefully in space for the past 10,000 years suddenly spun maniacally like a malfunctioning gyroscope. Debris, big and small, collided against each other in the spin, creating a massive crash. The ancient ruins on the continents were also consumed by the chaos. While they were crushed and grounded between the floating continents, the remaining energies blew out from within and formed a massive web of arching lightning.


    Only the continent Hao Ren and the rest were standing on maintained its stability. As the chaos ensued, the goddess of creation swiftly reacted. With a stomp, she stabilized the entire continent and created a small realm of order around the continent. Yet, this small realm of order was insignificant in comparison to the ruins and debris of the Star of Creation. Just like a solitary island in the middle of a storm, the danger of being overwhelmed was real.


    Nangong Wuyue¡¯s tail quickly coiled around Nangong Sanba who was closest to her as she let out a pitiful shriek. ¡°Aaaaahhhh!! What¡¯s going on?! What¡¯s going on?!¡±


    ¡°Something is being released!¡± Hao Ren swiftly armed himself as he commanded Nolan to overload every weapon system onboard. ¡°Didn¡¯t we discussed this before. The heavenly kingdom was destroyed because of the clash of the goddess and Mad Lord¡¯s powers. Since the goddess is still alive¡ª¡±


    ¡°The other half is too!¡± The second part was continued by the goddess herself. She seemed to have fully recovered from the deep slumber. Not only she was awake, but her memories of the matter had also recovered too. ¡°Damn it, I remembered why I created that dream in the first place. There¡¯s another me here, and I dragged her along to annihilation that time, but like me, she was not totally destroyed, so to keep that monster from escaping. I created a real dream to bind her¡­ The dream becoming L¡¯Haronne actually happened somewhat later¡­¡±


    ¡°Seems like that dark version of you, is about to appear.¡± Hao Ren gave the nervous goddess a pained look. ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, you had tried to strengthen the seal by cutting off your memory of her right? The dream plus the memory separation, it may seem like a good idea but aren¡¯t you a little overconfident?! My god, this was not the first time your schemes turned out the other way!¡±


    The silver-haired goddess had wanted to say something but an intimidating aura soon came crashing against everyone and that put a stop to the conversation.


    Within the dark, chaotic void, the energy seeping out of the ruins seemed to now have a focal point as started converging towards that direction. Nolan by reflex fired the main cannon towards that direction but the powerful psionic cannon shot was blocked by a giant lightning bolt arcing out from the convergence before both attacks petered out. It was very clear that the converging energies and the psionic cannon were of the same level.


    After the temporary disruption, the converged energy current had finally being compressed and reformed. A blinding flash later, a black cocoon-like object lined with blood-red lines appeared in its place.


    ¡°Attacking it is pointless!¡± The goddess of creation hurriedly cautioned. ¡°The energy around it will nullify all attacks. Her main body is not even out yet. We need to wait for the cocoon to break¡­¡±


    Hao Ren muttered to himself that damage nullification was a joke when an appropriate force was applied, but after some thought, he realized that he probably did not have that sort of firepower to totally kill a god. He then turned around to ask, ¡°Can we take her down after the cocoon breaks?¡±


    The goddess of creation looked up. ¡°No, she¡¯ll probably wipe the floor with us.¡±


    Hao Ren almost had a heart attack. ¡°Huh? Weren¡¯t you her equal? Plus, a few of us won¡¯t¡­¡±


    The goddess of creation furrowed her brows as she monitored the enemy. ¡°We were equal when we were asleep, but I¡¯ve just noticed that her sleep quality has probably been better than mine¡­¡±


    Hao Ren finally confirmed that this goddess¡¯ image shattering was not him seeing things. But he did not have the luxury to comment on that anymore, as cracks appeared all over the ¡°cocoon¡±, which was floating mid-air.


    The breaking of the cocoon was rapid, nothing like in the movies or games where CGI effects were blasting for at least thirty minutes. If Hao Ren had the confidence to blow it up, he would have deployed at least four digits worth of cannon platforms and space mines, but it only used two seconds to break open, and as he dark shell fell apart, a petite silhouette appeared in midair.


    It was a female that looked identical to the Goddess of Creation, the only difference was, she had no color to her.


    Just like an uncolored painting, the lady from the cocoon was horrifyingly pale from top to bottom, no matter her hair or her clothing, her skin or her eyes, it was all pale white. If not for the contours of her eyes were still visible Hao Ren would have thought he was looking at a white silhouette.


    ¡°Heh, I thought the dark version of you would have been black, never thought she would be so white.¡±


    Hao Ren tried to crack a joke but clearly, no one was in the mood to laugh.


    The biggest insurance against the goddess of annihilation was the goddess of creation, but now she said that she did not have a restful sleep, and the boss cannot be beaten. What the actual f*ck?


    Regardless, now that the enemy is here they had to fight, Hao Ren felt that he had least had to try before totally giving up, or at least buy everyone the time to escape. He immediately pulled out the two long swords and gave Nolan the command to deploy the navigational signal in his mind.


    Now that the dream had ended, the transmission should have been fine, right?


    The goddess of annihilation had seen his movements, and the pale evil goddess looked down. Her eyes were emotionless as a dry croak came out of her mouth, ¡°I know the swords in your hand.¡±


    ¡°Oh? You can actually talk,¡± Hao Ren replied out of reflex.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± The goddess of annihilation frowned. ¡°Not affected by my voice at all? What are you?¡±


    ¡°Huh, is there a rule that I must die when I listen to your voice?¡± Hao Ren grinned, ¡°I¡¯m still a demigod all things considered.¡±


    ¡°A demigod?¡± Since when did this world have such a thing like you¡­¡± The goddess of annihilation titled her head before shrugging nonchalantly. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll just kill you.¡±


    As she spoke, an almost imperceptible semi-transparent wave was launched with a swing of her hand. It trudged along slowly towards Hao Ren¡¯s direction.


    Where the wave passed through, visible cracks and distortion appeared in the surrounding space.


    In just that short moment, Hao Ren felt goosebumps all over hi, as a sense of foreboding danger ran across his body. And this sense of danger was even stronger than when he clashed against Lockmarton. He quickly realized that the seemingly harmless wave was actually very lethal. It did not destroy the dimensional structure along the way, it was instead deleting everything in its path!


    Dodging it was impossible. As slow as it may look Hao Ren realized that the ¡®slowness¡¯ was just an illusion created by space and time being consumed. He was going to get hit, and have no options to escape.


    He could only pin his hopes on Raven 12345 being reliable for once.


    He muttered Raven 12345¡¯s name in his head as the wave struck his body. At the moment of contact, a thin, hollow layer of ¡°holy light¡± appeared over his Steel Membrane Shield, and the blessing from Raven 12345 made contact with the attack from the goddess of annihilation. There was a collision of force¡­


    Alright, there were no explosions nor any blinding light. What happened was seemingly harmless strands being deflected away from Hao Ren towards the nether. And where the strands landed, everything disappeared in a blink of an eye, regardless it was rock or mud, or the ancient ruins floating above.


    Cold sweat formed on Hao Ren¡¯s forehead. Whatever he may have had in mind, Raven 12345¡¯s blessing actually warded off the attack, and he almost wanted to believe in that unreliable goddess.


    At the same time, the goddess of annihilation, realizing that her attack had failed, titled her head. Perhaps it was in confusion, as she had never thought such a thing would happen. A seemingly ordinary ¡°mortal¡± actually blocked her attack with just a mere shield. ¡°Hm? You¡­ interesting¡­¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s confidence grew after he managed to block the attack with his divine shield of this half-baked, weakened goddess. Of course, he knew that he was not an equal match for the goddess, but he too understood that he was not alone.


    As long as he was not being outright run over, there were still things that could be done.


    ¡°Interesting right?¡± Hao Ren responded, trying to buy time to let the divine shield and his shaken spirit have a breather. He then pointed towards the void around. ¡°But there¡¯s more to come!¡±


    The pale evil goddess curiously looked at his movements, not understanding what sort of tricks this weak opponent might come up with. She did notice Hao Ren had a team ready for battle by his side, and her other self standing not too far away. She realized that these people were capable of being a nuisance but were not a threat, and as for her other self¡­


    The latter was still in a weakened state.


    So she thought Hao Ren was just bluffing¡­


    Until dimensional rifts started opening en mass across the entire void and two massive fleets broke out of the rift and materialized into real space.

 Chapter 1666 - The Battle of the Doppelgangers

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Following Nolan¡¯s broadcast of the navigation marker to the material world, the droid swarm fleet and the guardian fleet, which had been standing by for so long at the Core, immediately activated their warp engines. Countless dimensional rifts were torn open and the space at the edge of the world collapsed into a pathway as the starships and droids entered the broken kingdom of the Umbral Realm.


    Seeing the glittering light in the dark void as starships and armed droids quickly materialized, Hao Ren smirked. Now, this was more like it. It¡¯s not like you could see that sky-piercing arrow on L¡¯Haronne every day.


    Even the goddess of annihilation was startled at the sudden change of fortune. Looking up at the fleet that was appearing in droves, her voice was that of surprise. ¡°What is this? The guardians? Ah¡­ so these naughty children did not totally die off¡­ That¡¯s fine, I could use a work out now that I¡¯m awake¡­¡±


    That same moment, another voice rang out from the ground and broke the goddess of annihilation¡¯s murmurs. ¡°Taking me as invisible just because I¡¯ve been quiet?¡±


    The silver-haired, red-eyed goddess looked up. Even though she had not recovered from her 10,000-year-long slumber, her presence was still commanding. Once she finished, she nodded at Hao Ren, thanking him for blocking the first blow. She then looked at the two swords in his hand. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, can I borrow one? I¡¯m probably better than you in using it.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I can give them both to you. They were yours anyway,¡± Hao Ren said as he was about to throw both swords over and switch to his inspector pistol, but the goddess of creation waved him off and took only the silent Worldbreaker blade. ¡°This one is enough.¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned, and he wanted to ask if the latter felt that the Godslayer was just too talkative¡­


    It may seem like a lengthy exchange, but this happened in barely a few seconds. The goddess of annihilation did not seem to think much of her foes, and she did not bother about making the first strike. The goddess of creation, on the other hand, grabbed on to the weapon she had used many years ago. The ripples in the universe continued until finally, a big majestic black starship materialized and a bright voice rang in everyone¡¯s ears.


    ¡°The guardians have arrived. This is¡­ Mother?! You¡¯re¡­¡±


    It seemed like the commander of the guardians sensed a very familiar aura, and his voice immediately shuddered.


    ¡°Let¡¯s reminisce later,¡± the goddess of creation interrupted the commander directly as she raised her sword towards the white silhouette in standing in the void. With her gaze sharpened, she commanded, ¡°Maximum firepower! Destroy her!¡±


    With that, she swung her as a crescent light that could cut through the entire Umbral Realm shot out from the tip of her blade, charging towards the pale evil goddess in a destructive force.


    The command of the goddess of creation was the truth that all guardians followed without question, and even being apart from their mother for 10,000 years, this golden rule never changed. Even if they were still shocked, elated, excited or confused, Salaman and his guardians reflexively responded to the goddess¡¯ command, and as the destructive light blade was shot out, the entire guardian fleet fired their guns!


    Hao Ren too quickly gave out his orders. ¡°All units, maximum output. Fire at will!¡±


    In an instant, thousands of starship cannons roared as the droid swarm rained lasers. All combat units from the material universe disengaged their firepower limitation protocols and unleashed the maximum possible firepower towards that foreboding area. This scene was almost comical, as the goddess of annihilation was but like a tiny ant before the massive starships, and even the Aiur¡¯s sub-cannons were larger than the evil goddess¡­


    But everyone knew, there was nothing funny about it.


    Before such a bombardment, personal martial ability seemed almost pointless and even Y¡¯zaks meteor storm was like mere ripples in the pond. Aside from Lily¡¯s miniature Doggoblast here and there, Hao Ren and the rest quickly gave up the idea of throwing fireballs and lightning bolts towards that area. Truth be told, forget about attacking, the energy ripples caused by the bombardment of countless of starships had surged forth and the energy storm had crashed against the continent they were standing on, with lethal temperature and shock wave came crashing from above. It not for Y¡¯zaks presence of mind in deploying a fel barrier swiftly, standing still would have been a problem in itself.


    Only Noobie was bravely shooting at the sky¡­


    The goddess of creation did not take any further actions after the attack and only looked on grimly at the burning and blinding light orb in the center of the void. That was the fusion of energy forming after the guardian¡¯s convergence cannon fire. At the core of that energy orb, the basic laws of the universe had collapsed, but she still bore a tense expression.


    Hao Ren shielded Lil Pea as he retreated to the goddess¡¯ side. He had not noticed the latter¡¯s expression as his focus was on the explosion in the middle of the void. ¡°With this level of attack, it should be enough¡­¡±


    ¡°No, not enough, not at all enough.¡± Hao Ren was interrupted by the goddess before he could even finish, ¡°She will not be destroyed so easily. If a fleet¡¯s combined broadside was enough to solve this, I would not need to be so troubled back then¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, the light orb in the middle of the void shuddered as the light was suddenly shrunk. The few-kilometer long light orb had shrunk into the size of barely a few meters.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± The goddess of creation yelled a warning as she saw that happen. At the same time, she raised her hand as an argent barrier formed around the continent Hao Ren and the rest were standing on. With her sword arm, she sent another much more powerful shock wave towards the light orbs.


    The light orbs broke apart without a sound, and following that, an extremely powerful energy storm engulfed the entire dimension.


    All the energy within the area seemed to be compressed and released all at once as rampaging light beams immediately smashed against everything within the universe. That included the broken continent, islands, and temple complexes. Also caught within the blast were a droid swarm and guardian starships closest to the battlefield. They could not evade in time and were torn by the attack into a stream of fireballs.


    But this was not the end, as the energy feedback blasted out, Hao Ren heard a very clear voice ringing in his mind:


    ¡°I¡­ am the shadow within all of you¡­¡±


    As the words fleeted way, Hao Ren saw a slash forming from the light beams, and it was similar to the one that the goddess of creation had launched earlier. It was even following the same trajectory back. The goddess of creation immediately reacted to it as she parried the light with her sword, but she was still thrown backward for her efforts.


    But to be honest, compared the things that happened after that, ¡°Vivian¡¯s mum being blasted away¡¯ was nothing but a sideshow.


    Hao Ren saw that within the menacing light, countless objects were slowly materializing from the void.


    Those guardian starships¡­ and the innumerable droid swarm!


    For every guardian starship on the battlefield, a doppelganger was formed from the chaos, and for every combat droid, another one would appear like a ghost as dimensional ripples were torn open across the entire space; one by one the shadowy doppelganger fleet entered the battlefield. If not for the doppelgangers having a nondescript black mist around them, Hao Ren would have taken them for another wave of his reinforcements.


    Yet, they were created by the evil goddess.


    As the ¡®doppelgangers¡¯ appeared, the guardian starships and the droid swarm immediately locked on to the new enemies as their cannons roared. The doppelgangers reacted just as quickly and in a split second, two identical barrages landed upon each other.


    The originally one-sided bombardment soon became an equal exchange of barrages as the entire ruins of the heavenly kingdom was consumed by an endless stream of explosion and lasers. And within the ongoing madness, Hao Ren could clearly see the pale evil goddess reappearing where she once stood.


    Unharmed.


    The goddess of creation reinforced the divine shield on the continent to defend against any incoming shells from space against this sole unscathed ground. Lily had transformed into her armored doggie mode, and the thick layer of armor gave her some degree of comfort and safety. Looking at the chaotic battlefield, she howled, ¡°Mr. Landlord! This thing isn¡¯t your ordinary boss! We might not be able to beat her!¡±


    As Lily finished, the pale goddess had retrained her focus on the small group of enemies on the ground. Letting out a sinister smile, she pointed towards them. ¡°Ah¡­ I almost forgot about you lot.¡±


    With that, doppelgangers started appearing around Hao Ren and this team!


    Another heavily armed and armored wolf, another demon engulfed in flames and lava, and another curled up siren!


    Aside from the black mist surrounding them, they were identical to their originals and soon they were all attacking their respective ¡®originals¡¯.


    ¡°F*ck! When with the goddess¡¯ barrier¡­¡± Nangong Sanba had shivers down his spine as he saw a totally identical opposite was training his crossbow at him. But he was not a slouch either. Before the doppelganger could attack, he had already activated the protection rune in his hand, and the next second, a silver bolt crashed against the shield he held up at the very last minute. ¡°Bloody¡­ Eh? He isn¡¯t all that strong?¡±


    Y¡¯zaks, on the other hand, exchanged fists with his doppelganger and a direct hook sent the latter backward. He let out a bold laugh, ¡°Hah! This one¡¯s strong as hell. This is going to be fun!¡±


    The chaotic scene in space made discerning things difficult, but upon looking about Hao Ren noticed the unique trait of the doppelgangers: They were a complete carbon copy product of the original¡¯s data. No matter the combat style, or combat prowess, it is identical to the original, and that resulted in a very different scenario for everyone facing their own doppelganger!


    Nangong Sanba¡¯s offense was always lackluster but he could always defend himself, so facing his doppelganger he could simply just stay on the defensive, while Y¡¯zaks was fighting to hell and return with his doppelganger.


    Two lightning-charged bat swarm clashed against each other as Vivian and her doppelganger fought. Slightly further away, two Doggoblasts collided against each other and dissipated away, that was Lily and her doppelganger blasting at each other.


    Behind Hao Ren, Nangong Wuyue that also begun combat against her doppelganger: The two balls of snakes were coiled up and stabbing each other with the tip of their tails. But neither could harm the other, as they were at least twenty meters apart¡­


    Even Noobie met her doppelganger, and the battle between the two was probably the safest, quietest occurrence on the battlefield. Seeing the two going at each other, Hao Ren felt that even the BGM had changed.


    The two tiny tots stood about a meter apart. As Noobie went ¡°biubiu!¡±, so did her doppelganger. But no one was being hit.

 Chapter 1667 - Face Plastering

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Time and time again, as long as there was a fight, Nangong Wuyue and Noobie would be able to tear the entire grim atmosphere down. The fact that the poking siren and the ¡°biubiubiu-ing¡± Noobie just pulled down the severity of the matter by two notches, Hao Ren even started to wonder if the goddess of annihilation would recall those doppelgangers upon seeing how sorry the two of them were; but as things went, it was nonsense.


    Aside from those two embarrassments and the weird atmosphere surrounding them, the entire ruins of the Star of Creation had pretty much been blown to kingdom come.


    The guardian starships were exchanging salvos with the doppelganger starships while countless droid swarms clashed with other droid swarms. Hao Ren¡¯s teammates were facing off against their own doppelgangers too. The goddess of creation, who was supposed to be the strongest fighting force on his side, was still weak from her awakening, so she was badly wounded by the counterattack. She could only use her divine powers to protect the continent, preventing it from being destroyed by the cannon fire and energy currents flying about. She was in no condition to take the offensive.


    To be frank, retreating sounded like a good idea, but now that the entire battlefield had descended into absolute chaos, and the overwhelming doppelgangers had everyone engaged. While the World Tree could forcefully extract Hao Ren and his team out (this would work even without the mark of resurrection), Salaman¡¯s fleet, his droid swarm, and the goddess of creation herself could perish on the battlefield.


    Hao Ren¡¯s mind went on overdrive as he tried to figure out a way to break this stalemate as he used Godslayer and his pistol to support his comrades who were faltering in combat. Suddenly, he noticed a key question.


    ¡°Eh, where¡¯s my doppelganger?¡±


    Every ally on the battlefield was engaged in a fight again their own doppelganger. Even Noobie had a target to shoot with. But Hao Ren only realized that after spending a good time running about helping others, he did not have a doppelganger.


    Lil Pea did not have one too.


    Perhaps he could reconcile this with his special position as a pope, but what about Lil Pea?


    Yet, Hao Ren did not have the luxury to slowly ponder things out as a bone-chilling aura suddenly locked upon him. Looking up against his tense body, his eyes met the pale goddess.


    The latter showed an expression of slight amusement before letting out a chilly smile. ¡°Interesting¡­ You are an interesting fellow. Seems like all these toys won¡¯t work with you. Time for me to assume direct control of the matter then¡­¡±


    As she finished, the pale silhouette disappeared into thin air. Hao Ren totally could not track or lock on to her aura, and he could only assume a parrying stance by instinct to protect his side, and just as the sword got into position, a terrifying energy slammed against him. It was like being smashed directly by a charging Lily, and he was sent flying!


    But just as he flew out, Hao Ren¡¯s mental faculties were more alert than ever, and his mental training had finally paid off as he quickly realized something:


    He had used his own strength to block off the evil goddess¡¯ attack, and the divine shield did not even trigger.


    Seems like that evil goddess¡¯ power had¡­ somehow weakened?


    He swiftly recovered before landing and while it may not look the most elegant, he at least landed on two feet, and the pale silhouette reappeared not too far away, before disappearing again.


    Another attack soon came crashing against him, and within it was a corrosive energy attack. Hao Ren was sent about a dozen steps backward by the attack, and before he could recover, another flash blasted out beside him as a follow-up attack came!


    ¡°Bloody hell you aren¡¯t following the script at all!¡± Hao Ren was in a sorry state but he still managed to ward off the third attack. He even had the time to yell out in anger. ¡°Don¡¯t you evil bosses spend two minutes blabbing nonsense before attacking!¡±


    The answer to this question was an exploding energy orb. *Kaboom!*


    The goddess of annihilation¡¯s attack was relentless, unwavering and without any restraint. Hao Ren even heard the former¡¯s voice ringing in his head, her voice seething with contempt. ¡°Ah, I heard of those fools you¡¯ve mentioned¡­¡±


    *Kaboom!*


    ¡°They would always like to waste time and energy facing a weaker foe, just to gloat about their strength, and to belittle the opponent.¡±


    *Kaboom!*


    ¡°But many times, this foolish action means variables. And I hate variables.¡±


    ¡°Kaboom!*


    ¡°You are an interesting person. Yes, enough to pique my interest¡­ but I feel that¡­¡±


    *Kaboom!*


    ¡°Killing you at the first opportunity, totally annihilating you, crushing your spirit, destroying your resurrection methods, sweeping aside your comrades, locking down your reinforcements, removing all variables, this is the most effective way. I hate variables, and I hate my foes making a comeback. I hate heroes resurrecting, and I hate people inheriting a great cause or ways to get stronger. So unfortunately, I cannot fully enjoy studying your secrets.¡±


    In the last attack, Hao Ren was almost blasted away. He was blackened by the blast and his steel membrane shield was almost depleted. Even the Godslayer did not utter a word at all before he went, ¡°I feel like things are looking quite bad.¡±


    And the pale silhouette once again appeared not too far away. Jer hair was not even messed up.


    Yet, Hao Ren smiled. It was a genuine smile. ¡°I noticed two things.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± The evil goddess who bore a similar face to the goddess of creation titled her head as she stopped her attack, seemingly giving Hao Ren some face to speak.


    ¡°First, you¡¯ve produced a lot of nonsensical blabbering and flourish, but you won¡¯t admit it yourself,¡± Hao Ren said as he tried to move his body, the biting pain caused him to hiss. Surprisingly, all these wounds were merely flesh wounds. ¡°Secondly¡­ you are getting weaker, eh?¡±


    The goddess of annihilation did not respond, and only let out a contemptuous smile, seemingly acknowledging the fact.


    ¡°Regardless, you are still a being of the same level as the goddess of creation. Even if you¡¯ve recovered much better from your slumber, you will not be able to overrun us directly. So that¡¯s why you¡¯ve summoned so many doppelgangers to fight us.¡±


    Hao Ren took a deep breath as he got there, before silently keeping his pistol back into his dimensional pocket. The battle prior had proved that if he cannot hit the target, his attacks would be pointless no matter how strong was it. And with the goddess of annihilation having an almost prophetic level of precognition and teleportation, the pistol was of little help.


    ¡°The doppelgangers are intimidating, but clearly they cannot be relied on to instantly overwhelm everyone here, it will instead by a battle of attrition. This clearly contradicts the ¡®efficiency¡¯ you are talking about. There is only one reason: you do not have the ability to wipe everyone out in an instant.¡± Hao Ren looked at the goddess of annihilation as his damaged body was slowly being restored. ¡°And these doppelgangers seemed to have taken much out of you. Your attacks were much weaker than before.¡±


    ¡°So what of it.¡± The pale evil goddess was impassive. ¡°You think you are capable of taking me on now?¡±


    ¡°Since you don¡¯t have unlimited energy, means you are a foe that can be slowly chipped away. What is there to fear?¡± Hao Ren gave a faint smile. ¡°The moment your HP bar starts flashing, that will be the deciding point of this battle!¡±


    The goddess of annihilation did not know what an HP bar meant, and against Hao Ren¡¯s rambling, her answer was a teleport plus leaping slash.


    Just as the pale silhouette disappeared, Hao Ren tensed up his entire nervous system. His dimensional pocket was already open, and in his hand, a shimmering metal chain that extended from the pocket.


    The experience of being blasted away almost a dozen time seemed to have paid off as with almost intuitive reflex, Hao Ren swung his left hand in a direction, without even looking. An unusually-thick, metal-lined, eight-pointed chained scripture swung out with a sharp shriek. The goddess of annihilation appeared right in the spot he had swung his hand to, almost as if on purpose. For her efforts, the almost diabolic holy scripture plastered her face entirely!


    A loud thud rang out as a blinding light orb exploded at the place where the holy scripture and the enemy made contact. Hao Ren felt that a wave of power that he totally did not comprehend was being released, and while its strength was just about normal, there was a ¡®force¡¯ that could not be mitigated, defended or avoided. And the seemingly invincible goddess of annihilation was sent flying after eating a face full of an unspectacular book strike!


    Not only was she sent flying, but the attack also sent her reeling as her body dug an entire trench across the ground. And by the time she got up her entire aura had diminished as the mysterious energy from the scripture was still afflicting her as it gnawed away at her strength.


    ¡°Impossible!¡± The once haughty evil goddess had finally lost her composure. ¡°What is that thing!¡±


    Hao Ren held on to the chain as he brandished the holy scripture menacingly, ¡°This is called ¡®Mother¡¯s Love¡¯, and it is specially tailored for you. This mother may not even be your real mother, but the effect is all the same.¡±


    ¡°Gibberish!¡± The goddess of annihilation clearly had no idea what Hao Ren was on about, but she could feel that she was being taunted, badly. In her rage, she swept up a pale storm and charged towards Hao Ren like a tornado.


    Hao Ren¡¯s response was to launch the edged tome like a meteor hammer. ¡°Embrace your stepmom¡¯s love!¡±

 Chapter 1668 - The Apocalypse? Already a Thing of the Past

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    In the battle earlier, Hao Ren was not just standing there like an idiot, tanking blast after blast. All right, it may have looked like that, but Hao Ren was no slouch. With the MDT¡¯s help, he swiftly collected all sorts of data on the goddess of annihilation, from her attack patterns to her strengths. With every move she made, there was a ¡°rotation¡± that she would fall back to, and all this information was collected. The reason for this was, he truly believed in one sentence that Raven 12345 once told him; even though the goddess spewed drivel most of the time, this particular sentence was convincing.


    This was what she said, ¡°Hao Ren, you know, even for the gods, their actions are bound by a certain rule or pattern just like how I love to chomp on noodles. This is the rule of the gods.¡±


    Frankly speaking, if not for that last part, he would have probably forgotten about it.


    Reality proved that Raven 12345 was not joking when she said that, be it the first or the latter half.


    To make sense of a mentally unstable evil goddess¡¯ entire movement set in a short span of time was impossible. But if he only focused on collecting some combat data, it was not too difficult with the MDT¡¯s help. With his battered body as the price, Hao Ren could finally keep up with the evil goddess¡¯ tempo, and he managed to ascertain the drop in her strength. Now that he had the ability to hit her in melee combat, he finally pulled out that door stopper of a scripture and used it to full effect in the fight that followed.


    While it was actually meant for the goddess of creation, once treated as a weapon, however, it seemed like it was an even more effective tool against the goddess of annihilation¡­ After all, he would not be able to go all out smacking Vivian¡¯s mum, but that did not apply when he turned the weapon against an evil boss character¡­


    As for the goddess of annihilation, she clearly felt only one thing: her mothers did not seem to love her all that much.


    The goddess of annihilation had surrounded herself with a powerful energy tornado, and yet this divinity driven storm could not block the powers unleashed from the meteor-scripture-hammer, and Hao Ren, by instinct, simply whirled the chain about before launching it forward, and what followed was another loud thud and the pale goddess was once against thrown into the air.


    And the resulting force from the collision also sent Hao Ren reeling backward.


    ¡°You bastard!¡± An angry roar echoed across the battlefield. ¡°You are but a mere mortal! How dare you do this to me!¡±


    Facing the overwhelming aura, Hao Ren spun the meteor hammer again as he delivered another dose of ¡°Mother¡¯s Love¡± over to her. ¡°Just a mere grunt going around collecting protection money for two days¡­ For someone who¡¯s not even a capo, you actually dare shake up the cops?!¡±


    Once again, the meteor-scripture-hammer was smashed against the evil goddess¡¯ face. Hao Ren was pretty sure that he did not even aim when he flung that thing out. He had simply tossed the weapon in a random direction, but the incredible toy seemed to have a will of its own and would automatically lock on to its target at close range. Time and time again it had aimed squarely for the latter¡¯s head or face. That led him to suspect if that was an innate function of the holy scripture¡­a specialized head cracker¡­ like a certain high-tech brick¡­


    The two had continued to exchange god knows how many blows in a short span of time, and before another violent collision drew a distance between the two. Hao Ren huffed and puffed as he stood in the middle of a circular crater, his clothes tattered and his body battered. Both his steel membrane and divine shields were almost exhausted, and some of the evil goddess¡¯ attack seemed to have pierced through the shields and hit him directly. Hao Ren felt that it was a miracle that he was still standing.


    And the pale evil goddess stood not too far away from Hao Ren in the air. Her condition was slightly better than Hao Ren, aside from a swollen face.


    In the background, the droid swarm and the guardian fleets were still exchanging salvos with their doppelgangers.


    ¡°Enough. I¡¯ve had enough! You ignorant fools!¡± The goddess of annihilation roared in fiery anger. With her oppressive presence, the edge of the continent was starting to crack and fall apart. ¡°I had enough of your insolence and obstinacy! I shouldn¡¯t have given you all a chance, not even a tiny bit!!¡±


    Following the angry proclamation, the entire dimension was distorted and Hao Ren¡¯s sense of peril tingled. He gripped on to the chains of the holy scripture tightly as he bore a grim, prepared look: Only he knew how difficult that ¡®even battle¡¯ earlier was. He was relying on the power of a supreme divine relic to fight against the evil goddess, and that evil entity had already dedicated part of her powers on the doppelganger army. And even under such circumstances, he did not manage to get much of an advantage.


    Now that the unstable goddess had fully lost all resemblance of rationality, her attacks would be even more vicious and relentless, and what kind of powers will she unleash?


    The dimensional distortion was still ongoing, and within the twisted dimension, countless of dark shadows appeared. The goddess of annihilation looked like she was mumbling to herself, but her voice reached Hao Ren¡¯s ears. ¡°I realize now, I realize now that your threat to me is beyond my calculations. I have no need to hold back, no need to hold back. I will totally eradicate you, totally eradicate you, only then my plans could¡­¡±


    As she finished her sentence, the entire doppelganger army disappeared!


    The sudden disappearance of the doppelgangers did not bring any relief to Hao Ren, rather he felt goosebumps all over his body. That was his natural instincts at play when there was an impending danger.


    At that juncture, Hao Ren could tell that the goddess of annihilation had recalled all her released power without the need to sense the latter¡¯s greatly-increasing power meter.


    With no concern for defense or mercy or any other enemy on the battlefield, the cruel goddess had decided to destroy the bastard with the ¡°face enlarger¡±, no matter what the cost.


    For so long Hao Ren had played the tank, and this was the first time he managed to have the boss undivided attention¡­


    The goddess of annihilation raised her hands and pointed at Hao Ren. She muttered four faint syllables, ¡°Apocalypse.¡±


    Right then, Hao Ren felt a sense of danger he had never felt before. When Apocalypse descended upon him, he felt that his connection to everything in the world was severed, or about to be, as he felt his existence was about to be wiped clean from this universe, or the world was being wiped clean before him. His memories since young, his experience, everything he had touched, looked, cherished were swiftly disintegrating away from him.


    Just as the sensation was getting stronger and stronger, until the point of overwhelming his own consciousness, Hao Ren felt a shudder in his spiritual world.


    Following that, he noticed he had lost his control of the dimensional pocket, and after it opened a tiny figure leap out into the air. It was Lil Pea!!


    When the combat started, the moment the goddess of annihilation targeted him, Hao Ren had kept the little one in the safest place possible, the Dimensional Pocket. And he had never thought that the little mermaid would escape the Dimensional Pocket now and leap headlong into danger!


    ¡°Come back!¡± Hao Ren opened his mouth as he tried to call the little one back, but he soon realized that he had no voice. His yelling only echoed in his mind. He could only look on as the little mermaid leap into the air, and right in between him and the goddess of annihilation before taking the full brunt of the evil goddess¡¯ vengeful and murderous ¡°Apocalypse¡±.


    A twisted black light struck the little one, and Lil Pea fell onto the ground with the pull of the gravity¡­


    And she immediately rebounded with her tail as she flapped about like a fish on dry land. The little mermaid was clearly angered by that out-of-nowhere attack. She was bouncing with all her might as she yelled angrily, before aiming at the goddess of annihilation with her best effort at spittle. ¡°Pfft pfft pfft!¡±


    Both Hao Ren and the goddess of annihilation were baffled.


    ¡°Impossible!¡± The pale goddess was clearly stunned and wailed as she lost all resemblance of control. ¡°Impossible! Impossible! Inconceivable! No matter how weakened I am, the Apocalypse could easily destroy any demigods! What is that wretched thing! Why is she unharmed after I destroy her link to the universe!¡±


    Hao Ren was still in a stupor then but as he heard the goddess of annihilation¡¯s wailing, he swiftly recovered and quickly understood what that Apocalypse spell was all about. He immediately broke into a wide smile and even felt a tiny shred of pity towards the evil goddess. ¡°Seems like the ignorant one is you¡­¡±


    But he did not plan to explain anything to the latter, as he was not sure if the evil goddess had any capability to launch another Apocalypse. If that b*stard had managed to understand why the Apocalypse did not work on Lil Pea and threw it on someone else, sh*t would hit the fan.


    He could clearly sense that the goddess of annihilation had been clearly weakened after unleashing her ultimate ability, and he was not about to let the opportunity slip. He only had one command.


    ¡°All units, maximum firepower!¡±


    After expanding most of her energies, plus being smashed in the face with the meteor-scripture-hammer continuously, and now after her vaunted finisher was nothing but a whimper, the goddess of annihilation clearly could no longer win the fight!


    Millions of turrets, an endless stream of glory. The guardian starships and droid swarms who were bruised by the earlier fight with their doppelgangers finally had an outlet to vent their anger. A moment later, the entire dimension was engulfed in barrages of cannon fire.

 Chapter 1669 - A Preliminary Victory

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The relentless barrage lasted for about thirty minutes, or maybe much longer. As the blinding light disrupted everyone¡¯s senses, the powerful energies distorted the space-time continuum around the epicenter of the explosion. Hao Ren only found it to be a long process, and this time around, there were no more doppelgangers. The goddess of annihilation was out of unpleasant surprises.


    It seemed like she was either so badly suppressed by the blast that she could not budge or she had been totally annihilated.


    To be honest, he did not think that such an attack could kill off a being who was considered a real god, even if said entity had been greatly weakened in addition to a bonus internal injury courtesy of Lil Pea. The best idea Hao Ren could think of was to severely injure the evil goddess to buy time for the rest to retreat, then come up with a plan to use the World Tree¡¯s powers against her.


    However, after the bombardment went on for a while, he started to have an unlikely hope. Perhaps he had hit the jackpot and could actually kill the goddess of annihilation right there and then? That would get him at least three-years-worth of a bonus!


    Just as he was entertaining those nonsensical thoughts, the bombardment ceased.


    It was not due to the starship¡¯s weapon systems overheating or their ammunition depleting. Rather, it was because the dimension¡¯s endurance had been pushed to the limit. The Umbral Realm was originally located in a very weak location by the edge of the world barrier and the void, the battle here had greatly weakened the order of the area, and if the bombardment were to continue, the entire zone of order may be pierced through, and trigger a catastrophe called the ¡®Void Reflux¡¯.


    That will cause everything within the Umbral Realm, including Hao Ren and his team who had yet to retreat, and L¡¯Haronne to be dissolved into basic information units, and could even damage the already fragile world barrier of the Plane of Dreams and drag a good part of the universe into the void storm, and send Raven 12345¡¯s bonus for the latter part of her life down the gutter¡­


    Everyone focused on nervously at the scene within the universe as the energy wave created by the barrage quickly faded away. And as the scorching dimension finally cooled down and once again visible, Hao Ren found it empty.


    The pale evil goddess was nowhere to be seen.


    A swarm of bats fluttered over to Hao Ren¡¯s side as quickly reformed as Vivian. Her face was pale, and her eyes tired, but she still came to give Hao Ren a helping hand at the first opportunity. ¡°Are you alright? Sorry, I couldn¡¯t help you earlier. Got tangled up with that doppelganger¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay, all things considered. Got a few broken bones, and my heart stopped for a bit. They¡¯ve regenerated, but it still hurts like hell.¡± Hao Ren hissed through his teeth as the pain, which he had suppressed by sheer will earlier, started to rear its head. That left him feeling like part of his body was no longer his own. ¡°Ouch¡­ some that b*stard¡¯s attacks pierced through my shield¡­ probably divine energies¡­¡±


    Vivian frowned, clearly pained at Hao Ren¡¯s condition. ¡°Told you to spend more time studying the divine arts. Raven 12345 is a pretty decent person, plus it¡¯s not like you need to pay anything to believe in her¡­¡±


    ¡°Bloody hell, it¡¯s because it¡¯s free that I cannot take it seriously.¡± Hao Ren clicked his tongue as he slipped in vulgarities. ¡°¡®Getting strong without whaling¡¯ is actually a line printed on the latest edition of the scripture. Forget about reaffirming my faith, me not laughing outright is already testing the limits of my will¡­¡±


    Badmouthing his goddess was the best stress reliever, and after that rant, he actually felt much better. Heaving a deep breath, he looked on at the flickering dimension ridden with lightning arcs. ¡°say¡­ did we actually took her out?¡±


    A heavy footstep rang out from behind, as Y¡¯zaks in his flame demon form walked over. His rock-like body had many wounds oozing lava and flame, but otherwise, he looked pretty stoked. Probably it was a while since he had to go all out with an equal foe, and today¡¯s battle allowed him to move those old bones. Upon hearing what Hao Ren said, he thundered, ¡°Probably done for, I cannot sense her presence anymore. And at that sort of bombardment¡­ who can possibly survive that?¡±


    ¡°She also ate a similar barrage at the start and walked out unscathed before slapping us in the face with a wave of doppelgangers.¡± Hao Ren was dismissive. ¡°Don¡¯t look down on a real god¡¯s vitality. That firepower earlier would merely be a scratch wound for a real god in his prime¡­¡±


    ¡°Your concern is well-founded.¡± Before Hao Ren could finish, the goddess of creation¡¯s voice came from the side. ¡°She¡¯s escaped.¡±


    Compared to the regal serenity she had when she woke up, the goddess was in a very sorry state now, and much weakened too.


    Hao Ren was slightly stunned before his expression turned grim. While he thought that killing off the goddess of annihilation in this encounter was not probable, he did hope for it. But now that he got a clear answer from the goddess of creation, it did not feel good at all.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Hao Ren smiled bitterly at the goddess before shrugging without letting her answer. ¡°All right, you¡¯re definitely sure. She¡¯s a part of you anyway¡­¡±


    The goddess of creation was not bothered by Hao Ren¡¯s reaction. She continued, ¡°She did not run off herself. She was dragged away.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyes widened, as he and Vivian concurrently went, ¡°Dragged away? By whom?¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s difficult to explain, and I might be wrong.¡± The goddess of creation pondered for a bit before she cautiously said, ¡°You can take it as she was spirited away by the Mad Lord. But given that the Mad Lord does not have an objective consciousness, she was actually pulled away by the ¡®natural phenomenon¡¯ of the Dark Abyss.¡±


    Hao Ren had only heaved a sigh of relief not too long ago, and this news almost gave him an aneurysm. ¡°Huh?! You mean to say that the Mad Lord managed to drag her off under that barrage, right before our eyes?!¡±


    By then, everyone had come over one by one, including Lily who had found a spot to transform back to her original form and had a change of clothes (the werehusky was asking for a water ball from Wuyue to quench her thirst). As they heard that bombshell, everyone went silent, waiting for the goddess of creation to continue.


    She knew that the shock of this truth would be enormous, and she tried again to ascertain the remaining presence in the environment, using a sensory method unique to her to ascertain the evil goddess¡¯ position at the very last moment. After a while, she nodded. ¡°It is indeed. I guess that evil goddess herself is an extension of the Mad Lord, almost like a double. Hence the reason why that happened. The Mad Lord does not have an objective consciousness but it has its own way of operation. If part of its powers is trapped outside and is under threat, it will recall this power back. And that evil goddess seems to match the part.¡±


    ¡°Bloody hell, I thought taking out one of them while the two were apart.¡± Hao Ren slapped his forehead. ¡°But does the Mad Lord have the ability to just whisk someone away from here? It¡¯s the Umbral Realm! And it is whisking someone away across the world barrier¡­¡±


    The MDT then floated over. ¡°The Umbral Realm is not fully outside the world barrier, strictly speaking, it is a special dimension that is fused with the world barrier. While it is separate from the Plane of Dreams, but the separation has some limitation. The World Tree is able to extract us out of here as long as it has our beacon, and the connection between the Mad Lord and the goddess of annihilation is a natural beacon. Hence, the Mad Lord is certainly capable of pulling that off, even subconsciously.¡±


    ¡°A part of itself was close to being destroyed, so it had recalled this double back to the main body huh¡­¡± Lily was feeling much better after quenching her throat as she started muttering. ¡°Seems like a being with a very basic reactive nervous system. It curls up after being poked¡­¡±


    Nangong Wuyue, who was by her side immediately stuck her tail up, dissatisfied at the comment. ¡°I just gave you a water orb, I don¡¯t think that jab was warranted¡­¡±


    Lily rolled her eyes. ¡°Wasn¡¯t talking about you.¡±


    Hao Ren sighed as he shrugged. ¡°Regardless, that battle earlier was pretty much a wasted effort. Sigh, well, looking on the bright side, we have survived a fight with a god-tier opponent, that¡¯s a preliminary victory, I suppose.¡±


    The goddess of creation glanced at Hao Ren as she smiled faintly. ¡°Actually, you can be much more positive. While that evil goddess has been taken away by the Mad Lord, it is not all bad news.¡±


    Hao Ren was dumbfounded. ¡°Oh? How so?¡±


    ¡°First, while that evil goddess had escaped alive, she did not escape unscathed. I can sense that she was critically injured by the last attack, and for a being who had not fully recovered from her slumber, this was no mere injury, it is probably a permanent one. Simply put, she may not be able to recover to her prime for good; secondly, she has been dragged into the cage of the Dark Abyss, not another place. The Mad Lord¡¯s ¡®rescue¡¯ has, in fact, simply locked her up. I¡¯m still confident in the seal I placed back then, and that evil goddess won¡¯t be escaping any time soon. We have time to do what we need to do; and finally¡­ I think we actually gave the Mad Lord a very pleasant ¡®surprise¡¯¡­¡±


    As she said, the silver-haired goddess turned towards Lil Pea who was bouncing on top of Wuyue¡¯s tail.


    The little one looked up in confusion, gazing at the goddess of creation. After confirming that this was not the ¡°white baddie¡± who had attacked her earlier, she raised her arm and introduced herself softly and politely. ¡°I¡¯m Lil Pea! Hao Ren is my daddy!¡±


    ¡°You mean that the ¡®surprise¡¯ has something to do with Lil Pea?¡± Wuyue looked confused.


    The goddess of creation pressed her chin while she looked on with interest. ¡°First, I would like to know, why was that little one able to ward off the Apocalypse?¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, the Apocalypse is technically a causality-type attack?¡± Hao Ren asked. ¡°So, it cuts off the target¡¯s causality to totally ¡®wipe out¡¯ the target?¡±


    ¡°Correct, but to be exact, it cuts off the target¡¯s connection with the entire universe,¡± the goddess of creation explained. ¡°Men are born to the universe and have countless connections to everything in the universe. Your body came from the universe, and your actions will leave corresponding effects and trails in the universe. Even if you are a speck of sand, you have a desert that you belong to. Apocalypse targets this in the attack. It severs this connection and causes the victim to lose the basis of existence in the causality.¡±


    ¡°Then that makes things easier to explain.¡± Hao Ren smiled, as he had expected. ¡°Lil Pea¡¯s uniqueness is not something you¡¯d be able to think of. Her universe was long destroyed? The apocalypse? She had already been through that, and that was a real, proper apocalypse, not some half-baked world-ending spell. So her basis of existence was no longer tied to a certain universe, rather it is to the Xiling Celestials who had saved her from the apocalypse. So aside from my boss, and the bosses of my boss, no one has the ability to meddle with this causality, so¡­¡±


    Hao Ren stopped for a moment in realization. ¡°F*ck me, so what¡¯s why that straight flush asked me to take Lil Pea along¡­ This was basically a bloody reactive armor meant to blow up in the face of the goddess of annihilation.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean by reactive armor, or a straight flush, but I could clearly tell that after that Apocalypse attack, that goddess of annihilation you were referring to suffered a very critical recoil damage,¡± The silver-haired goddess smiled, and Hao Ren was not sure if he was seeing things, but he could feel that a very nasty schadenfreude was hidden within the smile. ¡°And this divine energy flux caused by the recoil must be released, and she did not have the opportunity to let out these out-of-control energies¡­¡±


    Hao Ren finally understood as a similar expression of schadenfreude appeared on his face.


    Lil Pea¡¯s immunity to the Apocalypse had caused a recoil that turned the goddess of annihilation into a living bomb, and the living bomb had been summoned back to the Mad Lord¡¯s lair¡­


    Like all bombs¡­ it was bound to blow up someday.

 Chapter 1670 - Mummys Home

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The goddess of creation had returned.


    While this process had many twist and turns, plus what happened in the middle and the end of it was beyond Hao Ren¡¯s expectations, in the end, the mission objective was successfully completed. They had located the Umbral Realm, found the sleeping goddess of creation, and woken her up.


    As for the goddess of annihilation who escaped, Hao Ren could only say that it was fated. He had tried his best to get the best possible outcome, and the current situation was actually much better than the worst-case scenario he had expected. The goddess of annihilation had suffered a permanent injury and would be imprisoned within the Dark Abyss for the foreseeable future. The Mad Lord had also received a nasty present for its efforts. Regardless, something good still came out of the battle.


    After waiting for the energy storm within the universe to subside, the Aiur quickly approached the sky above the floating continent. Following the bright glow of the teleportation beam, Salaman and a big troupe of guardian giants teleported before the goddess of creation. The ten-meter-tall giants, for all their martial presence, were like children at a loss before their creator. Most of them even forgot how to speak, and only Salaman managed to maintain his calmness. Going on one knee, he knelt before the goddess of creation. He lost his voice the moment he spoke, ¡°Mother, we have finally¡­¡±


    ¡°It must have been tough for all of you.¡± The goddess of creation stood silently before Salaman as she looked up at the majestic creatures that she had created. With a slightly aghast tone, she said, ¡°Eh, why did I make you guys so tall back then?¡±


    ¡°You said you messed up the measurements back then¡­¡± Salaman answered.


    Hao Ren, who was by the side sitting on a stool munching on popcorn waiting for a tear-jerker scene, almost choked himself to death. With comically popped-out eyes, he guffawed. ¡°You guys are going on about this after not seeing each other for so long?!¡±


    ¡°Mother has always been like this.¡± Salaman smiled. Standing beside the goddess of creation, he felt a familiar and long-waited sense of relief. This sense allowed his usually stoic face to soften somewhat. ¡°She is very strict, but she was also humorous. Her boundless optimism was the best of her traits¡­¡±


    ¡°Save the flattery,¡± the goddess of creation interrupted Salaman as she looked at the surrounding guardians and starships before sighing, ¡°Many have perished, right?¡±


    ¡°Mother, the army on Amantir¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I already know.¡± The goddess of creation gently shook her head as she cast a glance at Hao Ren. ¡°They have told me everything. The corruption of the Amantir battlegroup was my fault, it was my imperfect planning that caused all of these. Don¡¯t deny it. I¡¯m very much awake now, more so after I¡¯ve managed to extricate myself from that corrupter. Thinking back, my plans back then had too many flaws¡­ and I just hope it is not too late to salvage the situation.¡±


    Hao Ren squinted his eyes. It seemed like after giving the goddess of annihilation a bloody beating, the goddess of creation had also been released from some type of influence. That was an incredible result.


    Salaman and his kin had plenty to say after seeing their mother, but this was not the time for nostalgia. After comforting her children, she then asked the question that was most pressing in her mind. ¡°Was L¡¯Haronne affected by the battle earlier?¡±


    ¡°L¡¯Haronne?¡± Salaman was stumped.


    ¡°That planet over there.¡± Nangong Wuyue, who was listening in immediately pointed her tail towards the distant planet. ¡°There¡¯s life there.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s life?!¡± Salaman¡¯s jaw dropped so hard as he heard the news that you could stuff a car into it, but he quickly recovered his composure and contacted the radar and sensor team onboard his ship. A moment later, he shook his head. ¡°While the scale of the battle was massive, the planet was unharmed.¡±


    ¡°That is good,¡± The goddess of creation heaved a sigh of relief before shaking her head in a self-deprecating manner. ¡°If it gets destroyed again¡­ I really won¡¯t know how to face it.¡±


    Lily¡¯s comeback was instant, ¡°Then you should just go dreaming again since the dream¡­ Wooo wooo wooo¡­¡±


    Hao Ren immediately clamped the werehusky¡¯s mouth as he pulled her back and turned to the goddess of creation. ¡°So, want to go have a look?¡±


    The goddess of creation pondered for a bit before shaking her head. ¡°While I do want to do that, the situation in the Plane of Dreams is more important. I¡¯m just detached far too long from the world outside, and the information I got from you guys in the hurry is limited too. So now that things have calmed down somewhat, I think we should focus on the matter at hand.¡±


    Her decision was reasonable and rational, and Hao Ren, of course, had no objections. Since L¡¯Haronne would not run away, and the Mad Lord in the Plane of Dreams could rear its ugly face any time, the priority levels of both subjects were quite clear.


    After 10,000 years, the goddess of creation once again boarded the bridge of the Aiur. The battle-scarred starship had become a temporary divine palace. But this palace did not have the time or luxury to hold a welcome back ceremony as an emergency meeting was quickly being organized. The attendees of the meeting were everyone who had something to do with the Mad Lord, including Salaman and a few of his important adjutants, the goddess of creation herself, as well as Hao Ren and his team.


    Aside from that, the ancient giants (Loken and the rest), the guardians, and Asurmen who were standing by on CARS also joined via long-range teleconference.


    Of course, to hold the meeting, the Aiur had to first leave the Umbral Realm and returned to the starport at the Core. While Hao Ren had already opened a pathway into the Umbral Realm using the marker system, but the latter and the material universe was still being separated by the special wall of law and order. As this ¡®wall¡¯ was created from the world barrier, it will cut off all forms of signal transmission between the two universes. While this matter was not insurmountable, it will still need time, and for now, if they want to have a ¡®conference call¡¯, both parties must be within the same universe.


    The Lord of Lords Loken had the most baffled look on his face the moment he came online. He was busy doing some research about divinity in the CARS lab before suddenly receiving a high priority assembly notice. The next thing he realized was that CARS¡¯ highest frequency antenna had suddenly activated before pointing towards a distant galaxy. Then he saw that even Asurmen, who was usually either in a daze or sending signals to the center of the galaxy, had been dragged into the meeting. That caused the ancient giant to fear the worst as he thought that the Mad Lord had finally broken out of its seal, the biggest threat to the universe was upon them, and that inspector was calling all hands for the final battle¡­


    So he came with his fellow wardens into the hall, all clad in their battle regalia.


    After the connection went online, the first thing he saw was the goddess of creation smiling before him. Hao Ren was seated by himself with his hands underneath his chin. He said with a serious look. ¡°Oh, ancient guardians¡­ your mummy is home.¡±


    And as one would expect, Hao Ren¡¯s announcement sent everything into chaos, and Heve almost fainted on the spot¡­


    Thankfully, the guardians¡¯ (the ancient giants included) innate discipline and resolve allowed them to tide through it. They calmly listened to Hao Ren¡¯s debriefing of his actions in the Umbral Realm.


    ¡°My children, I know you have much to say to me, so do I, but now, we have to focus our efforts on the matter at hand.¡± The goddess of creation, Hao Ren and the rest was on the upper level of Aiur¡¯s bridge, and around the platform, aside from Salaman and his high-ranked adjutants, were the holographic projection of Loken, Muru and the rest. ¡°I have understood from this envoy of a foreign god the general situation, and now what I need to say is that my evil half have been pulled into the Dark Abyss, and her merging with the Mad Lord will introduce many more variables. Until today I am not able to contact the guards within the Dark Abyss. Asurmen, I heard that you are in charge of this. What¡¯s the situation there?¡±


    Asurmen¡¯s projection was that of a flickering mist of lights, the energy cloud flickered for a bit before he spoke, ¡°Goddess, your seal is still intact, but its condition is not optimistic. The Mad Lord¡¯s powers have clearly perverted the laws of the universe there, and the communication between the Dark Abyss and the world outside is still broken. Your communication encryption key left behind those years ago is no longer effective, and my guess is that this is caused by the distortion of the mathematical values.¡±


    ¡°There is also the possibility of the guardians activating the emergency protocols after the containment had failed, or the sentries had lost control of parts of the station¡­ but the seal itself is still working, so the possibility of all the guards being killed is minimal.¡± The goddess of creation massaged her forehead, as the debilitation from the long slumber had yet to recover, and will take a long time to recover, but now she had to stay strong, ¡°While all communication transmission is currently broken, you can probably still hear something right? ¡­That telepathy unique to the Denizens.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can hear many blurry whispers, and the sentry system is still active, and the main control levels are still standing, but no one knows how long can they hold on,¡± Asurmen answered. ¡°If the goddess of annihilation¡¯s return causes the Mad Lord¡¯s powers to swell, then the sentries are in grave danger¡­¡±


    ¡°No, getting stronger is not possible, not in the near future,¡± Hao Ren interjected. ¡°And if everything goes according to plan, you will soon detect an energy explosion within the abyss. That explosion will weaken the Mad Lord¡­ but by how much is not known.¡±


    Asurmen was confused. ¡°Energy explosion? Why?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because the goddess of annihilation smashed her face against our reactive armor.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s too complicated to explain. You just need to know the results.¡±


    Asurmen was clueless.


    At that moment, the goddess of creation drew everyone¡¯s attention as she spoke, ¡°While things may go our way in some aspects, but I need to warn everyone, the fusing of that evil goddess and the Mad Lord will be a threat to us¡­¡±


    Everyone¡¯s attention was now focused fully on the goddess herself, and she did not keep everyone in suspense.


    Slowly, she explained, ¡°The Mad Lord, who has all this while been a mindless chaotic being, relying on its base instincts¡­ is about to get a very intelligent brain very soon.

 Chapter 1671 - The Right Way to Build Strength

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Perhaps not many of them were aware of the greatest threat posed by the confluence of the goddess of annihilation and the Mad Lord until the goddess of creation mentioned it. But after she spoke about it, everyone on the scene felt their heartbeats skip a beat.


    Hao Ren, on the other hand, was one of the few who were not shocked. In fact, he had been aware of it from the start, but he never mentioned it directly on the battlefield because of morale concerns. Now, he sighed and said, ¡°Well, that¡¯s the worst part¡­¡±


    The entire time, all of the Mad Lord¡¯s activities had depended on instinct. Although it was so powerful that it could almost sweep the whole universe, this defect predestinated that all its behaviors followed a regular pattern. Therefore, there was room to formulate a plan against this regularity. Ancient people in the dark and chaotic times relied on the regular pattern to avoid disaster, and the goddess of creation used it to defeat and seal the Mad Lord. But now, a rule-breaker had appeared.


    The goddess of annihilation apparently had a high level of intelligence. When she entered the dark abyss and fully grasped the power there, it meant that the Mad Lord had finally begun to think.


    A monster that could think was the scariest one.


    ¡°All of a sudden it feels like what we achieved today is nothing to speak of compared to this terrible situation. Even if we weaken the power of the Mad Lord in total, its breakthrough in ¡®the ability to think¡¯ is enough to offset these losses,¡± said Y¡¯zaks.


    ¡°I would almost have thought it was a deliberate plan if I hadn¡¯t known that the Mad Lord was doing everything unconsciously,¡± Nangong Sanba said, shrugging his shoulders. ¡°It first polluted the goddess of creation to create a powerful intellectual identity, then it let us attack that identity to retrieve and devour her. Finally, it took the opportunity to gain the ability to think¡­ Damn.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no use thinking about it. We couldn¡¯t have done better then.¡± Hao Ren glanced at Nangong Sanba and said, ¡°In a place totally isolated from the outside world, what we can do is very limited. In such a situation, we could still hit the enemy hard and retreat safely, which is better than watching the goddess of annihilation run away without doing anything. Now the Mad Lord is intelligence + 1, but at that time, its intellect and strength might be both + 1.¡±


    Nangong Sanba thought for a moment, nodded and said, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    The goddess of creation went on, ¡°The evil goddess and the Mad Lord will not merge immediately. It takes a process. My hunch is that it will take at least a few months. And even if they merge, they won¡¯t ¡®fit¡¯ too well. After all, After all, the power of the Mad Lord is incompatible with its sense of reason, so the situation is not so bad.¡±


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t we break into that cage now?¡± Lily, with her rough and simple ideas, raised her hand and said, ¡°now that they both get hurt, let¡¯s do it¡­¡±


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes and asked, ¡°Can you beat them?¡±


    Lily mumbled and fell silent.


    Hao Ren certainly knew that this was the best time to attack the lair of the Mad Lord. The goddess of annihilation should not be able to take care of herself at the moment, and the Mad Lord could not think properly as well, but the key was that even if they went in, they could not beat them!


    Thinking of this, he could not help but glance at the goddess of creation.


    Yes, the opportunity to solve the problem was actually here, the strongest among them. Although she had been badly subdued in previous battles, it was simply a loss of strength due to poor sleep. If the goddess could be restored to her prime in these few months¡­ Everything would be solved.


    And this was exactly what Hao Ren and Raven 12345 agreed on before.


    The goddess of creation had no idea what was going on in Hao Ren¡¯s mind, but she knew what she had to do. ¡°Well, we do not have to worry, I have a plan that can completely get rid of the Mad Lord¡­¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re talking about your self-destructing plan, then don¡¯t mention it,¡± Hao Ren interrupted directly. ¡°The plan is certainly not right. Of course, I admire your sacrifice and determination. But have you thought about it? It¡¯s almost like gambling! You sacrifice yourself to kill the Mad Lord, but are you sure it works? Your plan has gone through many twists and turns, so the chances of the Mad Lord surviving after your death are very high. When that happens, your only hope will be gone. Not to mention the flaws in the Weaves of Destiny¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you have a better way? You have said before that the gods on your side cannot come to your aid because of the Wall of Reality¡­¡±


    ¡°We have a plan that will quickly restore you to your prime and even further strengthen you. Don¡¯t worry, I can assure you that the plan is safe and ethical. It¡¯s just a further boost to your¡­ potential,¡± Hao Ren explained.


    ¡°Really?¡± The goddess of creation looked at Hao Ren doubtfully.


    ¡°I can show them to you after the meeting.¡± Hao Ren nodded, looking very confident. ¡°You¡¯d be surprised. And think about it, do I have to fool you on such matters?¡±


    The goddess thought about it and agreed¨Cafter all, she had nothing to lose.


    After this little interlude, the meeting went on and on for hours.


    The situation was about to change dramatically, and everything had to change with it. First, Hao Ren readjusted the action plan of the UAV fleet in the Plane of Dreams. Having found the Umbral Realm and having awakened the goddess of creation, the ¡°search and reconnaissance¡± operation of the UAV fleet was temporarily downgraded and instead devoted its full capacity to expansion and armament. All production lines would then be devoted to producing armed UAVs in preparation for the battle, in addition to the engineering models necessary for the construction of the base.


    The Annihilation Lance, the doomsday weapon used to destroy Amantir, proved its worth in combat. Hao Ren had previously ordered the center to focus on analyzing battlefield data collected at the time and trying to build a more stable and powerful Annihilation Lance system. Now, this part of the research was also fruitful. A new ¡®Annihilation Lance¡¯, which did not require the main gun crystal from Crapple Research Station and supported multiple launches, had been finalized and would be put into production soon. The new Annihilation Lance used an energy-constrained field instead of the limited main gun crystals, which made it slightly less powerful, but the advantages of multiple firing and mass production make up for this.


    On the other hand, surveillance of the Abyssal Dungeon had been given a higher priority. Asurmen would still be monitoring messages from Mad Lord¡¯s lair, and the ancient giants, led by Loken, would work with Asurmen as assistants. Hao Ren assigned the ¡®monitoring team¡¯ a set of antennas, the most powerful one in the Crapple Research Station, and set up an independent information processing system to improve work efficiency.


    Of course, remote monitoring was not enough. Hao Ren remembered that he had ordered some UAVs to go to the Umbral Realm. Later, in order to prevent the Mad Lord from escaping, this part of the UAVs stopped and built a nest on the outskirts of The Umbral Realm. Now they had been ordered once again to build a huge fire blockade around The Umbral Realm and were preparing to build a huge antenna tower at the same time to assist Asurmen.


    In addition, there were changes in the work of the guardian giants, reports of the remaining ecosystem of the Plane of Dreams, arrangements after the return of the goddess of creation¡­ In the end, Hao Ren presided over the meeting while the goddess of creation listened quietly.


    After all, she had been asleep for a long time. The disconnection made it impossible for her to arrange any specific work.


    After the meeting, everyone went back to their jobs, and those who had participated in the battle went back to rest. Hao Ren also went back to Petrachelys, but when he arrived at the bridge, he saw the goddess of creation standing there, waiting for him.


    He was not surprised, as Nolan had been told that the goddess of creation was free to move about the spaceship. And apparently, she was there for the ¡°plan¡± they had talked about in the meeting.


    ¡°Goddess of creation¡­¡±


    ¡°Just call me Rheia,¡± the goddess waved her hand and said.


    Hao Ren blinked. ¡°Rheia? Isn¡¯t that just your temporary identity in the dream?¡±


    ¡°But my life as Rheia has been the happiest of my life.¡± Rheia smiled. ¡°My children call me ¡®mother¡¯, my followers call me ¡®goddess¡¯. I¡¯ve never needed a name, but now¡­ I think I need one.¡±


    ¡°All right, Rheia,¡± Hao Ren smiled and said.


    ¡°You know what I¡¯m here for,¡± Rheia said, looking into Hao Ren¡¯s eyes. ¡°You said you could build up my strength quickly, and you emphasized that it was safe. Actually, I don¡¯t mind if it¡¯s unsafe. It¡¯s ok to pay a price as long as it works. Can I see it now? The plan you talked about.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Hao Ren smiled and waved his hand, and a huge box appeared beside him.


    The box was filled with textbooks and teaching material¡­


    ¡°Knowledge is powerful, my lady.¡±

 Chapter 1672 - Her Origins

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The goddess of creation paused for a moment when she saw the stuff inside the box.


    Rheia did not expect to see those things. She blinked, trying to find any trace of a joke from Hao Ren¡¯s face, but she was bound for disappointment.


    ¡°Are you¡­ serious? That¡¯s what can boost my strength quickly?¡±


    Hao Ren bent down and took out the books as well as teaching materials from the box. ¡°Look, this is about divinity, this is about controlling one¡¯s own power, and this is about the interpretation of the rules of the world as well as the interpretation of the laws of the gods. While these are about the science of creation and the science of destruction. You can make up for all your deficiencies here. Your overall strength will increase by at least 50%. I would not kid you. Knowledge is power!¡±


    ¡°I know knowledge is power, but¡­¡± Rheia took a thick leather book, which Hao Ren had handed to her, as she grunted. The book¡¯s title was written in unknown words, but because of its divine power, the book¡¯s message could be presented without words. Hence, she could easily understand the meaning of the title. ¡°An Introduction to the Dismantling and Reassembling of Laws¡­ What the hell is this¡­¡±


    She opened the book as she spoke, and the power in the book was instantly released. The vast amount of information compressed and contained in the pages was immediately appeared before her eyes. Rheia¡¯s expression froze at this moment. She held the book like she was petrified, enduring the baptism of knowledge she had never come into contact with before until Hao Ren waved in front of her eyes.


    ¡°Hey, hey, wake up. How¡¯s it? Now, do you see why knowledge is power?¡±


    ¡°This¡­This¡­¡± Rheia stammered. ¡°Is all this true? Can knowledge be expressed so clearly? The knowledge can actually be summed up to this extent?¡±


    ¡°I have seen only a small part of it, and I am not a god, so I cannot say how much weight the knowledge has. But one thing is certain: it is all accumulated, summed up, and fabricated by countless gods over countless years. It¡¯s that simple and clear.¡±


    Rheia blinked and sank herself back into the big book, feeling very excited. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s that simple and clear! These things¡­ I¡¯ve thought about these before, but it¡¯s vague, and many of them had happened to me before, but I never thought they could be explained in this way¡­ That¡¯s amazing! Where did you get these treasures? These are priceless¡­¡±


    ¡°My boss got them from a second-hand book market. Although she told me that these are imported advanced textbooks, I found a small advertisement for wholesale second-hand books in the box,¡± Hao Ren explained.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so surprised. I told you there are endless worlds out there and three ancient god families¡­ These gods have summed up their life experience. I hope you don¡¯t mind if I speak frankly. Your place is really like a remote village in the void, and you haven¡¯t received a proper education, which is why you were easily defeated by the Mad Lord¡­¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­ So it¡¯s my fault I live in a remote village¡­¡± Rheia looked awkward.


    ¡°Ahem, you don¡¯t have to care about that. Although you live in a remote place, you still have a lot of potential. You see, you built the Weaves of Destiny without going to school, which is quite extraordinary¡­¡± Hao Ren tried to lighten the atmosphere.


    ¡°Haha¡­ So it¡¯s my fault I didn¡¯t go to school¡­¡±


    ¡°How could it be your fault? There¡¯s nothing you can do. Your background is actually quite extraordinary. Do you know where you come from?¡±


    He finally put an end to Rheia¡¯s complaints. The goddess felt that the greatest mystery of her life was her origin. It all began the moment she opened her eyes on the sea of the Star of Creation. This question had always been lingering in her mind.


    ¡°Where did I come from? You know the answer?¡±


    ¡°I did a lot of work to check your origin,¡± Hao Ren smiled and said. ¡°You were supposed to be a member of the Galacticus Lords, but your birth was a complete accident¡­¡±


    ¡°My parents eloped?¡± Rheia exclaimed before he could finish.


    ¡°Ahem¡­ Who says that! I haven¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s ok. I can understand it,¡± Rheia interrupted with an understanding look on her face. ¡°I was born out of wedlock, right? Well, I can take it¡­ Huh? Or even worse? Oh my¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop!!! I haven¡¯t said anything yet. What are you imagining? You were born by accident because of your mother¡­¡±


    Then he told Rheia the complete story with the fastest speed and strongest word compression ability in his life¡­ By the time he finished, he felt his tongue was twitching. Rheia, on the other hand, was staring at him in bewilderment.


    A moment later, Rheia blinked and said, ¡°You were talking too fast¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Hao Ren could not believe that he might have to repeat the entire story.


    ¡°But I get it. I really didn¡¯t expect it¡­ I¡¯ve speculated about the cause of my birth, even the origin of the universe, but never thought that¡­ A drop of divine blood? No wonder¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you think of where you come from? Do you feel a little lost knowing that you¡¯re just a drop of forgotten blood?¡± Hao Ren carefully observed Rheia¡¯s expression.


    Rheia thought for a moment, then suddenly shook her fist with a look of great excitement on her face and asked, ¡°According to you, is my mother super powerful?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Rheia¡¯s reaction went beyond Hao Ren¡¯s expectations.


    ¡°I¡¯m not narrow-minded. Why bother with details?¡± Noticing Hao Ren¡¯s expression, Rheia glanced at him and explained, ¡°I know that they didn¡¯t mean to abandon me. If so, why should I complain?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡±


    ¡°The Dark Valkyrie is really quite a powerful goddess,¡± Hao Ren went on. ¡°She has a dual goddess identity from both Galacticus and Xi Ling, and she¡¯s got senior titles on both sides, and she¡¯s very good at fighting, and she¡¯s an excellent student. In fact, she co-wrote some of the textbooks in the box. And you¡­ You¡¯re actually not her ¡®complete¡¯ daughter. After all, you¡¯re just a drop of her blood. But as your identity is a little complicated, so the divine community committee will still see you as her daughter¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, I see.¡± Rheia then thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Now that I have found my mother, when can I see her? Or does she want to see me?¡±


    ¡°She cares a lot about you, but you can¡¯t see her for the time being. On the one hand, there is an expedition going on at the moment. The Dark Valkyrie is one of the main commanders of this expeditionary force, and she won¡¯t be able to make time to see you. On the other hand, the crisis of the Plane of Dreams is not over. Until the universe is stable again, we¡¯d better not make any changes.¡±


    ¡°All right, all right, I understand.¡± Then she turned to the box of books. ¡°So¡­ knowledge is power?¡±


    ¡°Yes, knowledge is power.¡± Hao Ren nodded solemnly.

 Chapter 1673 - The Inheritance

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    On the bridge of the Petrachelys, Hao Ren and the goddess of creation were staring at each other in front of a box of books. Although they had reached a consensus that knowledge was power, for a wild goddess who had never been to school, it was hard to see how knowledge could be converted into power.


    Hao Ren felt obligated to guide the goddess. He pointed at the box of books and said, ¡°These are all textbooks compiled according to your specific situation. The Dark Valkyrie, your ¡®mother¡¯ I mean, left some reading notes inside. I suggest you start with ¡®The Creatology¡¯ because this is the foundation. And then ¡®Spells of Destruction¡¯ because what we need most now is combat ability. I have a study plan for you, here¡¯s the schedule. Follow it. Of course, practice is as important as theory, so here are ten sets of experimental instructions. You can practice in the lab at the Crapple Research Station. If it¡¯s something destructive, then find yourself a testing ground¡­¡±


    When Hao Ren finally finished talking about her learning tasks, the goddess of creation straightened up, waved her fist and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to kill the Mad Lord now!¡±


    ¡°Avoiding education isn¡¯t right,¡± Hao Ren said while he looked at the goddess without any expression. ¡°Your mother¡¯s known in the divine world as an excellent student and high achiever. You have her blood so you sure have a lot of potential. Have confidence in yourself¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been through such a thing! Isn¡¯t learning a step-by-step process?¡±


    Hao Ren sighed. ¡°Learning should be gradual, but the Mad Lord doesn¡¯t care, and you know that better than I do. Plus, considering you would have a hard time dealing with all this academic pressure, my boss has allowed me to help you.¡±


    ¡°How can you help? Can I copy your homework?¡±


    Hao Ren took out the ¡°Meteor Hammer Bible¡± from his Dimensional Pocket and said, ¡°This is a replica of the Dark Valkyrie¡¯s weapon. My main task is to urge you to study¡ª¡±


    ¡°Keep that thing away! Okay, okay, I¡¯ll study hard!¡±


    ¡°You should have cooperated from the beginning.¡± Hao Ren smiled and put the Meteor Hammer away.


    Rheia looked at Hao Ren with suspicion in her eyes. ¡°So this thing was actually prepared for me at first, right? But due to the emergency, you used it to deal with the goddess of annihilation¡­¡±


    ¡°Ahem.¡± Hao Ren admitted in silence


    After that, Rheia decided to devote herself to learning¡­


    She knew very well that she had to improve her strength as soon as possible to deal with the Mad Lord, and those books of precious knowledge were her best aid.


    After confirming that the goddess of creation had decided to devote herself to learning, Hao Ren changed the subject. ¡°Actually, there¡¯s another thing I want to tell you.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Is there anything else I need to do?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about the Creation¡¯s Engine.¡±


    ¡°The Creation¡¯s Engine?¡± Rheia was relieved to hear that it was not about homework. ¡°What happened to it?¡±


    ¡°In short, I need it.¡±


    Rheia was even more confused by this. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that my plan was so flawed that it was terminated? Why do you need the Creation¡¯s Engine?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s useless in the way you initially set it up, but as a powerful artifact, it¡¯s valuable.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand and explained, ¡°We need to squeeze every ounce of strength to prepare for the coming battle. I know it was dragged into the Umbral Realm during the big explosion, but we can¡¯t find it. Where did you hide it?¡±


    Rheia then nodded. She smiled and said, ¡°Of course you can¡¯t find it because the Creation¡¯s Engine isn¡¯t in the Umbral Realm at all.¡±


    ¡°¡­What did you say?¡±


    However, Rheia mentioned something else, ¡°I heard that the Solenne Galaxy has appeared in the material world?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded, although he had no idea why she suddenly mentioned this. ¡°Well, it came out of nowhere two years ago, and it was at the Gate of Solenne that we found Lemendusa and Heve. We do suspect that the Creation¡¯s Engine pulled the galaxy out of the Umbral Realm, but the process¡ª¡±


    ¡°The Creation¡¯s Engine is in Solenne,¡± Rheia interrupted.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible! We searched the entire Solenne Galaxy, including the core of every star! With thousands of probes still scanning that area day and night, how can we not detect the Creation¡¯s Engine?¡±


    ¡°Conventional detection methods are useless because the Creation¡¯s Engine is not ¡®somewhere¡¯ in the Solenne Galaxy, but in ¡®itself¡¯.¡± Rheia blinked. ¡°Well, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be difficult to explain it in detail because I haven¡¯t been to school, and I don¡¯t know how to put it in technical terms¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to explain, just get that engine out,¡± Hao Ren said. Then, he ordered, ¡°Nolan, get ready, target the foundry at the Gate of Solenne. We¡ª¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t need to go there,¡± Rheia interrupted. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say there were lots of probes in the Solenne Galaxy? So you should be able to transmit images of the entire galaxy, correct? Detailed and precise.¡±


    Hao Ren summed up the number and quality of the probes he left behind. He found nothing wrong and nodded. ¡°Nolan, connect to the real-time monitoring data stream over there.¡±


    ¡°Then, find a place where we can look out into space,¡± Rheia continued.


    Hao Ren thought for a moment and said, ¡°Well, there¡¯s an observation deck on the top floor. We can open it up and look out into space. Is that enough?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Rheia smiled and said.


    They left the bridge and headed for the observation deck. When they arrived, they saw that the area was already occupied. Lily, Nangong Wuyue, and Rollie were each holding a soft drink, looking at the stars.


    Hao Ren thought that the three girls had gone there to watch the stars and discuss poems, but as he got closer, he realized that was not the case. Lily was there, biting her straw and boasting about her powers. ¡°Right then, we were equal in strength. To overcome one¡¯s self is the most difficult thing in the world. You know, I don¡¯t necessarily win fights, but I¡¯ve never lost a fight¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Nangong Wuyue and Rollie listened to her and nodded.


    They all instantly jumped up with embarrassed smiles on their faces once they noticed Hao Ren standing behind them. Hao Ren just waved and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything.¡±


    ¡°Ahem¡­¡± Lily smiled awkwardly and noticed the goddess of creation standing next to Hao Ren. ¡°What are you two doing here?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Hao Ren, pointing at Rheia. ¡°I¡¯m waiting for her to demonstrate.¡±


    ¡°Transmit the real-time image of the Solenne Galaxy and project it to¡­ this position. I need the angle to be at xxx-xxx-xxx,¡± Rheia said directly.


    Holographic projections could be generated anywhere inside the Petrachelys, so the real-time image of the Solenne Galaxy immediately appeared in front of them. At Rheia¡¯s request, behind the projection was a vast expanse of space.


    Rheia was looking at the projection. Suddenly, something changed in one of her eyes. Her eye gradually turned a cloudy gray, and golden light twinkled in her eyes. ¡°Maintain this projection and transmit another real-time image. I need the angle to be at xxx¡­


    ¡°Keep the two projections and switch the angle to¡­


    ¡°Switch the angle to¡­


    ¡°Superimpose all the images, then work out how the galaxy will change over the next 200 years based on the current time, highlighting the orbits of all the stars.


    ¡°Now, highlight the orbits of all the planets and continue to move 200 years back¡­¡±


    The golden light in Rheia¡¯s eyes began to disperse, and they were projected onto the holographic projections in the air. Hao Ren felt the space outside the Petrachelys distorting, and something that did not exist gradually emerged.


    ¡°Good, all the images are in place. Now invert all the images.¡±


    The holographic projections of the Solenne Galaxy were superimposed, interfered and deformed in a series of complex changes. At first, it seemed to become a mess of lines, but gradually, a sphere with a complicated structure but subtle sense of regularity appeared at the center of the picture. When the goddess of creation ordered all images to be reversed, everybody gasped.


    All the images were put together into something completely new. That was the blueprint of the Creation¡¯s Engine! And that was the missing part of the core blueprint Hao Ren needed!


    Rheia blinked, and her eyes returned to normal. Soon after, the holographic projection floating in the air slowly dispersed. Outside the spaceship, however, in the area previously covered by the holographic projection, a huge pale-gold complex structure appeared and was slowly moving under the power of the divine.


    ¡°How can something so important be seen by anyone?¡± Rheia turned around with a sly smile on her face. ¡°I keep it in one line of sight, which can only be discovered from a particular angle and order.¡±


    Hao Ren gulped. ¡°You made the code so complicated¡­ If you were really dead, who would find the engine?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one of Vivian¡¯s tasks,¡± Rheia said, shaking her head. ¡°Why do you think the Gate of Solenne suddenly broke away from the Umbral Realm and appeared in the real world? That was a signal for Vivian to pick up the goods¡­ Nobody expected her to lose her memory.¡±


    Hao Ren finally saw the light.


    Rheia looked at the Creation¡¯s Engine in the universe (which was technically the core of the engine) and said, ¡°Years of hard work¡­ It¡¯s yours now.¡±


    Hao Ren was about to say thanks but Rheia went on, ¡°I knew it. You¡¯re here for my inheritance!¡±


    ¡°Hey¡­¡±

 Chapter 1674 - A New Life for the Goddess of Creation

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Yggdrasil stood on the crystal-studded earth of the Heart of Destiny and its luxuriant canopy covered the plain. The powerful energy escaping from the canopy not only maintained the order of everything deep in the universe but also influenced the environment of the planet visibly. As far as the canopy could reach, the thunderstorms and heavy clouds, which had lasted for thousands of years finally cleared away, revealing a clear sky. Glimmering light fell from the spreading branches and leaves, forming a stream-like flow on the great plain below.


    Sometimes, under Yggdrasil, a mirage of a palace would appear, with guards and servants inside. Other times gardens and forests sprang up on the plains, while wonderful creatures leaped and ran about. There were even times when Yggdrasil was surrounded by a bustling city or kingdom, with kings and lords, as well as common people in it. The next day, as the sun rose, the wonderful sights would disappear, and they would only reappear a long time later.


    The incredible phenomena could no longer be considered as illusions because everything that emerged from them was real and could even completely affect the visitors who interacted with them. So, the sprites living around Yggdrasil soon regarded the ¡°incredible tree¡± as the best playground. They gathered around Yggdrasil and even moved their crystal home there, building a little sprite kingdom at the base of Yggdrasil¡ªassuming that for a long time to come, the happy little ones would not leave the place.


    Rheia stood at the lower end of one of Yggdrasil¡¯s twigs. The twig poked out of the tree¡¯s crown and was surrounded by a naturally growing fence. In front of it was a small platform. Such ¡°natural structures¡± could be seen everywhere on Yggdrasil. She looked down curiously at the great plain, where a group of primitive people in grass skirts were trying to light their first bonfire, and a group of sprites was dancing in circles around them, cheering.


    The scene brought a tender smile to Rheia¡¯s face. ¡°I used to love seeing things like this¡­ I love watching them learn how to turn stones into tools, light fire, build cars and boats¡­ I can¡¯t believe I have a chance to see this. Are these illusions?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Yggdrasil¡¯s screensaver.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°But it¡¯s not exactly an illusion. In fact, it¡¯s a system called ¡®the Dream of Yggdrasil¡¯, which is used to assist the gods who aren¡¯t so good at Creatology. Everything you see can be transposed into reality. Now, pay attention and an option will appear in the lower-left corner of your eye. You can save the current Dream of Yggdrasil as a template, then use the search-nesting that I taught you before to project the template onto a planet. If compatibility reaches the minimum standard, it can be generated with one click¡­¡±


    ¡°It took me years and years to create a biosphere¡­ And there was no certainty on what it was going to look like¡­¡± Rheia was surprised.


    ¡°You¡¯re good enough.¡± Hao Ren comforted the goddess, then waved his hand to activate a portal, which led to the inside of Yggdrasil. (Here, he had the same access as the goddess of creation, including access to teleportation anywhere in the Holy Land.) ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the main hall first. We¡¯ve been here a long time.¡±


    Yggdrasil¡¯s main hall was actually the crystal hall where the throne was kept. A large number of green vines and wooden parapets had already covered the rough stone walls. Meanwhile, the throne was wrapped and covered with thick interlaced vines, forming a column that connected the dome to the floor. Considering comfort and practicality, Hao Ren had added some new daily appliances there, including some chairs, a desk, several bookshelves, and an ice cream maker¡­


    The ice cream maker was added at Lily¡¯s insistence.


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect this when I left these things behind¡­ I thought of every possibility I could think of, except you guys,¡± said Rheia.


    ¡°Of course you couldn¡¯t have thought about us,¡± Hao Ren smiled and said.


    ¡°And I didn¡¯t expect people from another world would come to claim my inheritance¡­¡± Rheia sighed.


    ¡°¡­So should I return the engine to you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Rheia, waving her hand quickly. ¡°I¡¯m just joking. I¡¯m a little stressed.¡±


    Hao Ren pointed at the huge half-moon desk in front of the vine at the center of the hall and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you do two sets of exercises right now to calm down?¡±


    Rheia was speechless.


    At that moment, several beams of light appeared in the main hall, and a group of people came out of them. Lily shouted at Hao Ren the moment she walked out of the beam, ¡°Mr. Landlord! I heard that we were going home? Why don¡¯t we stay a few more days? I believe there¡¯s going to be a celebration today! We can have some fun!¡±


    ¡°Have some fun? Can¡¯t you think of anything else?¡± Hao Ren glared at Lily. ¡°The battle is coming. Why don¡¯t you feel nervous at all?¡±


    Vivian laughed and said, ¡°Don¡¯t expect too much from huskies. If she gets nervous, the universe will be over.¡±


    ¡°I went to the sprites¡¯ place,¡± said Nangong Wuyue. ¡°They said the network is up and running at full power, but some of them were feeling dizzy like some node wasn¡¯t starting up or something?¡±


    ¡°Yggdrasil is connected and working. No system has reported any errors. After all, the Weaves of Destiny and Yggdrasil aren¡¯t from the same system, so there will be a few normal hardware issues when they work. The sprites are actually the upper nodes of the Weaves of Destiny, and this hardware incompatibility makes them a little bit confused.¡± Hao Ren was clearly aware of the situation, but he did not seem worried. ¡°It¡¯s just a small problem. Yggdrasil has adaptive functions, so does the Weaves of Destiny. They¡¯ll match very quickly, hence there¡¯s no need to worry about it.¡±


    Rheia began to think as she listened. When Hao Ren finished, she touched her chin and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t I try to re-drive them?¡±


    ¡°No! Just don¡¯t! Do you know how important the system is? You can¡¯t afford to ruin it!¡±


    Although Rheia had begun to nod, Hao Ren was still a little worried. ¡°Don¡¯t fiddle with Yggdrasil¡¯s system settings. Your admin privileges are limited and you may be blocked if you touch the system. Your main task now is to study, see? I got you this big desk and this pile of books just to get you to do your homework¡­¡±


    Rheia became impatient. She waved her hand constantly and said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard you say it hundreds of times! How can you not trust my learning ability?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, after reading your notes, I really doubt your learning ability¡­¡±


    Rheia was at a loss for words.


    Vivian tried to ease the atmosphere and said, ¡°Goddess, we will speak to the god of the Surface World about your situation when we get back. We¡¯ll return soon if nothing happens.¡±


    ¡°Well, got it,¡± said Rheia, nodding and smiling a little. ¡°And you don¡¯t have to call me so formally. Let me see¡­ You¡¯re supposed to call me ¡®Mother¡¯, but you¡¯re a new creature born naturally with a soul¡­ Then again, you still have a trace of my blood and strength¡­ Why don¡¯t you call me Rheia just like Hao Ren? I like this new name very much.¡±


    Hao Ren breathed a sigh of relief. He suddenly thought that if Vivian called the goddess ¡°Mother¡±, he might have to call the goddess ¡°Mother-in-law¡± in the near future. And the goddess of creation looked just a little older than Y¡¯lisabet!


    Soon, however, Hao Ren realized another thing: considering his relationship with Vivian, should he be more gracious when urging the goddess to do her homework?


    ¡°What are you thinking? You¡¯re not going to give me extra lessons, are you?¡± asked Rheia.


    ¡°Oh, oh, nothing. It was just a sudden feeling that you¡¯re not quite the goddess of creation I had imagined.¡±


    Rheia frowned. ¡°Not what you expected? What¡¯s the difference?¡±


    Hao Ren imagined a kind, loving, dignified, and powerful goddess¡­


    Conversely, the real Rheia who was standing in front of him¡­


    Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°Different personalities, different forms. Of course, more importantly, the shape of your body is different from what I had imagined¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?!¡±


    Hao Ren ran to the teleportation portal together with Vivian and turned his head as he ran, shouting, ¡°Remember to do your homework!¡±

 Chapter 1675 - Before the Storm

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Peace and quiet were rare on the bridge aboard the Petrachelys. Perhaps the battle with the goddess of annihilation had consumed so much energy that they had not recovered even after one to two days of rest. Even Lily and Rollie were seated quietly or bent over their chairs, all except for Lil Pea and Noobie. Both of them remained as energetic as ever. One was splashing in the sink while the other was throwing a tantrum over a piece of meat that was hard to bite.


    Those two did not expend much energy in the battle, though the little mermaid had almost taken away half of the goddess of annihilation¡¯s life¡­


    Hao Ren turned to look at Vivian and asked, ¡°How does it feel, getting up close and personal with your creator?¡±


    ¡°I have a lot of feelings,¡± Vivian said with a shallow smile. ¡°But to be honest, none of my mental preparations have worked. The goddess¡­ Rheia, she¡¯s nothing like I thought she would be.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t expect her to look like your niece either.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean.¡± Vivian rolled her eyes. ¡°I mean her character, and her¡­ aura. I thought she was the more serious, more dignified type, but I didn¡¯t expect her to be so approachable. It¡¯s a little rude to put it like that, but it¡¯s really how I feel. But there¡¯s one thing that turned out just as I had expected; she¡¯s really easy to talk to like Raven 12345.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention her. You won¡¯t find her easy to talk to when her brain fails,¡± said Hao Ren. ¡°Talking about the goddess of creation¡¯s current character¡­ To be honest, I think it had a lot to do with her failure.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°We know her past. It¡¯s impossible for such a character to be soft and gentle, yet? There¡¯s a kind of warm and gentle aura about her, as though she¡¯s lost her fighting spirit. The reason? It goes without saying. It took her millions of years to build an era of order, only for it to be completely flattened in the blink of an eye. After that, her countless plans and schemes were destroyed one by one. What a heavy blow!¡±


    Vivian frowned. ¡°Can the gods be defeated like that?¡±


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t knocked down, or she wouldn¡¯t have followed us out of the Umbral Realm. How comfortable would it be to stay in the dream,¡± Hao Ren explained, waving his hand. ¡°But she¡¯s not completely unaffected. The will of the gods is strong so that they can remain true to themselves for eons. Nevertheless, the gods also have thoughts and feelings. This is the basis of their ability to understand and love ordinary people, but it also causes them to waver a little sometimes, and that¡¯s the state she¡¯s in now. She seems gentle, unconcerned, and a little over the top. All her plans were destroyed or denied, then we gave her a new plan and she accepted it without question, displaying incredible cooperation¡­ Of course, it was right for her to cooperate. She¡¯s wise enough to know that the plan we¡¯ve given her is better, but she shows a lack of initiative in the process. It was a concern during my discussion with Raven 12345.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think Rheia can get out of this on her own?¡±


    ¡°She can, or she wouldn¡¯t be a goddess. But I don¡¯t know how long it will take her to realize that and make the adjustment. After all, we don¡¯t have much time,¡± said Hao Ren frankly. ¡°I don¡¯t really doubt her abilities. What I¡¯m afraid of is her lack of motivation. And we don¡¯t have much advantage against the Mad Lord. If Rheia loses her fighting spirit¡­ that¡¯ll even be less advantageous.¡±


    ¡°Has Raven 12345 said anything about how she plans to solve this problem?¡± Vivian looked worried.


    ¡°¡­She told me to ask the goddess of creation to do more exercises.¡±


    ¡°¡­Well, now I think Raven 12345 is a bit unreliable too.¡±


    Hao Ren shook his head with a smile and waved at the sink. Lil Pea jumped out of it and fell onto Hao Ren¡¯s hand. The little one was quite heavy. ¡°But then again, she was right to ask me to bring Lil Pea along this time, even though it was because of the prophecy¡­¡±


    As they chatted, the Petrachelys passed through the gate of Collow. The brilliant starlight of the Surface World once again trickled all over the Petrachelys.


    The others went back to rest while Hao Ren, Vivian, Lil Pea, and Noobie were directly teleported to Raven 12345¡¯s ¡°villa in heaven¡±.


    In the fresh-looking (and almost always fresh-looking) office, Raven 12345 listened carefully to Hao Ren¡¯s report on the operation.


    After she heard his report, Raven 12345 fell into a rare ten-second silence.


    ¡°So¡­ you went head-to-head with the goddess of annihilation, held her back, hurt her badly, and survived at the same time?¡±


    ¡°Strictly speaking, the goddess of annihilation was in a weak state,¡± Hao Ren stressed. ¡°In the previous God-slaying War, she was also hit by the big explosion. She was badly wounded and fell into a deep slumber as a result. Hence, we¡¯re not sure about her real strength.¡±


    ¡°But she¡¯s also a true god. While she has been weakened, the level of her strength will not truly change. However, the situation won¡¯t be so bad after the two offsets, so Rheia was right,¡± said Raven 12345. ¡°Regarding your arrangements and decisions, they are reasonable and sensible. It¡¯s the smartest decision not to rush into that Abyssal Dungeon. Until Rheia finishes her studies, you are no match for the Mad Lord. Keeping an eye on the enemy¡¯s lair is the only action you should take for now.¡±


    ¡°Can you use that prophecy crystal?¡± Hao Ren looked at Raven 12345 with a little anticipation. ¡°Try and see when the Mad Lord won¡¯t be suppressed or when the final battle will break out¡­ so I can tell how much time I have.¡±


    ¡°I told you not to rely on the power of prophecy, don¡¯t you remember?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you, but there¡¯s a limit to what the prophecy can do in this matter. The Mad Lord is in the Plane of Dreams, and his own strength is close to that of the gods. He now relies on the goddess of annihilation to make himself a surrogate messenger. In this case, any prediction the crystal makes about him will have uncontrollable consequences and may even lead to the destruction of a stable future.¡±


    After he found out that the consequences would be so serious, Hao Ren gave up on the idea. He then mentioned another thing, ¡°There¡¯s one more issue. We talked about it the last time. The goddess of creation¡¯s fighting spirit doesn¡¯t seem so strong¡­¡±


    Raven 12345 frowned. ¡°She backed out? It shouldn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°Not really, but obviously she¡¯s much softer than she used to be. It¡¯s like the feeling of settling down after a big storm, but a bit more despondent.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not a bad thing. She was too immature before, but becoming despondent is a no-no. You can¡¯t fight a monster like the Mad Lord without an absolute desire to fight.¡± Raven 12345 shook her head. ¡°Did you educate her with the Meteor Hammer?¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding? Of course not. She¡¯s Vivian¡¯s mother!¡±


    ¡°I knew it.¡± Raven 12345 gave Hao Ren and Vivian a contemptuous look, then she asked, ¡°Has she started learning?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been going smoothly. Although she was a little frustrated when she found out there was a lot of homework, she¡¯s very interested in the textbooks.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s not a big issue as long as she starts reading the books,¡± Raven 12345 said with a mysterious smile on her face. ¡°In fact, my superiors have been very concerned about this matter, and Bryndis left some small gifts in the books. Don¡¯t worry, it will definitely work. Mother knows best.¡±.

 Chapter 1676 - The Dark Valkyries Gift

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The return of the goddess of creation was the best news for the surviving guardians and sprites. After the collapse of the old era, nothing pleased them more than the safe return of their ¡°mother¡±, who had shaped the glory years. Even the ever-serious conservative giants held quite a grand celebration this time¡ªright at the Heart of Destiny, around the new shrine of Yggdrasil.


    Although the threat of the Mad Lord still existed and was more pressing than ever before, the celebration was needed. It would not only dispel the lingering gloom in everyone¡¯s mind but also boost their fighting spirit for the coming battle. And more importantly, if there were any surviving planets in the universe that still held belief in the goddess of creation, then those who struggled in the dark could find comfort in the celebration.


    In Holletta, for instance, all worshippers were told about the goddess of creation¡¯s return, and far, far away in the dark depths of the universe, the guardian giants received a couple of messages too. While the news was a far cry from the glorious days of the past, it provided a spark of relief.


    At least, they knew that many of their people had survived.


    However, after a brief celebration, the goddess did not continue to play with the merry sprites. Instead, she returned to the depths of the shrine alone.


    At the center of the shrine, the textbooks from the Galacticus Lords had been removed from the box and placed neatly on the shelves nearby. Right then, there were a few busy sprites among the shelves.


    Rheia approached one of the bookshelves. According to the timetable Hao Ren left, the books had been arranged by subject and difficulty; she just had to follow the study plan so she did not pay attention to the books around her but merely pulled out the first book in the first row.


    ¡°Introduction to Gods¡­¡± Rheia rubbed the cover of the large leathery book and read the words lightly. She then carried it to her desk. ¡°Hopefully these books will work well¡­¡±


    A few sprites came bounding over to the desk. ¡°Goddess! You want to read?¡±


    ¡°Goddess, do you want to play first?¡±


    ¡°Goddess, don¡¯t forget to have another lesson and practice once you¡¯ve finished your self-studying¡ªHao Ren told us!¡±


    Rheia gently pushed the little ones away. ¡°Go and watch at the door. If there¡¯s nothing particularly important, just tell whoever it is that I have to do my homework and I don¡¯t want to be interrupted.¡±


    After the sprites left, she opened the book with a mixture of anxiety and curiosity, then concentrated her mind on the title page with a touch of divine power.


    An unexpected passage suddenly appeared.


    ¡°To my child whom I have never met:


    ¡°By the time you read this, I should be fighting on the distant frontier to prevent the abyss from eroding and destroying the World of Order. I should have taught you and shown you how to use our great power, but power meant duty, so I could not leave the front. I could only deliver these books to you in the hopes that they may help you.


    ¡°My child, you have inherited a strong and glorious bloodline. The history of this bloodline can be traced back to the time when the infinite void was first established. At the beginning of all history, and even before it, our bloodlines have existed, and our ancestors have defended the balance of the orderly world with courage, strength, and wisdom, mainly the first two of course¡ªbut it does not matter.


    ¡°What you need to know is that from the moment you inherited this bloodline, you were destined to be a fearless warrior. It is our way of survival, to fight endlessly on the path we have taken. There are no thoughts of setbacks, no thoughts of victory, no thoughts of defeat, no thoughts of obstacles, and no thoughts of desperate situations. Well, I admit that this is not my way of speaking, but anyway, my central message is that our family tradition is to ¡®keep fighting¡¯. If you can keep your determination and your will burning, turn the page.


    ¡°¡ªYour Mother.¡±


    Rheia was clueless.


    Well, she wanted to close the book and put it back on the shelf at that moment, but she could not help turning the page.


    As she flipped the pages, Rheia fell into a trance and the space around her turned upside down. Even her powers as a true god could not stop the change. When everything settled down, she found herself in a strange space.


    There was endless mist around her, and the shimmering mist pervaded the space. Under her feet was a layer of water as calm as a mirror. It rippled when she stepped on it, but no matter how hard she stomped on it, she could not feel the depth of the water.


    Knowing that the space was harmless, Rheia did not panic but look around curiously. Realizing that there had to be a reason that the book dragged her into the space, she suppressed the idea of walking around and waited patiently for the next change.


    ¡°Calm and cool-headed. Good.¡±


    A voice suddenly came from the mist. Then, a tall figure suddenly appeared, as though she had been standing there from the beginning and had not been noticed until now.


    The figure gradually became clear, and Rheia saw a woman with a slight resemblance to her emerge from the mist. The woman had the same silvery hair and blood-colored eyes. She was wearing a black evening dress, and she had long hair that reached to her ankles. Cool and majestic vibes emanated from the figure. Although it was only a projection, it felt so real.


    ¡°You are¡­ my mother?¡± Rheia asked, not quite sure. Though the woman seemed to speak in a different way than she had imagined, she made the guess, considering the words that appeared on the page and the possible role of the space.


    ¡°Bryndis, the Dark Valkyrie,¡± replied the woman, pointing at herself. ¡°I am out fighting at the moment, of course, and what you see in front of you right now is just a projection of my mind, but it should be enough to answer many of your questions.¡±


    Rheia did not care what she was. It was the first time she had met her ¡°mother¡±. A mixture of curiosity and nervousness left her a little bewildered. Being careful, she asked, ¡°Are you here to teach me something?¡±


    The Dark Valkyrie shook her head. ¡°No, I am here just to show you something.¡±


    ¡°Show me something?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but before I do, I have a question for you.¡± She paused for a moment before asking, ¡°Are you starting to feel hesitant?¡±


    Rheia tried to explain herself or think of some euphemism that would make her feel less embarrassed, but in the end, she nodded gently and replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    It was the first time she had admitted it in front of another person.


    ¡°Let me see¡­ Is it the pressure from the Mad Lord? No, definitely not. No one in my bloodline can be affected by such pressure, so¡­ you¡¯ve realized that a lot of your hard work isn¡¯t paying off.¡±


    ¡°The world was once full of life. Some were created by me, and some were born by nature. For a long time, all of my actions and plans were to protect the living world,¡± Rheia said slowly. ¡°It was hard, but I had a clear purpose so I never hesitated¡­ But now, almost all of the planets I protected have been destroyed¡­ I left behind the solutions, but in the end, almost no one was saved.¡±


    The figure did not speak but look quietly at Rheia.


    ¡°Mother, I do not know what a qualified god is like. In fact, even as a mere protector of mortals, I do not know how far I can go. If nothing we do can change the end results, and we fight to protect a world yet it still gets destroyed, then what is the point of all this?¡±


    The figure continued to look at Rheia quietly until she almost turned her eyes away. ¡°Do you know how mortals fight against the end of the world?¡± the figure broke her silence.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The figure did not speak but waved her arm gently.


    An endless mist immediately cleared, and images suddenly appeared over the still water, which stretched as far as the eyes could see.


    It was another world in the endless void.

 Chapter 1677 - Their Respective Responsibilities

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The void was endless. It was everything there and everything beyond it. It was the union of the known and the unknown. It was a collection of all things and all things beyond. Dark tides surged in this boundless realm. Every time the tide rose and fell, countless worlds were born and annihilated. The Plane of Dreams, the Surface World, or any other universe was nothing but a bubble in the void.


    However, it was this bubble that gave birth to endless and brilliant scenes. The soulless, the spiritual, the ignorant, the intelligent, the countless natural phenomena, the intelligent races in this bubble that shaped the worlds, and gods were moved by every line of scenery in those worlds.


    It was the first time Rheia had seen anything like it.


    For a long time, she was trapped in her own little universe. All she could see was a horizon that was measured through mathematical reasoning. Even with divine power, she could just vaguely sense the edge of the universe and the weak fluctuations of information beyond the edge. She had relied on her calculations and reasoning to conclude that there were still new worlds out there. But today, for the first time, she was able to see with her own eyes those landscapes, which had previously existed only in mathematical formulas and theoretical models.


    Countless nebulae, kingdoms, and universes stretched out across the water beneath her feet, and as some of them grew clearer, their destinies were also reflected in her mind. She saw the history and future of these worlds as if she had witnessed them herself. Although the distance between her and the worlds and had reached a scale that could not be described mathematically, everything looked real.


    Then, she heard her mother¡¯s voice in her head.


    ¡°This is called the Great Nebula. Ten thousand years ago it was called the Warring Galaxy. The whole universe was almost like a battlefield. More than a hundred civilizations existed here. They were all mortal, and their opponents were a group of crazy gods¡­


    ¡°This is Hessonwood-Redmond. More than a dozen intelligent races lived on this binary star system. The development of their civilization didn¡¯t even break through the space bottleneck, but they faced a catastrophe big enough to cause the end of the world. They¡¯ve been around for a thousand years even before the gods were aware of their world.


    ¡°The planet has been destroyed. I personally guarded it for tens of millions of years. My body was the seal, and the planet covered me like a tomb. There was a human civilization on my ¡®grave¡¯, but after the destruction of the seal, the civilization was destroyed in an instant. However, the survivors built a shelter on a nearby planet. Now, 10,000 years later, they¡¯re about to launch deep-space ships to the edge of space. A single planetary disaster is nothing to them.¡±


    ¡°So many¡­ So many worlds, so many disasters¡­¡± Rheia was a little shocked.


    ¡°The number of worlds is infinite. But for many people who live their entire lives on a tiny planet, the vast universe does not mean much. The piece of land they live in is their whole world, and when they are faced with disasters on that piece of land, they explode with an unimaginable will to survive¡ªbecause to them, that¡¯s all they have.


    ¡°So, I want to correct you. Sure, you protect them, but you¡¯re not just a protector. Because ¡®protector¡¯ is a word too lofty. It means looking down and giving from one single side. And mortals are stronger than you think. Even if there is no god, they will protect their homeland and will be even more determined than you. So it is more accurate to say that you are not protecting mortals, you are protecting their world with them.


    ¡°You feel obligated to protect mortals. That is good because the sense of responsibility has always been a good quality of a god, but do not use this sense of responsibility to cover the efforts of ordinary people. This will blind you, and blindness is often the first step on the wrong path.¡±


    Rheia felt like she had understood something. She nodded, looking slowly at the surface of the water beneath her feet, the universes rising and dying under her gaze. Gradually, the picture on the surface of the water changed again, and the voice rang in her head.


    ¡°Now, let me teach you the second thing, about the parts that we cannot save. You¡¯ve seen the world struggling to survive the end of time. But in fact, there have been many more worlds that have failed to carry through. Not even a tiny residue is left of them. They can only leave a number in the archives of extinct civilizations.¡±


    The scenes on the surface of the water were changing rapidly. Rheia saw ruins, debris, and broken walls. There was debris floating around in the universes, jagged steel ruins on planets, and giant torn-apart starships, floating alone. Those starships probably meant a failed escape.


    Time had worn away steel and tombstones; cities and ships had been reduced to dust, yet there were no survivors, no descendants of civilization to rebuild them.


    More and more similar images emerged, and each group of images ended with darkness. A black cross mark was their final note, and there was only one word under the mark: canceled.


    Finally, Rheia saw a huge cylindrical space. It was endless. Countless neat crystal lattices were floating in the cylindrical area, and numerous shadowy figures were shuttling through space, storing things in the crystal lattices. Due to some inexplicable intuition, she suddenly looked in a certain direction, and the lattice at the end of her line of sight became vivid.


    She saw some words floating in front of the lattice.


    ¡°The Plane of Dreams ¨C Tannagost. Civilization status: Extinct. Archived by: Hao Ren¡±


    ¡°¡­I remember that name¡­¡± Rheia was a little surprised to see it.


    ¡°Although they were destroyed, they resisted resolutely. Some of the lucky ones managed to leave a few words in the record or a few descendants, but most of them only left behind a serial number. Doomsday is happening every minute in the endless void, and the number of ¡®tombstones¡¯ in this archive will continue to grow day by day, even if the gods and everyone fight to the death. So, do you think there¡¯s any point in our efforts under the premise that these worlds are doomed to be destroyed?¡±


    There was, of course, Rheia wanted to say. But she could not help remembering her negative thoughts.


    ¡°You are hesitating because you see the problem.¡± The tall figure gazed quietly into Rheia¡¯s eyes. ¡°We may not be able to save everything, and sacrifice may be inevitable, but our fight has never been a clear-cut deal. People fight because they do not want to die. We fight because we do not want to see them die. Such motivation is enough, and as for the result¡­ does it really matter?¡±


    Rheia clenched her fist silently and whispered, ¡°I think I understand.¡±


    ¡°No, you haven¡¯t quite gotten it yet,¡± interrupted the Dark Valkyrie, ¡°because all I¡¯ve told you so far is some general principles. Principles are useful, of course, but their power is limited. Now, let me tell you something more practical than that.


    ¡°We fight and die to kill an enemy, not just for some general principles, but for a more important reason¡ªrage.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°We want to protect something, but someone is trying to do the opposite, trying to destroy what we are protecting, so we get very angry. And rage is the first thing that motivates us to kill our opponents. No matter what, as long as this feeling exists, we absolutely have no reason to stop!


    ¡°A qualified god fights to the death after targeting his or her enemies. We confront our enemy from the front, destroy him with all our strength and crush him. If he runs away, we pursue him to the ends of the void. If he defends, we smash his defense. If he revives himself 10,000 times, we kill him every time he comes back to life. If he dares to spread his evil influences everywhere, we cut down every shred of his power. These means of violence are necessary for justice.¡±


    Rheia¡¯s eyes slowly brightened.


    ¡°Now my child, tell me, isn¡¯t that Mad Lord irritating you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, very much!¡±


    ¡°Will you give up because your career was ruined and your achievements were destroyed?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not!¡±


    ¡°Are you willing to fight for your slaughtered people and kill your enemies?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely, yes!¡±


    ¡°Very well, it seems that you are ready for justice.¡± The Dark Valkyrie smiled and looked approvingly at Rheia. ¡°Then turn to page one, chapter one, the Origin and Definition of the Gods¡ªhighlight the whole text and prepare for the final exam.¡±


    Rheia was speechless.


    In another world far away, in the office of another god, Hao Ren looked at the goddess before him with some suspicion. ¡°Do you think what the Dark Valkyrie left in the book really works?¡±


    ¡°Definitely,¡± said Raven 12345, waving her hand. ¡°That¡¯s her mother after all. Putting that aside, let¡¯s talk about the Umbral Realm¡­¡±

 Chapter 1678 - A Bold Assumption

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Regarding Hao Ren¡¯s operation in the Umbral Realm, Raven 12345 expressed her great appreciation for her own ability to have a sharp eye for discovering capable ones. She admitted that the information Hao Ren had gathered on his trip far surpassed her expectations and that the most valuable part of it was about the Umbral Realm¡¯s nature.


    Hao Ren lined up tube-shaped metal containers containing samples of rock, soil, air, water, and a bouncing shimmer of light trapped in a force field, in front of Raven 12345.


    ¡°These are the specimen I asked the Petrachelys to collect. These are samples of materials from L¡¯Haronne, and the shimmer of light comes from the edge of the Umbral Realm. The edge of the Umbral Realm isn¡¯t completely dark. There are some cool glowing clouds scattered and floating there. They have weird properties somewhere between matter and energy, completely out of line with the laws of physics, so I collected them.¡±


    When Raven 12345 touched one of the sample jars with her finger, the metal container vanished, and the sample inside quickly transformed into a series of light spots on her fingertips. Her analysis was completed in a matter of seconds. ¡°Interesting¡­ What an amazing discovery¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Hao Ren and Vivian asked at the same time.


    ¡°There¡¯s a sixty-percent difference in its information structure compared with a product of the Plane of Dreams.¡± Raven 12345 snapped her fingers, and the sample, as well as storage container that disappeared, were instantly restored to their original positions on the table. ¡°That means they were produced under different rules of physics, or in other words, different worldviews. And the light¡­ Its nature is more intriguing. Can you guess what it is?¡±


    Hao Ren pondered for a moment and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°This is the World Barrier after being smashed and solidifying.¡±


    ¡°¡­Oh, my God!¡± Hao Ren was dumbfounded. ¡°The thing that separates the World of Order from the void? A precursor to the Wall of Reality?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a broken and solidified World Barrier. Inside it is a physical space that is neither of the Plane of Dreams nor of the Surface World. It existed on the Plane of Dreams as a World Barrier but never had material exchange with the Plane of Dreams until the outbreak of the god-slaying war. What¡¯s more¡­ this space clearly predates the God-slaying War, which means it was there from the start¡­ We need to fix the model of the universe.¡±


    Hao Ren had a vague guess previously, but he was not as sure as Raven 12345. ¡°We¡¯re not dealing with a twin universe, but a¡­ triad?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the Umbral Realm is most likely a separate universe.¡± Raven 12345 nodded. ¡°But it is weaker than the Plane of Dreams and needs to cling to the World Barrier to survive. It¡¯s more like the debris of a universe that has been destroyed. How long has the debris been stuck to the World Barrier of the Plane of Dreams? After or before the collision between the Plane of Dreams and the Surface World? There¡¯s a lot to find out¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was still wondering about what historical secrets were waiting to be discovered on L¡¯Haronne in the Umbral Realm, but Raven 12345 thought of something more profound, and that gave him some ideas.


    ¡°If it was there before it collided with the Surface World¡­ that would form a clear arrow of time.¡± Hao Ren projected a hologram and drew his own concept map on it. ¡°At first, the Umbral Realm was a complete and normal universe, then it was destroyed for unknown reasons, crashing into the World Barrier of the Plane of Dreams. After that, the Plane of Dreams was attacked by the Mad Lord, and it crashed against the World Barrier of the Surface World¡­¡±


    ¡°In fact, the Plane of Dreams¡¯ original destiny is probably the same as that of the Umbral Realm.¡± Vivian also caught the key point. ¡°Without the goddess of creation, a normal universe would not have been able to withstand the ravages of the Mad Lord. It would have been completely shattered and smashed in our universe. It was the goddess of creation who alleviated the disaster.¡±


    ¡°So the Plane of Dreams is not the first victim, but the Umbral Realm?¡± Hao Ren frowned.


    Raven 12345 nodded gently. ¡°It¡¯s just a bold assumption, but it¡¯s rooted in clues. The clues now suggest that the Umbral Realm was originally an independent universe, but now it has crashed into the World Barrier of the Plane of Dreams. This situation is very similar to the Plane of Dreams crashing into the Surface World, except that the Plane of Dreams hasn¡¯t been completely destroyed.¡±


    Vivian gently rubbed between her eyebrows. ¡°Our judgment of the Mad Lord¡­ It¡¯s not deep enough. He could be like some kind of virus, infecting one universe, using up the universe¡¯s resources and energy, then riding on the wreckage of his ¡®victim¡¯ to find another universe. Then he infects the next universe through world collisions and so on¡­¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Raven 12345 and asked, ¡°So our deduction of the Mad Lord being some kind of ¡®primordial life¡¯ with a confusing will at the beginning of the Plane of Dreams¡¯ birth was wrong? It was not born in the Plane of Dreams but a foreign pollutant?¡±


    ¡°No, our first judgment should be correct. That was the conclusion I came to after careful calculation,¡± Raven 12345 said, shaking her head. ¡°Now, I¡¯m guessing that the Mad Lord has some sort of ¡®regeneration mechanism¡¯. After destroying a host universe, it should revert back to some kind of information singularity, like a sporocyst, or else it wouldn¡¯t survive the collapse of cosmic information. Then, as Vivian mentioned, it rides the wrecked universe through the void and enters its new host through the collision of worlds. The sporocyst wakes up, and the Mad Lord is born again. In the process, the Mad Lord acquires the information characteristics of the new host universe, which can have an impact on the new universe. This process is necessary because the physical rules and information structures between two universes are very different in most cases. Without this form of rebirth or transcoding, the Mad Lord will not have the ability to infect different universes.¡±


    Hao Ren felt goosebumps all over his body. Such infections were scary enough at the microbial level, let alone on a cosmic scale. He shuddered at the thought. ¡°Wait a minute, since it infects a new universe by means of world collision, isn¡¯t it going to infect our universe after it infects the Plane of Dreams?!¡±


    Raven 12345 glanced at Hao Ren and said, ¡°If only it were so¡ªI¡¯ve been waiting for this day for years! If it dares to come, I¡¯ll end it with one punch!¡±


    ¡°Go and kill it if you can.¡± Hao Ren looked at Raven 12345 with contempt.


    He was at a loss for words.


    ¡°In short, it¡¯s too important. I need to investigate the Umbral Realm further. Next, I¡¯m going to study L¡¯Haronne,¡± said Hao Ren.


    ¡°Yes, L¡¯Haronne is very valuable. It¡¯s a planet of life in a destroyed universe, and it has traces of artificial modification. You have to do some research. If we¡¯re on the right track, there¡¯s a good chance that there are hidden traces of the Mad Lord¡¯s influence on L¡¯Haronne. And since the planet managed to survive it¡­ perhaps the Mad Lord¡¯s weakness is there,¡± said Raven 12345.


    After they finalized the strategy for their next action, their conversation became more relaxed. Raven 12345 began to ask Hao Ren about some interesting episodes in his operation, including the experience of falling into ¡°the Dream of L¡¯Haronne¡± and finally getting out of the dream after being inspired by the brainless Noobie. The goddess could not help but laugh and say, ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect that¡ªshe¡¯s so weak, who knew she could be so helpful. That deserves a reward.¡±


    As she spoke, she began to look around for Noobie. The little one was running around on the floor, having a good time. But when she sensed that Raven 12345 was looking at her, she shivered and immediately rushed into Vivian¡¯s hair.


    Ravens 12345 was a little hurt inside. ¡°Why did she react like that? Did I abuse her?¡±


    Hao Ren thought to himself: Noobie would rather be abused than eat what Raven 12345 cooked¡­

 Chapter 1679 - Another Way to Establish Communication

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Raven 12345 really wanted to reward Noobie, and she even planned to donate the limited edition noodles she had been saving for two weeks. Yet, the little one was so scared that she would not come out of Vivian¡¯s body, so the reward plan had to be abandoned.


    In all senses, Noobie had escaped a disaster.


    Then, the attention turned to Lil Pea.


    The little mermaid did not resist Raven 12345. She was happily hopping about on the big desk, curiously rummaging through strange decorations and office supplies.


    ¡°I told you to take her along as the prophecy suggested, but I didn¡¯t expect her to have such a big effect,¡± Raven 12345 said as she watched the baby fish scamper around in front of her. ¡°Who would believe that a little mermaid fought the end of the world with her face and hurt a true god?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Ahem, nothing,¡± said Raven 12345 as she conjured up a small light ball. Lil Pea jumped up and down after it. ¡°Let me examine her body¡­ Rest assured, there really isn¡¯t any problem.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, this can only be done once. The next time we see the goddess of annihilation, I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t be so stupid,¡± Hao Ren said, shaking his head. ¡°And she¡¯ll be much better the next time I see her. Although Rheia will certainly be stronger after she studies those materials we¡¯ve given to her, we won¡¯t just be dealing with the goddess of annihilation¡­ Don¡¯t forget the Mad Lord.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you can only use it once, but it kind of seals an opponent¡¯s skill, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Raven 12345 smiled and looked at Hao Ren. ¡°And you¡¯ve got to have a little more faith in Rheia. I¡¯ve seen the blueprints of the Creation¡¯s Engine, and I have to say that her brain is pretty good. Those textbooks aren¡¯t difficult for her to learn, and a god armed with knowledge is definitely more powerful than you think.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded before he suddenly remembered something. ¡°By the way, there¡¯s one more thing I want to confirm with you. Rheia can¡¯t leave the Plane of Dreams now, can she?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Raven 12345 nodded. ¡°She¡¯s the plane¡¯s goddess of creation. There is no greater information aggregation than her own connection to the Plane of Dreams. It¡¯s not that easy for a goddess like her to cross the Wall of Reality.¡±


    Hao Ren did not want to give up. ¡°Can¡¯t we use the buffer zone at the Scarred Nebula?¡±


    The Scarred Nebula¡­ Deep within it was the new gate to the Plane of Dreams, and opposite it was Collow. Because it was a very large gap, the vast amount of information that flowed from the Plane of Dreams interfered with the information of the Surface World, creating a ¡°buffer zone¡± between the Plane of Dreams and the Surface World. In this region, both the Plane of Dreams and the Surface World could exist and interact with each other without worrying about the impact on the two worlds.


    Since the gate¡¯s completion, many of Hao Ren¡¯s bulk materials had been transported through it.


    Raven 12345 shook her head. ¡°That buffer zone is very convenient, but it can¡¯t bear the weight of the goddess of creation¡¯s information.¡±


    This gave Hao Ren a headache. ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s troublesome. I¡¯d like to arrange for the goddess of creation to meet you so you can teach her based on your experience as a god. I¡¯m really worried that she won¡¯t be able to keep up with her studies.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who¡¯s thinking of that,¡± said Raven 12355. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about meeting her for a long time, but it¡¯s just not realistic, and¡­ Wait a minute! If it¡¯s just to make contact with her¡­ it¡¯s not impossible!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve just gone too far. Why do we have to let the goddess of creation come here? If you just want to connect her to me, then we can do it via remote communication. Why do we have to meet?¡± Raven 12345 explained.


    Hao Ren and Vivian looked at each other. ¡°It¡¯s just that simple?¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s not that simple. After all, the gods themselves carry a huge amount of information, so none of the devices you use to communicate with the Plane of Dreams will work on Rheia. The line would disconnect as soon as she speaks, but it would be much easier to get a remote communicator specially made for gods than to get Rheia here. Hold on, I¡¯m going to get a testing machine right now¡­¡±


    Raven 12345 disappeared the moment she finished speaking, leaving Hao Ren and Vivian in the office looking at each other.


    ¡°Did she say if we should go home and wait or stay here?¡± Vivian asked, a little unsure. ¡°But she acted so fast. Should we wait here?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. Based on a god¡¯s sense of time, it could take ten days or half a month. I think we better go home.¡±


    ¡°What if she doesn¡¯t see us when she gets back here later?¡±


    Hao Ren touched his chin and said, ¡°Don¡¯t mind her, let¡¯s go home and have dinner first. Anyway, she can get us back here at any time if she really needs us.¡±


    Vivian agreed. She picked Lil Pea up from the table and entered the teleportation portal to their home along with Hao Ren.


    The next moment, they were already standing in the living room of their home.


    As soon as Hao Ren found his balance, he saw Rollie sitting cross-legged on a blanket next to the sofa with a PSP in her hands.


    Noticing the sudden new scent in the living room, the catgirl raised her head and meowed. Hao Ren instantly saw the thing in the catgirl¡¯s hands. ¡°Where did you get that?! That¡¯s my treasure¡­¡±


    However, before he could finish the sentence, a beam of light suddenly fell on him and Vivian. In the next second, they vanished, leaving the catgirl dumbfounded.


    A few seconds later, the silly cat jumped off her blanket and yelled, ¡°OMG! Big Boss Cat¡¯s ghost just ran out of the PSP all of a sudden!¡±


    Nangong Wuyue was in the kitchen helping Nangong Sanba while he was cooking. Fortunately, he was a good cook. Otherwise, all of them would have nothing to eat when Vivian was not at home.


    Nangong Wuyue turned to look in the direction of the living room the moment she heard the cat yell. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Who knows, maybe she¡¯s messing with the TV again,¡± Nangong Sanba muttered while he cooked busily.


    Next to them stood another woman dressed in a black dress. She looked almost exactly like Vivian, except for her shorter hair and smaller figure. It was Hessiana.


    ¡°For a moment, I sensed Lady Vivian¡­¡± Hessiana frowned and said uncertainly.


    ¡°You must have gotten it wrong,¡± said Nangong Wuyue firmly. ¡°The landlord and Vivian are now reporting to the goddess. She won¡¯t be back so soon.¡±


    Hessiana gave her a suspicious look, then got a little nervous and asked, ¡°Hmm¡­ Will Lady Vivian be angry that I suddenly turned up here?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been asking the same question again and again,¡± Nangong Sanba said. ¡°Have some confidence. Vivian doesn¡¯t hate you.¡±


    ¡°But she used to hide every time I looked for her. She doesn¡¯t want to see me¡­¡± Hessiana said, looking worried.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about it too much. Vivian said she would change her attitude toward you before she left, ¡°Nangong Wuyue comforted. ¡°Plus, she said she¡¯d invite you over for a few days¡ªshe¡¯ll be glad to see you here.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± The vampire matriarch was now nervous like a child preparing for a parents¡¯ meeting.


    On the other side, Hao Ren and Vivian did not know that there was an unexpected guest in the house because they had been forcibly dragged back to Raven 12345¡¯s place.


    ¡°Why did you go straight home when I told you to wait?¡±


    ¡°We thought you said we should go home and wait¡ªwe thought it¡¯d take you days to prepare,¡± Vivian explained, looking embarrassed.


    Hao Ren was worried about his childhood treasure. ¡°I saved a lot of money to buy it when I was little¡­ And now the cat¡¯s broken it¡­¡±


    The MDT was not happy about that. ¡°It¡¯s not fair! You treasure an antique, which went out of fashion more than ten years ago, but you use me, such a sophisticated high-tech product, as a coaster!¡±


    ¡°All right, please solve your internal conflicts in private. We¡¯re at work now, please be serious,¡± Raven 12345 interrupted them, then took out a pair of silver metal rings and put them on the table. ¡°This is the test machine I¡¯ve created. It allows Rheia to project part of her information into the Surface World.¡±


    ¡°So fast?¡± Hao Ren looked at the metal rings in disbelief. The rings were not large, appearing like two silver bracelets with a polished surface. They did not have any buttons. ¡°How do they work?¡±


    ¡°Direct mental activation. One is placed with the goddess of creation, and the other in the Surface World. The idea is to generate a remote mass projection. This is better than a communicator, thanks to my strong professional knowledge and creativity. I really am¡­¡±


    Hao Ren picked up the pair of rings, but found a label on one of the rings, which read ¡°Sixth generation compact projection generator, product number¡­¡±


    ¡°Ahem, Boss, can you tear the label off before you brag the next time?¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    ¡°So you just went back to the warehouse and got a ready-made gadget? I was wondering how you got it ready so fast!¡±


    Raven 12345 was silent.

 Chapter 1680 - Here Comes the Little Bat

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren could never understand why a goddess like Raven 12345 was so unreliable¡­


    That aside, the pair of metal rings were quite useful.


    According to Raven 12345, they were used to generate remote mass projections, and Hao Ren had actually seen such a thing before. Based on his understanding, the mass projection was a type of remote interactive interface that had an entity, which could transmit senses and interact with the environment. Its essence was a kind of image transmission, but the advanced technology of the Xi Ling Celestials in the field of information operation greatly expanded the ¡°content¡± of the transmission, making it feel like the real thing. But at the same time, it reduced the interference of information by countless times, and that was one of the key conditions that allowed Rheia to ¡°enter¡± the Surface World through the Wall of Reality.


    Another condition that prevented Rheia from crossing the Wall of Reality was the problem of divinity. That could also be solved by mass projection as the pair of rings Raven 12345 found had information filtering functions.


    They could filter out Rheia¡¯s divinity in the process of transmitting the mass projection. This function was not even available in the information link Hao Ren built between the Plane of Dreams and the Surface World. Therefore, it was irreplaceable.


    ¡°You have to remind Rheia that when the mass projection is activated, it¡¯ll feel likes she¡¯s doing two things at once. It¡¯ll feel like a sudden onset of schizophrenia, and she has to adapt as well as figure out exactly which one her real identity is. It¡¯s hard to master for those who haven¡¯t been exposed to it.¡± Raven 12345 went back into nagging mode. ¡°While it allows Rheia to ¡®enter¡¯ the Surface World as a mass projection, there are limitations. First of all, her mass projection can only be limited to activities near the bracelet. Second, they can¡¯t be connected for more than six hours at a time. They must be allowed to cool down for at least six hours to give the Wall of Reality time to recover, and¡­ you better keep them out of anyone¡¯s reach, especially those sprites you mentioned.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°No problem, but the schizophrenia¡­ It sounds uncomfortable. Can Rheia get used to it?¡±


    Raven 12345 waved her hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The goddess of creation has experience with this.¡±


    Hao Ren thought that they were two different things, but he had confidence in a god¡¯s mental strength. Even if it was a little uncomfortable at first, Rheia would be able to learn the rules of mass projection very quickly, so there were no further questions from him.


    Hao Ren wanted to hand over the little device to the goddess of creation as soon as possible, but thinking about his treasured toy, he decided to go home first.


    ¡°¡­I wonder if the silly cat has destroyed my PSP¡­¡± Hao Ren said worriedly before he stepped into the teleportation beam. ¡°That silly cat always digs out what I hide, then she destroys them¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Rollie¡¯s actually quite sensible nowadays. She won¡¯t just damage things as she likes,¡± Vivian comforted him as they stepped into the beam.


    The moment they entered the house, Hao Ren noticed that the catgirl was placing an old photo of his on the tea table, with his PSP and a pack of snacks in front of his photo.


    After placing them on the table, the catgirl began to bow before the photo, mumbling something as she did so¡­


    ¡°What are you doing, Rollie?¡± Hao Ren asked, standing behind the catgirl.


    It startled the catgirl. She turned her head and stared at Hao Ren for a few seconds, then she carefully circled him while she sniffed him out.


    ¡°What are you¡­¡± Hao Ren was even more confused.


    The catgirl retreated before Hao Ren could finish his words but she did not seem terrified anymore. Instead, she looked excited, jumping up and down while yelling, ¡°I just cast a spell to revive our landlord!¡±


    Hao Ren felt like he was about to go crazy. He turned to look at Vivian and asked, ¡°I can¡¯t understand what this cat is doing! At least one of us is crazy, right?¡±


    Vivian appeared confused too. ¡°¡­ Maybe Rollie saw us suddenly appear and disappear again earlier, and that gave her a big fright?¡±


    At that moment, Nangong Sanba and Wuyue came out of the kitchen in aprons. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you. I was wondering why Rollie suddenly got so excited¡­¡± said Nangong Sanba.


    Hao Ren pressed the catgirl¡¯s head, then walked to the sofa and said, ¡°She must have eaten something wrong. Take her to brush her teeth before dinner.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, a familiar voice came from the kitchen. ¡°Lady Vivian!¡±


    They turned their heads and saw a small Vivian standing at the kitchen door.


    It was Hessiana.


    She looked so excited like she was going to pounce on Vivian and hug her, but she managed to hold back her excitement. ¡°I was right this time. Lady Vivian, you¡¯re back!¡±


    Vivian was shocked the moment she saw Hessiana. ¡°Why are you here out of the blue? Are you in trouble again?¡±


    ¡°The Shadow Council has finally settled down. I finally have a few days off so I came here to visit you¡­ Umm, you won¡¯t chase me away, will you?¡± Hessiana explained, smiling brightly.


    Vivian looked at Hessiana¡¯s eyes. She suddenly laughed as she noticed the uneasiness in her eyes. ¡°Why would I chase you away?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Hooray!¡± Hessiana cheered.


    ¡°Remember, you¡¯re not in the Shadow Council, you¡¯re in the human world. So don¡¯t go out and create trouble. And behave yourself.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know.¡± Hessiana kept nodding her head. ¡°It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t been in the human world before. I¡¯ve been here, I know what to do.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then stay here for a while. I¡¯m going to prepare dinner.¡±


    ¡°Err, I¡¯ve already¡ª¡± Nangong Sanba wanted to remind Vivian that dinner was ready.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± But Hao Ren and Nangong Wuyue stopped him.


    Vivian shook her head and said,¡± It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll just add two dishes to celebrate the success of the expedition. By the way, Hessiana, do you want a pancake?¡±


    Hessiana wanted to nod, but changed her mind and shook her head. ¡°No, no, I don¡¯t eat pancakes anymore¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t disappear this time!¡±


    ¡°Then I want one!¡± Hessiana shouted, raising her hand. ¡°I want a lot of sesame!¡±


    After Vivian walked into the kitchen, Hessiana approached Hao Ren and asked, ¡°Hey, what did Lady Vivian mean by celebrating the success of the expedition? Did you go to war a while ago?¡±


    Lily, who had just come out of her room, heard the question and answered, ¡°Oh, we went to fight wa god. It was a tough fight but we won.¡±


    Hao Ren stared at the husky girl, who also looked back at him unflinchingly. After a moment, Hao Ren was defeated. ¡°Cool, cool. You don¡¯t even blink when you brag.¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Lily said proudly.


    Nevertheless, Hao Ren agreed. Lily was not lying. Just that, a slight change in the way one spoke made a completely different impression on the listener.


    As for Hessiana, this was her expression: ¦²(¡ã¡÷¡ã|||)¡­

 Chapter 1681 - I Love Studying. It Makes Me Happy

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Clearly, the little bat¡¯s visit this time around was not just to freeload and snuggle with her mother. Most probably, she was there to boast about her achievements, like totally controlling the Shadow Council, anchoring the Hessianite Family¡¯s position in the governance of the otherworldlings on Earth, and the results of the diplomatic exchange with the demon hunters. But before she could even start to boast, Lily¡¯s bluster totally shattered the little bat¡¯s self-confidence. By then, Hao Ren had led the group of violence mongers on to an even bigger matter. They had gone to face off with a god.


    And they won.


    It was almost as if the little bat had run in happily with two papers scoring full marks, and just as she opened the door, she saw a group people counting their PhD certs. Such was the gulf in difference¡­


    However, what surprised and touched Hessiana was the fact that Vivian still praised her during dinner.


    ¡°What we did and what you did are both important matters. There¡¯s no question of who is greater,¡± Vivian said as she tried her best to cheer up the disappointed little bat. ¡°And we did not proceed as smoothly as Lily had described. That fight was very difficult, and most of us were fighting our own doppelgangers. We did not even have the chance to engage the evil goddess. Mr. Landlord almost failed to beat her¡­¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Hessiana gave Hao Ren a suspicious look. ¡°Aren¡¯t you like super strong?¡±


    ¡°That depends on who the opponent is.¡± Hao Ren laughed a little awkwardly. ¡°We almost didn¡¯t make it, but the final blow was dealt by Lil Pea¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not pulling your toes. Really. She¡¯s the biggest contributor to this victory,¡± Hao Ren said as he carefully carried Lil Pea onto the dining table, and took out the present he had prepared for the little one: A sandalwood¡­ chopstick.


    Looking at Lil Pea who was sending splinters all over as she chewed on the chopsticks and the group of self-proclaimed violence mongers who had just defeated a god, Hessiana felt her worldview grow even further apart from them¡­


    For this dinner, the happiest person was Hessiana. The little bat could not remember how long has it been since she had experienced such relief and warmth. Vivian was just by herself, chatting with her, at times praising at times scolding, all done with genuine warmth, and the biscuit in her hand was just as tasty twenty centuries ago, and she did not need to fear of being abandoned again.


    The second happiest person was Lil Pea, and her reason was much simpler: the sandalwood tastes really good¡­


    Hao Ren¡¯s place was filled with a warm atmosphere, and if there were any regrets¡­ they probably occurred at the same time everyone was having fun. Someone with blood relations with Vivian was in another universe far away, doing homework.


    And early in the morning the day after, Hao Ren went out to resolve this regret.


    The battle of the Umbral Realm had ended, the Core System was no longer under threat from traitors, and every known location within the Plane of Dreams was in a stable state, even if deep within the stars, screaming and disturbances grew increasingly terrifying and commonplace. The night before the storm was always the calmest.


    And within this temporary calm, Hao Ren went to the Basilica of the World Tree at the Heart of Destiny.


    The rest of the crew were resting at home, and Vivian stayed behind to accompany Hessiana who was suffering from a severe lack of motherly love. So this time around, Hao Ren came alone.


    He was one of the masters of the Basilica of the World Tree, and a hero in the eyes of the guardians, so he did not need to inform anyone when he goes in or out of the Core and the Basilica. After docking the ship at one of the dockyards at the top of the canopy, Hao Ren used the internal teleportation system and arrived before the palace where the goddess of creation was in, and the latter was sitting behind a massive desk. Books, papers, and stationery were all laid out before her. She was taking notes while she was reading.


    Above her, a ripple-like light screen was slowly changing, as clusters of objects were slowly coalescing and reforming, and with every change contain the many laws and secrets of the evolution of things. Hao Ren, by only just seeing the images felt that his mind was suddenly flooded by a whole bunch of molecular structure, basic force parameters, micro-macro conversion and some other information that could not be categorized by human knowledge.


    Looking at the changing lights, Hao Ren randomly drew shapes in the air, as a group of silvery mollusks appeared out of thin air, and after a series of gurgling, they darted happily towards Rheia and merged with the shadows.


    The movement of the little organisms had broken the goddess of creation from her study. Rheia looked up and saw Hao Ren before her. With a surprised look, she asked, ¡°You¡¯re back so soon¡­ Hmm? Only you?¡±


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s resting at home. I¡¯m here to see you. You¡¯re studying ¡®creation¡¯?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m basing it on the timetable,¡± As Rheia stopped her train of thoughts, the creation images above her head disappeared. The goddess lifted the book in her hand to allow Hao Ren to see the name of the book. ¡°Creation course in the morning, and destruction course in the evening. Say, systematic creation is a real interesting thing, you know. You can actually put all information in the universe into a single formula! I was wondering why my past creations were so different from my initial plans, and it was only after a while that I realized the parameters had not been set up properly¡­¡±


    Listening to Rheia rambling about her studies made Hao Ren notice that the goddess¡¯ mental state was slightly different than before.


    While it was difficult to discern, he could still tell from her poise and tone that she had newfound confidence.. and motivation.


    IT seemed like she had shed off whatever heavy burden she was carrying, and discarded all unnecessary thoughts and doubts, with a brand new goal that she would see it through. Compared to when he spoke to her a few days back, the gleam of her eyes was quite clearly different now!


    Just like what Raven12345 had said, the Dark Valkyrie¡¯s had left a tiny little ¡®present¡¯ in the books she left her, and that had successfully motivated this drop-out goddess? Ain¡¯t it a little too effective!¡±


    ¡°Why are you staring at me?¡± Rheia noticed that Hao Ren¡¯s gaze had not shifted for a while, and she stopped her studies. ¡°Is there anything wrong with me?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing.¡± Hao Ren quickly retracted his gaze and shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s just that you¡¯re giving off a very motivated feel right now.¡±


    ¡°Ah that, yes I¡¯m motivated alright.¡± Rheia smiled brightly, before standing up and placed one of her hands on her chest and the other on her book, ¡°I love studying, studying makes me happy, anything wrong with that?¡±


    ¡°Two days ago you were just about to give up on life.¡±


    ¡°I did? Was it that obvious?¡± Rheia was shocked before brushing it off, ¡°Forget it. That¡¯s just me being down that time! Who cares about doubts and stuff, my family tradition is to fight. I understand now. Everything else is fleeting, but fighting demands real skill. Wait till I graduate from primary school. I¡¯ll cleave that Mad Lord clean with my twin blades. Once the root of the problem is taken out, everything becomes much simpler!¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned by Rheia¡¯s very bold and martial proclamation, and could not even formulate a follow up after a long while. Rheia, on the other hand, stood there for a while before shaking her head wildly. After taking a deep breath she murmured to herself, ¡°Tsk¡­ talked a little too much with mom and got influenced¡­¡±


    Hao Ren did not manage to catch that, ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, just rambling.¡± Rheia brushed things off as she walked out from her desk. ¡°Say, for you to suddenly come looking for me, anything to report? Or does the goddess from your world have something to tell me?¡±


    Hao Ren quickly pulled out that pair of bangles from his Dimensional Pocket. ¡°Oh right. Here¡¯s the business. I came to give you this. Hold on to it, and you can use it to establish a connection to my universe! You can even meet my superior directly. Speaking face to face is just much more efficient than messaging or having someone pass on the message!¡±


    Rheia took the metal bangles with a surprised look, and the bangle¡¯s shape and size allowed her to easily put it on. ¡°What is this? A bangle? The other one is for me too?¡±


    ¡°No, just one will do, the other is a receiver. This is called a Material Projection Generator¡­¡±


    Hao Ren quickly ran through the name and the basic functions of the bangles to Rheia, not forgetting to brief her on the side-effects and limitations as well. Of course, he wisely hid the ¡®idiot mode¡¯ operation away¡­


    After completing the explanation with much effort only did Hao Ren let out a deep breath as he looked at Rheia, ¡°Understood?¡±


    But the voice instead came from his back. ¡°Wow, so not only the Galacticus, even the Xiling Celestials¡¯ stuff are awesome!¡±


    Hao Ren turned around baffled and saw a person that was identical to Rheia behind him. That figure had an almost imperceptible disruption ripple and minor dimensional distortion around the edges. This was the only thing that allowed him to tell it was not the real body, but a projection.


    Hao Ren looked down and saw that the ¡°receiver¡± bangle in his hand was glowing slightly.


    ¡°Bloody hell¡­ that learning ability¡­¡± he muttered to himself.


    ¡°This is not too difficult.¡± The two Rheias spoke at the same time, ¡°It¡¯s just a double, but using this method.. is very interesting. I did not even sense any energy depletion, but the projection is perfectly equipped with all sensory abilities, and even my thoughts are literally split into two¡­ I¡¯m like thinking with two brains now. While it is easier to get mixed up, as long as I get used to it¡­ I think this could help double my speed at studying!


    Seems like the goddess had really gone into the deep end from all the studying¡­


    ¡°Get used to it then, and just use it like a proper communication device.¡± Hao Ren massaged his forehead helplessly. ¡°This thing can cause a mental split with overuse, and you¡¯ve already gone through that once. You don¡¯t need a second time.¡±


    Rheia pursed her lips, ¡°Step by step, step by step, I know, you don¡¯t have to say it twice. Oh right, you might want to know. Half an hour ago Asurman had detected an energy explosion towards the direction of the Dark Abyss. That living bomb had gone off.¡±


    And Hao Ren¡¯s mood suddenly got so much better.

 Chapter 1682 - Losing Something Important

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren and Rheia arrived at the upper level of the Basilica of Yggdrasil. It was located deep within the canopy and its vast area was akin to a circular plaza. Ten kilometers of thick branches and layers of massive leaves turned the area into an enclosed zone, but it was not dark and dreary in there, rather the light from Yggdrasil itself lit the entire cavity up. It was like day. Around the circular plaza, a few hundred wavy white pillars grew out of the tree trunk, holding up and parting the thick branches. They converged at the top to form a dome structure.


    Glowing strands draped down from the elegant pillars, and at the end of every strand were tiny light orbs flying around. They were sprites who lived within Yggdrasil, responsible for maintaining the massive and complex automated system. They also ensured that every change in the universe was monitored.


    In order to maximize the efficiency of Yggdrasil¡¯s system, Hao Ren had linked the CARS¡¯ data chain to it. As such, the circular plaza was like an extension of CARS, and Asurmen could project his consciousness over and use Yggdrasil¡¯s processing capability to greatly increase his ability to listen. It was through the use of this system that he detected the unusual activity within the Dark Abyss when it first occurred.


    A star-cloud image of Asurmen appeared at the center of the plaza as his soothing voice rang in Hao Ren¡¯s ears. ¡°I have noticed a total of three waves of energy fluctuations; each no more than three seconds apart. The first and second waves are much weaker, but the third one is so powerful that I don¡¯t need the help of the gain antennas to detect it. The Mad Lord has been wounded by the explosion for sure, and that will give the prison wardens some breathing room.¡±


    ¡°The first and second fluctuations are probably the goddess of annihilation trying to suppress her divine powers from going out of control, but how can she suppress them¡­ It really is a miracle that she has managed to hold it in until now.¡± As the resident master of explosions, Hao Ren gave his professional assessment, ¡°And the explosion¡­ Even if she survives, she¡¯d be half dead.¡±


    Rheia had a different line of thought, however. ¡°We have sent them extremely good news. The guardians there will now know they are not forgotten, and someone outside is trying to fight against the Mad Lord.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded as he looked at Asurmen again. ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s even better news.¡± While Asurmen mentioned ¡°good news¡±, his tone was impassive as ever. ¡°The data transmission relay, which the droid swarm had near the Dark Abyss, has been activated successfully. Its effects are beyond my expectation, and I have started to receive clearer cosmic murmurs. Also, for a short time, I heard a conversation between the sentries. While I have yet to establish contact, we can be sure that the sentry system in the cage is still working, and the ancient defense line has not fallen.¡±


    Hao Ren breathed a huge sigh of relief, and their progress had him pumped up. The relay was indeed useful! Now that there was a way to bridge the information cut-off between the Dark Abyss and the world outside without compromising the seal, if they could make contact with the sentries in there¡­ the situation would vastly improve!


    ¡°Very well, your job is very important, keep it up,¡± Hao Ren said in a glad tone. ¡°I¡¯ll get the droid swarms to quickly set up more relays and supporting infrastructures. Perhaps we can make contact with your brethren very soon.¡±


    After the briefing of what was going on within the Dark Abyss, Hao Ren disconnected the call with Asurmen, and the projection slowly faded away. He then turned to the goddess of creation. ¡°How¡¯s the construction of the stable gateway to the Umbral Realm going?¡±


    ¡°It is almost done, but it needs some tweaking. It still needs a heck load of energy for teleportation, and there is the problem with the navigation markers going out of place,¡± Rheia said as she gently touched one of the crystal prisms beside her. ¡°Based on your suggestion, I have opened the gateway here¡­¡±


    As she spoke, a light hum rang across the entire plaza.


    Following that, the hundreds of curving white stone pillars entered a charging state and expanded across like delicate vines as a hundred-meter-wide circle opened above the semi-hemispheric dome. A glittering screen then covered the hole with energy pulsing within it.


    It was clearly a teleportation gate, one connecting directly to the Umbral Realm.


    The Umbral Realm was the most special part of the Plane of Dreams. In fact, it did not belong to the Plane of Dreams proper, rather, it was an independent, almost parasitic ¡°world¡± that was ¡°glued¡± onto the World Barrier of the Plane of Dreams. This meant that there was an issue connecting the two places with a localized hyperspace gateway. However, it was no longer a problem after they obtained that mysterious ¡°marker¡±. Using Yggdrasil¡¯s powerful computation abilities and energies, they could open a stable gateway into the Umbral Realm even without Nolan¡¯s help, and the one before Hao Ren¡¯s eyes today, was a result of that.


    It was something that Hao Ren had asked Rheia to help with, and he had not interfered ever since. He never thought that in just a mere two days, Rheia would already construct a gateway that was good enough to use, but then again, it was normal. The marker into the Umbral Realm was computed by Rheia herself. Now with her academic capabilities inherited from her mother, and after going through Yggdrasil¡¯s guidebook for two days, she had pretty much grasped what she needed as well. The next thing to do was simply to tie the marker and Yggdrasil together. For the intelligent goddess of creation¡­ that was nothing difficult.


    ¡°Once the gateway is fully stable, we can commence our investigation of L¡¯Haronne.¡± Hao Ren went through his plans, ¡°I¡¯ve gone back to talk to my boss, and both of us think that the Umbral Realm has many mysteries behind it, and L¡¯Haronne is probably the center of it all. We even think that the Mad Lord isn¡¯t only unique to the Plane of Dreams, and the Umbral Realm may very well be his first victim¡­¡±


    There was little need to hide this information so Hao Ren told the goddess of creation everything, and the latter¡¯s eye began to widen by the second. After she heard Hao Ren¡¯s hypothesis on the ¡°type of being¡± the Mad Lord was, she finally could not help but ask, ¡°You mean, the Mad Lord moves from one universe to another the same way a virus spreads?!¡±


    ¡°Whether he spreads or not is still uncertain, but the Umbral Realm proves that he has the ability to search for new prey after he destroys a world.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°And frankly, that pushes the danger level up a few notches.¡±


    ¡°Eek¡­ that sent a chill down my spine,¡± Rheia said as she hugged her arms. It seemed like even the gods could have goosebumps (perhaps this was a real setting?). ¡°He¡¯s so dangerous¡­ We need to get rid of him as soon as possible, and as thoroughly as possible¡­¡±


    Hao Ren then remembered something else. ¡°Oh right, I was looking for you to discuss another thing too¡ªthe Creation¡¯s Engine.¡±


    ¡°The Creation¡¯s Engine? What about it?¡± Rheia furrowed her brows. ¡°Ran into some trouble with the research?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the Gilded Discs within the engine.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°We know that the discs are the key to the engine¡¯s operations, but frankly speaking, we only found a small part of it, and the other nine pieces are missing. While we have excluded the plan to blow up the place with the Creation¡¯s Engine, the discs, as divine computation cores are still vital. So, I wanted to ask where you hid the remaining discs?¡±


    Upon hearing that, Rheia wore a surprised look. ¡°What do you mean the remaining discs? Weren¡¯t they all there within the engine core that I gave you? The one we retrieved from the Gate of Solenne¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying the discs are in there?¡± Hao Ren was even more surprised. ¡°You sure?¡±


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m sure. Back then, the core area of the Creation¡¯s Engine was the fastest to be completed, so I went ahead and fixed the frame as well as discs on it. Actually, I also planned to place the last remaining discs. Only if the war had started a few months later, I would have completed it. But plans don¡¯t survive the first contact¡­ but all in all, all those nine discs were personally put in by me¡­¡± As Rheia spoke, she noticed the change in Hao Ren¡¯s expression, and she started to slow down. ¡°Wait up, could it be¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Hao Ren felt a stinging pain behind his teeth. ¡°The discs are gone¡­ The socket within the engine¡¯s core is empty.¡±


    Rheia¡¯s eyes widened as she tensed up. ¡°I am very sure that I remember it correctly. I had, in fact, put them in at that time!¡±


    ¡°Then there¡¯s only one explanation; someone stole them¡­¡± Hao Ren put on a bitter smile.


    ¡°Someone¡­¡± Rheia blinked. ¡°Who could have done it? After my kingdom got blown up, the engine alongside the Gate of Solenne was sent into the Umbral Realm, and the discs have always been¡­ Goddamnit!¡±


    She seemed to have realized something, and her face darkened.


    It appeared that Hao Ren was thinking of the same thing too. Gritting his teeth, he said, ¡°Looks like our thoughts have aligned. If there¡¯s anyone besides you who knows the secret of the Creation¡¯s Engine, it¡¯s the goddess of annihilation whom we just blew up¡­¡±


    Rheia grabbed a strand of silver hair before her chest in irritation. ¡°But how could she! She sank into the dream with me, and even if the Gate of Solenne was just next to us, how could she in her slumber¡­¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the goddess before he reminded her, ¡°You too were asleep then, but didn¡¯t you recreate L¡¯Haronne in your dream?¡±


    Rheia fell silent.


    Hao Ren then sighed again. ¡°Even a sleeping god can do plenty of things, and that goddess of annihilation¡­ while she¡¯s just a contaminant, she still has the authority and powers of a real god. Seems like our troubles have just increased.¡±


    The prime suspect capable of taking the nine Gilded Discs was none other than the goddess of annihilation. Seeing that she had put a lot of effort into taking them away, she was surely not going to use them as toys. Thus, what could she be using them for?


    ¡°The nine discs¡­ comprise about three-fourths of the entire core system, and even with three pieces missing, the nine discs can still be used as an auxiliary system to complete most computing tasks,¡± Rheia said, her tone sounding dead serious. ¡°The discs were the most complicated and time-consuming parts of the Creation¡¯s Engine; even if the other parts were sub-standard, they could still ensure that the engine ran¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you think she plans to do with them?¡±


    Rheia took a deep breath as she pointed at herself.

 Chapter 1683 - The Swords and Their Master

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren only spoke after a short silence, ¡°Seems like¡­ we have trouble in our hands.¡±


    ¡°She could very well use the powers of the Mad Lord within the Dark Abyss to complete the engine.¡± The goddess of creation was rather calm, and she even started to analyze the matter seriously. ¡°She does not need the blueprint to form the Creation¡¯s Engine, and only needs to get its main functions up and running. The Dark Abyss, while a sea of chaos and lacking in various materials that are available in the material world, the Creation¡¯s Engine itself is an information manipulation device. Its construction does not rely on normal materials. If the goddess of annihilation can properly use the Mad Lord¡¯s powers, she¡¯ll be able to pull out all of the required ¡®materials¡¯ from the nightmare and shades of madness. And gauging the corruption in her when we chased her off¡­ she¡¯s definitely capable of doing so.¡±


    ¡°If the engine is completed, she will use it against you. You really dug a deep grave for yourself¡­¡± Hao Ren gave Rheia a difficult look. ¡°So, regretting it now?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no point in regretting.¡± Rheia shrugged. ¡°Now I¡¯m more curious about how the goddess of annihilation plans to change the core of the engine. Based on my original programming, the engine will wipe out everything that has a trace of my divinity after activation. Not just myself, but even the Mad Lord and the goddess of annihilation herself. After co-existing within me for so long, she wouldn¡¯t be unaware of that.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Rheia. ¡°Can you modify the program for it to target only the madness?¡±


    ¡°Not possible. If it was that simple, I would have done it long ago. If that was possible, would I even risk my own life?¡± Rheia shook her head. ¡°Our powers are all intertwined and mixed together to the point that they can no longer be easily separated. A weapon like the Creation¡¯s Engine, which relies on a ¡®unique code¡¯ to take effect, will affect all three of us.¡±


    Hao Ren massaged his temple as he suddenly felt his head ringing. ¡°If even you can¡¯t accomplish it¡­ it¡¯s rather difficult to imagine the goddess of annihilation executing it. Besides, in theory, her knowledge is definitely not above yours.¡±


    Rheia raised one of her eyebrows. ¡°Regardless of what she plans to do, she will not be able to create the engine in an instant. Even if she manages to directly draw materials from the nightmare and shades of madness, she will still need a few months to piece them together. If her mastery of the power of madness is lacking, then it will take even longer, so we still have some time to figure out what we can do. You don¡¯t have to be too nervous.¡±


    ¡°Say¡­ you sure are calmer than I thought. This has to do with your life and death.¡± Hao Ren eyed the goddess of creation for a bit. ¡°You know that someone¡¯s aiming at your head with a rifle, and you don¡¯t know when he¡¯ll pull the trigger, yet you still have the mood to joke around with me?¡±


    Rheia broke into a smile, and that moment, any misconception brought about by her small frame disappeared entirely. She once again, or rather, always had projected the image of a calm and intelligent goddess before Hao Ren. ¡°Fear does not solve problems. Regardless of whether you think about it or not, the problem will be there and will occur. It will not delay itself just for your convenience. So I¡¯d rather put all of my efforts into solving the issue. I will pass on all technical information regarding the Creation¡¯s Engine, including the discarded plans during the designing phase. They may reveal the source of the goddess of annihilation¡¯s thoughts. There could be things that are not visible to me but become clear when you look at it. Besides, now that I have an established pathway to the Surface World, I hope you can arrange a meeting with Raven 12345 as soon as possible. I would like to hear her suggestions.¡±


    Hao Ren gladly agreed. ¡°No problem, my boss has wanted to meet you for a long time now. I can bring you to her at any time. How about today? She has nothing better to do anyway¡­¡±


    A rather conflicted expression then appeared on Rheia¡¯s face. ¡°But I still have two papers to finish¡­¡±


    Right then, the calm and intelligent goddess became a primary school student who was afraid of being admonished for not finishing her homework¡­


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Hao Ren rubbed his chin. ¡°How about turning today¡¯s class into a field trip? And speaking of which, this material projection can be used in more than one place at a time, right? You mentioned earlier that it can split your mind into two, so you can meet Raven 12345 for the lecture and do your homework simultaneously!¡±


    Rheia was befuddled for a moment before she displayed a disgruntled look. ¡°I have not mastered it yet! Wait until I get used to it before you ask me to do that!¡±


    Hao Ren chuckled. It was impossible to not see through the goddess¡¯ mind, and he commented in his heart. This goddess hasn¡¯t even experienced a proper school life. Wait till she comes back after a half-day trip and gets asked to write an 800-word essay. Then she¡¯ll she know how easy her school life is¡­


    Hao Ren¡¯s visit that day had two purposes; one was to deliver the material projection generator and two was to inquire about the Creation¡¯s Engine. Aside from that, Asurmen¡¯s report and understanding the gateway to the Umbral Realm were all side bonuses. Now that he had completed his task, he got ready to leave and pay his boss a visit to inform her of the goddess of creation¡¯s upcoming visit.


    But before he left, he recalled something. ¡°Oh right, Rheia, didn¡¯t you need a weapon?¡±


    ¡°A weapon?¡± Rheia did not understand how Hao Ren came to that question.


    ¡°These two swords were originally yours,¡± Hao Ren said as he pulled the two blades of cosmic shards out of his Dimensional Pocket. ¡°Obtaining them was pure coincidence, but now that you¡¯re awake, I think that it¡¯s high time they were returned to their master.¡±


    The Godslayer woke up the moment it was drawn out, and it started its usual Gatling-gun rambling, ¡°Oh, oh, I¡¯ve been awakened! Am I looking at another fight now? Oh? No fighting? Oh, swordbearer, you have finally listened to my teachings and renounced the bloody fighting? I am oh so glad. Ever since.. Whoa! Goddess!!¡±


    The rambling sword suddenly realized that the goddess of creation was just right beside him and was shocked. Hao Ren was sure that the sword was extremely rattled, as he felt the sword shaking in his hands.


    The Worldbreaker slowly spoke after a few seconds, ¡°Greetings, Goddess.¡±


    The two swords had already met the goddess of creation earlier in the Umbral Realm battlefield. But the situation then was chaotic and the goddess of annihilation had everyone on their toes. Even the rambling sword did not have the luxury to speak so the two swords did not have a chance to catch up with their original master. But now, they had all the time in the world to talk.


    However, weirdly enough the chatterbox of a sword did not seem keen to speak right then¡­


    Normally, the Godslayer¡¯s voice would only be audible to the swordbearer, but as its creator, Rheia obviously had some special ¡°privileges¡±. Even if the Godslayer tried to shut off its ¡°Echo Wall¡±, Rheia would still be able to establish a connection with it. ¡°Long time no see, even though we met two days ago.¡±


    ¡°It was chaotic then. I did not have the time to properly greet you,¡± the Worldbreaker uncharacteristically uttered a long sentence before it turned quiet again.


    ¡°How about you?¡± Rheia smiled as she looked at the Godslayer. ¡°Tiny Blade No. 2, you are the chattiest of the lot, why aren¡¯t you speaking now?¡±


    Hao Ren almost spat when he heard that. Tiny Blade No. 2? Did the goddess of creation actually gave her two blades such names back then?! And the real name of the Worldbreaker was Tiny Blade No.1?


    ¡°Tiny Blade No. 2¡± a.k.a the Godslayer remained weirdly silent for a long, long while before it spoke in a stutter, ¡°L-Long time no see¡­ Goddess¡­¡±


    Rheia smiled. ¡°The battle two days ago¡­ I chose Tiny Blade No.1 and not you, were you angry?¡±


    The Godslayer could no longer keep up its facade. ¡°Goddess¡­ please don¡¯t take me for a joke. Seeing you is a bit awkward¡­ Ten thousand years ago I¡­ It was so chaotic then, and I was so confused. I even forgot where I came from, so I¡­ couldn¡¯t help it¡­ couldn¡¯t help it?¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know, I know,¡± Rheia suddenly placed her hand on the Godslayer and interrupted the latter. ¡°That war was a mess, and everyone there couldn¡¯t help it. It was partly driven by my own hands, including the deed you committed¡­ It was part of my plan. I don¡¯t have anything to blame you for. I just hope you don¡¯t blame me.¡±


    ¡°¡­But why me?¡± The Godslayer¡¯s voice was downcast, and it was the first time Hao Ren had heard such a tone from the overly-energetic sword. ¡°Was it because I talked too much?¡±


    Rheia went silent for a moment, her answer ambiguous, ¡°¡­It¡¯s because you were special, and you were better suited for the deed.¡±


    Understanding that some things were difficult to put into words, the Godslayer did not intend to pursue the matter further. Rheia then turn to Hao Ren. ¡°These two swords, since they are already with you, keep them.¡±


    ¡°Is that all right?¡±


    ¡°They are no ordinary weapons, and not everyone is equipped with the right to use them. The cycle of causality has seen them reach your hands. That means there is a reason behind it, hence there is no all right or not all right.¡± Rheia gave him a dismissive wave. ¡°What I¡¯m much more curious about is¡­ why is there a missing part from Tiny Blade No. 2¡¯s tip?¡±


    ¡°¡­Ahem, it probably chipped off after so long¡­¡±


    Bloody hell, obviously he could not tell her that it was bitten off by a crazy goddess, right?


    ¡°Say, now that you¡¯ve given these two blades to me, what are you going to use?¡± Hao Ren was still concerned. ¡°We¡¯ll be facing the Mad Lord soon enough, you can¡¯t be going in empty-handed, right?¡±


    ¡°These two blades were forged very, very long ago, and while I was careful when I forged them, and they are indeed powerful, seeing them now, I realize that I was immature and inexperienced in many areas.¡± Rheia smiled, seemingly unconcerned about any taboos. ¡°Now that I have been exposed to newer and deeper knowledge, I am confident that I can create a new weapon against the Mad Lord. Man or god, all need to progress some way or another.¡±


    The Godslayer then muttered, ¡°That hurts.¡±


    ¡°But the goddess is right,¡± the Worldbreaker gave a rare reply.


    The first thing that crossed Hao Ren¡¯s mind was?¡ªWho the heck was the one who determined that a divine relic was more powerful the older it was?! This is what you get when a goddess has never been to school!

 Chapter 1684 - A Historic Meeting

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren had no idea what sort of weapon the goddess of creation would be creating, and he had little interest in the matter. The two blades of cosmic shards were more than enough for him, and seeking a stronger weapon would mean going beyond his own capability. That would have a negative effect on his combat abilities instead. Plus, he was still a proper inspector. If he ran into a problem that his own combat prowess could not solve, there was always the reinforcement button, no? Besides, not every other universe was as problematic as the Plane of Dreams¡­


    After he left the Plane of Dreams, Hao Ren immediately teleported over to Raven 12345¡¯s divine mansion.


    A whiff of fragrance hit him the moment he stepped into the goddess¡¯ office. The fragrance lingered around as if trying to trigger the instincts deep within the human soul. Images of the past were flying by, accompanying the fragrance. At the same time, there was a hint of sourness. After taking a deep breath, he did not even need to look to know that it was the smell of Laotan pickled cabbage¡­


    ¡°Can you actually eat something befitting your status?¡± Hao Ren laughed as he looked at the goddess behind the desk. The latter was busy slurping her cup noodles. ¡°You have billions upon billions of worshipers in this universe, and I don¡¯t believe the offerings they give you don¡¯t consist of any food. As a proper goddess, at least have some proper table manners, yeh?¡±


    Raven 12345 wiped her mouth and gave Hao Ren a scornful glare. ¡°I need proper table manners? What about it, huh? Let me tell you, great people are ones who can¡¯t be bothered with any pretension. Living the way they want is a show of ability. You¡¯re still inexperienced. If you were a proper pope, you would have been able to uncover all sorts of revelations from my cup noodles¡­¡±


    Hao Ren pursed his lips as he dragged a chair like he was in his own place to the side of the desk. ¡°Just admit that you don¡¯t know how to cook¡­ Thousand and one excuses.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you here just to pick a fight with me?¡± Raven 12345 asked as she casually tossed a small lightning bolt at Hao Ren. ¡°Down to business!¡±


    ¡°F*ck, you actually zapped me!¡± Hao Ren immediately recoiled from the shock. Half of his body went numb. Shaking his hand with force, he said, ¡°I¡¯m here to tell you that the material projection generator has already been given to Rheia, and just like you wanted, I¡¯ve arranged for her to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, oh, all right.¡± Raven 12345¡¯s expression turned happy. ¡°When is she coming?¡±


    Hao Ren looked down at his watch. ¡°She¡¯s coming online in another three minutes.¡±


    Raven 12345 smiled and froze before she bounced up from her chair. ¡°Three minutes?! Can you actually tell me earlier?!¡±


    Once she finished grumbling, she started tidying her office as quickly as possible. Her half-finished bowl of noodles was thrown directly into another dimension while she began to keep the packets of ham, sausages, and her mini-steamboat. She rambled on as she tidied her room up, ¡°F*ck, f*ck, f*ck¡­ Tell me earlier, won¡¯t you! How can I not be prepared for such an important meeting?¡±


    Hao Ren had already anticipated this scene, but he still acted all serious. ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me to arrange it as soon as possible. Besides, it¡¯s just a short meeting anyway, it¡¯s not all that important¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you know?¡± Raven 12345 glared at Hao Ren. ¡°I¡¯m a certified goddess in charge of a universe-level meeting with a wild goddess. I need to show off how glorious our system is, right? And this is the first time the goddess of creation is making contact with the Xi Ling Celestials, you know how important first impressions are? I may be screwed in the head, but I still fight for the glory of the Empire!¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned by the Raven 12345¡¯s tirade and never thought that the crazy goddess still had some self-awareness. It did seem like he had underestimated her most of the time, and she would, in limited circumstances, be very prudent¡­


    Soon, the prudent goddess had tidied up her office, and with a wave of her hand, plates of peanuts, dates, and hazelnuts appeared out of thin air on the table. She then pulled a new cup of noodles out as well. ¡°I also need to make a fresh one for her¡­¡±


    Hao Ren immediately snatched the cup noodles away and stashed it in his Dimensional Pocket. ¡°I¡¯m an idiot for having confidence in you!¡±


    Raven 12345 was stunned for a while, and just as she was about to react, the metal bracelet on Hao Ren¡¯s wrist started to flicker¡­


    ¡°She¡¯s here.¡± Hao Ren threw Raven 12345 a victorious glance. ¡°Now¡¯s the time to be mindful of your image.¡±


    Raven 12345 glared at Hao Ren, shrugging. ¡°I can¡¯t be bothered to argue with you. Bring her in.¡±


    As the words left her mouth, Hao Ren connected to the projection signal from the goddess of creation.


    The connection was immediately established between the two bracelets, and through a series of complex data conversions and filtrations, the goddess of creation¡¯s divinity was screened off by the projection. The signal was miniaturized to the point that she could pass through the Wall of Reality without causing any tremors. A light orb soon formed and vibrated in the air, and a few seconds later, the light settled down, taking Rheia¡¯s form.


    The goddess of creation first looked down at her body, seemingly not used to the ¡°sensory split¡± caused by the projection. She then curiously looked around, and the first person she saw was Hao Ren. She gave him a warm greeting and turned her eyes to Raven 12345 who was behind her desk.


    ¡°Welcome to my universe,¡± Raven 12345 said with a smile. Her frantic disheveled look from when she was arguing with Hao Ren earlier was nowhere to be seen. She stood up and warmly welcomed the neighboring goddess. ¡°Come, come, have a seat, have a seat. Make yourself at home, we are family after all. Here, have a cup of tea. I just brewed it earlier¡­¡±


    Hao Ren facepalmed and sighed audibly. That was probably the best the psychopath of a goddess could possibly manage when receiving a guest. Maybe he should recommend that Raven 12345 put on that ¡°holy and serene smile¡± mask the next time?


    Rheia was also stunned, perhaps not anticipating the goddess of the Surface World to be¡­ such a warm host. The scenarios and speeches she prepared in her head seemed to be of no use, but thankfully, she was not ¡°normal¡± either. So after a short stupor, she quickly recovered and replied warmly, ¡°Thank you, thank you. This is my first time here, I don¡¯t know what the local customs are. Please forgive me if I overstep. Ah, I forgot to bring a gift as well¡­ Seems like the material projection cannot carry things over?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re already here now, what gifts are you talking about? We¡¯re neighbors, such things are irrelevant.¡±


    ¡°Ahahaha, even if you put it that way, I¡¯m still nervous. The mess over at my place seems to have caused you quite some trouble.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing big, nothing big. Don¡¯t worry about it. Come, have some seeds.¡±


    Hao Ren was wondering if he should take charge and drag the awkward meeting back on track, but before he could even do anything, the two goddesses had already managed to break the ice and started chatting. The atmosphere was even harmonious with neither side lagging behind. That caused Hao Ren to gawk.


    It seemed like.. the two goddesses had somehow managed to hit things off?


    He immediately had the urge to send Rheia back. Even though the goddess of creation¡¯s image may waver at times, she was still mostly the mature, calm and wise type, unlike Raven 12345 who was a certified lunatic. Coming over to get some experience is all fine, but what is she doing hitting it off with a lunatic?! And this crazy goddess here, the hell are you acting all smug for? Don¡¯t teach the kid bad things!!


    Hao Ren could only ramble on in his head as he looked helplessly at the two goddesses who were getting more and more engrossed in their chat. He was running out of room to interject.


    Luckily, after the initial overly-warm ice breaking, Raven 12345 quickly switched to the issue at hand. ¡°We are living so close by, but it sure wasn¡¯t easy making this meeting happen. I¡¯ve been monitoring the happenings in the universe there, and I know quite a bit about you.¡±


    ¡°Yet, I knew nothing about you until recently.¡± Rheia chuckled.


    Raven 12345 shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s normal. I was only born not long after you fell into slumber, and I only came to this universe a couple of thousand years back.¡±


    ¡°..Oh?¡± Now, this surprised Rheia. ¡°Wait a minute¡­ You mean, you¡¯re younger than me?¡±


    ¡°The Xi Ling Celestials are a very young pantheon, and most of us were born about 10,000 years ago.¡± Raven 12345 guffawed. ¡°Based on my time of birth, I am indeed younger than you, but since our birth, we have been infused with the knowledge and experience of our seniors from the past billions of years through the Soul Network. Therefore, experience-wise, I¡¯m still your senior.¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly realized something. In that very instance, Raven 12345 was just a kid? The little goddess of creation was actually much older?


    It appeared that for such long-lived beings, seniority was something so chaotic that only fools would take it seriously.


    When Raven 12345 mentioned ¡°seniority in terms of experience as a deity¡±, Hao Ren practically ignored it¡­


    ¡°Well, aside from understanding the three divine systems and the divine arts, I also ran into a rather finicky¡­ problem. It¡¯s the reason for my visit.¡± After all the diplomatic niceties, Rheia then went on about one of the purposes of her visit.


    ¡°Problem?¡± Raven 12345 raised her eyebrows. ¡°What sort of problem?¡±


    The one who replied was Hao Ren by her side, ¡°The nine Gilded Discs inside the Creation¡¯s Engine are missing, probably stolen by the goddess of annihilation, and if I¡¯m not wrong, she plans to use the discs against Rheia.¡±


    Raven 12345¡¯s expression turned grim.


    Hao Ren and Rheia went through everything in detail with Raven 12345. They also informed her about their prediction regarding the goddess of annihilation¡¯s next course of action¡ªusing the power of the Mad Lord to harness ¡°materials¡± from the nightmare and rapidly complete a miniaturized Creation¡¯s Engine; even if this Creation¡¯s Engine did not have the destructive capabilities of the original, it was still a massive threat to Rheia.


    After taking all the information in patiently, Raven 12345 sank deep into thought.


    Hao Ren and Rheia did not disturb her.


    Three minutes later, this goddess who was capable of coming up with surprising ideas finally looked up, and she gave the goddess of creation a half-smile.


    ¡°Rheia, are you interested in registering with the Xi Ling Celestials?¡±

 Chapter 1685 - A Historic Solution

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Rheia probably never thought that Raven 12345 would pop such an unlikely question, and she was stunned for a while as a thought floated in her mind. Educated people are awesome, see how her mind works! It¡¯s like leaps and bounds¡ª


    ¡°I mean if you are interested in registering to be part of the Xi Ling Celestials, that is.¡± Raven 12345 was serious. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, our benefits are pretty rad. Little stuff like battlefield resurrections and the likes aside, every new year¡ª¡±


    Hao Ren immediately pulled the breaks before the lunatic goddess could finish. ¡°Stop right there. You can leave that new year stuff out, and if you mean it, try not to totally lose your year-end bonus. Serious business now, yeah? You¡¯re saying that registering as a member of the Xi Ling Celestials can solve Rheia¡¯s problem?¡±


    He actually thought the crazy goddess had gone cuckoo again, but after he thought about it again, something did not seem right. While Raven 12345 was indeed whacked in the head, she would not crack such jokes. And after dealing with divinity for quite some time now, Hao Ren had some experience on the matter. So when Raven 12345 mentioned about ¡°registering¡±, there was probably a deeper meaning to it.


    Upon hearing what Hao Ren said, Raven 12345 broke into a mysterious smile. ¡°Smart boy, the solution is right there.¡±


    After seeing Rheia¡¯s curious look, Raven 12345 did not keep her in suspense and started explaining, ¡°I¡¯ve seen your Creation¡¯s Engine blueprint. Of course, it was the incomplete one Hao Ren found. But based on the blueprint and the data he brought back from the core, I have a rough idea of how your Creation¡¯s Engine works. It is able to seek out a divine¡¯s unique code and wipe out anything or anyone in the Plane of Dreams with powers that exceed that of a demigod. Breaking that function is simple. We just need to change the unique code to a different one or modify it altogether, no?¡±


    Rheia¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°There¡¯s such a thing?¡±


    ¡°To be frank, your mother¡­ Ahem, before the appearance of a renowned genius like the Dark Valkyrie, there was no such thing because the ¡®unique code¡¯ is, in fact, a god¡¯s unique divinity. Changing it is extremely difficult. But someone so overpowered actually appeared out of nowhere. Do you know how OP your mother is?¡±


    Rheia ran her fingers through her hair. She knew her mother was powerful, but how powerful, she had no idea. ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°First, she is actually a dark goddess. But a goof-up in her enrollment registration saw her enrolling into the academy of the gods of light. After she received her education, she graduated at the top of her class in the region as a goddess of light; next, she was actually part of the Galacticus Lords, but in one of their expeditions with the Xi Ling Celestials, she had somehow managed to get ¡®stuck¡¯ within the Xi Ling Celestials¡¯ system. As a result, she became the only goddess with both Galacticus and Xi Ling twin godhood; lastly, as her extraordinary self was now beyond all sorts of rules and regulations, to put it short, she became so OP that no race could accommodate her. Therefore, the Will of the Void pulled her from the gods, and she was made into her own class. Now, she is the only member of the Byrndis class, Byrndis order, Byrndis family, genus and species. At the same time, she is a dark goddess and a goddess of light, a Galacticus goddess, and also a Xi Ling goddess in tandem. Now, she¡¯s both your mother and your father.¡±


    After that whole load of rambling, Raven 12345 crossed her arms before her chest as she said with all the sincerity she had, ¡°She¡¯s my idol.¡±


    Rheia was speechless.


    It felt like she had heard plenty of stuff, but she did not even understand half of it!


    Hao Ren was stunned too. He knew that the Dark Valkyrie was a boss among bosses, but he did not know much of the details. A head honcho so overpowered that the gods could not even classify her and had to pluck her out and create a new class for her¡­ Yet, somehow that did not sound like praise at all?


    ¡°Ahem.¡± Raven 12345 probably noticed that she had gone a tad too far as well and coughed dryly to suppress her excitement. ¡°All in all, due to your mother¡¯s appearance, a new field of study appeared, and that was the study of the changing of godhood, as well as the conversion of unique divinity code. This field of study is pretty much complete, and there are many feasible and simple ways to go about it. The ¡®change of registration¡¯ is one way to do it. As a wild goddess without any proper identification, your divinity code is created based on your bloodline. So simply put, your identity as a ¡®goddess of the Galacticus Lords¡¯ has determined your divinity traits. If we change that¡­ all will be resolved.¡±


    Hao Ren found this rather unique. ¡°Just like that? Just change the registry¡­ and that will change a god¡¯s traits of divinity?¡±


    ¡°Information disturbance, young man.¡± Raven 12345 gave Hao Ren a disappointed look. ¡°It¡¯s already been four years, and you¡¯ve yet to get the Grand Unification Theory of Information printed in your skull? Everything in the universe is formed and changed by information, and gods are the biggest body of information. For such a body of information, the effect of ¡®symbolism¡¯ is greater than that of the material world. Of course, going into detail with you is pointless, so let¡¯s keep it simple. The Creation¡¯s Engine is tied to only one identity card, and my idea of resolving this issue is to change that identity card¡­¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?!¡± Hao Ren clapped.


    Rheia finally made sense of the solution too, but she was still not totally clear. However, she found the idea reasonable, hence she nodded. ¡°I understand. So what should I do now, my body is still stuck inside the Plane of Dreams. Can I use this projection to complete the¡­ change in identification?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Your projection will suffice.¡± Raven 12345 nodded. ¡°The original requirements would have been much higher, but since you are the Dark Valkyrie¡¯s blood, you can easily swap between Galacticus and Xi Ling. Once we follow the required ritual, it¡¯ll be done.¡±


    Yes, a ritual. While Raven 12345 used a very unflattering name to describe the process of changing one¡¯s godhood, the solemness of the matter was not affected. It was indeed a ritual.


    Hao Ren was also clear on the matter now, and seeing that Raven 12345 was about to start the ritual, he quickly asked, ¡°So¡­ this godhood amendment thing has nothing do with me, right? Need me out of the room?¡±


    Unexpectedly, Raven 12345 held him back. ¡°Eh, you can¡¯t leave!¡±


    ¡°I need to be around?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. According to the rules between the three systems, any change in godhood requires a proposer, a backer, and a guarantor for it to take effect. I can be the proposer, Rheia is the party involved, so you¡¯ll be the backer and guarantor. You¡¯re a demigod and the one who¡¯s in charge of the entire Plane of Dreams. Your qualifications will suffice.¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his head and suddenly felt like he was actually someone awesome¡­


    After Hao Ren and Rheia both nodded, Raven 12345 got up and snapped her fingers. ¡°Then let¡¯s not dally, we¡¯ll start right now.¡±


    A ¡°snap¡± later, the entire space changed.


    The originally grand office popped like a bubble as a sea of light rained from above. Their surroundings turned into a bright, vast, nebulous space, and soon, the light coalesced into a physical form. Hao Ren found himself standing on a circular platform. On the surface of the platform were countless complex light blue letters and runes, and around them was the nebulous void. There were blurry silhouettes in the distance, similar to the platform he was standing on.


    Each platform radiated with light as countless shadows moved within the light beam. It was clearly a very busy transportation network; perhaps it was the dimension where the various gods communicated in?


    Countless gods were traveling about the innumerable platforms, and Hao Ren thought that with Raven 12345¡¯s character, she would start waving and greeting everyone before going into an endless chat with one of her acquaintances. Surprisingly, however, the goddess had put up a rare show of decorum.


    ¡°This is a special dimensional that¡¯s directly connected to the City of Shadows,¡± Raven 12345 noticed Hao Ren¡¯s curious look, and casually explained, ¡°The power of all Ravens reside here, and part of this dimension overlaps with the City of Shadows. Thus, standing here quite literally means you are standing in the capital city of the gods.¡±


    No wonder the crazy goddess was so well behaved. They were actually at the head office now¡­


    As he entertained his thoughts, the moving blurry silhouettes all disappeared. Hao Ren suddenly noticed that the platform he was on had linked with another half-moon platform. The moment the connection was completed, the scene around him turned into an argent hexagonal great hall.


    The hall was without any doors or windows, but a multitude of holographic displays floated in the air. All sorts of bizarre images were displayed. Hao Ren only managed a brief glance and saw at least three recruitment notices, four rental notices, two second-hand sales, and a repeating military draft advertisement¡­


    If the advertisements had not been about renting planetary fortresses, or the second-hand sales had actually not been sales for second-hand universes, Hao Ren would have thought that Raven 12345 had opened the wrong door¡­


    Raven 12345 was clueless about what went on in Hao Ren¡¯s mind, and with a wave of her hand, a light blue crystalline chip materialized in the air. She then placed the chip in one of the ports on the half-moon platform. Pointing at Rheia, she said, ¡°Stand over there, yeah, that lit-up floor over there. Stepping on it will do. Your senses will be somewhat disrupted for a bit. It¡¯s pretty normal as your projection has already leap through many hoops to get here, and the registration will take up quite some bandwidth, so your senses will be limited.¡±


    Rheia followed Raven 12345¡¯s instructions as she stood where she was required to. A blue light from the sky then cast a veil over her.


    Soon, a synthetic voice rang across the hall.


    ¡°Detecting Type II application. Transferring to Personnel Management Department. Checking application attachment¡ªType: Godhood Conversion Application. Transferring to Godhood Affairs Department. Checking duty roster. Arranging personnel¡ªtask assignment completed. Officer EK3154T16 will be servicing you.¡±


    A bright light suddenly appeared behind the argent desk on the half-moon platform as a silhouette formed out of the light.


    Upon seeing the figure, Hao Ren was stunned.


    It was a female goddess clad in a long white dress. Her looks were pretty much self-explanatory. None of the gods, with the exception of ¡°artistic purposes¡±, actually looked bad. Hao Ren was stunned because behind the goddess¡­ was a pair of white wings with a glowing halo around them.


    Was that not an angel?! The Xi Ling Celestials actually had such characters in their organization?!


    The female goddess¡¯ smile was divine and regal. A calming aura emanated from her body. Compared with the neurotic Raven 12345, it was like heaven and earth. After serving under Raven 12345 for so long, he even started to normalize the fact that goddesses were lunatics. The moment he saw an actual normal goddess, his first reaction was, why did I not run into such a kind one?


    Raven 12345¡¯s senses were unusually sharp this time around, and the moment that thought popped up in Hao Ren¡¯s mind, she glared at him. ¡°Why do I get the feeling that you¡¯re thinking of jumping ship?¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    By then, the ¡°angel¡± had recognized the party before her. While those in the Raven series all looked the same, the Xi Ling Celestials seemed to have their own way of identifying individuals. The angel then smiled, her tone containing a hint of surprise. ¡°12345? You¡¯ve finally decided to fix your brain?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to fix?! I¡¯m feeling awesome right now!¡± Raven 12345 immediately went into rambling mode. ¡°Didn¡¯t you read the duty brief? I¡¯ve brought someone to change their godhood!¡±


    ¡°Ah, the change of godhood.¡± Only then did the angel actually notice that there were two other people in the room, one of which was already being separated by a light beam. Looking down at the message that appeared on the table, she said, ¡°Let me see¡­ So this person here is your assistant, Inspector Hao Ren who is the backer and the guarantor, and the one needing the change of godhood is Rheia¡­ am I right?¡±


    ¡°Yeppers.¡± Raven 12345 nodded.


    ¡°The change of godhood requires a massive change in information. It is necessary to have a detailed reason for application, and you must also have a need for it,¡± the angel said in a flat tone, her wings moving slightly out of reflex. ¡°If I remember correctly, you were deployed as an administrator goddess, right? Why are you here to change her godhood all of a sudden?¡±


    A mischievous smile appeared on Raven 12345¡¯s face as she shuffled over to the side of the angel¡¯s desk. ¡°Let me tell you, that lass over there is Mother Byrndis¡¯ daughter. She was supposed to be a Galacticus Lord, but it was I who convinced her to register over here!¡±


    The angel, who was dispassionate earlier, nearly popped her eyes out upon hearing that. Her wings expanded to the maximum with a loud ¡°swooosh¡±!


    A moment later, her wings folded, and Hao Ren saw the angel fall off from her chair. She started rolling on the ground. ¡°Eeek!! Cr-Cramp! There¡¯s a cramp in my left wing!¡±


    Feathers were flying all over the place.

 Chapter 1686 - Godhood Conversion

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren felt that he had made two mistakes. The first one was when Raven 12345 mentioned the ritual. He actually believed that it would be a solemn and proper one. The second mistake was when he noticed that the angel got along with Raven 12345. You could basically throw any hopes out of the window by then. Even thinking with a rock, you would understand that anyone who could get along with that crazy goddess was never going to be normal!


    It took the angel officer some effort before she managed to calm down. She looked very sorry as her wings retracted, but the left side was kept unnaturally and still spazzing. She somehow managed to return to her desk and started the process to change Rheia¡¯s godhood.


    Raven 12345 took a deep breath as she looked at the latter. ¡°Hey, are you all right? Wanna go have it seen first? I can wait for other officers to come.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right, it¡¯s all right. It¡¯s just a mere cramp, I can just endure it with willpower. His Majesty is looking at us, you know,¡± the angel spoke as calmly as she could while she tried to shake the cramp of her left wing. ¡°This opportunity is just too rare. It¡¯s the daughter of Mother Byrndis, you know! Her entry into the Xi Ling Celestials is also being done by me. What are the chances of running into this again? How can I let someone else do it?¡±


    Raven 12345 pursed her lips. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to be so excited to the point of having cramps.¡±


    ¡°If you were in my shoes, would you fare any better?¡±


    As they bantered, the procedure inched closer to completion. With Rheia¡¯s identification data being recorded, the light beam that separated Rheia slowly faded away as her projection became clear once again. Hao Ren looked on curiously because the entire procedure felt unreal. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ it?¡±


    ¡°How complicated do you want it to be?¡± Raven 12345 threw Hao Ren a glance. ¡°The more matured and advanced technology is, the simpler it is. An advanced starship now only needs a pilot and a neural-link device to operate. Its earlier design would have needed hundreds of crew members and over a dozen controllers to even leave the docks. Divine arts that only require a signature to take effect are the best of the best. The sort of convoluted ritual that needs half a ton of materials, protective matrixes, magic circles, auspicious timing, and location, blablabla¡­ with a poor sod as a sacrifice is the lowest of the low, you know!¡±


    Seeing how reasonable Raven 12345¡¯s arguments were, Hao Ren could only helplessly retort, ¡°I haven¡¯t even said anything yet¡­ This is the first time I¡¯ve heard you, someone without class, criticize someone else as the lowest of the low¡­¡±


    ¡°You and your bullsh*t.¡± Raven 12345 glared at him before she tapped the table and pointed at a form on it. ¡°Come over here, sign on the guarantor and proposer column. It¡¯ll take effect once you sign it. And from now on, you¡¯ll be Rheia¡¯s witness of godhood.¡±


    Hao Ren went ahead to sign the paper before he popped a casual question, ¡°A witness of godhood? Blimey, that sounds grand. Are there any benefits?¡±


    ¡°You said it yourself, the title itself is bloody grand. You can use it to stroke your e-peen on the forums¡­¡±


    While he was rendered speechless, he still signed his name at the bottom of the form, and as the last pen stroke left the paper, the floating shimmering form suddenly glowed a bright blue before it disintegrated into countless blue particles, disappearing into the air.


    ¡°The conversion of godhood has been completed, and Rheia is now officially a part of the Xi Ling Celestials. All related void imprints and information entanglement will completely change within the next twenty-four hours,¡± the angel said with a professional look (it would have been perfect if not for her twitching wing). ¡°Ah, considering that she made this connection using a material projection, this change may be slightly delayed, but no more than three days.¡±


    ¡°The goddess of annihilation will definitely not be able to create an engine in three days,¡± Hao Ren quipped before he turned to Rheia, who had just walked out of the light beam. ¡°How do you feel? Any difference?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Rheia¡¯s question was the same as Hao Ren¡¯s/ ¡°I thought it would be a complicated ritual with a lot of casting materials and preparations¡­¡±


    Hao Ren immediately squinted at Raven 12345, shooting her a glance that said, ¡°See? I¡¯m not the only one with such a question, right?¡±.


    Raven 12345¡¯s response was to roll her eyes, implying that, ¡°You¡¯re comparing yourself to an uneducated wild goddess?¡±


    The angel looked at both Raven 12345 and Hao Ren, not understanding how the two had reached such mutual communication¡­


    After getting over her staring contest with Hao Ren, Raven 12345 went back to the circular platform (it was now a circular floor in the hall) and waved at the angel. ¡°We¡¯ll be leaving then. I¡¯ll come over and chat again when I have time.¡±


    The angel waved back too. ¡°Better not. If you have the time to come over and chat, I still suggest that you¡¯d better go fix your brain first¡­¡±


    A flash later, the hexagonal hall popped like a bubble and the platform beneath their feet moved away from the bizarre dimension held up by the power of the Ravens. A few seconds later, Hao Ren and the rest were back in Raven 12345¡¯s grand office.


    After a simple check of her status, Rheia still could not quite process what had just happened. ¡°So, I¡¯ve changed my godhood now? And that will render me immune to the damage from the Creation¡¯s Engine?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Your Creation¡¯s Engine is indeed powerful, but technologically, it is very primitive just like a powerful trebuchet. There are too many ways to avoid it.¡± Raven 12345¡¯s response was rather blunt. ¡°Changing your godhood will not make you feel any different. In fact, the only change is you¡¯re now allowed to connect directly into the Xi Ling Celestial¡¯s soul network. But due to the uniqueness of the Plane of Dreams, even this connection is shielded, so you won¡¯t feel any changes. Anyway, you are now a proper member of the Xi Ling Celestials, you don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡±


    Rheia pondered for a bit and was suddenly worried. ¡°Ah, that means I¡¯ve given up my identity as a goddess of the Galacticus Lords for the Xi Ling Celestials¡­ Isn¡¯t that¡­ bad? Won¡¯t my mother be angry?¡±


    Raven 12345 was taken aback as she whispered to herself that this uneducated child was not dumb at all; she could still think of such things, but her expression was still neutral and even more serious than before. ¡°Everything has its priority. Us gods are willing to throw our lives away just to protect a world, how does mere godhood compare to that?¡±


    Rheia thought about it and concurred. She had no other questions.


    ¡°But let me remind you,¡± Raven 12345, sensing that the topic had passed, quickly moved on to a new one, ¡°while the deadly threat of the Creation¡¯s Engine has been neutralized, you still cannot afford to underestimate it. I have looked through its details, and even without its god-slaying capability, the Creation¡¯s Engine is still a formidable weapon with a core filled with divine powers. Used as a guided weapon, its strength will be no weaker than me going all out, and the attack¡­ is not something you can tank head-on.¡±


    Rheia naturally understood that and nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t take it for granted. And I have already passed everything related to the Creation¡¯s Engine to Hao Ren, including the completed parts. Using what we have, I think we can come up with something to go against the goddess of annihilation¡­¡±


    Hao Ren bobbed his head in agreement, indicating that the situation was as Rheia had described. But he added, ¡°While the details and semi-completed parts are with me, the Gilded Disc array of the engine can no longer be assembled. I only have three with me, and the other nine have been stolen. With just three discs¡­ even with their redundant complementary functions, we still won¡¯t be able to start the engine core.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s problematic.¡± Raven 12345 frowned. ¡°The support that we can send from the Surface World into the Plane of Dreams is limited. The material projection generator and a few teaching materials are fine, while civilian facilities like CARS is almost pushing it to the limits. As for the Creation¡¯s Engine¡­ if placed in any of the Xi Ling armies, it will still be a military-grade item with a high level to boot. These sort of things, you can only create them within the Plane of Dreams. I can¡¯t help from the outside.¡±


    ¡°The other engine parts are still doable, plus Lemendusa¡¯s overseeing the other parts at the Gate of Solenne. They are pretty much complete, but those discs¡­ It would be difficult even with the blueprint.¡± Hao Ren shot Rheia a difficult look. ¡°How long do you need to make a new one?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even bother. We won¡¯t have the time.¡± Rheia shook her head. ¡°The computation core is the most exhaustive of all the parts, and 90% of the work in the engine is focused there. Even if you were to supply me the materials and a production line now, it will take years upon years before it¡¯s complete.¡±


    Hao Ren was reduced to a long sigh.


    However, Rheia¡¯s tone took a different turn. ¡°But¡­ that was me in the past.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Rheia made a book-flipping gesture. ¡°While we were talking, my real body in the Basilica of Yggdrasil was still looking at the concepts of creation in the workbook. I have a feeling that after I finish the next few questions, I¡¯ll know what to do¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned.


    Raven 12345 then casually quipped, ¡°See, an ace student can pretty much do what she wants¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was totally convinced.


    By then, everything was settled, and Raven 12345 took a look at the clock. ¡°Oh, we¡¯re fast this time. Rheia, your projection can still last another hour or so, wanna go see where your daughter is living now?¡±


    The ¡°daughter¡± she was talking about was Vivian.


    Rheia had thought about it before, and she broke into a smile. ¡°Of course I¡¯m interested, but is it convenient?¡±


    ¡°Whether it is or not is up to him.¡± Raven 12345 pointed at Hao Ren. ¡°Your daughter¡¯s living with him.¡±


    Rheia¡¯s gaze on Hao Ren quickly turned mischievous. ¡°Ohhh¡­ I did not know about that part¡­¡±


    Cold sweat immediately sprang like a fountain all over Hao Ren¡¯s head, but he could not find anything to say. He could only grit his teeth and glare at Raven 12345, who was waiting for the drama to unfold. Shortly after, he lowered his head before his ¡°mother-in-law¡± and explained, ¡°We are indeed staying together, but both of us are serious about this¡­¡±


    Rheia pondered a little before she asked, ¡°If I were to say no, would you make me write an 8,000-word essay on my studies?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Rheia could not contain her laughter anymore. ¡°Hahaha, I was just teasing you!¡±

 Chapter 1687 - We Are Family

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Reality proved that even ace students were not all fond of homework. Even a good studious girl like the goddess of creation would grumble if you were to force her to do twenty-eight sets of questions. And when the grumbling ¡°good girl¡± was your mother-in-law, it was a totally different ball game¡­


    Every time he thought about it, Hao Ren could not help but sigh at this absolute mess of a relationship¡­


    A moment later, Hao Ren and Rheia were before the main gate of his old house in the Southern Suburbs.


    ¡°Ohh¡­¡± The short goddess of creation dragged her voice as she looked up at the rather aged house, ¡°So you live in this place?¡±


    ¡°Different from what you¡¯ve imagined?¡± Hao Ren was, however, used to such a reaction. ¡°You¡¯re not the first to be surprised.¡±


    ¡°It is different. I thought you would be living in a big palace or a military base of sorts.¡± Rheia nodded. ¡°You are a pope after all, and a commander of the droid army. I never thought you¡¯d be living in this sort of place. Feeling hermit-y?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been living here all this while.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°Been here even before I signed the agreement with Raven 12345, and I didn¡¯t move after I got the job. It¡¯s just a home, a place with a roof over your head. The most important thing is where the people are. With everyone staying happily here, isn¡¯t it home?¡±


    Rheia listened on quietly before a sad expression appeared on her face. ¡°Yeah¡­ it is nice, everyone living together happily¡­¡±


    Hao Ren immediately wanted to punch himself in the mouth the moment he saw that. He was really stepping on a landmine despite knowing that it was there! Here was this lady before him who had just lost everything, had almost of her people all killed, and had her Star of Creation blown to smithereens, yet he was derping out and reminding her about it!


    He quickly tried to shift Rheia¡¯s attention, ¡°Ah, don¡¯t just stand there. Everyone¡¯s inside now, let¡¯s go and greet them. Let me tell you, Vivian will definitely be surprised¡­¡±


    Just as he was about to put the key into the door, before he could even reach for the knob, he heard loud footsteps behind the door. Following that, the door was swung wide open as Lily¡¯s glowing and excited face appeared before him. ¡°Oh! Mr. Landlord you¡¯re back! I heard you coming from inside. Why didn¡¯t you just teleport back instead of coming from the outside¡ª¡±


    Before Lily could finish, Hao Ren stepped aside slightly to reveal Rheia behind him. ¡°Oh, I brought her over for a visit.¡±


    Lily¡¯s eyes widened immediately. ¡°Whoa! It¡¯s Rheia!¡±


    She then quickly pushed the door to the side, making way for them. ¡°Come in! Come in! Say, why are you here?¡±


    Rheia looked on in a daze at the super energetic Lily and the ajar door before she turned to Hao Ren with a confused expression. ¡°Is it really al¡ª¡±


    Hao Ren nodded stiffly. ¡°This is a daily occurrence.¡±


    Thus, the goddess of creation was let into the house in a daze, and the first thing she saw was the old demon who was sitting cross-legged on the sofa reading the newspaper. Next to him was a little demoness who was busy poking a broken radio with her screwdriver. At the same time, Nangong Wuyue in her octopus form was sprawled on the floor alongside Lil Pea as she held seven to eight pieces of rags with her tentacles, cleaning the floor while playing nanny¡­


    The three people (and the fish) in the living room were surprised by Rheia¡¯s sudden appearance. They were probably not expecting the goddess of creation of the Plane of Dreams to pay them a sudden house visit. Everyone¡¯s eyes widened, and Y¡¯lisabet, distracted, ran her screwdriver directly through the radio, tearing a new hole in the already dying device¡­


    ¡°Ah, hi, everyone.¡± Rheia awkwardly raised her hand to greet them all. ¡°I¡¯m just here to have a look.¡±


    Thankfully, Hao Ren popped out from behind to dispel Rheia¡¯s awkwardness. ¡°It¡¯s a projection. We just got back from Raven 12345¡¯s place, and her projection still has some time remaining, so I just brought her over to have a look.¡±


    The kitchen door was suddenly pushed open as Hessiana, clad in an apron, walked out of it. The little bat familiar was half-covered in flour, and Hao Ren had no idea what she had been up to earlier. The little bat only came out to have a look upon hearing the commotion outside. She soon noticed Rheia, who was the center of everyone¡¯s attention, and a curious look materialized on her face. ¡°May I know who you are?¡±


    The lot in the living room struggled to find a proper explanation after a good while, and they all started to talk at the simultaneously, ¡°A friend.¡±


    ¡°A goddess.¡±


    ¡°A partner.¡±


    ¡°Your grandma¡­¡±


    No one knew who said the last bit, but all that commotion pretty much drowned everything out. It was not until the end when things died down that Hao Ren opened his mouth. ¡°She¡¯s Rheia, she¡¯s Vivian¡¯s¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, Hessiana had already taken a menacing stance like she had just seen her nemesis. ¡°She¡¯s Lady Vivian¡¯s what? Let me tell you, don¡¯t you dare go around taking people in like it¡¯s nothing! I haven¡¯t even fully recognized you as my dad, don¡¯t come introducing relatives to me!¡±


    The words Hao Ren had planned to say immediately ran back down his throat. With his local TV-drama experience, he could not determine what sort of imagination had already taken root in Hessiana¡¯s mind, and what the brat said really made him depressed. Such grumpy back and forth between a step-father and his rebellious step-daughter was based on whose goddamned script? She had only been staying there for two days and was already giving him attitude?


    However, considering Rheia¡¯s youthful appearance, it was not difficult to think of the worst-case scenario that was going through Hessiana¡¯s mind¡­


    At that same time, Vivian had also noticed the commotion in the living room, and she followed Hessiana out. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Hao Ren¡¯s back?¡±


    As she arrived, she saw Rheia standing at the center of the hall, looking all confused. She yelped in surprise. ¡°Ah! Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a projection,¡± Hao Ren repeated what he said earlier. ¡°I just brought her over to have a look, but Hessiana has misunderstood¡­¡±


    The little bat noticed that Vivian and Rheia seemed to be well acquainted, and her caution level immediately shot through the roof. She was on red alert, pointing and glaring at Rheia. ¡°Lady Vivian, do you really know this person?¡±


    ¡°Of course she knows her.¡± Hao Ren chuckled. ¡°She¡¯s Vivian¡¯s creator.¡±


    ¡°No one asked you!¡± Hessiana forked her arms over her waist.


    Vivian massaged her temples to nurse a headache. ¡°What he says is true. Logically, she¡¯s my mother.¡±


    By then, Hao Ren had already started to think about how he should go about tying things up, but the moment Vivian¡¯s voice faded, he noticed that Hessiana had already darted across the entire living room to Rheia¡¯s side. She then proceeded to go on all fours and hug Rheia¡¯s leg with all the reverence she could muster. ¡°Grandma!¡±


    *Riiiippp!* The paper in Y¡¯zaks hand was torn into two.


    Even considering the standard of Hao Ren¡¯s troupe, this was a commotion never seen before¡­


    If Hao Ren and his crew had never seen it before, forget Rheia. The goddess of creation was pretty much in a confused stupor, looking down at the little bat familiar who was hugging her leg for a good half a minute. She was not able to verbalize anything, and she looked up at Vivian. Her gaze seemed to say, ¡°Is this child mentally challenged? Who is she?¡±


    Vivian shrugged helplessly in reply. ¡°That¡¯s Hessiana whom I told you about. She¡¯s something like a ¡®daughter¡¯ to me. She had a bad shock when she was young¡­¡±


    Thus, their eye signals ended.


    Given that Rheia was someone who had been through a lot, she soon recovered from her daze. But she found the title of ¡°grandma¡±, which Hessiana had assigned to her, pretty out of place. She was just a primary school student back in the realm of gods. Aside from that, her chest was not even fully grown yet. If she got called ¡°grandma¡± now and her current form stuck, what would she do if her growth was forever stunted?


    Therefore, Rheia puffed up her chest as she pulled her leg away with all her might before she sternly educated the little bat, ¡°No calling me ¡®grandma¡¯! Call me Rheia¡­ or Big Sis Rheia at the most!¡±


    Hao Ren had had enough by then, and he threw the goddess of creation a sideways glare.¡± Ahem, that¡¯s taking it a little too far. Vivian calling you Rheia is all fine and dandy. Now her daughter¡¯s calling you ¡®Big Sis¡¯? You going about flaunting your youth is all good, but what about us?¡±


    Rheia thought that made some sense and lowered her head to ponder their relationship. ¡°Maybe¡­ call me ¡®Auntie¡¯ instead?¡±


    ¡­


    A few seconds later, everyone circled the living room amid a very happy atmosphere. The target of the warm reception was, of course, Rheia.


    Seeing that it was the first time Rheia had visited the Surface World, Hao Ren called everyone he could in the vicinity to come over. Even the Nangongs closed their shop early that day to join in on the fun. In their own words, seeing a bona fide goddess was not easy, and the old couple would be spending most of their time munching on peanuts anyway with their restaurant looking more like a retiree¡¯s activity center more than anything. Might as well close early to meet a goddess.


    However, Hao Ren felt like they were just there to join in on the fun?¡ªwhat was so difficult about seeing a real goddess? Every time he packed a carton of instant noodles, Hao Ren could simply make an offering with the excuse of meeting Raven 12345. That goddess was bored to death most of the time anyway¡­


    With all that said, having so many people in the gathering was something Hao Ren had badly wanted because he knew that Rheia needed such liveliness.


    And she needed to unwind very, very much.


    Remembering what the goddess of creation had just gone through, although she managed to bear through it with her divine willpower, if there was a way for her to relax, anything, anything at all would be better than nothing.


    Seeing how Hessiana was stuck to Rheia, asking a boatload of questions, Hao Ren who by then had retreated to the side, breathed a sigh of relief. While the little bat may have been a trouble magnet, the troubles she caused that day were welcomed.


    Nangong Sanba had also stepped back to Hao Ren¡¯s side, seemingly enjoying the moment. He then whispered to Hao Ren, ¡°Say, shouldn¡¯t we tell her what ¡®auntie¡¯ means over here?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with the word!¡± Hao Ren raised an eyebrow. ¡°Do you wanna go tell her yourself?¡±


    ¡°¡­Perhaps not.¡±

 Chapter 1688 - The Wind Blows

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    While the goddess of creation was in the deep end of studying, in the deepest, darkest part of the Plane of Dreams, a dark current roiled within an ancient, dark and chaotic prison.


    The place had been in total silence for the last 10,000 years, as though all celestial bodies were frozen in ice. There was no evolution of life, and no changes to the stars as the river of time seemingly forgot about this dark realm, freezing it when the seal took hold.


    Yet, this ¡°freezing¡± was just an illusion in the eyes of short-lived mortals. During the last hundred centuries, this prison was never truly in a state of peace, not even once as the ancient terror sealed within it struggled to escape at every possible moment. And it was not the first time the red alert parameter had been triggered since the wardens of the prison had been fighting a ceaseless battle for 10,000 years. This battle was not visible through the naked eye, and the only signs were either a lonely star suddenly dying out or a piece of space debris suddenly disappearing.


    A lonely star stood by the edge of the dark border. There were no other celestial bodies around, and its orange-red surface roiled in flames as streaks of fire fought against the planet¡¯s own gravity well and the stabbing cold. It looked like there was a wall of gleaming spears in the dark space. Yet, the light from this star was not about to shine far. About half a celestial unit away, bizarre darkness, like a writhing beast or mud, crawled slowly. It had no physical form, and it did not even project any gravity or radiation, but the planet¡¯s radiance halted before this writhing darkness as if was being consumed by the void.


    Suddenly, something changed within the writhing darkness, and the seemingly aimless, scattered ¡°mud pool¡± started to have some resemblance of order and cohesiveness as it charged toward the dark border. The solitary orange planet in the system reacted too; its brightness increased exponentially as did its astral body, and the orange flames turned into blazing white-blue flames in a thousandth of a second. A wall created by gravity and dimension distortion also blocked its access to the darkness.


    The dark ¡°mud¡¯s¡± movement was stopped, and after a momentary standoff, everything returned to normal.


    However, not all disturbances would return to normal. In a place 200,000 light-years away from that sentry post, another star could not hold up against the writhing darkness. The distorted dimension was torn apart by brute force as some sort of destructive force invaded the core of the ancient star. Countless of unknown black lines appeared all over the star¡¯s surface, and it began to crack along the lines. As some rune-like objects disappeared the moment the planet came apart, everything was consumed by the darkness into nothingness.


    In another sector farther away, one by one, a ripple of information rang across the solitary stars in the form of a language, unintelligible by mortals and floating around like a breeze between stars.


    ¡°Sentry Post N-66 is lost. Sector 73 to 76 is non-effective. Interior defense has fallen to 32%. Probability of containment failure has increased to 68%.¡±


    ¡°We have lost two-thirds of the interior sentry posts, and the remaining ones are not faring well. The central sentry posts are affected too. In the past few days, over twenty-odd unusual energy spikes have breached the interior defense and directly attacked our central nodes.¡±


    ¡°The attacks are ever-increasing. The prisoner¡¯s activity is rising; it has awakened.¡±


    ¡°Situation critical, situation critical, situation critical.¡±


    After a short silence, the murmurs from within the stars rang again.


    ¡°The good news is, we have confirmed the existence of ¡®reinforcements¡¯.


    ¡°We have detected a series of unknown facilities being built rapidly at the edge of the Dark Abyss. The energy signals are similar to the unmanned drones we detected earlier¡­¡±


    ¡°And one of the facilities is broadcasting our brethren¡¯s unique pulse. It is probably a transmission relay.¡±


    ¡°While we do not know the details yet, one of our brethren outside is trying to establish contact with us.¡±


    ¡°It probably has something to do with the energy explosion deep in the prison. That explosion weakened the prisoner by at least one-fifth.¡±


    ¡°However, it also caused a spike in the prisoner¡¯s activity. After the explosion, the prisoner¡¯s actions have shown a high level of logical thinking.¡±


    Several seconds of silence later, another even more ethereal voice joined the murmurs, ¡°Insufficient data, unable to perform an accurate assessment. But based on the sixth contingency plan of the ancient accords, we should view the latest changes as a signal to initiate the ¡®final battle¡¯.¡±


    The owners of the murmurs from a few other stars were visibly shaken for a moment before a few of the voices acknowledged the ethereal voice with a respectful greeting, ¡°Chief Warden.¡±


    The voice referred to as the chief warden continued to ring, ¡°¡­The hour of the final battle is upon us. Regardless of whether reinforcements are coming or not, the breach of the interior defense perimeter is before us. Nightwatchers, prepare for battle.¡±


    Not one of them dissented, and all the Nightwatchers immediately voiced their determination at the very first opportunity. They were very clear that even without any reinforcements and support from the goddess of creation, even if their strength was hopeless when taking the Mad Lord head-on, even if the ¡°final battle¡± would mean total annihilation of their kind, from the moment they chose to stay in that star system, they had already prepared for such a possibility.


    After they received the orders to initiate the final battle, the chief warden added, ¡°The second order is to attempt contact with the facility outside the prison.¡±


    This time around, there was a voice of curious dissent, ¡°Chief Warden, exchange of information with the outside world is dangerous. This could weaken the seal on the Dark Abyss.¡±


    ¡°Based on the fifth contingency plan of the ancient accords, when the containment is about to fail, and if there is an appearance of highly-intelligent lifeforms making contact, we should disengage all information lockdown and establish contact. We have also learned that our brethren¡¯s unique pulse is coming from that facility, we cannot ignore it.¡±


    ¡°Very well, as you command.¡±


    Deep within the dark space, the murmurs between the stars once died down again, and a deathly silence cast itself a veil over the entire sector once more.


    A few minutes later, a star at the very edge of that dark part of space suddenly shone brighter. Following that, countless crystal-like strands disengaged from the star¡¯s surface into space and rapidly crystallized into a material form. In the center of the layers of crystals, a glowing silhouette made out of energy clouds and light points could be seen.


    After a moment, a fusiform starship appeared above the star, and upon basking in the star¡¯s light for a short while, it transformed into a beam and flew in the opposite direction of the Dark Abyss.


    A few consecutive jumps later, the pilot finally reached his destination as the dark and chaotic sector was now far, far away behind him. Before him was a vast sea of stars.


    While almost impossible to detect by normal optical means, the ship could still detect the majestic structure created by the droid swarm. There was a massive antenna array, and the pulse from his brethren was broadcasted continuously from it.


    As long as he went forward, he could leave the terrifying prison of the Dark Abyss and enter the warm embrace of the Worlds of Order. Yet, the starship stopped in its original position. Being a Nightwatcher, he knew that once he crossed this line, there would be a massive breach in the defense of the prison because any data leakage beyond the permitted level would allow the Mad Lord to directly project its powers onto the Worlds of Order.


    This was as far as he could go in order to establish contact with the outside world.


    The fusiform shuttle stopped, and using the Dark Abyss as an anchoring point, it lifted the fore of the ship while the crystalline structure transformed into a sail-like structure. The crystal sail basked in the starlight coming from the Worlds of Order, and it glittered in space.


    The starship carefully adjusted its angle as it ensured every sail was facing the droid structure before it used the lowest possible output to communicate.


    ¡°This is the Nightwatchers. The prison of the Dark Abyss has received your signal. Greetings, brethren.¡±


    The simple greeting was immediately sent through the vast space across multiple amplifications and transmission relays without any delay to the data processing center on CAR. With Asurmen as the top member of the signals team, being online 24/7 the entire time, the greeting was relayed to his mind the moment it was sent.


    Even with the Denizens of the Star¡¯s usually unshakable will, Asurmen was flustered for a moment, and he even thought that he was hallucinating.


    However, the transmission was clearly recorded by the recording device.


    ¡°We have made contact! We have made contact!¡± Geddon, who was on duty with Asurmen had also heard the greeting, and even the stone-willed giant leaped out of his chair, almost toppling everything beside him. He immediately activated the team¡¯s comms and simultaneously contacted Salaman who was on the Core¡¯s system, ¡°We have received a direct transmission from the Dark Abyss! I repeat, a direct transmission from the Dark Abyss!¡±


    At the same time, Asurmen fully recovered and this Denizen of the Star quickly tuned the frequency of the droid relay station to strengthen the signal quality, and replied, ¡°This is Asurmen from the CARS signals team. It is a pleasure to hear the voice of our brethren once again.¡±


    ¡°The same here. No one thought we would ever hear the voices of our brethren. The world outside¡ª¡±


    ¡°Please listen,¡± Asurmen interrupted, not letting his brother finish. ¡°Let all sentries know that the goddess of creation has returned. We will soon launch a glorious and decisive counterattack, so before the day of reckoning, please converge your strength. Do not confront the Mad Lord head-on! We will need your reinforcements in the battle to come!¡±


    After that, Asurmen turned to Geddon, who was busy with the comms control station. ¡°Geddon, what¡¯s the status of the Core? Have we managed to contact the goddess?¡±


    ¡°We have already reached Commander Salaman. He says that Mother is still busy with her homework, the last half of her question. She will come over once she is done!¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ tell the goddess that she does not have to rush. The transmission is stable, and I have passed on the important messages. Let her focus¡­¡±

 Chapter 1689 - Roiling Clouds

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Communication had been established. The goddess of creation was not the only person to receive the news. Hao Ren, who was resting in the Surface World had received it too.


    Right after he sent Hessiana home, Hao Ren received the shocking news from the communications network; Asurmen had managed to establish contact with the prison in the Dark Abyss. He quickly grabbed the MDT, opened up a warp gate to the Scarred Nebula, and jumped all the way to CARS. With him were Vivian and Lily.


    By the time they got there, Rheia had also arrived from the Basilica of Yggdrasil.


    The moment they met, the goddess of creation proudly announced, ¡°I came right after I finished my homework!¡±


    Hao Ren then started to wonder if he had gone overboard with the goddess¡¯ daily homework assignment¡­


    ¡°The timing of the contact could not have been better,¡± Asurmen¡¯s wind-chime voice traveled across the hall. ¡°The Nightwatchers are still standing, and due to an increase in the Mad Lord¡¯s activities, my brethren had originally planned to fight to the death. If not for that timely transmission, they would have been spent in a pointless battle.¡±


    Cold sweat formed on Hao Ren¡¯s forehead as he heard that before he breathed a sigh of relief: if their timely contact had not been established, and they did not manage to let the Nightwatchers within the Dark Abyss know that the goddess of creation had returned, they would have probably valiantly gone ahead and fought the Mad Lord to the death. While their courage was admirable, that would mean expending a valuable force before the final battle. More importantly, once all of the sentries in the Dark Abyss had fallen, the divine seal within the sector would fail, and that divine seal was an important part of Hao Ren¡¯s counterattack strategy.


    Rheia had arrived much earlier than Hao Ren, so she already understood part of the situation. She shook her head gently. ¡°While the sentries are present, the situation at the prison isn¡¯t great. The energy outburst released by the goddess of annihilation has indeed weakened the Mad Lord, but since then, there has been more and more logic, as well as purpose, to his actions. The chaotic energies are coalescing with terrifying efficiency against the seal of the Dark Abyss. After some attrition, the Mad Lord¡¯s counterattacks have grown stronger, and now the interior defense lines are almost overrun while the center levels are also under increased attacks. The Nightwatchers stand on their own there, yet they still need to preserve their strength. Who knows how long they can hold on.¡±


    ¡°¡­Preservation of their forces is important.¡± Hao Ren frowned. ¡°They can try to drag things as long as possible and retreat if it is no longer feasible. The interior of the Dark Abyss has already become his playground. Allowing valuable veterans like the Denizens to be expended like that is just too wasteful.¡±


    Rheia agreed with Hao Ren¡¯s assessment, but she did not relax. ¡°The key question is, can we finish our preparations before then?¡±


    Hao Ren then proceeded to explain the progress on his side, ¡°The expansion of the droid swarm has already reached its maximum. The Annihilation Lance has also entered mass production, and the first batch will come off the line in two days. As for the weapons of war, no matter when the battle starts, they will be ready.¡±


    ¡°The guardians are ready as well.¡± Salaman¡¯s holographic projection appeared next to the platform. ¡°We have been preparing for this battle for 10,000 years. If the Mad Lord ever breaks free, the fleet and Agodal can assume combat position at any time.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded to the screen before he turned to Lemendusa¡¯s projection on the other side of the platform. ¡°How¡¯s the assembly of the Creation¡¯s Engine going?¡±


    Lemendusa bobbed his head in response as a massive golden superspace structure appeared beside his projection. It was the almost-completed frame of the Creation¡¯s Engine. A veritable sea of engineering droids was ceaselessly working around the golden man-made star like swarms of fishes. ¡°The engine core, which was sent for manufacturing a few days ago, has been installed into the frame, and the connection, as well as compatibility tests, have been completed successfully. The installation of the crust and auxiliary attachments can be done within a month, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Without the Gilded Discs, it is missing a CPU¡­ right?¡± Hao Ren massaged his temples. ¡°Let¡¯s just put that issue aside. Focus on getting the engine completed and leave the computation core plug-in as it is. If push comes to shove¡­¡±


    As Hao Ren spoke, he looked down.


    CARS¡¯ central server room was right below him, and through the semi-transparent crystal screens, he could see the light that linked the central computer¡¯s ¡°crystal peak¡± to the station¡¯s central frame, extending toward all corners of the great structure and lining every part of the building with a mysterious calming glow.


    ¡°We can cramp CARS¡¯ mainframe in there. We already have the logic engine for the Creation¡¯s Engine, we only need to create a data conversion program. The computing abilities of the ¡®crystal peak¡¯ should be able to replace those discs.¡±


    It was not a plan he cooked up on the fly, but rather, something he came up with after days of long deliberation. While Rheia was previously confident that once she graduated from primary school, she could figure out a way to create the Gilded Discs in a short period of time, after he went to look for Rheia again, the latter admitted that it was not a surefire thing. Even if she could rush the discs out, how much power they could unleash was another question. The discs were the engine¡¯s core, and unlike the outer shell, which could just be slapped on, if the core¡¯s efficiency was not up to par, the massive divine weapon would not even have the output of an Annihilation Lance firing squad.


    Hao Ren clearly did not want that.


    So, he thought hard and fast on where he could find a replacement for the Gilded Discs¡­


    And the result of that was CARS¡¯ mainframe. It was the most potent, most effective data processing core he could find in the Plane of Dreams. Of course, he still had Yggdrasil, and that thing would be many times more powerful than the ¡°crystal peak¡±, but Yggdrasil was already tasked with maintaining the order of the Plane of Dreams. Its powers would be needed to mend the world after the Mad Lord was vanquished, so that was out of the question.


    Despite that, the main reason was Yggdrasil just being too high-tech of a toy for Hao Ren and Rheia. Both being amateurs, they had no idea how to even take it apart¡­


    ¡°Putting the crystal peak into the core of the Creation¡¯s Engine?¡± This was a rather shocking topic, and the first to jump was Lily. ¡°Won¡¯t that result in CARS going offline? Isn¡¯t this our main base?¡±


    ¡°CARS still has several secondary mainframes and redundancy systems. Even without the primary mainframe, it can still function at a lower capacity. It won¡¯t totally shut down.¡± Hao Ren wiggled his hand. ¡°Once the fighting starts, the value of the Creation¡¯s Engine as a superweapon will supersede CARS. This space station is, after all, a multi-purpose civilian station. Its most powerful weapon has already been massed produced, so in combat, its value is very limited.¡±


    Using good iron for weapons was a concept that Lily could understand, and with Hao Ren¡¯s explanation, the werehusky had no other questions.


    ¡°That leaves¡­ our trump card,¡± Hao Ren said as he turned his sight on the goddess of creation. ¡°How are your preparations?¡±


    ¡°Based on what I¡¯ve learned about utilizing my divine powers, I have fully recovered from the weakness of my 10,000-year wounds and slumber. I am much stronger than before.¡± Rheia gently tightened her fist. ¡°But time is running short, or else I would be able to gain more powers from the study materials. You cannot imagine how useful all that knowledge and experience is to me¡­ Aih¡­¡±


    Vivian could not help but murmur, ¡°It feels weird that her power level has shot up so rapidly just from studying some primary school materials. Doesn¡¯t feel all that epic.¡±


    Lily rolled her eyes. ¡°Just think of the primary school books as some legendary tomes and you¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Vivian thought for a bit and felt that the doggo was speaking some sense for once.


    ¡°But¡­ So, we can only wait outside?¡± Hao Ren could not help but ask. ¡°The Nightwatchers are fighting all alone in the prison. That¡¯s going to be hellish. If we could help them, even just a little bit, it would lighten their burden, right?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately¡­ we are of no help.¡± Rheia shook her head. ¡°The seal of the Dark Abyss is very unique, and it is based on ¡®information severance¡¯ as a basis. Various methods are utilized to prevent the transmission of information in and out of the seal, wiping out all observable effects to keep the Mad Lord in place. This sealing method was purposely designed to work against the Mad Lord¡¯s contamination of information. To put it differently, any transfer of information in and out of the Dark Abyss will weaken the seal, leading to him breaking out early.¡±


    Rheia noticed how everyone fell into deep thought, and she sighed again. ¡°Now that Asurmen has established contact with the Nightwatchers, that contact itself is a breach on the seal. With part of the seal already damaged by the Mad Lord, the damage caused by this exchange is negligible. Sadly, the sentries will probably no longer send out any further information.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Vivian sighed. ¡°What a great sacrifice¡­ Those sentries who stayed behind at the seal all those years ago¡­¡±


    Asurmen¡¯s voice then rang from the crystal, ¡°The time of the ancients has passed. We have survived until today for a cause. There is nothing great about that.¡±


    Shortly after, Rheia brought something up. ¡°Oh, if you¡¯d like to do something now, there is one thing that we could start on right away.¡±


    Hao Ren looked on curiously.


    ¡°A stable gateway to the Umbral Realm has already been created,¡± Rheia said. ¡°It¡¯s time to pay¡­ L¡¯Haronne a visit.¡±


    A smile formed on Hao Ren¡¯s lips. Some good news at last.

 Chapter 1690 - The Real L’Haronne

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The dark and cold space was filled with an unnatural chaotic mist. Deep within that chaotic mist, which could even block the sight of a demigod, a planet covered in pale light stood silently there. While there was no sun near it, a layer of divine power allowed the planet to brim with life.


    Above the planet, the chaotic mist suddenly roiled as a glowing vortex slowly opened. An argent starship silently slid out of the gate and approached the planet beneath it.


    Looking at the real-time images from the cameras outside, and the planet, which had split into half but was still brimming with life, Hao Ren gasped in amazement. While this was not the first time he had seen L¡¯Haronne¡¯s state, the planet, recreated in the dream world of the gods never failed to awe him every time he laid eyes on it.


    ¡°Unbelievable¡­ The power of the gods sure is unbelievable.¡±


    On the ship, only three ¡°people¡± followed him: Vivian, Lily, and Rheia¡¯s projection, which she used to move around.


    Such a team composition was rather rare, but Hao Ren thought it was more than enough, and compared with his misadventure into the dream of L¡¯Haronne previously, the current L¡¯Haronne was a pretty ¡°safe¡± planet. The real L¡¯Haronne was a planet reborn from the powers of the goddess of creation. Even though the goddess herself did not understand much of the planet¡¯s workings, they were sure that the planet did not have any deadly threats. And in a low-danger environment, they did not need a full team for an investigative foray.


    Hao Ren had actually planned to just travel with Vivian, but Lily found being at home too boring and threw a tantrum to come along. As for Rheia¡­ she was not a member of his team, so when she decided to send her projection over, no one could stop her.


    Besides, she was the one recreated L¡¯Haronne in the dream. Since it was done subconsciously, Rheia was not entirely sure of the process. Nonetheless, she still had a basic understanding of the planet and could be of great help if she went along.


    Lily sat in her chair as she stuffed her face with popcorn. ¡°Will there be any clues about the Mad Lord here?¡±


    ¡°It is very hard to say,¡± Rheia responded. ¡°The original L¡¯Haronne has long been destroyed, and this one was forcefully recreated in my dream by my own will. Whether this recreated planet retained much of the original planet¡¯s data is unknown. We are practically just trying our luck here because a big clue is potentially dangling right before us. We cannot just leave it on the planet, right?¡±


    While they spoke, the Petrachelys approached L¡¯Haronne¡¯s atmosphere. A layer of glowing light blue ¡°membrane¡± floated there, separating the atmosphere from the dark chaotic void. It was the divine barrier created by Rheia¡¯s will 10,000 years ago.


    It was this barrier that twisted reality, rewrote history, and restored an already-annihilated planet by force into its original state.


    Nolan carefully navigated the ship to close in on the simple yet terrifyingly powerful divine barrier. Her piloting had never been that slow and steady.


    The ship¡¯s energy shields finally made contact with the divine barrier, and when the two touched, a small ripple formed. But as the ripple expanded, the entire atmosphere lit up before Hao Ren¡¯s eyes. The divine membrane seemingly solidified and crystallized, as though trying to stop an intruder from entering. Despite that, the change did not last long, and the expanding ripples soon calmed down. The crystallization faded away while the ship safely entered L¡¯Haronne¡¯s atmosphere.


    Only then did Hao Ren heave a huge sigh of relief. He was wondering if his Mr. Kablooey monicker was taking effect again, and he almost called for Nolan to engage emergency ascent. Alas, it was just a false alarm. ¡°F*ck¡­ What was that about?¡±


    Rheia was shocked by the occurrence too, but as an expert with divine powers (even at primary school level she was still better than most), she very quickly got an idea. ¡°This barrier wards off the Chaos in space. Our ship came down from the Realm of Chaos and may have had some traces of it when we made contact with the barrier. But it was quickly purified so there should not be any further problems.¡±


    ¡°Be careful.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°This planet defies common sense.¡±


    Lily clapped her hands, looking excitedly at the railing in front her as a clear sea of clouds appeared on the holographic projection. ¡°No worries Mr. Landlord! I¡¯m very adaptable!¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ That¡¯s not the kind of common sense I was talking about¡­ Hmm? What is that?¡±


    The clouds above L¡¯Haronne were getting closer, and they could even see the lightning and rain among the clouds. Beneath the roiling clouds, Hao Ren saw something else.


    A ship¡ªa ship flying above the sea of clouds, transportation created by the people of L¡¯Haronne¡ªwas darting among the clouds as its silver hull and fully-extended sails glistened like a shiny shell. That allowed the seemingly not so high-tech flying contraption to appear more aesthetically pleasing. However, by the side and rear of the ship were three crude gray vessels pursuing it like a pack of wolves. The three gray warships had paintwork that looked like storm clouds as their triangular hulls and terrifying sail-like objects allowed them greater maneuverability compared with the white flying ship. Time and time again they caught up with the escaping white ship. Throughout the whole ordeal, a series of tiny flashes leaped between the ships, a clear sign of combat.


    While the three gray warships were only about a fifth of the white ship¡¯s size and looked almost decrepit, they were having the upper hand in the pursuit. The combat vessels swarmed the massive but lumbering civilian ship, putting it in grave danger. Under their relentless attacks, the beautiful white ship had burnt marks all over it and part of its sail was torn from the mast, hanging limply by the side of the ship while its counterfire lessened. It was almost as if it was taking a one-sided beating.


    ¡°We sure can¡¯t escape trouble, huh¡­¡± Hao Ren smacked his forehead the moment he saw the images on the screen. ¡°Is there a bloody war?¡±


    ¡°First of all, we¡¯re flying in the atmosphere, using advanced equipment to gather data. We¡¯re able to detect everything within this part of the hemisphere, so detecting an event like that is pretty normal.¡± Nolan¡¯s projection appeared on the bridge as she said with a deadpan face, ¡°Second of all, based on the mainframe¡¯s analysis, the fighting below is probably not part of an actual war, more like a pirate raid. And lastly, if this continues, that white ship will be done for in an hour.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go down to help it,¡± Vivian said without any hesitation. ¡°We can gather information from the people we rescue.¡±


    Lily looked at Vivian in excitement. ¡°We don¡¯t have to go in all sneaky this time?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not infiltrating hostile territory, and it¡¯s not like this is some forbidden place or anything.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°We don¡¯t have to be that careful.¡±


    Even as he said that, Hao Ren added, ¡°Of course, let¡¯s not draw too much attention. My plan is to make contact with a few locals and understand the situation on this planet before we communicate with the upper echelons. If we make too much noise, we might be taken as alien invaders, and before we can even get any info, we¡¯ll probably get fell upon by superheroes with their underpants outside.¡±


    Lily tilted her head from the left to the right. ¡°If we were to run into such things, might as well just call Y¡¯zaks here. I remember him saying that he pulled his demon king schtick many times during his younger days. He¡¯s a veteran¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was speechless.


    Above the clouds, the argent starship adjusted course and started to head directly toward the four ships.


    Kant the One-Eyed Dragon¡¯s mood was particularly foul that day.


    As the infamous pirate of the Riptide Sea, Kant was a happy person most of the time. He knew his craft was dangerous, and its dangers were not limited to the Royal Navy, well-armed merchant groups, the wild winds of the World Scar, or some of his crew members getting the bright idea of mutiny. These dangers were things a pirate would face on a daily basis, and anyone could turn a deadly pirate into a dead one. Knowing that, Kant held a very strong belief.


    And that was to embrace each day happily.


    However, he just was not able to get into the mood on this particular day.


    He had just accepted a business deal, one that would allow his family to live in golden mansions as well as dresses for ages to come, and the business involved taking on a simple civilian vessel. Obviously, the elegant vessel had some surprising teeth to their firepower, but that was not his concern. The thing that was troubling him was¡­ the business. It was just too good to be true.


    When the difficulty of a ¡°business¡± was way below a client¡¯s payout, it usually meant bad news.


    As an experienced pirate, Kant had already sniffed out a number of things that did not seem right; like how the client just gave him a shocking amount of payment upfront and how the client also supplied him with a good number of high-grade items, which could not have been obtained through normal means. The items included the magic core of flying ships, main cannons, and shield generators. All their identification markers had been wiped out, but they were clearly in the style of an elven smith. The items became the core of his ships, and after they were installed, Kant¡¯s vessels were pretty much transformed into full-fledged battleships aside from the hull. The client even gave specific mission requirements, whereby the ship should only be attacked after they left the White City Federation and crossed the World Scar. Once the ship managed to enter the imperial territory, the attack had to be called off regardless if it was successful or not¡­


    Kant was pretty sure that some major powers were at play, and he along with his pirate fleet were just cards in the battle. It seemed like they were cards that could be easily discarded at any time.


    Plus, even he could not figure out which powers were behind this, it was pretty obvious what sort of role his fleet was playing in the game.


    Nevertheless, he could not reject.


    Kant reflexively touched his eye patch. That was the price of rejecting a ¡°big business¡± his first time around. The price included the pirate fleet he previously led and his original name, as well as identity.


    The great pirate¡¯s head started to ache.


    He tried to think of a way out. The pirates in the raid were just a pre-show, and the main event was certainly being directed by the greater powers at play. How would they appear? Would it be a pirate-hunting fleet? Or an armed noble vessel? Or a ¡®mysterious battleship making an ¡°accidental¡± appearance?


    While these possibilities had just appeared, he needed to get his men out of the place and into the Cloudmist Summit, the faster the better. There would be enough supplies and backup ships there, in addition to a teleportation gate to the secret harbor. That was the way out, which Kant left himself.


    But would those greater powers at play allow him to get out?


    The great pirate felt his headache getting worse.


    The white ship was still fighting on stubbornly. She was a very beautiful ship, and seeing her wither away under the attacks of his ships was something regrettable. Kant even started to think that if the ship had some hidden trump card and blasted its way towards the Dragon Empire, it would be for the best. That meant the situation engineered by those powers at play would encounter a problem and be aborted prematurely. He and his fleet no longer needed to be embroiled in this deadly dance of daggers. And that beautiful ship¡­ she could go on flying beautifully.


    However, it was clear that the ship was on her last legs as a bright flash blasted out of its mid-hull. That was a sign of the magical core overloading and exploding.


    The great pirate massaged his head. He knew that a decisive moment was upon him and felt his headache intensify, which had been a problem all thanks to his single eye. It was also worsening by the day.


    An argent ¡°flying ship¡± burst through the clouds at that very moment.


    She joined the fray from above, and Kant was initially unaware of the ship¡¯s sudden appearance. By the time he noticed the change in the light, the intruding argent ship had already crashed into the fore of the pirate ship. The powerful crash ripped the enchanted dragon bones and tore half of the cabin apart. Kant was only able to slightly turn his head before the ship flew out alongside his shattered cabin.


    Year 221 of the Glorian Calendar, a group of outsiders visited this closed world. They uncovered and resolved a hidden danger, revealing the truth of the world and bringing true revelation.


    They also cured Kant, the great pirate¡¯s headache along the way.

 Chapter 1691 - Thick Skull

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The ceiling overhead was creaking, and the floor under his feet was vibrating. Everything in his line of sight was shaking and breaking. Looking through the cracked wall, a massive beam, which ran parallel to the hull, had been bent so much that a part of it had gone out of sight. As soon as the beam snapped, the ship would be doomed.


    The camouflaged passenger ship had been struggling to shake off the three pirate ships for the past two hours. Under normal circumstances, a few pirate ships were no match for a large vessel equipped with super-defensive firepower. But Charlemagne Izzo, who had received comprehensive training since childhood, could see at first glance what was under their skin; the three gray airships were only wearing the shell of pirate ships. The magic energy under their black iron decks flashed in a dazzling golden-red color; only the purest magic-convergence crystal could produce such brightness. Not even the regular army had access to weapons made of such crystal.


    It was a trap. A dark conspiracy had mired their journey from the beginning.


    However, it was meaningless to talk about traps and conspiracies right then. Even the most sensitive political nerves could not stop the shutdown of the hover engine and the disintegration of the hull. The most urgent thing right then was to find a way to save everyone on board. If that was impossible, at least he had to make sure that either he or his sister could make it safely to the empire and tell the emperor, who was a dragon descendant, what had happened that day.


    *Boom!*


    A flaming crystal shell penetrated the White Pearl¡¯s magic shield, which was already riddled with holes, and exploded outside the VIP cabin. The bulkhead could not withstand such an explosion, and it shattered into pieces. The shockwave rushed into the cabin and blew a guard away. Standing near the window, he did not manage to react in time, and the guard died on the spot. In a split second, Charlemagne activated the pendant on his chest, and a translucent shield blocked the shockwave from impacting him.


    A few guards, who were dressed as ordinary passengers and standing guard outside the room, rushed in. Their foreheads were bleeding, and they looked like ghosts from the Gorgon¡¯s Abyss. Apparently, they had been hurt by the explosion.


    Your Royal Highness!¡± a guard shouted nervously. The smoke and wood debris in the room prevented them from seeing Charlemagne clearly. They only saw a magical shield staggering at the center of the room. ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    A gust of wind blew into the room and carried the smoke as well as dust away. A dust-covered Charlemagne then walked out. ¡°I am fine. Where is Awenna?¡±


    ¡°Her Royal Highness is still at the magic propulsion core!¡± one of the guards shouted. The loud noise of the artillery outside forced him to shriek as he spoke to the prince. ¡°Three power columns have shut down, and the princess is trying to reboot the core; the ship will lose all its power, otherwise.¡±


    As if to echo the words of the guard, a strange whistling sound came from inside the airship. Everyone felt the airship roll to the side, and the main support beam, which was already overwhelmed, creaked with a terrifying sound.


    Charlemagne knew what was happening; the magic energy core was failing. Its magic energy output was not even enough to keep a third of the hover engines working. After losing most of the hover engines, the remaining ones had become deadly hazards that could tear the airship apart.


    Charlemagne glanced at his bodyguards. The heroic warriors were good fighters. Under any other circumstance, they could have fought ten ordinary opponents at a given time. But onboard a falling airship, their sword fighting skills and magic spells were of no help to their situation.


    At the beginning of the attack, Charlemagne thought that it was only an ordinary piracy incident. He got his sword and magic stone ready. Plus, he had the confidence to kill all the pirates as soon as they jumped over to blunder his airship. The royalty of the Ancient Kingdom of Izzo never ruled with dining etiquette and waltz, but what happened subsequently was beyond Charlemagne¡¯s calculation.


    The pirates¡¯ firepower was way beyond that of a regular army. They pursued Charlemagne and seemed to have no plan of looting his airship; that spoke volumes of the pirates¡¯ intention.


    Charlemagne and his heroic bodyguards could do nothing in that case.


    The prince gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Go to the cabins and gather those who are still alive. Women and children are the priority. Bring them all to the dining cabin. You, inform Awenna to abandon the magic energy core and bring all working magic columns to the dining cabin. Tell the captain not to counter-attack. Instead, direct all energy to the engines and sail as close as possible to the border of the empire before the airship disintegrates. Once that happens, activate the escape array below the dining cabin.¡±


    One of the guards hesitated. ¡°But Your Highness, we are flying over the World Scar right now, and we are far from any magical node. We will likely be teleported to the core of the world.¡±


    ¡°But we have a fifty-percent chance of getting to the surface safely.¡± Charlemagne waved to dismiss the guard. ¡°Stop questioning me. This is an order!¡±


    The guards nodded and turned to leave. Just then, a guard with a sharp eye suddenly noticed something above the clouds.


    As part of the hull was missing, the guard could just look up and see the sky above.


    ¡°Look, over there! Another ship! A weird ship!¡±


    An amazed Charlemagne looked in the direction that the bodyguard pointed out. There was a large ship, hundreds of meters long. It was similar in size to the Koral-class battleships from the Ancient Kingdom of Izzo. It shone with a silvery-white brilliance under the sun, and it had a mighty as well as magnificent appearance. However, it did not have magical sails or a wavy elemental wake behind it. The shape of the ship was cuboid, which had never been seen before in that world. It swooped out of the clouds at an angle like a space palace with clean-cut lines.


    Considering that the weird airship had neither magical sails nor elemental trails, it did not look like it could fly. So Charlemagne thought that it was actually falling.


    The strange airship dropped out of the sky and happened to slam straight into the fiercest of the three pirate ships, which then blew up into a massive fireball.


    Charlemagne¡¯s brows twitched. The accidental collision was too good to be true.


    But soon, the silvery-white airship halted its fall and lifted its nose to aim at the next pirate ship.


    Charlemagne blinked. ¡°Well, it looks like it is not falling,¡± he said to himself.


    The other two pirate ships were caught off guard when one was shot down. After firing their last rounds of flaming crystal shell at the White Pearl, the two pirate ships stopped their attack. Losing their leader had thrown the unruly pirate ships into confusion.


    The White Pearl also appeared to have fallen into silence as it lacked the power to do anything else. Still being able to fly was already the biggest miracle for the ship.


    It was an awkward moment for all parties.


    Fortunately, the stilted moment did not last long. The Petrachelys pulled up again to aim at its next target.


    The two pirate ships quickly adjusted their bearings and artillery angles. The desperadoes chose the most instinctual response, which was to finish off the uninvited guest.


    The Petrachelys was large, and it had no magic sails or elemental trail, so it did not look like it could fly well. Perhaps, it was an excellent target for bullying. It only smashed their boss¡¯ airship because it fell in the right place at the right time.


    The fact that the strange airship fell out of the sky spoke volumes of its lack of flying capabilities. It barely pulled itself back up, and it may break apart when hit¡ªthey considered it a bonus gain.


    Since the White Pearl was severely damaged and could not go anywhere, it was already at their mercy.


    After the chief pirate, Kant recovered from his headache, the average IQ of his men seemed inadequate for his needs.


    Immediately, dozens of bright firing trails pierced through the sky and hit the Petrachelys.


    A series of explosions broke out on the interstellar spacecraft¡¯s energy shield, but the shield did not budge in the slightest.


    The Petrachelys adjusted its bearings and charged straight into the second pirate ship.


    The continuous bombardment of flaming crystal shells could not stop the strange airship, which only flew faster and faster. When the second pirate ship finally came to its senses and scrambled to avoid the collision, it was already too late.


    A massive explosion shook even the clouds at high altitude. Charlemagne and his bodyguards watched as the pirate ship broke into pieces when the nose of the silvery-white ship slammed into it. The vessel of the arrogant pirates shattered and fell into the World Scar below.


    What followed next had everyone¡¯s blood run cold. The silvery-white ship adjusted its orientation and began to accelerate toward the third pirate ship.


    Hundreds of flaming crystal shell rounds could not even cause a single scratch on the silvery-white ship¡¯s armor.


    The last pirate ship finally realized that catastrophe was upon it. The terrified pirates frantically adjusted the course of their airship to avoid the barbaric monster. But it was too late to flee because they were too slow in outrunning the enemy. Charlemagne watched as the silvery-white airship quickly caught up with the pirates and rammed into them.


    On the bridge of the Petrachelys, Nolan, in her holographic form, clapped her hands and said, ¡°It¡¯s over.


    ¡°Hanging a bunch of skulls on the sides of their ships only shows that they¡¯re a bunch of ruthless guys.¡± Vivian frowned when she thought about the appearance of the three pirate ships. ¡°But then, why did you have to slam into them?¡±


    ¡°What choice did I have? I could not even use the guns.¡± Nolan spread her hands. ¡°And throughout my time as a ship, I¡¯ve never tried the slamming tactic. So, it was just for the fun of it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you feel dizzy?¡± Hao Ren looked at the shipgirl with concern.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Those airships in the atmosphere are fragile.¡± Nolan waved. ¡°I have a thick skull!¡±

 Chapter 1692 - The Rescue

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Whether the shipgirl had a thick skull or not held no importance at all. Banging her head into others just seemed like a fun thing to do. The three pirate ships, which plunged into the planetary crack, were no longer a concern. Hao Ren was now interested in the white airship that was wobbling in the sea of clouds. It looked like the airship was about to explode at any time.


    It was two sizes smaller than the Petrachelys, but it was by no means small. Perhaps due to its size, it had pretty good self-defense capabilities and damage tolerance, which gave it the ability to stay afloat even after it took the continuous bombardment from the pirate ships. But judging from the vessel¡¯s miserable condition, anyone with a brain the size of a gallstone would know that the airship was not going to hold on for long.


    Holey was an understatement when describing the condition of the ship. Sparks spread across metal components of unknown uses while white sheets, which looked like sails, hung loosely on the sides of the ship as most of their physical support had snapped. Hao Ren had no idea what the functions of the sails were, but seeing the broken conduits and cables, he reckoned that they were pretty essential components.


    The ship was beyond repair unless the L¡¯Haronne people had the type of black technology as Nolan, where she could still self-repair even if all that was left of her was only a steering wheel.


    ¡°Get closer. Be careful not to knock them out of business,¡± Hao Ren instructed Nolan to fly close to the white airship. ¡°This ship looks like it¡¯ll fall out of the sky with a sneeze.¡±


    Nolan adjusted her angle and carefully moved toward the white airship. While she was at it, the onboard camera captured footage of the humanoids on the white airship; they were running around in a panic.


    The MDT slammed the console. ¡°Sh*t, the scene of us destroying three ships in a row must have scared the daylights out of them. They¡¯re probably thinking that they¡¯re the next target now.¡±


    Hao Ren felt that the MDT made sense. He looked helplessly at Nolan. ¡°Look at what you¡¯ve done. Our image is ruined. You should show those people that we¡¯re friendly. Otherwise, I¡¯m worried that they¡¯re going to jump off the ship.¡±


    Nolan thought for a moment and flashed the headlights at the white airship not far away.


    Charlemagne and his bodyguards had rushed onto the deck. Protected from the cold wind by the magical shield, he watched in awe as the giant silvery-white ship slowly adjusted its bearings and moved closer to the White Pearl.


    Everyone¡ªbe it the veteran crew members or passengers¡ªbegan to scream in horror.


    Charlemagne clenched the sword in his hand. He had witnessed how the unstoppable and ruthless silvery-white ship crashed into the three pirate ships, like beating flies out of the air. Although it started with an attack on the pirates and gave the impression that it was on their side, when the silvery-white airship turned to them, it made everyone weak in the knees.


    But then, Charlemagne saw a few bright flashes from the silvery-white airship.


    ¡°Your Highness,¡± one of the bodyguards leaned over and whispered nervously at him, ¡°please leave. It is dangerous here.¡±


    ¡°Everyone stay calm!¡± Charlemagne shouted. ¡°Do not do anything foolish like abandoning the ship at this time. The silvery-white ship is not hostile.¡±


    ¡°How does Your Highness know?¡±


    ¡°Can you not see it slowing down?!¡± Charlemagne barked. ¡°It did not flash its lights at the pirates before it crashed into them!¡±


    While Charlemagne spoke, a gap suddenly opened at the front part of the silvery-white ship, and a loud voice was heard saying, ¡°Please remain calm¡­ We are not hostile¡­ I repeat, please remain calm¡­¡±


    The frightened crowd on the deck of the White Pearl deck began to calm down.


    On the bridge of the Petrachelys, Hao Ren switched off the microphone and turned to the bridge¡¯s exit. ¡°Let¡¯s go and say hello to the locals.¡±


    Rheia was baffled. ¡°Since you have a loudspeaker and translation systems on board, why did you still need to flash the headlights?¡±


    Nolan was a little embarrassed. ¡°I forgot that we have these new functions. How on earth would a normal spacecraft realize that a loudspeaker was hanging on its head? What would it be for when one was in space?¡±


    Rheia glanced at Hao Ren, who was walking in front, and then at Nolan, who was on the bridge. ¡°This design is a bit¡­¡±


    Four humans¡ªa man and three women¡ªwalked out of the Petrachelys and approached the deck of the White Pearl in a light beam, which looked like magic in the eyes of the locals. The four humans were dressed in strange costumes, but their prominent human features at least prevented Charlemagne from thinking that they were visitors from the abyss, or ancient wanderers.


    Even though the airship of the humans seemed unsuited for flying, and they had flown it so recklessly, they were at least of the same kind and communicable. Since they could be liaised with, everything else would not be a problem.


    However, Charlemagne managed to control his impulse to step forward to talk to the man and three women. He certainly hoped to sort out the situation and make contact with the silvery-white ship, which probably came from some foreign forces. But his training all these years told him that it was not safe to do so in the current situation. Some hidden eyes could be lurking in the surroundings, and he had to keep a low profile.


    The bodyguards were doing their job by disguising themselves as ordinary passengers. They were scattered around him, and they kept an eye on everyone there.


    The first impression Hao Ren got after he stepped foot on the deck of the White Pearl was that the ship was the last place he wanted to be in. The minor shaking and apparent tilted floor under his feet showed that the ship was about to lose power and control. Unless, there was a team of black technology crew who could fly the disintegrating ship back to the port, of course. Otherwise, no one would be able to salvage the airship under that condition.


    The autonomous robots that Nolan carried on board may have been able to keep the airship afloat or even give it the ability to fly thirty times the speed of light if they overdid it, but that was not the purpose of Hao Ren¡¯s visit.


    ¡°Who¡¯s in charge here?!¡± Hao Ren shouted. ¡°Send someone to talk to me!¡±


    As soon as his voice trailed off, the crowds standing far away split in the middle. A man in a long white coat, with white beard and hair, stepped out accompanied by two crew members. He looked as strong as a bear.


    ¡°I am the captain of the White Pearl, Birken Galen,¡± the strong old man said. ¡°Thank you for your help. May I ask¡ª¡±


    ¡°Let me do the asking first, we are running out of time.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°Can you repair this ship?¡±


    The old captain was stunned, but he quickly responded by saying, ¡°Frankly, the ship is irreparable. It is only a matter of time before it crashes.¡±


    The crew and a few passengers nearby heard what the captain said, and they all had a sad look on their faces. But no one overacted since the situation had deteriorated so severely, and those who dared to stand on the deck had a clear grasp of the situation. People who still had the illusion of going home alive were still hugging each other and shivering inside the cabin.


    Hao Ren expected the answer. He waved his hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s not waste time here. Come with me and get on board my ship!¡±


    The old captain did not hesitate at all. He turned and shouted at his first and second officers, ¡°Gather everyone on the deck! Activate the third protocol: abandon ship!¡±


    The officers immediately went to carry out the order.


    Just then, a hatch suddenly swung open not far away. Several crew members in dirty clothes ran out, followed by a long-haired girl in a long skirt. Likewise, the girl was also covered in dirt and grease from head to toe; her beautiful dress looked like a rag now. She seemed to be unaware of the goings-on outside as she had been busy in the hull. She was surprised to see a massive silvery-white spaceship floating in the sky while the pirates were nowhere to be seen.


    She ran up to the captain. ¡°Captain Birken, what¡ª¡±


    ¡°Miss Awenna,¡± the captain replied without waiting for the girl to finish, ¡°the White Pearl is seriously damaged. We are now gathering the passengers. Please follow my first officer. We are evacuating to the silvery-white airship.¡±


    The girl, known as Awenna, did a double-take on the argent spaceship and Hao Ren. Noticing the grim expression on Captain Birken¡¯s face, she then nodded lightly. ¡°Understood. But my brother¡­¡±


    ¡°I am here.¡± Charlemagne scurried up to Awenna. ¡°Awenna, are you all right?¡±


    ¡°I am all right. The magical energy core exploded, but I am fine,¡± the long-haired girl wiped the grease off her face while she spoke. Her eyes swept over Hao Ren and his men before she said, ¡°Brother, they are¡­¡±


    ¡°They are the ones who finished off the pirates,¡± the gray-and-curly-haired man said. ¡°The White Pearl will not hold. We can only accept their kindness.¡±


    Awenna blinked. ¡°Understood.¡±


    Hao Ren watched from afar as these L¡¯Haronne people carried out their evacuation operation. He found that they were pretty efficient in their actions. There were some panicking passengers, but most of them vacated the ship in an orderly manner. The crew members, especially; their responses were quick and no-nonsense just like well-trained soldiers.


    Yet, Hao Ren was not sure if these people represented the level of conduct of the average L¡¯Haronnean. After all, he only had very little knowledge of this world.


    He had noticed the long-haired girl, who exited the lower deck, and the young man with extraordinary aura and gray curly hair. But he did not pay them much attention. After all, their attire and manners did not differ much from the ordinary passengers.

 Chapter 1693 - The Confused Prince and Princess

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Standing on the upper platform of the garage, Hao Ren watched as the refugees, whom he had just rescued, walked through the detection gate.


    Nolan had only installed the detection gate and a temporary partition two minutes ago to ensure that everyone passed through the gate to enter the resettlement area. Supposedly, the detection gate was for security checks to prevent passengers, such as suicide bombers from sneaking into the area. But the real function of the gate was a lifeform scanner.


    Hao Ren turned to look at the humanoid images on the holographic projection, below which was a progress bar. Whenever a passenger passed through the gate, the progress bar would extend a little.


    Its purpose was to collect the lifeform data of the L¡¯Haronne people. Whenever an inspector visited a new planet with intelligent life, gathering the parameters of the native lifeforms was the first task.


    ¡°Despite so many years on the job, it¡¯s rare to work on a single task like this one,¡± Hao Ren lamented.


    ¡°Eighty percent is human, and there are a few mixed-races, such as elves in between.¡± The MDT floated next to Hao Ren¡¯s head, reporting, ¡°We¡¯ve only saved a few hundred; the sample size is too small for us to analyze the species breakdown of the entire planet.¡±


    Hao Ren waved his hand indifferently. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. After all, it¡¯s just a start. But the real L¡¯Haronne is very much different from the dream L¡¯Haronne we visited earlier. The dream world groups many strange intelligent lifeforms on a single planet. Here, we¡¯ve only seen humans and a few subspecies that are extremely close to humans so far. It looks like we can¡¯t apply our experience in the dream L¡¯Haronne here.¡±


    Rheia rolled her eyes and said, ¡°Are you blaming me for having a creative dream?¡±


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe that we just took in hundreds of refugees all of a sudden.¡± Lily scratched her head. Her ears flicked back and forth on her head. ¡°Mr. Landlord, doesn¡¯t this deviate from of our plan?¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it. The life of an inspector is full of uncertainty. The only way is to adapt yourself. By the way, could you please tuck your ears away; there are no werewolves on the real L¡¯Haronne.¡±


    ¡°Bah.¡± Lily snorted in dissatisfaction but still tucked her big fluffy tail and ears away.


    The Petrachelys was neither an immigration spaceship nor a passenger ship. The living cabin could only accommodate a few dozen people, and there was no space for extra rooms and entertainment facilities. Building each of the hundreds of refugees a cabin would not be realistic.


    Furthermore, Hao Ren was not going to allow those people to roam freely around his spaceship.


    However, since they were refugees, they would naturally not be particular about the living condition and quality of life there. It was all the more so when these people had just escaped death, surviving the pirates¡¯ guns and not falling into the World Scar. They would be thankful to have a safe place to stay.


    The Petrachelys¡¯ garage was massive. There were also many empty cabins added by the space expansion technology. Since the spaceship had transported some short-haul passengers a few times, the factory computer possessed a record of rapid resettlement facility drawings, which Nolan relied on to produce simple partitions and living necessities. Aided by the highly-efficient autonomous robots, Nolan completed the housing units while the refugees boarded the spaceship.


    The refugees passed through the gates and walked to the end of the long winding corridor. There, they saw the clean dorms and were amazed. No one could have guessed that the novel and oddly-styled facilities had only been ready a few minutes ago and that they were standing in the garage at the lower section of the silvery-white spaceship.


    After observing the refugee boarding process through a one-way transparent polymer window, Vivian felt bored and began to fiddle with a strand of hair on her chest. ¡°They¡¯ve boarded. Should we go and find out about their situation?¡±


    ¡°Captain Birken¡¯s in Zone 1,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°At first, I thought that the old captain would have chosen to sink with the ship. Isn¡¯t that a common story? I was ready to knock him out and bring him on board, but I was surprised that he didn¡¯t follow the usual narrative.¡±


    Lily could not help but shoot Hao Ren a look. ¡°Who told you that every captain would sink with his ship? A uniformed old man with a white beard and a pipe would have abandoned ship, crying ¡®it¡¯s a trap¡¯ the moment someone ¡®biu-ed¡¯ his ship with a pistol.¡±


    Hao Ren knocked the husky maiden on the head and said, ¡°Don¡¯t simply quote game memes. Do you think everyone understands?¡±


    Charlemagne walked cautiously into the room that was arranged for him. He had left the falling airship and was now standing in a solid spaceship, but he did not let his guard down. Instead, he was even more cautious in the strange and suspicious place.


    The lack of magic sails and elemental trails, which made the ship seem unflyable, was not what mainly made him wary. The more important point was that with the erudite education he received, he could not even figure out where the ship had come from or the origin of the most common items in the ship.


    The room door automatically closed after Charlemagne entered. He quickly turned around to check the door. After making sure that it was not locked, he began to look around the room. Charlemagne noticed that his cabin was cast from a type of silvery-white metal, and the finishing was meticulous as if it was the result of a one-time casting. The texture of the metal was unusual, its luster and hardness resembling mithril very much. But no one in this world would use mithril to build a house. So, he figured that it had to be some cheaper metal with excellent metallurgical performance.


    Even so, the use of such remarkable technology and excellent material to build simple things amazed Charlemagne.


    Charlemagne could easily see that the room had been built in a hurry. It had a square layout and was without any decorations. Besides having some windows and a door, it was basically a rectangular box made of six metal boards. The furnishings in the room were simple; there was nothing else he could do there other than use it as a sleeping quarter.


    If the room were the result of a designer¡¯s proper planning, it would only show that the designer had a catastrophic sense of aesthetic and design philosophy.


    The sudden appearance of the silvery-white ship with its strange and unknown flying technology, alien-looking interior, and odd furnishings were out of this world¡ªit was way beyond the prince¡¯s comprehension. He had to start worrying about a new problem: he had desperately escaped a plunge into the World Scar only to fall into an unknown world. If the big ship just happened to be passing by and was being a Good Samaritan, he would be much grateful. But if the ship was another wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing, he would be in trouble.


    The worse part was that Charlemagne had no idea who was behind this conspiracy and what their purpose was.


    Someone knocked on the door softly outside.


    Charlemagne could tell who was outside the door judging from the rhythm of the knock. He opened the door and found Awenna standing there.


    Awenna had washed her face and changed into a clean set of clothes. Now, she had transformed into the gracious Princess of Izzo.


    ¡°Awenna, are you all right¡­¡± Awenna walked in. Just as Charlemagne spoke to her, she cocked her finger and motioned for Charlemagne to stay silent. She then summoned a light blue rune and swept it over every inch of the room.


    Charlemagne knitted his brows together. ¡°Is the room bugged?¡±


    ¡°No, just a precaution.¡± Awenna waved the rune away and exhaled softly. The princess may have looked soft and gentle, but she was just as vigilant and thoughtful as her brother. ¡°This ship is strange. I am a little worried.¡±


    ¡°It is indeed strange. I have never seen an airship that could fly without magic sails and elemental power. And everything here is just different from what we have ever known in the kingdom.¡± Charlemagne nodded. ¡°What did you find?¡±


    ¡°Unbelievable,¡± Awenna said softly, but her eyes glimmered. ¡°I can feel the ship surging with powerful energy. There is an extremely complex control system all over the ship, and information is flowing in every inch of it. It is like a living steel behemoth, in which blood vessels and nerves are all over its body, rather than a rudimentary pile of metal driven by several engines and magic cores.¡±


    Charlemagne was wide-eyed, not because he thought that his sister was exaggerating¡ªhe knew that Awenna did not have a habit of exaggerating. Instead, she had great talent in magic since she was little. She was even considered as the Chosen of the Elements, who could ¡°see¡± the elements and energy flows that ordinary mages could only perceive during deep meditation. Perhaps her view of the ship was the most accurate.


    ¡°Then, can you ascertain the origin of this ship? It seems like some spiritual object that the ancient elf craftsmen make or something Latonne excavated.¡±


    ¡°I have no idea.¡± Unexpectedly, Awenna shook her head.


    ¡°You have no idea?¡±


    ¡°The structure of this ship is beyond my knowledge. I can see some of its energy and information flowing, but I can also feel that what I¡¯m seeing is the most insignificant part of its body. They¡¯re like the hairs of a giant. And this ship works in a way that I have never seen before. Regardless of whether we look at elven classics or the wizard¡¯s knowledge system, there is nothing like it.¡±


    Charlemagne could not help but clutch the saber by his waist. ¡°I am afraid that the crisis is not over yet; we have merely gotten out of the frying pan and into the fire.¡±


    Awenna was intelligent magic-wise, and she also did not lack vigilance. Despite that, she was apparently not as experienced in conspiracies as her older brother. She looked confused. ¡°Out of the frying pan and into the fire? Did this white ship not destroy the pirate ships?¡±


    ¡°Do you really think that three normal pirate ships could have sunk the White Pearl?¡± Charlemagne asked back.


    Awenna was silent in thought.


    ¡°The pirate ships were only wolves in sheep¡¯s clothing; beneath their shells were military hardware,¡± Charlemagne said. ¡°They accurately timed their attack when the White Pearl passed through the gleaming clouds and its energy shield was at its weakest. Once the initial attack began, they continued with long-range bombardments with no intention of boarding and looting. That is not how pirates operate. Pirates attack for money. If they do not board and loot the ship, how would they get their money? They would gain nothing by sinking the White Pearl over the World Scar yet they wasted their valuable flaming crystal shells.¡±


    ¡°So, they were not pirates?¡± Awenna came to her senses.


    ¡°They were real pirates. But someone must have hired them to do their dirty work so that outsiders would blame the attack on the pirates. Sinking a passenger ship over the World Scar, no one would find out if the ship had been looted.¡± Charlemagne shook his head. ¡°Under normal circumstances, people who hire pirates do not trust the pirates, especially when it involves such a sensational mission. So, the employer would usually silence the pirates after they complete their job.¡±


    With her level of intelligence, Awenna quickly put two and two together. ¡°So, the ship we are in now¡ª¡±


    ¡°I am not sure yet.¡± Charlemagne looked helpless. ¡°If this were a standard battleship, I would know whether it is from Izzo or the Dragon Empire. But it is such a strange ship. I am not even sure if it comes from any known human kingdom. Such a ship, which emerged out of thin air and that neither you nor I can figure out its origin, is ¡®invisible.¡¯ Even if it sinks the White Pearl, no one will be able to trace it. But if that were the case, the mastermind would not have to hire the pirates in the first place.¡±


    ¡°I think we should talk to the owner of this ship,¡± Awenna said.


    ¡°I agree, but what identity do we use? What do we talk about? And are they willing to talk?¡± Charlemagne frowned. ¡°If they are related to the pirates, we will blow our cover and become prisoners. If they are just passersby, we have to consider whether to continue disguising ourselves as ordinary passengers. However, ordinary passengers have little say.¡±


    Awenna blinked and smiled faintly. ¡°It is better to talk than do nothing, is it not?¡±

 Chapter 1694 - Useful Intelligence

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The conversation with Captain Birken was a pleasant one¡ªat least it seemed so.


    After the talkative captain left, Hao Ren and Vivian began to sort out the information they had just gathered.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t your ordinary captain,¡± Vivian said. She had been living in poverty for the past 10,000 years, but she could read people. Captain Birken had unconsciously revealed what he was trying to hide by working too hard at it. ¡°He acted well. He was talkative, passionate, sincere, but he went overboard and was unnatural¡ªanyway, that was not how he would usually act.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s an ordinary civilian ship captain who¡¯s running a passenger transportation business over the World Scar all year round.¡± Hao Ren recalled the old captain¡¯s self-introduction. ¡°Unless alien spacecraft visit this world very often, a normal captain like him would not be so calm after boarding our spaceship. He kept his sense of curiosity to a minimum, appearing enthusiastic and sincere, but his words were vague. So, his enthusiasm and sincerity were questionable; he did not have to cozy up to strangers like us whom he¡¯s just met for the first time. Even though we¡¯ve just saved his life, gratitude and ingratiation are not the same.¡±


    Rheia shook her head and said, ¡°But that is not important.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled and said, ¡°You are right; that is not important.¡±


    Hao Ren and his team were only passersby who were stopping by L¡¯Haronne to conduct some investigation. They wanted nothing to do with the local conflict and conspiracy. Captain Birken¡¯s attempt at hiding something from them was only for his own safety, and it was not going to affect their operation.


    ¡°Nevertheless, we¡¯ve learned some fundamental situations in relation to this world,¡± Lily said, ¡°which he didn¡¯t consciously hide.¡±


    Hao Ren said of the information he had gathered, ¡°The L¡¯Haronne people call the place that divides the ocean, the land, and the entire planet in half the World Scar. The stable elemental eddies over the World Scar provides energy for magical guidance equipment. So, the locals have built airships to ride on this elemental vortex to sail across the World Scar to the other hemisphere. There are powerful kingdoms in both the planet¡¯s eastern and western hemispheres. In the eastern hemisphere, there are ten kingdoms of different sizes led by the Ancient Kingdom of Izzo. They¡¯ve set up an international organization called the White City Federation. We have no idea how the name White City came about. Meanwhile, in the western hemisphere, there is a unified and powerful empire called the Dragon Empire, surrounded by other vassal city-states and even barbarians.¡±


    The MDT displayed a holographic image of the planet L¡¯Haronne, showing them what the probes had captured from space. Names such as the Ancient Kingdom of Izzo, the White City Federation, the Dragon Empire, and the World Scar popped up in the image. It was not a comprehensive map, though. After all, the information they had gathered from Birken was limited.


    ¡°The White City Federation and the Dragon Empire maintain a balance. But there is no love lost between the two. The balance exists only because it¡¯s difficult to travel between the two hemispheres. The limited elemental eddy cannot support the movements of troops to the other side of the planet. Hence, conflicts could never escalate into outright war,¡± Hao Ren said as he pointed to several names on the holographic map. ¡°I don¡¯t know the relative strength of the two sides, but this big empire is apparently stronger than any single kingdom on the other side of the planet. If what Birken told us is anything to go by, the White City Federation¡¯s Ancient Kingdom of Izzo is pretty formidable as the head of the federation because it¡¯s been sitting on the throne for hundreds of years.¡±


    ¡°The White Pearl was a flight from the Ancient Kingdom of Izzo to the Dragon Empire, and it was attacked by pirates when it crossed the glittering sea of ??clouds,¡± Lily added. ¡°The old captain mentioned that piracy is a common occurrence. Due to the high concentration of high-altitude elements over L¡¯Haronne, visibility is impeded. The pirates hide in the turbulent clouds and often come out to attack lone civilian ships.¡±


    Hao Ren digested the information in his mind and looked at Rheia who was sitting by the side. ¡°Apparently, the planet has a brand-new world border after the tearing and reshaping process. The history of the old world has disappeared, and new history develops with the natural phenomenon of the planet¡¯s division into half as the starting point. The captain is completely clueless with regard to the end-of-the-world event, and similar legends have not been handed down either.¡±


    ¡°Meaning, the history of this planet has been completely rewritten.¡± Rheia sighed softly. ¡°At least the human society is totally different now. L¡¯Haronne has had a geologically destructive rebirth process. I am afraid that we may not be able to find clues about the planet before the Umbral Realm period.¡±


    Vivian pinched her forehead. ¡°Where there¡¯s a will, there¡¯s a way. There must be something we can find. I¡¯m really interested in the Dragon Empire. Birken said that the rulers of that kingdom have dragon blood, and their souls are immortal. If this is true, they may know something¡ªat the minimum, they¡¯ll know what happened during the formation of the new world border.¡±


    ¡°The kingdom is named after the dragons, and the rulers claim to have the soul of dragons. This is interesting,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°We should find a way to meet the emperor. I¡¯d prefer not to use tricks. I¡¯d like to allow them to initiate contact.¡±


    While they discussed a way to make contact with the legendary Dragon Soul Ruler, Nolan¡¯s holographic image suddenly materialize in the room. ¡°Boss, there are two passengers who would like to see you.¡±


    ¡°Passengers?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s eyebrows arched. ¡°The refugees? Why would ordinary passengers want to see me?¡±


    ¡°They may not be ordinary passengers,¡± Nolan said with a smile. ¡°They are two individuals whom we should particularly be mindful of: the young man is called Charlemagne, and his younger sister is Awenna, whom you met on the deck of the White Pearl. I heard something interesting while I was monitoring their conversation in the cabin.¡±


    Hao Ren began to put two and two together when the two persons came to mind. He remembered the handsome gray-haired man who had nine-tenth of Nangong Sanba¡¯s looks, and the girl who had emerged from under the deck in a dirty dress. He now knew that she was the one who helped the technicians to repair the propulsion energy unit on board the White Pearl.


    The repair was not successful, and the White Pearl eventually lost all power and fell into the planetary fissure dozens of minutes ago before it vanished in the heat.


    ¡°Looks like there¡¯s more to the ship and the passengers we¡¯ve saved than meets the eye. Were those pirates just a smokescreen? Hmm¡­¡± Hao Ren scratched his chin as he found that things had gotten interesting. ¡°Okay, bring them in.¡±


    Charlemagne and Awenna entered the room belonging to the owner of the ship.


    While they were on their way, the two carefully observed the structure, walls, and corridors of the ship. They tried to figure out the ship¡¯s purpose and the uses of each facility. But the more they observed, the more shocked they were. The structure of the ship did not resemble any known airship design. They even found things that were utterly out of place: there was an area that was not supposed to exist behind a wall, some corridors were longer than logically possible, and some areas that should have been outside the hull inside, considering their theoretical location. If their senses of distance and direction were working normally, the ship should not have had such a large interior.


    Nonetheless, they kept those questions to themselves because they had reached their destination under the guidance of a robotic squid, which looked like an alchemic creature.


    The owner of the ship was sitting in front of them.


    Hao Ren cast his eyes on the siblings, who behaved right on point. They appeared to have the right level of unease, fear, and curiosity. The younger sister stood slightly behind her brother, who acted somewhat nervous, grabbing the buckle on his belt.


    ¡°I heard that you wanted to see me?¡± Hao Ren asked with a smile.


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Captain.¡± Charlemagne hemmed and stood upright. ¡°My sister and I are grateful for your help, but we want to know when we can get back to the ground; our family is worried about us.¡±


    ¡°I cannot say when.¡± Hao Ren spread out his hand. ¡°We have a mission to complete, and it will depend on the progress. The ship may find a place to land tomorrow, or it may not land at all.¡±


    The reply caught Charlemagne unawares. ¡°We are not landing? Are you going to fly in the sky forever?¡±


    Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°That is not important. Is that why you two have come to see me?¡±


    Charlemagne knitted his brows together. ¡°We are just worried about the trip. Of course, our family will appreciate your help. They will definitely offer¡ª¡±


    Hao Ren interrupted Charlemagne. ¡°Ahem, I think you¡¯ve misunderstood me. The eavesdropping technique we use is quite special in that no magical runes and the like can detect it. We have no intentions of encroaching on the privacy of our passengers, but this is a battleship, and your identity is questionable. I do not mean to be so harsh.¡±


    The handsome man, who was nine-tenths identical to Nangong Sanba, and the quiet long-haired girl appeared cautious and panicky. However, they quickly reigned in their emotions.


    Vivian said softly, ¡°So, can we stop beating around the bush and get straight to the point?¡±

 Chapter 1695 - The Envoys

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Charlemagne exchanged looks with his sister.


    The situation happened to be a little beyond their expectations.


    Awenna never thought things would turn out that way. She had scanned the room for bugs and found nothing. Now, they may or may not have blown their cover. But that was no longer important. They were more worried about the intentions of the mysterious people, and whether the people had anything to do with the pirates.


    They were on a ¡°battleship¡±. That word was bothering Charlemagne.


    There were mysterious things in the world like an ancient sorcerer who had been living as a hermit for several hundred thousand years suddenly riding a robotic dragon on the streets, runaway magic-driven soldiers from some unknown ruins, and strange creations that some hermit organizations possessed. Charlemagne previously thought that the silvery-white ship was one such occurrence, but it turned out to be a battleship.


    Hao Ren noticed that Charlemagne¡¯s expression had changed. He quickly asked without giving him much time to think, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you think of us, but first, let me make it clear that we are not hostile. Our encounter and involvement in the attack incident were purely coincidental. We saved you by chance from the pirates. We have nothing to hide in this regard.¡±


    Charlemagne¡¯s eyebrows twitched. Are these people not connected to the pirates? Was it really a coincidence? he thought.


    However, could they be trusted?


    Just as Charlemagne tried to make sense of it, Awenna stepped forward and said, ¡°We are from the Royal Family of Izzo. His Majesty, Berundin is our father.¡±


    Charlemagne quickly chided in a low voice, ¡°Awenna!¡±


    Awenna appeared calm. ¡°My brother, we are on their ship; everyone is on their ship.¡±


    Charlemagne came to his senses and realized that he had overlooked a few things. Awenna knew the situation better than her brother did.


    Since the siblings were on board someone else¡¯s ship, which was still flying over the World Scar, they would instantly be at a disadvantage once the shipowner knew about their identities. He was not only worried that the shipowner would hold his crew members hostage, but also that his crew members and passengers would leak their identities¡ªeven if it may be unintentional.


    Therefore, it was better to be cooperative. Compared with the real secret, both of their identities did not appear to be such a big deal anyway.


    Hao Ren was a little surprised when he heard what Awenna said. It never occurred to him that he would end up saving two special figures before he even launched his operation on the planet. But the encounter was only natural for a nosy parker like him. Hao Ren assumed that it was no big deal even if the siblings were prince and princess. Just like any other ordinary girl, the princess probably had to study and do homework, sleep at night, read comics, play games, and maybe sometimes, get a pat on the butt for breaking things at home. That was all the more plausible when the Sun King of Aerym himself had to fight with the husky for a couple of pork ribs every day.


    Nonetheless, Hao Ren was still curious about the two extraordinary figures. ¡°The princess and prince of the Ancient Kingdom of Izzo? How could such distinguished people appear on a passenger ship and be attacked by pirates?¡±


    ¡°We are on a secret mission,¡± Charlemagne said indignantly. Since their identities had been exposed, he did not need to hide it anymore. ¡°Awenna and I are secret envoys sent from Izzo to Dragon Empire, and those pirates¡ª¡±


    Vivian chimed in without waiting for Charlemagne to finish. ¡°It seems that those pirates were not really pirates.¡±


    Charlemagne looked at the woman who interrupted him. ¡°You are right to some extent; those pirates were not what they appeared to be.¡±


    Surprised, Hao Ren looked at Vivian, who waved her hand indifferently. ¡°I have seen enough of such things. Back when the Europeans were fighting for maritime dominance, half of the pirates were state-sponsored. I was almost tempted to become a pirate, but I didn¡¯t manage to become one when the ship sank.¡±


    Hao Ren was struck dumb; it was the first time he had heard of that story about the Countess. Perhaps during his journey back in time, he had left in a hurry and missed the details.


    ¡°Ahem.¡± Hao Ren quickly drew Charlemagne and Awenna¡¯s attention back as they appeared curious. ¡°I got it. You two were secret envoys of Izzo to the Dragon Empire, but the mission was exposed, and someone put a price on your heads. That explains the pirate attack. No wonder both of you act as if you have a persecutory delusion.¡±


    Awenna seemed curious. ¡°What is a persecutory delusion?¡±


    ¡°It means you are paranoid. If someone sneezes, you will suspect that it is a secret code. When you have a meal, you are always worried that people will summon five hundred hatchet hands with the smash of a cup as the signal.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°Talking to such people is particularly tiring because they easily become too suspicious. Back to the topic, are all of you worried that we¡¯re with the pirates?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I was still worried a moment ago,¡± Awenna said frankly. ¡°But now, I am starting to think otherwise judging from your attitude.¡±


    ¡°I will treat that as a compliment.¡± Hao Ren sighed. ¡°So, everyone on board the so-called White Pearl is an envoy in disguise?¡±


    ¡°Not all,¡± said Charlemagne. ¡°The White Pearl was indeed a passenger ship carrying ordinary passengers. It was just that the envoys had disguised themselves as passengers.¡±


    Speaking of which, the old captain came to mind. Hao Ren asked, ¡°If my guess isn¡¯t wrong, Captain Birken should be an insider.¡±


    ¡°It looks like you have talked to him,¡± said Charlemagne, who seemed to have no intention of hiding anymore. ¡°Captain Birken is the captain of the White Pearl. He has been flying that passenger ship for more than twenty years and serving the Royal Family of Izzo for thirty years.¡±


    ¡°Long-time asset, eh? I pity the ship and the captain.¡± Vivian shook her head in regret. ¡°There goes his career and future.¡±


    ¡°What is the purpose of your trip this time?¡± After listening to their conversation for a long time, Lily could not help but ask.


    Charlemagne instantly appeared cautious. It was a secret that only Awenna and he knew. They were surely not going to reveal it. ¡°I am sorry, I am afraid that I cannot say.¡±


    Lily nodded. ¡°It does not matter. I just asked out of curiosity.¡±


    Then she turned and took a drink. She inserted a straw into it and began to blow bubbles.


    Charlemagne was stunned.


    His Royal Highness was confused. Was that all? She was really just curious? He could not believe it.


    ¡°Ahem, don¡¯t overthink it. Really, she was just curious,¡± Hao Ren quickly said when things felt awkward. ¡°So, are you are going to the Dragon Empire to see the emperor with the dragon soul?¡±


    ¡°Does it concern you?¡± Charlemagne was even more cautious and defensive than before. ¡°I still do not know who all of you are. If you would like to unravel the kimono, I think it is time that we start with all of you.¡±


    Charlemagne decided not to answer any more questions until he figured out who these people were.


    ¡°Oh, we may have overlooked that,¡± Hao Ren said with a forced smile. He then pointed at himself and said, ¡°We are from the Basilica of the World Tree. You can call me Hao Ren.¡±


    He did not tell them about the complicated background of the Xi Ling Celestials and inspectors. He did not have to because if he did, there would be a lot of explaining to do. That was why he used the Basilica of the World Tree as a cover, which in a way, was not a lie. They indeed came out from the Basilica of the World Tree.


    ¡°The Basilica of the World Tree?¡± Charlemagne¡¯s eyebrows were pulled together. ¡°I have never heard of this sect or organization.¡±


    ¡°We are pretty isolated and have never involved ourselves in the affairs of this world. Even your father, the king, may not know the existence of the Basilica of the World Tree, let alone you,¡± Hao Ren said frankly. ¡°Therefore, you do not have to be wary of us; we are distant from the world¡¯s affairs.¡±


    Charlemagne did not take Hao Ren¡¯s word in its entirety. However, a reclusive organization that never intervened in worldly things and was named the Basilica of the World Tree was not entirely impossible. The battleship they had may have been jaw-droppingly strange, but it could be a manifestation of the powerful and wealthy background of the hermit organization. Furthermore, the peculiarity of the ship had just shown how aloof these people were.


    For a civilization that had yet to enter the space age, a reclusive organization would sound more plausible than an extraterrestrial visitor.


    Charlemagne had half a mind to believe the narrative, but he was serious when he spoke, ¡°A reclusive sect? Since you are solitary from the world, why have you come out of isolation now?¡±


    Hao Ren quietly sighed as he could finally get down to brass tacks. ¡°What a coincidence! We are also going to the Dragon Empire to see the Dragonsoul Emperor. We did not expect to bump into the White Pearl, much less know that you two were the secret envoys to the Dragon Empire. As unbelievable as it seems, I think it is fate that has brought us together.¡±


    Awenna finally could not help asking, ¡°All of you are going to the Dragon Empire? What are you going to do there?¡±


    ¡°We are on a business trip.¡± Vivian mimicked Charlemagne¡¯s tone of voice. ¡°But we cannot tell you the specifics.¡±


    ¡°We have a common purpose,¡± Hao Ren said before he clapped his hands. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, why don¡¯t we travel together?¡±

 Chapter 1696 - Clinching the Deal

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Charlemagne and Awenna were divided about whether to accept Hao Ren¡¯s offer.


    It was not that the siblings did not have the guts, but it was because they were still in a heightened state of alertness and suspicion after the pirate attack. The unequal exchange of intelligence and the lack of choices meant that they had to think twice before they committed to anything.


    Hao Ren could see the concern of the siblings and did not push them to make a deal. ¡°You can go to the lounge next door to think about it. But I hope you¡¯ll give me an answer as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°I realize your concern, but I believe that you know what¡¯s best for you. We obviously have nothing to do with those pirates. The Basilica of the World Tree has been in isolation for a long time. We need a new channel of communication with the outside world, and you need protection as well as help; we could have a win-win cooperation.¡±


    Charlemagne glanced at the people in the room and nodded slightly. ¡°Let me think about it first. We will give you an answer as soon as possible. But this time¡ª¡±


    Hao Ren waved his hand before he waited for Charlemagne to finish. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there will be no eavesdropping this time.¡±


    ¡°I hope you understand that it is because of the eavesdropping that we are wary of you,¡± Charlemagne said and left with Awenna, heading into the room.


    After the siblings left, Vivian exhaled and said, ¡°Phew! Hao Ren, what do you think?¡±


    Hao Ren stretched in a way that would have looked unsightly in public and leaned back against the chair with a smile on his face. ¡°What else can we think? I¡¯m sleepy, give me a soft pillow. Just as we¡¯re figuring out how to contact the Dragon Empire, here comes the prince and princess who are the envoys to the Dragon Empire. Now, after losing their ship and blowing their cover, they need protection. Isn¡¯t this the best opportunity? The only thing we need to worry about is whether the siblings will agree. I think the chances of them agreeing to the deal is high. After all, they have no other choice.¡±


    While still blowing bubbles with the straw, Lily said, ¡°But the Dragon Empire may not have the prehistoric information we need. A dragon soul that never dies sounds fake.¡±


    ¡°Ick! Stop playing with your drink, it¡¯s disgusting.¡± Hao Ren shot the husky maiden a glance and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not counting on the Dragon Empire entirely. I¡¯ve asked Nolan to launch some precision probes to examine the things underground. L¡¯Haronne was cut in half instead of being shattered. Perhaps we can find more clues within the planet.¡±


    He pinched his face to relax his stiff facial muscles. Then he looked at Rheia curiously. ¡°Why were you so quiet just now? Aren¡¯t you curious about the life of the people on the surface after the planet¡¯s reshaping? You didn¡¯t seem interested in talking to Charlemagne and Awenna.¡±


    Rheia looked as if she had zoned out, and she only snapped out of her daze after two seconds. Her hands shivered as she pouted. ¡°I am trying to figure out the title. I have never shirked my homework even though my projection makes me look like I am in a daze.¡±


    Looking at the small-sized goddess who was bent out of shape because of her homework, Hao Ren could not help but smile and shake his head with sympathy. ¡°I feel you. I have to write many reports too after every mission. Sometimes, things are so complicated that I feel dog-tired.¡±


    After she finished her juice, Lily took out a pack of snacks and began to gobble it down loudly. Hearing what Hao Ren said, she looked up at him, perplexed. ¡°But¡­ even dogs don¡¯t get as tired as all of you.¡±


    Hao Ren and Rheia looked at the husky who lived in depravity. They shouted in unison, ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Meanwhile, Charlemagne and Awenna were in the lounge. Awenna first spoke, ¡°My brother, do you think these people are trustworthy?¡±


    ¡°We need their help,¡± Charlemagne said frankly. ¡°We have lost our ship. The attack means that we have fallen into a trap, and the original plan, as well as the people around us, are no longer reliable. On the other hand, placing our fate in the hands of a group of strangers does not sound any better.¡±


    Awenna looked at her brother; she knew that Charlemagne was someone who did not easily trust others and was even a little indecisive. She shook her head. ¡°The ball is not in our court. My brother, those people who claim to come from the Basilica of the World Tree do not need our consent. They have this ship and can go to the Dragon Empire themselves. Since they have only requested to travel with us, I think it is acceptable.¡±


    ¡°The Basilica of the World Tree¡­¡± Charlemagne knitted his brows together as he repeated the name. ¡°Have you ever heard of this organization from the elves and wizards?¡±


    ¡°Never.¡± Awenna shook her head. ¡°But I do not think that they would simply use ¡®Basilica¡¯ if it is not true. In L¡¯Haronne, however, I have never heard of such a place. Maybe it is an ancient religion that has long been lost. Despite that, these people do not look like believers.¡±


    ¡°It is not important whether they are believers or not. What matters most is what they want. What does a reclusive organization want from the Dragon Empire? Promote their faith or use the empire as a springboard to return to the secular world? If this is their purpose, then the Dragon Empire would not be an ideal target because the arrogant empire is not going to welcome them.¡±


    Awenna brought the conversation back to their original concern. ¡°So, do we want to accept the offer?¡±


    Charlemagne scratched his chin in thought. A few seconds later, he finally nodded. ¡°As you said, the ball is not in our court.¡±


    Hao Ren did not expect the siblings to reply so fast.


    He thought that the royal siblings, who seemed to have a persecutory delusion, would need half a day to deliberate before they gave an answer. When the siblings reappeared before them ten minutes later, Hao Ren was surprised.


    Even Rheia had not finished her homework in those ten short minutes.


    ¡°We accept your invitation,¡± Charlemagne said bluntly. ¡°This is indeed a win-win deal.¡±


    Hao Ren had expected the answer. He smiled and nodded. ¡°That saves us a lot of hassle. We¡ª¡±


    Awenna interrupted him. ¡°Wait a minute, we have a small request.¡±


    ¡°A small request?¡± Vivian looked curiously at the girl who had long gray hair and was about Hessiana¡¯s age. In Vivian¡¯s eyes, Awenna was only a child. ¡°What is your request?¡±


    ¡°Do you have a map?¡± asked Charlemagne.


    With the wave of a hand, Hao Ren summoned a holographic map in the air.


    Charlemagne was stunned when he saw the holographic image. The magical illusion looked a little different from what he had in mind. He could not feel any magic energy in it, and more importantly, although the map was accurate with the mountains and rivers, there were no text markings, which made using the map inconvenient. Nevertheless, Charlemagne kept his questions to himself. He looked at the map and pointed with his finger at a point on the map. ¡°We should land here, then follow this route¡­ From here to here, and finally to the imperial capital.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s were furrowed when he saw the route that the prince had pointed out. ¡°This will be a detour and waste a lot of time. Can¡¯t we land near the imperial capital? If the size of this ship is a problem for landing, we have a smaller aircraft. We can also use teleportation.¡±


    ¡°That is not the reason.¡± Charlemagne waved his hand. ¡°There is a safety concern.¡±


    Charlemagne then explained, ¡°After the pirate attack, we are sure that there is a conspiracy. The desperados possess military-grade weapons and equipment, plus they have gotten their hands on our itinerary, which we only adjusted right before departure. So¡ª¡±


    ¡°So, there are moles on your side?¡± Hao Ren interrupted Charlemagne.


    ¡°The original itinerary is no longer safe,¡± said Charlemagne frankly. ¡°And¡­ we are worried that someone within the Dragon Empire wants to kill us. Dark shadows are lurking in the powerful empire.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately got the message. He had no idea how the two siblings found out, but they must have their own way of figuring things out. There were not only moles in the Ancient Kingdom of Izzo, but there was also the possibility that the vast empire on the other side of the World Scar played a role in the attack. However, they were neither sure who the conspirators in the Dragon Empire were, nor if the incident was related to the Dragon Soul Emperor. So, they wanted to make the movement of the secret envoys even more discreet.


    Using the original route to the imperial capital would risk the possibility of walking straight into a trap. Hence, they chose to land somewhere in the empire, observe, then find out who else they could trust in the empire. Only after having a good grasp of the situation would they continue with their journey.


    Such was the trouble of conspiracy and politics.


    ¡°This is our request.¡± Awenna stared at Hao Ren. ¡°It is the only request. I hope we can reach a deal.¡±


    ¡°No problem. After all, we are talking about a secret envoy. We will do as you say.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s quick reply surprised the princess.


    Hao Ren had long wanted to know more about the customs and culture of that world, and Awenna¡¯s request was what he had hoped for.


    ¡°Umm¡­¡± Charlemagne did not know what to say suddenly, but he quickly regained his composure. ¡°When will we depart?¡±


    ¡°Anytime. The sooner, the better,¡± said Hao Ren. ¡°If you need props and gear to disguise yourself, we have everything you need on board.¡±

 Chapter 1697 - The Dragon Empire

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The Dragon Empire had a long history.


    Just like a dragon, the kingdom named after it was said to have stood proudly in the divided world, becoming a shelter and lighthouse when the world was still in chaos and the light of civilization had yet to shine.


    Legends were always exaggerated, but the people of the empire had always been proud of their long history and firmly believed that at least nine out of ten of the legends were true. In the magnificent imperial city built with black frosted spar, a mountain of books and antiquities from ancient times filled the palaces and academies. Clusters of ancient ruins were scattered around the empire, silently telling of the old stories of the kingdom with all their vicissitudes as if they lent credence to the notion that the kingdom originated since the era of chaos.


    Whenever the proud people of the empire talked about the ancient kingdom of Izzo on the other side of the world, a sense of superiority would rise within them. They even felt that the word ¡®ancient¡¯ was an eyesore. Which kingdom, other than the most ancient empire, was worthy of the word ¡®ancient¡¯?


    Military strength was the foundation of the Dragon Empire.


    This ancient empire, located on the apex of the western hemisphere of planet L¡¯Haronne, had stood the test of time even thousands of years had passed. The vast empire that ruled half of the planet did not come into being because it was lucky but by the iron and blood of many generations of the people of the empire.


    The land where the empire now ruled once existed many fearless barbarians and formidable kingdoms. This empire was once one of these kingdoms. But under the leadership of the legendary, immortal emperor, the Black Sword Knights of the Dragon Empire had defeated all its enemies, including the Frostridge Tribe that had copper skin and iron bones, said to be ten times stronger than humans, and the Magic Kingdom of the elemental bloodline. Wherever the double-sword flag of the Black Swordsmen went, every inch of land and ocean would become the territory of the empire. This had almost been the default phenomenon in the West L¡¯Haronne.


    The loyal, powerful, and united Knights of the Ebon Blade, with their heroic achievements, became the role model for all the knights and warriors of the world of L¡¯Haronne¡ªnot just in the western hemisphere but also in the eastern hemisphere. Even the White City Federation had very high regard for the Knights of the Ebon Blade.


    Every member kingdom of the White City Federation was well aware that the peaceful relation between the federation and the powerful, ancient empire existed only because of the World Crack. This natural barrier prevented the Knights of the Ebon Blade from marching to the eastern hemisphere. Once this natural moat disappeared, the warmongers of the empire would sooner or later point their swords in the east direction. Despite this, the federation members still held the black lion on the other side of the world in veneration.


    But how long could the black lion hold up in this world?


    ¡­


    A village in the empire, like any other hamlets, was little known and did not appear in the historical work of any scholars only because it had some famous specialties. It also did not appear in the bard of any poets because it was the birthplace of some heroic man. For centuries, the village lay quietly without a sense of presence on the plains at the southwestern edge of the empire. Soon, history would remember it as the turning point of an event.


    After a night of bloody fighting, the warring parties left the battlefield where both sides suffered massive casualties. Flames were still burning in the ruins of buildings, and smog billowing from the charcoaled beams and trees rose to the sky in the distance. On the blood-soaked land, broken weapons and equipment were strewn around.


    Among these discarded weapons was a black, broad sword with a strangely complex body lay quietly in the mud. The bloodstain on the blade had turned black. Nearby, a burnt flag with a crossed-sword pattern on blue background had fallen to the ground.


    But one of the swords in the pattern was broken.


    ¡­


    In a medium-sized town in the south of the empire, a caravan was hustling through Bluestone Avenue, the thoroughfare of which the town most prided itself.


    It was a small caravan that was common in the empire. As a highly developed kingdom with a vast landmass, prosper trading activities, and the flowing of a massive amount of goods were the fundamental conditions for ensuring the regular operation of the country. Caravans of different sizes traveled between cities around the clock. Among these caravans were even merchants of the barbarians and from the other side of the World Crack. The people of the empire had long been used to all this.


    Three magic-powered runic caravans were hustling through a town. Several armed guards sitting on the banister on the edge of the caravan watched listlessly at the scene on the streets. The last caravan appeared to be the ride of the caravan owner with its modified, enlarged, and sealed cabin.


    Charlemagne looked carelessly out of the caravan window at the scene on the street and then pulled the sunshade close on the window.


    Like Awenna, Charlemagne had put up a guise by dying his gray-white hair pale gold with an alchemy remedy, and wearing a clever makeup on his face. In this world where fingerprint recognition and DNA tracking technology were non-existent, such a guise would do the job well.


    Ordinary civilians might not recognize the faces of a pair of royal siblings, who rarely ventured out beyond their palace, but people who planned the pirate attack must already have mastered all the information of the royal siblings. Wearing the guise had become a forced choice.


    ¡°This is a prosperous place.¡± Hao Ren was impressed by the level of prosperity that the town enjoyed. The crowded market and the magic-powered vehicles and public facilities were a real eye-opener. Although the technology might be different, the magic energy that this planet used to power their airships allowed the people to enjoy a living standard that could rival that of the middle-income countries on Earth.


    ¡°We love our homeland, but we have to admit that the Dragon Empire is far more advanced in magic-powered technology than the countries in the eastern hemisphere. Even the ancient kingdom of Izzo is no match for it,¡± Awenna said with a soft voice. ¡°Izzo has great attainment in magic energy, but our classic magic system is not fully compatible with the widely used magic technology. In Izzo, many traditional mages are disdainful of the increasingly popular magic-powered technology as they think that this seemingly cheap technology without substance is symbolic of the new rich. But few people could give a thought to what the rapid development of the Dragon Empire in the magic-powered technology means.¡±


    ¡°This ancient empire is not only strong but is becoming stronger.¡± Charlemagne sighed softly. ¡°The oldest kingdom is having the youngest mindset. How do they do that?¡±


    ¡°Is it because they have an immortal emperor?¡± Vivian¡¯s brows arched.


    ¡°But are guys like this not stubborn? They have lived for so long after all,¡± Lily said.


    Vivian and Rheia¡¯s eyebrows twitched in unison.


    Charlemagne and Awenna laughed and did not take Lily seriously. ¡°Be careful when you say this here; people here might not like their emperor being ridiculed.¡±


    While looking at the disguised car, which underneath its magic-powered skin was a secondary psionic drive, Hao Ren began to recall what happened before.


    After clinching the deal with Charlemagne and his sister, they had quickly decided on a plan to put up a disguise and sneak into the empire. To divert the attention of the enemies that might be lurking in the empire and to ensure the secrecy of their operation, Hao Ren had first flown the Petrachelys to the border city of the Dragon Empire, closest to the World Crack. There, the spaceship dropped the ¡®passengers¡¯ on the avenue in the suburb and left while the ¡®passengers¡¯ were still in a daze. The Petrachelys flew another one thousand kilometers before landing near a town in the southern part of the empire.


    Then Charlemagne and his sister, Hao Ren and his team, and a few Charlemagne¡¯s trusted bodyguards used the camouflage props produced in the Petrachelys ship bound factory to disguise themselves as a ubiquitous small caravan.


    The camouflage props included a new set of clothes for each person, the cheap swords in the hands of the bodyguards¡ªas the original fine weapons were too eye-catching, a few magic-powered caravans made according to Awenna¡¯s description, and a variety of goods loaded on two cars.


    It would make a perfect disguise.


    The ¡®passengers¡¯ led by Captain Birken, who disembarked near the border city, would seek help from the Izzo embassy. There might be some delay, but eventually, these people would return to their homeland safely, and news of the attack of the White Pearl and the safe return of the survivors would spread. This would create confusion among the conspirators. Never would they have thought that while the refugees flocked to the embassy for help, Charlemagne, Awenna and their bodyguards were already on their way to complete their journey.


    What surprised Hao Ren was that the caravan had no problem moving in the vast empire. At first, he thought they would have to go through strict checkpoints and security checks. But apart from some routine interrogation and inspection, the caravan had not encountered any trouble. They did not even have to flash their fake passes and IDs.


    ¡°Only the imperial capital and a few big cities have high-security measures; the governance of other places in the Dragon Empire is relatively lax,¡± Awenna explained the situation to Hao Ren. The princess had bought the story of the isolated Basilica of the World Tree, and the ignorance of Hao Ren and his team about the situation of this world had further reinforced this notion. ¡°Rules and order depend on the augustness of the emperor and the Knights of the Ebon Blade while law took a backseat. The emperor and the knight were the double swords that the people held in high regard. The swords protect the people from the foreign enemy while also eliminating crimes in the empire. Few people violate the imperial decree.¡±


    ¡°But is the fact that we could disguise as a caravan and swagger around in the empire not prove that this governing method is flawed?¡±


    ¡°It is because we are doing what a caravan is supposed to do.¡± Elvina smiled. ¡°From the cars and the people to the goods and route, everything¡ªexcept for our identities¡ªstays within the rules and passes the inspection.¡±


    What a wonderful kingdom, Hao Ren thought to himself.

 Chapter 1698 - Secrets of the Empire

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren found it challenging to understand how a vast kingdom like the Dragon Empire managed to remain efficient and stable. The direct rule of the long-lived species over short-lived species could produce many hidden dangers as well as troubles. If the emperor had really inherited the soul of the dragon and become immortal, his way of thinking would inevitably tilt toward that of the long-lived race. He would accumulate tremendous wisdom and incredible experiences, but that was precisely the reason why an insurmountable gap appeared between him and the short-lived people.


    Take for example when an eternal ruler decided to implement a millennial plan for the benefit of his people, who would only live a hundred years at most and no one in the first ten generations would get to see the benefit of the plan. How could people understand and support the idea?


    Hao Ren had not personally seen such a thing, but similar examples were aplenty in the database.


    Nevertheless, the Dragon Empire seemed to be running well.


    People probably held high regard for the Dragon Soul Emperor as his majestic sculpture in black armor was everywhere in the city. The people of the Empire regarded the emperor as their eternal protector, and obedience to the emperor was a natural thing to do. It seemed that no one had ever questioned any order from the imperial capital. In the history of the empire for the past thousands of years, there was less than a handful of turmoil, and every time a disturbance occurred, they could quickly subdue it.


    At least, this kingdom appeared to be stable.


    That was the impression of the empire that Hao Ren got from what he saw on the scenes outside and what he heard from Awenna. Since he had just arrived in the kingdom, it would take some time before he could get a grasp of the real situation.


    The caravan quickly found a place to settle for the night in the town. It was a semi-government-run inn popular among the caravans. For reason of their identity, Awenna and Charlemagne had rarely come out in the outside world, but they apparently had excellent common knowledge. With the help of the bodyguards, who had a good understanding of how things worked in the Dragon Empire, everyone settled down in the inn without a hitch.


    Once inside his room, Hao Ren came before the window that had inlaid diamond-shaped glass and rose pattern. He pushed it open. Since the building he was in was tall while the civilian buildings outside were low, Hao Ren had a vantage view of the town scenery.


    Dark-colored buildings were dominant in the empire. Buildings of different heights spread out in Hao Ren¡¯s field of vision with the Gothic spires, eaves and small towers giving the town a strange, mysterious vibe. The town was by no mean large nor rich, but it was neat and tidy. Apart from the inns, uncluttered shops and mills also lined on both sides of the avenue that passed through the town. Alchemy props, the making of magic instruments and accommodation were the main trades and sources of income for the town, and the customers were usually the passing travelers and merchants. There was an airfield nearby. It was not large but bringing a lot of traffic.


    At this moment, the setting sun was shining its golden rays on the town. Roofs and towers glimmered, and the churning of the machine from the mills could be heard. All this gave the town a pleasantly warm atmosphere.


    Suddenly, there was a rush of hooves coming from Bluestone Avenue, where there were fewer pedestrians now. Curiously, Hao Ren looked in the direction from where the sound came and saw a few knights in black armor and black sword on their waists passing by below on horseback. The leading knight was holding a blue flag with a double-sword pattern.


    Pedestrians, who apparently feared the knights, quickly gave way.


    Was this the legendary Knight of the Ebon Blade? Hao Ren frowned.


    A few moments later, footsteps were heard outside the door and accompanied by a rhythmic knock. It was not Lily; Hao Ren knew it. Lily would have taken down the door and swaggered in by now had it been her.


    Sure enough, he heard Awenna saying, ¡°Mr. Hao Ren, may I come in?¡±


    ¡°The door is not locked,¡± Hao Ren said.


    The door opened, and Princess Izzo, who had a pair of beautiful light gray eyes, stood outside the door accompanied by her elder brother, Charlemagne.


    Hao Ren invited them to come in and looked at them curiously. ¡°Is there any problem?¡±


    ¡°We are here just to see how you are doing,¡± Awenna said. She appeared poised and totally devoid of the pride and arrogance of a typical royalty. ¡°It can see that this inn is a far cry from your ship. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Stop the pleasantry, I am not used to it.¡± Hao Ren waved his hand. ¡°The condition here is good enough, much better than sleeping in the cave. I have had harsher experiences, and as an established religious person, I should be much tougher than the royalty like you two.¡±


    Charlemagne forced a smile. ¡°Your way of speaking is strange. I can understand the words, but not much the sentences.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled. Then the black knights that he saw from the window came to mind. ¡°You do not come here just to ask me about how I am doing, do you? I just saw several knights in black passing by outside. Are they from the legendary Knights of the Ebon Blade?¡±


    Charlemagne and Awenna exchanged a look, and the prince nodded. ¡°Yes, that is the dress code of the Knights of the Ebon Blade. Their mechanical swords are unique in L¡¯Haronne and hard to miss.¡±


    ¡°So, that is the mechanical sword,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about the Knights of the Ebon Blade. Do you mind telling me about it?¡±


    ¡°The Knights of the Ebon Blade are the symbol of the military strength of the Dragon Empire, and the most powerful regular army in the world.¡± Awenna had always been like a tour guide, and there was no exception this time. ¡°The knights are under the direct order of the emperor of the Dragon Empire. They have a strict organizational system. Every Knight of the Ebon Blade is an elite selected from the best fighters. They must not only be good in martial arts but must also be trained in magic, culture, history, pharmacy, and the unique ability of the Dragon Seal. These knights are usually scattered throughout the empire to maintain the order of the kingdom and convey the decree of the emperor. But if breaks out, the knights could quickly assemble. Their speed and level of cooperation are incredible.¡±


    ¡°As the knights are scattered all over the kingdom all year round, many of them do not meet each other for more than ten years after leaving the barracks. But they could quickly assemble following the original formations without having to re-familiarizing and running-in. Kingdoms all over the world have not figured out who they do it. Without thinking, people of the empire call this the miracle of the emperor His Majesty.


    ¡°That is really amazing.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s admiration was genuine. The selection criteria and training of the Knights of the Ebon Blade were unusual enough, but their unique mobilization was even more eye-opening. Had Hao Ren not seen the legion of the guardian giants before and had an even more disciplined army of drones under his command, his jaw would have dropped to the ground. ¡°But as you said, they are the most powerful regular army; is it that there are people from the non-regular army who are even more powerful than the Knights of the Ebon Blade?¡±


    ¡°Of course, there are,¡± Awenna said. ¡°The Knights of the Broken Blade are strong, but they are products of mass training. There are many warriors with immeasurable ability in the world. For example, the Runic Warriors from the ancient kingdom of Izzo, the Tidecallers from the Gray Mist Strait, and the Forest Whisperers of the White Elf. If fighting one on one, each of them is stronger than the Knight of the Ebon Blade. But they are rare¡ªso rare that they could be classified as a national treasure and must not be compared to the ubiquitous Knights of the Ebon Blade.¡±


    ¡°Are there such non-regular elites in the Dragon Empire?¡± Hao Ren was curious. Every kingdom had some ultimate weapon up its sleeve. Just like nuclear deterrence, a kingdom that built fundamentally on its military strength must have a secret weapon in its arsenal.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Awenna nodded. ¡°The Princess, who is called the Dark Dragon Lady, personally commands the Knights of the Broken Blade, which is only one-hundredth the size of the Knight of the Ebon Blade. But the Knights of the Broken Blade are incredibly strong¡ªalmost superhumans¡ªand never carrying out any tasks. Perhaps no one knew what they had done. That is the hidden trump card of the Dragon Empire.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Hao Ren was baffled. ¡°There is a princess? You mean the emperor of the Dragon Empire has a daughter?¡±


    What he had wanted to ask was whether the immortal emperor had any sons and whether these sons planned to succeed to the throne. He could smell trouble when an immortal emperor had offspring.


    But considering the frivolous nature of the questions, he could only keep them to himself.


    Although Hao Ren did not ask, Awenna still looked at him with a strange look on her face. ¡°The Basilica of the World Tree is indeed extremely isolated.¡±


    ¡°It is. We have been busy at maintaining world peace in places where you can¡¯t see,¡± Hao Ren said without blinking an eye.


    His biggest virtue was that he was an honest man.


    ¡°The Dragon Empire certainly has a princess, Constance Dragon. No one who does not know her. But her father, the eternal emperor, Berentine Dragon, is not married.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s expression suddenly changed¡ªwas there something that he did not know?


    ¡°I know what you are thinking, but please keep it to yourself.¡± Awenna shook her head. ¡°No one knows the true background of Princess Constance. People only know that two hundred and twenty years ago, there was a strange phenomenon near the imperial capital. It is said that a mountain has disappeared without a trace overnight, only leaving behind a large pit filled with hot lava. Berentine His Majesty personally went to investigate and brought back a baby girl whom he adopted as his daughter. She is Princess Constance. Of course, people had been speculating whether she was the daughter of Berentine His Majesty born out of wedlock. But two hundred and twenty years have passed, and the princess is young and apparently possessing a non-human bloodline. Voices of doubt do not last forever, and over time, no one raises the question again.¡±

 Chapter 1699 - Undercurrent in the Empire

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The ancient empire, immortal Dragon Soul Emperor, the baby girl brought out of the lava pit¡ªeverything was shrouded in a mysterious veil. Even though L¡¯Haronne itself was already a mystery, it still aroused Hao Ren¡¯s interest when these things came together.


    The long-established empire had many secrets.


    Curiosity killed the cat, and Hao Ren did not go as far as wanting to unravel every secret. His mission was to find the traces of the Mad Lord¡¯s contamination during its last reincarnation and how the world survived. In other words, Hao Ren was looking for a Mad Lord ¡°vaccine¡±, and the secrets of a mortal kingdom¡¯s royalty seemed less vital unless it had something to do with the ¡°vaccine¡±. Otherwise, it was not worth spending time on it.


    It was just a casual chat to obtain a bit of information, but Hao Ren did not mind the discussion. ¡°It seems that Princess Constance has the emperor¡¯s trust. Not every Tom, Dick, and Harry can lead the Knights of the Broken Blade.¡±


    ¡°No wonder some people have suspected Princess Constance to be His Majesty Emperor Berentine¡¯s love child. The fact that the Dragon Soul Emperor is willing to let his adopted daughter lead the empire¡¯s most fearsome combative force speaks volumes,¡± Charlemagne said. ¡°Of course, the princess is indeed outstanding. Perhaps she has the dragon soul too. It is said that she surpassed all the imperial court teachers during her childhood. The Knights of the Broken Blade have become even stronger under her command.¡±


    ¡°Well, I know, but I think we seem to have digressed.¡± Hao Ren scratched his chin and suddenly realized that they were not supposed to discuss the imperial love child. ¡°Were we not talking about the Knights of the Ebon Blade in the first place? Are the knights the reason for your visit here?¡±


    Charlemagne was silent for a moment. ¡°We suspect that the knights are coming for us.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s brows twitched. ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°The Knights of the Ebon Blade are stationed throughout the kingdom, but they do not roam around like the patrols. The knights usually stay in barracks of major cities or important military forts. But this town¡­ It is only a tier higher than the ordinary villages in the empire. Under normal circumstances, the Knights of the Ebon Blade would not even come to this place, let alone in a five-person squad.¡±


    ¡°Even a visit from an attendant of the Knights of the Ebon Blade is already a great honor to the local officials,¡± Awenna said.


    ¡°So, there must be something significant that has warranted the personal attention of the knights. And both of you happen to be here.¡± Hao Ren began to put two and two together.


    Awenna nodded. She looked worried.


    ¡°Then we should be extra careful.¡± Hao Ren pulled his eyebrows together. ¡°If these knights are coming for you, doesn¡¯t it prove that someone on the upper echelons of the Dragon Empire¡ªthe emperor himself¡ªis involved in the pirate attack? After all, you just said that the Knights of the Ebon Blade are under the direct command of the emperor.¡±


    ¡°We are very reluctant to think so.¡± Awenna gritted her teeth. ¡°Although the White City Federation and the Dragon Empire have occasional border conflicts, the two sides have never had any deep grudge. Even the Ancient Kingdom of Izzo and the Dragon Empire has a long-standing diplomatic relationship. Our secret visit¡­ His Majesty Emperor Berentine has even hugged me and my brother before.¡±


    Awenna stopped short of revealing the purpose of their visit.


    ¡°Do not let personal feelings cloud your judgment.¡± Charlemagne frowned. ¡°Awenna, I do not want to think so, but the fact that the knights¡¯ arrival in this town coincides with ours is not a good sign.¡±


    Just as Hao Ren tried to say something, he heard Vivian¡¯s voice outside the door. ¡°But the two of you aren¡¯t so sure, are you?¡±


    Charlemagne and Awenna were shocked to hear someone outside the door. They only breathed a sigh of relief when they realized that it was Vivian. ¡°People on the outside can hear our conversation?¡± Awenna asked with butterflies in her stomach.


    ¡°Not really. I just have a unique hearing ability and can perceive sounds that normal people can¡¯t hear.¡± Vivian shut the door behind her and waved her hand. ¡°The girl next door can probably hear too because her hearing¡¯s sharper than mine. She¡¯ll already drool all over her feet when she hears someone eating a biscuit three blocks away.¡±


    As soon as Vivian¡¯s voice trailed off, Lily began to yell from next door. ¡°Don¡¯t think that I can¡¯t hear you, Battie!¡±


    Charlemagne and Awenna were flabbergasted. They began to suspect that these people from the Basilica of the World Tree were all mutants.


    ¡°I still want to reiterate that the two of you are unsure.¡± Vivian approached the siblings and looked into their eyes. ¡°Otherwise, you would have fled by now. Why waste your time here?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, we have not been exposed. In fact, we were aerially dropped into the vicinity. Those knights are not trained trackers, they could not have tracked us.¡± Charlemagne choked a little, but he quickly regained his composure. ¡°Maybe they are not just searching the town but launching a large area search. Any reckless actions on our part will possibly expose us.¡±


    ¡°Understood. We will be more careful,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°We need to stay away from the knights, right?¡±


    ¡°The farther, the better.¡± Awenna got to her feet and bowed. ¡°My brother and I have come here mainly for this matter.¡±


    After the royal siblings left, Hao Ren sighed and pinched his glabella. ¡°Never underestimate what the smallest places can offer. No one would¡¯ve thought that the Dragon Empire on a little planet like L¡¯Haronne had so many secrets.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that inspectors have the world under their scrutiny, yet you don¡¯t make a distinction between big and small civilizations?¡± Vivian smiled and went to give Hao Ren a massage on his shoulders. ¡°It would be nice to stay here a little longer if we didn¡¯t have a mission to accomplish.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re starting to think like me. Are you becoming an inspector?¡± Hao Ren smiled and looked up at Vivian. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong in knowing more about this kingdom. After all, no one knows what the Mad Lord has left behind. Who knows, maybe we¡¯ll find clues from the secrets of the imperial court?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard not to be influenced when I¡¯m spending most of my time with you.¡± Vivian smiled helplessly. ¡°Has Nolan found anything inside the planet?¡±


    Traveling together with Charlemagne and Awenna did not mean that Hao Ren and his team were slacking. He had been conducting an in-depth study and search on the planet through his mental connection. Hundreds of precision probes had entered the World Scar and begun to draw a map of the planet¡¯s interior.


    Since the planet had cracked into half, exposing the planet¡¯s core to the atmosphere, scanning it became a lot easier. Soon, Hao Ren received a vast amount of information. Unfortunately, there was nothing significant.


    ¡°Nothing has been found.¡± Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°The geological composition of this planet is plain to see. Its current condition may defy the laws of physics, but we haven¡¯t found any clues related to the Mad Lord. Everything¡ªthe geological composition, humans, their history, even the single-cell lifeforms, and the atmosphere¡ªis reconstructed from Rheia¡¯s dream. I am doubtful if we can find any clues here. Speaking of Rheia, what is your mom doing now?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®my mom¡¯?¡± Vivian shot Hao Ren a look. ¡°Rheia¡¯s in the room, focusing most of her energy on doing her homework. She said she still can¡¯t master her material projections well, and it is difficult to use her mind in two places simultaneously for a long time.¡±


    Since Rheia had a material projection in the Umbral Realm in the Plane of Dreams instead of the Surface World, there was no six-hour limitation to the activation of the bangle. However, material projection was exhausting. Rheia was only a beginner, and she had heavy learning tasks. That was why she would redirect her energy to her body when her presence was not needed on Hao Ren¡¯s side.


    What Rheia¡¯s avatar could do on this side was limited to eating and drinking, essentially just slightly better than a mentally-disabled kid. But the question was, why did an avatar still need to eat? Hao Ren wondered.


    He shook his head and put the matter to the back of his mind. He relaxed his shoulders to enjoy the massage.


    The movement of Vivian¡¯s fingers with just the right amount of weak current stimulation was heavenly.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, Charlemagne and Awenna spent the rest of the day in a state of high alert.


    They did not think that they had been exposed, so they were not entirely sure that the Knights of the Ebon Blade were coming for them. That was why it bothered them. They remained in a heightened state of vigilance, which could also be attributed to their year-long education and training.


    Charlemagne and Awenna needed to take precautions in case the knights were after them. If the emperor was the mastermind behind the pirate attack, then the knights would be deadly killers to the siblings.


    However, it seemed to be a false alarm.


    After checking the situation in the town, the bodyguards confirmed that the town was not the target of the knights. They went straight to the town hall but did not linger long. The knights left through the main gate of the town at nightfall.


    The knights¡¯ movements appeared to be similar to that of heralds.


    The night went by peacefully, but Hao Ren and his team quickly began to sense changes in the town¡¯s atmosphere.

 Chapter 1700 - Shocking News

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    On the fourth day, after the Knights of the Ebon Blade left, a strange atmosphere filled the town.


    It seemed that no one had issued an order for a news embargo. Perhaps someone was stirring the pot as rumors quickly spread. The mayor¡¯s wife gossiped about what she heard at the ball. The maidservants at the ball told the cooks and servants bits of what they had heard. The cooks and servants brought the news out and spread it throughout the town.


    People may have been afraid to discuss it in the open, but that did not prevent them from blabbing and exchanging information in private. When the buzz spread far and wide, it inevitably affected everyone¡¯s daily life.


    Food prices soared, and caravans began to get more rigorous checks. People appeared more cautious on the street, and the rich who used to indulge in partying started to shut their doors. Open feasts had turned into secret meetings behind closed doors. There were talks of people spotting the only nobleman in town, the mayor, Baron Will sending his butler to the nearby airfield at night. The butler had allegedly rushed there with a letter in hand, but no one could verify the news.


    Hao Ren and his team were supposed to leave the place and go to a nearby city called Graymountain two days ago. However, when the bodyguards heard some rumors, they decided to stay until the situation cleared up to avoid falling into danger.


    In the inn where Hao Ren¡¯s caravan stayed, a bodyguard disguised as a merchant returned from the outside. Charlemagne knew that his bodyguard had found something shocking based on their facial expressions.


    ¡°Have you confirmed it?¡± Charlemagne first allowed the bodyguard to take a sip of water and catch his breath. ¡°Is it true?¡± he then quickly asked.


    The bodyguard scanned around cautiously, making sure that there was no one listening. He did not have to be overly cautious, but the news was too hard to believe that he could not help but be extra vigilant. ¡°Yes, Your Highness, it has been confirmed. The only child of the Dragon Empire¡¯s emperor, Princess Constance has revolted. The Knights of the Broken Blade have wiped out an entire corps of forces stationed near the imperial capital. Under the command of the princess, they have moved north and established a stronghold in Frostsnow City. The entire northern part of the empire has pledged its allegiance to Princess Constance. Sporadic battles are happening in the south and west. The Knights of the Broken Blade, who come and go like ghosts are attacking the Knights of the Ebon Blade. The most recent and biggest battle happened five days ago where they clashed near Copulus River. One village was destroyed in the fight.¡±


    Rumors had been flying around for the past four days. News beyond comprehension filled the taverns and streets. There were even talks about doomsday prophecies. Of all the tattles, only stories brought back by the bodyguards seemed to be pretty self-consistent, albeit they still sounded ridiculous.


    Charlemagne suddenly got to his feet and paced around the room with his brows tightly knitted together. After a while, he halted. ¡°The situation has developed beyond what we have expected. We cannot go to Graymountain anymore.¡±


    Noticing the look on Hao Ren¡¯s face, Awenna said, ¡°Graymountain was a territory that once belonged to Princess Constance, who elevated the mayor there. But now, the Knights of the Broken Blade have established their base in the north, and the south is under the control of His Majesty, Berentine. That means Graymountain will soon become a hot spot. It is definitely unwise to go there.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded in agreement. ¡°At least, there is good news. We are now sure that the Knights of Ebon Blade who came a few days ago were not after you two.¡± He tried to loosen everyone up.


    Charlemagne sighed. ¡°Assuming that it is good news, the situation has still become more chaotic. We are not here to watch a civil war.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you tell us about your secret mission?¡± Lily looked at the royal siblings curiously. Her eyes lightened up. ¡°Since things are getting chaotic, maybe we can help if you tell us what this is all about.¡±


    Awenna did not immediately decline. ¡°We will tell you when the time is ripe, and let us be honest, now is not the right time.¡±


    Hao Ren shoved Lily a piece of snack. ¡°Let¡¯s not push them. After all, it has little to do with our mission.¡±


    A husky with unfulfilled curiosity would become a wrecker over time. However, it usually just took a piece of snack to pacify the husky¡ªuntil the next time when her curiosity struck again.


    ¡°In any case, we must plan our next move,¡± Vivian said. ¡°Nowhere is safe when there is a civil war in the kingdom. We should keep moving. Since Graymountain is a no-go place, do you have other suggestions?¡±


    Apparently, that was something Charlemagne had thought about before. ¡°Greenway in the north. We can cut through Black Pine Forest, avoiding the conflict between the Knights of the Broken Blade and the imperial army. But, Black Pine Forest is dangerous. I am not sure¡ª¡±


    ¡°It is not a problem for us.¡± Hao Ren waved. ¡°You just need to plan the route, and we will take care of the rest.¡±


    Lily began to rub her fists with a mean look on her face as if to say that she was ready to fight.


    Charlemagne looked at Lily, baffled. Nevertheless, he still decided to trust these people. After all, they were elites from the mysterious Basilica of the World Tree. They should be pretty good fighters.


    However, were they really the elites? Charlemagne was doubtful.


    Charlemagne and Awenna left the room to gather their men as well as plan for the journey. The smile faded from Hao Ren¡¯s face. ¡°This is a little too sudden.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean something¡¯s wrong?¡± Vivian glanced at Hao Ren.


    ¡°Definitely. According to Charlemagne and Awenna, Princess Constance has been a staunch protector of the empire for more than 200 years. She has the trust of her father, and her loyalty to the Emperor of the Dragon Soul is unparalleled in the world. She has been in charge of the Knights of the Broken Blade for 200 years, where she has had many opportunities to revolt, yet she chose not to. There have never been signs of her wanting to do such a thing. So, why now?¡±


    ¡°Plus, the entire northern region of the empire was so quick to choose sides.¡± Vivian shrugged. ¡°Who the hell is going to believe that this wasn¡¯t premeditated.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know much about this world. What we¡¯ve heard so far about the Dragon Empire comes from the mouths of Charlemagne and Awenna. But the two siblings are not from the empire, so we should take what we hear with a grain of salt.¡± After she finished her snack, Lily appeared to be more intelligent. ¡°Princess Constance¡¯s revolt isn¡¯t important. The key here is that war¡¯s about to break out. Mr. Landlord, shall we intervene?¡±


    The urge to take part in the merriment was too hard to resist for the husky even if there was an ongoing war.


    The itch would last until a super-strong opponent appeared. Then the husky would flee with her tail between her legs at the first opportunity.


    Hao Ren could not be as simple-minded as the husky maiden. He knew that he could completely suppress the conflict on the planet with his drone cluster. Despite that, it could not be his default choice. ¡°This conflict hasn¡¯t worsened to the extent of jeopardizing the survival of any civilization; inspectors have no right to intervene in such a war.¡±


    ¡°You mean, we have to just sit by and watch?¡± Lily pouted.


    ¡°All I can tell you is that I can¡¯t intervene in the war as an inspector.¡± Hao Ren glanced at the maiden. ¡°With that said, intervening in the local battle on a personal capacity shouldn¡¯t be a problem. Don¡¯t forget that we have a job to do on this planet. We can always respond on the grounds of self-defense.¡±


    Meanwhile, in Graymountain.


    Earl Naeem stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window in his favorite golden-red robe, watching the clouds rising in the distance. The expression on the face of the old earl gradually eased.


    Graymountain was not a mountain but a cloudscape formed by the unique environment of that place. The clouds rose due to geothermal heat, which gathered at high altitudes, and they were stacked together to form a mountain-like cloud. The clouds would then float over the plains for six months each year, and that was how the name Graymountain came about.


    Naeem had inherited his father¡¯s title from a young age. Ever since he became the mayor of the city, Naeem liked to stand in front of the floor-to-ceiling window to look through the clear crystal glass and watch the clouds in the sky outside. Those amorphous clouds, which took a long time to dissipate reminded him of his past. He used to be an arrogant dandy, but he did not manage to escape from that land. When he woke up from his excesses, he finally realized that his arrogance was just a ripple in his life.


    Just like those clouds, it was ever-changing, but Graymountain remained the same.


    The princess¡¯s cold gaze seemed to pierce through from behind the clouds, and Naeem could not help but squint.


    Human life was short, but mortals found pleasure in it.


    Footsteps came from behind, and the old earl turned around.


    His bloated body and wrinkled face due to his old age made him look particularly weak. His frail appearance probably magnified the contempt of those who had just walked into his room.


    Five men stood before Naeem, and these individuals were enough to make most people in the kingdom shiver in fear. They were wearing black body armor, black steel helmets, and full-faced visors, which mimicked dragon heads. Each of them had a black mechanical sword that hung by their waists, while light flickered from the magic-powered mechanisms on the blade and the hilt. Each blade was also inlaid with three gold stars. The men were Knights of the Ebon Blade¡ªhigher-order knights.


    ¡°Earl, it seems that you have made up your mind in terms of which side you stand on,¡± one of the knights spoke with a suppressed voice under the visor. ¡°We are delighted to see that you still possess the same wisdom. This rebellion will not last. It is not too late for you to assert your stance.¡±


    Although the knight spoke with polite words, there was nothing respectful in his tone of voice.


    Naeem¡¯s already bloated body appeared even more sloppy now he lowered his head slightly. ¡°Yes, I have something to tell the loyal knights of the emperor.¡±


    A little red light flashed across the eyes of the knights, and Naeem disappeared right before them.


    *Buzz!*


    Their five black mechanical swords activated with a buzz almost simultaneously. The powerful magic energy heated their blades to a thousand degrees until the blades began to vibrate. A knight clenched the hilt of his sword, but before he could draw it, his head slowly slipped off his shoulder.


    The second and the third knight managed to unsheathed their swords, but their sword-wielding arms were severed and flung to the corner of the room. Blood spurted out from their bodies before they fell to the ground with a thud.


    ¡°How dare you!¡± The fourth knight roared, and his black body armor glowed with an intricate golden-red pattern. The power of the Dragon Seal slowed the time around him, and he finally spotted the old earl.


    He saw a young man dressed in Earl Naeem¡¯s long, golden-red cloak, seemingly dancing past the splashes of blood in the room. The young man was wielding a slender sword, which he condensed magic energy into. It was aimed straight at the forth knight¡¯s glabella.


    In his gradually inclining field of view, the Knight of the Ebon Blade saw the head of his last comrade cut off by the magic sword before he could do anything.


    Earl Naeem then reappeared in the room. His body quickly returned to its bloated and clumsy state, and his face appeared wrinkly again. Even his robe automatically readjusted itself around his bloated body. The earl looked down at the bodies on the floor and bent down slightly.


    ¡°That¡¯s all I have to say.¡±


    The door was pushed open as a middle-aged man, who looked like a butler, walked in. ¡°Master.¡±


    ¡°Take these monsters away and burn them. Toss their swords into the furnace.¡± Naeem nodded slightly. ¡°They did not manage to send the signal out; we still have some time.¡±

 Chapter 1701 - Checkpoint

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    In just the blink of an eye, stories of the northern six provinces rebelling under the banner of Princess Constance turned from a whispered rumor to open news. All over town, between wells, that was the topic on everyone¡¯s mouth. People anxiously discussed the situation at hand as they tried to get the latest information from one unverified source to another. They discussed the motives of the princess, the motives of the six northern provinces, the changes on the front line, and what His Majesty would do. However, the battle near Copulus River and the village that was destroyed in the fighting was more worrying. It worried everyone since that place was not considered far away.


    Based on slightly newer information, it was an unexpected skirmish. Some Knights of the Broken Blade and their squires who were heading north to answer the princess¡¯ clarion call were discovered by the Knights of the Ebon Blade as they were making their way across. Both sides then fell upon each other in a chaotic battle, and while the Knights of the Broken Blade were outnumbered ten to one, they fought almost evenly against their foes. The battle was pretty much inconclusive because both sides withdrew after massive casualties. The battle itself was without a winner, but ultimately, the commander of the Ebon Blades would not sit still because the Broken Blades had disappeared after the battle. No one knew if they had already reached the north or were still roaming the lands¡­


    That directly resulted in every town tightening inspections at the gates.


    Leaving a town was easy, but entering another one was now difficult. A checkpoint, which had been hastily set up now blocked the path to Greenway. A large number of fully armed imperial soldiers was inspecting every person going north to prevent the Broken Blades or any other rebels forces loyal to the princess from masquerading as commoners. The Ebon Blades could be seen in front of the checkpoints in their signature black armor and full-faced dragon helmets. The chainswords hanging by their waist hummed as they looked on cautiously at every passing member alongside their master.


    Hao Ren pulled his curtain aside and saw another caravan in front of his being inspected. His sight then stopped on one of the Ebon Blades before he turned back. ¡°Looks like this inspection is serious business.¡±


    ¡°Things have progressed a lot faster than expected.¡± Charlemagne frowned. ¡°News of the rebellion in the north should not have spread so fast. It usually isn¡¯t until the imperial soldiers and the local officials are ready before such news are released to the masses, after much planning and curating. ¡±


    ¡°So the ones spreading the news are not necessarily loyal to the emperor.¡± Vivian was not all that surprised. ¡°Seems like even the Dragon Empire isn¡¯t a united entity as you two have said. At least six of the northern provinces have immediately responded to the call for rebellion, and there is also instability in the south as well.¡±


    ¡°Our understanding of dragons is somewhat limited.¡± Awenna was serene as ever without any signs of awkwardness. ¡°Even the most stable of countries have elements of instability in it. His Imperial Majesty Berentine has ruled this land for thousands of years. He is never going to command absolute loyalty from every single person, not when his equally famous daughter is going out and about.¡±


    Lily gnashed her teeth. ¡°This is a typical example of a daughter screwing over her pops. That emperor must be green in the stomach now.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡± Charlemagne and Awenna were confused.


    ¡°Ignore her.¡± Hao Ren waved it off. ¡°She just ate something wrong and is babbling randomly.¡±


    As they spoke, it became time for their caravan to be inspected. A few imperial soldiers stopped the carriage and requested to inspect the vehicle.


    Charlemagne reflexively grabbed his arming sword by his waist as he put his hand into his chest pocket. That was the royal mark of the Kingdom of Izzo. If things really went out of control, that mark would be their last gambit.


    However, as his eyes scanned across Hao Ren and the other three at the back of the carriage, he was surprised to find the four of them totally calm while they sat around. They even started joking, and that confused him.


    Had these people, after being separated so long from the world in the Basilica of the World Tree, lost the most basic sense of danger?


    The imperial soldiers were now before the carriage, and Charlemagne took a deep breath as his expression turned humble and tense. He pushed the carriage window open and slide the screen aside while he peered out. A moment later, his voice rang. ¡°We are a merchant caravan heading toward Greenway. This is our pass and item checklist. We are carrying artisan goods and cloth.¡±


    Shortly after, the imperial soldier yelled back, ¡°The pass says your destination is Graymountain? Why are you changing it to Greenway?¡±


    ¡°Graymountain is too dangerous now!¡± Charlemagne replied hurriedly, really sounding like a terrified little merchant. ¡°There are rebels in that town, and the Broken Blades are a bunch of unblinking, cold-blooded killers! By the emperor, we will not want to even get close to them. There are imperial forces in Greenway. It is much safer there.¡±


    Hearing the commotion outside the carriage, Hao Ren was stunned. Who would have thought that the paranoid prince actually had such good acting skills? Was he actually a performer?


    However, even his good acting was not able to affect the soldier¡¯s methodical inspection process as he heard the soldier speak again, ¡°Everyone going north is saying that! Open up the carriage. We are checking everything and everyone!¡±


    Charlemagne could not refuse the request, or else everyone would be detained. So, he could only pull all of the screens open.


    A few soldiers went over to look at two other carriages of goods while an Ebon Blade knight accompanied by another soldier in light armor stepped into their modified carriage.


    The moment the fully armored Ebon Blade knight stepped on the carriage, it sunk a little.


    The iron tin can of a knight swept his gaze across the entire carriage, his expression behind the helmet not visible. Even the two eye slits on his mask revealed nothing but darkness.


    Hao Ren was intrigued by the famous knight and tried to take note of his every special detail as well as feature. The first impression Hao Ren got was that the latter lacked a certain liveliness to him, yet he was not an undead creature.


    The Ebon Blade knight was clearly a living person but also not in some ways.


    The accompanying soldier bowed before the knight. ¡°Sir, this carriage is a little weird. The magical device lets out very little noise while it operates, and the axle has been changed before as well¡­¡±


    The Ebon Blade knight nodded and stepped forward, instinctively meeting Rheia¡¯s gaze.


    Rheia looked up from her homework and stared at the black metal tin can before her. ¡°We are a merchant caravan heading toward Greenway. All our documents are in place. May we go now?¡±


    The knight nodded, and a raspy voice rang from beneath his helmet. ¡°You are a merchant caravan heading toward Greenway. All your documents are in place, you may go now.¡±


    The imperial soldier was stunned, but at that checkpoint, the orders of an Ebon Blade knight were absolute, and he quickly nodded as he leaped out of the carriage, yelling at the rest of the soldiers, ¡°Let them pass! Let them pass! There¡¯s no problem here!¡±


    After having the Greenway authorization stamped on their pass and leaving the checkpoint, Charlemagne and Awenna fully calmed down at last. They then looked oddly at Rheia, who seemed to be spacing out at the back of the carriage.


    ¡­Rheia spaced out most of the time, leading the two siblings to think that she was autistic.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Rheia disconnected from her studies as she noticed their gaze and asked curiously.


    ¡°What did you do earlier?¡± Awenna was shocked. ¡°The Ebon Blade knight would not have let us off so easily. He already suspected us!¡±


    Charlemagne nodded. In that split second, he felt his suspicion soon turning into outright killing intent, and he was even ready to draw his sword. He never thought that once the ¡°little lass¡± spoke, the unusual aura surrounding the knight would vanish altogether.


    ¡°Nothing. I was just telling the truth,¡± Rheia answered with a serious look, but she left something out. She had also turned truth into reality.


    While she was only a material projection and could only use a very minuscule amount of her powers due to her lack of mastery in projection usage, her power as a true god was still transmitted through the projection. It was beyond anything a mortal like the Ebon Blade knight could defend against.


    She had spoken the words of a god, thus that was reality.


    Of course, due to the instability of the projection and most of her mental faculties being focused on studying, Rheia¡¯s ability was not omnipotent. If it had been an army instead of a sole knight, her words would have meant nothing.


    Charlemagne and Awenna, of course, did not know these details. They truly thought that there was some sort of mental interference magic and that it was a secret spell from the Basilica of the World Tree, leading them to be even more astounded. Awenna twirled a strand of her hair as she said, ¡°¡­I have never heard of an Ebon Blade falling for a mental interference spell. They are almost immune to magic against the mind¡­¡±


    While the two parties were not exactly chatty, Hao Ren was still intrigued by what Awenna had said. ¡°Immune to mind magic?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the mind of an Ebon Blade knight is very strong, and it is usually immune to most soul and mind magic. The knights even have an ability called the Dragon¡¯s Mark. Once activated, they will have resistance to all kinds of magic just like the dragons in the legends, and their individual capabilities, too, will increase. While they are no match for those ridiculous Broken Blades, they are still the strongest soldiers without question. I never thought that all of you could just pretty much scurry about under their noses¡­¡±


    Hao Ren nodded but did not add anything further. His thoughts were filled with the unnatural feeling he got when he faced the Ebon Blade knight¡­

 Chapter 1702 - Greenway

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Greenway was the last major city towards the north on the southern part of the empire. Further north after that city was the vast and treacherous Black Forest. The vast forest that was covered in darkness most of the time was about 10 percent of the empire¡¯s entire landmass. There were poisonous swamps, beast burrows and the nest of some ancient creatures, but the Black Forest too had rare alchemy ingredients and ores, due to the terrifying legends and the inherent danger of the forest itself, very few people will willingly venture in there.


    For many years, the imperials had tried to develop this vast forest as leaving such a fertile land untilled in the heart of the empire was a waste, but the Black Forest had an unusual vigor plus the various monsters living in there made the development progress extremely slow. And after so many years, the imperials had only managed to build a few cities along the edges of the forest. Greenway was one of them.


    The city was probably one of the more successful ventures of the ¡®Black Forest Development program¡¯. The place it stood on two hundred years ago was actually part of the forest, but the efforts of generations of druids and arcanists allowed the land to ¡®break off¡¯ from the ¡®life cycle¡¯ of the Black Forest and stopped the wildly growing and regrowing woods to stop north of the city¡¯s wood screen while the imperials prospered in Greenway as they expanded the city, tilled lands and transformed it into a formidable fortress of civilization, and finally had a firm grasp of the land.


    But the cost of building a city like this was far far too enormous.


    To secure a plot of land from the Black Forest, the expended material and manpower was enough to built at least ten cities of similar size, without the worry of the forest fighting back so the ambitious plan pretty much stopped there. Greenway was the most successful, and was the last of the pioneer¡¯s city. Two hundred years since Greenway¡¯s establishment, the imperial¡¯s attitude towards the Black Forest changed from exploration and expansion to straight up maintenance, and that continued until today. And now, very little people remembered the times when they had to struggle against the forest for every step they took.


    With Rheia¡¯s help, clearing the checkpoint was not difficult and the caravan had gotten all the legal documents and stepped into this rich and legendary city.


    Greenway was much more prosperous than most other towns along the way, and the bridge fort had been expanded and renovated by countless of generations, and now stood like a massive ant hive at the edge of the forest. The campsite and workshops set up for the pioneers had became a civilian housing and market zone. The people stayed in this city trades the resources from the Black Forest for a living as both north and south bound merchants gathered here and purchase the various goods from the Black Forest at a relatively low price. The city itself had three towers that could dock a medium-sized flying ship. Those were military ports meant for supplies up north. After all, after spending so much to establish this city, returns was still a must.


    North of the city was a massive wall that stood between the buildings and the Black Forest. As the light green wall glowed all year long in the glow of magic. The wall was encrusted with elven runic bricks and were used to prevent the Black Forest from encroaching the city. While this land had already broken off the Black Forest¡¯ cycle of life, but small scale infestations never did stop. If not for the walls, the growing vines and weeds would drive any city official insane.


    The magic caravan drove on the highway but Hao Ren did not have time to admire the view. He pulled up the curtain and gently knocked the MDT who was playing dead on his shoulder. ¡°Done with the analysis?¡±


    ¡°Bloody hell, you only remember me when you need something,¡± the MDT grumbled. ¡°But your senses are sharp, that Ebon Blade guy had something really wrong about him.¡±


    ¡°An undead?¡± Vivian raised an eyebrow. ¡°I get a feeling that he wasn¡¯t alive¡­ the heat signature and blood distribution is off too.¡±


    ¡°It is living, but weirdly¡­ incomplete.¡± the MDT said. ¡°With limited samples my analysis may not be accurate, but based on what we see, the Ebon Blade knights are probably soldiers modified by magic or other means. Their physical body is still active but there are many non-biological objects operating as well. Their nerve system is working normally but their brain activity is lowered to the point of implausibility. Under most circumstances they do look like a walking corpse under the influence of necromancy, but as we said, his body is alive.¡±


    ¡°A homonculus that requires directive,¡± Hao Ren rubbed his chin, ¡°Lets categorized them as that for now.¡±


    ¡°Why are you so interested in the Ebon Blades?¡± Rheia curiously looked at Hao Ren, ¡°Isn¡¯t your job to save the world?¡±


    The moment Rheia mentioned that Hao Ren¡¯s entire expression changed. ¡°Don¡¯t even mention it, monitoring and recording civilizations is the job of an inspector, and saving the world is actually my bloody boss¡¯s job! If not for the unique situation of the Plane of Dreams my job would be taking notes of these civilizations¡­¡±


    Rheia was surprised, ¡°That¡¯s actually your job?! I thought your job was to bag up dead civilizations and count my inheritance¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ Have you finished your homework?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s bullying!¡±


    Hao Ren broke into a winning smile before turning away to analyze the planetary analysis report.


    His expression changed slightly.


    There was a very eye-catching note on the report: Abnormal signals detected inside L¡¯Haronne¡¯s core.


    The probes had already completed a detailed scan of most of the planet¡¯s structure, and Nolan even went there to set up a temporary docking spot as an endless stream of reports flowed into the Petrachelys¡¯ mainframe before being presented before Hao Ren.


    As the planet was already been split into two, the core was exposed for a long time and the usually molten core had already cooled into a metal ball, and while the temperature was still fatal to humans, for a star it was considered ¡®cool¡¯


    After a few days of detailed search,m Nolan found something interested in the cooled down planet core.


    ¡°Boss, I detected a very unique area deep within the core, an unknown material with a density and energy level that exceeds the average parameters is hidden down there and it is still releasing that unique energy pulse.


    Hao Ren, once he had calmed down from the initial surprise, quickly sought details, ¡°Only such vague reports? Can¡¯t see what it is actually?¡±


    Nolan dithered for a second before responding, ¡°¡­ The scanners ran into some trouble there. Interference.¡±


    A very unique energy field was near the L¡¯Haronne¡¯s core, and this energy field was capable of disrupting Nolan¡¯s advanced radar systems, that led to the shipgirl without any ideas on how to get a better understanding of what was actually inside the core.


    But one thing for sure, a normal planet¡¯s core would not have such a thing naturally.


    It was man-made, and it was definitely not by the civilization on the planet today.


    In the mindlink, Nolan¡¯s image appeared in Hao Ren¡¯s mind, behind her was a blob of dark red, and glowing planetary core material, and various tiny debris floated around the low-gravity environment, that was the ¡®dust¡¯ kicked up by the vibration of the core.


    Nolan¡¯s had a rather conflicted look on her face, ¡°Boss, the core is still releasing that energy pulse, but the signals are a mess, and we can¡¯t decode anything useful. Who would have left that behind?¡±


    ¡°This planet was destroyed once, but even before their prior destruction they were just a planet-wide indigenous civilization. And based on Rheia¡¯s observation, that planet could not possibly install anything in their planet¡¯s core.¡± Hao Ren thought, ¡°So what you detected may be left behind by an even more ancient civilization. Before the formation of the Umbral Realm.¡±


    Nolan¡¯s brow furrowed, ¡°This probably has something to do with the ¡®vaccine¡¯ that we are looking for. But it is now being locked behind an energy field. This energy field has a very obvious mark of encryption, like a safety box or something. Forcibly prying it open will invite all sorts of trouble.¡±


    ¡°We cannot force it open,¡± Hao Ren immediately responded, ¡°It is buried deep within the core, and anything goes wrong there will have apocalyptic results on the planet. If it really blows up, it will be all on our heads.¡±


    ¡°¡­Boss, I think it is better if you don¡¯t say that, knowing your unique trait. What is it becomes reality?¡±


    Hao Ren felt into a temporary awkwardness, ¡°Even you had become a bad girl¡­ But really, don¡¯t provoke that thing, you need to safely crack that energy barrier. If the ship¡¯s computer is not up to task I authorize you to use the World Tree¡¯s computer to support you. My request is only one, take it steady, as steady as possible. Got it?¡±


    ¡°Nolan understood.¡±


    The comms was then cut and Hao Ren softly exhaled.


    Nolan had some pretty impressive progress.


    The operation on Nolan was split into two, one was Hao Ren and his team and their mission was to operate on the planet¡¯s surface as they personally join in and observe the world¡¯s civilization and record down how this civilization survives and operates in this unique environment, and observing what was happening in the Dragon Empire was one of it; another was by Nolan and her massive swarm of probes. Their mission was to scan the entire planet¡¯s geological structure and any deeper secrets, seeking any clues from those inert items. The two missions went ahead in parallel, and at the same time completing the observation and recording of the civilization and the local environment.


    And they could also search for clues of the Lord of Madness at the same time.


    Hao Ren had tonnes of guesses, and this was what a normal inspector would be doing. Those dynamic entries in the past with a copious about of cannon fire was the bloody abnormal ones!


    Then suddenly Hao Ren felt a little pressed for time: Nolan had already detected an abnormality on the planet, and while the abnormality was covered by an energy field, decoding it was a matter of time, but could his actions on the planet¡¯s surface get some results as well?


    His instincts told him that this Dragon Empire was hiding some sort of secret, and that secret allows it to be different from every other country in L¡¯Haronne. He believe that if they were to see this journey through to the end, this secret will be revealed¡­

 Chapter 1703 - The Legend of the Black Forest

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    When you are standing on any street in Greenway, be it the deepest most oppressive of places, the moment you look up to the borderlands towards the Black Forest, you could see the verdant green glow.


    That was the ¡®Verdant Barrier¡¯, an enchanted wall built out of a gray crystal rock unique to the south of the Empire and thirty thousand slabs of elven rune bricks were encrusted in it as it protected the city from being consumed by the forest. It had a very unique, repelling effect against the cycle of life and that ensured that the land was completed separated from the Black Forest, and this scene was one of Greenway¡¯s trademark views.


    Of course, Hao Ren and the rest too were drawn in by that great wall that was visible no matter where you are, and now upon listening to Awenna¡¯s description of the city and the Black Forest, his interest was piqued even more.


    ¡°The Black Forest is one of the biggest mysteries of the Dragon Empire, even the imperial scholars were unable to explain the nature of this forest. No one knew then this dense forest was formed but ever since the imperials pushed their borders down south, it was already there.¡± Awenna looked at the scene outside the carriage, explaining as she enjoyed the scene, ¡°The forest¡¯ vitality confused the elves that called themselves the children of the forest. No matter if it was chopped or burnt, the Black Forest would simply recover after a few days, and at times the moment you fell a tree, you could even see it sprout right before your eyes, and the deeper into the forest, this unusual vitality was getting more obvious than ever¡­¡±


    As she got there, Awenna stopped as she pointed towards the buildings afar, ¡°You see that city? That¡¯s Greenway, it was originally part of the Black Forest, but as it is on the borderlands, the cycle of life is weaker there, and the imperials paid a huge price and finally managed to separate and stabilized it, but any further in, even those elven rune bricks are helpless against the forest¡¯ infestation.¡±


    Charlemagne then added, ¡°That¡¯s why the imperials had given up developing the forest. It is like a stubborn dragon holding fast to its territory and the humans, after spending a fortune had managed to pry a few scraps from its claws. It was pretty much a loss-making venture.¡±


    Vivian then laughed, ¡°Seems like that emperor with the dragon soul had to bow to the Forest Dragon eh?¡±


    On the other side, when he heard that, the first thing Hao Ren thought of was of course.. The First Borns.


    Those legendary creatures would send their tentacles out to the planet¡¯s surface from time to time, and when they did so, they would send the tentacles out as a forest, or a giant tree as camouflage. The plants that evolved from the tentacles usually had a very powerful life force, just like the Twisted Grove back in Holletta.


    But this is L¡¯Haronne, a place far away from the Plane of Dreams. There was no possibility of a First Born here, and Nolan¡¯s scans had already proven that.


    Then there was something interesting about the unusual life in the Black Forest.


    ¡°So if this Black Forest is that brimming with life, why didn¡¯t they totally consume the empire?¡± Lily asked, ¡°And I saw that Verdant Barrier just now and it was only blocking the path towards Greenway but the regions without barrier did not see the forest encroaching.¡±


    ¡°This is the second unusual part of the Black Forest,¡± Awenna said with a faint smile. She seemed to be very enthusiastic about introducing these to them, if not for her position as a princess, she would have been a five-star tour guide. ¡°The Black Forest¡¯s life force is very strong and if destroyed it will quickly recover, but other than that, it will not expand. Its area is fixed and it has not changed for the past thousands of years regardless of the weather or any change to the land, it never expanded nor did it shrunk. Of course, the few developments along the edges of the forest were pretty much the only ¡®marks¡¯ against it, but compared to the forest, this tiny damage was nothing as it was barely even one percent of its entire landmass.¡±


    ¡°The so-called encroachment was actually what the people of Greenway said themselves, they were taking land originally belonging to the forest,¡± Charlemagne shook his head, seemingly disapproving of the locals.


    ¡°Neither expanding nor shrinking huh¡­¡± Hao Ren rubbed his chin as he went into deep thought.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you all live in that Basilica of the World Tree, but you people sure are cut off quite severely from the world that you don¡¯t even know about the famous Black Forest.¡± Awenna shook her head. ¡°When I heard your titles I thought all of you were hiding in the Black Forest itself, as that temple¡¯s name actually sounded similar to the legend of the Black Forest.¡±


    Lily¡¯s interest was piqued, ¡°The Legend of the Black Forest? Tell me, tell me¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty much a mishmash of nonsense adventurers and third rate scholars had cobbled together,¡± Charlemagne shrugged, and while as a properly educated royalty he too had some understanding of the legend, but he never believed them, ¡°The forest¡¯s vitality cannot be explained by normal means, so many people started having wild guesses. Some said a ¡®Wellspring of the World¡¯ lay in the center of the forest, and that wellspring is the source of all life on the planet, and its powers formed the Black Forest. The legends say that if you take a sip of the spring water, you will gain immortal life, so there was another addendum to that legend. Emperor Berentine was supposedly not the Dragon Soul, rather he had taken a sip from the spring and gained immortality.¡±


    ¡°Some say that there is a sacred temple inside the Black Forest, called the Sacred Temple of Life, and the contents are pretty much the same as the Wellspring of the World, but the saying is that you need to spend a night meditating to gain immortality.¡± Awenna smiled. ¡°But everyone thought that meditating is much more troublesome than just drinking water, so the story of the wellspring stuck.¡±


    Hao Ren massaged his temple as he went, ¡°Listening to the last part makes neither sound convincing at all¡­¡±


    ¡°They are mere legends, you cannot be serious to believe them.¡± Charlemagne thumbed his nose, ¡°While the Black Forest is dangerous, it is not unassailable, and in fact due to the efforts of so many generations, the imperials have managed to find a few more stable routes across the Black Forest, while there will be brave adventurers exploring unknown paths in the Black Forest, most of them made it back, but no one actually discovered any wellsprings or temples. Plus there are also many scheduled skyships flying over the Black Forest, and you can see the entire woods from above, there¡¯s nothing of the sorts.¡±


    Hao Ren was wondering how does his crew would make their way through the Black Forest when he heard the legends of the place, and after hearing Charlemagne mentioning about paths within the forest that he realized something, but his curiosity soon followed, ¡°There are paths within the forest? Didn¡¯t you say the deeper into the forest the stronger its life force is? And any traces left behind by men will be wiped out almost in an instant?¡±


    ¡°Those paths are not man-made, they were there all along,¡± Awenna explained. ¡°This is also another unsolved mystery of the forest, the pathways have clear signs of being created by hand, with the roads paved and lit, some of the paths even have stone houses and the likes, but these were all there before the imperials discovered this forest. Some people are guessing it is a relic of a bygone civilization, but this guess is even vaguer than the wellspring of life¡­ and does not explain why the paths are not consumed by the forest¡­¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian reflexively exchanged glances.


    This explanation¡­ was probably the most plausible of the lot.


    ¡°The stories about the Black Forest is almost endless,¡± Charlemagne noticed that the caravan was already approaching the Verdant Barrier, and decided to cut the topic short, ¡°There are many forks in the Black Forest, I have already planned out the best route northwards. If you are really curious about the forest, you can have a look yourself once we get in.¡±


    While Greenway was a wondrous city that was worth visiting, but the group clearly did not linger as the caravan passed through the city¡¯s central road and after clearing the necessary procedures they headed to the city¡¯s northern exit.


    In that direction, the great Verdant Barrier held the forest at bay, while underneath the wall were twelve great gates. The gates had a clear elven influence as the glorious story of the humans and the elven smith working together to create this miracle city was engraved on the tall and elegant gate. The first group of human pioneers was long dead, but the elves in that ¡®Pledge Of the Gate¡¯ were still working for the city, and their main duty was to monitor the changes of the Black Forest beyond the wall and to guard the gates alongside their human compatriots.


    And these long-lived elves were loyal to their duty.


    These pointy-eared, elegant race were scattered all across the land and were said to once have a powerful empire, but now the ancient elven empire was now a legend, and aside from a few tiny kingdoms hidden within the forest isolated from the world, most of the elves had already assimilated into the human realms, and the elves of the Dragon Empire were the most assimilated of the lot. Probably due to the fact that this country had an immortal emperor, and could better understand the thoughts and habits of the long-lived elves. The elves within Dragon were actually doing very well.


    There was almost no line waiting to go into the Black Forest, and of the 12 fairways, only 3 were opened. Looks like while the Black Forest had an abundance of produce, the danger and mystery of the forest kept many away.


    There were only three kinds of people that dared to enter the forest. The first was the Greenway locals, they were familiar with the situation at the borderlands and were harvesting ore, lumber or medicinal herbs in a set location for a living. The second ones were veteran adventurers. They will go deeper into the forest, just by a bit along the pathways in the forest to look for beast lairs or locations where monster sightings were reported. They will not deviate from the path too far and are still able to hunt for various valuable monsters, and a successful foray can make everyone rich for at least half a year. The third group was travelers or merchant caravans taking the shortcut inside the forest heading west or north. This was to bypass the expensive skyship fees, and unless they were downright unlucky to run into a migrating monster horde, following the pathways in the forest were still considered safe.


    Hao Ren and his team were masquerading as a caravan and getting permission to enter the Black Forest.


    As the line was short, the caravan soon reached the imposing gate and Hao Ren saw before the gate were a group of soldiers clad in light, black armor and elven woodwalkers clad in a green ranger garb. But the most eye-catching of the lot were still the heavily armored Knight of the Ebon Blade, with their trademark chainsword hanging by their waist.


    This was after all an important southern city, and having the Ebon Blade knights to guard them was expected.


    The soldiers coming on board to inspect the caravan were little, and if there were any problems, Rheia could force the soldiers to let them go with her powers, so Hao Ren was not too concerned and lay on the window to look at the view outside.


    And a few hurrying imperial officers caught his attention.


    The few officials walked passed the sentry post ahead of them, and by their getup looked like military officers, and seeing how the soldiers nearby saluted them, their rank was probably quite high too.


    The previously calm and proud imperial officers were looking very nervous as they were engaged in a deep discussion while walking hurriedly past the sentry post as if there was an emergency. Hao Ren immediately focused on to listen to their conversation.


    Just as he was about to do that, Lily, who was seated even deeper within the carriage started verbalizing what she heard, ¡°We have lost contact with the Ebon Blades sent to Greymountain¡­ Count Naaem is refusing the conscription order¡­ We can be sure that Greymountain now stands with the princess¡­ the signal of war¡­ it¡¯s pretty much all about this.¡±


    Charlemagne and Awenna gave Lily a surprised look and did not understand why the latter was telling them all of that. They had not noticed the imperial officers outside, and could not listen to the hushed conversation from afar.


    ¡°Seems like the civil war had reached the south,¡± Hao Ren explained with a whisper, ¡°Lily had heard a few officers discussing the matter, and as you predicted, Count Naaem of Greymountain had sworn fealty to Princess Constance and may have already killed the Ebon Blades emissaries sent to Greymountain.¡±


    ¡°Hiss¡­.¡± Charlemagne reflexively breathed in hard. He never thought the situation would change so rapidly, and his next action was to look at the green gate not too far away. The caravan had already been inspected and needed to wait for a few minutes before the three carriages could pass through the gate and into the Black Forest.


    But suddenly a feeling of foreboding welled up in him. The gate before him suddenly seemed so far away as he felt some sort of danger was close by, and this smooth trip so far was about to go totally out of control.


    Hao Ren too had noticed the changes in the prince¡¯s expression and with his instinct being sharper and more accurate than a mortal like Charlemagne, a chilly feeling drove him to open the screen at the back of the carriage, and looking at that direction.


    A squad of black-armored Ebon Blade knights was riding wildly towards them.


    Yet, the imperial soldiers guarding the Greenwood Gate had already inspected the caravan. An Ebon Blade knight, escorted by two soldiers, went into the carriage as he scanned everything with an ice-cold gaze.


    Everyone nearby, soldiers and civilians alike could not help but turn their attention to the seemingly inconspicuous merchant caravan. Well more accurately, their attention was attracted by the ten charging knights and they quickly noticed the knights¡¯ target.


    The charging knight spurred forward as two red glows appeared on his visor. He pulled out his black chainsword from his scabbard as the blade roared into life, as heat capable of melting armor gathered around the blade. A hoarse roar then came from under the helmet, ¡°Stop those caravans! Kill them all!¡±


    Inside the carriage, the inspecting knight suddenly stopped as a red glow appeared on the eye slit, as a strong surge of hostility and killing intent rushed out.


    Rheia, who was pretending to be asleep suddenly opened her eyes and stared at the knight dead in the eyes. ¡°Let us go!¡±


    The Ebon Blade knight suddenly shuddered as he tried to use his willpower to resist the sudden surge of power, but a mere second later, a defeated voice came from under the helm, ¡°Let them¡­¡±


    The two soldiers noticed something was wrong and queried, ¡°Sir?¡±


    The roar outside the carriage soon became clear, ¡°KILL OF ALL THEM!¡±


    The knight who was resisting Rheia¡¯s control suddenly gained second wind as he heard the voice, and after a violent shudder later he stiffly placed his hand on the hilt of the chainsword on his waist, following an activation trigger later, the blade hummed and he drew the sword and charged towards Hao Ren in a furious rage, ¡°Executing¡­ orders!!¡±


    The two soldiers in the carriage quickly broke out of their stupor and the moment the knight attacked they too drew their weapons and charged!


    Charlemagne placed himself before Awenna, his arming sword already drawn. ¡°Stay back, I¡­¡±


    Everything then happened in an instant, and facing the out of control situation, Rheia could only sigh, ¡°Aih¡­¡±


    In the sigh, every weapon pointed at her, including the chainsword and the two imperial longswords disappeared.


    The Ebon Blade knight fell onto the caravan floor stiffly, while one of the two imperial soldiers were smashed out of the carriage by Vivian¡¯s lightning orb, while the other was pounced upon by Lily and tossed out after having a few bones broken.


    Hao Ren smacked the protective screen at the back of the carriage. ¡°Charge out!¡±

 Chapter 1704 - Breakout

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The sudden turn of events threw the area near the Greenwood Gate into total chaos as the charging Ebon Blade knights clearly had never spoken with the nearby sentries before, and the latter¡¯s reaction was slow, and that gave Hao Ren the chance to break out.


    The originally disguised ¡®magic caravans¡¯ suddenly exploded into a speed not expected for a vehicle of their type as the three carriages accelerated and charged towards the raised barricade and the gathering guards. The personal guards masquerading as merchants quickly dropped their guise and drew their weapons as they engaged the blades and spears from all directions.


    A loud crash rang out as the barricade was smashed by the carriage into splinters while the guards by the side of the road were sent tumbling.


    ¡°Shut the gates! Lower the barriers!¡±


    The imperial officer in charge of the gate yelled his orders, and as his voice rang out, the mages activated the gate¡¯s magical mechanism and following a series of ground tremors and mechanical clanking later, that ten-meter tall green gate was slowly closing as a layer of light green energy barrier appeared near the runic bricks and started descending.


    ¡°Leave none alive!¡± An Ebon Blade knight roared. He saw the target were about to pass through the Greenwood Gate and immediately leap from his horse. A series of complex golden runes appeared on his armor as two magic wings appeared out of nowhere to support his mid-air glide. The knight raised his sword as he slashed violently at the third caravan, ¡°The Emperor wills it!¡±


    The chainsword roared as it ran at full speed and the powerful heat coalesced into a crimson half-moon shock wave and fly headlong towards the caravan¡¯s roof!


    But the attack was blocked by a semi-transparent barrier as a shield generator hidden within the carriage was activated and deflected the powerful heat attack to the side of the carriage as the sturdy greenstone surface swiftly redden and exploded into a storm of pebbles!


    The third caravan¡¯s cover, using a mechanical device quickly folded and reformed into a low barricade. Hao Ren switched Grungnir¡¯s into blaster mode as Lily took a gulp of saliva as light glowed between her fangs while Vivian summoned lightning as the three of them taking cover behind the barricade, aiming and throwing all sorts of ranged attacks towards the pursuing Ebon Blade knights.


    Three of them immediately fell to the attacks and turned into a balls of flames and fragments, yet the other knights did not show any signs of fear as they leap from their horses and activated their ¡®Dragonmark¡¯, and exploded into a strength and speed hundred times a normal human as they flanked the caravans from both sides.


    At that moment, the three caravans had reached the bottom of the closing Greenwood Gate, a personal guard yelled as he fought, ¡°Milord! There is a magic barrier ahead! We are going to crash¡­¡±


    Rheia looked up at the barrier that was blocking their path and shot out a tiny energy bolt. ¡°Stop disturbing my study session!¡±


    And with that, the magical defense system created by the combined efforts of thousands of elven smiths and countless of human mages shattered into millions of tiny light orbs without a sound.


    One of the pursuing Ebon Blade Knight actually managed to chase up to the speeding caravan as he menacing swung his blade at Charlemagne who was guarding Awenna. The latter had cold sweat all over him, he knew the power of the chainsword, as the superheated blade could easily melt metal, and the rapid vibrating blade could split walls and armor-like melted butter. But without any recourse to retreat, he bit hard and raised his heirloom blade against the menacing armored knight!


    The next second he saw the terrifying knight smashed face-first against the caravan¡¯s barrier as the armor and bones crumpled in a very painful fashion before his entire body slid down the barrier. The entire caravan shook violently under the sudden shock and caused everyone to worry if it would come apart the next second, but this weird carriage absorbed the shock well before darting deep into the Black Forest.


    The pursuing knights and the gate guards could only look on at the originally ¡®slow¡¯ magic caravan blasting off in an incredible speed as they broke through every barricade and into the thick forest and could only exchange blank glances.


    They, of course, could not take this lying down as an imperial officer ran up all agitated as he saw the caravan disappear into the distance, ¡°Form up the riders! Inform the rangers in the woods! Release the lockdown signal! Do not let them leave the Black Forest alive!¡±


    The soldiers immediately moved upon hearing the command as they shuffled quickly to their positions, but just as they were about to move, an Ebon Blade knight suddenly raised his arm as a formless pressure stopped everyone in their tracks and looked hesitantly at the direction the knight was looking at.


    A gray mist had formed out of nowhere before the entrance to the vast forest, and the mist was roiling and swirling across the entire woods and sealed every known path in a blink of an eye. Within the sea of mist in the woods, it had become a wall-like barrier.


    A soldier who had been stationed at the entrance into the Black Forest muttered to himself as he saw that scene. ¡°What¡­ the hell is that?¡±


    ¡°The world order is disrupted and the Black Forest will descend into the realm of the mist, and the shadows of the void will consume everything within it.¡± The Ebon Blade knight¡¯s rasping voice rang under the helmet, but the words he spoke sounded more like an old wizard in trance, ¡°They will never leave there alive.¡±


    One of the officers spoke wearily, ¡°That mist¡­¡±


    The knight glanced at the officer, ¡°Lock down the Greenwood Gate. Inform all pioneer cities, no one is to enter the forest. We will inform what happened here to his Majesty. The ones who had escaped were extremely dangerous that even the Ebon Blades are not able to stop them. You don¡¯t need to worry about being faulted.¡±


    The lower echelon officers of the imperial regular army were of the same rank as a normal Ebon Blade knight, but usually, the knights who only answer to the emperor himself were given much more difference and reverence by people of the same rank, so this ¡®gate officer¡¯ did not question the command given by the knight, and he was even nodded with a weary thankfulness.


    He did not need to know what was going on in the Black Forest, this ancient and mysterious forest had all sorts of secrets hidden deep within it, and even the long-lived elves did not necessarily understand those secrets, and researching these secrets was the domain of those robed scholars and the emperor himself.


    The immortal emperor seemed to have a grasp of knowledge beyond the understanding of mere mortals, so the officer believed that what was happening in the Black Forest was not worth a dime before Emperor Berentine.


    The Ebon Blade knight turned away from the forest after giving his orders as he looked at the messed up Greenwood Gate.


    Three of his comrades had fallen to magic and some sort of weird blast, their bodies totally immolated and the fragments of their armor were twisted beyond recognition, while three unharmed black chainsword fell not far from the bodies. A few squires carefully picked the sword arm as they solemnly placed the blades into a special container.


    The chainsword was the most important possession of an Ebon Blade knight, and it was valued even more than the knight itself. These three blades will be sent back to the sacred armory in Blacksteel Fortress, once a new knight has been chosen, they will have another chance for glory on the battlefield.


    And that knight that had run face-first into the steel membrane shield and gotten his body broken for his efforts struggled to climb him. His armor was rent in all places, and many bones too were broken, but yet he was still alive, and simply lost mobility the moment he slid off the shield.


    After a normally impossible ¡®joint recovery¡¯, the heavily injured knight stood up awkwardly as he limped back to his companions.


    ¡°Have an idea of the shield?¡± the commanding knight asked hushedly.


    ¡°A type of energy shield never seen before, totally different from any magical shields we know. It is very powerful, and it has very excellent defensive capabilities against magic or direct physical attacks.¡± The knight that had ¡®personally¡¯ tested out the shield said, ¡°Even the chainsword could not pierce or slash through it. The anti-mage enchantments on the blade were ineffective against that shield.¡±


    The questioning knight did not seem too happy with the answer. ¡°Any weakness?¡±


    ¡°It probably has one, that shield has a set vibration frequency. I have recorded that down, you can weaken it more effectively by using the same frequency against it, and aside from that, a strong and continuous attack could also deplete the shield, it is not impenetrable, but the attack needs to be a very powerful one.¡±


    The knight nodded as he turned towards the forest, there was a steel-like coldness to his voice, ¡°They can never leave the Black Forest alive, but that mysterious shield and attacks were only part of their arsenal, the knights will probably run into enemies like them again¡­ and we need to prepare.¡±


    ¡°For the will of the dragon soul.¡±


    ¡°For the will of the dragon soul.¡±


    The knights exchanged the words of oath, and this was the oath that was engraved into the hearts of every Ebon Blade knight, and when it was spoken by a few knights in unison, there was a rasping sound of flesh and metal¡­

 Chapter 1705 - A Freak

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The Black Forest.


    Sky-scraping trees blotted out the sun as thick vines and growths formed layers of walls. The life cycle in this land was like an enclosed energy field as it cut off everything from the outside world. Once they had stepped into this mysterious woods, everyone felt like they had stepped into another world altogether.


    And this was not them feeling things.


    ¡°Fog?¡± As the vehicles slowed down and entered a stable drive that Lily dared to look back. What she saw was only a mysterious thick fog, and this thick fog was all around the woods like a thick, viscous gray liquid as the fog slowly drifted about between the trees. The silhouette of the Verdant Barrier was no longer visible, and you need to remember that that barrier was visible even kilometers away.


    But there was nothing aside from a very ominous mist behind them.


    ¡°Weird¡­ the imperials are not pursuing us¡­¡± Charlemagne realized something was off after calming down. ¡°This is not right, they would not have let up that easily¡­¡±


    Vivian looked at the prince, ¡°Regardless, we can be sure who was after your lives.¡±


    ¡°The Knights of the Ebon Blade answers directly to the emperor, so aside from him, no one can command them.¡± Hao Ren took over, ¡°And seeing their ¡®kill everyone and everything¡¯ look earlier, they were clearly aware of your identities, and were under orders to kill you two. Who of you actually offended that emperor?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Charlemagne was direct in his reply. ¡°Frankly speaking, ever since we came to Dragon everything had already went beyond my expectations and control. Everything happening in this country had no precedence¡­ I¡¯m totally out of my depth in the information department now.¡±


    Hao Ren pursed his lips as he looked at the other two caravans. The third caravan had changed form again and now the folded walls have yet to reform, and turned into a carriage with a ring of barricades on it. This allowed him to freely view his surroundings and he noticed the personal guards on the other two caravans were safe and the shields were working normally.


    Once they realized that the caravan had a powerful shield on it the guards quickly hid themselves inside the shield, aside from the only one person who had poked his body out at the start of the battle was grazed by a spear thrust, all were safe and sound.


    ¡°I never thought that this carriage actually had such a powerful magical shield.¡± Awenna exclaimed in surprise, ¡°Seems like all of you from the ¡®Basilica of the World Tree¡¯ have some really impressive skills with you.¡±


    ¡°We have always been hard on technology,¡± Hao Ren shrugged, ¡°Now the key question is what do you plan to do to next? The Ebon Blades are after you, and the one who had given the order is surely that Dragon Soul Emperor Berentine, so the imperial city is definitely out of bounds. Are you still continuing your ¡®secret emissary¡¯ mission?¡±


    In Hao Ren¡¯s eyes, the developments so far meant that the Dragon Empire and the Kingdom of Izzo had broken all diplomatic relations. Regardless of what reason the Dragon Soul Emperor had to lay his hands on Charlemagne and his sister, trying to kill the royal family of a neighboring country meant war, and under this situation, the ¡®secret emissary¡¯ mission was pretty much meaningless.¡±


    However, Awenna shook her head after a moment of silence. ¡°No, we still need to complete our mission.¡±


    ¡°Hah?¡± Even Rheia, who was engrossed in her studies could not help but open her eyes this time around. ¡°You¡¯re joking, right? That Dragon Emperor is after your lives and you are still going to the imperial city to meet him?!¡±


    ¡°No, we will look for Princess Constance,¡± Awenna said with a serious tone. ¡°We will head north past the imperial city, into the northern six provinces¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was just about to open his mouth before Charlemagne spoke first, ¡°Our apologies, our mission is very important. Of course, we do not have any right to ask you to come along with us. Us siblings have already been under much of your care throughout this journey and we really cannot ask for more, once we are out of the Black Forest we will go our own¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute, I¡¯m not even done talking,¡± Hao Ren immediately interrupted, ¡°You are looking for the princess of the north right? No problem. It¡¯s the same for us either way, so lets us all go north.¡±


    This time it was Charlemagne¡¯s turn to get stunned as he looked at Hao Ren, ¡°Can¡­ you do that? Weren¡¯t you on a mission from the Basilica to look for the emperor in the imperial city?¡±


    ¡°Not really, what we need to do does not necessarily have to be with that Berentine, nor it is a priority to look for him.¡± Hao Ren smiled, ¡°And sides, now I am actually really curious about Princess Constance, no lesser than the Dragon Soul Emperor himself¡­ perhaps she could answer many of my questions.¡±


    ¡°Plus,¡± Vivian, with a deadpan voice added on the side, ¡°With your strength and now exposed identity, you think you can make it to the northern six provinces in one piece without us?¡±


    A flash of awkwardness appeared on Charlemagne¡¯s face but he still nodded without a word, ¡°Then¡­ we will be in your care.¡±


    ¡°We are just cooperating,¡± Hao Ren guffawed before training his sights on the massive armored ¡®corpse¡¯ in the middle of the carriage. ¡°Since there are no pursuers, let¡¯s get down to understanding this Ebon Blade guy¡­¡±


    As the topic went towards that direction, both Charlemagne and Awenna showed signs of fear and apprehension, the former was still collected but the former had already leap two steps backward, as she tried to pull some distance between her and the clearly dead ¡®corpse¡¯.


    ¡°Until now I still have no idea how did you kill this knight in a flash,¡± Charlemagne said, looking perplexed. ¡°I have seen your other fighting styles, while your magic is bizarre, there was a rhythm and pattern to it, but this knight¡­¡±


    ¡°I did not even harm him,¡± Rheia slightly opened her eyes and she said in a lazy tone, ¡°I just destroyed his sword, and he had been like that ever since.¡±


    Charlemagne was stunned.


    The battle scene earlier now replayed in Hao Ren¡¯s mind: The Ebon Blade knight and two imperial soldiers had boarded the carriage to inspect the passengers, and suddenly came ten other knights with an overwhelming killing intent, and when the fighting broke out, Rheia quickly focused and the knight¡¯s and the soldiers weapons aimed at her had disintegrated under a divine pressure, and while the soldiers were then taken out by Vivian and Lily, the Ebon Blade knight¡­


    He did not receive any attack, and he just fell on his own, right after the chainsword turned to dust.


    Lily, as the ever curious husky joined Hao Ren by the side of the corpse as she looked at the unharmed yet inert body. She started poking the corpse as she went, ¡°Mr Landlord, Mr Landlord, could it be possible that we had wrecked his SSR gear so badly that he popped a vein and died?¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the werehusky, ¡°This forest may be a little hot, but surely your brain has not even that fried yet right?¡±


    A menacing growl then started rumbling in Lily¡¯s throat, ¡°Grrr¡­wooooooo¡­.¡±


    Hao Ren simply ignored her and placed his hand on the side of the helmet as he tried to find a way to unfastened the armor. ¡°Let me see how he look like¡­ say this bloody thing is pretty tight-fitting, they surely need to open it up to eat right¡­¡±


    As he grumbled he found the latch between the helmet and the visor and a clank later the black steel visor sprang open and a tiny slit appeared between the helmet and the visor.


    Hao Ren then pulled out the visor.


    And the face under the visor had everyone aghast.


    Even Lily could not help but murmur, ¡°I don¡¯t think I want to have dinner tonight¡­¡±


    The face underneath the visor was not a face a human was supposed to have. It was a completely mutated, overlapped and twisted face as all his facial features and muscle had melted away like wax into a terrifying visage and had cooled upon the collapsed face. The eyes were literally two sunken cavities, and there was a faint red light in it, while his mouth had already dissolved into a tiny slit. Seeing that Hao Ren was very sure of one thing: This group of Ebon Blade knights was probably not consuming food normally, at least not like how normal humans do¡­


    Not only they did not eat, but they were also stopping everyone else from eating with that face of theirs.


    Alright, it was not like they did it on purpose, it was Hao Ren who had taken the visor off.


    ¡°This is an Ebon Blade knight?!¡± Vivian tried to suppress her squeamishness and while the face was indeed hideous, this was not the first time she had encountered such an ugly face in the past ten thousand years so she quickly recovered. ¡°Is this the product of biological re-engineering? Or a magic re-engineering? Are all elite warriors of the empire such freaks?¡±


    ¡°How can this be¡­ it shouldn¡¯t be¡­¡± Awenna frowned, and even if her face was pale, she still forcibly suppress her squeamishness and even started looking on inquisitively at the cause of the deformation of the knight¡¯s face. ¡°I had seen other Ebon Blade knights before, and their real looks too¡­ they were no different from normal people¡­¡±


    Hao Ren was puzzled, ¡°The knights you had seen before were like normal humans?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the knights were but a special unit that¡¯s all. They are at the core still human.¡± Awenna nodded. ¡°They cannot be cooped up in the armor for every, and they will need to show their face somehow or another.¡±


    Lily then rubbed her chin, ¡°We probably ran into the ugliest one then¡­¡±


    ¡°Tell me if you actually believed what you just said,¡± Hao Ren rolled his eyes, ¡°Regardless that is not a normal shape alright? No one that mutated could be commanding and fighting battles that well, even their eyes are nothing but a cavity!¡±


    At that moment the MDT floated onto Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Compared to the mutation on the surface, this¡­ biological being¡¯s insides are even more terrifying.¡±


    Awenna and Charlemagne curiously looked at the floating MDT. They were intrigued y this thingamajig for a long while now. A self-moving, and shockingly intelligent ¡®magic doll¡¯. This sort of skill was unheard of in the entirety of L¡¯Haronne, even the elven smiths and rune mages would talk about such a thing but now there was a real example before them, how can they not be intrigued?


    But now was not the time to inquire what sort of advanced tech the Basilica of the World Tree had, and the siblings quickly turned their attention to the MDT¡¯s scanning report.


    The MDT stopped before the Ebon Blade knight¡¯s chest and ran a detailed scan for a while. It then had a clear answer, ¡°This bugger is actually half-machine, and the other half could barely even qualify as biological.¡±

 Chapter 1706 - The Truth About the Knights of the Ebon Blade

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    With the MDT¡¯s detailed scans, the mystery behind the Knights of the Ebon Blade were slowly being unraveled one by one.


    And the truth was shocking.


    Hao Ren had never thought that this planet which looked almost similar to Holetta in so many ways had such high-tech stuff on it. The Ebon Blade knights were clearly beyond human, and based on the MDT¡¯s explanation, they were actually a complex fusion of man and machine, a cyborg. Their ¡®original material¡¯ were probably human, but the moment they swing their sword, they could no longer be considered a normal lifeform.


    ¡°Most of the organs had either devolved or had its usage changed. There are two blood circulation system, one is the original cardiovascular system, and the other is run by mechanical valve-like thing. There are all sorts of complex tubes in the body, and and a magically conductive fat flows in it. The bones are partially metallic, and critical organs are even covered in additional alloy plates¡­¡± The MDT projected the results in the air as it explained, and the royal siblings were no longer surprised by that, ¡°The brain cluster had devolved badly, and the main nerves are showing signs of fibrosity. The shrunken brain mass has less than ten percent capability. Most of the nervous signals to move the body had been focused near the spinal cord. There is a set of complex digital structure there¡­ or based on this world¡¯s explanation, a magical device¡­¡±


    The knight¡¯s entire body structure were being projection and under the armored shell were signs and marks of mechanical implants and transformation. If he did not know that this world was filled with magic, Hao Ren would have thought that this was a cryogenic popsicle of a synth from Vault 111¡­


    ¡°Interesting¡­¡± Rheia too showed an intrigued look and while these technology was crude, but it was still far above the local technology by a few generations. ¡°Expand the image of the man-made nerve system near the spinal cord please.¡±


    The MDT obliged as it expanded the image as a spindle made out of thin lines and nerve points appeared on the holographic projection.


    ¡°That is his real cognitive organs?¡± Wait¡­ no¡­.¡± Rheia frowned as her eyes gleamed. The real nature of the spindle-like structure was being unraveled before the eyes of a god. ¡°This is just a nervous signal relay and broadcast device, the real source is not it¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Hao Ren was stunned. ¡°You mean this is not a cognitive organ? Then how does the knight even move?¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong¡­ it is through remote control,¡± Rheia pointed towards the tip of the spindle. ¡°This is a signal receiver and can receive orders from the outside world, before being transformed into a nervous pulse to control the body. In other words, the Ebon Blade knight is a non-thinking entity, they are just a type of remote-controlled doll.¡±


    ¡°Remote controlled?!¡± Even the usually imaginative Lily was shocked, ¡°Who is controlling him? The emperor himself?¡±


    As she said that an image of the legendary Dragon Soul Emperor sitting on his throne with the map open as he had his Ebon Blade knights arrayed in squads before dragging squares around them and pressing ¡®A¡¯ at the general direction of anything that displeased him¡­


    The werehusky was even about to give her imaginative brain a like.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother with the wild thoughts, it is surely not like how you imagined it to be,¡± Rheia shrugged, ¡°Remember¡­ this bastard only fell after his sword was destroyed.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°While this conclusion may be a little weird, but that¡¯s the most direct explanation.¡± Rheia nodded, ¡°Rather than saying the knight wield the sword, the sword wielding the knight is more apt. I had sensed from before that there was something odd with their chainsword, it kept on releasing some blurry pulse, and now that I think of it, that was probably the signal needed to control the knight¡¯s body.¡±


    Charlemagne and Awenna looked at each other, and these two siblings who had underwent proper education had never heard such an outlandish tail before, and the latter took at a good part of the day to even digest the explanation, before asking, quizzically, ¡°That means that the soul of the knight is on the sword, and not the body? So once their sword is destroyed they can no longer move? And the truth.. is that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a bit skeptical, did no one actually realized this before?¡± Hao Ren frowned, ¡°The Ebon Blades had been active for so many years, no matter how strong they were they are pretty much just an elite troop, and there are many more out there that are stronger than them. Had no one actually separated them and their chainsword? Or any instances where the sword was destroyed first?


    ¡°The body and the sword is connected remotely, and the distance can be considerable, the receptor on their spinal cord can receive signals half a planet away, and for this isolated planet, this distance was more than enough, so separating the knight from his sword is probably pointless.¡± Rheia explained on behalf of Charlemagne and his sister, ¡°As for destroying the sword¡­ the chainsword are very special and the material unusual, it is stronger than the knight¡¯s body and I think in most circumstances, the knight¡¯s body would be damaged first before the sword, and that¡¯s how their secret is being kept till today.¡±


    ¡°Until they met you and your insane combat prowess in combat,¡± Hao Ren glanced at Rheia. ¡°You immediately disintegrated their weapons¡­¡±


    ¡°And the legend of the knight is probably not totally unknown,¡± Charlemagne said, ¡°I had heard somethings about the Dragon Empire from my court tutors, and there¡¯s a story about the knight¡¯s soul is bound to their sword, but this story is a taken as a mere legend in the White City Federation.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded, ¡°Insufficient information, too little samples, and searching the truth would not be profitable, so the secret stayed safe.¡±


    Vivian suddenly remembered something as she gasped, ¡°Ah, if that¡¯s the case, that meant that the three knights we took out earlier are not really dead. I clearly remembered seeing them being blown apart but their swords were not damaged¡­¡±


    Awenna blinked as she softly said, ¡°I heard that if an Ebon Blade falls in combat, his squire will retrieve his blade and send it back to the ¡®Sacred Armory¡¯ back in Blacksteel Fortress, and once a suitable candidate has been chosen, they will then take over their seniors blade and become a new Ebon Blade knight. This process is called ¡®ascendance¡¯, and after being ascended the knight will live an almost monastic life, and cuts off all relations with their past life¡­ This was what I read from the museum catalog.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyes squinted, ¡°So it means that this chainsword is a hand-me-down, and the knights were the real consumables¡­ But I have another question, don¡¯t tell me their sword count is lessen every time one is destroyed? The swords may be sturdy, but they are not divine weapon level of resilience, so surely there much have been some damage across the year right? Did their numbers dwindle?¡±


    ¡°There will always be new swords being forged, so the size of the Ebon Blades never shrank.¡± Charlemagne regurgitated the information he got from his tutors. ¡°But conversely, their numbers had never expanded before either. Ever since the formation of the Dragon Empire, the number of knights had always been 77 thousand strong, and even when the empire had expanded, and the imperial army being reformed and expanded, the size of the knights had never increased nor decreased. Even at this point where the empire had expanded to the point where the knights could no longer protect the entire border with their size, Emperor Berentine had merely expanded the regular army to plug the gaps, and for the Ebon Blades, they still maintained the 77 thousand since their founding.¡±


    77 thousand people, this was an oddly specific number. For a new country, this number of super soldiers could easily sweep foes of the same level aside with ease, or even without as much as batting an eyelid. But once the Dragon Empire had expanded to half the size of the planet, the number were clearly insufficient to guard the long border.


    And based on Charlemagne¡¯s explanation, new sword can be forged, so the reason behind the limitation of their numbers became even more curious.


    ¡°There¡¯s probably only one explanation. They are only capable of making 77 thousand swords at any given time, and probably due to the scarcity of some key materials.¡± Vivian postulated, ¡°Considering the sword¡¯s functions, the material itself could be a soul¡­ but are souls restricted in any sense?¡±


    ¡°Probably only Berentine knows what is going on,¡± Hao Ren shrugged, ¡°Regardless, these ¡®Ebon Blades¡¯ have been a total mystery, and is not too far-fetched to call it a secret. We haven¡¯t even made sense as to why they became like that.¡±


    The MDT shook its frame, ¡°Correct, based on what the siblings said, a normal Ebon Blade knight is probably about as normal as a typical human, and when I scanned their body I had confirmed that fact. The mechanical implants in their body were just to strengthen their physical body and will not turn them into monsters. This is a rather mature form of synthetic human tech, and should technically not be harmful to the user.¡±


    ¡°That means, something else is causing these normal likes to look like a relative of Cthulhu.¡± Hao Ren massaged his temple as he felt he was closing in onto some truths, ¡°Rheia, can you feel¡­ ¡®anything¡¯ from them? Like the influence of the Mad Lord or something?¡±


    Rheia nodded before focusing her senses. A moment later the little goddess shook her head. ¡°No, nothing at all.¡±


    But she quickly added, ¡°But I cannot totally discount them out, there is a possibility that the aura is too weak to the point of not being recognizable. Or perhaps the Mad Lord¡¯s powers have changed in this world and become something that I do not recognize. You should keep an eye out, now that the knights had mutated to the point of blasphemy, it does look like something the Mad Lord would pull¡­¡±


    Charlemagne and Awenna were totally confused as they asked. ¡°Who is the Mad Lord?¡±


    ¡°An abstractionist artist, particularly good as screwing with your sense of beauty.¡± Hao Ren casually shrugged. ¡°And we don¡¯t know if we can tell you know so don¡¯t bother. That aside, we have a more pressing question¡­ Are we sure we have not taken the wrong path?¡±

 Chapter 1707 - The Black Forest

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The dark forest was shrouded in an eerily silent atmosphere, and no matter where they look, they only saw layers upon layers of giant black pines and wildly growing plants, through the narrow slits on the canopy, the sky was being cut up by those bizarre, glowing branches and the original bright light was tainted with an odd light purple shade, and beneath the canopy, a wave of undying fog was coming from all over.


    The caravan was on one of the forest paths, and this pathway, which existed symbiotically with the woods were rather wide and was paved with ancient but broken stone slabs. Beside the roads were fossilized wood that was turned into a weird lamp post as the snaking road extended deep into the forest. It was nothing but a sea of fog before them¡­ and behind¡­ it was a similar scene.


    It was difficult to tell the direct within the Black Forest, and while this was not something unusual, and every experienced traveler knows that as long as they follow the fixed path, and to follow the marked path at the fork and that will lead them out of the forest, but now, it seemed like everything had gone to hell.


    There were no fork, no road markers, and beneath their feet were only an endless path as it snaked into the thick fog as if trying to pull the caravans into a deep abyss within the forest, and yet, the forest itself was eerily silent.


    ¡°Something is not right¡­¡± Charlemagne said grimly, ¡°We should have passed through the first fork not long after we entered the Black Forest, there would be roads headed either north or west¡­ but we are clearly on neither of those.¡±


    Hao Ren frowned as he knocked on the MDT on his shoulder, ¡°Did we passed through a fork earlier?¡±


    The MDT¡¯s reply was short and simple. ¡°No.¡±


    Vivian looked at Awenna, ¡°How many times had you came to the Black Forest before?¡±


    Awenna was clearly unnerved as she shook her head gently, ¡°I¡¯ve only been here once, and that when I was very young, alongside the emissaries to visit Greenway, and we had a short tour along the edges of the Black Forest¡­¡±


    ¡°Tsk, so in the end, you had no experience navigating this place huh?¡± Hao Ren clicked his tongue, ¡°Pretty bold of you to choose this path.¡±


    ¡°Even among the imperials there are very few who had experience navigating through the Black Forest, so it is even rarer for anyone from Izzo from the other side of the world.¡± Awenna replied rather strongly, ¡°But we know a lot about the Black Forest, and that knowledge is gained by the adventurers from our country personally investigating the place. So we had memorized this knowledge even before we departed¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright my little naive princess. Let me tell you something, never ever overestimate your ability to react to the changing circumstances.¡± Vivian said flatly, ¡°All that knowledge is petty much pointless know.¡±


    Awenna¡¯s nose wrinkled but she did not retort, and instead asked, ¡°Should we get the caravans to stop?¡±


    ¡°No, these vehicles have enough power to run a thousand years more, and we have the shields up as well.¡± Hao Ren waved, ¡°MDT, record the environmental parameters, we will head deeper in, perhaps we can find something there.¡±


    This was clearly a much riskier decision and Charlemagne and Awenna had some minor words to say about it, but Hao Ren had been through even more bizarre and dangerous incidents (like snatching a bone from a giant werehusky¡¯s mouth or to go on a tirade against a god), so he was pretty much the avatar of calmness now, and with him the proper owner of the caravan fleet, the royal siblings could only agree to the decision.


    ¡°This fog is very unusual¡­¡± Awenna said as she looked around once the caravans got moving again. ¡°There were records of fog in the Black Forest, but nothing of this scale and length. This fog feels very ominous to me¡­ like something within a fog has its eyed fixed on me.¡±


    ¡°Is this the reason why the imperials had not pursued us?¡± Charlemagne gripped the hilt on his sword as he took a cautious stance against his surrounding. While the caravans were protected by shields, a sword in hand was still a better source of security, ¡°If that is the case¡­ this is bad¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t fret too much, stay calm. Going panicky now won¡¯t do your earlier performance justice.¡± Hao Ren waved dismissively before turning towards the MDT, ¡°Found anything?¡±


    The MDT¡¯s surface was glowing, that meant that its sensors were at work, ¡°There¡¯s no problem with the environmental parameters, nor there are any signs of dimensional overlaps or distortion, very weird¡­ my radar cannot seem to find any irregularities, but we are practically spinning in the circles in the fog¡­¡±


    Hao Ren frowned as he thought hard again, ¡°Lock on to Nolan, and check if there are any parallel changes.¡±


    ¡°Unable to lock on. I can detect Nolan¡¯s signal, but I¡¯m unable to confirm the parallel locations.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s interesting,¡± Hao Ren looked at Lily, ¡°Reckon your nose can do its thing in this situation?¡±


    Lily bared her fangs at him before seriously started sniffing about with her nose, ¡°Awooo¡­ I can only be sure that we are not going in circles, and are going in a straight path. Eh eh, Battie, your sonar is pretty useful right? And it can pierce through the fog, how about you try?¡±


    ¡°Hush, I¡¯m testing it now.¡± Vivian rolled her eyes at Lily as her brows furrowed gently, ¡°Weird¡­ I can only detect about a few hundred meters around us, anything beyond that is a total flux, as if nothing was there.¡±


    As he heard Vivian mumbling, Hao Ren suddenly realized something.


    He then focused his mind as he cast his sight to a direction of the forest, as he shut himself off any outside distractions to look for the ¡®real face¡¯ of this world.


    And as he focused, the woods and the paths ahead became blurry.


    ¡°We¡­ have fallen into a trap.¡± He retracted his sight as he turn around and tapped Rheia who was seriously spacing out by the shoulder. ¡°Rheia, wake up, wake up. Focus over here a bit, we need your help.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Rheia looked confusedly at him. ¡°What help?¡±


    ¡°Look around carefully.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Rheia replied in a total daze before shifting some focus from her main body to her projection.


    She had originally only used about a percent of her attention on the projection, and no matter her speed of thought or observation ability or presence were about the same as Hao Ren and the rest, but the moment she shifted her more of her attention to the projection, she immediately raised a brow-raising ¡°Eh?¡±


    As with that, the Black Forest changed abruptly.


    The thick fog disappeared as if it was washed away, and became a very thin layer of mist, as layers upon layers of trees appeared much more real. The vision-impairing shadows had also disappeared and while the sunlight through the thick canopy was still weak, but warmth had returned somewhat, and the path before the caravan had finally cleared up again.


    A breeze blew past as the sounds of the forest rang in his ears and only now did Hao Ren realized how quiet the forest was, and he had only just sensed the dissonance about a minute ago!


    ¡°What happened?¡± Charlemagne and Awenna were totally confused as they got ¡®lost¡¯ in a daze then found the right way again in a daze. More and more they felt that Rheia the autistic little girl was something else¡­


    ¡°The inbetween of reality and falsehood.¡± Rheia¡¯s thoughts were clearly now that she had focused more attention over, and was more active with her words, ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened there, but we were between the real world and the false world, and were inching in towards the false world. Thankfully we found that out early, or else¡­¡±


    Charlemagne had cold sweat all over him, while he did not know what the false world was about, he could feel that it was extremely treacherous, ¡°If you had discovered it a bit later¡­ what would have happened?¡±


    Rheia pondered for a bit before saying, ¡°Then I need to go ¡°EH?!¡± a few times before we could get out¡­ it¡¯s pretty silly-looking.¡±


    The siblings had nothing to say ¡°¡­¡±


    Hao Ren really felt like reminding Rheia to take note on how she speak, as she could easily mislead the siblings on the difficulty of this journey. What should he do if the two thought that this was easy mode while they were actually on hardcore survival mode and die in the process?


    At the same time Lily asked, ¡°Say, what¡¯s that false world about, is it different from an illusion world?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Rheia shook her head. ¡°An illusion is just an illusion, it could either be man-made or natural, and its no different than a movie, but the false world is something else altogether. A world in operation is not the only possibility, and at times it will face all sorts of opposite development outcomes, but the truth is only one, or to the observer there is only one truth, so those unrealized truth becomes a mere ¡®what if¡¯, that is the false world. Normally, the false world is layered over the real world, and is ephemeral, brittle and undetectable, and it will be in a state of disintegration and reformation, but I¡¯m not sure what just happened¡­ that the false world is reinforced to this point and could appear alongside the real world as an equal, pulling things from the real world into the history that were never realized¡­ This is a very bizarre place.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded as he listened, he knew that the Grand Unification Theory of Information had a similar concept, but Rheia¡¯s explanation was easier for normal people to understand, so he did not interject. He was however curious, why did such an unnatural phenomenon suddenly appeared in the Black Forest?


    Regardless, now that the real path had reappeared, they now only need to follow the path to the location with the marker, and after calming down the slightly restless guards, Hao Ren ordered the caravans to go forward.


    At that very moment, a guard who was in charged of scouting suddenly pointed to the end of the road in alarm. ¡°Watch out! An unknown squadron ahead of us!¡±


    An unknown group of soldiers suddenly appeared out of nowhere among the thin mist on the road ahead.

 Chapter 1708 - The Inbetween

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    A number of odd and unknown soldiers suddenly appeared from the mist.


    They were wearing light silver armor with green patterns all over them, and they were adorned with a similarly silver winged helm, each of them at least two meters tall. At the same time, they did not wield any usual weaponry seen in a normal army, and instead, they all had special metal gauntlets, and the gauntlets were glittering as if there were a hidden mechanism in it.


    Awenna¡¯s eyes widened as she looked at the soldiers from the mist, the armor pattern and the entire uniform was totally different from the armies of the nations she had known, and the average two-meter height was not something you see in a normal army, and that intrigued her.


    The soldiers on the other two carriage was a different story altogether, as they had encountered the incoming army at this distance, there were no use for camouflage anymore, and the soldiers who had just fought off the imperial army were naturally suspicious towards the soldiers that came out of nowhere in the Black Forest. Thus, the moment they caught sight of the soldiers, all of the guards were ready to draw blade, and even Charlemagne could not help but to activate a few magical items to reinforce his weapon.


    Yet, the unusual army did not seem to notice the caravan, and against the guards with their drawn weapons, they chose only to look ahead as they marched on without any emotions.


    ¡°Calm down,¡± Hao Ren broke the stalemate (technically it was a one-sided stalemate on the guard¡¯s side), ¡°These soldiers aren¡¯t real.¡±


    As he said, the soldiers had already reached the caravans and simply walked through the caravan like an illusion.


    ¡°An illusion?¡± Awenna¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°But they look so real¡­¡±


    ¡°Still in the Inbetween¡­¡± Rheia¡¯s gentle voice rang again, ¡°This is another scene of the Black Forest, and just like the thick fog earlier it was something that did not manage to materialize in this world, but we have already escaped the influence of the false world, so these are mere illusions and will not affect the real world.¡±


    ¡°If we had not escaped the false world¡¯s influence?¡± Lily asked out of curiosity.


    ¡°We would be fighting now then.¡± Rheia blinked.


    As she spoke the squad of soldiers had already walked passed the caravan and straight on along the path. Hao Ren turned back and looked at them. Just as he was about to suggest that they follow the ¡®illusions¡¯ to check what¡¯s going on, the group of soldiers suddenly stopped.


    They seemed to have detected their foes, and all took up a defensive stance as they eyed the woods cautiously. A commander-like figure made a motion and the soldiers quickly formed up into a defensive formation and were braced for combat. Hao Ren saw them clanking their shining gauntlets together and instantly a photon shield that could easier cover half their body appeared on their left hand, while a glowing photon blade formed on their right.


    Hao Ren¡¯s jaw dropped the moment he saw that, ¡°Bloody hell¡­ that does not fit the setting at all¡­¡±


    And before he could even finish, a howl thundered from the woods as a massive smoke-covered monstrosity crashed against the trees and charged out from the forest.


    The smoke-covered monsters were clearly illusions as well, but its form reminded Hao Ren of the minions of madness; rotten limbs, mutated bodies, with thousands of eyes and maws all across the body as tentacles waved madly from broken skin while a blasphemous roar rang out from its throat. This chaotic and maddened monster was the total opposite of reason and order. Seeing, hearing or touching the monster would drive any common man into the depths of madness.


    And the monster even got Awenna screaming, as she let out a short shriek before forcibly covering her mouth to totally pipe down. And the guards were not faring much better, even the veteran guards had never seen such hideous and blasphemous creature, and they were quaking where they stood.


    Even the soldiers armed with a photon blade and shields were shocked by the monster¡¯s sudden appearance, but the shock was just temporarily as the commander quickly barked orders to adjust the formation, and the soldiers complied immediately before striking out against the monster from all directions.


    The various signs showed that this was not the first time these warriors had faced the monster.


    A chaotic melee ensued as the illusory warriors and monsters clashed along the wide path of the Black Forest. The monster were not only powerful, but it could also spit out corrosive energy blasts and unleash lasers to attack its foes, while the tall soldiers defended methodically with their photon shields while continuously attacking the monster¡¯s limbs with unparalleled skill. Finally the commander figure roared as the photon blade in his hand turned into a whip as he bound the creature and ensnared it, while the remaining warriors leap forth and tore the monster apart with their blades.


    The battle was over as the panting warriors looked at the monster disintegrating into ash. One of the soldier broke the silence as he spoke a language known to L¡¯Haronne. ¡°They had appeared here as well.¡±


    ¡°Inform the war captain of the situation.¡± the squad commander ordered. ¡°Everyone, follow me to the next checkpoint.¡±


    He then looked up into the sky, as if mumbling to himself. ¡°The day has finally come¡­ Again¡­¡±


    The illusion then stopped there and disappeared into thin air.


    ¡°What did they say in the end?¡± Awenna was dazed, as she and Charlemagne had no translation plugin, and was totally confused. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like any of the Dragonian dialects¡­¡±


    ¡°They seem to have expected the monster, and have sent a person to inform that war captain character of what happened here.¡± Hao Ren thought as he decided to translate what he heard to Awenna, thinking the latter might have some ideas. ¡°Can you think of anything?¡±


    But Awenna was still confused after listening to that, and she shook her head. ¡°No¡­ Not a clue. I don¡¯t recognize the insignia of the soldiers, and I have never heard of any countries¡¯ military hierarchy having a ¡®war captain¡¯ as a rank.¡±


    ¡°Is this a possibility of the false world?¡± Vivian looked at Rheia, ¡°Why am I getting a feeling that something is off?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure myself,¡± Rheia too had the same confusion, ¡°By right, all these un-materialized world lines would be chaotic, and will not present any sense of logic¡­¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Rheia as an idea welled up in his mind.


    ¡°Perhaps¡­ What we saw was not only the world¡¯s possible future, but also its past.¡±


    Lily scratched her head, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget, this world is not just this one,¡± Hao Ren shook his head, but he had swapped to Earth¡¯s language, ¡°If it had went through destruction and recreation, that means the planet¡¯s past is to the current history, one of the ¡®false world lines¡¯ as well.¡±


    As he said that, he looked at Rheia, ¡°Do you remember anything about the Black Forest? Did it had anything of the likes before L¡¯Haronne was destroyed?¡±


    Rheia combed through her thoughts before shaking her head, ¡°No impression of it at all. I had observed L¡¯Haronne for many years, and I¡¯m very familiar with every nook and cranny of his planet, and I¡¯m sure that there was no such thing as the Black Forest, unless¡­ it was formed at the last moment after I fell into my slumber. But is that possible?¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Hao Ren mumbled to himself, as he was unable to come to a conclusion.


    Charlemagne and Awenna exchanged confused glances as Hao Ren and the rest had suddenly switched to a language they did not understand to speak. This was clearly meant to be secretive, but knowing that they too bore a lot of secrets, they did not dare to ask much, and hence the awkwardness.


    Thankfully that did not last long as Hao Ren quickly turned towards them, ¡°We have no answers either, but if we don¡¯t have any further questions. Let us be on our way.¡±


    The two siblings nodded. ¡°Right.¡±


    The caravan then started moving against as they followed the path deep into the Black Forest before arriving at the first fork.


    Yet, this fork did not appear in any of the records.


    Seeing the fork ahead did not have any markers, nor any imperial emblems, Charlemagne took a deep breath, ¡°It seems like¡­ we have reached a part of the Black Forest never reached before by others.¡±


    Awenna frowned too. ¡°But this is technically impossible¡­¡±


    While the Black Forest was vast and mysterious, the pathways in the forest were limited and fixed, during the long exploration and development phase, the Dragonian adventurers and imperial exploration teams had already marked and recorded every road in the forest ¨C at least every possible exit by the edge of the forest ¨C and had marked every fork with a marker and a rest stop. On larger forks, there were guards manning the outpost all year long, so technically speaking, once they entered through Greenway, and as long as they did not stray from the path, the travelers should encounter the navigation markers at every fork.


    An unmarked fork only meant one thing, the travelers had stepped into an unexplored area in the forest, and this area is not connected to the other explored paths in the forest.


    ¡°Technically not possible, but we had just went through something impossible altogether,¡± Hao Ren raised his eyebrows, ¡°When the thick fog rose earlier, the caravans were moving along an endless path for quite a bit, perhaps it was then we had already entered this unexplored place.¡±


    ¡°Entering the unknown area is not important,¡± Vivian said, as she look at Rheia beside her, ¡°More importantly¡­ the whole process seemed to have fooled Rheia¡¯s eyes.¡±


    Rheia blinked, before breaking into a smile, ¡°No, it is the opposite, it was those people who had passed through the Black Forest successfully that had their eyes fooled, and we¡­ are the first group in history to had passed through the correct path.

 Chapter 1709 - Tip of the Iceberg

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The Northern Realms, Coldwind Ridge.


    There was a sea of camps as military flags fluttered. Military encampments made out of heavy and sturdy rock ash trees extended all across the hilltop as it a trench was dug up along the snowy landscape. Soldiers clad in the ¡®winter wolf¡¯ armor unique to the north were busying about among the camps like busy worker ants reinforcing the newly built encampment.


    And above the camp, a flickering magic barrier was slowly forming, as the mages from Icewind Vale were working hard to set up barrier pillars all across the camp to get the magical barrier up and running before the coming of the snowstorm.


    This was the elite army of the northern six provinces, the Army of the North that was the pride of the Empire and until half a month ago the army was Dragon Empire¡¯s most formidable northern barrier, fighting for the empire against the monsters from the Gorgon¡¯s Abyss in the north, but now they were setting up camp far away from their original defense line with their sword now pointing north against the imperial city.


    A figure clad in heavy black plate armor walked up the slop as he looked down at the camp and the soldiers in the camp. The armored figure bore a commanding presence, not to mention a rather tall height, but the special armor allowed this commander¡¯s clearly much more slender limbs to show, and the rose adornment by the side of the cloak too indicated the wearer¡¯s real gender.


    A slow trudging of snow was heard from behind as a white-haired general arrived on top of the slope. The old general had the face of a lion and bared his arms even in the blowing snow and his body was so ripped that people wondered if he had barbarian blood running in him. He stopped behind the black-armored figure and his voice reverent, ¡°Your highness, you should get some rest. The storm is coming.¡±


    The black figure did not turn back as a low, yet clearly feminine voice rang out underneath the heavy black helm, ¡°Duke Owen, how do you see this war?¡±


    The old general looked to the distance in the direction of the imperial city, ¡°Ever since the founding of the Army of the North, we only had two missions, to loco down the Gorgon¡¯s Abyss, and to complete the change of the eras. His majesty had given us this mission, and you shall lead us to complete it. This is the raison d¡¯etre of the Army of the North.¡±


    Constance Dragon shook her head, her armor creaking in the process, ¡°Putting your sense of purpose aside, how do you see this war? Our victory and defeats, the future of the empire¡­ and the effects of this war.¡±


    ¡°The warriors of the north can fight against the infestation of the Gorgon¡¯s Abyss whether in fire or ice. We do not have those chainswords or some ancient techniques, we only have will and courage forged in the fires of war, and the brains of our generals that have yet to be frozen solid,¡± The man referred to as Duke Owen smiled, ¡°I think the Army of the North can go toe to toe with the Ebon Blades, and we have your Broken Blades as well, and that means victory is with us. As for the aftermath of the war¡­¡±


    The old general demurred for a moment, ¡°Your highness, there are many things that is predestined.¡±


    Constance let out a gentle sigh before looking up in another direction.


    Further north, a slightly reddish line leap between the sky and earth and the skies around the red line were showing signs of distortion as if a powerful force had occupied that area and was waiting to invade this world.


    ¡°The Gorgon¡¯s Abyss has responded to us. It will be quiet for two years, and we have to end this war within two years.¡±


    ¡°The warriors of the north will not fail you, your highness.¡±


    Constance nodded slightly as she turned away from the Forgon Abyss. Looking at the edge of the Coldwind Ridge, a new snowstorm was brewing.


    She took off her helmet as a long silky black hair flew in the wind as the incoming snow and cold wind caused the sharp-eyed, and stern-looking princess to squint, an ancient voice rang in her heart.


    ¡°No dynasties last forever, the gods will die, the holy spirits will die, the sages and the dragons will also die. We do not know the start of all of this, but we can only see the bleak future. In that future, the world will be in an eternal night as all creations turn into ash in the dark flames, while all great spirits could only wail helpless at this end. In their limit life and knowledge, the world was bright and graceful, and aside from those born in the age of strife, most will know peace, but the eternals would need to bear the burden of knowing the truth. This is the price of immortality.¡±


    Constance started walking towards the encampment.


    ¡°Father, please wait. I will soon be over there to inherit your throne.¡±


    ¡­


    There were indeed some changes in the Black Forest, but due to the difference in the observer, the changes could be very well just the truth revealing itself.


    The caravans were trudging along a path that no one had taken before as neat rows of fossilized lamps and the endless rows of black pines disappeared behind the caravan. By then all three caravans had changed formed as all of the walls were retracted into a low cover while the passengers sat behind the covers to observe the situation outside; that allowed them to see everything in the forest. Plus the caravans were equipped with a shield generator anyway, and even pulling down the cover would not affect its defensive capabilities.


    The third caravans at the end of the group had now moved to the front and became the lead vehicle.


    Rheia lay on the front of the caravan as she stared at this mysterious forest, the fog and the temporal distortion were nothing before her eyes, as the forest showed its most real form.


    ¡°I can be sure that we are on the correct path of the Black Forest It was originally like that. And all those roads and markers left adventurers are illusions.¡± Hao Ren explained to Charlemagne and Awenna, ¡°I can even be bolder in my assumption, that for so many years the adventurers had pretty much been circling in the inbetween at the edge of the Black Forest. The adventurers may have felt like they had passed through the Black Forest using the path but in fact, they had gone through some sort of dimensional portal, or those who were circling the forest were under some sort of deep hypnotism, and the true face of the forest had never been seen by anyone before.


    Awenna was shocked to the point of not knowing what to say as she looked around her with her eyes opened wide before turning her sights on Rheia ¡°This assumption is very shocking¡­ and who is this young lady? How are you all able to be so bold?¡±


    Rheia mumbled in reply without turning back. ¡°Don¡¯t call me a young lady, I am much older than you all!¡±


    ¡°Her identity is rather complicated, but she has a very unique ability, the moment she sees something¡­ uh no, her ability is to see through everything,¡± Hao Ren was casual with the explanation. ¡°She could see through all falsehood in the world, and it is because of her, that we are able to step into a realm that no one had stepped foot on before.¡±


    ¡°That Basilica of the World Tree organization of yours¡­ What sort of organization is it?¡± Charlemagne was hesitating but he ended up asking anyway.


    Hao Ren pondered for a moment before answering, ¡°Basically trying to save the world.¡±


    ¡°Pardon me, I had overstepped. Please don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m being serious!¡±


    As Hao Ren emphasized that he was telling the truth, Lily prodded him on the shoulder. ¡°Mr. Landlord, Mr. Landlord! Look! They appeared again.¡±


    Hao Ren turned to the direction Lily was pointing and saw a few blurry figures at the back of the caravans. Their form then solidified to no different than a real person. They were ¡®figures¡¯ clad in civilian garbs, with golden red eyes, and silver haired, standing at two meters tall. Their figures were comprised of both males and females as they walked around the woods like normal people, chatting as they walked into the fog in afar, and the words they spoke were soon becoming audible:


    ¡°The frequency of military movement had been really frequent now¡±


    ¡°I heard that fighting had started near the borderlands¡­¡±


    ¡°The cardinal had been frequenting the Great Cathedral, could it be¡­¡±


    ¡°The Council of Seven Kings will commence soon, I really hope there¡¯s no chaos this time around.¡±


    The images soon disappeared, while Vivian frowned lightly, ¡°It¡¯s the seventh time already, and now there¡¯s this Council of Seven Kings.¡±


    Ever since the caravan headed deep into the Black Forest, the illusions had appeared more than once.


    And the content was different each time.


    The first time, Hao Ren had seen the soldiers fighting against a corrupted monster, the second time, they saw a group of wounded refugees running away as the soldiers covered the retreat. The third time, they saw a group of prisoners being led deep into the forest, but the fourth time around they saw a group of workers clad in simple garbs crowding a road, pointing at the forest as if planning some sort of construction work¡­


    And now this was the seventh time.


    The illusions had no proper rhythm to it as everything they saw so far were not of a consecutive timeline, at times there were refugees escaping danger, at times, there were pioneers leading an exploration team.


    Rheia had first guessed that these illusions were a ¡®possibility of the world that never materialized¡¯, but she had discounted that assumption now, and Hao Ren suspected what they saw in the Black Forest were reenactments of the ¡®old world¡¯s¡¯ history, and these were parts that even Rheia had never seen before.


    These were probably all memories of the past, and for an unknown reason became the ¡®false world¡¯, Hao Ren guessed that this unknown cause is probably linked to L¡¯Haronne¡¯s destruction and rebirth.


    But there was something that he could not explain. This world was recreated by Rheia¡¯s dream, and something went wrong during that process leading to pieces of the ¡®echoes of the old world¡¯ to be left behind, and appeared in this world as the Black Forest?


    Looking at the bleak forest, Awenna was nervous. ¡°Are¡­ Are we on the right path?¡±


    And as if to answer her, Rheia who was lying at the front of the carriage suddenly tapped the cover, pointing towards the fork ahead of them. ¡°Up ahead, turn left.¡±


    ¡°Trust her judgment,¡± Hao Ren smiled, ¡°Her instinct and true sight will lead us to the truth of the forest.¡±


    Awenna almost cried. ¡°But we are not looking for the truth of the forest, we are looking to get out of here as soon as possible¡­¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s expression did not change. ¡°Oh, then her instinct and true sight will lead us out of the forest.¡±


    Awenna¡¯s heart sank as she suddenly felt that this mysterious group of people was not looking to get out of the forest¡­


    And just at that moment, Vivian suddenly looked up, her nose wrinkled. ¡°I smell¡­ blood.¡±

 Chapter 1710 - The Battlefield in the Inbetween

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Just as Vivian spoke, a gust of wind blew through the forest and onto everyone¡¯s face.


    In the breeze, everyone heard cries of combat, as a dark, brooding, vomit-inducing aura assaulted them.


    Everyone looked at each other as Hao Ren tapped the carriage. ¡°Let¡¯s head over.¡±


    The magitech vehicle rumbled on as the modified engines smoothly increased its output, and the three caravans sped across the forest path and the breeze did not stop during this journey as the sound of combat and killing were sounding more real by the moment.


    This direction was the same as Rheia¡¯s instincts, and Hao Ren placed quite a lot of trust in Rheia¡¯s instinct as a god, and now he was sure that he was approaching the ¡®heart¡¯ of the forest.


    The caravans passed through another two forks and another thick forest, and finally the forest path came to an end as the caravans charged out of the woods into a vast open place.


    No one thought that there were such vast open grounds within the Black Forest, and on this vast area, an apocalyptic battle was taking place.


    The thick woods had stopped abruptly as the land before them looked like a country within the forest with vast flatland and a sea of buildings. Hao Ren did not know how this place looked like during peace time, but now all he could see was the fires of war and a sea of corpses.


    Massive pillars of flame were lit everywhere as tall buildings in the distance were collapsing among the flames and smoke as warriors clad in argent armor fought bravely against the invaders. They held energy shields and photon blades or used guns or magic staves against their enemies, and the foes were the same monsters that had previously appeared in the woods and all sorts of other horrific creatures.


    The monsters were like a rushing tide, and they were no less stronger than the argent warriors. Hao Ren saw the argent warriors were reeling under the intense weight of the attack. They were formed into squads of ten as they combined with others to form an army-wide shield, and even it was a combined shield, they were hard-pressed against the black tide of monsters and the shimmering shields soon died off one by one like fireflies in a mudslide.


    And in the center of the battlefield was a particularly big cluster of buildings. It looked like a city and was the place the warriors were defending to the last.


    A bright shield lit the skies above the city as dozens of glowing spires stood within the city center, some of the spires were maintaining the barrier¡¯s energy nodes while some were pointing straight into the sky, as a blinding beam was being shot up into the open sky.


    That was the first thing everyone saw the moment they got out of the thick forest.


    ¡°W¡­Watch out!¡± One of the guard captains had recovered as he drew his sword, his voice slightly distorted due to the high pitch yell.


    Charlemagne quickly stopped the rash soldiers, ¡°Calm down! These are all phantoms!¡±


    The prince himself was nervous, and there was even cold sweat down his forehead, but he still managed to discern the real identity of the images before him, this was because a white flame had just exploded not too far away from the caravan, and he did not feel any heat or shock wave.


    With Charlemagne¡¯s forceful command, only did the guards did realize that the bloody battlefield was also an illusion of the Black Forest and calmed down a little. But they still held their blades tight and dared not relax.


    After all with such a massive illusion before them, even when fake, danger still lurked within the illusions.


    ¡°This illusion is different from the ones before,¡± Hao Ren too was surprised by the scene before him, but he was much calmer than everyone present. As he spoke he turned towards Rheia, ¡°The scale is massive, and it seemed to have lasted quite a while now, and it¡¯s continuing.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no smell¡­¡± Rheia suddenly blurted out something that seemingly had nothing to do with the matter at hand, ¡°Regardless if it is a shade of falsehood or a phantom, it does not have any smell.¡±


    Hao Ren was stunned for a moment, before turning towards Vivian, ¡°Wait, Vivian, you said you smelt blood earlier?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and I can still faintly sense it now,¡± Vivian pointed towards her nose, ¡°My sense of smell is not like Doggie¡¯s, but my ability to sense blood is not totally dependent on my nose, I¡¯m pretty sure my senses are on point.¡±


    ¡°There are not only phantoms here,¡± Hao Ren quickly made a judgment, ¡°Stay alert everyone. Vivian, lead the way please.¡±


    Vivian nodded as she pointed towards the direction of the city, ¡°The aura is coming from that building clusters.¡±


    Everyone had stepped into the ¡®battlefield¡¯.


    Going through such realistic phantoms was the first for Charlemagne and his men as countless monsters and unknown soldiers were killing, bleeding and dying before their very eyes. The cries of battle, the smoke, and the explosions were all so real, aside from not being able to smell the smoke, everyone could hardly believe that these were phantoms but phantoms they were.


    They were going through the brutal battlefield as they zipped through no-mans-land, and every phantom, monster or human, went past them.


    Hao Ren had the MDT turn on the recording mode and he himself widened his eyes as well, not letting every detail of the battlefield escape him.


    The army before the city were almost overrun as the argent warriors were being torn apart in a one-sided fashion as the monsters tore at the warrior¡¯s defensive line and bodies, destroying and immolating everything in their path and yet the valiant warriors were standing fast, not buckling even under the one -sided slaughter, and neither showing signs of retreating.


    They were defending the city, defending to the last man as if the fall of the city heralded the end of the world.


    Aside from the almost overrun army outside the city, the only remaining combat ability was the defensive turrets on the outer city walls.


    Hao Ren saw the city had a ring of glowing alloy walls, and there were countless of long-rail cannons installed on the top and outer rings as blinding electricity leap between the rails and following an ear-piercing blast, the shells, and plasma, accelerated to ten times the speed of sound crashed against the monster horde outside the city, and yet, these powerful attacks could only slightly slow the monsters down.


    Another shriek broke through the sky, the sound came from above as Hao Ren looked up, he saw a black, spindle-like object was descending from the sky. And from the directions it was fired from, countless of massive silhouettes dotted the tainted skyline.


    The city¡¯s anti-air defenses had not stopped firing even for a moment, perhaps they had already been taking out the sky-borne attack for a long while now, and they were clearly at their limit.


    The spindle-like objects smashed violently against the city¡¯s barrier as it exploded into globs of mud and as the mud slid down the shield, every location where it had contact with the shield let out a blinding light.


    Frantic anti-air alarms rang all across the city.


    Hao Ren gently knocked on the MDT¡¯s shell, and only uttered a word. ¡°Analyze.¡±


    ¡°Seems like a rail gun bombardment. Based on the attacker¡¯s silhouette and attack strength, there is a high probability it coming from low orbit.¡±


    ¡°Why do the defenders not have any air power?¡±


    ¡°Probably all taken out, based on their level of technology, it is impossible for them to not have any air force, and their absence could only mean that they had been wiped out.¡±


    ¡°Technology level?¡±


    ¡°At least planetary level, and considering their shield technology is unusually advanced, this can be revised upwards.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and did not ask any further, he trained his sights on Rheia who was at the front of the carriage staring at the scenes around her, ¡°The L¡¯Haronne you had seen nine thousand years ago probably did not have this sort of technology.¡±


    ¡°Of course not, and I have not seen this war either. The L¡¯Haronne I saw was isolated and peaceful, and


    while there will be a few lunatics who would pop up to destroy the world, most of the time they are taken out by the local heroes even before managing to destroy a village. There was never such a battle of this scale.¡±


    ¡°What you saw was that few hundred years, and this war clearly happened before that,¡± Hao Ren looked at Rheia, ¡°And the past wasn¡¯t some half-past six thing, it had probably gone beyond a civilization¡¯s era¡­ a space-borne invader, a well-oiled anti-air/anti-space defensive weapons. This is beyond a planet that is isolated in the sea of chaos that doesn¡¯t even know what the atmosphere was.¡±


    The caravans had arrived before the argent walls.


    There were no entrance or exit on the walls as a clear, curved mirror blocked their path. Considering the battle outside, even if this city had a gate, it would probably be sealed shut.


    The battlefield were phantoms of the past, and thus the walls were naturally so as well, as the seamless wall would not be able to stop them, at least in theory, but just as the caravan was about to enter the city, Rheia called out to Hao Ren.


    ¡°It¡¯s not all phantoms here, there are some real objects here. We may crash into something if we are not careful.¡±


    As she said that, the tiny goddess looked at the wall before her, and sighed. ¡°We can go through this, let¡¯s go.¡±


    A massive part of the wall disappeared along with the goddess¡¯ sigh.


    Hao Ren then saw a blackened, collapsed wall, from the wreckage of the alloy and composite materials he could still tell that this was originally part of the wall, but now they had collapsed onto the ground and were covered by earth.


    Vines grew along the wreckage and seemed to have been growing for a long while now, centuries even.


    Hao Ren looked back at the battlefield, and the army was overrun and the monsters surging towards the walls. Clearly the soldiers were pretty much sent to their deaths, and the defenders had never thought they could hold on for long, and never thought to preserve their men, the army outside the city, was just a measure to buy time.


    And now, the battlefield was slowly being swallowed by the creeping vines of the Black Forest, and in the Forest, there were no signs of the battlefield.


    Perhaps the Black Forest had grown on top of a ruin, Hao Ren could not help but ponder.


    But there were ruins of the city that were left behind, just like the forest path outside, leaving a permanent mark in this world where truth and falsehood crossed one another.


    ¡°How do we know which is real and which is fake here?¡± Lily could not help but ask, ¡°Is there anything¡­ ¡®real¡¯ about the Black Forest?¡±


    Rheia¡¯s answer was simple. ¡°Only the inbetween.¡±

 Chapter 1711 - Black Pine

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren was already inured to the truth and falsehood within the Black Forest, as he realized the concept of truth and falsehood is meaningless here.


    He knew that L¡¯Haronne had gone through destruction and rebirth, but he could postulate that the planet had not just only encountered that one apocalypse in the past ten thousand years. This was the Umbral Realm, a fragment of the universe, the only surviving piece of the universe that was once destroyed by the Mad Lord and as the only remaining intact celestial body in the Umbral Realm, it had gone through another form of apocalypse.


    After going through multiple cycles of destruction and rebirths, everything bizarre would be the norm on this planet, and Hao Ren reckoned that this Black Forest was a ¡®distortion node¡¯ left behind after the planet¡¯s end.


    In this special place, everything was all piled on each other, and that not only included the old world, but also the possible future of this world, the possible future of the old world, immaterialized history, history that happened but was wiped out by the ¡°god¡¯s dream¡±, or a piece of history that never happened but appeared in the god¡¯s dream, or even those impossible timelines that had a chance of one in a million.


    Everything had piled on here, and created the Black Forest.


    And yet, mere mortals would not be able to detect the true face of the Black Forest, their eyes were unable to see a world in multiple spectrums, so they could only enter the ¡®surface level¡¯ of the forest, and that was the thick forest filled with beasts, monsters, traps and even ruins-like objects. These surface level objects were sufficient to throw most travelers off and let them believe that they had passed through the forest, but within the deep fog, this forest was not as simple as that.


    It was all due to the team having a goddess as a member, and even as a projection allows Hao Ren and the rest to escape the forest¡¯ influence, and directly entered into the real heart of the forest.


    What they had saw was probably the the first of the Black Forest¡¯s historical records, or the most basic parts of its form.


    And the city weaved between reality and falsehood with a material form before them was the proof.


    Rheia¡¯s eyes were sweeping the area, and where she looked, the illusions of yore collapsed and returned to its true shape. Magnificent buildings gave way to collapsed ruins, as charging warriors became a speck of dust in the mud, as many places were simply reduced to a swarm of vines, and the weird vines were like a malicious will that have climbed out of the dark crevices of history as it coiled around the mysterious city.


    But Rheia did not totally remove the illusions here, and in fact, she had only cleared a small area in their path, and once the caravans had passed through she will allow the illusions to reform. This was to allow Hao Ren a chance to record more clues from the illusions.


    So the three caravans had formed into a tiny ¡®real-world matrix¡¯, and outside of the matrix the city still stood strong as it held against the invading enemies from so many eras ago, but around the caravans, it was nothing ruins of the cold hard truth.


    Awenna¡¯s eyes were wide as she looked around in shock and nervousness. The glowing, advanced and elegant ancient silver cannons were still firing a second ago, and a moment later it was a mere wreck on the ground, and yet the next moment it reformed into its original state. There were soldiers passing through continuously but their movements were broken as the moment Rheia¡¯s sight turned over the soldiers would disappear, and the moment Rheia looked away, illusion replaced reality.


    That was probably the most unforgettable experience for the princess.


    ¡°Can you still smell blood?¡± Hao Ren approached Vivian and asked.


    ¡°Yes, and it is getting more and more obvious,¡± Vivian sniffled, ¡°Now I not only can sense it, I can even smell it proper.¡±


    Lily too sniffed, ¡°Yes, yes yes,! I can smell it too! It¡¯s right ahead¡­¡±


    An illusion would not have a smell, and that means the blood scent could only come from a real object, who was it that was hiding within this ancient and distorted forest?


    Hao Ren did not think it was some sort of monster.


    The three caravans stopped.


    There was no more road ahead, and while it looked like a wide roadway, and all sorts of battle tanks were trudging through it, but the moment Rheia trained her sights there, the road gave way to a series of ruins and fallen black pines, there were narrow slits that could be accessed but that was limited to humans only, and not the caravans.


    While they could blow the wreckage apart, or use the high-tech vehicles to run over it, but that will draw attention, and the blood scent that Vivian had detected were within a thousand meters, and to avoid drawing unnecessary attention, Hao Ren decided to leave the vehicles and headed in to investigate.


    ¡°You can stay in the car,¡± Vivian said as she looked at Awenna and Charlemagne. ¡°The caravan has a shield system, and an emergency SOS system, all of you will be safer here.¡±


    ¡°Will we be a burden?¡± Charlemagne asked seriously.


    ¡°Not really,¡± Hao Ren shrugged, he was not comforting the latter, but he knew what the siblings were capable of, and they could definitely hold their own when it comes to self-defense, and even if the Black Forest is teeming with all sorts of supernatural danger, Hao Ren and this team could easily cover all bases, and don¡¯t have to worry about the siblings holding them back.


    ¡°That will do,¡± Charlemagne adjusted his scabbard, ¡°We too are curious as to what is in there.¡±


    ¡°Everyone get off the caravan then,¡± Hao Ren nodded, ¡°But stay low, and look after yourself, don¡¯t ever go solo away from the team.¡±


    The team left the caravans behind and with Vivian as the guide went deeper into the ruins. Hao Ren and his crew left the way while Awenna and Charlemagne followed as their personal guards covered both flanks, adding additional pairs of eyes to look out for things.


    These soldiers may be mere fodders when compared to Hao Ren, but in this situation, having extra pairs of eyes on the lookout is always welcomed.


    They had gone through the collapsed ruins and came before a plaza, and in the center of the plaza was a pyramid-like building.


    The building was partially standing, while its other half was already in ruins, and on the still intact parts, the magnificent adornments were still visible.


    Rheia closed her eyes.


    And the entire plaza, pyramid and the surrounding scene was restored to its past form.


    The plaza was lined by soldiers clad in argent armor, as they formed a line of human wall facing outwards, and their energy shields were interlocked, forming layers upon layers of protective barrier, and behind the human wall were rows upon rows of plasma colliders, this was the temporary name Hao Ren had given to these plasma cannons.


    And even further behind were the armed civilians.


    The pyramid stood in the middle of the sea of bodies as it radiated a sun-like radiance, an energy stream flowed on the tip of the pyramid, as a surge of energy ¨C life energy ¨C emanated from the pyramid.


    The enemy had broken into the city.


    The various defensive cannons in the city roared but could not hold back the tide of enemies from all over (and from low orbit), the mutated monsters had destroyed the outer walls, and tore through layers of defensive parameters as the buildings around the plaza collapsed like sandcastles against the wave, and soon the monsters shrouded in smoke and dust finally appeared before the defenders.


    The final battle had begun.


    Laser beams and plasmablasts tore through the air and landed within the black tide, and following that were the brutal clash of photon blades and claws.


    The corrosive powers weakened the shield system as the energy screen flicked and died out. Monsters poured into the gaps like a mudslide into the plaza and the defenders were quickly being consumed by the monstrous tide.


    Yet, the life energy from the pyramid quickly healed those wounded soldiers and allowed them to stand up time and time again to combat their foes.


    And every time they stood up, their bodies were even more broken, and their armor rent.


    Finally, a gap was torn in the lines, and the next to be destroyed was the plasma colliders.


    And now it was the turn of the armed civilians.


    The life energies coming from the pyramid was getting stronger¡­ almost to the point of madness.


    Hao Ren could even hear the almost maddened guards yelling almost like a lunatic as their yells were soon garbled and meaningless, but yet Hao Ren could still catch onto some proper sentences.


    ¡°Protect the sanctum!¡±


    ¡°Protect the Holy King!¡±


    ¡°We need to buy more time! It¡¯s almost there! Almost there!¡±


    ¡°We need to hold for another thirty minutes! Thirty minutes!¡±


    Awenna was scared by the brutal and maddening scene, her face was pale and her lips trembling as she followed Charlemagne closely behind. She could not understand, how did these people push themselves to this state, and what were the enemies they were facing?


    She could not help but be reminded of her mission, and that drove her lips even paler.


    Rheia closed her eyes as she walked at the head of the team, but she could clearly see what happened around her, and as she passed through the fallen guards, she sighed, ¡°The power of¡­ mortals huh¡­¡±


    The team walked through the phantoms of the past and the main gate of the pyramid was now before them. A group of soldiers held their weapons, bracing against the enemy that is to come.


    Hao Ren walked passed the human wall, and just before he entered the great hall, he turned back.


    He saw at the edge of the plaza, the soldiers that had previously fallen were standing up again, and their body was so broken that they were no longer human, and their armor had fused into their flesh, they felt their hands out as the withered and broken limbs were twisted like burnt wood.


    The life energy from the pyramid were infused into their body continuously, allowing their already broken bodies to stand up and fight on, and the warriors maintain that posture, as their bodies stood up straight with their arms extended out and their long beards and hair fluttered in the air and became layers upon layers of branches. Their legs soon rooted into the ground as their skin folded into barks, and covered their entire body.


    They had become a sea of black pines.

 Chapter 1712 - The Origin of Life

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The situation inside the sanctum could be vaguely seen now.


    After going through the light green energy curtain at the front entrance of the pyramid, Hao Ren saw the sanctum was brightly lit and the vast hall had neat rows of massive equipment and many robed figures running about, and further in the hall, was an orb of light.


    After looking back at the phantoms of old that was quickly turning back into the Black Forest one last time, the group swiftly entered the hall with Rheia leading.


    Rheia was still closing her eyes and only reminded everyone else to follow behind to avoid being tripped by the ruins in real space. Hao Ren on the other hand quickly scanned through the hall.


    He noticed the massive building did not had that many people in it, and the vast space was actually reserved for those mysterious equipment of unknown usage. Two rows of massive and glowing rectangular pillars were lined up in the hall, and there were plenty of moving light and changed runes on the surface of the pillar, and between the pillars were silver-robed, giant ¡®technicians¡¯ that were up and about as the surging energies leap at the top of the pillars and were being focused and collected at the end of the hall.


    There was high platform there, and on it was a beautiful female that was clad is a magnificent regalia.


    The female seemed to be the master of the hall, she held a silver staff in one hand as another held another item by her side. She was looking at the main door of the hall, as a overwhelmingly powerful life force emanated from her body as were released to the plaza outside the palatial hall.


    So this was the source of the life energies released by the pyramid. A very powerful nature-type spellcaster.


    And behind the lady, was the source of the light Hao Ren saw, and it was actually a metal prism that was brimming with energy and the prism was embedded into the platform that she was standing on as countless of complex runes spun around and a low hum rang from the prism, echoing throughout the hall.


    Vivian suddenly tapped Hao Ren by the shoulder and pointed towards the platform that the lady was standing on. ¡°The blood scent is from there.¡±


    Before Hao Ren said anything, Rheia nodded softly as she turned over to that direction with her eyes still closed to ¡®look¡¯ at the place. The image of the area immediately shuddered and in the Inbetween of reality and falsehood, a blurry silhouette of a body appeared there.


    It was a human and was laying face down, giving no clues whether if he was dead or alive.


    The soldiers heaved a sigh of relief. It was a human, and while his status was unclear, it was far better than an unknown monster.


    Hao Ren frowned as he walked towards the unknown figure.


    By the time he got close only did he realized that the fallen human was an armored warrior.


    He had brown curly hair, and his skin slightly black while the armor he wore was different from most of the armor worn by the soldiery in the world. It was a black light plate, and seemed to be made out of many pieces of flexible metal and between the gaps of the armor were glowing light, and on his waist was not your usual knight¡¯s sidearm, or one handed sword, rather it was a meter-long truncheon, and other than that there were no other weapons, as it seemed like that black truncheon was his own weapon.


    Hao Ren and his team of course could not tell who the knight was, but Charlemagne immediately gasped, ¡°This is¡­ a Knight of the Broken Blade?!¡±


    ¡°This is a Broken Blade knight?¡± Hao Ren was surprised, ¡°The one under Princess Constance?¡±


    I have seen a Broken Blade knight before, when I was young,¡± Charlemagne nodded. ¡°Their armor is very unique, I won¡¯t be wrong.¡±


    ¡°What is a Broken Blade knight doing here¡­ How did he get here without getting swallowed by the phantoms¡­¡± Hao Ren was shocked, and quickly checked the knight¡¯s for any injuries. There was a massive pool of blood near him, and the knight¡¯s armor was equally rent, and clearly he had escaped here after suffering heavy injuries. ¡°He is still breathing! Quick, keep him alive!¡±


    ¡°Weird, his wounds are healed¡­¡± but Vivian¡¯s noticed something was off, ¡°I can only see damage on his armor, but the wounds on his body had already healed¡­ and aside from the blood on the scene, I don¡¯t see any signs of bleeding on his body¡­¡±


    ¡°Healed?¡± Hao Ren frowned, ¡°And he is only out cold now?¡±


    The MDT immediately flew off Hao Ren¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Let me have a look.¡±


    As the MDT went over to check on the knight¡¯s condition Hao Ren refocused his attention to the phantoms within the hall.


    He saw silhouettes of the monsters by the gate, and the soldiers at the final defensive line had already been engaged in combat, as the unreal cacophony of explosions and slaughter came through the energy screen at the entrance as a doomsday-like aura enveloped the entire hall.


    Yet the gigantic figures busying around the rectangular pillars were not affected by it, as they were unfazed in their duty to adjust each and every pillar, transferring all of its energies into the mysterious equipment behind the female figure.


    Hao Ren saw a silver-armored soldier came before the platform and bowed before the lady, ¡°Holy king! The final defense line is hard pressed.¡±


    The magnificently dressed, and beautiful woman was clearly the holy king that the defenders were selling their dear lives for.


    ¡°I know¡± the lady known as the holy king nodded. ¡°You may leave. Everything will come to pass.¡±


    The soldier left as the ¡®holy ling¡¯ lifted the platinum staff high before slamming it down.


    A loud ¡®thud¡¯ rang as the sound of the platinum staff impacting against the platform echoed across the hall, and the holy king¡¯s voice followed, ¡°The people of Haersonca, the final moment is here! We have nowhere to retreat, and we need not retreat any longer! The world¡¯s continuity lies within this battle, and I shall be with all of you, for our descendants, for their future, and the future to come, and for eternity! Raise your weapons!¡±


    A massive surge of life energy exploded out from her body, and this power was never seen before, as it was so overwhelming that it became a visible light green wave and crashed out of the hall like a violent storm, spreading all across the battlefield with the pyramid as its heart.


    On the plaza of the pyramid, and the city beyond the plaza, even the scorched earth that had been consumed by the Black Forest, countless of dead soldiers who had yet to become one of the black pines rose up again¡­


    Warriors that should have been deader than dead once again stepped onto the battlefield with this powerful life force, and as expected, unleashing such a powerful miracle was not without its cost.


    The holy king started shuddering as the arm holding the staff exploded after not being to contain the powerful magics as fragments of flesh and cloth splattered onto the planet. Following that was her body as it started to come apart as countless of horrifying wounds started appearing on her body, as her mortal body could no longer withstand the pressure and were torn asunder, and within a few seconds, she was lifeless.


    But she did not ¡®die¡¯.


    The overwhelming and will-driven life form still swirled around the platinum staff, and the energy had turned into an uncontrollable storm, and the holy king within the eye of the storm too were caught within as her torn body were forcibly reformed and given life, before the law-defying life force once again tore her body apart, before reforming again¡­ in a repeated cycle.


    Finally, the holy king¡¯s body was completely annihilated by the storm of life, and yet from her remains a plant life was quickly growing as it grew from a tiny sprout into a sky-scraping giant tree under Hao Ren¡¯s shocked gaze, and soon covered after of the hall.


    Finally the metal prism behind the holy king was charged to the maximum and a short hum later, a strong white light blasted out from it.


    And all illusions stopped.


    Rheia had not open her eyes, and yet everything in the hall disappeared, the glorious temple, the valiant soldiers, the mysterious ancient equipment, everything disappeared in the white light and in its place were a gloomy and silent ruins, and the wreckage among the ruins.


    The only thing that did not change was the sky-scraping tree before Hao Ren. It grew in the middle of the ruins, and the roots had totally covered the raised platform while its canopy covered half of the palatial hall.


    Between the canopies were greenish light gently flowing.


    No one said anything before this marvelous scene, as final images of the phantom of the past shook everyone to the core, and being only a bystander while immersed in the entire thing amplified the shock many folds.


    Hao Ren and his crew was doing fine, but Charlemagne, Awenna and their men had totally lost the ability to speak.


    Lily blinked and blinked, before being the first to break the silence, pointing at the giant tree before her, ¡°The life energies of the Black Forest¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Hao Ren too was looking at the giant tree, and even without any supernatural sensors, he could feel a powerful life force was emanating from the interior of the tree, and it was spreading to every corner of the Black Forest, ¡°and she is still emanating life energies until now¡­ We have arrived at the heart of the Black Forest, and this is the place of the wellspring of life and the temple of life is in the legends.¡±


    ¡°When did that happened?¡± Vivian asked the key question.


    ¡°Unable to determine,¡± With the illusion over, Rheia opened her eyes. As she looked at the ruins she shook her head, ¡°After going through destruction and rebirth, the timeline had been severed, and many things no longer have any causality, so everything happened here is an illusion lost in time that cannot be determined to be true or false. Even if we believed that all these had happened before, we can no longer look for any clues.¡±


    ¡°But we can at least be sure, that all this happened before the formation of the Umbral Realm. As there were orbital bombardments, I am sure that that was the scene where the denizens of this planet fought against the Mad Lord¡­¡± Hao Ren said, rather assuredly.


    ¡°If that is the case, the level of this war is far too low,¡± Rheia shook her head, ¡°Orbital and surface attacks done in tandem¡­ it is a brutal fight under normal circumstances, but as a universe-ending apocalypse, it is not up to par.¡±


    Vivian too joined in, ¡°Perhaps this is just a small part of that apocalypse.¡±


    Rheia had nothing to disprove that guess.


    What they were discussing was clearly beyond your average L¡¯Haronnean¡¯s understanding, and while she heard everything, Awenna was totally confused, as she looked at Hao Ren and Rheia, she asked, ¡°What¡­ are you talking about.¡±


    ¡°The Basilica of the World Tree had recorded some legends,¡± Hao Ren answered casually, ¡°I will tell you about these legends once things have calmed down, but now¡­ let us check on the condition of that Broken Blade knight. MDT, any idea why is he unconscious?¡±

 Chapter 1713 - Knight of the Broken Blade

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The uniquely armored knight had been moved by Hao Ren and the rest to a flatter surface close by and had turned him around to run a thorough check, but just like what they had detected earlier, the knight¡¯s wounds had been totally cured.


    And the MDT¡¯s advance scans had discovered that his body was completely healthy, and not only was he free of any wounds, but his internals were also working fine, and it was not a stretch to say that other than being ¡°unconscious¡±, he was pretty much fine.


    Hao Ren even had the MDT check if the knight of the Broken Blade had any signs of mechanical implants in him, but the conclusion was that he was no different from your normal person. So it seemed like the Broken Blade and the Ebon Blade had used completely different methods of ¡®production¡¯, and the former¡¯s superior combat ability against the later seemed to be cultivated using a different method.


    ¡°I have a guess,¡± Awenna suddenly spoke as she looked at the unconscious Broken Blade knight, ¡°His wounds are probably healed by the tree.¡±


    Hao Ren turned towards the giant tree in the middle of the ruins and the tree formed by the ancient holy king¡¯s sacrifice stood silently over the land, and while the holy king and the country that her people had died defending were now gone, the surging life energies continued to emanate from the giant tree, just like the battle so many eras ago.


    ¡°That is very possible,¡± Vivian nodded, ¡°He had escaped here wounded and had fell near the ¡®Tree of Life¡¯ and the powers of the Tree of Life had healed his body, but due to his severe injury, his vitality had dissipated away, and was now in this healed yet unconscious state.¡±


    ¡°But his soul is not totally gone,¡± Rheia suddenly interjected, ¡°I can see it, his spirit is still within his body, but it is very weak, and due to the effects of the Black Forest, his spirit is being led towards the Black Forest and warping, that makes it even more difficult to rouse.¡±


    Lily¡¯s eyes widen, ¡°So he would really be in a vegetative state?¡±


    ¡°We need to figure a way to wake him up and understand what was going on,¡± Hao Ren nodded, ¡°My generic healing equipment is not up to task against a condition like this, anyone wants to try?¡±


    Vivian, without a word immediately summoned a cackling lightning orb, and before she could even toss it out Lily immediately bounced up, ¡°Battie what are you thinking! That orb will really turn him into a outright vegetable!¡±


    Vivian rolled her eyes at Lily, as she tossed the orb onto the knight, ¡°What do you know. Electrotherapy is a thing! I know what I¡¯m doing!¡±


    A crack later, the knight¡¯s body literally bounced up in shock, but aside from having a new afro there was no change.


    Lily shook her head, ¡°Does that even work¡­ Forget it, let me threw to press his philtrum¡­¡±


    But before the werehusky could do anything, Rheia pushed her aside, ¡°Ah forget it, let me do it. You will probably kill him ten times over with that press. I have studied the soul anyhow, and who knows I might actually be able to convert his soul back.¡±


    The Goddess of Creation who had created countless of lives now took to the field, and the two half-past-six ¡®healers¡¯ pretty much piped down and focused on Rheia working her magic.


    But even Rheia¡¯s method was crude as well, she directly held her hands towards the knight¡¯s chest and when her arm got close to the knight it became a semi-translucent shape and this weird hand went directly into latter¡¯s body and after some grabbing she pulled out some glowing object right out of his body!


    Seeing that Hao Ren immediately realized that what Rheia was doing could never be done by others. While it may look simple, this is probably a complex idea conversion and data extraction process, or else she would not be able to extract the formless spirit out so easily!


    ¡°Say¡­ can this really work?¡± Vivian asked upon seeing Rheia¡¯s actions, ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like healing at all¡­¡±


    ¡°Relax,¡± Rheia said as she worked on the spirit orb, ¡°My methods have always been steady, I won¡¯t take unnecessary risks¡­¡±


    Hao Ren immediately rolled his eyes when he heard that: If she was so steady would she have almost killed herself ten thousand years ago? And also that sideshow where everything will blow up once she dies¡­


    But even if her methods may look unreliable to the observers, Rheia¡¯s still managed to stabilize the ¡®spirit¡¯ after some work, and after a series of dough-making actions, she stuffed the glowing orb back into the knight¡¯s body, and snapped her fingers by his ears. ¡°And¡­ done!¡±


    The knight then started to rouse¡­


    Lily was of course surprised. ¡°Wow, that actually worked?!¡±


    ¡°Why not? While I may not have received formal education, but I still have some handicraft knowledge,¡± Rheia rolled her eyes at lily before looking at the dazed knight who had just been roused from a deep slumber. As the latter slowly recovered, she noticed the obvious cautious and nervousness in his eyes, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we are not your enemies. We have just actually saved you. Do you remember? You had fallen right there.¡±


    The knight found himself surrounded by a group of strangers the moment he woke up, and at least half of them were armed, so his natural reaction was caution, but Rheia¡¯s innocent and calming voice did helped in calming him down a little. He quickly scanned his surroundings and ascertained the general traits, position and identity and their weapons before contemplating his current situation.


    Those guards who are armed to the teeth were clearly a threat, and while ordinary warriors would not stand a chance against a Broken Blade, considering that he was still weak and dazed, but his body was still suffering from an unusual numbness, the threat of these soldiers could not be discounted.


    Close by were two sibling-like figures with gray-white hair, and while they were not armored, but there were obvious pulses of magical items on them, and the man had a sword on his waist, so it was clear that they too were combatants, and were possibly stronger the soldiers around them.


    And the closest to him were a man and three ladies which seemed more harmless, they were totally unarmed, at least on sight, and there was a child among them, and it was obvious that she would be the weakest¡­


    Hao Ren had no idea what this Jedi-like Broken Blade knight¡¯s thought process within that short span of time, but he noticed the latter was now awake and calm, so he asked, ¡°Are you feeling better? You remember how did you end up here?¡±


    ¡°I felt like¡­ I had a very long dream¡­¡± the Broken Blade knight struggled to sit up right, and in that process his body shuddered quite a few times as there were faint electricity moving between the gaps of his armor. ¡°I had went through a battle against a foe which I could not make out their identity, and finally I became a tree¡­ and got struck by lightning¡­¡±


    Everyone¡¯s gaze immediately fell on Vivian.


    Vivian turned away, blushing slightly, ¡°At least my electrotherapy had some effect, and hit the cause in the gut¡­¡±


    ¡°You are not imperials,¡± the knight shook his head as he tried to dispel the buzzing and weakness in his mind, and in the process he was even more clear minded now, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°We are travelers from Izzo,¡± Without waiting for Hao Ren to speak, Charlemagne spoke first, ¡°For some reason, we were being pursued by the Knights of the Ebon Blade, and had to escape into the Black Forest, and we found you in this ruins.


    He did not directly expose his identity, and while they had shifted their target to Princess Constance, the leader of the knights of the Broken Blade, but without knowing more of the knight, it paid to be more cautious. As for the pursuit, it was an event that could be mentioned, as Princess Constance had now rose in rebellion, and the Knights of the Broken Blade and the Knights of the Ebon Blade were now enemies.


    ¡°Izzoeans pursued by the Ebon Blades¡­¡± The Broken Blade knight expression in his eyes changed slightly before sighing, ¡°That will be normal, they have lost all sense of reason, and it will be dangerous for a foreigner like you to be in the south of the Empire.¡±


    He then stood up groggily as he performed some formality gestures that were foreign to Hao Ren, ¡°I am a loyal knight of Princess Constance, Graeme Glawoz, your kind deeds will not be forgotten, and Princess Constance will definitely reward you richly for this.¡±


    ¡°We can put that aside, we did not save you for that, Mister Glawoz,¡± Hao Ren waved dismissively, ¡°Well, guess we have introduced ourselves now? So can you let us know in detail, what is a knight of the Broken Blade doing in the heart of the Black Forest? We have already know of the Empire¡¯s civil war, and also know of the battle between your order and the Ebon Blades. If I¡¯m not wrong, you were one of the knights involved in the battle at the Copulus River? Your armor bore burnt marks and marks of shock disintegration, that is only possible with the Ebon Blade¡¯s chainsword. What happened after that? Did you stray away from your team?¡±


    Graeme was of course suspicious and cautious when a group of Izzoean travelers that appeared out of nowhere asked him those questions, but seeing how these group of strangers had saved him and what they were asking were not actually a secret, his suspicion and cautious really amounted to nothing. With a nod, he said, ¡°Call me Graeme, and just as you said, I was one of the Broken Blades involved in the fighting a few day ago.¡±


    He then described what he went through.


    ¡°That was an unexpected encounter, and it quickly turned into a massive battle,¡± Graeme said, ¡°We were originally planning to head north to answer the Princess¡¯ call, but we ran into a roaming imperial company near River Copulus, and a detachment of Ebon Blades were nearby as well, so that was how the battle escalated so quickly. We had lost many good men in that battle, but most managed to escape, after that we split into two and one half headed elsewhere for their mission, and another false followed the plan through the Black Forest, I was the latter team.¡±


    ¡°But all of the paths into the Black Forest were sealed by the Ebon Blades,¡± Charlemagne frowned, ¡°Greenway is definitely out of the question, and both western roads, and the eastern Woodville have a knight¡¯s encampment, and seeing how you¡¯re dressed¡­ I don¡¯t think you were in disguise to pass through the checkpoints, don¡¯t tell me you lot fought your way through?¡±


    Upon saying that the prince felt a little awkward, he was reminded that he and his men too had took the trouble to disguise but in the end still broke through the Ebon Blades and the imperial soldiers¡¯ blockade all the way into the Black Forest¡­


    But Graeme shook his head, ¡°We did not enter from those places, we went over the Longwind Mountains.¡±

 Chapter 1714 - The Gorgonian Demon in the Black Forest

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren had heard of Longwind Mountains when he was scouting for Dragon Empire¡¯s details. This was a very short mountain range, near the south of the empire bordering the Black Forest and the Broken Shores, the Broken Shores was a narrow strait that connected with the World Scar, and was a natural border of the Empire. The Longwind Mountains starts from the Broken Shores and extends a few hundred kilometers deep into the empire before plateauing, becoming part of the southern ridges.


    This short mountain range was not eye-catching within the empire, but it was still rather famous as it was an obvious border of the Black Forest, and south of the range was a vast and populous area, while further north it was the endless Black Forest, and the unusual life energies of the Black Forest had allows giant trees to spread and grow until half of the north side of the mountain range, and stopped at the place called the ¡®Razor¡¯s Edge¡¯.


    The elves who were obsessed with the secrets of the Black Forest were intrigued by this, and had excavated some of the rocks on the north side of Longwind Mountain to investigate, and they soon realized that the rocks had some magical properties that could disrupt the life energies of the Black Forest, and they had carved runes into the rock and created a special type of runic bricks in the process. The bricks on the Verdant Barrier of Greenway came from that.


    But that was story hundreds of years ago.


    As the elves had excavated a massive about of rocks to create the runic bricks, plus the Black Forest itself was not a stable area, the Razor¡¯s Edge had suffered two massive tectonic shifts in the past few hundred years, and that shifts caused the mountain to suffer multiple serious collapses under the weight of the Black Forest¡¯s infestation, and was reduced into a natural hazard that was difficult for normal people to pass through. Even the elves who were accustomed to moving through mountains and woods had to tread lightly there, plus the northern side of the Longwind Mountains were directly connected to the ¡®Woods of the Lost¡¯ within the Black Forest. And without the marked pathways,it was an area that normal humans will simply get lost within, so normally people would avoid entering the forest there, and naturally there were no imperial outposts there either.


    And in truth, aside from the already discovered entrance connected to the pathways, the imperial army had not bothered setting up outposts along the vast forest. As aside from the pathway within the woods, and the nearby roads, entering the forest from any other places meant death, so any outposts were unnecessary.


    Hence, upon hearing what Graeme said, Hao Ren was curious, ¡°You went over the Longwind Mountains? How did you do that? Aren¡¯t you afraid of getting lost within the Woods of the Lost?


    ¡°For us Broken Blades, the Longwind Mountains is nothing,¡± Graeme smiled, ¡°Simply climb up the mountain, and jump off the cliff facing the forest. As for getting lost within the Woods of the Lost¡­ Don¡¯t you know? The Broken Blades will never get lost in the Black Forest.¡±


    As they heard that Hao Ren and his team looked at each other.


    ¡°So you mean that the Broken Blades could walk in and out of the Black Forest freely, right.¡± Vivian looked at Graeme in the eyes, ¡°And that means¡­ you are walking on the ¡®forest path¡¯ that normal people cannot see, and that path is the correct¡­ path.¡±


    Graeme nodded slightly and as he looked at Hao Ren and his team, his expression changed so ever slightly again, ¡°I thought you¡¯d know about this¡­ as you are like me, able to enter this lost kingdom.¡±


    Rheia blinked as she gave Graeme an intrigued look, ¡°So you guys call this place the Lost Kingdom huh. Interesting¡­ Seems like you are not affected by the phantoms in the Black Forest.¡±


    Hao Ren then took over, ¡°We are actually from an organization that is hidden away from the world and have a unique way to move around in the Black Forest, but as we were isolated from the world, we are pretty much clueless about many things of the outside world and are not even sure of the Broken Blades. In fact, we had only heard of your order from our friends here.¡±


    As he said he pointed towards Charlemagne and Awenna.


    ¡°The Basilica of the World Tree,¡± Charlemagne nodded. ¡°That¡¯s the name of their organization. Me and my sister were fortuitously saved by them, so we are now traveling together.¡±


    ¡°I have never heard of that,¡± Graeme shook his head, ¡°But that doesn¡¯t matter. There are secrets in the world that we will not know, especially when the world is broken in two. Regardless, you have saved my life, and as long as it does not go against my oath, I will help you out, if you need my help.¡±


    Of course, his help was needed. Being able to gain information from a Knight of the Broken Blade was the biggest possible help they could get, but it was not something Hao Ren could ask straight away, so he shifted the topic to what happened after Graeme had entered the forest. ¡°Our matters aside, what happened to you and your comrades? Don¡¯t tell me you were attacked after entering the Black Forest?¡±


    Based on what Graeme had said, he and a few other Broken Blades had entered the Black Forest together, and that meant they had already escaped the imperial soldiers and Ebon Blades¡¯ pursuit, but now he was alone, and heavily wounded in the ruins of the ¡®lost kingdom¡¯ and his comrades were nowhere to be found. Plus only part of the damage on his armor were caused by the black chainswords, and the other damage were clearly did not originate from a bladed weapon. And that only meant something: Graeme and his fellow knights were attacked by something else after entering the Black Forest.


    Graeme hesitated a little bit upon hearing the question, but he still answered, ¡°We had ran into the Gorgonian Demons.¡±


    ¡°The Gorgonian Demons?¡± Charlemagne was taken aback, ¡°Here, in the Black Forest?¡±


    ¡°Yes, while it is difficult to comprehend, but it is true,¡± Graeme sighed softly, ¡°We had planned to go through the forest¡¯s heart up north, but when we were nearing the north of the forest we were attacked by the Gorgonian Demons, and it was a Lord class Gorgon, my comrades and I were caught unaware and by the end of the fight only I managed to escape alive, but the moment I got here I lost my consciousness, and by the time I woke up¡­ I met you people.¡±


    Hao Ren and the rest looked at each other as Lily asked Awenna who was by her side, ¡°What is¡­ that Gorgonian Demon thing?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that?¡± Awenna blinked in surprise but still went ahead with the explanation, ¡°In the north of this world, there is a dimensional rift right across the World¡¯s Scar, and we call the area behind the rift the Gorgon Abyss. The Gorgon Abyss is a scorched wasteland, and there are many ruined and twisted giant rocks here, and the Gorgonian Demons live in that wasteland. They have bodies made out of metal and rock, covered in lightning and fire, even the weakest of the Gorgonian Demons could easily match hundreds of normal soldiers.¡±


    ¡°And while the Gorgon Abyss is open, only a few Demons will enter this world directly through it, this is a rare consolation,¡± Charlemagne continued, ¡°That aside, while the abyss is directly across the World Scar, it is not right in the center, and most of it is within the Empire¡¯s borders, while only a small part is extended into the White City Federation on the eastern hemisphere. The Kingdom of Izzo had built many ¡®sentry fortresses¡¯ to monitor and defend against the occasional incursions, while on the empire¡¯s side¡­¡±


    Graeme took over before Charlemagne could complete his sentence, ¡°That is the series of fortresses built by the Army of the North, and the Knights of the Broken Blade under the leadership of Princess Constance too helped with the defense. And in fact, the last challenge to be a Knight of the Broken Blade is to kill a low level Gorgonian Demon barehanded, and only after passing this test, we officially graduate from a knight-in-training and gain the right to go around the country and perform missions.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded, and at the same time compared the information from the probes. The probes had indeed detected an unstable dimensional rift north of L¡¯Haronne, but as this planet was once enveloped by divine power and recreated, there were many unstable dimensional rifts and unique energy blast points, and so he never paid much attention to that, and never expected that the dimensional distortion north of the planet was such a special place.


    But upon mentioning the north of the empire, he suddenly remembered something, ¡°Wait up, Graeme you said that the empire¡¯s Army of the North is in charge of guarding the Gorgon Abyss? And that means the six northern provinces right? Now they had gone south with Princess Constance¡¯s rebellion, what about the fortresses?¡±


    Lily too realized something was of, ¡°Could it be that because no one was guarding the northern fortresses that the Gorgonian Demons had escaped and made their way to the Black Forest?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded as he listened to what Lily had to say, and thought to himself if that was the case, the Princess had pretty much thrown everyone under the bus with her rebellion. The Army of the North was meant to guard the Gorgon Abyss, and now they had followed the princess ¡®uprising army¡¯ down south against the imperial army and the Knights of the Ebon Blade, what of the monsters that escaped from the abyss? They were allowed to run amok just like that?


    No¡­ the princess would not do something that foolish.


    And just as expected, Graeme immediately shook his head, ¡°Her highness would not be so fatalistic, and she had already considered the issues with the defense of the northern fortresses before even moving the army south. Based on what I know, she had used a special measure to temporarily stabilize the abyss, and it will last for at least two years¡­¡±


    ¡°She could stabilize the Gorgon Abyss?¡± Charlemagne¡¯s expression was exactly like when one heard an outlandish tale, but seeing how open the Broken Blade knight was, he had to trust him. ¡°Alright, even if it is real, the Gorgonian Demons appearing in the Black Forest¡­ is not a good sign.¡±


    Even Graeme was concerned, as his brows furrowed repeatedly, ¡°That¡¯s why I need to quickly go back north, and understand what is going one, but there is a Lord class Gorgon in the north of the forest, and we do not know if there are any other Demons lurking in the forest, this is¡­¡±


    ¡°Then come along with us,¡± Hao Ren interrupted Graeme with a smile, ¡°You can lead us on your original path, and I would like to see what a Gorgonian Demon actually looks like.¡±


    Graeme was shocked as he stared at Hao Ren, ¡°What? You know that there¡¯s a Demon there and you still want to ¡®see¡¯ it?¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped,¡± Vivian sighed, ¡°We are heading north too.¡±

 Chapter 1715 - A New Cooperation

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    As he heard what Vivian said, Graeme the Knight of the Broken Blade blinked in surprise before giving a suspicious gaze as he asked, ¡°You¡¯re¡­ heading north as well?¡±


    The suspicion in his eyes was totally understandable.


    At this point, the Dragon Empire was in chaos as the clash between the imperial army and the Ebon Blades and the Broken Blades with the Army of the North brought the entire continent into grave danger, and in this circumstances, most normal people would stay as far away from this hellish vortex as possible, more so for a group of Izzoeans that was recently pursued by the Ebon Blades?


    What was there in the north beyond the Black Forest? First, it will be the imperial heartlands under the control of the Knights of the Ebon Blade, and further up will be the imperial capital ¨C the Izzoeans who were just pursued by the Ebon Blades would surely not head there, and they could only head further north ¨C that was not considering how these group of people was even planning to get past an area so teeming with Ebon Blades ¨C and if they head further north, it will be where the Princess¡¯ army is.


    ¡°If you go westwards towards the Lion¡¯s Peak, and beyond that is a stable area, and farther west you can probably find a skyship towards Izzo ¨C while you may find it difficult to get on a ship at this juncture, it is still a safer option.¡± Graeme looked at Charlemagne and Awenna. ¡°If you head north it will be either the Ebon Blades or the Her highness¡¯ army. I suppose you are not actually looking for the lot who had tried to murder you earlier right?¡±


    Charlemagne demurred for a moment before nodding, ¡°Since we have already reached this juncture, there¡¯s no point in hiding this anymore ¨C we are indeed looking for Princess Constance, and we know what she is up to, and what it means to try to get through the blockades of the imperial armies.¡±


    Graeme¡¯s expression turned serious, ¡°Please understand my caution, but at this moment, a group of Izzoeans and four members of a hidden organization wishing to meet the princess, this requires a proper reason. I think¡­ you are no simple travelers right?¡±


    Charlemagne pondered for a bit and decided to tell the truth. He had hidden his true identity when Graeme had just woken up, and for a knight to be found unconscious in the middle of the Black Forest raised a lot of suspicions, and he had to be cautious. But now after ascertaining Graeme¡¯s reasons for being here, and the details he gave matched the ones they had, plus now that they knew there were Gorgonian Demons in the Black Forest, if they were to advance, they would need to cooperate, and he realized the need to be truthful now.


    He still remembered who was in charge of this team, and he immediately threw Hao Ren a glance, asking: Can we trust this knight?


    Hao Ren noticed Charlemagne¡¯s gaze and smiled dumbly in return. Bloody hell he had no idea why that handsome prince, almost 0.93 of Nangong Sanba¡¯s good-looking scale, was throwing him a glance! Is it because the prince was going to do something bold?


    A glance worth a few hundred words, that could only happen within Hao Ren¡¯s team, and at least for Hao Ren himself.


    But thankfully, the wise Rheia realized Charlemagne¡¯s intentions and shrugged, ¡°If you want to tell him, go ahead. We don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Charlemagne then made the decision, he knew the young lady had a significant influence in Hao Ren¡¯s team, and turned towards Graeme, ¡°Please pardon us for not being totally truthful, in truth, my sister and I are¡­¡±


    ¡°Secret emissaries from the ancient kingdom of Izzo?¡± Graeme frowned as he listened to what Charlemagne had to say, ¡°I can understand your need for caution, but on what basis do I trust you?¡±


    ¡°We are indeed in disguise, but we have something else to prove our identities,¡± Charlemagne said as he pulled out a magical amulet that he carried around with him. He activated the amulet and place it on his forehead. The next moment, a series of complex and mysterious tattoo-like circuits appeared on his arm and face.


    Awenna, too, had performed the same action, with the same magical circuit appearing on her body.


    ¡°The blood emblem of the Izzoean royalty,¡± Any suspicion Graeme had disappeared the moment he saw the markings, and immediately gave the two a knightly bow, hand on chest, ¡°It is really Your Royal Highness, please pardon my insolence earlier.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t mind that,¡± Charlemagne quickly dismissed that with a wave of his hand, ¡°It is important that we reach Princess Constance as soon as possible. We are carrying upon us an important mission, and must not be delayed.¡±


    Graeme¡¯s expression turned serious again, he did not inquire what the ¡®mission¡¯ was, but immediately dove into the heart of the matter, ¡°You may go up north, but we need to figure out how to deal or avoid that Gorgonian Demon. I need to remind you, that is a Lord class bastard and a Hive Mother type. It will release countless splits to monitor its territory, so it is indeed controlling a large area, and it will be difficult to bypass it, and there is a high chance of us being discovered. As for its capabilities¡­ even a few Broken Blades are no match against a Lord class monster. If this is the only men you have, heading north now is pretty much a joke.¡±


    As he said, the knight threw his glance towards the fully armed and armored guards. He could tell that these were all veterans of many battles, and were far more skilled than your normal footsloggers, and the best of them were probably a match for an Ebon Blade, but to challenge a Lord class Devil, this level strength is not enough.


    Obviously no soldiers worth his salt would like to be taken lightly, but for the personal guards chosen for this secret mission, they were not chosen only based on their combat abilities, their personalities and temperament too were specifically chosen, and would not lose their cool under such circumstances. They too understand that the knight meant no slight, and was simply telling the truth, so they only kept quiet, however unwillingly.


    But Hao Ren did not consider this a problem. ¡°Ahem, have you forgotten about us? If you are worried about combat strength, we are totally fine here.¡±


    ¡°You lot?¡± Graeme was befuddled as he measured Hao Ren suspiciously, he had actually taken the four for non-combatants earlier.


    ¡°Yeap, we are the main strike force,¡± Hao Ren nodded in certainty, as he pointed to him and his teammates. ¡°We were toying with the Ebon Blades earlier, and this one could nuke everything from range, while this one is peerless in melee, and the strongest is her, she is the most capable fighter among us¡­¡±


    Rheia crossed her arms over her chest as Hao Ren pointed at her, with a smug look on her face.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°This is true,¡± Charlemagne spoke, ¡°Please don¡¯t judge them by their looks. In fact, it was they who had neutralized all threats along the way. Regrettably, me and my guards were mainly¡­ cheering them on.¡±


    The personal guards all turned away.Read the next chapter on our vipnovel.com


    Seeing how Graeme was not convinced, Lily said, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe that, you can spar with me. Actions speak louder than words right?¡±


    And while the knight had all sorts of questions, the situation before him did not afford him much choice, and after being thrashed by Lily, he decided to trust Hao Ren and Charlemagne.


    After resting a while in the ruins of the lost kingdom, the team returned to the caravans and bypassed the area where the vehicles could not travel, they headed to the north of the Black Forest.


    But this peaceful journey did not last too long, as after a short distance northwards, the forest path was broken.


    While within the Black Forest, travelers could always depend on the forest path to any of the exit, but now that the fog of falsehood had faded away, and only the true face of the Black Forest remaining, the forest path was not an all-encompassing road, especially when Hao Ren and the rest chose the shortest path to the north, and they would have to start chopping off brambles and vines in the latter part of the journey.


    But for this elite team, where the weakest were still veterans skilled with both blade and magic, this was not a problem, and aside from the missing comfort of being in the vehicle, going through the forest itself would not slow them down too much.


    During the entire process, Hao Ren looked for Graeme, who had not been talking much since the journey started, ¡°I have a question to ask¡­¡±


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Graeme replied.


    ¡°You had mentioned that the Ebon Blades had lost all reasoning earlier? What¡¯s that about?¡±


    ¡°Quite literally,¡± After Charlemagne had revealed his identity, Hao Ren and the rest had also let known their intention to meet Princess Constance in the north, Graeme were much more open than before, ¡°Those once-glorious warriors had been twisted. An evil and powerful energy had turned their bravery and loyalty into something more fanatical and dangerous, but this distortion is very subtle and dangerous as at this level, not many would realize that their minds are no longer human.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, we had close encounters with the Ebon Blades, but their presence was no different than an ordinary person. Oh aside from their face.¡±


    ¡°So you have seen the face of a corrupted Ebon Blade?¡± Graeme was surprised, before realizing something, ¡°Ah right, with your powers, even if the Ebon Blades were pursuing you you¡¯d take a few out along the way. Just like you said, the Ebon Blades¡¯ madness is currently still hidden, they would hide their true nature by acting normal, but in truth, they had already descended into madness, and that twisted face is proof of that.¡±


    ¡°Based on what you say¡­ it won¡¯t take long for the normal folks to realize the problem with the Ebon Blades right?¡± Hao Ren frowned, ¡°and by then, most of the empire would probably stand with the princess no?¡±


    ¡°But before that even happens, the corrupted Ebon Blades can drive this world into annihilation.¡± Graeme responded with a grim tone, ¡°And we¡­ are acting to prevent that disaster from ever happening.¡±


    ¡°Ah, this is indeed a just cause,¡± Hao Ren nodded, ¡°But what I don¡¯t understand is¡­ what caused the Ebon Blades¡¯ corruption? Don¡¯t tell me¡­ it really is that dragon soul¡­¡±


    ¡°The one that can only affect the Knights of the Ebon Blade, is His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Berentine.¡± Graeme¡¯s response reaffirmed Hao Ren¡¯s guess.


    At the same time, Hao Ren caught a scorching smell in the air.


    Graeme raised his hand, ¡°Be careful. We are close to the Devil¡¯s domain.

 Chapter 1716 - The Gorgonian Demon

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    A scorched smell permeated in the air, and there was also the acrid smell of electrified air.


    A great part of the forest had been destroyed as something with an overwhelming heat energy had ran rampant here, it had destroyed thousands of trees with extreme heat, leaving a trail of thick shock and heat, and everywhere ahead it was nothing but charred trees, and uneven explosive craters and at some areas, embers were still smoldering while thick smoke engulfed the entire scorched earth, like a gray snow.


    At the edge of this scorched lands, the Black Forest were slowly recovering as the torn trees and plants were creaking and growing at a very visible speed. Yet their recovery were clearly impeded. Only the plants at the edge of the scorched earth were regrowing, while on the scorched lands itself, there were no signs of recovery.


    The powerful life energies of the Black Forest were actually stopped by the powers of a Gorgonian Demon ¨C The imperials had spent hundreds of years to actually ¡®dig¡¯ a spot out of the Black Forest to build Greenway, but a Lord class Gorgonian Demon could easily and permanently destroy a part of the Black Forest.


    This revelation shocked Graeme who knew the Demons well.


    Seeing the smoldering land that showed no signs of healing, the dark-skinned warrior had an unbelieving expression on his face, ¡°I have left here for a long while now¡­ the burnt black pines never regrew?¡±


    ¡°Is this situation unusual?¡± Hao Ren raised his eyebrows. He had thought that this was caused by the Gorgonian Demons, and was a normal scene in this world, but he never thought that even Graeme was surprised.


    ¡°Very unusual,¡± Graeme nodded, ¡°While there were no Gorgonian Demons rampaging in the Black Forest before, the scholars had never stopped studying the two, and in theory the flames of the Gorgons would not be able to stop the Black Forest¡¯s life energies, but this place had showed no signs of healing¡­ Something is not right.¡±


    And Lily, whose mind was ever filled with novel plots spoke, ¡°Perhaps that Demon Lord even has a main character setting to him, and have some sort of territory ability.¡±


    ¡°What is that territory ability?¡± Graeme was totally confused, ¡°Is it some sort of magic?¡±


    ¡°Ignore here, it is hot here and her mind is affected somewhat,¡± Hao Ren quickly pulled Lily aside, as he inspected the burnt land and looked for any traces or signs of the ¡®Demon¡¯.


    ¡°Well, we do have quite a few encounters with demons, but we are not so clear about the Gorgons, are they very territorial?¡±


    This was not said on a whim, Hao Ren and his friends were familiar with the demons, and their encounters included playing Landlord, mahjong, having hotpot, barbecue and having the demon to carry cooking gas canisters. If it was about demons, Hao Ren was pretty sure he was at least a master on the subject.


    ¡°Territorial sense? They are not only strong, they are almost crazy on the matter, as long as they had marked their territory, aside from tearing it to pieces, you can forget about even taking the place back, and approaching that place is suicidal.¡±


    As Graeme said he pulled out his weapon, it was that odd-looking metal truncheon while a faint, almost imperceptible glow appeared on his armor as dim light weaved about in the gaps of his armor. The short truncheon soon hummed as two one-meter long red beam appeared from both ends of the truncheon.


    Hao Ren was still scouting for energy, and suddenly caught sight of the Broken Blade knight pulling out a twin light saber. Surprised by the sight, he blurted out, ¡°Wait a minute, do you guys actually go may the force be with you before you fight?¡±


    Graeme was tensed as he kept an eye out for hostiles and was thrown into confusion by Hao Ren¡¯s sudden blurt. ¡°What is the force? The only thing that is with us, is our knightly vows and the glory of Her Imperial Highness¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, nothing, it¡¯s just that your weapon will definitely throw everyone off.¡± Hao Ren immediately smiled to hide his awkwardness. ¡°Say, you Broken Blades don¡¯t usually team up with outsiders right?¡±


    Graeme frowned as he did not understand why Hao Ren was interested in that, ¡°The Broken Blades usually work in small teams, and very rarely with outsiders, anything?¡±


    Hao Ren saw Graeme placed the twin light saber behind him as he bent down in a cautious posture and nodded, ¡°No wonder, that weapon doesn¡¯t look all that safe, anyone standing behind you would be stabbed when you retract your blades¡­¡±


    Graeme felt like he would pretty much go crazy if he spoke any more with this weird person. What is the Basilica of the World Tree all about? Is everyone from there a lunatic?


    And just as these thoughts flooded his mind, a sudden alarm gripped him.


    The instinct of the veteran of countless of battles proved to be on point: He quickly yelled out a warning, before bursting into top speed as he leap aside at the very last moment and raised his light saber in a blocking stance!


    Two dark red beams came screeching from afar the moment he acted, and one of it hit the spot he stood, and the ground sizzled, while the other was blocked by his light saber and the deflected beam hit black pine a distance away, tearing the tree in two.


    And Hao Ren had also noticed the enemy¡¯s movements before Graeme even shouted his warning. His shield system immediately activated and he raised his psionic pistol that he had earlier drew from his dimensional pocket, and fired three shots into the distance.


    Three of the beams seemed to have hit something, as the seemingly empty space suddenly crystallized as an odd object floating in the air appeared and shattered into dust.


    ¡°Optical, magnetic, and heat combi-camouflage,¡± the MDT swiftly completed the analysis of the target, ¡°But gravitation and data wave reading is effective! Detecting more targets, marking them now!¡±


    A dozen of blurry red images suddenly appeared in Hao Ren¡¯s vision and were rapidly approaching.


    These were probably the splits that Graeme was talking about. They were fragments of the Gorgonian Demon and were a biological weapon.


    And it actually had such powerful stealth ability? Why did Graeme not said anything about this?


    Just as the question popped up in Hao Ren¡¯s mind, Graeme yelled, ¡°Damn! Something is wrong! This was not the enemy we ran into earlier! There¡¯s another Gorgon Lord here!¡±


    ¡°Bloody hell, this is beyond wrong information!¡± Lily¡¯s fur bristled as she yelled before sensing danger from the side, and without much thought, she immediately leaped up into a roundhouse kick and a crash later, a blurry silhouette was sent flying out of its camouflage as it flew in sparks and creaks before Hao Ren.


    Even in human form, without her ears and tails, Lily¡¯s strength was not to be underestimated.


    ¡°Watch out! There¡¯s not only ranged units,¡± Vivian quickly warned everyone and at the same time, a ring of cackling lightning ¡®Static Ring¡¯ formed with her as the center, and shot out in all directions, and following that, blurry silhouettes formed around the figures hidden in the air.


    The tiny sparks had covered their entire form and disrupted the ¡®splits¡¯ stealth ability.


    Everyone had drawn their weapons and had unleashed their best magic and started fighting the revealed splits, and Hao Ren¡¯s attention was caught by the split that Lily had kicked earlier.


    The split had landed not too far away from him, and unlike the disintegrated first wave attackers, it was still rather intact, while there were obvious cracks in the middle, but its general form was still visible, and it looked like a curled up lobster that was engulfed in a rapidly weakening electricity. There was an obvious metal carapace covering the monster¡¯s body, and the lower half had a few alloy limbs. There were a superheated light blade at the end of each limb, but yet there were no limbs for movement on the lower body, and only a few glowing circular devices at the bottom.


    Hao Ren recalled the moment when Lily had sent the monster flying, and realized that the glowing circles were probably for levitation.


    And as she looked at the metallic body covered in an electric cloud, Vivian could not help but mutter to herself, ¡°Why this does not look¡­ biological.¡±


    The splits had both invisibility and high speed as a trait, plus the plasma cutters and laser attacks, that would have turned them into a lethal opponent against common soldiers, but thankfully, no one was a common soldier here, and even the weakest of Charlemagne¡¯s guards could hold his ground against the Gorgonian fodders.


    The glow of magic was blasted all across the scorched earth as they blocked the laser attacks, and the dancing enchanted blades formed an impenetrable wall. While they warded off the melee combat units using this momentary distraction, Vivian and Hao Ren alongside Lily swiftly took out every split on the field.


    Rheia had not interfered at all, as she felt these ¡®tiny things¡¯ were not a threat, and with Lily taking them out without even transforming, she chose to stay out of the combat and focused her attention on answering the question on her workbook.


    At that moment, Hao Ren heard a roar from above.


    Graeme, who had just cut one of the splits into two with his lightsaber, immediately reacted, ¡°It¡¯s the Gorgon Lord! It¡¯s here!¡±


    Hao Ren quickly looked up, and saw a massive shadow floated up from the other end of the charred forest.


    It was a manta-ray like behemoth, and it was at least three hundred meters wide. Its body was hidden within the clouds and lightning, and like those splits, it had a biological shape and structure, but it was totally made out of metal, and between the whirling metals, there were runes and energy currents flowing between them.


    This was the ¡°Gorgonian Demon¡±.

 Chapter 1717 - Inside

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    As the massive carrier-type Gorgon Lord appeared in the skies above the forest, every soldier shook visibly.


    A almost perceptible malice and destructive aura swept through the entire forest, as a low howl thundered from a metallic monster, and just by looking at the foe inside the thunder clouds, Charlemagne and his guards were overwhelmed by a sense of despair, a despair of facing something that was impossible to fight against.


    This was not due to the lack of resolve and courage, but the monster in the sky was clearly something beyond their capabilities.


    And the moment Hao Ren saw the Gorgon Lord spat out a air-to-surface missile he realized something all too clearly.


    THIS IS TOO DIFFERENT FROM THIS WORLD¡¯S SETTING!


    ¡°Rheia, deploy shields!¡± Hao Ren reflexively summoned an anti-air missile from his pocket and launched it towards the Gorgon Lord, and yelled at Rheia at the same time. The latter too had realized that the mortal soldiers could never survive in this hellish battlefield, she immediately created a hemispherical protective field, and covering Charlemagne, his sister and their guards within it.


    The Gorgon Lord in the air let out a few mechanical roars as a blood-red crack opened in its front as a few blazing missiles shot out from the crack, following another air-to-surface missile from the tail against the enemies on the ground.


    Graeme¡¯s eye lit up in white lightning at that very moment as he placed his light saber by his side, while his left hand pointed towards the oncoming missiles with a savage yell, ¡°DEFLECTION FIELD!¡±


    A formless energy field formed before him as the incoming missiles were all deflected away mid flight as two flew towards the forest in the distance, with two mushroom clouds formed after a powerful explosion, while the rest of the missiles inevitably landed near the group, and thankfully for Rheia¡¯s divine barrier, the explosion and resulting shock wave of the missiles did not affect everyone within the barrier¡¯s protection.


    The anti-air missile that Hao Ren had launched crashed against the Gorgon Lord after a short burst of speed as a massive fireball exploded near the metallic monster¡¯s head, but what followed were mere ripples of an energy shield.


    The fact that this monster had shields did not surprise Hao Ren, as even the L¡¯Haronnean skyships had barriers, it was the fact the shield could so easily block a graviton missile was surprising, and that led Hao Ren to immediately adjust the target¡¯s threat level up by a few notches.


    But just as the alloy ¡®manta ray¡¯ in the sky deployed another series of weapon launch bays, and blasted out many more missiles and heavy aerial bombs, another roar thundered from the other side of the dense forest.


    Everyone could not help but turn to the source of the sound, and saw a second Gorgon Lord rising from the forest with smoke and superheated clouds around it, it had the shape of a gigantic insect and many floating bits surrounded it. And within its bloated body were many ¡®muscles¡¯ that criss-crossed all over the body, and like the first Gorgon Lord, it was made all out of metal, but still had the structural trait of a biological being.


    This was the Gorgon Lord that Graeme and his comrades had encountered earlier.


    ¡°Watch out! His laser beam is very powerful!¡±


    Graeme yelled out to warn the others, but just as his voice trailed off, the Gorgon Lord with a torrent of bits around it let out a droning roar, as its entire body lit up, and the bits around it followed. Following that, hundreds of laser beam ripped through the air, as the barrage shrieked towards where Hao Ren and the rest were standing.


    But Rheia¡¯s shield easily blocked all the attacks, and did not even waver under the barrage.


    Graeme look in shock at the expressionless Rheia, finally realizing the ¡®young lady¡¯s¡¯ unusual powers.


    The two Gorgon Lords in the air seemed to have been enraged as they let out an even louder roar as dozens of cracks opened up in each of their abdomens, as a surge of bizarre splits blasted out from the crevices and charged towards the stubborn ¡®humans¡¯ on the ground.


    Graeme let out a battle cry as his light saber glowed a few notches brighter, and following that the knight was covered by a blurry shadow as he courageously charged towards the swarm of splits, and be it metallic insects or metallic beasts, all were cleaved into two with every strike, while the incoming lasers and missiles simply passed through him as if his body was ethereal.


    But he clearly could not maintain this sort of godlike-form for eternity, and the Gorgon Lords, acting as a carrier were the real threat, and if they are not destroyed, even the Broken Blades would be worn out no matter how powerful he was, and clearly this was how his comrades had fallen.


    ¡°Aih, I thought I wouldn¡¯t be busy,¡± Rheia sighed when she saw the situation was going south of the original plan and stepped forward to take things into her own hands, but before she acted Hao Ren called out to her, ¡°Rheia, you take on the one with the floating bits, leave the rest to us. Try to leave it intact!¡±


    ¡°I know, I know.¡± Rheia waved dismissively as she mumbled as she went, ¡°Even if I¡¯m just a shadow here I¡¯m still very strong alright, I don¡¯t need you to mollycoddle me. Oh right, Charlemagne and Awenna, stay with your men under my barrier, with your body, you¡¯d die the moment you step outside¡­¡±


    As she finished, Rheia¡¯s diminutive form disappeared into the air. No one caught sight of her movement by Hao Ren noticed the Gorgon Lord with a boat load of bits were suddenly becoming sluggish.


    With a slight relief, he turned towards the ¡®manta ray¡¯ that was madly unleashing salvos upon salvos of missiles and bombs, and the latter seemed to have noticed its true enemy, like how doppelgangers attract each other, two crazy demolitionists would know each other the moment they meet. Hao Ren felt like he was locked on by countless of observation devices, and he was sure, if this was a third person view, he would see at least two dozens lock-on markers on him.


    The carrier-like metal ¡®manta ray¡¯s¡¯ head glowed red, as beams blasted out from the two primary cannons in its mouth as it screeched towards the patch of land Hao Ren was standing with in an extreme temperature, and everywhere the beam touched, a series of explosions followed.


    As he took cover behind Rheia¡¯s barrier, Hao Ren turned towards Vivian and Lily, ¡°Hold the guy at range.¡±


    He then knocked MDT¡¯s casing, ¡°Send me to the back of that b*stard.¡±


    ¡°Alrighty, hang on tight!¡±


    As the MDT¡¯s curt voice faded away, Hao Ren suddenly felt a sudden lost of gravity, and the next second he saw the smoke-redden sky, and the argent alloy body of the Gorgon Lord.


    He had stepped on the ¡®manta ray¡¯s¡¯ vast deck-like back, and around it were bright, concentrated lightning arcs, and this arcs were generated by the electricity field around the Gorgon Lord, and without a doubt, it was meant to keep any attackers from approaching it.


    And if now for Hao Ren¡¯s shield, he could stay on this electricity field for quite a while, but this sort of defense mechanism that does not have a blind spot is troublesome to say the least.


    Hao Ren believed that if an imperial army or normal soldiers like Charlemagne¡¯s guards were to board it, they would be fried into crisps within half a second by the electricity field.


    The Gorgon Lord soon detected that it has an uninvited guest on its back, with a few clanking of metals later, Hao Ren saw the armor about ten meters away from him suddenly opening up, and following that four turrets rose up from the gaps, and a shriek later, the CIWS started spewing metallic death at him.


    ¡°F*ck!¡±


    Hao Ren cursed under his breath but he did not dally, he had already gotten the MDT to scan the structure underneath him, and he immediately pulled out the Godslayer and carved a giant hole on the alloy armor before falling into the gap.


    But a few of the cannon shells still hit him.


    As he looked at the slightly reduced shield capacity, Hao Ren heaved a sigh of relief. Thankfully the CIWS weak firepower was as expected. If it was the Gorgon Lord¡¯s main cannon, he would not be able to tank the hit with his face.


    He then started inspecting his surroundings.


    It was a narrow passage, and while it could fit a person, this was clearly not a normal personnel passage, rather it was more like a secondary passage meant for maintenance works. By the side of the passage, there were many metallic assemblies and cables exposed, and it seemed like they were not sealed to begin with, and at the end of his sight, it was a half-opened metal door. It seemed like it had suffered a mechanical breakdown, and could not fully close.


    The combat was still ongoing outside, as such the metal manta ray¡¯s interior was very unstable as shaking and weird noises kept coming from all directions as all sorts of alarms in the passage blared incessantly, but those aside, there were no sights of any internal patrols or robots appearing to cause trouble.


    The MDT floated in the air as it scanned the surrounding, before projecting a series of arrows in Hao Ren¡¯s vision, ¡°The busiest area for information transfer is right ahead, if I¡¯m not wrong that must be the control center.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded and gripped the two Blades of Cosmic Shards tightly in his hands. In this narrow, foreboding place, two one-handed swords were clearly the better choice of weapon.


    And while he had asked Rheia to try to leave the one she was engaging intact, it would be better if they could salvage two intact Gorgon Lords.


    This thingamajig were clearly way beyond L¡¯Haronne¡¯s civilization level, and were totally different from the phantoms within the Black Forest, and more like an object of another civilization altogether. For a tiny planet to have objects from three different civilizations at the same time, Hao Ren could not help but connect it to the cycle of destruction and rebirth this world had undergone, and its unique property as the only ¡®fragment of the universe¡¯.


    It seems like this journey¡­ was the right one.

 Chapter 1718 - A First Rate Demoman Will Never Lose to a Second Rate

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The first impression that these metallic monsters called the Gorgonian Demons by the L¡¯Haronneans gave to Hao Ren was that these were ancient weapon systems that had gone out of control. And it was a technology-based, high level sort of out-of-control weapons, at the same time they too had a very obvious trait¡­ like unique structure of a biological life-form.


    Even if the beasts were totally made out of metal, the alloys still resembled obvious muscles, bones and innards structures, and each structure had a logical use to it, and their outer form were similar to animals, and the manta ray, giant insect form were the most obvious trait, and when you get into their insides, this wondrous ¡®imitation of life¡¯ were even more glaring.


    Hao Ren was moving through the passageway inside the Gorgon Lord, and it felt like he was moving inside a squirming beast. Through the gaps of the tubes and electrical lines, he could see many machinery glowing red within the cavities, and at the same time splits were moving about within the transparent tubes, as the stress-inducing chimes of the machinery sounded like the organs of a living organism, and the oil and electricity within the tubes and cables were the blood and stimulants of the monster.


    He had not found any wide corridors for normal personnel, and had only ran into those narrow single person passageway, at the same time, there were no signs of any cabins or control panels for humans, and in place were many ancient automated machines.


    ¡°Everything here points to this thing being totally automated,¡± The MDT floated by Hao Ren¡¯s head as it inspected the energy and information flow, ¡°These passageway is probably meant for the maintenance crew for inspections and repairs under special circumstances. So aside from the technicians, these things would not need anyone to control it.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense, the Gorgon Abyss had already existed for thousand of years, and it will be difficult to imagine every demon would have a group of pilots within one, with the L¡¯Haronneans not even finding out after so long.¡± Hao Ren said as he followed the MDT¡¯s navigation instructions deeper into the beast, and at the same time took notice of the observation window to observe the complex mechanical structures and operations inside the monster. These observation windows were present every other ten meters, and if he was not wrong it was meant for the maintenance crew. ¡°But these passageways were more than enough¡­and if it is meant for maintenance work, that means it will extend to every corner inside this b*stard.¡±


    He then looked through one of the windows at the machine room on the side, and in that room were a series of complex distribution system that was operating at full speed as an assembled air-to-surface missile was being sent into the launch bay window, and beneath the ¡®missile assembly¡¯ was a few turbine-like devices, the electricity created by the devices lit up the nearby magical runes and once the runes had absorbed the energy it would create a massive energy field, and based on the MDT¡¯s scans, this energy field was the thing that allowed this behemoth to float.


    Hao Ren totally had the ability to outright disable this Gorgon Lord¡¯s combat capabilities. As long as he cut a gap in one of the nearby tunnels, and lob a few graviton grenades in those arsenals, anti-grav generator or energy cores, it would be more than sufficient to cripple the monster, but he did not plan to do that.


    While the mechanical behemoth was ceaselessly lobbing missiles and bombs onto the ground, as long as Rheia¡¯s divine barrier held, and Charlemagne and his men keeping a cool head there were no worries of any deaths while Vivian and Lily could easily protect themselves in this sort of combat scenario. And if not for the need to allow Hao Ren time to ¡®investigate¡¯, the two ladies could easily take the Gorgon Lord down if they worked together.


    After all¡­ Vivian had wrecked plenty of havoc by herself during the Mythological Age, and Lily¡¯s doggoblast has divine powers to it, and that blast is no weaker than the main cannon of the Gorgon Lord.


    So Hao Ren was totally not concerned about the combat outside, and what he planned to do was to collect as much information about the Gorgon Lord before it was destroyed.


    ¡°We are now in the middle of this thing, and further ahead we will reach the ¡®command module¡¯ where all sorts of signals converge.¡± The MDT projected the navigation map, and marked the signal reactions that it had managed to scan, ¡°Beneath us there is a facility that is directly connected to the main shaft cable, but this facility is inactive.¡±


    A facility that was directly connected to the main shaft, that meant that it is a device that consumes a lot of energy, but for it to be inactive in combat¡­ what was it?


    Hao Ren was curious and he quickly found the nearest observation window and took it apart before poking his head down below.


    In the machine room beneath him, there was a massive ellipsoidal device, and around it were many cables and auxiliary facilities. A faint glow radiated slowly on its surface and around the device were neat rows of runes and marks, but they were all unimportant information.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Hao Ren raised an eyebrow as he asked.


    The MDT¡¯s shell was glowing blue, ¡°Wait up, I¡¯m analyzing it¡­ Based on its structure and some key components, this is probably a dimensional distortion generator.¡±


    Hao Ren frowned hard, ¡°A part of a warp engine? Does that mean that¡­ these Gorgonian Demons can warp?¡±


    ¡°But this function had been locked,¡± the MDT continued, ¡°as they are now trapped in a very narrow universe, and they can¡¯t even leave this planet. So to conserve energy, the warp engine and its auxiliary facilities are all shut down.¡±


    Hao Ren suppressed his rampaging mind and refocused himself, ¡°Save the scans, we will press on.¡±


    And now long later, he had reached the final point the MDT had marked.


    ¡°The temperature here is very high¡­¡± Standing before a gate, Hao Ren mumbled to himself as he looked at the metal cabin with a red glow. ¡°It seems like the Gorgon Lord¡¯s control mechanisms require high-temperature to operate¡­ or this place is heat chamber of the machine.¡±


    The MDT answered with a deadpan voice, ¡°I think it is the former, based on what information we have. This big b*stard is high-tech, and will have an equivalent high-tech cooling system, so the only reason to maintain a high temperature is that it needs it.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded as he drew the Godslayer, and tore the locking mechanism of the gate before him apart with ease.


    A not so wide semi-spherical cabin appeared before him.


    And as expected, there were no pilot seats or control panels in the cabin, and its internal structure was surprisingly simple, the sloping semi-spherical walls had a few protrusions, and at the tip of each protrusion were images of the battlefield outside, and in the middle of the cabin as a slightly sunken ground, and over there, floated an egg-like metallic object the size of a man.


    Hao Ren curiously approached the metal object and circled it halfway through before noticing there were a few lines of words imprinted on the egg. After translating it, the short message read:


    E326-K7-75, Fist of Gorgon Corps, The Eternal Heroine, Eli Gneer.


    You have returned from hell. May the stars always be with you, like you are for me, and me for you. Your love, Veir Klosse.


    The MDT went back and forth near the words, ¡°The front part seems like a serial number, unit designation, title and name, but the last part looked like a message left behind by someone.¡±


    Hao Ren did not say anything as he instinctively held his hand out to touch the metal ¡®egg¡¯s¡¯ surface.


    A gentle mechanical clatter came from beneath the egg as its alloy shell suddenly folded away and shrank to one-third of its size, revealing the insides of the container.


    There were no Eli Gneer within the container, rather only a cluster of chaotic darkness, and the cluster of darkness were writhing about like a thick glob of ink without any order.


    Then the presence of an uninvited guest shook this glob of ¡®black material¡¯


    Hao Ren felt like he had just heard a piercing screech, but in fact he had heard nothing. He only saw the black glob suddenly shook violently as it expanded and shrink, just like a muscle that was electrified as it contorted into nameless shapes. Following immediately after that was a series of roars as the already vibrating body immediately quaked as sirens blasted from all directions across the passageways and cabins!


    The MDT shrieked, ¡°Energy spikes detected everywhere! This b*stard is gonna self-destruct!¡±


    ¡°Bloody hell, what¡¯s wrong with this thing¡¯s temper!¡± Hao Ren¡¯s felt his hair all stood up, ¡°Self-destruction at a glimpse?!¡±


    ¡°Stop yapping in this key moment,¡± the MDT glowed bright, ¡°Stand there and don¡¯t move, we¡¯ll teleport in¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait, we can¡¯t go just like that!¡± Hao Ren felt amid the chaos, ¡°Find anything valuable to take out with us, any recording devices, storage devices, whatever!¡±


    The MDT quickly circled the cabin before slamming against Hao Ren¡¯s head. ¡°What¡¯s there to look. That thing in front of you is probably the most important thing! If you want, then take¡­ F*ck! F*ck! Faster, it¡¯s gonna blow, it¡¯s gonna blow¡­.¡±


    Hao Ren swiped the metal egg into his dimensional pocket and yelled, ¡°What a farce! Nothing can blow me up¡­.¡±


    Before he could finish, the MDT had already activated the teleportation, and a flash later, both man and brick had disappeared.


    And a flash later, the Gorgon Lord was consumed by the flames of its self-destruction.


    Just like Hao Ren had said, a first rate demoman will never lose to a second rate.

 Chapter 1719 - Ancient Last Words

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    As the carrier-sized behemoth exploded high up in the air, light and fire blasted out in all directions as thousands upon thousands of debris and wreckage crashed against the ground like a violent storm. The kinetic force of the falling debris was no weaker than a salvo of cannon fire, and within a few seconds, the entire forest was overwhelmed with waves upon waves of deafening crashes and the chained explosions. Within this literal storm, no one could see or hear anything, as if they were a tiny ship trapped within a tsunami.


    But Rheia¡¯s divine barrier¡¯s resilience before such an impact proved that the Goddess¡¯ education was not for naught. Even as the land beyond it was crumbling, the barrier itself did not waver, even when everyone inside was scared out of their wits, but for the veteran soldiers, being scared is better than being dead.


    After everything had calmed down, the scorched land was a total mess, and aside from the small patch of land covered by the divine barrier, the entire area had sunk at least by two meters. The wreckage of the Gorgon Lord was scattered all over the massive craters, and still bore extreme temperatures and were no longer discernible. That strength of that self-destruction was indeed something to behold.


    Perhaps this was one of its attacking protocols.


    Lily was so shocked by the explosion that her ears and tail popped out, and she quickly kept them back before Charlemagne and the rest noticed. She then turned around to look for Hao Ren, ¡°Mr Landlord sure went all out blowing this one apart¡­ Say¡­ where is he? Don¡¯t tell me he got blown away alongside¡­¡±


    Vivian glared at the doggo, ¡°Shut up, if it is him and his setting, he can die a thousand sorts of death, but never one to be blown up by someone else.¡±


    And just as if to confirm that theory, the moment Vivian¡¯s voice trailed off, Hao Ren¡¯s voice came from behind, ¡°That¡¯s right, still Vivian knows me best¡­¡±


    Vivian immediately turned around as she worriedly checked on Hao Ren who had just walked out of the teleportation beam. ¡°Are you alright? Why did it suddenly blow up? Was this part of your plan?¡±


    ¡°What plan? If I really wanted to blow it up did I need to go through all that trouble? I could just get Nolan to get it over and done with.¡± Hao Ren said as he coughed out a puff of black smoke. While he was not caught in the blast, he still inhaled quite a bit of the fumes that were drawn in by the teleportation portal. ¡°It¡¯s an accident. That thing is so darn irritable that it self-destructed the moment I touched it¡­ But that¡¯s okay, there¡¯s two Gorgon Lords, Rheia will leave it¡­.¡±


    As Hao Ren spoke he turned towards the other bug-like Gorgon Lord on the other corner of the forest, and before he could finish his sentence, the Gorgon Lord suddenly lit up as crimson flames blasted out from its inside.


    ¡°¡­intact¡­.¡± the words just came off Hao Ren¡¯s mouth before he leap up in shock, ¡°Why did that one blow up as well?!¡±


    The Gorgon Lord¡¯s self-destruction was akin to a battleship exploding at close range, and the already wounded lands were once again scarred by the falling debris and fire, And by the time the smoke and dust had subsided, Rheia can sheepishly appeared before Hao Ren.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened,¡± the tiny Goddess of Creation was clearly in an awkward situation. ¡°I had just simply slapped it around for a bit, then it literally came apart¡­¡±


    So she did not actually caused the Gorgon Lord to self-destruct, rather it was a failure on her part to control her powers?


    Hao Ren sighed, ¡°Aih¡­ forget about it. Once you go back, finish up all of the questions after chapter three of Power Control¡­¡±


    Rheia had a pitiful look on her face, but she recalled something and quickly added. ¡°But I brought something out! While I don¡¯t know what it is for, but I feel like it is very important!¡±


    Hao Ren was taken aback, something which Rheia¡¯s instinct told her was important?


    ¡°What¡¯s what? Let me see.¡±


    ¡°This thing¡­ its fixed in the central control room. I didn¡¯t know how to take it apart, so I just cut it and its surrounding frame out,¡± Rheia said as she opened a dimensional gate and pulled that piece of metal wreckage that were clearly ripped out by force before Hao Ren. ¡°Have a look, is it of any use?¡±


    It was a half meter tall metal structure, and had a rather intact hemispherical argent body, there were many cables and support frames extending out of it. While it was given a rather unceremoniously harsh handling, the core structure was still intact.


    Charlemagne and Awenna had only just calmed down from the shock earlier, and after they exchanged surprised glances at each other, they looked on in horror at the metal wreckage that Rheia had just tossed out. ¡°This¡­ is something from the insides of a Gorgon Lord?¡±


    ¡°Yes, even their stomach is made out of metal.¡± Hao Ren said as he excitedly squatted beside the wreck. The object that Rheia had brought out was a surprise find, as the MDT¡¯s scan immediately detected some sort of storage device and reader in the object: This was the very storage device that Hao Ren was not able to find inside the ¡®manta ray¡¯. ¡°Let me see¡­ it seems intact on the outside, perhaps it can still be accessed! MDT!¡±


    ¡°Right, right, my life as a coolie¡­¡± the MDT grumbled as it flew over the metal wreckage, and established a temporary datalink with the latter. ¡°Well, no choice I guess, I¡¯m just that high-tech¡­ Eh, this thing is quite interesting, let me see¡­¡±


    Seeing the MDT analyzing the wreckage in the scorched battlefield, Awenna looked nervously towards the gloomy forest in the distance, ¡°Are¡­ are we doing that on the battlefield itself? Shouldn¡¯t we look for somewhere hidden¡­¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. After the Gorgon Lord¡¯s death, all splits are practically useless, plus the battle earlier had chased away all nearby monsters, so this place will be safer than anywhere else.¡± Graeme¡¯s voice came from the side as he looked curiously at the wreckage and the MDT above it, ¡°What¡­ is that?¡±


    ¡°You mean the brick, or the wreckage beneath it?¡± Hao Ren raised an eyebrow, ¡°That brick is my personal equipment, but don¡¯t you go calling it a brick, it has quite a temper. That wreckage is pried out directly from the insides of the Gorgon Lord.¡±


    ¡°An organ¡­ from the insides of the Gorgon Lord?¡± Graeme had a bewildered expression. ¡°I¡­ have never seen anything like this before.¡±


    Hao Ren too found that a little strange, ¡°You lot have been fighting the Gorgonian Demons for so long now, and you had never managed to get a sample wreckage?¡±


    ¡°Most of the wandering demons are middle to low class units, and the Lord class demons will normally never leave their lair, and every time a Lord class demon invades, it will be a bloody battle.¡± Graeme frowned, ¡°Even if we managed to take it down, it will self-destruct into oblivion, and the remaining wreckage are burnt beyond the point of recognition, so even in this long war, the samples that we had managed to get were very little. And today we have two Gorgon Lords fallen here, and that itself is an outlandish tale.¡±


    ¡°Seems to me these Gorgonian Demons are actually ancient weapons that had gone out of control, and the Basilica of the World Tree specialize in dealing with these sort of ¡®legacy objects¡¯.¡± Hao Ren shook his head, ¡°But it¡¯s difficult to explain to you now¡­ MDT, any results?¡±


    ¡°Bloody hell, you even called me a brick just now. Can a brick help you do so many things!¡± The MDT went into a tirade as it flew into the air, and projected a series of corrupted data and broke images that cannot be deciphered, ¡°Most of the data is corrupted, and the data storage gone, controller dead, program corrupted, so that¡¯s why the Gorgons¡¯ actions were so illogical. But after clearing out most of the scrap codes, I did manage to find something useful.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyes brightened, ¡°What thing?¡±


    ¡°From the time of the log, this was probably the last external communication these Gorgons had received after going berserk.¡± the MDT said as it displayed the messages:


    ¡°¡­. is totally annihilated. The enemy is closing in on Star Fortress Teerk, the fortress will self-destruct at XXX¡­ after that, you are the last soldiers standing.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Glory to Emperor Tiamat, long live our people.¡±


    It was only two pieces of incomplete, last words-like messages, and that caused Hao Ren to frown, ¡°Just that?¡±


    ¡°Just that, better than nothing though,¡± Vivian quipped, ¡°At least we know that the Gorgonian Demons are weapons from an ancient army that had gone out of control, and now we know that they once had an ¡®Emperor Tiamat¡¯.¡±


    Hao Ren pursed his lips, and he looked at Charlemagne and Awenna without much hope. ¡°I suppose both of you don¡¯t know what this Emperor Tiamat actually means¡­¡±


    But what surprised Hao Ren was Awenna¡¯s reaction. ¡°Ugh, actually¡­ I had indeed heard of this name before¡­¡±


    Hao Ren had not expected to gain any useful information from the latter, and was surprised. ¡°¡­OH? You¡¯ve heard of it before?¡±


    ¡°Yes, in the Royal Archives back in Izzo, there was an ancient elven tome of prophecy that was passed on generations to generations, it¡¯s called ¡®The Records of Origins¡¯. It mentioned that the world had been destroyed 12 times before, and had undergone 12 rebirths, and the cause of the twelve cycles of destruction was an ancient among ancients, progenitor among progenitors, a tyrant named Tiamat. He had a mountain-like body, and his blood was made of molten bronze and lead. He was a being of fury since birth, and was destroyed by his own ferocity. With the last of his fury he had cursed the world with the12 most vicious of curses, and every curse will cause the world to be destroyed once¡­¡±


    ¡°Twelve times?¡± Hao Ren¡¯s eyes were practically spinning as he heard Awenna¡¯s explanation. ¡°The book had written that?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ Yes.¡± Awenna was shocked and her voice quivered. ¡°The Records of Origins did put it like that, but while it is in the Royal Archives, but it is categorized as an ¡®absurdity¡¯, a work stemming from the primordial religion of the elven empire of yore, and it was seen as a book of ramblings and was not recognized by the scholars.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Hao Ren, of course, did not believe the last few sentences Awenna had said, but from that words, he could tell that even if there are records of the world¡¯s ancient past like the Records of Origins in this world, they are probably all corrupted by time and legends, warping into nothing but outlandish stories where truth cannot be separated from fiction, and thus he did not have the interest to pursue the matter for now.

 Chapter 1720 - The North

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Looking at the broken device on the group, Rheia tapped her foot lightly in slight frustration, ¡°Took me so much effort to get that out, and only have two lines to show. Would be lying if I¡¯m not frustrated¡­¡±


    They¡¯re still clues regardless.¡± Hao Ren shrugged as he opened his Dimensional Pocket and pulled out the ¡®metal egg¡¯ that he had managed to salvage at the very last minute, ¡°I had managed to take something out as well, something from the control center. I¡¯m suspecting that it is a ¡®pilot¡¯s¡¯ cockpit, but its inside is a little weird.¡±


    The odd silver egg was displayed before everyone else, and it still had traces of the heat while it was within the Gorgon Lord, and one could feel the heat standing before it, and Lily was dumbfounded the moment she saw the egg, and no one knew what actually went inside her head as she blurted out, ¡°Mr. Landlord, this egg would need an even bigger pot no?¡±


    Hao Ren, of course, could not keep up with the werehusky¡¯s thought process. ¡°Huh?¡±


    Lily started gesturing with her claws, ¡°Didn¡¯t the last egg you brought back had Lil Pea hatching out of it, so you need me to boil this egg too right?¡±


    ¡°Can you actually remember something more important?!¡± Hao Ren said as he slammed a karate chop on the werehusky¡¯s skull. ¡°I had just said that was a cockpit right?¡±


    He then waved his hand and used the same method he used earlier to activate the egg¡¯s outer shell, and as the intricate transformable shell folded away, and a transparent composite material inside the shell was exposed and that black cloud sealed within the cavity ¡®woke up¡¯ as well.


    It started writhing violently as it crashed against all directions. Its form swelling and shrinking as it took many forms unseen before, and even without a sound, once could tell how what sort of maddened state it was in with its movements.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ what is this¡­¡± Lily frowned hard, ¡°Disgusting!¡±


    ¡°The thing written on the outer shell is probably a name¡­¡± Vivian recalled the lines on the eggshell, ¡°Logically speaking, it should refer to the pilot in the egg-shaped cockpit¡­ but why did the pilot become like that?¡±


    This was something Hao Ren was intrigued as well, he turned to Rheia who had not spoken since, ¡°Rheia, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°Interesting¡­¡± Rheia¡¯s voice was so soft it seemed like she was talking to herself. She took half a step forward and placed her hand on the transparent composite interior, ¡°It seems real and yet not, it straddles the Inbetween¡­ how did this world have such a thing?¡±


    As she spoke her fingers touched the transparent interior, and the fog-like black material soaking within the container seemed to be greatly agitated as it started thrashing about violently, as it tried to escape the protective layer that was supposed to protect it, but its struggle lasted barely three seconds as it dissipated into tiny fragments and dissolved into the mysterious liquid inside the container.


    But that was not the end. After the black material dissolved, a pinkish, flesh-like component appeared within the container, they were reforming and growing swiftly and in a matter of moments turned into a human-form.


    Charlemagne, Awenna, and Graeme who were observing by the side were absolutely gobsmacked.


    There lay a female with short light brown hair clad in a tight-fitting silver battledress. She curled up as if she was in a deep slumber, both her arms and one of her legs had clear signs of being replaced by machine as many cables and tubes extended out from the openings on her back and were connected to a spinal-cord like structure inside the egg-shaped container. A nametag hung by the left side of her chest, and her name was written on it. Eli Gneer.


    The ancient person named Eli Gneer lay curled up silently in the container before suddenly opening her eyes.


    Her golden eyes bore flames of fighting spirit and a very strong will, but she did not react to Hao Ren and the rest outside the container. As if she was a projection from another world, ignoring everything around her, as she wore a grim expression as her hands moved about like she was operating something.


    ¡°This is a phantom,¡± Rheia explained, ¡°This is the pilot¡¯s last memory, she was participating in a battle.¡±


    The phantom did not last a long time, or rather, Eli Gneer did not last very long in that final battle. Her body suddenly shuddered as she curled up in extreme pain while the cables and tubes at her back overloaded and exploded as blood spurted out from the torn tubes and dyed the liquid in the container red, her final expression was contorted and savage, but her bright eyes were burning with an undying flame. Even when the blood from her body had totally consumed her expression, the pair of eyes lingered in Hao Ren¡¯s mind.


    What was left in the container was a glob of corrupted blood, but Rheia did not stop her divine art and waited patiently and finally she reached the point of transformation.


    Strands of black suddenly appeared within the container and rapidly consumed and assimilated the flesh and metal within the container, and the warrior¡¯s stubborn will could not prevent the virulent virus from infecting it and within half a minute, then everything within the container was consumed, and in place of it was swirling darkness¡­


    Only then did Rheia lifted her hands away from the egg-shaped container. With a gentle sigh, she said, ¡°That¡¯s all of it.¡±


    Hao Ren blinked, ¡°That¡¯s really¡­¡±


    ¡°A battle against the Mad Lord¡­ And the last part was the corruption of the Mad Lord.¡± Rheia nodded grimly, before changing into a language in the Plane of Dreams, ¡°But that¡¯s weird¡­ the Mad Lord¡¯s powers are very weak, and it is showing obvious sluggishness, it did not expand after fully corrupting the host. It is not the strength I fought against years ago.¡±


    Hao Ren rubbed his chin, as he spoke in Holettean. ¡°Perhaps, just a minion?¡±


    ¡°Or it is possibly weakened by something,¡± Rheia looked at Hao Ren in the eyes, as she said that.


    ¡°Weakened¡­¡± Hao Ren repeated the word reflexively before a eureka moment struck him: A vaccine!


    Perhaps for Charlemagne and his sister who had never come into contact with the Mad Lord, what happened within the egg-shaped container would be almost too terrifying for them. But for Hao Ren, that was nothing, the power of the Mad Lord, even if it was just its minions had enough power to tear the stars apart and to distort space, and if it infects a mortal that could no longer resist it, not only the infected will be consumed clean, and even the ship or the fleet that she was on would be warped into monsters of metal and flesh. But those Gorgonian Demons did not have that sort of mutation. While they were indeed out of control, the only contaminated part was the core area, and from the outside, they still looked very normal.


    That means the power of the Mad Lord within them had been weakened.


    And that was the purpose of Hao Ren and the team¡¯s visit to L¡¯Haronne: Vaccines!


    Vivian too had quickly made sense of it and excitedly, she said, ¡°So the Gorgonian Demons are the vaccines?¡±


    Yet, Rheia shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, while the weakening may have something to do with the vaccine, but these Gorgonian Demons are practically meaningless to us.


    ¡°Why is that so?¡± Hao Ren was baffled.


    ¡°Because¡­¡± As Rheia spoke she looked at the metal egg and gave it a gentle knock, ¡°They have already been destroyed in the flow of history¡­¡±


    As Rheia¡¯s voice trailed off, the neural exchange cabin that carried the ancient warrior, Eli Gneer was suddenly engulfed in a cloudy light before disintegrating into tiny light particles.


    Vivian could not help but gasp. ¡°This¡­¡±


    ¡°The Gorgonian Demons are a fragment of the Inbetween. And even if they have a physical body in this world, and had been warring against the L¡¯Harroneans, its ¡®existence¡¯ is practically no different than a phantom. As long as it is away from L¡¯Harrone, it will disappear,¡± Rheia shook her head, ¡°In other words, they only ¡®exist¡¯ within L¡¯Haronne.¡±


    She then paused, as she came to a conclusion, ¡°So does the Black Forest.¡±


    ¡°And that means, the Gorgon Abyss is actually another Black Forest¡­ and the Gorgonian Demons are no different than the Black Forest in form,¡± Hao Ren understood what Rheia meant, ¡°But they were ¡®more real¡¯ compared to the Black Forest, and we even fought against them.¡±


    Rheia touched her lips with her finger, and it was similar to how Vivian acts when she¡¯s deep in thought, ¡°This is probably the most curious part, L¡¯Haronne is a place where many objects reality and falsehood crosses each other, its like another world that was supposed to be separated being forcibly stacked onto this planet, and even I have the ability to directly see the truth, I can¡¯t seem to find what is causing this overlap¡­¡±


    Hao Ren too ran through what he knew of the Grand Unification Theory of Information, ¡°Does it have anything to do with the apocalypse? The collapse of the universe resulted in the history of every civilization across worlds to be compressed and stacked over one another, and on this basis, L¡¯Haronne was created, and the planet had undergone another rebirth because of you, so any traces of the ¡®overlapping history¡¯ were wiped out when the world base data recovery system and only fragments of the Inbetween like the Black Forest and the Gorgon Abyss were left behind, thus you are not able to find the cause of their formation¡­¡±


    Rheia pondered for a bit before tapping her palm with her fist¡­ ¡°Ah, the second part of the seventh chapter of the Generality of Information!¡±


    ¡°¡­.Well, looks like all that reading did pay off¡­¡± Hao Ren quipped.


    Graeme¡¯s brow furrowed as he looked at the group of mysterious people from the Basilica of the World Tree suddenly speaking in a language that he had never heard before, and the topic they were talking clearly had to do with the core of the Gorgonian Demon. In the end, he could not help but ask, ¡°Is it possible that you know something to do with the Gorgonian Demons? And that thing earlier¡­ was she a human?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Hao Ren nodded, ¡°But that was a very very long time ago, and the Gorgons now¡­ are nothing but a swarm of maddened war machines.¡±


    Seeing that the Ebon Blade Knight had the intention of asking further questions, Hao Ren waved his hand, ¡°We can talk about this after we leave this forest, say¡­ why does it feel like the place is getting colder?¡±


    Awenna blinked. ¡°Since the two Gorgon Lords had died, won¡¯t it be normal for the temperature to go down after the fires died off?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like it,¡± Lily, who was much more sensitive to the change in temperature looked up at the forest facing her, ¡°There is a cold draft coming from that direction, and it¡¯s getting more and more obvious.¡±


    The team soon continued their journey after a short preparation, and as they headed to the north of the Black Forest, ¡®the drop in temperature¡¯ was quickly proven.


    At first, everyone felt the cool wind, but not long later, the cool wind became frigid, as the wind blowing across the forest had a bone-biting chill to it, and the soldiers in the team had to activate various magical amulets to protect themselves against the rapidly falling temperature, while Lily was getting more and more excited as the temperature dropped.


    And a little further in, there were clear icicles on the black pines around them, as snow and the frozen ground appeared beneath them. This was totally abnormal, as it never snowed within the Black Forest, and there were no records of temperature this low ever recorded in the forest.


    Even though pines were a cold climate plant life but these unnatural black pines were growing in the south.


    Plus the drop in temperature was way too fast¡­


    That said, Lily was rather happy about this.


    And the caravans went further ahead as confusion mounted, and just as Hao Ren was thinking about stopping the caravan and have Rheia open her eyes, the forest suddenly ended.


    The team had exited the Black Forest.


    The scene before them suddenly turned bright, as a vast snow plain appeared before them just as they left the gloomy forest, leaving them slightly dazed. Charlemagne and Awenna gawked at the vast snowfield before them, and Lily, who was seated beside Hao Ren immediately leap up in joy, ¡°Woah! Snow plains! It¡¯s a snow plain! SNOW PLAIINNSSSS!¡±


    Hearing how excited the werehusky was, Hao Ren¡¯s first reaction was to hold the about-to-go-crazy doggo back, but his movement was just tad slower than his thought, and he could only see the excited doggo darting out into the distance. The next moment, she was running about happily on the vast snow plains.


    Vivian facepalmed. ¡°That does it¡­ She won¡¯t stop for the next half and hour¡­¡±


    Hao Ren quickly accepted the fact that he could not control the werehusky and as he turned around towards Charlemagne and Awenna who were acting as guides, ¡°Say¡­ Is this normal for you to exit the Black Forest directly into a snow plain?¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡± Charlemagne¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°The northern exit of the Black Forest is the Fertile Plains, that¡¯s the heart of the Empire!¡±


    Graeme too was stunned as he saw the snow plains, and he quickly noticed something in the surroundings as he turned his head around looking for something, and it did not take long for him to find the thing he was looking for:


    That massive crack rift across the sky: the entrance of the Gorgon¡¯s Abyss


    ¡°This is the north!¡± the Knight of the Broken Blade exclaimed. ¡°Look, that¡¯s the Gorgon¡¯s Abyss!¡±

 Chapter 1721 - The Core and the Connection

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    What lay deep in the World Scar? It was something that the people of L¡¯Haronne wondered about, but no one ever dared to really try and find out.


    In other words, those who dared to seek the truth would often be buried forever in the scorching abyss, and among the survivors, there was never a reckless man who did not cherish his life.


    Looking down from the mouth of the World Scar, one could see the endless deep abyss of darkness. Although the people of L¡¯Haronne had long realized that the earth they lived on was spherical and that the World Scar had split the planet in two, their current observation techniques were insufficient to directly see from one side of the World Scar to the other. They did not even cover half of the distance.


    Their eyes were blocked by the neverending gas cloud deep in the mantle. All they could see was a faint glow of red light moving in the darkness, and scholars had varied definitions of that little bit of red light. It was known as the heart of the world, the tomb of the fallen gods, the resting place of the planet¡¯s consciousness, or the place where the souls of all living creatures reincarnated. Some even thought that the red light was the eye of a great serpent, which would one day rise from the abyss and devour the whole world.


    Plus, the red light grew fainter and fainter over time, leading scholars who were fascinated by various hypotheses to propose all kinds of doomsday or disaster theories, such as the fading of the heart of the world.


    However, all of their claims were absurd. The red light was not so mysterious. It was just a cooling core.


    Where the people of L¡¯Haronne could not see, construction machines were busy day and night. A cluster of construction sites had been built, and they were floating above the core of the planet. Swarms of autonomous robots and engineering drones flew around the scorching metal sphere, pinning more probes and conveyor channels to its semi-solidified shell.


    The Petrachelys was floating on the surface of the sphere, only a few meters away from its shell. The remaining heat from the planet¡¯s core scorched the spaceship, but the heat was nothing to Nolan.


    The projection of Nolan stood on the bridge, watching the images being transmitted from various probes. At the center of the holographic projection was a scanned image of the planet¡¯s core.


    Some blurry images could be seen within the thick shell, and they formed the rough outline of what the probes were trying to figure out after removing the interference. It looked like an irregular mass, with something that vaguely appeared like pipes or pillars extending out, connecting the outer shell of the planet¡¯s core.


    It was impossible to figure out what it was from such blurry images, and Nolan would not dare blow it up without safely cracking the protective barrier that surrounded the core.


    She then turned on the audio monitor, and a muffled powerful sound came from it.


    *Thud, thud, thud¡­*


    It was like a heartbeat but much slower than a human heartbeat.


    ¡°The scholars of L¡¯Haronne who think it¡¯s the heart of the planet have a point. It sounds like a heartbeat,¡± Nolan said to herself as she opened a map of the entire planet.


    On the holographic projection, the entire planet appeared translucent white, while the core of the planet was highlighted in bold red. But the core did not float independently inside the planet: a faint red line extended from the core to a coordinate on the surface of the planet.


    ¡°The third set of probes has confirmed that there is a link¡­ But how did this weird mapping of information come about? I feel like something is missing¡­¡± Nolan frowned and said to herself. ¡°Well, let¡¯s report this to the boss first.¡±


    The Petrachelys floated upward a little, interrupting the beam connection with several detection nodes on the surface of the planet¡¯s core, and a new message was uploaded to Hao Ren¡¯s data link.


    ¡°New information fluctuations have been found in the planet¡¯s core, and it is confirmed that unknown information flows from the core to the surface. The connection point is located in the capital of the Dragon Empire.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s expression froze slightly for a moment. Vivian noticed that and asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°A message from Nolan,¡± Hao Ren whispered. ¡°Isn¡¯t there a structure in the planet¡¯s core that¡¯s surrounded by a mysterious barrier? Nolan found signs of an exchange of information between that thing and the surface of the planet, in the capital of the Dragon Empire.¡±


    ¡°¡­That thing, which is buried at the core and looks like the product of a super-civilization from all angles, is connected to this relatively backward civilization?¡±


    ¡°Yes, this is not unexpected.¡± Hao Ren gently nodded. ¡°Now the main thing is, we have one more reason to go to the capital.¡±


    While Hao Ren and Vivian were whispering to each other, Graeme and Charlemagne were still in deep shock.


    ¡°What on earth¡­¡± Graeme looked back at the black pines that stood proudly in the snow. ¡°The Black Pine Forest is actually connected to the north¡­ Across two-thirds of the empire?!¡±


    In the distant horizon, the red Dimension Tunnel stretched across the sky as if the sky had been torn apart. There were ominous crimson flashes and thunder in the World Scar. Below the World Scar was a hazy silvery glow, a phenomenon of illusion triggered by the energy flow near the World Scar. The two wonders superimposed each other¡ªit was a spectacle rarely seen in the ordinary world, but not rare in the eyes of the people of L¡¯Haronne.


    The soldiers stationed at the northern border all year round were no stranger to such scenery. It was the rift in Gorgon¡¯s Abyss. Near the rift, the demons of Gorgon, who appeared out of thin air from time to time, had always been the heaviest burden on the shoulders of every fortress.


    Rheia looked around and climbed onto a nearby boulder. She looked in the direction of the Black Pine Forest, then at Gorgon¡¯s Abyss.


    There was a trace of surprise on her face. After pondering for a while, she suddenly saw the light.


    ¡°I see.¡± The little goddess jumped down from the stone and looked at them earnestly. ¡°Graeme is right about part of it¡ªthe Black Pine Forest does connect from here, but not to the north. It is to the spatial fault around Gorgon¡¯s Abyss.¡±


    ¡°You mean the Black Pine Forest is connected to Gorgon¡¯s Abyss?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°How could this happen?¡± Awenna exclaimed.


    ¡°Because the Black Pine Forest and Gorgon¡¯s Abyss are essentially the same things. They may have originally been connected,¡± Rheia explained. ¡°Although you think of them as two separate and distinct mysteries, in my eyes, they all belong to the ¡®remnants¡¯ of the world line that collapsed and solidified. In the Surface World, they may not be connected, but in the collapsed world line, everything is connected and mixed together¡­¡±


    She spoke while she softly waved her hand in the air. Charlemagne thought that it was an unconscious habit when she pondered, but Hao Ren could see that she was flipping through a book¡­


    ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Rheia went on to explain, ¡°If we think of the world as a multi-layered structure, then the solid reality is its most superficial layer, and those world lines that fail to become reality are buried deep down with all kinds of redundant information. Those fragmentary histories appear to be intertwined in the deep layer because, in the deep layer, the concepts of time and space become extremely vague. Usually, only a few of these fragmentary objects emerge, but if the barriers of the world grow weak, they will keep rising¡­¡±


    ¡°The interconnected nature of those broken world lines will emerge,¡± Hao Ren added. ¡°So the Black Pine Forest is connected to Gorgon¡¯s Abyss.¡±


    Rheia nodded softly. ¡°And if I¡¯m right¡­ there might be more than one such ¡®virtual reality¡¯ in the world, but some people know it while others don¡¯t. But right now, whether anyone knows about it or not, they¡­¡±


    She paused deliberately to emphasize her next few words. ¡°I¡¯m afraid they¡¯re all coming up.¡±


    By the time Rheia was done with her almost subversive theory, the others, including Graeme, were standing there dumbfounded.


    The theory was far too advanced, too hard to imagine.


    ¡°It is unheard of¡­¡± Awenna broke the silence, muttering to herself. She had been the best caster in the Izzo Royal Family for hundreds of years. She had studied under some of the most erudite masters and knew most obscure theories, but she still found it difficult to follow Rheia¡¯s train of thought. ¡°It seems to explain what is going on, but it is so abstruse¡­¡±


    ¡°That is what the book says!¡± said Rheia.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s mentioned in our ancient book. Believe it or not, we have done a lot of research in the field of the world¡¯s origin,¡± Hao Ren added.


    ¡°It is the scholars¡¯ job to study and test these theories,¡± Graeme said solemnly. ¡°We just need to make sure that the Black Pine Forest is actually connected to Gorgon¡¯s Abyss. We must let Her Highness know about this as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Currently, the best news is that we have crossed the heartland of the Dragon Empire and are not far from the princess,¡± Hao Ren smiled and said.

 Chapter 1722 - Snowfrost City

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The north of the Dragon Empire, where the ancient empire first rose.


    Back then, the Dragon Soul Emperor had led the brave Northern Cavalry and Knights of the Ebon Blade all the way south through the snowstorm on Coldwind Ridge, conquering the kingdoms along the way and finally achieving the great feat of ruling half the planet. From that day on, the bravery of the northern warriors became one of the most distinctive features of the country, along with the Knights of the Ebon Blade.


    To this day, ¡°fight like a Northerner¡± was still a phrase most often used there to praise soldiers.


    Over time, however, the political center of the Dragon Empire and the Sacred Armory of the Knights of the Ebon Blade were moved south to meet the practical needs of the empire. Meanwhile, the six northern provinces, which were not suitable for farming and living, became places where most people did not want to settle down. Even so, the north was still a place where the country poured a lot of manpower, materials, and financial resources into, and the Gorgon¡¯s Abyss passage floating near the World Scar was the most important reason.


    The World Scar that never disappeared was just like the snowstorm in the north, which acted as a living pressure that Northerners had to face. It also sharpened the brave spirit of the local people. As the ruler of L¡¯Haronne¡¯s western hemisphere, the Dragon Empire was duty-bound to fight against the demons of Gorgon. So, ever since the capital was moved 3,000 years ago, the six northern provinces had been building toward a military emphasis. Today, military, as well as related facilities, were the most important things on the land, and a series of garrisons stood on the irregular border of Gorgon¡¯s Abyss.


    The fortresses were not only defensive structures but also large settlements with large numbers of soldiers. In order to maintain the daily operation of the fortresses, a large non-combatant population and various livelihood facilities were gathered within it. The numerous supporting objects built under the shelter of the fortresses formed the unique landscape in the north: the fortress cities.


    These walled cities were not as prosperous or as big as those in the south, but they were where most of the north¡¯s population was concentrated. After all, in that icy and snowy place haunted by the demons of Gorgon, the unsheltered wilderness was terrible. Living in a fortress city or a similar defensive facility was the only way for people to survive.


    The passage to Gorgon¡¯s Abyss stretched out from the World Scar, all the way south. Near the southern end was the largest fortress city known as Snowfrost City, which was also the political, economic, and military center of the six northern provinces.


    The fortress city, built of frost-spar, was perched on a ridge. In fact, it was a city formed by the reconstruction of the whole mountain. The fortress was roughly conical in shape with layers of walls and guard towers that spiraled up the mountain, forming a distinctive tower-like structure. And all of the buildings that could be seen from the outside were actually the ¡°shell¡± of the city. Within the shell, which was covered by numerous towers, walls, and spells, was the interior space formed after the hollowing out of half a mountain. And that was where the people of Snowfrost City lived, while the Lord of Snowfrost City lived on top of the mountain.


    The magicians leveled the mountain and built a magnificent castle on top of it, which became the fortress of Howard Owen, the Grand Duke of the North and chief guardian of the six northern provinces. The fortress was the highest building in the north. Its spire pointed high into the sky, from which the passage to Gorgon¡¯s Abyss was even within reach. One of Howard Owen¡¯s most legendary experiences occurred when he was climbing to the top of the castle to take a breath of fresh air one day. A Gorgonian demon suddenly appeared, fell straight in front of him, and was torn apart, barehanded, by the grand duke on the spot.


    Of course, the modest Grand Duke explained that he was not unarmed at that time but carrying a bottle of Tonguescorcher Ale. The infinite fighting spirit that erupted when protecting the bottle of wine was his magic weapon in defeating the enemy. It was only the next morning that the heavily intoxicated grand duke realized that it was a Gorgonian demon and not a severely obese jackdaw that he had torn to pieces.


    The covered wagons made their way through the snow to the foot of Snowfrost City. Along the way, Graeme taught Hao Ren about the north. From Graeme¡¯s tone, Hao Ren could sense that he admired the grand duke a lot.


    ¡°Respect for the strong is a Northerner¡¯s creed. The grand duke is not only a powerful warrior but also a man of integrity and loyalty. He¡¯s a model figure worthy of every knight¡¯s respect,¡± Graeme said with a smile. ¡°I am not from the north. I was born in the desert tribes of the far south, but I lived in the north for twenty years.¡±


    The three wagons were tightly-covered. With the aid of a shield, the snow and wind were blocked out well, and it was warm as spring inside the wagons.


    Hao Ren looked through the window at the towering wall of Snowfrost City.


    ¡°Princess Constance raised her flag, and the entire north responded. The Grand Duke of the North, known for his loyalty and courage, turned out to be a staunch supporter of Princess Constance. It just seems crazy to us.¡± Charlemagne talked about his confusion. ¡°Is this rebellion¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ahem, there are some things that knights like me do not say freely,¡± Graeme interrupted. ¡°Of course, you can ask Princess Constance once you see her, and as for getting an answer¡­ it depends on the princess.¡±


    ¡°Well, I have crossed the line,¡± said Charlemagne. ¡°We shall look forward to our meeting with Princess Constance then.¡±


    As Charlemagne finished his words, a rough voice came from outside. ¡°Stop! Stop for security check!¡±


    In a place like that, every city carried out security checks based on military-level standards, especially during wartime, and Snowfrost City was no exception.


    Everyone stepped out of the wagon, waiting for Graeme to negotiate with the gatekeepers while they took in the unique fortress city.


    Hao Ren looked up at the walls, which spread upward, tier upon tier, and his gaze moved along them until it stopped at the top of the mountain. Atop the mountain, the spire of the castle pointed straight up into the sky, and a jagged ugly rift floated in the background of the spire. In the depths of the rift, rolling fire clouds and shadowy fragmented land were dimly visible.


    He waved his hand softly, and a hidden probe glided silently in the direction of Gorgon¡¯s Abyss.


    It was the third probe he had released along the way. They entered the space from different coordinates to collect ¡°mapping parameters¡± of Gorgon¡¯s Abyss as an independent space. The first probe had started to send back data, and the second probe had been deployed. He could probe into the secrets of Gorgon¡¯s Abyss later.


    Meanwhile, Graeme, who was dressed as a Knight of the Broken Blade, had arrived at the checkpoint.


    Several northern legion soldiers were checking passing vehicles and travelers there. The northerners¡¯ tall physique and the northern army¡¯s Armor of the Winter Wolf made the soldiers look bold, but there was a sudden commotion when the soldiers saw Graeme.


    Two of the soldiers whispered to each other and ran up to Graeme, asking, ¡°Are you¡­ from the Knights of the Broken Blade¡­¡±


    ¡°Knight of the Broken Blade, Graeme Glawoz from the south division,¡± Graeme replied in a low voice. ¡°I have come from the south to join the war on the orders of Her Royal Highness Princess Constance. I have also brought important information and special visitors from Izzo.


    ¡°I need to meet Princess Constance and the grand duke directly as soon as possible,¡± he added.


    The two soldiers froze for a moment, then exchanged an odd look.


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± Graeme asked, frowning.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you¡­ know the latest news?¡± asked one of the soldiers. ¡°There must be some communication between the Knights of the Broken Blade?¡±


    ¡°We were attacked when we were walking through the Black Pine Forest,¡± Graeme explained. ¡°My comrades are dead. Our communicators were also damaged, and I was wounded. I am now healed, but somehow, the spiritual connection between me and other knights cannot be restored.¡±


    ¡°Then you had a narrow escape,¡± said another soldier, looking at Graeme in admiration. ¡°You¡¯re a step too late. Princess Constance and the grand duke have marched to the southern front, hundreds of kilometers away. But you¡¯ve come from the south, do you not know about it?¡± There was some confusion in the soldier¡¯s tone.


    ¡°¡­I do not know about it. We did not travel by the normal route, but by a secret route, hidden from the eyes of the imperial regiment,¡± Graeme explained in surprise.


    The soldier did not doubt him but sighed regretfully and said, ¡°I see. Anyway, it is best that you get into the city. There¡¯s a snowstorm coming, and it is not a good idea for you to go into the wilderness under such circumstances.¡±

 Chapter 1723 - A Glimpse of Gorgon’s Abyss

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren noticed that there seemed to be something wrong with the negotiation between Graeme and the soldiers guarding the city. The Knight of the Broken Blade returned with a slight blow. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Hao Ren.


    ¡°Something unexpected,¡± Graeme said, shaking his head. ¡°¡­It is different from what I knew when I set out. Princess Constance and the Grand Duke of the North have advanced their plans, more than a little. The Knights of the Broken Blade from other parts of the empire and insurgents who responded to the call likely lost touch with the front line.¡±


    Graeme looked puzzled. Apparently he did not know why Princess Constance had launched the attack in a hurry.


    ¡°The situation does not appear to be very optimistic,¡± said Vivian. ¡°To launch an attack in advance without adequate preparation is a big no-no. There is only one possibility for her to do so¡ªshe was forced by current circumstances¡­¡±


    ¡°Shall we enter the city?¡± asked Lily. ¡°Or just turn around and go after the princess?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to spend the night in the city,¡± Hao Ren said. The had been feeling exhausted the whole way.


    Hao Ren also planned to rest in the city. Not only was he a little tired from the journey, but more importantly, a lot of the intelligence he had just gathered needed to be sorted out. And he wondered if any clues would be found in Snowfrost City, the closest place to Gorgon¡¯s Abyss.


    Graeme nodded back. ¡°Right. I hear there¡¯s a snowstorm tonight. While our wagons are protected, there may be some bogeymen out there in the snowstorm, so it is not a good idea to keep going.¡±


    ¡°Do we have lodging in the city?¡± Vivian asked curiously.


    ¡°The Knights of the Broken Blade have a garrison in Snowfrost City. But if Your Highness Charlemagne and Awenna do not mind, I can arrange for you to go to the post house, which is reserved for important diplomatic envoys. It will be more comfortable there,¡± Graeme said chivalrously.


    ¡°Thank you. We have come to the land of Princess Constance, and I trust that my sister and I are safe here,¡± Charlemagne nodded and said.


    So, guided by Graeme, they finally entered the largest fortress in the north, Snowfrost City.


    After they passed through the massive entrance of the fortress, which consisted of a large number of enchanted stones and defensive machinery, the true face of Snowfrost City was revealed to them. The thick layers of walls covered the ¡°mountain city¡± like a protective shell, but it was not dark inside. On the walls, clusters of crystals were arranged in elaborate arrays, channeling sunlight from the outside into the first layer of the city, and on the first layer, more clusters of crystals grew along the buildings. Those clusters extended all the way to the hollowed-out mountain, bringing in light¡­


    The entirety of Snowfrost City shone with the light outlined by the ice crystals.


    Due to its special structure, the city was arranged in three dimensions. The post houses for important envoys were located near the grand duke¡¯s castle. It was near the top of the mountain, but visitors did not have to climb painfully up the winding stone stairs between the buildings. As many as 122 lifts operated around the clock like the public transportation system, providing convenience for the people who lived in the city.


    They crossed the traffic area at the bottom of the city and entered a lift that circulated along a sloping ramp, hidden in the mountains. With a soft whir of mechanical friction, the large lift began to accelerate smoothly toward the peak.


    ¡°This platform is designed for guests who need to visit the peak. It does not stop on the way, and it is twice as fast as the other platforms,¡± explained a northern soldier who was leading the way, proudly introducing the city. ¡°You can see a transparent passage in the middle. It is made of ice with a permafrost effect. You do not have to worry about falling, and you can see the inner area of the city inside the mountain.¡±


    The platform ran briskly in the inclined elevator passage, and every once in a while, some kind of light would sweep across the surrounding area. It was the buried crystal clusters in the mountain, through which the outside sunlight was sent to the inner area of the city just like a natural fluorescent tube. And soon, Hao Ren saw that transparent passage.


    It looked like a glass tube for tourists, allowing Hao Ren to see the inner city through the crystal-clear ice wall. He saw a large number of buildings arranged in an orderly manner within the mountain, including factories and other facilities. But probably because the army had set out, the city was not as busy as expected. After all, every city in the north was first and foremost a military fortress. The removal of large numbers of soldiers naturally slowed down its operation.


    Suddenly, Hao Ren¡¯s attention was drawn to a striking building in the city. It was a large building in the heart of the mountain cavity, built of black stone. It had towers arranged neatly like spears, and the main part of it was a three-story palace.


    The palace was distinctly out of place among the nearby buildings. It was surrounded by a wall, and soldiers could be seen patrolling and guarding it. Had he not known that the grand duke¡¯s castle was on the top of the mountain, Hao Ren would have almost thought that the palace on the mountainside was his residence.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Lily also saw the black palace.


    ¡°Ah, that is the old palace,¡± Graeme replied casually. ¡°His Majesty lived there thousands of years ago.¡±


    ¡°The old palace?¡± Lily was curious now. ¡°Wait¡­ you said the capital of the Dragon Empire had moved to another place, and the old capital was in the north, so¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you not even know that?¡± The soldiers looked at Lily with some surprise. ¡°Snowfrost City was the old capital of the empire, but that was thousands of years ago.¡±


    ¡°They do not know much about the history of the Dragon Empire,¡± Graeme said, changing the subject. ¡°In fact, much of the city has been remodeled, rebuilt exactly like a fortress, quite different from what it used to be. Of course, the old palace you see is still in its original form, and there are a few other monuments that have remained as they were in their old days. If you are interested, I can take you there tomorrow.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the old palace and whispered to himself, ¡°Thousands of years¡­ and it¡¯s still standing intact. That¡¯s kind of interesting.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s more interesting is that there are some weak pulses of energy coming out under the old palace, and the energy samples are quite complicated,¡± the MDT sounded in his head.


    Hao Ren nodded slightly and answered telepathically, ¡°We should explore the city.¡±


    Hao Ren was looking forward to settling down in the post house and starting his own exploration.


    Before nightfall, they finally settled down in the warm post house near the castle and had a big meal by the warm fireplace in the hall.


    It was their first proper meal in that world, in a safe environment.


    After dinner, everybody was physically and mentally exhausted. They had no interest in any other activity, and Hao Ren also returned to the guest room.


    The hilltop platform where the post house was standing was not cut off by the city walls, and the cool night light came in through the wide French windows. The fiery glow of Gorgon¡¯s Abyss mingled with the night as if the air was filled with blood.


    The city was quiet now, but the wind from the plain had grown stronger and was roaring through the sky. In that wind, the shadow of the snowstorm could already be seen.


    Hao Ren tapped on the MDT and said, ¡°Synchro vision. I wanna look around.¡±


    The MDT flickered, and Hao Ren¡¯s field of vision switched abruptly.


    A world of thunder and fire appeared before him.


    The view was coming from probe No.3. Current location, the periphery of Gorgon¡¯s Abyss.


    The first thing that appeared in front of Hao Ren was the extremely huge wreckage of a starship, on which there were striking words.


    ¡°The Revelation.¡±

 Chapter 1724 - The Clues

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The Revelation¡­


    Hao Ren¡¯s vision was integrated with the probe¡¯s field of vision. Under his control, the tiny device, only a few centimeters long, deftly angled itself in the air, scanning the entire wreckage into a vision sensor.


    It was difficult for the human eye to accurately measure the volume of an object at a glance, but the various sensors and computational modules of the probe soon transmitted basic information of the wreckage to Hao Ren¡¯s mind. Some basic data emerged from the wreckage: it was 12.15km long, 4.55km wide at its widest point, and mostly made of molecular layered polymers. Judging from the coil structure exposed at the fracture of the armor, its armor had the ability to further enhance its strength after charging.


    It was a really huge thing with great technology.


    The massive and complex hull structure of the gray starship showed obvious signs of distortion and bending, indicating that it was most likely captured then bent like this by a sudden terrifying force. Hao Ren initially speculated that it was some kind of gravitational weapon like a black hole moment, but there was another reason for the complete loss of the starship: there was a huge hole piercing through its belly. All parts of the hull near the wound had been fused together, and metals that had melted and cooled again floated like frozen blood around the wreckage, stretching for miles.


    ¡°It looks very much like the damage done by a concentrator weapon. Primitive mad minions rarely attack in this way¡­¡± Hao Ren said to himself as he steered the probe around The Revelation. ¡°So it¡¯s possible that the original friendly forces of these warships have been eroded and transformed into enemies by the mad forces¡­¡±


    The Revelation floated near a dark cloud of gas, which could be seen everywhere in Gorgon¡¯s Abyss. It was a distorted space with a depressing red background that seemed to be wrapped in layers of dirty fog. Apart from the Gorgonian demons (and their remains), there were only large and small pieces of broken rock as well as eerie clouds floating around. It was maddeningly drab.


    The probe deftly avoided a cloud of solidified metal surrounding The Revelation. Hao Ren gasped as he zoomed in on an opening on the side of the wreckage.


    Silver alloy ¡°monsters¡± that looked like manta rays were parked neatly in that opening.


    It was the ¡°Gorgon Lords¡± who had raged through the Black Pine Forest not long ago.


    The Gorgon Lords, considered to be the ultimate demons, were everywhere in the lair, like cannon fodder at the bottom of the pile. Thousands of them were lying down neatly in the belly of the giant starship, ready to spring. They were not aircraft carriers but fighters!


    Those things were hidden in Gorgon¡¯s Abyss¡­ How did the indigenous civilization of L¡¯Haronne survive to this day?


    Huge doubts welled up in Hao Ren¡¯s mind, but soon, his doubts were cleared.


    The probe sent in scans, showing that all of the Gorgon Lords docked inside The Revelation were in a dormant state, and their energy response was as low as zero¡ªmeaning that they were not only asleep but also completely depleted, therefore they could never run again.


    Hao Ren turned the probe with a chill, shifting his focus to another direction.


    In the vast chaos of the different dimension, tiny black spots could be seen darting from cloud to cloud. Those were the Gorgonian demons in action. Most of them were unmanned weapons with body sizes ranging from a few meters to dozens of meters. The largest one was just like a ¡°giant manta ray¡±, which Hao Ren once thought was an aircraft carrier. There were quite a few of them, but after he saw the hangar of The Revelation, Hao Ren realized that the Gorgonian demons were, in fact, only a small part of those ancient weapons.


    In the more distant clouds, several other large shadows were visibly floating like fragmented mountains in the depths of the clouds. They were actually starships the size of The Revelation, but they were all in a dormant state.


    ¡°Terminal, are you seeing this?¡± Hao Ren was calling the MDT that was on standby in his mind.


    ¡°Ahhh, I¡¯m synchronizing my field of vision with yours. I can see it all. Isn¡¯t this a bit of a surprise?¡±


    Hao Ren wanted to continue watching. ¡°I¡¯m going to switch to the other two probes. You record everything.¡±


    In the next second, the vision of probe No. 2 entered his mind.


    He saw huge pieces of rubble floating in front of him with connected pipes and supporting beams on them. On the surface of other floating debris, there were buildings like towers or factories.


    ¡°Seems like a typical asteroid belt complex,¡± the MDT¡¯s voice resounded in his head. ¡°They¡¯re supposed to have some defensive facilities and energy arrays, but it appears that they have been scattered, drifting away¡ªyou see over there, those support beams are showing signs of cracking.¡±


    Hao Ren noticed something strange on one of the floating rubble and immediately ordered the probe to approach it.


    His field of vision was rapidly zoomed in. He gaped at the sight of what lay on the floating rubble.


    It was a body, a human body!


    Perhaps it was due to the absence of oxidation and decay in Gorgon¡¯s Abyss, the mummified remains were in a fairly good condition. It was an old man with white hair and a magnificent purple robe with gold trim. His purple robe was decorated with faded crystals and precious metals, but they did not seem to all be ornaments, as they were arranged in a complicated way, surrounded by symbols and patterns that seemed to serve a special purpose.


    The gorgeous old man was leaning on a pipeline in the asteroid factory. His face was distorted as if he had suffered a lot before he died. A long staff inlaid with large quantities of crystal, silver, and pure gold lay near his body. But like the crystals on the old man¡¯s robe, these crystals and precious metals embedded in the long staff had lost their luster, as though they were made of plastic.


    ¡°He looks¡­ like a wizard¡­ Could he be a superb L¡¯Haronne scholar who died here studying Gorgon¡¯s Abyss?¡± Hao Ren muttered, controlling the probe to circle around the corpse and search carefully.


    A moment later, the probe actually found something. There were words on the pipe, which the old man was leaning on. Although the words had lived through unimaginable years in that place where time was almost at a standstill, all the words were still visible.


    As the probe hovered over the text, Hao Ren read the translation.


    ¡°My name is Marchieri. I am the chief wizard of the Holy Tumen Empire. I stepped into this destroyed land on the orders of His Majesty Tumen. I went too far into the area and was discovered by the ancient guards. Teleportation has been disrupted. It is impossible for me to survive.


    ¡°I have transmitted all information to the first orbital station in Tumen before teleportation is completely cut off. In the meantime, I will use my own magic to build a barrier, and I will stay in this space as long as possible, waiting for rescue.


    ¡°But if I am not saved, and anyone sees this useless body, please convey my last words to His Majesty Tumen. The following is what I saw after communications and space travel were completely cut off.


    ¡°All the collapsed history is tilted towards the ¡®source point¡¯ where the final end awaits our fragile world. But in that point of collapse, I saw a crack that did not belong in our world. I cannot say for sure who started it and when it started, but it is there. Let me boldly assume, in the distant future, that the inevitable end will be postponed indefinitely, and that our world can be saved.¡±


    The probe circled the old man¡¯s body and the modified asteroid several times but found no more clues.


    ¡°MDT, what do you think?¡± Hao Ren asked in his mind.


    ¡°First of all, according to the information I¡¯ve collected and compiled so far, there¡¯s no such thing as a ¡®Tumen Empire¡¯ in L¡¯Haronne. There¡¯s no such thing in history,¡± said the MDT. ¡°Secondly, the old wizard, Marchieri does not call the ancient weapons of Gorgon¡¯s Abyss ¡®demons¡¯, but ancient guards. This proves that his knowledge of these runaway weapons is more accurate or closer to the truth than L¡¯Haronne¡¯s current understanding. Third, and most importantly, he mentioned a term that sounds a lot like a space facility.¡±


    ¡°The first orbital station in Tumen¡­¡± Hao Ren nodded slightly. ¡°It can¡¯t be L¡¯Haronne¡¯s product¡ªwhether it¡¯s this or the one before Rheia fell into her long slumber.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ this wizard named Marchieri is another cosmic debris that collapsed into this place?¡± the MDT said, hesitating. ¡°But this ¡®debris¡¯ isn¡¯t like the Black Pine Forest or Gorgon¡¯s Abyss. His timeline¡­ seems to lie before the formation of Gorgon¡¯s Abyss?¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly thought of a sentence he had read in Rheia¡¯s textbook.


    ¡°The end of the world will lead to the collapse of time and space, and the collapse of time and space will lead to the stacking, distortion, and even nesting of ¡®history¡¯ that originally developed linearly.¡±


    A prehistoric man may see a flash of light at the end of the universe. A man facing the end of time could suddenly return to prehistoric times. And if one civilization was advanced enough to partially control the rules of the universe, they might even be able to systematically and purposefully observe the entire process of their universe¡¯s destruction.


    Hence¡­ was this old wizard from the Tumen Empire an observer¡­


    Or something even more bizarre?

 Chapter 1725 - An Observer in a Closed System?

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Marchieri came from the Holy Tumen Empire, which no one had ever heard of. He had ventured deep into Gorgon¡¯s Abyss and died alone in the ruins of the asteroid factory. The only clues left were a few words on the pipe. From all sides, he was as small as a speck of dust in that mysterious and strange world.


    Nevertheless, Hao Ren had found some clues in the words he left behind. There seemed to be an unimaginable truth in those words, but it was hard to penetrate the hidden secrets with mere guesses.


    Hao Ren thought of the ¡°special observer¡± explanation. Marchieri may have come from a civilization that stumbled upon the mysteries of time and space, having the ability to observe the end of the universe. Therefore, he could explore the secrets of Gorgon¡¯s Abyss from the perspective of a non-linear timeline after the Mad Lord had destroyed the world. However, there was a subtle resistance in Hao Ren¡¯s heart. He was not willing to invest too much in this explanation because it was too far-fetched.


    Though plausible, it was built up by hard guesswork.


    Hao Ren felt that Marchieri¡¯s appearance had a deeper meaning. Maybe L¡¯Haronne was not, as previously suspected, merely a remnant of the universe¡¯s collapse.


    ¡°He mentioned in his last words that ¡®all collapsed history is tilted towards the ¡®source point¡¯.¡± The MDT reorganized the elements of that brief message and determined that it was of great value. ¡°This description is very close to a typical doomsday feature, ¡®the information collapse of the universe¡¯. And judging from the previous section of his message, this Marchieri must have ¡®seen¡¯ something with his own eyes in the depths of Gorgon¡¯s Abyss to say what he did.¡±


    ¡°All collapsed history¡­ According to Rheia, the Black Pine Forest, Gorgon¡¯s Abyss, and similar ¡®secret realms¡¯ can all be regarded as collapsed history,¡± Hao Ren whispered. ¡°And tilted towards the ¡®source point¡¯¡­ The source point is supposed to be some ¡®point¡¯ at the end of the universe, either a point in time or place. If it¡¯s the latter, then it¡¯s L¡¯Haronne, right? Nope¡­ Why do I feel that it¡¯s not that simple¡­¡±


    Then the MDT suddenly said, ¡°Maybe we should look at something from the third probe. It has found some interesting scenes at the edge of Gorgon¡¯s Abyss.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Sync it.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s tone rose slightly.


    The scene before his eyes was then transformed into another unfamiliar space, and the moment he saw the scene, he knew it was from the edge of Gorgon¡¯s Abyss.


    The reason was that the world was divided into two distinct parts¡ªon one side of the line was Gorgon¡¯s Abyss with its murky clouds and dark red background, filled with giant space pumice stones and debris from starship, while on the other side of the line was a vast darkness, as dark as the abyss.


    ¡°Is there anything here?¡± Hao Ren frowned.


    ¡°You can¡¯t see it with the naked eye. But with filters, it¡¯s different¡­¡± the MDT reminded him.


    The probe activated the multi-frequency filter, and some bizarre colors began to emerge in Hao Ren¡¯s sight. As the scope of the collection expanded, he saw things that could not be seen in a normal way. He saw a zigzag mark emerging out of nowhere from the immense darkness beyond the edge of Gorgon¡¯s Abyss. The mark was extremely wide with a pale texture, and countless tiny crack-like branches could be seen around it. It was floating in the empty darkness, bisecting the boundless space and slowly wriggling as if it were alive.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Hao Ren was confused. ¡°Is there also a World Scar in Gorgon¡¯s Abyss?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Although it has serious distortions and decay, according to the energy samples collected by the probe, this crack contains the divine power of the goddess of creation,¡± answered the MDT.


    ¡°¡­Wait, that means it came about thousands of years ago¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, the shockwave that broke free from Rheia¡¯s control thousands of years ago and destroyed the old L¡¯Haronne. What you see here is the aftermath. So in a sense, this rift is really the World Scar. The rift in the physical world splits L¡¯Haronne in two, but that¡¯s only a small part of the whole rift. More of it extends into the lower regions such as Gorgon¡¯s Abyss. Since the evolution of information in the lower regions has ceased, it has remained in the form of a divine shockwave until now and will remain so forever,¡± the MDT explained.


    ¡°Can it work like that?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Divine power can directly act on everything in the world, regardless of the boundaries between dimension and reality. Even if the universe collapses, that will not stop it from working. That¡¯s why your boss¡¯ Finger of Death can instantly cause real damage to its target, passing straight through the world line!¡±


    ¡°Oh my god¡­ I thought Raven 12345 was just boasting¡­¡±


    ¡°You have an attitude problem¡­ but it doesn¡¯t matter,¡± said the MDT nonchalantly. ¡°The most important matter is, do you remember Marchieri¡¯s last words?¡±


    Hao Ren was shocked for a moment, then the words came to mind, ¡°¡®But in that point of collapse, I saw a crack that did not belong in our world¡¯¡ªthe crack he was talking about is this one right before our eyes?¡±


    ¡°Should be.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute, the timeline doesn¡¯t match! Marchieri lived many years before the Umbral Realm took shape, and it was many years after that that the goddess of creation¡¯s shockwave destroyed L¡¯Haronne. How did Marchieri¡­ Wait! No, the time in this place has already¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, the time has collapsed here, so we shouldn¡¯t have been caught up in the timeline in the first place,¡± said the MDT. ¡°And since the Umbral Realm has been attached to the World Barrier of the Plane of Dreams from the very beginning, information could easily permeate and interfere with the space between the two, so it¡¯s very likely that Marchieri saw the formation of the World Scar in advance at some point in the distant past and vice versa. Marchieri may have died not long ago, or even a few minutes ago in Gorgon¡¯s Abyss.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like to study such super dimensional knowledge. It kills too much of my brain cells,¡± said Hao Ren while he shook his head.


    ¡°But I¡¯m curious about something. If the ¡®collapse of time in the deep world¡¯ led Marchieri to observe the future, wouldn¡¯t that mean that events such as the goddess of creation¡¯s fall and L¡¯Haronne¡¯s rebuilding were ¡®destined¡¯?¡± asked Hao Ren.


    ¡°There should be more complex mechanisms inside the deep world,¡± the MDT speculated. ¡°In general, time-axis disruptions like this are closed systems. The timeline of the disorder is limited to the time period from the birth of the world to the destruction of the world. That is to say, the disorder is limited to ¡®events that have occurred and have ended¡¯. The goddess of creation and all her traces, which appeared after the destruction of L¡¯Haronne, could not have theoretically been observed by Marchieri, yet Marchieri did¡­¡±


    Hao Ren frowned. ¡°Closed systems can become open systems? So the World Scar that appeared after the timeline closed was observed by Marchieri?¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s almost impossible,¡± said the MDT as it swayed. ¡°¡®After the end of the world, the timeline of the world system closes, and everything that happens after that becomes independent of the closed system¡¯. This is the original text found in the Introduction to Annihilation and Doomsday, which talks about the law of the universe without the intervention of God. There hasn¡¯t been any observed natural event in which a closed timeline after the end of the world becomes open again.¡±


    ¡°Despite that, Marchieri saw the forming of the World Scar. How do you explain that?¡±


    The blue light on the MDT¡¯s surface flashed violently. After a long period of intense statistical calculation, it finally admitted its failure like never before. ¡°Not enough computational power to build this model.¡±


    ¡°Well, I can see that you¡¯ve done your best. Look at the smoke from your cooling slots.¡± Hao Ren sighed.


    ¡°Never mind the details,¡± the MDT said calmly.


    After confirming that the MDT was not going to burn up, Hao Ren shrugged and walked to the large French window not far away.


    Outside the window, the wind was howling, and the snowflakes were whirling. A snowstorm was coming.


    ¡°Partner, are you going to investigate the old palace?¡±


    ¡°Not tonight. I want to sort out my information. Let¡¯s stay here one more day.¡±

 Chapter 1726 - The Blizzard

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    A snowstorm was raging that night.


    The ancient and fortified citadel of Snowfrost City stood in the midst of the snowstorm like a proud guard on the first sentry in front of Gorgon¡¯s Abyss. It faced the cold wind and kept out the storm from the plains, but the howling of the cold wind was still able to penetrate through the gaps in the walls into the fortress city. The sound twisted through the walls and the magic barrier into a deep whimper, echoing in the outermost streets of the fortress city.


    It was probably difficult for outsiders to sleep peacefully on such a night. Even the tough Northerners were irritated by the cries circling outside the city. They saw the hovering sounds over the land as ominous, therefore, the taverns on the outermost streets lit their brightest lights, and liquor was carried to the table, melting into courage and heat in the patrons¡¯ veins.


    The men of Snowfrost City laughed loudly in the tavern, dispelling the ominous sounds from the plain. They talked about the war on the front, the Knights of Ebon Blade who had lost their minds, Gorgon¡¯s Abyss, and the ¡°diplomatic envoy¡± that had entered the city during the day.


    Whatever they were talking about, the point was to heat up the atmosphere so that it could withstand the blizzard, which was sweeping across the land.


    However, almost all the noise was at the foot of the mountain. The higher up the city, the less human noise there was. In the area where the castle stood, the only noise was the roar of the snowstorm.


    The cold wind swept the snow through the courtyard. The outside world was freezing, making the warm room seem like an isolated retreat.


    Lily leaned over toward the window, watching the snow for quite some time. ¡°Awwoo¡­ Even I don¡¯t think I want to go out in such a snowstorm¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, do you have any clues about the Holy Tumen Empire and the ¡®source¡¯ of the world collapse?¡± Hao Ren asked Rheia.


    After his exploration of Gorgon¡¯s Abyss, he gathered Lily, Vivian, and Rheia in the room to discuss the clues found by the three probes. The most promising source of information, of course, was the goddess of creation herself.


    Unfortunately, Rheia knew nothing about the Tumen Empire either.


    ¡°Never heard of it,¡± said Rheia, shaking her legs on a high back chair. That was not a sign of her being in a good mood but one of her being slightly irritable. ¡°While I do not understand, I have discovered something bad.¡±


    ¡°Something bad?¡± Hao Ren frowned. He sensed something ominous in Rheia¡¯s simple words. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember the connection between Gorgon¡¯s Abyss and Black Pine Forest?¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Of course. That¡¯s why we took the short cut from Black Pine Forest to the north.¡±


    ¡°Then you probably remember when I said that Black Pine Forest is not fundamentally different from Gorgon¡¯s Abyss. They are both ¡®fragments of the deeper world¡¯, and they are now connected in the real world because they are ¡®rising¡¯.¡± Rheia stopped shaking her legs and became serious. ¡°I just confirmed two things.¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian looked at each other. ¡°What two things?¡±


    ¡°First, the ¡®rising¡¯ is absolutely true. I have kept my eyes on the connection between Gorgon¡¯s Abyss and Black Pine Forest. Now I can confirm that the connection is becoming more stable and that new connections are being built. This shows that the ¡®debris of the world line¡¯ deep in the world is indeed rising and has begun to affect the structure of the real world,¡± Rheia said slowly. ¡°The second thing is¡­ I have found that as those things rise, the stability of L¡¯Haronne as a whole is decreasing.¡±


    Hao Ren frowned slightly. ¡°Can you explain it in words we understand?¡±


    ¡°L¡¯Haronne is surrounded by my divine shield, so it can be seen as a closed ¡®little world¡¯. The information cycle of this little world is self-consistent and stable like a mini-universe. But since there is stability, there will be instability. At this point, L¡¯Haronne¡¯s stability as an information structure is declining?¡ªin a normal world, entropy is exploding and the universe is collapsing! Plus, its stability is declining much faster than the debris of the world line is rising, which means that something else is speeding up the process of the world¡¯s descent into chaos!¡±


    Hao Ren finally realized the seriousness of the situation. ¡°You mean¡­ L¡¯Haronne is collapsing?!¡±


    Rheia nodded.


    For some reason, Hao Ren suddenly thought of the inexplicable civil war that was going on in the Dragon Empire.


    He first thought that it was just a regular conflict within an indigenous civilization, but clues gradually came to mind, giving him a vague feeling that he had caught something¡­


    Unknown energy reactions at the core of the planet, the mysterious signal link between the core of the planet and the Dragon Empire, the secret of the Knights of the Broken Blade moving freely in Black Pine Forest, the connection between Black Pine Forest and Gorgon¡¯s Abyss, the connection between Princess Constance and Gorgon¡¯s Abyss¡­


    He listed all the things that had happened, and the connection between them became more obvious.


    The Knights of the Ebon Blade, bound to the Dragon Soul Emperor, showed signs of being tainted. At the same time, Princess Constance suddenly fought against the Knights of the Ebon Blade as if she had been preparing for a long time. The six northern provinces responded instantly, and Gorgon¡¯s Abyss also weakened the intensity of its activities simultaneously. And as these events unfolded, the deeper part of the world also changed synchronously.


    While the ¡°debris of the world line¡± was beginning to rise from the bottom of the world, the stability of the entire L¡¯Haronne was on a rapid decline.


    Obviously, everything could be considered as ¡°unexpected situations¡±, but when all things added up, it seemed like seamless coordination. It was like it had been rehearsed countless times.


    ¡°Could it have something to do with the Mad Lord¡¯s residual influence?¡± asked Lily.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t feel the energy undulations of the Mad Lord,¡± said Rheia in a despondent tone. ¡°I do not feel good about this world. It is like a machine that is running according to a given program, and everyone is operating this machine as if they were destined to.¡±


    ¡°If L¡¯Haronne¡¯s stability continues to decline, how long will it last?¡± Hao Ren asked the most critical question.


    ¡°Two years, two years at the most,¡± said Rheia firmly. ¡°And in the process, debris of the world line like Black Pine Forest and Gorgon¡¯s Abyss will completely rise to the surface, replacing more than half of the planet and eating up more than 70% of its population. Then, the remaining ¡®safety islands¡¯ will also be out of order, the rules of physics will become chaotic, and the physical world will fall apart. In the end, the whole world will decompose into basic information elements, and nothing will be born, nothing will die, and that will be the last day of the world.¡±


    Hao Ren was unsure of what he was supposed to do. He tapped the MDT and asked, ¡°This¡­ Is it beyond my job scope?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If the planet doesn¡¯t survive, we can move the people to a safer place. Then Rheia will be able to pack half the biosphere¡­¡±


    Hao Ren breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good, but that¡¯s for the worst-case scenario. We can¡¯t just sit back and wait for this to happen. How can a world collapse so easily? Besides, it¡¯s protected by Rheia¡¯s power. Why is it coming to an end under these circumstances?¡±


    No one could answer his question. Rheia could only shake her head with a wry smile, while Lily looked out of the window again to witness the snowstorm.


    ¡°The blizzard is raging¡­¡± muttered the husky girl. ¡°It feels like something is going to happen tonight¡­¡±


    Vivian gave Lily a sideways glance. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense¡­¡±


    As she said that, sudden tremors sent everyone in the room up from their chairs.


    Rheia jumped straight onto the ground. Her face turned grim, and the next second, she approached the window and flung it open.


    The snowstorm howled and rushed toward the window, but it all stopped before it touched Rheia¡¯s body. It then backed away in fear.


    Rheia looked south.


    The sky in that direction had turned a deep black. Even though it was night, the sky was so dark, as though there was an enormous dark vortex hanging upside down, absorbing all the light.


    ¡°The Mad Lord¡­¡± said Rheia, gnashing her teeth.

 Chapter 1727 - The Upheaval on the Frontline

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The snowstorm was still going on, and it was getting worse, screaming and howling across the land. The outdoors were dark and scary.


    Snowfrost City stood like a lone island about to be swallowed up by the cold and darkness. Lights all over the city were dim and shaky in the wind, emitting a negligible warmth to guard the city in the freezing dark world.


    Even the city¡¯s thick walls could not keep the storm out. The wind and snow entered the city through every crack in the walls, causing every street in the fortress city to gradually freeze. The soldiers in the guard posts watched the outside world through the observation window uneasily. No amount of hard liquor could remove the strong ominous feeling from their hearts.


    However, in Snowfrost City¡¯s hilltop post, Rheia¡¯s eyes pierced through the darkness and snow outside. She seemed to be able to see the evil rising in the distance. As far as her eyes could see, there was a clear void in the storm. Both the storm and the snow avoided her sight in awe.


    ¡°What direction is it?¡± Hao Ren looked in the same direction and tapped the MDT on his shoulder.


    ¡°Checking the map¡­ The Dragon Empire¡¯s in that direction. Also, the high-altitude probe has concurrently detected abnormal energy fluctuations in the imperial capital, and the energy readings are still rising.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is the energy reaction from the Mad Lord. It is very little, but it has reached the level of ¡®origin¡¯,¡± said Rheia, suddenly turning her head. Her eyes were gleaming. ¡°In the capital of the Dragon Empire¡­ As we have assumed, the Dragon Soul Emperor has something to do with it. He¡­ Huh?¡±


    Rheia frowned, and as suddenly as it came, the burst of energy quietly disappeared.


    ¡°It¡¯s gone?¡± asked Vivian.


    Hao Ren tapped the MDT again. ¡°Track it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m doing it¡­ No tracking results. The probe has focused all sensors on the capital, but no reaction has been detected.¡±


    Everyone in the room looked at each other.


    Rheia looked doubtfully out of the window. The snowstorm, which was freezing the whole world had subsided into harmless ordinary snow, and the cries of the cold wind from the plains grew muffled.


    ¡°This weather¡­ I do not like it,¡± Rheia grumbled a little impatiently.


    The snowstorm ceased in an instant, and the night became crystal clear.


    Hao Ren glanced at Rheia and asked, ¡°Is this how you use your divine power?¡±


    ¡°Coincidence, it is just a coincidence¡­¡± Rheia smiled a little awkwardly, then her face turned serious. ¡°So¡­ what do you think?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the Mad Lord¡¯s energy. Just as we¡¯ve expected, there¡¯s a small part of the Mad Lord¡¯s power left in this world, but its sudden disappearance is a little difficult to explain,¡± said Hao Ren, frowning. ¡°Is there some sort of sealing system at work? Perhaps, the Mad Lord¡¯s power is briefly released, then controlled?¡±


    ¡°I do not know, but we have to go to the imperial capital,¡± Rheia said earnestly. ¡°We leave tomorrow morning, all right?¡±


    Lily pulled her head out of the cushion and asked, ¡°What about Charlemagne and his sister?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for them,¡± Hao Ren said, waving his hand. ¡°We¡¯ve got them here, and they can continue the journey on their own. We can check out the imperial capital first and come back if we don¡¯t find any clues.¡±


    Vivian nodded. ¡°I agree. All in all, let¡¯s have a good rest today and restore our condition to the best in case we have to deal with the Mad Lord¡­¡±


    Everyone agreed. So, after saying goodnight to each other, they all went back to their rooms, rested, and prepared for their next course of action.


    Early the next morning, Hao Ren got up and met Lily, Vivian, and Rheia in the lobby of the post house.


    ¡°How was your sleep?¡± Hao Ren greeted them. ¡°Let¡¯s have breakfast first and say goodbye to Charlemagne as well as his sister before we go.¡±


    ¡°Breakfast first¡­ Oh, I was out for a morning run, and as I passed the castle, I could vaguely hear people running about in a panic. Do you think there¡¯s something wrong?¡± Lily said casually while she stretched.


    ¡°What could have happened?¡± Vivian blinked. ¡°Princess Constance and the Grand Duke of the North have been fighting in the south. Additionally, it¡¯s said that the grand duke¡¯s sons are stationed at the fortresses farther north. They¡¯re not here either. Who else is in the castle?¡±


    Hao Ren suddenly saw Charlemagne and Awenna coming through another door. They were in a hurry, and they looked worried.


    When they saw Hao Ren, they sped up in his direction. Charlemagne was about to speak when Hao Ren spoke first, ¡°Oh, we were just thinking of you. We have some pressing business to attend to, and we have to go first¡ª¡±


    Without waiting for Hao Ren to finish his words, Charlemagne started speaking, ¡°We have some urgent news. The northern legion is in trouble on the frontline. Last night, Grand Duke Owen¡­ Huh? Did you say you were leaving?¡±


    ¡°Err¡­ Ahem, it doesn¡¯t matter. You go first. What happened?¡±


    Charlemagne paused, glancing around the room, making sure that all the servants and maids were standing at a distance. Soon after, he lowered his voice. ¡°I just received the news. The allied forces of Princess Constance and Grand Duke Owen were attacked on the southern frontline. Grand Duke Owen, badly wounded, was teleported back to the castle last night¡­¡±


    Everyone looked shocked. They knew that the Knights of the Ebon Blade and the imperial regiment were both strong, therefore, the pressure on Princess Constance must have been intense. However, Hao Ren never thought the situation would deteriorate so rapidly.


    Awenna noticed their expressions and quickly explained, ¡°Do not worry. They have not been defeated. The main issue is that the commander in chief almost died in battle, which has caused the biggest blow to the forces.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ as far as I know, there have been several battles between the northern legion and imperial regiments since the war began. There has been some damage, but basically, they are evenly matched¡ªhow could the northern legion suddenly get hit so hard to the point that the commander in chief almost died?¡± asked Vivian.


    Hao Ren nodded. He remembered what Graeme had said about Grand Duke Owen. Grand Duke Owen was so strong that he could rip the Gorgonian Demon in his hands after drinking too much. What did that mean? That meant he tore up a starfighter with his bare hands!


    ¡°We do not know,¡± Charlemagne said, frowning. ¡°The information Graeme has given me is being kept under wraps and will not be made public for the time being. But I heard that it was a midnight raid from a team of the Knights of the Ebon Blade. They were spotted by the Broken Blade knights but suddenly turned into monsters¡­¡±


    ¡°Monsters?¡± Hao Ren became serious at once. ¡°Wait, you said it was a midnight raid¡­ About what time?¡±


    ¡°I am not sure. I just heard about it. The credibility¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s credible, trust me,¡± Vivian interrupted Charlemagne. ¡°You¡¯re telling us all this because you want us to come and meet Grand Duke Owen?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Charlemagne nodded. ¡°Grand Duke Owen regained consciousness early this morning and met Graeme, from whom he learned about us. The Grand Duke would like to see us, and he would like to see you too if you please.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s interested in us?¡± Hao Ren raised his eyebrows. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because he heard about your ability to move freely in Black Pine Forest and your easy victory over the Gorgonian Lord,¡± Awenna explained. ¡°Plus, I think he would be interested in the secluded Basilica of the World Tree.¡±


    Charlemagne looked at Hao Ren and said, ¡°We know little about the habits of hermits, so it is up to you to decide. You mentioned earlier that you had something important to do, so¡­¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian looked at each other before they reached a consensus.


    The grand duke had direct contact with the Knights of the Ebon Blade who ¡°turned into monsters¡± and survived. If the Knights of the Ebon Blade had anything to do with the Mad Lord¡¯s power, then Grand Duke Owen was the most precious witness.


    Hence, Hao Ren smiled and nodded at Charlemagne and Awenna. ¡°We¡¯d love to meet the grand duke.¡±

 Chapter 1728 - The Grand Duke of the North

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The castle was simpler than expected. It seemed that the huge structure was only built for the purpose of serving as a military fortress, and it had no superfluous decoration except for the emblem of the Dragon Empire as well as some decorative swords, which hung from the wall.


    They walked along the corridor to the room where Grand Duke Owen was. The eerie corridor echoed with their footsteps. Only one side of the corridor had its windows open, and the light came in through the high and narrow gaps of the windows, falling on some decorative shields on the other wall. It cast a hazy halo over the shields.


    The guards and servants along the way saluted the visitors, and their apprehensive expressions showed that Grand Duke Owen, though awake, was by no means in good condition.


    At the door of the grand duke¡¯s room, an old man in white robes with blue trimming pushed the door open and walked out.


    Graeme stepped forward and nodded at the old man. ¡°I have brought the guests whom the grand duke wishes to see.¡±


    The old man, Scholar Holman, raised his eyes to the line of people in front of him and spoke with a hint of disapproval in his voice, ¡°I did not know there were so many people. The grand duke is not doing well¡­¡±


    ¡°The grand duke wants to see them,¡± Graeme repeated. ¡°As far as I know, Scholar Holman, you are responsible for healing the grand duke¡¯s wounds, not selecting his guests.¡±


    ¡°Reducing visitors is part of the healing process!¡±


    ¡°Holman! I am just a little hurt, and I am not dead yet! Let the guests in, do not stand in the way!¡± Another voice came from the room.


    ¡°Well, you lot may go in¡ªas quietly as you can.¡±


    Grand Duke Owen, a tall and sturdy old man with thick hair and a thick beard, was lying on the oak bed in the middle of the room. He looked at the guests sharply.


    Sunlight shone in through the window. It should have brightened the room, yet the room was still dim. The darkness was everywhere. Everything in the room seemed to be covered with a shadowy veil, and even where the sun shone directly, the floor appeared dull as if something was covering it.


    There was another person in the room. It was an expressionless silver-haired woman in a white dress. She stood next to the grand duke and lowered her head slightly as if she were the maid in charge of his household. When the visitors came in, she looked up only a little before bowed her head again without stirring.


    ¡°Ah, here you are,¡± said the old man in bed, laughing. His voice was calm and powerful. It did not look like he had been mortally wounded and nearly died. ¡°The Prince and Princess of Izzo¡­ Ah, I have heard your story. It was not easy for you to get here. How are things in your country? And you¡­ the mystery group from the Basilica of the World Tree¡­ You people are so mysterious. I asked the best scholars to look it up but no one knows a thing about the Basilica of the World Tree. You seem to have appeared out of nowhere.¡±


    ¡°Grand Duke Owen¡­¡± Charlemagne stepped forward and bowed before the legendary old man in bed, despite being a royal himself. ¡°I heard that you were badly wounded, but now it is a relief to see you recovering.¡±


    ¡°Ah-ha, what nonsense recovery.¡± Owen laughed. ¡°I am just hanging in there for the time being to see both of you and your mysterious friends.¡±


    Grand Duke Owen¡¯s sight then fell on Hao Ren. ¡°I heard that you were just strolling through Black Pine Forest and easily won against a Gorgonian Lord?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a couple of special abilities that we have.¡± Hao Ren laughed. ¡°We have eyes that can see straight through the dense fog in Black Pine Forest, and we happen to have some experience dealing with ancient weapons like Gorgonian Lords.¡±


    ¡°Some experience¡­¡± Grand Duke Owen chuckled at that. ¡°Haha, that is an understatement¡ªdo you know how many people in the world can walk straight through Black Pine Forest like the lot of you? How many more can defeat the Gorgonian Lords? One Gorgonian Lord can destroy an entire regular army, let alone defeat it, but you¡­¡±


    Charlemagne suddenly realized that the grand duke seemed to be focusing on Hao Ren, so he could not help interrupting, ¡°Grand duke, excuse me for interrupting, my sister and I have an important mission. We need to meet Princess Constance as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s on the frontline now, but she knew that you were coming,¡± said Grand Duke Owen, waving his hand. ¡°Do not worry, she will see you soon. Patience, young man. Patience is the most important quality, understand?¡±


    Charlemagne opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but Awenna interrupted, ¡°We understand.¡±


    Then she whispered a few words to Charlemagne. He glanced at the silver-haired woman beside Grand Duke Owen with a little surprise and nodded.


    ¡°You and your Basilica of the World Tree,¡± Grand Duke Owen said, turning his attention back to Hao Ren. ¡°I think it is not just a ¡®hidden organization?¡±


    Hao Ren did not know what the grand duke had in mind. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Are you¡­¡± Grand Duke Owen frowned like he was trying to organize his sentence. ¡°Do you have any old legends, prophecies or something that brings you back into the world at a particular time? The change of epoch, for example. Ha, shouldn¡¯t a hidden organization like yours bring this up after seeing me?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Hao Ren patted his head. ¡°My apologies, that should be the way. But are you sure you do not want to stabilize your wound first? You may not live till tomorrow in this condition.¡±


    Charlemagne and Awenna stared in disbelief at the grand duke, who was lying on his bed, full of energy with no sign of weakness. The silver-haired woman, who had been keeping her head down from the beginning, finally raised her head and gave Hao Ren a quick glance.


    The grand duke froze for a moment, then burst into laughter. ¡°Hahaha¡­ You are interesting¡­¡±


    ¡°Grand Duke Owen, you¡­¡± Charlemagne could not stop himself. ¡°Now you¡­¡±


    ¡°As I have said, I am only alive for the time being,¡± said Grand Duke Owen, looking at Charlemagne. ¡°It is just that the average person cannot see it.¡±


    Then he turned to Hao Ren and said, ¡°You are right, I am dying. But how can you tell?¡±


    ¡°Never mind that,¡± said Hao Ren bluntly. ¡°Let us see your wound.¡±


    ¡°It may be very frightening,¡± said the old general, laughing. ¡°There are ladies here and young girls too. Do you really want to see it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I would like to see it,¡± said Rheia, stepping forward and pointing at Grand Duke Owen¡¯s chest. ¡°Open it. The bandages and ointments are useless.¡±


    Grand Duke Owen swallowed his smile and nodded in silence. Meanwhile, the silver-haired woman moved forward and gently lifted the blanket from his body.


    The old general¡¯s upper body was covered with a thick bandage, but there was no blood seeping from beneath it.


    The silver-haired woman brushed her hand lightly over the bandage, and the thick bandage broke open, revealing the shocking truth below.


    The flesh on Owen¡¯s chest had festered and mutated. A twisted lacerated wound was on his right chest, and the flesh around the wound had turned dark purple and sunken in as if it had been eaten away by strong acid. The most frightening thing was that the wound and the festering flesh around it were moving!


    The rotting mutated flesh was wriggling like it was alive, expanding its festering range. And in between the rotting flesh and the normal flesh, tiny spikes as well as teeth grew, ripping and devouring the healthy flesh around it.


    Just a glance was enough to turn Awenna pale, and she stepped back immediately¡ªbut at least she did not scream.


    ¡°It hurt a lot at first, but I do not feel anything now,¡± Owen said, glancing down at his chest. ¡°They are gradually replacing my body. A part of my nerves has been ¡®eaten¡¯ by them. Well, it is a relief.¡±


    ¡°Have you not tried any other treatment?¡± Charlemagne looked frightened but asked in a calm voice.


    ¡°We did try to cut away the rotten flesh, but it grows back immediately. So it will not help even if we dig the whole thing out. It seems to be rooted not in the body, but in my soul,¡± said Grand duke Owen in a cool manner. ¡°We have tried ointment, magic, and even elvish blessings, but the change is irreversible. Only Scholar Holman¡¯s secret skill has had a little effect on me. He cut part of my soul so I can now talk to you soberly, but it will not last long. I can already hear small voices buzzing in my head. Those blasphemous words are gnawing their way through Scholar Holman¡¯s shield¡­¡±

 Chapter 1729 - Healed

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The Mad Lord¡¯s power was taking over Grand Duke Owen¡¯s body.


    Not just physically, but also on the soul level. He could even feel his soul clearly being chipped away.


    Hao Ren approached the bed and carefully observed the wound while the MDT flew around it.


    Grand Duke Owen and the silver-haired woman paused for a moment, looking puzzled when they saw the MDT, but no one noticed the tiny details except Rheia.


    ¡°Yes, it is the result of the Mad Lord¡¯s power, but this man has slowed down the erosion process with his strong willpower and physical strength,¡± said the MDT in Hao Ren¡¯s head. ¡°Samples have been taken. Start thinking about treatment options.¡±


    ¡°We want to know what happened last night,¡± Vivian suddenly said, stepping forward. ¡°If you can tell us¡­¡±


    Grand Duke Owen fixed his eyes on the guests in the room, pondered a moment, and asked, ¡°Why are you interested? How much do you know about my wounds?¡±


    ¡°A lot,¡± said Rheia, gently pointing at the wound on Owen¡¯s chest, and the rotting flesh stopped wriggling for a moment. ¡°I can even cure you. But only if you can tell us details regarding the Knights of the Ebon Blade who turned into monsters.¡±


    Grand Duke Owen looked at the changes in his wound in astonishment, his eyes flickering with a strange expression. Shortly after, he laughed. ¡°It seems wise to have you all here. There is nothing to hide about what happened last night. I think you have heard the rumors.¡±


    ¡°We heard that a team of the Knights of the Ebon Blade reached the northern legion post last night, and the Knights of the Broken Blade noticed them,¡± Hao Ren went on. ¡°The Knights of the Broken Blade greatly overpowered the Knights of the Ebon Blade, but the Knights of the Ebon Blade suddenly burst with monstrous power¡­¡±


    ¡°They turned into complete monsters.¡± Owen nodded. ¡°There were only about a dozen attackers, and I suspect that they were mutating in a totally controlled way. It was a well-planned situation. Their armor melted like wax, then metal and flesh fused as they grew. A great number of asymmetrical limbs grew from their bodies, and several mouths as well as eyes, opened wide on their skulls. The roar from their mouths are mind-numbing, and looking them in the eye can drive a weak-minded person mad on the spot. Ordinary soldiers are no match for these fellows¡ªcuts from swords heal almost in the blink of an eye, but being stabbed by their limbs or blades can be fatal.¡±


    Grand Duke Owen spoke while he pointed at the wound on his chest. ¡°When the ordinary soldiers were wounded by them, they all became similar monsters in a short time. These monsters can only survive for a short time, but they bring about disastrous consequences. I was actually hurt by them, but I have lasted a little longer than the others.


    ¡°I was going to use myself as a sample and return to the castle to let the scholars and wizards study my wound to find a way to fight the corrosion, but none of the treatments have worked. Even Scholar Holman can only prolong my life for a day. If you had not shown up, I would have been ready to leave the castle.¡±


    Grand Duke Owen¡¯s message was clear: he was leaving the castle not to return to the frontline, but to exile himself in the wild, or even end his life because once a powerful fighter like him was completely mutated¡­ even if the monster only survived for a short period of time, the damage could be devastating.


    Hao Ren nodded slightly. Grand Duke Owen¡¯s description was very detailed and had sufficient reference value. There was no doubt that the Knights of the Ebon Blade¡¯s mutation was caused by the forces of the Mad Lord. But based on their ¡°controlled¡± and ¡°purposeful¡± mutation, it could be concluded that a superior individual or ¡°brain¡± unit was controlling everything behind them.


    In L¡¯Haronne, the ¡°brain¡± should be the Dragon Soul Emperor.


    ¡°About what time were you attacked?¡± asked Lily.


    Grand Duke Owen thought for a moment. ¡°About half an hour after midnight.¡±


    ¡°Then the time is right. It was when we sensed the ¡®explosion¡¯,¡± Vivian said, nodding.


    ¡°Explosion?¡± Charlemagne asked, somewhat puzzled.


    ¡°Ah, you may not have sensed it, or you may not have realized it even if you sensed it,¡± said Lily, waving her hand. ¡°It was last night when the storm was at its worst. An evil force burst forth from the direction of the imperial capital, roughly the same time as the attack on Grand Duke Owen.¡±


    When Grand Duke Owen heard Lily¡¯s words, his eyes widened, and his face began to look strange. ¡°You can feel the ¡®thing¡¯ too¡­ You are inheritors as well?¡±


    Hao Ren was a little shocked: there were clues here!


    However, he did not show it. He just bobbed his head and said, ¡°We do know a few things, but before we go into more details, we better cure you first. Rheia, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±


    Rheia nodded and stood next to Grand Duke Owen, but she did not do anything. She just watched the old man lying in bed.


    Others looked at her curiously, wondering how the ¡°little girl¡± was going to cure the terrible corrosion in the grand duke.


    The eerie silence lasted for several seconds. Just as Grand Duke Owen was about to say something, Hao Ren suddenly noticed that a blurry shadow had appeared next to the grand duke¡¯s body.


    Everyone noticed the abnormal ¡°shadow¡±, which at first remained motionless but began to squirm after a few seconds.


    The wriggling black shadow suddenly squirmed and wriggled, ¡°swimming¡± away from Rheia.


    However, the shadow could not escape. Almost as soon as it left the grand duke¡¯s body, Rheia had flashed over to the other side of the bed and grabbed the wriggling shadow.


    It struggled violently and crumpled in the air into a sickening sooty soft mass. But it could not escape Rheia¡¯s tiny hand no matter how hard it tried. The shadow kept screeching and squeaking in Rheia¡¯s hand. Within thirty seconds, it was ablated and formed into a black sphere of fewer than two centimeters in diameter.


    ¡°Okay, okay, you can stop burning it now.¡± Hao Ren quickly grabbed the black sphere from Rheia¡¯s hand and threw it into the sample storage container. ¡°We need to keep a sample for analysis.¡±


    Then he turned his head to the grand duke and asked, ¡°Grand duke, how do you feel¡­ Errr, ahem, Grand Duke Owen, grand duke?¡±


    ¡°This¡­ That is it?¡± asked the old man.


    ¡°It is not complicated,¡± Rheia said, waving her hand. ¡°It is just a little pollution. But you are quite impressive. An ordinary person¡­ This is the first time I have ever met someone who has been able to hold on for such a long time.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, the inheritors!¡± Grand Duke Owen¡¯s face lit up. ¡°Whose inheritors are you? What era is the predecessor of the Basilica of the World Tree from? Such a powerful force¡­ Is it the Tumen Empire? No, Tumen cannot fight Gorgon so easily¡­ Are you of Gorgon, or even before Gorgon¡­¡±


    Perhaps it was his excitement, perhaps it was the accumulated weakness of the body that burst forth after the Mad Lord¡¯s power had been driven out, but the inordinately fit old man suddenly began to cough violently. ¡°Calm down, calm down. We just saved your life. Do not lose it so easily,¡± said Hao Ren.


    ¡°I have only banished the corrosive force from within you. Your lost strength and soul will not be so easily restored¡ªespecially your soul. A third of your soul has been eaten, and that is irreversible damage, which even I cannot fix perfectly. If you get too excited, your body and soul will not be able to handle it,¡± reminded Rheia.


    Grand Duke Owen lay back, gasping violently. His wound was healing at an astonishing rate, but the physical damage caused by the suppression and ravaging of the Mad Lord¡¯s power had manifested itself, making him even weaker than before. ¡°I¡­ I see. What are the consequences of an incomplete soul?¡± asked Owen.


    ¡°You will still be alive. But honestly, it is probably impossible to be a powerful guardian of the North,¡± Rheia said bluntly. ¡°Your mind, your will, your memory, even your personality can be significantly weakened or transformed in bad ways. Your body will also be affected. Due to the mismatch between the soul and the body, you will have difficulty controlling the body, causing it to weaken continuously until it matches the soul. Of course, ordinary individuals would basically be disabled under such circumstances, but your foundation is very good. I also tried to protect and fill in parts of you that were damaged so that you would not become disabled. Nonetheless, you are not going to be half as good in every way as you were in your prime.¡±


    ¡°For me¡­ it is no different than becoming disabled.¡± Owen sighed but shook his head in relief. ¡°However, I am grateful that I have gotten my life back.¡±


    ¡°Now we can talk about what you mentioned earlier,¡± Hao Ren immediately said, ¡°about the Tumen Empire, Gorgon, eras, and the inheritors.¡±

 Chapter 1730 - Princess Constance

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren was now very glad that he chose to stay in the city for one more day. It allowed him to explore Gorgon¡¯s Abyss and find Marchieri¡¯s last words there, from which he learned the existence of the Tumen Empire.


    He was vaguely aware that what seemed like messy fragments of clues were actually the most vital information. He had come into contact with the ultimate truth hidden in the mysterious L¡¯Haronne.


    Plus, when he mentioned the Tumen Empire and the inheritors, Grand Duke Owen did not immediately answer him, instead, he asked, ¡°Are you here to take part in this Turn of the Eras?¡±


    Hao Ren looked into the old duke¡¯s eyes, solemnly nodded, and replied, ¡°Yes.¡± Of course, he was lying.


    That was his professionalism as an excellent inspector.


    Grand Duke Owen, with a long sigh of relief, turned his eyes to Charlemagne and his sister. ¡°I know you¡¯ve brought something¡ªnow take it out.¡±


    Charlemagne frowned. ¡°But it has to be in the presence of either His Majesty Berentine or Princess Constance¡ª¡±


    ¡°Princess Constance will be here in a moment,¡± Grand Duke Owen interrupted, looking at the silver-haired woman standing next to him. ¡°Ginny, Princess Constance may come now.¡±


    The silver-haired woman nodded gently, then her eyelids closed slowly. Her muscles relaxed and her body appeared to be in a state of complete stillness. After a few seconds, Hao Ren heard the slight noise of an electric current and some mechanical friction coming from her body as if some device had been activated.


    The temperament of the silver-haired woman changed completely in that instant. When she opened her eyes again, she looked fierce and powerful, no longer gentle.


    ¡°I am Constance. It is wonderful to meet you.¡± She looked at her guests and nodded at them.


    Then she looked at Charlemagne and Awenna. ¡°This is the second time I have met you, guests from Izzo.¡±


    ¡°Oooooh¡­¡± A long and exaggerated exclamation was heard from Lily. After a brief moment of surprise, she realized what had happened. ¡°Are you being possessed? Ahem, mind transmission? Or is it something like soul links?¡±


    ¡°Is it the same skill as the Knights of the Ebon Blade¡¯s?¡± asked Hao Ren. He had detected a burst of signal links in Ginny as she closed her eyes. Before the link was established, the woman also showed signs of communicating wirelessly with the outside world. ¡°If I¡¯m right, you¡¯ve been watching the room through this woman¡¯s eyes?¡±


    ¡°Mind transmission technology as you said. It is nothing great to all of you,¡± said Princess Constance, nodding. ¡°I am sorry I have to meet you in this form. Things are not going well on the frontline. There are still mutated knights attacking us from time to time, but we have found a way to deal with them, so I have to stay here.¡±


    As she spoke, she turned her eyes around the room. Since the Mad Lord¡¯s power in Grand Duke Owen¡¯s body had been purged by Rheia, the unnatural gloom in the room was gone, and the remaining divine power made it brighter than any other room. ¡°When I heard what you did in Black Pine Forest, I assumed that you, too, were inheritors. I did not expect you to have such power. If that is the case, then there is more hope for the Turn of the Eras.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± Awenna interrupted. ¡°What does the Turn of the Eras mean?¡±


    Hao Ren was immediately relieved as Awenna asked the question: he was worried about how to ask¡­


    After all, he had been pretending to have everything under control. Having a lot of questions and not being able to find the right way to ask them was the most frustrating situation for an inspector. Luckily, the seemingly confused Charlemagne and Awenna were there¡­


    ¡°Do you really not know the details?¡± Princess Constance frowned a little but was soon relieved. ¡°It does not matter. You can take out the things you¡¯ve brought.¡±


    Charlemagne and Awenna looked at each other before they nodded slightly.


    Then they each took out a fine silver dagger, and without hesitation, they cut their fingers and put their bleeding fingers on the amulet that hung on their chests.


    ¡°Archivist, C-3035 (C-3036),¡± the brother and sister said the password together. ¡°Synchronous authentication. Identification information submitted. Request to open the vault.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at them in surprise and saw that the amulet on their chests began to shine at the same time. As the two amulets were activated simultaneously, Hao Ren felt the space around the brother and sister suddenly distort. Soon, a mercury-like silver ball with a radius of more than one meter emerged in the air. With lines similar to honeycomb patterns appearing on the surface of the silver ball and peeling off layer by layer, a long platinum staff finally appeared in front of everyone.


    The platinum staff was the treasure that Charlemagne and Awenna escorted all the way from Izzo to the Dragon Empire?


    Hao Ren could not stop looking at the platinum staff, feeling like he had seen the long staff somewhere else before. Its carvings, which depicted the sun, moon, and stars were very familiar.


    ¡°MDT, compare it.¡±


    ¡°No need to compare. This is the platinum scepter that was in the hand of Haersonca, the Holy Queen who appeared in the illusion within Black Pine Forest,¡± said the MDT in Hao Ren¡¯s head. ¡°The appearance matches 100%, and the energy fluctuations are consistent. It¡¯s authentic.¡±


    Hao Ren was a little shocked but did not show it. It was best not to express one¡¯s thoughts without knowing what the scepter did.


    Charlemagne and his sister looked thoughtfully at the platinum scepter for a moment. Apparently, they, too, realized the scepter looked exactly like the one they had seen in Black Pine Forest¡¯s illusion. It looked like they were seeing what they had been escorting for the first time.


    ¡°It seems that you have kept your promise not to open the vault before you came here.¡± Constance guessed it from Charlemagne and Awenna¡¯s expressions. ¡°Have you seen this scepter anywhere else?¡±


    ¡°In Black Pine Forest¡­¡± Awenna replied. ¡°We experienced an ¡®illusion¡¯ in Black Pine Forest of an ancient queen holding this scepter. She was called the Holy Queen¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, that must be the echo of Haersonca.¡± Constance sighed softly. ¡°May the Queen rest in peace. She has endured too long in this broken world.¡±


    Charlemagne stepped forward and asked, ¡°What is¡ª¡±


    ¡°Do you know the purpose and meaning of this scepter?¡± Constance interrupted before he could finish his words.


    Charlemagne and Awenna shook their heads with the same puzzled expression on their faces.


    ¡°Then you probably do not know the Turn and Annihilation of Eras?¡±


    They still shook their heads.


    Constance looked at them in silence before she calmly asked, ¡°Then why did you come here and give it to me?¡±


    ¡°Our father suddenly summoned us to the inner court and gave us this mission,¡± Awenna answered honestly. ¡°He seemed to have foreseen civil strife in the Dragon Empire and told us to come to you if there were enemies in the imperial capital.¡±


    ¡°However, he did not explain things in detail,¡± Charlemagne continued, ¡°and I think¡ª¡±


    ¡°You do not think your father knows exactly why he is doing this, do you?¡± Constance went on, sighing a little. ¡°As my father told me, the succession will eventually be broken. The dynasty will not last, the gods will die, the Holy Spirit will die, the wise men and the dragon will die. The reshaping of the world will strip away those memories and knowledge, and even eternal souls will not be immune. In the end, we will all live blindly and ignorantly, driven by ancient obsessions to wage a war that we do not even understand. The immortals will eventually become walking dead. That is the price of eternal life¡­¡±


    Charlemagne and Awenna were both stunned. Hao Ren¡¯s heart, on the contrary, skipped a beat when he heard ¡°reshaping of the world¡±.


    Princess Constance knew that the world had been reshaped!


    Not only did she know, but even her father did!


    And between the lines¡­ Hao Ren sensed that the ¡°reshaping of the world¡± had happened more than once.


    In other words, they even knew how the universe was destroyed by the Mad Lord!


    ¡°Sorry, this could be hard for you to understand. In the state of mind transmission, some subconscious thoughts are more difficult to control, and I become more emotional than usual. Now, let us get back to the main subject. First, let us talk about the fact that our world has been destroyed in the past.¡±

 Chapter 1731 - The Cycle of Annihilation

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The world had been destroyed before.


    Yet, only a few knew of it.


    ¡°For many commoners, the ¡®world¡¯ itself is stable and eternal,¡± Constance¡¯s voice was calm yet distant, as she described the shocking truth in a very simple manner. ¡°Day giving way to night, the cycles of the seasons, the growth of life, the cycle of life and death, for many in their short and limited life, these will happen and repeat as it should, naturally. To them, the concept of ¡®the world had been destroyed before¡¯ was not only a foreign, it is outright outlandish, they could not and would not understand this matter. If you force it upon them to recognize the fact, it will only lead to nothing but fear. So, aside from the heritors, no one would bring up this truth.¡±


    She did not take notice of Charlemagne and Awenna¡¯s expression and continued on, ¡°Our small world had been destroyed before, and not just once, it is not those ¡®little events¡¯ like world war leading to the fall of a kingdom, or the extinction of a race, it is as literal as it gets, the entire world had totally come apart and disintegrated.


    ¡°In a very very long time ago, so ancient that even the heritors are not able to ascertain what the beginning was, a powerful and terrifying power had taken hold of this world. We do not know its origins, or why it was so intent to destroy everything, but we know that our first ancestors called them ¡®The Annihilation¡¯, and it is as the name states, leading to the world being annihilated.¡±


    ¡°Do you know, the universe is very big, bigger beyond your imaginations. It was not just limited¡­ to a planet. Before the Annihilation, planets like L¡¯Haronne were countless, they were all called planets, and there were stars larger than planets, and celestial bodies even larger than the stars floating in the universe. Our ancestors called it the galaxy.


    ¡°And the Annihilation caused the extinction of the first galaxy, using a method beyond the understanding of mortals, and tore the galaxy into shreds.¡±


    ¡°That was the first era.¡±


    Princess Constance stopped for a moment, and Awenna could not help but ask, ¡°So are we survivors of that event?¡±


    Constance smiled, and there was a distinct chill to her smile, ¡°There¡¯s no such fairy tale ending. There were practically no survivors from the first era.¡±


    ¡°A true apocalypse would not be so ¡®gentle¡¯. It¡¯s not like wars between men, where you may survive if you dig a big enough cavern, or erect a strong enough fort. But when the entire universe collapse, even the stars will be snuffed out in an instance, and there is nothing in the world for you to hide and survive. In the first era, our ancient ancestors were very powerful, and they could even cross the vastness of space in an instant, and they could create or extinguish stars of all size, and they could even add or remove dimensional structures to create a personal fief floating by the border of the universe. And even when our ancestors were that powerful, they could not reverse the tide when the Annihilation came. The universe of the first era was torn asunder and even the glorious civilization was destroyed in the process, and nothing survived.


    ¡°But the real nightmare only came after that.¡±


    Constance took a deep breath as she was about to say something that sent chills down her spine.


    Charlemagne was impatient to know more, ¡°What happened after that?¡±


    ¡°After the first era was destroyed, our world was recreated.¡± Constance said slowly, ¡°A new era was born upon the ruins of the first era, as life bloomed again, so did the Annihilation returned.¡±


    Charlemagne and Awenna exchanged glances, and Hao Ren could not help but do to the same to Vivian as well. ¡°Seems like things were different than what we first thought.¡±


    Awenna¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°How many times had this happened since?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Constance shook her head, ¡°Far too many times, and even the eternal spirit could not withstand such attrition. We only know that the universe was destroyed more than once, before being recreated from the wastes of the previous age, and every time the process was about the same. After the recreation, the world will grow and prosper normally, even bringing some a false sense of true peace, but the Annihilation will definitely appear after that, and push the entire universe into the abyss of destruction.¡±


    t


    ¡°And every time the Annihilation comes, there will be a war called the ¡®Turn of the Eras¡¯. This war is unavoidable, as the one starting the war is not us, but the Annihilation. It will corrupt the world¡¯s strongest warriors, and unleash all sorts of monsters from the nightmare, and these monsters feast upon worlds and will destroy everything. In order to survive, and to leave a shred of hope at the Turn of the Eras, we will fight to the last.¡±


    ¡°But, regardless of how strong the resistance is, the Annihilation will destroy everything. The war will turn more and more brutal, as monsters will appear more and more until the order of the worlds were broken, until every life was consumed in their madness only then things will die down.¡±


    ¡°It is like a cycle, a continuous cycle of destruction and rebirth, it is as if the end of the world was already upon us, and yet it never felt like it had ended. We had fought and fought, and the ones that could complete the Turn and be reborn in the next era are naturally the strongest, fearless and stubborn of humans, and yet in the next era, the strong would be the host of the Annihilation, and the saviors will become the annihilators, and will be defeated by new resistance forces, and this is the Turn of the Eras.


    ¡°And the other effect of the Turn of the Eras is that the world is constantly under attrition.¡±


    ¡°As we are ¡®defective objects¡¯ recreated from the ruins and wreckage of the universe, and with every recreation, something will be lost, and in a general sense, it means that the world¡¯s level will be reduced, and our civilization level will fall as well.¡±


    ¡°Remember why I emphasized the ¡®heritors¡¯ and ¡®eternal spirits? These refer to the spirits that could complete the Turn of the Eras, and survive the recreation. While the worlds will be destroyed, and flesh and bones will perish, but some spirit remnants will survive, bringing the memories into the next era. And protecting this sort of passed down hope is the heritors¡¯ biggest drive to resist every apocalypse. But this would all be sapped away, alongside the world.¡±


    In the first War of the Turn of the Eras, we had fought in the endless battlefield of time and space, and after that we were destroyed alongside the stars, and a few eras later, we were only fighting in a galaxy, and further ahead, we are fighting in the shadows of a planet, using combat satellites to fight against the monsters from the stars, and a few more Turns later, we had finally retreated to the planet¡¯s surface, and our weapons were reduced to spears and swords, and our battlefield were strictly stuck on the surface of the planet.¡±


    ¡°And there will be a day, where the Turn of the Era will commence with in a city, then a town, then on a piece of rock, and perhaps man will be fighting with the last of the monsters with their bare fists, nails, and teeth. If they had all fallen there, that is probably the true salvation.¡±


    Constance¡¯s story came to an end.


    Hao Ren knew that Constance was not telling everything, and it was not because the Princess wanted to hide something, rather she really did not know all of the truth.


    This was because the memories left behind by the heritors are diminishing, as the ancient civilization was withering alongside the universe, and the Umbral Realm, where it was once a vast sea of stars were now nothing but chaos and a planet called L¡¯Haronne. So what did the heritors who had survived through so many Turns of the Eras until today would have left?


    It was possible that Constance herself did not fully understand what she had just said, and heritors like her had probably forgotten what the stars had looked like, and could no longer remember the times where they surfed through the stars. They only remembered the wars and the fragmented words that they did not even understand themselves.


    As for Charlemagne and Awenna, they only looked up after a long silence, Charlemagne pointed to the floating scepter, ¡°That scepter had been in the care of the Izzoean royal family, so does that mean we too are¡­¡±


    ¡°Heritors, yes, but heritors which had been severed.¡± Constance nodded. ¡°And until today I did not know that you were still keeping this ¡®relic¡¯, and wanted to figure out a way myself to look for the scepter. You father, His Majesty the King had probably been awakened by the effect of the Turn of the Eras, and a memory appeared from the deepest part of his soul, and therefore he had sent you here, but you two¡­ clearly had no memories of the past.¡±


    Charlemagne gave a self-deprecating smile. ¡°And that means, we do not have the right to participate in the Turn of the Era and have no right to be part of the people to continue onto the next era, right? If what you say is not just an outlandish horror story.¡±


    ¡°Everyone has the right to participate in the Turn of the Era because it is a war that all life must face.¡± Constance looked at Charlemagne. ¡°But you are indeed unable to continue on¡­your ancient memories had been totally wiped out, and your spirit is no longer eternal, and even if you partake in the Turn of the Era with me and emerge victorious, you will not remember me¡­ when the new era comes.¡±


    Charlemagne opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but Awenna spoke first, ¡°This is a blessing.¡±


    ¡°Yes, an incredible blessing,¡± Constance looked at the Izzoean princess, ¡°You do not have to keep facing the truth, and that is the biggest blessing of them all.¡±


    After digesting that large amount of information, Hao Ren sighed, ¡°Aih¡­ so your history¡­ is actually going backward.¡±


    He finally understood those echos from different civilization levels, different time lines and world lines were all about.


    This was not the case of many destroyed worlds being piled upon one another and not a mish-mash of civilization ruins. There was only one universe since the beginning of time to its destruction, but it was destroyed more than once.


    ¡°Backwards? That¡¯s a rather apt way to describe it.¡± Constance raised an eyebrow, ¡°But why did you say ¡®your history¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Hao Ren quickly shifted the attention away from the tiny slip of the tongue. ¡°As for the Turn of the Eras, I have a few questions.¡±

 Chapter 1732 - The Turn of the Eras

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Frankly, while Hao Ren considered himself well-learned, but upon listening to Constance¡¯s retelling of the truth, he would have never thought that L¡¯Haronne¡¯s real history would be like that.


    This was a universe that had been destroyed many times, and the destruction that it had gone through was far beyond the two times that Hao Ren had guessed earlier¨Cthe first apocalypse caused by the Lord of Madness, and the second one caused by the Fall of the Goddess. And in truth, compared to what it had gone through, the shock wave that split the planet into two during the Fall was nothing.


    When the ancestral civilization of the first era that was powerful the point of being able to twist the laws of the universe was destroyed by the Lord of Madness, the entire universe was shattered into fragments, and the entire civilization wiped out, and now, only a broken planet was left, and the heritors were reduced to fighting with swords and spears, and what happened in between was not just the long passage of time.


    Every time the universe is destroyed meant that the axis of time is totally destroyed and reformed, and everything seemed to be reshuffled as they were reborn, and the heritors were like a ¡®fixed files¡¯ that cannot be deleted during a reformat. They would continue on in some way in every cycle of the Annihilation, and until today, the heritors don¡¯t even know what they have carried forward with them.


    Hao Ren finally knew why the Gorgon Empire, the Tumen Empire and Haersonca were such different ¡®kingdoms¡¯, they were all civilization of L¡¯Haronne, and were simply different names of civilizations in different times and world lines in the cycle of Annihilation.


    Looking at Princess Constance in the eyes, Hao Ren said, ¡°The first thing I wish to know is, The Lord¡­ I mean the Annihilation, is it getting weaker at the same time?¡±


    Constance was surprised by the question, and soon an expression of understanding appeared on her face, ¡°Indeed, this is a key point. As the universe was destroyed and recreated continuously, it was not only the ¡®source¡¯ of the world of order that was chipped away, even the power of Annihilation had diminished. It could destroy the entire universe at first, but after a few eras later its activities is only confined to a galaxy, and today¡­ its powers could not even kill an old coot like Duke Owen here where he stood.¡±


    Duke Owen, who was laying in bed immediately retorted heartily, ¡°Your Highness, I may be old, but I have yet to reach the point of being a weakling no?¡±


    Seems like he had recovered quite a bit after some rest.


    Hao Ren did not say anything after listening to what Constance had to say, and quietly took note that the power of ¡®Annihilation¡¯ will be weakened at the same time with the cycle, it was a clue to why L¡¯Haronne was not totally destroyed. He then asked a second question. ¡°Does anyone know what was causing the cycle of destruction and rebirth?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Constance gave Hao Ren a slightly odd glance. ¡°The destruction and subsequent rebirth of the world, this is pretty much the truth of this universe, and even the most ancient of ancestor were not able to discern the truth of the universe, much less the heritors today, after all, the level of civilization had been falling as well.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Vivian spoke, ¡°Does anyone know what the ancestors of the first era is like? Like what their civilization is called, what sort of technology level they had, and¡­ what did they do at the very last moment when the apocalypse was upon them?¡±


    Constance shook her head, ¡°No one knew, the more ancient the memory is, the more acute the lost is, and even the strongest of heritors could not overcome this rule. Even my father, he only knows the history of about six to seven eras ago, and for the ancestors and universe of the first era¡­ to be frank, those are almost legends now. We only have a murky concept of it, and some records that we had managed to cobble together, so that¡¯s why what I said earlier was not the whole truth, as the true history had already been swallowed by the cycle long ago, and no one knows the truth now.¡±


    And as she finished, she could suppress her doubts any more, ¡°Are you real heritors, the question you are asking¡­ is not supposed to come from a heritor.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because we had inherited more technology and knowledge,¡± Hao Ren just came up with a random excuse, ¡°If you are talking about high-tech stuff, we at the Basilica of the World Tree do have quite a bit, but for the historical records about the eras¡­ it¡¯s almost a shame to bring them up.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s such a thing among the heritors?¡± Constance frowned, ¡°The universe had undergone too many cycles, and seems like the heritors are slowly reaching their limit¡­ and many more unusual situations are appearing, but thankfully you brought knowledge with you.¡±


    Rheia then asked, ¡°Based on what you say, that Emperor Berentine is also a heritor? And this war that you are launching¡­ is to complete the Turn of the Era?¡±


    A grim look appeared on Constance¡¯s face, ¡°Yes, ever since I gained consciousness, I knew this day would come.¡±


    Perhaps it was due to Constance¡¯s grim determination, the room suddenly quiet down. Charlemagne and Awenna needed time to slowly digest and understand this bewildering truth, while Hao Ren was thinking much further ahead.


    Like, the real reason for the universe¡¯s ¡®cycle of annihilation¡¯, he believed that this was not the work of the Lord of Madness. The reason was simple, the Lord of Madness has no capacity to think, and could not create something this intricate.


    At that moment, Constance held her hand out to take the platinum scepter that was floating in the air.


    The scepter let out a low hum, and that broke Hao Ren out of his thoughts, and his attention was soon attracted by the scepter.


    Before Constance took the specter away, Hao Ren quickly asked, ¡°Wait a minute, I have a question. What does this scepter actually do?¡±


    The Scepter of Sovereignty is the key for the Turn of the Era,¡± Constance was patient, ¡°When the War of the Turn of the Era reaches its final stages, the order of the world will basically come apart, and only within the area covered by that platinum scepter would order still exist, and in the sanctuary of the scepter, will the final battle be fought. The fate of the world will end under the radiance of the scepter, and the new era will also restart with the scepter as the heart.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s eyes brightened, ¡°So that means, this scepter was something that had gone through the various cycles of annihilation without actually changing? Is it an ancient relic from the first era?


    Constance hesitated for a bit, ¡°¡­I dare not confirm that, but it did exist for many many eras.¡±


    Hao Ren held his hand out, ¡°Can I have a look? Don¡¯t worry, just a look, we are always intrigued by ancient relics.¡±


    Constance handed over the platinum scepter without much thought.


    Hao Ren took the scepter and intently studied the patterns and adornments on its surface, while the MDT flew over to the scepter and scanned it from top to bottom.


    ¡°Rheia, have a look,¡± After he had confirmed that the MDT had set up a file for the scans, Hao Ren passed the scepter over to Rheia who was standing by his side.¡±


    The tiny Goddess of Creation picked up the scepter that was at least twice her height, as she looked at it intently while nodding. No one was sure if she saw anything special, but she did took at least ten minutes studying the scepter before giving it back to Constance.


    ¡°Did you see anything?¡± There was a trace of laughter at the corner of Constance¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°The pattern is pretty, and it looks majestic,¡± Hao Ren shrugged, ¡°Just as I said, we are quite¡­ hopeless when it comes to history, I can¡¯t see any secrets within it.¡±


    As he said that, he spoke to the MDT via the mindlink, ¡°How was it? Found anything?¡±


    ¡°It may very well have experienced the Turn of the Era. Aside from the layer of plating on the surface of the scepter, everything used for the internals is not something the L¡¯Haronneans of this era could create, and even the Gorgon with their galactic scale civilization could not accomplish. After a few preliminary scans, the strength of the main materials used for the scepter is no weaker than the materials used for the World Engine.¡±


    ¡°Then it may very well have come from the first era¡­ anything else?¡±


    ¡°I also detected a very intricate data storage structure within the scepter, while I¡¯m not able to decode it now, I have taken a data snapshot and sent it to Nolan. She should be able to do it. That aside, Rheia should have also taken some of the specter¡¯s data, she will send it to Nolan as well, and by comparing two samples, that could increase the speed of decoding.¡±


    With Hao Ren and the MDT exchanging information via the mind link, it did not take long for them to complete the exchange, and by then Constance had kept the scepter and she looked at the still dazed siblings, and almost imperceptibly shook her head, ¡°Seems like you need a good while to digest all that. Go back and rest, and look for me once you have gathered your thoughts. I hope by then you can find your place in the Turn of the Era.¡±


    Charlemagne replied immediately, ¡°No, we can¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no use forcing yourself. This is the Turn of the Era and not a mere war between nations,¡± Constance interrupted the bright, but inexperienced prince gruffly, before softening her tone. ¡°I¡¯m not denying you your place, after all, you have gone through so much to bring the scepter to me, and this is already setting part of the foundation for the Turn of the Era, but you two clearly need to reorganize your thoughts and emotions. This era is about to end, and the apocalypse is not a distant prophecy. Rather it is almost upon us, and at this time, you should allow yourself some time to think quietly.¡±


    Awenna blinked, ¡°Is it because we will soon realize that it will be one of the last luxuries in the world to be able to immerse ourselves in our thoughts quietly?¡±


    ¡°You are a smart one,¡± Constance gave Awenna a glance as her brow raised, but her tone did not have any notion of ridicule. ¡°Knowledge is precious, treasure it.¡±


    Charlemagne and Awenna then left.


    Only Hao Ren, his team, alongside Duke Owen and Princess Constance was left in the room.


    And Duke Owen, who had been silent the whole while, spoke, ¡°Your Highness, I have a request.¡±

 Chapter 1733 - Duke Owens Tale

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Duke Owen¡¯s sudden request made Constance frown. She looked at the bed-ridden old man who was recovering from his wounds. ¡°Duke Owen, you do not need to ¡®request¡¯ anything from me.¡±


    ¡°But this is not a usual request.¡± Duke Owen smiled, and even though his face was pale, his voice was still lively. ¡°After all, even with our friendship, asking you to activate the Sacred Armory is probably not an easy thing to do right?¡±


    There was a slight change in Constance¡¯s expression. ¡°Activate the Sacred Armory? What are you planning to do?¡±


    ¡°What else?¡± Duke Owen raised his arm and gave it a swing. ¡°To allow these old bones to work a couple more years. Even Naaem has already joined the battle, I¡¯m sure as hell not staying in bed, not as the Duke of the Northern Realms.¡±


    Constance gave Duke Owen a stern glare. ¡°Do you know what you are saying? If we were to use the power of the Sacred Armory on you, then you will no longer be human. Think carefully. You were saved from the jaws of death by a thread of your life, and you no longer have to take such risks. Besides, you have heard it yourself, your frailty is just temporary. As long as you take your time to recuperate, you can live on as a normal person.¡±


    ¡°But only as a normal person, correct?¡± the duke responded blandly. ¡°Or perhaps, not even like a normal person¡­ My spirit is damaged. My thoughts, memories, personality, body, everything will be weakened, and I will be a senile old man, too frail to even do anything. I¡­ I will never get used to living like that.¡±


    Hao Ren was totally confused as he heard that. He was compelled to ask, ¡°Ahem, wait a minute, what are you guys on about?¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s normal if you don¡¯t know about it.¡± Constance looked up at Hao Ren. ¡°We are discussing one of the earlier methods we used once all possible treatments failed. Duke Owen wants to use the Ebon Blades¡¯ initiation rites as one last gamble.¡±


    Hao Ren raised an eyebrow. ¡°To turn himself into an Ebon Blade?¡±


    ¡°It is a method that, theoretically, can cure the ¡®corruption¡¯,¡± Constance plainly said. ¡°Through the recreation of flesh and spirit, it will allow Duke Owen to undergo a ¡®rebirth¡¯. Since we are unable to separate the contaminants from his spirit and body, we will create a new body for him, then transfer his remaining consciousness over.¡±


    Hao Ren did not manage to grasp everything. ¡°Aren¡¯t all of the Ebon Blades corrupted? Additionally, they were all under the control of Emperor Berentine¡­ Won¡¯t this ritual cause any problems?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Constance replied. ¡°The corruption has indeed taken hold of the knights serving my father, but not the ritual to become an Ebon Blade. The ritual itself is fine, and as long as we can control it, we can create our own Ebon Blades.¡±


    However, right then, she shook her head. ¡°But I have already given up on that plan¡­ You have managed to cure the corruption within Duke Owen, and he will survive even without the transformation¡­¡±


    ¡°But he clearly does not wish to live on like that,¡± Vivian said. ¡°And to be honest, I understand his reasons. If it was just normal disability, so be it, at least his mind is still working. But spiritual damage will cause problems to his mind, and for someone like the duke, it is something unacceptable.¡±


    Duke Owen visibly brightened up when he heard someone agree with him, but it still could not mask the fatigue in his eyes.


    The power of madness had infected his body, and his corrupted flesh, as well as soul, were entangled with the non-affected parts. That would have allowed him to live on somewhat normally. But now that the corrupted part had been totally cleansed, his weakness had become even more apparent.


    Despite that, just as Vivian concurred with Duke Owen, she suddenly turned. ¡°But, I do not agree with him going through that Ebon Blade ritual.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Duke Owen was dumbfounded. ¡°Do you know a lot about the Ebon Blades?¡±


    ¡°A little, but that is not the reason.¡± Vivian shrugged. ¡°The real reason is, I don¡¯t think that the ritual is the right solution. Perhaps we have an even better way to cure you, which can avoid the pitfalls of the transformation ritual.¡±


    Constance reacted with surprise. ¡°You have a better solution? Something that can cure a damaged spirit?¡±


    ¡°Frankly speaking, spiritual damage is a rather difficult problem,¡± Hao Ren said as his eyes were fixed on Rheia. ¡°But in comparison to his soul being destroyed, it still allows room for some manipulation. Rheia, are you confident?¡±


    ¡°Wait up,¡± Rheia said as she raised her hand and mumbled to herself, as though trying to memorize something. Only words like ¡°important point¡±, ¡°the first step¡±, ¡°typical issues¡±, and ¡°control technique¡± were heard. She only looked up half a minute later. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry, I can cure spiritual damage at this level¡­¡±


    Duke Owen¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°But you were¡­¡±


    ¡°I did not fully understand your situation.¡± Rheia tried her best to puff her chest up. ¡°But the me now is not the me earlier!¡±


    Lily poked Vivian in the arm as she whispered, ¡°Bloody hell, even when I was in Beijing University I wasn¡¯t that OP¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why she¡¯s the goddess of creation, and she can create worlds even without an education. Meanwhile, you graduated from university four times just for the free canteen food.¡±


    Hao Ren could not stand hearing their banter any longer and coughed loudly to hide his awkwardness. ¡°Ahem ahem! Please trust in the ability of the Basilica of the World Tree, Duke Owen. We are, after all, heritors of knowledge. Of course, before coming up with a treatment plan, I would like to find out how the Ebon Blade transformation ritual is like. Say, can it be shown to outsiders?¡±


    Constance, while wondering what the awkwardness from the group before her was all about, realized that heritors bore scars in both their memories and psyche. Most were awkward anyway, so she did not pursue the matter further. Upon hearing Hao Ren¡¯s question she smiled faintly. ¡°The transformation ritual and the real nature of the Ebon Blades are state secrets, but that is for the normal folks. For heritors like you¡­ knowledge from the previous era is, of course, open to you.¡±


    ¡°That will be the best.¡± Hao Ren smiled. ¡°So where does the ritual takes place? And what¡¯s the process like?¡±


    ¡°I will bring you there. Seeing is believing, after all,¡± Constance answered. ¡°But before that, what is your understanding of the Ebon Blades?¡±


    Hao Ren replied based on the information that he had, ¡°I don¡¯t know much about the Ebon Blades, but based on what I¡¯ve gathered, there are only 770,000 of them, and this number has never increased or decreased throughout the many wars. The secret of the Ebon Blades lies in the chainswords, and the number of chainswords is fixed. Plus, all of the chainswords come from the headquarters of the Ebon Blades or the Sacred Armory close to the imperial capital. But hearing what Duke Owen said earlier¡­ you have a Sacred Armory with you too?¡±


    ¡°¡­Seems like your knowledge inheritance on the matter is lacking,¡± Constance said. ¡°Come, I will tell you about the origin of the Ebon Blades once we are there. Duke Owen, you do not have to come, rest well.¡±


    Duke Owen seemed to have some objections to the matter, but since the transformation ritual had been totally ruled out, and Hao Ren, as well as his team, had promised an advanced treatment plan, he did not insist. He stayed in bed in the end.


    After they left the room, Constance spoke softly, ¡°If you have a way to heal one¡¯s spirit, please be quick.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lily asked.


    ¡°His character is already starting to change, and his will is degenerating as well,¡± Constance replied. ¡°Howard is a stubborn bull. If that had been his normal self, he would have insisted on coming along despite my order for him to rest. No one could have stopped him. But he only grumbled a little before he curled up in bed without realizing.¡±


    Lily blinked. ¡°You seem to know him very well.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Constance smiled. ¡°His swordsmanship, fighting skills, and historical knowledge were all imparted by me. Do not be surprised, but I have raised many with my own hands. Besides Howard Owen, a count in the south called Naaem is also one of my favorite students.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Hao Ren¡¯s mouth was agape but words failed him. He knew that Princess Constance and the Dragon Soul Emperor were immortals, but he never thought that the princess and the Duke of the North were actually master and student¡­ It was not obvious at all!


    Yet, come to think of it, when a long-lived race mingled with a short-lived one, such situations would be part of the course.


    After he realized that fact, he noticed something else. ¡°Wait a minute, does that mean¡­ Duke Owen isn¡¯t a heritor?¡±


    The memories of a heritor came from the deepest recesses of his or her soul. It was something that was passed on across countless eras. Even short-lived heritors would die many times within an era, then be reborn because their spirits were eternal. Therefore, neither did a heritor need to learn to obtain knowledge nor learn to know history.


    As Princess Constance was Duke Owen¡¯s teacher, did that mean Duke Owen was just a normal layperson?


    ¡°Correct, he is not a heritor,¡± Constance admitted it just like that. ¡°Everyone I have taught is not a heritor, and everything they know about the turn of the eras and the knowledge of ancient techniques has all been taught by me.¡±


    ¡°Is it because the heritors only number in the few?¡± Vivian frowned.


    ¡°That is one of the reasons.¡± Constance nodded. ¡°Another reason is¡­ the eternal spirit of the heritors is diminishing, and it is very critical in this era. Some of the heritors were totally ¡®cleansed¡¯ and turned into normal beings during the last apocalypse. Not a single speck of ancient memory is within them. If I am not wrong, Charlemagne and Awenna are prime examples of that. So I had to think of a way to ¡®create¡¯ new heritors. I do not know how to do it, and I do not know how the first heritors were born, but I do know that the first heritors held ancient knowledge. They were the last people to survive the battlefield of the Turn¡­¡±


    ¡°So you raised a large group of normal people and told them everything about the Turn of the Eras. They then studied it as if they were brainwashed with the final goal being their survival in that final battle, hoping that they¡¯ll become the new heritors?¡±


    Lily muttered a single word, ¡°Renewal.¡±


    ¡°I do not know if this will work or not, but I had to try something.¡± Constance¡¯s tone was plain. ¡°There are not many spirits left from ancient times, and memories are diminishing. So if we are to forget who we really are¡­ then we need to leave a few groups of people to remember our history, no?¡±

 Chapter 1734 - The Origins of the Ebon Blades

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    With Constance leading the way, the group left the lord¡¯s castle and took an elevator hidden deep within the mountains into the heart of Snowfrost City.


    Their destination was the ¡°old palace¡±.


    ¡°Here?¡± Vivian was surprised the moment she saw the building, which had already been turned into a historical attraction. ¡°Is this where the Ebon Blades perform the transformation ritual?¡±


    ¡°Strictly speaking, it is beneath it.¡± Constance smiled. ¡°It ¡®was¡¯ a venue for the transformation ritual.¡±


    Hao Ren then realized something about his previous find. There was a weak energy pulse at the bottom of the palace.


    He had planned to investigate the palace that day and find what sort of secrets were hidden beneath it. However, he never thought that before he could even plan anything, he would be granted a way to access the building the proper way. His plans indeed did not catch up with real-time changes.


    With Constance leading them, the group could easily access the old palace, and as they passed through the ancient and magnificent front gallery, Constance told them the story of the palace, ¡°Snowfrost City was the capital of the Dragon Empire several thousand years ago, and for the normal folks, it is something that occurred a few hundred generations ago. So even the most learned of scholars do not really understand the ancient parts of this city.


    ¡°Everyone only knows that there is an ancient palace in this old capital, but few actually know that the first Sacred Armory of the Ebon Blades is in this city and hidden under the old palace.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s ears perked up the moment he heard ¡°Sacred Armory¡±. ¡°Based on what I know, all the black chainswords came from the Sacred Armory. They were forged and stored there, so for the knights who live by the sword, the Sacred Armory is, for intents and purposes, their base and command center.¡±


    ¡°You are correct, but I have to add that the Sacred Armory is not only for the forging or storage of the chainswords, but it is also¡­ a sacred mausoleum.¡±


    Constance spoke with a solemn look. Two fully armed and armored Knights of the Broken Blade stood before her. They were guarding a rather inconspicuous gate within the old palace.


    However, Hao Ren could feel the pulsing energy coming from behind the great door.


    Constance was now using the body of another to move about, yet the Broken Blades seemed to have a special ability to sense their master. The two knights guarding the door immediately stood at attention and bowed. ¡°Your Imperial Highness!¡±


    ¡°Open the door.¡± Constance nodded. ¡°I¡¯m bringing these guests to the Sacred Armory.¡±


    The knights obeyed her order without any hesitation as they simultaneously activated the magical device on both sides of the door. With a clattering of mechanical sounds, the ancient doors slowly parted.


    The entrance to the Sacred Armory was now in front of them.


    There was a circular hall, and the ring wall around the hall was inlaid with countless neatly-arrayed metal prisms. In the middle of the great hall was an elevated metal platform, and as they followed Constance into the hall, the sensors flickered. Simultaneously, the gentle hum of magic infusion chimed and the magical lighting around the hall lit up, making it as bright as day.


    Even though the place had been abandoned many thousand years ago, the interior still looked spic and span. That meant two things: there was scheduled cleaning in the place, and the materials along with the construction technique of the building were far beyond the current era.


    ¡°The real Sacred Armory was moved south in tandem with the relocation of the imperial capital. Most of the chainswords, forges, infusions, storage, and transformation facilities were moved as well. The only thing left behind was an empty husk and some old facilities, which were too difficult to dismantle and move,¡± Constance said while she walked toward the platform at the center of the hall. In the meantime, the knights closed the main door from the outside. ¡°Even so, the old Sacred Armory still has many things that can be used. Plus, what the heritors pass down is knowledge, and not material wealth. So long as we have enough time, we can build many things with a blank template. I used this knowledge to build a few new facilities, and once they were connected to the old data vault¡­ they became operational.¡±


    Constance stepped onto the platform, and a gentle feminine voice rang across the hall, ¡°Detecting external connection¡­ Administrator access confirmed. All systems entering standby mode. Awaiting orders.¡±


    Constance motioned toward Hao Ren and the rest. ¡°Come, I¡¯ll take you to see what has been passed down to us.¡±


    The group stepped onto the platform, and a short shudder later, the platform slowly descended.


    Lily¡¯s eyes widened as she let out her signature elongated howl of surprise, ¡°Waooooo¡­¡±


    After descending a short distance, a vast underground space appeared before everyone. Hao Ren saw through the transparent shaft and witnessed a cavern that looked like an upside-down bowl. Parts of the cavern walls were reinforced with thick alloy, while at some places, the rocks were simply exposed. In the underground cavern, there were many designated zones because massive and nondescript facilities were installed in each zone, forming a multi-purpose¡­ production line.


    It was like an ancient alien factory.


    ¡°That is the old forge.¡± Constance pointed at one of the zones, and there were a few pieces of intricate equipment being installed on the base. A conveyor belt was connected to the back of the base alongside a large number of tubes and cables. ¡°The chainswords are made there, but truthfully, the physical creation of the swords is the simplest of the tasks¡­ While it may require a few special materials, it is nothing but a mass-produced item.¡±


    ¡°That means, whatever it is that¡¯s restricting the production of the chainswords is not technology per se or the scarcity of materials.¡± Hao Ren quickly caught on. ¡°So the 770,000¡­ is actually the number of souls.¡±


    After gathering much information and seeing how Duke Owen was, in addition to the Duke¡¯s preparation to turn himself into an Ebon Blade, Hao Ren had a pretty solid understanding of the true nature of the Ebon Blades. He was right on the money when he spoke.


    ¡°Correct, souls.¡± Constance nodded gently as she pointed at another area. ¡°Seven hundred and seventy thousand eternal heroic souls¡­ They all once lay there, waiting to be infused into the soul core of the chainswords.¡±


    Hao Ren looked in the direction she was pointing at and saw a dozen of neatly-arranged black cubes. Each cube had been installed on a platform made out of alloy, and there were numerous glowing cables around them. There were faint glows on each of the cubes as well.


    That aside, there was an even larger area around the cubes, but it consisted of empty platforms. Clearly, the remaining cubes were a small part of an originally great number, and most of them had already been moved.


    ¡°There were 770 servers here, but most of them have already been moved to the new Sacred Armory down south. The remaining ones were not moved because there was no value in moving them due to damage caused by long operations. The souls within the servers have already been moved out, and the machine itself is on standby mode. I have fixed a small part of it, but frankly speaking, the servers are pretty much pointless now.


    Vivian frowned. ¡°Because there are no souls to be used, right?¡±


    ¡°Where did the souls come from?¡± Hao Ren asked. ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, they were from the last era¡­¡±


    ¡°Correct, the warriors from the last era.¡± Constance bobbed her head. ¡°During the last Turn of the Era, my father led his army and was victorious against the former heroes who had become monsters. The ones who followed him to the end were those 770,000 men. Almost 90% of them were not heritors, but they could still use the Scepter of Sovereignty¡¯s power to go through the Turn of the Era and retain their memories from that era. Once the old era ended, with the world destroyed and recreated, the 770,000 spirits followed my father into this new world. Many years later, my father perfected the soul infusion and transformation technique, allowing them to reappear in this world as the Knights of the Ebon Blade.¡±


    Lily¡¯s brows met as she pondered hard before she noticed something. ¡°So, you chose the strongest and the best soldiers to become Ebon Blades. You were actually turning their bodies into a vessel, and their original spirits were being wiped out by the lot of you?!¡±


    As Lily said that, Hao Ren, Vivian, and Rheia looked at Constance in a somber manner. The fact of the matter was indeed very grim.


    ¡°Of course not.¡± Constance had expected a question like that. She smiled as she shook her head. ¡°It is a covenant.¡±


    ¡°A covenant?¡±


    ¡°To control a body, the original spirit would be the best for the task, so all Ebon Blades need to have their original spirit. The most important part of the soul infusion ritual is the soul synchronization covenant. Both an ancient spirit and a spirit of this day and age connect then share control of the body and weapon. The ancient spirit provides knowledge, technique, and experience while the spirit of the current age is in charge of control and thought. After a complex fusion and acclimatization process, the two souls are drained and infused into a chainsword, becoming complex AI. This is how the Ebon Blades are born,¡± Constance explained the entire process. ¡°Obviously, not everyone succeeds, and not everyone is accepted. The transformation ritual of the Ebon Blades does not have a low mortality rate, and most of the trainee knights will have some hesitation after they learn the contents of the covenant. As even the smallest hesitation greatly increases the chances of failure, all those who refuse to accept it have their memories wiped and are released from service for all sorts of reasons. But the main reason is¡­ failing the trials.¡±


    ¡°That sounds rather humane.¡± Hao Ren raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Humane? No, we¡¯ve only chosen the most efficient method,¡± Constance replied plainly. ¡°Because having two souls fused together would increase the efficiency of control and come out much stronger, we chose that method. If there was no need to preserve the original souls, we would not hesitate to wipe them out as well.¡±

 Chapter 1735 - Nolans Massive Progress

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Truthfully, Hao Ren did not have much interest in the origins of the Ebon Blades or the ritual itself. He went there because the MDT had detected a signal.


    There was a rhythmic pulse inside the Sacred Armory. The signal was short and repetitive, but it was slightly different than another pulse they detected¡ªthe pulse Nolan detected in the core of the planet.


    After entering the Sacred Armory, the signal that the MDT had detected was getting stronger, and the MDT was now starting to lock on to the source of the signal.


    The most obvious feeling the abandoned Sacred Armory gave off was vastness. Most of the equipment and the 770,000 swords had already been moved south. The only thing left was a massive empty cavern, and countless of arrayed platforms as well as support structures. At the heart of the Sacred Armory, the elevator was connected to a cross-shaped bridge, which pointed out into four directions. In two of the directions were neat rows of sword mounts, while the other two sides were the server area and the ¡°infusion chamber¡± where the spirits were infused respectively. After the MDT¡¯s detailed scans, it confirmed that the signal was coming from the direction of the chamber.


    Hao Ren pointed to that direction. ¡°Can we go over there to have a look?¡±


    ¡°Of course, feel free.¡± Constance nodded. ¡°But most of the facilities here have already been moved, so there are not many valuable items left.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled without a word, and with the MDT as his guide, he approached the infusion chamber. That area was probably the most dismantled of all the places there, as almost 99% percent of the equipment had already been moved, leaving only an empty space used to store machines, and a few odd devices. However, the signal was not coming from any of the devices, rather a black obelisk in the middle of the chamber.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Hao Ren pointed curiously at the black obelisk. The latter was at least the size of a person and had a smooth surface. Powered by magic, there were some words and symbols appearing on its smooth black surface, seemingly without any proper meaning.


    Constance had a weird look on her face. ¡°That is the Foundation Stone¡­ Do you not know it?¡±


    Hao Ren tensed up a little. Was it something all heritors should know?


    In spite of that, he did not show any nervousness on his face, and he just nodded naturally. ¡°We aren¡¯t too clear about it. Pardon us, what we know of this area is very limited.¡±


    Perhaps the memory loss among heritors in that era was rather critical, so Constance did not doubt him. She simply explained, ¡°It is something that reappears with every restart of the era. We also do not know where it comes from, but every time a new era commences, rocks much like this one are littered near the origin point of the new era, literally next to the heritors. So after a while, we used these black stones as a catalyst for the Turn of the Eras and leave a ¡®mark¡¯ in the process of the world¡¯s destruction and rebirth. So even if these rocks are practically useless, we do think that they bear a special meaning¡­¡±


    As she said that, she held her hand out to touch the surface of the Foundation Stone. ¡°There will be one of these Foundation Stones in every important facility the heritors build. It is a sign of the world¡¯s continuation, and even if the facility is abandoned, the stones will not be taken away.¡±


    A stone that appears during the process of the Turn? Or in other words¡­ even with the Turn of the Eras, these stones would not be destroyed alongside the world?


    Hao Ren was suddenly intrigued by the Foundation Stones. He followed Constance as he placed his hand on the stone. At the same time, he ordered the MDT to approach the obelisk¡¯s surface.


    ¡°I¡¯ve read all of its data, partner!¡± the MDT¡¯s excited voice rang in his mind simultaneously. ¡°So, that¡¯s how it works¡­ This thing has set itself as a ¡®concept¡¯ and only releases its internal data when touched!¡±


    Hao Ren closed his eyes to hide his glowing eyes. ¡°What¡¯s in the data?¡±


    ¡°It is a very complex encryption key¡­ and a decoding database¡­¡± the MDT said before it was surprised again. ¡°It matches the signal that Nolan read at the heart of the planet! Buddy, the records inside the Foundation Stones are the decoding cipher for the ¡®thing¡¯ at the heart of the planet!¡±


    ¡°Send it to Nolan, now.¡±


    ¡°Understood. The cipher has been sent. Nolan¡¯s decoding it right now.¡±


    Hao Ren retracted his hand from the surface of the Foundation Stone, and the MDT flew up as well, landing quietly on his shoulder.


    ¡°We have a rough idea of what the Ebon Blade transformation ritual is,¡± Rheia said. ¡°From my perspective, it is not suitable for Duke Owen. Even if you use the cybernetic implants to strengthen his biological body and use the chainswords to aid his cognitive process, fusing his spirit into the sword and controlling his body remotely is not a solution for his damaged spirit. Leave it to me, I have every confidence that I will totally cure him.¡±


    Rheia was supremely confident, and it did not look like she was flipping through a reference book at all.


    Constance¡¯s usually cold and emotionless expression finally changed a little. She turned to Rheia and bowed in gratitude. ¡°Then, I thank you on Howard¡¯s behalf. You are not just saving a duke.¡±


    ¡°Do not fret it.¡± Rheia waved it off. ¡°This is all for the ¡®Turn of the Eras¡¯, right?¡±


    Hao Ren then continued, ¡°In that case, we need to talk about the Turn of the Era now¡­ First I would like to ascertain something. At what stage is the Turn completed? Do we need to fight until the world is destroyed¡­ or is it once we wipe out the minions of Annihilation that the Turn is considered completed?¡±


    ¡°Wipe out the minions of Annihilation?¡± Constance had an incredulous look on her face. ¡°How is that possible¡­ The minions of Annihilation are endless, and as long as the war continues, the forces of Annihilation will continue to expand, spread and infect. Everything in the world will become its minion. It is only a matter of how long we need to hold fast, so the minions of Annihilation cannot be totally wiped out. In the fight against the minions, the world will be consumed bit by bit, and in the end, only a small sanctuary will be left as the final battle commences against them. Once everything is destroyed, only then is the Turn of the Era completed¡­ The ones who manage to hold firm during the final battle will be the founders of the new era. These are the rules of this world.¡±


    Constance spoke with conviction, but Hao Ren immediately caught something.


    ¡°That¡¯s to say, no one has actually managed to destroy the minions of Annihilation before the world gets destroyed. The truth is that each apocalypse is forced. The heritors cannot hold against the attacks of the minions of Annihilation, and that allows the world to slowly fall into destruction. That¡¯s the crux of it, right?¡±


    Before Constance could respond, Vivian said, ¡°So, whether they need to fight until the world ends before the Turn of the Era is completed is totally up for debate since no one has tried another method since the beginning!¡±


    Constance opened her mouth but could not form an argument. With a frown, she slowly said, ¡°When you put it that way¡­. it is true. But what of it¡­ So many eras have passed, and our ancestors could not stop the Annihilation even in their prime. Besides, we are the weakest of the eras in history, with many heritors totally losing their memories. Our ancient knowledge is in tatters, so in this situation, do you think that we have a chance to wipe out all of the minions of Annihilation?¡±


    Looking at the agitated princess, Hao Ren spoke plainly, ¡°Who said it wasn¡¯t possible?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°You may choose to not believe us, or think us naive. It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Hao Ren shrugged. ¡°With regard to the truth of the Turn of the Eras, we will need to investigate more, but that is not important. We can finish this war first, and since this is a war against the apocalypse¡­ the Basilica of Yggdrasil can finally go at it without restraint.¡±


    Constance looked at Hao Ren in confusion, not understanding what he meant by that. Lily, on the other hand, was already excited. ¡°Whoa! Mr. Landlord, you mean we can go on a rampage?¡±


    Vivian gave the werehusky a contemptuous glance. ¡°Look at you, don¡¯t you dare chicken out on the field.¡±


    ¡°Since when have I ever chickened out before!¡± Lily bared her fangs. ¡°Tactical retreat and defense do not equal to chickening out!¡±


    Both Hao Ren and Vivian were speechless.


    Concurrently, close to the temporary base at the core of the planet, Nolan was commanding a large swarm of engineering droids. They landed on an alloy platform that was hugging the planet¡¯s core.


    Once the decoding cipher, which Hao Ren sent, was recorded into the data vault, and a simple comparison later, Nolan was sure that the thing was the key to visiting that mysterious ¡°object¡± in the heart of the planet.


    In the subsequent days of processing the cipher, Nolan was totally helpless against the encryption barrier as its defense had far exceeded her expectations. It confounded Nolan.


    She realized that the object in the planet¡¯s core was probably created by someone with very high technological level, and once Hao Ren sent the information regarding the Turn of the Era as well as the Cycles of Annihilation to her, she had a rough idea about who that someone was.


    It should have been the ancient civilization, the lost era when the civilization was at its prime.


    What was it? And what did it do?¡±


    The engineering droids had landed on the platform, and many needle arrays had been erected on it. Beneath each array was a long data needle, and the needle had been pierced into the scorching outer shell of the core, forming a constant physical connection with the mysterious barrier.


    For many days, the needles were Nolan¡¯s best bet in getting into the core, and there was no progress every time she checked back.


    ¡°Insert the decryption codes. Commence data decoding and translation.¡±


    Nolan stood on the bridge as she looked at rows of new data, and the words ¡°awaiting connection¡± on the central projection. On the side beyond the other window, the engineering droids were nervously calibrating each data needle.


    A sound like a heartbeat rang across the bridge. *Thump, thump thump, thump, thump thump¡­*


    The heartbeat from the planet¡¯s core was growing faster and chaotic.


    ¡°Code insertion complete. Decoding and translation complete. Initiating preliminary contact pulse¡­ Transmission completed.¡±


    Nolan¡¯s eyes were glued to the screen.


    A few arduous seconds later, a line appeared on the central projection.


    ¡°Visitation request accepted. Data vault access open.¡±


    It was done!

 Chapter 1736 - Blitzkrieg

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Snowfrost City, The Lord¡¯s Castle, The War Council.


    Constance stood before a massive battle sandbox, and next to her was Duke Owen who was being given a second round of treatment by Rheia. Surrounding the sandbox were Hao Ren and his team plus Charlemagne and Awenna. Aside from them, there was no one else around.


    Most of the front line commanders were down south, and it would not be possible for them to rush back to join the impromptu unofficial meeting. Constance used her mind link to be in two places at the same time, becoming a bridge to pass on information from both ends.


    ¡°The main combat zone is around here.¡± Constance moved forward, her rapier pointing at the sandbox. That was the edge of the Northern Realms, the borderlands between the six northern provinces and the heart of the empire. There were no mountains there, mostly running hills and small plains. There were no distinct advantages to the attacker or the defender. ¡°The Army of the North has already completed engineering works in this area, but their advance was greatly stymied, and part of our lines were even pushed back. We used the element of surprise to gain an advantage, but once we got into the heartlands, we encountered savage counterattacks from the Ebon Blades and the imperial army. Now, with the appearance of the monster armies, things are not looking good.¡±


    ¡°The good news is that the Ebon Blades cannot afford to totally focus on us,¡± Duke Owen pointed to the south of the sandbox, ¡°Count Naaem of the south has already answered our call with Greymountain as his base of operations, and the Empire has to shift some of the knights to take on the Army of Greymountain.¡±


    ¡°A pincer attack from the north and south may sound good on paper, but the real situation is far from easy,¡± Constance said with a grim tone, ¡°The combat prowess of a mutated Ebon Blade is far stronger than expected, and common soldiers would need to swarm them to even hold them at bay. And the only ones capable to face them are the Broken Blades, but the numbers of Broken Blades are far lesser compared to the Ebon Blades. With the gap of ability and numbers, it is difficult enough to even hold fast, much less attacking the imperial city.¡±


    ¡°And based on the latest reports, there were sightings of mutants in the imperial army corps.¡± Duke Owen added.


    ¡°So the mutation is not only limited to the Ebon Blades now huh¡­¡± Vivian frowned, ¡°And it is spreading to the common folks¡­¡±


    ¡°So in every Turn of the Era, the Annihilation will always infect the strongest leader, and turn his empire into its minions¡­¡± Rheia said as she hugged her arm, ¡°So Emperor Berentine is the conduit of Annihilation this time around, and as long as we take him down, everything will be resolved right?¡±


    Constance raised an eyebrow, her voice chilly, ¡°Did you not hear what we had just said earlier? Our situation now is pretty much a stalemate. And indeed, just as you say, as long as we are able to take the imperial city, we will be victorious, but we can¡¯t even go into the heartlands.¡±


    ¡°The White City Federation can provide assistance,¡± Charlemagne suddenly interjected, ¡°While the World Scar is between us, the Federation has the largest fleet of civilian skyships, and can work as military transports, and send men over. We have contacted our father, and he is willing to help.¡±


    It seemed like after spending a night contemplating, Charlemagne and Awenna had steeled themselves.


    Hao Ren waited for Charlemagne to finish, and just as he saw Constance starting to ponder, he spoke, ¡°Don¡¯t bother with the war planning just yet. After seeing the Basilica of the World Tree¡¯s military might, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have new ideas.¡±


    ¡°The military might of the Basilica?¡± Constance, as expected gave Hao Ren a doubtful look. ¡°You had mentioned them before and had confirmed that the army will arrive very soon. But where are they? And when can they appear before me?¡±


    Hao Ren picked up the MDT and had a look, before looking up with a smile. ¡°Your timing is just nice. They have arrived, but they need a wide enough space to land.¡±


    ¡°Is it a skyship fleet?¡± Constance had a look of realization on her face, ¡°Snowfrost¡¯s upper platforms¡­¡±


    ¡°No, they are many times larger than a skyship and even larger than your upper platforms.¡± Hao Ren waved dismissively¡­ ¡°Forget that, I don¡¯t think this city has any place for them to land. I¡¯ll have them land on the plains outside the city. Want to come and have a look with me?¡±


    Constance and Duke Owen exchanged glances, but they did not have any objections on the matter, and in fact, nodded at the same time.


    ¡°And there¡¯s another thing,¡± Hao Ren added, ¡°How¡­ are the nerves of the civilians in Snowfrost?¡±


    Constance did not understand what this odd question actually mean, but she guessed that the army of the mysterious Basilica of the World Tree probably had some terrifying forms, and this she could totally understand: The heritors had inherited ancient knowledge from an ancient era that had already been lost, and these objects, with a massive technological gap, will normally inspire fear in the commoners, just like how the Gorgons in the ancient era were seen as ¡®demons¡¯.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the northerners have sturdier nerves that you would imagine.¡± Duke Owen laughed heartily, and after Rheia¡¯s second treatment his spirits were in much much better space, ¡°And we had been fighting against so many types of ¡®ancient relics¡¯ all this while, you think anything could faze us?¡±


    Hao Ren did not explain further and merely smiled. ¡°That¡¯s for the best.¡±


    And very soon, they came to the western side of the city walls, and along with them, were a few commanders and adjutants that Duke Owen had summoned at the very last minute.


    There was an overlook protruding out of the city walls facing the vast snow plains outside the city.


    Hao Ren had indicated the troops from the Basilica of the World Tree would land on the snow plans, and Constance reckoned that this overlook was the best place to receive them: They could see everything on the plain from there, and there was an independent elevator that could swiftly bring everyone from the overlook to the western gate of the fortress city.


    At the same time, Duke Owen had sent others to the army stationed in the city, to let them know that a special group of reinforcements had arrived in the city, and to prepare for any unnecessary trouble in the city.


    Without a question, Hao Ren¡¯s reinforcements came rather unexpectedly, and under any normal circumstances, any country would not allow any forces other than their own to directly go to their base camp, but Constance did not have any reservations about it.


    Before the Turn of the Eras, none of that was important.


    Heritors were natural allies, and every norm and custom in the world would make way for that. At least at this moment, Constance still believed that Hao Ren and the rest were ¡°heritors¡±, and this trust saved them a lot of trouble.


    In the clear skies above the snow places, the divine barrier had a wondrous clarity to it, and with today¡¯s cloudless sky, even the rift of the Gorgon¡¯s Abyss appeared smaller somewhat. And for the northerners, this was a rare good day.


    And a massive shadow suddenly appeared in this unusually clear skies.


    The shadow appeared so suddenly as a massive behemoth cast a shadow beneath the light. And the blurry shadow soon expanded and solidified as more obvious lines and details appeared. Constance and Duke Owen looked in awe at the sky. They soon they realized those were not the so-called ¡°skyships¡±.


    Skyships could never fly that high, or appear in such a size.


    They were like mountains falling from the skies!


    Three massive black starships pierced through the divine barrier above L¡¯Haronne. Their armor was thick, and their surfaces were lined with sail-like black crystal wings while energy particles spat out from the back. Around the starships, they were countless escort fighters flying about like a swarm of bees, casting a dazzling light stream across the skyline.


    An odd crash echoed across the entire plain.


    The northern soldiers and officer standing on the platform gawked as they looked at these massive ¡®skyships¡¯ that were bigger than a Gorgon Lord slowly descending from the sky. The tiny escort vessels continued to circle in the air, while the ship stopped a few meters above the group.


    Soon, a series of exits opened beneath the ships, and gigantic creatures from the legends walked out from them.


    It was a fully armed guardian giant army.


    ¡°While the corrupting powers have already spread in the heartlands, there are many uninfected citizens who had yet to escape, so we cannot blast those areas from air, so the best way is to send an overwhelmingly powerful land force,¡± Hao Ren seemed to be talking to himself, but at the same time it looked like it was directed at Constance, ¡°Letting these giants fight against the Ebon Blades is probably overkill, but now that the knights have turned into the minions of madness¡­ for the guardians, the war is now back on track.¡±


    Constance and the rest of the officers and soldiers were totally awed by the presence of the guardian army on the plains, and yet Rheia frowned as she saw the three ships and the number of escort vessels. She gently tugged Hao Ren¡¯s sleeve, ¡°Did you deploy an entire fleet? Why only three? And where¡¯s the droid swarm you had summoned?¡±


    ¡°They are meant for another battle¡­ I¡¯ll brief you all on the stuff Nolan had found once we get back.¡± Hao Ren whispered back.


    ¡°This is the Basilica of the World Tree¡¯s¡­¡± Constance¡¯s murmurs interrupted the hushed conversation between Hao Ren and Rheia. This usually calm princess could no longer control the changes to her expression. Just as she looked at the three starships (and due to the ships being so massive, they had taken up almost all of the space of west of the city, and from that distance, she could not see the end of the ship), ¡°Are those giants your soldiers?¡±


    ¡°Strictly speaking, it is her personal army.¡± Hao Ren pointed at Rheia. ¡°Told you so, don¡¯t bother with the war plans just yet¡­

 Chapter 1737 - The Eternal Present

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The appearance of the guardian army had caused an unexpected shock in Snowfrost City.


    Even when Duke Owen had done some preparation in anticipation for it, even when the Northerners were said to have nerves of steel, even when those living on the lands had fought against all sorts of inconceivable ancient relics, the guardian giants and their starships were still more than enough to shatter the local¡¯s ability to accept things.


    Some of the civilians on the city walls were scared out of their wits as the starship landed, causing a small scale ruckus.


    In the end, however, all the ruckus was pacified effectively. With Duke Owen¡¯s precise coordination and the Army of the North¡¯s strong ability to execute their orders, the city quickly calmed down and awaited their next order.


    The unique population and discipline brought on by their societal structure worked wonders at that very moment.


    As for Constance and Duke Owen, Hao Ren did not need to explain to them what the guards were all about. Perhaps due to the broken legacies and distorted histories caused by so many Turns of the Eras, different heritors mean there were different civilizations, and two separate heritor groups could mean either having planetary level power or an interstellar one. And Constance, who knew that very well, did not ask too many questions.


    Hao Ren also thought that he should find a proper time to tell the princess the entire truth, including their true identities, but after seeing Nolan¡¯s emergency report, he realized that the situation of this world was much more precarious than it looked, and to avoid affecting the last shred of hope of this world, he needed to do his best to prevent Constance¡¯s will from being shaken.


    ¡°The guardians power will be enough to help you to regain the advantage in a head-on battle, they are extremely adept at fighting the mutated minions,¡± Hao Ren looked at at the guardians from them the walls of Snowfrost as he said to Constance, ¡°They don¡¯t need you to provide them anything, supplies, encampment and what not. They are self-sufficient and can stay live inside their transports. This army will follow you all the way to the imperial capital, and they will support you until you step onto the walls.¡±


    Constance could tell there was something else hidden in Hao Ren¡¯s sentence. ¡°You are not coming along?¡±


    ¡°No, we have another thing to do.¡± Hao Ren turned his sights away from the plain and to Gorgon¡¯s Abyss. ¡°But don¡¯t you worry, Rheia will join you and your army. She is the best fighter in our team, and with her around, you and your knights will practically cruise your way through to the imperial capital.¡±


    ¡°And what you said earlier¡­ Rheia and her guardians will support us until the imperial capital only?¡± Constance frowned as she did not understand the meaning of that, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because the final battle would need to be fought by you and your knights.¡± Hao Ren looked at Constance. ¡°Your father¡¯s reign needs to be ended by your own hands, and we are much suited to handle the matters here. Plus I believe you have the ability, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I stepped on to the battlefield even without knowing at first I had an army of giants as reinforcements,¡± Constance broke into a wide smile, and did not question if Hao Ren¡¯s arrangements had any other motives, ¡°The guardian army is yours, and you have the right to determine this. And if me and my knights can reach the walls of the imperial capital¡­ that is more than enough for me. You are right, the final battle would need to be fought by ourselves.¡±


    Vivian stood beside Hao Ren but did not join in on Hao Ren and Constance¡¯s conversation. She instead looked at Charlemagne and Awenna, ¡°You know, have you made up your minds? Your mission is technically completed, and we can send you home to Izzo. With that, you can at least spend the next two years in peace before the Turn of the Eras.¡±


    ¡°If we were totally ignorant of the truth, then that would have been the best. But after knowing the truth, trying to fool ourselves into ignorance is meaningless,¡± Charlemagne said, ¡°Even if this world is fated to only have two years left, we are willing to fight for these two years. Leave the opportunity of a sound dream to those who have yet to know the truth.¡±


    Awenna, too, smiled faintly. ¡°Ignorance is the biggest bliss. There is a price in knowing the truth.¡±


    ¡°Even if your inheritance had already vanished, but both of you are still worthy of respect,¡± Constance¡¯s expression was much more serious this time around as she looked at the royal siblings, ¡°Even though you know that the world is destined to end in two years time, and even if you fight to the end you will still inevitably suffer the fate of being wiped out by the world, most people would choose to blinker themselves, to desensitize themselves, but you two chose two live your last two years in the battlefield¡­ even if it is pointless for you both¡­¡±


    ¡°It is not pointless,¡± Charlemagne said, ¡°We know that most of the seven hundred and seventy thousand Knights of the Ebon Blade that fell in the final battlefield of the last era were normal persons, and even if only a small fragment of their souls were left, but that counts as surviving the Turn no? My sister and I are probably normal people now¡­ and we have that tiny little selfish wish, perhaps we can survive the Turn by luck, and have a new life in the new era?¡±


    Constance silently looked at Charlemagne for a moment before smiling, ¡°Alright, if I do see your souls when I open my eyes in the new era, I will try my best to realize the Ebon Blade¡¯s soul infusion technique.¡±


    Charlemagne broke into a hearty laugh. ¡°Then you need to try really hard. You may very well be reduced to using a hammer and forge to craft weapons in the next era!¡±


    Lily, upon looking at the time, smiled widely before slapping Charlemagne¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t go all Braveheart now. Mr. Landlord is super powerful. Step onto the battlefield with ease, the fate of the world will be different this time!¡±


    A few minutes later, Rheia healed Charlemagne¡¯s shattered shoulder, while Hao Ren led Lily and Vivian into the teleportation beam.


    They had arrived at Gorgon¡¯s Abyss.


    An endless crimson and chaotic mist-filled their entire vision, as countless of giant rocks and broken ruins floated around the vast distorted dimension. Ancient wrecks of starships big and small lay silently like tombs in the sea of clouds as a low howl echoed in the air. Within the howl were countless of murmurs and chant, but when one listened in, it sounded as if it was just the roiling and friction between the clouds.


    Gorgon¡¯s Abyss should have been totally quiet as this was a battlefield wreck in space, and space could of course not transmit sound, yet the distortion had allowed clouds and atmosphere to form here, and in this illogical setting, an endless distorted howls of wind and murmurs echoed, as if it was a cry of pain.


    The three landed on a tiny broken planet, and the remaining factories on the planet were actually still functioning as there were slight vibrations coming beneath the ground, and further into the sea of clouds, there was a silhouette of a massive starship, and that was the Revelation that Hao Ren had scouted with the probes.


    ¡°Gorgon¡¯s Abyss¡­¡± Vivian looked at the view afar, ¡°You were saying that another battlefield is here? What did Nolan find?¡±


    ¡°The truth about the Cycle of Annihilation and the Turn of the Eras,¡± Hao Ren said as countless of dimensional rifts opened in the dark skies above with massive guardian starships and countless of combat droids appeared. ¡°Nolan had unlocked the encrypted system in the planet¡¯s core, and had managed to establish contact with an ancient data vault in there, and that data vault belongs to an even more massive, more intricate super facility.¡±


    ¡°A super facility?¡± Lily¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What for?¡±


    ¡°It is called ¡®the Heart of God¡¯, and is created using the heart of the supreme leader of the first era¡¯s civilization.¡± Hao Ren explained. ¡°Based on the records, the first era¡¯s supreme leader had taken his heart out, while the rest of the powerful leaders used their lives in exchange to modify the heart and turn into a divine artifact. As for what the Heart of God is for¡­it is when the universe is totally corrupted by the power of the Annihilation, and when every defense line is about to be lost¡­ it will reset everything in the universe.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Lily¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°That is to say, the continuous cycle¡­ is actually set up by the ancient civilization of the first era?!¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is set up by themselves,¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Constance and the rest of the heritors had seen the Turn of the Eras and the Cycle of Annihilation as the world¡¯s greatest curse, and even the Kingdom of Izzo had that outlandish tale of the twelve curses, but this cycle is actually the only remaining relic left by the first era¡­ it is a shred of hope that they had left this world after paying an inconceivable price.¡±


    The combat droids entered the battlefield by the legions as starships the size of mountains arrayed into formation in this chaotic dimension. And the ¡®demons¡¯ lurking in the abyss had finally sensed the presence of uninvited guests and started swarming towards that area.


    ¡°Indeed, the apocalypse had come, but it had never ended.¡± Hao Ren said as he looked at the surging Gorgon ships. ¡°The ancient civilization had used a very ingenious way to push this apocalypse back indefinitely.¡±


    ¡°And just as the apocalypse comes, the order of the world will be in its weakest state, as every barrier of time and space are opened, and the wheels of time can be easily manipulated, and even a world line will become something that can be manipulated by men,¡± the MDT took over from Hao Ren, ¡°We had actually thought of this before, that the fragments of history that were stacked upon the base data of L¡¯Haronne could be due to the distortion of the wheels of time and the world line. But we never thought of the possibility that this distortion and piling up was not natural, and was actually induced by man.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded, ¡°Using the power of the apocalypse, they had completed the ultimate breakthrough in technology, and just before all timelines closed, and history was set in stone, they had folded their own world in.¡±


    The berserk Gorgonian Demons in the distance started exchanging fire with the guardian¡¯s starship, as a storm of bright flames once again lit up this silent battlefield.


    ¡°So the apocalypse had actually been ongoing, and so an observer from the Tumen Empire could see our coming, so this apocalyptic war would not end and there is only one reason. The wheel of time and the trails of history had never closed for L¡¯Haronne, and until today, it is an open system.¡±


    Hao Ren recalled the first words that Nolan had retrieved from the Heart of God: The apocalypse may have started, but until the day where everything is saved, we will not allow it to end!

 Chapter 1738 - The Two Wars

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The apocalypse had arrived, but the ancient civilization pushed it back just as the world was about to end time and time again. Through multiple folds of the world¡¯s information, they had turned a world that should have been closed alongside the apocalypse into an open system, avoiding a horrible future¡ªfuture where everything was annihilated.


    So every time the world was damaged to its very limit, and just as the power of the Mad Lord was about to consume all order, the world would restart. It was like reading a file and starting over. The ancient civilization had used this way to reject the apocalypse, and until today, the cycle and delay had already happened too many times to be counted.


    While the delaying tactic seemed indefinite, the truth showed that the ancient civilization could not totally pull it off.


    The world was regressing, and the heritors who were supposed to find a way to totally defeat the Mad Lord and rebuild the civilization were regressing as well. The complete universe had been weakening with every reset. The battle that used to happen in the stars was now limited to the planet¡¯s surface, and the heritors were reduced from originally powerful beings to mere commoners so many generations later.


    Based on the records in the Heart of God¡¯s data vault, there were thirteen leaders of the heritors when the era had restarted, but after so many Turns of the Era, the leaders had all weakened, and some were totally corrupted and consumed by the powers of the Mad Lord, and after the world had restarted for a hundred-odd times, most of them had totally vanished, and even those who had survived till the more recent eras could barely remember anything from the first era.


    They could only remember things from the past few cycles or things limited to the last cycle.


    That Emperor Berentine and Princess Constance of Dragon Empire were probably the only heritors with an intact memory.


    If even the leaders with the strongest minds were in this state, forget the normal soldiers who had followed them.


    So, the truth of this indefinitely delayed apocalypse and the will of the ancient civilization had been lost in the river of time. After the Holy King of Haersonca forgot how to retrieve the data from the ¡°Heart of God¡±, no one could find the ancient knowledge, so Constance only knew of the war that happened in the real world during the Turn. But she was totally ignorant of the fact that deep in the world, in the echoes of the distorted history, another war was taking place simultaneously.


    The Turn of the Eras was actually two separate wars.


    ¡°The guardian fleet has engaged the enemy. Damage light. Creating a stable dimensional pathway, reinforcements will arrive in fifteen minutes.¡±


    ¡°The combat droids have engaged the enemy, loses negligible, deploying bunkers and fire support bases, the path forward has opened up.¡±


    ¡°Formation of a dimensional anomaly detected, unusual data fluctuations detected, the reversal of the wheels of time detected¡­ Wheel of time stabilized, confirming dimensional expansion ahead¡­ computing actual dimensional model.¡±


    The eternally chaotic skies of Gorgon¡¯s Abyss suddenly distorted as massive globs of red clouds were being roiled by some unseen energy and became a fragmented, almost parallel interference pattern-like structure, and in that upside-down sea of clouds, countless of shadows appeared.


    They were of distant continents, broken stars, and wreckages of starships, ancient echoes from different eras.


    ¡°When the Turn of the Eras starts, changes are not only limited to the physical world,¡± Hao Ren said as he looked on at the changing skyline, with the droid swarm already reacting and the bunker droids swiftly deploying forward bases. ¡°The fragments of the world lines¡¯ have stacked together after so many cycles of annihilation, and it became a deeply layered world, and the Mad Lord¡¯s incursion will happen in both worlds. In other words, ever since the heritors lost the memories of this place, the resistance of the worlds of order was limited to the physical world, and in this ¡®deep world¡¯, the Mad Lord¡¯s powers expanded with impunity¡­¡±


    Vivian then took a deep breath in, ¡°So since then, their resistance had been faltering every quicker without any hope of victory. And as the world crumbled from within, they knew nothing about it?!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Haersonca¡¯s era was the last era where this two battles were fought simultaneously, but ever since the Holy King was turned into the Tree of Life and were eternally tied to the end of that era, there was a large gap in the inheritance of the next era, and once a gap appears, the future is destined to damnation.¡± Hao Ren shook his head, ¡°But that doesn¡¯t matter, Nolan has found the information we need in the Heart of God¡¯s data vault, so let the L¡¯Haronneans fight for their physical world, and for the battle in this ¡®deep world¡¯¡­ Let us fight on their behalf.¡±


    A low hum appeared from the clouds below, as an argent shadow pierced through the clouds and landed near the small planet Hao Ren was on. The Petrachelys had arrived, and Nolan¡¯s voice rang, ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there, get a move on!¡±


    Lily was surprised. ¡°Nolan¡­ weren¡¯t you busy base-building at the planet¡¯s core?¡±


    ¡°The core facilities are already completed, and I have already established a stable connection. The rest can be handled by my servers, and I¡¯ll just command it remotely.¡± Nolan¡¯s gleeful voice rang, ¡°As a top internet star spaceship, I sure as hell won¡¯t pass on the opportunity for a selfie in front of a massive fleet!¡±


    Hao Ren facepalmed, ¡°Be serious. This battle won¡¯t be easy. While you can run amok on L¡¯Haronne by yourself, but a few generations ago they were a galaxy-spanning race, and even further back¡­ they may even fight the guardians on even footing, and we are facing a corrupted version of them, even worse.¡±


    As the combat droids were busy setting up the defensive perimeter, Hao Ren, Lily and Vivian stood on the bridge of the Petrachelys.


    ¡°The main enemies we are facing are the fragments of the cycles of annihilation.¡± Nolan¡¯s holographic projection floated in the air, and after Hao Ren¡¯s warning, she, too, had become serious. ¡°I¡¯ve found the basic process of this ¡®world reset¡¯ system in the data vault of the Heart of God and found that it had a rather massive flaw. The ancestor civilization had never reached the level where they could control the cosmic data. They had used the power of the apocalypse to cover the deficiency of their technology, and the entire process of the resetting is actually not-controlled. It will restart the world, but what it becomes after the reset, or how many things will remain is an unknown quantity. So, it left a huge amount of system errors and ¡®gaps¡¯ that allowed the Mad Lord to grow. And these gaps were piled on for eras upon eras, and once the Mad Lord¡¯s powers spread, they become the most susceptible parts of them all.¡±


    ¡°And frankly speaking, this was a promising civilization,¡± the MDT sighed, ¡°They have collected every data of the universe and studied them, and even tried to manipulate them, this is the preliminary technological step before creating the warp engine. They were already on the right path, and if they could continue on, they could step out of the universe, and become one of the super civilizations that navigates the void¡­ what a waste, what a waste.¡±


    Hao Ren did not say anything, and only focused on the data send by the probes in the front line.


    The data shown that there was a massive dimensional distorting structure rapidly forming, it was coming out from the depths of the world and turning from ethereal into a physical, as it engulfed L¡¯Haronne in a hyper-dimension-like method, and the structure was like an ant hive. The Gorgon¡¯s Abyss had become part of this dimensional structure, and at the edge of the abyss, fluctuating signs of the power of madness were slowly appearing within the expanding dimension.¡±


    ¡°If Constance had known of the existence of this battlefield¡­¡± Lily spat her tongue out as she looked at that terrifying dimensional structure. ¡°Mr. Landlord, it is not me chickening out, but most people would do a tactical repositioning if they found out the truth right?¡±


    ¡°She is a stout and valiant warrior, but that does not mean she won¡¯t be distracted. With the heritors have regressed to this level, Constance and her knights would not be of use in this battlefield. In that case, might as well not let her know about it, at least before the battle ends.¡± Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°Of course, if needs be, Rheia will tell her everything.¡±


    ¡°Is there a reason why you insist on Constance completing the final battle?¡± Vivian glanced at Hao Ren.


    ¡°The inheritance should be completed by a heritor, any excessive help is no longer help, rather it comes charity, and they do not need our charity.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Another reason is the setting within the Heart of God, it will detect and record the result of the battle for the Turn of the Era, and the mark of the end of the war is the result of the last battle in the physical world. I don¡¯t know what will happen if an outsider completing this process¡­ But based on the program in the Heart of God, the only people that could end the cycle of the Annihilation, are the heritors themselves.¡±


    A broadcast then rang on the bridge, ¡°Detecting a large number of physical units appearing at the edge of the dimension. Analyzing energy readings¡­ The taint of madness confirmed. Guardian fleet has already engaged the enemy, the droid swarm has also engaged the enemy. All automated bunkers have also engaged.¡±


    Hao Ren smiled as he turned on the comms, and Salaman appeared on the holographic projection.


    ¡°Commander Salaman, I¡¯ll leave the flanks to you.¡±


    Salaman laughed heartily, ¡°Hahaha, don¡¯t you worry, observer, fighting these monsters is what we guardians do best!¡±


    Hao Ren then ended the communication and looked at Nolan, ¡°Let the droids prepare the ¡®test subjects¡¯. It is a good opportunity to test them out before we fight the Mad Lord proper.¡±


    ¡­


    The Dragon Empire, the battlefield between the Northern Six Provinces and the Heartlands.


    The fully recovered Duke Owen and Constance stood on the city battlements as the imperial army was slowly forming up in the distance as military-grade shields were deployed in layers, as it looked like a shimmering shoreline.


    From that imposing army formations, an aura of darkness and decay reeked.


    The corruption had already affected the imperial army, be it the Ebon Blades or normal soldiers. It was probably impossible to find a proper living person.


    Besides, what was the situation within the interior areas of the Heartlands, which was locked down by the Ebon Blades?


    Constance did not know the details, but she knew that this battle that had repeated itself across the eras would continue to happen.


    Heavy footfalls thundered from the city beneath, and the giants, known as the ¡°guardians¡± were marching towards the battlefield as an overwhelmingly powerful energy current unimaginable by human spellcasters surged around them.


    Now that they were there, perhaps the war would head in a different direction¡­

 Chapter 1739 - Constance’s Advance

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    A blinding crystal shell ripped through the air in a parabolic curve as it slammed against the city¡¯s defensive barrier. The chaotic energies released when the shell was activated caused a chain of explosions on the barrier. With powerful magic interrupting each other and resonating, the sturdy barrier was slowly showing signs of crystallization as it was gradually being overwhelmed by gray noise.


    Once the gray noise exceeded its limit, the energy barrier of Eagle City dissipated into shimmering light without a sound. This militarized satellite city in the heart of the empire was finally breached.


    ¡°The ¡®Pholos¡¯ Great Bombards have completed their salvo. Entering cool down!¡±


    ¡°The enemy¡¯s barrier has disintegrated. The city gates have fallen!¡±


    ¡°Watch out for the rapid-fire cannons and lightning crystal chains. Spellbreaker company, interrupt their defensive fortifications. Broken Blades, attack!¡±


    ¡°The flanks have reached firing position¡­ They are bombarding the walls!¡±


    Smoke and debris covered the entire battlefield, as the massive explosions from the great bombards and the strategic level magic churned the land with violent and dangerous magic. And the uncontrolled magic converged as the battle progressed, forming wandering arcane monsters, and yet these monsters were soon drained by the sealing amulets of the warriors and perished, becoming another cog in reigniting the flames of war.


    In the scorching battlefield, there were bodies everywhere, as the putrid smell from the distorted and rotten flesh filled the air as they burnt, and most of the corpses were the mutated monsters.


    ¡°Haaahhh!!¡± With a thunderous roar, a guardian giant raised his arms and hurled powerfully forward, and a streak of lightning was thrown out from his palms. This was far beyond the ¡®lightning arrows¡¯ cast by human mages, it was true lightning, even more powerful than the ones found in nature. It bolted across the entire battlefield and blew a part of the walls away as the hundreds of the anti-magic runic bricks glittered for a split second before disintegrating with the wall.


    More and more guardians started to make for the city, and behind them were the advancing Knights of the Broken Blade and the Army of the North.


    More and more monsters came surging out from the gaps in the walls, the broken gate, and the cracks on the ground.


    Some of the monsters still bore the armor they had worn while they were still human, but some had bloated so much that their armors were folded into their own bodies. Parts of the monsters were destroyed by the bombards and the guardian¡¯s magical attacks, but quite a number survived by sheer vitality, as they roared maniacally, letting out blasphemous sounds that would drive normal people insane, they quickly formed into formation and charged towards the guardians and the Army of the North.


    ¡°For Mother!¡± The commander of the giants yelled furiously as he saw the blasphemous monsters, ¡°For all life!¡±


    While the monsters of madness were powerful, before the guardian¡¯s overwhelming strength, these regressed monsters soon buckled, and in this head-on battle, their numbers were being reduced rapidly.


    Constance swung her sword, and as bright lightning coiled around her blade, and she diced a charging monster, probably a former high ranking Ebon Blade into cubes, and the black smog and fragments splattered against her armor.


    She had returned to her original body, the one with the same face as ¡®Ginnie¡¯, but with a black long hair.


    And behind her, was about a dozen female knights, and they wore a feminine armor with faces the same as her, the only difference was that they all had silver hair, just like Ginnie.


    They were all Constance¡¯s clones, and at the same time conduits of her consciousness, they will fight alongside Constance, and think alongside her, almost as if they were extensions of the Dragonsoul Princess.


    As she heard the giant¡¯s roar, Constance could not help but turn back to look Rheia who was walking leisurely as if she was in a garden, ¡°They kept shouting ¡®For Mother!¡¯ everything they get into combat¡­ Is this the religion of the Basilica of the World Tree? Do you worship a god with a maternal trait?¡±


    Rheia was stunned for a bit as she heard that, as an imperceptible awkwardness appeared on her face. She then shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s not faith, it¡¯s their real mother¡­ it is their tradition to revere their mother¡­¡±


    ¡°Really? Then their mother must be a giantess as strong as them,¡± Constance turned back to look at the guardians who were dismantling the defenses of Eagle City, and lamented, ¡°It is really all thanks to them.¡±


    Rheia looked a little slumped, before she gripped her fist tightly, ¡°Yes, their mother will grow up one day¡­¡±


    Constance did not hear that. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you were saying?¡±


    ¡°Ugh, nothing. Nothing.¡±Rheia shook her head as she shifted the topic. ¡°The city is about to fall.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but we have no idea how many survived¡­¡± Constance sighed softly, ¡°It was nothing but corruption all the way here¡­¡±


    And finally, the last of the resistance of Eagle City was vanquished.


    The flesh behemoth that seemed like it was stitched by countless of limbs with tentacles swarming on its back was literally bludgeoned to death by the guardians and swiftly reduced into black mist under Rheia¡¯s gaze. And as the last monster died, the city closest to the imperial capital finally fell into the hands of the Army of the North.


    Constance, Rheia, and Duke Owen walked on the streets after the battle.


    The place could no longer be called a street¡­ It was a mess of ruins and rubble lined alongside a road.


    The taint had exploded and spread across the entire heartland seemingly within a night due to the Mad Lord¡¯s unique ability to spread its taint via the dream, and as negative emotions like fear grew stronger. Plus, its ability to corrupt everything the moment it appeared was a literal disaster for any populated areas.


    The Knights of the Ebon Blade were spread across the entire empire, and particularly so in the central heartlands, and almost every town had Ebon Knight encampments. Thus, the moment the War of the Turn of the Eras started, the moment Berentine and his Ebon Blades were chosen as the conduit of Annihilation, the knights became the innumerable vector.


    The knights and their squires infected the entire land in a short span of time. The soldiers of the imperial army were the first to be infected, then the commoners in the town and cities, then the town and cities itself.


    The Army of the North had advanced rapidly, and with the guardian¡¯s support, their advance was unstoppable. They had managed to save many uninfected civilians and imperial soldiers, but compared to the damage caused by the outbreak of the Mad Lord¡¯s powers, this was but a mere fraction.


    And as they approached the imperial capital, the corruption was more deep-rooted, and the number of rescues dwindled drastically.


    Constance looked at the ruined walls by the side of the road, and the rotten as well as festering flesh that was burning in the ruins of the city as they were reduced into black smoke in the air. Even the bricks corrupted by the evil taint were slowly disintegrating, and this ancient and proud city was reduced to part of history.


    The bodies of a number of civilians were pulled out from the basements by the soldiers of the north, their deaths were brutal, and while they had managed to retain their human form, there were signs of mutation.


    A silver-haired clone was commanding the soldiers as they moved the bodies. ¡°Burn their bodies. Send them off while they are still human.¡±


    Constance sighed as she turned into another direction of the street. And at that moment, a soldier from the north ran over. ¡°Survivors! We have found survivors!¡±


    Constance soon arrived at the place where survivors were found.


    They were hiding in a rather remote church¡­ It was the local church, and there were many such churches across the empire. Even though the emperor himself did not propagate any religion, the commoners had a need for faith and so all sorts of churches were commonplace in the big cities. The church had almost fully collapsed, as part of its surface structure were turned into the lair of the monsters. After it was leveled in the battle, there was a large and sturdy underground basement where a small group of survivors hid inside as they lived through literal hell.


    There were people of all ages and gender, and they were all starving, afraid and weak. The long isolation had them reeking of odor.


    Constance noticed that one of the survivors were wearing an imperial uniform. A rank and file uniform of the imperial army.


    ¡°Give them food and water, and bring a physician over,¡± Constance said as she looked at the fearful, trembling survivors, she then turned towards one of the clones and purposely raised her voice, to calm the survivors down. ¡°Send someone to watch them eat. Don¡¯t let them choke themselves to death.¡±


    After that, she let out a sigh of relief, as she whispered to Duke Owen. ¡°A miracle.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, I never thought anyone was alive. I had assumed that for a place so close to the capital, everything would have been corrupted.¡±


    Once they had a good portion of food and water, the feeble survivors were in better spirits now.


    Constance came before the imperial soldier and bent down. ¡°You¡¯re a soldier. You should know more than others.¡±


    ¡°I was the one who organized the escape into the basement.¡± The imperial soldier recognized Constance and was slightly fearful, but as he stood up to bow he was pushed back down by the latter. ¡°I¡­ Thank you, Your Imperial Highness, I already know that your cause is just. Those¡­ Those Ebon Blades, and my officers had all turned into monsters, are you here to save us?¡±


    ¡°Not only to save you.¡± Constance shook her head. ¡°How did you survive? The entire city had already been engulfed by the aura of Annihilation, and even if the monsters did not find you, their aura had not extended into the basement?¡±


    The soldier opened his mouth, but before he could even speak, an old granny beside him spoke first, ¡°It¡¯s the blessing of the gods, Your Imperial Highness. It must have been the god of dawn, Lamar and the god of dusk, Sur protecting us. This church is the key to save the w¡­.¡±


    It was clear that the god of dawn and the god of dusk were they key pantheons worshiped by this church, and the old granny was probably one of the adherents here, but the moment Constance heard that she stared coldly at the lady, ¡°The gods will not save you, the gods will not do anything. Only man can save this world.¡±


    Rheia pondered for a bit and decided to look down and play with her fingers, pretending that she heard nothing.

 Chapter 1740 - Parallel Battlefields

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The soldier in the imperial army uniform received a blanket and a cup of warm honey tea. As he held the cup, still slightly trembling in his words, he told the story of how he and his fellow survivors had lived through these days:


    ¡°The atmosphere of the city was weird quite some time ago. And we could see more than the commoners as soldiers. The Ebon Blades suddenly gathered and took our quite a command, and gave some very odd orders, like to carry the Foundation Stone out of the city and bury them there¡­


    ¡°Later, they had forbidden any outside contact, saying that this is a special war measure, then they started segregating the encampment, and we were divided based on our brigade. And they had sent out brigades upon brigades out for missions, but no one actually saw anyone leaving the camp, and those people ¡®sent on missions¡¯ seemingly just disappeared.¡±


    ¡°Then those brigades came back, and I saw them from afar, and felt that something inside them had changed¡­ I¡¯m not talking about their looks, they look the same, but their eyes were weird, and there was this weird aura around them.¡±


    ¡°Then the cases of missing people increased. People began having nightmares, and the nightmares were very real. We have seen monsters with so many eyes and limbs, and sometimes when we wake up, we can even see eyes on the wall. Some of the soldiers started to feel scared and thought that they were cursed. So they went to look for their officers, and the officers sent them to the mages to ¡®dispel the curse¡¯. They were back the next day, and they looked all normal, and there were no signs of nightmares when they sleep. But I was even more afraid, as I felt that they were not even sleeping anymore¡­ They were just laying there, the whole night, acting as if they were sleeping.¡±


    ¡°I knew a guy called Wyatt. He was from the same village as me. He is the biggest tosser in bed, but the moment he was taken away and came back, every night during bedtime he would lay like a log on the bed, not tossing about, or snoring¡­¡±


    ¡°And one night I woke up at night, and I saw Wyatt sleeping like a log there, so I turned over to look at him, and I found his eyes open! He was staring at me, without a word, but I could hear his voice in my head!¡±


    The surviving soldier started trembling hard, as his voice slurred and started rambling. Constance had to cast a calming spell on him, ¡°Calm down, calm down. Those monsters are dead. Focus on the point, what happened afterward?¡±


    ¡°I was afraid, very afraid¡­ The second day after that, an Ebon Blade came looking for me, said there¡¯s a special mission for me. They said that there is a curse of plagues in one of the quarters, and got a group of soldiers, with me in it to ¡®clean up¡¯ the infected. I sensed something wasn¡¯t right when I got there as there were no traces of plagues, they had simply cordoned the entire street off while the Ebon Blades went into slaughter everyone in there¡­¡±


    ¡°I then found an opportunity to escape, and running away was not difficult at all. I could not believe this myself, they did not even mind me running away, and they clearly saw me ran. By the time I turned back, I saw them still standing there, looking at where I was hiding. Each of them was expressionless, like puppets¡­ Then I ran into the city quarter, and found out what happened.¡±


    ¡°By the time we were quarantined, there were not many normal people left in the city, they had quietly infected and spread the taint, until at least half of the city was corrupted only did they kidnap people in broad daylight, and until the day I ran, most of the city had become ¡®them¡¯! No matter where I ran to, I could not escape their eyes, their eyes are connected!¡±


    ¡°But I still found a group of survivors, the ones you found with me. Your Imperial Highness, you won¡¯t be able to imagine my surprise and joy then. They were hiding in an abandoned factory, and they were quite a big group back then, but on and on people heard voices in their sleep and those weak-willed ones would rise and walk into the darkness outside the factory. Those that had left never returned, and most of us tied ourselves to the pillars before we even dared to sleep, but even so, our numbers dwindled, and some vanished as if the nightmares had eaten them whole, and by the time I found them, these were the only ones left.¡±


    ¡°And not long after, the Ebon Blades started the final ¡®cleansing¡¯ with the soldiers in tow, by then, ninety percent of the city had become them, and the rest could not even hide. The soldiers drew their blades and dragged those who had for some reason or another did not turn into monsters out of their hiding spots and butchered them in the streets, while the rest simply looked on, with hunger on their face¡­¡±


    ¡°As I was a soldier, I had noticed this beforehand, so I led everyone out of the factory to escape, I tried my base to avoid the soldiers, and we lost a few more in the process¡­ We finally found this church, and there was a big undercroft underneath the church, and the entrance of the undercroft could be sealed, so we hid in there until today.¡±


    The surviving soldier¡¯s rambling tale finally ended, and Constance could only sigh, ¡°For such a logical plan¡­. those half-way transformed monsters are even scarier than the ones that have fully turned, the mind is a scary weapon.¡±


    With the soldier¡¯s descriptive ability and mental state, it would have been difficult for him to clearly illustrate the harrowing experience that he had been through, and would not use any embellishments or metaphors to emphasis his point, but from what he had said, anyone could tell what sort of hellish experience that was. As the city had slowly ¡®changed¡¯, the ominous aura was getting more serious and obvious day by day, and everyone was turning into monsters, yet the power behind this was beyond their ability to strike back.


    There was no escape. The monsters had already locked down all roads leading out of the city.


    This was only the first month of the Battle for the Turn of the Eras, and based on past history, this was only the prelude to the nightmare awaiting this world.


    ¡°Seems like you don¡¯t know what actually blocked out the taint that allowed you to survive inside the undercroft,¡± Rheia said as she looked at the soldier in the eyes. She could determine the truth and falsehood of every word and every hidden meaning behind every sentence. But from the soldier¡¯s emotions, she could not find any reason to explain the inexplicable survival of this group of people. They were not so strong-willed until they could resist the taint of madness, and in fact, after so many days of suffering, most of them were already at the brink. Forget about the taint of the Mad Lord, even any nightmarish conduit could easily corrupt their minds. ¡°The reason should be inside the undercroft.¡±


    ¡°This was what we found in the undercroft,¡± Graeme said as he led a few soldiers carrying boxes of items out, if it¡¯s not here, it probably is something built within the undercroft like a barrier or something¡­¡±


    The soldiers of the north had taken out everything that looked remotely like magical. Even anything that looked special was taken out as well, broken pottery, moldy blades, old statues of gods, ritual items as all sorts of things were laid on the group.


    Thankfully there were not too many of them. And it seemed like the church was not all that wealthy.


    Constance and Rheia stepped forward to inspect the items, and the first thing they did was to focus on the religious items: The former was clearly not too concerned about the gods, and the latter was trying to professionally analyze if the Gods of Dawn and Dusk were actually her comrades¡­


    And Rheia¡¯s attention was soon caught by a shiny object among the junk.


    Constance too was attracted by that object with a unique presence, she used her sword to pick up the item, and frowned slightly, ¡°What is this¡­¡±


    Before she could even ascertain what it was, Rheia suddenly yelped, ¡°Huh?!¡±


    The object on the tip of Constance¡¯s blade was an intricate silver wide armband, and the armband was really lavishly decorated, and the wide corners made it look a little bit like an arm guard, while and the hollow embossing on it depicted all sorts of complex runes and pictograms of flora and fauna but the size was clearly not for adults and were more like adornments meant for a child¡¯s arm.


    Upon hearing Rheia¡¯s voice, Constance turned to look at the mysterious and powerful ¡°little girl¡±, and for some reason, she had linked the latter with the armband together.


    The size¡­ seems to fit?


    ¡°This¡­¡± Constance gave Rheia and uncertain look, ¡°Could it be yours?¡±


    Rheia was just about to shake her head to deny that, but she suddenly recalled something and replied in a rather ambiguous matter. ¡°It just looked familiar. Would I actually have something inside¡­ a church like this?¡±


    ¡°I just think that the size actually matches,¡± Constance picked up the armband and placed it beside her arm. Of course, she was in her armor now, and could not put it on, but even without it, this band could not fit her. ¡°It¡¯s clearly meant for a child¡­¡±


    ¡°Let me see.¡± After suppressing her veins from popping on her forehead, Rheia said stiffly as she stuck her hand out for the armband.


    ¡°Here, have it.¡±


    Constance passed the armband over, and just as Rheia¡¯s fingers touched the armband, a thunder suddenly cracked in the ski.


    Both of them looked up in surprise.


    They only saw a rift opening in the sky, and the dark red rift looked similar to Gorgon¡¯s Abyss, and within the rift, there were countless of floating wreckage and bright lights, as beams of light shot out like lightning among the shadows as explosions roared from the deep clouds.


    And an ethereal light belt pierced through the chaotic world behind the rift.


    Rheia was shocked and quickly removed her hand from the armband.


    And the bizarre scene in the sky disappeared.

 Chapter 1741 - The Battle of the Worlds Depth

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The otherworldly battle in the air was only ephemeral, but the grand and terrifying madness was deeply imprinted in Constance¡¯s mind. She continued to look up into the air, and even the skies were once again covered in clouds again, the fire and lightning within the burning distorted dimension still played in her eyes.


    Finally, she retracted her gaze as she looked around in a daze. She noticed the soldiers around her were busying about, and no one looked up, and neither anyone panicked or were at a loss. It was as if no one had heard the thunder, nor did they saw the scene after the skies ripped open.


    Could they not see the scene earlier?


    Constance suddenly understood what happened, and shifted her gaze towards Rheia, the latter was playing with her fingers slightly nervously.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Constance asked. ¡°That thing in the sky¡­¡±


    ¡°Just a hallucination,¡± Rheia looked up and replied to a serious look.


    Constance blinked hard, ¡°But I did see¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a hallucination.¡± Rheia¡¯s face stiffened as she tried to look even more serious.


    Constance paused for a moment.


    ¡°All right, it was not.¡± Rheia pondered for a bit before deciding against to use the Word of God to twist reality, ¡°What you saw was something that is currently happening in another layer of this world.¡±


    ¡°So it is¡­¡± Constance frowned hard as all sorts of emotions overwhelmed her. ¡± I know¡­I¡¯ve seen that dimension before, even from a distance, I know that is Gorgon¡¯s Abyss¡­ but there were no such battles in the abyss in my memory¡­¡±


    Rheia then turned back to the armband that she had tossed onto the ground earlier, and a gentle flash went through the band as she looked at it. She picked the armband up and wore it, and this time, there was no bizarre scenery in the sky. ¡°We actually did not want to let you on too much into this¡­ because Hao Ren was afraid that your will may be shaken, and affect the outcome of the final battle. You may very well¡­ be the last of the heritors to end the Cycle of Annihilation, and your battle will be the final hope of this world.¡±


    Constance was very smart, and even if she was not, the experience and trials that she had faced from the previous cycles would have made her wise up. She sighed gently, ¡°So¡­ Hao Ren and the rest are at Gorgon¡¯s Abyss now, right? What I saw, was them¡­ What is it? Another battlefield that is happening at the same time in this world?¡±


    ¡°Just as you said, the heritors had gone through countless cycles, and every cycle will cause part of your memories to be wiped, so you naturally won¡¯t know about the existence of the other battlefield¡­ That is not just Gorgon¡¯s Abyss¡­ it is the back of the world.¡± Rheia shook her head. ¡°Come, I¡¯ll tell you the truth in detail.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°The second echelon starships are heavily damaged. Withdrawing for repairs. Third echelon, entering firing position.


    ¡°The droid swarm have released the Pulse Mist, confirmed drop in enemy fleet movement. Annihilation Lance entering standby mode!¡±


    ¡°Detecting high energy signature, all ships brace for impact¡ª3, 2, 1, impact!¡±


    A violent rocking came from beneath as the monitors outside were blinded by a white flash. The Petrachelys¡¯ shields shuddered as a high powered laser beam crashed against it, but it soon recovered.


    Hao Ren held the armchair to keep himself stable as he looked at the various images sent back from the probes. ¡°Nolan, damage report.¡±


    ¡°The shields have not been penetrated. Light damage to me.¡± Nolan¡¯s voice rang across the bridge, ¡°Also, the dimensional structure is still expanding, and the probes can no longer cover everything. The expansion had exceeded the probe¡¯s recharge and deployment speed.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s normal, we won¡¯t be able to scan the entire structure,¡± Hao Ren was not surprised, ¡°This dimensional structure is recreated from the countless of annihilation and rebirth of this universe. It comprises the fragments and will of every universe that had been annihilated¡­ Our probes can scan through the battlefield, but it will not be able to scan the entire change of the universe.¡±


    Vivian looked at the giant holographic projection at the center of the bridge as she frowned, ¡°Something different is appearing from the Gorgon ships.¡±


    At the edge of the chaotic battlefield, the dimension had shown signs of extreme chaos, as clouds were torn apart by the barrage of cannon fire as countless dark red lines formed into a terrifying spiderweb-like structure, and within the dark lines were glowing ancient stars and chaotic shadows, which slowly appeared.


    The shadows quickly materialized and their true form appeared: It was a starship that looked like a pyramid turned upside down, and the surface of every ship was lined with a sea of crystals and runic arrays, and around the ships were countless of floating bits, and nondescript spires.


    The newly appeared phantoms of the past rapidly changed after materializing, as their argent armor were instantly covered by a dark shadow as countless of mutated tendrils extended out from the ship as they writhed about in a horrific motion. As the ships¡¯ armor deployed, countless of warp-capable carrier-based spacecraft and heavy warp missiles swarmed out like bees protecting their hive and charged towards the guardian starships and the combat droids across the battlefield.


    The emotionless combat assistant AI once again started broadcasting, ¡°Detected unknown units materializing. Hostile intent detected, formulating engagement tactics. Basic combat tactics set, heavy combat droids units 1 to 195 moving in to intercept, zonal warp interference generator deployed.¡±


    ¡°Another echo of the past era has materialized,¡± Hao Ren placed his hand on the control dais as he said grimly, ¡°This is the rule of the parallel battlefield, if order is not destroyed, the power of madness will continuously draw out the echos of the past and send them into battle. And the dimensional structure will keep expanding because of this. So, as long as we stand firm, there will be even more ancient and powerful civilizations of the past appearing. We¡¯ve only just faced Haersonca¡¯s low-tech combat satellites, but now that this has appeared¡­. it means they are far more powerful than Gorgon¡¯s starships.¡±


    Lily¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Won¡¯t this get more and more difficult? It¡¯s hopeless right?!¡±


    ¡°There is a ¡®highest¡¯ difficulty.¡± Hao Ren sniggered. ¡°And it is the civilization of the first era.¡±


    Lily pondered for a bit, before almost darting out of her seat. ¡°Plus, you said the civilization of the first era could go toe to toe with the guardians!¡±


    ¡°So our mission here is to hold fast and withstand as many waves as possible until Constance completes the Turn of the Era,¡± Hao Ren said plainly. ¡°As she approaches the capital, the final battlefield, the enemy we face here will evolve even faster too. The parallel battlefield will interfere with one another, and while one advances, the other will accelerate as well, and while one is on the verge of defeat, the other will go in a downward spiral as well. If both battlefields fall at the same time, that is when the order of the world collapses and the era is restarted.¡±


    ¡°And the countless of cycles in the past, the Turn of the Eras, happened because both battlefields fell, causing a total collapse right?¡± Vivian said, ¡°And once this civilization totally loses the defense of the World¡¯s Depth, they will lose the way to turn things around normally, and no matter how hard they try, they can never achieve true victory.¡±


    ¡°So an inspector¡¯s job is to remedy this,¡± Hao Ren guffawed, ¡°This civilization has potential, resilience, courage, and faith, they only lacked an opportunity, and now, we are giving them that opportunity.¡±


    And just as he finished, Rheia¡¯s voice rang in his head, ¡°Hao Ren, I have a bit of a situation here.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Constance saw the view at your end, but only she and I saw it?¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Hao Ren was shocked, ¡°How did that come about? What happened?¡±


    ¡°Seems like my out-of-control divine powers a few thousand years ago that split L¡¯Haronne into two did not just leave the World Scar on it,¡± Rheia sounded rather helpless, ¡°We had found some divine relic near the imperial capital, and it¡¯s from the Basilica of Creation, my own personal item.¡±


    Rheia¡¯s voice did not just ring in Hao Ren¡¯s mind, and at the same time, all three looked at each other.


    ¡°My divine powers had recreated the worth, and it is inevitable that a mark will be left behind, but I never thought it would be so strong as to materialize,¡± Rheia continued, ¡°Both me and Constance touched the thing, and accidentally lifted the screen between the world¡¯s surface and it¡¯s depths for a short while. And this is probably caused by the resonance of divine power ripping through the dimension. So all in all, Constance had seen your battle, so I told her everything.¡±


    Hao Ren went silent for a moment, ¡°Then¡­ what was her reaction?¡±


    ¡°She decided to continue the advance to the imperial capital just as planned and end the battle once and for all. I don¡¯t think she¡¯s shaken in any way at all.¡±


    ¡°¡­ And the truth about herself? Did you tell her? She had no reaction at all?¡±


    ¡°No, and that surprised me most.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ good.¡± Hao Ren heaved a soft breath, ¡°She had chosen her path, let her continue on it. Rheia, hand me the data when you had activated the divine power resonance, I have a plan.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll pass the thing we found to you as well. I can probably guess what you¡¯re up to, but be careful, the power of a god is not that easy to control.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, at this stage at least, I¡¯m more well-read than you.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    Rheia¡¯s power left Hao Ren¡¯s mind, and at the same time, a glow appeared on top of the control dais of the bridge, and as it faded away, a petite armband appeared before Hao Ren.


    And the moment this armband was sent into the ¡®Battlefield of the World¡¯s Depth¡¯, Hao Ren felt a slight dissonance, and this feeling was very difficult to describe. It had exceeded human senses and thought, and if Hao Ren had to describe it, at that moment, he felt everything outside the Petrachelys turned into nothingness, and everything aside from the guardian starships and the droid swarm lost their physical bodies, and a split moment later, that feeling disappeared.


    It was this sensation that allowed him to confirm something. His guess was right on the mark.


    The shock wave that split L¡¯Haronne into two so many thousands of years ago¡­. had yet to fully subside.


    And it had enough power for another wave.

 Chapter 1742 - The Final Battle – Side A

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    L¡¯Haronne, this world that went through countless cycles, countless destruction, and countless rebirths, was stuck in a perpetual wheel of despair. Its every gear was clamped tightly, and once started, it could not stop the trudge into annihilation. The humans of this world had used everything to fight against the operation of this machine, and yet, with their power alone, it was not possible to stop this from happening from the inside.


    Yet, a powerful, almost savage outer force had broken the operation of this wheel and smashed a gaping hole in its tightly fitted gears.


    That was the out-of-control divine power that was released when Rheia lost consciousness a few thousand years ago.


    The out-of-control power had become a shock wave and tore L¡¯Haronne into two, and this was not limited to the physical world, and the divine power had even torn every perimeter of the world, their history, and every incomplete world lines into two, and even when Rheia¡¯s powers had recreated the world, the effect of the divine powers was deeply imprinted on this world, never dissipating.


    L¡¯Haronne¡¯s cycle of destruction and rebirth had been a norm, but the ¡°accidental rebirth¡± caused by an outside force a few thousand years ago was like an ill-fitting part had caused the world to get stuck. Now, Hao Ren was holding a lever that could dislodge the part.


    It was Rheia¡¯s armband, and I must emphasize, it was a child-size one.


    The phantoms of the past appeared from the depths of the world seemed to have sensed something, and with the taint of the power of madness, they were awakening from the various dormant timelines and materialized into their original form before charging in a suicidal matter towards the guardian starships and the droid swarm. The Gorgon starships unleashed swarms upon swarms of carrier-based crafts, as Tumen combat satellites were self-destructing at the edge of the battlefield, while Haersonca¡¯s last beam cannon slowly sank into the clouds, while the inverted pyramids colossal battleships were sending more and more warp missiles into the battlefield.


    The guardian fleet had created a few fortified bases at the edges of the battlefield and deployed a powerful barrier against the ever-increasing, ever-evolving phantoms, at first they could use the overwhelming power of their starships to rip the enemy into shreds, but slowly but sure, the numbers of enemy appearing from the clouds could withstand the guardian¡¯s attacks by sheer weight of numbers, and further on, the phantoms had strengthened to the point that they could fight on equal footing in terms of quality.


    In this situation, the powerful weapon sent forward by the droid swarm became the key to hold the line. The experimental weapons meant to fight the Mad Lord brought from CARS and the various massive military manufactories across the Plane of Dreams, including the Annihilation Lance, and the upgraded great cannons of the droid swarm, plus a few experimental machines equipped with mathematical blocker, and lightspeed disruptor. These weapons were brought to the front line and this chaotic battlefield was the best place to test them out, and boy did they shine.


    From a certain angle, this ¡®surprise battle¡¯ in L¡¯Haronne had an unexpected reward.


    At the droid forward base, a series of connected crystal array started charging as crystal bits big and small began floating and forming into a spear tip akin to a prism. The large number of auxiliary facilities started humming, and a few seconds of charging later, a blinding white beam launched out of the binding field and towards a Gorgon starship in the distance.


    The beam ripped through the starship as if it was paper and tore the thousands of Gorgon Lords within it into pieces.


    ¡°The Annihilation Lance is really a good thing.¡± Lily gazed excitedly as the high-powered beam swept through the battlefield, wagging her tail hard. ¡°Heh, as I¡¯ve said, tactics be damned, firepower is the supreme truth¡­¡±


    Vivian rolled her eyes, ¡°Don¡¯t go learning the tactics of a brute, else you might as well turn your degrees into toilet paper.¡±


    Hao Ren did not bother with the two¡¯s daily bickering and placed the tiny armband on the generic exchange platform. He then looked up at the edge of the clouds afar.


    At the edge of the clouds, a faint, scar-like rift was getting more and more obvious, it had pierced through the entire dimension while crack-lines extended out of its edges, at times some enemies would spawn near the rift, but the moment they appear, they would be torn apart by the energies from the pale rift, not even lasting a second.


    That is the projection of the World Scar in this dimension or an extension of the scar on the physical world in the World¡¯s Depth, and compared to the World Scar that had appeared as a literal scar on the planet physically, the scar in the sky on the other hand¡­ was still active.


    ¡°Boss, I¡¯ll admit your plan sounds super cool, but are you sure this will be fine?¡± Nolan¡¯s voice sounded a little unsure.


    ¡°Nonsense, I¡¯m such a meticulous person, I won¡¯t blow myself up just to get a SSS rating!¡± Hao Ren glared at her, ¡°I¡¯ve studied the goddess of creation¡¯s power for so long now and purposely collected energy samples from that rift. Plus, I¡¯ve gone through all the information I got from above. If I can f*ck this up after so much preparation, I might as well go off myself in a random hole.¡±


    ¡°Right, right right, you¡¯re the boss, while I¡¯m just a ship.¡±


    The Divine Armband (child-sized) floated under the effect of the anti-gravity field, and a few beams focused onto the band with Nolan in control, the latter immediately let out a pleasing hum.


    Nolan may have sounded like she was grumbling, but she was no slouch when it came to working.


    The communicator at the side lit up, and Salaman¡¯s projection appeared above the comms, ¡°Observer, the first and second line of the flank is facing enormous pressure, and their numbers have reached three times our size, we need to pull back.¡±


    ¡°Right, that means Constance had stepped into the imperial capital, and the power of madness in this world is going all out to force the restart before she conquers the capital.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we just need to hold on for a little while longer. I have prepared a surprise for the monsters here.¡±


    Salaman could pretty much guess what Hao Ren was up to, as a guardian no one was more sensitive to the pulse of the goddess of creation¡¯s powers, ¡°I saw the aftershock of divine energies becoming active again¡­ You are planning to once again tear this world apart?¡±


    ¡°No, I only plan to tear this battlefield apart,¡± Hao Ren smiled as he entered the final command into the terminal. ¡°This shock wave had already been expanded by the initial tear, and further weakened by the passage of time, it does not have the same level of power like the past, if we activate it here¡­ it could still tear this dimensional structure apart with ease.¡±


    ¡°Do you need my fleet to adjust?¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t have to. I have set up a few energy focus point, and the structure will come apart near those points, and then the wave of enemies will stop. You will only need to wipe out any surviving units. I believe¡­ this could buy us enough time.¡±


    ¡°A bold plan, but we are glad to go along.¡± Salaman broke into a smile. ¡°Fighting under Mother¡¯s glorious radiance is what we guardians do best.¡±


    The comms ended, and Hao Ren looked at the pale rift that pierced through the dimensional structure at the far end of the sea of clouds.


    Nolan¡¯s voice then rang on the bridge, ¡°Resonance adjustment completed. Broadcasting in five seconds¡­ four, three, two, one. Broadcast live.¡±


    Every antenna system on the Petrachelys suddenly let out an overloaded screech, as a powerful surge of energy blasted out, and covered the ship with countless tiny fireworks.


    Every enemy, be it the ones exchanging fire with the guardians, or the ones that had just appeared from the clouds sensed that explosion of energy, and even without a mind, their instincts drove them to turn and charged towards the energy source that was the greatest threat to them.


    But they were destined to fail.


    Stimulated by the divine power of the same origin, the already unstable pale rift once again went ran wild, and the divine power of a true god hidden within the rift was suddenly unleashed, completing their task from a few thousand years ago¡­


    Tearing the dimension apart.


    The pale rift suddenly expanded, and the entire sea of clouds and the chaotic dimension above it suddenly shattered.


    The imperial capital, a rainstorm was raging.


    A powerful rainstorm never seen before in the heartlands suddenly fell and washed against the world that was smothered in darkness and despair. The black walls of the imperial capital were before them, and each rock and stone was the same in her memory.


    The black wall was sturdy, and spear-like battlements were lined all along the city walls, and dragon head ornaments were arrayed on the top of the walls every few hundred meters apart, and as if they were the kings and emperors that had fallen in the past cycles looking upon the world.


    On the plains outside the city, the raging fire had been doused by the downpour, but the smoke and blood could not be washed away. Countless twisted bodies lay broken on the ground, and the black smoke that raised from the bodies coalesced in the sky above the battlefield, turning into a patch of dark clouds looming over everything.


    Constance held her long sword before her army. As she looked up into the sky, she gripped her blade hard, ¡°I¡¯m home¡­ but I really could do without this weather.¡±


    Rheia too was looking upwards, but her vision pierced through the sky, and the layers of time and space, using the resonance of her power, she could see what was happening on the other side of the world.


    ¡°Hao Ren¡­ you had me blowing this place up twice now¡­¡±


    Constance turned back, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing,¡± Rheia refocused and shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s the final battle. Your final battle.¡±


    Constance looked at the guardians around her. These powerful, and seemingly immortal warriors were standing at the edge of the battlefield, and no expression could be deciphered from their stern faces. Beneath them, the warriors of the north and the Broken Blades were preparing for the coming battle.¡±


    ¡°My guardians and I will not interfere with the next battle,¡± Rheia said, ¡°Even if you perish in the battle, we would not act.¡±


    Constance smiled, ¡°That is just how I wished it to be.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Rheia smiled, ¡°Let me add something, even if you perish, I will still be with you.¡±


    Constance pondered for a bit, ¡°Who.. are you?¡±


    ¡°Leave that for later, it¡¯s a little awkward to tell you now.¡± Rheia waved dismissively, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you once the battle is over.¡±


    ¡°Alright, each and every one of you is so mysterious, but I could guess part of it¡­¡± Constance said before she turned around and walked toward her knights. ¡°Well then, off I go.¡±

 Chapter 1743 - The Final Battle – Side B

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The dimension had ripped apart.


    Even when it had been weakened for almost 9,000 years approximately, even when part of its powers were already consumed when it first tore L¡¯Haronne in half, the power of a real divine entity was still beyond terrifying. It had been buried deep within that world, consisting of fragments of history. Not fully stabilized, the moment another divine power of the same source resonated with it, the accumulated energy instantly shot out in all directions.


    The pale rift, which cut through the dimensional structure, grew bigger and bigger as it distorted into all sorts of horrifying states, while the cracks around its edges seemingly came to life as it spread all over. Everything the cracks touched, be it material or energy, or even space itself, destruction immediately ensued, turning it all into the basest of information units. The already chaotic and disparate dimension was thrown into an even more chaotic spiral under the assault of the divine storm. Twisters, ten-meters-tall, swept up in the middle of the endless sea of clouds, and the ripples of the divine power created millions, even billions of lightning strikes within the storm. Before this terrifying power, the dimensional structure in the air, which had been expanding the entire time, finally stopped growing.


    Hao Ren could see a large ¡°collapse¡± at the edge of the battlefield with his eyes, as countless of gravity wells had appeared out of nowhere over there. Wherever the divine storm swept through, light distorted unnaturally and folded upon each other, creating a curtain of bizarre reflections. And within the curtain, vast numbers of Gorgon starships, vessels from other eras, soldiers, and buildings that were corrupted by madness were all disintegrating.


    ¡°The dimensional structure has stopped expanding and transitioned into a disintegration phase.¡± The combat assistant AI reported all of the battlefield information it had collated, ¡°The divine storm is weakening rapidly, and it will pass the balance point in approximately three minutes¡­¡±


    It was not possible to depend on Rheia¡¯s remaining powers within that dimension to totally wipe out everything there, but for Hao Ren, that level of kaboom was more than enough.


    The rampaging divine storm had swept through everything at the edge of the battlefield, and not only did it stop the dimensional structure from expanding continuously, but it also suppressed the speed at which the corrupted ancient vessels were ¡°appearing¡±.


    ¡°It is time to attack!¡± Salaman¡¯s command rang across the guardian¡¯s command system. ¡°For Mother! For all life!¡±


    ¡°For Mother, for all life!¡±


    The once suppressed and retreating guardian fleets unleashed their rage and countless laser barrages, as well as missiles, toward the surviving echoes of corruption. The chaotic red sky was once again lit up in the fire.


    The droid swarms had also completed the charging of the next salvo of Annihilation Lances, and as the command to fire was given, hundreds of blinding white light rays blasted out from the forward base. They pierced through the sea of clouds and cut a swathe of dimensional rifts across the battlefield.


    The dimension of the battlefield started to distorting as a false sea of stars appeared. Those who were mutated, engorged, and maddened were nightmarish memories from when the universe was destroyed. Under the continuous influence of the divine storm, they shook, quaked, and crumbled apart.


    Below the war zone, rifts appeared all over the sea of clouds. The integrity of the dimensional structure had reached its limits, and with the divine power resonance at its peak, the barrier separating the world was no longer stable. Tiny and temporary tunnels appeared between the world¡¯s depth and the physical world. Hao Ren looked at the images from the monitors outside, and he saw the mountains and hills of L¡¯Harrone, the burning land, as well as a black city with an army approaching it.


    ¡­


    The storm had weakened slightly but showed no signs of stopping.


    Fighting in a storm was never a wise move. If it was against a normal enemy on a normal battlefield, no commander would choose to assault a fortress city in a storm.


    Yet, Constance knew she did not have any choice; the world did not have any choice.


    The storm would not stop. It was not a natural phenomenon, and the moment that world marched into madness, there was only one chance, one chance to stand before the lair of ¡°Annihilation¡± and assault it directly.


    It was their one and only chance since the first era, since the countless cycles and turns of the eras.


    A monster¡¯s dying roar thundered amid the rain, and its savage looks no longer contained any human traits. Its body showed no trace of human limbs either. There were pieces of broken metal hanging from its body, indicating that it probably used to be an Ebon Blade knight or member of the imperial army.


    Constance raised her arm with her sword in hand. Powerful magic focused on the blade as she unleashed a ray of light more powerful than that of the Broken Blades¡¯. Before the monster hit the ground, it was sliced into two, and it disintegrated into dust.


    ¡°Forward! Watch the flanks! Level any obstruction! That includes every dwelling you see!¡±


    ¡°The monsters may appear from everywhere!¡±


    Roars of commands from the leaders of the squads could be heard in distance. Their voices rang through the rain, while explosions and cannon fire ripped visibly across the air sporadically. The ancient dwellings of the imperial cities were torn apart by the great bombardment as glorious historical statues and towers collapsed under the relentless magical raid. The fallen structures were all things that Constance had grown up seeing.


    And on that day, everything was about to disappear.


    The giants were standing outside the city together with the ¡°little girl¡± whom they had sworn fealty to. They stood in the distance, watching the battlefield as if they were upholding an ancient accord and observing the battlefield.


    The soldiers did not have any questions or reservations about it.


    Another monster was sliced into two by Constance while she unleashed another bolt of lightning from her other hand, saving a northern soldier who had tripped.


    She looked at the burning city and recalled what Rheia had told her earlier.


    ¡°You know the truth of this world? The truth behind the cycles¡­


    ¡°It is not a curse or evil prank by this world. It is the only a relic that the ancestors of the first era have left you. It was the only piece of hope that they managed to grasp from the jaws of annihilation after they paid a massive price.


    ¡°And while you fight, there is another battle happening on another battlefield¡­¡±


    A series of loud noises came from the sky, and even the raging storm slackened for a moment. The soldiers exclaimed in surprise and even Constance could not help but look up.


    She saw the clouds tear apart, and a chaotic dystopian dimension appeared in the sky. Countless starships were duking it out in that dimension.


    This time, she did not see it through the resonance, but due to the tear in the dimensional fabric, not only she could see what was in the sky, but even the normal soldiers could.


    ¡°Do not mind what is in the sky!¡± she yelled, her magically-powered voice thundered across the battlefield. ¡°Onward!¡±


    ¡°Onward!¡±


    ¡°Onward!¡±


    The commanders quickly rallied their man, and Rheia¡¯s slightly sympathetic visage appeared before her eyes again.


    She heard Rheia¡¯s voice once again in her mind. ¡°¡­ But Constance, do you know that you may not be a true inheritor? Or rather, you are not what a normal inheritor should be¡­¡±


    She instinctively raised her blade and parried an attack from a black claw.


    ¡°After I found out that you could transfer your consciousness between a dozen clones or so like an Ebon Blade, I became slightly interested in you. We know of your unusual birth. You were picked out by Emperor Berentine 200 years ago from a lava lake, and unlike the usually short-lived inheritors, you had a parent. You were also unlike the inheritors from ancient times¡­¡±


    The monster with the black claw fell, and its body quickly disintegrated in the storm. At the very last moment, its face returned to its original human form. It was a normal-looking man, a nameless imperial soldier.


    He even smiled at Constance during that split moment. There was reverence in his smile.


    It was the same look many imperial soldiers and knights would have every time they saw the princess. While they may try hard to hide it, Constance always detected it.


    Constance looked up, and the imperial palace was before her. That was the place she grew up in, and looking at the familiar walls and spires, she felt even more at peace than expected.


    The warriors beside her were all wounded, and the Knights of the Broken Blades who had arrived with her were less than half of their original numbers now. A large group of soldiers formed in the rear to block off any counterattacking monster, and in the storm, their silhouettes appeared distant.


    Most of the fallen soldiers had committed suicide. Whenever they were wounded by the minions of annihilation or whenever their strength failed them, almost all of the soldiers would commit suicide. They would activate the runestones that they carried with them and blow themselves to pieces.


    That way, the number of enemies would not increase.


    The main door of the palace lay wide open. It was eerily silent. There were monsters in every part of the city, but at the heart of annihilation was a peaceful oasis.


    Constance took a deep breath. The young yet seemingly confident and calm inspiring voice rang again in her head. ¡°Constance, I inspected your soul while you were unaware. Do you know why you were able to transfer your consciousness so easily between your clones without any delay?


    ¡°It is because your soul is man-made.¡±


    Charlemagne traveled through the rain as steam surrounded his body. In his hand was the famous holy sword of Izzo, The Blazing Sun. He looked at Constance, seeming much more matured and grounded than before. ¡°It feels odd inside. We should first¡ª¡±


    Constance stopped him with a wave of her hand. ¡°I¡¯ll take point. Everyone else, follow me.¡±


    Without any question or doubt, Charlemagne turned to his soldiers and started to arrange them. The Knights of the Broken Blade and the soldiers of the north had all gathered, forming a defensive formation behind Constance as well as the flanks.


    ¡°Constance, your soul is pieced from many fragments and memories. These memories are what you know as ¡®the inheritance¡¯, and the soul fragments that form you are probably from the real inheritors.


    The palace was unnaturally silent. It was as though they had stepped into a different world the moment they went through the door. There were no monsters in sight or any signs of blood and combat, but everyone could sense that the terrifying dark powers nested there.


    At every corner, behind every door, beneath every light, there were unknown shadows writhing about.


    ¡°If we are not wrong, Constance, the creator of your soul is probably your father, and the lava lake that you were born in, was probably Berentine¡¯s doing to wipe out any traces. His reason for doing so¡­ could probably be the fact that he is the last of the true inheritors.


    ¡°He created you and gave you the knowledge of the inheritors. He told you about the inheritors¡¯ mission, but the memories that you¡¯ve had of the cycles have been false. Your actual birth was about 200 years ago. The life that you have personally experienced¡­ It is these 200 years.¡±


    The path to the throne hall was smooth. Before Constance and her warriors arrived, he was the only person in the entire palace just like his identity in his world. He was the last and only inheritor.


    The loneliest emperor in this era¡­


    As the conduit of the power of Annihilation in this era and the source of all monsters, Berentine looked seemingly normal without any visible mutations. At least his armor allowed him to look human.


    However, everyone gripped their weapons tightly because underneath his armor was an aura more foreboding, mad, and terrifying than any monster they had faced earlier.


    Constance quietly looked at the throne. She knew that her father was no more; within the armor was only a shell and madness.


    Under her gaze, the armored silhouette stood up as ¡°it¡± walked slowly down the throne. The grinding of metals let out an unpleasant noise, and a raspy voice, even more grating and terrifying, came from beneath the armor. ¡°Ah, you have come, my beloved daughter¡­ What brings you here?¡±


    Constance raised her sword slightly as she approached the monster. ¡°To take the throne.¡±

 Chapter 1744 - The End and Rebirth

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After the loud sound of clashing metal, the monstrous and seemingly relentless figure finally fell.


    Constance¡¯s long sword had broken into two. At the very last moment, she enchanted the might of thunder into the blade, and as she found an opening after Grand Duke Owen risked his own life to cover her advance, her blade managed to pierce through Berentine¡¯s chest plate.


    The rampaging power of lightning surged into Berentine¡¯s body through the opening and tore everything within the armor apart, regardless of what was underneath, whether it was still human or not. After taking multiple heavy damages, the final blow depleted his vitality, and even the power of annihilation could not get him to stand up again.


    Constance was slightly dazed as she stared at her broken blade as if she never snapped out of her battle trance. Only until a soldier behind her dropped his weapon did she realize that everything was over.


    She looked at the throne hall, or the ruins of the once throne hall. Everywhere were broken walls and torn tiles, the entire hall was torn apart in the earlier battle, and the half-destroyed dome hung precariously above, while the remaining half lay shattered on the floor.


    The rain poured in from the gaps of the dome and washed against the ruined hall. Thick blood mixed undiluted with the pouring rain.


    Amid the broken ruins, arms and legs of buried soldiers were exposed. The owner of the limbs had sold their lives to buy Constance chance after chance to attack, and now they lay lifeless entombed beneath the ruins, while the surviving warriors moved shakily about as they gathered the dead.


    Charlemagne had lost an arm, with a stump of ice near his shoulder to stop him from bleeding out, he held himself up using his sword in his right arm and looked down at Duke Owen.


    ¡°What you looking at boy? I¡¯m not dead.¡± the old general let out a painful smile as he lay on the ground. ¡°Compared to the wound earlier, this is but a scratch. But¡­ can anyone come and shield me from the rain?¡±


    Constance walked toward Duke Owen as the latter, with much effort, raised his arm in a wave, stopping her in her position. ¡°Your Highness¡­ No, Your Imperial Majesty, go to your father. Death will not take me.¡±


    Constance nodded and went to the Dragon Soul Emperor, Berentine¡¯s side.


    She bent down as she used her sword to steady herself, and looked at the man clad in black armor. He was as large as she remembered, but there was frailty, a weakness she never remembered. As the rain poured onto the cold armor. As water flew through the gaps in the armor, his life was fading away as well.


    The taint of annihilation had faded away, but Constance was sure of that as the soldiers killed or wounded by Berentine had not mutated, and in other words, the person inside the armor was her father.


    She held her hands out, wanting to remove Berentine¡¯s armor, but the latter unexpectedly lifted his hands, stopping her movement.


    ¡°Don¡¯t open it, my beloved Connie, I¡¯m a horrifying monster now.¡±


    ¡°It has ended, father.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it has finally ended,¡± A rasping voice came beneath the helm, and with every word, his voice softened, ¡°It has finally ended¡­¡±


    He demurred for a few seconds, before once again speaking with a soft, gentle voice, ¡°Connie, I have something to tell you¡­¡±


    ¡°I already know,¡± Constance placed her hand on Berentine¡¯s chest. ¡°About my origin.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you hate me?¡±


    ¡°I never would,¡± Constance shook her head, ¡°The Inheritance needs to be completed by a heritor¡­ and I could never be happier to be your daughter.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­ that¡¯s good.¡±


    A faint light appeared behind her and Constance immediately felt the air around her became warm, she then heard Rheia¡¯s voice. ¡°I cannot save him.¡±


    Constance¡¯s hand shook, imperceptibly, before answering softly, ¡°¡­ I know.¡±


    Berentine saw the silhouette appearing out of thin air behind Constance, but he was slowly withering away and could no longer see the real form of the silhouette. He only saw an orb of light; an orb of light emanating warm and wondrous powers stood before him, and it was walking toward him.


    Constance saw Rheia walking towards Berentine¡¯s side, and finally said the first request in her life to an outsider, ¡°Bless him, please?¡±


    Rheia turned back to look at Constance, a faint smile on her face, ¡°You seem to have worked out my identity?¡±


    ¡°After touching that armband,¡± Constance quietly looked at Rheia in the eyes, ¡°I could ¡®see¡¯ some things.¡±


    Rheia nodded, ¡°Go, do what you need to do, I will stay with him.¡±


    Constance led her knights and soldiers away from the ruined palace, and under the shroud of rain, only the tiny goddess and the last, dying heritor.


    Rheia squatted beside Berentine, ¡°Just say whatever you want, I will do my best to fulfill it. You people deserve this much.¡±


    ¡°Give me a dream,¡± a weakening voice came beneath the thick, black armor. ¡°A dream of the past¡­ a dream of those I had forgotten, the things of the past eras¡­ Wrench my soul dry, tear it apart, whatever, I want to meet them again¡­ Meet those old friends everyone had forgotten about.¡±


    Rheia gently placed her hands on Berentine¡¯s forehead. ¡°Sleep, my child. Sleep tight.¡±


    The darkness lasted for a long time, so long that people started doubting if there was light. They started to doubt if the world was just a veil of darkness all along, but in the end, the light of dawn came.


    He opened his eyes, as he felt that he had dreamt a very, very long dream. He could not remember anything of the dream, but a gentle voice rang beside his ears, just like a mother.


    That voice had coaxed him to sleep, and that voice woke him up.


    He saw all around him was a massive plain as a bright sun glowed radiantly across the verdant plain in a warm and cozy light.


    There was a banquet on the plain, and all sorts of people were gathered by the long table, they held wine goblets in their hands, as they exchanged banter and laughter.


    Their faces were blurry, as everyone felt somehow familiar, but yet he could not remember any of their names.


    Suddenly, the blurry faces became clear, and the names of everyone present came into his mind.


    He got up and walked towards the long table, as his black armor fell onto the ground pieces by pieces. He was surprised to find himself sleeping in his odd getup, but his footsteps did not stop.


    The people around the table had noticed his presence, as they all turned over and raised their goblets, calling out to him.


    Tumen, Tiamat, Haersonca¡­ Everyone was present.


    They were drinking merrily as they told some seemingly ancient things that had happened just yesterday. They continued drinking into the night until the stars dotted the sky and the beautiful darkness veiled the horizon.


    He looked up, lost in the view of the stars.


    ¡°Come,¡± Someone had grabbed his arm. Turning over, he saw the ever-powerful Tiamat stood beside him and behind Tiamat, was his smiling friends. ¡°Everyone is waiting for you.¡±


    Haersonca, the tallest of the lot too smiled at him, ¡°Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s time for us to leave.¡±


    He broke into a grin.


    It was time to go, and his friends had left a long time ago, and he was late for far too long.


    He then started walking, with his friends, towards the world basking in starlight¡­


    The rain had died down, and the low rumble in the sky had disappeared. Rheia was still in her original position, with one hand on Berentine¡¯s forehead, and the other holding the latter¡¯s right steel gauntlet.


    A moment later, she let out a gentle sigh and stood up.


    Berentine¡¯s helm fell to the side as it lost its contact, and the various parts on the armor slowly shattered and fell away, and within the armor¡¯s cavity, were nothing.


    ¡°You can finally rest in peace.¡±


    The dark clouds in the sky had faded away, like a heavy lead shell being slashed into two. Even without any sunlight, the light from the divine barrier shone upon the world that was turned upside down within a mere month.


    A ray of light entered the ruined palace and basked the soldiers who were resting beside their weapons. A second ray pierced through the dimensional border, through the remaining clouds, and landed on the disintegrating ancient starships.


    ¡°All units have ceased combat,¡± the combat AI reported.


    The sea of clouds in the world¡¯s depth had totally disappeared, and the distorted and chaotic dimension was rapidly healing, and the ancient echoes of the past could finally be released from thrall of this twisted dimension.


    The dark traces of corruption quickly faded away from their bodies as warriors and vessels from different eras slowly disappeared under the light. The connection between the world¡¯s surface and the world¡¯s depth became even closer than before, and from the sensors outside, Hao Ren could clearly see the continents of L¡¯Haronne.


    This was not the sign of a dimensional collapse, rather, this meant that the distortion of the world had been corrected, and the world¡¯s depth created by the cycle of annihilation was no longer needed, and it was quickly being restored as a part of the normal dimension.


    Lily and Vivian gawked at the changing skies, and words failed them.


    Hao Ren too was lost staring at the scene outside, he saw the terrifying warped skies above the chaotic dimension slowly restoring, as the stars returned to their former looks, while with the recovering stars as the backdrop, a large, argent starship suddenly appeared. Its thrusters were spewing bright flame as it slowly gained speed into the distance, and on the starship¡¯s hull, ¡®The Revelation¡¯ glowed brightly under the starlight.


    Hao Ren stared intently at it until it and the rest of the echoes of the past scattered into light particles and disappeared into the stars.


    Nolan looked down, as she stared at the data from the monitoring station she had left at the planet¡¯s core. It was sent from the ¡°Heart of God¡± a few seconds ago, and there were just two simple sentences.


    ¡°The last of the conduit of annihilation has been destroyed.


    ¡°The war is over.¡±

 Chapter 1745 - The Storm Has Ended

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The once glorious imperial capital was now nothing but ruins, and at this ground zero where the taint of annihilation had erupted, there were no survivors.


    The entire city had been leveled by the great crystalline bombardment and the subsequent advance of mortal armies. Meanwhile, the original soldiers and citizens of the city had all turned into monsters, all disappearing after the death of Emperor Berentine. The heavy downpour not only washed the blood off the ruins, but it had also cleansed the battlefield of smoke and the stench of blood. When light once against pierced through the clouds and shone upon the land, it could only be described as a ¡°new birth¡±.


    The surviving soldiers quickly reorganized under their commanders as they took count of casualties, however, their progress left much to be desired because even their commanders¡¯ eyes were glued to what was in the sky.


    Far above the clear skies, numerous massive starships hovered as seas of combat droids swarmed and moved within the gaps of the starships, and the starships had clear signs of combat. Many of the starships still had sparks all across the hull, and some were even bellowing smoke and there were a few that had totally lost all mobility and were being held by friendly ships using a towing system above the sky, to prevent them from falling onto the ground.


    Once the distorted dimension had fully reset, the echoes of the past had all disappeared, and the fleet hidden on the other side of the world would naturally appear before the L¡¯Harroneans.


    And in fact, what they saw was just a fraction of the fleet that was on the battlefield. Most of the fleet had already left the atmosphere when the dimensional structure was restored, and they were now docked on high orbit, and with the existence of the divine barrier, the people on the ground would not be able to see them, even when using probing magics.


    Thankfully, the appearance of the fleet did not inspire any fear or terror, at least for Constance¡¯s soldiers. As they had already seen the same starships up close, even though it was only three of them.


    Constance was standing before the ruined palace, and she was looking at the city area as smoke were rising from the collapsed building and were rapidly fading away under the light.


    She heard footsteps behind her and before she turned back, she heard Rheia¡¯s voice. ¡°He¡¯s gone. Peacefully. Nothing will interrupt him from now on.¡±


    Constance demurred for a few seconds before nodding lightly. ¡°That is good.¡±


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°¡­To be honest, I don¡¯t know myself.¡± Constance turned over, her face had a rare tinge of doubt. ¡°I can scarcely believe that all of this is over¡­ After so many cycles and rebirths, after fighting a war for countless of years, until the universe resets again and again, and all of this, ended in one day today. The entire power of annihilation, and the process of the world resetting itself¡­ it is really all over?¡±


    ¡°There are still things that you need to do.¡± Rheia grinned. ¡°But that¡¯s not your problem now.¡±


    ¡°Are you¡­ really¡­¡± Constance said as she measured Rheia, ¡°Were the memories I saw after touching the armband real?¡±


    ¡°We had told you from the onset, that we are from the Basilica of the World Tree,¡± Rheia raised her head, her face bore the expression of someone whose prank had worked, ¡°I did not lie to you. I am currently living in the Basilica od the World Tree. Of course, the rest of them could be a little more complicated, but that¡¯s the matter of the other world and its too much trouble to explain it to you. So just treat us as a team.¡±


    ¡°¡­.Is that so,¡± Constance murmured before turning around to look at the resting soldiers and their officers who were milling about. ¡°To be honest, I do not believe in gods.¡±


    ¡°I could see that. I remember what you said in Eagle City, and from there I knew you had strong opinions against the divine.¡±


    ¡°Because for so many turns of the era, the inheritors had survived it themselves, and all we had were the power of man, and the gods¡­ never did appear. The inheritors do not believe in gods and were even scornful of the gods. I was like that, my father was like that.¡±


    ¡°But you had temples all across the empire.¡±


    ¡°That was for the general populace. There¡¯s value in their existence,¡± Constance replied. ¡°The inheritors do not believe in gods, but if faith could be used to maintain the social order, we will use it. That was how we operate.¡±


    A teleportation beam flashed behind the two, and Hao Ren¡¯s voice came, ¡°You¡¯re right, and most of the time, this is the reason for the existence of religious groups in most mortal realms.¡±


    ¡°I already knew what you have done,¡± Constance said as she bowed respectfully towards Hao Ren. ¡°You were fighting against the enemy for this world at somewhere that we could not see, and you did not need to do that.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. This is really part of my job,¡± Hao Ren quickly helped Constance up, ¡°And honestly speaking, you have seen it for yourself. The gods did not just leave you to your own devices, but rather she could not be of help at that time, so would you now consider pushing for a proper religion now? At least towards a real one.¡±


    Constance looked conflicted. ¡°I¡­ I have never thought of this.¡±


    ¡°Give it a try. It¡¯s free anyway.¡± Hao Ren guffawed, ¡°And if you think Rheia¡¯s not a good promotion material I can introduce you to another that. My boss, while she may not be able to administer this place, for now. Our business venture will reach here someday.¡±


    Constance¡¯s conflicted look turned into one of total confusion. ¡°¡­Pardon?¡±


    Rheia immediately glared at Hao Ren, ¡°Why am I not a good promotion material?!¡±


    Seeing how confused Constance was, Hao Ren laughed again, ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯m just joking. You don¡¯t need to work on this just yet, and if possible¡­ please just describe us as a hidden organization in your explanation to the masses.¡±


    Constance was really surprised by this. ¡°But why?¡±


    ¡°Some civilizations need a god, some do not,¡± the one answering that question was Rheia, and her face had turned serious, ¡°Your people have excellent traits, and are the toughest among all mortals I have seen. Even when your civilization had regressed to this level, and the only inheritor was just ¡®this half of you¡¯, but I saw that in those soldiers, the reinforcements from Izzo, the traits in their blood had never changed. Believe me, Constance, your people are not the kind that needs a god. You had relied on your own strength and grit to advance, and you will continue to do so regardless. In this situation, if a god were to appear to protect you, this is a total waste of your potential, and insult even.¡±


    She then continued, ¡°But if you ever need a powerful friend, I am always willing to help. I will hear your voices, and if you run into any problems while rebuilding, you can look for me too. I can hear you. But don¡¯t make me the object of your faith, and do not worship me, this is to prevent you from shackling yourselves. You need to know, once I have become the object of your faith, toppling it would not be as simple as that.¡±


    ¡°In this battle, the God of Dawn did not appear, neither the God of Dusk. No gods had appeared at all. Understand?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ understand.¡± Constance said in a daze as her vision trained on Rheia, ¡°I never thought to hear about the idea of atheism from a god herself. You actually rejected the faith of men, and this is not what I had expected¡­ Are you all like this?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much,¡± Rheia shrugged, ¡°Just like how utilitarian the inheritors were, we operate the same way as well. Some races have nerves of steel, and the backbone to go along with it, having a religious faith could instead be a slow poison, while some races needed faith to focus their strength and grow in the name of god. This is not something shameful, as all civilizations are different.¡±


    At that moment, Hao Ren took out the MDT and took a glance at the holographic projection, before waving his hand, ¡°I think the matter of religion can be discussed later, and we better focus on our tasks ahead. Constance, I want to borrow something from you.¡±


    ¡°Borrow something?¡± Constance asked, her tone curious. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°The Scepter of Sovereignty,¡± Hao Ren said, ¡°It is actually the control unit of the Heart of God.¡±


    Constance¡¯s eyes once again widened in surprise.


    The Scepter of Sovereignty that had been passed on for each and every turn of the era had been taken out and was floating before everyone with its own power.


    ¡°¡­We had thought that the scepter was an object to perform the turn of the era,¡± Constance said as she looked intently at the scepter. ¡°The ancestor civilization had created it, but all of us had forgotten its true usage¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because it has a final defense protocol, and on the final battlefield of each Turn, the scepter will be part of the final defensive line, and once the line is broken the world will restart, so as time passes, your people taking it as a ritual object for the Turn would not be surprising at all.¡± Hao Ren explained slowly, as he took the scepter, ¡°Even when I said I¡¯m borrowing it¡­ you sure there¡¯s no problem with that?¡±


    ¡°The Turns of the Eras had ended, the Scepter of Sovereignty or the Heart of God is no longer needed for us,¡± Constance said flatly, ¡°Plus it has so many levels of technological difference compared to our current era, and as of now, we do not even have the ability to reach the Heart of God. Even if we advanced far enough one day, we may go on a totally different technological route, and for an ancient relic that cannot even be studied¡­ it would better if it is handed over to someone who can find use in it.¡±


    As she said, her lips curled, ¡°Furthermore, all of you had saved this world, do we even have anything of value to offer you?¡±


    ¡°Then, don¡¯t mind me,¡± Hao Ren kept the scepter. ¡°We¡¯ll put the Heart of God to good use.¡±


    Constance smiled, before speaking again with a slight lament, ¡°The Heart of God¡­ I am curious. What sort of feeling did our ancestors have when they gave it that name? Perhaps they were really looking for divine deliverance during their despair¡­¡±


    ¡°While the deliverance may have been a little late, but it still came at last.¡± Hao Ren laughed as he and the rest disappeared into the teleportation beam.

 Chapter 1746 - The Heart of God

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    L¡¯Harrone, the Planetary Core.


    The engineering droids had already completed their scan of the cool planet¡¯s heart from tip to toe. They had erected all sorts of research and engineering units around its outer shell, with towers and connecting tubes linked to the core. That gave Hao Ren the feeling of an ongoing ¡°surgery¡±.


    It was as if the planet¡¯s core was being prepared to go under the knife¡­


    ¡°This is technically similar to surgery.¡± Nolan laughed after she listened to Hao Ren¡¯s thoughts. ¡°The Heart of God is located deep within the planet¡¯s core, and it is covered by the usual metals and rock layers. You¡¯ll need to cut it apart to take it out anyway. Plus, the Heart of God was originally soaked in the lava, but after the planet was torn in two, the core rapidly cooled down, and the Heart of God was sealed deep within the hardened lava.¡±


    Hao Ren raised his eyebrow. ¡°But its ability to affect the information outside is not impeded.¡±


    Nolan shrugged. ¡°Its operations are based on the laws of the universe. Mere material impact won¡¯t do much to it.¡±


    As she said, she commanded the engineering droids to commence the cutting of the solid rock shell around the core of the planet.


    About a dozen engineering droids flew above the cutting point as the connecting tubes and support scaffolding retracted away. A moment later, blinding cutter beams blasted out from the engineering droids, and started slicing a series of bright and melting lines.


    The other engineering droids soon followed as they activated their tractor beams, and started pulling the cut shells and melted materials away.


    Lily lay on the railings as she stared at the holographic projection, her tail wagging excitedly. ¡°Oh oh oh! This reminds me of the scene when we dug the First Born out of Holletta! But the whole commotion created by the Aerymian engineering vessels is much larger than this!¡±


    ¡°We are doing precision engineering here, how can excavating an ancient tech be compared to digging the thick-skinned First Born out?¡± Hao Ren gave Lily the eye, as his gaze fell on the latter¡¯s wagging tail, and he tugged the tip of her tail. ¡°Say, did you bump your head earlier after transforming? You had been wagging for almost two hours now, and not feeling tired at all?¡±


    ¡°Wah!¡± Lily yelped as she almost leaped up before turning and glared at Hao Ren. ¡°Mr. Landlord you scared the heck out of me! I told you many times to tell me first before you grab my tail! I¡¯ll get tail cramps!¡±


    Vivian rolled her eyes too. ¡°You sure love toying with Doggie. Not scared that she¡¯ll bite?¡±


    Hao Ren sniggered before turning away to look at the outer shell of the Heart of God that was being excavated. ¡°Say¡­ is that thing the ¡®vaccine¡¯ we are looking for? It doesn¡¯t feel real at this stage¡­¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel real to me too,¡± The spacing out (in reality, was doing her homework) Rheia suddenly responded too, ¡°The situation of this world is so different from what we had thought it was. The Mad Lord was not weakened by something, rather the local ancestral civilization had forcibly extended the universe¡¯s existence using technology, and while it may have achieved the aim of ¡®suppressing the destructive powers of the taint of madness¡¯, but I dare not say that the Heart of God has a vaccination property.¡±


    As she said, the intensity of the cutter beams had lowered before stopping altogether while the traction droids dragged the debris from the excavation away, and a two-kilometer-wide, uneven diamond-shaped entrance had appeared on the planet¡¯s core.


    Beneath the gap, there was an argent gloss.


    Hao Ren and the rest boarded a small shuttle away from the Petrachelys and soon arrived that the base of the excavation that was still extremely hot.


    With advanced cutter beams and continuous gravity traction clearing the way, the excavation site was unusually clean and did not have too much debris that needed to be cleared. After leaving the shuttle that Hao Ren realized that the argent material was actually an alloy shell.


    It felt almost like a titanium alloy, but the data from all of the instruments showed that its strength was about the same as the Creation¡¯s Engine.


    There were a large number of lines on the surface of the shell as if it was the surface of a circuit board that was filled with circuits, and between the lines, a white glow waxed and waned.


    The waxing and waning matched the ¡°heartbeat¡± that Nolan had heard earlier.


    ¡°I can even hear heartbeats.¡± Nolan¡¯s image appeared on the projection and she was still monitoring all the data coming from the monitoring instruments, ¡°Heartbeat stable, the Heart of God is in a very calm state now.¡±


    Hao Ren casually quipped, ¡°Are you still maintaining contact with it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, our datalink never disconnected,¡± Nolan replied. ¡°I have transferred over the cipher from the Foundation Stones to my unique language repository, and now I can directly speak to the Heart of God. But it does not have advanced intelligence, and as a device meant to restart the universe, it had dedicated most of its computation ability to the world re-creation module, and its ability to think is rather basic.¡±


    Hao Ren was not all that surprised. ¡°Yeah¡­ it does not really need to process any complicated stuff, and if it was too intelligent¡­ god knows what sort of nonsense will happen after so many cycles of annihilation.¡±


    Vivian looked down at the alloy ¡°surface¡± that she was stepping on, and while the gravity pull around the core was weak but the moment she touched the surface of the Heart of God she felt the gravity was about the same as Earth¡¯s, and that allowed her to stand stably.


    ¡°This surface seems to have a layer over it,¡± Lily said as she squatted down and used her claws to scratch the surface. She found that her nails did not actually touch the alloy as if a layer of energy shielding had prevented her from doing so, ¡°Seems like a shield?¡±


    ¡°Yes, this is a protective shield.¡± Hao Ren said as he pulled out the Scepter of Sovereignty out from his dimensional pocket, ¡°The data from the Foundation Stones only contains surface level authorization, and can only open the Heart of God on a data level, but the Heart of God itself is still has a physical protection, and this shield is that thing. I had Nolan open a hole here just because the connecting port to disable this shield is close by.¡±


    He slammed the end of the scepter down onto the surface of the Heart of God.


    The moment they two made contact, layers upon layers of glowing lines appeared from the point of contact and the light spread out like ripples upon a lake¡¯s surface. And at the same time, Hao Ren felt a series of shuddering underneath him.


    He lifted the scepter and slammed it once again on the surface of the Heart of God, and the rippling rings of light became a continuous halo and the shuddering became more and more pronounced.


    ¡°Is this thing supposed to be used this way?¡± Lily mumbled to Vivian, ¡°Won¡¯t Mr. Landlord wreck it?¡±


    ¡°Not everyone is a clueless brute like you, you know?¡± Vivian gave the doggie a measured disdain. ¡°You can even wreck the door by just opening it, there¡¯s nothing that won¡¯t get wrecked in your hands.¡±


    And while the two continued to mumble at each other, Hao Ren had already stopped.


    Nolan¡¯s voice then rang, ¡°Boss, the barrier is about to go offline!¡±


    ¡°Pull the engineering droids back.¡± Hao Ren looked at the debris that was falling from the shuddering, and as he lifted the scepter he turned to Vivian and the rest. ¡°Let¡¯s step back for a bit! The Heart of God¡¯s shell is about to crack!¡±


    The engineering droids were already prepared and the moment the Heart of God started shuddering, they quickly pulled back and by the time that Hao Ren and the rest had teleported to a ¡®safe zone¡¯ a few kilometers away, the outer shell of the Heart of God fully opened.


    The blackish-red shell of the planet¡¯s core cracked open in many places as a small amount of molten lava spewed out from the cracks and threw a huge amount of debris all around and the outer shell rapidly expanded as if it could no longer hold the internal pressure of the core, and a low hum later, the hardened ¡®protective shell¡¯ finally shattered.


    But the cooled outer shell was not Hao Ren¡¯s concern, they were literally nothing in the eyes of the legendary excavating professional, the Sun King that had previously dug two First Born out of Holletta, and this was pretty much another excavation work that needed more time, but the most important matter was¡­ the shielding that came with the Heart of God had finally deactivated.


    It had appeared in whole before everyone and was now controllable.


    It was a massive silver orb structure, but it was not as ¡®smooth¡¯ as Hao Ren had imagined. He was fooled by the alloy surface, and in fact, that surface he saw was just a platform on the outer shell.


    Across the five-kilometer wide sphere, there were countless of hexagonal platforms scattered unevenly across the surface, and some even had odd spiral and tubular-shaped structures. Some of them seemed like an enlarged data port while some looked like a connecting framework to an even bigger structure while countless of crystal-like objects grew around the hexagonal platform and the tubular structures, bizarre and beautiful at the same time.


    Lily started mumbling again, ¡°Seems like this thing had been connected to some other thing before¡­¡±


    ¡°It is, the Heart of God was not created independently, and it was originally installed on all sorts of platforms.¡± Nolan¡¯s projection appeared above the data terminal. ¡°At first, a planetary starship was its ¡®throne¡¯, and the starship was called ¡®Mokhra¡¯, but after a few eras Mokhra was destroyed and the Heart of God was installed by the people of the latter eras on different things, a star fort, a massive starship, and even on the planet¡¯s surface. Installing it in the planet¡¯s core was something done a few eras back. By then, L¡¯Harronean civilizations had lost the ability to operate or access the Heart of God and did not even know what it was for. The Heart of God had looked for a ¡®safe sanctuary¡¯ by itself, a backup protocol after not receiving any external commands.


    Hao Ren kept silent and tightened his grip on the Scepter of Sovereignty as he looked at the glowing ¡®mini planet¡¯ surrounded by the shattered fragments of the core.


    At this moment, a torrent of data and information were surging into his mind through the scepter.


    Vivian finally noticed Hao Ren¡¯s silence and slight stupor and asked concernedly, ¡°Hao Ren? Hao Ren? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    After a few calls only did Hao Ren broke out of his stupor. He quickly waved his hand, ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine. The Heart of God had sent me an instruction manual through the scepter¡­¡±


    Everyone was confused. ¡°A manual?¡±


    Hao Ren broke into a smile as he turned towards Rheia. ¡°Weren¡¯t we cracking our heads about the missing high-efficiency core for the Creation¡¯s Engine? We now have one!¡±

 Chapter 1747 - Vaccine

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The function of the Heart of God was simple. The ancient civilization had created it to be the universe¡¯s final safety protocol: right before the power of annihilation destroyed every order in the world, the Heart of God would activate and restart the entire world.


    However, to realize that simple function, they had to put in an inordinate amount of effort.


    To reset the world, even when using rough unrefined technology, still required a high level of understanding and control of the laws of the universe. They needed to be able to interfere with base universal data, and most importantly, possess a terrifying computational ability.


    Most of the Heart of God¡¯s modules were dedicated computation units, and the rest of its modules were used to realize the interference of the base universal laws and the connection ports to the various other equipment.


    ¡°I have gotten the detailed parameters from the scepter, and while most of the parameter data is still quite beyond me, but its computational ability is pretty clear cut, and the Heart of God can fulfill the need of the Creation¡¯s Engine.¡± As he noticed the debris of the shattered planet¡¯s core swiftly cleared by the cleanup crew, Hao Ren turned to Rheia. ¡°Of course, while the hardware may be up to par, it is still two different technologies, and we will need to tune the operating program and language translation, plus the initial design of the Heart of God did not provide it any auxiliary computational ability, and you will need to work on that.¡±


    ¡°An up to par hardware is good enough!¡± Rheia was surprised, ¡°I already have the software needed, and now we even have the cipher, tweaking this won¡¯t take long. But the size of this thing doesn¡¯t match the core chamber of the Creation¡¯s Engine, and I need to change the engine¡¯s internal structure for a bit. Meh, not a big deal.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded as he looked at the engineering droids flying around the Heart of God as they installed thrusters and a dimensional bubble generator before saying, ¡°Speaking of which, Nolan, didn¡¯t you say that the data from the Heart of God¡¯s data vault said that the ancestral civilization had used the heart of their high leader to create it?¡±


    Nolan did not understand the question. ¡°Yes, what of it?¡±


    Hao Ren rubbed his chin. ¡°Hmmm¡­ should I call him brave-hearted or something¡­¡±


    ¡°Your nonsense is on par with Doggie¡¯s!¡± Vivian was stunned, ¡°You can tell this civilization¡¯s tech tree had already reached the conceptual level just by looking! God knows what they actually meant when they talked about pulling the heart out, and there was subsequent work as well!¡±


    ¡°Ah, that makes sense.¡± Hao Ren mumbled as he ruffled his hair. As he turned his gaze towards the Heart of God his expression turned serious, ¡°Regardless, the unnamed kings that had sacrificed so much for the creation of this heart could now rest in peace¡­L¡¯Haronne had survived in the end, and the apocalypse and the cycle of annihilation were ended as well. They had delayed the end of the world for so many times, and this time, it is delayed indefinitely for good¡­.¡±


    ¡°No, the apocalypse will still come, partner. The universe does have an age limit, and nothing is eternal,¡± the MDT said. ¡°But, at least this time around, they would not perish in of an out-of-no-where ¡®annihilation¡¯ or in a hopeless battle.¡±


    ¡°This broken universe will end someday, but that day is in the far distant future, perhaps even far beyond when the L¡¯Haronnean civilization reestablishes its self and surpass its ancestors,¡± Rheia softly said, ¡°and I have a plan¡­¡±


    Hao Ren gave her a curious glance. ¡°What plan?¡±


    ¡°The L¡¯Haronneans are stuck on this planet, and there¡¯s nothing but the void outside. While the divine barrier had protected them, but the day where this lonely planet would be their sole isolated island, and under that situation, restoring their civilization to the level of their ancestors is nothing but a dream,¡± Rheia said seriously. ¡°The Umbral Realm is controlled by independent dimensional laws, so I cannot just drag it into the Plane of Dreams, so I plan to create a sea of stars here, just like the seas we saw when The Revelation departed. I have recorded them down, and while I don¡¯t know which era was it, but the L¡¯Haronneans had once bathed under that starlight¡­ I want to return it to them.¡±


    ¡°Create a sea of stars for them huh, a great idea,¡± Hao Ren was touched by Rheia¡¯s plan, but he had some questions, ¡°But can you do it? For the proper creation deities of the Three Great Pantheons, this is probably easy, but you probably won¡¯t be able to achieve that now¡­ you are looking at millions upon billions of stars and planets, and a vast space to go along. Their scale will be way larger than the Umbral Realm itself.¡±


    ¡°I will study hard,¡± Rheia waved her fist before her chest, ¡°Plus, the chaotic area of the Umbral Realm is not without anything, there are many information fragments floating around its edge. I can retrieve the materials needed to create the stars from there and I had also recently learned how to create a field of order in the void, and also about the world barrier. I can re-create the world barrier of the Umbral Realm, and allow it to expand¡­¡±


    As she spoke, Rheia had a confident look on her face. ¡°Perhaps I will need many years to pull this off, but I will master it. I want to complete this before the L¡¯Haronneans gain the ability to traverse the stars, and when I help them to open the barrier on their planet, BOO! Surprise!¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll need to buck up,¡± Lily reminded her earnestly, ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the ability of man to climb up the tech tree. They would already be sending orbital probes into space while you are still busy plastering pictures on other planets. That will be so embarrassing.¡±


    And as usual, the werehusky¡¯s train of thought was beyond everyone else.


    Rheia still had not gotten used to the way the werehusky communicates, and she actually seriously pondered the matter. A clap later she said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll set up a vision screen first, and then try to bamboozle them calling it a gravitational or dimensional distortion, and take it off after I complete everything. By the time they have advanced to the point of understanding the truth of the universe and will no longer be affected by the gods, I will tell them everything there is all DLC¡­¡±


    Hao Ren almost fell off the sky the moment he heard that. ¡°Where the hell did DLC even came from? How did we get derailed from a serious topic to this?¡±


    Vivian, without a word, pointed at the werehusky with an innocent look plastered on her face.


    ¡°Lily, reign in your imagination a little!¡± Hao Ren rolled his eyes at the werehusky. ¡°Rheia is still schooling, don¡¯t be a bad influence!¡±


    He then turned to Rheia, ¡°You don¡¯t have to take her seriously most of the time. It¡¯s already a miracle if she uses her head half of the time, and especially in this bloody hot place, her intell¡­ Eh, Lily, why are you biting me?!!¡±


    Rheia looked at Hao Ren and then at Lily who was biting hard on his arm. She felt that she really needed to study hard¡­


    At that very moment, Nolan¡¯s holographic projection appeared beside everyone, as she looked at Hao Ren who got bitten for his good-for-nothing mouth, before speaking with a flat tone, ¡°Boss, a new discovery.¡±


    Nolan¡¯s voice sounded like an angel¡¯s, and Hao Ren used the opportunity to slide his arm out of Lily¡¯s fangs. ¡°Alright, stop it. We have serious business now. What did you find?¡±


    Nolan only said one word, ¡°Vaccine.¡±


    Not only Hao Ren who was checking the bite marks on his arm, or Lily who was licking her fang for a second bite, or Vivian and Rheia who were watching by the side, all of them were stunned as they heard the word.


    A moment later, an engineering droid came before everyone and before the droid, a mechanical arm held a black, obsidian-like stone plate.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Hao Ren frowned. ¡°Is that a Foundation Stone?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is a Foundation Stone, or rather the ¡®mother lode¡¯ of all Foundation Stones.¡± Nolan said, ¡°It was stored in a special chamber inside the Heart of God, and the security was exceedingly tight, and if not for the Scepter of Sovereignty giving us full control rights, I didn¡¯t even know this chamber existed.¡±


    ¡°How is the Foundation Stone a ¡®vaccine?¡± Hao Ren was rather confused, ¡°Based on what information we have, the ancestral civilization never did come out with a vaccine no?¡±


    ¡°They did not. This ¡®vaccine¡¯ was created by itself after so many turn of the eras,¡± Nolan explained. ¡°The Foundation Stone is just as its namesake, a foundation for the recreation of the universe. Due to their incomplete technology, the ancestral civilization could not freely manipulate the laws of the universe like the gods. They had to set up countless of ¡®relays¡¯ to realize the function of the Heart of God, the Foundation Stone are those ¡®relays¡¯. In every turn, the Heart of God needs ti first collate a vast amount of data from the entire universe, before copying and restarting, and after restarting it will need set up new data collection and insertion points, so the Foundation Stones are not only the cipher for the Heart of God, it is also their¡­¡±


    ¡°Sensors and output terminal?¡± Hao Ren completed her sentence for her. ¡°I get it, so this piece here¡­¡±


    ¡°All Foundation Stones are cloned from it, and after the word is annihilated, the data of all of the destroyed Foundation Stones will be transferred into this ¡®mother lode¡¯. This process is quite akin to a material projection but much cruder.¡± Nolan appraised the technology of the ancestral civilization and revealed how the Foundation Stones had become a ¡®vaccine¡¯. ¡°The Heart of Gods origination protocol will totally reset the taint of madness in this universe, and the Foundation Stone will also be reset, but after this process had gone on and on, and in one of this process, something happened, and it was unknown which era this flaw had appeared, and one of the Foundation Stones had completed the upload while being tainted.


    Hao Ren raised an eyebrow immediately, ¡°That serious?! And the Heart of God was not infected?¡±


    ¡°No, if the Mad Lord¡¯s main body was in this universe, then the taint would have spread, but this universe only has the Mad Lord¡¯s remaining power, and that is not too difficult to remedy.¡± Nolan shook her head. ¡°The Heart of God probably detected the system anomaly during one of its diagnostics, and in the log, I¡¯ve found a period of time where it had been resetting a few key processes in increasing frequency. This is probably one of the reasons why the memories of the heritor souls were damaged. But regardless, its emergency process created an unexpected effect, and the taint inside the Foundation Stone¡­ was converted, and this Foundation Stone is now the vaccine that we are looking for.¡±

 Chapter 1748 - Leaving LHaronne

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Looking at the Motherlode that had turned into a ¡°vaccine¡±, Hao Ren could not help but lament, ¡°This whole process does sound very real¡­ and a vaccine creation process is actually something like that.¡±


    ¡°At times, the operation of the universe is like an organism, and many things in the universe are interwoven,¡± the MDT said rather carefreely. ¡°Like how the health bar gets longer as you fight, and the skin getting thicker as you punch it, something like that¡­¡±


    ¡°That metaphor is problematic on all fronts¡­¡± Hao Ren raised an eyebrow, ¡°And what¡¯s the deal with the health bar getting longer as you fight, that¡¯s a bloody bug!¡±


    ¡°I thought of turning it on its head¡­ but somehow that eluded me.¡±


    Hao Ren pursed his lips as he refocused on the matter of the vaccine: After inspection, the black obelisk was stored by the engineering droids into a large container, and the container was teleported first back to the Basilica of the World Tree for proper storage and further studies. He then asked Rheia on the plan for the vaccine, ¡°Say, what do you plan to do with this?¡±


    ¡°I would need to see the detailed reports first before I can come up with something.¡± Rheia pondered. ¡°But after seeing the preliminary data I have some idea. The Motherlode is equipped with a data duplication trait, and we can probably use it as an ¡®information source¡¯, and do a wide-range broadcast in areas where the Mad Lord is active, the vaccine will weaken its taint and suppress the spread of the taint, and these two points are where it is most dangerous. If we are able to use it right, we will be able to control the battlefield during the final battle.¡±


    Hao Ren sighed softly, ¡°If that could work, then that¡¯s for the best¡­ being able to control the battlefield and the spread of the taint, that means we can reduce the losses and casualties¡­ As quite a few planets on the Plane of Dreams are now regrowing their ecosystems, these planets would need all the help they can get.¡±


    ¡°We need to move the Heart of God away, right?¡± Vivian looked at the direction of the Heart of God, and the debris around the heart was mostly cleared now, and the engineering droids were busy installing thrusters and warp generators to allow the Heart the ability to move freely. ¡°But if we were to tear something this big from the core of L¡¯Haronne¡­ would it not affect the planet?¡±


    ¡°Almost none.¡± Hao Ren shook his head, ¡°L¡¯Haronne is unique in that its core had already lost contact with the rest of the planet, and the planet¡¯s geothermal system had already cooled down for so many years and there¡¯s little to no seismic activity, and any changes to the crust is affected by divine powers rather than the core itself. Of course, our engineering works here will somewhat change the deepest level of the World¡¯s Scar, but the L¡¯Haronneans have never encountered this level yet, so any changes to this level will not really affect their progress. At most, we¡¯ll provide the original environmental perimeters in the form of a data vault to a few countries on the surface, and when they have progressed to the point that they can analyze these data, they can see it as a historical record.¡±


    And after that, it was a peaceful few days.


    The Heart of God had been successfully moved to the Plane of Dreams for further studies and the modification works had also officially commenced; the study of the vaccine too was progressing smoothly, and as they had full rights to access the heart¡¯s system, the rate of process astounded even themselves.


    Yet, these things were pretty distant for the L¡¯Haronneans.


    The sudden war had caused catastrophic destruction beyond anyone¡¯s comprehension. The power of Annihilation was beyond the understanding of the normal folks who had no idea of the Turn of the Eras. No disasters, natural or man-made could compare to it.


    Even with the help from their ¡®outlander allies¡¯, and the war was won in a very short period, as the source of the annihilation outbreak, the Dragon Empire was heavily wounded and the heartlands of the empire was reduced into a wasteland, many of the towns there were destroyed, and the closer it was to the imperial capital, the destruction was more and more thorough. From above, it looked like a black flower of decay had bloomed in the center of the empire as wastelands were spread out in all directions with the imperial capital at the heart, and anywhere the black taint touched, the light of civilization was snuffed out.


    The north and the south of the empire fared much better. The Count of the Southern Realm, Count Naaem had risen in rebellion at the first moment with Greymountain as his base, and he quickly got rid of the Ebon Blades in the nearby towns and cities. He had also created on the plains a vast, bee-hive like exclusion zone, and that saved a great number of the southern civilians. And while the monsters had torn quite a few holes in Count Naaem¡¯s defensive lines, but at the very least a few key towns and cities survived; Things were much better up north. As the Army of the North had gone on the offensive, and even when pushed back into the northern six realms for a moment, their advanced had not stopped since they were reinforced by the guardians. Thus the taint had never managed to enter the interior of the six provinces and only left a few dents by the border.


    However, the north was a cold and harsh place. It was never prosperous, to begin with, and even when they were intact, the ¡°value¡± of the northern six realms and the half-destroyed south was about the same.


    Aside from these two realms, the east and the west of the empire too had suffered the taint of annihilation, and the situation in both areas was not positive, but compared to the totally ruined heartlands¡­ they were at least salvageable.


    Night had come, and Constance had completed her day¡¯s work. Released from the heavy demands of civil administration, she came to the open-air terrace. Looking at the clear night sky, she took a deep breath, before letting it out slowly.


    The faint charred stench still permeated in the air, this was the scent of the land that had yet to heal.


    This was not a glorious palace or a fortress in Snowfrost City, neither it was any of the temporary palaces. It was a noble¡¯s manor by the edge of Eagle City. The original owner of the manor had already escaped, and whether he was alive or not it was unknown, and this place, after some patching up, became Constance¡¯s abode.


    It was much better than most places. At least it still had walls around it.


    Constance looked at the direction of the imperial capital, she could of course not see anything, but she remembered clearly the scene when the city was reduced to ash: In order to cleanse the last remaining taint after the death of Emperor Berentine, and to prevent the special monsters who had not totally died off from being a menace later, Rheia had ordered for the city to be reduced to dust, and now the imperial capital was nothing but charred ground, and aside from a few ancient cultural artifacts and mementos, there was nothing left there.


    So, Eagle City had become the emergency capital in these trying times.


    Thankfully the city¡¯s magical relay towers could still be used, or else Constance would be facing the difficult situation of beating the monsters but losing contact with the army trapped within the ruins.


    A flash of light appeared behind her, and as Constance turned back, she saw her few ¡°outlander friends¡± standing behind her.


    ¡°How¡¯s it like being an empress?¡±


    Hao Ren looked at the ¡®princess¡¯ before him and asked with a guffaw.


    ¡°Tiring as hell,¡± Constance did not bother with the usual pretense before her special friends and answered honestly, ¡°Frankly speaking, I had never thought I¡¯d need to do all of this after becoming empress¡­ I never actually thought this war would end so quickly, and to actually win it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s normal to feel bewildered when you originally intend to perish together with the enemy, and for some reason, you come back victorious,¡± Lily said. ¡°This was like the first time I went to Beijing University, and I got lost for the first time in my life when I saw the canteen¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Just ignore her. She¡¯s talking about things in another world,¡± Vivian said as she pushed Lily aside. ¡°As for you¡­ you are not the type to give up, so all the best.¡±


    Constance smiled. ¡°Thank you for the encouragement, and it is quite manageable. With about a dozen clones, my work can be delegated a little, and once Grand Duke Owen has recovered, I can hand the matters of the North to him, and that will take some burden off my shoulders as well.¡±


    ¡°Have Charlemagne and Awenna returned to Izzo?¡± Hao Ren nodded.


    ¡°They left yesterday with the soldiers from the White Cities,¡± Constance said as she cracked a joke, ¡°With the Dragon Empire in its current state¡­ we sure can¡¯t feed them all.¡±


    ¡°I heard Charlemagne lost an arm.¡± Hao Ren rubbed his chin. ¡°I actually wanted to have a look, but it seems like you have fixed that for him?¡±


    ¡°Biological engineering and prosthetics is a key expertise of the Dragon Empire, and Charlemagne asked for a rather intricate mechanical arm, rejecting our suggestion to clone it.¡± Constance pursed her lips and said, ¡°That arm and this war will be his capital, and if things go as they should, the future king of Izzo will be him.¡±


    Rheia looked at Constance in the eye with approval. ¡°Seems like you have gotten your house in order pretty well, seems like there¡¯s no need for us to continue helping.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve done more than enough for us.¡± Constance gave a deep bow. ¡°And for the road ahead, let us walk it ourselves.¡±


    ¡°All the best, tread your path well.¡± Rheia held her hand out as she touched Constance¡¯s hair with a gentle smile on her face. ¡°When you are able to beyond this planet, I will prepare a big present¡­¡±


    Constance looked up, and there was no one before her.


    ¡°A present¡­¡± Constance looked into the distance,, and in the ruined city under the veil of night, pockets of fire lit up, as the survivors gathered around like the original ancestors who had first founded the land and relied upon that tiny fire to dispel the darkness, and make it through the long night.


    ¡°Surviving itself is a great enough gift.¡±


    After going through the teleportation gate of the basilica, the fresh and vibrant air in the basilica got everyone taking in a deep breath.


    ¡°So, do we just leave it like that,¡± Vivian asked, ¡°Their days to come will be difficult, and while in the taint of madness had been purified in many places, the ruined lands will need plenty of time to heal, and the rebuilding of the Dragon Empire will be far more difficult than its founding.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Rheia said, ¡°I believe they can go far, and we¡­ we have things that we need to do.¡±

 Chapter 1749 - A New Storm Is Brewing

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    At the lounge in the Basilica of the World Tree, Y¡¯zaks was laughing heartily as he looked at Hao Ren who was lying on the sofa like a salted fish. ¡°You lot sure took your sweet time. I thought that trip would have taken at most a few days. You ended up leaving for more than a month.¡±


    ¡°The L¡¯Haronnean case is just so complicated. My biggest headache now is how do I even write my report.¡± Hao Ren looked defeated. ¡°Thankfully, everything was resolved rather well, and we even managed to dig up some treasure and also give Rheia a long term target.¡±


    ¡°I saw the thing that you brought back.¡± Y¡¯zaks nodded. ¡°I heard that it is going to the assembly factory of the Creation¡¯s Engine.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Right, and with that, the Creation¡¯s Engine is completed, and the biggest trump card we need is completed. But say, I never thought you guys would stay here. I assumed you guys were lounging back home.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks smiled as he looked at the Nangong siblings who were chatting with Lily and Rollie who was jumping up and down excitedly while playing with Y¡¯lisabet and shrugged. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to do staying at home anyway, so we¡¯ll come here once in a while. Plus we had been involved in the various cases of the Plane of Dreams and we do have quite an understanding of the matter here. With Salaman and his guardians just returning, they would seek us out to inquire about some info.¡±


    As he spoke, a slightly helpless expression appeared on his face, ¡°And of course, the other reason is to walk the cat¡­ She¡¯ll go crazy if she stays indoors more than three days, so rather than let her wreak havoc in town, might as well bring her over here to play.¡±


    In a daze, Hao Ren looked at the catgirl who had already clambered up to the top of the vines, and was aghast, ¡°That rascal is still not used to living in human civilization? I remembered that she had actually learned how to shop and buy her own clothes¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s her suppressing her natural instincts,¡± Vivian¡¯s vice came from Hao Ren¡¯s back, ¡°She being a good girl was just because she had fish jerky to eat after finishing her task, other than that when she¡¯s up to her nonsense she never holds back. She was a stray cat after all.¡±


    As they spoke, the catgirl who was climbing all over the massive vines suddenly scampered over as she ran circles around Hao Ren. ¡°Are you talking about me, nya?¡±


    Hao Ren patted her on the head, ¡°Yeah, yeah. You¡¯re everywhere alright, your ears are as sharp as Lily¡¯s¡­Huh?!¡±


    A sudden feeling that could not be described assaulted him out of nowhere, and Hao Ren could not help but stop.


    It was not only him, everyone in the Basilica had felt that sudden shock, and everyone, including the busy and whimsical sprites, all stopped where they stood and looked around confused.


    The sudden palpitation was beyond words, and no one knew where did it come from. That feeling suddenly plunged himself into a dark and chaotic world, the world was covered in fog, and you could not tell anything from your surroundings, but yet you could clearly feel that deep within the mist, an overwhelmingly terrifying monster had awakened, and it had noticed every soul within the mist¡­


    The next second later, that feeling faded away, and a light appeared in the center of the hall. As it faded away, Rheia appeared before everyone.


    Y¡¯zaks¡¯ eyebrows were furrowed as he looked at the goddess of creation, ¡°Could that possibly be¡­¡±


    ¡°The ¡®Pulse¡± of the Mad Lord,¡± Rheia quickly explained. ¡°One of the alarms I had set in the Umbral Realm had sent out an alarm to the entire universe.¡±


    Hao Ren quickly stopped playing with the cat, and his slothful demeanor totally disappeared as he swiftly grabbed the MDT. ¡°To the Comms Center!¡±


    The Comms Center is located within the Basilica of the World Tree, but its structure and style were totally different compared with the other places in the basilica. The place was filled with blue crystals and argent alloy frames as all sorts of Xiling-styled facilities, and rather than calling it a part of the Basilica, it was more like it was the extension of CARS, and in fact, it was such.


    The Comms Center was a projection of a part of CARS, and its functions were cobbled together by CARS and Hao Ren¡¯s various other facilities in the Plane of Dreams and consolidated into a single data link. They had also established a connection with the Basilica of the World Tree and all sorts of data networks left by the goddess of creation. All of the temporary connection ports Hao Ren had earlier set up in the Basilica had all been moved into the center, and its existence had increased the stability and efficiency of all functions.


    In the hall, Hao Ren saw Asurman and Lemendusa¡¯s projections, and the moment that ¡®universal alarm signal¡¯ went off, the two had come online.


    As Hao Ren stepped into the hall, a few other holographic projections were activated one by one as Muru, Loken, Salaman and a few others appeared.


    ¡°We have confirmed that the Dark Abyss had released the first level alert, and the signal came from the ancient defense system the goddess had set up.¡± Asurman¡¯s was the first to speak. It had taken the responsibility of monitoring the Dark Abyss and the scheduled contact with the Nightwatchers, and it was natural for it to be the first to report. ¡°That aside, we have also made emergency contact with the Nightwatchers, and have confirmed that the defensive layer was the system was located had gone silent after the alert was released, and is now totally lost.¡±


    Rheia frowned, ¡°We can confirm that that defensive layer is totally done for¡­ How about the Nightwatchers stationed there?¡±


    ¡°As they have pulled back in time, the Nightwatchers have all moved to the central defensive line, and they are pulling out into the outer levels in batches, no losses so far.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good¡­¡± Rheia let out a soft sigh of relief, ¡°I have set up another alarm system¡­ no response as of now?¡±


    ¡°Not at the moment.¡±


    ¡°How severe is a Level One alert?¡± Hao Ren looked at Rheia.


    ¡°It¡¯s only second to the highest Level Zero alert,¡± Rheia said. ¡°Level One means that all containment measures are about to be or have been breached, and the prison is about to fail. As for Level Zero¡­ Level Zero is no longer a warning, it is a notification to the entire universe, that all seals have been broken, and containment has totally failed while the Mad Lord is fully active. Rather than an alert, it is more like last words.¡±


    Hao Ren heard a few gasps behind him, and he too was no exception, ¡°So Level One is technically the highest alert¡­ how long do we have before it becomes Level Zero?¡±


    Rheia did not immediately reply, as she turned towards the large volume of data Asurman had sent over, as countless of holographic projections circled her with leaping perimeters and graphs depicting the situation of the collapsed dimension at the heart of the universe. A few seconds of calculation later, she turned back, ¡°We have at most two months, and this is after including the delaying effect of the remaining prison structure after it fails, and the delaying action the Nightwatchers can take, but we cannot risk losing them in there, so if things worsen, we might not even have two months.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s prepare based on the worst-case scenario.¡± Hao Ren replied, as he turned to Lemendusa. ¡°How long does it take to complete the Creation¡¯s Engine?¡±


    ¡°The connection port for the Heart of God has been completed, and the internal container structure will be completed within three days, and the assembly will be done in ten.¡± Lemendusa responded, ¡°We can also complete the Heart of God¡¯s operation rewrite and data vault reset, but we won¡¯t have much of an opportunity to test it out¡­ it will be sent out as an experimental unit into the field.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, and the goddess of annihilation only has an experimental unit herself,¡± Hao Ren said before he turned to Muru. ¡°How are the ecosystems on the planets faring?¡±


    Muru was at first the gardener for Tannagost, but as the Tannagosian ecosystem shifted into gear, his job scope too had expanded as he started managing and monitoring the information from the various ecosystems found.


    As the old First Born network had been destroyed, the monitoring of these ecosystems was due via the new Zorm network.


    And the Zorm Network was a network using CARS and the droid antenna as a conduit operating through Zorm¡¯s mental projection. This technique was first successfully deployed on the Executor¡¯s planet, and now, Hao Ren had expanded its scale to include every filed ecosystem, which included Holletta and Io.


    ¡°All ecosystems normal. No signs of the taint of madness.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded, ¡°Focus the monitoring on planets with intelligent lifeforms, especially their dreams. If you detect any loss of order on a large scale or the manifestation of nightmares, activate the mental filter.¡±


    The way where the taint of the Mad Lord spread was particularly dangerous to any intelligent lifeforms, especially when these beings were capable of dreaming, and that increased the danger many folds so Hao Ren had to set up a mental filtration device near every ecosystem as insurance.


    While it may sound high tech, this filter was actually a ¡°divine power focal lens¡± and its use was to draw a suitable amount of power from the divine resonance network Rheia had created and after focusing it, to project it on an ecosystem to interfere or overwhelm the taint of madness.


    For a short period of time, this ¡°mental filter¡± would indeed work, but after a long period, mortals would not be able to withstand the power and will instead cause a catastrophic effect to the ecosystem, and the lightest of which is the entire population of intelligent beings being reduced to blathering simpletons.


    So the mental filtration device is only permitted to be activated if the taint of madness had infected the planet on a large scale, and even that, its operation time is limited.


    ¡°The enhanced monitoring or the mental filtration device is just an auxiliary measure,¡± Hao Ren turned towards Rheia after setting up a series of countermeasures. ¡°The future of this universe will still be decided in the Dark Abyss.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ this battle must be fought sooner or later.¡± Rheia sighed. ¡°After so many years, an end is sorely needed.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded as he looked at the holographic projections around him, and on it were the Asurmen¡¯s observatory recordings of the Dark Abyss.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to check out the ¡®borderlands¡¯ now.¡±

 Chapter 1750 - The Borderland

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    All of the sealing measures within the Prison of the Dark Abyss were rapidly failing. This prison, powered by the strength of a true god had finally reached the end of its life after 10,000 years of service. The overstretched runic array, divine power nodes, and monitoring stars were snuffed out one-by-one by the taint of darkness as if a shadow was materializing from the depths of the universe, and swallowed every shining body in the sky bit by bit.


    And the nodes had let out a warning before they were destroyed, and once the alert was broadcast to the entire universe, a series of countermeasures rapidly went into effect.


    The massive droid swarm started gathering at the heart of the universe in droves, as the hives and factories, already working at full efficiency some time ago had also been sending their productions into thousand upon thousands of preset rally points around the Dark Abyss. The guardians, who had spent the past few months recuperating too had left Star Cluster X and arrived at points near the prison in batches.


    No matter the rally points for the droid swarm or the guardians, all had countless of floating cannon platforms, combat satellite, defensive barriers, and all-purpose star fortresses.


    And these rally points were all linked, and the defensive line was called the ¡®Borderland¡¯


    This was to demarcate the boundary between the normal universe and one tainted by madness.


    While the Mad Lord had not fully broken out yet, there were skirmishes already happening in certain areas.


    The Borderland had almost no celestial bodies around it, but it was ¡®almost¡¯, and in this vast space, it was unavoidable that there were some dark and ancient planets even when the goddess of creation had consciousness cleansed this area of space, but as following the operation of the celestial stars, some stars would inevitably fall within the Dark Abyss¡¯ radiation zone.


    These physical objects would be the vanguard in the process of the Mad Lord¡¯s breakout. Meanwhile, the radiation from the Dark Abyss would disintegrate and reform as the monsters from the nightmares warped out of thin air, and by instinct, they would move toward every place in the universe with an intelligent response.


    Allowing these precursors of madness to run wild is undoubtedly a fatal mistake, as they will greatly increase the ability for the Mad Lord to break out and to infect this world. So every sentry post along the Borderland was in operation while droid and guardian patrols scoured the entire line as they hunted the ¡®cretins¡¯, using it as a warm-up for the upcoming war.


    A distorted light screen appeared in the dark void, and as it faded away, the Petrachelys arrived at the jump point under the cover of a large escort of heavy combat droids.


    Hao Ren stood on the upper observation deck as he looked at the universe. Closest to the frigate was a dark star beneath the shop. It was a planet that was bizarre and hideous to the point of bone-chilling. It was like a rotting tumor floating in space with its surface lined with dark red lines and eye-like structures. And for the side facing the ship, the lines and eyes even formed a human face, a face that was writhing in pain.


    Practically all of the stars near the Dark Abyss were all terrifying, and even without any life on them, those inanimate rocks would still be warped by the power of the Mad Lord into that form.


    Close to the planet was countless of light spots, as the combat droids and guardian starships started bombarding the planet. Based on the scan results, a large signature of the taint of madness had appeared on the planet, and the ¡®purification teams¡¯ were now cleansing the planet.


    ¡°Will this level of cleansing work?¡±Vivian too joined Hao Ren looking at that revolting planet, ¡°It seemed like it is totally corrupted. There¡¯s probably something more sinister than just the monsters on the surface.¡±


    ¡°The number of Annihilation Lance is limited, and we need to focus it on the Dark Abyss line. Don¡¯t need to waste a superweapon on just a tainted planet.¡± Hao Ren replied. ¡°Plus, we need to collect samples to determine the extent of the Mad Lord¡¯s taint.


    Lily looked down for a moment as her tail started to puff up slightly, ¡°This planet is just way too fugly¡­ It makes me feel like nuking it from orbit when I see it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me,¡± Hao Ren looked innocently at Vivian, ¡°I never taught her that¡­ God knows why her thoughts are getting closer in line with mine.¡±


    Vivian pursed her lips as she looked in the distance, ¡°Say¡­ that¡¯s the Dark Abyss?¡±


    It was a starless sector.


    The universe seemed to have clear demarcation in this line, on one side it was bright and teeming with life, while another was totally engulfed in darkness, where all light had been consumed. And in the endless darkness, shapeless black fog writhed slowly as it grew and perished, but at the same time expanding continuously.


    It was as if the heart of the universe was a black hole.


    The Dark Abyss was not totally without light, the runic array left by the goddess of creation and the monitoring ¡®lone star¡¯s were all sources of light, but as the barrier system of the prison was still functioning, these light could never reach the world outside. The Prison of the Dark Abyss was covered by a screen-like layer, and communication can only be done through a limited number of ¡®safe routes¡¯.


    And not long ago a Nightwatcher from the prison had sent up a crystal pylon near the Borderland, and that widened the communication routes significantly, and Hao Ren and the rest could directly communicate with the Nightwatchers in the prison, but the visual barrier over the Borderland still existed.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen enough. Let¡¯s go back to the bridge,¡± As he took one last look at the Dark Abyss, Hao Ren suppressed the unease in his heart and turned towards the door, ¡°I need to speak to Rheia.¡±


    A moment later, on the bridge of the Petrachelys, Rheia had just completed reading Salaman¡¯s report.


    ¡°At the moment, the spread of the taint is focused on sector X-32, and that is the area we are currently monitoring. As expected, there is a weak point here, and the Mad Lord will first break out from there. This place will become the main passageway once the fighting starts.¡± Rheia looked up Hao Ren and the rest, ¡°Based on the Nightwatchers¡¯ report, the dissonance deep within the Dark Abyss had disappeared, and all of the power of madness has now stabilized. That means my evil half is about to complete her final adaptation and will be totally fused with the power of madness.¡±


    ¡°That sounds bad,¡± Y¡¯zaks said as he rubbed his chin, ¡°I thought we could strike while she was still weak¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not all bad news,¡± Rheia shook her head, ¡°She has become one with the Mad Lord, on one hand, she has indeed become stronger, but on the other hand, the Mad Lord now has a weak point that can be eradicated. The biggest problem I had when I faced off with the Mad Lord the last time was that I could not totally destroy him. He does not have a physical form, or any permanent shape or weakness. When I went to war with him at that time, I was literally fighting the whole universe itself, because the dimension, the material, the energy, the perimeters were all part of the Mad Lord. It was like trying to slice a mist apart. So that¡¯s why I chose to lock that part of space up¡­ Because I simply could not find a way to totally eliminate the Mad Lord.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded, ¡°And now that it has a body, that means it can be eradicated now.¡±


    Lily nodded as well, ¡°When you described that it sounded like you were blasting air, and after you found out that you can¡¯t win you had used admin rights to lock the map up¡­¡±


    Vivian sighed as she murmured, ¡°I guess this is the feeling of ¡®this person has a weird but on-point way of saying things but I still want to smash her face in¡¯¡­¡±


    Rheia too felt a little awkward, but as a true god, her psyche was stronger than most, and she ignored Lily as she continued speaking, ¡°Based on the newest changes of the Mad Lord, and the general structure of our fighting force, I had deduced the general situation after the fighting starts, and the battlefield will undoubtedly be split into two.¡±


    ¡°We will be facing two enemies. The first is the power of the taint spreading out from the Mad Lord. This power does not just include the taint, but also the monsters that are warped from the taint. They were the cannon fodders, and the only units available to the enemy, with numbers that are innumerable.


    ¡°The first part of the battle is against them, and the general area of conflict is the outer area of the Dark Abyss. The droid swarm and the guardians will be in charge of intercepting and annihilating them. This battlefield is imported because every wave of the taint escaping means that the world is slowly tilting toward madness and destruction, and the tainted universe will, in turn, reinforce the Mad Lord¡¯s strength. The larger the tainted zone is, the more our battlefield will shrink, and if we lose this battlefield, the army will be crushed by a snowballing force and be destroyed.


    ¡°And the second part is the Mad Lord himself, and his new nexus, my evil half. I believe that this half has already created a corrupted version of the Creation¡¯s Engine, so we are facing not only an evil god but also a divine superweapon, reinforced by the powers of the Mad Lord. This second battlefield will be the key to victory. If we cannot win here, winning elsewhere wouldn¡¯t even matter at all. And the best possible result is to once again seal the area up and let the things, which have happened 10,000 years ago repeat itself.¡±


    As she said that, she shook her head. ¡°But letting history repeat itself is not why we are here.¡±

 Chapter 1751 - Hao Ren, You Actually Hid an Army Up Your Sleeve

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°Two battlefields¡­ Two objectives¡­¡± After hearing Rheia¡¯s analysis, Hao Ren nodded slightly, he had also deduced the possible scenario of the final battle with the Mad Lord, and his conclusion was about the same as Rheia¡¯s. To face that unique enemy, his minions and him were undoubtedly the most important challenges. ¡°The outer defensive line¡¯s main role is to block and weaken the strength of the minions, to prevent the taint of madness from spreading, while the central zone would be fighting against the Mad Lord proper. Huh¡­ seems like those fighting in the central zone would need elites.¡±


    ¡°I will definitely need to go in myself.¡± Rheia nodded. ¡°And also the Creation¡¯s Engine, that is our greatest weapon.¡±


    ¡°And me.¡± Hao Ren pointed at himself. ¡°While I¡¯m probably not up to your level, but other than you, the person with the next highest divinity level is me, and probably only the two of us could actually fight in full strength in that sort of environment.¡±


    But just as he finished, Vivian spoke, ¡°I¡¯ll go too.¡±


    Hao Ren gave the latter a slightly worried look. ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°I had regained my strength, and the source of my power is the same as the goddess, and if we fight together we can complement each other.¡± Vivian said as she looked at Hao Ren in the eye, ¡°And more importantly¡­ I can¡¯t let you go alone.¡±


    Seeing how determined Vivian¡¯s gaze was, Hao Ren would be lying if he said he was not touched, but he still had to run his mouth, ¡°I can resurrect, that¡¯s on the agreement.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to do with that,¡± Vivian said flatly, ¡°I just don¡¯t want to not be by your side when the final battle comes. Plus, I won¡¯t be a burden, when I summon my Crimson Moon you may not even be my match.¡±


    Lily¡¯s gaze jumped between Hao Ren and Vivian before she seethed, ¡°Enough you two, stop being all lovey-dovey in this serious situation, yeah?¡±


    Everyone else then nodded, and even Rheia nodded¡­


    ¡°Ahem, back to business, back to business,¡± Hao Ren quickly coughed to shift the topic. He looked at Y¡¯zaks at the rest, ¡°We¡¯ll handle the central zone, while the outer defense line we¡¯ll leave it to the droid swarm and the guardians. But there¡¯s another front, and I hope you guys can take it up.¡±


    ¡°Another front?¡± Nangong Sanba was stunned, ¡°Weren¡¯t we supposed to just stand by the side shouting encouragements?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue¡¯s tail immediately slammed against her brother, ¡°Brother! For crying out loud!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying the truth,¡± Nangong Sanba was prepared with his defense, ¡°The Dark Abyss is the playground for the top-end players. Scrubs like us should know where we stand no? One of the fronts is a space battle, and another a fight between gods, we will be practically useless either way¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, but there will be another front aside from the Dark Abyss,¡± Hao Ren explained after Nangong Sanba finished, ¡°The Prison of the Dark Abyss can be seen as the battlefield of the gods, but all those surviving civilizations too need to prepare.¡±


    ¡°The battlefield of mortals huh¡­¡± Rheia nodded as the star map of the Plane of Dreams opened behind her. ¡°Holletta, Tannagost-Zorm, Io, the Executors, and a few other surviving planets that you had found. They are the only surviving mortal civilizations in this era, and we need to ensure that they do not get annihilated in this final battle.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t we just talked about the mental filtration device?¡± Y¡¯zaks frowned.


    ¡°That¡¯s just a defensive measure, but we cannot fully rely on it.¡± Hao Ren said, his tone serious. ¡°I can be sure as sure that the Mad Lord will try to find some loophole to invade those surviving civilizations. Because those remaining source of intelligent life is like a beacon in this barren space, and the minds of mortals are the easiest thing for the Mad Lord to take notice of.¡±


    ¡°To break out of its bonds, it will first scan the entire universe for any intelligent life and try from tear the defense outside the Dark Abyss using the minds of mortals.¡± Rheia continued where Hao Ren left off, ¡°So we need to have a team to monitor, intercept and exterminate these ¡®seepage¡¯ in the mortal realms. And truthfully, we are already at the limit in the Umbral Realm, and we do not have any spare units to split away¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, oh. I get it. A standby firefighting squad right, you do need something like this.¡± Nangong Sanba nodded in realization, but a frown soon followed, ¡°But that means you are only expecting the few of us to monitor the situation of a number of planets? If there¡¯s one or two ¡®seepage¡¯ that¡¯s fine and dandy, and we can just teleport over to kill the adds, but how if a few happen over a couple of planets at the same time?¡±


    ¡°Helcrown does have about ten plus thousand elites, and the Aerymian Elves will definitely answer the call of their Sun King¡­ These troops may not be adept in fighting in space, but they should be able to control the surface no problem. But¡­¡±


    ¡°They are all in the surface world,¡± Lily ruffled her hair as her ears and tail twitched. ¡°Sending such a large army through the Wall of Reality is not realistic right¡­ Or has the wall actually strengthened to the point that we can get tens of thousands of men to go through it.¡±


    A mysterious smile appeared on Hao Ren¡¯s face as he heard that, ¡°With the restrictions of the Wall of Reality, the army of Helcrown or Aerym will definitely not be able to pass through, a couple of hundreds at most, but there¡¯s one army that is not restricted by this.. or rather, the restriction is so minuscule that they can go through the gaps of the wall.¡±


    Everyone looked at each other, and aside from Rollie who was chomping on her dried fish, everyone was confused, and it took even Nangong Sanba a while to finally say something. ¡°Since when have you been hiding an army?¡±


    ¡°I never have. You guys know them.¡± Hao Ren laughed and dropped the pretense. ¡°The Einherjars.¡±


    Another look of realization appeared on Nangong Sanba as he dragged his tone out, ¡°Ohhh¡­ who are they again?¡±


    ¡°Why are you ooh-ing when you don¡¯t even remember it!¡± Wuyue smacked her brother with her tail again, and if not for the number of people present she¡¯d probably already started smashing him against the floor. An embarrassed look then appeared on her face as well, ¡°But I actually don¡¯t remember too¡­¡±


    The moment she said that, she quickly blurted out an excuse, ¡°But you can¡¯t blame me! A fish has poor memory after all¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a multi-form elemental being and just because there¡¯s a mermaid princess back on earth you actually took yourself for a fish?¡± Lily gave the two siblings a scornful look, ¡°The Einherjars! You¡¯ve forgotten about them? Yggdrasil, the Nine Realms, the heroic spirits of Asgard. The Grungnir Mr. Landlord¡¯s using is from there too¡­ and say¡­ Mr. Landlord is the current Lord of the Nine Realms.¡±


    Nangong Sanba facepalmed, ¡°Bloody hell¡­ There are just too many things I¡¯d forgotten about them¡­ There is such a thing, and we actually plucked Odin from there. So the Einherjars have already been restored?¡±


    ¡°They are an army of heroic spirits, but in truth, they are a ¡®robotic unit¡¯ created by necromancy and alchemy.¡± Hao Ren laughed, ¡°It was just that after the demon hunters was down tearing Odin¡¯s old place apart, they had also destroyed all maintenance stations, and that caused the Einherjar to malfunction due to lack of maintenance, but the core of a necromantic being is not so easily destroyed, and as long as we can repair its ¡®body¡¯, activating it would just require a simple recharge. I had left the engineering droids back on Asgard to repair all those facilities, and then have the last of the Valkyrie to rebuild the Einherjars, and they were ready a long time ago.¡±


    Even Lily was surprised. ¡°Woah! I never thought of that! Say, Mr. Landlord, when did you pull all that off?¡±


    ¡°Bloody hell I¡¯m busy as heck every day, okay? Unlike you lot lollygagging all the time!¡±


    Lily was confused, ¡°But we¡¯re not gagging anyone with a lollipop?¡±


    Hao Ren, after a short pause, finally understood what she meant, ¡°¡­Not that sort of lollygagging!¡±


    ¡°That said, the Einherjar¡¯s can ignore the ¡®bandwidth restriction¡¯ of the Wall of Reality?¡± Alas, it was Y¡¯zaks, the most conscientious voice of reason in the team to pull the topic back to its original course.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, as they are not fully ¡®intelligent beings¡¯, and while they are infused with a spirit, that spirit had already been cleansed and reprogrammed, and is almost no different than a program, and the Einherjar armor is but an ¡®object¡¯ under the control of a program. Before the Wall of Reality, its bandwidth is not much different from a piece of metal with the same volume. And over at the Scarred Nebula¡­ the amount of materials transferred between the two universes is more than enough to send legions of Einherjars through.¡±


    Then, Y¡¯zaks asked a key question, ¡°How many Ein¡¯herjars do we have?¡±


    ¡°Based on the report Valkyrie sent me not too long ago, about sixty thousand is combat-ready, and she is trying to reactivate one of Odin¡¯s ancient armory, and if the system is restored there, there¡¯ll be another twenty thousand Einherjars and a few automatons from the Mythological Era that we can use.¡±


    As they had encountered them before, and with more detailed information, everyone present, regardless if they had been involved in the operation on Yggdrasil before or not had a pretty good understanding of the might of an ¡®Einherjar¡¯. With a superalloy armor, beam or superalloy blades in hand, plus their enormous strength without any obvious weak points. They would only stop operating if their energy source runs dry or when they are totally annihilated, and they were the prime example of a perfect robot soldier.


    If not for most of the Einherjars had been in a state of disrepair, their energy source lacking, and their commanders maddened, Hao Ren would not have such an easy time against those high fantasy terminators back then.


    However, now that they had been properly repaired and maintained, in addition to having their parts strengthened by Hao Ren, they would certainly be of enormous use in the coming ¡°firefighting¡± operations on the planet¡¯s surface.

 Chapter 1752 - Engine Problem

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The discussion of various countermeasures, postulating the variables in the upcoming battle, and the search for any hidden, previously unknown gaps in the defensive line took about the whole day.


    During that process, they had completed the inspection of the Dark Abyss defense line, and checked the recently completed droid¡¯s heavy bunker clusters, and also a communication session with the Nightwatchers in the prison before returning to the basilica¡¯s lounge.


    But even as they sat on the long dining table in the basilica, they were still discussing the coming war.


    ¡°No matter how we arrange this, there¡¯s always something off,¡± Vivian said as she rested her forehead on her hand, ¡°and truthfully, I did help out my friends to fend off the demon hunters back in the Mythological Era, and I too had joined in a few of the meetings during the latter part of that era, and none come close to the stress of the one today¡­¡±


    When the well-informed Vivian had let out such a resigned lament, it was part of the course for the rest. Plus Hao Ren¡¯s crew was not made out of warmongers or tactical geniuses. Sure they could hold their own in a fight, but asking them to draft a battle plan would be pushing it too far, and only Y¡¯zaks would count as an expert here, but even he had not fought a war on such a scale during his prime¡­


    But such a specialized area would, of course, need to have a specialist to handle it, and Hao Ren was ever glad that he had created a droid swarm, an automated army that could formulate its own tactics and battle plans with the firepower to back it up, and with an experienced commander like Salaman at helm, they would not be fighting blindly when the time comes.


    ¡°No matter how prepared we are, it never feels enough,¡± Rheia too had the same idea as Vivian, ¡°Such is the fight against the Mad Lord. No matter when it starts, you¡¯ll find it processing too fast¡­ even at times I would have some negative thoughts, and that¡¯s normal.¡±


    ¡°Now that the droids and the guardians are in position, with the bunkers and fortresses coming online one by one, what¡¯s left is to arrange the protective duties of the surviving civilizations.¡± Hao Ren nodded as he turned towards Y¡¯zaks. ¡°I have already sent a message to the Einherjars and they can come over easily through the Scarred Nebula, and I¡¯ll hand command of that army to you. You¡¯re the most experienced of us all.¡±


    Y¡¯zaks pondered for a bit, ¡°Hmm¡­ I have no objections, but I don¡¯t quite understand this army, I had commanded all sorts of warriors from various races in the past, but a ¡®heroic spirit¡¯ unit like the Einherjar is a first.¡±


    ¡°A Valkyrie will come along with the army, you can leave the commanding to her. You just need to tell her where the target is.¡± Hao Ren explained, ¡°Plus I¡¯ll open up all of the teleportation gates on all worlds, and all of you have access to it, that¡¯ll help you in moving between planets.


    Y¡¯zaks then grinned. ¡°Then I have no issues. To be honest¡­ I never thought I will have another day in the field commanding an army and slaying foes, and I¡¯ll be commanding a group of heroic spirits from another world¡­ Heh, as a post-retirement entertainment, this sure is interesting.¡±


    Nangong Sanba twiddled his thumb as he walked in circles. ¡°Heh, a final battle, fighting off the enemy over a few planets plus an army of Einherjar at your command¡­ Bugger me, that sounds so epic all of a sudden that I¡¯m a little nervous now. Say after this is over and done with will the people on those planets build statues of us?¡±


    Nangong Wuyue facepalmed, ¡°Brother¡­ that¡¯s¡­ embarrassing¡­¡±


    ¡°You want a statue? That¡¯s easy. Over in Holletta, there¡¯s even a legend of the All the Good Names Are Taken mercenary company.¡± Hao Ren chuckled. ¡°But I still need to say this¡­ This time around, our case is not your usual stuff and is probably the biggest challenge we will ever face, and while we have a true god with us, victory is not assured, so¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, just stop where you are. We know what you¡¯re about to say,¡± Nangong Sanba did not give Hao Ren the opportunity to finish as he held his hand up to stop him. ¡°You¡¯ve said something like this before¡­ But for me, we have been running about this part of space for so many years, so it is not like we could put it down when we want to, for this team, or for this universe. At least that¡¯s how it is for me and my sister, we¡¯ve come so far, so don¡¯t tell us to back out now.¡±


    Nangong Wuyue gave her brother a rather surprised look, ¡°Brother, I never thought you¡¯d say something like this.¡±


    Nangong Sanba laughed, his face as deadpan as he can be, ¡°I¡¯m more afraid that if he really tries to convince me I might actually go along with it¡­¡±


    Wuyue immediately smacked her tail on his head again, and the basilica was a scene of joyous laughter¡­


    ¡°Well, to be frank, Sanba may be right, but I still feel there¡¯s a few of us here who had not thought that far and wide. They have been following us around sure, but it¡¯s more like we had dragged them along.¡± Vivian said as she pointed towards a nearby direction.


    Rollie was squatting behind the table as she was in a serious discussion with Lil Pea. ¡°Let me lick you, and I¡¯ll let you eat my diary today, nya!¡±


    And Lil Pea responded with a somersault slap onto her head, while Noobie, schadenfreude-ly lobbed a couple of corrosive missiles at Rollie who was hugging her head, seemingly to cheer Lil Pea on.


    And Hao Ren had seen this scene plenty of times¡­


    ¡°That three¡­ Just leave them back at home.¡± Hao Ren concurred, ¡°And I don¡¯t think they¡¯d be suitable to join in on what we are about to do.¡±


    Everyone agreed.


    At that moment Wuyue realized that Rheia had not been speaking since the beginning and was lost in thought, she then approached her out of curiosity, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    Rheia looked up, with a faint smile on her face, ¡°Nothing, just that after so long, my voice will once again appear in the hearts of those children¡­ Will there be people who still remember who am I?¡±


    Lily raised an eyebrow, ¡°You¡¯re planning to use universe megapho¡­ No, you¡¯re planning to speak to them?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s of course,¡± Hao Ren replied on Rheia¡¯s behalf, ¡°They have to know what had happened, and all of the surviving civilizations need to prepare themselves. In the event that the taint of the Mad Lord appears on their planet, those unprepared civilizations will be screwed. That aside, you lot leading the Einherjars descending from the heavens to fight the minions of chaos before them will be quite scary too. So we need to mobilize all of the surviving civilizations, and with their cooperation, you¡¯ll lead the Einherjars to extinguish those seepages where they appear.¡±


    ¡°Holletta still maintained the faith of the goddess of creation, with a complete religious hierarchy and influence to match, while the Zormites on Tannagost do not have a religious system yet, but they do know of the goddess of creation,¡± Vivian explained to Rheia, ¡°The exiled civilization on Io may be a little problematic¡­ They have lost all links to the past, while the Executors, who still has links to the past, but they have totally abandoned the concept of religion, and they probably won¡¯t know who you are.¡±


    ¡°But they know the inspector and the droid swarm,¡± Hao Ren took over, ¡°We can work this out, Rheia, go ahead and speak to the entire universe. Let all of the surviving civilizations know of the final battle, and I¡¯ll replay it to them, so there won¡¯t be anyone left out.¡±


    Lily was rather worried, ¡°Say, will the civilizations collapse into anarchy once they hear about this?¡±


    ¡°They were not born in a greenhouse,¡± Hao Ren shook his head, ¡°All of the civilizations we found so far, which of them were not survivors from a catastrophe? Their level of civilization may differ, but they are sure as hell hardy people, plus we are not telling everyone right away, rather we¡¯ll tell their leaders and intelligentsia first, then decide on what¡¯s next.


    Seeing Hao Ren had made arrangements on this matter, Rheia was relieved, ¡°That a relief.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Rheia and smiled. ¡°You should really talk more to your faithful followers in Holletta. They are probably the biggest miracle in this universe. Not only did they survived the apocalypse, and their faith structure is preserved until today, that is really unique to them.¡±


    ¡°I had actually thought of it, but¡­ don¡¯t laugh. I¡¯m a little nervous.¡± Rheia stuck her tongue out. ¡°Too many things have happened, with too long a gap. They had undergone an apocalypse themselves, and I too had fallen and gone into a deep slumber¡­ Now that we meet again, what should I say?¡±


    As she said, she shook her head, ¡°And based on their legends, the apocalypse ten thousand years ago was caused by the furious goddess of creation¡­ how do I even explain that to them?¡±


    Hao Ren facepalmed. ¡°Who would believe you when you go, ¡°Oh, the goddess did not answer your prayers due to stage fright¡±¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you really the grim yet loving, omnipresent and omnipotent goddess of creation in their legends?¡± Lily too stared at Rheia, ¡°Why do I feel like you¡¯re a noob with a hacked account the more I know you?¡±


    ¡°I was like that all along¡­¡± Rheia said, rather abashedly. ¡°I loved studying the stars best, and most of the time I was studying them, or something else. And most of the time the communication with the mortals are handled by the guardians. And even long, long ago when I did answer their prayers, I did not speak much¡­ and I don¡¯t know how they managed to spin that into me being a grim figure¡­ and every time I kept quiet they just called it ¡®its a trial from the goddess¡¯.¡±


    Hao Ren sighed, ¡°Pfft, no wonder my boss said that legends are fan-fictions that had strayed the furthest away from the original work. The nonsense those god-botherers can come up with will shock even the gods themselves. You won¡¯t know what sort crap they¡¯ll come up with when you just look away for a couple of days¡­¡±


    Rheia could only smile awkwardly and agreed with Raven 12345 in her heart.


    At that moment, Lemendusa¡¯s projection appeared in the basilica, and the latter¡¯s sightly tensed voice broke the chatter.


    ¡°Mother, there¡¯s some problem with the Creation¡¯s Engine.¡±


    Rheia immediately got serious. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°We have detected a powerful yet abnormal fluctuation of information when we tried to connect the Heart of God to the three Gilded Discs.¡± Lemendusa said, ¡°The two are unable to synchronize.¡±

 Chapter 1753 - Anomaly in the Gilded Discs

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Lemendusa¡¯s emergency report had destroyed whatever appetite Hao Ren had. With the importance of the Creation¡¯s Engine could not be overstated, and now the battle was upon them, the successful assembly and activation would directly affect the outcome of the battle, and now¡­ it ran into trouble?


    ¡°What¡¯s the exact problem?¡± Rheia¡¯s expression was unusually stern and she stood up in a flash, ¡°Didn¡¯t the simulation testing solved the compatibility issue of the Heart of God? And the hardware was tested during the first connection¡­¡±


    ¡°The compatibility between the Heart of God and the Creation¡¯s Engine proper has no issues, the problem lies with the three Gilded Disc,¡± Lemendusa explained. ¡°The abnormal fluctuations of information originated from the discs, and we¡¯ve tried to reset its data vault but ended up running into a very unusual¡­ situation.¡±


    The ¡®Gilded Discs¡¯ that Lemendusa was talking about was the very same Hao Ren had found during his adventures in the Plane of Dreams. While the other nine discs had been taken by the goddess of annihilation into the Dark Abyss, the remaining three were with Hao Ren. And while they are unable to function as a complete computation unit, they were still installed into the almost completed Creation¡¯s Engine as a secondary computer and execution unit. Those functions were pretty much necessary.


    As the Heart of God was not the original core of the Creation¡¯s Engine, and as a foreign object from a different technology tree, it was natural for it to have compatibility and synchronization issues with the Creation¡¯s Engine, and even when the software could allow them to be compatible, the hardware adaptation and buffer was still needed. The best idea Lemendusa had managed to find was to use the original computation core of the Creation¡¯s Engine, the Gilded Disc to function as a secondary computer, and this idea was also approved by Rheia and taken as the only plausible idea at the moment.


    Frankly speaking, Hao Ren would have preferred to hear that his boss¡¯ place had been blown up again than to hear this sole solution running into hiccups. After all, Raven12345¡¯s place get blown up every now and then, but there¡¯s was only one Heart of God¡­


    ¡°The Gilded Disc being problematic¡­ Don¡¯t tell me it has malfunctioned after being lost for so long..¡± Rheia murmured with a pained frown. With a wave of her hand, a glowing teleportation gate appeared beside her. ¡°Wait there, I¡¯ll come over to have a look.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go over as well.¡± Hao Ren quickly followed, ¡°I may not be of help with the technicalities, but I found the discs, and have some understanding of their conditions.¡±


    ¡°Vivian, come too,¡± Rheia turned back just as she was about to enter the gate and pulled Vivian up. ¡°Maybe you can be of help to.¡±


    And the three left just like that, leaving the rest looking at each other in the dining hall. No one had the intention to tag along as this was technically beyond them, plus with the matter so serious, even Lily also knew that this was not the time to join in¡­


    Nangong Sanba looked at the remaining light particles after the teleportation gate disappeared and then at the ¡®divine meal¡¯ that was barely even touched before him and with a slight hesitance, said, ¡°So¡­ let¡¯s continue eating?¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± Lily rumbled as she stuffed food into her face, ¡°Can only fight properly with a full stomach¡­¡±


    Nangong Wuyue pondered for a bit, ¡°I think Mr. Landlord doesn¡¯t need any help from us fighting, he clearly needs technical support.¡±


    ¡°And since when Mr. Landlord¡¯s technical support does not involve violence to solve it?¡± Lily rolled her eyes.


    No one had anything to retort, with only Sanba facepalming, ¡°Bloody hell, I really envy her world view at times¡­¡±


    On the other side of the universe, Hao Ren, Rheia and Vivian crossed through tens of thousands of light-years in just one step, and they arrived at the ¡°Star Forge¡± deep within the Solenne Nebula.


    The teleportation point was a white platform floating in space. The platform was carved out of stone and was a few kilometers long. On it was a temple and tower complex with a loud of giant crystals of nondescript usage. The ancient stars of the Solenne Nebula flickering brightly in the background, and before the platform was a awe-inspiring mega space-structure.


    It was the almost completed Creation¡¯s Engine.


    The platform Hao Ren was standing on actually circled the Creation¡¯s Engine like the latter¡¯s orbital satellite, and it was used to control, monitor and modify the grandest divine weapon in history.


    The almost completed Creation¡¯s Engine looked more like a metal ball, and those complex and mysterious interior structures had been covered by layers upon layers of thick, faint gold shell. The flowing lights between the lines of the shell made the metallic star radiant, and on its solid ¡®metal¡¯ surface, countless of antennas protruded out, and this was the ¡°touchpoint¡± for the Engine¡¯s control mechanisms, and around each of the ¡°touchpoints¡± were many tiny flying machines around it. These were the engineering robots performing the final adjustments to the Creation¡¯s Engine.


    Lemendusa walked over as he bowed towards Rheia. ¡°Mother, you have come.¡±


    ¡°Lets talk business, what¡¯s the situation like?¡± Rheia waved him off, and went directly into the heart of the matter, ¡°I sense the engine¡¯s condition, its energies are all over the place¡­ and while everything may look normal on the surface, most of the processes are not synchronized.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because the three Gilded Discs are not ¡®cooperating¡¯. Lemendusa rumbled, ¡°They reject the commands coming from the Heart of God, and will unilaterally let out a series of scrap code¡­ This code not only prevented the Creation¡¯s Engine from working normally, and it will cause it to go out of control. We had to cut off the secondary command flow, so the energy flux should recede soon.¡±


    Rheia frowned. ¡°How did the simulation testing clear that other time?¡±


    ¡°We did not really connect the Heart of God and the Gilded Disc together, we only performed a blueprint match between the two.¡±


    ¡°That is to say¡­ at least from the blueprint, these two should work together fine,¡± Rheia nodded. ¡°Let me look at the thing.¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡±


    Under Lemendusa¡¯s control, the platform had moved to the back of the Creation¡¯s Engine, and there was a massive opening on the mantle of the Creation¡¯s Engine as a massive amount of light current and engineering robots were moving about inside the engine. And the Heart of God floated before the gap, and not too far away from it was the three tiny dots. The three Gilded Discs.


    Even the massive discs were like a tiny dot beside the supermassive Creation¡¯s Engine, and if not for Hao Ren¡¯s excellent enhanced eyesight, he would not be able to spot them at all¡­


    ¡°This was a test installation. We have not placed everything into the core chamber of the Engine.¡± Lemendusa¡¯s voice rang from above, ¡°Thankfully our connection circuits were all left outside and when we first detected the anomaly we cut the physical connection, and there¡¯s no damage to the Engine itself.¡±


    ¡°You handled the situation well,¡± Rheia nodded as she waved in the direction of the three Gilded Discs. The three golden dots in the air disappeared and reappeared the next moment on the platform. ¡°Now let me see¡­ what¡¯s actually causing the problems.¡±


    The three Gilded Discs floated before Hao Ren, Vivian and Rheia as the ten-meter-long discs reflected the light from the stars afar. When Rheia approached them, a series of unknown runes and letters appeared on the surface of the discs.


    ¡°The resonance is normal¡­ there¡¯s no outer damage as well¡­¡± Rheia mumbled as she closed in on the disc, ¡°The energy pulse is stable¡­ the runic array.. is slightly damaged but nothing serious, something that can be fixed by self-repair¡­¡±


    She placed her hand on one of the discs as she tried to read the internal information of the disc, and at the same time, she professed, ¡°Truthfully, now that I¡¯ve studied about the theory of informational control, looking back at these discs¡­ I found many places that can be improved upon. And the information clusters I used that time was far too messy. It¡¯s a shame that we don¡¯t have time left, or I¡¯ll rebuild them from scratch.¡±


    Hao Ren did not say anything but looked subconsciously down his right hand as a blood-colored taint faintly spread across his palm, letting out considerable heat.


    ¡°The data seems to be intact, the hardware is fine, but¡­¡± Rheia mumbled on as she communicated with the disc before suddenly yelping, ¡°Eh? Why is this around¡­¡±


    Hao Ren looked at his palm as the mark had been imprinted onto his palm, it was red as blood and a scorching sensation felt like that was imprinted directly on to his soul and cannot be ignored.


    Vivian too had noticed the anomaly and came over, concerned. ¡°Why¡­ did this thing appear again?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± Rheia also noticed Hao Ren¡¯s movements as she lifted her hand from the disc. As soon as she turned back she noticed the anomaly on the latter¡¯s palm. ¡°What¡¯s that on your hand?¡±


    Hao Ren felt that the mark had stabilized and the burning sensation was now a throbbing one. He shook his hand as he explained the origin of this mark. ¡°This thing actually has something to do with you. This was left when I made contact with the disc the other time.¡±


    He then told the entire origin of the blood mark to Rheia, and when he recalled the ancient memories he saw in the illusions his expression changed, ¡°Frankly, when I saw those illusions it was so bizarre and you appear even more like a charlatan than my boss in that. I broke out in cold sweat all over especially when you looked up. I never thought the real you would be like that¡­¡±


    ¡°Is there any difference now? I have always been like that, okay! It¡¯s all your fault for assuming things¡­¡± Rheia retorted with her hands on her waist. ¡°But the things you mentioned¡­ I never thought that just spraying some blood on the disc would leave that sort of ¡®illusions¡¯, huh¡­¡±


    As she said she scanned Hao Ren and demurred, ¡°And your ability to read those illusions¡­ how strange¡­¡±


    Hao Ren scratched his head, ¡°I think so too.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I remember now,¡± Rheia took another look on the mark on Hao Ren¡¯s palm. It had totally faded away now and only left a very faint mark. ¡°This blood mark¡­¡±


    Hao Ren had chills as the latter stared at him. ¡°Managed to recall something?¡±


    ¡°Vivian, use your mind powers to connect with the three discs. I¡¯ll teach you how to do it.¡± Rheia did not answer Hao Ren¡¯s question but instead turned towards Vivian to instruct her. She then pulled Hao Ren towards the disc, ¡°Come with me.¡±


    The strength of a god was impressive and before Hao Ren could say anything he was pulled over to the disc by Rheia and then pressed down against one. At the same time, Rheia placed her own hand nearby.


    And everything else happened in such a sudden that Hao Ren felt a shudder in his mind as he descended into darkness¡­

 Chapter 1754 - That Fateful Day

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Within the darkness, his senses faded away, and even his mental world had the sensation of disintegrating and turning ethereal, as if his entire self was disappearing into the universe, as if he did not exist at all. Most people would have panicked to the core when they encountered this, but Hao Ren quickly calmed down as this was not the first time he had encountered this.


    Every time he was pulled by Rheia¡¯s divine powers into the ¡°Realm of the Goddess¡± it felt like that. The process in which his spirit was drawn out and inserted into the illusory world was like a rebirth, and the sensation this time around was a few times stronger than that of the past.


    Hao Ren waited quietly in the darkness as he waited for the mental and physical numbness faded away and light suddenly reappeared before him. His feet were once again on solid ground.


    He looked around and found himself in a magnificent grand hall, and beside him was a corridor so vast it was awe-inspiring. Ten-meter-tall crystal windows lined both sides of the corridor as faintly glowing pillars were arrayed along the hall until the end of his vision.


    Between the pillars, long drapes hung from above, and the drapes seemed to be burning in golden flames, and within the flames were changing images of the legend of the creation of the world.


    ¡°So it is¡­¡± Hao Ren gasped softly, as a massive shock hit him.


    This was a scene that he had seen before, the temple complex on the Star of Creation. He was brought into this place the last time he touched the Gilded Disc, but it felt different this time around.


    Hao Ren frowned as he looked around, and found that there were more details than the last illusory world, and even the view in the distance was clear as day. As he stood between the pillars and the windows, he even had a feeling that this was the ¡°real world¡±, and after some thought, he reckoned that this changes were caused by Rheia¡¯s powers.


    And he had entered the illusory world by accident the last time, and this time around, Rheia had dragged him in.


    But speaking of which¡­ where was Rheia?


    Hao Ren looked around but he did not see any Rheia anywhere. A sudden bright light appeared by the edge of his vision, and that light exploded with a deafening din and swept up a storm of flames as it shattered part of the window panes and pillars. And as the light and exploded appeared, everything in the illusory world started operating as if a switch was flicked.


    The deafening explosions rang from all over as fire and thunder raged outside as the ensuing shock wave tore through the broken windows into the hall. The entire building shook violently in the explosion as massive chunks of masonry and metallurgy fell from the high arched domes. At that moment, the world fell apart.


    ¡°They are attacking the main complex! The divine barrier has been breached!¡±


    ¡°The second gate has fallen! Reserve squads, quickly, get to Mother¡¯s side!¡±


    ¡°The Great Hall is sinking! The Sea of Origin¡¯s energies are spiraling out of control! The traitors have opened way beneath the hall! Hurry¡­¡±


    Numerous battle cries rang from far and near as the guardians¡¯ furious roars thundered across every hall. In between the roars were real thunderclaps and explosions. Hao Ren swiftly deployed his shield to ward off the falling rocks and the shock waves from all over, but as he looked around, there was no one.


    There was no defending guardians, nor any attacking army of treacherous children.


    Another roar of combat boomed beside him, and while he could clearly tell the roar was just a few hundred meters away from him, as he turned around, he saw no one. Instead, a giant broken sword had appeared out of nowhere. Thunder and flames ran along the blade as it clashed against an invisible object, as a massive explosion swallowed the entire area with a storm of debris and metal fragments blasted out towards him and slammed against the steel membrane shield.


    As he raised his hand to block the deadly shards, Hao Ren tensed up. This was totally different from that other illusory world!


    What happened here would affect him!


    The fragments that slammed against his shields were real, and he clearly saw his shield capacity taking a nosedive with every blast!


    ¡°F*ck me! I can¡¯t stay here any longer!¡± Cold sweat was all over Hao Ren¡¯s forehead as he broke into a sprint, running towards the deepest parts of the temple complex based on his memory of the place. While he did not know what special meaning this changing illusory world was, but he felt that at the heart of this world, the place where the goddess of creation had fallen, the answer to his questions would be there.


    Everything around him started to collapse, and just as he had witnessed, the ancient and sacred temple complex was quickly coming apart under the furious attack of the godslayers. The magnificent pillars and walls were torn apart like dirt as they collapsed in droves while the blood-red sea outside the temple roiled in massive waves as if wanting to consume the entire place whole.


    Hao Ren ran wildly through the flames and smoke, and in a short time traversed through the winding corridors and wide hall, yet he still saw no one. Nonetheless, it was clear that the godslayers had reached the final defensive perimeter and all across the temple were ruins and fire, and at the end of the path, that familiar door had already been breached, and Hao Ren could sense that that the goddess of creation was just behind the door.


    A figure clad in crimson gold armor stood before the altar as he held a dark long sword that looked the Cosmic Shards, and on the altar was the goddess of creation who was quietly awaiting her death. The latter was still shrouded in a veil of light, but her distinct silhouette was still discernible.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t look all that short that time¡­¡± Hao Ren muttered subconsciously, as he took huge strides towards the center of the hall.


    He noticed that time was frozen here and the moment he stepped into the hall, the din of battle outside was no longer audible, and the conflagration in the hall bizarrely froze in the air. This was another point different from the illusory world he went through before.


    He had come before the grounds of the deicide and grabbed the godslayer¡¯s shoulder. He had seen Rheia¡¯s look in person before, almost daily too, so he was not too concerned about the goddess of creation there, but his curiosity was drawn towards the killer who had completed the heroic act of deicide.


    However, when he saw the godslayer¡¯s face, he noticed the latter¡¯s visage was shrouded by an impermeable fog.


    ¡°Eh¡­.¡± Hao Ren gasped in surprise and thought of taking his hand away, but just as he lifted his hand, something bizarre happened.


    The body of the ¡°godslayer¡± suddenly melted away like a molten candle as the magnificent armor liquefied and swiftly surged up upon Hao Ren¡¯s arm, and the latter was so caught by surprise that he did not know how to react. He swung his hand about to try to shake off the ¡®foreign object¡¯ that was climbing all over him, but he quickly realized his movements were inhibited by something, and even lifting his arm was extremely difficult.


    He felt unsteady like a drunk, as his limbs all felt stiff and unusually heavy, and within this few moments, the wax-like object had engulfed him. He felt like he could no longer breathe or speak, as his entire body was stuffed into a heavy outer shell, and this ¡®shell¡¯ was starting to move again.


    He saw the Cosmic Shard in the grip of ¡®his¡¯ hand and raised it up, and just like the slo-mo scene in the movies, the sword was slowly but surely piercing through the goddess of creation¡¯s chest.


    He fought all he could to take back control of his body, and to stop the stabbing motion, but even his powerful will and strength could not affect that limb that was no longer his, and until the Godslayer sank into the goddess, he realized that his efforts were futile.


    He could not change what had already been recorded before in this illusory world, and even if he had changed it, there was no meaning at all.


    This was just a record.


    But the truth of it sent chills down his spine.


    The blood of a god flowed down the blade, and some warm blood even spurted out and stained his hand. He saw ¡®his¡¯ hand freeing the hilt and the blood flowed onto his palm, leaving a scorching mark on it.


    And the light-veiled figure before him became clear as well.


    As all the light coalesced and took form, the originally blurry silhouette became Rheia. She was wearing the original white dress the first time they met, as she lay on the Gilded Disc behind the altar. And behind the disc, was the collapsing temple complex and the roiling red sea.


    The blood of the goddess of creation flowed down the altar.


    Hao Ren felt the heaviness on his arms and legs suddenly disappeared, as he regained control of his body. After recovering from the initial daze, he quickly rushed to where Rheia had fallen.


    All sorts of emotions and thoughts spun in his head and he felt that his mind was like a jar of thick glue, all mucky and yet even with the shock brought by the surge of information, he still retained the last bit of his consciousness. Using this to suppress all of the negative emotions in his mind, he held Rheia up with his arm and checked on her.


    When the last time he came into this world, what followed the deicide was the explosion of the Star of Creation and the coming of the Divine Wrath, and something clearly had changed in this illusory world. The explosion did not happen, neither did the Divine Wrath came. Aside from the deicide itself, everything seemed to have stalled.


    Hao Ren, in his current condition, would be hard-pressed to even think of the details of this, he only felt that Rheia was gripping his arm hard, and the power of the goddess immediately ripped through the already damaged steel membrane shield, and the shock of pain had him wondering if his bones were about to break.


    Rheia stared at him dead in the eye, tears welling up in hers, ¡°That¡¯s heartrendingly painful!¡±

 Chapter 1755 - he Truth Is the Truth, Whether You Accept It or Not

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Being stabbed once again after so long had Rheia tearing up in pain, yet when she spoke Hao Ren immediately woke from the daze of the information bombardment. The latter blinked as he looked suspiciously at the tiny goddess of creation. ¡°Rheia?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me alright!¡± Rheia hissed. ¡°What are you looking at! Pull it out!¡±


    Hao Ren was still totally confused but he still acted on instinct. He carefully laid Rheia down as he held the hilt of the Godslayer, but just as he was about to pull it out, he asked again, ¡°You¡¯re sure you want me to pull it straight out? I remember reading that you are not supposed to pull a sword out for wounds like this, you¡¯ll bleed out¡­¡±


    Rheia¡¯s tears almost burst out, ¡°What¡¯s with all that nonsense at this time! Most people would normally be dead from a stab like that! Bleed out my foot!¡±


    Hao Ren thought again and concurred, seeing how feisty Rheia was she probably would not die from this anyway, so he gripped the hilt hard, ¡°Hold on then, I¡¯ll pull it out now!


    ¡°Gentl¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey ho!¡±


    ¡°Yee-eekkkk!!¡±


    The moment the Godslayer was pulled out, Hao Ren felt an immense change in it. The sword, originally an object of the illusory world, initially felt cold and ethereal in his hands, but now the sword felt very familiar, as the super familiar rambling started as well, ¡°Eh partner, looking for me again? Why does this feel so different from the past? I¡¯m a little dizzy¡­ Eh, where¡¯s this place?¡±


    Before Hao Ren could even open his mouth, the Godslayer shrieked. ¡°Waaahhhh!! This¡­ This¡­ place¡­ Isn¡¯t this place back then¡­ Did I sleep myself silly, or partner, did you just screw up the timeline and went back in¡­ Eeek! The goddess! Why is the goddess on the floor! Why has the goddess been stabbed?! I¡­.¡±


    Hao Ren and Rheia could not take it any longer and yelled, ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Hao Ren then tossed the Godslayer aside as he knelt beside Rheia. ¡°How are you doing?¡±


    Rheia pointed weakly towards the wound on her chest. After the Godslayer was pulled out of her, a layer of light screen had covered the wound and was visibly healing. Even the torn dress was being restored.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this is just an illusion. I won¡¯t die again.¡± Rheia took a deep breath. ¡°But that really bleeding hurt¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still quite confused,¡± Hao Ren said as he sat beside Rheia and scratched his head, ¡°What was that all about? Why¡­ did I lost control and stabbed you¡­ It was like that illusion before.¡±


    ¡°Before we entered this realm, I had set up a divine command.¡± Rheia still lay on the floor, as she continued. ¡°All shall return to where they were.¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s expression was the same when Raven 12345 stomped on his chest and dunked two bowls of noodle soup down his throat. ¡°¡­Bloody hell, is it really so?¡±


    Rheia rolled her eyes. ¡°Surprised? Unexpected right?¡±


    ¡°Unexpected yes, not surprised at all.¡± Hao Ren looked at Rheia¡¯s mischievous face, ¡°I¡­why did this happen? Regardless, what had happened is just way too much of a twist no?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know why it happened as it did, but I won¡¯t be doing it again,¡± Rheia said as she held her chest with one hand, and tugging Hao Ren¡¯s shirt with another to help herself up. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d get stabbed again¡­ Boy, do I regret that.¡±


    Hao Ren looked at Rheia in the eye, ¡°Did you actually realized that earlier? That I am actually¡­¡±


    ¡°I had never thought of that, but after making contact with the Gilded Disc I saw some memories, it was a memory fragment that was separated while I was in a daze, and had inhabited the disc,¡± Rheia explained, ¡°Then I saw the mark on your hand¡­ So I decided to test it out.¡±


    ¡°But the mark on my palm was only imprinted on two years back.¡± Hao Ren looked at his palm and the mark was jarring as ever. ¡°That was an accident¡­ and this shouldn¡¯t be innate right?¡±


    ¡°The entanglement of information¡­ Such a thing cannot be explained using causality.¡± Rheia sighed. ¡°The mark was destined to appear on you, and it could have been innate, or something that forms later, but regardless, it will always appear before you meet me, as this is the proof that you had once killed a god.¡±


    ¡°Seems like I have to accept it whether I like it or not.¡± Hao Ren sighed, his tone conflicted. ¡°This is a bloody joke that I can¡¯t even laugh at. I bust my arse for so long to find and revive you, and the truth was that¡­ What is this? Some bloody sins of the past?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you go cursing in front of a goddess now, especially an underage one.¡± Rheia rolled her eyes at Hao Ren before turning around. ¡°I know, this will be hard to accept¡­ It¡¯s not only you, even I had never thought it¡¯d turn out like this. Like it or not, accept it or not, this is the truth.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the truth of¡­ me stabbing you ten thousand years ago.¡± Hao Ren laughed at himself, but he felt that many of his questions in the past were now answered.


    The web of connections he had with the objects left by the goddess, his immunity to the magics of the Plane of Dreams, his ability to activate the ¡°illusory world¡±, and that Raven 12345 had told him in the past.


    ¡°The matter of the Plane of Dreams, it has to be done by you.¡±


    Perhaps Raven 12345 herself had no explanation for this, but Hao Ren had found his answer.


    The illusory world had not ended, with Rheia¡¯s divine power, this ethereal dimension had stopped as Hao Ren and Rheia sat in the already collapsed temple hall, and the atmosphere was a little awkward.


    A little was an understatement, it was bloody awkward.


    A long moment later, it was Hao Ren who broke the silence. ¡°I¡¯ll take responsibility.¡±


    ¡°¡­Eh?


    ¡°I said I¡¯ll take responsibility, didn¡¯t you listen?¡±


    Rheia thought for a bit before her eyes widened. ¡°That¡¯ll cause a lot of misunderstandings if you put it that way!¡±


    Hao Ren had not put much thought when he said that, and with Rheia¡¯s reminder, he stared at her with an even wider pair of eyes. ¡°What the hell is in that brain of yours! Can¡¯t you not be pure like a proper goddess should?¡±


    Rheia had fully recovered by then and was in the mood to get into a verbal fight with Hao Ren. ¡°What does that have to do with being a goddess! Plus that¡¯s rich coming from you who had killed a god in the past!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s rich, as if me killing you in the past was not directed by yourself!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you were already planning it, and I just came along and gave you some technical support and suggestions¡­¡±


    ¡°In the past, the stuff of the past¡­¡±


    The hall fell silent again, and only after about half a minute later did Rheia let out a long sigh, ¡°Right, those are all in the past.¡±


    ¡°A bloody mess it was,¡± Hao Ren shook his head, ¡°Let¡¯s not bother pointing fingers, that¡¯ll never end. But regardless, that stab was mine, I won¡¯t run away from that.¡±


    And Rheia did not seem to be in the mind of delving into the matter, ¡°Forget about it, I never thought of hating anyone back then, plus like you said, I was one of the hands involved in the deicide¡­¡±


    As she spoke, she smiled. ¡°No one should bear responsibility for something they did in their past life, especially when you had already done so much in this. If not for you, I probably will still be asleep in the Umbral Realm, and the Mad Lord may very well break out and I¡¯m soundly defeated in my sleep.¡±


    Hao Ren gave Rheia a surprised look. ¡°You¡¯re sure relaxed about this.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m a goddess after all. Seeing those mortal rascals going about trying to kill themselves in all sorts of way, if I¡¯m tensed all the time I¡¯d probably die of an aneurysm,¡± Rheia retorted cheekily as she held her arm, before switching the topic. ¡°But then again, that stab did hurt. You need to repay me for that.¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ that was you going wild¡­ Alright, alright, what sort of repayment?¡±


    ¡°¡­Can my homework¡­¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Wuuu¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if you go ¡®wuuu¡¯, the answer is no.¡±


    Rheia gave up. ¡°Alright, forget about it.¡±


    ¡°But,¡± Hao Ren suddenly recalled something, ¡°If you let the guardians know about this, will they come after me?¡±


    Rheia actually pondered it seriously, ¡°If before I returned, they¡¯d probably do that. Probably not now, first I¡¯m already back, and the fall was just a deep sleep, plus you had help them a lot, and all of the burdens of the Plane of Dreams are on you. The guardians are not fanatics and are still rational. Also, isn¡¯t this a thing in the past?¡±


    As she finished, she raised an eyebrow at Hao Ren, ¡°And most importantly, nothing else better to do that you need to tell them that? I plan to keep it a secret.¡±


    Hao Ren was at a loss for words, and things were just as Rheia had said. He then shook his head as he sighed, ¡°When we found out Lily was the reincarnation of the King of the Demon Hunters I had actually wondered if I was some sort of legendary figure in my past life¡­ but this¡­ legendary figure aside, I actually did some rather legendary stuff back then.¡±


    Rheia hissed. ¡°Yeah, you actually ran through a goddess with a blade.¡±


    ¡°Uh, too much violence, not suitable for children.¡± Hao Ren facepalmed, ¡°But there¡¯s something I don¡¯t understand. When the godslayers were destroyed by the Divine Wrath, the perpetrator would have been subjected to the worst of the wrath. I¡¯d understand if I was totally annihilated there and then¡­ but how did I pass through the Wall of Reality and reincarnate on earth?¡±


    When Hao Ren said that, even Rheia was stunned. ¡°Oh right, how did you get over there¡­ does the Thunder of Divine Wrath has the ability to send someone over dimensions?¡±


    ¡°Bullshit, if that was the case that¡¯ll be taken more as a gift than anything. Then you¡¯ll have mortals coming in the thousands every now and then to blockade their churches and the curse their lord no?¡±


    Rheia imagined the possible scene and concurred. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    Hao Ren stroked his chin and only said after some slight hesitation, ¡°Say¡­ how about we rewind back to that scene again?¡±


    ¡°Just because you¡¯re the one who¡¯s getting stabbed!¡±

 Chapter 1756 - Heart-wrenching, You Know, Heart-wrenching

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Frankly speaking, that was the most genuine, unadulterated, convincing ¡°heart¡± Hao Ren had heard. Rheia was visibly shaking when she was speaking, and even the listeners felt a surge of pain there¡­


    However, Hao Ren was not joking with her, and while his suggestion may seem like he was messing around. ¡°You can find a way to not get affected. I just want to see the details in that scene¡­ I don¡¯t know why, but I feel like I¡¯ve missed out on something¡­¡±


    Seeing how serious Hao Ren was, Rheia ceased her grumbling. ¡°Missed out on something? What exactly?¡±


    ¡°My vision was limited then.¡± Hao Ren pointed to his eyes. ¡°I could only see things in the first person, but I felt that something was happening in the surrounding¡­ The deicide was not that simple no? Just like I said, taking a direct hit from the Divine Wrath, the destruction of the soul is probably the lightest of it, but I actually reincarnated back on Earth. That means not only was I not destroyed, but it was as if I was protected!¡±


    Rheia understood where Hao Ren was coming from: A soul from the Plane of Dream, to reincarnate on Earth after death would mean crossing the Wall of Reality, and most demigods would not be able to pull that off under normal circumstances, but yet a soul destroyed by Divine Wrath was able to do it. That only meant that¡­ an external force had shielded this soul and ¡°pushed¡± it to the surface world.


    ¡°All otherworldlings from the Plane of Dream that had ¡®gone through¡¯ Earth have one similarity.¡± Hao Ren said, ¡°They were all sent here by you. Or simply put¡­ within the Plane of Dreams, you are the only one who is capable of sending anyone through the Wall of Reality.¡±


    Rheia¡¯s eyes widened. The information volume of what Hao Ren had just said was immense!


    ¡°If that was the case¡­¡± Rheia was almost mumbling at this point. ¡°You ran the sword through me, and I purposely preserved your soul. Before dying, I used whatever strength I had to send you to the neighboring universe¡­¡±


    Hao Ren met Rheia in the eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t remember what went through your mind then?¡±


    Rheia frowned as she tried to remember, and shook her head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t remember¡­ That stab was not just simple physical damage, even my soul and memories were damaged as well. And every memory to that stab was as blurry as a fog. If not for me having a taste of it again myself, I don¡¯t even remember where was I stabbed.¡±


    Hao Ren pondered for a bit before going, ¡°So let¡¯s go with my suggestion then. Let¡¯s rewind and have a look¡­¡±


    Rheia¡¯s tiny face frowned so hard it looked like it was going to crumble upon itself. The goddess of creation was facing¡­ one of the toughest choices in her life, but after a moment, she bit the bullet. ¡°So¡­ let¡¯s rewind and have a look?¡±


    ¡°Remember to pull us out,¡± Hao Ren reminded her. ¡°You can retract that command, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Rheia rolled her eyes. ¡°Once is enough!¡±


    As she said that, she stood on her toes and gently tapped Hao Ren on the chest before drawing another shiny rune over herself to dispel the ¡°All shall return to where they were¡± command. She then softly clapped. ¡°Rewind.¡±


    As she spoke, the entire hell started swiftly rewinding.


    The broken pillars and domes were restored as the conflagration died off as two figures suddenly appeared inside the sacred hall, one was the goddess of creation, and the other, the godslayer glad in a crimson-gold armor.


    Hao Ren and Rheia stood on the side as spectators, as if watching a part of the play where they were the cast.


    ¡°This feels weird¡­¡± Hao Ren muttered. ¡°Why is there this mysterious sense of embarrassment?¡±


    ¡°Same here,¡± Rheia replied. ¡°Seeing myself ¡®die¡¯ again¡­ while not really dying, is weird.¡±


    Hao Ren frowned as he watched the scene unfolding before him. He then suddenly asked, ¡°Say, can¡¯t we get rid of that fog?¡±


    Rheia slapped her forehead. ¡°Oh-oh, right. That is the fog caused by the information disruption in the Gilded Disc. Let me fix that.¡±


    As she said that, the layer of fog and light over the godslayer and the goddess that hid their real looks disappeared. As Hao Ren took a good look, he rumbled. ¡°I was actually better looking than Sanba in the past?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get so full of yourself, that¡¯s due to genetic manipulation. Whether you get a pretty face or not is down to technique.¡± Rheia pursed her lips. ¡°Plus, look at that fashion sense you had in your past life. Clad in gold from top to toe with a boatload of nonsensical doodle on your helmet, aren¡¯t you embarrassed?¡±


    Hao Ren had no response, and at that moment, the rewound dimension started flowing normally again.


    The roar of combat rang across the hall, as the hall shook violently as the dome and pillars cracked and collapsed with flames blasting out from all directions. And within the collapsing temple, the godslayer was slowly approaching the goddess who stood upon the altar.


    The goddess of creation pursed her lips, no fear or anger was apparent on her face. She was simply waiting quietly there as if she was facing something that did not concern her.


    Rheia, who was standing some distance away, commented. ¡°Look how calm I was then. So calm that I¡¯m impressed with myself.¡±


    ¡°¡­Wow, that¡¯s narcissistic bragging. Let me tell you, when I first saw your looks I was actually awed by your aura, don¡¯t you go ruining that tiny bit of good impression I have of you¡­¡±


    ¡°Eh, I always take good care of my image, need to give those children a good example after all. I¡¯m just taking it easy here¡­ ah, he had lifted the sword!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s gonna do it, he¡¯s gonna do it¡­¡± Hao Ren tensed up as he witnessed the thing that was happening before him, not letting any details pass him, ¡°He¡¯s aiming¡­ He stabbed! He stabbed!¡±


    ¡°Eeekkk!¡± As she watched the goddess of creation in the illusion being stabbed, Rheia clutched her chest by reflex, and that shocked Hao Ren. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Didn¡¯t you already break the link¡­¡±


    Rheia was still clutching her chest. ¡°Imaginary pain¡­¡±


    ¡°You sure were a bastard in your past life. You¡¯d even kill a loli!¡± Rheia glared at Hao Ren but there was clearly no hostility in her voice.


    Hao Ren could only shrug. ¡°That¡¯s a bit early, and if I didn¡¯t see it wrongly¡­ that stab 10,000 years ago definitely has some oddity.¡±


    ¡°You actually noticed something?¡± Rheia was stunned.


    ¡°Just rewind a little,¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Right at the point where I¡¯d just stabbed you to death¡­¡±


    A vein immediately popped up on Rheia¡¯s forehead. ¡°Vivian was right, your mouth is really asking for a beating at times!¡±


    ¡°¡­I spoke too fast, too fast.¡±


    Even as she grumbled, Rheia still rewound the time as Hao Ren had requested and replayed the scene when the deicide was just about to happen.


    And this time, she even put it in a looping slo-mo¡­


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m taking massive mental damage here. If I replay this two more times I don¡¯t think I can do my homework for today,¡± Rheia said with a pitiful look on her face. ¡°So what did you manage to see?¡±


    ¡°Stop there!¡± Hao Ren was focusing on watching the illusion before him with a tensed look, and he suddenly yelled. ¡°Right, just right there¡­Look, you were smiling!¡±


    Rheia paused the time in the dimension, and at that moment, the heavily wounded goddess of creation was slowly falling, her body stopped midair, and her expression was just like what Hao Ren had described: she bore a faint smile.


    A smile that was bizarre.


    Even Rheia was confused as she saw the smile, as she had no memory of it. After recovering from a short stupor, she rather gingerly said, ¡°Perhaps¡­ it was like a release of burden? As I planned this all along, and the plan came to fruition¡­¡±


    ¡°But it was not only you who was smiling,¡± Hao Ren¡¯s face was deadpan serious, as he pointed towards the godslayer. ¡°Look at ¡®my¡¯ expression.¡±


    Rheia turned to where Hao Ren was pointing at, and her expression slightly changed. She saw a smile.


    The godslayer bore an almost similar smile as ¡®her in the past¡¯.


    The knowing smile was a congratulatory and relieved smile of two individuals who had managed to achieve their goal after so many trials and tribulations.


    In other words, their plan had succeeded.


    ¡°There¡¯s definitely something off with these two.¡± Rheia circled around the duo that was frozen in time, after some peering about she said with a serious face, ¡°This is the first time I see both the killer and the victim having such an expression when they eyes met.¡±


    ¡°What these two, aren¡¯t they us?¡± Hao Ren rolled his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s clear now, while the godslayer race was used as pawns with muddled heads, at least one person among them¡­¡±


    As he uttered that, he walked to the projection of his ¡°past self¡±.


    ¡°Was very clear on what was happening.¡±


    ¡°We must have planned something back then. You and I, we had a plan between ourselves.¡± Rheia muttered. ¡°Seeing this, the stab was probably the last part of this plan.¡±


    The Godslaying War itself was an intricate plan from the beginning, a result of both the machinations of both the goddess of creation and the Mad Lord, so Hao Ren and Rheia had no questions about this war itself, but that the very last moment of this war, when the godslayer ran the goddess of creation through with the blade, there was a deeper, different objective.


    And this objective was probably the true objective hidden under layers of misdirection and deception.


    Hao Ren looked at the knowing smile between the godslayer and the goddess of creation as they floated in the air, before turning to the Godslayer that he had stuck onto the ground.


    He suddenly had a gist of the truth behind all these.


    ¡°Perhaps¡­ we were just creating a weapon.¡±

 Chapter 1757 - The Engine Is Complete

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The familiar dizziness struck again, but this time around it was shorter than the time they entered the illusory world. Hao Ren simply felt everything before him turn black in a flash, and by the time he felt his feet touch solid ground again, he realized that he was surrounded by the silver platform.


    The giant discs still floated before him, and Rheia was standing on his left-hand side while Lemendusa was in a corner not too far away. Vivian, on the other hand, was on his right, and she was staring at him with curious wide eyes as she checked on him.


    Hao Ren¡¯s sudden opening of his eyes scared Vivian. ¡°Whoa!¡±


    She then waved it off. ¡°I saw the discs grew dim but you two were not awake, so I came over to have a look.¡±


    Hao Ren held his head as he tried to clear his muddled mind. ¡°Uh¡­. we stayed in the illusory world a bit longer.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m giddy¡­ giddy¡­¡± Rheia too had woken up at the same time, and as she had used her powers to open up the illusory world, so even a true god like her suffered the same dizziness like Hao Ren, and she was clearly not used to this sensation. ¡°I¡¯m not doing that again¡­¡±


    When he heard Rheia¡¯s voice, Hao Ren turned over to look at the goddess of creation, and the latter too had turned over, and as both of their eyes met just like that. The atmosphere soon turned very awkward.


    As he recalled the things he saw in the illusory world, nothing he said would have been appropriate¡­ perhaps if he should ask if the goddess about her heartrending experience?


    Hao Ren pondered for a bit and decided to not be a mouth-breather at this point.


    ¡°The two of you¡­¡± Vivian looked at Hao Ren and Rheia curiously and felt something was off with the two. ¡°What have you done? Both of you had entered the ¡®illusory world¡¯? What did you see there?¡±


    Hao Ren was just about to open his mouth as he saw Lemendusa casting a similar curious glance over, and quickly turned whatever words he had originally intended to say into a series of coughs. ¡°Ahem ahem, similar to that we saw last time, I¡¯ll tell you the details later.¡±


    Rheia also nodded with a deadpan face. ¡°Yes, yes. We went to see what Hao Ren had seen back then. Nothing too big.¡±


    The two were not lying, as they had indeed seen what Hao Ren did when he first entered the illusory world, but this time around, it was in the first-person view¡­


    While she felt something was still off, Vivian still played along with Hao Ren and changed the topic. ¡°Oh¡­ so what about the Gilded Disc?¡±


    Hao Ren and Rheia were relieved as soon as they heard that, and they had indeed checked the disc for the reason of its malfunction before they left, and Rheia nodded. ¡°It should work fine now.¡±


    Lemendusa took a step forward and bowed as he asked, ¡°Mother, the reason for the malfunction was¡­¡±


    ¡°The memory of the divine had interfered with the disc¡¯s original processes.¡± Rheia motioned. ¡°Part of my memory fragments had attached itself to the disc, and while it was minuscule, not even fit to be called a shred of memory but due to its high-level nature it had interfered with the normal functions of the disc. I have retrieved the fragment and have clean it up as well, so the disc should work fine now.¡±


    Lemendusa was relieved. ¡°That is good. Then, the final assembly of the Creation¡¯s Engine can be completed.¡±


    ¡°Do it now,¡± Rheia commanded. ¡°Since I¡¯m here, I may as well see it with my own eyes.¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡± Lemendusa acknowledged the order and started the arrangement for the assembly process for the Gilded Disc and the activation process of the Heart of God as well as the Creation¡¯s Engine.


    The platform moved closer to the orbital surface of the Creation¡¯s Engine to allow Rheia to inspect the activation process up close. The three Gilded Discs floated toward the massive gap behind the engine under the guidance of the tractor beams while with a group of engineering robots¡¯ help, a large number of cables and seemingly solid light currents were pulled out from the interior of the engine and were affixed to the connection ports by the side of the Gilded Discs and the Heart of God floating near the gap.


    The entire connection process was still down outside the Creation¡¯s Engine, and while Rheia was sure that she had resolved the ¡®error¡¯ of the Gilded Disc, precaution was still needed in a massive engineering work like this, and to prevent any other unforeseen situations, before the whole process was completed without a hitch, Lemendusa had no plans of putting the Heart of God into the Creation¡¯s Engine.


    The tensed waiting process had someone soothed Hao Ren¡¯s awkwardness, and as he looked at the assembly robots in the distance doing their work, he felt totally like a maintenance crew that had finally had his long-awaited leave approved and was taking a last look at the server room before leaving, he really hoped that nothing goes wrong at this juncture¡­


    As his nervousness overtook him, Hao Ren even invoked the rarely mentioned Raven 12345¡¯s name in prayers. ¡°Please let nothing bad happen. I¡¯ll exchange Raven 12345¡¯s place being blown up three times to have this project complete successfully¡­¡±


    Vivian, who was by his side, dropped her jaw when she heard that. ¡°As a pope, do you feel no shame reciting such a prayer?¡±


    ¡°The scripture has mentioned that only the most sincere of prayers will come true, and nowhere does it say it needs to be nice, it¡¯s all about sincerity,¡± Hao Ren said with a straight face. ¡°More importantly, it¡¯s not like she can hear me over here¡­¡±


    On the other hand, the connection between the Heart of God and the Creation¡¯s Engine had reached its most crucial phase.


    All of the connection facilities had already been prepared, and the entire system just only lacked the Gilded Disc. Now that everything was in place, with Lemendusa¡¯s command, the last energy tubing was finally connected to the power core of the Creation¡¯s Engine.


    ¡°Physical connection online. Power core online. All connections green. All monitoring nodes, initiate final inspection¡­¡±


    Over on the platform, the flat AI voice broadcast from the manufactorium, and following the reports that came, Lemendusa looked at Rheia.


    The tiny goddess of creation was never calmer before, and she nodded. ¡°Activate it.¡±


    ¡°The activation command has been given. Activate the Creation¡¯s Engine!¡±


    It was a magnificent moment.


    The golden outer shell of the Creation¡¯s Engine suddenly turned ethereal before solidifying again. Rows upon rows of white-blue light streamed rapidly through the gaps of the metal surface, making the man-made planet glow like a heart that was being pumped with blood, and within the glow, the originally inanimate object actually gave off the vibe that it was ¡°alive¡±.


    Following that, an endless stream of light radiated from the Creation¡¯s Engine, and the light engulfed every starlight across the vast universe, and yet it was not blinding. Hao Ren felt an incomparable power surged over him, and if this power was meant to use offensively, it was more than enough to annihilate him, and was enough to even kill a true god!


    Yet this power was controlled. With the activation process proceeding smoothly, the radiance was quickly retracted, and Hao Ren saw the seemingly solid light return to the engine¡¯s shell, and the moment the radiance faded away, he saw a phantom appearing in the dark void behind the Creation¡¯s Engine.


    The dimension there was shaking as an ethereal object appeared, there was a dark-red planet in space, and the planet was made out of multiple protrusions and a sea of flesh with multiple complex pieces of machinery were spotted on the rents on the mantle. Its size was almost identical to the Creation¡¯s Engine, but unlike the Creation¡¯s Engine which exuded an aura of life, it reeked of death and decay.


    As this unholy celestial body faded away, a pale figure appeared in its place. She bore a face similar to Rheia, but there was nary an emotion or warmth on her face. She gazed icily at the Creation¡¯s Engine, Hao Ren, and the rest as a voice that crossed the boundaries of dimensions rang directly in their minds. ¡°¡­Futile.¡±


    The phantoms then disappeared and the shuddering dimension was normal again, and Lemendusa, who was already ready to smash the alarm stood there stunned, as he asked Rheia in a daze, ¡°Mother¡­ that was¡­¡±


    ¡°A resonance, just as I had expected,¡± Rheia said softly. ¡°The goddess of annihilation had completed her engine¡­ and with ours of the same source, it is inevitable for something like this to happen when it is activated.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s some bloody smug attitude over there.¡± the MDT¡¯s voice suddenly rang from the side. ¡°The higher one¡¯s horse is the harder they fall, such a simple saying yet so difficult to understand. She actually thinks that once she had merged with the Lord of Madness she¡¯s invincible. It was just bad timing, if I was instead on the production line of the mainframe of an Eternal-class battleship back then, I¡¯d plaster her face with a barrage so hard her mother won¡¯t even recognize her¡­¡±


    The sudden rambling caught Hao Ren by surprise. ¡°F*ck me¡­ since when did you arrive?!¡±


    ¡°Just about when you were reciting the part where our boss gets blown up.¡± The MDT shook its frame. ¡°Bloody hell, you guys really just left after opening the gate. I wanted to catch up but I was a tad slow and got caught by your daughter. She even almost pried my casing open¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ You did not record that right?¡± Hao Ren asked gingerly.


    ¡°What are you so nervous about? You¡¯re not the only pope in the galaxy to pray for our Goddess to get blown up.¡± The MDT snorted nonchalantly. ¡°Say¡­ the Creation¡¯s Engine¡­ is it completed now?¡±


    Everyone¡¯s gaze turned towards the void.


    A faint gold man-made star was floating in the deep dark, brimming with energy as a layer of radiance covered it.


    It was originally designed to delete everything with a trace of divinity in this world, and now, after Rheia¡¯s reprogramming, it was now a weapon capable of breaching the Mad Lord¡¯s defense and directly attacking the Prison of the Dark Abyss.


    ¡°Now our trump card is at hand,¡± Rheia said. ¡°The main show¡­ will start very soon.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll need to visit the surface world for a bit,¡± Hao Ren said to the MDT. ¡°There¡¯s something that we need Raven 12345¡¯s help.¡±

 Chapter 1758 - Raven 12345s Help

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Two days later, over at Raven 12345¡¯s ¡°Upside-down Heaven¡±.


    Hao Ren and Vivian did not head home after leaving the Plane of Dreams and went directly there, and alongside them, was Rheia in her material projection form.


    Surprisingly, Raven 12345 had welcomed them rather normally. The heaven was not blown apart, the divine garden was not in flames, and the goddess was waiting in the garden in a gazebo, and frankly speaking, it was so normal that it felt like this lunatic of a goddess had swapped her soul with someone else¡­


    All sorts of unique plants of unknown origins formed a wall of hedge around the gazebo as the arcane servant served freshly brewed tea to the guests alongside delicious teatime snacks. Hao Ren took a look into the teacup, and the glow of starlight flashed through the surface of the tea.


    On the opposite side of the round table sat Raven 12345 with a calm face. She raised her teacup and smiled as she looked at Hao Ren. ¡°What¡¯s that expression for?¡±


    Hao Ren was staring at his boss who was sitting opposite him. ¡°F*ck me¡­ Did you just swap your soul with someone else? You¡¯re so not you today! Afraid of an unannounced inspection from above?¡±


    ¡°Can you actually say something nice for once?¡± Raven 12345 glanced at Hao Ren. ¡°I too sometimes, have to present the manner and bearing of befitting of the highest administrator of this universe, as I already know why you are here for. And if I¡¯m not wrong¡­ the war in the Plane of Dreams is not too far away right?¡±


    Hao Ren was indeed surprised. ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°With the Plane of Dreams so intertwined with the surface world, I could still slightly sense the changes over ¡®there¡¯ even if I don¡¯t enter there.¡± Raven 12345 smiled. ¡°And I have been paying attention to the balance and changes of both worlds, and I saw a systemic fluctuations in the stability of the Plane of Dreams, and quite a number of corrupted information were seeping through the Wall of Reality, why wouldn¡¯t I be able to guess that the Mad Lord was about to break free?¡±


    Seeing how the goddess had purposely waxed lyrical, Hao Ren now knew why the goddess was acting all divine today. The detection of the changes in the Plane of Dreams was a rare opportunity for her to do something serious for once, and following that he knew was going to need to give his own report, so that presentation was just to make her look good.


    However, Hao Ren did not break her facade, and just went along with a nod. ¡°You¡¯re right. If nothing goes wrong, the final battle will take place in about a month¡¯s time. But I have another thing to tell you today¡­ We¡¯ve finally found out the identity of the godslayer back then.¡±


    Raven 12345 had a surprised look on her face, and she quickly picked up her teacup to hide her surprise. ¡°Oh? I remember that it was a poor sod who was totally annihilated by the Divine Wrath right? You still have something to report on that?¡±


    Hao Ren took a deep breath, and as he was certain that Raven 12345 had taken a gulp of tea he pointed to himself. ¡°That was me in my past life.¡±


    ¡°Pfft!!!¡±


    Hah, pretend more!


    Raven 12345 tea was spat out at least three meters away, and her carefully cultivated image was ruined in an instant. She threw the teacup aside and stood right up, glaring at Hao Ren. ¡°You did that on purpose didn¡¯t you!¡±


    ¡°And what do you mean by that? What do you mean ¡®me in my past life?¡±


    Vivian was even more surprised than Raven 12345, as she gawked at Hao Ren and Rheia, and only recovered after a good while. ¡°Ah¡­ so that was all that misdirection was all about back at the Creation¡¯s Engine?


    Hao Ren sighed as he explained rather conflictedly, ¡°Where should I even start¡­ I actually did not regain any memories of my past life, it was probably destroyed by the Divine Wrath that time, what I saw was a complete image from the Gilded Disc¡­¡±


    He then narrated what happened at the manufactorium of the Creation¡¯s Engine, and that was the first time he had told this truth to anyone upon leaving that place. And even after he had completed, Raven 12345 and Vivian were still in a daze.


    Finally, Raven 12345 spoke, ¡°¡­You sure you¡¯re not here due to pre-combat stress to start pulling my leg?¡±


    ¡°Blergh, if I needed to pull someone¡¯s leg, I might as well look for Lily.¡± Hao Ren facepalmed. ¡°It¡¯s all true, and I have the goddess of creation as a witness.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can vouch for that.¡± Rheia raised her hand. ¡°I joined too and had a first-person view to boot. I got stabbed again as well.¡±


    Vivian cast a weird glance at Hao Ren. ¡°So¡­ you had killed Rheia in the past, and save her in this¡­ No, wait¡­ hold the phone, I¡¯m confused.¡±


    Rheia, as the ¡®victim¡¯, actually spoke up herself, ¡°Vivian, you don¡¯t have to think too deep into this. There were many hidden things back then, and if we are not wrong, Hao Ren¡¯s stabbing was intended.¡±


    The totally confused Vivian still managed to answer subconsciously, ¡°We already know that, that you were the one instigating the Godslaying War¡­¡±


    Rheia became serious as she reiterated, ¡°What I mean is, Hao Ren¡¯s ¡®stabbing¡¯, was intended.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± Only then did Vivian actually recover. ¡°You mean¡­¡±


    ¡°Hao Ren¡­ I mean, his past self was possibly the only godslayer who had joined the Godslaying War knowing the entire truth.¡± Rheia nodded. ¡°We¡¯ve found a clue and can confirm that in his past life, he had some sort of understanding with me back then. We can be sure that the Divine Wrath killing him was a ruse, and its real use was similar to that of Yggdrasil¡¯s ¡®Rune of the World Traveller¡¯, whereby it sends someone from the Plane of Dreams to the surface world¡ª¡±


    Raven 12345 immediately interrupted her, ¡°You don¡¯t need to say anymore. I understand. You drew Hao Ren¡¯s spirit out after he killed you, and threw his spirit to where Yggdrasil¡¯s present location was, that means Earth right? So both of you had planned this from the beginning.¡±


    Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Yes, but we just were not able to fully confirm this fact, and its all conjecture.¡±


    Vivian gave Hao Ren another odd look. ¡°So what were you two planning back then?¡±


    The one who answered was Rheia. ¡°One thing we¡¯re sure of is that my plans back then were all towards the same objective. I had made sure every arrangement would be concerted with one another, or tagged on, like Yggdrasil and its refugees from the Plane of Dreams, the Weaves of Destiny and the Throne of Destiny included, the Creation¡¯s Engine included, and you included. The core of all of these plans, or the top most ¡®node¡¯, is you.¡±


    Vivian blinked. She, of course, understood what the latter meant. Her identity as the ¡°guide¡± and the ¡°highest node in the Weaves of Destiny¡± aside, she had no idea what Rheia was up to. ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°And? Then everything fell into place. The godslayer and I would stage a play, then the godslayer¡¯s spirit would be sent to Earth. This is surely part of the plan, and this plan definitely has something to do with you. Just like how all lines would converge on a signal dote, you are that dot in all of my plans.¡±


    As she said that, Rheia gently smacked her forehead. ¡°But¡­ I totally don¡¯t remember what sort of promise I had with the godslayer, and why did I send him over to Earth. This memory is not separated, rather it is totally annihilated. That means¡­¡±


    ¡°That means this matter needs to be hidden from the goddess of annihilation.¡± Vivian was a smart one, and almost immediately caught on the key issue there. ¡°Since both, you and the goddess of creation shared your memories, you totally wiped that memory clean at the very last minute of the deicide!¡±


    ¡°So we can go with the suggestion that this matter had a higher ¡®priority¡¯ over whatever arrangements you had made,¡± Raven 12345 said slowly. ¡°Even if the Creation¡¯s Engine was something for you to erase yourself, you had not hidden it from the goddess of annihilation¡­ Ah, that Creation¡¯s Engine is probably a ruse itself, meant for the goddess of annihilation to see?¡±


    ¡°It is not a ruse.¡± Rheia shook her head. ¡°At least not in its entirety.¡±


    ¡°Interesting¡­ very interesting. You guys sure played it big. Cheating someone is easy, but cheating yourself as well, that takes a lot of effort,¡± Raven 12345 said as she stroked her chin, an expression of intrigue etched on her face as her gaze moved between Hao Ren and Rheia, before finally falling on Vivian. ¡°So¡­ you guys finding me today is probably due to me knowing more about the divine arts than all three of you combined, so you want me to help look into what use was that ¡®godslaying¡¯ play was all about?¡±


    Hao Ren and Rheia nodded at the same time.


    ¡°Then I do have an idea.¡± Raven 12345 smiled. ¡°But I need both Hao Ren you and Vivian¡¯s cooperation.¡±


    ¡°I have no objections.¡± Hao Ren nodded as he looked at Vivian. ¡°But you¡­¡±


    ¡°If you have none, so do I,¡± Vivian replied. ¡°After all, the goddess won¡¯t do us harm.¡±


    ¡°Then that¡¯s settled.¡± A mysterious smile appeared on Raven 12345¡¯s face.¡±I need to inspect your souls for a bit. If I¡¯m not wrong, there¡¯s probably something hidden in your souls, something.. hidden even from me.¡±


    Raven 12345¡¯s ¡®inspection¡¯ was not the lengthy process with all sorts of weird rituals that Hao Ren had imagined, and in truth, as Raven 12345¡¯s voice trailed off, both he and Vivian felt a sudden giddiness, and that quickly faded a few seconds later, with Raven 12345 looking at them slightly oddly.


    ¡°Is the inspection¡­ over?¡± Hao Ren said, rather amazed.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing complicated.¡± Raven 12345 frowned, and she too seemed to be surprised. ¡°Weird¡­ I had never noticed this before, but why did it appear now¡­¡±


    ¡°What appeared?¡± Hao Ren tensed up. ¡°Will souls actually grow? Was it me or Vivian?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s you. I had detected a new series of information in your soul¡­ and if I¡¯m not wrong when you had made contact with the truth recorded in the Gilded Disc, a seal was broken, and this series of information can form a bond with Vivian¡¯s soul.¡±


    Hao Ren asked eagerly, ¡°What does that information do?¡±


    ¡°Take that Godslayer blade out.¡± Raven 12345 took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you how to use it. This is something you should have originally mastered.¡±

 Chapter 1759 - The Team Needs You

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The Scarred Nebula, Purgatory.


    For the aborigines of this planet, the land they stood on and the sky above them have an immense meaning to them. The legends of the heavens and earth had passed on for ages, and these legends were intertwined with reality. In addition, very few mortal races had gone through what they did. The land that they stood on was the corpse of a planet-size superorganism, and the skies above their heads were covered by the leaves of these superorganisms. They had gone through living beneath the planet¡¯s crust, and have seen the crust cut open by powerful mining starship, opening up foreign stars to the aborigines¡­


    Then came the Yggdrasil¡¯s dimensional chain that connected the star system together, and the glowing nebula vortex said to be connected to another universe¡­


    These massive changes normally not seen across the span of millenniums happened within a span of a few years, and this would undoubtedly deeply and permanently affect the cultural and religious concepts of the Purgatory aborigines. And the effects were already apparent, as the elders and sages of all of the tribes had given their tribesmen explanation sufficient to calm their unease of the changes of the sky and land, and the outland continents floating in the sky. These explanations would undoubtedly become part of the legends many years in the future.


    A living, breathing legend before them.


    As he remembered the fact that he was one of those who had lived through this legend, and perhaps will be leaving his name in the epics, even a seasoned tribal warrior like Gezer would feel fluttery at times.


    He remembered his newly-wed wife, and his unborn child. And in these times of great changes, for a tribal warrior who had ¡°walked with the gods¡±, would such glory be extended to his offspring?


    As these stray thoughts entered his mind, the very next second he was struck in the face by a golden glow and was sent spinning in the air.


    After leaving a long trail on the ground, Gezer finally stopped. With much effort only did he held himself up and saw the golden armor was clanking its way towards him. The armor was ornate and elegant, just like the armor of the gods in the legends. Yet, there was nothing within the armor, and only light flowing like water among the armor parts. Its right hand held a flaming sword, while its left was extended towards him.


    ¡°My thanks¡­¡± Gezer received the hand with much embarrassment and as he was pulled up by the latter he looked around him. The large combat arena was divided into several individual zones and within each zone were a warrior and a sparring ¡®heroic spirit warrior¡¯. He was not the first to fall, and at least half of the warriors had left the platform defeated, but what depressed him was that he was not the last to fall: There were at least ten other tribal warriors that were fighting toe to toe with the heroic spirits.


    ¡°You were distracted,¡± a rather ghostly voice rang from the golden armor, and that drew Gezer¡¯s attention back from the platform. ¡°Otherwise you would be able to last longer. You are one of the best warriors here.¡±


    ¡°I shall remember this lesson,¡± Gezer bowed respectfully as if he was paying respects to his martial arts instructor so many years ago.


    For a revered tribal warrior, Gezer very rarely had to be respectful to anyone, but before these heroic spirits, he was more than willing to be. These spirits from the ¡®Aurora Realm¡¯ were all powerful, peerless warriors, and all of them had souls tampered by endless training and martial skills beyond any mortals. Also, he heard that all these warriors had won at least a hundred battles in their past life, and so these warriors are deserving of all respect.


    More importantly, these warriors from the floating continents above had brought many useful devices. And their lifeform that hovers between the living and the death had helped the ancestral spirits back in Requiem City to complete the spirit binding ritual, and they had also brought with them many knowledge and techniques of soul manipulation.


    While the surface world would need to use food and meat to exchange these, the tribal elders had said, knowledge was the most important wealth, and that¡¯s why Gezer held the outland warriors known as the heroic spirits with a higher level of respect.


    Crops can be harvested from the ground every year, but not knowledge.


    At the edge of the arena upon a tall rock platform, Bonia looked down at the daily sparring below. Two years had passed and the Saintess of the Fire Tribe had lost quite a bit of her naivety. While she was still immature in certain aspects, she was a woman of her own, thus she could use her status as the representative of the tribes to gather all of the great warriors from all tribes onto the arena and inspect them with the goddess of war from the Aurora Realm.


    Bonia¡¯s vision temporarily shifted away from the arena and onto the horizon afar. There was a dark green pillar that seemed to connect to the heavens, it was just as grand as the Heaven¡¯s Pillar tree in the past, and several new settlements were seen near the base of the root. At the top of the pillar, there were phantasmal vines that extended across the area, and the phantoms grew among the clouds and the stars as it connected to the floating continents in the sky. At times a bright light would flash across the continents, and that was the machines left behind by the ¡®apostles¡¯ to maintain the Aurora Realm.


    ¡°Yggdrasil has totally stabilized now,¡± The tall lady spoke as she noticed Bonia¡¯s gaze. The former¡¯s voice was melodious, but had a bizarre inorganic feel to it, just like the ¡®thinking machines¡¯ left behind by the apostles. ¡°The Tower of Heavens¡¯ still shaking nowadays?¡±


    Bonia looked at the outland woman called the goddess of war, she knew that the latter had another name called Valkyrie, but neither the goddess of war nor Valkyrie were her true names. She exuded a rather bizarre aura, but almost everyone from the Aurora Realm was somewhat bizarre.


    The faint glow and the imposing aura coming from the goddess of war had dazed the young saintess for a bit, but Bonia quickly recovered and gently shook her head, ¡°The Tower of Heaven had been calm, the Twin Gods of Black and White said that the ¡®tentacle¡¯ has successfully taken root. Aside from any unforeseen accidents or circumstances, there should not be any changes. The tribal elders were discussing to open up the civilian trade caravans and allow the commoners to climb the Tower of Heaven themselves. As your people appear across the land more frequently, more and more tribespeople are getting interested in the Aurora Realm.


    ¡°It is Yggdrasil,¡± the goddess of war corrected her seriously.


    ¡°But that is just too difficult for us to pronounce.¡± Bonia spat her tongue out. This immature action would land her hours of lecturing if the elders saw it, ¡°On the ground, the name Aurora Realm is used much more commonly, as you guys are always covered by a veil of the aurora.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, as we too call your ¡®surface world¡¯, the hanging country.¡± The goddess of war nodded. ¡°And to us, you are instead the ones floating in the air.¡±


    Bonia softly lamented, ¡°The power of god¡­ sure is incredible.¡±


    The goddess of war did not say anything. Even if her name had a ¡°goddess¡± in it, and she was considered part of the pantheon by her former master, Odin, the goddess of war knew very well that a true god was a being of magnificence beyond comprehension. If she had to name it, the swirling nebula vortex in the night sky (the entrance into the Plane of Dreams) was a tiny display of a god¡¯s power, and this distant thing was rather difficult to explain to Bonia, and even she found it difficult to comprehend all of this, so she chose to keep silent.


    Bonia seemed to be used to the goddess of war¡¯s silence, so she deftly changed the topic. ¡°Say, you had requested thirty percent less food compared to last month, what happened?¡±


    The goddess of war nodded. ¡°The natural environment of Midgard is swiftly recovering, and the lands cultivated by humans were all yielding crops now, so our need for food will lessen over time.¡±


    Bonia frowned as she heard that. ¡°If you people no longer need food, what can we exchange in the future?¡±


    The goddess of creation glanced at Bonia, a smile seemingly formed on her face. While this young saintess was talented with the runic arts and was well learned about the ancient civilizations, she was immature in other areas. ¡°As long as Yggdrasil and your world continue to grow, commerce would only increase, there will always be something that one has and another lacks. You don¡¯t have to worry about this, leave this to the elders who are used to handling this.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s leave this headache to the old geezers in Requiem,¡± Bonia said as she shook her head, before training her sights on the arena below. The tribal warriors had all retired from the arena as the newly chosen young warriors with the potential to be a ¡®brave¡¯ took to the field. The heroic spirits from the Aurora Realm then started an instructional spar with the young warriors, and while the intensity of combat had lowered quite a bit, the latter were still beaten to a pulp, and those tribal warriors, who too had suffered the same fate earlier laughed at their juniors who were toyed about like they were.


    ¡°The heroic spirits sure are powerful¡­¡± Bonia said, ¡°They do not need to rest¡­ Even the best of our warriors are not their match.¡±


    ¡°Becoming an Einherjar is difficult, and every Einherjar was a warrior of hundred victories in their past life. We had plucked the souls of warriors from the most horrible of battlefield across thousands of years to form the Einherjar,¡± the goddess of war plainly said. ¡°So, the strength of these heroic spirits is assured, and there is no need for envy. If you could assemble the best of warriors in the past thousands of years, and then equip them with even more powerful equipment, they will be no less stronger than the Einherjars.¡±


    Bonia was curious, ¡°For your people to gather such powerful warriors, and to train them continuously, what sort of enemies were your people facing?¡±


    ¡°It was for the Twilight of the Gods,¡± the goddess of war said. ¡°But now¡­ it is for our new master, and to destroy the enemies of our new master.¡±


    The tall, elegant Valkyrie who was clad in silver plate armor looked up towards the nebula vortex connecting to the Plane of Dreams as she spoke.


    In her field of vision that was filled all sorts of precision measurement, auxiliary lines, and information projections, an eye-catching line suddenly appeared:


    ¡°The Lord of the Nine Realms summons the Einherjar to enter combat readiness, and head to the Golden Palace of Asgard in forty-eight hours, and prepare to board.¡±


    ¡°Oh, heroic spirits, war is upon us.¡±

 Chapter 1760 - The Voice of the Goddess

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    A storm seemed to be coming.


    It was high noon, but dark roiling clouds as dark as ink seemed to have blotted out the sun as the sky was as dark as midnight. The sun had not appeared since dawn, and the lights in the cities had yet to be extinguished till now.


    The streets of the Hollettan Royal City were silent and empty, and while it had yet to rain, the people had little interest venturing out in such weather, common folk or nobles alike. All of them could sense an unnerving aura was enveloping this world, and they all hid in their home, shut their doors and windows and calmed the children in their houses, hoping that this unusual weather would pass soon.


    Yet, even in this weather, there would be people out and about. The legendary Marshal Ophra wore her favorite white light mail, as she went to the Grand Cathedral of Glory with few of her squires. Her white armor made her look like a walking white flame in the darkness, exuding a calming presence, and just by looking at her imposing visage was enough to calm the soldiers on the cathedral plaza.


    After setting into the cathedral, the dim world outside was seemingly totally cut off as the cathedral was brightly lit with a warm atmosphere. And while the Disciples of Glory¡¯s adherence to austerity would ensure the cathedral would not be lavishly decorated or being overly comfortable, but just by entering such a bright and warm place was enough to cheer anyone up.


    Ophra stopped before the holy portrait and looked up at the massive drape hanging from the dome of the cathedral. On it was a nondescript pattern of meshed together colors, forming a bizarre picture. That was the Disciples of Glory¡¯s depiction of the goddess of creation in their mind or the only impression that they have of the goddess. And for the past thousands of years, this bizarre picture hung over every church in the land.


    But what is the true situation? Is this weird drawing really the impression that the goddess had imparted to her devotees? Or is this the illusion caused by the ¡®First Born¡¯ mental suggestions that the locals had gone through for ages?


    As Ophra looked at the drawing on the drape, these stray thoughts entered her mind, and she knew that she was not the only person who had such thoughts. In fact, the discussion and amendments of the legends, doctrines, and commandments of the Disciples of Glory had never ceased, and not only did the heretics did this, but even the church hierarchy was also at it.


    It all started four years ago, and Ophra knew it every well. It had started after the outlanders had helped them remove the First Borns infesting the planet. While the common folk may not understand this, but Ophra and a few others could easily like all of this together:


    After the First Borns were removed, the mental suggestions from the deep had all stopped at once, and the humans on the surface would inevitably be affected, and some thoughts were never had before would pop up, and somethings that were once almost sacred would be shaken with the end of the suggestions, and the constant theological debates within the Disciples of Glory is a proof of this.


    As a military person, Ophra was not sure if this change was for the good or bad, perhaps the Disciples of Glory would go on the true path after being freed from the First Born¡¯s influence, but it could also shake the entire hierarchy down to the core. This is all dependent if the church¡¯s faith was more influenced by the goddess or the corrupted First Borns.


    Regardless, the Disciples of Glory was still the largest, most influential church in the world, and was the most trusted religious organization around. Its long existence was one, and the martyrdom of the previous pope and Bishop Geddon was another.


    The sacrifice meant that even if their teachings were somewhat influenced by the First Born, the will to protect this world was genuine.


    All sorts of emotions welled up within her and faded away as quickly. Ophra noticed a brother was walking towards her and asked. ¡°Where¡¯s his Holiness at?¡±


    ¡°His Holiness had locked himself in the prayer room since last midnight.¡± The young brother bowed. And while the clergy of the Disciples of Glory held a special and unassailable status in the kingdom, before a living legend like Ophra, even the pope himself will offer respect, more so an ordinary deacon. ¡°He already knew of your visit, and should be out shortly.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­ There¡¯s no hurry. I¡¯ll just wait around,¡± Ophra said warmly before turning towards a corner of the cathedral. Two nuns were whispering to each other, and seeing their tensed look, she immediately knew that something big had happened last night. ¡°His Majesty is very concerned about the ¡®will of God¡¯, and you probably have seen the weather, it is not something normal in this season.¡±


    ¡°We are waiting for a clearer reading of her will,¡± the young brother said. ¡°The divine power had suddenly surged across this world, and this had never happened in the last thousand or so years. The only records of it were during the far ancient era, before the times where the ¡®apocalypse¡¯ took place.¡±


    Ophra nodded in understanding, ¡°Understandable.¡±


    The goddess had left this world and had left a long long time ago.


    The commoners did not know this truth, and even most of the clergy had no idea of the truth that the ¡®goddess had fallen¡¯. And in fact, a few years back, Ophra had no idea of it herself, but after the outlanders came, many of the truths were slowly revealed.


    Ophra was very clear that the goddess of creation had protected this world had fallen ten thousand years ago, and the one that the Disciples of Glory worships and obtain their powers are actually the tiny fraction of an ¡®echo¡¯ left behind after her fall.


    The ¡°death¡± of a true god, however, was just on the surface and temporary and based from Countess Becky¡¯s reports, the goddess of creation had been found by the outlanders, and seemed to have resurrected, and that goddess that had fallen 10,000 years ago was probably reorganizing this order of this universe, and Holletta ¡­ was just a tiny part of this vast universe.


    Until today, Holletta had yet to receive any clear will from the goddess, and the recently resurrected goddess must have been busy.


    However, everything changed yesterday as the will of god swept through suddenly across the planet, and almost all clergymen and pious adherents could hear the voice of the goddess. As the human psyche was too weak, no one could understand what was the meaning of that sudden command, and thus the pope had locked himself in the prayer room since last night to try to communicate directly with the will.


    It was almost ironic, as this was the first time the Disciples of Glory actually establishing a real contact with the goddess in the last thousands of years.


    In the prayer room deep within the cathedral, the newly chosen pope, Automus shut his eyes tight as he prostrated himself before the holy portrait as he tried to listen intently of the will of a true god coming from deep space.


    And he had taken a long time to establish contact.


    Even though the ancient tomes had recorded ways of contacting the divine, and the ancient records too had described the situation when that happens, but the fact was that the goddess had left the world for almost ten thousand years, and all of the prayers and methods of making contact was just conjecture at this point and those erroneous methods that were passed down only led to two outcomes.


    The god that you are calling to is not within the service area.


    The god that you are calling is currently not available. Please try again later.


    Regardless, the contact was established successfully, and what the old pope regretted was that it was the goddess who had made the contact herself.


    The voice of the goddess rang in his mind, and hearing the voice alone was enough to send tears streaming down the faces of normal devotees. ¡°¡­ Is that so¡­ You have rebuilt your civilization¡­ I had fallen asleep for so long, it must have been tough for all of you¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, yesterday? Ah.. ahem ahem¡­ I have not used a free-mic for so long now and¡­ Uh never mind. I was just testing the shout function yesterday and did not actually say anything, so it¡¯s normal if you don¡¯t actually get anything out of it.¡±


    The words of a god sure are profound.


    The old pope had used all his might to control his roiling emotions as he asked with utmost respect and reverence. ¡°Oh, Goddess, the devotees have seen many inauspicious signs of late, do you have any guidance for us?¡±


    The goddess paused for a bit before answering warmly, ¡°There will be an oncoming disaster. My friends and I will do our all to protect this world, but all of you have your own duty.¡±


    ¡°Please enlighten us.¡±


    The goddess paused for another moment, before speaking, ¡°The most ancient, most evil of powers in the universe has awakened, and while I had defeated it many years ago, it is not resurgent, and its goal is to drag the entire universe into chaos and destruction.¡±


    ¡°My friends and I will stop it, and try to destroy it once and for all in this battle, but this power is ever-present, and it will definitely try to invade the mortal realms and ravage your souls as its food source to strengthen itself.¡±


    ¡°An army will appear before you soon, and the outlanders will be leading that army. They are heroic spirits from another world, and that army is made out of shining metal, and within the armor is the radiant fire of its soul. You will recognize them in a glance.¡±


    ¡°And you, you will need to organize your own army before this unit comes. Arm your men, have the civilians stay at home. Every town and village I to light up the holy fire, and anointed with holy water, and recite a special prayer once a day. I will send the prayer to you, and it will increase the common people¡¯s resistance to that evil power, and protect your souls from being tainted¡­¡±


    ¡°Aside from that, you should stop all conflicts across the world, as the inner conflict of man is easily used by this power, and it will taint seep through one¡¯s negative emotions and your conflicts will accelerate the destruction of your world.¡±


    ¡°If there are already people tainted and controlled by this power, you should dispose of them without any hesitation, I will let you know how to recognize the tainted ones, and the ways to handle different taints. Remember, you are not to abuse this power, as the negative emotions brought by power abuse is a precursor for destruction¡­¡±


    ¡°As you wish, Goddess. We shall follow your every word.¡± the old pope immediately responded with absolute reverence, but he then hesitated for a bit before boldly asking his query. ¡°Oh Goddess, you had paused many times while stating your will¡­ is there something that could not be told to us? If we can do it, we will, even if it means making the ultimate sacri¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh no, I was just doing some model questions.¡±


    The words of a god sure were profound¡­

 Chapter 1761 - The Will of God Is What It Is

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The brightly lit lights within the cathedral, the latent mental powers of thousands of clergies and the holiness that the sacred sanctum had all interwoven and that allowed the cathedral to seemingly be separated clearly from the world outside. The world outside was enveloped by thick dark clouds as the brooding weather signaled the coming of trials and tribulations upon the world, and a wall apart, it was nothing but warmth and brightness.


    However, even with the cathedral¡¯s innate holiness, and the bright lights could not calm the unease of the clergy.


    The pope had already locked himself in the prayer room for almost twelve hours now, and within this period at least a dozen powerful aftershocks from the divine arts had blasted out of the room. No one knew if this first ¡®communion with God¡¯ in one-thousand-odd years would be smooth sailing, and for the newly appointed pope Automos, this was the most challenging moment of his career as a clergy. For the entire Disciples of Glory, this was the moment of truth for the legacy of so many generations. If the pope manages to hear the goddess, and if a divine miracle was present, then the legacy of the Disciples of Glory would be sealed and be unshakable, but if the pope fails¡­


    Then it is over for the Disciples of Glory, and every theological debate before and henceforth would be pointless, and as a church worshiping a true god, and if the god denounces them, the meaning of its existence would no longer exist.


    The young brother came before the prayer room, and a few cardinals were already waiting outside. He bowed respectfully to them, before whispering to one of them. ¡°Has His Holiness not come out yet?¡±


    ¡°His Holiness is still praying.¡± the cardinal asked replied in a deadpan manner.


    ¡°Marshal Ophra is already in the cathedral,¡± the young brother continued. ¡°She carries with her a royal order.¡±


    ¡°No one may enter before the prayer is completed.¡± The cardinal shook his head, ¡°Perhaps His Holiness¡¯ communion with the goddess has reached its most important stage.¡±


    The young brother nodded and waited with the cardinals by the door of the prayer room.


    Within the prayer room, Pope Automos¡¯ communion with the goddess had indeed reached its most important stage.


    The goddess of creation was teaching him the special prayers capable of resisting the mental taint of the Mad Lord, and along with that, a large number of powerful divine arts and rituals that had been previously lost.


    Automos had been baptized at birth and had been a servant body since five undergoing theological studies, but throughout his life, he had never felt so emotional before. The knowledge given by the gods are so invaluable, especially so for the ones that had been lost across the ages, generations upon generations of clergymen had strained all efforts to recover the lost arts from bits and pieces of ancient scrolls, and everyone thought that this ancient knowledge could not be fully recovered, and was convinced that the loss of this knowledge was a form of penance for the arrogance of men, and who would have thought that they would be recovered in such a manner someday?


    Not only did the goddess not fault her devotee¡¯s foolishness and arrogance, but she had also instead retaught everything personally.


    Automos thought that he was probably the luckiest of all of the popes in the church.


    As for the random smattering of ¡°Easier than the module questions¡±, ¡°One practice per lesson works¡±, ¡°And there are actually four ways to do this¡± while she was teaching him, Automos considered that the manifestation of the goddess¡¯ wisdom and deep thought, not that he understood what it meant anyway.


    However, before he took down the divine art modules, he had copied down the prayers that could ward off the infestation of madness. Knowledge and whatnot are all fine and dandy, but that depended on them staying alive.


    As the light of the divine arts faded away, Automos looked at the enchanted scrolls containing all sorts of spell modules and prayers as he faithfully reported, ¡°Goddess, I have recorded all of it down.¡±


    ¡°Very good, next I will announce the order to all devotees in the world, and they will know what will be happening, but not everyone is capable of using high-level divine arts, so I entrust this original prayer text to you, you need to disseminate it to all bishops and every ranking clergy above them. You need to master the usage of these prayers within a month, and set up defenses all across the world.¡±


    ¡°Remember, once you have received this prayer, all of you will bear the burden of protecting everyone, and all of you will be directly facing the spiritual infestation of that beast of madness, the most terrifying side of the universe¡­¡±


    ¡°If anyone feels that his faith and willpower is wavering, they may step away, and I will not fault them. This withdrawal would instead prevent any gaps in the defensive line of the mortal worlds. But if you choose to receive it, then you need to persevere until the end, and I will always be by your side.¡±


    ¡°Remember, you are not fighting alone.¡±


    Automos felt a sensation his soul had never felt before as he fell on all fours before the holy portrait. ¡°Oh, Goddess, I have prepared a long time for this!¡±


    ¡°Then go, I still have two questions to answer¡­¡±


    Automos nodded in reverence as he got up, but just before he left the room, the will of the goddess of creation swept through him again. ¡°Wait up, Automos, there¡¯s another thing.¡±


    The pope immediately stopped and turned towards the portrait, ¡°Goddess, please go ahead.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that abstract-art like caricature before you?¡±


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±


    At that very moment, Automos felt that this was the biggest challenge that he had faced in his lifetime as a clergy!


    ¡°Oh, Goddess¡­ that is you were are drawing¡­¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Right then, Rheia, who was a few million light-years away also felt that this was the biggest challenge she had faced in her lifetime as a goddess!


    After some awkwardness (alright, a massive awkwardness for Automos), the two had reached a mutual accord on the problem with the image of the holy portrait as a new portrait will replace the abstract art from the ¡®chaotic age¡¯, and to smooth over the rather awkward atmosphere, Automos had to look for a new topic, ¡°Goddess, about the unusual weather today¡­¡±


    ¡°What about the weather?¡± The goddess sounded rather confused.


    ¡°Is it a foretelling of the coming chaos and instability? We need to explain this to the masses¡­¡±


    The goddess¡¯ reply came after a two-second delay, ¡°Ah, my powers had swept across the world, and the reaction with the free energy particles in the atmosphere will probably cause some bizarre weather conditions, but it does not have any foretelling to it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then what should we do?¡± Automos asked.


    ¡°Why, get everyone to keep the laundry, pronto! Why is this child so silly?!¡±


    The door of the prayer room finally opened.


    The young brother and the waiting cardinals quickly went forward to receive him, and they saw Pope Automos bore a tired look that they had never witness before.


    The communion with the gods is probably a very heavy burden for mortals, and even the strongest popes would be worn out by it. And all of the cardinals came to the same conclusion as they saw Automos¡¯ unstable footsteps.


    ¡°Your Holiness,¡± A cardinal came before the pope, ¡°The divine will¡­¡±


    ¡°The goddess is upon us,¡± Automos spoke before the former could even finish his sentence as he pulled the scrolls, overflowing with divine power out from his sleeves. The pure divine powers exuded from the scroll were beyond the comprehension of the clergies, and in reverent awe, all of them bowed. ¡°This is her gift of knowledge. She had commanded us to be united and to face the biggest challenge that is about to be upon this world. I will brief all of you on the details in the conclave later.¡±


    The cardinals all bowed down as they prayed, their voice was filled with joy and assurance. ¡°Praise be the goddess.¡±


    Automos took a deep breath as he tried to calm his emotions. ¡°She has also given us two other orders¡­¡±


    ¡°Please, Your Holiness, enlighten us.¡± the cardinals said in unison.


    ¡°First, we need to redraw the holy portrait. As we had discussed a few times earlier, the current portrait is a collective illusion caused by the mental influence of the First Born. As the First Born was corrupted by foul powers, that portrait too had been twisted. The goddess did not fault us for that, but we need to redraw a new portrait of the goddess.¡±


    As he said, he pulled out another scroll. ¡°As she had commanded, the new portrait will be based on this .¡±


    A cardinal carefully took the scroll as if he was holding the key to the fate of the world, and opened it with utmost reverence. He saw a very beautiful little girl on the scroll, and with one hand on her waist, and another posing a V sign towards the viewer.


    The cardinals were speechless.


    So was Automos.


    ¡°The will of God is what it is,¡± Automos spoke assuredly after a moment, ¡°Just do as we are told.¡±


    Someone from the group of cardinals had also recovered. ¡°And.. what of the second order?¡±


    ¡°She asks us to not go about guessing the weather, and get everyone to keep their laundry.¡±


    Automos closed his eyes as he visibly looked like he had aged ten years. ¡°The will of God is what is it.¡±


    The cardinals had dispersed, and Automos could finally heave a sigh of relief. In those ten-odd minutes, he felt that there was a gulf between him and his predecessor. Even if their experience was about the same, he felt that he still had more to learn.


    He noticed the young brother who was standing where he stood, and as the latter was walking toward him, he spoke, ¡°Has Marshal Ophra been waiting?¡±


    ¡°She is waiting for you at the cathedral. She declined our invitation to rest in the lounge.¡±


    ¡°For the austere Disciples of Glory, the lounge is no more comfortable than the main hall itself.¡± The pope nodded as he headed out. ¡°Let¡¯s meet her now. War is upon us, and the goddess is upon her own battlefield, and us mortals should be on our way to our own battlefield.¡±

 Chapter 1762 - Withdrawal

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After ending the divine communion, Rheia leaped down from the altar. As she twirled with a strand of her hanging before her chest, she mumbled to Hao Ren, ¡°Say¡­ you think it would be better if I had given them a holy portrait template that is much more solemn?¡±


    Hao Ren recalled the ¡°holy portrait template¡±, which Rheia had taken at least half a day to finalize, and said from the bottom of his heart, ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t know what you were thinking when you did that. Did your SAN level averaged out with Raven 12345¡¯s since your last meeting?¡±


    A worried look loomed over Rheia. ¡°Then should I¡­ give them another version that is more classic? I still have a rather classic promotional picture back then, with a silly staff, on a shell alongside a few halos behind me. While I thought it to be silly it was rather popular back in the day.¡±


    Then she mumbled again, ¡°But this time around I thought that I should have a new, refreshed image after my deep slumber. Plus now the Plane of Dream is so dreary that everyone could use an energetic goddess to drum up morale or something¡­¡±


    Hao Ren slapped his forehead. ¡°And have you ever thought that a few fanatics of yours might actually get full on depression after seeing that rather lovely image of yours?¡±


    ¡°Then I should change it back.¡± Rheia¡¯s pride was wounded.


    However, Vivian spoke, ¡°Actually I¡¯d think it¡¯s fine if you leave it that way, you can choose the path of an idol. Was there something like that before? To save the world, someone chose to become an idol¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother, that¡¯s a rather dated cliche now,¡± Lily interrupted Vivian. ¡°But I think you don¡¯t have to change. A friendly, approachable image is pretty good, and if you were to go back and exchange the picture you had given to that pope you¡¯ll just make things worse¡­¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged as he stopped the girls from dragging the topic further and further away. ¡°That¡¯s all a question of details. Let¡¯s focus on the important stuff. So that¡¯s the last broadcast of divine power?¡±


    Rheia sighed. ¡°There aren¡¯t many survivors after all, and the ones I can broadcast to is just that few. The natives of some ecosystems can¡¯t even walk yet. So yes, Holletta is the last of them.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­ The people of Tannagost-Zorm had just left the simulation ark for two years and is still a society based on rationing, their organization is strong and there will not be any problems with that; Holetta¡¯s Disciples of Glory is very influential, and they could ensure order; the society down on Io is still a work in progress, but they only have a population of an evacuation ark, so their development was limited to a few cities, and with the combat satellite arrays that I have left on Io¡¯s orbit, it seems like it¡¯ll be fine there; lastly¡­ the Executors¡­ that¡¯s something we don¡¯t even have to worry about. As a totally militarized race, with a mind network, they are probably the most steadfast of the lot.¡± Hao Ren stroked his chin as he counted. ¡°And the few other primordial planets we¡¯ll just leave it to the combat satellite array for protection. With that, it seems all are accounted for.¡±


    ¡°Then let the mortals fight for their own world,¡± Rheia said. ¡°Whether they make it through or not, it¡¯s up to them.¡±


    Heavy footsteps were heard from a distance as the great door of the basilica opened, and the Loken, the Lord of Lords¡¯ massive sculpture-like figure appeared by the door. ¡°Mother, the final communication has been sent from the Dark Abyss. The Mad Lord has fully broken through the central lock down line, and the Nightwatchers will abandon all stations and withdraw from the prison as planned.¡±


    Rheia nodded and turned to Hao Ren. ¡°Let¡¯s head to Overwatch Bastion.¡±


    Deep within the dark void, a massive space fortress floated quietly among the stars.


    It had the style of the droid hives with the base of a floating celestial body, and the alloy barriers and connection frames slowly became all sorts of functional facilities and hives, while between the large hives were thick redoubts and walls, and on the walls, countless of automated cannons and enhanced fortress-grade shield generators were arrayed. Countless of droids and droid carriers were swarming all around the facilities as they worked around the clock in silence.


    However, this fortress cluster was bigger than any standard droid hives. It was far beyond the normal base setup of a hive, and rather than the hives focused on pioneering and mass-production, this fortress was clearly designed to be defensive as the countless shield generators and fixed cannon platforms were more than awe-inspiring. It exuded the feeling of a very sturdy nail that was firmly affixed in the heart of the base, capable of weathering any storms.


    That was the Overwatch Bastion, a military installation closest to the Dark Abyss. It was almost on the border of the Prison¡¯s ¡°visual border¡±, and one could see the darkness writhing before the fortress from the observation deck, emanating an aura of ravenous hunger and foreboding.


    And that was how Overwatch Bastion was named.


    Behind the Overwatch Bastion, there were countless of similar fortress clusters being anchored deep within space as mass-produced Annihilation Lances and countless automated cannon platforms all pointed towards a single direction, as they wait for the moment the ¡®prisoner¡¯ broke free.


    The Petrachelys appeared from the wormhole and landed beside the first control tower of Overwatch Bastion, and through the extended connection bridge, Rheia, Hao Ren and the rest went to the observation deck at the top of the tower.


    The ¡°vision screen¡± that cut off any information flow from the Dark Abyss roiled before them, and even they were millions of miles away, it still felt close by.


    The metal airlock door above the deck opened as a blob of liquid metal flowed down and formed into the communication interface of the droid hivemind. The ever-changing face looked towards Hao Ren as the mechanical voice rang from deep within the liquid metal. ¡°The last signal sent by the Nightwatchers was thirty minutes ago. There are no new signals until now.¡±


    ¡°The Nightwatchers will destroy every information node before they withdraw, and will shut all of their communication functions,¡± Rheia explained. ¡°They need to place maximum control on their information exchange with the outside world to lessen the pressure of at the border.¡±


    ¡°Every information exchange, every emotion pulse will become the conduit of the Mad Lord.¡± Loken¡¯s voice thundered from above. ¡°So the Nightwatchers will remain silent throughout the withdrawal process.¡±


    ¡°Even then, then ¡®the natural instincts¡¯ of the Mad Lord will still be able to track them, and pursue them when they cross the outer defensive line.¡± Rheia looked at Hao Ren. ¡°So we need to be ready¡­¡±


    ¡°So we need to fight its minions when the Nightwatchers withdraw¡­. right.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°No worries, the droids are always on standby, and every cannon in this bastion is ready to fire.¡±


    Vivian then asked, ¡°When will they be able to withdraw?¡±


    Rheia shut her eyes and said softly, ¡°Another fifteen¡­ if they are not out by then, then they¡¯ll never make it out.¡±


    Hao Ren glanced at the hivemind and the latter immediately activated the corresponding protocol without needing any command. ¡°The bastion¡¯s cannons are ready. Annihilation Lances entering the charging phase.¡±


    The massive war machine that was the Overwatch Bastion started operating as the shield generators went from standby to active combat mode, and a water-screen like energy barrier rose from the edge of the bastion and enveloped the entire area within. While on the massive alloy barriers and connection towers, one by one the cannon platforms rose from their slits and pointed their deadly payload towards the Dark Abyss.


    As the power nodes lit up, cannons, big or small started radiating a menacing glow.


    And deep within the bastion, four special ¡®buildings¡¯ were slowly rising with the aid of the thrusters and their rectangular outer flame slowly ¡®collapsed¡¯ like toy blocks, and quickly formed into a glowing energy nexus array. Roiling energies leap between the alloy and the crystals forming into kilometers long, spear-shaped structures.


    This was the final form of the mass-produced Annihilation Lance. After the field testing on L¡¯Haronne, these overwhelmingly powerful superweapons finally had a standard design, and following an enhanced energy conduit system and processing calibration, they were installed into every fortress around the Dark Abyss. And the Overwatch Bastion has four of them, while in the rear, thousands of Annihilation Lances were powering up and ready to fire.


    The material border of the Dark Abyss (or the visual screen) roiled silently as the ink-like membrane locked every information behind into a black box, and after the Nightwatchers had destroyed all information nodes, the allied forces outside could no longer discover what was going on within the prison, and all was left was the goddess of creation¡¯s judgment based on her faith in the various facilities she had left behind and her calculations.


    A black guardian starship patrolled around the outer ring of the Overwatch Bastion. This starship, specially equipped to monitor the Dark Abyss was ceaselessly sending data and reports back to the control tower:


    ¡°Three minutes to the visual barrier lifting. No unusual signs detected, no information fluctuation detected.¡±


    ¡°Minor taint of madness incursions detected, have yet to reach alarm threshold.¡±


    ¡°Two minutes to the visual barrier lifting. Rate of the incursion is increasing¡­ Have yet to receive any signals from the Nightwatchers.¡±


    ¡°This vessel will deploy the signal booster antenna soon. All monitoring crew please prepare to brace for mental taint.¡±


    Hao Ren frowned as he looked at the dark screen afar while Lily started mumbling to herself, ¡°Shutting off all senses and communication to get through the outer defensive line¡­ Ugh¡­ it¡¯s like escaping slaughter blinded and deafened¡­ even thinking about it is scary¡­¡±


    ¡°The Denizens will be able to pull it off,¡± Rheia said. ¡°After holding fast in the Dark Abyss for so long, they are used to this sort of silence.¡±


    Vivian then lamented. ¡°And they traded in this silence for the world living on for thousands of years¡ª¡±


    The communication from the Sentinel interrupted her, ¡°Fifteen seconds to the visual barrier lifting¡­ Detecting information fluctuations! It¡¯s the Nightwatchers¡¯ signal! Alert, the taint of madness¡¯ incursion is massive! Detecting minions of madness! They are visible now!¡±


    In that dark ¡°visual screen¡±, a radiant sea of light appeared from it.

 Chapter 1763 - The Nightwatchers

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    A sea of glittering light suddenly appeared over the surface of the ¡®visual screen¡¯.


    Only after a few seconds did Hao Ren realized that those glittering light were actually the Nightwatchers of the Denizens of the Stars.


    One by one, prisms or discs of light appeared from the ¡°visual screen¡±, and their size ranged from a hundred meters to hundreds of kilometers long, as the size were heaven and earth, and the similarity was that all of them exudes a yellowish-white glow, as lightning leap within their interior and a few bright cores moved about. These were the Denizens of the Stars in their migration mode. They had abandoned their starship form and had taken a more primordial energy convergence form to quickly moved within the Dark Abyss, and thousands upon thousands of Denizens were converged together and the scene was majestic.


    It was a veritable tidal wave of light.


    But behind that sea of light, a wave of chaotic shadow was pursuing them.


    ¡°Warning, massive incursion of madness detected. Have visibility of its minions¡­ All weapons, disengage safety. Focus fire on Sector C-3 to C-6!¡±


    As the Nightwatchers withdrew, the layer of visual screen roiled like boiling oil as countless of bizarrely shaped shadows darted out of the screen and quickly took form in space into horrifying monsters. Some were giants with countless limbs, some were filled with eyes from head to toe, some were just a blob of mist that spat out rotting flesh and ripped apart faces. These mindless minions were hot on the heels of the withdrawing Nightwatchers as they surged out in waves.


    ¡°Every unit aside from the Annihilation Lances, fire at will!¡±


    As Hao Ren commanded, the walls of the Overwatch Bastion immediately rippled in a wave of light as hundreds of thousands of blinding beams streamed across the vast space towards the surging minion swarm.


    And just as the Overwatch Bastion opened fire, the withdrawing Nightwatchers too reacted. Even if this was the first time they had fought together, the two parties were coordinating like they had rehearsed this for ages. The light orbs large and small moved about agilely across the space as they split into about ten streams of light away from the main firing path of the Overwatch Bastion and regrouped at the side of the battlefield, reforming.


    The orbs of light violently compressed and transformed as lightning cackled all over their surface, and as the thick mist faded away, a complex crystalline structure appeared from the light mist, and a few minutes later, the mist-like orbs transformed into a fleet of crystal starships¡­


    Just like Asurmen.


    After a short repositioning, the crystalline battleships entered the best firing position. Their solidified crystalline structures could morph into many shapes as countless of crystal prisms ¡®grew¡¯ on the surface of the ships, and every prism was an extremely powerful laser cannon.


    ¡°The Nightwatchers have all withdrew from the Dark Abyss!¡± A voice similar to Asurmen came from the control tower¡¯s communicator. ¡°This is the commander of the Nightwatchers Adier, we are grateful for your assistance.¡±


    ¡°Adier?¡± Rheia asked curiously, ¡°I remembered the commander of the Nightwatchers was¡­¡±


    ¡°Goddess, very glad to hear your voice again. Our commander had fallen when the ¡®prisoner¡¯ had broken through the central defensive line.¡± Adier¡¯s voice was devoid of any emotional changes. ¡°The Nightwatchers have lost a third of our numbers, and the rest is all that remains.¡±


    ¡°¡­I understand.¡± Rheia sighed. ¡°The brave sacrifice of your people bought us valuable time, but now is not the time to rest. The taint that had seeped out is invading the real world, please coordinate with us to destroy them.¡±


    ¡°This is the calling of the Nightwatchers.¡±


    The Nightwatchers fleet started bombarding the pursuing minions of madness in return, and as the Overwatch Bastion launched salvos after salvos it had also unleashed the droid swarms from the various hives within it. Swarms of droids surged out from the launch bays like a swarm of bees and engaged the massive monstrous army, and between the heavy combat droids were many new self-destruct droids.


    The self-destruct droids were the traditional units of the swarm but them being deployed was a recent thing. After tabulating the massive combat reports along the Borderland, Hao Ren noticed that the minions of madness had a high degree of combat capability and aggressiveness. And before these ¡®elite cannon fodders¡¯, only the heavy combat droids was able to fight on normally while the lighter variants would not even survive the first encounter. In that situation, Hao Ren decided to modify all of the light combat droids as he dismantled their weapons and ammunition storage modules and filled them to the brim with explosives¡­


    Reality proved that as a unit that has a battlefield life expectancy of mere minutes, the effectiveness of the self-destruct droids were far higher than the traditional light combat droids, as the latter would only be able to fire out a few shots before being destroyed while the former could take a couple of enemies down¡­together with them.


    As she stood on the upper observation deck, Rheia looked impassively at the void that was ablaze with fire as the hideous monsters were destroyed millions of miles away from the Overwatch Bastion, even so, she could clearly see the details of those monsters. Shaking her head, she said, ¡°There¡¯s almost no normal materials in the Dark Abyss, and these flesh beasts are all from the nightmare, and they¡­ are all new models.¡±


    ¡°New models?¡± Hao Ren asked.


    ¡°The original minions from the Dark Abyss would not have so many shapes and forms, as well as attacking methods. They were usually a blob of mist, and their attacks are straightforward and easier to fight against.¡± Rheia shook her head. ¡°But these¡­ they clearly came from the nightmare, and are much more sophisticated, evolved and sinister, and these monsters with physical form will only usually appear in areas with intelligent life, but here¡­¡±


    Hao Ren¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°You mean the goddess of annihilation created them?¡±


    ¡°The goddess of annihilation was once me.¡± Rheia nodded. ¡°I was connected to almost ninety percent of the minds of the intelligent life in this universe, and that includes the mortals and the demigods I had created. Their dreams and nightmares would be shared with me¡­ and by proxy, the goddess of annihilation. The ones that you see now, are the monsters from the nightmares of all intelligent life in this universe across the millions of years.¡±


    How many living souls would have dreamt and how many monsters would have appeared in the dream across the entire universe, for the past millions of years? Just thinking about the mathematics behind this simple sentence sent chills down Hao Ren¡¯s spine.


    Even Vivian joined in, lamenting, ¡°Dreaming¡­ in the Plane of Dreams sure is a high-risk move.¡±


    The comms from the Sentinel then interrupted them, ¡°The strength of the madness is dropping, the visual screen is starting to restore itself.¡±


    The monsters oozing out of the Dark Abyss had finally been suppressed as no more monsters appeared, and the ones already on the field were withered down by continuous barrages from the cannons and the combat droids.


    The Mad Lord or the goddess of annihilation had not fully broken free yet as its body was still being held behind the last screen. The monsters pursuing the Nightwatchers were nothing but ¡®shadows¡¯ of the taint of madness in the Borderland, and thus their numbers were naturally limited, and after a short but furious exchange of fire, the battlefield finally turned silent again.


    ¡°Woah¡­ I really thought we might have to use the Annihilation Lance.¡± Hao Ren heaved a sigh of relief as he looked at the visual screen stabilizing. ¡°That last wave was bloody harrowing.¡±


    Rheia was also looking silently at the screen in the distance, but she was not as relaxed as Hao Ren was, and her tiny brows met. ¡°The recovery of the screen is slowing down¡­ the Mad Lord is struggling really hard.¡±


    Adier¡¯s voice then rang from the comms. ¡°The prisoner¡¯s unusual reaction started a very long time ago, and for the past few years the changes were the most monumental, and the collapse of the interior defensive line started then.¡±


    A streamlined crystal battleship detached from the fleet of the Denizens as slowly moved towards the control tower. The droid swarm then established a data link with the Denizen battleship, and after confirming all security verification, a connection tube appeared from the tower and connected in a port beneath the hull.


    Ten odd minutes later, the entrance to the control tower opened, and a floating crystal entered the room. The crystal had a shape and texture similar to Asurmen, and just as similar was the light of the nebulae sealed within it. But the nodes of the glowing nebula were clearly different from Asurmen. That was probably the differentiator between the Denizens?


    The crystal that floated it was the commander of the Nightwatchers, Adier.


    ¡°How many years has it been¡­¡± Rheia came before the crystal, her voice sorrowful. ¡°Adier¡­ I still remember the time when you bravely volunteered to guard the interior defensive line¡­ I never thought we would meet again.¡±


    ¡°We have heard the news of your fall, but we always believed that you would return someday.¡± Adier¡¯s wind-chime-like voice was a delight to the ear. ¡°But not all of my people were able to see this.¡±


    ¡°The universe will remember their sacrifice, each and every one of them,¡± Rheia said firmly. ¡°But that¡¯s dependent on our universe surviving this test.¡±


    As she spoke, she moved to the side, and Hao Ren walked before Adier. ¡°Greetings, I am the high commander of the droid army and the observer of this universe. You can call me Hao Ren.¡±


    ¡°We have heard your name in the murmurs of the stars, observer.¡± Adier¡¯s surface glowed, probably a sign of respect. ¡°Asurmen told us of your tale, and your contribution to the Plane of Dreams is beyond words.¡±


    ¡°It is part of my job.¡± Hao Ren nodded. ¡°Now, let¡¯s talk about the Dark Abyss.¡±

 Chapter 1764 - The Final Plan

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    A massive holographic projection opened up and the maddened universe engulfed in darkness and chaos behind the visual screen had finally unveiled itself to Hao Ren.


    ¡°The original Prison of the Dark Abyss was divided into three layers, and the goddess had used her powers to forcefully open up several barriers of order, and use them to form the interior, central and exterior triple layer of defense. A massive number of runic array and man-made stars were deployed within these three lines to suppress the Mad Lord.¡± Adier¡¯s wind-chime voice rang across the room. ¡°But after the containment failure, everything disintegrated and most of the barriers have been rendered by the taint of madness into primordial chaos, and the Dark Abyss had returned into its ancient chaotic state, but some things were still left behind.¡±


    ¡°In these areas, three are some remnants of the runic array and stars, and floats about in the universe as fragments, some of which had fallen into the crevice of the distorted dimension, but they can still be of use as a launchpad for our activities within the Dark Abyss. They are however very unstable, and basically all of the fragments are undergoing destruction and rebirth in the unit of hours, and their numbers are always falling.¡±


    ¡°This was one of the original monitoring nodes, and when we withdrew it was still operating, and I think it could last until the final battle. This node can provide us data support, and also relay information, and should be useful on the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°There is an armory in this area, and once had an army of divine automatons, but about ninety percent of the automatons had already been used during the breakout. The armory itself is very sturdy, however, and could be of use.¡±


    Rheia then interrupted Adier¡¯s report. ¡°What¡¯s the situation like with the Mad Lord.¡±


    ¡°The prisoner¡¯s taint has filled up the entire Dark Abyss, and now that it has a solid core, the core should be in the deepest part of the prison. There is a massive chaotic dimension protecting the core, and it¡¯s very difficult to get close. With the core¡¯s command, the mindless power of madness is now regimented, and they would readily use all sorts of battlefield tactics against the Nightwatchers, that was why it was able to break out so quickly.¡±


    ¡°And the core had never moved before?¡± Rheia frowned.


    ¡°Never, it had remained there since its appearance, and the only ones moving about are the tainted minions.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s waiting for me.¡± Rheia sighed. ¡°She¡¯s very certain that I would find her myself, so she¡¯s waiting for us to fight on her own turf where the power of madness is at its apex. But before that, she will continuously unleash the taint of madness against the material universe, so we don¡¯t have a choice.¡±


    ¡°This layer of chaotic dimension is probably the biggest problem.¡± Hao Ren said as he stroked his chin while looking at the dimensional layout map on the projection. ¡°That goddess of annihilation hides in an ever-changing shell, and I reckon the laws of space and time are under her full control. To pass through this sort of dimension, any normal engine or teleportation methods would not work, as the ¡®law¡¯ is in her hands.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s probably no one that has the luxury to slowly decipher the mathematical rules in a place like that,¡± the MDT said as it shook about in the air.


    ¡°Force entry is not impossible, as it is a matter of snatching the control rights of the laws of space and time, I¡¯m the same level as her over here,¡± Rheia said as she clutched her arms. ¡°But that will definitely do a number on my strength and energy. The goddess of annihilation would have an endless supply of power within the Dark Abyss, but for us, any energy consumed is considered lost.¡±


    Just at that moment, Nolan¡¯s voice rang from the comms. She had docked by the side of the control tower and had a real-time data link with the droid swarm, so she was listening in all alone. ¡°Perhaps we can directly blow this layer of chaotic dimension to kingdom come.¡±


    ¡°Destroy it?¡± Hao Ren raised his eyebrow. ¡°What plan do you have? I don¡¯t think we have anything ¡®rule-based weaponry¡¯ that could snatch the control of laws from a true god.¡±


    ¡°My void engine,¡± Nolan replied. ¡°The void engine is able to travel in the endless void outside the world barriers, and create an independent field of order, and this field of order is actually a ¡®forced operation mechanism¡¯. But the void engine itself has security fail-safe, and this fail-safe will not allow it to work within the world barrier to prevent any damage to the laws of the universe, but if we are to disable that, and overload it over at that chaotic dimension¡­¡±


    ¡°We can blow a hole up in any dimensional structure.¡± Hao Ren¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°But can we pull that off?¡±


    ¡°To be honest, this is against operational safety protocols, so this setting is locked down dead, and you can¡¯t bypass it system-wise, not even I can,¡± Nolan said. ¡°But we can chuck that aside right¡­¡±


    Hao Ren got a gist of what Nolan was at. ¡°You mean¡­¡±


    ¡°If the ship is damaged by someone, then it has nothing to do with the safety protocols,¡± Nolan said whimsically. ¡°I can isolate all of the control mechanism of the safety lock, then you can find a Starbreaker Crowbar¡­¡±


    ¡°The hell is a Starbreaker Crowbar?!¡± Hao Ren leered.


    ¡°That thunk alone will cause a dimensional collapse the distance of a few light-years wide. Calling it that is already an understatement!


    ¡°Besides, wrecking the void engine this way¡­ will you be okay?¡± Hao Ren waved dismissively as he asked the question that concerned him the most. ¡°I remember the void engine is connected with the largest number of energy tubes to the power core and is definitely linked to all propulsion units¡­¡±


    ¡°I can temporarily cut off the energy supply to the other engine parts while you are at it, and with that even if the void engine is wrecked I can still fly, and when you guys start fighting I can still move about, but any warp jump or void travel is definitely gone, the warp generator is just too close to the void engine, and will not survive the wrecking.¡±


    Hao Ren sighed. ¡°So it¡¯s a one-way trip huh¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a one-way trip.¡±


    With both warp and void travel disabled, that means the Petrachelys will not be able to leave the battlefield, and if things go south, the normal sub-light speed engine and light speed thrusters would not be sufficient to escape the Dark Abyss, so¡­ this is indeed a one-way trip.¡±


    ¡°Then, I should start on the contingency plan as well,¡± Hao Ren suddenly said as he held his hand up to stop Lily who was about to speak. ¡°It¡¯s not to demoralize us, but we should be prepared no? Just like the Ark of Yggdrasil that Rheia had sent to Earth back then, we should also prepare ¡®arks¡¯ for the worst-case scenario.¡±


    As he spoke, he changed the projection on the deck, and on it was the World Gate on Collow, and a great number of dimensional accelerators and warp rails spread across the universe.


    ¡°Those are¡­¡± Rheia asked as she looked at them.


    ¡°This is our line of retreat,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°This is originally the transportation system built by the droid swarm during their expansion across the Plane of Dream. I have modified two of the backbone networks and installed a large accelerator on them, and through them, anyone can reach the World Gate at Collow within 24 hours from any point in the Plane of Dream, and outside this World Gate, is a safe and stable surface world.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re actually setting this up when you were messing about with the construction schedule of the droids a few days back?¡± Vivian gasped in surprise before frowning. ¡°But can this actually move everyone out?¡±


    ¡°Not possible.¡± Hao Ren shook his head straight away. ¡°Even when 99% of the life within the Plane of Dreams have been wiped out, considering the accelerator¡¯s passage limit and the restrictions of the World Gate, it¡¯s impossible to ship everyone out. The satellite clusters above the worlds can only move about a tenth of the ecosystem samples based on their ¡®Ark Protocols¡¯. So this is the final plan, and if things actually reach that point¡­ we don¡¯t have any other choice.¡±


    Lily¡¯s ears and tail slowly perked up. ¡°But if so much information were to suddenly cross the Wall of Reality, won¡¯t the two universes¡­¡±


    ¡°So there¡¯s another level of arrangement back on the surface world,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°Raven 12345 is standing by, and just as the Wall of Reality starts to collapse and before the clashing of laws affect the Surface World, she¡¯ll destroy the entire Plane of Dreams in a split second. That way, the brunt of the collapse of the Wall of Reality will be born by the remains of the Plane of Dreams, and the ¡®refugees¡¯ moved to the Scarred Nebula will then be settled there. They will only be allowed to leave there once the ¡®compatibility processing¡¯ has been completed. So, with this, the damage will be minimized.¡±


    Rheia then sighed. ¡°¡­It sure is a rather unpleasant plan.¡±


    She then looked up with a smile. ¡°But it¡¯s not like the plan I came up with years ago was anywhere pleasant.¡±


    ¡°So we need to go all out to prevent things from reaching that stage,¡± Hao Ren said. ¡°I will upload the details of the plan of retreat to the public data vault, and all of you can go have a look. We can discuss it if there are any problems. Aside from that, anything else to add?¡±


    No one seemed to have anything to add for now so Hao Ren signaled the end of the meeting and everyone could go back to rest. The droid swarm would need to do minor adjustments to the bastion based on today¡¯s results, and the Nightwatchers too need to undergo maintenance and inspection to avoid any infected ones being left out.


    Vivian stayed behind.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you arranged something like this.¡± She looked at Hao Ren in the eye. ¡°And that the last part of the plan¡­ is to destroy the entire Plane of Dreams.¡±


    ¡°This was planned by Raven 12345 and me, and based on what she said, this is the last lecture that one must master to be an official inspector.¡± Hao Ren looked back at Vivian in the eyes. ¡°At times, you need to make cruel decisions.¡±


    Vivian gently pinched him. ¡°So you went about doing it all by yourself, and not telling even me?¡±


    Hao Ren pretended to hiss in pain, before stroking Vivian¡¯s hair. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the reason of us here, is to prevent that cruel decision from ever being deployed, no?¡±


    Vivian rolled her eyes as she swatted his hand away from messing up her hair, and a short pondering later, she hugged him. ¡°Both of us will come back alive, right?¡±


    Hao Ren smiled as he held Vivian tightly. ¡°Of course, and to even stop certain weird flags from popping up, I have not proposed to you until today, how can we not win?¡±


    ¡°Be serious!¡±

 Chapter 1765 - The D-Day

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The day where the fate of the universe was decided, such an imposing yet distant word, it could so easily be incorporated as part of a story, or a play, or a verse in a troubadour¡¯s rhymes. But when it appears in the form of divine legends and heroic epics before everyone, no one would have thought that such a thing would happen in real life, happen while they were still alive, happen right before their eyes.


    Tannagost, Valley of the Sacred Spring, New Pioneering Point. Spring of the Third Year of the New Calendar. Dawn. Windless.


    Ulyanov held the weapons that had been handed out a few days back, as he stood on the watchtower outside the pioneer settlement. His vision slowly swept across the great vines of the forest in a distance, and the cold night valley wind kept him awake.


    The weapon in his hand was a marksman rifle capable of launching a rail-guided crystal needle, and another sidearm capable of firing electro-plasma hung on the pistol strap on his thigh. These two weapons were not items from the Zormite civilization, rather they were supplies from the supply depot of the droid manufactoriums. Ever since each pioneering settlement had reached self-sufficiency, the supply depots had not been activated for a long while. And their most recent activation was to supply the locals with weapons, and this was not something many had thought of.


    As the civilization that had only reached self-sufficiency in food production was not capable of producing modern weaponry, so that had to be provided by the manufactoriums to equip them against the minions of madness.


    Yet, for the Zormites who had experienced apocalypse, the simulated ark, interstellar migration, and now settling on a totally foreign planet, facing challenges was second nature to them, a survival skill. The end of the universe and the planet¡¯s destruction held little difference to them, and if picking up arms would give them a chance at survival, they would not hesitate to do so, and where these weapons came from, it was immaterial at all.


    Plus, they have Zorm, the First Born guarding the planet in the distant void, so, a Second Born like them had nothing to fear.


    Ulyanov moved his slightly numb fingers as he ran his hand through the cold and solid surface of the electromagnetic rifle in his arm. For the past three years, he had been active across various settlements as an engineer, designing water wheels, mills and various farming equipment. Yet this experience of guarding a base fully armed was not foreign to him, and he at times would recall the things that had happened in the simulated world, recall the dream that was not deleted. He was a member of the Grey Fox Mercenaries, fighting tooth and nail to survive in a world destroyed by nanomachines¡­


    He then recalled that Grey Fox, the powerful lady captain with a gray ponytail and cold, sharp eyes. Where was she now? Perhaps she was with the other powerful outlanders, over at another battlefield in preparation for this universe¡¯s most grueling challenge?


    Footsteps upon the staircase rang from behind, and Ulyanov turned back and saw a massive figure ascending the watchtower. It was another Grey Fox member back in the dream world, Carl.


    After being reborn into the real world, Carl became a farmer and was sent with him to this new settlement to care for the large swathe of farmland east of the settlement. But when the goddess¡¯ command came seeking volunteer combatants, Carl stood up like he did and volunteered.


    Perhaps he should thank that out-of-control dream world that many had experienced all sorts of bizarre lives, and were subconsciously imparted with all sorts of knowledge both useful and useless. Even though they had to undergo a painful process of ¡®consciousness re-calibration¡¯ after ¡®waking¡¯ up, but that left Zorm with plenty of battle-hardened veterans.


    With an almost perfect body born from the Lifeblood and a mind tempered inside the dream world, almost every Zormite could take to the field if given a weapon.


    ¡°There¡¯s still time before the next watch,¡± Ulyanov said as he looked at the big man.


    Carl sounded bored. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep, so I just decided to come early.¡±


    As he said, the normally demur hunk of a man looked up and stared slightly entranced at the sky.


    From the skies above the Valley of the Sacred Spring, it was easy to spot the most eye-catching celestial body in the sky. It was a crystal moon, CARS¡¯ supermassive unified orbital station.


    Beneath the ¡°moon¡± was a red spot, and that was Zorm¡¯s eyes to look at the planet.


    The First Born, a companion that had lived with them on their homeworld had lost its body when the planet fell into the sun, but the outlanders had created a new conduit for its consciousness and had him merged together with CARS, and in the past few years, it was Zorm who had remotely controlled the ¡®sacred springs¡¯ of Lifeblood across Tannagost and transferred the spirits of the Zormites into the real world.


    Ulyanov looked up as well and saw many moving lights around CARS, each of the lights were a smaller space object: Some were starships, some were space fortresses. He could not help but comment, ¡°This planet is a strategic base for the observers, and CARS has a large number of combat satellites, we should be safer than most other planets.¡±


    ¡°The goddess said that the enemy may try to bypass the void defenses and directly attack the mortal worlds,¡± Carl replied as he pointed to his head. ¡°Through here, we are the biggest gap.¡±


    Ulyanov shrugged. ¡°Ah well, who cares. The goddess also said that the ones capable of infiltrating into the mortal worlds are the lowest of minions, as long as we have a proper gun, it¡¯s still gonna be one shot one hole.¡±


    At that very moment, a golden ray flashed across the skyline towards the settlement.


    Ulyanov reflexively lifted the electromagnetic rifle, then held it down again, while Carl nodded. ¡°It¡¯s them.¡±


    The golden light flashed passed like a shooting star, and within a few seconds, they had arrived before the watchtower. Only after the lights had stopped moving was he able to see who they were. It was the three Einherjars, and glowing magical energies floated on their golden armor and formed a pair of wings of light.


    As if they had just walked out of a legend.


    The light forged soldiers were reinforcements sent by the observer, and frankly speaking, Ulyanov was surprised when he first saw these empty armors. While the ancient Zormite civilization had indeed worshiped the goddess and had supernatural knowledge regarding the divine arts, magic, especially necromancy was something beyond their world view, and for a spirit to operate an empty armor was pretty much an aberration in traditional Zormite literature. It took Ulyanov a long while to convince himself that this was ¡®robots created using a totally different tech¡¯ for him to be able to face these walking armors.


    Compared with those terrifying necromantic objects, the Valkyrie was much more welcoming. While he also heard that the goddess of war was actually a spirit, at the very least, she was a looker¡­


    The three Einherjars circled around the watchtower once before landed near the temporary camp by the settlement. Ulyanov recollected himself and nodded to Carl, indicating that he was about to get some rest, and walked towards the stairs by the watchtower.


    Just as he was about to descend the watchtower, he suddenly felt shaky, and a foreign and mysterious image appeared in his mind.


    He saw the stars in the light of the universe snuffed out in an instant, as countless of stars had writhing tentacles and eyes growing out on them. At the same time, massive blasphemous dark structures moved about among the stars tearing the entire universe apart while a squirming nondescript object looked down from high up, and within all this, he was all alone, surrounded by the endless terror.


    The terrifying images had only appeared for a moment before disappearing, and Ulyanov found himself shivering, even slightly losing his balance, but his mind, tempered as a mercenary in the dream world quickly recovered. He swiftly regained balance and swept his gaze across the entire perimeter. In his sight, that metal watchtower suddenly had spots all over it, as the rifle in his hands had a rotten meat-like revolting texture to it, but the satellites in the sky then flashed, and his vision quickly returned to normal.


    He looked up towards Carl, and the big guy was looking back at him, the fading fear was still apparent in his eyes, and sweat was all over his forehead.


    ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± they said in unison.


    A piercing alarm then rang all across the settlement at the Valley of the Sacred Spring.


    Then, the entirety of Tannagost¡­


    Followed by Holletta, Io, the Executor¡¯s planet, Collow, every planet with life on it.


    The barriers of Overwatch Bastion lit up in white-blue radiance as the transformable structure slowly opened up, revealing the cannon platforms and missile launchers hidden below. A storm of beams was soon unleashed from every defensive structure, and within the vortex of beams, there were countless of flickering light. Those were the light left behind by the warp missiles entering hyperspace after their short acceleration burst.


    The cannons roared silently in space, and over at the front line before the bastion, the dark visual screen no longer existed.


    A chaotic dimension beyond description had torn apart the visual barrier as countless of writhing black mist and twisted frames that were beyond three-dimensional perspective, and shuddering stars out of an abstract art suddenly gushed out and occupied the entire sector, overlooking the entire battlefield.


    Friends, please check your SAN level.


    ¡°The visual barrier has been opened! Physical target detected!¡±


    ¡°All weapons online, defensive shields into combat mode, power up the Annihilation Lances!¡±


    ¡°Minions detected, their numbers¡­ overwhelming!¡±


    ¡°The droid swarm has been unleashed. Sector S3 and S4 are facing intense assault!¡±


    ¡°The guardian third fleet has arrived at Sector S4¡­¡±


    The command center suddenly burst into a hive of activity like cold water poured into a boiling pot of oil as Rheia squinted before the maddening images that filled the screens.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to say a permanent goodbye, my old foe¡­¡±

 Chapter 1766 - Into the Darkness

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    For many hundreds of thousands of years, the heart of the Plane of Dreams was shrouded by a layer of ¡°boundary¡±, and that dark screen that cut off all information flow totally enveloped the most ancient and mysterious sector of the universe. No one could know what was happening with the vision screen. Even when a few mortal civilizations had managed to reach the pinnacle of technologies, they only found eternal darkness at the heart of the universe. And the more fortunate ones (or rather the most unfortunate ones), they would by chance slipped through the visual screen and witness the truth behind the barrier, and without any exception, their minds were all destroyed by what they saw there and were reduced to outright insanity or outright monsters.


    Thus, aside from the wardens of this prison, no one knew what the ¡°heart of the universe¡± truly looked like.


    Today, however, as the boundary disappeared and the barrier was gone, the most insane and terrifying part of the universe was now presented before everyone.


    It was a scene beyond words because all logical terms and mathematical equations were meaningless in this area. All of the dimensional structures and optical phenomenons familiar to men were completely missing. Behind the screen was a chaotic stacked and interwoven structure so massive that it could consume the entire galaxy. Countless of dark shadows inhabited the space as frenzied dark stars died and reborn behind the shadows while shaped and shapeless objects appeared, and disappeared, and at this very moment, the frenzied universe was madly expanding outwards.


    Hao Ren saw the shapeless shadows writhed and expanded swiftly towards the direction of the world of order, and the tide of minions was the vanguard, forming into waves of arrows by the borderland.


    A droid army arrived to check the threat, as blinding cannon fire tore through the darkness, and ripped holes big and small on the minions and taint of madness, yet these gaps were rapidly filled and a few moments later, the droids disappeared into the vast space, while another unit took their place¡­


    This horrifying scene would demoralize any normal soldiers, but that could not shake the droid swarm as the hivemind sent its swarms to fill in any gaps, and at the same time sent out directives without any emotions.


    ¡°The first combat group annihilated. Commencing reinforcement as per preset protocol.¡±


    ¡°Annihilation Lance charging complete. Target, the vanguard of the chaotic structure. Commencing the first volley.¡±


    ¡°The taint of madness has reached the designated point, activating the ¡®vaccine¡¯.¡±


    Countless of light-years away, deep within Star Cluster X, the great hall of the Basilica of the world Tree, a black obelisk floated in the air as countless of crisscrossing beams shot out from the top of the surrounding pillars and focused on the tip of the obelisk, and beneath every pillar was a stern-faced guardian.


    As the activation command was given, the guardians lifted their staves at the same time, and the light beams from the pillars instantly turned stronger. An innumerable amount of complex lines appeared on the surface of the obelisk, and this held the will of countless of generations of L¡¯Harroneans, as the ancient device that protected the legacy of the L¡¯Harroneans across so many Turn of the Eras finally activated again, the complex data within it could be extracted and translated into a data stream that could suppress the taint of madness, and through the droid network deployed all over the Plane of Dream it was sent to the front line, and amplified by the antenna system of every fortress there, becoming a mathematical weapon that could control the entire battlefield.


    In the vast space behind the fortresses, light spots slowly lit up like a new star forming a veritable wall in space, and the massive antenna array in the center of the Overwatch Bastion too was activated, and the fan-like structure slowly opened, and at the same moment, Hao Ren noticed the chaotic structure spreading across the void clearly slowed down as they ran into an invisible barrier, and the process of them trying to break through the barrier was almost comical.


    ¡°The vaccine is effective!¡± the MDT cheered.


    ¡°This is just the first step.¡± Hao Ren still kept his cool, and while he did want to cheer, his experience with all sorts of novels and TV drama taught him something. Any premature cheering is pretty much a death knell. Any premature celebration would usually end up having your face pressed against the ground by the antagonist. ¡°What¡¯s the situation in the rear?¡±


    A few holographic projections then appeared before him as Y¡¯zaks, the Nangong siblings, Lily and the rest appeared on them. The scenery behind each one was different, one was a royal wizard tower in Holletta, while another was the vast ocean of Io.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing on Holetta yet,¡± Y¡¯zaks said, and behind him was Lanina who had come from Helcrown to help with the defense. Due to the restrictions of the Wall of Reality, the reinforcements that can be brought aside from the half-spirit half-machine Einherjars were just a handful of people. So Y¡¯zaks carefully picked the best possible hands to help. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry here. The nations of the entire planet have mobilized, and the militant arm of the Disciples of Glory had completed the defensive fortifications a few days ago. Their divine arts will definitely help.¡±


    ¡°Io is super peaceful yo!¡± Lily followed, and behind her was the Einherjars in their shining armor. ¡°There¡¯s nothing but the sea here, and all of the ocean cities are right under my eyes. Nothing will go wrong.¡±


    ¡°Master, Tannagost had a minor incursion.¡± The third projection was Valkyrie in her silver armor. As the highest commander of the Einherjars, she was based in Tannagost, and the defense of the planet proper was also tasked to her. ¡°There was a minor incursion near the Valley of the Sacred Springs. They have since been dealt with.¡±


    As Valkyrie¡¯s voice faded, Nangong Wuyue¡¯s projection by the side followed up with, ¡°There¡¯s a small scale incursion of the chaotic monsters, but they were wiped out by Veronica¡¯s Black Raven Knights as soon as they appeared. The people of Collow are very adept at taking care of these ¡®small taints¡¯, and it doesn¡¯t seem like they need us at all.¡±


    After listening to the reports from all of the planets, Rheia pondered. ¡°Aiming for those planets with intelligent life the moment you broke through the perimeter huh¡­ even when you had gained the ability to think, you are still not that bright.¡±


    ¡°The vaccination area has reached a hundred percent, and the current broadcast load is seventy-two percent¡­ There is sufficient balance left.¡± The droid swarm¡¯s voice rang from the liquid metal above the command center. ¡°Scanning the chaotic structure¡­ minor gaps detected, transmitting to the Petrachelys.¡±


    ¡°Nolan.¡± Hao Ren switched channels. ¡°How¡¯s the preparation going?¡±


    ¡°Shield¡¯s full, thrusters primed, Boss!¡± Nolan sounded very confident. ¡°We can depart at any time.¡±


    ¡°Check your systems properly, this is a one-way trip.¡±


    ¡°Right, right, right. You¡¯re the boss. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve checked it many times over. I¡¯m currently standing by at the dock, come and get your one-way ticket!¡±


    Hao Ren and Vivian looked at each other and smiled.


    Rheia, on the other hand, stood up before them. ¡°Come, the path is clear.¡±


    For a battlefield spanning the length of light-years, minuscule could no longer be used to describe a tiny hundred-meter-long starship.


    It was almost as if it was simply space particles, a particle that everyone ignores.


    A nondescript launch bay opened up at the central tower of the Overwatch Bastion, and the argent inspector frigate slid out silently before turning into a stream of light and charged into the chaos and darkness while the barrages of cannon fire and ruined wrecks became a storm that was left behind.


    ¡°Transferring front line command to the hivemind and Commander Salaman, and all planetary defensive commands to Y¡¯zaks and Valkyrie.¡± Hao Ren gave order upon order as he sat in the captain¡¯s chair. ¡°The Basilica of the World Tree, transition to automatic mode, and monitor the situation for changes.¡±


    ¡°Muru, Lemendusa, Loken, remember your mission,¡± Vivian spoke into the communicator before her as well. ¡°If things take a turn for the worst¡­ do not hesitate, bring as many people you can evacuate out of this universe, the droid¡¯s teleportation network will all be unlocked then, and you will be the new guides.¡±


    ¡°We will soon entire the chaotic dimension, and that massive dimensional structure is before us.¡± Hao Ren looked up and watched the images sent back from the sensors outside. Around the Petrachelys, countless of massive, ethereal black pillars and crevices formed imposing mountains, and within the darkness, there were countless pairs of eyes, limbs, and tentacles writhing about mindlessly, but if he was to focus, they were all nothing but illusions. ¡°Wish us luck.¡±


    ¡°At the very beginning, only the deepest part of the Dark Abyss was like this,¡± Rheia said softly. ¡°These structures had only appeared a few months back. In the battlefield ten thousand years ago, I ultimately was one step behind, the Mad Lord had absorbed an endless supply of nightmarish powers from the annihilation of countless planets, and that power allowed it to grow to this state.¡±


    Nolan¡¯s voice then rang across the bridge. ¡°Shield system activated, entering stealth mode.¡±


    A layer of ethereal light appeared on the hull of the Petrachelys and the light around the ship started distorting, collapsing, and the amount of information released by the ship decreased. A few breaths later, it had ¡°disappeared¡± from the battlefield.


    The cannon fire and wreckage were already far behind her, and what was on the screen now was nothing but a frenzied dimension.


    If one were to close their eyes, the silence on the bridge even gave everyone the false sense that the war was over.


    However, the data appearing on the control panels showed the truth, the shields were reacting every passing second, and the damage control sensors were ceaselessly sending out alerts.


    Even when there were no visible enemies, the attacks had never ceased since the beginning.

 Chapter 1767 - Their Own Battlefields

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Most of the Mad Lord¡¯s powers, including its existence and its powers, were formless. The massive twisted dimensional structure was just a phenomenon created by it, and the tide of minions was nothing but projections that it had created under specific conditions, and the attacks that the Petrachelys was facing at that very moment¡­ that was something distantly linked to the Mad Lord itself.


    Yet it was totally undetectable, at least to the naked eye.


    The starship was being attacked relentlessly, and the massive fluctuations of the shield system were the best indicator. Even without any physical contact, all sensors were wailing signals of ship damage or imminent danger. This bizarre scene was disconcerting but in Hao Ren¡¯s eyes, he could see another view altogether in this part of space.


    A sticky, dark ¡°material¡± filled the dimensional structure, and was sticking to it like mist. That was the ultimate void, and every normal, logical, orderly information would quickly disintegrate upon contact as materials will be reduced to base atoms, and base atoms being turned into quantum fluctuations, and quantum fluctuations will be rendered into meaningless information clusters, and that sticky darkness was actually the Mad Lord itself.


    An ¡°information expression¡± representing the destruction of all life that was created alongside the birth of the universe.


    The starship was flying through them, and could not avoid making contact, and the starship which has ordered information would be destroyed by these things.


    Hao Ren knocked on the control dais. ¡°How are the shields holding?¡±


    ¡°The recovery speed is able to keep up, no worries there.¡± Nolan sounded very confident. ¡°This ship can fly even in the void. This little speck of chaos is nothing.¡±


    ¡°I remember the first time I fought against the Mad Lord.¡± Rheia reminisced. ¡°That was¡­ tens of millions of years ago I think? I got pissed and led an army right into here with no understanding what the clash of rules meant, and how to deal with the chaos here. The first unit was almost totally wiped out, and I had to learn on the battlefield how to survive in this sort of environment, and then reorganized my army. I fought for many hundreds of years in the heart of darkness, and only to find that this thing did not even have a body¡­ It was really demoralizing.¡±


    ¡°So you tried to find a way to give it a probably ¡®solid core¡¯,¡± Vivian said. ¡°You sure held on to that grudge.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ I did indeed¡­¡± Rheia sighed. ¡°It is probably a grudge, but not just my own. It belongs to all life, to every life that had lived and died, to the entire universe.¡±


    She looked up and watched the images sent back from the sensors outside and started mumbling, as if to herself, but apparently also to Hao Ren and Vivian, ¡°There was this period of time, where I doubted the meaning of everything and wondered if the struggle of all life is worth it. The universe is not eternal, and I realized that a long long time ago, and even the most ancient galaxies have a limit to its lifespan. All stars will die off, and the dimension itself will crumble. Before this ultimate, yet equal destruction, most of the fires of civilization were simply just too minuscule¡­


    ¡°Regardless if it was a famed royal knight with countless of laurels, or an intergalactic empire spanning the stars, all could not stop the death of the universe, and when it comes, all are equal before it, and the Mad Lord¡­ is probably the way this universe welcomes its doom. It is a natural, normal process of this universe, and compared with the universe¡¯s destiny, the gardens I created were probably abominations. Life and order, and the will against death that comes with it, is just the opposite of the fate of the universe dying¡­


    ¡°Now, I finally understand. All those questions and doubts I had¡­ were all meaningless.


    ¡°All life is born to order and shall return to order. We have lived in this universe and will face death in some form, and that is part of the order. Perhaps the universe has its own predestined fate, and all life will be destroyed, but this is not an excuse to not take a step further before the chaos¡­


    ¡°Resisting and surviving is a part of nature after all.¡±


    Hao Ren listened quietly as he saw the starship fly through one-dimensional rift and twisted celestial structures after another, the stars in the distance had totally vanished, and the influence of the Mad Lord had already seeped through the shields and hull armor, into the interior of the vessel, but with the protection of the divine powers, his mind was exceptionally clear and not affected at all.


    Before the Overwatch Bastion, the minions of chaos had totally overrun an echelon of droids, and the defending guardian fleets had to reposition due to the flanks being heavily damaged. Reserve units of droids immediately launched from the base and managed to take back the space sector that was taken by the minion of chaos, but yet, the defensive line had once again shrunk.


    Several blinding beams blasted out from the Overwatch Bastion and formed into a massive energy confluence in space, the absolute destructive power of the Annihilation Lance had finally checked the speed the minions were expanding, but at the price of a control tower near the Annihilation Lance array getting evaporated in the blast.


    ¡°The third ventilation tower has been destroyed!¡± a guardian officer exclaimed. ¡°All Annihilation Lances entering forced cooldown mode!¡±


    Salaman then contacted the front line vessels. ¡°Brothers and sisters, the Annihilation Lance Array can only fire after another hour. The defense of the line falls to you now¡­ Don¡¯t forget all the lives behind us!¡±


    ¡°For Mother, For all life!¡±


    ¡­


    A few billion light-years away, Collow, the Barrens on Ansu.


    A golden flame streaked from the side and blasted a ball of twisted flesh clean out of the air, spraying rotten blood and chunks of flesh all over, some over Veronica¡¯s arm.


    Veronica pulled her long sword out of a monster¡¯s corpse, and it soon reduced to black dust, and as she looked up, she nodded in thanks to the Einherjar warrior in a radiant glow. The latter¡¯s help allowed her to escape a fatal blindside.


    The Tarosian battle princess was clad in armor, and her light purple hair was stained with fresh blood. It was red blood, human blood, but she had no time to find out which brave soldier¡¯s blood was it.


    After two years of fleeting peace, Collow was in a state of war again, and the enemy was their old foe, the monsters of chaos and nightmares.


    There was nothing bad about this, Veronica thought as she swung the blood and rotten flesh off her blade. Collow was once a prison, and everyone in this world was a warden. Fighting against the evil monsters was second nature to everyone on Collow, and while Lockmarton was vanquished, if the origin of chaos wants another war, then a war it¡¯ll get.


    Even without the goddess¡¯ warning, or the ¡®heroic spirit¡¯s¡¯ notifying them, the diviners and sages of Collow could smell the scent of chaos resurfacing, and a few months earlier, men of this world had prepared for this, and the goddess¡¯ commandment simply allowed everyone to better understand the origin of this war.


    ¡°Your Highness, the monsters have been vanquished!¡± A knight of her personal guard came before her, and the knight¡¯s chest plate was stained with tainted blood. ¡°Word from Darkshadow Thicket, there are new breaches there!¡±


    The origin of chaos in the heart of the universe had broken free and was launching a full-scale assault against the worlds of order. The goddess and her allies were now fighting tooth and nail against the monster in the deepest parts of the star. Meanwhile, the monster¡¯s aura had bypassed the defensive line and brazenly tried to corrupt and consume the mortal realms, using the flesh and soul of the mortals as its fuel.


    So many tainted areas called ¡°breaches¡± had appeared all over Collow in various sizes, and the familiar once destroyed monsters were making a return.


    However, the people of Collow were not afraid of them.


    The people of Collow had been fighting them for ages.


    Veronica nodded at the knight. ¡°There¡¯s the beastmen army of the tribal nation of the Hallowed Wolf there, we don¡¯t have to worry.¡±


    ¡°Those¡­ beastmen, huh.¡± The knight¡¯s expression was slightly weird as he looked into the distance. ¡°Honestly, they actually formed a nation of their own¡­¡±


    At the edge of his vision, there was a unit that was totally different from the army of the human kingdoms. That was the reinforcements sent by the nation of the Hallowed Wolf. They were an allied army made out of all sorts of beastmen and demihumans, clad in all sorts of broken armor, and their weapons were of all kinds as well. With the recent victory, the soldiers were cheering around a massive flag, and on the flag, was an imposing giant white wolf.


    That was the totem of the tribal nation of the Hallowed Wolf, and the symbol of their leader, the Alpha Wolf.


    Based on what Veronica knew, the Hallowed Wolf nation only had one highest leader, and that was the Alpha Wolf that had led the beast tide across the chaos and into civilization. The Alpha Wolf¡¯s position was eternal, and a representative tribal council called the Ring of Beasts would rule the nation while the Alpha Wolf was away.


    Until today, many nations of men on Collow would not believe that a group of beastmen and demihumans were able to build a nation., and the Kingdom of Taros which neighbored the Kingdom of Beasts had established diplomatic contact with the new nation a year ago. One reason was that they had ascertained the intelligence and rationality of the beastmen and demihumans, and another reason was that the kingdom knew and was familiar with the Alpha Wolf.


    The sages of Taros suggest that it was probably due to the divine influence of the Alpha Wolf that the beast tide that she had led through the chaos had attained some sort of ¡®evolution¡¯, and compared to their distant cousins in the forest and barrens, they were smarter, more rational, and more capable of controlling their bestial nature.


    So, Collow actually had a nation built by the beasts¡­


    ¡°They are also intelligent beings.¡± Veronica shook her head. ¡°And before the chaos, all intelligent beings are natural allies.¡±

 Chapter 1768 - Studying on the Battlefield

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°Before chaos, every intelligent being is a natural ally.¡±


    Looking at the rotten flesh and twisted limbs rapidly turning into dust inside the holy fire, Ophra sheathed her sword and spoke to the werewolf warrior that was trying to get up.


    ¡°These monsters are tougher than I imagined.¡± The werewolf warrior huffed and puffed as his wounds were visibly healing, but due to the corruption taint, the healing process was extremely painful, and even the usually stoic werewolf grimaced. ¡°Seems that letting your people into the sacred mountain was right¡­ Our tribe alone can never win against these blasted monsters.¡±


    Ophra nodded as she looked afar, black dust was spreading all across the valley, and the land tainted and corrupted by the rotten blood had a hue of revolting dark purple. This was the sacred snow mountain of the werewolf tribes, and yet the monsters of chaos made no distinction, and the moment they appeared from the nightmare, where ever there was intelligent life, there will be a channel for them to appear, and there was no exception here.


    There were plenty of valiant warriors of the werewolf tribal nation, and they had prepared to defend their homes alone, but after the Kingdom of Holetta made contact with the leaders of the tribes they had sent an army here. All because the clergy of the Disciples of Glory had managed to send a warning in time.


    Deep within the sacred mountains was once Muru¡¯s resting spot, and the thousands of years the guardian was trapped within the nightmare, and the nightmares of the demigod had seeped into the mountains, affecting the minds of every intelligent being in the area, leaving them more susceptible to resonate with the nightmare. Also, the heretical cults that were once active in the region had left behind plenty of blasphemous altars and tools, and while the cultists themselves were wiped out, the mark they left behind was impossible to erase.


    These two factors made the sacred mountain of the werewolves most of the most dangerous hidden breaches, and the origin of chaos in the heart of the universe would definitely choose to penetrate into the world from here, and there were three other dangerous breaches as well, the diocese of Beinz (ruins), the Volcano Dusk (ruins) and the Tree of Life (ruins). All these three places were once inhabited by the First Born, and the mental energies of the First Born too had left similar nightmare gaps in the region.


    What happened proved that the clergy¡¯s decision was wise, and the first wave of taints appeared in those four places almost at the same time.


    And the soldiers and militant monks placed in the area had saved countless of lives.


    Becky rode on her warhorse across the battlefield as she raised her sword and exhorted her men. ¡°Don¡¯t take it easy! Stay alert! The war had just started, and before the goddess declares that the dust has settled, everyone will need to hold fast!¡±


    The heroic mercenary who was seen as a living legend easily raised the morale of the normal rank and file soldiers, and many cheered as they waved their weapons. For Becky, this was already commonplace for her, and she turned her horse toward the area that was still scorching from the bombardment of divine arts and got down before Ophra. ¡°Marshal Ophra! I¡¯m back!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty popular, eh.¡± Ophra smiled as she looked at her energetic junior. Becky, whose background as a mercenary was known as an unrefined brute among the nobility, but her raucous personality meshed well with Ophra. ¡°Quite a few of them see you as an idol.¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­ I¡¯m just a mascot riding on the coattails of those legends.¡± Becky was self-aware at least. ¡°I was just lucky to tag along with Vivian and the rest in their epic quest, I¡¯m very clear of my own capability. If things were to get serious, I may not even be a match against your champions.¡±


    Then she murmured to herself, ¡°And I came all the way here was to stick around you¡­¡±


    Ophra tilted her head. ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°Ah nothing, just talking to myself!¡±


    Ophra did not bother outing Becky¡¯s poor attempt at masking what she just said, and simply looked to the horizon. The massive floating fortress, Hodeceus was moving east from the sacred mountains. And beneath Hodeceus was a group of griffin knights circling it.


    ¡°Hodeceus is moving toward Beinz.¡± Becky put her hands over her eyes as she looked to the distance. ¡°The fighting¡¯s not done yet over there?¡±


    ¡°The incursion at Beinz is much bigger than here, and there¡¯s even monsters the size of clock towers,¡± Ophra said. ¡°The regular soldiers and knights are no match for those monsters, and they have already sent out a signal for help to the Einherjar¡¯s, but the main Einherjar force is now sealing the breach at the Volcano of Dusk, so we can only send Hodeceus over there.¡±


    Becky rubbed the bloodstain of her face as she said, ¡°I don¡¯t know how ¡®they¡¯ are faring over there¡­ We are just merely facing the weakest of its minions, and they are already so scary. What sort of thing are they actually facing I wonder?¡±


    ¡°The world has not ended yet,¡± Ophra replied flatly. ¡°And that means they are still fighting.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°The main shield recovery speed is decreasing! The load is too heavy, the recharge rate is unable to keep up with the attrition!¡± As the alert rang across the bridge, Nolan¡¯s voice rang as well. ¡°Activating reserve shield batteries! All available energy circuits redirect to the shield system.¡±


    Shock after shock came from all over as the chaotic universal perimeters applied extreme pressure on the ship¡¯s various systems, and even the stabilizers inside the ship could not unravel this level of chaos as errors started appearing. Over on the external sensors, the ship seemed to be passing through a dark and narrow tunnel, and the chaotic clouds and lines were interwoven like a vortex, pressing in from all directions before being left in the dust. Unknown shadows and ¡°tentacles¡± started appearing the inner walls of this tunnel, and the Petrachelys was akin to a canoe in the middle of a storm. Every second was perilous, yet she still managed to keep afloat.


    ¡°Move the energy from the navigation system to the shields!¡± Hao Ren yelled. ¡°They are useless in this forsaken place.¡±


    There were almost no discernible dimensional structure within the Dark Abyss, and the navigation computer was merely a decoration in this chaotic realm, and the only thing that could navigate was Rheia¡¯s divine senses, so the navigation computer was shut down.


    As more and more energy was fed into the shield generators, the external interference soon lessened and the shaking of the bridge stopped.


    Rheia sat beside the captain¡¯s chair and her eyes were glowing brightly. She was looking at the chaos outside the ship, and at the same time the situation across the universe.


    She saw the Overwatch Bastion entering combat, and saw the entire defensive line of the Dark Abyss exchanging hands, and saw the efforts of the mortals on their planets in protecting their home.


    She closed her eyes slightly and whispered, ¡°I have prepared so many motivational materials, thought of the various dangers the planets would have, and how to raise their morale when they run into difficulties, but it seems¡­ like I was overthinking things.¡±


    ¡°After L¡¯Haronne, you should have known that.¡± Hao Ren shook his head. ¡°They don¡¯t need you to protect them.¡±


    ¡°I still remembered when they had just started walking on their own, started to learn how to create tools, started to invent letters, they were all so fragile¡­¡± Rheia said, before laughing at herself. ¡°And in just the blink of an eye, they could face the Mad Lord with a stout face¡­ even if they are only facing its minions.¡±


    Vivian looked at her. ¡°Is it that feeling when you see your children all grown up? Happy but yet sad at the same time?¡±


    ¡°It does,¡± Rheia admitted. ¡°But it¡¯s more regret than anything¡­ There were once so many civilizations, but my failure ten thousand years ago because so many to be wiped out. If only I was stronger back then¡ª¡±


    ¡°A goddess cannot afford to dwell in the past,¡± Hao Ren interrupted her. ¡°If you, of all people, can no longer look toward the future, then what can your devotees even see?¡±


    Rheia smiled as she rose from the chair. ¡°You¡¯re right. Having random thoughts is what I should be doing¡­ especially now.¡±


    As she uttered those words, she raised her right hand, and a stream of light formed in her hand. ¡°We are about to reach that chaotic dimension. The moment we pass through that, the ship¡¯s stealth and my divine barrier will no longer be effective. We will be fully exposed before the Mad Lord¡­ Are you ready?¡±


    Hao Ren also stood up and picked up the crowbar beside the captain¡¯s seat. That crowbar was made out of the same material as the nexus of the Creation¡¯s Engine, and ¡°Starbreaker Crowbar¡± was stenciled on it. And to amplify its metaphysical properties and to give this operation a good omen, Hao Ren even got Raven 12345 to leave a bite mark at the end of it. It was a veritable divine weapon.


    He held the Starbreaker Crowbar in his hand and smiled at Rheia. ¡°I¡¯m always ready. Say, what¡¯s that thingamajig in your hand?¡±


    ¡°A new weapon, the one I mentioned before,¡± Rheia said as she waved the black leather tome. ¡°I have been wondering what sort of weapon would be proper. The two blades are indeed powerful, but against the formless power of the Mad Lord, we will need the support of the powers of laws.¡±


    Vivian blinked. ¡°But all I see is a book¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, a book, but in it is all of the knowledge I have managed to learn thus far and about one thousand powerful mantras that I have purposely picked out from the teaching material. They may not do much damage, but deep inside the Dark Abyss, its function wins over any divine weapons. It could provide us a stabler, more order-oriented battlefield to ward off the Mad Lord¡¯s endless chaotic powers.


    Hao Ren rubbed his chin as he pondered. ¡°So, do you plan to study on the battlefield?¡±


    ¡°¡­If you have to put it that way, yes¡­¡±

 Chapter 1769 - Sacrificing a Shipgirls Waist

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Studying on the battlefield was, of course, a joke. Hao Ren had wanted to ease the mood a little and let Rheia relax, but frankly speaking, he did not expect the weapon that Rheia had so painstakingly prepared was actually something like this.


    He originally reckoned that she would create a new pair of divine blades, or some other ¡°normal equipment¡±, as the weapon she had used last time against the madness was a sword, and her skill points in one-handed weapons must surely be higher than the rest. He had never thought that she would actually conjure out a sacred tome¡­ you won¡¯t be wrong calling it a notebook.


    Hao Ren felt like he may have overdone it when he tried to hammer ¡°knowledge is power¡± into her head, and that caused her to have a distorted world view¡­


    Then again, Hao Ren was not worried that Rheia would make a mistake with her choice of a new weapon. While she may look diminutive, she had lived for several million years, and had gone through the war against the Mad Lord, and the Godslaying War. For an ace student when it comes to academics, her choice of a ¡®sacred tome¡¯ as her weapon must have been carefully thought through.


    Hao Ren felt that he just needed to trust Rheia¡¯s decision, just like how she had trusted his and Vivian¡¯s plan.


    ¡°Actually¡­ I had thought of tying the tome up with a chain and use it as a flail just like mum,¡± Rheia said as she weighed the tome in her hand. ¡°But after some consideration, I¡¯m just not adept at using a flail, and practically takes precedence, style over substance will inevitably cause problems.¡±


    Hao Ren smacked his forehead. ¡°I don¡¯t think putting a chain around your tome and using it as a flail as stylish at all¡­¡±


    Rheia smiled as she kept her tome and walked to the bridge¡¯s exit. ¡°It¡¯s stylish, no doubt. Smashing someone in the face with any weapon is always stylish.¡±


    Hao Ren shrugged as he hefted the Starbreaker Crowbar up to his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll lead. You still get lost in this ship.¡±


    The Petrachelys was still moving within nothing but darkness and chaos, and the various twisted objects that appeared ceaselessly and the light from the starship¡¯s shields made it look like the ship was riding into a storm, and before the starship, a bizarre ¡°mirror dimension¡± was closing in.


    The ¡°mirror dimension¡± was awe-inspiring and terrifying at the same time, it looked like it was linked by various mirrors, forming an orb-like barrier so wide it was beyond imagination. So massive it was that even when the starship was still millions of kilometers away it already looked like an endless wall bearing down on it. It was as if the entire universe had reached an end, and everything stops before it.


    Even when it was screened by the darkness and chaos, the image of the entire universe was reflected in the mirror. This was beyond all normal optical laws and was more like an information projection. Through the external sensors, Hao Ren noticed that the mirror was filled with starlight, and all of the stars of the Plane of Dreams were arrayed on it, but yet all of the light was twisted; and within the various angles of the ¡°mirror¡±, the starlight was being overlapped and compressed, showing a darkening, pale hue, as if the stars were extinguishing slowly.


    As they got close, the shadow of the Petrachelys finally appeared on the mirror, and from the various angles on the mirror, there were thousands of the ship¡¯s projection, and each and every one of it was the moment the ship was destroyed: some were shattered, some were quartered, some were outright melted down into liquid metal.


    ¡°Whoa.¡± Nolan¡¯s projection appeared beside Hao Ren. ¡°That scared the sh*t out of me.¡±


    Hao Ren gave Nolan a side-eye as he yanked the metal plating before him. ¡°Your tone isn¡¯t all that convincing.¡±


    ¡°Still up to her party tricks.¡± Rheia looked rather dismissively at the images from the sensors. ¡°Using this ¡®mirror¡¯ to show her ¡®power¡¯ that she¡¯ll be destroying this world with? I can¡¯t believe that sorry excuse of existence is actually my other half¡­¡±


    This was the Petrachelys¡¯ propulsion engine room, and normally this was maintained by the automated drones, and the human-sized passageway was not opened. But under Nolan¡¯s control, Hao Ren and the rest had reached that special place.


    They were ready to do something that was against all security protocols as planned.


    The low hum of the engines running echoed all over and this humming was like Nolan¡¯s heartbeat. They sounded stable and powerful, totally not like something that was about to be trashed with a stick.


    The final plating was taken off, and a series of parallel crystal pipes were arrayed across like sticks of light, and that moment the crystallized energy tubes let out a blue glow, providing energy to the security systems.


    At that moment, the ambient hum became louder.


    Nolan hugged her arm as her head shrunk in. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m a little nervous.¡±


    Hao Ren lifted the Starbreak Crowbar and pointed toward the energy conduits. ¡°No worries, the pain will be gone in a flash.¡±


    ¡°Only fools would trust you!¡± Nolan glared back, but as this was her own idea, even when she was nervous, she had to bite the bullet. ¡°Just¡­ Just keep your head steady when you do it. Those two tubes in the middle, don¡¯t you go damaging the parts on the side!¡±


    Hao Ren pouted as he lifted his crowbar. ¡°Oh you, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m adept in all weapons, and a mere crowbar would be beyond me? Just make sure you¡¯re in sync with me, the moment I smash that it, you floor the accelerator toward that ¡®mirror¡¯, and blow this dimensional structure to kingdom come. If you do it too early or too late that¡¯s just a waste of a good stick¡­¡±


    Nolan glared again. ¡°Bullsh*t, you are just wasting a stick, I¡¯ll be wasting my own waist!¡±


    Just like that, as Nolan¡¯s voice trailed away, Hao Ren smashed the beak of the crowbar downward!


    Nolan screamed, ¡°F*ccckkkkk, that hurtssss!!!¡±


    Even when she was heavily damaged by the divine storm in Star Cluster X she had never sounded so painful. It seems like having her waist smashed by a crowbar did actually hurt.


    The screaming aside, Nolan as an A.I. was still maintaining the usual precision and efficiency, and as soon as the safety systems of the void engine blared out its alert, the Petrachelys¡¯ engines exuded bright particle stream, and the already decelerating speed suddenly became a stream of light and smashed against the layer of chaotic dimension masked by countless of mirrors.


    With the safety system destroyed, a surge of energy was directed by Nolan to the void engine module, and the engine, originally cannot be deployed inside the world barrier was forcibly activated, and went into overdrive within a few seconds.


    The waist of the ship let out orbs after orbs of bright light, as the unstable field of order tore holes throughout the starship¡¯s protective barrier, and a large number of metal fragments and crystalline dust spew out of the gaps, and at the same time, the space around the ship, too, was visibly collapsing, a large number of distorted light formed into an uneven surface, enveloping the Petrachelys.


    And the moment the surface made contact with the ship, the ship lost control, and it started appearing and disappearing inside the dimension, as the undefined dimensional structure had destroyed the continuity of its navigation, and making it impossible, but the void engine overload had reached its limit.


    There was no terrifying explosion, and the moment the void engine went into meltdown, the Petrachelys¡¯ waist simply just flashed, before an ethereal bubble-like structure appearing around the ship, and the thin membrane expanded rapidly, spanning about ten kilometers wide before popping soundlessly like a bubble.


    And the mirror surface at the nexus of the Dark Abyss too shattered, the information shock wave sent out by the void engine¡¯s meltdown which complexity exceeded all dimensional laws totally unraveled that layer of chaotic dimension. All of the twisted dimensional projection was wiped out by the information torrent, leaving it in its original form.


    At the price of the shipgirl¡¯s waist, Hao Ren had broken through the last gate before the Mad Lord.


    As the chaotic dimensional unraveled, Hao Ren had a hallucination. He saw the mirror fragments flying about, and the tiny, floating mirrors passed through the shield¡¯s barrier and hull armor like a phantom, and filled the cabin, passing slowly in front of him.


    Rheia and Vivian had disappeared.


    He looked at the floating mirror fragments in the air, and on it, he saw his face, he saw the stars in the distance, and the old, unkempt streets of the Southern Suburbs forgotten by the city.


    He saw a pale figure in one of the fragments, and the face was laughing at him. ¡°What did you see? Did you see yourself? Did you see me?¡±


    Hao Ren laughed back. ¡°For a starter, this illusion sure lacks creativity.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference between illusion and reality?¡± The pale, evil goddess continued laughing. ¡°This universe will soon end, and your struggles only delay it for just that little bit. And when it comes, all reality is nothing but data floating in the chaos and void¡­ If it is meant to end, what¡¯s the meaning of your insistence with the delineation of the border between illusion and reality?


    ¡°Meaning? I have never told you the meaning of what I desire.¡± Hao Ren smiled as he grabbed and smashed a piece of the mirror in his palm. The image on it was of CARS being destroyed and countless broken crystal towers floated in space. ¡°You have never seen the real image of the world outside. What I¡¯m pursuing, even if I were to tell you, is totally beyond you.¡±


    The pale face contorted as a terrifying smile appeared on it. ¡°Mortal, flowery words will not save you. Before this world-ending power, how do your desires stand up to it?!¡±


    ¡°How much? The key is not what my desire is, it is how much your value is.¡±


    Hao Ren broke into a laughing fit and smashed the mirror with the latter¡¯s image. ¡°To me, you are nothing but a moving year-end bonus!!¡±


    At that moment, all of the illusions disappeared.

 Chapter 1770 - Facing the Madness

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    As all of the illusions disappeared, Hao Ren looked at the engine room that had returned to normal. Rheia and Vivian once again appeared beside him. The two of them seemed normal, and it looked like he was the only one who had been affected by the hallucination¡­


    Or rather, the goddess of annihilation¡­ the Mad Lord had purposely looked for him to blabber nonsense.


    He shook his head and murmured, ¡°A whole load of hogwash.¡±


    ¡°She knows we are here.¡± Rheia¡¯s expression was a sea of calm, and she looked in a particular direction. There was only an argent wall there, but her vision had pierced through the cabin, and into the vast space in the distance. ¡°Everyone get ready¡­¡±


    Just as Rheia¡¯s words left her mouth, a sudden surge of pressure welled up in both Hao Ren and Vivian.


    It was a feeling as if they were facing a beast capable of consuming all life, and their powers were meaningless before it, and even the strongest of the strong would simply be fodder for this monster, torn apart without any means of retaliating.


    Rheia did not hesitate as she deployed her divine powers, and pulled out that holy notebook, and as the book opened up, divine words containing thousands of law and order appeared in the air and covered the ship within it.


    The temporary mental attack was stopped by Rheia, and Hao Ren immediately pulled out the two blades from his Dimensional Pocket and turned to Vivian. ¡°You just need to focus later, you don¡¯t have to worry about us!¡±


    A teleportation beam then swept past the three, and the next second they were on the Petrachelys¡¯ upper deck, the vast and chaotic dark universe rushed towards them.


    As the chaotic dimensional unraveled, the deepest part of the Dark Abyss and its constituent parts had reformed into a continuous structure, and the massive chaotic structures in the background that looked like floating mountains came into Hao Ren¡¯s vision, and at the heart of all of the chaotic structures was a vast area, and there floated many ancient ruins and wreckage, the prison facilities that had been destroyed so long ago.


    At the center of the ruins, a dark celestial body floated silently.


    It was enveloped by a thick fog, and its surface was uneven, as all sorts of vortex and faces appeared on it. Dark red lightning and light roamed within the fog, just like flowing blood from an open wound, and between that dark star, and the Petrachelys, a pale figure stood silently in space.


    The figure looked at the uninvited guests and smiled menacingly. ¡°Welcome to the end of the universe. You are the first batch of guests here, and very soon, the last.¡±


    Voice could never be transmitted in a vacuum, but for the people standing here, they do not need to speak to communicate, and the voices simply just rang in their minds.


    The moment he saw the pale figure, Hao Ren knew that the latter¡¯s assimilation had been completed.


    She was still in that form when they first saw her in the Umbral Realm, but the same body now houses a completely different thing. If the goddess of annihilation had a tad bit of rationality and sensibility left in her before, now that shell was nothing but madness and the desire to destroy. Even when she smiled, even when she spoke, every ¡®normal¡¯ action she took gave Hao Ren a massive sense of dissonance.


    It was a being that was not to be named¡­ wearing human skin. The body that he could see was just a ¡°model¡± that she had presented in this real space. Her actual form was actually hidden within the endless darkness in space. The blob was a revolting, squirming thing. Hao Ren¡¯s special vision allowed him to clearly see it, and it filled the entire dimension. It had extended out from the body of the goddess of annihilation and linking to the dark star behind her, and then outwards to the vast space.


    ¡°Ever since you merged with that ultimate lunatic, you sure have become much more poetic.¡± Facing her evil half, Rheia had no anger, no fear, and had nothing but contempt. ¡°So how is it? Feeling better now that you¡¯re a monster?¡±


    Looking at her other half ridiculing her, the goddess of annihilation lifted her finger without any expression and pointed at the direction of the Petrachelys.


    The moment she moved, Nolan reacted, and the remaining thrusters were floored to the highest possible output. The ship then disappeared from its original location while Hao Ren and the rest teleported away.


    A pale white orb appeared silently at where they originally stood, and as the orb faded away, there was nothing but a massive black hole, and the light around that hole was severely distorted, and was collapsing into the heart of the black hole.


    Even as it faded away, Hao Ren realized what had just happened. A part of the Plane of Dreams had just been permanently erased.


    ¡°You think¡­ you¡¯re the only one who knows such a simple trick like this?!¡± Rheia laughed as the tome floating before here opened up again, and as the divine words flickered, the dimension around the goddess of annihilation distorted as a large part of time and space was ripped out from the space structure. ¡°Knowledge is power!¡±


    As Rheia launched her attack, Hao Ren, too, lifted the words, and while he recited Raven 12345¡¯s name, he charged toward the pale figure.


    With the powerful clash of energies, the dimensional structure shook, and at the center where the two sides fought, all light became ethereal and distorted as if a translucent screen had covered the entire area.


    After losing half her thruster units, and her energy system severely damage, the Petrachelys could no longer join in the battle, and she left the most heavily damaged area as soon as the fighting started, to not be a nuisance to Hao Ren and the rest. She flown towards the floating wrecks in the darkness. That was once a part of the prison¡¯s containment system, and the remaining energy of the wreckage could hide the ship¡¯s information signature.


    Vivian too did not join in the fight, and as Hao Ren and Rheia fully occupied the goddess of annihilation¡¯s attention, she held her hands wide open and looked up at the dark, chaotic space.


    ¡°Prepare to bask in moonlight¡­¡± she whispered. ¡°The true¡­ moonlight¡­¡±


    ¡­


    A massive hit came from the side and Hao Ren¡¯s Steel Membrane Shield flickered, and he was sent flying a thousand meters away. The MDT yelled in a shrill voice, ¡°Partner! Focus!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m already focusing!¡± Hao Ren crossed his blades together and smashed aside the chaotic energy orbs that were flying about. ¡°Nothing I can do if my evasion stats are lower than her hit!¡±


    ¡°Why do you keep struggling?¡± The goddess of annihilation¡¯s voice rang out once again in everyone¡¯s mind. She was standing in the void, her hands held wide open as if she was giving a sermon, while countless pale rays and orbs appeared around her, slowly consuming every portion of the dimension. ¡°The universe will end, and just like how this tiny space will be consumed by me. All of you are simply just wasting your strength against the clock!¡±


    Rheia¡¯s form reappeared a couple of thousand of meters away, and her body was shrouded with a golden glow, as the pages of her tomes parted and became floating papers around her. ¡°The universe will end? Sure, I never denied that!¡±


    The goddess of annihilation raised an eyebrow, as though surprised by the latter¡¯s sudden proclamation. ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°The universe will indeed end¡­ but what does that have to do with you!!¡± Rheia raised her hand up high, and as she smashed it down in form, numerous divine words appeared from the papers around her and blocked off the dimension consuming pale rays. ¡°There is a shelf life for the universe¡­ but what does that have to do with you! All life will die someday, but what does that have to do with you! All things will one day be consumed by the void, but what does that have to do with you!¡±


    A golden halo quickly spread out with Rheia as the center, and the chaotic dimension was equally put into order as the halo shone upon it. Those ancient ruins and wreckage that was distorted due to the chaotic dimension too had temporarily regained their original form.


    ¡°No one will give up living just because they will die someday! The universe will not stop growing just because it will perish someday! Death is a part of the cycle, and since when life was not part of it?!¡±


    ¡°This universe will end someday, and the me now can even calculate to the exact second when it will end, but what of it? It has its own death, but you want to bring it forward! Who do you think you are?¡±


    ¡°What does the Mad Lord think it is?!!¡±


    A massive halo appeared out of the void, and where the radiance shone, all chaotic and distorted information was instantly restored, and this restoration was as damaging to the goddess of annihilation, the avatar of chaotic powers, as it can get. She could no longer stand where she stood, and slightly sheepishly teleported away from where the ¡®Light of Order¡¯ shone.


    ¡°You¡­¡± she roared.


    ¡°Is there any wrong in what I just said?¡± The pages around Rheia spun around rapidly, and within the radiance, her small figure was amplified a few times. ¡°You keep going on and on about the struggle to live is against the what natural order, and you destroying it beforehand is not? You think you can represent and adjudicate the fate of all life just because you happen to grasp some destructive powers? You too will perish someday, so why don¡¯t you go and off yourself first!¡±


    Rheia had rarely ever exploded like this, but now that she was facing the Mad Lord and her evil half, she remembered the threat of catastrophe since time memorial, and she thought of the tragic scene where all of the countless of lives she had created perishing within an instant, that lit the flames of her wrath, and seeing her now had Hao Ren realizing that her calm and aloof self was her suppressing everything, and when she finally lets of steam¡­


    ¡°She sure is good at cursing,¡± the MDT floated by Hao Ren¡¯s head and said with full sincerity.

 Chapter 1771 - Surprised?

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Hao Ren did not expect Rheia to go berserk after entering combat. With countless divine words coiling around her, and a glowing sacred tome before her, yet she was cursing her heart out, cursing till the entire universe trembled, and if her group of devotees were to see her pulling that off now, at least a good ninety percent would have their faith shattered¡­


    After all, those adherents had just only accepted the fact that their goddess was a cheerful loli with an arm on her waist and another showing the victory sign¡­


    Rheia¡¯s rage was also clearly beyond the goddess of annihilation¡¯s expectation, and for a moment she was on the back foot. But not because Rheia¡¯s verbal tirade had any effect on her since she had already fused with the Mad Lord, chaos and destruction was now hers. Even if Rheia¡¯s cursing ability was any stronger it would not even faze her, the thing that got the goddess of annihilation on the back foot was Rheia¡¯s myriad of attacks.


    Regardless if it was to directly rewrite the laws to neutralize the power of chaos, or to use the divine words to restore the dimensional order, this was unknown to her. She had thought that as she was the same as Rheia, she could master the latter¡¯s combat rhythm, but that was a mistake from the beginning.


    ¡°Where¡­ did you get all these powers?!¡± The goddess of annihilation was once again forced to teleport away from Rheia¡¯s area of attack, and she had totally lost her composure and started to feel flustered. ¡°What have you done¡­ in this mere few months?!¡±


    Rheia smiled as she flipped her notebook to a new page. ¡°What have I done? I was studying, I was studying nonstop, completing exercises every moment, completing my homework every moment! You will never understand what knowledge is power means, but now¡­ have a taste of studying!¡±


    Numerous runes appeared across millions of kilometers across the dimension, and the dimension consumed and torn apart by the goddess of annihilation was quickly restored by the runes, but just as the runes were half-way done, a shapeless force swept through the battlefield and snuffed out the runes.


    ¡°I have no interest in the source of your powers. Your party tricky may be better than last time, but it is meaningless.¡± The goddess of annihilation reappeared once again in the universe, and behind her, the changes were apparent on the dark, shrouded star. Countless dark red lights were moving within the fog, and the fog itself was slowly drained by the light, turning thin. ¡°I do have to thank you, if you had not so mindless spread your divine powers about, this engine may not be completed so soon¡­¡±


    The clouds around the dark star had finally faded away, and its hideous, revolting form had finally appeared before everyone. Hao Ren¡¯s impression of it was that it was a blob of metal, rock, flesh, and bones being mushed up together, and these totally different materials were all piled upon each other forming the body of that abomination of a star. A cuticle-like crust had cracks all over it, and beneath the rents were rotten flesh, and between the flesh were complex metal structures, and all these objects writhed continuously, and the writhing objects formed a human face-like structure on the surface on the planet.


    Compared to the image that they saw through the resonance when the Creation¡¯s Engine was completed, the shock seeing the ¡®Annihilation Engine¡¯ directly was more apparent.


    As she saw the Annihilation Engine, Rheia demurred and spoke after a long while. ¡°I knew that you completed it.¡±


    ¡°And you are powerless to stop it.¡± The goddess of annihilation stood in the air, her hands held wide open, and her pale form became a symbol with the dark star as a backdrop. ¡°You could only sneak it the way you did earlier, but even when you had managed to get through, you are powerless to destroy or strop the engine¡¯s activation. My ¡®sister¡¯¡­ you should be very clear what this thing is based on¡­¡±


    The face surface of the dark star was getting clearer and clearer, and within that expression was endless hatred and suffering. Rheia looked at it but did not take any evasive or defensive actions. ¡°As long as it can latch on to my divinity, the Divinity Annihilation mode will activate right?¡±


    ¡°Say your farewells.¡± The goddess of annihilation smirked. ¡°After this universe is annihilated, there will be no one left to remember you.¡±


    And the dark star activated.


    A massive, bottomless stream of energy was bound, focused and then converted into a force powerful enough to affect the operation of the universe, powerful enough to wipe out the powers of a god. A huge number of dark appendages spread out and disappeared into the space, connecting with the universe¡¯s basic data, then it started ¡°looking¡± for the unique trait of the goddess of creation amongst the basic data, and prepared to wipe out this part of the data from the universe around it.


    However, the goddess of annihilation had a slight change in her expression. She was a little puzzled, as Rheia had not taken any action at all, while Hao Ren, his swords in hand was staying far away from the battlefield doing absolutely nothing, and in fact, since the battle started Hao Ren had barely even contributed, the ones fighting were both Rheia and the goddess of annihilation.


    As for Vivian¡­ Vivian had already hidden away somewhere since the beginning, and she was nowhere to be found.


    But her puzzlement only lasted a moment, as the dark red light flowed within the dark star had reached its peak, and regardless of what the goddess of creation had planned, it was all too late now.


    The engine had completed its search for the goddess of creation¡¯s data, but what returned was an error 404.


    The dark red light on the dark star¡¯s surface quickly faded away, and the writhing things on it suddenly shuddered violently as if they were electrocuted. A series of explosions soon ignited from within the crust, ripping those thick cuticles and rocks out of its foundation, and sending massive debris flying in every direction.


    It was totally silent, yet magnificent at the same time.


    ¡°Wha¡­ How is that possible?!¡±


    The goddess of annihilation had not reacted like this even when Rheia was cursing and flinging a bunch of ultimate finishers at her. The shock she felt now was far beyond the initial one, her painstaking plan to steal those Gilded Discs, and her efforts to create the Annihilation Engine were all for nothing.


    She could have imagined Rheia using some tricks to block off the attack or accept that due to its inherent structural flaws, the engine had failed to activate, but she could not affect the fact that the engine had so mysteriously¡­ blue-screened after activation.


    In those few moments of shock, countless golden divine words appeared around her and locked all her movement dead, and Hao Ren, who was loafing about by the edge of the battlefield suddenly charged in and came crashing down with two deadly strokes courtesy of the twin Cosmic Shards.


    The swords had visibly bit in, but an irresistible force suddenly struck back and Hao Ren was sent flying, and the divine binding Rheia had created flickered a few times before fading away.


    The goddess of annihilation did not escape unscathed, and a scar finally appeared on her arm, but she was not concerned by it, and only glared furiously at Rheia. ¡°What have you done?!¡±


    ¡°Just changed my account.¡± Rheia smirked, as many more divine words appeared around her. ¡°But for you, you will never understand that.¡±


    ¡°Meaningless¡­ totally meaningless¡­¡± The voice of the goddess of annihilation rang in everyone¡¯s head, and the chaotic energy within the dimension grew stronger with her rage, and the stable dimension that Rheia had previously restored once again weakened, and Hao Ren, who had wanted to go for another blow too stopped, as he noticed there was another change in the dark star behind the goddess of annihilation.¡±


    ¡°It does not matter¡­ If the engine cannot kill you, I can¡­ but that only allows this pitiful universe a few extra moments¡­¡±


    An innumerable amount of blood-red light stream faintly appeared between the goddess of annihilation and the dark star, and the Annihilation Engine, damaged earlier by the feedback was forcibly reactivated again, and for this massive divine artifact with endless supply of energy, that tiny explosions early was nothing, and in fact, the speed of its repairs were ahead of the damage done to it.


    The dark red, blood-like light stream appeared once again on the surface of the star, and the writhing crust and flesh once again formed into a face, but this time around, it was the distorted face of the goddess of annihilation.


    Even when the function to ¡°annihilate a true god¡± had failed, the Annihilation Engine itself was still a potent weapon of war.


    In that instance, the dimensional order started trembling and disintegrating, and the Dark Abyss, originally engulfed by darkness and chaos suddenly had a sea of stars in it as the distorted images of stars across the Plane of Dreams were projected into this dimension, as star systems big and small floated irregularly across the Dark Abyss, and that very moment, even this maddened place was beaming with starlight.


    Nevertheless, in the abnormal starlight, dark torrents appeared out of thin air around the Annihilation Engine and surged towards Rheia and Hao Ren.


    ¡°Perish in chaos!!¡±


    The voice of the goddess of annihilation roared in Hao Ren¡¯s mind, and the accompanying mental taint clawed at his mind, and even his soul was shaken, yet a sudden toll of a bell calmed everything down.


    The tolling reverberated across the silent void, and its omnipresence made it difficult to discern its origin, carrying a deep and mysterious aura.


    As the bell tolled, a crimson moon suddenly enveloped the entire space.


    The goddess of annihilation looked up in shock and saw a crimson moon appearing out of nowhere in the sky. It looked like a solid star, but it had an ethereal feel to it, and it was impossible to tell its exact location and distance just by looking, but she could clearly sense that the ¡®energy¡¯ from that crimson moon was interfering and suppressing the operation of the Annihilation Engine.


    ¡°That is¡­¡± the goddess of annihilation muttered to herself. Since she had almost the same memory as Rheia, she could easily discern the origin of the crimson moon. ¡°A crimson moon¡­ I remember now, it¡¯s that tiny insect you had tossed over into the other universe¡­ but her weak powers could never¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course you wouldn¡¯t have known, because what I showed you was just a part of my memory.¡± Rheia could finally relish her smile now. ¡°So you will totally have no idea that the engine that you had created¡­ was just a half-finished product.¡±


    The crimson moon hung high behind Rheia, and she spread her hands out, transforming into a symbol as well.


    ¡°The real Creation¡¯s Engine comes in a bundle¡­¡±

 Chapter 1772 - Shocked?

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    In the endless space filled with light floated countless of runes and pictures as light beams connected to massive crystal pillars and forming a structure of concentric circles, and the crystal pillars had a golden hue to it as if they were forged by light, and the universe, was a light forged universe.


    In the center of the concentric circles stood a tall crystal tower, and Vivian was standing on the top of the tower, her cold eyes focusing on the runic array and holographic projection before her.


    Streams of light extended from behind her, one end was connected to her spine, while another is released into the air, and the floating runes faintly responded to it. As the light stream and runes intertwined, it formed a thousand-meter-long wing of light.


    ¡°The Creation¡¯s Engine has been activated, the Crimson Moon system entering secondary processing mode. System synchronization at 96%¡­¡±


    ¡°E-type data stream entering the highest command node. Control response rate at 100%.¡±


    ¡°All systems green. Releasing limiter for the Engine¡¯s Core Unit.¡±


    ¡°This is Vivian Ancestor, the Creation¡¯s Engine has arrived. The moonlight blesses everyone.¡±


    The cold and ethereal sight had faded away, and Vivian¡¯s own eyes started moving again. She took a deep breath and calmed her the unrest in her mind. Even when she had gone through a couple of simulations, activating both the Crimson Moon and the Creation¡¯s Engine systems and to synchronize them together demanded a hefty computation load, and even with the sprites helping her with the computation, the load that she needs to bear as a ¡®Queen Node¡¯ was still enormous.


    It was then that she had to agree with what Hao Ren said earlier. ¡°An ace student is what it is, there¡¯s no reasoning with super talented people. A loli goddess who¡¯s missed out on school, lost her memory, and a literal personality split could actually design such a complex system like this¡­ What is her brain made of?¡±


    In the light steam behind Vivian, the sprites popped their heads out one by one, and the excitable little ones did not know what ¡®tension¡¯ was. Now at the heart of the Dark Abyss, they actually got excited. ¡°Mistress, Mistress! The system¡¯s activated! The system¡¯s activated!¡±


    ¡°Mistress is so great!¡±


    ¡°Mistress, don¡¯t you want to try releasing all the limiters? It¡¯ll be fun!¡±


    ¡°Anyone saw my psionic calibrator?¡±


    Vivian waved her hand. ¡°This is not the time for fun and games. Focus on the systems. I¡¯m still not used to them, and I need your help to properly control this thing.¡±


    The sprites immediately concurred and turned into streams of light towards the glowing crystal pillars, and in an instant, the runic array and holographic projections before Vivian became much clearer.


    She looked at the projection, and over there, Rheia held her arms open as she smugly told the stunned goddess of annihilation, ¡°The real Creation¡¯s Engine comes in a bundle!¡±


    Yes, the Creation¡¯s Engine was actually a bundle, and even from the blueprint it may look like an independently operational product, but the blueprint was only one-half of the engine.


    The other half was the Crimson Moon or strictly speaking, Vivian.


    Just as Rheia had said before, Vivian was the core of her plans, and that plan involved the Ark of Yggdrasil, the Weave of Destiny, the Godslaying War, and of course, the Creation¡¯s Engine.


    After Hao Ren and Vivian¡¯s spirit had filled the gap in each other, only did this hidden part was revealed, the key part of the plan that even Rheia had forgotten herself, and it was the truth of Vivian¡¯s ability to summon the Crimson Moon.


    Her Crimson Moon did not have much offensive capability, and it was not just a mere projection of the Star of Creation, the power of the Crimson Moon was simply its nature as a supernatural object, and was not its ¡®true nature¡¯. It¡¯s true nature, was the ¡®vessel¡¯ for the Creation¡¯s Engine.


    Vivian was not just the highest node in the Weave of Destiny, she was also the controller of the Creation¡¯s Engine, the source of command of the engine.


    Without the command source, the Creation¡¯s Engine could still operate with the Gilded Disc (or the Heart of God), but it was just an automated weapon system. Only when Vivian took over the control system as part of the ¡°Queen Node¡±, was the divine artifact considered complete.


    In fact, Rheia had planned all of it out when she designed the Creation¡¯s Engine, and Creation¡¯s Engine was not be destroyed after completing its ¡°mission¡±. It would become Vivian¡¯s own vessel, and the moving server of the Weaves of Destiny¡¯s existence would continue. In the event that the Heart of Destiny ran into issues in the future, the Creation¡¯s Engine would be the new Heart of Destiny.


    However, all those plans were not important now, and the most important thing was that the complete version of the Creation¡¯s Engine had activated, and it outright suppressed the dark star the Goddess of Annihilation had created the moment it appeared.


    ¡°You¡­¡± The pale evil goddess glared furiously at the Crimson Moon. While the latter was crimson, there were golden hues appearing from time to time, giving its already imposing nature a divine presence. ¡°You lied to yourself to create this?!¡±


    Rheia was nonchalant. ¡°Facing a foe like you who likes to invade the minds of others, lying to yourself would be natural.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think you had won just yet!¡± the goddess of annihilation roared. ¡°Now that I have merged with the Mad Lord, its powers are mine! It¡¯s not only you who got stronger, and here, I¡¯m stronger than anyone of you!¡±


    Following her apoplectic rage, the collapsing dark star that was suppressed by the Crimson Moon-Creation¡¯s Engine operated once again, and the chaotic energies from all over the Dark Abyss surged into this already out-of-control star of disaster, forcibly wrenching itself out of the control of the Crimson Moon-Creation¡¯s Engine.


    The dimension shook once again, and at the same time, Hao Ren received an emergency report from the MDT.


    ¡°Emergencies across all fronts! The power of madness¡¯ activities is increasing exponentially. The Overwatch Bastion is lost, and sector S-4 overrun. The droid echelon 172 to 268 has been wiped out!


    ¡°The guardian fleet is pulling back to the second line of fortress clusters and reforming the defensive line.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a report from Valkyrie¡­ Breaches reported across all ecosystems, the largest incursion has begun!¡±


    Rheia still held her hands open as she guided the light of the Crimson Moon around the dark star, trying to suppress the frenzied corrupted divine artifact. ¡°Your Annihilation Engine won¡¯t last more than a few hours if you push it like this!¡±


    ¡°But before it comes apart, I can flood the entire universe with the power of chaos¡­ and the universe that you cherish so much, you will be powerless to protect it¡­¡± The pale figure then charged at Rheia. ¡°And here, I shall end you!¡±


    The two goddesses started their apocalyptic battle once again as the pale power of chaos, and the golden divine words created multiple matrixes across the universe before disintegrating as they collided. In the span of a few seconds, the entire sector experienced innumerable rebirths and destruction.


    Objects were created, then returned to the void, order was established before being destroyed by chaos, time and space fluctuated, intertwined, and crushed every last ancient ruin floating in the area.


    Even Nolan who was hiding in the ruins had to reposition to avoid the spreading power of chaos.


    Meanwhile, Hao Ren¡­ He simply held the twin Cosmic Shards in his hand and monitored the progress of the battle without any intention of joining in.


    As the force of both goddesses clashed, and the only thing available for combat were the two divine artifacts, the Dark Star- Annihilation Engine, and the Crimson Moon ¨C Creation¡¯s Engine, but as these two man-made stars were pinning each other down, neither had any capacity to support their side.


    With the powerful energies tearing at it, the crust of the dark star was rent open with countless of wounds as the fetid, bloated flesh and metal flowed out like blood, while the Crimson-Moon too was not unscathed, as a massive waves roiled on its surprise, and the originally calm ¡®Ocean of Lifeblood¡¯ waxed and waned violently as if it was boiling. And between the waves, there was a faint golden, almost ethereal object appearing.


    That faint golden shadow was the Creation¡¯s Engine, and as the synchronization between the Crimson-Moon and the Creation¡¯s Engine dropped, the fusion between the two would weaken, and the Creation¡¯s Engine would instead appear, and as more of the golden shadow appears, it meant that the Crimson Moon was getting more and more unstable.


    While the completed Creation¡¯s Engine was powerful, Vivian was not well-versed in controlling it, and now that the goddess of annihilation had sent the Annihilation Engine into overdrive with the power of chaos, that made the face-off all the more difficult.


    ¡°The synchronization has fallen to 70%! Mistress, mistress, think of something!¡±


    ¡°The amount of data is too big! I¡¯m gonna faint!¡±


    The voices of the sprites echoed through the mental link as they reported all sorts of bad news. Vivian tried to calm them down and told them that the dark star was disintegrating faster than the Crimson Moon, and it would be the first to falter.


    The sprites then calmed down, but Vivian was not, she knew the fate of the universe would be decided not just by the duel between the Creation¡¯s Engine and the Annihilation Engine.


    Her vision then moved to the side, where there was an independent projection, and on it was Hao Ren¡¯s figure.


    A tiny loading bar was slowly moving under the projection.


    And in space, as a large number of divine words shattered, Rheia and the goddess of annihilation materialized again.


    They had pulled a distance between them and were staring each other down. The pages and divine words around Rheia was significantly lesser than before, as strands of golden red blood floated around her. The goddess of annihilation did not fare any better as countless wounds marked her body, but blood did not flow out of the wounds, blobs of black mist did.


    Rheia¡¯s voice then rang in Hao Ren¡¯s mind. ¡°Damnation, that b*tch is tougher than I thought.¡±


    Hao Ren immediately asked, ¡°Can you hold her down for a moment?¡±


    ¡°I can, what¡¯s your plan?¡±


    ¡°The first defensive line controlled by the Overwatch Bastion is fully collapsing, and all of the droid swarm and guardian fleet are retreating to the second line, so I plan to put the remaining Annihilation Lances on the first line to good use.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite the distance, can it work?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the final shot anyway, what¡¯s the use of limiters now?¡±


    ¡°¡­Right, that¡¯s your style after all. Let¡¯s do it!¡±


    Divine power surged around Rheia once again as she prepared for the next round of attack. At the same time, Hao Ren summoned Nolan via the mental link. ¡°Nolan, is the marker system still functioning?¡±


    ¡°What I lost was my waist, not my brains. Of course, it¡¯s functioning!¡±


    ¡°Very good, you¡¯ll be guiding the next Annihilation Lance salvo. I¡¯m pulling ultra-long-range fire support.¡±

 Chapter 1773(END) - Godslayer (Final Chapter)

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    When the largest clash of divine powers in the history of the universe exploded from the heart of the Dark Abyss, the battle between order and chaos outside the Dark Abyss entered its most bloody phase.


    The defensive line was slowly falling apart.


    As the Annihilation Engine went into self-destructive overdrive, the power of chaos from the Dark Abyss instantly went berserk too, and the minions of chaos no longer appeared batch by batch from the twisted dimensional structure. Rather, they suddenly flooded the entire sector, covering every inch of area around the Dark Abyss. Countless minions appeared out of thin, swarming and tainting the defensive line of order like a vat of dye being splashed into a pond.


    Against the sudden surge of ferocity, it did not take long for breaches to appear across the defensive line anchored upon the Overwatch Bastion. The entire line soon buckled slowly as the breaches widened.


    Powerful combined shields were snuffed out by the monsters of chaos. As droid swarms were consumed by the tide of darkness, stars converted into bunkers and fortresses exploded, shattering into pieces. While the droid hives held out a little longer with their concentrated cannon fire, very soon, connections to the hivemind were lost one after another.


    Against this relentless assault, the Guardian and Nightwatcher fleet could only retreat toward the second defensive line as they prepared to man and shore up the new defensive line.


    Countless denizens and guardians perished while they covered the repositioning of the main fleet.


    A series of explosions ripped outward from the central tower across the entire bastion, and aside from the central building cluster, most of the Overwatch Bastion¡¯s buildings had totally shut down. Countless minions of madness had crossed through the already ruined shield generators like ravenous beasts consuming everything in their path, including the dimension itself. The once glorious bastion was disappearing like a sandcastle against the waves.


    Within the upper control room of the central control tower, there was one last remaining source of light, and it was coming from several giant terminals. The control room was now empty, and only the AI had remained to maintain whatever operations it could. On one of the terminals, the holographic projection showed the remaining number of operational cannon platforms in the bastion.


    That number had fallen below two digits.


    Suddenly, a new command appeared, and the bastion¡¯s AI quickly switched its processes. Monitoring processes were all shut down, and there was only one item remaining on the projection: the Annihilation Lance array within the heart of the bastion, which had not been totally destroyed.


    ¡°First command: Activate the Annihilation Lance, and fire it toward XX mark.


    ¡°Second command: Self destruct.


    ¡°Commencing command sequence.¡±


    The light within the control room shone brightly, and very quickly, two of the terminals sank into darkness after a series of sparks. But at the center of the bastion, the unique building-like Annihilation Lance array started to form.


    There were four Annihilation Lance projectors, and two had already been totally destroyed. Meanwhile, the other two lit up after they were fed energy. Bright sparks leaped between the crystals and the coils as they gathered at the tip of the array.


    A group of minions were attracted by the sudden surge of energy and swarmed forward like sharks that had caught the scent of blood. But the energy had already hit its critical point, and as the firing command was given, two blinding beams tore through the converging darkness. They opened a dimensional rift in the distant space before disappearing within it.


    ¡°Launch successful. Entering self-destruct protocol. It was a pleasure to serve you, our current service ends now.¡±


    The various remaining energy furnaces and munitions depots were detonated. A supermassive explosion erupted up in space like a nova was being born within a blazing flame, and that blinding light even temporarily checked the incursion of darkness and chaos, tearing numerous minions of madness into pieces.


    At the same time, all across the various nodes on the first defensive line, similar explosions erupted. The chained self-destruction of countless space forts had suppressed the activity of the power of madness for a short while, giving the main forces that had just retreated to the second defensive line valuable breathing room.


    Deep within the Dark Abyss, the pale and golden figures once again put a distance between them.


    The dimensional structure around them had fully collapsed as uncountable dark and bright ribbons floated about. Any time a floating ruin in space touched them, they would be rendered down to the most basic data unit and disappear into the chaos of time and space.


    The goddess of annihilation finally sensed that something was afoot as she stopped her crazy attacks and surveyed the already collapsed battlefield.


    Shock appeared on her pale face.


    Under Rheia¡¯s conscious control, numerous golden runes had been left on the battlefield, and the randomly set up runes had originally just been floating about. But at that moment, all of them stopped and were glowing brighter with each passing second.


    The control of the dimensional structure suddenly changed hands, and now, the right of control was temporarily Rheia¡¯s.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡± the goddess of annihilation bellowed.


    Rheia did not answer. She simply held her hands wide open as the floating pages reformed into the sacred tome. The divine words floating across the battlefield grew even brighter. From a distance, the runes had formed a very intricate, layered orb, and the goddess of annihilation was right in the middle of it.


    Right then, Rheia finally spoke, ¡°By my command, everything shall stop.¡±


    Thus, the entire area covered by the golden runes came to standstill.


    It did not just stop any material movement, even time stopped. All information flow disappeared, and the change to the universe paused as well.


    The first to come was absolute zero, and following that, endless darkness because the movement of light was stopped too.


    Within the darkness, only the countless golden runes shone brightly.


    However, that pause only lasted fora very short while. The goddess of annihilation was of the same rank as Rheia, and the power of chaos afforded her sufficient strength to resist Rheia who had mastered many new divine arts. As the power of chaos fought back, the still universe started to move again, and as the darkness faded away, the goddess of annihilation in the middle of the runic matrix raised her head. ¡°Don¡¯t think that this can¡­¡±


    ¡°I never said that was all of it,¡± Rheia said flatly as the Petrachelys appeared from the shadows in the space behind her.


    The upper deck of the argent frigate opened up, and a special antenna rose from within. While the antenna was activated, many dimensional rifts formed behind her.


    The beam of the Annihilation Lance crossed through the dimensions and smashed into the goddess of annihilation.


    The storm of high-powered beams lasted almost half a minute, and even Rheia had to squint as she looked at the torrent of light. As the bombardment came to an end, the area around the goddess of annihilation was wiped ¡°clean¡±.


    All of the wreckage and dimensional rifts had been wiped out by the power of the Annihilation Lance.


    ¡°Is it over?¡± the MDT asked nervously.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that easy,¡± Hao Ren replied.


    Just as Hao Ren¡¯s words left his mouth, the bombardment ended, and once the flames faded away, a pale figure reappeared in its wake. She was indeed battered, with numerous smoking wounds all over her body. Even half of her face was gone, and only a savage silhouette was left. Yet, she was still alive¡­


    Or rather, she refused to die.


    ¡°So that was your trump card?¡± The goddess of annihilation started to recover at a staggering speed, and even her voice was bereft of any weakness. ¡°Laughable, I¡ª¡±


    Before she could finish, Rheia interrupted her, ¡°But what if I add this!¡±


    The floating divine runes suddenly converged again and formed a spear-like shape next to Rheia. The heavy tome broke into a ton of light orbs in the sky, which quickly flowed toward the tip of the spear. In an instant, the originally ethereal spear became a veritable light-forged weapon.


    Rheia held the weapon, which was many times her size, from behind. She became the weapon¡¯s propulsion force and charged like a meteor towards the goddess of annihilation, who was immobile due to her recovering state.


    Her voice rang across the entire universe. ¡°And what if I add myself in?!¡±


    The golden spear pierced through the pale figure.


    Everything happened in an instant but seemed to have passed through countless passages of time. Hao Ren felt like a century had passed before the two orbs of light, one gold and one pale, split again and again.


    The golden spear dissolved into light orbs silently as the black leather tome appeared next to Rheia once more. In contrast to before, the glow of the tome was many times weaker now.


    Meanwhile, the pale figure stopped for a few moments before she shattered into many pieces.


    Rheia stared hard at the spot where the goddess of annihilation had disappeared, and the excessive use of her powers made her shiver. Strands of golden-red blood seeped out from her wounds, but she had no concern for it.


    The next moment, her pupils shrank.


    A tiny pale object appeared in space, and following that, many more fragments appeared out of nowhere.


    It was as if time had reversed itself, and the goddess of annihilation quickly reformed her body. In the blink of an eye, she reappeared totally unscathed.


    ¡°Ah¡­ seeing your expression now is rather satisfying.¡± The goddess of annihilation looked at her already recovered arm before she set her sights on Rheia. ¡°Interesting¡­ You sure prepared a lot of surprises¡­¡±


    Rheia was staring the goddess of annihilation in the eye, but her expression of shock had totally disappeared.


    In its place was a smile, which she had tried to suppress. ¡°You have not seen the real surprise yet.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­¡±


    The goddess of annihilation only managed a syllable before she had to turn and block two Cosmic Shards that slashed at her. She avoided them by mere millimeters.


    Hao Ren held the Godslayer and the Worldbreaker tightly as Raven 12345¡¯s blessing cast a divine veil of light around him, protecting him from the chaotic powers of the goddess of annihilation. He used all his might as he pressed the swords downward. ¡°The real show is just about to start!¡±


    ¡°Is this the surprise you were talking about?¡± The goddess of annihilation deployed a pale screen before her, and the Godslayer¡¯s blade bit into the screen, sending sparks flying everywhere. But it could not penetrate further. ¡°You really think I haven¡¯t noticed the human who has been roaming the field since the start of the battle without doing anything¡­¡±


    As she spoke, she even yawned. ¡°So your surprise was this? To let a weak human ¡®sneak attack¡¯ me? For such a weak attack¡­ what will it achieve even if it¡¯s successful?¡±


    Hao Ren grinned as he amplified his power. ¡°You really don¡¯t recognize the blade before you?!¡±


    ¡°The blade?¡± Only then did the goddess of annihilation realize the uniqueness of the weapons in Hao Ren¡¯s hands, and she noticed a familiar aura from one of the swords. ¡°This¡­ This was the one last time¡­¡±


    ¡°The blade that ¡®killed¡¯ the goddess of creation once¡­¡± As he endured increasing pressure, Hao Ren¡¯s expression grew more and more menacing, but his eyes did not waver. ¡°How is it? Have a feeling of deja vu?¡±


    The two blades pressed down again, and a layer of blood appeared on the Godslayer¡¯s starry surface. When the blood stained the barrier, tiny cracks began to appear on it.


    ¡°We¡¯ve¡­ put in¡­ so much effort¡­ to create a weapon that can finally slay a god!¡±


    The starry surface of the Godslayer fully turned blood-red, and the pale shield shattered away. However, right before the blade was about to bite into the goddess of annihilation, the latter stuck her hands out and grabbed both blades.


    ¡°Create a weapon that could slay a god?¡± the goddess of annihilation said as she gripped the blades of the Godslayer and Worldbreaker hard. The dimension-slicing blades seemingly lost their power and could not even sink into the flesh of her hand. ¡°Ah, so this is how it is. I finally understand what you lot were thinking¡­ but still¡­ so disappointing¡­¡±


    The goddess of annihilation smiled, but her smile was vile and frenzied. ¡°You actually placed your hopes in a sword! You really think I didn¡¯t know? That I never actually guarded myself against that weird sword? Ten thousand years ago, when the sword wounded me, I knew that the goddess of creation had done something to it!¡±


    She then tightened her grip, and the starlight on the surface of the twin blades flickered wildly. They were about to buckle when the goddess of annihilation¡¯s voice rang in Hao Ren¡¯s mind. ¡°This sword cannot kill me!¡±


    Hao Ren stared the goddess of annihilation in the eye, and behind him, the Crimson Moon completed its suppression of the dark star¡¯s operation. A strand of moonlight soon diverged from the moon¡¯s surface and fell onto Hao Ren.


    Within the gentle moonlight, Vivian¡¯s chant-like whispers could be heard.


    The next moment, golden and crimson light appeared from the moon and flowed into Hao Ren¡¯s limbs like liquid. The light rapidly formed a crimson-gold armor as the limiter in his soul was lifted. His face even changed ever so slightly.


    Seeing the familiar armor and Hao Ren¡¯s changing visage, the goddess of annihilation finally realized what was happening.


    Hao Ren¡¯s voice rang in her mind.


    ¡°Whoever told you¡­ that the weapon we made was a sword!¡±


    Seeing the Godslayer before her, the goddess of annihilation finally realized what the weapon really was.


    Then, the twin blades slashed down.


    Whether it was the Godslayer or the Worldbreaker, neither two had any differences. But when they were held in the hands of a godslayer, they were the Godslayers.


    Soon, the blades ran through the target without any resistance, and the pale figure shattered like a piece of thin glass.


    In spite of it all, Hao Ren knew very well that the strike did not come easy.


    If Rheia had not fought so hard against the goddess of annihilation, forcing the latter to focus all of her energies into one point and giving him the opportunity to totally wipe everything out;


    If Vivian had not used the Creation¡¯s Engine to collect the various battlefield data and reset the goddess of annihilation¡¯s unique code, even when he released the limiter, it would not have dealt fatal damage to the goddess of annihilation;


    If he were to count the time from that stab 10,000 years ago during the Godslaying War, this strike, would have been prepared for 10,000 years.


    The pale fragments scattered all across space, and within Hao Ren¡¯s special field of vision, he could see that the dark ¡°material¡± floating across space was also quickly fading away.


    The dark star that had totally ceased to function under the glow of the Crimson Moon finally came apart too, and the savage scars on its surface turned into deep crevices, which were enough to rip a planet apart. Massive fragments started to fall due to its internal pressure, and following a chain of explosions, the dark red light within the star¡¯s interior died off.


    The twisted dark structure in the distant space disintegrated, and as the chaos faded away, normal starlight was finally able to enter the ancient place.


    Rheia stared intently at the spot where the goddess of annihilation had disappeared again. She did not dare to relax so soon since the unkillable nature of the Mad Lord had caused her problems for so many years. She did not dare to slip-up and give the enemy a chance to make a comeback.


    She stared intently for a good while until she saw strands of golden light in the air. Once the faint light coalesced, forming into an orb of blurry unstable ¡°gas¡±, she heaved a sigh of relief.


    The strand of divine power was the one that had left her and was the goddess of annihilation¡¯s ¡°true form¡±. With its reappearance and purification, it meant that the power of madness was totally and truly gone.


    ¡°Is it over?¡± Hao Ren looked tensely at Rheia¡¯s reaction, and seeing the latter speechless for a good while, he felt that he had to ask.


    As his godslayer powers faded away, he returned to his original form.


    Rheia summoned the faint golden orb over and carefully placed it in her hands. With a smile, she nodded. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±


    She then looked up to the vast stars in the universe.


    ¡°My children, it is over!¡±


    Over in Tannagost, Io, Holletta, Collow¡­ and on every planet with life, the twisted monsters of chaos from the nightmare fell one by one.


    Smoke was spat out from their bodies, and the monsters quickly disappeared like they were evaporated. The tired warriors on the battlefield looked slightly bewildered, as though they could not process what was happening.


    Ophra swung the stains off her blade, and before she could complete the motion the stains disappeared. She looked up and saw the ominous clouds fading away as a ray of light broke through the thick clouds formed by the power of chaos. It shone upon all the people there.


    And as the light shone brightly, an elated and loving voice echoed, ¡°My children, it is over!¡±


    A moment later, a deafening cheer thundered around her.


    ¡­


    After getting Rheia¡¯s confirmation, Hao Ren could finally relax. He spread himself open and lay in space like a salted fish.


    The MDT spun about his head. ¡°Hey¡­ partner, you have the image of an Imperial to uphold!¡±


    ¡°Whatever¡­ I want to float about now, so just let me be¡­¡±


    The Petrachelys was also patrolling nearby. ¡°Boss, I won¡¯t stop you if you want to float about, but you better remember to claim workplace injury damages for me! I plan to get an even higher-efficiency waist when we get back¡­¡±


    ¡°Right, right, right, we¡¯ll change your waist alright¡­ Bloody hell, can¡¯t a shipgirl act all proper?¡±


    Lily¡¯s voice rang in Hao Ren¡¯s mind via the MDT too. ¡°Mr. Landlord, Mr. Landlord! We¡¯ve won! We¡¯ve won! When can we go back and eat?¡±


    Next was Wuyue¡¯s voice. ¡°Mr. Landlord! I didn¡¯t shirk this time around! I¡¯ll send the battle footage to you later¡­¡±


    Then it was Y¡¯zaks. ¡°I also have footage here, but I need to send Lanina back first¡­¡±


    Mixed in with Y¡¯zaks¡¯ voice was Y¡¯lisabet¡¯s faint yammering.


    Hearing the voices of his friends making a riot in his mind, Hao Ren squinted and smiled as he listened on.


    A ray of moonlight appeared next to him and Vivian walked out of it. She still had the golden wing-like runic stream behind her. That was because the connection between her and the Crimson Moon¡­ Creation¡¯s Engine had yet to be disconnected. And beside her was a few excited sprites. The tiny ones were yammering about the celebration party.


    ¡°You sure look cool in that.¡± Hao Ren looked at Vivian with a smile.


    Vivian responded with a smile and adjusted herself to ¡°lay¡± next to Hao Ren in space, bathing in the starlight.


    ¡°So, if I say it now, there won¡¯t be any flags, right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ when we go home, marry me?¡±


    Vivian pondered a bit. ¡°While I¡¯m rather happy about it¡­ I feel that¡­ Well, shouldn¡¯t there be something to come along with the marriage proposal? It¡¯s such an important thing after all¡­¡±


    Hao Ren laughed. ¡°So what do you want?¡±


    Vivian put a finger on her chin. ¡°Considering you¡¯re such a capable person, you¡¯d probably get me whatever I want¡­ so¡­ how about giving me a star?¡±


    Hao Ren tilted his head in thought for a bit before he raised his hand toward Rheia, who was also floating about like a salted fish in space. ¡°Rheia! Come over here, I have some handicraft homework for you!¡±